Where there's Allison...

2011, in review

2012-01-31T10:12:00.000-05:00

So, all my previous attempts at writing a year 2011 wrap-up stalled out. Instead of a couple posts on my year, behold - the year in list! (In no particular order)

- I got married to Mr. Aaron-man, who constantly amazes me with how creatively loving a person can be. And where one's love is located. The metatarsal was the latest location of his love for me.

- I surpassed my goal of reading 26 books in a year by two books.

- Some dear friends and family passed away. Tim, Amy, and Nanny are dearly missed.

- Favorite dessert I did not make: Honey and Sea Salt Pie at Piebird

- Favorite dessert I made and can remember: Cookies and Cream Ice Cream. It is AB's vanilla ice cream with a box (yes, a box) of crunched Oreos

- Favorite meal out: Tie between the Fried Shrimp Gnocchi at Top of the Hill and Chicken Saltimobocca at Tupelo Honey Cafe. I totally won in ordering food while on the honeymoon.

- Favorite meal I made: Corn and Cheese Chowder...ooh, and Panko-crusted Salmon

- Least favorite meal I made: Any time I made chicken noodle soup. I am beginning to think I just do not like chicken noodle soup.

- Favorite book I read: Matterhorn, without a doubt. Even now when I am looking at the shelves for the next book to read, I pause on this one, tempting myself to read it again.

- Least favorite book I read: Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer. This book, by an author whose work I love, made me so angry. Krakauer let his personal opinions and beliefs cloud the story and Pat Tillman kind of seemed like a jerk.

- Favorite food find: Gyoza sauce from Trader Joe's

- Product obsessions: Aveeno lotion and Mighty Leaf Tropical Green Tea

- Kitchen tool addition of the year: My blender...and my mandolin...and my salad spinner...wedding presents are the best!

- Household addition: Aaron (duh!)...and our awesome bed of awesomeness, the Tempurpedic.

- I have too many... Dish towels, wooden spoons, and blankets

- I do not have enough... Things to wear, comfy reading places

- Favorite spot: Caribou Coffee with Aaron after geocaching

- Cutest moment: Haydie-bug flirting with Aaron over Thanksgiving. (It may have been my BIL being the flower girl at the wedding when Haydie-bug got stage fright, but I was waiting in the wings, and thus unable to see.)

- Least favorite place: Schmacy's housewares department - over and over again

There are probably large chunks of my 2011 year I am missing here, but I think I hit most of the high notes. 2012 is going to be another big year of big changes - graduations, new jobs, maybe new cities, and a whole lot of "who knows" thrown in!

Vegetarian Chili with Sweet Potato

2012-01-20T11:31:00.000-05:00

Welcome to 2012, long time no see. Aaron and I are still working out who uses the computer when, so my postings have faltered of late due to that...and becoming mildly entranced with a silly Facebook game (thanks, Fliss). However, sometimes a dish is so good, even silly Facebook games take a backseat. Such is the case with Vegetarian Slow Cooker Chili with Sweet Potatoes.

In order to imbue our meals with a little something different, reach that goal of a new dish every month, and because I like trying new things, at the end of every month I pull out all the magazines I have for the next month (end of January, pull out February mags) and check out the recipes. If something looks tasty, I make a note on a post-it with dish and page, and slap it on the front of the magazine. At the end of December I went through this routine while most likely watching football and uncovered this treasure of a recipe. Healthier than most chili, sweet potatoes, and slow cooker. The only things that would make this recipe more enticing are bacon and avocado, which you are welcome to add on top.

The chili has a great balance of spicy (both heat and spices) with a little sweet kick from the sweet potato. I also made some great cornbread (secret's in the buttermilk) and added a dollop of sour cream and crunched tortilla chips. On the chili, not the cornbread. Perfect football food, perfect cozy winter food. Even though Aaron would argue it is not winter if there is not 2 feet of snow on the ground. Fine, perfect below 60 degrees food.

Oatmeal Obsession

2011-11-21T10:48:00.000-05:00

Both Aaron and I enjoy a good breakfast. For proof you need go no further than our wedding rehearsal dinner - eggs, bacon, pancakes, and biscuits from Flying Biscuit. We are breakfast people. However, weekday breakfasts suffer from a shortage on time. For awhile I made a smoothie every morning, but with the weather attempting to turn colder, a warmer breakfast was called for. Enter the oatmeal! I'd make a serving of oatmeal in the evening - 1/2 cup oats, dash of salt, handful of dried cranberries, and a bit of brown sugar - and add a little water at work to to cook it the following morning. Unsurprisingly, my taste buds grew rather dull of the same thing day in and day out. And then I found my oatmeal nirvana - baked oatmeal.

As a general rule in my kitchen, the first time I make a recipe I try to make it by the book. Unless, of course, I am missing an ingredient or five, then I improvise. However, I had to change this recipe from the outset - no bananas or pecans for me, thank you very much. (Sorry Aaron. But at least you will never have to share your banana nut bread with me.) The first time I made this oatmeal, I used thawed peaches and blackberries with sliced almonds for crunch. Very tasty, very purple. Second go 'round I stayed with the peaches and blackberries, and threw a few blueberries in. Sadly, this batch contained a small "oopsie" on my part when I did not let the butter cool enough and it scrambled the eggs a little.

But this last time, oh this last time, baked oatmeal bliss! I maintained my base of peaches, but upped the amount to about half a bag of thawed peach pieces and remembered to let the butter cool a little before it was introduced to the eggs. And, I used cherries. They are bursts of tart, flavorful joy in my mouth. The oatmeal baked perfectly, so it is a little crunchy and a little creamy depending on what area and strata of the oatmeal I got. (I am still not sold on the almonds, but cannot think of anything else to substitute. Any ideas? Pecans and walnuts are not welcomed guests in my mouth.)

I usually bake this up Sunday afternoons and it probably makes 4-6 servings, depending on who is doing the serving. Boys eat a lot. This recipe has the potential to be permanently affixed to the fridge through these winter months. And oh the possibilities. Apples and cranberries, berries galore, maybe even banana nut for Aaron one of these times.

Dip, Dip Hooray!

2011-09-26T15:28:00.000-04:00

Mychurch had a cookout a couple weekends ago, and I decided to deviate from mynormal cookout offerings of desserts and make something savory. This, of course, to the chagrin of "Weischedad" (a church friend and avid sweets eater), who did not fail in telling me that myspiritual gift is desserts, not vegetables, and that I was in sin because Idenied who I am. Or something. In truth, making a savory dish was the onlychance I had at more than one person (Weischedad) eating what I made.

I hadcome across a recipe for Cowboy Caviar a bit ago and kept it one of the filingcabinets of my brain to hopefully use at an appropriate time. Thankfully, unlike many other things I filein my brain, I was able to recall this one. One of the things that caught my attention with this was it reminded meof a salsa I have bought at the Farmer’s Market before from Yah’s Best.

I didnot expect the reaction this side would have, and I think it is one of my mosthighly praised creations. And I did noteven have to cook anything! People ravedabout this stuff, asked for the recipe, told me they could just eat that as ameal. Which I am pretty sure Aaron hasdone at some point this week. I am nottooting my own horn, but loudly blasting the horn of this dish. Seriously, aside from Weischedad the veggiehater, everyone seemed to like it.

CowboyCaviar

3 BellPeppers, Diced

1 RedOnion, Diced

2Tomatoes, Diced

1-2Jalapenos, minced (or however much spice you like)

1 canblack-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1 canblack beans, drained and rinsed

1 canwhite shoepeg corn, drained and rinsed

1bunch cilantro, chopped

About24 ounces Zesty Italian Dressing

Chopall that needs chopping (bell peppers, onion, tomatoes, jalapeno, cilantro), drain and rinse what needs draining (corn and beans), and mix all theveggies in a big bowl. Add enoughItalian dressing to coat, but not drown, the veggies. I learned this lesson after my veggies took a swim instead of a wade in dressing. Chill if not serving immediately. Make sure to buy some tortilla chips as a vehicle for the dip!

31 Before 31

2011-09-16T10:01:00.000-04:00

Another year, another list! This list was fairly quick to put together, in part because there are some repeats from last year that I did not quite get to. There are a few new ones as well, along with a couple that will be on the list perennially. More of the items on this year's list will require planning and/or an ongoing effort, which makes it more challenging, and even better when I accomplish it. So, without further ado, the list!

1. Ride a roller coaster

2. Go to either a professional football or basketball game

3. Go camping with Aaron (in a tent camping) for at least two nights...baby steps

4. Make creme brulee

5. Read 3 books from my compilation "100 Best Books" list

6. Visit a state I have never been to

7. Take the Amtrak with Aaron for a weekend getaway

8. Follow RunTex or Couch to 5K training and run in a 5K (try, try again!)

9. Make Grandmommie's rump roast for a group of friends

10. Throw a movie-themed party, where the food and fun are thematic of the movie we are watching (e.g. Cowboy Spaghetti and playing horseshoes for a spaghetti Western)

11. Figure out how to play Wii Golf (It's my Wii nemesis)

12. Watch 4 films from my American Film Institute Top 100 movies list

13. Go to the Outer Banks

14. Read the Old Testament in a year

15. Read biographies of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson

16. Spend Christmas and Aaron's birthday with Aaron - for the first time!

17. Eat dessert at Hayes-Barton Cafe

18. Try one new recipe a month

19. Read 26 books over the next year

20. Have people over for dinner 4 times

21. Floss regularly

22. Reach 75 geocaches found (currently at 45)

23. Make different homemade breads 6 times

24. Figure out a workable monthly budget for groceries

25. Put together a jigsaw of more than 1000 pieces

26. Give blood (This is easily the scariest item on the list for me)

27. Visit the Farmers Market once a month for fresh, local food

28. Make a dish with mussels

29. Aaron's choice: Aaron would like me to write a 6,000 word short story where a key plot point involves a chair.

30. Make paella

31. Create an Easter Egg Hunt for Aaron (He suggested it, I loved it, and so it is)

As with last year, I will make a separate page on the blog to track how I am doing, and post some of the items as I finish them.

30 Before 30: A Year in Review

2011-09-13T15:09:00.002-04:00

When I thought of my list of things to do before I turn 30, I was a little naive in thinking I would accomplish most, if not all, of the items. However, a few things came up that were not on the list that took my time, including a couple I wanted to place on the list but was afraid to. Namely – get married. Yes, I had an inkling that it would occur prior to my birthday, due in small part to a certain “ultimatum” I may have given. Little did I know how unwontedly topsy-turvy my life would become planning said wedding. Not that the wedding planning is to blame for my uncompleted list. There was a small to large degree of laziness and distraction on my part. Which is why I am happy to have a 31 Before 31 list to work on (coming soon!). I still hope to complete all of it, but I now go in with the understanding that life gets in the way at times, and that is okay.

Of the uncompleted items on my list, I am most disappointed in not reading the Bible through. I really wanted to do this, but I pushed it to the side a few too many times, and spending a Saturday once a month playing catch-up was not in keeping with the attitude of the goal. So, I will amend it this coming year in hopes of accomplishing it. There are also a few goals that will show up again for the coming year – running a 5K, visiting a new state, and seeing the Outer Banks, to name a few.

Although I did not complete all the goals, I realized how much I enjoyed planning for them, working to accomplish them, and crossing them off the list. Goal-setting is a process that has challenged me to think outside my comfort zone, and push myself further where I do feel comfortable. It also forces me to look at the smaller steps I need to take in order to reach a greater goal. I am still working on my 31 Before 31 list, but I hope it comes out a nice mix of fun, comfort zone stretching, and challenging.

Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War

2011-09-07T16:26:00.002-04:00

Without question, Matterhorn is the best book I have read all year. And I am debating whether it beats out last year’s favorite East of Eden. Focused on Second Lt. Mellas and Bravo Company’s actions on and around a small Vietnamese mountain named Matterhorn during the Vietnam War, Karl Marlantes unceremoniously drops the reader into the fray with Mellas as his eyes are opened to what war, politics, home, and the future are in the face of a war with no end in sight.

Matterhorn is a crushingly painful and painfully raw book to read. Good men die, bad men make wise decisions, and the ravages of war show no care as to who it takes or how. Beyond the tension of war itself, there are tensions between race, class, and rank. There were times in the book I became so angry at some of the enlisted men and officers for decisions they made. In one instance, a commanding officer volunteered Bravo to extend their mission, knowing full well they had no food and were low on ammo and would not get more of either in the foreseeable future.

I do not have detailed knowledge of the Vietnam War. It is difficult for me to discern if any of the scenarios Marlantes lays out is absurd or not, but they seem all a little too real from my point of view. The progression of the book is so seamless; I did not realize the subtle changes in perspective until well into it. As I read the book, much like Mellas, I began understanding how things worked and why, and feel the same swing from hope to hopelessness with Bravo Company. Marlantes knows when to gradually part the curtain to some awful truth, and when to rip the bandage off in the most painful fashion.

This is a book that I will continue thinking about far after I finish it. And it is one, too, that will remain on my bookshelf, ready to be reread, for many years to come.

Cast Iron Chocolate Chip Cookie

2011-09-01T10:28:00.002-04:00

Last night for my Bible Study group, I made a chocolate chip skillet cookie. And it was amazing...and so simple! I doubled the recipe and used a larger cast iron skillet since we have some hungry men in our group. And, unlike last time I made food at the new place, I had all the needed ingredients. Instead of only dark chocolate, I used a mix of Ghirardelli semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips, which turned out wonderfully. They are different sizes so it was a nice variance within the cookie.

The skillet gave the edge of the cookie a chewy texture while still keeping the middle soft and gooey. With the doubled recipe and larger skillet size, I also doubled the cooking time to 30 minutes. I think next time I will pull it out a minute or two earlier since I like the gooey more than chewy, but there is a little for everyone with this cookie. The only odd thing was that I thought it a little on the salty side. I am not sure if it was the chocolate I used or if I added too much salt, or if my taste buds were off.

The only addition I would make would be a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or a tall glass of milk. Indulgent and simple, two things not often found together. Tasty tasty!

Alton Brown Feeds Us

2011-08-31T14:15:00.003-04:00

I am a newly minted married missus! The wedding went quite well and the honeymoon was wonderfully relaxing. Once I have all the pictures uploaded to my computer, I will have to show you some of the great food we ate. Aaron and I both agreed that I won in the food ordering most meals, but his dinners were not shabby, either.

The first food we made together as a married duo was, what else, mini man burgers. We are now the proud owners of four sets of garlic and onion powder spice jars. Aaron brought two sets into the marriage, myself one, and one was purchase on the honeymoon for the mini man burgers. So, if you have a recipe that includes onion powder and/or garlic powder, we would happily accept it. We may even invite you over for dinner to share in the onion and garlic powder bounty.

Once we came back home, I set out to make two new dishes for our new life. The first up was potstickers. I adapted Alton Brown’s recipe in a few ways because the store did not have ground pork (turkey was substituted) and, in our merging of assets, some of my assets have yet to relocate. Namely, the Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. Determined to soldier on, I substituted Stubb’s BBQ sauce for Worcestershire, and a little white sugar and molasses for brown sugar. Not quite the same, but it turned out tasty, with a little Southwest flair. It took about two hours to make and cook all the potstickers, but we have eaten them at three meals now, so the time put in was well worth it.

The other new dish I tried was a little lighter fare. I stuck with Alton Brown and made Artichoke Pasta Salad. Quick to throw together and a great summer salad. Cooked some chicken breast (with onion and garlic powder!) and shredded it, cut up some perfectly ripe grape tomatoes, some herbs and tossed with pasta. I like it just a little warm because the herbs perk it up a little. The two things I would adapt next time is using more artichoke and adding a little cooked pancetta for that crunchy, salty kick.

I am not sure what is next on the radar of dishes to make, but I will have fun discovering them!

Shhh...

2011-08-08T08:08:00.000-04:00

I have a secret, and I am going to let you in on it.

The Great Exchange

2011-07-12T13:36:00.000-04:00

A few months ago, over dinner with Aaron at Qdoba, we came up with an idea for a book exchange. We laid out ground rules and agreed to the terms and conditions of the swap. The challenge was to read a book of the other's choosing by a certain date. The rules:

1. The book giver had to have already read the book.

2. The book getter cannot have read the book.

3. The book must not be part of a series.

4. The book was to be fiction.

5. The book had to be able to reasonably be read in a month.

6. On the night of the book exchange, the books were to be wrapped so as to keep the mystery as long as possible.

7. The books had to be read by a certain date.

We agreed upon the rules and set off to figure out which book to give the other. I will not share my book selection, as I hope Aaron will not only finish it, but also write a post of his own about it. The great book swap night arrived and I opened the wrapping to...

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut. I had a suspicion this was the book I was getting...

After reading it over lunch for the past month, I finished it a week or two ago. Loved it! Although it feels exceedingly odd using love and exclamation points about Slaughterhouse-Five. As one review on the book said, it is a funny book you cannot laugh at, a sad book you dare not cry about. Broadly speaking, the book is an account of the bombing of Dresden in World War 2, but its layers go so much deeper than that. However, I hesitate to expound upon the themes and layers as it could cause some to shy from reading it. The book follows Billy Pilgrim, an American soldier in World War 2, as he is captured by the Germans and sent to work in Dresden until it is bombed by the Allies. The story also recounts Billy's childhood and adulthood through clever means. There are sad moments that I chuckled at because of the humor in them, and humorous moments that are not funny because of the misery of them. It is a juxtaposition that Vonnegut wields excellently from beginning to end.

I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did, and the first chapter had faint echoes of an author I have difficulties with. However, once I understood Vonnegut's approach to and structure of his writing, it was simple to follow. Thanks, Aaron, for selecting this book for me to read. And double thanks for helping me cross a goal off my 30 Before 30 list!

I See Dead People's Books

2011-05-25T11:15:00.003-04:00

Sometimes I forget that people aside from Aaron may be interested in the neat things I come across on the internet. Thankfully, Aaron reminds me of this from time to time, and upon this occasion, I took action. Lately, I have been updating my LibraryThing library, which would explain why most of the "recent books from my library" are from my library circa 1992. In my updates and additions, I stumbled across quite the gem, a group called I See Dead People's Books. Users investigate famous readers' physical libraries and create a virtual library for them. Famous readers include Thomas Jefferson, e.e. cummings, Aaron Copland, C.S. Lewis, Emily Dickinson, Tupac Shakur, and Daniel Webster.

If you are a member of LibraryThing (free until 200 books in your library, then $10/year membership or $25 for life), you are even able to compare your library to the famous reader and see what overlaps there are. C.S. Lewis and I share 40 books while Tupac and I only share 3. Not only is "I See Dead People's Books" a unique way to see what influenced these politicians, thinkers, entertainers, and writers, but also another way to add a couple books to your own list to read. Perhaps you have a deep and abiding love for William Faulkner (ugh) and wish to see where he found his inspiration. Look no further than his library shelf!

Nooooooo!

2011-05-12T11:56:00.000-04:00

Say it ain't so...Good Eats is ending! I do not doubt Alton Brown when he says good things are on the horizon; I just hope they will be available on my horizon. AB is the person who reminded me after college how fun cooking can be. He is also the person I used to lure Aaron into the kitchen, a true miracle from what I understand. Alton (yes, we are on a first name basis, though he may not know it yet) is the guy I go to when I want to make something new but am not sure what. I have yet to make a recipe of his that is not stellar and worth repeating, sharing, and/or feasting upon. I will miss Good Eats and be watching like a hawk to see when and how AB will show up next to demonstrate his knowledge, humor and culinary abilities.

30 Before 30: The Maltese Falcon

2011-04-12T09:46:00.000-04:00

Do not be surprised if, upon opening The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett, you begin to smell the pungent odor of cigarette smoke, fog begins rolling into your room, and everyone begins calling you "gorgeous" or "doll." This book seems to have been specially created for reproduction in film noir. A beautiful redhead steps into the smoke-filled San Francisco detective office of Sam Spade begging for his help...and so the story goes.

I chose this book as one of my "3 books from Top 100 list" tasks because I already owned it and I love a good detective story. It got onto my list by making the lists of Modern Library 100 Best Novels - The Board's List, Radcliffe's Rival 100 Best Novels List, and Newsweek Top 100 Books - The Meta-List. So now you know half the places from which I have created my own list. Welcome to the inner sanctum!

The Maltese Falcon was a quick read with a rather straightforward writing style and plot line. At times the characters became slightly confusing because of the double-crosses and shifting "true" stories, but I never was lost while reading for longer than a couple paragraphs. I had already seen the movie, which helped create the scene and tone of the book (hence the smoke and fog), but the book does a fantastic job of conveying the mood of a moment through the dialog and descriptions of the people and scene. Sam Spade can go from being a heartthrob to a cad with a swift change of face or a harsh word.

Aside from owning the book and seeing the movie, there was another ulterior motive. Mythbusters. Or, to be more specific, Adam Savage's obsession with The Maltese Falcon. Click the link and watch the video - it is about 17 minutes long, but well-worth it. It is more an exploration of where curiosity can lead with a little mystery and crime of its own thrown in.

So, I am two books down and one to go to complete my goal of three books from my list by September. There are a couple of books I own that are also on my list, so I have a few to choose from. Since I have no idea which one I will choose, I cannot even leave you with a cliffhanger ending, which would have fit this post on The Maltese Falcon well. Hmm...whatever book it will be, it is bound to be mysterious...

30 Before 30: 6 Month Check In

2011-03-14T13:18:00.001-04:00

It is so hard to believe that I am already 6 months into my 30 Before 30 List. I have accomplished a few things, but there is still a lot left to do. So, here is the list again with some updates on how things are going and my plans to accomplish these goals.

1. Make a layered cake from scratch
Happily accomplished and noted here

2. Read Bible, cover to cover
I started this about a month late, in mid-October, so I had to play catch-up. I got close to being on track, but am now about a month behind again. Currently reading about King David and his Psalms. Leviticus and Numbers were painful and are done with.

3. Make pad thai from scratch
I have made this a second time since the first experiment. There is still a lot of learning to do with this dish, but it is getting there. The last batch was too vinegary and astringent for me, and the tofu did not have good mouth feel.

4. Make a dinner calendar for a month's world of meals
I think I may do this for April. This is one I keep forgetting about; it's sneaky!

5. Go to the Biltmore Estate
There are plans in the works for this, but it is too early for details.

6. Go to the dermatologist for a skin cancer screening
This was one of the first things I wanted off my list, and am so happy to have done it. I love the dermatologist I found and she found no moles of concern. Yay!

7. *Personal Goal*
Done! Not much more left to be said about it than that.

8. Follow RunTex training and run in a 5K
I plan on starting the training later this month with hopes of getting through the training at a relaxed pace in May or June. I guess this means I should start looking for races to run in.

9. Lose at least 12 pounds
Yeah, this one is hard! Can I blame it on goals #1 and 3? I had a good workout schedule going, and then life got a little nuts and busy and all schedules flew out the window.

10. See an allergist/nutritionist about my food issues (OAS)
Honestly, this one is pretty low on the "must accomplish" scale. It is more for my own curiosity than anything else.

11. Have people over for dinner 6 times
Still sitting at one, though I have high hopes for the 5 other times. There has been a lot of food preparation at my place, but none of it for people coming over. I outsource my hospitality.

12. Pay for the order of the car behind me at the drive through
Not yet, but hopefully soon. Chick-fil-a and Wendy's, I am looking at you!

13. Go to the Outer Banks
I may try and do this in late spring or early summer on a weekend getaway jaunt. Maybe combine it with 21?

14. Reach 50 caches found with Geocaching
14 to go!

15. Get a pedicure
Once it is sandal weather, I am on it!

16. Make sangria
Why are so many of these warm-weather focused? It is like I wanted to load it all up to finish in the last 3 months.

17. Visit a state I have not been to
Plans are in the works for this one in cooperation with visiting Biltmore.

18. Master Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day
Still not mastered. Actually, I have not even cracked open the book in months.

19. Bid soda a fond farewell
This may be a hard one to do. Not because I love soda, but because I do not have it that often and therefore it is kind of a treat when I get it. And, I really like Izze.

20. Go dairy-less (aside from yogurt) for a month and see how I feel
I think I may do this in conjunction with #4.

21. Have a girls' night
One of these days...

22. Eat at Lilly's Pizza
Accomplished, but barely. It was very busy, waited almost 2 hours for our takeout order. The pizza was pretty good, if a little salty due to the prosciutto.

23. Make homemade marshmallows
I forgot about this one! Hmm...maybe it will make an appearance at small group.

24. Roast and eat a beet
Almost every time I get groceries, I look at the beet and think, "Maybe next time."

25. Get a physical
I still need to, but I feel I have been poked and prodded enough lately that I do not wish to do so again so soon.

26. Make and eat a whole lobster
Step one is find out where to purchase a lobster, or if ordering online is best. Step two: Kill the lobster! All the rest will follow.

27. Make it through my Pilates DVD without breaking anything or passing out
I may amend this to be my Jillian Michaels DVD, as I like the physicality of it more. But we shall see.

28. Read 3 books from my compilation "100 Best Novels" list
I read A Christmas Carol, and am working on the other two right now. Possibly within a month of completing this goal.

29. Buy a whole nutmeg

Yes, this was my cop-out goal. Buying a whole nutmeg had been on my list of things to do for years, years I tell you! Glad to cross it off that mental list.

30. Watch 4 movies from my American Film Institute Top 100 movies list

I am halfway there after watching Shane and Duck Soup. Personally, I hope the next two are a little better. I'm looking at you, A Clockwork Orange.

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

2011-02-17T13:52:00.003-05:00

I know I am a month early, but I cannot keep this little gem of a recipe hidden for another month. Also, I probably will not remember to post about this recipe a month from now. Or it will come in July. Kind of makes you the reader wonder at all the things I have on my "to blog" list that have been left unpublished for a couple months. And, "to blog" sounds a lot like "to blathe" which also sounds like "true love."

Back to the recipe! I saw it online one day and thought it made for a tasty dinner and good bring to work food. Behold, Irish Beef Hand Pies. I have made these twice, once for Aaron and once for my small group, and both times they turned out fairly decent. The biggest issue I ran into was the store bought pie crust dough yielded thin and delicate pies, which created Irish Beef Fork Pies. Still good, just not as portable. What is great about this recipe is it gives you freezing directions, so you can make a batch, bake some, freeze some, and have pre-made dinner a week later when you are crazy busy and just as hungry.

Also great? Easily customizable. Add some shredded carrots, spicy sauces, BBQ sauce, or onions and make a whole new pie! A definite recipe winner, and one I will hold onto for a long time. No pun intended.

30 Before 30: Cake!

2011-02-13T14:39:00.000-05:00

It was not a mistake that "make a layered cake from scratch" was goal #1 on my list. In fact, I knew the exact cake I was going to make when I wrote goal #1 down. I have had this recipe since 2003! The Austin American-Statesman published a recipe for a chocolate creme de menthe cake and I quickly commandeered the entire Food section and have kept it in my recipe binder ever since, waiting for the day when I had reason to make this three-layered cake of chocolate minty (hopefully) goodness.

That time came recently to the benefit of my small group as an apology to Weischedad for not bringing dessert the previous week. As he informed me, everyone has a spiritual gift. Mine is dessert; his is consumption. I was not living out my spiritual gift and therefore hindering his ability to live out his as well. With that word of wisdom and truth spoken into my life, I decided this would be the week I make a layered cake.

The cake itself is easy to make and actually similar to a recipe I have for sour cream chocolate cake. The frosting is a ganache, which was even easier to make - some heavy cream and a lot of semi-sweet chocolate. No, this is not a diet cake in any way, shape or form. The challenge for me came in the assembling of it. I am not known for my dexterity or balance, and both were needed when stacking and icing this cake. The three layers went on easily enough, and then came putting the ganache over the surface of the cake.

I was getting impatient. The ganache was cool, but not thickened enough to ice, or is it frost? But my desire to see the final product outweighed my patience. So I poured. And, as expected, ganache slid beautifully down the cake, coating it with a lovely layer of chocolate...and then onto the plate and then the counter. What was my reaction? Stick my hand under the ganache waterfall and catch it. But once I had a handful of chocolate, I was unsure how to relocate it to the cake. Yes, it was messy. I got into the swing of icing and filling in the cracks between layers. One final hurdle - the chocolate sprinkles. Thank goodness for sprinkles, for they cover a cake-full of irregularities. No one notices the chasm between layers when sprinkles are there to distract!

The cake, refrigerated and looking more like the Statesman's picture, safely made its way to small group where it was happily devoured by Weischedad and company. I did have a moment of panic when cutting and the knife did not quickly slide through. "Uh-oh," I thought, "Did I forget to take the parchment off the cake layers?!" No, it was only the Andes mints giving a little resistance. Everyone ate and said they liked it, and I was able to help a brother fulfill his Christian calling as a consumer of food.

Will I make a layered cake again? Absolutely. Will it be anytime soon? Nope.

A Sandwich for Saturday

2011-01-19T13:02:00.002-05:00

I have kind of gone lax on cooking dinners lately. Do you ever get in those funks? It seems I am constantly cleaning pots and pans in my kitchen, only to turn around and get them dirty again for the next meal. And I have run low on ideas. I have plenty of things I would like to make, only none of them stand out from the pack. And so I have a bagel for dinner. Or popcorn. Or cereal. However, this weekend Aaron was over at my place and, after a day of geocaching and a laundry adventure, I felt he should have something better than whatever I can cobble together from my fridge. So, we made Cuban sandwiches.

If I had known how easy these were to make, I think I would have made these a lot earlier on in life. Some lunch meat, cheese, a pickle, mustard and a roll and you are good to go. I do not have a panini press, so I used two cast iron skillets to flatten and toast the sandwiches. From experience, I learned if you do it this way, it is best to flip the sandwiches midway through or bread not on the hot pan will get mushy, not crispy. Throw in a side of chips and a cool beverage and you have great quick eats. So good and quick Aaron and I had Cuban sandwiches again Sunday for lunch.

I am going to keep this sandwich in my back pocket for future quick and tasty dinners. Maybe next time I will try to recreate some beloved sandwiches from restaurants that are now far from home. Grilled Indigo from Blue Baker, anyone?

30 Before 30: Pad Thai

2011-01-11T16:27:00.004-05:00

As part of my 30 Before 30 list, last Friday I endeavored to make pad thai. From the outside, this dish was slightly daunting. Strange ingredients, quick cooking steps, and an unknown outcome. This is a dish that is so representative of a culture and national cuisine, I was afraid I would totally flub it.

My love of pad thai began on a trip Aaron and I took to San Francisco. One night after a day of sight-seeing, we were starved and looking for some good grub to eat close to our hotel. We happened upon King of Thai Noodle House off Union Square. Aaron was in the mood for curry, if I recall, and I thought I would try something new and go for pad thai. We ordered it to go, paid our cash, and returned to the hotel to eat dinner and watch a movie. Maybe it was the day of walking up and down San Francisco's hills, maybe they put some special stomach-expanding sauce in the dish, but I ate about two people's worth of pad thai in about 10 minutes. So incredibly good. So good in fact that Aaron and I went back the next night and I ordered the exact same thing. Aaron ordered something that was no doubt grossly inferior to my pad thai.

Ever since then I have hesitantly ordered pad thai at a couple places and been disappointed. So, I took it upon myself to figure out how to make it at home. I used Alton Brown's recipe and gathered the ingredients from the grocery store and Asian market. Strangest ingredients are the dried shrimp (you can see their little eye balls!), tamarind paste, and palm sugar.

This is one of those dishes when, after I make it, I am not completely sure of anything. Was the tofu done? Did the rice noodles soak long enough? If I find a rejuvenated dried shrimp, will I eat it? Am I about to give Aaron and myself food poisoning?

Thankfully no food poisoning occurred, I only found one dried shrimp, and the pad thai was pretty good. It is not yet on par with King of Thai, but I know I can make it again and hone my pad thai making skills. Very filling, great reheated, and a nice break from the norm of dinners.

Although I am going to hide my bag of dried shrimp until I make it again (they stare at me!), I am sure it will not be too long until I try my hand at pad thai again.

30 Things before I Turn 30

2011-01-08T15:49:00.000-05:00

This is not a new year's resolution list. I was surfing the web one day...probably when I should have been working, and I came across this cool idea of making a list of 30 things to do before you turn 30. With that particular birthday arriving this year, I thought I would make a list of my own to see if I could accomplish it. And, since telling people about things helps in the encouragement and accountability, I am going to share it with y'all! Now, mine is fairly tame when you look at other people's lists, but it is my list and I like it...except for a few I may change if I can think of something better.

1. Make a layered cake from scratch
2. Read Bible, cover to cover
3. Make pad thai from scratch
4. Make a dinner calendar for a month's worth of meals
5. Go to the Biltmore Estate
6. Go to the dermatologist for a skin cancer screening (aka moley doctor)
7. *Personal goal*
8. Follow RunTex training and run in a 5k
9. Lose at least 12 pounds
10. See an allergist/nutritionist about my food issues (OAS)

11. Have people over for dinner 6 times

12. Pay for the order of the car behind me in the drive through

13. Go to the Outer Banks

14. Reach 50 caches found with Geocaching

15. Get a pedicure

16. Make sangria

17. Visit a state I have not been to

18. Master Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day

19. Bid soda a fond farewell

20. Go dairy-less (aside from yogurt) for 30 days and see how I feel

21. Have a girls' night

22. Eat at Lilly's Pizza

23. Make homemade marshmallows

24. Roast and eat a beet

25. Get a physical

26. Make and eat a whole lobster

27. Make it through my Pilates DVD without stopping due to gasping breath or inability to bend

28. Read 3 books from my compilation "100 Best Books" list

29. Buy whole nutmeg

30. Watch 4 movies from my American Film Institute Top 100 movies list

I will be adding these to a page on my blog so I can keep everyone updated on my progress. There will also be a few posts on the more interesting items and adventures I have.

Poplar Forest

2010-12-31T15:36:00.001-05:00

Since Aaron and I failed at visiting Poplar Forest in March of this year, we decided that it would make for an excellent mid-summer "meet in the middle" location. Yes, Aaron was out of state this summer interning...again. One of these summers Aaron and I will both be in the same state. 2012, anyone?

Back to the mid-summer meet in the middle trip. The drive to Lynchburg from Raleigh is gorgeous. Lots of small towns and farms. To give you an idea of how rural and untraveled the road was, I saw, perhaps for the first time ever, a live hippity-hoppitying little brown bunny on the side of the road. I resisted the urge to stop in the middle of the road to watch it munch on wild grass and continued on. I think downtown Lynchburg is in the beginnings of a revival, because while some blocks were lively and busy, other sections were nothing but broken windows and empty buildings. Still, not a place I would want to be walking around alone at night.

I had done some food research before leaving to find some local places to eat while we were there. We ate at a roadside diner for breakfast for what I hoped would be down home and tasty food. Well, they got the down home right, but not so much on the tasty. Both of the plates Aaron and I ordered came different than how we ordered (different sides and omelet fillings). I am not that great of an egg maker, but I probably could have made a better, fluffier omelet than what I was given. Live and learn, I suppose.

Poplar Forest, for those who are oblivious to what it is as we were earlier this year, is the retreat home of Thomas Jefferson. It was designed entirely by him and is smaller, quieter, and more removed than Monticello. It sits near the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains far from anything resembling a city, both then and now. The house itself is an octagon with an offshoot bottom floor that housed the kitchen, some slave quarters and such. Jefferson designed the landscaping as well, with a mix of formal garden and open lawn.

This place is amazing. The preservation society has worked methodically to regain as much of Jefferson's original land as they could, and the results vastly improve the entire experience when visiting. Standing on the back lawn, looking across to the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance, there is no sound of cars, no barking dogs, only the muffled voices of other visitors and guides. And suddenly it is crystal clear why Jefferson selected this place as a retreat. Here, he could get away from the visitors, the obligations, the busyness of Monticello and read, relax and reflect. I think he earned it, too!

I hope I am correct in speaking for both Aaron and I when I say we fell in love with this place. It lacks the grandeur of the other presidential homes we visited; it is not polished or put together. But it is personal, so simply handsome. Those who are restoring the property and home are meticulous in every detail. They read Jefferson's letters for any hints of the moldings and furniture; they have plant archaeologists combing the ground and soil for remnants of roots and seeds from when Jefferson began plantings. They hope to restore many of the poplar trees that gave this home and property its name. It is apparent how dearly these people care for this place, and I think it rubbed off on Aaron and me. Poplar Forest invites the same sentiments Jefferson must have striven for then in its visitors today - reflecting, dreaming, resting, and re-energizing.

Sadly, we eventually had to leave Poplar Forest. However, my pre-trip food searches paid off this go around with a fantastic coffee shop, The Muse Coffee Company. Aaron and I found a table upstairs and enjoyed bagel sandwiches and some great coffee with an afternoon of chatting and reading before we had to head our separate ways for the remainder of the summer.

For those interested in a presidential homes' tour like Aaron and I accomplished in two parts, I would highly encourage it. In fact, here is a suggested route!

Mount Vernon - George Washington's home outside of Washington, DC

Montpelier - James Madison's home near Orange, Virginia (southwest of DC)

Monticello - Thomas Jefferson's home near Charlottesville, Virginia (southwest of Orange)

Ash Lawn-Highland - James Monroe's home near Charlottesville, Virginia ( down the road from Monticello)

Poplar Forest - Thomas Jefferson's retreat home near Lynchburg, Virginia

View Larger Map

A Year of Books in Review

2010-12-21T10:43:00.000-05:00

Read any good books lately? I have been the asker and the recipient of this question many times over the years, as I am sure you have as well. I thought I would make a quick list of the best books I have read this year for all to see. And, in return, I ask you to add your own list of best books in 2010 in the comments to share with everyone. I am always hunting out good books, and this is a quick way of trading information and adding a few more titles to my ever-expanding list of books to read, which is well over 150 books right now. So go on and add some more to my list!

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot - Excellent book that covers American history, science, privacy, medicine, and human drama. There has been a ton written about it, so I will no ramble on about it. Great book to read.

The Passage, by Justin Cronin - I am so shy about explaining this book because, yes, it kind of sort of is about vampires, the theme du jour of late. It is well-written, the story flows well, and it keeps the reader turning the page.

Freedom, by Daniel Suarez - First, read Daemon, then read this sequel. Michael Crichton with more technological focus, if I had to describe the style. A compelling topic that is both enjoyable to read and brings up questions for the reader regarding present day politics, technology and society.

The Zookeeper's Wife, by Diane Ackerman - I am a sucker for World War II books, and this one delivered. I enjoy those books that hone in on one specific moment in history, and this one does just that. It tells the story of a family who owned a zoo that they used to hide Jews fleeing the Nazis in Poland.

And, my favorite read in 2010 is...

East of Eden, by John Steinbeck - One of my high school teachers tries to read To Kill a Mockingbird every summer. Like To Kill a Mockingbird, I think East of Eden is one of those books that is worthy of reading and rereading. It is an epic and timeless story that is extremely enjoyable to read. Thank you, GANC, for bringing me this book!

Books You Can Wear

2010-12-13T09:13:00.005-05:00

I have been ogling shirts from Out Of Print Clothing for months. I decided that I would purchase one for myself once I completed The Great American Novel Challenge. The challenge completed, and myself declared queen of the books, off I scurried to the site to select which shirt to call my own. Decisions, decisions. Do I opt for Moby Dick because, at that time, it was the only GANC book I had read that was also a shirt? However, I did not especially enjoy the book, and did not relish the thought of having passersby engage me in conversation about a book I prefer not to speak at length regarding.

I eventually narrowed my choices down to Hound of the Baskervilles and 1984. Difficult decision which was quickly made much easier when the shirt for Hound of the Baskervilles was changed. Sadness. So, I chose:

I love it! Some notes on the shirt itself. When the site tells you the shirt runs small, they are not joking. I got an extra large and it fits me perfectly - not baggy or too tight and fits through the shoulders. The fabric is super soft and it is my favorite weekend hang out shirt. I even wore it on Halloween to work as my "costume." Because, what is scarier than the world of 1984?

Presently, I am resisting the temptation to read all the books of the shirts I like. However, Atlas Shrugged is gaining ground on my list of books to read, and Brave New World may perhaps be my next shirt purchase. It is not that I enjoy reading about dystopia, I just like the book covers!

(And, since this is the season of giving, buying a book/shirt combo for the reader in your life would make for a pretty cool gift! As a bonus, for every shirt purchased, Out of Print donates a book to a community in need through Books for Africa. Two gifts for the price of one!)

Look, Look a Nook

2010-12-03T13:21:00.000-05:00

For my birthday, Aaron bought me, among other things, a Nook. Yes, I am officially part of the e-book crowd. And you know, it is pretty nice. As Aaron will point out if I do not, I did not really use my Nook for books initially. No, I was pleasantly distracted by the sudoku games that come on it. It is an excellent thing to do while watching football! You cannot read and watch football, but watching football and not doing something else feels lazy to me. So, I played sudoku. Yes, this is still fairly lazy, but I am exercising my mind...and my right index finger.

For some time over the summer and early fall, Barnes & Noble was putting out 10 classic books in electronic format weekly - for free! Once I learned of this, I began purchasing them, which led to a virtual library of about 90 classic books...before I even had something to read the e-books on. Yes, it is hard for me to pass up free books. In Aaron's gift to me, he included a print out from our local library explaining where and how to check out e-books.

This sheet came in handy when I wanted to borrow an ebook. However, being that I have a Mac and people still do not realize how many people have Macs and therefore why it is a good idea to have software that works on a Mac, it was not that easy. The program I needed to get the ebook on my Nook was a pain in the rear. Several support forums later and I got my book! (This is not the Nook's fault in any way; it is the Adobe application I needed to get the book from the library, to my Mac to my Nook that was the issue.)

I decided to read The Passage by Justin Cronin as my first official e-book. It looked like a good book that would be enjoyable to read on paper and an excellent "fun read" to test out how the Nook works as a reader. All in all, I am impressed with it and I only saw a few minor things that could slow the reading experience. The hardest part is that if you want to refer back a few pages to earlier text, on the Nook you cannot just skip back to the desired page. You have to push the back button until you get there, which can be mildly annoying. However, as I did with a drawing in The Passage, you can easily bookmark pages that are kept in a list for quick referral.

I like reading in my Nook. It is more portable than some books I read and it is not difficult to read from at all. If I get bored of one book, I can quickly flip to another. And, as I expect over this Christmas flying season, it will help me reduce the weight of my baggage by a good 5-10 pounds. Books are not light, people, and carrying 5 of them with you on board because having them in the checked bag puts it over the poundage limit is a scenario I would like to avoid this year. Now, I can carry 111 books with me and it all fits in my purse.

Cast Iron Cooking: Upside-Down Apple Tart

2010-11-12T13:01:00.003-05:00

What did I do before I inherited my grandmother's cast iron? It amazes me I managed to survive in the kitchen without cast iron pans. The latest cast iron creation came to me courtesy of Southern Living magazine. Say hello to Upside-Down Apple Tart.

This is not a picture of my tart. Though it could have looked like that if the following things had not occurred:

- I was making it for my small group on Wednesday and I wanted it to be hot for them. However, I do not have enough time after work to peel the apples and cook it. So, I peeled the apples on Tuesday, which was not a problem except I think it gave the apples the chance to lose some of their liquid. Which, in turn, led to the syrup part not thickening and the apples got a little mushy. Still good eats, the apples were more amorphous than the above picture displays.

- Since I cooked it after work and before small group, I had a very small window of time to work. I could not wait for the sauce to thicken more and once the oven timer went off, out the door I went to small group.

- Because the sauce was not as thick as desired and the crust (which is amazing!) may not have cooked as long as it could have to reach the perfect golden brown crust, when Aaron and I flipped the not-so-light cast iron pan filled with tart over, "shifting" occurred. That is to say, it nearly fell off the plate and onto the table. But all was well and only a few globs of apple/sauce fell overboard.

- The tart goes great with ice cream, by the way. Too bad I left the quart I bought for it at home.

Moral of the story: This is a great and easy dessert to make and it elicits oohs, aahs and yums. However, perhaps you can learn from my experience and do all of the recipe in one day. Except for the dough - that can be done a day ahead without any ill effects. And, as a fellow small grouper admitted later, it makes for a great breakfast the next day. Better than a pop tart!

Spring Break (finally!)

2010-10-16T10:58:00.000-04:00

Back in March, Aaron and I took a little spring break vacation to Charlottesville, Virginia. Our goal was simple: visit a bunch of presidential homes. Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, James Madison's Montpelier and James Monroe's Ash Lawn-Highland are all located within an hour of Charlottesville, so it was a Founding Fathers road trip. After an unexpected overnight in Richmond due to a blown tire, which is a story in and of itself, we started our vacation visiting Monticello.

Aaron likes Jefferson. Really really likes him. I think if Aaron could be someone else in a past life, Jefferson would be high on his list. Maybe it is because he secretly yearns to be a redhead. Maybe Aaron wants the freedom to wear breeches and a tricorn hat without all the stares and whispers. Whatever the case, Aaron was eager to see Jefferson's home, library, and some of the inventions. The tour was great and very thorough, going room by room and sharing not only Jefferson's hand in the design, but the histories of specific pieces and who may have visited or why things were historically significant. It was still early spring and rainy, so the gardens and yard were not at its best and brightest. It was still beautiful, it just took imagination to think of what it looked like in full bloom on a sunny day.

After drooling over everything in the gift shop and resisting the compulsion to spend a small fortune there, we headed down the hill to Mitchie Tavern, a refurbished colonial era tavern and inn. They have a little restaurant that serves food that could have been served at the tavern in the 1700s. I think the menu changes seasonally, but what we had was fantastic. It is served buffet style, so Aaron and I got a little of everything. I think the best fried chicken I have eaten, stewed tomatoes, pulled pork, roast chicken, rolls, green beans, beets, cornbread, slaw. So very very good - sit by the fire and eat off tin plates while the wenches ask if you would like any more food. I think if they were renting rooms I would have stayed just so I could eat the next meal. After we glutted ourselves, we made our way over to the inn and a wench took us through the house. This was an interactive tour, so we played some games they would have played (I beat Aaron) and danced a little. It was especially appealing for me to see the kitchen tools they used - like the toe stir! She also showed us tea bricks, which are compressed tea leaves that people would use when traveling so the leaves would not spoil and use as a form of money. After seeing these at several places, I caved and got a small brick of black and green tea. Still have yet to try it out, and even if it is not delectable, the designs are pretty neat.

That evening, Aaron and I went to downtown Charlottesville. For a relatively small city removed from other metropolitan areas, I was surprised how vibrant and modern the downtown was. If Austin could be compressed into one street, Charlottesville's downtown is close to how it would look and feel. We ended up having dinner at a panini and wine restaurant. The sandwiches and salads were excellent, Aaron enjoyed his wine and I was all but driven to distraction by two ladies nearby who spent about 45 minutes and several tastings of wine to try and find the bottle they wished to purchase. I am new to wine lingo, so I could not tell if they knew what they were talking about or knew enough to be dangerous with buzzwords - tannins, oak, earthy, floral, etc. The poor wait staff was opening bottles, pouring glasses, and trying to remember which wine they served 3 glasses ago.

The next day, Aaron I drove out to Montpelier, Madison's home. We came upon a happy accident when, at the gate, we were told it was Madison's birthday and entry to the park was free. The tours of the house were special, too, as they were set in 1810, the year Madison turned 50. All the questions the tourists asked referring to events and dates after 1810 were quickly answered by the guides with an "I do not know what you are referring to. What is this you speak of?" It also worked well as they are still working to restore Montpelier and the house is bare save for a couple swatches of wallpaper and a dining room table. Fortunately, Dolley Madison was redecorating in 1810, so the absence of decor fit well into the story.

That afternoon, a ceremony was held at the Madison family cemetery where the local, state and national government, as well as Thomas Jefferson's descendants and historical societies gave speeches and presented wreaths at Madison's grave. A Marine color guard was in attendance to provide a 21-gun salute. All in all, a special, unique and unexpected experience that made Montpelier come alive.

Aaron and I were able to drive back to Charlottesville in time to go to James Monroe's Ash Lawn-Highland before it closed for the day. This was perhaps my favorite house - it was more modest, less palatial and felt more retreat-like than the previous two. It did not hurt that we had the best tour guide ever. Seriously, this guy was phenomenal. He knew all these snippets of the Monroes' lives that made the tour of their house more alive and intriguing. For instance, the master bedroom was the warmest in the house in winter, so it was typical that if there were guests, one would invite them to sleep in the master along with the husband and wife. Well, Mrs. Monroe, being from New York and not used to Southern ways, detested this. After Monroe passed, she converted part of the slave quarters into a guest house so, should guests stay over, they could sleep somewhere other than her bedroom. I have no clue if all the tales he told are true or not, but I am not positive it matters all that much. He knew how to spin a yarn and I was happy to follow along with him.

The final day of our spring break history trip was thrown together on the fly. We got through the presidential homes more quickly than we expected, and were left with a day to fill with something. In reading some of the pamphlets, we learned that Jefferson had a retreat home outside of Lynchburg, so we decided to go there. After circling the city a couple times and going over a questionable wooden bridge, we found the entrance to Poplar Forest. Unfortunately, in our haste and excitement, we did not read in that pamphlet that Poplar Forest did not open for the season until April. Oops. Oh well, I suppose we shall save Poplar Forest for another time. (More on that in a later post...someday.)

Thankfully, Appomattox Court House is relatively close to Lynchburg, so we redirected ourselves there for the day. I was most surprised by the quietness of the area. There sat this little town, largely as it looked the day Grant and Lee met there to end the war, with only small glimpses of a road or car. If you had even a small amount of imagination, it was simple to picture the procession of Confederate soldiers as they surrendered their arms. No whoops and hollers from the Union soldiers lining the road, only a quiet dignified respect for their brothers. (Can you tell I am a sucker for the Civil War?) The museum on site had many items, both small and grand, from the events that took place at Appomattox. The park rangers have done an excellent job of presenting what happened there, keeping the area how it would have looked to the eyes of the soldiers, and have a wealth of knowledge about the details of the surrender process.

And so our historical spring break came to an end. Despite the rough start, we saw everything and more than we had planned, and both agreed to come back to Monticello, Montpelier and Ash Lawn-Highland again someday.

An Obsession Confession

2010-10-01T11:04:00.001-04:00

Confession time. For the past few months, I have fed an ever-growing obsession. One that Aaron has not only encouraged me in, but has partaken of as well. We are disciplined in our obsession, though, only indulging once a month. I guess it is time to out with it. Now, I will warn you, what I am about to show you may lead to your own obsession. Perhaps we could start a support group.

Aren't they gorgeous? I could stare at them for ages. The cover design is by Coralie Bickford-Smith for Penguin Classics. I wish I could remember where or when I first saw one of these books. It was probably wandering the rows of a bookstore and stumbling upon Jane Eyre or Pride and Prejudice. You know, it has kind of been like a relationship. I saw a book for a brief moment, and the first impression stuck with me. I started to look especially for them, seeing if we would happen to bump into one another at the store. I began to talk about them with other people, trying to make them see how amazing they were. Then there was that first date, the first dalliance. I purchased one.

I showed it to Aaron and we decided, then and there, that we were in a committed relationship with these books. But we did not want to take it too fast. We wanted this to be a long, smoldering relationship. So we decided that we would only buy one book a month each, and we had to be together to purchase them. The fact we only visit them once a month not only makes it something of a treat and a fun date, but also it feels like it is something we should not be doing, overly indulgent. Like eating cherry pie right from the pie tin, or watching a embarrassing to admit but secretly loved movie while eating a pint of Ben & Jerry's.

These are books that we aim to make a library of. Making a library is not putting all your old college textbooks on a shelf. Library making is the thoughtful acquisition of high quality books worthy of multiple readings and thoughtful reflection. Books whose readings will not go out of style, and whose premises, plots, and social commentary transcend writing styles and generations. And, if you are like me, something I call bookend books. A more accurate term would be book spine books, but that does not roll off the tongue as well. Books, like these, that stand out on a shelf, hardcover with a good solid spine.

I hope my obsession confession has not resulted in an immediate reduction in your bank account and a sudden increase in needed bookshelf space. Or, if it does, that you enjoy searching for and reading them as much as Aaron and I have.

A Corny Salad

2010-09-15T10:24:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago, my Bible study group started back up after summer break with a taco night. Assigned to bring a side, and short on any quick recipes that would compliment tacos well, I took to the internet and who should come through but Paula Deen. Her Corn, Avocado and Tomato Salad was just the thing I was looking for - clean, fresh, light, and Tex Mex-ish. Since this was a last minute dish, I made a few substitutions, by necessity and personal preference. I was not able to use fresh corn, so I used frozen shoe peg corn, which worked great. My grocery store was running a special on cherry tomatoes, so there were none to be found. Instead, I used a mix of varietal small tomatoes, which made for a more colorful and varied texture. Some were meatier, some more delicate. And, I used two avocados because I like avocados and one did not create enough chunks to merit one piece of avocado per spoonful.

If success of a dish is based on how the bowl that holds it looks at the end of the night, then this recipe is a keeper. I think if some people were left alone with the bowl, they would have licked it clean. The lime and cilantro created a clean taste while the crunchy, tart and creamy textures of the veggies made for great mouth feel, and it was pleasing to the eye as well with reds, yellows, greens and purples. I think this salad would go great beside some grilled chicken or steak at a Saturday cookout. A perfect summer dish.

Descriptive Jealousy

2010-09-09T16:29:00.000-04:00

I am jealous. Jealous of a man. A man who was able to put into words what I have repeatedly failed in doing. Jealous of a man who put into words the thoughts I fail to express in written and spoken words about William Faulkner. Yes, him again. This author has taken up haunting me. I am afraid to turn a corner down a darkened alley lest I am confronted with a book of Faulkner's sitting there, glaring at me menacingly. Most books do not glare, but I imagine Faulkner's would. Anyway, I digress. I am jealous of not only of how well this man described his experience attempting to read Absalom, Absalom!, but also of how eloquently he presented his hesitation, confusion, and understanding of Faulkner's writing style. I believe he is spot on and only wish I had come up with his words when I attempted to explain and understand the book and the author.

(Thanks, Dad, for the link!)

GANC: My Thoughts

2010-08-05T15:48:00.000-04:00

Ah yes, the final review. Just when you thought it was over, GANC comes back for one last hurrah. Kind of like all those Freddy and Jason movies. After writing the below commentary, I realized it is rambling, which is unsurprising if you know me. If in my rambling I do not explicitly say, I am so happy that Aaron thought this up, that I took part in it, and found books and authors at times off my beaten path of reading. It is reassuring and encouraging to know that with a little pressure from myself and from the challenge, I can push myself beyond my literary comfort zones and find a few jewels.

I am not sure if this was a subconscious effort on my part or there are more writers here or what, but most of my novels were written by an author from or a book about the South. Having never lived in the North, or really even visited there, I can only assume the North is a dull place with no novel-worthy conflict and a lack of imagination. I kid, I kid! To make a generalization, Southerners are a story-telling people; and slavery, plantations, Civil War, and segregation lend themselves easily to stories and fictional exploration of social constructs. Much of the large societal action in the North occurred in the 1700s and early 1800s, and from what I could find there are not a lot of books from around that time, at least not widely known ones. It is strange, in some ways you can see the shift of the writer concentrate from early America and North to established country and South as you move from the likes of Melville, Hawthorne, James Fennimore Cooper and Poe to Twain, Faulkner, Harper Lee, Capote, and Flannery O'Connor.

The early 2oth century is the place to go for some of the best known and most highly regarded authors. Henry Miller, Faulkner, Steinbeck, Hemingway, Carson McCuller, Capote, Norman Mailer. I have not done much research on this, but I assume part of this is due to FDR's New Deal which encouraged aspiring writers, through the Federal Writer's Project, to document folklore. What is remarkable is the excellence of the books. These authors wrote with purpose, depth and complexity during some of the most difficult days in our nation's history. I wonder how many excellent American books we have lost awareness and knowledge of from before that time, and where all the good books are today. Has America lost its literary creativity for the stable 40-hour work week? Has the creativity been transferred to different forms of written expression (magazines, e-zines, blogs, etc.)? Where are the novels that will transcend generations?

I made a conscious effort to include both female and minority writers. Hindsight being 20/20, I should have read Invisible Man over Their Eyes Were Watching God. Nothing against the latter, but Invisible Man is universally agreed upon as a must-read book. However, I in no way mean to imply that white male authors get all the praise and glory and it was my aim to bring minority and women writers to light. Each of the novels I selected are worthy to stand on their own. While the author's gender, color, and locale all lend themselves to the creative process, each book transcends whatever biases, prejudices and assumptions one may have.

Yes, I did allow myself two indulgences - Lonesome Dove and Giants in the Earth. While in the long run neither will likely be on a "Greatest American Novels" list, they are still worth reading and two I would absolutely consider reading again one day.

To readers who think what I did over 13 months is not possible for them, do not be afraid of challenging texts. Yes, Faulkner has become my literary whipping boy for examples of almost unreadable literature, but that does not mean I am never going to attempt him again one day. Reading some of these authors requires a different cadence, for lack of a better word. This is not John Grisham here; these authors at times used words I needed a dictionary for, paragraphs I had to read over again, and, yes, even a few sly looks at SparkNotes for translation from time to time. Some of these authors need more attention - reading slower, giving yourself more time to read so you can get into the flow of how they write. One of the best things I took away from high school was using a 3x5 note card to write character lists and relationships on for reference. This has saved me lots of time turning back pages trying to figure out if Sam is Susie's father, boyfriend, uncle or estranged brother. It also doubles as a handy dandy bookmark!

These American novels are patriotic, but in a far subtler way than I anticipated. Which probably means they work well as reading for the rest of the world. Probably the one that I felt was most overtly patriotic and stereotypically American was Lonesome Dove, but that could just be my Texan heart beating in time with the cowboys and cattle. East of Eden exhibited this, too, but more in a pride for the land and the bonding of community than "Johnny's gone off to war" sort of pride.

Working through History and English majors in college gave me a broader picture of the periods I was studying. History relays the facts and circumstances while literature shares the mood, society, and sentiment. I now feel like it is hard to have one without the other. Had I gone into The Bell Jar with no knowledge of women's suffrage and the evolving attitude toward women, I may have missed some of the underpinnings of the book. Almost all the books I read these past 13 months are a commentary of the author's view on local, national, and international events. In other words, do not read with blinders on. Supplement literary reading with a quick trip to Wikipedia to read about the author and the book, as usually context is given to the book. And, if it is a history you are reading, take a peek at contemporary authors and see if any books strike your fancy. Follow the bread crumbs and see where they lead.

This was not an easy challenge to complete. Some books I felt would never end as the approach of the 4th came steadily closer. I had to set aside most of my aspirations to read any other book during this time to devote my energies to GANC. Books like carrots dangled temptingly in front of me. In a small way, I can equate it to feel a little like someone on a diet and going out with friends, watching as they eat cheeseburgers, nachos and chocolate cake. Both Aaron and I agreed, after looking at other online book challenges, that we created one of the more time intensive, rule-riddled ones out there. It was the time intensive part that I struggled with more than the rules, though, once I realized there were plenty of great American novels left for me to read.

Challenges are fun! It was always a small competition for me to see Aaron's book before he saw mine each month. And to "beat" him on choices. Only once did we read the same book, and in the same month to boot! (For the curious, it was For Whom the Bell Tolls.) While I need a year off from mandated reading, I would do it again. In fact, Aaron and I already have a running list of ideas for the next challenge. All have easier buy in's, are shorter in length, and are far less constrictive on parameters. Stay tuned!

Thank y'all for reading my reviews. I know it is not everyone's cup of tea, and my posting on food and other things diminished significantly, but I am glad you stuck with me as I stuck with the challenge. Almost as much as finishing the book and posting each month, I looked forward to the discussion in the comments afterward. Finding out who else has read the book, what they thought, and even suggestions on other books I should read. It is nice to know in a time and place where distractions can be found with every keystroke and channel change, that people are still reading books, both old and new. I hope that my voracity for books never weakens and I look back on this past year as a milestone year, always remembering to step outside my boundaries, both with books and in life, and try new things. Sometimes Faulkner happens, but more often than not its Steinbeck and Hemingway.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

2010-07-15T17:53:00.000-04:00

Do you ever have a moment of illumination when you realize something you consider(ed) completely normal is actually rather abnormal? During most summers of my teenaged life, I did not spend my summers doing whatever it is teenagers do when they are not in school. Sleep in? Go to the pool? Hang out at the mall for no reason? I am not sure what the normal summer vacation activities of the American teen is. I spent a large part of my summers from 8th grade through high school taking part in The Great Adventure, a...thing my church has. I say "thing" because to call it a program or an event does not rightly convey what it is. So here is what it's all about...

The Great Adventure (GA) is for teenagers from 8th through 12th grades. The biggest "event" GA had was a week-long thing called Backyard Bible Clubs (BYBC). BYBC were held in the backyards (or front) of families from our church. Each host home would invite neighborhood kids to come to their house for this week and a team of 3-5 teens would go to 3 or 4 homes daily to play crazy games with the kids, tell a Bible story/lesson, share the Gospel, and answer any questions the kids, or the adults, had about God. The hosts provided snacks for the clubs, and each team had a driver to take them from one club to the next. Each team had one teen chosen by the youth leaders to be the team leader. This person was responsible for bonding the team together, choosing who did what on which day, and making sure the team was prepared at each club.

We, the teens, had phenomenal training leading up to BYBC week. Before we were accepted for GA, we had to learn a gospel presentation (either Wordless Book or the Hand Presentation, depending on the year). Most years, we spent 2 or 3 days at an encampment being trained on the stories, games and gospel presentations, and bonding as a team. Then we traveled to Waco, where we did BYBC for inner city kids at government housing projects. It was bananas. Sleeping four people across on expanded bunk beds, checking for needles at the playgrounds before clubs began, and keeping an eye out for people taking our supplies and suspicious people lurking around the clubs. If you were not bonded before going to Waco, your team was when you left!

For those who know me, as most of you do, I am not the most outgoing or take-charge kind of person. However, BYBC forced me out of my shell both as a team member and a team leader. Being a wallflower and sharing the gospel with 20 kids 4 times a day just does not work. I learned a lot about leadership, or lack of leadership, those summers. How to talk with peers so they understand and things are done properly. How to talk with adults so they understand what to expect and what is going on. How to talk with kids when they will not sit still, or 6-year-olds ask the big scary questions adults cannot properly answer. I had to know what the gospel was, how to present it, and how to explain it to children. I think doing this helped me understand it more, but being forced to simplify took away much of the extraneous details so many adults become wrapped up in.

The week ended with a big party on Friday night in our church's parking lot where it was transformed to SummerFest and hundreds, if not a thousand or more, people came. Lots of games for the kids to play, live music to enjoy, fire engines to climb on, hot dogs and sausages on the grill, cotton candy, snow cones, and popcorn. It was a way to bring the kids and their parents to our church so the BYBC hosts and drivers could connect more with their neighbors and we as a church could throw out the welcome mat. The kids in my clubs were so excited to find me and my other team members every year, and we were equally excited to see them and their families.

But the best part of the whole BYBC week may have come months later when I walked around my church and a kid would run up to me to say hi - I taught them at BYBC! To know that the little time I spent with a child not only provided them with fun things to do with their neighbor friends, but that they went home and became an influence on their family to go to church is truly awesome and humbling. Perhaps more importantly, it showed me that even though I may not directly see the impact I had during that week, the work that began with BYBC continued on in the children, families, homes, and neighborhoods we teens visited.

So, while I did not get to go to the pool a lot, hang out with my friends, and my family virtually postponed vacations together for 6 or 7 summers, I would not change one moment of my summers spent taking part in the Great Adventure. What I learned during that time - about myself, God, evangelism, the world, and being a good neighbor - has and will continue to follow me throughout my life.

Cup of (Frozen) Joe

2010-07-09T15:17:00.000-04:00

Over the weekend of July 4, Aaron and I took part in one of my family's summer traditions and made some homemade ice cream. Since Aaron was here only for the weekend, I let him be the deciding vote in what type of ice cream we made. Unsurprisingly for anyone that knows Aaron, he went for the coffee ice cream. Luckily, I like coffee ice cream, so I entered into its creation happy with the prospect.

All in all it was fairly simple to make. Some whole milk and heavy cream were heated over the stove along with coffee grounds, then let to sit for a few minutes so the coffee could infuse. The recipe called for the coffee to be strained with cheesecloth and, not having any, I tried coffee filters. This failed miserably, and messily thanks to yours truly. Approximately one tablespoon got through the filter before it stopped completely. I next used a mesh sieve, which was not as fine as it needed to be, but worked more or less. A few stray ground got through, but they were small enough not to be very noticeable.

While the cream and coffee mixture cooled a little, I whipped up egg yolks and sugar, then slowly added the warm cream mixture to the eggs. This was strained again to remove any egg that cooked and some more of the grounds. This mix went into a glass bowl and was placed on top of a pot with some simmering water. Let the custard-ization begin!

While Aaron watched Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest on ESPN, I stirred and stirred and stirred this mix over the water, waiting for it to thicken. The recipe said it would take 10-15 minutes for it to thicken and coat the back of the spoon. 30 minutes in Aaron and I decided a thin coat was a coat nonetheless and set it in the fridge to cool for an hour.

A little more than an hour later, and after some regular stirring to keep a skin from forming, into the ice cream maker bowl it went. We let it churn for 20 or so minutes while we watched some Food, Inc. then into the freezer it went to chill a few hours.

Later that evening, it was ice cream time! As per the recipe, I whipped some whipping cream (imagine that!), scooped the ice cream into coffee mugs, dollop of whipped cream on top with a sprinkle of cocoa powder. Voila, frozen coffee!

This coffee ice cream, more than any other I have tried, tastes like a person made a cup of joe with some cream and sugar and threw it into the freezer. There is no question what type of ice cream this is. It was not too sweet, very creamy, and had a wonderfully smooth texture. Definitely not for people who are so-so on their adoration of coffee flavor, or who like their morning coffee with 8 sugars and 3 creams, as one of my coworkers does. Will I make it again? For Aaron and other coffee lovers, yes, but probably not if it is just me eating it.

GANC: The Almost Reads

2010-07-06T09:55:00.001-04:00

Now that the reading is over, I can share with you those books that missed the cut. I may have read thirteen books, but there were several that made my GANC list but did not make the cut for reading. A little of this was due to my own reading preferences, but most of it is because of the "two books per decade" rule. By the time I realized my list was absent some big hitters, I had already exhausted a couple key decades, namely 1920-1970. In order to allow these books to be recognized for their merit, below is a list of what I almost read but did not. In some cases, books were recommended to me, and I will note who recommended where appropriate. I also may provide explanation on why I have the book on my list or why I did not read it. In other words, this is my blog and I will do whatever I want to. So there.

1830s
The Book of Mormon - Talk about starting off the list with a bang, huh? It is clear that this book has a large and ever-increasing footprint in America. It is somewhat controversial that it is on my list as a fictional novel. I do not know enough about The Book of Mormon to declare what it is or is not (myth, tall tale, blasphemy, fiction), but I believe it is not a writing inspired or written by God, Jesus, any of His angels, the Holy Spirit, or any of the previous speaking through the mouth and writings of Joseph Smith. It is a work written by a man, from the mind of a man, with no heavenly assistance whatsoever.

1840s
The Deerslayer, by James Fenimore Cooper - Having read The Last of the Mohicans, and wanting to have a book from the early to mid-19th century, this was a natural choice. And I actually started to read it one month for the challenge. However, I found it difficult to get into and not something I was excited to read, so I abandoned it for another book.

1860s
The Marble Faun, by Nathaniel Hawthorne - I love reading Hawthorne, so when I looked his works up to find a book to read for GANC, I found that I had exhausted all of his novels set in America. This one was set in Italy, so it did not rank high on my list of novels to read that could be great American ones.

1880s
The Portrait of a Lady, by Henry James

The Prince and the Pauper, by Mark Twain - I had already read his two America-centric books, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, so this one also fell on the list due to it not being set in the US.

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, by Mark Twain

1890s
The Awakening, by Kate Chopin

1920s
Babbit, by Sinclair Lewis - I was supposed to read this book in US History 2, but failed to finish it. Since then I have picked it up from time to time, only to be lured away by a more indulgent novel. This book was a victim of too many good books in one decade.

1930s
Tropic of Cancer, by Henry Miller - Victim of decade

The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck - This too was a victim of decade. Let me put it plainly, I misused the 1930s. Thankfully, Aaron owns this book and I will probably read it before he finishes it.

1940s
Cannery Row, by John Steinbeck - Poor Steinbeck. So many good books over so many decades, and I could not read them all.

Other Voices, Other Rooms, by Truman Capote - I have only read In Cold Blood and was interested to see how his fiction played out.

The Naked and the Dead, by Norman Mailer - By the time I realized I was missing this author, it was too late. The 1940s were already spoken for.

1950s
Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison

Wise Blood, by Flannery O'Connor

The Adventures of Augie March, by Saul Bellow - I wanted to read this book so badly, but it simply was not in the cards. Had I not taken half a month to decide not to read Invisible Man, I could have tried to read this. Oh well. I think Aaron has a copy, so I will add it to my pile of books to read.

Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand

On the Road, by Jack Kerouac

1960s
The Moviegoer, by Walker Percy

V., by Thomas Pynchon

The Crying of Lot 49, by Thomas Pynchon

Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut - I know! How did I make it through high school and college, while having this book on my list throughout, and still not read it!? I am happy with the two novels I did read from the 60s, so no regrets here. Just another book to keep on my list. Lock me away for a year and I may be able to finish half of this list I have.

1980s
The Executioner's Song, by Norman Mailer - This is a book that has a foot in both non-fiction and fiction, depending on where you look. A little like In Cold Blood - fictionalized account of a true crime

The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros

Blood Meridian, by Cormac McCarthy - My uncle Tim recommended this book to me and said it was one of the greatest books of the 20th century. To place some perspective on this, Tim is an English professor at St. Edward's University, so his comment is not without merit.

A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving - Suggested to me by a friend. The '80s and beyond is a little too fresh and new for me to feel comfortable declaring a book that could be younger than me as a great American novel. I like a good 30 or 40 year buffer to see what books are flashes in a pan and which are here to stay.

The Joy Luck Club, by Amy Tan

1990s
The Things They Carried, by Tim O'Brien

Bud, Not Buddy, by Christopher Paul Curtis

2000s
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, by Michael Chabon

Some books that were considered for my "break the rules" month:
Dr. Seuss - various books
Emily Dickinson's poetry
Calvin & Hobbes
Books I have already read. Which brings us to...

Books I have read that I consider great American novels: (in absolutely no order)
The Wizard of Oz- Frank L. Baum
The Scarlet Letter- Nathaniel Hawthorne
The House of Seven Gables - Nathaniel Hawthorne
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
Call of the Wild - Jack London
O. Henry's short stories
Uncle Tom's Cabin - Harriet Beecher Stowe
The Red Badge of Courage - Stephen Crane
Washington Irving's short stories
Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Mark Twain
All the King's Men - Robert Penn Warren
The Hidden Hand - E.D.E.N. Southworth (Never heard of this book? Go ahead and add it to your book list. It is funny, light, adventure-filled, fantastical and melodramatic.)

So there you are. Are there any books I should have had on my list that are glaring omissions? Should I have thrown in some non-fiction to pick from for my break the rules month? How about a book written by a non-American author? Feel free to add your suggestions to my list via comments. I look forward to see what books I missed!

GANC: Good Ol' Charlie Brown

2010-07-04T17:17:00.005-04:00

My fondness for Peanuts began at an early age, probably with A Charlie Brown Christmas, then a growing interest in the comics section of the newspaper. However, I became a true and faithful adorer of the gang when my family acquired some of my dad's old Peanuts books. Even more than Calvin and Hobbes, another comic my family likes, Peanuts echoed of my dad's childhood, perhaps I read these at the same age he did as a kid. Over the years I have returned to these books when I want something quick to read before bed, or am stir crazy after a series of days stuck indoors. And each time I marvel more and have a deeper appreciation for Charles M. Schulz's art. Schulz created children characters during and about a time when some say the loss of American innocence began. Much like Calvin and Hobbes, Peanuts placed adult ideas, themes, questions and impasses in the minds words, and actions of kids.

Charlie Brown, the protagonist of the strip, is presented as someone who is faithful to his friends through thick and thin. He may be wishy-washy, but never does he fail Lucy, Linus, Peppermint Patty, Snoopy or the rest of the gang. He does not give up even though he constantly fails. For proof, look no further than him trying to kick that football, fly the kite, or win a baseball game. He is meek, self-conscious and unsure, which strikes a chord with people, making him instantly relateable. Among some of the characters, a highlight or two...

- Lucy has an ever-present desire for control and to be everyone's boss, whether they ask for said help and commentary or not. Charlie Brown and Schroeder are the two main focuses of her efforts.

- Linus has a need for security in the form of a blanket while being so secure in his beliefs, which makes him into one of the speakers of wisdom in the strip.

- Snoopy considers being a stereotypical dog below him which, along with his vivid imagination, leads him into adventures where he is a World War 1 flying ace, Joe Cool, a vulture, among other things.

Each person has their tiffs with others, likes and dislikes, but in the end they are friends who stick by one another, even if it means Lucy will always pull the football away before Charlie Brown kicks it and the baseball team rarely wins.

As for its influence in America, beyond what I touched on above, it established the way strips were printed in newspapers and was perhaps one of the first comics to have large success through merchandising and, as we all know, television specials. Some of the repeated phrases and key imagery from Peanuts has found its way into our lexicon. Charlie Brown's "Good grief." Mentioning "The Great Pumpkin" when speaking about someone with dogged persistence and belief in the face of logic and, perhaps, reality. The numerous dogs named Snoopy walking around these days. Snoopy as the mascot for MetLife. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day balloons of Charlie Brown chasing that football.

Charlie Brown and the rest of the characters are images now entwined with American culture. When watching football and a kicker misses the ball, Charlie Brown and Lucy are inevitably brought up as examples of failure. It is a testament to the strip and Schulz that 45 years after it debuted, A Charlie Brown Christmas is shown every Christmas season and people gather around to watch with family and friends. I know I will rearrange my schedule or tape it so I can be sure not to miss it. Heck, I own the soundtrack!

Charlie Brown is American as apple pie, a true icon of our nation and the American spirit of the everyman never giving up, despite the odds stacked against him. Good ol' Charlie Brown, how I love him.

Great American Novel Challenge Booklist:
July 2009: Absalom, Absalom! - William Faulkner, publ. 1936
August 2009: Lonesome Dove - Larry McMurtry, publ. 1985
September 2009: Moby Dick - Herman Melville, publ. 1851
October 2009: For Whom the Bell Tolls - Ernest Hemingway, publ. 1940
November 2009: Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston, publ. 1937
December 2009: The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath, publ. 1963
January 2010: Rabbit, Run - John Updike, publ. 1960
February 2010: East of Eden - John Steinbeck, publ. 1952
March 2010: The Age of Innocence - Edith Wharton, publ. 1920
April 2010: Giants in the Earth - Ole Edvart Rolvaag, publ. 1927
May 2010: The Heart is a Lonely Hunter - Carson McCullers, publ. 1940
June 2010: Short Stories - Edgar Allan Poe, publ. 1840s

Atkins Shmatkins

2010-06-22T17:49:00.000-04:00

This year has been unofficially declared "The Year of the Bread" in my kitchen. I am not sure what muse has come upon me, but I have been drawn to bread recipes with an undeniable force. Bread, as I have found, is that happy medium of being somewhat healthy, baking fun, and not sugar-rich. It all started when I was reorganizing my recipe binders (cue the cloudy dream fade)...

Generally, if I print, clip or jot down a recipe, I am going to use it in the next week. However, there are a few recipes that have made their way i

nto my binder that have not been tested for real world success at my hands. One of these recipes happened to be one on bread. Since I had an extra amount of time on my hands earlier this year (thanks economy!), I decided I needed a way to use up some daytime hours, bake something, and do it on the cheap. Little did I know how cheap I would get, and how excellently it would turn out. Behold, no knead bread!

I know, I know, I am about the five millionth person to get on the no knead train, but I am proud to be a follower. Why? Because I have freshly made, some time-scheduling required bread for pennies. The key to this bread is to plan out when things need to happen. I suggest starting the dough on a Friday evening when you will be home in the morning/early afternoon Saturday. The recipe is easy to follow, but I will note that my dough does not rise upward so much as spread like The Blob, so do not fear if yours does the same. The rises and beautifying happens when it bakes. Which brings up another note. I do not (yet) have a dutch oven, or a 10 quart anything, so I have taken to using my Corningware 5 quart casserole dish. It works perfectly. The bread may be a little more dense than it should be by the letter of the recipe, but it is not anything someone will complain about. It is crusty and artisan bready and perfect for soup sopping.

Later on this year, I got a craving for raisin bread. Maybe a Food Network personality made a loaf and I wanted one too. I honestly cannot recall why this came about, but it did and strongly. How strong? I made two batches in 3 days. Yeah. That strong. And I should note the recipe I used makes 3 loaves each. Yes, the amount is bananas....errr...raisins. And before you think I ate them all, I shared with people - Aaron, my small group, my pastors' families, and a couple others enjoyed the benefits of my obsesssion. This bread turns out so very good. Toasted with a little butter on it, makes my mouth happy. It is the perfect morning munch, or afternoon munch...or after dinner dessert munch. The only things I did differently from recipe is I used a half and half mix of all purpose flour and whole wheat flour, which made it a little heartier, I guess. After the dough had risen, I divided the dough in thirds rather than try roll one huge piece of dough on my limited workspace.

A weekend or two ago I was trying to come up with something to do with the leftover rosemary I had from the chicken I made the previous weekend. Then I remembered I had a recipe from Central Market (I miss you!) for rosemary focaccia that I had not made in a bit. So, I made a batch. Well, half a batch, being that a full recipe makes two and by the time I got to eating loaf two (is it a loaf if it is flat?) it could be going bad. So very good. I want to go buy deli meats and cheeses I should not eat and make beautiful sandwiches with arugula and fancy spreads and carmelized red onion.

I now realize I am quickly becoming my own Loaves of Love lady. (For those not familiar with my Austin church/former workplace, Loaves of Love is a ministry where a group of ladies from the church bakes bread and a team delivers the bread to first time visitors as a way to connect with them more personally and say hello in a nice, friendly neighborly way. I suppose it is not a bad title to have.)

What's up next on the bread making radar? I have a few recipes begging to be made, but I am waiting for a good event or gathering to make it. Mainly so I do not eat it all myself.

GANC: Invisible Man (but not)

2010-06-05T16:19:00.003-04:00

Invisible Man is without a doubt a great American novel. It makes many national and international "Top 100" lists. Which made my decision to include it on my list of novels a simple one. Then I began to read it and simple went out the door. First, this book is long, though not an insurmountable length for a month of reading. Ralph Ellison only wrote this one book, so I guess he got in all his books' worth of material at once. Second, Ellison also explores many ways of writing, telling a story that can go from straight narrative to blues-inspired riffs, which can get a little confusing, wordy and indulgent. Third, and this is to no fault of the book, GANC has left me maxed out on racial strife, and strife in general. Between blacks and whites not getting along, ranchers and Native Americans, Americans and Spaniards, Californians and the earth, sailors and white whales, me and Faulkner - I have had my fill of irreconcilable differences. I did not think I could endure one more tale of the same. So, I decided that Invisible Man would not be my last regular, rule keeping book. I am sure it is good, great even, just not for me right now.

What did I read instead? I decided to bend, but not break, the rules for this one. And, as I am the only person left on this GANC island, I declared myself queen of the challenge and allowed my small amendment to pass unanimously. Instead of reading a novel, I read a collection of short stories by Edgar Allan Poe. Poe is one of America's more known authors, but aside from The Raven I am fairly certain the American public would be unable to name another of his works. I remember reading a few of his short stories in high school and maybe college, but could not summarize any of the plots with clarity. After a recent adventure to a used book store, I had a collection of his short stories close at hand. Onward, into the dark mind and art of Poe!

The Murders in the Rue Morgue (1841) and The Purloined Letter (1844)- While I read these stories, I had the growing sense I had seen this all before. It quickly became clear that this seems a whole lot like another famous detective, one Sherlock Holmes. Poe's detective, C. Auguste Dupin, is of the same strain as Holmes - detective with narrating sidekick uses logic and the power of observation to solve a crime when the police cannot. Actually, I should say Holmes is of the same strain as Dupin, as Poe's Dupin stories were written about 40 years before Holmes made his first appearance. Personally, I like Holmes more as Dupin's mysteries are too quickly resolved. It lacks the tension of the reader wondering, "Will this be the case Dupin/Sherlock cannot solve?"

The Tell-Tale Heart (1843) - This is Poe. It is dark, sadistic, Gothic, guilt-ridden and conscious of conscience. It follows the narrator as s/he (oh, to write an essay on how this story reads differently if the narrator is male or female!) murders an old man (father, grandfather, guest, servant - who knows!) and then dismembers the body, hiding it under the floorboards. Eventually, the murderer's guilt arises as s/he "hears" the victim's heart still beating, louder and louder, from under the floorboards. It is clear every word Poe uses is chosen with a great deal of thought. The story is tight; each phrase evokes a smell, sound, sight or emotion. What a great story to read on a dark night in a creaking home.

The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar (1845) - This story is something of a exploratory look into mesmerism, known today as hypnotism. In it the narrator, again in the first person, investigates how far mesmerism can go. Specifically, what happens if a person is mesmerized at the point of death? The narrator successfully mesmerizes a man just before he dies, and yet he continues to speak for some time after death, finally begging to be let go so he may die fully. Once the narrator takes him out of the trance, his body disintegrates into an almost liquid form. What is unique about this tale is that Poe did not publish it with a note of is fiction. And, as mesmerism was something of a trend at the time, it is likely people did not immediately recognize it for the tale it is.

The Pit and the Pendulum (1842)- Another great Poe story. Again, first person, which brings the reader into the midst of the story. And what a story to be in the midst of! A man awakens in a dark room after being sentenced to death. He cannot see anything, is unsure where he is, or what is to come for him. Through a series of events, he finds the room he is in has a large pit in the middle that his accusers had hoped he would stumble into. However, he escapes that fate only to be drugged, strapped to a plank, and watch helplessly as a pendulum with a scythe attached inches closer and closer to him. The more into the tale I went, the more it felt like a 19th century version of Saw. The story features a great focus on the senses - what this man heard, smelled, felt and saw - all executed brilliantly. And yes, I shall leave you in suspense as the pendulum draws closer and closer to the belly of the accused.

There were a few others I read, but they are along similar lines as those above, so I will save some space by not rehashing each one. Poe is a write who explored different ways of presenting a story all under this mantle of dark, devious and a little demented. In his tales, something is perpetually out of balance. Deeply flawed characters, fantastical occurrences, and taking sin and misdeeds to extremes. It is not a world I would want to live in, but I am okay visiting it every now and then.

While this may not be a great American novel, Poe is most definitely a great American author. His writings can be read many times and each time a new facet is shown. His words, themes and plots have made their way into pop culture so slyly we probably do not even recognize it when it happens. Poe exhibits a different sort of American author, one that exposes the darkness of people unapologetically, but one who also seeks resolution and a moral at the end of his frightening tales. The Puritanical core still is in him, but he, like America, grew from that core to develop his own voice, opinion, and view of himself, America, and humanity.

If you would like to read some of Poe's short stories, check out Project Gutenberg. Enter his name and it should bring up just about all of his stories, poems, and articles.

12 down, 1 to go!

Great American Novel Challenge Booklist:
July 2009: Absalom, Absalom! - William Faulkner, publ. 1936
August 2009: Lonesome Dove - Larry McMurtry, publ. 1985
September 2009: Moby Dick - Herman Melville, publ. 1851
October 2009: For Whom the Bell Tolls - Ernest Hemingway, publ. 1940
November 2009: Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston, publ. 1937
December 2009: The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath, publ. 1963
January 2010: Rabbit, Run - John Updike, publ. 1960
February 2010: East of Eden - John Steinbeck, publ. 1952
March 2010: The Age of Innocence - Edith Wharton, publ. 1920
April 2010: Giants in the Earth - Ole Edvart Rolvaag, publ. 1927
May 2010: The Heart is a Lonely Hunter - Carson McCullers, publ. 1940

Office Warfare

2010-06-02T15:12:00.000-04:00

Today, on the battlefield of my office desk, a war of wills was begun. It started as an innocent squabble, but quickly devolved into outright combat. Sides were taken, gauntlets were thrown down, and a little blood was shed. Cold, heartless brutality. Children, avert your eyes. Persons of weak constitutions, please, I beg you, do not continue reading. Behold, the epic battle of me versus...

...the stapler of DOOOOOM! This stapler has decided it hates me. I do not know where its little brain resides, but I wish I could squish it between my fingers after I play with it as if it were a superball. I have employee packets to staple, each of which averages about 30 pages. Each packet needs one little ol' staple at the top left corner. Just one! But the stapler of doom decided it hates sharing its staples. They are, to steal a phrase, its precious. But it is a tricky devil, this one. The stapler will correctly staple the first packet of paper perfectly, lulling me into a sense of security in my stapling abilities. Then WHAM! the stapler decided to jam 5 staples together both on the paper and in the stapler, melding paper, staples and stapler together in an unholy matrimony. I spend 5 minutes delicately dislodging the staples from the stapler and paper while trying to avoid shedding blood from my staple wounds on the snow white paper. I speak soothing words to the stapler and make sure all the little staple soldiers are in line and happy. I gently place the packet until the jowls of the stapler once more, say a quick prayer to office supply gods, and meaningfully and authoritatively depress the stapler's arm onto my paper. Noooo!! Yet another jam, this time with the added complication of the entire column of staples being stuck inside the belly of the stapler. Oh, this is truly a devious and malignant beast. I shake my fist at you, stapler of doom.

And still, the battle rages on...

The Night of the Chicken

2010-05-25T08:56:00.000-04:00

On a recent Friday night, Aaron and I invited one of his grad school friends and wife for dinner and games. I went into this night with some wariness given the wife is pregnant and going through the sudden absence of a gag reflex and a yet to be fully realized list of foods to steer clear of. I like an exciting time when people come over, but not one involving someone becoming ill. After being reassured that my choices in food would not come back to haunt me, I started cooking.

I decided to make red potatoes and sauteed broccoli for the sides as they are simple to make and taste yummy. No special recipe for the potatoes -cut in fourths, boil until tender and let everyone salt, pepper, butter and sour cream to their preference. The broccoli I blanched and let drain and cool while I warmed up some minced garlic in melted butter with a little bit of lemon zest. I tossed the broccoli in after few minutes, squirted some lemon juice over it and let it heat up. Tasty tasty...and I got Aaron to eat lemon. Bwa ha ha!

The main course came together out of an unexpected special at the store followed by a need to free up freezer space. A few months ago I was getting groceries, trying to get a pack of chicken breasts when my endeavor was thwarted by a few ladies in front of the chicken area who were looking at every single whole chicken. What would normally prove a minor annoyance worked well for me as it gave me opportunity to see that the whole chickens were on super duper sale, hence the gaggle of women. So, I bought two, and in my freezer they have sat since. I took the opportunity of guests to bring one out for dinner.

Here is a note for all you people who think they would like to roast a whole chicken. Make sure to read the small print lest you end up like me. Because you do not want to end up like me. My chicken may have been a super duper deal, but it also had its giblets. Attached. To the chicken. Inside the cavity. Just hanging out. Squishy. Gross. And me without a latex glove or boyfriend around to scoop out whatever giblets are. Ew ew, a thousand time ew. It may have lasted only a few seconds, but I have scars to last a lifetime.

De-gibleting completed and after a moment to regain my composure, I was able to move on with my regularly scheduled chicken prepping. This was the first time I brined a chicken, something I have been curious to try. Hard to tell how well it worked, but it got its hour-long soak in salty garlic and rosemary water. After its soak, the chicken got a nice massage of olive oil, garlic and rosemary and then was placed in the oven for cooking. About an hour later, it was ready to eat. So we ate. And it was juicy and tasty and not too garlic rosemary overpowering. Yay!

Our guests brought dessert - chocolate pound cake with cream cheese frosting - which we ate between rounds of Killer Bunnies. It was a fun evening of getting to know them better and eat tasty food. And no one threw up.

(Sorry no pictures - we were too busy eating the food to think about pictures.)

Full and Dim Sum

2010-05-17T13:06:00.001-04:00

New food/culture experience alert! I do not know when or how my approach to food changed, but some time along the path of my life, I decided in a "try anything once" mentality to food. Maybe it was all those mission trips where it is best not to ask what kind of meat is in front of you, maybe it was a greater appreciation for taste and flavor over pizza and burgers. In any case, in the past years I have tried out new dishes, spices, flavors and textures with varying amounts of approval and enjoyment. Not so much on the spicy curries, bring on Vietnamese and Cuban.

Recently, I was met with yet another new food experience - dim sum! Before going to eat, I first had to do the required research into dim sum. I may try anything once, but I want to know what I am getting myself into! I learned dim sum is not a dish, it is a meal or type of cuisine. Kind of the Chinese version of Spain's tapas. Aaron and I went with our small group leaders Ben and Rachel to Neo-Asia Restaurant. I was the only one who had not had dim sum before, so I relied on their expertise and knowledge to lead me in the right direction.

How dim sum works is perhaps the largest obstacle to overcome, and one of the neater things, in my opinion. Servers push carts of food around the restaurant, stopping by your table to offer you what is on their carts. At Neo-Asia each cart had a different "theme" - meats, seafood, noodles and rice, desserts, etc. it is kind of like a buffet where the buffet comes to you. Each dish has three or four pieces on it, so it makes it great to share with a couple of friends.

Everything we tried was great. I have no clue what the name of it was, or in some cases the protein, but it was tasty! With four of us, it was great since we could try more things than if two people were eating dim sum. Favorite things were the salted shrimp and this rice...thing that was wrapped in some sort of leaf. Oh, and the Chinese broccoli. I would eat that every day if I could.

We continued our Asian journey with a trip to the Asian market for bubble tea and reading unique English translations for food. We saw lamp meat (aka, lamb) and pork bums (buns). And unique food. As a warning, do not visit the meat section of an Asian market if you have a weak stomach. Do visit it if you wish to scare your roommate when they open the fridge or freezer.

Online Classes for Food Lovers

2010-05-04T10:54:00.001-04:00

I just stumbled upon this website via one of the blogs I read and I am so excited to look at it more in depth. It provides links to 50 websites where you can take free classes/lessons to learn about nutrition, food history, knife handling, and various cooking methods and food preparations. The ones that immediately piqued my interest include cooking with herbs/spices, breadmaking 101, knife masterclass, and nutrition: vitamins and minerals. Let me know if you take any of the classes and what you think of them!

***Update: The link to the online class list now works. Sorry about that!

GANC: The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

2010-05-04T08:31:00.000-04:00

Hmm. The more I consider The Heart is Lonely Hunter, the more I want to read it again and pick up on more of the small moments, the subtlety of it. And I am not even sure how well I liked the book. So I sit here trying to write a review with a furrowed brow and a cup of tea. I will start off safe with the plot, because that usually helps in analysis. See, all those English classes do come in handy!

The stories of this book revolve, but are not focused on, the life of a a deaf-mute, John Singer. After having lost his best friend, also a deaf mute, he begins to be out in the community more and people begin to talk to him and visit his apartment. Four people from the town get the focus in the narrative- a cafe owner, a young girl, a black doctor, and an alcoholic outsider. Each talk with Singer separately, in time believing he agrees and empathizes with their problems. In a way, Singer becomes their sounding board, their affirmation of cause. Each person, including Singer, wishes to be accepted. The cafe owner, not having children of his own, wants to be accepted as uncle by some of the children in town, including Mick, the young girl who speaks with Singer. Mick, in turn, is figuring out how to be herself, a tomboy, and be accepted by the girls in town who are not interested in climbing to the highest tree and rooftops. The black doctor wishes for whites to accept him and his black brethren as equals, and to not expect black to fit into stereotypes whites make for them. The outsider wants to be heard as he goes about town ranting, at times drunken, about socialism and the cause of justice. He wants people to see him as smart and a leader.

Once again, this book lacks a large, singular plot. Instead, it jumps from one of Singer's "friends" to another, with an occasional overlap of characters. I believe Carson McCullers did this intentionally, so the reader too can feel the isolation of the characters. Even the times when they speak to Singer, Singer cannot respond to what they say, much like the reader cannot. The reader must place themselves in the character of Singer in order to comprehend the frustration he feels of understanding parts of these people's conversations, but not being able to contribute to it any more than smiling or offering something to drink. This isolation also mirrors the time the book is set - 1939 on the cusp of the US involvement in World War II, as the policy of isolationism and nonintervention was lauded. McCullers shows that even these isolated people, isolated events, are inextricably linked and force action and reaction upon one another.

Wow. I did not even see that completely until I sat down and wrote it just now. I am beginning to appreciate this book more and more. Even if I did not enjoy the book, I cannot help but tip my proverbial hat to McCullers ability to meld her weaving of the story with the themes of each of the characters. It shows a purposefulness many authors do not attain or even seek to attain.

The question now is - great American novel or no? Yes, I think so. McCullers was able to write in an honest and quietly resounding way about a time in our history where world war was imminent and segregation was simmering about to boil over. Many critics point out that she was able to write about the black culture and tension in the South elegantly even though she was not herself immersed in it. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter is a book that, should you read it, you may feel let down at the end. But, as I have found while writing about it, if you allow yourself a moment to ponder and consider the story, it may be found to be richer and more lustrous than you perceived initially.

Great American Novel Challenge Booklist:
July 2009: Absalom, Absalom! - William Faulkner, publ. 1936
August 2009: Lonesome Dove - Larry McMurtry, publ. 1985
September 2009: Moby Dick - Herman Melville, publ. 1851
October 2009: For Whom the Bell Tolls - Ernest Hemingway, publ. 1940
November 2009: Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston, publ. 1937
December 2009: The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath, publ. 1963
January 2010: Rabbit, Run - John Updike, publ. 1960
February 2010: East of Eden - John Steinbeck, publ. 1952
March 2010: The Age of Innocence - Edith Wharton, publ. 1920
April 2010: Giants in the Earth - Ole Edvart Rolvaag, publ. 1927

Nostalgia in Blue

2010-04-13T15:23:00.004-04:00

For anyone who questions my fiercely passionate loyalty to Texas, allow the below pictures to speak for me. North Carolina friends, these are for you.

Yes, Texas may have record high summers every summer. Yes, cedar fever can be worse than the flu. No, there is not a substantial amount of snow annually. But where else can you drive a few minutes outside the city and see natural beauty like this? Texas bluebonnets - odes, sonnets and free verses should be written about each one of you each year you return and bless the eyes, hearts, and Easter Sunday pictures of Texans large and small. I miss you!!

What is even more wonderful about Texas bluebonnets is that they are not the end of the Texas wildflowers. The blue landscape rises like the sun with the coral orange of Indian Paintbrush, the two-toned Indian Blanket, and the cheery yellow Black-Eyed Susan. And then, every here and there, are pale pink evening primroses and merlot winecups. Here in NC, all we get is yellow pollen and green grass, the latter of which is a rare occurrence in Texas, but not the same kind of colorful. Texas may have hues of brown happening most the summer, but it makes up for it with the grand rainbow of colors in the spring and early summer.

GANC: Giants in the Earth

2010-04-05T14:49:00.002-04:00

Out of all the books I have read in this challenge, Giants in the Earth is perhaps the most honest story of a group of Americans. It follows a Norwegian family's struggle to make a life for themselves in the Dakota Territories in the late 1800s. There are no great over-arching plots or exciting interludes with bandits, illness, or Native Americans. It is a simple, harsh look at a family who has immigrated from their home in Norway to what they hope to be a new and improved life in America. This is not a book of American idealism or conquerors, but one of realistic struggles that many immigrants and westward expansion sojourners faced. Is the land before them the best, or does better lie over the next hill? Are the wagons in the distance friend or foe? Can I rely on my neighbors when help is needed? How does one balance audaciously breaking ground and buying provisions with the risk that a dry season or locusts could strike and lose it all? There is a simplistic beauty in the harshness of the setting and the plain honesty of these Norwegian-Americans.

What is even more the author, Ole Edvart Rolvaag, is himself a Norwegian immigrant who settled with his uncle in South Dakota in the late 1800s, so it is possible some of the stories in Giants in the Earth are autobiographical. Originally written in Norwegian, this novel was painstakingly translated with Rolvaag's close assistance in order to convey the meanings and intention of each word. In this way, this book is unique - written by a European-born author in a European style, but with a distinctly American setting.

The decision on whether this is a great American novel is difficult because I had not heard of the book until my Dad spoke fondly of reading it, and I feel like a great American novel should be somewhat well-known. But maybe that is faulty thinking. This is a wonderful novel. It is not a book that I became enveloped in, but I was drawn in by the lack of wild adventures. Its beauty lay in its tight focus on the beauty of writing down the struggles of a common man. I do not believe Rolvaag meant this as a way of social commentary, but that does not mean it cannot be. It is refreshing to know that a complex journey with a family in a key moment in America's history can be so misleadingly simply written.

Great American Novel Challenge Booklist:

July 2009: Absalom, Absalom! - William Faulkner, publ. 1936

August 2009: Lonesome Dove - Larry McMurtry, publ. 1985

September 2009: Moby Dick - Herman Melville, publ. 1851

October 2009: For Whom the Bell Tolls - Ernest Hemingway, publ. 1940

November 2009: Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston, publ. 1937

December 2009: The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath, publ. 1963

January 2010: Rabbit, Run - John Updike, publ. 1960

February 2010: East of Eden - John Steinbeck, publ. 1952

March 2010: the Age of Innocence - Edith Wharton, publ. 1920

Blind Spot & Skiing Down Everest

2010-04-01T18:34:00.004-04:00

As in most things, if you try enough of something, you are bound to encounter a dud or two. This concept remains true for documentaries. I know, shocking. By and large, all the docs I have watched have been worth my time, interesting, and educational. And then there were these two. All the hopes and dreams of a good documentary, just did not make it on the execution.

Blind Spot - Hitler's Secretary is not a waste of time and it certainly is educational. However, it is not so much a documentary to me as it is an hour-and-a-half long interview. Because it is that - 1.5 hours of an interview. No World War II footage, no pictures of Hitler in case you forgot what he looked like. No photos or video of where Hitler and his staff were in his last days. Just Traudl Junge (the secretary) talking about how she came to be Hitler's secretary and life in the last days of Hitler. I finished the doc wanting more - another secretary's perspective, reports from others who were with Hitler during that time, something other than Junge alone speaking for this moment of change in history.

And then there was the doc whose title yielded itself to visions of bravery, danger, pushing one's body to the limit. The Man Who Skied Down Everest held such high hopes. Hope that became confused as the film progressed. Why? Because, while I am sure this was meant to be a serious look into a Japanese man's effort to ski down Everest, it came out as a fish eye lens-loving, stained glass streaking color, "does this documentary come with complimentary narcotics" kind of movie. It is weird. Really really weird. I think all the people who lauded this movie on Amazon (see above link) must have all had the same grape KoolAid, if you know what I mean. Kooky. Oh, and it does not stop there. You would think with a title like The Man Who Skied Down Everest he would, I don't know, go to the top of Mt. Everest and ski down. Wrong! He climbs close to the top of Everest and skis down. I felt lied to and taken advantage of. But wait, there's more! Behind door number 3 - it won an Oscar for Best Documentary in 1976! Which made me think of two things:

1) If this documentary won, imagine how bad the other nominated docs must be.

2) Maybe this doc did come with complimentary narcotics to those who select Oscar winners

Need more proof? Here you go, watch at the risk of your mental well-being...

Super Size Me

2010-03-29T15:48:00.003-04:00

Super Size Me is a hilarious and horrifying look at what happens to a person who eats McDonald's at every meal for a month. Kudos to Morgan Spurlock for submitting his body to such torture. To back up to the premise, Spurlock decides to see if McDonald's is just as bad as some fear, so he offers up his body as a test subject to a month of burgers, fries, and the like. He eats everything on the menu and will always super-size his meal if asked. Additionally, he cannot eat or drink anything outside of McDonald's food during this period. Before, during, and after this gastronomical endeavor, Spurlock goes to a few doctors to check on his health to see if and how it changes. He also tries to keep to the average physical activity of an American adult. Through this experiment, Spurlock not only gains weight, but also experiences lethargy, depression, and palpitations.

Full disclosure: I am not a McDonald's eater. However, I am an occasional fast food eater, which cannot be too different from McDonald's in a big picture sense. I am not suggesting this documentary means no more french fries because, well, I like french fries. But it is a sped up example of what a person's body could experience with the weekly trip to Burger World. I mean, it took a month for Spurlock to gain about 25 pounds and over a year to lose it all.

Maxed Out

2010-03-26T13:09:00.001-04:00

This movie is appropriate for the types of struggles America is facing. Maxed Out looks into how the financial system of America works. And I even understood most of it! The filmmakers explore the banking system and how it works today in comparison with 50 or 100 years ago. How credit card companies sell you on plans that are not in your best interest and why they do not want you to pay your bills on time. They also go into a collection agency to see the scare tactics used to get people to pay up. They reveal that the financial industry's best customers are the broke and bankrupt because the deeper in debt they get, the more the industry gets from them. The documentary also explains how large the financial industry's influence is over Congress and the President. They interview bankers, credit card companies, economists, those in debt, and the people harassing those in debt. I cannot remember if they give any alternatives to the current system of the rich getting richer and the poor diving headfirst into debt, but even if they did not, this documentary is one to watch.

The Staircase

2010-03-25T13:02:00.001-04:00

I am going to try something a little different here for the next few days. I am going to depart from talks of food and books and write a little bit about some films I have watched over the past few years. Documentaries, to be exact. Before you let out that yawn and eye roll, hear me out. I once was a docu-doubter as well. Thinking they were long pieces on things I could not care less about - the life cycle of the house fly or someone's aunt's neighbor's cousin's dreams of owning the most cats. And certainly there are films out there like that, but the ones I am talking about will not be. Promise!

To kick things off, the first documentary I picked and watched of my own accord - The Staircase. This documentary chronicles the preparation and trial of Michael Peterson, a Durham-based author accused of murdering his wife by pushing her down the staircase. Peterson contends that his wife, after drinking and taking a Valium, lost her balance and fell. However, there are some curious blood spatter and odd injuries that seem to not match up with a simple staircase fall. The filmmakers follow the defense team and Peterson, so the story is one-sided, but it is filled with some unexpected plot twists. Ones many mystery writers could not think up themselves. Admissions of bisexuality, the curiously similar death of a friend 18 years earlier in Germany, and questionable documentation and testimony. If you like John Grisham, CSI, James Patterson, and Law & Order, there is a good chance you will like this documentary. It leaves the viewer wondering for him- or herself the guilt or innocence of Michael Peterson.

Apartment Anthropology

2010-03-11T14:16:00.001-05:00

There has been a theme running through my apartment living. One I have little control over and a fluctuating tolerance for. I shall call this problem "single male neighbor syndrome." This syndrome has many facets, the chief among which I have discovered to be described below. There must be a contract single men sign when moving into an apartment that others do not. One which states that they must purchase a loud, bass-thumping sound system and play it as loud as they can, risking permanent damage to their hearing. Also required is that the bass must be able to be heard and felt by the single male's immediate neighbors as well as shake wall hangings in all contiguous apartments.

Acceptable forms of bass-thumping noise include, but are not limited to: rock music, heavy metal, video games, and action movies. Lots and lots of action movies with lots and lots of gunfire and explosions. There is a caveat to the action movie, though. Action movies featuring gunfire and explosions can only be played on thumping sound systems after 11 pm. It is also acceptable to fall asleep with the sound system thumping as long as the single male has ensured the music will continue to thump by placing the music on repeat, thereby keeping the neighbors up or forcing them to retreat to the farthest corner of the house from their single male neighbor.

The sound system is best placed directly against a wall shared with a neighbor for optimal sharing potential. By doing this, the single male neighbor should anticipate a sudden flurry of banging against the wall, ceiling or floor by their neighbors. This is also an excellent opportunity for the single male to meet his neighbors when they sharply rap on his door to express their difference of opinion in his taste of sound. In some cases, local authorities may even be called in to assist with the matter. But the single male does not realize any of this is occurring, since he cannot hear the knocking, banging, ringing or pounding due to his thumping bass overpowering all other noises.

I have not found a cure for single male neighbor syndrome. The only positive results I have seen have been when the single male moves away to a different apartment, thereby transferring their syndrome to a new group of neighbors. In general, I let the single male have his bass thumping fun during normal waking hours (8 am - 10 pm). Certain concessions are also allowed for sporting events and nights that are clearly a party and not just the single male sitting in his living room in his boxers drinking beer and listening to Metallica.

GANC: The Age of Innocence

2010-03-05T23:09:00.002-05:00

I am not sure by what means I decided to read The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton for this challenge. Maybe it was on a "Top 100" list I looked over, or I remembered Wharton's name from a literature class I took in college. Maybe the book caught my eye because it won a Pulitzer. For the first 100 pages or so, I was wondering exactly why it made lists and won prizes. But things soon fell together and now I see why it merits the credit it is given.

The Age of Innocence is the story of a young man, Newland Archer, in the late 1800s who lives in the upper New York City society. He is engaged to a society girl, following the traditions, suggestions, and orders of his class as a proper gentleman should. But Archer knows there is more to life, to experience, to love than order and tradition. He just does not know how to escape the confines of his class system. Through his fiancee, he meets a woman, Countess Olenska, who he feels free around. Problem is, she is married, albeit separated. Archer decides to follow social expectations and marries his fiancee, but Olenska is continually in his mind. The plot of the story circles around whether Newland will break from his social class's regulations and seek out a woman that is opinionated, carefree and dangerous to his reputation, or will he stay with his wife May, who though pretty and acceptable, is devoid of opinion, passion or individuality?

The New York aristocracy took some getting used to and sorting out. Everyone is related to everyone else somehow, and there are family clans basically. I am positive all of this made much more sense to those reading when the book was published, but it is not so foreign that it cannot be understood today. With a little stretching of the theme, this story could be anyone of a young person trying to escape the rituals and parameters of his or her parents. Trying to figure out what of your upbringing to keep and what to slough off. In that way, the story does make this book a great American novel. It is a classic story, retold in the context of New York high society.

Time for a tangent! I fell short in reading this book because I did not realize until near the end I was reading it in the wrong fashion. Some books can be devoured like a 7-year-old with Halloween candy - voraciously and heedlessly, without regard to taste or texture. Other books are meant to be savored like a gourmet chocolate truffle (or insert memorable food here) - you let it sit with you, tasting it slowly and thoroughly so that all the notes sing. I began reading The Age of Innocence in a method nearer on the scale to a 7-year-old, and slowly recognized it should have been read more methodically and purposefully. The people in this book tell so much based off of a small nod or the way they greet another, and thus too is the book written. Displeasure is displayed delicately but deliberately; not screamed and echoed from rooftops.

Great American Novel Challenge Booklist:

July 2009: Absalom, Absalom! - William Faulkner, publ. 1936

August 2009: Lonesome Dove - Larry McMurtry, publ. 1985

September 2009: Moby Dick - Herman Melville, publ. 1851

October 2009: For Whom the Bell Tolls - Ernest Hemingway, publ. 1940

November 2009: Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston, publ. 1937

December 2009: The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath, publ. 1963

January 2010: Rabbit, Run - John Updike, publ. 1960

February 2010: East of Eden - John Steinbeck, publ. 1952

GANC: Coming Soon!

2010-03-04T23:41:00.002-05:00

Due to technical difficulties on the home front, this month's Great American Novel book will be a day late... maybe two if I cannot get the review written tomorrow. As a means of distraction, look at the funny little puppy!

Good Mexican Food in NC - Found!

2010-02-18T13:27:00.004-05:00

After a long search, I finally found some decent Mexican food here in Raleigh. It has taken almost two years, and where did I find it? My own recipe binder! What is even funnier is that I am almost certain I printed the recipe out when I was still living in Austin, but did not make it until a week or so ago. Sopa Seca is a meal I will definitely be making again. When I made it, I told Aaron it was kind of like Mexican lasagna, but that is not an accurate parallel. It is closer to chicken noodle casserole, but has a richer flavor profile and is not soupy and creamy like some casseroles can be.

There were a few firsts for me with this meal. I had never tried to look for fideos, which I did not find and thus used angel hair pasta nests, which worked just fine for me. I bought my first can of chipotles in adobo sauce and fell madly in love as soon as I opened the can. Smelled like spicy barbecue sauce and ended up providing the absolute perfect amount of heat and smoke. And, since smoked turkey was not readily available, I baked some chicken and used that without any adverse results, as far as I could tell.

This was a great TGIF meal that provided leftovers I munched on all through the weekend. I like it when leftovers taste just as great as the freshly made dish. Since the fideos are cooked in a pan dry, there are these great crunchy pieces and the noodles as a whole do not get overcooked and saturated with liquid. This is one of the best meals I have ever made and I cannot wait until I can have friends over to share it with them. The recipe may say four servings, but those would be four huge servings, so I would bump the serving count to around six portions with a great side salad and dessert. I did not know that I meal I had never had before could remind me so much of home, but this one did.

Faces of America

2010-02-09T13:11:00.002-05:00

Once again, PBS is showing one of my favorite "special programs." I have talked here before about the series Henry Louis Gates, Jr. hosts entitled "African American Lives" wherein he explores various famous African Americans' genealogy to trace their history. He also uses their DNA to see what areas they hail from (Western Europe, East Africa, Indochina, etc). Well, this year he is looking more broadly at Americans of many ethnicities in Faces of America. Featured "celebrities" include Mario Batali, Stephen Colbert, Yo-Yo Ma, and Kristi Yamaguchi. It starts tomorrow, Feb. 10 from 8-9 pm, and runs every Wednesday through March 3. I am super excited to see these people learn of their heritage and hear some surprising stories of their past. I have not given my PBS station here much of a chance, but perhaps this program will encourage me to look to them for something to watch rather than some of the more mindless entertainment I may seek out on my television.

GANC: East of Eden

2010-02-04T11:25:00.001-05:00

East of Eden is perhaps the most difficult book I have had to write about, and my favorite thus far. Written by John Steinbeck, it is the book he considered one of his most personal. I think the dedication says it best, and yet mysteriously...

Dear Pat,

You came upon me carving some kind of little figure out of wood and you said, "Why don't you make something for me."

I asked you what you wanted, and you said, "A box."

"What for?"

"To put things in."

"What things?"

"Whatever you have," you said.

Well, here's your box. Nearly everything I have is in it, and it is not full. Pain and excitement are in it, and feeling good or bad and evil thoughts and good thoughts - the pleasure of design and some despair and the indescribable joy of creation.

And on top of these are all the gratitude and love I have for you.

And still the box is not full.

The book meanders through the lives of the Hamilton and Trask families as they move west to California and find their successes and failures there. The Trask family eventually becomes the main focus of the story, in particular Adam and his twin sons, Aron and Caleb (Cal). In a key chapter in the book, Adam, his servant Lee, and neighbor Samuel Hamilton sit around and try to decide on names for Adam's boys. (Adam's wife is no longer in the picture after shooting him and running away to become a prostitute. She is a psychopath and, well, just read the book.) They get to discussing the first brothers, Cain and Abel, and Lee, a Chinese servant, says that he has been studying this story and has found something illuminating. Timshel. It is the Hebrew word used in Genesis 4:7 where the Lord, speaking to Cain, says, "If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him." Timshel is used in that last phrase for shalt, "and thou shalt rule over him." Timshel means "thou mayest." What does it all mean? It means that a person is neither marked for a happy life nor condemned to one of misery, but that each person has the ability to choice how their life will be. Timshel plays itself out in the lives of Adam's two children, Aron and Cal.

Aron is the angel-face boy whom everyone adores, but wants life to occur only has he has dreamed it in his head - beautiful and perfect. Cal, on the other hand, is secretive, never letting people get close to him. He sees himself as the less-loved child and continually attempts to earn the love of his father and friends. However, he also harbors resentment against Aron and does what he can, with varying success, to collapse the walls of the world Aron has built up.

If you have not figured it out by now, this is a difficult book to give a quick summation to. In part because there is no apex of action; no culminating moment the whole book as led to, at least not in the way most books culminate. It is the story of a new land, a new town, new families. A coming of age for a family, a state, and a country. It is about the relationships between fathers and sons, brothers, mothers and sons. And it is beautiful.

This one is definitely on my list as a great American novel. The stories in it are universal and true for America. I am not sure how the book has impacted American society. Apparently, as I just learned while checking it out on Amazon, that it was an Oprah's Book Club pick, so there is that. I cannot say that it is a story echoed in other novels or movies, because East of Eden itself is a story retold from the Bible. A modern-day Cain and Abel. So maybe all stories since 1952 that reimagine Cain and Abel should also say they reimagined Aron and Cal. In any case, this book is a masterpiece and one Steinbeck had a right to be proud of. I look forward to reading more of his books to see how they measure up.

Great American Novel Challenge Booklist:

July 2009: Absalom, Absalom! - William Faulkner, publ. 1936

August 2009: Lonesome Dove - Larry McMurtry, publ. 1985

September 2009: Moby Dick - Herman Melville, publ. 1851

October 2009: For Whom the Bell Tolls - Ernest Hemingway, publ. 1940

November 2009: Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston, publ.1937

December 2009: The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath, publ. 1963

January 2010: Rabbit, Run - John Updike, publ. 1960

Books in Waiting

2010-01-28T11:41:00.004-05:00

As I sit here at my desk, there are several temptations a few feet to my left. Books. They stare at me from their multi-colored spines, urging me to pause each time I pass, wooing me with the knowledge and stories held within their covers. However, my GANC book this month has taken up most of my reading space, and I have endeavored to read two other books on the side for personal and professional gain. So, no room on the night stand for these books, these books in waiting. Below, a selected few of these 14 books (and counting)...

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, by Seth Grahame-Smith - I got this book from Aaron's mom for Christmas, and then Aaron got a copy from me for Christmas. Clearly this is an unread but well-loved book. My devotion for Pride and Prejudice (P&P) is deep and true. One of the best books I have ever read and will continue reading until I am too blind to read, in which case I will get it on CD or MP3, or whatever listening medium we have 50 years from now. I am saving P&P&Z for when I need a good pick-me-up and a laugh, but I fear temptation may win out over my pragmatic goal.

Guns, Germs and Steel, by Jared Diamond - I have looked at this book and begun reading it almost every time I have gone into a bookstore for the past 6 or so years. And finally, this Christmas, I got it (thanks to mom and dad - thanks!). The main thrust of the book is exploring how and why one civilization thrived while another died out. It mixes my love of history with science, which is less known to me but I am eager to learn about.

King Leopold's Ghost, by Adam Hochschild - This was a book I was supposed to read in my African History 2 class but did not finish. Looks like I got, oh, about 48 pages in of about 300. The class was hard for me because I had not taken African History 1 and the flow of African history is dissimilar from European history. It was not countries at war, but tribes with ever changing boundaries, and then Europe came in and started creating their own boundaries. Very confusing. However, I do want to read this book and give it the opportunity I could not my junior year of college.

The Terror, by David Andress - For about a year now, I have wanted to read more about the French Revolution. It is a time in history I am woefully not knowledgeable of. In my high school world history class, we ended right around the French Revolution and, in college, all of my history classes were either American or British (save my African class). I loved A Tale of Two Cities so I thought it high time I read the history of it all. I had a couple books on my list that looked decent, but over Christmas in Texas, I found myself at a Half Price and could not say no to this book. I have no idea how good or bad it is and hope that if it is not great, it is not so bad that it deters me from further reading.

To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee - No, I am not spoiling a GANC novel here; I have already read this book. However, that was in junior high, so it is about time to revisit Scout and friends. And, I just happened to have a gift card to Barnes & Noble, which just happened to carry the 40th anniversary edition. So, I bought and now it sits on my "classic literature" shelf waiting to be as well-loved and well-read as its companions.

There you are, a few of the books waiting to be read on my shelf currently. All the rest are histories or non-fiction, including two I have already "read" but loved enough to purchase. What books-in-waiting are on your shelf?

Christmas Birthday Dinner

2010-01-25T13:21:00.003-05:00

Timing is everything, or so the saying goes. In the case of this particular dinner, I would say a double oven is everything. Aaron and I would have eaten much earlier had I two ovens instead of one. And if I had shopped for all the dinner food before the evening of - that would have helped too. However, let it be known this is the best dinner I have ever made and eaten after 10 pm.

On a previous grocery trip, Aaron and I were buying some chicken breasts. From a few chicken rows down, Aaron spied them. Two little Cornish hens waiting to be cooked. Aaron, having never had Cornish hen and hot off our Thanksgiving chicken victory, asked if we could buy them for a future meal. That future meal turned out to be our Christmas/Aaron's birthday gift exchange. One of us found this recipe for Roasted Cornish Game Hen with Panzanaella Dressing and Sauteed Broccolini and thought that was a decent celebratory meal. After a lot of bread cutting, herb chopping, single oven ballet and recooked chicken due to medium rareness (good in steak, not in chicken), here is what we ended up with some time after 10 pm...

It was just as good as it looks in the picture, maybe even better. The dressing was my least favorite, in part because I do not own a bowl large enough to toss the bread, tomatoes and herbs without flinging them across the kitchen. So, some bread had no seasoning, other pieces where heavy laden with rosemary. It was a powerful taste that I feel could have been dialed back a few notches, but something I would be willing to try again in a smaller batch.

The chicken, after being cooked through, was quite tasty and succulent. My garlic paste did not pan out as intended due to some tough cloves that refused to be transformed into paste form, so that could use some tweaking next go round. There was just enough rosemary in the chickens' cavities to lend a nice aromatic note to the meat without overpowering it. Definitely something to revisit and play with in the future.

And the broccolini. I had forgotten how tasty sauteed broccoli was and now I think I may have to make a batch a week for munching. The finely sliced garlic sends the broccolini over the edge into "eat me daily" deliciousness.

Eat Your Veggies!

2010-01-14T14:23:00.003-05:00

One of the presents I received for Christmas was Rachael Ray's Book of 10 cookbook (thanks, Aaron's mom!). Aaron had taken the liberty of flagging a few of the recipes he thought he would like to have me make for him before his mom wrapped it for me. After I opened it and he explained why there were hot pink post-it flags throughout the book, I gave my obligatory sigh and looked to see what recipes he chose. And some of them actually looked pretty good. So, we made one of them after returning to NC. (I almost said Texas. Aw.... miss you, Texas!)

Creamy Polenta with Veggie Ragu is the flagged dish that caught my eye first. And, after having eaten it, my stomach agrees with my eyes. Good stuff. The veggie ragu was hearty and filling, and easy to substitute veggies at will. But the polenta, oh my goodness. Best polenta I have ever made or eaten. And while credit is due to the recipe, kudos to de la Estancia organic polenta for making creamy, just enough grit polenta. Yum!! The whole recipe makes a lot of food, enough for at least 6 big (big!) servings, and 8-10 reasonable portions. It satisfied my winter need for hot food without it being soup, meat, or something overtly creamy, cheesy and fattening.

Creamy Polenta with Veggie Ragu

from Rachael Ray's Book of 10, page 128-129

1 large head of cauliflower, about 2 lbs, cut into bite-sized florets

3 Tbsp EVOO, plus some for drizzling

Salt and black pepper

6 cups vegetable stock

2 cups milk

1 large fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced

1 large onion, thinly sliced

4 large garlic cloves, chopped

2 red bell peppers, seeded and sliced

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 cup golden raisins, 1 overflowing handful

2 cups quick-cooking polenta

1 head escarole, washed and coarsely chopped (I used spinach)

2 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, 2 generous handfuls, chopped

Preheat oven to 450F.

Arrange the cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle it generously with EVOO, then season it with salt and pepper, tossing it around to make sure all of it is coated. Roast the cauliflower for 15 minutes, or until it's lightly browned and tender but still has a bit of a bite.

While the cauliflower is roasting combine 4 cups of the vegetable stock and the milk in a sauce pot. Add salt and pepper and bring it up to a simmer, then turn the heat down until you are ready to add the polenta.

Place a large skillet over medium-high head with 3 Tbsp of EVOO. Add the fennel, onions, garlic, bell pepper, and red pepper flakes and season them with a little salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, or until the veggies are approaching being tender. Add the remaining 2 cups of vegetable stock and bring it up to a simmer, then continue to cook for 4 or 5 minutes.

Add the roasted cauliflower and the raisins to veggie mix, toss them to combine and continue to cook them for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the liquids have reduced by half.

Once you have added the cauliflower to the skillet, finish the polenta. Using a whisk, add the polenta to the simmering stock and milk mixture; cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes. Be careful; the closest you'll probably come to having hot lava in your kitchen is a pot of bubbling polenta (she is not kidding). Once the polenta is cooked, add the chopped escarole to the skillet with the cauliflower and cook it until the escarole wilts, a couple of minutes.

Add the butter and cheese to the polenta, and stir them to melt in. If the polenta thickens too much, add a little more stock or milk to loosen it up.

Add the parsley to the skillet with the cauliflower and combine. To serve, place a helping of the polenta in the bottom of 6 shallow serving dishes and top it with some of the veggie ragu. Serve it along with a little more cheese to pass at the table.

Confessions of a Dessert Lover

2010-01-08T13:24:00.003-05:00

Hi, my name is Allison, and I love desserts. Brownies, cookies, pies, cakes, candy, cobblers, crisps, even ice cream that gives me stomach aches - all are welcomed at my dessert table. I can generally keep my longing under control, but there are those evenings when the day has been long and I need some sweet, sweet comfort. The internet comes to my rescue with coffee mug cake or brownies, no bake cookies and Wendy's 99 cent Frosties. Something had to be done to satisfy my longing and yet not eat what feels like a cup of pure sugar at night.

Enter my salvation -Stonyfield Farms' organic Chocolate Underground fat free yogurt. Yes, you are reading that all correctly - organic...chocolate...fat free. You are probably now thinking that it must contain wheat chaff and taste like carob or something. Wrong! It is smooth, rich, creamy and tastes like melted frozen yogurt. The tang of the yogurt cuts through the rich chocolate marvelously. My ghetto Walmart does not sell this particular yogurt, so I have begun making treks to Harris Teeter to keep myself supplied. I even dared to let Aaron have a whirl with it and it has won him over handily. It is all the indulgent benefits of a dessert without being 1000 calories. A guiltless decadence, if you will.

GANC: Rabbit, Run

2010-01-05T11:19:00.002-05:00

I am one day late on posting my GANC book, but that is because yesterday I was spending 10+ hours in a car with Aaron driving through Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina in our attempt to arrive in Raleigh after visiting him and his mom in Indiana. West Virginia is very curvy, or the roads are at least. On to the book...

This month I read Rabbit, Run by John Updike. The book follows Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom as he struggles with his desire to escape the routine monotony of his life as a salesman with a wife and a son and his felt responsibility to said wife and son. The writing style and flow of the story were simple enough to follow; it was the wanderings of Rabbit that were the difficult part for me. Not giving too much away, after another day selling kitchen gadgets, Rabbit returns home to find his very pregnant wife watching a kid's show and well on her way to being drunk. After realizing how all the minutiae of home life are not paying off as he thought, he decides to leave his town and drive to the Gulf of Mexico. In a roundabout fashion, he lands on the doorstep of his high school basketball coach, who takes him in and introduces him to Ruth, who is a prostitute. Rabbit begins to live with Ruth in somewhat tenuous circumstances, all the while wondering if he made the right decision to leave his wife and child. After all, nothing seems to have changed.

The story weaves in and out of Rabbit almost going home, going home but not seeing any family, and going to his house and staying there, only to leave again. The book is best described as tragic. At times, I wanted to say out loud, "Rabbit, what are you doing?!" Here is a man who found adulthood not as the still-famous basketball star of the town, but as another face in a crowd, nothing special. He believes that if he could start over it would all be different. He would be something better, greater, though he knows not what nor where to begin. So, instead Rabbit circles the same issues again and again - leave the familiar, wallow in the not quite familiar, return to the familiar and run away again. Even at the end, after true and painful tragedy has struck, Rabbit runs.

I am unsure the impact this book has had on American culture, but it clearly speaks to many young professionals who find middle class life to be a shadow of the dream they had for it in high school or college. A person who may not be able to see all the good about his life and instead focuses on how the closet door cannot open all the way because it will hit the television. In other words, the small little annoyances get the attention and are the call to action instead of the people around you who care and are calling you to action.

Rabbit's escape is a sentiment most people, I imagine, have felt at one time or another. And, in some ways, the reader can live out that escape through him and see just how far or near it can take a person. I do not think desiring an escape is a bad thing, it is why vacation time exists in jobs, but it must be done responsibly, unlike how Rabbit went about it. He wished to escape from his whole existence, his day to day everything, or at least so he thought.

I believe this is a great American novel. Certainly not of the type I thought I would be saying. It is not grand or redemptive, there is no hero, no person to cheer for. But it is honest and true to more of America than we may want to suppose.

Great American Novel Challenge Booklist:

July 2009: Absalom, Absalom! - William Faulkner, publ. 1936

August 2009: Lonesome Dove - Larry McMurtry, publ. 1985

September 2009: Moby Dick - Herman Melville, publ. 1851

October 2009: For Whom the Bell Tolls - Ernest Hemingway, publ. 1940

November 2009: Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston, publ. 1937

December 2009: The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath, publ. 1963

GANC: The Bell Jar

2009-12-04T10:34:00.001-05:00

This is not the book I set out reading for December's challenge. I may revisit the one I set aside again, but it was a little too much for me given the length of the book and the time I had available to read. And yes, maybe I was being a little lazy, not trying hard enough to get into book X. Such is life and such is reading.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath was not all that I expected it to be. First off, complete shock on my part that I was able to go through at least two feminist-focused English classes and not even glance at this book. Second, knowing how Plath herself mimicked this book off chapters from her own life, I expected more angst and darkness given how she came to her own end.

Perhaps the most jarring thing about Esther Greenwood and her path to depression and thoughts of suicide was how easily I related to her. There she was, living an enviable summer internship in New York working at a magazine hundreds of girls long for, and she felt entirely out of place. She bought the clothes to fit in, had the right friends to fit in, a social calendar that placed her well to meet the well-to-do and attractive, and yet she felt she was just playing a part. Upon her return home, now without the distractions of the city, she could not quiet the thoughts that had been stirring about all summer. It seemed every place she went, she contemplated how to end her life there. After a failed suicide attempt, she stayed at an institution where it is never clear if Greenwood got better or found a new part to play in order to fit in.

I could not agree more with the introduction to my book: this is most definitely confessional literature. At times I felt like I was eavesdropping with no method of escape. And though it has been over a decade since I read it, I also agree with many who have drawn a string from J. D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye to The Bell Jar. They are in some ways twins, companion pieces.

I think the confessional aspect of this book is necessary to its success, but it is also what moves it a step or two away from being a top pick for the Great American novel. However, the fact that it is indulgent and has the feel of voyeurism shines a light all too bright on American culture presently. This book is all about Esther Greenwood and what people have done to her. And largely that is what America is right now - the constant whine of what people have done to me and how I deserve better, bigger, more, faster. So maybe that knocks it back up a peg or two toward Great American Novel. I think the question is whether Plath was being self-indulgent in writing this, or if she did have a larger message regarding American culture. If the former, this book is a closer relative to books such as The Devil Wears Prada or Sex and the City. If the latter, it fits right in with other great American novels.

Great American Novel Challenge Booklist:

July 2009: Absalom, Absalom! - William Faulkner, publ. 1936

August 2009: Lonesome Dove - Larry McMurtry, publ. 1985

September 2009: Moby Dick - Herman Melville, publ. 1851

October 2009: For Whom the Bell Tolls - Ernest Hemingway, publ. 1940

November 2009: Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston, publ. 1937

Thanksgiving, Take 1

2009-12-01T12:05:00.006-05:00

I hope that everyone had a restful and enjoyable Thanksgiving. This year was the first time I was away from home, so it was a little difficult at times without the family and familiar foods, but I think Aaron and I did pretty well on our own. Aside from Thanksgiving lunch, we played dominoes and Scrabble and watched some football, the marquee event was of course the Texas A&M vs. t.u. game, which was better than anticipated. As the saying goes, "We did not lose; the clock stopped before we could win."

Now on to what really matters - the food! I had started getting my things together for the meal way back in August. Okay, it was a total accident that happened, but a happy accident. I was wandering around the Farmer's Market and stopped to check out a table I had not seen before for free range chicken. Having recently finished The Omnivore's Dilemma, I thought it a good idea to see what all the fuss was about regarding free range meat. That meat sat happily in my freezer for two months at time forgotten and pushed aside. But Thanksgiving seemed the perfect time to bust it out. Having never roasted my own chicken, I consulted websites and my mom and arrived at a recipe that served us well. I rinsed the chicken out, which gloriously was devoid of its innards, and patted it dry. Salted and peppered inside and out liberally. Stuck a few chunks of celery in the cavity along with tabs of butter in there and a few on top and in the oven it went. Thanks to my handy dandy thermometer, I knew when to baste and when it was done. The chicken hung out on the counter until my other oven dish was completed.

Next up was another new dish, Old Fashioned Grated Sweet Potato Pudding, from Cookwise. This one made me nervous, especially since the previous day I heard that some sweet potatoes are hard and some soft. I knew I needed soft, but had no clue which I had gotten. I fear I used hard sweet potatoes because they were a little crunchy even after being grated into little rice-sized bits and baked for about an hour. And it did not turn out pudding-like, but more granular. Also, there was way too much ginger for my taste, though in eating leftovers the taste has either mellowed or I have grown accustomed to it. Something to try again, but with a few tweaks.

In order to not have a bottleneck at the oven Thursday, I made cornbread Wednesday. It is a recipe I have used a few times now and always with great results. In the past I have thrown some corn in it, but this time I went by the book and I think it is better sans corn kernels. Little butter on it and it is good to go.

We added a little salad to our plates and the feast was on! The chicken was undoubtedly the highlight of the meal. I did not quite get the feel that I will never eat regular chicken again... until I ate some of the dark meat. It was as if I were tasting chicken for the first time. Packed with incredible flavor that did not come from my salt, pepper and celery. Wow. Two thumbs way up for that.

After lunch, Aaron and I played games, Aaron winning all of them despite a few rematches. Soon, it was time for dinner - but what about dessert? Well, we did dessert for dinner, which I think is an excellent way to gorge on the lunch and still have room to gorge on dessert. Aaron and I struck a compromise on this since I do not like pumpkin pie and Aaron detests anything lemon, hence no lemon meringue for me. Apple dumplings with vanilla bean ice cream. The apples erupted a bit from their puff pastry housing, but it all tasted good. The ice cream tasted close to the homemade vanilla bean I have made in the past, too. All in all very yummy.

Oh! I almost forgot about my mulled cider. I cannot remember if my mom would make a batch of apple cider every year, but it was often enough for me to pine for it once fall came around. I thought if I made it one day on my own, I would be wasting a batch of perfectly good cider by myself. Sure, Aaron is only one more person, but my longing was so deep at this point one more person was all the excuse I needed. And then Aaron did not have any of it, while I think I drank half the pot on Thanksgiving alone. Warm, a little spicy, not cloyingly sweet, and the oranges added a great citrus note. This recipe is a great starting point for updates and additions to the pot next go round. In fact, I may go get a cup right now.

I hope all of you had a great time with family and friends, and I would like to say how thankful I am that you not only read my little corner of the blogosphere, but you are beautiful friends outside of it. Even though you were not at my Thanksgiving, you were thought of and are cherished.

Confessions of a Cookie Snatcher

2009-11-23T17:38:00.004-05:00

Now that I am out of my parents' house and far enough away that they cannot ground me, I may now admit to something - I snuck and ate my dad's molasses cookies from time to time. They were slightly spicy, sugar dusted and delicious, and I could not keep my paws off them. Sorry Dad! Ever since, I look for a decent molasses cookie recipe that holds a candle to the store bought ones I pilfered.

I am happy to report I have not only found a recipe that is as good as those cookies, but I think these are even better. Molasses Crinkles are chewy, spicy, and perfect with a cup of hot tea on a crisp fall day. I made a batch for the Fall Retreat my church had a couple weeks ago. Unfortunately, my humble cookies were outshone by more jazzy desserts like oreo brownies and apple cake, but people did not know what they were missing. Aaron even became a spokesperson for the cookies, but to no avail. Which, in the end, just meant more for us.

Recipes usually say how many servings or slices or cookies it makes, and I rarely achieve that exact number. But with this one, it was exactly 48 cookies, and I was quite impressed with myself. They take a little more effort to make than the average cookie with the chill time and rolling each in sugar, but the payoff is huge. Wonderful two- or three-bite cookie. The type of cookie that merits a cookie jar and monthly making in autumnal and winter seasons.

Early Thanksgiving Dinner

2009-11-19T13:48:00.001-05:00

Last night my small group had a pre-Thanksgiving Day dinner together that was light on the traditional Thanksgiving food and heavy on, as I saw it, some Texas foods and flavors. Pork ribs, baked potatoes, macaroni and cheese, biscuits and salad. Matt and Kristin fired up their grill and made some excellent ribs that were not too messy for my taste. The mac and cheese, courtesy of Sharon and Dan, was really good and a little spicy thanks to the inclusion of Ro-Tel tomatoes. Brian and Kathy provided the biscuits and salad both of which were superb. Aaron baked some taters using our man Alton's instructions, which are:

Preheat oven to 350.

1. Clean your russet potato of dirt and pat it dry.

2. Use a fork to poke holes all over the spud.

3. Lightly coat surface of tater with canola oil, which makes for a nice little crunch on the skin.

4. Sprinkle the potato with kosher salt.

5. Place the tater directly on the rack in middle of oven.

6. Wait about an hour and your spud should be done.

For my contribution I made two pies, with mixed aesthetic success. What should have taken about two hours for both pies took pretty much all day. The problem? The crust. Apparently there was an unequal distribution of butter in one of the pies, which yielded mid-baking sinking of the sides of the crust. So, in the end, I ended up with one pretty pie, one sunken pie crust, and one pie with sunken edges that were Frankensteined here and there. Meringue covers a world of ugly, that is all I am saying.

Pie #1 was old-fashioned fudge pie, which I had made before and turned out even better this go round. It is simple to make, looks like it took a long time, and tastes amazing.

The second pie is where the troubles began. A week or two ago, I was reading of my regular blogs, Homesick Texan, and she wrote of a "new favorite" pie she is sharing with her family this Thanksgiving - p eanut butter pie. Immediately, I knew this pie would be featured in my month of November, even if I had to make it and eat it all myself. I heart peanut butter.

Sadly, this is the pie where my crust did not want to cooperate, so the second crust attempt for this pie (Franken-pie, if you will) was the one presented to my dear groupies. Thankfully, the pretty meringue distracted from the ugly pie crust.

In my flurry over the crust debacle, I failed to heed the recipe's advice to either use unsweetened peanut butter or lower the sugar if you use sweetened PB. I used sweetened PB and the full sugar amount and it came out a little on the sweet side, in my opinion. Also, when the recipe says stir the sugar, egg, and milk mixture until bubbles and thickens, it may take more than 10 minutes and wait until it thickens. I almost placed custard soup in my crust, forgetting that a few minutes in the oven to brown the meringue would not magically thicken the custard - that would have been bad. However, the subtle star of this pie show was the cayenne. I may have been the only one to notice it since I was the only one who knew there was a dash of it in the custard, but added this whisper of heat at the end of a bite that brought the pie up a notch or two, in my opinion.

All in all, it was a fantastic dinner with friends and a wonderful evening of laughing at one other's phonetic skills at Mad Gab - Deal of France!

Asian Noodles with Steak and Snow Peas

2009-11-12T14:28:00.001-05:00

(This is from the draft archives circa September, and I just now rediscovered it. Enjoy!)

Finally a return to food! It feels like ages since I have gotten the chance to make something worth writing about. I made Asian Noodles with Steak and Snow Peas this past weekend for Aaron and myself and it won rave reviews from both of us. Aaron even dropped by my apartment by surprise Sunday for high def football and leftovers, and Aaron is not a fan of the leftover. I cannot recall where the recipe came from, so apologies to wherever I found it.

First of all, this dish is as simple as making spaghetti with meat sauce, but far more unique and flavorful. The steak is tender and flavorful, the snow peas add nice crunch and the peanuts cut through the flavors with a pleasant taste. I do not think the soba noodles are as dry as Italian-style noodles, so I did not notice the absence of a sauce. Nice combination of flavors I would not have naturally put together. A meal worth repeating.

Asian Noodles with Steak and Snow Peas

coarse salt and ground black pepper
8 oz. soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles)
1.5 lb. skirt steak, cut in half or thirds if too large to fit in skillet
1 lb. snow peas, stem ends removed
2 Tb. soy sauce
1/4 cup unsalted peanuts, chopped

In a pot of boiling salted water, cook noodles until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain; set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season steak with salt and pepper. Cook (in batches if necessary), turning once, until medium rare, about 2 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer steak to a cutting board, and loosely tent with aluminum foil (reserve skillet juices).

Add snow peas to skillet and toss with juices. Cook on medium-high tossing occasionally, until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add noodles, soy sauce and 2 tablespoons water, cook until warmed through, about 20 seconds. Transfer to serving bowls. Slice steak thinly; place on top of noodles, and add any accumulated juices. Scatter with peanuts and serve.

GANC: Their Eyes Were Watching God

2009-11-04T11:38:00.004-05:00

I am not sure about this book. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston is a decent book, but I did not grasp its importance in American history. Written in 1937 by an African American woman, this book went in and out of print and the American conscience until the late 60s when largely female African American professors unearthed it and began teaching and writing about it. Is this a case where the book's greatness prompted the teaching and focus, or did the teaching and focus prompt this book's greatness?

As most of you know, I am not an African American female, nor have I read and researched much in African American literature, so there is an obvious gap in my knowledge. Perhaps I am making an unfair parallel, but if this book were written by a white female about poor white people, I am unconvinced it would have the standing it does today. However, I am not here to compare a mythical book to this one, I am here to talk about the book I read.

Beautifully descriptive passages. This is the most superb part of the book, Hurston's elegant and unique way of expressing the time and place of action. In the opening of the book, this:

"Seeing the woman as she was made them remember the envy they had stored up from other times. So they chewed up the back parts of their minds and swallowed with relish. They made burning statements with questions, and killing tools out of laughs. It was mass cruelty. A mood come alive. Words walking without masters, walking altogether like harmony in a song."

This plays in stark contrast to the rural Southern dialect the characters speak. "At dat she ain't so ole as some of y'all dat's talking," for instance. It is so jolting to the eye that once you encounter the eloquent words, you hope they go on for pages. And then, when the dialect erupts, you change your rhythm and cadence and almost speak the writing yourself to understand it. Hurston grew up with this dialect, so to read these contrasting words echoes of how she must feel - history of rural, life now of sweet eloquence.

Perhaps this book fell short for me because of what I read about it before chapter one. I read the forward, which is usually a smart thing to do should a book have one. But in this case, I feel the forward puffed the book up in a way that as I dug into it, my grand picture of what the book was to be fell short. It was like hearing all your friends talk about how awesome a movie is and then seeing it yourself and it not being as great because it had been so talked up for you. Disappointing.

This is an excellent novel of a side and voice of America not often placed center stage. It is stark and beautiful, simple and pained. A woman rising above history, stereotype, men, fortune, and family in order to find her happiness. Is it the great American novel? No. Is it a great African American/woman's perspective novel? I think so.

Great American Novel Challenge Booklist:

July 2009: Absalom, Absalom! - William Faulkner, publ. 1936

August 209: Lonesome Dove - Larry McMurtry, publ. 1985

September 2009: Moby Dick - Herman Melville, publ. 1851

October 2009: For Whom the Bell Tolls - Ernest Hemingway, publ. 1940

Soup's On! (Slow Cooker Hoisin Beef Stew)

2009-10-26T12:36:00.004-04:00

This past weekend brought another batch of soups for the eating. I perused my recipe collection and found a Whole Foods "Meals for 4 under $15" pamphlet with Slow Cooker Hoisin Beef Stew included as one of the five recipes. Yet another super easy meal. And super tasty. The hardest part for me was cutting the onions - man, I got some tearjerkers this time! When I put everything together to marinate overnight, I was worried because I had to guess on what 1.5 pounds of meat was; the smallest beef stew meat amount they had was 2.7 pounds. The sauce looked paltry and I worried that I would end up with dry meat and no "stew."

However, after letting it cook all day and creating a sweet barbecue-like aroma in my apartment, there was enough sauce, though not enough to qualify as stew. Aaron brought over his rice cooker so we could ladle the beef over some toothsome brown rice. I was not risking a repeat of burning or, my most recent accomplishment, water logging my rice. All the flavors and chunks go together so well, and it has this little wisp of spice that warms you up. The large beef chunks cooked and softened so they shredded into smaller pieces, which meant we were able to get a little of everything in our bowls in each bite. I cannot wait to use the rest of my stew meat for another pot of this great meal.

Hello, Old Friend

2009-10-21T10:27:00.002-04:00

I am not a Facebooker (or whatever people who Facebook are called). Yes, I have an account and, no, I do not use it really. However, it has come in handy from time to time. Learning of a friend's pregnancy or engagement or marriage, a big move, or a new job. Well, let's file this Facebook discovery under big move and new job...sort of.

I was reading the updates and one of my friends growing up (and high school classmate), stated that it was really good to see Brian play last night, it had been a long time since he'd seen him. Now, to most people reading that, probably would not have meant much. But I had a strong suspicion that I knew who this Brian person was.

Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to the guy I took to my senior banquet, Brian Bandas...

He's the first guy you see - the one in the white shirt and one playing the yellow guitar. When I knew him, he was our youth group's band leader, starting a band called Three Nails Short, learning to play harmonica like John Popper, and working at Chick-fil-A. I knew I would see him in music some day and would Google him from time to time to see if he had made it big yet. So, to see that he and his band have a record deal and an album coming out makes me pretty proud of the guy. Good job, Bandas.

(Here's a link to his band's CMT profile - Love and Theft.)

Soup's On! (Beans & Barley)

2009-10-07T14:54:00.001-04:00

Ooh, a food post, a rare thing these past months - yippee! Lest you think I have been living off PB & J and take out, I promise you I have been actually making food, just not a lot of note. Or I have pictures of food that have not been uploaded and I am a procrastinator. Perhaps a little of column A, little of column B.

Last week, I decided with the temp dip into the 70s that it was time to begin soup season. Yes, anything below 80 qualifies as cool weather for this Texan. Aaron and I schemed to split the soup between us and have enough for almost a week's worth of dinner each. We began with Slow Cooker Bean and Barley Soup. Just before bed, I chopped up carrots, celery and onion, dumped them into the Crock Pot along with beans (I used a bag of 15-bean), barley, water and a few cans and seasonings, turned the Crock Pot on, went to bed and awoke Saturday morning the warm aroma of cooked beans. Added a few more things per the recipe and scooped it all into containers. Tada!

The soup came out thick, more on the line with almost a chili. When I reheated it for dinner that night, I added some chicken stock to thin it a little, but water of course could be used. I thought it was on the salty side, so I would reduce the amount of salt at the beginning a little, or the amount of Parmesan at the end. I may have added a little more cheese than asked for. The beans and barley soften well and blend together with the veggies and spices quite well. The beans more or less kept their shape, so it is not like you are eating mush for lunch. Add some hearty crusty bread on the side and you have a fantastically filling meal.

GANC: For Whom the Bell Tolls

2009-10-04T04:49:00.002-04:00

For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway surprised me. I had heard horror stories of high school friends reading The Old Man and the Sea, so I suspected an even longer book by Hemingway would prove somewhat painful. It was no easy road, but it was, dare I say, enjoyable to read. For Whom the Bell Tolls is a hard book to put your finger on. Set during the Spanish Civil War, it follows an American as he bands together with a group of Republican guerrilla fighters as he sets in motion a plan to blow up a Fascist-controlled bridge. The majority of the book is the three days leading up to the bridge explosion.

Perhaps I should back up a little. The book opens with part of a poem by John Donne, from which the title of the book acquires its name.

No man is an Iland, intire of it selfe; every man is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine; if a Clod bee washed away by the Sea, Europe is the lesse, as well as if a Promontorie were, as well as if a Mannor of thy friends or of thine owne were; any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee.
(Italics Hemingway's)

The theme of this book draws largely from the sentiment of no man being an island. Hemingway shows how even a small group of people from disparate backgrounds and motives, need one another in order to advance their goal. Throughout the novel, there is an ebb and flow of coming together and breaking apart. Sometimes it is simple, as when Robert Jordan, the Ingles, leaves his lover Maria to scout out the bridge. Other times it is more far-reaching, as when Pablo steals some of the weaponry and disappears, leaving the group short ammunition, men, and horses. It is beautifully detailed and simply written. A slow progression of Jordan's movement from idealist to something else, something more tangible and true.

However, none of that is about the great American novel-ness of the book (or not). Robert Jordan is a symbol of a young ideal American. He sees a problem in Spain, wants to help and so he goes, not giving thought to what or who he is fighting for. He signed up for a cause and, after he met the people, the cause became blurred. It stopped being good against evil. As America, we look though ideal lenses out on the world, seeing where we can fix things, where people need our help. And we go, to create for ourselves an even more ideal place abroad, to bring our idealism to the masses. When we arrive, after the luster has faded, we see how much we have to learn, how small we really are, and that what we came to do may not be what we should do. It is a sentiment I have not seen often in books by American authors.

Despite that, I am not convinced this is the great American novel. It is a superb novel, but there is not a lot of outright American to it. I have no doubt that Hemingway is a great American author, and I look forward to reading more of his books in the future, but For Whom the Bell Tolls does not meet my expectations of being a novel to raise up as a great American one. I hesitate to write that because it is excellent, excellently written and excellently executed. What is funny is if you were to change this from Spanish Revolution to American Revolution or Civil War, even Vietnam, I think I would bump it closer toward the ideal great American novel. Perhaps it falters because I know as much about this war as I have learned from this book and Pan's Labyrinth - not a whole lot.

Great American Novel Challenge Booklist:
July 2009: Absalom, Absalom! - William Faulkner, publ. 1936
August 2009: Lonesome Dove - Larry McMurtry, publ. 1985
September 2009: Moby Dick - Herman Melville, publ. 1851

GANC: Moby Dick

2009-09-04T13:09:00.000-04:00

Moby Dick by Herman Melville was not what I expected. Perhaps I ran into a case where I am so familiar with the climax, the focus of the tale, that at every turn of the page I expected a siting of the White Whale and a Moby Dick. vs. Ahab fight to the death. It took over four-fifths of the book for the whaling vessel Pequod to even see the whale. So, if the book is not about a fight between a whale and a man, what is it about?

This is the point, early on, that things begin to fall apart for me. This book is so thick with meaning, layering and heft, and I was unable to devote the time and intensity necessary to understand even half of it. Where's Mrs. Jackson, my high school English teacher, when you need her? But I will try to piece together what little I did get about and from the story.

In a way, the two main character, Ahab (the captain) and Ishmael (the narrator and crew member) counter balance one another elegantly. Ahab seeks Moby Dick in order to conquer it, to know it in its death. Ishmael, on the other hand, seems to want an adventure and to know the ins and outs of whales in general. Many chapters are devoted to Ishmael discussing types of whales, bones of whales, intellect of whales, whales in literature, whales in art, uses of whale parts, the benevolence or malevolence of different whales. One man desires to know one whale to its soul. Another to know all whales' in their parts, possibly in hopes of explaining to himself, and thus the reader, Ahab's passionate pursuit of Moby Dick.

In addition to this ongoing discussion of knowledge and knowing, Melville incorporates a discussion of fate and prophesy throughout the book. This one was harder for me to track since it did not typically consist of a chapter-long aside, as did Ishmael's discussion on whales. From seemingly insane men prophesying doom to the very name of the ship, Pequod, a Native American tribe that did not last long after white men arrived, this permeating sense of doom weaves its tendrils throughout the book. The reader senses the tragic outcome before many of the characters do.

As for how Moby Dick relates and interacts with American culture, I posit that this is the quintessential tale of man versus nature as well as single-minded pursuit. To extrapolate to our culture, this theme touches on conquering the unconquerable and ambitiously pursuing a goal at all costs, things that define what has come to be the American stereotype. That relentless pursuit sometimes yields great progress and light, and sometimes it yields a person's own White Whale. If one were ask the average American for literary examples of these ideals, most would not name Moby Dick, but it is there in the background, just under the surface below visibility.

Great American Novel Challenge Booklist:
July 2009: Absalom, Absalom! - William Faulkner, publ. 1936
August 2009: Lonesome Dove - Larry McMurtry, publ. 1985

Rice: 1, Me: 0

2009-09-03T10:31:00.000-04:00

Once again last night, I proved to myself that I have given the name of my blog an apt title. Boy howdy was there some smoke! It all began innocently enough with my attempt to make dinner that was not a sandwich or scrambled eggs. It is getting to that point with my foodstuffs that a grocery trip is of vital importance...unless I can find some recipes for the numerous condiments I collect. Seriously, three or four types of mustard, three mayo-like spreads, four or five dressings, two jars of salsa, various Asian sauces, and an assortment of other dipping and spreading sauces.

Anyway, back to my smoky night. I decided to make pork and brown rice. Marinated the pork in some teriyaki sauce I had in the fridge and put the rice on to cook. As I am reading my GANC book (one day, 100 pages - can I do it? Find out tomorrow!) I begin to notice a nutty aroma. Thinking that typical for brown rice and simply a smell previously unnoticed, I continued on. About five minutes after that, the nutty transitioned to a smell I can only equate to burnt popcorn.

Upon arriving at the stove, I quickly see the source. My pot of rice is filled with a thick fog of smoke, its burner still on the high setting I had for boiling the water. The burner next to it, however, was set on the lovely low temperature needed to cook rice. Sigh. I take the charred pot off the burner, run to dismantle the screeching smoke alarm, and survey the damage.

One pot of rice - Ruined unless you like the taste of nutty charcoal
One apartment - Smoke as thick as a biker dive bar
One pot - Unscathed save for a thin layer of black char reminiscent of dried magma from a volcano

After some soaking, scrubbing and more scrubbing, the pot was almost back to its pre-rice condition. My apartment was not smoke-filled, but only smoke scented. The pork turned out fairly well and I found a box of couscous in the depths of my pantry. It did not burn.

International Zombie Relations

2009-08-20T10:29:00.002-04:00

After last night's game night turned economic and political discussion at itty bitty group (too few people to qualify as "small"), I thought this article fitting and somewhat hilarious. It is an educational and sobering look at international relations approaches in a zombie outbreak. The author, Daniel Drezner, selects a few choice theories (structural realism, neoconservatism, etc) and explores how a society, or leader of a society, from the chosen school of thought would approach dealing with, aligning, or attacking zombies.

If you were to ask me how a liberal institutionist differs from a neoconservatist, I would smile and quickly change the subject. Because that smile would be about the limit of my knowledge on the subject. However, I feel as outlandish as this zombie scenario may be, it is an excellent entry point for someone like me who wants to know more but feels any approach to these theories would be tantamount to climbing Mount Everest - possible, but arduous and potentially fatal. The zombies also allow for the discussion to be simpler than a discussion of US relations with Iran, for instance. By using zombies instead of a current country or people group, a person is able to step back and look at the whole picture and learn that maybe, just maybe, some of the things we thought our country, or other countries, were doing rightly in regard to international relations may not be as peachy keen as it seems.

So, if there were a zombie outbreak, what would you want your government to do in response?

It's a Miracle!

2009-08-11T16:19:00.000-04:00

...or just about as close to one as I can manage. I have found the ultimate carpet/upholstery stain remover you have never heard of. First, a little story.

A long, long time ago (last year) in a land far, far away (Aaron's place), I sat down with Aaron for a lovely dinner in front of the television. We were to dine on a pasta concoction while no doubt watching a riveting and thought-provoking film. Realizing I was needing a napkin, I arose and went forth to attain said prize. Before attainment and long-lasting happiness occurred, though, I toppled Aaron's full glass of cranberry juice on the carpet in a projectile pattern as experts in the field of blood spatter may see at their jobs. I do believe my face was about the hue of the split juice. We tried to sop up as much as possible, using damp rags to get the multiple spots out, but to no avail. And, ever since then, I have looked upon those spots as a visible manifestation of all my clumsy shortcomings...the ones that are never cute or endearing, but always annoying and testy.

Cut to two weekend when, having nothing better to do other than clean my place up, I decided instead to clean Aaron's place. I know, it may not make much sense to some to avoid cleaning my casa but being perfectly happy doing so to another's, but that is how this mind works. I faced my foe, my shame, with powerful tools. First, the much touted Resolve High Traffic Foam Cleaner. I followed the directions, waited 15 minutes, then vacuumed up the foam to reveal...the same spots.

Enter the mystery stain remover. I sprayed it on the spots, then started scrubbing them with an old toothbrush then dabbing with a dry washcloth. A few minutes and some elbow grease later - no more spots. After about a year of cranberry juice and dirt caking on the carpet, it looked like that fateful day never occurred. Such relief to know the carpet guilt trip is gone!

So, what is this mystery remover? Method Go Naked All Surface Cleaner. I wish I could take credit for this discovery, but I read about it on some other website whose address has been long forgotten but fondly remembered. I do not know how it does it or what magic potion Method put in this bottle, but I plan on having this puppy on standby forever. It faced a worthy foe in cranberry juice, but completely dominated the competition, not even giving the stain a moment of relief. If I could fashion a little cape for my Go Naked cleaner bottle, I would. It's my hero!

(A whole post about guilty spots and not one Lady McBeth reference? I am not sure whether to be ashamed or proud of myself.)

GANC: Lonesome Dove

2009-08-04T08:08:00.002-04:00

What a refreshing book to read after last month's literary aerobics. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry is my second book in The Great American Novel Challenge. This book may never be on many lists as one of the great novels in American history, but I fear that is only because it is not steeped in heavy prose and a dictionary of multi-syllabic vocabulary. Instead it is built in an unpretentious style that welcomes the reader in as a fellow traveler. Lonesome Dove exemplifies everything I feel a great American novel should contain. It has action, adventure, exploration, romance, murder, tall tales, moral dilemmas, humor, strong characters (I dare you to find a weakly written character in the whole bunch). At times I question the true success or value of list-topping items or award winners, but this novel definitely deserves its 1986 Pulitzer Prize.

At its most basic, this is a book about a cattle drive from south Texas north to Montana. It follows a crew of men (and a woman) - a mix of Texas Rangers, greenhorns, and immigrants - as they go north, encounter old friends and enemies, make new ones on both counts and try to survive all nature throws at them. This novel sets the cowboy stereotype on its head. The former Texas Rangers steal horses and cattle, the Mexicans in the outfit are hard-working and wise, and the women are more than a person who cries and waves good-bye when their men leave for the cattle drive. Every hero is flawed, the good guys die sometimes, the reader cares about the bad guys and, above all, there is heart. There is a refreshing transparency to many of the characters - they speak their minds and never once does McMurtry write one of them expressing him or herself in a manner out of character. Even the in the most guarded or hardened of people, those small cracks are written in their story such that humanity shines through.

In a greater sense, though, this is a book about self-discovery. Men and women seeking out what they have longed for, whether it be a lost relationship, a new start in life, respect among peers, closure, reconciliation. It must be difficult to fit so many personal discoveries into a book, but McMurtry accomplishes it with seamless fluidity. Nothing is pressured or jumps out as out of context or character. Nor does self revelation upon self revelation stack atop one another. It, much like the rivers theses men cross, meanders and roams, bending one way then another, cutting a new path with a sudden flood. I by no means imply that this is a book where, to borrow a Western film stereotype, the black hats lose and the white hats win every time. As I mentioned earlier, the good guys die in the book - due to past mistakes, wrong allegiances, stubbornness, and the natural dangers of the frontier. However, for the most part, each is allowed his own closure, though it may not be of the kind he wanted for himself.

To me though, that is what made the epic story all the more personal, even beyond sympathizing in the loss of comrades or the joy of reunion. When a sandstorm kicks up on the cattle drive, you as the reader feels the stinging grains on your cheek and the glass shard particles in your eyes. When some of the outfit must decide whether to hang one of their own for murder, you agonize over the decision with them. When frontier surgeries are performed, you are right there with them wincing and feeling queasy. And so, in your own way, as a reader you too are on a journey of self-discovery.

If I have left any doubt, let me state it clearly here - this is most assuredly and positively one of the greatest American novels I have had the joy to read. I would place it on the shelf with Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, To Kill a Mockingbird, Little Women and others as a book I would relish escaping with time and time again and point to as an excellent window in to superb, if fictional, Americans.

Great American Novel Challenge Booklist:
July 2009: Absalom, Absalom! - William Faulkner, publ. 1936

GANC: Absalom, Absalom!

2009-07-04T09:25:00.004-04:00

Absalom, Absalom! is not the great American novel. Or, if it is, it is a great American novel for someone who has time in the day to read for an hour or more at a time. Because that is the only way I was able comprehend this book - grab a glass of iced tea, hunker down and read. This is not to say the story of William Faulkner's book is uninteresting, because I find it quite intriguing. The events of the book surround the rise and fall of a Southern plantation owner Thomas Sutpen before, during and after the Civil War. There is love, murder, betrayal, all the things that can make a story excellent.

However, Faulkner's writing style for me was extremely hard to get past. His sentences and paragraphs can ramble and weave on for pages with no end in sight and he changes speakers with no warning or indication. Suddenly an aunt becomes someone's sister and I was left wondering if I had been placing the wrong character with the pronouns. The first chapter where I felt I had a grasp on what was going on was chapter 5, wherein Quentin, a young man learning of his family's history, listens to Rosa detailing an assortment of tragedies that befell the Sutpen family after Thomas Sutpen's son Henry kills his sister Judith's fiancee. This fiancee, we learn, was the Elder Sutpen's bastard child and thus, Judith's half brother. But he was not killed for that; he was killed because Henry found out he had a mistress/wife in New Orleans. Confused yet? So was I.

Why did I select this novel? I knew Faulkner to be an author often employed on the "Great Novels of the 20th century/American literature/Southern writers" lists. I had not read anything by him save an excerpt here and there in college. I chose this particular novel because it was a slice of time in American history where one order, Southern slave holding plantation owners, was ending and another order, Northern industrialists, was beginning. To me, a great American novel has to include a piece about man against nature or a corporation - some sort of formidable foe that takes courage, gumption and will to topple. What better than a man who walks into town with nothing save wild slaves and makes an empire from a swampland? This had all the hopes, the pieces of the puzzle, but for me was done in with the writing style.

It is that very writing style, though, that I feel has most greatly influenced American literature and culture. Faulkner was considered by many one of the leaders of the modernist movement. This stream of consciousness writing he started in the early 1900s has now become an established way of expressing oneself. Rambling rock songs, slam poetry, indie and not-so-indie movies, the 60s - all boast some form of stream of consciousness use that began with Faulkner and his contemporaries. Perhaps Faulkner is like Shakespeare's writing in a way - hard to crack, but a wealth of rich history, mood and meaning once the reader breaks the barrier.

What's a Great American Novel?

2009-06-26T11:21:00.000-04:00

Before endeavoring on the Great American Novel Challenge (GANC), I thought it a wise idea to contemplate what I feel contributes to making a novel a great American one. Some of these concepts I drew from American novels I have read and things I feel typify an American ideal. Not all the novels will meet these criteria, and I believe that is the point, and American in its own way.

1. The novel is set in the United States, areas that will eventually become the United States, or if abroad have its main characters be American.

2. The novel is patriotic. No, I am not talking waving the red, white and blue and such. Maybe a better term would be pro-American. I have read a book or two by American authors who shun their roots and cast America in a bad light. While I do not expect the places and characters of the books I read to be put on a pedestal as an American archetype to live up to, a great American novel should not bash the U.S. or be harsh to it.

3. Some set of characters in each novel should have an independent, can-do attitude. I feel this is one of the great American stereotypes that we tend to be happy to live up to. And usually to accomplish this can-do plan...

4. Theme of man against a force larger than self. To be independent means to not rely on something other people do - the city, the boss, inheritance, etc. And sometimes people must fight to be rid of that dependence. Fight against, nature, expectations, culture, industry. Tame something, if you will.

5. In that fighting against a force (not the Force, mind you), one must explore...something. It could be the vast plains of the West, an Indian tribe as new settlers, a new idea or way of living, or maybe a internal exploration of self.

6. Maybe it is the Texan in me, but I think a great American novel should have some essence of grandiosity and vastness. Whether it is a big sky, a big tract of land or a big hope and aim, at some point I want awe.

7. The culture of the book, whatever it is, wherever its set, has to be true and rich and deep. The author should write beyond the stereotype, whether to disprove it or to display why it exists and if it should be lauded. Surely not all Texans ride horses and not all New England Italians are in the mafia.

8. True to life. Harry Potter may be a good book, but I doubt Great Britain is like Hogwarts. The events and people have to something I could reasonably imagine in the time and place they find themselves in the story.

9. However, part of America is its tall tales - Paul Bunyan, John Henry, and Johnny Appleseed - so maybe a stretcher or two is okay. People like Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone were people whose fame stretched beyond reality, but in a way that only heightened the "American-ness" of them. Purposeful fantasy, if you will.

All of these qualities may not exist in every novel I read, but I certainly hope that a majority of them are present in some sense. I know that in reading these thirteen books, my opinion of what makes a great American novel will change, and I anticipate the revelations, both from my own reading and the reviews of the other GANC participants. It should be an exciting and exploratory thirteen months.

Bye-bye, Apple II

2009-06-25T08:25:00.002-04:00

Hello Raleigh friends! This post is just for y'all. Last night on TV I saw something that I have long awaited - a electronics recycling day! I have housed some outdated electronics in my apartment for some time now, trying in vain to find an electronics recycling service in or around Raleigh. And then, last night as I am watching TV, I learn that Fox 50 is sponsoring E-cycling Day this Saturday, June 27. You can go to one of three Best Buy locations around the Triangle and drop of your old or broken electronics. And you do not even have to get out of your car - how sweet it that?

Just remember that if you are doing away with a CPU or anything that contains data (phone numbers, social security numbers, bomb codes, your grandma's cherry pie recipe), to erase it off the system. And not put it in the electronic trash bin on your computer - wipe your CPU clean. I do not have the name handy of the one(s) Aaron recommended to me, so if you are reading this, Aaron (hi!), could you post the links in the comments section? Thanks!

If you have some mice, radios, monitors, TVs, cell phones or medical equipment around your place, drop them off Saturday between 10-2 at one of the indicated Best Buys. See link for full list of acceptable items.

(If you do not get my post title, maybe this will help.)

Saturday Summer Supper

2009-06-20T14:51:00.003-04:00

Sometimes, a gal just needs to eat a man meal, you know? This is the closest I have come to recreating one of my family's typical summer dinners since I left. All it lacks is some marinated cucumber salad and lemon ice cream.

The steak is a flat iron with my new favorite Alton Brown marinade on it. I got this recipe from AB's I'm Just Here for the Food: Version 2.0. Here is the recipe, Rhapsody for Red (Meat):

4 Tbsp soy sauce
4 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp teriyaki sauce
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, left whole but lightly crushed
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Target cut of meat

Mix all the ingredients together minus the meat. Put meat and marinade in plastic bag, squeeze out all the air. Place in the fridge and let it sit for 2-8 hours until ready to cook.

I have used flank and flat iron steaks, but AB says he likes it on just about any form of red meat. He also says this marinade is good to use before any cooking method. I pan grilled mine - about 4 minutes on each side over medium heat. The marinade makes enough for about 2 pounds of meat, so change the recipe to your proportion. Really good steaks.

The beans are my taste of home. I feel like my mom made these baked beans about once a month during the summer and, come Sunday leftover dinner, it was a scramble to see who would get the last of the beans. They are all mine this time!

4 1 lb cans of pork and beans or near equivalent
1 bottle ketchup (14 oz)
1 bell pepper, chopped (my mom does not use this)
2 small onions, chopped
6 Tbsp brown sugar
4 Tbsp molasses
Worcestershire sauce, to taste
Bacon

Mix all together. Place in a 9x13 casserole dish or pan. Top with bacon (strips or cut into pieces and arrange over top of the dish).
Bake at 300 for 2 hours, uncovered.

Perfect Saturday in June dinner. Fill a tall glass with some iced sun tea, and you are good to go.

B(ad) Movies

2009-06-17T14:41:00.003-04:00

We have all experienced the disappointment. You rent a movie that a friend of a friend recommended or showed up on a list a favorite blogger of yours produced. You excitedly pop the popcorn, create your movie-watching habitat and press play. Slow going at first, but you figure it will pick up. Around the 30-minute mark you begin stealing glances at the run time to see how much you have left to sit through. At about 50 minutes, you begin wondering whether your time and already spent money would be better used watching the rest of this disaster or re-alphabetizing your books. You just fell for the bad movie.

While I have no answers on how to avoid the bad movie situation, I do have an excellent resource for so-bad-they're-good B movies. AMC recently started a website called BMC where you can watch free B movies online. Classics such as What a Carve Up, A Swingin' Summer, The Crawling Eye, and Saga of the Viking Woman - all can be found at BMC. They may have been the type of movie that I initially described, but by now they certainly fit into the latter category.

Song in my Head

2009-05-29T11:38:00.003-04:00

Some days, you get a song in your head and it haunts you all day, taunting you with how horrible and yet catchy it is. And some days, the song stuck in your head puts a spring in your step and a smile on your face. Today's "stuck in my head" song is most definitely the latter. And, being Friday, I thought we could all use a little spring in our steps*. Without further ado...

* I am not responsible for any adverse reaction you have to the above song. And, if you do have an adverse reaction to the song - what is wrong with you? It's Muppets!

The Great American Novel Challenge

2009-05-28T08:21:00.002-04:00

I am so excited I can barely contain myself! Aaron just posted what is bound to be a superb exploration of American writings. The Great American Novel Challenge, to sum up, is a 13-month challenge beginning July 4, 2009 to read, write about, and discuss 13 different novels that you feel should be in the running for the moniker "the great American novel." (Why thirteen? Thirteen original colonies!)

Now, before your mind fills with visions of rereading Huckleberry Finn or To Kill a Mockingbird, there is a catch. A few actually (which are explained in detail in Aaron's post). First, you cannot pick books you have already read. Second, you can only pick one book per author. Third, only two books at most from any one decade. There are ten other guidelines to this challenge, and before you think these rules eliminate all American novels, think of authors you want to read more of, books all those "best of" lists tell you that you should have read, and think of all those books in high school and college you "read" but did not actually open. If you think Danielle Steel is the epitome of the American novelist, go for it. If you have been looking at Ernest Hemingway's novels with trepidation and need a little push to dive in - here is your push.

So, are you up for the challenge? Check out Aaron's post and let him know you are up for it, and then grab a book from your local library and start reading!

The Omnivore's Dilemma

2009-05-19T11:17:00.003-04:00

The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan is a fantastic book. If you are at all interested in industrial foods vs. "organic" foods vs. local food debate, read this book. And if you are not interested in those things, but care about what you are putting in your body, read this book. I have learned so much about how food gets from pasture to my plate, and not in a hidden camera at the slaughterhouse sort of way. The premise of this book is that we, as humans, are omnivores and, as such, are faced with the daily question of "What do I eat?" Pollan explores in four meals what we eat, beyond the simple designations of produce and protein. He looks at industrial food, industrial organic food, locally grown food and food he found, killed and/or harvested himself.

In his first meal, Pollan looks at where a McDonald's meal comes from. This section on industrial food was the most laborious for me, since most of it centered around the history and science of corn. Pollan decided to focus on corn as it is fed to a great percentage of our nation's cattle, chickens, pigs, and, yes, fish. In the case of cattle and fish, the animals have been bred in such a way as to make the corn, which has also been altered for edibility, more palatable for them, being that corn is not on the list of their natural go-to foods. Why corn? It fattens the animals quickly so they can be processed quickly. Because of this changed diet as well as being kept in filthy pens prior to processing, these cows are prone to diseases that can get into the processed meats through their hide, manure and organs.

However, the influence of corn in our diet goes well beyond it feeding our cows, pigs and chickens. High fructose corn syrup, corn starch and xanthan gum are just a few of the many products derived from corn. Look at any box of food and you will probably find two or three ingredients from corn. What does all of this industrial corn eating mean for the American public? We do not know yet. We must realize that when we drink a bottle of soda or have a popsicle, we are not just having something sweet, we are eating fertilizers, pesticides and petroleum. Pollan notes that one bushel of industrial harvested corn uses about one third a barrel of oil to grow and process.

As a culmination of his industrial food research, Pollan took his wife and son to eat at McDonald's. In evaluating their meal, combined they ate over 3000 calories. Of the 30 or so ingredients in his son's chicken nuggets, 14 of them were corn based (Pollan includes chicken in that list as it ate corn). Pollan fears that, much like the koalas who only eat eucalyptus, Americans are becoming people who can only absorb corn. What happens if we become so reliant on one product and then, one year, the product, corn in this case, is hit by disease or fire in such a large percentage that the foods we have come to depend on, frozen dinners, fast food and the like, are taken from us?

In his second meal, Pollan looks at where his Whole Foods meal came from. He walks through the history of the organic food movement, from local co-op in the '70s to the industrial machine today. It is here that he uncovered several misnomers regarding organic food. For instance, free range chickens aren't as free range as the title suggests. Free range, according to the USDA, mean "access to pasture." Put that meaning into action and you have a football field sized building filled with chicken with a few small openings along the edges where chickens, should they please, venture outside. Should the chickens decide, en masse, to all go outside for a stroll, the grassy area would not be large enough to hold them. In the time Pollan spent at an organic chicken farm, no chickens stepped out of doors.

A large problem Pollan sees with industrial food is the amount of fuel it costs to sustain the market. One of the ingredients in his meal, asparagus, was from Argentina. This meant his asparagus was put on a 747, flew to California, driven to a Whole Foods hub, driven from there to his Whole Foods in Berkley, where he then drove it home to eat. And it was not even that great. Another issue he sees in industrial organics is they are no longer helping the local economy and farmers as they once did. Organic lettuce farms in California are just as large as the industrial ones, using migrant workers and fuel-fed tractors for processing. One of the companies he looked at still brought some of their produce to the local farmers' market to sell, but admitted they did not feel they belonged there anymore, that it was not fair to the small farmer in the booth next to them.

Now comes my favorite part of the book, local organic. For this meal, Pollan cooked a chicken, made chocolate souffle, and had a salad, all locally found (except the chocolate). But he had to first work for his chicken and eggs. Pollan spent a week with Joel Salitan at Polyface Farms, a farm in Virginia that supplies beef, pork, chicken, eggs, turkey and rabbit to neighbors, restaurants, farmers markets and metropolitan clubs. Joel boasts that he is a grass farmer, as the success of his animals is dependent on the grass. The cyclical process goes something like this: cows eat the grass, a few days later chicken come and eat the grubs in the manure (reducing flies and bacteria), the chickens poop which is rich in nitrogen fuels the grass to grow, and so it repeats. Through the rotation of these animals through the grasses, Salitan is able to avoid pesticides and all other industrial products. It also allows for more animals on smaller pieces of land, meaning more bang for your acreaged buck.

One of the points Pollan reiterated was that part of America's problem with food may have something to do with the fact that we have no national cuisine. We have no distinct food identity, so we are constantly looking to attach ourselves to one or another - fast food, low carb, vegetarian, locavore, microwaveable, etc. The issue here goes beyond identity. Pollan notes that other culture's food traditions, such as the Japanese, have a natural balance of food and nutrition. Ever wonder why wasabi is served with sushi? It is an anti-microbial agent that kills whatever may be remaining on that raw fish. Why soy sauce on rice? The way the soy sauce is made and marries with the rice yields a balanced meal. Americans, as a whole, lack that balance in their meals and how they view what they eat. We go for what is fast, has attractive packaging and what is "in."

For his final meal, Pollan, hunted, gathered and grew his own meal. He harvested wild chanterelles and morels, killed a feral pig, and grew his own fruits and veggies. This part of the book seemed more self-indulgent on Pollan's part, but made me wonder just how many mushrooms Aaron and I may have passed by in our wilderness ramblings. And, of course, it re-energized the longing to have my own herb garden, which I may stop thinking about and do this summer.

My takeaways from this, practically speaking:

- Buy produce from the farmers market, organic if possible.

- Eat seasonally. If there is a peach in the supermarket in December, something is wrong. And this goes for meat too, although I am a little more sketchy on when which meat's season is.

- Research Community Supports Agriculture (CSAs), to join next produce season.

- Sign up for this chicken CSA and seek out a beef one. If you are in my neck of the woods and want to get in on this, please let me know - chicken in bulk never looked so tasty!

- Have people over to share a meal with on a more regular basis. Being away from home, I miss the family dinner atmosphere and, as much as I like House, he just does not make for a genial dinner guest.

Some links for further exploration:

Pollan's Twelve Commandments of Eating

Pollan Lectures at Google - This is a perfectly concise synopsis of Pollan's books, I believe.

Eat Wild - A website where you can find what farms sell grass-fed meat near you.

Local Harvest - A website that directs you to CSAs in your area.

Sniff sniff Here, you taste it

2009-04-29T18:06:00.000-04:00

Ah yes, the go-to method for seeing if a food item is still edible or not - the sniff and have someone else taste test. I should have employed this method several times over my life; somehow I was the one to load up my nachos with the rancid sour cream. But now I can give my nose a break (and friends' taste buds) and let my fingers perform their own fresh test. StillTasty will tell you if produce, meats, spices, oils, baked goods, beverages and more are still good or not. And, from my brief foray into it, it appears fairly comprehensive. It let me know when the hummus needs to make a date with the garbage, how long coriander seeds last (3-4 years, which is great since I have bunches). It even told me how long marshmallows stay fresh after being opened, about 1 month.

This is great for that spring cleaning itch I have gotten of late. Apparently I need to throw out my baking powder, as it has passed the 6 months of freshness for sure. Granted, I probably should have known that based solely on the clumped appearance of the powder. Ooh, and I should throw my wheat flour in the freezer asap and hold onto it for another year or so. Contrary to urban legend, Twinkies (or snack cakes in cellophane wrapper - unopened) will not last 50 years. They will last 1-2 months in the pantry, or 4-6 months in the freezer. Frozen Twinkies, very interesting...

Everyone get your permanent markers out and start writing the date you opened that package of crackers or bottle of BBQ sauce!

The Devil in the White City

2009-04-17T10:25:00.000-04:00

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson is one of the most eloquently written nonfiction books I have ever read (or listened to, as it is one of my drive time audio reads). His descriptions at times veer closer to poetry than prose. Phrases along the lines of "the gloomy hall was slowly cast in light from the gas lamps that made the sounds of a hissing cat" or "his words were like morning glories that rambled and weaved in and out of fence posts." At times, I forgot this was a history I was listening to and not a dramatic novel.

The Devil in the White City follows the tale of two men whose fame was attained in the events surrounding the Chicago World's Fair, also called the Columbia Expedition. Daniel H. Burnham was a Chicago architect who was charged with designing and erecting the whole of the World's Fair, a position that would either thrust him to the top of American architecture or sink him to the depths of embarrassment. The other man, H. H. Holmes, arrived in Chicago with plans darker. Through devious means, he purchased a drugstore, and then the land across the street from it, where he built a 3-story, block long building that he employed as a hotel during the Fair. During its construction, he changed contractors so often only a handful of people knew the true intent of this structure - gas lines leading to air locked rooms, an approximately human-length kiln in the basement, vats of acids, dissection tables, airtight closet-sized safes.

Larson weaves the lives of these two men, among others, into a rich tapestry of Chicago at the turn of the century. Burnham toiled to create the White City, one that would outshine the Exposition Universelle in Paris a few years earlier and prove to New York City that Chicago was not some slaughterhouse city, but had refinement and beauty equal to New York City. He enlisted the support of many architects to create the Court of Honor, a series of buildings built in the neoclassical fashion, that would come to be known as the White City. For the landscaping, he procured Frederick Law Olmstead, the landscape designer of Central Park in New York, Biltmore Estate in Asheville, and the grounds of the U.S. Capitol building, among others. Through sandy soil, fires, wind, ice and egos, these men (and one woman who designed the Women's Building), created a park that inspired the imaginations of Frank L. Baum, writer of The Wizard of Oz, and Walt Disney, whose father had been a construction worker on some of the buildings at the fair, and the invention of such things as the Ferris Wheel, Crackerjacks, Shredded Wheat and others.

During the construction of the fair, Holmes was creating a monument of his own design. Over a period of three years, Holmes selected victims from among his employees and then guests who, within weeks to months, mysteriously disappeared - gone to see relatives, was often Holmes response to inquiries. Holmes often made sure that before these friends and guests had their extended leaves of absence, that they take out a life insurance policy, noting him as the beneficiary. However, despite all this money Holmes had from both his legal and illegal income, he rarely paid any debts he owed - much of his hotel was built without paying the workers. Extremely charming, he was able to smooth his way out of most payments. However, after the World's Fair closed, creditors grew and he fled to Texas, and then other states, leaving debt and bodies in his wake. With one of his associates, Benjamin Pitezel, Holmes devised a scheme where Pitezel would fake his own death, and Holmes and Mrs. Pitezel would split the insurance money. However, Holmes murdered Pitezel and then manipulated Mrs. Pitezel to allow three of her five children to remain in the custody of Holmes. Hopscotching from city to city, Holmes eventually murdered these three children. Thankfully he was arrested for loan evasion, and soon detectives discovered the more grisly nature of this man.

One of the things I at first found most irritating about this book is how Larson would hint at something, but never tell the reader outright what that thing was. It was left to the imagination. Over the days of reading, however, I grew to enjoy and respect it. In many ways, he wrote as perhaps a newspaper would at the turn of the 20th century - too genteel to lay out the gory facts, but descriptive enough for an acute reader to infer the greater meaning. I think this enhanced the tale in many ways as I had to create a scene of a murder or construction error on my own. In a way, the history became my story to tell as much as it is Larson's.

Abuelita Chocolate

2009-04-07T17:44:00.000-04:00

I cannot recall how I first heard of Nestle Abuelita...probably a family member. In any case, my mom bought a box of Abuelita several years ago and there is sat (probably still sits) on the pantry shelf, unused, pushed aside like a can of beets. Worse than that, actually, as my mom finds special enjoyment in seeing us cringe at the dinner table while we try to swallow the beets without letting the revolting taste touch our refined and sensitive tastebuds.

For those of you who do not know what Abuelita is, allow me to explain. Abuelita, to put it simply, is Mexican chocolate. To be more descriptive, this chocolate has the added flavors of cinnamon and vanilla. Intrigued? So was I. Cut to...

Two months ago I was shopping at my local Walmart where the world's cultures come and mix together in a jumbled mass of shopping carts, elderly, and lost children. I was minding my own business and there it was - Abuelita. It was by itself, clearly a reject from some one's shopping list, and I decided I would take it home with me and hopefully have a better use rate than my mom.

Some number of days later, I had the urge to create. Normally this urge results in a messy kitchen and 2 dozen cookies I "forget" to bring to the office and share. But this night, I remembered I had Abuelita. So, I followed the directions and made my first cup of Abuelita hot chocolate.

You know how some hot chocolate you drink tastes sweet...and that is about all? This is not that hot chocolate. It is rich and warm, the cinnamon giving this spicy undertone to the not-too-sweet chocolate. It was a cup of warmth that immediately relaxed me, like that first exhalation of breath after a long work week - the one where the first pieces of stress begin to slough off. In other words, really really tasty.

So mom, if you are reading this, stop buying beets and start using your Abuelita!

Quartet of Culture

2009-04-01T16:40:00.003-04:00

I now present to you a daily dose of culture, perfect for a Wednesday afternoon pick-me-up: a classical classic Sesame Street.

An Open Invitation

2009-03-26T14:43:00.002-04:00

KFC, you are welcome to make a visit to Raleigh and advertise on our streets in such a manner. May I suggest Falls of Neuse Road or Lake Dam Trail? It looks like small bombs exploded along the roadway.

Into Thin Air

2009-03-24T18:13:00.000-04:00

Into Thin Air is one of the best non-fiction books I have read. Written by Jon Krakauer about his personal involvement in the ill-fated Everest summit of May 1996, he delves into the history of the mountain, the lineage of those who have attempted and at time succeeded in climbing it, and the inherent dangers associated with such extreme adventure.

Krakauer was invited by Outside magazine as a writer and climber to join Rob Hall's team on a summit to Everest and return to write about the increasing commercialization of Everest climbs and how anyone with a proper guide can make it to the top. What he experienced there went far beyond commercialization and the differences between experienced and inexperienced climbers. Out of a series of small to large errors and misjudgements, five people from his twelve person team died around Everest's peak, including the expedition leader Hall.

This account is riveting because Krakauer does not, will not remove himself from the situation or the emotions he felt at the time, and even now. He confesses how his actions on May 10 indirectly led to the deaths of some on that mountain. He, however, also points out how summit teams and people, including his own, placed getting to the top over potentially saving lives. Walking by people stopped in the snow, resting at camp for their summit push the following day rather than search for the lost climbers, putting their own fame for topping the world over the survival of others and themselves.

My suggestion would be to start this book on a Friday, because you will not want to put it down until you have finished it. It is gripping, devastating, and a harsh tale. It is at times difficult to read because you know what is about to happen. As the tangled web of how people were lost, found, lived and died plays out, the humanity, bravery and brokenness of people is clearly exhibited. Phenomenal, gripping read.

The Innocent Man

2009-03-23T19:26:00.002-04:00

My new (temporary?) position in a town about a 30 minute drive south of where I live has resulted in an obviously longer commute. Sadly, Raleigh is lacking any morning radio I would be willing to listen to on a daily basis outside of NPR. So, I needed an alternative listen. I began with a study series my parents gave me for Christmas a couple years back called Rethinking Womanhood, a women's study my former church provided. Great study. I had the 2003-04 audio set, led by the senior pastor's wife and my former pastor/boss's wife. I will have to revisit those CDs regularly - so much great insight on the Bible, Biblical womanhood, and life lessons.

I finished that set off pretty quick and needed a new drive time listen. Enter the audio book. While The Innocent Man was not my first choice - did not even make my list! - I am pleased at my choice. This is John Grisham's first non-fiction novel, and, as he mentions in the author's notes, he could not have ever dreamed this story up for a novel.

The book centers on the murder of a young woman in the small town of Ada, Oklahoma in the early 1980s and the trial of conviction of two men. From the moment the police came on the crime scene, things were botched. The police already had their eyes on two men, Ron Williamson and Dennis Fritz, for the murder, even though no one could testify that they had seen either of them the previous night, with the victim or not. In fact, the only person who did say he (Glen Gore) said these two men the night of the murder was the very man who everyone else had last seen with the victim. Unfortunately, the police did not even take Gore's fingerprints for examination until months after the murder.

It took several years for the arrest of Williamson and Fritz to be made and, in the trial, many of the prosecution's witnesses were jailhouses snitches who told any lie the police wanted to get a reduced sentence. In addition, the police urged forensic specialists to reconsider some of the hair and print evidence in light of Williamson's arrest and the specialists' opinions changed to reflect the accused being at the scene. It seemed with every new sentence read, there was a new travesty to be spoken of. From a blind attorney with no one to explain the visual evidence against his client to a juror who was the former head of police to the mental instability of Williamson never being brought up in court (he was a paranoid schizophrenic who never got consistent or proper medication from the police or mental institutions).

Williamson was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. His time in prison further damaged his sanity and he resided in deplorable conditions. His sisters tried to send as much money as they could so Williamson could buy food, but it was never enough for him, it seemed. Eventually, Williamson's case was reviewed, as is mandatory for all death row cases, and the lawyer in charge of the case was fully convinced of his innocence. After many years, Williamson, along with Fritz, were proven innocent and Gore was later found guilty of the murder.

After his release, Williamson would go on and off his medication, as well as alcohol and drugs. Earlier this decade, he died because of the amount and types of medication he was given as well as alcohol and drug usage. Fritz is living outside of Oklahoma now and has a granddaughter. Other people from the case and trial are still in Ada. The DA who prosecuted Williamson and Fritz, as well as another pair of innocent men, is still in office.

This book exemplifies how disastrously wrong a case can go when there is unchecked abuse of police power, a focus so narrowed that other suspects are not even considered, a lack of resources (money and experts) for the defense, use of questionable evidence and witnesses to amaze the jury, and not recognizing and humanely dealing with Williamson's mental illness.

Farmer's Market Plethora

2009-03-19T17:32:00.000-04:00

The Farmer's Market in Raleigh has what I refer to as a bulk produce section. It is equivalent of a Costco or Sam's Club for produce. Would you care for 60 tomatoes? Then Farmer's Market bulk is the place for you. However, 60 tomatoes are not a wise investment for the single person, or most married couples with fewer than 8 kids, I imagine. All that changed, though, when one of the gals from church suggested a few of us go in on the bulk items together and parcel them out. Save a little here and there.

Correction: Save a lot all over the place. We have only had one bulk food adventure and apples, green beans, broccoli and Roma tomatoes were purchased. I only got the broccoli and tomatoes, but all of them looked great. I left the rendezvous point with about 6 bunches (two stalks each) of broccoli and about 12 Roma tomatoes. My rough guess is that had these been bought at the store, I would have paid $10-15 for the amount. I left paying only $6.50! And now I have vegetables I can eat for a whole month.

The question soon arises - what do I do with all this produce? A lot of the green bean getters had so many beans they soon were making impromptu friends with neighbors and anyone willing to take a handful or two. I have been enjoying tomatoes on my sandwiches, especially BSTs (I use spinach instead of lettuce, hence BST). I stuffed some of my broccoli in scraped out tomatoes and cooked them in the over for a bit with some Parmesan and buttered bread crumbs - tasty! I may make some tomato sauce to pour over my pasta with broccoli florets. And broccoli is one of my post-work, pre-dinner munchies now.

Only two or three weeks until another Farmer's Market bulk day. Yay!

The Move, One Year Later

2009-03-10T18:46:00.000-04:00

One year. That is how long I have been in Raleigh. Strange to think what has changed since I left Austin. It has been a great year. I have had lots of fun exploring a new city (which I need to do tons more of - museums, downtown, little events in parks, etc), overcome my fear of tall swaying trees, seen two different snow events that closed the local world down, basked in the glory of the Farmer's Market, and found a new family at my church.

However, not all things are created equal, and so for those of you unfamiliar with Raleigh or Austin, here are some comparisons to help you out:

Hardee's, as I see it, is the NC version of Dairy Queen. Not necessarily in food offerings (namely desserts - because how many people eat at DQ for the burgers, really?) but in the sheer abundance of them. Hardee's - the North Carolina stop sign.

As I have mentioned before, there is no replacement or substitution for H-E-B. Not Harris Teeter, Krogers (which are not the dingy places many Texans know them as), or Food Lion. The great prices, wonderful selections, and fabulous store brand products of HEB cannot be beat.

Downtown Raleigh does not equal downtown Austin. I think the Raleigh downtown area is growing, but it is a good 5-10 years behind Austin. Or, both have grown in opposite ways. Raleigh is building a lot of downtown condos I imagine in hopes of luring businesses downtown, whereas Austin has businesses downtown and is now building up its residential footprint. Raleigh downtown is small, but I think that could play to its advantage as everything is within five to ten blocks of one another. This means great foot traffic for retail stores and restaurants.

Nothing equals Chuy's or Kerbey Lane. I was reminded of this over Christmas where Jill and I dined at both - great food, even greater friend (Hi Jill!), and that uniquely Austin atmosphere. Can't be duplicated.

Ole Time Barbeque is not Rudy's or Salt Lick...but it is great Carolina 'que. Yes, it is possible for Texas BBQ and Carolina BBQ to peaceable coexist - one is beef and sausage, the other pork, pork and more pork. Two different meats means I can have two different favorites. Ha!

I am still looking for my regional replacement to Blue Bell, which is nonexistent outside of Outback Steakhouses here. I saw Blue Bell here once, but never since. I have heard rumor of an out-of-the-way farm that makes its own ice cream, but nothing confirmed yet.

Farmer's Market in Raleigh beats Farmer's Market in Austin...but that may only be because I never went to the Austin market. I will have a hopeful near future post about the ever increasing awesomeness of the Raleigh Farmer's Market. I am still loving my honey and preserves I procured the last time I visited. Perfect compliments to peanut butter.

Outside Austin and outside Raleigh? Both gorgeous and equally fun, but a slight edge goes to Raleigh. The great outdoors seem a little closer here - within walking distance in many cases. However, Texas has the bluebonnets and I don't think anything can beat that as far as roadside magnificence goes.

I am sure there are more comparisons I could make, but there is more to my move than just comparisons and contrasts. There are you guys!

To my friends in Austin: Thank you for all the support you have given me in the many months leading up to my decision to move. I greatly appreciate your patience as I played out my own reinterpretation of The Boy who Cried Wolf, entitled "The Girl who Cried Move." I learned so much about friendship, being silly and growing up from y'all. You have blessed my life tremendously and miss you lots. My place is always open to visitors (after I clean/hide the mess), and if you would like to move here instead of just visit, that would be okay too. I have tons of Raleigh apartment research to share, I know of some people that are great movers (I'd say semi-pro at this point) and a nice little church just down the road a bit.

To my new friends in Raleigh: This past year would have been torture without you. You welcomed and embraced me as part of the family from day one and have been a constant source of encouragement to me as I adjusted to the Raleigh life. Serving alongside you and bonding together as a community has shown me the significance of fellowship and being active in a local church. I look forward to another year of Fletcher Park Sundays, Friday game nights, Sunday morning strength training, and Wednesday discussions.

To my family (mom, dad, Em, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandmothers, 1st cousins once removed, etc.) I miss seeing y'all, especially now that the Japan Greens are back and we have Ben, Wes and Anya around. Thanks for your support, encouragement love, and wise counsel as I ventured off to lands unknown. I am sure ya'll were just as nervous about it as I was. I made it through and now, one year later, my apartment is almost presentable enough for y'all to use as a landing pad for whatever East Coast jaunts Ginny persuades you into - Amish furniture pick-up, Southern Belle mansions tour, or antique shopping in towns with populations of 5,000 or less. Love you all!

And Aaron: Well, we made it through (almost) one whole year of living in the same town as one another - no one died or was maimed in any lasting way (except for your fingernail, which you will not have when you are 40 - sorry). Thank you for dinner and a movie, exploring off beaten trails, fixing things and solving problems, letting me know you are close even when school takes your time, and sharing in my adventures, small and large, in Raleigh. More adventures this year, mkay?

Snow Day!

2009-01-20T09:46:00.002-05:00

What I read over Christmas

2009-01-06T18:48:00.000-05:00

I remember in college as it neared the winter break and all I could think was, "I am not going to read a single book. I have been reading all semester and could care less about books." Cut to a day after coming home after finals and I am well into book number two of the Christmas holiday book glut. And this holiday season was no different. So, instead of forgetting to write about any of the books, here is my quick recap of all of them.

Dexter in the Dark - I began reading this series before the television show Dexter started on Showtime. The books are a dark comedy following a serial killer (Dexter) who only kills those who meet a strict code of also being killers or other extreme criminals. Thing is - Dexter works at the policy department as a blood spatter specialist. So, the books are his journey to figure out who he is as a killer, evade getting arrested and finding people to kill. Amazingly enough, I think the TV show is better than the books - it has a great black comedic take to the story. However, both the book and the show have a bit to a lot of language. If you want to read a good crime novel, I would say stick with Grisham.

Under the Banner of Heaven - I wanted to get a different book (Into Thin Air) by Jon Krakauer, but it was checked out of the library. However, I am perfectly content that I got this one instead. This exploration of the history, beliefs and sects of the Mormon Church is framed around the 1984 murder by Dan and Ron Lafferty of the wife and infant daughter of their brother Allen. Learning about the beginnings of the Mormon church was fascinating and admittedly a little odd. Krakauer interviews Dan Lafferty as well as a number of people who are or were a part of polygamist, fundamentalist Mormon sects. Not only does the book explore what these people believe, but also why they believe and how they directly impact the governments, schools and law enforcement. Perhaps one of the parts I found most shocking was the amount of federal government money fundamentalist Mormons receive. Since they are polygamous, the additional wives qualify for government money, schools get additional funds, airports are built in the middle of nowhere due to strong influence, money they take willingly even though they largely refuse to pay taxes to what they believe is a corrupt and evil government. A book that is part history, part In Cold Blood -intriguing from first page to last.

The Golden Compass - I wanted to read this book more because of all the hoopla it had when the movie was released than because I heard it was a good book. While there was more mention toward of the close of the book about religion and such that must have caused said hoopla, I cannot recall anything that shocked and aghast. Or I just did not understand well enough what "dust" is in order to see how blasphemous this book has been claimed to be. Or the blasphemy comes in the final two books of the trilogy - stay tuned! (What attacks the book does lob at religion seems to be more focused on those such as Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox - ones centering around an ingrained tradition and ritual.) Overall, The Golden Compass was a decent fantasy novel - not even close to The Chronicles of Narnia or The Lord of the Rings, but decent. It follows a orphan named Lyla and her daemon/animal companion thing Pan as they help to save children captured to get "dust." The thing that bothered me most about this book is the daemons. There are several different "species" of daemon - cat, dog, rodent, bird, monkey, fish, bug, etc - but it never flushed out what each daemon represents/echoes from their owner. The one flushed out the most, dogs, was only mentioned once when it was stated that all the servants had dogs. Each daemon is supposed to be a reflection on the personality of their human counterpart, and I wanted to know, in general, what each type of daemon meant. Alas, none such list or explanation was given.

A Thousand Acres - This was a rich book. Set in Iowa in the late '70s, this novel follows a family whose father wills his land to his three daughters. One of the daughters is taken out of the deal because she is less than thrilled at getting the land. After the apportioning, the remaining two daughters and their husbands try to figure out how to farm this land best all while dealing with the father who gave up the land before he was done controlling it, a man with a harsh personality made harsher with alcohol and the relative ease his daughters "move on" without him. The larger theme of the book is taken from King Lear and it is both heartbreaking and indulgent to read. Through the summer after the father gives his land, the families must face infidelity, visions of different lives, faithfulness to one another and the land, and resurfacing of painful memories. The only thing I did not like about this book was when I read it. It is so descriptive that I expected to walk out my front door and feel the squelching heat on my face.

I think those are all of them. I started another on my flight back east, but am not far enough into it to give any meaningful report. What did you read over the holiday?

Two "Art" Books

2008-12-23T17:53:00.002-05:00

Two weeks ago (give or take) I ventured to my recently discovered local library to stock up on three weeks worth of reads. I had a list, but all the book on my list were checked out. So what is a person to do when their post-it list of books is not at the library? Stand with glassed-over eyes in the middle of fiction row C-H and try and remember what other books were on the backup list, that's what. When memory failed me on that front, I wandered.

On this particular wandering, I came away with two books - one I looked for, one that looked good and was close by. One that I do not even care to finish, the other a sumptuous read. Let's get the no-so-good one out of the way - The Art Thief. It was mysterious and not the usual crime story. Had I looked at the Amazon reviews, though, I would have found a different book. I am about 200 pages in and could not tell you one of the characters' name, much less why they are in the story. The dialog is painful, the flow staccato. It is a book that I hoped would begin to flow and make sense, but it has stayed monotone and dull throughout. I shall return it today short of reading the final 120+ pages - a rarity for me, even with the most abysmal book.

Ah, but not everything is wasted time and words. Girl with a Pearl Earring is one of the most elegantly written novels I have read this year. The book is wrought from the author's imagining of the scenario surrounding Vermeer's creation of the work of art by the same name. The story follows, Griet, a young woman from low means who becomes a maid in the household of Vermeer. Through a series of circumstances, Griet is asked to pose for a painting, something that has far-reaching repercussions. The author, Tracy Chevalier, writes so beautifully, as evidenced in the opening paragraphs:

"I (Griet) was chopping vegetables in the kitchen when I heard voices outside our front door - a woman's, bright as polished brass, and a man's, low and dark like the wood of the table I was working on...I could hear rich carpets in their voices, books and pearls and fur...My mother's voice - a cooking pot, a flagon..."

Each character is fleshed out, but maintains an air of mystery, whether it be a quiet hope for revenge or a glimpse of generosity from an unlikely source. I am beginning to think I should have reread this book instead of slogging through The Art Thief. Excellently written, beautifully constructed novel of a unique and priceless painting.

Southern Flyer Diner

2008-12-14T17:44:00.004-05:00

Through a series of events (some of them called flying), I ended up in Texas for Thanksgiving. Now before some of you post your "But why did you not call me to hang out?" let me explain that it was short trip to Texas and I will return to said state in about two weeks for a longer period of time so, you know, let me know if you want to grab coffee or something. Wait, scratch that, grab Chuy's or Rudy's or something.

Anyway, while in Texas, my parents took me on a tour of their new town which boasts numerous Victorian style homes. And I think we managed to see just about all of them. Naturally, looking at old houses creates quite an appetite and my dad suggested we eat at the local airport. Yes, I had my doubts, too. But it sounded intriguing and fairly safe as far as airport food goes. A little 50's-style diner called the Southern Flyer Diner.
When approaching a new dining experience, I find it best to go with what the place is known for. That way, if it really is below whatever standards I have for food, I know that a return trip is not necessary. And to me, 50's diner equal burger. Which is what I had. A hamburger, no cheese with fries and a Dr. Pepper. Oh, before I get into the details of the burger-eating experience, let me set the scene for you. All the waitresses where poodle skirts and saddle shoes; there is a jukebox and a shake/malt counter; the floor is black and white checkerboard; and you can see into the kitchen through the pass-through.
The burger came with the meat on the bottom bun and the top bun opened with pickle slices, onions, lettuce and tomato, I am guessing so that you can pick off what you do not want. The bun was freshly toasted and had that slight crisp that married well with the fresh-beef patty. Every flavor and texture complimented each other perfectly and stood out to just the right degree. The onion did not overpower the tomato, nor the pickle the meat. Tasty yummy burger.

But, the true shining star of the plate were the fries. Best fries I have ever eaten. They must batter them before they fry them because the had just that extra crunch that made them stand out. Perfectly salted and stayed crisp from first fry to last. All in all an A+ meal. Unfortunately, no room was left for a shake or malt, but I am sure the quality is similarly matched to the burger and fries.

So, if you are ever flying into Brenham Airport, or just stopping by to see Blue Bell Creamery, go down the meandering road to Southern Flyer Diner and let a girl in a poodle skirt get you a great burger and fries.