December 1st!

Happy December First!!!

 It is December first and I finally have our whole apartment decorated and I am still not 100% in love with the holidays as I normally am but what can you do. I figured the best way to start off the Christmas seasons is a movie night! 

Black Christmas (1974) : On the evening that the Pi Kappa Sigma sorority which is headed by their house mother, the booze swilling Mrs. Mac is holding their Christmas party, the house receives the latest in a string of obscene phone calls from who the girls call "the moaner", but who identifies himself as "Billy". Some like Jess Bradford don't like the calls, others like brash Barb Coard are somewhat amused by the calls, others like Phyl Carlson don't think much of them, and straight laced Clare Harrison is offended by them. The calls are just the latest trouble for Jess, who is pregnant and who doesn't want to tell her sensitive but volatile boyfriend, music student Peter Smythe. For this latest call, which is a bit more elaborate than those previous, Barb decides to make a snide comment in return, which provokes a threat by Billy. The next morning, one of the girls goes missing. The desk sergeant at the police station doesn't think much about this as a missing person case, especially as the police are already dealing with another missing person case (a thirteen year old girl named Janice Quaife who is found dead). The police don't act until more information is brought to the attention of Lieutenant Kenneth Fuller by Clare's boyfriend, Chris Hayden. As Lt. Fuller and his men investigate, which includes placing a wire tap on the sorority house phones, more and more incidents happen to those living at the sorority house. In addition, the obscene calls continue and increasingly have a personal connotation to one of the girls, which includes information that could only be known by those involved. But there could be another reason why the caller knows so much about the specific girl...

Christmas Popcorn!

5 qt. freshly popped, unsalted popcorn

1 c. butter

1/2 c. corn syrup

1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 c. firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 tsp. baking soda

Red food coloring

Place the popcorn in a large, lightly greased roasting pan and set aside. Melt butter in a medium saucepan and stir in sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a boil and continue boiling over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, stir in soda, vanilla and red food coloring. Pour over popcorn mixture and stir until evenly coated.

Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from oven, cool for 10 minutes, spread in single layer on folded large brown paper bags to cool completely. This will stay fresh tasting for 2-3 weeks if kept in airtight container.

Peppermint Popcorn!

1 pound white candy coating

24 cups popped popcorn

1/2 to 3/4 cup finely crushed peppermint candy (4 to 6 candy canes)

In a microwave or heavy saucepan, melt candy coating; stir until smooth.

In a large bowl, combine the popcorn and crushed candy.

Pour candy coating over top; toss to coat.

Pour onto a waxed paper-lined baking sheet.

When hardened, break apart.

Store in an airtight container.