Wednesday, July 21, 2010

I have 30 minutes of listening left to The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. I think I’m safe to review it.

I liked it a lot. It’s not quite as good as the Harry Potter novels, but it was fun to listen to and it kept my interest. I enjoyed the challenge of remembering my Greek mythology education and have to admit to doing online research to be better reminded of the mythology of some specific characters. I found Percy Jackson to be written a wee bit more mature than I’d expect a 11-12 year old to be in real life, but that didn’t detract from the story at all.

The narrator was excellent. He has a youthful quality to his voice that was perfect for the first person telling of the story and his voices, while not as good as other narrators, were still pretty good.

I plan to read the rest in the series. I’d like to see the movie as well, but I’m nervous about it as well given how royally Hollowood can screw up a good book adaptation.

The Lightning Thief gets 4 stars out of 5.

I hate summer.

Extreme heat, combined with high humidity the South has been feeling during the middle of July, will surge northward in the I-95 corridor from New York City to Washington, D.C., and Raleigh on Saturday.

The “Super Saturday Scorcher” will produce AccuWeather RealFeel® temperatures of 105 to 115 degrees for a several-hour period during the afternoon hours on Saturday.

Ugh.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

So I had the thought the other day to organize a church cookbook for my church. It would be a fundraiser, using the profits to fund one of our own missions or to donate to one of our partner ministries in the area.

I sent an inquiry email to one of our staff folks and was turned down flat, even though I said I would take the lead and didn’t require funding.

And the money was turned down, too - said it wasn’t needed.

I’m disappointed and scratching my head in puzzlement. Why would they turn down extra money to help ministry? Seems weird.

I sent a rebuttal email, explaining in more detail that the staff need not help, it would not take away from existing ministry, I and a couple of other volunteers (I already have one, too) would take the lead and do the work. And it would be a community thing for the church as a whole (which is lacking b/c of our size, but I didn’t say that.) The only thing we’d need is advertising and a place to take pre-orders.

Monday, July 19, 2010

We managed to watch State of Play last night. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. It was just OK. But here’s the thing - the acting was very good on all levels. It’s just the story that wasn’t very good. It was cliched and predictable, down to the twist at the end. It was trying to be All the President’s Men and failing.

I read an article when the film was being made about Russell Crowe shadowing an actual investigative reporter for a day or two when he got into town (it was filmed mostly in Washington, DC and for that I give it brownie points - they actually filmed in a Metro station and other key locations in the city; and showed actual driving scenes in the area with the traffic, too - I liked that). He wanted to know how a journalist actually works a story and how a newsroom really functions. I think his study shows in the film.

SoP gets only 2.5 stars and those stars are mostly for the excellent acting.

We made brisket in the crock pot for yesterday’s lunch (it’s super easy - put brisket or roast in crock pot; pour in a bottle of BBQ sauce (I used Famous Dave’s Texas Pit); set cooker to Low and cook overnight; in the morning slice or shred the meat and allow to continue in the cooker until lunchtime. Thanks, Granny!)

I had picked up some zucchini and decided to make my mother’s Zucchini Imperial recipe. It’s oh, so good. I posted the recipe at Tasty Kitchen, but here it is for you, too.

(Pictured: Brisket Sliders on Beau’s homemade buns, Zucchini Imperial, leftover Five Guys french fries.)

Zucchini Imperial
Serves 8

4 cups cooked, well drained zucchini slices
1 cup Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp margarine, melted

1. Preheat oven to 375F.

2. Clean, slice, and steam your zucchini. I usually salt veggies that I steam and I did this time also. If you do that, then reduce the amount of salt you add later.

3. In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients except for the breadcrumbs and margarine. Gently fold to mix well.

4. Pour mixture into a greased 9X13” baking dish or casserole.

5. In a small bowl, melt the margarine in the microwave - about 10-15 seconds. Add the breadcrumbs and stir until well mixed and crumbly. If it seems too wet, add more breadcrumbs.

6. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until nicely browned.

This can be made a little ahead and refrigerated prior to baking. If you bake after refrigerating, take out of the frig while the oven is heating. Then cook for 40 min minimum.

Enjoy.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Amen.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

1. Mel Gibson needs prayer and help. And that’s all I will say about his latest foray into the tabloids.

2. Which is Better: Darcy or Knightly?

3. I’m listening to The Lightning Thief and I need a serious refresher of my Greek mythology education. Also, it makes me want to rent Clash of the Titans. But the question is, which one? 1981 or 2010? The 2010 verson doesn’t come out on DVD until next month, though.

That said, I’m really enjoying The Lightning Thief. The narrator is excellent.

4. We’re slowly recovering from the stomach virus that took over our house over the weekend. I’d rather be hit by a car than deal with that. I’m not kidding.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Yet another weekend dealing with illness. I have no idea what’s going on, but since we got back from California it seems that one or the other of the kids has been sick every weekend. It’s very baffling and frustrating.

This time it’s a stomach bug of some kind. We thought maybe it was food poisoning, but it lingers and Beau now has it, too. Jesse started puking at breakfast on Saturday. By that evening he was keeping down bread and Fresca (we don’t have any ginger ale in the house, but I’m getting some today). Sunday morning he begged for “real nulk,” which is PediaSure. I was leery of giving it to him, but I did. He guzzled it down and promptly yakked it back up about 5 minutes later.

He won’t drink PediaLyte, so he went back to Fresca and nibbling on bread. He kept that down and by dinner time he was feeling good again. I made plain pasta for him, which he scarfed down. He was hungry.

Meantime, Beau is complaining of the queasies. This dispelled our food poisoning thoughts - we had BBQ grilled chicken Friday for dinner and thought that maybe Jesse fondled the raw chicken when it was on the kitchen counter and Daddy was outside getting the grill lit. Who knows at this point?

I made the mistake of making cupcakes yesterday. Jesse wanted one, so I gave him half of one. He played for another hour and then came bedtime and all was well.

Beau woke up at about 2am feeling nauseous. And then the crying started at 3am - Jesse has puked in his bed. Poor Beau had to clean it up - I still have my SPR despite having borne two children. My mother was wrong - that puker thing does not diminish one iota with motherhood.

Please pray for Beau - I have to go to work today, although I may try to speed through tasks to leave early if things are bad enough here at home. At this point I’m praying that Molly and I don’t get it, too.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Someone asked my mom why we post about food so much on Facebook - “we” being my family, probably Mom and I, since we post about food a lot. Mom and I have two answers, but they’re similar around the idea of providing help for other cooks.

For my mother, everything is a ministry opportunity. She consciously looks for ways to minister to others in order to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. One of the ways that she does this is through food. She provides meals when folks are in need. She hosts dinners and teas and luncheons in her home for her neighbor ladies. And then there’s her tea business, which is another way to provide (although, for a profit, of course, because it is a business) for others. And through it all, she rarely misses a chance to share Jesus and her faith with the people she helps.

For me, I wish I could say the same. Sure, I find ministry opportunities, but I don’t go seeking them out like my mother does. But I do want to help people and posting recipes is one way I can lend a hand. In my case there are two main reasons I post recipes both here and on Facebook: 1) because I have a lot of friends who also like to cook and 2) because I know there are many others who have milk issues like Beau.

In the past 5 years I have had to adapt many recipes that call for milk into recipes that are milk free so that Beau can eat them and so that I’m not making two meals at a time - one for Beau and one for the rest of us. That’s a waste of time, energy, and food. And I as enjoying the challenge of either finding recipes that will work or modifying them so that they’ll work. I’ve come up with some good adaptations that are delicious and still pretty easy to make.

If my posting a recipe inspires a novice to try something new, then I’ve met my goal. If my posting a recipe inspires an old hand to experiment, then I’ve met my goal. If my posting a recipe helps to bring variety to a boring family menu, then I’ve met my goal. If my posting a recipe helps someone with milk issues, then I’ve met my goal.

For a foodie, gourmand, wanna-be chef, or whatever, talking about food is only natural. If food isn’t your thing, that’s OK. What is your thing? That’s what you’ll talk about most. It may not interest everyone, but it may interest one and that’s OK and you’ve met your goal.

There’s a new blog link list in the sidebar. Now added is the Gourmandery list - food blogs. It was past time to do this, really. And then I just added a new one to the list this morning because Beau’s cousin Karen (of the lavender olive oil cake last weekend) has brought to my attention another lovely olive oil cake from cook eat Fret - zucchini olive oil cake with lemon crunch glaze.

Time to get baking…

Friday, July 09, 2010

Months ago, Jared Wilson posted a prayer from The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers. I think it was actually the prayer called The Valley of Vision. I liked the prayer and promptly put the book on my wishlist as a gift idea for Beau.

To my happy surprise, I received a copy for my birthday back in March. We have been slowly reading through it as a bedtime devotional on the nights that we are actually able to go to bed at the same time. Lately, that has been rare because of the kids or one or the other of us being utterly exhausted. But on the night’s that we’re able to read one of the prayers, I have been struck by the beauty of the language, the total submission to the authority of God, and the simplicity of the gratitude and understanding of God’s grace and mercy.

God is God and He is good and His mercies endure forever.

In Prayer

O Lord, in prayer I launch far out into the eternal world, and on that broad ocean my soul triumphs over all evils on the shores of mortality. Time, with its gay amusements and cruel disappointments never appears so inconsiderate as then.

In prayer I see myself as nothing; I find my heart going after Thee with intensity, and long with vehement thirst to live to Thee. Blessed be the strong gales of the Spirit that speed me on my way to the New Jerusalem.

In prayer all things here below vanish, and nothing seems important but holiness of heart and the salvation of others.

In prayer all my worldly cares, fears, anxieties disappear, and are of as little significance as a puff of wind.

In prayer my soul inwardly exults with lively thoughts at what Thou art doing for Thy church, and I long that Thou shouldest get Thyself a great name from sinners returning to Zion.

In prayer I am lifted above the frowns and flatteries of life, and taste heavenly joys; entering into the eternal world I can give myself to Thee with all my heart, to be Thine for ever.

In prayer I can place all my concerns in Thy hands, to be entirely at Thy disposal, having no will or interest of my own.

In prayer I can intercede for my friends, ministers, sinners, the church, Thy kingdom to come, with greatest freedom, ardent hopes, as a son to his father, as a lover to the beloved.

Help me to be all prayer and never to cease praying.

Amen.

Remember that free HBO/Cinemax weekend we had where I recorded a plethora of movies? We finally watched one of them. It took three attempts because we were dealing with Molly’s sleep issues (that seem to have resolved since our overnight at Marmie/Pop’s last weekend, thank the Lord).

I haven’t seen the Ang Lee directed Hulk with Eric Bana, although I guess I should since I like Bana. And I’m intrigued that Lee directed the beautiful Sense and Sensibility and then moved on to a special effects-comic book movie like Hulk. Anyway…

We managed to watch The Incredible Hulk starring Edward Norton the other night. I liked it. Beau fell asleep with 10 minutes to go. What on earth?

Here are my brief thoughts - slightly spoilerish:

1. Edward Norton was good as Bruce Banner.

2. Tim Roth has the acting chops for evil, however he was not nearly buff enough to play that role. I mean really, a special forces soldier is not going to have the naked chest that Roth has, even past age 40. He isn’t flabby, but he clearly doesn’t work out either.

3. William Hurt - didn’t realize it was him until about halfway through. He was good.

4. Liv Tyler - she’s one of those women who is either strikingly beautiful or strikingly not beautiful and I guess that’s why she works well as a model. I know she had a baby before this movie came out and I think the little bit of extra weight she seemed to be carrying suited her. Rather than looking like a skinny-winny, she looked like a real woman. And by extra weight I’m talking maybe 5-10 lbs.

5. Special Effects - very good. I liked the transformations from Banner to Hulk. Hulk scary. Yowsah.

6. Last scene - loved. I know there’s an Avengers movie in production. I’m really hoping that pans out with the original actors in their respective roles. That would be very, very cool.

TIH gets 3.5 stars. It’s not great, but it was fun. Scary for younger kids, though.

Thursday, July 08, 2010

I finished listening to The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova last night on my way home from having dinner with some of my small group friends.

Late one night, exploring her father’s library, a young woman finds an ancient book and a cache of yellowing letters. The letters are all addressed to “My dear and unfortunate successor”, and they plunge her into a world she never dreamed of: a labyrinth where the secrets of her father’s past and her mother’s mysterious fate connect to an inconceivable evil hidden in the depths of history.

The letters provide links to one of the darkest powers that humanity has ever known, and to a centuries-long quest to find the source of that darkness and wipe it out. It is a quest for the truth about Vlad the Impaler, the medieval ruler whose barbarous reign formed the basis of the legend of Dracula. Generations of historians have risked their reputations, their sanity, and even their lives to learn the truth about Vlad the Impaler and Dracula. Now one young woman must decide whether to take up this quest herself, to follow her father in a hunt that nearly brought him to ruin years ago, when he was a vibrant young scholar and her mother was still alive.

What does the legend of Vlad the Impaler have to do with the modern world? Is it possible that the Dracula of myth truly existed, and that he has lived on, century after century, pursuing his own unknowable ends? The answers to these questions cross time and borders, as first the father and then the daughter search for clues, from dusty Ivy League libraries to Istanbul, Budapest, and the depths of Eastern Europe. In city after city, in monasteries and archives, in letters and in secret conversations, the horrible truth emerges about Vlad the Impaler’s dark reign, and about a time-defying pact that may have kept his awful work alive down through the ages.

I’m not a huge fan of the vampire genre, but I had seen some good reviews of this novel.

Generally, I liked it. It has a slower pace than much of what I normally read and it is thick with history albeit fictionalized. The audio version has two narrators, male and female, which makes it easier to follow the first person telling of the story.

I do not love this book, though. I found it plodding at times, especially toward the end. The letter format of the story-telling was slightly tedious, especially toward the end. And I found the climax to be anti-climactic.

Do I recommend the book? Yes, as I said, I enjoyed it generally. I give The Historian 3.5 stars.

So what am I reading now? My mp3 player is running The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. My nightstand holds Bloodthirsty by Marshall Karp.

Wednesday, July 07, 2010

3:00pm, returned from a field trip to HQ. The thermometer in my car read 104F.

Ugh.