Saturdays in the Garden - Leopard Frogs and Bacon Grease

Saturdays in the Garden is my attempt to reflect on the week just gone and informally serves as my garden journal.

OUTSIDE 

 

Once again I did very little in the garden this week though  did have to water which has been a rare enough occurrence this year.  My first peppers are ripe  - the sweet Italians to the left - and will promptly be used with my still thriving tomatoes to make some spaghetti sauce.  There is a basic recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook (11th edition) cookbook which freezes well and it feels pretty awesome that  at least half the ingredients will come from the garden.  It would be nice someday if all (but the meat) the ingredients could be right out the kitchen door.  Some day.... Here's the recipe:

Classic Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients

12 ounces ground beef or bulk pork sausage

1 cup chopped onion (1 large)

1/2  cup chopped green sweet pepper

1/4 cup chopped celery

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups chopped, peeled tomatoes (6 large) or two 14-1/2-ounce cans tomatoes, cut up

1 6 ounce can tomato paste

1/3 cup water

2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon snipped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

1 tablespoon snipped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed

2 teaspoons snipped fresh marjoram or 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

8 ounces dried spaghetti, vermicelli, or other pasta

 

Grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions

1. In a large saucepan or pot cook ground beef or pork sausage, onion, sweet pepper, celery, and garlic until meat is brown. Drain fat.
2. Stir in the fresh or undrained canned tomato, tomato paste, water, parsley, basil, oregano, marjoram, sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Uncover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes more, or to desired consistency, stirring occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti for 10 to 12 minutes or until tender but still firm. Drain well. Serve sauce over spaghetti. If desired, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Nutrition Facts

(Classic Spaghetti Sauce)

Per serving:
• 503 kcal cal.,
• 13 g fat
• (4 g sat. fat,
• 53 mg chol.,
• 374 mg sodium,
• 71 g carb.,
• 6 g fiber,
• 28 g pro.
• Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

I didn't have much time to spend in the garden this week because I was out in Western Iowa doing field work.

It's a hard knock life.  And yes that is, in fact, Iowa.  It may be 80% corn and soybeans but the state does have some natural beauty tucked away here and there. I was looking for butterflies and didn't find many of interest but I did find this little fellow who seemed out of place on the top of a ridge very far from any water.

It's a northern leopard frog and I have noticed before that they do range quite far from their watery birthplaces. 

LIFE

 

Everywhere in the news this week was the the death of Robin Williams.  There is a huge outpouring of sadness and I really get it.  I am of an age that I feel like I grew up with Robin Williams.  Not growing up while he grew up but his comedy and movies were some of my favorite things as a kid and teenager.  Some of my favorite movies of his, all of which I watched many times were Good Morning Vietnam ("Big Dogs Landing on my face"), Aladdin, Dead Poet's Society, Good Will Hunting, Hook.  I adopted the quote above from Good Morning Vietnam as a kind of catch phrase for a while because something about the absurdity of it just brought me so much joy.  He had a particular talent for conveying both the humorous and poignant sides of life and all I can say is Thanks for all the laughs and all the tears Mr. Williams. Please rest in peace.

On the lighter side of things some of my favorite things this week were:

- Getting my hair significantly cut for the first time in almost a year.  Is there anything more sublime?
- BLTs with heirloom tomatoes.
- Using the grease from the bacon to make these dog treats:

Here's the recipe.  I threw in some shredded parmesan and sharp cheddar cheese that I had around.  The dogs seem to like them.
- Black Mango Iced Tea.  There's an awesome tea shop down in the big city of Des Moines, Gong Fu Tea, and their Black Mango tea blend makes the most amazing iced tea ever in the history of iced tea.

Summer is good.

BOOKS and the BLOG

Reading has been pretty good this week.  Earlier today I finished The Blackhouse by Peter May, an atmospheric coming of age/mystery thriller sort of tale.  I am also closing in on the end of 11/22/63 by Stephen King which is quite a feat.  Not only is the book super long but it will be the first out of three of King's books I will manage to finish.  I am currently at the point in the book where it is 11/22/63 and yet there are still five discs to go so I don't know what it has in store for me but I'm guessing it will be something.

I also hurried on over to my favorite library in the world in the next town over because they will be closed for a whole month!!  It's been at a temporary location for 2 years while substantial renovations were made at the real location and now they are moving back in to their new fancy digs.  I stocked up on some cozy mysteries and a book in a fantasy trilogy I've been reading.  Less books for them to move:)

Before you feel too sorry for me I should mention that I actually live almost directly across the street from my town's library.

View from my front porch

The problem is that while it's a lovely old building with tons of space their selection is pretty poor.  I've joked ever since I moved here that I was going to get on the library board and shake things up but as of yet I have made not one single move towards accomplishing this.  Has anybody else ever served on such a committee - I'm wondering how rewarding or horrendous it might be...

I followed my new plan on the blog this week and it went okay.

SUNDAY:  I posted about the most awesome Locke and Key graphic novel series by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez.  It's beautiful and creepy and good fun.  4 out of 5 stars.
TUESDAY: Participated in The Broke and Bookish's Top Ten Tuesday meme about books I'm not too sure I want to read.
THURSDAY:  I posted a review of the thoughtful and engrossing The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell.  4.5 out of 5 stars.
FRIDAY: I'm gonna give the Bout of Books 11 read-a-thon a try.  I want to catch up with my goodreads goal that I set. 

This coming week:

SUNDAY: Review of The Blackhouse by Peter May
TUESDAY:  First Bout of Books update.  I think I will skip Top Ten Tuesday this week which is about books you feel pressured to read.
WEDNESDAY: Update Bout of Books progress.
THURSDAY: Review of Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo and Bout of Books update.
FRIDAY: Bout of Books update.
SATURDAY:  Saturdays in the Garden.

So what's been up in your life or garden?  Favorite moment or book of the week?

Bout of Books 11 - Signing Up and Making Goals

I'm signing up, in a pretty last minute fashion, for Bout of Books 11!  Last time  - Bout of Books 10 - I failed miserably.  Crazy week + full immersion in an obsessive X Files re-watch = very little reading.  This made me hesitant to give it another try because next week also promises to be a little crazy BUT there is no TV show obsession currently and I am way behind on my yearly goal so I could use a little motivation.  The result is that I am going to give it another try. 

So what is Bout of Books? 

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 18th and runs through Sunday, August 24th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 11 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

Sounds like a good time, huh?  Since I'm late getting signed up I'm going to double up this post and also identify what book goals I'll have for next week.

I'll probably finish The Blackhouse by Peter May before the Read-a-thon starts but just in case the first order of business will be finishing it which will leave me to start on my next ARC with an upcoming publication date...

There's a decent amount of buzz about this one and it sounds very cool so I can't wait to get started! Here's the blurb from Goodreads:

Years ago, the city of Bulikov wielded the powers of the Gods to conquer the world. But after its divine protectors were mysteriously killed, the conqueror has become the conquered; the city's proud history has been erased and censored, progress has left it behind, and it is just another colonial outpost of the world's new geopolitical power. Into this musty, backward city steps Shara Divani. Officially, the quiet mousy woman is just another lowly diplomat sent by Bulikov's oppressors. Unofficially, Shara is one of her country's most accomplished spymasters-dispatched to investigate the brutal murder of a seemingly harmless historian. As Shara pursues the mystery through the ever-shifting physical and political geography of the city, she begins to suspect that the beings who once protected Bulikov may not be as dead as they seem-and that her own abilities might be touched by the divine as well.

My goal will be to finish this one.  And while I'm working on that I also hope to finish three books I'm in the middle of...

 

I'm listening to the audio of 11/22/63 and Crown of Midnight and Wild Comfort is a series of essays I've been reading on my e-reader.  I'd sure like to throw some other stuff in but I know I'm a slow reader and this is likely enough for now.  Any additional will be a bonus.

Let the read-a-thon begin!

REVIEW: The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Original Publication Year: 1997

Genre(s): Science Fiction

Series: The Sparrow #1

Awards: Arthur C. Clarke Award for Best Novel (1998), British Science Fiction Association Award for Novel (1997), John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (1997), James Tiptree, Jr. Award, Puddly Award for Science Fiction

Format: e-book

Narrated By: NA

My reasons for picking up The Sparrow? Both Ann Kingman of the podcast Books on the Nightstand and Rebecca Schinsky of Bookrageous and Book Riot list it among their top favorite books of all time. Both of these ladies know a thing or two about books so I was definitely interested. These recommendation were coupled with my love for one of Mary Doria Russell’s other novels, Doc which was one of my favorite reads of 2012. The Sparrow was, downright astonishingly, Russell’s first novel and she hits it so far out of the park, it would take light years to even see the park again.

I give it four (really 4.5 stars) rather than five stars, simply because there is one little section about three quarters of the way through that I though got a little schmaltzy and just didn’t work 100% for me BUT I feel like a jerk because overall this book was beautiful and thoughtful and funny. It’s literary, character-driven science fiction that uses science fiction for its noblest virtue - to explore ideas outside of the current box of reality so that they won’t be hampered by the limitations of the world we know. She tackles (on her first go mind you) no lesser theme than the nature of faith and God.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. The story is told using a split narrative, bouncing between the present (sometime in the latter 21st century) and the past seventy years prior. The narrative is centered on Emilio Sandoz, a Jesuit priest who has just returned from an obviously disastrous first contact mission, funded by the Jesuits, with the planet of Rakhat. There is scandal and mystery surrounding his return and the man himself is in no condition to speak of what happened. As the book progresses we follow his recovery and slow recounting of what happened while flashing back to experience first hand how it happened.

The book has a pretty broad cast of characters though it is more up close and personal with the characters in the flashback – the Edwards, Jimmy Quinn, Sofia Mendes, D.W. Emilio is definitely at the heart of it all. He’s an unconventional priest –funny and irreverent – but he is devoted to a life of service which he pursues with charismatic energy. His faith is of a practical nature - focused on the everyday work with people. It is not until astronomer Jimmy Quinn picks up a transmission of music being broadcast from many light years away that Emilio really starts to feel and channel the divine. Everything in the universe seems to be leading this group of seven people into space and into contact with the planet Rakhat. And then everything goes horribly wrong.

Basically, this is just a really great story that is at once very personal and very epic in scope. If you are a reader that is wary of sci-fi, I think you would easily love this book. Whatever you might be looking for in a book, you would likely find what you want here.

When I got to the end of The Sparrow, I read the following in the acknowledgements: “Finally, Dorothy Dunnett may consider The Sparrow one long thank you note for her splendid Lymond series.” With that, it became clear that I was always meant to love this book and why I think Mary Doria Russell is such a brilliant writer. We are, as all who deeply appreciate Dunnett and the Lymond chronicles, kindred spirits. Or at least that’s what I like to think.

Final Verdict: A beautifully written and engrossing first contact story which combines humor, tragedy, and spirituality.

QUOTES

Sofia knocked. Anne Edwards, white hair pulled into a messy bun, flour up to her elbows, answered the door. "Oh, no!" she cried. "Not just brilliant but good bones as well. I do hope you have a terrible personality, dear," Anne Edwards declared. "Otherwise, I shall lose faith in a just God." Sofia hardly knew how to respond, but George Edwards called from the kitchen, "Don’t let her fool you. She gave up believing in a just God when Cleveland blew the World Series last year. The only time she ever prays is the ninth inning." "And the night before a presidential election, for all the good it does. God is a Republican from Texas," Anne asserted, bustling Sofia into the living room.

"You know what? I really resent the idea that the only reason someone might be good or moral is because they’re religious. I do what I do," Anne said, biting off each word, "without hope of reward or fear of punishment. I do not require heaven or hell to bribe or scare me into acting decently, thank you very much."

God walked in Jerusalem and days later, folks nailed Him up and then went back to work. Faced with the Divine, people took refuge in the banal, as though answering a cosmic multiple-choice question: If you saw a burning bush, would you (a) call 911, (b) get the hot dogs, or (c) recognize God? A vanishingly small number of people would recognize God, Anne had decided years before, and most of them had simply missed a dose of Thorazine.

"The Jewish sages also tell us that God dances when His children defeat Him in argument, when they stand on their feet and use their minds. So questions like Anne’s are worth asking. To ask them is a very fine kind of human behavior. If we keep demanding that God yield up His answers, perhaps some day we will understand them. And then we will be something more than clever apes, and we shall dance with God."

"You see, that is my dilemma. Because if I was led by God to love God, step by step, as it seemed, if I accept that the beauty and the rapture were real and true, then the rest of it was God’s will too, and that, gentlemen, is cause for bitterness. But if I am simply a deluded ape who took a lot of old folktales far too seriously, then I brought all this on myself and my companions and the whole business becomes farcical, doesn’t it. The problem with atheism, I find, under these circumstances," he continued with academic exactitude, each word etched on the air with acid, "is that I have no one to despise but myself. If, however, I choose to believe that God is vicious, then at least I have the solace of hating God."

Question and Answer by Mary Doria Russell from the back of The Sparrow:

Q: What’s the moral of this story? A: Maybe it’s "Even if you do the best you can, you still get screwed." We seem to believe that if we act in accordance with our understanding of God’s will, we ought to be rewarded. But in doing so we’re making a deal that God didn’t sign onto. Emilio has kept his end of a bargain that he made with God, and he feels betrayed. He believes he has been seduced and raped by God, that he’s been used against his will for God’s own purpose. And I guess that’s partly what I’m doing with this book. I wanted to look at that aspect of theology. In our world, if people believe at all, they believe that God is love, God is hearts and flowers, and that God will send you theological candy all the time. But if you read Torah, you realize that God has a lot to answer for. God is a complex personality. I wanted to explore that complexity and that moral ambiguity. God gives us rules but those are rules for us, not for God.

Top Ten Tuesday - Books I'm not too sure about...

This week's Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, asks us to question our TBR and ask, "Am I sure I want to read that?"  The official topic description reads: Top Ten Books I'm Not Sure I Want To Read (books you may have bought but aren't sure if you are into it anymore, books you wanted to read but heard mixed things about, hyped books you aren't sure about --- basically any book that has you going, "TO READ OR NOT TO READ?"  



1) The Fault in Our Stars by John Green 
I thought I wanted to read this and I'm sure its very good but I've recently realized that contemporary YA just isn't my thang.  I'm also not sure I really want to read a book in which the primary descriptor of it is that it is incredibly sad.

2) Anything by Ernest Hemingway
After reading a bit of fiction about him in The Paris Wife (by Paula McClain),  I was totally put off by his persona and personality.  The descriptions of his writing style and themes also don't attract me. If I'm honest though these are pretty superficial reasons for shunning his books.






3) Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
This is a book I do think I will end up reading but I will need to psyche myself up for it.  Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson is one of the most beautifully written books I have ever read but it is imbued with such a deep melancholy and loneliness that I suspect is part of all of Robinson's books.  However that is not perhaps a fair assumption so I owe this Pulitzer Prize winning book a chance.  Also it is set in my current home state of Iowa which piques my interest as well.



4) Mr Cavendish, I Presume by Julia Quinn
I snapped this up at the library book sale, knowing nothing about it, because I love Julia Quinn.  I have since checked things out and this is one of if not the lowest rated of her books and it is a different perspective re-telling of another of her books. Kind of a little experimental thing she was trying out.  They are meant to be read together but most folks found this too redundant and that the conceit just didn't really work.  So I'm torn as to whether I should just give it a try, if I should pick up the companion book or if I should just not bother at all.






5) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
I own this book but have not read it nor seen either of the movie versions but I have heard ALL of the hype.  It's made me feel a little meh about it but I think I will eventually read it.






6) Rabbit Run by John Updike
A few years ago in a fit of wanting to read all the things and be the most well rounded reader of all time, I bought several of the books in the Rabbit series from a used book store.  Now, years later I'm just not sure they will be my cup of tea and why push myself to read something I'm less than excited about when there are so many other things out there to read??  In the description of the book it says this: "Original, graphic and merciless, Rabbit, Run will be admired and hated with equal intensity."  This just makes me feel tired.  But he is an iconic American writer....




7) Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
Speaking of iconic writers, Robin Hobb is one in the fantasy genre.  I bought this and the next book in this series because I was so sure I would love it.  I tried reading this once and got about 40 pages into it before putting it down.  Now I'm wondering if I really won't like the books or I just wasn't in he right mood when I first picked it up.





8) Anything by Jonathan Franzen
This is sort of ditto the Hemingway thing.  I feel like anytime I hear anything about him he's being pompous and pretentious.  It's turned me against reading his books but for all I know he's just not good with the speaking in public.

That's it for me.  Do y'all have any books on you're TBR that you are unsure of?  Any of the above that you think I should change my mind on?