Make Your Own Rice-a-Roni

One of the ingredients I tried to eliminate when I found out I was pregnant was MSG. Unfortunately, it's what makes classic Rice-A-Roni so tasty. I was ecstatic when I found this recipe claiming to be the MSG-free inspiration for Rice-A-Roni from Victoria Wise's The Pressure Cooker Gourmet (The Harvard Common Press, 2003). The key is to break the vermicelli very, very small.

Rice and Vermicelli Pilaf (Serves 2)

1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. unsalted butter

1/4 c. broken-up vermicelli (angel hair pasta) or fine egg noodles

1/2 c. long-grain white rice

1 c. water (or stock or broth)

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Melt Tbsp. of butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add finely broken vermicelli and stir until it turns golden, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add rice and stir another 2 minutes. Add water and bring to a boil.

2. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer without lifting the lid for 20 minutes, or until rice is cooked.

3. Add additional tsp. of butter on top. Cover and set aside for 10-30 minutes. Add salt and pepper and fluff the rice. Serve immediately.

Spa Day at MOPS

I love MOPS. Right as I became eligible to attend, our church started a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group. It has been wonderful! This past Tuesday, we had spa day at MOPS. For once my little one stayed in the nursery the entire time! I painted my nails for the first time in a couple years (and then remembered why I don't paint them - they chip too much!). And then, there was a chocolate buffet. My one-track brain keeps remembering the chocolate trifle...and wanting more. In addition to the trifle, there was chocolate fondue, chocolate cookies, brownies, candy bars, etc. Our Mentor Moms are great and apparently have the same sweet tooth I have. Going to MOPS has helped me make other mom friends and give me a little sanity, which is greatly needed when I'm so low on sleep.

I am linking this post to Finer Things Friday.

Improvised Speakers

Ah, the early days of parenthood! The ones where we slept with the baby monitor on and loud so we could hear every stirring of our crib-bound babe. In our house, the baby monitor fell out of fashion relatively quickly because I couldn't sleep with it on. It was stuck in a drawer of baby stuff and forgotten.

Until...we found that baby monitors can function as speakers in a pinch. My husband has a subscription to Pandora music, but the computer is in an inconvenient room in our house. He hooked up the speakers so he could hear Pandora music in our bedroom, while ironing (yes, he irons all his own clothes - he's the best!). It's also nice to broadcast the music around the house so we can dance anywhere. (We don't have many radio stations here in Montana and most of them are country!) It beats shelling out $70 to the Sharper Image for wireless speakers when we rarely need them. And that works for me!

Reader Recommendations

Today's selections were all recommended to me recently by friends. I think there's a little something here for everyone.

Recommended
Making Ordinary Days Extraordinary! by Shirley Dobson and Gloria Gaither (G)
I actually bought this is a sweet little compilation of fun family activities. One that sticks out is taking a kid to watch a sunrise one morning. It includes all types of things to do on "normal" days, as opposed to special holidays. The authors co-wrote three other books in the Let's Make a Memory Series. I highly recommend them. (If you see them cheap, pick up a copy for me too and I'll pay you back!)

The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn (G)
I admit that I started this book with a negative attitude. After suggesting that I should use less laundry detergent on my cloth diapers (until the baby seemed irritated and then use more), I got a little miffed at the author. However, as time went on, I learned that this book is about more than just her ideas to make jam and water popsicles. It's a lifestyle of doing my own research and comparisons to save money in my situation. Based on suggestions in this book, I have washed lots of plastic bags for reuse, started a price book, investigated the escrow account with our mortgage and learned it doesn't make any interest, planned out my spring garden, and look forward to this coming garage sale season. The only drawback is that I borrowed it from the library, and it's hard to read all 900+ pages before it's due. Warning: this book may change your life!

Mixed Feelings
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (R for sexual content and some language)
This novel goes back and forth between Jacob's younger years and his time near the end of life at an assisted living facility. As a young man, he deals with the loss of his parents at the end of his veterinary schooling. He joins the circus before finishing his exams and works as a vet. There's a love triangle, an elephant, a dwarf, murder, and some truth to this story. This book was beautifully written, engaging, and told masterfully. The plot moved at a nice pace and the end was exquisitely satisfying. My only concerns would be for fair readers not wanting to deal with the questionable parts.

Budget Up-DATE

It was my turn this week to think of a date idea. Saturday afternoon I announced that our date that evening would be to come up with secret complicated rules to use. For instance, if my husband mentioned his work, I would disco dance, but he wouldn't know why. He'd have to guess the rule.

At dinner he began threatening to purchase a bunch of new shaving gear, so I mentioned that purchase wasn't in the budget. That must have been a magic word becuase before I knew it, he had grabbed his hat and was walking out the door saying, "You don't know what you've done. What you've started, I can't stop. You've opened Pandora's Box." Then he was gone. A few minutes later he returned with a big brownie from Albertson's, which we shared.

Then, I said "budget" again later, as a joke because I thought the date was over. The same scenario played out, but this time he came home with bubble gum and Dark Chocolate M&Ms from Walgreens.

The third time, I said "budget" as a joke while I was changing the baby's diaper. He walked downstairs and I could hear the garage door opening again. I was laughing so hard that he thought I was crying. I kept wondering what he was going to do this time. Turns out, he was just opening the garage door as a joke. He came back inside and we ended the night by watching The Office on hulu.com and waking up every three hours to a screaming baby.

Challah

Despite my warnings yesterday about cooking kosher food, this recipe for challah (a traditional Jewish egg bread) turned out fantastic! I based it off the Challah I recipe at http://www.allrecipes.com/, but I did make a few modifications, so I'm reprinting it here.

Challah (makes 2 large loaves)

2 1/2 c. warm (110° F) water

1 Tbsp. active dry yeast

1/2 c. sugar

4 Tbsp. butter, melted and cooled slightly

2 eggs

1 Tbsp. salt

8 c. unbleached, all-purpose flour

Topping:

1 egg white

1 Tbsp. water

Poppy or sesame seeds, optional

Directions:

1. Create the dough by filling a large bowl with the water. Add the yeast. Whisk (or beat) in sugar, butter, 2 eggs, and salt. Add the flour one cup at a time, until you can no longer whisk it. Turn it out and knead it with your hands until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding flour as needed. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise for 1 1/2 hours or until doubled.

2. Grease 2 baking trays. Punch down the dough and place it on a floured surface. Divide it in half and knead each half for about 5 minutes. Divide each half into 3 balls. Roll the balls into long snakes, about 1 1/2 in. in diameter. Pinch the "heads" of the snakes together and braid the dough, ending with pinching the "tails" together. Alternatively, end by connecting the "tails" to the "heads" creating a round loaf, as shown above. Place the dough on its greased baking sheet and cover with the towel again. Let rise another hour.

3. Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine the egg white and water. Brush it onto the dough. Sprinkle loaves with poppy or sesame seeds, if desired.

4. Place baking sheets in oven for about 40 minutes, or until the bottom of the loaves sound hollow. Allow to cool for at least an hour.

Note: I'm not sure that these are kosher, but they taste really yummy and are best warmed up with butter.

Butternut Squash Public Service Announcement

I would like to warn everyone that cooking can be dangerous. This past weekend I hosted my book club at my house. Now, I love my book club and I only end up hosting it about once every six months, but it ends up being a lot of work. We have gotten into the habit of making a meal for each meeting.

Luckily, the mom in the book I chose (The Color of Water) was an awful cook, but she had a Jewish upbringing, convincing me that I should make some kosher dishes. Enter http://www.gourmetkoshercooking.com/. I decided to make acorn squash with a spiced-orange currant stuffing, which took a lot of work, considering I've never made squash before in my life. After spending about half an hour trying to cut the butternut squash into 1/2 inch cubes, my hand started feeling tight. I thought I just had squash on it, so I washed it again. Nope. There was something wrong.

I did what I normally do when I have a medical problem: go to the internet. WebMD has the unique privilege of scaring me into thinking I have a brain tumor when I just have a headache, so I didn't go there. Instead, Wikipedia had a nice article that explained everything: I had Butternut squash dermatitis, a type of contact dermatitis that turns your skin orange and makes it peel. The article recommends that food workers wear rubber or latex gloves when handling these irritants.

My hand did get orange spots. My husband freaked out when I tried to touch him and suggested that I go around yelling "Unclean! Unclean!" Instead, I bought some Cortisone cream from Walgreens and it's completely gone now. I would also like to note that I have never been allergic to anything in the past that I can remember. I just wanted to share this in case anyone else was tempted to make butternut or acorn squash in the future. Use those rubbers (gloves) and practice safe squash!

Free Exercise Routines

I hate gyms. I've never had a gym membership. I can't motivate myself to get out of the house or to exercise in front of other people (even if they're women). But, a mere few weeks ago, I found myself walking with the baby to Walgreens to get a candy bar, and then (guiltily) walking to Curves to check out rates. I checked with the other two gyms in town too. They were all a little beyond what I had to spend, especially after adding childcare costs.

Idea #1: So, I reverted to the cheapest thing I do. Here is a step-by-step breakdown:

1. Rent workout videos/DVDs from the library.
2. Do them a few times to figure out the moves.
3. Write the routines down using stick figures.
4. Reward yourself with a big piece of chocolate cake. (This is the only part that isn't free.)

I have probably done this for about 10 videos. It cost me nothing and was legal (unlike copying videos/DVDs, which I do not recommend).

Idea #2: I also do a lot of housework - laundry, lugging around a baby, washing dishes, gardening, pulling weeds, etc. I think my neighbors probably believe I pick weeds for the exercise, which is why I let them grow with wild abandon in my backyard.

Idea #3: This is my favorite free weight loss idea - sleep! I calculated that I lost 405 calories last night just by sleeping 8 hours.

What are your favorite cheap ways to exercise?

Snoring Solutions

Dear Readers,
Today I'm taking a break from traditional Book Worm Tuesday because I haven't been able to finish a book in a long while. I've been busy with a baby who is getting her first tooth and operating on a sleep deficit. I would like to ask for any ideas you may have for dealing with a snoring spouse. We would prefer cheap ideas. Any thoughts?
Bitterroot Mama

Another Career Idea

I visited California a few years back for my brother's graduation. We went to the same high school, so I enjoyed getting to chat with some of my old teachers. Actually, I was trying to impress them with my college degree, handsome husband, and cushy County job. Frankly, I wanted them to see that I wasn't nerdy anymore.

I especially wanted to prove this to my biology/chemistry teacher. She had given all of her students awards at the end of the year. Mine was a "bud to bloom" award, signifying that I was going to blossom into a really great person at some time in the future. So, when I spoke with her after the graduation ceremony, I was putting forth my full, flowery self. She was less than impressed with my job. In fact, when she found out I lived in Montana, she suggested that I should be a taxidermist instead.

How does one enter the field of taxidermy? Do I need additional schooling? Could I work out of my shed or do I need a separate shop? I'm not interested, but please feel free to use the idea for your own personal gain. My biology teacher would be proud of you.

Fudge Puddles

I made these beauties for a contest at my husband's work during the Christmas season. I've been wanting to share them, but the thought of writing out the recipe overwhelmed me. Instead, here is a link to the recipe on Allrecipes.com. The main differences in my creation include omitting pecan halves, using a teaspoon to depress the middle of the cups instead of a melon baller (see picture below) and eating WAY more than the recommended serving. I also doubled the cookie recipe, but used the standard chocolate filling recommended. I think I made the cups too big because I didn't have the final number of cookies I was supposed to, but the amount of chocolate in one recipe still sufficed. Also, it's easier to fill a ziploc bag with a tip cut off one edge than to try to fill the cups any other way. It's too messy.


Here they are! I won second place, by the way. Leftovers were shared with my in-laws on Christmas Eve.

Operation Baking Gals

As some of you know, I've been trying to do my part in helping out the global community. Flipping through my mother-in-law's Taste of Home magazine, I found out about Operation Baking Gals. (You may have noticed a little ad for it on the left of my blog.) Anyway, I signed up a couple weeks ago. I baked and sent out goodies to some troops stationed in Iraq right now. You can read about our team here. (I'm the first Jennifer listed with the two pictures.)

I'm sure that I sent packages to my hubby when he was on his float, but that was a long time ago. When my brother was in Afghanistan last year, he was on some kind of diet and didn't wany any sweets. In fact, other than a few toiletries, all he wanted was a Personal PlayStation.

If you'd like to join them, I'm sure they'd love to have you sign up for Round 17 or beyond. All it takes is a little baking, packaging, and figuring out how to use custom forms. They have information about it on the Operation Baking Gals website, but I found it somewhat difficult to navigate.

On a different note, baby and I tried out the pool for the first time today. She did fairly well and looked adorable in her little swimsuit. Hope you all have a great Thursday!

Italian Dipping Sauce

If you're like me and will be preparing some type of Italian meal at home for Valentine's Day, consider the addition of homemade bread dipping sauce. I've had these a few times at restaurants and wanted to recreate them at home without purchasing a store blend. The only essential ingredient is the extra virgin olive oil. Everything else can be tailored to your family's tastes (and what you have in your spice cabinet). This recipe should serve at least two.

Measure 1/2 tsp. each of the following herbs into a tiny bowl (which can double as your serving bowl, if desired).

• Dried rosemary
• Dried oregano
• Ground black pepper
• Dried basil
• Dried parsley
• Garlic powder
• Minced garlic
• Crushed red pepper flakes (omit if you don't like the kick!)

Then, add 1/8 tsp. of salt. Mix herbs well. If you have a spice or coffee grinder, you can grind them finer, but I don't and it works just fine. Place the herbs in whatever you're using to serve them (either in your small serving bowl or on a small plate). Add 1/4 c. of olive oil. Serve with warm, crusty bread.

If you're looking for a dessert recipe instead, check out my tutorial for profiteroles and chocolate truffles.

Sweet Reads

Yes, you may have noticed that I (the former Valentine's Day boycott champion) have been really into the Valentine's Day spirit this year. I'm not really sure why. We don't have anything too special lined up. Just a dinner in and maybe some flowers. (Which reminds me...I need to leave the flower shop coupon somewhere conspicuous.) Here are some favorite reads for you to get into the spirit too. They are all recommended this week and are all rated G.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

It doesn't get much better than this. I love the sweet love story between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, but I also like the humor she sneaks in. This book reminds me of the musical Fiddler on the Roof due to the daughters which must be married off in succession. It seems to me that the older daughters usually do pretty well, but the younger ones mess up quite often. If you haven't read it, give it a try!

Hello, Cupcake! by Karen Tack & Alan Richardson

I don't make a lot of cupcakes at my house, but if I did, I would want this book by my side every step of the way. This book contains super cute ideas and great close-ups of every recipe. Plus, you don't need any fancy decorating tips. If you have ziploc bags, a cake mix, and some store frosting, you're in business. Most of the decorations are made out of candy. There is a very cute idea in here for Valentine's Day involving a heart-shaped box and little cupcakes with marshmallows on the top dipped in chocolate to look like truffles.

The Emperors of Chocolate by Joel Glenn Brenner

The Candyman (aka my husband) introduced this read to me. It was a fascinating look in the chocolate industry. Some of you may know that Mr. Hershey has a town in Pennsylvania named after him and his company. Did you know that the proceeds from the company also went to support an orphanage he started there? The money the Mars family made seems to just send them into more dysfunction. For outsiders, this is a really great look into the candy world and why the big companies are the way they are.

The Little Black Book of Dating Ideas for Rural Folk

My husband and I are trying to go on a date every week this year. I purchased The Little Black Book of Dating Ideas for him as a Christmas present, to really inspire our dates beyond the traditional dinner and a movie (which is usually me making dinner and renting a movie from Crazy Mike's). The problem is, many of these dates are geared toward people that live in somewhat larger places.

Dates that don't work so well here:

• Go to a comedy club.
• Anything involving museums
• Go through the alphabet and eat at a restaurant beginning with each letter. (At least we have Quiznos now.)
• Spend the entire afternoon searching for the best elevator in town.
• Explore the old town or ethnic parts of a city together.
• Stay up all night finding the best cup of coffee in town.
• Spend the entire day taking as many modes of transportation as you can think of: bus, subway, cable car, elevator, escalator, taxi, ferry...

Ones that work better:

• Learn how to milk a cow
• Attend a rodeo together
• Go on a drive through the countryside
• Blaze your own trails and do a little 4x4 off-roading
• Go cow-tipping at night (I do not advocate this because cows are (A) scary and (B) can break ribs.)
• Go deer "hunting." Drive around farms and try to find deer with flashlights. Have a contest to see who can spot the most. (This would actually work just sitting in our backyard.)

My husband thought it would be nice if they had a book of dates just for rural folk. Instead of having drinks on top of a high-rise building, they could include hiking to the top of a mountain and having some bottled water. Or, my personal favorite, go on a paranormal tour at a local historical site. (Yes, we just missed the tour at the Daly Mansion this weekend.)

This weekend we ended up going as a family to the Hallmark store to get my father-in-law a birthday card. (Not particularly romantic, but it works.) Do you have any good date ideas for Montana in the middle of winter?

Profiteroles and Swans

For Valentine's Day, I wanted to feature a cute little treat you can make to provide culinary delight to your friends and family. You can make these beautiful swans at home with minimal ingredients. There are three recipes to follow to make these swans (or their close relatives, the profiterole or cream puff): pâte à choux [sounds like: pah ta SHOE], crème pâtissière, and chocolate ganache. All recipes have been adapted from Michael Ruhlman's Ratio and are included below.

Pâte à Choux (makes 24 profiteroles)

8 oz. water (1 cup)

4 oz. butter (one stick)

1 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt

4 oz. flour (a scant cup)

8 oz. eggs (4 large eggs)

(The ingredients in the photo above are doubled because I needed to make quite a few.)

Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine water, butter, sugar, and salt in a large pot or saucepan and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and stir in flour. Once combined, keep stirring for another minute or two to cook off some of the water. Remove from heat and let it cool slightly.

Stir in eggs one at a time (still off the heat).

Tada! Here is the dough.

Place the dough in a pastry bag or a ziploc bag. At this point, you need to decide what shape(s) you will be making. Start with the skinniest stuff first. Cut a small tip off the corner of the bag.

Line pans with parchment paper. If you're making swans, make a skinny question mark for each neck/head. Try to finish one end of each head to look like a beak. Then, cut the tip on the bag wider and push out the rest of your shapes. You'll need a golf-ball-sized body for each swan or the same shape for a normal cream puff. The long, skinny ones I made as eclairs didn't work out quite right. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 350° and bake for 10-20 more minutes, or until done. I think we have some kind of altitude thing going on, because it took me much longer than 20 minutes. Remove from oven to cool.

I let the cream puffs cool and then stored them overnight. I also made the cream the night before I needed it and kept it in the fridge. I assembled them the next day.

Crème Pâtissèrie

4 oz. sugar (about 1/2 c.)

4 oz. egg yolks (8 large egg yolks)

6 Tbsp. cornstarch

8 oz. plus 3 oz. milk

8 oz. cream (1 c.)

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

2 oz. butter (4 Tbsp. or 1/2 a stick)

Combine sugar and egg yolks in medium bowl and stir vigorously with a whisk for 30 seconds. Fill a large bowl with half ice, half water.

Combine the cornstarch and 3 oz. milk in a small bowl and whisk to dissolve.

Place 8 oz. milk, the cream, and the vanilla in a medium saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until simmering. Pour into the sugar/egg yolk mixture while whisking. Pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan over medium heat. Add the cornstarch mixture and whisk. Continue stirring as the mixture thickens and just comes to a boil.

Remove from heat and place in the ice/water bowl to cool slightly, but warm enough to melt butter. Add the butter and stir. Place plastic wrap on the surface of the cream and refrigerate until needed.

Now, the easy part!

Chocolate Ganache

1 part good, bittersweet chocolate

1 part heavy cream

(I used 2 (3.5 oz.) bars of Lindt & Sprungli 70% cocoa chocolate and then 7 oz. of heavy cream.)

Break chocolate into pieces and place in a bowl. Heat cream in saucepan over medium-high heat until simmering. Pour cream over chocolate. Wait about 4-5 minutes. Stir until combined.

Cream Puff Assembly: Using a bread knife, cut cream puff rounds in half like a hamburger bun. Fill a ziploc or pastry bag with cream and pipe it in the center of each puff. Use a brush or spoon to top each puff with ganache.

Swan Assembly: Cut the body piece of each swan in half like making a cream puff. Then, cut the top layer in half lengthwise to make the wings. Place ganache and/or cream on the top of the bottom body piece. Then add the wings, straight side in. Stick the non-beak side of each neck into the cream to stabilize it. There are a few options to incorporate chocolate into the swans. Either use both ganache and cream in the middle of the swan or spoon a little ganache on each serving plate and place a cream-only-filled swan on top of the chocolate spot. Dust with confectioner's sugar.

A finished cream puff.

After that marathon post, do cream puffs seem like too much work? Or, did you make too much ganache? Let the ganache sit in the fridge for a couple hours. Then, roll into golf-sized balls and coat with cocoa powder. Easy truffles!

These sweets were featured on Simply Sweet Home's Sweet Thursday.

Smartipants

Smartipants in neutral colors

I can't believe I haven't expressed my love for Smartipants yet! I knew that I wanted to use cloth diapers when I had my baby, but I didn't know which were the best. Based on ratings from diaperpin.com, I tried Smartipants, Fuzzi Bunz, and Bum Genius. Smartipants won by a mile. Here's why:

• Two different sets of snaps (up/down and side-to-side) allow the baby room to grow without purchasing different sets for each stage.
• There are only two pieces and I don't have to remove the inserts before putting them in the wash. They really do come apart.
• I can put all the pieces in the dryer.
• It only takes about 5 minutes to assemble 18 of them.
• They are easy enough for my husband to use. In fact, he once proclaimed that Smartipants are the best! (Especially once he realized the cost savings.)

I am a little concerned that baby is going to grow out of them too soon. She's about 15 pounds and almost to the outer snaps. For night time and outings, I still keep a stash of disposables around. Due to a prolific pee-r, I end up washing them about every other day. Despite these little inconviences, it really is a great product.

The other great reason to purchase Smartipants now is that during the month of February, for every diaper purchased through their site, they are donating $1 to the Haiti Relief Fund of the American Red Cross.

And the Winner is...

Thanks to the two of you who entered the Love Stinks Contest. The winner is Gina. Here she is graciously accepting the gift certificate to Big Sky Candy. Check back for more giveaways. Happy early Valentine's Day!

Larry's Plumbing Tips: Part 2

Welcome to the second and final post about how to decrease plumber visits in your house. Today's focus is the lavatory. (The first post was on the kitchen sink.)

Larry said that the biggest problem in the lavatory is the buildup of hair and soap in drains. The best way to prevent them?

Put a cheap hair/lint catcher over your drains. We have one in our shower because I shed about a wig's worth of hair every week.

Now, everyone knows that eventually the water is going to start draining slowly, and soon you'll feel like you're showering in an Amazon waterfall, with an ever-rising stream at your feet. Then what?

Here are Larry's tips for dealing with a clogged drain:

• If the clog is in a sink with a pop-up, unscrew the pop-up under the sink. Pull it off and clean the hair off it. This is a common offender.
• Pour a little bleach down your drains. Wait a bit and then flush with hot water.
• Pour some baking soda and then some vinegar down. Wait a while and rinse with hot water.
• Use some muriatic pool acid down the drain. (This option scares me.) He said that a little bit of this stuff goes a long way, literally eating the fibers from your swimsuit when it's used in pools.
• NEVER USE DRANO, LIQUID PLUMBR, OR POWDERED DRAIN CLEANER. These can really rise in temperature and turn to concrete within your pipes. Then you're stuck replacing the pipe instead of just having a clog.

Larry left me with this parting slogan, which was not in the phone book: "It may be poop to you, but it's my bread and butter." Happy clog preventing!

Three Heroes and a Jerk

Welcome to today's literary review. I'm excited because not only do I get to share my thoughts about three very interesting books, I also will be attending a new book club today. One can never attend too many book clubs. But, onto the books!



Recommended
Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder (PG-13 for mild language, sensuality, and disturbing medical info) (not pictured)
This was my initial foray into the world of Partners in Health and Tracy Kidder's writings. His books feel a bit long, but it's only because I have to read them slowly. Kidder doesn't insert extra words in any of his books. They're exquisite. I really enjoyed this book because it detailed the creation of Partners in Health, the life of Dr. Paul Farmer, and the scenery in Haiti. After reading this book and hearing about the earthquake in Haiti, I knew Partners in Health already had a strong medical presence there, so I contributed to them. (Their centers were mostly outside of Port-au-Prince, in rural Haiti.) I liked that the book also explained Dr. Farmer's tuberculosis work, because I like some of the science behind that. Did you know that Roald Dahl's daughter Ophelia is also one of the founding members of Partners in Health? She and Dr. Farmer were an item for awhile, but no longer.

Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder (R for disturbing war violence)
I wasn't going to read this book, but then I saw it on the new shelf at the library. This true story follows a young man from Burundi (it neighbors Rwanda) out of the Hutu-Tutsi conflict to New York City and beyond to Columbia University. I had a hard time reading this one due to the graphic images during his flight out of Burundi. So much violence! However, when he gets to New York, he eventually finds people to help him finish his medical schooling. His ultimate goal is to build a public clinic in Burundi, and the second part of this book shows the author following him around Burundi while he relives his flight and works toward building the clinic. I think that at times the author becomes too involved in the story, making it hard for him to treat Deo (the main character) as an unbiased subject. But it really is a beautiful book, if you can stomach parts of it. (I'm counting Dr. Farmer, Deo, and Tracy Kidder as the three heroes.)



Mixed Feelings
Profits Aren't Everything, They're the Only Thing by George Cloutier with Samantha Marshall (G)
A girl at my husband's job suggested this book. It's supposed to be advice for small businesses that need serious help. As I don't run a small business, I am, of course, an expert in all things small business. Seriously, though, I tried to put myself in the shoes of a struggling entrepreneur, and here's what I think about the advice:

• Don't work for nothing. This one is actually pretty good. If the business isn't profitable, don't sacrifice your own salary.
• Love your business more than your family. This one was awful! He thinks that working more on the weekends and spending less time with your family will even out in the long run because your family will appreciate all the money you will have made in the future. No, thanks. Kids are only young once! I think a lot of people who follow this advice will end up regretting it. (It didn't surprise me that he was thanking his soon-to-be-bride for putting off their honeymoon for six months in the acknowledgements.)
• Put profits first. I thought the idea of budgeting for profits first and then coming up with a realistic budget for everything else was a pretty good idea.
• Act like God. This is about making your employees not only respect you, but fear you. This is where the "jerk" designation comes in. I think he would be honored by the title.
• Give up golf. Not a bad idea.
• Don't pay your vendors on time. Works great until everyone else reads the book and stops paying you on time too.
• Pay for performance. I liked this one. Nothing motivates people like being paid for doing their job. That's partly why it was hard to work for the government. No matter what I did, it was hard to get a bonus. In fact, I don't think I ever got one with the County.

Anyway, I think it's a good book to read, but you have to take a lot of the principles with a grain of salt.

Enjoy your day and don't forget to visit back tomorrow to see who won the Love Stinks Contest and the exciting conclusion of Larry's Plumbing tips for the lavatory.

Complementary Businesses

One of my favorite places to drive by is in Hamilton on 1st Street. It's a spa dealer with a big sign out front: "We've got ammo!" Of course it does. Nothing goes better than a having nice hot tub soak and taking a few pot shots at rabbits. (Hubby wouldn't let me take a picture of it due to liability concerns.)

English Nerd Moment of the Week:
There is a difference between the words "complimentary" and "complementary." The former refers to either compliments received or free stuff. The latter expresses that two or more items go well together, such as complementary colors in an outfit.