Lord of the Rings movie marathon food

Jeff and I are going to watch all three LOTR movies (the extended versions, of course) with some friends in one day, and I am collecting ideas for food.

Right now I'm trying to figure out what to use as leaves for lembas bread. I'd love to make these:


...but the process is way too elaborate for a one-off event. Plus I'm hesitant about using acrylic paints on something that's wrapped around food. I may end up just using lettuce leaves. Or hm, maybe corn on the cob husks? I'll have to see what's available.

Anyway here are some resources I've found so far:

Middle Earth Recipes
The Geeky Chef: Elven Lembas Bread
Lembas (Elvish Waybread) recipe: from Lorien & Craig Parker's website (Craig played Haldir)
Mallorn Leaf Wrapper Tutorial and Lembas Bread Recipe
Lembas (Tum Tum Tree)
The Food of The Lord of the Rings Theme Party

I'll let you know how it turns out. :-)

Added: Also see Livejournal comments.

Olympic Torch Relay Ceremony: Orangeville, ON

Thanks for all the posts in response to my gaming survey. I've marked down a bunch for checking out, and have responded to all your comments via my main comments board (on Blatherings.com) as well as the mirrored LJ site comments.

But on to torch relays, cold doves and how much sugar is in a 12-oz can of Coke...


It's been a fun but hectic holiday so far! Lots of visiting with friends and family, and lots of boardgaming. Sadly, none of my gaming pals wanted to play my new game, Snow Tails, but I did get to play Formula De, Cheeky Monkey, The Bucket King, Pandemic and Small World.



Yesterday, we went to see the Olympic Torch Relay ceremonies in Orangeville, and proudly watched my mom-in-law go up on stage to join the other former Olympic athletes. Ginny was a member of Canada's swim team in the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne and was the first woman swimmer to earn points for Canada in an individual swimming event. She also set a world record for 100 yards freestyle at the 1956 Olympic trials held in Toronto.



It was pretty cold standing outside during the event, so I didn't blame these doves for not wanting to perform during the dove release at the end:



Coke is one of the main sponsors for the Olympic Torch Relay, and they were mentioned heavily throughout that event as well as in costumes and props.

Related trivia: Did you know that a regular (e.g. not Coke Zero) 12 oz can of Coke contains 40.5 grams of sugar (over 10 teaspoons of sugar)?

Carols, friends and gaming...and a survey

A POLL: So what are your current favourite boardgames? Or what WERE your favourite boardgames as a child?

On the way to meet Allison and Jodi for a Christmas lunch yesterday, I came across these carol singers. They were chatting with each other about what song to sing next but when they noticed that I was taking a photo of them with my iPhone, they immediately posed for this picture. :-)

They started singing a few moments later, and they were really good!




Above: homemade cookies, brought by our friend Ray when he arrived for a gaming session on Saturday. Mmmm! I played Ticket To Ride and Power Grid - Factory Manager.



Ticket To Ride has become one of my favourite games. It's a train game by Alan Moon with very simple rules but a lot of potential for strategy.

I enjoyed playing Power Grid - Factory Manager (designed by Friedemann Friese) for the first time. This game was debuted a few months ago. The theme isn't as exciting to me as some other games but I was still pulled in by the gameplay. Like Power Grid, there are constant calculations to be made throughout as you try to make best use of your workers, buy robots and machinery, keeping an eye on rising energy prices balanced against the energy consumption of your own machines.



Like Power Grid, there were times when all the calculations turned into a confusing mush in my head when balancing all the different factors before making a purchase; this is not a game I could play when I'm tired. But as I mentioned in my earlier post about why I love boardgaming, I get so much more satisfaction out this kind of game than I do a game like Monopoly or other simple party games...even when I crash and burn because I don't yet have a good grasp of the strategies.



And I can't help but think how much more fun people might have if they spent more time playing boardgames and less time watching tv, especially families. There are so many family-oriented boardgames available. I also find playing boardgames a much more satisfying couple activity than watching a rented tv show or movie together.

But I also realize that everyone's situation and tastes in entertainment is different. If you're curious to find out more about boardgames, however, I strongly encourage you to check out BoardGameGeek. Not only can you find out a ton of info about pretty much every game that has ever been published, you can also get advice about what games would best suit your situation.

Geez, I'd like to be able to play like this little kid

I discovered the second video on Editorial Ass, one of my favourite blogs.

In case you're not familiar with Jason Mrag's performance of "I'm Yours":



And then check out this little fellow's impression:



Not only is this kid cute and hilarious, but WOW, can he play.

Date Night: playing my very first wargame

What I found: The idea of war wasn't glamorized or made trivial by the game. Instead, it made me better appreciate the bravery of those who fought in the war as well as the strategic insight (of lack thereof) of those who were in charge.

Posted in BoardGameGeek.com:
Overview of my first wargaming experience, with photos.