Nothing like a good book

It's been a while since I updated my reading lists. My goal for 30 in my 30s was to read 120 books, or an average of one book per month. When I added it up today, it looks like I've read 21 books in the past 3 years, or an average of 7 books per year. So, I'm a little off my pace but I know I'll catch up. 120 books sure doesn't seem like a lot for an entire decade of my life, but as busy as I am with work and kids right now, a book a month is all that's reasonable for me.

I've moved my reading lists over to goodreads.com (connect with me there!), and I have links to them here on the right side of my blog if anyone wants to keep up with me. I love getting good book recommendations from friends and will still try to review any especially good books here if I can, but this just seemed more efficient. I really like the goodreads site and the corresponding app I have for my phone. I've even started a reading list with Bennett to see how many books we read together before she starts kindergarten. I let her rate every book, and she gives 5 stars every single time.

The last really good book I read was The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton. If you like historical fiction or anything set in England, you'll love it. The majority of the action takes place in London during the Blitz of WWII. This book has such a great plot. I can usually figure out what's going to happen, but I didn't see what was coming in this story, and I loved that. Highly recommend!

More books and food...

I just wanted to update with a couple new recipes and a new book review before I "reset" myself for a new year of blogging and list-attacking. This past month has been busy with travel and having company, but before all that started, we made a couple of really good new meals. The first was a crock-pot meal I found in Taste of Home for Slow-Cooked Carnitas:

• 1 boneless pork shoulder butt roast (3 to 4 pounds)- I actually wound up using a package of boneless ribs because I couldn't find a roast in the right size- the meat guy at the store told me it was the same cut of meat in different packaging
• 
  
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced- I minced it with my new favorite kitchen tool, my Pampered Chef garlic press
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1-1/2 cups minced fresh cilantro
• 1 cup salsa
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup tequila or additional chicken broth
• 2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies
• 12 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed
• Fresh cilantro leaves, chopped avocado and chopped tomatoes, optional
• 
  
• Cut roast in half; place in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Sprinkle with garlic, oil, salt and pepper. Add the onions, cilantro, salsa, broth, tequila and chilies. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until meat is tender.
• Remove meat; cool slightly. Shred with two forks and return to the slow cooker; heat through. Spoon about 2/3 cup meat mixture onto each tortilla; serve with toppings of your choice. Yield: 12 servings.

Here's a picture of my plate:

The recipe is really good but what makes the meal is definitely your toppings. We had sour cream, avocado, fresh tomatoes, fresh limes, cheese, lettuce, tortilla chips, etc. I will definitely be making this again!

Another delicious and EASY dinner we had recently was another Taste of Home idea. I don't know that it's really a recipe but the combination of flavors was so good.

California Chicken Wraps

• 1/3 cup prepared hummus
• 4 whole wheat tortillas (8 inches)
• 2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast- I marinated chicken breast in Greek vinaigrette and then Ben grilled it and we sliced it up
• 1/4 cup chopped roasted sweet red peppers- Instead of buying peppers, I bought a red pepper & cheese coulis spread- it was DELICIOUS!
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
• 
  
• Spread hummus on tortillas; top with chicken, peppers, cheese and basil. Roll up. Yield: 4 servings. This made a really good meal with a side of olives and Sunchips. :)

My weekend trip to Florida with a couple of my best girl friends was the first time I'd really had a chance to travel with my Kindle. A great experience! The only downside is having to turn it off for take-off and landing- at least the flight attendants can't make you put down a regular book. :) For the trip, I had a great read- 31 Bond Street by Ellen Horan:

This novel is based on a true story of murder that occurred in New York City in the 1850s. As is so often the case with a really good historical novel, the setting itself is a central, fascinating character. I absolutely love New York City, so I really enjoy books that are set there, and I also like glimpses into what life was like there during different times in the past. I won't get into the whole murder mystery, but I like it when a book takes you almost all the way through and you still have doubts as to who the culprit really is. This particular work is also a very interesting look into how the legal system worked at this time in our country. A good read I definitely recommend!

Closing in on a year...

I was just sitting here thinking that almost the entire month of April has gone by and I have only posted once. Life has been so busy lately and May is going to be even busier. I can't believe the first year of my 30s will be over in less than a month. I've been thinking a lot lately about what I've accomplished so far and what kind of year it's been. I would definitely say it's been an eventful year, full of highs and lows. I've worked on several of my list items, but I know full well in the back of my mind that I have not tackled any of the really difficult ones, the scary ones, the ones I haven't even yet had the guts to share with anyone, let alone take on head-first.

I'd like to say that the second year of my 30s is going to focus on accomplishing some of these tough goals but realistically, that isn't going to happen. I'm having a baby in about 4 months, and there's going to be an adjustment period, and before I know it I'm going to be 32. I'm OK with this, though. There's nothing on my list that's more important to me than my kids, so they're always going to get the priority. I'm only planning on having two, and I know the next few years of their "littleness" will be tons of work for me and at the same time, will go by so fast. It's not that I won't have any time to work on personal goals, but I just know that time will be limited.

A little while back I posted about how working at home and being a full-time mom was really stressing me out. Things are still kind of frustrating (especially with potty training- any advice is welcomed) but I do have a wonderful friend who is now watching Bennett one morning a week, and I am so thankful! I have to admit that so far I have not even used any of this time to get work done. One week I went to the dentist and another week I spent the whole time straightening up my house for company coming over the weekend. But, it was so nice to have those few hours to myself to get some things done. That little break makes a big difference in my week, and it's great for Bennett to have a change of scenery and another kid to play with as well. So, thank you, "Miss Lela"!

I've also been working hard these past four months- and will be working hard the next four months- to finish all my work for 2011 by the end of August. The baby is due September 4, so s/he better not come early! :) I'm planning to take off September, October, November, and December just to be with my kids and get through the initial transition of 1 to 2. I'm really excited about this. It's a lot of extra work/stress right now, but I think it will be worth it!

In other news, I did try a new recipe recently for Orange Chicken Piccata. While it looked lovely...

...it tasted just OK. Not worth posting the recipe. The sauce was fine, but it turned out tough. Maybe it's the technique but I have yet to find a stove-top chicken recipe that satisfies. I am convinced that chicken is meant to be either baked, broiled or grilled.

I also finished another book- The Last Child by John Hart.

I would classify it as "pretty good but not stellar." I was convinced about halfway through the book that I had the plot twist totally figured out- it focuses on a boy searching for his missing twin sister and the detective who helps him- but I was pleasantly surprised to find out I was wrong. I like a book that can surprise you. However, one of my pet peeves is child characters who are ridiculously mature and insightful and speak in totally unrealistic, adult-like dialogue. I would say the author is guilty of that in this work. 

Back to my busy week! There is a royal wedding going on and it's not for William & Kate. :) Very excited for my friends Tim & Alisa this weekend! Too bad I didn't put "Be a pregnant matron of honor" on my list. :)

Back to the list...

So, if I want to try 300 new recipes during my 30s, I need to try 30 a year, and I'm not doing that great so far. I thought it would be a lot easier, but I guess I'm not as adventurous as I thought, or I just don't take the time. Or, I get pregnant and throw up for a few months and can't imagine eating anything but saltines, let alone trying something new. But even when I wasn't eating much, I was looking forward to enjoying food again and thinking of fun ways to find and try new recipes. I came up with a couple of ideas. The first came by looking at my baking/spices cabinet. This is what it currently looks like:

This picture doesn't do it justice, but it's a total mess. Everything is thrown in there, and it's impossible to find what I'm looking for when I need it. I knock at least four things out every time I look for something in there. It is in dire need of organization! I do have a lot of great stuff in there, though- thanks to my dad's influence and a wonderful spice store we have here in Columbus (Penzey's)- so I know there are limitless cooking ideas waiting for me in there if I just take the time to look. So, one of my goals is to get this cabinet organized and see how many recipe ideas I can come up with based on fun spices and things that I already have. 

My second idea came from looking at the family cookbook. My great-aunt put this cookbook together at least 25 years ago and it features recipes from almost everyone on my dad's mom's side of the family (she was one of 10 kids, so it's a big family). My grandma had a copy for me and saved it all those years to give to me at my wedding shower. I cherish it!

I recently realized that the only recipes I ever really use out of this book are the ones that come from my own little part of the family, specifically my parents. I thought it might be a fun idea to try to "cook my way" through it. I don't know if it will be possible to make every single recipe, though. One of my great-grandfather's calls for at least 30 hens. So that one's probably not going to happen. But a lot of them would probably be great to try, so I'm going to start on that, too.

I've also made a couple of new recipes out of Taste of Home. Ben got me a subscription for Christmas, and it is one of the best gifts ever! I have never made anything out of Taste of Home that wasn't good. Last week I tried this Mediterranean Shrimp Skillet which was labor-intensive but good- thankfully my brother was here to help me saute the shrimp- I always do it wrong and overcook them. I also made these baked tomatoes to accompany the dish- but I was not overly impressed. I love the idea of baked tomatoes, though, so if anyone has a recipe or suggestions, let me know. 

I'm also behind on reviewing books, but I have finished a couple lately. I have to say that I loved, loved, loved Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls.

I loved Walls's memoir The Glass Castle, so I was excited to read another one of her works. This is a "true-life" novel about her grandmother, Lily Casey Smith, who was born around the turn of the century and spent her life ranching, teaching, and raising a family. I love the voice she gave to her grandmother and how she clearly tried to stay 100% true to who her grandmother really was. The dialogue is realistic (something I really love in a book), and it draws you in from page 1- you're instantly transported into Lily's life and want to dive right in. My only complaint about the book is that it ends rather abruptly, and I would have liked a bit more closure on Lily's life. But all in all, I really enjoyed it and would highly recommend it! One of the best books I have read this year. 

Goodbye winter...

It's been a long, hard winter, and I am ready for it to be over! I love to look outside and see the sun shining, even if the temperature is still a bit cold. I can't wait for Bennett to be able to play outside, for us to be able to take trips to the park, the zoo, and the pool. I've never loved cold weather or snow, but I especially hate it now that I have a little one- being stuck inside for several months takes on a whole new meaning. I am feeling a lot better in the past week or so- hardly any sickness or throwing up. The second trimester has begun, and I think I've finally turned that corner. I'm so grateful!

I have so many things I want to post about, but I'll just pick a couple for today. First of all, I'm really looking forward to enjoying food again. I have been craving so many things, but especially cherry tomatoes. I cannot wait for all the fresh produce to start rolling in and to start making trips to the farmers market as well as growing a few things in my little garden. I have really gotten behind on trying new recipes, and I have a few ideas on how to catch up on that (for a later post). For now I thought I'd share one of my favorite recipes and something that I made a LOT of this winter- it often tasted good to me even when I was feeling sick. It's my grandmother's spaghetti sauce- really hearty and has a great flavor. It also freezes well, so you can make a huge batch at one time and save some for later. It's a great end-of-winter meal and so easy to make!

Nan's Spaghetti Sauce

Brown 4 lbs. hamburger (I always use sirloin) with one medium chopped onion (or more, if you prefer). Drain.

Add:

46 oz. tomato juice

15 oz. tomato sauce (sometimes I use a little more)

28 oz. tomato puree

1 bottle of chili sauce (I like the Heinz brand)

Then add seasonings:

2 bay leaves

1.5 - 2 tsp. oregano

1.5 - 2 tsp.Italian seasoning

2 pinches of red & green pepper spice (can be kind of hard to find, but worth looking for!)

1.5 - 2 tsp. chili powder

Stir it all together and simmer for 3 hours until thick. I usually simmer it uncovered so it will get thicker. 

I also wanted to report that I finished the first book on my Kindle--Deception Point by Dan Brown. It was a little (OK, a LOT) far-fetched, but I liked it for the most part. I was just in the mood for a fast-paced book like that, and it was a fun read. Like many people had told me, it's not as good as Angels and Demons or The Da Vinci Code, but it's entertaining nonetheless. You'll learn more than you ever wanted to know about meteorites, that's for sure.

I'm a little behind on my reading for the year (if my goal is to read one book a month), but I'm into a new book now that I'm loving, so hopefully I'll catch up soon. Looking forward to spring and catching up on just about everything! Happy Tuesday!

Kindled affection

I thought I would update my blog before now. 2011 has hit me like a ton of bricks- not necessarily bad, but hard. I feel like we're still recovering from all our holiday traveling and the death of my grandfather. So happy for him to be done with his earthly suffering and enjoying eternal life in Heaven, but it's still difficult to go through the process of losing someone. Since we got home from our 12 straight days of travel, Bennett & I have both been sick so we've just been spending a lot of days in our comfy pants doing the bare minimum to get by. Right now, we're just taking it easy.

I did get one, rather long, book read over Christmas vacation. I picked it up at the Dayton airport, where I must say there is not a great selection of paperbacks. I did recognize it, however, as being on my reading list and I'm always in the mood for some historical fiction.

I enjoyed The White Queen by Philippa Gregory (author of The Other Boleyn Girl). It was kind of long, but it was a fast-paced read. Started out a little cheesy for my taste (love at first sight) but it moved past that and got better. The main character is Elizabeth Woodville, one of England's lesser-known queens, the wife of Edward IV. She was the first commoner to marry an English sovereign and was a key figure in the Wars of the Roses, the main action in this novel. I love being transported into the past and getting a glimpse of what life was like for people who were a lot like us but living in another time and circumstance. The end of the book sets you up to read The Red Queen, which I definitely will, but I just need a short break from 15th century England first. Oh, and I got 50% of my money back by returning it at the airport on our way home. :) What a bargain. 

In other big news, I finally got a Kindle! It was a Christmas gift from my lovely in-laws, and I am really enjoying it so far. I even got this fun case:

The first thing I downloaded was the book we're reading for our women's bible study at church, then The Message version of the Bible. I can't believe how much faster my Bible reading is going now that I've switched over to the Kindle. It's really going to help me with that item on my 30 in my 30s list. And the first novel I'm reading on it is Deception Point. I never got to that one and I was in the mood for some Dan Brown. Enjoying it so far!

Hope everyone's 2011 is starting out great! I am looking forward to a fun but hopefully low-key year- my only resolution is to stay home a bit more!

The girl with the fleur-de-lis tattoo...

...has a review for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. And on the first of the month, too! Wow, that was a lot of rhyming.

This book was way down on my list, in the back of my mind, in the "I'll read it someday before I see the eventual movie" section. But I ran out of reading material in the Tampa airport, and it was only $7.99, so I bought it. Several people stopped me in the airport and on the plane to tell me they loved the book. One person said, "It doesn't get good until around page 87, or whenever he gets on the train."

I have to admit, it did start out pretty slow for me. I thought whoever "he" was was never going to get on the train. But I did have a feeling it was going to pick up and get better. The plot is intricate and kept me wanting to find out more. I enjoyed that it was different from a lot of the novels I have read in the past. There were several times I had to read a sentence twice or three times just because the translation from the Swedish didn't quite click, but it didn't make it hard to read.

I liked the book, though one friend's warning that it was pretty graphic in parts was very true. It's probably not for the weak-stomached or easily offended. It's dark and gritty but it still resonates emotionally. I think everyone knows what it's like to feel, at times in your life, lost, lonely, afraid, angry, victimized, etc.- this book touches on all those emotions. I am definitely planning on reading the next two books in the series, but after a break to read something a little less dark. I'm hoping to read at least one book this month, despite how busy it  will be. Happy December!

I'm a sister, and a wife, but I'll never be a sister wife

I'm behind again on my book reviewing. November has been such a busy month so far, it seems like a blur, and I can hardly believe it's half over already. Right after my grandma's birthday party, we took off for a week in Atlanta visiting my cousins. It was so much fun. Bennett & I got back on Saturday and now we are in full-scale catch-up mode getting ready to host the Borich Family Thanksgiving next week. We can hardly wait to see everyone, especially cousin Gretta who will be turning one! We also have a couple household and sewing projects underway which I will post about as soon as they're completed!

This month I have a review for The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff. I read it while Michelle & I were on our cruise last month, and it was pretty absorbing. It's been on my book list for a while, and I just happened to read it right before the Sister Wives shows came on TLC. The whole phenomenon of plural marriage is utterly fascinating to me- its origins and its implications.

This novel follows two stories simultaneously- the story of Ann Eliza Young, Brigham Young's 19th wife who sued him for divorce and exposed many difficult truths regarding polygamy, and the story of a modern-day 19th wife living in a fundamentalist Mormon community and accused of murdering her husband. Her son, the narrator of the story, had been kicked out of the community at the age of 14 for holding hands with a girl. I found both stories good, but I was really interested in the history of Brigham Young and the Mormon church. There were so many things I didn't realize or know. In the end, I'm not sure how great the murder mystery itself was, but overall, it was a good read, well-written, and very informative.

Frozen chocolate-covered key lime pie on a stick

I hope that title drew you in. I've been slacking. I can't believe October is almost half over already. So much for a book review on the first of every month- but I do have one ready (see below). October is one of my favorite months, and this one had a great start- spending time in Key West and Cozumel with Michelle, my best friend since third grade! Key West was gorgeous and warm:

And I'm not trying to be over-dramatic, but eating this frozen chocolate-covered key lime pie on a stick might have been one of the best experiences of my life:

Cozumel was insanely beautiful. We snorkeled and relaxed on the beach- and of course hit up a Mexican restaurant on our way back to our cruise ship. All in all, a wonderful trip!

One of the best aspects of the trip was being able to relax and read. I got through one long-ish novel in the 4 days and did something I never do, which is buy a book in the airport and started on that one, too. Anyone who saw me with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in the airport told me it was a great read- I am less than 100 pages in but liking it so far. 

The book I have to review this month, though, is The Serpent's Tale by Ariana Franklin. This is another of those rare books that I actually bought. I found it for like $3.99 at Garden Ridge, and having loved the book it is a sequel to (Mistress of the Art of Death) I was excited to read it. 

The likable protagonist in this series is a medieval doctor named Adelia Aguilar, a Sicilian living in England at the behest of King Henry II in order to unravel crimes in his kingdom. Since female doctors were feared at the time, and considered to be witches, Adelia has to conduct her work in secret. In the first book, Adelia works to solve the murders of several children in Cambridge. In The Serpent's Tale, her task is uncovering the murderer of Rosamund Clifford, the king's favorite mistress, to prevent the entire country from collapsing into a state of civil war. It's a good read. Like I've said before, historical fiction is my favorite genre, and medieval England is my favorite place to be transported to for a while. I recommend this read. You don't need to read Mistress of the Art of Death first, but I'd suggest doing so to get a better feel for the second book. I'm hoping Franklin writes a third! 

Sweet September

It's the first of the month, and I have my book review ready. But first I just have to say how excited I am that September is here. I realize it's still technically summer, and Labor Day isn't even here yet, but to me, September 1 has always been the unofficial start of fall. I won't lie- this summer, the first few months of my 30s, has been a very trying season for me. Lots of pain, heartache and frustration in my life and in the lives of people I love. I'm ready for a new season. I know that things have to get better. So, for the unofficial beginning of autumn, I celebrated by putting a fall wreath on my front door today. I just had to have one "fall-ish" thing around.

I'm looking forward to football (especially going to the Ohio State-Miami game next week!), hockey, cooler weather, taking Bennett to the pumpkin patch and dressing her up for Halloween, a cruise with my best friend at the end of the month, a trip to Atlanta to see my cousins, and the Iowa family coming out for Thanksgiving. It should be a great few months coming up.

Now, for my book review. The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane was another book I read while we were in Cabo. Historical fiction is my favorite genre, and this novel switches back and forth between modern times and the Salem witch trials of the 1600s. Basically, a contemporary Harvard graduate student finds a lot more than she bargained for in her research and discovers her own family ties to the famous past. It was fine for a beach read, but I can't say that it's a great book. I think the author was attempting to bring a fresh perspective to a well-known event in American history- that perspective being that some of the women really were witches (though benevolent)- but it was kind of lost on me. I like historical fiction that's a bit more grounded in fact and less in fantasy. It wasn't terrible, but there are just so many great novels out there that this probably isn't one to waste time on. I'm into a better book right now, though, so I'll look forward to reviewing it next month.

Day after night

My goal was to write a new book review on the first each of month- but since the first of this month fell on a Sunday during which I spent most of my waking hours helping my parents clean their garage and then fell into bed exhausted, I guess the second will have to do this time!

Day After Night by Anita Diamant was another book I read while we were on vacation in Cabo. Like Beatrice and Virgil, it was a book I wanted to read because I had read another of the author's works and absolutely loved it. In this case, I had read The Red Tent by Anita Diamant and found it to be a fascinating portrayal of what life was like for Jewish women in Biblical times. It was one of those books you enjoy so much that you remember exactly when and where you were when you read it- it was the summer of 2003, Ben & I had just gotten engaged and were in Iowa visiting his family. His parents were planning to move to a new house soon and were having a garage sale. I read The Red Tent in their driveway over the course of a few hot days selling old golf clubs and forgotten toys. Good book, good memory.

This book was as satisfying as Beatrice and Virgil was disappointing. And, strangely, it also related to the Holocaust, something I didn't realize as I was choosing books to take on the trip. It chronicles the lives of several young girls living in a detention camp in Palestine around the end of World War II. Though the story is fictional, the camp was real. I didn't know that after war when so many displaced Jewish people were pouring into Palestine hoping for a new home, many were being detained (read: imprisoned) by the British government. This story takes place at a camp called Atlit just before the detainees were liberated by the underground Jewish army. It's absorbing not so much for the plot as for the characters. Diamant has created very well-rounded, realistic young women whose stories will break your heart and give you a new understanding and appreciation for what our grandparents' generation endured. It's a great read, and I definitely recommend it!

Side note: One of the things I don't like about book reviews is that they often give too much of the plot away (in my opinion). That is why I avoid reading them before I read a book. The downside of that is that I could avoid reading some terrible books. Try finding a good review for Beatrice and Virgil, for instance. But, I'd rather form an opinion of my own. So, I hope that when I review a book for you, I give you enough info to know if you're interested without saying too much!

so a story is life that makes sense

I decided that I wanted to write reviews for all the books I read in my 30s. My dilemma is that I've never really written book reviews before, and most of the time, I don't even like reading them. The main thing I don't like about reading book reviews is that they're too long. Also, they're rarely personal, and I like to know how a book resonates with the reader or what it meant to him/her at the particular time in life that s/he was reading it. With that in mind, I'm going to attempt writing short, personal reviews for the books I've read, no more than a paragraph long. I hope these will help my bookworm friends when deciding whether or not to add a read to their personal lists.

Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel. I was anxious to read this book since I loved Life of Pi so much. I read Life of Pi the last time we went to Cabo, so I thought Cabo would be a great place to read Martel's newest work. Wrong. There is no great place to read this book because it's terrible. In short, Martel attempts to address the Holocaust through a strange, rambling story in which a disillusioned novelist meets a crazy, old taxidermist who reads him a play about a donkey and a monkey. It winds up reading like a bunch of depressing, philosophical nonsense. None of the characters are endearing, and in the end, you don't really care what happens. Thankfully, it was a short read. Definitely one to skip. Very disappointing since his last book was so good. The one thing I do like about Martel, though, is his way of turning some philosophical thoughts into great prose. This line from the book really struck me, and I wrote it down:

"Just as music is noise that makes sense, a painting is colour that makes sense, so a story is life that makes sense."

I couldn't agree more. This statement sums up why I love literature so much. Just too bad it came from such a disappointment of a book.