Veil of Roses

This is a story of a young women (Tami) from Iran whose parents get her a visa and tickets to America to stay with her sister. Her sister lives in Tuscon, Arizona with her husband. Tami's parents and sister hope for a better life in America for Tami where there is freedom for women. They hope she can find a man to marry to stay in America permanently.

Tami loves the freedom to be able to take pictures and not have to wear a hijab when she is in public. Freedom to talk to friends including male friends. Sometimes Tami has to get used of the freedoms since she is so used to living under Iranian rules. Her sister is so insistent on wanting Tami's freedom that in the process of it she seems to take of Tami's freedom away. I think this was a quick read and I liked learning about another culture.

Mom's Zucchini Bread

I got this recipe from allrecipes.com.

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
3 tsp ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 1\4 cups white sugar
3 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
1. Grease and flour two 8 by 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
3. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan and completely cool.

I didn't use walnuts because I didn't have any on hand. I used pure sugar instead of white. I was going to replace the vegetable oil with olive oil but I wanted to use up what I had on hand.

Campbells Tuna Noodle Casserole

I found this recipe from allrecipes.com.
Ingredients:

2 Cans Campbells Condensed Cream of Mushroom soup
1 cup milk
2 cups frozen peas
2 cans of tuna drained
4 cups hot cooked medium egg noodles
2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions:

1. Stir soup, milk, peas, tuna and cooked noodles in 3 - quart casserole dish.
2. Bake at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes or until hot
3. Mix bread crumbs with butter in bowl and sprinkle over tuna mixture. Bake for 5 minutes more.

I received my first award

Thanks to become.com I received my first award. Thanks Become.com, I really appreciate it.

Announcing: A new arrival due December 7th, 2010

I am ready to announce a baby on the way. He or she is Due December 7th, 2010. I am 14 weeks now and we are so excited. He or she will be joining three siblings.

Pizza Buns

One of my favorites growing up. Easy to make and delicious. Make it healthier by using whole wheat English Muffins.

Ingredients:

English muffins
Pizza Sauce
Cheese
Desired toppings; kind of meat, mushrooms, onion, black olives ect.

Directions:
Split English muffin in half
put on pizza sauce
add cheese and toppings
preheat oven to 350 degrees and put in Pizza buns until cheese is melted and buns are warm about 10 to 15 minutes

Sarah's Key

Sarah's Key by Tatiana De Rosnay is a Historical Fiction book. This is a sad book that talks about the true event that Took Place in Paris in July 1942. The Vel' d'Hiv Roundup otherwise known as Operation Spring Breeze, took place in Paris where French Policemen arrested more than 13,000 Jewish men, women and children and took them to a local camp in Paris. Later they were taken to Auschwitz where they were put to their deaths.

This story is told from the perspective of a ten year old girl named Sarah and her family that was arrested and bused to the Paris camp. Her little brother was locked in a cupboard in the hopes that they would come back and rescue him.
This book describes just a few of the horrific circumstances that the Jewish families endured and suffered.

Sixty years later an American Journalist in Paris uncovers Sarah's story and finds a family connection to her. Although this part of the story is fictional, one cannot helped to be moved by the true events that took place and happened and killed over 6 million Jews. This is a tearjerker, but I think it is important that we remember all the families that were effected by this tragic event in history. May we never repeat such horrors to human life again.

Zakhor. Al Tichkah. (Hebrew)

Remember. Never Forget.