Black Ships Before Troy

Black Ships Before Troy by Rosemary Sutcliff
I really enjoyed this book. The illustrations are excellent and the story is very well written. I think it does a fabulous job taking the essentials of the Iliad and turning it into something children/young teens can understand.

I haven't read it to my kids yet. The subject material is a bit intense and rather bloody. I will have them read it during the next cycle of ancient history (5th grade).

I also think if you're intimidated by the Iliad you could read this to understand the original work. This may be all you (or a child) needs.

The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner (Maze Runner Trilogy (Hardback)) by James Dashner
This was a gripping book in that I didn't get a darn thing done on Saturday. Well, I did finish this book, but I'm not sure that counts. I kept saying to myself, "Just till the end of this chapter, then I'll go wash the dishes" but the chapter would end with a huge crisis or question and I HAD to read the next chapter, but only that one. Then there'd be another cliffhanger and I'd have to read more....and so on and so forth. My nerves were shot by the end of the day.

The book reminded me somewhat of Hunger Games and The Giver. I really enjoyed seeing how this group of teenage boys chose to live an orderly, productive life instead of complaining and sitting on their duffs or becoming savage (like Lord of the Flies). This might be a good book to read with teens to show that everyone has a choice no matter how stinky their circumstances are, and yes, these boys had some pretty stinky circumstances.

The characters were interesting, the action flowed well. We follow a young boy as he enters this world and he has no idea what's going on and gets more and more frustrated as people don't answer or give him half-answers. I was feeling his pain and was just as frustrated as he was and considered chucking the book against the wall for the first little while. I guess that means the author did a good job brining me into this new world.

A fun, interesting read. Probably best for teens and adults as some of the content is violent and the ending is certainly disturbing.

And speaking of the end, I didn't know this would be a series so I was expecting a nice happy ending and instead got another cliffhanger (hanging on a cliff and that's why it's called Cliffhanger).

Creamed Chicken Over Anything

I like mine over green beans. My husband and the boys like theirs over biscuits. Often we put it over toast. Whichever way you choose to eat it, it's fast, cheap and delicious.

1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 c. water
1/4 c. milk
1 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
2 c. cubed cooked chicken

In a saucepan, melt margarine. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add water, milk and bouillon. (Or you can add 1 1/2 c. homemade chicken broth plus 1/4 c. milk) Bring to a boil; stir for 2 minutes. Add chicken and heat through. Serve over green beans or biscuits or toast. I usually double the 'cream' ingredients for my family.

New England Clam Chowder

My mother-in-law makes this delicious soup which is just as great as the soups on the wharf.

1/4 lb. bacon
1 1/2 c. water
4 c. potatoes, peeled and diced
1 onion
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 cans minced clams
2 c. milk
1 c. light cream
3 tbsp. flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt

Fry the bacon in a soup pot. Remove the bacon and crumble but leave the drippings. Add the potatoes, water, onion, juice from one can of clams (or both if you want) and the celery. Boil together until the potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes. Combine the milk, cream and salt in a small bowl. Add the flour and mix until smooth. Add to the potato mixture and heat to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add the clams and crumbled bacon. Cook until desired consistency.

Chicken Noodle Soup

When the kids get sick they ask for this soup. It heals all and cures all. It does not, however, clean up after itself.

2 lbs. chicken or turkey, cubed and cooked (or less - I only use a few handfuls)
2 medium onions, chopped
3 stalks celery, sliced
3 large carrots, sliced or a few handfuls of baby carrots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 to 6 chicken bouillon cubes OR several quarts of chicken stock
1 c. or so frozen peas
1/2 tsp. dried sage
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. marjoram
1/2 tsp. tarragon
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. rosemary
pepper to taste
pasta

Fill a 6 quart pot about 3/4 full of water (or chicken stock). Add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Add the spices and bouillon cubes (if not using stock). Simmer an hour or so. Bring to a boil and add the chicken and pasta. Cook on a low boil for 20 minutes or until the pasta is done. A few minutes before you turn it off, add the peas.

On the days when I have more time to get this on the table I'll fill a big stock pot with water and add a few pounds of chicken breast and wings, some carrots, onions and celery with a few tablespoons of vinegar (to draw out the calcium) and sea salt. I let it simmer for hours, all day if I can. Then I strain the liquid and pull the meat from the bones. Discard all the mushy veggies unless you love to eat mushy carrots. Then I use the newly made stock for the soup and add all new veggies. I still only use a small amount of the chicken and freeze the rest for later.

Enchiladas verdes

We absolutely love these. The sauce can get a little spicy depending on the amount of serrano peppers you use. I used two tonight and it was pretty tame. I've used up to five and it gets a little fiery then. Our kids are wimps so they usually don't eat the sauce. They have chicken on the tortillas with a bit of queso fresco and maybe some cilantro. It's all good. The sauce freezes really well so I usually double or triple it and throw it in a Ziploc bag for later. Enjoy! Oh, I think I got this recipe from allrecipes, but I'm not sure anymore.

2 or 3 bone-in chicken breasts
2 c. chicken broth (I often use bouillon cubes)
1/4 onion
1 clove garlic
2 tsp. salt
1 lb. tomatillos (remove the husks and wash well)
2 - 5 serrano peppers (or less if you don't want it really hot. We have used jalapenos, too)
1/4 white onion
1 clove garlic
12 tortillas (corn or flour -we like flour better)
Queso fresco
1/2 white onion, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped

In a large pot, add first 5 ingredients. Boil for 20 minutes or until chicken is done. I often let it go for several hours. Reserve broth. Let chicken cool then shred; set aside for later. Place tomatillos and peppers in a pot with water, enough to cover them. Let boil until tomatillos turn a darkish green. Strain and place in a blender with 1/4 of the onion, garlic and salt. Pour in reserved broth until it just covers the vegetables by 1 inch. Blend. Pour in saucepan and bring to a low boil. If using corn tortillas, heat some vegetable oil in a pan and slightly fry, drain, then dip in low boiling green salsa. If using flour tortillas, just dip into the salsa. Place 1 to 3 tortillas on a plate. Top with shredded chicken then green salsa. Top with crumbled queso fresco, chopped onion and cilantro.

This can be adapted to be dairy-free by skipping the queso fresco.  You could just not use the cheese or you could substitute cashew or almond cheese.

The Best Chocolate Cake Ever

or at least that's what my husband thinks. I make it every year for his birthday at his request, and about 10 other times in the year, too. This makes a fairly dense cake and tastes very old-fashioned. It's not the fluffy, airy kind of chocolate cake you get from a box. One great thing about this is that it doesn't use eggs or any type of refrigerated foods - only stuff from your food storage!

3 c. flour
2 c. sugar
6 tbsp. baking cocoa
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 c water
2/3 c vegetable oil
2 tsp white vinegar
2 tsp vanilla extract

In a mixing bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients. Add water, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Beat on low for 1 minute. Beat on medium for 1 minute. Pour into a greased (or sprayed) 13x9 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

We typically don't frost this, just dust with powdered sugar or whipped cream.