The Last Five Books I've Read

This installment of "Five Books" is really six books. Seems I'm always a little tardy with this series! Here goes:

6. The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World by Eric Weiner. A former NPR correspondent, Mr. Weiner travels the world to find happiness. He makes some conclusions about what does and doesn't make for happiness, but in the end I was happy that knew his story. Funny guy that Eric. My rating: ****

5. Decision Points by George W. Bush. President Bush admits some mistakes but stands by his decisions in this memoir. I enjoyed his personal stories and his perspectives of his presidency. I am a George W. Bush fan. My rating: ****

4. Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson. A failed attempt to climb the world's second tallest mountain led to the construction of more than 50 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. It was accomplished by knowing this Baltistan proverb: The first time you share tea with a Balti, you are a stranger. The second time, you are an honored guest. The third time you become family." Mr. Mortenson's book made me think that foreign relations should be smoother going than it is today. My rating: ***

3. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua. In this book, you go along with the author as she raises her two daughters. She was a very strict Chinese mom and the girls are very successful. But at what cost? My rating: ***

2. Witness in Death by J. D. Robb. This is the 11th book of a series of 35 -- so far, and yes, I've read the previous 10. This series, set in the 2050s, stars Eve Dallas - a dedicated cop, and her husband Roarke - the richest man on the planet. In this installment a man is murdered onstage while Dallas and Roarke are in the audience. I didn't figure out "who did it." I never do. :) My rating: ***

1. The Angels of Morgan Hill by Donna VanLiere. A black family moves to Morgan Hill on the day of Jane's daddy's funeral, both events making life difficult for Jane and her family. This book is about growing up in the South, about poverty, and about overcoming racism. I loved it. My rating: *****

Up next: The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe by J. Randy Taraborrelli. I guess Randy can't keep a secret!

Cupcakes Always Make Things Better

I received a surprise in the mail a couple of weeks ago from my best friend Mary Lou. The gift came right in the middle of several weeks that were a little tough, and the note she included made my day. "Cupcakes always make things better!"

Here's the gift: the hummingbird bakery cookbook. Lots of recipes and beautifully illustrated. I was ready to begin, and I chose to whip up a batch of chocolate muffins.

I gathered everything I needed.

Mix the eggs and sugar together.

Alternately add the dry ingredients --

-- and the milk.

Stir in the melted butter.

Fold in the chocolate.

Fill up the liners and the muffin tins are ready to go to the oven.

Yum!

Chocolate Muffins

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

a pinch of salt

2/3 cup whole milk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 stick plus 3 Tablespoons butter, melted

4 ounces milk chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2. Put the eggs and sugar in a mixer and beat until pale and well combined.

3. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, combine the milk and vanilla. Gradually beat these 2 mixtures alternately into the egg mixture little by little. Beat until just incorporated.

4. Stir in the melted butter with a wooden spoon, the fold in the chocolate until evenly dispersed.

5. Spoon the batter into the paper lines until 2/3 full and bake for 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool slightly in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.

Cookie Bake-Off

I challenged Marilyn to a cookie bake-off this month. The mission (if she chose to accept it) was to bake a batch of cookies, then give them all away to three different people, families, or groups. Except, of course, for the one(s) you have to eat to make sure they are good enough to give away! Marilyn accepted the mission and the big day was yesterday.

We decided to make the same cookies: Double Chocolate and Pretzel Peanut Butter Cookies ... with Sea Salt.

I gathered my ingredients.

Cream the butter and sugars together.

Add melted white chocolate/peanut butter, egg and vanilla.

Toss in the dry ingredients.

Then the pretzels.

And the chocolate chips.

I put the dough on my new Silpat baking mat (Thanks, Mom. Love it!) and sprinkled each cookie with a touch of sea salt. Bake --

-- and enjoy!

These cookies ended up being dangerously delicious. I ate three of them -- so I know for sure!!

Here's who I shared with:

1) Julie, Jeremy, Noah, Libby and Clara

2) Ruth's Place Clinic

3) Charlie and Louise Green, my next door neighbors

And here's the recipe:

Double Chocolate and Pretzel Peanut Butter Cookies ... with Sea Salt

1 stick butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 1/4 cups creamy peanut butter ( reserve 2 Tablespoons to melt)

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup broken pretzel pieces

1 cup milk chocolate chips

Sea Salt in grinder

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Melt white chocolate chips and 2 Tablespoons peanut butter over a double boiler until melted. Add melted chocolate chips and remaining peanut butter to beaten butter and sugars. Beat in egg and vanilla.

2. Place flour, baking soda and salt in bowl; mix to combine. Add to wet ingredients until just combined then pour in pretzels and milk chocolate chips. With a cookie scoop, scoop dough onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. With the palms of your hand, gently press down each cookie to about 1/2 inch in thickness. Sprinkle each cookie with a touch of sea salt. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes or until edges become golden and slightly crisp. Let cool for 10 minutes on baking sheet before removing.

Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies.

Be Connected

The universe gave me this message yesterday:

"Our lives in Christ are meant to be extraordinary, incredible, meaningful and purposeful but never trouble-free. God keeps you in the pressure-cooker of life so others can see how a life connected to Jesus confronts problems in a very different way than a life that is disconnected from Jesus."