I ran across this book trailer today and it intrigued me because this is about an Iowa Author who writes police mysteries that I recommend to people. I hadn't paid a lot of attention to what his latest book was, but apparently he is a "lost" author, not having published in over 5 years. Still, he is a great author that I recommend to mystery readers and as an added bonus he is from Iowa...
This trailer is somewhat long, but if you have time, it's worth a look...
Monday, February 27, 2012
Friday, February 24, 2012
From Our Recipe Box to Yours...
Recently, I tried the new Cake flavored OREOs for their 100th birthday. They are good, but the original is still the best. Flipping through Pinterest, this cake batter puppy chow did look intriguing though...See what you think...
Cake Batter Puppy Chow
Makes 5 cups
Cake Batter Puppy Chow
Makes 5 cups
- 5 cups Chex cereal (I prefer the Rice Chex)
- 10 oz (5 squares) vanilla flavored Almond Bark
- 1 1/2 cups yellow cake mix
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- vegetable shortening, optional
1. Melt Almond Bark according to the package directions, adding vegetable shortening to thin if desired.
2. Pour the cereal, cake mix, and powdered sugar into a paper bag or container with a lid.
3. Drizzle melted Almond Bark over the cereal and fold down the top of the paper bag or put the lid on the container.
4. Shake bag or container until the cereal is evenly coated.
Tip - The above method worked just fine for me, but some people are having trouble with the Chex and Almond Bark clumping together. Try thinning out the Almond Bark a little with shortening and mixing the Chex with the melted Almond Bark before coating with the cake mix and powdered sugar.
Tip - The above method worked just fine for me, but some people are having trouble with the Chex and Almond Bark clumping together. Try thinning out the Almond Bark a little with shortening and mixing the Chex with the melted Almond Bark before coating with the cake mix and powdered sugar.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
What's in Your Library Bag Wednesday?...
Welcome to What's in Your Library Bag Wednesday this week!! I wanted to tell you a little story. The other day a patron came up to me looking for books by an author who is likely out of print by now. We owned one and they had already read it. So, I looked in the State Libraries of Iowa online catalog and found another for them to read, but I didn't have anything in hand to send home with them to read. And I hate to send someone away with nothing to read. That, in and of itself, is a scary thought to me!! We chatted some, and I asked questions and listened. Some new authors were taking shape in my mind, but they were young adult/children's authors so I hesitated to suggest them to this adult at first. In the end, I did and we went and looked and found some for them to take home.
A few days later, this patron approached me again and with a stack of more books by that same author in hand and thanked me saying they really enjoyed the books I had suggested and were taking home more of the same to read... What an awesome feeling this gives me to be able to find something for people that they really enjoy!!
My point here isn't the warm fuzzies I felt, however those were great, it's the idea that we should all be open to try new things. I tend to be a real "rut" reader always wanting more books by a favorite author or more stories just like the one I just read and loved! When I break out of my rut and try something new and different, my eyes are usually opened new discoveries are made!! Now, I'm not saying I've loved every book I've read out of my "ruts," but I have found some new favorites along the way. And if at first you don't succeed, try, try, again!! Just like the patron I helped the other day, be open to new authors, new genres, new age groups. You might realize that you've been reading in the "wrong rut" all along :)! Stop in and I'd be happy to help guide you on your journey...
A few days later, this patron approached me again and with a stack of more books by that same author in hand and thanked me saying they really enjoyed the books I had suggested and were taking home more of the same to read... What an awesome feeling this gives me to be able to find something for people that they really enjoy!!
My point here isn't the warm fuzzies I felt, however those were great, it's the idea that we should all be open to try new things. I tend to be a real "rut" reader always wanting more books by a favorite author or more stories just like the one I just read and loved! When I break out of my rut and try something new and different, my eyes are usually opened new discoveries are made!! Now, I'm not saying I've loved every book I've read out of my "ruts," but I have found some new favorites along the way. And if at first you don't succeed, try, try, again!! Just like the patron I helped the other day, be open to new authors, new genres, new age groups. You might realize that you've been reading in the "wrong rut" all along :)! Stop in and I'd be happy to help guide you on your journey...
Friday, February 17, 2012
From Our Recipe Box to Yours...
Another goody from Pinterest....
SLOW COOKER BAKED POTATO SOUP
Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup Ingredients:
Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup Directions:
Yields about 10-12 servings.
SLOW COOKER BAKED POTATO SOUP
Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup Ingredients:
- 5 pounds russet potatoes, washed but NOT peeled. Diced into 1/2 inch(ish) cubes
- 1 medium/large yellow onion, diced
- 10 cloves of garlic, minced (if you use jarred, it's a 5 teaspoon equivalent)
- 64 ounces (8 cups) chicken stock or broth
- 16 oz cream cheese, softened (I use low fat)
- 1 tablespoon seasoned salt (I use Aunt Cora's Soulful Seasoning)
- optional garnishes: crumbled bacon, shredded cheese, green onions
Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup Directions:
- Add potatoes, onion, garlic, seasoning, and chicken stock to slow cooker.
- Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 10 hours.
- Add the softened cream cheese and puree soup with an immersion blender until the cheese is incorporated and about half the soup is blended. (Alternately you could remove half the soup and the cream cheese to an upright blender, then re-incorporate).
- Stir well, top with your choice of garnishes & enjoy!
Yields about 10-12 servings.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
What's in Your Library Bag Wednesday?...
What a wonderful Wednesday!!! It was nice enough out this morning that I wore my new Spring jacket!! Fun! What a great day to be reading too! But, then again, isn't every day a great day to read? Most Definitely!! So, what is in your library bag this Wednesday?
I am reading a Young Adult selection called Matched by Ally Condie. It's similar to the Hunger Games and Divergent. There must be a trend in young adult literature right now because there seems to be lots of titles like this, where the government is in control of everything and how people start to realize it and rebel. Each one has a little different take on the situation and some are good reads and some are not. This one that I am reading right now is intriguing me. The author has created a "perfect" society. They have developed the perfect nutrition and needs for each individual; the perfect vocation according to your strengths; through statistics, they have developed the perfect day to die, the perfect age to get married, the perfect time to have children (never after 35), etc. They have computers that tell them all of these things about individuals and the "officials" of the government use them to "match" people up with their perfect mates. Everything is perfect. And no one questions any of it, except perhaps some of the older ones who have lived through all of the changes and moved into this "perfection."One of these older ones is Cassia's grandfather. He talks about some of the freedoms that are no more and tells Cassia that it is okay to wonder....
The main character, Cassia, turns 17 early in the novel and this is when you get "matched" with your future husband. From the beginning a mistake has been made in her matching. She actually gets paired with two different boys, both of whom she knows which is unusual in and of itself. The Officials try and correct the error immediately, but Cassia is left wondering. Which leads her to question all of their perfection and how choices can really make life go in different directions; not less, just different.
This really is a fundamental question, isn't it? Is there one, right career that I should choose? Is there one and only one person I should be with and marry? Should my favorite songs be just like everyone else's? But who has the right to decide these things but me? Would it be easier if someone else made all of the hard decisions for us? Absolutely. But would our lives be drastically different? Again, Absolutely.
Ally Condie presents these issues to make us think about life and how one decision affects another and another and another and how perfection really is an unattainable goal, but somehow our lives can turn out just "perfect" in the end anyway.
This is a style you might enjoy. Stop in to the library and check it out.
I am reading a Young Adult selection called Matched by Ally Condie. It's similar to the Hunger Games and Divergent. There must be a trend in young adult literature right now because there seems to be lots of titles like this, where the government is in control of everything and how people start to realize it and rebel. Each one has a little different take on the situation and some are good reads and some are not. This one that I am reading right now is intriguing me. The author has created a "perfect" society. They have developed the perfect nutrition and needs for each individual; the perfect vocation according to your strengths; through statistics, they have developed the perfect day to die, the perfect age to get married, the perfect time to have children (never after 35), etc. They have computers that tell them all of these things about individuals and the "officials" of the government use them to "match" people up with their perfect mates. Everything is perfect. And no one questions any of it, except perhaps some of the older ones who have lived through all of the changes and moved into this "perfection."One of these older ones is Cassia's grandfather. He talks about some of the freedoms that are no more and tells Cassia that it is okay to wonder....
The main character, Cassia, turns 17 early in the novel and this is when you get "matched" with your future husband. From the beginning a mistake has been made in her matching. She actually gets paired with two different boys, both of whom she knows which is unusual in and of itself. The Officials try and correct the error immediately, but Cassia is left wondering. Which leads her to question all of their perfection and how choices can really make life go in different directions; not less, just different.
This really is a fundamental question, isn't it? Is there one, right career that I should choose? Is there one and only one person I should be with and marry? Should my favorite songs be just like everyone else's? But who has the right to decide these things but me? Would it be easier if someone else made all of the hard decisions for us? Absolutely. But would our lives be drastically different? Again, Absolutely.
Ally Condie presents these issues to make us think about life and how one decision affects another and another and another and how perfection really is an unattainable goal, but somehow our lives can turn out just "perfect" in the end anyway.
This is a style you might enjoy. Stop in to the library and check it out.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Friday, February 10, 2012
From Our Recipe Box to Yours...
This recipe is all the rage on Pinterest right now so I thought I'd spread it around a little more...Besides, who doesn't love a treat like this?! Just not sure I want to share any with anybody else!!
******* Brownies
******* Brownies
1 Box of cookie mix,
1 Box of brownie mix,
2 Eggs,
2 Packs of Oreos (double stuffed ones are even better if you can find them)
Some oil
& your favourite ice-cream (optional)
Preheat your oven to 350°F, 180°C, gas mark 4.
Line a baking tray with grease proof paper.
Follow the instructions on the cookie mix box & stir furiously until you have gooey cookie dough, I usually add a little extra water and oil to what they suggest, it just keeps it moist as you'll be baking it for longer than suggested. An extra teaspoon of each is just right.
Squidge (technical term) the cookie dough into a lined baking tray, until it covers the bottom.
Cover this layer with your Oreos. Don't use the broken ones, eat them as you go. This recipe is too glorious to use substandard Oreos.
Mix up your brownie batter. Just stick to the recipe on the box for this one.
& pour over your Oreos.
Bake for 30mins.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
When its still a little bit warm, use the paper to lift your creation out of the tray and rest it on a chopping board.
Use a large, sharp knife to cut it into manageable chunks, sections, slabs... depending on how many calories you think you can handle in one sitting.
Drop onto a plate and scoop on your ice cream.
Enjoy, and don't forget to lick the bowl!
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Thoughts on a Thursday...
We're gonna all be so smart!!
stol·id
[stol-id] Show IPAadjective
not easily stirred or moved mentally; unemotional; impassive.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
What's in Your Library Bag Wednesday?
Welcome to What's in your Library Bag Wednesday!!! I know I missed last week, but have a few thoughts I'd like to share with you this week.
I am just finishing up Brothers Blood by Scott Cawelti that I mentioned a couple of weeks ago. It's only taken me so long because I shared it with my husband and his parents first, since I was in the middle of a historical romance that I was really enjoying by Christina Skye, but that's a story for another day.
Back to Brothers Blood. As you know, it's a story about a murder that took place in Cedar Falls in the 1970s and for that reason if for no other, I am glad to be reading it. I think it's good to know about this major crime in our area's history even if I wasn't old enough to understand at the time.
The major comment I have about this book is it's writing style. Scott Cawelti, if I remember correctly, is or was a professor in journalism and this novel reflects that. In the introduction, he tells the readers that he had to fictionalize some parts of the novel in order to make it more of a story and more enjoyable to read. And he does do that. But, the sentences flow like journalistic writing. They aren't exactly short and choppy, but they have the feel of newspaper writing. One chapter, he'll be talking about Jerry Mark, the murderer, and he'll be telling of a song he was humming while he drove his motorcycle along I-80. The next chapter will then start out with the facts of the story as they stand at this point. So, it kind of goes back and forth between more of a newsy feel and a more story feel. This style doesn't always hold my interest; it makes me want to skim as opposed to reading word for word. However, it did make the actual murder seem, "less", so that made sleeping at night easier which I was worried about at the beginning. So, it's a good style for the type of book, but not necessarily a good style for my reading tastes.
What do you think?? Have you read it yet? Does this type of style interest you? Let me know...
I am just finishing up Brothers Blood by Scott Cawelti that I mentioned a couple of weeks ago. It's only taken me so long because I shared it with my husband and his parents first, since I was in the middle of a historical romance that I was really enjoying by Christina Skye, but that's a story for another day.
Back to Brothers Blood. As you know, it's a story about a murder that took place in Cedar Falls in the 1970s and for that reason if for no other, I am glad to be reading it. I think it's good to know about this major crime in our area's history even if I wasn't old enough to understand at the time.
The major comment I have about this book is it's writing style. Scott Cawelti, if I remember correctly, is or was a professor in journalism and this novel reflects that. In the introduction, he tells the readers that he had to fictionalize some parts of the novel in order to make it more of a story and more enjoyable to read. And he does do that. But, the sentences flow like journalistic writing. They aren't exactly short and choppy, but they have the feel of newspaper writing. One chapter, he'll be talking about Jerry Mark, the murderer, and he'll be telling of a song he was humming while he drove his motorcycle along I-80. The next chapter will then start out with the facts of the story as they stand at this point. So, it kind of goes back and forth between more of a newsy feel and a more story feel. This style doesn't always hold my interest; it makes me want to skim as opposed to reading word for word. However, it did make the actual murder seem, "less", so that made sleeping at night easier which I was worried about at the beginning. So, it's a good style for the type of book, but not necessarily a good style for my reading tastes.
What do you think?? Have you read it yet? Does this type of style interest you? Let me know...
Monday, February 6, 2012
Friday, February 3, 2012
From Our Recipe Box to Yours...
Super Bowl Sunday is upon us!!! What are you going to eat?! Cause it's all about the food, right?? Oh, and the commercials of course...
Here's a couple snack ideas to get you started:
Servings: 8
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
Here's a couple snack ideas to get you started:
Buffalo Chicken Poppers with Avocado Bleu Cheese Dip
Makes 16 poppers
Ingredients:
4oz cream cheese, softened (can use regular, whipped, 1/3 less fat, etc.)
3 teaspoons ranch dip mix, divided
1 large chicken breast, cut into small pieces
3-4 Tablespoons buffalo wing sauce
1, 8-count tube reduced fat crescent rolls
Avocado Bleu Cheese Dip
1 avocado
1/3 cup bleu cheese dressing
Directions:
1. Preheat oven according to crescent roll package directions. Mix together cream cheese and 2 teaspoons ranch dip mix in a small bowl. Season chicken with remaining teaspoon ranch dip mix, and cook in a non-stick sprayed skillet. Toss with buffalo wing sauce, and set aside to cool.
2. Lay crescent rolls out flat, and cut each triangle in half with a pizza cutter. Gently flatten each triangle, and place 1 teaspoon cream cheese mix in the center. Top with a spoonful of chicken. Bring all three sides of the crescent roll triangle to the top, then pinch all three seams to seal. Place on a baking sheet, and bake according to crescent roll package directions.
3. While the poppers are baking, mash avocado until smooth. Stir in bleu cheese dressing, and serve with poppers.
Or, how about.....
Pizza Dip
A layered, hot cheesy dip with all of the great pizza flavours including pizza sauce, cheese, pepperoni, olives and green peppers.
Servings: 8
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup mozzarella, grated
- 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated
- 1 cup pizza sauce
- 1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded/grated
- 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated
- 2 ounces pepperoni, sliced
- 2 tablespoons green pepper, sliced
- 2 tablespoons black olives, sliced
Directions
- Mix the cream cheese, sour cream mayonnaise, mozzarella and parmigiano reggiano and spread it across the bottom of a pie plate.
- Spread the pizza sauce on top and sprinkle on the cheese, pepperoni, green pepper and olives.
- Bake in a preheated 350F oven until the cheese has melted, bubbling and golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Or....
Marshmallow Popcorn
3 bags popcorn (pop and take out extra kernels) 2 sticks of butter 16 oz bag of marshmallows 1 cup brown sugar Microwave butter, marshmallows, and brown sugar for 2 1/2 min. Take out and stir. Microwave again for 1 min. Repeat until thin sauce. When done pour over popcorn and mix. YUM!
Enjoy the day and the food!!!
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Thoughts for a Thursday...
Okay, so I admit I am obsessed with Words with Friends...and I never realized how many "Q" words didn't need a "u"....The word for today is:
Qat (variant of khat)
— n | |
| 1. | a white-flowered evergreen shrub, Catha edulis, of Africa andArabia, whose leaves have narcotic properties |
| 2. | the leaves of this shrub, chewed or prepared as a drink |
| [C19: from Arabic qāt ] | |
| kat or kat | |
| — n | |
| [C19: from Arabic qāt ] | |
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