Free choice blog-Macbeth

Brandon Jara

While I have been in this class I was reading a book of romance and destruction. This story is the classic book Macbeth. Macbeth was a great story to read and was a more depressing story that lead to deception and corruption.

Macbeth starts with the warrior Macbeth and his friend Macduff just came back from fighting a war. They encounter some witches that tell them how to become kings. They tell them they could become royalty of another kingdom if you killed their commanders. Macbeth and Macduff knew they weren’t going to do this to another kingdom. Macbeth later made the mistake of telling his wife Lady Macbeth about this. She then starts to devise a plan for him to become a more powerful warrior and a king.

She convinces Macbeth to kill the castles royalty to become king. She makes him murder a couple people in his castle that they think was onto their devious plans. Lady Macbeth then kills a couple of the officials living in the castle for him to become king as the witches told. He killed the officials but their son got away and went fleeing to his old friend Macduff’s castle. As he thinks Macduff will be onto his treacherous ways he sends an army to kill the son and Macduff.

The Story tragically ends while Macbeth dies in the battle and such a maniacal and evil plan could send the two married couple into evil. Lady Macbeth killed herself thinking of all she regretfully did to Macbeth and his castle. The story was sad and instructive of how greed and manipulation could send the best of people against each other, I think this was the authors intent to show this between the characters

Crazy Driver

Cartoon written, illustrated and edited by Alex McKeel.

Weekly Comic

The History of Marshmallows

By David McKeel

The modern marshmallow has roots way back in ancient Egypt. The ancient marshmallow plant, Althaea officianalis, was first used to cure sore throats. The first time it was used as a candy was also in Egypt. Egyptians extracted sap from the marshmallow plant and boiled it in syrup to make the soft candy.

In the mid 19th century French confectioners hand whipped this sap with egg whites and sugar to make marshmallows. Later, in 1948, Alex Doumake patented an extrusion process and invented the modern marshmallow assembly line.

Today there are many uses for marshmallows. Roasted marshmallows, the familiar caramelized sweets, were popularized in North America in the 1920’s, and S’mores began making camper’s hands sticky. Marshmallows are found in cereal, sweet potato casserole and many desserts. The deadly game of Chubby Bunny (where contestants attempt fitting as many marshmallows in there mouth as possible) has killed two people since 1999. 

The modern marshmallow is one of the simplest foods ever. To prove it, heres a recipe:

3 envelopes of unflavored Knox gelatin

1/2 cup of cold water

2 cups of granulated sugar

2/3 cup of corn syrup

1/4 cup of water

1/4 teaspoon of salt 

1 tablespoon of vanilla extract. 

Confectioners sugar for dredging

1. Sprinkle the gelatin over the 1/2 cup of water, soak for 10 minutes.
2. Combine the 2 cups of sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup of water in a saucepan. Boil for 1 minute.  
3. Add the vanilla and scrape into 9x9 inch pan lined with plastic wrap.

Note: Lightly oil scraper. 

1. Take another plastic wrap piece and press down into pan.
2. Let sit for a couple of hours, then dredge with confectioners sugar. Cut twelve pieces out and dredge each one with more sugar. 
3. Make a roaring fire and roast em’!

Sources:

Answers.com

Wikipedia

Campfire Marshmallows

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