Study Drinks: Vodka Slushies

 

Need a drink to get through a long study session? I found the solution: Vodka Slushies. I got this recipe from The Food Network but I changed it significantly and didn't bother measuring.

 So it was a little of this and a little of that...basically whatever we could find in the fridge.

My Recipe (roughly):

1 pitcher of cranberry juice
1 can of concentrated orange juice
2 cups of raspberry lemonade
1 cup of vodka
1 cup of cherry brandy
1 cup of frozen raspberries

1. Mix all ingredients in a shallow pan (will freeze faster).
2. Place in the freezer for 2 hours. It will have a slushie consistency because of the alcohol.
3. Serve up in glasses and enjoy!

Sunday Favourites: Author - Rona Jaffe

Author: Rona Jaffe
Born: 1931

Dutton - 2003

Died: 2005
Genre: American Fiction
Major Works: 17 Novels

As a fan of the HBO television series Sex and the City, Rona Jaffe reminds me of the original Candace Bushnell. Oh you're not a fan of Carrie Bradshaw? Well, Sex and the City was originally a novel by Bushnell that was adapted into a television show. To me, Jaffe was the pioneer of this four-girl fictional genre.

My first Jaffe book happened to be her last written novel, The Room-Mating Season (2003). The book centres around four girls living and working in New York City during their 20's. They then continue to weave in and out of each other's lives throughout the years.

Though this was her final book, most of her work is structured this way. They feature three to four girls who meet due to circumstances, but create bonds that involve each other for decades. Other great Jaffe novels include Class Reunion (1979) and the sequel After the Reunion (1985). These two books are about four girls who meet at Radcliffe (Jaffe's school) during the 1950s and their lives lead right back to each other in the end.

These novels aren't for everyone and they are geared towards a female audience. However they are entertaining. Unfortunately Jaffe passed away from cancer in 2005, but she lives on in her work.

Sunday Favourites: Continuing with Memoirs

 Book: Stolen Years

Author: Sara (Plager) Zyskind
Publisher: Signet
Year: 1981

One of my favourite time periods to read about is World War II and the Holocaust. The Holocaust in particular has always interested me. In grade seven, my teacher brought in a Holocaust survivor to speak to the class and her vivid account of the horrifying events always stuck with me. I guess even as a 12-year-old, I couldn’t imagine such atrocities occurring to people whose only crime was being born a Jew. Listening to her tell her story and noting that she wasn’t much older than my own grandmother, made me realize that it really wasn’t that long ago. By high school, our religion class ventured to Detroit to visit the Holocaust museum. Again the speaker left the class speechless and said his main goal was to tell his story so these acts of violence would never happened again.

As a result, I began to read classic Holocaust memoirs such as Night by Elie Wiesel and Anne Frank: A Diary of a Young Girl. Both well written and well known, but nothing seem to impact me as much as Stolen Years by Sara Zyskind. A local used bookstore was closing down in my town and they were having a huge clearance sale. Most paperbacks were 50 cents each. I came across one with a cover of a sullen-looking girl with long braids. The cover was extremely tattered and taped. I added it to my mountainous pile without out much thought.

This virtually unknown book and author became one of my favourite books of all time. It is the story of Sara Plager living in Lodz, Poland in 1939. As an eleven-year-old Jewish girl, her life is turned upside down when the Nazis invade her city. She is forced into the ghetto, narrowly escapes Auschwitz, and finishes up the war at seventeen in a labour camp. How she manages to survive when so many around her are dying is beyond reason. The description of her struggle is unforgettable and like nothing I have ever read before. And I think that is what separated her story from the rest for me. Seven years after reading it, I still remember how much she made me appreciate something as simple as a piece of bread. It is also one of the few books my mom has ever read twice.

This book is extremely rare. I haven’t been able to track down a copy at any bookstore and I have only found a few copies online. Therefore I have only given it out to a few trustworthy people over the years. I remember it also being difficult to find any information about the author. If you want a story to make you appreciate your own life, I suggest tracking down a copy of the Stolen Years.





*Note: Sunday Favourites is an idea I have to force myself to sit down and write a short blog post every weekend no matter how busy I get with school! I might do similar topics for a month. Examples: Book genres, music, desserts, sports, etc. Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading!


Sincerely, Mag

Sunday Favourites: Memoirs

Credit: HarperCollins

Book: Changing My Mind
Author: Margaret Trudeau
Publisher: HarperCollins
Year: 2010

The memoir of Margaret Trudeau focuses on the period during and after her marriage to former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Married at the age of 22, Pierre was 29 years older than her. She was quickly thrust into the spotlight as his beautiful, young, wife. She had three children with Pierre and suffered from undiagnosed bipolar disorder during this period.

Her memoir is a blunt account of her actions, decisions, and life with bipolar disorder. She admits both her wrongs and rights during this time. She discusses how she was so sick that she left her kids to hang out with celebrities and to dance at Studio 54. She was able to travel the world with her position and status while trying to bury her illness. She admits to not following doctors' orders with prescriptions while relying on marijuana to cope. The story continues beyond her time in the Canadian political spotlight and through a second failed marriage and the death of her son.

I discovered this book after my mom listened to her speak at a medical conference for work. She was so inspiring that my mom couldn't stop talking about her and I bought her the memoir for Christmas. I soon read the story myself and would recommend it to anyone. Margaret still battles bipolar disorder today, but realizes how much she has to live for. The book will give you a better understanding of mental illness and the people who suffer from it.