About Her
Elle E. is 26 and teaches in a state overrun by the spawn of yuppies. Therefore she is a full-time heretic much afflicted by spleen.
the colour green, reading, scribes and orators, ruffs, cuffs, Machiavellian villains and vindictive heroes.
Previously...
What I'm Reading Now
The Graduate
Charles Webb
'For twenty-one years I have been shuffling back and forth between classrooms and libraries. Now you tell me what the hell it's got me.' A brilliantly sordid tale of a young man's search for identity and a portrayal of the worst-behaved yet most sympathetic anti-hero of the day.
Reviewed
Touché
Agnes Catherine Poirier
Rating 
We know all about the rift between England and France and why they hate each other's guts so much yada yada, but do we really? This book is quite an interesting read, light, bright and sparkly. Thankfully, the author usually gets authoritative when it's France and not Britain. We don't want a French trying to prove she knows more about the 'dour' British than themselves.
The Other Queen
Philippa Gregory
Rating 
Surely, Philippa Gregory loathes Elizabeth as much as I do. Heh. Bess of Hardwick is not as likeable as the imprisoned queen but it is an easy matter to sympathise with her predicament. Overall characterizations are weak and the plot is repetitive. However, it is still a readable book what with the brave Scot, the bitchy Tudor, the indefatigable spymaster William Cecil and the Talbots trying to put up a brave front.
The Virago Book of Ghost Stories
Richard Dalby (Ed.)
Rating 
Out of 31 ghost stories, I liked a mere 7. None of the stories are frightening and all are penned by female authors. I don't know if that's the reason behind the rather sedate 'thrills' on offer here. Margaret Oliphant's
The Open Door is the best in the collection.
The Independence of Miss Mary Bennett
Colleen McCollough
Rating
Wondered about the 'ever after' in Lizzie and Darcy's marriage? McCollough constructs quite a believable state of affairs between almost everyone's favourite Austen couple - and you might not find it to your liking. Still, that's about the only thing I enjoyed in what proves to be a far-fetched plot centered around the no longer plain (but of course!) Mary Bennett. If you like your Dickens, you might just be able to appreciate the barrage of coincidences found in this book.
A Classical Education - The stuff you wish you'd been taught at school
Caroline Taggart
Rating
I can't stop myself from picking up titles such as this. It's one of the books for people who like to bluff their way through the classics.
Personal Days
Ed Park
Rating
If you've worked in an office environment before, you'll be able to identify the situations in this novel. The characters might seem typical but they certainly strike a chord. Especially astute is the examination of the prospect of getting the sack. They want to get fired (to pursue something more 'worthwhile') but hate their boss's guts anyway when it actually happens. That's real life... Heh.
Harry Potter & the Half-blood Prince
David Yates
Rating 
Utterly forgettable. The worst in the franchise. I've decided I shall not be watching the last movie when it hits the theatre - I see no good coming out of a Yates film. Give me HP movie #3 anytime.
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Wednesday, April 01, 2009 - 7:10 PM
Zimtsternes are cinnamon cookies traditionally eaten during Christmas but I decided to make them one rainy Sunday afternoon last month. I thought, "Why not? I haven't baked anything in centuries. Must polish what meagre skills I possess..." So I set about with a premonition of delicious cookies decided in my head. The recipe I fished out from my book of recipes which I'd gathered over some years; the ingredients numbered 5. It should be easy - doesn't matter that I've never made Zimtsternes in my life.
The cookies ideally look like this. Mine were different since I don't have a star shaped cookie cutter.
But let me go back to the beginning. I mixed all the ingredients in about 2 minutes but started yelling for assistance in no time. The dough was too wet and sticky - how could I possibly roll it out?! Mother came to the rescue and demonstrated how much sense she has and how little I have. She simply offered me some plain flour. I made a protest inwardly as the recipe didn't call for flour at all but I knew I should listen to her. It worked. I managed to get a somewhat less sticky consistency so I followed Mother's next instruction as well. I put the dough into the freezer even though no mention of that was made in the instructions. In 20 minutes I had the dough rolled out and cut.
The first batch turned out fine even though some of the cookies proved to be a handful when I tried removing them from the tray. As a consequence, they had bits of parchment paper stuck to their backs.
Still, I was somewhat surprised that they were something of a success. Mother said she liked them. So did Sister.
Bursting with premature pride, I put the second batch into the oven and went about the business of clearing up instead of sitting in front of the oven and watching the cookies being baked. I think 15 minutes went by and, yes, I got carried away with the cleaning and washing up until Mother pointed out (from her bedroom) that she could smell something burning.
Moral: Never follow recipes blindly. And never do the washing and cleaning as if your life depended on it.
