The Cauldron

It may only be the beginning of November, but one night you will go to sleep and wake up to December. Time flies while you are in college. Think about this: if you live on campus, do you want to go home for winter beak? Are you going to be stuck in your apartment with nothing to do? Do you not have any good ideas of your own? Well let's get a jump start on ideas for you to have a great winter. Here are a few activities, movies to watch, songs to listen to, and so much that you will be ready to have a spectacular winter.

Activites
So what if it's cold outside! It's time to bundle up and try out some outdoors fun.

Skiing: There are a few places in Ohio to go skiing.

• Try Alpine Valley in Chesterland where you can ski, snowboard and go snow tubing down large hills. 10620 Mayfield Rd. Chesterland, OH 44026.
• There is also Big Creek Ski Area, only 30 minutes from downtown Cleveland. Come here to join their skiing race team and just have fun sliding down their 175 ft vertical drop. 12721 Concord Hambden Rd. Concord Township, OH 44024.
• Boston Mills & Brandywine Ski Resorts are two separate places owned by the same management. Join their freestyle boot camp or take some lessons. They offer group lessons, semi-group lessons which only include two to six people, and private one-on-one lessons. If you have kids, bring them along and drop them off at the Kids Kamp! Boston Mills Ski Resort: 7100 Riverview Rd. Peninsula, OH 44264. Brandywine: 1146 W. Highland Rd. Sagamore Hills, OH 44067.
• Mad River Mountain is going to have a college day where lift tickets are going to be 50% off with your college ID. If you can't make that, attend their Rome Pre Jib event and see some pros kick up the snow. 1000 Snow Valley Rd. Zanesfield, OH 43360.
• If none of those places tickle your fancy, travel out to Mansfield and hit up Snowtrails. After you take your last final on Dec. 13, head up there to partake in their Kick-Off Party. Snow or no snow, they will not cancel this event. And you will have plenty of time to get there because the party doesn't end until 2 am. Enjoy their live entertainment as well. 3100 Possum Rd. Mansfield, OH 44903.

Ice Events: Don't like skiing? Is the snow too fluffy for you? Hop in the car and drive out to the ice!

• Like hockey? Cleveland's hockey team the Lake Erie Monsters is always at Quicken Loans Arena for home games that you can enjoy. Watch them crack open skulls and score points for $10-$26.
• Want to go ice skating? Cleveland Heights Community Center has an Olympic-sized ice rink for your enjoyment. 1 Monticello Blvd. Cleveland Heights, OH 44118.
• If you don't want to go to Cleveland Heights, the Hamilton Ice Arena in Rocky River will be happy to teach you how to ice skate and will let little ones join their youth hockey team. 29018 Hilliard Blvd. Rocky River, OH 44116.
• If you already know how to get on the ice and want to learn how to do stunts and tricks that the figure skaters at the Michael A. Ries Ice Rink. 5000 Forestwood Dr. Cleveland, OH 44134.

Didn't know that Cleveland had designated snow sledding areas? They really do! Bring the whole family out to sled down slopes at Big Creek Reservation near their Memphis picnic area, Edgewater Park has a 65 degree slope off their shore way that is not recommended for small children, and there is also an area behind the McDonald's on E 222nd and Euclid. All of the areas have nearby parking.

One other activity you can try is ice fishing on our wonderful Lake Erie. Try to catch some Walleye, our native fish from Canada and the northern United States. Yum!

Winter Time Songs
Do you know who those famous wintertime songs were written by or when they came out? Here's a brief bio on some of the world's most famously known songs based in winter.

• Sleigh Ride: Hearing the world sleigh usually reminds people of Santa Claus and Christmas. However, this 1946 song doesn't mention Christmas or anything pertaining to religion. Leroy Anderson composed this song during a heat wave in July, and Mitchell Parish would later write the lyrics in 1950. Some people who have sang this song for their own albums are Ella Fitzgerald, The Carpenters, Lou Rawls, Relient K, and Vanessa Williams sang it for the soundtrack to her movie A Diva's Christmas Carol.
• Baby, It's Cold Outside: Written and composed by Frank Loesser in 1944, this song is about a man who tries to persuade a woman to stay with him after their date is over. The woman consistently thinks about staying, but also knows that she should go home. Duets have been song by Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey, Bette Midler and James Caan, and Michael Bublé and Anne Murray.
• Winter Wonderland: This 1934 hit was written by Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith. When the lines go "In the meadow we can build a snowman, then pretend that he is Parson Brown", Parson Brown is like a minister; someone who can conduct wedding ceremonies. Other people who have sung this song are Frank Sinatra, Dolly Parton, Mandy Moore, and a duet was sung by Ozzy Osbourne and Jessica Simpson.

Winter Time Movies
The colder it gets the better it gets when cuddling up with your sweetheart. Instead of going out to the movies, stay in and watch some of these amazing winter flicks.

• Home Alone 1 & 2: These movies got Macaulay Culkin the number two spot on VH1's Greatest Child Stars. Both Home Alone's are based during Christmas time when there is lots of snow and ice. In the first, Kevin McCallister (Culkin) gets in trouble for fighting with his brother and is forced to sleep in the attic. Because of his anger, he wishes that his family would disappear. When everyone in the house over sleeps because of a power outage, Kevin's parents forget to take him along on their trip to Paris. Kevin wakes, realizes everyone is gone, and celebrates. His celebration does not last for long when two robbers Harry and Marv, played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern, decide that the McCallister's house is the perfect house to rob. In the end, Kevin sets up enough booby traps to get the buglars arrested. His family eventually gets back home after they realize they left a ten-year-old at home all alone while they were half-way across the world. Home Alone 2 is a little similar and also shows what horrible parents the McCallister's are. This time, Kevin gets left behind in the airport and boards the wrong plane. Again, this is because of the family oversleeping. While the rest of the family ends up in Florida, Kevin ends up in New York. Being the smart little devil that he is, he checks himself into a hotel and keeps himself fed with room service. To Kevin's dismay, Marv and Harry break out of prison and end up in New York. As soon as they see Kevin, all they really want is revenge…and to still all the money from a charity toy store. The ending is the same as the first.
• Family Stone: This is the 2005 tale of the fiancée from hell. Sarah Jessica Park plays an uptight business woman who is engaged to Dermot Mulroney's character, a son of a large family. When he brings his fiancée home for Christmas, he gets all kinds of comments from his parents (Diane Keaton and Craig T. Nelson), his sisters (Rachel McAdams and Elizabeth Reaser), and his brothers (Luke Wilson and Tyrone Giordano). The story ends with relationship swaps and happy endings…almost.
• National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation: This third installment for Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) and his tolerant wife Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo). This time, the family decides to stay at home and have a vacation. They invite everyone over and try to have a good time. Despite all the arguments, undercooked turkeys, and fires Clark is hoping to get a huge bonus from work so that he can buy a swimming pool for the family. He later finds out that he gets something a lot less exciting than a bonus. However, in the end, everything works out so that everyone has a great Christmas.

Food & Drinks
Maybe you would like some tasty drinks and sweet treats that will warm you up and go along with those hilarious movies that you've been cuddling to.

• Make your own homemade Eggnog. You're going to need 12 eggs separated, 6 cups of milk, 2 cups heavy cream, 2 cups Bourbon, 1.5 cups sugar, ¾ cup Brandy, and 2 teaspoons of ground nutmeg. In a large bowl and using a mixer, beat the egg yolks together with the sugar for approx 10 minutes (you want the mixture to be firm and the color of butter). Very slowly, add in the bourbon and brandy - just a little at a time. When bourbon and brandy have been added, allow the mixture to cool in the fridge (for up to 6 hours, depending on how long before your party you're making the eggnog). 30 minutes before your guests arrive, stir the milk into the chilled yolk mixture. Stir in 1+ ½ teaspoons ground nutmeg. In a separate bowl, beat the cream with a mixer on high speed until the cream forms stiff peaks. In yet another bowl beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Gently fold the cream into the egg mixture. After ladling into cups, garnish with the remainder of the ground nutmeg. This will serve eight people. (This recipe was taken directly from www.eggnogrecipe.net)
• You can also go out and buy some of the famous Great Lakes Christmas Ale. It's 7.5% alcohol and has honey and cinnamon in it. Go to your local grocery store, but hurry because it really flies off the shelves. At Zagara's Family Market in Cleveland Heights, it's $10.99 a six-pack.
• Want to make some Roasted Chesnuts on an open fire? Okay, it doesn't really have to be on an open fire. Here is a recipe from www.epicurious.com. Go out and get 1 ½ to 2 pounds of whole chestnuts in the shell. You will also need 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil and ¼ cup of water. Make a large X in each chestnut with a sharp paring knife, cutting through the shell. Toss chestnuts with oil in a bowl. Heat dry skillet over moderately low heat until hot, then roast chestnuts in skillet on stovetop, covered, stirring every few minutes, for 15 minutes total. Add water and continue to roast, covered, stirring occasionally, until water is evaporated and chestnuts are tender, about 5 minutes more. Serve hot.

Article Tools