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 ]

Book Trailer Monday...

Today, instead of a book trailer I thought I'd put up this youtube video of Elmo's parody of a popular LMFAO hit song....Enjoy!

From Our Recipe Box to Yours...

Janette took me out to lunch the other day and we'd both been wanting to try fried pickles, so we shared a basket. Can I say Yummy?!! Janette doesn't like dill pickles in the first place, but she agrees that fried dill pickles are totally yummy!! But really, what's not yummy when it is batter dipped and fried??

Here's a recipe from www.allrecipes.com to try at home...

Super Easy and Spicy Fried Pickles

Rated: Submitted By: SHUNPR Photo By: Soup Loving Nicole Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 5 Minutes Ready In: 15 Minutes Servings: 8

"Super easy, spicy and tasty fried pickles for the pickle lovers among us!"

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups peanut oil for frying, or as needed 1 (32 ounce) jar dill pickle slices, drained 1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 2 eggs, beaten 1 (8 ounce) bottle Ranch dressing

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat.
2.	Pat the pickle slices dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, cayenne pepper, black pepper and garlic powder. Dip pickle slices into the egg, and then coat with the bread crumb mixture.
3.	Fry the pickles in the hot oil, until golden brown on each side, turning once. Transfer to paper towels, and serve hot with Ranch dressing.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2012 Allrecipes.com

Printed from Allrecipes.com 1/27/2012

Thoughts for a Thursday...

So, I've been playing Words with Friends, which in case you don't know, is an app where you play scrabble with friends via the internet. Sooo addicting!!! Anyway, a very high scoring word happens to be Qi. I've used it but had no idea what it meant. I mean it's perfect, right? You get to use a Q with a U!! Today, I thought I learn what it meant and figured I might as well share with you guys...Here you go...

World English Dictionary

qi  (tʃiː)
— n
	a variant of chi

chi , ch'i or qi 2  (tʃiː)
— n
	( sometimes capital ) (in Oriental medicine, martial arts, etc)vital energy believed to circulate round the body in currents
[Chinese, literally: energy]
ch'i , ch'i or qi 2
— n
[Chinese, literally: energy]
qi , ch'i or qi 2
— n
[Chinese, literally: energy]

What's in Your Library Bag Wednesday?

     It's Wednesday. Well, it's actually Thursday, but Blogger obviously didn't save what I typed last night so I am rewriting my thoughts today. So it's now time for What's in Your Library Bag Wednesday(Thursday)?? Today, I have the book Brother's Blood by Scott Cawelti in my bag. That's the recent book written about the Mark Murders that took place in Cedar Falls in the 1970s.
     I am not old enough to remember the circumstances surrounding these murders, but hearing all of the talk and being from the area, I thought I should acquaint myself. Also, the author, Scott Cawelti was a professor at UNI when I was there, so that makes it more intriguing to me. Scott has been visiting a lot of local libraries talking about his book; he was at the Shell Rock Library last week and Clarksville before Christmas...From what I've heard, people have enjoyed his visits and book, learning things they hadn't remembered. I know it includes statements never before released that add to the understanding of the crime...At any rate, I am curious, so when my hold finally came up, I decided to give it whirl and checked it out. I've barely started, only getting as far as the morning of the crime and the background on the investigators...I'll let you know, but maybe you'd like to try it for yourself and see what you remember. Or perhaps, you're like me and just need to be informed. Better yet, maybe your favorite book to read is True Crime!! This is the story for you! Call us and we'll add your name to the list, 319-352-1223!!

Book Trailer Monday...

 Here's the book trailer and....

 Here's the movie trailer....




It seems all good books go to movies sooner or later....Which do you prefer?

From Our Recipe Box to Yours...Saturday edition!

I've been loving the magazine Simple & Delicious by Taste of Home. I'm not sure if it was a special edition or if it will come every two months, but I love it! Every recipe I've tried so far has been easy and my whole family has told me they liked it!! That's practically unheard of!!

So, we tried this first recipe...and the beauty of it was that the second recipe was right next to it so that you could make it with the leftovers. Brilliant!!

My family loved both!! The magazine is just chock full of good stuff! I have more recipes that I am going to try next week!! Actually makes me want to cook!! Go Figure!

Honey & Spice Baked Chicken
Prep/Total Time: 30 min. Serves: 5 plus leftovers

3 tsp. garlic powder
3 tsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
8 boneless skinless chicken breasts (5 oz. each)
6 T. honey
2 tsp. cider vinegar

Combine first six ingredients; rub over chicken. Transfer to a greased 15 in. x 10 in. x 1 in. baking pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until juices run clear. Combine honey and vinegar; baste over chicken during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Save three chicken breast halves fro the chimichangas or save for another use.

Chicken Chimichangas
Prep/Total Time: 20 min. Serves: 6.

3 Honey & Spice Baked Chicken breast halves, cubed
1 C. refried beans
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
6 flour tortillas (8 in.), warmed
3/4 C. shredded cheddar cheese
Oil for deep-fat frying

Optional toppings: sour cream, salsa con queso dip, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes and sliced seeded jalapeno pepper.

Combine first seven ingredients in a small microwave-safe bow. Cover and microwave on high for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until heated through. Spoon 1/3 cup off-center on each tortilla; sprinkle with cheese. Fold up edge nearest filling; fold in both sides and roll up. Secure with a toothpick.
Heat oil to 375 degrees in an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer. Cook chimichangas until golden brown, turning to cook all sides. Drain on paper towels. Serve with toppings of your choice.