Archive | February, 2012

not your average book club

February 9, 2012 at 2:51 pm

Update: As of yesterday, Read the Change book club has an even better website! Check it out here. Snazzy bio of yours truly coming soon under the Board tab.

Yesterday as I was editing my blog tabs, I set up one devoted to my love of reading and my 2012 Book Goal (to read a book a week). Inspired by this love of books, I also wanted to share with you another book-ish thing going on in my life.

And that is: the Read the Change book club.

Some of you remember how much we hung out with our friends Lewis and Bekah this fall in San Antonio. Bekah has gone on to do something wonderful with a group of her close friends. She’s started a book club for people who not only like to read, but want their reading do some good in the world, to make a change for the better.

The book club is open to anyone… and that means you! Members have to be willing to pledge $20 upfront. Every two months, one member selects a book for the whole group to read. That member also selects a charity organization that is in some way related to the book. At the end of the year, all the members will vote on their favorite book/charity, and the collected money will go towards that charity. This month we’re all reading Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver and the selected charity is the Nature Conservacy.

Are you interested in joining our ranks? We’d love to have you! Visit the Read the Change website and email my friend Bekah (bekah@readthechange.org) to get started!

0 :: in good reads, Texas

not your average book club

February 9, 2012 at 1:51 pm

Update: As of yesterday, Read the Change book club has an even better website! Check it out here. Snazzy bio of yours truly coming soon under the Board tab.

And that is: the Read the Change book club.

Are you interested in joining our ranks? We’d love to have you! Visit the Read the Change website and email my friend Bekah (bekah@readthechange.org) to get started!

0 :: in good reads, Texas

the dress her mama made her

February 8, 2012 at 12:52 pm

When Lena was just a twinkle in my eye, my mom and I sewed little dress for her. The pattern was Laura Ashley, one of our old favorites. My mom spotted a darling print a la Liberty of London and I bought a couple of yards of it the next day, matching it with a sweet eyelet lace and pearly buttons.

And then the sewing commenced. I cannot promise you that it was easy for me, or that we worked very quickly, or that the dress was completed by the time Lena was born. No, in fact none of those things were true! We actually finished sewing the dress when Lena was a newborn. While we worked at my mom’s sewing machine nearby, Elliott (at work soldiering in Egypt) kept watch over little baby Lena on Google video chat. Talk about a baby monitor!

The dress didn’t fit Lena for a long time, although I tried it on her many times to make sure I caught the window. Recently, Lena was invited to the 1st birthday party of her little friend Sam, and I tried it on her again for that occasion. I think it finally fits quite well… with a little room to grow for when she takes her first steps!

10 :: in arts and crafts, Lena

the dress her mama made her

February 8, 2012 at 11:52 am

10 :: in arts and crafts, Lena

Becoming a Stay-at-Home Mom: taking down Christmas

February 6, 2012 at 5:39 pm

Elliott and I have only celebrated two Christmases together as a married couple. Last year over Christmas we were visiting Israel while Elliott was deployed to Egypt. No Christmas decorations on that trip! This year was the first we had a Christmas tree.

Of course, after the Christmas season is over, someone has to take down the Christmas tree, the ornaments, the garlands, the wreaths, the Nativity… it really can take awhile, can’t it? Usually even after all that’s done, there are still remnants of Christmas here and there. Such as jars of candy canes sitting on your kitchen counter. For weeks.

Fortunately, I had a plan for these sweet little leftovers. The idea came from my friend Joy, who is a fellow resident of Sicily and has a wonderful cooking blog that is well-stocked with true Italian recipes. With her permission, I’m sharing her own recipe for Peppermint Bark Chocolate Cookies. I made them the other day and we devoured them in much less time than I care to relate!

Peppermint Bark Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
12 large candy canes or 6 oz. peppermints crushed into pieces (make sure not to crush too much or it will become powdery)
1 (12 oz.) bag white chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Beat butter and sugars at medium speed until creamy.
Add eggs and vanilla, beating until blended.
Combine flour, baking soda, cocoa, and salt in a small bowl; gradually add to butter mixture, beating just until blended.
Beat in candy canes and white chocolate chips just until combined.
Drop using a 2 tbsp. scoop onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake 10-14 minutes. I bake them 12 minutes).
Remove to wire racks and cool completely (about 15 minutes).

P.S. With the flecks of red-and-white mixed in with chocolate decadence, who says these can’t double as Valentine’s Day goodies too? Enjoy!