Silly Little Mischief

Weekend Cooking: The Recipe Club by Andrea Israel and Nancy Garfinkel

2012-01-28T03:44:00.000-08:00

I added The Recipe Club to my tbr list after reading about it on Staci's blog. I chose to read it now for the Foodies Read 2 Challenge.
The Recipe Club is about two women, Val and Lilly. At the start of the book, Lilly and Val are reconnecting after 26 years apart. This part of the story is told through emails. I was sort of confused at first since I didn't understand what drove two friends apart. But the second part of the book is told through letters when the girls are thirteen and continuing through to college. It's in these letters that the girls exchange recipes. They create their own recipe club and exchange letters and recipes for about ten years. It's during this time that I learned more about Lilly and Val. I liked both of them but never really connected to either one. I don't know if it was the format (the letters) or I just didn't really care for either of them. The third part was in a novel format with newspaper clippings and letters added in. This part felt a bit rushed to me. The end wrapped everything up neatly, but I just felt we got there way too fast.
Overall it was a sweet story of friendship. I did enjoy the recipes, so I decided to make and share one. I chose the Mighty Math Muffins (page 57). Lilly's having trouble with math so her tutor creates this recipe.

I couldn't find frozen cranberries but I had dried on hand. Really easy recipe and a delicious muffin.

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.
This was my second read for the Foodies Read 2 challenge.

Did Not Finish Report

2012-01-27T03:48:00.000-08:00

This is a first for me. I think this is the most books I’ve ever abandoned in a month. Perhaps it’s because it’s the start of the year and I don’t want to waste time reading something that isn’t appealing to me, but here’s what I haven’t been able to complete.

The Swerve- I was really looking forward to this one. But just because a book wins awards doesn’t mean I’m going to enjoy it. There’s a ton of history in this book, some I really enjoyed. Ultimately I felt like I was reading a school textbook. When I couldn’t muster any enthusiasm, I had to put it aside.

Corsets and Clockwork-Sadly, I had just read Home Improvement, another anthology. Too many anthologies. I might pick it up again in the future.

Eating India-I had high hopes for this one too. Part memoir, part travelogue, part history of Indian food. But like The Swerve after time, I started dreading reading it. I think it was the tone and voice of her writing that I ultimately disliked.

Did you read any of these? What did you think?

Meyer Lemon Bars

2012-01-26T03:40:00.000-08:00

Tai loves anything lemon. So when I found a bag of meyer lemons at my local grocery store, I brought them home without a clear recipe plan. On Pinterest, I found this recipe for meyer lemon bars. They were a big hit. Score!

Meyer lemons are sweeter than other lemons and ideal for sweet dishes. You can use regular lemons as well. Tai said this recipe was a keeper!

Library Loot

2012-01-25T03:03:00.000-08:00

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

The Scorpio Races

I've been restricting how many books I put on hold at the library so I don't get more than I can read. But I'm very excited about The Scorpio Races. I can't wait to dive in.

What did you get this week?

Slow Cooker Tuesday: Beef With Asian Mushroom

2012-01-24T19:05:00.000-08:00

I had to wait til tonight to post this because this was our dinner! When I came across this recipe, I immediately bookmarked it. Beef, mushrooms and asian flavors, yum!

Tips on the recipe:

I had a huge (6 lb) piece of beef brisket. It worked fine. I cut it into 2 pieces so it would fit in my slow cooker.

I used my 6 quart slow cooker.

I used 8oz of mushrooms and a jar (8oz) of hoisin sauce.

I cooked it for about 12 hours total and the meat was falling apart.

Kafka's Soup by Mark Crick

2012-01-23T03:14:00.000-08:00

I added Kafka's Soup to my tbr list after reading about it on Marg's blog. I'm really glad I read it. It was an enjoyable read.
The book is actually 14 recipe/stories each "written" by a different famous author. Each story starts as a list of ingredients then as part of the story tells you how the character whipped up the dish. Each story is short, about 4 pages each. The stories I found the most enjoyable were the ones where I was familiar with the author. The Marque de Sade's was probably my favorite because rather than poking fun at sexually restraint, he was mocking healthy eaters/vegans. I had a hard time reading Irvine Welsh's Rich Chocolate Cake. His writing is a bit jarring and difficult to read but once I got the hang of it, I was laughing out loud.
Overall, it was a great read. Recommended for book lovers and foodies! Others who shared their thoughts on Kafka's Soup: Cookbook of the Day, Blogging Wolfe, and The Sumptuous City.
This was my first read for the Foodies Read 2 Challenge.

Weekend Cooking: Chicken Piccata

2012-01-21T03:38:00.000-08:00

Yay! My first Weekend Cooking post. I'd decided to try chicken piccata. Tai loves lemons so I figured it would be a big hit with him. And I was right.

I followed this recipe, but forgot the capers. I didn't miss them. Although I'll try to remember them next time to see how it is with the caper. It was kind of labor intensive, dredging the chicken and frying it but the sauce was pretty quick. Very delicious. I would make this again.

Currently...

2012-01-20T03:45:00.000-08:00

Watching...

Tai found Community on Hulu and told me I would enjoy it. He was right. We both really enjoy it. I look forward to marathoning through the first and second seasons this weekend.

Eating...

Jeff brought over this delicious ice cream. I like the combo of peanut butter and chocolate but the peanut butter they use is so yummy. I'll be buying this again.

Listening...

Jeff first exposed Tai and I to the Piano Guys. I love this song and could listen to it all day.

Tai does listen to this one all day. It's currently his favorite song.

This one makes me smile.

Slow Cooker Tuesday: Risotto

2012-01-17T03:11:00.000-08:00

I love risotto. When I spied a recipe using my slow cooker, I knew I had to give it a try. I'm glad I did. I can see myself making this one again.

Tips on the recipe:

I used a 2 quart slow cooker.

I skipped the parm since I didn't have any.

It took about 2.5 hours to cook.

The risotto came out so creamy and buttery. You could add meat, veggies, cheese but I liked it as is.

The Girl With The Steel Corset by Kady Cross

2012-01-16T03:54:00.000-08:00

I'm so glad I relooted The Girl In The Steel Corset! I have to say the cover sold me but I also really enjoyed the story.
Finley is different. She has a dark side that gets her into trouble. While serving as a maid in a wealthy London home, her dark side comes out and she flees the house. While running away she runs into Griffin and Sam. Griffin is the lord of his own estate and different like Finley. Griffin helps Finley and she meet the rest of Griffin's friends (Jasper, Emily, and Sam) who are all different too. I liked that their abilities were more Heroes/X-Men type abilities. Together they band together to fight a killer. It felt familiar in that these kids had powers, wanted to help people, and still had some of their own difficulties as being people. I also really liked the characters. Finley is scared of her powers and doesn't understand why this is happening to her. Griffin can possess enormous power but he'd like avenge his parents death. Oh and Jack Dandy. Probably my favorite character. Dandy is that dangerous bad boy that I love in a story. I really enjoyed the story and getting to know the characters. I love steampunk and this one has all the elements I like (Victorian era, mechanical enemies).
Overall, I really enjoyed The Girl In The Steel Corset. I cannot wait for the second in the series! Others who shared their thoughts on The Girl In The Steel Corset: Paranormal Indulgence, Books Devoured, The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader, and Read. Breathe. Relax.

The Discovery of Jeanne Baret by Glynis Ridley (plus a giveaway!)

2012-01-12T03:23:00.000-08:00

If you've read my blog for any length of time you'd notice I don't accept review copies frequently. But when I got an email from Crown Publishing and read the excerpt about The Discovery of Jeanne Baret "history’s most elusive cross dresser, botanist, and global navigator. Jeanne is one of history’s forgotten hero’s – as a trailblazing woman and brilliant scientist whose life reads like a gripping historical fiction", I knew I had to read it.
If you're like me, you've probably never heard of Jeanne Baret and no idea that a woman sailed around the world in 1766. Ridley does a lot of research to tell Jeanne's story. Not only research about Jeanne herself, but there is so much history packed into this book. I learned about women in France around that time and how herb women were teaching doctors and botanists about plants. I learned about naval history and how ships were packed for trips around the world. Also my geography skills are terrible. I kind of wish the book would have had a map so I could reference where they were and where they were going. I learned where the Strait of Magellan is and added Tierra de la Fuego to my list of places I'd like to visit.
But no amount of research is going to tell us how the voyage was really for Jeanne. We only have the diaries of the men on the journey to tell us what happened. So there is some guessing about what would have happened to her and how she might have felt. But I was delighted to learn about this heroic woman who expanded the world's knowledge of herbs, plants, and insects.
I'm delighted to have two copies of The Discovery of Jeanne Baret (courtesy of Crown Publishing) for my US readers. To enter, leave a comment on this post (with an email address or someway for me to get a hold of you). This giveaway will close on 1/19 at 5pm PST.

Vanish by Sophie Jordan

2012-01-06T03:12:00.000-08:00

After reading Firelight, I was chomping at the bit to read Vanish. I know others didn't enjoy Vanish as much as Firelight but I loved Vanish!
Vanish picks up right were Firelight left off. Jacinda is forced to return to the pride and leave Will behind. Jacinda's twin sister, Tamra (who didn't get much love in Firelight) had a bigger role in Vanish. Things change a lot for both Tamra and Jacinda. Jacinda is a lot less whiny in Vanish. I felt her character matured a little bit and when she did rebel, I could clearly see her reasons.
The love triangle get complicated in Vanish. Cassian still has designs on Jacinda, but his cousin, Corbin, expresses his interest. I get that Jacinda is a rare fire-breathing draki, but seriously. This isn't a love triangle, it's a pentagon! Plus I felt Corbin was thrown in there just mess with Cassian. Corbin was stalkerish and kind of creepy. I could have done without him.
But the pacing was fantastic. Jordan had a clear goal to get to and I felt that everything moved along really well. Vanish was a wonderful ride but what an ending! Now when does Hidden come out?
Others who shared their thoughts on Vanish: A Room With Books, The Book Scout, Read. Breathe, Relax, Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile, and Makeshift Bookmark.

End Of The Year Book Survey

2012-01-05T03:44:00.000-08:00

I'm doing Jamie's year end book meme again!

1. Best Book You Read In 2011?
How about my top ten? The Night Circus, The Autobiography of Mrs Tom Thumb, Graveminder, My Life In France, Lunch In Paris, The Hunger Games, Underdogs, Firelight, Water For Elephants and Will Grayson, Will Grayson.

2. Most Disappointing Book/Book You Wish You Loved More Than You Did?

Sweet Valley Confidential. It really left a sour taste in my mouth.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2011?

I, Robot. I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did.

4. Book you recommended to people most in 2011?

Graveminder, Lunch In Paris, The Night Circus, The Autobiography of Mrs Tom Thumb were the ones I most often suggested to others.

5. Best series you discovered in 2011?

The Parasol Protectorate series and the Tantalize series have been my favorites this year.

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2011?

2011 marks the year I read Neil Gaiman. I look forward to more of his books in the years to come. I'm also enjoying Gail Carriger (The Parasol Protectorate series).

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

A lot of the books for the War Through The Generations challenge were outside of what I would normally choose. But I still enjoyed many of them.

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2011?

The Hunger Games was both thrilling and unputdownable!

9. Book you most anticipated in 2011?

The Night Circus. As soon as I heard about it, it was on my library hold list.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2011?

It's a three way tie:

Blessed

One Salt Sea

The Night Circus

11. Most memorable character in 2011?

The Wolfe family in Underdogs and Sylvie from Splendor Falls stuck with me long after I put the book down.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2011?

The Postmistress had some beautiful writing.

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2011?

No one book had an impact on me.

14. Book you can't believe you waited UNTIL 2011 to finally read?

Interview With The Vampire. I've always loved vampires and Interview With The Vampire is one of those vampire books every vampire lover should read. I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would though.

A few stats:

Total for 2011: 123 (That's 45 more than I read last year!)
Total number of pages read: 38, 040 (That's 11, 265 pages than I read last year!)

My beautiful pie charts:

I read twice the amount of YA I read last year. Perhaps joining the challenge was the reason. At the end of 2010, I wanted to double the amount of Graphic Novels I read which I did. (Disclaimer: these are only the most popular categories for me, not every genre I read.)

I read fewer books authored by men than I did last year. It's not intentional but it seems like a trend for me to read books by women.

Most of the books I read are newer. I read quite a few that were published in 2011 but I'm glad the majority were in the decade before.

Library Loot

2012-01-04T03:31:00.000-08:00

Home Improvement

I actually put this on my hold list because there's an October Daye story in it. I'd hoped to get this one before I read One Salt Sea but it didn't happen that way.

The Swerve: How The World Became Modern

I admit I put this one on hold after it won the National Book Award. Although it sounds really interesting and I can't wait to dive into it.

To End All Wars

Another one for the War Through The Generations challenge. I don't know much about World War I so I hope this one gives me some history to start on.

What did you get this week?

Slow Cooker Tuesday: Beef Chili With Pinto & Kidney Beans

2012-01-03T03:57:00.000-08:00

This is the third time I've attempted chili recently and this is the first time I've felt the recipe worthy of sharing. I used to make chili all the time using a seasoning packet (like Lawry's) but Tai wanted me to try to make it without the seasoning packet and find seasonings that we preferred. And since I love using my slow cooker I really want to find a recipe that I could use in the slow cooker. I went with this recipe and it was a winner.

Tips on the recipe:
-I used a 6 quart slow cooker.
-I browned both the ground beef and stew meat.
-My stewed tomatoes came with onions and peppers so I didn't add any more.

We both enjoyed it and it made plenty which froze nicely. This is not a really spicy chili. If you want to add heat, increase the red pepper flakes.

December Book Tally & 2012 Goals

2012-01-02T03:45:00.000-08:00

December Book Tally:

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

A History of The Wife by Marilyn Yalom

The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore

Letters From Father Christmas by JRR Tolkien

The Autobiography of Santa Claus by Jeff Guinn

Ganymede by Cherie Priest

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake

The Night Eternal by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan

One Salt Sea by Seanan McGuire

Nine books this month. I surpassed my goal. I wanted to read a 100 and read 123 books. I completed all the challenges I set out to read. Yay me!

My Goals for 2012:

Read Pride and Prejudice
Participate in the War Through The Generation challenge, The Western Genre challenge, and the Foodies Read 2 challenge.
I'm keeping reading goal at 100.
Participate in Weekend Cooking. I've been invited numerous times to participate and I'm going to start in January. I'll still have my slow cooker Tuesdays but post non-slow cooker recipes on Saturdays.

How was your December? Any goals for 2012?

The Original TBR Challenge Wrap Up

2011-12-30T03:54:00.000-08:00

I'm calling this one done. I read eleven books off my main list and one from the alternate. That's twelve books so I'm done :)
Here's what I read:

Food And Loathing by Betsy Lerner
Tithe by Holly Black
Firelight by Sophie Jordan
Entre Nous by Debra Olliver
My Life In France by Julia Childs
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Underdogs by Markus Zusak
Address Unknown by Katherine Kressmann Taylor
The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
A History of The Wife by Marilyn Yalom
The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
A Guide To Elegance by Genevieve Dariaux

I enjoyed this challenge but it was difficult for me to read a set list of books.

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

2011-12-29T16:17:00.000-08:00

I added The Truth About Forever to my tbr list (and the The Original TBR Challenge) because I had picked up the ARC from a friend. I'd heard good things about Dessen and since I hadn't read her before, I figured I should check it out.
Macy's sixteen and trying to be perfect. She has the perfect boyfriend who will be leaving her for the summer. She's just has to make through the summer to get her perfect life going. At first I wasn't sure if I would like Macy til I realized that we shared that unattainable desire to be perfect. I could clearly could see her struggle against the ideal and the reality. The characters talk over and over again about how perfect just isn't realistic. How perfect shouldn't ever be the goal cause not perfect can be so wonderful. Even though it would have stressed me out I loved all the chaos that Delia brought into Macy's life. It really forced her out of her hemmed in little world.
I really got sucked into Macy's story. It was very real. Macy's family is grieving the loss of her father. People treat her differently so she keeps them away. Her mom's thrown herself into work. Macy thinks if she keeps her head down and works on being perfect, everything will be fine. Then she meet Delia, a pregnant, frazzled caterer. Macy starts working for Delia and meets Kristy, Wes, Monica, and Bert. Slowly she becomes friends with this new gang of people and finds out more about herself. And Wes is sa-woon worthy!
Overall I really liked The Truth About Forever. It was a very realistic and relatable story. One I would definitely recommend. Others who shared their thoughts on The Truth About Forever: Books From Bleh To Basically Amazing, Paranormal Indulgence, and Confessions of A Book Addict.
This was my twenty-ninth read for the YA Reading Challenge.

And this was my eleventh read for the TBR challenge.

Library Loot

2011-12-28T03:02:00.000-08:00

Kafka's Soup

I put Kafka's Soup on my tbr after reading about it on Marg's blog. It sounded perfect for the Foodies Read 2 challenge as well as something I would really enjoy.

Eating India

After reading Eva's thoughts on Eating India, I immediately added it to my tbr list. Again another one I'm reading for Foodies Read 2.

A Very Long Engagement

Thanks to Eva for the recommendation of A Very Long Engagement for the War Through the Generations challenge.

The Recipe Club

The Recipe Club wound up on my tbr list after reading about it on Staci's blog. I think it also sounds good for the Foodies Read Challenge.

What did you get this week?

A History of The Wife by Marilyn Yalom

2011-12-27T03:36:00.000-08:00

I don't remember how A History of The Wife wound up on my tbr list. But I do love microhistories so I was happy to read it. While there was plenty of great information, the book dragged in places and had a tendency to get dry.
Yalom starts in Ancient Greece and Rome, working her way through history and up the continent. She follows English wives to America and remains in America for the last 3-4 chapters. I started referring to this book as the History of the White Wife. There's very little information presented about African-American women and none about Asian, Indian, African, or Latin American brides. A lot of the research she presents is about white women and she's clear about that. I hope there is a sequel to this book talking about the rest of the world.
But Yalom just doesn't rely on research. She uses literature, letters, and diaries to give the reader insight to the day to day lives of women through out history. A lot of the early information about wives was through the eyes of men. She also points out how laws changed through time where women went from property to more equal partners in the relationship. But hearing from the women through letters and diaries was the most effective way to hear about how they struggled with moving to a new country, existing without food, surviving wars, and struggling to balance work and family. The difficulties that women face today, working, maintaining a home, raising kids have been difficulties for women for centuries. It's clear that in order for women "to have it all", we all have to work together, become more of a community where people share responsibilities. More part time jobs or job sharing. More communal living so the household tasks are divided among the residents. I think that flies in the face of the independent American so we have a lot to work on.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants a detailed history of European and American wives. A History of The Wife does show you how women in America today wound up with their struggle to have it all and mommy guilt. Others who shared their thoughts on A History of The Wife: Kittens With Mittens.
This was my tenth read for The Original TBR Challenge.

The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore

2011-12-26T03:33:00.000-08:00

I choose The Stupidest Angel for the Christmas Spirit Challenge cause I love Christopher Moore. I'm glad I did because this one was no different than his other darkly humorous tales.
So we're back in Pine Cove (the same setting for Practical Demonkeeping and The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove) for Christmas. The town is filled with toursits, charmed by the quaintness of Pine Cove. But everything is business as usual for the residents. Lena and her ex, Dale, get into an altercation over a donation to the Salvation Army. Molly is having a hard staying with reality when she's off her meds. Theo, the town sheriff and Molly's husband, has a missing man, a mysterious glowing man, and a little boy's secret to contend with. I love this crazy cast of characters. At the beginning it's hard to keep everyone straight but all the stories start to mesh and it makes sense (sort of) very quickly.
Not your typical holiday story but filled with zombies, sex, drugs, and liquor. Still it ends up with a very Merry Christmas. Others who shared their thoughts on The Stupidest Angel: The Blue Bookcase, The Guilded Earlobe, and Bookgoonie.
This was my third read for The Christmas Spirit Challenge.

Currently...

2011-12-23T03:44:00.000-08:00

Watching...

Tai found Man vs Food through Netflix. We've watched all of season one and got Jeff into the show too. Each episode adds a destination to our travel wish list. We've been to 2 of the places on the Seattle show (Red Mill and The Crab Pot) and are planning on going to Beth's Cafe someday.

Listening...

We have to thank Straight No Chaser to introducing us to The Script. It was their version of The Man Who Can't Be Moved that led us to find the original. We liked their version too so we listened to more of their music and have been enjoying it.

Eating...

I'm loving persimmons right now. I can't stop eating them!

2012 War Through The Generations Challenge

2011-12-22T03:55:00.000-08:00

Since I enjoyed War Through The Generations challenge this year, I decided to give another go this year. I was having a hard time with it since I don't have a ton of books on my tbr list or on my book shelves about World War I. Eva gave me a couple of recommendations and I found a few others on some recommended reading lists. I'm hoping to come across some real winners. Plus the readalong book is A Farewell To Arms which is on my Fill In The Gaps list.
I'm going for the dip level (1-3 books) but hopefully I'll read more than that like I did this year.
Here are some of the books I'm planning on reading:

Justice Hall
A Very Long Engagement
The Guns of August
My Dear I Wanted To Tell You

Any World War I books I must read?

Library Loot

2011-12-21T03:38:00.000-08:00

The Girl In The Steel Corset

This one is reloot. I'm hoping to actually it this time.

Corsets & Clockwork

I saw this one the shelf and decided to go with the steampunk theme I have going on.

What did you get this week?

Slow Cooker Tuesday: Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

2011-12-20T03:04:00.000-08:00

I actually pinned this recipe a while ago. I kept meaning to make it but sadly waited. I urge you not to wait. It's ridiculously easy and so yummy.

I took pictures of it sliced but these were much better.

My changes to the recipe:

I added 4 cloves of garlic to the rub. I like a lot of garlic. But I didn't feel it was too garlic-y.

I was incredibly lazy when it came to making the glaze. I wanted the meat to be all brown and yummy so I covered the meat in the glaze and tossed it in the oven at 400º for 20 minutes. As you can see it got all yummy and caramelized.

I used a 6 quart crock pot but you could use a 4 quart if your loin was smaller. I used shoulder since that's what I had.

Letters From Father Christmas by JRR Tolkien

2011-12-19T03:27:00.000-08:00

I admit I was seduced the length of Letters from Father Christmas (112 pages) and the fact it was written by Tolkien. I knew from the goodreads blurb that these were the letters that Tolkien wrote for his kids every holiday season. Other than the tiny bit of elvish he wrote in one of the letters, this book didn't capture my attention.
Now the art work, the attention to detail were fantastic. The fact that he kept writing about the same characters and sometimes referenced past events over seventeen years was amazing. I felt his kids were very lucky to have such an imaginative dad. The tale he wove about Father Christmas, the polar bear and his helper elves was detailed. But I would only recommended this book to those who are true Tolkien addicts. The original letters and artwork are printed in the book so you can see how detailed the letters were. To me there was no story. Just some really great letters his kids got. Others who shared their thoughts on Letters From Father Christmas: Nose In A Book, The Road Goes Ever Ever On, Pen and Paper, and All Booked Up.
This was my second read for The Christmas Spirit Challenge.

Foodies Read 2 Challenge

2011-12-16T03:45:00.000-08:00

The second challenge for 2012 is the Foodies Read 2 challenge. I think this one might be easy for me since I love books about food. I'm going for the Sous Chef level (9-13 books). I don't need to make a list but I wanted to anyway.

The Recipe Club by Andrea Israel and Nancy Garfinkle
Julie and Julia by Julie Powell
The Food of A Younger Land by Mark Kurlansky
The Fortune Cookie Chronicles by Jennifer Lee
Plenty by Alisa Smith
The Zen of Fish by Trevor Corson
Confections of A Closet Master Baker by Gesine Bullock-Prado
As Always, Julia by Julia Childs
Salted by Mark Bitterman
Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant by Jenni Ferrari-Adler
The Sweet Life In Paris by David Lebovitz
Tender At The Bone by Ruth Reichl

Have you read any of these? Any can't miss books about food?

2011 War Through The Generations Challenge Wrap Up

2011-12-15T03:08:00.000-08:00

I really enjoyed the War Through The Generations Challenge. I think the challenge itself was fun as well as the time period-Civil War. I'll be joining the challenge next year where we'll read books about The Great War (WWI).
I signed up to read 3-5 books and wound up reading 7 books. Here's my list of what I read:

They Fought Like Demons by DeAnne Blaton and Lauren M Cook
Enemy Women by Paulette Jiles
Girl In Blue by Ann Rinaldi
Broken Promises by Elizabeth Cobbs Hoffman
Belle by Beverly Jenkins
A Separate Country by Robert Hicks
My Name Is Mary Sutter by Robin Oliveira
Ganymede by Cherie Priest

The Autobiography of Santa Claus by Jeff Guinn

2011-12-14T03:32:00.000-08:00

I'm so glad I picked up The Autobiography of Santa Claus. What a delightful story! Not only is this the story of how Santa came to be but also the story of how Christmas evolved and Santa's role in it. It's obvious that Guinn did a lot of research to tell this story. There's plenty of information on how different countries and cultures celebrate Christmas as well as facts about history. I was completely drawn into Santa's story as well the historical aspects that he saw over the years. Set up to read each chapter over the 24 days leading up to Christmas, I could see a family reading a little bit each night. I read the whole book over the course of a weekend. It was so engaging I had trouble putting it down!
Highly recommended. Others who shared their thoughts on The Autobiography of Santa Claus: AWriter's Life, Candy's Raves, and Book Addiction.
This is the first book I read for The Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge.

Slow Cooker Tuesday-Easy Roast Beef

2011-12-13T03:26:00.000-08:00

This is hands down my favorite slow cooker recipe. In fact I've blogged about it before. But I love it so much I have to share it again.
This roast beef is the easiest meal ever. You need 5 ingredients and at least 8 hours before the deliciousness begins.

Tips on the recipe:

I don't mix the dressings and gravy together before hand. I dumped each packet in and poured the water on top. Still came out yummy.

I used a 6 quart crockpot.

I served it over our favorite fauxtatoes, but I've served over mashed potatoes in the past. This is one of those meals you'll use over and over again. It's great for potlucks, quick dinners, and it's great comfort food.

Ganymede by Cherie Priest

2011-12-12T03:02:00.000-08:00

I've been really enjoying the Clockwork Century series so I was happy to get my hands on Ganymede. I think Priest really hit her groove in this one, combining real history with fictional steampunk components.
At the start of Ganymede we're back in Seattle with Brier and Cly. Cly gets a letter from an old flame calling him back to New Orleans for a mysterious job. It happens to be advantageous time for him to make the trip South. A Seattle businessman wants to make improvements to Seattle but needs things found outside the Northwest. This trip could be very profitable to Cly. I loved Civil War era New Orleans. Priest really made the Big Easy come alive.
Great continuation of the series. I'm really looking forward to the next one. Others who shared their thoughts on Ganymede: Karissa's Reading Review, The Merry Genre Go Around Reviews, and Val's Random Comments.
This is my eighth read for the War Through The Generations challenge.

2012 Western Genre Challenge

2011-12-09T03:51:00.000-08:00

So 2011 was my first year of participating in single year challenges. I felt like I stuck pretty close to what I was familiar with. But for 2012, I want to experience some new and not so familiar genres. So I'm signing up for The Lost Entwife's Western Genre Challenge. I wouldn't consider myself a Western genre reader so I'm stepping into unfamiliar territory.
I'm going for the Lick and A Promise level (10 books). I didn't have to make a master list but I wanted to give myself a list in case I needed help remembering what to read :)

My Antonia-Willa Cathers

The Quick and The Dead-Louis L’Amour

Lonesome Dove-Larry McMurty

True Grit-Charles Portis

Cherish by Catherine Anderson

Texas Destiny-Lorraine Heath

The Enchantment-Kristin Hannah

All The Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy

No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy

Lawless by Ed Gorman

I only added one book on my Fill In The Gaps list (All The Pretty Horses). Plus I put a few Western romances in there. Any can't miss Westerns I should add to my list?

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake

2011-12-08T03:20:00.000-08:00

I chose to read The Postmistress after reading some glowing reviews when it first came out. At first I was hesitant, not really getting sucked into the story but about halfway through the book, I was hooked.
First I have to say the writing is amazing. You're just reading the story then, bam, there's all this detail. it's told so beautiful that it took my breath away. Then it would go back to the story which got really engaging to me after about page 50 or so.
At the beginning you had so many people with so many stories. Iris, the postmaster, watches the town and struggles to just watch. Harry, the town mechanic, believes that the German U-Boats will find their sleepy Cape Cod town. Emma, the new wife of the town's doctor, floats adrift after her husband leaves to help in England. And Frankie, the war correspondent, trying to bring the war to those at home in America. But each of their secrets and struggles slowly meld into one story.
I truly enjoyed The Postmistress after the slow start, it really picked up and kept me engaged. I think this would be an excellent book club book. There is plenty to discuss! Recommended. Others who shared their thoughts on The Postmistress: Book Journey, Bookfan, This Miss Loves To Read, You've GOTTA Read This, Bibliophile By The Sea, and Beth Fish Reads.
This was my ninth read for The Original TBR challenge.

Library Loot

2011-12-07T03:49:00.000-08:00

Vanish

I've heard mixed reviews on this one but I still want to read it.

What did you get this week?

Slow Cooker Tuesday-Coq Au Vin

2011-12-06T03:59:00.000-08:00

Coq Au Vin is one of those "fancy" dishes I would order at a restaurant but never think of making at home. What is it about French food that sounds difficult? But when I spied this recipe on the Whole Foods website, I realized that Coq Au Vin might not be so difficult.
What is Coq Au Vin? It's chicken cooked in wine. Sounds so much easier when you hear that, right?

Tips on the recipe:

I used bone in thighs and removed the bone before serving.

I followed the commenters advice and tripled the liquid. Great idea.

I used a 4 quart crockpot and cooked it for 6 hours.

This recipe takes time. It's a great weekend meal. I served it with sweet potatoes but you could serve it with rice or pasta.

The Autobiography of Mrs Tom Thumb by Melanie Benjamin

2011-12-05T03:04:00.000-08:00

I picked up The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb off the library shelf after hearing so many good things about it. I'm so glad I did. It was a wonderful book that I was sad to finish.
Immediately, I fell in love with Lavinia. She's everything I hope for in a heroine. She's full of spunk. In her twenties, Lavinia ("Vinnie") reaches her full height of 32". Raised in rural New England, Vinnie quickly realizes that life with her family will never be what her heart desires. Vinnie unexpectedly gets the opportunity to join a show, a show aboard a river boat on the Mississippi. That when her life starts.
The world Benjamin creates is so vivid. I could see Vinnie singing and dancing on the river boat. I could feel the excitement of life on the road. I enjoyed all the people that Vinnie met while she toured. I loved little Minnie, Vinnie's tenderhearted sister. Vinnie was the star of the show but Minnie was the heart.
Don't let the title fool you. This is a work of fiction. Benjamin did her research to make sure there were plenty of graphic details. I was quickly sucked into Vinnie's world and really didn't want to leave. While I loved learning about Vinnie, a woman I'd never heard of before this book, I was intrigued by PT Barnum who loomed over Vinnie throughout the book. I highly recommend picking up The Autobiography of Mrs Tom Thumb. Others who shared their thoughts on The Autobiography of Mrs Tom Thumb: Devourer of Books, Lit and Life, The Written World, Children's Books & More, Book Chase, and Bippity Boppity Book.

November Book Tally

2011-12-02T03:13:00.000-08:00

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
The Poison Eaters by Holly Black
Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore
Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris
The Summer Before by Ann M Martin
Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice
It's A Book by Lane Smith
The Postmistress by Sarah Blake (review coming next week)
The Autobiography of Mrs Tom Thumb by Melanie Benjamin (review coming next week)

Nine this month. Great month. It's hard to pick a favorite. Both The Night Circus and The Autobiography of Mrs Tom Thumb were fantastic.

The Stats:

Fill In The Gaps Challenge: YTD: 10 (Interview With The Vampire)

War Through The Generations:YTD: 7 (Nothing new this month)-COMPLETE

YA Reading Challenge: YTD: 28 (Texas Gothic & The Summer Before)-COMPLETE

The Original TBR Challenge: YTD: 9 (The Postmistress)

Support Your Local Library Challenge: YTD: 93-COMPLETE

100+ Reading Challenge: YTD: 114-COMPLETE

Split Pea Soup With Ham

2011-12-01T03:07:00.000-08:00

After Thanksgiving we had about 1/2 a ham leftover. I made both ham and turkey. I wasn't sure what to do with the ham other than ham sandwiches. But Tai suggested split pea soup. I think I made it last year with the leftover ham but lost the recipe I used. I found this recipe from Martha and tweaked it.

Split Pea Soup With Ham
(adapted from Martha Stewart.com)

4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced fine
4 carrots, sliced thin
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tbs butter
3 cups of chicken broth
4 cups of water
1 package of split peas (rinsed and picked over for rocks)
ham (as much or as little as you like)

Saute the garlic and thyme in the butter. Once the garlic and thyme starts to release their fragrance (about 1-2 minutes), add onion and carrots. Cook til onions and carrots start to get soft (about 8-10 minutes). Then add peas, ham, broth and water.
I knew I was going to blend the soup to make it creamy. But the idea of blending the ham didn't appeal to me. Since I had ham bits rather than ham chunks I needed to be creative. So I bundled the ham in cheesecloth. The ham added it's hammy goodness to the soup and I could have ham pieces in the soup, not ham puree.
Bring soup to a boil, then cover and lower heat to medium low for 45 minutes. Remove ham bundle. Blend soup with an immersion blender til creamy. I left some of the carrots whole for fun. Dice ham and add to soup.
It's fairly thick so add more broth/water if you like it thinner.

Library Loot

2011-11-30T03:04:00.000-08:00

Snow Flower and The Secret Fan

I have this one on my Fill In The Gaps Challenge list. I've been slow reading for that challenge but I'm hoping to get in a couple before the calendar flips to 2012.

A History of The Wife

The last book I need for the Original TBR Challenge. I have 3 left on that list and I own 2 of them. I'm going to be finishing that challenge at the wire!

What did you get this week?

Slow Cooker Tuesday-Turkey Breast

2011-11-29T03:23:00.000-08:00

Did you get a good deal on turkey breast before or after Thanksgiving? Want a quick and easy way to make that turkey without using your oven? I followed Stephanie O'Dea's recipe and got a yummy and moist turkey.

Ignore the huge hole in the side. I wanted a taste before I took pictures.

Tips on the recipe:

I didn't have any wine so I used chicken broth.

I used Old Bay seasoning rather than just salt and pepper. Emeril's Essence seasoning would be good too.

I had a 6.5 pound turkey in a 6 quart crockpot. It barely fit.

I cooked it for about 6.5 hours.

If you like crispy skin, this probably isn't the recipe for you. The meat is tender and delicious but the skin is just blah. I removed it after I took the picture.

The Summer Before by Ann M Martin

2011-11-28T03:56:00.000-08:00

From Goodreads:
Before there was the Baby-Sitters Club, there were four girls named Kristy Thomas, Mary Anne Spier, Claudia Kishi, and Stacey McGill. As they start the summer before seventh grade (also before they start the BSC), each of them is on the cusp of a big change. Kristy is still hung up on hoping that her father will return to her family. Mary Anne has to prove to her father that she's no longer a little girl who needs hundreds of rules. Claudia is navigating her first major crush on a boy. And Stacey is leaving her entire New York City life behind...

...in order to find new friends in Stoneybrook, Connecticut.

The Summer Before . . . is a sweet, moving novel about four girls on the edge of something big - not just the Club that will change their lives, but also all the joys and tribulations of being twelve and thirteen.

I requested from the library The Summer Before because I was a huge Baby-Sitters Club fan back when I was a young girl. I remember rushing to the bookstore on the days the new books were released. I had a huge box that I kept all my BSC books in so I could haul them around with me in the summer. I spent my summers at my parents' work and rather than bring one or two I had to lug my whole collection with me everyday. Man, I loved those books. Especially the Super Special books where the girls took trips to the beach, New York or California. The Summer Before was a lovely trip down memory lane.
The Summer Before is the story of Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia, and Stacy before they start seventh grade and start the Baby-Sitters Club. If you read the BSC, The Summer Before gives you more background to the girls' lives. If you're new to the BSC, then it's a great story about four girls leaving childhood and moving into their teens. Each chapter is told from a different girl's perspective. I was glad to hear from each of them. When I was first reading the books, I really identified with Mary Anne, with an overprotective father who treated her like young child. My mom struggled to let me do age appropriate things, always erring on the side of caution. Today, reading The Summer Before, I felt more connected to Claudia, who felt that she left childhood behind and was now firmly a teen. I've been feeling like I'm leaving certain friends and habits behind like I've outgrown them. I'm in the same awkward stage where I remember them with comfort but remember that's not really who I am anymore. Overall, I enjoyed The Summer Before. The twelve year old in me cheered about reading a BSC book again. Others who shared their thoughts on The Summer Before: The Serpentine Library, My Books. My Life, Brooke's Box Of Books, and Live Through Books.
This was my twenty-eight read for the YA Reading Challenge.

Brownie Surprise (Breeseos)

2011-11-25T03:01:00.000-08:00

Are you still full from Thanksgiving dinner? If so or if you are trying to avoid sweets. Skip this post. You will gain weight from just reading this post.
When I first saw this recipe on Heather's Dish, I knew I had to try it. While it sounded so decadent, it also sounded so easy and yummy too. It was so easy and decadent too.

It's a brownie. But surprise! There's an oreo and a peanut butter cup. Seriously how fantastic is that?

This was a great way to use up your leftover Halloween candy! I just love the look on people's faces when you tell them about what's inside the brownie. I really recommend making this for a party. They were so rich that one was enough for me.

I'm Thankful!

2011-11-24T03:28:00.000-08:00

Myspace Graphics

I'm spending the day with family and friends. Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Library Loot

2011-11-23T03:16:00.000-08:00

Boardwalk Empire

As I've mentioned before, I love Boardwalk Empire (the tv show). I knew it was based on a book, so I put in a request for the book. I'm looking forward to getting more of the history.

Slow Cooker Tuesday-White Bean Soup With Andouille Sausage and Collard Greens

2011-11-22T00:02:00.000-08:00

While I was doing some cleaning, I came across an old copy of Real Simple. I saved it because there were several slow cooker recipes I wanted to try. I decided there was no time like the present and made this soup a few days later.

I'm keeping it real with my dirty stove!

Tips on the recipe:

I used 3 cans of cannellini beans (white kidney beans) instead of the dried.

I only used 1/2 an onion.

I used my 6 quart crockpot

It was quite yummy. Spicy though. I would add another can of beans and more collard greens next time.

The Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge

2011-11-21T03:00:00.000-08:00

I decided to try my hand at The Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge this year. I'm going for the Mistletoe level (2-4 books). I'll probably also complete the Fa La La La Films level just by watching my favorite holiday movies.
So these are the 3 holiday books I've gotten so far:

The Stupidest Angel

I love me so Christopher Moore. I can't wait to check this one out.

The Autobiography of Santa Claus

I'd never heard of this one but it sounded cute.

Letters From Father Christmas

A hundred and twelve pages? Tolkien? I'm hoping to read this one on a snowy afternoon.

Any can't miss holiday books? Bonus points for short ones!

Squirrel Seeks Chimpmunk by David Sedaris

2011-11-18T03:29:00.000-08:00

From Goodreads:
If animals were more like us, if mice kept pets and toads could cuss, if dogs had wives and chipmunks dated, sheep sat still and meditated, then in the forest, field, and dairy you might find this bestiary, read by storks, by rats and kitties, skimmed by cows with milk-stained titties. "I found the book to be most droll," might quip the bear, the owl, the mole, Others, though, would be more coarse. "Bull," could say the pig and horse. As to the scribe, they'd quote the hen: "Trust me, he's no La Fontaine."

I picked up Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk because I do love David Sedaris' writing but I hadn't heard a lot about the book. For some bizarre reason I thought this was a children's book. No, it's not a children's book. In fact I think there are some adults that would be scarred by some of the stories. But it had me chuckling several times though. I am exactly the sick and twisted person that Sedaris wrote this book for.
Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk is a series of short stories about animals. The animals act like humans and most of the time they are doing adult things-having romances, working, and going to prison. Almost all the stories involve some sort of inter-species relationship-a squirrel that dates a chipmunk, a hippo and an owl that become friends, and a mouse that owns a pet snake. A lot of the stories are dark-plenty of deaths in this short book. But all the stories are satire, poking fun at the way humans are. I think the comparisons worked out well.
I enjoyed Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk. But if you don't like anthropomorphic stories then this is not the book for you. If you don't want to read about graphic deaths of innocent animals, then this is definitely not the book for you. But if you like a good satire and enjoy Schadenfreude, then this would be the book for you. Others who shared their thoughts on Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: You've Gotta Read This, The Perfect Binge, and A Good Stopping Point.

Re-Readathon Plan

2011-11-17T03:23:00.000-08:00

I signed up for Jamie's Re-Readathon this weekend. I don't normally re-read my books. Mostly because I feel pressured to read new books to achieve my bookish goals, namely reading 100 books a year. Re-reads do not count. But lately I've been sad. There are few books I read way back before I started blogging that I would like to re-read. Here's my small stack:

The House of Mirth

Probably one of my favorite books of all time. I used to re-read it all the time but haven't in years. I wish my copy had that gorgeous cover!

Summer Sisters

When I first read Summer Sisters, I went out and bought copies for all of my girlfriends. I insisted that they all read it. I think I read it twice back then. I look forward to reading it again.

Gone With The Wind

If I finish those 2 then I'll reread Gone With The Wind which I haven't read in years and then...

Scarlett

I'll reread Scarlett again. I used to read both of them all the time.

What are your favorite books to reread?

Library Loot

2011-11-16T03:55:00.000-08:00

The Night Eternal

Yay! I've been anxiously awaiting for this one from the library. I can't wait to finish the Strain trilogy!

What did you get this week?

Slow Cooker Tuesday-Mushroom Beef

2011-11-15T03:25:00.000-08:00

It's getting a little chillier here so I was looking for a recipe that was hearty and comforting. I love recipes that call for gravy. I just know I'm going to enjoy it. Plus this one had mushrooms and beef. Yes, Mushroom Beef recipe was a winner.

Tips on the recipe:
I used a 4 quart crock pot.
I cooked it for 11 hours and the meat was very tender.

As you can see I substituted the fauxtatoes for the smashed potatoes in the recipe. I loved it over the fauxtatoes but I can see this over mashed potatoes too. I'm sure I'll be making this one again really soon.

Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore

2011-11-14T03:49:00.000-08:00

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Amy Goodnight's family is far from normal. She comes from a line of witches, but tries her best to stay far outside the family business. Her summer gig? Ranch-sitting for her aunt with her wacky but beautiful sister. Only the Goodnight Ranch is even less normal than it normally is. Bodies are being discovered, a ghost is on the prowl, and everywhere she turns, the hot neighbor cowboy is in her face.

I picked up Texas Gothic because I had enjoyed The Splendor Falls so much. Sadly I wasn't as taken with Texas Gothic as I was by The Splendor Falls but it was a great ghost story.
Yes, a ghost story. Such a great book to read at this time of year. Amy and her sister Phin are staying at her aunt's house while their aunt is taking a well-deserved vacation. All the Goodnight's have some paranormal ability. Phin studies preternatural science and tries to collect evidence of ghosts. Their cousin Daisy is a clairvoyant. And Amy, well Amy is tired of being a Goodnight. She doesn't want to use spells and potions. She wants people to think she and her family are normal. Unfortunately all sorts of spooky things start happening after Amy and Phin show up and people are not convinced of their normalcy.
I felt like I was dropped in the middle of the story right from the beginning. It took me a while to get into the story. I don't think I was really engrossed in the story until towards the end. It seemed like every time I had a handle on what was going on, another character would show up or we'd learn another fact about the characters that changed everything. When things seem arbitrary, I had a hard time caring.
I wouldn't recommend rushing out and picking this one up. But it wasn't a terrible read. If this one finds its way to you, I would read it. Others who shared their thoughts on Texas Gothic: Resugo's Bookish Paradise, Ink Scratchers, Shooting Stars Mag, and The Crooked Shelf.
This was my twenty-seventh read for the YA Reading Challenge.

An Awesome Surprise

2011-11-11T03:53:00.000-08:00

The other day Tai emailed me to let me know he had a surprise for me. A coworker had given him something he knew I would like. I wondered all day about what it could be. No, it wasn't that pony I've been wishing for since I was eight. It was a jackfruit!

I've been in love with jackfruit since the first and last time I had it-Vietnamese New Year last year! Tai had told his coworker how much I enjoyed jackfruit so his coworker was able to pick me up one. Thanks Quinn!
But I had no idea how to cut it. I found this helpful internet video to explain how to cut a jackfruit. And from that huge fruit I got this bowl of jackfruit:

There was more but I kept eating it as I cut it. Each piece has a seed, about the size of a marble, inside. It's difficult to describe the taste of jackfruit. I say it a combo of orange and mango but I saw someone else describe as pineapple and mango. I'd say that could be accurate too.
Excuse me, I'm off to enjoy my jackfruit!
*****************
Happy Veteran's Day to all those who have served and are currently serving our country. Thank you!!!

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

2011-11-10T03:45:00.000-08:00

After reading all the hype about The Night Circus, I added it to my queue. The hype is for real. Get your hands on this one. You will not be disappointed.
Not since Harry Potter has a book made me believe in magic. Seriously. I adored the world Morgenstern created and I was very sad to leave when the book was over. I can see rereading this one. Not a fan of magic? That's ok. Because there's a love story, a tale of adventure, and plenty of mystery. In the end the story is about what it is to be human and how we connect and disconnect from the world and others.
At the beginning I felt the story was disjointed. You had Celia over here doing her thing. Marco was doing his. There were side bars about the circus itself, comments from Herr Thiessen. I kept wondering what the heck was going on. But it came together quickly and it became very hard for me to put the book down. It's hard for me to say which character was my favorite because they all became so real to me. Morgenstern did a great job of fleshing out her characters and making their world jump off the page. The circus reminded of Cirque Du Soleil rather than Ringling Brothers which added to my enjoyment of the story.
Highly recommended. One of the best of 2011. Others who shared their thoughts on The Night Circus: The Little Red Reviewer, Jules' Book Reviews, I Write In Books, Book Journey, The Perfect Binge, My Books. My Life, Bibliophile By The Sea, The Written World, Whimpulsive, and Books Devoured.

Library Loot

2011-11-09T03:05:00.000-08:00

Ganymede

Yay! The next in the Clockwork Century series. I've been really enjoying this series and am looking forward to this installment.

The Summer Before

I was a huge BSC fan when I was a kid. I wanted to read it when I heard it came out but my library didn't have it. My library finally got it! Yay!

What did you get this week?

Slow Cooker Tuesday-Hot Beef Sandwiches

2011-11-08T03:43:00.000-08:00

Can I tell you a secret? I've made these Hot Beef Sandwiches couple of times before but neglected to share with you all. It wasn't that I didn't want to share, but we ate them before I could snap a pic. I think these sandwiches are my new favorite thing to make in the crockpot. So yummy. And this recipe makes so much we usually have them two days in a row. Ready for the picture?

Tips on the recipe:

If you don't like to cook with beer, use another can of beef or veggie broth.

I had the food in the crockpot about 11 hours and the meat was perfect.

I used a 6 quart crockpot.

I served the sandwiches with roasted brussell sprouts. I love these little cups I got from Pampered Chef to keep the au jus in.
I have to thank Lynn for this recipe though. She mentioned The Pillsbury Slow Cooker cookbook where I originally found the recipe. I picked the book up from the library and was leafing through it on my way to the grocery store to pick up something for dinner when I spied this Hot Beef Sandwich recipe. This cookbook is a winner!
Also I refrigerated the leftovers and the next day was able to remove a lot of the fat from the meat and gravy. I served it the second day over our favorite fauxtatoes!

The Poison Eaters by Holly Black

2011-11-07T03:09:00.000-08:00

I added The Poison Eaters to my queue after reading about it on The Written World. I've enjoyed the other stories I've ready by Holly Black and I enjoyed this one too.
There are twelve stories, most of them I enjoyed. I especially liked The Land of Heart's Desire which returns to the Tithe world. My least favorite was The Dog King. All the supernatural folk get at least one story-werewolves, vampires, faeries. I liked that The Night Market was set in the Philippines and added their local lore to the faery myths. The Coat of Stars added Hispanic traditions to the faery myths too. I enjoyed how most of the stories caught me quickly. I wished several of them were longer. I enjoyed them too much.
I would recommend The Poison Eaters to anyone who enjoys Holly Black's writing. The stories are short and the collection is a little more than 200 pages. But still a very satisfying read. Others who shared their thoughts on The Poison Eaters: The Written World, ComaCalm's Corner, and The Zealous Reader.

October Book Tally

2011-11-04T03:36:00.000-07:00

Tales of The Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong
Underdogs by Markus Zusak
Last Night At Chateau Marmont by Lauren Weisberger
Nine Rooms of Happiness by Lucy Danziger
A Guide To Elegance by Genevieve Dariaux
Anita Blake: Circus of The Damned Book 2 by Laurell K Hamilton
Heartless by Gail Carriger
Address Unknown by Katherine Kressman Taylor
They Fought Like Demons by DeAnne Blanton and Lauren M Cook
Masques by Patricia Briggs
The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan
Men of The Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong

Twelve books this month! I've read over 100 books this year! I've met my goal. Yay! Now if I can finish those four books I have left in the Original TBR challenge I'll have met all my goals for the year.

The Stats:

Fill In The Gaps Challenge: YTD: 9 (Nothing new this month)

War Through The Generations:YTD: 7 (They Fought Like Demons)-COMPLETE

YA Reading Challenge: YTD: 25 (Nothing new this month)-COMPLETE

The Original TBR Challenge: YTD: 8 (Getting The Girl-part of Underdogs-and Address Unknown)

Support Your Local Library Challenge: YTD: 85-COMPLETE

100+ Reading Challenge: YTD: 104-COMPLETE

The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan

2011-11-03T03:51:00.000-07:00

I grabbed The Lover's Dictionary off the shelf because I've enjoyed the other books I read that Levithan coauthored. I really glad I did. I was not disappointed.
Rather than one cohesive novel, the story is told bit by bit through words one might find in the dictionary. And rather than it being the story of two people, I felt it was the story of their relationship. Sometimes you are reading about the beginning and sometimes you are reading about later parts. I kept making notes of words I especially liked to share with you but I started to mark almost every page. I'm going to share two words out the dozen I marked.

woo, v.

I told you that it was ridiculous to pay thirty dollars for a dozen roses on Valentine's Day. I forbade you to do it.

So that day, when I went to pay for my lunch, what did I find? In my wallet, thirty singles, each with roses printed on it. I imagined you feeding them through your color printer. Oh, the smile that must have played across your face. I had to ask the woman behind the counter to take a quick picture of my own smile, to send it right back to you. page 201

I was sitting next to Tai when I read it and aww-ed. Tai asked what made me do that so I shared that passage and he agreed that it was sweet.

buffoonery, n.

You were drunk, and I made the mistake of mentioning Showgirls in a near-empty subway car. The pole had no idea what it was about to endure.

There were plenty of these adorable little stories. Which made it incredibly be hard to put down. I kept saying oh, just one more page. Most of the stories were just one page. It was so easy to read so I read it in a day.
I highly recommend The Lover's Dictionary. It's short and adorable. Others who shared their thoughts on The Lover's Dictionary: The Broke and The Bookish, Read in One Sitting, WalkieTalkie Book Club, Imperfection Is The New Pink, and The Written World.

Library Loot

2011-11-02T03:57:00.000-07:00

The Night Circus

Yay! It's finally here. I can't wait to start it.

What did you get this week?

Slow Cooker Tuesday-Beef Stroganoff

2011-11-01T03:10:00.000-07:00

One of Tai's favorite meals is beef stroganoff. I rarely make it because it is loaded in dairy which doesn't make Tai's tummy happy. Happy mouth but an unhappy tummy equals a sad man. When I spotted this recipe, I knew I had to make it. But I could not find cream of onion soup at the two stores I went to. Cream of onion seems like a 70's throwback. I had to improvise. But I'll get to that in a moment. First an ugly picture of the final product:

The meat kind of fell apart and resembled creamed beef! But it was so good and creamy.

Beef Stroganoff (adapted from the Betty Crocker website)

2 lbs stew meat
1/2 onion, diced
2 cans cream of mushroom
1 can of broth (I used mushroom but you could use beef or veggie)
1 6 oz can of mushrooms
1/4 tsp pepper
1 8 oz package of cream cheese
1 8 oz container of sour cream
Rice or egg noodles

Combine meat, onion, soups, mushrooms, and pepper in a 4 quart slow cooker. I used a 6 quart and it was fine. Set on low for 8-10 hours. Boil the noodles or cook the rice separately before serving. While the noodles or rice cook, add the cream cheese and stir to combine. Then add the sour cream and stir to combine. Serve over rice or noodles.

Masques by Patricia Briggs

2011-10-31T03:54:00.000-07:00

I actually picked up Masques for Tai. He's almost caught up in a couple of serial books he reads and I thought Briggs' early fantasy might be something he'd enjoy. After he read it he gave it to me and said he thought I might enjoy it more than he did. And he was right. I really enjoyed Masques.
Now this is the first book Briggs' wrote. The version I got from the library was a a re-release and had been "tidied up". Briggs is clear Masques was rough even in its first published form so if you are a fan of her later books, you might be surprised by how unpolished Masques is. But despite all that I was drawn into Aralorn's world quickly and adored my time there.
Aralorn is our heroine. We meet her on a mercenary mission. On that mission she finds an injured wolf. Something draws her to the wolf so she rescues it and nurses him back to health. After that Wolf becomes her sometimes companion. Frequently Wolf leaves Aralorn for reasons she doesn't know but he always comes back. I loved the interactions between Wolf and Aralorn. Wolf is very mysterious. Aralorn's got her own secrets so maybe it's ok for everyone to just keep them for now.
Mages, dragons, and shapeshifters, oh my! I loved the fantasy aspect of Masques. I especially loved the difference between green magic (something that you are born with that comes from the earth) and human magic (something that you learn and is limited). There are a lot of characters and not all of them are fleshed out. I'm glad this is the beginning of a series. There's a lot to work with.
Overall, I enjoyed Masques. I was able to get past the rough writing and lengthy descriptions quickly. I'm looking forward to its sequel, Wolfbane. Others who shared their thoughts on Masques: Dear Author, Book Addicts, and The Speed of Write.

Currently....

2011-10-28T03:30:00.000-07:00

Loving....

I signed up for mint last month. I wasn't sure if I was going to really use it but I freaking love it. I really feel like I'm managing our money so much better now. I even use the app for my phone too.

Drinking...

I picked up this yummy drink on a lark. Tai and I drank the whole bottle in one weekend so I went out and bought 10 more bottles. So delicious.

Eating...

I heard about TJ's pumpkin ice cream and picked up a pint. Oh so good. It's like pumpkin pie without the crust.

They Fought Like Demons by DeAnne Blanton and Lauren M Cook

2011-10-27T03:29:00.000-07:00

I put They Fought Like Demons on my tbr list after reading about women soldiers in The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest. Since it dovetailed nicely with the War Through The Generations challenge I decided to read it now.

Blanton and Cook obviously put a lot of research into this book and attempted to show the reader how women got into the armies, fought and avoided or didn't avoid detection. But rather than a fluid story it was fragmented and repetitive. Each chapter is about a different aspect of the woman's life-why she joined the army, how soldiers were injured, life after the war. It was difficult for me to follow at times and the information was very dry. Several times I almost gave up. But I was hoping all this dry knowledge would be woven into a story. Sadly it never happened. Blanton and Cook refrained from too much conjecture, leaving a lot of holes that the facts didn't cover. I would have preferred each chapter talk about one woman from the beginning of her story to the end. They Fought Like Demons was too choppy for my taste.

I would only recommend They Fought Like Demons if you need more information about a certain aspect of women soldiers lives. I wouldn't recommend reading the book straight through like I did. Others who shared their thoughts on They Fought Like Demons: Principles of Theology, Cootiehog, and Random Thoughts on History.

This was my seventh read for The War Through The Generations Challenge.

Library Loot

2011-10-26T03:02:00.000-07:00

Wolfbane

I'm reading Masques right now and Wolfbane is the sequel.

The Postmistress

I have this one on my Original TBR challenge. I've been wanting to read this one for quite a while.

What did you get this week?

Slow Cooker Tuesday-Steak in Mushroom Sauce with Fauxtatoes

2011-10-25T03:32:00.000-07:00

So I've decided to post my slow cooker recipes on Tuesdays, hence the name Slow Cooker Tuesday. I'm a genius.
I had a flank steak I needed to cook so I poked around the interwebs to find this recipe: Flank Steak in Mushroom Sauce. It was a winner cause I had all the ingredients at home and I didn't have to sear the meat before tossing it the crockpot. But I discovered that I had NY Steaks that needed to be used first and the flank steak could wait for another meal. So I substituted NY steaks for the flank. I had the steak in the slow cooker for about 12 hours and it was perfect. I don't think you'd lose much if you only had 8-10 hours though.
And what the heck are fauxtatoes? Well, Tai and I are playing around with a low carb diet (no white bread, pasta or potatoes). While reading a low carb cookbook, I came across the fauxtato recipe, basically mashed cauliflower with butter made to resemble mashed potatoes. See?

Ok this whole meal was a winner. The meal was melt in your mouth yummy. The fauxtatoes were a real hit. I can't wait to make them again.

Address Unknown by Katherine Kressmann Taylor

2011-10-24T03:35:00.000-07:00

I added Address Unknown to my tbr list after reading about it on Lisa's blog. I can't believe I'd never heard of this short bestselling story about two men at the start of World War 2.
This is a short book, 64 pages, but not one that will soon leave you. The story is told through letters between two friends, Max and Martin. Martin has recently returned home to Germany after starting a successful business in America with Max. They have a gallery. Martin has gotten wealthy and returned back to Germany. Martin is proud of his accomplishments and sad at the beginning about the poverty he sees in Germany. But quickly the letters turn to Hitler, who Martin describes as a "Glorious Leader". The friends find themselves at odds as Martin becomes a Hitler devotee and Max learns more about the atrocities being committed to his people, the Jews, in his native county.
The letter format really works here. The writing is exquisite. Each letter is short, only a page or two but tells so much. The tone of the letters and the language make this tiny book seem so much bigger.
Highly recommended. It's such a short book. I read it in less than an hour. But it will give you so much to think about. This would be an excellent book club choice. Others who shared their thoughts on Address Unknown: Happily Ever After...In Seattle, Yorkshire Soul, and Books and Cooks.
This was my eighth read for the Original TBR Challenge.

Chunky Peanut Butter Cookies

2011-10-21T03:10:00.000-07:00

When I spotted this peanut butter cookie recipe in Real Simple, I knew I had to make it. While chocolate chip cookies are my favorite, peanut butter is a close second. This recipe was totally simple and I loved the added crunch.

They were a big hit with the boys. I would definitely make these again.

Gearing Up For The Readathon

2011-10-20T03:46:00.000-07:00

Sadly I won't be able to be a reader for the readathon. I have a work event most of Saturday, so I signed up to be a cheerleader later in the evening.
I was a reader in April for the last Readathon and the cheerleaders really helped me keep going. It's great to have people stop by and cheer you on. Especially late at night. Plus it's a great way to meet other bloggers.
If you have time to read I'd really recommend it but if you can't, try being a cheerleader. Sign up here.

Library Loot

2011-10-19T03:29:00.000-07:00

The Autobiography of Mrs Tom Thumb

I've seen this on so many blogs. When I saw it on the library shelf I was powerless to resist picking it up!

The Tiger's Wife

I've been hearing about this since it came out. Again I spotted it on the library shelf and had to grab it.

Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk

It's David Sedaris. Of course I picked it up off the shelf!

Address Unknown

This one is for my TBR challenge. If I would have known how short it was I don't think I have waited so long to pick this one up.

What did you get this week?

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

2011-10-18T03:48:00.000-07:00

The other morning I was wanting to make something bready. I started digging around in my pantry for a leftover can of pumpkin or something. No pumpkin just canned pineapple. Hm, what can I make with canned pineapple? I decided to make Pineapple Upside Down Cake but I'd seen a recipe using my crockpot. So I used this recipe and got this:

I used cubed pineapple cause that's what I had. The recipe was so easy. It doesn't say what quart size to use but I used a 4 quart and that was plenty. A two quart would have plenty. I would make this one again.

Have you ever made a cake or pie in your crockpot?

A Guide To Elegance by Genevieve Dariaux

2011-10-17T03:06:00.000-07:00

I added A Guide To Elegance after reading Elegance last year. I assumed it would be a bit dated. The original book was published in 1964 but the copy I read was "updated" in 2003. After reading this bit:

When comfort becomes an end in itself, it is the Public Enemy Number One of elegance. page 32

I like to be comfortable. I knew then that Madame Dariaux and I were not going to get along. Now she doesn't recommend being uncomfortable but in making an effort to be comfortable, elegance isn't going to follow. This book certainly didn't get me to change my comfortable ways. I did appreciate some of the tips about choosing coats and formal wear. I laughed at the parts about wearing gloves and stockings. I don't know anyone who wears either on a regular basis.
Overall it was an interesting fast read. It would be a great resource if you want to dress more elegantly and have the time and money to spend on quality clothes. Others who shared their thoughts on Elegance: The Vintage Traveler, Penny Farthing, and A Striped Armchair.

Currently....

2011-10-14T03:14:00.000-07:00

Watching...

Jeff got us Season one Boardwalk Empire and it took us about a week to watch the whole season. I didn't think I would like it. In fact I watched the first half of the season because Tai was so into it. But I finally got into and really enjoyed. Can't wait to get our hands on Season two. Sucks that we don't have HBO!

Drinking...

I started drinking coconut water this summer. Vita Coco is by far my favorite. I have one a day and feel so much better because of it. Sometimes I have trouble with hydration. I can forget to drink enough water especially if I don't feel well so this takes of that issue. Plus the potassium really helps me avoid charlie horses.

Eating...

Pic stolen from here.

I love this Pub Cheese from Trader Joe's. It's delicious. I love it on crackers for an easy snack.

Library Loot

2011-10-12T03:02:00.000-07:00

Anita Blake: Circus of The Damned: The Ingenue

This is the second graphic novel for Circus of The Damned. I've been waiting for months for this one from the library. I've been enjoying Anita Blake in graphic novel format.

Happy Hour of The Damned

After seeing Mark Henry at NW Bookfest, I immediately placed the first in his series on my library queue. I'm looking forward to this one.

Interview With A Vampire

This one is on my Fill In The Gaps list. Isn't October the perfect time to read it?

The Poison Eaters

When I saw this on The Written World and immediately put it on my queue. I'm looking forward to this one.

What did you get this week?

Chicken in a Crockpot times two!

2011-10-11T03:40:00.000-07:00

I was going to post 3 chicken crockpot recipes but we ate the third one without taking an pictures. Oh well!
In an effort to have healthy meals and less stress when I come home from the gym, I've hauled out the crockpot. I made two real winners last week that I wanted to share.
First chicken cacciatore. I started with this recipe, but got lazy. Real lazy. I didn't feel like opening cans of tomato sauce at 6am so I used 2 jars of spaghetti sauce. Nine hours later, I got this:

So here's my tweaked recipe:

4 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 onion, diced
6 oz can of sliced mushrooms
1 bell pepper, diced
2 jars of spaghetti sauce

Put onion at the bottom of the pot. Add chicken, mushrooms and bell pepper. Pour spaghetti sauce over the top. Cook on low for 7-9 hours. Serve over pasta.

The whole house smelled so good. I'll definitely make this one again.

The next recipe comes courtesy of Pinterest. Chicken and dumplings in the crockpot. I wouldn't make this on a weekday since it doesn't take more than 5 hours to cook for the chicken plus another hour for the dumplings. The food smelled so good. After work, I don't think I could wait to make the dumplings!
I followed this recipe pretty closely. And got this:

So good. The chicken was so tender and sauce was delicious. This recipe is a keeper!
Made anything good in your crockpot lately?

Underdogs by Markus Zusak

2011-10-10T03:23:00.000-07:00

Underdogs is the complete trilogy of the Wolfe Brothers by Markus Zusak. I'm glad I read them in successive order. While reading The Underdog, I thought eh, the writings good but the story is so so. I started to enjoy it more during Fighting Ruben Wolfe, but fell in love with Cameron in Getting The Girl. I actually teared up at the end of Getting The Girl which is unusual for me. I don't get weepy while reading many books.

The Underdog is the story of Cameron and Ruben Wolfe. Cameron is the youngest brother. Ruben is his older brother. Steven is the oldest brother. Sarah is their only sister. The Wolfe family is lower middle class. Their mom tries to make them a decent meal each night but sometimes they have mushrooms as meat. Their dad is a plumber. I loved the language that Cam and Ruben used. It was hard for me to understand their Australian teen slang. A lot of words were similar to British slang so it was ok. In The Underdog you get to know Cam and Ruben and how they feel about their lives. They spend their time planning heists (and not carrying them out), playing One Punch (they share one set of boxing gloves), and walking their neighbors dog, Miffy.

In Fighting Ruben Wolfe, Cam and Ruben are starting to grow up. Cam's relationship with his family starts to change. His relationship with Ruben starts change too. Zusak's writing really pulls you in and you makes you care about this struggling family, a family of fighters. I really started to fall in love with the whole family but Cameron especially.

Getting The Girl was the best one. Here everything comes to a head. Cam has to make choices and start to grow up. I cannot describe how much I loved how things wrapped up for Cam and Ruben. I was intensely proud of these characters. I don't really say that about a lot of characters but I was rooting for each of the Wolfes. I didn't want them to get everything their little heart's desired but I wanted them to have their own happy endings.

I cannot express how much I loved this trilogy. While it's nothing like The Book Thief, the writing is amazing. The character development over the trilogy is some of the best I've read. Others who shared their thoughts on Underdogs: It's All About Books, Guys Lit Wire, and Read Love.

This is my twenty-sixth read for the YA Reading Challenge.

Getting The Girl was my seventh read for the Original TBR List.

Library Loot

2011-10-05T03:54:00.000-07:00

The Lover's Dictionary

Since I read and enjoyed both Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist and Will Grayson, Will Grayson, I decided to pick up The Lover's Dictionary, another Levithan book. This is the first time I'll read one of his solo works.

Men Of The Otherworld

I recently read Tales of the Otherworld, Armstrong's other short story collection, and looking forward to reading more. I've been loving the series and will read anything with those characters.

Lightbreaker

Since I saw Mark Teppo at the NW Bookfest over the weekend, I wanted to read his books. This is the first in the Codex of Souls.

The Thirteenth Tale

This is on my Fill In The Gaps list. I've heard mixed reviews so I'm not sure how this one will go.

The Affinity Bridge

I saw this one at the weekend at the NW Bookfest and immediately put it on my queue. I think I'll like this one.

What did you get this week?

NW BookFest

2011-10-04T03:05:00.000-07:00

When I first heard about NW Book Fest I was pretty interested. But when I saw Cherie Priest was going to be there I knew I was going. I've been wanting to go to more book events so this was the prefect opportunity.
Cherie Priest was part of Steampunk/Urban Fantasy panel that included Kat Richardson, Mark Henry, and Mark Teppo.
Here's my terrible photo of the panel.

It was interesting to hear why they write and where they thought Steampunk and Urban Fantasy was going. I've read most of Priest's books and only one of Richardson's. I've never read any of Henry or Teppo's books but I will now. The panel was very funny and I quite enjoyed hearing them talk.
Have you read any of Mark Henry's or Mark Teppo's books?

September Book Tally

2011-10-03T03:58:00.000-07:00

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Ape House by Sara Gruen
Blood, Bones & Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton
Kickboxing Geishas by Veronica Chambers
The School of Beauty and Charm by Melanie Sumner
Plus by Veronica Chambers
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
Sweet Valley Confidential by Francine Pascal
The Hours by Michael Cunningham

This was the month of terrible books. Yeah, I liked most of what I read this month but I didn't like Sweet Valley Confidential, The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake and The School of Beauty and Charm. I don't think I've ever read so many books I didn't like in one month! Still barreling toward 100! I should complete it next month.

The Stats:

Fill In The Gaps Challenge: YTD: 9 (The Hours)

War Through The Generations:YTD: 6 (Nothing this month)-COMPLETE

YA Reading Challenge: YTD: 25 (Plus)-COMPLETE

The Original TBR Challenge: YTD: 6 (Jane Eyre)

Support Your Local Library Challenge: YTD: 74-COMPLETE

100+ Reading Challenge: YTD: 93

Blood, Bones and Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton

2011-09-30T03:45:00.000-07:00

I heard the buzz surround this book and I couldn't help but be attracted to the name. Plus it's a food memoir, my favorite kind. I'm really glad I picked this one up. It made me hungry.
Gabrielle doesn't start out looking to become a chef. She falls into easily, thanks to her mother who let her hang out in the kitchen and watch her cook. As Gabriella got older she began learning how her mom made certain dishes, so when she got out in the world she was the most comfortable in the kitchen. I haven't read a lot of books by chefs but this one has to be one of the best food related memoirs I've read. I loved how Hamilton describes everything, very matter of factly. Everything from the butchering of lambs to almost going to prison for Grand Larceny gets similar treatment. Hamilton has a very conversational tone. I like to think she told me this story while we sat in her New York restaurant eating soft cheeses and cured meats. There might have some bread with salted butter too. I loved her time in Italy. I just wanted to move into her mother in law's villa by the sea and make fresh pasta all day. But I could see how all these situations made her a better chef.
Highly recommended for food lovers. Others who shared their thoughts on Blood, Bones, and Butter: The Nervous Cook, My Vermont Kitchen, Amused by Books, and Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Kickboxing Geishas by Veronica Chambers

2011-09-29T03:31:00.000-07:00

I picked up Kickboxing Geishas because the title sounded interesting and I'm interested in learning more about Japanese culture (my husband is half-Japanese). While it wasn't everything I hoped it would be, it gave me a good place to start.
Part sociological study, part memoir, Chambers lived in Japan for years. She discussed what women are looking for and what women want in Japan. A lot of reviews on Goodreads mentioned that Chambers was too involved in the story. I almost think she'd have to be. To ask women in a society that's just beginning to give women the allowance to have an opinion to submit to a real study would be ludicrous. Chambers even mention having a difficult time just finding women to talk to her. The idea that one Japanese woman would have something different to say than another Japanese woman wasn't normal when Chambers wrote this book in 2006. I think times have changed and you probably could do better studies especially with the younger women. But I enjoyed Chambers juxtaposition as an American woman with the Japanese women, who did not have a lot of choice until recently.
I think it's a good beginning if you are looking to learn a little about Japanese culture. Others who shared their thoughts on Kickboxing Geishas: Bench Graffiti, su[shu], and Azuki's Book Cafe.

Library Loot

2011-09-28T03:11:00.000-07:00

The Nine Rooms of Happiness-Love Maegan posted about this book months ago. I always looking for ways to let go of the little stuff and be happy all the time.

Texas Gothic-Since I loved The Splendor Falls, I had to pick up Texas Gothic.

The Girl In The Steel Corset-I've seen so much buzz around this one. Plus look at that cover.

They Fought Like Demons-I hadn't planned on reading any more books for The War Through The Generations but I was looking over my to be read list and decided to read this one. It actually got on my list after reading The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest. There were these great asides throughout the book about female soldiers.

I was lucky to find the newest October Daye book (One Salt Sea) on the shelf.

What did you get this week?

What We Ate in L.A.

2011-09-27T03:01:00.000-07:00

Actually we didn't stay in L.A. proper. Tai's from the Valley so there's we stayed and ate.
Our first stop was Zankou Chicken. Tai can't get enough of Zankou's so we ate there twice.
For breakfast we ate at Vip's twice. I love their freshly squeezed orange juice. There's nothing like it in Seattle.
We tried Jinky's which was really good. I had the Coconut Flaky Toast. Look how yummy it was:

We also went to Bob's Big Boy. Both Tai and I used to go there as kids.

Tai had the Big Boy. I had a cobb salad. Both were delicious.

Speaking of burgers, I wanted to stop at In N Out and get a Double Double Animal Style.

I also had to stop at Pinkberry. I love frozen yogurt.

I got the pomegranate frozen yogurt with yogurt chips, raspberries, and granola. It was delicious.

I begged Tai to take me to Olvera Street. I used to go there as a kid all the time.

I stopped at the church my mom used to take me to:

We also had some delicious Japanese food at Chiba's and Daichan. And some fantastic Chinese food at Bamboo Cuisine (get the Chicken in Black Pepper Sauce. Amazing!). We tried Boulevard Burger which was conveniently located near our hotel which had a good burger and good fries. I wished they'd been open later though.
So that was our trip. I'd like to go back under better circumstances.

#35-Done

2011-09-26T03:17:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago I made a list of 41 things I wanted to do before I turn 40. I haven't made as much progress as I would have liked but a lot of it is pretty over the top. But last week I was able to cross off one more item, #35-Meet Tai's dad and his brothers and sisters.
Sadly it wasn't for the best reason, Tai's dad fell and wound up in the hospital. He's stable now but it was kind of touch and go at the beginning. But we took off last week for Southern California. I was excited to meet Tai's brothers and sisters (all but his oldest sister). I wish I could have met his father under better circumstances but what can you do.
I'm behind on reading my blogs but I got tons of reading done. Three books closer to the magical 100th book.
Tomorrow I'll post about the food we ate (really the only non-hospital thing we did). I was glad to meet the rest of Tai's family and be there for his dad but I'm so glad to come home. I like sleeping in my own bed.

Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later by Francine Pascal

2011-09-22T03:46:00.000-07:00

When I picked up Sweet Valley Confidential off the shelf, I knew it wasn't going to be good. I'd heard some pretty bad reviews of it, but I never expected it to be this awful. There was no redeeming part of this book. I was a fan of the Sweet Valley High and Sweet Valley Twins as a kid. I was originally excited to read about Jessica and Elizabeth as adults. Ugh, I needed a lobotomy after reading this shit.
Ten years have changed Jessica and Elizabeth. The twins have had a falling out. Elizabeth is mean and angry. I understand the betrayal she feels but there's a scene where Elizabeth starts throwing things. Elizabeth was graceful and poised before. I didn't even know who these characters were. I tried to read it as if I had no connection to the characters but it didn't help. I couldn't understand their motivations. Everything felt forced.
To quote a review on Goodreads by Jennifer: "To say I was disappointed in this book is an understatement. To say that I felt my childhood was dragged out, beaten and raped and then set aflame would be more accurate." I felt the same way. I recommend that you stay the hell away from this book. Others who shared their thoughts on Sweet Valley Confidental: Ten Years Later: My Overstuffed Bookshelf, I Read Banned Books, Feeding My Book Addiction, Books Devoured, ChickLitReviews, and Debbie's World Of Books.

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender

2011-09-20T03:14:00.000-07:00

I added The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake after it first came out. I saw it on multiple blogs and added it to my tbr list. I knew very little about the book other than the main character could taste people's feelings in the food they made. I heard mixed reviews so I didn't rush out to get it. I'm glad I didn't I didn't dislike The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake but I didn't really enjoy it either.
The book spans from when Rose is nine til she's in her twenties. On her ninth birthday, Rose discovers she can taste her mother's anger and it leaves her with a hollow feeling. She soon discovers that she can taste the feelings of whoever made what she eats. Soon these feelings overwhelm her. Sadly I didn't really connect to Rose. Her brother, Joe, is odd. I was interested in what his story was more than Rose and her story.
I saw The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake described as magical realism. While there were magical elements to the story, the story itself lacked any magic. I could understand Rose's frustration but I didn't really care about her. None of the characters leapt off the page for me. The writing was good and story was well paced though.
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake wasn't my favorite but I could see how others might like it. Others who shared their thoughts on The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake: ChickLitReviews, Bookfan, The Perfect Binge, and The Broke And The Bookish.

Plus By Veronica Chambers

2011-09-19T03:26:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for a fun young adult/chick lit romp, Plus is your book. I immediately liked Bee. She’s smart (premed) but really insecure. She snags an adorable boyfriend but things quickly fall apart with him. Out of the blue, Bee is offered a chance to model. At one point in the book, Bee compares modeling to a river. Instead of navigating that river (at least at the beginning) she gets pulled along. I wouldn’t even call it floating, more like towed by the undercurrent. Bee spends most of the book struggling to stay above water both in modeling and with her relationships. At one point, a guy asks her what her passion is. Is she truly passionate about being a doctor? But I think if you ask most 17 year olds what their passion is, you’ll get a blank stare. Ask me what my passion is and you’ll get a blank stare. That’s probably why I identified so much with Bee. Modeling was dumped in her lap. It wasn’t her dream. At the beginning Bee was pretty naïve. She struggles with her narrow view of the world and the reality of the world. I felt the beginning of her story was very realistic except her parents. Bee is 17 and signs a modeling contract without her parent’s involvement. That struck me as odd. As well as her parents never getting involved with her new professional life. Bee grows up, learns to enjoy her newfound success and balance her modeling with her relationships. I was really happy for Bee at the end.

I really enjoyed Plus and would recommend it especially for fans of Bridget Jones (less alcohol and ciggies in Plus), Jemima J (Big Girl gets her man) or Good In Bed (another Big Girl gets her man). Others who shared their thoughts on Plus: Smitten With Books, The Book Scout, Frenetic Reader, Electrifying Reviews, and Debbie's World Of Books.

This was my twenty-fifth read for the 2011 YA reading challenge.

BBAW 2011-Tools To Help Me Blog

2011-09-16T08:45:00.000-07:00

The world of blogging is continually changing. Share 3 things you are essential tried and true practices for every blogger and 1-3 new trends or tools you’ve adapted recently or would like to in the future.

This prompt confuses me. I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to talk about so I'll talk about my behind the scenes process.

When I'm looking for inspiration, I often turn to my Google Reader. I love Google Reader.

I use Google Reader to read all my blogs.
Do you not use Google Reader? I'm not too familiar with other feed readers. But Google Reader is easy for me to use. I'm a huge fan of Google products. It's free. Adding subscriptions is very easy. Click on the add subscription button at the top write and add the url and there you go. I check Google Reader twice a day. If there is a post I want to refer back to I click on the star next to the title of the post (see the yellow star next to 40 things (13)?). Then it gets saved in my Starred Items til I remove the star.
If you are looking for a feed reader I cannot recommend Google Reader enough.
I also use Google Documents to keep my tbr pile and my spreadsheet of books read. I love that I can access all that information anywhere.
I confess. I preplan my posts. On Sundays I try to write all the posts for the week. Sometimes I can't and I might only post 2-3 days worth of posts.
I also love Goodreads for keeping track of my books and books I want to read. Are you on Goodreads? Friend me there!
I'm pushing myself to comment more and be more active on Twitter. I don't always know what say. Find me on Twitter at @sillylittelinda.
What about you? Any tips to share?

BBAW 2011-How Book Blogging Has Affected Me

2011-09-15T03:51:00.000-07:00

Book bloggers blog because we love reading. Has book blogging changed the way you read? Have you discovered books you never would have apart from book blogging? How has book blogging affected your book acquisition habits? Have you made new connections with other readers because of book blogging? Choose any one of these topics and share your thoughts today!

Other book bloggers are to blame for my out of control to be read list. I rely on other bloggers to tell me when new books are coming out and generally all of my book recommendations come from other bloggers. A lot of times other bloggers push me out of my usual boundaries and expose me to books I wouldn't normally read. This year is the first year I've participated in challenges. Every book on my War Through The Generations challenge is not something I would have chosen if not for the challenge. I'm looking forward to choosing more challenges next year to broaden my reading horizons.

Library Loot

2011-09-14T03:40:00.000-07:00

Underdogs

I have Getting The Girl on my Original TBR but it's the third in the Wolfe Brothers trilogy. Luckily my library had all three books in one book. All get all 3 books done at once.

What did you get this week?

BBAW 2011-My Place In The Book Blogging Community

2011-09-14T03:29:00.000-07:00

The world of book blogging has grown enormously and sometimes it can be hard to find a place. Share your tips for finding and keeping community in book blogging despite the hectic demands made on your time and the overwhelming number of blogs out there. If you’re struggling with finding a community, share your concerns and explain what you’re looking for–this is the week to connect!

Despite the fact I've been blogging for 4 years, I didn't start blogging about books til the end of 2008. And I didn't get involved in the community until 2009. While I've made some good friends, I frequently don't feel part of the book blogging community. Partly because I don't just blog about books and I don't think I comment enough. The first one is just the way I am and the way I blog. I could have a separate blog for non-book related posts but I would have a hard time maintaining both. The second one I'm trying to be better at. I'm very happy with the tiny corner of the community I do belong to but I'd love to broaden my connections.
What about you? Any tips for me?

BBAW 2011-Interview With WalkieTalkie Book Club's Blog

2011-09-13T03:59:00.000-07:00

I love BBAW because it introduces to me so many new blogs. Tell me more your blog, Walkie Talkie Book Club blog.

I started the blog in early 2010 as a place to keep track ofbook club activities, write about books, and hopefully create discussion withfriend about books read. I havebeen in one book club for many years and my “walking partner” and I startedreading some of the same books, too, and discussing them while we walked. We called ourselves the WalkieTalkies. A few years later I movedand decided to pick up the Walkie Talkie theme with a few people – reading abook and then mall walking or walking outside and discussing it. My first book club is a large group ofwomen and we always celebrate our books with food and long discussions. The Walkie Talkie Book Club is meant tofit into a busy schedule and incorporate movement of some kind! Alternatively, I hope that WalkieTalkie Book Club will also become a place where friends from all over couldweigh in on the books we read.

How do you choose what you read? Do you plan out what you read in advance or just follow your whims?

My big book club decides month by month what we’re going toread, unless we have reserved “Book Club In a Bag” from the library, in whichcase we plan out a few months at a time. (Love those “Book Club in a Bag” choices!). The Walkie Talkies are also very spur of the moment inchoosing our books. We havecreated lists of books we want to read and fly by the seat of our pants there,too. Personally, I use Goodreadsto keep track of my TBR list and will pull it up on my phone when I’m at thelibrary to check out a book from that list or reserve books from thatlist. I add books from the manybook blogs and book newsletters that I read!

3. What do you find to be thebest part of book blogging?

I certainly don’t think I’m a great book reviewer, but Ilike writing about books (and occasionally movies). The past few years I have challenged myself to “write more”– through journals, letters, poetry, or blogs! So I like to sit down with a blank “NEW POST” page on theinternet and see what transpires.

I like reading other book blogs and the questions bloggerspose, either through their memes or their discussion about a book. I like some of the challenges that bookbloggers create, but have only participated in a few. I’m not a fast reader, so I don’t rip through too many booksin a month, much less a weekend!

4. What’s the hardest part of book blogging?

Ithink I obviously am very wordy, so that isn’t difficult, but I don’t think Igive a good book review. I mostlywrite how the book made me feel initially but I don’t delve into “themes” inthe book or character representation. I don’t feel bad about it, but am more amazed at how others can reallyget to that in their blogging.

Ialso don’t have many people interacting with me on my blog, and that can be alittle discouraging at times, but I’m ok with just writing my thoughts to theten people who might read it. J

5. What types of books do you avoid if any?

AlthoughI loved dystopian books when I was younger (teen years), I have a hard timereading it now so I avoid it. Ialso don’t read science fiction.

6. What book do you love that other people seem to dislike?

Depends on the people, I guess. J My book club likes pretty mainstream,contemporary, lighter fare. Therewere many who could not read “Pride and Prejudice,” which is one of my all timefavorite books. They also didn’tlove “The Life of Pi” as much as I did!

7. What book did you dislike that others love?

I have not read a single book in the Twilight series. Books that I started but didn’t finishbecause I disliked them include “The Corrections” by Jonathan Franzen, “A Visitfrom the Goon Squad,” and “Running with Scissors.” They were best-selling books (even prize winning) but not mytaste.

8. I see you are a movie fan too.What are your top 5 favorite movies?

Toughquestion!

1) MoulinRouge & Strictly Ballroom

2) Pride& Prejudice (BBC version)

3) BillyElliott

4) Bridesmaids

5) Underthe Tuscan Sun & Sleepless in Seattle

I could go on and on. Goodness… Now I’m craving a good movie! J

Thank you Danette for playing along with my questions. Please check out WalkieTalkie Book Club's Blog.

BBAW 2011-Favorite Book Bloggers

2011-09-12T03:52:00.000-07:00

Yay! It's my favorite time of year! It's Book Blogger Appreciation Week! I'll be participating all week. Here's the schedule:
Today-Talking about community. I'll be highlighting some of my favorite book bloggers.
Tomorrow-Interview with Walkie-Talkie Book Blog!
Wednesday-Community and my place in it.
Thursday-How has blogging affected my reading habits?
Friday-Advice for bloggers/Trends in blogging
So let's get to today's topic-a few of my favorite book bloggers. This was a toughie, but I'm going to keep my list to five.

Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell
I can always count on Linda to comment on my posts. She reads a lot of fantasy and urban fantasy so I'm always adding books she reviews to my tbr list. She's hella nice and always helpful.

A Striped Armchair
I started reading Eva's blog because she used to host Library Loot. I stuck around because I love her passionate posts about fantastic literature. I don't read a lot of the same books Eva does but I do love to read what she thinks about them. I do credit her for making me think about what I read, about who wrote what I read and what experiences I had reading them. Eva's also the reason I started calling my reviews my thoughts on the book. I don't review books; I share my thoughts on them.

The Captive Reader
Claire took Eva's spot as co-host of Library Loot which is how I started reading her blog. Like Eva, Claire reads a lot of books I don't read. Now this might seem silly, to read about books I have no intention of reading. But I like reading Claire's thoughts. Her thoughts broaden my thinking and make me think more about what I read.

From L.A. to LA
Shoshanah and I tend to lean towards the same books. I know a few books she reviewed wound up on my tbr list. I definitely love hearing about her life in Louisiana as well as her planning for her upcoming wedding.

My Books. My Life.
I actually gave Michelle this last spot because I love following her on twitter. Find her at @michelleerin. She talks about awesome things like books, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, fantasy football, and ballet. She also reads a lot of books I want to read so I enjoy her review posts too.

Did I expose you to a new book blogger or do you agree with my five favorites?

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

2011-09-09T03:32:00.000-07:00

I added Jane Eyre to my Original TBR challenge list because I've never read it and it's one of those classics "I should read". And since I really enjoyed it, I'm glad I finally read Jane Eyre.
Despite this being a classic, it's really just a boy-meets-girl-boy-and-girl-fall-in-love-boy-loses-girl-boy-and-girl-reunite. At the beginning Jane reminded me of another orphan I like-Harry Potter. She lives with her aunt and cousins who torment her. She goes to school where she begins to blossom. I immediately liked Jane. Her desire to find a place in this world was overwhelming and endearing. While she finds school more tolerable than her life with the Reeds, she really finds her place at Thornfield Hall where she becomes a governess and meets Mr Rochester. This is part where it kind of dragged for me. I liked the descriptions of house, the countryside. But it went on a little too long for me. I just had to wait til she found her way back to Mr Rochester.
I recommend Jane Eyre. I loved the language. Others who shared their thoughts on Jane Eyre: A Book Blog. Period, Library Queue, Erin Reads, The Lost Entwife, and Book Journey.
This was my sixth read for the Original TBR challenge.

Library Loot

2011-09-06T21:15:00.000-07:00

Plus

Last week I mentioned I had been looking for another Chamber's book while I found Kickboxing Geishas. This is was the book I was looking for-Plus. I've had this on my tbr list since I read about it on The Book Scout blog.

What did you get this week?

Ape House by Sara Gruen

2011-09-06T03:40:00.000-07:00

Since I had enjoyed Water for Elephants, I picked up Ape House. I knew little about it except it wasn't anything like Water for Elephants and dealt with apes. I didn't expect to be so enthralled by Ape House but I was.
Ape House is nothing like Water for Elephants except that the animals steal the show. If you fell in love with Rosie, you'll definitely like Bonzi, Lola, Sam, Jelani, Mbongo and Makena. While the apes (bonobos really) are the center of the story, Isabel and John create the story around them. Isabel is a language researcher, studying the apes in a research facility. John comes to do a story on Isabel and the apes. Isabel feels like the apes are her family and John, dissatisfied with his life, feels drawn to her commitment to the apes. Then the book takes off a like a train. I had a hard time putting the book down. I was engrossed with the story. An explosion injures Isabel and displaces the apes. John struggles with his life, trying to maintain his career and his marriage. Both John and Isabel are on paths to get back what means the most to them.
If you choose to read Ape House, know there are scenes of animal abuse, similar to Water for Elephants. It was hard for me to read but it was part of the apes' story. Just like humans, they endured pain and abuse to come out stronger. This story does have a beautiful, happy ending.
I highly recommend Ape House. It was a fast paced story that I throughly enjoyed. Others who shared their thoughts on Ape House: The Perpetual Page Turner, From One Book Lover, Sassy. Savvy. Domesticity, Bibliophile By The Sea, and My Books. My Life.

Currently...

2011-09-02T03:54:00.000-07:00

I used to do these posts about things I currently liked but stopped. I'm going to start that up again.

Loving...

We've had a really mild summer here in the PNW. As a result I've had 3 colds this summer. After the first one, Tai mentioned we should get a tea kettle. He was thinking of stove top one but I choose this one instead. I love that I can heat up water quickly. The red color doesn't hurt.

Eating...

I grabbed a sample of these Crunchmasters Multi-Grain Crackers at Costco, then went back for 4 more samples. Finally the sample guy pointed to the boxes stacked next to him and I took the hint. I top them with Laughing Cow cheese for a delicious snack.

Watching...

Yes, 30 Rock's been a round for a while but Tai and I just started watching this. I love it. We have little marathons every night.

What are you currently enjoying?

August Book Tally

2011-09-01T03:26:00.000-07:00

Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
Enemy Women by Paulette Jiles (week 1, week 2, week 3 and week 4)
The Year of Living Biblically by AJ Jacobs
Annie On My Mind by Nancy Garden
Blameless by Gail Carriger
Roses by Leila Meacham
Tithe by Holly Black
Personal Demon by Kelley Armstrong

A good month. Eight read this month. I'm making great progress on the Parasol Protectorate series. Next month I should be all caught up! It's tough to pick a favorite. I enjoyed Roses, Blameless, Tithe, The Year of Living Biblically and Annie On My Mind. And I'm closing in on 100 pretty quickly. Should be there in another two months. I've already surpassed the number of books I read last year (78).

The Stats:

Fill In The Gaps Challenge: YTD: 8 (Mrs Dalloway )

War Through The Generations:YTD: 6 (Enemy Women)-COMPLETE

YA Reading Challenge: YTD: 24 (Annie On My Mind and Tithe)-COMPLETE

The Original TBR Challenge: YTD: 5 (Tithe)

Support Your Local Library Challenge: YTD: 65-COMPLETE

100+ Reading Challenge: YTD: 84

Library Loot

2011-08-31T03:08:00.000-07:00

Kickboxing Geishas

The Hours

The School Of Beauty And Charm

A Guide To Elegance

Heartless

I stumbled across Kickboxing Geishas while looking for another Chamber's book in our library's catalog. Kickboxing Geishas sounded so intriguing I decided to check it out. Since I read Mrs Dalloway (see my thoughts on The Fill In The Gaps blog), I decided I could tackle The Hours (also for the Fill In The Gaps Challenge). I saw The School Of Beauty And Charm on the shelf a while ago and made a note to get it later. A Guide To Elegance has been on my tbr list for a while and is an alternate read for the Original TBR challenge. I spied (on the library shelf) the next in the Parasol Protectorate series, Heartless, and had to grab it.

What did you get this week?

Tithe By Holly Black

2011-08-30T03:28:00.000-07:00

Ever since I first heard of Holly Black's Modern Faerie Tales, I'd wanted to read them. Sadly it took me this long to start the series. I love faeries and these are the kind of fey I like-dark, prone to destroy humans and wicked.
After her mother's band breaks up, Kaye returns to New Jersey, her childhood home. When Kaye was growing up she had "imaginary friends", three faeries that she played with. Kaye tries to find them when she returns to New Jersey but has trouble finding them until she meets the mysterious Roiben. The faeries need her help and warn her of Roiben's evil deeds. Kaye quickly finds herself trapped between her faery friends and Roiben.
At the beginning I had a hard time getting into Tithe. Partly because the hype was great. But more because (tiny spoiler) Kaye's a changeling. I'm so tired of the changeling angle. I imagine when this book came out, it was novel. Now it's so tired. But the story moved quickly enough from that and I quickly became engrossed. Black's writing is so enchanting that I forgave her for any faults. I can't wait to read more of Kaye and Roiben's story (and Corny too).
Highly recommended to those who like dark faery stories. Others who shared their thoughts on Tithe: Good Books & Good Wine, The Happy Booker, Books From Bleh to Basically Amazing, and The Book Nerd Club.
This was my twenty-fourth read for the 2011 YA Reading Challenge.

This was the fifth book I read for the 2011 TBR challenge.

Enemy Women Readalong Week 4

2011-08-29T03:34:00.000-07:00

This is week four of the Enemy Women by Paulette Jiles read-a-long. Please check out week 1, week 2, and week 3 discussions. Up to this point, you would have read through chapter 24.

This week’s discussion is for ch. 25 through the end of the book. We hope that you’ve enjoyed the discussions so far and have commented or answered the questions.

A lot of the latter parts of the book focus on Adair’s time alone in the woods. She sits and listens to the animals and listens for soldiers and signs of life. Do you find her reactions to her surroundings as a lone young woman in the woods believable?

I didn't find Adair's time alone believable at all. Especially the time she spent taking long baths and sleeping nude in the sun. I'm not sure I would believe that behavior at any time period. I think the stories she told herself about the animals were to help her get through a tough situation.

How did you feel about Major Neumann not making another appearance until the second-to-last chapter, especially considering that some of us are finding his story more interesting than Adair’s?

I was glad when Neumann came back. I enjoyed his story line. At this point I was anxious for him and Adair to reunite.

What are your final impressions of the book?

Overall I enjoyed Enemy Women. But I hated the ending. I was really hoping for a happy ending but the ending left me confused and annoyed. I would hesitate to recommend it to someone. I thought that it would have been about more than just Adair. With a title like Enemy Women, I expected the story to include other women's stories. I felt it little letdown.