The "dark" side of fairy tales

The famous Grimm brothers

Once upon a time there was a monster that...

It’s no secret I like stories that are kind of spooky—one of my favourite authors is R.L. Stine, who writes the Fear Street and Goosebumps series. So when my Language Arts teacher, Mrs. Kratky, told us to research fairy tales for Tell a Fairy Tale Day (February 26!) I was surprised—and excited—to learn that most classic fairy tales have a “dark side.”

I know what you’re thinking—every fairy tale ends with a happily-ever-after, right? Actually, in the beginning, they didn’t. Early fairy tales—like Snow White, Cinderella, etc.—weren’t even written for kids! Especially the stories written by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, the famous Grimm brothers.

Take Snow White, for instance. In the Grimm version of the tale, Snow White’s mother was the “wicked” one, and it wasn’t just her heart she wanted—it was her lungs and liver, too! Not quite the Disney version I’ve watched with my sister, Amelia over and over again. <groan>

It's probably not surprising then that the Grimm brothers were criticized for writing stories that even I, for one, would never read to my little sister. After all, no one wants a bedtime story that gives them nightmares…

Well, except me, maybe. <grin>

We're working on fairy tales in class today, and our stories are due on February 26, of course. Want to join in? Here is a great link that shows the basics of how to write a fairy tale. Hey! You should send me yours. I'd love to read them—and maybe publish them on my blog.

Gotta jet!

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Spend the day baking—for your pet!

I don’t have a dog.

I want a dog, but pets don’t really fit into our lifestyle.

My sister and I are involved in a lot of activities, and my parents are both working professionals, which mean we’re not always around to take care of a dog.

At least, that’s what I keep telling myself so I don’t have to think about not having a dog.

BUT, International Dog Biscuit Day is coming up (Feb 23) and I’ve decided to make treats for some of my favourite dogs—like, my friend Sophie’s poodle. She’s really cute. The poodle, I mean…

And what better way to spend another frosty weekend. (Is it Spring yet?)

I bet you didn’t know how easy dog biscuits can be to make, did you? Well, I thought I’d share the recipe from my Grandma’s family cookbook so that you can make treats for all of the dogs in your life, too!

What you need:

2 cups              whole wheat flour                        500 mL
½ cup               wheat germ                                 125 mL
¼ cup               skim milk powder                       50 mL
                         pinch of salt
½ cup               no-salt chicken stock or water    125 mL
¼ cup               canola oil                                     50 mL
1 Tbsp              molasses or honey                      15 mL
1                       egg                                              1

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. In a large bowl, measure and combine the flour, wheat germ, skim milk powder, and salt.
3. In a small bowl, stir together stock or water, canola oil, molasses or honey, and egg.
4. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until well blended.
5. Spread a small amount of flour on a clean counter.
6. urn dough onto the floured surface. Knead the dough a couple of times.
7. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough ¼- ½ inch (0.5-1 cm) thick.
8. Cut the dough into bone shapes with a cookie cutter or knife.
9. Transfer cookie shapes to an ungreased cookie sheet.
10. Using a fork, prick each cookie several times.
11. Bake for 20 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of the cookies, until pale golden and firm.
12. Turn the oven off, but leave the “bones” inside for a few hours to harden as they cool.
13. Store in a tightly-sealed container.

Easy right?

I can’t wait to take over a batch for Sophie’s dog. Gotta jet! Stay safe and warm this weekend.

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Is Jack Frost nipping at your toes?

Yikes! The weather this week was horrible where I live—steady days of -32C or more—and in some parts of the province, it was almost -50C with the windchill. That's cold. Extreme cold. Like, stay-outside-for-more-than-a-few-minutes-and-get-frostbite cold.

And this cold isn't supposed to let up—not for another few days, at least.

I should expect it. I've lived in Alberta my whole life and the weather has always been a little bit unpredictable. But have you noticed that it's become a little more....unusual? It wasn't even a month ago that I was running outside in a T-shirt—a T-shirt! In January!—and this week, Mom won't let me and my sister go anywhere without a parka, wool mittens, and a face mask. We look like abominable snow people!

But even though Alberta is cold at this time of year, the weather isn't quite as predictable as it used to be.

We’re learning about climate change in science class right now—which is pretty much defined as a significant change in the weather for a long period of time. It can cause…chaos. Like, flooding, drought, melting snow and ice, extreme heat, and really crazy storms. Maybe that doesn’t sound scary to you, but for some people, farmers like my Grandpa for example, climate change can have an impact on, well, everything.

The thing is, you can’t control the weather. So, I asked my Grandpa—how do farmers cope with climate change? You know what he said?

Well, to find out, check out one of my favourite books in the Superman Duffy comic series, CLOUD 9 —it’s ALL about the effects of climate change. You can order it here.

Gotta Jet! Stay warm and toasty this weekend!

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Gearing up for a SUPER weekend!

It’s Super Bowl weekend, and you know what that means? Party at the Duffy house!

Every year, my parents invite a few friends over to watch the big game. My teams don’t make the finals often (and I'm more of a Canadian Football League fan anyway), but this year, I’m cheering for the Patriots. Dad is, too. We’re hardly ever rooting for the same team, but he likes to cheer for the "winner"—and odds are pretty good the Patriots will take the ring this year.

Again.

My parents have invited the usual suspects to the party, and like always, there will be a lot of food. But considering Grandpa’s diabetes, my training, and mom’s (annual) New Year’s Resolution for a healthy 2019, those Super Bowl snacks will be super healthy. <groan>

Mom’s put me in charge of popcorn. I know, boring, right? That’s what I thought, until I stumbled across this website. Chocolate popcorn? BBQ popcorn? A healthy homemade kettle corn recipe? Where has this been all my Super Bowl life?

Mom says I can make a few different batches. Perfect! But of course, I’ll make them ahead of time. I don’t want to miss out on any of those great Super Bowl commercials or the half time show. Go Patriots!

Gotta jet!

~ Chase Superman Duffy