A Week in Words and Pictures

Digby has developed yet another silly but cute habit: laying in our dresser drawers. He made a nice little bed for himself out of my sweatpants and I couldn't resist taking a shot of it. 

The one good thing about leaving work at 5:30 every night - I've been able to witness some really beautiful sunsets on my drive home. Unfortunately, I'm still not the best at photography while driving, but I'm working on it. Here are some of my latest attempts at capturing the gorgeous late winter sunsets while also operating a vehicle.

My seedlings have sprouted! I planted a bunch of herb and vegetable seeds just a few days ago and was overjoyed to see some signs of life. So I took out my camera and got to playing around a bit. I'm just worried that I may have planted a few too many mesclun green seeds in each container.

This weekend I finally had a chance to get back in the kitchen and make a decent meal for Mike and myself. After going to see The Company Men (which I highly recommend) on Saturday night, I made venison steak with balsamic roasted brussels sprouts, grapes, and red onion. Delicious and nutritious and colorful too!

I also stopped by Alisa Burke's blog and came across the following quote from Eleonora Duse:

If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy,

if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you,

 if the simple things have a message that you understand,

rejoice, for your soul is alive.

In addition to reminding me of all the pleasures of early spring, it makes me grateful that I am the type of person to find wonder in such things (and maybe it also explains why I'm moved to risk my life to take photos of the sunset while driving). I truly feel sorry for people who fail to take pleasure in all the offerings of nature with which we are constantly surrounded. There are so many sources of delightfully free beauty and joy at our fingertips, if only we take notice.

Hope everyone had a great week/weekend!

Monkey Bread

My older sister is a lover of monkey bread, a gooey cinnamon tear apart dessert dish. Being the generous and thoughtful sister that I am, I came across a boxed mix for the stuff some time ago and gave it to her as a gift for her birthday or Christmas - it's been so long I can't remember which. Though it expired in 2009, we gave the mix a shot at the end of 2010. Needless to say, it was pretty awful. We ate as many of the clumpy and doughy mixture masquerading as monkey bread as we could, but I'm pretty sure most of it ended up in the garbage.

So I thought I'd really go above and beyond for her birthday this year and make genuine, authentic, 100% homemade monkey bread. There's no work for her and no concerns whatsoever about expiration dates or a sub-par mix. What more could a birthday girl ask for?

I used the recipe provided by Pillsbury because none of the others I've come across can really top the original. Find it on Pillsbury's website here or just take a look below.

Monkey Bread

Original recipe from Pillsbury's Grand's Monkey Bread

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 16.3 oz cans of Pillsbury Grands buttermilk biscuits
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup melted margarine or butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 12-cup fluted tube pan with shortening or cooking spray.

2. In large plastic storage food bad, mix granulated sugar and cinnamon.
3. Separate dough into 16 biscuits - cut each into quarters. Shake biscuits in bag to coat with cinnamon sugar. Arrange them in the pan, adding walnuts and raisins among biscuit pieces if desired.
4. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar and butter and pour it over the biscuit pieces.
5. Bake 28 to 32 minutes. The monkey bread will be golden brown and no longer doughy in the center. 6. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn upside down onto a serving plate. Enjoy by pulling apart the warm biscuits!

Mountains Beyond Mountains

So I've finally gotten around to reading the amazing Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder as recommended by Sarah and I can't figure out why it took me so long to get to reading this! I guess sometimes I have to be in the mood for non-fiction but I don't think I ever could have fully prepared myself for this incredibly moving story of one man's mission to cure the world wherever he could.

Tracy Kidder's Mountains Beyond Mountains documents the unparalleled work performed by Dr. Paul Farmer in locales from Haiti to Russia in one compelling and absorbing volume. A leading expert in infectious disease, Farmer's contributions to the medical field go above and beyond mere contributions to science. For he has devoted his life to providing medical care to some of the most impoverished nations in the world, fighting tuberculosis worldwide, bringing life-saving modern medicine to individuals on the brink of death. Dr. Farmer's influence is nearly impossible to quantify - even Kidder's 300 page book could not possibly list all the lives Farmer has touched. From the individual patients the doctor runs into wherever he goes to his international fight for addressing global health issues, Farmer has truly done everything within his power to devote his life to saving those of others.

Kidder aptly explains early on that Farmer isn't out to educate the world - he wants to transform it. Though he aims to provide sustainable and culturally relevant medical aid whenever possible, Farmer's work is positively unrepeatable and absolutely impossibly to imagine without the doctor himself behind it all. He sometimes makes seemingly cost-ineffective decisions to aid people that others would disregard as lost causes. He provides expensive, essential care and worries about attaining the funds later.

The man travels tirelessly between his professorial post at Harvard, his medical center in Haiti, his wife and child in Paris, and the myriad other locations where he has medical projects, relations, conferences, speaking opportunities, and fund-raising initiatives. He makes house calls through rural Haiti, traveling hours by foot to reach the homes of single patients to ensure they are still alive and well. He confers with the United Nations' World Health Organization on fighting tuberculosis in the destitute communities where it still rages. Despite generous funding from Boston-area developer Tom White, it is primarily through Farmer's tireless devotion and footwork that Partners in Health, the organization under which Zanmi Lasante, Farmer's Haitian medical center, is housed, has flourished in such a relatively short period of time.

Mountains Beyond Mountains is profile the charismatic and endlessly energetic doctor's work, work ethic, and philosophy in a way that imparts Farmer's passion and urgency to readers. Harvard-educated, Dr. Farmer's background was in medical anthropology. When he first traveled to Haiti, Farmer's anthropological perspective allowed him to understand the Haitians' medical issues in ways that brought about more effective results than ever before. He spoke with the locals about their belief in Voodoo. Rather than disregarding a system of beliefs that he had yet to fully understand, Farmer attempted to reconcile the Haitian belief in Voodoo with their experience and understanding of disease - and medicine's ability to cure them. Farmer never fails to account for all the factors impacting individual, community, and national health - politics, social circumstances, economics, living conditions, family life.

 In the words of Farmer's favorite medical figure Rudolf Virchow "The physicians are the natural attorneys of the poor, and the social problems should be largely solved by them." Farmer carries out this aphorism to the extreme on a daily basis. He recognizes the role that the United States has played in the dismal poverty of Haiti, the national health impact of existing under a harsh military regime, the importance of a patient's religious beliefs in curing disease. No matter how far their needs may fall outside the medical realm, the doctor never fails to do anything within his power to help the poor of Haiti.

I could list all of Farmer's remarkable accomplishments or summarize his work at Zanmi Lasante, but I think that would be doing Kidder a disservice. The author does an excellent job of profiling Dr. Farmer's work in a compellingly readable and inspiring book. Though I could go on at great length about the doctor himself, I would never have learned and been inspired by his work if not for Mountains Beyond Mountains which tells Farmer's story, and all the relevant political and social history, so well.

So I'll leave you with a few insights and tidbits from Dr. Farmer (and trust me, there are plenty to take from this book). Kidder's Mountains Beyond Mountains will leave you galvanized and inspired, appreciative and amazed. This is certainly a book (and Farmer is certainly an individual) I will never be able to forget, and here are just a few of the reasons why.

"The fact that any sort of religious faith was so disdained at Harvard and so important to the poor - not just in Haiti but elsewhere, too - made me even more convinced that faith must be something good."

"She thought [Farmer] had never experienced true depression, a freedom so enviable she almost resented it. "I've never know despair and I don't think I ever will," he wrote [Kidder] once. It was as if in seeking out suffering in some of the world's most desperate locales, he made himself immune to the self-consumming varieties of psychic pain."

"[Farmer] said patients came first, prisoners second, and students third, but this didn't leave out much of humanity. Ever sick person seemed to be a potential patient of Farmer's and every healthy person a potential student."

Hot Cocoa with Peanut Butter Whipped Cream

I posted a recipe for Red Velvet Hot Cocoa with Cream Cheese Whipped Cream just before the holidays. Indulgent, rich, and absolutely delicious, I didn't think there was a better warm winter drink out there.

Then I got to thinking about one of my other favorite dessert flavor combinations - chocolate and peanut butter. And I was struck by a stroke of genius. How delicious it would be if I made peanut butter whipped cream to dollop onto good old-fashioned chocolate hot cocoa? Pretty much as soon as the idea was conceived, I rushed out to get all the necessary ingredients and got to experimenting.

The process is pretty similar to that of the Red Velvet version - just skip the food coloring and substitute warm peanut butter for cream cheese in the whipped cream. The recipe below will create about 4 cups of hot cocoa with plenty of whipped cream to spare. I suggest plopping a heavy scoop atop each cup to start, then refreshing your cocoa with more whipped cream as necessary.

If you're feeling particularly lazy, you could also use my Easiest Peanut Butter Cup Hot Chocolate recipe for the cocoa, then make a small batch of the Peanut Butter Whipped Cream to go on top!

This is really the perfect drink to get you through the cold winter months. Indulge on this sweet drink treat while the snow falls down outside and worry about working it off when the temperatures start to warm and the sun starts to shine on us a little bit longer each day!

Hot Cocoa with Peanut Butter Whipped Cream

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp peanut butter
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 4 cups whole milk (if you want to go a little bit healthier, 1 or 2% milk would work as well)
• Dash of water
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Place peanut butter in a microwave-safe dish and microwave on defrost for 20 second intervals until soft and slightly runny.

2. Beat heavy whipping cream, and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a bowl until just before peaks start to form, about 3 minutes.

3. Add the peanut butter and continue to beat until you've got peaks. Taste and add more sugar as needed, but be careful not to over-whip!

4. In a medium saucepan, warm the milk of over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, water, and the chocolate chips. Stir constantly.

5. Continue to stir over medium-high heat until the chocolate chips are fully melted. 

6. Remove from heat and serve in mugs with a dollop of whipped cream on top. Enjoy!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day! Despite whatever arguments people make about this holiday being a plot by the card companies or an over-commercialized date night, I like that love gets its own special holiday. As can be said for most holidays, the values that we associate with this one should be esteemed and upheld all year round, not just around the middle of February. But sometimes we all need a reminder.

Here are some romantic and lovely Valentines that I've made over the years. Much as I try to resist the commercialization of anything, I do like to indulge in some of the joy that comes hand in hand with certain holidays. Send a dear friend a sweet homemade Valentine. Make a decadent chocolate dessert for the 14th. At the very least, spend Valentine's Day with the one you love or your friends who are still looking for love.

This is an image I found on Tumblr that inspired a whole host of ideas for Valentine's Day cards and crafts. I love the use of the anatomical heart and the inclusion of the map detail. So sweet!

Have you made any Valentine's lately? How are you going to spend the big day? Mike and I picked our wedding rings out a few weekends ago but we're planning on making the big purchases tonight and having a nice quiet dinner at home. Hope your holiday is lovely and full of love!

Tidbits from my Week

I think I need to start naming my weekly round-up posts "What I Ate" because that's pretty much the primary focus each week: what I ate, baked, cooked, and sipped. Here goes another one!

My new favorite snack: peanut butter and blackberry preserves with sliced banana on a graham cracker!

Hibiscus Pina Colada tea makes studying just a little bit easier. 

Absolutely delicious Chocolate Cinnamon Banana Cake from GirliChef. Light and flavorful, this is one of the best
banana breads I've made in a while - and I love me some banana bread! You've got to try this recipe!

Sky blue sky against one of my favorite buildings in Baltimore. I've been trying to get a
good photo of it for some time now and snapped this from my car - not quite what
I envisioned but I'm getting closer.

Stewed cinnamon apples for breakfast. A great way to use up all those about-to-turn apples! 

I also really appreciated this guest post from Lynn over at Hearted Girl on Vintch. Her five things list is about life in general but she's got some great ideas to share. I particularly liked her thoughts on the trappings of comparison. A great post to visit for some motivation or a pick-me-up!

And finally, I've got a few musical tidbits to add to the mix. Though I'm not usually a bit fan of Brett Dennen, I love his new single "Sydney I'll Come Running." It's peppy and poppy and perfect for wishing away the cold winter days!



If you've seen Blue Valentine, you'll probably recognize "You and Me" from Penny & the Quarters. Though the relationship in the film isn't exactly ideal or even overly romantic, this 70's love song which is featured throughout is perfect background music to an intimate dinner for the upcoming holiday!

Barney's Version: The Movie

Mike and I finally got to see the long-awaited Barney's Version! I blogged about the book upon which the movie is based last month, though we've been waiting to see this movie since last November. Luckily, it fully met our high expectations and I am pleased to recommend it to anyone in search of a good movie!

Barney's Version is based upon Canadian Mordecai Richler's 1997 novel of the same name. Directed by Richard J. Lewis, the film has quite a winning cast with Paul Giamatti as Barney Panofsky, Dustin Hoffman portraying Barney's father Izzy, Minnie Driver, Rosamund Pike, Scott Speedman, and Bruce Greenwood among many talented others.

I'll try not to spend too much time recounting the story because the makers of the film pretty much stuck to the book on this one. We follow Barney Panofsky from his time as a 20 something bohemian living abroad through his three marriages to his death. During the later years of his life, Barney develops dementia and his personal version of his own life story becomes a bit cloudy. Though this makes for a really interesting perspective in the novel (the story is told in first person narrative during Barney's old age), it also made the book difficult to read at times. The story translated to film a bit better as we were able to follow and recognize Barney's debilitating mental condition without having to rely on him as our primary narrator.

Nonetheless, the movie tells the same story you'll find in the novel of a rather ordinary man who leads a pretty extraordinary life. Of a man who is accused of murdering his best friend, who falls hopelessly in love at his second wedding with a woman who is not his new bride, who you can't help but root for in spite of all his faults and errors.

We first are introduced to a more crotchety elderly Barney, then provided with his reminiscences of the past to help fill out the story. Though this sort of narrative technique can often feel forced and cheesy, it occurs quite naturally in Barney's Version with nearly seamless time shifts between the 1970s all the way up to the present.

Despite the large span of time covered by the film as well as the sheer number of major life events included, the story never feels rushed nor is the film itself too lengthy. A lot of people come and go into Barney's life and we are able to come to know each of them with enough intimacy to understand their personalities and their importance to Barney's story. But we rarely find ourselves as attached to any of these supporting characters as we are to Barney.

Though he spends his life making poor-quality soap operas, drinks too much, has a history of rather hurried marital decisions, and never makes any bones about his innumerable flaws, we're on Barney's side throughout the course of the entire movie. As they're so often driven by love, we forgive Barney his mistakes. Despite his often disheveled appearance and unhealthy lifestyle choices, we can't shake the tender attachment we have to the movie's flawed lead.

Much as I enjoyed the book, this is one of those rare cases where I think the film version has surpassed the written one. Now that I have seen the novel brought to life by some brilliant actors, I appreciate the essential story all the more. Though much of the life and heart that make this movie so remarkable must be attributed to the story itself, it is through the delivery of some truly inspired performances that this movie succeeds.

Keep in mind, this film covers a man's life from his 20s through his death at the age of 66. And we see everything, his joy and happiness, his discontent, his wide array of relationships, his downfall, his faults and weaknesses. Not any easy role to play but one that Giamatti pulls of with remarkable grace and true talent. Even beyond the lead actor, there were noteworthy performances delivered all around. Hoffman was great, as was to be expected, as Barney's father. Driver played Barney's insufferable spoiled second wife to the point where I was thoroughly annoyed and disgusted with her - just the reaction the story calls for. And Pike, as Barney's true love Miriam, was simply perfect.

Supported by a great story and elevated by award-worthy performances, Barney's Version provides an honest look at one man's life and what it all comes down to in the end. There is a bit of humor as well as a good dose of heart but the film never strays far from its very realistic perspective. Though the book isn't quite as laden with sentimental overtones, it works well for the movie. By the time you leave the theater you'll likely be holding back a few tears, or at the very least, you will find yourself feeling deeply moved by the whole experience of the film.

I wish I could be a bit more critical of the film but, after mulling it over for a day and discussing it with Mike on the long car ride home, I still cannot think of a single thing I would change or improve. I appreciate how well the film stuck to the story told in the novel, because I think that is the story that needed to be told - no variations were necessary. And it is because of such great performances that the story translated so well to film. A great plot-line accompanied by great acting - really what more could you ask for out of a movie?

Fabric Twist Tie Wreath

Lately I've been into wreaths. I never really cared for them much before - they were always the sort of project I lumped among crafts for grandmothers. But recently I've come across a whole new world of wreathing full of alternatives to the traditional adornment covered in fake flowers.

For a long time now I've been meaning to make this particular wreath. I originally saw it in the holiday issue of Gifted Magazine from Creature Comforts and fell in love with the final product. The tutorial in the magazine was actually for making fabric twist ties in all shapes and sizes for a variety of decorating elements. These could be twisted around strands of Christmas lights for a little more punch, used to spice up gift wrap, twisted round a wreath frame, and so much more. 

I couldn't find a useable image of the original wreath, but there are a few other similar projects to be found out there if you're not crazy about the look of this one. The other great thing about this project is how versatile it is. The template has leaf shapes, hearts and stars and, depending upon the color and style of fabric used, you could easily create wreaths for different holidays. Try red and pink hearts for Valentine's Day, red white and blue stars come July 4th, and neutrals in whatever shape you please for the months when no particular holiday-themed decorations are necessary.

Here's my how-to for the wreath. It is pretty straight forward and requires few materials and very basic crafting skills - just cutting, gluing, and twisting. You can also visit Gifted Magazine to see the original tutorial or search "fabric twist tie wreath" on Google for further ideas and inspiration. Happy wreathing!

Materials

• Quilting fabric (at least 1.5 yards, depending on size of wreath)
• Twist ties or floral design wire (I used probably 100 for my medium-sized wreath)
• Scissors
• Craft glue
• Wreath form (I used a traditional 3-circle wire wreath form and simply used pliers to remove a single circle - wire hangers also work if they are malleable enough to be shaped into a circle)
• Fabric twist tie template
• Sewing pins

Process

1. Cut out the desired template.

2. Using the sewing pin, pin template onto the fabric and cut out the shape. I found it efficient to fold the fabric over and over and then pin the template down in order to create 5 or 6 pieces at a time.

3. Begin to assemble the fabric twist ties. Choose two pieces of cut fabric and apply glue to the reverse side of one. Lay down the twist tie and then put the other piece of fabric, reverse-side down, on top to create a sandwich of sorts with the twist tie in the middle and the fabric pieces on top and bottom.

4. Continue to cut fabric pieces and assemble fabric twist ties until you have at least 70. 

5. Allow the fabric twist ties to dry at least 3 hours, though overnight is best.

6. Once dry, the fabric twist ties are ready to be twisted onto the wreath form. Simply twist the long skinny center of each fabric twist tie around the wreath form, allowing the shapes on the ends to show. Arrange the ends however you would like, continuing until there is no empty space left on the wreath. 

7. Hang for all your friends, family, and neighbors to see!

Martha's Valentine's Day Crafts

As some of my readers may already know, I'm a pretty big fan of Martha Stewart. The woman has made an empire out of crafting, decorating, cooking, and baking and she represents the epitome of quality and style in all of these pursuits.

My nearly fool-proof method of coming across new and seasonal decor ideas is to check out her website. Though I don't usually go all out for Valentine's Day, she does have a few simple and tasteful projects that are quick and easy ways to make your home feel a bit more lovely around the 14th. Here are a few of my favorites.

Melt crayons in between wax paper, then cut out heart shapes

 for a cool Crayon Heart Window Hanging. 

Gather some pink and red napkins for this Handmade Heart Doilies project.

Combine candy and flowers - two staples of this holiday - in one 

simple Candy and Tulip Bouquet. The best part, you can eat still eat the candy 

once the 14th has passed!

These Lacy Votive Holders are a bit more involved, but totally worth the 

effort. And they can be used as decorations the whole year through!

If you love to make Valentine's, I also recommend making a bunch to display like you would Christmas cards. There are so many unique ways to display cards - strung across doorways, tucked around a wreath form, hanging from railings, or simply standing on shelves - and if your Valentine's truly are a work of art, there's no need to hide them!

Spooner

Late last fall, Mike and I had a long running list of movies we were dying to see, among them 127 Hours, Barney's Version, The Company Men, and True Grit. Spooner was at the top of our cinematic to-see list but, unfortunately, no one seemed to want to support the film's release so it never made it to theaters.

I know, I know - that probably means a movie isn't really very good. Or maybe it means that it is quirky and delightful but too off-beat for a mainstream audience. In this case, I'm happy to say Spooner fell into the latter category.

First of all, this film's star is Matthew Lillard. I was pretty surprised to see him in a movie trailer, let alone one for an indie, Garden State-esque film. And he was also one of the film's producers. I have a sneaking suspicion that Spooner was a passion project of sorts for the actor and that this film is much more closely aligned with Lillard's real-life tastes than some of the work he's more well known for, like Scooby Doo or She's All That.

While the movie is a fairly typical boy meets girl, indie coming of age story, I found it's simplicity and unassuming nature to be particularly unique among the increasingly popular genre. Herman Spooner, portrayed by Lillard, is on the cusp of turning 30 and still lives at home with his parents. He's about to be evicted by the folks and hit the big 3-0 mark when he meets the girl of his dreams. Rose Conlin, portrayed by the lovely and adorable Nora Zehetner, is an ex-bartender on a mission to do something monumental with her life. Roses's plans to change her life involve flying to the Philippines to become a teacher. But en route to her parent's house for a going away party just days before her flight, Rose's car breaks down in Spooner's hometown. When Spooner offers some assistance, his good intentions override his social awkwardness as he tries to reign in this perfect girl.

It's not like this story hasn't been done before, complete with a soundtrack of yet-to-be-discoverd bands, artistic cinematography, and film festival recognitions to boot. But I find this film so unpretentious. The story is told very directly but also with extreme sweetness. Yes, you will find yourself questioning how someone like Spooner could possibly exist as he does, but you'll also find yourself completely won over by his naivete, his innocence. Heart-warming and genuine, this is a movie about love in its simplest form without ever trying to over-complicate the issue.

The little bits of humor peppered throughout don't hurt a bit either. I don't often find myself laughing aloud while watching movies or TV but there were a considerable number of times when I did so with this movie. From Spooner's social faux pas to his hilariously mismatched blind date with the drunken and promiscuous Linda, there is just as much to laugh about in this film as there is to warrant a little sigh of contentment.

The one problem with this movie is trying to get your hands on a copy. Mike serendipitously found it while browsing the new movies that were being offered On Demand and we paid a few bucks to watch it from the comfort of our own home. I'm pretty sure that it was never released in theaters and I don't know much about a DVD release. All I know is that those of you with access to Comcast Cable On Demand can spare a few dollars to indulge in this sweet romantic comedy. And if you don't fall into that category, I'll simply suggest keeping your eyes and ears open for any word of this one!

A Week in Words and Photos and a Video Too!

Valentine's sugar cookies made by my mother. Definitely gorged on these two nights in a row.

Maggie, the canine love of my life.

Hot Chocolate with Peanut Butter Whipped Cream. Full recipe coming soon!

The books I get to read for my awesome new grad class which I started this past week!

Enjoyed a delicious at-home Indian dinner! Naan with chicken & cauliflower tikka masala, courtesy of Williams Sonoma's Simmer Sauces.

I had a great week full of lots of delicious food (as you can tell from the photos), my first night of my new class, and great film!

Mike wrote and directed a film in 2009 and put the project on hold for a bit. This past week he got back into the final editing and distribution stages, so on Friday night we had some friends over to screen the final version of Pavement Tune. We also worked on the packaging which is going to be a simple DIY, punk-rock style paper and staple DVD case to go along with the aesthetic of the movie.

We also watched Spooner (a simple indie boy meets girl film, review coming soon) and Lovely, Still, a film about two elderly people who fall in love with a bit of a twist (I was actually really disappointed by this one and wouldn't recommend it). Mike and I finally found a nearby theater showing Barney's Version (so many good things to say about this one - review coming soon) and were pleased to find that the movie met our high expectations. All in all, a pretty good weekend.

I'd been feeling pretty uninspired in the music realm for a bit - nothing seemed to strike my fancy for very long. But I was looking at Paste Magazine's Ten January Albums Worth Checking Out and fell in love with the band Ponderosa. They've been likened to The Black Crowes which I think is a pretty apt comparison. Ponderosa is a good find for any Crowes fans as the latter band is currently on an indefinite hiatus and I thought I'd share a little taste of this as well.

Hope everyone had a great weekend! And if you've got any musical recommendations to share, please do!

World Nutella Day!

There's a special holiday day for the celebration of Nutella, the ooey gooey and delicious chocolate hazelnut spread! And it's today!

My little sister took this photo of a delicious Nutella treat during her travels in Germany and kindly
tagged me in the photo when posted on Facebook... she knows me so well!

To celebrate, I'd love to indulge in Nutella for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I probably won't, though, because I will either eat all of the Nutella I have before lunchtime rolls around or I will make myself sick off of it for eating too much at breakfast. Nonetheless, a Nutella stomachache is the best kind to have!

Happy Nutella Day! How do you plan to celebrate this decadent occasion?

Barbara Kingsolver's The Lacuna

Mrs. Kingsolver has done it again! I don't even know how to begin to describe this novel for it is so elaborately written and tells a vast story. I will admit, as often happens when reading Barbara Kingsolver's novels, I found it a bit laborious to get through the first 50 or so pages of The Lacuna. But once I read my way further into the stuff of the book, I was completely hooked.

The story begins in 1930s Mexico. A young Harrison Shepherd and his mother take up residence with an oil magnate living in Mexico whom the latter hopes to marry. Given the variety of circumstances that Harrison's mother finds repulsive and fearsome, she off-handedly tells her son to write down everything that happens to them in Mexico for posterity's sake. From then on out, Kingsolver provides us with Harrison's journals and correspondence to track his story.

Under the tutelage of Leandro, the resident cook in Shepherd's potential father-in-law's home, Harrison learns the basics of authentic Mexican cuisine. These skills he applies to plaster preparation when he encounters a formidable Diego Rivera, attempting to complete a two-story mural with sub-par assistance. Shepherd corrects the hired helps' hopeless ways, making quite an impression upon the famous painter. From there, Kingsolver draws a historic and remarkable life story for Shepherd. The boy works in the home of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, foments a unique relationship with the celebrated female painter, and inadvertently becomes immersed in international political conflicts when exiled Marxist and Bolshevik revolutionary Leon Trotsky takes up residence amongst Diego and Frida.

Though he considers himself rather apolitical, Harrison can't help but find himself in the midst of great political upheaval, especially once he settles in Asheville, North Carolina as an accomplished novelist, only to fall under suspicion of the House Committee on Un-American Activities. His true passions lie in Mexican history, as is evidenced by the content of his compelling and widely-read novels. But Harrison's life story is such that his stenographer, Mrs. Brown, finds it impossible for the novelist to avoid writing a memoir - especially given his extensive collection of personal journals which would make such a task immensely less daunting.

The Lacuna is by no means an easy read and I imagine that, were I to revisit this book in a month or two, I would find thousands of new things to take away from it. Part of the reason I find this novel so compelling is the mere density and complexity of it - the way in which history is so seamlessly woven throughout, how Harrison's past experiences in place and time craftily dovetail with the present moment, the grand beauty of the language that only further heighten Kingsolver's storytelling.

And a great part of it's charm is the mystery inherit in the story. As Shepherd repeatedly says "The most important part of a story is the piece of it you don't know." Kingsolver proves this to be true by offering only the subtlest of hints at certain important pieces of the grand puzzle of Shepherd's life. She omits a select few of Harrison's journals and purposefully conceals periods in his life that prove consequential in his future - all in a captivating effort to demonstrate Harrison's point that the omissions are often the most crucial points of a story.

Complete with historical, social, and political commentary, The Lacuna is undoubtedly one of the most well-crafted and gripping books I've picked up in a while. If nothing else, readers can appreciate this novel for the sheer talent required to create something at turns so challenging, entertaining, engaging, and astonishing. This is definitely another one to add to Kingsolver's ever-growing list of accomplishments!

And here are a few tidbits from the novel to give you a little taste of what you can expect from this one.

"Does a man become a revolutionary out of the belief he's entitled to joy rather than submission?"

"This household is like a pocketful of coins that jingled together for a time, but now have been slapped on a counter to pay a price. The pocket empties out, the coins venture back into infinite circulations of currency, separate, invisible, and untraceable. That particular handful of coins had no special meaning together, it seems, except to pay a particular price. It might remain real, if someone had written everything in a notebook."

"You are a writer, employed by the American imagination."

"You've never seen anything as dramatic as these American trees, dying their thousand deaths. The giant beech next door intends to shiver off every hair of its pelt. The world strips and goes naked, the full year of arboreal effort piling on the sidewalks in flat, damp strata. The earth smells of smoke and rainstorms, calling everything to come back, like down, submit to a quiet, moldy return to the cradle of origins. This is how we celebrate the Day of the Dead in America: by turning up our collars against the scent of earthworms calling us home."

Guest Post on BarelyMeasured

Just a quick little post to share some exciting news! Today I have a guest post spot over at BarelyMeasured.

Heather is hoping to have a new guest blogger once every month for the rest of the year and she still has some open spots! If you're interested, you can gather all the necessary information here.

To check out January's awesome guest post from Michelle at Stories at My Fingertips, click here.

And my DIY Wine Cork Memo Board tutorial is up today! Please stop by to check it out or to just say hello to the talented and lovely Heather!

Thanks for reading! I hope everyone's week is going swimmingly!

Easiest Peanut Butter Cup Hot Chocolate

So I was in the mood for something warm and chocolatey the other night but had few of the necessary baking supplies on hand to whip up a batch of brownies. Then I thought about making hot cocoa but didn't have any chocolate chips in the pantry and I knew the powdered stuff would not suffice. As I inventoried my measly baking staples, I realized that I was well stocked on mini Reese's peanut butter cups. Maybe I didn't have chocolate chips in their more traditional form, but I had a source of chocolate at my fingertips.

This is really the easiest possible hot cocoa ever. All you need is milk, some Reese's cups, a mug, and a microwave. I guess a spoon doesn't hurt either, but it's not a necessity.

Plop a few of the peanut butter chocolate candies in the bottom of a mug (I used four). Add milk (I used about half a cup). Microwave on high for 30 second intervals (to prevent the milk from curdling!) until chocolate melts, resulting in peanut butter-flavored hot cocoa (this is where stirring helps but is not required).

I was too anxious to let the peanut butter centers fully dissolve into the milk, but they were a delicious half-melted treat when I picked them out by spoon. This recipe couldn't be any simpler or more delicious! I can't believe I never thought of this one before! I guess Reese's cups don't usually last very long in my house, but I recently made an unwise decision and purchased a nice large bulk package of these guys. At least now I know how to indulge on them in liquid form!