Whatcha Reading? Book Review Monday

This week's book The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson is a new favorite of mine, and what's the best news you can hear when you find a new favorite book? It's part of a series!

This book was highly recommended to me by my best friend (she even gave it to me as a gift). We have similar taste in reading materials so I figured that I would like it. The first few chapters didn't draw me in immediately but quickly after that I was hooked. And I mean really hooked.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is a murder mystery unlike any other I've read. The characters are complex but still likable. The plot is fast-paced and full of interesting, sometimes disturbing, details. The story is set in Sweden, which adds a unique background.

This debut novel by Stieg Larsson, who sadly died before his books became bestsellers, is a must-read. Mikael Blomkvist, one of the main characters, is a disgraced journalist chasing the biggest story of his career when he meets a fascinating and secretive young woman, Lisbeth Salander. Salander and Blomkvist embark on a journey to solve a decades old murder mystery.

The novel is a satisfying read but it sets us up for the next book in the triology, The Girl Who Played with Fire. I've just started the second book and so far it has not disappointed me.

If you enjoy mysteries and want to try an intelligent and unique book with a dark edge that combines well-developed characters and classic who-done-it mystery mixed with modern technology and complicated relationships then I highly recommend The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.

Quote of the day

Mason was not happy the other night when he was expected to sit at the dinner table while we ate dinner. Here's what he had to say to me as he stalked away with his arms crossed and a big pouty lip:


"I'm losing my temperature with you Mama!" 


Well, we wouldn't want him to lose his temperature now would we? Ha!! 


It made me realize that when I tell him that I'm going to lose my temper if he doesn't stop doing whatever frustrating little 3-year-old behavior he's doing that he doesn't know what I'm talking about. I guess I need to explain that one. 

Six Degrees of Blogging

I came across a fun way to discover new blogs. Work, wife, mom... life has a meme where you start on your own blog and click on another blog's link. Then you keep clicking through to other blogs until you get to the 6th blog. 


I found a blog called "Deal"ightfully Frugal which has lots of great information about good deals, such as a link to a coupon for 30% off at Old Navy. I printed out a $10 off coupon for the movie Princess and the Frog. That is definitely a great deal! There are also giveaways on this blog. If you're looking for some ways to stay frugal you should check out "Deal"ightfully Frugal. 

Infantino sling recall

Have you heard about the recall of one million baby slings made by Infantino?


There were three reported infant deaths due to suffocation in these slings in 2009. How sad and scary! As a mother of a newborn, I can imagine how devastating an accident like that would be, so I wrote an article to get the word out about the recall and about being very careful using baby slings.

I used a sling quite a bit with baby #2 since his big sister was only 2 when he was born and I needed my hands free to help her often. I haven't used a sling yet with baby Ryan and now I feel nervous about using one. In my article there is a link I found with tips and a diagram about proper use of a baby sling.


Here's the link to my article : http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-34503-Portland-Early-Childhood-Parenting-Examiner~y2010m3d25-Infant-death-leads-to-baby-sling-recall

Friday Follow & New Baby Picture

Today is Friday so I'm linking up with Midday Escapades Friday Follow blog. It's fun to find new blogs and share my blog with other Friday Followers.

Today I'm going to just share a new picture of baby Ryan. He's almost three weeks old now. He's such a happy, healthy baby and we're all enjoying our first few weeks with him. The big kids are amazed by how tiny and cute he is - and by how much he poops!

Come back to The Family Fanatic blog for my new Whatcha Reading? Book Review Monday and for more family friendly recipes, silly kid quotes, and other stories from our family adventures. 

Recipe of the day: Grandma's Pasta Sauce

The Nourishing Gourmet hosts a Pennywise Platter Thursday recipe exchange and I thought that this simple, delicious recipe would be a great one to share.

For Christmas gifts two years ago I complied a whole bunch of our favorite family recipes and made a cookbook for my extended family. My aunt was able to get my grandma's recipe box for me (without telling Grandma so she could be surprised) and I found this tomato sauce recipe. My grandma, being a little old Italian lady, has a classic approach to making a great sauce for any pasta. Thanks Grandma!

Pasta Sauce
1/4 c. olive oil
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 - 28 oz. can peeled tomatoes
Fresh basil & oregano
Salt & pepper

In a large pot, saute garlic and onions in olive oil. Add tomatoes, cook for at least 20 minutes (can simmer longer). Season to taste with salt, pepper, basil, and oregano. Serve over 1 lb. pasta cooked al dente and top with grated parmesan cheese.

Whatcha Reading? Book Review Monday

One of my favorite hobbies is reading. I've always been an avid reader but I often end up too busy to read as much as I would like.


Ironically, since Little Mr. Ryan was born two weeks ago I've had lots of quiet time to read. That's because when I'm nursing him I have to just sit still and relax. It's quite wonderful. I also don't have that pesky work stuff to worry about, which frees up lots of time to enjoy a good book also.


My newfound extra time to read inspired me to start a weekly book review on The Family Fanatic blog. This week I'll start with a book that I just finished, but I have some other books I've recently read that I'll add soon.


I bought A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick as a gift for my mom and she was kind enough to pass it back to me after she read it. She told me that it was a good read and I have to agree.

A Reliable Wife is set in a small Wisconsin town in the dead of winter in 1907. Ralph Truitt is the wealthiest man in town and when he advertises for a wife he gets more than he bargained for. Catherine Land answers his ad and arrives in his life full of mysterious, seductive secrets. As her true purpose for agreeing to marry a lonely stranger unfolds we learn about the dynamics of powerful relationships between parents and children, husbands and wives, siblings, and lovers. 

I love books like this that are set in an interesting historical time period with a realistic setting that tells the reader a little bit about what life was like in the past. This book does that and a whole lot more. I was surprised by how steamy much of the plot was in this book, but if you don't mind some racy scenes you will find this to be a very interesting book with several plot twists. 

The main character, Catherine, shows us the dilemma women faced around the turn of the century: without a husband to support you, you were going to be hard off to have a comfortable role in society. In her effort to find her place in the world, she becomes caught between two loves - a new love that is seemingly good and honest versus a bitter, lustful love from the past. 


Overall, this was a very engaging story with characters that, while not exactly relatable, the reader can feel sympathy for. Be prepared for some very sexy scenes, struggles with life and death, and a few unexpected turn of events. 

I'd love comments from anyone else who has read A Reliable Wife or anyone who has any book suggestions. 

Giveaway: $50 Safeway Giftcard

Since I started blogging a few months ago I've learned that there are some terrific giveaway blogs out there.

One of them is In a Kid's World, which is hosting a $50 Safeway giftcard giveaway. You can go to the website to enter the Safeway giveaway and to find a whole bunch of other great giveaway contests to enter.

Good luck!

Recipe of the day: Scones

Scones are a delicious treat that I thought would be way too difficult for me to make myself, but I was happily surprised at how well this recipe turned out. 

Here's a recipe that is simple and quite delicious. I used dried apricots the first time I made them but any dried fruit would be tasty. My kids enjoyed helping with this recipe too, especially rolling out the dough and shaping the scones.

Scones

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup sugar

4 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons shortening

3/4 cup cream

1 egg

Handful dried currants, dried cranberries and/or diced dried apricots

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix well. Cut in butter and shortening. In a separate bowl, combine cream with beaten egg then add to dry ingredients. Stir in fruit. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Roll dough out and cut into small triangles or biscuit size rounds. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

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I wish I was a grown up

My darling six-year-old daughter is so enthralled with her new baby brother that she wants to hold him every chance she gets. She can hardly wait for me to finish feeding him before she gets a chance to hold him again.

Being a big sister for the second time has really brought out the best in her sweet little personality. She is suddenly more helpful, more polite, and more considerate. The effects of this are spilling over into her behavior with her 3-year-old brother too. It's wonderful! (I feel like I need to knock on wood just typing out the words so I don't jinx it.)

I had to hold back a chuckle the other day when she said one of the cutest things. She was holding baby Ryan on her lap when she looked at me with her big brown eyes, a serious expression on her face.

"Mama, I wish I was a grown up so that he could be my baby," she said wistfully.

Ha! I know she really thinks that's true but if only she knew how much work and stress she'll have when she's a grown up and how much she'll wish for the carefree days of childhood again... Laundry, cooking, grocery shopping, cleaning, work, bills, etc. (Do I need to go on?) Then again, that's my grown up perspective and I don't really remember how it feels to be six-years-old.

I gently reminded her that if Ryan was her baby she would have to change his poopy diapers and wake up with him at night. She really thought about that for a while. Maybe being the big sister is enough for now after all.