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“Far up in the deep blue sky, Great white clouds are floating by, All the world is dressed in green, Many happy birds are seen, Roses bright and sunshine clear, Show that lovely June is here.” --F. G. Saunders
Let’s kick it old school with a couple throwback recipes this month:
Old School Cafeteria Pizza
(recipe by the goodheartedwoman.com)
Ingredients
Crust:
1 pk quick-rise yeast
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup instant dry milk
3 tbls sugar
1 ½ tsp salt
2 tbls oil
2 ¼ cups hot water
2 tbls corn meal
Pizza Topping:
1 lb ground beef
1 lg onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 cup water
6-8 ounces tomato paste
1 tbls brown sugar
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried marjoram
Cheese Blend:
4 ounces American Cheese grated
4 ounces medium cheddar cheese grated
4 ounces mozzarella cheese grated
Directions
Pizza Crust:
Preheat oven to 475 degrees
Line a half-sheet pan with parchment paper. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle lightly with cornmeal. (pan size approx.. 20x13.5) tilt the pan back and forth to distribute corn meal evenly.
Combine yeast, flour, dry milk, sugar and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
Combine oil and warm water, then pour into flour mixture and stir thoroughly for about 5 minutes, Mixture will be very sticky.
Pour mixture from bowl onto prepared pan and spread evenly using a spatula. Set dough in pan aside to rest 25-30 minutes.
Put the pizza dough pan in the oven and pre-bake until crust is set:
475 degrees for 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and set aside until pizza topping has cooled slightly.
Pizza Topping:
Prepare the pizza topping while the pizza crust is resting. In large skillet, combine chopped onion, garlic and ground beef. Cook over medium-high heat until meat is browned and onion is soft.
Add tomato paste, water, brown sugar, and dried herbs. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes. The mixture is done when it is no longer runny.
Allow topping to cool slightly before spreading on pizza.
Cheese Blend:
Combine three grated cheeses in a medium bowl
Assemble Pizza
Carefully spread the pizza topping over the pre-baked crust
Top evenly with cheese blend
Return pizza to hot oven and bake until cheese is melted and topping is heated through at 475 degrees.
No-Bake Cookies
Ingredients
4 cups sugar
1 stick butter
6 tbls cocoa
1 cup milk
1 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
4-5 cups quick cook oats
Directions
In heavy bottom sauce pan bring to boil sugar, milk, butter and cocoa. Boil at a rolling boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add peanut butter and vanilla until incorporated. Add oats 1 cup at a time until you can easily drop cookies from a spoon,( but not too runny) or cookies won’t set.
Drop by spoon onto a wax paper covered surface.
Let cool and store in air tight container.
BOOK REVIEW TIME
The Wedding of the Season by Lauren Edmondson.
This book follows Cass Coventry who resides in New York but has come home for her sister’s engagement. Her sister is marrying into the family who a decade ago stole the Coventry mansion from her family. Cass soon finds out her sister is hiding a big secret, her family are on the brink of ruin and with the wedding only three months away Cass finds herself trying to conceal secrets and fix problems. There is also an anonymous gossip blogger who finds the Coventry family quite blog worthy. The book is not without drama, sailing along Newport and of course a former love. How will Cass face her own past from fleeing Newport as well as keep the big wedding of the season afloat? Try this one it proves to be a fascinating summer read.
Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson
I am quite enthralled by this novel. This book is about the Stockton family: Darley, Georgiana, Cord, and their parents. They hail from old money inherited from generations of Stocktons. They are real estate developers who have bought up a prime area of Brooklyn Heights in New York. They purchased the area called Fruit Street. In comes Sasha who has married Cord, and has found herself an outsider in this elite family. Follow these siblings as they juggle high society, new jobs, new loves and old money. It’s about the peculiarities of someone else’s family, and the gap between those who have and those who have-not. Through the pages, this family ultimately finds out who they are and who they want to be. Their choices just might surprise you. I really loved this book. Please give it a read. This book is part of Good Morning America Book Club.
The Love of My Life by Rosie Walsh
Do you want a book you just can’t put down this summer? This is the one. It’s full of complicated characters: Emma, Leo, Janice and Jeremy. It also has a host of supporting characters who without, you would never figure this one out. It chronicles the lives of Leo, an obituary writer and his wife Emma who is a micro biologist. Emma has just finished her last round of chemo and Leo feels he must write her obituary to have on hand in the event she receives bad news at her follow up visit to the doctor. But unfortunately by Leo digging into his wife’s past, he realizes he doesn’t know his wife at all, not even her real name! It will blow your mind what he unleashes on his family, Janice, Jeremy and their family, as well as several other people’s lives. Sound mysterious? It is. This book will have you on the edge of your seat, confused completely and astounded. You will not know how this will turn out. You may think you do…but believe me it’s a shocker! What a page turner. You don’t want to miss this one.
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW TIME
Ok, what’s plugged into my CD player in my car? Yes, my car still has a CD player, and I am already stressing about the time I get a new car and they don’t come equipped with one. I’m for now staying in denial about that one. Anyway my BCD pick is The Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson. This story is of Leia Birch Briggs, who by trade is a comic book artist. She returns to her small Alabama town to find the family she always known isn’t what she thought. She tries to figure out how can she be a good mother, a granddaughter and a sister. What secrets are hidden so deep within this family? Where will this road back home take her? Will it lead her to the answers she so desperately needs? Who is Batman?? Listen and find out! Please take a listen, it’s a joy and the southern characters are full of charm and wit. It’s a winner!
DVD REVIEW TIME
My DVD pick this month is 80 for Brady starring Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno and Sally Field. Four best friends who adore Tom Brady like no other. It explores the lengths these best friends go through to make it to the Super Bowl LI to see none other than their crush Tom Brady. It also dives into how we deal with getting older, sickness and coping with family life. It is a joy from start to finish. With these winning characters how could it not be? And just a little trivia, it’s based on a true story. You will want to watch!
Summer Reading Program schedules are up and on the library website. Please check for the dates we will be rolling in your area bringing you loads of books, crafts and fun. LEGO and check us out on rcplwv.org.
Remember while you are browsing our website look at all the upcoming summer activities available here at the library. It’s shaping up to be a great summer of fun for the whole family.
Dates to remember:
June 14, 2023 Flag Day
June 18, 2023 Father’s Day
June 19, 2023 Juneteenth
June 20, 2023 WV Day
June 21, 2023 Summer Begins
June 26, 2023 Bookmobile’s Summer Reading Program begins
Try saying “Good Morning” as though you really mean it.
Then (tomorrow say) try treating some teen-ager like an adult.
Find someone to praise for doing a good job___ waitress, bus driver, newsboy, store clerk, anyone.
Show respect for an older person’s experience (or fortitude).
Be patient with someone who doesn’t understand as quickly as you do.
Write or phone someone having a difficult time. Say you know it’s rough, but you have faith in them.
Look pleasant.
Do your job a little better. Maybe you’ll get some praise, but certainly you’ll get more satisfaction.
Help someone___a young man or woman looking for a job (whether you can give it or not, give them hope) or an older one, discouraged in theirs.
Contribute to some church, or charity___money if you can, time if you can’t.
It just could be that this sort of understanding is what this country needs right now.
Try it tomorrow__ all day tomorrow.
You might be surprised!
--Courtesy of The Warner & Swasey Company
Let’s go soak up some sun!