364/365

364/365, originally uploaded by britrosewhite.

I kept hearing about The Hunger Games trilogy while I was in Africa. My old roommate, Kate, called it an addiction and I knew I could trust her book advice. I wanted to buy it, but they didn't have it over there. I wanted to buy the e-book, but it wasn't available on my ipod.

I finally bought the first book to read on the plane to New York last month. And despite being pretty busy most of the time I was there, I managed to finish it a few days before I came home. I left it for Ryan, figuring he'd like it and I needed to pass on my addiction.

Once I got back home, more broke than ever, I couldn't justify buying book two. It was hard at first, but I got over it. The libraries all had it out or on hold. Sometimes I picked it up at Target, but I always put it back down.

Meanwhile, Ryan read The Hunger Games and once he finished it, he must have understood my need because he sent me the second book for my birthday. I'm suspicious and think he might have read it first, but that's okay. I don't blame him. Addiction, remember?

The problem with these books is that there is no stopping point. And that's why I took the longest bath in my history today. I didn't even want to be in the bath anymore but I couldn't put the thing down.

Now I feel like I need to read the third one before I life can go on! Time must stop!

Not gonna happen, though. I have to turn 26 tomorrow.

314/365

314/365, originally uploaded by britrosewhite.

I scored some awesome fairy tale collection books at Half Price Books in Austin. They feature a lot of the original ones before Disney made them uncreepy. Before Disney, everyone died and there were no happy endings. Read the original Little Mermaid and tell me if there's a singing crab.

This picture is one of five or so. I haven't read it's accompanying story but it's simply called, "Oh," which I find very intriguing and amusing. Coulda been a classic, I'm sure.

163/365

163/365, originally uploaded by britrosewhite.

You guys won't believe what came in the mail.

First of all, this cute card:


From one of my ex-New York roommates, Evie:


In case you didn't get a good look, this is the title:


Best title ever. I was already laughing and hadn't even opened the book.

Also, laughing that Evie thinks it's up my alley.

(Evie is married, by the way. She got married in a castle in Scotland, basically, and I'm pretty sure doves sang it looked so beautiful.)

I want to give you a tour and Evie, please let me know if this is illegal. I'll smudge some pictures or something.

A few chapter titles:




Who'd have thought you'd ever see the word "fugly" in a cookbook?

The recipe titles are partly clever, partly last minute. Most of the recipes are fairly simple, but I suppose if you're ready to eat your weight in broken heart, you aren't likely to bake chocolate croissants.

This one's cute:


And so is this:


This one's pretty sad:


This one's pretty funny:


And this one's pretty strange:


I suppose you can only be witty and ironic for so long until something like this comes out:


And honestly, she could have just shortened this to "I'm old and bitter...cookies":


Hopefully it won't come to that.

So here's my plan...avoid the heartache and hard-heartedness and just enjoy the food!

You should check out Evie's blog, Bookilicious, if you haven't followed the link on my blog roll already. She's seriously got it going on!

93/365

93/365, originally uploaded by britrosewhite.

My dad came home with a gift for me today.


My grandparents are sweet.

This book is a collection of all the Presidents' favorite meals all the way up until...Richard Nixon.

In addition to the recipes, there is quite a bit of history in this book.

For example, did you know that the very first cook book published in America was printed in Williamsburg, VA in 1742 and was called, "The Compleat HOUSEWIFE: or, accomplish'd Gentlewoman's Companion: being a Collection of upwards of several Hundred of the most approved Receipts"?

Or how about this interesting little excerpt:

"Gelatin was made from calves' feet, or from a product called isinglass, taken from the swim bladders of fishes. These products were tasty enough in meat dishes or in court bouillon, but in the elaborate molded desserts they gave a meaty or fishy flavor to the pudding."

YA THINK?! ICK ICK GROOOOOSSS NASTY.


Here's a page of recipes from George Washington's time in office.

Can you believe it?


Food photography ain't what it used to be. Who doesn't want to dig into that fillet o' fish?! I tell you who wouldn't turn it down: John Adams.


Savory jelly? Really, Andrew Jackson?


Okay, here's a President I can relate to. William McKinley knows breakfast is where its at. Breakfast with PIE, no less.

So here's what I'm thinking...I pick a President (and his wife) and just go for it. I mean, there is some WEIRD stuff in here, but I'm intrigued. Lincoln's election cake - what's that like? And how much tastier would it look with my modern camera?

I'm going to have to decide how I'm going to decide. I might let you guys decide. It'll be a food challenge to follow the cookies. That means I might need some more tasters!

Only, can't promise you'll like it this time. But if Andrew Jackson liked pease pudding and savory meat jelly, maybe you will, too.

Okay, probably not.

I don't know where you'd get fish bladder these days, anyway.