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.

Summer Has Begun!

Emily finished school and summer has officially begun for the Stewart family. This past week, we celebrated the beginning of our summer break by taking our annual family vacation. And I think there is a rule somewhere that says if you drive through Utica, Ohio, you have to stop at Ye Old Mill and get some Velvet Ice-cream. If not, there should be!

 

This particular trip was the first time in ten years that my mother wasn't part of the group, but as I sat by the fire admiring the view of the lake, I knew she would have loved the place I chose. Maybe she  even looked down upon us smiling at the grand kids.

 

Seeing as this was our first stay at the Lakehouse nestled on the edge of Burr Oak Lake, we weren't sure what to expect, but the scenery was outstanding, the wildlife abundant, the house extremely well maintained, well stocked, and it had more then adequate seating everywhere imaginable.

 

But the fun didn't stop there because on our way home we stopped at the Hocking Hills Flea Market where Emily sat in a big chair, where we bought the most delicious kettle corn, and where we found some bargains on mini antique bottles.

And despite all this busyness, I still managed to read a fun picture book called Duck on a Bike which is the tale of how Duck inspired all the farm animals to go for a ride with none of the humans any the wiser. Definitely a book worth looking for. There is even a version with an audio cd available.

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week for another exciting episode, same crazy time, same crazy channel. Also be sure to drop by Literacy Musings Mondays for more great blogs as well as 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 @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.

Fun, Family, and Fireworks!

This past week was a happy busy week. We came home from our camping trip, readied for Friday night bowling, readied for Farmers' Market, and had some hair raising stat-icky good times in our own back yard.

We also attended fireworks. Most cities host fireworks for the Fourth of July, but Shelby always waits until the following weekend and sets of fire works during the annual Bicycle Days. The fire works didn't last long, but I did manage to get a few fairly decent pictures during the show. And believe me, it was quite the job to get those few non blurry pictures.

 

And of course, I rounded the week out by reading two great books. Because let's face it, life with a little kidlit is always a good thing.

The first book I read was Five Little Ducks which is a retelling of the song by that name. The pictures are bright and colorful and there is even a cd version in the back of the book. So if your children love both music and stories like me, be sure to look for this book.

 
The second book I read was called Win Or Lose, I Love You. Written by Christian author Lysa Terkeurst, it is the story of good sportsmanship. All the animals of the forest are having field day and learn that winners shouldn't brag, losers shouldn't cry, and everyone should do their best in everything they try! And at the very end of the book, there are ten Biblical words of wisdom whether you win or lose accompanied by scriptures. This book would make a great Sunday school  read or even an addition to Christian home school curriculum.

 
Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week for another exciting episode, same crazy time, same crazy channel. Also be sure to drop by and join the Literacy Musings Monday Blog Hop where you will find other great blogs, or my personal website, Fun With Aileen, where you will find more on reading, writing, and my very own early grade Fern Valley chapter book series and my Quack and Daisy picture book series. And finally, you can find me on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days. 

Books, Detectives, and Ducks

Normally I have my Monday blog done by Sunday evening, but this week I was a little behind and just finished it this morning. One of the reasons was that I had a book event at the Loganberry Books in Shaker Heights this past week.

Loganberry is a incredible book store in a historical building full of architectural charm. In the alley like space between Loganberry and the store next door is where they set the authors up. Further adding to all the interesting features is the wall on their side which has a large mural of book spines.

 

 

On the way to the store, construction caused me to go a little out of my way, but thanks to my handy GPS, I was able to determine an alternate route to my destination. I am so incredibly thankful for this technology!

For this week's review, I read a book called, The Web Files, about two duck detectives that had to solve a mystery the old fashioned way without any new fangled technology like I used. It is a hilarious book full of alliteration and old nursery rhyme characters. And for the adults who are old enough to remember, the parody of a show called Dragnet will cause you to enjoy this book, possibly even more then your children!

So if  you have a chance, I recommend you search out this book. And if you are ever in the area, be sure to stop by and visit Loganberry Books also.

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week for another exciting episode, same crazy time, same crazy channel. And feel free to drop by my personal website, Fun With Aileen, any day of the week for even more on reading, writing, my very own early grade chapter book, Fern Valley, the sequel, Return To Fern Valley, the soon to be released Cooking In Fern Valley (fall 2015) and my very first picture book, Quack and Daisy! I'm also on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.

 

Waiting For Spring...

Now that we've entered March, we know that spring is just around the corner. March, however is an unpredictable month full of roller coaster temperatures. Take, for instance, this past week in my beautiful state of Ohio, sixty degrees one day and twenty the next. So as I sit here writing this blog post, I am grateful that the books I chose to review this week are books that gently remind us of what awaits. Books that will hopefully linger on our minds like the delicate beauty of newly blossomed violets.

The first book in my lineup is Chicken In The Kitchen by Tony Johnston. Told in rhyme and accompanied by deliciously cute illustrations, this book takes us on Dog's journey to make his chicken happy. Dog's chicken runs willy nilly about the kitchen until Dog finally figures out what his chicken wants. Once he figures it out, Chicken is not only happy, but Dog's ends up with an unexpected surprise. Pretty sure both your boys and girlies from ages four to eight will enjoy this happy book.

Next I read The Imaginary Garden by Andrew Larsen. Such a great book to read as I notice small growing things begin to emerge in my flower beds. In The Imaginary Garden, Theo and Poppa enjoy passing the time of day sitting in his garden underneath a beautiful tree. But one day Poppa moves and there is no room for a garden in his new apartment. All is not lost, however, as Poppa teaches Theo to use her greatest gift, a glorious imagination. Children and adults alike will enjoy the imaginary garden that Theo and Poppa create, and who knows, perhaps it will inspire you to create an imaginary garden of your own!

Wrong Way, by Danish author Mark Macleod, turned out to be a delightful book about a mother and her three baby ducks. Wrong Way isn't like his siblings, and doesn't do anything quite the way Momma tells him. But even Momma comes to recognize that doing things differently isn't necessarily wrong. You might have a harder time fining this book unless you find a used copy, but it's worth checking to see if your library carries a copy.

And last but certainly not least, I read Fluffy and Baron which was written and illustrated by Laura Rankin.  Baron is a gorgeous German Shepherd who makes friends with a small duckling named Fluffy who comes into his life. Soon they do everything together, that is, until some wild ducks show up. will this be the end of Baron and Fluffy's friendship, or will Fluffy come back to him?

This last book reminded me a bit of the Fluffy that came into our life. Our Fluffy is a cat and not a duck, but we love her none the less. She likes to hide among Emily's stuffed babies. Can you find her?

Where In The World Is Fluffy?

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week for another exciting episode, same crazy time, same crazy channel. And feel free to drop by my personal website, Fun With Aileen, any day of the week for even more on reading, writing, my very own early grade chapter book, Fern Valley, and my soon to be released sequel, Return To Fern Valley, coming summer of 2014! I'm also on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.


It's Still Cold...

I'm sure you are all aware that it is still EXTREMELY cold out there. So cold, in fact, that last week some unusual visitors showed up at our bird feeder to scavenge for seeds.

There weren't many seeds on the ground, so that afternoon I took a small bowl out and set it underneath the feeder just in case our friends came back. Only one duck came back the next day, but I enjoyed watching him fill his little belly. Unfortunately for him, a tiny squirrel that had helped himself to seeds earlier that morning was in a  less generous mood.

I watched the tiny squirrel hop across the yard, creep up our small tree so he could have a better view, and crawl back down again. What he did next totally took me by surprise though. That little squirrel charged that duck and leapt on him like some kind of a ferocious beast. Needless to say the duck was a bit surprised. Okay, he was a lot surprised. Until then, I had not realized how high a duck could jump straight up into the air. It was one of those moments where you really wish you had camcorder instantly in your hand.

Since school continued to be canceled, Emily and I filled our time with other things like baking rolls and playing boggle. And it goes with our saying that books were read!

In honor of the continued cold and snow, we read a delightful book called The Night The Moon Blew Kisses. Although no longer in print, this book is worth hunting down a used copy or seeing if your library owns it. Short, sweet, and beautifully written, it is the story of a grandmother and her grand-daughter taking a moonlit stroll. The grand-daughter blows the moon kisses and in return, the moon blows some back. The art work reminded me of Vincent Van Gogh's A Starry Night, dark but lovely.

We also read Birthday Pony.  Grandma Aggie bought Jane a Pony for her birthday. Unfortunately, the pony, named Popcorn, has been spoiled for far too long, and Jane can't get him to obey commands. Can lessons in good manners and riding skills help both to learn to enjoy the ride? Emily and I both enjoyed this simple story and think it would be great for kids in first through third.

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week for another exciting episode, same crazy time, same crazy channel. And feel free to drop by my personal website, Fun With Aileen, any day of the week for even more on reading, writing, my very own early grade chapter book, Fern Valley, and my soon to be released sequel, Return To Fern Valley, coming summer of 2014! I'm also on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.