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Julie Peterson, raised in Albert Lea, has written a delightful, refreshing book about tea parties...how to meticulously plan the party, luscious recipes, lots of beautiful pictures and artwork, meaningful comments......everything from A to Z.
Treasuring the Gift of Teatime: tea parties for mothers, daughter, sisters and friends (641.53 Pet)
Al Roker's Big, Bad Book of Barbecue: 100 Easy Recipes for Backyard Barbecue and Grilling (641.71 Rok)
Betty Crocker's Entertaining Basics: Learning to Entertain with Confidence (642 Bet)
The Summer House Cookbook: Easy Recipes for When You Have Better Things to Do with Your Time (641.5 Pon)
The Albert Lea Public Library also offers several books on how to select wines, mix cocktails or make smoothies.
Do you enjoy experimenting with things and getting your hands dirty? If so, then you better join us this Wednesday, June 27th for the Spy Party. The fun begins at 3:00 with Officer Jim Stark doing fingerprinting. There will also be experiment stations including making flubber, an oil globe, a sand necklace, and decoding secret messages. Come investigate the fun, we will be in the bottom level of the Civic Theatre.
Are we what we eat? Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson answer this question and many more in their hair-raising exposes about the fast-food industry. Read these books and you may not eat fast food again. It may even influence how you feel about the food you cook yourself.
Chew on This: everything you don't want to know about fast food. "Chew on This covers the history of the fast-food industry and delves into the agribusiness and animal husbandry methods that support it. From the 37-day life of the pre-McNugget chicken to the appallingly inhumane conditions of slaughterhouses and meatpacking plants, the author lays out the gruesome details behind the tasty burgers and sandwiches. Equally disturbing is his revelation of the way that the fast-food giants have studied childhood behavior and geared their commercials and free toy inclusions to hook the youngest consumers. The text is written in a lively, lay-out-the-facts manner. Occasional photographs add bits of visual interest, but the emphasis here is on the truth about soda pop and obesity, fries and lies. Schlosser is a crusader writing with an obviously strong purpose. He backs up and documents all of his points, ensuring that his insights will incite." From School Library Journal
Fast Food Nation: the dark side of the all-american meal "The first part of the book details the postwar ascendance of fast food from Southern California, assessing the impact on people in the West in general. The second half looks at the product itself: where it is manufactured , what goes into it and who is responsible. In harrowing detail, the book explains the process of beef slaughter and confirms almost every urban myth about what in fact "lurks between those sesame seed buns." Given the estimate that the typical American eats three hamburgers and four orders of french fries each week, and one in eight will work for McDonald's in the course of their lives, few are exempt from the insidious impact of fast food. Throughout, Schlosser fires these and a dozen other hair-raising statistical bullets into the heart of the matter." From Publisher's Weekly
Many people, especially booklovers, often hold the notion that they have a novel inside of them but they just don't know how to get it out and onto paper. For those who would like to start down that path of putting pen to paper (or finger to keyboard), here is a suggested selection of books available at the Albert Lea Public Library:
How I Write: Secrets of a Best-selling Author by Janet Evanovich (808.3 Eva)
The Modern Library Writer's Workshop: A Guide to the Craft of Fiction by Stephen Koch (808.3 Koc)
Writing Fiction: An Introduction to the Craft by Garry Disher (808.3 Dis)
This Year You Write Your Novel by Walter Mosley (808.3 Mos)
Frank McCourt is credited with saying that it took him thirty years to write Angela's Ashes. So, don't get frustrated if your own progress doesn't make you feel like you're flying along.
"In the summer, the days grow longer and the nights grow shorter. There is more time for outdoor fun!
In the summer, the air is hot,and you can spend your days in a swimming pool, splashing and having fun!
In the summer, it is fun to take long walks.
In the summer, you can spend 10 hours in a boat, relaxing and fishing, and it seems like 10 minutes.
In the summer, the grass is green and the trees are too...perfect for laying out a blanket and having a picnic."
From Sherri Osborn on the Family Craft Website
FUN IN THE SUMMER, a website with summer projects, fine art ideas, suggested reading and craft ideas.
What is better than packing up your picnic basket and heading for a park or lake to eat and enjoy the outdoors? Or picnic in your backyard rather than having dinner at the dining room table. For yummy, inviting picnic food recipes, check out the books listed below...lots of fun ideas!!!!
Festive Picnics: recipes, crafts and decorations for outdoor occasions
Williams-Sonoma Outdoor Entertaining
My Cat, the Silliest Cat in the World by Gilles Bachelet is a funny and absurd story about the author's silly cat (who oddly appears to look very much like an elephant). Bachelet's illustrations are delightful for children and adults to look at as his "cat" goes through his regular day.
If you enjoy this book's illustrations you may also enjoy revisiting books with illustrations by Steven Kellogg, such as The Three Sillies or If You Made a Million.
Traditionally, June is known as the favorite month for weddings, because in our climate it is one of the most beautiful months of the year. In preparation for these summer weddings, the library has acquired beautiful, informative books that cover every aspect from engagement to wedding to honeymoon: Michaels Book for Wedding Crafts, Emily Post's Wedding Planner: the definitive organizer for your engagement, wedding and honeymoon plans, Weddings Valentine Style, Colin Cowei's Extraordinary Weddingsand The Everything Creative Wedding Book. Whatever month you are being married or even if you are already married, you will enjoy these books.
Paula's southern style of cooking is decadent and loaded with rich flavor - not for the calorie-faint-of-heart. Her style of homemade comfort food is meant for family, friends and laughter. Readers who would like to get to know more about the woman behind the food can also check out her book It Ain't All about the Cooking.
