From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris

Book Nine of the Sookie Stackhouse Novels  

Format.
    Ebook

The book in one sentence.
    Sookie and Amalie deal with family and shake off the the lingering baggage of past boyfriends while Bill and Eric come to their senses and all join together to confront powerful forces of change.

The Good.
    Sookie isn't quite as resistant to join in with the supernatural world, which opens her up to more interesting encounters.  Harris has created an incredible world that is always a pleasure to visit.

The Bad.
    The whole book felt like it could have been condensed down and used as the opening to a longer book that actually went somewhere.  Lines were drawn in the sand in the previous book and in this book the lines were just re-emphasised.

Who would I recommend it to?
    Anyone with an interest in vampire fiction series.  Also anyone who likes a good drama.

A quote from the book.
"If I ever invaded a small country, this was the woman I wanted on my side."

Verdict.
It might be possible to skip this book in the series and not miss a beat when the next comes out.  However I did enjoy the book a good deal and am looking forward to the next installment.  Watching Sookie's transformation is delightful and her world vibrant.

Beans

While living in Florida I was working on increasing my bean intake as a transition into vegetarianism.  When I realized my gluten sensitivity my use of beans expanded more.  While living with the Worlds Best Soap Maker I tended to eat whatever was on the menu for the evening.  

Now that I'm responsible once more for my every meal and I'm living with a vegan, I'm diving with renewed energy into the bean goodness.

Take the dive with me.  Beans for every meal of the day!

Breakfast
Tofu scramble: (don't let the dreaded 't' word scare you off)

Garam Masala Tofu Scramble Recipe
As found on 101 Cookbooks.

Cut the onion/fennel thinner than you would for a slaw - extra thin, but not quite whisper thin. You can buy garam masala spice blends, or make your own from spices like cardamom, cloves, cumin, and cinnamon. On the tofu front, I actually like to use a firmer tofu which lends more structure in the end, softer water-packed work as well but lend a looser, and in some cases creamier texture.

    a splash of olive oil
    couple pinches of salt
    1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala spice blend
    1 medium onion, halved and cut into thin slices
    1/2 medium bulb fennel, cut into very thin slices
    1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped
    12 ounces extra firm organic tofu, crumbled
    1/4 cup chopped cilantro
    1/3 cup pistachios, chopped

Add the olive oil to a big pot over med-high heat. Stir in the garam masala, and then quickly add the onions and fennel.

Stir in onions and salt and cook until the onions soften, just a minute or two. Now it's up to you in regards to how long you'd like to let the onions cook - it you are in a rush, just cook them for a few minutes until they soften. If you have a bit more time, let them start to caramelized and darken. Stir in the cranberries, cook them for thirty seconds and add the tofu. Stir and stir to combine the tofu with the other ingredients. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro and pistachios. Taste and add more salt if needed.

Serves 4.'

Lunch

Bean Sprout Salad
Start with your leafy green of choice.  
Add veggies and dressing.  
Top with Bean Sprouts.  

Fast food, hurrah!

Dinner

Chickpea Dinner aka: Channa Masala

2 Tablespoons oil/butter
1 Teaspoon Cumin
3 Clove buds
3 medium Bay Leaves
3 cloves garlic
1/2 large onion
2 largish tomatoes
4 Sprigs mint
1 can Chickpeas
Curry powder mix 2 Tablespoons by taste

Heat oil.  Fry cumin, clove, bay.  Then add garlic and onion. Fry until browned.  Add tomatoes.  Cook down with lid until tomatoes are broken down.  Blend mint with some onion. Add to pot.  Add chickpeas and cook 10-15 minutes.  Add Curry powder.  Cook off any extra liquid if needed. Can be eaten on it's own or Served with Basamati Rice and cucumber yogurt.

Vani, Thank you for this recipe and all of your cooking lessons.


Deserts

Amazing Black Bean Brownie Recipe as found on 101 Cookbooks

For those of you who have a hard time tracking down agave nectar (which is becoming much more readily available) substitute honey 1:1 for the agave nectar. Ania's head notes encourage you to keep these brownies in the refrigerator, they will slice much better if refrigerated several hours or preferably overnight. I used instant coffee this time around, but you can find natural coffee substitute at many natural food stores.

    4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
    1 cup unsalted butter
    2 cups soft-cooked black beans, drained well (hs: canned is fine)
    1 cup walnuts, chopped
    1 tablespoon vanilla extract
    ¼ cup (granulated) natural coffee substitute (or instant coffee, for gluten-sensitive)
    ¼ teaspoon sea salt
    4 large eggs
    1½ cups light agave nectar

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 11- by 18-inch (rimmed) baking pan (hs note: or jellyroll pan) with parchment paper and lightly oil with canola oil spray.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a glass bowl in the microwave for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on high. Stir with a spoon to melt the chocolate completely. Place the beans, 1/2 cup of the walnuts, the vanilla extract, and a couple of spoonfuls of the melted chocolate mixture into the bowl of a food processor. Blend about 2 minutes, or until smooth. The batter should be thick and the beans smooth. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the remaining 1/2 cup walnuts, remaining melted chocolate mixture, coffee substitute, and salt. Mix well and set aside.

In a separate bowl, with an electric mixer beat the eggs until light and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the agave nectar and beat well. Set aside.

Add the bean/chocolate mixture to the coffee/chocolate mixture. Stir until blended well.

Add the egg mixture, reserving about 1/2 cup. Mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Using an electric mixer, beat the remaining 1/2 cup egg mixture until light and fluffy. Drizzle over the brownie batter. Use a wooden toothpick to pull the egg mixture through the batter, creating a marbled effect. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the brownies are set. Let cool in the pan completely before cutting into squares. (They will be soft until refrigerated.)

Makes 45 (2-inch) brownies.

Reprinted with permission from Baking With Agave Nectar: Over 100 Recipes Using Nature’s Ultimate Sweetener by Ania Catalano. (Ten Speed Press 2008)

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
 
1 cup    Gluten Free Bean Flour Bread Mix
1/2 tsp.     Baking Soda
1/2 cup     Chocolate Chips
2/3 cup    Soft Margarine or Butter
2/3 cup    Granulated Sugar (White or Brown)
1 Egg    
1 tsp.    Vanilla


In bowl, stir together bean flour bread mix, and baking soda.
In mixing bowl, cream together margarine and granulated sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla until light and fluffy. Stir in dry ingredients until blended. Fold in chocolate chips.
Drop by heaping tablespoonful (15ml), about 2 inches apart onto nonstick sheets.
Bake in 350F (180C) oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 16 cookies.

Web Resources

Botanical info

History of the Legume

Sporks: Bastardization or useful utensil?

In the interest of full disclosure, I do not like sporks.  I think they're pointless.  I was reminded recently of a clever poem one of my high school classmates had written about the dual nature of the spork.  From there I decided to investigate sporks and determine the origin of such useless yet oddly prevalent implements.

For clarification, we are discussing here the sporks that contain a shallow spoon like bowl and short fork like tines.  And not the utensil that contains a fork on one end and a spoon on the other.

Availability
A search on Amazon will lead to a variety of different sorts of sporks: wooden, plastic, and metallic.  People must actually pay money for inefficient utensils.  Crazy, I know.

Who invented it?
Sporks have been in use since the late 1800's.  Wikipedia suggests that there is some confusion on origination; there are have been patents in the past, but indeterminate records at current.  Sporks are Godlike proposes two theories: Divine intervention and evolution.

Alternative uses for the spork.
Give the sporks extreme inability to serve its intended purpose Spork.org has compiled this list of alternative uses:

   1. Pull out all but the edge prongs, rip off the handle, and stick it in your mouth. Instant Dracula!
   2. Invert the spork (turn it into a foon) and load stuff into the depression and fire!
   3. Foon your spork and lay it on the table with the arch up, then press on the high arc and release. Flying Foons!
   4. Foon your spork and then spork your foon in rapid succession, the resulting crack sound is known as a `spack'. This is hours of fun.
   5. Foon your spork and turn the prongs up, you have just created a sporfoontapult, perfect for launchings (see above).
   6. Alternately bend the prongs inward and outward and stand the spork on end. This is a leaning tower of spork. You can then launch foons over it.
   7. Get a bunch of friends together and make a plenty foons. Then start launching them at each other, the objective is to collide foons in mid-air. Note: The more foons in the air the better, try to launch 5-10 at a time for a challenge.
   8. Plant them in your lawn to scare away burglers
   9. Stick them in your backpack to scare away friends
  10. Instead of roses, give your girlfriend sporks in new and interesting ways
  11. Plus much much more...

Can a confirmed Spork hater change her ways?
While contemplating the conundrum that is the spork, it occurred to me that I might well have given the spork short shrift.  To that end I was determined to acquire a 30 day supply of sporks and use them to consume my meals over the next thirty days.

Sporks Are Godlike provides a list of the sporks native habitats. I visited a nearby Taco Bell to pilfer a supply of sporks.  They didn't have any!  They only had forks!

Over the coarse of the weekend I visited, a Dollar Tree, an Acme grocery, a Trader Joe's, and a Whole Foods.  No Sporks.  Could it be that all of these companies are in agreement on the uselessness of the spork, and have removed them from circulation?

I'll keep my eyes open.  If I manage to find some sporks I'll let you know how the 30 day trial goes.

Web resources

Wikipedia 
Spork.org
Sporks are God like

Literary resources
None. Not for a lack of trying though.  If you know of any books/pamphlets/etc that chronicle sporks and/or other utensils, please forward me the pertinent details.

Fireflies in Love

I was falling asleep last night and I noticed fireflies were flickering outside my window. It was kind of comforting. They were quite plentiful in the warmer seasons of North Carolina and I haven’t really noticed any fireflies since moving to Florida.

My job had me in my car early this morning.  The early morning sky was still quite dark. Dawn was hours away. On the way to the Silver Bullet (my car) I noticed the fireflies were still flashing. I was amused at they're amorous nature. Funny bugs, seeking mates all through the night.  And then I noticed that it wasn’t fireflies.

It was the sky. The sky was filled with soundless lightening.  Spectacular.

Never before had the sky done something to make my jaw drop.

I had trouble focusing on the drive into work.  The display was more remarkable than fireworks. And soundless; awesome. I was more than a little late for work.

How could I have missed out on observing this phenomenon, previously? Admittedly I'd never lived anywhere previously where I woke so early in the morning. It often rains daily in Florida, which doubtlessly increases the chances of witnessing such a sight.

As it turns out, when lightning is more that 10 miles away the sound waves will dissipate and not reach the observer.  Also if weather conditions permit, the sound of thunder can be funneled upward instead of earthward.

What I saw was an intercloud or intracloud lightning. 'When lightning occurs inside a distant cloud at night, the whole towering storm is illuminated in an eerie and spectacular way.' (Gibilisco).

Internet Resources

Wikipedia     
NOAA    
FEMA 
Weather Bug 
Weather Underground 
Stormy Weather Blog
Bhakti Roberto's Descriptive Essay

Haven't been able to find a good clip/picture of this phenomenon.  When I do I'll post it here.

Library Resources

Buckley, B., Hopkings, E. J., & Whitaker, R., 2004, Weather: A Visual Guide, Firefly Books Ltd., Buffalo, New York.

Cox, J. D., 2000, Weather for Dummies, IDG Books Worldwide, Inc., New York, NY, 212 p.

Gibilisco, S., 2006, Meteorology Demystified, McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., New York, NY, 123 p.

Smith, J., 2001, The Facts on File Dictionary of Weather and Climate, Market House Books Ltd., New York, NY, 107 p.

Making Paper Part One

Some of the schools I’ve attended and several of the companies I've worked for don't recycle their paper. There must be a way to make use of this free resource. Rather than discarding, could I turn trash into profit?

There are many online resources that provide an explanation of how to turn used paper into new paper. I've listed the ones I used at the bottom of this post.

I began my papermaking journey by researching solely on the internet. Some websites merely detailed the process in writing. Others had pictures of the process.

A brief description of the process:
1. Tear up paper and put into a bucket to soak overnight.
2. Grind into pulp using a blender.
3. Pour pulp into a tub with more water.
4. Stir to ensure even distribution of pulp in tub.
5. Take a frame with mesh screening attached and dip into pulp water.
6. Let water drain from pulp and then gently transfer off of screen and onto wet cloth.
7. Add another wet cloth to the top of paper then lay paper-cloth-paper-cloth until you’ve got a good sized pile.
8. Next put the pile in between two boards and press out the water.
9. Allow water to drain overnight.
10. Remove paper from cloth and allow to air dry.
11. Dry paper will likely not have dried smooth, so once dry, further weight can be applied to straighten and smooth.

These were the tools that I would require.

Item	Purpose
Mesh screening	for capturing the pulp.
A frame	for hold the mesh tight.
An extra frame	for smooth edged paper.
Old paper	'cause you can't create something from nothing, and all that jazz.
A bucket	to soak torn paper in.
A blender	for breaking down the soaked paper into pulp.
A tub	for suspending the pulp.
Cloth	for putting the wet paper onto.
Two boards	to press out the water.

Frames.
I needed two picture frames.

I decided to make them. Simply purchasing them from a thrift shop would certainly have been simpler and have lead more immediately to the end product. However, if I made a picture frame, I'd learn about making frames as well as making paper.

Two projects in one. How could I resist?

How to make a picture frame.
You're going to need a saw. Don't have a saw? Some home improvement stores will cut wood to length for you. Of course if you're planning to make several frames of varying dimensions, or anticipate having a need for a saw in the future, you may be better off purchasing a saw. Possibly a cheap one. . .

So, I bought a cheap saw. The saw came attached to an angle guide. This was very useful as I tend to be unable to cut straight lines.

The directions I read for building a picture frame seemed pretty straightforward. (wikihow) So I didn't write down any of it before going to the hardware store. I managed to get nails, glue, saw with attached angle guide, sandpaper, and the wood. Once I began I realized another trip to the hardware store would be needed, as I'd neglected the stain. I also intended in the second trip to get a different sort of nail (u shaped) as the ones (wall panel) I was using weren't the best for the job. I did manage to get the stain, but forgot about the nails. And so made do with what I had gotten previously.

Frames are a challenge to clamp. Especially if you don't have a clamp. After I made the frames I came across asite selling corner clamps pretty cheaply. However before I found that site, I was looking at band clamps. It seemed like a straightforward concept. And one that I could implement at no cost. Just take a flexible belt and wrap it tightly around the perimeter of the frame. Then wait for the glue to dry. To my surprise it worked well.

The following day, on a whim, I visited the library and thought I'd look up paper making for kicks. I was astonished to find eight books on papermaking. Three of these were awesome enough to take home. One of them pointed out that a much simpler frame can be used. Old picture frames are nice if you happen to have them lying about. However if not, you can just take the wood cut to length without angles, add glue and screw them together on the ends. Apparently this will make a frame that is sufficiently sturdy. I'll try this next time.

Screening
Once the picture frames were made I stapled the screening to one of them. I'm just using porch screening. The cheapest the hardware store carried. I used staples from an office stapler.

Paper and Bucket
I've torn up paper from junk mail and placed into bucket with water.

The Blender
My blender recently died. I've been hesitant to purchase a new one. I was considering using a mortar and pestle when a workmate, who was heading back to India, kindly left me her blender. Thanks Vani! Problem solved.

Tub
I've cleared out a plastic tub of the right size for the project. It was designed for under the bed storage so it isn't too deep.

Cloth
Cloth was easily attained from the scraps/remnants section of the local fabric store. I selected a few different types of fabrics, so I'll be able to see what effects they have upon the completed paper.

Boards
The two boards for pressing out water will be coming from an old press-board bookshelf I'm no longer using.

Resources Online papermaking resources
Papermaking- Government site
Wikipedia
For Kids
Papermaking Supplies
Photo Guide

You are So Smart.

I am humbled by the intelligence of others.

You are so smart. Your intelligence and potential for learning is limitless.

Stupid People
The few instances of true stupidity or lack of intelligence I have seen in life, have come from closed minds. A friend in high school had a grandmother the same age as my father. This woman looked as though she were 20 years older than my father. Her only activity was watching TV. That's it. TV.

I had a conversation with her. It wasn't memorable. She died about a year after I met her.

I've met a couple older women in much the same situation. Their kids grow up and leave. The husband dies. And then what? Perhaps TV is the easy option. They've been told their entire lives that their purpose is to raise their children and take care of their husband. Perhaps learning new things and enjoying life on their own simply doesn't occur to them.

Sorting
As a precursor to making friends I like telling people that I make soap. I can always tell what sort of person I'm dealing with by their reaction.

1. Most will say,'That's silly, you can buy soap in stores.'
2. Some will say,'That's interesting, thanks for telling me in such detail, all about it.' (These folks will often back a way slowly in an attempt to escape my story telling grasp.)
3. Some will say,'Neat, can I buy some?'
4. A select few, will say, 'My god, I had no idea such things were possible. Please show me how!'

Group four will become friends. Group three will usually become my repeat customers. Group two are potential customers but usually only just so I'll leave them alone. Those of group one are essentially lost souls.

Those in group one often think of themselves as 'dumb'. People who think of themselves as 'dumb' make their thoughts reality. They do what any dumb person would do. Stop learning, stop thinking.

Smart People
I've had the opportunity to work with some truly remarkable individuals. They are awesome. They are always questioning always curious. I was surprised to learn that many of them barely have high school degrees.

I feel at times, as though, they with their lack of education have more curiosity and freedom of thought than I with my four year degree. As I was preparing this post Meredith sent me a blog entry from violentacres.com about how college turns you into cog ready for the corporate machine. Just like all your fellow cogs (um, students?).

Education or Stupification
As a young child you knew how to think. You were always puzzling things out. Why/how do birds fly? How fast/far can I run? Will the ball bounce if I drop it? Can gerbils swim?

We are all of us scientist from birth. Our instinct is to find out on our own. Catch the bird! Run till we drop! Drop the ball! Drown the gerbil!

In school we learn of many useful tools for experimentation. Scientific papers, statistical analysis, microscopes, periodic tables, equations, geometry, etcetera, etcetera. We also learn that nearly every question we had, has already been thought of. There are often even formula that describe their function. We are told there is no need to learn on your own. It has all been done. Here are the formula and here are the proofs. Just memorize them and take the test. We are taught direct experimentation and discovery is useless. We were taught to instead rely on 'common knowledge'.

Hope on the Horizon
But which do you remember better? The soft brittle feel of feathers on a birds wings as you attempted to unlock the mysteries of flight or lift equations?

Keep learning. Keep thinking. Keep questioning. Question others, question yourself.

Drop a ball and see if gravity is still working! Go on, run till you drop!

The Purple Shamrock

Wood-sorrel is in the genus Oxalis. While it does grow in the woods, wood-sorrel also grows in gardens as weeds and tends to find its way to many other cracks and crevices. Many Oxalis have a spring loaded seedpod. When ripe the seedpod will fling its seeds in all directions at the slightest touch.

I was first introduced to this genus by my father. He taught me that biting into the shamrock shaped leaves will yield an acidic almost citric flavor. It is from this flavor that the genus gets it's name. The acidic bite is caused by oxalic acid.

Dad told me, that in the new American frontier, pioneers would use large amounts of Wood-sorrel in their cooking. Unfortunately, too much of the wood-sorrel caused health problems. I've always wondered exactly what happened. I decided to do some research and find out.

The Research Internet only . . .
Oxalic acid binds with calcium. Long-term consumption of large amounts of oxalic acid can cause kidney stones and calcium deficiencies.

Dietary sources of oxalic acid include rhubarb (which is why we don't eat rhubarb leaves), spinach, chocolate, and tea. Source.

Some of the more useful species in this genus are the Oca and Scurvy-grass sorrel. Oca produces an underground tuber that is edible and a staple in some regions of the world. Scurvy-grass sorrel is high in vitamin C, and was used by sailors to fend off scurvy.

In Summation
Care must be shone when using members from the genus Oxalis as food. Especially if you have digestive problems. And as with everything, moderation.

With that in mind:
My Purple Oxalis rocks! It is called a Purple Shamrock by some. This is one of the species with tubers or bulbs. I've seen it go through several 'resting states' only to revive looking just fine. It doesn't mind too much when I forget to water it; it always comes back to life. :)

Recipes

Tea
Wood-sorrel is quite good as tea. I have found the Purple Oxalis to make an excellent tea as well. I always use freshly cut leaves.

Boil a cup of water.
Cut three stems.
Rinse leaves and chop. Then put into mug.
Once water is ready, pour over leaves.
Let seep 30 seconds.

Add honey or green tea to taste.

Salad
The purple oxalis adds visual interest and taste to salads.

Start with a bagged salad of mixed baby greens.
Cut and rinse the oxalis leaves.
Separate the three leaflets and scatter over the salad.
Dress with Oil and Vinegar, Salt & Pepper.

A Substitute
When lemons are in short supply, wood-sorrel can make an interesting substitution. This recipe comes from wildfoodplants.com

Oxalis Cooler 1 quart water
1/2 cup Oxalis leaf/stem/flowers/seedpods
1 T agave nectar or honey
dash of salt

Mix all ingredients in a blender. If possible, let sit overnight in refrigerator and enjoy!
The only change I'd make is to filter out any pulp with a muslin cloth.

Pressed Plants
While tri-foliate leaves of wood-sorrel make an attractive pressed plant, my Purple Oxalis is truly vivid.

These pressings can be glued to paper and turned into bookmarks and stationary.

Give it a try!