A (mini) rant on censorship of books

The top ten complained about books to the American Library Association in 2012 in list format. I am proud to say I have read all of these except #4. I have taught # 2, #3, and #7.  I put #2, #3, #6, #7,  and #10 ten in a school library. I don't particularly like #1 and I have no plans to read #4 on this list, but that is my choice.  This brings me to my mini rant.

I  have a strong opinion on censorship of books.  My first opinion is, if you don't like it then don't read it.  My second opinion is, how can you know you don't like it if you have not read it?  My third opinion relates the fact that six of the ten books are written for an audience under the age of 18.  The American Library Association (ALA) said that in the case of these six books mostly adults were complaining about the material in these books on behalf of children.  Are these adults/parents letting their children watch rated "R" movies? Are they monitoring their internet usage?  Isn't it better that children learn about issues in life in well written books that address the issues than to pretend that life doesn't have some rough edges?

And the list now that my rant is over:
1) Captain Underpants (series), by Dav Pilkey (offensive language, unsuited for age group)
2) "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” by Sherman Alexie (offensive language, racism, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group)
3) “Thirteen Reasons Why,” by Jay Asher (drugs/alcohol/smoking, sexually explicit, suicide, unsuited for age group)
4) “Fifty Shades of Grey,” by E. L. James (offensive language, sexually explicit)
5) “And Tango Makes Three,” by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell (homosexuality, unsuited for age group)
6) “The Kite Runner,” by Khaled Hosseini (homosexuality, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit)
7) “Looking for Alaska,” by John Green (offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group)
8) Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz (unsuited for age group, violence)
9) “The Glass Castle,” by Jeannette Walls (offensive language, sexually explicit)
10) “Beloved,” by Toni Morrison (sexually explicit, religious viewpoint, violence)

 If you want to read the whole article on the ten challenged books here is the link:  http://www.ala.org/news/state-americas-libraries-report-2013/intellectual-freedom

And I won't even get started on my opinion on this but here is a link on information on the new edition of "Huckleberry Finn" where they replace the "N" word with "slave."  Here's the link on that if you are interested: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/01/04/132652272/new-edition-of-huckleberry-finn-will-eliminate-offensive-words

And PLEASE if you have a comment about censorship leave it in the comments below even if it disagrees with mine. I may not always agree with an opinion, but I'll be respectful about it.

Books, Baking & More!

    

Easy Baked Honey Mustard Chicken

I just copy and pasted this recipe from another cooking blog. The website address is at the end in case you want to check it out and so I don't take credit for the recipe.   It's one of the simplest and easiest recipes I have made and  probably one of the best.  I skipped the onion and garlic step, then made some mashed potatoes and green beans to go with it while the chicken was in the oven.  Sometimes the simplest things can be the best things.

Easy Baked Honey Mustard Chicken

Yield: serves 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of grainy, course mustard
1/4 cup smooth dijion mustard
1/2 cup honey (I love Bee Raw Honey)
3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 of a small yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken tenderloins
salt and pepper
4 small sprigs of fresh rosemary

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the mustards, honey, and 2 teaspoons of the olive oil.
In a sauté pan or cast iron skillet, add 1 teaspoon of olive oil.
I like to use my Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron 3-1/2-Quart Round Braiser for this because this piece can be used for the whole recipe and go from stove to oven to table. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until golden and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional 1 - 2 minutes, until fragrant.
Place the chicken tenderloins on top of the onion and garlic mixture, or if the pan you cooked the onion and garlic in is not oven safe, transfer the onion and garlic to an oven safe dish and add the chicken to it. Salt and pepper the tops of the chicken according to your personal preference.
Pour the honey mustard mixture on top of the chicken. Arrange the rosemary sprigs around the chicken in the pan.
Bake the chicken covered at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes. Then remove the cover, baste the chicken with the sauce, and continue to cook for an additional 20 - 30 minutes uncovered, or until the chicken is browned on top and cooked through.

Notes:

Chicken thighs also work well. I prefer boneless skinless thighs, but you can use bone-in or skin-on if you prefer. I have also used pork chops, but I brown both sides of the chops first before baking.

adapted from Honey Mustard Chicken

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This delicious recipe brought to you by Good Life Eats
http://www.goodlifeeats.com/2013/03/easy-honey-mustard-baked-chicken.html

Books, Baking & More!