jili 711

ASHFIELD — Combining creativity and community, Double Edge Theatre is working to create a sustainable future by providing eco-friendly housing and renovating old buildings into new apartments, while also constructing a Community Design Center. Between a housing crisis, a climate crisis and economic challenges, artistic communities often struggle because there are limited capital resources to support them, said Adam Bright, executive director of Double Edge Theatre. To help combat some of these issues, the theater is working to transform old properties into eco-friendly housing. On its main campus off Route 116, Double Edge Theatre has a farmhouse in addition to a residential site downtown where it houses its residents and guest educators, as well as a few Ashfield locals. “We do a lot of subsidized housing for low-income individuals in the area,” Bright said. Bright said the housing shortage is a major issue facing the community, and investing in housing infrastructure is a big goal for the theater as it crafts its future budgets. The topic is also being discussed with the Energy Committee, Zoning Board of Appeals and other town officials. Finding solutions to these various problems will take a lot of creativity and teamwork between residents, businesses, government and arts organizations, Bright said. “There’s no separation in my mind,” Bright said. “These things have to come together; there’s no rural community that will survive divided.” He added that Double Edge Theatre is lucky to be based in Ashfield, where town officials and residents have been incredibly supportive of the theater’s efforts. Residents work together to find creative solutions to problems, Bright said, and he believes they will continue to do so. Article continues after... Cross|Word Flipart Typeshift SpellTower Really Bad Chess “Whenever we can invest in the community, we try to do so,” Bright said. The theater’s next investment will involve taking a few old buildings that have plenty of unused space and renovating them, making them habitable and eco-friendly. “An enormous push for us is renewable energy,” Bright said. “We’re working with cutting-edge tech to be as sustainable as we can.” Sustainability is a big part of Double Edge Theatre’s operations. On its main campus, it has a chicken coop, a goat barn, a garden and a small orchard that produces food for its members. Double Edge Theatre is also working to improve the energy efficiency of its buildings by installing solar panels, improving insulation, upgrading its heating and cooling systems, and more. Double Edge Theatre has three buildings that it plans to renovate into apartments, and is working on securing building permits to start construction. Although the theater doesn’t need approval from the Zoning Board of Appeals as an educational nonprofit, the organization has kept town officials apprised of the plans, which were briefly shared at a recent ZBA meeting. In addition to giving some old buildings a new look, the theater will also be constructing a new Community Design Center. The center will be open to the public, offering open workspaces and design rooms for puppet-making, visual arts, textiles, beading, sewing and costuming, as well as Indigenous practices such as traditional woodworking. The venue will also provide a space for workshops and classes on various trades. “That building is being created to offer design spaces,” Bright said. “It’s got a lot of things and a lot of communities we’re working with.” Bright said the new building will be net zero, meaning 100% of its energy demand will be met by on-site renewable energy. The center will be built using the latest technology and construction practices as well as local and sustainable materials, marking a big step toward the theater’s goal of having a sustainable campus. “We don’t want to just buy plywood from who knows where and have it shipped across the country,” Bright said. “We want to use materials that are cleanly sourced.” The Community Design Center is being funded with $1.2 million in grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s Cultural Facilities Fund, the Barr Foundation and The Beveridge Family Foundation, as well as appropriations from the state budget. Construction is slated to begin next spring, with a hopeful completion and opening at the end of 2025. While Double Edge Theatre continues to plan renovations and construction over the next five to 10 years and beyond, Bright hopes community members will share their thoughts and ideas. Bright said community input sessions will be planned in the future as they continue. Reach Madison Schofield at 413-930-4579 or mschofield@recorder.com.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Taylor Swift once raved about the sweet potato casserole served at a New York City restaurant and now that recipe pops up every now and again at Thanksgiving. The holidays encourage many of us to try new recipes. Social media right now is flooded with recipes for appetizers, side dishes and desserts. Anyone making that cornbread casserole from TikTok? While we might not get to share a Thanksgiving feast with Swift — is your name Blake Lively? — or other celebrities beloved by Kansas City, we can eat like them. So here’s the recipe for that casserole Swift loved so much, and favorite family side dish recipes from Donna Kelce and Eric Stonestreet. Enjoy. People are also reading... Travis Kelce's mother, Donna Kelce, seen here last year at her son's music festival, dined on a cheesesteak made by actor Bradley Cooper at QVC festivities in Las Vegas this week. (Emily Curiel/Kansas City Star/TNS) If we tried to guess how many holiday dinner rolls Travis Kelce and his brother, Jason Kelce, have scarfed over the years, would it be in the hundreds? Thousands? Their mom has spoken often about the batches of holiday crescent rolls she has baked over the years. Based on the recipe that won the 1969 Pillsbury Bake-Off, Pillsbury’s Magic Marshmallow Crescent Puffs , they’re now known as Mama Kelce’s Dinner Rolls. They blend the crescent roll pastry with marshmallows, cinnamon and sugar. Dinner roll or dessert? We bet they didn’t last long enough in front of Travis and Jason for that debate. Ingredients Rolls •1/4 cup granulated sugar •2 tablespoons Pillsbury Best all-purpose flour •1 teaspoon ground cinnamon •2 (8-ounce) cans refrigerated Pillsbury Original Crescent Rolls (8 Count) •16 large marshmallows •1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted Glaze •1/2 cup powdered sugar •1/2 teaspoon vanilla •2-3 teaspoons milk •1/4 cup chopped nuts Directions Make the rolls 1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 16 medium muffin cups with nonstick baking spray. 2. In a small bowl, mix the granulated sugar, flour and cinnamon. 3. Separate the dough into 16 triangles. For each roll, dip 1 marshmallow into melted butter; roll in the sugar mixture. Place marshmallow on the shortest side of a triangle. Roll up, starting at shortest side and rolling to opposite point. Completely cover the marshmallow with the dough; firmly pinch edges to seal. Dip 1 end in remaining butter; place butter side down in muffin cup. 4. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. 5. When done, remove from the oven and let the puffs cool in the pan for 1 minute. Remove rolls from muffin cups; place on cooling racks set over waxed paper. Make the glaze and assemble In a small bowl, mix the powdered sugar, vanilla and enough milk for desired drizzling consistency. Drizzle glaze over warm rolls. Sprinkle with nuts. Serve warm. Eric Stonestreet attends 'Eric Stonestreet visits The SiriusXM Hollywood Studios in Los Angeles' at SiriusXM Studios on Oct. 8, 2019, in Los Angeles. (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for SiriusXM/TNS) Thanksgiving is one of the “Modern Family” star’s favorite holidays. Three years ago, as part of a campaign honoring hometown heroes , he shared one of his favorite recipe with McCormick Spices: Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Butternut Squash . This recipe serves eight. Ingredients •1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved •1 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into bite-size cubes •1 tablespoon olive oil •1/2 teaspoon garlic powder •1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves •1/2 teaspoon salt •1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper •5 slices bacon, chopped •1 shallot, finely chopped •1/2 cup dried cranberries •1/4 cup balsamic vinegar •1 teaspoon whole grain mustard •1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted (optional) •1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese, (optional) Directions 1. Preheat oven to 475°F. Spray large shallow baking pan with no stick cooking spray; set aside. Place Brussels sprouts and squash in large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder, thyme, salt and pepper; toss to coat evenly. Spread in single layer on prepared pan. 2. Roast 16 to 18 minutes or until tender and lightly browned, stirring halfway through cooking. 3. Meanwhile, cook bacon in medium skillet on medium heat about 6 minutes or until crispy. Remove using slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain. Add shallot to same skillet; cook and stir 2 minutes until softened and lightly browned. Stir in cranberries, vinegar and mustard until well blended. Transfer mixture to small bowl; set aside. 4. Arrange roasted Brussels sprouts and squash on serving platter. Drizzle with cranberry balsamic glaze and toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with cooked bacon, toasted pecans, and crumbled blue cheese, if desired. Serve immediately. Donna Kelce, left, mother of Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce watched the game with pop superstar Taylor Swift, center, during the first-half on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. (Tammy Ljungblad/Kansas City Star/TNS) Swift gushed about the sweet potato casserole served at Del Frisco’s Grille in New York City, a dish crowned with a crunchy candied pecan and oatmeal crumble. “I’ve never enjoyed anything with the word casserole in it ever before, but it’s basically sweet potatoes with this brown sugary crust,” she told InStyle. ”Oh my God, it’s amazing.” The media rushed to find the recipe, which Parade has published this Thanksgiving season . “Similar to T. Swift herself, we think this recipe is a mastermind, especially if you’ve been asked to bring the sweet potato side dish to this year’s Thanksgiving feast. It seriously begs the question: who needs pumpkin pie?” the magazine writes. Ingredients •4 lbs sweet potatoes •1⁄3 cup oats •12 oz unsalted butter, divided •1⁄2 cup packed brown sugar •1⁄2 cup toasted pecans •1⁄2 cup granulated sugar •1 tsp kosher salt •2 tsp vanilla extract •4 large eggs, beaten Directions Preheat oven to 375°F. 1. Scrub sweet potatoes. Pierce each several times with a fork and wrap tightly in foil. Place on a sheet pan. Bake 90 minutes or until tender. Set aside until cool enough to handle. 2. Meanwhile, place oats in a food processor; process 1 minute. Add 4 oz butter, brown sugar and pecans; pulse five times to combine. Spread mixture on a baking sheet; bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven, crumble. Bake 5 minutes or until golden brown. 3. Melt remaining 8 oz butter. Remove skin from cooled sweet potatoes. In a large bowl, whisk sweet potatoes, melted butter, granulated sugar and remaining ingredients until slightly lumpy. Transfer to a greased baking dish, smoothing surface evenly. Top with oat mixture. Bake 12 minutes or until heated through. Make-ahead tips •Sweet potato filling can be made up to 2 days in advance. Prepare the sweet potato filling, cool, place in a casserole dish and keep refrigerated. •Oat-pecan crust can also be made up to 2 days ahead. Make the crust according to recipe directions, cool and store in an airtight container at room temperature. Sprinkle over the sweet potato filling just before baking. Holiday party recipe: How to make a showstopper antipasti platter Dressing or stuffing? No matter what you call it, these 3 recipes will be your new favorites 7 recipes that will add a new twist to your Thanksgiving dinner With our weekly newsletter packed with the latest in everything food.

Is Outlook down? Thousands of Microsoft 365 users report outage issues

Syria's Assad toppled, flees to Russia after rebels advance