Alright, so I must say I started this book and actually started laughing. Not because the material was funny. Her Dad disappears one day, reminding me of "A Wrinkle in Time". She has a best- friend/mythical-creature-guardian just like in the Percy Jackson books. I'm trying to remember exactly what it was- but parts of the first few chapters reminded me of Alice in Wonderland (maybe it was the talking cat that showed her the way). You enter the other lands first by a door in a closet- like "The Chronicles of Narnia". Other paths to that world are similar to windows mentioned in The Golden Compass Series (starting in the second book). There are characters from "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by Shakespeare in it. Within the first few chapters they take a picture of her with the popular boy and photoshop it where she's nude and make fun of her, making me picture Mandy Moore in "A Walk to Remember" when they photoshop her picture and make fun of her. And then the part that made me laugh the most- she has a fun-loving best friend, one who is warm and has a sense of humor, and who seems to like her as more than a friend and she doesn't notice. Then she meets a prince from the Winter Court (she's from Summer) and they're practically enemies. Who does she fall in love with? The mythical cold creature- who because of a past history- hates her 'warm' friend. If that doesn't 'scream' Twilight- I don't know what does (oh wait, except the book Hush, Hush).
I kept reading, thinking to myself, at least she was original in the way she combined all the aspects of the other books into one. And before I got halfway through, I stopped noticing the similarities. She actually did make something of her own, using tidbits of ideas from other stories, true, but combining them into a new story. I got into the book and really enjoyed it. Of course, I haven't read "A Midsummer Night's Dream" before, so now I'm reading that book, and then I plan on continuing with this series- she has written 5, I think. I look forward to the others. :)
Friday, March 30, 2012
Saturday, March 24, 2012
The Cheesecake Factory's Fried Mac and Cheese
So a few weeks ago, my husband and I went out to eat, and while waiting to be seated, they had a tv advertisement of different foods and cheesecakes there. I saw the picture of the fried mac and cheese... MMMMM! I served a mission in Louisiana and love fried foods and I've always loved mac and cheese. Anyways, one of the things I miss is getting fried mac and cheese bites from some restaurant (Jack in the Box or Arby's?) and enjoying how good it is. Anyways, I asked my husband if he wanted to split the appetizer with me. I asked the waitress about it as well and she said it was served with a creamy marinara sauce (my husband says it was more of a vodka sauce- but tasted like it had some sun-dried tomatoes in it or something too) and at first I was a little skeptical... 'Ruin fried mac and cheese with a creamy marinara sauce?' was what I was thinking. It came and I took a bite- it was good all by itself, but then I took a forkful and swirled it in the sauce... I was definitely a fan of the sauce with the mac and cheese. The fried part wasn't too heavy, so if you sometimes react to things heavily breaded- this wasn't. But it definitely gave me what I needed when I wanted something fried, cheesy and good. (Amazing in my opinion- but maybe I was overdue). Either way I would recommend them to anyone who likes fried food and cheese or mac and cheese.
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Loved it. I loved the movie and decided to read the book after (usually I like to do it the other way around). I was especially touched, when reading it, that as bad as things may have been for African Americans in the past, their whole life wasn't miserable (or at least once they were no longer slaves). They loved, or grew to love some of the children they worked for. When I was nannying I grew to love those kids, even though they weren't mine and in some ways it should've been just a job to me. Anyways, I liked seeing the duplicity of it all- the women, afraid because of the awful conditions brought on by severe racism, yet the things they did care about in their daily lives as well. Very entertaining, even after watching the movie. Not a true story, but the author wrote based on a maid that she once loved and cared for and what she hoped may have gone through her mind- similar to Skeeter and Constantine.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
So, up til now I've heard a great many things about this book- how it's creepy- how it's weird. Honestly, I've had friends who aren't fond of the movie. As for me, I enjoyed it. Alice falls asleep and has a marvelous dream. Her subconscious takes you through a great many things- it shows her offending others and having to watch her tongue and temper and learning a few things herself.
"'Who are you?' said the Caterpillar.
This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, 'I--I hardly know, sir, just at present-- at least I know who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.'
'What do you mean by that?' said the Caterpillar sternly. 'Explain yourself!'
'I can't explain myself, I'm afraid, sir' said Alice, 'because I'm not myself, you see.'
'I don't see,' said the Caterpillar.
'I'm afraid I can't put it more clearly,' Alice replied very politely, 'for I can't understand it myself to begin with; and being so many different sizes in a day is very confusing.'
'It isn't,' said the Caterpillar.
'Well, perhaps you haven't found it so yet,' said Alice; 'but when you have to turn into a chrysalis--you will some day, you know--and then after that into a butterfly, I should think you'll feel it a little queer, won't you?'
'Not a bit,' said the Caterpillar."
This lovely conversation with the Caterpillar talks about who we are- or who Alice is and is a good section to ponder our own self-esteem and self-worth. Alice should make sense to anyone who isn't sure of who they are. How can you define yourself if you aren't yourself? How can you know who you are when things change so often? Alice has grown huge and less than 2 inches tall in one day. She feels like she doesn't know herself anymore. There is one point where she convinces herself she must be someone else entirely- someone who is dumb, and as a result she can't seem to remember parts of her lessons and convinces herself she is not Alice anymore. Who we are is not changed by things on the outside- growing, or shrinking or even turning into a butterfly. Who we are is more than that- harder to change. We are not defined by one action or circumstance. We may change and grow as things happen to us and we choose to react to them- but who we are remains the same. Life is still happening to the same person that first encountered a first obstacle.
And then in talking to the Cheshire cat:
"'Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?'
'That depends a god deal on where you want to get to,' said the Cat.
'I don't much care where--' said Alice.
'Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' said the Cat.
'--so long as I get somewhere,' Alice added as an explanation.
'Oh, you're sure to do that,' said the Cat, 'if you only walk long enough.'"
What is our purpose? Where should we go in life? Many feel lost at one point or another- which path should they take? Well, if you don't care, then it doesn't matter which direction you head. But if you do care, make a choice- choose your destiny- choose where you want to go and actually WALK in that direction.
By being in a dream Alice is able to address many questions through a subconscious and metaphorical way that I actually really liked. I would recommend this book to anyone.
"'Who are you?' said the Caterpillar.
This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, 'I--I hardly know, sir, just at present-- at least I know who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.'
'What do you mean by that?' said the Caterpillar sternly. 'Explain yourself!'
'I can't explain myself, I'm afraid, sir' said Alice, 'because I'm not myself, you see.'
'I don't see,' said the Caterpillar.
'I'm afraid I can't put it more clearly,' Alice replied very politely, 'for I can't understand it myself to begin with; and being so many different sizes in a day is very confusing.'
'It isn't,' said the Caterpillar.
'Well, perhaps you haven't found it so yet,' said Alice; 'but when you have to turn into a chrysalis--you will some day, you know--and then after that into a butterfly, I should think you'll feel it a little queer, won't you?'
'Not a bit,' said the Caterpillar."
This lovely conversation with the Caterpillar talks about who we are- or who Alice is and is a good section to ponder our own self-esteem and self-worth. Alice should make sense to anyone who isn't sure of who they are. How can you define yourself if you aren't yourself? How can you know who you are when things change so often? Alice has grown huge and less than 2 inches tall in one day. She feels like she doesn't know herself anymore. There is one point where she convinces herself she must be someone else entirely- someone who is dumb, and as a result she can't seem to remember parts of her lessons and convinces herself she is not Alice anymore. Who we are is not changed by things on the outside- growing, or shrinking or even turning into a butterfly. Who we are is more than that- harder to change. We are not defined by one action or circumstance. We may change and grow as things happen to us and we choose to react to them- but who we are remains the same. Life is still happening to the same person that first encountered a first obstacle.
And then in talking to the Cheshire cat:
"'Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?'
'That depends a god deal on where you want to get to,' said the Cat.
'I don't much care where--' said Alice.
'Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' said the Cat.
'--so long as I get somewhere,' Alice added as an explanation.
'Oh, you're sure to do that,' said the Cat, 'if you only walk long enough.'"
What is our purpose? Where should we go in life? Many feel lost at one point or another- which path should they take? Well, if you don't care, then it doesn't matter which direction you head. But if you do care, make a choice- choose your destiny- choose where you want to go and actually WALK in that direction.
By being in a dream Alice is able to address many questions through a subconscious and metaphorical way that I actually really liked. I would recommend this book to anyone.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
I really enjoyed this book. :) My sister was reading it for school and I realized I never have. It was entertaining. Follows the adventures of a young boy as he gets mixed up with pirates. Shows when he does something wrong (like leave his post) but how on a whim he ended up lucky and helping in the end.
It did get me thinking about pirates though. Why do they bury their treasure? I mean they're supposed to be greedy and after adventure, and burying the treasure creates future adventure... but really? It reminds me of dogs burying bones in a backyard- to hide it for themselves for future use. Why not hide it all in one spot? Maybe to ensure if one is found you still have another store? And how do you use any of it for anything you want if it's buried on some far off island? Anyways, whatever the reason/motive, I like looking for treasure- buried or just hidden. Sometimes that treasure is a 5 dollar bill I left in an old purse that I don't find til a few years later. :) So I guess in some ways I'm the same.
It did get me thinking about pirates though. Why do they bury their treasure? I mean they're supposed to be greedy and after adventure, and burying the treasure creates future adventure... but really? It reminds me of dogs burying bones in a backyard- to hide it for themselves for future use. Why not hide it all in one spot? Maybe to ensure if one is found you still have another store? And how do you use any of it for anything you want if it's buried on some far off island? Anyways, whatever the reason/motive, I like looking for treasure- buried or just hidden. Sometimes that treasure is a 5 dollar bill I left in an old purse that I don't find til a few years later. :) So I guess in some ways I'm the same.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Turkey Parmesan
turkey steaks
mozzarella cheese
eggs
Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs
Italian Recipe Stewed Tomatoes
Asiago Cheese
1. Take the turkey steaks, dip in egg batter (egg mixture, egg whites or whole egg), then dip in Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs. Grill/fry the turkeys
2. Once cooked, take out, put in a casserole dish, cover with some mozzarella cheese, then the stewed tomatoes. Then cover with more mozzarella cheese and a little bit of asiago cheese. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes
mozzarella cheese
eggs
Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs
Italian Recipe Stewed Tomatoes
Asiago Cheese
1. Take the turkey steaks, dip in egg batter (egg mixture, egg whites or whole egg), then dip in Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs. Grill/fry the turkeys
2. Once cooked, take out, put in a casserole dish, cover with some mozzarella cheese, then the stewed tomatoes. Then cover with more mozzarella cheese and a little bit of asiago cheese. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
A Room With A View
I really liked this book by EM Forster. It was entertaining- something was happening almost all the time. (Not like a page-turner like Hunger Games or Harry Potter, but for a classic it was very entertaining). First off, it was a romance, set in Italy and England. An English girl goes to Italy and begins to find herself. It shows a type of independence of women- a woman who wants to speak her mind and be herself while still holding to the traditional culture of being a woman and staying at home. There are two men involved- one which is compared to a room, while Lucy is compared to having a view. I liked the story and the symbolism that was tied in throughout the whole book.
Ginger-Caramelized Pineapple
I LOVE pineapple- really good, fresh pineapple, grilled pineapple and now this one. We found the recipe and I decided to experiment with the vanilla. It tasted really good- and I actually liked it better than the fresh pineapple. :) Really easy. We paired it with a maple-pecan pork dish that was also good. :)
PointsPlus: 3 pts for 2 pineapple spears and 1 teaspoon of syrup
Prep: 2 minutes Cook: 9 minutes
Ingredients:
Cooking spray
1 (1 1/4 pound) cored fresh pineapple, cut vertically into 12 spears (for a really good pineapple look for a really good golden pineapple- the less green the better. Or see if you can pick out a leaf easily from the top)
2 tablespoons light butter, cut into pieces (I used yogurt butter)
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon finely chopped crystallized ginger
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions:
1. Heat a large skillet over high heat.. Coat pan with cooking spray; add pineapple. Add butter pieces, and quickly tilt pan in all directions so butter covers pan with a thin film.
2. Cook pineapple 8 minutes or until browned, turning once.
3. Add vanilla. Add honey, ginger, and salt; cook 1 minute, tossing to coat with honey.
YIELD: 6 servings
PointsPlus: 3 pts for 2 pineapple spears and 1 teaspoon of syrup
Prep: 2 minutes Cook: 9 minutes
Ingredients:
Cooking spray
1 (1 1/4 pound) cored fresh pineapple, cut vertically into 12 spears (for a really good pineapple look for a really good golden pineapple- the less green the better. Or see if you can pick out a leaf easily from the top)
2 tablespoons light butter, cut into pieces (I used yogurt butter)
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon finely chopped crystallized ginger
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions:
1. Heat a large skillet over high heat.. Coat pan with cooking spray; add pineapple. Add butter pieces, and quickly tilt pan in all directions so butter covers pan with a thin film.
2. Cook pineapple 8 minutes or until browned, turning once.
3. Add vanilla. Add honey, ginger, and salt; cook 1 minute, tossing to coat with honey.
YIELD: 6 servings
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