Leslie/cloudla's comments (member since Apr 02, 2009)

Leslie/cloudla's comments from the Readers and Reading group.

I am envious that you all know how to make gravy. My mother has always done it and it never works for me. She is now 84 and I know she won't be around forever, but she can't seem to teach me how to do it. Maybe Donna's recipe is something I should study. But I can make a great roux for gumbo.

For the first time in 4 or 5 years, I am not having my family (about 40 people) for Thanksgiving. Since my DH is now retired, and we can now travel on Thanksgiving (before he always had a big sale on Fri at the furniture store) , my wonderful first cousin offered to have it this year. It is such a nice GIFT to not have to worry about it! She lives up on Lookout Mountain, TN, so our biggest problem will be a 2 1/2 hour drive. I will probably take some pies and champagne. Easy.

My oldest daughter and her DH and 2 children won't be coming because this year Thanksgiving is his family's turn. That is OK with me because that means we get them for Christmas. My other daughter and her DH and Sarah Neal will be going with us. I just love Thanksgiving and getting to see all my cousins and their children. But it is sort of sad because now we are the "old people". But so far I so not feel decrepit!

Bcck to corn in the microwave....


I don't even clean it, just wrap in a paper towel and microwave 2-3 minutes depending on how fresh (young) it is. It steams a little bit more while it cools, then I easily slip all the silk off. I like it a little crunchy.

Just read my non-fiction book for the year...well, unless i find another one as fascinating as this one. It is called In The Sanctuary of Outcasts by Neil White. He is a Mississippian who kited checks to make his payroll, got caught, and sent to the federal penitentiary for a year. The strange thing was that he was sent to Carville, Louisiana which was the last leprosarium in the US. 130 people with leprosy still lived there when he served his time. The feds only used it for a prison for 2 years and it is now a National Historic Landmark.

The things our Gov't did to the people with leprosy (Hanson's Disease) was downright horrible. I found his whole account of his year there pretty incredible.

The only one I have read is LET THE GREAT WORLD SPIN which was (I thought) disjointed at first but was one of those that came together in the end. I really loved reading it. Schmer, you might not like the language.

Hate to say I haven't even heard of the others. I really miss working in the bookstore and knowing what was going on in the book world.

And why did I think Jayne Ann Phillips was a fluff writer? I really don't know anything about her.

Chiming in after an extended absence.....

I have only read one of the books on the "forgotten" list, "A Feast of Snakes" by Harry Crews. But I think his autobiography " A Childhood", was a better book. Wow. It was pretty powerful. Kind of a grittier Rick Bragg.

I started Stones for Ibarra and never got interested in it. I have "Leaving Brooklyn" upstairs in a bookcase, and can't remember if i ever read it or not. Will have to give it another look.

Also in my bookcase and on my TBR list is A Gathering of Old Men.

I haven't even heard of Dingley Falls but Michael Malone is a favorite of mine.

And I have heard Dawn Powell was a wonderful writer but have never read her stuff. Is anyone familiar with her writings?

After my DD and I went to see Julie and Julia last week she stopped at the grocery on the way home to buy the ingredients for beouf bourguignon and then confiscated my copy of Mastering the Art of French cooking. She said it was good, but I didn't get to taste it. You'd think she would have invited me to dinner.

And BTW, we loved the movie.

I sorta wish you hadn't told me about the Tuscan lemonade. Uh oh.:)

I will have to go look for some blueberry vodka. We have state run liquor stores so we don't always have the latest thing. But wait! I am going to FL next week and they have everything! And I will use my diet lemonade so that drink will be so healthy.

3 INCHES???? Of vodka? You will only need one!

I just finished a book by Thomas Mcguane, Nothing But Blue Skies. I bought it out in Livingston, MT, because I met his daughter one night and it got me thinking that I had never read one of his books. The next day we walked by the cute little book store downtown that I wish I owned so of course I had to buy it. It is very raunchy but hysterically funny. I was not just chuckling on the airplane home, but fell into gales of laughter. It was a wild ride.

I can't wait to read the other one I bought, 92 in The Shade.

One of his early books was nominated for the National Book Award, so he does have some credibility. :)

I also read Pretty Shield, a true account of a Crow woman written in the early 30s. This was prompted by a visit to the Battle of the Little Bighorn National Park. Pretty Shield's husband was a scout for Custer but had the good fortune to live through the battle unlike his boss. Interesting stories of the Crow way of life following the buffalo.

Sherry (sethurner) wrote: "I just finished reading A Reliable Wife. An online poster who did NOT like it at all sent me her copy and wished me happy reading.

You're welcome, Sherry, and I'm glad you liked it. Makes me feel better about buying the dern thing.

Kate, we just had them heated up with breakfast. But they would make a good side with shrimp, pork, whatever. I think they are better warm, but I did get one down stone cold. :)

This thread has been dead lately, so maybe my new GRITS recipe will get things going. I think even if you think you don't like grits you will like these:

Cheese Grits Squares

Stir 1 1/2 cups of quick cooking grits and a half a stick of butter (1/4 cup) in 3 cups of boiling water.

When they have thickened, add 16 oz (yes, 1 pound) of shredded cheddar cheese, or whatever kind suits your fancy, and stir til cheese melts in good with the grits.

Let cool a bit, and then add

1 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp salt

Spread in a 9x13 pan and bake for 30-40 minutes at 350.
I lined the pan with parchment paper to make it easier to clean up.

Let cool, cut into squares. These can be frozen and taken out as needed and heated in the microwave or oven.

I think next time I may add some jalapenos to it.

I took them to the lake and everyone loved them.

Lois,

The Ian pears book sounds intriguing. Did you read "The Instance of the Fingerpost", and if so, did you like it?

I read "My Life in France" sometime back and I am really looking forward to seeing the "Julie, Julia" movie coming out in Aug. I have the book of that name that I haven't been able to embrace. I loved Julia's old shows, and I am hoping that the movie may revive interest in them. It would be wonderful to see them. What I really loved about her is that she didn't take herself so seriously, and was always ready to laugh at herself.

I just started My Antonia which I have always wanted to read. My DH gave me a Kindle for my b'day and it was a cheap one to download. I am enjoying it thoroughly. I am probably the only one in all of Book Kingdom who hasn't read it.

Sorry, I do know that Edgar Sawtelle is not the author.

I think A LOT OF WORDS and WORDY are two different things.

There are some authors who use a lot of words and it doesn't bother me, i.e. Edgar Sawtelle. I loved reading his descriptions, and I guess I could add Pat Conroy to this group. Also Michener, and I'm sure a hundred others.

But what I object to is the repetitiveness, especially when the author is telling you the characters' motivations and feelings. I want to scream I GET IT to them. Show me through their actions and let me figure out why they are like they are. And this is how I felt about The Reliable Wife and The Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, to mention 2 off the top of my head. But I am sure other people do not even notice these things, so it is good we can all agree to disagree.

Isn't that the truth. Sometimes ya just want to say SHUT UP! You got to wonder why people tell you some of the things they do. But I am always one to listen to crazy stories, but then I start thinking do I look like someone who really wants to hear this!!!!

I read the Curious Incident a couple of years ago---actually I remember now that i listened to it and it was wonderful.

Others I have likes on audio were Rick Bragg's books, Fanny Flagg's books, and The Devil Wears Prada and The Nanny Diaries.

Today I got from Amazon:

April and Oliver by Tess Callahan
Perfection by Julie Metz
The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

I am going to sit down with something cool to drink and read the first chapter of each one to see which one appeals to me the most. And everybody better leave me alone!