my favorite author

Since I have been reading like crazy since Christmas, I can't help but share some of my favorite selections. Jennifer Weiner (pronounced Wy-ner), is one of my favorite authors. She write predominately about women, and most of her heroines are plus sized. -Score one for the big, curvy girls! I received her two newest books for Christmas, Certain Girls and Best Friends Forever.

Certain Girls I read first, and I just started Best Friends Forever, so more on that one later.  Certain Girls is a sequel to Good in Bed. Cannie Shapiro is married and her daughter, Joy is getting ready for her bat mitzvah. She's a little bratty and sort of hates her mom. Cannie has tried to keep her writing about Joy's "Bruce" underwraps, but Joy decides to read her mother's book and begins a bit of a quest for the truth about her family. A must read for chicks.

Tolkien

I have finally started my adventure with hobbits. I just finished The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, and I loved it (as predicted). I believe I may have read this in 6th or 7th grade, but for some reason, I couldn't remember what the hell it was about, save the hobbits.

Anyway, if this sounds like you, you should re-read, and if you have definately never read it, go find it, or come borrow mine.

In short, it's the prelude to the Lord of the Rings. It's how Bilbo Baggins finds his love for adventure, the ring and even the shire. The style that The Hobbit is written in is certainly captivating. When I read aloud to Mark from it, I told him it sounded like I was reading to children. It's not all warm and fuzzy, but was delightful. It's about stepping away from your comfort zone and feeling pleasantly suprised with the end result.

Thank you to Jackson for gifting me with this classic for Christmas and for stringing me out on fantasy fiction again.

Cornish Game Hens with Cranberry Salsa

As most of you know, my husband is the better cook between the two of us. Tonite, he really out did himself. This dish is different and delicious! It makes an excellent Monday meal if you make the cranberry salsa the night before. The salsa is better the second day, anyway.

You will need:

4 (1 1/2 lb) Cornish Game Hen
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tbs grated orange rind
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbs grated ginger
1 tbs dijon mustard
1 tsp horseradish

Rub hens evenly with salt and pepper, place in roasting pan. Bring butter and next 7 ingredients to boil in a sauce pan; pour over hens. Bake, uncovered at 375 for 1 hour or until hens are done, basting often with butter mixture. Serve with cranberry salsa.

Cranberry Salsa:

You will need:

1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup seeded, peeled and diced cucumber
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup chopped, fresh cilantro
1 garlic clove, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced and seeded
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt

Soak cranberries in orange juice in a large bowl for 30 minutes. Stir in cucumber and remaining ingredients. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. (We always make ours the night before and let chill overnight.

Chicken Cordon Bleu in Pastry

I have never been a fan of anything Cordon Bleu, BUT, Mark made this last week, and it's pretty awesome, and SUPER easy to make. Here's what you'll need:

1 tube (8oz) refridgerated crescent rolls
1/4 cup spreadable chive and onion cream cheese (or plain cream cheese with a little onion powder added for taste)
4 thin slices of deli ham
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
4 slices swiss (or pepperjack) cheese

On an ungreased baking sheet, separate dough in to 4 rectangles, seal perforations. Spread 1 tablespoon cream cheese lengthwise down the center of each rectangle. Place ham widthwise over dough. Arrange chicken in the center of each rectangle. Wrap ham aound chicken. At each long end, pinch dough together around chicken, forming points. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Top with swiss cheese (we only had papperjack) and bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and pastry is golden brown.

and serve with:

Autumn Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

3 tbs olive oil
1 tbs sugar
1 tbs red wine vinegar
2 tsp orange juice (from concentrate)
1/8 tsp salt, pinch of pepper
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted (we didnt have these, so we left them out)
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
4 cups spinach leaves (or mixed greens)

Combine first 6 ingredients in one bowl for dressing, combine last 4 in salad bowl. Add vinaigrette, and toss to coat. Serves 4, looks like you made a fuss. Total prep and cooking time is 35-40 minutes.

Nicotine Addict No Mo?

Hopefully. It's been 11 days since I quit smoking. COLD TURKEY, people. Like as in, no smokes at all and no supplements either. No Gum, no patch, no inhaler, no gross tobacco pouches to suck on (ew).  I feel... decent. The first day was ok. It was like being at work and having to wait to have one, or being out. I have really had to change my habits. The car is the hardest part, so I chew gum like a mad woman. The second and third days were ok... like I was getting used to not smoking. The fourth day was pretty bad. I guess it took that long for all of the nicotine to find it's way out of my system, because, man, I was a BITCH. Epic Bitch is what Mark was calling me behind my back, I'm sure. He was really supportive when I allowed him to be, but mostly, I was just HATEFUL. FULL OF HATE. MEAN. UGLY. NOT NICE.

I am not joking. Anyway, feeling better now, but it's weird. I don't have that urge anymore, but when I see people smoking, I think man, I would love one of those. However, when I smell people smoking I have a mixed reaction. It's more like: You stink like ass, here, give me that. Weird.

Snuff

This Christmas I got about 10 books. I read the shortest one first, just to get into my groove. Man, if you can stand sexual deviancy and some seriously bad language, try "Snuff," by Chuck Palaniuk. It's weird and different, and something you should try.

Chuck Palahniuk didn't dissapoint this round. "Snuff," one of his more recent books, was well, totally dirty and sexually charged. There were seriously jacked up parts and parts that actually sounded a lot like discussions I've had with girlfriends. Not a read for everyone. It's sad and twisted. And dark. Did I mention dirty?

Things I'm Loving- January

Top 10 things I'm enjoying in January:

10. "The Hobbit"
9.    Hot Tamales
8.    Mark's Cooking
7.   'Cold Mountain'
6.   Cherry Lemonade Lifesavers
5.   Fallout 3 for PS3. (NERD ALERT!)
4.   Thoughts of Spring
3.   Snow
2.   New Boots and Furry Hoodie
1.   Not Smoking

What do you love when it's cold?