"Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

     In 2012, a great movie titled "Life of Pi" came out in theaters.  I went and saw the film and was immediately blown away with the story, theme, and imagery caught on camera.  I had heard of the classic novel but never had a chance to read.  After seeing the movie, many conversations comparing and contrasting the film and book left me wondering.  Should I read the book now, after seeing the movie?  Should I chalk this novel up to "already been watched?"  I decided to try it out.  If I couldn't get into after the first few chapters, I could at least say I gave the effort.  Therefore, I went into this book a little skeptical.  Don't get me wrong, the movie was amazing and I will watch it again and again.  But the book....after being [ruined] by the movie?  I wasn't so sure....
   As soon as I brought this book home from the library, I started reading.  From the very first chapter, I was hooked!  As always, book-made-movies can never fully portray what the original author has written.  Luckily, Life of Pi (in my opinion) came pretty darn close!  The novel's imagery made it very easy to get lost in this story.  I felt like I was shipwrecked with Pi!
     I also loved the narrative structure of Yann Martel's fantasy adventure.  Throughout the novel, Pi (as the main character) and Yann Martel himself (as a visiting author years later) tell this amazing story with alternating points of view.  This really brings the plot to life and creates a realistic versus fantasy juxtaposition.  I could not put it down!
     With these two narrators, I was really curious how the author would bring the novel to a close.  A lot of times, great books fall apart towards the end.  With such an intricate story line, the closing was either going to be outstanding or completely underwhelming.  The end is just perfect!  The reader is left to decide whether or not to believe Pi's whimsical story.
     If you have not read this book (even if you have seen the movie), it is a must-read!  You will not be disappointed.

Quick No Fail Pancakes

   It has been a loooong while since I've posted to my blog, but life has been super busy!  I hope everyone had a great holiday season (New Year's being my favorite).  With the new year comes many new and exciting things in our house.  We are now well into the "married club."  That means that it's time to look for a house and think about kids....exciting, busy, scary, nerve-wracking.   I'm sure I'll be posting plenty of things on those subjects as the time goes on!  For today, I'm sticking with ol' faithful...the kitchen.
     For today's "in the kitchen..." post, I'll be sharing a recipe for something that honestly terrified me when I first starting cooking for myself and my husband.  Pancakes!  Yes, I said pancakes!  Maybe they're not as scary to you, but for me, these little disks of batter were the bane of my existence.  My husband (then boyfriend) would always request pancakes for Saturday morning breakfast.  I would always make them with false confidence, not wanting to seem incompetent, and fail.  They would either burn to a crisp or come out dough and inedible.
     Well, the good news is, I have conquered the pancake!  I have actually already posted my Pumpkin Pancakes but this is the standard pancake batter that comes out perfectly every time!  Of course, you can add blueberries, chocolate chips, or really anything you like in a pancake.  Many times, I make the plain pancakes then top them with whipped cream and a variety of fruit.  So yummy!

Quick No Fail Pancakes
Ingredients:
margarine (for buttering the skillet)
cooking spray (for the skillet also)
2 cups plus 2 heaping tablespoons of all purpose flour
1/3 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
1 and 1/5 tablespoons baking powder
1 egg
1 and 3/4 cups of fat free milk
3 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Directions:
Make the batter first so that it can sit a minute before cooking.  In a large bowl combine all of the dry ingredients.  Whisk these together so that they are thoroughly combined.  You could also sift the dry together if you're worried.

Add the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk completely.  Some lumps are okay but you don't want huge balls of flour in the batter.  Let the batter sit while you prepare the cooking surface.  This will help everything come together for the perfect pancake.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  You don't want it to get too hot, then the pancakes with become burnt and crispy.  I use cooking spray and margarine just to ensure a clean flip.  I do spray about every two pancakes, but butter under each pancake.

After the skillet is hot and buttered, use a 1/3 cup measuring cup to dollop the batter in the center.  If you're using blueberries or chocolate chips, now is the time to sprinkle those on top.  When the edges of the batter begin to form bubbles, gently flip your pancake.  Allow a couple of minutes to cook on the other side.  Remove this pancake and begin the next with the same procedure.  If you have a griddle, you can do more than one at a time.  Enjoy!

Meatball Stroganoff

     I have always been a pasta lover.  Red sauce, cream sauce, meat, or no meat...it doesn't matter!  I could curl up on the couch with an overflowing bowl of pasta any given day.  Unfortunately, pasta can get played out.  For the not-so-enthusiastic pasta lover, pasta dishes often become boring and mundane.  This recipe was an attempt to spice it up!
     Your typical stroganoff dish is egg noodles under a creamy mushroom sauce with chopped beef.  This stroganoff is very similar but uses Italian meatballs as the protein.  This pasta dish is new, improved, and husband-requested.  It has found a permanent spot on our menu.  Enjoy!

Meatball Stroganoff
Ingredients:
Olive oil
Frozen meatballs (enough to fill a single layer of a large skillet)
Half of a bell pepper, diced
2 cups of beef broth
1 1\2 teaspoons each of dried parsley, oregano,and basil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup of light sour cream
1 cup of heavy whipping cream
Half a bag of wide egg noodles
Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Brown meatballs in a large skillet with a touch of olive oil. I usually just follow the directions on the bag.  Add bell peppers until softened. Prepare egg noodles in boiling salted water. 

Add beef broth to the meatball skillet.  Raise the heat so the liquid begins to simmer.  Add your seasoning.  Stir to incorporate.  Add sour cream, again stirring so that it melts into sauce.  Finally, add the cream.  Let sauce simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until the sauce is creamy and thick.

Add drained egg noodles to the sauce mixture and serve with a flurry of grated Parmesan.