library bulletin

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

"i'm just peachy, mr. shooter. how are you?"

"words are his power"

the secret window


Mort Rainey, a successful author, is passing through a hard period in his life. After catching his wife sleeping with another man, they separate and he moves away from the city to somewhere in the country. One day a man appears at his door, presenting himself as John Shooter, and accuses Mort of copying a story from him. Although Mort believes things can be solved once he shows Shooter the original version, which had appeared two years before Shooter's version, written in 1997, while Rainey's was published in early 1995. He can't seem to be able to get an original copy in the time limit set by Shooter.
Strange things then start happening that prevent him from receiving the needed original, and Mort tries to find out who Shooter really is and if he is responsible for the things that have been happening. Written by FcPoliFan




"i don't respond well to intimidation. makes me feel *icky*."

this movie is just so excellent!

of course the very best part is
johnny depp.

and he has the most adorable bed head throughout the whole movie...


it is based on a short story written by stephen king called
secret window, secret garden
from the book


april has been:
rainy
cold
speedy
happy
eventful
over
:)
we did have a fun baby shower...
more on that later...

our book has been great!





bye...
more later...



Thursday, April 25, 2013

a persian's heaven is easily made: 'tis but black eyes and lemonade”

nita's slush






remember nita?
i didn't know her well but i remember grandma talking about her all the time...
i can still hear her say the name
"nita"
i miss her voice...
i found this in grandma's recipes and decided to try it.
in our book fizzy lemonade is one of the simple things that lauren remembers...
i thought this fit:)
something simple...






you can use any variation of fruit flavored drinks for this...
i used strawberry and fresca...





our book is great!
i hope you are enjoying it:)

we are currently working on baby number 2!!!!
our
"touchdown baby shower"
is coming along nicely...
i will keep you posted...


bye...
more later...

Friday, April 19, 2013

"ask me a serious question"



want to see a fun movie this weekend?
try
"olympus has fallen"

it's a riot...
more secret service stuff and a whole lot of fun...
and gerard butler he he...



When the White House (Secret Service Code: "Olympus") is captured by a terrorist mastermind and the President is kidnapped, disgraced former Presidential guard Mike Banning finds himself trapped within the building. As our national security team scrambles to respond, they are forced to rely on Banning's inside knowledge to help retake the White House, save the President and avert an even bigger disaster.


don't forget to get yummy popcorn and treats because you will be on the edge of your seat...










have a great weekend...
next up...

"nita's slush"
from grandma's cookbook:)

bye...
more later...

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

"tea and a walking in the fields"


victoria sponge cake


at the beginning of our book this month,
before the "murder" happens,
laurel is daydreaming in her treehouse.
along with dreaming about a boy and growing up and leaving
green acres someday,
she is also thinking about the birthday party and picnic that her family is about to have.
victoria sponge cake and fizzy lemonade.
sounds so good this time of year.

this cake is also mentioned throught the book...


i did a little research and found out a little bit about
victoria sponge cake.
 
Anna, the Duchess of Bedford (1788-1861), one of Queen Victoria's (1891-1901) ladies-in-waiting, is credited as the creator of teatime. Because the noon meal had become skimpier, the Duchess suffered from "a sinking feeling" at about four o'clock in the afternoon. At first the Duchess had her servants sneak her a pot of tea and a few breadstuffs into her dressing room.
Adopting the European tea service format, she invited friends to join her for an additional afternoon meal at five o'clock in her rooms at Belvoir Castle. The menu centered around small cakes, bread and butter sandwiches, assorted sweets, and, of course, tea. This summer practice proved so popular, the Duchess continued it when she returned to London, sending cards to her friends asking them to join her for
"tea and a walking the fields."
The practice of inviting friends to come for tea in the afternoon was quickly picked up by other social hostesses.
Queen Victoria adopted the new craze for tea parties. By 1855, the Queen and her ladies were in formal dress for the afternoon teas. This simple cake was one of the queen's favorites. After her husband, Prince Albert, died in 1861, the Queen Victoria spend time in retreat at the Queen's residence (Osborn House) at the Isle of Wight. According to historians, it was here that the cakes were named after her.





 
What is a Victoria Sponge cake? It consists of two light sponge cakes which are sandwiched together, with a layer of strawberry jam and a cream center. Sounds easy? Well it is not a difficult recipe but it is all too easy to get this recipe wrong, and end up with a cake that is heavy and unappetizing.
I have detailed tips and instructions so it turns out perfect
every time. Be sure to read the instructions carefully before making this cake.
The jam filling can be your favorite jam, not just strawberry; but then it would not be a traditional Victoria Sponge cake recipe.  Black Raspberry, Cherry or Raspberry Jam makes a tasty cake. So does Lemon Curd! Let's get baking!



3 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup super-fine white sugar*
3/4 cup
homemade unsalted butter, softened
1-1/2 cups flour
2-1/4 tsp
baking powder
3/4 tsp salt

Filling:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp
pure vanilla extract
1 cup homemade strawberry jam

Garnish:
strawberry slices
1/4 cup super-fine sugar*

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8 inch cake pans and dust the inside with flour and tap out excess. Line the bottom of the pans with wax or parchment paper. Put the cake pans on a baking sheet also lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

Sift the dry ingredients together. (*For super-fine sugar, place the specific amount of granulated sugar in a blender and pulse a couple of times.) Very easy to make and less expensive.

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy; 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and beat for a full minute after each addition. Slowly fold in the dry ingredients, and combine well. Do not over-mix!
Divide the batter evenly into the cake pans and level out with a spatula. Bake for 25-30 minutes or when a knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Transfer to a rack and cool for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature, right side up. (These cooled cakes may be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to two months.)
FILLING INSTRUCTIONS:
Combine the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Fit the mixer with the whisk attachment and mix on medium speed until smooth.
While the mixture is still whipping, slowly pour in the heavy cream. Stop and scrape the bottom of the bowl a couple of times while you continue whipping until the cream can hold a stiff peak. Gently fold in the strawberry jam.
When the cakes are cool sandwich them together with filling. Sprinkle the top of the cake with 1/4 cup of super-fine sugar.




how does this sound for
"special occasion cake"?
delicious to me:)

lets make cake this weekend!
if you decide to,
instagram us!


P.S. the narrator in the audio version of the book is fantastic...
soooo good!!!

bye...
more later...





Sunday, April 7, 2013

"a storm's coming."


 okay...
this is what i am doing on this
rainy thomas sunday...

watching

skyfall
it sort of falls into our 
"secret" theme.

james bond does work for 
"her majesty's secret service"
and most of what he does is
"top secret"

and it has daniel craig in it...
there is that...




i mean yum:)
i have a "secret crush"

"then we're all buggered. 
carry on."


i might make a little kettle corn to go along with 
bond. 
james bond.




hope you enjoy your sunday...
love you all...



bye...
more later...

"the blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice."


"what will come from the briar but the berry."







i made this wonderful blackberry jam from blackberries i bought at costco...

it cost $14...
(the weck jars are available at
and
they are a little pricey but so so cute) 


it took about 2 cartons of berries and i followed the recipe on the pectin box...
about 20 minutes later i had this...





the possibilities are endless:)

i am enjoying it on my toast this morning while not watching conference...
(probably going to hell)



our book is so good!
at the beginning, the murder is committed with 
"the special occasion cake knife"
so the food theme is 
"special occasion cake"...

show me what you got:)



bye...
more later...


Tuesday, April 2, 2013

black and white and read all over

“A woman who can threaten your life before breakfast is the only sort of woman worth having.”

black hills
by nora roberts 





“Necessity is often the mother of balls”

:)

Black Hills

4.01 of 5 stars 4.01  · 
 A summer at his grandparents' South Dakota ranch is not eleven-year-old Cooper Sullivan's idea of a good time. But things are a bit more bearable now that he's discovered the neighbor girl, Lil Chance, and her homemade batting cage. Even horseback riding isn't as awful as Coop thought it would be. Each year, with Coop's annual summer visit, their friendship deepens from innocent games to stolen kisses, but there is one shared experience that will forever haunt them: the terrifying discovery of a hiker's body.

As the seasons change and the years roll, Lil stays steadfast to her aspiration of becoming a wildlife biologist and protecting her family land, while Coop struggles with his father's demand that he attend law school and join the family firm. Twelve years after they last walked together hand in hand, fate has brought them back to the Black Hills when the people and things they hold most dear need them most.

Coop recently left his fast-paced life as an investigator in New York to take care for his aging grandparents and the ranch he has come to call home. Though the memory of his touch still haunts her, Lil has let nothing stop her dream of opening the Chance Wildlife Refuge, but something ... or someone ... has been keeping a close watch. When small pranks and acts of destruction escalate into the heartless killing of Lil's beloved cougar, recollections of an unsolved murder in these very hills have Coop springing to action to keep Lil safe.

Lil and Coop both know the natural dangers that lurk in the wild landscape of the Black Hills. Now they must work together to unearth a killer of twisted and unnatural instincts who has singled them out as prey.




my review from goodreads

Black HillsBlack Hills by Nora Roberts
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I always love Nora Roberts:) She has a way of bringing you back to what matters. Relationships. I love venturing out into other genre's but always love coming back to a good old fashioned love story. Thanks Nora, for reminding me of why I love to read and always bringing me back home:)

View all my reviews

in honor of finishing my book i decided to have a black and white cookie:)
they both made me smile...
so did this little monkey
benny blue:)
i love him so much!!!






bye...
more later...