The Read-a-thon Pile, and a recipe

I need to post the traditional pile of books for Dewey's 24-Hour Read-a-thon so that I will stop adding to it!  I've been to three different libraries today, not to mention a few other trips here and there.  The "good" news is that my closest library is closed on Fridays.  One less distraction tomorrow while I jam Friday's and Saturday's tasks into one day.  

Here they are:

It's only about five times as many books as I will have time to read, but a variety of moods might surface that day and I need to be prepared.

For the first time all of my kids will be home and able to participate for at least some of the day.  They, however, don't have piles.  They would never be so weird, they claim.

We usually donate to an organization based on the number of pages we all read together, but this year the read-a-thon falls on the day of our city's annual Empty Bowls Dinner, a fundraiser for the Settlement House.  We will go and enjoy soup donated by local restaurants served in  hand-painted bowls that we get to keep, and the money raised will provide  food and programs for the low-income families and individuals in our community.  Win-win!

Speaking of food, spinach-artichoke dip is something of a tradition for us  for the read-a-thon.  It's actually a Weight Watchers recipe.  No guilt--if you eat only one serving.  But we just eat it because it's good.

Zesty Spinach-Artichoke Dip
Serves 8 (or 2 if it's us)

2 (14 oz.) cans artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup grated Romano cheese
1 cup low-fat mayo
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Mix everything in a crock pot and cook on High for 1-2 hours or Low for 3-4.  Serve warm.

A 1/2 cup serving is 135 calories, 3 Weight Watchers points

The chips you eat with it are calorie-free, of course.