Inside COS Town Tidings Issue #057

🤣 Today’s Chuckle
🌤 COS Weather - Warm today, big change tomorrow

💊 Prescription Hope in COS: Open Bible's Unique Initiative

💱 Tax Dollars at Work: Strange Spending in El Paso County

🥇 Air Force Cadets Shine in Global Lyme Detection Challenge

💥 Who Should We Feature?

📦 USPS Holiday Mailing Deadlines

📆 Local Events - updated daily
🤶 Holiday Craft Fairs

Tech Tip: 💳 Foolproof Ways to Cancel Unused Subscriptions Now

Recipe: 🍫 Healthy 10 Minute Buckeye Fudge

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How was the snow globe feeling after the scary story?
👉 A little shaken 🤣

Our hope is that we made you smile today…pass it on.

💊 Prescription Hope in COS: Open Bible's Unique Initiative

Colorado Springs' nonprofit, Open Bible Medical Clinic & Pharmacy operates a unique drug donation program, repurposing unexpired medications to provide free prescriptions for low-income and uninsured locals. This initiative has filled 1,900 prescriptions for 200 adults, offering crucial support to those in the community who struggle with medication costs. As part of a broader effort in 44 states, Colorado is considering expanding these programs statewide to aid residents facing financial barriers to essential prescriptions.

💱 Tax Dollars at Work: Strange Spending in El Paso County

Did you know El Paso County's monthly legal publications unveil intriguing expenditures, from Starbucks to barbecue, revealing how taxpayer money is spent? While seemingly odd costs, like $23,333.07 at Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, catch attention, these itemizations showcase the vast scope of county government responsibilities. Despite being mandatory under state law, few residents engage with these reports, shedding light on the expansive but often overlooked facets of county operations.

*Read More Here

🥇 Air Force Cadets Shine in Global Lyme Detection Challenge

We are so proud…in a significant achievement, Air Force Academy cadets secured a gold win at the iGEM competition for their innovative project, 'Lyme-AID.' Driven by personal ties to Lyme disease, the team, is developing a patch to swiftly detect the disease from tick bites. They aim to create an easily accessible tool for nationwide use, hoping to make a prototype in the coming years. Their dedication reflects a commitment to addressing a disease that affects hundreds of thousands of Americans annually.

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Upcoming COS Area Events

• Dec 7th - 31st, Tues & Wed 7 PM, Thurs & Fri 7:30 PM, Sat 2, 5, 7:30 PM, Sun 2 PM: Elf The Musical @Fine Arts Center $26-$60.50

• Dec 7th, 5 PM; Acoustic Christmas Concert at Cowboy's Nightclub $20 - age 21+

• Dec 7th, 7-9 PM: Merry and Bright Rustic Snowman| canvas or 3D sled @Painting With A Twist, Downtown $39-$49

• Dec 8th, (Every Friday) 9-10 AM: Senior Fitness @Westside Community Center $2

• Dec 8th, 6:30-8:30 PM: Happy Feet Screen Art Workshop | 1st Drink Incl! @Painting With A Twist, Downtown $45

• Dec 8th-23rd, 5-7:30 PM: Electric Safari @Chyenne Mountain Zoo $24 non member

• Dec 9th & 10th, 10 AM & 2 PM depending on the day; Wreath Workshop, Phelan Gardens, 4955 Austin Bluffs $35

• Dec 9th, 11 AM-4 PM; Festival of Lights Celebration at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum $10

• Dec 9th, noon-4 PM (Dec 23rd 2-5 PM): Caroling & Music Downtown COS FREE

• Dec 9th, 2-6 PM; Festival of Lights Open House @COS Pioneers Museum FREE

• Dec 9th, 5:50-7 PM; Festival of Lights Parade Downtown COS FREE

• Dec 10th, 1:30 & 5 PM: First Presbyterian Church's Christmas Joy @Pikes Peak Center $26 to $36

• Dec 10th, 5:30-9:30 PM; 719 Swing 'N Jam of the year @The Public House at the Alexander FREE

🧵🎄 Upcoming Holiday Craft Fairs 🤶🧶

• Dec. 9: PPBC Craft Fair — 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Pikes Peaks Peak Biker's Church, 1318 N. Circle Drive

• Dec. 9: Vista Ridge High School Craft Fair — 9 a.m.-3 p.m., 6888 Black Forest Road

• Dec. 9: Christkindl Market — 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Mash Mechanix Brewing Co., 429 E. Pikes Peak Ave.

  Dec. 9: Christkindl - German–style Christmas Market — 3-6:30 p.m., Ascension Lutheran Church, 2505 N. Circle Dr

• Dec. 9-10: Winterfest Craft Fair — 9 AM - 5 PM Dec 9; 10 AM - 4 PM Dec 10, Norris Penrose Event Center 1045 Lower Gold Camp Rd  

Have an upcoming event you want us to share?

👉 Click here to submit your event for consideration 👈

📦 USPS Holiday Mailing Deadlines 

• USPS Ground Advantage — Dec. 16

• First-Class Mail (including greeting cards) — Dec. 16

• Priority Mail — Dec. 18

• Priority Mail Express — Dec. 20

Air/Army Post Office (APO), Fleet Post Office (FPO), Diplomatic Post Office (DPO)

• First-Class Mail — Dec. 9

• Priority Mail — Dec. 9

• Priority Mail Express Military Service — Dec. 15*

* PMEMS not available for APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 093

💳 Foolproof Ways to Cancel Unused Subscriptions Now

As holiday streaming services tempt us, avoid forgetting to cancel subscriptions with smart tactics:

1. Set reminders

2. Cancel right after signing up (you should still be able to enjoy the free trial)

3. or simplify with apps. You can look into something like Rocket Money, saving you money in minutes

_{*Tips provided by Kim Komando}

🍫 Healthy 10 Minute Buckeye Fudge

This is an easy, no-cook recipe for fudge with layers of sweet peanut butter and dark chocolate. It’s perfect for the holidays, hostess gifts, or anytime you’re craving chocolate and peanut butter! The fudge will stay fresh for at least a week if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

*Note: altitude adjustments are not needed as there is no baking

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CHOCOLATE LAYER

• 1 cup (80g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)

• 5 tbsp (75mL) unsweetened cashew milk

• 2 tbsp (30mL) agave

• 2 tbsp (25g) Truvia

• ¼ tsp vanilla extract

FOR THE PEANUT BUTTER LAYER

• 1 cup (120g) peanut flour (I used this brand – and see Notes!)

• 6 tbsp (90mL) unsweetened cashew milk

• 2 tbsp (30mL) agave

• 2 tbsp (25g) Truvia

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Line an 8x4” loaf pan with parchment paper.

2. To prepare the chocolate layer, mix together all of the ingredients in a small bowl until thoroughly. Gently press into the prepared pan with a spatula.

3. To prepare the peanut butter layer, mix together all of the ingredients in a separate small bowl until thoroughly combined. Gently press on top of the chocolate layer with a clean spatula.

4. Chill the fudge for at least 3 hours before slicing into squares.

NOTES

1. IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It’s extremely important to measure the cocoa powder and peanut flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much of either one will dry out your mixture and give your fudge a crumbly texture. Too much cocoa powder will also make the chocolate layer taste bitter, instead of rich and chocolaty.

2. COCOA POWDER NOTE: I like using Hershey’s regular unsweetened cocoa powder because it’s affordable, easy to find (at least in the US!), and has a good chocolate flavor. I do not recommend substituting Dutched or special dark cocoa powder. Both Dutched and special dark cocoa powder have a different acidity level and a more muted taste, which affects the taste of your fudge.

3. MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted for the unsweetened cashew milk.

4. AGAVE ALTERNATIVES: Honey or pure maple syrup may be substituted for the agave, although the latter will add a subtle maple undertone to the peanut butter layer.

5. TRUVIA NOTE + ALTERNATIVES: Coconut sugar, brown sugar, or granulated suguar may be substituted for the Truvia. In this recipe, Truvia is a 1-to-1 substitution for regular granulated sugar, so if you'd like to try substituting something like liquid stevia that has a more concentrated sweetness, you may need to adjust the amount of milk to compensate.

6. PEANUT FLOUR NOTES: Peanut flour is made by finely grinding peanuts and removing most of their oil. I used this brand when developing this recipe. As of November 2022, it's no longer available for purchasing online, but this brand is very similar. For the best results, use peanut flour that contains only peanuts and no other ingredients (ie sugar, flavorings, etc).

7. I haven't tried substituting almond flour, so I'm not personally sure whether that will work or how it would turn out. If you'd like to experiment on your own, two things to keep in mind… In comparison to peanut flour, almond flour's flavor is much more muted, so you wouldn't be able to taste the almond flavor. (The chocolate layer would completely overpower it!) When making almond flour, its oil isn't removed (like when making peanut flour), so it also has a different consistency that will affect the texture of your fudge.

8. SLICING NOTE: A little of the fudge will still stick to the parchment paper, so I generally use a knife or spatula to loosen the fudge squares from the paper.

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