Cookbook Review and Giveaway: The Amish Cook’s Baking Book

March 11, 2010 – 10:18 pm

I’ve always been interested in the Amish way of life. There is definitely something very appealing to me about this or any other minimalist approach to life so I was very interested in receiving The Amish Cook’s Baking Book.The book is co-authored by Lovina Eicher (who lives in an Amish community and learned to bake from her mother) and writer Kevin Williams. Eicher provides the recipes and a little back-story and Williams provides commentary on Amish history and way of life. Together, they have written this and other cookbooks that feature recipes from Lovina’s mother and other Amish women.

The first thing I noticed about this book when I received it from Andrews McMeel Publishing was the size. It really is the perfect size for setting on your counter while you bake. Call me picky, but I don’t care for cookbooks that lack pictures and I have a hard time liking cookbooks of odd shape and size- such as tall and skinny. This one is short and long, so the pages lay flat no matter if you are reading a recipe at the beginning of the book or at the end. The pictures are nice and the overall layout of the book is well done.

The recipe titles are charming and invite you to give them a try. Cookies named “crybaby cookies” or “$250 cookies”. Unfortunately, for a lot of these names, Eicher is unsure how the names came to be. Williams mentions this in his introduction and uses the analogy of the “telephone game”. Because the Amish are such eager recipe swappers, sometimes the name gets lost in all the eager trading! As I kneaded my dough, I daydreamed where the names came from.

There are a lot of books popular right now on the subject of baking bread fast. I’m not interested in that. I enjoy the kneading and long rise times. I enjoy watching something transform in my sunny little window. Amish women have a lot of time to dedicate to baking and so their recipes for baking are not rushed. This appeals to me. I like to make a day of it when I bake bread! Also, I don’t own a Cuisinart, a KitchenAid or any other fancy motorized gear which most Amish do not use either. So many times I have bought cookbooks and then I read through the recipes and have to skim past the ones that say, “In the bowl of an electric mixer . . .” or I have to adapt it to my own way of baking. I didn’t run into that problem with this book.

What I did run into with this book was an ingredient problem. A lot of the recipes call for lard or vegetable shortening. Normally, I do not use either although I have been known to throw some bacon lard in a brownie recipe (not a fan) out of frugality. I am new enough to baking that I am unsure if butter can be substituted in all recipes. It would have been nice to see a side note or two mentioning substitutions for those ingredients since a lot more people are getting away from using shortening.

I tested 2 recipes from this book. The first was the recipe for Sweet Breakfast Rolls. Eicher says her husband likes a cinnamon roll or sweet roll in the morning with his hot chocolate or coffee. And so do I! In fact, cinnamon rolls are one of my all-time favorite treats and I am constantly on the lookout for the be-all end-all of cinnamon roll recipes. Unfortunately, this one is not it. But ironically, it was the quickest cinnamon roll recipe I have ever made. There was no 2nd rise- only a quick initial rise. This is a good recipe for someone who wants to be eating homemade cinnamon rolls within an hour. Perhaps if I let them rise a little longer they would have puffed up a bit more, but by following the recipe I found them to be quite dense. It may have had something to do with the weather. The frosting recipe is fabulous and I will definitely be using that again.

Later in the afternoon, I decided to try one of the kid-friendly recipes with Andrew in the kitchen. Two desserts in one day, it’s a work hazard, I know. We made the 10-Minute Cookie Bars and they did indeed live up to their name, but they were a bit crumbly and didn’t come out of the pan very well. I hope to try several more of the recipes in this book (Honey Bars will probably be first up). There are several recipes that certainly look interesting.

In conclusion, I think this is the kind of cookbook that would be best-suited for someone who has some experience baking. A few of the recipes are a tad vague, calling for “enough bread flour to make a stiff dough”, etc. instead of an actual measurement. I think this will frustrate baking newbies. However, for the experienced baker, the book offers a fresh perspective. I really appreciate that this book teaches both how to bake and encourages us to live more simply by giving us a peek at the Amish way of life.

I am giving away a copy of this book to one random reader.

To enter, leave a comment below answering the following question:

When you bake bread, do you measure the flour exact or do you add a little here and there until the dough looks like it is the right consistency?

For a second chance to win, you can tweet the giveaway. Please leave an additional comment below telling me that you did so. I am mailing this book out myself and at the time am only able to mail to U.S. residents. The contest will close Sunday, March 14th at midnight. One winner will be chosen at random using Random.org. Good luck!

By kristineleuze | Posted in Book Reviews, Food | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (3)

Hope

March 10, 2010 – 9:27 am

My husband gave me a hyacinth last week for our anniversary. I’ve enjoyed watching it sit in its sunny little window space, mostly because I think it gives me hope. Hope that this winter will END, the snow will melt and we can get out into our garden and grow!! In the next few months and throughout the summer, we will be sharing with you what we grow and how we grow it. It will be a good place for the newbie gardener to learn how to grow some simple food. We don’t use special technique or expensive equipment. A lot of what we do is seed-in-the-ground and water type gardening so anybody can join in. We grow organically.

Here’s a list of what we plan on growing:

Tomatoes

Lettuce

Cabbage

Basil

Cilantro

Jalapenos

Onions

Red Bell Pepper

Pumpkins

Carrots

Sugar Snap Peas

Raspberries

Strawberries

Squash

?????

UPDATE:

I had a reader ask about container gardening vegetables. While it is entirely possible to grow almost everything in a container, the thing to look out for is container type. I would recommend NOT using terra cotta pots for growing vegetables. They tend to draw all the moisture from your soil and you will find yourself needing to water more than once a day when it gets real hot.

I found this book when browsing Amazon. While I have not actually read it myself, it looks like one of the better ones.
Easy Container Combos: Vegetables & Flowers (Pamela Crawford’s Container Gardens)

By kristineleuze | Posted in Garden | Tagged , , , | Comments (2)

Hear Me ROAR Pink Dinosaur Cookies

March 9, 2010 – 8:29 pm

I think these would be cute for an older girls’ birthday party. Especially a girl who is into manga and that sort of thing. I’m not doing a real detailed post about these since there are way better posts out there as far as cookie decorating goes but did want to share them with you since pink dinosaurs are cute. In case anybody is wondering, I always use Martha Stewart’s recipe for sugar cookies.

For some crazy good cookie decorating skillz check out:

Sweetopia

Bake at 350

These girls know how to do it best.

Also, there’s a lot of talk about this new book Cookie Swap: Creative Treats to Share Throughout the Year which is on my wishlist! There are some CUTE cookie ideas in there for someone who has some time on their hands and want to really impress some people with their crazy cookie skills!! If you have this book already, let me know what you think of it!

By kristineleuze | Posted in Food, Kid Activities | Tagged , , , , | Comments (2)

A Lifetime of Tim Burton Films

March 7, 2010 – 6:41 pm


Illustration by Sydney Gray

I haven’t been to see a movie in the theater in quite some time. It’s been at least a year, maybe two. The last movie I saw in the theater I think was Burn After Reading on opening day so it was a while ago. This past weekend, my parents offered to babysit the kids so we could go see a movie. In Hutchinson, we are rather limited so it was between Avatar and Alice in Wonderland. I am a huge Tim Burton fan and have been watching and re-watching the trailer for AiW for what seems like forever now but after the Willy Wonka experience I was skeptical. I tried to have a good attitude, really I did.

When we got to the theater there was a sign on the door that said there was no heat in the theater showing Avatar so that settled any last-minute bail-out plan I had as far as going to see Avatar instead of Alice. That didn’t stop the people in front of us though who cheerfully paid for 3 adults and 3 children (ALL under the age of 6 might I add) to go and sit 2 hours and 40 minutes in a cold theater. One of the kids had to have been no older than my son who is 3 but I won’t go there in this post. One can imagine the looks my husband and I were giving each other though.

From the opening scene I knew I was doomed. No fancy credit opening or anything just right into it which is okay except it was just a boring scene in a study. Which is OKAY but then my eyes were trying to focus and for the first part of the movie I sat there trying to figure out if the blurriness was for artistic purposes or if the projector was out of whack or what. My husband noticed too and I told him I thought Burton might have been trying to make a point that Alice’s eyes were closed or that she wasn’t seeing clearly, was in a daze, until falling down the rabbit hole. But then she fell down the rabbit hole and the movie remained blurry. I didn’t want to be THAT GIRL who gets up and complains to the theater manager about something as trivial as a slightly out of focus picture but it was incredibly distracting. But this is all beside the point. . .

The first Tim Burton movie I ever saw was Pee-wee’s Big Adventure. My brother and I used to watch Pee-wee’s Playhouse every Saturday morning and when the movie came out I was delighted. I’m positive the show and the movie were major influences in my quest to include the arts in my life. There was something about the inventiveness of the show that pushed me to think more creatively, like an inventor, and something about the movie that convinced me that “dark” could also mean creative i.e. Alfred Hitchcock.

The next Burton movie to come out was Beetlejuice. I admit, I was a little freaked-out by some of it but I was 12 years old. I remember being in awe. I had never seen a movie like this before- so full of art! I started to doodle in journals and think about color in new ways. I loved the vividness of the movie and started to understand the importance of set design and costume in a movie. I was beginning to form definite standards for movies I deemed worthy of my hard-earned allowance. First, it had to be artistic and appealing to the eye. There needed to be a reason I was going to see it on a big screen. Burton has never let me down as far as making something enjoyable to watch. Beetlejuice also introduced me to one of my teenage obsessions- Winona Ryder. Burton has never let me down in his casting either. . . errrr except maybe Michael Keaton as Batman but I understand his reasons why he cast him now.

Which brings me to 1989 and me, 13 years of age, blowing my hard-earned allowance to go see Batman in the theater. What do I remember about this movie besides the fact that on opening night I also held hands for the first time with my first REAL boyfriend???? Jack Nicholson! I had no idea who this guy was before watching this movie (my parents, unlike some I saw at the theater today, were strict on what movies I saw). I don’t remember being too fond of the movie- my brother however was CRAZY about it but I remember swimming at the pool all summer long, listening to Prince’s song Batdance from the soundtrack play on the radio every hour on the hour ALL SUMMER LONG. Maybe that’s what drove me away from “regular” radio.

Up until 1990, I didn’t realize that Tim Burton was behind any of these movies at all. Then Edward Scissorhands came out and that changed. I wanted to know everything there was to know about Tim Burton, Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder. There was something about the movie that was so unique, so different but not just that it was creative and quirky and had good acting. It was done so well that I actually understood what it was Burton was trying to say about American Suburbia even at the age of 14. THIS is what makes a good movie in my opinion- the trifecta: Good acting, visually stimulating (eye candy), and when the movie has an important message that is conveyed and understood easily by the audience without spelling it out. Instead, you let the script, the acting, and the photography convey the message for you.

After Scissorhands, I never looked at America the same. I saw how ridiculous it was for people to live in houses with perfectly manicured lawns, selling makeup and hosting barbecues all the while pretending to be somebody you’re not. It was also like peering into a crystal ball. I got to see what it would be like entering high school in the next year. But mostly, I got to escape for a few hours, into a world that was magical, and I got to enjoy a story that was neither done before or lacking in moral. Burton inspired me to write because I wanted to be him- I wanted to say the things he was saying!

In 1993 The Nightmare Before Christmas came out and I literally almost went out and got a tattoo of that dog Zero. But I was only 16 and I guess I’m kinda glad now that I didn’t but at the time I really wanted to give Burton the ultimate credit and have something he created permanently embossed on my body. After watching this movie (several times) I seriously began to think about art school. This movie had a MAJOR influence on me and I really began to dream big plans for my life when I wandered off and daydreamed.

Ed Wood, Mars Attacks!, and Sleepy Hollow are all good but by far the most looked forward to movie for me during those 10 years between 1993 and 2003 was Big Fish. When I was 19 years old I drove my car from Nebraska to Montgomery, Alabama where I lived for 7 years. My last 3 years living in Montgomery, I lived in a section of town known as “Old Cloverdale“. I worked at a little pizza restaurant called Tomatino’s and I frequented a jazz and blues bar called 1048. Huntington College is on the same block.

The movie Big Fish was filmed from January to May of 2003 in Old Cloverdale and I moved from this neighborhood to Minnesota in June of 2002. I would get emails and phone calls from friends in Alabama telling me, “Oh Tim and Ewan are so nice. They come and eat at Tomatino’s every day. Leave us big tips and tell us amazing stories.” or “Oh, Steve [Buscemi]? Yeah, Steve is so great. Real down-to-earth guy. Comes to 1048 each and every night. Sits right in the front row and listens to Sam and Ziggy play!” Nothing agonized me more than hearing these stories! That I could have met Tim Burton and shown him my zero tattoo. Who knows, maybe he would have told me to come along, pack up and join the troupe! Yeah, I know. . . keep dreaming.

But this is what Burton does. He makes it so that I keep dreaming. When I learned he was going to do Charlie and the Chocolate Factory I was overwhelmed. I couldn’t wait to see what he would do with it. I also feared he wouldn’t be able to do it justice. After all, the original is pretty damn good even if I can’t stand the look of Gene Wilder. Maybe Burton was a little overwhelmed too. Maybe you only have so much creativity in you and once you exhaust it all your done. People talk about this all the time. Do you quit while you’re ahead or do you just keep making movies? Kubrick didn’t stop and Tarantino won’t so I certainly don’t expect or want Burton too.

It’s hard though. It’s painful to watch someone you once so admired, move into a “slump”. As I watch the tweets roll in and read what people have to say on Facebook, etc. it’s clear people still love Tim Burton movies. But will I pay to see one of his films in the theater again? I’m not so sure. Alice in Wonderland seemed to be the kind of movie I would fall in love with as a 12 year old. For some girl out there, it’s probably like what watching Beetlejuice was for me at 12. Something new and amazing. But now that I am in my 30’s and have seen a fair share of movies, it’s not so new. A part of the movie seemed reminiscent of Lord of the Rings. Other parts reminded me of silly slapstick humor movies that drive me insane . Did the Mad Hatter really need to break into that silly dance toward the end? As the audience roared with delight, I thought to myself, Burton and Depp have sold out. Of course they have to some extent already otherwise they wouldn’t be working with Disney, but this dance scene really pushed the selling out envelope!

In conclusion, it has me thinking a lot. Not only about the movie industry but my own creativity as well. Number 1, I’ve decided I’m probably sticking with independent films if I’m going to a theater again. Thankfully Minneapolis isn’t far away. It just seems to me like “Hollywood” is dumbing down their audience movie after movie after movie. This can’t be good for humanity. Number 2, I’ve decided I need to push myself further creatively. There’s not a lot of room for innovation anymore now that technology has caught up. 10 years ago it would have been impressive for me to have created a 20-minute long stop-motion short. Right now, there are probably 100 12-year olds doing that this very minute, on their own time, with their own equipment. They are the next “Tim Burton”. They will be younger and more tech-savvy, but will they be creative geniuses and what will they do with it? Let them save humanity now.

By kristineleuze | Posted in Etc | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Book Review and Giveaway: The New Frugality by Chris Farrell

March 3, 2010 – 5:02 pm

People who live in big houses have problems too. This is what I tell myself every time I start to feel cooped-up in this little 700-square foot house the 4 of us share. Sometimes we need to be reminded why we live the way we do and sometimes it’s good to remind others that quality of living doesn’t have to be compromised when we make a decision to reduce spending.

I have often been asked, “How do you live in such a small house?” But then I tell them what my mortgage is every month and the look of shock on their face usually makes me feel a whole lot better. I know they are considering their own mortgage versus mine and maybe even wondering to themselves if it might not be worth it after all. Other people are content to live in debt up to their eyeballs in order to have the things they have. Personally, I enjoy living without all that stress.

I think most Americans are trained to want the big house, big car, big boat, etc. and so when they find themselves struggling to pay the bills they are confused because really, this way of life has become so ingrained in our culture that we don’t know any different. It’s necessary to take a step back every now and then and really evaluate what is a need and a want, to evaluate frugality, our commitment to our health and well-being and our stewardship of the land. If we need a little reminder (or the education in the first place), we can turn to books. One of the more recent books I’ve read on this subject is The New Frugality: How to Consume Less, Save More, and Live Better By Chris Farrell.

According to Farrell, being green and being frugal are synonymous. I couldn’t agree more. Farrell encourages us to make choices based on what is affordable and sustainable. For example, my husband and I reduce our use of the car significantly during the Spring, Summer and Autumn months. We tote ourselves and kids around on bikes using a bike trailer. It made sense for us to shop for a bike trailer that was inexpensive yet safe and durable. Taking the time to research the right choice rather than jump in the car and run downtown to buy the biggest, fastest, flashiest model falls in line with Farrell’s ideology that frugality should also be sustainable. The item purchased needs to be inexpensive, yes but it also needs to last. Otherwise, what’s preventing us from having to go down and buy a new one when the cheap one falls apart after one summer of heavy use? Having to buy two cheap ones in two years costs more than buying one durable one in the long-term and is better for the environment because there is less manufacturing and shipping involved. Has anybody else ever wondered if certain companies make their products flimsy and crappy on purpose so that we HAVE to buy more?

Here’s a little secret that a lot of people don’t know. Once you get used to living frugally, the smallest things then become “big deals” and happiness comes easier. This is where the Live Better part of the title comes in. Think of a child who gets ice cream everyday. After a while, is the ice cream a treat or is it just routine? What then needs to be done to give that child a treat, to bring happiness? A banana split? Triple-decker cone? When does it become enough? By limiting some of the things that were once considered “special” (a time before people just busted out the credit card out of habit), we are able to allow ourselves that happiness in a more frugal way and the stress is gone. It may sound difficult at first, but by adopting the new frugality mentality you can really improve your quality of life. Reading Farrell’s book is extremely motivating. After reading it, I want to see how much I can save and challenge myself to be as frugal as possible.

The book does have useful information for people from various economic classes but the majority of advice seems to be directed to those in the upper classes. I do not fit into those classes but it doesn’t mean I can’t learn from the same book. It is a little frustrating to read that an ideal savings would be the amount one would need for an entire year’s living expenses. I can’t even fathom saving up that kind of money, and if I could I would probably consider moving someplace warm and third world but I guess it is an ideal I should strive for someday.

Really this book is for anyone just starting out that knows nothing about finances or for the person with a larger net worth but who knows nothing about living frugally and wants to start. For people who have been living green and managing their own finances (people who understand what a Roth IRA is) for years now, it might not be the right book. I only say this because I let my dad read this book and he fits the latter profile and said as much to me in a quick paragraph.

Who this book would be perfect for:

-People like my brother who make a fairly good chunk of change but have no clue what to do with it and have never thought much about sustainability.

-People like my husband and I who need a reminder every now and then why we need to keep saving and keep living green.

-People like the folks down the street who are newly retired and thinking about becoming more green but want a little more motivation, resources and information.

-People that I work with whom have enough money they can consider paying for their kids’ college with cash, charitable gift annuities, make major investments, etc.

It’s a pretty wide cross-section.

Perhaps my favorite section of the book is the one titled, “Investing in Yourself”. Farrell writes, “Our most important investment is in our education and career, skills and knowledge- what economists call human capital.” He goes on to explain that we are only worth as much as we are able to create, produce or otherwise bring to the market. He emphasizes with a quote from Fischer Black, “A raw human being has about as much economic value as an uncultivated piece of land in the wilderness.” This isn’t depressing to me, it’s motivational!

I am giving away one copy of this book.

In his book, Farrell mentions the benefits of renting over owning in today’s market. For example, when one rents, it is much easier for one to “pick up and move” in order to chase after a particular job.

In order to win, please leave a comment below answering the following question:

Do you believe it is better to rent a home than to own in today’s economy?

You can enter more than once by tweeting this giveaway (please let me know you did so in a separate comment below).

Good Luck!

Fine Print:

Winner will be chosen via Random.org. The book will be mailed to you from the publisher, however the review here is the sole opinion of mine and was not influenced in any way by the publisher. They simply allowed me to read and review the book and have agreed to provide one copy to a lucky winner at my request. The contest is open to U.S. and Canadian residents only.  The contest will close at Midnight on March 10th. I will contact the winner and announce it here.

UPDATE:  Congratulations to Devona, winner of this giveaway!

By kristineleuze | Posted in Book Reviews, Family | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (19)