Each year I set a personal goal of reading an average of three books per month and rarely do I fail to meet this. 2009 was a banner year.... I read almost double this amount! Sure, many of them were lightweights, but I read for pure pleasure and entertainment. They don't have to be lengthy tomes that impact the world or make a statement.
I can honestly say I liked every book I read this year. Some are always better than others, though, so the following is a list of the ones I enjoyed most. I've never been good at reviewing books so I'll just make a comment or two then provide the Amazon link for more information.
In no particular order:
1. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski (Recommended by my sister-in-law, it's possibly my favorite of the year. If you're a dog-lover, it's a must read.)
2. Matthew Shardlake Mysteries by C.J. Sansom (I read the first three and decided to group them as one here. Thanks again to Petty Witter for introducing me to this author.)
3. Day After Night by Anita Diamant (A gift from Quid who knew that I loved Diamant's novel The Red Tent. I liked this one even more.)
4. The Help by Kathryn Stockett (One of many great recommendations from Bob.)
5. T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton (This series "sagged" a little for me about midway, but the past few installments have been very good. I look forward to reading U.)
6. The Forest by Edward Rutherford (I love Rutherford's writing style and have read all his novels with the exception of the two about Ireland. They're in my TBR stack for 2010.)
7. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (Another pick from Bob, I didn't expect to enjoy this one as much as I did. Written in an interesting format, it reads quickly.)
8. Imperium by Robert Harris (I love reading books set in ancient Rome. This was almost as good as Pompeii, also by Harris.)
9. The River Wife by Jonis Agee (Parts of this novel were much better than others, but overall I enjoyed it.)
10. I couldn't decide between these three for my last pick: The Sweet By and By (Todd Johnson), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Stieg Larsson), and The Good Thief (Hannah Tinti).
- Kelly
- Making my way through the ups and downs of life, holding fast to my favorite Bible verse: "For we walk by faith, not by sight." ~2 Corinthians 5:7. I began blogging in earnest at Yahoo360 on October 24, 2005. (briefly using LiveJournal and blog-city prior to that) In June 2008 I moved to Blogger. I'm now at WordPress where I hope to remain.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Good Luck Peas
New Year's Day is just around the corner and all true Southerners know that means eating black eyed peas for good luck. Although I'm not one for superstition, I do like to keep with tradition and will have black eyed peas on the menu at my house.
For years I cheated and served purple hull peas instead of black eyes. We grew them in our garden and it was convenient to just pull some out of the freezer for the occasion. A couple of years ago I decided to switch to the real thing and have found several good recipes using black eyes. Today's paper had a recipe for black eyed pea soup that I plan to try this year. If it's good, I'll share it here. Meanwhile, this recipe from a friend at church is what I've prepared the past two years.
3 cans black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 (2 oz.) jar diced pimento, drained
1/2 cup diced purple onion
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup plus 2 T. red wine vinegar
1/4 cup plus 2 T. vegetable oil
3/4 tsp. ground red pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
Combine first 3 ingredients, toss gently. Combine vinegar and remaining ingredients in a jar or bowl, shake or blend well. Pour over pea mixture, cover and chill at least 3 hours. Yield: 6-8 servings.
For years I cheated and served purple hull peas instead of black eyes. We grew them in our garden and it was convenient to just pull some out of the freezer for the occasion. A couple of years ago I decided to switch to the real thing and have found several good recipes using black eyes. Today's paper had a recipe for black eyed pea soup that I plan to try this year. If it's good, I'll share it here. Meanwhile, this recipe from a friend at church is what I've prepared the past two years.
Black Eyed Pea Salad
from the 1988 Southern Living Recipe Book
3 cans black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 (2 oz.) jar diced pimento, drained
1/2 cup diced purple onion
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup plus 2 T. red wine vinegar
1/4 cup plus 2 T. vegetable oil
3/4 tsp. ground red pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
Combine first 3 ingredients, toss gently. Combine vinegar and remaining ingredients in a jar or bowl, shake or blend well. Pour over pea mixture, cover and chill at least 3 hours. Yield: 6-8 servings.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Favorite Five - Holiday Eating/Drinking
I'm sure all of you have certain snacks, dishes or drinks that you associate with specific holidays. You know... Grandma's plum pudding at Christmas or Aunt Sally's homemade peach ice cream on the 4th of July. Or maybe it's just the candy corn you always buy for Halloween.
My family does a lot of holiday eating. We often try new recipes, but there are a few staples that I always look forward to. Here are some of my favorite holiday treats:
1. Cornbread Dressing - I've been making dressing for Thanksgiving since my mother died when I was 17. My version might be a wee bit different from hers, but I still follow her advice for keeping it moist. "When you think it's sloppy enough, add a little more broth!"
2. Stuffed Eggs - Some folks call them deviled eggs. No matter what they're called, they're wonderful. In recent years my younger daughter has taken over the task of preparing them for our holiday celebrations.
3. Cadbury Eggs - This treat is only available in our area at Easter. Not only do I love them, so do my kids. I'll never forget the look on my son's face when he saw his first Cadbury vending machine in the London underground a few years ago.
4. Sun Dried Tomato & Pesto Torte - Cheese is one of my absolute favorite foods! I treat myself and my sister to this yummy snack each holiday season.
5. Sparkling Catawba Juice - There wasn't much alcohol in our household when I was growing up. My dad knew he couldn't drink, therefore we just didn't have it around. Instead, we toasted special occasions with non-alcoholic Catawba juice. Though I no longer drink, during my "partying" days I preferred Catawba to real Champagne. Welch's sells several varieties, but the sparkling white grape juice remains my favorite.
Have you got any favorite holiday treats?
My family does a lot of holiday eating. We often try new recipes, but there are a few staples that I always look forward to. Here are some of my favorite holiday treats:
1. Cornbread Dressing - I've been making dressing for Thanksgiving since my mother died when I was 17. My version might be a wee bit different from hers, but I still follow her advice for keeping it moist. "When you think it's sloppy enough, add a little more broth!"
2. Stuffed Eggs - Some folks call them deviled eggs. No matter what they're called, they're wonderful. In recent years my younger daughter has taken over the task of preparing them for our holiday celebrations.
3. Cadbury Eggs - This treat is only available in our area at Easter. Not only do I love them, so do my kids. I'll never forget the look on my son's face when he saw his first Cadbury vending machine in the London underground a few years ago.
4. Sun Dried Tomato & Pesto Torte - Cheese is one of my absolute favorite foods! I treat myself and my sister to this yummy snack each holiday season.
5. Sparkling Catawba Juice - There wasn't much alcohol in our household when I was growing up. My dad knew he couldn't drink, therefore we just didn't have it around. Instead, we toasted special occasions with non-alcoholic Catawba juice. Though I no longer drink, during my "partying" days I preferred Catawba to real Champagne. Welch's sells several varieties, but the sparkling white grape juice remains my favorite.
Have you got any favorite holiday treats?
Saturday, December 26, 2009
The Day After
Looking around our house tonight you'd never know we just celebrated Christmas. I've never been one for keeping the decorations up after the fact, so the afternoon was spent UNdecorating.... not nearly as much fun as putting it out. Mission accomplished. Everything is back to normal in the house.
I wish I could say the same for everything outside. In yesterday's post I mentioned the large amount of rain we got in a short amount of time on Christmas Eve. Turns out the damage to our pond was much more extensive this time around. The gravel we had brought in for the repairs a month back is all gone, along with most of the road around it. Many of the items kept under our equipment shed are now somewhere out in the surrounding woods. The good news is that the pond is still holding for the moment. The bad news is that rain is in the forecast again for the coming week and it's too wet to try and make temporary repairs.
When I think of the horrible weather people across the US have been faced with the past few days I feel a little guilty moaning about our problems. They might seem trivial by comparison... but they matter to me.
I wish I could say the same for everything outside. In yesterday's post I mentioned the large amount of rain we got in a short amount of time on Christmas Eve. Turns out the damage to our pond was much more extensive this time around. The gravel we had brought in for the repairs a month back is all gone, along with most of the road around it. Many of the items kept under our equipment shed are now somewhere out in the surrounding woods. The good news is that the pond is still holding for the moment. The bad news is that rain is in the forecast again for the coming week and it's too wet to try and make temporary repairs.
When I think of the horrible weather people across the US have been faced with the past few days I feel a little guilty moaning about our problems. They might seem trivial by comparison... but they matter to me.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Christmas 2009
What a wonderful Christmas we've had !! Things got off to an iffy start. The weather system working its way across the south decided to stop over us and dump more than 6 inches of rain in just a few hours. We seriously feared for our pond since the area we had just repaired from the flood this fall started washing again! So far, though, things are holding.
The bulk of our celebrating takes place on Christmas Eve and by mid-afternoon everyone had gathered at our house to begin the festivities. The afternoon and evening were filled with lots of laughter, game playing, gift opening, photo taking, and of course.... eating.
There were several new recipes on the menu, but my younger daughter's cookies were the hit of the holiday. I'll leave you with a photo and the recipe:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup molasses
4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1-1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. salt
M&M's miniature baking bits
3/4 cup vanilla frosting
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
Green food coloring, optional
In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and molasses. Combine the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, ginger and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until easy to handle.
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 3-in. tree-shaped cookie cutter. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Gently press baking bits into half of the cookies.
Bake at 325F for 8-10 minutes or until edges are firm. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
In a small bowl, combine frosting and confectioners' sugar until smooth; tint green if desired. Spread over the bottoms of plain cookies; top with decorated cookies. Store in the refrigerator.
The bulk of our celebrating takes place on Christmas Eve and by mid-afternoon everyone had gathered at our house to begin the festivities. The afternoon and evening were filled with lots of laughter, game playing, gift opening, photo taking, and of course.... eating.
There were several new recipes on the menu, but my younger daughter's cookies were the hit of the holiday. I'll leave you with a photo and the recipe:
Gingerbread Sandwich Trees
contributed to Simple & Delicious by Steve Foy of Kirkwood, MO
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup molasses
4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1-1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. salt
M&M's miniature baking bits
3/4 cup vanilla frosting
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
Green food coloring, optional
In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and molasses. Combine the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, ginger and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until easy to handle.
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 3-in. tree-shaped cookie cutter. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Gently press baking bits into half of the cookies.
Bake at 325F for 8-10 minutes or until edges are firm. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
In a small bowl, combine frosting and confectioners' sugar until smooth; tint green if desired. Spread over the bottoms of plain cookies; top with decorated cookies. Store in the refrigerator.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Pre-holiday snacking
My younger daughter enjoys cooking and when she's home from college we like to try new recipes. Here are some recent efforts, all "keepers". She prepared the sweets and I did the party mix.
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup butter, melted
4 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
5/8 cup lemon juice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch pan.
In a medium bowl, stir together 2 cups flour and confectioners' sugar. Blend in the melted butter. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until golden. In a large bowl, beat eggs until light. Combine the sugar, baking powder and 1/4 cup of flour so there will be no flour lumps. Stir the sugar mixture into the eggs. Finally, stir in the lemon juice. Pour over the prepared crust and return to the oven.
Bake for an additional 30 minutes or until bars are set. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.
3 cups Crispix
3 cups Wheat Chex
2 cups cheddar-flavored snack crackers
1 cup pretzel sticks
1 cup almonds
1 cup mixed nuts
1 cup pistachios
1/2 cup butter-flavored popcorn oil
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
1 tsp. dill weed
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. In a small bowl, combine the oil, dressing mix, dill, garlic powder and cayenne. Drizzle over cereal mixture, toss to coat.
Transfer to two greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pans. Bake at 250 degrees F for 45-55 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 3 qt.
2 cups unsifted flour
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup cold margarine or butter
1 (14-ounce) can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (6-ounce) package almond brickle chips
1 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350F (325F for glass dish). In medium bowl, combine flour and sugar; cut in margarine until crumbly. Press firmly on bottom of 13x9-inch baking pan. Bake 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat sweetened condensed milk, egg and vanilla. Stir in chips and pecans. Spread evenly over crust. Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool. Cut into bars. Store covered in refrigerator. Makes 36 bars.
Lemon Square Bars
Submitted to allrecipes.com by RCOMP
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup butter, melted
4 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
5/8 cup lemon juice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch pan.
In a medium bowl, stir together 2 cups flour and confectioners' sugar. Blend in the melted butter. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until golden. In a large bowl, beat eggs until light. Combine the sugar, baking powder and 1/4 cup of flour so there will be no flour lumps. Stir the sugar mixture into the eggs. Finally, stir in the lemon juice. Pour over the prepared crust and return to the oven.
Bake for an additional 30 minutes or until bars are set. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.
Kickin' Snack Mix
Contributed to Simple & Delicious by Kim Vogt of Creighton, NE
3 cups Crispix
3 cups Wheat Chex
2 cups cheddar-flavored snack crackers
1 cup pretzel sticks
1 cup almonds
1 cup mixed nuts
1 cup pistachios
1/2 cup butter-flavored popcorn oil
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
1 tsp. dill weed
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. In a small bowl, combine the oil, dressing mix, dill, garlic powder and cayenne. Drizzle over cereal mixture, toss to coat.
Transfer to two greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pans. Bake at 250 degrees F for 45-55 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 3 qt.
Pecan Pie Bars
Great American Brand Name Recipes Cookbook
2 cups unsifted flour
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup cold margarine or butter
1 (14-ounce) can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (6-ounce) package almond brickle chips
1 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350F (325F for glass dish). In medium bowl, combine flour and sugar; cut in margarine until crumbly. Press firmly on bottom of 13x9-inch baking pan. Bake 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat sweetened condensed milk, egg and vanilla. Stir in chips and pecans. Spread evenly over crust. Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool. Cut into bars. Store covered in refrigerator. Makes 36 bars.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Favorite Five - Holiday Songs
I love Christmas music! I like to listen to it and I love to sing along. I have Christmas albums (the vinyl stuff) and Christmas CDs plus lots of Christmas music in my iTunes. I've been a satellite radio subscriber for a number of years. XM Radio (now Sirius/XM) switches the programming on several of its channels to holiday music this time of year. There's Hanukkah music, Country Christmas, Holiday Pops (Classical), Holly (Contemporary) and my personal favorite, Holiday Traditions (music from the 40s, 50s and 60s). Whether at home or in my car, I can surround myself with holiday music. It's a feast for the ears!
Considering I enjoy most all Christmas music, both sacred and secular, it's really tough to pick just five as favorites. Some songs I prefer specific versions, others I love no matter who is singing. I'll see if I can narrow it down...
1. Do You Hear What I Hear? - This is one I really like by anyone, but Whitney Houston does a nice version of it. I use to sing it year round when I was a little girl. I would ride my bicycle to my aunt's house then ride round and round the tree in the middle of her driveway, singing it at the top of my lungs!
2. White Christmas - Bing Crosby's is the best. Would you believe I've never seen the movie?
3. The Christmas Song - No one can really sing this one like Nat King Cole. I have several versions, but his tops them all.
4. Little Drummer Boy - This didn't become a favorite until I heard Mandisa's upbeat version in concert last year. The drum solo in it is awesome!!
5. Carol of the Bells - Another one that I enjoy by anyone. One of the segments from Claymation Christmas uses this piece.
I won't try to list any runners up. There would be too many!
So.... what are some of your faves?
Considering I enjoy most all Christmas music, both sacred and secular, it's really tough to pick just five as favorites. Some songs I prefer specific versions, others I love no matter who is singing. I'll see if I can narrow it down...
1. Do You Hear What I Hear? - This is one I really like by anyone, but Whitney Houston does a nice version of it. I use to sing it year round when I was a little girl. I would ride my bicycle to my aunt's house then ride round and round the tree in the middle of her driveway, singing it at the top of my lungs!
2. White Christmas - Bing Crosby's is the best. Would you believe I've never seen the movie?
3. The Christmas Song - No one can really sing this one like Nat King Cole. I have several versions, but his tops them all.
4. Little Drummer Boy - This didn't become a favorite until I heard Mandisa's upbeat version in concert last year. The drum solo in it is awesome!!
5. Carol of the Bells - Another one that I enjoy by anyone. One of the segments from Claymation Christmas uses this piece.
I won't try to list any runners up. There would be too many!
So.... what are some of your faves?
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Christmas Reading Challenge
Petty Witter had an entry recently about a Christmas Reading Challenge she was participating in. Normally I don't go for things like that since it can be a burden having to stick with a schedule or specific books. However, this challenge sounded fun and didn't seem too difficult. I already had two holiday books in my TBR stack and figured I could easily find a third. I completed the challenge last night, with time to spare! Here's what I read:
1. Home for the Holidays by Rebecca Kelly - Part of the "Tales From Grace Chapel Inn" series from Guideposts. I mentioned in an earlier post that I thought this book was probably the last one I would receive in the series. They are light reading, but always inspiring and uplifting with their Christian message.
2. The Christmas Dog by Melody Carlson - Ms. Carlson also wrote several of the "Grace Chapel Inn" books. This, however, is a stand-alone book about a widow, her granddaughter, an odd neighbor and a dog that comes into their lives. Again, light reading... but that's the best kind for this busy time of year.
3. The Gift by Lauraine Snelling - This thin little book was buried in my stack from a past holiday season. Another widow (a young one this time), a widower, a boy, and a horse. Oh... and a dog, too! More light reading that was enjoyable enough.
Friday, December 18, 2009
The Sing Off
When my daughter is home, I tend to watch things on TV I might not otherwise watch. Earlier in the week we tuned into a new reality show airing on NBC called "The Sing Off". It has the typical set up: A celebrity host, three celebrity judges and eight groups of contestants vying for big bucks and a recording contract. What makes it a little different is that each group performs a capella. Another difference is that the show will be wrapped up within a week - not drawn out like many reality shows.
The performances took place over several nights this week with the judges making the eliminations. Three groups remain and the final results are now up to the public. Viewers are limited to ten votes each and these can be cast anytime up until Sunday. The final show will air on Monday evening.
Did you miss out? It's not too late! If you go to NBC.com you can watch all the episodes in their entirety as well as learn about the contestants, watch individual performances, and ...vote.
The performances took place over several nights this week with the judges making the eliminations. Three groups remain and the final results are now up to the public. Viewers are limited to ten votes each and these can be cast anytime up until Sunday. The final show will air on Monday evening.
Did you miss out? It's not too late! If you go to NBC.com you can watch all the episodes in their entirety as well as learn about the contestants, watch individual performances, and ...vote.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
The Night Before Christmas
"Now Dasher! now Dancer!
Now Prancer! and Vixen!
On Comet! on Cupid!
On ______! and Blitzen!"
There was a letter to Dear Abby recently ranting about the use (or perhaps misuse) of the name that fills the above blank. The writer insisted it should be "Donder" instead of the more frequently heard "Donner".
My copy of The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore is a 1935 edition published by The Platt & Munk Co., Inc. of New York. It's the version I read over and over while growing up and, therefore, the version I like best. Neither Donner nor Donder.
How do you fill in the blank?
Now Prancer! and Vixen!
On Comet! on Cupid!
On ______! and Blitzen!"
There was a letter to Dear Abby recently ranting about the use (or perhaps misuse) of the name that fills the above blank. The writer insisted it should be "Donder" instead of the more frequently heard "Donner".
My copy of The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore is a 1935 edition published by The Platt & Munk Co., Inc. of New York. It's the version I read over and over while growing up and, therefore, the version I like best. Neither Donner nor Donder.
How do you fill in the blank?
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