Saturday, October 30, 2010

Finnikin of the Rock - Melina Marchetta

Finnikin of the RockFinnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Just ok. Good concept, but the writing did not keep me engaged. Fantasy novel about the Kingdom of Lustare. Imposter takes over, Sorcoress curses kingdom, Kingdom locked off from the rest of civilization, Persecution, Saved... Wanted to like it, but kept getting distracted.

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Sunday, October 24, 2010

Tinkers - Paul Harding

TinkersTinkers by Paul Harding

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I don't know what to say about this book. It won the Pulitzer Prize for a reason. There are many beautifully written and/or interesting sections. But...it was a bit confusing and full of itself. Written from the point of view of 3 generations of men. The voice changes throughout the book, which I found to be disarming. All that being said,if you have the patience to read, I recommend it.



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Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Weekly Recipes #41 - Heather



Rigatoni with Roasted Sausage and Broccoli (could use turkey or veggie sausage)


Lean on Pete - Willy Vlautin (Bookgroup)

Lean on PeteLean on Pete by Willy Vlautin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Great book set in Portland. Story of a teenage boy who makes friends with a horse that races at Portland Meadows. Crazy plot with the boy travelling from Portland, to Colorado then to Wyoming to find family. The people he meets along the way are interesting, to say the least.



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Saturday, October 09, 2010

The Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett

The Pillars of the EarthThe Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Finally...what a long, long book. But a great read. Started watching the miniseries, which sadly focussed more on the battles than the story. Interesting plot following the building of the Cathedral at Kingsbridge.



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Thursday, October 07, 2010

Monday, October 04, 2010

Salted Caramel Brownies


This is the best dessert ever. We made the brownies from a boxed mix, Ghiradelli Brownies and then when cooled, topped with this delicious sauce. We also used it on apple pie with ice cream. Yum!


Salted Caramel Sauce

Prep/Cook Time: 10 minutes
1 cup granulated sugar

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

2/3 cup heavy cream, at room temperature


In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the sugar over medium-high heat, whisking as the sugar begins to melt. Some of the sugar will harden into clumps, but that’s okay – it will melt eventually – just keep whisking. Continue to cook the sugar until it reaches a dark amber color. At that point, whisk in the salt, and then add the butter all at once and whisk until it is completely incorporated into the sugar. Remove the pan from the heat and pour in the heavy cream (it will foam up when first added). Continue to whisk until it forms a smooth sauce.


Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before using in the brownies. The leftover sauce can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. (You’ll probably need to warm it up a bit straight from the refrigerator.)

Sunday, October 03, 2010

Weekly Recipes #39 - Darla

This look like a delicious way to use the swiss chard from farmers market.


Roasted Eggplant Zucchini and Chickpea Wraps
Need to use some of that zucchini up? This looked yummy!

Pinto Bean Burritos
This looked like an interesting way to do bean burritos. Not the traditional refried beans


The multigrain pizza dough at winco would work well for these.


Beatrice and Virgil - Yann Martel

Beatrice and VirgilBeatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I really enjoyed listening to this on audio. The reader really captured the characters. Henry, a writer, receives part of a play in the mail. The story is about how he gets to know the writer of the play. The only thing that made this less than 5 stars was that the book ended on such a sad note.



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