Food, Family, Books

Update on the waffles.
The Gluten Free Bisquick mix is amazing for waffles! I love Gluten Free Pamela's mix for muffins and pancakes; however, I always have to alter the recipes. I have not tried the Bisquick for pancakes or muffins yet. The mix did not need applesauce for waffles. I did use cinnamon for flavor – about a teaspoon. Sadly, my man is not the most adventurous foodie out there. After a bit of begging on his part I did not try the bacon... I will though. It sounds fascinating.

What I did do for fun was chop up strawberries and fry them in a 1/2 a teaspoon of butter and brown sugar. I topped the waffles with powered sugar, cooked strawberries and chocolate chips – very yummy. Next time I swear whip cream and bacon.

Family Up-date:
Beezus is feeling better-ish. After two weeks of illness this is a nice break. We have been looking into planning out our summer. Both these girls are very excited for school to end in mid-May. This morning it snowed, but by the afternoon it had mostly melted away again. Outside constant nightmares of tornadoes I am looking forward to a weather change.

The girls and I have started going to our local library after school and reading books together. I enjoyed watching Beezus tonight pretend present her library book to her imaginary students. What I love about watching Beezus pretend to be a teacher is how each year the body language, descriptive words, pretend instructions or terminology change to more properly mirror her current teacher. It is amazing to catch a glimpse of her classroom played out for everyone in the living room. Very live action role playing. Beezus very much looks up to her teachers each year.

I did quit facebook, again. I have made it at least three weeks? I am happier for it. Not too mention more productive. I miss seeing what everyone is doing, but I will continue to update the blog more often and try to even, gasp, use my phone. ;-)

Books:
I have recently read and recommend Hiroshima in the Morning by Rahna Reiko Rizzuto and Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout.

I found Hiroshima in the Morning on MSN. Hiroshima in the Morning is rather infamous as a memoir which recants the author’s personal journey in Japan researching the aftermath of Hiroshima decades later and how that journey led to her decision to divorce her husband and leave her two young sons. Rizzuto has been highly criticized by the parenting community as being selfish and a “bad” mother for claiming that having an identity as a mother should not be restricted to women that live with their families. She instead insists that she has been a better mother for her decision to live her life more fully and pursue her own passions. The memoir also looks closely at her time in Japan doing research for her book and conducting interviews with Hiroshima survivors.

I liked the book a lot. I find I am constantly questioning what exactly a mother’s role is and what determines/restricts this role. Finding where career, personal development and sacrifices need to made and how to make them and stay happy. Rizzuto has a unique and anthological sense of roles, identity and culture which she tells in an introspective narrative I find fascinating and thought provoking. I also found the interviewees stories memorizing making Hiroshima more vivid than even the photographs that I have seen.

Olive Kitteridge is one of the more deftly crafted character developments I have had the joy of reading. The main character Olive is produced through a series of short stories and through the eyes of various members of her community. This book also delves into the intricacies of marriages, affairs, romances and exploration of mother child relationships. The book follows Olive’s family primarily while still touching upon other tales that include the harsh realities of the adult world like substance abuse, eating disorders, suicides and other forms of dysfunction.

I like short stories, serious fiction and unique characters. Awesome, fast, fun, serious fiction read.