My Top Ten Favorite Reads of 2018

I read so many great books this year, and it took me a while to narrow down the list; but here are my Top Ten Favorite Reads of 2018.

10. The Best Mother


9.  Cat On The Bus



8.  A Different Pond



7.  Ocean Meets Sky



6.  Read the Book Lemmings




5.  My Pillow Keeps Moving



4.  Henry and the Yeti



3.  Nibbles the Book Monster



2.  Night Job



1.  Hello Light House




And since it was so difficult to choose, I have to share an Honorable Mention:

Samson the Piranha Who Went To Dinner



With The New Year just around the corner, I'm looking forward to all the fantastic, funny, creative, beautifully illustrated books 2019 has to offer.

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week, same crazy time, same crazy channel. Also be sure to drop by my personal website Fun With Aileen where you will find more on reading, writing, and my very own chapter and picture books. And finally, you can find me on twitter if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.

Books and Bakes

This past week I attended a library board meeting, helped Emily with her school work, attended Cook-book Club, and finished round one of my Cookiepalooza. As two of those things involve food, I think it would be safe to call myself a foodie as well as a literary person.

For Cook-book Club Emily prepared Oreo Truffles. Since she didn't decide what she was making until late the night before, she had to use vanilla flavored melting discs instead of chocolate because I just wasn't going to the store at that hour, and I had some leftover red discs.

I made Bacon Ranch Chicken Penne which turned out beautifully. I even made my own Alfredo sauce. If you want to try it for yourself, this is what you'll need.

Bacon Chicken Ranch Penne  🥓🐔🥘

6 slices of bacon
2 cups cooked chicken
Alfredo sauce
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1 pound penne
2 cups fresh mozzarella grated

Alfredo Sauce

2 cups chicken broth
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2- 8 ounce containers whipped cream cheese
1 TBS minced garlic
2 cups grated Parmesan
Fresh cracked black pepper

In a large stock pot prepare sauce by adding broth, cream, garlic, and cream cheese and cook over medium heat whisking until smooth. When smooth, reduce heat to low/medium and add Parmesan. Whisk and allow to cook about five minutes. Remove from heat and add pepper to taste. Set sauce aside.

Next, cook bacon and set aside. In a large bowl, add penne, chicken which has been shredded, 4 cups of sauce, and ranch dressing. Let mixture set at least 15 to 20 minutes. The noodles will have absorbed most of the sauce, so before you put the mixture in a 9 x 13 pan, add an additional 2 cups of sauce. Reserve the rest of the sauce which can be used when reheating leftover casserole. Top dish crumbled bacon and mozzarella and bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes.

I can't believe after all that effort I forgot to take a picture of my casserole, but there you have it. I did however, take several of the finished cookie tray that will be accompanying my husband, Bobby, to work.

But lest you think all I did attend meetings, home-school, and bake, never fear. I managed to read two picture books this week as well. There was Dear Girl which is an encouragement of love from a mother to her daughter letting her know it's acceptable to be herself whether that means being pink and sparkly or splattered with mud. It was also an encouragement for girls to appreciate who they are and what makes them unique something I try to teach my daughter.

And there was Douglas You're a Genius. Douglas  the Dog and his faithful companion Nancy loose a ball through a hole in the fence. When the ball rolls back to their side, they wonder just who sent it back. To find out, they try all kinds of crazy ideas thought of by Nancy, Unfortunately, none of Nancy's ideas work. Finally Douglas convinces Nancy to give his idea a try and they ultimately find out who's on the other side. Full of fun and surprises, this book is sure to please almost as much as that casserole I made!

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week, same crazy time, same crazy channel. Also be sure to drop by my personal website Fun With Aileen where you will find more on reading, writing, and my very own chapter and picture books. And finally, you can find me on twitter if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.

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Creating

I have always loved to create both crafty and food items. So this week, it will come as no surprise that I was in a creative mood. I finished up a basket I've been working on for a gift exchange. I then filled it with kitchen items which I hope my Cook Book Club recipient will enjoy.

I've also continued with my cookie baking project. My goal is to bake one or two types of cookies every few days. I freeze them as I go and when Christmas is close, I'll take them all out and decorate those that need decorated. But sometimes as happens when a person is creating, an epic fail occurs. My epic fail was in the form of Coconut Macaroons. I attempted to make them and followed the directions religiously, but alas what I ended up with was a clumpy coconut pancake instead of a crispy cookie.

How Macaroons Should Look

How My Macaroons Looked

Oh well. There are so many other cookies I'm great at creating, so the "Cookiepalooza" will continue.

This weeks my book choices were also about creating. My first read, How to Knit a Monster, from 2014, led me on a merry adventure with Ms. Gretta Goat who loved to knit.

After Mean Mrs. Sheep criticizes Gretta's knitting skills her knitting begins to take on a life of it's own in the form of a wolf that eats Mrs. Sheep, a tiger that eats the wolf, and finally a monster that eats the tiger. But Gretta is a smart goat and knits her way right out of the predicament her knitting created. But be sure to pay careful attention to the last illustration which indicates he predicament might not be over.

The second book, How To Build A Hug, filled me with wonder as it was one of my favorite types of picture book, a biographical picture book. And this book was about Dr. Temple Grandin.

As a child growing up with autism in an era where little was known about the subject, Temple Grandin did her best to cope. With the support and encouragement of her family, Temple drew, painted, created, and read about inventors and their inventions. And all of that creating helped her to invent a contraption that helped her feel what a hug was like when the real thing overwhelmed her senses. This book would make a great classroom read helping classmates to understand what autistic peers might be going through.

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week, same crazy time, same crazy channel. Also be sure to drop by my personal website Fun With Aileen where you will find more on reading, writing, and my very own chapter and picture books. And finally, you can find me on twitter if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.

Participation

I love a good writing contest and Susanna Leonard Hill hosts some of the best. And being that it is now December, her 8th Annual Holiday Contest is up and running. So if  you enjoy a good Christmas story, especially a brief one, check out my story titled Violet's Christmas Cookies.

The rules are simple:

Write a children’s holiday story (children here defined as age 12 and under) about A Holiday Hero! Your hero’s act of heroism can be on a grand scale or a small one – from saving Christmas to leaving a fresh-baked loaf of Challah bread for a homeless person to something like Gift Of The Magi where two people give up the thing most important to them to be sure someone they love has a good holiday.  Your hero can be obvious or unlikely.  Your story may be poetry or prose, silly or serious or sweet, religious or not, based on Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or whatever you celebrate, but is not to exceed 250 words  (It can be as short as you like (the judges will be grateful  , you are welcome and encouraged to write shorter, but no more than 250!  Title not included in word count.) The field is wide open!  Have fun!  The more creative the better!  No illustration notes please. 

So without further ado, my entry.

Violet’s Christmas Cookies

Aileen Stewart

Word Count 239

Every year, Fred baked Christmas cookies for his eighty year old neighbor, Violet. And every year, he handled cookie cutters like a pro. He iced and sprinkled like a ninja. And he only nibbled a little.

So when Thanksgiving ended, Fred said, “Hey mom, I’m ready to bake.”

“Great. Go ahead,” she replied.

Like a good chef, Fred gathered the ingredients, measuring tools, and decorating supplies. Next he found his favorite recipes. And finally, he decided which type of cookie he’d make first.

“Chocolate Sugar Cookies,” he announced to his cat, Tom, who lay sprawled out in front of the refrigerator.

Next he turned on the oven to pre-heat. After a few minutes, he realized the oven wasn’t warm. “Mom,” he shouted.

Fred’s mother came running. “What’s the matter?”

Fred’s voice wobbled. “The oven is broken. Call the repair man.”

“No problem,” she said.

Unfortunately, the repairman was booked solid.

“Then we’ll have to buy a new oven,” Fred said.

Fred’s mom frowned. “I’m sorry honey; we can’t afford a new oven.”

Fred frowned too and wondered what to do. Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without cookies for Violet. His mother watched as he paced the floor.

On his fifth trip across the kitchen, an idea popped into his head. “I have some no bake cookie recipes,” he told his mom. “And all I’ll need is a microwave.”

“That’s my boy,” she told him before high fiving his raised hand!

Cookies and Books By Friends

This past week was full of every day moments. I attended my monthly Library Board of Trustee meeting, I helped Emily with her home school lessons, I switched the children's library display case from Fall to Christmas, and I worked on Christmas cookies.

I made batch two of the Railroad Cookies that my one niece loves so well. You might also know them as Date Nut Pin-Wheels. I found this recipe in my Martha Adam's Heirloom Recipes cook book, and she presumes the name railroad cookies came from their resemblance to railroad tracks winding around hills and valleys. Whatever the name, these crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, butterscotch flavored cookies are delicious. They aren't overly complicated, so if you want to try your hand at making some, check out the recipe below.

Cookie Dough:                                                  Date-Nut Filling

1 cup vegetable shortening                                 2 cups finely chopped dates       
2 cups sugar                                                        1/2 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar                                  1/2 cup water
3 large eggs                                                         1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp vanilla                                                         1/2 cup ground pecans   
4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cream tartar
1/2 tsp salt

In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and thoroughly mix. Divide dough into two proportions, roll dough and flatten into a thick pancake shaped patties. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour. 

In a medium saucepan, combine dates, sugar, and water. Cook over medium heat until the mixture sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture thickens. If you have a stick mixer, blend the mixture to make it easier to spread. Add vanilla and nuts and mix thoroughly.

Roll one of the dough patties out into a rectangle the size of a silicone mat (I usually roll mine on a mat to gauge size and for easier rolling). Spread 1/2 of the filling on the rectangle and gently roll jelly roll style. Slice dough in 1/4 inch pieces and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from pan and place on cooling rack. Repeat.

This week I also grabbed a new batch of books from the library to read and review and was thrilled to find books by two of my literary friends. The first book, Duck, Duck, Porcupine, by the talented Salina Yoon, was a simply written and colorfully illustrated book containing three short stories about Big Duck, Little Duck, and Porcupine. Whether picnicking, celebrating a birthday, or camping, the three friends find adventure that your beginning readers will love to share with them.

The other book I found was the marvelous Loren Long's There's a Hole in the Log on the Bottom of the Lake. I met Loren in person this past spring at The Southern Kentucky Book Festival and besides possessing uber amounts of talent, he is just as nice as nice can be. There's a Hole in the Log is Loren's take on that old familiar song There's a Hole in the Bottom of the Sea, but the surprise ending, which I wasn't expecting, in addition to commentary by a small turtle and snail really sets it apart. 

Debbie Dadey, Loren Long, and Me!

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week, same crazy time, same crazy channel. Also be sure to drop by my personal website Fun With Aileen where you will find more on reading, writing, and my very own chapter and picture books. And finally, you can find me on twitter if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.