DJL Dishes Dessert: Tiramisu

The first time I made this dish was two years ago for one of my coworkers who requested it as her birthday dessert.  My one problem at that time was locating lady fingers, the cookies that are the foundation of a tiramisu.  So I made due with what I could find and while the dessert was delicious, I wanted to make another one in the future.  My same awesome coworker asked for it this year, and I made sure to deliver.

Ingredients:


- 2 Tbsp of Maxwell House instant coffee
- 1 Tbsp of sugar
- 1 cup boiling water
- 2 pkg. (3 oz. each) ladyfingers, split & divided (I actually got two 6 oz. packages and used 9 oz.)
- 2 pkg. (8 oz.) Neufschatel cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 cups thawed whipped cream
- 1 tsp of unsweetened cocoa powder


Directions:


1. Dissolve combine coffee granules and 1 Tbsp. sugar in boiling water. Arrange 1 pkg. ladyfingers on the bottom of 11x9-inch dish; brush with 1/2 cup coffee. (I spooned the coffee over the ladyfingers using a regular tea spoon.)


2. Beat Neufschatel cheese in a large bowl with mixer until creamy. Add 1/2 cup sugar; mix well. Whisk in whipped cream.


3. Spread half the Neufschatel cheese mixture over ladyfingers in dish; top with remaining ladyfingers. Brush with remaining coffee mixture; cover with remaining Neufschatel cheese mixture. Sprinkle with cocoa powder. Refrigerate 4 hours.

Bon appetit!

Waiting On Wednesday: Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's "Waiting On" Wednesday selection is:

Of Poseidon

By Anna Banks

Publish Date: May 22nd by Feiwel & Friends

From Goodreads~

Galen is the prince of Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen--literally, ouch!--both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma's gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to saving his kingdom...

Told from both Emma and Galen's points of view, here is a fish-out-of-water story that sparkles with intrigue, humor, and waves of romance.

Totally in love with the cover! The summary's already promising a great story, and I'm so looking forward to reading it and to seeing Anna Banks when she visits Blue Willow Books in June for the Fierce Reads tour! :D

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Top Ten Tuesday (45): Books You'd Like to See Made into a Movie

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week a new Top Ten list will be posted by one of the bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish. Everyone is welcome to join, just make sure to link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so everyone can check out other blogger lists. Have fun!

Top Ten Books You'd Like to See Made into a Movie

(In no particular order)

1. The List by Siobhan Vivian

This was such a great book, and I think it could definitely pull off the story on the silver screen. 

2. Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

Action, mystery, time-travel, and romance, what more do you need for a great movie?

3. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

I would be so very curious to see how the capall uisce would be created for the film.

4. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

It would be so amazing to see the world of Ixia and Sitia brought to life, and to see Yelena, Valek, Ari, and Janco in film.

5. The Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce

Not a single movie, but four movies that would need special attention to the detail Pierce used to create this amazingly epic story.

6. Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

1) There can never be too many werewolf movies and 2) This would hopefully be one of the most amazing werewolf movies.

7. Flawless by Lara Chapman

I know there's a different rendition of Cyrano in Roxanne, but it would be nice to see the feminized version. 

8. Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Just for the setting alone would I want this book to be made into a movie.

9. The Talking Eggs by Robert San Souci

As one of my favorite children's books, this is one that would be a treat to see as a film.

10. Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs

With all of the dramatic, action movies involving the Greek gods, it would be a nice change of pace to see a more light-hearted story instead.

TGIF (21): Reading Blues

TGIF is a weekly meme created and hosted by Ginger of GReads! that recaps the week's posts and has a different question each week.

This week on Denim-Jacket Librarian Dishes:

In My Mailbox (30): TXLA 2012 Edition

Beaux Livres

Top Ten Tuesday (44): All-Time Favorite Characters in Books

Small Blogs, Big Dreams Giveaway Winner!

Review: The List by Siobhan Vivian

***

What helps you overcome those reading slumps when nothing seems to grab your attention?

My Answer: If it seems something isn't grabbing my attention, it might be due to reading too much within a particular genre (which I've been known to do). When that happens, I try to switch genres usually turning to a YA contemporary novel to help get me back in reading mode. I don't read a lot of contemporaries, but those that I do really help inspire me. When nothing at all seems to grab me, 1) I usually take a break from reading books and either watch some television shows or play a video game and 2) visit other blogs to see what they've been reading. You'd be amazed at how it can light a fire under you when another blogger is dishing on a fabulous new release. :)

Review: The List by Siobhan Vivian

Title:  The List
Author:  Siobhan Vivian
Pages:  332
Genre:  Young Adult Contemporary
Publisher:  Push
Obtained:  Purchased
Summary:  An intense look at the rules of high school attraction--and the price that's paid for them.

It happens every year.  A list is posted, and one girl from each grade is chosen as the prettiest, and another is chosen as the ugliest.  Nobody knows who makes the list.  It almost doesn't matter.  The damage is done the minute it goes up.

This is the story of eight girls, freshman to senior, "pretty" and "ugly."  And it's also the story of how we see ourselves, and how other people see us, and the tangled connection between the two.

The Dish:  Siobhan Vivian has crafted a remarkable and haunting story that will stay with readers long after they've closed the book.  I know that's what happened to me after I finished it and woke up the next morning still thinking about it.  With Vivian's easily flowing prose, I was carried through The List and then left to ponder on all eight girls.

The characters are phenomenal as readers see them transition over the course of a single week starting with the Monday when the list is posted.  A week seems so short a time to explore an entire book, but Vivian makes use of these 6 days in exploring the lives of all eight girls on the list.  It's amazing at how much one label can change the way people think about a person and what that person thinks about themselves.  For some of the girls, the change is almost instantaneous while for others more gradual, but by the end of the book, each of them is not the same girl at the beginning whether better or worse.

What I really noticed was the behavior of the people surrounding the eight girls whether family, friends, or boyfriends and how that shifted as well.  Those closest to the girls suffered an impact as well, not always from knowing about the list but in seeing how the girls change.  I was moved by several side characters and their actions towards their friends on the list.  It was fascinating to learn how they viewed being on the list and how those views changed throughout the week.

The List is definitely a contemporary story to have in a collection, and I'm eager to see what new stories Siobhan Vivian will share with her readers.

Small Blogs, Big Dreams Giveaway Hop!

Hosted by Forbidden Passions Reviews & Walking on Bookshelves

April 16th-21st

We all start out as small blogs, and it's only over time that we are able to expand through meeting other bloggers, readers, and anyone who just loves books.  One of the books I was thrilled to receive after ALA last year was an ARC of The Scorpio Races signed by Maggie Stiefvater.  I thoroughly enjoyed it, but now that I own my own copy (also signed by Maggie, thanks to the wonderful sponsors of Teen Book Con), I would like to pass it along as bloggers should do with ARCs.  Good luck, everyone!

And the winner is....

Froggarita!

Congratulations!  And thank you everyone for entering.  

Be on the lookout for another giveaway soon!

Top Ten Tuesday (44): All Time Favorite Characters in Books

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week a new Top Ten list will be posted by one of the bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish. Everyone is welcome to join, just make sure to link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so everyone can check out other blogger lists. Have fun!

Top Ten All Time Favorite Characters in Books

1. Sam Roth from Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

 It's sweet, adorable, and romantic Sam, how can readers who loved Shiver not love him?

2. Sean Kendrick from The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

He's great with horses and knows what he wants to do, working hard for it.

3. Yelena and Valek from the Study Trilogy by Maria V. Snyder

Okay, so I'm cheating here a bit, but you can't really have one without the other. Just not possible with this dynamic duo.

4. Bigwig from Watership Down by Richard Adams

Yeah, I'm such a sucker for a tough guy who eventually shows his softer side (even if he's a rabbit, he's still Captain of the Watership owsla).

5. Aahz from The Myth series by Robert Asprin

He kind of goes hand in hand with Bigwig, tough exterior but you know he really worries about Skeeve and wants him to succeed.  (He's the green guy in the middle.)

6. Alanna from Song of the Lioness quartet by Tamora Pierce

She wants to be a knight in a world that wouldn't accept that all while saving the kingdom one book at a time. How cool a character is that???

7. Ramona from The Ramona series by Beverly Cleary

While she could definitely get into trouble, she usually made it out of her scrapes and troubles just fine in the end. Also, does anyone else remember the TV series they had for the books? 

8. Evie from Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

She's funny, tough, and she has a pink taser, making her one of the most memorable and adorable characters on my list.

9. Alexia Terabotti from Soulless (The Manga) by Gail Carriger & Rem

Okay, since I haven't read the book yet, I can only judge by the manga, but holy schnikies is Alexia not one of the coolest heroines ever! She knows how to kick some serious butt all while in traditional Victorian England attire, and that makes her even more awesome.

10. Carol, Stevie, and Lisa from The Saddle Club by Bonnie Bryant

I grew up with these three girls, and with their love of horses rivaling my own, I think it's only fair to have them on this list (especially with as many books in the series I had).