Wordless Wednesday: Currently Reading & Loving

Charlotte

I should have known.  I only read it four, five hundred times myself.  This wasn’t the first time for her either.  Tears.  Mournful, tender tears.

I patted her back, pulled her on my lap.  Put my face to hers.

“I know”, I said, “It’s always so sad when Charlotte dies.  She was a good friend”.

Blasted books.  The best ones get us every time.

Wordless Wednesday: Library

Oh! Pioneer

You read Pioneer Woman already, don’t you?  Tell me you read Pioneer Woman?  I had, but then hadn’t for awhile.  Then I realized her cookbook (drool, swoon) had just come out.  Just a few days before I visited and I wanted it, oh I wanted it, but I’m trying to control my spending and acquiring, and the cookbook bookcase is full, yes, you read that right cookbook bookcase.

But then I walked into the library, I’m trying to find a new book to rival the goodness of the last one and I breeze by the NEW BOOKS section and there it is, brand spanking new, on the shelf staring out at me:

 

You know what I love…..

I love the not so simple simple life.  I love recipes made from the heart.  I love some really, really good cattle pictures, for real.  And I love when someone can start a blog, become famous and still not apologize and still seem 100% real deal.  I love they took a bajillion photos of her for the cover and she had her hubby take this one of her in her real kitchen.

You know what I think….

I think there must be a real deal cowboy out there who’s looking for a girl to cook sweet meals and raise wild children?  Right?  Cattle are optional, goats are a necessity.

 

 

Some Bits…

Happy October!  Can the year be reaching it’s final stages already?

1.  I’m keeping the notebook.  If nothing else it helps keep my monkey mind in order.  I really do like having my schedule, my meal plan, my grocery list and such all in one place.  I just have to drop the perfectionist thing down a notch or two.

2.  I forgot to mention that Boo was the first place winner in the Pie Eating Contest at the farm. Just know that this girl would not taste a single sweet thing for the first four years of her life.  Her father carved her a cantaloupe basket for her first few birthdays and we filled it with fruit and stuck a candle in it).  Congratulations my girl, and next time Farmer Robin, a little easier on the whipped cream.

3.  Regardless of the tank top on Sunday it’s downright chilly here this week.  Fall blew right in in a big way.  Flannel sheets going on the bed tonight.  Socks and jackets pulled out of storage.  Walked the compost out tonight and stayed out to see migrating birds flying across a brilliant moon.  Gorgeous.  I love those little moments.

4.  I’m posting another contest on Sunday.  I had too much fun with the last one.

5.  I have two book recommendations.

I just started “See You In A Hundred Years: Four Seasons In Forgotten America” by Logan Ward.  I am only three chapters in and I’m caught.  Young family gives up city life, moves to Virginia and vows to live completely as if they were in the year 1900.

And I am currently reading the girls a chapter each night from “Leaping Beauty and Other Animal Fairy Tales” by Gregory Maguire which has all three of us rolling in laughter each night.  Basically, eight fairy tales retold with animal characters with a wicked sense of humor.

I love the library.

Pie Eating Contest

The baking binder is done.  And in all honesty after this post going to be split in two, it’s way too heavy.  After spending the better part of two days weeding through recipes and lovingly giving them this home, you better believe I”m trying one of these babies tonight.  This afternoon my Mom, sister and I are FINALLY going to go see Julie & Julia.  So in the spirit of all things cooking and baking here is a little contest to have some fun with.

Here’s what you have to do:  Guess how many pages are in my completed baking binder, shown above.

And to clarify one page= one sheet protector.

Leave a comment with your guess and next Sunday I will pick the winner, the one who guesses closest without going over wins! Want to know what you are playing for?

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Pie Every Day:   Recipes and Slices of Life

by Pat Willard

This book changed my mind about pie.  I have been a pie hater in the past..  Every book or article you read starts out scaring you to death on how difficult it is to make a good pie and I’m a pretty dang good baker if you ask me.  So this little cookbook was a library find, then I sucked it up and bought a used library copy from Alibris.  Just a note that I do purchase used books as a principle so your copy will be a used copy in very good condition.

Here is the Amazon.com review:

“The simple directions and soothing reassurance in Pie Every Day may single-handedly raise a pie revival. Pat Willard presents easy, convenient techniques. She praises the food processor as an aid to turning out piecrusts with ease. Clear instructions for everything, from the kind of flour to use, to easing the crust into the pan, make this seem truly possible. When time for baking is out of the question, Willard’s stories about her life and pie baking are amusing, calming, and uplifting. Reading this book can be as satisfying as sitting down with a slab of homemade pie and a good cup of coffee”.

Book Sharing Monday: Little Bunny’s Sleepless Night

“Little Bunny’s Sleepless Night” by Carol Roth, illustrated by Valeri Gorbachev

One of my all-time favorites.  I love Valeri Gorbachev’s illustrations.  Also, see Heron and Turtle and Peter’s Picture which also contain similiar lovely illustrations by him and were also written by him as well.

“Little bunny had no brothers or sisters.  He had his very own room with his very own bed.  But sometimes he got lonely-so lonely that he could not fall asleep.   One night he thought: What I need is the company of a good friend”

And thus begins little bunny’s journey to find a friend to sleep with, but somehow he just cannot get comfortable until he settles back into his own nice comfy bed.

Just a note:  This book is even more fantastic when you give each of bunny’s friends their own unique voices.

This book has a side story to it that relates in a funny way to things our children never tell us. I remember my mother telling me how my brother only told her after he was older that he was terrified of the Raffi song “Joshua Giraffe”.  Do you know how many times we listened to that song growing up?

Ems admitted to me this year that this book scares her.  It’s the sweetest tale but something about the illustrations.  Do you know how many times we read this book?

Book Sharing Monday: Mrs. Biddlebox

“Mrs. Biddlebox” by Linda Smith, illustrated by Marla Frazee

Because who doesn’t want to mop up their bad day, put it in a pot, mix it, punch it and cook it up for cake!

“The birds gave her a headache.  There were creakies in her chair.  A breeze blew dank and dreary.  And mussied up her hair.”

Mailcall!

I was lucky enough (thank you Sutter!) to be the winner over at Red Gate Gardens and received this delightful package on Wednesday!

Not only did she send me the most heavenly smelling coffee, but an awesome postcard and these two vintage books.

Narcissa Whitman, Pioneer Girl, by Ann Spence Warner, copyright 1953.

Heroines of the Early West by Nancy Wilson Ross, copyright 1944.

Ems immediately snatched up Heroines of the Early West and took it up to bed with her.

I love that they have their library pockets still in the front where the cards slid in, remember that?

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Camie!

Book Sharing Monday: The Dancing Tiger

“The Dancing Tiger” by Malachy Doyle, paintings by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher

“If you will keep my secret, and never tell a soul, then you may come and dance with me on nights the moon is whole”