Book Review: Belong To Me

Book: Belong to Me

Author: Marisa de los Santos

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Brief synopsis:

I absolutely adored this book. It was a nice, light, but meaningful read. De los Santos also managed to give it a twist I never saw coming! It was fun, sweet and really showed the impact of friendship, and how those that are the most unexpected can sometimes be the strongest!

I will admit, the first chapters were a little slow for me and I wasn't sure if it was going to grip me, but by the third chapter, I started to realize that I was probably going to like this book and the deeper in I got, the more I fell in love with all the characters, some to my surprise. In the end, I loved it and was really glad I stuck with it!

Here is a brief description of the book:

Everyone has secrets. Some we keep to protect ourselves, others to protect those we love.

A devoted city dweller, Cornelia Brown surprised herself when she was gripped by the sudden desire to head for an idyllic suburb. Though she knows she's made the right move, she approaches her new life with trepidation and struggles to forge friendships. Cornelia's mettle is quickly tested by judgmental neighbor Piper Truitt, the embodiment of everything Cornelia feared she would find in suburbia. A saving grace soon appears in the form of Lake, and Cornelia develops an instant bond with this warm yet elusive woman.

As their individual stories unfold, the women become entangled in a web of trust, betrayal, love and loss that challenges them in ways they never imagined, and that ultimately teaches them what it means for one human being to belong to another.

There were a couple things I loved about how de los Santos wrote this book.

It told the story in the voice of three characters, which many authors do, but de los Santos chose to only make Corneila Brown's voice first person. The story was also told in the voice of Piper Truitt and Lake's son, Dev. Lake's story being told through her son Dev made Lake remain a mysterious character, which only added to the unveiling of the story in a unique way. The reader had to understand her, and her presence because she really is a presence, through her son, through Corneila and even a bit through Piper's judgmental eyes.

This is a book for someone who wants a light, Saturday afternoon read. It's book about love and friendship, how we can be shaped and challenged by others and how we can shape and challenge ourselves. Ultimately, it's really about finding happiness.

So, female friends out there, I encourage to try Marisa de los Santos! After having read this, I certainly am going to give her first novel, Love Walked In, a read!

Fainting Laura, Fainting Goats

So something that a lot of people don't know about me is that I faint... a lot. It's not really abnormal for me.

I was only six or seven years old the first time I fainted. It was because I was trying to jump up on the counter to sit and I hit my head on an open cupboard. It hurt. I fainted.

That's become a frequent occurrence in my life. Pain makes me faint. So does low blood sugar. So does blood rushing to my head. So do a lot of other random things.

Last night I fainted... really out of nowhere. I'm not sure what brought it on, but I could feel the rush and fuzziness in my head, much like a rapid, deep injection of anesthesia. I immediately crouched down in a ball place my head down, resting on my arms and let it pass. I was home alone so I don't know exactly how long I laid alone on my living room floor in the fetal position, but I would guess only a few minutes.

It was a very deep fainting incident and my head was woozy enough that I had to go immediately to bed. Needless to say, I fell asleep quickly and slept deeply for a solid nine hours. Maybe my body was telling me it is time to sleep.

When I got to work today, I told the story to my friend Jenni, who has heard of my fainting tales before. Jenni even got a visual aid of how I curled up last night to protect myself from the inevitable, which led another co-worker to come up behind us and say "What are you doing?!?!" We all laughed and I explained my visual aid.

Jenni, the mother of three, responded to today's story by saying, "How are on earth are you going to have kids?" My answer was simply, "Drugs. Lots of drugs."

After I told Jenni how I fainted again last night, she said she was going to start calling me a Fainting Goat. I hadn't known goats were known for fainting, but, of course, I was able to find a fun video of it to share from YouTube.



While I'm at it, I have a few funny stories to go along with my fainting.

The Fishing Boat Incident

I fainted on a fishing boat in the middle of the lake once (with my head between my legs, not sprawled across the boat or anything). I had caught a rusty fishing hook in my hand after jerking to hard on the line and saw a bit of blood and panicked. My mom got so wound up trying to save me (I was probably between 10 and 12 at the time), she almost knocked the boat over. We went to town and I got a tetanus shot and as fine.

The Postman and the Ambulance

Once, in college, I fainted from the blood rushing to my head while I got up from a nap. I was woken up suddenly from a knock at the door. It was the mailman with a package I needed to sign for my roommate. I could feel myself getting dizzy from the blood rushing to my head, but tried to force myself to sign for the package.

It didn't work. I fell straight backward and hit my head on the kitchen floor, breaking a wooden barrette that was holding my hair back, which led to a bit of bleeding from the back of my head (very minor we found out.)

The mailman came in, called 911 and some other girls who lived in my apartment revived me. We called one of my roommates, who was across the street at her boyfriends, and then my other roommate came in and said, "What the hell happened to you?"

We ended up having paramedics come, who because I was dizzy and had a cut on my head all thought it was best to bring me to the hospital. So I had my one and only ambulance ride. Meghann (my roommate) rode in the front of the ambulance, Melissa (my other roommate) drove behind us so we could have a ride home. I was in the back with cute paramedics and oxygen. I was, quite honestly, happy as a lark (minus feeling like a complete dope.)

The best part of the story is that when Meghann called my dad to tell him what happened, all he said was, "Oh, that's Laura for you!"

Recipe Box: The Heavyset Cheese Ball

I discovered this recipe last Christmas as I was seeking an appetizer recipe to bring to our work holiday party. It turned out gorgeous and tasted great. In short, it was a real hit! Thank you Amy Sedaris!

The Heavyset Cheese Ball on the Food Network

The Heavyset Cheese Ball

Recipe courtesy Amy Sedaris

Prep Time:15 minInactive Prep Time:8 hr 0 minCook Time:20 min

Level: Easy

Serves: 8 servings

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups whole natural almonds

1 (8-ounce) package of cream cheese

1/2 cup real mayonnaise

3 crispy cooked bacon slices, crumbled

1/2 teaspoon dill weed

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon chopped green onion

Sprigs, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Place and spread all the almonds on a cookie sheet or in a shallow pan, pushing the almonds around until they turn color, about 20 minutes.

Mix together the cream cheese and the mayonnaise. Add the bacon, salt and pepper, dill, and onion. Chill overnight.

On a serving platter, make 2 pine cone shapes with the cheese. Begin to press the almonds at a slight angle into the cheese, starting at the narrow end of the pine cone shape.

Do this in rows, continuing to overlap rows until all the cheese is covered. Garnish with fake sprigs, or real ones, or with rosemary.

Serve at room temperature and spread on crackers.

Book Review: How Starbucks Saved My Life

I love coffee. I start nearly each morning with a cup or two of coffee. I'm a pseudo coffee snob, but only pseudo at best.

I have a few friends who've worked at baristas and always thought it was fun to hear them talk about their experiences. I also love to hear them order coffee with a level of confidence and assertiveness for their very specialized, perfectly ordered coffees. I feel like I'm at amateur hour next to them.

In honor of my love of coffee, I am taking a moment to recommend a book I read this past year. It's a great read for those who love coffee and the culture, friendliness and customization that a great barista brings.

Book: How Starbucks Saved My Life

Author: Michael Gates Gill

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Brief synopsis:

There is no denying that Michael Gill's Starbucks application was atypical. For 25 years, this 63-year-old Yale alumnus had been a creative director at the prestigious J. Walter Thompson advertising agency. The privileged son of New Yorker writer Brendan Gill had grown up amid cultural elites, rubbing elbows with James Thurber, Ezra Pound, and Ernest Hemingway, among others. But now Gill's marriage, his six-figure job, and his own business were gone, and he was seeking a job at the local coffee shop. His account of his apprenticeship in cappuccino making and race relations are instructive and ultimately ennobling.

Give this one a try. It's fun. It's quick. It's uplifting. Michael Gates Gill learned a great lesson in humility through taking a position at Starbucks. We all could stand to learn something from him.

What's your drink of choice?

Mine is a latte, whole milk, no extra flavors-- I don't need that extra sugar and sweetness, no way! (When I'm trying to be good, I order skim latte, but the whole milk is deliciously richer.)

Let it Snow Slideshow

What a weekend! Between 15 and 20 inches of snow across the Twin Cities metro area. I took a few photos to capture the insanity! You can also view them by going to my Flickr account, choose Sets, choose 2010 Winter Blizzard.

I will say, the craziest thing of the weekend is that the Metrodome's roof collapsed. Check this out! New stadium? Yes, please!

The Art of Making Out

I love this.


Via: OnlineDating Blog

Christmas Cookie Baking

Tomorrow my sister and I will go to a Christmas cookie exchange at one of my good friend's homes. We have to make 6-8 dozen cookies each.

Erin didn't have much time to think about cookies, but because I am signed for for several e-mail recipe lists, and tis the holiday season, a few new cookie recipes have found their way to my e-mail inbox. I found a few that looked enticing including these two that we'll be baking:

• Slice and Bake Lemon Shortbread from Real Simple
• Red Velvet Rich and Creamy Cookies from Betty Crocker

Here are the recipes for those who are interested:

Slice-and-Bake Lemon Shortbread

• Makes 36 cookies
• Hands-on Time: 30m
• Total Time: 5hr 00m

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• coarse sanding or turbinado sugar for sprinkling

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, granulated sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla on medium speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until the flour is incorporated (dough will be crumbly but will hold together when squeezed in the palm of your hand).
3. On a piece of parchment, form the dough into a rectangular block, 12 by 2 by 1 inches (use a ruler or metal spatula to square off the sides). Wrap in the parchment and refrigerate until firm, about 3 to 4 hours.
4. Heat oven to 350° F. Cut the dough into ⅓-inch-thick slices and place on baking sheets spaced 1 inch apart; sprinkle with the coarse sugar.
5. Bake, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until the edges begin to brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool slightly on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days.

Tip

The dough can be frozen in a rectangular block, tightly wrapped, for up to 3 months. Let thaw until soft enough to slice; bake as directed, adding 2 to 3 minutes baking time.

Nutritional Information

Serving Size: 1 cookie, Calories 104; Calories From Fat 46; Fat 5g; Sat Fat 3g; Cholesterol 14mg; Sodium 14mg; Protein 1g; Carbohydrate 13g; Sugar 6g; Fiber 0g; Iron 0mg; Calcium 3mg
Advertisement

Red Velvet Rich and Creamy Cookies
Prize-Winning Recipe 2010! Create rich and dreamy cookies reminiscent of the classic red velvet cake.

Note: I consider using pre-made Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix (see below in recipe) to be cheating and taking away half the fun, so I'll be making my own sugar cookie dough then adding the remainder of the ingredients to the mix to make my Red Velvet Cookies. However, for the sake of not screwing up someone else's kitchen, I've just listed the recipe as it appeared from Betty Crocker.

Prep Time: 1 hr:10 min
Total Time: 1 hr:10 min

Makes: 36 cookies

• 1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon red food color
• 1 egg
• 3/4 to 1 cup Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy cream cheese frosting
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts

Preparation:

Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, cocoa, butter, sour cream, food color and egg until soft dough forms.

1. Roll dough into 1-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
2. Bake 8 to 9 minutes or until set. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
3. Frost cooled cookies with frosting. Sprinkle with nuts. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

Nutrition Information:
1 Serving (1 Cookie): Calories 100 (Calories from Fat 40), Total Fat 4 1/2g, (Saturated Fat 1 1/2g, Trans Fat 1g), Cholesterol 10mg; Sodium 65mg; Total Carbohydrate 15g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 9g), Protein 1g; Percent Daily Value*: Calcium; Exchanges: 1/2 Starch; 0 Fruit;1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk;0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 1 Fat; Carbohydrate Choices:1;*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

What Dreams May Come

So my dear friend Kari and I have a mutual fascination with dreams. It's a bond for us. We like to analyze our dreams together. For her birthday a couple years ago, I gave her a copy of a dream book I found at Borders (where I am a very, very part-time bookseller). It was by Pamela Ball. So now we joke that we need to consult Pamela Ball every time we have a dream that needs interpreting. So, as a tribute to Kari, and just because I think dreams are really interesting, I'll regularly tag posts related to dream themes.

Because I know no more scientific way to go about this (or am simply too lazy, more honestly), I"m going to use the website Dream Moods as my reference point for commentary on dreams in this blog. The only reason for choosing this site is because it was the first site that Google found. Thanks Google.

Last night I had many dreams about coworkers. The interpretation from Dream Moods seems pretty accurate to where I am at right now:

Coworker

To see your coworkers in your dream, highlights aspects of your waking relationship with them, including difficulties/support. It signifies your ambition, struggles and competitive nature. If the coworkers in your dream are not your actual coworkers, then they may pertain to some psychological business that you need to work on. Work-related dreams can also often be linked to stress at work.

This is not related to my dreams from last night, but here are a few other funny elements I've had in dreams in recent memory.

Hot Dogs

Several months ago I had a dream about a friend of mine walking around the office building handing out hot dogs. The analysis is about what one might expect it to be.

To see or eat a hot dog in your dream, is phallic symbol representing masculinity, sexual energy, and vigor.

Spaceship

I had a recent dream that really frightened and amused me. It involved my sister and I being attacked by a spaceship that was shooting green lasers at us.

To see a spaceship in your dream, symbolizes your creative mind. It denotes a spiritual journey into the unknown and signals self-development and self-awareness. Alternatively, the dream suggests that you need to take on a different perspective, no matter how bizarre or unusual it may be.

I guess I'll take the nod toward creative energies as a positive.

I wonder what I'll dream about tonight. No matter what it is, I know that if it is especially interesting, I'll wake up and think, "Oh, I must tell Kari!"

Book Review: Little Bee

Book: Little Bee

Author: Chris Cleave

My rating: 2.5 stars
(Sorry to those who loved it, it just didn't pull me in that deep.)

Brief synposis:

We don't want to tell you what happens in this book. It is a truly special story and we don't want to spoil it. nevertheless, you need to know enough to buy it, so we will just say this:

This is the story of two women. Their lives collide one fateful day, and one of them has to make a terrible choice, the kind of choice we hope you never have to face. Two years later, they meet again - the story starts there ...

Once you have read it, you'll want to tell your friends about it. When you do, please don't tell them what happens. The magic is in how the story unfolds.

My Review:

I really wanted to love this book because I'd heard many good things about it. It was even a "make" book at Borders for awhile, one where we as booksellers were encouraged to introduce it to customers as "book they'll love."

In the end, I liked it. I didn't love it. The start was slow and I got caught up a bit early on in some of the dialetec of the conversation between the refugee women. It's a personal issue and one I feel like I should be able to read past, but it made the reading a bit frustrating for me in the beginning. I couldn't quite latch on to Little Bee's character.

In the end, after Little Bee met Sarah and it showed how their friendship developed, the story opened up for me. They really did have a profound impact on each other and I like to think that each made the other a better person.

It's a good read. I'd recommend it, but not to everyone. At its core, its about relationships and the imperfections in all of us. It does take some unexpected turns along the way, and that's part of what makes it special. I don't know that I wanted a longer book (in fact, I know I did not), but I maybe could have used more depth to the characters to believe they are as redeemable as they are.

So, 2.5 stars is what I can give it. It's good, but for me, not great, as much as I wanted it to be.

Here's a few book reviews I found online that are far more profound than mine:

• New York Times
• Washington Post
  
• Goodreads.com
  

Have you written a review on Little Bee? Please share a link below!

How to Make Wooden Cookie Cutters

I caught a small bit of a Christmas-themed episode of Good Eats on the Food Network last night. Alton Brown had Santa Clause with him making Christmas cookies. In the short bit I caught they said cookie cutters were originally made of wood. I thought that was interesting so I found a website that shows how someone could make their own wooden cookie cutters.

Sounds like a fun holiday project. (But one I probably won't be doing myself this year, I'll admit. Anyway, here's a holiday project for those so inclined.

How to Make Wooden Cookie Cutters | eHow.com

Holiday Music

Holiday music makes me really happy. I have to admit, I start listening to it as soon as it's on the radio, even if it is early November. I feel a bit like I'm cheating on Thanksgiving, but I love it so much, I cheat on Thanksgiving.

Jingle Bell Rock is absolutely one of my favorites. I get really sentimental about it because it reminds me of my grandfather. He used to sing/whistle Jingle Bell Rock all year long. He'd say it was "the only rock song I like." He'd call the remainder of rock music "a bunch of cannibals with a belly ache."

I have many traditional hymns I love. Singing Christmas hymns in church makes me very happy. Christmas is not Christmas without Silent Night or Joy to the World.

I am curious to know about other people's favorite holiday songs so I put the question out on Facebook. If we're Facebook friends, please comment on your favorite song!

Happy Holidays! Let the merry bells keep ringing, happy holidays to you!

Recipe Box: Butternut Squash Flat Bread

Recipe Source: Real Simple Food and Recipes

Serves: 4

To find: Butternut Squash Flat Bread Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound store-bought pizza dough, thawed if frozen
• cornmeal for the pan
• 1 pound butternut squash—peeled, seeded, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups grated extra-sharp Cheddar (6 ounces)
• 1 bunch arugula, thick stems discarded (about 4 cups)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 425° F. Shape the dough into a large oval and place on a cornmeal-dusted baking sheet.
2. In a large bowl, toss the squash, onion, pine nuts, thyme, 1 tablespoon of the oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
3. Scatter over the dough and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake until golden brown and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.
4. Toss the arugula with the remaining tablespoon of oil and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Serve with the flat bread.

Suggested Variations:

• Cut the squash in half, add chicken.
• I did a mix of half white cheddar and half extra sharp cheddar. This was mostly just to use up some white cheddar, but gave it a delicious zest too.
• Pine nuts I'd consider optional. They are expensive and unless you really like pine nuts, they don't add much to the recipe. Other nuts could be tried for crunchiness.
• Bacon bits would be a delicious addition, too!