Overall, I wasn't disappointed, which was a bit surprising because for some strange reason I expected to be disappointed. There were a few points that I wish were done differently of course, but, I guess that's almost always the case with epics.
I wish the epilogue wasn't included. I don't think it was needed. And, it didn't seem to fit with the rest of the book. Also, I think it was set too far in the future. For me, if there had to be an epilogue, I wish it would have been one or two years later.
And I wish that Severus had survived, which I think could have reasonably happened. Shouldn't V's powers have been weakened by that point? I wanted some hope that if she wrote any more books, he'd be there. Now... it would have to be a prequel for us to have more of him.
And when I was reading about Lily and Severus, I wished it would turn out that he was Harry's real father. I guess that would have been too much for Harry to handle at that point, but, still. That's the kind of excessively over-the-top stuff this final book could have used (in my opinion). I just wasn't shocked by any of it. And for a seven-book series the last book could have been more shocking. I'm not saying he shouldn't have killed off V and lived (I'm totally fine with that). I'm just saying there could have been more drama thrown in of a type other than characters getting killed, which is to be expected.
Loved the part where Severus took the second page of the letter and ripped the photo.
Just great.
And Dumbledore's back history, and the Gringott's robbery were also just great!
Guess that's about it.
Finished the Deathly Hallows
Slow Cooker Brisket
Slow Cooker Brisket
1 medium sized beef brisket
1 cup cranberry sauce
1 cup ketchup
1 beer
1 pkg dry onion soup mix
Trim fat off of brisket. Mix sauce ingredients together and pour over brisket.
Roast for 2.5 to 3 hours at 350 degrees or 3 to 4 hours in crockpot on high.
Avocado Bagels
2 sara lee onion bagels
1 avocado sliced
butter
4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Slice and toast bagels. Butter and cover with yeast. Top with avocado. Warning these are very addicting.
Nanny's Kuggle
1/2 lb. noodles (8oz.)
1 1/2 lb. cottage cheese
2 Tbsp butter
sprinkle of evaporated milk
3/4 (1) cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla (or more)
2 eggs
raisins
1. Break noodles then cook them.
2. Mix sugar, butter, eggs, soda, vanilla, cottage cheese,
cooked noodles, and raisins.
3. Place in a well buttered dish.
4. Pour a little evaporated milk on top.
5. Bake at 375 till just golden.
Iranian Ground Beef
1-1.5 lb lean ground beef
2 tart medium apples, chopped
1 white onion chopped
1 can peas
1/2 container (about 8oz) sour cream
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 clove garlic crushed
1-2 jalapenos diced
1 aneheim chili pepper
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions
Cook ground beef, and onion,
Next add spices and apples.
Last fold in peas and sour cream.
Serve over extra wide egg noodles.
Slow Cooker Meatballs
Slow Cooker Meatballs
1 pkg frozen meatballs
1 jar grape jelly
1 jar Heinz chili sauce
1 cup ketchup
Cook in crockpot on high until meatballs are hot.
Chicken Tortilla Casserole
4 chicken breasts
1 doz. corn tortillas cut into 1 inch strips
1 can ortega green chilis cut into strips
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1 onion grated
cheddar cheese
Cook chicken for 1 hr in foil at 425 degrees with paprika
Mix soups, milk and onion together in bowl
Layer with soup mix, chicken, tortillas and chilis
Top with cheddar cheese
Bake for 1 hr at 300 degrees
Lamb Biryani
Meat:
1 1/2 pounds lamb, cubed or ground
l cup yogurt
4 tblsp. clarified butter
2 medium onions, chopped fine
l tsp. grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tblsp. minced green pepper
1/4 tsp. crushed black pepper
3 tblsp. grated unsweetened coconut
2 tblsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
Rice:
3 tblsp. clarified butter
1 small onion, sliced
2 cloves
2 whole cardamoms
1 inch stick of cinnamon
1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
1 tsp. salt
3 cups water
Topping:
1 tblsp. rose water
Garnish:
2 hard-cooked eggs, sliced
Meat: Combine lamb cubes with 1/2 cup yogurt and set aside. Melt butter and fry the onions until golden. Add ginger, garlic, green pepper, coconut, coriander, chili powder, and salt. Fry for 2-3 minutes. Add lamb cubes and brown them adding more butter, if necessary. Add remaining 1/2 cup yogurt and 1/4 cup water. Simmer until lamb is very tender and not much gravy remains. When done, sprinkle with ground cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, and black pepper.
Rice: Heat butter and brown the onion. Add whole cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon stick, and fry for 1 minute or 2. Add rice and fry another 2 mins. Bring water to a boil. Add salt and fried rice. Cover and steam until done.
Biryani: Butter a casserole. Alternate layers of lamb and rice, ending with a layer of rice. Sprinkle top with rose water. Cover and place in a 200 degree oven for l5 minutes. Serve garnished with hard-cooked eggs.
Calypso Callaloo v1
2 bunches of greens, ends of stalks removed, chopped (we used 1 mustard green, 1 collard green)
1 onion finely chopped
1 large tomato diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 whole jalapeno diced
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/3 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon vinegar
In a large pan or wok, melt butter over medium heat and add onion, garlic, tomato, and pepper. Sauté for 2 minutes.
Add greens. Stirring often, cook until greens are wilted and tender.
Add remaining ingredients and cook for an additional 5 minutes, while stirring.
Oran's Cuban Casserole
Ingredients:
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1/2 cup vegetable oil (approx)
2 jalapeños finely minced
1 bunch green onions sliced
1 white onion chopped
1 pkg (~1lb) jack cheese sliced
1 small (~7oz) can black olives sliced
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 16oz. container sour cream
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
4 cloves garlic minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
pinch of pepper
2/3 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon paprika
2 dashes of cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
Optional:
shredded lettuce
diced tomatoes
lime
Corn Bread Wet Mix:
In a large bowl, mix together
1 1/2 finely minced jalapeño
1 tablespoon oil
egg
brown sugar
milk
1/4 cup sour cream
Corn Bread Dry Mix:
In medium sized bowl, mix together
Corn Meal
Flour
Baking Soda
Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dry Spice Mix:
In a small container combine
grind 1 tsp coriander seed
grind 2/3 tsp cumin seed
1 tsp salt
pinch of pepper
Wet Spice Mix:
In a small bowl mix together
1/3 cup veg oil
1 tsp paprika
2 shakes cayenne pepper
2 tsp chili powder
2 cloves garlic
optional 1 tsp gin
optional 1 tsp lime juice
Bean Mix:
In a saucepan, add the whole can black beans including any liquid in the can
Simmer and stir lightly for 5 min
Add Dry Spice Mix
Mash on low heat 5 min
Add Wet Spice Mix
Cook until paste like with little liquid
Stir in 1/4 jalapeño
Cook about 1 min
Remove from heat
Onion Mix:
Fry onion in oil
Once soft and golden Add
1/4 jalapeño
2 cloves garlic
Stir for about 1 min
Remove from heat
Layer in 8 inch square baking pan
Layer #1 Green onions (1 bunch sliced)
Layer #2 Bean Mix
Layer #3 1/2 can corn
Layer #4 Onion Mix
Layer #5 Sliced black olives
Layer #6 Sliced jack cheese. Try to overlap slices to completely cover over the 8x8 square.
Layer #7 Cornbread Mix:
Add dry corn bread mix into wet corn bread mix slowly stirring more and more in until fully mixed.
Stir 1/2 can corn into batter
Pour batter on top
Put in oven quickly
Cook 400 degrees for ~30 min
It will be bubbling and very hot
Let stand for 15 min before eating
Optional toppings include:
Shredded Lettuce
Diced tomatoes
Sour Cream
Calico Couscous Salad
(my mom's recipe)
1 cup dry couscous (1/2 box)
Cook couscous:
Boil 1.5 cups water with 2 teaspoon margarine,
add couscous and remove from heat,
let stand covered for 5 min,
fluff and put in bowl
Mix with:
2-3 green onions chopped
1/3 cup red onion chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup red bell pepper chopped
1/2 small tomato chopped
3 tablespoons parsley
1 can garbanzo beans
Make dressing:
1/4 cup safflower oil
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
pinch of cayenne red pepper
pinch of chili powder
pinch of oregano
Pour dressing over and mix throughout
Hello world.
Hello world.
Why am I blogging?
Well, a few of my friends have blogs, and I tend to read a lot of other people's blogs. I was kind of feeling guilty reading others without have one of my own.
Also, I felt like I was missing out on the guilt for not writing in my blog enough, and for not posting funny enough or interesting enough blogs..
So! Friends: Feel free to write me and tell me to have more interesting and funny material, more often. Then I will be able to commiserate with you..
