The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

Well, I've finished it. I'm relieved to be done, that's for sure. This was a bit of a laborious read. And don't worry, there are no spoilers to be seen here!

Let me give you some background first. I read Angels and Demons, well after everyone and their brother started reading The Da Vinci Code. I loved Angels & Demons. It was suspenseful, it was fast-moving, it was well-written...so I had high expectations for The Da Vinci Code. I was totally let down by The Da Vinci Code. I wanted it to be wonderful, and it didn't live up to the high expectations I set for it. When I heard about The Lost Symbol, I wasn't sure if I wanted to read it. I suppose I'm glad I did read it, because parts of the story were very interesting, but all in all, it felt kind of like something I didn't need to have read. It wasn't all-consuming, like Angels & Demons was for me some years ago.

This was an okay book, but definitely not something I will read again and not something I will recommend to others. If you're big on conspiracy theories and such, you'll enjoy it, but if you appreciate a well-written suspense novel, you will be disappointed with this one. I hope the next book I read will be better!

Work Out Schmork Out

Yikes. It's been a while since I've mentioned my working out, and Colleen was so kind as to point it out to me yesterday. I am still going to the gym regularly, working out with my trainer (and friends) twice a week, and trying to get in some additional cardio at least twice a week. Sometimes that cardio comes in the form of some quality time with the elliptical machine, and sometimes it's a step class, just depends on the week and the timing.

This week, though, has been a challenge. I seem to have done something to my back - what, I don't have a clue - and it's made working out, and heck even just moving, really difficult. I seem to have strained some kind of muscle in my back, but fortunately my trainer was able to show me some stretches to help alleviate my super-fun discomfort yesterday, so hopefully that will help. She also prescribed a heating pad, which shockingly, I don't own, so I had to run out to get one.

Working out has been a really good stress reliever, and over the last month, our trainer has added some interesting new exercises to our routine. We've even being doing ab exercises, which has been interesting, since I haven't done crunches in years. We use the balance balls for most of our ab exercises, though we do some of them on the floor. We also still do those evil deadlifts, and walking lunges, and we've done squats with the balance ball at our back, which has been interesting. Admittedly, I haven't gotten on a scale in the last month, in part because I don't feel like being disappointed by it, but both our trainer and Husband think that I look skinnier than before, so hopefully all the work is doing something for me. I also haven't been really changing my diet, outside of trying not to eat excessively, which I think is a big problem for me. I'm trying to learn to listen to my body when it says that it's full. It's hard sometimes to be in tune with my body, especially when there's so much else going on, like the mess in the kitchen or Baby trying to have a conversation with me, or what-have-you, but it's a work in progress.

How about you? Are you working on losing some weight? Toning some muscle? Tell me about it! I think it's great to hear what other people are doing at the gym, sometimes it can give you inspiration to try something new.

Fall Into Reading 2009

Have you ever visited Callapidder Days? It's a great blog, especially when it comes to book challenges and such! I'm joining one now, albeit a little late, for the fall. Here's a brief recap on how to participate in Fall into Reading 2009:

Make a list of books you want to read (or finish reading) this fall. Your list can be as long or as short as you’d like. (Also, feel free to modify your list during the challenge if it’s not working for you.)

- Write a blog post containing your list and submit it to this post using the Mr. Linky.
- Get reading! The challenge goes from today, September 22nd, through December 20th.
- Check out other participants’ lists and add to your own to-read-someday pile!
- Write a post about your challenge experience in December, telling us all about whether you reached your goals and how Fall Into Reading went for you. But remember: this is a low-pressure challenge that should be fun. As long as you do some reading this fall (and enjoy it!), that’s good enough for me.

So, here is my official list, we'll see how well I do between now and December 20th...

- A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
- Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
- The Wednesday Letters by Meg Waite Clayton
- The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
- Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen (I'm joining in with the Jane Austen Project on this one!)
- Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
- Stolen Innocence by Elissa Wall
- The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown - done!
- The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlain - done!
- Going Overboard by Sarah Smiley - done!

I've already started Owen Meany, so I'm on my way, and

I'm excited about visiting the other blogs that are involved to see what everyone else is reading. I love getting book recommendations, in fact Owen Meany is a book recommendation from my best friend, who was appalled to learn that I've never read anything by John Irving. I'm also excited to read my very first Jane Austen book in this challenge. I really want to see this challenge through, so wish me luck! And don't forget to keep passing on those book recommendations, I love hearing what other people are reading!

BBQ Chicken on Garlic Toast

I was impressed with this super easy recipe from Everyday Food. It was ridiculously easy to put together, super tasty, and even reheated well when my husband missed dinnertime thanks to a meeting with a client. I would fully recommend this recipe, two thumbs up! Even Baby liked it, which was awesome. He has a thing for eating meat with "special sauce," and given that this was doused in "special sauce," he was quite thrilled. So much so that he didn't even eat all of his garlic toast, which is terribly unusual for him. He's a big carb fan.

I used Pepperidge Farm Hearty White bread for my garlic toast. I love that bread. It's so tasty and makes wonderful homemade breadcrumbs. It was perfect for this garlic toast. I was also able to get my hands on a barbecue flavored rotisserie chicken, which probably added to the awesome flavor of this dish. This will definitely be a recipe I use again, especially on a busy night!

BBQ Chicken on Garlic Toast

adapted from Everyday Food

1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed, meat shredded (about 4 cups)
1 1/2 cups (14 ounces) bottled barbecue sauce
3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 garlic cloves, crushed with a garlic press
Coarse salt and ground pepper
8 slices white sandwich bread

Directions
1. Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. In a medium saucepan, cook chicken and barbecue sauce over medium until heated through, 6 to 8 minutes
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine butter and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Spread one side of each slice of bread with garlic butter. Place on a baking sheet, buttered side up. Broil until golden brown, 1 to 3 minutes, then turn over, and broil until light brown, about 1 minute longer.
3. To serve, sandwich chicken mixture between slices of bread.

Click here for printable recipe

100 Followers Deserve Cookies...

If only I could figure out how to mail them...darn logistics!

Anyway, so on Friday, I received my 100th follower...and then my 101st...and 102nd! It was so exciting that I had to plan to bake to celebrate over the weekend. I'd been wanting to bake a new chocolate chip cookie recipe, so it was a good excuse. I even decided to include my munchkin in my baking today, although it turned out that he was less than interested. I guess sitting on the floor and stirring with Mommy was boring. Oh well.

He was very intrigued by stirring, but not really into helping

However, he did help me stir the butter and sugars together, and did a nice job. He also tasted the fruits of his (okay, mostly my) labor, which I am disappointed to report that he didn't exactly enjoy. He took about three bites of the cookie, two of which included chocolate chips, and I could tell the instant he tasted the chocolate chips. He made an awful face and then after two tastes of chocolate, he refused to eat any more cookie. I'm starting to wonder if he was switched at birth (I'm kidding!!!) Husband isn't a huge chocolate fan, so I guess this is just one of those things that the munchkin and I won't have in common. This was his very first exposure to chocolate, so it was an eventful day indeed.

This was a nice chocolate chip cookie - not as thick as I would have liked, especially given that Martha calls them her Soft and Chewy Cookie. But they had wonderful chocolate flavor in every bite, with a nice crisp crunch to the edges. I think I might try to add a little more flour the next time I bake these to encourage a thicker cookie. All in all, though, they were some very nice cookies to share with my munchkin.

Martha's Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

adapted from Martha Stewart's Cookies: The Very Best Treats to Bake and to Share (Martha Stewart Living Magazine)

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups semisweet or milk chocolate chips, or a combination (about 12 ounces)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Whisk together flour and baking soda in a bowl. Put butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add salt, vanilla, and eggs; mix until well blended, about 1 minute. Mix in flour mixture. Sitr in chocolate chips.
2. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges turn golden but centers are still soft, 10-12 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks; let cool completely. Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in airtight containers at room temperature up to 1 week.

Click here for printable recipe

Friend Making Monday

Did you know that today is Friend Making Monday? aefilkins hosts this wonderful friend making opportunity, which I stumbled upon this morning while visiting a few SITSas. It's a great way to meet other bloggers, so I'm looking forward to getting involved...when I remember to participate, that is!

This week's question is a two parter:

1. What do you love to do?

I think this one's a no-brainer for me.

I love to bake...here's my favorite cupcake recipe

I love to cook...here's my favorite beef teriyaki recipe

I love to read...here's my favorite book I've read this year

2. What do you love to do but don't do enough of?

Write...though I do write a good bit on my blog these days...

Shop...because it's not very fun when the options are as limited as they are...and the funds being what they are...

3. What would you love to know how to do?

I wish I could sew...but I'm not entirely sure why...

I wish I was a better photographer...

So what about you? Want to make some new bloggy friends? Visit aefilkins to join in on the Friend Making fun!

Menu Plan Monday for October 5th

I feel like I've been to Publix a million times in the last week. The good news is that I have everything (and then some) for my dinners this week. Phew! The goal is to stay away from Publix unless we run out of milk!!

Last week was a good week of dinners, and there are two recipes I still owe you guys, so you'll see them this week - BBQ Chicken with Garlic Toast and Brown Sugar Glazed Pork. Yum on all accounts. Here's the plan for this week...

Monday - Buttermilk Pancakes

Tuesday - Frozen chicken fajitas (haven't found a recipe I really like for chicken fajitas - have one? Tell me about it!)

Wednesday - Spaghetti and garlic bread (recipe to be posted!)

Thursday - Beef Teriyaki

Friday - Brown Sugar BBQ Chicken (recipe to be posted!)

Saturday - Honey Soy Grilled Pork Chops (recipe to be posted!)

Sunday - Crisp Mustard Glazed Chicken (recipe to be posted!)

So we've got FOUR new recipes coming your way from this week! Pretty amazing! I'm excited about this week's recipes, I'm hoping it will be a super yummy week. What are you planning for dinners this week? Make sure to share it with Org Junkie! And if you need some menu inspiration, Org Junkie is the place to go, for sure. Happy Monday!

100 Followers??? Wow!

Well, I am happy to announce that I have officially reached 100 followers. That's so awesome! I can't believe that there are 100 people out there who actually care about what I say, what I bake and what I read. It's so amazing. I started blogging back in January, in part to keep my writing and typing skills somewhat fresh while I stay at home and mother my munchkin, and in part to find another hobby that would give me a sense of accomplishment. I have to say that blogging has become something that I truly, truly enjoy.

So thank you, each and every one of you, for following my blog, I will be baking something sweet this weekend in honor of you all, and sharing that recipe come Monday.

Cheddar Garlic Biscuits

I love Red Lobster's Cheddar Garlic Biscuits. Those things are awesome. Surely, they are horrible for you, but every time we go to Red Lobster (which is kind of rare, since Husband isn't huge on seafood), we chow down on these biscuits. I've tried many copycat recipes over the years, and when I saw a copycat recipe in the Food Network Magazine recently, I knew I had to try it.

I wasn't as impressed by these biscuits as I wanted to be. I wanted to be blown away, and I wasn't. The texture was definitely spot-on, but it needed more garlic flavor to be authentic. I think next time, I would possibly add some garlic powder to the biscuit batter, and possibly a second garlic clove to the garlic butter for garlic butter.

And on a side note, this is my 300th post! Yippee!! And I almost have 100 followers! Time for the happy dance!

Cheddar Garlic Biscuits

adapted from the Food Network Magazine, October 2009 issue

For the biscuits:

Cooking spray

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons baking powder

2 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons vegetable shortening at room temp

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

6 oz grated yellow cheddar cheese (about 1 1/4 cups)

3/4 cup whole milk

For the garlic butter:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 clove garlic, smashed

1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley

1. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 425. Lightly mist a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. Make the biscuits; Pulse the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a food processor. Add the shortening and pulse until combined. Add the butter; pulse 4 or 5 times, or until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Add the cheese and pulse 2 or 3 times. Pour in the milk and pulse just until the mixture is moistened and forms a shaggy dough. Turn out onto a clean surface and gently knead until the dough comes together. Do not overwork the dough or the biscuits will be tough.

3. Drop the dough onto the baking sheet in scant 1/4 cup portions, 2 inches apart and bake until golden, 15-20 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, make the garlic butter. Melt the butter with the garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat; cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in parsley. Brush the biscuits with the garlic butter and serve warm.

Click here for printable recipe

The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlain

I didn't think I was going to like this book very much - I'm not sure why. It was one of those Target Bookmarked books, and Target always sucks me in with that little Bookmarked sticker, as though there's some special person who selects them who has the same taste in books as I do or something. Admittedly, I've liked most of the Bookmarked books I've picked up. This one just didn't pull me in with its' back cover. Sure, it sounded interesting, but it sat on my shelf and collected dust for a good while before I picked it up this week.

This book was over 500 pages, and I tore through it in three days. This wasn't because it was the most wonderful book I've ever read, but the plot was definitely compelling. The writing wasn't the most poetic or beautiful ever, but it was enjoyable.

Here's the basic plot, but I don't want to give too much away, because the mystery of how the story unfolds was what I enjoyed most about this book. In 1977, pregnant Genevive Russell disappeared. Twenty years later, her remains are discovered, and Timothy Gleason is charged with murder. But there is no sign of her unborn child. Timothy Gleason is facing the death penalty, and one woman has a choice to make. She knows how Genevieve Russell died, because she was there. If she tells the truth, she'll destroy her family and future. Or she can let let an innocent man die in order to protect a lifetime a lies. Definitely a fascinating story - a good read, indeed.

What's next on my bookshelf? I think it's Me & Emma by Elizabeth Flock. I read her But Inside I'm Screaming last year and enjoyed it immensely.