Cooking with Disney Villains

When I posted this book on social media, you guys were EXTREMELY interested. I think this proves that one of the best ideas Disney has had is creating a “villains” franchise. It certainly took them long enough to realize that princesses are nice, but villains are where the fun is to be found. Obviously, Insight Editions and author Julie Tremaine agree because they published and wrote, respectively, “Disney Villains Devilishly Delicious Cookbook: 50+ Dishes Inspired by Your Favorite Villains, Including Ursula, Scar, and Cruella De Vil.”

Let us tell you the thing you most want to know first, what villains are represented in this book?
Tamatoa from Moana
Flotsam and Jetsam from The Little Mermaid
Dr. Facilier from The Princess and the Frog
Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty
Iago from Aladdin
Gaston from Beauty and the Beast
Lady Tremaine from Cinderella
Scar from The Lion King
Cruella De Vil from 101 Dalmatians
Ursula from The Little Mermaid
Hades from Hercules
Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland
Mother Gothel from Tangled
Jafar from Aladdin
Madam Mim from The Sword in the Stone
Mr. Smee from Peter Pan
Evil Queen from Cinderella
Captain Hook from Peter Pan
Chernabog from Fantasia
Shere Khan from The Jungle Book
Anastasia and Drizella from Cinderella

Yes, villains new and old are well-represented throughout the book. The variety of food and beverage recipes is just as diverse. Tremaine does an excellent job of offering beginner friendly recipes, such as Jolly Roger Brisket, Flotsam & Jetsam Party Mix, and Hypnotizing Snake Staffs, but also supplying more complicated recipes for chefs looking for a challenge, such as Voodoo Top Hat Cake, Huntsman’s Pie, and Poor Unfortunate Rolls.

Obviously, I needed to try a recipe and I chose a beginner friendly recipe that I thought would go well at a barbeque that I was invited to, Horrible Wholesome Sunshine Salad. Its name is based off a quote Madam Mim says in The Sword in the Stone, “I hate sunshine! I hate horrible wholesome sunshine! I hate it!”

As you can see, as promised it was a simple recipe that does not require too much in the way of ingredients. Unfortunately, my local grocery store was lacking in citrus diversity and was out of fresh mint, so I was forced to use dry.

That said, this recipe came out great! Light, refreshing, healthy, and went great with all the assorted grilled meats.

Is “Disney Villains Devilishly Delicious Cookbook” by Julie Tremaine a necessary cookbook? Not really. However, if you love Disney villains and cooking, Tremaine’s book is absolutely worth every penny!

You can learn more here.

Shop your local indie bookstore <---This is an affiliate link to IndieBound, which supports independent bookstores throughout the United States. If you use this link to purchase the book, I will make a small commission at no additional cost to you.

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National Unicorn Day

Did you know that tomorrow is National Unicorn Day? Well, it is. One year it was brought to my attention that April 9th is National Unicorn Day and since I like unicorns, I made note of it on my calendar. However, a cursory internet search could not tell me WHY April 9th became National Unicorn Day, just that it is. And that concludes the historical portion of this article.

Honestly, there has just been a bumper crop of unicorn related books lately and I thought this would be a could occasion to give you a giant list o’ links to check stuff out. How better to celebrate unicorns than by buying books about unicorns, right?

You might remember that in January 2020 I profiled a “Stampede of Unicorns!” That review features “Unicorn Magic” by Tess Whitehurst, “Llewellyn’s Little Book of Unicorns” by Angela Wix, and “The Wonder of Unicorns” by Diane Cooper. It turns out that Diane Cooper also has “The Wonder of Unicorns Game” and “The Wonder of Unicorn Cards!” She even has a compact disc of guided meditations, “The Unicorn Meditation.”

I personally own a very worn-out copy of “The Unicorn Tarot” by Suzanne Star with art by Liz Hilton. The outer box art has changed, but the deck is the same.

It is out of print, but if you want to read the book that turned me into a unicorn fan, try and get a hold of “The Unicorn” by Nancy Hathaway. If you can get one in good condition, it would make a beautiful coffee table book. Of course, mine is so worn out it can barely stay together, let alone let visitors casually flip through it!

Lastly, you cannot discuss unicorns without mentioning “The Last Unicorn.” After all this time the animated film is still magical and the book by Peter S. Beagle is even better! I own the DVD, and two different print runs of the novel! Perhaps Friday is the perfect day to dig out the DVD, or reread the book?

Regardless of how you choose to celebrate, I hope you have a magical National Unicorn Day!

*Some of the links in this article are affiliate links to IndieBound or Bookshop.org. These sites support independent books stores in the United States. If you use these links to purchase a book, I will make a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Do you enjoy The Magical Buffet? Considering supporting The Magical Buffet on Patreon! For only $5 a month you’ll receive monthly tarot/oracle forecasts, classes, and behind the scenes updates! https://www.patreon.com/magicalbuffet

The Wakanda Files

Attention Marvel fans! Epic Ink was kind enough to send me a copy of their new book “The Wakanda Files: A Technological Exploration of the Avengers and Beyond” by Troy Benjamin, and it is a Marvel Cinematic Universe fan dream.

“The Wakanda Files” is framed as a compilation of Shuri’s research of the advanced technology of the MCU. Shuri is T’Challa / Black Panther’s intelligent, savvy, younger sister, so it makes since that “The Wakanda Files” reflect her accumulated knowledge of human enhancement, weapons, artificial intelligence, armor, and more from the MCU. As anything worthy of the Shuri name, “The Wakanda Files” is full color, hardcover, with a frosted plastic slipcase. It also comes with a UV light that when shined on pages reveals extra information printed in UV ink.

I wish I could hand the book to you through the screen, so you feel the quality.

Sexy hardcover.The center “bead” is the UV light.


Hard to photograph, but the UV light works!


You know Shuri was all up in Pim’s business.


Loads of schematics throughout!


Loads to geek out on!

With so much content, “The Wakanda Files” would make a great gift for any fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe!

You can learn more here.

Shop your local indie bookstore <---This is an affiliate link to IndieBound, which supports independent bookstores throughout the United States. If you use this link to purchase the book, I will make a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Do you enjoy The Magical Buffet? Considering supporting The Magical Buffet on Patreon! For only $5 a month you’ll receive monthly tarot/oracle forecasts, classes, and behind the scenes updates! https://www.patreon.com/magicalbuffet

Docu-mania!

Have you been spending more time at home? Well, you should be, there IS a pandemic going on after all. I should be using this time to accomplish loads of things, but honestly, I’m not. Sure, some people are learning new skills, or getting shape, but there is nothing wrong with just maintaining. That’s pretty much what I do…. maintain.

An odd, but welcome development is that I have been all about watching documentaries. In a world of limitless new entertainment content, for some reason I have settled on this. I have been watching loads of them, from various streaming services. In case you have been looking for a diversion from your usual entertainment I thought I would highlight the tons of documentaries I have been watching.

Remastered: Devil at the Crossroad (Netflix)
Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil to become the greatest bluesmen to ever live. This fantastic documentary dives into the life, death, and legend of Robert Johnson, who was one of the greatest bluesmen to ever live.

Kathy Griffin: A Hell of Story (Amazon Prime)
I have ALWAYS loved Kathy Griffin, and this “docu-comedy” just makes me love her even more. Follow the fallout from the publication of the infamous photograph of her holding Trump’s severed head and into her comeback. All of it culminates with a fantastic stand up special that is not to be missed!

Bill Nye: Science Guy (Netflix)
An intriguing look behind the scenes of Bill Nye’s life. It covers his roots as the “Science Guy” to his strong second act of becoming the public face of science in the climate change debate. What’s nice about this documentary is that it shows Nye as a human being, prone to ego and fear as well as a kind-hearted proponent of science.

Tickled (Hulu)
This documentary begins with the directors attempting to make a film about the world of “competitive endurance tickling”. Believe it or not, it gets jaw droppingly weirder from there. Welcome to the unintentional conspiracy film you never knew you needed.

The Brink (Hulu)
This film follows Steve Bannon from getting booted from Donald Trump’s administration through his attempt to create an international super group of nationalist world leaders, and the United States mid-term elections. It is presented judgement free, but trust me, you will judge him.

Get Me Roger Stone (Netflix)
Some people love to be the villain, and Roger Stone is one of them. This neutrally presented documentary will leave your jaw on the ground…. or else you might not have a soul.

Struggle: The Life and Lost Art of Szukalski (Netflix)
A genius sculptor, the underground comix scene, Nazis, redemption, the nature of language, and more are to be found in this riveting documentary. Hands down an amazing story. It is hard to encapsulate, you will just need to trust me when I say, watch it.

Have you seen any of these? If you have, or watch some of them, leave me on comment on The Magical Buffet’s social media letting me know what you though!

Do you enjoy The Magical Buffet? Considering supporting The Magical Buffet on Patreon! For only $5 a month you’ll receive monthly tarot/oracle forecasts, classes, and behind the scenes updates! https://www.patreon.com/magicalbuffet

What is Cinemastrology?

We have got a fun book to discuss today! “Cinemastrology: The Movie-Lover’s Guide to the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars” by Stella Wonderly. In a world of overwhelming movie choices, thanks in no small part to the abundance of streaming services, “Cinemastrology” is here to help you use your Sun sign in deciding what to watch! See? I told you it was going to be fun!

Equal parts astrology, trivia, and movie outlines, each Sun sign is given quite a bit of information. First, Wonderly gives a rough outline of the characteristics of the sign, throughout which she makes film suggestions. Then you’re presented with some top picks, date movie suggestions, comedies, and classics. Better still, there is a section of suggestions for films for each Sun sign to watch with different Sun signs! For example, a suggested film for a Gemini and Scorpio to watch together is “Sin City” (a movie I love). Each section concludes with a list of film stars that are of that Sun sign (Ian McKellen and I are both Geminis with our birthdays only days apart! Apparently, I have the same birthday as Annette Bening.)

“Cinemastrology” by Stella Wonderly is a great book for film fans and astrology lovers alike! A fun pick me up for these shut in days!

You can learn more here.

To up the fun quotient, I am giving away a copy of “Cinemastrology”! As per usual, we are doing the giveaway using Rafflecopter! This contest is open internationally and ends on June 12, 2020 at 11:59PM eastern.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Shop your local indie bookstore <---This is an affiliate link to IndieBound, which supports independent bookstores throughout the United States. If you use this link to purchase the book, I will make a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Do you enjoy The Magical Buffet? Considering supporting The Magical Buffet on Patreon! For only $5 a month you’ll receive monthly tarot/oracle forecasts, classes, and behind the scenes updates! https://www.patreon.com/magicalbuffet

Hail Satan?

I received a press release about a documentary that I definitely want to see! Check it out!

Chronicling the extraordinary rise of one of the most colorful and controversial religious movements in American history, Hail Satan? is an inspiring and entertaining new feature documentary from acclaimed director Penny Lane (Nuts!, Our Nixon). When media-savvy members of the Satanic Temple organize a series of public actions designed to advocate for religious freedom and challenge corrupt authority, they prove that with little more than a clever idea, a mischievous sense of humor, and a few rebellious friends, you can speak truth to power in some truly profound ways. As charming and funny as it is thought-provoking, Hail Satan? offers a timely look at a group of often misunderstood outsiders whose unwavering commitment to social and political justice has empowered thousands of people around the world.

Hail Satan? will be in theaters April 19th! You can learn more and find tickets at https://www.hailsatanfilm.com/.

Lady Parts Justice In The New World Order

I’ve got a documentary series for everyone to keep an eye out for online. The series is “Lady Parts Justice In The New World Order”. It debuted at DOC NYC November 11, and now they’ll be exploring streaming options.

Lizz Winstead, co-creator of “The Daily Show”, is furious. Even before the arrival of the Trump administration, Winstead realized women’s reproductive rights were being eroded across the nation. In effort to create a sustainable agency for change, Winstead formed Lady Parts Justice, a collection of activists and comedians. Setting off on the Vagical Mystery Tour, the Lady Parts Justice League brings its political satire-infused advocacy across the US to educate communities about legislative attacks on beleaguered abortion clinics. Urgent and funny, this series is an uplifting reminder of the power of protest.

Check out the trailer, I think you’ll dig it.

You can follow and support Lady Parts Justice at:
Facebook: @ladypartsjusticefilm
Twitter: @lpjldoc AND @ladypjustice
Instagram:@ladypartsjusticefilm

Website: https://www.ladypartsjusticedoc.com

Favorite Things 2018

It’s that magical time when I share my favorite things of the year. Everything has been featured on my site in one form or another in 2018, so even though an item released in 2017, it can end up on this list, and trust me, there are several things that came out in 2018 that will probably end up on 2019’s list. In a slightly more accurate world this would be the last article of the year, however I hope this list gives you some gift ideas, so I like to publish it when you still have time to purchase items for the holidays. Without further ado, and in no particular order, I give you my favorite things of 2018.

“Queen Up! Reclaim Your Crown When Life Knocks You Down: Unleash the Power of Your Inner Tarot Queen” by Angela Kaufman. Kaufman manages to make complex archetypal concepts simple and memorable using one of my favorite things…. tarot cards! Read my interview with the author here.

“Witches, Sluts, Feminists: Conjuring the Sex Positive” by Kristen J. Sollee. This belongs in the list just for its badass cover. It inspired me to finally try out black lipstick (spoiler alert, it’s awesome). The book is also awesome. Three labels that society apply to women, their history, and how women are reclaiming them for the better. Check out my review here.

Christian History Magazine. I’ve featured Christian History Magazine on the site twice in 2018, and with good reason, it’s a great resource. And it’s free! No proselytizing, just raw, uncut history. Read my write up of their “Food & Faith” issue here.

“Dark Star Rising: Magick and Power in the Age of Trump” by Gary Lachman. A rollicking look at the potential influence of Chaos Magick in the ascension of Trump. You can read my interview with the author here.

“The Green Burial Guidebook: Everything You Need to Plan an Affordable, Environmentally Friendly Burial” by Elizabeth Fournier. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, if you, or anyone you know, plans on dying, this is a must read. Check out my review here.

“Tarot Made Simple: The Ultimate Guide to Casting Spreads and Reading the Cards” by Liz Dean. There a zillion of guides to tarot out there, but “Tarot Made Simple” has a unique format that sets it apart from its peers. See what I’m talking about here.

“Calling All Earthlings”. One of the best documentaries I’ve seen. The story of George Van Tassel has it all: has it all, aliens, Howard Hughes, free energy, the FBI, Tesla, the military, and a death…or possibly murder. Read my review here.

A little self promotion folks. I came up with some cool statements that you can purchase on assorted t-shirts, mug, pint glass, tote bag, and journal! I’m kind of proud, so consider showing me some love by picking up something for you or a friend! Shop The Magical Buffet here!

“Strange Frequencies: The Extraordinary Story of the Technological Quest for the Supernatural” by Peter Bergal. This was one of the best adventures of 2018! Spirituality influencing technology and technology influencing spirituality. This book has something for everyone! You can check out my review here.

“The Real Witches of New England: History, Lore, and Modern Practice” by Ellen Evert Hopman. Hopman shares research on witch hysteria and persecution, biographies of witches who were accused followed by interviews with their descendants, and also interviews a myriad of modern day witches who influence culture today. Read my review here.

The Teenage Slasher Movie Book

I don’t know if you’ll find this surprising or not, but I do not watch horror movies. I just can’t handle it, they stick with me way too long. That said, I love reading about horror movies. I go online and read plot summaries, analysis, and reviews for tons of horror movies. Weird, right? I just feel the genre has a lot to offer. That’s why I agreed to read and review the 2nd revised and expanded edition of “The Teenage Slasher Movie Book” by J.A. Kerswell. I will admit that I don’t normally look into the slasher subgenre, but just like the rest of the horror genre, the author showed me there are surprises to be found there.

Have you heard of the gory, Italian, thrillers known as giallos? I hadn’t, but it turns out they played a huge role in the eventual teenage slasher film. I had no idea that many popular slasher movies came from Canada! Sure, now it seems all movies come from Canada, but the late 70’s, I had no clue. Also, I didn’t realize that Britain had previewed and censored all videos being released in the country. This delayed the release of many slasher movies in the country.

Kerswell does an excellent job condensing the history and works of the genre into a fast paced read. He succeeds in striking the balance of treating the subject matter seriously while acknowledging how silly it can all be.

With Kerswell’s authoritative writing and a dizzying amount of full color photos from films and movie posters, I can safely say “The Teenage Slasher Movie Book” is a great resource for anyone interested in horror films.

You can learn more here.

Calling All Earthlings

You guys. I don’t even know where to begin. I was given the opportunity to watch the documentary “Calling All Earthlings”, a film by Jonathan Berman. This movie has it all, aliens, Howard Hughes, free energy, the FBI, Tesla, the military, and a death…or possibly murder.

“Calling All Earthlings” explores a mid-century UFO cult led by one-time Howard Hughes confidante, George Van Tassel. Van Tassel claimed to have combined alien guidance with the writings of inventor/physicist Nikola Tesla, and other controversial science, to build an electromagnetic time machine he dubbed “The Integratron.” Was he insane? Or could the dome really break through the boundaries of space, time, and energy? FBI agents worked against Van Tassel and the alternative community that formed out of his work. Would he finish the Integratron before the government finished him?

The film examines the roots of the Peace Movement, Burning Man, and even the FBI’s notorious COINTELPRO program. The verité tale of Van Tassel and his dome is told by relatives, neighbors, skeptics, believers, scientists, healers, artists, and historians. The film features the “stewards” and owners of the Integratron, the Karl sisters; Dr. Kevin Starr, the preeminent historian of California; Eric Burdon, Singer for The Animals and War; and the legendary Drs. J.J. and Desiree Hurtak.

I say this in all seriousness, why hasn’t this story been made into an actual movie as opposed to documentary? The story of George Van Tassel has all the makings for a fantastic Christopher Nolan film! Here’s the trailer:

Interested? “Calling All Earthlings” is available on Video on Demand in the following platforms: iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Google Play, AT&T U-verse, DirecTV, Dish Network/Sling TV, Hoopla, Sony Playstation, Swank, Vudu, Xbox, Youtube Movies, In Demand (Comcast, Cox, Spectrum, etc.) and Vubiquity (Frontier, Verizon Fios, etc.). Hopefully it will be available on one of the streaming services like Netflix or Hulu in future!