Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child

I have just recently discovered this wonderful, classic cookbook. Okay, it wasn't until I saw the Movie Julie and Julia that I even thought about checking this cookbook out. I wasn't even too thrilled to see the movie, but their aren't that many choices when looking for a movie for Family Movie Night. After seeing the movie, I was inspired to try the cookbook. I checked it out of the Library first and read all the introduction parts. I was hooked! I dashed out to Target and found a hardcover for 30% off. I have so far made a Gratin and am now smelling the wonderful smells of Braised Sauerkraut with salt marinated pork roast. I can't wait to try it. I am not going to try every recipe, but their are lots I am going to try. I love to cook, but am by no means a gourmet. Plus I tend to be a bit picky, so I passed this up for years. I have discovered that this book teaches you how to cook just good food--stuff for company or Sunday dinner.

Update: The Braised Sauerkraut was very good! It took a good part of the day since it had to cook for 5 hours, but it was so worth it. It is so fun to be able to cook food as good as you get in a restaurant yourself, (and in some cases even better than restaurant food). I haven't had time to try anything else, but I hope to soon.

Half The Sky, Turning Oppression into Opportunity For Women Worldwide

April 18, 2010 I finished Half The Sky, Turning Oppression Into Opportunity For Women Worldwide by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. This is one of those books when you first look at it you think it will be a boring, preachy, book trying to depress you about the world's problems. I wouldn't have picked it up except my sister gave it to me. I COULDN'T HAVE BEEN MORE WRONG. This book is well written, combining facts with research and real women's stories. It opened my eyes to the complex problems of women forced into prostitution, of rape, maternal mortality, of women with Fistulas, and of genital cutting. The book's authors have traveled extensively and talked with the mostly rural, uneducated women and their problems. A great section in the end lists ways to get involved and web sites to look at. I definately recommend this book to anyone who has read Three Cups of Tea.

Walden by Henry David Thoreau--I finally finished this after two years on March 31, 2010. I would read for a while and then put it down for months. I'm glad I finally finished it, but there were lots of passages that were sooo boring! Things like the color of the pond, the depth of the pond, the appearance of ice bubbles in the pond and on and on and on. I did like his ideas of living simply with what you have and appreciating the nature that is around us.



Our Boys, A Perfect Season on the Plains with the Smith Center Redmen by Joe Drape--I finished it April 6, 2010. This was a great, feel good book. Anyone who likes football and/or has children that are in sports should read this. I loved reading about life in rural Kansas. The story is about how a small rural town's high school football team managed to have the nation's longest high school winning streak. I got it for my husband who wasn't interested then started reading it myself and couldn't put it down. I talked about it so much my husband might as well of read it.