Happy foods

It's that time of the year, when we start thinking about food -- well, actually, we probably think about it all year, but this is the season when we might actually think more about what we'll be sharing with family and friends during the all the holidays and festivities that are to come.



I, for one, do that. But I also start zeroing in on eating "happy foods" -- foods that serve as little pick-me-ups for the brain, because for me, being the sun-lover that I am, living in a place in the winter that sees more darkness than daylight, and more fogginess than sunlight (when those temperature inversions set in), I try to keep my spirits boosted any which way I can.


After making my short list (see below), I was happy to see that at least one of my personal favorites was included on many of the happy food lists posted on the internet.




1. Salmon





















2. Pomegranate. Yes, I settle for juice, because I haven't the patience to dig out out the fruit.









3. Avocado

















No, chocolate isn't in my top three. It's not even in my top ten. And I have to admit it's beat out by another confection of the season. ... Something that I am supposed to learn how to make (this month!) per my New Year's Resolutions back in January. ... Fruitcake. But not just any fruitcake. My grandmother's fruitcake. Although looking at the recipe, I should probably rename it Datecake.




Dates, as it so happens, are included on those famous lists. They make you happy. Perhaps, I'd be willing to bet, they'll make you even happier when you eat them as cake. I like cake. Almost as much as I like pie--with apple being my favorite. ... But that's another story. For now, I'm focusing on cake.



Grandmother's Fruitcake, a.k.a., Datecake


1 pound Brazil Nuts
1 pound Walnuts
1 pound Dates, cut in pieces
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 medium size bottles marachino cherries and juice
4 beaten egg yolks
4 beaten egg whites



Put sugar over dates and nuts. Add egg yolks. Add dry ingredients and cherry juice. Add cherries. Fold in egg whites. Makes 2 loaves. Bake 1 1/2 - 2 hours in 325 - 350 degree oven.



You'll want to oil and flour the pans, too. I suspect, if you have a convection oven, or live in lower altitudes, go with the lower heat range.




Forgive the formatting. Blogger is NOT cooperating!

A bit of books

So, last week my book club got together and between the food and catching up, we actually got around to talking about a few books we'd been reading.







Heather highly recommended Sammy's Hill and Sammy's House, two laugh-out-loud reads by Kristin Gore. Yes, she is Al Gore's daughter, and yes, apparently, quite a gifted writer. I love funny books, so this one has definitely been placed on the top of my to-read list.




Kristen had found the Shopaholic series written by S0phie Kinisella, one of my favorite authors. Her enthusiasm led me to revisit one of my all-time favorite characters, Becky Bloomwood. Heather and Kristen both wondered how anyone (meaning, Becky) could be so stupid (their words, not mine), but they loved her anyway. I said I was just thankful that not all the lightbulbs burned brightly, allowing me to laugh at her little tangles with life--even in the second and third re-readings of the books.



But wait! Now I don't have even more to look forward to! Check out this trailer from You-Tube.







Although she couldn't join us, Vicki suggested via email, The Glass Castle, a memoir (I think) by Jeannette Walls about dysfunctional parents who choose to live on the streets.



I can not imagine this actually being a choice, when one can otherwise be in a secure home, so I think this could be one of those reads that will bring me on an unexpected, new journey.




I, of course, suggested the Uglies, Pretties, and Specials, if you hadn't already noticed my latest entries on Shelfari bookshelf. I could not put these books down and finished all three books within a week.


As far as other decisions left hanging in my last post, I opted to send in my registration for the Utah-Idaho SCBWI conference in Salt Lake City on November 15. Jill Dembowski, the editor coming from Little, Brown, has liked my mss in the past, so it will be nice to meet her in person (if I'm so lucky and, er, brave to make the introduction).



This whole post is feeling rather journalistic, so I think I'll stop and jump back into the fun, free-ranging prose of my latest work-in-progress.



cheers!

Utah State Aggies Football ... What a Game!

I've come to renew my belief recently that not much beats spending a beautiful day watching a college football game. Especially when the underdog you're rooting for makes it so much fun by pulling out a series of great plays against a #8 ranked team (BYU).

If you throw out the score from the first quarter, when it seemed the Aggies were beating themselves thru mistakes (fumbles/interception) that gave 17 points to BYU, and focus on the second half of the game when they got their act together, reclaimed their confidence, and just concentrated on playing good football, the Aggies outscored BYU 14-10.

We'll take that victory in the second half. Yahoo!

The Aggies definitely should feel good about themselves, because depsite what the final score shows, the Aggies controlled the ball game in the second half. And that control kept the fans in the stadium, rooting for them until the final seconds ticked, rooting for them even though there really was no way the Aggies would win. But stay and cheer, the fans did. Because watching them out-play and out-run a very good team (BYU) was so much fun, and because we all have been waiting so long for this to happen, with the added bonus that the Aggies' game broke BYU's run of shut-outs that they'd stacked up in their last three matches.

For the players and fans alike, I hope this game fuels a new momentum for USU football.

I can't wait to watch what they do with the rest of their season.

Go Aggies!