Beef Tips and Mushrooms

I love my new Crock Pot. It's been better than any other appliance in my kitchen these past few weeks. It's not that I've never owned one; this is just the first time I've used one for anything other than Velveeta cheese dip. 

The other day I took a recipe I found online that crammed cube steak, cream of mushroom soup, and Lipton onion soup mix into the slow cooker. Okay, I admitted earlier that cooking is pretty new to me (my dad used to say I could burn salad), so please excuse my stupidity ignorance when I wouldn't buy cube steak because I didn't know if it was steak or hamburger (for reasons I won't now get into, I'll eat the former, but not the latter). So I bought the beef tips. Then I forgot to buy the onion soup. So I had to work with what I had at the house.

I did add the curry powder that's in the picture; I mainly did it for color. Otherwise, it would have been...gray... and I don't think my husband would have found it too appetizing (although as my aunt says, you can roll anything in sugar, and he'd eat it). But considering this is what it looked like when I threw it in the pot, I felt doctoring was in order

About halfway through cooking, I did a taste test, and the sauce needed some spice. So I added some chili powder and black pepper to give it a little bite. After 5 hours in the pot (original recipe called for 4-6 hours), dinner was ready. 

I served it with green beans, black eyed peas, and quinoa. This was the first time I'd ever had quinoa, and the gravy was a nice touch. It tasted a lot like brown rice, so it needed something on top. The mister said he would prefer rice next time, and he did pick a lot of the mushrooms out (I thought maybe I could slide those by him), but otherwise, he did like it. 


Tonight I'm cooking Hawaiian BBQ chicken, so we'll see how that one goes.

Gorge Yourself

(Picture from nytimes.com, 2007)

After much consideration, I've decided to merge my reading blog with some cooking adventures. It's a newly discovered interest of mine (as in, I used to think anything more difficult than tearing cellophane off a box of food from the freezer wasn't worth any consideration), and I like sharing. I have a photo album on Facebook, but the caption boxes don't let you go into much detail. So even though I will still use this blog to review good (or not so good) books, I'll also use it as a path to culinary enlightenment. 

Hot dogs will not be involved in the making of this blog.

Edgar Sawtelle

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

This is a must read for dog lovers. Before you fret and think this is reminiscent of Old Yeller and will make you cry, the animals are okay! 

The Sawtelles raise their own breed of dogs on their farm in Wisconsin. Gar and Trudy love the dogs, but eventually want to have children of their own. After struggling with pregnancies, little Edgar Sawtelle is born mute. [Let me stop here a minute. Because up until now I was kind of floating along in the book trying to decide if it was going to be worth 560 pages of my time. I've got a stack of books waiting for me, I need to use my time wisely here. Thank goodness little Almondine takes the lead at this point.] Almondine is one of Trudy and Gar's dogs who actually lives in the house instead of the barn. She has been trying to find her place in the world, and when she notices baby Edgar vying for his parents' attention, she knows exactly what she must do. She becomes his voice. Almondine is as much a part of Edgar as she is herself.

Skip a few years to an adolescent Edgar. He has learned to sign; his signs are part ASL, part Edgar's version. Not only does he sign with his parents, he communicates with the dogs in this manner. Edgar is excited to learn that he is going to raise his own litter of pups. While training one day, his father suffers an attack, and a voiceless Edgar is unable to help him.

Edgar and Trudy wallow through their days, and Uncle Claude comes back into the picture (much to Edgar's dismay). After an unthinkable turn of events, Edgar flees into the woods with three of his young dogs.  They must survive in the wilderness while trying to make their way to Canada. Edgar eventually needs to decide if he will return to Almondine, his mother, and unknown truths at home, or if he will stay away for good.

This book is a fine piece of drama. Though it is not your typical mystery, there is a one within the plot. The author pays attention to details, creating a story with rich settings and characters. It's not a book that you can skip a page and still be okay with what's going on--you really need to read the words to grasp the story. I liked it because it is a different sort of coming of age story. After reading the book, I found that it was supposed to be a modern retelling of Hamlet, and I guess I can see similarities between the two works. However, I wouldn't go as far as to say it's a retelling of that story, but rather a new story with "Hamlet-esque" features. 

I do wish, however, that I could see a picture of the fictional Sawtelle dog. At first, I imagined Almondine to be something along the lines of a greyhound. But then as the book went on, I thought the Sawtelle dogs were supposed to be similar to German Shepherds. Does anyone have an opinion on this?

Overall, a good story. If I could go back and do it over again, I would focus my attention on this one, and not be reading three others at the same time. So take that into consideration before you pick it up.

Target Age Range: Older Teens - Adults

50 Shades of --- Does your mother know you're reading this?

It's summer, so I'm back in my usual routine of reading three or four books at a time. You know--one for the gym, one for the pool, one for Battle of the Books, one for bed... I suppose it might actually be easier to just read one at a time, but where's the fun in that? Anyway, it takes longer to finish a book when you do this, so I've been ignoring my posts. Additionally, I've been learning how to cook. Really cook. As in, no microwaves or frozen packaging involved. Now I'm stuck having to write a bunch of reviews at once, which means I'm picking and choosing what titles to discuss. 

I wasn't going to write about the 50 Shades Trilogy because of its content, but after reading all three books, I figured I should at least mention it. As you've heard, it's basically erotica. Don't expect anything more in the first book. If you can get past the first one, the second and third have actual plots. They're predictable and definitely not the next great American novel, but "summer beach reads" that are entertaining. They've remained on the NYT Bestsellers list because they create a fantasy world where adults can lose themselves. 

I thought they were okay. I'm not going to say they were great because I didn't think so. I don't care how much money EL James has made, there are thousands of books that are better. The characters were pretty flat (as in ALL of the characters, save Ana and Christian, the main characters. But to say they were round and went through leaps and bounds in character development is a leap in itself) and the dialogue was repetitive. How many times can you read the same jealous conversation, even if the words have changed slightly? I also have a hard time giving credit to the author when the books were originally written online as Twilight fanfiction. Ana and Christian are obviously replicas of Edward and Bella. As I told someone else when discussing the book, I kept waiting for Christian to look up from his somber midnight piano playing and provocatively reveal to Ana that he's a creature of the night.

However, I have never been one to completely neglect a book's entertainment value. Obviously, many people have been sucked into the story. In addition to the Christian/Ana escapades, there are car chases, tours of the world, parties, weddings, and attempted murders. If you're looking for a daring read, then this one might to pique your interest.


Haha, on a related note, I saw this picture on Pinterest the other day:

I agree 100% with the quote, but...you might want to read 50 Shades via Kindle. Save yourself from public scrutiny. I know I did.

Target Age Range: Adult

Tamar

Tamar: A Novel of Espionage, Passion, and Betrayal by Mal Peet

I loved this book. I don't often start by saying that, but I loved this book. I'm not sure why I pulled it off the shelf at the library initially; a single word title that didn't mean anything to me wasn't exactly captivating. However, the cover revealed the rest of the title, and espionage, passion, and betrayal sound more than interesting. Receiving a Carnegie Medal is nothing to scoff at either, so what the hey, right? I'm so glad I randomly pulled this one because, especially as it was written in 2005, it's set in a time that's near and dear to my historical side---The Netherlands in 1945 during the Hunger Winter.

 As an undergrad, the research for my senior history thesis focused on the Dutch underground resistance movement and the Hunger Winter during the latter part of the war. Tamar studies the same, except more is mentioned of the British/SOE's involvement with said resistance. Tamar and Dart are Dutch spies working to help unify the different underground groups. Not much is said about Tamar and Dart's personal lives; it almost seems they have no pasts of which to speak--perhaps this is due to their spy personae. Readers do know that Tamar has been to the area before, and is in love with Marijke, a young lady living with her grandmother on her farm. However, though readers may know about Marijke and Tamar's affair, other characters in the story do not.

Skip to 1995 (as the story jumps between '45 and '95). Here is another Tamar; a granddaughter growing up with her mother, grandmother, and grandfather after her father's disappearance. Not long after her grandmother, Marijke, is sent to live in a nursing home, her grandfather kills himself. He has left Tamar a box of clues--old money, a crossword puzzle, and a map dotted with Xs along the Tamar River--prior to his passing. Tamar and her cousin, Yoyo, travel the British countryside to unravel the mystery her grandfather has left behind. 

Back in the '40s, and the war rages on, much to the Allies' efforts. Resisters are edgy, and some go to terrible lengths, resulting in deaths of many innocent men. Dart is counting down how many days he has left as a WO--they don't have a long shelf life. He finds himself visiting the farm more often to see Marijke, and he grows infatuated with her. This may or may not have been aided by the number of pills he has been taking in order to stay awake awaiting codes. Dart, impersonating a doctor, has a number of close encounters with the Nazis, and sleep has been evading him.

It is not until the end of the book, when in 1995 Tamar has reached the end of her journey, and in 1945, Tamar has reached his, that the stories fit together. Peet has created a novel that bases its entire plot on the readers' making an assumption (one I made, honestly), and then revealing the truth at the end. It's not often that I'm taken by surprise like I was during this book, but I'm definitely not complaining. I love it when a YA book is written so well.

I'm not 100% sure it's accurately targeted as a YA novel (though I get it--one of the characters is 15 years old), but if teens are going to read it, I'd encourage them to be older. Some of the deaths in the book are graphic, not in a William Wallace, "FREEDOM!!" kind of way, but in a sad-so-many-innocent-lives-were-lost kind of way. I don't think that younger teens can fully appreciate/understand the mentality of those who had to contemplate everything to survive. I will readily admit that I did not do this book justice in this post, but I didn't want to give anything away! If you like war stories, and you want something with a twist, this is a top recommendation from me.

Target Age Range: older teens - adults

Deadline

Deadline by Chris Crutcher

I first read this book when I took a YA literature class when working on my MLS. I picked it up again on Sunday because the library was closed, and I needed a book to read out in the sun (as much I love my Kindle Fire, outdoor reading is not one of its selling points). Though it was a reread--and I knew what was going to happen--Deadline still proves to be one of my favorite YA novels. 

The protagonist, Ben Wolf, is set to start his senior year of high school---at least he was set to start before he went to the doctor for his annual sports physical. Ben is diagnosed with a fatal blood disease. Since he's already 18, he decides to refuse treatment, opting for quality of life over quantity. He also decides to keep everyone in the dark in an attempt to live as normal of a life as possible.

"Live every day as if it's your last" becomes Ben's mantra for his senior year of high school. Despite high expectations of making it to the state championships in cross country, 120-something pound Ben tries out for the football team. He finally tells the object of his affection how he feels towards her. He challenges his stubborn, right-winged government teacher's teachings in an effort to get the most out of his remaining education. 

However, Ben realizes that his secret isn't just affecting him. His brother, his girlfriend, his parents, his coach are all relying on him, so what's going to happen once he's not around?  The internal conflict plays out when he's awake, but it's also shown through dialogue in his dreams between Ben and Hey-soos (whether or not this is Jesus is never actually stated, but it can be inferred). 

There's a lot of language and some sex in this book, so it's not for younger teens. I'm also not sure if they're emotionally mature enough to understand some of the themes. It's a powerful novel, and I think the 13 awards it's won are a testament to that.

Target age range: 16 years - adult

Lone Wolf

Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult


Without a doubt, Jodi Picoult has been one of my favorite writers for years. See? An entire shelf dedicated to all of her books back in our office.

Granted, since she has published a book a year the past few years, I'm going to need to start a new shelf after next year. Despite having the ability to purchase her books digitally now, I can't do it. I need to own hard copies. Actually (if we're being 100% honest, and please don't tell Amazon), I really need to own hard copies of all my books. Hence why when I'm rich (or at least in my own home and not this apartment, whichever comes first), I'm going to have to have wall-to-wall bookcases. :p

But I digress. Which, in case you couldn't tell, isn't that unusual sometimes.

Picoult's novels tend to take places in court rooms and hospitals. I really enjoy the court cases, and she goes to lengths to research facts and statistics to support a realistic legal drama.

Luke Warren has lived with the wolves--literally. He left his wife and two children for two years to live in the Canadian wild and assimilate himself into a pack. Successful, he returns to the human world after realizing if he doesn't make a clean break and return, he won't. Skip forward a few years, and Luke has divorced his wife, and his son has moved to Thailand to escape him. His daughter, Cara, now lives with Luke, since his ex-wife has remarried and given birth to more children. Skip forward four more years, and Luke is lying in a hospital bed in a coma after a terrible car accident.

This is the start of the story. Luke and Cara have survived the crash, but to what extent? Cara is hurt and needs surgery, but is otherwise fine. Luke, however, is in a comatose state that doesn't bode well for his future. Georgie, Luke's ex-wife, calls and beckons their son, Edward, to return home, as the prognosis on his father is not good.

Cara is none too pleased to have Edward back in the picture at this point in Luke's life; she still blames her brother's disappearance as the cause of her parents' divorce. Her anger only grows after Edward decides to terminate their father's life support and donate his organs. Cara manages to object to the procedure in enough time to prevent the cessation of life sustaining measures, but this only leads to a court battle to decide who ultimately gets to make the decision regarding Luke's life. Cara hopes beyond hope that her father can recover, despite facts and claims from doctors and her brother. However, she is holding back a secret about the accident that requires her to hold onto the idea that he will regain consciousness. 

Edward, too, has a secret regarding why he left home in the first place. He must work out his own negative feelings towards his father in order to make the decision that his father would want--and in a way that will convince his sister he is acting out of love and not hate. In the meantime, he finds himself in jail and facing other charges after infuriating his sister and an opportunistic attorney.

Chapters are divided with excerpts from Luke's experiences with the wolves. These have happened in the wild or within the wolf enclosures where he worked. Seemingly, they added a bit of science/Animal Planet to the plot, but the themes among the wolves and the pack always linked themselves to the themes in the main storyline.

As I've said, I love Picoult. A few years ago, I was pretty disappointed with the ending of Handle with Care (especially since that came right after Change of Heart, which was one of my faves), but the past few books have redeemed the resolution to that novel. Lone Wolf is a read for any one who appreciates a good drama, and f you're an animal lover, all the more reason to read.

Target age range: Adult