Favorite Things

Last night, Caitlin was desperately struggling to  remove “veterinarian” Barbie’s clothing.  In and of itself, this is not unusual, as she removes Barbie clothes as a matter of course.  But she was almost angry this time that the clothes wouldn’t come off.

Mommy: “Caitlin, why do you want to take her clothes off? They don’t come off.”  Not technically true; they were held on by a hard to see clear rubber band.

Caitlin: “But mommy, dollie needs to go to space!  She needs her clothes off!!”

Oh really??   This is the first I have heard of naked space travel, but what do I know:-)

Needless to say, I helped her “get ready for space”.    Who can resist the colorful imagination of a 3 year old!?

Cinder: Book One in the Lunar Chronicles, by Marissa Meyer was awesome!!  It was really well written, and a dark yet refreshing take on the classic Cinderella tale.  What a great idea!  My hubby actually found this book. It was recommended by one of the Sci Fi authors he follows.  My husband and I both devoured this one (a rarity, I can assure you) as well as my mom.  Two thumbs up! Can’t wait for the next one.

Legend, by Marie Lu was also very good.  According my mom, and I would agree, not as well written as Cinder, and definitely in the YA category, but I would recommend it.  It was fast paced, if a  little predictable.  It is also a dystopian tale (as so many YA books seem to be) that can be quite dark.  I found it a very fast, satisfying read that I could easily recommend.

Wonder, by R. J. Palacio was a wonderful surprise (pun intended, I suppose!).  I would put it in the same category as OK For Now, which I also loved and reviewed earlier in this blog.  It’s a heart wrenching story of a 5th grader who is dramatically physically deformed, and enters school for the first time.  5th graders are brutal under any circumstance, and they don’t pull punches in this story, but neither do some of the adults.  It makes you really appreciate what you have, and value the importance of empathy and kindness.  Caitlin you need to read this book when you are able!

The Future of Us, by Jay Asher was interesting and I really enjoyed this novel. I think I found this one on EW.  Imagine you were in high school in 1998 and when you logged into your first AOL account, you hit your first webpage, and your Facebook profile  (from 2012) came up.  What if every time you changed a decision in the present it caused changes to appear on your profile? What changes would you try to make?  Lesson here – live in the present! I enjoyed this book a lot. Great summer read, especially for those of us that lived through high school in 90′s, and started using FB in our late 20′s early 30′s.

The Night Circus, by Erin Morganstern was a magical read.  I wasn’t quite sure I was going to like this one, but got swept up in the descriptive world Morganstern creates.  You can almost feel the crisp night air, sweet with the smell of cinnamon buns and candied corn. It’s a story where true “magic” exists, one studied, one innate, and a battle between the two that results in a star crossed love story.  I thought it was a beautiful novel that I would definitely recommend to my female friends.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone, by Laini Taylor was another EW find.  It’s probably a YA book, which I am guilty of reading too many of!  It’s the story of Karou, raised by Chimera, the sworn enemy of angels. Yes you read correctly – angles as in human-like creatures with wings.  Accept they aren’t necessarily “good”, as the Chimera aren’t necessarily “bad”.  At the end of the day, this is a Romeo and Juliet story, set in a world where make believe creatures are real.  I enjoyed it, and would recommend it, and will certainly read the sequel.

Wildflower Hill, by Kimberly Freeman was a beautiful novel that spanned multiple generations.  At the core, it’s a tragic love story, the story of doing whatever it takes to take care of your child, fighting for what you believe in even when society is hostile and hateful.  I found myself routing for the characters, wanting them to find happiness and salvation, and themselves.  For some reason, this book reminds me a bit of something Maeve Binchy might have written.  I suspect if you like those novels, you will enjoy this one.

Before I Go to Sleep, by S.J. Watson was a creepy mystery that I couldn’t put down.  Imagine waking up every morning not remembering who you were, rebuilding memories that day, only to forget them the following day.  What if you kept a diary at the end of each day, and you open it one morning and the entry from the day before says, “Don’t trust Ben.”  Ben is the protagonist’s, husband.  Creepy!  I was addicted to this book till the end.

Dog on It, by Spencer Quinn was hilarious!!  Anyone who has a dog, or loves dogs, this is a MUST read.  Chet is the wise and lovable canine narrator of Dog on It, who works alongside Bernie, a down-on-his-luck private investigator. Chet might have flunked out of police school (“I’d been the best leaper in K-9 class, which had led to all the trouble in a way I couldn’t remember exactly, although blood was involved”), but he’s a detective through and through.  I laughed and cried my way through this book.  If you liked The Art of Racing in the Rain I suspect you will like this one.

Once Upon a River, by Bonnie Jo Campbell is compared to Huck Finn, but with a female protagonist, Margo Crane.  I didn’t love this book, but I thought it was good.  In short, it’s the story of a poor family that lives on a fictional river in MI.  Margo’s father is murdered, and she sets off to live on the river in search of her mother.   A lot can go wrong when a pretty teenage girl lives alone on a river.  I had trouble relating the Margo, and the choices she made.  Somehow the characters felt a little distant to me.  It’s still a good book, but wasn’t a page turner for me.

A big thank you to Nacime for introducing these cookies to me!   This is the first recipe that called for melting the baking soda in hot water
before adding it to the batter.  Not sure what that does, but whatever the case they are soft and have great flavor.

I just made this banana bread recipe from allrecipes.com.  I made a few changes, listed below, but my daughter’s comment at dinner was the best.   

Bryan decided to have just banana bread for dinner.  Caitlin and I were having soup. Caitlin looks at her dad, and says, “Dad, you can’t have banana bread for dinner!”

Bryan: “Yes I can.”

Caitlin: “No daddy you can’t.”  She then refuses to eat.

Bryan: “Caitlin you need to eat your soup.”

“No daddy, not until you get your dinner.”  Love it!

Recipe Adjustments:

* 1 1/2 cups of banana

* 1/2 cup white sugar

* 1/2 cup brown sugar

* 1 TBS of vanilla

* 4 TBS of milk

* 1 cup dark chocolate chips

Baked at 350deg for 1 hour 5 minutes.  Enjoy!

We had our work holiday party last night, and the kiddos were invited.  My 3 year old was so excited to come to mommy’s work party, she had trouble sleeping the night before, and got dressed in her purple dress hours before the party.

Below are some of my favorite quotes from the evening (and Caitlin, please don’t kill mommy for these when you are a teenager – just remember – you were only 3!)

She looks around the room at all the people my husband and I are chatting with and says, “Mommy, you have so many friends!”  How cute is that? 

While I am talking to several co-workers, she looks up at me and declares, “Mommy, I have to go poop.”  This was met by much giggling by said co-workers, who were not yet parents.

After 3 failed potty attempts, she finally goes to the potty with daddy.  While sitting on the potty in the men’s room, she hears someone going to the bathroom in the stall next to her (who also happened to be a co-worker), “Daddy someone is going pee over there. Can I go under go under and look?”  DOH!!

Caitlin, always remember you are my favorite, and I will always love you most:-)

Our almost 3 year old is at the phase where she speaks fairly fluently, but occasionally will throw in words in her own loosely interpreted version of the original. Sometimes is takes my husband and I several attempts to decode her language.  Below are some of my favorite words spoken in “Caitlin”.

Acka-bar: aka a granola bar (this one took days to figure out)

Punk-a-latern: aka a jack-o-lantern

Yogi: aka yogurt

Birfday: aka birthday

Crap: aka clap (really funny when used to say -”Mommy look I am ‘clapping’”

Fancy Hancy: aka Fancy Nancy

O’Brien: aka the constellation Orion; or a constellation she name after her dad:-)

I loved OK for Now!  I don’t recall another book that had me laughing one moment and in tears the next. My heart broke for Doug, and rooting for him page after page.  I would compare it perhaps to Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, although maybe not as sad.    Terrific:-)

My brother-in-law recommended the Mario Batali cook book.  As those that belong to a CSA know (we belong to Farm Fresh to You), sometimes you end up with a lot of one  kind of fruit or veggie, and you run out of creative ways to use it.  

The Cauliflower Ragu is so simple to make, and transforms the cauliflower into a spicy, rich ragu.  I was told that adding the home made breadcrumbs really makes a big difference, but I have to admit I skipped that part. I also forgot to add chopped fresh rosemary (oops!) and it was still delicious. I stuck to 1 1/2 tsp of chili flakes, but it would be easy to raise the heat.

I served it with fresh heirloom tomato (also from Farm Fresh to You) with basil from the garden, fresh mozzarella and drizzled with good balsamic, and white wine. Delicious! Thank you for the recipe recommendation, Russ!

Caitlin and I had a lot of fun baking this weekend.

First, we made this Peanut Butter Blondie recipe.   When reading it to Grandma Fran, she thought it might be

a little too sweet, but they are surprisingly fluffy and not too sweet.  I did use 70% chocolate chips though, and next time might use more Reese’s on top.  Hubby loved them!

Today we started the day with Oatmeal Pancakes.  They are bar none the best pancakes I have ever made.  I did make a few changes to this recipe. I used white flour, not wheat, and omitted the cinnamon and nutmeg and replaced it with a generous splash of vanilla.  I also added an extra buttermilk to thin them out just a tad.

If you try them, enjoy!

Caitlin is now 2.5 years old, and quite the character.  Here are some of my favorite Caitlin-isms to date.

Scene: Dad and Caitlin were late arriving at class due to a car fire on the freeway. Dad also had a pinched nerve in his lower back and had trouble getting in and out of the car.

Dad, as he tries to get out of the car: “Son of a…!”

Caitlin: “Daddy I want to walk to class.”

Dad: “Caitlin we are late so I have to carry you.”

Teacher: “Hi Caitlin, how are you today?”

Caitlin: “Good.  Daddy carried me, couldn’t walk, because Daddy had a Son of a.”

Scene: Dad and Caitlin were watching a Caillou episode about growing up.

Dad: “Caitlin what are you going to be when you grow up?”

Caitlin: “The Cat in the Hat!”

Scene: It was awful quiet and Caitlin had slipped into mommy’s bathroom.

Mom: “Caitlin, where are you?”

Caitlin, as she is uncapping mommy’s lipstick and applying it to her lips, “Just fine, Mommy!”

Caitlin’s top reasons for getting out of bed:

The kids outside are too loud. (kind of liget)

Fire truck get me! (probably not)

Mommy want Tinkerbell blanket.

Want blue blanket.

Mommy want Dora.

Mommy not tired, can’t sleep.

I’m freezing! (even though it’s 77 deg in the house)

I’m too hot (the air conditioning is on)

Mommy strange sound outside (it’s a chainsaw – pretty annoying actually)

Mommy, need another hug and kiss (how can you resist that one??)

Matched by Ally Conde is YA novel, and although this is not a book my husband would enjoy, my girlfriends would!  It’s a bit Twilight, and a bit Hunger Games, but one of the better in this genre.    I thought it was well written and engaging, and I already have the next book in the Trilogy in my Wish List.  Great summer read!

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness is a bit like Twilight for adults.  Again, not a book I would recommend my husband read, but if you read Twilight, and liked The Da Vinci Code, this is a bit like the two combined.    I have to admit I was engrossed; it’s a guilty pleasure for sure.  I did have one gripe with a plot turn towards the end.  One aspect that bothered me: I am not sure I understand the author’s take on time travel.    If you are going to go there, which I think is fine,  then at least try to have how it happens make sense.  That said, I will still read the second book when it comes out.

Across the Universe by Beth Revis is a YA scifi novel.  It’s the story of a ship that is launched for a 300 year journey to a new, inhabitable planet.  They call it a “generation ship” since it will take many generations to reach their final destination.   It is an interesting thought – how to run a society while trapped in a tin can for 100′s of years.  How would government work, how would society and the various jobs that must be done be handled, how to control population, how to try and not go mad while basically trapped?  It’s a good read, if not necessarily an extremely happy one.

Odd Thomas by Dean R Koontz is the first Koontz book I have read in probably 10 years.   I wasn’t sure what to expect, and at first had some trouble getting into it.  I would describe it as a combination of Sixth Sense and a mystery novel.  I eventually liked the characters, but not sure I will read the rest of the series. It’s a bit too sad for me.

Switched by Amanda Hocking is, yes, another YA novel. This one was a first a self published novel on Amazon.com, available on Kindle, then later got picked up by a publisher once the novel became quite popular on its own.  The writing and story were engaging enough for me to read all 3, but you have to liberally suspend your disbelief.    I may pick up a couple of her other books, which sound interesting

Emily, Alone by Stewart O’Nan was recommended by EW, if I recall. It’s the story of an older woman, living alone, and her internal monologue. With her children moved out with children of their own, a widow, it can be at times amusing, often times sad, sometimes a little slow, but worth reading.  Not sure it’s the best summer read, as it’s not exactly a happy, fun novel, but then, it is not meant to be.

A Game of Thrones by George RR Martin surprised me a bit. I read it because it was finally going to be on HBO (of course, since we don’t get cable I will probably have to wait another year to rent on iTunes – arg!).  I was expecting more of a fantasy novel, which I suppose it is to some extent, but it is more a story of warring tribes and strategy, loyalty, and trust, and fear.   I enjoyed it, but it is long, and I have yet to read the second book.  If you like epics, and battles, and strategy and interesting characters, it’s a good read.

The List by J. A. Konrath was a book my husband found.  Imagine if we could clone famous people from the past, only they didn’t know they were clones. Who would they turn out to be?  Would they be the same heroes or villains they were originally?  This is the bases of the book, which is mostly a thriller with some pretty good humor intermixed.  It’s a quick light read, good for beach reading.

One of my fondest memories is of coconut custard pie for Christmas dessert.  I think that original recipe my mom used was quite complicated and included boiling the milk, etc.  Nothing could be easier than this recipe, and it looks and tastes just like the one my mom used to slave over!

Ingredients

2 cups milk (whole milk recommended)

3/4 cups of sugar

1/2 cup all purpose baking mix (like Bisquick)

4 eggs

1/2 stick butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp coconut extract (optional)

1 1/3 cup flaked coconut

Put all ingrediants except the coconut into a blender (seriously!). Blend on low for 3 minutes. Pour into greased 9″ pie pan and bake at 350 deg F for 40 minutes, or until golden brown and set.

The amazing thing is the Bisquick sinks to the bottom to form a crust, and the coconut gets evenly distributed into the pie.   Enjoy!

I used to think that protein shakes were for body builders, which you may find surprising to know that I am not.

Then a co-worker convinced me to give them a try – selling me on the concept that they were good for maintaining weight.

Turns out, I LOVE shakes in the morning!  They are a chocolatey treat of deliciousness that keeps me full until lunch, something yogurt or cereal never did.

And nothing makes them easier than this Blender Bottle. Only $6 and free Prime 2 day shipping on amazon.com. You can’t go wrong!

This recipe has been passed down through 4 generations of women in my family. It’s simple in its garlicky, cheesy deliciousness, and a great alternative to mayo!  Keep in mind that due to the “word of mouth” method of record for this recipe, the quantities of ingredients are not exact.   I mix the ratios until they look and smell right, which may take a couple iterations to develop to your tastes.

Ingredients:
3-4 artichokes
Italian breadcrumbs
Grated Parmesan cheese
8 cloves of garlic (4 whole, 4 diced)
Fresh parsley, chopped (1/4 cup or to taste)
Olive oil

Directions:
Mix following ingredients in bowl:
* 4 chopped garlic cloves
* Fresh chopped parsley
* breadcrumbs (maybe about 1/2 cup or so – I eyeball it)
* cheese (maybe 1/2 cup or so – again, I estimate this)

Prep artichoke:
* Use scissors to trim off spikes from artichoke leaves.
* Lop off tops of artichokes
* Roll each around on the counter (to loosen artichoke leaves)
* Pull leaves apart (to make room for stuffing)

To cook:
* Spoon in stuffing mixture in between the artichoke leaves. Spread consistently throughout leaves, but don’t over-stuff.
* Place them in pot; make sure they fit tightly.
* Drizzle with olive oil over the top.
* Fill water 1/2 way up the artichokes. and place 4 whole cloves in the pot.
* Bring to soft boil. Cook 40-45 minutes with the top on.
* At 40 minutes, try to pull out a leaf; it should come out easily. If not cook another 5 minutes and try again.

Enjoy!

If made a day ahead, just reheat in the microwave.

I decided to post this because we lost this recipe once, and the only place I could find it is in my handwritten recipe book.  It’s so easy, makes even a roast chicken dinner a little special, and is definitely a great compliment to a Thanksgiving meal.

Cranberry Apple Compote

1 12oz package  fresh cranberries

3 Granny Smith apples peeled and diced

2/3 cup sugar

2/3 cup apple juice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

Combine all in sauce pan, simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, add more sugar if necessary.  Refrigerate up to one week.

Pumpkin bars are moist, delicious and super easy to make (try this one), but most recipes I found recommend regular cream cheese frosting.  Adding a dash of orange really compliments the pumpkin and greatly increases their deliciousness!

3 ounces cream cheese

2 Tablespoons butter, softened

Beat until fluffy. Then add the following and beat those in as well.

1 1/2 tsp milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

3/4 tsp grated orange peel

Sift 2 cups (start with 1.5 and see if you need the rest) powdered sugar and add to mixture above to make spreadable icing.    Spread on cooled bars and enjoy!

Living in the Bay Area, I don’t lack for friends who have shed their addiction to the anesthetizing effects of the Boob Tube by canceling cable.    

I read here that 18th century London saw a gin craze amongst poor industrial workers.  To numb themselves from the unfamiliar work, terrible living conditions and limited entertainment, they drank themselves into oblivion.

I don’t drink myself into oblivion, but I do watch WAY too much TV.  I think TV is my gin.

Since most shows can be purchased on iTunes, the only reason for us to buy cable is for the news (we are computer nerds and not so much into sports).

Outside of Rachel Maddow, Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert the news is a bunch of spoon fed drivel (and yes, I realize those last two aren’t technically ”news” shows but they have the balls to ask genuinely hard interview questions, in other words, to do their job).

Most dramas run their course after 1-2 seasons (I love Glee, but does anyone think it will have genuine legs after this next season? Where can the plot go but in circles?)

So, we too are considering dumping cable and buying only the handful of shows we actually watch (because going cold turkey is just WAY too scary!).

Will we miss it?  The local news is rarely upbeat. The world news is a joke.

For a while, we probably will. But in the long run, I think we will read more good books, eat dinner as a family more often, maybe go to bed a little earlier, and of course feel just a little smugger.  We live in the Bay. What do you expect?  :-)

Catching Fire is the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy.  I loved this one too!   The beginning is perhaps a touch slower than the start to Book 1, but I suppose fire is a bit like that too.  Starts off inocuous enough before roaring to life at a pace you struggle to keep up with.   It will only leave you pining to read Mockingjay.

Mockingjay is a bit of a different story.   This book continues on the theme of war, with a rapid fire of as many weapons as difficult choices.    What is acceptable in war?  Do you hold on to your humanity, or suspend it for the perceived greater good?  Where do you draw the line?

But if you crawl into this book like I did, thinking you were in the company of a good friend who would tell you everything will be ok, you may be disappointed.  The violence of this “young adult” book rivals anything by Stephen King.

Mockingjay  left my mind filled with horrific images that literally kept me up at night.   True that I am a mother and a big softy when it comes to kids, but still.

Did I love the series? YES! Would I recommend it?  TO EVERYONE!  Did Mockingjay leave me saddened and feeling a little broken?  Unfortunately I have to yes to that too…

WOW.  I was swept up in The Hunger Games and finished it within 3 days. As a working mother of a toddler, that says a lot!  

Imagine a future in post apocalyptic North America, where reality TV is taken to a gross extreme.  A society of “haves” ruling a society of “have nots”.   Characters that you root for, cry with, and yet are also flawed in their own way.

I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed reading a book as much as this one.     Maybe The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, although I might have liked this one a tad more. Dragon had some slow parts, this one, not so much.

I am reading the sequel, Catching Fire now… More on that soon!