Carol's Notebook – Page 388

T is for Tonight

April 23, 2014 by Carol7 Comments

Tonight is World Book Night. World Book Night takes place on April 23, 2014 and is in its third year in the U.S., after the UK launch in 2011. It's celebrated today for a couple of reasons. April 23 is the UNESCO International Day of the Book, as well as Shakespeare’s birthday. It was also chosen in honor of Miguel de Cervantes, who died on April 23, 1616. In the Catalan region of Spain, the day is celebrated by giving a book and a flower to a loved one. As part of World Book Night USA, 2,300 bookstores and libraries serve as community organizers for the book distribution to the volunteer givers. Its reach includes all 50 states, Puerto Rico, USVI, and overseas military bases. The WBN picks are by a wide array of award--‐winning and bestselling adult and YA authors, as well as classics, books in Spanish, and books in Large Print. The assortment of 39 WBN titles is based on diversity in...

S is for Sandwich

April 22, 2014 by Carol16 Comments

I was trying to think of what I should talk about for S yesterday. I'm reading a book set in Sicily, Treasure Hunt by Andrea Camilleri, but I'm not close enough to finished to have a review up by the end of the day, but I did have a really good sandwich at the ballpark yesterday. First, a bit about sandwiches. According to Wikipedia, although eating meat on flat bread has been traced as far back as 50 BC, the first written usage of the English word appeared in Edward Gibbon's journal referring to "bits of cold meat" as a "Sandwich". It was named after John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, an 18th-century English aristocrat. It is said that he ordered his valet to bring him meat tucked between two pieces of bread, and others began to order "the same as Sandwich!" It is commonly said that Lord Sandwich was fond of this form of food because it allowed him to...

R is for Recipe

April 21, 2014April 22, 2014 by Carol10 Comments

Today I'm going to share one of the recipes I'm loving lately. It's quick, easy, delicious and everybody in my house will eat it in some form or other. I have it pinned here: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/47569339788562483/ It was originally posted on the emeals blog, Mixing Food & Family. Garlic Shrimp with Blistered Tomatoes and Linguine Serves 6. Ingredients •12 oz uncooked whole grain linguine •2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes •2 tablespoons olive oil, divided •½ teaspoon salt, divided •½ teaspoon crushed red pepper •2 tablespoons butter •2 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined •4 cloves garlic, minced •1 cup crumbled feta cheese Instructions 1.Preheat broiler. 2.Cook pasta according to package directions. 3.Meanwhile, toss tomatoes with 1 tablespoon oil, ¼ teaspoon salt and red pepper on a rimmed baking sheet. 4.Broil 4 to 5 minutes or until tomatoes burst. 5.Melt butter in a large skillet with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. 6.Sprinkle shrimp with ¼ teaspoon salt; saute shrimp and garlic 2 to 3 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. 7.Toss shrimp with tomato mixture. 8.Divide pasta evenly among 6 shallow bowls. 9.Top with shrimp and tomato...

Q is for Quick

April 19, 2014 by Carol12 Comments

I'm not quick. But I am quicker than I was. I didn't run at all until 2012. I started with the Couch to 5K program and have run on and off since then. I'm getting back into a routine now though, since it's starting to warm up so I can run outside and I joined a gym, so if it's raining I can do the treadmill. I ran a 5K this morning. My time was 32:06, which is slightly quicker than I did the same course last year. I was happy. I think I could have gone a little quicker but there's a couple of spots where it bottlenecks, especially the last few yards, and there's just nowhere to go. Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Melinda at West Metro Mommy Reads....

P is for Promise

April 18, 2014April 13, 2015 by Carol3 Comments

Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan is the perfect book for today. P for Promise, Politics, Powder and Power. Title: Promise of Blood (Powder Mage #1) Author: Brian McClellan Read by: Christian Rodska Category: Fantasy Audio published: April 6, 2013 by Hachette Audio Rating: 4 out of 5 stars Add: Goodreads Purchase: Audible | Amazon | Book Depository The Age of Kings is dead...and I have killed it. It's a bloody business overthrowing a king.... Field Marshal Tamas' coup against his king sent corrupt aristocrats to the guillotine and brought bread to the starving. But it also provoked war with the Nine Nations, internal attacks by royalist fanatics, and the greedy to scramble for money and power by Tamas's supposed allies: the Church, workers unions, and mercenary forces. Stretched to his limit, Tamas is relying heavily on his few remaining powder mages, including the embittered Taniel, a brilliant marksman who also happens to be his estranged son, and Adamat, a retired police inspector whose loyalty is being tested by blackmail. But when gods...

Thursday’s Tale: O is for Old Hildebrand

April 17, 2014April 25, 2014 by Carol6 Comments

"Old Hildebrand" is a fairy tale from the Grimm Brothers, told in their Household Tales. A peasant's wife and the neighborhood priest fancied each other. At the priest's urging the wife faked an illness for several days, but on Sunday she insisted her husband go to hear the sermon. The priest preached that whoever had an ill family member could go to the Cuckoo's Mountain in Italy, and get laurel leaves that would cure the ill person. The peasant, Hildebrand took the advice and left to get them. He wasn't gone two minutes before the priest came to the home. Not far into his journey, Hildebrand met a kinsman, an egg merchant. When the merchant heard Hildebrand's tale, he informed Hildebrand that the priest just wanted to spend time alone with Hildebrand's wife. He took Hildebrand back tot he house, hidden in his egg basket. At the house, the priest and Hildebrand's wife were having a marvelous old time. The story tells us that the wife had slaughtered most of the farm...