Rox and Roll

Holiday Gift Guide, Part Two: Gifts of In-Home Entertainment, Part A: Books

In this gift guide "In-Home Entertainment" entry, I'm covering books, from my favorite adult reads to cookbooks and kids' books, plus some extra "gifts for readers" at the end.  I've been an active participant in the (now-defunct) Silicon Valley Moms Blog book club, many members from which are, like me, now participating in the From Left to Write book club and, through that, have been fortunate to be exposed to some fantastic reads that we might not otherwise choose.  I'm also a member of an offline book club, where discussing books among friends in real life never gets old.  (Yes, I'm a bookaholic!)  This list below includes some books from and some beyond the purview of my blogging "work."  It's all noted with disclaimers where appropriate.  I've also added a parenthetical note with suggested gift ideas to pair with the book.  Enjoy!

Adult Fiction:

• Girl in Translation by Jeanne Kwok (reviewed for Silicon Valley Moms Group book club): One of the best fiction books I've ever read, this book is practically the author's memoir, even though she bills it as fiction -- a coming-of-age immigrant tale exposing the lives of sweatshop workers and, in the case of this book, their first-generation American children. (Gift idea: Support the end of sweatshops in America by purchasing some items from American Apparel: gloves, scarves, hats, etc.)

• Following Polly by Karen Bergreen (reviewed for From Left to Write book club): This is a debut mystery novel by a former lawyer and stand-up comic, and, as such, it's refreshingly funny and quite different from my usual mystery reads; I look forward to Bergreen's next work!  (Gift idea: a whoopie cushion?!  I'm only half-kidding ... this is a tough one to pair, so how about reading snacks, a book light, tea, vodka?)

• The Good Daughters by Joyce Maynard: My (offline) book group chose this book to read this month, and I whipped through it in two days because it was that gripping.  A story of two girls born on the same day in the same New Hampshire hospital, the intertwining of the two families' lives and the way those lives are chronicled over a large expanse of time makes you feel like you're part of their lives by the end of the magnificent tale.  I'm planning to read some of Maynard's other works soon.  (Gift idea: This one has a lot to do with farming, especially goat cheese and strawberries ... add some crackers and some apple cider for a fantastic seasonal treat!)

• A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore: My dad, a retired college English professor, suggested that I read this book, and I'm quite glad that he did.  It's the story of a midwestern college student who works as a nanny for a toddler, and the twists that this book takes are mind-boggling.  What will keep me reading Moore's stories is her unbelievable writing style: witty, wry, and descriptive in both light and dark ways.  Like "The Good Daughters," above, you'll think about this book months after you've read it. (Gift idea: soup and crackers... it's a book that calls for comfort food!)

Adult NonFiction:

• The Price of Privilege by Madeline Levine PhD: The subtitle of this book is "How Parental Pressure and Material Advantage Are Creating a Generation of Disconnected and Unhappy Kids" -- and I feel that's almost all that needs to be said about the book.  Every single parent I know, especially here in Silicon Valley, needs to read this book.  Every. Single. One.  (Gift idea: Pair this with something to encourage a family to spend time together: something like an Apples-to-Apples game, or an American Girl family quiz book.)

• the possibility of everything by Hope Edelman (reviewed for the Silicon Valley Moms Blog book club) - This book is just plain lovely; it's a lovely travelogue of Belize, and it's a lovely tale of natural medicine and parental love.  It's very unlike anything I've read to date.  (Gift idea: a trip to Belize?!  I wish!  Tropical fruit, perhaps...)

Cookbooks:

• The Earthbound Cook by Myra Goodman (reviewed for the From Left to Write book club): By the co-founder of Earthbound Farm, this cookbook raises your environmental consciousness with its focus on sustainable agriculture -- and marries those concerns with fantastic recipes that are good for you.  The granola clusters are addictive!  (Gift idea: bake granola clusters and gift them with the book.)

• The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook by Elana Amsterdam: I purchased this cookbook because I'm wheat-allergic and am always searching for good baking alternatives.  I've found the answer in almond flour.  While I have some other alternative cookbooks, like babycakes by Erin McKenna, the recipes involving alternate flours are often high-maintenance and involve a precarious balance of chemistry.  Not so with almond flour!  In fact, I find it easier to work with than wheat -- and its health benefits far exceed any other flour.  Gluten-free or not, this is a can't-miss cookbook.  (Gift idea: almond flour, to get the baker started.)

• Fanny at Chez Panisse by Alice Waters: Oh, how I love this kids' cookbook!  Written from the perspective of Alice Waters' daughter Fanny at age 7, it's divided in a most peculiar way (you'll see when you pick it up!), and the tales interwoven with the recipes are as delicious as the suggested menus.  I love the Moosewood cookbooks for children, but, as far as the interweaving of recipes with stories, this one really takes the cake.  It's great for kids from about ages 8-13, especially girls who'll identify with Fanny.

Kids' books:

• Redwoods by Jason Chin: This book is appropriate for the elementary school-aged set and is primarily a primer on redwoods, experienced through a young boy's eyes after his discovery of a book on these magnificent trees.  A lot of people will be receiving this one from me as a baby gift!  (Gift idea: a donation to plant a tree through the Save the Redwoods League.)

• The Visual Dictionary of Star Wars by David Reynolds: When Petunia was 5, she went through a Star Wars phase, dressing as Princess Leia for Halloween; now that Dash is five, he dresseed as a Clone Wars ARF trooper for Halloween, and we're back on Tattoine/Endor/the Death Star.  Dash is getting this book for Christmas because it's everything about everything in movies 4-6, the most young-kid friendly of the six movies. (Gift idea: a Jedi robe)

•  the Magic Tree House series of books by Mary Pope Osborne: I read these with Petunia, and now Dash and I are reading them together -- and the tales never get old!  The brother and sister pair, Jack and Annie, go on fantastic adventures with books via a magic tree house, and, though fiction, the tales expose the characters and the "real" children reading them to some fantastic historically-based tales.  My kids have learned about Egypt, tornadoes, dinosaurs, and a whole host of other things from these books -- and any fiction that piques their curiosity to to further exploring of subject matter is a big WIN to this mom!

• The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart: This book, appropriate for kids about 9-13 or so, is one of the best I've ever read, and Petunia agrees.  It's a tale of mystery and adventure that rivals Harry Potter, sans the dementors and spells.  There are two (maybe more by now) subsequent books in this burgeoning series, all as fantastic as the first, per Petunia, who says it's perfect for both boys and girls. 

Gifts for Readers:

• A Kindle or any kind of e-reader: Whether a Kindle, a Nook, an iPad, or whatever, these devices are an answer to an avid reader's prayer.  My parents bought me a Kindle a couple of years ago, and I'm not sure how I'd live without it now.  I love that I can download just one issue of a New Yorker at a discounted price (usually when my dad calls me and suggests an issue I'd like), as I can't keep up with a whole subscription; and I also love that I no longer need or want to leaf through People magazines at the doctor's office because I have something better that I want to read in my purse at all times.  You rarely see me without my Kindle being within arm's reach.  Living in Silicon Valley, I'm hoping that this is the year in which my library figures out a way to let me e-check out books on it ... probably not yet, but hey: the classic book downloads are mostly free while I'm waiting!

• A subscription to a writer's magazine: I don't know many avid readers who haven't thought of penning their own tome.  Why not get their creative juices flowing with a subscription to something like Writer's Digest?

• A book rest: Different from a lap desk, this pyramid book rest is a perfect gift for someone who enjoys reading in bed, whether on a Kindle or from a "real" book.  I don't read in bed when the Guv's around, but, when he's travelling for work, I retire when the kids do to cuddle up with my book -- my treat to myself after a long day of single-parenting!  Now if only this pillow had a holder for my wine glass...

• Flowering tea: I know few bookaholics who don't enjoy a good cup of tea with their tomes, and this flowering tea gift set from Numi is a very special cuppa indeed ... with its glass teapot and spectacular display as it brews, it's one of those things that you'd probably never buy for yourself but greatly enjoy as a special treat.  I gave this set to one of my BFFs this year for her birthday.

 P.S. Here are the books I'm asking Santa for this year:

• Freedom by Jonathan Franzen: I read and enjoyed his book The Corrections, so I'm looking forward to another of Franzen's dysfunctional family tales.

• Tepper Isn't Going Out by Calvin Trillin: I learned of this novel during a holiday book swap (which included sampling three varieties of soup -- a great idea for a party!), and it's supposed to be very funny -- a thin novel built around the quest to secure an urban parking space.  I love me some good New York comedy!

• Breakfast with Buddha by Roland Merullo: Yeah, so I like novels ... anyway, in the same book swap, I learned of this book, a "spiritual road-trip" (as well as a real one) in which the protagonist's New Age sister introduces him to her guru.  It seems like it might be a Kerouac knock-off, but it had me at "Buddha" in the title ... so I'll check it out.

Next up: Holiday Gift Guide, Part Two: Gifts of In-Home Entertainment, Part B: Movies -- with a giveaway, times three!

Cross-posted on Good Stuff Rox

 

Holiday Gift Guide, Part One: Gifts for a Cause

(Pssst: I'm giving away Modern Family: Season One over on Good Stuff Rox!  Enter here.)

In keeping with my theme this year, I'm encouraging gifts of experiences and charitably-focused gifts both for my own family and for yours this holiday season.  Hunger in the U.S. is at record high, and, with high unemployment this year, too, it's hard to find that extra bit to help someone in need -- and the fact of the matter is that that someone in need may be your own neighbor.  There are tales in my town left and right of folks who lived high on the hog during the dot-com boom losing their homes right now.  As in every year, but especially this year, when those Toys for Tots, Food Drive, and other solicitations come home from work, school, church, or wherever, I'm going to be giving until it feels good. 

If you're looking for charitable giving ideas, here are some you might want to consider:

For Food:

• Office gifts for any food cause: Instead of gifting each person that works for or with you, think about adopting a local food pantry, like Second Harvest Food Bank if you're in Silicon Valley; Second Harvest states on their site that they need "food, funds, and time."  How about collecting food in-office, then having your holiday party there, sorting it?  If you want to do something in-office as well that includes a personal holiday gift, you can hang stockings outside of offices/cubes and do a low-limit secret-Santa or host a Yankee swap or a White Elephant gift exchange with a cookies-and-milk party on a Friday afternoon.  Maybe your holiday party is usually a free-flowing booze happy hour with passed hors d'oeuvres, but ask yourself: is this the year for that?  Sorting food at the food bank together will create much better memories than what John from the copy room did after his fourth double-Scotch!

• Local food banks: Check CharityNavigator.Org to find a good one near you, and find out how you might give a donation in honor of a family.  When I checked the site, I learned that California Emergency Foodlink in Sacramento received their highest rating for a Food Bank.  It's not close to me, but, if it were, I'd love to give some of my time, effort, food, and money there, for I know that it's been thoroughly screened and proven to be a well-managed charity.

• Farm Aid: Farm aid's goal is to keep family farmers on their land.  Having grown up on a family farm, I am deeply grateful for their work; and, as a purchaser of produce provided by family farms at my local farmer's market, supporting Farm Aid (as well as the farms directly) is a way to make sure that I'll still be shopping there a decade from now.  A copy of the Food, Inc. movie and/or an earth-friendly cookbook, like The Earthbound Cook, along with a Farm Aid tee is a great gift for a friend or family member who values good produce. 

For Health:

• Christmas Seals from the American Lung Association: This year, I'll be sealing my holiday cards with these seals, as I have been fighting a lung illness for quite some time and, last week, received a diagnosis of a disease that falls under the American Lung Association's purview.  If you know someone with lung issues, there's an online store that supports the lifesaving work of the ALA.  If you're not comfortable donating money outright to a charitable cause, buying something from a cause's store is a subtle way to say, "I know, and I care."

• Gear from the Susan G. Komen for the Cure store: When I reviewed Hanes tees during breast cancer awareness month, I had no idea there was a whole on-line store devoted to fundraising for the fight against breast cancer.  Knowing so many women touched by cancer either directly or through their mothers, sisters, friends, there are a whole lot of ways to show support for these folks -- but it can be awkward.  It's tactless and tasteless to say, "Hey, I heard your sister's a cancer survivor, so here's a pink ribbon pen."  But if you're looking for gifts for your office and don't want to give everyone yet another box of See's chocolates, what about designing a custom tee as a gift for everyone, giving money to the cause of breast cancer awareness, and organizing or attending a walk to fundraise for Susan G. Komen?  I also love this "I Am the Cure" gear based on a rallying cry from the Race for the Cure; they're great gifts for ladies I know who run in those races every year.

• Office gifts for any health cause: Get your office fit and healthy by outfitting everyone with pedometers.  (There are a bajillion at REI alone.)  Have everyone name his/her favorite cause, and put it on a tracking white board (or just a peace of paper near the water cooler).  If you're the boss, kick off the kitty with some money, and have a jar available for loose change.  Donate each week or each month to the winner's cause -- the cause chosen by the person with the most steps.  Or, choose a cause together, maybe a cause in support of an illness someone close to a coworker is fighting, and decide to make a donation when everyone has achieved a million steps.  The pedometer's the gift, but there's an added bonus of health benefits and money for a cause.  If you want to be the world's best boss, offer extra time at lunch on Fridays to buddy-walk!

For Shelter:

• Habitat for Humanity: If your church group, office, knitting circle or other group hasn't done a Habitat outing yet, I can't encourage it enough.  I participated in one a decade ago, and its memories linger.  It's one thing to e-mail each other quarterlies or to sit in a pew and listen to teachings; it's another to swing a hammer and make someone's dream of home ownership come true.  There are lots of ways to support Habitat, including an on-line store and resale outlets.  Just think: if you're gifting someone who just bought a home, how about giving them some of these cool soup mugs with a note: "now that your dream of home ownership has come true, I'm honoring that by helping others achieve that goal through donating to Habitat in your name."

• The National Alliance to End Homelessness: Once, I was walking down the street with a friend's kid, and the kid complained about the odor and very presence of a homeless man on a bench nearby.  This led to a great discussion about what we owe others as fellow human beings, including treating them without disdain.  Homelessness is a growing issue in our town; if it is in yours, think about a donation for an "End Homelessness" tee, and read about some of the advocacy this top-rated (per Charity Navigator) group undertakes.

To be continued...

I wanted to get some ideas out there before Black Fridays doorbusters, as I think there are so many ways to gift this year without buying stuff that you can get on special at WalMart.  It's important to shop to support the hurting economy, but it's also important to think about how we all might reallocate some of our shopping to offset the hurt: pets are often the greatest victims of recessions and of natural disasters, as are parks, wildlife conservation groups, and the arts.  For more ideas, click here for Charity Navigator's Holiday Giving Guide, listing the best-rated (and the worst ... let's avoid those) around the world. 

Wishing you festive holiday shopping, however you choose to do it.  Next up: Part Two: Gifts of In-home Entertainment (Books, Movies, and Games)!

Disclaimer: While I received a complimentary Hanes tee as well as a copy of The Earthbound Cook for past reviews, the inclusion of these items in my gift guide is my choice and was not requested by the companies providing me with the items. 

Cross-posted on Good Stuff Rox

 

Santa's annual dilemma

I have to admit that I get pretty annoyed when I see people putting up Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving.  It makes me sad that some folks value the look of a plastic Santa more than that of a beautiful cornucopia reflecting America's bountiful blessings.  (Yeah, I know -- bah, humbug -- at least until Nov. 26!)  I really like slowing down and taking this month just to be thankful, celebrating the colors of autumn and the taste of pumpkin pie.  And I find it pretty hard to be in a fall mood whenever I walk past a neighbor's fake snowman. But...

That said, I have to think about Christmas earlier than I'd like to this year, as the kids are out of school a week before the holiday, leaving not a lot of time after Thanksgiving to get things together -- especially if anything is being shipped.

And so, what will be in Santa's bag?

My kids' wish lists this year aren't too out of control: They asked for a Playmobil schoolhouse and its accessories as a shared toy; since they still enjoy playing Playmobil together a lot, it's a reasonable request.  Petunia wants a beginner's sewing machine and fabric (and, Mama adds, lessons), some Nintendo DS games, some Lego board games, and some drawing books.  Dash wants a Nintendo DS, some Star Wars costumes, some Star Wars Legos, and about a million more Star Wars-related thing.  But that first thing on the list, the DS?  That's the part on which I'm stuck.

The little guy is only 5 and in kindergarten, and he has a Leapster: a Leapster with which he's been very happy, when he can find its cartridges.  And helllllooooo, DS cartridges are about a tenth of the size of a Leapster one!  HOW could I give him a DS (or okay Santa to do so) when he already has a Leapster which he can't keep track of half of the time?  But there's that big sister with the DS (which, by the way, she got at the end of her first year of kindergarten -- and still has the same one nearly 5 years later), and she's probably going to get some DS games, highlighting, to him, perhaps, the fact that he does not have his own.

I've wracked my brain about it, and I really don't feel right about giving him (or Santa giving him) a DS at this point.  I love the idea of giving them fun, complex toys, especially ones they share, because we probably only have another year ahead in which they'll do that.  Playmobil, Legos, board games -- all of those things are great, all full of hours of fun.  And if Dash gets a DS, that may take away from some of that other great play.  I've never been against "screen time," but he's only 5 once, right?  And with a big sister headed to middle school next year, how many years of shared Playmobil and Lego fun do they have left?

It's hard because I hate that he won't get what he wants most ... he's a good kid!  Then again, his birthday is in March, so we have another opportunity if it turns out to be a really big deal.  Do you think I can distract him with something like a remote control R2D2? 

Santa's glad this is only an annual dilemma.

From Left to Write Book Club: "The Earthbound Cook"

For this From Left to Write Book Club we read -- and cooked from! -- "The Earthbound Cook" by Myra Goodman, the co-founder of Earthbound Farm.

I confess: I am a cookbook junkie.  I collect them, and I read them like favorite novels, over and over again.  I try recipes, and, when it comes to dinner, I've had a lot of successes and a few outright bombs -- especially because if you look up "picky eaters" in the dictionary, you'll find pictures of my husband and of my son.  Nevertheless, I keep picking up cookbooks and keep experimenting, increasingly with my 10 y.o. daughter, Petunia, who can make better stir-fry than I can!  My favorite place to find the cookbooks which inspire our experiments is at our local library's monthly used book sale, where I've picked up some of my favorites, like a couple of cookbooks from the renowned vegetarian Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca, New York.  (If you're ever anywhere near there, it's a must-eat!)  Leafing through The Earthbound Cook, I conjured up thoughts of Moosewood a lot.  In both books, there's the same gentle caring for the earth and its resources pervading almost every page, and I really enjoy that, in part because of growing up on my family's farm.  These kinds of earth-friendly cookbooks translate cooking from something necessary to do to feed a family into an act of love for everything going into the meal production, from the farmer who provided the crops through the chemistry of their cooking until the consumption by our loved ones.  I once heard a blogger read a piece (many apologies for forgetting where, when and who!) called something like "I cook because I love."  My family may not always love my cooking, but they never doubt its provinence in my heart.

Since I do find it hard to please everyone at mealtime, oftentimes, I bake and I bake.  I can say with unusual confidence that I can bake anything, and I can modify just about any recipe to make it wheat-free.  But I do love it when I come across recipes that I don't have to modify and that my entire family gobbles up, and that's what happened with the cranberry-walnut granola clusters pictured above.  In fact, I've baked four batches since receiving the book a month ago.  After I baked the first one, my husband ate it all in two days.  Since the man eats very little good-for-you food, the clusters were a big win; and so I doubled the next three batches!  There are a lot of great recipes to love in this cookbook; the yam-squash casserole is going to be on my table for Thanksgiving, as are one of the salads (I have yet to pick) and perhaps another dessert from this book or from its predecessor, "Food to Live By," which I picked up at the Earthbound Farm stand at Green Fest this year.  I haven't read it enough (or experimented enough with its recipes) to know if I enjoy that one as much as "The Earthbound Cook," but it does look quite promising, especially as it includes tales of the start of Earthbound Farm.

So, getting back to that cookbook collection, now expanded by two of Myra Goodman's gems, my recent acquisitions include an Atherton Dames cookbook from 1970 and a Sunset Magazine Dinner party cookbook from 1974.  Both have a lot of recipes for aspic, emphasis on "ick."  I'm always searching for yet earlier ones, but those ones, from right around when I was born (1973) are enjoyable to me because I can get a sense for what was on people's dinner table in that time.  To me, food paints a picture of a place in time and holds so many memories.  What I wouldn't give for another bowl of my great-grandmother Mae's potato soup with riffles!  I can remember where I sat when I ate my last bowl of it over twenty years ago.  Someday, I hope that my kids go through my cookbooks, seeing how I've annotated recipes that worked and ones that didn't, and remember, like the taste of my great-grandma's soup, the taste of love. 

So tell me: what does love taste like to you, and in what cookbook can I find it?

*****

I always add a note on whether or not I'd recommend this book.  Absolutely!  I haven't tried enough of the recipes to promise that it'll change your family's eating lifestyle drastically or anything like that, but I have read it cover to cover a few times and promise that it'll inspire you to think more deeply about the sourcing of your food and also about some pretty magical creations that lie in the pages.  I think it'd make a great gift for someone who enjoys to cook.

Disclaimer: In the From Left to Write book club, we read books together and then write blog posts inspired by them, not reviewing the works but, rather, responding to them with our own writing.  For participation in the club, I receive the books for free but do not receive other compensation nor do I commit to writing favorably about the books.  The opinions expressed are mine and mine alone. 

Holiday Gift Guide: Coming Soon!

This year, I'll be releasing my Holiday Gift Guide throughout the next few weeks, including some fun giveaways to keep things exciting.  The guide will be pubished both here and on my Good Stuff Rox blog; all of the giveaways will be on the Good Stuff Rox site.   The guide will be broken into sections based on one main theme: experiences.  As my house fills with too much "stuff," I'm reminded all the more that the best stuff of life actually isn't stuff at all.  I'd take a day with my family at the beach over a new outfit anyday!  Time is precious, and, when the economy is, well, like it is, creativity is key when gifting at the holidays.  But also because of the economy, it's important to remember that charitable donations are suffering more than ever.  That's why I'll be incorporating a lot of "gifts that keep on giving" into my guide this year.

Here's what to expect in the coming couple of weeks:

Part One: Gifts for a Cause (Charitable Giving with Tangible Reminders)

Part Two: Gifts of In-home Entertainment (Books, Movies, and Games)

Part Three: Gifts of In-home Experiences (Cooking, Gift Clubs, Home Decor and More)

Part Four: Gifts of Family Experiences Away from Home (Memberships, Concerts, Tours, Thrills, and More)

Part Five: Gifts for Play Experiences (Toys Parents Won't Hate)

Part Six: Gifts of Experiences reflecting Gratitude  (For Teachers, Coaches, and Others)

... and maybe more.  Stay tuned!

Glee! And ... not so much!

Where in the world is Rox this week?  Rox is in her minivan: goalie training 2x/week, practice 2x/week, games 2x/weekend.  Girl Scouts just about every week.  Newspaper on Fridays, followed by community service.  Guitar lessons.  And that's just the kids' stuff.  Then there's library duty x2, "centers," taking the dog in for Petunia's "VIP" presentation, taking Dash to the nutrition clinic, church, farmers' market ... cooking, cleaning, laundry, and more laundry.  This does not feel like the life of a Rox star.  This feels like the life of Cinderella pre-ball.  Rox is never home.  And Rox is tired.  But... it's like 80-and-sunny here in Silicon Valley every afternoon, and one of my flower bushes just decided to have a fall bloom, so Rox'll just stop complaining right now and get on with things.

Somewhere in between soccer and sleep, I had little fun on my other two sites, and I'll give you an I.O.U. for some heartwarming kids' stories in the near future, like Dash's letter to John Williams and Petunia's girl drama.  Wait, that's not heartwarming, that's claw-sharpening.

Anyhoo, here's what's up with me elsewhere:

On Good Stuff Rox, I have a Glee: Season One giveaway going.  I'm giving away Modern Family next, so stay tuned if that's your cup of tea.

On Rox on a Soapbox, I wrote a silly little ditty called "'Twas the Night before Election."  I'll be following that up soon with a piece on why Democrats need to abandon the teachers' unions.  Trust me, it'll be more gripping than a murder mystery, 'cause I just watched "Waiting for Superman," and I'm on a warpath.

And I'm reading one the best books I've ever read for my next book club, "The Good Daughters" by Joyce Maynard while I'm waiting in my minivan.

So y'all go and have some fun on my other sites, and I'm going to sleep, for tomorrow's another day of driving myself crazy kids around.