What I'm reading Wednesday...

 

Twenty-third challenge finish of the year.

This crime fiction > courtroom drama is a genre and sub genre I used to read a LOT of, but for some reason kind of got away from.  This is the first I've read in a long time, and it was well done.  I came across this 'author' while sorting donated books at the library, so I knew that Perri O'Shaughnessy is the pseudonym for two sisters, one a trial lawyer for sixteen years, and one a writer.  This title is the first in a series.

Twenty-fourth challenge finish of the year.

What can I say about this?  Not my genre.  Not my trope.  I thought about reading Jane Eyre for this prompt, and I wish I had!  But I thought I would try to stay close to the prompt's seemed intent.  I found this one free to borrow from Kindle Unlimited.

The subtitle for this book was too long to put in the graphic: A Hilarious Small Town Rom-Com of a Grumpy Mountain Man and the Surrogate For His Child.

Not sure how to describe this without sounding prudish.  Maybe I'll just say that I give this two stars for writing, plot, etc.  But I give it FIVE red hot peppers for sexual content.  If that's your deal, go for it; if it's not your deal, then turn away.  This is the first of a trilogy, but I think I've read enough.

What I'm reading Wednesday...

 

Twenty-first challenge finish of the year.

Seemed to take a long time to get through this one.  Story of Joy Davidman and C.S. Lewis' relationship going from US/UK correspondence to eventual marriage.  It seemed to be well researched, and a subject the author cared about.  However I couldn't quite get invested in the characters.  

Twenty-second challenge finish of the year.

This falls under the old adage of 'don't judge a book by its cover.'  This cover art is one which is in the trend that I hold a particular dislike for.  To me it kind of screams CHICK LIT which is not my favorite genre.  But this was my book club's selection for this month so I figured I should make an effort.

The club meets at my house this Friday.  My house is not ready for company (for reasons I will probably post about later), so I looked everywhere I could think of for a way to borrow the audiobook, but all options had long wait lists.  I finally resorted to using one of my Audible credits to purchase it, and I listened to it while I did other things around the house. 

The 'castle' setting was one of the gilded-age mansions built in Rhode Island which was the wedding venue; it was the closest I could come to getting it to fit into one of the prompts.  It IS chick lit, but wasn't mind-numbing pap.  The characters were likable and their development was pretty good.  I didn't love it, but it was better than I expected, and I feel good about getting it done so I can take part in the discussion.

What I'm reading Wednesday...

Nineteenth challenge finish of the year.

This one has been on my Kindle since 2013.  It took me over a week to finish; I've had other stuff going on.  My daughter and I were reading it at the same time; I finished it last night, she finished it today.  I was reading it on my Kindle; she was reading a paperback, but may have switched over to audiobook, as she said the print in the paperback was almost too small to read.  At 416 pages of tiny print, maybe that's why it took me so long.  I really thought she was going to beat me to the finish line.

I didn't love it, and can't put my finger on why.  The main characters were likable, most of the secondary characters not so much.  I was contemplating exactly what kept me from really liking it.  It is based in Greek mythology, and as I was thinking back to high school literature classes, I realized I didn't enjoy learning about mythology even then.  So maybe I can chalk it up to it just not being a genre I enjoy.

 

Twentieth challenge finish of the year.

I don't like to try to rate non-fiction.  I'll say that it is not light reading.  This was along the lines of a journal written by C.S. Lewis as a way to work through his grief after his wife died from cancer.  

Tomorrow will be the 27th anniversary of the death of my best friend, also from cancer.  Did I pick this one now on purpose?  I didn't think so, but perhaps.  I will probably read it again.  It's impossible to absorb and process something this deep in one read through.  But it had enough points I agreed with that I would like to revisit it.

I'm now about halfway through the bigraphical fiction book about C.S. Lewis and his wife that will fill prompt 45.

 

The first quarter of the year is behind us already!  I'm satisfied with the challenge progress I've made so far.  I've read books for each prompt that has red arrows at their number.  And if a prompt number has two red arrows pointing to it, it means the book that I read for that one has been lingering on my Kindle for a loooong time.

Chive garden progress 7 days in

Day 1

grocery store green/spring onion bulbs in water (green leaves used in recipe)

Day 7 - Impressive.

At this rate, I'll have to harvest regularly and use more often in cooking.

PS:  Blogger is acting up again for me.  Completely froze on me, and had to restart.

What I'm eating Wednesday...

I am reading, but not making a lot of headway.  

I have been cooking quite a bit though.  Yesterday I did a test run of "baking" white and sweet potatoes in the slow cooker.  I wasn't crazy about the results, but they were okay.  The skins were a bit too fragile for my intended purpose (twice baked potatoes), but would work great for "baking" them in the summer without heating up the kitchen.

I made about seven of the regular bakers into twice-baked potatoes, and after freezing on a baking sheet overnight, I moved them into individual vacuum-sealed bags this morning.  Now they are in the chest freezer for future meals.

I did a large dice of the two sweet potatoes and one of the white potatoes, and refrigerated them overnight.  Tonight for supper I used them (along with some sausage) for breakfast hash topped with fried eggs.  Leftovers remain, yay!

Since I picked up my grocery order last week, I've also made Sausage, Rice, and Green Beans Skillet, next night I roasted a spaghetti squash and topped it with shrimp alfredo sauce.  Another night I made Italian Baked chicken with rice as a side and broccoli.  The leftover chicken breasts will be diced for a casserole or something another night.  Tomorrow the plan is for meatloaf.

I do so much better when I plan a menu and have the groceries in the house.  

Speaking of groceries, I thought I'd show you these photos I took when I unloaded the grocery order last week.  

I have stacking egg trays for the fridge.  They nest together when they aren't both full.  When I buy more eggs, I buy a different color from what I still have to use at home.  

I move the older eggs to the front of the top tray so they get used first.  Then I'll start on the brown eggs when the white ones are used up.  Sometimes we go through eggs faster than others.

When I'm not in the kitchen, I am in the process of moving my card making desk/shelves/supplies to the guest room.  The quilting supplies will stay put and be able to spread out a bit once the desk etc is moved out.  I'm trying not to rush.  Don't want to risk messing my knee up again.  But not rushing means a longer process.  And I have book club at our house in two weeks.  Yikes.  I hope it's done by then, but I'm just not going to stress over it.  My book club is good folks, they won't hold a bit of mess against me.

A recipe in photos...

If you'd like the approximate measurements...

Cornbread Salad

Cornbread (I used leftovers that I crumble and keep in freezer)

Green Onions (1 bunch sliced)

Green Bell Pepper (diced finely)

1 tomato (diced finely)

2 hard-boiled eggs (diced)

Bacon (cooked and chopped...I know mine was overcooked)

Mayonnaise (enough to moisten salad to your taste)

Salt, Pepper, & Garlic Powder (to taste)

We had it with Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches.  But also great to serve with any kind of barbecue.

Now come on, I had doubts too, but I first had it at a staff barbecue, and I and everybody else  asked for the recipe.  We like it!  (I mean it's not like I'm asking you to try Peanut Butter and Pickle Sandwiches!  LOL)

And I saved the root end of the green onions to try out my new, handy-dandy chive-growing water pot on my kitchen window sill.  Updates to come.

Rudy, the TV watching dog...

Shhh!  Quiet!  Westminster Dog Show is on!

Oh, Mom, what do you mean the St. Bernard looks nothing like me?

We could practically be twins!

WHAT?!  You think that little shrimpy terrier looks more like me?!  

I like his name though, Dynamite!

Why couldn't you have given me a cool name like that?!

Do you know any TV watching dogs?  Watching Rudy entranced by what's on TV is like Carey being entranced by baseball games...every baseball game...between now and November...sigh.  But I digress.

Thankfully, no commercials for CarFax came on, so Rudy's volume level stayed bearable.

When this guy comes on (AKA Rudy's nemesis since puppyhood), one just prays the commercial break is brief so the barking and posturing is over as soon as possible.

To be fair, he doesn't really like any anthropomorphized animals or toys that come on.  America's Best Contacts and Eyeglasses' spokes-owl is also an attention getter around here.  And Christmas' non-stop commercials with talking toys?  Yikes!

And several years ago there was a commercial for a French yogurt, the commercials for which had French-speaking actors.  He didn't like them either.  I can only assume because he thought they should be speaking English.  LOL