Category Archives: Reading

Randonymity, Reading, Tales of the Neighborhood

Wrapping up a week that seemed far longer than it actually was

33 Comments

Some random Minneapolis pictures… I love little towers and cupolas.

And rampant greenery.

Well, this is actually a St. Paul picture – do not turn your computers or monitors upside down in confusion. This is how I shot the picture. I’m even in the picture.

That would be Jeanne’s lovely but annoyed cat Puddinhead. Just picture yourself, outside, calling for this cat at the top of your lungs, “Puddinhead! Here, Puddinhead! Puddinhead, come home!” Hee hee.

Reading Update
Blood Lines and Night Season (The Lupi, Book 3 & 4) (plus bonus Night Season short story) by Eileen Wilks. Do not read the short story before you finish Night Season! It would be a sad thing. *sigh* The next book won’t be out until March 2009.
Born in Ice and Born in Shame (Books 2 & 3 of the Born In Trilogy) by Nora Roberts. There’s something comforting about the predictability of a Nora Roberts trilogy…
Dance Upon the Air (Three Sisters Trilogy, Book 1) by Nora Roberts. Like I was just saying…
Charmed and Enchanted (The Donovan Legacy) by Nora Roberts. If triplet wizards married triplet witches, what would the extended family be like?
High Noon by Nora Roberts. This suspenseful romance novel has crochet as a (minor) plot point!
From Dead to Worse (Southern Vampires, Book 8 ) and Dead to the World (Southern Vampires, Book 4) by Charlaine Harris. My goodness, the latest Sookie Stackhouse novel had some twists and turns to it! *blink blink* And after all that, I had to go back and reread Dead to the World, to refresh my memory.
Bitten and Smitten and Fanged and Fabulous (Immortality Bites, Book 1 & 2) by Michelle Rowen. Chick lit vampire romance set in Toronto.
Hunter’s Moon (The Sazi, Book 1) by C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp. Maybe it was the writing style, but part of this had a very noir feeling… You can’t exactly say a book has a film noir feel – so what’s the right phrase?

Speaking of books… Remember that Romancing the Yarn contest I won? My prize turned out to be a lovely skein of Trekking in a colorway I hadn’t seen (bonus!), romance novel Just Desserts by author and knitter Barbara Bretton, magnets for her forthcoming knitting-related book Casting Spells (excellent title, isn’t it?), and a booklight. Thank you, Barbara et al!

“No, May, I think this gizmo is too heavy to steal as you race through. I’d go with the dash and dine on the yarn.” -Chaos

Have a good weekend, all – and make sure you give everyone you love an extra hug, ok?

Reading, Tunes

Earworm alert!

21 Comments

I’ve had Cloud Cult’s “Everybody Here Is a Cloud” stuck in my head for weeks now. Ack! Actually, several Cloud Cult songs seem to be vying for ascendency – “Pretty Voice“, “When Water Comes to Life“, “Hurricane and Fire Survival Guide”… 

Moving right along – I have fallen behind in my reading updates, haven’t I?!

Reading Update
To Tame a Highland Warrior by Karen Marie Moning. The second of the Highlander series, but the last one I read – my, but it’s humbling having one’s dirty little reading secrets out here for the world to see…
Into the Dreaming by Karen Marie Moning. Bit of a send up of the time traveling Highlander romance genre.
Staying Dead (Retrievers, Book 1) Laura Anne Gilman. I much enjoyed this urban fantasy and am already looking forward to reading the next few books – but I sure hope they were printed in a serif font. I hate reading books sans serif…
Born in Fire (Born In Trilogy, Book 1) by Nora Roberts. Maggie’s an independent glass artist who tangles with Rogan, a Dublin gallery owner. Rogan might’ve been a predecessor to the ever yummy Roarke.
Northern Lights by Nora Roberts. Normal decent Nora Roberts fare, set in Alaska.
Night Shift, Night Shadow, Nightshade, Night Smoke, Night Shield, and Night Moves (Night Tales) by Nora Roberts. The first five books are all related in some way, which makes Night Moves rather puzzling. I could definitely tell that one of the characters was a step leading to Lieutenant Eve Dallas.
Blackout by Annie Solomon. Nicely done suspenseful romantic fiction about a woman whose memory is missing… is she a murderer? Or not?
Tempting Danger and Mortal Danger (The Lupi, Books 1 & 2) by Eileen Wilks. An intense and enjoyable paranormal romance series set in San Diego, featuring Detective Lily Yu.
Black Magic Woman (Quincy Morris Supernatural Investigation, Book 1) by Justin Gustainis. If you’re a fan of the Harry Dresden series, you might want to give this new series a try – it’s very compelling and well-written (and Jim Butcher helped the author get started).
The Touch of Twilight (The Third Sign of the Zodiac) by Vicki Pettersson. Abandoned before Chapter 5 – I can’t remember enough about the first two books for this to make any sense! Obviously I need to wait until all 12 signs are out and then read the series…
Night Shift (Jill Kissmet, Book 1) by Lilith Saintcrow. This is the first book in a brand-new paranormal series by Saintcrow, whose Dante Valentine series was impossible to put down. If the next book is as intense and well-written as Night Shift, I’ll be very happy indeed!

You might’ve notice that enjoy reading a series more so than standalone books. I think it’s because I enjoy getting to know a set of characters and following their lives.

Am I the only one who discovers cat toys in her bag when she gets to work? Are they sending me presents, or sending forth their toys to gather interesting new smells?

“I don’t care what Mom keeps singing. I’m not a cloud and I’m not going to evaporate. And you better bring my toys home with you, Mom!” -Mayhem

Randonymity, Reading

We all need spa days

34 Comments

Tuesday was a mini-spa day for me. Over my lunch hour, I got a great pedicure. (And I’ve already almost adjusted to my “Cherry Crush” colored toenails, after two or three years of “Plum Attraction.”)

Then after work, I got a massage for the first time in over a year. Ahhh… It can be a challenge to find a massage place that doesn’t use scented products, so I was very happy when Ikisti mentioned that a place in our neighborhood should be suitable – and it was!

Of course, since Ancient Realms uses light olive oil for its massages, I had to shower the minute I arrived home because my Chaos Kitty lurves him some olive oil and I didn’t fancy being licked, gnawed, and mauled for the rest of the evening!

What sorts of things do you do for yourself when you need some pampering?

Reading Update
Beyond the Highland Mist, The Highlander’s Touch, Kiss of the Highlander, The Dark Highlander, The Immortal Highlander, and Spell of the Highlander (The Highlander Series, Books 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, & 7) by Karen Marie Moning. *fans self* Moning writes very readable, very steamy time traveling romances.
Powers of Detection: Stories of Mystery & Fantasy edited by Dana Stabenow. This was an excellent collection of short stories combining both fantasy and mystery. It includes stories by Anne Perry, Sharon Shinn, Donna Andrews, Dana Stabenow, and even a Sookie Stackhouse story by Charlaine Harris.
Evermore: A novel of the Darkyn by Lynn Viehl. This vampire series is slowly growing on me…
Greywalker and Poltergeist (Greywalker, Books 1 & 2) by Kat Richardson. What’s not to like about a protagonist who has a pet ferret named Chaos? 🙂 This well-written paranormal/urban fantasy series (very light on the romance) is set in Seattle.
No Rest for the Witches by MaryJanice Davidson, Lori Handeland, Cheyenne McCray, and Christine Warren. No particular surprises in this collection of stores about witches and sex, erm, “love”… other than how bad McCray’s story was. Sheesh. Short, choppy, repetitive sentences – anyone at the reading level she hit would be many years too young to read the subject matter.
Personal Demon (Women of the Otherworld, Book 8 ) by Kelley Armstrong. This continues to be an extremely readable paranormal romance series. Narrators for this book are Hope and Lucas. You should definitely read the short story “Chaotic” from the Dates from Hell collection before you read this book!
Gone with the Witch (Triplet Witch Trilogy, Book 2) by Annette Blair. Oy, these are so bad. Why do I keep reading them?! Have I no shame?? Speaking of which…
Naughty Neighbor by Janet Evanovich. Yup, another one of Evanovich’s not-so-great pre-Stephanie Plum romances.
The Hollow (Sign of the Seven Trilogy, Book 2) by Nora Roberts. The trilogy continues – a bit formulaic if you’re familiar with Roberts’ other trilogies, but a good read nonetheless.

“Some of us don’t get spa days and have to make do with the materials at paw. I can tell you, I wouldn’t mind a little cup of olive oil right now…” -Chaos

Contests, Reading

“Thunderbolt and lightning, very very frightening”

39 Comments

Ali is having another Summer Knitting Goals Contest this year! Post your goals and leave Ali a comment with the link to your goals by midnight CDT, June 20, if you’d like to be entered in a drawing to win enough Blue Sky Alpacas Skinny Dyed Cotton to make a cute short-sleeved sweater. You know I’m not doing this one, right, Marina? Because the minute I make a list of goals, I’m destined to not accomplish any of them.

If you’re interested in winning a Stuff on My Cat prize package, follow the contest rules and enter by June 15.

Reading Update
Industrial Magic, Haunted, Broken, and No Humans Involved (Women of the Otherworld, Books 4-7) by Kelley Armstrong. This is a really, really good paranormal series. Highly recommended.
On the Prowl. Last time I simply read the short story by Patricia Briggs (highly recommended for fans of her Mercy Thompson series, since it sounds like the short story in this book is a prequel to Briggs’ next novel). This time, I also read and enjoyed the stories by Eileen Wilks and Karen Chance. Couldn’t get into the story by “Sunny.”
Dark Need and Night Lost (The Darkyn, Books 3-4) by Lynn Viehl. Still not completely sure about this series. I keep reading ’em, but I’m not totally into them.
Blood Brothers (Sign of the Seven Trilogy, Book 1) by Nora Roberts. Each of Roberts’ trilogies, including this one, is somewhat formulaic – but she’s a good writer, so I keep reading.
The Scot, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Accidental Witch Trilogy, Book 3) by Annette Blair. While the two previous books in this trilogy were cute and fluffy, this one was was so clichéd that it was painful to read. This and the next book (Sex and the Psychic Witch (Triplet Witch Trilogy, Book 1) read as if they were written by a completely different author than the first books.

“Sheesh, enough with the thunder and lightning and wind and hail and rain! My nerves are shot.” -Mayhem

Here’s hoping for a fun and storm free weekend for everyone!

Contests, Randonymity, Reading

This, that, and the other thing

27 Comments

Karen’s celebrating her birthday with a haiku contest (it must be haiku contest week, eh?) – leave her a birthday haiku comment by midnight CDT, May 30, and you could win some yarn TBD.

Julie’s celebrating her quitting smoking anniversary with a contest. Leave her a comment by June 2 about something you’ve accomplished that you didn’t think you could, and you might win some Socks That Rock or Spunky Eclectic yarn!

Go vote for Pam’s dress over at Kaboodle and let her know that you did so – you could win a $20 WoolGirl gift certificate!

Kerry needs help naming her new pair of parakeets. The contest runs until the parakeets are named. The prize itself is also unnamed, but Kerry promises it will be good.

Please send good vibes to Not An Artist’s kitty Guinness, who is not doing well right now.

Reading Update
Bitten, Stolen, and Dime Store Magic (Women of the Otherworld, Books 1-3) by Kelley Armstrong. This is an extremely well-written and involving series. The first two books are told from the perspective of werewolf Elena and the third book is told by witch Paige.
Many Bloody Returns: Tales of Birthdays with Bite edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner. If you’re a fan of Jim Butcher, Charlaine Harris, Kelley Armstrong, P. N. Elrod, Rachel Caine, Tanya Huff, or Tate Hallaway, you’ll find a new short story you’ll enjoy!
If Angels Burn: A Novel of the Darkyn by Lynn Viehl. Huh. Not quite sure what I think about Viehl’s stuff. I’ll get back to you on it.
Under Cover by MaryJanice Davidson. Steamy fluff set in the Twin Cities. The book is broken into three sections, each featuring a different main character, but all spun off of the same main event.
Hot Stuff by Janet Evanovich and Leanne Banks. As usual, Evanovich’s non-Stephanie Plum stuff is merely mediocre.
The Kitchen Witch and My Favorite Witch (The Accidental Witch, Books 1-2) by Annette Blair.These are sweetly enjoyable romances, light on the paranormal.
Romancing the Dead (Garnet Lacey, Book 3) by Tate Hallaway. Madison witch Garnet’s vampire fiance is missing…

Good Timing Update
Last Monday when I finally got home from work, I found a prize package from Cathy-Cate in the mail! Talk about good timing. (However, good timing for receiving a package does not necessarily translate to good timing for taking pictures; that’s my story for why these are exceptionally crappy photos and I’m sticking to it.) I now own a gorgeous skein of Wollmeise (I didn’t have any!), along with some tasty treats, a handy stained glass style notebook, a great black kitten card, a knitaholic magnet,and some shea butter lotion. Oh yeah, and something that Chaos obviously loved and obscured.

*nom nom nom nom nom* -Chaos

Yes, ’tis sad but true – Chaos cannot control himself around soaps containing natural oils and slowly licks such soaps into oblivion. This leads to some rather complicated soap storage strategies.

“What sort of delectable kitty treat do you have there, big kitty?” -Mayhem

“Back off, May. No soap for you!” -Chaos

No soap for you, either, Chaos!

“Alas. That was some darn tasty soap!” -Chaos

When thwarted re: the soap, May made off with the yarnaholic magnet and the photoshoot came to a screeching halt.

“Refrigerator magnet! Mine mine mine mine mine.” -Mayhem

Knitting, Reading

Ice scream socks

40 Comments

Interesting – some pet shelters are using a feline personality test as part of their cat placement efforts. You can see the list of nine “feline-alities” here. I think May’s primarily a Party Animal, with maybe a bit of Personal Assistant thrown in. Chaos seems most like the Executive, but none of the types really address how much he loves me and dislikes almost everyone else – including growling when the phone rings, and hissing and growling at visitors…

Now there’s LOLCAT IRL – I would probably be laughing too hard to walk or take a picture if I saw that mural!

Hmm – you can buy a knitted dissected frog or rat on etsy. If you’re feeling more DIY, you can buy a pattern and knit the frog yourself. Who woulda thunk it?

Wow, it’s obviously been too long since I did a reading update!

Reading Update
Strangers in Death by J.D. Robb. Mmm… Roarke…
Maiden Rock: A Claire Watkins Mystery by Mary Logue. Claire is a deputy sheriff in western Wisconsin, by Lake Pepin. This mystery was primarily about meth and meth addiction.
The Outlaw Demon Wails (Rachel Morgan Book 6) by Kim Harrison. The sixth book in the urban fantasy series about witch Rachel Morgan has some really shocking developments!
Dates from Hell by Kim Harrison, Lynsay Sands, Kelley Armstrong, and Lori Handeland. If you’re a Kim Harrison fan, this is worth reading for the prequel to Dead Witch Walking.
Like a Charm by Candace Havens. The previous books in this series have all focused on the witch Bronwyn. This one tells the story of another Sweet, Texas, resident who isn’t a witch but rather a sort of ultimate librarian.
Ill Wind, Heat Stroke, Chill Factor, Windfall, Firestorm, and Thin Air by Rachel Caine. I read Caine’s Weather Warden series straight through, in about five days – it’s clever, compelling urban fantasy with nary a vampire or werewolf to be found.
A Bone To Pick: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery by Charlaine Harris. The second Aurora Teagarden mystery is another pleasant sort of read. (And completely paranormal free!)
Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips. What if the Greek gods, somewhat dwindled in power, shared a house in modern day London?

Knitting Update
Back in August, I started a pair of plain socks from Trekking 126. I actually finished knitting them ages and ages ago, but just couldn’t bring myself to sew down the picot edge. Finally, I ripped back the picot and knitted some nice simple 2×2 ribbing. Ahhh…

“Oh, look – more socks. Well, I guess they are sort of stripey…” -Mayhem

“…so I shall deign to grace them with my presence.” -Mayhem

*sigh* “I suppose no other socks will ever compare to the wonder of the original stripey socks. How annoying.” -Mayhem

Randonymity, Reading

Minnesota turns 150 on Sunday!

39 Comments

It’s Minnesota’s sesquicentennial on May 11 and Minnesota Monthly has an amusing article called “How Minnesota Saved Civilization.” I knew Post-Its were invented here, but I didn’t know about the electric toaster and kitty litter! Yay, us. 😉

Amusing bit see on a Biffs truck (but not captured on film): “13,000 lbs of very gross weight.” Truth in advertising, indeed. 🙂

Thanks to CursingMama for introducing me to the Caffeine Click Test. I achieved both “jittery” (151 clicks) and “spastic” (156 clicks).

Reading Update
Nightlife, Moonshine, and Madhouse (Cal Leandros, Books 1-3) by Rob Thurman. For the first half of book one, I wasn’t sure I was going to keep reading, as Cal is, quite frankly, a huge and annoying PITA. But I slowly got sucked into this gritty urban fantasy series and read all three books in about as many days.
Eternal Lover. This was a collection of four novellas. I read the stories by Jackier Kessler, Richelle Mead (a tale about Georgina Kincaid, succubus), and Lynsay Sands (sadly, not part of her Argeneau Vampires series). This whole collection is completely skippable.
For a Few Demons More by Kim Harrison. Another solid urban fantasy (about witch Rachel Morgan) that had me sniffling a bit near the end. The next/latest book (The Outlaw Demon Wails) is already on its way to me from the library.
Mortal Groove: A Jane Lawless Mystery by Ellen Hart. The Jane Lawless mysteries are set in the Twin Cities and feature restaurateur Jane and her theatrical friend Cordelia. This is a well-written series that will be especially enjoyable if you’re familiar with the Twin Cities. In this book, Jane’s lawyer father is running for governor.
Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs. The author of The Friday Night Knitting Club returns, this time with a novel about cooking show host Augusta “Gus” Simpson, her family, and friends. Although you can read the first chapter online, I don’t think the first chapter does the rest of the book justice – which was exactly what I thought about The Friday Night Knitting Club, too. (I have a slightly longer review over at LibraryThing.)

Weekend Update
I’m heading up north to my brother and SIL’s cabin later this morning. Rumor has it that the lakes “up nord” may still have ice or there may still be snow on the ground. I’m sure you know how much I hope those rumors are unfounded! Have a good weekend! And shhhhh… don’t tell the kitties…

“I heard that. How could you leave us?! Look at how cute I am!” -Mayhem

P.S. As I continue to experiment with various settings on my new camera, I often end up with adorable pictures that aren’t the greatest quality, like the one above…

Randonymity, Reading

The weather isn’t exactly inspiring me to get my bike tuned up…

39 Comments

Thanks to kmkat for linking to this very thought-provoking article about the “cognitive surplus” being masked by watching tv, and about the shift from simply consuming media (such as tv) to “consuming, producing and sharing” media (such as blogging, Ravelry, lolcats, myspace, etc).

Thanks to Chappysmom for linking to an intriguing article about how shoes destroy the “evolutionary perfection” of the human foot.

Reading Update
Aunt Dimity: Vampire Hunter by Nancy Atherton. Hey, it could happen – after all, Aunt Dimity is a ghost who communicates through a journal, so why couldn’t there be vampires in this cozy little mystery series?
Dead To Me by Anton Strout. In this new paranormal mystery series featuring psychometrist Simon Canderous, New York City’s Department of Extraordinary Affairs (DEA) keeps busy solving supernatural crimes. I doubt I’ll read the next book in the series – it just didn’t sufficiently engage me.
The Lost Ones (The Veil, Book 3) by Christopher Golden. This was the final book in this series. While I did enjoy it, I got a little cranky about who ended up maimed and/or dead…
House of Cards (The Negotiator, Book 2) by C. E. Murphy. I thought Heart of Stone (The Negotiator, Book 1) was a very good read, but its sequel, House of Cards, was even better. In it, Margrit (“Grit”) becomes increasingly involved in the world of the Old Races and I became increasingly unable to put down this book! I’m already sad that this is only going to be a trilogy.
Stranger in Paradise by Robert B. Parker. I enjoyed the latest Jesse Stone (police chief, Paradise, Massachusetts) mystery – typical clipped Parker fare. Probably only Tink has conversations like the people in Parker’s books!
A Lick of Frost (Meredith Gentry, Book 6) by Laurell K. Hamilton. Well, I think this book managed to cover about 10 hours, which is more time than the last few have managed…
Bloodfever (Fever Series, Book 2) by Karen Marie Moning. Possibly even more compulsively readable than Darkfever. I couldn’t put this down, either. Really good books are so bad for sleep…

Predictable much? 😉
Last week, I happened to notice a certain similarity between some things I recently purchased (left, right) and a bag I’ve had for a while but haven’t used yet (center)…

Spring Update
We did have snow on Saturday. I think Deb had more snow in Chanhassen than we did in Minneapolis. But still, it was a bit disheartening on April 26.

By yesterday, it was sunny and 60F again. I’m ignoring the rain predicted for today, as well as the rain and possible snow predicted for tomorrow night. I guess I’ll just have to look out my north window instead, where a single boxelder tree lives in a mini-greenhouse effect and actually has leaves…

“Y’know, Mom, the leaves aren’t really that interesting. We need more birds!” -Mayhem

Contests, Reading

Small box, large cat

34 Comments

Paula’s celebrating her blogiversary with a contest. Leave a comment by noon, CDT, April 25, and you could win a custom sock bag or yarn.

Heather is also celebrating her blogiversary with a contest – answer two brief questions in a comment by April 30 and you could win yarn to make a Nettie bag.

Have a lot of time to kill? You could play this strangely addictive little airport security game…

Go check out Not an Artist’s great picture of her cat Guinness wearing a baby sweater – and make sure you follow the links below the “cat animation content” if you’re looking for some laughs. (I must say that Guinness is a much more obliging model than Chaos and Mayhem.)

Reading Update
Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich. I don’t really enjoy the “Stephanie Plum Between-the-Numbers” novels – more Ranger and Joe, less Diesel, please!
Small Favor (The Dresden Files, Book 10) by Jim Butcher. Harry Dresden, Chicago wizard and private investigator, returns in the latest and very enjoyable installment of the series.
Real Murders: The First Aurora Teagarden Mystery by Charlaine Harris. Originally published in 1990 and recently reissued now that Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse vampire mysteries have done so well, the first Aurora Teagarden mystery is well written and paranormal-free. 🙂
Women, Work, and Autoimmune Disease: Keep Working, Girlfriend! by Rosaline Joffe and Joan Friedlander. I received this book to review through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. If you’re interested in my review, you can read it over at LibraryThing.
Tall, Dark and Hungry (Argeneau Vampires, Book 4) and Vampires Are Forever (Argeneau Vampires, Book 8 ) by Lynsay Sands. Whew! I am now completely done with the Argeneau Vampire series – light’n’trashy paranormal romance that I much enjoyed.
Sucker Bet (Vegas Vampires, Book 4) by Erin McCarthy. More enjoyably light’n’trashy paranormal romance…
Darkfever (Fever Series, Book 1) by Karen Marie Moning. Darkfever was a dark urban fantasy primarily set in Dublin, in a world where the fae pose a significant threat to humanity – but only a few people are aware of the problem. I already have the next book in my library queue!
Single White Vampire Seeks Same, edited by Martin H. Greenberg and Brittiany A. Koren. A collection of short stories about paranormal beings looking for love in the personals.

New Keens (black, of course). Small box (well, as small as a US11/EU42 shoebox can be). Large cat.

“Hee hee. Mom won’t ever find me now!” -Chaos

“Mom! You must’ve cheated. And who’re you calling large, anyway?! Hmph.” -Chaos

Gluten Free, Reading, Recipes

Some reading, a recipe, and several warnings that you will probably ignore

28 Comments

Careful – if you follow this link, you could get a cute burn… Didn’t I warn you?! 😉

Jeanne posted about our adventures on Saturday, including my picture! Hmm, apparently she felt some pressure to post that picture…

Reading Update
Succubus on Top by Richelle Mead. The sequel to Succubus Blues, this is a well-written and at times rather steamy *fans self* paranormal romance featuring succubus and bookstore assistant manager Georgina Kincaid. Definitely recommended.
Working for the Devil, Dead Man Rising, The Devil’s Right Hand, Saint City Sinners, and To Hell and Back by Lilith Saintcrow. These five books comprise the well-written and very compelling Dante Valentine series. (So compelling that I read the entire series in a week, even though I did spend much of books 3-5 being annoyed at Dante.) This is part futuristic urban fantasy and part paranormal romance.
Even Cat Sitters Get the Blues: A Dixie Hemingway Mystery by Blaize Clement. The latest Dixie Hemingway mystery was a good read – much, much better than so many of the “niche” mysteries.

I’ll continue to randomly post the gluten-free recipes I’ve adapted from “regular” recipes until I run out of them. You’ll be surprised at how quickly that happens! 🙂

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
3/4 cup butter or margarine
3/4 c brown sugar
3/4 c white sugar
2 tsp vanilla (or so – I just kinda dump it in there…)
2 eggs
1 c sweet rice flour, 1 c rice flour, & 1/4 c tapioca flour (or you can just use a total of 2 1/4 c of Bob’s Red Mill GF Flour Mix)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 -1 tsp xanthan or guar gum
1 c chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugars. Add vanilla and eggs and mix well. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Add chocolate chips. Bake for about 10 min at 350F, or until the edges are just starting to turn golden brown. Do not overbake. Let sit for a few minutes on the cookie sheet so they can set. These cookies don’t warm up well in the microwave – they get a bit crumbly. Also, I tend to bake a pan at a time and keep the rest of the dough in the fridge, as these cookies dry out faster than the traditional kind.

Here’s May with one of her beloved hot pink furry mice (HPFMs). Shhh… don’t make eye contact… she’s a leeeeeetle bit obsessive about playing fetch…

“Hmph. I don’t think being on the other side of the computer screen is a good reason to not play fetch with me. So there.” -Mayhem