Mom & Me

Touch Blue - A Great Read

2011-11-19T10:22:00.000-08:00

Even though the Mom and Me Book Club won't be meeting in December, I would recommend Touch Blue as a great read.
The book is about a young girl, named Tess, and her family. They live on a small island off the coast of Maine, where her father is a lobster fisherman and her mother teaches in the one-room school. The state is planning to shut the school because there are not enough students to keep it open. That would mean Tess and her family would have to move off the island, the only home she has ever known. The islanders have a plan to have several families take in foster children to increase the number of students. Tess and her family take a chance on Aaron, a thirteen-year-old trumpet player. He has been bounced from home to home and Tess has to come up with a plan of her own to help Aaron feel like part of their family.
The chapter titles are a list of folklore - "Start your journey with your right foot and good luck will walk with you." "A rainbow means change is coming." "It's bad luck to change a boat's name." "Touching wood brings good luck." Reading the chapter titles encouraged me to read on to learn the significance of each statement. On the back cover is says, "Wishes are slippery things. You have to be very specific or you can get exactly what you wished for and still end up with nothing." As you read each chapter you learn more about what that statement really means, and what Tess wished for. The reader learns about what is important in life as Tess is learning.
Touch Blue was written by Cynthia Lord, who also wrote the Newbery Honor book, Rules. She was inspired by her own experience as an island school teacher and by a community of islanders that once took in foster children in order to keep their school open.

Misty and Clam Chowder

2011-11-09T11:54:00.000-08:00

While clam chowder isn't mentioned in this story, clams are mentioned and since the kids do dig clams, have clam fritters, and the story takes place in the New England area, Boston Clam Chowder makes sense. The story also mentions cornbread so we enjoyed that with our soup as we discussed the book and others written by Marguerite Henry. This continues to be on my list of highly recommended books for anyone who loves horses.
We won't be having a Mom and Me Book Club meeting in December. Enjoy the holidays with your families and try some Boston Clam Chowder and cornbread.

BOSTON CLAM CHOWDER
2 6-1/2 oz. cans chopped clams
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup diced celery
3/4 cup diced carrots
2 cups diced potatoes
2 cups half and half
2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup flour
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
pepper to taste
Place all vegetables in a large pan. Drain juice from clams and pour over vegetables. Add enough water to barely cover and simmer, covered over medium heat until potatoes are tender; about 20 minutes.
Melt butter in a large microwave safe bowl. Add the flour; stir until well blended. Cook in the microwave a few minutes, stirring frequently. Add part of the milk, stir well, and continue to cook in the microwave, until slightly thickened. Add the remaining milk and half and half to the vegetables; stir until smooth and thick. Add clams; season with salt, pepper, and sugar to taste.

CORNBREAD
1-1/2 cups flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl until combined. Process the buttermilk, thawed corn kernels, and brown sugar in a food processor or blender until combined, then add the melted butter and blend.
Gently stir the liquid mixture into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula, do not over mix.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes.
Let the cornbread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Richness in the Written Word

2011-11-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

This Newbery Honor book is not only based on real incidents and real people but is written with the rich vocabulary often associated with award winning books. Here are a few good words to add to your own vocabulary and help you enjoy the story as it unfolds.
ballast - any heavy substance, as sand, stone, etc. , laid in the hold of a vessel to steady it.
bilge - the rounded part of a ship's bottom.
brackish - somewhat saline; briny; distasteful.
bramble - a plant of the rose family; any prickly plant.
forelock - a lock of hair growing over the forehead and between the ears of a horse.
gnarled - weather-beaten and rugged; of the hands, having prominent knuckles and twisted fingers as from hard work.
jostled - to push or crowd roughly so as to shake up; elbow; shove.
mockery - ridicule.
muzzle - the projecting part of an animal's head, including the jaws, mouth, and snout.
myrtle - any of a group of shrubs with evergreen leaves, white or rose-colored flowers, and black berries.
pungent - having a sharp or acrid smell; penetrating.
quid - a small portion of chewing tobacco.
shoal - a shallow place in any body of water.
spars - a round timber for extending a sail, as a mast, yard, or boom.
tarpaulin - a waterproof canvas impregnated with tar, used as a cover for protection.
Read a book and learn to cook on Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 4:45 pm with the Mom and Me Book Club. While the recipe for this month is still a surprise, I promise it won't be "goose grease with onion syrup"!

Misty of Chincoteague

2011-10-19T10:24:00.000-07:00

Our selection for the November 8 meeting is a Newbery honor book Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry. Published in 1947 it relates real incidents from the wild pony round-ups that occur on Chincoteague and Assateague Islands located off the coast of Virginia. Marguerite Henry has been a favorite author of horse lovers since her books were first published. This story is about two children, Paul and Maureen Beebe who are living with their grandparents, and how they work to raise money to buy the Phantom, the wildest mare on Assateague Island. Phantom has a white "map" on her shoulders that was her mark of freedom.
Books by Marguerite Henry are known for having fact-based story lines which educate as well as entertain readers. With illustrations by Wesley Dennis, the story is fast-paced and engaging. It has been one of my favorites since I first read it years ago and find it brings back great memories of when I first discovered all the great books by Marguerite Henry.
Join us on Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 4:45 pm for the Mom and Me Book Club. Read a Book and Learn to Cook with Mom and Me!

Halloweenies and Favorite Punch

2011-10-12T09:55:00.000-07:00

Since the witches in America turn children into hot dogs in order to entice parents to eat them and thus get rid of them, it seems appropriate to do something with hot dogs. Since we were also trying to tie the recipe this month with Halloween we made Halloweenies - hot dogs wrapped with crescent roll dough to look like a snake or a mummy. We also made Favorite Punch - a simple, tasty punch that we "fogged" with dry ice to fit the Halloween theme.

HALLOWEENIES
1 can (8 ounces) crescent rolls
1 package hot dogs
condiments of your choice: catsup, mustard, pickles

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
Unroll crescent rolls; press four triangles together to form a long rectangle. Cut into four strips. Pat hot dogs dry with paper towels. Wrap 1 strip of dough around each hot dog to look like a mummy or a snake. Press firmly at each end to secure.
Place on cookie sheet and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with your favorite condiments.

FAVORITE PUNCH
1 2-liter bottle grapefruit soda
1 can frozen white grape juice concentrate
Orange, lemon and lime slices

Combine the grapefruit soda and grape juice concentrate in a large bowl. Float citrus slices in the punch. Note: You can make an ice ring with the citrus slices for a decorative effect. Use dry ice to create "fog" that will float over the table.

Verds, Verds, Verds

2011-10-11T10:11:00.000-07:00

With the Grand High Witch having trouble saying "W", "words" comes out as "verds". There are some great words in this story. Here are a few to help you build your vocabulary as you read this delightful book.
asinine - considered stupid, obstinate.
blighter - anything that withers hopes, destroys prospects or impairs growth.
bristle - to show anger or irritation.
bumpkin - an awkward rustic; a lout.
cankered - an open sore; ulceration.
cropper - a bad fall, to fall head-long.
demented - mentally ill; insane.
frumptious - dowdy, old fashioned; ill-tempered; peevish.
grotesque - distorted, incongruous, or fantastically ugly in appearance or style; outlandish.
guttural - having a harsh, or muffled, grating quality.
hubbub - a loud, confused noise, as many voices shouting or talking.
ingenious - having inventive and adaptive ability; clever.
mesmerized - to hypnotize.
pandemonium - a place marked by disorder and uproar.
putrid - rotten.
scuttled - to run in haste; scurry.
shinny - to climb up.
sidled - to move sideways, especially in a cautious or stealthy manner.
skittled - glide, to skim along, touching a surface at intervals.
wizened - shrunken; withered; dried up.

Come have some Halloween fun with the Mom and Me Book Club today at 4:45 pm.

Witches on the Move

2011-09-30T14:30:00.000-07:00

Have you figured out how to spot a real witch? The traits are tricky to spot as normal women could been seen with the same characteristics, such as wearing gloves. As you read the story you will learn that it does become difficult, especially when it turns cold outside and nearly everyone wears gloves. You will also learn about the differences in witches that live in different countries. Did you know that witches here in America turn children into hot dogs so parents will eat them! That may cause you to stop and think for a minute before biting into that next hot dog.
The duo of the story, Grandmamma and grandson, move from Norway to England, so he can go back to the home his parents had been living in and he can go to the same school he had started at.
You will also read about the Secret Society of witches in every country and the secret meeting they have each year where the Grand High Witch Of All The World speaks to whip up excitement and enthusiasm, and give orders.
A few foods have been mentioned so far -- hot dogs (made from kids in America!), hot coca, cod, mussels, shrimp, soup, breakfast toast, and current cake. Whatever we do, it will have a Halloween theme.
Don't forget to join the fun with the Mom and Me Book Club on Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 4:45 pm here at the Purple Cow Bookstore. Read a book and learn to cook.

The Witches in October

2011-09-23T09:50:00.000-07:00

We've selected an appropriate book for the Halloween month, The Witches by Roald Dahl. Reading this book will help you identify real witches, the most dangerous of all living creatures on the earth. Real witches look like ordinary women who dress is ordinary clothes. Real witches are always women; ghouls are always men.
The story is about a little boy living with his Grandmamma in Oslo, Norway. Grandmamma knows all about witches and how to identify them. Even though he listens closely to all the stories, he's still not prepared when he meets The Grand High Witch herself!
We will be meeting on the second Tuesdays of the month at 4:45 for the winter. Come join the fun on October 11, 2011 for Halloween food fun and great reading fun with the Mom and Me Book Club.
Read a Book and Learn to Cook!

Carrot Cake in an Electric Fry Pan

2011-09-16T13:11:00.000-07:00

We didn't end up having cupcakes for our Book Club, but we did have a carrot cake baked in an electric fry pan; a unique method to go with a unique book. We found several favorite quotes and sections in the book. It gives a new insight into family dynamics with life lessons along the way.
The recipe for the carrot cake can be baked in a conventional oven or in the fry pan. The fry pan is a great alternative when it's too hot to heat up a regular oven or when you want to try something new.

CARROT CAKE
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
4 eggs
1-1/2 cups finely grated carrots
2/3 cup chopped nuts (optional)
2-1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup warm water
Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then gradually stir in the carrots and nuts.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt; add them, with the warm water, to the creamed mixture. Do not beat; fold in the flour just until it is well moistened.
Pour the batter into a buttered 11x15-inch cake pan and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the cake springs back when it is pressed lightly in the center. A few minutes after removing the cake from the oven, loosen it from the sides of the pan and turn out on a rack to cool.
Good served with your favorite cream cheese frosting.

BAKING A CAKE IN AN ELECTRIC FRY PAN
Approximate baking time: 35 to 45 minutes
Temperature: 250 to 275 degrees F.
Time will vary slightly with amount and type of batter and type of fry pan.
For some cakes the vent should be closed until the last 5 minutes of baking time. Other cakes will produce better results with the vent open throughout the baking time.
Cover fry pan, close vent, and preheat. Do this while mixing the batter - it requires about 4 to 5 minutes. When preheated, use a baking spray with flour, to grease and flour the pan. Add batter; cover; bake until top of cake is moist but not sticky - 35 to 40 minutes. Loosen well around the edges with spatula. Invert on cake rack. Let stand a few minutes before lifting off fry pan. Cool. Cakes may be cut in half and iced as layers, cut into squares to be used for individual servings or iced whole to be served as a sheet cake.

Favorite Lines

2011-09-08T15:53:00.000-07:00

The more of this story I read, the more I'm enjoying it. There are a lot of great lines throughout, like "I might like parties, but pity parties aren't my idea of a good time." The author also "tweeked" a few favorite old sayings to fit the theme - "get our cupcakes in a row".
Izzy's Grandma is an important character in the book and in Izzy's life. She helps her granddaughter with great advice, such as: "If you don't try, nothing happens. but if you try, well, you just never know."
Be sure to check out the tidbits Izzy writes in her "passport". One of her entries is "Food brings people together. All over the world, people gather together and eat. In America, churches have potlucks and neighborhoods have barbecues. I like that about America." Food helps bring the Mom and Me Book Club together.
Join our discussion of this book, the characters and favorites lines on Thursday, Sept. 15 at 4:30. Read a book and learn to cook with the Mom and Me Book Club.

"It's Raining Cupcakes"

2011-08-31T09:03:00.000-07:00

We have selected a delicious novel by Lisa Schroeder for our September meeting, It's Raining Cupcakes. This is a story about twelve-year-old Isabel who is dying to get out of Oregon. Her mom opens a cupcake shop and Isabel learns of a baking contest. If she comes up with a winning recipe she can win a trip to New York City.
The chapter titles are enough to make you hungry. Things like"Banana Cream Pie Cupcakes", "Chocolate Carmel Cupcakes", "Peach Cobbler Cupcakes", and "S'mores Cupcakes". There are even recipes in the back of the book for the S'mores Cupcakes and Grandma's Applesauce Cupcakes. You can bet we willing be trying cupcakes when we meet on Thursday, Sept. 15 at 4:30 pm. The big question will be which recipe to use and will there be only one type of cupcake or will there be more than one? Come join the fun with the Mom and Me Book Club.

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle -- Easy As Pie!

2011-08-23T10:18:00.000-07:00

There were a lot of great sounding foods mentioned in Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle; sugar cookies, chocolate cake and eggs. We've done recipes with all of these so it was time to find something new. The story mentioned pie and so pie it was. We used goop; there is a recipe for it on a previous blog entry. The girls used the goop to practice their pie crust techniques. They had a lot of fun as seen below.

The girls used a small rolling pin, a fork, spoon handle, and pastry wheel to practice with the goop.
The story mentions pumpkin pie at the end and also mentions apples for Spotty, the pony. We enjoyed both types of pie. Try the following recipes and enjoy some pie!

Mattie Mortensen's Prize-Winning Pie Crust
From the Salt Lake Tribune - Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2002, State Fair Special Edition

3 cups flour
1-1/4 cup butter flavored Crisco
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/2 cup water
Mix the flour, shortening, and salt until it is the texture of cornmeal, with your hands or a pastry blender. Combine beaten egg, vinegar and water. Add the liquid ingredients, a little at a time, until dough is the right texture and stops sticking to your fingers. Roll into a circle between two sheets of waxed paper.
Makes enough dough for a two-crust pie, usually with some left over.

Apple Pie

2-1/2 pounds firm tart apples (Granny Smith) and 2-1/2 pounds firm sweet apples (Braeburn, Golden Delicious, Jonagold), peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 egg white, beaten lightly

1. Toss apples, the 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar, lemon zest, salt, and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Place apples in a large pan, cover, and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the apples are tender when poked with a fork but still hold their shape, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the apples and their juice to a rimmed baking sheet and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
2. Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position, place a foil-lined baking sheet on the rack, and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Drain the cooled apples thoroughly through a colander, reserving 1/4 cup of the juice.
3. Spread the apples into the dough-lined pie plate, mounding them slightly in the middle, and drizzle with the lemon juice mixture. Place a second round of pie crust over the pie. Trim, fold, and crimp the edges, and cut 4 vent holes in the top. Brush the crust with the egg white and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.
4. Place the pie on the heated baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden, about 25 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees, rotate the baking sheet, and continue to bake until the juices are bubbling and the crust is a deep golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes longer. Let the pie cool on a wire rack until the filling has set, about 2 hours; serve slightly warm or at room temerature.

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and Her Friends

2011-08-13T11:07:00.000-07:00

The world might be a better place if every neighborhood could have a Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle. The children of the neighborhood love to visit her and learn about things like the witch who inspects the dishes to make sure they are clean enough, the Cruel Queen who inspects beds every morning to be sure they are made correctly, or how to sneak out and get fireplace logs without being caught by the Indians. Read all about how she turns normal, boring chores into fun adventures using her great imagination.
The parents in the neighborhood also call her to get help with their children. That's where all the "cures" come into the story. It's great to think of parents using the cures and how their children might react to them. It's worth a try!
Sugar cookies, chocolate cake and pies are mentioned in this story. We've already worked with sugar cookies (Dragon Slippers) and have done chocolate cake with a couple of books; My Haunted House was a favorite. Luckily there are several great recipes for sugar cookies and chocolate cake. Pie was also mentioned which opens a whole new food category we haven't tried yet. There is also the "Slow-Eater-Tiny-Bite-Taker Cure" that could involve an endless list of foods prepared for tiny bites. It's fun to do a "2-bit" bite party. All foods are prepared to be the size of a quarter (2 bits). That way you can sample a lot of dishes and still not over eat.
Join us next Thursday, August 18, at 2:00 for fun and another adventure with food and the Mom and Me Book Club and Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle.

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle in August

2011-08-05T09:04:00.000-07:00

Since we have a shorter than usual time between meetings this month, we have selected a delightfully fun, short read - Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle. The chapter titles give you an insight about the story and include: "The Won't-Pick-Up-Toys Cure", "The Answer-Backer Cure", "The Radish Cure", "The Never-Want-To-Go-To-Bedders Cure", "The Slow-Eater-Tiny-Bite-Taker Cure", and "The Fighter-Quarrelers Cure". With such great titles there should be something for readers of all ages in this book. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle lives in an upside-down house with a kitchen full of freshly baked cookies. The only difficulty in finding a recipe for this month may be in trying to find just one good cookie recipe to sample. Maybe we will have to try more than one recipe and make them "Tiny-Bite-Taker" size.
We will be meeting on Thursday, August 18, at 2:00 pm for our last summer meeting. In September we will go back to a later meeting time.
Come join us for a discussion of the comical, commonsense cures that Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle uses. We'll find out if any of the cures might work on the children of today! Read a book and learn to cook with the Mom and Me Book Club at The Purple Cow Bookstore.

Disney After Dark and Mickey Meatballs

2011-07-28T11:49:00.000-07:00

Very few foods were mentioned in this adventure book. Amanda had dinner at Finn's house one night and his mother served meatloaf and green beans with bacon. We modified things a bit and had "Mickey Meatballs" and dilly beans. Making Mickey meatballs is easy - just make two sizes! Make twice as many small meatballs as larger ones to use as "ears" when serving. Dilly Beans can be made using any approved recipe from a standard canning cookbook. They make a great combination. You can serve the meatballs with catsup, prepared mustard, and/or your favorite barbecue sauce. These are also great to serve any time you're having a Disney-themed party.

Meat Balls
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
3 medium slices soft bread, torn in pieces , and 1 cup milk OR
1 cup dry bread crumbs and 1-1/4 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup minced onion, sauteed
1-1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/4 teaspoon each, pepper, dry mustard, and garlic salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon catsup

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a small bowl, mix the bread and milk, allow to sit until the milk is absorbed. Add the beaten egg, sauteed onion, seasonings, Worcestershire sauce and catsup and mix.
3. Place beef in a large bowl, add the other ingredients and mix thoroughly.
4. Shape meatballs using a medium size scoop; place on broiler rack and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until an internal temperature of 170 degrees is reached. There should be no pink showing inside the meatballs.
5. Serve with your favorite condiments.
NOTE: By using two different sizes of scoops to make the meatballs you can make "Mickey" Meatballs. Make twice as many small meatballs as large; use the large for the head and the small for the ears.

F M E Y I R S T P N - What Does It All Mean?

2011-07-26T09:43:00.000-07:00

Our July meeting will be tomorrow, Wednesday, July 27, at 2:00 to discuss the first book in the Kingdom Keepers Series, Disney After Dark, by Ridley Pearson. You'll have to read the book to find out if Finn, Charlene, Willa, Terry and Philby win the battle against Maleficent, one of the Overtakers at Disney World. Can you solve the mystery the five DHI's had to work on? Look at the letters in the title line - how many words and phrases can you make from them? Can you come up with anything that would help solve the Stonecutters Fable? See what the five were able to create and compare them to your answers. Find your favorite life lessons, lines and cliches used throughout the book - we'll talk about some of these and see if we found the same or different items.
You'll also learn about how trash is handled in the parks - maybe not something you've always wanted to know but it does give you a glimpse into the workings of the parks. If you are ever at the parks, you will notice well placed garbage cans (Disney has high standards for keeping the parks clean) but you won't see the system used to transport garbage - it's underground! Find out what else is underground at the parks, a whole "city", and why it's there.

Not much food is mentioned in this book, like so many others we have read, but I have come up with a great recipe to tie in with the story.
Here are a few more vocabulary words from the book:
abounded - to be in abundance; plentiful.
bungalow - small house or cottage, usually with one or one and a half stories.
conical - cone shaped.
kiosk - an open pavilion used as a booth, newsstand, etc.
labyrinth - a system of winding, intricate passages or paths designed to confuse whoever tries to go through and find the exit.
ominous - of the nature of or fore-shadowed by an omen or by a presentiment of evil; threatening.
presumably - to take for granted; assume to be true until disproved.
thwarted - to prevent the Accomplishment of, as by imposing an obstacle; also, to prevent.
vengeance - retribution for a wrong or an injury.

The Mystery Continues ...

2011-07-14T10:16:00.000-07:00

Have you figured out the importance of the Stonecutter's Quill Fable? The five DHI's (Disney Host Interactive) are working together to find the meaning behind the fable and even learn more about the meaning of life. As I read more of this story, I'm finding more and more important real life lessons. After telling the five about the fable, Wayne stated, "It all comes down to what you believe. What you think you can do." Something so true in all parts of our lives. As you read what the five DHI's think about the fable it may remind you of life lessons you've already heard. Find your favorites as you read through this novel. Maybe even read with a different perspective and learn to look at life differently as the five learn to do.
While you learn more about the DHI's and the possible hidden features of Disney World you may also learn a few new words to add to your vocabulary. Here are a few to get you started:
ampersands - the character & meaning and.
cavernous - characteristically large and extensive.
inevitable - cannot be avoided or prevented from happening.
nondescript - not distinctive enough to be described; lacking individual character.
proximity - being or next; nearness.
trepidation - a state of agitation or alarm.

Disney After Dark

2011-07-05T14:54:00.000-07:00

Our book selection for July is the first book in the Kingdom Keeper Series, Disney After Dark. This thriller is about five young teens selected to be models for theme park "guides" at Walt Disney World.
Using new technology, the Disney Imagineers, create 5 DHI's. DHI stands for both Disney Host Interactive and Daylight Hologram Imaging. The technology has unexpected effects on the five teens. When they fall asleep, they crossover to the Park as half-human, half-hologram. They work with Wayne, an elderly Imagineer, who tells them the Park is in danger from the "Overtakers". The Overtakers are some of the Disney villains , led by Maleficent, who are plotting to destroy Disney's beloved realm, and maybe more.
This is a great book and a great series for anyone who has ever wondered what it would be like to sneak into Walt Disney World after hours. It has great life lessons, like "It all comes down to what you believe. What you think you can do." The book describes secret rooms and passage ways in the park that make me wonder if they really exist. If you've been to Disneyland and not Disney World, it's still easy to relate to everything in the book. Even if you haven't been to any of the parks you can still relate to these books because of the movies and books from Disney. I'm actually reading this book for the second time and find myself enjoying it even more than the first time.
We will have our July meeting on the last Wednesday, July 27, at 2:00.
Read a Book and Learn to Cook!

Minature Cream Puffs and Fruit Slush

2011-06-25T10:27:00.001-07:00

We had a great time talking about this book which will be a great addition to my "highly recommended" list. Our group laughed about Ivy having a room large enough to draw chalk lines around the different areas and all hoped our kids and grand kids didn't get any ideas about having a room that large. We also enjoyed the map of their neighborhood. We all agreed that it would be great to read more books in the series.
Once again we tried two recipes. I just couldn't settle on one or the other. Both are "easy-peasy", although the cream puffs may sound difficult. I'm including the recipe for the custard filling and chocolate glaze even though we used a chicken salad filling - remember there was a chapter called "No Desserts"! Any favorite savory filling can be used, as long as it doesn't make the puffs soggy. I don't have a specific recipe for the chicken filling - just chicken, chopped celery for crunch, crushed pineapple for a hint of sweet and a punch to the flavor, and a favorite dressing to help hold it all together and prevent it from being dry.
For the slush, I used 1 can of orange juice and 1 can of pineapple juice. It makes a refreshing drink with lots of Vitamin C for the summer. Enjoy!
MINIATURE CREAM PUFFS
Cream Puff Dough:
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
Custard Filling:
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons cornstarch
1-1/2 cups milk
3 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup heavy cream, whipped
Chocolate Glass:
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces
1/2 cup butter
1. Cream Puff Dough: In small saucepan, combine the water, butter and salt. Over medium heat, bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
2. Add flour all at once, beating with a nonmetal spoon until smooth. Return to low heat, and continue beating until mixture leaves sides of pan and forms a ball - 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. With hand electric mixer at low speed or with a nonmetal spoon, add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat until dough is shiny - about 1 minute.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Drop dough on ungreased baking sheet, about 2 inches apart, using a small ice cream scoop or a pastry bag fitted with 1/2-inch round decorating tip. Puffs should be about the size of walnuts. Moisten finger with water to smooth points and rough edges.
5. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool completely on rack, away from drafts.
6. Custard Filling: In medium saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch; mix well. Gradually add milk, stirring until smooth. In small bowl, beat egg yolks.
7. Over medium heat, bring cornstarch mixture to boil, stirring constantly; boil 1 minute. Stir a little of the hot mixture into egg yolks; add to saucepan. Cook over low heat; stirring, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in butter and vanilla.
8. Turn custard into a medium bowl. Place bowl in a large bowl filled with ice cubes and water to cool completely - about 40 minutes. Stir occasionally. When cool, fold in whipped cream.
9. Chocolate Glaze: in double boiler or small pan set in a large pan of hot water, melt chocolate pieces with butter. Remove to bowl. Let cool 15 minutes.
10. To assemble cream puffs: with a sharp knife, cut a slice from the top of each cream puff. Fill with a scant tablespoon of filling for each; replace tops. Glaze tops with cooled chocolate glaze. Refrigerate until serving. Filled puffs will become soggy upon standing.
Yield: About 24
Note: Cream puffs can also be filled with your favorite savory filling such as chicken salad.

FRUIT SLUSH
1 large container of applesauce (45 to 48 ounces)
2 - 12 ounce cans frozen fruit juice concentrate (apple, orange, pineapple, etc.), slightly thawed
Lemon-lime carbonated beverage
In a large freezer container, mix applesauce and fruit juice concentrates until well blended. Freeze.
At serving time, let apple mixture stand at room temperature about 30 minutes; spoon into glasses. Slowly pour in lemon-lime beverage; stir gently to blend.

No Desserts, But ....

2011-06-17T09:36:00.001-07:00

Having finished Ivy and Bean, and thinking about recipes, once again I'm having trouble limiting myself to just one recipe. I do have a favorite recipe that can be used for a yummy dessert, but since Bean gets in trouble and can't have dessert, it doesn't seem fitting for us to prepare a dessert. However, this recipe can also be used to fix delicious, savory appetizers. It's fancy and only looks difficult. You'll have to come to our book club to find out about this easy-peasy tasty treat.
Be sure to check out the map of the cul-de-sac where Ivy and Bean live on pages 74 and 75 and read the book to find out what the dotted line is about and who lives in each of the houses.
Don't forget: our next Mom and Me Book Club meeting will be Wednesday, June 22, at 2:00 pm. Join us to discuss this delightful book selection and try a couple of easy-peasy recipes.

Ivy and Bean

2011-06-10T11:39:00.000-07:00

Ivy and Bean is a great read for summer and also a great read to share with your kids or grand kids. My 5 year old granddaughter
and I read the first half of the book in one sitting. She wanted to finish the book but we decided to save the rest for another time. The story finds humor in everyday, real life. I can relate to the story because Bean has an older sister named Nancy and so do I. They behave to each other much the same way we did when we were young. It doesn't take much reading to find out why Bean didn't want to meet Ivy, what Ivy and Nancy do to drive each other crazy, how Ivy and Bean meet, what Bean's real name is, what Nancy calls her when she's mad.
I'm leaning toward the "Easy-Peasy" chapter title for quick summer recipes. I'd already come up with a few ideas and then some of the book club members came into the store today and mentioned they had heard "easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy" which brings to mind other luscious recipes that are great for summer. Come join us - Read and Book and Learn to Cook!

Ivy + Bean for Mom and Me

2011-05-27T14:28:00.000-07:00

We are changing the date and time for our Mom and Me Book Club for June. We will be meeting on Wednesday, June 22, at 2:00 pm.
Our book selection for this month is the first book in the Ivy and Bean series, by Annie Barrows with illustrations by Sophie Backall. The books are about two best friends who never meant to like each other. In the first book, the girls meet each other and the fun begins. The story includes spells, magic, potions, some face paint, and a bucket of worms. With Chapter titles including "The Ghost of Pancake Court", "Easy- Peasy", and "No Dessert", recipe selection should be easy, but the final selection of the recipe won't be made until after I've had a chance to read the book.
Join us for summer fun with reading - read a book and learn to cook!

A Savory Kiss for The Unfinished Angel

2011-05-13T09:47:00.001-07:00

We enjoyed our second book by Sharon Creech for this month - The Unfinished Angel. While this book is a very different reading experience than what we had when we read Granny Torrelli Makes Soup, both teach great life lessons, are a joy to read and have become high on my list of favorites. The vocabulary in this book is unique - something you have to read to appreciate. In the "extras" included in the paperback editions, Sharon Creech explains how the vocabulary came about. She was living in Switzerland with her husband for a year and couldn't quite get the "voice" of the Angel because she was trying to learn Italian (yes, they do speak Italian in a region of Switzerland). Her brain was having a hard time with both English and Italian, with the result that the Angel's "mashmish" vocabulary came out. She realized the only way she would be able to write the book would be to use the mashmish vocabulary for the Angel. The result is wonderful!
Since the "peoples" spoke Italian and there is even a chapter titled "Ravioli" and one titled "Meatballs" it seemed fitting to do a pasta dish this month. I really couldn't make up my mind between a pasta and a colorful dish to go along with the cover, so I did both. The pasta dish is a favorite in my family - "Savory Spaghetti", an easy one pan dish. The colorful part came with "Meringue Kisses" which can be as colorful as you want to make them. Both dishes are easy to do ahead, in fact you have to do the Meringue Kisses ahead of time because they bake for 3 hours and then cool in the oven for 30 minutes before you take them out. Don't despair - they are quite easy and fun to do and to eat.

Savory Spaghetti
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup sliced ripe olives
1 small can mushrooms, drained
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 quart canned tomatoes
2 teaspoons savor salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
4 ounces spaghetti

Brown meat in skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook 5 minutes or until onion is translucent. Drain fat off. Add olives, mushrooms, and tomato sauce and mix lightly. Stir tomatoes and seasonings into meat mixture. Bring to a boil and add spaghetti. Cover tightly, reduce heat to low and simmer about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and simmer 15 minutes longer. Freezes well.

Meringue Kisses
4 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream or tartar
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 3 paste food colorings*

Early in the day or up to 1 week ahead:
1. Line 2 large cookie sheets with foil. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.
2. In a small bowl, with mixer at high speed, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form; gradually sprinkle in sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition until whites stand in stiff, glossy peaks. Beat in vanilla extract.
3. Place a large star tip (about 1/2 inch diameter) into a large plastic decorating bag. To make a stripe effect, with artist's paintbrush, and using slightly less than 1/8 teaspoon of each food coloring paste, brush lengthwise stripes of 1 to 3 food coloring pastes inside the decorating bag. Carefully spoon meringue into the decorating bag.
4. Pipe meringue, about 1 inch apart, onto foil-lined cookie sheets into kisses, each 1-1/2 inches in diameter and about 1-1/4 inches high.
5. Bake Meringue Kisses 3 hours. turn oven off. Leave meringues in oven 30 minutes longer to dry. Cool completely on cookie sheets on wire racks.
6. Peel foil from kisses. Store in tightly covered containers.
*Food coloring paste is available wherever cake decorating supplies are soil.

New Words and Recipe Dilemmas

2011-04-28T10:24:00.001-07:00

The Unfinished Angel has a very unfinished vocabulary!
Trying to "decode" some of these words adds to the humor and interest of this story. Many have made me chuckle and few even made me laugh out loud. Sorry, you won't be getting any definitions this time -- you have to read the book yourself to find the following delights:
fabbarating, gruntles, extremely tragical, rapido, shid- shad-shed, suprisement, tapples, dimputer, offlivious, packled, knickle-knacles, impressified, fidgetated, poppils, attractiful, crimble, flish, crankiful, intrigueful, mostest.... The spell check is going into overdrive!
Our book selections bring recipe dilemmas with them -- either too many ideas or none at all. This book falls under the too many ideas heading. It does mention several foods, some good, some not-so-good, such as figs, oranges, apricots, tangerines, melons, rotten apples, salami, artichoke, chocolate cookies, ravioli, and meatballs. The title suggests several things that could be done if you think about how many "unfinished" recipes you could come up with. Then there is the rainbow theme on the cover which brings more dilemma because there are so many colorful foods that could be prepared, the selection would be endless. The dilemma this month is to choose something sweet or savory or maybe both. What to do, what to do?!? Maybe a "dimputer" could be used to help make a decision. I'll have something ready by the May 14 when we meet again.

May Meeting - The Unfinished Angel

2011-04-20T09:49:00.000-07:00

Our book selection for the meeting on Thursday, May 14, at 5:00 pm, will be The Unfinished Angel by Sharon Creech. We've read one other selection from Sharon Creech - Granny Torrelli Makes Soup - one of my all time favorites.
So far this book is living up to my expectations. The Unfinished Angel has been living in an ancient stone tower of the Casa Rosa in a tiny village high in the Swiss Alps for as long as she (or he) can remember. Everything has been fine until Zola, a determined American girl who wears three skirts at once moves in. She is able to sense or see the angel and her arrival brings about many changes. The Angel hasn't had a mission until now, but isn't sure if she (or he) has enough training yet to handle a mission. Read the hilarious and endearing story to learn how magic is found in the most ordinary acts of kindness.

Blackberry Cobbler & The Dragon in the Driveway

2011-04-15T12:37:00.001-07:00

With the group discussion for this book we did "a groan and a great" - one or more things we really liked about the book and anything we didn't like. The group "greats" out numbered the "groans" by a huge margin. We had more questions about what will happen in the next book where Emmy becomes a "tween". We are excited about the third book coming out - The Dragon in the Library - which hopefully will be out April 21.
This book didn't mention a lot of great sounding foods, and in fact it did mention some really awful sounding dishes (skunk soup with mouse turd dumplings!), there were several references to berries. Following is a simple and super tasty dessert using blackberries. Yum!

BLACKBERRY COBBLER
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk
2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
3/4 cup raspberry juice or apple juice
Ice cream or whipped cream, optional

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Combine the flour and baking powder in a separate bowl and add alternately with the milk to the butter and sugar mixture. Stir just until moistened. Pour into a greased 1-1/2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle with blackberries. Pour juice over all. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm; top with ice cream or whipped cream if desired.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Mom and Me Book Club on April 14 at 5:00

2011-04-13T13:24:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow we will be meeting to talk about our latest selection, "The Dragon in the Driveway" which is the second in the Dragon Keepers Series by Kate Klimo.
Emmy, Jesse Tiger and Daisy Flower have been up to more adventures. As you read this book, you learn more about the evil St. George, Professor L. B. Andersson, Miss Alodie, Dryads, hobgoblins (the chthonic ones) trees and plants. At the beginning of the book it says that all we have to do is sit quietly and listen to the story that the world is trying to tell us. Two trees in a rainstorm begin this story. The second installment has lots of action, new characters, twists to the plot and a fun play on words: Miss Alodie has always wanted to have the perfect "coffee table book". The story ends well, but it does leave you with a couple of things you can learn more about in book 3, "The Dragon in the Library", or even in book 4, "The Dragon in the Volcano."
While there are several foods listed in the book such as: coleslaw, cabbage, Brussels sprout au gratin, a side of dandelion greens, energy bars and porridge, none of them really inspired me. I did find another food item that was mentioned several times throughout the story that had me searching through several cookbooks and even trying a new recipe. I think I found a winner!
You'll have to come tomorrow to try it out.
There were a few other new words I ran across in the last part of the book that you may find it helpful to have a definition for. Here they are:
astute - acute, shrewd, cunning.
ethereal - Delicate or exquisite in line, feature, etc.
flails - implements for threshing grain by hand.
haughtily - exhibiting great disdain for others; supercilious.
prattled - talking foolishly or like a child.
rapscallion - a rogue; scamp; rascal.
sleuthing - to follow; track.
slithered - to slide; slip, as on a surface where footing is insecure.
stanchion - an upright bar forming a principal support.

Words, Words, Words

2011-04-06T14:09:00.000-07:00

Here a few definitions for delightful words found in this book to help you enjoy reading:
claustrophobic - having a morbid fear of enclosed or confined places.
Dryad - in classical mythology, a nymph dwelling in or presiding over woods and trees.
dubiously - being unsettled in judgment or opinion; doubtful.
entity - something existing objectively or in the mind; an actual or conceivable being.
ergo - hence; therefore.
ferocity - being extremely savage, fierce, bloodthirsty, or cruel.
flummoxed - baffled, befuddled, confused, dumbfounded.
forte - loud, forceful.
gallivanting - roaming about capriciously (whimsically).
hummock - a low mound of earth or rock.
imbibing - drinking.
inconclusive - not leading to an ultimate conclusion; indecisive.
minions - a follower.
ominous - threatening.
ravaged - to lay waste; be destructive.

The Dragon in the Driveway - Book Pick for April

2011-03-19T10:00:00.001-07:00

For the first time our Mom and Me Book Club has selected a sequel to another book previously read. For April we will be reading the second book in the Dragon Keepers Series by Kate Klimo, The Dragon in the Driveway. The book continues the story of cousins Jesse and Daisy and the dragon they are in charge of - Emmy, short for Emerald. This book promises more action, fun and adventure as the kids try to protect Emmy from the villainous Saint George. We will be meeting on Thursday, April 14, at 5:00 pm.

Stained-Glass Window Sugar Cookies

2011-03-11T12:35:00.000-08:00

Shardas, the dragon who collected stained-glass windows inspired the recipe for this month. You can make your own delicious stained-glass windows with the following recipe.

Stained-Glass Window Sugar Cookies
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup butter-flavored shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup commercial sour cream
5 cups cake flour OR 4-2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
Hard candies (such as Life Savers or Jolly Ranchers) in the colors of your choice

Cream the butter, shortening and sugar together. Combine the eggs, vanilla and sour cream. Sift the dry ingredients together. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the liquid ingredients to the butter, shortening and sugar mixture. Cover dough tightly or place in a plastic bag and chill thoroughly.
Roll dough out 1/4 inch thick on aluminum foil with the dull side of the foil up. Cut with large cookie cutter in desired shapes. Remove excess dough from the foil, leaving the cookies on the foil. Cookies can be sprinkled with sugar that is lightly pressed into the dough.
For stained-glass windows, use a smaller cookie cutter to cut the center out of the cookie and remove, leaving a dough frame around the outside edge. Crush the desired color of hard candy (this can be done in a blender, food processor, or in a small plastic freezer bag). Spoon the crushed candy into the space made, heaping it slightly. As the cookie bakes the candy will melt and fuse to the edge of the cookie dough.
Lift the aluminum foil, place on a cookie sheet and bake in a 375 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until done (baking time will depend on the size of the cookies). Do not over bake - cookies will become dry and brittle. When done, lift foil off cookie sheet and allow cookies to cool completely while on the foil. When completely cooled, peel the foil from the back of the cookies.

More Great Words From Dragon Slippers

2011-03-09T10:15:00.001-08:00

We will be meeting tomorrow, March 10 at 5:00 pm, to discuss Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George. This book kept me turning pages with surprises and twists throughout. Some of the characters go from being "good guys" to "bad guys" or "bad guys" to "good guys". At one point toward the end you begin to think that the story is going to have a sad ending -- never fear! Keep reading, there is a good ending to the story; an ending that made me want to dive right into the second book in this trilogy, Dragon Flight, to find out what happens to all the dragons.
While the book doesn't mention much about food, Shardas did inspire my choice of a recipe for this month. It's a fun, versatile recipe that can be used for special occasions, just for fun and holidays. Come join the fun!
Here are a few more great words used in this terrific book:
Alchemical - the chemistry of the middle ages, concerned primarily with the transmutation of base metals into gold.
Audacious - showing no fear; daring; bold.
Brusque - rude or curt; blunt.
Cajoling - to coax with flattery or false promises.
Capricious - having a sudden change of mind or action without adequate motive; a whim.
Coercion - compel by force, law, authority, or fear.
Condescendingly - showing conscious courtesy toward inferiors; especially, making a display of such courtesy.
Decorum - conformity to the requirements of good taste or social convention.
Disparaging - treating with disrespect or contempt; to belittle.
Dithered - a state of nervous excitement or anxiety, or of trembling agitation.
Entourage - a group of followers or attendants.
Fey - acting as if enchanted or under a spell.
Gesticulating - to make emphatic or expressive gestures, as in speaking.
Incredulous - not willing or not disposed to believe; skeptical.
Indignant - feeling or showing anger aroused by injustice.
Keened - a wailing lamentation for the dead.
Morose - ill-humored; sullen; gloomy.
Perfidy - the act of violating faith, trust, or allegiance; treachery.
Scrutiny - to observe carefully, examine in detail.
Vehemently - acting with great force or energy; violent; furious.

Vocabulary for Dragon Slippers

2011-03-04T12:11:00.000-08:00

Our book for March is Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George, one of our favorite Utah authors.
We will be meeting on Thursday, March 10, at 5:00 pm to discuss this delightful book which is the first of a trilogy. The story is about Creel, a young lady, whose mother sacrifices her to a dragon. Being very independent, Creel decides to bargain for her own rescue instead of waiting for a knight to save her. She not only bargains for her freedom but also gets a mysterious pair of blue slippers.
She meets others dragons, travels to a large city and finds strange things happening. Is there more to her slippers than just a pair of shoes? Read the story to find out.
This is a wonderful story to read with a rich vocabulary. Here are a few definitions to help you out:
Accouterments - equipment, especially the equipment of a soldier other than arms and dress.
Azure blue - a clear, sky-blue.
Blithe - cheerful, casual manner.
Cajoling - to coax with flattery or false promises.
Cheekily - impudent; brazen.
Faux pas - a false step; especially a breach of etiquette.
Gauntlet - in medieval armor, a glove covered with metal plates to protect the hand.
Histrionics - theatrical art or representation; dramatics.
Lamented - to feel or express sorrow, grief, or regret.
Melancholy - excessively gloomy; sad.
Mellifluous - sweetly or smoothly flowing.
Prodigious - enormous or extraordinary in size, quantity, or degree.
Raucous - rough in sound; hoarse.
Rusk - a slightly sweetened bread or biscuit.
Surreal - abstract; bizarre; fantastic.
Vagabond - one who wanders from place to place without visible means of support.
Writhe - to twist or bend.

The Secret Zoo Vocabulary

2011-02-16T09:47:00.001-08:00

Every book has it's own vocabulary put together in a unique way to make that book special. Some use many familiar words, others use words that may be new to your vocabulary, and others still may use words that may be familiar to you but maybe with a different twist to them. The Secret Zoo is a great combination of all three types. Here are just a few to add to your list of great words and help you enjoy this great book even more:
Brainstorming - a sudden inspiration.
Cacophony - disagreeable or discordant sound.
Chihuahua - one of a very ancient breed of very small, smooth-coated dogs with large, pointed ear, originally native to Mexico.
Impatience - an appetite for new things.
Langur - a slender, long-tailed Asian monkey.
Tyro - a beginner; novice.

The Secret Zoo by Bryan Chick and Choco-Nana Puddin' Shake

2011-02-11T12:24:00.000-08:00

Our group would highly recommend The Secret Zoo by Bryan Chick to readers interested in animals and adventure and anyone interested in beginning a new series. It is very well written with wonderful descriptions of the animals and events. With statements such as "hummingbirds as colorful as crayons" and describing impatience as having an appetite for new things, the author brings the written word to life. The Action Scouts meet up with a variety of characters, both human and animal, and try to figure out who is a friend and who isn't. Is Tank a true friend of the Action Scouts or is he trying to trap them? Will they be able to save Megan and bring her back home or will the three remaining Action Scouts also disappear? You'll have to read the book to find out!
This book doesn't mention much about food so we just did our own thing this month. We did use bananas since a lot of zoo animals eat bananas. We also used chocolate, a group favorite, and Feb. 9 was the anniversary of the founding of Hershey's Chocolate. This recipe makes a great treat to enjoy while reading The Secret Zoo.

Choco-Nana Puddin' Shake
2 cups cold milk
1 package (4 serving size) chocolate flavored instant pudding and pie filling or 1 package (4 serving size) white chocolate flavored instant pudding and pie filling
1 ripe banana
2 cups crushed ice

Pour milk into blender container. Add banana, pudding mix and ice. Cover. Blend on high for 15 seconds or until smooth. Serve at once. Mixture will thicken as it stands. To thin, add more milk, 1/4 cup at a time, for desired thickness.
Makes 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes

The Secret Zoo

2011-01-26T09:40:00.000-08:00

For our meeting on Thursday, Feb. 10 at 5:00 pm, we will be reading The Secret Zoo by Bryan Chick. This story is about the Action Scouts, a club that includes Megan and Noah who are brother and sister and their friends Ella and Richie. Megan disappears, leaving very few clues as to what may have happened to her. Noah notices the animals in the nearby Clarksville City Zoo are acting very strangely and believes they have something to do with the disappearance of Megan. The three remaining Action Scouts follow the clues and cryptic messages from Megan's diary that the animals leave for them into a secret world. They are befriended by polar bears, penguins, and rhinos on a wild adventure to bring Megan back home.
In this series the Action Scouts rely heavily on teamwork to work through mysteries with plenty of action and adventure. It's a great series for all readers.
So far I haven't come up with any great inspirations for our cooking experience but since our meeting will be right before Valentine's Day, we'll be able to do something fun. Come join the fun!

The Dragon in the Sock Drawer and Fruit Frost

2011-01-14T09:32:00.000-08:00

Reading this book takes you on an usual journey. It begins with 10 year old cousins, Jesse and Daisy, going rock hunting with Daisy's dad, who says that if a rock talks to you, you should take it home with you. Jesse finds a geode, what Native American Indians called a "thunder egg". When the egg really talks to Jesse it surprises and confuses him because he can't figure out where the voice is coming from. He decides to take it home with him. When his Uncle Joe can't cut the thunder egg in half to find the crystals inside, Jesse puts it in his sock drawer. He's surprised when the egg hatches and he finds a small green dragon. The cousins name the dragon Emerald, and call her Emmy for short. The story unfolds with the often funny trials of keeping a very loud dragon, feeding her, learning about her and most importantly keeping her safe from St. George, the Dragon Slayer. St. George is ruled by greed - he wants dragon blood to keep him alive and give him power. We enjoyed the book so much we plan to read the second book in the series, The Dragon in the Driveway for our meeting on April 14.
I often have a hard time picking a recipe for each book, but an idea came with the second page of the book this time. The story describes the mountain where the thunder egg was found as looking like a delicious dessert topped with whipped cream, with the snow looking like the whipped cream. With the cold temperatures outside it may not have been the perfect time for a frozen dessert but it was still good and even provides a little calcium, a mineral Emmy needs in large supply. I don't know if dragons would enjoy this but we did.

Fruit Frost
1 - 12 ounce can frozen fruit juice concentrate, defrosted
1-1/2 cups (7 ounces) marshmallow cream
1-2/3 cups (1 large can) regular undiluted evaporated milk

Pour undiluted evaporated milk in a medium mixing bowl and place in freezer until ice crystals form around the edges of the bowl (about 20 to 30 minutes). The chilling process makes the milk whip more quickly.
Blend the fruit juice concentrate with the marshmallow cream until smooth.
Whip the milk with an electric mixer until stiff (this takes about 2 to 3 minutes or longer). Slowly add the marshmallow cream and juice mixture. Whip until very stiff, or about 2 to 3 minutes longer.
Place the Fruit Frost mixture in a rectangular baking dish and freeze until firm (about 2 to 3 hours).

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year

2010-11-30T09:18:00.000-08:00

We will not have a meeting in December. I plan to read some of my favorite Christmas stories and share them with my grandkids. We will meet on January 13, 2011, at 5:00 pm with The Dragon in the Sock Drawer, the first book in a great series called Dragon Keepers - by Kate Klimo. This story is an adventure complete with thunder eggs (also known as geodes), cousins who work together to care for a tiny but very loud baby dragon, and a villain named Saint George, who is after the dragon. Lately it seems I've had a hard time coming up with a recipe to go with our book of the month, but this time I've already got an idea!
I'm looking forward to the new year and a new adventure with this new series.
Have Happy Holidays and a Great New Year!

Ham and Cheese Waffles

2010-11-17T13:18:00.000-08:00

At our Nov. 11 meeting we discussed The Borrowers by Mary Norton. The story is set in the late 1800's in England and is about a small group of small people that "borrow" everything they need from the human "beans" who live in the house. Because the Borrowers are small and live under the floor and travel through tunnels it's easy to forget they are people and easy to imagine them as mice. The story is a fun adventure about how they became to be so small, the types of things they borrow, how they use the borrowed objects and their interaction with the human "beans". If objects disappear from your home, maybe you have Borrowers living undetected within your house.
Eggs seem to be the most frequently borrowed food ingredient we could identify. The story mentions "breakfast foods" in general several times and a few individual foods such as anchovy toast. Since the toast didn't have a great appeal, we made a breakfast food with one egg. The Ham and Cheese Waffles are easy, quick and tasty. We enjoyed them with peach syrup. You can try your favorite syrup with them.

HAM AND CHEESE WAFFLES
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1-3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
2/3 cup minced ham
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Heat waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions.
2. Sift dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk the buttermilk, vegetable oil and egg together.
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour the liquid mixture into the center, and gently whisk together until just incorporated (do not overmix).
4. Gently fold in the ham and cheddar cheese.
5. Spray waffle iron with a non-stick cooking spray. Spread the amount of batter onto the waffle iron recommended by the manufacturer's recommondations and cook until golden brown.
6. Serve with your favorite syrup.

The Borrowers by Mary Norton

2010-10-28T13:17:00.000-07:00

For November we will be reading a book that is the winner of The Carnegie Medal, a Lewis Carroll Shelf Award book, and an ALA Distinguished Book award: The Borrowers by Mary Norton. Life is great for the Clock family who live under the kitchen floor of the "human beans" and believe that humans are around to do the dirty work and provide everything their family needs. Arrietty, daughter of Pod and Homily Clock, finds life boring and won't listen to the warnings of her parents not to be seen in the house above them that belongs to the humans. Borrowers who are seen by humans are never seen again. Arrietty is desperate for a friend and there is a human boy up there.
Whatever the Clock family needs, they simply borrow from the humans; things like postage stamps to be used as pictures for their walls, matchboxes to be used as roomy dressers and matchsticks to be used as firewood. Maybe if you have things that "disappear" in your home, you have a family of borrowers living in hiding.
What cooking ingredients are the most frequently borrowed? Eggs? Sugar? Flour? Spices? Milk? Baking powder? Chocolate chips? Vanilla? Maybe I should borrow ingredients from everyone and figure out what to make from them. Maybe I should borrow a favorite recipe from someone and make that. Oh, the possibilities are endless.
Come on Thursday, Nov. 11, at 5:00 pm to see what ideas we can borrow from our current reading selection.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

2010-10-08T09:38:00.000-07:00

Since we had read 100% Wolf by Jayne Lyons, a tale about Freddy Lupine who transforms into a poodle instead of a werewolf, we transformed a chocolate cake into a graveyard cake for Halloween. Our readers had great fun using Fig Newtons, Tootsie Roll Pops and a few extras to make their own "plot". We omitted the nuts and chocolate chips from the frosting.
This cake is a great way to use zucchini in an ever-so-flavorful way.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1-1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 cups finely shredded zucchini, well drained

Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans, set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add the eggs, oil and zucchini; beat until combined. Pour into prepared pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Beat in the confectioners' sugar, cocoa and vanilla until smooth. Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread with half of the frosting. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with nuts and chocolate chips.
Yield: 12-16 servings

100% Wolf on a New Date!

2010-09-22T16:26:00.000-07:00

We will be reading a great book for October: 100% Wolf by Jayne Lyons. For this month only, we will meet on the first Thursday - Oct. 7 - at 5:00 pm.
Come laugh as we discuss our favorite lines, sections, characters and happenings from this book. We will also be working with a recipe that's great for Halloween but also terrific and tasty for just about any time of year. We may even work on "dressing our food up" for Halloween.

Cheddar and Bacon Fondue

2010-09-15T13:49:00.000-07:00

The Mom and Me group made a tasty version of the bread, cheese and bacon mentioned in The Wide-Awake Princess by E. D. Baker. We enjoyed dipping cubed French bread in a yummy Fondue. It's easy, fun and quick to adapt by using different varieties of creamed soup. You can also dip any favorite rustic bread (cubed), your favorite vegetables and even fruit like apples.
This is already becoming a favorite recipe here at the Purple Cow Bookstore. Enjoy!

Cheddar and Bacon Fondue

1 Loaf French bread or favorite rustic bread, cubed
5 slices bacon, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cans cream of cheddar soup
1 can cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup
Up to 1 cup milk (add slowly to desired consistency)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard

Fry bacon until crisp. Add onion and garlic. Saute until tender. Remove excess fat. Stir in soup and milk. Blend until smooth. Add Worcestershire sauce and mustard. Blend thoroughly. Serve warm with bread cubes, vegetables or apples.

Wide-Awake Vocabulary

2010-09-10T12:24:00.000-07:00

A new book means new words to learn. Here is a list of my favorite new additions from
The Wide-Awake Princess by E. D. Baker for easy reference while reading this great novel.

carnivore - a flesh-eating mammal, as a cat, dog, etc.
cavort - to prance about.
chivalrous - having the qualities of the ideal knight; gallant, courteous, generous, etc.
decorum - conformity to the requirements of good taste or social convention; propriety in behavior, dress, etc.
discordant - characterized by lack of agreement; differing; clashing.
embroil - to involve in dissension or strife.
entourage - a group of followers, retainers, or attendants.
fealty - the obligation of fidelity owed to a feudal lord by his vassal or tenant. Faithfulness; loyalty.
ferreted - to search out by careful investigation.
flint - a very hard, dull-colored variety of quartz that produces a spark when struck with steel.
imperious - characterized by an attitude of command; domineering; arrogant.
parapet - a low wall about the edge of a roof, terrace, bridge, etc.
portcullis - a grating made of strong bars of wood or iron that can be let down suddenly to close the gateway of a fortified place.
scudding - light clouds driven rapidly before the wind.
sniveling - to whine.
trenchers - formerly, a wooden plate or board on which food was served or cut.
undulating - to move like waves.
vied - strive for superiority; compete, as in a race.

The Wide-Awake Princess on Thursday, Sept. 9, at 5:00 pm

2010-09-02T12:23:00.000-07:00

The book for this month is The Wide-Awake Princess by E. D. Baker, the author of The Frog Princess, another Mom and Me Book Club selection.
This book is living up to the standard set by The Frog Princess. It's lively and fun to read. It's a mix of fairy tales, all with a new twist. Reading the retold fairy tales makes me want to go back and read the originals and marvel again and again at the creativity of the authors.
This book includes a map of the country in the front of the book so you can trace the travels of Annie, The Wide-Awake Princess.
Don't forget, we have changed the day and time for our meetings - it's now on the second Thursday of every month (we will take a break for December) at 5:00 pm to accommodate the later school times. We will still do a food activity although this book is another challenge - it doesn't mention much in the way of food, at least not as far as I've read. Hopefully, inspiration will strike again and we will have something fun to do. I have gotten a couple of ideas but will have to check some of my recipes to see if they will work. Suggestions will be happily considered.
Let me know how many other fairy tales you recognize in this story besides Sleeping Beauty (there really isn't very much about that particular story!).

A Royal Recipe

2010-08-27T10:47:00.000-07:00

It's amazing what an author can do with a very short fairy tale. The original tale, Twelve Dancing Princesses, is only 6 or 7 pages. Diane Zahler has turned those few pages into an engaging novel. This book is well worth reading. It has action and suspense, mystery and a happy ending like all good fairy tales should have. Since Zita, who is the 13th princess, learned to bake sweets to impress her father, the king, and made a strawberry and cream filled cake for him, it seemed a good idea to make our own version. The following recipe is for a jelly roll cake that we filled with stiffly beaten whipped cream and fresh, sliced strawberries.

JELLY ROLL CAKE
4 eggs
1-1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1-1/4 teaspoons vanilla
1-1/3 cup cake flour
1-1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup filling of your choice
Confectioner's sugar

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a jelly roll pan (15-1/2x10-1/2x1") with aluminum foil and grease. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a small mixing bowl, beat eggs about 5 minutes or until they are thick and lemon colored. Pour eggs into a large mixing bowl; gradually beat in the granulated sugar. On low speed, blend in the water and vanilla. Gradually add the flour mixture, beating just until the batter is smooth. Pour the batter into the pan, spreading it evenly to the corners. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Loosen cake from the edges of the pan; invert onto a towel sprinkled with confectioner's sugar. Carefully remove foil; trim off stiff edges if necessary. While hot, roll cake and towel from the narrow end. Cool on a wire rack. When cool, unroll cake and remove towel. Spread filling evenly over cake; roll cake and sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.
Makes 10 servings.

Note: Cake can be filled with a cream filling such as pudding, stiffly beaten whipping cream and fruit or ice cream. the filled cake can be frosted or dusted with confectioner's sugar. It is recommended that cakes filled with ice cream be placed in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours before serving to insure that the ice cram is completely frozen.

A Regal Recipe

2010-08-07T13:33:00.001-07:00

I'm looking forward to our meeting on Tuesday and hope everyone can come. The Thirteenth Princess is a wonderful book. I can't wait to finish reading it - I know, our meeting is in just a few days and here I am trying to figure out how it is going to end. The book is a great read; one that has you anticipating what will come next and trying to figure out how everything will work out.
Since Zita has become a great baker, we will be using a recipe for something baked. It will be regal and worthy of royalty. You'll have to come to the meeting to find out what it will be!
Remember, this will be our last meeting for the summer. Next month we will be meeting on the second Thursday of the month at 5:00 pm again.

The Thirteenth Princess

2010-07-29T12:09:00.000-07:00

For our August meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 10, we will be reviewing The Thirteenth Princess by Diane Zahler. The Brothers Grimm recorded a very early and very short version of this story - The Twelve Dancing Princesses. It is amazing what authors can do with the short fairy tales as the beginnings for their novels.
This will be our last 11:00 am meeting. We will will go back to the 2nd Thursday in September and meet at 5:00 pm. As we have done in the past, we will "read a book and learn to cook." Come join the fun and read some great books.

"Where The Mountain Meets The Moon" and Egg Drop Soup

2010-07-22T11:03:00.000-07:00

Our July meeting began with a discussion of Where The Mountain Meets The Moon by Grace Lin. This is a wonderful book full of life lessons, beautiful illustrations by the author and an all around great read. It is very easy to see why this book was selected as a Newbery Honor Book for 2009. Our group highly recommends this book to readers of all ages. The twists and turns in the story keep you turning pages for more. The book has Chinese folk tales woven throughout. Each tale is identified with not only a title but a change in the text style used to help the reader remember what they are reading. The main character, Minli, is a young girl who listens folk tales as her father tells them in the evening and sets off to find the Old Man in the Moon to ask how things can be improved for her family and especially for her mother. Her fantastic adventures introduce her to a variety of characters, including her traveling companion, a dragon. As stated on the front flap of the book cover states, it is "... a wondrous story of happiness, family, and friendship". This book has become one of my all-time favorites.
Selecting a recipe for this month was a challenge because there were so many types of Chinese dishes to select from. I selected the following Egg Drop Soup to be served with Goldfish crackers - you'll have to read the book to find out why goldfish are important! Try this and enjoy. It's very easy and very tasty!

EGG DROP SOUP WITH TOMATO AND MUSHROOMS

1. Heat a wok or pan, add 3 tablespoons oil. Stir fry the following over medium heat:
1 tomato, diced
1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chopped green onion
2. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce, then add the following and bring to a boil:
6 cups soup stock or water
2 pieces tofu, diced (4 pieces in a box)
3. Add a mixture of 3 tablespoons cornstarch and 1/3 cup water and stir to thicken.
4. Lightly beat 2 eggs and slowly add in a thin stream to the soup; stir lightly and turn off the heat.
5. Add 2 tablespoons chopped green onions and a dash of pepper; mix and serve.

An Adventure in Reading and Cooking

2010-06-08T14:51:00.000-07:00

We had our first summer meeting at the new time and new day: the second Tuesday of the month at 11:00 am. We discussed My One Hundred Adventures by Polly Horvath. In this book, Jane, a twelve year old, wants to have 100 adventures. Our group decided that how you look at life determines how many adventures you may have. Jane has a great attitude about life and the experiences she has. Some of the adventures are not really hers but rather something her mother does and some are real adventures like taking a hot air balloon ride by herself. Jane had actually prayed that she would have a ride in a balloon. After riding alone, she realized she should have asked for someone who knows what they were doing to be there with her.
You can have your own adventure by reading this book and learn to look at the adventures in your life in a new light.
For our cooking adventure we made omelets in a bag that we enjoyed with Rocky Mountain Apple Bread. The recipes follow:

Omelet in a Bag
Crack 1 or 2 eggs into a pint size freezer bag (zipper type). There is no need to grease the bag in any way. Seal the bag and "squish" the eggs to scramble. Add your favorite ingredients: precooked meat, cheese, vegetables, etc. Reseal the bag, removing as much air as possible. Place the bag in a pan of boiling water and allow to cook until the egg is thoroughly cooked. There should be no runny egg. Remove the bag with tongs, open and slide the omelet onto your plate.
When cooking eggs for a large group, have each person write their name on the freezer bag with a marker before filling. After cooking, you will always know who the omelet is for.

Rocky Mountain Apple Bread
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon vanilla
3-1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 medium-size Granny Smith apples or other tart green apples
1 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts (optional)

1. Grease and flour two 5- by 9-inch loaf pans.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
3. In a large bowl, sift the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon together and set aside.
4. Peel, core, and chop the apples.
5. Beat eggs, sugar, buttermilk, mayonnaise, and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth.
6. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, stir just until combined.
7. Add the apples to the batter with raisins and nuts; stir just until combined.
8. Spread batter in the 2 loaf pans.
9. Bake in a 375 degree F. oven until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean (55 minutes to 1 hour and 10 minutes).
10. Let cool in pans on racks for 10 minutes; turnout onto racks and let cool completely.
11. Serve at room temperature.
Makes 2 loaves (about 10 servings each).

Vocabulary Adventures

2010-06-03T12:48:00.000-07:00

I do love books with great vocabularies. When I was young and came across a word I wasn't sure about, instead of looking it up to learn the correct meaning, I tried to figure it out from the sentence context. If only I'd taken the time then to look words up, how much farther ahead I would have been in school. Here are some vocabulary words to help you out with the book choice for this month.
affability - easy to approach and speak to; friendly; courteous.
ballast - any heavy substance, as sand, stone, etc., laid in the hold of a vessel or in the car of a balloon to steady it.
cloistering - to seclude; confine.
debacle - a sudden and disastrous breakdown or collapse.
efficacy - power to produce a desired or intended result.
martyred - one who dies, suffers, or sacrifices everything for a principle, cause, etc.
Persephone - in Greek mythology, the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, abducted to the underworld by Pluto, but allowed to return to the earth for part of each year: identified with the Roman Proserpine.
prosaic - unimaginative; commonplace; dull.
reneged - to fail to fulfill a promise.
thrombosis - local coagulation of the blood (blood clot) in the heart or blood vessels, forming an obstruction to circulation.

Summer Reading!

2010-06-01T09:59:00.000-07:00

For our summer reading enjoyment we have selected three new books published within the last year.
For Tuesday, June 8 at 11:00 am: My One Hundred Adventures by Polly Horvath, published in September of 2009. This book is about 12 year old Jane (a name we encountered in our last novel) who is ready and looking for adventures. She comes from a single parent family and has two brothers and one sister. Does that sound familiar? With a title that includes "adventures" there are endless possibilities for eating adventures. How adventurous are you? Any ideas for what we should try?

For Tuesday, July 13 at 11:00 am we will be discussing Where The Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin. Published in July, 2009, This won a Newbery Honor Award for 2009. It is about Minli, a young girl who works hard during the days and listens to her father tell fantastic tales in the evenings. Her mother is upset that he fills her head with nonsense, but she believes the tales and has an adventure of her own as she searches for the Old Man of the Moon to ask how her family can change their fortune. The book was written and illustrated by Grace Lin. With a Chinese theme the food possibilities are unique indeed!

For Tuesday, August 10 at 11:00 am we will be discussing another new book published in February of 2010, The Thirteenth Princess by Diane Zahler.
This is a retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses fairy tale with new twists and turns. Zita, the 13th Princess, learns she is the 13th daughter of a King who wanted only sons. She is banished at birth to the servants quarters and learns later in life about her father and her 12 sisters. It always amazes me what authors can do with a simple, short, classic fairy tale. Should we try a recipe with 13 ingredients or 13 steps? It will be fun to explore and a great way to end our summer reading fun.

We will return to our regular meeting time, the second Thursday of the month at 4:30 pm, in September.

The Willoughbys, No-Fail Fudge and a New Day and Time For Summer

2010-05-21T16:32:00.000-07:00

Lois Lowry has written a delightful novel, The Willoughbys, which puts a new twist on the "old fashioned" family. The four children, Tim, twins - Barnaby A and Barnaby B, and Jane, aren't very fond of their parents and the parents don't really like their children. Reading their plans to get rid of each other is humorous and full of twists and turns. Referring to the glossary in the back of the book not only helps the reader understand the vocabulary but adds to the overall enjoyment of the book. Our group laughed about many of the definitions as much as we did about the story. Commander Melanoff, a main character in the book and one of the "good guys", is a confectioner, similar to Milton Hershey so we made No-Fail Fudge in the microwave. We added bits of Baby Ruth candy and Junior Mints to the finished fudge. You'll have read the book to make the connection between the two types of candy and the story.
Make a batch of fudge to enjoy while you read the book; both are delicious!

No-Fail Fudge
3 cups sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine
2/3 cup (5 oz. can) evaporated milk
2 cups (12 oz. package) semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups (7 oz. jar) marshmallow creme
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a large microwave safe mixing bowl, combine sugar, butter and evaporated milk. Cook, uncovered, on high, 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in chocolate until melted. Add marshmallow creme, nuts and vanilla; mix well. Pour into a greased 13 x 9-inch pan. Cool; but into squares.

For June, July and August we will meet on the second Tuesday of the month at 11:30. Come and join the reading and cooking fun!

May Book Selection, Gobs of Goop & Summer Reading!

2010-04-22T14:31:00.000-07:00

For our meeting on Thursday, May 13, we will be discussing The Willoughbys by Newbery Award-winning author Lois Lowry. On the book cover it says "A Novel Nefariously Written & Ignominiously Illustrated by the Author. While the story line has some similarities to The Mixed-Up Files ... family members are trying to get away from each other, that is where the similarities end. What do you think of an evil mother and father who are planning to get rid of their children? What is with naming twin boys Barnaby A and Barnaby B? This novel even has a glossary in the back! It also has a bibliography list in the back of other books that deal with "piteous but appealing orphans, ill-tempered and stingy relatives, magnanimous benefactors, and transformations wrought by winsome children." I do love books with "extras" at the end.

At our last meeting I asked for a list of books our members would like to read this summer since we are going to continue our book club through the summer. Two readers had selected My One Hundred Adventures by Polly Horvath so we will be reading it for our June meeting on Thursday, June 10.
Do we still want to meet at 4:30 or do you want to change the time?
On the back of this book it says, "her [Jane] discovery of the truth that lies at the heart of all great adventures: that it's not what happens to you that matters, but what you learn about yourself." I couldn't agree more. I'm looking forward to this for great summer reading.

As promised, here is the recipe for Gobs of Goop:

You will need:
Ingredients (no substitutions!)
1 cup distilled water, divided
1 - 4 oz. bottle of Elmer's all-purpose glue
2 to 3 drops liquid food coloring
1 tablespoon 20 Mule Team Borax

Equipment
liquid measuring cup
1 tablespoon measuring spoon
2 bowls (cereal bowls are great)
2 spoons
Zip Lock bag (pint or quart size)

1. Mix 1 tablespoon 20 Mule Team Borax with 1/2 cup distilled water in the first bowl (it may not completely dissolve).
2. In the second bowl, mix 1/2 cup distilled water and the 4 oz. bottle of glue.
3. Add 2 to 3 drops of liquid food coloring to the glue mixture (don't add too much since the color will rub off on hands).
4. While stirring the glue mixture, slowly pour the Borax mixture into the glue mixture. The mixture will get thick and gooey! Mix thoroughly and discard the extra water.
5. Knead the goop until it is a little drier and easy to work with.
6. Store in a covered container or Zip Lock bag, where it will keep for weeks.

Our April Meeting

2010-04-13T15:19:00.000-07:00

We had a great meeting on April 8. We discussed From The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg, a Newbery Award Book. It's a fun tale about two siblings who "run away to" the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City; not the usual adventure story. The book was first published in 1967 and it's easy to see how times have changed. Our group agreed it would be very hard to "live" at any museum with the security measures of today. We also agreed that most of us wouldn't be brave enough to hide out in any museum. It's also fun to read about why Claudia wanted to run away, why she decided Jamie was the best brother to go with her, what they did with their time at the museum, who Mrs. Frankweiler is and what the mixed-up files are.
The story is fictional even though a small statue of a cupid thought to have been done by Michelangelo was found in 1995, the author did not know anything about the lost statue when she was writing this book. The information in the "afterword" at the end of the book is great and adds to the reading experience.
One of the first foods mentioned in the book was a hot fudge sundae, which was tempting to try for our food experience this month, but we've done chocolate and it seemed time for something else. Since Claudia and Jamie had pretzels (you can read about where they went to buy them), I decided soft pretzels would be fun to try. At the beginning of our meeting we started yeast growing to see what was the best method to get good results when using it in any type of bread dough. Warm water, about 105 to 110 degrees F., and a little added sugar will get the yeast started and help produce a successful product. We enjoyed the pretzels with marinara sauce and continued our discussion of this book and others while munching away. Since the pretzels have to be baked quickly after shaping (this is one yeast dough you don't have to wait for since it only requires a 30 minute time for raising) our readers practiced shaping pretzels with "goop". Goop is a home-made silly putty-type product that reacts very much like some yeast bread doughs (the recipe for goop will be posted at a later date).

Try Soft Pretzels at home:
1-1/2 cups lukewarm water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/4 cup instant nonfat dry milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, beaten
5 to 6 cups bread flour
1 egg, beaten
About 2 tablespoons coarse salt

Lightly grease 2 large baking sheets. In large bowl, dissolve yeast in lukewarm water; add about 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Allow yeast to begin to grow. Add the dry milk, remaining sugar, and salt, stir to dissolve. Stir in the vegetable oil and eggs. Add flour, 1 cup at a time until the dough is soft, but not too sticky. Stir after each addition until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover dough with plastic wrap to prevent drying and allow dough to raise for about 30 minutes. Roll pieces of dough into ropes about 1/2 inch in diameter and 18 to 24 inches long. For easier shaping, roll dough in 4 to 5 stages, allowing a resting period between each handling. This will allow the dough to "shrink back" after being stretched so it will keep its form more easily. Form into pretzel shape by placing the dough on cookie sheet to form a circle, twist the ends and lay twisted ends across the circle and press to seal for a traditional pretzel shape. For pretzel sticks, cut dough in 5 to 6 inch lengths. Brush tops of pretzels with beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake immediately 12 to 15 minutes, until brown and crisp. Makes 12 to 15 large pretzels.
Variations:
For a chewier pretzel, drop formed pretzel dough in a bowl with 2 cups warm water and 2 tablespoons baking soda (stir often). Leave pretzel for 10 seconds on each side. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush with egg and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake about 30 minutes.
For sweet pretzels, dip formed pretzels into melted butter and either plain sugar or a cinnamon-sugar mixture (1/2 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon).
For Italian pretzels, dip formed pretzels into melted butter then sprinkle with a mixture of 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese and 1 teaspoon garlic salt; serve with marinara sauce.

June, July & August? Thoughts from Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

2010-04-02T13:47:00.000-07:00

We haven't held the Mom and Me Book Club during the summer months in the past but will continue the meetings on through the summer if participants would like to continue. Give it some thought and we will discuss it on April 8th. If you would like to continue through the summer, think of some books you'd like to read. We won't have to make a decision until the May 13th meeting.
Our book selection this month has an "afterword", an extra bit the author added after the end of the story that was written for the special thirty-fifth anniversary edition of the book. Yes, it is an extra bit of reading but very worthwhile. In the afterword, the author states the following: "'Angel' became part of Claudia's story about finding herself, abut how the greatest adventure lies not in running away but in looking inside, and the greatest discovery is not in finding out who made a statue but in finding out what makes you." One of the things I like most about reading is the learning you get to do without the worry of testing! Reading a wide variety of material helps each of us find out what makes us.
Toward the end of the book, Claudia said to Mrs. Frnkweiler that she should be learning one new thing every day. Mrs. Frankweiler replied: "But you should also have days when you allow what is already in you to well up inside of you until it touches everything." That's what our monthly book club allows - it gives time for us to think about the books and the joy that comes from reading.

Book Selection for April 8

2010-03-30T13:51:00.000-07:00

For our meeting on Thursday, April 8, we will be discussing
From The Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
by e. l. konigsburg. Have you noticed that the author's name is in all lower case letters on this book? It is the same on the mysterious edge of the heroic world, another book by this same author.
Even the title of the second book is written in lower case. It makes me wonder why they were printed that way when it goes against all the rules for capitalization. Published authors do seem to have more leeway in breaking the rules. The same year Ms. Konigsburg won the Newbery Award for From The Mixed-up Files ... she also won a Newbery Honor Medal for The View From Saturday. She is the only author to have won a Newbery and been a runner-up in the same year. By the way, her name on The View From Saturday appears in all capitals.
Have you figured out why the book is titled From The Mixed-up Files of ...? Would you ever think to run away TO a Museum of Art? I wouldn't have been brave enough or lucky enough to stay hidden for very long. What do think of their method of doing laundry or taking a bath or even where they slept? How would you feel if you had to do your own laundry and find all your own food?
This book does mention more food than some we have read. Do any of you have ideas for something we should make? Let me know if you do! I have a few ideas but always welcome suggestions.
In the book the characters, Claudia and Jamie, refer to each other by nicknames. Do you use any nicknames with family members or friends? Do you have any nicknames? How do nicknames get started? How do you think people feel about them? Can a nickname be either a positive label or a negative label? So many things to think about. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone on April 8, at 4:30 pm.

March Recipe - Hard Cooked Eggs & Deviled Eggs

2010-03-18T14:28:00.000-07:00

HARD COOKED EGGS
Place eggs in warm water in saucepan; heat to boiling, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 15 to 25 minutes (times will vary with the beginning temperature of the eggs and the number of eggs in the pan). When done, immediately run the eggs under cold water; ice may be added to the water to help chill the eggs completely. Eggs that are not quickly and completely cooled will be more difficult to peel and a green ring may form around the yolk from over-cooking.
Note: When cooking eggs for dyeing at Easter, do not use an aluminum pan. The aluminum will not allow the eggs to absorb the dye evenly.

DEVILED EGGS
6 hard-cooked eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
About 3 tablespoons salad dressing or mayonnaise (enough to moisten)

Cut peeled eggs in half lengthwise. Slip out yolk; mash in small bowl with fork. Mix in seasonings and salad dressing. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a fluted tube, and fillup the white halves with the mixture.

GRANDMA'S DEVILED EGGS
Hard-cooked eggs
Onion salt
Prepared mustard
Worcestershire sauce
Salad dressing or mayonnaise

Place egg yolks in a small mixing bowl, mix lightly with electric mixer. Add onion salt, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and salad dressing or mayonnaise to taste. Fill the egg white halves with the egg yolk mixture.
Note: My grandmother was a terrific cook but rarely used a written recipes and measured most ingredients by "eye" - a dash of this and a splash of that.
Good luck and Enjoy!

Our March Meeting

2010-03-12T13:17:00.000-08:00

The March book selection from the classics, The Wind in the Willows, is a great book to add to your reading list. It's a challenge in a very good way. Written in 1908, it has very rich vocabulary loaded with adjectives and adverbs. Many of the words are commonly used but may not be as well known by younger readers. I've listed some of the words on the blog previously and will list more in the future. It helped me to rejuvenate my vocabulary and once again get acquainted with the dictionary. The four main characters, Rat, Mole, Badger and Toad, have very human characteristics. The group agreed that we all knew people who behaved like the animals. In some cases, that's a very good thing since Rat, Mole and Badger all have very good traits. This classic tale was adapted by Disney to make a short cartoon movie and a ride at Disneyland, Toad's Wild Ride.

Since not too many foods are mentioned in the story, coming up with a food activity was a bit of a challenge also. Eggs were mentioned a couple of times and since Toad was a devilish sort of character, Deviled Eggs were chosen for the month.

Elle and Anna are popping the egg yolks out of the whites after they cut the eggs in half.Elle is mixing he egg yolks with the other ingredients to get it ready to be put into the egg whites. The girls then filled the eggs using a pastry bag fitted with a star tip to make the process fun, easy and decorative. Good job, girls!

Our March Meeting

2010-03-09T15:46:00.000-08:00

We will be meeting this Thursday at 4:30 to discuss "The Wind in the Willows" and trying a new food adventure - I promise: no frog legs!!! Here are more vocabulary words to help you out.
dismal - cheerless and depressing; dark and gloomy.
dubiously - causing doubt; not predictable; uncertain.
ere - prior to; before in time.
imperiously - characterized by an attitude of command; domineering; arrogant; urgent.
oratory - the art of public speaking; eloquence.
paroxysm - a sudden and violent outburst, as of emotion or action.
placid - having a smooth surface or nature; unruffled; calm.
reproachfully - to charge with or blame for something wrong; to bring discredit and disgrace upon; the act of reproof; rebuke.
sniggering - snickering.
sonorous - productive or capable of sound vibrations; loud and full-sounding.
squandered - to spend money, time, etc., wastefully.
subtle - characterized by cunning, or artifice; crafty; clever.
sullenly - obstinate and gloomy; morose; glum; melancholy.
uncouth - rough; crude; unrefined.
waft - to carry or bear gently or lightly over air or water; to convey as if on air or water; to float, as on the wind.

More Great Words from "The Wind in the Willows"

2010-03-05T11:34:00.000-08:00

The more I read, the more great words I find! Here are a few more to add to your vocabulary.

anchorage - any place that makes something stable or secure.
debonair - nonchalant; pleasantly gracious; cheerful; lively.
guineas - an British gold coin; equal to 21 shillings.
heath - any of a large genus of hardy evergreen shrubs; an area of open land overgrown with coarse plants.
impromptu - made, done or uttered on the spur of the moment.
languorous - weakness, fatigue; fail in health or vitality; grow listless.
persistence - the act, condition, or quality of staying with something.
provender - provisions; to provide with food.
rasher - a thin slice of meat, especially bacon.
sixpence - a British silver coin of the value of six pennies, equivalent to half a shilling.
somnolence - oppressive drowsiness or inclination to sleep.
vouchsafed - to grant, as with condescension; permit; deign.

The Wind in the Willows Vocabulary

2010-03-02T13:56:00.000-08:00

This month we are reading The Wind in the Willows which was first published in 1908. Kenneth Grahame, the author, began writing this book as a letter to his young son, Alistair. He had never thought about having it published but it has become a classic. While the rich vocabulary depicts the time period, it may making reading it a bit harder for today's reader. I thought it might be helpful to have a quick reference to the language and vocabulary and so will be listing words that caught my interest. Which words have you wondered about?
allude - to refer without express mention; make indirect or casual reference.
assented -express agreement; consent.
baccy - berry or berries.
copses - a thicket or bushes or small trees.
cudgel - a short, thick club.
forelocks - a lock or hair growing over the forehead.
forthwith - immediately.
hedgerow - a dense row of bushes, trees, etc., planted as a hedge.
insatiable - incapable of being satisfies; extremely greedy.
jerkin - a close fitting jacket or vest, usually sleeveless; often of leather.
penitence - knowing your own guilt and being resolved to make amends or do better.
settle - a long seat or bench generally of wood, with a high back, often with arms and sometimes having a chest from seat to floor.
valorous - to have courage or personal bravery.

February - The Perfect Month for Chocolate

2010-02-16T12:47:00.000-08:00

We had a great time discussing Milton Hershey - Young Chocolatier, on Thursday, Feb. 11. It's eye-opening to read about how difficult his childhood was and how many times he failed before becoming really successful. I kept expecting the book to talk about his experience with chocolate and instead most of it is about his experience making other types of candy, especially caramel. Did you know they put paraffin wax in caramels at one time? The book about his childhood and eventual success is much like Hershey's Chocolate - it's hard to put down and the more you read the more you want to read. It's amazing to learn what he was able to accomplish and how much he and his wife, Kitty, gave back to the community.
I highly recommend this book to any one wanting to learn more about Milton Hershey or who would like to read a good biography. I was equally impressed with the comments made by our readers, Anna, Emily and Miranda.
We made a Creme Filling to pipe into chocolate cupcakes and frosted them with Hershey's Milk Chocolate frosting. The girls are getting very adept at handling pastry bags and frosting. We even used pink sprinkles on top for Valentine's.

Make your favorite chocolate cupcakes or prepare purchased cake mix. Let cupcakes cool.

Creme Filling

1 -7 oz. container marshmallow cream
1/2 cup softened butter
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon salt

With electric mixer beat ingredients together until fluffy. Add in a few drops of red food coloring if you would like pink filling.
Attach a large plain tip to a pastry bag and fill with cream. Insert tip into cupcake and fill until cupcake slightly expands.
Frost with your favorite chocolate frosting.
Enjoy!

The girls are busy making the cream filling
and piping it into the cupcakes. Yum!

2010-01-29T15:54:00.000-08:00

For February 11 - Milton Hershey Young Chocolatier
by M. M. Eboch
Read about the childhood of this famous American and get reading
for a yummy chocolate experience (just in time for Valentine's
Day and the founding of Hershey's Chocolate on Feb. 9, 1894).

For March 11 - The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
Get an introduction to the classics as you read about Toad, Mole,
Rat, and Badger who keep their animal characteristics and might
remind you of some people you know.

For April 8 - From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
by E. L. Konigsburg
This Newbery Award Book is about Claudia, who decides she
doesn't want to run from somewhere as much as she wants to
run to somewhere. She invites her younger brother, Jamie,
since he has money and can help with her cash-flow problem.
Read and learn about their adventures while living at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

For May 13 - The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry
A humorous look at four children from an old-fashioned kind
family, who think they ought to be orphans since literary
characters such as Anne of Green Gables, Pollyanna, and
James with his giant peach are all orphans. Little do they
know, their parents are thinking of another tale ---
Hansel and Gretel...

The "Princess Academy" and Purple AuGratin Potatoes

2010-01-14T17:05:00.000-08:00

Reading Princess Academy proves why Shannon Hale was given the Newbery Honor Award. Her writing is easy to relate to and the type that keeps you wanting to read 'just a few more pages!'.
The characters are true-to-life; Miri, the mountain girl who isn't sure what she really wants and the other girls at the Academy who show typical traits such as jealousy and pride. The Academy students are successful in spite of Tutor Olana in some cases because she isn't positive or encouraging with the girls. Students like Miri often feel challenged and achieve even more just to prove they can. The story has enough twists and turns to make you want to jump to the end but it's worth reading page by page so you don't miss out on anything.
It was much harder coming up with a recipe for this month since little mention is made of any food through most of the book. It does mention that all the girls get to eat for dinner one night are plain cooked potatoes. I started thinking that potatoes were much like the girls who started at the Academy - often thought of as plain and even dirty and not of much worth. With a little work and a few extra ingredients (learning to read for the girls) each can grow into something wonderful. We sampled Au Gratin Potatoes made with purple potatoes! The potatoes are easy to grow just like any other potato, you just need the right potatoes to start with. Club participants were given purple seed potatoes and directions for growing their own potatoes next summer.
The greatest compliment a cook can get is when someone asks for seconds! Thanks Erin for making this cook feel so good.
The recipe follows:

Au Gratin Potatoes
10 potatoes
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup
2 cups sour cream
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
Bread crumbs or crushed corn flakes for topping

1. Boil the potatoes, then grate and set aside.
2. While the potatoes are cooking, melt the butter in a large sauce pan or Dutch oven, add the onion and saute until tender.
3. Add the undiluted soup, sour cram and cheese to the butter and onion mixture and stir to combine.
4. Heat the mixture until the cheese is completely melted and it forms a creamy cheese sauce.
5. Remove from heat and add the grated potatoes. Fold-in until blended.
6. Pour into a 13x9-inch pan. sprinkle with bread crumbs or crushed corn flakes.
7. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
8. Enjoy!

Discussion Questions for "Princess Academy"

2010-01-08T12:55:00.000-08:00

I love books and authors that include extras. If you look in the back of Princess Academy,there is a preview of Book of a Thousand Days, A conversation with Shannon Hale, and a Reading Group Guide for Princess Academy. There are 10 great questions; we will go over a few of those and probably some topics not listed there. Coming up with a cooking activity for this book was a bit more of a challenge than it was for the other books we've read, but I did come up with a fun recipe. It's a bit of a standard recipe but will be made with a twist - there always has to be a surprise of some sort for our book club. We will meet next Thursday, Jan. 14 at 4:30, here at The Purple Cow. I'm looking forward to talking about Shannon Hale's Newbery Honor book and, as always, eating! Yum!

POSSIBLE NEW MEETING DAY!

2009-12-16T15:15:00.000-08:00

Our meetings may move to the second Thursday of each month beginning in January, 2010.
The beginning time would still be 4:30. Please call or let us know at the bookstore if this change would still be convenient for everyone or not. We will be reading Princess Academy by Shannon Hale for January and Milton Hershey, Young Chocolatier by M. M. Eboch for February.

Our book selection for January, 2010.
Our book selection for February, 2010 -- think of the recipe possibilities for this one!!!

October Meeting

2009-09-24T08:48:00.000-07:00

For the meeting on October 13, (at 4:30) we will be reviewing "My Haunted House" by Angie Sage.
It is the delightful first book in a series of five books. The series is geared toward 2nd to 3rd grade readers but it is a great read for all ages. It's funny, creative and packed with illustrations by Jimmy Pickering. Come and join us as we explore with Araminta Spookie, also known as "Minty", and her adventures as she searches for ghosts in the home of her aunt and uncle. Aunt Tabby wants to sell the house and move to a modern home where the boiler won't blow up and cover her with soot. Minty doesn't want to move because she feels close to finding a ghost and so develops her "awful ambush" to scare away possible buyers. Find out what her plan involves and if it is successful and of course there is always a food experience tied in with the book theme. I love the Mom and Me Book Club because it has given me a reason to explore new books that I wouldn't have read and to have fun with food, a life-long interest of mine. Our selections have become some of my favorites - "Granny Torrelli Makes Soup" by Sharon Creech, "The Frog Princess" by E. D. Baker (soon to be released as a movie by Disney), and the selection for this month, "My Haunted House" by Angie Sage. Picking a favorite book is like picking a favorite flavor of ice cream - there isn't just one!
Hope to see you then!

2009-09-14T13:34:00.000-07:00

We had a great first meeting! We discussed "The Secret School" by Avi which gives the reader a look into a one room school in Elk County, Colorado, in 1925. The school is closed when the teacher leaves to care for her sick mother. The 8 students, grades 1 - 8, want to keep the school going, so vote to have Ida Bidson, an 8th grader, to be their teacher. Since the School Board has decided to close the school, the students must keep their activities secret. The book covers the problems faced by the students and new teacher and the feelings of community members, including the School Board President who believes girls don't need an education. The story gives the reader a look at education in a very rural setting where students have to travel 5 miles with no bus service, having multiple grades in one room, a young but very determined teacher who must help the other students pass year end exams as well as keep her own studies going, and dealing with a fellow student who is a bit of a discipline problem. We discussed the advantages and disadvantages of a small school and what it would be like to teach other students your own age and younger.
To go along with the school theme, we made apple crisp - an easy and tasty variation on the "apple for the teacher" theme. Erin did a terrific job of helping to prepare the apples and getting everything ready to cook in the microwave. We agreed that the apple crisp would be even better with ice cream, but enjoyed it warm from the oven even without the ice cream.
Erin followed all the safety rules while peeling and slicing the apples.

Erin is making sure there is no peel left on the Granny Smith before slicing and putting it into the dish for cooking.

Erin is placing the Apple Crisp in the microwave which will cook the apple while keeping the color beautiful.

Erin and her mom, Jennifer, enjoy the apple crisp.

We even had a lucky future reader, Ashlynn, stop by to enjoy a taste of the apple crisp.
Here is the recipe for you to enjoy:
APPLE CRISP
2 large apples
1-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons margarine
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup oatmeal
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1. Peel, slice, and core apples. Place in microwaveable casserole dish and sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent browning.
2. Melt margarine in microwave in small mixing bowl.
3. Add brown sugar, oatmeal, flour, and cinnamon; stir together until crumbly.
4. Sprinkle topping over apples.
5. Microwave on HIGH power 3 to 4 minutes or until apples are tender.

READ A BOOK ... LEARN TO COOK WITH THE MOM AND ME BOOK CLUB!

4:30 Start Time for Meetings

2009-09-01T11:17:00.000-07:00

PLEASE NOTE: We will be starting our meetings at 4:30 instead of 4:00 to make it easier for moms and daughters to get here after school. Hopefully that will make it easier for everyone. I'm excited about this year --- Read the book and learn to cook!

Fall Schedule for Mom and Me Book Club

2009-08-07T14:57:00.000-07:00

Our meetings this year will be on the second Tuesday of every month, with the first meeting on Sept. 8, at 4:00 pm. We will be discussing The Secret School by Avi for the first meeting. We will meet Oct. 13, to discuss My Haunted House by Angie Sage, which is the first book in the Araminta Spookie series. On Nov. 10 we will discuss The Fairy-Tale Dectectives, the first book in The Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley. All three books are wonderful to read and great additions to our book list and will hopefully include fun food experiences. The food experiences will remain a surprise until the meeting!
There will be a club fee this year - $15.00 for the fall months for mom and one daughter; each additional daughter will be an additional $7.50. The fees will help cover the cost of the food activities which we will continue this year. I'm looking forward to meeting once again, discussing the new "reads" and trying new food experiences with everyone. Watching the girls get involved and listening to their impressions of the books was always a highlight of our meetings.
You can come in and sign up for the fall meetings at any time. As before, we encourage new members, and while the book list has been selected for the January through May months, recommendations are always welcome.

"The Frog Princess" and a new movie

2009-07-03T08:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I was talking with two members of our Mom and Me Book Club - Sara and her mom Tina. Tina mentioned the new Disney movie "The Princess and the Frog" as being a great subject for the Club blog. A great suggestion! Have you seen the previews yet? The title for the movie is not the same as the book but the similarities of the story line are there. Does the movie come out in September? If any of you see the movie you will have to let us know how it is. It looks good from the previews and Disney usually does a superb job with movies from great stories. How great is it to be able to say you read the book before the movie came out!?! There are also movies coming out based on popular books "Where the Wild Things Are", "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" and also "The Sisters Grimm". Remember, never judge a book by it's movie! We've read three books that have been made into movies - "Ella Enchanted", "The Secret Garden", and now, "The Frog Princess". Do you read the book before seeing the movie? Does seeing the movie encourage you to read the book? How do you compare the books with the movies made from them? We may have to compare books to the movies in one of our future meetings: which do you prefer, how do they differ, how is the story changed for the movie? I'm looking forward to seeing you in the fall and hearing about what you've been reading. Enjoy the summer!

2009-06-23T12:39:00.000-07:00

Alas, alas, the rain didn't go away and we weren't able to go to The Secret Garden at Thanksgiving Point. We may try to reschedule for later in the summer or early fall - possibly to restart the group in the fall??? Let me know your schedule if you see me in the store when you are here. The gardens are beautiful throughout the seasons so there is no problem going later.
I've been busy reading books to select possibilities for next year. If you have any suggestions or titles you would like to see on the reading list you can call the store (435-882-9805), drop in and leave a message or respond here by clicking on the comment icon. It would be great to get the entire list for the year put together so everyone would know what to expect. The food activity for each meeting may remain a mystery. Anticipation is half the fun! We will start monthly meetings in September, skip December since it's so busy for everyone, resume in January and finish in May for the year. Invite friends to be a part of our Mom and Me Book Club. I have thoroughly enjoyed the books; "Granny Torrelli Makes Soup" has become one of my all time favorites and I now recommend it to readers of all ages.
Enjoy your summer and keep on reading.......

2009-06-15T12:15:00.000-07:00

Rain,rain,go away! We will be traveling to the Thanksgiving Point Gardens on Wednesday, June 17, unless it rains! The plan is to meet at the store at 9:00 am, then travel to Thanksgiving Point. Remember to bring a camera, sun screen, bug repellent, water, and maybe a hat to protect you from the sun (is that wishful thinking on my part?). Admission is $10.00 for adults and $6.00 for children. You are welcome to bring other family members or friends. We should get to the Gardens by 10:15, and will plan to begin our "tour" when we all get there. The Gardens would be beautiful, even in the rain, but not too pleasant to walk around the rain. In the case of rain, we will cancel the trip until it can be rescheduled. Our book selection, "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett, is a wonderful classic. The movie doesn't follow the book exactly. Both are very good, but the book is my favorite of the two.
Please come with suggestions for the reading list for next year, or drop in at the store and leave your suggestions any time. I hope you are all enjoying the summer. Rainy days are perfect for curling up with a good book.

June Meeting and Summer Clubs

2009-05-29T09:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon we discussed "Ella Enchanted", sampled Amish Friendship Bread and shared the recipe and a batch of starter for the bread. The bread recipe is like Ella's "gift" in that you have to follow orders (directions in the recipe) in order for it to turn out correctly. It was agreed that having "the gift" of following orders would not be easy. It was also a good idea that Lucinda had to experience her own "gift" of following orders to experience what others had been through. The story line was similar to "The Frog Princess" - it was easy to confuse the two books in the beginning. Thanks to everyone who attended. It's great to hear what the girls and moms think about the books.
Next month we will be reading "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett" and traveling to The Secret Garden at Thanksgiving Point on Wednesday, June 17, instead of having our discussion at the store. We will meet in the back parking lot at 9:00 am to drive down. The Gardens open at 10:00 am and it should take about an hour to drive there. Admission is $10.00 per adult and $6.00 per child; there is a coupon for $2.00 off each ticket in the Hometown Magazine if you still have it. Bring a camera, sun block, and water. You are welcome to bring other family members. This will be our last meeting until September - check the store and blog for the fall start-up information. If you have any suggestions for the reading list for next fall, let me know.
We have other clubs at the book store for this summer:
P.S. You'll Love My Book! - Ages 10 & up; review a book you've read, sign up to film a 2 minute book review to be posted on our blog. Every Friday beginning June 5th through August 14th, 2:00 pm.
Doodle All Day! Drawing Club - Ages 7 - 9; Fee: $18.00 per child; the group will meet every other Wednesday at 2:00 pm. Dates: June 3 - August 5. Have fun learning to draw.
The Daring Club for Girls - Ages 10 & up; Fee: $25.00 per girl; the group will meet every other Thursday at 10:30 am; Dates: June 11 - August 6; activities from "The Daring Book for Girls" and "The Double-Daring Book for Girls".
Eats, Shoots, and Leaves Club - Ages: Teens; Writing and story telling; the group will meet every other Thursday at 6:00 pm; Dates: June 4 - August 6; improve your writing and story telling talents.
There are sign-up sheets for each Club in the store. Check our calendar for other summer activities. Enjoy reading!

2009-05-18T14:33:00.000-07:00

Making Ice Cream in a Bag is fun but it does get cold! The girls are shown shaking the bags of ice cream while the bags are wrapped in a towel to protect their hands.

Passing the bags around the group while listening to "Cinder Edna" by Ellen Jackson; another twist on a standard fairy tale like "The Frog Princess" by E. D. Baker.

The Colovich girls listening during the book discussion.

Don't forget to check the information below about the meeting next month.

2009-05-18T12:23:00.000-07:00

In just 10 short days we will be meeting again to discuss "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine. How are you doing with the reading? I'm on Chapter 18 and enjoying it more and more the farther I read. This story is all about following orders - or directions, which is what a recipe is all about: following all of the directions. So many recipes, so little time. What recipe would fit the theme of the book? Any suggestions?
Please think about the June meeting. I'm thinking about meeting earlier in the morning, possibly on Wednesday, June 17, to travel to Thanksgiving Point to see their Secret Garden and discuss "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Check your schedules to see if this would fit. The Gardens are beautiful anytime and are usually less crowded during the week days than on the weekends. Bring a camera! Happy reading.

2009-05-04T16:12:00.000-07:00

For the last meeting when we discussed "The Frog Princess" we used a "magical" recipe and made Ice Cream in a Bag - yummy! Here is the recipe if you would like to try it at home:

ICE CREAM IN A BAG
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup milk or half & half (we used half & half)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup rock salt
1 pint-size resealable freezer bag
1 gallon-size resealable freezer bag
Ice cubes
1. Fill the large bag half full of ice; add the rock salt. Seal the bag to
prevent spilling.
2. Put milk or half & half, vanilla, and sugar into the small bag. Seal the bag.
3. Place the small bag inside the large bag and seal again carefully.
4. Shake until the mixture is ice cream, about 5 to 10 minutes. The bag can be
wrapped in a small towel or kids can wear gloves to protect their hands from
the cold.
5. Carefully wipe off the top of the bag, open and enjoy!
Note: The more you shake the bag (within reason) the smoother the ice cream
will be. Be sure to use the heavy-weight freezer bags; they are less likely to
leak than the lighter-weight food storage bags.

2009-04-21T11:50:00.000-07:00

We will have our next meeting to discuss "The Frog Princess" on Thursday, April 23 at 4:00 pm.
I'm excited to hear what you think of Emma and Eadric and their adventures. I have a fun food experience planned - something a bit magical to go along with the story. See you soon!

2009-04-14T16:04:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to the web site for E. D. Baker, author of "The Frog Princess". It's informative with sections for discussion questions, books, about the author, FAQ'S (frequently asked questions, news and more. There is even a contest! Check it out:
http://www.talesofedbaker.com

2009-04-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone is enjoying Spring Break. Are you reading? Have you noticed any similiarites between Rosie and Princess Emma and Bailey and Prince Eadric? What differences have you noticed? I found the more I read into the book, the more enjoyable it became. Girls, you did a great job when you picked "The Frog Princess". This is the first book in a series of five books. You may want to include these other books on your future reading list. I'm looking forward to our next meeting and maybe a "magical" food experience. What could it be??? Louise

2009-04-06T13:46:00.000-07:00

Here are the pictures from our last meeting. Not only are the girls doing a great job during the discussion of the book, but they get really involved in the after-discussion activity. "Getting the tiger out" by beating up on roll dough is a great way to deal with negative feelings and stress. Have any of you tried it at home yet? Let me know.
What will we do at our next meeting??? Since we are reading "The Frog Princess" we will have to do something magical. Any ideas?

Today's Meeting - March 26

2009-03-26T17:20:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a meeting. We discussed "Granny Torrelli Makes Soup". If you haven't read it yet, you should. It was a favorite with the girls and definitely one of my new favorites. The girls have amazing memories and are contributing to the discussions in a wonderful way. Many of the girls said their favorite part of the book was Granny's stories or the things that Rosie said, like "That Bailey!". Instead of working with pasta dough like Rosie and Bailey did in the book, the girls "got their tiger self out" by working with yeast roll dough. The group then sampled Ham and Potato Soup and Potato Refrigerator Rolls. Yum!! We will post pictures soon.
We will be reading "The Frog Princess" by E. D. Baker for our meeting on Thursday, April 23. The selection for May will be "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine.

March Meeting

2009-03-24T10:21:00.000-07:00

Don't forget - - - we will meet at The Purple Cow on Thursday at 4:00 pm to discuss "Granny Torrelli Makes Soup". Possible book selections for next month include: "The Princess Frog" by E. D. Baker, which puts a twist on the classic fairy tale. Instead of the frog turning into a prince when the princess kisses him, the princess turns into a frog! "Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls - Moving Day" by Meg Cabot is about a nine year old girl who likes rules, and has several of her own, but doesn't like the fact that her family is moving. "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine, a Newbery Honor book about Ella of Frell who was given a foolish fairy's gift at her birth - the "gift" of obedience. Here at the bookstore we say, "Never judge a book by it's movie!" If you happen to come to the meeting early you can take a look at the books to help make a decision for next month. See you soon!

2009-03-20T13:18:00.000-07:00

Another book to consider for our next reading selection is "Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls - Moving Day". This book is the first in a series by Meg Cabot and features a nine year old girl who likes rules and does not like the fact that her family is moving. Each chapter begins with a rule which is a great life lesson (with a little modification in some cases), such as "Rule #3 If You Don't Want a Secret Spread Around, Don't Tell It to Scott Stamphley" (page 27). We may not know Scott Stamphley but we all probably know someone who can't keep a secret. Meg Cabot also wrote the Princess Diaries Series. I hope your reading is coming along -- see you on Thursday. Louise

2009-03-17T14:14:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day! We will be meeting in just over a week on March 26, at 4:00 pm to discuss "Granny Torrelli Makes Soup". Does Rosie remind you of yourself at all? Do you ever get mad at your best friend? What helps you get over bad moods? What is your favorite soup? When do you like to have soup? Be ready to discuss the characters and the events in the book and enjoy ----- maybe some soup???? If you have any recommendations for our April book, email Louise, make a comment on the blog or call The Purple Cow Bookstore so availability can be checked. I've thought about the fairy tales "The Frog Princess" and "Ella Enchanted". I've also thought about "Three Cups of Tea", the young reader's edition; a nonfiction novel about building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. There are many others to choose from. "Granny Torrelli Makes Soup" is one of my new favorite books. I hope you are enjoying it!

Feb. Meeting

2009-03-06T08:27:00.000-08:00

We had a great meeting on Thursday, Feb. 26, to discuss "The Hundred Dresses". The girls made great comments and agreed that even though the book was written in 1944, the topic of teasing about clothing, names, and general appearances are relevant today. We got so involved with the discussion and "designing" toast that we forgot to take pictures! The girls were very creative with the "Paint Brush Toast" activity. To try this at home, mix a few drops of food coloring with a small amount of milk in a small bowl; use one bowl for each color you want. Use small, clean paint brushes (I have some in the kitchen used just for food activities) and "paint" a design on bread. Avoid painting too much so the bread doesn't get soggy; then toast. The toasting will intensify the colors and help the design to show up.
Moms and daughters: if you have any ideas for books for next month, let me know so availability of selections can be checked. Keep reading! Louise

2009-02-23T14:06:00.000-08:00

Just A Reminder: Our February meeting will be this Thursday, Feb. 26, at 4:00 at the Purple Cow Bookstore. I'm looking forward to hearing your comments about "The Hundred Dresses" by Eleanor Estes. Feel free to bring one or two questions written down for the group to discuss. We will also do a quick, creative, fun food activity. See you soon!

2009-02-13T09:24:00.000-08:00

Our First Meeting
Moms introduced their daughters and daughters introduced their moms, books were selected for the first two months.
We read "Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons"
by Amy Krouse Rosentahal
and then made...

No Bake Cookies in the microwave! The girls did a great job reading the recipe and measuring.

With everyone's help the cookies turned out great! Everyone took a copy of the recipe and some cookies home to enjoy.

NO BAKE COOKIES (in the microwave)

Ingredients
2 cups sugar l
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup milk
4 tbsp. margarine
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 cups oatmeal

1. Measure oatmeal into small mixing bowl, set aside.
2. Measure peanut butter, set aside.
3. In large mixing bowl, mix sugar, cocoa, milk and margarine.
4. Heat sugar, cocoa, milk, and margarine mixture in microwave oven until it boils for 60
seconds. Mixture will double in volume! Be sure to use a large bowl. You can stop the
microwave and stir the mixture to be sure all ingredients are well blended before it comes
to a boil.
5. Remove from the microwave, stir and cool for 1 minutes.
6. Add peanut butter (the heat will help it to mix in easily), stir well.
7. Add a pinch of salt and vanilla, stir well.
8. Add oatmeal, stir well.
9. Scoop cookies onto wax paper - work quickly so the mixture will not set up in the bowl.
Cool and enjoy!
NOTE: Do not double recipe in the microwave - the sugar mixture will boil over!

2009-02-06T15:33:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all the moms and daughters who came to our first meeting. The girls did a great job of selecting our first two books to read. We will discuss "The Hundred Dresses" by Eleanor Estes, a Newbery Honor book, at our next meeting, Feb. 26. For our March meeting we will be reading "Granny Torrelli Makes Soup" by Sharon Creech. The girls also proved to be superb cooks by making No Bake Cookies in the microwave. Did you share your cookies with family? Have any of you made cookies at home yet? I'm looking forward to talking about the book and cookie making! Louise

Mother -Daughter Garden

2009-01-20T11:34:00.000-08:00

In preparing for our first meeting we thought you would enjoy
the following:

"When we share the experience of reading with our children, books
create a garden, a special corner where our relationships can grow
alongside but apart from the crowded landscape of everyday life.

That's what the Mother-Daughter Book Club is all about. Staking
out that special garden space, tending it lightly together,inviting
a handful of others to join in, and sharing the harvest of pleasure
and discovery. And the growing season never ends!"
           "The Mother-Daughter Book Club" by Shireen Dodson p.15

Here's What's Happening

2009-01-09T11:11:00.000-08:00

At our first meeting help select our first reading selection. We will also begin collecting recipes inspired by your favorite books and have our first cooking experience!

Let the Bonding Begin

2009-01-09T10:19:00.000-08:00

Our first meeting for our Mother & Daughter group will be held on January 22nd at 4:00.

Call to reserve your place.