Tuesday, January 24, 2012

2009 Reading List

The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
Lottery by Patricia Wood
Ice bound by Jerri Nielsen
The Ladies Auxiliary by Tova Marvis
Stolen Innocence by Elissa Wall
The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
Everlost by Neal Shusterman
Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby
Hot Lunch by Alex Bradley
Skinwalkers by Tony Hillerman
Rangers Apprentice by John Flanagan
Where Angels Go by Debbie Macomber

2010 Reading List

Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy
Kitchen Boy by Robert Alexander
Nation by Terry Pratchett
Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
Michal by Jill Eileen Smith
Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin
The Smile by Donna Jo Napoli
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
Searching for David's Heart by Cheri Bennett

December 2011 Gift Books

I Think I Love You by Allison Pearson---was given to Jackie
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand---was given to Darla
Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick ---was given to Penni
The Devil in White City by Erik Larson---was given to Angie
Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah---was given to Becky
The Future of Us by Jay Asher--was given to Bonnie
The Shack by William P. Young--was given to Jenny

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Christmas Recipes

FUDGE from Penni

Combine in large bowl:

15 oz Hershey Bars

1 12 oz pkg chocolate chips

1 pt marshmallow cream

2 cups nuts (optional)

In saucepan, combine:

4 cups sugar
4 Tbs. butter
1 14 oz can evaporated milk

Bring to a boil and boil exactly 5 minutes. Pour over ingredients in bowl and mix well. Pour into 13 X 9 inch buttered pan. Allow to set.




Suckers-from Angie

1 cup sugar, 1/3 cup corn syrup, 1/2 cup water - mix and heat those 3 items to 300 degrees (hard crack stage) remove from heat and add 1/2 teaspoon flavoring (lorann flavoring) and food coloring. Pour into molds that have been greased let cool and remove molds.





Variety flavored chex mix. Becky brought Ranch, Taco, and Italian.


Basic mix:

5 cups crunchy treat (pretzels for the Ranch mix, fritos for the Taco mix, and cheez-its for the Italian treat)

4 cups Cheerios

3 cups nuts

2.5 cups Corn Chex

2.5 cups Wheat Chex

3 cups Rice Chex



Mix together dry ingredients in a large roasting pan.

In a saucepan, combine:

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

1/4 cup Worchestershire sauce

for Ranch mix, 1 oz envelope dry Ranch dressing

for Taco, 1 envelope dry Taco seasoning + 1 tsp cumin

for Italian, eliminate Worchestershire sauce and add 1/4 c. Italian salad dressing and 1 tsp, Italian seasoning

Stir until butter is melted. Pour over dry ingredients and mix to coat. Bake in a 250 degree oven for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on foil covered surface to cool for 30 minutes. Store in air-tight container for 1-2 weeks, or can be frozen for longer storage. Makes about 21 cups for one recipe.

Salted Peanut Ice Cream Squares from Liz (Nov. 2011)

1/2 c light corn syrup

1/2 c chunky peanut butter

Stir together in a large bowl

add:

3 c Rice Krispees

and stir together. Press on bottom of buttered 13x9 pan; freeze until firm (10 min or so)

spread:

1/2 gallon icecream

on top of crust

sprinkle with:

1 c chopped peanuts
Pat in to ice cream. Cover; freeze until firm (2 hours minimum).

Serve with:

caramel ice cream topping (we like to add chocolate too...just in case you don't get enough sugar with just the caramel)


the pretzel-rolo thingys from Liz

line cookie sheet with foil/waxed paper.

fill with single layer of pretzls topped with 1 rolo each

bake 350 for 5-10 min (or when chocolate gets shiny)

remove top with MnMs, pecans, walnuts, whatever creative thing you desire.

pipe with melted white chocolate/almond bark.

tres easy

Monday, January 9, 2012

2011 Reading List

The Magic Life: A Novel Philosophy by Ace Starry
The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
Uglies by Scott Westerfield
The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner
Chocolat by Joanne Harris
A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff
The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman
The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession by Allison Hoover Bartlett
Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10 by Marcus Luttrell
Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
Wishin and Hopin by Wally Lamb