sidewalk shoes

Weekend Wine Reviews ~Cloud Break Chardonnay

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Sun, 19 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Cloud Break, Chardonnay, 2011, California, total wine, $7.99. They say: a gorgeous wine with ripe concentrated fruit flavors, a rich texture, a great length. We say: sweet citrus fruit, nice long buttery finish. Buy again: yes!

Patchouli for Saturday Pet Blog Hop

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Sat, 18 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Patchouli trying to hide from the birdies (I don’t think it’s working).

This will be my entry for The Saturday Pet Blogger Hop!

Edamame and Mint Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Every spring, I look forward to mint. It’s one of my favorite herbs and necessary for the Vietnamese and Thai cooking that I love so much. I have such a struggle keeping my mint bed growing (weird – I know!). The bed is right next to the house and several years ago we had someone come pressure wash our siding. They used gallons upon gallons of bleach. It was horrible. It created a virtual wasteland in about a 3 foot radius from our house. The ground was left practically sterile. My mint bed was left lifeless. Slowly but surely it is picking up.

I’m always looking for ways to use my mint, so that I can keep it trimmed back and encourage spreading. When I saw this salad in the April issue of Everyday Foods, it sounded so simple. At first I thought the addition of butter was kind of weird, but it totally works. The only thing is that, you really need to serve it at room temperature, because taken straight from the fridge, the butter solidifies a bit. The flavors in this salad simply sing spring. You can find it online Edamame and Mint Salad, and I’ve also included it below.

Edamame and Mint Salad

1 package (10 ounces) frozen edamame
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 cups (5 ounces) baby spinach
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves

Cook edamame according to package instructions. Drain and toss with butter and spinach; season with salt and pepper. Let cool slightly and add mint.

4 Servings

This will be my entry for Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum!

This will be my entry for Souper Sundays (Soup, Salad, or Sammie) hosted by Deb at Kahakai Kitchen.

The Painted Girls by Cathy Marie Bushanan

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

I have seen Degas ballerina paintings before and never thought about the story surrounding them. Who were these ballerinas? Why did Degas find them so fascinating. And just like Degas found the ballerinas fascinating, I found this book fascinating.

I had no idea of how the ballet and opera worked in Paris in the 1870's. How it was really the only chance some girls had to rise out of poverty, out of a life of servitude and drudgery. This is a historical fiction account of three sister's the van Goethem sisters.

The book truly captures the mood and times. The girl's mother owns a bath house and without the ballet, they would be forced to follow in her footsteps.

"My lot, the lots of those around me, were cast the moment we were born into the gutter to parents who never managed to step outside the gutter themselves."

At the ballet, they see glimpses of the life they could have, if only they were good enough.

"Tonight is the opening of Monsieur Merante's new ballet, La Korrigane, and in the first act I appear as Breton peasant, wearing a costume more fine - I am sure - than any worn in all the countryside of Brittany. Two gold band mark the hem of my skirt and cuffs of my blouse, and the prettiest of laces edges my apron, collar, and cap, all of it far too white for any girl who ever tugged the teat of a cow or snatched an egg out from underneath a hen."

But just making it in that ballet is not enough, the girls frequently must find a man who will support them. Help them with the costs of their costumes and help provide a living.

"I want to put my face in my hands, to howl, for me, for Antoinette, for all the women of Paris, for the burden of having what men desire, for the heaviness of knowing it is ours to give, that with our flesh we make our way in the world."

I truly could not put this book down. Loved it.

Wordless Wednesday ~Iris at sunset~

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Wed, 15 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

P.S. Happy Birthday to me! Mr. Sidewalk Shoes (whose birthday was last Wednesday) and I are getting each other bicycles for our birthday. I’ve already named mine, and you can expect to see photos of her shortly!

Garden Tuesday ~Berries and flowers~

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Tue, 14 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Blueberries waiting for some warm sunshine!

Blackberries waiting for some busy bees!

Keys of heaven waiting for some hummingbirds!

Solomon’s seal waiting for it’s delicate white flowers to spring open.

What’s everything waiting for in your garden?

Please join me for Garden Tuesday.

Spatchcocked Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Mon, 13 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Besides sunny days, butterflies, and cherry popsicles…I look forward to summer most of all for spatchcocked chicken. That first plump chicken, split up the back, flattened and marinated in a rosemary/garlic rub, and then grilled to perfection. That is summer. That is what I wait for. Well guess what?? Here it is almost halfway through May and it’s cool. Sometimes even cold. I was lured into summer by a few warm days, and then bam, they left on a cool wind from the north.

Not be daunted, I chose instead to roast my lovingly spatchcocked chicken in the oven (why, yes, I do try to say spatchcocked as many times as I can – I am surrounded by 14 year olds all day long – I am entitled to a little immaturity). Spatchcocking the chicken makes it roast much more quickly because of the more even surface so this 5+ pound chicken cooked in only about 50 minutes.

I’ve already posted the details about spatchcocked chicken here. That is a post from 2009! It should be noted that I have been using the same rub/marinade for 4 years. It’s that good. And, if you don’t happen to get your act together enough to start the chicken marinating the day before, it doesn’t matter. I’ve done it for as little as 4 hours, and it is quite yummy! One bite of that salty, garlicky, rosemary, crispy skin is enough to make you cry tears of joy.

Weekend Wine Reviews #155 Once Upon a Vine Big Bad Red

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Sun, 12 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Just for the record…this was another one of those wines that my husband rolled his eyes at when I placed it in the cart. Really how could I resist…Once Upon a Vine…Big Bad Red… AND once again I was right.

Once Upon a Vine, The Big Bad Red Blend, Diageo Wines, 2010, $12, vine & barrel.
They say: velvety, rich and sumptuous on the palate. The ripe berry and chocolate flavors meld into an aroma so enticing you might eve say, what a big nose you have. We say: everything they say, totally yummy. Buy again: yes!

Happy Mother’s Day!!

Patchouli Photo bombing for Saturday Pet Blog Hop

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Sat, 11 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Isn’t this a lovely photo of Patchouli? The thing is, it wasn’t supposed to be a photo of Patchouli at all! If you go back and look at my Wordless Wednesday post for this week, you’ll see that it’s a vase of flowers on a mirrored tray on this porch.

So, yes a lot of kitty cat photo bombing happened before I finally was able to get my vase of flowers photo!

This will be my entry for The Saturday Pet Blogger Hop!

Tagliatelle with chestnuts, pancetta, and sage

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Fri, 10 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Do you ever buy something at the grocery store just because at one time you searched for it and couldn’t find it? This was the case for me, when I stumbled upon jars of chestnuts. I spent countless Thanksgivings searching in vain for them for a stuffing recipe that I wanted to try.

So, when I finally found them one day, I bought four jars. Several months had passed and the four jars were still sitting in my pantry. I had no clue what to do with them. Until I found Tagliatelle with chestnuts, pancetta, and sage in Gourmet Today: More than 1000 All-New Recipes for the Contemporary Kitchen

This was wonderful. Creamy and rich. The chestnuts added an interesting texture, the pancetta just the right about meatiness.

You can also find the recipe online: Tagliatelle with Chestnuts, Pancetta, and Sage and I’ve also included it below for you!

Tagliatelle with Chestnuts, Pancetta, and Sage

3 ounces pancetta, chopped (scant 1 cup)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage

8 ounces bottled peeled roasted whole chestnuts, coarsely crumbled (1 1/2 cups)

8 ounces dried flat egg pasta such as tagliatelle or fettuccine

2 ounces finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1 cup)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Cook pancetta in oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and 1 tablespoon sage and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in chestnuts and remove from heat.

Cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water according to package directions. Reserve 1 1/2 cups cooking water, then drain pasta in a colander and add to pancetta mixture in skillet. Add 1 cup reserved cooking water along with cheese and butter and cook, tossing constantly, over high heat until pasta is well coated (add more reserved water if necessary), about 1 minute. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve sprinkled with parsley and remaining tablespoon sage.

Serves 4

This will be my entry for Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum!

Jerusalem A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Thu, 09 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

I would have purchased this book based on the cover alone (I am completely smitten with baked eggs), but after seeing so many recipes form Jerusalem: A Cookbook pop up all over the blogosphere lately, I knew I wanted to try it.

First of all, the book is gorgeous. From it's softly padded cover, to the color laden images inside. Images of rich, mysterious food and bright every day images of markets and life around Jerusalem. It's an incredible cookbook with a coffee table feel. You want to leave this book out to pick up and browse through.

The book begins with an introduction about Jerusalem food and history. It's then divided into the following chapters: Vegetables, Beans & Grains, Soups, Stuffed, Meat, Fish, Savory Pastries, Sweets & Desserts, and Condiments.

The combination of flavors are so exotic and intriguing, that I found many things I marked to try.

Vegetables: Roasted Sweet potatoes & Fresh Figs, Baby Spinach Salad with Dates and Almonds, Mixed Bean Salad, Kohlrabi Salad (could have used this when my CSA gave me weeks worth of kohlrabi.

Beans & Grains: Falafel (must try this version), Wheat berries and Swiss chard with pomegranate molasses, barley risotto with marinated feta.

Soups: Cannellini bean & lamb soup, Tomato & Sourdough Soup.

Stuffed: Stuffed onions, stuffed eggplant with Lamb & Pine Nuts

Meat: Roasted chicken with clementines & Arak, Chicken with caramelized onion & cardamom rice, Turkey & Zucchini burgers with Green Onions & Cumin,

Fish: Panfried Mackerel with Golden Beet & Orange Salsa.

Savory Pastries: Red Pepper & Baked Egg Galettes

Sweets & Desserts: Sweet Filo Cigars, Mutabbaq

Condiments: Quick Pickled Lemons, Pickled Mixed Vegetables with Curry

Sometimes people are concerned about having to go out and buy a slew of exotic spices whenever you try to cook from a specific ethnic cookbook. I have a fairly extensive spice cabinet and have most of the spices on hand. Many of the recipes call for cinnamon, allspice, ground coriander - spices that if you cook frequently, you probably have them in your pantry. I plan on purchasing pomegranate molasses and za'atar to allow me to try even more of the recipes.

If you approach cooking as an adventure, I can think of no better cookbook.

Wordless Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Wed, 08 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Happy Birthday to Mr. Sidewalk Shoes.

Garden Tuesday Peonies, Foam Flower, Nandina

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Tue, 07 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Up first this week is my nandina. I love it so much. It is one of the best all-year performers in my yard. At this time of year, it is still sporting the bright red berries that developed over the winter. You can see it’s new spring growth is a soft orangey-red on the top and sides. Lovely.

My foam flower is sweet and delicate and performs well in a semi-shaded corner of the yard. It is perfect in front of the Lenten rose. A perfect plant pairing that happened totally by accident, I assure you!

The peonies are like a teenager, seemingly growing by leaps and bounds overnight. Seriously, I took a photo just a week or so ago, when they were shoots just coming out of the ground, now they are almost two feet tall. Can you find the ladybug in the photo?

Who doesn’t love a mass of purple wildflowers in front of a picket fence?

How about you, what’s in your garden this week.

Please join me for Garden Tuesday.

Ham and Yellow Eye Bean Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Mon, 06 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

When I was a teenager I was a candy striper at a local hospital. Those of you that know me, will find that utterly unbelievable, because I do not do blood. Not at all. When my two oldest daughters had their wisdom teeth removed, I remember standing in the doorway of their bedroom, queasy, while my youngest daughter (who was probably about 8 or 9 at the time), went in and changed their gauze. So, yeah, me in a hospital, voluntarily, is pretty unbelievable. What is very believable, however, is that I only worked on Thursdays, and that was because that was the day they had ham and bean soup in the cafeteria.

So, you might say that I have been a connoisseur of ham and bean soup practically all my life. Up to now, my favorite has always been with great northern beans, I know some prefer navy, but for me, it’s great northern. Until now. As part of my “year of beans with Rancho Gordo” I received their yellow eye beans. Good bye great northern, hello yellow eye!

These were so good. Perfectly creamy and their flavor complemented the ham wonderfully. My ham and beans is pretty basic. I soak the beans overnight in my slow cooker. In the morning, I had a meaty ham bone, a couple stalks of celery sliced, 3 carrots sliced, one chopped onion, a bay leaf, a couple sprigs of fresh thyme, a few garlic cloves and about 6-8 cups of chicken stock (depending on how much of the water the beans soaked up). Cook all day. Before serving, remove the hambone and shred the cooked meat and put it back with the beans. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with hot sauce or a hot chili pepper vinegar.

This will be my entry for Souper Sundays (Soup, Salad, or Sammie) hosted by Deb at Kahakai Kitchen.

Weekend Wine Reviews #155 Papio Chardonnay

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Sun, 05 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Papio Chardonnay California $6.99, total wine. They say: luscious fruit flavors with a hint of vanilla resulting in a balanced wine. We say: Crisp, clean a little citrus, apple really nice buy again: yes

Coco on the porch for Saturday Pet Blog Hop

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Sat, 04 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Our catnip has made it’s spring time appearance in a big way. Word of it has spread far and wide in the Soddy Daisy cat kingdom and our backyard has become a mecca for kitty cats.

The constant thoroughfare of kitty cats has created a few tensions. That explains the kittle scratch on Coco’s lip.

The thing is, she doesn’t even really seem to pay that much attention to the catnip. I see other kitty’s in it all the time, but she seems oblivious to it.

This will be my entry for The Saturday Pet Blogger Hop!

Lobster, Avocado, and Grapefruit Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Fri, 03 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Do you have an Earth Fare grocery store near you? I love them. What I really love is the email coupons they send weekly, and the bonus texts that they send. Sometimes they will send a text for a special one-day price on something, or to let you know what items are on sale. One of the texts I received was for lobster tails. I knew that putting a live lobster in a pot of boiling water was never, ever going to happen in my kitchen, so some frozen lobster tails sounded like an option.

These were very small, frozen lobster tails, and I only bought a package of two. So, a tiny bit of lobster meat – I figured I would use it in some sort of pasta. But on the very next page next to Chicken Salad with Tomatoes, Olives, and Green Beans was Lobster, Avocado, and Grapefruit Salad.

I have to say that Gourmet Today: More than 1000 All-New Recipes for the Contemporary Kitchen has hit another home run. This salad was light, yet felt rich with the lobster meat and the avocado. The grapefruit cut through the richness with a sweet tart flavor. I couldn’t find just arugula, so I used a mix of baby arugula, baby spinach, and baby kale. Served with a glass of white wine and a nice baguette, it was downright elegant.

You can find the recipe online: Lobster, Avocado, and Grapefruit Salad.

This will be my entry for Souper Sundays (Soup, Salad, or Sammie) hosted by Deb at Kahakai Kitchen.

This will be my entry for Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum!

A Thousand Days in Venice by Marlena de Blasi

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Thu, 02 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

It was recommended that I read A Thousand Days in Venice: An Unexpected Romance by a dear blogging friend who shares the same taste in books. She did not disappoint.

This book was such a treat to read.

While on a trip to Venice, de Blasi meets her future husband, known as "the stranger" throughout a lot of the book. He eventually finds her in St. Louis, and they move back to Venice to be wed. There are so many story lines to follow in the book. There is her romance…or how two relative strangers fall in love and learn to stay in love as they discover each complex layer of the other person. There are the lush descriptions of the Italian countryside, the culture, the lure of Venice. And then there is the food. Food, glorious food. I loved it all.

The writing was descriptive and flowing:

"Each evening we relieve the apartment of another layer of its past, and Fernando's eyes are like this of a dying bird; his journeys to the trash dump are funereal. He is the one spurring on the interim cleanup, yet he is anguished by it. He desires progress without change."

When she wants to just get married at the city hall:

"The stranger says no. Though he has tiptoed about behind the last pew of the church all his adult life, now he wants ritual, incense, candlelight, benedictions, altar boys, white carpets, and orange blossoms."

The food:

“We set things up, and by the light of a candle burning in a pierced tin lantern, the Adriatic crashing and booming all around, we eat quail stuffed with figs and girdled in pancetta and roasted on branches of sage, holding the birds in our hands, devouring the scant, sweet flesh down to the bone. We have a salad of fresh peas and butter lettuces and leaves of mint, all dressed in the quail-roasting juices, some good bread, and a cool Sauvignon from the Friuli."

If you love a good love story, if you love stories set in dreamy foreign lands, if you love luscious descriptions of food (and even some recipes at the end of the book), then you will love this book.

Wordless Wednesday ~Honeysuckle

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Wed, 01 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

This will be my entry for Wordless Wednesday at Create with Joy.

Garden Tuesday ~Azaleas, Fig Tree, Chinese Fringe Flower

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 10:00:00 +0000

My white azaleas are the first to bloom. You can see in these pics that it was just starting to open up. Now, they are huge fluffy masses of white.

My fig tree. Could we please all stop for a moment and send a big “make figs” thought to my tree? Really if we all send this massive burst of figgy energy to it, perhaps this will be the year it actually produces figs.

And this is my Chinese Fringe flower, looking a bit moody. I can not recommend this flowering shrub enough. It is evergreen here in Tennessee and blooms so often, I really have no idea what it’s blooming season is – possibly continuous? I know you can’t tell with this photo, but there are pretty pink fringe flowers on it, look at this link Chinese Fringe Flower to see how it was blooming in my yard in October 2009! Isn’t it pretty?!

How about you, how is garden looking this week?

Please join me for Garden Tuesday.

Spaghetti with Olive and Pine Nut Salsa

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 10:00:00 +0000

I can tell you right now that this is going to become my go-to easy, peasy pasta dish. Why? Because I almost always have the following items in my pantry and fridge: kalamata olives, capers, pine nuts, and parsley. With those ingredients you can make this pasta dish is the amount of time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta.

I found the recipe in Gourmet Today: More than 1000 All-New Recipes for the Contemporary Kitchenwhich I am almost considering cooking my way through because so far I have loved every single recipe out of it! The only changes I made: it called for finely chopping the olives, capers, and pine nuts by hand – I used a food processor and stopped when they were still a bit chunky, but still finely chopped. The recipe also calls for a half a cup of olive oil. I used a little less and used some of the pasta water to moisten it a bit more.

You can find the recipe online: Spaghetti with Olive and Pine Nut Salsa – people either loved it, or thought it was bland. I can not imagine how you would think this was bland. I think the key is the olives. I used Kalamata – it calls for Gaeta – I think you want a good, strong flavored olive. You can easily modify this recipe and use some sauteed shrimp or add some roasted red peppers, or even some sundried tomatoes.

Really a fantastic recipe to have in you repertoire. And might I just add that I am a notorious speller, I rely completely on spellcheck to give me options. It took several tries to find repertoire – I couldn’t even figure out how to spell it close enough for spell check to figure out what I meant!

Weekend Wine #154 Cortese del Piemonte

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Cantine lanzavecchia cortese del Piemonte, 2010, total wine, $8.99. They say: delicate fruity bouquet carries notes of whit flowers and apples, while the palate is crisp, clean and balanced. We say: a bit of floral and citrus. Nice and crisp. Buy again: yes.

Patchouli and the Hosta for Saturday Pet Blog Hop

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 10:00:00 +0000

The kitty cats love my resolution this year to take photos of my garden every single weekend. Here, Patchouli is admiring the new hosta growth!

In case you think, she is really helping me work….the catnip is just mere inches away, and it’s new growth is what really brought her over.

This will be my entry for The Saturday Pet Blogger Hop!

Garlicky Swiss Chard with Olives and Pine Nuts

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:00:00 +0000

I am not a vegetarian (as obviously witnessed by the above ham sandwich), and I don’t get all that excited about vegetables. Yes they’re good and good for you, but they don’t entice the same love that I give to..oh say…a perfectly cooked steak. And while the above Swiss chard is not on the same wavelength as a perfectly cooked steak, it is mighty fine. Seriously good.

Last week, while menu planning, I pulled out The Food Matters Cookbook: 500 Revolutionary Recipes for Better Livingfrom Mark Bittman. I had impulsively bought some Swiss chard from the grocery store (rarely do I impulse buy), and his recipe sounded interesting. What kind of threw me was the red wine. Red wine with Swiss chard? It didn’t sound like something I would like, and I was even filling up the measuring cup with water, when I decided to trust Mr. Bittman. I should have never doubted him. This was wonderful. I even took the leftovers for lunch the next day, served at room temperature, they were great. I could have made a meal of this alone. Really. That good.

Garlicky Swiss Chard with Olives and Pine Nuts

11⁄2 pounds chard
1⁄4 cup pine nuts
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 garlic cloves, sliced, or to taste
1⁄3 cup good-quality black or green olives, pitted and chopped
1⁄2 cup red wine or water
Salt and black pepper

1. Cut the leaves from the stems of the chard. Cut the leaves into wide ribbons and slice the stems (on the diagonal if you like); keep the leaves and stems separate.

2. Put the pine nuts in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Toast the nuts, shaking the pan and stirring often, until just starting to turn golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the nuts from the pan. Put the oil in the skillet and heat for 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until soft, golden, and fragrant, about 10 minutes.

3. Turn the heat to medium and stir in the chard stems and olives. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the stems soften a bit, just a minute or 2. Add the chard leaves, wine, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring, until the chard leaves are wilted and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir in the pine nuts and taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Serves 4

This will be my entry for Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum!

Mrs. Kennedy and Me by Clint Hill

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:00:00 +0000

I have to begin by noting that I listened to Mrs. Kennedy and Me as an audiobook. I listen to non-fiction and read fiction (can't keep too many plots straight). And even thought the audiobook was great, I don't know that I recommend listening to it, because after reading some of the book reviews, I wish that I had photos that accompanied the book. That being said, the audiobook was so good, I do plan on buying the book so that I can see the photos.

Like most people, I do not know first hand what it is like to be a secret service agent or the first lady of the United States. After this book, I have a much better idea. It was completely fascinating. The relationship between Clint Hill and Mrs. Kennedy, while staying very professional, was much more.

I had no idea how much a secret service agent had to give up of their life to do their job. Clint Hill spent Christmas, Thanksgiving, summers, weekends, weeks on end in other countries, with Mrs. Kennedy and the Kennedy's. When he was not actually with her, he was arranging security for upcoming events. When I read about how carefully, how seriously he took his job, his frugalness (they had to find cheap hotel rooms with their daily stipend), I can't help but compare it with the current scandal of the secret service agents with prostitutes in Columbia.

In addition to the ins and outs of being a secret service agent, the book shows what it is like to be the first lady of the United States. I have a new found respect for the job that they do. It was sad reading as she slowly learned that her life as she knew it was over. No more simple shopping trips, no more leisurely strolls window shopping.

Then there is the whole Kennedy clan. This book allows you a glimpse into their lives and lifestyle. The homes, the boats, the holiday gatherings.

This book has something for everyone; a Kennedy biography, a Jacqueline Kennedy biography, and a memoir of a very special secret service agent.