2nd Annual Holiday Giveaway
To celebrate the holidays, Chronicle Books, an independent publisher of distinctive books and gifts with fine art titles in design, art, architecture, and photography, is offering one lucky blogger and one of their readers the opportunity to win a selection of Chronicle books valued at up to $500. In addition, they will donate $500 in books to a charity chosen by the winning blogger.
Below is the list of books I’ve chosen. If you enjoy nature, photography and cooking this is the contest to enter. Click on the title for more information about each book. Then leave your comment to enter to win. Contest is open to US residents 18 years of age and older. Enter by December 2nd.
Cooking
Country Cooking of Italy
By Colman Andrews $50.00
Drawing on more than 40 years of experience traveling and eating in Italy, Andrews explores every region, from Piedmont to Puglia, and provides the fascinating origins of dishes both familiar and unexpected. This gloriously photographed keepsake depicts an ingredient-focused culture deeply rooted in rural traditions, in which even the most sophisticated dishes derive from …
Poulet
160 Remarkable Recipes that Exalt the Honest Chicken
By Cree LeFavour $27.50
Poulet is more than just a cookbook dedicated to chicken: it is an ode to this worldwide favorite. More than 150 thoughtful recipes cover the globe to breathe new life into the well-loved chicken supper. Five chapters are organized by flavor profile—American, Bistro, Latin, East and South Asian, and North African/Mediterranean—to bring to the table wherever you live.
The Big Book of Breakfast
Serious Comfort Food for Any Time of the Day
By Maryana Vollstedt $19.95
The Big Book of Breakfasts starts the day right with over 280 recipes for every kind of breakfast food imaginable. Its classic Maryana Vollstedt: every delicious dish is so easy to make you can hit the snooze button again and again. From classic blue-plate specials of Corned Beef Hash and Eggs to an innovative brunch of Spicy Orange Pancakes…
Fast, Fresh & Green
More Than 90 Delicious Recipes for Veggie Lovers
By Susie Middleton $24.95
This new bible for all things vegetable from Fine Cooking’s Vegetable Queen is ideal for the millions of eaters who want to get the recommended five to nine servings of fruits and greens into their daily diet. Susie Middleton shares her love of healthful, delicious veggies with a guide to shopping for and cooking delectable meatless meals…
Read more…
Almost Wordless: Vacant Wren House seen during last week’s tree walk at Cantigny Gardens. (Click for sharper image.)
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More Wordless Wednesday.
The Most Dangerous Thing
by Laura Lippman
Read by: Linda Emond
Genre: Literature, Mystery
Publisher: Harper Audio
Publish Date: August 23, 2011
Format: Downloadable Audio | 11 Hours
Rating: 4 of 5
Separated by the passing of time, a group of five childhood friends reunite at a funeral. Long gone are the carefree days when they would spend hours together exploring the woods near their suburban homes. Those were adventurous days filled with the thrill of going off on their own, experiencing a little danger and fun, and forming a bond over the secrets they shared. As they eventually grew toward adulthood, they drifted apart; but one secret remained untold.
Now one of the five, Gordon, has died in a car accident. But was it an accident or was it a suicide? Has someone found out about what happened one night in the woods? Did this have something to do with Gordon’s death?
There are two stories to be told. One takes place back in the 70s and the other in the present. We alternate between the two with the point of view changing as each character tells a part of the story from their perspective. The events meshed together so well that, for the most part, I did not have any problem following the changes in narrator.
These were not the most likable characters; early on their many flaws become apparent. But flawed characters didn’t stop me from enjoying the story. On the contrary, the author wove together a mystery spanning several decades into a drama about friendship, personal growth, becoming an adult and accepting responsibility.
I listened to the audiobook and the production was well done. Linda Emond narrated at a nice pace, was pleasant to listen to and did a good job with her tone and inflection, making each character sound distinct.
This was my first Laura Lippman novel and I am pleased to have experienced her wonderful storytelling. The book was well written with a plot that moved along at an accelerating pace towards an ending where the pieces came together and the secret was revealed. A shocking secret? No, but not what I was expecting either. It was a surprise and a thought-provoking ending.
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Source: Review copy provided by HarperAudio
Mailbox Monday was created by The Printed Page. It is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their home last week.
Mailbox Monday is currently on tour, hosted by a different blog each month. The November host is Marcia, the founder of Mailbox Monday at the Mailbox Monday Blog.
I received an interesting selection this week: some audiobooks and a photography book for review and giveaway, a win, and an interesting request for feedback from an author.
From Little, Brown & Company for review:
Digital Photography: A Basic Manual
by Henry Horenstein
This thorough, concise, and easy-to-use guide to capturing digital photographs provides an entire step-by-step course for budding digital photographers. All concepts are fully illustrated with sample work by internationally renowned professionals. Topics covered include essential information for both film and digital photography, such as exposure controls and shutter speed, as well as digital-specific information on image editing, printing methods, and even file storage. more
A win from Kathy at BermudaOnion’s Weblog:
The Ballad of Tom Dooley
by Sharyn McCrumb
The folk song, made famous by the Kingston Trio, recounts a tragedy in the North Carolina mountains after the Civil War. Laura Foster, a simple country girl, was murdered and her lover Tom Dula was hanged for the crime. The sensational elements in the case attracted national attention: a man and his beautiful, married lover accused of murdering the other-woman; the former governor of North Carolina spearheading the defense; and a noble gesture from the prisoner on the eve of his execution, saving the woman he really loved.
From HarperAudio for review:
When Elves Attack
by Tim Dorsey, Narrated by Oliver Wyman
It’s ho, ho, ho time in this hilarious and wacky Florida holiday tale, featuring bighearted psychopath Serge Storms and his sidekick, Coleman. Like Santa, Serge knows who’s been naughty and who’s been nice. Few can give with the generosity and creativity of Serge, and as December 24 rolls around, he is filling up the Serge sleigh with an unforgettable bag of presents. more
From Macmillan Audio through Amazon Vine:
Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan
Narrated by Ilyana Kadushin and Matthew Brown
Out in the murky nebula lurks an unseen enemy: the New Horizon. On its way to populate a distant planet in the wake of Earth’s collapse, the ship’s crew has been unable to conceive a generation to continue its mission. They need young girls desperately, or their zealous leader’s efforts will fail. Onboard their sister ship, the Empyrean, the unsuspecting families don’t know an attack is being mounted… more
From the author for review and feedback:
The Human Race
by O.C. Heaton
Ever had a secret so big that it consumed you? Uma has one. A huge one. And if it falls into the wrong hands it could obliterate mankind. Unfortunately two men have gotten their hands on it.
From the leafy suburbs of London to the frozen wastelands of Iceland, in the shadow of Ground Zero and under the barren dryness of the Mojave Desert, a bloody battle between the forces of greed unfolds. There can only be one winner and the fate of the human race hangs in the balance. more
An interesting side note on this book. It was the winner of The Ugly Cover Competition hosted by Judith at Leeswammes’ Blog. The author found out about the competition (you never know who’s reading!) and offered to conduct an experiment. The kindle version has a new, less creepy, cover. Would readers give different feedback depending on which cover of the book they read? The results will be in by the end of the year. That’s the kindle version on the right. I’m reading the paperback.
How was your week?
Make the Bread, Buy the Butter:
What You Should and Shouldn’t Cook from Scratch
by Jennifer Reese
Genre: Cooking
Publisher: Free Press
Publish Date: October 18, 2011
Format: Hardcover | 304 pages
Rating: 4 of 5
When Jennifer Reese lost her full-time job she began to economize by making things she had previously bought at the grocery store. This turned into a series of experiments on whether it’s better to make or buy. Was it cheaper? More expensive? Easy or too time consuming? This book is a delightful chronicle of her results.
I was expecting only a cookbook filled with recipes, practical advice and cost comparisons, but I was pleased to discover a lot more. Along with the 120 recipes is a must-read narrative. I sat down with the book to look through the recipes and ended up reading it cover to cover. Her witty, humorous, easy to read style of writing made for some hilarious tales from raising chickens and goats, making honey using her own beehives and even an attempt at curing meat. She also delves into the health benefits of home cooking, the additives and chemicals in store bought foods, plus making your own often tastes better.
Each recipe consists of an introduction plus a brief analysis:
• Make it or buy it
• Hassle
• Cost comparison
The recipes range from very easy to quite difficult. Most of them will save money but not necessarily time. Some are no-brainers. It’s very simple to make your own bread crumbs and cheaper too. Make my own pesto? Absolutely. It’s very easy and cheap if you grow your own basil, which I do, and buy pine nuts in bulk. Make my own pasta? Nah, too much work and I’m not good with pastry. Make my own meats? I won’t even think about curing my own prosciutto.
As I read the book I saw a few recipes I’m eager to try. First up will be hash browns. I’ve never considered making them, they’ve always been diner food for me but the recipe looks easy and I just bought a large bag of russet potatoes which are begging to be cooked. I’ll post my results, probably next week. Another one I want to try is vanilla. The cost of vanilla is outrageous but I had no idea it was simply made from vanilla beans and vodka. That’s it. Put them together and let it age for 3 months. The result is a cup and a half of vanilla for a fraction of the store bought cost.
Educational, informative, some great recipes and a delight to read, I recommend this to both adventurous cooks and those challenged by the kitchen.
The author also has a blog, The Tipsy Baker, where you can find more of her recipes and adventures in cooking.
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Source: Copy provided for review by the publisher.
Weekend Cooking is hosted by Beth Fish Reads. Participation is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs.
As a bird watcher I spend a lot of time looking at trees because that’s where most of the birds are. And besides, I like trees. This week I read and reviewed a wonderful book about trees called, simply enough, Seeing Trees. It’s a beautiful combination of facts and photography.
Coincidentally I had the opportunity to go on a Tree Walk. I had to drop off some photos for a photography contest at the visitor’s center at my favorite nature park and I saw a notice that there was a free tour of the tree trail that same morning. I timed my delivery so I could attend the walk. The tour was conducted by the head forester and was a fascinating two hours.
The photo on the right is a huge maple tree near the entrance to the park. Most of the maples and elms still had their leaves and were beautifully colored. About half the trees, such as the oaks, had already dropped most of their leaves but a few trees were hanging on to some greenery. It made for an interesting contrast.
I couldn’t spend a few hours looking at trees without also watching the birds. The tree in the photo below was filled with robins enjoying a snack of berries. In the autumn robins leave the backyards and form large flocks at the woodland edge. They will migrate short distances to where ever they can find food.
This bird looks like a young female robin. The pale colors indicate female and the white spots in the crown and breast hint at young, maybe second year bird.
This is probably going to be the last warm(ish) weekend of the year for the Chicago area so I’m going to grab my camera and go for a walk this afternoon. Anyone care to join me? Virtually, that is!
Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books. Visit her blog to see more great photos or add your own.
Next week begins the 25th season of the popular citizen science program known as Project Feeder Watch. Counting begins November 12th and continues through April 6th. There’s still plenty of time to sign up and new participants can come on board at any time during the count.
Who Can Participate?
Anyone in the US or Canada with an interest in birds! FeederWatch is conducted by people of all skill levels and backgrounds, including children, families, individuals, classrooms, retired persons, youth groups, nature centers, and bird clubs.
What will I need to do?
1. Put up a feeder.
2. Count the birds that visit.
3. Send your data to scientists.
Sign up for the Project FeederWatch program. There is a $15 fee which supports the program. Project participants receive a bird-identification poster, bird-feeding information, and instructional materials.
Why should I participate?
This is a great opportunity to learn more about winter birds. Plus you will contribute to the science and conservation of North American feeder birds. FeederWatch results are regularly published in scientific journals and are shared with ornithologists and bird lovers nationwide.
The more people watching, the more we can learn about the birds.
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I’ve been participating in the program for a few years now and have learned an amazing amount about bird behavior just from watching the feeders for an hour or two per week. A large time commitment is not necessary and counting is done on any two consecutive days in the week. The best time to see a lot of birds is about an hour after sunrise when they are hungry and most active.
Is anyone planning to participate?
Under My Apple Tree 