Sunday, March 27, 2011

The Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan (audiobook)

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1)The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Young adult story about a teenage Demigod, Percy Jackson. The Greek Gods take a prominent position in this story. Entertaining enough to listen to the second one. (Listened to it on audio)



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Major Pettigrew's Last Stand - Helen Simonson

Major Pettigrew's Last StandMajor Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Loved, loved, loved. Recommended by the owner of Sunriver Book Store because I mentioned how much I enjoyed Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.



Set in Sussex in the English countryside, it is the story of Major Pettigrew, a widower who has recently experienced the loss of his brother. He strikes up an acquaintance with the local Afghani shopkeeper, a widow who is 10 years his junior.



The author's turn of phrase is priceless. Must read!



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Sunday, March 20, 2011

Summer Surprise Dessert Recipe - Dessert.Food.com - 35748

Summer Surprise Dessert Recipe - Dessert.Food.com - 35748

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie - Alan Bradley

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (Flavia de Luce, #1)The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Very fun mystery set in a small English town in the 1950's. Protagonist is a bright 11 year old girl with two older sisters. Hope to read more in this set.



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River Secrets - Shannon Hale

River Secrets (The Books of Bayern, #3)River Secrets by Shannon Hale

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


3rd book in the series that began with the terrific story, Goose Girl. Entertaining but does not match up to the first book.



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Monday, March 14, 2011

Weekly Recipes #52 - Heather

Salt and Vinegar Potato Bites

6 med red or yellow potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes (3 cups)
2Tbs vegetable oil
1cup malt vinegar
3 Tbs sugar

1...soak potatoes in large bowl of cold water for 30 minutes. Drain, and pat dry.
2...preheat oven to 425F. Toss potatoes with oil on baking sheet, and spread in single layer. Roast 45 minutes, or until golden and crisp, turning 2 or 3 times. season with salt and pepper.
3...meanwhile, bring vinegar and sugar to a simmer in saucepan over medium heat. Cook 15-20 minutes, or until liquids reduced by half, stirring occasionally. Serve malt sauce on the side for dipping, or drizzle over potatoes.

** thought this would go well with the sliders recipe that someone posted a while back.

Broccoli-Edamame Soup with Jumbo Goat Cheese Croutons

2 Tbs olive oil
1 large onion, chopped (2cups)
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
6 cups low sodium vegetable broth
3 cups frozen shelled edamame
1 lb broccoli, trimmed, stems and florets chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (2tsp)
8 1/2-inch thick slices from skinny whole-grain baquette
4 oz aged goat cheese, shaved

1...Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. sauté 10 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup broth, scraping bottom of pot to lift off any brown bits. Add remaining 51/2 cups broth, edamame, broccoli, and garlic. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, 20 minutes.
2...Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 F. Arrange baguette slices on baking sheet, and bake 6 minutes, or until crunchy on both sides. Remove from oven, and arrange cheese over toasts. Return to oven, and bake 6 minutes more, or until cheese has softened.
3...Working in batches, transfer soup to blender, and blend until creamy and smooth. Return soup to pot, and warm over low heat. Ladle soup into 8 soup bowls; float 1 cheese crouton in center of each bowl.

Purple Cabbage Salad with Edamame, Golden Raisins, and Smoked Almonds

1 1/2 cups frozen shelled edamame
2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
1 orange bell pepper, cores, seeded, and thinly sliced
1 cup finely diced pineapple
1/4 cup golden raisins
16 smoked almonds, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
2 Tbs fresh lime juice
2 Tbs honey
1/4 tsp chile-garlic sauce

Bring small pot of water to boil. Add edamame and cook 10 minutes. Drain, and refresh under cold water. Transfer to large bowl; add cabbage, bell pepper, pineapple, raisins, almonds, mint, lime juice, honey, and chili-garlic sauce. Toss well, and season with salt and pepper if desired.


Spiced Chicken with Couscous Salad

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/spiced-chicken-couscous-salad-recipe-00000000034246/index.html

Beef and Goat Cheese Sandwiches (since we bought goat cheese)

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/beef-and-goat-cheese-sandwiches.html

Weekly Recipes #51 - Nathan

Day 1: Whole Grain Spaghetti with garlicky kale and tomatoes

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/whole-grain-spaghetti-with-garlicky-kale-and-tomatoes-00000000051131/index.html

Day 2: Asian Rice and Vegetable Bowl with Eggs and Chili Sauce

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/asian-rice-and-vegetable-bowl-with-eggs-and-chili-sauce-00000000051136/index.html

Day 3: Chicken Adobo with Bok Choy

Hands on time: 10 min. Total Time: 4-8 hours Serves:4

2 medium onions, sliced
4 garlic cloves, smashed
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 Tb. brown sugar
1 bay leaf
black pepper
8 skinless, bone-in chicken thighs (about 1 3/4 lbs.)
2 tsp. paprika
1 cup long grain white rice
1 large head bok choy cut into 1 in. strips
2 scallions, thinly sliced

In a 5-6 quart slow cooker, combine the onions, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, bay leaf, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Place the chicken on top of and sprinkle with the paprika.
Cook, covered, until the chicken and onions are tender, on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.
Twenty minutes before serving, cook the rice according to the package directions.
Ten minutes before serving, if the slow cooker is on the low setting, turn it to high. Gently fold the bok choy into the chicken and cook, covered, until tender, 3-5 minutes. Serve with the rice and sprinkle with the scallions.

Day 4: Larb Chicken Salad (Could of course be done with ground beef as well.)

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Larb-Chicken-Salad-5680