November, 2024

"This Just In..."

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The leaves are crashing down.

That means bags and bags and bags and bags and bags of usually wet leaves. One morning you step outside and realize a sweater, or worse, a coat, may be necessary. Gray becomes the color of the week, and hot chocolate and a great book form the perfect retreat. The kids will gradually come down from the Halloween sugar high, the political ads will cease and plans for a Thanksgiving feast will begin to take shape.

Luckily (or so we would suggest) it’s time for, “This Just In…”

Welcome to November.

Good luck and prayers to whomever wins.

Click here for larger image

16,000 cross-country racers at the 100^th Vasaloppet Race in Salen Sweden.

Have the kids come back from college? Has Nona decided to take up residence in the guest bedroom? Add a few heat pumps to augment your heating & cooling? Have you added a new baby to the house, or have you decided to pack up to Florida for a few months to stay out of the cold?

Let us know. Why? Fair question. It will better help us determine how much and how often to bring fuel to you. It’s a thing called a K-factor and it’s predicated on how much you use and how cold it is on a daily basis. If you increase – or decrease – your demand it can mean a different delivery schedule. So give us a call, drop us a note. This will help Daniels Do It – Better. Thanks.

The World Birthrate Is Slowing

Excerpts from a detailed article in The Guardian:

The fear of climate change has led to couples having fewer babies; about one in five female climate scientists say they will have no children or fewer children because of the crisis.

It’s not the only reason for what governments are calling a baby crisis, a population crisis, a fertility crisis, a demographic crisis, an ageing crisis and an economic crisis. The cost of living, housing security and a lack of opportunity also play their part.

The upshot is that all over the world...governments are concerned that women are simply not having enough babies....

It’s fairly clear that, when women are more educated, more liberated, and more able to access contraception, they start having fewer children. What’s not clear is how to convince them to have more. Cheaper childcare? More flexible workplaces? More help from the menfolk? Affordable housing? More optimism about the future? (My daughter might ask, “why are you trying to make me have more children?)

Statistics show most countries are now below replacement rate – that’s 2.1 children per woman, enough to replace the existing population with a bit of a buffer...

“Governments must plan for emerging threats to economies, food security, health, the environment and geopolitical security brought on by these demographic changes that are set to transform the way we live,” 

“The blame gets placed on women. Women are seen as the gatekeepers of population and are seen as hedonistic and selfish if they do not populate.”

As an example, I'll offer this excerpt from the transcript of a podcast from To The Best of Our Knowledge, entitled "Love in the Time of Extinction":

Heather teaches environmental literature at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her students are 18 and 20 year olds. And she told me about a day when she realized just how scared they really are. When referencing a poem they were discussing, one woman said, "This poem gives me hope. Well, most of the time, I don't feel any hope at all and I don't wanna bring a child into this world."  And she said, "But that poem makes me feel like maybe I could."

I then asked, “How many other people in the room feel that you wouldn't have children because you're afraid of the environmental things that we're facing?" And all of them raised their hands. I don't have any interest in pushing people to have children. It wasn't about that. It was that I realized that they were not seeing a future that they could imagine anyone surviving in. Wonder how true that is – for you and your families?

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If you have to have a pool, might as well be a Picasso pool. No?

Love these guys. They were the perfect couple. Just tell me who they are and you may be a winner of an Amazon gift card! 

Last month only 41 of you - and Terry R and Lynn K recognized the four guys who played Superman – Chris Reeve, Brandon Routh, Henry Cavill and George Reeves. NO – Jack Larson didn’t play Superman – he was Jimmy Olsen! So many wrong answers!

Donna Z, Carol B and Jay K (and 112 of you) figured out the two quiz answers – throw the ball up in the air and it will come back to you and….there were 2 “the” in the question.

Nice try with the commas and the other punctuation observations. Good luck with this quiz!

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* You need to purchase a new Energy Kinetics System 2000 Frontier EK1 Boiler by November 30,2024 **0.99% for 120 months through EnergizeCT. Size of down payment necessary for financing rate- 10-20%- is dependent on zip code and size of home. Purchase price $17,825.00- 16% down payment. Loan Amount $15,000.00. Monthly payment $131.34 Limitations apply. ***Customer example is for illustration only. Your savings may be higher or lower. See Daniels representative for complete details. CT License S1-385517 HOD#19/ Daniels Propane. LLC: CT License S1-302857 * Combined heat and hot water. Data and conclusions are drawn from the report * Performance of Integrated Hydronic Heating Systems”, Energy Resources Division, Department of Energy Sciences and Technology, BNL.

DANIELS ENERGY

8 High Street Portland, CT, 06480

860-813-9122 • Danielsenergy.com

danielsenergyct@gmail.com

Fresh Clams Anyone?

For Thanksgiving you’re going to have the same old, same old. Turkey and the fixins’, and yes there is some comfort there. To see the mashed potatoes, the green beans with the onions, the cranberry sauce, the corn pudding.

But isn’t it time to try something different? Here are three things to try. We DARE you to enjoy one and let us know how it was received.

North Carolina Paw Paw Pudding

Did you know that the pawpaw is the largest edible fruit native to North America? The flavor of this unique fruit is often compared to bananas, but with hints of mango, vanilla, and citrus.

This is an old-fashioned baked pudding, not as creamy as a custard but smooth and rich, with intriguing caramel notes and an undeniable pawpaw kick. 

In some regions, “pawpaw” refers to papayas (Carica papaya), and not the North American fruit this recipe calls for. This recipe will not work with papaya, only with North American pawpaw (Asimina triloba). If you can’t find fresh pawpaws where you live, you can order the frozen pulp online.

INGREDIENTS

• 2/3 cup (93g) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2/3 to 3/4 cup (132 to 150g) sugar, depending on the sweetness of the pawpaws
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup pawpaw pulp (see recipe note)
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup half-and-half
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• Crème fraîche or whipped cream, for serving

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

Use butter or cooking spray to grease an 8 x 8-inch baking dish, preferably glass or ceramic.

Make the batter: 

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda to combine.

In a large glass measuring cup or medium bowl, combine the pawpaw, buttermilk, half-and-half, egg and egg yolk, and vanilla. With the machine running, add the pawpaw-buttermilk mixture through the feed tube. Turn off the machine, scrape down the sides, and add the melted butter with the machine running. Your batter should have the consistency of pancake batter.

Bake: 

Pour the batter into the greased dish. Bake until the center is set but still jiggly (like a pumpkin pie), 35 to 45 minutes. As it bakes the pudding may puff up, then deflate—this is normal. The edges will brown and the center will be flat, shiny, and amber-colored.

Cool and serve:  

Set on a wire rack to cool (the pudding will collapse as it cools). Serve at room temperature with crème fraîche or whipped cream. I like this for breakfast with a big dollop of Greek yogurt, but I could say that about most any dessert. The pudding will keep for 2 to 3 days at room temperature. You could refrigerate it, but it tastes better at room temperature.

Similar to the better-known Ambrosia salad, this dessert salad gets its unusual name from the small pasta mixed in that resemble frog eyes peeking through the marshmallows and creamy pineapple dressing.

Frog Eye Salad is a sweet fluffy rendition of a fruity dessert salad with cool whip, instant pudding and plenty of extras to make you go Mmmm!

Whipping up this frog eye salad is so super simple. Remember it requires overnight refrigeration so plan accordingly!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup Acini Di Pepe pasta (like Pastina)
• 1 (3.5-ounce) box instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained with juice reserved
• 1 (20-ounce) can pineapple tidbits, drained with juice discarded
• 1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained with juice discarded
• 2 (15-ounce) cans fruit cocktail, drained with juice discarded
• 3 cups colored mini marshmallow
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1 (8-ounce) container cool whip thawed
• Reddi wip

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook pasta (1 cup) in lightly salted rapidly boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water. Drain well.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together Instant pudding mix (1 box), 1/4 cup of reserved pineapple juice, sugar (1/2 cup), and milk (1 1/4 cups) for 2 minutes.
3. Add drained pasta to pudding mixture and fold gently until combined. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
4. Place all drained fruit in a bowl or a 1-gallon resealable bag and refrigerate overnight.
5. When ready to serve, add cold fruit (1 can crushed pineapple + 1 can pineapple tidbits + 1 can mandarin oranges + 2 cans fruit cocktail), cool whip (1 container), mini marshmallows (3 cups), and coconut (1 cup) to pasta mixture and fold to combine. Serve in a large bowl or individual serving dishes. Top with Reddi Wip if desired.

2 -1/2 lbs shallots, peeled

⅔ cup (or more) apple cider vinegar

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ cup bourbon

¼ cup pure maple syrup

¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more

Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Bring shallots, vinegar, butter, bourbon, maple syrup, ¼ tsp. salt, and 2 cups water to a boil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer, adding water by the tablespoonful if needed, until shallots are crisp-tender and liquid is partly evaporated, 25–30 min.
2. Uncover shallots and cook until liquid is evaporated and shallots begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Continue to cook, swirling pan often, until shallots and surface of skillet are covered in a rich brown caramel, about 6 minutes. Add ¼ cup water to skillet and stir to deglaze caramel and coat shallots. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a microwave-safe bowl and let cool.
3. To reheat, cover bowl with plastic wrap and microwave on high in 30-second intervals, tossing in between, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Taste, adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and vinegar.

I try never to judge a book by the cover.

This is one awesomely talented guy. Who is he? Tell us here and you may win enough to buy one of his biggest albums.

It’s going to snow.

At some point.

It’s kinda inevitable.

So, in anticipation of same, might we suggest that you think about the path to your oil filler so that – when we get 10-14” of snow overnight – your hard-working (and cold) Daniels delivery driver will be able to find it! 

Thanks very much.

The most popular street art across the world voted on by the largest street art community in the world. Enjoy!

The Impact Award

Sabotaje El Montaje was invited for the Kaminazpi Artist Residency program.

This 3 week artistic residence program in Ondarroa, Bizkaia (Spanish State) includes room and board in a unique coastal town in the Basque Country, and studio at the artists disposal. Artists will be given two weeks to get to know the village, its people and its history and on the third week initiate a mural that has been inspired by their stay.

"I have worked with photos from the town's historical archive to represent the Matriarchy of the town and the work of the women in this fishing town, with the colors of the Basque Country,” said the artist

Best Mural of the World

Violoncellista de Fene by SFHIR (Spanish street artist)



The mural by SFHIR, created during the inaugural edition of the Perla Mural Fest in August 2023 in Fene, Spain, is situated on a towering 9-story building. It has stirred considerable excitement in the media and among the local population due to the artist’s creativity across this tremendous surface. Sfhir skillfully utilized the building’s shape, including the light well, to integrate the mural with the structure, giving birth to a magnificent cello played by a cellist.

The enchanting part is that at night, it seems to come to life; in the mast area, when the staircase lights are turned on by the neighbors, the cello’s frets light up, creating a visual marvel. The mural, crafted during the festival, follows a musical theme, paying homage to the Perla venue and its legacy—an iconic cultural hub in the region.

Innovation Award

Urbaner KunstRaum



Dutch artist Leon Keer has embellished the world with his street art on walls and floors and has worked extensively on various artworks from his studios in the Netherlands and Italy for more than 25 years.

Currently, Leon Keer is a world leading artist in the field of anamorphic street art. He is constantly aware of the playfulness and beauty in contrast to the decay around him, a contrast he expresses and amplifies in his work and uses as a metaphor for life.

Here are the other winners for 2023 - https://streetartcities.com/awards/2023/winners

Art by Eldar Zarkirov. More of his work here:

https://eldarzakirov.com/Art-Illustration