This happens to be the trailer for the new movie coming out but it will make you want to read the book AND see the movie!! It's a must see! Can't wait til January!
Monday, November 14, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
From Our Recipe Box to Yours...
So, here's a recipe that I found on Pinterest and I am so intrigued by that I am going to make this year for my contribution to Thanksgiving dinner. Maybe you would like to, too....
Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip
Time: 15 minutes prep + 4 hours refrigeration
Yield: 15 servings
Recipe adapted from my dear friend Heather Peterson
1 12 oz package fresh cranberries
1/4 C green onion, chopped
1/4 C cilantro, chopped
1 small jalapeno pepper
1 1/4 C sugar
1/4 t cumin
2 T lemon juice
dash salt
2 8 oz packages cream cheese
1. Put your cranberries in a food processor. I used my mini chopper (one batch of CranberryWoodChipDelight was enough for me. The blender and I aren't speaking to each other at this point....) You could also, just chop them up.
2. Chop up your green onion, cilantro, and jalapeno pepper into small pieces. Careful of the seeds now. Throw on a pair of rubber gloves or something, please. The seeds are the hot part of the pepper. If you don't like a lot of heat on the old pallet, just leave the jalapeno out.
3. Add all ingredients (but the cream cheese and the wheat thins) into a bowl. Mix them all together, cover and store in the fridge for at least 4 hours. The sugar needs some time to soak in to the cranberries and break up their bitter taste.
4. When you are ready to serve, place your cream cheese bricks on a plate.
5. Spread the cream cheese out as evenly as you can.
6. Pour your cranberry mixture over the cream cheese.
7. Spread it all around.
8. Serve immediately with Wheat Thins, Ritz Crackers or Tortilla Chips.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Thoughts for a Thursday...
I am just running across all kinds of interesting words in my reading lately...This one comes from James Patterson's A Christmas Wedding which you should read today!!!
dirndl
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
What's in Your Library Bag Wednesday?
Hey! Happy first day of snow!!!! I know, I know. Most of you are more upset by the snow than happy about it, but to see the joy on my kids' faces this morning made it all worth it!! Besides. It's mostly melted by now...
Since it is Wednesday again, I'm here to ask you What's in Your Library Bag this Fine Wednesday? I have recently finished Divergent by Veronica Roth. This young adult novel was very similar to the Hunger Games trilogy. This novel takes place in Chicago; not the Chicago of today, of course. The government is based on factions. For example, there is the Abnegation faction where you strive to be selfless; many of their jobs deal with helping the factionless or poor and fixing the city for the rest of the factions. This one is where the city's leaders come from.You also have the Candor faction where everyone always tells the truth completely as it is no matter what. There is the Dauntless faction where the members are dauntless and daring and jump off moving trains, etc. This is where the city's protectors come from. You get the idea. Anyway, when a child reaches the age of 16, they must choose a faction. They go through a series of aptitude tests that tell them which faction they lean towards, but ultimately they choice is theirs. They can choose to remain in the faction of their parents or they can choose a new one. If they choose a new one, they forsake their family. The term, "faction before blood" has great meaning in this society.
So, the story begins where a young Abnegation girl, Beatrice and her brother Caleb, must figure out what they'd like to be. After the odd results that Beatrice receives and her choice during the ceremony, the novel takes you on the initiation journey and what it means to be Divergent and Dauntless and a 16 year old girl.
Beatrice or Tris as she renames herself, learns a lot about herself and her fears. She figures out a lot of things about their government and in the end leaves you the reader, with lots of questions about her and what's going on.
Absolutely. Can't. Wait. for the next novel and it doesn't come until next year!!! I don't remember enjoying George Orwell's 1984, but these new books on society seem to be just the thing for me.
This particular novel flowed a lot easier than the Hunger Games did. At no point, did I want to put it down and read something else. If you are looking for something new a different try crossing over into the young adult section and see what goodies you can find. Divergent is a great starting point!
Since it is Wednesday again, I'm here to ask you What's in Your Library Bag this Fine Wednesday? I have recently finished Divergent by Veronica Roth. This young adult novel was very similar to the Hunger Games trilogy. This novel takes place in Chicago; not the Chicago of today, of course. The government is based on factions. For example, there is the Abnegation faction where you strive to be selfless; many of their jobs deal with helping the factionless or poor and fixing the city for the rest of the factions. This one is where the city's leaders come from.You also have the Candor faction where everyone always tells the truth completely as it is no matter what. There is the Dauntless faction where the members are dauntless and daring and jump off moving trains, etc. This is where the city's protectors come from. You get the idea. Anyway, when a child reaches the age of 16, they must choose a faction. They go through a series of aptitude tests that tell them which faction they lean towards, but ultimately they choice is theirs. They can choose to remain in the faction of their parents or they can choose a new one. If they choose a new one, they forsake their family. The term, "faction before blood" has great meaning in this society.
So, the story begins where a young Abnegation girl, Beatrice and her brother Caleb, must figure out what they'd like to be. After the odd results that Beatrice receives and her choice during the ceremony, the novel takes you on the initiation journey and what it means to be Divergent and Dauntless and a 16 year old girl.
Beatrice or Tris as she renames herself, learns a lot about herself and her fears. She figures out a lot of things about their government and in the end leaves you the reader, with lots of questions about her and what's going on.
Absolutely. Can't. Wait. for the next novel and it doesn't come until next year!!! I don't remember enjoying George Orwell's 1984, but these new books on society seem to be just the thing for me.
This particular novel flowed a lot easier than the Hunger Games did. At no point, did I want to put it down and read something else. If you are looking for something new a different try crossing over into the young adult section and see what goodies you can find. Divergent is a great starting point!
Friday, November 4, 2011
From Our Recipe Box to Yours...
Since the weather is turning a bit it's making me feel like eating soup!! I thought I'd include this chili recipe today because it's so different. Everyone knows how to make chili, but this one has a chocolate bar in it!! The only other thing I will say is that if you like things spicy, this recipe needs a little extra oomph!! Otherwise, yummy!
Cincinnati Chili taken from A Man and His Pan by John Boswell
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 can (28 oz.) stewed tomatoes
1/2 C. beef broth
1 T. red wine vinegar
1/2 chocolate bar (2 oz.) like Hershey's (no almonds)
In your nonstick frying pan, cook the ground beef, onion, celery, and garlic over medium high heat, stirring often to break up lumps of meat, until the beef loses its pink color, about 5 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.
Add the stewed tomatoes, beef broth, vinegar, and chocolate; cut up the tomatoes while cooking with a pair of kitchen scissors. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer 1 hour, adding more beef broth if the chili gets too thick.
Cincinnati Chili taken from A Man and His Pan by John Boswell
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 can (28 oz.) stewed tomatoes
1/2 C. beef broth
1 T. red wine vinegar
1/2 chocolate bar (2 oz.) like Hershey's (no almonds)
In your nonstick frying pan, cook the ground beef, onion, celery, and garlic over medium high heat, stirring often to break up lumps of meat, until the beef loses its pink color, about 5 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.
Add the stewed tomatoes, beef broth, vinegar, and chocolate; cut up the tomatoes while cooking with a pair of kitchen scissors. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer 1 hour, adding more beef broth if the chili gets too thick.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Thoughts for a Thursday...
Boy this Kitty Norville series by Carrie Vaughn has really got me!! How about this word??
kvetch (kv
ch) Slang
kvetch (kv
ch) Slang intr.v. kvetched, kvetch·ing, kvetch·es
To complain persistently and whiningly.
n.
1. A chronic, whining complainer.
2. A nagging complaint: "a rambling kvetch against the system" (Leonard Ross).
[Yiddish kvetshn, to squeeze, complain, from Middle High German quetzen, quetschen, to squeeze.]
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
What's in Your Library Bag Wednesday?
It's Wednesday again my reading friends! And I am curious, what's in your library bag this crazy Wednesday? Can you believe there is a chance of snow??!!!
Anyway, I am so excited! I have a book in my bag that I've had on hold for quite some time now...Divergent by Veronica Roth. It's supposed to be very like The Hunger Games so I am expecting a bit of a slow start, but an awesome read thereafter. What about you? Do you have a book that you've been dying to read?
I did want to chat a little bit about something else that's been on my mind...What's with all of these joint authors anyway? Seems like everyone's doing it: James Patterson, Clive Cussler, Dick Francis...I just don't get it. Are the big name authors trying to write more books and can't accomplish them on their own? Are they trying to take a new author under their wings? Are they using their name to sell books for the little guys?
How does it work really? Does the big name come up with the idea and outline and then the "understudy" so to speak, actually writes the novel. Or does it go the other way around?
I tell you what. It kind of makes me mad. If I pick up a book by James Patterson, I want to read a book by James Patterson, not James Patterson and some other guy I don't know. I'm not looking to read 3 and 4 books a year by my favorite authors. I am happy when they write a great, well written novel that keeps me wanting more and waiting for that next one, whenever that happens to be. Even if they are trying to give new authors a start, I still think that the novel selling should be by whom it is by, not selling because it has a big name author attached to it, who may or may not have actually written the story.
I may be wrong. These novels may actually be a collaborative effort where each author is contributing equally and just writing together. That also begs the question, "Why" when James Patterson, for example, already has so many bestsellers to his name.
I don't know. I just don't know. Where do you stand on the subject?
Anyway, I am so excited! I have a book in my bag that I've had on hold for quite some time now...Divergent by Veronica Roth. It's supposed to be very like The Hunger Games so I am expecting a bit of a slow start, but an awesome read thereafter. What about you? Do you have a book that you've been dying to read?
I did want to chat a little bit about something else that's been on my mind...What's with all of these joint authors anyway? Seems like everyone's doing it: James Patterson, Clive Cussler, Dick Francis...I just don't get it. Are the big name authors trying to write more books and can't accomplish them on their own? Are they trying to take a new author under their wings? Are they using their name to sell books for the little guys?
How does it work really? Does the big name come up with the idea and outline and then the "understudy" so to speak, actually writes the novel. Or does it go the other way around?
I tell you what. It kind of makes me mad. If I pick up a book by James Patterson, I want to read a book by James Patterson, not James Patterson and some other guy I don't know. I'm not looking to read 3 and 4 books a year by my favorite authors. I am happy when they write a great, well written novel that keeps me wanting more and waiting for that next one, whenever that happens to be. Even if they are trying to give new authors a start, I still think that the novel selling should be by whom it is by, not selling because it has a big name author attached to it, who may or may not have actually written the story.
I may be wrong. These novels may actually be a collaborative effort where each author is contributing equally and just writing together. That also begs the question, "Why" when James Patterson, for example, already has so many bestsellers to his name.
I don't know. I just don't know. Where do you stand on the subject?
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