Lean In

I just finished Lean In.  While I thought it was a good read, I have to admit that many things left me wondering.  I think the book makes people (both men and women) about work-family balance.  What I have a hard time with is that right now the author's children are young.  I have a pre-teen son, and I can tell you that things get more complicated as the kids get older.  Sure, you can pay someone to pick up your child at daycare, but can you pay them to watch your son's little league game?  Can you pay someone to watch the school play?  Can you pay someone to be present in your child's parent teacher conference?  Yes, you can outsource many things (cleaning, cooking and childcare) however as children get older, they have other needs.  Of course every parents wants to be there for their children.

Do I have guilt about not volunteering in my child's classroom?  Yes.

Do I know that my children have great teachers?  Yes.

Do I know that I am organized enough to send my kids with lunch, snacks and the book order on the correct days?  Yes.

I really enjoy working.  I really LOVE my family.  I am balancing both.

But I know not all workers have the ability to work at home when their child is sick.  I also know that some people live in fear of losing their jobs because they stayed home with a sick child.  A waitress can not work from home.  A nurse can not work from home.  I am lucky that I can work from home when needed.

But she also needs to define what is success.  Success to many people is to become CEO or President, with the corner office.  But not everyone has that same definition of success.  Success is different and unique to each person. 

I am interested to read what others thought about Lean In.

Next up: Prisoner B 3087 - a book for fifth graders about surviving the Holocaust.  I let Mark read it first, however I am nearly done with it. . . . . I wonder what he thought about the whole thing.  Some parts were graphic and very sad.

Books

I haven't written about books for a bit!

I have purchased a few new cookbooks.  One of the new purchases includes the Barefoot Contessa Foolproof Book.  I am not the biggest fan of the Barefoot Contessa, but the cookbook does have tasty recipes.  So tasty that twice all four of us liked the same recipe.

I also just purchased Old School Comfort Food by Alex Guarnaschelli.  It was released April 9, and I received mine yesterday in the mail, however I have been too busy to really read it!  I am hoping to have a few days to look it over and plan to make a few things.

I am really really waiting for Flour Too by Joanne Chang to be published.  Even though it is the savory side of the bakery, I am really excited to get my hands on that book.  Amazon is telling me that I only have to wait til June 4!

Besides cookbooks, I have just finished Keeping the Faith by Jodi Picoult.  Jodi is one of the authors that once I start to read the book, I just can't put it down.  The story just sucks me in.  She isn't anything like Shakespeare but for modern fiction, I do like the books . . . . . I just can't read too many in a row.

I read Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver and liked it, especially the ending. Many of the characters were people I would not normally identify with, but it kept my interest.

I read The Dove Keepers which I really liked.  I also finished How Children Succeed for Book Club at work.

I am trying to read Visit From the Goon Squad, however I got side tracked by Lean In.  I didn't think I would like Lean In, but I find myself thinking about many things.  One paragraph of the book spoke about Having It All and how women strive for that (good family and good job), however the author also pointed out that many of us are in the day to day grind, trying to hold it all together.  We are thinking about Losing it All.  I know that on my most stressful days (kids are sick, there is a snow day and a huge deadline looming) I fear about Losing it All.  I think about balancing the successful career, and a loving family, and the health insurance, the doctor's appointments, the school performances, work deadlines, meetings that I need to attend at work and meetings that I need to attend for the organizations that I am involved in.  I am hoping that I continue to enjoy the book.

Back to cooking and reading!

Cookbooks

I love cookbooks.  I have quite a collection.  Some of my favorites are:

The Temple Emanuel Sisterhood Cookbook - as you might recall, Esther Muhlfelder and I co-chaired this book.  There are many tasty recipes in the book.  All tested.  My favorites are the Chocolate Mousse Cake and the Hamentashen recipe.

The Flour Cookbook - by Joanne Chang of Flour Bakery.  I love her cookbook and look forward to her savory one in 2013.  My favorite recipes from Flour are the Oreo Cookies, The Sticky Buns, The Banana Bread and the Brownies.

The Pie and Pastry Bible - This book changed my life.  I love pies, and had been having a hard time making pie crusts.  Rose Levy Beranbaum explained how to do it in the book, complete with the scientific reasons.  Now I don't skip the resting of the dough, because I know it is important to the finished product.

The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook - this cookbook is new this year, and I have only made a few of the recipes.  I have used her blog and I love it.  She is an amazing photographer and home cook.  Her blog recipes include a salted chocolate brownie recipe that I love.

My Binder - I have a three ring binder full of tested recipes that I love.  It is not published and one of a kind.  My favorite recipes are the lemon scones, Carol's BBQ chicken, vegetarian chili 9000, my mother in law's chicken soup and chocolate chip Mandelbrot.  This binder gets additions every year.  I would be lost without this cookbook.

No Recipe Posts - Just a book review

Last week I had gum surgery.  I won't get into the details, other than, I had no idea that the recovery from this would STINK.  Eating is hard work.  It is hard to control the food to make sure it doesn't go on the right side of my mouth.  I am done with yogurt, soup, ENSURE, BOOST and other soft foods.  In fact, even water sometimes hurts.

This post involves NO recipes.

Instead, I am going to let you all know that I finished the book Rav Hisda's Daughter by Maggie Anton.  I have read many of her books, and have enjoyed each one.  This one I enjoyed just as much, even though I bought it on my KINDLE.

The female lead, Dada, is a great female lead.  She is living life in post Temple destruction.  It is a male dominated world.  Females have little say about their future.  This book captured my attention!

Next on the TO READ list is GONE GIRL.  I just joined a book group, and am really excited to host my first group in November.  I gotta start reading the book.