I’m so happy to participate in the progressive dinner for the Book Blog Social Club. I chose to make aebleskivers, which are a holiday tradition in my family. They originate from Denmark, and that is where my mother’s side of the family is from. We make these on holidays such as Halloween and Christmas. Although, they are fun to eat for breakfast too.

Ingredients:

2 Egg Whites
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 Tbsp White Sugar
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
4 Tbsp Melted Butter
2 Cups Buttermilk
1 Cup Vegetable Oil (for frying)
A knitting needle, toothpick or kabob skewer

Directions:

1. Seperate the egg yolks from the egg whites

2. Beat egg whites until stiff

3. Combine all the dry ingredients
(flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, salt)

4. Mix dry ingredients with melted butter and buttermilk

5. Fold in the egg whites gently

6. Heat pan to medium heat

7. Add 1 Tbsp of oil into each well (I usually add 1/2 Tbsp or less)

8. Fill wells with batter 3/4 way full

9. When bubbles begin to form and the edges look dry, poke each aebleskiver
with knitting needle and turn it over to cook on the other side.
Continue turning until cooked on all sides.

10. Top with cinnamon and sugar, powdered sugar, or jam.

Thanks for stopping by!

Hopefully, you’ve been on the tour and were able to visit Suey at
It’s All About Books and got the recipe for Hershey’s double chocolate mint brownies.

Next on the progressive dinner list is a frozen cranberry dessert hosted at Amused by Books.

Mmmm….

Note: If you’re interested in checking out other blogs participating in the tour, a complete listing can be found on the Book Blog Social Club site.

By Colleen Coble
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

This book is about a woman named Shannon who decides to go back to her hometown where she can raise her young daughter Kylie in a good environment with lots of fresh air. However, by moving back, Shannon must also face the many demons she left behind. She gets a job as a veterinarian and moves into her uncle’s old and dilapidated house.

Soon after arriving, Shannon finds her high school enemy, Jack, has a daughter named Faith who looks just like her own daughter Kylie. After a little detective work, Shannon and Jack uncover the truth: both girls are Shannon’s daughters and they were separated at birth. In order to provide the girls with a good home and spare them from custody battles, Shannon and Jack get married. Over time, Shannon is able to regain her trust in Jack, and they fall in love.

This book had some twists and turns that I wasn’t expecting. When I first started reading, I thought that I already had the plot figured out, and I knew exactly what would happen. I was pleasantly surprised.

However, there were a few word choices that struck me as odd.

“Coke?”
“I’ll take that,” he said, knowing she meant any soft drink she happened to have in the fridge. He accepted the cold Mountain Dew she got out of the rusting refrigerator for him. (pg 90)

This was news to me. I’ve never heard of anyone using the word coke synonymously with the word soda. I was telling my mother-in-law about how oddly this struck me, and she thought perhaps it was a dialect issue. You know how couch and divan mean the same thing, but people in the Western United States usually say couch, and people in the South call it a divan. What about the people who call it a sofa? But, I digress. After a little Google search, I found out that apparently, I still have much to learn about the Southern United States. Check out The Pop vs. Soda Page, which really needs to be renamed The Pop vs. Soda vs. Coke page. You can actually see what parts of the U.S. use the word Pop, Soda, or Coke to mean a carbonated drink. Who knew?

So, then I came across this:

“The taste of the drink purged the bile on her tongue.” (pg 72)

“She ran back to her vehicle and rummaged in the back for a weapon against the spiders, even though the thought of going through them made bile rise to the back of her throat. (pg 77)

Is this another dialect issue? I’m wondering if “bile” means saliva or a bad taste in the mouth in another part of the country. It seems so odd to me. I have never heard it used this way. When I think of the word bile, I think of the fluid that is in your gallbladder, not saliva. If someone knows the answer to this, I would love to hear your thoughts. I’m thinking that there may be more for me to learn. I wonder if there is a Bile vs. Saliva Page somewhere…

Anyway, back to the book. It kept my interest, the dialogue is pretty good, and the characters are very likable. There were some instances when things turned out too convenient, and didn’t seem believable—such as when Shannon, the veterinarian, shows up at Jack’s ranch only to find his horse having a foal. Overall, this book would be a good light read if you are a Christian western romance fan.

Earlier in the week, I made plans to spend Sunday afternoon enjoying a nice relaxing drive up the canyon to see the pretty fall colors with the family. It started off great, but by midway through the drive my nice family outing had disintegrated into fighting, hurt feelings, and everyone in the car looking for the nearest exit.  If the car hadn’t been moving so fast, I think we all might have bailed. In that moment, I felt a little bit like Max in the book “Where The Wild Things Are,” by Maurice Sendak. All I wanted to do was sail away and never come back. However, the chaos soon passed, and 30 minutes later we were out shopping for TVs together as if nothing had ever happened. Figure that one out.

That’s the thing about families, I guess. They can be so hard to live with sometimes, but they can be so hard to live without as well. The movie “Where The Wild Things Are,” directed by Spike Jonze, expounds upon this theme. Max is a lonely kid. He doesn’t have any friends, and his family is busy and involved in their own lives. His mother is single and is just trying to hold it all together. After a wild confrontation with his mother, Max sails away as far and as fast as he can.

When his boat finally hits land, Max becomes friends with the wild things in his strange new world. He even becomes their king.  However, Max also discovers that the wild things have their own family issues, just like Max’s family. The wild things think that by making Max their king he will be able to magically make them happy. But Max soon finds, despite his best efforts, that he cannot make all of the other wild things happy, at least not all of them, and certainly not all of the time. I think he then begins to understand his mother and sister a little better.

Relationships can be tricky, and often none are so difficult as those with our own families. We may want to bail and look for something better elsewhere, but I think we might find, like Max did, another family overflowing with their own issues and wild things to spare.

This is an excellent movie. I especially loved the characters, the music, and the setting. I don’t think it’s for everyone though. In fact, the two children sitting behind me appeared quite disappointed, and I heard the little girl in the seat behind mine ask her mommy, “Why did it end so sad?” As an adult, I enjoyed the film quite a bit, and I didn’t think it ended sadly at all.  However, I think it may take some age to see beyond the sadness and conflict to the real treasure beneath.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Have you seen the movie? Did you like it? Would you take your kids to see it?

This is my first year participating in Dewey’s Read-a-Thon, and it has been a great experience.  However, Dewey past away last year. I was very sad to read about that when I originally signed up. She has started such a wonderful tradition. I wonder if she even realized the difference that she made and continues to make. So, here’s to you Dewey. Thank you for starting such a wonderful event that we are still benefiting from today.

If you haven’t had a chance to read about Dewey, please read the tributes made to her below.

Read-a-Thon Tribute

Weekly Geeks Tribute

]]> http://www.winterwrite.com/archives/389/feed 5 http://www.winterwrite.com/archives/380 http://www.winterwrite.com/archives/380#comments Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:25:10 +0000 Sharla http://www.winterwrite.com/?p=380

Mid-Event Survey:

1. What are you reading right now?
Lonestar Secrets by Colleen Coble

2. How many books have you read so far?
I’m still on my first one! I’m so embarrassed I’ve been doing challenges and writing posts and generally finding lots of ways to get distracted. I’ve been reading, I promise.

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?
Half The Sky &  Time of My Life

4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day?
Yes. I have my husband screening phone calls, and I didn’t go to lunch with my sister and friends so I could be part of the read-a-thon today. (Sorry Ladies!) But, I’m having so much fun.

5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?
Lots. I’m just taking things one interruption at a time.

6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?
I’m surprised at how organized everything seems to be. Kudos to all of the organizers, people hosting challenges, and the cheerleaders!

7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
Nope. But I’m definitely going to do this again. It’s been an awesome experience.  The cheerleaders have been wonderful.

8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year?
If I were to do this again, I would rent a hotel room and hole up there for a day to minimize the distractions & get room service Ha! I might be a Cheerleader next year, or I may consider doing my own mini-challenge. Those have been very fun.

9. Are you getting tired yet?
Nope. I’m just starting. I’m more of a night owl.

10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered?
I think I might be the one who needs the tips. Focus. Focus. Focus.

Hello everyone. I am doing a meme for hour four of the read-a-thon today on Bart’s Bookshelf .

We are supposed to pick three or four books and make a sentence out of the titles. Here is my picture and the sentence they make. You still have some time to join us!

A confederacy of dunces travels with Charley the dwarf as I lay dying.

I’m so excited to start the read-a-thon today. I’m starting out a bit late, but better late than never, right? I’ve listed the books I will be reading below, and I will try to update this post every hour or two with my progress. Good luck everyone, and have a great read-a-thon!

1. Lonestar Secrets: Read
2. Tess of the d’Urbervilles
3. Dragon House
4. Time of My Life: Reading now
5. A Circle of Souls
6. The Postmistress
7. That Old Cape Magic
8. Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide

A few days ago, I signed up for Dewey’s 24-hour Read-a-Thon, which is on October 24th, 2009.  See my previous post on the read-a-thon for more information. Here are the books that made it onto my reading list.

Take a look, and let me know what you think.

1. Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Introduction and notes by David Galef: I chose this book because I’m reading it for a Victorian literature class that I am taking. It looks like it will be good. I guess Masterpiece Classic made a movie out of it. Check out the movie clip on their site. Have you seen the movie or read the book? Was it good?

2. Dragon House: This has been on my list to read for a while. I’m actually on chapter three. I just need to finish reading it and get a review up. So far, I’m enjoying it.

3. Time of My Life: A Novel: I can’t wait to read this book. I follow Allison on Twitter, and subscribe to her blog. She always seems to be up to something interesting.

4. A Circle of Souls: This is another book that has been on my list for a while. Hoping to get a review up soon.

5. The Postmistress: I’m reading this as part of the Barnes & Noble First Look book club.

6. That Old Cape Magic: I have never read Richard Russo’s books, but I have heard many great things. I can’t wait to read this book.

7. Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide: Check out my recent post called For Women Who Hold up Half The Sky

So, that is it for me. I likely won’t get them all read, but at least I’ll have a good selection. Have you read any these books? Are you participating in the read-a-thon?  What are you reading?

Credit chance, destiny, divine intervention, or just good marketing, but I have been bumping into the topic of human rights for women time and again over the last few months.  I have always had an interest in the topic, but the issue is no longer one where  I can  bury my head in the sand and tell myself that there is nothing I can do.

It all began this last August when I came across a link to an article about Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn’s book called, Half The Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide. The book highlights human rights issues that women face in Africa and Asia. Also highlighted is the premise that by educating and giving these women microloans, they can then run businesses and earn money, most of which is reinvested back into their families.

According to the fact sheet downloadable from The Girl Effect website, when women earn income they reinvest 90 percent of their earnings back into their families. Whereas, sorry guys, men only reinvest 30-40 percent. For each additional year of primary education received, women’s eventual earnings went up 10-20 percent, and an educated mother’s children also appear to benefit from better health.  (Again, check out The Girl Effect website for more sources on this information. Also, the Half The Sky Movement website is a great resource. )  I remember being highly interested in the article I read, but, as is common with Twitter, I was quickly inundated with a hundred million other interesting things. I got busy and distracted, and I did nothing.

A few weeks later, in early September, a friend on Facebook sent me a message telling me that she was reading “Do They Hear You When You Cry,” because I had recommended it in one of those My Favorite Books of All Time memes. We started messaging back and forth about it, and I began to recall all of the heartbreaking feelings and emotions about the subject that I had upon my first read.

If you have read this book, you already know that it is the story of a woman named Fauziya Kassindja from Africa who got on a plane and came to the United States to avoid female circumcision. I read it around 1997, when it was first published. It truly altered my perspective on female roles in the world, asylum, and the justice system in the United States. I was seventeen at the time, and it left an indelible impression on me. But, again, soon after my little Facebook chat, I forgot about it. I got busy and distracted, and I did nothing.

A few weeks later, I was feeling a little down about a class I’m taking, and for a little diversion, I headed over to one of my new favorite sites called My Inspiration Lounge where I came across these videos put out by The Girl Effect, a program sponsored in part by The Nike Foundation.  Check out the videos below, and then continue reading below.

These videos touched my heart deeply. I added them to my favs and sent them to a few friends.  And then I, again, got busy and distracted, and I did nothing.

Not more than a week later, I came across a post on my university’s home page saying that Kristof would be speaking at my school the next week. I attended last night. His speech was eloquent, and I enjoyed it very much, despite the difficult topics discussed.

I am a firm believer in women’s rights in the world. I believe that topics such as lack of education for women, female genitalia mutilation, acid attacks, and sex slavery need to be discussed more, not less. The more we bring these things to light, the better we are able to find ways to help and improve the lives of not only women, but everyone.

Credit what or whom you will: chance, destiny, divine intervention, or just good marketing. But this time, I listened, and I’m doing something. I write this post in the hopes that it reaches more people like me. People who are no longer willing to just say that is sad, but there is nothing I can do.

I am adding “Half The Sky” to my reading list, and when I am done I will be writing a review about it and sharing it with as many people as I can. I will continue sharing these videos and trying to get the word out. I’m also going to look into some sites that give microloans to women like Global Giving, Heifer, and Kiva.

I have decided that for Christmas gifts this year, I will be gifting donations to one of these organizations for a microloan to improve the life of a woman. I was so impressed by what the Nike Foundation is doing with The Girl Effect that I’ve also decided the next pair of tennis shoes I buy will be Nikes. I guess there are things that I can do after all.

How about you?