Author 75: Jean Craighead George: 50+ years of writing

Dear Rebecca, Winter Is Here was published in 1993 and still serves as a reminder of all the wonders of nature when winter is upon us. From hibernation to icy streams to warm fireplaces and snow angels, winter is a time to enjoy the blessings of warm homes for ourselves and some animals and to try to help those who may not be similarly blessed. If you have a warm place to go, count your blessings and think of how you may share (if possible!) through donations with those not as fortunate by means of warm clothing or helping with a community heating program or even just by saying a prayer for them.

Jean Craighead George has written over a 100 books on many nature topics as well as other subjects including theNewberry medal winner: Julie of the Wolves which she researched in Barrow, Alaska. Discover more about her works and her love of nature at her official website: http://www.jeancraigheadgeorge.com/

Authors 73 and 74: Dewey and Mayer and a humble stable

Two renditions of the baby Jesus: the first by Simon Dewey in This is the Season Beloved of the Year and the second in The Little Drummer Mouse by Mercer Mayer.

Both are poignant reminders that our Lord and Savior remembers all of us, down to the littlest mouse. He was born in meager circumstances and some missed the signs because of the very humbleness in which He came to earth. Yet He is now exalted and invites us to join Him in exaltation some day. Will we be able to live in such a way as to return to Him? That is an answer that can only be found in our hearts and is known only by Him and the angels who record the history of our lives. We all have blind spots, both good and bad, in different facets of our lives and only the Lord knows what will be our final standing in the reckoning for our time on earth.

This is a season to find joy in the miracle of a newborn babe born many centuries ago in a stable and in the blessings of the individual conditions and situations in which we now live. We give thanks for a medley of items ranging from cats to deer to socks to furnaces plus many more. Most of all, we are thankful for Jesus Christ coming to save us and helping us to return to Our Father in Heaven.

Author 72: Corgi dogs and Christmas with Tasha Tudor

Tasha Tudor gives us a Corgiville Christmas. Visit the family site at: http://www.tashatudorandfamily.com/
It is a great story about Christmas in Corgiville and all their different traditions of what they do at Christmastime. There are traditions like the mice have cheese wreaths at Christmastime and new people move in and bring lots more Christmas cheer. I highly suggest you read it. (review by Rose Petal)

Author 71: Eve Bunting and a Hanukkah story

Eve Bunting is the author of many, many, many books. A fairly comprehensive list is found at:
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/b/eve-bunting/ This Hanukkah book, One Candle, tells the story of a family at Hanukkah as they hear again the tale of their Grandma and her sister Rose and how the two sisters made something special to remember Hanukkah during a time when they had nothing. The story is a very simple and poignant one that brought light to our hearts when we read it.

Author 70: Librarian Vicki Myron with Dewey, the library cat

Vicki Myron tells of Dewey's contribution to decorating the library Christmas tree in this colorful tale. Read more about Dewey at: http://www.deweyreadmorebooks.com

Our local libraries offer dog day afternoons where kids can read to therapy dogs to help develop numerous skills that come from reading books aloud. Sam Duncan from the University of London points out reading aloud helps adults who may need help in decoding words and developing literacy. http://www.nrdc.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=1514

So find a family member, friend or pet and read aloud to someone.

Author 69: Warnings about Apostrophe by Carr

Author: Jan Carr

Illustrator: Ethan Long

Sound advice about the appropriateness of using an apostrophe. Advice that I do not always follow. Apologies.

Bargain Buy #3: A hefty new skillet

I was a tad worried that maybe I'd over estimated the nice weight of this skillet when I first picked it up at the local thrift store but decided I'd better hang on to it since large pans go quickly. It was still in my cart when I reached the check-out so I paid the $3 purchase price, figuring I could just donate it to the thrift store if it didn't meet our needs.

By the time I brought it home I'd resolved that it was a good buy since our lone large skillet has lost much of its Teflon coating over its many years of usage and we really did need new pan. After doing a bit of research on the internet, I'd not only confirmed it was a good buy, but that it's one of the best made skillets on the market for the price (usually in the $30 range).

This particular Tramontina skillet was made in Brazil. The pans feature triple-layer construction and were rated very high in a Cooks Illustrated magazine review, coming in just under All-Clad at a fraction of the price. We've already used our "new" used saute pan to fry up chicken, hamburger and fish and we've been pleased with all the results.

(Disclaimer: We have no connection with Tramontina or Cooks Illustrated or All-Clad. We just like finding things that can be reused and recycled for bargain prices and enjoy sharing a few of these finds with others.)

Author 68: Michael Garland entertains with vivid and detailed illustrations

How Many Mice? by Michael Garland is just one of his many colorful and meticulous books in which one can practice counting skills and observation of details. Mr. Garland lives with his wife and children in New York but has visited Ireland which inspired another book, King Puck. He has also written and illustrated the popular Miss Smith books of which the most recent, Miss Smith Under the Ocean, is scheduled to come out in June of 2011. He also has a number of puzzle books where one searches to find hidden pictures such as Christmas City, Mystery Mansion, and Americana Adventure. Read more about Mr.Garland on different websites or obtain his books from Amazon or your local bookstore or library.

Author 67: Joanne Ryder and twin polar bears

Joanne Ryder has written numerous books, among which is: A Pair of Polar Bears - about the twin polar bear cubs that were adopted by the San Diego Zoo after they were orphaned in Alaska in 2001. The cubs, a male named Kalluk and his sister, Tatqiq, are still at the San Diego Zoo-along with another polar bear, Chinook. MSNBC recently had an article on November 8, 2010, extolling some of the many sights of the San Diego Zoo and mentions the bears. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39970366/ns/travel-family_travel/ The book takes us on a photographic journey of the cubs as they transition to zoo life and grow to adulthood.

Find more books by Joanne Ryder on Amazon. Another couple of facts about Ms.Ryder include that she was an editor before becoming a writer and she is married to a writer: Laurence Yep.

Author 66: Barretta with the past and the present

Gene Barretta gives us the book: Now & Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin. Benjamin Franklin designed bifocals for himself, invented the lightning rod, designed the Franklin stove, invented the odometer and more! This colorful foray into the inventions of Benjamin Franklin was both enlightening and entertaining. The book also points out that many of his inventions are still in use today.

Mr. Barretta has created films for Sesame Street and characters for the Jim Henson Company. He also has more books to his credit. His illustrations are found in the following magazines: Cobblestone, National Geographic, and Odyssey (just to name a few). For more about Mr. Barretta, visit his website at: http://www.genebarretta.com/home.html

Guinea girl said the book was wonderful!

Sept. and Oct. Food Co-op orders

So, yeah, ummm.......I'm just a little behind in posting about the co-op-we did like the food, making things like baked potatoes, potato salad, cabbage rolls, garlic bread and just general snacking.

Farmer's market (all local, raised to organic standards) for September 2010: 1 cabbage, 1 eggplant, 1 cantaloupe, 2 green peppers, 2 onions, two cucumbers, three tomatoes (which were unfortunately frozen), and three garlic bulbs

Produce share for September 2010: bag of grapes, an eggplant, four tomatoes, a couple of green peppers, a bunch of broccoli, a 2 lb. bag of carrots, four peaches, a bag of red potatoes, and one cantaloupe.

Produce share for October 2010 (still only $10!): 1 spaghetti squash, 1 bag onions, 1 bag yukon gold potatoes, 1 head cauliflower, 2 avocados, 5 pears, 5 gala apples, 1 bag baby spinach, and 8 plums.

Order for November 2010 is due by Friday, November 5th (Yes, that's an earlier date because the pick-up date is earlier-on Saturday, November 20th. Find out more information and order at: https://www.foodco-op.net/

Author 65: Charise Mericle Harper & cupcake toppers

Visit Ms. Harper's site at: http://www.chariseharper.com/SITE/Start_here_New_Books.html

We made the cupcakes and frosting from the recipe at the end of the book, Cupcake, and they were delicious!

Author 64: Allen, the Hill sisters and Birthdays

Nancy Kelly Allen writes about Mildred and Patty Hill who composed the "Happy Birthday" song which is still protected today by copyright until 2030. (Yes, it's okay to sing it for private functions and birthday parties-just not for profit.) Read more about Nancy Kelly Allen at: http://www.nancykellyallen.com/Home.htm

Read more about the Hill sisters in this article by the Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/3561183/The-story-behind-the-song-Happy-Birthday.html

Bargain Buy #2: 750 pieces, dozens of animals, 1 ark

Dowdle Folk Art has some of the greatest puzzle pictures for humor and variety.
We recently completed the 750 piece puzzle featuring Noah's Ark: Partly Cloudy With a Chance For Rain.

The top right is the puzzle picture over our completed puzzle.

The top left picture is the completed picture with different lighting (still trying to figure out how to get decent lighting for our pictures with this digital camera).

The bottom picture is the poem on the back of the box by David Halling that accompanies the puzzle.


(disclaimer: We bought this particular puzzle "used" from a local thrift store for $1.00 and received nothing from the Dowdle Co. in compensation.)

Author 63: Lady Bird Johnson's wildflowers with Kathi Appelt

A thoroughly enchanting picture book of bright flowers and detailed plants celebrating the work of the Lady Bird Johnson, First Lady and early environmentalist. Miss Lady Bird helped to clean the highways and byways of our great country by encouraging the passage of legislation banning the disposal of garbage along roadsides. The First Lady championed wildflowers and local flowers in public and private yards. She also planted many flowers of her own wherever she lived. The book reminded us that we have the power to help make the world a beautiful place where ever we may live-even if it is in the simplicity of planting a native flower. Another accomplishment was that she helped start the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at the University of Texas at Austin. They seek to identify and preserve native species of wildflowers, plants and natural landscapes all across North America. Find out more about the center and plants for your state at: http://www.wildflower.org/

Kathi Appelt has many more picture books and books for for older readers too!
Read more about this book and other books by Kathi Appelt at: http://www.kathiappelt.com/

Author 62: Kurlansky and a very edible rock

From the back cover of the book: "What rock shaped the fortune of cultures from China to Europe to America? What rock fueled exploration and inspired revolutions? It's salt-the only rock we eat-and its story is a glittering, often surprising part of our history."

King James version of the Bible: Matthew Chapter 5 verse 13: "Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men."

The scriptural verse makes much more sense with some historical knowledge of salt. For thousands of years salt has been used as a commodity across many lands and countries, playing a vital role in the lives of both humans and animals. From its nutritional value (including trace minerals) to the development of products such as bleach and baking soda, salt has long held an important role in civilizations both young and old. But most of all, salt makes many things taste better!

Read more about other children's books by Mark Kurlansky at: http://www.markkurlansky.com/books/childrensbooks.aspx

Author 61: It's okay to be all thumbs with Ed Emberley

http://www.edemberley.com/pages/main.aspx
Ed Emberly has many books on drawing and a bunch of picture books too! Check out his website for books both in and out of print. We thought the thumbprint book made art easy and accessible in a cute fashion.

A list of the second 30 authors

• 31. Bateman, Teresa http://cookingandorscience.blogspot.com/2010/04/author-34-april-fools-with-teresa.html

• 32. Biedrzycki, David http://cookingandorscience.blogspot.com/2010/04/author-38-david-biedrzycki-can-bug-us.html

• 33. Buckley, Michael http://cookingandorscience.blogspot.com/2010/03/author-32-michael-buckley-brings-us-new.html

• 34. Burns, Loree Griffin http://cookingandorscience.blogspot.com/2010/08/author-54-loree-griffin-burns-talks.html

• 35. Bush, Laura (Former First Lady) http://cookingandorscience.blogspot.com/2010/05/author-40-first-lady-laura-bush.html

36. Carle, Eric http://cookingandorscience.blogspot.com/2010/06/author-43-eric-carle-over-70-books-and.html



37. Cherry, Lynne http://cookingandorscience.blogspot.com/2010/06/author-44-lynne-cherry-is-inspiring.html



38. Cooper, Helen http://cookingandorscience.blogspot.com/2010/06/author-45-helen-cooper-and-soup-from.html



39. Couric, Katie http://cookingandorscience.blogspot.com/2010/05/author-41-katie-couric-journalist.html



40. Cronin, Doreen http://cookingandorscience.blogspot.com/2010/06/author-46-doreen-cronin.html

• 41. Dean, Paula http://cookingandorscience.blogspot.com/2010/07/author-52-paula-deen-cooking-with-kids.html

• 42. Disney http://cookingandorscience.blogspot.com/2010/07/author-47-disney-whats-cooking-from.html

• 43. Drummond, Ree http://cookingandorscience.blogspot.com/2010/07/author-49-ree-drummond-pioneer-woman.html

• 44. Edwards, Pamela Duncan http://cookingandorscience.blogspot.com/2010/04/author-36-pamela-duncan-edwards-loves.html

• 45. Ehlert, Lois http://cookingandorscience.blogspot.com/2010/09/author-58-lois-ehlert-utilizes-collages.html

46. Finchler, Judy http://cookingandorscience.blogspot.com/2010/09/author-59-judy-finchler-teams-with.html




47. Gibbons, Gail http://cookingandorscience.blogspot.com/2010/08/author-56-non-fiction-rules-with-gail.html





48. Goldberg, Whoopi http://cookingandorscience.blogspot.com/2010/05/author-42-whoopi-goldberg-manners-in.html





49. Good Housekeeping http://cookingandorscience.blogspot.com/2010/07/author-48-appetizers-from-good.html





50. Jacques, Brian http://cookingandorscience.blogspot.com/2010/07/authors-50-and-51-two-for-one-rosenbaum.html

• 51. Just Look n’ Learn http://cookingandorscience.blogspot.com/2010/09/author-57-just-look-n-learn-new.html

• 52. Lionni, Leo http://cookingandorscience.blogspot.com/2010/04/author-37-leo-lionni-in-holland-italy.html

• 53. Manushkin, Fran http://cookingandorscience.blogspot.com/2010/04/author-35-fran-manushkin-makes-cheese.html

• 54. McDonald, Megan http://cookingandorscience.blogspot.com/2010/03/author-31-sisters-wonderful-sisters.html

• 55. Moore, Julianne http://cookingandorscience.blogspot.com/2010/05/author-39-julianne-moore-actressauthor.html

56. Niemann, Christoph http://cookingandorscience.blogspot.com/2010/08/author-55-christoph-niemann-teaches.html



57. Osborne, Mary Pope http://cookingandorscience.blogspot.com/2010/03/author-33-mary-pope-osborne-fact-based.html



58. Rosenbaum, Stephanie http://cookingandorscience.blogspot.com/2010/07/authors-50-and-51-two-for-one-rosenbaum.html



59. Roth, Susan L. http://cookingandorscience.blogspot.com/2010/09/author-60-do-re-mi-with-susan-l-roth.html



60. Schachner, Judith Byron http://cookingandorscience.blogspot.com/2010/08/author-53-judith-byron-schachner-irish.html



Here's the link to the first 30 authors but it does not contain links to each of the individual posts.
http://cookingandorscience.blogspot.com/2010/03/list-of-first-30-authors.html

Author 60: Do Re Mi with Susan L. Roth

Susan L. Roth in association with Angelo Mafucci wrote this wonderful book (Do Re Mi:If You Can Read Music, Thank Guido d'Arezzo) based on the life of Guido d'Arezzo-the father of the written note who lived roughly from 990 to 1050. Thanks to his persistence, we are able to sing songs from other countries, lands, cultures, etc... as long as we have the music and we know how to read the musical notes on the page. He devised the system of using lines and spaces for the different tones of music-allowing those unfamiliar with the song to still be able to play or sing the song.

Susan L. Roth has written and illustrated many other books (over three dozen and counting!) She used papers from all over the world with many from Italy in making the collages for Do Re Mi. She also met with Benedictine Monks and visited many historical sites in Italy in researching Guido d'Arezzo. For more information about this book and others visit her website at: http://www.susanlroth.com/

Cornbread dog biscuits

From Cool Pet Treats by Pam Price.

Canine Cheddar Cornbread

1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup boiling water
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 tbsp. sugar
2 teaspoons chicken or beef instant bouillon
1/2 cup milk
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
1 egg
2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a baking sheet. Combine the oats, butter and boiling water and let stand for 10 minutes. Add in the cornmeal, sugar, bouillon, milk, shredded cheese and egg. Then mix in the flour, adding a little bit more to get a stiff dough if needed. Knead the dough on a floured counter top and then roll to 1/2 inch thick. Cut with a 2-inch cookie cutter and bake for 35-45 minutes or until browned. Turn off oven and let sit in oven for a couple of hours if possible to help the biscuits dry out some. If making larger or smaller biscuits then adjust the time as necessary.

These were very well received by all the dogs who tried them. Crunchy, yummy, they even smelled good to the humans as they were baking!