Currently viewing the tag: "holidays"
We know you’re stressed, so we’re having a second Fun Lab this month! That’s right! You have another chance to take a creative break and feel a bit festive with pumpkin painting. Hirsh Pumpkin Patch will open at the Library Service Desk at 12pm on Thursday and Friday with all the supplies you need to make a gorgeous gourd. See you there!
Greetings friends! It is I, Tater Potato Tot, Official Potato Ambassador to HHSL.*
I am here today to tell you all about the wonders of my namesake tuber in honor of National Potato Day, which is this Sunday, August 19th.
According to the USDA, one lovely Russet potato contains 16% of your daily recommended amount of fiber and 35% of your daily recommended amount of vitamin C. Clocking in a 170 calories for a medium potato, this American staple is a good source of carbohydrates and nutrients, excellent for endurance athletes.
Since I am more of a couch potato than an elite athlete, I will just nom on my delicious foot, leaving plenty of yummy carbs for all you gym-goers.
Everyone knows about Boston’s close association with 19th century Irish immigration, a mass movement sparked by the devastating Potato Famine, a blight that wiped out the potato crop of 1846 and devastated it in the years following as well. These lost potatoes would have been a whopping 60% of the Irish food crop in those years. Here in Boston, the influx of immigrants from Ireland in 1847 was said to increase the population of the city by 30%. Boston’s connection to the famine has been memorialized by the Boston Irish Famine Memorial, a short walk from HHSL. A lesser-known memorial marks a spot just a quick jaunt from my stomping grounds in Charlestown- the Potato Shed Memorial, a quirky sculpture marking the site of the potato storage sheds along Millers River. This is where millions and millions of potatoes shipped down from Maine were stored until a massive fire in 1962 destroyed the structures.
Since I am a dog and will eat anything, including literal garbage, I would call myself a fan of potatoes. If you are looking for some things to do with potatoes, how about making these amazing roast potatoes, or this classic potato-cheese soup, or some delicious potato gnocchi?
However you choose to celebrate National Potato Day, rest assured knowing that I, Tater P. Tot, HHSL Official Potato Ambassador, approve.
* In real life, I live with one of the HHSL librarians. I am not an Official Potato Ambassador. But my name is actually Tater Potato Tot.
So the 4th didn’t fall so that we got a 3-day weekend, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun this Wednesday! There are still tons of fun events happening throughout the area and the forecast is clear for tomorrow night’s fireworks! Here are our suggestions for how to enjoy a happy and healthy holiday:
Fireworks Over Boston by Mike Halsall is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
The quintessential Boston 4th of July celebration is the Boston Pops performance and fireworks show on the Esplanade. Visit the official event website for a rundown of the schedule and more event details. CBS Boston has also put together a handy guide with viewing location suggestions and other useful tips. Our favorite tip? Go to the rehearsal concert tonight (Tuesday) to enjoy the music and find a less hectic spot to watch the fireworks on Wednesday.
Harborfest Drummers 1 by Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
For activities with an educational bent, head down to Boston Harborfest. Dedicated to celebrating Boston’s harbor and history, it’s the largest 4th of July festival in the country and features tons of activities and tours, some free and some paid. Here’s the full schedule.
Newton Fireworks at at Halloran Sports and Rec Complex by Owen and Aki is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Don’t want to fight the crowds for Boston fireworks on the 4th? Newton and Waltham will also have fireworks displays on Wednesday 7/4 and Somerville with have them on Thursday 7/5. If you’re interested in going farther afield, here’s a list of all the fireworks displays planned for Independence Day celebrations in MA.
Wherever and however you decide to celebrate, we hope you have a happy, healthy, and safe Independence Day. And don’t forget to wear sunscreen!
Here at Hirsh, we’re fans of unusual national holidays–particularly when there’s a sweet treat involved! May 31ist is National Macaroon Day, apparently, and since our Associate Director Debbie makes a mean macaroon, we wanted to share the recipe she uses. She got it from a friend, who uses this recipe from Food & Wine Magazine. With only 5 ingredients, it’s easy to put together and even easier to eat!
Coconut Macaroons
One 14-ounce bag sweetened shredded coconut
One 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted (baker’s note: I use Callebaut)
- Preheat the oven to 350° and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine the coconut with the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. In another bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with the salt until firm peaks form. Fold the beaten whites into the coconut mixture.
- Scoop tablespoon-size mounds of the mixture onto the baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake in the upper and middle thirds of the oven for about 25 minutes, until golden; shift the sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking. Transfer the baking sheets to racks and let the cookies cool completely
- Dip the bottoms of the macaroons into the melted chocolate, letting any excess drip back into the bowl. Return the cookies to the lined baking sheets. Drizzle any remaining chocolate on top and refrigerate for about 5 minutes, until set or leave some plain.
Before you bake, read up on the history of macaroons over on the UC Davis Integrative Medicine website.
Bon appetit!
John Stephen Dwyer [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons
And because our campus is located very conveniently in Chinatown, be sure to check out the Chinese New Year Parade! It’s the largest annual celebration in Boston’s Chinatown with lion dancers, music, and firecrackers—and if you haven’t tried the plethora of food options in our neighborhood, what a better time to venture out and celebrate? This year’s parade will be held on Sunday, February 25, 11:00 am starting at the John F. Fitzgerald Surface Road . Here’s some more information about the festivities in Boston.
If you are celebrating Lunar New Year, we wish safe travels and much joy and prosperity this year! 恭贺新禧 Happy New Year!
Further reading:
“Celebrating the Chinese New Year now — and Chinatown always” (Boston Globe – February 13, 2017)
Stories about Chinese New Year (National Public Radio)
The weather is gross and you have a lot of work to do. Why not cheer yourself up by sending some love? This Thursday and Friday we’ll have a variety of supplies out at the Library Service Desk so you can make valentines for yourself, your friends, or that special someone (your favorite librarian, perhaps?). Let someone know how much you appreciate them! (Or just have fun playing with some glitter and doilies). Crafting starts at noon!
Image source: https://pixabay.com/photo-2603564/
Winter break is upon us, and Hirsh’s library hours will be changing a bit for the next two weeks. The abbreviated list is below, but you can find a full schedule right here on our site. We resume normal hours on January 2nd.
Beginning this weekend (12/16 & 12/17), the schedule will be:
Weekends: Closed
Weekdays: 8am – 5pm*
* We will be closed on the following weekdays: December 25th, December 26th, December 29th, & January 1st
We hope you all have a relaxing break, and we will see you again in January!
Torn between taking a break to make a craft or to eat a snack? This week you’re in luck! Stop by the Library Service Desk this Thursday 12/7 and Friday 12/8 starting at 1pm and create an architectural masterpiece with graham crackers, frosting, and a bunch of candy.
And to make this week even sweeter, we’re also welcoming Paws for People back on Thursday from 2-4pm! Stop by the room behind the cafe on Sackler 4 and relax with some therapy dogs. But please don’t share your gingerbread house with them!
In observance of the university holiday for Veterans Day on Friday 11/10, the library will be operating with limited hours. The Library Service Desk will be open from 12pm-7pm and the library offices will be closed for the day. We will resume our regular hours on Saturday and Sunday.
Pumpkin flavored everything is here, the leaves have changed color, the air is cooler – it’s hard not to love October in New England. With Halloween fast approaching, we thought you might want to take a look at some things you can do to get yourself in the mood.
- Friday October 20th-31st @ 7pm: WholeTone Opera’s The WereWolf — tickets start at $18
- Friday October 20th-31st @ 7pm: Cirque of the Dead — tickets start at $30
- Friday October 20th @ 11:59pm: Rawhead Rex — $12.5
- Wednesday October 25th @ 6pm: Weird and Worrisome tour of JP — $10
- Saturday October 28th @ 9am: Boston Costume Dash — $25
- Saturday October 28th @ 12pm: Holiday Pet Parade — FREE
- Tuesday October 31st @ 12pm: The Big Book of Rogues and Villians — $10
New events are still being added, check out the Boston Calendar or the Boston Discovery Guide for more city happenings. If you’re willing to drive a little and want to go pumpkin picking, check out this of Massachusetts pumpkin patches. Happy October!
https://pixabay.com/en/halloween-halloweenkuerbis-carved-1798080/
Follow Us!
