Swapping on Craftster: Reading Rainbow Swap

So, recently I have been involved with a swap on Craftster (which is an awesome crafting site). I signed up for the Reading Rainbow swap where you swapped a book, totebag (or other agreed upon item), and bookmark(s) with someone else. It was so much fun. I finally feel that I can comment upon it because my partner in Canada and I have both received our fabulous packages.
Here is the totebag I sent her on the left. I included Looking for Alaska by John Green, Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, and The Other Boleyn Girl by Philleppa Gregory.

Here is what I received today from xx_bumblebee_xx of Canada:

The image on the top left includes everything in the package, and the image on thetop right is a close up of the tree she stenciled on the bag. She also hand dyed the bag the green it is. Isn't it awesome? Now check out these cool bookmarks on the left. Pretty neat, eh? She also sent Keurah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt and Riding in Cars with Boys by Beverly Donofrio.

I read Riding in Cars with Boys this past weekend on Brandon's and my trip to Salida, CO. It was really good. I had seen previews of a movie that was based on this book, and didn't really think much of it. The book was very entertaining. It is basically a memoir of the author and her life between having a child while still a teenager, getting married, getting divorced at 19 and how her life evolved from there. She eventually gets a college education in part due to scholarships for single mothers who have the aptitude according to a test to do well in college. It is interesting to ponder if she had not had a child if she would have been eligible for that scholarship. Her parents were unable to pay for college, and she gave up hope of going (which led to some of her teenage antics) when she found out that college was just a dream for her. Anyway, she gets the scholarship and goes to Wesleyan for her undergrad degree, eventually moves to New York where she lives with her young son and pursues a masters in creative writing.
It was a very enjoyable book about the relationship between mother and son from the time he is just a speck until he is leaving to go to college where his mother went before him: Wesleyan. I recommend it!

Library Thing

Here is a really cool site where you can catalog your books. I am trying to use it to keep track of what books I have read. It has really improved over the last year since I have been a member, but I am not very good about adding books, hence I am not a paying member yet. I definitely own more books than are listed under my library. I keep thinking I will remember to add books as I check them out and/or buy them but I usually forget. One of the cool features is you can see book suggestions based on what is in your library or unsuggestions... Maybe a goal for 2008 should be to update frequently?
It is also the source of the cool widget located on the top right of my blog.
Anyway check out my library....
http://www.librarything.com/catalog/audreys

Collard and Artichoke Dip

I made this dip this weekend from Southern Boy Cooks Good Grits by Jim Shirley. His directions for his recipes are hilarious, and I agree with him that the pig is a fantastic ingredient for any meal. It is fantastic! Collard greens are fantastic, but they are made even better with some gouda cheese and artichokes. Yum! This is not a cheap dip to make--artichokes, gouda, and romano are expensive--but it makes a huge amount. I hope you enjoy.

2 cups cooked collards (or a mess of greens)
12 ounces artichoke hearts
1/4 pound butter
3/4 cup diced onions
3 tablespoons minced garlic (I used three cloves.)
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups pot liquor
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded smoked Gouda cheese
1 lemon for juice (two tablespoons in my house)
1 tsp. of your favorite hot sauce (I personally went overboard with the hot sauce while making the collard greens, so I skipped it here.)

Saute onions in butter over medium heat until translucent. Toss in the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Sprinkle flour on top and cook for three minutes, stirring the whole time. Pour in the pot liquor and cream and bring to a boil. Add sour cream, and heat to steaming. Spread Romano and Gouda cheeses across the top and stir until cheese is incorporated. Toss in the artichoke hears and collards, squeeze the lemon in and add the hot sauce. Cook until everything is heated up and serve with toasted bread or chips. (We used tortilla chips.)

Christmas 2007

The Birmingham Skyline in December from Red Mountain

So...it is one of my new year's resolutions to join the blogging people of the world and here I am. The holidays were fantastic as always. We did our annual tour of the south to visit my folks in Birmingham, Brandon's folks in Mobile, friends in New Orleans, friends in Birmingham, and a trip to the bowl game in Atlanta where we saw cousins from both sides of the family in one big sweep.
Look it is the travelin' Gigi monster...

Our great friends in New Orleans:





The Auburn/Clemson game in Atlanta:

The final scoreboard : 23-20 Auburn wins in the first overtime in Chick-fil-A bowl history! The video is the tigers coming on to the field... the Auburn tigers that is not the Clemson tigers.Here is the scoreboard on the other side of the field. I apologize for the blurry pics...people were rushing me to get to the car and not get stuck in traffic :).

Finally, we have my folks in B'ham . We had a an awesome time. It was in the sixties while we were there, and we came home to Colorado weather in the thirties and snow on the ground.
It has been a relaxing couple of days off. Next I will review some books!