Happy Thanksgiving and Extended Hours

YOUR Alexandria Campus Library is wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Extended hours for fall begin on December 3rd. Come study in the library with us as you prepare for finals!

Feasting Friday: Yes We (Pe)Can!

Pecan Pie Cake

Recipe from Southern Living

I had been making pies for family holiday gatherings for a couple of years, then saw this cake recipe and decided to try it for a change.  I did not know enough about recipes at the time to be able to look it over and realize that it fell a bit higher on the “challenging” scale than most recipes I was used to (though having to call my mother for assistance in just creating the first ingredient – do you toast the pecans first or chop them first?? – should have tipped me off).  I managed to finish the cake, and the family loved it so much that it became an annual request, and is now, 16 years later, a tradition.  I have gotten more familiar with the recipe over the years, and have discovered ways to make things a little easier (start the filling first so it can chill while you are toasting/chopping the nuts, etc.; also, parchment paper seems to work better than wax paper on the cooling racks).  Fortunately, I seem to forget from year to year how much work it is – what I do remember is how much the family enjoys it and that I do really enjoy making it as well.

The Filling

1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

3/4 cup dark corn syrup

1/3 cup cornstarch

4 egg yolks

1 1/2 cups half-and-half

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk together first 6 ingredients in a heavy 3-quart saucepan until smooth. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly; boil 1 minute or until thickened. Remove from heat; whisk in butter and vanilla extract. Place a sheet of wax paper directly on surface of mixture to prevent a film from forming, and chill 4 hours.

Note: To chill filling quickly, pour filling into a bowl. Place bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice. Whisk constantly until cool (about 15 minutes).

The Cake

3 cups finely chopped pecans, toasted and divided

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

5 large eggs, separated

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

3/4 cup dark corn syrup

Sprinkle 2 cups pecans evenly into 3 generously buttered 9-inch round cake pans; shake to coat bottoms and sides of pans.

Lora’s Favorite Chocolate Pecan Pie

I started making this pie because my father-in-law loves pecan pie, and is a chocoholic. It turns out that he prefers these two favorite sweets separately, but everyone else at the dinner loved it. It is even better with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.

Ingredients

1 Store Bought Pie Crust (I like Trader Joe’s crusts, and to keep my sanity)

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1/4 bittersweet chocolate chips, (I like Ghirardelli’s) gently melted

3 large eggs

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup dark corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons bourbon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups pecan halves

Directions

Prebake pie shell in a 9 inch pie pan, according to package directions.

Heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Beat eggs, sugar, corn syrup, bourbon, vanilla extract, and salt in a large mixing bowl until smooth and glossy.

Gently melt butter and chips together in microwave, in 20 second increments, until you can stir it into a smooth mixture.

Slowly beat the chocolate into the custard

Once the base is thoroughly mixed, gently fold in the pecans.

Put pie on a cookie tray and place in an oven for 45 minutes.

The pie is ready when the filling has puffed and a knife placed in the center comes out cleanly.

RumNog Cookies

This pecan cookie recipe comes from the Veganomicon, a vegan recipe book in our collection.

The Cookies:

1/3 cup canola oil

1/4 cup soy/rice milk

1 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon molasses

2 tablespoons dark rum

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a baking sheet.

In a large bowl combine the oil, soy milk, sugar, molasses, rum and vanilla, and beat until slightly foamy. Sift in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt, and mix until a soft dough forms.

Roll the dough into walnut sized balls (about 1 tablespoon), roll in chopped pecans and place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies have puffed. Remove from oven and cool.

The Frosting:

2 tablespoons vegan margarine, softened

2 tablespoons soy milk, soy creamer or rice milk

2 tablespoons dark rum

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Beat the margarine until light and creamy.

Add the confectioners’ sugar and stir with a fork until crumbs form, then beat in the soy milk, rum, and vanilla.

The frosting should have the same consistency as buttercream frosting.

If it’s too thin, beat in more sugar 1 tablespoon at a time.

Spread 1 teaspoon of frosting on at a time.

Let sit until frosting hardens.

Feasting Friday: Saucy!

November is for feasting and YOUR Alexandria Campus Library has rolled out our cookbook display in anticipation of the winter holidays. Come by and check out the breathtaking array of American and International cookery books we have in our collection. You are guaranteed to leave hungry and inspired.

In the spirit of feasting and togetherness we are featuring recipes, on our display and blog, meant for sharing and for celebrating with friends and family. Today we are featuring three takes on the classic American condiment, cranberry sauce. Bon Appetite!

From Michelle, who grew up in colder climes.  A warm, tart side for a brisk Thanksgiving Day.

Cooked Cranberry Orange Sauce

Ingredients

1 ½ Cups Sugar

1 large navel Orange

½ t grated Ginger

4 Cups Cranberries

Grate the orange peel and add to a pot with sugar and ginger. 

Juice the orange and add liquid to sugar mix. 

Simmer over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. 

Add cranberries and cook until they pop (about 5 minutes). 

Let the sauce cool before serving.

From Nicole, who grew up in Florida.  This cranberry relish is cool and refreshing on a balmy southern Thanksgiving Day. 

No-Cook Cranberry Orange Relish

3/4 cup sugar

1 large navel orange, cut in 1/8ths-washed and with skin

2 cups cranberries

In a food processor, combine the sugar and orange wedges. 

Turn the machine on and off quickly for 30 seconds to chop very coarsely.

  Add the cranberries and continue to pulse for 45 seconds, or until all the ingredients are coarsely chopped and well mixed.

Transfer the relish to a serving bowl.  Refrigerate until chilled before serving.

From Lora who considers this sauce the perfect blend of sweet and tart and spicy, no matter the weather on your Thanksgiving Day.

Fresh Gingered Apple & Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients

1 bag of fresh cranberries

1 medium granny smith apple, grated on large side of box grater

Zest of one large organic orange

Juice of one large orange

1/2-3/4 cup of sugar

1 1/2 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger root

Wash cranberries, discarding any berries that are not firm and bright pink.

Dump all ingredients into medium saucepan, and place over medium low flame.

Watch the mixture carefully and stir frequently. The cranberries will begin to pop as the apple shreds and sugar dissolve into the liquids.

Cook until all berries have burst and the sauce has a jellied consistency.

Throwback Thursday At YOUR Alexandria Campus Library: Cooking It Old School

Something about this is off, either the oddly proportioned toddler or the impossibly giant can of pork and beans. Shudder. 

All November YOUR Alexandria Campus Library is celebrating feasting. Indulge with us by checking out this fascinating book on American food in the nineteenth century. Inside you will find information about the way citizens grew, harvested, prepared, and consumed their daily bread during this pivotal and fractious time in our nation’s development.

While you are on campus keep your eyes open for our other mouth watering November displays, including those featuring our staff member's favorite recipes. 

Observing Veterans Day with YOUR Alexandria Campus Library

Veterans Day, observed by Americans since 1919, is a solemn time for citizens to reflect on the service and sacrifices made by military members on behalf of the nation. This holiday was first observed as a way of commemorating the signing of the armistice treaty that concluded the hostilities of the First World War.  In 1938 Armistice Day became Remembrance Day in the United States, and was observed as a date to honor American military members who served in any conflict. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a Congressional Act in 1954 that declared November 11th Veterans Day as a federal holiday meant to honor all living veterans of the American military. The United States pays its respect to those fallen while in service on Memorial Day, which is held on the last Monday in May. 

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier,1937 Associated Press Image

YOUR Alexandria campus library is pleased to observe Veterans Day in several forms. First, the library will honor veterans by highlighting their voices in literature and film. Secondly, library representative will also be on hand at the Alexandria Veterans and Military Student Resource Office’s “The People Behind the Uniform” program, to thank military members and distribute materials for veterans and their families.

Veterans Day is a day to honor and thank military members. If you know someone who has served, in conflict or in peacetime, take some time to say thank you. Then come into your campus library to learn more about the men and women of the United States military.  

Fast Five Friday: Feast Your Eyes and Tempt Your Appetite at YOUR Alexandria Campus Library

 Americans are officially entering the feasting season with the Thanksgiving to New Years stretch just weeks ahead of us. Celebrate this time of plenty by visiting YOUR Alexandria Campus Library and checking out our buffet of food related resources. Here is just a taste of the delicious books and videos we have on offer through our collections:

So come into the library and start your weekend off right by feasting your eyes on our mouthwatering offerings!

Throwback Thursday at YOUR Alexandria Campus Library: When the Wall Came Tumbling Down

November 9^th of 1989 will forever be remembered as one of the most important dates in 20^th century history because the activities begun that Thursday hasten the end of the Soviet Union and communist government in Europe. 

Come celebrate the fall of the Berlin Wall at YOUR Alexandria Campus Library. You can learn more about communist government in eastern Europe and Germany's reunification by sampling our resources on modern history, or browse through some of the history databases in the NOVA collection to learn more about the penultimate moment of the Cold War.  

Honor(s) At YOUR Alexandria Campus Library

It is hard to believe, but it is time to start making plans for the spring semester. YOUR Alexandria wants you to see your academic adviser and consider taking some honors courses. These courses offer students the opportunity to work in smaller groups, grapple with complex material, forge special academic and social connections, and gain experiences that will help them as they transfer to baccalaureate granting institutions.

We can scarcely believe how awesome the honors course offerings are 

All this week YOUR library is opening its doors to representatives of the Honors Program. These professors will be one hand to discuss the honors course offerings and to counsel students on how they can participate. So come by, chat with a professor, look over the honors class listings, grab some free candy, and browse our honors themed display.

Everyone expects this class will fill up quickly

For more information about the honors program, and the honors offerings on the Alexandria Campus contact Mike Amey, at mamey@nvcc.edu. 

Go Vote and Conference!

Tomorrow, November 4th, is a crucial day for our patrons, our community, and our country. YOUR Alexandria Campus Library wants to encourage you to exercise your democratic right to cast a ballot for the representatives of YOUR choosing.

Once you have voted make sure to attend the NOVA's Institute for Public Service's 2014 Post Election Conference on Wednesday, November 5th. The conference is being held in Bisdorf AA Room 196 and will analyze and contextualize the election's results.

The first panel of the conference meets at 9:30 am. Get to the auditorium early to ensure your seat! 

Fast Friday Fun: Get Spooked in Our Stacks

YOUR Alexandria Campus Library wants to wish you a very Happy Halloween!

A smorgasbord of spook?

Truly frightening to some

Read this in bits and pieces

You vant to read this book

Before you go out on your missions of mischief remember that you can come into the library for a real fright. Our stacks are full of witches, devils, goblins, werewolves, and monsters. Check them out, if you dare!

Throwback Thursdays: The Poe Amongst Us

Who better to celebrate the Halloween edition of Throwback Thursday with than Edgar Allan Poe, beloved native son of our region? The Northern Virginia area abounds with places with which to commune with the spirit, books, and artifacts from Poe’s life. Our users can also frighten themselves silly by reading Poe’s collected works and learn more about his tragic life from biographies found in our collections.

Those seeking additional thrills can witness the horror writer come to life once more on October 30^th  at the Lyceum: Alexandria's History Museum. Members of the audience will experience the author's dramatic readings of some of his most famous works, including The Tell-Tale Heart and The Raven. 

Fast Four Friday: Books into Autumn Film Edition

It is a well-known fact that Hollywood borrows heavily from the publishing world for its creative ideas. Many of the movies in theaters or coming out this fall are based on books that we have in YOUR Alexandria Library. So before you open up your Fandango app, why not come into the library and check out some of these titles?

Boy and girl meet, fall in love, marry, and then girl vanishes. Read this critically acclaimed and deeply unsettling book about all the ways a marriage can break or coalesce before you see the thrilling movie in theaters.  

Curl up with the last book from the Hunger Games trilogy before you head to theaters to see Katniss suffer and rebuild her life in the fourth cinematic installment of this franchise. May the odds be ever in your favor as you fight for a prime seat on opening day.

Looking for an escape? Read Nicholas Sparks’ book on familiar themes of love lost and reclaimed before indulging in a screening of the sugary adaptation.

Some stories are so extraordinary they demand our respect and attention. Read Laura Hillenbrand’s novel about heroism, pain, and triumph before you see director Angelina Jolie’s film translation. 

Throwback Thursday: Revisited Debate and Reminder

NOVA Alexandria students have always been a passionate bunch. You need only take a look through the archives of student publications to understand how engaged our campus has always been in the big issues of the community, the state, and the nation. 

Take this example of the editorial page from the October 1^st, 1968. Two students express very different opinions on the Democratic National Convention, and the role of the United States in the Vietnam War. 

Reading material like this is a fascinating snapshot into a very turbulent but important time in our nation’s history. You can find more of this material by going to the library homepage and clicking on the NOVAHistory Collections. The collection is very user friendly, as the items in this database are searchable by campus, item type, and by keyword. 

Don’t forget to attend the Frederick Downs’ book event. The author will be giving a lecture on his own Vietnam experiences today at 3:30pm in Bisdorf AA 196.

Book Talk Event: Come Meet Frederick Downs

YOUR Alexandria Campus Library is pleased to highlight an author event taking place on campus. Author Frederick Downs Jr., author of The Killing Zone: My Life in the Vietnam War, will be giving a lecture on his book and military experiences on Thursday, October 23 at 3:30pm. Come join the discussion in Bisdorf AA 196.

Fast Friday: Fall Break News Flash

According to eye witness reports, an ax wielding man was spotted inside the Alexandria Campus Library last Saturday afternoon. The man felled two absurdly tall, prehistoric victims before dragging the remains to an awaiting pickup truck. 

While members for the Alexandria campus staff were somewhat saddened by the loss of these oxygen emitting life forms, there is no denying that the abundance of sunshine and the unobstructed views of the campus from the library's windows were welcomed developments.

Hark! What (abundant) light in yonder window breaks.

Did you notice?

RIP.

Throwback Thursday: It's American Archives Month

Did you know that October is National Archives Awareness Month? Well it is, and YOUR Alexandria campus library wants you to celebrate the crucial role that archives play in preserving institutional, social, and personal memories.

You can get a small taste of what archives can do from delving into the NOVA History Collection. Inside you will discover documents, photographs, and other records that track the college’s growth over the last four decades.

Residents of Northern Virginia are also blessed to be near so many notable state and federal archives. Besides the National Archives, the Library of Congress, and the Smithsonian Institution locals can visit a variety of places that specialize in preserving the history of civilizations, cultures, and families. Why not celebrate archives by visiting or interacting with some of the historical items held nearby collections?

Fast Five Friday: #TURNOUTFORWHAT Edition

On Tuesday, November 4^th the state of Virginia will be holding elections. YOUR Alexandria Campus Library wants you to know that the deadline to register to vote in the upcoming election is Tuesday, October 14^th. Interested and eligible citizens can register to vote online, at local election offices, at Department of Motor Vehicle Customer Service Centers, and at other Virginia government agencies. 

After you register make sure to check out these five library resources that outline the struggle for voting rights that included all American citizens.

Women in this country have only had voting rights for 95 years. Let that sink in, and then watch this inspirational film about the flinty women who bleed and fought to change that. 

One of the lasting legacies of the student movements of the 1960s is the right for 18 year olds to vote. Learn about the campaign for youth enfranchisement from this book. 

This landmark legislation did much to make certain that disenfranchised populations were offered the robust protections needed to protect their rights. Read about the passionate civil rights campaigning undertaken in the South that prompted the Johnson administration to draft and push through this act.

Use this volume as a primer on joining voices to promote a cause in a representative democracy.

This history outlines the social and political consequence of the passage of the Voting Rights Act. Less violence, more voices. 

YOUR Alexandria campus library has many other books and films that outline the battles fought in the name of political participation. So come in, check our collections, educate yourself about the issues and candidates in this election, and read up on our political system.  Remember, if you do vote on this November, you can take pride in exercising a right that so many fought for and suffered to secure. Voting allows you to decide what matters to you and then to take action.

Need some additional inspiration? Take it away, Little Jon. 

Throwback Thursday:YOUR Old School Library Catalog

For Throwback Thursday we thought we would showcase a crucial piece of library technology from the library’s past, its first catalog. This version is actually a 1968 copy of Books in Print. Books owned by the Eastern Campus Library were outlined in red, and the cataloging librarian would meticulously record the item’s call number in the margins. Patrons could then take this call number and locate the book on the shelves. 

New Books at YOUR Alexandria Campus Library: No Place to Hide from Our Book Enthusiasm Edition

YOUR Alexandria Campus Library is always getting new books, and we want you to share in our excitement as these freshly processed books take their maiden voyages on our shelves.

Don't like new books? Sorry, we can't be friends.

Here are some highlights from our batch of new books:

This book, influenced by some of Adichie’s own experiences in American higher education, is all about the ways that assumptions about nationality, race, and gender can stifle the individual. Read this highly acclaimed novel when you are in a contemplative mood.

Flowers are naturally beautiful but the paper versions created by these crafters might just have those organic beauties beat. Explore the art of flower making in this beautifully photographed manual.

Every great Mediterranean civilization has wanted a piece of this building since its formation. Learn all about the Parthenon as a piece of architecture, a prize of empires, and as a symbol in this history.

Music can shape human emotion no matter what the context or setting. Learn more about how composers create a richer experience for gamers with sound in this book.

Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald was one of the first people to converse with Edward Snowden after he fled the United States for Hong Kong to reveal NSA secrets. Read what Greenwald thinks about modern state surveillance, and its implications for democratic societies in this book. 

Come check out these new titles, or browse through our many other fresh volumes at YOUR Alexandria Campus Library.