A trip to the Library

Ok I admit I do judge a book by its cover. For example whether I pick up a book by an unfamiliar author is determined by two things (this does not include being recommended or mentioned by an author I already like) #1 a great title that automatically makes me want to at least read the back and #2 a great cover that catches my eye. I read a lot, like at least a book a week and that's when I am really busy. So I make a lot of trips to the library to replenish the stockpile. I was picking up some holds at the Sun Ray library in Saint Paul a couple months ago and noticed the new fiction shelf nearby. I was getting ready for a trip to San Diego and needed a few more books for the plane and for down time at the pool and Daryl Gregory's debut novel "Pandemonium" caught my eye. I am definitely a sucker for science fiction already and I loved both the interesting cover art and title automatically so I read the back and when I saw that it had Philip K. Dick as a character (possessed by VALIS no less) I had to read it. It turns out my instincts were right! It was a great book that like many that I love I was sad to see end. I will let you read reviews and summaries elsewhere since I don't really want to regurgitate stuff that is written for you already on Amazon. Another book I recently came upon in a similar way was "Alive in Necropolis" by Doug Dorst, another brilliant debut novel. I was drawn to the cover in the same way and although the book was not as sci-fi as I expected, it was a really wonderful character study about a small town cop who isn't really sure what he wants out of life and his relationships with his friends, alive and dead. Check that out at Amazon as well!

Sugar Cookies

I have been looking for a really great sugar cookie recipe for a long time. Think Bloedow's bakery in Winona. This week I tried out Grandma Wittenberg's recipe. The cookies turned out really good, light and crispy with soft interiors. I added coconut to some of them and I absolutely love them. I don't think its quite right yet but we are definitely moving in the right direction.

Here's the recipe:

Grandma's Sugar Cookies (from the kitchen of JoAnn Wittenberg)

1/2 c powdered sugar

1/2 c granulated sugar

1/2 c butter (I use half margarine)

1/2 c oil

1 egg

cream these ingredients then add

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 1/8 c flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

mix well, chill dough for about 2 hours. Roll in 1 inch balls, dip in sugar and/or coconut and flatten with a glass.

Bake about 15 min at 350 degrees.

Many Profound Appologies

Sorry Folks, I have been busier than a baker on Sunday morning lately. I promise to find something fun to blog about soon!