My Two Cents

This last week, we had an interesting discussion at book club.

A very brief discussion because as it turns out our book club has a form of ADD where we can't seem to stay focused on any one topic for any length of time.  We're a little like putting a bunch of energizer bunnies in a room and given free roam. 

(No, this doesn't make for a very effective book club discussion).

Anyways...

The book we were discussing was "Hunger Games".  It was the general consensus that the book is very graphic and perhaps not suited for 12 year olds.  So someone posed the question "would you let your kid read this?"

Which then prompted a (very brief) discussion on book censorship.  And it was interesting because I really haven't thought a lot about it.  I didn't grow up in a home where my reading materials were censored.  I remember one incident where I had taken a Fannie Flagg (of Fried Green Tomatoes fame, though this was AFTER I had read that book) book to my sixth grade class to read during some readathon and the teacher CALLED my mom.  Asked her if she knew that I was (big gasp) reading Fannie Flagg. 

I think my mom said yes.  It was never really talked about.  I would just rifle through the book closet and find a book that looked good and read it.  I read Fried Green Tomatoes and didn't even know what the whole story was about until  I saw the movie years later and then I was like "Oh...". 

So, when the question came up, I immediately said "no, I don't plan on censoring my children's reading material."

Big gasp.

Now to clear up some things:  I don't read smut.  There are no bodice-ripper novels in my home.  Maybe I would feel differently if that was my reading genre.  But it's not.  So I'm not worried about my 11 year old girl reading about very inaccurate protrayals of that. (Remember, google ads.  I'm just trying to save you from having to see some unsavory ads.  It's not that I'm afraid of saying the word.)

There was someone who was also on my side.  Albeit, she has no kids.  But she did make the same argument I would.  Which is:

I would hope that my kids and I had a close enough relationship that they could read something and then feel like they could come and discuss anything with me.  And I want to expose my children to the real world.  And I want to foster a desire for reading in my children and I think that by censoring their reading choices it could end up extinguishing their lights. 

So there you have it.  My two cents.

Book Review Sunday

Book: Justin Case: School, Drool, and Other Daily Disasters
Pages: 256
Author: Rachel Vail

Okay, for starters, I don't generally like it when authors try to write a first person narrative about the other sex.  For example, if you, the author, are female and you attempt a book from the viewpoint of a third grade boy.  I just don't think you get the whole picture.  No matter how many questions you ask to a 10 year old boy, you are just missing part of the equation.

With that being said, for what it was Justin Case turned out to be a pretty good book.  It wasn't technical reading by any means.  It's probably geared for a 10 year old boy to read, considering it's written about one.  But, I read it anyways.

And I'm not going to apologize either.

So the book chronicles a day-by-day existence of Justin through his third grade year.  The boy is neurotic.  If David Sedaris (one of my most favorite authors, but please don't blame me for any content if you choose to read him.) were to publish his diaries from his third grade year, this would probably be it.  The boy has some issues.  But, amid those issues, you get the sense that we are all still struggling with variations of the same things--do they like me?  Why does the teacher (boss) want to see me after school (work)?  What am I doing here?  Why won't the bullies leave me alone? You get the drift.  As it turns out, we're all still stuck in some limbo between third grade and the rest of our lives.

If I were of the persuasion to censor the books my children read (or will read, given that they aren't exactly reading novels at this point), this book would make the cut.  It had great illustrations that were funny and the issues that Justin grapples with like bullying and parents and girls are all things that will eventually creep into my own children's lives and reading about someone else tackling the same situations will hopefully make it more bearable.

But I'm not of the book censoring persuasion (a post for another day), so hopefully, my children will find, if not this book, then another book that will help them out.  I guess I could suggest it though...

Thankful Thursday #4

Man, there's so much to be thankful for today.  What do I choose? 

I'm going to go with the ability to run.  I thought I'd be ready to talk about the half marathon I ran on Saturday, but it turns out I'm not.  So, it won't be about that.

But, today, I'm grateful for the ability to get up, get dressed, and to go outside and crank out 3, 5, 8, 13 miles.  On my own two feet.  Before half the world is even awake.
     
And, there have been times that I have seriously regretted not getting out.  But I can't think of a single time where I regretted going out.  Even in the pouring rain, or the snow, or the temperatures hovering at zero.  Not every run is fun.  And not every run is a good effort.  But when I get home, I'm always glad I did it.

So to all those who keep telling me "I could never run in winter", well, you can.  And you might even thank yourself for it.

What's For Dinner Wednesday--Southern Oven "Fried" Chicken

Yeah, I'm a little behind this week.  No book.  No pictures.  I read a book.  I took pictures.  But, I'm just being lazy.  Probably something having to do with running my 5th (!) half marathon in a year on Saturday down in sunny St. George.  (The first time in the four years I've run this race that it's actually been WARM!!!) I'd give you all the details, but I'm not sure I'm ready to talk about it yet.  Maybe by Friday.  Meanwhile, I did cook up a new recipe though, so I must be feeling a little better about things...

This recipe comes courtesy of the Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook I picked up last year.

1/2 C fat-free buttermilk (I couldn't find fat-free, so I used low fat)
1/2 C cornflakes, crushed
3 T flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 pounds chicken parts (Is there anything less appetizing then the phrase "chicken parts"?  Besides, what do chicken parts even look like?  And how do you ask for "chicken parts" at the butcher's counter without sounding like a moron? I just went with chicken breasts).
4 tsp canola oil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees; spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.  (Spray liberally, or all your coating will stick.  Learned that the hard way.)
2. Pour the buttermilk into a large, shallow bowl.  On a sheet of wax paper (or, you know, another large bowl) combine the cornflake crumbs, flour, salt, and pepper.  Dip the chicken in the buttermilk, then dredge in the cornflake mixture, coating completely.  Place the chicken on the baking sheet and drizzle with the oil.  Bake 30 minutes then turn the chicken over.  Bake 15-20 minutes longer or until cooked through.

Seems simple enough, right?  And it was.  Also very tasty, though it was a little dry.  I think I overcooked it because there was an incident involving J. and a toy and the chicken ended up staying in the oven about 7 minutes too long.

I served my chicken parts with green beans, oranges and rice.  Though, A. and Wade wouldn't eat the green beans. Wade didn't eat the oranges, and J. ate nothing, save for a few kernels of rice, at all.  So really, I'm the only one who had a well-balanced meal.

Nutrition
Cal: 229 (for two chicken parts.  I'm not sure what this translates into for a chicken breast, since I have no idea what chicken parts are, but let's say for simplicity sake that one chicken breast = two chicken parts)
Fat: 10 g
  Sat Fat: 2 g
Chol: 64 mg
Sod: 295 mg
Carb: 11 g
Pro: 23 g

Thankful Thursday #3

Man, this girl makes me laugh.  She's such a...girl.  And her personality cup runneth over.  Almost every night I lay down and shake my head and say to Wade, "That girl..."  I don't know that there's been a day in the last year where she hasn't made me laugh at something she's done or said.

A. is a full blown two year old, that's for sure.  But, where J. was difficult and adament about not doing what I wanted him to do, A. is just curious.  And she knows what she wants for sure.  If you're not fast enough, she'll do it herself.  Or at least try.  With varying success.  It's funny how two kids from the same family can be so different.

And look at that red hair.  Every time we're out in public someone makes a comment.  It's gorgeous, but it comes with a price.  Namely the "red-head" temper price.  Though she hasn't thrown a lot of tantrums in public, she does have a fierce temper.  And she does not like it when you mock her. She's a stubborn little girl who isn't afraid to let you know if you're doing something wrong.  It will be really nice when she has the words to adequately explain exactly WHAT I'm doing wrong.

J. was never really free with his kisses and hugs, but A. sure is.  She loves to give hugs and kisses and she's a definite daddy's girl.  It makes me a little sad that she wails when he leaves, but only says "bye-bye" when I leave.  :(  I know that every girl loves their daddy the best, so it should be no shocker, but still...

She's sneaky and she's cunning, but man, I love her to pieces.  Today I'm thankful for my little monkey and the joy she brings into my life. 

What's For Dinner Wednesday--Everyday Cinnamon Rolls

I know, I know.  I'm getting lazy.  But...we actually ate these for dinner (with waffles) and so there you have it.  This is a recipe courtesy of the cookbook my mother-in-law gave me for Christmas, "The America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook".

Filling
1/3 C packed dark brown sugar (I only had light brown sugar)
1/3 C granulated sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp salt

Dough
1 1/2 C All-purpose flour
3/4 C Whole-wheat flour (sneaky, sneaky)
2 T granulated sugar
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 C buttermilk
5 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Glaze
3/4 C confectioner's sugar
1 ounce light cream cheese, softened
1 T buttermilk

1.  Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Spray an 8 x 8 pan with PAM.

2.  Mix all the ingredients for the filling together in a small bowl and set aside.

3.  For the dough, whisk the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk and 4 T of the melted butter together.  Stir the buttermilk mixture into the the flour mixture until the dough comes together but looks shaggy(??), about 30 seconds.  Transfer the dough to a lightly floured counter and knead until just smooth and no longer shaggy, 8 to 10 times.

4. Pat the dough into a 12 by 9 inch rectangle with the long side facing you.  Brush the dough with the remaining tablespoon of melted butter, then sprinkle on the filling, leaving a 1/2 inch border along the top edge.  Press on the filling to adhere it to the dough.

5.  Loosen the dough from the counter using  a scraper or a metal spatula and roll it into a tight log.  Pinch the seam closed and roll the log seam-side down.  Pat the ends to even them, then, using a serrated knife, slice the log evenly into 9 rolls.  Slightly flatten each roll with your palm, then arrange,, cut-side down, in the 8 x 8 pan.

6.  Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 12 minutes.  Remove the foil and continue to bake until the edges of the rolls are golden brown, 12 to 18 minutes longer.  Remove rolls from pan and let cool for 5 minutes.

7.  Whisk all the ingredients for glaze together in a bowl until smooth.  Drizzle rolls with glaze and serve.

SO easy!  And SO good.  Even if I royally screwed everything up because I was admiring my buttermilk making skills (from the butter last week).  I thought the recipe said to mix everything together for the dough, so I just dumped everything in instead of separating the buttermilk and butter.  And then I thought it said that I needed to knead the dough for 8-10 minutes, and about 4 minutes  into that process I realized my error.  HOWEVER, it all turned out.  YAY.

Nutritional Information per roll
cal: 290
Fat: 7 g
Sat Fat: 5 g
Chol: 20 mg
Carb: 52 g
Protein: 5 g
Fiber: 2 g
Sodium: 370 mg

Picture Perfect Tuesday #2

My Camera



Josh's Camera

His batteries died and it's too much work to get new ones in there right now, so you'll have to wait to see what's on there next week.