Here's another one.
And another.
I just love the harmonies. Their whole album called The Lone Bellow is great. Check it out.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Read, read, read, read, read...
I haven't told you what to read (or not read) lately, so here goes.
Last year I didn't have any reading goals, but this year I made one: to read at least one book that I own each month.
For January, I chose The Professor's House by Willa Cather. I bought a used paperback copy of this book several years ago, but never read it, which is strange because Willa Cather is one of my favorite authors. If you've never read O Pioneers!, The Song of the Lark, or My Antonia, you are missing out and should do so NOW.
The Professor's House is the story of an aging (he's 52) university professor who's life is changing for the worse, or so he thinks. It is also the story of the memory of Tom Outland, a young man whose life is tragically cut short, but still has a great impact on the professor and his family. Fans of Willa Cather will appreciate this book, but if you've never read anything by her, start with something else, like O Pioneers!.
The Truth of All Things by Kieran Shields. I really enjoyed this book. It's a mystery set in 1892 in Portland, Maine and kind of plays off the Sherlock/Dr. Watson model. A prostitute is found murdered in a gruesome and ritualistic manner, and the police detective sent to the scene has to act quickly to solve the case as he soon discovers more bodies, and that the killer is following a dark plan. Very clever and witty, but also a little grisly at times. A sequel called A Study in Revenge was just released. I want to read it very soon.
The Broken Teaglass by Emily Arsenault. This book is also a mystery. It takes place in the offices of a dictionary publisher. The two main characters, whose jobs involve sitting at their desks and defining words all day, discover what appear to be clues to solving a murder in the company's citation files. Of course, they take it upon themselves to try to piece the story together. There is a lot of potential for an interesting mystery here, but I don't think the author didn't did it justice. I figured it out rather early on, so the story quickly became boring and tedious to read. Meh.
The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling. I knew not to expect more Harry Potter when I started reading this book, but I still expected more from Ms. Rowling. She definitely set out to prove that she isn't stuck in the YA genre and that she can write about sex and use four-letter words. Really, this book is too long, with nothing of note happening for the first 2/3 or more of it, just a ton of characters and the details of their sorry lives being explained. It is hard to get excited about a book when there isn't one likable character and the setting as circumstances are so grim. Skip it.
The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker. I have mixed feelings about this book. It tells the story of a young girl and how her world changes when, one day, the earth's rotation mysteriously starts slowing down, never to speed up again. This book starts out strong, but quickly fizzles. The writing is lovely, but there are quite a few improbabilities and inconsistencies which made it hard for me to read, and the ending is disappointing. Pretty bleak. 2 stars out of 5.
The Cranes Dance by Meg Howrey This is the story of two sisters, both exceptional ballet dancers, who dance in some prestigious New York ballet company. For a wannabe ballerina like myself, this book is an interesting look at what goes on behind the scenes at the ballet. It is also a cautionary tale of what it takes to become a prima ballerina as both the sisters become somewhat mentally unstable, as a result of the pressures to be perfect, both to the point of self-destruction, although in different ways. It’s an ok book but not very happy. 3 stars.
Dare Me by Megan Abbott. Another story full of angst, (can’t anyone write a happy book?) but this one is about high school cheerleaders. There is major conflict between the head cheerleader, her best friend and first in command, and the team’s new coach. There is also a love affair, a suicide, or maybe it’s a murder, lots of backstabbing and jealousy. Really, through most of this book I just wanted to tell all the characters. to get over themselves and grow-up. It’s not a pretty story. Don’t waste your time reading it.
Last year I didn't have any reading goals, but this year I made one: to read at least one book that I own each month.
For January, I chose The Professor's House by Willa Cather. I bought a used paperback copy of this book several years ago, but never read it, which is strange because Willa Cather is one of my favorite authors. If you've never read O Pioneers!, The Song of the Lark, or My Antonia, you are missing out and should do so NOW. The Professor's House is the story of an aging (he's 52) university professor who's life is changing for the worse, or so he thinks. It is also the story of the memory of Tom Outland, a young man whose life is tragically cut short, but still has a great impact on the professor and his family. Fans of Willa Cather will appreciate this book, but if you've never read anything by her, start with something else, like O Pioneers!.
The Truth of All Things by Kieran Shields. I really enjoyed this book. It's a mystery set in 1892 in Portland, Maine and kind of plays off the Sherlock/Dr. Watson model. A prostitute is found murdered in a gruesome and ritualistic manner, and the police detective sent to the scene has to act quickly to solve the case as he soon discovers more bodies, and that the killer is following a dark plan. Very clever and witty, but also a little grisly at times. A sequel called A Study in Revenge was just released. I want to read it very soon. The Broken Teaglass by Emily Arsenault. This book is also a mystery. It takes place in the offices of a dictionary publisher. The two main characters, whose jobs involve sitting at their desks and defining words all day, discover what appear to be clues to solving a murder in the company's citation files. Of course, they take it upon themselves to try to piece the story together. There is a lot of potential for an interesting mystery here, but I don't think the author didn't did it justice. I figured it out rather early on, so the story quickly became boring and tedious to read. Meh. The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling. I knew not to expect more Harry Potter when I started reading this book, but I still expected more from Ms. Rowling. She definitely set out to prove that she isn't stuck in the YA genre and that she can write about sex and use four-letter words. Really, this book is too long, with nothing of note happening for the first 2/3 or more of it, just a ton of characters and the details of their sorry lives being explained. It is hard to get excited about a book when there isn't one likable character and the setting as circumstances are so grim. Skip it.The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker. I have mixed feelings about this book. It tells the story of a young girl and how her world changes when, one day, the earth's rotation mysteriously starts slowing down, never to speed up again. This book starts out strong, but quickly fizzles. The writing is lovely, but there are quite a few improbabilities and inconsistencies which made it hard for me to read, and the ending is disappointing. Pretty bleak. 2 stars out of 5.The Cranes Dance by Meg Howrey This is the story of two sisters, both exceptional ballet dancers, who dance in some prestigious New York ballet company. For a wannabe ballerina like myself, this book is an interesting look at what goes on behind the scenes at the ballet. It is also a cautionary tale of what it takes to become a prima ballerina as both the sisters become somewhat mentally unstable, as a result of the pressures to be perfect, both to the point of self-destruction, although in different ways. It’s an ok book but not very happy. 3 stars. Dare Me by Megan Abbott. Another story full of angst, (can’t anyone write a happy book?) but this one is about high school cheerleaders. There is major conflict between the head cheerleader, her best friend and first in command, and the team’s new coach. There is also a love affair, a suicide, or maybe it’s a murder, lots of backstabbing and jealousy. Really, through most of this book I just wanted to tell all the characters. to get over themselves and grow-up. It’s not a pretty story. Don’t waste your time reading it.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Jalapeno-Popper Dip
We celebrated my grandma's husband's 85th birthday yesterday. My contribution to the party food was this Jalapeno-Popper Dip.
It might not look like much from the picture, but if you had some on a chip or cracker, you would think differently.
I've never actually eaten a jalapeno popper. Frankly, I find the idea of them pretty terrifying, not because they are hot, but because they are made with a WHOLE jalapeno! That's just too much pepper for me. But, I can handle them chopped in small pieces, so that's why I found this dip appealing.
Anyway, it's really delicious and was a hit with everyone at the party. Give it a try at your next party.
Of course, I found this recipe on Pinterest, but it originally came from a blog called Simply Gourmet.
Jalapeno-Popper Dip
6-8 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1 cup mayonnaise
4-6 jalapenos, de-seeded and chopped
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup sliced green onion
Combine all ingredients. Mix well. Transfer to oven-proof dish. Combine topping ingredients (listed below) and sprinkle over the top of the dip. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly and heated through.Serve with crackers or chips.
Topping
1 cup crushed crackers
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter, melted
Sunday, January 6, 2013
In case you're wondering...
Here's what happened to the Santa Claus bread. It snowed a lot on Christmas Eve, and on Christmas morning it was so cold with about 6 inches of snow on the ground. The little birds in the backyard looked very cold and hungry, so I put Santa on the ground under my mom and dad's bird feeder. Within minutes he was being feasted upon by multitudes of birds and a couple of squirrels. It was a merry Christmas feast, indeed.
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