Books and Movies for Dolphin Lovers

For my daughters and son, a trip to the library is much more exciting than going shopping; I think I was the same way at their ages.   My son is mostly eager to borrow a new DVD each time, though he enjoys fresh books as well.  My daughters also enjoy looking at the Scholastic monthly book catalogs that are sent home with them from school.  And so we must still navigate the choices about what to buy versus what to borrow for free.  (Well, library books are free in theory--our overdue fines now constitute a line item in our monthly budget.)

Anyhow, last month, my six and eight-year-old daughters went out to see the movie Dolphin Tale with me (not free).  It only served to heighten their enthusiasm about these smooth-skinned mammals.  At the Omaha zoo several months before, we got to see IMAX: Dolphins, which definitely captivated their interest and imaginations.

So guess what we've been reading this month...
 
1. Dolphins
2. Wild Marine Animals - Dolphins
3. Dolphins (In the Wild)
4. Dolphins (Early Bird Nature Books)
5. Face to Face with Dolphins (Face to Face with Animals)
6. Dolphins (Nature Watch)
7. Dolphins (World of Mammals)
8. Diving Dolphin (DK READERS)
9. Under the Sea (Usborne Lift-the-Flap)
10. Aquarium Guide: A Bible-Based Handbook to the Aquarium

The first seven titles my daughters pulled with eager hands from the public library shelves.  The last three books that feature or include dolphins are ones that we already own. The dolphin mania continues.

As a girl, I watched Flipper re-runs and wished I could swim with dolphins one day.  In college, I switched my focus to study aquatic invertebrates, but I still find all underwater creatures fascinating.   I have eagerly explored beaches on both Pacific coasts (America and Asia), and gazed on ocean wonders while snorkeling in Vietnam and Thailand.  In the Midwest, I've loved visiting aquariums in Omaha, Gretna, and Chicago.

Though we're currently landlocked, scuba diving remains on my list of hopes for the future.  Meanwhile, books and videos offer a portal to explore the undersea places we have not yet been.

Do you or the children in your life have a favorite aquatic animal?  
Was it influenced by a book, TV program or movie?

Thanksgiving Ideas + Menu Plan

Does anyone else love pumpkin as much as I do?   If so, the 10 pumpkin recipes I shared last week will not disappoint.  Two of my very favorites on that list are savory dishes--pumpkin soup and pumpkin buns stuffed with leftover turkey.  With canned pumpkin on sale at rock-bottom prices (69 cents a can!), I'm stocking up for the weeks ahead.

Thanksgiving weekend I plan to make some baked rice pudding and homemade cranberry sauce and have a mini-feast after gathering with friends on Thursday.  Spending too much time in the kitchen is a temptation I shall try to resist.  But there must be pie, right?  And with all the delicious options --pumpkin, pecan, apple, cherry--it's hard to narrow down which one(s) I'll make.

• Monday - Roast chicken, bean soup, rice
• Tuesday - Birthday meal (from our favorite Chinese restaurant, Yang's)
• Wednesday - Venison, rice, vegetable stir fry

• Thursday - Thanksgiving dinner with friends (bringing a pie, pumpkin dinner rolls, and cider)
• Friday - Leftovers
• Saturday - Cornish game hens, salad, sweet potatoes, rice pudding, cranberry sauce

I hope my use of time this week reflects what it truly important.  Certainly there is more to Thanksgiving than food and shopping, despite ads that say otherwise.  While we try to cultivate a spirit of gratitude in our home every day, I appreciate that there is a designated time to focus on God's goodness to us.  Giving thanks, sharing, and spending time with friends and family are what this season should be about.  Ideas for slowing down during the holidays in this article at Simple Mom were helpful to my thinking.

Have you found a recipe for how to make Thanksgiving happy and meaningful?

On a Pumpkin Kick: 10 Keeper Recipes I'll Make Again and Again

 

The versatility of pumpkin as an ingredient is fun to explore.  Even though there have been pumpkin shortages elsewhere in recent years, I've always been able to find canned and fresh pumpkin here in Nebraska.  Below are links to ten favorite pumpkin recipes, both sweet and savory.  I hope you enjoy them as much as we have!
                                    
           1. Pumpkin Spice Snaps

           2. Pumpkin Granola*  {I finally made this again yesterday!}

           3. Pumpkin Pear Waffles

           4. Pumpkin Corn Muffins

           5. Super Moist Pumpkin Cake*

           6. Pumpkin Rice Pudding

           7. Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

           8. Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

           9. Pumpkin Soup*

         10. Pumpkin Bao Buns  {I'll be using onion instead of garlic 
                                            next time; these buns are a terrific
                                            concept for leftover turkey!}

* Vegan recipes

I'm joining other bloggers sharing ideas this week at 

Top Ten Tuesday , AP Tuesdays, and Pennywise Platter.

A Harvest of Green: Making Tomato Salsa Verde

Our first wet snow fall here in Nebraska came last Wednesday.  The next day, we uncovered the biggest tomato of all in our last harvest of the season.  I decided to try making green tomato salsa with some of the tomatoes; the rest are ripening inside the kitchen. 

Next year I hope to have more sun-ripened tomatoes by moving our little square-foot garden to a sunnier location in our yard.  But in the meantime, it's nice to know that green tomatoes can be transformed into tangy salsa.

Recipe for Green Tomato Salsa
adapted from this recipe


1 cup fresh green tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup red tomatoes, diced
1 clove minced garlic
2 teaspoons lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
chopped green onions (to taste)
chopped green bell pepper, optional
chopped cilantro, optional

Are you a fan of green tomatoes?

Linked to Try New Adventures Thursday

Nourishing the Soul: The Poetry of Christina Rossetti

 Image Source

Inspiration can be gathered in many ways--from nature, from stories, from music, from Scripture.    I have felt hungry lately for more classical forms of expression--like hymns, baroque music, and poetry.  Though flooded with breezy modern worship tunes, informational articles, and personal blog posts, these do not quite reach the deeper places of my heart, mind, and soul.

The poetry of Christina Rossetti was first introduced to me years ago with the song In the Bleak Midwinter.  Not long after, I bought a book of her poems.  After letting it sit on my shelf for many years, it was time to pick up her poetry again. The first poem in the book, "The Key Note," left me breathless.  It starts:

Where are the songs I used to know.

where are the notes I used to sing?

I have forgotten everything

I used to know so long ago...

 
Ten of my favorite poems by Ms. Rossetti, which I read from my copy of Rossetti: Poems, can be found in the list below.  One can also enjoy her poetry for free via Project Gutenburg and Google books (links below).

1. "The Key Note"
2. "A Wintry Sonnet"
3. "Son, Remember"
4. "Eve"
5. "Hope"
6. "What is Pink?"
7. "Who Has Seen the Wind?"
8. "Later Life: A Double Sonnet of Sonnets"
9.  "Weary in Well-Doing"
10. "Lord, Thou Art Fullness"

This post is linked to Top Ten Tuesday and AP Tuesdays.

Pumpkin Pear Waffles

Recipe for Pumpkin Pear Waffles

adapted from this recipe

• 4 cups flour
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
• 3 cups milk
• 2 cups canned pumpkin (1 can) or cooked pumpkin puree
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

Topping:

• pear slices
• maple syrup
• cinnamon to taste

Stir together dry ingredients.  In a separate bowl, mix together milk, pumpkin, eggs, and butter with an electric mixer or rotary beater.  Combine wet and dry ingredients, mixing for about 1 minute on high speed.  Preheat waffle iron and coat with nonstick cooking spray or brush with oil.  Add about 3/4 cup batter and bake according to waffle iron instructions.

Keep waffles warm until ready to serve.  Top with pear slices, sprinkle with cinnamon, and drizzle with maple syrup.  Makes about 8 servings.  Freeze any extra waffles for future use.

I'm linking this recipe to Tuesday Talent Show  
and Pennywise Platter Thursday.