Author Archives: Laura

About Laura

Voracious bibliophile with geeky tendencies, Laura spends her time at CCPL behind the scenes, most often in front of a monitor wrestling with HTML or rogue PHP. She sometimes appears with her hand in a puppet.

Haunted House Books

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anna dressed in bloodAuthor Neil Gaiman has a fantastic idea – celebrate Halloween by giving someone a scary book. Genius! I find haunted house stories particularly creepy so some recommendations:

House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski. Not just a book but a piece of art with its different fonts and colors, even die cut pages which make a beautiful dressing for an intensely creepy story A door appears behind a closet but in this unnerving story, it most certainly doesn’t lead somewhere good, like Narnia.

Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. An isolated house, reputed to be haunted, is the scene for this unnerving story. A paranormal researcher gathers  a group to investigate the house’s tragic history. Unexplainable incidents occur and as the reader you’re never quite sure if they’re proof of a haunting or one of the characters slowly losing her hold on reality.

Turn of the Screw by Henry James. A young governess, looks after two orphaned children in an isolated mansion. Odd, disquieting events happen – the result of ghosts or proof that the governess is slipping into insanity?

Little Stranger by Sarah Waters. Set in postwar Britain, a doctor becomes entangled with a family living in a centuries old mansion. Their way of life is changing with the coming of the modern world but what is it really that ties them to the house? Atmospheric and chilling.

Anna Dressed in Blood  by Kendare Blake. Cas, hunts and kills ghosts. When he hears about the ghost of a young woman who attacks people, he has to investigate. Cas discovers Anna, a spirit so full of rage that she kills anyone entering her house. But there’s more to Anna than just a thirst for vengeance as Cas discovers when he tries to investigate her murder.

Happy Birthday, Hobbit

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the hobbitSeptember 21, 1937 saw the first publication (1,500 copies!) of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. While it’s been 75 years, the book still inspires many, including director Peter Jackson; the first of Jackson’s film adaptations comes out in December.

I fell in love with The Hobbit when a middle school teacher read it aloud to us (Thanks, Miss Maddie! (I repaid her kindness by insisting on speaking like Gollum, asking classmates what they had in their pocketsesss)).

Later I received a box set of the Lord of the Rings as a gift (Thanks, Mom and Dad!) which cemented my affection for Tolkien and his Middle Earth. I was the total Middle Earth geek – memorizing pronunciations and lineages; thank goodness there weren’t hobbit feet or elven ears to wear back then or I’m sure I would’ve been sporting them.

I can’t wait to see how Martin Freeman works his understated actor magic on the role of Bilbo. I do have to admit that after watching and re-watching Sherlock, it’s going to seem odd to watch Freeman without Benedict Cumberbatch  (wouldn’t BC be perfect as an arrogant elf?).

Trailer for The Hobbit.

What We’re Reading – September Edition

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staff picksAnother look at what the library bloggers are reading.

Emily – Fun House by Chris Grabenstein – The 7th installment in this New Jersey-set mystery series has Officers John Ceepak and Danny Boyle reluctantly overseeing security for the raunchy and rambunctious cast of a Jersey Shore-esq reality show.

Wanna Get Lucky? by Deborah Coonts – I’ve just started listening to the audio version of this mystery that stars Lucky O’Toole, a “fixer” for a major Las Vegas casino.  The first in a series, Lucky finds herself investigating the mysterious death of a woman who died falling from a casino-owned helicopter.

Cara – I just started The Peculiar by Stefan Bachmann (JF). I’m only a few chapters in, but I love mysterious and sinister tone that’s set for the reader as a whole town disappears, faeries are integrated into English society, and Bartholomew, a changeling, seems to be headed for trouble as a strange visitor to the town sees him for what he is. Hits shelves September 18, 2012.

Sarah – Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. YA fantasy set in an alternate Russia, where magic-wielding children are raised to form an army under the mysterious Darkling. Alina’s gift is so strong and frightening that it might save the country–if she can learn to control it without being controlled herself.

Vanessa – I am reading Private Patient by PD James. It’s an Adam Dalgliesh mystery that is British detection at it’s finest. If you’re looking for a good mystery whose ending you’ll never see coming, PD James is your lady!

Laura S. – I’m only reading books with their cover art painted by Daniel Dos Santos. Touched by an Alien by Gini Koch, My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland, Moon Called by Patricia Briggs are the first titles in some of the series. He only picks the best books to work on, they are all hilarious; the covers reflect that. He paints them all in traditional oils.

Phyllis – The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty – historical fiction loosely based on the life of Louise Brooks, silent film actress.

Spring Fever by Mary Kay Andrews – Love lost, love found and secrets revealed.

Donna -  Currently, I’m reading a cozy mystery in “A Cat in the Stacks Mystery” series titled Classified as Murder by Miranda James.  This series is a fun read, I love that the main character is a college librarian in a small southern town. His Maine Coon Cat, Diesel, adds a lot of character to the story.

I’m listening to The Innocent by David Baldacci, a really exciting mystery that is making me tempted to drive farther so I can listen to just one more chapter.

MacKenzie – I’m reading The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her own Making by Catherynne Valente. With a title like that you know it’ll be good. I’m also reading “The Best of the Best: 20 Years of the Year’s Best Science Fiction” edited by Gardner Dozois.

Andrea – I’m listening to Summerland by Elin Hilderbrand about four high school students and their families after a fatal car accident on Nantucket.

I’m reading Heaven is Here by Stephanie Nielson who survived a plane crash with third-degree burns over 80 percent of her body and embraces the fullness of life, love, motherhood and faith everyday.

Laura – I’m reading Spy the Lie in which former CIA agents explain how to spot signs that someone may be lying to you. Interesting to discover that things that we all accept as a sign of lying like not making eye contact isn’t actually a reliable sign at all.

Susan – When the Mississippi Ran Backwards; Empire, Intrigue, Murder, and the New Madrid Earthquakes by Jay Feldman. The 1811-1812 earthquakes that violently shook the midwest in and around New Madrid, Missouri are the backdrop to major historical events including the Indian and U.S. Government relations between Tecumseh, his brother The Prophet, and William Henry Harrison, the Louisiana Purchase, the War of 1812, and the first steam boats to run on the Mississippi river.  This was a time when Ohio was still considered “wilderness”, Indian tribes were plentiful and Spain, France and England were still influential in the young United States development.

Diane – I’m listening to Night Watch, by Linda Fairstein.  Book 14 in her Alex Cooper series, we find Alex in France with her lover, Luc Rouget, famed restaurateur.  48 hours into her one week vacation, a former employee of Luc’s is murdered. Before Alex can become embroiled in this case, she’s called back to New York for a high-profile rape case involving, coincidentally, an important French economist.

Angel Biscuits

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Did you know that September is National Biscuit Month?   Don’t feel bad, I didn’t either until I was searching the internet for ideas to blog about.

My mother has a recipe that she swears by:  Angel Biscuits.  I found the recipe on the Taste of Home website.  I hope you enjoy them as much as my mother does.

Angel Biscuits Recipe

Prep: 20 min. + rising Bake: 10 min.

Ingredients

2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water (110° – 115°)

2 cups warm buttermilk (110° – 115°)

5 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup shortening

Melted butter

Directions:

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in the buttermilk; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and soda. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in yeast mixture.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 3-4 times. Roll into a 1/2-in. thickness. Cut with a 2-1/2-in. biscuit cutter. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise in a warm place about 1-1/2 hours.

Bake at 450° for 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Lightly brush tops with melted butter. Serve warm. 

Yield: 30 Servings

Additional notes from my mother:  You mix everything together. Place the biscuit dough in the refrigerator (stores up to 2 weeks).  When you’re ready to make some biscuits, take out what you want and leave the rest in the refrigerator; roll out and shape into biscuits.
Bake at 375 for about 15 to 20 minutes (or until browned on top).
~~~~~~
To make them “light as angels”, cover the unbaked biscuits and let them rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes or until puffy. Bake as directed.
Enjoy!!

 

 

 

 

Better Breakfast Month

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September is Better Breakfast Month.   I have always heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  It makes sense, after fasting all night, breakfast can kick-start your energy level.  This breakfast burrito is easy and filling.  Try experimenting with different ingredients for a whole new culinary breakfast experience.  ENJOY!

Breakfast Burrito

    Vegetable spray

    1 medium red bell pepper – seeded and diced

    4 medium button mushrooms – sliced

    2 scallions — chopped

    1/2 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen and thawed

    2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

    1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

    1/2 teaspoon black pepper

    1/4 teaspoon salt

    2 eggs beaten

    1/4 cup shredded low-fat provolone or Swiss cheese

    2 10 inch flour tortillas

 

 Heat a lightly sprayed nonstick skillet.  Add the pepper, mushrooms, and

scallions and saute for 5 to 7 minutes.  Stir in the corn and seasonings

and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more.  Whisk in the eggs and cook over medium

heat, stirring frequently.  When the eggs are completely cooked (fluffy,

not brown), remove from the heat and fold in the cheese.

Warm the tortillas over a burner or pan and then place on 2 plates.  Spoon

the egg mixture into the center of each tortilla, forming logs.  Roll the

tortilla around the mixture and serve with salsa!

 

  Makes 2 servings

 





 


 






 


 


 

					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Peachy Keen Bars

			
						

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While perusing the internet for something yummy to bake, I came across the website Just A Pinch and found a recipe for Peachy Keen Bars.  This makes a light, refreshing dessert; perfect for hot days.


Peachy Keen Bars






1 pkg
dry cake mix-white, yellow or french vanilla




1/3 c
butter, room temperature




2 lg
eggs, divided




29 oz
can light peach slices, drained




8 oz
cream cheese, room temperature




1/3 c
sugar




1 tsp
pure vanilla extract






Directions




1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


Spray a 9×13” pan with nonstick cooking spray.






2.  In a large bowl combine cake mix, butter and 1 egg; mix with fork just until crumbly.


Set aside 1 ½ c. crumbs for topping.






3. Press the remaining crumbs on bottom of prepared pan; Bake 10 minutes






4. Cut peach slices into 1” pieces; Spoon onto partially-baked crust.






5.  In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, 1 egg and vanilla extract; beat with


 mixer until creamy.


Spread over top of peaches.






6. Sprinkle with reserved crumbs; Bake 30 minutes.






7. Chill at least 30 minutes before serving.


Store leftovers in refrigerator.


Serves 12.




 

					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Kids in the Kitchen

			
						

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Honestly, I have tried to teach my child how to cook many times over the years.  When he was young we included him in preparing meals.  When he was 12 or 13 I insisted that he help prepare a dinner meal once a week.  Of course none of this happened without a lot of grumbling and “why do I have to do this”.  Now at age 19 and on his way to college he has decided that he needs to know how to cook.


True to his generation’s comfort with electronics he searched the internet for recipes that looked good.  His choice of websites was allrecipes.com.  Allrecipes.com has over 40000 recipes, menus, meal ideas and tips submitted by home cooks.  You can search recipes by meal, ingredient or lifestyle.  If you want to watch someone make the recipe there are videos to watch.  What I like about this site is that you can change the number of servings needed and calculate the amount of ingredients needed.  You can print the recipe, save it to your previously  created recipe box or create a shopping list.


The recipe of choice for this young cook was Simple Chicken Parmesan.  It received two thumbs up from his proud mom.




Servings


Original Recipe Yield 4 servings


 Ingredients






    

  • 2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
    • 

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 

  • 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes (quality varies dramatically; I prefer Redpack, Progresso and Muir Glen brands)
    • 

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
    • 

  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
    • 

  • 1/4 teaspoon sugar
    • 

  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
    • 

  • 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each), halved crosswise
    • 

  • 1 large egg
    • 

  • 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
    • 

  • 8 ounces spaghetti or linguine
    • 

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
    • 

  • 1/2 cup grated part-skim mozzarella cheese
    • 

  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for passing at the table
    • 





 Directions




    

  1. In a large saucepan, heat garlic and 2 Tbs. oil over medium-high heat until garlic starts to sizzle. Stir in tomatoes, basil, oregano, sugar, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Bring to a simmer; simmer until sauce thickens a bit and flavors meld, 10 to 12 minutes. Cover and keep warm. (Remember, this makes twice the amount of sauce you need, so put aside half for another meal.)
    2. 

  2. Put chicken pieces between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound, using your fists or a heavy pan, until the cutlets are about 1/4-inch thick.
    3. 

  3. Bring 2 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large soup kettle.
    4. 

  4. In a pie pan, beat egg until well-blended. In another pie pan, mix bread crumbs and more black pepper. Preheat broiler.
    5. 

  5. Working one cutlet at a time, dip both sides of each in beaten egg, then in bread crumbs. Put cutlets on a wire rack set over a cookie sheet (this step helps breading stay put).
    6. 

  6. Heat remaining 1/4 cup oil over medium-high heat in a 12-inch skillet. When oil starts to shimmer, add cutlets and saute until golden brown on each side, about 5 minutes total. Wash and dry the wire rack and return to cookie sheet. As the cutlets saute, cook pasta in boiling water according to package directions.
    7. 

  7. Transfer cutlets to clean wire rack over cookie sheet. Top each with a portion of the cheeses. Broil cutlets, 4 to 5 inches from heat source, until cheese melts and is spotty brown.
    8. 

  8. Drain pasta. Put a cutlet and a portion of pasta on each of 4 plates. Spoon 2 or 3 tablespoons of sauce over part of each cutlet, then sauce the pasta as desired. Serve with extra Parmesan.
    9. 





 Be sure to check out CCPL’s catalog for cookbooks for kids.


 

					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Redshirts by Jon Scalzi

			
						

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Ever watched an episode of Star Trek and felt sorry for any of the redshirts on an Away Team? Ever wondered if they knew what was going on? Jon Scalzi’s latest book speculates about just that.


From the publisher – In Redshirts, Ensign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. It’s a prestige posting, and Andrew is thrilled all the more to be assigned to the ship’s Xenobiology laboratory. Life couldn’t be better… until Andrew begins to pick up on the fact that (1) every Away Mission involves some kind of lethal confrontation with alien forces, (2) the ship’s captain, its chief science officer, and the handsome Lieutenant Kerensky always survive these confrontations, and (3) at least one low-ranked crew member is, sadly, always killed. Not surprisingly, a great deal of energy below decks is expended on avoiding, at all costs, being assigned to an Away Mission. Then Andrew stumbles on information that completely transforms his and his colleagues’ understanding of what the starship Intrepid really is… and offers them a crazy, high-risk chance to save their own lives.

					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Nutty Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

			
						

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Ingredients


    

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
    • 

  • 1 cup sugar
    • 

  • 3 eggs
    • 

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    • 

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 

  • 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
    • 



    

  • FILLING:
    • 

  • 2 packages (3 ounces each) cream cheese
    • 

  • 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
    • 

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
    • 



    

  • CINNAMON-NUT TOPPING:
    • 

  • 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
    • 

  • 2 tablespoons sugar
    • 

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 



Directions


    

  • In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition. Set aside.
    • 

  • In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Spoon half of the batter into a greased and floured 10-in. tube pan. Top with filling and remaining batter. Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over batter.
    • 

  • Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Yield: 12 serving
    • 


					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Happy National Ice Cream Day!

			
						

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This summer, get the scoop on National Ice Cream Day!


It’s the one day set aside to honor everything cool, sweet and creamy, and celebrated every year in July.


It was President Ronald Reagan who in 1984 officially declared July as National Ice Cream Month, and established National Ice Cream Day as the third Sunday in July.


This year, join millions of American who will be celebrating National Ice Cream Day on Sunday, July 15, 2012 — in honor of the popular dessert that’s guaranteed to lift you up and cool you down on any hot summer day ….


Ice cream fun facts


Fact is, the U.S. nationally enjoys a whopping 48 pints of ice cream per person every year on average, making Americans the No. 1 ice cream consumers worldwide. Coming in No. 2? New Zealand.


The top five ice cream flavors enjoyed by Americans? That would be vanilla at 27.8%, followed by chocolate (14.3%), strawberry (3.3%), chocolate chip (3.3%) and butter pecan (2.8%).


Here are more ice-cream facts!


• It wasn’t until Italian explorer Marco Polo returned from the Far East (with a recipe that mostly resembled sherbet) that Europeans got their first taste of what we now know as ice cream.


• From Italy, ice cream made its way across Europe and, eventually, to colonial America where official records show that President George Washington allocated a total of $200 on ice cream purchases during the hot summer of 1790.


• In the late 19th century, America’s soda shops bowed to pressure from local churches who demanded that the newly-popular “ice cream soda” not be served on Sundays. The simple solution? Remove the soda from the recipe which led to a new invention called (you guessed it) the ice cream sundae.


• During the St. Louis World Fair in 1904, a vendor ran out of ice cream cups to serve visitors. He quickly enlisted the help of a neighboring vendor who provided rolled-up waffle cones in which to serve the sweet treat ….and the ice cream cone was born!


Below is my favorite vanilla home-made ice cream recipe: I make it often using the ice cream attachment on my  mixer. Philadelphia Style homemade ice cream contains no eggs.


 


Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream, Philadelphia-Style


3 cups heavy cream, or 2 cups heavy cream and 1 cup whole milk-add 1 Cup sugar

Pinch of salt

1 TBL pure vanilla extract


Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl, and then freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.


Delicious Homemade ice cream sandwiches


Chocolate Supermoist cake mix


You Will Need: 1-1/3 cups water, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, and 3 eggs. 


    

  • Heat up your waffle iron and mix the Chocolate cake mix according the directions.
    • 

  • Pour the cake mix batter onto the waffle iron.  Check your manual for amounts and times.  Mine used about 1/4 cup of batter per waffle and cooked for about 3 minutes.
    • 

  • Put the finished waffles onto a cooling rack to cool, add vanilla ice-cream to the top of one waffle then top with additional waffle and enjoy.
    •