3 comments | tags: 0.5 star, apocalypse, book review, books, braaaains, dearly departed, fiction, godawful, horror, intriguing review, lia habel, losers unite!, post apocalyptic wastelands, review, romance, science gone wrong, skeptical, steampunk, sweet sweet luuurve, worst books read in 2011, you think your family has issues | posted in Lists, Words, Worst Books Read in 2011
3 comments | tags: 5 stars, best books read in 2011, book review, books, country, fiction, great frontier, re-read potential, recommended by a friend, review, rural, sherwood anderson, short story, winesburg ohio | posted in Best Books Read in 2011, Lists, Words
3 comments | tags: 0.5 star, adrian dawson, book review, books, boozy, bourbon coffee & smokes, disappointing, fiction, godawful, intriguing review, precocious kiddos, random discovery, review, science fiction, science gone wrong, sequence, so much math, TARDIS recommended, the fuck is this the fuck was that, time travel, worst books read in 2011 | posted in Lists, Words, Worst Books Read in 2011
Best Books Read in 2011
4. The Forever War by Dexter Filkins
With wars as complicated as those in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is natural that many of the books published dwell heavily on the hows, whys, blame, and credit. The Forever War did none of that. Written by Dexter Filkins, a reporter who spent long stretches of time in both countries and was embedded with troops on multiple occasions, it reads more like oral history than your typical history. It is a story about the people living and fighting in those countries. For that, it receives every bit of praise I can give.
Original Review
5. Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
6. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
7. The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler
8. Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey
9. A Great & Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
10. The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett
4 comments | tags: 5 stars, Afghanistan, araaaaabian niiiiiights, best books read in 2011, book review, books, current affairs, dexter filkins, history, Iraq, journalism, mission still not accomplished, non-fiction, oral history, re-read potential, review, the forever war, war, world affairs | posted in Best Books Read in 2011, Lists, Words
5 comments | tags: are you high, ben lerner, book review, books, contemporary fiction, fiction, godawful, leaving the atocha station, losers unite!, random discovery, review, spain, spoiled brats, up to no good, worst books read in 2011 | posted in Lists, Words, Worst Books Read in 2011
Chili
In reality, this is more a relation of the day’s incarnation of chili than a recipe. I don’t think my chili is ever the same. So, in today’s:
2 lbs ground beef
1 medium onion
2 large cloves garlic
6 habanero peppers
2 cans diced tomatoes, drained
1 can tomato sauce
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1 can refried beans
cayenne pepper
dried cilantro
ground cumin
I sauteed ground beef until it was fully browned, then put it in a large Crock Pot. Next I chopped the onion, garlic & peppers. Be certain to wear gloves for the peppers, or you will be in a world of hurt. I sauteed the veggies in the grease from the ground beef. I added them and the canned items to the Crock Pot as well. The spices I added to taste. Stirred it all together, turned it on high and it’ll cook throughout the day. I’ll be serving it with shredded cheese, sour cream, and cornbread. Should be a tasty meal!
2 comments | tags: all day dishes, beans, chili, cold weather food, comfort food, cornbread, crock pot, easy meals, food, habanero, peppers, recipe, slow cooker | posted in Food
Best Books Read in 2011
5. Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
For the first hundred or so pages of this book, I did a lot of complaining about the amount of math and the detail into which Stephenson goes about mathematical theory. Somewhere along the way, I managed to be drawn into this many layered story that is at times, humorous, at times tragic, and at times WTF. I ended up loving it.
Original Review
6. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
7. The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler
8. Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey
9. A Great & Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
10. The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett
5 comments | tags: 5 stars, alternate history or perception, best books read in 2011, book review, books, cryptonomicon, cyberpunk, fiction, nazis, neal stephenson, review, science fiction, so much math | posted in Best Books Read in 2011, Lists, Words
5 comments | tags: (auto)biographies & memoirs, 1 star, abandoned, book review, books, Crohn's disease, godawful, gotham, health, jon reiner, man who couldn't eat, random discovery, review, skeptical, the body, what's up doc?, worst books read in 2011 | posted in Lists, Words, Worst Books Read in 2011
Cheesy O’Brien Egg Scramble
1 package (28 ounces) frozen O’Brien hash brown potatoes
1 tsp garlic salt (or equivalent combination of garlic powder & salt)
1 tsp black pepper
1 can condensed cheese soup, undiluted
1 lb sliced cooked & crumbled bacon or 1 lb bag real bacon “bits”
12 eggs, lighly beaten
2 T butter
2 cups shredded cheddar or preferred shredded cheese
In large skillet prepare hash browns according to package. Sprinkle with garlic salt & pepper. Transfer to greased 2-1/2 qt/9×13 baking dish. Top with soup. Set aside 1/2 cup bacon. Sprinkle remaining bacon over soup. In another skillet scramble eggs in butter until nearly set. Spoon over bacon. Sprinkle with cheese & reserved bacon. Bake uncovered at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted.
This can be made the night before, making it an excellent choice for Christmas morning. Enjoy!
Leave a comment | tags: bacon, breakfast, casserole, eggs, food, hashbrowns, make ahead, potatoes, recipe | posted in Food
6 comments | tags: 4.5 stars, best books read in 2011, bibliophilia, book review, books, bosnia, contemporary fiction, fiction, geraldine brooks, haggadah, historical fiction, holocaust, i hear you like books in your books, libraries are awesome, museum, nazis, people of the book, pleasant surprise, racial tension, review, sarajevo, sarajevo haggadah | posted in Best Books Read in 2011, Lists, Words
