Happy Banned Books Week!!

     Happy Banned Books Week!! Let's celebrate the fREADom to read what we choose today. Here is a list of banned books...

1. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
2. The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
3. The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck
4. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
5. The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
6. Ulysses, by James Joyce
7. Beloved, by Toni Morrison
8. The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
9. 1984, by George Orwell

11. Lolita, by Vladmir Nabokov
12. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck

15. Catch-22, by Joseph Heller
16. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
17. Animal Farm, by George Orwell
18. The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway
19. As I Lay Dying, by William Faulkner
20. A Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway

23. Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston
24. Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison
25. Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison
26. Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell
27. Native Son, by Richard Wright
28. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, by Ken Kesey
29. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut
30. For Whom the Bell Tolls, by Ernest Hemingway

33. The Call of the Wild, by Jack London

36. Go Tell it on the Mountain, by James Baldwin

38. All the King's Men, by Robert Penn Warren

40. The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien

45. The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair

48. Lady Chatterley's Lover, by D.H. Lawrence
49. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess
50. The Awakening, by Kate Chopin

53. In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote

55. The Satanic Verses, by Salman Rushdie

57. Sophie's Choice, by William Styron

64. Sons and Lovers, by D.H. Lawrence

66. Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut
67. A Separate Peace, by John Knowles

73. Naked Lunch, by William S. Burroughs
74. Brideshead Revisited, by Evelyn Waugh
75. Women in Love, by D.H. Lawrence

80. The Naked and the Dead, by Norman Mailer

84. Tropic of Cancer, by Henry Miller

88. An American Tragedy, by Theodore Dreiser

97. Rabbit, Run, by John Updike
 

How many have you already read? Pick one up today and exercise your right to READ what you want!

From Our Recipe Box to Yours...

Hi!! Let me start by first telling you that I tried both of these recipes last night. They both tasted fabulous and were relatively easy to make. But...there is always a but. :) Who makes up that time of how long it takes to make said recipe anyway?! The only way I could have made those meatballs in 30 minutes was if I was in a TV show kitchen with everything measured and prepped for me and someone on the side handing me some already cooked parts. :) Unfortunately, I do not live in such a world. :) I imagine you don't either. So, that being said. I definitely recommend these recipes. Just make them when you have a little extra time the first time. Then, you'll have the hang of it and can make them in under 30 minutes the next time!!

Happy cooking and trying new dishes!


30 ­Minute Mozzarella Stuffed Turkey Meatballs with Homemade Marinara Sauce 
(http://bakerbynature.com/30-minute-mozzarella-stuffed-turkey-meatballs-with-homemade-marinara/)
Hearty and healthy mozzarella stuffed meatballs are coated in homemade marinara sauce and ready in just 30 minutes! You'e going to love these! 

Ingredients
1 pound ground turkey meat
5 garlic cloves, minced, divided
1 egg
1/2 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup whole wheat panko bread
1/2 cup lukewarm water
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into bite sized cubes (you can use 4 (1 ounce) string cheese pieces, too)
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 (28­ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions 
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
2. Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Allow the oil to simmer (you want it very hot) while you prepare the meatballs.
3. In a large bowl combine ground turkey meat, half of the minced garlic, egg, cheese, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, and panko. Slowly add the water, a few tablespoons at a time. The mixture should be very moist but still hold its shape when rolled into meatballs.
4. Scoop one tablespoon of meat into a small ball. Press a piece of cheese in the center, then cover it with another piece of meat, roll to seal in the cheese. Repeat with all meat/cheese.
5. Fry meatballs in batches in the hot oil, 2 minutes on each side.
6. Place semi­cooked meatballs on prepared baking sheet. Once all meatballs have been panfried, place the baking sheet in the oven to bake for 10-­12 minutes, or until they're cooked though.
7. While the meatballs bake, make your marinara!
8. Add remaining oil to the same pan the meatballs were in, then add the remaining garlic and sauté for one minute, or until the garlic is golden and fragrant. Add the crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, sugar, seasoning and crushed red pepper flakes, mix well to combine. Simmer the sauce for 9 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
9. When meatballs are done cooking, add them to the sauce, stir to coat, and serve!

Notes *Serve with pasta, rice, or crusty bread!

Macaroni and Cheese

www.thepioneerwoman.com

Prep: 15 Minutes	Level: Easy
Cook: 15 Minutes	Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 4 cups Dried Macaroni
• 1 whole Egg, Beaten
• 1/4 cup (1/2 Stick Or 4 Tablespoons) Butter
• 1/4 cup All-purpose Flour
• 2-1/2 cups Whole Milk
• 2 teaspoons (heaping) Dry Mustard, More If Desired
• 1 pound Cheese, Grated
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt, More To Taste
• 1/2 teaspoon Seasoned Salt, More To Taste
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
•  Optional Spices: Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Thyme

Preparation

Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.

In a small bowl, beat egg.

In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn.

Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.

Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth.

Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth.

Add in cheese and stir to melt.

Add salt and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! DO NOT UNDERSALT.

Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine.
Serve immediately (very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top

Yes!!

Book Trailer Monday...

     Here is a book that has never really been on my radar, but has had a list of holds since we got it. Maybe there is something to that...Check it out and see what you think.

How do you choose what to read?

     How do you choose what you'd like to read? Do you like a strong female lead? A male protagonist? Perhaps, you choose a book because of it's witty dialogue? Maybe it's the romance or the historical descriptions. Then again, I know people sometimes like to read a novel because of where it takes place. For example, I tend to really enjoy books that take place in Scotland. I just can't get enough of those hunky highlanders!
     I ran across a new website described on Book Riot today that helps match readers up with novels based on the locale in the books. It's a way to read your way around the world!! A vacation at home found in books!! http://bookriot.com/2015/09/20/sites-like-read-world/?utm_source=Book+Riot+Subscriptions&utm_campaign=f72c610f88-RIOTRUNDOWN_SUNDAY&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_ffcca77bbb-f72c610f88-320520325&mc_cid=f72c610f88&mc_eid=82a79bc9b8

Whatever your reason for reading a particular novel is, this site offers a new way to look at reading and a new way to see the world!

Check it out!

From Our Recipe Box to Yours...

Ran across this on Facebook the other day. I love apple things as much as pumpkin! Plus, it's a fruit, so it can't be bad for you, right?! ;)

Slow Cooker Caramel Apple Pie Dip 

Ingredients
5 cups peeled and diced apples
1 (12.25­oz.) jar caramel sauce (I use Smucker's glass jar ice cream topping)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
pinch salt
1 (14­oz) pkg. refrigerated pie dough
1/8 cup milk
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon


Instructions
1. Combine apples, caramel, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt into a 3 quart or larger slow cooker.
2. Stir.
3. Cover, and cook on HIGH for 1.5­ 2 hours.
4. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
6. Spread out one pie crust at a time onto a baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, spread on the milk. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar mixture onto the pie crusts.
7. Using a pizza cutter or knife cut the pie crusts into serving strips.
8. Spread out the strips on the baking sheet so they don't bake together.
9. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Repeat with other pie crust.
11. Serve and enjoy. http://www.themagicalslowcooker.com/2014/10/26/sl

What's in Your Library Bag Wednesday?...Thursday edition

     Hi all!! What are you all reading? I've noticed I'm in a bit of a slump these days. I did finish a new Romantic Suspense series by Rebecca Zanetti recently, but haven't really picked anything else up. Unless, you count the biography, "Every Day I Fight" by Stuart Scott, on my bedside table. I'm not normally much of a nonfiction reader, but occasionally, something will catch my eye. It's usually a biography. People's lives intrigue me. I noticed this particular book because, as I was checking it in here at the library, I stopped to read the comments written on the inside cover by a previous reader. They wrote, "I started reading this book and couldn't put it down! It was sad but encouraging. Also Stuart was an amazing person!" After seeing that review, I read the inside cover and decided to give it a try. My first impression after reading a chapter or so was how "readable" this biography was. It flowed nicely, being written very well. It had a cadence that made me want to keep reading on. I'm not big in to sports,  so I didn't have a clue as to who Stuart Scott was, but the writing made me want to discover his story, so I read.
     This particular story about Stuart Scott, doesn't have a happy ending, but it does have a very inspirational message for the rest of us. And let's face it, cancer hits us all and in the end it isn't about how great a life we have, but how great we lived it. I am continually amazed by the strength by which some people live their lives. Scott is no exception. So, even though nonfiction isn't my genre of choice, I found a hidden gem.

     Try stepping outside of your reading box. You might just be glad you did.