Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

Seriously.  Every time I look at my Goodreads account, it reminds me that I’m 2 books behind schedule in my 2017 reading challenge.  Come on!  I have four kids, it’s almost the end of the school year, and The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend is almost 400 pages!  (I’m loving it, but still.  That review’s going to be a while.)  Today, however, I at least finished my treadmill book, and I have to say–it cracked me up.  My friend Britt loves Lisa Shearin’s Raine Benares series; it’s less my thing, and so I’ve taken longer to get thoroughly into it, but The Trouble With Demons (Book 3) pretty much kept me riveted.  The action develops quickly and really never stops, the quips and witty rejoinders made me laugh out loud more than once, and Raine is an entertaining character to follow through a story. To be fair, there are flaws; Shearin’s character descriptions can be a bit repetitive, and the “all men adore and are fascinated by Raine except for the ones trying to kill her” gets a bit old (technically, some of the men trying to kill her are still fascinated by her), but it’s such a romp of a book that I really didn’t care.  So what if the plot–in the most general sense–is fairly predictable by the third book in the series?  “House” was quite a bit more predictable, and it ran for 8 seasons on the strength of its mysterious medical conditions and Hugh Laurie’s ability to be both sarcastic and outrageous in a fake accent.  If you want action, a strong female lead, and books chock full of wise-cracking characters, this series is for you.  Start with Magic Lost, Trouble Found–and enjoy!

Have I mentioned that I love waffles?  Because I really, really do.  The taste, the texture, the flavor-collecting pockets–the perfect combination.  What’s not to love?  And since I have strawberries to spare in my fridge at the moment, I cut up a couple of pounds, set them to macerating, and tried this recipe for Family Favorite Oatmeal Waffles for the first time.

They were tasty.

The chewiness of the oatmeal, the buttery goodness of the Belgian waffle, and the hints of sweetness and spice were all topped off with generous quantities of sugared strawberries and vanilla yogurt (but only because I had no whipped or whipping cream OR whipped topping).  It was a beautiful thing.  I’ll have to 1-and-a-half the recipe to feed all six of us–my hubby wasn’t home–but I can live with that, because WAFFLES.

You should try these.  Just remember to pick up some whipping cream beforehand!

I am officially back from BYU Women’s Conference–as in, back home, back into everyday life, and (finally) back on here!  (That was supposed to happen on Sunday, but…oops.)  I had an exceptionally wonderful time this year, and I have to thank the people who made it possible–my amazing parents who stayed at my house and helped tend my kiddos, my generous introverted hubby who had far more time with people than usual, and my mother- and sister-in-law who are a delight to stay with, play with, and be with.  I am blessed.

Speaking of being a delight, by the way,  you really ought to read Hippopotamister.  It’s a junior graphic novel, and it’s a delightful read.  Since the zoo is rundown and lacking in visitors, Hippo’s friend Red Panda helps him get a job in the outside world.  When the first day doesn’t go quite as planned, they get another job…and another job…and another; ultimately, both animals find work that fits them well.   The illustrations are fabulous (my personal favorite might be the friends’ stint as hair stylists) and the story appealing–don’t miss this one!

I get to spend the next couple of days with my fabulous mother- and sister-in-law, so I’ll see you Sunday, y’all!  (And a shout-out to my absolutely marvelous mother, who is making it possible by helping out with my kiddos.  I am blessed.)

Although my older girls and I all enjoyed Julie Sternberg’s Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie, it didn’t have a lot that I felt my kiddos could personally relate to. Eleanor is an only child living in an apartment building in Brooklyn; my girls are the older two of four children, and we live in a house in a suburb of Salt Lake City.  Eleanor is losing her daily babysitter, as both her parents work outside the home; I’m a stay-at-home mom who tends to leave my kiddos with family or friends when the need arises.  The book was still a pleasure, but I didn’t actually see any of us in it.

Not so with its immediate sequel, my friends.  In Like Bug Juice on a Burger, Eleanor heads off to summer camp for the first time–and proceeds to do a stellar imitation of my seven-year-old.  She’s homesick for her parents and misses the way they do things; she limits herself to the foods she recognizes and likes, which aren’t exactly legion; she’s not a strong swimmer and ends up in a lower class than any of her cabin mates; need I go on?  It was eerie.  I am, however, thrilled to be able to pass it on to my only timid girlie.  Learning from others’ experiences can only make our lives easier, right?  I can only hope that reading about Eleanor’s struggles to cope and adjust will be enlightening for my daughter.

Note:  Bug Juice has a real ending, not a storybook one, which only makes it more perfect.

I was all set to review the book I finished last night–I really was!–and then the day devoured me.  We have made headway on our home improvement project–and I’m poopered.  Until Monday!

My incredible mother is (officially) a year older today, and words alone cannot express how grateful I am to have her.  She serves her family tirelessly, she is a constant example to me of dedication and love, she is amazing with my children–and she is every bit as obsessed with lemons as I am.

Happy Birthday, Mom.  The longer I live, the more I love and appreciate you.

Whoops–this was supposed to happen last night, wasn’t it.  Ah, well.  We spent last night moving a couch, a love seat, and a piano into our dining room…various other items and pieces of furniture into the littles’ bedroom (they’re having a two night sleepover at Grandma’s house!)…and unclogging our vacuum.  AND cleaning up the small mountain of shattered glass that was once the door to the upper cupboard of our old entertainment center.

Sigh.

BUT, on the other hand, we get new carpet today!  And I get to post this recipe for Balsamic Roast Beef, which I tried a week or two ago.  (Believe it or not, I followed the recipe completely, unless you count being really skimpy on the red pepper flakes because we’re wimps.)  It afforded us two dinners with a little left over; the first dinner just as pieces of roast, which were fine.  The second dinner, however, involved putting the meat on rolls with some good Provolone and sliced tomatoes, and that dinner, my friends, was AMAZING.  Dip them in the juices if you’ve got enough, and it’s a party in your mouth.  I’ll bypass the first meal next time and just do the sandwiches–and freeze the rest so we can do it all over again!

I’m going to blame my new tile and my soon-to-come carpet for the fact that I completely spaced my last post.  Sorry!  To make up for it, I’m sharing the dessert I made for my hubby’s birthday celebration with his side of the family, this Death by Chocolate Icebox Cake.  If you like intense chocolate-y richness in a refrigerated form, folks, this cake is for you.  My hubby and several of my friends really liked it; one of my sisters-in-law, however, said it was a bit too much for her.  Initially, it was a bit too much for me as well, but it made a lovely small treat to consume in a leisurely fashion when I wasn’t already full from a big Sunday dinner.  The best part was that it wasn’t nearly as hard as it looked at first glance.  There were several layers, but they were all relatively simple to make.  My hubby did the actual layering, and then hey presto! into the fridge it went to sit overnight.  (While the recipe doesn’t actually tell you how long it ought to be refrigerated before serving, the comments clarify that overnight is best.)  I may venture further into the world of icebox cakes this summer; in the meantime, if this tempts you, try it.  This is a dessert that fully lives up to its name.

I have mixed feelings about Sue Macy’s Wheels of Change:  How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom (With a Few Flat Tires Along the Way).  On the one hand, it was chock full of fascinating information, a significant portion of it visual.  There are pictures, advertisements, magazine covers, newspaper articles, and statistics, among other things; in addition, the text has its own impressive allotment of fascinating information that was previously unknown to me.  Wheels of Change is well researched and well worth your time.

I did, however, struggle at times with the sheer quantity of information on any given two page spread.  When, in the course of reading the text, was I meant to study the visuals and read their captions and descriptions?  I didn’t want to miss out on any of what was offered, and yet managing my informational input felt taxing.  I’m tempted to say that ‘you have to know what material to use and what to trim,’ and yet–part of the charm of the book was the total immersion into the time and culture of the topic.  I don’t know that I would choose to sacrifice any of what Macy included; I might have preferred a center inset with the visuals grouped together, but other readers might feel quite differently.  Ultimately, it’s worth the read either way.  Just be warned–brief though it may be, Wheels of Change most definitely wants a leisurely perusal to be fully appreciated.