Titles for Book Clubs and a New Giveaway!

New Giveaway: The Red Tent

Enter to win a copy of The Red Tent by leaving a comment on this post by September 21, 2012. This is a copy I picked up at my local library's used book sale. I have bought many copies of this book the past few years to share with others. Read more about it below.

The following books received high ratings in my reading group and offer a lot of topics for successful discussion:

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
This book was a favorite of my group. This title easily resonates with female book clubs due to numerous, strong female characters throughout the story.

Book Description from amazon

     Her name is Dinah. In the Bible, her life is only hinted at in a brief and violent detour within the more familiar chapters of the Book of Genesis that are about her father, Jacob, and his dozen sons. Told in Dinah's voice, this novel reveals the traditions and turmoils of ancient womanhood--the world of the red tent. It begins with the story of her mothers--Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah--the four wives of Jacob. They love Dinah and give her gifts that sustain her through a hard-working youth, a calling to midwifery, and a new home in a foreign land. Dinah's story reaches out from a remarkable period of early history and creates an intimate connection with the past. Deeply affecting, The Red Tent combines rich storytelling with a valuable achievement in modern fiction: a new view of biblical women's society.

Twenty Wishes by Debbie Macomber

This book is part of the Blossom Street series but each one stands independently so you don’t need to have read others previously. In this title, the characters each make a list of twenty wishes or a bucket list. At our discussion for the meeting, each member was asked to construct their own list of things they would like to try or accomplish in the upcoming year. Several years later, many of our members continue this tradition and make a new list each year to share with the group as well as highlights of experiences they have crossed off their previous lists. Your group could even create a reading list- books that you would like to challenge yourself to read next year.

Book Description from amazon

     What Anne Marie Roche wants is to find happiness again. At thirty-eight, she's childless, a recent widow, alone. She owns a successful bookstore on Seattle's Blossom Street, but despite her accomplishments, there's a feeling of emptiness.

On Valentine's Day, Anne Marie and several other widows get together to celebrate…hope. They each begin a list of twenty wishes—things they always wanted to do but never did. Anne Marie's list includes learning to knit, falling in love again, doing good for someone else. When she volunteers at a local school, an eight-year-old girl named Ellen enters her life. It's a relationship that becomes far more involving—and far more important—than Anne Marie had ever imagined.

     As Ellen helps Anne Marie complete her list of twenty wishes, they both learn that wishes can come true…but not necessarily in the way you expect.

Loving Frank by Nancy Horan

This book revolves around the affair of Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah Borthwick Cheney and their life together following the demise of their marriages. It is fiction based on real occurrences and offers a lot of topics for discussion. For my group, this also provided the opportunity to learn more about architecture and we created a visual board of Frank Lloyd Wright’s work for our meeting. I love when you can further enhance the reading by learning about subjects that are detailed within the pages.

Book Description from amazon

     "I have been standing on the side of life, watching it float by. I want to swim in the river. I want to feel the current." So writes Mamah Borthwick Cheney in her diary as she struggles to justify her clandestine love affair with Frank Lloyd Wright. Four years earlier, in 1903, Mamah and her husband, Edwin, had commissioned the renowned architect to design a new home for them. During the construction of the house, a powerful attraction developed between Mamah and Frank, and in time the lovers, each married with children, embarked on a course that would shock Chicago society and forever change their lives.
     In this ambitious debut novel, fact and fiction blend together brilliantly. While scholars have largely relegated Mamah to a footnote in the life of America’s greatest architect, author Nancy Horan gives full weight to their dramatic love story and illuminates Cheney’s profound influence on Wright.
     Drawing on years of research, Horan weaves little-known facts into a compelling narrative, vividly portraying the conflicts and struggles of a woman forced to choose between the roles of mother, wife, lover, and intellectual. Horan’s Mamah is a woman seeking to find her own place, her own creative calling in the world. Mamah’s is an unforgettable journey marked by choices that reshape her notions of love and responsibility, leading inexorably ultimately lead to this novel’s stunning conclusion.
Elegantly written and remarkably rich in detail, Loving Frank is a fitting tribute to a courageous woman, a national icon, and their timeless love story.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

This was a popular title when it was released so your group likely has read this one. If not, you will definitely want to add it to your list. This memoir offers plenty to discuss and is an encouraging view of looking back at an unpleasant past and not letting it interrupt your present or future. The author does not bear any grudges toward her parents for their lack of care. She accepts her childhood with grace and understanding and does not let it define who she is or will become.

Book Description from amazon

     Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober, captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary, who painted and wrote and couldn't stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an "excitement addict." Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no appeal when she could make a painting that might last forever.

     Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life faded, the Walls retreated to the dismal West Virginia mining town -- and the family -- Rex Walls had done everything he could to escape. He drank. He stole the grocery money and disappeared for days. As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents' betrayals and, finally, found the resources and will to leave home.

     What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is not just that she had the guts and tenacity and intelligence to get out, but that she describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity. Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms.

For two decades, Jeannette Walls hid her roots. Now she tells her own story. A regular contributor to MSNBC.com, she lives in New York and Long Island and is married to the writer John Taylor.

Visit my sidebar for a complete listing of books my group has read.

Happy Reading!

Rebecca

 

Weekend Cooking: Homemade Pet Treats

We often make homemade treats for human family but what about our animal family? The Organic Dog Biscuit Cookbook by the Bubba Rose Biscuit Company is filled with items to treat your pet. All ingredients used in the recipes are safe for your four-legged friends and by making them yourself, you know exactly what products the item contains. Everything I have made out of this book has been a hit with Chloe, my three-year old Sheltie. Pictured above are The Elvis Pupsleys, a muffin that is a combination of peanut butter and banana, the King's favorite. I generally cut all of these recipes in half because they tend to make a large amount if you have only one pet.

The Elvis Pupsleys
2 c. oat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 c. carob chips
2 eggs
1 c. bananas (mashed and pureed)
1 c. peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tb. honey
1/2 cup safflower oil (can be substituted for olive oil or canola oil)

Preheat oven to 350. Peel, mash and puree bananas in a food processor. Combine all ingredients together and mix thoroughly. Place cupcake papers into a mini muffin pan. Spoon mixture evenly into the papers cloes to the top of the papers (the mix will not rise very much). Bake 10-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack. Store in airtight container in the refrigerator.

You will feel good about giving your furry family member a delicious, wholesome treat, and your pet will love eating them!
Happy Reading (and Cooking)!
Rebecca

This post is linked up to Weekend Cooking, a weekly meme hosted by Beth at Beth Fish Reads.

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

Book Description from amazon.com

     A deeply evocative story of ambition and betrayal, The Paris Wife captures a remarkable period of time and a love affair between two unforgettable people: Ernest Hemingway and his wife Hadley. Chicago, 1920: Hadley Richardson is a quiet twenty-eight-year-old who has all but given up on love and happiness—until she meets Ernest Hemingway and her life changes forever. Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for Paris, where they become the golden couple in a lively and volatile group—the fabled “Lost Generation”—that includes Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.

     Though deeply in love, the Hemingways are ill prepared for the hard-drinking and fast-living life of Jazz Age Paris, which hardly values traditional notions of family and monogamy. Surrounded by beautiful women and competing egos, Ernest struggles to find the voice that will earn him a place in history, pouring all the richness and intensity of his life with Hadley and their circle of friends into the novel that will become The Sun Also Rises. Hadley, meanwhile, strives to hold on to her sense of self as the demands of life with Ernest grow costly and her roles as wife, friend, and muse become more challenging. Despite their extraordinary bond, they eventually find themselves facing the ultimate crisis of their marriage—a deception that will lead to the unraveling of everything they’ve fought so hard for.
     A heartbreaking portrayal of love and torn loyalty, The Paris Wife is all the more poignant because we know that, in the end, Hemingway wrote that he would rather have died than fallen in love with anyone but Hadley.

My Ponderings:

     I want to begin by announcing that I thought this book was excellent! The book is a fictionalized story based on documented events which is narrated by Hadley Richardson, Ernest Hemingway's first wife, and covers the span of their relationship with a brief overview of their lives following. I was immediately drawn into the lives of these characters as they work at building a life together in 1920s Paris. Although their marriage is relatively brief, lasting approximately five years, the readers gets the sense that their relationship was a substantial part of their lives and who they were to become.

     I was instantly captivated by Hadley's voice and her ability to adapt to what is often a nontraditional lifestyle. She loved Ernest before he was well-known and successful, and ardently encouraged and supported his writing through difficult financial and emotional circumstances. I found myself questioning if his writing would have developed as quickly without the freedom she permitted him to focus entirely on his craft.

     It is clear that the author thoroughly researched these characters and the '20s lifestyle in Paris which featured characters such as Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. As large as a character as Ernest Hemingway was in real life as well as in this fiction, this really is Hadley's story. These are amazingly creative souls and through her viewpoint, we have the opportunity to see the destruction that was produced in creating their art.

     Ernest goes on to marry three times following his marriage to Hadley but she clearly left as great an impression on him as she does the reader of The Paris Wife. What appears as weakness in the beginning is revealed to be an incredible inner strength as she moves forward and finds the contentment that she had always been seeking.

Happy Reading,

Rebecca

What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

"It's Monday! What Are You Reading?" is a meme hosted by Sheila from Book Journey where readers share what they are currently reading, recently read, or plan to read next.

Currently Reading:

After finishing Paula McClain's "The Paris Wife," I was inspired to read more Hemingway.

Up Next:

My book club announced Deborah Harkness' "A Discovery of Witches" as the next selection. I know many book bloggers have read and enjoyed this book so I am excited to check it out.

Recently Finished:

I finished Helen Simonson's "Major Pettigrew's Last Stand" while on vacation. You can read my review here    

http://thekeytothegate.blogspot.com/2012/08/major-pettigrews-last-stand.html

Paula McLain's "The Paris Wife" was the last book that I finished and I hope to write up my thoughts to post soon. I LOVED this book!

The summer is quickly winding up and delivering us into fall. I hope everyone finds some time to enjoy the sunshine and curl up with a good book.

Happy Reading!

Rebecca

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson

Random House, New York, 2010          358 pages

"If we just keep dividing things up, each generation more people demanding their share of the goodies, it just all vanishes as if it never mattered."     ~ Major Pettigrew

From Publishers Weekly:
In her charming debut novel, Simonson tells the tale of Maj. Ernest Pettigrew, an honor-bound Englishman and widower, and the very embodiment of duty and pride. As the novel opens, the major is mourning the loss of his younger brother, Bertie, and attempting to get his hands on Bertie's antique Churchill shotgun—part of a set that the boys' father split between them, but which Bertie's widow doesn't want to hand over. While the major is eager to reunite the pair for tradition's sake, his son, Roger, has plans to sell the heirloom set to a collector for a tidy sum. As he frets over the guns, the major's friendship with Jasmina Ali—the Pakistani widow of the local food shop owner—takes a turn unexpected by the major (but not by readers). The author's dense, descriptive prose wraps around the reader like a comforting cloak, eventually taking on true page-turner urgency as Simonson nudges the major and Jasmina further along and dangles possibilities about the fate of the major's beloved firearms. This is a vastly enjoyable traipse through the English countryside and the long-held traditions of the British aristocracy.

My Ponderings:
     This is such a charming novel filled with endearing characters. Although it is a love story at root, it deals with a number of themes-- consumerism, the generation gap, dealing with loss, aging, family dynamics, the classes, and how one defines success.
     Major Pettigrew is an instantly likeable character and you will likely find yourself cheering him on as he promotes his view of good, old-fashioned values and manners and tries to find love for a second time with the enchanting Mrs. Ali. The world has changed dramatically throughout his lifetime, but Major Pettigrew has found a way to stay centered and keep focused on the greater outcome.
     The Churchill guns that were gifted to Major Pettigrew and his brother, Bertie, from their father, are inanimate characters within the sequence of events that unfold throughout the novel. Each brother was given a gun upon their father's passing and the pair of guns were to be united to the last living brother. Following Bertie's death, Major Pettigrew is eager to receive the second Churchill gun but Bertie's wife, as well as their daughter and Roger, the Major's son, have their own ideas of preservation. In the end, the Major learns that it was the not the gun that he should have coveted throughout the years, but a stronger relationship with his brother.
     The author paints a beautiful landscape for the characters to come to life in
the quaint town of Edgecome St. Mary in Sussex, England. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand is a reminder to hold tight to all that you find dear. Pour yourself a cup of your favorite tea, and enter into the English countryside through this delightful book.

"The world is full of small ignorances...We must all do our best to ignore them and thereby keep them small, don't you think?"   ~Mrs. Ali

Happy Reading,
Rebecca

Book Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations to Lori from Escape with Dollycas Into a Good Book for winning the giveaway of The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing!

Stay tuned for new giveaways coming soon!

I hope everyone is enjoying the last days of summer with some great reading!

Rebecca

Rest and Relaxation

I've been enjoying some much needed rest and relaxation in the beautiful Bahamas. I will return soon with more book'ish thoughts and news. I hope everyone is enjoying their summer with great reading!

Rebecca

The Elegant Simplicity of Plainsong

Plainsong by Kent Haruf

1999, Vintage Books - a division of Random House, Inc., 301 pages

From Publishers Weekly
In the same way that the plains define the American landscape, small-town life in the heartlands is a quintessentially American experience. Holt, Colo., a tiny prairie community near Denver, is both the setting for and the psychological matrix of Haruf's beautifully executed new novel. Alternating chapters focus on eight compassionately imagined characters whose lives undergo radical change during the course of one year. High school teacher Tom Guthrie's depressed wife moves out of their house, leaving him to care for their young sons. Ike, 10, and Bobby, nine, are polite, sensitive boys who mature as they observe the puzzling behavior of adults they love. At school, Guthrie must deal with a vicious student bully whose violent behavior eventually menaces Ike and Bobby, in a scene that will leave readers with palpitating hearts. Meanwhile, pregnant teenager Victoria Roubideaux, evicted by her mother, seeks help from kindhearted, pragmatic teacher Maggie Jones, who convinces the elderly McPheron brothers, Raymond and Harold, to let Victoria live with them in their old farmhouse. After many decades of bachelor existence, these gruff, unpolished cattle farmers must relearn the art of conversation when Victoria enters their lives. The touching humor of their awkward interaction endows the story with a heartwarming dimensionality. This is a compelling story of grief, bereavement, loneliness and anger, but also of kindness, benevolence, love and the making of a strange new family. In depicting the stalwart courage of decent, troubled people going on with their lives, Haruf's quietly eloquent account illumines the possibilities of grace.

My Thoughts
     Plainsong by Kent Haruf is a wonderful novel filled with delicately beautiful characters whose simplicity endears them to the reader. We are given a glimpse into the lives of each character as their stories intertwine over a brief course of time.
     The writing flows gently with dialog spilling into the story without quotation separation. At first, I was unsure of what to think of the format but I soon discovered that each sentence rolled perfectly into the next, presenting the story as a landscape in itself.
     The characters are genuine and instantly draw the reader's sympathy as each deals with their own emotional onslaughts. The book addresses how we adjust to life-changing experiences at different age levels with characters representing various stages of life. Each finds themselves at a crossroads, easing into their existence one day at a time. They are characters that will linger with you.
     The only negative was that it had to end. I wanted to keep reading about these people and see how their situations evolved and where life led them as time progressed. Plainsong defines how simplicity is sometimes all that is needed to create a story that enchants the reader.

Happy Reading!
Rebecca

What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

"It's Monday! What Are You Reading?" is a meme hosted by Sheila from Book Journey where readers share what they are currently reading, recently read, or plan to read next.

Currently Reading:

From the Cover: Ambitious, but never seeming so, Kent Haruf reveals a whole community as he interweaves the stories of a pregnant high school girl, a lonely teacher, a pair of boys abandoned by their mother, and a couple of crusty bachelor farmers. From simple elements, Haruf achieves a novel of wisdom and grace- a narrative that builds in strength and feeling until, as in a choral chant, the voices in the book surround, transport, and lift the reader off the ground. (From the citation for the National Book Award nomination)

Coming Up:

     

Recently Finished:

I recently finished reading Lambrusco by Ellen Cooney. You can read my thoughts on this novel here:
http://thekeytothegate.blogspot.com/2012/07/lambrusco-by-ellen-cooney.html

Current Giveaway:

My new giveaway is a hardcover copy of "The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing" by Melissa Bank.  * To enter, simply state in your comment that you are interested in this giveaway. The deadline to enter is Sunday, Aug. 19.

Happy Reading!

Rebecca

Wildlife Photography

Nature's Beauty

These pics are linked up to Saturday Snapshot, a super fun meme hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books. Head on over and check out some great photos!

A doe and her fawn we spotted just outside of our backyard earlier this week.
The humidity was so high that my camera lens kept fogging.

Mother tending to her baby's needs. Such a beautiful sight!

Take some time today to explore your surrounding and discover nature's beauty.

Rebecca

Lambrusco by Ellen Cooney

From the Cover:
     The year is 1943. The Nazis have invaded Italy; American troops have landed. At Aldo's restaurant on the Adriatic coast, Lucia Fantini, wife of the late Aldo, has entertained customers for years with her marvelous opera singing, but normal operations have ceased; the restaurant has been seized by nazifascisti, and a Resistance squad of waiters and local tradesmen have been formed, led by Lucia's son, Beppino. When he disappears after acting on his own to destroy a German truck, Lucia asks, "What kind of a partisan are you, blowing something up without telling your mother?" and sets off to look for him.
     Lucia is aided in her efforts by a richly drawn cast of characters, including Annmarie Malone, the U.S. Army Intelligence officer who was a professional golfer back home; Tito Rocuzzi, the butcher who taught neighborhood dogs to pee on Fascists' boots; Etto Renzetti, the factory owner who scoffs at Dante; and Ugo Fantini, Aldo's physician cousin, who has reasons of his own for wanting to be near Lucia.
     Lucia's journey across war-devastated Italy is operatic in scope and intensity. Ellen Cooney has drawn on her heritage as a third-generation Italian American  to invoke not only a country in crisis but also its literature, its moods, and most of all, its music. This is a tale of lyrical grace and an effervescent comic spirit to match the wine that nourishes them all- Lambrusco.

My Ponderings:
     I had not heard of this book prior to purchasing it. The lovely cover art is what first intrigued me. I love to read a book that draws me into a different culture. Lambrusco by Ellen Cooney is an immersion into WWII Italy. The days are bleak as the lead character and narrator, Lucia Fantini, takes the reader on a heart-wrenching tour of the country as she unsuccessfully tries to locate her missing son and find her voice along the way.
     Along the way, we discover the cost innocent civilians pay as their cities and country become occupied by the enemy, and the tragedies which occur not only to Italians but to the land itself. Although the setting is dark, it is a story about rebuilding- a widow learning how to create a new life for herself and a country determined to survive and keep its heritage alive.
     Often written in a stream of consciousness narration, the reader experiences each scene through Lucia's thoughts and recollections, even encountering her hallucinations after a head injury. Through the numerous characters, one sees how war leaves no life untouched. We travel along with them in a story set to musical composition. Underlying each memory and event is opera, the music of Italian legends.
     A beloved opera singer herself, Lucia discovers that her quest is not only to find her son, but to find herself- the courage to own her voice and use it to proclaim the love that she has remained silent about for far too long.


Happy Reading!
Rebecca

The Wonderful World of Blogging

Last week I won a giveaway from Lynne at Dreams on 34th Street and it arrived today!

Tucked inside the latest Somerset Life were all sorts of lovely goodies! I can't wait to curl up this weekend with this gorgeous book. Perhaps with a hot cup of tea and the Lemon Cookies she so graciously sent. Lynne definitely knows how to make her readers feel special. If you have not visited her blog, Dreams on 34th Street, you must do so! Be prepared to be inspired!

Happy Reading!

Rebecca

Wine and Books: A Lovely Combination

"Read as you taste fruit or savor wine, or enjoy friendship, love or life."

~ George Herbert, English Poet and Clergyman (1593-1633)

The trademark rooster of Watts Roost Vineyard in Lewisburg, W.Va.

I recently had the opportunity to visit Watts Roost Vineyard in Lewisburg, W.Va., and it was a lovely way to spend an afternoon. The vineyard was established in 1998 and is situated on nine acres. Enjoying a glass of wine is the perfect complement to a good book.

The vineyard provides a gorgeous backdrop for wine tasting.

Enjoying the fruits of the vineyard at home.

Books are a great way to learn more about wine. Wine Savvy: The Simple Guide to Buying and Enjoying Wine Anytime, Anywhere by Heidi Yorkshire is a great resource for discovering the differences among grape varieties and how to select the wine that best suits your taste. Wine, Food & Friends by Karen MacNeil is one of my favorite cookbooks. The photographs are beautiful and it is categorized by seasons offering wine selections for each recipe.

Treat yourself to an evening of relaxation and curl up with a glass of your favorite vino and a book.

Happy Reading!

Rebecca

An Italian Adventure

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?
"It's Monday! What Are You Reading?" is a meme hosted by Sheila from Book Journey where readers share what they are currently reading, recently read, or plan to read next.

I am currently reading "Lambrusco" by Ellen Cooney, author of "A Private Hotel for Gentle Ladies."

From inside the cover: "The extraordinary Resistance movement of the Italian people during the Second World War is brought to life in a captivating, deeply moving story of a mother's search for her son."

I recently finished reading Agatha Christie's "Murder on the Orient Express." This was my book club's latest selection and it was marvelous! I definitely plan to read more of Christie if I can ever get through the stack of books I already have.

Book Giveaway

My new giveaway is a hardcover copy of "The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing" by Melissa Bank. From amazon.com: Hailed by critics as the debut of a major literary voice, The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing has captivated readers and dominated bestseller lists. Generous-hearted and wickedly insightful, it maps the progress of Jane Rosenal as she sets out on a personal and spirited expedition through the perilous terrain of sex, love, relationships, and the treacherous waters of the workplace. With an unforgettable comic touch, Bank skillfully teases out universal issues, puts a clever, new spin on the mating dance, and captures in perfect pitch what it's like to be a young woman coming of age in America today.

*** To enter, simply state in your comment that you are interested in this giveaway. The deadline to enter is Sunday, Aug. 19.

Happy Reading!

Rebecca

How Does Your Garden Grow?

"A book is a garden, an orchard, a storehouse, a party, a company by the way, a counselor, a multitude of counselors."  ~ Charles Baudelaire

   
     Having only started gardening in the last few years, I am still a beginner gardener with much to learn and improve on. The first place I turn to when I need inspiration is to books. In today's excess of technology, sometimes it is nice to just unwind with an old-fashioned book to lead you in the right direction and inspire you to create something wonderful.

     One of my favorite little gardening books to peruse is In the French Kitchen Garden: The Joys of Cultivating a Potager by Georgeanne Brennan and Melissa Sweet. This charmingly illustrated book outlines each season, highlighting crops that can flourish if climate permits along with stories from the author's time in the French countryside where she first discovered the luxury of having a year-round kitchen garden. It is a lovely book to settle down with when you begin to plan your own garden.

     Cookbooks offer additional guidance for garden planning. If you find a particular vegetable that you think you would enjoy, add it to your planting list. The Farm to Table Cookbook: discover the joys of seasonal organic cooking by Parragon organizes recipes based on each season so that you are aware of which items have recently been harvested and are ready to devour. With this categorization, you can garner ideas for your own seasonal planting or for your shopping at your local farmers' market. Farm to Table offers elegant seasonal recipes to impress your guests.

     Where to start? Burpee: The Complete Vegetable & Herb Gardener: A Guide to Growing Your Garden Organically is an essential resource for the beginner gardener, providing details for each plant such as desired climate, growth time, potential disease, and much more. It is a book that you will return to often for planting advice or ideas on new varieties you would like to try to grow.

     Books can lead us on journeys to create a new way of living, teaching us that if we are merely willing to open our minds, we too shall grow.

Happy Reading!

Rebecca

         

Weekend Cooking: Pizzas on the Grill

Gwyneth Paltrow's 'My Father's Daughter'

I know what you were thinking when you first started seeing the publicity for Gwyneth Paltrow's cookbook, My Father's Daughter. I know because it was my first thought also- another celebrity who employees a full-time chef putting their name on some recipes and deeming that they have wrote a cookbook.

I'm glad that I moved past my initial thought and ordered this one! It really does feature some great (yet simple) recipes for everyday meals as well as beautiful photography. My recent pastime has been making homemade pizza dough. This always seemed to time-consuming and complicated to me but once I gave it a try, I have been eating a lot of pizza! I compared several recipes for pizza dough and this one from Paltrow's cookbook was the winner. It had simple, easy to follow directions. Although Paltrow makes her pizzas on a wood-burning oven, I have no such luxury in my backyard so I went with the old, stand-by grill and the result was exceptionally good. The secret is King Arthur's Bread Flour.

Here are the basics from My Father's Daughter:

For the dough, whisk together 3/4 cup warm water, 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, and three packages (or 2 tablespoons plus 3/4 teaspoon dry active yeast) in a large bowl and let stand until surface has a few little bubbles and is creamy, about five minutes. Add 1/2 cups water, 3 and 3/4 cup flour, 1 and 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, and 1 tablespoon course salt, and stir until smooth. White stirring, gradually add up to another cup of flour until the dough starts to pull itself from the edges of the bowl.
Knead the dough on a generously floured surface until elastic and smooth- it will take about 8 minutes of hard work. Dust the surface with flour as you go- you don't want the dough to stick. From the kneaded dough into a ball, dust with flour, and gently place in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. let ruse in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 and 1/2 hours. (You can let it sit up to a couple of hours or even overnight in the refrigerator.)

Tandoori Chicken Pizza- for this pizza, we marinated chicken in tandoori sauce and grilled prior, then added to the dough green and yellow bell peppers, a jalapeno pepper, cherry tomatoes, and smoked Gouda cheese.

The "Blythe's Blueberry Muffins" recipe is another one of our favorites which we have made several times. It just goes to show that you can't always judge a book by its cover.

Happy Reading (and Cooking)!

Rebecca

This post is linked up to Weekend Cooking, a weekly meme hosted by Beth at Beth Fish Reads.

My Prodigal Summer

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?
"It's Monday! What Are You Reading?" is a meme hosted by Sheila from Book Journey where readers share what they are currently reading, recently read, or plan to read next.

I just finished reading Barbara Kingsolver's Prodigal Summer. Such a beautiful book! I loved how the characters lives intertwined as the story progressed. It is definitely a book that I would recommend and one that will stay with me for a while. We have been having gorgeous weather here in West Virginia but a massive storm recently hit our region, leaving thousands to experience a long-term power outage. We were fortunate that our electricity was only out for one day. The heat remains and can be stifling at times but I can't remember summers with weather this nice since I was child. I have been trying to focus more on being in the present and taking the time to stop for a minute and enjoy nature's beauty. Prodigal Summer was a wonderful reminder of why I love living here and am so blessed to call it home.

A doe coming out from the woods in my backyard

This photo was taken at Barboursville Park in Barboursville, W.Va. where we regularly walk our Sheltie.

Barboursville Park

Chloe on a trail at Barboursville Park

A Carolina Wren on my teacup birdfeeder in my backyard

Flowers in the rock garden off of my back patio

Looking Up: A view of some treetops in my backyard

Up next I am reading:

My book club just selected Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express as our next book pick. I love being a part of a reading group because you are often reading material that you wouldn't initially select for yourself. Our last pick was Fifty Shades of Grey- from erotica to a classic murder mystery. The variety of genres is a good challenge for creating a well-rounded reader.

Happy Reading!

Rebecca

Girl Talk: Discussing Fifty Shades

Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James was my book club's recent selection. This book has definitely been the blockbuster of the summer with whispers at water coolers everywhere. I was curious to read this because of all of the hype and media attention it was receiving. Prior to reading it, I had several friends who described their experience with the book as they secretly turned the pages in private, fearing that their significant others were going to discover that they were reading such provocative material (even being dubbed female pornography).

Personally, I think these ladies need to loosen up and read some D. H. Lawrence. Neither Christian nor Anastasia were particularly likable characters and the story line did read like a bad porn movie. Demure girl walks into office of overly sexed, attractive male. A brief game of cat and mouse ensues before attraction is too great for either to resist. Girl finds herself in a bad script and enjoys the scene.

I wasn't offended by the material. If anything, it has created a platform for women to speak more openly about their sexuality and the bravado to own it.

The members of my group who had finished all three books let the rest of us in on how the relationship develops and I was disappointed to learn that the ending completely played into the stereotype of a female's notion of a happy ending - stripping all of the power that author could have given to a new generation of independent women.

It is worth reading so that you too can participate in the whispered discussions about this book that keeps popping up everywhere.

Laters, baby.
Rebecca