Saturday, February 16, 2013

Books that changed my life (the young readers edition)

As a lifelong reader, and someone who worked at Barnes and Noble to help put myself through college, I've had a great number of people ask for my recommendation on books for their kids to read.  Here are a couple-few books that greatly impacted my childhood, and my life ...

 1. Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell.  This book (well, actually the epilogue) awakened me to the fact that the world of non-fiction (or in the least, historical fiction) existed.  I must have been about 7 or 8 when I first read this (I started reading when I was 2, and read a college freshman level by 4th grade, so it was often the case that I could decode books before I could fully synthesize what I was reading).  Anyhoo - it was in the epilogue that O'Dell explains that the book is based on a real Chumash girl who was rescued and taken to the Santa Barbara Mission.  My little girl world was rocked when I realized books could be written about real people, and thus my love of history was born.

Island of the Blue Dolphins, which won the Newbery Medal for excellence in children's literature in 1961, is the story of  Karana, whose family is killed, and who ends up surviving on her own for 8 years on an island off the coast of California.  O'Dell wrote the story based on Karana's own recounting of her life. The story explores not only Karana's loneliness, but also the beauty and simplicity of her solitary life.  It also paints the image of a strong, powerful female protagonist that is often lacking in children's literature.  O'Dell is a master of imagery, and his descriptions of the island Karana inhabits are quite lovely.   Island of the Blue Dolphins is standard reading for all 4th grade California students, who study the state's history during the year.  I don't remember being bothered by it (unlike the gut wrenching heartache I experienced reading Where the Red Fern Grows), but I know of some kids who were troubled by the descriptions of violence that result in Karana's family being killed.  If your little ones are especially sensitive, this would be a good book to read aloud together, which makes things a little less frightening, and allows for all important conversations.






















2. A Wrinkle in Time and A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L'Engle.  I don't remember how old I was when I first entered L'Engle's magical worlds of Kairos and Chronos, but I never left them.  I adored all off her books, but especially the two mentioned above.   A Wrinkle in Time, along with the Narnia books mentioned below awakened my life long love for science fiction and fantasy, while A Ring of Endless Light helped me overcome some of my more angsty childhood moods.  It can still bring me comfort when I need it.  I have a beautiful hardcover edition of Ring... that my grandparents bought me when I was young.  I also remember having a (seemingly) huge late fee at the library because I had A Swiftly Tilting Planet out for an extra couple of weeks.  Looking back, it was probably a whopping $1.50, but as a kid paying my own late fee it seemed really steep; Considering I remember it so well after 25+ years

A Wrinkle in Time and the other books of the "Time Quartet" are a great introduction into science fiction, while the books about the Austin family, including A Ring of Endless Light, are more traditional young reader books about the difficulties we all face growing up.  As I read and reread these books throughout the years, my appreciation for L'Engle's abilities to weave characters between these two seemingly separate worlds grew exponentially.  Chronos is our ordinary every day "wristwatch" time, while in the Kairos universe time moves differently, sometimes quicker and sometimes much slower.  There are a number of characters who are able to connect and cross between the universes and appear in both sets of novels.  A Wrinkle in Time won the Newbery in 1962, and A Ring of Endless Light was a Newbery Honor book in 1980.



3. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.  Really, the whole Narnia series.  The Magician's Nephew is a close second as to which installment would be my favorite.  I received a box set of these books from my Aunt Gail for Christmas when I was eight or nine.  They have traveled with me, through my dozens of moves ever since then.  The box had to be taped back together a time or two, but the books themselves are still in extraordinary condition, considering how often they've been read. 

I'm fairly certain the description is unnecessary, but the Chronicles of Narnia recount the beginning, middle, and end of another world.  It begins (and ends, actually) with the Pensevie children being magically transported (through the titular wardrobe) into the world of Narnia.  Narnia is full of satyrs, fauns, and talking animals, especially Aslan (the Lion) who rules over the realm. 

C.S. Lewis is a beautiful introduction to the world of fantasy.  I think I spent half my childhood imagining I was either in Narnia or Middle Earth (see below).  I bought the series for Chandler a couple years ago when the Disney movies started coming out, and found that the order of the books had been changed.  While it is true that, chronologically, that The Magicians Nephew comes first, Lewis meant for readers to first encounter Narnia through the wardrobe, and I share that belief.  I altered the numbering on Chandler's set of books, and I suggest you do the same.  The Magicians Newphew should really be book number six.

Much has been made of these books being written as Christian allegory, and there is certainly an abundance of evidence to back that up.  I began making such connections when I reread the series as an adult, but that's because of my Christian beliefs.  If it's not your thing, you can still completely enjoy the series as simply fantasy novels.

An interesting segue - C.S. Lewis became a Christian based on his friendship with J.R.R. Tolkien, who was a strong believer in Christ, and who wrote the next book(s) on my list.



4. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.  Of course, the Ring trilogy follows as books I loved (after all, we do have a dog named Frodo), but The Hobbit was the first one I read.  What with the blockbuster films that have come out lately, I probably don't need a long explanation; but this is the story of Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit who goes on an adventure, finds a magical ring, and defeats a dragon with his mental prowess.

I wanted nothing more as a kid than to visit Hobbiton or Rivendale, and I was in love with Legolas long before he looked like Orlando Bloom.  Hours, days, and months of my childhood were spent reading and rereading Tolkien's books.  They're a bit more difficult of a read, and contain more violence than the other books discussed above, and are probably best for kids who are a bit older or more mature, but The Hobbit is a more simple tale, and is a great intro into the world of Middle Earth.


What books were you most influenced by as a young reader?  I'd love to know, please leave a comment below. 



*all photos were borrowed from my good friends from Barnes & Noble at  bn.com 

Monday, February 4, 2013

Inspiring Bloggers

The internet can be a terrifying and powerful place, I try to keep things positive and peaceful in my little corner of it (it's a VERY small corner).  In fact, my one and only new years resolution was to refrain from participating in arguements and debates with people on facebook and what not.  Granted, most of them were with my brother in law, and we both know that we'll never change each others minds regarding gun control or marriage equality (I'm for both, he's against them), but we're family and we love each other (and never talk politics in person). 

Here at Candice's Curious Compendium, I try to share some of the lovely things I come across in this happy little life of mine.  Good reads, good eats, good music, art, crafts, and the like. 

I was therefore, naturally thrilled when my wonderful friend, Becky Johnson nominated me for a Very Inspiring Blogger Award.
I have the pleasure of knowing Becky IRL, and have been following her blog since I met her through Justin and the great group of friends I gained when we got together.   Becky's blog is full of great book reviews and tales of the adventurous life she and her husband live. 

The Very Inspiring Blogger Awards work as follows:
(there are always rules)
1. Display the award logo
2. Link to the person who nominated you
3. State seven facts about yourself
4. Nominate other bloggers who inspire you

of course, there is no requirement to play along, but why wouldn't you want to share the work of people who inspire you? 

Seven things about me:

1. I am a Capital N Nerd... Science Fiction, Fantasy, Video Games, Trivia, crossword puzzles, Star Wars, Star Trek, Dr. Who, Monty Python, Lord of the Rings (which I read as a kid, long before the movies came out), etc. etc. etc.

2. My very first hero was Joan Embry, the ambassador of the San Diego Zoo.  I still greatly admire her, and I still secretly wish I could live at the zoo.  I have always loved animals, and some of my very favorite childhood memories were formed at the SD Zoo with my cousin Kyla, sister Crystal, and my grandparents, who always took us there.

3. I played the clarinet from 3rd grade until high school.  One of the very few regrets I have is that I ever stopped playing.  And yes, I know it's never too late to start again.  It's on my to-do list.

4. I'm related to the 7th President of the United States, Andrew Jackson.  He gets a bad rap for the Indian Removal Act, but it was an action of the times.  He was a fiercely loyal man who never backed down from what he believed in.  He was an instinctual military genius, and was the first real President of the people, who spoke for the common man, and not the elite.

5. I started reading when I was two, and have never stopped.  I am always reading something, usually more than one thing.  And I'll read pretty much anything. 

6. I am not afraid of heights, but I'm terrified of ladders.  I can stand on the edge of a cliff and look down, but can't climb anything higher than the stepladder in my kitchen.  I don't know why, but I really really don't like them.  I've also always been afraid of jumping off of or out of things. 

7. I never ever expected to fall in love, get married, and have the happily ever after I live every day.  I completely expected to become a spinster aunt who lived alone with my dog.  I am so eternally grateful for the blessings that God has given me.  I am married to my very best friend in the world, and am constantly surprised at how joyful my life has become. 

While I certainly enjoy super famous people's blogs, like George Takai and Tim Holz, here are some regular people, like myself, who inspire me, and help to make the internet a more beautiful place.  I hope you check them out.

My nominations for the Very Inspiring Blogger Awards are:

Capybara Madness - The capybara is one of my favorite animals.  I ran across this blog while researching the world's largest rodent for a project for school.  This is a pet caypbara's view of the world, Garibaldi the capybara narrates this blog with help from his owner, Melly.  

Inspired Mama  - Amanda is a teacher turned stay-at-home-mom-of-three.  She shares vegan meal plans, knitting ideas, and experiences from her inspired life. 

House of Humble - I was originally enamored with the name of this lifestyle blog.  Blogging couple Katie and Ruben write about cooking, crafting, and their simple, beautiful life together.

The Shiksa in the Kitchen - is a food writer who develops delicious recipes and explores the history of food.  two of my favorite things!

Serving Pink Lemonade - is a playful blog created by sisters living on opposite coasts as a way to keep their families connected.  You'll find simple recipes, fun and easy crafts for the whole family, and cute party ideas. 

Rindy Mae - another great place to find simple and delicious recipes interspersed with heartwarming tales of family.

What blogs to you follow?  mention them in a comment below and spread the word. 

 

Friday, February 1, 2013

Make your own peanut butter cups!

In my mind, peanut butter + chocolate = delicious, always.  I saw this post  from Fifteen Spatulas for homemade peanut butter cups, and decided to tweak (as is my way) and make it my own.

I also thought this recipe would be a good opportunity to talk about using a double boiler.  The recipe from Fifteen Spatulas uses the microwave to melt her chocolate.  I haven't had much success with that method, but if you want to use the micro instead of the stove, you should check her post out.

I was also interested in trying this out because, if it was successful, we could create a peanut free version for my nephew, Chan, who has a peanut allergy.  The options are endless, really.  Sunflower butter is what I'm guessing my sister would choose for Chan, because he has to avoid not only peanuts, but also anything made in a facility that uses peanuts and tree nuts.  But you could use cashew, almond, macadamia, or any other sort of butter. 

However, since this was my first attempt, I used good old goober butter.  I also chose to use dark chocolate chips, because not only are they delicious, I can claim that these treats are more healthy because of the antioxidants found in dark chocolate.

Here's the step by step, a more concise recipe can be found below.

Step One: gather your supplies:
  You'll need:
  • muffin tins - you can use mini, regular, or giant... whatever size cups you want to create.  This recipe perfectly filled one 12 and one 6 cup muffin tins
  • paper muffin/cupcake liners - you know, to fill in the tins.  I got mine at Michael's for .75 on clearance.  I think it's a pack of 100 or so.
  • a double boiler.  I'm pretty sure you can buy an actual fancy device called a double boiler, but like my hero, Alton Brown, I don't believe in uni-taskers.  I don't have room in my tiny kitchen for a bunch of gadgets.  I've always just made my own.  You'll need a pot, and a heat proof bowl (like Pyrex) that fits somewhat inside.  More on this in a bit...
  •  measuring cups and spoons, a couple big spoons (probably not metal), a sifter of sorts, and a freezer.  
  • Ingredients:
    • 1 cup peanut butter (or whatever kind of butter you choose)
    • 2 bags (mine were 11.5 oz each) of chocolate chips (mine were dark)
    • 1/4 cup butter
    • 1/2 + 1/8 cup powdered sugar... This 5/8 of a cup, but I don't have a 5/8 cup, nor do I want to measure 1/8 cup 5x, so... however you want to measure this is fine...
somehow, I left a bunch of supplies out of this pic...
Step Two: line the muffin tins with the liners.  Maybe this is self-explanatory, but, someone might not know...


 Step Three: set up your double boiler.
 OK, chocolate can be a crazy thing.  It can't get too hot, you can't let it burn on the bottom of the pan, you can't get water in it.... it's like a really high maintenance friend.  You can melt chocolate in the microwave, like I said above, but in my experience the mess isn't worth it.

If you are really against using a double boiler you can use a trick I saw on Good Eats with my hero, Alton Brown.  Put a heating pad inside a large heat safe bowl, a towel on top of the heating pad, and then put your chocolate in a smaller bowl and set it on top of the towel.  Set it to medium, and then to low once your chocolate is melted.

Here's what I do.... to make a double boiler get a pot and a pyrex bowl that fits about half way inside it.  You do NOT want your bowl to get close to the bottom of the pot.  Put a few inches of water into the pot, and make sure there's at least an inch between the bottom of the bowl and the water.
make sure there's space between the water and the bowl, lest your chocolate burn!

** Put ONE bag of  chocolate in the bowl, turn on the heat and bring the water to a boil.  The steam created by the boiling water will gently melt the chocolate.  Stir occasionally, it will look ugly for a few minutes, but the chocolate will melt and become shiny and beautiful.  I've never run into any trouble using a double boiler.  Sometimes old school is the best school.
I use wooden spoons because they don't conduct heat and get hot.  Silicone would work too.

That was a long step three...

Step Four:  While your chocolate is melting, you can begin assembling your peanut butter filling.

Make sure you use another heat proof bowl for the filling, as we will use the double boiler for this bowl too.
I'm a fan of these plunger style measuring cups (another thing Alton taught me about) for measuring goopy stuff, like yogurt, mayo, honey, etc.  You can also measure multiple ingredients using displacement.   

The plunger measuring cup is great because once you plunge you can scrap off the goop, you could never get all of the peanut butter out of a regular measuring cup.  Well, I couldn't at least.  Add a 1/4 cup of regular butter to the bowl. and set it aside for a bit.

Also measure out the 1/2 cup and 1/8 cup of powdered/confectioners/icing sugar (whatever you like to call it)
my cute and colorful measuring cups
Step Five: by now you're chocolate is probably melted.  It should look glossy like this:
beautiful melted chocolate
Now you'll start filling your muffin tins.  I used a tablespoon to make sure they were all even.  You could use a disher, or anything really, but by using a tablespoon I (purely through luck) came out pretty much perfectly even with the 18 muffin cups. 


 When they're all filled kind of tap and shake the tins around to smooth out the chocolate and make sure the entire bottom of the cup is covered.

Now put the tins in the freezer.  I had to shuffle stuff around in my very small freezer to make room, and to make sure the tins were even.  Leave them in for at least 15 minutes.

freezer super full of fruit/veg/ice cream/ etc.

Step Six: Set the chocolate bowl aside because we'll be using it again.  BE CAREFUL when you take it off of the pot because STEAM BURNS ARE AWFUL!  Set the bowl with the peanut butter and butter on the double boiler and melt everything down. 

Step Seven: Remove the melty peanut buttery goodness from the stove and sift in the powdered sugar.  You don't have to use a sifter, but if you do it will be much easier to mix the sugar in and avoid lumpage.  Lumps are bad.

sifting is good - lumps are bad
 Step Eight: stir the sugar into the peanut butter mixture until it is completely mixed in.  It should be stiff but smooth.


 Step Nine: by now your chocolate should be hardened.  It will look like this:

 Spoon the peanut butter mixture on top of the chocolate.  I used a tablespoon again, and it came out great.  Be sure to spread the mixture out, since the chocolate is cold it will start to harden the peanut butter right away.


 You'll have to shake and tap the tins a bit more vigorously to get the peanut butter to flatten out.



 Put the tins back in the freezer for another 15 minutes.

Step Ten: While the peanut butter is chilling we will melt the second bag of chocolate.  Put the chocolate bowl back on the double boiler and melt.  When the peanut butter is set spoon the final layer of chocolate on top of the peanut butter.  Chill the tins for a final 15 minutes.  (all this waiting was the most difficult part of the process!)

Once the chocolate is completely set you're done!  Here's one fresh out of the freezer.  You can see the layers of chocolate and peanut butter. 


Unfold the wrapper and enjoy! 


 You can use more or less chocolate and/or peanut butter depending on what you like.  I think mini muffin tins would make cute little cups too.

I put my cups in a gallon zip top bag in the fridge.  You can keep them in the freezer, fridge, or on the counter depending on how hard or soft you want your cup to be. 
 

 Frodo (who is always curious) really wanted to be my assistant and was in the kitchen the whole time I was working on these.  His tail is wagging so fast you can't even see it.  He's a cutie.


As promised, here's a more concise recipe

2 bags chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 + 1/8 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter
  • line muffin tin with 18 cupcake liners
  • melt 1 bag of chocolate chips in a double boiler
  • spoon melted chocolate into bottom of liners and chill 15 minutes in freezer
  • melt peanut butter and butter over double boiler
  • remove from heat and sift in powdered sugar, mix well
  • spoon over chocolate.  Tap and shake tins to even mixture out.  Freeze another 15 minutes
  • melt remaining bag of chocolate, spoon over peanut butter mixture, freeze another 15 minutes