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After Maine Marijuana Legalization, Conn. Also Looking At Recreational

Al Olson
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After Maine Marijuana Legalization, Conn. Also Looking At Recreational

The East Coast marijuana legalization victories in Maine and Massachusetts may have a greater impact as the U.S. shifts to a more marijuana-friendly nation.  Why?

Last Thursday, Massachusetts officially legalized marijuana, making it the first state east of Colorado to do so. The Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act allows people to carry up to one ounce of marijuana, as well as to keep up to 10 ounces in their homes.

“The tone has changed since Massachusetts have passed their referendum on marijuana legalization. So I think it is an opportunity (for) Connecticut to move forward with this legislation, New Haven Democratic State Rep. Juan Candelaria told WWLP. “If we really want to tackle the issue I think we can have legalization ready to go by the end of the fiscal year,”  Candelaria added.

“What we are seeing is Cannafest Destiny — an unstoppable wave of legalization is moving from the West Coast to the East Coast,” said David Rheins, founder and executive director of the Marijuana Business Association. “The majority of Americans recognize that the War on Drugs has been a terrible failure, and the states are quickly learning that legal cannabis brings with it jobs, tax revenues and increased tourism.”

When four states voted in November to legalize recreational adult use of marijuana, most of the media attention was laser focused on California and, to a lesser extent, Nevada.

There is no doubt that California was the big enchilada for the cannabis industry: The Golden State is the world’s sixth largest economy and most analysts forecast that the state will garner nearly $4 billion in tax revenue by 2020. Many called California’s resounding vote a game-changing tipping point for the industry.

And on Monday, a recount in Maine was aborted, meaning the vote to legalize will move forward.

What is so groundbreaking about these two states passing progressive cannabis laws is that it puts pressure on the neighboring states to move in that direction. Why would a state struggling to balance its budget walk away from tax revenue its neighbors are collecting?

Other states in the Northeast are also keeping a close watch on what happens in Massachusetts and Maine. As 2016 winds down, here is what 2017 could look like in New England:

Connecticut

Rep. Candelaria has been fighting for marijuana reform and has introduced a recreational laws for the past two years. His proposals, to date, have yet to get a public hearing. But he is confident that 2017 will be different.

Joe Aresimowicz, the state’s incoming Speaker of the House said Candelaria’s proposal will get a full public hearing in the new legislative session that starts next month. I’m going to be pushing very hard,”Candelaria said. “I’m going to be engaging my leadership in conversation to at least allow a public hearing.” Gov. Dannel Malloy has stated in the past that he is opposed to legalization.

New Hampshire

The New Hampshire House of Representatives passed a legalization bill in 2014, but the bill went nowhere in the Senate. In 2016,  three legalization bills were filed, but two were rejected and the third is stuck in committee.

Of all the New England states, New Hampshire appears to be the most entrenched in its opposition to progressive marijuana legislation. But the state shares its entire eastern border with Maine and its southern border with Massachusetts. So citizens of New Hampshire will have easy access to legal cannabis and their tax dollars will be going to the government coffers of the neighboring states. At some point, the economic pressure may be too much for even the most hard-headed politician.

Rhode Island

For the past five years,  Rhode Island legislators have filed legalization bills to no avail, but there are signs that 2017 will be different. A bill in introduced earlier this year had 17 co-sponsors (out of 38 senators), and the House bill had more than 30 co-sponsors. The concept had bipartisan support in the state, with Republican House Leader Brian Newberry openly championing the idea.

“Talk to any high school kid and they’ll tell you it’s easier to get pot than alcohol,’’ Newberry said, explaining why he feels the laws must conform to reality.

House Speaker Nick Mattiello, a longtime critic of marijuana legalization, is becoming “more open-minded” on the topic, his spokesman Larry Berman said. Why? Economics.

Mattiello sees the opportunity for the state government to collect a meaningful chunk of tax revenue.

Vermont

The Green Mountain state is likely to be the next state to legalize the herb. Outgoing Gov. Peter Shumlin supported marijuana legalization. Vermont, which create a medical marijuana program in 2011, is seen as a progressive state that is open to cannabis legalization. Earlier this year, Vermont’s medicinal law was expanded to include chronic pain. The registration of patients is expected to go from the current 2,700 to more than 6,000. For many experts, the step to full legalization will be an easy one.

This month, Shumlin invited residents convicted of possessing small amounts of marijuana to apply for pardons. He declared that the hw will use the governor’s pardoning power “to expedite our move to a saner drug policy and criminal justice system.”

Watch: The New Mummy Trailer Got Uploaded With A Major Goof

Sam Jones
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Watch: The New Mummy Trailer Got Uploaded With A Major Goof

Why the world needs another The Mummy movie 18 years after Stephen Sommers’ trilogy is unclear. Was Brendan Fraser not enough? That’s a ridiculous question, Brendan Fraser is always enough.

But this franchise reboot will have been worth it, if only for the ridiculous half-baked trailer that made the rounds on the internet after a social media manager at IMAX goofed, hard.

Someone uploaded the trailer of the new Mummy movie, coming out in 2017, to the official IMAX YouTube page. Somehow, only half of the trailer had sound effects. It was just random screams and grunts from Tom Cruise and his co-stars as they’re jostled around a cargo plane, sucked out into the air, and ride that thing all the way to the ground. Cruise’s screams and weird yelps are the only things audible, until halfway through, when the sound effects and music miraculously return.

Without the mummified sound and music, it’s hard to tell that this even is a reboot at first. But director Alex Kurtzman swears it’s totally different from any Tom Cruise movie you’ve seen. He told EW:

“There’s an origin story happening on two different fronts. I won’t tell you too much more than that, other than to say: One of the things that I think has defined Tom Cruise movies, for 30 years, is that Tom Cruise always saves the day. You know whenever you’re in a Tom Cruise movie that he’s gonna figure out a way to save the day. And that’s great, and it’s why I pay my money to see his movies. However, in the context of a monster movie, it’s challenging, because monster movies are about characters who are often very out of control, and don’t know how to save the day. The first thing I said to Tom was, ‘It’ll be scarier if we can take away the fundamental knowledge that you’re gonna solve the problem.’”

Eh, I dunno dude, it looks an awful lot like Mission Impossible with the ancient undead.

The video’s been wiped off the face of the ‘net by the copyright holders, for the most part, but god bless people: There are still remnants of this beautiful moment left floating around the web. Like this, with the audio from The Mummy trailer mishap overlaid on a scene from Rogue One:

And then there’s this version, with “Jingle Bell Rock” standing in for the sound effects:

The internet comes through for us, again.

See the actual, full-sound-effect version of the trailer, here:

Pinch Us, We’re Dreaming: Merriam-Webster Announces Word Of The Year

Sam Jones
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Pinch Us, We’re Dreaming: Merriam-Webster Announces Word Of The Year

If current events have left you wondering how this is real life, or whether you’ve been sent to an alternative dimension where up is down and opinions are facts, you’re not alone: Merriam-Webster has deemed 2016’s word of the year “surreal.”

Merriam-Webster editor-at-large Peter Sokolowski told NPR that the word “surreal” sees the most hits after a national or global tragedy:

“It’s a term that we have associated with tragedy for a number of years. It was one of the most looked-up words after 9/11, and then after that we noticed after the Newtown shootings, and after the Boston Marathon bombing, and Robin Williams’ suicide, for example. That was the word that people turned to.”

For a while, it was looking like “fascism” would be our word of the year. But Sokolowski says that word pops up enough times throughout the years that its prevalence in lookups this year wasn’t exceptional. For surreal, however, there were just enough “holy shit” moments in 2016 that it saw many spikes. There were eight or 10 spikes for different reasons throughout the year, around newsworthy times: The presidential election, the Brussels attack and the Bastille Day massacre in Nice, France, to name a few.

The word is defined as “marked by the intense irrational reality of a dream; unbelievable, fantastic.” It’s safe to say we’re not talking about the beautiful kind of dream, but one that’s so surreal it’s hard to believe we’re not asleep.

Lifestyle and Entertainment with sides of cannabis, hot-mess, musicians, comedians and medical information. Want more? Check out “People Are Freaking About About Sapiosexuality: What You Need To Know,” “How The NBA And Fans Paid Tribute To Craig Sager’s Iconic Fashion Sense,” “VIDEO: This Guy Is Proof The Holidays Make You Insane In The Kitchen“

Impress Your Old-School Relatives With These Impeccable Cannabis Cookies

Danielle Guercio
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Impress Your Old-School Relatives With These Impeccable Cannabis Cookies

Pignoli cookies don’t look like much when you’re a kid. They resemble ‘adult’ cookies, not as visually appealing as a dollop of jam or a shell of tasty icing. I wish I could have told my young self she couldn’t be more wrong about Pignoli cookies.

The crisp delights are robed in nutty, oily, mild flavored pine nuts, which mingle with the sharp sweetness of the almond to make an unforgettable texture. The overall effect of this cookie is a smooth and chewy indulgence that you can’t help but become a fan of. It’s an old school favorite that could easily turn into the next big trend if it ever caught on.

These are easy to assemble, though a bit expensive to procure, you won’t be let down. Pine nuts and almond paste are costly ingredients, but they are special and should be treated as such. Not all cookies are for everyday snacking.

Due to the high oil content of the almond paste, working in a wax or cannabis concentrate is like playing with play doh. This means you get an intense potency that would be perfect for knocking out that one asshole uncle so he just takes a nap.

Photo by Danielle Guercio

Pignoli Cookies

(Adapted from Italian Food Forever 2011)

  • 5oz Pine nuts
  • ½ cup Powdered sugar
  • ½ cup Granulated sugar
  • ¼ tsp Salt
  • 2 Egg whites
  • ¼ cup Flour
  • 1 cup Almond paste
  • .5 g Cannabis concentrate (hash Kief oil butter wax all work)
Photo by Danielle Guercio

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a silpat or silicone baking mat with your sheet pans for best results. Take half the almond paste and work in decarboxylated concentrate with your hands. Fold and press in until uniformly mixed with the almond paste. In a bowl, sift together both sugars and flour.

Photo by Danielle Guercio

Use a pastry cutter to work almond paste into dry ingredients. When mixture resembles fine crumbs, add egg whites in small amounts until dough comes together, you may not need them all. Dough will be a little sticky, use wet fingers to pinch off 1” ball. Roll in pine nuts and place on mat. Bake 20 minutes, rotating halfway. Pull mats onto wire racks to cool. Allow to cool 100% before moving, eating, or removing from mat.

Store 2 weeks in airtight container, 4 weeks in fridge, indefinitely in freezer.

Photo by Danielle Guercio

Make these classy cookies to bring generations together, just take it ½ a cookie at a time if you’re a beginner. I suppose the younger generation will have to take the lead on dosage.

Photos Danielle Guercio [Instagram @danizig]

 

Cheers! Absurd Beer Flavors We’d Like To See In 2017

Jacob Uitti
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Cheers! Absurd Beer Flavors We’d Like To See In 2017

There are two tasty and timeless consumables with flavors people keep experimenting with: beer and potato chips. Each year, Lay’s unveils new flavors like Bacon Mac and Cheese or Creamy Garlic Caesar Salad chips (why no one has invented pesto or chicken parmesan potato chips is still beyond me). And now breweries are picking up the trend with beers like Rogue’s Sriracha Stout or Shmaltz Brewing’s Pastrami Pils. And while many might say, “Yuck, leave beer to its traditional flavors, please!,” we say, “Keep It Up!”

Food is meant to be experimented with.  All those parents who told us not to play with our food (or our beer) had it all wrong! You don’t get cheddar and sour cream ruffled chips without breaking a few rules. And you don’t get lavender black current cider or a jalapeno Kolsch without trying a few bad recipes in between. But thankfully there are some breweries trying new things — have you read this? — and, with that in mind, we want to offer you some thoughts for new beer ideas based on tastes we love, a few tastes that miiiiiight take brews too far and a couple weird beers out now that we adore. Cheers!

Beer flavors I’d like to see in 2017:

Brownie a la Mode:


via GIPHY

Dessert and drinking always go together. Imagine a thick, chocolaty beer with some vanilla bean notes. I’m drunk just fantasizing about it.

Turkey Leg:


via GIPHY

Just light enough to make this work. Feels like a turkey leg beer would taste a lot like a Bass lager, somehow. There’d be dark, savory notes but there would also be an easy, lighter tone to the brew. I’d try it!

3-Cheese:


via GIPHY

Not heavy like a steak or other dark meat, but stinky and yeasty enough to work in suds form. I’d pick parmesan, Asiago and Swiss cheese as my blends for this brew.

Pho:


via GIPHY

Pho is super flavorful but it’s also easy to drink. There are so many bright spices in pho, especially when not using beef broth, can be effervescent and lovely. The perfect two descriptors for beer.

Maybe a couple of beer flavors that would go too far:

Pot Roast:


via GIPHY

Too thick, too heavy, too bloody. Any thick meat – even if you get the flavors down the their essence (not, say, boiling pot roast in the brew mash but getting black pepper and other individual flavors in), it would still be too much and feel more like swallowing a pot roast milkshake than anything else.

Spaghetti and Meatballs:


via GIPHY

Too salty and too meaty. Some foods are meant to stay foods – even though we love spaghetti and meatballs practically more than life itself.

Food that should be flavored like beer:

Doughnuts:


via GIPHY

Wake yourself up with a sugary breakfast that tastes like a floral session IPA or a malty Scotch Ale. Trick your mind into thinking it’s happy hour when really it’s just 8am on a Tuesday.

Rice:


via GIPHY

Imagine heaping some Thai ginger chicken onto pilsner-flavored rice. That would be delicious! Light, flavorful, it would hit you on your palate and pleasantly in the nose. What a gift!

Two flavored beer oddities that exist right now:

Right Brain Brewery’s Mangalitsa Pig Porter: 

This beer is brewed with actual smoked Mangalitsa pig bones and heads! Yuck. Just…yuck. Also Rogue makes a bacon and maple syrup beer that also sounds bad. Don’t put pork in beer. Pork is too hard on the stomach to digest in a quickly-quffed brew!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BDnrhPvo5JY/

Wells Young Brewing’s Banana Bread:

Okay, this actually sounds decent. It could be nasty — too sweet, too banana-y — but it could also maybe be good. Many people describe hefeweizens as tasting like banana (like Hacker Pschorr’s), so maybe this one actually has a chance?

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOBF7JJhn2K/

Consume is an essential source for food and beverage news, trends, tips, original recipes and everything in between. Want to read more? Try these posts: Cheese Lattes Are Now A Thing,                9 Of The Best Pumpkin Beers In America, and What I Ate Today: Coquine’s Katy Millard.

Untapped: 9 Places We Wish Served Alcohol, But Don’t (Yet)

Jillian Peterson
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Untapped: 9 Places We Wish Served Alcohol, But Don’t (Yet)

The Happiest Place On Earth is living up to its name by including more alcohol to its restaurant roster.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, four more restaurants at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom will begin serving wine and beer December 23.  If Santa’s working the taps, it will be the merriest of Christmases!

Here are 9 other places we think should be serving alcohol, for obvious reasons.

Apple Store

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOHViBwhx57

Since we spend so much time here anyway, why not turn that Genius Bar into the real thing. A couple bottles of liquor, a few beers on draught and some wine is all it will take to turn a grizzly crowd of techno-gripers into subdued drunks. “You spilled coffee on your keyboard? Here, have some of this Pinot Noir to make it all better.” It really is that simple.

Forever 21

https://www.instagram.com/p/BONVtA8B_k1

Everyone who shops here is of legal drinking age, yes?

Cost Plus World Market

https://www.instagram.com/p/BNqWao2jqLZ/

Imagine what their international beer selection would look like!

Trader Joe’s

https://www.instagram.com/p/BONIYlShoJo/

Fearless Flyer needs to be the name of a bar. Plus, think of all the refreshing drinks they could make with coconut water and cheap wine! Make it a double, Bartender Joe!

Anthropologie

https://www.instagram.com/p/BMsLruzg-oi/

Nothing will take the sting off that $400 tank top purchase like a neat whiskey. Bonus: personalized glassware!

Home Depot

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOLFLqNjXIH/

Just keep the bar away from the electric saws. Unless you have to build it first? Could be a cool schtick.

Walmart

https://www.instagram.com/p/e_MdbPLs2N

This might be a shit show waiting to happen, but the people watching alone would make this the best bar in town, no? Plus, we’re gonna need something to wash down all those deep-fried Oreos.

Target


via GIPHY

As one Fresh Toast editor puts it: “You don’t know what kind of person you are until you go to Target with a little cash and a nice buzz.”

IKEA

https://www.instagram.com/p/BMryoIxgBNY

But seriously. How does anyone shop here without being drunk? Alcohol > soft serve.

Last-Minute Holiday Gift Guide: 11 Essential Books About Marijuana

Al Olson
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Last-Minute Holiday Gift Guide: 11 Essential Books About Marijuana

Are you still scrambling to find the perfect present for someone special this holiday season? Time is running out and I’m sure you are feeling the pressure.

But chill. Head to your friendly neighborhood bookstore (or your favorite online retailer) and buy a book on cannabis. After all, eight states (plus Washington D.C.) have legalized the herb and 29 states n0w have a medical marijuana program. It’s topical. It’s educational. And it is a subject worth learning more about.

Here Are 11 Books That Would Make Excellent Gifts:

Marijuana: A Short History 

Author John Hudak’s short (224 pages) book was published in October and is an up-to-date examination of how cannabis emerged from the shadows of counterculture and illegality to become a mainstream issue. It is an excellent crash course on how the U.S. government demonized the medicinal herb.

Brave New Weed 

Joe Dolce weaves a fascinating tale of the twisted history — and even more twisted pretzel logic — behind marijuana prohibition. It is a tale that, depending on the chapter, will make you laugh, think or pull your hair out in frustration. Dolce’s book takes you on a wild ride as he discovers the truth behind the government’s bizarre drug policies.

Weed The People 

Bruce Barcott’s book is a beautiful read — he is a fine writer and diligent reporter. Barcott provides an insider’s view into the business of cannabis. Barcott also peeks into the future of the industry and offers up some hope for what lays ahead.

The Cannabis Manifesto 

Steve DeAngelo, a longtime activist and cannabis entrepreneur, offers up a deeply personal book on cannabis. DeAngelo’s manifesto calls for Americans to reframe the debate over marijuana and delivers a compelling case for a brighter future.

The Pot Book 

Julie Holland’s compilation of essays, stories and studies is six years old, but it still resonates today. Dr. Andrew Weil, who contributed to the book, said it best: The Pot Book “takes a candid look at all things cannabis from all angles:  history, scientific research, medicinal use, our nation’s drug policy, myths, and misconceptions. I recommend this book as a comprehensive must-have guide for any library.”

Smoke Signals 

Martin A. Lee’s amazing book was published in 2012, but it still resonates today. Lee, an investigative reporter, takes the reader on a character-driven journey through the history of cannabis prohibition. Lee’s detailed research and lively writing style is one of the smartest books on the subject.

Marijuana: Gateway to Health

When Clint Werner’s book was published five years ago, endocannabinoid science was not discussed in mainstream media. Today, even the casual toker knows a thing or two about cannabinoids and how they affect the human body. Werner’s work is essential for anybody looking for an accessible, well-researched look at the science behind the herb.

Cannabis Pharmacy  

Another smart book option for those more interested in the science of cannabis. Longtime cannabinoid expert Michael Backes examines strains, dosage and a practical guide to marijuana. This is a perfect book for medical marijuana patients — or those considering using cannabis for therapeutic use.

High Price 

Carl Hart, a cutting-edge neuroscientist at Columbia University, has written a gripping, deeply personal book about his journey from the mean streets of Miami to the Ivy League. Along the way, he discusses the science of addiction and the failed War on Drugs. This book — part memoir and part social science — was the winner of the Pen/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award.

Too High To Fail 

Doug Fine’s 2013 book is a sometimes hilarious look at cannabis laws and the future of the plant. Fine writes with flair and humor, but he is also a talented reporter who has an eye for detail. (By the way, Fine has another cannabis-related book worth checking out: Hemp Bound. If the person on your gift list is more interested in industrial hemp than psychoactive marijuana, this book is a must.)

Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition 

OK. this book is not about marijuana … it’s about the rise and fall of alcohol prohibition. It is one of the best books ever written about failed the failed government policy. But the book really makes you think about how any kind of prohibition can be flawed. If the person on your gift list is not interested in weed, get them this book. It will make them think twice about marijuana prohibition.

BIDEN! See White House Staffers Prank Obama With Creeping Snowmen

Brendan Bures
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BIDEN! See White House Staffers Prank Obama With Creeping Snowmen

The staff of the White House is starting to realize that in 2016, there are no rules. With just three weeks left under President Barack Obama’s administration, these staffers will soon graduate and they’re beginning to act like it. How? By pranking the President, only one of the most powerful men in the world.

This reveal comes courtesy of Pete Souza, the Chief Official White House Photographer. Souza’s Instagram account has always been a treasure trove to those wishing for a behind-the-scenes look into Obama and his administration. This time that includes pranking. Using four snowmen statues from the Rose Garden, staffers were slowly creeping the statues closer and closer to the president.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOF_jkGDWke/

“We’ve been joking that we should move the snowmen a few feet closer to the Oval Office every day to see if anyone noticed,” Souza explained.

So while Obama worked away, filing some of his end-of-the-year paperwork, each statue took a position peering into a different window. Thankfully these snowmen didn’t get shanked, though the results were something out of a B-level Christmas horror movie. But don’t worry, the President liked the prank.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOIGXE6jxdb/

This is not the only post Souza shared that demonstrated the administration’s preparing for graduation. Barack Obama has been known to dance previously, getting down to Drake’s “Hotline Bling.” But this bonus post shows Obama breaking it down with Usher and Sam Moore during a Ray Charles tribute earlier this year.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOJDYR3j0MD/

Can you imagine this administration’s graduation party? Hopefully, we’ll receive a few more pranks and fun from them before they go. This year, we could use it.

 

The most essential daily news, entertainment, pop culture, and culture coverage. Want more? Check out “A Study Of 2016: The Year America’s Pop Stars Went Weird,” “Southwest Pilot Congratulates Passengers For Drinking Every Last Drop Of Booze On Board,” and “13 Christmas Hip-Hop Songs You Need For The Holidays”

The ‘Blade Runner 2049’ Trailer Is Here, Please Catch This Hype Train

Brendan Bures
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The ‘Blade Runner 2049’ Trailer Is Here, Please Catch This Hype Train

Please jump aboard this hype train. Our destination? Blade Runner 2049, a movie so tantalizing in its first look I’d jump into a freezing chamber right now until October 6, 2017 if I had the option.

But let’s stop talking about possibilities and instead focus on realities. Ostensibly, Blade Runner 2049 is a sci-fi thriller returning us to neo-noir Los Angeles. There, humans and humanoid robots called Replicants are indistinguishable from one another, the artificial and real inseparable (You know, sort of like, Los Angeles now). Police officers called blade runners hunt down the renegade Replicants to maintain peace and order.

In this Hollywood climate of recycling existing IPs or building out the *extended cinematic universe* a dread hovered over Blade Runner 2049. When this film was announced, it was like, how many Harrison Ford vehicles from the 80s are we really gonna run back?

My response to my own hypothetical after watching this trailer: Run that shit back.

Ryan Gosling plays a new blade runner mysteriously named K, who’s uncovered a secret that could ruin the world, or what’s left of it. This discovery leads him to Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), where I’m sure nothing *complicated* will happen.

Gosling’s doing that glazed, slack look on his face thing he does so well, messaging he’s both emotional fragile and/or dead inside. Nicolas Winding Refn tapped into it on modern classic Drive, establishing Dark Ryan Gosling who is the best Gosling. Dark Gosling also appears in Only God Forgives (where Refn tries not to remake a more brooding Drive with Thai gangsters but accidentally remade a more brooding Drive with Thai gangsters) and The Place Beyond the Pines (21 Savage is jealous of those face tats). Though we are very partial to Goofy, Lovable Gosling (The Nice Guys, Crazy, Stupid Love) and Smooth-Talking Eye Candy Gosling (The Big Short, The Ides of March) as well.

Screenshot via Warner Bros. Pictures/YouTube

Meanwhile, how wonderful is that Harrison Ford decided to try again? Watching Ford in Cowboys & Aliens and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull always felt like he filmed his scenes after his old man afternoon nap. He was cashing those checks, as they say. But temporarily forgetting our beef with JJ Abrams, Ford was really good in The Force Awakens! Dude went for it, throwing his body around, delivering those low-key cheesy lines with believable verve. The Force Awakens, despite its many derivative faults, showed us Ford’s still got it.

Look, this trailer is so totally consuming I forgot Jared Leto will be in Blade Runner 2049. Adding Leto into this equation of Full Effort Ford, Dark Gosling, plus director Denis Villenueve (on a serious win streak with Sicario and Arrival) is pure catnip. I hope Leto is a Replicant and went so method he actually convinced himself he was a robot. Then, still in method mode, he accidentally fucked a Roomba.

Please catch this Blade Runner 2049 hype soon. Once it leaves the station, it’s going to be a runaway train.

 

The most essential daily news, entertainment, pop culture, and culture coverage. Want more? Check out “A Study Of 2016: The Year America’s Pop Stars Went Weird,” “Southwest Pilot Congratulates Passengers For Drinking Every Last Drop Of Booze On Board,” and “13 Christmas Hip-Hop Songs You Need For The Holidays”

 

Make The 7-Layer Holiday Weed Cookies Everyone Fights Over

Danielle Guercio
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Make The 7-Layer Holiday Weed Cookies Everyone Fights Over

Waiting on line for 90 minutes at one of the local Italian bakeries every major holiday had just one perk. I could purchase separate poundage of 7 Layer cookies for myself. Most of the cookie packs that are non-negotiable at my family gatherings have just four of these coveted almondy and frightening colored cookie, and they were fought over frequently. Seven layers of deliciousness, a mere moment to eat one, but hours to prepare. Making them with a hefty dose of cannabutter makes them irresistible and downright deadly. The rich cake layers, the tart fruit, and bitter chocolate are the pairing you never knew you loved. The cheesy tricolor effect makes them even more curious, They’re the colors of the Italian flag, though I have never seen these cookies in Italy. Though these are not easy to make, they are so worth it. They impress people and even yourself, you don’t need to be an expert either. One of the only food bloggers who dared to cover these cookies was Smitten Kitchen, based off a 2005 Gourmet recipe. This was the framework for the ‘Eighth Layer’.

Photo by Danielle Guercio

7 Layer Cookies

(modified from Smitten Kitchen Modified from Gourmet)

  • ½ Stick cannabutter*
  • 2 Sticks regular butter
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • 1 cup Almond paste
  • ½ tsp Salt
  • 2 cups Flour
  • 2 3.5oz Bars dark chocolate
  • 1 cup Seedless raspberry
  • Red food coloring
  • Green food coloring

Preheat oven to 350, 325 if your oven runs hot. Weigh a mixing bowl on a kitchen scale and note for later.

Photo by Danielle Guercio

Separate eggs and whip whites until stiff peaks are happening, add ¼ of the sugar and whip one minute longer, put aside.

Photo by Danielle Guercio

Sift together flour and salt into a second bowl. In third bowl cream the butter and almond paste with a hand mixer until well combined. Add sugar to the butter and paste and whip until fluffy. Add egg yolks and mix by hand until combined. Slowly and gently work in flour, also by hand. Fold in egg whites in two parts using a large spatula, gently so they don’t deflate. Weigh the batter subtracting the weight of the bowl, divide in three equal parts amongst the bowls. Pour first bowl onto a well buttered and parchment lined small baking sheet, use offset spatula to evenly distribute. Bake 12ish minutes depending on your oven, rotate halfway, you don’t want to see much browning here.

Photo by Danielle Guercio

Dispense red and green food coloring into second and third bowls, 10 drops each. Cover green batter bowl and refrigerate. Take out white cake from oven and transfer to wire rack to cool. Re-line the pan and pour red batter, bake as the first. Take green batter out of the fridge to come to room temperature. Remove red cake, place on wire rack to cool. Re-line pan and pour green batter. Bake, remove and allow all cakes to cool completely. When cakes are cool, spread half of jam on the red cake. Place white cake in line with red on top of jam layer. Cover white cake with remaining jam. Top with green cake in line with other two layers. Wrap in parchment and chill overnight.

Photo by Danielle Guercio

Trim edges slightly to allow chocolate to spread easier, try not to eat it until you’re finished, because these are strong and work fast!

Photo by Danielle Guercio

Remove cake from fridge, unwrap. Chop one bar of chocolate into fine pieces, melt in microwave gently. Spread over green cake evenly, chill 10 minutes.

Photo by Danielle Guercio

Gently flip the cake using a wire rack so red is facing up, chocolate down. Chop and melt remaining chocolate. Spread on red cake. Freeze at least 1 hour before cutting.

Photo by Danielle Guercio

Cut into strips before cutting into cookie sized slices with a serrated knife, wiping in between cuts.

Enjoy for all eternity, which won’t be long because these are so yummy! Keep in freezer to keep extra fresh, otherwise one week countertop, two weeks fridge.

*Cannabutter

Decarboxylate 3.5g of finely ground cannabis at 225 degrees for 20 minutes in a tightly sealed, oven safe container. Put in lidded mason jar or vacuum sealed bag with cannabis and 1 stick of butter. Heat in water bath just under boiling for at least 1 hour. Strain and chill butter to use in recipes.

Photo by Danielle Guercio

These take skill, but not expertise. The best advice is to read the recipe a few times over before executing it, have patience, and you will end up with the most boastful cookies on planet earth, to eat while watching the new Planet Earth 2.

Photos: Danielle Guercio [Instagram: @danizig]

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