Little House in the Big Woods - Laura Ingalls Wilder

I don't think there is a kid that grew up in the '70's and '80's that wasn't at least aware of The Little House on the Prairie ala the TV show. I came home from school every day as a kid and watched these episodes (along with The Brady Bunch, Gilligan's Island and Batman). I grew up with freckle-faced, buck-toothed Laura and prissy, perfect Mary. I laughed whenever Nellie made an ass of herself, and cried when Mary went blind. Because of the TV shows, I was compelled to read all the books as well. I loved them all, but the first one is my sentimental favorite, and earned it's place as my sixth read for my Shelf Discovery Challenge Rampage Month.

As a kid, I remember being totally charmed by the story of Laura Ingalls, and her life on a farm in Wisconsin in the late 1800's. Sure, they didn't have much money and had to work hard for everything they had. You butcher the animals you raise, you have to defend yourself against wild creatures, and you take pleasures in the little things in life...visiting neighbors, a warm fire, and real sugar. Curling up with this book was always my comfort read.

As an adult, I found my reaction to be a little less mild. How was I not horrified at the idea of blowing up a butchered pig's bladder and playing with it like a balloon? Or butchering a small calf to extract its stomach lining to make cheese? Ewww. The book reads like a farmer's handbook on how to survive in the middle of nowhere...how to make bullets, how to make maple syrup, how to make butter and how to thresh wheat. At this stage in my life, I read this and shake my head at the idea of having to braid little threads of wheat to make a hat.

Another knee-jerk reaction I had was how I incredibly irritated I became with Mary. She stayed clean, she sat ladylike at Sunday dinner, never got into trouble, showcased her golden curls, and constantly rubbed Laura's nose in it! What a b*tch! Poor Laura. Listening to this passage, I wondered how the little thing didn't end up in therapy:

The storekeeper said to Pa and Ma, "That's a pretty little girl you've got there," and he admired Mary's golden curls. But he did not say anything about Laura, or about her curls. They were ugly and brown.

The illustrations in the book were as familiar to me as my own face. I must have studied them countless times as a child.








If I didn't have a few hundred books on my TBR list, I think I might read the entire series again. Because we all know, this book is only the very beginning of so much more fun and drama!

4 out of 5 stars

Ghosts I Have Been - Richard Peck

Until I browsed through Lizzie Skurnick's book "Shelf Discovery" in preparing for the reading challenge and saw this book cover, I'd completely forgotten that this was one of my favorites back in middle school. Anything written about ghosts were my "thing" back then. Really, Peck has all his bases covered on this one...ghosts, the supernatural, and the Titanic. What's not to love? This book represents my fifth in my Shelf Discovery Challenge Rampage Month.







Blossom Culp is a plucky, middle school aged girl living in a small town in 1913. She is dirt poor, with no father and a mother who is a toothless fruitcake who claims to have the Second Sight. This doesn't seem to bother Blossom a bit, however. She survives by her wits and her cunning. Through a bit of mischief, a chain of events are unleashed which change Blossom's life. She learns that she, too, has the Second Sight. She can see ghosts, she can see events that have happened in the past, and can see things that will happen in the future. She makes quite a name for herself in her small town. But her biggest coup, one that makes her an international sensation, occurs when she slips through a crack in time and finds herself on the Titanic, in the room of a small boy who is left to drown by his socialite parents. And when Blossom pops back into the current day, she brings with her a tragic story and a Titanic blanket that makes her famous beyond her wildest dreams.

Beyond the appeal of everything supernatural, it is hard not to fall in love with Blossom. She refuses to let life get her down, and despite the horrors that her gift brings (she sees a future of devastating wars in one of her visions), she stays upbeat and full of piss and vinegar. She even picks up a boyfriend in the process.

There are two quirks in the writing that got under my skin, ever so slightly. First, Blossom has pretty bad grammar. I realize that is all a part of her persona, but it bugs me nevertheless. Second, Blossom has a bad habit of over-dramatizing the events to come. As in "But of course that was not an end. It was only a bare beginning. Nor was it the last time I was to see the inside of the Principal's office". Small quibbles, I'll admit. Overall, I found Blossom and the story every bit as charming now as I did when I was 12.

4 out of 5 stars

Wordless Wednesday - Wroclaw #5

This is Wroclaw's crowning glory of its churches - the cathedral. On the last trip to Poland, we actually went to the top for a breathtaking view of the city. This time, however, we just strolled past, trying to walk off a rather large meal.

For more Wordless Wednesdays, click here.

Forever - Judy Blume

Right behind "Are You There God, It's Me Margaret" in the memory department is this little treasure "Forever". I don't think I read it as many times, probably because I was scared of getting caught with it. (Are you loving the cover that I've uploaded? This was the one I originally owned.) While Margaret was fairly innocent, this was fully loaded for a high school kid. I couldn't wait to see if it was as scandalous as an adult as it was back then, so I quickly added it to my list of Shelf Discovery Challenge books.

Katherine meets Michael at a fondue party during their senior year, their eyes meet, and the hormones fly. They immediately start dating, find in each other that something special, and are confronted with that important question faced by teenagers everywhere...to do it, or not to do it. Eventually, the inevitable happens (this is not a spoiler people), and along the way we become well-acquainted with all the other accouterments that accompany first love and first sexual experiences: birth control, finding secluded spots for intimacy, the physical pain of separation, orgasm and jealousy. We raise our eyebrows when Katherine's progressive grandmother sends her pamphlets from Planned Parenthood. We roll our eyes at the now infamous scene where Michael declares his private part to be named "Ralph".

It is a story as old as dirt, and not all that original either. But Blume's writing style makes you feel, deep down in your heart where the crumbs of adolescence still reside, that angst and longing you once knew. Yes, the story IS as scandalous now as it was then (especially with a daughter on the brink of puberty). For Pete's sake, in my library book, the best passages were underlined in INK! With little smiley faces drawn in the margins! The book truly could be entitled "How to Lose Your Virginity 101".

I finished the book feeling just a tad nostalgic for that fleeting, innocent, once-in-a-lifetime moment when your view of the world is baggage-free, heartbreak-free, and uncynical. Unfortunately, we are too young and silly at that moment to appreciate it!

5 out of 5 stars

Monday Movie Meme - Monochrome Movies

This week's Monday Movie Meme from the Bumbles is all about those classic Black & White movies. When you think of these films, you automatically think of the ones made back prior to the 1950's. But not so fast. Some of the best in this class are actually modern films that took the road less traveled, adding authenticity to their story. Here are some of my favorites, new and old:


Raging Bull - made in 1980 about a tortured boxer in the 1940's, this movie has atmosphere to spare. I will stick my neck out there and proclaim it to be Robert deNiro's best work ever (and that is saying something from a Godfather-lover like me.) It is dark, it will turn your stomach, but you will never forget it.

Schindler's List - another stomach-turner, but an amazing work of art and labor of love by Spielberg. What made such an impression on me was that everything in the story was black & white but a little girl's doll, which you only see a couple times throughout the film. Devastating.

To Kill a Mockingbird - believe it or not, I only saw this movie for the first time this year, but I knew going into it what I was in for. In my mind, nobody but Gregory Peck could have played the ever-moral, ever-admirable Atticus Finch. Most intriguing though was the bit part of Boo Radley played by Robert Duvall. It just made me want to cry.

On the Waterfront - not everyone may be in my camp, but I am a huge fan of Marlon Brando. He often played unsavory, detestable human beings, but he did so with heart and gusto, and a spark of insanity. (Only a true fan can watch Last Tango in Paris and still call themselves a fan!). In this star-studded film, you get drawn into the Mob and their informers, unions, selling out, regret, and doing the right thing.

The Bicycle Thief - a poignant story of class and poverty and the importance of a bicycle in the life of a struggling peasant, this movie is so simple but powerful. It is routinely regarded as one of the greatest films of all time.

The Best Years of Our Lives - C.B. James originally described this as the movie that drives him to tears at every viewing. It is a nostalgic tribute to servicemen returning to their homes after fighting in WWII, and trying to adjust to normal lives. With seven Academy Awards to back it up, including best picture, this film will move you.

Citizen Kane - another one that has been touted as the best film of all time, Orson Wells plays a character that was blatantly modeled after the American newspaper magnate William Hurst. The opening of the film shows a pathetic, lonely Kane, holding a snowglobe with the word "Rosebud" on his dying lips. You can't help but stay around to witness Kane's rise and fall, and solve the mystery of what the hell Rosebud really is.


I'm starting to feel like a broken record when I say that I KNOW I've missed some good ones. But that is the fun in playing. So tell me...which masterpieces have I missed?

Sunday Salon: Holiday Harrassment

Happy Sunday, my friends! I decided I'd better write my musings on Saturday and pre-schedule this post, as tonight is my husband's company holiday party. I'm not sure how perky I will be tomorrow morning, after a full evening of drinking wine, eating fattening food and talking until I am hoarse. I really don't know when to call it quits, and my husband usually resorts to dragging me out kicking and screaming. Hey! I am a stay-at-home mom, and I live for these things!

The kids were back to school this Monday, so I was ready to hit the ground running, getting my schedule back to normal. Unfortunately, most of the running involved shopping, not official exercising, so I didn't come anywhere near the number of miles I needed to walk off all that food I ate last week. On the bright side, all of my holiday shopping has been completed. Maybe next week I can hit 20 miles! As it stands, I have walked 130 miles so far in my 100 Mile Fitness Challenge. I would really love to hit 200, but I'm going to have to stay focused!

I've been having a ball reading all of my Shelf Discovery Challenge books. I've knocked out seven of the ten so far, the most recent being Wifey by Judy Blume. Holy moly people! I believe Blume picks her target audience, and then does her best to push them riiiiiight to the very edge. I don't remember the last time I laughed that hard, or read that much smut! I also read The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson, based on a whole load of glowing reviews. Such an amazing book, really. Look for that review in early January. I continue to listen to The Given Day on audio, and should finish it next week. The kids and I are also listening to Catching Fire on audio in the car, and we are all spellbound. (So much that my daughter is up in her room listening to The Hunger Games on audio AGAIN.)

I finally did a tally on the number of books read this year. Based on what I expect to post for the next few weeks, it appears I will have reviewed 113 books. There are a few more that I read, but just don't have room to post the reviews, so they will go in next year's count and I'll call it a day!

I've signed up for a few reading challenges for 2010 this week. I'm starting on my post for next Saturday with some more. I'm still waiting for some kind soul to sponsor a Graphic Novel Challenge. I've got my list ready. When I was browsing through the Novel Challenges website, I noticed one that I thought was entirely clever. It is the We Didn't Start the Fire Challenge. You know the Billy Joel song, where he rattles off like two million historical and pop culture references? So you just have to read about some of the things he sings about in the song. I really don't know if I can take another challenge, but this one is almost too cute to pass up.

Next week is going to be a big pile of insanity. Just to help you appreciate all the fun, I'm looking at track and football practice, band concert, a school event at Barnes & Noble, book club (we read The Hunger Games...hopefully we get a better turnout this month), field trip to Epcot, the middle school Winter Ball, track meet and football game. So if you notice that I'm not socializing as much as normal next week, please don't take it personally. Serenity now.

Hope you all have wonderful, calm Sundays. See you around next week!

Weekend Cooking: Stuffed Filet Mignon

This is my first time participating in the Saturday Weekly Cooking Meme, hosted by Beth Fish Reads, so what you may not know is that cooking is a huge passion of mine. Generally, my Saturdays are crammed full of the kids' sporting activities, and I never have time to post any of the yummy things prepared at the Nawrot house. Well, the fates have allowed me a little breathing room on this day. So I thought I would share with you what I made last night. It is one of our favorites...perfect for a cold, rainy night.


Stuffed Filet Mignon (courtesy of Paula Deen and the Food Network)

4 oz. cream cheese

4 oz. fresh goat cheese

3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes

10 large fresh basil leaves

1 pound beef tenderloin/filet mignon roast or individual filets

20 slices pancetta or prosciutto

Preheat grill to medium high heat and oil grates.

In a food processor, pulse together cream cheese, goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, salt & pepper.

Cut the roast into round slices about an inch thick. Pound slices between two pieces of plastic wrap until about 1/8-inch thick. Season with salt & pepper.

Spoon about 2 tsp. of cheese mixture onto center of each slice of beef. Fold the meat around the mixture to form a ball, trying not to overlap the meat too much in one spot. Place the ball, seam down onto a slice of pancetta/prosciutto and wrap it around the ball, fastening with water-soaked toothpicks.

Grill, turning occasionally, until pancetta/prosciutto is crisp, about 3-5 minutes per side.

Notes: I have messed with this recipe a tiny bit, from Paula's original. I've found it is better to cut a thicker slice of the filet and pound it out, making it bigger and easier to work with. I've also found prosciutto to be easier to work with than pancetta. The meat is firmer and bigger, making it easier to wrap around the meat.










Trust me, these little nuggets will melt in your mouth!