This week’s castaway is Wren Droege, Raven Radio’s summer Programming Intern. Wren hails from Davidsonville, Maryland which is just outside Annapolis. Wren’s family, is friends with Raven Radio founder and first Program Director Marika Partridge, who encourage Wren to volunteer at the station this summer. So far Wren has been processing new music, producing recorded announcements and organizing the newly digitized radio programs archived since the station signed on the air. She has been very productive and a real joy to have around the station! Wren’s stories paint lovely pictures about the 10 songs she chose to have on her deserted island. Listen here:
Wren’s songs:
1. The Gardner – Tallest Man on Earth
2. Romulus – Sufjan Stevens
3. Earthquake of ’73 – Fruit Bats
4. Myriad Harbor – The New Pornographers
5. Boots of Spanish Leather – Bob Dylan
6. The Book of Love – The Magnetic Fields
7. You Only Live Once – The Strokes
8. Elephant Gun – Beirut
9. WHALE – Yellow Ostrich
10. The Circle Game – Joni Mitchell
Wren’s Christmas Toffee
Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup chocolate chips
1.5 cups ground walnuts
1. Use a food processor to grind up the walnuts. You should end up with about a cup of very thinly ground nuts and maybe half a cup of less thinly ground nuts (to go on top of the chocolate at the end).
2. Heat two baking sheets in the oven at 250 degrees. This will make the toffee spread thinner and will keep it hot enough to melt the chocolate chips. No need to grease the baking sheets.
3. In a large heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the butter and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring throughout. Allow to come to a boil, and cook until the mixture becomes a dark amber color. Just when the mixture starts to smell like it is close to burning, turn off the heat and add the thinly ground walnuts.
4. After the nuts are mixed in, pour the toffee onto the baking sheets. The baking sheets should be on the table upside down (bottoms up) – this makes it easier to get the toffee off after it cools. Sprinkle the chocolate over the top, and let it set for a minute or two to soften. Spread the chocolate into a thin even layer once it is melted. Sprinkle the less-thinly-ground walnuts over the chocolate.
5. Let set until toffee has cooled. Break into pieces, and store in an airtight container.
Wren’s sister painted the back of her car.
Wren’s dad painted his car like a fish.
