Gearing up for a blogging challenge

I am gearing up for the A to Z blog challenge, which starts on Sunday April 1st.  I have my 26 topics chosen, including topics from all my favorite things: reading, eating, weeding and creating.  It will be a mix of books/authors, recipes, flowers/plants and creative pursuits.  I hope you will check back frequently during my month of near-daily posts.  That will be the biggest challenge for me - posting so frequently!

Since last post, I have been reading like a fiend, scrapbooking for an entire long weekend, cooking very little and watching flowers sprout and trees and shrubs bud and blossom.  A beautiful early spring has already begun here in the northern state of MN.

Reading: I read 5 books this month.  The first 3 I already wrote about.  Then I re-read a childhood favorite, a book that I believe is probably long out of print.  My copy of The Doll of Lilac Valley by Cora Cheney is a discard from my elementary school library and was printed in the early 60's.  It has that great old book smell.  It was written in the '50s and is about a young girl who goes to spend the summer with a couple in Vermont who she doesn't know, so that her single mother has time to finish college.  Laurie sets off on a bus accompanied my her treasured doll Kathleen who has outfits made to match Laurie's. Kathleen is accidentally left behind in a bus station, and greatly missed, though when Laurie buys what she thinks is bundle of rags at the estate sale of a doll collector, she gets much more than she expected!  This is still a charming book of a simpler time when children played with dolls that didn't "do" anything.  I loved it now as much as I did 30+ years ago.

And in the "Now, for something completely different" category: What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day by Pearl Cleage was a book I expected to be just like every other Oprah book, but turned out to be enjoyable read.  I am not fan of Oprah, or many of her book club picks, so I started this one with skepticism.  The story centers on Ava, a black woman who has discovered she is HIV positive and moves back with her sister in a small town in Michigan for what she anticipates being a short time.  I expected hardship (Oprah seems to thrive on books about people suffering) and there was indeed difficult times for Ava.  The small town was no longer the sleepy (boring) place she had escaped from when she was younger.  It was no longer sheltered from the problems of the bigger cities.  But with her strong sister and an old friend by her side, she discovers love, peace and happiness.  Likable characters, good writing, overall good book.  My only complaint is the ending wrapped up too quickly. 

Creating: I went on my annual scrapbooking retreat, and worked for 2 and a half days on my Hawaii album. I completed 25 pages in that time, some of them simple, some more elaborate.  It is so nice to have focused time for scrapping with friends!  I need to take some pictures of some of the cooler layouts so you can see them...  I really need more pictures in general.  I am planning more of that during the challenge.

That's all for now.  Be sure to check back regularly starting on Sunday to see what the alphabet brings and to keep me on task! 
Until then, keep reading and eating!
Hallie

Reading: I am not reading anything new/different so I will write about some books I have read in the past that stuck with me. Gap Creek was an Oprah book but don't hold that against it. It takes place at the turn of the last century (weird to have to specifiy which century was turning) in Appalachia and is the story of Julie's first year of marriage. The descriptions of Julie's daily life in the hills and all the work she has are very vivid. I found myself tired just reading about slaughtering pigs and chopping wood and hauling and cooking and... You get the picture. I was also talking like I was from the hills when I got done. "There is snakes dancing! I ain't seen no snakes dancing." Anyway, I liked the book a lot and thought it well written.

Eating: A couple of quick summer recipes from Pampered Chef! I will leave out the references to which PC tools you should be using. Perfect for lunch after a trip to the Farmer's Market for fresh produce: Strawberry Spinach Salad The dressing: 2 T. lemon juice, 2 T. white wine vinegar (or whatever kind of vinegar you have), 1/3 C. sugar, 1 T. vegetable oil, 1 t. poppy seeds. Whisk all together, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. The salad: 1/4 C. toasted sliced almonds, 8 oz. strawberries, hulled and quartered, 1/2 of a cucumber, sliced and cut in half, 1/4 small red onion (I don't add this because I don't like raw onion in this salad), 6oz baby spinach (or shredded regular spinach). Combine all salad ingredients (except almonds) in a large bowl. Whisk dressing and pour over. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with almonds and serve immediately. Very tasty and refreshing.

Picnic Sausage and Potato Kebabs 3/4 pound petite new (red) potatoes, cut in half. Cook in microwave with 1/4 C. water for 5-7 minutes, until fork-tender. Drizzle with 1 t. olive oil. Add 1 clove garlic, pressed, 3/4 t. dried dill weed, salt and pepper (actually add the salt to the water when cooking potatoes) and gently stir together. Cut 6 large green onions into 2" pieces. Cut 1lb of bratwurst or Polish sausage into 1" pieces. Using six 12" skewers, alternately thread bratwurst, potatoes, onions and cherry tomatoes. Grill uncovered 6-8 minutes until brats are browned, turning frequently. Can be served with a mustard sauce made with 1/4 C. mayo and 2 T stone-ground mustard. I don't like mustard so I have never made the sauce. This is an easy grill recipe but nice enough to serve guests.

And for dessert, Candy Bar Parfaits. Coarsely chop 1 (1.55 oz) chocolate candy bar, 1 C. mini pretzels, 1/4 C. peanuts and mix together (freeze the candy bar for 5 minutes for easier chopping). Whisk together 1/3 C. chocolate syrup and 2 T. peanut butter. Place 1 scoop vanilla ice cream in each of 4 parfait dishes. Top each with one fourth of the candy bar/pretzel/peanut mixture and then another scoop of ice cream. Drizzle with chocolate/peanut butter sauce and sprinkle with additional pretzels and peanuts. This is SO GOOD! And I do have to say it is perfect for PMS cravings. I keep a sealed dish of the crunchy topping and one of the sauce on hand to have these whenever I need one.

Gardening: The cosmos are blooming their heads off. The coreopsis is growing like a weed. Speaking of weeds, that is what I will be doing this weekend.