Katiekrug Reads and Reads and Reads Some More - Part 5

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Katiekrug Reads and Reads and Reads Some More - Part 5

1katiekrug
Modifié : Mar 12, 2021, 11:31 am

CURRENTLY READING
(Kindle) (Kindle) (Audio)

Hi All!

For anyone new to my thread, I'm Katie: reader, wine drinker, food appreciator, shenanigan-ator, and non-sufferer of fools. I live outside New York City with my husband, "The" Wayne, our cat, Leonard, and our dog Nuala/Noodles. I work as a senior governance manager for a non-profit engineering association, which used to be fun because I got to travel and now is just a big pile of meh.

Here's to a great, or at least an improved, new year!

2katiekrug
Modifié : Mar 12, 2021, 11:31 am

Books Completed

Books Off My Shelf: 9
Books Off My Kindle: 6
Books from Audible: 1
Library Loans: 3

March
18. Love by Toni Morrison (4 stars)
19. Passing by Nella Larsen (3.5 stars)

February
Favorite:
17. The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver (4.5 stars)
16. The Blood of Emmett Till by Timothy B. Tyson (4 stars)
15. The Weirdies by Michael Buckley (audio) (4.5 stars)
14. The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey by Walter Mosley (4.25 stars)
13. Heaven, My Home by Attica Locke (4 stars)
12. Paradise by Toni Morrison (4.25 stars)
11. Emperor of the Air by Ethan Canin (3.5 stars)
10. When They Call You a Terrorist by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and Asha Bandele (4 stars)
9. Blessings by Anna Quindlen (4.5 stars)

January
Favorite:
8. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (2.75 stars)
7. Triangle by David Von Drehle (4 stars)
6. New Boy by Tracy Chevalier (3.5 stars)
5. 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl by Mona Awad (audio) (4 stars)
4. Siracusa by Delia Ephron (4.5 stars)
3. Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingalls (4 stars)
2. One By One by Ruth Ware (3.5 stars)
1. Jazz by Toni Morrison (3.75 stars)

Did Not Finish
1. Waterland by Graham Swift
2. Adequate Yearly Progress by Roxanne Elden
3. The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon
4. Chasing Shakespeares by Sarah Smith



My Ratings (revised, once again, as I continue the fruitless search for the perfect scale...)

2 stars = Whyyyyyy?
3 stars = Eh, ok.
4 stars = Definitely worth the time.
5 stars = Perfect *for me*

(Anything below 2 stars is unlikely to be finished)

3katiekrug
Modifié : Mar 12, 2021, 11:32 am



WELCOME!

4richardderus
Fév 25, 2021, 10:32 am

Good Thursday, heretical apostate schismatrix.

5figsfromthistle
Fév 25, 2021, 10:33 am

Happy new one!

6katiekrug
Fév 25, 2021, 10:34 am

>4 richardderus: - I mean, I don't dislike Heyer. I've only read maybe 3 of her novels? I have lots more on the Kindle, though...

>5 figsfromthistle: - Thanks, figs!

7drneutron
Fév 25, 2021, 10:37 am

Happy new thread!

8katiekrug
Fév 25, 2021, 11:04 am

>7 drneutron: - Thanks, Jim!

9katiekrug
Modifié : Fév 25, 2021, 11:05 am



Raisins are the Devil's food, so this is perfect, as far as I'm concerned...

10richardderus
Fév 25, 2021, 11:09 am

>9 katiekrug: LOLOL
Priceless!

11scaifea
Fév 25, 2021, 11:21 am

Happy new one, Katie!

>9 katiekrug: Aw, I love raisins, but that's pretty funny anyway.

12weird_O
Fév 25, 2021, 11:21 am

Stepping away from the threads leaves me cowering at a rapidly spinning revolving door, fearful of plunging into the chaos. Thanks for slowing that revolving door so I can dip into the chaos and say, Hi!

13katiekrug
Fév 25, 2021, 11:27 am

>10 richardderus: - It made me giggle :)

>11 scaifea: - Raisins are a waste of a perfectly good grape that could be made into wine...

>12 weird_O: - Hi Bill! Lovely to see you.

14scaifea
Fév 25, 2021, 11:31 am

>13 katiekrug: *takes notes: be sure to make oatmeal raisin cookies when Katie comes to visit. Extra raisins a must*

15katiekrug
Fév 25, 2021, 11:42 am

>14 scaifea: - You're mean.

What address should I send the shipment of cilantro to?

16scaifea
Fév 25, 2021, 11:48 am

>15 katiekrug: Oh, ugh. Truce?

*searches for oatmeal cilantro cookie recipes*

17katiekrug
Modifié : Fév 25, 2021, 12:05 pm

Truce.

ETA: And if I'm being honest, while I don't love oatmeal raisin cookies, cooked raisins are slightly more acceptable than the nasty, uncooked dried, shriveled version. For instance, I very much enjoy Irish soda bread with raisins, and raisin bread, and cinnamon raisin bagels....

18scaifea
Fév 25, 2021, 12:12 pm

>17 katiekrug: Ah, well then we're in agreement, really. And I always rehydrate my raisins a bit before baking/cooking with them anyway.

19katiekrug
Fév 25, 2021, 12:14 pm

>18 scaifea: - I'm glad we avoided that total falling out as friends!

20karenmarie
Fév 25, 2021, 12:16 pm

Happy new thread, Katie!

>9 katiekrug: Clever.

21MickyFine
Fév 25, 2021, 12:24 pm

>9 katiekrug: Snort. I'm in the camp of only liking raisins if they're covered in chocolate or if they're baked in things - mostly raisin bread, bagels, and butter tarts (and liking raisins in the last is controversial in Canada).

22RebaRelishesReading
Fév 25, 2021, 12:28 pm

>9 katiekrug: Happy new thread, Katie. Couldn't agree more about raisins. Glad you're enjoying your Kingsolver. She one of my favorites.

23scaifea
Fév 25, 2021, 12:42 pm

>19 katiekrug: Whew, that *was* a close one, Katie.

24katiekrug
Fév 25, 2021, 1:08 pm

>20 karenmarie: - Thanks, Karen!

>21 MickyFine: - You Canadians and your butter tarts ;-)

>22 RebaRelishesReading: - I'm not very far into it, but it's really hitting the spot!

>23 scaifea: - Let's never fight again, 'k?

25katiekrug
Fév 25, 2021, 1:10 pm

I just saw Colson Whitehead's The Underground Railroad has been made into a movie (limited series?) and will be available on Amazon Prime. Definitely going to watch that...

26rosalita
Fév 25, 2021, 1:11 pm

>9 katiekrug: Love this. I am also anti-raisin, especially in cookies where they look like dead flies and just take up space that could be more deliciously filled with chocolate chips.

27RebaRelishesReading
Fév 25, 2021, 1:13 pm

>25 katiekrug: It will be very interesting to see how they handled it. I thought it was a great book.

Back to raisins -- I always use either dried blueberries or dried cranberries when raisin are "called for" (or else just leave them out). They're less nasty when cooked into something but never very good.

28rosalita
Fév 25, 2021, 1:14 pm

>27 RebaRelishesReading: I agree with Reba that dried cranberries are marginally better than raisins, but still not as good as chocolate (in case we're ranking cookie additions).

29scaifea
Fév 25, 2021, 1:50 pm

30katiekrug
Fév 25, 2021, 1:52 pm

>26 rosalita: - I agree about the cookie business. It would be one thing if oatmeal cookies and chocolate chips didn't taste good together, but that's not the case! So why would a person choose raisins when a perfectly good alternative exists?!?!

>27 RebaRelishesReading: - Yes, I'm eager to see how they adapt it.

I prefer no dried fruit in most of my food, to be honest.

>28 rosalita: - I am always here for any and all food-related talk. As for cookie additions, no nuts and no fruit. Chips of any sort are acceptable (butterscotch, peanut butter, chocolate.... )

31katiekrug
Fév 25, 2021, 1:53 pm

>29 scaifea: - Ha! Classic. I love that one. I sent it to The Wayne after an argument once :)

32scaifea
Fév 25, 2021, 2:37 pm

>31 katiekrug: *snork!* We are absolute treasures, no?

33katiekrug
Fév 25, 2021, 2:40 pm

>32 scaifea: - I'm sure Tomm and The Wayne could have a nice long chin-wag about how great we are. Maybe while you and I are off eating our way through New Jersey?

34scaifea
Fév 25, 2021, 3:00 pm

35lauralkeet
Fév 25, 2021, 3:05 pm

>30 katiekrug: I feel like added nuts are usually just added calories w/o much flavor. I'm referring here to things like cookies or banana bread (which also *should* include chocolate chips). So I usually don't bother unless, of course, said nut is the main ingredient (topping for apple crumble, peanut butter cookies ...)

>31 katiekrug: I'm not rabidly anti-raisin, but I've made a permanent conversion from oatmeal raisin cookies to oatmeal chocolate chip. I just made a batch yesterday in fact. They are so much better!

36MickyFine
Fév 25, 2021, 3:06 pm

Ooh, do I want to tag along on the food tour or listen to Tomm and The Wayne debrief?

37rosalita
Fév 25, 2021, 3:27 pm

>35 lauralkeet: This is a reasonable policy for nuts, Laura. And I guess you could read that two ways. ;-)

38BLBera
Fév 25, 2021, 4:18 pm

Happy new thread, Katie. I'm not a raisin lover either.

39katiekrug
Fév 25, 2021, 4:21 pm

>34 scaifea: - *grin*

>35 lauralkeet: - I adore oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, Laura, but even more than those, I've discovered the perfection of the oatmeal banana chocolate chip cookie. Chewy and delicious!

>36 MickyFine: - Both would, undoubtedly, be hilarious, Micky :)

>37 rosalita: - Laura is allowed to stay in the gang, thanks to her reasonable nuts policy.

40katiekrug
Fév 25, 2021, 4:21 pm

>38 BLBera: - You have excellent taste, Beth :)

41Familyhistorian
Fév 25, 2021, 4:42 pm

Happy new one, Katie. Now I'm craving oatmeal cookies with raisins and did some one mention butter tarts? Mmm!

42brenzi
Fév 25, 2021, 6:56 pm

Hi Katie, if a cookie has raisins in it, is it even a cookie? 🧐

43richardderus
Fév 25, 2021, 7:37 pm

If a cookie has no nuts in it, why was it made? Oatmeal pecan raisin for the win!

(Unless we can stipulate you're ceding all future tree nut-containing sweets to me in perpetuity, in which case I shall defend your absolute and inalienable right to prohibit male cookies from you ambit.)

44msf59
Fév 25, 2021, 8:49 pm

Sweet Thursday, Katie! Happy New Thread! Is this your first time reading The Bean Trees? If so, enjoy. This early novel of hers, really caught me by surprise.

45Helenliz
Fév 26, 2021, 3:45 am

Happy new thread, Katie.
After the cookie debate I'm now peckish. And it's not yet 9 am. Food is over 3 hours away. And it won't contain a cookie even then. *bawl*

46lauralkeet
Fév 26, 2021, 7:52 am

>37 rosalita:, >39 katiekrug: Whew! I'm so glad I'm still in the gang! It's pretty much the only social life I have going at the moment ...

>43 richardderus: I can cede most nut-containing baked goods, but not all nut-containing sweets. I'll eat any combination of chocolate and nuts in candy form.
*whispers* I even like Cadbury's Fruit and Nut Bars, which contain the dreaded raisins*

*flees in fear of being expelled from the gang*

47scaifea
Fév 26, 2021, 7:54 am

>46 lauralkeet: *stands in solidarity with Laura*

I *love* Cadbury's Fruit and Nut Bars.

48jnwelch
Fév 26, 2021, 7:56 am

>9 katiekrug: LOL!

Happy New Thread, Katie!

49Helenliz
Fév 26, 2021, 8:01 am

>46 lauralkeet:, >47 scaifea: I'm with you, they're one of my favourites too.
But only if it's UK produced. The US is good at many things, but chocolate is most certainly NOT one of them.

50katiekrug
Fév 26, 2021, 8:51 am

>41 Familyhistorian: - Raisins?!?! Nooooo.....

>42 brenzi: - Not to me it isn't!

>43 richardderus: - You can have all my brownies and cookies with nuts, plus any pecan pie that invades my home.

>44 msf59: - Hiya, Mark! Yep, my first time with The Bean Trees, despite having a copy forever... It's been great so far!

>45 Helenliz: - You could make it contain a cookie, Helen. Just sayin'.

>46 lauralkeet: - You're on double secret probation, Laura, for the fruit and nut bar. *gag* Technically peanuts aren't nuts, right? Because I luuurve peanuts in almost anything, especially candy :)

>47 scaifea: - Welp, you're out of the gang ;-)

>48 jnwelch: - Thanks, Joe!

>49 Helenliz: - I cannot defend American chocolate. Which is not to say that I don't eat it, but I recognize it's second-class status. Or third-class.

51katiekrug
Fév 26, 2021, 8:56 am

My leg is pretty much pain-free now and has been since late afternoon yesterday. So that's good news.

The Wayne made a yummy dinner last night - sort of a paprika chicken with a pan sauce over egg noodles. It needs a little tweaking, but it was pretty tasty. No games or TV last night. I read and puttered around on the interwebz.

Another beautiful sunny day here, with temps in the high 40s. We've got the gym tonight, which will be followed by an easy dinner and then Movie Night. I'm still contemplating what my pick will be. I think I want something funny...

On audio, I started Fat Chance by Nick Spalding which is okay so far. I can't tell if it will end up being fat-shaming or all about body positivity. And can I say how glad I am to once again be able to listen to audiobooks in the car through the sound system, rather than just my phone speaker? Bliss. Maybe now I'll stop avoiding errands :)

52katiekrug
Fév 26, 2021, 9:31 am



The Blood of Emmett Till by Timothy B. Tyson

I knew, of course, the bare facts of the lynching of Emmett Till in Mississippi in 1955: a 14-year old black boy from Chicago, visiting relatives in the Delta, supposedly offended a white woman at a store, and a group of men kidnapped him in the middle of the night and killed him, dumping his body in a river. Till's mother insisted on an open casket funeral so the world could see what had been done to her child, and the reality of it helped to galvanize the civil rights movement. To this bare outline, Tyson has added a lot of rich and disturbing detail, including an interview with the white woman - Carolyn Bryant - decades later, an interview in which she admits nothing that Emmett Till did justified his murder.

The strength of this book is in the connections Tyson makes between the Till case, the early fights for voting rights and school desegregation, and the importance of the case for drawing national (and international) attention to the horrors taking place in the South. It's a terrible story, one with wide implications, but it's also a heartbreakingly personal one, and the sections of the book about Emmett's early life and the bravery of his mother, were some of the best parts. I also appreciated the ending, in which Tyson draws a direct line from the Till case to the continued devaluation and destruction of black bodies in the United States today, saying, "We are still killing black youth because we have not yet killed white supremacy." Recent American history is a clear indication of the continued hold white supremacy has in America, despite the lies we tell ourselves about the progress made.

4 stars

(The Blood of Emmett Till is currently available for just $3.99 on Kindle, for those interested in reading it.)

53karenmarie
Fév 26, 2021, 9:50 am

Hi Katie!

>49 Helenliz: See’s chocolate is the absolute best. I’ve eaten UK, German, Swiss, and other chocolates, but for me, nothing beats See’s Dark Chocolate candy. Unfortunately, I just discovered that they sell semi-sweet chocolate ships, so have just spent $55 on various and sundry AND chips.

54rosalita
Fév 26, 2021, 9:59 am

>49 Helenliz: I would push back on that a bit. Certainly the mass-produced commercial chocolate is not great, but there are fantastic small-batch chocolatiers in the US who make some amazingly delicious stuff.

55katiekrug
Fév 26, 2021, 10:15 am

>53 karenmarie: and >54 rosalita: - I was assuming Helen was referring to mass-produced chocolate, given the reference to Cadbury. That's certainly what I was talking about when I said I couldn't defend American chocolate! Boutique places are different. We have a great one nearby that I love.

56katiekrug
Fév 26, 2021, 10:28 am

I am usually on an oversees trip or gearing up for one at this time of year. My Facebook Memories have been full of reminders of Before the Bad Times. I miss traveling. Thought I'd share today's memory, as I think it's a cool picture. It was taken by a former colleague at the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi.

57BLBera
Fév 26, 2021, 10:55 am

I hope that you get back to travel this year, Katie.
>56 katiekrug: Great photo.

58lauralkeet
Fév 26, 2021, 11:01 am

Just sitting here quietly, on my best behavior due to double secret probation. Hope you're having a good and raisin-free day, Katie.

59katiekrug
Fév 26, 2021, 11:11 am

>57 BLBera: - Thanks, Beth. I hope so, too. Maybe Dubai in September -- we'll see...

>58 lauralkeet: - LOL, Laura! So far, I have avoided the little dried boogers. Easy to do when they are not allowed in the house ;-)

60laytonwoman3rd
Modifié : Fév 26, 2021, 11:42 am

The onliest way to eat raisins is in oatmeal cookies, or totally drenched in chocolate. (Our local chocolate maker's chocolate covered raisins are sinfully good.) HOWEVER, chocolate don't go in oatmeal cookies. Nope. You got your oatmeal cookies (with or without raisins) and you got your chocolate chip cookies. No mixing. And don't get me started on putting butterscotch chips in with the chocolate ones. But everything's better with nuts in.
*goes to sit on the Group W bench"

61MickyFine
Fév 26, 2021, 11:42 am

Very cool photo, Katie. My FB memories for the last few weeks have been filled with photos from trips to Hawaii (I've gone twice now in Jan/Feb), which gives me both itchy feet and a hankering for a winter escape.

62scaifea
Fév 26, 2021, 12:03 pm

>60 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: The only proper use for butterscotch chips is to melt them together with chocolate chips and then spread that mixture over the top of rice krispies made with peanut butter. *nods head firmly*

And yes to chocolate covered raisins (and also yogurt covered ones, if you get quality ones).

Hi, Katie!

63laytonwoman3rd
Fév 26, 2021, 12:10 pm

>62 scaifea: Butterscotch in almost any form just gives me a sweetness overload that isn't pleasant. I do enjoy the occasional Werther's, however.

64katiekrug
Fév 26, 2021, 12:11 pm

>60 laytonwoman3rd: - Oh, Linda, you poor, misguided soul. Chocolate chips and oatmeal are perfect together! I do like a nice plain oatmeal cookie, though. I don't think I've ever made anything with butterscotch chips, though I have a vague memory of a brownie with butterscotch chips I had once... I am not a huge nut fan, in general. When I'm upgraded on an American Airlines flight, and they hand out the little bowls of warm mixed nuts, I eat the cashews, and only because I want to get as much out of my upgrade as possible. Otherwise, I'd refuse them altogether :)

>61 MickyFine: - Thanks re: the photo, Micky. Yep, my FB memories are killing me right now. I may have to dunk my itchy feet in some calamine lotion...

>62 scaifea: - I don't mind *some* yogurt-covered raisins - as long as the raisins are nice and plump and juicy. Hold the dried mouse droppings, please.

I'll take some of those rice krispies treats, please.

65katiekrug
Fév 26, 2021, 12:11 pm

>63 laytonwoman3rd: - I am also not a huge butterscotch fan, Linda. We can still be friends :)

66scaifea
Fév 26, 2021, 12:20 pm

>63 laytonwoman3rd: Hence the melting them with semi- or bitter-sweet chocolate. Cuts the sweetness nicely.

>64 katiekrug: Aha! So it's not that you don't like raisins; you just don't like *bad* raisins! That's why I rehydrate mine before using them.

67katiekrug
Fév 26, 2021, 12:29 pm

>66 scaifea: - I still think they are a needless waste of potential wine and could do without them, if necessary...

68richardderus
Fév 26, 2021, 1:02 pm

I made curried chicken with r-words in the pilaf because all this talk about them made me crave some and I don't want to get in the habit of eating so much sweet stuff.

It was *delicious* with some slivered almonds! Old Stuff looked forlorn as he poked at his mystery meat and vegetal whatnot. Which greatly added to my pleasure, shockingly.

>56 katiekrug: Beautiful, and a great memory indeed.

>52 katiekrug: Really a must-read. And $4!

69katiekrug
Fév 26, 2021, 1:04 pm

>68 richardderus: - My mother always included golden raisins in the offerings to cop her curry with and even as a wee lass, I stayed away from them. I tended to pile on the peanuts, though :) Slivered almonds on curry would be most acceptable. Ha ha re: Old Stuff! I'm mean enough to also relish his envy.

70RebaRelishesReading
Fév 26, 2021, 1:05 pm

>56 katiekrug: Sympathy for missing out on so much travel, Katie. I can't remember when I went this long without a trip either.

Nuts -- I love them in almost anything and the only time I like chocolate is when it's enrobing some lovely nuts. As to American chocolate, not only is See's excellent, so is Ghirardelli -- and, yes, the lovely little boutique places too, like Eclipse in San Diego.

The mere idea of chocolate covered raisins makes me gag! But, then, I already said I really only like chocolate when it's used to hold nuts together. :)

Happy Friday everyone!

71katiekrug
Fév 26, 2021, 1:12 pm

Richard's jogging of my memory about my mom's curry raised a question for the rest of you:

What was something that, as a child, you thought was super cool or exotic or special that as an adult you realize was anything but? Bonus points if it's food related :)

So my mom's curry - as I remember it, it was just cut up chicken breast in a yellow curry sauce (no doubt made with the generic "yellow curry powder" available at the grocery store) that she made in the electric skillet and served over Carolina white rice. She'd put the various toppings in little bowls on a lazy susan on the table and we'd top our own. Toppings included raisins (shudder), peanuts, shredded coconut, jarred chutney, green leafy stuff that I now think was probably cilantro?, red pepper flakes, and... that's all I can remember. Now I realize this was a poor excuse for a curry, but it was pretty exotic for our little rural town in the Hudson Valley. And despite realizing it was a lame excuse for a curry, it's still a favorite memory because my mom LOVED it, and I now understand it was probably the closest thing that poor NYC-born and bred woman could get in the backwater where she ended up.

72katiekrug
Fév 26, 2021, 1:13 pm

>70 RebaRelishesReading: - Oh, yes, I always forget Ghirardelli is American! And not super boutique-y but not widely available like the crap at the grocery checkout...

73RebaRelishesReading
Fév 26, 2021, 1:14 pm

I'm not sure my mother had ever heard of curry. The most exotic thing that ever graced our table was enchiladas.

74RebaRelishesReading
Fév 26, 2021, 1:16 pm

Having lived in "the" Bay Area for a couple of years, I never forget it's American. You could actually see the huge sign on the roof of their building from our apartment in Sausalito.

75Helenliz
Fév 26, 2021, 1:24 pm

>55 katiekrug: She was indeed. No dissing of artisan makers, they can be brilliant, no matter where they are. It's the mass market stuff that was being dissed.

>68 richardderus: I am ***so*** jealous. The husband really can't stand the smell of curry so I've not had one in a year. *sob*. Usually I;d take advantage of him being away for indulge in private, but as he's not been anywhere, opportunities have been severely limited.

Egg sandwiches made with salad cream, rather than mayo, is a particularly fond childhood memory. Only ever had them at parties at my Aunt's.

76katiekrug
Fév 26, 2021, 1:31 pm

>73 RebaRelishesReading: - We never had enchiladas, but tacos were often in the rotation... Still are :)

>74 RebaRelishesReading: - That would make it hard to forget!

>75 Helenliz: - Okay, so what is salad cream?!?!

77richardderus
Fév 26, 2021, 2:07 pm

>75 Helenliz: *there there, pat pat* He'll be out of the house one day soon, and, in the meantime, I pledge never to post photos of my curries.

>76 katiekrug: Miracle Whip. *gag*

78Helenliz
Fév 26, 2021, 2:23 pm

>77 richardderus: He may even leave through the front door and not be under the patio...

>76 katiekrug: It's a bit difficult to describe. Made by Heinz, it can probably best be described as a sweeter, slightly tangier version of mayonaise. Goes marvellously with chips.

79katiekrug
Fév 26, 2021, 2:27 pm

>77 richardderus: - Oh. Miracle Whip. I think I had that once.

>78 Helenliz: - Yep, sounds like Miracle Whip! It's the sweet I can't get past with that...

80lauralkeet
Fév 26, 2021, 2:35 pm

>71 katiekrug: Ooh, this brought back memories!

My mom was not much of a cook so we had a number of things that were legitimately mediocre, not even pretending to be fancy. And then there were artichokes. My parents were California born and raised, and moved to Ohio for my dad's job when I was a baby. My mom pined for things Californian, and apparently artichokes fell into that category? We didn't have them often so they were considered "special". They were cooked whole, I think just simmered in water with the lid on for some period of time. To eat we'd peel off the leaves one by one, dip the leaf in (gag) mayonnaise as if it were a potato chip, insert bottom of leaf in mouth and pull it out between your teeth so you kind of scrape off the edible bit and the mayo. I actually found this tasty. My dad would eat the artichoke hearts, but my brother and I shied away from them, as if what we were eating wasn't already gross enough.

I have never met another person who ate artichokes this way, although I admit it doesn't come up often in conversation LOL.

81katiekrug
Fév 26, 2021, 2:49 pm

>80 lauralkeet: - Laura, you've met me!!! I occasionally ate artichokes the same way as a kid, but with melted butter in place of the mayo.

Don't you love how LT brings people together?

82rosalita
Fév 26, 2021, 2:56 pm

>62 scaifea: Scotcheroos! That's how you know the true Midwesterners.

83scaifea
Fév 26, 2021, 3:04 pm

I think salad cream is not as thick and not as sweet as Miracle Whip, in fact.

>82 rosalita: Julia: YES!! *fist bump*

84katiekrug
Fév 26, 2021, 3:12 pm

>82 rosalita: - *pout* Now I'm feeling left out.

>83 scaifea: - Huh. Interesting. Obviously, a trip to the UK is the only way to solve this mystery!

85scaifea
Fév 26, 2021, 3:18 pm

>84 katiekrug: Aw, don't feel let out! I'll make a batch and bring with me for our Jersey Food Frenzy Meetup, along with a raisin pie...

86katiekrug
Fév 26, 2021, 3:26 pm

I'll bury that raisin pie next to Jimmy Hoffa.

87drneutron
Fév 26, 2021, 3:47 pm

Huh, I miss catching up a couple of days and look what happens. Let me explain! No, there is too much. Let me sum up.

raisins: meh
nuts: blech
peanuts: yes, please
curry: yum, but not that one...
salad cream: whaaaat?
Miracle Whip: you're kidding me, right?
American chocolate: mostly meh, but Ghirardelli and Godiva!

Did I leave anything out?

88katiekrug
Fév 26, 2021, 3:51 pm

Well done, Jim!

I would note that the "nationality" of Godiva could be up for debate - originally Belgian, sold to Campbell Soup, which eventually sold it to a Turkish company.

And that's your useless trivia for the day :)

89vivians
Fév 26, 2021, 3:51 pm

>80 lauralkeet: Totally ate artichokes that way as a kid too, Laura, albeit dipped in a homemade vinaigrette, not mayo! Hi Katie!

90lauralkeet
Fév 26, 2021, 3:59 pm

>81 katiekrug:, >89 vivians: so either I'm not weird, or Katie, Vivian and I are all weird. I have to say both butter and vinaigrette sound a bit more haute cuisine than mayo. My parents dipped broccoli in mayo, too, and my mom made a sort of thousand island dressing by mixing mayo and ketchup. So it must have just been her favorite condiment.

91drneutron
Fév 26, 2021, 4:07 pm

>88 katiekrug: Yeah, but there's a store in my local mall where I can get a free sample every month. So I say they're American! 😀

92katiekrug
Fév 26, 2021, 4:10 pm

>89 vivians: - Hi Vivian!

>90 lauralkeet: - My mother made a veggie dip out of mayo, ketchup, and *gag* pickle relish.

>91 drneutron: - Well, okay then, Jim!

93laytonwoman3rd
Modifié : Fév 26, 2021, 5:01 pm

>90 lauralkeet: That would be French dressing....Thousand island would have pickle relish added, and maybe just a dash of Worcestershire sauce!

>92 katiekrug: Oh, you used that as a veggie dip...our veggie dip was sour cream and Knorr's dehydrated vegetable soup mix. If you let that sit a couple hours so the dried stuff soaks up the cream, it's rather addictive on potato chips too.

I can't think of anything we ate when I was a kid that I considered "exotic". My mom was a very good cook and baker, but there were a few things she presented that I simply hated. As an adult I realize they were budget stretchers, and therefore forgive her for them. One of those was cream of chicken soup (from the red & white can, y'know) made with milk (we always had lots of milk, 'cause my grandmother had cows, and my father worked in a creamery) and poured over toast. Another was leftover roast beef put through the grinder, mixed with onions and mayo, and used as a sandwich spread. *shudder* I have a feeling this was done when the roast wasn't as tender to begin with as it might have been; otherwise the leftovers would have been made into hot roast beef sandwiches with gravy (still a favorite of mine).

94RebaRelishesReading
Fév 26, 2021, 5:06 pm

>80 lauralkeet: Perhaps because I was born and raised in California, I love artichokes eaten that way -- expect I prefer drawn butter to mayo as the dip. They're a lot of work to prepare and fairly expensive so I very rarely make them and I do consider them a treat when I do. Another great way is to let them get cold and then make a mayo/ham/herb dip for them. Nice party food.

(so, I wrote this before reading the posts that follows -- let me just say it's nice to meet fellow artichoke eaters -- should look for some)

95RebaRelishesReading
Fév 26, 2021, 5:09 pm

>93 laytonwoman3rd: speaking of budget stretchers -- did anyone else have "chipped beef gravy" for dinner? The "chipped beef" came in plastic wrappers like you sometimes fine deli meats in and mother made it with what we called "gravy" (basically a white sauce) and we ate it over bread. (I believe military guys used to call it "sh*t on a shingle"). It was one of my favorite meals when I was a kid.

96scaifea
Fév 26, 2021, 5:19 pm

I will eat the entire raisin pie myself, thank you VERY much.

Exotic childhood food: Every post Christmas my mom would use the leftover turkey to make Turkey Salad, which consisted of the shredded leftovers, chopped candied dill pickles, mayo, and probably something else I'm forgetting. I LOVED that stuff. So. Much. And we only got it once a year. Cue my first-through-millionth reading of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe: I thought Turkish Delight was my mom's Turkey Salad and it made perfect sense to me because, again, it was an actual delight to me and, well, Turk-ey. Not the most precocious of children, to be honest. I have since had the real stuff and also love it to bits. In fact, I've been seriously considering putting in another order for some.

97laytonwoman3rd
Fév 26, 2021, 5:27 pm

>95 RebaRelishesReading: Ahhh....SOS. We didn't eat that at home, but when I was first married, my husband was in the Coast Guard, and he inexplicably loved the stuff. I never made it (nor ate it) myself, but used to buy a frozen version for him. We did sometimes have that chipped beef around when I was a kid----it came rolled up in little glass jars, and got soaked in water to remove some of the salt. I forget what my mother used it for, though. The only thing I remember at all was putting in on egg salad sandwiches, but that was a thing I learned from a 4-H cooking unit, not one of my mom's concoctions.

98Oberon
Fév 26, 2021, 6:01 pm

>95 RebaRelishesReading: & >97 laytonwoman3rd: That was part of my mother's repertoire as well and I hated it. She did make (and still does) a very good curry. It is an East African version and remains a staple for family events.

99richardderus
Fév 26, 2021, 7:54 pm

>80 lauralkeet: I grew up eating them *exactly* like that, only I fought for the hearts, too. Since this was in Los Gatos, CA, about 25mi from Artichoke Heaven, we had them a lot.

Artichoke hearts are so very delicious.

100lauralkeet
Fév 27, 2021, 7:35 am

>93 laytonwoman3rd: Oh, French dressing! I'm not sure it actually had a name in our house. In fact, as I think about it, I don't remember ever having bottled dressings at home. It wasn't until the advent of salad bars in the 1970s that I realized there was more to life than vinaigrette and my mom's mayo/ketchup concoctions.

>94 RebaRelishesReading:, >99 richardderus: well whaddaya know. It really was a California thing then wasn't it? None of the kids in my Ohio neighborhood had ever had an artichoke, so I thought my family's love for artichokes was either exotic or weird. And yes, Reba, I think they were expensive and harder to come by in Ohio. We didn't have them often so it was a bit of a treat when they appeared on the table.

101lauralkeet
Fév 27, 2021, 9:45 am

Hey Katie, I'm back!

The thread for our next Toni Morrison read is up!
http://www.librarything.com/topic/330145

102laytonwoman3rd
Fév 27, 2021, 9:51 am

>100 lauralkeet: You know, the salad dressing discussion reminds me of something I believe I did think was a bit exotic. When we went Out to Dinner, which only happened a couple times a year, my dad would always get blue cheese dressing on his salad. My mom found a recipe, and she sometimes made it at home. I thought it was funky and horrid back then, but also that it was something a bit classy and not found everywhere. It must have been a little hard to find blue cheese in our back-of-beyond area sixty years ago...very few supermarkets of any size within 25 miles of us, and even then not trending to upscale.

103katiekrug
Fév 27, 2021, 10:35 am

>93 laytonwoman3rd: - Ah, yes. The budget stretchers. My mom's most frequent one was a can of Campbell's Chunky soup - sirloin burger with vegetables - over rice. I think the rice allowed one can to feed 4 of us? I actually still like that as a nostalgic meal...

>94 RebaRelishesReading: - I'm intrigued by a dip involving ham, Reba...

>95 RebaRelishesReading: - Yes! SOS! My father loved that stuff, and I didn't mind it. I tend to like salty things, so I'd probably still like it but have no intention of trying it again :)

>96 scaifea: - I LOVE that you thought your mom's leftover turkey mash-up was Turkish Delight. It makes total sense :)

>97 laytonwoman3rd: - SOS is classic. And we called it SOS in our house when I was growing up because we were classy like that.

104katiekrug
Fév 27, 2021, 10:41 am

>98 Oberon: - I'd like to try an East African curry, Erik. I had a "curry" when I was in Ghana, but it was really just a stew, as far as I could tell. I imagine the Indian influence in East Africa would make for a more authentic version.

>99 richardderus: - I will eat artichoke hearts, but I do not seek them out. One of my favorite salads at a restaurant nearby includes artichoke hearts and they are very tasty in that.

>100 lauralkeet: - We ate so little salad at home, I doubt we had much use for salad dressing. Salad was for "fancy" dinners out :)

>101 lauralkeet: - Yay! I'll check-in there shortly.

>102 laytonwoman3rd: - Oof, blue cheese. It's only somewhat recently I can even abide the smell of it. I got snookered a few weeks ago when I ordered a side of ranch for some boneless wings, and they gave me blue cheese instead. I was Very Put Out.

105katiekrug
Fév 27, 2021, 10:47 am

Late start this morning after a late night. I'm not sure Double Feature Night works right after a gym session. I fell asleep halfway through the second movie...

My pick was Election with Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon. I'd seen it ages and ages ago and didn't love it. I enjoyed it much more this time around, and I think having read some Tom Perrotta (it's based on a novel of his) helped. The Wayne liked it, too.

TW's pick was Predator, which I had never seen. I'm sure it was good fun, but I was tired and zonked out with an hour or so left. Oops.

We might move Double Feature Night to Saturdays...

It's gross and rainy out right now. I'm not sure what's on the agenda, though probably some laundry. Thrill.

I am loving The Bean Trees just over halfway through, so hopefully I'll get some reading time, too.

106lauralkeet
Fév 27, 2021, 11:49 am

>103 katiekrug: I was rather partial to that Chunky Sirloin Burger soup at one point, although it never occurred to me to serve it over rice. Not a bad idea, as budget-stretchers go.

>104 katiekrug: we didn't eat salad often either, Katie. IIRC, the aforementioned dressing was glopped on top of a chunk of iceberg lettuce. I guess today we'd call that a "wedge salad" and it would be trendy. That was not the case in the 1970s.

107laytonwoman3rd
Fév 27, 2021, 12:14 pm

Full disclosure: I am married to a man who once --- before I got my hands on him --- thought he preferred Chef Boyardee canned spaghetti to the homemade kind. I had to wean him off a few of those misconceptions early on, so...Chunky Beef Vegetable soup has been served over noodles in this household. As an experiment, when he asked me what was for dinner tonight, I suggested that. The look I got was priceless. He has grown a lot under my tutelage.

108RebaRelishesReading
Fév 27, 2021, 12:38 pm

>99 richardderus: Artichoke hearts are indeed delicious. When the leaves are gone I always cleaned the remaining stem from the bottom of the heart and then put it into the remaining butter -- and OMG, heaven!

>103 katiekrug: I looked and found I don't have the recipe for that ham/mayo/??? dip any more. Sorry :(

>104 katiekrug: Didn't eat salad at home!?! My mother would die from the thought if she weren't already gone. We had salad at dinner every night and making it was my first cooking chore...and not one I enjoyed.

109BLBera
Fév 27, 2021, 12:45 pm

I loved The Bean Trees, Katie. I keep meaning to reread it.

110karenmarie
Fév 27, 2021, 1:53 pm

Hi Katie! Fun food conversations.

>80 lauralkeet: I’ve had artichokes this way, hot/dipping the leaves in mayo, possibly being from California, and not been appreciative one bit. Marinated artichoke hearts, however, are wonderful.

>95 RebaRelishesReading: When I married Bill, he was buying Stouffer’s frozen creamed chipped beef, which was so salty that I soon started making chipped beef, served on toast about once a month for Sunday breakfast. I use the jarred dried beef and scratch white sauce. Bill loves it and I must admit it’s grown on me in the last 30 years. I've got a jar of dried beef in the pantry right now.

>102 laytonwoman3rd: Ugh. My dad loved Roqeufort dressing. My mom would buy a very small package of Roquefort cheese and make dressing. Only dad loved it. The smell made me gag. Once I passed the bowl of dressing to dad with my fingers pinching my nose closed. I learned the hard that you Do Not Editorialize About What Other People Eat and made to eat a salad with it. Still can’t stand Roquefort or Blue Cheese in any way shape or form.

>104 katiekrug: And my husband, daughter, and I are probably the only people in the US who can’t abide Ranch. We save a lot of calories.

>106 lauralkeet: This will make most of you gag – my paternal grandmother, born in 1882, used to eat a wedge salad with a dollop of Miracle Whip and sugar sprinkled over it. Do I win the award for gross food?

111AnneDC
Fév 27, 2021, 3:22 pm

Interesting food conversation here

Nuts make everything better, imo. Raisins not so much, although I do enjoy them in savory things sometimes.

>80 lauralkeet: That's the way I eat artichokes, Laura, but I didn't as a kid, and I first had one in a restaurant and had to be told what to do. I still make them that way when I can get fresh artichokes--but no mayo--lemon butter. Yumm.

>102 laytonwoman3rd: My parents used to get blue cheese dressing on salads when we went out to eat, and I remember feeling so grown up when I eventually decided I liked blue cheese dressing, too. Now it seems to be back in fashion atop a "wedge salad"

>71 katiekrug: My mom made the exact same curry Katie! With the same exact toppings. Only she was prone to making it with shrimp to be fancy, which I despised as a child. My aunt on the other hand, also made something she called shrimp curry, only it was in a strange pinkish creamy sauce (French dressing perhaps?) that wasn't spicy at all. And they both served curry in these puff pastry nests that you could buy in the frozen foods section.

You've sold me on Emmett Till and I hope you love The Bean Trees Katie.

112katiekrug
Fév 27, 2021, 4:56 pm

>106 lauralkeet: - You had wedge salads before they were a thing, Laura! Such a trendsetter....

I always keep a can or two of Chunky Sirloin Burger soup in the pantry. "Just in cases..."

>107 laytonwoman3rd: - I think I have positively influenced The Wayne's palette, too, Linda. When I met him, he subsisted mostly on tacos and hot dogs and chicken tenders :-P And things he thought he hated that I've convinced him to try again turned out to be things his mother used to make really badly (e.g. lasagna with cottage cheese!!!???).

>108 RebaRelishesReading: - Reba, no worries about the ham dip. I'm not sure it would be something that would fly in our house...

Nope, no salads for the most part. We were a strange family... We used to all sit at the dining table with our books and read through most of dinner...

>109 BLBera: - It's so great, Beth. Definitely one I will revisit.

>110 karenmarie: - Ranch is pretty polarizing, Karen. I don't really like it on salads, but as a dip, I don't mind it, especially good ranch, not crappy Hidden Valley or whatever.

You've got my vote for grossest food, so far! It's the sugar that really puts it over the top :)

>111 AnneDC: - I love that we have similar curry memories, Anne! Shrimp would have been too fancy for us. We only ever had shrimp at home on Thanksgiving, when we had shrimp cocktail as an appetizer.

I will eat anything in puff pastry. True story.

Hope you like the Till book when you get to it. I learned a lot. And I am *loving* The Bean Trees!

113ELiz_M
Modifié : Fév 27, 2021, 5:28 pm

>110 karenmarie: >112 katiekrug: ~Raises hand~ (I can't resist a challenge)

My favorite, and maybe only, exotic family food memory is from eighth grade. A couple of us were at a friends house working on a school project and were invited to stay for dinner (chili was an easy dish to stretch for unexpected guests). Upon my request, my friend's mom provided the makings for a sandwich. So we are all seated at the table and I did what my family has always done, I picked up my peanut butter bread, piled on a spoonful of chili and took a bite. I was happily munching away when I realized the table had gone completely silent and looking up saw everyone was staring at me -- one person with a spoon halfway to their mouth. I had no idea this food combination was NOT NORMAL until that moment.

For those that think this is utterly disgusting in my defense I have four words: Thai spicy peanut sauce

114richardderus
Fév 27, 2021, 5:37 pm

Holy nausea break, Horrible! That "salad" of Papanana's is some nastée schcheet.

I'm all in for anyone who doesn't like artichokes' supplies! Makes me no nevermind what bit you don't like cuz there ain't a bit that I don't!

Rob and I read most of a short book, The Maytrees, to each other this afternoon. It was not a good book, as I'd sort-of remembered it wasn't. He saw it was on Kindlesale, loved Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, and was all set to spend the $1.99 until I suggested he take the tree-book.

Thank goodness. And I get rid of a space-taker!

115katiekrug
Modifié : Fév 27, 2021, 5:53 pm

>113 ELiz_M: - Oh. My.

But then your spoiler comments makes it make sense, and I am kind of interested in trying it! Too bad we just finished up all the chili TW made last weekend. Next time!

>114 richardderus: - I read The Maytrees a few years ago and remember being bored. Like Rob, I loved 'Pilgrim' when I read it in high school. Maybe she just doesn't do fiction well? I have her novel The Living on my shelf/Kindle....

ETA: I went to find my comments about it: "Beautifully written but lacking much warmth. I found parts of it rather inscrutable and bordering on dull, but then I'd be rocked by a gorgeous passage."

I read it in the midst of closing up things in Dallas and driving up here to reunite with The Wayne so probably didn't give it the attention it deserved - except your comments make me think I really didn't miss much.

116richardderus
Fév 27, 2021, 5:55 pm

>115 katiekrug: Oh dear...purging it seems like a self-preservationist's best move, dear...this is someone whose fiction is laboriously brought forth under a painful, scarring compulsion.

117brenzi
Fév 27, 2021, 8:14 pm

Hi Katie, just so you know, it's sacrilege here in Buffalo to ask for Ranch dressing with wings rather than blue cheese. And after all, they were uh, invented here lol. My daughter and son both dip their pizza into blue cheese. That's a bridge too far for me.

118katiekrug
Fév 28, 2021, 9:46 am

>116 richardderus: - Welp, that's not encouraging!

>117 brenzi: - Good thing I don't live in Buffalo, Bonnie ;-)

119katiekrug
Fév 28, 2021, 9:50 am

We had dinner delivered last night - penne Alfredo with blackened grilled chicken for me. Delicious! And there are leftovers.... After dinner, we played Mario Party (we both lost) and then I watched several episodes of Schitt's Creek. TW was very tired, so he fell asleep on the couch. Lame.

We found ourselves out of coffee this morning, so I made a Dunkies run and now I'm puttering around, trying to decide if there is anything I absolutely must do. Signs point to no.

I should finish up The Bean Trees today. I'm not sure what I'll pick up next. I want to fit in another book before starting Love for the shared read...

120scaifea
Fév 28, 2021, 9:51 am

Your dinner sounds so good, Katie. Want.

121rosalita
Fév 28, 2021, 10:09 am

>119 katiekrug: Your dinner sounds fab, Katie, but this non-cook needs to know how you reheat pasta with Alfredo sauce without it turning into a gloopy mess? This could be a game changer for me!

122katiekrug
Modifié : Fév 28, 2021, 10:15 am

>120 scaifea: - I had to make a special request for the blackened chicken because it's available as an add-on for salads, but was not among the proteins listed to add to the pasta. This place is so great - they don't blink at such requests. I had The Wayne dig out some blackening seasoning just in case, and I ended up adding a bunch because I love that spiciness with the rich, creamy alfredo sauce..... Mmmmm. Now I want lunch!

>121 rosalita: - Welp, I'm actually not sure, Julia. I rarely have alfredo leftover! I am thinking I'll put it in a sauce pan over low heat. It'll probably still be gloppy, but as long as the flavor is there..... I will report back.

123richardderus
Fév 28, 2021, 10:55 am

I was decadent for a second night: I made southern mixed greens and rice with chicken breast chunks that Rob brought...hot Cajun spices! So yummy.

(Add 1T of milk to the pan, warm both, put the cold pasta in loosened strands as flat as you can into the warmish milk.)

124laytonwoman3rd
Fév 28, 2021, 11:12 am

So many food things to comment on! Forgive me if I don't use the post links here...just too many of them. BUT:

I grew to love blue cheese (Roquefort and Danish blue) myself eventually. One of my favorite things now is a so-called "black and blue" burger. Flame broiled hamburger with blue cheese on it. Mmmmm... unless, of course, you hate blue cheese. And no wonder, if you were forced to eat it.

Peanut butter and chili---not the weirdest combination I've ever heard, even before reference to Thai cooking. West African peanut soup has chile peppers in it. Like Katie, I'd try it.

Lettuce wedge with mayo and sugar----ICK. HOWEVER, as a kid, one of our usual snacks was iceberg lettuce leaves sprinkled with sugar. Give it a chance...it's pretty good.

Alfred sauce always separates when re-heated, in my experience, but with some brisk stirring, it is still pretty tasty. Gentle heat works best.

I've recently seen some pizza chain ad showing people dipping their pizza in Ranch dressing. How did THAT become a thing? It's blue cheese all the way with Buffalo wings for me, but again, if you hate blue cheese, then Ranch provides the necessary cool contrast, so go for it.

Never was a ketchup fan, as I've probably mentioned before, but I love dipping my french fries in Buffalo wing sauce.

125ChelleBearss
Fév 28, 2021, 11:26 am

>119 katiekrug: Your dinner sounds delicious!
I finally got Nate to watch Schitt's Creek with me! He had watched the first episode with me years ago and couldn't handle how selfish they were and refused to continue. I finally got him on board and he is loving it now.

126katiekrug
Fév 28, 2021, 11:40 am

>123 richardderus: - No milk in the house, so I'm going to have to wing it!

>124 laytonwoman3rd: - Food conversations are my favorite, after book conversations!

I can take a little bit of blue cheese and think a Black and Blue burger might actually be okay. They are everywhere now.

I'll take your word for it on the iceberg lettuce and sugar!

Dipping pizza in ranch is very big in Texas. I will admit to occasionally dipping my pizza crusts in it, but never the pizza itself. Though I do like a nice buffalo chicken pizza with ranch drizzled on top...

Thanks for the tip about stirring while I reheat the alfredo. I will do that. I'm not expecting it to get back to what it was, of course...

Ketchup is okay in its place, which for me, is as minor accompaniment to other things. The Wayne is a major fry dunker, but I like a very brief dip in the ketchup, and one dip is enough for the whole fry.

>125 ChelleBearss: - Yay for Schitt's Creek! I just finished season 3, and the finale made me cry. It was just so perfect and wonderful. If you're up to that point, it's Alexis' high school graduation and David's birthday episode.

127katiekrug
Fév 28, 2021, 11:44 am

I've just spent some time cleaning and organizing "The Landing," which is a weird space outside the 4th bedroom, which is a finished part of the attic that I use as a dressing room (sounds fancier than it is - it's just where I keep my clothes, because the closets in this house are small and our master bedroom would be super cramped with my dresser(s) and The Wayne's in it...). The Landing is mostly home to books, but had become a dumping ground for things that didn't quite make it to the attic (unfinished part), so I moved some stuff into the attic itself, and organized the other stuff that I don't know where to put. At least now I can see and access all the bookshelves up there. Priorities, dontcha know :)

128ChelleBearss
Fév 28, 2021, 11:46 am

>126 katiekrug: Yes, I've watched the whole series by myself and there are a few episodes that made me cry. Nate and I are midway through season two now, I think, Alexis just got a job at the vet's office.

129katiekrug
Fév 28, 2021, 11:51 am

>128 ChelleBearss: - Ah, sweet Ted!

130RebaRelishesReading
Fév 28, 2021, 1:13 pm

>112 katiekrug: I would read (with book in one hand) while setting the table, which drove my mother crazy, but I was never allowed to have the book at the table during dinner.

>110 karenmarie: you got my vote for grossest too and, indeed, it's the sugar that's the problem. We did eat sliced tomatoes with sugar on them in lieu of a proper salad sometimes.

I hated blue cheese when I was a young person but as my taste buds "matured" I got more tolerant and I now quite enjoy a mild blue although I never order blue cheese dressing.

Congrats on getting The Landing under control :)

131lauralkeet
Fév 28, 2021, 4:23 pm

>130 RebaRelishesReading: Guess what we ate with our sliced tomatoes? Mayo! Add to that the artichokes, broccoli, use of mayo to create a sort of salad dressing, and I haven't even mentioned the jello salad which was also topped with mayo. What the hell, mom?!

132ffortsa
Modifié : Mar 1, 2021, 8:51 am

Whew. I fell behind and found a whole thread of food when I got back. I would have contributed before, but I'll take the Doc's iead:

raisins: yum
nuts: allergic
peanuts: allergic
curry: yum, but I have to make it myself. Somehow the restaurant curry always gets me sick with allergies
salad cream: whaaaat? (double)
Miracle Whip: you're kidding me, right? (double)
American chocolate: dark only, and Ghirardelli doesn't sit well, alas.

adding:
artichokes: yes, with vinagrette
salads: I grew up with salad at almost every dinner
salad dressing: made from mayo and lemon juice. Tasty, but I've switched to a zesty Italian. Iceburg, however, gets French.

Sorry I wasn't contributing all the way down.

Actually, I stopped by the thank you for recommending The Tenant, which I loved.

133RebaRelishesReading
Fév 28, 2021, 6:44 pm

OK, I'll fess up -- as I was growing up we never, ever had mayonnaise in the house (too expensive). It was always Miracle Whip and I still like Miracle Whip in egg salad and tuna salad but now I never have it in the house and find mayonnaise does quite well as a substitute ;>

134laytonwoman3rd
Fév 28, 2021, 7:59 pm

>131 lauralkeet: Hey...in the summertime, when the tomatoes are at their peak, there really is nothing better than a sliced tomato with just a tiny dollop of mayonnaise, and lots of freshly ground pepper. Do not apologize.

>133 RebaRelishesReading: I really think it's a matter of what you grew up with---our tastes do get formed early, and some of them just stick with us. My MIL to this day thinks I don't care for mayonnaise on sandwiches, because what she called "mayonnaise" was actually Miracle Whip and it totally spoiled a good day-after-Thanksgiving turkey sandwich. She doesn't remember a lot of other things I tell her nearly as well, for some reason!

135lauralkeet
Mar 1, 2021, 7:15 am

>134 laytonwoman3rd: Okay then! These days I like my peak tomato in a caprese salad, with a bit of olive oil. My mayonnaise consumption is confined mostly to sandwiches (where it can stand alone) and burgers (where it is paired with ketchup, and also tomato & lettuce).

136katiekrug
Mar 1, 2021, 8:44 am

>130 RebaRelishesReading: - We only ever set the table on Thanksgiving :-P Otherwise, it was a grab a napkin and utensils, get some grub, and claim a spot at the table... What a childhood...

>131 lauralkeet: - I will never understand the appeal of jello salads...

>132 ffortsa: - Thanks for catching up, Judy :)

Your touchstone goes to The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, which I've never read. And I can't think of a book called 'The Tenant' that I've read recently. Enlighten me? Always happy to claimn credit for a BB!

>133 RebaRelishesReading: - I think I've had MW exactly once - at my aunt's house, on a sandwich, when she assured me it was "just like" mayo. Umm, no. No, it is not.

>134 laytonwoman3rd: - I'm not a huge raw tomato fan, but a good, ripe one in the summer with salt and pepper for me, please!

>135 lauralkeet: - Oooh, I do like mayo on a burger, too, Laura! Some people find it weird, but... *Shrug*

137katiekrug
Mar 1, 2021, 8:50 am

We had a lovely Sunday of not doing much at all. I finished The Bean Trees and will share my thoughts in a bit. Short version is I loved it :)

The Wayne is working on perfecting a paprika chicken dish he has in his head. We had the first effort last Thursday (I think? The days run together...) and it was okay, but the sauce didn't work how he wanted it. He tried again last night, and it was pretty good. It's chicken breast with a creamy pan sauce, lots of paprika, and peas, served over egg noodles. He still wasn't happy with it, but I gobbled it up.

Nothing exciting on tap - I'm swamped with work related to our Board nominations, which will hopefully ease on Thursday after a committee meeting which I am already stressed about. Gym tonight, and it's my dreaded strength day, which ends with a million step-ups, which I loathe. So something to look forward to - ha!

138ffortsa
Mar 1, 2021, 8:52 am

>136 katiekrug: I thought you had recommended a Katrine Engberg mystery that was the second in the series that started with The Tenant, so I went back and got the first one. Hm, wonder if it was someone else's remark.

I fixed the touchstone - thanks for telling me.

139katiekrug
Mar 1, 2021, 8:56 am

>138 ffortsa: - Not I, said the fly :)

140scaifea
Mar 1, 2021, 9:34 am

>134 laytonwoman3rd: I disagree, Linda. There *is* something better: a nice MLT – mutton, lettuce and tomato sandwich, where the mutton is nice and lean and the tomato is ripe. They’re so perky, I love that.

Morning, Katie!

141katiekrug
Mar 1, 2021, 9:35 am

>140 scaifea: - I only eat MLTs when I am preparing to storm a castle... ;-)

142scaifea
Mar 1, 2021, 9:39 am

>141 katiekrug: Well, yes, clearly.

143katiekrug
Modifié : Avr 5, 2021, 3:55 pm

Month in Review: February
(#s in parentheses are YTD)

Books Read: 9 (17)
Mine vs Library: 9 vs 0 (14 vs 3)

Non-US/UK Authors: 0 (2 - 1 Mexico, 1 Canada)
Own Voices: 4 (6)
New-to-me Authors: 4 (9)

Best of the month: The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
Worst of the month: Empire of the Air by Ethan Canin (but I rated it 3.5 stars; this was a great reading month in terms of quality!)

DNFs: 1 (3)

144katiekrug
Mar 1, 2021, 9:42 am

>142 scaifea: - *grin*

145laytonwoman3rd
Mar 1, 2021, 9:42 am

146vivians
Mar 1, 2021, 9:43 am

>141 katiekrug: love that :)

147katiekrug
Mar 1, 2021, 9:50 am

>145 laytonwoman3rd: and >146 vivians: - There is no wrong time or place for a Princess Bride reference...

148katiekrug
Mar 1, 2021, 9:51 am

Such a deal!

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena is on sale for Kindle for a mere $1.99 today. I LOVED this book, though it was a brutal read. Mark and I met Anthony Marra at the Asheville Booktopia event several years ago, and he was funny and charming so you can feel good about supporting him :)

149laytonwoman3rd
Mar 1, 2021, 9:52 am

>147 katiekrug: Inconceivable.

150katiekrug
Mar 1, 2021, 9:56 am

151katiekrug
Modifié : Mar 1, 2021, 10:06 am

More Deals!
Every month, Amazon puts a ton of Kindle books on sale. You kind of have to do some navigating to get to the list, but it's my favorite part of the first of the month - scrolling through hundreds of crap books so you don't have to!

So far, I've spied:
When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir for $2.99 (I read this a few weeks ago and thought it was very good)
$2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America for $2.99 (sort of ironic?) - This is an excellent, excellent book that should be required reading.
Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America for $1.99 (Full disclosure, I haven't read this one yet, but I know several people around here loved it, and it won a Pulitzer...)
The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America for $3.99 (This was an eye-opening and fascinating read for me, and I am not big into economics, but it's so much more...)
Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter for $1.99 (a great novel about race and friendship in the American South)

152rosalita
Mar 1, 2021, 10:05 am

>151 katiekrug: I'll add my enthusiastic endorsement of Devil in the Grove — it's very good.

153katiekrug
Mar 1, 2021, 10:09 am

>151 katiekrug: - You were top of the list I was thinking of when I said people around here loved it!

154rosalita
Mar 1, 2021, 10:11 am

>153 katiekrug: Aw, shucks!

155Helenliz
Mar 1, 2021, 10:38 am

>151 katiekrug: not having a Kindle or any kind of electronic reading device, I sit here, secure in my imperviousness.

156katiekrug
Mar 1, 2021, 11:10 am

>154 rosalita: - :)

>155 Helenliz: - The deals don't, as a rule, cross to your side of the pond and Amazon UK so you'd be safe anyway.

157katiekrug
Mar 1, 2021, 12:04 pm



The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver

I loved this novel. It is full of humor and wisdom and compassion, with likeable and relatable characters. It's about community, made and found, and learning that all we can do is our best for ourselves and others, and to see the connections among all of us. It's deceptively simple, but Kingsolver imbues the story with politics and issues of social justice in a nuanced way that sneaks up on the reader.

I'll be reading the follow-up, Pigs in Heaven, sooner rather than later.

4.5 stars

"I thought I'd had a pretty hard life. But I keep finding out that life can be hard in ways I never knew about."

"{I}n a world as wrong as this one, all we can do is to make things as right as we can."

158RebaRelishesReading
Mar 1, 2021, 12:47 pm

I, too, loved Devil in the Grove -- it's not an easy read but it is powerful.

159BLBera
Mar 1, 2021, 1:53 pm

>157 katiekrug: Nice comments, Katie. I also loved The Bean Trees. I keep meaning to reread...

160SandDune
Mar 1, 2021, 1:59 pm

>157 katiekrug: I’ve read Pigs in Heaven not realising it was a sequel, but have never got around to The Bean Trees.

161katiekrug
Mar 1, 2021, 2:07 pm

>158 RebaRelishesReading: - I really need to get to it one of these days, Reba!

>159 BLBera: - Some day, Beth.... :)

>160 SandDune: - Do you think you'll ever go back and read The Bean Trees, Rhian?

162magicians_nephew
Mar 1, 2021, 4:38 pm

>150 katiekrug: we had the fun of hearing George Packer talk about The Unwinding a few years back when it first came out - opened by eyes in so many ways

163figsfromthistle
Mar 1, 2021, 5:43 pm

Happy Monday, Katie.

Just catching up here. Lot's about weird food combos. As a child, my parents insisted that I eat sour cream soup. Essentially made of flour, sour cream, garlic and lots of caraway seeds. To this day, I still can't eat it or even smell it.

>157 katiekrug: Sounds like a great read. On my WL.

164brenzi
Mar 1, 2021, 6:34 pm

Pondering the idea that people still eat mutton.....

I read The Bean Trees and Pigs in Heaven eons ago but I remember loving them Katie.

165bell7
Mar 1, 2021, 9:58 pm

Glad to see you loved The Bean Trees. That was my introduction to Kingsolver back in college, and I liked it well enough that I went and read every fiction book she'd written at that point (2002?) and a few more since. I loved the found family aspect especially, and I may have to consider a reread sometime soon.

Regarding food, just have to add that garden fresh tomatoes straight off the vine are absolutely perfect all by themselves. But I think Linda's right about it being, at least in part, what we grew up with. As a toddler, our neighbor would give me cherry tomatoes from his garden and I thought they were a-MAZ-ing, so much so that my mom would have to keep me from eating too much.

166susanj67
Mar 2, 2021, 6:12 am

Hi Katie! Amazon UK also does the monthly deals - I should find them. They aren't the same as yours but there might be something there. I also loved Devil in the Grove.

True story from yesterday: I was watching YouTube, where one of the influencers was doing a walk-through of her new rental in Pasadena. She showed inside a closet, and then said to her husband, who was doing the filming, "Oh look! There's a hatch that must go up to the attic!"

Secret. Attics. Everywhere.

Then I found some Young People looking at apartments in Manhattan. It makes London look cheap :-O

167katiekrug
Mar 2, 2021, 9:12 am

>162 magicians_nephew: - That must have been fascinating, Jim. I was anticipating a really dry, boring book and found it anything but.

>163 figsfromthistle: - Sour cream soup is a new one for me, figs! I must admit, it doesn't sound very appealing.

And yes, do read The Bean Trees!

>164 brenzi: - I think mutton is still a thing, Bonnie. Not here, but I don't think it was ever that widespread, because we don't have the sheep population other countries do. (I'm talking out of my rear-end now. I really have no clue...)

Yay for more Kingsolver love. As I mentioned somewhere above, I am planning to read PiH soon.

>165 bell7: - Hi Mary! I've read a few Kingsolvers over the years and plan to continue to catch up on her work. My best friend's favorite is Animal Dreams, so I should get to that soon, I think.

I am hoping The Wayne has more luck with his garden this year and gets some good tomatoes out of it. Last year, he was battling creepy crawlies and various critters who appreciated the banquet he was providing...

>166 susanj67: - Susan - thanks for coming to visit! I love the secret attics. On your next trip over here, we should spend a weekend going to open houses and looking for secret attics, so you can experience the thrill :)

NYC real estate is ridiculous, though I understand prices have gone down a bit thanks to the pandemic. Is it the same in London?

168katiekrug
Mar 2, 2021, 9:17 am

I'm reading Difficult Women, a collection of short stories by Roxane Gay, for this month's AAC. I love Gay. She is so funny and sharp. This is my first time reading her fiction, and it is not disappointing, even if short stories are not my favorite...

Survived the gym last night. The Wayne didn't feel like cooking afterwards (we were going to have a meal from HelloFresh), so I had a piece of kielbasa wrapped in a slice of rye bread, with mustard. So there's a dinner idea for anyone in need of inspiration :-P

I went to bed fairly early and read some, but I was tired from the gym and soon turned off my light. And then couldn't sleep because we were having crazy winds, and I was waiting for a tree to fall on me. Good times. Slept in a bit this morning, so it's all good.

169msf59
Mar 2, 2021, 10:09 am

Hooray for The Bean Trees & Pigs in Heaven! I also loved the latter. I didn't realize or had forgotten that Gay had a story collection out. I will watch for your final thoughts.

170laytonwoman3rd
Mar 2, 2021, 10:32 am

>164 brenzi:, >167 katiekrug: I've never known mutton to be on offer anywhere in the markets where I've lived...lamb, yes. I suppose people may eat it in places where they do raise sheep, in the western parts of the country mainly? My dad used to talk about meat being "tough as mutton", but I have no idea when he would have eaten any.

171EBT1002
Mar 2, 2021, 11:15 am

Hi Katie! I'm so glad you loved The Bean Trees. I picked it off the "new books" table at Women & Children First, a Chicago bookstore, when it was first published. It established me as a Kingsolver fan right out the gate.

I'm glad a tree didn't fall on you.

172susanj67
Mar 2, 2021, 11:34 am

>167 katiekrug: Katie, yes, rental prices have dropped quite a bit in parts of London (according to the papers, anyway). Apparently 700,000 people have left London during the pandemic (although there is no consistent definition of "London"). But we haven't had the same problems as New York. I've watched a few "apartment tours" over the last couple of days and I'm shocked at how little space (in an old and icky building) they get for the money.

173richardderus
Mar 2, 2021, 11:55 am

Ooohhh, kielbasa on rye! Add sauerkraut on top of the (seeded?) rye and I. am. gone! (in the good sense)

174katiekrug
Mar 2, 2021, 12:25 pm

>169 msf59: - Hiya, Mark! So far the Gay collection is very good. I should finish it up fairly soon, though I am not reading it straight through...

>170 laytonwoman3rd: - There is a famous steakhouse in NYC that serves a mutton chop as one of its signature dishes. I have not been tempted!

>171 EBT1002: - Ellen, you were an "early adopter" of Kingsolver, you trendsetter!

I'm glad a tree didn't fall on me, too :)

>172 susanj67: - Apparently a lot of people (relatively speaking) have left NYC, too. It's driven up prices in my town. And lots, of course, went to their "second homes" outside the city.

TW and I had talked seriously about renting in the city for a year or two, just to have the experience and to get wallow in all it has to offer. I'm very glad we didn't go that route, given how the pandemic has forced us to isolate so much. It would be hard for the two of us to live and work on top of each other in a tiny space.

>173 richardderus: - Kielbasa and sauerkraut with fresh rye bread is the traditional Krug family Christmas Eve meal :) No sauerkraut on hand last night, but I quite enjoyed my improvised "hot dog"!

175RebaRelishesReading
Mar 2, 2021, 12:27 pm

>166 susanj67: Hatch in the closet -- we have one of those in the master closet except it goes to the crawl space under the house not to a secret attic :)

176susanj67
Mar 2, 2021, 12:42 pm

>174 katiekrug: There are definitely quite a few Londoners who went to second homes in the country, but a lot of the people who left were young Europeans who work in catering and hospitality, so they may not be back. I've read terrible things about the rise in crime in New York with so many people gone, but the stabbings and shootings in London are pretty stable. Maybe it's because most people are still stuck at home...

>175 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, that's the hatch in the floor, though. I bet if you looked up you'd find a hatch to the attic you never knew you had :-)

177katiekrug
Mar 2, 2021, 12:50 pm

>175 RebaRelishesReading: - Have you searched the crawl space for hidden treasure yet? That's the first thing I do when I discover a secret space :)

>176 susanj67: - Would a lot of the young Europeans who have left have had to anyway due to Brexit?

178RebaRelishesReading
Mar 2, 2021, 3:02 pm

>176 susanj67: We have vaulted ceilings in every room except the two guest bedrooms and the bathrooms so I don't think there's an attic up there.

>177 katiekrug: Nope, have not been down in the crawl space. The inspector when we bought the house found that it had been inhabited by a raccoon family who had left a lot of piles of ..ahem.. down there as well has having destroyed the vapor barrier. Sellers got to spend $1000 to fix that all up. I have absolutely NO desire to go down there!

179katiekrug
Mar 2, 2021, 3:34 pm

>178 RebaRelishesReading: - Disappointing :(

180katiekrug
Mar 2, 2021, 3:37 pm

So, you all know how I was super happy to leave Texas and move back to the Northeast? Welp, even more so now - the Governor of Texas just announced he was "opening" the state 100% (no restrictions on occupancy, e.g.) and ending the statewide mask mandate. He's a Republican so I don't expect much, but I am truly flabbergasted by this and so worried about my family and friends there. The opening is less shocking to me than ending the mask mandate. It just blows my mind, and while I worry about my loved ones, I am just so fucking happy not to live there anymore.

181rosalita
Mar 2, 2021, 4:26 pm

>180 katiekrug: I saw that and, living in Iowa under an equally malevolent Republican governor, am surprised by neither move. As a reporter in my Twitter timeline commented, remarking on the fact that Abbott even as ended the mask mandate implored Texans to adhere to federal guidelines and allow businesses to implement their own standards, "In the gregabbotist move imaginable, he's transferring all the risk — physical and political — onto everyone who is not Greg Abbott." Sounds about right.

182RebaRelishesReading
Mar 2, 2021, 4:46 pm

>180 katiekrug:, >181 rosalita: I just saw that too -- dear, heavens, if you can't free them to death let them have Covid!! It always amazes me how many people continue to vote for these yahoos.

183magicians_nephew
Mar 2, 2021, 4:48 pm

The worst of it seems to me to be that people who DO wear masks and social distance in these GOP governed states get handed a lot of Sh*t from others for doing so.

Heaven help us when taking precautions in a pandemic is seen as a political choice.

184lauralkeet
Mar 2, 2021, 5:08 pm

*nodding in agreement with the above Texas commentary*
It boggles my mind.

185ChelleBearss
Mar 2, 2021, 5:16 pm

Wow, that seems a bit soon eh? Is Texas doing well with having low cases or are they just over Covid?
My town had zero cases today and we are still on a restrict zone and can only have 10 people at our house and restaurants and stores still have tons of restrictions.

186rosalita
Mar 2, 2021, 5:51 pm

>183 magicians_nephew: Iowa never implemented a statewide mask mandate at all, because the governor said she was confident Iowans would "do the right thing" despite all evidence to the contrary. When she was asked at press conferences (repeatedly) "What about people who are at high risk of developing covid?" her only response was "If you don't feel safe you should stay home." Brilliant, thanks. So those of us who didn't want to die have been essentially locked down in our homes while the rest of the state goes about business as usual. Maddening.

I'm going to beat her at her own game and survive this damn thing despite her best efforts, if only to vote her out in 2022.

187scaifea
Mar 2, 2021, 5:57 pm

>180 katiekrug: So stupid ridiculous. Apparently Mississippi, too? Yoicks.

188katiekrug
Mar 2, 2021, 6:08 pm

>181 rosalita: - Sounds about right, indeed.

>182 RebaRelishesReading:, >183 magicians_nephew:, and >184 lauralkeet: - A-yup.

>185 ChelleBearss: - Just over it, I guess. 11 of the 20 counties in the US with the worst covid rates last week were in Texas. As of Feb. 28, only 6.5% of the population of the state was fully vaccinated. It's insane.

>186 rosalita: - The mind boggles.

>187 scaifea: - Wouldn't surprise me.....

189richardderus
Mar 2, 2021, 6:09 pm

I'm grateful every day I'm no longer there, either. Yech.

190susanj67
Mar 3, 2021, 4:13 am

>177 katiekrug: No - most Europeans in the UK were allowed to stay despite Brexit. People who'd been here five years could apply for "settled status" which is pretty much the same as indefinite leave to remain (and more generous in some ways in terms of how long they can leave the country for without losing their status). After a further year they can apply for citizenship. There's a "pre-settled status" for those with fewer than five years. Brexit will really only affect those people coming in from Europe after 1 January this year, because they're now treated like everyone else in terms of needing a work visa. There are a lot of UK retirees in Europe, so the UK government had to ensure that they weren't all sent back, and the settled status scheme was a way of doing that.

>180 katiekrug: Yikes - that sounds crazy! We don't even have non-essential retail open again yet and it will be 12 April before we do. Poor Texas.

191BLBera
Mar 3, 2021, 7:25 am

>180 katiekrug: The mind boggles. What an idiot.

192katiekrug
Mar 3, 2021, 9:13 am

>189 richardderus: - Serious yech.

>190 susanj67: - Oh, that makes sense. I feel smarter now :)

Texas is a hot (sometimes cold) mess...

>191 BLBera: - Seriously.

193Helenliz
Mar 3, 2021, 9:18 am

>192 katiekrug: *pssst, Katie, if you understand it, can you tell the rest of us?*

>190 susanj67: Yup, I get to celebrate my birthday with a hair cut (maybe). That'll be something exciting to look forward to, won't it?

194katiekrug
Mar 3, 2021, 9:25 am

Sunny day here, with temps expected to get up to about 50F. I hope the rest of the snow melts, because yesterday it was super slippery from softening and then refreezing. Nuala thought it was fun, though...

Pork and veggie stir fry last night and some MarioKart. And then reading. I've started Love for the shared read (did I already mention that? Sorry.). It's good so far, and I'm eager to see how it develops. I listened to a bit of my audio book while picking up Nuala from day care. It's okay - not great - though I have laughed out loud a couple of times.

I made overnight oats for the first time for breakfast this morning. They're... interesting... I need something crunchy to put on top as the texture leaves something to be desired.

195katiekrug
Mar 3, 2021, 9:27 am

>193 Helenliz: - Ha! I just meant it made sense that they couldn't just kick out a large part of the labor force willy-nilly. I'm sure it's still a clusterf*ck in many ways.

196scaifea
Mar 3, 2021, 9:50 am

Yay for 50-degree weather! It's sunny here, but not that warm. Still, the sun feels spring-like, if that makes sense.

Your stir fry sounds amazing.

197katiekrug
Mar 3, 2021, 9:55 am

>196 scaifea: - The sun actually felt warm on my head when I took Nuala out this morning...

It was HelloFresh meal - carrots, green beans and red cabbage stir fried with pork tenderloin in a not-at-all-authentic-but-still-tasty bulgogi sauce.

198rosalita
Mar 3, 2021, 10:13 am

>194 katiekrug: Texture is the biggest reason I haven't jumped on the overnight oats bandwagon. I have a thing about textures of a lot of foods

199katiekrug
Mar 3, 2021, 10:22 am

>198 rosalita: - I think it would work better for me with some fruit and the aforementioned crunchy bits. As it was, I didn't have anything to put in it other than cinnamon...

200richardderus
Mar 3, 2021, 11:23 am

Warm, sunny Wednesday wishes!

I recommend GrapeNuts and blueberries on your sludge. I mean, overnight oats. And, it goes without saying, real butter...or else why bother?

201katiekrug
Mar 3, 2021, 12:17 pm

>200 richardderus: - What a beautiful day it is!

Butter? Hmmm. This round I made with vanilla almond milk and ate it at room temperature, so I don't think butter would have worked. GrapeNuts are a good idea. I love granola, but the store-bought stuff isn't very diet friendly. I should try making my own. But GrapeNuts might be an acceptable option... And I have frozen blueberries on hand - should have thought of that. Can't wait for fresh ones to be in season!

202RebaRelishesReading
Mar 3, 2021, 12:33 pm

203richardderus
Mar 3, 2021, 12:40 pm

A brief zap in the nuke to melt the butter and pop the frozeberries; then a solid sprinkle of GrapeNuts. Yum!

204RebaRelishesReading
Mar 3, 2021, 12:40 pm

>194 katiekrug: Were you using steel cut oats? I like some texture too so always use steel cut. I put them in vanilla almond milk overnight and then they cook up very quickly in the morning (I add cinnamon just before cooking). I usually make a big batch and put what I don't eat into the fridge. it warms up beautifully in the microwave. When it's hot I put in chopped nuts and blueberries (we can get fresh ones all year) and it's a feast -- and good for me too :)

205katiekrug
Mar 3, 2021, 12:49 pm

>203 richardderus: - I'll be experimenting after the next grocery run....

>204 RebaRelishesReading: - You cook them? I thought the point was that you didn't have to? I just used quick oats which is what I had on hand. Since it wasn't a total failure, I'll be trying different oats and combinations, I think.

206jnwelch
Modifié : Mar 3, 2021, 1:16 pm

Hi, Katie.

That Republican governor in Texas is an idiot, isn't he. I just saw Houston's mayor criticizing him for lifting the mask mandate. Jeesh. Our DIL's parents live in McAllen, and we worry about them all the time. I'm glad you moved to the NE, as I know you are.

207katiekrug
Mar 3, 2021, 2:53 pm

>206 jnwelch: - Yep. Glad I'm here and not there, but I hate having people I care about subjected to such irresponsible leadership...

208katiekrug
Mar 3, 2021, 3:41 pm

A few weeks ago, I mentioned watching 'You've Got Mail.' What I didn't mention was that I thought I remembered the movie better than I did - I thought there was something about Meg Ryan's character taking over the children's section of the megastore. I mentally shrugged and went about my day.

And then today, I saw this!

https://www.pajiba.com/film_reviews/youve-got-mail-the-mandela-effect-and-collec...

209MickyFine
Mar 3, 2021, 3:53 pm

>208 katiekrug: Huh that's fascinating. I've watched You've Got Mail at least once a year since I was a teen so no chance of my remembering alternate endings.

What does bug me is that if you stream the Keira Knightley P&P it doesn't always have the post-marriage Mrs. Darcy scene at the end. I was so upset the first time it happened.

210katiekrug
Mar 3, 2021, 3:54 pm

>209 MickyFine: - Yes, that happened to me with P&P once. I know that ending is "controversial" but I really love it :)

211MickyFine
Mar 3, 2021, 3:56 pm

212laytonwoman3rd
Mar 3, 2021, 4:46 pm

>208 katiekrug: That is spooky.

213charl08
Mar 3, 2021, 6:16 pm

>209 MickyFine: I had the DVD of the Austen - according to that, the Mrs Darcy version is the "American" ending. But that might just be the usual Brit snobbery!

You've got mail. I also thought she had the bookshop inside a bookshop. Weird.

214ffortsa
Mar 3, 2021, 6:27 pm

>208 katiekrug: Add me to the missing ending. I was sure of it. I still am sure of it.

215brenzi
Mar 3, 2021, 9:16 pm

I eat Overnight Oats most days Katie. I don't think they would work with steel cut oats. I haven't made the transition to almond milk yet so I use regular milk, yogurt, half a banana mashed, and the regular Quaker Oats. Put it in the fridge overnight. In the morning I put in a dash of vanilla, a tablespoon or two of sliced almonds, and blueberries. I've been eating it for a couple of years and can go hours and hours before I feel hungry.

216katiekrug
Mar 4, 2021, 6:50 am

>211 MickyFine: - *grin*

>212 laytonwoman3rd: - Right?!?!

>213 charl08: - SO WEIRD.

>214 ffortsa: - I'm so glad to know it's not just me :)

>215 brenzi: - Oh, yogurt! Interesting. Is that in place of some of the milk or just extra? I used 1/2 c. of oats and 3/4 c. of almond milk. I think it was too much milk, as it seemed like a lot of extra liquid...

217katiekrug
Mar 4, 2021, 6:53 am

I'm up bright and early (for me), as I have a 4-hour (whaaaaat?) meeting starting at 8:00. Good times.

Gym last night, followed by a HF meal of banh mi meatballs with pickled vegetables, which was pretty tasty. I went to bed early in anticipation of having to set the alarm.

Still enjoying Love, which I am more than halfway through now.

218Helenliz
Mar 4, 2021, 7:15 am

Excuse the idiot question, how is overnight oats not just cold porridge? Hot porridge I can get behind, cold sounds distinctly less appetising.

219katiekrug
Mar 4, 2021, 7:19 am

>218 Helenliz: - I think it probably is cold porridge? I'm not sure what porridge is, to be honest :) You can heat up the overnight oats, which I will try next time...

220magicians_nephew
Mar 4, 2021, 7:22 am

When I started reading English novels you would always hear about "gruel". Scrooge eats it, and Emma's father eats it in "Emma" so i finally looked up what exactly "gruel" is.

I'm not eating that gruel.

221rosalita
Modifié : Mar 4, 2021, 7:40 am

Good morning, Katie! Good luck in LL today — we are battling head-to-head. Now I'm scared to actually look at the questions. :-)

222katiekrug
Mar 4, 2021, 7:42 am

>220 magicians_nephew: - I always think of Oliver Twist when I hear "gruel" or "porridge"...

>221 rosalita: - I've been doing terribly at LL so far, but today's questions are in my wheelhouse!

223laytonwoman3rd
Mar 4, 2021, 10:44 am

>219 katiekrug: I think porridge is any cooked grain in mildly sloppy form...oatmeal, cream of wheat, or whatever was growing around, back in the day. (Gruel is the REALLY sloppy form of porridge.)

224katiekrug
Mar 4, 2021, 12:22 pm

>223 laytonwoman3rd: - That makes sense. I don't generally like hot cereals...

225katiekrug
Mar 4, 2021, 12:23 pm

I survived my meeting! It was a near thing, but I'll spare you the details. Just so glad it's over now...

226RebaRelishesReading
Mar 4, 2021, 12:33 pm

>205 katiekrug: I like them hot so, yes, I cook them but I soak them in the pan I'm going to cook them in, stick the on the stove first thing and they're ready to eat as soon as my tea is ready.

227brenzi
Mar 4, 2021, 12:33 pm

>216 katiekrug: I use a quarter cup each of milk, plain yogurt and oatmeal Katie. It doesn’t come out soupy at all. The original recipe called for a third cup each so you could easily do that too. Oh and I throw in a half teaspoon of Chia seeds. You can do a lot of tweaking. If you use frozen blueberries put them in the night before and keep in mind they won have the crunch of fresh blueberries

228richardderus
Mar 4, 2021, 12:40 pm

It is, after all is said and done, Thursday.

229katiekrug
Mar 4, 2021, 2:25 pm

>226 RebaRelishesReading: - Oh, got it! Some people seem to just stick them in the microwave if they want them hot, so I was confused. I am easily confused :)

>227 brenzi: - I might try some yogurt in it next time, Bonnie. Thanks!

>228 richardderus: - And I'm taking tomorrow off! Hooray!

230richardderus
Mar 4, 2021, 2:27 pm

>229 katiekrug: OooOoOOOOoooohhh
(must be VHH Thursday again AND World Book Day, to boot)

231BLBera
Mar 4, 2021, 2:34 pm

>208 katiekrug: That is weird. That alternate ending would perhaps make the movie more palatable to me. :)

232katiekrug
Mar 4, 2021, 2:50 pm

>230 richardderus: - It is VHH tonight! And World Book Day, you say? NOICE.

>231 BLBera: - Maybe it's a mass psychosis of people who subconsciously have issues with the movie and have figured out a way to make it better? I saw Rhian's comments on her thread recently about it... I totally see it, but I still like it :)

233lauralkeet
Mar 4, 2021, 3:01 pm

>231 BLBera:, >232 katiekrug: re: YGM ending.
I asked my daughter Kate about this phenomenon, since she is a diehard YGM fan ("I am VERY confident in the ending I can recite it by heart"). I shared the article with her and she said much the same thing as Katie: "I don’t have any memory of that bc I know the CORRECT ending but it seems like a solution people would subconsciously invent to reconcile that it seems like she gets the short end of the stick lol"

I understand Rhian's comments, too, but I still think it's a sweet movie.

234katiekrug
Mar 4, 2021, 3:18 pm

>233 lauralkeet: - Your Kate is very smart. Must be something in the name ;-)

235lauralkeet
Mar 4, 2021, 6:03 pm

of course it is!

236EBT1002
Mar 4, 2021, 11:45 pm

I like my overnight oats with banana and peanut butter. And a wee bit of maple syrup.

237rosalita
Mar 5, 2021, 6:54 am

Congrats on eggroll, Katie! A tie on perfect scores is about the best possible outcome when we play head-to-head. At least for me. ;-)

238katiekrug
Mar 5, 2021, 9:15 am

>235 lauralkeet: - *grin*

>236 EBT1002: - Ellen, do you put the banana in overnight or when you eat it in the morning?

>237 rosalita: - We. Are. Awesome. Though I was really hoping for a victory because I don't have one... But there is no one I would rather tie with than you!!

239katiekrug
Mar 5, 2021, 9:17 am

Doctor's appointment this morning (just a routine physical) and I've taken the rest of the day off so I'll take care of some errands and then do not much at all. Maybe take a nap, since I slept like crap... And I'll finish Love for sure, as I am in the home stretch.

Gym and movie night tonight.

240BLBera
Mar 5, 2021, 9:38 am

Happy Friday, Katie. Good luck with the doctor.

241MickyFine
Mar 5, 2021, 9:53 am

Enjoy your day off, Katie! Hope the check-up is painless and the nap is delicious.

242scaifea
Mar 5, 2021, 12:20 pm

Happy Friday, Katie!

What movies are you watching tonight?

243richardderus
Mar 5, 2021, 2:02 pm

Hoping that life is not extinguished in your breast as of yet, and that you're being tormented by Joel the Devil even as I type.

Happy weekend!

244bell7
Mar 5, 2021, 3:29 pm

Enjoy the long weekend, Katie!

245katiekrug
Mar 5, 2021, 4:01 pm

>240 BLBera: - Thanks, Beth! It was fine. No issues :)

>241 MickyFine: - Thanks, Micky! Doesn't look like the nap will happen, but the doctor's visit was painless and I went to the grocery store and stocked up on "good for me" food...

>242 scaifea: - The Wayne thinks his choice will be Gladiator. I am still mulling over my choice and might defer it to tomorrow night, depending how tired I am later on. I didn't sleep well last night. I did just get reminded that the Coming to America sequel is now available on Prime, so I might go with that...

>243 richardderus: - My torment will begin at 6:15 this evening. Spare a thought for me between then and 7:00!

>244 bell7: - Thanks, Mary!

246ChelleBearss
Mar 5, 2021, 5:55 pm

Overnight oats are on of the things I am starting to make myself eat in the morning. I am terrible with breakfast. I use large flakes oats and I add in a bit of stevia and unsweetened cocoa powder and it's yummy with fruit topping :)

247BLBera
Mar 5, 2021, 6:44 pm

No issues is a good thing, Katie.

248Helenliz
Modifié : Mar 6, 2021, 3:08 am

A couple of years ago I gave up trying to eat breakfast, and now just have 2 meals a day. Never was a fan of eating breakfast. I do miss some breakfast foods though. Porridge in the winter, made with half milk & water and a swirl of honey, is one of them. Somehow I never think to make it for lunch.

Hope your weekend is all nice and weekend-y. >:-)

249katiekrug
Mar 6, 2021, 9:33 am

>246 ChelleBearss: - That does sound good, Chelle!

>247 BLBera: - Sure is, Beth :)

>248 Helenliz: - My favorite breakfast foods are very carb-y, Helen - bagels, pancakes, toast, waffles, etc. These days, I mostly do Greek yogurt and fruit but it gets boring...

Thanks re: the weekend. Hope yours is the same!

250katiekrug
Mar 6, 2021, 9:37 am

After the gym last night, we watched Gladiator but I fell asleep, so we'll finish it tonight. I've seen it before but there was a lot I didn't remember... I ended up asleep on the couch until about 1am when I toddled off to bed. Sweet Nuala let us sleep until almost 9 this morning, which was very thoughtful of her!

Not much on the agenda for today - laundry, general tidying up, etc. I think The Wayne is planning to fire up the smoker and do a whole chicken on it, so that will likely be dinner.

I need to write up some comments on Love, which I finished yesterday. I've now started Passing by Nella Larsen, which I've had on my shelf for a while and which Julia finally provided the impetus to read.

251ChelleBearss
Modifié : Mar 6, 2021, 9:41 am

Enjoy your smoked chicken! Nate keeps talking about getting a smoker as our buddy has one and we've had some delicious dinners are their house

252katiekrug
Mar 6, 2021, 9:51 am

>251 ChelleBearss: - The smoker is The Wayne's very favorite thing in the whole world, I think :) We have one of those ceramic "egg" ones. It definitely produces some tasty meals!

253katiekrug
Modifié : Mar 6, 2021, 10:04 am



Love by Toni Morrison

I always seems to struggle a bit at the start of a Morrison novel. She often drops the reader into the heart of the story, introducing elements and characters, without making the connections or providing the context one needs for a coherent picture. But what she is so good at is writing a novel where these pieces are slowly teased out, threads of a story meet up with others, characters develop, connections are illuminated, and the reader finally begins to see and understand the complex web she is weaving as a whole.

Love took a bit longer than usual to show itself to me to the point where I felt like I was "getting" it. But once I did, the book was difficult to put down. At heart, it's about the various forms of love that can shape and distort a life, and about the opposite face of the same coin - the enmity and hatred that can do the same. It's a story of several women who orbit around one man and how they are both drawn to and repulsed by him, and what those conflicting emotions do to them and to their relationship with each other.

It is barely 200 pages in length but Morrison can do more in those pages than most authors do in twice the number.

4 stars

254katiekrug
Mar 6, 2021, 10:20 am

This popped up in my FB memories from last year:

"3 days working from home together this week, two upcoming overnight flights, 8 nights sharing a hotel room, 3 days of vacation, and then two weeks of self-quarantine make for a lot of together-time for The Wayne and me. I am 95% confident we won't kill each other... 🙂"

Ha! It's been a year now and we haven't killed each other. #soproud

(The post was from a few days before our trip to Argentina that got cut short by the 'Rona.)

255MickyFine
Mar 6, 2021, 11:05 am

Congrats on not murdering your spouse! ;)

256lauralkeet
Modifié : Mar 6, 2021, 11:39 am

>253 katiekrug: great review, Katie!

>254 katiekrug: sigh.

>255 MickyFine: But yeah. 😊

257richardderus
Mar 6, 2021, 11:46 am

>254 katiekrug:, >255 MickyFine: ...and on not *being* murdered by said spouse!

258katiekrug
Modifié : Mar 6, 2021, 12:54 pm

>255 MickyFine: - Overall, I have to say he is pretty easy to live with :) Lucky me.

>256 lauralkeet: - Thanks re: the review, Laura! and thanks again for providing the impetus to catch up on her works.

*double sigh*

>257 richardderus: - Ha! Why would he want to murder me? I'm the very picture of easy to live with ;-)

259jnwelch
Mar 6, 2021, 1:04 pm

>255 MickyFine: LOL! I've been on the other end of that one, Micky. More than once I've felt, "Phew!", after escaping the wrath of Madame MBH.

Hi, Katie. Good review of Toni Morrison's Love. That's one I hadn't heard of, and it sounds good.

260richardderus
Mar 6, 2021, 1:07 pm

>258 katiekrug: *flees Jovian thunderbolts that might miss intended prevaricatrix*

261Helenliz
Mar 6, 2021, 2:11 pm

>254 katiekrug:. Congrats on both being still alive. Although we do only have Katie's word for that... >;-)

After 3 weeks of lockdown I could quite cheerfully have murdered my beloved. It's got a bit better, but I am counting down until I'm back in the office again. Even just 1 day a week makes so much difference.

262figsfromthistle
Mar 6, 2021, 6:15 pm

I always had difficulties eating breakfast at 5 am, but have gotten into the habit of eating something quick and filling on the days I have to go to work. I make sure to take the time to make something special on my days off and enjoy a longer breakfast.

>254 katiekrug: Congrats! Quite a feat. You could say that quarantine brought you closer ( in a good way!).

Have a wonderful weekend.

263katiekrug
Mar 7, 2021, 8:01 am

>259 jnwelch: - Thanks, Joe! It was a good read.

>260 richardderus: - Ha!

>261 Helenliz: - I think The Wayne has resolved to not go back to the office regularly when it opens. The company has left it up to employees - they had already announced more flexibility before the pandemic started. And TW does NOT miss the commute. We are talking about changing our office space(s) so that we don't have to share a room. I think our guest room is destined to become part guest room and part office...

>262 figsfromthistle: - I don't eat breakfast when I first get up. I usually give it an hour or so...

I am actually rather smug about how well we've weathered our year of almost-total-lockdown. We don't really fight or argue, and we know how to give each other space when necessary. We are both pretty easy-going and neither of us demands that the other do things "our" way - we compromise and accommodate and make it work. To me, that's a healthy relationship, and we both deserve credit :)

264katiekrug
Mar 7, 2021, 8:05 am

Dinner last night was some sort of Asian meatball thing The Wayne invented. It was pretty good! He had planned to smoke a chicken, but it wasn't defrosted enough, so he'll do that today. We finished watching Gladiator, which I really enjoyed. I barely remembered any of it from my first viewing ages ago. Then we watched Grumpier Old Men, which is better than the first, I think.

Another quiet day today - I got my jigsaw puzzle mojo back yesterday, so I'll probably spend some time puzzling and listening to my audio book. And I'd like to finish up Passing, which is very good.

265msf59
Mar 7, 2021, 8:13 am

Happy Sunday, Katie! Good review of Love. I didn't join the group this time but I would like to read this one at some point. I watched Nomadland last night. Excellent film. I am a huge fan of Frances McDormand and this wonderful young film-maker. It is on Hulu.

266katiekrug
Mar 7, 2021, 8:29 am

>265 msf59: - Hiya, Mark! I want to see Nomadland, though I feel like I should read the book first, even though I know the film is only very loosely based on it - maybe just inspired by it, really...

I also love Frances McDormand.

267msf59
Mar 7, 2021, 8:38 am

I was doing some research on the film Nomadland and discovered that some of the real-life people featured in the book have starring roles in the film. Basically playing themselves. This director does an amazing job with non-actors. It truly feels very natural.

268scaifea
Mar 7, 2021, 8:59 am

Morning, Katie!

>263 katiekrug: We're the same way here at Scaife Manor - we've weathered this year really well. I was really stressed about Charlie possibly feeling cooped-up and unhappy, but he's told me on several occasions that he's really enjoyed this year at home and that he loves online school and spending time with us. Such a weird kid. Ha! At any rate, it's a relief. And Tomm and I pretty much never fight anyway and that's held true this year, too. His company is letting their employees decide to continue to work remotely, too, for the most part, so it seems like that will become permanent here, too.

269katiekrug
Mar 7, 2021, 9:14 am

>267 msf59: - That's interesting, Mark. I didn't realize the film included some of the real people from the book.

>268 scaifea: - *smug happy marriage fist bump*

270Helenliz
Mar 7, 2021, 9:55 am

Our biggest problem about both working from home has been his need to chat. He's far more socialble than me and I think he's missed it. He works with large data sets, so sets something to process, then has 15 minutes before he can do anything else. In the office he'd go and talk to someone, make tea, that kind of thing. At home the only person he has to talk to is me. So he'd be forever popping into my study and disturbing me. That habit took a good few months to break.

His place is likely to be moving to more home working. He says he likes it, I'd like him back in the office at least a couple of days a week. I will certainly be going back a couple of days a week, if only to get away from him!

As someone who has always said I don't like people, the last year has proven how wrong I was. I do need people, but I also need some alone time. And the last year I've had very little of either end of the spectrum. Sanity? what sanity??

271katiekrug
Mar 7, 2021, 10:12 am

>270 Helenliz: - The chatting thing would be tough, Helen. The Wayne is not a chatter, and I am probably guilty of bothering him a bit, especially at the beginning. I had the advantage of having worked from home for a couple of years before he started, so I wasn't nearly as chatty as I used to be when in the office. Still, it was nice to have someone to talk to a few feet away, but I've learned to curb the impulse a bit, as he is very focused at work. Such a nerd!

272katiekrug
Mar 8, 2021, 8:56 am

Always fun to wake up in a panic because you forgot you had an 8am meeting. Hopefully nobody could tell I wasn't wearing a bra and hadn't brushed my hair before putting it in a clip :)

Last night's dinner was steak, which TW cooked on the smoker after the chicken came off, with asparagus and roasted potatoes. Then we played an epic game of Mario Party, which I - shockingly - won. Read some and then went to bed...

Gym tonight and the aforementioned smoked chicken for dinner.

I finished Passing yesterday and returned to the stories in Difficult Women, which I am really enjoying. Not sure what will be next but probably something on the lighter side.

273katiekrug
Mar 8, 2021, 10:25 am

The Kindle version of Dani Shapiro's excellent memoir, Inheritance: A Memoir, is on sale for $1.99.

274vivians
Mar 8, 2021, 10:45 am

>266 katiekrug: I just finished Nomadland this am - my library had the audio. One of those "depressing but worthwhile" narrative non-fictions. I'm looking forward to seeing Frances McDormand star.

275magicians_nephew
Mar 8, 2021, 10:57 am

>263 katiekrug: yeah I dunno what i would do if i was still working. Even before COVID a lot of people routinely worked from home and meetings were ZOOM (or SKYPE) even for people who were on site.

Remembering the Spacer World that Issac Asimov created in The Naked Sun. People knew that "viewing" on screens was different from face to face. Getting convenience and givng up the tribe the sense of community and shared experience. It's a trade off. Not even sure what the trade is - what we're getting and what we're giving up.

I retired and then BANG! the pandemic hit and Judy and I have been locked down together. It's a challenge.

276MickyFine
Mar 8, 2021, 11:26 am

>272 katiekrug: The upside to virtual meetings is that it tends to hide most of those things. I can't remember the last time I wore make-up for work. I've also done the wearing a scarf over the t-shirt I put on because I forgot I had virtual meetings that day. :P

277katiekrug
Mar 8, 2021, 11:48 am

>274 vivians: - I have it on audio, Vivian. How was the narrator?

>275 magicians_nephew: - We've always done a lot over teleconference/video conference because our offices and members are all over, so the "virtual" part wasn't hard to adjust to, for me. The biggest lockdown adjustment was just having The Wayne here All the Time, but it's also been kind of fun.

>276 MickyFine: - I think I last wore make-up at my wedding... Heh. My winter uniform is a turtleneck and fleece, which hides a multitude of sins, like no bra :)

278Helenliz
Mar 8, 2021, 12:59 pm

I've got used to my work uniform, rugby shirt and multiple jumpers. I've even got some fingerless gloves and a blanket for really cold days >:-) I worked from home once a week (ish) in my previous company as well and the joke there used to be that I'd be working in my onsie. I could never decide if claiming not to own a onsie (I don't) would just send the conversation down avenues it was better not to go down...

279katiekrug
Mar 8, 2021, 1:31 pm

>278 Helenliz: - Our office space can get a bit chilly, so I have fingerless gloves and a lap blanket, too :)

Yes, probably best not to go down the onesie rabbit hole with colleagues!

280BLBera
Mar 8, 2021, 4:12 pm

>263 katiekrug: Congrats on weathering the pandemic still speaking to each other, Katie. Separate offices is probably a good idea...

Nice comments on Love; I'm still thinking about it. I'll get to comments later.

281vivians
Mar 8, 2021, 4:16 pm

>277 katiekrug: Totally adequate, and easy to listen to at 1.5X.

282richardderus
Mar 8, 2021, 4:37 pm

Hiya. Walked an hour in the gorgeousness! I am so thrilled to have it be so beautiful two days in a row. Rob was off...Monday...so we literally wandered around looking at Long Beach and said next to nothing, just held hands and enjoyed both of us being vaccinated and safe as it's possible to be.

283katiekrug
Mar 8, 2021, 8:43 pm

>280 BLBera: - I look forward to your thoughts on Love, Beth.

>281 vivians: - Good to know, thanks!

>282 richardderus: - That sounds lovely!

284scaifea
Mar 9, 2021, 7:56 am

Morning, Katie!

Zoom workspaces and clothing: I have my zoom space set up in the basement so that I won't be distracting to or distracted by Charlie and his schoolwork or Tomm and his work (although Tomm does have a door on his office, at least). The basement is finished (it's also where my sewing space is), but it's generally *cold* so I have a space heater blasting on my legs the entire time I'm teaching. I do make myself wear Real Pants while teaching, even though I'm the only one who knows, because it helps me get into the I'm Working Now mindset (which helps especially since I'm not actively teaching all day but only a few hours a couple times a week).

I was worried about teaching over zoom at first, but it's turned out to be pretty great, which is a very good thing since I'll continue to do so as long as they decide to employ me (I live 2+ hours away from campus)...

285karenmarie
Mar 9, 2021, 8:20 am

Hi Katie!

Bill and I have separate home offices, and I've had to break him of the habit of opening the closed door to the Library every ten minutes when I'm in there reading to show me something or tell me something. This bad habit has crept back in with him working from home 2 days a week. He's also way chattier than I am, although I do get my chattiness out with phone calls with my daughter and sister.

286Helenliz
Mar 9, 2021, 8:34 am

>284 scaifea: ...it helps me get into the I'm Working Now mindset
This is soooo important, some sort of trigger to know when you're working - and equally important - when you're not working. I know some of my colleagues that had not worked form home before really struggled with it. I put my hair up in a twist, secured with a set of combs for work, whereas when not working it's in a pony tail or other such arrangement. Doesn't matter if no-one else sees it, that's how I know I'm at work.

>285 karenmarie: I feel your pain! *fist bump*

287katiekrug
Mar 9, 2021, 8:48 am

>284 scaifea: - Morning, Amber! I used to be better about dressing for work, when I first started WFH when we moved up here. It's easier in the warmer months, so I expect I'll get back to real pants and tops that aren't fleece :)

We've had all of our Board meetings in the past year over Teams (Microsoft's version of Zoom), and I think we've all been surprised by how well it actually works. Board members decry the lack of face time, which I get, but not having to manage all the meetings and personalities on-site (often while jet-lagged) has made it much easier on me! Of course, the travel was my favorite part of the job so now it's pretty boring... I am never satisfied :)

>285 karenmarie: - Hi Karen! No fear of The Wayne wanting to chat. He's not much of a talker, even outside the work day - ha! And I've gotten much better about not interrupting him, but I think separate spaces is probably a good idea, if only so we don't have to coordinate meetings, because we can't both be on a call at the same time...

>286 Helenliz: - My hair has gotten so long, it's pretty much always pulled back in a ponytail or twisted into a clip. I can't wait to get a hair cut....

288katiekrug
Mar 9, 2021, 8:54 am

Morning, All! Gorgeous sunny day here with temps supposed to hit 60F. Nuala will go off to day care, so she can run around outside like a maniac all day. We really need to get our back yard fenced, so we can let her out on her own....

Survived the gym last night, even with the dreaded step-ups... We had smoked chicken and leftover roasted potatoes and some steamed asparagus for dinner. Man, that chicken. The Wayne is a wonder with the smoker... So tender and wonderfully flavored... He's a keeper.

I started reading a book I've had on my shelf since 2004 - Chasing Shakespeares. It's a literary mystery about, um, Shakespeare, and two contemporary scholars trying to determine if a letter they discover is forged or authentic. It's okay so far. I will give it a little more time before deciding if it's worth continuing with.

289ChelleBearss
Mar 9, 2021, 9:30 am

wow, enjoy your warm spring day! We are supposed to hit 10c today (50f) and 14c tomorrow (57f) so my kids are happy and already trying to not wear their snow pants lol.

290katiekrug
Mar 9, 2021, 9:40 am

>289 ChelleBearss: - Thanks, Chelle! I am thinking about taking a few hours off this afternoon to sit on the deck and read...

291katiekrug
Mar 9, 2021, 9:44 am

One year ago today, The Wayne and I set off on our trip to Argentina and Uruguay, only to have to re-book back to New York 4 days later due to The Rona... *sigh*

292scaifea
Mar 9, 2021, 9:53 am

293katiekrug
Mar 9, 2021, 9:54 am

*SNORK!*

294richardderus
Mar 9, 2021, 11:07 am

>288 katiekrug: Re: Chasing Shakespeares...when I read it in the Aughties I can tell you I wasn't excited by it. I liked being in the academic world enough to keep reading, and while I felt there was a lot of research that underpinned the action, I wasn't always as unaware of it as I'd've liked to've been. I'll never seek out another Sarah Smith novel (are there any?) but it wasn't Time Wasted.

>292 scaifea: Awomen.

295MickyFine
Mar 9, 2021, 11:27 am

Enjoy those warmer temperatures, Katie. I'll try not to be jealous as it's overcast and somewhere between late winter and early spring temps here (barely above freezing during the day and sometimes colder).

296katiekrug
Mar 9, 2021, 11:30 am

>294 richardderus: - Yeah, I feel like it might be one of those reads that is just interesting enough to keep me reading, but I'll actually regret not spending time with something potentially more my cuppa. This is where I should just set it aside, but I have such trouble doing that for merely mediocre books...

>295 MickyFine: - If it makes you feel better, Micky, it's not supposed to last :)

297charl08
Mar 9, 2021, 11:51 am

Now I want some smoked chicken. Harumph. I think it's mince for tea though in RL.

298katiekrug
Mar 9, 2021, 11:53 am

>297 charl08: - Okay, so I know (I think?) that mince is what we would call ground meat (usually beef)? So if you are having mince, how is that prepared/served? Because all I can see in my head is a plate of browned ground beef....

299MickyFine
Mar 9, 2021, 4:28 pm

>296 katiekrug: We're supposed to take a cooler dip tomorrow (-5C is the forecasted high) but the sun has finally broke out this afternoon. Does make it difficult to go back to work when I take a break and sit on the couch in the sun with a snoozy cat. Pesky job. ;)

300katiekrug
Mar 10, 2021, 9:09 am

>299 MickyFine: - Jobs are The Worst :)

301katiekrug
Mar 10, 2021, 9:14 am

Another gorgeous day here with highs in the upper 50s... Maybe today will be the day I take a few hours off to enjoy it?

Nothing much going on here. I decided to set aside Chasing Shakespeares and treat myself to an "In Death" series entry, because I wanted something guaranteed to entertain.

We made a HelloFresh dinner last night and it was probably the worst we've had. We both just tossed it in the garbage, and I had a slice of rye toast and a banana for dinner. Then I watched a few episodes of Schitt's Creek (O.M.G. Patrick serenading David at the open mic night! Be still my heart...) while The Wayne played a game on his laptop.

Gym tonight and we are going to pick up dinner from a local Puerto Rican place we haven't tried before.

302lauralkeet
Mar 10, 2021, 12:10 pm

Okay so I have to ask, what sort of awful concoction was it? It must be really disappointing to end up tossing it. I hope tonight's takeout makes up for it.

303katiekrug
Mar 10, 2021, 12:25 pm

>302 lauralkeet: - It was bruschetta stuffed peppers with couscous. The other two stuffed pepper kits we've had from them were excellent, so we were doubly disappointed. Oh, well. They can't all be winners!

I'm leaning towards the ropa vieja for dinner tonight :)

304katiekrug
Modifié : Mar 10, 2021, 2:37 pm

Our local literary festival is doing a 'Global Voices' series. All events are free except for the 3 headliners.

One note: Avni Doshi's novel Burnt Sugar was just nominated for the Women's Prize, as was Cherie Jones' How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House - long list came out today.



More information: https://succeed2gether.org/mlf-global-voices/?fbclid=IwAR26qeHyz5ll52Al5BIyyweB6...

I'm particularly interested in the Doshi, Kolbert, Collins, and Barry talks.

ETA: Times are US Eastern.

305lauralkeet
Mar 10, 2021, 2:31 pm

>303 katiekrug: mmm sounds good. Served with a mojito, right?!!

306katiekrug
Mar 10, 2021, 2:38 pm

>305 lauralkeet: - I don't think we have the makings for mojitos, sadly :(

307BLBera
Mar 10, 2021, 2:42 pm

>304 katiekrug: Thanks Katie!

308richardderus
Mar 10, 2021, 2:46 pm

>304 katiekrug: I myownself would bee-line to Alan Cumming and Douglas Stuart for the signed book, as well as the resonant Scottish glottals and round vowels. Kevin Barry too! And Imbolo Mbue...Behold the Dreamers was so terrifically American, and her Cameroonian manicure never chipped a bit writing it...what a great festival!!

Hiss boo on the disappointing peppers. Today's lunch was fishcakes and spaghetti...I made the waitress go back upstairs to get Old Stuff plain spaghetti because NO on smelling fish in the trash (where it would end up). Plain salad with lemon-pepper chicken pour moi.

309rosalita
Modifié : Mar 11, 2021, 9:05 am

>304 katiekrug: Red text on a blue background is a design abomination and should be illegal. What I can read of the other events sounds interesting, though!

310katiekrug
Mar 10, 2021, 3:14 pm

>307 BLBera: - You're welcome, Beth!

>308 richardderus: - I adore Alan Cumming - his cabaret-style concerts are wonderful... But I am not really interested in reading the book, so don't want to pay for it. I am so glad to hear your rec for Behold the Dreamers, as it's been on my Read Soon list for a while now. Anyway, you should register for some of the events. Can't beat the price!

Fish cakes and spaghetti is just a weird combination... Your salad and chicken sounds much better.

>309 rosalita: - Yeah, they could use a professional graphic designer, I think :)

I'm planning to watch the Passing discussion tonight. How was it?

311rosalita
Mar 10, 2021, 3:16 pm

>310 katiekrug: I thought it was very good. Brit Bennett did a great job with her presentation and answering questions. I came away with only two book bullets. :-)

312charl08
Mar 10, 2021, 3:39 pm

>304 katiekrug: I laughed to see the UK as a global voice. Always seems like home to me...

The mince: think it was cottage pie (very basic here, so just stick mash potato on top of cooked minced beef and add grated cheese, bung in oven).

313figsfromthistle
Mar 10, 2021, 5:54 pm

Happy Wednesday, Katie!

>301 katiekrug: I am also enjoying the summer/warmer days lately. I heard that Shitt's Creek is a great series. I have it on my watchlist.

>304 katiekrug: What an excellent line up!

314msf59
Mar 10, 2021, 6:46 pm

Happy Wednesday, Katie. I hope the work week is buzzing along and I hope those current reads are are offering a perfect distraction.

315bell7
Mar 10, 2021, 7:09 pm

>301 katiekrug: YES to your spoiler, that legit made me cry.

Sorry the stuffed peppers were such a letdown.

316scaifea
Mar 11, 2021, 8:07 am

Morning, Katie!

OOooo, Alan Cumming! I love him, too.

317magicians_nephew
Mar 11, 2021, 8:45 am

>301 katiekrug: wow what was the "Hello Fresh" dinner? We've had a few we were mad about but nothing that we just tossed like that. Oh never mind. I hate stuffed peppers even when done well.

We had our first "Dinner Soup" from them a chicken sausage and kale dish that we liked a lot.

>304 katiekrug: be interested in hearing the "Shuggie Bain" author speak. And we just read an earlier Kevin Barry book in our book circle. Assume these are all virtual and can be viewed on the net.

>309 rosalita: Rosa - agree on red text on blue background. A man who would do that would steal sheep.

318karenmarie
Mar 11, 2021, 9:06 am

>310 katiekrug: I love Alan Cumming, too, and am also not interested in reading the book. Misery lit/porn is becoming less and less attractive to me.

319Helenliz
Mar 11, 2021, 9:15 am

I listened to Alan Cumming's memoir, and it was not an easy listen. Made bearable by the humour and the fact that he seemed to have come to terms with his past, or at least been able to accept it. Lovely to listen to, though, which is an entirely different thing.

320katiekrug
Mar 11, 2021, 9:30 am

>311 rosalita: - Excellent! My plans last night were diverted by The Wayne and his desire to play cards, so I haven't seen it yet. I will keep pen and paper handy to jot down BBs :)

>312 charl08: - Well, the US poet would be "global" for you, so.... :)

I love cottage pie. We usually have it with peas and carrots, in addition to the meat and potatoes on top. Mmmmm....

>313 figsfromthistle: - Happy Thursday, figs! Schitt's Creek is DEE-LIGHTFUL! It just gets better and better. I always encourage people not to be turned off by the first few episodes. It's worth your patience :)

>314 msf59: - Hiya, Mark! The week is going fine and the books are good :)

321katiekrug
Mar 11, 2021, 9:36 am

>315 bell7: - I absolutely adore Patrick. And David. And Patrick + David :)

>316 scaifea: - Morning, Amber! Alan Cumming is a treasure, isn't he?

>317 magicians_nephew: - HI Jim! It was bruschetta stuffed peppers with couscous. To be avoided! I think we've had that soup - or one similar - and we liked it a lot, too. Tonight are flatbreads, so hopefully those will be good.

Yes, all the events are online, so have at it!

>318 karenmarie: - I don't mind sad/depressing books, but for whatever reason, addiction stories are usually a hard pass for me. Alan Cumming almost might make it worth it, and I would definitely attend if it were free :)

>319 Helenliz: - I listened to his memoir, too, and agree it was a tough one, but he read it beautifully. I'd listen to him read a phone book, to be honest.

322katiekrug
Mar 11, 2021, 9:37 am

The sweet and charming Attachments by Rainbow Rowell is on sale for Kindle for $1.99 right now. It's a great read when you want something lighter.

323katiekrug
Mar 11, 2021, 9:44 am

It's Thursday! I love Thursdays, because Friday and the weekend are *so close* - the anticipation is sweet.

Had a great session at the gym last night - it was a circuit day, where I have 5 sets of 4 exercises to do, twice. I time myself because the goal is to decrease rest time so that my heart rate stays up as long as possible. Last night, my rest time was only 3 minutes over the entire workout which Joel the Devil said was very good :) Also, I saw a muscle in my arm I didn't know I possessed while doing underhanded dumb bell rows. So yay me. Thus ends my boring exercise update.

We picked up dinner on the way home - I had ropa vieja with black beans and rice and The Wayne had grilled chicken with pico de gallo. It was all super good, and it was nice to try a new place.

I'm tearing through Memory in Death and should finish it by tomorrow, I think. Then I'll go back to Difficult Women, which I am reading for the AAC. It's short stories, so easy to pick up between books and read a few. I have to run a couple of errands this afternoon, so should get some audio book time in.

324lauralkeet
Mar 11, 2021, 10:20 am

Your dinner sounds excellent, Katie, even if it didn't include mojitos. 😊 And yay for exercise progress!!

325MickyFine
Mar 11, 2021, 10:53 am

Yay for discovering muscles! I made myself get back on the exercise wagon this week and have been doing short HIIT workouts everyday. While I try and mix up the muscle groups every day, at this point in the week I'm not sure there's one that ISN'T sore.

Happy Friday eve! ;)

326richardderus
Mar 11, 2021, 11:04 am

>323 katiekrug: Waitwaitwait...is >324 lauralkeet: correct that dinner didn't include mojitos?!? From a PR place?! I'd simply assumed they were part of the package and moved on, but I realize that it is possible (if not comprehensible) that you violated part of the United States Code and didn't have them.

Please reassure otherwise. Calling Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is not a chore I wish to undertake on a misunderstanding.

327katiekrug
Mar 11, 2021, 11:12 am

>324 lauralkeet: - Thanks, Laura!

>325 MickyFine: - Mondays are strength training - upper and lower body. Wednesdays are circuits - I have two different routines and alternate each week. Fridays are cardio with The Wayne (the other two days, he does pure strength training) and Joel the Devil usually makes them up on the spot, but they always include upper, lower, and ab workouts. I am in a permanent state of muscle exhaustion :)

>326 richardderus: - I don't think they have a liquor license, RD...

328lauralkeet
Mar 11, 2021, 12:21 pm

>326 richardderus:, >327 katiekrug: I know RD! And they coulda made them at home! Although I admit I don't keep fresh mint on hand at all times and would forgive The Krugs if that was the primary reason for their mojito-less repast.

329richardderus
Mar 11, 2021, 1:19 pm

>328 lauralkeet: hm

Well, it *is* wintertime so I suppose there's that...

330katiekrug
Mar 11, 2021, 2:02 pm

>328 lauralkeet:, >329 richardderus: - I mean, it's not like I was purposely avoiding having a drink! You guys know me better than that ;-)

331richardderus
Mar 11, 2021, 2:15 pm

>330 katiekrug: Still. The serious breach of The Social Contract in your willful omission of mojitos from an authentically Puerto Rican meal, not to mention the grievous offense given to the People of Puerto Rico...it *does* paint a rather ominous picture.

332katiekrug
Mar 11, 2021, 2:18 pm

>331 richardderus: - It's not like I went and threw paper towels at them a la Trump!

333richardderus
Mar 11, 2021, 2:46 pm

>332 katiekrug: "It's not like I firebombed their cities and then made them pay for the bombs like George V" didn't work, either.

*smooch*

334lauralkeet
Mar 11, 2021, 2:51 pm

>331 richardderus: this cracked me up.

Today's weather is just crying out for a mojito!!

335katiekrug
Mar 11, 2021, 2:56 pm

>333 richardderus: - Snork!

>334 lauralkeet: - Stop encouraging him! ;-)

And yes, it's gorgeous out! I'm planning on spending some quality time on the deck with my book after work...

336Helenliz
Mar 11, 2021, 2:56 pm

At risk of sticking my neck out, I can forgive not drinking on a school night. But that's as I'm a lightweight.
I do have fresh mint in the garden. Bliddy stuff has a tendency to come up everywhere.

337laytonwoman3rd
Mar 11, 2021, 2:56 pm

For some reason I really want a caipirinha now.

338katiekrug
Mar 11, 2021, 3:08 pm

>336 Helenliz: - Eminently sensible, Helen. However, I did have wine :)

Yes, mint does like to take over, doesn't it?

>337 laytonwoman3rd: - Oooh, yes! The mojito's less well known but arguably more refreshing cousin!

339lauralkeet
Mar 11, 2021, 3:24 pm

>335 katiekrug: *diabolical laugh*

>337 laytonwoman3rd: ooh yes!

340rosalita
Mar 11, 2021, 3:31 pm

>337 laytonwoman3rd: Oh, I do love me a good caipirinha!

341katiekrug
Mar 11, 2021, 3:37 pm

>339 lauralkeet: and >340 rosalita: - My friends have such excellent taste! *happy sigh*

342katiekrug
Mar 11, 2021, 3:37 pm

I just saw that Writers & Lovers is being made into a film, with Toni Collette set to direct. I'll be looking forward to it!

343Helenliz
Mar 11, 2021, 4:37 pm

>338 katiekrug: in that case you're on your own with the hoardes trying to take you down!

344rosalita
Mar 11, 2021, 6:01 pm

>342 katiekrug: I'm torn — I really did not enjoy that book much, but I think Toni Collette is teriffic.

345richardderus
Modifié : Mar 11, 2021, 6:35 pm

Ptolemy in the hooouse

346katiekrug
Mar 12, 2021, 9:08 am

>343 Helenliz: - Fair enough :)

>344 rosalita: - I really liked the book and I love Toni Collette (though I don't think she's in it, just directing).

>345 richardderus: - Yay!

347rosalita
Mar 12, 2021, 9:15 am

>346 katiekrug: Well, I'm sure she's a good director. She would have been great in that role back in the day, but probably a little too far past the ideal age now, though.

348katiekrug
Mar 12, 2021, 9:15 am

Yesterday after work, The Wayne and I were strolling the few blocks to the wine store when we came upon outdoor seating at a new restaurant we've been looking forward to trying (when the Bad Times are over). It was a gorgeous evening, with a light breeze and the tables were super far apart, so we decided to stop and have a drink. And then we had dinner. It was lovely :)

Looks like another nice day today. I need to find some motivation to get our car inspection sorted out. It doesn't technically need to be inspected, but I need to get the sticker. I have a card that came with the registration that will get me the sticker but it's unclear if I have to go to an MVC inspection site or can just go to one of the state-authorized inspection garages. Anyhoo, that'll be the excitement for the day. :-P

349katiekrug
Mar 12, 2021, 9:16 am

>347 rosalita: - Yeah, I was trying to think if there was a secondary character she could do, but as usual, my memory of the book is fuzzy.

350jnwelch
Mar 12, 2021, 9:43 am

Dinner outside at a new restaurant sounds so good, Katie. We're just getting past the requisite two weeks after our second vaccines and are talking about getting back to adventures like that. (Even with super far apart seating like you had, Madame MBH has been reluctant). What did you have for dinner?

351magicians_nephew
Mar 12, 2021, 10:47 am

We're just watching the weather for warm days agains where we can eat at the many lovely outdoor places near us. And by the time its cold again perhaps all this will have been sorted.

352katiekrug
Modifié : Mar 12, 2021, 12:05 pm

>350 jnwelch: - Funny how eating out is now an adventure, Joe. How times have changed...

We split a bar pie :)

>351 magicians_nephew: - Well, yesterday was a perfect day for it, Jim!