DS's 12 in 12 Challenge - part two

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DS's 12 in 12 Challenge - part two

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1bruce_krafft
Jun 24, 2012, 7:42 pm

The year is at the halfway point so I figured it would be a good time to re-cap, and start a new thread.

January

1- Elizabeth, CEO by Alan Axelrod
2- I Married Adventure: The Lives of Martin and Osa Johnson by Osa Johnson
3- To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Wiliis
4- Quiet: Power if the Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
5- Doing English: A Guide for Literature Students by Robert Eaglestone
6- To Sir Phillip, with Love by Julia Quinn
7- It's in his Kiss by Julia Quinn
8- The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever by Julia Quinn
9- Out of the Silent Planet by CS Lewis
10- Loving Frank by Nancy Horan
11- The Famous Heroine/The Plumed Bonnet by Mary Balogh
12- The Ideal Wife by Mary Balogh

February

1- Myself When Young by Daphne du Maurier
2 - It's Only the Sister by Angela du Maurier
3 - Medieval Garments Reconstructed-Norse Clothing Patterns by lilli Fransen, Anna Norgaard & Else Ostergard
4 - Alias: Free Fall by Christa Roberts
4.5 The Lyre handbook by Mary K savelli
5 - Everyday Food: Light: The Quickest and Easiest Recipes, All Under 500 Calories by Martha Stewart Living Magazine
6 - Daphne du Maurier by Margaret Forster
7 - Experiences in Translation by Umberto Eco - excellant book!
8 - Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs
9 - Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs
10- The Warlords of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs
11- The Loving Spirit by Daphne du Maurier
12- Me by Ricky Martin

March

1- The Thorn and the Blossom by Throdora Goss
2- Finding Oz by Evan I Schwartz
3- Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star by Brandon Mull
4- Forever by Jude Deveraux
5- Songs My Mother Never Taught Me by Selçuk Altun
6- India Becoming by Akash Kapur
7- Topkapi Secret by Terry Kelhawk
8- Return to Summerhouse by Jude Deveraux
9- Istanbul Eats: Exploring the Culinary Backstreets
10- The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
11- Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier
12- Making Records: The Scenes Behind the Music by Phil Ramone

April

1- The Woman in White by Wilkie Collines
2- Rule Britannia by Daphne du Maurier
3- The Caliph's House: A Year in Casablanca by Tahir Shah
4- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen audio book
5- Mr. Darcy, Vampire by Amanda Grange audio book
6- Off Armageddon Reef by David Weber
7- Gourmet Mustard: The How Tos of Making & Cooking with Mustard by Helen Sawyer and Cheryl Long
8- Behind the Dream by Clarence B Jones
9- The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak- audio book
10- Paleo Comfort Foods: Homestyle Cooking for a Gluten-Free Kitchen by Julie Sullivan Mayfield, Charles Mayfield
11- The well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall
12- The Battle for Wine and Love: or How I Saved the World from Parkerization by Alice Feiring

May

1- Depression-Free, Naturally: 7 Weeks to Eliminating Anxiety, Despair, Fatigue, and Anger from Your Life by Joan mathews Larson
2- Running a Bed & Breakfast for Dummies by Mary White
3- The King's Mistresses: the Liberated Lives of Marie Mancini, Princess Colonna and her sister, Hortense, Duchess Mazarin by Elizabeth C Goldsmith
4- Wine & War by Don Kladstrup and Petie Kladstrup
5- Rick Steve's Istanbul by Lale Surman Aran and Tankut Aran
6- Angel by Elizabeth Taylor
7- Radclyffe Hall: A Case of Obscenity? by Vera Brittain
8- Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
9- Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
10- Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld
11- The I Hate to Cook Book by Peg Bracken
12- Jean Anderson Cooks: Her Kitchen Reference & Recipe Collection by Jean Anderson

June

1 - Bliss by O Z Livaneli
2 - By Schism Rent Asunder by David Weber
3 - By Heresies Distressed by David Weber
4 - Outcasts United by Warren St John
5 - The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
6 - Unnatural Issue: An Elemental Masters Novel by Mercedes Lackey
7 - The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
8 - Fire Dance by Delle Jacobs
9 - Daughter of Time: A Time Travel Romance by Sarah Woodbury
10 - Footsteps in Time by Sarah Woodbury
11 - Prince of Time by Sarah Woodbury
12 - Hotel Bosphorus by Esmahan Aykol

Total page count:
January 4,430
February 3,151
March 3,488
April 4,587
May 4,027
June 4,247
total pages 23,930

Top picks (re-reads were not considered):

*January *

I Married Adventure: The Lives of Martin and Osa Johnson by Osa Johnson
Quiet: Power if the Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain

*February *

Experiences in Translation by Umberto Eco
Me by Ricky Martin

*March*

Finding Oz by Evan I Schwartz
Making Records: The Scenes Behind the Music

*April*

The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall
The Battle for Wine and Love: or How I Saved the World from Parkerization by Alice Feiring

*May*

Wine & War by Don Kladstrup and Petie Kladstrup
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

*June*

Bliss by O Z Livaneli
Hotel Bosphorus by Esmahan Aykol

Top two books so far this year are still Quiet and Me. Although Rebecca and the Well of Loneliness are also very good, but the other two would appeal to a wider audience.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

2bruce_krafft
Editado: Jul 20, 2012, 5:05 pm

7. July totals - # books read: _12_ # books left: _0_

TBR # –
Re-reads # - 1
New books # - 11

1- Turkish Language Explained for English Speakers by John Guise - ebook
2- the Paid Companion by Amanda Quick 375 pages
3- Power Sewing by Sandra Betzina 227 pages
4- the Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton 240 pasges
5- Simple Unforgetable by Mary Balogh 422 pages
6- The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo by Stieg Larsson 644 pages
7- Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett 128 pages
8- The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson 724 pages
9- The Little Book of Talent by Daniel Coyle 117 pages w/appendix
10- the Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest by Stieg Larsson 672 pages
11- The Lost Prince by Frances Hodgson Burnett 214 pages
12- Fix It in Foil by CQ Products 125 pages

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

3bruce_krafft
Editado: Sep 6, 2012, 8:27 pm

8. August totals - # books read: _12_ # books left: _0_

TBR # –
Re-reads # - 2
New books # - 10

1- Learning To Walk: From the Sofa to a Marathon in Nine Months by Sheilagh Conklin 97 pages
2- Best Foot Forward: A 500-mile Walk Through Hidden France by Susie Kelly 260 pages
3- 10,000 Steps a Day to Your Optimal Weight by Greg Isaacs 243 pages
4- Losing My Voice & Finding Another by Cooper Thompson 181 pages
5- Dog Tricks and Agility For Dummies by Sarah hodgson 368 pages
6- Hedonist's Guide to Istanbul pages? too lazy to get it from the other room. . . .
7- Campfire cuisine : gourmet recipes for the great outdoors by Robin Donovan 188 pages
8- The Gigolo Murder by Mehmet Murat Somer 255 pages
9- Mini Cooper, Cooper S, Clubman & Clubman S 2002-2011 Repair Manual (Haynes Repair Manual)
10- savor mindful eating mindful life
11- Mrs de Winter by Susan Hill
12- Istanbul Eats

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

4bruce_krafft
Editado: Oct 8, 2012, 10:26 am

9. September totals - # books read: _12_ # books left: _0_

TBR # –
Re-reads # -
New books # - 12

1- The Prophet Murders by Mehmet Murat Somer 234 pages
2- Istanbul Puzzle by Laurence O'Bryan 395 pages
3- Card Weaving by Candace Crockett 138 pages
4- A Fez of the heart by Jeremy Seal 334 pages
5- Thomas Jefferson's Creme Brulee by Thomas J Craughwell 204 pages with appendix
6- How to Travel Full Time by Colin Wright e-book
7- Start a Freedom Business by Colin Wright e-book
8- Beguiling Bridget by Leah Sanders and Rachel Van Dyken e-book
9- Midst Toil and Tribulation by David Weber
10- Dreaming in Hindi by Katherin Russell Rich 350 pages
11- Wake Up! You're Probably Never Going to Look Like That by Michelle Pearle e-book
12- My Exile Lifestyle by Colin Wright e-book

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

5bruce_krafft
Editado: Oct 20, 2012, 10:02 am

10. October totals - # books read: _12_ # books left: _0_

TBR # –
Re-reads # -
New books # - 12

1 - Iceland India Interstate by Colin Wright
2 - A Hidden Fire: Elemental Mysteries Book 1 by Elizabeth Hunter e-book about 449 pages
3 - This Same earth: Elemental Mysteries Book 2 by Elizabeth Hunter e-book about 254 pages
4 - The Force of Wind: Elemental Mysteries Book 3 by Elizabeth Hunter e-book about 224 pages
5 - A Fall of Water: Elemental Mysteries Book 4 by Elizabeth Hunter e-book about 304 pages
6 - A Lot Like a Lady by Kim Bowman and Kay Springsteen e-book about 373 pages
7 - The rejected Suitor by Teresa McCarthy e-book 224 pages
8 - The Lady & the Earl by Diedre Clark e-book about 322 pages
9 - How to Be Remarkable by Colin Wright e-book about 199 pages
10 - Make A Killing On Kindle Without Blogging, Facebook Or Twitter: The Guerilla Marketer's Guide To Selling Ebooks On Amazon by Michael Alvear e-book about 132 pages
11 - Professional Plot Outline Mini-Course by Holly Lisle e-book about 55 pages
12 - Smart School Time Recipes: The Breakfast snack and Lunchbox Cookbook For Healthy Kids & Adults e-book

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

6bruce_krafft
Editado: Nov 19, 2012, 10:44 am

11. November totals - # books read: _12_ # books left: _0_

TBR # –
Re-reads # -
New books # - 12

1 - Turkey: More than 100 Recipes, with Tales from the Road by Leanne Kitchen 272 pages
2 - Practical Paleo: A Customized Approach to Health and a Whole-Foods Lifestyle 432 pages
3 - To Marry an English Lord by Gail McColl and Carol McD Wallace 403 pages
4 - Lost in Italy by Stacey Joy Netzel 374 pages
5 - License to Thrill by Stephanie Bond 175 pages
6 - No Place for a Lady by Jade Lee 372 pages
7 - The Devil Duke Takes a Bride by Rachel Van Dyken 200 pages
8 - Love, Lies and High Heels by Debby Conrad 243 pages
9 - The Wicked Wager by Anya Wylde 233 pages
10 - Silent Revenge by Laura Landon 380 pages
11 - Lord Beast by Ashlyn Montgomery 223 pages
12 - Forbidden Disclosure by Terri Marie 229 pages

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

7bruce_krafft
Editado: Jun 24, 2012, 7:45 pm

12. December totals - # books read: __ # books left: __

TBR # –
Re-reads # -
New books # -

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

8cammykitty
Jun 24, 2012, 11:54 pm

Impressive! You really have read 12 books each month. I'd explode.

9bruce_krafft
Editado: Jun 25, 2012, 5:00 am

Actually I've read more then 12 books a month. . . I have 30 books on my 75 book challenge so far too. . . ( link http://www.librarything.com/topic/131010 )

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

10bruce_krafft
Jun 27, 2012, 5:29 am

oh dear! I have won The Little Book of Talent and I still have two other early reviewers to finish! So many books, so little time!!

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

11bruce_krafft
Jun 27, 2012, 5:45 pm

Turkish Language Explained for English Speakers by John Geise

Format: e-book
Subject: the Turkish language
Source: Amazon

First I must say that I really found this book the most helpful to me so far. But it would really benefit from a good editor and proof reader.

I liked it so much I wish that I could get it in paper form also. Call me old fashioned, but I haven’t acquired the talent of randomly browsing through an e-book like I so often do with the paper books. You know, when you flip through and just read a random section? And of course the problem with e-books is that they lack that tactile feeling of paper books.

I am sure that I will be reading this book several times. it was money well spent.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

12bruce_krafft
Jul 1, 2012, 11:00 pm

Too hot to write a review and the forecast for tomorrow is 102 with 79% humidity. Hard to read anything where thinking is required.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

13cammykitty
Jul 1, 2012, 11:13 pm

Yup, e-books just don't encourage random. - & that's why I thought I was dying when I was working in the garden? 100 degree temps? And that's why the dog didn't even complain about no walkies? And why he stood just inside the door in the air conditioning while I toiled away on the wilting flowers? That isn't supposed to happen here in Minnesota!!!

14bruce_krafft
Jul 2, 2012, 5:08 am

Air conditioning? I think if I had it I would be too cheap to use it. The only time I've lived someplace with air conditioning was when we lived with my grandparents when I was in first grade. But my house is usually about 10 degrees cooler then it is outside, trees are a wonderful thing.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

15cammykitty
Jul 2, 2012, 8:40 am

Ah, my big tree died... This house doesn't stay cool, and I will say, if nobody had air conditioning 1. we'd get used to it. 2. it would be cooler. Those air conditioners heat up the outside. Here's hoping you were wrong about the weather today!!!

16hailelib
Jul 2, 2012, 9:23 am

Once one has had air conditioning it's very hard to go back.

17christina_reads
Jul 2, 2012, 4:14 pm

My air conditioning hasn't worked since Friday night, and it's been 100-plus degrees here for the past week or so. Maybe I'm spoiled, but I find this unacceptable. I've been sweltering and cranky all weekend! Hopefully my power will come back soon!

18cammykitty
Jul 3, 2012, 12:02 am

We're planning on getting the wading pool down for the dog tomorrow! (Um, and I'm planning on splashing about a bit too.)

19psutto
Jul 3, 2012, 3:32 pm

It's been the wettest June on record in the UK and so far it has rained every day of July, this week the forecast shows rain every day and the temperature may reach a heady 17 degrees centigrade (60F)....looks like your stealing all our sunshine ;-)

20mamzel
Jul 4, 2012, 3:43 pm

When my kids were really little, I had a wading pool. I can remember a very hot day I put it under a tree and put a couple of inches of water for my son to splash in. Our Golden Retriever (who ordinarily hated the water) came over and stood with just his front paws in the water. No cajoling could get him any farther in. He enjoyed just that much.

21cammykitty
Jul 5, 2012, 12:17 am

Ah, Sage didn't get much more than his paws in, but he loved it. He chases the tennis balls around in the water. :)

22bruce_krafft
Jul 6, 2012, 2:04 am

My plan for dealing with the heat this weekend is - CONvergence! Of course the problem there is the hotels air conditioning does have trouble keeping it cool with all the people there, but still cooler then home,

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

23cammykitty
Jul 6, 2012, 12:56 pm

Have a great time there!!! I saw just the start of Dana's costume. Blue gloves with fins and fingernails.

24bruce_krafft
Jul 6, 2012, 11:56 pm

Portal seems to be very popular. I even saw a portal gun made out of Legos.

Tempted to get the t-shirt that says - Steampunk means never having to ask "Is this Period?"

YEAH! Rain and cooler weather.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

25cammykitty
Jul 7, 2012, 4:27 am

Yes, cool t-shirt - & I'll bet tons of legos!!! Way happy about the rain!

26bruce_krafft
Jul 8, 2012, 7:44 pm

Wow The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo by Stieg Larsson. I agree with the people that say that is takes about 100 pages before you get really into it, but after that I couldn't put it down.

I am not sure that I agree with some of the translation umm. . . style choices. For instance where they didn't transalte the titles like "Advokat" & "Froken", or currency. I think at least with the currency I would have given some kind of refernace to the exchange rate in USD or British Sterling the first time it was mentioned, otherwise most people will have no referance point.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

27mamzel
Jul 9, 2012, 1:12 pm

I just rewatched the American movie version last weekend. (I've read all three books and watched the Swedish movies.) What a story!!

28bruce_krafft
Jul 10, 2012, 5:09 am

I haven't seen the movie yet. I plan on going to GPS on the 20th for the RTBSTMC meeting and watching it there. Still trying to think of 'a snacky something theme related to share (NO LUTEFISK!!)'. Rye bread? Caviar is a bit above my pay grade (besides its icky.)

I have started the 2nd book.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

29-Eva-
Editado: Jul 10, 2012, 1:32 pm

You used to be able to get Swedish caviar at IKEA, but when they got rid of name brands, Kalles Kaviar went as well and they've replaced it with that yucky black stuff (aka Russian caviar??). Rye bread with sliced boiled eggs and Kalles is the best thing in the world!!!

If you're looking, this is what the tube should look like and its contents is pink and creamy (not those odd fishy baubles):

30mamzel
Jul 10, 2012, 3:30 pm

Gravlax! Swedish smoked salmon.

I tried once to create a Swedish open faced sandwich. I had to look all over town for some of that dense multi-grain bread but finally found some. I smeared cream cheese on a slice, used smoked salmon and finely sliced red onion. Yum!

If you are ambitious and have access to good fresh salmon there are lots of recipes to make your own gravlax. It's not smoked but cured. I've seen demos on the Food Channel that made my mouth water. It looked rather easy to accomplish.

31cammykitty
Jul 10, 2012, 7:59 pm

Oh yummy - Your salmon sandwich is making me hungry.

32bruce_krafft
Jul 11, 2012, 5:06 am

>29 -Eva-: & 30 thanks. I am wondering though if that is what everyone else will be bringing? And I do not eat salmon.

I did find a recipe for sandbakkels with a strawberry & cream filling that looked good. Another Swedish site listed pineapple wrapped in bacon with a honey-mustard sauce. . .

I could go to Ikea, but it is by the Mall of America and trafiic is always a hassel on that side of town.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

33-Eva-
Jul 11, 2012, 1:28 pm

Sandbakelser are YUMMY! Voting for those. If sweets are OK, then I usually make cocoa balls when I'm going to potlucks - they go down a treat!

I don't use a recipe, but this one looks similar to what I do (the addition of the melted chocolate isn't in the "original," but I'm definitely trying that myself next time I make them).

Getting very hungry from reading this thread!! :)

34DeltaQueen50
Jul 11, 2012, 4:18 pm

Definitely getting hungry reading all these suggestions! Those Chocolate Balls looks delish!

35bruce_krafft
Jul 11, 2012, 10:36 pm

I found a few "Swedish chocolate ball" recipes on the internet. . . one contains oatmeal.

I am looking for sandbakkel molds in the shape of fish if anyone knows where I can find some. . . my little brother got the ones that were our great-grandmothers. He says that he counts them everytime I visit :-). I told him that the least he could do would be to make some sandbakkels and send them to me for X-mass every year.

And I cry FOWL!!! The Girl who Played with Fire is a cliff hanger!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

36dudes22
Jul 12, 2012, 12:18 pm

No kidding! I read it earlier this year and I now I'm not sure I want to wait till next year to read the last one (I've been reading them on my March vacation on the beach) and I do have a category it would fit in. What to do..what to do...

37-Eva-
Jul 12, 2012, 1:02 pm

Oatmeal? Never heard of that version - it needs to be that flaky oat stuff (*blaming ESL for the technical term usage*).

Ah, yes, parts 2 and 3 of the Millenium-trilogy are sneakily enough part of the same story-arc and part 3 will continue exactly where 2 ended as if you had just turned to the next chapter. :)

38mamzel
Jul 12, 2012, 1:51 pm

From what I understand Larsson planned on the series going to 10 volumes! I which they would settle the dispute between the family and the girl friend and publish the fourth part of the series.

39bruce_krafft
Editado: Jul 12, 2012, 10:22 pm

I think that I have found my new best book of 2012 - The Little Book of Talent by Daniel Coyle. After reading the first two Steig Larsson behemoths this little book was a nice change.

Please note that the title says 'little'. I only say this because so many people who reviewed it on Amazon seemed to have missed the whole point of this. It is small for a reason, and clearly states in the title that it is a 'little book'. If you want a bigger book with more substance you may want to check out his other book The Talent Code.

I have read many amazing books this year (100+ books so far) - Dauphine du Maurier, Radclyff Hall, Steig Larsson, David Weber, Umberto Eco, Ricky Martin, Susan Cain - to name just a few of the fabulous authors. But only 3 books so far have made me want to buy copies so I can hand them out to people and say – read this! Daniel Coyle’s The Little Book of Talent is the one that tops the list. (The other two are Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain and Me by Ricky Martin.)

Is there anyone that doesn’t have at least one thing that they would like to improve? This book contains 52 tips for improving your skills, whatever they may be. And it is not just geared towards people learning a new skill, it is also helpful for people teaching and coaching others. Oh and if you have trouble getting you kid to take naps you can show them tip #30 – Take a nap. Napping is good for the learning brain. Napping helps make the connections that we learned in practice stronger and gets the brain ready to learn more. Or how about #46 - don’t try to break bad habits, make new ones. I think that is a key point that most people don’t get when they want to ‘break’ a habit. They work at getting rid of the habit but don’t try to replace it with something else.

I would be very surprised if there was anyone that didn’t learn anything that they could use from this book.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

40cammykitty
Jul 13, 2012, 12:42 am

Those are sensible tips! & my brain needs some connection making time soon. ;)

41bruce_krafft
Jul 14, 2012, 2:13 pm

Gingerbreadman and his participation in (the totally insane) fotrally has inspired me. I have since discovered that Minnesota has 32 paths over 20 miles long constructed on former rail lines that you can walk on, and I am sure that there are many other kinds of trails. I thought why not take getting fit, exploring Minnesota, reading books and photography and combine them? The goal of course will be fotrally in 2014 or 2015, I am leaning towards 2015 because I think that the training might be too fun, and 2015 is a good number. (Maybe we could do it every 5 years to keep us motived . . . . or maybe just go back and watch.)

I know you are asking WHY???? Because it is a challenge that makes us reach beyond our abilities, no matter what shape we are in. The goal isn’t to win, but to get there and participate.

Now I need to think of a catchy phrase for it. You know something like Minnesota has – Explore Minnesota. I am planning mini-trips in Minnesota where we can walk & explore 9and maybe camp with the puppies.) I am thinking that instead of measuring it by time or miles we could measure it by audio books listened to. So something that combines exploring, reading, walking, photographing.

I learned something new and interesting, Pedestrianism, which was a 19th-century form of competitive walking. There were six-day races covering 24 hours a day, and popular goal was for competitors in long distance walks to walk 100 miles in less than 24 hours. It was so popular that in 1867 a reporter won $10,000 for walking 1,136 miles from Portland, Maine, to Chicago in thirty days.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

42cammykitty
Jul 14, 2012, 11:42 pm

$10,000 can make a lot of things more popular. ;) Where's the first destination?

43bruce_krafft
Jul 15, 2012, 4:59 pm

I am leaning towards - either Luce Line Trail or St. Anthony Falls Heritage Trail (Stone Arch Bridge).

I was going to check out the Stone arch Bridge today but the hubby was bad and ate wheat yesterday (never a good idea) and I got something in my eye so it's a bit sore.

Oh, I found a trailer hitch for around $150 not quite as James Bondish as the one that I really want but oh well. Going to talk to my co-worker about how hard it would be to install and if he could paint the trailer I found pepper white to match the car. The next step will be designing the 'box' part of the trailer. I have an idea for the 'top' of it but I am not sure if it is cost or weight effective. I want to keep both the weight & cost down. The hubby & I have both decided against a teardrop trailer mostly because he is too tall. So it will be a box to store/carry the camping stuff.

DS
Bruce's evil twin

44bruce_krafft
Jul 15, 2012, 5:05 pm

Finished the 3 books by Stieg Larsson. Wow. I can get some sleep now.

I can relax and do some light reading! Like The Best in Tent Camping: Minnesota: A Guide for Car Campers Who Hate RVs, Concrete Slabs, and Loud Portable Stereos (Best Tent Camping) or Campfire Cuisine: Gourmet Recipes for the Great Outdoors which I just ordered.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

45cammykitty
Jul 15, 2012, 11:22 pm

:) I totally approve of your light reading - & hope both of you are feeling better.

46bruce_krafft
Jul 16, 2012, 10:59 am

Re-read the Lost Prince. It has always been one of my favorites. I love how the Rat changes how he acts & sees the world by following Marco's example and learning from him. I can imagine all the children who wanted to go to museums after reading this book and see how many things they can remember about what they saw there so thye could be like Marco & the Rat.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

47bruce_krafft
Jul 20, 2012, 5:23 pm

Fix it In Foil is a nice introduction to cooking food in foil while camping, or even at home in the oven or on the BBQ.

We never really went camping when I was a kid, it wasn’t until after I was an adult that I went camping a couple of times, so I have never had much chance to ‘experience’ camp cooking. Of course I have made meals ‘en paupiette’ before, so some recipes in the book are sort of familiar.

Two recipes that I think are a must try for me are Pineapple Upside-down Cake and Ginger-bread Cake in an Orange Shell. Pineapple Upside-down Cake couldn’t be easier - you basically take a plain cake donut, brown sugar & butter and a ring of pineapple and a bit of pineapple juice wrap it in foil and cook 8-15 minutes on the grill. Ginger-bread Cake in an Orange Shell is pretty much what it says. I just like the idea of cooking something in an orange shell. My co-worker (who has camped a lot) says that he has made muffins using orange shells.

There is not an overabundance of recipes, the books is only 125 pages long and each recipe takes up two pages, plus there is other information like safety tips, etc. And alas there are no pictures except for the one on the cover. But if you are totally new to the idea of cooking in foil, this is a great book to get you started.

Hmm, that idea of making things in an orange shell, I just saw a no cook cheesecake recipe. . . maybe make an orange flavored cheesecake, and then freeze them, and cut them while they are frozen and then serve the ‘orange wedges’ drizzled in dark chocolate. . .

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

48cammykitty
Jul 20, 2012, 8:36 pm

Oooo - your cheesecake in an orange shell would look really pretty!

49lkernagh
Jul 20, 2012, 11:38 pm

Fix it in Foil sounds intriguing..... and here I am using foil for the basics like cooking/steaming fish in the over and wasn't even considering this type of variety/flexibility!

50bruce_krafft
Jul 21, 2012, 12:13 pm

I know what you mean about the fish!

How about a S'more Burrito? In this recipe you take a flour tortilla, 2-3T crunchy peanut butter, 3T chocolate chips & 3T mini marshmallows. You spread the peanut butter on the totilla, sprinkle on the chips & marshmallows and wrap it up like a burrito. Wrap it in foil and bake at 375 for 8-12 minutes (or on the grill for 5-10 minutes.)

There is a Southwestern Chicken & Rice Dinner that looks really good too.

I am thining that most of the recipes will be good for camping. I can make up the packets a head of time and have them in the cooler, Then we just take them out and cook them when we are ready. Very relaxing for dinner time, and very little cleanup since it would all be done ahead of time.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

51cammykitty
Jul 21, 2012, 1:09 pm

Oooo - smore burrito sounds good.

52mamzel
Jul 21, 2012, 2:23 pm

I learned a lot about camping and camp cooking when my son was in scouts. Do you cook with a Dutch oven, too?

53bruce_krafft
Jul 21, 2012, 2:49 pm

Yes we use cast iron Dutch ovens. And paella pans too, they work great on the grill. I am planning on getting stands so they can be used over a fire too. I know not your 'normal' camping food. . .

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

54bruce_krafft
Jul 26, 2012, 8:47 am

OK I started August a bit early. Learning To Walk: From the Sofa to a Marathon in Nine Months is a very short book by a woman whose friend & business partner talked her into joining the Children's Tumor Foundation Marathon Team and vowing to complete the Portland Marathon.

She is 50 ppounds overweight and totally out of shape. It is short sweet and gives you a general idea of what it was like, but she doesn't really go into any details. It is pretty inspirational and entertaining but at 97 pages lacks depth. But I did learn a few interesting things, like you can lose your toenails if you walk (or run) too much. One thing she suggested was to wear the outfit that you are plannning on wearing for the marathon a week before to make sure that you will be comfortable. It doesn't take much, a seam in the wrong place, bad socks, whatever can make a juge difference.

One nice thing about it being so short, is I can easily read it again for inspiration.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

55cammykitty
Jul 26, 2012, 12:20 pm

toenail loss? What is she doing? Scraping them on the ground? & I'm sure the clothing advice is pertinent for fotrally. Anders?

56bruce_krafft
Jul 27, 2012, 9:55 pm

Best Foot Forward: A 500-mile Walk Through Hidden France

What is it with these people who decide to do major trips with very little or no planning or preparation? Susie decides that she wants to walk from la Rochelle France to Lake Geneva in Switzerland. While she says that she trained for 3 months before hand the actually ‘training’ is only briefly touched upon, and doesn’t seem to have been very effective. If I had been her there would have been no way I would have kept on like she did, or if I had I would have taken longer breaks to let my feet heal a bit more. Of course I would have, at the very least, taken a dog with me for companionship and a bit of security.

Oh, yeah she is also a vegetarian who seems to spend a bit of her time moving bugs and other small creatures out of the roads and paths. She even saves the two ants that have fallen into her drink and look dead.

This is an ok book. She is a decent, but not spectacular writer. She does a nice job talking about the small towns and villages that she walks through and tells some of their history. She goes through Limousin which I find interesting because we are looking at perhaps getting a house there someday. (I found the perfect town they even have a couple döner kebab places.)

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

57cammykitty
Jul 28, 2012, 12:20 am

Oh my, must be a slow walk if she's moving ants out of the way... and all those hills (mountains) by Lake Geneva!!! She could've taken the train.

58mamzel
Jul 29, 2012, 4:36 pm

I found out how easy it was to lose toenails when I hiked a mountain many moons (and pounds) ago. I neglected to cut my nails and coming down they jammed into the toes of my shoes. Lesson learned!

59cammykitty
Jul 29, 2012, 5:40 pm

Ouch!!!

60bruce_krafft
Jul 29, 2012, 6:16 pm

I think mamzel should join us in Stockholm in 2015! Get out those hiking shoes and go!

I just ordered 10,000 Steps a Day to Your Optimal Weight: Walk Your Way to Better Health.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

61cammykitty
Jul 29, 2012, 8:16 pm

Yes!

62bruce_krafft
Editado: Jul 31, 2012, 5:13 pm

Very excited I won Losing My Voice and Finding Another this month. Hopefully it won't be a no show.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

63cammykitty
Ago 1, 2012, 12:25 am

Ooo - that one sounds good, especially since you teach ESL. I'm receiving the Midwife of somethingerother. I've had a few no-shows in a row, but if I look at my wins as a whole, no shows are fairly rare, and you need that book. It will show up.

64bruce_krafft
Ago 2, 2012, 5:35 am

10,000 Steps a Day to Your Optimal Weight: Walk Your Way to Better Health (edition 2006) is a small book (about 5 x 5 1/2 inches) but is it packed with a lot of ideas and tips. For example instead of making your stride longer, you should walk faster, or walking is good for your brain. Now I am looking into getting trekking poles for when we walk.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

65bruce_krafft
Ago 4, 2012, 9:51 am

IHas anyone read any books by Camilla Lackberg? I received an e-mail from one of my Turkish bookstores about an English translation of one of her books which I find very serendipitous, since that same day I signed up for a Swedish word of the day e-mail. What are all these strange letters that I will have to figure out how to type with my American keyboard?

Todays words -
Swedish: atminstone (sorry no 'thingy' on the 'a') - at least
Turkish: burası - here

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

66casvelyn
Editado: Ago 4, 2012, 10:50 am

The "thingy" is the ring diacritical mark (å), and you can "type" it using the character map. If you're using a PC with a Windows OS, click on Start, use the Search Programs and Files feature, searching for character map and look through it until you find the diacritic you want. Once you find it, just copy/paste the letter into whatever you're writing.

67bruce_krafft
Ago 4, 2012, 11:13 am

Thanks! Ok wow, there are certainly a lot of choices, I had no idea. åtminstone (at least) I don't need to use them all!

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

68-Eva-
Editado: Ago 6, 2012, 6:41 pm

I've read one of Läckberg's books and it was good - I enjoyed it a lot because it was about an area of Sweden I'm familiar with and the descriptions of the characters rang true. There's a lot of relationship-"stuff" in her books rather than only straight mystery - just a heads-up.

I've just made shortcuts for the symbols, åtminstone the ones I use the most, i.e. å, ä, and ö. :)

69bruce_krafft
Ago 6, 2012, 10:22 pm

Läckberg's books go on the wishlist then!

Thanks!

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

70bruce_krafft
Ago 9, 2012, 8:30 pm

10,000 Steps a Day to Your Optimal Weight: Walk Your Way to Better Health has been very helpful in motivating me. So far this week I have had two days where I have walked over 10,000 steps all because of the book and my new nano (they have a pedometer.) Since I spend my day sitting at a desk, it is hard to get too many steps added there, I do try to add steps when I can though. I had already used a printer further away from my desk so I can walk a bit more. At least half of the 10,000 will have to be done after work.

I only wish I had gotten the nano and the book in say, April!

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

71lkernagh
Ago 9, 2012, 9:53 pm

Sound like you are well on your way with your walking plan. That is great! I don't have a pedometer but I do walk for fitness - especially during the warmer weather months - as I have bad knees and can never sustain running as a fitness routine. I am a journal keeper to help me stay on track with my walking. I have found the Map my Walk website ( http://www.mapmywalk.com/ ) really useful for mapping new walks I might want to do - especially as I am a commuting walker and look for different walks I can do during my lunch break - as well as tracking the walks I do complete.

72bruce_krafft
Ago 9, 2012, 10:37 pm

Thanks for the tip! Now that it is starting to get cooler some people at work are talking about going to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and walking during lunch. We are located next door and have a company membership. (go global warming? I remember when August was our hottest month . . .)

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

73cammykitty
Ago 10, 2012, 1:21 am

Lucky you!!! That's a great perk!

74bruce_krafft
Ago 11, 2012, 4:21 am

Must make a comment on 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles, Minneapolis & St Paul. there is a map in the front showing where the parks are. But instead of north being at the top - it is on the left. And when you turn the book so north is on the top the numbers indicating where the park is are sideways! Why would anyone do that??

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

75cammykitty
Ago 11, 2012, 12:06 pm

A tipsy mosquito might.

76bruce_krafft
Ago 11, 2012, 1:49 pm

Another thing that I am sort of disappointed about with the book 60 hikes (post 74), is that there are very few hikes listed in my area, most are in the southern suburbs or further out. And yes, I get the fact that there are hundreds of parks in the area and they had to pick and choose. But there isn’t anything between Minneapolis and the Coon Rapids Dam. I think that the perfect trail to include seems to be the Rice Creek West Regional Trail.

My reasoning? First it is a pretty long trail for being in the Metro area, and you have several options in length, even if you stay in just Locke County Park (the segment between University Avenue & Highway 65) it is a nice length, and very scenic. If you really want to take a long hike and don’t mind the sections that are along & across some major roads, you can start with your feet (literally if you really want to) in the Mississippi river and go for miles, and most of it is as if you are out in some park out in the wilderness.

I think that I would also have preferred that they didn’t include the State parks, or if they did, just as a list of parks to check out on your own. Really State parks are pretty easy to find information on. County or city parks are another matter.

Also, I would not have included well known ones, like the City Lakes Chain. I am pretty sure that if you asked 10 people what the most well-known or popular park for walking trails is in the Metro area 8 out of the 10 would say the City Lakes Chain (or would indicate one of the lakes in this chain: Lake Calhoun, Lake of the Isles or Lake Harriet.) Also this is the busiest & most crowded place to go walk, with limited parking areas.

So it looks like I am going to do what Luma Mufleh did when looking for a soccer field for her refugee soccer team to practice in (see Outcasts United by Warren St John) - use Google maps and look for green spots on the map. So far I have located a couple interesting parks, like the Tony Schmidt Regional Park with the Elmer L. Anderson Memorial Trail, which was dedicated on October 14, 2010.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

77bruce_krafft
Ago 11, 2012, 1:57 pm

Also I must note on using the iPod nano as a pedometer. I haven’t checked it for accuracy, but it seems to be working pretty good, certainly inspiring me to walk more. However today it fell off and cracked. Thankfully I spent an extra $25 and got an insurance policy on it (we are using them in a water-proof case in the pool, so the insurance was a no-brainer) so I got a new one at no cost. But I had to buy more insurance as it only works once for accidental damage.

I am taking the advice of someone and tying a ribbon around the clip and safety pining it to my clothing. I will also be sending Apple an e-mail saying that at the very least they need to add a small hole to the clip so a safety chain can be used on it. Really think of the marketing possibilities for that! Just like a watch fob, you can have different ones for different outfits. And add ‘bling’.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

78bruce_krafft
Ago 11, 2012, 8:29 pm

If anyone has an iPod nano you can make a quick and easy safety chain using an old bracelet with a clasp, a pin and a #67 o-ring (13/16" OD x 11/16" ID x 1/16"). You can find the o-ring in the plumbing department of any hardware store.

You attach the bracelet to the o-ring using the clasp, slide the loop on the other end of the bracelet to the pin and pin the pin onto your pocket. The o-ring fits very nicely around the hinge part of the clip on the nano. It does make it a bit harder to 'open', but at least when it come off it won't hit the ground and break.

I got the idea from when my cell phone had a visable antenna. We used to make charms for them and used really small o-rings. I think that this is much better then a string and safety pin and not much harder.

Oh, and we told 3 people about LT today. . . people who read books are everywhere!

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

79bruce_krafft
Ago 16, 2012, 10:55 pm

Oh, dear I am getting quite behind! All this exercising is getting in the way of my reading. I just got Losing My Voice & Finding Another in the mail today. And I decided to take the night off from exercising. Mainly to give my feet an extra day to recover from Tuesday when we went Nordic walking and according to my Nano I did over 12,000 steps.

This book was a very good and fast read. I did really like it. But . . . well it was short and lacked, um, intimacy?
I have many books by people who have moved to another country where they don’t speak the language. They pretty much gloss over the negative aspects of learning the language & culture. They were more personal but talked less about how they felt & dealt with while learning a new language. This book is all about language acquisition and really lacked in the everyday life parts of living in another country & learning a new language. Yes, there are some examples of his interactions with other people, but nothing really about his everyday life, it’s more about classes, & groups that he joined or lectures that he went to.

Now that I am done with it I am not sure that I am happy with the ‘tone’ of the book, either. I am not sure how to explain it, and will have to think about it more. Can I say that something seems a bit arrogant & sterile even if I enjoyed it and learned a lot by reading it? I think that this is probably because of the way the author seems to have been brought up and the fact that he has been living in Germany where they are very formal. To give you an example, I have no idea what his wife’s name is, how they met, or anything beyond the fact that they usually speak English with each other and he does most of the cooking. This is more like one of those infomercials or lectures that you go to.

It started out well. The prologue almost seems like it was written by a different person.

He does talk about some of the anger that he felt. The anger caused by being unable to communicate, the anger at how immigrants are treated, the fact that some people felt that he had nothing that they would be interested in hearing just because he didn’t speak their language very well, or that they just plain ignored him. You can imagine how the inability to communicate could cause people to react in a way that they normally wouldn’t. People who are not learning a language don’t think about how much effort & energy that takes. Moving to another country where you don’t speak the language is like being in calculus class 24/7, total brain overload.

I do recommend it if you are learning another language or teaching people another language, but unless you are really interested in language acquisition or dealing with immigrants I would not suggest reading it.

DS
(Bruce'e evil twin :-))

80cammykitty
Ago 16, 2012, 11:07 pm

I'm getting behind in my reading too! Sage, work, scratched eye blah!!! Totally agree with your critique of 60 walks - & really, if you're looking for a nature trail the chain of lakes isn't! The Roberts bird sanctuary that is considered part of Lake Harriet yes, but the lakes, no! They've become outdoor gyms where dogs are allowed. He also has a few puny parks in there, and a few that have become trash pits.

Too bad Losing My Voice wasn't better. It's a subject I'd be interested in, but it sounds like he may have glossed over a lot of what I'd really want to know.

81bruce_krafft
Ago 18, 2012, 5:43 am

I got Dog Tricks and Agility For Dummies because we are taking our younger dog with on our walks and I thought that it would be fun to teach her more stuff beyond the basic 'sit' and 'heel'. I learned a lot of interesting stuff in this book.

Gracie is a white, fluffy, fearless, 8 pound lap dog (Westie & Toy Poodle mix) and there are some things she is just not interested in like fetching & toys. Running & jumping yes, fetching not even a glimmer. And of course there are other things that she is just not able to do, like get a beverage out of the fridge she can't even reach it for starters. My co-worker says that his dog, Scotty, recycles and no bottle is safe because he also like to take the caps off and drink the contents. He also likes toys, fetching and running so there is lots of stuff that he can use in this book. And yes, it does cover the steps needed to teach your dog to get you a beverage out of the fridge, shut the door and bring it to you.

I thought that it was well written and helpful. The author does a good job reminding people that if you are having trouble with your dog you need to re-think what you are doing. Dogs want to please you, so if they aren't doing what you are asking them it is because you are doing it wrong and they don't understand. Or that they are tired, or it is beyond their ability.

Don't force a dog to do something. For me that is a no-brainer, my whole idea for doing this is to stimulate my dog so she has more fun. But I know that there are people who can get an idea in their head and will want to try to get their dog to do something that is not right for the dog.

My dog likes sitting on laps, running and jumping, so we will skip anything related to fetching. She's not much of a talker either (she does let you know if she wants something and we are in another room or if there is someone at the door) so I am not planning on teaching her to 'speak'. We have decided to start with 'target', where you have a small disk and teach them to go stand by it, 'under' where she will go 'under' us while we are sitting and adding words to her vocabulary like - car & inside.

If you are looking for something beyond the basic commands that is fun I say that you should check out this book. If you are interested in learning more about ‘agility’ for your dog this is a good book to start with. If you don’t know what agility is and have an energetic dog you probably want to check out this book. And while the main focus of the book is agility it does have a bit on other things to do like skiing with your dog, or teaching them how to pull something like a cart, wagon or sled, along with fly ball and Frisbees.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

PS - I must say the best way to socialize a puppy is the MN Renaissance Festival. I attribute Gracie’s fearlessness to 8 weekends at the Festival when she was a puppy. She was cuddled and carried, and walked her little legs off while being exposed to people, dogs, whips, bagpipes, drums, cannons, horses, geese, and lots of other strange things, Storm Trooper anyone? Ok she is still afraid of cannon fire and really doesn’t like whips. But really is running for cover when a cannon goes off a bad idea? It is probably her most favorite place to go to.

82cammykitty
Ago 18, 2012, 11:09 pm

I second MN Ren Festival for Socialization. Other favorites - Duluth during a H.O.G. convention and Irish Fair while the pipers are marching about. Good review!

83bruce_krafft
Ago 24, 2012, 10:16 pm

Hedonist’s Guide to Istanbul is a re-read. My mind is mush. I went and bought a new pair of sandals today (great timing – last pair, my size 50% off) and saw a nice winter coat. (I must remember to go back and check out their coats when it is closer to winter and they have a larger selection.) Anyway we were talking about how nice the coat would be to have with for our trip in February and the saleswoman asked where we were going. Of course, Istanbul really surprised her. I don’t get it; everyone is so shocked when we say Istanbul. I can’t understand why everyone doesn’t want to go there. The first two sentences of the section introducing Istanbul says it all – “For much of human history it has been the greatest city on earth. Byzantium, Constantinople, Istanbul – the names for which the city has been known during its 28 centuries of existence are alone enough to conjure such a wealth of legends and stories as to stupefy the most curious.”

If you are not familiar with the Hedonist’s guides they are guides for people who are more stylish, who want to explore and pamper themselves, kind of like the anti-budget traveler. It is not extensive, it gives you a handful of places for the different categories but it is written in a very entertaining way. I like them as long as I can get them pretty cheap (I am not paying full price for them, I am a budget hedonist!) I bet that they would make great gifts for the person who has everything and is planning a trip to one of the cities that they cover. They are fun.

DS
(Bruce's stressed out evil twin :-))

84cammykitty
Ago 25, 2012, 12:47 am

Yes, those 1st two sentences do say it all. & February is coming up soon!

85dudes22
Ago 25, 2012, 8:30 am

I, personally am envious and can't wait to hear about your trip. Maybe some people who aren't "geographically oriented" assume it's close to the mid-east and the turmoil there?

86bruce_krafft
Ago 25, 2012, 9:30 am

Or I suppose they have all seen 'Midnight Express'?

But really Hagia Sophia was a functioning church when most of Europe was still being invaded by the Vikings and it was the largest church in the world for over 700 years, and that was over 500 years ago.

I know, how many people have even heard of the Byzantine empire these days? Let alone know where it was. Everything seems to be about 'today' or tomorrow.

Another thing The Hedonist's Guide says - get lost and take a walk. Basically take time to forget about what a guide book says and just walk around the Sultanahmet area. That is what I plan to do. i might have a 'cheat sheet' of places that I want to see. But for the most part i just want to walk and soak it all in.

BTW Turkish airlines is having a sale. I beleive that you can get round trip tickets from NYC to Istanbul for under $700 USD. And February is one of the cheapest months to visit. It's cold there. Hopefully not as cold as Minnesota though!

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

87bruce_krafft
Ago 25, 2012, 1:45 pm

"If the earth was a single state, Istanbul would be its capital"
Napoleon Bonaparte

"People were right when they say there is no other place on earth as beautiful looking as Istanbul."
Chateaubriand

"Holy Istanbul! Your name is the most enchanting one of all names which enchants me."
Pierre Loti

"If one had but a single glance to give the world, one should gaze on Istanbul."
Alphonse de Lamartine

"All other cities are doomed, but I imagine that as long as people exist, Constantinople will exist."
Petrus Gyllius

88cammykitty
Ago 25, 2012, 1:47 pm

Wow, that's super cheap!!! I'm sure it costs more 1 way to Canada. Getting lost and taking a walk sounds like perfect advice, and who cares if it isn't Istanbul during its best weather.

89bruce_krafft
Ago 28, 2012, 8:18 pm

OMG! I need to read 6 books in what 3 days?? I ordered some books today (some even get free 2 day delivery) so maybe that will get me reading. One should be a fast read since it should be full of pictures as it is the Haynes manual for my Mini Cooper. OK, well, reading & finishing I am actually in the middle of about 5 books currently.
Also it looks like I am supposed to be getting and Early Reviewer’s copy of Thomas Jefferson's Creme Brulee: How a Founding Father and His Slave James Hemings Introduced French Cuisine to America very exciting.

I have been reading some Ottoman recipes or rather some Osmanlı yemek tarifleri since they are in Turkish. I figured that since we collect cookbooks (we have over 400 so far), and the Turkish cookbooks that are in English seem to be pretty much the same (and none really have much in Ottoman cuisine) we should plan on getting some ‘real’ Turkish cookbooks. How can you see if the book is any good if you can’t read the recipes? So if figure if I get a basic cooking vocabulary it will help. And it won’t hurt when we are out looking for something to eat while we are there either. Thankfully sentence structure is pretty straightforward in a recipe. So it is also helping with grammar.

Two of the books that I am reading are two different versions of a continuation (sort of) of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca. They both seem to have the same issue – they are wrong.

First Mrs. De Winter by Susan Hill seems to have forgotten where the second Mrs. De Winter came from. She was an American in Daphne du Maurier’s book. But in this book she is longing for the English countryside. Really? I could be wrong but I find it hard to believe that an American whose only experience in England was when she was being compared with 1st wife, (unfavorably in many people’s eyes) being manipulated and tormented by her housekeeper and then finding out that your husband actually did kill his first wife. Nothing of her life there was pleasant, why should she be longing for it? It is well written in the fact that it is in the same style and tone as Rebecca but the characterization is wrong. Amazon reviewers pretty much agreed as 49 out of the 89 reviews gave it the lowest rating possible. I think that if you changed the names and took away the connection to Rebecca entirely it might be a good book.

And of course that is what is so wrong about Rebecca’s Tale too, the characterization is wrong, totally wrong. The first narrator is a very minor character from the first book. Now he is a close friend of Rebecca’s, someone who was enamored of her. The original Rebecca was a manipulative liar who cheated on her husband. In this book she seems to have been a mis-understood feminist, who was emotionally repressed by her husband. This book also has some pretty annoying style issues too, with lots of ‘of course, I wasn't to know that yet “ type statements.

To me if you are going to take a well-known novel and create a sequel you need to immerse yourself in the characters, the story and the style. What motivated the characters? What happened in their lives to make them do or react the way that they did? What was the author’s intent? You need to study the author too. What was the inspiration? Is there a common theme in other books written by the author? Like a forensic scientist you need to study the clues that the author give you and build a case. There are 3 ‘main’ characters in Rebecca: Rebecca, Maxim and the nameless 2nd Mrs. De Winter. If you don’t get the motivations correctly with these three then forget it.

Rebecca was a haunting tale, in a good way; these two are haunting in a bad way. BTW if you haven’t read Rebecca yet I highly recommend it. And yes, I do wonder and think about what motivated Rebecca. Who was she really, under that perfect façade? What happened in her life that caused her to be that way? And the second Mrs. De Winter? What about her? I like to think that she became like Shirley McLain’s character the in the movie Mrs. Winterbourne. She took what she was given and made it her own.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

90bruce_krafft
Ago 28, 2012, 10:57 pm

Campfire cuisine: gourmet recipes for the great outdoors

California cooking gone camping? I think that this cookbook might just be someone’s sneaky way of getting people who wouldn’t normally be interested in things like ‘compound butters’ and aioli to try them out. Don’t get me wrong there are a lot of good and tasty looking recipes in this book, petite though it is (ajust over 5 x 7 inches.) If you are looking for out of the ordinary camping recipes this book is for you. If you are just starting to think about camping this book is good too. The first section is dedicated to what you should do before you head out the door on your camping trip, including a good list of must have items.

It has a wide range of recipes that should appeal to a lot of people. My only dislikes are I wish it was bigger and had photographs.

If you are wondering - there are 6 aioli recipes included in the book.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

91cammykitty
Ago 28, 2012, 11:44 pm

6 aioli recipes? For camping???

92-Eva-
Ago 29, 2012, 1:47 am

LOL - I have a friend who cooks poncy stuff whenever we have a BBQ at the beach. It's delicious, but I'd be happy with a hot dog and s'mores. Aioli should be made in a kitchen. :)

93psutto
Ago 29, 2012, 4:38 am

I really liked rebecca, not sure I'd read any "continuations" of it though!

94bruce_krafft
Ago 29, 2012, 5:31 am

>92 -Eva-: admittedly the aoili recipes start with mayo. . .so really they are flavored mayo if you ask me. But hey anything that gets people to try new stuff.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

95dudes22
Ago 29, 2012, 12:32 pm

>89 bruce_krafft:..."of course, I wasn't to know that yet"

I read a book like that last year - "if only I'd know what would happen, etc." I kept wanting to say - so tell me already. I wonder why editor's think that works to keep a person's interest? I just end up annoyed.

96cammykitty
Ago 30, 2012, 12:54 pm

Betty - totally agree. "if only I'd known" is a cheap way to create tension.

So you don't even beat your own eggs??? & mayo isn't high on my list of camping foods since it's been accused of causing many cases of food poisoning. Sounds interesting, but perhaps not always for camping recipes.

97bruce_krafft
Editado: Ago 31, 2012, 5:32 am

The Gigolo Murder by Mehmet Murat Somer

The back of the book says - If you are tired of mysteries featuring granny sleuths and ex-cops-turned detectives, you won't find a more refreshing alternative. . .

This is the third book in the Turkish Delight Mystery series. I find them totally enjoyable. The main character is a computer programmer/hacker by day and an Audrey Hepburn transvestite who runs a drag club by night. In this story the road to recovery from a bad breakup is paved with an ultra hunky married lawyer named Haluk and a murder, with the prime suspect being Haluk’s brother-in-law.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

98cammykitty
Ago 30, 2012, 11:18 pm

Wow, got to love the cover on The Gigolo Murder!

99-Eva-
Sep 1, 2012, 6:23 pm

I have the first two in the Hop-Ciki-Yaya-series, but I had forgotten about them - thanks for the reminder!

100bruce_krafft
Sep 1, 2012, 8:12 pm

>99 -Eva-: I just ordered the first one, I don't know how I missed it. I thought that The Kiss Murder was the first one. I really enjoy them. I am hoping that I will be able to read them in Turkish someday!

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

101bruce_krafft
Sep 2, 2012, 4:07 pm

Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life

I liked this book; however it is hard to believe from the tone of it that the author is a Buddhist master. I say this because of the way eating meat and dairy products is approached. To me, mindfulness is about being mindful, in this case about eating. It is about understanding that you need to understand your choices and make informed decisions about what it right for you. Clearly the author has a different view.

The author all but says that eating dairy is bad because the animals are badly treated and when the cows are done producing they are sold to the beef industry. First, not all dairy products are from cows. Goat milk is readily available and some cheeses are made from milk from sheep and other types of livestock. Most importantly dairy cattle and beef cattle are two completely different animals. A dairy cow is very lean no good for meat at all. Also the happier your cow, the more milk you get and it is of better quality. I know that there are people/companies that don’t get that but in this age of the internet, believe me when I say that big business are well aware that there are people watching out for animal welfare and if your animals are treated badly you will lose business, big business. We should also be aware that there are people who ‘stage’ things to make it look like the animals are being mistreated. (Sparboe Farms is a case in point. I don’t know if the accusations were staged or not, but they certainly lost a lot of business from it.)

Also the author is most probably a vegan, and believes that everyone should choose that lifestyle. Yes, I know many vegetarians and vegans are thin, but not all. I know 4 vegetarians, two are thin and two are overweight, and in fact would be considered on the morbidly obese. I think that this book would have been better if the author said that you need to be mindful of your choices. Educate yourself on your choices, listen you your body. If I followed what the author said we should all be eating I would be very unhealthy, my mind would be sluggish and I would feel bloated all the time, whole grains are not my friend.

With all of the above in mind, I think that this is a not bad introduction to mindful eating. Something most, if not all of us, should do more of.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

102cammykitty
Sep 2, 2012, 11:49 pm

Good review!

103bruce_krafft
Sep 6, 2012, 9:08 pm

I have changed my mind on Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life, I don’t like it.

Even though the basic information in the book is good, the author and I are clearly on different wavelength. I feel that the essence of mindfulness is becoming aware of the world around you, realizing that even your smallest actions & decisions have consequences and that you should be aware of this when you make choices and that you should appreciate the choices and efforts of others. Is the effort of an immigrant who works for a big food business so their family can have a better life worth less than the person who is dedicating their life to be an organic farmer? Is a rancher in Montana less of a person because they continue to raise cattle on the family ranch? And what exactly could they do if they didn’t raise cattle? The land that cattle are raised on is usually unsuitable for farming.

I feel that a person who is truly mindful will not try to force their beliefs on to other people in the way that the author is obviously trying to do in this book. If they feel that they must, a truly mindful person will explain what their choice is, and why they feel that their choice is the best way and let you make your own choice.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

104bruce_krafft
Sep 6, 2012, 9:52 pm

I am contemplating on committing to only 13 books for the 13 in 13.

Sometimes I find myself reading just for the sake of reading. I am thinking that I should be reading them mindfully, savoring the information and maybe exploring different faucets of the information more.

I would, obviously, read more than 13 books but this way I can take time to really digest any information they may contain. For example I am working on researching a period outfit for my husband, I could take the extra time to try some of the techniques and experiment with some of the information that I learned – non-reading activities related to the book like sewing, weaving or cooking. Or I could choose to search for more information on the internet on something that I read in a book.

DS
(bruce's evil twin :-))

105cammykitty
Sep 6, 2012, 11:00 pm

Don't bolt your food!!! That's the problem with challenges. They encourage you to put more stuff on your plate than you can eat. I'm planning 14 categories, 5 in each and am thinking that may be too aggressive if I want to get writing in and a full-time job as well. (Yes, sadly, I should look for job with more hours. Prefer to read than do that though.)

106-Eva-
Sep 7, 2012, 11:36 pm

Interesting points about Savor - is it supposed to be a diet-book? I too have friends who are overweight vegetarians - it's not some magic slimming technique! Chocolate is vegetarian, remember. :)

I say read as many or as few for the challenge as you want - it's everyone's reads and conversations about it I enjoy. One book minimum in each of 13 categories qualifies as a 13-in-13 challenge!!

107bruce_krafft
Sep 8, 2012, 9:22 am

>105 cammykitty: - Yes Mom! But this whole getting in shape & burning calories thing takes time! I hardly have any time to read.

>106 -Eva-: - I think it can be thought of as a diet book. But I think the idea is that if you are mindful about what you eat (not just what it is but where it came from too) you will be healthier and therefore will lose weight if you are over-weight. But really skinny people aren't buying books on dieting are they? I know that I would be very heavy and not feel good on a vegetarian diet. I would probably be very hungry as well. Rice is about the only starchy food that I can eat without feeling awful later.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

108casvelyn
Sep 8, 2012, 11:52 am

>107 bruce_krafft: Personally, I think the most important aspect of choosing a diet/making long-term changes in one's eating habits is figuring out what works for your body. I know people who have done Atkins, Paleo, vegetarian, gluten-free, wheat-free, and several other types of diets. Some swear up and down that one specific one worked for them--they lost weight, feel better, etc., while other friends felt absolutely miserable on the same diet. Sometimes people even arrive at the same diet for different reasons. For example, my brother quit eating processed sugar because it makes his brain feel fuzzy, while I quit sugar because it gave me giant acne that looked like cancerous leprosy, and I was tired of my face hurting every time I smiled.

109bruce_krafft
Sep 8, 2012, 4:43 pm

I agree each person is different, and you need to figure out what works for you and your own body. I switched to a mainly Paleo diet and am amazed on how different I feel. Now I drink pop because I like the taste, not because I need to caffeine to help me stay awake. I can now get half the amount of sleep and still feel more awake and energetic. And I don’t feel hungry either. If I am hungry I eat, and I normally only eat two meals a day now.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

110bruce_krafft
Sep 8, 2012, 4:55 pm

The Prophet Murders by Mehmet Murat Somer

I am glad that I didn't read this one first. It was an ok book, but the other two books in the series are much better, to me there is clearly improvement with each book. I can't wait to read more by this author.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

111-Eva-
Editado: Sep 9, 2012, 12:09 am

We're all so different when it comes to food - I'm horrible with veg and have to hide it in my dishes when I cook, so I'd be a terrible vegetarian as well. Although I wouldn't mind living on chocolate alone, that's pretty much a guarantee for not feeling well. :) I try to be of the little-of-everything school of eating - that seems to be the one that works for me; if I tell myself to not eat a specific thing, then that's the one thing I'm going to crave. Doesn't work on veg, though, I've tried. :)

112lkernagh
Sep 8, 2012, 10:08 pm

Interesting discussion around diet. For the most part I am pretty good at balancing my meat, poultry, fish, veggies, and legumes intake.... I love veggies but its the fruit where I fall down on the job, except during the summer months when fresh fruit is in abundance. I also have to remind myself to consume yogurt which is funny because my other half consumes yogurt as dessert every evening! For me, it was removing caffeine and cutting back on my intake of baked goods and products containing refined sugar that boosted my energy and alertness. I can do carbs in small doses - toast with peanut butter once a week - which also seems to work for me. It does take time to figure out what works and what doesn't when trying to figure out a healthy, sustainable diet.

113bruce_krafft
Sep 9, 2012, 6:50 am

I try to do fruit & protien for breakfast. Apples & bananas always seem to be available. Yogurt could be good for breakfast if you can do dairy, which I shouldn't.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

114mamzel
Sep 9, 2012, 2:47 pm

Monsieur wouldn't pick up a piece of fruit if his life depended on it but will enjoy a fresh fruit salad where everything is clean, peeled and seeded if needed, and bite-sized. When I make a salad for dinner I always make enough for our lunches the next day.

115bruce_krafft
Sep 11, 2012, 11:32 pm

the Haynes Mini Cooper, Cooper S, Clubman & Clubman S 2002-2011 Repair Manual

Normally my motto is – if you have a car you should have the Haynes book for your car, even if you don’t work on it yourself. Then I bought a new car, with a 100,000 mile warranty and threw that idea out the window.

No more! I now have the Haynes Mini Cooper, Cooper S, Clubman & Clubman S 2002-2011 Repair Manual. My mechanic (my new Mini mechanic I might add, or rather the mechanic that I had before I got a new car) was delighted when I told them that I brought the book with me. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s the first Mini that they have worked on. Mini’s have only been in the US 10 years and when I got mine 3 years ago you never saw one on my side of town.

Yes, I have fired the dealer and am now taking my business elsewhere (though apparently the warranty company is not happy with this.) I don’t care how nice your place is, how nice your people are, how well you clean my car, or how nice the loaner car you give me is if you don’t bloody well fix the car I don’t want to give you my business, even if it means driving my hubby’s Crown Victoria which has been sitting in the driveway for 11 months. And if I have already spent 100’s of dollars on deductibles & shop supplies, brought it in multiple times for the same issue for months and then you charge me over $100 for diagnostic and tell me the problem can only be fixed by a $700+ valve cleaning job that isn’t covered you bet I’m getting a second opinion, and then I probably am still not going to bring it back to you.

If you work on your car you probably already know all about Haynes manuals. If you are not familiar with Haynes manuals they contain pretty much everything that you need to know about your car. For those of us who don’t want to (and most likely can’t) work on our cars it will show you what is what, so when your mechanic says PCV hose is loose you can look it up and see where it is, or say that my rear stabilizers need to be replaced I can look it up and most likely see what they look like and what they are connected to. I am a visual person, to remember things I need to ‘see’ them (this really sucks if you are trying to learn a language BTW.) So I like these books. It also has a small section on if the car is doing this the problem most likely is A, B or C.

It will even tell you where your dipstick is, but really if you need the manual to tell you this, and you own a car, you seriously need to consider finding someone to teach you more about a combustion engine. If you can’t find a friend or co-worker to do this, it would be worth the investment to see how much your local garage would charge you to walk your through the workings of your car. Checking your oil every time you get gas is a really good idea, yes even if you just got an oil change.

The Haynes manual also lists the error codes and what they mean. There is a diagnostic code reader that you can either buy, or ‘borrow’ from some auto supply stores that you can use to ‘read’ the error codes. Yes, when that ‘check engine’ light comes on you can use a code reader to find out what the codes are, and then you can use the book to look them up. It lists out the electrical schematics and a whole bunch of other stuff that most of us don’t even know existed.

A car is a huge investment, even if you are only spending a couple of thousand on it, educating yourself on your particular car is money well spent. Don't forget to ask questions, like why did this happen? I always ask if there is something that I could have done to prevent it from happening, or if my driving style could have contributed to it. Yes, I 'drive it like I stole it' but the hubby drives it like he stole it and has the cops on his ass (ok when he is up to driving.) So far my driving style has actually reduced issues, you will probalby have more issues if you drive it like a granny, or so I am told.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

116dudes22
Editado: Sep 12, 2012, 12:57 pm

I'm pretty much a visual person too. When my husband tries to explain how big something is with numbers, my usual response is "Tell me in terms of a football field" or something else like that. Recently, I had been complaining to my husband that there was a weird noise coming from the right front tire area of my car and would he check things out. (OK, I'm lazy and try to get him to do things I could do myself if I wanted to. Besides, keeps his male ego going) He ignored me. Luckily he was driving when we were coming home and the front strut broke. And I could say "Told you so".
I've never heard of the Haynes manual although I try to check out the manual that comes with the car. Might check that out.

117bruce_krafft
Sep 12, 2012, 6:55 pm

Ouch losing a front strut doesn't sound like fun.

I try to get any noise checked out right away. I figure it will cost less in the long run. My back tires are loud, but don't really need to be replaced, but at least i know that it's the tires and not bad bearings. the Crown Vic creaks & moans, but that is just 'normal' for it.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

118bruce_krafft
Sep 12, 2012, 7:13 pm

To go with the Haynes manual - (ok that is stretching it a bit)

the fastest way to parallel park video!

Don't try this at home! Duh!

http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1076646_mini-shows-you-the-fastest-way-to-par...

The Britalian Job video is pretty amusing too.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

119cammykitty
Sep 12, 2012, 9:39 pm

Great review on the Haynes manual - never thought I'd like a review on a car manual. I'd say firing the dealership is a good plan - especially if they have the don't-touch-the-volume TV playing in the lounge all the time. When I'm on a speedy comp, I'll have to watch the mini parking vid. They're so small, they could just back up in between two humvees and be just fine.

120psutto
Sep 13, 2012, 7:52 am

I think any modern car you'd need specialist tools and a method of accessing the onboard computer in order to really DIY, explains why I've not bothered buying a Haynes for any car I've bought in the last 10 years...

I'm reading East of Eden at the moment and there's an amusing bit where Steinbeck basically gives you a car lecture on the Model T Ford. Just starting it up sounds incredibly convoluted but I bet if you had the equivalent of the Haynes and access to spare parts you could fix anything on it.

121bruce_krafft
Sep 14, 2012, 4:56 pm

>119 cammykitty: you think the Cooper is small there are rumors that in 2014 they are coming out with a smaller one! And it is sexy! It is called the Rocketman, rumor has it that it has, are you ready for this?? Large 18-inch alloy wheels and a scant 11-foot overall length.

>120 psutto: I love it when books give you detailed info on something that really isn't around anymore, or is something many people are unfamiliar with. Imagine maybe years from now someone will be reading a book that describes what it is like to read a paper book and people will go, wow is that what it was like?

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

122cammykitty
Sep 14, 2012, 11:41 pm

I'm waiting for the Tardis Cooper - Can carry 10 dogs and one boyfriend, and can park safely underneath a humvee.

123bruce_krafft
Sep 15, 2012, 2:33 pm

>122 cammykitty: Hey mine can carry 10 dogs and a boyfriend, a husband even. . . they just have to be small dogs!

124bruce_krafft
Sep 15, 2012, 2:36 pm

Card Weaving

This is an adequate book. Basically it covers pretty much everything that you need for the basics and beyond, but not in any great detail.

As usual I was looking & hoping for more. More what specifically? Well, how about more information on the different types of material that you can make or buy cards out of? What are the pros & cons of thinner cards made out of old playing card vs. thicker ones made out of wood? What about looms? Yes a very traditional way to card weave needs only a stationary object and the weaver, but there are other options. Towards the end of the books she does talk about various loom options, including a weighted loom. And in fact there are a couple of pictures of one that looks very interesting. Unfortunately there isn’t any real detail about the loom and the pictures don’t seem to give the whole story on how it was created.

Another thing that would have been nice would have been how to determine the finished width of a project. A basic chart with if you use x weight yarn your width should be y for every z # of cards.

If I could just win the lottery I could quit work and write my own book!

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

125bruce_krafft
Editado: Sep 15, 2012, 10:16 pm

A Fez of the Heart
You know when you read a book that is so good that you can't put it down and have to tell everyone that you meet how good it was? This isn’t one of those books. This book is aimless, and dull, dull, dull.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

126lkernagh
Sep 15, 2012, 11:14 pm

Best three sentence review I have read. I will happily avoid the book A Fez of the Heart should I ever encounter it in my travels!

127cammykitty
Sep 16, 2012, 12:06 am

Oooo - wishing you some good books. Let Gracie pick the next one.

128dudes22
Sep 17, 2012, 4:15 pm

I can't wait till I have a book bad enough to "borrow" your review - Love it!

129DeltaQueen50
Sep 19, 2012, 2:05 pm

Love your review at #125. Short, to the point, and effective in warning me off. I might have to "borrow" that review some time as well.

130bruce_krafft
Sep 23, 2012, 8:25 pm

Still suffering with the plague, so just a brief 'note' on this book for now.

Thomas Jefferson's Creme Brulee

This was an interesting book, but it seemed to lack ‘meat’. Also I would really have liked to have seen transcribed versions of the original recipes included in the book. I understand that there is a website for the book that you can find these at, but I think that they should have been included with the book.

DS
(Bruces' evil twin :-))

131thornton37814
Sep 27, 2012, 1:45 pm

I think everyone is spying problems with Thomas Jefferson's Creme Brulee. I know I did.

132cammykitty
Sep 27, 2012, 10:40 pm

Of course they should've been with the book!!! Why would you name a book that and then leave out the recipes. Hope you are feeling better soon! Sage says hi to Gracie. He wants to tell her all about Changing Attitudes class tonight, and how awful it was. New scary person kept standing by him!!! And creepy big lab started staring. !!!

133bruce_krafft
Oct 2, 2012, 8:42 pm

I have a lingering case of the plague – still. But here are a few thoughts on the two books that I read by Colin Wright

First if you are not familiar with Colin he has done what some, perhaps many, of us dream – he figured out a way that he can make a living and live anywhere in the world he chooses. And he chooses to move every four months to a location determined by the readers of his blog Exile Lifestyle.

The two books of his that I have read so far are How to Travel Full Time and How to Start a Freedom Business. These were both short, $.99 e-books. While neither contains any ground-breaking information that can’t be found anywhere else, they are a solid value for the price. They are intelligently written and entertaining. And sometimes we need someone to ‘spell it out for us’, to tell us the obvious, to give us validation on ideas that we already have. He also gives suggestions on some resources to check out.

If you are not familiar with a ‘freedom business’ it is a business that provides financial security, location independence, and personal fulfillment. Who wouldn’t want that right?

Both books reminded me of those what to do when you retire books. He gives you questions to make you think about what you really want out of life. He isn’t telling you that you must quit your job and jump on his bandwagon, he is telling you this is what I felt, thought, did, and he points out that it might not really be what you want, even though you think it is. Just like those retirement books, everyone thinks great, I can’t wait to retire, sit around do nothing all day and then that day comes and they don’t like it, it drives them crazy. I know someone that did that, he lasted about 6 months (I would bet his wife lasted about 3 . . . weeks.) They were both happy when someone called and offered him a job in another state. He said we haven’t lived in that state yet and the winters are way nicer than the ones in Minnesota so they packed up and moved.

Bottom line, if you are interested in either of these topics they are well worth the $.99, and who knows maybe you will be on the road to moving to a different country every 4 months. . . (and no, I don't know Colin, nor have I ever met him in 'real' llife or in cyberspace. . .)

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

134lkernagh
Oct 2, 2012, 11:41 pm

I have a lingering case of the plague – still.

Poor you..... hope you get better soon!

135bruce_krafft
Oct 3, 2012, 5:30 am

>134 lkernagh: Thanks, the hubby keeps blaming me for it, but he got sick before me. I blame the new HVAC at work, becuase that's when everybody there got sick, even my boss who is never sick got it & still has it.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

136-Eva-
Oct 3, 2012, 1:56 pm

One of my co-workers retired last year and came back two months later because his wife couldn't stand him moping around the house! :)

Hope plague goes away soon!

137cammykitty
Oct 3, 2012, 4:49 pm

Oh - new HVAC systems can be evil!!! Definitely hope the plague leaves your home and workplace soon (except for any co-workers who deserve to be sick. I'm sure you've got some co-worker that's quite annoying. Everyone does.)

138bruce_krafft
Oct 8, 2012, 11:26 am

Thanks. I am actually quite lucky that my co-workers and I get along amazingly well. We have had lots of 'bonding experiences'. Like the 11 months we spent working in a trailer – 6 men, me and one bathroom. Winter in a trailer in MN, not too fun either. We are not a politically correct group, but we work hard and we all have pretty high standards. HR hates us, they are very welcome to a nasty plague. . .

I am almost over the plague, which is good because some stupid person hit us while we were stopped at a stop sign, yesterday. I’m sorry if you hit my right front tire & door with the right front of your car while you are taking a left turn you were driving like an idiot. I don’t care where you say the sun was!

And I had just re-enforced the bumper so a crack that I had wouldn’t grow any bigger! Good news, it didn’t get any bigger, bad news my passenger door, hood, front bumper and wheel look awful. The door is probably repairable, though I am guessing by the angle of the tire I need a right front wheel & axel& various other parts. Other good news, the car was just in the shop so we know anything broken is from the accident (and since the front bumper was off we all had a very good look at the radiator so any damage to that would clearly be from the accident), and I have been getting lots of reading done! Shoulder is not happy about typing though, and I am sure I am going to have an amazing bruise on my arm once it shows up. So more reading, less using the computer.

Just a few quick notes on what I have read:

Elemental Mysteries series by Elizabeth Hunter. The first e-book is currently free on Amazon, but the story really doesn’t come to any real conclusion until the end of the series, and the rest are not free. So if you don’t want to spend about $13 on the whole series I would skip them. And although the two main characters are in love, I am not sure that I would classify these as Romance, even of the paranormal kind, a decent story yes, riveting, no, ‘bodice ripper’, absolutely not.

The books by Colin Wright, very interesting, very insightful, in fact if he didn’t let everyone know how young he was you would think that he was much, much older. And although I would have really have liked it if he had talked more about becoming part of the community & learning the language, and how he coped with that, I very much enjoyed them. And apparently he is an introvert, which I found fascinating considering that he is moving every 4 months or so. I thought for sure that anyone with his lifestyle would have to be in extrovert. But then most of his life seems to be on-line, which is an introvert tendency, so I guess it shouldn't have been such a surprise.

He has some very interesting views. And the best part is he isn’t telling you to do what he did. Well he is, he is not telling you to take up his views or lifestyle, what he is saying is that you should find what makes you happy, what you want out of life and do it. Don’t listen to what other people say you should do, not what everyone says that you should want, but what you truly want and do it.

Bottom line his books are totally worth reading.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

139mamzel
Oct 8, 2012, 1:41 pm

So sorry about your accident! Glad you and the others weren't terribly injured. I had my car totalled by an idiot that was leaving a parking spot on the side of the road and turned right into my car, on the passenger side where my daughter was sitting. Crunch! She wasn't hurt but had to climb over the middle to get out on the driver's side.

140hailelib
Oct 8, 2012, 2:11 pm

Good luck with the insurance company and the car repairs.

Sounds like you got some good reading done though.

141lkernagh
Oct 8, 2012, 4:24 pm

Yikes to the accident and here is hoping all goes well with the insurance and repairs.

142cammykitty
Oct 8, 2012, 10:03 pm

!!!! I hope neither of you have any whiplashy type problems!!! Poor little car! I thought of you two this weekend - I took Sage and his grrrfriend Lila to Locke Park and it took all my strength to keep them out of Rice Creek. Sage was doing pretty good fear-wise until we went through the underpass and I said "scary" and my voice echoed. - oh and there was a bicyclist way down the hill singing at top volume. ;) Beats man in pink chair hanging out midstream.

Happy reading, but wish it wasn't because you're not feeling well.

143bruce_krafft
Oct 9, 2012, 5:03 am

>142 cammykitty: I miss Locke Park!

We were kind of hit at a weird angle, which might be why Bruce seems to in worse shape. Basically I hit the door (it should be interesting when the bruise on my arm finally shows up because it hurts like heck!) He just had the seatbelt & seat stopping him.

I found it quite amusing that the Turkish 'word of the day' was - are you kidding?

What really makes me mad is that it was totally preventable, and never should have happened, 100% stupid, and it’s messing with my life. And of course she was able to drive her car away with what looked like only minor damage.

But yes am getting reading done.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

144cammykitty
Oct 9, 2012, 4:05 pm

Are you kidding?

Grrrr... I'm angry you two were hurt because of some idiot. Car accidents have a way of not looking too bad immediately, and then the injuries show up a day or two later. :( Sage & I want our walking companions back! & he thinks people hobbling about with casts and foot boots and limps are very scary!!! Although not as scary as stoopid drivers.

145-Eva-
Oct 9, 2012, 5:49 pm

Ooh, sorry to hear about the accident and happy to hear you weren't hurt any worse!! It's just so aggravating to have to deal with something that could have been prevented with just a little bit of consideration and forethought.

146bruce_krafft
Oct 11, 2012, 2:00 am

I posted my review of the Thomas Jefferson book. I feel sad that I couldn't give it a better review. I gave it two stars, and now I am wondering if I should have given it less. I find it interesting that Amazon says that it has over 300 pages and my copy has less then 250 including the index.

And totally unrelated, but a thought to cheer me up, Public Service announcement - Don't let your dog roll in elephant poo.

Yes, odd dog tidbits. Our dog, Gracie, is fearless, except for whips & cannons (no she has never been hurt by either). Bagpipes, no problem, strange people, there are no strange people only people she hasn’t said hello to yet, whips & cannons - hide me Mommy! We stopped & said hello to our groomer after the lawyer (for the accident – not suing anyone just having her take care of all of the details, less stress).

We started talking about weird things we know about our dogs. She apparently had a dog that rolled in elephant poo sometime before she had to show him. The smell is apparently not only really nasty & gross but also impossible to get rid of, and she had to explain to the show judge why the dog smelled so bad. Oh and lucky groomer is going to Dubai sometime to give a lecture on dog grooming, that kind of offsets the fact the one of the first places her group is lecturing is Yuma AZ.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

147cammykitty
Oct 11, 2012, 6:54 pm

I've read other less than glowing reviews of Jefferson's Creme Brulee so... oh well. 2 stars is low enough.

Elephant poo!!! Makes me wonder about camel poo now. Sounds like the only comparable misfortune olfactory wise that can assault a dog owner is North American skunk.

148mamzel
Oct 12, 2012, 1:43 pm

My dad brought back a domesticated Saluki from Saudi Arabia. She was always finding cow pies to roll in. It's a dog thing.

149cammykitty
Oct 13, 2012, 12:51 pm

Hobbit found deer pies - on the Walk for the Animals. He went from a mostly white dog to mostly stinky brown dog. Di, aren't you glad Gracie is more refined!

150bruce_krafft
Oct 13, 2012, 4:23 pm

Camel poo. . . I am sure that she is familiar with that too. They have camels with the elephants. . . .

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

151bruce_krafft
Oct 13, 2012, 5:21 pm

I way over did it yesterday and my wrist and shoulder are killing me. But I have to make some ‘quick’ notes about some of the books that I read.

I wasn’t going to read How to Be Remarkable by Colin Wright, because I have read quite a few of his books in in less than a month, and I thought that I would put it on my list to read later. But, then I read a review that said “This author apparently took some very ho-hum blog entries and decided, "Hey, I can monetize this by publishing them as a book." Sample: he gets all excited about his business card. The connection between the short entries and the title is usually not apparent. I feel insulted at paying even 99 cents for this tripe”. I took that as a challenge, because it clearly was totally the opposite of my impressions of his other work.

My thoughts after reading this book? While it is clearly written for someone younger then I am, I think that unless you are living the life that fulfills your dreams you might consider reading this book. It should be required reading for high school students. Why? I feel that our society has had a disconnect and people no longer know how to act, we no longer have role models who mentor us, we no longer know how to be remarkable. I am sure that many (if not all) people reading this will be familiar with most items in the book, but experience has shown me, that we are in the minority. I recently talked to a person who teaches life skills to adults, and she told me that some of her students didn’t know how to use a knife when they started her class. Imagine what other basic skills they don’t have.

The format of the book is, yes, kind of like blog entries. There are chapters for each quality that remarkable people seem to have. Some entries are pretty short, and some are longer, by they are all long enough to convey why that quality is important, and each is finished with a well-known quote.

Business cards & branding: if you don’t understand the importance of a business card and branding in today’s world you better wake up and see the pixels. If you are older (anyone older than 30) these are the two items that you are probably undervaluing. In the old days only important business people or salespeople had them and guess what? That world is gone. For people who don’t get this yet, it’s worth the $.99 for this book is money well spent.

Professional plot outline mini-course seems to be one big advertisement for her other ‘e-books’. I got this becuase it was only $0.99 and I like the author.

Don’t get me wrong it is well written and informative and well worth the $0.99, but it is also filled with what can only be described as commercials. For example it actually says in lesson 7 - “Holly Lisle’s Create a Plot Clinic offers specific, detailed instructions, examples, tool tips and more on . . .” Create a Plot Clinic is listed for $9.99 but it is at least 185 pages. But many of the other items ‘mentioned’ in the book like the ‘How To Think Sideways’ series are $4.99 each and are only about 55 pages long. There are over 20 in that series, and #26 is only 33 pages long and still $4.99.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

152bruce_krafft
Oct 15, 2012, 6:20 pm

I am a cookbookaholic! I just ordered Splendid Soups: Recipes and Master Techniques for Making the World's Best Soups.

Anyone have any books with good recipes for winter melon? I am trying to try new stuff. . .

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

153mamzel
Oct 16, 2012, 12:51 pm

From Vegetables by Delphine Hirasuna

Winter Melon Soup
1 med. whole winter melon
1/2 tbl vegetable oil
1/2 lb. pork, cut into thin, bite-sized strips and lightly sprinkled with salt
4 cups chicken stock
6 med. fresh shiitake mushrooms, quartered; or 6 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in 2 cups lukewarm water until soft, drained and water reserved, and quartered
1 tbl soy sauce
dash of MSG (optional)
6 fresh water chestnuts, peeled and sliced in 1/4-inch-thick rounds
1/2 lb shrimp, shelled and deveined
salt to taste
4 sheets dried laver (nori), lightly toasted over very low heat on stove until crisp
1/2 tsp Oriental-style sesame oil
1 green onion, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut off top one-third of winter melon and discard. Remove seeds and stringy inner portion and discard. Set melon upright in deep roasting pan.
Heat vegetable oil in saucepan and stir-fry pork until cooked. Add the chicken stock and resered mushroom water and bring to a boil. Mix in the soy sauce and MSG, then add the mushrooms, water chestnuts, and shrimp.
Pour stock mixture into hollow of winter melon. Bake melon in the preheated oven for 1 hour, or until the white meat of melon becomes clear. Season with salt to taste.
Before serving, crumble in the dried laver, an add sesame oil and green onion.
Place melon on platter to serve. Ladle the broth into individual bowls, then scoop out some of the soft melon meat to add to each serving.

This sounds so good I may try it myself!

154bruce_krafft
Oct 20, 2012, 10:04 am

>153 mamzel: Wow imagine serving that at a dinner party!

Ds
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

155bruce_krafft
Oct 20, 2012, 3:13 pm

I'm a bit ahead this month, even with reading two (or was it 3?) books for September. It seems that I have been reading fewer pages lately.

Total page count so far:

January 4,430
February 3,151
March 3,488
April 4,587
May 4,027
June 4,247
July 4,395
August 2,776
September 3,160
October 3,084

total pages 37,345

I guess I will try to read longer books in the last 2 months of 2012.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

156bruce_krafft
Oct 21, 2012, 9:38 am

I added up the total page count for my 75 book challenge (only 36 books so far. . . oops) and I have 11,163 pages read there. So that gives me a total of 48,508 official pages read for the year. Also, I guess I can't blame the lack of pages on the romance novels since some of the ones that I have read for the 75 book challenge were over 400 pages long and one was actually 709 pages long.

I am looking for a good basic book on Swedish if anyone has any thoughts. The Swedish word a day is a bit confusing. I am sure that today's sentence will come in very handy - Valrossen har en hink.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

157-Eva-
Editado: Oct 22, 2012, 12:10 pm

LOL!! Well, at least you're up on internet memes in Swedish (although I'm pretty sure the Swedes do those in English like the rest of the world....).

158bruce_krafft
Oct 23, 2012, 1:24 pm

>157 -Eva-: Absolut, jag håller med alla som säger det! (Certainly, I agree with all those who say that.) :-)

I just got Splendid Soups by James Peterson.

Does anyone have a favorite soup or soup cookbook? I am trying to get out of a soup rut. I think that soup is a great way to start a meal. I am working on a cold jellied soup using beets & beef. Trying to come up with a name using either Zombie or Monkey brains. . . .

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

159bruce_krafft
Oct 24, 2012, 6:24 am

National Geographic has a series of photos called - Travel 365. Check out the photo of a staircase in Livraria Lello (it's a bookstore) in Porto, Portugal -

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/365-photos/livraria-lello-portugal/

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

160mamzel
Oct 24, 2012, 10:55 am

I love the books lining the walls but the staircase (and the color of the carpeting) seems rather pornographic to me.

161cammykitty
Oct 24, 2012, 4:57 pm

Well, I agree they could use a recarpet but I'm all set to go bookshopping in Portugal. Drool.

162dudes22
Oct 25, 2012, 6:22 am

Someone else posted a group of photos of libraries here - I think it was last year. I thought the name sounded familiar but the picture doesn't ring a bell. Interrsting library. I could spend a few hours there.

163bruce_krafft
Oct 25, 2012, 9:27 pm

Portugal is on Bruce's been there, don't want to go back list. I guess the port that the sub pulled into was quite spectacular in a bad way - dead bodies & rats, if I recall correctly . . . of course that was quite a while ago. Maybe quick trip just for the bookstore?

No soup or cookbook suggestions? I am surprised that more people don’t have a copy of Soup Galore

I am currently working on a Paleo version of Consommé Murat, which strangely enough is French and not Turkish. (It would be interesting to find out how a Turkish first name can also be a French, Spanish & Italian surname.) Consommé Murat is a beef consommé with a garnish of ravioli. I was going to work on a chicken foot stock recipe, but the store was all out of feet. Sunday before I decided to work on the recipe they had tons of chicken feet, and when I want some not a foot to be found.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

164dudes22
Oct 26, 2012, 7:42 am

My brother owns a small (very small) farm and a couple of times a year we go to help him "process" the chickens and no one but my husband and I want the feet and necks. They make great stock.

Here's a quick soup we like:

1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped up
1-2 apples
chicken stock to cover 4 cups maybe
1 1/2 tsp curry powder (or more if your a big fan of curry)

Cook till squash is soft. Blend, serve.

You could saute some celery or onion first if you're so inclined. It's pretty versatile.

165mamzel
Oct 26, 2012, 11:22 am

Perfect recipe to use an immersion blender. If you don't have one and make lots of blended soups, ask Santa for one.

166bruce_krafft
Oct 31, 2012, 9:35 am

I love my immersion blender! It is a must for every kitchen. I even made sure that my daughter had one, along with a good set of pots and a good chefs knife when she moved out for college. I think that we have about every kitchen appliance known to man.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

167mamzel
Oct 31, 2012, 11:37 am

I love making curried squash soup, too. For garnish, I saute one thinly sliced onion in olive oil. When they are nice and carmelized I season them with salt, pepper, and ground cumin. I put a nice scoop of this on the top of the soup. Family loves this touch.

168bruce_krafft
Oct 31, 2012, 12:43 pm

I am not a huge fan of squash, but that sounds good.

I won Fresh Off the Boat: A Memoir through Early Reviewers. I am hoping that this is an indication that November (I know technically it is still October today) will be a better month.

So far the exciting things in October that I could have done without are: car accident, piece of metal in my lunch (ouch), hubby in the hospital, software issue with my main computer.

Good things – got quite a few books for my 75 book challenge done, found a Turkish book on for Kindle that I can read and may actually finish this year - Bidikler, watching an Indian film in the theater while eating samosas with a fellow LibraryThinger, and actually managing to snag a hotel room for CONvergence in July (across the street from the main hotel but still a hotel room), got my car back.

DS
(Bruce' evil twin :-))

169hailelib
Oct 31, 2012, 3:49 pm

At least there were some good things to remember about October.

170cammykitty
Oct 31, 2012, 6:53 pm

:) When we go back to see Son of Sadar I won't eat first! Those samosas were good, almost as good as the tacos from the $2 taco truck. Who is the guest at CONvergence this year?

171bruce_krafft
Nov 1, 2012, 8:35 am

So far the 2013 CONvergence guests are:

Charlie Jane Anders
Lou Anders
Bill Corbett
Kevin Murphy
John Picacio.

The annual programming brainstorming session will be held on Sunday. Dang it! We are planning on going to see OMG! on Sunday.

I see that the release date of Son of Sadar is November 13, 2012, (I don’t know when it will be showing here though.) I did find that it is a remake of a Telugu movie which was a remake of the 1923 American silent movie "Our Hospitality" starring Buster Keaton and Natalie Talmadge.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

172bruce_krafft
Nov 3, 2012, 5:12 pm

Turkey: More than 100 Recipes, with Tales from the Road

I bought this book without even opening it up – full retail price at a local bookstore, something I rarely do. It is a nice big coffee table cook book with beautiful pictures.
Can a cook book be abrupt? That is the overall feeling that I got from this book. It could be a great cookbook if there was a bit written about each of the recipes. For example the recipe for Beet Green, Ricotta and Hazelnut Gözleme, what are gözleme? According to my on-line dictionary it is a kind of thin börek cooked on a sheet, or a deep-fried pancake soaked in syrup or sprinkled with sugar. (It also means waiting for, watching out for, spying on, or peeping at.)
This particular recipe is fried and looks wonderful and when I am done figuring out my computer (I had to have my hard drive reformatted so now I am re-loading iTunes – urgh!) I plan on trying out some of the recipes and doing a more complete review.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

173cammykitty
Nov 3, 2012, 5:38 pm

It's a remake of a Buster Keaton movie??? I'm having trouble wrapping my thoughts around that. Keaton on a white horse with a nice broad back? Keaton with his shirt off?

I've seen John Picacio before. He's cool. Maybe I'll go to CONvergence - something always seems to happen so I can't.

174bruce_krafft
Nov 4, 2012, 4:19 pm

>173 cammykitty: Buy a membership now and plan to get me off of 'the bridge' and out into the convention!

According to wiki - Our Hospitality (directed, produced, written by and starring Buster Keaton)uses slapstick and situational comedy to tell the story of Willie McKay, a city slicker who gets caught in the middle of the infamous Canfield & McKay feud, an obvious satire of the real-life Hatfield-McCoy feud. With adjustments for the genre it sounds perfect for Bollywood,

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

175cammykitty
Nov 4, 2012, 6:03 pm

Yes, perfect for Bollywood - and I was forgetting that Buster Keaton did all his own stunts and was probably buff under all that ill-fitting clothing.

176bruce_krafft
Nov 4, 2012, 8:45 pm

Practical Paleo: A Customized Approach to Health and a Whole-Foods Lifestyle

One of the two books that I paid too much for (ie – full sticker price) this last Friday. Understandably with the number of cookbooks that we own we rarely pay full sticker price (ok, it is closer to NEVER) but we were in the store and they were there and it has been a stressful month, and I didn’t look at the price. I am sure if I had seen that it was almost $40 it would have just gone on my wish list. So I basically spent just over $15 for instant gratification. But I bought local! Also Bruce’s doctor had just told him that he needed to go on the Atkins diet and I said that I have been trying to get him to eat following the Paleo and she agreed that it would be a great diet for him. He is planning on starting a 30-day Paleo plan – tomorrow. Hopefully this will also mean that he will be cutting out the sweetener, it is not allowed and he uses way too much of the stuff.

If you are unfamiliar with Paleo the basic principle is ‘eat like a caveman’, or basic foods like meat, fruits, veggies and nuts, avoiding legumes & grains, with dairy being a disputed area.

I know recent history has been pushing grains and it is still hard for many people to give up the idea that whole grains are good for you, and for some people they are not an issue. But for some of us they are really bad for our long term health and quality of life. I know from personal experience how amazingly better I feel if I follow the Paleo way of eating, even my eyesight improves when I eat the Paleo way. I know that the things that I need to avoid are everywhere, and are extremely hard to avoid. I urge you if you have any health issues, to give Paleo a trial (check with your doctor if you have serious health issues). I noticed significant results in just a couple of days (better vision, less ‘fogginess,’ better sleep, increased energy, and no coughing.) In the longer term I noticed more flexibility, and lack of joint pain.

So back to the book. This is a great first book for someone wanting to try the Paleo diet. It is divided into 3 parts: “The Why – Food and your body”, 30 Day meal plans and recipes. The first part starts with the basics, what Paleo is and goes on to explain how the digestive system works, answers common questions about Paleo and other useful information.
The second part is broken down into different health issues and gives a 30 meal plans for specific health issues and tells you what foods you should concentrate on, what to avoid and some other helpful information.

The recipe section is very good and includes two items which I think every recipe should have – a short bit about the recipe, and at least one picture. The recipes that we have tried so far are – Bacon-wrapped Smoky Chicken Thighs and Mashed Faux-tatoes. Both recipes were very good, though I would have liked a bit more spice in the chicken thighs. There are several breakfast recipes and we bought some canned pumpkin so we can make pumpkin pancakes.

If you are looking for a lot of Paleo recipes this is probably not for you, but if you are looking for a book that gives good information about Paleo and some good recipes to start out with this is a great book,

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

177lkernagh
Nov 4, 2012, 9:22 pm

Sounds like a great book! At home we are experimenting right now with a lighter, more vegetarian based diet with some meat/fish while cutting/restricting the heavy carbs/un-neccesary calories. Kind of tricky as my other half loves curries with coconut milk as a sauce base - always goes for seconds and then wonders why he is putting on weight! ;-)

I am no good at following recipes - unless it is for baked goods where it helps to get the proportions right - but I do like to skim cookbooks for ideas. Do you have any other cookbook suggestions that might cross the Paleo diet of more veggie/meat based?

178bruce_krafft
Nov 6, 2012, 11:07 am

177> It sounds that you are just like me when it comes to cooking. I usually read a cookbook at least once, like a novel and then skim when I am trying to decide what to cook.

Your other half will L-O-V-E Paleo if they like curries with coconut milk as a sauce base because coconut is very widely utilized in Paleo cooking in all of its forms. Coconut curry is one of our favorites too. I would think about the only major change in a curry dish would be serving it with grated & cooked cauliflower instead of rice. (And no peanuts if you add those to your curry.)

Paleo is more of a meat based diet, especially since you cannot replace the protein with legumes. Since I am a raging carnivore I am not sure what the vegetarian options are. But I think that once you understand what foods are Paleo you should be able to modify recipes to suit your eating habits. One nice thing about Paleo is you are not counting calories or carbs, and you can eat an unlimited amount of most of the veggies.

The Paleo cookbooks so far all seem to be very well done. I really have a hard time picking one, but maybe Paleo Comfort Foods: Homestyle Cooking for a Gluten-Free Kitchen would be a good one to start off with if you just want recipes. Otherwise, The Paleo Diet Cookbook: More than 150 recipes for Paleo Breakfasts, Lunches, Dinners, Snacks, and Beverages by Loren Cordain is also very good. And of course Practical Paleo is good, even if only 1/3 of it is recipes.

The hardest part in Paleo is finding good recipes for bread-like foods.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

179lkernagh
Nov 6, 2012, 10:04 pm

> 178 - This is great! Thanks so much! And here I was not even thinking about the rice as a culprit in the weight gain. Grated and cooked cauliflower sounds like a good substitute for rice with the curries and, even better, I already have the two thumbs up from my other half to give it a try! I will also re-examine Pure and Simple, which is an Indian vegetarian cuisine cookbook I recently found at my local library... may mess around with the curry recipes a bit and add some meat/fish to some of them.

I agree, bread-like foods is a problem, more so for my other half than myself. He grew up on and has not turned away from a cereal/bread products type of breakfast or for that matter middle of the day snack.

.... everything in baby steps! ;-)

180bruce_krafft
Nov 8, 2012, 8:22 pm

>179 lkernagh: you might also want to see if you can find a copy of Cooking with Coconut Flour: A Delicious Low-Carb, Gluten-Free Alternative to Wheat by Bruce Fife at the library to try. I really like coconut pancakes for breakfast. The recipes that we have tried in this book have been pretty good, but I would probably 'tweak' them a bit if I was going to use them on a regular basis.

The Practical Paleo pumpkin pancake recipe is available on the internet too if you want to try that. I am not a huge fan of pumpkin but I wouldn't mind eating these on a weekly basis.

I noticed that the new Ruby Tuesday menu included mashed cauliflower and a 'pasta' dish that uses spaghetti squash so it looks like the 'modified Atkins' diets are really going mainstream.

I keep hoping that I can find a cheap (but good) Ebelskiver pan so I can work on a Paleo recipe for those. I think that they would be 'fun' for breakfast. I do have a krumkaka pan though (I know totally different) so maybe I should start with that.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

181bruce_krafft
Nov 8, 2012, 9:17 pm

To Marry an English Lord

I bought the kindle version of this book by mistake, why is the buy and add to wish list button so close? I know that I could have returned it, but I decided to keep it.

It is a very interesting book. A nice ‘chatty’ type of history book, not dry like most that you read. One thing that is slightly misleading is the length; about ¼ of the book is basically a descriptive listing of who married who with a retelling of some of the information that is in the first part of the book.

The book itself is kind of a factual The Age of Innocence, and tells the stories of some of the American women who married English lords like Jennie Jerome who became Lady Randolph Churchill, and was Winston Churchill’s mother, and Consuelo Vanderbilt who became the Duchess of Marlborough in 1895. While the book doesn’t go into great detail about any of them, it does give a good overview and is a good starting point for anyone interested in this era.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

182cammykitty
Nov 10, 2012, 1:28 am

So you've found the "begats" of English history. If you skip that part, it sounds interesting.

183lkernagh
Editado: Nov 11, 2012, 9:17 pm

No luck with finding the Bruce Fife book in my local library catalogue but have come across some other interesting books to place holds on.

We tried the cauliflower 'rice' this weekend. I quasi-followed this recipe: http://whatscookingamerica.net/Vegetables/CauliflowerRice.htm minus the onions, herbs, etc as it was being pared with a spicy chicken curry. The Report: It was a huge hit! Looks like this will be the replacement for white rice going forward in our house - wild rice is a different matter but we only have that once or twice a month. ;-)

I love pumpkin recipes.... the other half doesn't. *sighs*

Now is a good time of year to experiment with squash recipes, and the idea of using a mashed cauliflower in a pasta style recipe intrigues me. I checked into to Ebelskiver pan and the krumkaka pan as they are both new to me. Looks like I need to learn more of the finer aspects of cooking before I will be able to properly appreciate when and how to use these pans.... although the experimenter in me is pondering ideas as I type.

ETA: still using white rice for sushi rolls. I cannot see the starch-free cauliflower rice working there! ;-)

184bruce_krafft
Nov 12, 2012, 11:31 am

183> I have read other people using a veggie peeler to make 'noodles' out of various squashes. I am thinking of trying it with celery.
Our puppies sure like pumpkin pancakes. . .

We tried another recipe out of Practical Paleo, this one a cumnin encrusted pork loin. It was very tasty, even if I didn't have the oranges that the recipe called for. I am sure they will make it even tastier.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

185mamzel
Nov 12, 2012, 2:28 pm

Our puppies sure like pumpkin pancakes. . .

LOL! Is there anything puppies don't like?

In an attempt to cut calories in my house I have substituted cauliflower for half of the pasta in my baked mac n' ham n' cheese recipe. Blends in perfectly!

186cammykitty
Nov 13, 2012, 12:27 am

Plain lettuce with no dressing. Wasabi, but if it's a wasabi covered peanut they'll tolerate the wasabi to get to the peanut. Now you know what puppies don't like. As for pumpkin pancakes, I'm sure that's on their I will eat them on a plane, I will eat them in a train, I will eat them hear or there, I will eat them anywhere... list. Yum!

187bruce_krafft
Nov 16, 2012, 10:47 am

Gracie likes the pumpkin pancakes so much she won't take her eyes off them, except for a quick peek at me once in awhile. Normally it's the other way around.

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

188cammykitty
Nov 17, 2012, 1:30 am

LOL!!! Perfect training treat!!!

189bruce_krafft
Nov 19, 2012, 10:46 am

Been shopping on my kindle. . . .
39,774 pages read for this challege so far.
Way behind on writting reviews. . . oops. . . and housework :-)

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

190cammykitty
Nov 20, 2012, 11:00 pm

Yikes!!! You've just given me one reason to resist the e-reader urge. If my TBR is bad now, just think of what it could be if I found all those free and 99 cent books out there! Good luck catching up with yourself. - PS: The meat and cheese hawking is making me very, very tired. Hopefully, I'll recover in January!

191mamzel
Nov 22, 2012, 9:56 pm

Katie, so true. I am guilty of creating a virtual TBR in addition to my RL TBR but it's so nice when I finish a book late at night and I don't want to get up to find a new one and I can just turn on the wireless connection and go shopping! Talk about instant gratification!

192thornton37814
Nov 26, 2012, 11:32 am

I've gotten better about which free or cheap Kindle titles I get. I will order it if it's something I think I might read. If something is free all the time, I often put it on my Amazon wish list until I'm ready to read it so that it isn't cluttering up what's already there. It's the limited time things that I have more difficulty resisting. However, I will often make myself do a reality check and ask how likely I'd be to read it if it were not free or bargain-priced. If it passes the test, it gets purchased (if there's a price) and downloaded. If not, I've gotten pretty good about giving in to temptation.

193cammykitty
Nov 26, 2012, 6:43 pm

Black Friday got me!!! I have a nook now with two books well over 1000 pages each on it, and one short story. Fortunately I don't have wifi in my house, so that midnight shopping won't get me!!! I'm a sucker for midnight shopping and right now the nook is so pretty & new that I want to load it up with tons of books, even though I've got plenty of real books lined up.

194mamzel
Nov 27, 2012, 2:19 pm

Another one with a virtual TBR!

195cammykitty
Nov 27, 2012, 11:38 pm

:)

196bruce_krafft
Nov 28, 2012, 8:18 pm

193> the only Black Friday shopping I did was at the thrift stores. For about $70 I got - a new faux fleece Jones New York winter coat, 5 swimsuits, a blanket, 4 tops and 1 book. We did get to the YMCA to work out at 5am though on both Thursday & Friday.

Thanks to my Kindle I am on the final 3rd of my 75 book challenge. I like to read 'fluff' but don't like the space that it takes up on my bookshelf (or truth be told under the bed, since I usually box them up since I know I won't read them again for a few years.) So I really like the fact that they take up no physical space on the Kindle!

I have to figure out how to get PDF files to my Kindle. The hubby sends them to me all the time. He is now 'done' with the 2nd chapter of his book. (oh yeah, I told him to write a book. It's on the Second Amendment. . .)

He will be on the radio this Sunday (12/02/12). Kate Krueger from Talking Guns in AZ read some of his book on The Truth About Guns and liked what she saw. I told him that he better get going and finish the book!

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

197mamzel
Nov 29, 2012, 12:12 pm

There is a helpful FAQ for Kindle users in the Manage Your Kindle section of Amazon.com. This is a link for information on loading pdf files.

198cammykitty
Nov 30, 2012, 12:14 am

Congratulate him on the book writing for me! Looks like he's impressed someone.

Yes, ebooks are the perfect medium for books you can't get at the library but know you won't cherish for eternity! I just wish I had more time to play with my nook right now.

199bruce_krafft
Dic 16, 2012, 1:25 pm

I am pretty sure that I have finished the challenge, but I am having a hard time keeping track of what Kindle books I read for what challenge. So I am getting the titles for the 75 book challenge cleaned up first. Then I will figure out what books to put on this challenge.

I should also write some reviews. . . clean the house. . . cook some food. . . work on my Turkish vocabulary. . .

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

200mamzel
Dic 16, 2012, 2:31 pm

Quite an agenda! Good luck at accomplishing everything!

201cammykitty
Dic 20, 2012, 12:47 am

Good luck with all that!!! I'm counting down the days left at Hickory Farms. See you in January!!!

202bruce_krafft
Dic 22, 2012, 12:53 pm

Thanks!

203lkernagh
Dic 24, 2012, 1:50 am

Stopping by to wish you a happy holiday season and all the best in the new year!

204bruce_krafft
Dic 24, 2012, 2:47 pm

Cool! Pretty!

Thanks and a Happy Holiday to you too!