Thoughts on a Thursday...

Here's a word I picked because it was so interesting I couldn't imagine how you could pronounce it! Then it was a bonus that the sentence is from a novel...

phthisis \THAHY-sis\  , noun:
1. A wasting away.
2. Pulmonary tuberculosis; consumption.

At last Sister Hyacinthe began to speak of the immediate and complete cures ofphthisis, and this was the triumph, the healing of that terrible disease which ravages humanity…
-- Robert Hugh Benson, Lourdes

Apoplexy is no longer to be feared, but phthisis is there. Social phthisis is called misery.
-- Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

What's In Your Library Bag Wednesday?...

     Hi! It's Wednesday and we're back to What's In Your Library Bag Wednesday again? I took a break from the Jodi Picoult novel Between the Lines, cause it just wasn't grabbing me. Now, I have the new young adult novel Legend by Marie Lu. So far so good. It's another dystopian society novel like The Hunger Games. I was in a bit of a rut reading only these types of novels once I got hooded on The Hunger Games, but then I went back to my regular reading of vampires and werewolves for a break and now I am back again. I've only read a couple of chapters, but there are good likeable characters already, so I want to keep reading. I think one of the hardest things to do in this genre of book is to write something different. Many of the dystopian society novels are so similar in how the society runs that they are quite predictable. I thought the Birthmarked Trilogy by Caragh O'Brien was so good because it was unpredictable and threw twists and turns that were unexpected. I loved it and am on the waiting list for the third one to come out.
     But what I really wanted to talk about was how hard it is to not judge a book by its cover. My daughter tends to read realistic fiction, unlike me, but read the Percy Jackson series and loved it. I took this as a cue and started branching out in what I brought home to her. Mostly, I got a, "no way!! Why did you bring that home? You know I don't like that type of book." So, I went back to finding her realistic fiction. Then, once school started again, she asked me to bring home "that book that I didn't want to read earlier this summer..." i.e. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. I don't have any idea what sparked her interest to try again, but now she can't put the book down and is chomping at the bit for the rest of the series. That is like me. She hates to wait to read the next book when she finds a series she loves :)! So, what I'm really trying to say here is, don't discount a book that gets recommended to you on the first try or by the look of the cover or what you assume it is like. It's really hard to do. I was the same way with The Host by Stephenie Meyer. I didn't want to read it because it had aliens in it. I was told by enough people that I needed to read it that I finally bit the bullet so to speak and read it. One of my all time favorite books!!! Sometimes reading can surprise you!! Good books lurk around every corner!! Try a new one today!
   

Book Trailer Monday...

     A quick check in. I made Chocolate Lava cake in the Dutch oven  yesterday for my mom's birthday. It actually worked! Perfectly!! Yummy yum yum yum!!! All I actually did was make a chocolate cake and scoop a container of chocolate frosting in the center. Bake as directed. Voila!! Chocolate Lava cake that was sooo good!! Can't wait to make it again...perhaps with a different combination of cake and frosting...peanut butter lava? strawberry lava with white cake? The combinations could be endless....

     Now on to a book trailer for today....The wildly popular Debbie Macomber has a new book and a new series out that is based in her old very popular Cedar Cove series...See what you think...

From Our Recipe Box to Yours...

     This weekend is my Mom's birthday and she has requested some Dutch Oven cooking from me for her birthday supper. Included in her choices is Chocolate Lava Cake. I have made lava cakes for my daughter's birthday before, but they were in ramekins in the house oven. I tried to make lava cake for my mom once before, but failed. The cake was good, but it didn't have any lava. So, a challenge for my mom's birthday...
     I searched the internet for recipes for lava cake in a Dutch oven. The recipe that looks the easiest is actually for a slow cooker, but notations say it can be done in a Dutch oven. I'll include the recipe and then check in next week and let you know how it goes....

Slow Cooker Chocolate Lava Cake

Posted on December 19, 2011 by Mugger

Chocolate solves everything!   At least we think it does.   This warm and gooey dessert will even make camping on a rainy day cheery and bright!

Ingredients:
1 package devils food cake mix
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 2/3 cups water
1 package Jell-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding Mix
2 cups cold milk
1 bag (12 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions:
Prepare cake mix into batter using eggs, oil, and water. Pour into slow cooker.
Prepare Jell-O Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix using milk. Pour this over cake mix in slow cooker. Sprinkle chocolate chips all over the top of the batter.
Cook in slow cooker on high setting for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until cake is moist but does not jiggle, and little volcanoes of chocolate appear on top. Serve with ice cream, whipped topping, or on its own for a special camping dessert.
Note: For best results use a liner so the cake doesn’t stick to your slow cooker.

If you don’t bring a crock pot, the cake can be made in a dutch oven as well. Prepare the ingredients as described above and pour into a well greased 6″ dutch oven. Cook with 10 coals on the top and 6 on the bottom for about 30-40 minutes. When it is done, it should be cooked all of the way around the edge. Enjoy!

What's In Your Library Bag Wednesday?

     Hi. Welcome to the Wednesday edition of "What's In Your Library Bag"? I have something in my library bag, but I am struggling to get into it. I don't know what my problem is. I LOVE to read and the book Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and her daughter Samantha Van Leer has an intriguing plot line. The premise of the story is that characters in a fairy tale are real and that they live their lives in the book and every time a reader opens the pages they must get to their "place"s and "act out" the story as it is read. The prince in this particular fairy tale knows there is more life out there and he is tired of saying the same lines over and over. He doesn't want to go on a quest to free the beautiful princess that he has no feelings for whatsoever. He dreams of another life and a brown haired girl with honey colored eyes. So,right away there is a bit of fantasy that appeals to me and the idea of romance lingers making me want to read on and see what happens. Does he stay "stuck" in his story forever rescuing the princess? Does he find a way out and meet a brown haired honey eyed girl and fall in love? I just haven't been able to get any further into the story as of yet.
     The whole idea that her daughter came up with the idea and they wrote it together appeals to me, too. I love reading and I really enjoy writing, too. If my daughter ends up loving these things, I will be totally excited to share them with her. The idea of them writing a book together is just plain cool.
     Maybe once the excitement of getting back to school and into the groove of things settles down, I'll be able to really dig into this book. For now, it's slow going.
     You should stop in and check it out or try something else new. We'll be happy to help get you on the road to reading....
   

From Our Recipe Box to Yours...

     I know you are not supposed to pick a book by its cover, but it is truly hard to not take home a book to read when the cover appeals to me. The same goes for food. I was flipping around on the internet and saw this picture and then read the title, I just knew I should put it here and try it  myself...Check It out and see what you think...

Chipotle and Lime Roasted Potatoes

Added by Meredith {In Sock Monkey Slippers} on July 9, 2012 in Potatoes, Sides

Prep Time 10 Minutes Cook Time 35 Minutes

Servings 6

Difficulty Easy

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Small New Potatoes
• 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• ½ teaspoons Kosher Salt
• 1 whole Chipotle Pepper Packed In Adobo Sauce
• 2 teaspoons Adobo Sauce
• 1 clove Garlic
• 1 Tablespoon Grated Lime Zest
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice
• 2 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Chopped Cilantro

Preparation Instructions

Note: Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce can be found canned in most major grocery stores (typically in the Mexican food section).

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. With a knife, slice the potatoes in half. Place the halved potatoes on a baking sheet. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the potatoes. Add salt and toss with your hands until the potatoes are thoroughly coated with oil and salt. Place in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring once, until golden and the potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork.

2. While the potatoes are cooking: Remove one chipotle pepper from the can and mince it (chop into small pieces). Place it in a large bowl. Using the adobo sauce that the peppers are packaged in, add 2 teaspoons of sauce to the minced pepper in the bowl.

3. Peel and mince the garlic clove. Add it to the bowl as well.

4. Next, add the lime zest, lime juice and 2 teaspoons of olive oil.

5. Whisk everything together until combined.

6. Once the potatoes are done and still hot, pour them into the chipotle lime dressing. Add cilantro and gently stir to combine, making sure every potato is covered. Plate and serve.

Thoughts on a Thursday...

Here's an interesting word to learn....

tawpie \TAW-pee\  , noun:
A foolish or thoughtless young person.

Do ye no hear me, tawpie? Do ye no hear what I'm tellin' ye?
-- Robert Louis Stevenson, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Weir of Hermiston

You are just idle tawpies.
-- Amelia Edith Huddleston Barr, Profit and Loss