LadyD Books: March 2012

India Sky

For Skywatch Friday

I caught this pretty sunset facing west, towards the outskirts of the property, near our neighbor's fan palm. I've noticed lots of them around southern California and they always look so cute as baby trees and then they become huge giants later on. This particular sky reminds me of a children's picture book.

Indian Tales

About The Book:

Venture to a country that is bursting with color, life and contrasts in these lively folk tales. The eight stories in this anthology, each from a different Indian state, feature educational facts and information about the cultures from which they are chosen.

Ages 8 and up

Retold By: Shenaaz Nanji
Illustrated By: Christopher Corr

Book Beginnings

"Welcome to India! You are about to enter a country that is bursting with color, life and contrasts... You will read about magical spirits in the mountains of the northeast; sneaky robbers and brave heroines in the heart of the Indus Valley."-- from Indian Tales

I enjoyed learning some fun facts about each of the states the stories came from.

Page 56 at Freda's

" When Priya woke up, she was hungry. She brought down her bundle from the branch of the banyan and untied it. The rice was gone and in its place was an empty clay bowl. She held the bowl in her hands, and her eyes filled with tears. "Who ate my food?" she cried." -- from Indian Tales

I believe I mentioned that our granddaughter is visiting. The memories are spectacular. We are so happy. Our refrigerator is happy with food but then our cat, well let's just say a bit happy to see little people around.

As you can see, I'm behind in cleaning up scattered toys and meeting blog deadlines. But hey, they are only little once and then they grow up to be big peeps, like big fan palms!

Warmly,

“You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me." C. S. Lewis

InLinkz.com

Wordless Wednesday: Tea Party Time

The cousins were reunited later on in the evening. I decided to have a little tea party with my grandchildren by a cozy fire. I had no idea that soon the "egg shakers" would be gently placed inside the tea cup that fit perfectly. What fun! A great time was had by all... until there was a little squabble of sharing over the pirate book. Darn those pirates taking over our tea party!

Rednesday

Do you have a favorite tea? I have always been fond of sweet Chamomile tea. It's very refreshing and relaxing. There's so many great ones, it's difficult to choose.

Outdoor Wednesday

Lovely sitting bench I discovered on our trip to the Lavender Farm. Spring is such a beautiful time for visiting outdoor herb and flower garden places. I love old antique looking items randomly placed everywhere around the land. What do you have in your garden?

Watery Wednesday

Another favorite place for an outdoor stroll looking out at the Pacific Ocean is our pier.What does yours look like?

Hope you're enjoying your mid-week day!

Warmly,

“You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me." C. S. Lewis

InLinkz.com

Irish Folktale

Weekend Flowers: Green Succulent

For Flowers on Saturday

For Quote It Saturday:

The Chorus from When Irish Eyes Are Smiling

"When Irish Eyes Are Smiling, sure 'tis like a morn in spring.
In the lilt of Irish laughter you can hear the angels sing,
When Irish hearts are happy all the world seems bright and gay,
And When Irish Eyes Are Smiling, sure, they steal your heart away."

Photo credit: Musicnotes.com

Awh, the wearing of the green! Have you time for an Irish Folktale? Listen to the story podcast.

Paperback Barefoot Book with cd

Tales From Old Ireland

Celebrate the wonder of Ireland with the seven enchanting stories in this captivating collection. The rich traditions of Irish storytelling are honored with larger-than-life characters, myths and legends around every bend, and plenty of magic. Book with double CDs include stories read by Grammy-nominated singer Maura O'Connell.

Ages 6 and up
Retold By: Malachy Doyle
Illustrated By: Niamh Sharkey
Narrated By: Maura O'Connell

For Pink Saturday

How will you be celebrating this fine day?

Warmly,

“You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me." C. S. Lewis

Thai Sky

Thai Sky

At the wee morning hour of the day, I caught a glorious sky from our view with my D200. The ripples in the clouds remind me of cellophane noodles or bean thread noodles.

For ages 10 and up

Book Beginnings

"Unique is the word for the cooking of Thailand. Thai food is wonderful to smell, exciting to see, and delicious to eat. The flavors of Thai cooking range from mild to almost searingly hot, with plenty of dishes falling somewhere in between. Many Thai consider food to be an art form. They have borrowed and adapted ideas from other countries to create their own distinctive cuisine."

Friday 56

"Fresh fruit is the typical sweet in this tropical country, where fruit trees produce much lush fruit. Mangoes, rambutan, bananas, melons of all sorts, mangosteen, papayas, lychee, pineapple, and durian are widely available."

I absolutely love fruit platters and especially enjoy eating and cooking Thai food. Grilled marinated chicken is a favorite, along with stir-fry vegetables with Pad Thai. What's your favorite?

Now, the Tai cuisine is known for its combinations of sweet, sour, and salty flavors. Here are a few "sauce samples"from the book:

Sweet and Sour Sauce

1 c. sugar
1/4 c. white vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. water
1 tbsp. ketchup
1/4 tsp. crushed pepper flakes

In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients. Stir constantly over high heat until sugar dissolves. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Cucumber Sauce

1 c. peeled and thinly sliced cucumber
1/2 c. white vinegar
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt

Place sliced cucumbers in a small bowl. in a medium saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar, and salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool, uncovered, to room temperature.

Nam Pla Prig

2 cloves crushed garlic
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
4 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. fresh lime or lemon juice, or 4 tbsp. white vinegar.
4 tbsp. fish sauce
2 tbsp. water

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Stir to dissolve sugar. (If sauce is too salty or too strong, add more water.) Serve at room temperature in individual bowls. (Nam pla prig will keep for up to 2 weeks refrigerated in a slightly covered glass container.)

The Thai belief is that long, whole noodles bring long life. I love learning about other cultures. I am so fortunate to have a wonderful mother-in-law, whom I dearly love, that is 93.

A popular children's book you may be familiar with is
The Seven Silly Eaters. It’s a fun, and sometimes a bit over-the-top, book about life in a bustling household.

Warmly,

“You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me." C. S. Lewis