GREETINGS FROM “THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD”
I often think of Glimmerglass as the little engine in the classic children’s book, in our case, driven by a dream and powered by dedication, passion and generosity to achieve the unexpected. Like The Little Engine That Could, who declared, “Yes, I can; Yes, I can,” those early dreamers from 40 years ago “knew we could.”
Much has happened over the past four decades. I hope you’ve been visiting our Birthday Book at www.happy40thglimmerglass.org to see how our story evolved on the timeline. All that we have done and all that we will do in the future has been and will continue to be possible because of the scores of individuals, like you, who support and enthuse generations of Glimmerglass staff and artists to do the very best we can…and then some.
This week, I am taking a detour my Traveling iPad to talk about a special worldwide celebration of generosity.
#GivingTuesday
On Tuesday, December 2, all over the world, charities, families, businesses, community centers and students will come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give. If there was ever a community that knows about giving — time, money and devotion — it is the Glimmerglass community, and I define that as ALL of us.
We celebrate “coming together” in everything we do; that is our “m.o.” Whether it be through a warm welcome, engaging educational events with artists, a moving operatic experience, or by providing local children with a theatrical outlet, we live, breathe and sleep the coming together of people, art and ideas to inspire and instill in all of us a greater sense of who we are.
On this worldwide day dedicated to giving, I hope you will think of Glimmerglass in any way that works for you. From volunteerism to an annual or planned gift, we hope we will be in your thoughts, hearts and actions. I often say gifts of all sizes and stripes have an impact at Glimmerglass, and I truly mean this.
You have seen me and the Festival staff in the theater and around the campus, greeting audiences, making sure you are all taken care of, getting to know you and thanking you. As I said, this is our nature; we are about coming together.
Bernstein’s Candide, which we bring to life this summer in a glorious new production, ends with the stirring chorus, “Make our garden grow.” (If you don’t know it, there are numerous renderings on YouTube.) On #GivingTuesday — or throughout the month or year — we hope that you can help us plant seeds for this season and future seasons in any way that you can.
Reasons to Remembers Us:
POST-THANKSGIVING
And now, for a different take on giving thanks. Even though I have taken this Traveling iPad on a detour, last time I promised you one of my recipes for turkey leftovers.
Last year I gave you my dad’s recipe for turkey tettrazini. I still recommend it, but if you want something that is easier, consider these two simple ways to make use of every last bit of the bird.
- Freeze your leftovers for a time when you again crave turkey. I freeze it with a little liquid, like juice, broth or even strained gravy. Then pull it out later for a turkey tortilla or a frittata.
- Make turkey stock. This is labor intensive, but worth it.
MY TURKEY STOCK
- Take the carcass and cut off as much of the remaining meat as you can into a side bowl. You can use this for your tortilla or frittata or something else.
- In a huge pot, put in the carcass and any other turkey bones you may have. ,
- Add:
- 12 cups of water (to make 8 cups stock)
- 2 onions with the skin on
- 2 stalks of celery, chopped
- 2 carrots, cut up
- 1 head of parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon peppercorns
- thyme (ideally fresh)
- and…my secret ingredient…1/4 cup bourbon whiskey
- Bring to a boil, then simmer 3-4 hours with little bubbles
- Pour thru a sieve with cheesecloth
I freeze all of the contents and use it to make gravies or for cooking risotto, pasta or any myriad of things that taste better with stock!
As we enter the holiday season, I want to take this opportunity to extend our deepest gratitude to all of you from all of us. May we continue to inspire each other.
Next time, back to my usual newsy bits.
To give to Glimmerglass during this special season, please visit: www.glimmerglass.org or www.happy40thglimmerglass.org. Or you can contact the Development staff directly at (607) 547-0700 ext. 256.
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