An Alphabet for ...

Oatmeal: Z is for Zucchini

2010-11-10T21:13:00.003-06:00

Z is for Zucchini
I sometimes wonder how some grated zucchini, raisins, cinnamon, and a touch of ground clove will taste mixed together in my morning oatmeal.

Oatmeal: Y is for Yogurt

2010-11-10T21:10:00.002-06:00

Y is for Yogurt
Honestly, I only use yogurt when there isn't any milk. It's good in a granola parfait with fruit--not so good mixed into hot oatmeal where it leaves a bad aftertaste.

Y is for Yeast
Nutritional yeast is supposed to taste cheesy. I keep meaning to purchase some to see if my husband will be tricked by it on popcorn--thinking I made cheese popcorn. So, I have never tried it in oatmeal.

Oatmeal: X is for xocolatl - Ancient Aztec for chocolate

2010-11-10T21:07:00.002-06:00

X is for Xocolatl
I wrote about chocolate in oatmeal before but I can never stress enough how necessary chocolate is to my well-being. I will be ever grateful to live in a world with Xocolatl.

Oatmeal: W is for Walnuts

2010-11-10T21:03:00.001-06:00

W is for Walnuts
Nuts and oatmeal work well mixed together. Walnuts are one of those powerfoods we should all be eating.

Oatmeal: V is for Vanilla

2010-11-10T21:01:00.002-06:00

V is for Vanilla
Kashi has vanilla oatmeal. I save myself the money by making my own by adding a few drops of vanilla extract into my oatmeal before heating it. Yum.

Oatmeal: U

2010-11-10T20:24:00.001-06:00

U is for You
You come up with something starting with U to mix into oatmeal. Ugli fruit? All I can think of is sqUash. Mashed or pureed squash.

Oatmeal: Tahini

2010-11-08T20:47:00.002-06:00

T is for Tahini
Middle Eastern Oatmeal: which proves oatmeal is as versatile as cabbage (according to a paper I wrote in high school, cabbage is often overlooked but highly versatile).

T is for Tea
Some mornings, when my son did not sleep well, I consider replacing my oatmeal water with brewed Constant Comment or a chai tea.

Oatmeal: S is for Soy Sauce

2010-11-07T22:09:00.002-06:00

S is for Soy Sauce
Never would I have thought to try steel cut oats with scallions and soy sauce. Initially, it was odd. Then addictive.

S is for Squash
In a pinch, purred squash can fill in for pumpkin.

S is for Sweet Potato
Never tried this but am tempted to try on the rare occasion there is leftover sweet potato in the fridge.

S is for Salt.
Necessary for flavor.

S is for Sugar
Not always necessary for flavor.

S is for Strawberries
Fresh is good, dried are expensive but delicious.

S is for Sunflower Seeds
Like granola without the oil!

Oatmeal: R is for Raisins

2010-10-21T20:49:00.002-05:00

R is for Raisins
Raisins in oatmeal are OK. Golden Raisins are good. Golden raisins, sweetener and spices make it great.
Who knew oatmeal was sexy?

Q is for Quinoa

2010-10-19T21:00:00.002-05:00

Q is for Quinoa
Quinoa is a seed and oatmeal is a grain but they are friends who enjoy breakfast together. And sometimes eat dessert.

Oatmeal: Pumpkin

2010-09-28T20:29:00.003-05:00

P is for Pumpkin
Several bloggers and a semi-family email food newsletter promote pumpkin in oatmeal. I have my own receipe:
1/2 cup quick oats
1/3 can pure pumpkin (split the rest into two other containers for later)
1 cup water
salt to taste
sweetener to taste
shakes of cinnamon
shakes of ginger
one shake of cloves
half a shake of nutmeg (I'm anti nutmeg)
microwave on high 2-3 minutes, add a dash of milk
enjoy

P is for Pumpkin Butter
If there is, say, a canned pumpkin shortage, add pumpkin butter to oatmeal.

P is for Peaches
When pumpkin is hard to find.

Oatmeal: Orange Zest

2010-09-22T21:20:00.002-05:00

O is for Orange Zest.
My mother-in-law sent me a few steel-cut oatmeal recipes from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Recipes for Two: For the Small Slow Cooker. It called for the grated zest of one orange or tangerine and dried fruit. The orange zest gave the oatmeal an added depth that I honestly could not stop eating. It was perfect for a December morning.

Oatmeal: Nuts

2010-09-20T21:21:00.002-05:00

N is for Nuts.
Another obvious addition: chopped nuts, any variety and mixture.

N is for Nutella.
I've never tried adding Nutella to my oatmeal, but since Nutella tastes good on almost everything, it must be delicious.

Oatmeal: Milk

2010-09-17T06:19:00.002-05:00

M is for Milk.
Obviously. Three choices here: cooked with milk, cooked with water and topped with milk (cereal style) or cooked with milk and topped with milk. More choices: cow's milk, almond milk, soy milk, rice milk or coconut milk.

M is for Molasses
Just don't add too much, it's nasty.

M is for Maple Syrup.
Everyone knows maple syrup goes well in oatmeal.

M is for Macadamia nuts.
Health-wise, these are possibly the worst nuts, taste-wise, one word: yum. Exotic reputation helps.

Oatmeal: Lychee

2010-09-11T08:22:00.002-05:00

L is for Lychee.
For an Asian-inspired museli mix sliced lychees, a handful of old-fashioned oatmeal, some dried goji berries, a dash of ground ginger, and chopped peanuts or cashews (or both). Top with soy milk.

Oatmeal: Kiwi

2010-09-10T20:51:00.002-05:00

K is for Kiwi.
Make muesli: take some oatmeal, add some sliced kiwi, a touch of honey, enough milk for dry cereal, and handful of chopped dried fruit and chopped nuts. Finish with a dollop of yogurt. Enjoy.

Oatmeal: Jam

2010-09-09T17:47:00.002-05:00

J is for Jam.
My son has the VTech Alphabet Train, so at least once a day I hear something similar to: J is for Jam. J ... J ... J. Turn the block over to find the letter ... J.

Jam, jelly, preserves, confiture: it's all fruity sugar. Most flavors work well, except the jalapeno flavored jars we have here in Texas.

Oatmeal: Ice Cream, Irish Cream

2010-09-08T20:34:00.002-05:00

I is for Ice Cream.
Ice cream and oatmeal don't seem like they would compliment each other, but they are actually good friends. Witness Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches. Ice cream can top oatmeal or vice versa. Or, oatmeal can be an ice cream flavor.

I is for Irish Cream.
On Ireland's West Coast, in Killarney, is Crystal Springs Guest House. It's a welcoming bed and breakfast with the traditional Irish breakfast. In addition to blood sausage, guests may order oatmeal topped with brown sugar and Bailey's Irish Cream. Biggest bowl of oatmeal (porridge) I've ever seen. And I ate the whole thing.

Oatmeal: Honey

2010-09-07T20:39:00.002-05:00

H is for honey.
All oatmeal needs for a touch of sweetness is honey. My nutritionist told me it's hard to add too much honey. She didn't realize the extent of my sweet tooth. I buy it every month. Local honey is supposed to help with allergies. It doesn't work for me but I still search the grocery store shelves for honey with the yellow local sticker.

Oatmeal: Ground Graham Crackers

2010-09-06T08:19:00.001-05:00

G is for ground graham crackers.
A few weeks ago I had lunch at Ruggles Green and ordered the butternut squash side. It was pureed with cream and topped with ground graham crackers. Delicious--the graham crackers add the right amount of vanilla and childhood nostalgia. It would work on oatmeal too.

G is for ground ginger.
Just a touch, fresh ginger wouldn't be as good. Ginger in oatmeal is also good with molasses, cinnamon and a touch of ground clove. That makes it gingerbread oatmeal.

G is for Gingersnaps.
Cookies for breakfast. Not healthy but always fun.

Oatmeal: Figs

2010-09-03T21:53:00.003-05:00

F is for Figs.
Why is it about Fig Newtons that make them taste so good? Why shouldn't I mix figs or fig preserves into my oatmeal?

F is for Flax Seed.
Adding ground flax seed to oatmeal increases the health benefits.

Oatmeal: Eggnog

2010-09-02T18:22:00.002-05:00

E is for Eggnog.
Eggnog should make a good milk substitute in oatmeal. Granted, I've never had real eggnog and have only added the soy eggnog to oatmeal, but how bad can it be? It's creamy and has cinnamon and nutmeg.

E is for Eggs.
Or rather, Eggs in baked oatmeal.

Oatmeal: Dates

2010-09-01T19:30:00.002-05:00

D is for dates.
All I can think of for D are dates.
Dates do not excite me. They don't repulse me either. They are just dates.

Oatmeal: Chocolate

2010-08-31T20:14:00.002-05:00

C is for chocolate.
Oatmeal + Chocolate = Happy Morning.
Sometimes, when I make my morning oatmeal, I add a teaspoon of coco powder. If there are squares of unsweetened chocolate or chocolate chips hidden in the pantry, they go in too. No need to discuss the benefits of chocolate and no need to discuss the history: chocolate is good. Period.

C is for cashew butter.
Cashew butter is expensive. I put it in my oatmeal the one time I had some in the house. It was melty and mixed-in well, making a my oatmeal filling, savory, and buttery on my tongue.

C is for coffee.
I have never added brewed or instant coffee to my oatmeal. Now that Starbucks has Via flavors, I might have to try adding instant coffee into my morning oatmeal.

C is for Cinnamon.
Oatmeal with Cinnamon (and sugar) is like BP&J, a classic.

C is for Cinnamon and (ground) clove.
Just a touch of ground clove makes oatmeal and cinnamon into Christmas.

C is for Carob.
Something else I've yet to try, only because I would have to make an effort to get carob chips at Whole Foods.

C is for (grated) carrots.
Another ingredient I've not attempted to mix into my oatmeal. Add carrot, a few raisins, some cinnamon and maybe a dollop of cream cheese (c is for cream cheese!) and I would have carrot cake for breakfast.

C is for cranberries.
Dried or fresh cranberries with sweetener make morning colorful.

C is for cherries.
Dried or fresh. Pitted if fresh.

C is for coffee creamer.
Many, many years ago I lived alone and never bought milk because I never could finish a half gallon. So I got liquid vanilla or hazelnut flavored coffee creamer for my coffee. One day, I added a touch to my oatmeal. It was creamy, delicious, and took no effort. Then discovered soy milk lasts longer than regular milk and comes in flavors too. So I gave up my coffee creamer, which was probably for the best as coffee creamer is one of those food products with a long list of unpronounceable ingredients Michael Pollen says people should avoid ingesting.

C is for coconut.
Tomorrow, I may have to add coconut to my chocolate oatmeal, just to try.

Oatmeal: Banana

2010-08-30T18:06:00.004-05:00

B is for Bananas and Blueberries. Sometimes, B is for blackberries, but only when I have a bag of frozen blackberries and it is "eat from the freezer" week.

B is for blueberries.
Dried, fresh, or frozen. If frozen, defrosted slightly to make purple water and therefore purple oatmeal.

B is for banana.
Take a frozen banana, break it in half. Defrost in bowl for 2 minutes. Add a half cup of quick oats, a dash of salt, and a cup of water. Heat 3 minutes on high. Mix well. Enjoy.

B is for Brazil Nuts.
Add two Brazil nuts to oatmeal for a day's worth of selenium.

B is for brown sugar.

Oatmeal: Apple

2010-08-29T20:21:00.004-05:00

In my mind, oatmeal is like ice cream. Good on its own, better with mix-ins, best with mix-ins AND toppings.

Being wholesome, mushy, and somewhat time consuming to prepare, oatmeal has a bad reputation. I fell in love with it more than six years ago when I trained for a marathon and found a bowl of oatmeal and a banana to be the best combination of foods for me before a long run. I started looking forward to getting up so I could make my breakfast and add new foods, spices, and milk to my oatmeal. My mix-ins and toppings.

Before I start my list, I should say I like all kinds of oatmeal (rolled, old-fashioned, and quick) because certain mix-ins work best with certain base oatmeal types. I use water, not milk, and I always add a pinch of salt.

Here is my list, in alphabetical order, of what I like in my oatmeal.

A is for Apple.

Diced apple. Good.
Diced apple with cinnamon. Better.
Diced apple with cinnamon and sugar. Perfection. Like pie for breakfast.

A is for Agave Nectar.
This is controversial and expensive. Agave nectar doesn't have a strong flavor (like honey) and lightly sweetens up a bowl of oatmeal. I don't use it everyday, due to the expense. However, it's quick, simple, and I like it.

A is for Apple Butter.
Nutritionally empty(as are apples, according to my husband). Faster than dicing an apple.

A is for Apricots.
Dried apricots. Honestly, I've never had fresh apricots.

A is for Almonds.
A is for Almond Butter.
Chopped almonds in oatmeal are good but the almond butter melts and makes it especially delicious. Some people like crunch, I like melted streaks of nut butter.

A is not for Almond Extract.
Adding almond extract to oatmeal is a bad move. Just avoid.

M.F.K. Fisher: Kasha

2010-01-16T12:45:00.002-06:00

What I like about Fisher's thoughts on Kasha (aka Buckwheat groats) is that she says "It can be bought most easily, at least in Western America, from 'health food stores.'" There were already health food stores in 1942?

Well, I didn't have to take off for Whole Foods or Sprouts, I was able to find buckwheat next to the oatmeal under the "organic" label at my HEB, however it was only available in a bag, not in bulk. I followed the directions, but there was overflow and a boiling mess to clean up. It fluffed up nicely though, despite my inattention.

It was indeed nutty, as Fisher said it would be, and I liked it well enough but can't think of what to serve it with to round out a meal. Fisher suggest meat or fowl and combining it with mushrooms. I can't imagine the look on my husband's face if I served him steak and a pile of buckwheat. (I just had progress getting him to agree to quinoa if it is spicy. I've been searching for spicy quinoa recipes for days ... .) I am intrigued with the mushroom idea for my own lunch. Maybe next week. In the meantime, I'll be searching for recipes using buckwheat since I have about three more cups to use up--and a cooked serving is a 1/4 cup.

M.F.K. Fisher: J is for Juvenile Applesauce

2010-01-15T15:35:00.004-06:00

In An Alphabet for Gourmets, Fisher takes a different approach than other gastronomic volumes in going through alphabet. It's not "A is for Apple, B is for Borscht" (page 575 in TAOE) but rather "A is for dining Alone, E is for Exquisite, F is for Family, I is for Innocence." Sometimes basic, sometimes deeper, but always with thought-provoking thoughts on her topic and usually with recipes, sometimes crazy ones.

That said, there are not any good recipes in The Art of Eating which begin with J. So I turned to J is for Juvenile where Fisher describes feeding her daughter and discusses her mother's applesauce. So that is why I chose to make applesauce for my son for my J recipe.

It was easy, peel Rome apples, boil, let cool, then puree. I should note that Fisher says applesauce should be lumpy and "never, never, never pureed." I am feeding a 6-month old. I pureed it. I also did not add the pat of butter that made the applesauce prepared by Fisher's mother "the best applesauce I have ever eaten."

For myself, I did add some vanilla and cinnamon. Next time I eat it--which will be soon since I have so much now, including a jar of organic applesauce--I will add brown sugar and cinnamon. The time after that, maybe some lemon zest. If I have lemons.

M.F.K. Fisher: All I could find was Fish in Lime

2010-01-13T20:49:00.003-06:00

I is for Fish in Lime. That's three Is. So it works for my alphabet. Fisher does not have many recipes that start with I in The Art of Eating. Instant rice and riz a l'Imperatrice (which seems to be rice pudding and requires 16 eggs, red currant jelly, and a Bauvarian cream mold.) So I found an obscure sentence about baking fish in lime juice on page 225. Almost at the same time, Yumsugar reposted a recipe for Lime Steamed Salmon, which I baked, after digging out my steamer basket and finding it to be tiny.

It was OK. Honestly, it deserved better salmon and more salt than I used. I might try it again, in my tiny steamer basket. It was a nice break from the very brave seafood Jambalaya I made Monday and will be eating until Tuesday. Not that my husband is complaining, it was good, though time consuming, and called for two heads of garlic and some of the fish tastes funny. Also, now that I think of it, I should start questioning the fishmonger and demand better quality.

Grandma's Burnt Sugar Cake: Syrup Experiement #1

2010-01-07T15:40:00.003-06:00

Per my mother's request, I am attempting to recreate my grandmother's Burnt Sugar Cake. Today seemed like a good day to start as I have been hiding inside and letting an Arctic Blast attack Texas.

Hiding in my house means that when I discovered I was out of butter for the cake part, I decided to forget about putting on shoes, coat on myself and my 6-month old and going to the store. Instead, I decided to practice the burning sugar syrup part and worry about the cake later. (I can't think about that now. I'll think about that tomorrow.)

Grandma's instructions (in the entirety)
Burn in a skillet: 1/2 C. Sugar
Then add: 1/2 C. water
Cook to a syrup, but don't cook too long.

GAAAAAAAAAAA!!! What temperature is the skillet? How long will it take the sugar to burn? Mom said something about a cast iron skillet--do I need one? Don't cook too long? How long is too long?

What I learned today: it doesn't take long for the sugar to burn. It's scary to add water to burning sugar. In fact, I ran across the kitchen when it started to splatter and sputter unkindly at me. According to this blog, I probably stirred it too much and took it off the heat too soon, because I didn't end up with syrup, but with brown simple syrup.

M.F.K. Fisher: Gingerbread

2010-01-07T15:26:00.003-06:00

G is for Gingerbread.

In How to Cook a Wolf, Fisher says her mother's recipe for Gingerbread "... is the best recipe for gingerbread ever devised." Reminder, How to Cook a Wolf was published in 1942. Edith's Gingerbread is a basic gingerbread recipe with one exception: boiling water. I've made a few different versions of cakey gingerbread and never seen boiling water. She notes that the batter will seem "much too thin to make a cake." She's right. It seemed very thin and watery. In the book, it says to bake for 20 minutes. When I looked at my cake after that time, it was wiggling and was much more solid after 11 more minutes.

Fisher describes the gingerbread as springy. It is indeed springy. However, I have another recipe which does not contain shortening and has more molasses that I like better. So, I probably would not make this again. However, my husband thinks it was pretty good, but then he seems to like baked goods with shortening (trans fats) in them.

M.F.K. Fisher: F is for Foo Yeung

2010-01-04T19:46:00.004-06:00

F is for Foo Yeung.

I keep calling Foo Yeung "Foo Goo," since that's what my grandfather used to call me (no, I don't know why he called me that).

Anyway, it's basically an omelette, however, Fisher states that is is similar to a frittata. It's made up of diced onions, celery, green pepper, and mushrooms and eggs. I think of it as fried rice, without the rice. She does note that other things can be added to her recipe--shrimp, cooked rice, chicken, fried almonds and "minced cooked porkhambeefvealfish."

The main thing I learned making this was that I don't like celery in my eggs. I would not make this again, I would just make fried rice. I love me some fried rice.

Homemade Baby Food: ABC

2010-01-03T13:13:00.004-06:00

Honestly, I never expected to be someone who made their own baby food. I never intended to use cloth diapers either. For the diapers, it's just that I read a lot and listened to several podcasts and everyone made it seem so easy. And it is.

As for baby food, it suddenly seemed easy when my mother said she made my baby food. Her moment came when she saw the price for baby food bananas and decided she could mash her own.

So, I got an immersion blender and ice cube trays for Christmas and now have three bags of food in my freezer.

We did start my son off on rice and oatmeal. And we do use the 4 day wait rule for introducing new foods to my son. So we don't have a long list of foods that he has tasted/eaten.

A is for Avocado

Take a ripe avocado. Mash it. Maybe add some breast milk or formula, to make it a little creamier. Done.

Feed to eager baby. Expect stained clothes and bibs. Make yourself guacamole with leftover avocado (which, admittedly, is the whole reason to feed your baby avocado in the first place.)

B is for Banana

Cut banana in half. Mash with fork. Maybe add milk/formula. Done.

Feed to baby. Eat the rest of the banana yourself. Expect stained bib/clothes and very sticky, fibrous diapers. (Thank you, Dad, for the diaper sprayer. I really, really appreciate it.)

C is for Carrots

I should note that we always have a bag of baby carrots around the house. And I should confess that yes, I do know baby carrots are big carrots cut up. And yes, I do know it is cheaper to buy whole carrots and peel and cut them myself. But I just won't do that. I like that the baby carrots are cut up and I like having them around.

Steam baby carrots until tender. Allow to cool. Add a little water (but not water used to steam carrots--nitrates apparently). Blend. Pour into ice cube trays. Freeze. Pop out of trays. Place in bags. Label. Take out one cube at a time to defrost in fridge overnight.

I should also say thank you to the people who gave me some stage 2 baby food. I don't want you to think I am ungrateful, we've opened some of it already. And I'll break into it when introducing meats, since I am intimidated by cooking meat for me, the thought of cooking it for my son terrifies me.

Sources

Wholesomebabyfood: Best reference site about foods, includes recipes. Breaks down feeding by ages and foods and includes nutrition. Includes helpful info on freezing. Well-respected--most linked to from other sites.

Weelicious: A California Mother posts baby/toddler foods daily on her blog. Lists many sources and foods are broken down by ages. Does make me feel guilty for baking with sugar and using white rice. Some ingredients are hard to find without a trip to Whole Foods.

BabyFood101: Big database, lists ages and has recipes. I've not used it too much, yet.

Nurture Baby: Another mother's website/company. Has nutrition info. Seems better for toddlers.

Articles

Chow: Make Your Own Baby Food. A few basic recipes.

Gourmet: Bringing Up Baby. Read now before it disappears.

Seattle Examiner: How to Make Your Own Baby Food.

Book

Top 100 Baby Purees. There are several other books out there, but this one gives cooking times, freezing suggestions, and has pictures. I like pictures in my cookbooks.

M.F.K. Fisher: Date Delight and Hard Sauce

2010-01-02T20:19:00.003-06:00

D is for Date Delight, H is for Hard Sauce. (E was for Eggs in Hell, F will be Foo Yeung, and G will be for Gingerbread)

The name Date Delight sounds pleasant and happy in a rather British way. It also sounds like it should be related to Turkish Delight. According to Fisher's commentary, Date Delight "makes a pleasant hot dessert which is definitely a pudding." So, it is related to the British! As in Figgy Pudding, Christmas Pudding, etc. And like Figgy Pudding, it is served with a lemon sauce, what Fisher calls Hard Sauce, which has rum in it.

Among the many things Date Delight called for was crumbs. Crumbs. What kind? Can I use Graham cracker crumbs? But I was saving my Graham cracker crumbs for Magic Bars. So I used my food processor and crumbed some bread. I also only had dried dates on hand and used half the amount called for in the recipe.

It smelled delicious while baking, but came out cakey. Rather like a cinnamon coffee cake, but dotted with dates, which I now prefer to raisins after this experiment.

Fisher says its an expensive dish. Hmmm, I disagree there as I had almost everything on hand but the dates. She also says it should be the main point of a meal and should be served after soup and salad, is a winter thing, and that men like it more than do women. I tried to make it the main point and served it as dessert after salmon, green beans, and a carrot/cheese/rice casserole side dish. I agree with Fisher, it is a winter thing, mainly because of the spices used in baking and it's relationship to puddings. And my husband did say it was good. However, back to that main point of a meal ... after eating it, my husband had ice cream, a Purdy's chocolate, Boy Scout popcorn AND a beer. So for him, it turned out to be more of a side dish.

As for the Hard Sauce. That didn't work out at all. Maybe it was because I didn't properly cream the butter and powdered sugar or maybe those two things cannot be creamed, but I ended up throwing it out. Instead, I turned to a similar recipe in How to Be A Domestic Goddess which mixed powdered sugar and lemon juice, but didn't call for butter or shortening. And I poured in--a little too fast--some Southern Comfort (since I don't have rum).

All I really tasted was the fruity Southern Comfort. Poured on the Date Delight, it reminded me of my Grandmother's neighbor's famous Rum Cake, but with more flavor.

Would I make it again? Possibly. If I had leftover dates. I wouldn't bother with the Hard Sauce.

M.F.K. Fisher: Eggs in Hell

2009-12-17T21:16:00.003-06:00

E is for Eggs in Hell.

Yes, I skipped D (Date Delight). I'm working on scaling down the recipe since my husband told me he does not like dates.

Anyway: Eggs in Hell.

I am terrible at cooking eggs. Growing up, my mother only ever scrambled eggs and I don't recall my father ever doing anything with eggs, besides eating the scrambled eggs. In college, a guy I didn't date--it's important to distinguish because he thought we were dating and broke up with me, for the record, we went to the movies once and I hated the movie--rudely made fun of me for not knowing how to make an omelette. I've since learned how--carefully and loaded with good things like avocado.

Even given my inexperience with eggs, I actually thought eggs in hell would be easy. In How to Cook a Wolf, Fisher describes it as an egg broken and cooked into a mixture of onions, garlic, herbs, and tomato sauce ("Italian kind is best, but even catsup will do if you cut down on spices"), then served on a slice of thin French bread, maybe dusted with Parmesan.

Fisher had daughters, so she might understand that I was not into cooking eggs in hell tonight while sleep training my 6 month old. Even though my husband graciously took over the bedtime duty, hearing the cries ... distracted me and the eggs were overcooked. Boiled. They were probably supposed to be runny. Oh, and I served them over thin sandwich bread since that's what we had in the house.

Sigh. He's asleep now and I was tempted to pour Irish Cream over chocolate ice cream for dessert but settled for a peanut butter Popsicle and a banana Popsicle instead, to eat down the food in the freezer by the end of the year.

Next up: Date Delight for one, and Basic Foo Yeung (maybe after Christmas).

How to Feed My Cats

2009-12-17T09:12:00.004-06:00

Step 1: is to detach the feeder from the ground. The photo above shows the timer thing and it's zip fastner thing covered in Duct tape. This needs to be undone.
Step 2: find the screwdriver hidden under the sink, next to the food. Lift the top flap, push down on the bottom flap. You might have to pull a bit on the little square (under my thumb in the picture above) while pushing on the little flap.

This usually takes me a couple of tries and usually involves some small curses before it releases.

Step 3: Fill the food compartments with a scoop and a half of food. Then set the timer with the arrow pointing to the correct time in the red "today" area. Each notch is an hour so I try to set it close to the actual time, but sometimes it's off an hour.

Step 4: Reattach everything, be sure to line up the curved part of the cover over the "Battery" arrow, or it won't fit. Slide the zip thing back together, pull tight. Press the tape back onto the feeder.

Step 5: Turn the feeder so the curved timer part is facing the corner under the cabinets. I feel the bottom of the feeder for the Velcro a and match the left edges. In other words, I put my fingers from my left hand on the left edge of the Velcro on the floor and fingers on my right hand on the left edge of the Velcro piece on the feeder and try to match them. Like hanging a picture on a wall.

Then make sure it is truly stuck to the ground.

It should look like this (only the open compartment should be on the other side and have a 0 in it).

Since you will be handling food, they will want to eat. I just throw food on the ground. There are some treats under the sink, but I've learned they don't know the difference between cat treats and cat food.

M.F.K. Fisher: Cinnamon Milk

2009-11-24T11:58:00.004-06:00

C is for Cinnamon Milk.

When I was pregnant, every few days I would secretly wash down my prenatal vitamins with milk and sugar. After making Fisher's cinnamon milk, I know now I should have added cinnamon. The recipe calls for a pint of milk and a teaspoon of cinnamon heated together in a double boiler. Simple and easy. She suggested serving it as cream or over baked apples. I liked it as milk and might mix milk and cinnamon together in the future to make coffee creamer, but I won't bother heating it. As for topping the baked apples: not worth it. The liquid for the apples separated with the milk and looked bad, I couldn't finish my apple.

Thanksgiving is this week which makes me think of my family's holiday traditions and foods. We don't have many traditional foods. Maybe ham and turkey, but no Aunt Such and Such's stuffing. We DO have Red Apples from my Great Grandma Purdy.

Red Apples

6 Large, peeled and quartered Red Delicious Apples
3 cups or so water
1 to 1 1/3 cups sugar
1 package Cinnamon red imperial Candy
3 to 4 drops red food coloring

Mix all but food coloring in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir to melt candies, let boil a minute then cover and turn to low. Check with a fork after about 15 minutes to see if they are tender, if not, cook another 15 minutes. Stir gently and push apples down into juice. Add red food coloring, stir to mix. Let sit one hour then chill in fridge until ready to serve.

I know Red Delicious are not the best apples for cooking, but Red Delicious are the only variety soft enough to allow the center of the apple slices to become bright red. It never happens with other varietals--trust me, I've tried several times.

Another way to mix cinnamon and apples is to make apple cider in a crock-pot using ingredients similar to the Red Apples. Mix a bag of Red Cinnamon Imperial Candy with apple juice, heat on low. Done. Easy. Good.

M.F.K. Fisher: Baked Apples

2009-11-22T19:23:00.006-06:00

B is for Baked Apples. I love apples and I love trying all the different varieties of apples. Golden Delicious are my current favorites with Pink Lady coming in second. Honeycrisps are also high on the list. I'm not a big fan of Granny Smith apples but have a few for my Thanksgiving salad, although now I know, from Serious Eats, that those probably are not the best for baking.

Given my love of apples, I decided the second recipe from The Art of Eating would be the baked apples on page 314.

Baked Apples

apples ... almost any kind, although Deliciouses are delicious
brown sugar (1 tablespoon for each apple)
cinnamon, nutmeg, raisins, dates, left-over jam
butter (optional)
water

Core the apples and put in a baking dish. Fill each hole with the fruit or jam, and put a dab of butter on top if you want to. Mix the sugar with enough water to fill the dish almost to the top, and bake slowly until the apples are tender.

Seemed easy enough. I used two Granny Smith stuffed with cinnamon, nutmeg and raisins and two Gala stuffed with cinnamon, nutmeg, and dried chopped dates. I was making my favorite quick bread and stuck the apples in also at 350 degrees for almost an hour. I had checked after half and hour and they seemed to need more time.

Well, they got too much time. As with many of my baking experiments, this did not go as planned. One Gala busted on me giving me applesauce of sorts.

I like recipes because they give me assurance that I can follow what they say and have something edible and potentially delicious when completed. I prefer recipes with temperatures and times and feel insecure without them. I also realize cooking methods, produce, and ovens have evolved in the 67 years since Fisher wrote this recipe. What I am saying is that I probably set myself up for failure.

Taste verdict: Not terribly sweet and not overwhelmingly wonderful. Topped with ice cream it was a nice, pleasant ending to a meal. However, I would rather have crisp, cobbler, or apple pie. The recipe is from How to Cook a Wolf which Fisher in essence wrote to describe ways to eat well on a budget and there is not necessarily a need for pie crust, just my own desire.

Rachel Ray has a baked apple recipe I've been tempted to try although it uses Grape Nuts (yuk). It does not use water--Fisher's is the only recipe I've seen that uses water--and includes times and temperatures, so I would be assured of success if made that dish.

I like the idea of baked apples, simple and rustic, not bad for you and not bad tasting. But what I really want to do is core an apple, stuff it with cinnamon, butter, and a few token raisins, and bake it in pie crust. That would be heaven.

M.F.K. Fisher: Ambrosia

2009-11-21T13:51:00.005-06:00

M.F.K. Fisher's The Art of Eating is a joy to read. It's a compilation of her most famous gastronomical works however, it's not about food or eating. It's about the role food plays in comfort, people coming together and discovering life, different cultures, and their inner desires.

Her An Alphabet for Gourmets inspired this blog so it's fitting that I do the ABCs of recipes in The Art of Eating. Starting with A for Ambrosia. My memories of ambrosia are of canned fruit cocktail topped with marshmallows. To be honest, I'm not sure where that memory comes from--is it a lunchroom memory or a church memory? Something my mother served? Who knows. I just know that one day, when I was in my 20s, as I ate rocky road ice cream I had a revelation: I hated marshmallows. I don't know how this distaste developed or when. It also pertains only to cold marshmallows as I will top hot chocolate with them and finish off the marshmallow layer of sweet potato casserole (which is rare in my family--for some reason we don't eat sweet potatoes at holiday meals and this saddens me since I love them).

So Fisher's recipe for ambrosia appealed to me because it did not contain marshmallows.

Her recipe is basically layered oranges, coconut, and sugar with sherry* poured on top, chilled. Easy enough. I took my 4 month old to the liquor store to get sherry in the dessert wine aisle. Next to the sherry bottles was a bottle of dessert wine that I already had in my tiny wine collection and I decided to use that bottle instead of purchasing a bottle of sherry that would be used once and never again. When I got home, I realized I had already drunk that bottle of dessert wine (when? when did I do that?) and I did not want to sacrifice my bottle of Sauternes.

Google lead me to some ambrosia recipes which used rum. I don't have rum either. What I do have is a bottle of Southern Comfort from when I made a Southern Comfort apple pie 5 years ago. So I used that. Not the same, I know, but I like to think it fits with the southern heritage of the dish. According to Fisher, "In this country Ambrosia is a dessert as traditionally and irrefutably Southern as pecan pie." Interestingly, Serious Eats just ran a recipe of Ambrosia from The Lee Bro. Simple, Fresh, Southern, which is alcohol-free. Fisher's recipe seems to be a California version of Ambrosia.

The verdict: Nice. More of a topping. If I were to do it again, I would use sherry and more sugar, which I used a lighter hand with than the recipe called for, and bigger, better oranges. So my ambrosia was not exactly the food of the gods. Worth making again as a topping. And that's how we're planning on eating it tonight: over ice cream (not rocky road).

* When I spent a summer in France, the French people I met would often question my name (who names their child "Dear"?). I ended up telling them that I was named after the aperitif. I've only had my namesake drink a few times, last time over gelato.

Crafts: Windows

2009-11-08T12:31:00.003-06:00

W is for Windows. In 2001 or 2002 I received the Ballard Designs catalog which featured a window with four panes and a botanical drawing of a rose in each frame. I was inspired and wanted to do something similar with my travel photos. My mother and I found windows at an antique store in Lumberton, Texas, and I took them back to Austin in my little Ford Focus hatchback.

My windows change with me. When I return from a wonderful, eyeopening vacation, I want to remember it. So I end up taking a photo from that adventure and putting it in the window, removing an old photo.

Left to right, top row: Giverny, France; Aix-en-Provence, France; Tallin, Estonia; Tivoli, Denmark; Barcelona, Spain; Singapore.

Moscow, Russia; Quebec, Canada; Tulum, Mexico; Berlin, Germany; Cliffs of Moher, Ireland; and Peterhof Palace, Russia.

Although it is premature and incomplete, I am done with crafts since my good ones are Christmas related and I do not want to get down a couple of huge boxes from the top of my closet right now. Maybe in December.

Crafts: Quilts

2009-11-06T08:18:00.002-06:00

Quilts and cookbooks are similar to each other in that they tell stories about people, periods of time, and highlight creativity. I love to hear the stories behind quilts, what patterns were popular at certain times, and things like whose old shirt was cut up to make squares to keep a baby warm.

I've never made a quilt--maybe someday--but I come from a family of quiltmakers. My mother made/finished a quilt for my son, and she's the last person I would expect to be a quilter due to her job and travel schedule. Above is a quilt my great grandmother made, it's one of her better ones--she did have some odd color combinations, which is part of the charm in her quilts.

Crafts: Pocket Organizer

2009-11-04T15:44:00.005-06:00

Skipping letter O. Moving on to P: Pocket Organizer. Another thing I made while pregnant, unemployed, and nesting using my grandmother's fabric. My mother and I think it is old flour sack material. This was complicated because of the stains and rips in the fabric. There are a few things I would do differently now, such as sewing on the blue bias tape first, then putting the whole thing together. All in all, it was fun and has not fallen apart yet.

Above, completed, not holding anything.

A few months after my son was born. The elephant is a stuffed elephant head from Thailand--It doesn't really match but I needed a new place for it.

The pattern is from Sew Vintage.

Crafts: Name

2009-11-02T20:06:00.005-06:00

I am skipping M right now because we've ordered a new camera, but it isn't here yet.

Expectant mothers like to nest and have their child's room ready. They peruse magazines and online stores for nursery ideas. One thing most stores sell are letters for the baby's name as a room decoration.

We didn't have a name for my son until 23.5 hours after he was born, so I didn't have a name on his wall when he came home. However, one of the first places I insisted on going after getting home was Michael's, so I could get some wall letters and blue spray paint from Lowe's. Sure, I could have purchased letters from Pottery Barn Kids, but these were cheaper and in my neighborhood.

I got the dark blue paint to match the art from my Mother-In-Law--the wall decor she got at her shower before my husband was born. I used putty to put them on the wall. Later, when my son was about two months, I was at Michael's again and picked up some $0.25 each sports balls and added them to the letters.

Crafts: Little Mermaid

2009-10-27T09:17:00.006-05:00

Yesterday, after writing my "I" post, the camera broke. My husband attempted to fix it, but it remains in limbo. Actually, it's in pieces on the coffee table covered by a sheet of paper that reads "DO NOT TOUCH." (I've noticed engineers and former engineers only write in all caps.)

So, no J and no K because I won't have a photo for either post.

L is for the Little Mermaid. Not the Disney version, but the true Hans Christian Andersen story and the Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen Harbor.

For years I wanted to see The Little Mermaid statue. I was always fascinated by the story--in the Andersen version not everyone lives happily ever after--and interested in how and why political protesters have lopped off the statue's head multiple times. In 2001 I got to be my cousin's companion on a cruise with my parents (long story) and we started and ended in Copenhagen. Right away, before we sailed away, I made us go see the statue. Today, in reading the Wiki page, we could have saved ourselves a trip and just gone to Hillcrest Memorial Park in Dallas. That would have been cheaper.

Now I should explain that my cousin really liked the Disney version of The Little Mermaid when she was little. So somehow, my grandfather, who paid for the trip, was convinced that she was the one dragging everyone off to see a statue. Several times after the trip he joked that she finally got to see The Little Mermaid statue. She couldn't have cared less about a statue and, if I am honest, seeing a statue is not really exciting (they don't move, or talk, or dance, or sing). It would have been more exciting if a protester had cut off her head while we were there, but I digress. Anyway, it's now a family joke that my cousin finally got to see this statue and now her life is complete.

While walking around Copenhagen, my mother and I found a craft store and got a few cross stitch kits. She convinced me to get this kit because of the sail boats and the ship in the background (as opposed to this one by the same designer--she was right, leaves would have been boring to stitch). To be honest, I can't say I enjoyed stitching it because I started it around September 11, 2001, and finished it while watching news coverage in the days following the tragedy. However, I still like it and I still like having seen the statue and I even like the family joke. And I'm determined to see every MerSomething statue in existence.

If there had been a cross stitch of Singapore's Merlion, I would have purchased it. Yes, I'm that brand of crazy.

Crafts: IN SYNC

2009-10-26T09:03:00.006-05:00

IN SYNC refers to a Kats by Kelly cross stitch. Kats by Kelly are easy cross stitch charts because they mostly only use black floss. Originally, I made it for my mother's black and white bathroom, but then she and Dad moved to a lovey house without a black and white bathroom, though the bathrooms are nicely decorated. So now I've got it in my own bathroom.

I finished it before I got married, so my initials are SLP. Then I started working on a companion for it, called Kitty Oasis. Then I got married. Then I finished the chart. Thus, SLW. (Can you see me?) The entire Kats by Kelly line can be found at Calico Crossroads.

Crafts: Hummel Boy

2009-10-21T20:18:00.003-05:00

I am skipping G because I didn't have time today to take pictures and must write about something I already have a photo of.

Hummel Boy. The official title is Looks Like Rain, it's a "Weekender" but since it was one of the first cross stitch charts I made, it took me more than a weekend to complete. I made it for my grandmother who collected Hummels and found it when we cleaned out her house for an estate sale.

After hearing about my husband's early affinity for lederhosen (something he unknowingly shares with my brother), I decided to hang it in my son's room. The color scheme matches too. And it's a little boy. And I have a boy. So it works.

Why are toddlers in lederhosen so cute?

Crafts: Flowers

2009-10-20T13:18:00.004-05:00

More cross stitch patterns from Canada today. I picked up this pattern on the 2002 Holland America Canada and New England cruise--the one where we visited Prince Edward Island, among many other places (Boston, Quebec, Montreal, Novia Scotia, Maine). I believe they are Lupin flowers and were blooming all over P.E.I. and thus became part of my memories of visiting Green Gables. I didn't get around to stitching this pattern until the next year, when I saw similar flowers in Colorado.

As usual with my cross stitching, I wanted to do something with the finished piece besides frame it. As usual, I had to get my mother to make a pillow. Thank you again, Mom--and thank you for the help getting my own sewing machine!

Crafts: Elephants

2009-10-19T07:27:00.003-05:00

Like many pregnant women, I nested. Unlike some pregnant women, I was unemployed while nesting. So, I went a bit stir crazy and ended up sewing elephants. Why elephants? Simply because I had a pattern in the Sew Everything Workshop book and some fabric scraps from my grandmother.

No baby needs a couple of elephants in their nursery and they are in the way, taking up space. However, I had fun making them so they are here to stay. I should mention that I left off the button eyes because I couldn't figure out where to put them and for safety reasons.

I also use Mama Elephant as a stand for my tiara.

She kinda reminds me of Dumbo.

Crafts: Dollhouse

2009-10-18T19:44:00.005-05:00

When I was 10, my parents gave me a dollhouse kit. Little did they know how much time, effort, and money would go into it.

Dollhouses are time consuming.

After my parents put together the basic shell, I collected furniture. The house remained unpainted and undone until my senior year of high school. Suddenly, I was consumed with the need to complete it before graduation. It took paint, wall paper, my brother (door handles), my grandmothers (wall paper, curtains), and my parents, but I got it done.

At college, I discovered Austin's Kerby Lane Miniatures (now an eBay Store). At the end of each semester I would sell my books and take the remaining money to that store and get a few objects for my Dollhouse--such an mini Pride and Prejudice novels or a tiny cat puzzle. Things that did not cost much--used books don't bring in much money.

I worked very hard to make the house represent me. So it's got things I like, objects that I have in real life, hobbies and games I play, and things that remind me of loved ones. The beer stein reminds me of my parents, I had the Disney Sleeping Beauty book, I played soccer, I like Monet's paintings, I visited Paris, I like to make gingerbread houses, and I was always the kid who got stuck sitting on top of the manual ice cream maker while someone else cranked. Thus, all those things are in the house.

Even though it has gone through two moves, the house remains the same and is unharmed, happy at my parent's home (it's third) in Tulsa.
Above, the entire house. Nine rooms and a porch.

I've always thought the entry was the most elegant room.

"My" room. Me in high school: French horn, books, masks, a journal. I don't know why I insisted on there being a crib in this room too. I guess I just liked the crib.

The living room. Hmmm. Suddenly I want to rearrange it.

Crafts: Christmas Stockings

2009-10-16T14:36:00.004-05:00

My mother made all the Christmas stockings in my family. My grandmother made all the Christmas stockings. So, when I was pregnant, I decided to make the Christmas stockings.

That was December 2008, and now, in October 2009, I have almost completed them.

See, they don't have names yet. That would require me to embroider and I've not done anything more than back stitching in years. I'm thinking the names should be done with a split stitch and I want to practice first. Otherwise, I'm only halfway pleased with these stockings. There was a lot of trial and error, I know where the back and front don't line up and I may add a giant jingle bells to them to hide a mistake I made on two of them. I used ribbons because I don't know how to sew very well and messed up my husband's stocking. The green ribbon on his is glued on, and not very well I might add.

In the end, I am proud to be (nearly) done with them.

Crafts: Blackwork on Anne Boleyn Quote

2009-10-14T07:12:00.004-05:00

Blackwork: is embroidery stitched in a counted pattern using black thread. It was popular in the time of Henry VIII (thank you, Wikipedia). I'd never heard of it when I first started cross stitching but I had heard of Anne Boleyn and I liked free things. Thus, when I found a free cross stitch chart with a quote from Anne Boleyn's prayer book, I printed it out, got some black floss, and got stitching. Best I can tell, blackwork is fancy backstitching.

This was an easy cross stitch, in fact, I think the hardest part was when I wanted to make a pillow out of it and gave it to my mom, who broke her sewing machine (or something) and had to get more help. (Thank you for following through, mom.) I like the little Tudor flowers in the quote. I enjoyed this project enough to do more free blackwork charts and one of strawberries in red, the red makes it Scarletwork. Sadly, I think the company that put out the free chart above went under, since I can't find it no matter what I Google.

Crafts: Anne of Green Gables

2009-10-13T07:04:00.005-05:00

It seems I like to start my Alphabets with Anne of Green Gables. Anne starts with A. I like to read, I like to travel to places that I read about. I like to cross stitch. And I like to cross stitch things and places I like. This topic is about crafts.

I never thought of myself as a big craft person, in fact, I think I like to dream about doing crafts more than I actually like to do them. I could spend hours thinking about what I might do, looking projects up online, and getting a button click away from purchasing project clicks. What stops me? Kowing how many uncompleted projects I already have hidden in the Christmas/craft/baby closet. My favorite crafts are related to Christmas and I feel silly doing those all year long.

I should also explain that I really only cross stitch during football season. In college I realized the multiple commercials drove me crazy and that I needed something to do while watching football games. So I took up cross stitching wanting to stitch a Buckingham Palace chart I'd picked up in London.

Somewhere I have an Anne of Green Gables bookmark, but I can't find it and don't want to dig in the baby's closet while he is napping (in his crib--a miracle!).

One way to really get to know an object or place is to cross stitch it (other ways are to read a book, embroider, needlepoint, paint, sculpt, or complete a jigsaw puzzle). So here is Green Gables, purchased at the actual Green Gables in Prince Edward Island in the summer of 2002.

Simple, easy stitching, reflective of the time period of the Anne of Green Gables books. I did run out of one green color and had to substitute with another. One of my favorite cross stitches. I've learned I have to stitch things that interest me, not others, or I give up. This means my stitching is selfish and rarely given away.

Bringing Baby Home: Zephyr

2009-10-07T15:35:00.003-05:00

Z is for Zephyr. A zephyr is a breeze from the west or a gentle breeze. Why is it on this list? My son likes to feel the wind on his face. We discovered this when he was a few days old and took him outside. Feeling the wind seemed to calm him down.

I now use this to my advantage and take him on walks. I aim for breezy days, but just getting outside is nice. When he feels the wind, he closes his eyes and turns his face toward the breeze. It's fun to watch. I make it a point to take him outside once a day--even just to get the mail. It's good for him to get fresh air and hear the dogs on the block. It's an added bonus that wind calms him. (Passing wind calms him too, but that is another story.)

Bringing Baby Home: You Time

2009-10-06T18:18:00.003-05:00

Y is for You Time. Even though the first few days of a new baby's life are demanding, it is important for a mother to take some time for herself. This could be a shower, time with friends, or reading a few chapters in a novel. You time can be taking a walk and helping with recovery.

One book I read called it the EASY method: Eat Activity Sleep You. I tried to follow this method, but sometimes the Eating lead to the Sleeping and my You time meant doing laundry. The Y part usually does mean chores or checking email. Sometimes it also means uploading photos and writing short blog posts. You time means time away from the precious bundle of joy. Or like now, the bundle of calmed-down contentment.

When a woman becomes a mother, it's easy for her to lose her pre-baby identity, taking You time helps remind her of who she was before and who she is now, helping to meld the two identities.

Bringing Baby Home: Extras

2009-10-05T09:40:00.002-05:00

X is for eXtras. Extras of everything. Extra blankets, extra diapers. Extra changes of clothes. Extra changes of clothes for mother. Yesterday we finally had dinner at a restaurant--of sorts, it was Rudy's "Country Store" Bar-B-Que. Usually at Rudy's it's "Sause" on my shirt. This time, it was a double dose of spit up. I needed extra clothes.

We also need extra storage space, an extra pair of hands, and extra pacifiers. Extra patience. Extra crib sheets. Extra sheets for our bed.

And we have extra love for our son. And extra special love from him.

Bringing Baby Home: Wipes

2009-10-01T08:09:00.002-05:00

W is for wipes, lots and lots of wipes. In the first weeks, the average baby goes through 8 to 10 diapers a day and it stands to reason that they also go through 8 to 10 wipes a day. More if you are like me and accidentally grab two wipes while trying to hold down a squirming infant.

Since we use cloth diapers I thought it would be good to make our own wipes too. I cut up an old baby blanket and put them in an old plastic container (it used to hold lunch meat). In the beginning, I mixed a cup of water with a teaspoon of baby wash and a teaspoon of aloe vera extract/oil. Now I just kinda squeeze the wash and what's left of the extract/oil onto the cut up blanket and run some water on top. I only end up using these about half the time, mainly because the infant is larger and has bigger squirms.

I also have a stash of make-up remover towelettes in my diaper bag. Before I had children, I used them for the port-a-potties at soccer games, Austin City Limits Festival, camping, and for cycling trips. They appear to have most of the same ingredients as baby wipes and I figure they will work just as well. My son has not had diaper rash and does not seem to have sensitive skin. I'm lucky, I know.

Bringing Baby Home: Vacation

2009-09-29T14:07:00.003-05:00

V is for Vacation. We took a Baby Moon about six months before my son was born. It was wonderful visiting Barcelona and Madrid, getting over morning sickness, and spending time with my husband. We ate all kinds of food, walked around for hours, and visited museums. The whole time, I knew our vacations would never be the same. As soon as there were three of us, my husband and I could no longer be selfish. Even if the two of us went somewhere, we would still talk about our son. Heck, that vacation was before we knew it was a he and we were still talking about him.

Now, three months after my son was born, I need a vacation more than ever. Handing over my son to visitors is a mini vacay. While others coo at him, I run off to throw laundry in the washer, empty the dishwasher, and clean the toilet. That's not really a vacation or even a break.

Another mini vacation was when I slept in the guest room one night. I'd pumped so there was enough milk for the night and my husband answered all our son's calls. I slept all night, something I rarely did during pregnancy. It was almost ruined though when I woke up engorged and ready to burst. I sprinted to the bedroom ready to force the child to nurse. There was no need to force though, he was awake and my husband was out of milk.

We're taking a weekend vacation soon. It's really a trip to visit family. But it will give me a chance to see what future family vacations are like when it's no longer two of us: How much stuff to take, training my husband to take bathroom breaks on road trips, and coping with the unexpected. It's another adventure. Good times.

Bringing Baby Home: Understanding

2009-09-28T16:15:00.003-05:00

U is for Understanding. Understanding that things have changed and that this littler creature has needs only parents can meet. Understanding also means patience: when he won't stop crying, when he poops his diaper seconds after it is changed, and patience for weeks of not getting enough sleep.

Understanding that these days are short and I'll want them back someday.

Understanding that your spouse is just as tired as you. Understanding that there are only so many hours in a day. And understanding that nothing will ever be perfect. Understanding and accepting these facts.

Bringing Baby Home: Target Gift Cards

2009-09-28T09:56:00.003-05:00

T is for Target gift cards. People are generous to new parents; we received several Target gift cards. Although I thought I had the room prepared, the changing table well-stocked, and everything washed and ready, we ended up at Target multiple times during the first few weeks.

First it was for diapers, then we wanted Gripe Water. We've gone back for baby wash cloths (yes, I could use adult ones, but these are smaller) and toys for him to ignore. Target is a refuge for new mothers, it is a place where it is OK to take a child, wonder around, look at shoes and jewelry and pick up a few things for the baby--justifying the trip.

One thing Target only has online is cradle sheets. It turns out, bassinets and cradles are different sizes. A local resale shop had the cradle sheets in stock, slightly marked up. Had I known my child was going to be early, I would have ordered them from Target and used a gift card, of course.

Bringing Baby Home: Sleep

2009-09-27T10:08:00.002-05:00

S is for sleep. S is also for sheets. Usually, sleep is done on sheets. With a newborn in the house, parents should sleep anywhere they can sleep anytime they can sleep. Sofa, chairs, the floor, the car, anywhere.

Sleep is difficult--the first few nights at home I wouldn't sleep because I kept listening for noises. Then, I was so tired I slept through all my son's noises. Now that he is in his own room, I sometimes sleep through some noises on the monitor, then again, other nights, I have listened for every little sound. I feel like I can't win and every expert says not to try to develop sleep habits until a baby is four months old. One more month. I can do it. If there is enough coffee.

My baby needs his sleep too, it's important for infants to get enough sleep so their brain can develop and rejuvenate. Napping is important. I am happy to say that at 3 months we are starting to develop napping habits. A step in the right direction--toward sleeping parents.

One thing about sheets--in the first few days, nursing mothers should have extra sheets for their bed. They should be washed and ready to put on the bed at a moments notice. Spraying is not fun.

Bringing Baby Home: Room

2009-09-24T08:54:00.003-05:00

R is for Room. No, not the baby's room since that is not necessary. R is for room for all the baby's stuff. Diapers. Bouncing chairs. Clothes. Toys. Bath supplies. Medical supplies. Bassinet. Crib. Boppy.

Yes, you can change a baby on the floor, but considering the number of blowouts my son has had while changing his diaper, no way am I changing him on the floor without an acre of padding around him.

No, a bassinet is not necessary and neither is a crib. Some parents chose to co-sleep. Others get the crib and end up co-sleeping, meaning the crib is an expensive storage unit. Nevertheless, even if co-sleeping, baby needs space (room) to sleep.

Yes, a person can bathe a baby in the kitchen sink. Mine is never that clean. And bath supplies are not necessary. I find them nice to have--towels, cloths, soap--and they take up a small amount of space.

Clothes. I guess we could have 1/3 of the clothes we have and be OK. And I am amazed at how quickly he grows out of them--it seems something is too small every day. Even if I had less clothes, they would still be piling up in my laundry room.

Chairs, etc. Not necessary, until he is screaming at 9 at night and I am drained of energy and desperate for him to stop.

Toys, not necessary, but people give them to you, so you need a place to put them.

My Boppy goes everywhere. It took over my cat's favorite place to sleep on the couch. Now my cat needs more room.

Bringing Baby Home: Questions

2009-09-22T11:53:00.002-05:00

Q is for Questions. Lots and lots of questions. Is it OK to let him sleep if he rolls to his side? Should I wake him to feed him? Why is he crying? Why isn't he crying? What color is his poop? Why are you making me track the color of his poop?

For new parents, bringing a baby home means there are suddenly thousands of questions popping up every hour. And usually, the answers are time, he/she is hungry/sleepy/dirty diaper, and every baby is different.

There are about five baby books in my house which I consulted daily for the first month and now, at 12 weeks, average about once every three days. One reason I look at the books less is because I look online more. Last night we were looking up growth spurts, again. Is 3 months another growth spurt? Why, why is he cluster feeding again? The answer? Sometimes, every baby is different. Grrrr.

The pediatrician can answer health questions, but it seems silly to bother her with certain things. Plus, her job is to take care of my baby's health, not his discipline or to help me get sleep. One more question: If there are lactation consultants, why aren't there sleep consultants?

Bringing Baby Home: Pacifier

2009-09-21T14:11:00.001-05:00

P is for Pacifier. There is a reason the pacifier was invented. I imagine women have been sticking things into the mouths of newborns for centuries, just to calm them. Infants are soothed by sucking, whether they suck their thumb or fingers, your thumb or finger, a breast or bottle, or a pacifier.

Before my son came, I was not going to use a pacifier. I'd read too many articles about nipple confusion and about trying to break the pacifier habit as the baby gets older. On the second day home from the hospital, tired, sore, and staring at my screaming child, I shoved the hospital Soothie into his mouth. He calmed down and slept. I thanked God for the invention of the pacifier. We used it sparingly over the next few days, got the OK from the pediatrician (another P thing everyone needs) and have been using it since. And they are stashed everywhere. The Soothie in the crib, one in the diaper bag, one attached to a ribbon attached to his clothes, and one to spare. We might become too dependent upon it, but I will cross that road later. Right now, it stands as one object I needed when bringing baby home. One of the many objects I was determined not to need.

Bringing Baby Home: Onesies

2009-09-18T07:41:00.002-05:00

O is for Onesie, aka bodysuit. Onesies and blankets and no-brainer gifts for new mothers. We had a pile of onesies for our son, some new, some used, all useful. Some people would argue that babies don't need clothing, especially babies like my son, born in one of the hottest Austin summers on record. However, those people who argue that letting a baby run around in a diaper is OK have not met my son who hates to be naked. It's not that he's cold, he just likes to scream when he is being dressed, undressed, or given a bath or have his diaper changed. Since it was hot outside and inside, onesies were the perfect clothing, not too much, not to little. The baby bear size of clothes for an Austin summer.

Bringing Baby Home: Name

2009-09-17T13:25:00.002-05:00

N is for Name. Before leaving the hospital, parents are required to give their child a name. For some people, this is very easy. For us, it was difficult. One reason it was difficult was because we didn't discuss it until the night before my son was born. My husband once said he liked Bible names, and I played around with that thought as I composed a list of about 30 names. I had about 8 on my list at the hospital.

My/our biggest problem was that we wanted to meet him before naming him. Every cat that I've pre-named (before getting) has died and I didn't want that to happen to my son.

So after my c-section, the nurses were helping me think of names. The dry erase board on the wall in our hospital room said "Name: TBD." Sometime that night, my husband said we should give ourselves 24 hours. We selected the first name and he went home to pick up a few things, brought back the baby name book. The middle name was difficult (don't even talk to me about multiple middle names!) because everything I liked before repeated the sounds of the first name and last name. So my son's middle name is strategic, as in, few of the letters are in the first and last name. Both names happen to be from the Bible. We're happy with the name, especially since later in life he can choose what he wants to be called. I don't want to give away the name (privacy) but it's like Thomas, Tommy, Tom. Lots of options.

All this is to say: discuss the name beforehand, but it's OK if you don't have one.

Bringing Baby Home: Music

2009-09-16T15:01:00.002-05:00

M is for Music. Two days after bringing him home, we discovered music relaxed my son. We put him in the bouncy chair, switched on the music, and watched him drift off. It worked so well, that we started playing the music on his mobile. He doesn't cry when the music is playing but the second it stops, he starts.

My son hates having his diaper changed. Hates it. So I looked up ways to make diaper changing easier and the answer seemed to be to sing to him. Um, no. Not with my voice--a former band geek I know too much about pitch and being in tune to subject him to my voice. As an alternative, I played music from a Baby Einstein toy my aunt gave me because my cousin's daughter loves the Takealong Tunes. It worked! Sometimes. Not all the time. He's started to turn his head and watch it while I change the diaper. He still kicks.

He was 7 weeks when I got the gift of eating lunch and dinner back thanks to the Lights and Melodies Discovery Center. He loves the lights, the classical music, and to bat at the hanging star and ball. At Target, the Press and Play Pals: Duck prevented a meltdown, so we bought it.

Lest this post turn out to be an ad for Baby Einstein, I've also had success with toys that play music and music boxes. And yesterday we went to a musical storytime at the library. Once he woke up, he loved it. I loved it and would be willing to spend the money for Heartsong Music Together, who led the storytime. And I've looked into getting a CD of Austin artist Sara Hickman's music.

I've relented a little bit and sing to him, mainly oldies since he likes to "stand" and tends to wobble a bit. Somehow that cute little wobble makes me think of Surfing USA and Twist and Shout.

Bringing Baby Home: Laundry Detergent

2009-09-15T08:06:00.003-05:00

L is for Lots of Laundry Detergent.

Yes, everyone says babies create laundry and this is true, as evidenced by the piles of used burp cloths piled up around the house. Yes, we are using cloth diapers, so that adds to the pile of laundry, but I suspect we would be overwhelmed even if we didn't use those.

We already had Tide Free for our workout clothes and soccer uniforms but got All Free and Clear because it was a good deal. We can use both for the diapers but somehow, the All works better. We already used regular Cheer or Tide for our clothes and now have Dreft for our son's things.

I suspect we will eventually just get down to regular Cheer or Tide and All, but for right now, we have plenty of cleaning options.

Bringing Baby Home: Kit, First Aid Kit

2009-09-12T13:08:00.002-05:00

K is for First Aid Kit. Every house should have one but babies have special needs. We got a stocked first aid kit from my father--ironic since he's never had an up-to-date first aid kit--before my son was born. Of course I still stress over whether or not I have all I will need, should the need arise.

Baby 411 says:
Band Aids - we have lots considering I cut myself loading the dishwaher
non-stick dressing and tape - in kit
butterfly bandages - hmmmm
Ace Wrap - soccer players, we have several
roll of gauze dressing - yes, have
rectal thermometer - almost any thermometer can be rectal, except the new forehead ones
petroleum jelly - lots from my running days
acetaminophen - of course we have it
ibuprofen - again, of course
antibiotic ointment - that's vague
Benadryl - I didn't feel like typing out the non-brand name
saline nose drops - nope, don't have, Baby 411 says I can make these
decongestant nose spray - nope and I guess my allergy medicine won't cut it
1% hydrocortisone cream - somewhere
emergency phone numbers - hmmm, I just know 911
baking soda - in the pantry, for baking
tweezers - for my eyebrows and useless ones in Swiss Army Knives
measuring spoon, cup or dropper - yes, have

Today's Moms says I need one for the diaper bag with:
an instant read thermometer - nope, don't have
baby nail clippers - we've been using a nail file since I cry trying to clip his nails
aspirator - oh, for the nose! I had to Google this
Milicon - not in the diaper bag
non-aspirin fever reducer - usually in my purse

So we're ready for home emergencies (unless I need to call Poison control) but not on-the-go emergencies. Well, good thing I made this list.

Bringing Baby Home: Jammies

2009-09-11T16:37:00.003-05:00

J is for Jammies. Yes, they are called sleepers, but sometimes coming up with an "J" thing can be difficult. And no, we don't necessarily need baby PJs when a onesie will work just fine. However, in my mind, few things are as adorable as a baby or toddler in those cute little footed PJs. They look so snugly, cuddly, sweet and sleepy. I can't resist them.

A sleepsack would also work and would probably work well for my son since he hate being swaddled. We avoided swaddle blankets too. So, it's adorable sleepers (jammies, for the sake of this post) for us.

Bringing Baby Home: Infant Positioner

2009-09-10T07:38:00.002-05:00

As I said in a previous post, reading the information on SIDS in Baby 411 scared me. I don't want my child to die because I didn't do something as simple as turn on a fan. So of course I knew to put him on his back to sleep.

What I didn't count on was the fact that he rolls from side to side. My child is a thrasher. Add to that his aerodynamic breech baby head preventing him from laying on the back of his head, well, putting him down to sleep brought my fears to the surface.

Before he was born, I had read that infant positioners were a waste of money. After getting home from the hospital and trying to get him to sleep on his back, I caved and got a cheap, $8 sleep positioner. I felt much better, though he hated it. I figure it's one of many things that I will make him use or do that he hates.

We don't use it anymore--his head is perfect now--but I am grateful I purchased it and wish I had thought of it before he was born.

Bringing Baby Home: Help books

2009-09-08T10:02:00.005-05:00

H is for Help Books, helpful books about babies. These are not to be confused with instruction manuals, which would explain what to do and how. Baby help books are guides, they give suggestions on what to do and how. I would rather have an instruction book but we will continue to muddle along with our guides and trial and error.

I am a reader and a book person. Before baby, I would hit the library once a week and it was rare for me to leave with less than five books. When I found out I was pregnant, I checked out several books on pregnancy and babies. Below are some of the books and websites I've looked at over and over again. I'm ignoring the pregnancy books though, since they are not guidebooks to infants.

The Mother of All Baby Books - very good lists about development but the sickness/disease section is difficult to read through. It needs more book titles or spaces between paragraphs since it all runs together. Good section on breastfeeding and birth recovery.

Baby 411 - very good. Everything is broken down, though I think the breastfeeding section could be longer. Lots of resources. Discussions on discipline and breaks down the various methods used to get babies to sleep. This book is most responsible for scaring me about SIDS.

Baby Bargains - very helpful in making purchase decisions. It explains everything (like the different types of car seats) and is full of safety information and recall info.

Nursing Mother's Companion - very thorough. Has information on everything related to breastfeeding, though I wish it were broken down better - the order does not make much sense to me. For example, the section on breast pumps is in the 2 month plus chapter. Very good information on medications breastfeeding mothers can take and cannot take.

Womanly Art of Breastfeeding - I've not read this, but it is the La Leche League book. It seemed like it would be very helpful at first.

BabyCenter.com - I love the weekly emails about development, first in pregnancy and now that my boy is growing. The book is also helpful and has lots of charts and statistics on development.

TheNest.com - best for the pregnancy checklist and for the What Size is Baby Fruit Chart. I've not looked at it since our baby was born.

Happiest Baby on the Block - I watched a video and wrote down the suggestions on how to sooth a newborn. The Mother of All Baby Books and Baby 411 cover info in this book and source it.

There are many, many other books out there, but these are my tops for baby guidebooks.

Bringing Baby Home: Gear

2009-09-04T13:59:00.003-05:00

G is for Gear. Shortly after finding out I was pregnant, I looked at the Babies R Us website and asked "What in the heck is baby gear?" Dictionary.com describes gear as " implements, tools, or apparatus, esp. as used for a particular occupation or activity; paraphernalia."

OK, but possessing a baby is not the same as an activity or occupation, like fishing or fisherperson. Still, there is gear required. Baby gear seems to be car seats, strollers, diaper bags, carriers, play yards, swings, bouncers and shopping car seats. I would also add all feeding implements, first aid implements, nursery decor and furniture, blankets, toys, and bath items. In fact, everything related to babies is considered gear. Only items are split into sections for feeding, bathtime, nursery decor, sleeping, and then gear. Gear, then, seems to be the stuff you carry around with the baby.

I'm rambling and he is crying.

Bringing Baby Home: Friends, Family, Food

2009-09-03T08:36:00.004-05:00

F is for Friends. F is for Family. F is for Food. F is for Functioning Again. The first three Fs lead to the fourth one.

New babies bring an outpouring of love from others. People bring food, clothes, laundry detergent, and toys. People mail gifts. People show up and cook. My father cleaned out the litterbox. Love expressed as help and gifts from friends and family gave us time to bond with our son, get used to the lack of sleep, and enjoy the new life. They helped get us what we needed and didn't know we needed--extra changing pads, lasagna, sheets--and allowed us to get going again.

I could not have gotten through the emotional and physical changes of bringing my son into this world without the help of my friends and family. And their food, as I keep telling my son, if I don't eat, neither does he. Thank you, everyone.

Bringing Baby Home: Email

2009-09-02T15:52:00.004-05:00

E is for Email. What I really mean my email is technology. People really can't have babies today without spreading the word via text message, email, Facebook, and Twitter. I was able to send photos of my son with my cell phone, even with my sad little phone. Photos were posted on Facebook before we left the hospital. And now I can share photos with Snapfish or Picasa and keep on online Kidmondo journal.

Email is just the tip of the iceberg on ways to spread news about the new little one. Sometimes, I have a hard time remembering what life was like before the internet and cellphones.

Bringing Baby Home: Diapers

2009-08-31T13:10:00.001-05:00

D is for diapers. Our baby was three weeks early so we didn't have a huge stash of diapers. Luckily a friend had given us some diapers and the hospital let us take a stack of them. And we knew some cloth diapers were on the way. For more on that, read my husband's blog post.

However, diapers to catch uh, poo and pee are not the only kinds we needed upon coming home from the hospital. My aunt gave me some cloth diapers for burp cloths. And I am very thankful and use them All The Time. The old flatfold diapers are absorbent and catch all the spit-up and projectile vomiting my son can eject--and that is a lot. Having those diapers has saved me from being covered in spit-up more times than I can count. Yes, any old rag would do, but these can also absorb foremilk spewing from my body, which is another story for another day.

One of my friend's makes pretty cloth diapers by sewing on a panel of flannel cloth in the center. I wish I had the time to do the same thing--I envision cute little soccer balls. I also wonder where she got the green and blue diapers she passed onto me. While I love the cloth diapers/burp cloths, I would like them to be better looking, especially as they get stained.

Bringing Baby Home: Caffeine

2009-08-30T15:29:00.002-05:00

C is for Caffeine. Some books and lactation consultants will say that breastfeeding women should not drink caffeine because it could affect the baby, keeping him/her up. They also say it could cause the baby distress--as in gas.

It's not true (for me at least). Nothing I eat or drink or don't eat or drink changes the fact that my son has gas. Early on, I avoided caffeine. After a few days of getting up three times a night, I sucked down coffee like it was air. I also had my Diet Dr. Pepper. When my son seemed to be staying up all night and sleeping all day, I dropped my coffee again. He still kept that schedule. Coffee and black tea keep me going. While trying to conceive, I gave up coffee and switched to black tea. Now that my son is two months old, I've gone back to black tea, I've missed it.

I've tried all combinations of tea, coffee, neither tea nor coffee to see if he reacts differently. Nothing changes, so I will contiue to drink my morning tea. Caffeine was essential to me functioning during those first few weeks. And it still is essential.

Bringing Baby Home: Bras

2009-08-29T15:35:00.002-05:00

B is for Bras. Bras, and what they hold, caused crying. The baby cried because it wanted food hidden in my bra. I cried because of the pain. Then I cried because of the bra size.

A few weeks before I had my son, someone randomly suggested I pick up a couple of nursing bras for the hospital. Nobody else had mentioned that I might need one, but I trusted this person and went to visit a local store, Special Addition. The saleswoman asked me a series of questions about my pre-pregnancy bra size, my pregnancy bra size, and whether or not I was planning on breastfeeding.

After trying on about 8 bras, I got two sleep bras, because predicting the size I would be post-pregnancy would be difficult. Then I stupidly only packed one bra in my hospital bag. I wore the other one around the house. Dumb move. I needed both at the hospital especially since I was there longer after a c-section. I wore that bra out, stretching it when my milk came in. At home, engorgement hit me at 1 a.m. when the air conditioner kicked in and I felt my nipples tingle. I burst out into tears, put the heating pad on low, and tried not to cry. My mother described me as having cantaloupes. Thanks mom.

Since I'd had a c-section, I could not drive for two weeks. Not only did I have a new baby, but I was constantly washing my two raveling bras. I begged my mother to take me to get new bras. Back at Special Addition, I went through another series of questions and tried on a dozen bras, politely ignoring the $80 ones I was afraid I would love too much. Finally settling on two more bras, I cried when I realized the cup size. In my head, I knew bras were that large, but I didn't ever think I would be wearing one that size.

Now, two months later, I have purchased four more bras and several shirts. None of my old shirts fit. I am grateful to my friend who suggested getting bras and only wish I had packed two of them for the hospital and gotten a couple extras for home.

Bringing Baby Home: Acetaminophen

2009-08-28T18:14:00.002-05:00

My baby was born three weeks early and three days after my baby shower. The shower was Saturday, I spent Sunday and Monday prepping the baby's room, and Tuesday, we had a baby. So, I thought I was prepared, and for the most part I was ready, but there were a few things I didn't know I would become dependent upon when we brought him home. Here are some, in alphabetical order.

A is for Acetaminophen. Who knew I would be in so much pain? OK, anyone who ever had a Cesarean would have known. However, I didn't plan on a c-section.

After a baby, painkillers are a necessity (for me). I inhaled them every few hours, took them in the middle of the night, and they were the first thing on my mind as I woke up. Next time, I will have a larger stash.

Novel Travels: A Year in Provence

2009-08-22T11:02:00.005-05:00

Did you know there are very few books that start with "Y"? Many start with You and Your and many also start with Year or Years. None of them fall into the category of a novel or travel literature, more like self-help.

Yes, I wrote about Peter Mayle so using A Year in Provence for my "Y" entry is redundant. My blog, my thoughts. Here is a reading guide for A Year in Provence. Reading guides always make homework easier because they make you think through what you read. Everyone should do their homework before leaving on a trip. Not just the homework on transportation (how), accommodations, food, and sites, but the people, weather, and history. Which is why I like to read novels, it makes the homework easier and more enjoyable.

My first trip to Europe was with my high school history teacher, Mrs. Sue Rathburn. She was crazy with crazy curly hair and bright red lipstick. Mrs. Rathburn was also enthusiastic and excited to show us (a group of about 15 students) everything. Right before we left, she gave us a packet of questions to answer before we left. None of us did it; we were teenagers and it was summer. Now I wish I had so I would have understood more about the history and people in London, Paris, Rome, Florence, Venice, Vienna, and Munich. Too late now. Guess I'll just have to return to those places. Darn.

Novel Travels: Wuthering Heights

2009-08-21T13:08:00.004-05:00

Visiting the Bronte Parsonage Museum in Haworth gives a sense of deja vu. It's hard to visit and not see Heathcliff and Catherine walking around the moor. I loved visiting the Parsonage and I loved Wuthering Heights, which is why it is the "W" on this list.

The Bronte Parsonage Museum is in Haworth. In 1998, getting there from London meant taking a train to Leeds and a bus from the train station to Haworth. I also discovered walks--rambles--in the area and stomped around for a few hours before heading back to London. If possible, I try to walk everywhere I visit. If I am with my husband, walking and using public transportation is guaranteed. He says public transportation is always reliable, unlike cabs where the driver can go where he/she wants, public transport has to go one way and has to be on time. The only problem I have when traveling with my husband is that selecting a restaurant to eat at is impossible. We walk and walk and walk, look at menus, look online. And walk and walk and usually end up right where we started. That's why the walks in Yorkshire are good, you want to end up where you started, back at the Parsonage Museum (which has a blog).

Novel Travels: Six Wives

2009-08-15T18:28:00.010-05:00

I'm having to get creative with the last few letters of the alphabet.

Ever since Phillipa Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl came out and the Tudors hit Showtime, Henry VIII is everywhere with his wives. Suddenly, bookstore shelves are buckling under the weight of the Tudor Era novels, many re-imagining and re-tellings (not a word, really) of stories about Henry VIII's wives. Many of the books (I've not read many) give a good sense of a woman's powerlessness at that time in history. And those books are probably good airplane reading.

Long before The Other Boleyn Girl I studied in London for a summer. My goal, besides learning about politics and media, was to visit the graves of each of Henry VIII's six wives. Antonia Fraser's The Wives of Henry VIII made this possible by the photographs and captions of all the grave sites.

Catherine of Aragon is in Peterborough Cathedral.
Anne Boleyn lies in the Tower of London, in the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula.
Jane Seymore is buried with Henry VIII in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.
Ann of Cleves is in Westminster Abbey.
Katherine Howard is also in the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula.
Catherine Parr lies in the Chapel at Sudley Castle.

Reminder: Divorced, Beheaded, Died, Divorced, Beheaded, Survived.

I also recommend Alison Weir's The Six Wives of Henry VIII. I'm looking forward to reading David Starkey's The Queens of Henry VIII.

Novel Travels: Dr. Zhivago

2009-08-15T18:28:00.009-05:00

A few weeks before I left for a cruise which stopped in Russia I tried to read Dr. Zhivago. I failed. Then I tried to watch the movie. I fell asleep. Twice. So when I return to Russia, I plan on reading this book. (And probably consulting the Sparknotes.)

The reason I'm including Dr. Zhivago, even though I've not read it, is because the Russians have adopted the music for tourist areas. Lara's Theme played on the bus and at restaurants. Musicians played the song. That's interesting to me because my copy of the book says it (the book) was banned in Russia when it was published. That's true, according to the Wiki page.

Honestly, when I return to Russia, I'll read Anna Karenina first, then Dr. Zhivago. I'd like to say I'll read War and Peace before leaving, but I have a life, no time, and there are several movie versions. Plus, I need a plane ticket.

Novel Travels: Ulysses

2009-08-15T18:23:00.009-05:00

I'm skipping T right now.

Full confession: I didn't read James Joyce's infamous Ulysses before going to Dublin. Instead, I listed to it on CD and watched the Bloom, relying on Sparknotes to interpret both. I am glad I did because I could not get past the first chapter and it was much easier to be passive than active about this book.

What is interesting to me is how Leopold Bloom's ordinary day, June 16, 1904, has spawned Bloomsday in Dublin. On Bloomsday, Joyce enthusiasts follow Bloom's footsteps for that day--they travel around the city visiting the places he visits and going where he goes. It's a good tour of the city itself AND how it has changed. Which is why I recommend listening to (or reading) Ulysses.

Ulysses walk. Ulysses walk with transportation notes. Downloads. There was even a Twitter performance.

One thing people should know about Ireland is that pubs are closed on Good Friday. No alcohol sales anywhere. At all. Just FYI.

Novel Travels: The Shadow of the Wind

2009-08-15T18:22:00.006-05:00

Barcelona again. I guess that city just inspires artists and writers. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon is a thriller for book lovers. Young Daniel takes a book by Julián Carax from the Cemetery of Forgotten Books and becomes obsessed with finding other books by the author, but finds they are being burned by an unknown person. His determination to get to the bottom of the mystery will threaten his life.

Characters in the novel travel up, down, and around Barcelona, making it a pretty good book to read before visiting the city. La Rambla, Montjuic, Santa Maria del Mar ... it's all here.

Two things I should mentions. 1) The Shadow of the Wind portrays Barcelona as a dark and shadowy place. A place where people follow you without reason. The city I visited was bright and colorful. Although we did get pick pocketed. 2) In the novel, it seems to constantly rain or snow. I visited Barcelona in January and the weather was wonderful.

List of places in the book. Another list, but with a map.

Novel Travels: Various books, Various resources

2009-08-15T18:15:00.009-05:00

It's hard to explain how I find books to read about certain destinations. Sometimes, I just look things up on Amazon and hope someone has made a list. I also visit Literary Traveler for clues. My favorite, albeit opinionated, travel writer Rick Steves will sometimes list books for each country. Lonely Planet does the same thing, if you dig around on their website. Knowing that there is a slim chance of finding something, but if a book is good it will be listed, I go to the Recommended Reading link at Pemberley and look at the World Literature category. Finally, secretly, I visit the Special Settings list at Laurie Likes Books.

I also like the Travelers' Tales Guides--the one on Provence had a story about the Roman aqueduct right next to our hotel. I've also found this Wall Street Journal article on Major Cultural Routes (starting with Mozart's footsteps) useful in leading me to other paths.

In no particular order, here are some other books I recommend:

For England, any of Susan Allen Toth's England books.
For Ireland: Trinity by Leon Uris (OK, I've attempted it twice, but it's been recommended to me several times.)
For Paris: Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. (That's a given.)
For Rome: Angels and Demons by Dan Brown (Given.)
For Italy: Where Angels Fear to Tread by E.M. Forester and Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes (Again, given).
For Russia: A Traveller's History of Russia by Peter Neville.
For Thailand: Bangkok 8 by John Burdette. And The Beach by Alex Garland.
Eugenia Price's Savannah series gets an honorable mention for best series about a charming, Southern city.

Novel Travels: Texas

2009-08-15T18:13:00.004-05:00

In writing this travel literature alphabet experiment it has occurred to me that I don't have any literature for my home state of Texas. What book could represent such a widely different state? The dryness of West Texas is nothing like the soggy forests of my East Texas (Big Thicket). Lonesome Dove just does not explain Texas to me.

It's like that in other states and countries as well, which is why I look for things in cities and regions. Barcelona is different from Madrid, one is artsy the other cosmopolitan. If Paris and Avignon sat down for dinner, they would have very little to talk about.

For Texas literature, I recommend reading The Book Lover's Tour of Texas by Jessie Gunn Stephens. Gunn covers tourist destinations in each region of the state and has extras called Treats for Book Lovers highlighting stores, festivals, museums, and exhibits that book lovers would enjoy. Each chapter ends with a list of literature by authors who are from that particular region. The Book Lover's Tour of Texas is a guidebook and also a guide to Texas literature.

A few other books about Texas: Texas Road Trip by Bryan Woolley and Texas Curiosities by John Kelso. Handbook of Texas Online has a good list of Texas literature and I cannot ignore the Texas Book Festival--it's worth the trip.

Novel Travels: A Room With a View

2009-08-15T18:04:00.004-05:00

Want to wander around Italy during the Victorian Era? Read A Room With a View by E.M. Forster. It's an easy, amusing read about repression and finding your place in the world. Characters walk around Florence, witness a murder, propose, and kiss. When I read it, I didn't expect it to be so funny.

The movie is wonderful eye candy.

Novel Travels: Queen Margot

2009-08-14T14:40:00.004-05:00

In 2007 my husband and I flew to Arizona to visit his family and to attend the Fiesta Bowl. This was the infamous game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the Boise State Broncos. For three quarters I was bored and wishing I had brought my book, Queen Margot. It's the only time I recall wanting to read while attending a football game. In the fourth quarter, things got exciting, really exciting. Goes down in history exciting. A good game from the fourth quarter on with an unexpected finish. However, I digress.

Honestly, Queen Margot by Alexandre Dumas is not a good travel book. For one thing, it is huge and for another, it deviates from history and does not have special insight into the people or an area of France--things which I prefer to find in literature I read while traveling. What it did do was drive me to read about the real Margurite de Valois, queen of France and Navarre in the late 16th century, the Saint Bartholomew's Day massacre of Huguenots in Paris after her marriage to Henry de Bourbon. Queen Margot had me googling Navarre and Huguenots making this book more educational for me, as if I were back in high school and preparing for an essay test. I would have failed that test though, because I found the conspiracies and plot twists of who was spying on who (whom?) impossible to keep up with, even after I saw the movie.

I'd like to read more by Dumas. Maybe I'll read The Three Musketeers when I return to France, someday.

Novel Travels: Peter Mayle

2009-08-11T20:37:00.006-05:00

Somehow in the summer of 2006 I managed to plan a wedding, study for the GRE, train for a sprint triathlon, swim twice a week, play soccer every weekend and work full time. While doing all of the above, I also managed to read most of Peter Mayle's Provence books.

I read these books like I drink wine, slowly and without wasting a drop. My future husband was giving into my fantasy of taking a cycling tour through Provence, France, and I was determined to know everything about the area. Mayle's books had been in the media for years so they were the first ones I looked for at the library. First, I read A Year in Provence, followed by Toujours Provence. Then I discovered Mayle's fiction and that he had other non-fiction (but not autobiographical) books about Provence too. Below are my thoughts on his books.

Autobiographical Works
A Year in Provence: Easy and enjoyable to read. Mostly about Mayle and his wife renovating a house in Provence. It was made into a miniseries, which oddly, I was able to find. I don't remember much about it except the Peter character waving his arms around in every scene.

Side Note" In it, Mayle writes about Le Mistral (basically, the strong winds), which I should have taken as a warning that Provence has strong winds. Strong winds did not play into my fantasy about a fun bicycle ride through waving lavender.

Toujours Provence: Much of the same, though I had to wander why they left Provence in the first place (then returned in this book) after the large hassle in the previous book. Or was than Encore Provence? Here's the problem, all the books run together after a while.

Fiction Novels
Hotel Pastis: A formed advertising executive buys a hotel. Chaos ensues.

Anything Considered: A man with few options left puts out an ad that he will do anything. A rich man answers the ad. Chaos ensues.

Chasing Cézanne: I don't recall reading this. I'm sure art is involved and chaos ensues.

A Good Year: An English executive inherits his uncle's home and vineyard in Provence. There are secrets, sections about wine making, and chaos ensuing. Mayle's novel differs from the plot of the movie as I don't recall the memory of the uncle playing such a big part and know the wine plot was different.

Other works
French Lessons: Adventures with Knife, Fork, and Corkscrew: I remember reading this, I remember reading about escargot. I don't remember much else.

Confessions of a French Baker: I tried to read this, but I got married and had to return it to the library.

Acquired Tastes: I've not read this.

Provence A-Z: I read this, but I felt I had read it all before in all of the above books.

Did reading Mayle's books help me learn about Provence? Well, yes, as an outsider. Almost all of them have an element of an outsider coming in and getting caught up in chaos in Provence. Did I learn about the people? Somewhat, mostly in his autobiographical works. Would I read them again? Yes, they were more fun than GRE vocabulary flashcards. Would I return to Provence? In a heartbeat, especially when the lavender blooms or the Tour de France is passing through.

Novel Travels: Out of Africa

2009-08-11T20:17:00.004-05:00

I've never been to Africa, but those who have been always end up visiting Karen Blixen/Isak Dinesen's farm in Kenya. Admittedly, I only know a small number of people. Out of Africa has touched people for generations.

OK, I'm only using Out of Africa because I need something with an O, I have a hungry son, and I want to collect lists of books about all the continents. Although I own a copy of the book--which I bought after someone described visiting Karen Blixen's farm--it's buried in my to-be-read-pile, still waiting to be read. My pile is taller than my nightstand. I have read, cried, and read devotionals on Babette's Feast, but that novel has nothing to do with Kenya.

The only other novel/book taking place in Africa that I recall reading is Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe. Since I read it in college (English 101 essentially), I only recall that Achebe is Nigerian and I liked the novel.

It's very sad that I only have two books for an entire continent and I'm too tired tonight to do research to discover more books. I know they are out there. When I actually go, I will do my homework.

Novel Travels: New Orleans Legacy

2009-08-10T13:10:00.003-05:00

New Orleans Legacy by Alexandra Ripley may seem like an odd book choice for ideas on what to see in a tour of the city, especially such an iconic city as New Orleans. It's on my list due the sheer amount of history packed into its pages.

Synopsis: After her father's death, Mary McAlister travels to New Orleans with littler more than a box of mementos from the mother she never knew. There, she will learn the secrets of her past, her family's past, and fall in love with New Orleans.

It's a romance novel, therefore, Mary encounters Valmont Saint-Brevin throughout the book. Other things she encounters: a brothel, a voodoo ceremony, slavery, yellow fever, Baroness Michaela Pontalba, and Mardi Gras. Mary also hears stories about the founding of New Orleans and the number of times it switched hands.

New Orleans Legacy is a good read for New Orleans' history. Ideally, I would have a list of books to read about New Orleans and it's music and it's recovery from Hurricane Katrina. Sadly, I don't have that list. I will say two things: Alexandra Ripley's Charleston is a good read for the history of that city and I highly recommend Jazz Fest.

Novel Travels: Mayans

2009-08-09T08:26:00.008-05:00

Technically, this post should be a "B" post since I'll discuss Belize more than the Mayans. I am doing so mainly because I thought the name of the book I wanted to write about was My Man in Belize, however, it is Our Man in Belize by Richard Timothy Conroy. Confession: I did not read this book. Oh, I checked it out from the Austin Public Library, but never got around to cracking it open. When we visited Belize in 2008--on a whim and airline miles--I was in grad school and read books about marketing and advertising.

Our Man in Belize seems to be an amusing book, if the reviews can be trusted. I'm sure the country has changed since 1963--although having been there I think they are driving some of the same cars. (In 1994 my church went on a mission trip to Belize. In my head, I know they did not take the church van. We went on an excursion to Caracol and I swear it was that same church van with the broken shocks.)

Belize Survivor: the Darker Side of Paradise looks interesting, as does The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw: One Woman's Fight to Save the World's Most Beautiful Bird. There's also a Wiki page of Mayan literature and many books, especially since 2012 with it's end-of-the-word predictions is just around the corner.

That's all nice, but what I really want to share is this Hulu - Cities of the Underworld - Mayan Underground video. My husband and I did this tour of the Actun Tunichil Muknal or ATM Cave.

All is not as it seems in the video. I'll explain, . We arrived in Belize on the third straight day of rain, so rivers were flowing fast and high while streets were muddy. We found a excursion group and essentially got suckered into joining the ATM tour in two days. "Everybody wants to do this tour. People tried yesterday but could not go in with the rain and were disappointed. You have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." We paid our money, gave the tour outfitter our first names and hotel name, and were told to wear swimsuits under our clothes.

Two days later, we were the oldest cave tourists on the bus. Thirty-four and 30, for the record. The bus passed over two short bridges overflowing with water. In Texas, a high-water sign would have warned us not to cross. We parked next to several other buses and proceeded to walk through a rain forest. In the Cities of the Underworld video they cross a river three times. This is true, though it is more like a creek and, even in the rainy season, was not as high as implied in the show. Water only came up to my thighs. I'm 5'2", on taller people, the water was just above their knees.

We were given hardhats with lights and told to take off our shirts and attach them to the hard hats. We did have to swim into the cave, with our heads above water, but it was a short swim. The length of an SUV really. THEN the fun began. I thought we were done with the swimming. Nope, we spent the next hour walking through water. It would be up to my chest, then down around my ankles. The guide spoke to us all through a game of telephone, he would tell the person behind him "Stay left, avoid the big drop off on the right." That person would tell the person behind him, and so on. Somewhere along the way, hanging onto a rock, standing in water up to my chest, I began to be afraid for my life. What had we been thinking swimming into a cave with people we did not know? These people didn't even know our last names? I never signed a waiver! No waiver for insurance or saying I would not sue them. Nope, we were not in Kansas (America) anymore.

After an hour of sloshing around, we hoisted ourselves up onto a ledge and were told to take off our shoes. We could only walk around in socks. We walked a few feet and then came to the ancient Mayan ritual area. Broken pottery littered the cave floor. Bones stuck up behind rocks. It was amazing and eerie, dark and damp. Our guide gave a short talk on rituals and how the Mayans got into the cave. Then he showed us the Crystal Maiden skeleton of a teenage girl by taking us up a ladder to the top of the cave. She was mesmerizing.

Then we turned around and took the same way out, up and down, swimming, walking.

So, the point of all this was to say two things, 1) The ATM cave is not as remote and unseen as implied in the video, 2) If you get a chance, go. It's amazing. And the only place to read about it is on tourist blogs and journals online, it's not something found in novels.

See also, Bizarre World.

Novel Travels: Little Women

2009-08-08T17:20:00.007-05:00

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott: the book, the house (Orchard House), the trip that began my obsession with visiting landmarks related to literature. Technically, I've still not been there. I was 12, my mother took me to New York City, Boston, and Concord. Unfortunately, when we went to visit Orchard House in Concord, Massachusetts, we discovered it was closed. Back then, we didn't have the Internet to check these things out. I guess we didn't look it up in a guidebook either--this seems odd for my mother, but she was a busy working mother.

Since we didn't get to go in, I still feel the need to visit Orchard House. Reading Little Women was a journey itself. For me, it was an introduction to literature of a different time and place. Where women ran the home, were sweet, and lived God's word. They grew up and, true to life, didn't always marry who they or you think they should. It also fascinated me that it was written during the Civil War, by a Northerner. They suffered too! It was a shocking lesson for a naive Texas girl. Up until then, I had been led to believe the South had been a genteel place, all white houses and hoop skirts. Slavery and its horrors was ignored for the most part while the bravery of Reconstruction was always played up. So to read a different account of the Civil War, even though it was a subplot seen through the eyes of teenage girls, opened me up to a new way of seeing history. It made me realize there are two sides (or more) to each story.

Orchard House
Louisa May Alcott Society

Novel Travels: King Arthur

2009-08-03T10:34:00.007-05:00

King Arthur has fascinated and intrigued people for generations. Great Britain has the largest claim on King Arthur travel sites, but the region of Brittany, France, has a few claims of its own. Today's list is more of links of resources for places to visit, books, and movies about King Arthur.

First on my list, is Glastonbury Tor, in Somerset. Sigh. Someday I will visit the sacred hill, walk up, and take in the view. I'll think about it's connections to Avalon and contemplate if it is really connected to Arthur and Guinevere. King Arthur's Knights lists several British tourist sites related to the legend, including Glastonbury Tor and Bamburgh Castle, Carleon in Wales, the Chalice Well, Glastonbury Abbey, St. Michael's Mount in Cornwall, the Round Table in Winchester, Stonehenge, Tintagel Castle believed to be Arthur's birthplace also in Cornwall, and the Tristan Stone. Here's more on the Round Table hanging in the Great Hall in Winchester.

Britannia has a very long and very well-organized list of locations related to King Arthur, Merlin, Camelot, and even the Lady of the Lake.

As for France, the crux of the legend is in the forest of Broceliande, near Rennes. The Forest, or former forest, is more related to Merlin than King Arthur. The Barenton Spring is the places where he met Vivian--who used later used her powers to imprison him in a tree in the forest. Trehorenteuc's church is thought to be a significant location in the search for the Holy Grail. Broceliande has an Arthur center and the website looks interesting, but alas, my French is not that great.

As one would expect, Wikipedia has the best list of Arthur books and films, though it leaves out the books by Persia Woolley that I recall reading in high school.

Novel Travels: Jane Austen

2009-07-29T10:42:00.005-05:00

Selecting a "J" novel was difficult (I can't think of any good travel ones and Jane Eyre does not have real travel destinations), so instead I decided to highlight Jane Austen.

Jane Austen lived from 1775 to 1817 and wrote novels filled with irony and wit. Her six major novels are among my favorites, in this order Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, Emma, Northanger Abby, Sense and Sensibility, and Mansfield Park.

I have planned a trip to see Jane Austen sites, back when the internet was new and people still used telephone books. Should I start planning another trip, here are the websites I would visit to start planning:

Pemberley has a fabulous list of Jane Austen travel sites, from her life and from several of the movies. I would focus on Winchester, Bath, and the Jane Austen's House Museum at Chawton.

Starting with Chawton. Chawton is next to Alton, and because I played the French horn in high school, I would have to visit this pub: French Horn. But that's just me. I would also take this literary walk in the area around the house, visiting places Jane herself visited. In fact I have taken this walk and only got turned around once. I must also be a fast walked since it did not take me 4 1/2 hours.

Moving onto Bath. Bath is wonderful, lovely, and has great Georgian character. Visit the Roman Baths, the Pump Room, and the Crescent. Watch the 1995 Persuasion for ideas. Then go visit the Jane Austen Centre.

Jane passed away at 8 College Street in Winchester, noted by a blue plaque on the house. That's it, so it's not worth the effort to seek out. She is buried in Winchester Cathedral, in the north aisle of the nave.

That's my fantasy week of travel based on Jane Austen's life. For for ideas and inspiration, visit Jane Austen Today and Jane Austen's World.

Novel Travels: In a Sunburned Country

2009-07-27T21:24:00.003-05:00

At this point, I should explain my criteria for good travel reading.

1) It must give me a strong desire to visit a city, country, or region.
2) I must learn something about the area's (city, country, or region) history.
3) It must serve as a guidebook of sorts: I want to walk into a place saying something similar to "I need to visit this cathedral here on the map because it played a major role in the book and we need to look for a particular plaque on the wall. Also, we have to eat these cookies bought at this bakery because that is where the character met." In other words, the book must give me a list of places to visit, touristy and non-touristy places.

Although I've not been to Australia, I do have a small list of books on my travel-to-be-read list. I have read In a Sunburned Country, by Bill Bryson, and it did give me a long list of places to visit, tips about the people, and a sense of history. And I learned that Canberra is the capital and Australia plants and animals can kill you. I also got some tidbits about the Aborigines and the Outback.

One thing I don't recall being mentioned in the book is meat pies. My husband introduced me to meat pies at Boomerang's Pies here in Austin. I am hooked, the traditional beef pie is like my mother's meatloaf in a pie crust--and really, doesn't pie crust make everything better? So I am eager to visit Australia and taste their pies.

Here are four other books on my Australia list:

The Idea of Perfection and The Secret River by Kate Grenville.
Oscar and Lucinda and True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey.

I would also reread the Australia sections of Collapse by Jared Diamond. And I would reread, um, The Pride of the Peacock by Victoria Holt--this book is 100% responsible for me wanting to mine opals and purchase opals in Australia. In fact, that book is already responsible for several opal purchases in my life. And for the purchase of some Black Opal wine. What can I say but that I was young, impressionable, and romantic when I read the book. Huh, guess I still am.

Novel Travels: How the Irish Saved Civilization

2009-07-27T13:20:00.003-05:00

For anyone traveling to Ireland, How the Irish Saved Civilization, by Thomas Cahill, is the perfect airplane read. It's a short history of Ireland--beginning, oddly enough, with the fall of Rome--and an introduction to Irish saints and artifacts. Cahill explains how Irish monks copied literature and helped spread it back through Western Europe during the Dark Ages. During the 4th Century, these monks did their copying in little huts which have remained watertight to this day and can be visited at the Gallarus Oratory (below), on the Dingle Peninsula.

Cahill discusses Saint Patrick, the Vikings, Saint Brigid, the Druids, Christianity, Columcille, and the Book of Kells. This book isn't a fictional walk through a city, but an easy read packed with information. For more on where to find some of the sites discussed in How the Irish Saved Civilization, see Rick Steves' website or read one of his Ireland guidebooks.

Novel Travels: Gone With the Wind

2009-07-23T08:40:00.003-05:00

Most people who know the novel and movie Gone With the Wind know that Tara does not exist. I understand though, from reading and studying both as an undergrand (University of Texas, English/Women's Studies course: Women's Popular Genres) that people have gone to Atlanta, Georgia, and asked to see Tara.

Margaret Mitchell based the plantations in GWTW on homes in Clayton County and Jonesboro, which she had seen and visited growing up. Although visiting Tara is impossible, it is possible to get a GWTW fix in Atlanta, Texas, and even Ireland.
Atlanta: To start, GWTW lovers should visit the Margaret Mitchell House where she wrote GWTW. The house gives visitors a glimpse into Mitchell's life, hosts literary events, and has a movie museum (and a gift shop). Mitchell is buried in Oakland Cemetery. There is a Margaret Mitchell square in downtown Atlanta. Those who read the novel may recall Scarlett traveling along Peachtree Street. I feel obligated to warn Atlanta visitors that it seems nearly every street, square, and shopping center is named Peachtree (or so it seemed to this outsider). For other reasons to visit Atlanta, I recommend visiting CNN's studios and the World of Coca-Cola.

The Road to Tara Museum in Jonesboro has a large, permanent collection about GWTW. Or, visitors can take the Southern Belles & Whistles Tour in Jonesboro given by Atlanta Tours.

Marietta has a Gone With the Wind Museum: Scarlett on the Square which has the original honeymoon gown Vivien Leigh wore for the movie, several editions of the novel, and Ona Munson's (Belle) movie script.

Texas: If GWTW lovers are anywhere near Jefferson, Texas, they should visit Scarlett O'Hardy's Gone With the Wind Museum, one of the largest private collections of GWTW memorabilia in existence. It's got movie posters, autographs of stars of GWTW, puzzles, and fabric relating to the book and movie.

In Austin, Texas, the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin has the David O. Selznick Collection and occasionally displays dresses from the movie, however they are not scheduled to be shown again until 2014. Until then, visit the Gone With the Wind Online Exhibit.

Ireland: Speculation has it that Mitchell got the O'Hara plantation name from the Hill of Tara in Ireland. Tara is regarded as the traditional seat of the high kings of Ireland because one could see all of Ireland from the top of the hill (not really, but you can see for miles). OK, it's not really related to GWTW except in name, but it's a fun place to visit.

Visiting any of these places will help get a true GWTW lover their fix, until they can take another trip, re-read the novel, or see the movie. (Note: the Paramount in downtown Austin will be showing GWTW over Labor Day Weekend, as part of their Summer Film Series.)

Novel Travels: France

2009-07-22T18:27:00.003-05:00

Today, I have a crying infant and therefore less time to think about this post. I was going to write about Tim Moore's French Revolutions (Tim Moore is the British Bill Bryson), however, I do not have a copy of the book (I got it at the library) and cannot find the info I want online. So, this post is more of a list of books about France and the French that I have found useful when traveling to France. Note: I will not cover Peter Mayle books on this list.

Non-fiction
Portraits of France by Robert Daley - A journalist shows his love of France and its people through various stories about life, wine, and journeys.

Two Towns in Provence by M.F.K. Fisher - Fisher brings Aix-en-Provence alive. Some restaurants she visits are still operating and all the fountains are still there and still enchanting tourists (this one included)

Words in a French Life by Kristin Espinasse - A blog-turned-book about life in Provence, told by introducing a new word a day.

Chocolate and Zucchini: Daily Adventures in a Parisian Kitchen by Clotilde Dusoulier - Another blogger, this one for cooking. Charming.

My Life in France by Julia Child - I've not had time to read this yet, but how can it be bad?

We'll Always Have Paris ... and Provence: A Scrapbook of Our Life in France by Patricia Wells and Walter Wells - I've also not had time to read this yet, but I love Wells' cookbooks.

Dealing with the French people
French of Foe? by Polly Platt - Good for work and pleasure and cutting through bureaucracy.

Touche by Agnes Catherine Poirier - Same, good for work and pleasure.

Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong by Jean-Benoit Nadeau and Julie Barlow - Explains why the French behave the way they do (answer: war and revolution).

Talk to the Snail by Stephen Clarke - I've not read this, but imagine it's his Merde books without the storylines.

French Toast by Harriet Welty Rochefort - Another American in France memoir.

Fiction
A Year in the Merde, In the Merde for Love, Merde Happens, Merde Actually, and Dial M for Merde by Stephen Clarke - Fun airplane reading. A Year in the Merde is the tale of a Brit living in Paris and tiptoeing around strikes, l'amour, and dog crap.

Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry - Everyone learning French reads this.

Chocolat by Joanne Harris - As good as the movie.

For kids books, see Travel for Kids.
For more books, see Rick Steves' list.

Novel Travels - Ethan Frome/Edith Wharton

2009-07-21T18:55:00.004-05:00

While I found Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome tragic and hard to put down, her House of Mirth and Age of Innocence brought turn-of-the-century New York City, with it's complex social structure, to life for me. Therefore, while I should be concentrating this post on Ethan Frome, I'm really interested in Edith Wharton's New York City: what of it is left and what can I see?

Thankfully, the Edith Wharton Society has a helpful list on their FAQ. Starting with Grace Church at Broadway and 11th Street where she was christened. Edith lived at the house on 14 West 23rd Street, but it has been changed over the years. In 1885, Edith got married at Trinity Chapel at 15 West 25th Street, which is now Serbian Orthodox Church of Saint Sava.

And that is about all of Edith Wharton's New York, New York. Honestly, I expected more. This New Times article sheds a little light onto her life in the city and her feelings toward it (she spent most of her life abroad).

Of course, when I think of Edith Wharton, I also think of her friendship with Henry James, which leads me to Washington Square, the novel, and Washington Square, the park. While near the park, I would visit the Merchant's House Museum at 29 East 4th Street. It was built before Edith's time, in 1832, and was not a home for the upper crust of society, but it is a fun glimpse into city life in the 19th century.

To get an even better idea of how Edith Wharton's characters lived, one would have to leave the city and visit the estates along the Hudson River Valley. I think any of them would be worth the trip. Supposedly, Edith's aunt built the (now ruins only) Wyndcliffe, near Rhinebeck, New York.

Finally, on this fantasy trip of mine, I would leave New York state entirely to visit The Mount in Lenox, Massachusetts. Edith purchased the Mount in 1902 and lived there off and on for years.