2011 – The Good, The Bad, and the UGH

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)45 Comments

I have been looking forward to doing this post for WEEKS!  Yes, I know it is a lot of work to go through everything I have posted in 2011, but as of late I have been thinking “Dang.  I have read some great books lately!”  That leaves me wondering about all the books I have read this year that I am not even recalling right now but truly probably need a SHOUT OUT as the best of the year….  I also… may occasionally label a bad post… or an UGH.  😛

Join me now as we jump on the internet express and go back back back to…. (all pics are clickable and lead back to the posts/reviews)

January 2011

Good:  Yes it was a COLD Minnesota January when I finally caved and allowed myself a listen of an audio about a dog.  I had no idea that choice would leave me raving the rest of the year about it!  😀

Good:  If Shiver was impressive, Linger was icing on the cake.  A worthy second to this trilogy and best book of January.

Best Meandering post(s) of January:

When reading Habits Just Get Embarrassing!

Good:  This is where you recommended to me GREAT audio!

February 2011

Good:  This is the audio that made me very impressed with Anita Shreve.  Best audio of February!

Good:  A Tiger in The Kitchen was such an EXCELLENT read!

Bad:  Pro?  Con?  Why or why not?


Morning Meanderings…. The New Classics (a list from Entertainment Weekly of what the new classics are)

March 2011

Good: I cant help it – if you are looking for good audio – look no further than the Harry Potter books narrated by Stephen  Fry or Jim Dale

Good: What started out as a review to cook by for a book (coming out this March 2012!) turned out to be a pretty delicious read as well.

Good:  Polar Plunge… this pic is before I hit the water….

Ugh:  Morning Meanderings…. BUSTED by the snoring husband

April 2011

Good:  Audio love – this one rocked and the movie did too!

Good:  I heard about it… I coveted it, and then I read it.  Just as good as I had hoped.  BEST of April!

Good:  What is your most treasured book?

Bad:  I don’t care what cha all think of her…. I just don’t like her.  😛

May 2011

Good:  Audio book for May…

Sadly (BAD) no book stood out for me to call best of May 2011….. (this was also probably the month I read the least)

Good:  Dinner with author Beth Hoffman (CeeCee Honeycutt) while in New York

Good: Reagan (Miss Remmer’s Reviews) and I run the Info booth at BEA…..

June 2011:

Fantastic audio!  I almost fell off the lawn mower laughing!

First book I read entirely on my NOOK and best read of June!

UGH:  2 weeks after I return from BEA I seriously wipe out on my bike

Good:  A week after the bike injury I take a girls road trip to Chicago with my peeps 😀

Good:  E Readers YAY or NAY discussion

A great book bloggers get together in New York for dinner!

Good:  Dinner with Adriana Trigianni in New York

Good:  Valued info I learned at the Book Blogger Con

Good and UGH:  The post where I made a you tube video of me being the Crocodile Hunter 😯

July 2011

Good:  Fantastic memoir audio about food and more food!

Bad:  And again… no book that stood out in July

Good:  Danielle wins my Harry Potter VLOG contest!

Good:  Warrior Dash!!!

Good:  Our book club chooses a new Queen

August 2011

Good:  If you loved the book… you will love love the audio!

Good:  Awesome read!

Good:  A week at AIDS camp

Bookies 10 year anniversary!!!!

September 2011

Good:  Awesome audio of the month!

Good:  This series is so fantastic I must insist you read it!

Good: The second in the series and just as fantastic as the first!

October 2011

Good:  Certainly you have heard of this one… on audio, read by Jim Dale?  Fantastic!

Good:  Incredible read

Bookies classic review night

Bad:  We had to put our puppy of 15 years down  😦

November 2011

Good:  This was so interesting!


Good: Rounding out the series nicely – I applaud Patrick Ness

This was such an amazing non fiction read!

December 2011

Good:  Audio at its best!!!!

This was not the best audio of the month, but if I had listened to this any other month it would have beat out the other audio.

Fantastic dystopia read!

Great discussion post

So in recap here are the books of the year:

and the audio:

and over all.. best of the best:

Do you have a “best of” for the year?  I would love to hear what it is!

Morning Meanderings… are you up for a little challenge?

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)24 Comments

Good morning!

Is anyone else getting pumped up for the New year?  I really am!  I have my first book of the year all picked out (that… is another post 😉 ) and I am ready to jump into a clean Where Are You Reading Map… but mostly I am looking forward to getting back in fighting shape and hopefully kicking a little booty in 2012.

I used to blog quite a bit about my work outs and what I was doing to keep fit.  Through emails and comments many of you let me know how much you appreciated that and how motivating you found it to be.  Of course, that just inspired me to write more.  😀

Then after I got hurt in June, I stopped two things I love – Group Power (weight lifting) and Kick Boxing.  I still had bike rides happening so I was doing a little something… but that all stopped in September and I have been pretty much stagnate since.  Not cool. 

I really want to make 2012 exceptional.  I completed a lot of bike rides (one 50 mile one in a cast) and hope to do even more this coming year.

So training for me…. starts right away. And of course, you are invited to join me.  😛  I will be updating you here each Tuesday morning going forward with calories burned, and what I did to shake it up.  I will be linking my post over at Mari’s Checkpoint meme at Bookworm With A View.  Mari is someone who inspires me so I am hoping between what I am doing here and what she is doing there will keep me on track. 

So what am I working for?  Many things…regained strength, muscle tone, and weight loss.  My big challenge will be May 19th.  Myself and three of my good friends are signed up for this:

😯

Yup.  I have work to do….

If you are interested in staying motivated to be sure to sign up over at Mari’s Bookworm With A View Checkpoint meme/  You can also leave me a comment here letting me know you are interested in keeping up with goals and posts…. I have an idea brewing but need to think it through a bit more.  😀

 

 

 I blew the 20,000 calorie challenge but am starting again in January….

The Black Shard by Victoria Simcox with a SIGNED giveaway!

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)18 Comments

As if Summer for a girl without many friends is not hard enough, Kristina’s parents are thrilled when Hester’s parents invite Kristina along to spend time at their horse camp.  Yes, Kristina adores horses… but everyone seems to not be getting the clue to is that Kristina and Hester pretty much loathe each other.

When a cruel prank goes wrong… Kristina finds that somehow she has found her way back to Bernovem, the magic land she has experienced before but was beginning to think that perhaps it had all been a dream.  Her friend, Prince Werrian is there to take her hand and show her around and when a chance to sail with Werrian to his homeland of Tezeral, Kristina thinks maybe this summer will not be so bad after all…

 

 

It has been over two years since I read The Magic Warble, the first book in this series.  I remember I was excited by Victoria Simcox’s writing and enjoyed her book very much.  When Victoria contacted me to read this second book I immediately said yes. 

There are several things I like about this book.  One is that immediately I get a sense of Narnia.  What I mean is I get that “other world” experience as Kristina and Werrian connect again to share an adventure.  Werrian is very “Prince Caspianish” and that.. is a good thing.  😀  I also enjoyed the story behind the Black Shard, a mysterious stone that gives off images of things happening in other places… And of course I am a sucker for the talking horses, mice, dogs and more that make this an overall delight to read. 

When I finally did get the time to sit down and read this book in the midst of the busy season, I only meant to read a little of the book.  What actually happened?  I sat down and read it from beginning to end in one sitting… finding no place safe in the book to stop reading as something was always happening ad I had to know why…

Why was Kristina constantly feeling ill?

Why was Hester so mean ALL THE TIME?

What was going to happen once they arrive in Tezerel?

WHAT is up with that crabby gnome Elzwur???

If you were ever a fan of Narnia, these books will take you back.  Be warned… I believe there is another book (there must be!) coming.  In the end – all is not resolved and while it was a fulfilling read… I find myself wondering excitedly what will happen next.

Author Victoria Simcox has graciously offered a signed copy of The Black Shard to be given to one of my readers!  Leave a comment here and you will be entered into the giveaway.  I will choose a winner later this week.

Amazon Rating

Goodreads review

The 2011 WHERE Are You Reading map has been updated to include The Black Shard

 

I received this book from the author

Morning Meanderings… WHA? Where did 2011 go???

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)24 Comments

Good morning!  Happy After Christmas!  (Really though… isn’t it?)  I mean the rush is over….  no more shopping for that (hopefully) perfect gift.  The parties, the gift exchanges, the food (oh – dont get me started on the food…. “Hello gym membership?”  :razz:)

I for one am happy to be basking in the aftermath… enjoying a snow free (SSQQQQUUUEEE!!!!) winter so far here in Central Minnesota, enjoying the down time of the season and some good reading time.  😀

Besides my lovely Cricut and cartridges from my hubby, I also received an assortment of gift cards to some of my favorite stores.  I have a lovely coffee mug from Caribou Coffee, a gorgeous engraved wine stopper, a beautiful friendship sign, gloves, a book safe, and of course…

books.

My College son plucked a couple titles off my wish list on this blog and under the tree I found this:

 

I have so much to do these last few days of 2011… my year in review post will go up with week (it has been a good reading year!)  Recap of the challenges… the good, the bad, the ugh…. the two challenges I am hosting as well as….

a fun third one too 😀  Hint… it will work well with Mari at a Bookworm With A View‘s new weekly Checkpoint.  😀

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)35 Comments

 

Happy day after Christmas!

This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

I love being a part of this and I hope you do too!  As part of this weekly meme I love to encourage you all to go and visit the others participating in this meme.  I offer a weekly contest for those who visit 10 or more of the Monday Meme participants and leave a comment telling me how many you visited.  **You do not have to have a blog to participate! You receive one entry for every 10 comments, just come back here and tell me how many in the comment area.

This past weeks winner:

Deb Nance

WOO HOO!!!!  Please choose an item out of the Reading Cafe Grab Shelves  and email me your choice with your mailing address as well!   journeythroughbooks@gmail.com

I hope everyone had a happy Christmas/Holiday/Weekend.  I sure did. College Son has been all ours all weekend and that’s rare and nice.  We watched movies, are WAY too much and had a great time. I thought I would put this post up last night like I usually do… but honestly – I just took a day off from the internet and the blog and being unplugged ….

was nice.  😀

As for what I read and accomplished this past week:

 

Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe


Pumpkin Rolls recipe (so good!!!)


Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (this time on audio!)  – a little recap before the movie comes out!

 

The Christmas Cookie Club by Ann Pearlman with giveaway!

 

Winter’s Bone by Daniel Woodrell (not reviewed yet)

Two challenges hosted here – its not to late 😀  : 

The 2012 WHERE Are You Reading Challenge (Map out where your books are from)

The 2012 Dystopia Challenge (care to give it a try?  :D)

 

I did not get as much book time in as I had hoped but plenty of audio while cooking cleaning, gift wrapping, and tree assembly 😀

So this week I am hoping to clean up several books I have lying around that I would like to clean up before we go in to the new year.  Because next week…. next week I am treating myself to a week of books I have waited too long to read!

However – I am adding a little audio to my week and here is what is either playing now… or playing soon:

 

“The murderer is with us–on the train now . . .”

Just after midnight, the famous Orient Express is stopped in its tracks by a snowdrift. By morning, the millionaire Samuel Edward Ratchett lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. One of his fellow passengers must be the murderer.

Isolated by the storm, detective Hercule Poirot must find the killer among a dozen of the dead man’s enemies, before the murderer decides to strike again . . .

Ok…. perhaps a little cheesy, but I have never had the pleasure or reading or listening to an Agatha Christie book and I really wanted to do so before the end of 2011.

 

 

 

Nora should have known her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away and Nora can’t figure out if it’s for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy Marcie Millar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home.

The farther Nora delves into the mystery of her father’s death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim blood line has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn’t answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?

I read Hush Hush (the first in this set of books) over a year ago.  It has taken me way too long to get to this one! 

 

 

 

 

The biggest thing to happen to Skary, Indiana, is renowned horror novelist Wolfe Boone–or, “Boo,” as the locals fondly call him. For the past sixteen years, the reclusive writer has been the town’s greatest attraction, having unintentionally turned the once-struggling Skary into a thriving tourist-trap for the dark side: from the Haunted Mansion restaurant, famous for its “bloody fingers” (fries splattered with ketchup) to Spooky’s Bookstore (where employees dress like the walking dead).

But when a newly reformed Wolfe suddenly quits the genre and subsequently starts to pursue Skary’s favorite girl-next-door, Ainsley Parker, the little town made famous by his writings becomes truly horrified. Soon, a scheme is plotted to put the fright back into Skary–and get their most famous resident out of love and back into the thrill business.

I read Rene Gutteridge last winter and enjoyed her… now looking through the audio at my local library I find her again and this book is the first in a trilogy…. I am…. curious… 😀

 

 

 

So that I think is safely it.  I want to go into 2012 really clean on half read books so my work is cut out for me this week 😀  I have so much to do this week with a year-end recap of what was great this past year, Challenge results, and a couple great challenges I am hosting myself.  It all should be a good time.  😀

I look forward to seeing what you accomplished this past week.  😀  Add your post below where it says “click here” 

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Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…

 

Also – be sure to check out the Middle Grade version of Its Monday What Are You Reading:

The Christmas Cookie Club by Ann Pearlman (and giveaway!)

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)36 Comments

As per a well designed tradition, Marnie looks forward to the annual Christmas Cookie exchange with eleven of her dearest friends.  The first Monday of December, every year… the ladies gather, coming from near and far with thirteen dozen cookies in cute containers… one dozen for each of the ladies in the group and an additional dozen to be given to a local nursing home, children’s group, or homeless program.  Besides cookies they are to bring an appetizer to share and a bottle of wine.

Oh and there are a few rules….

  1. No Chocolate Chip cookies… one year 5 people brought them
  2. No bars, they stick to each other and crumble
  3. No paper plates covered in Saran wrap and bows.  Try carrying 12 paper plates filled with cookies.
  4. No more than twelve women in the group
  5. You can’t miss a year, if you can’t come, send your cookies or you forfeit your place.  There are women waiting to get into the group
  6. It’s always the first Monday in December.  Put it on your calendar.
  7. Bring a copy of your recipe for each person.

As each lady passes her cookies, as per tradition, they are to share the story behind the cookie. Is it traditional?  Where did it originate from?  Why this cookie? 

And each year, more that cookie stories are shared as the evening moves on, there is laughter and tears, glorious triumphs over sickness, and heartbreaking confessions of loss and struggles.  The Christmas Cookie Club is more than the sugary residue of cookies and scents of gingerbread… it is the bonding of friends through all else. 

It’s no secret that I am not a fan of Christmas books.  Mainly too fluffy, too over the top perfect, I am left with a sugary after taste that is not appealing.  Yet, I am still drawn to covers and titles… and this one had me at both. 😀

Still… I entered this book cautiously reserving the right to stop reading if after a few pages I decided it wasn’t for me.  And then I entered Marnie’s world… seeing a man she was hoping may be permanent, having two daughters – Sky who has tried and tried to have a baby and time after time the baby would not make it to term and today Sky would get news from the doctor about her current pregnancy.  And then there is Tara, her daughter who became pregnant at 18, rebellious and young, jet black hair with blue chunks foiled in and due soon… not wanting to get married as that is soooo outdated, and seriously, what does that ensure anyway?  Divorced due to a cheating husband,  Marnie couldn’t argue with that…

Each chapter starts with a cookie recipe and then the story of one of the women, the one bringing that cookie.  AND (also cool) the chapter end with the history of one of the spices in that said cookie, and that was interesting too.

I was actually quite impressed with the Christmas book.  It was a nice read and not too overly sweet and neat and all tied with a bow.  Lives are messy, and in Ann Pearlman’s book she reminds us that we all come with baggage…. broken people like a broken cookie…. are still a delicious treat to be with!  😀

I wish I would have started this book two months ago… then I would have had time to create my own Christmas Cookie Club.  I love the idea of friends gathering over food, friendship, eats and wine.  I love that each woman takes a turn to share the story of the cookie, but there is also conversations, and catching up.  The whole thing… is awesome.

I am giving my copy of this book away!  To enter this giveaway leave a comment here telling me your favorite cookie of the season.  😀  I will announce the winner Sunday morning and send the book as soon as I have the winners address.

The 2011 WHERE Are You Reading Map has been updated to include The Christmas Cookie Club

I purchased this book from our local library book sale

Morning Meanderings… The Scrooge Fog Has Lifted!

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)51 Comments

 

Good morning! 

*BIG gulp from COFFEE Cup*

If you have followed me down this crazy count down to Christmas through the Morning Meanderings you may have noticed a few anti- Christmas bread crumbs…

I had not purchased any gifts.  Lost in a “I don’t know what to buy” mode… I struggled with the fact that College Son wanted car tires (too big to go under a tree) and hubby has always been difficult in the gift department being more of the “just being together” family he has never fully understood my annual frenzy with gift giving.

I had not put up the tree.  Yes, for the first time in my entire life…. we were close to going treeless.  College son and I usually do this honor Thanksgiving weekend, but a hectic schedule at that time made it impossible and he returned to College and even though the tree sits in storage… I just never worked up the gumption to put it up.  Then…. I justified this thinking my gift was already on the table from hubby – The Cricut which I picked out myself, tires for College son, and Navy son will not be here until the second week of January…. why bother?  There will be nothing under it.

I am not the best Christmas person anyway.  Holidays are hard for me.  We have had a lot of loss in our family at early ages and honestly – doing the holidays without parents on either side, or siblings… can be downright depressing. 

 

AND then…. after many Christmas parties these last couple of weeks, and baking for our office party…. slowly (ever so slowly…) I started to feel it.  Earlier this week… I went shopping and accomplished all of it in the matter of a few hours.  Justin (College son) had lunch with me yesterday and then we went and bought our groceries for the weekend, planning out movies we want to watch, board games we wanted to play.  We actually went to Target looking for a new game but so many needed 4 or more players we started laughing and saying “stupid small family!” as there will be just the three of us and board games are not always Al (hubby’s) thing so it is usually just Justin and I.

The fact is though…. I was laughing and starting to plan.  We went back to the Christmas department and I picked up a little three foot tree… lights already on it.  We had decided this late in the game we were not going to put up the big 6 footer, decorate it to the hilt and then take it down in the next couple of days, so I went small.  And it is a tree.  😀

 

So all that said – in honor of Alyce’s Saturday Snapshot, here are my pictures I present today. 

Zak Doud

 

Last night my friend Heidi and I went to the Last Turn and heard a local musician play some great music.

Purchasing the tree.....

We had some time to spare in the checkout line at Wal-Mart so we decorated our tree with all our purchases while we waited.  😛

 

…and yes this morning I wrapped my gifts and put them under the tree which I threw on a few of our ornaments. 

 

In a couple of hours Justin will be here for the weekend.  SSSQQUUUEEEEE!!!!   Today we will bake and hang out…. I have forewarned him we may listen to a little of Ready Player One on audio because I think he will love it.  (I finally got him to read Hunger Games. 

I need to put the finishing touches on a review I meant to go live yesterday but it did not happen!  😀 Then I am going to take a quick run to the store (I know.. I know) and just be sure we are ready.

 

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays Everyone!!!!!

Morning Meanderings… Books and SNOW!

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)20 Comments

Good morning!  😀

I woke up to a powdered sugar dusting across our lawn.  Yes, even as I type, I can look out the window and see it continuing…

yes…. snow. 

I knew it was inevitable… however, looking at the weather forecast, it will be nothing more than this and then back to the mid 30’s and sunny throughout the weekend….
Updated: 8:32 AM CST on December 23, 2011

snow

31° | 13°

partlycloudy

34° | 23°

partlycloudy

36° | 22°

partlycloudy

40° | 22°

partlycloudy

31° | 22°

As much as I am LOVING this… I know many of my friends are not as thrilled with the lack of snow…  they are itching to get outside and kids want to go sledding and make snow men… for their sake (and man… I can’t even believe I am saying this) I hope they get it soon. 

Ok that’s the snow part of this post and enough of that!  I found a few books when I was checking blogs earlier that I would say are wish list worthy!

 

It’s a Waverly Life has such a fun cover and Danielle’s review of it over at Chick Lit Reviews and News sealed the deal for me!

Alison’s reviews (Alison’s Book Marks) usually impress me, so I wasn’t really surprised when her review of A Monster Calls by the wonderful Patrick Ness had me adding this one to the MUST be read.  Seriously… you have to read her review. 

Honestly, I find many reads at Helen’s Book Blog.  When she reads books like these my mouth usually drops open as I wonder how she discovers these treasures!

Today I need to wrap some gifts, I am having lunch with College son, and need to pick up a few items for the weekend.  It will just be the three of us, myself Al, and Justin for Christmas but I like small gatherings.  We will make pumpkin rolls, watch movies, play board games, eat good things, and just enjoy one another.  😀

What are your Christmas weekend plans?  Any books in the mix? 

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (AUDIO LOVE!)

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)19 Comments

I am hoping that you all have experienced this fictional GREATNESS by now so my telling you about it would be a total waste of my time and yours…

but…

in the event that you have just entered to the planet earth after orbiting for the last few years I give you this:

Welcome to the Nation of Panem, the world after the final world war and now what is left is a world broke into twelve districts.  Panem is a hard place to live, food is minimum, and each year a teenage boy and a teenage girl from each district is chosen to enter the Hunger Games… a televised arena (think Super bowl audience) of a fight to the death. Only one may stand as winner of the Hunger Games.

16-year-old Katniss Everdeen is the sole provider for her mother and young sister Primrose.  They live in district 12 and this years Hunger Games are about to be announced.  As district Twelve gathers to hear who will be chosen this year, the girl’s name is announced: “Primrose Everdeen.”  Katniss feels her mind go blank as she watches her little sister, first year to have her name in the Games, and does what she knows she must do…

steps in place of her sister.

I read this book two years ago, even thought the synopsis freaked me out a bit.  Kids fighting to the death?  But the blogs were raving and I went in to the read cautiously… and never looked back. 

Now, this coming March 2012 The Hunger Games will be a movie!  (Insert SSSQQQUUUEEEEEE here 😛 )  and in honor of that, I thought it was time to explore Panem again, but this time around in audio.  narrated by a fantastic Carolyn McCormick, it did not take me long to get back into the rhythm of the Hunger Games.  In fact, while baking most of the afternoon and evening on Tuesday I listened to almost the whole audio in one listen!  (It really was a lot of baking…)

It was nice to revisit this book and if you have not experienced this yet I recommend you take some time before the movie release and do so!  Here is a little movie clip to get you motivated:

I purchased this audio from audible.com

Morning Meanderings… Pumpkin Rolls and Candied Pretzels

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)14 Comments

Author’s note:  I started writing this post on Wednesday morning… while making a pear french toast bake for our office brunch party, trying to get the car loaded with the punkin rolls, white elephant gift, and pretzels, as well as get myself ready… I had to forfeit the post and RUN!  Now… here it is a day late…. but I think worthy.  😀

Good morning!  Flying by the seat of my pants here – I have my Pear French Toast bake in the over and am waiting for it to be done so  can take off for our office party this morning.  We are doing a breakfast brunch theme and yes, another White Elephant gift exchange (this will be my 4th this year – see Mondays post for more details on this 😀 )

Monday after working and shopping I was home at 4:00 pm and started cooking – 10 pumpkin rolls.  Yes…. TEN.  😯  Always the optimistic, I tend to forget how much time things can take and about 10:30 last night… back aching, kitchen a mess, but happy as I was listening to Hunger Games on audio for most of my baking time…

I finished.

I think they look good and that is what I am giving my co workers this year.  That, and two coated pretzel rods which I worked on when my oven was full of pumpkin loafs a baking.

I had first learned how to make a pumpkin loaf back when I worked at Wal-Mart.  One of the guys there was wonderful at making these and every Christmas we could order them.  When I left Wal-Mart, he gave me his recipe.  Now here it is for you:

Pumpkin Rolls

you will need:

3 eggs

2/3 cup pumpkin (from a can)

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup flour

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Filling:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp butter

1 8 oz package of softened cream cheese

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 15x10x1 inch baking pan and line with parchment paper. Grease and flour the paper.
  2. In a large bowl, beat eggs on high for five minutes. Gradually add white sugar and pumpkin. Add flour, cinnamon, and baking soda. Spread batter evenly in pan. Sprinkle walnuts evenly on top.
  3. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Immediately turn out onto a linen towel dusted with confectioners sugar. Peel off paper and roll cake up in the towel, starting with the short end. Cool.
  4. To Make Filling: Mix confectioners sugar, vanilla, butter or margarine, and cream cheese together till smooth.
  5. Carefully unroll the cake. Spread filling over cake to within 1 inch of edges. Roll up again. Cover and chill until serving. Dust with additional confectioners’ sugar, if desired.

So delicious!  I used these for office gift giving.  They also freeze well. 

Then for fun, I made some candied pretzel rods.  I melted chocolate, white almond bark, and caramel.  I alternated between dipping in chocolate or almond bark, adding caramel, or rolling in crushed candy cane or crushed  Reese’s Pieces. 

 

 

In bookish news… I just finished Hunger Games on audio last night… awesome!  AND I am about half way through the Christmas Cookie Club which is honestly… giving me ideas…. 😀