Rainy Day Ramblings

Friday Forecast June 3-9 2012

Here we are the first week of June... summer is finally almost here.  For the first week of June there are a bunch of new books releasing.  Here are the highlights along with the weather forecast for Portland, Oregon.  Click on the covers for more details.  Tell me what are you buying and how is the weather where you live?

A great bunch of books for the first week of June.  Lots of great beach books.  What book has your name on it?  

Weather Forecast for Portland, Oregon:

Saturday H73  L54 Chance of Showers          Sunday H66  L48 Chance of Showers

Sigh, more rain...soon you all will be jealous of our spectacular summer weather! See you next week.  Have a great week everyone. 

Married With Zombies Read Along Scavenger Hunt Week 1

I am excited to be doing another fun read along:  Married with Zombies by Jesse Peterson.  A big thanks to the lovely hostesses.  Here is the schedule:

Week1: Chapters 1-5 (June 1st) - Jen @ In the Closet With a Bibliophile
Week2: Chapters 6-10 (June 8th) - Ashley @ The Bookish Brunette
Week3: Chapters 11-15 (June 15th) - Loretta @ Between the Pages
Week4: Chapters 16-20 (June 22nd) - Tina @ Tina's Book Reviews
Week5: Chapters 21-26 (June 29th) - Missie @ The Unread Reader

You can check out the awesome prize packs on their blogs. 

For my posts and pictures, I will be featuring my kids because it is hard to take pictures of yourself with the stuff and second they are cuter. 

1. In chapter 2 Sarah has to put her marriage therapist "to rest" with a letter opener. Let's see your weaponized letter opener in mid-action! No letter opener? Think fast! You need to rescue your friend/significant other! What are you going to use when no actual weapons are available? No knives, no guns! Show me what you've got!  

Since this scene takes place near a desk, I headed into our den and surveyed what we have for weapons.  No fancy letter openers...I am considering getting one now.  Never fear there was plenty of handy weapons.  First, a stapler could come in handy. They are hard and heavy, you could swing it around like a nun chuck or not.  Also slamming it into a zombies face would work.  I also found a heavy duty three holed paper punch.  This thing is heavy and would pack a walloping hit.  In our den, this is the truth we have a replica ninja sword, it isn't sharp, but you can bet your butt if a zombie invaded my den I would grab it and ram it in its eye.  My metal dragon would also make a good weapon.  It is hard and has some sharp edges.

2.  In chapter 2 Sarah is wrestling with Dr. Kelly and David can't seem to find a weapon to help his dear wife with. Until...Sarah yells at him to use something on Dr. Kelly's body, which he grabs and smashes into her head. I want to see your most killer pair of this item!

I know I am totally lame for this, but I do not own a single pair of stilettos.  First, I am always afraid of falling on my ass, second, I live in Portland, Oregon.  Have you ever visited?  The city's motto is: "Keep Portland Weird" and people don't dress up here. Seriously, people run around in their pajamas and other garbs. I own a lot of birkenstocks and such.  So improvising here, I would grab my husband's shoes. I have said they are clodhoppers....since I have tripped on the #%*+= things a few times. Whacking a zombie in the head with one of these shoes would certainly knock them on their butts.

3. In chapter 3, Sarah hears an unexpected noise in the bathroom while she's nervously peeing. She grabs "the closest thing there was to a weapon in the room". I want a picture of the same type of item that is closest to you....no soft edges people. They won't do the brain damage necessary to kill the living dead. 

I have remarked several times on my blog that having five minutes alone in the bathroom
without someone banging on the door is a vacation.  Considering I have two toddlers, I don't get much time alone in the bathroom.  I don't keep books or magazines in there because I guarantee, Mateus would probably dump one in the toilet when my back was turned.  I took stock of my bathroom,  and decided if a zombie was hiding in  my shower I would bash its head repeatedly with the sliding glass door, that ought to hurt.  For something hard and heavy, how about that lying, heavy, day ruining bathroom scale?  A good thump on the head with that thing would work.  If per chance the liar scale was damaged, oh well....

4. At the end of chapter 5, Dave gives Sarah a weapon just before they are leaving their apartment to pay a little visit to Jack & Amanda's apartment. Let's see a picture of yours (same type of item).

I was surprised to find that we still do indeed possess a heavy duty metal flashlight.  This thing would definitely bash someone's brains in, but I am still taking the ninja sword down the hall.

5.  How do you feel about the book up to this point? Any thoughts you want to share? 

So far this is a funny book.  I love the quirky chapter names and the ongoing feuds between Sarah and David, a couple definitely not experiencing martial bliss. I love the snarky tone as well.  

There you have it: my improvised, spur of the moment zombie weapons.  It is not too late to join the fun! Grab a copy of Married with Zombies and head to The Bookish Brunette for next week's questions. 

 

Tell Me Something Tuesday #23

It is Tuesday! I hope you all enjoyed the long weekend!  It is time for another rendition of Tell Me Something Tuesday hosted by Cambria Hebert.  Each week a new question.  Everyone is welcome to participate.  Cambria has a link list and next week's question posted on her blog.

This week's question:

Summer is approaching! Tell us a few of the things you are excited to do.

Well, I would love to tell you I am headed to Europe or an exotic beach vacation for a few days of relaxation, but these days with two young toddlers vacations are stressful.  We decided to keep it simple this year.  Last year we rented a beach house with some friends, but with a ten month old, who was teething it ended up being a bit stressful.  This year we are taking them to Grandma and Grandpa's house in Idaho.  All my family is there so it is alway nice for me to go home.  I used to visit two to three times a year, but now with the kids I only manage one trip.  We are driving, which is good and bad.  We can avoid the airport and stress of flying, but that means an eleven hour car ride.  I am not looking forward to that part.  The key will be getting up very early.  Thank goodness for DVD players.  Of course when I was growing up, car trips meant fights with my brother and games of lick n stick...don't ask!

Since we moved to Oregon, our house has become a summer bed and breakfast.  It seems everyone wants to come visit during the summer.  I will be hosting three sets of company and who knows possibly more.  No one ever visited in Phoenix during the summer, I wonder why! All that company means lots of cleaning and preparation so that will keep me busy.  

Aside from that, I plan on spending lots of time in our woodsy backyard.  We have an awesome outdoor fire pit for bonfires.  I also love to hang out and read outside.  Portland has lots to do in the summer, numerous festivals, including the famous beer festival.  During the summer months there are wonderful farmer's markets going on all over the city.  I absolutely love going to the markets for fresh produce and all kinds of good stuff.  

Summers are fantastic in Oregon.  The rain finally disappears and you treated with plenty of pleasant days, not too hot, just right! 

I hope to spend ample time outdoors reading and soaking up the sun! What about you?  What are you doing this summer? 

I have one more announcement today!  To celebrate the release of Charade, Cambria is throwing a Facebook party with tons of great giveaways!  For six hours on Friday June 1st on Cambria's Facebook page six different hosts will have games and prizes to giveaway.  I am hosting one hour at 4 pm Eastern time 1 pm Pacific Time.  Please head over to FB and visit with me.  I have lots of great stuff to giveaway! See you there! 

Friday Forecast

Here we are the end of May already.  The holiday weekend is upon us, which means the kickoff for summer.  Are you ready for sunshine, BBQ, relaxing reading outdoors?  What book are you going to grab for your sunny retreat?  Here are the highlights for next week's book releases along with the weather forecast for Portland, Oregon.  Click on the book covers from more details.  Tell me what the weather is like where you are.

Forecast May 27-June 2

 

 

A little lighter this week. Good thing, I think most of us are recovering from the heavy load earlier in the month.   Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Weather Forecast for Portland, OR:

Saturday H73  L 50 Mostly Sunny                             Sunday H68  L50 Chance of  Showers  

Tell Me Something Tuesday

Here we are another Tuesday.  Time for another thought provoking question courtesy of Cambria, the hostess.  If you want to join the fun head to her blog, add your link and grab next week's question.  Make sure you check out her tour schedule while you are there.  She is offering up some great prize packs on her Charade Tour! 

Tell me one book character you would like to spend the day with. What would you do with that person?

I scratched my head and thought and thought about this question.  It is not easy.  Yes, I know many of you are out there ticking off all your book boyfriends on your fingers, but in reality what would you say to them?  Likely, most of us would just stand their tongue tied and feeling like a fool.....especially knowing that their heart belongs to another.

So after considerable debate I decided first I would like to meet Professor Albus
Dumbledore from the Harry Potter series.  This wise old wizard could tell me tales and tales about the wonders of Hogwart's and the history of the witches and wizards.  It would be a fascinating afternoon and I would certainly sample some butterbeer.  If Harry, Hermione and Ron showed up, I would be thrilled to hear their stories as well. 

 

Next, I want to meet Katniss from the Hunger Games.  I would love to ask her how she managed to survive and learn why she made some of the decisions that she did.  She is  an amazing character and I want to know more about her.

 

I have to meet Louis from Interview with a Vampire.  Louis was my introduction to vampires.  Ms. Rice is the forerunner to vampire mania.  if you have never read her books and you are a vampire connoisseur, you must read Anne Rice.  Louis is a conundrum he is constantly struggling with his vampire identity.  I would love to ask if he has come to terms with his vampire side and how he is getting along with Lestat these days. 

I want to meet Atticus and Oberon from Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid Chronicles.  Atticus
is a centuries old Druid who has been around the block a few times.  He definitely knows some things about plants, herbs and the healing properties of the Earth.  I would just love to pat Oberon's head and feed him some sausage.

Finally, I want to meet Minnie and Aibileen from The Help.  These are two extraordinary African American who dared to make a difference in the racial South during the 1960's.  These two women share the heartbreak of what it is like to be a second class citizen, forced to wait on the whites and rear their children while their own are looked after by someone else.  I would just like to have some of their fantastic cooking and hear their stories. 

There you have it, my picks for people I would like to meet.  I want to know who you would spend the day with?   

 

Friday Forecast

Happy Friday, everyone.  It has been a great sunny week here in Portland. I hope it has been nice where you are.  To wrap the week here on Rainy Day Ramblings I do a little feature called Friday Forecast.  I highlight some of the upcoming releases for next week and tell you about the weather forecast for Portland, Oregon.  I want you to tell me what books you are wanting to buy and what the weather is like where you are.  Click on any of the covers for more details.  This is kind of a quiet week again, which is good because I know we are all recovering from all the releases at the beginning of the month.

 

There you have it... all the goods for next week!  Enjoy!

Weather Forecast for Portland, Oregon

Saturday: H 66   L45                                                                     Sunday: H 72   L 50 

We have had some great weather here in Portland.  Nice warm sunshine means reading in the backyard with a cold drink....

Also today is the day that  my good friend Cambria's book Charade releases.  Click on the cover to get your copy! Congrats, Cambria!

Tell Me Something Tuesday

Welcome back to another Tuesday and another question posed by the hostess whose tour for Charade kicks off this week, Cambria Hebert.  If you want to take part, go to her blog answer the question and link up. This week's query:

If you could be any animal what would you be and why?

I quickly pondered over this question and knew the answer.  Yes, there are many many animals that I admire and adore, cuddly koala and panda bears, cheetahs, jaguars, hawks and whales, but they have a hard life.  Let's face it, Nature is cruel and it is survival of the fittest out there.  While I would love to soar through the skies and swim the oceans deep, I am a wuss and hate the thought of being preyed upon.  Plus, I am a creature accustomed to comfort.  So it was easy to narrow this down to two choices: dog or cat?  I have a dog and two cats, whom I absolutely adore.  Do I want to be my dog, Bruno or


cats, Rex and Smokey.  Well, it wasn't too difficult to decide.  Definitely a cat.  The reason is, while Bruno has a great life, dogs are kind of gross.  My dog eats almost anything and everything, I am going to spare you the nasty details but I will say litter box=snack. He probably looks like the dog in the photo when he is salivating over anything, including the nasty stuff.  Need I say more?  Not to mention for whatever insane reason he purposefully rolls around in really smelly stuff.  I would want to skip the smelliness and the unpalatable meals.

Now being a strictly indoor cat is the way to go.  My cats spend hours curled up on soft
comfy pillows dozing the day away.  All they have to do is stroll to their food dish and litter box.  At night they curl up on my bed.  Whenever they need attention, they climb into my lap and contentedly lie there purring while getting their fur stroked and their ears scratched.  That is the life for me!  What about you?  What animal would you be? 

Don't forget to check out the Charade Tour.  Click on the banner for the stops. 

 

Spring Blog Carnival Food Booth Recipe

Happy Mother's Day Everyone!  A big shout out to my mom, have a great day! Today is the final day of the Spring Blog Food Carnival.  You still have time to enter for a great food themed book. Click here. I have one final recipe to share with you and it is a good one. 

Kittencal's Caramel Apples

 

 

 

 

Prep Time: 10 mins | Cook Time: 30 mins | Servings: 8-10 | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter (no substitutes)
• 2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 (14 ounce) sweetened condensed milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 8 -10 wooden sticks
• 8 -10 medium tart apples

Directions:

1. Insert 1 wooden stick into each apple.

2. In a heavy saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and milk; bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

3. Cook and stir until a candy thermometer reads 248 degrees (firm ball stage) about 30-40 minutes and for a softer caramel cook just to a few less degrees.

4. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.

5. Dip each apple into hot caramel mixture; turn to coat.

6. Holding by the stick, sprinkle with nuts or whatever you desire while the caramel is still warm (work quickly the caramel sets up fast).

7. Set on generously buttered wax paper to cool (make certain to generously butter the paper).

8. Note: if making a double recipe make two recipes in two separate pots.

Delicious! I will announce the winner's on Monday! Enjoy your weekend.  Don't forget to click on the banner to visit the other sites.  A big thanks to Candace, Lori and Angela for putting this fun event together.  I also want to thank Cambria Hebert for designing my Food Court Banners.  Thanks ladies, you made it a fun week! 

Spring Carnival Food Recipe

Okay everyone we are getting down to the last two days of the Spring Blog Carnival.  Have you entered to win your choice of great food books?  If not click here.  Also check out all the other blogs participating in this fabulous event.  Click on the banner at the end of the recipe.  Today I have for you a carnival staple and one of my favorites, Elephant Ears!  I decided to go with a recipe that is a little more healthy.  These are baked, not deep fried.  Enjoy! 

Prep Time: 30 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Servings: 18 | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cold butter
• 1/2 cup warm milk (110° to 115°)
• 1 egg

 

FILLING:

• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 

TOPPING:

• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Directions:

Dissolve yeast in water. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Cut butter into flour mixture as for pastry. Beat milk, egg and yeast mixture until smooth. Stir into the flour mixture and shape into a ball. Place in a greased bowl; cover and chill for at least 2 hours.

Turn out onto a floured surface; punch dough down. Cover with a towel and allow to rest 10 minutes. Roll into a 18-in. x 10-in. rectangle. Spread with softened butter. Combine remaining filling ingredients and sprinkle over butter. Starting with the long side, roll up dough jelly-roll style and pinch the edges to seal. Cut into 1-in. slices. Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle a portion of the mixture on waxed paper.

Place one slice of dough on top of the mixture and roll to a 5-in. circle, turning to coat both sides. Place on greased baking sheets. Repeat until all the circles are rolled and coated. Sprinkle tops of ears with leftover topping if desired. Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Yield: 1-1/2 dozen.

Nutritional Info:

Nutritional Facts 1 serving (1 each) equals 208 calories, 7 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 30 mg cholesterol, 137 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein.

Source: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Elephant-Ears-2

Come back tomorrow for the final recipe of the week.  I will announce the winners on Monday.  Have a great weekend everyone and Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there! 

 

Spring Carnival Booth and Friday Forecast

Wow! This week is flying by! So many good recipes to share. I hope you are having fun with the food booth.  Don't forget to enter to win your choice of food book.  See details here.  I have another tasty recipe for you today as well as a Rainy Day Ramblings favorite, Friday Forecast.  Today's recipe is:

Banana Pops

Prep Time: 20 Min | Cook Time: 3 mins | Servings: 8 banana pops | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1 (12 ounce) bag chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup colored candy sprinkles
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 4 bananas, cut in half crosswise

Directions:

1. Place the chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on Low until the chips barely melt, about 2 minutes. Stir the melted chips smooth. Place the sprinkles and chopped walnuts into separate shallow bowls.

2. Dip each banana half in melted chocolate, then roll in candy sprinkles and chopped nuts. Place the coated bananas on waxed paper, and freeze until the chocolate hardens, about 5 minutes.

Source: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/banana-pops/detail.aspx

Sure to be a hit with the little ones.  Click on the banner to visit the other booths. Also visit my co host Lila's booth for more recipes and food books. 

And now Friday Forecast:

This week's releases are a little lighter, which is probably a good thing for all your wallets.  Be ready for a bunch more good titles at the end of the month.  Here is the highlights for next week as well as the forecast.  Click on any of the book covers for more details.

Talk to me! What book has your name on it?  I am wanting read Justin Halpern's book since I loved his first book S*it My Dad Says.  If you have not read that book, do it! You will laugh until you cry.  Also a shout out to my good friend Cambria Hebert.  Her book Charade releases this week and her Charade Tour kicks off on Monday.  Make sure you check out both.  How is the weather where you are?

Weather Forecast for Portland, OR:

Saturday: Sunny H 82 L 49                                                           Sunday: Sunny H 85 L 50