Katiekrug Reads and Reads and Reads Some More - Part 17

CURRENTLY READING
(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. I recently left my job after 16 years and am hoping to do some writing and generally live a less stressful life as a Big Tech Trophy Wife ;-)

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

Books Completed

Books Off My Shelf: 32
Books Off My Kindle: 36
Books from Audible: 11
Library Loans: 25

October
104. Loud Mouth by Avery Flynn (audio) (3.5 stars)
103. The Round House by Louise Erdrich (4.5 stars)
102. Quartet in Autumn by Barbara Pym (4 stars)
101. The Inimitable Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse (audio) (4 stars)
100. 1984 by George Orwell (2.5 stars)
99. Bookmarked by Wendy Fairey (audio) (3.5 stars)
98. All the Young Men by Ruth Coker Burks (4.25 stars)
97. Not Another Bad Date by Rachel Gibson (3 stars)
96. That Night by Alice McDermott (3.75 stars)
95. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (4.5 stars)

YTD 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
5. Dear Girls by Ali Wong
6. Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
7. The Pink Hotel by Anna Stothard
8. The Middleman by Olen Steinhauer
9. The Removed by Brandon Hobson

September
Favorite:
94. What is Left the Daughter by Howard Norman (5 stars)
93. No Mark Upon Her by Deborah Crombie (3.75 stars)
92. The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman (4 stars)
91. The Colour of Milk by Nell Leyshon (4 stars)
90. Amethyst by Lauren Royal (3 stars)
89. The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M. Graff (audio) (4.5 stars)
88. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (4.25 stars)
87. Animal Farm: The Graphic Novel by Odyr and George Orwell (4 stars)
86. Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare (4.5 stars)
85. Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan (4 stars)
84. West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge (4.25 stars)
83. Home Sweet Anywhere by Lynne Martin (3.5 stars)

August
Favorite:
82. The Black God's Drums by P. Djeli Clark (4 stars)
81. Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller (4.5 stars)
80. Lizzie & Dante by Mary Bly (4.5 stars)
79. Falling by T.J. Newman (4 stars)
78. I'm Not Scared by Niccolo Ammaniti (4.25 stars)
77. A Burning by Megha Majumdar (5 stars)
76. Cashelmara by Susan Howatch (3.5 stars)
75. The Strawberry Hearts Diner by Carolyn Brown (audio) (3 stars)
74. Whiskey and Charlie by Annabel Smith (4 stars)
73. The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy by Sara Angelini (3 stars)
72. You Deserve Nothing by Alexander Maksik (4.25 stars)

July
Favorite:
71. Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa (4.5 stars)
70. The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys (4 stars)
69. Pack Up the Moon by Kristan Higgins (4 stars)
68. The President's Daughter by Ellen Emerson White (3 stars)
67. Becoming by Michelle Obama (audio) (4 stars)
66. All Systems Red by Martha Wells (audio) (3.5 stars)
65. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry (3.5 stars)
64. The Night Hawks by Elly Griffiths (3.5 stars)
63. The Summer Book by Tove Jansson (4.5 stars)
62. The Bird Tribunal by Agnes Ravatn (4 stars)
61. Born in Death by J.D. Robb (3.5 stars)

June
Favorite:
60. The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris (3.5 stars)
59. The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton (3.5 stars)
58. The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman (4 stars)
57. In the Morning I'll Be Gone by Adrian McKinty (4 stars)
56. The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare (4 stars)
55. Summerwater by Sarah Moss (4 stars)
54. Outlawed by Anna North (3.5 stars)
53. Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell (audio) (3.5 stars)
52. Wish You Were Here by Stewart O'Nan (4 stars)

May
Favorite:
51. Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger (4.5 stars)
50. The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz (4 stars)
49. The Other Americans by Laila Lalami (3.5 stars)
48. Normal People by Sally Rooney (audio) (4 stars)
47. A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught (3 stars)
46. The New Yorkers by Cathleen Schine (4.25 stars)
45. How to Break a Dragon's Heart by Cressida Cowell (audio) (3.5 stars)
44. On the Way to the Wedding by Julia Quinn (3 stars)
43. Darkside by Belinda Bauer (4 stars)
42. Another Kind of Life by Catherine Dunne (3 stars)
41. Eat Cake. Be Brave. by Melissa Radke (audio) (3 stars)
40. Lord the One You Love is Sick by Kasey Thornton (4.5 stars)

April
Favorite:
39. Unleashing Mr. Darcy by Teri Wilson (3.5 stars)
38. Stories from Suffragette City by Various Authors (3.5 stars)
37. The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare (4 stars)
36. Lean on Pete by Willy Vlautin (4.5 stars)
35. The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side by Agatha Christie (3.5 stars)
34. The Crucible by Arthur Miller (audio) (4.5 stars)
33. The Vanishing Point by Mary Sharratt (4 stars)
32. Pride and Promiscuity by Arielle Eckstut and Dennis Ashton (2 stars)
31. Island of the Lost by Joan Druett (4 stars)
30. It's In His Kiss by Julia Quinn (4 stars)
29. The Secret River by Kate Grenville (4 stars)

March
Favorite:
28. Dodgers by Bill Beverly (4.5 stars)
27. The Rogue of Fifth Avenue by Joanna Shupe (3.5 stars)
26. Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton (3 stars)
25. Cannery Row by John Steinbeck (4 stars)
24. Shit, Actually by Lindy West (3.5 stars)
23. Difficult Women by Roxane Gay (4 stars)
22. Anywhere for You by Abbie Greaves (3.5 stars)
21. Fat Chance by Nick Spalding (3.5 stars)
20. Memory in Death by J.D. Robb (3.5 stars)
19. Passing by Nella Larsen (3.5 stars)
18. Love by Toni Morrison (4 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)

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)



WELCOME!

Hi Katie! Happy new thread and, more importantly, welcome to the newest phase of your life! I can't wait to see the sort of shenanigans you get up to.

Happy new thread, happy new life, Happy new Katie. >:-D

>6 lauralkeet: and >7 Helenliz: - Thanks, Laura and Helen! I'm sitting here with my coffee, enjoying the fact that I don't feel pressured to start work.

Happy new thread, Big Tech Trophy Wife!

Congrats on book 100, even if it was a stinker.

Yay for a morning of leisurely sipping coffee and enjoying your first day out of the rat race!

Happy Friday, Katie. Happy New Thread! Hooray for Big Tech Trophy Wife! Sounds like a nice future ahead.

Happy new thread. Enjoy your new role as "trophy wife.":)

>9 karenmarie: - Thanks, Karen. #100 was a stinker, but it just makes me appreciate the good ones all the more!

>10 msf59: - Thanks, Mark :)

>11 BLBera: - I figured I'd just lean into the fact that I'm not doing anything for a while, except trying to make The Wayne's life a little easier. A real trophy wife would probably have household staff to do that...

Well, poop. My lunch date just got cancelled. Kristina's daughter was exposed to COVID at a soccer practice on Wednesday. *sigh*

Happy new one! Enjoy the life of luxury due a trophy wife… 😀

Happy new one, Katie! I think you will make a great Big Tech Trophy Wife. I also think that book #100 should say: but I read it with Mamie, so there is that. And I love that you thought it was a stinker because of the whole Orwell's Nose thing. Heh.

Sorry about lunch. We are doing our usual Mexican takeaway. Perhaps some takeaway?

>14 drneutron: - Snork! Thanks, Jim.

>15 Crazymamie: - I should have added that to the review. I didn't make the connection with "stinker" and Orwell's Nose, but I *love* it.

Lunch will either be takeaway or I may go somewhere and treat myself to a quiet lunch with my book :)

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Congrats on your first day of a new chapter of life!

Happy first day of your new lady of leisure lifestyle. Sorry to hear that two of your appointments were cancelled though, not so fun.

>17 richardderus: - Sorry - we'll watch it this evening!

>18 japaul22: - Thanks, Jennifer!

>19 MickyFine: - It was a bit of a bummer, Micky, but oh well...

>20 katiekrug: *nnngggfffth*

Happy new thread to celebrate your new phase in life! Enjoy!

Happy happy joy joy. A new page in a wonderful story. You GO!

>17 richardderus: Show off...

Many congrats on your retirement Katie!

A Lady of Leisure -- bring out the overstuffed couch and the bon bons!

and the wine!

Seems to me you were up and at it awfully early for the first day of your Leisurehood.

>21 richardderus: - But isn't the anticipation fun?!?!

>22 RebaRelishesReading: - Thank you, Reba :)

>23 weird_O: - Thanks, Bill.

>24 magicians_nephew: - Yes, please!

>25 laytonwoman3rd: - True, but if I want to, I can take a nap. No harm, no foul...

Cold and dreary morning here made it hard to get out of bed. But here I am.

Last night, we watched the most recent episode of GBBO/S. I am so SO happy that Freya finally went home. And George lived to bake another day, though I think those days are numbered. I was also happy for Giuseppe. It would have been too lame for sweet Jurgen to win German week...

Today, we have some errands to run, #1 of which is to get a dress shirt for The Wayne, as we are going to a 'gala' tonight where my BFF's father is being honored. And I think I need to buy some stockings, as I am actually going to wear a dress :) It's a bit of a drive, and we won't stay for the dancing and fireworks, as we have a busy day planned for tomorrow. But sometimes it's fun to get gussied up and drink free wine. It's a $300 per plate event, but as guests of the guest of honor, we get in free. I never turn down free food and drink...

I finished up the Wodehouse on audio yesterday, and started a sports romance this morning on my walk with Nuala. Still reading Quartet in Autumn as my print book.

Morning, Katie!

Ooooh, your fancy dinner party sounds fun! I'm sorry that your lunch date was canceled, but I *love* going out to eat by myself with just a book for company! I haven't done that in ages.

Remember years ago when i was a volunteer at our local PBS station and somehow snagged a free ticket to a VERY gala evening. Sitting knee to knee with George Plimpton (who obviously wondered who the hell I was) and the food and wine flowing freely (for me anyway).

Enjoy!

Hi Katie - I was thinking of you as I watched the GBBO yesterday! :) I think George and Amanda are the weak links although Amanda stepped it up a bit this week.

>30 BLBera:, >27 katiekrug: We're on the same page re:GBBO... And she was So Very Wounded by her bounce, clearly did not think she deserved it despite that *ab*surd* "upside-down cake" with the (as Prue said of her pavlova) sloppy bit in the middle leading down to dry crumbly "cake." Such a relief! There's fairly little chance George will last, because the cracks are showing. He doesn't do well with stress. But Amanda's running on fumes creativity-wise.

Have a lovely gala!

Oooo, the gala sounds lovely and just at the right time to let it be a bit of celebration for yourself as well :)

How very nice of them to have a party you can go to for free! Pretend it's all for your benefit, why not.

>27 katiekrug:, >30 BLBera:, >31 richardderus: I'm on the same page with y'all. Giuseppe is amazing and just keeps producing one gorgeous, perfect bake after another. Juergen is such a nice guy but may not have what it takes in the creativity department to beat Giuseppe.

>34 lauralkeet: Mm hm. Giuseppe really only has Jürgen and Chigs as competition; neither of them has the perfectionism that he does. Chigs, if he has a *phenomenal* day, could pip Giuseppe but barely. Crystelle's the best woman and her problem is consistency. Lizzie doesn't seem to get that her blagging won't make up for slagging every challenge.

>28 scaifea: - Hi, Amber! I didn't end up going out to lunch by myself, but plenty of time for that in the future!

>29 magicians_nephew: - Oooh, fancy! I'm looking forward to tonight, if only to see The Wayne in a suit, which rarely happens :)

>30 BLBera: - Totally agree, Beth.

>31 richardderus: - Freya was crying and I was laughing...

>32 RebaRelishesReading: - Ha! I'll make the table propose a toast to ME! J/k.

>33 laytonwoman3rd: - Well, Mr. M deserves all the hullabaloo. He's a long-time teacher and now principal at a Catholic boys school, and this is there big to-do during homecoming. I best not try to steal the spotlight. I'll just enjoy the free drinks and dinner.

>34 lauralkeet: - It's sort of a classic showdown of the Italian vs. German spirit isn't it, Laura? All that Italian flair and all that German precision...

>35 richardderus: - Yep, totally agree.

We were successful in acquiring the dress shirt for The Wayne. The sales lady at Jos. A Bank convinced us that white was boring, so we got a subtle white and grey stripe, which necessitated a new tie, and then the saleslady further convinced us on the need for a pocket square. He'll look very dashing, I think. I'll try to get a picture. In the meantime, I'll be in my basic black dress that I wear to most formal things, with a red silk jacket with black applique. BOR-ing. But it does the trick...

You're KAK, never boring! Have an excellent fancy night out.

Have a fabulous fancy pants night out!

>35 richardderus: at this point I think Lizzie is there primarily for comic relief. I've gone from not liking her at all, to becoming amused by her. But her baking doesn't hold a candle to the others.

>41 lauralkeet: So true. Her third-place Prinzregententorte got "nice" and "all-round good chocolate flavor" but no one warbles about her Technicolor showstopper..."made an attempt at the finesse" and "needs to be sweeter, but is very pleasant" aren't things I'd want to hear halfway through the competition!

>39 MickyFine: - Ha! Thanks, Micky.

>40 Helenliz: - Thank you, Helen. It was a fun evening.

>41 lauralkeet: and >42 richardderus: - Yup and yup.

Brrr. It's chilly here. Thankfully, Nuala didn't take too long to poop after breakfast :)

We had a nice evening last night, though it took us a while to get there, as we ran into some traffic. So over an hour travel time rather than 40 minutes. Anyway, it was nice to get dressed up and to hang out with my BFF's family, who are hilarious. And it was a full-on Staten Island shindig, so the people watching was most excellent. The food was meh, but the wine was good, and the drive back was easy. It did go on later than I expected, so we didn't get home until almost midnight. The Wayne is still sleeping, lucky bastard.

Today is our anniversary, and we'll be going into the city (I think we're driving, so please pray for me...) to (1) renew TW's NYPL card; (2) hang out and walk around since he hasn't been in the city since February 2020; and (3) see Alton Brown's show at the Beacon Theater on the UWS. You may recall we were going to have dinner at a Georgian restaurant, but we decided to cancel that reservation and just play things by ear - which means we'll probably end up in a pub.

Not much reading time yesterday or today, but that's okay. Enjoy your Sunday, friends!

>44 katiekrug: Happy Anniversary!! Your plans for today sound amazing to me - I can't wait to hear about the Alton Brown show!

Oh, Happy Anniversary indeed! Enjoy what sounds like a perfectly lovely day. And you have a perfectly lovely day for it.

Happy Anniversary, Katie! Sounds like you have a perfect day planned. Enjoy.

Happy Anniversary - I hope you have a great day.

Happy Anniversary, Katie! Your plans sound full of fabulous. Hoping the driving is smooth and not nerve wracking and that you find the perfect pub for your dinner.

Happy Anniversary Katie & Wayne! I hope you enjoy your day out.

Thank you for the anniversary wishes, Amber, Richard, Mark, Beth, Mamie, and Laura!

Best wishes to you and The Wayne on your anniversary. May you enjoy many more.

Happy anniversary! The Giants must've known... 😉

>52 weird_O: - Thanks, Bill.

>53 bell7: - Ha - yes! Too bad the Dolphins didn't get the memo and make The Wayne's day complete... ;-)

>54 magicians_nephew: - Snork! Thanks, Jim.

We had a very nice time in the city yesterday - got TW's NYPL card renewed (hurrah!) and then enjoyed dinner and some drinks at an Irish bar before heading up to see Alton Brown. This show wasn't quite as good as the one we saw a few years ago, but it was nice to be back in a theater. On our way back to the car, we stopped in at a French restaurant for a nightcap and enjoyed excellent French 75s.

Today will be preparing for the rain we are supposed to get (basically, buying some tarps to cover all the crap sitting in the backyard); grocery shopping; picking Nuala up from the boarding/day care place; and other exciting stuff. The Wayne has the day off, but he's not feeling great - I may make him go get a COVID test to be on the safe side... Tonight, I am attending the first meeting (via Zoom) of a new local group focusing on DEI issues in schools and the wider community. We'll see how that goes - I'm not sure what to expect, but I am trying to find ways to get more involved and engaged locally.

I should finish up Quartet in Autumn this morning; not sure what my next book will be...

Hi Katie!

>44 katiekrug: I’m glad the gala evening was nice excepting for the meh food. Congrats on your anniversary.

>56 katiekrug: Glad to hear you got the NYPL card renewed and had a good dinner and show.

I’m sorry to hear that TW isn’t feeling well. Errand days are always exciting 🙄.

I'm happy for your Giants even though I'm sad for my Panthers.

How does this Monday morning feel?????

I was in the city yesterday too - saw The Lehman Trilogy which was excellent. Very weird to be in a packed theater though.

Belated happy anniversary wishes and crossing my fingers that The Wayne's symptoms are just a cold.

What's DEI?

Sorry to hear The Wayne is under the weather. And hope you find something to get stuck into. I'm sure you have energy and enthusiasm to offer to the right causes.

>57 karenmarie: - Hi, Karen! You're a good sport about the football :)

>58 vivians: - It was a bit weird being in a theater again, Vivian, but also so nice. This Monday didn't feel like anything special - probably because The Wayne had the day off, so it felt like part of the weekend. Ask me tomorrow :)

>59 MickyFine: - Thanks, Micky! DEI =Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

>60 Helenliz: - Thanks, Helen - I would like to spend some of my freed up time doing something I feel strongly about. Right now, I'm just in the explanatory phase...

I'm trying a new recipe for dinner tonight: chicken paprikash casserole. I'm hoping I can bribe TW into cutting up the chicken for me, because I hate that :)

I did finish Quartet in Autumn this morning and have started The Round House, which I've had on my shelf since 2012...

>62 katiekrug: Oh, I've had The Round House on my shelf forever too - maybe you will prompt me to read it.

>62 katiekrug: A terrific read, QiA, though very Pymish (as opposed to Pimms-y). But you went in expecting that.

Glad the tarps are over the goods still outdoors as apparently the coming rain will be on the heavy side. Or it might be here, anyway.

>62 katiekrug: Hey! Dontcha know that Mondays are the days to make Creole red beans and rice?! I've got a pot going now that's been simmering for nearly four hours, and it should be ready soon.



Sheesh. I think that someone needs to spend the next three months in New Orleans for additional training.

...I myownself skipped the beans & just ate the cornbread today...

>66 richardderus: Fine. You can join Katie in a three month training session, with three meals a day in the finest restaurants in New Orleans included.

Happy new-ish thread, Katie!

>67 kidzdoc:

Hi Katie, great to hear that you have entered the trophy wife phase of your life - and I see you are living the high life with gala events and anniversary trips into the city! Happy Anniversary and I hope that your hubby is feeling better.

>63 japaul22: - I'm not very far into it, Jennifer, but it's very good so far.

>64 richardderus: - This is my first Pym, but I did know what to expect.

Yep, heavy rain here, too. Ugh. I used to love the rain and now it just makes me nervous.

>65 kidzdoc: - Red beans and rice is one of The Wayne's favorite lunches. And he'd be happy to go back to NOLA for some training. He luuuurves it. I tolerate it well enough, but it's not a favorite destination.

>66 richardderus: - I have had a craving for corn bread for weeks now. I really should do something about it...

>67 kidzdoc: - Well, I certianly wouldn't pass that up!

>68 alcottacre: - Thanks, Stasia.

>69 richardderus: - Mickey has an awful lot of clothes for someone who only ever wears red pants...

>70 DeltaQueen50: - Hi Judy! I've been lurking on your thread. I need to say "hello" more :) I don't expect the galas and fun trips to last - nor would I want to really, as I'm very much a homebody!

>71 katiekrug: Lurking is highly acceptable - I do it all the time!

>65 kidzdoc: looks delish! Unfortunately, Monday is quick turnaround tea between finishing work late (because I start late having been to spin and the gym first thing) and going out. Permission to be excused several hours cooking...

Morning, Katie!

I saw your chicken paprikash on FB and it looks amazing!

‘Morning, Katie!

>71 katiekrug: Yep, heavy rain here, too. Ugh. I used to love the rain and now it just makes me nervous. Perfectly understandable.

>72 DeltaQueen50: - Thanks, Judy :)

>73 Helenliz: - Hi Helen!

>74 scaifea: - Morning, Amber, and thanks!

>75 karenmarie: - Morning, Karen! It's sad about the rain. I woke up at about 3:30 this morning and couldn't get back to sleep for about 90 minutes, as I was fretting over all the rain. It's still coming down...

Good morning from a wet and saturated Northern New Jersey! It's still raining and is supposed to all day. The river has stayed in its banks so far, so that's good, but we have big puddles of standing water in the backyard. Ugh. Not much to be done about it, so I'm going to try to ignore it...

Dinner came out okay, though I think next time I'll use chicken breasts, because the thighs really don't do anything for me, and I hate the sometimes icky bits you get. I know thighs are juicier and more flavorful, but I don't care. So there! Here's the recipe if anyone wants to give it a whirl. I used extra garlic (of course), and a bit of Spanish paprika in addition to the Hungarian. I wasn't going to bother with the breadcrumb topping, but had a few minutes to kill, and I am glad I did it.

Still listening to Loud Mouth, a hockey romance, and reading The Round House, which is excellent.

This is my finished casserole. Apologies in advance, as I will probably post a lot about my cooking adventures...

Hi again.

>77 katiekrug: and >78 katiekrug: Pretty. The recipe for Chicken Paprikash sounds good to me, even with the thighs, although neither of us likes cooked bell peppers so would leave them out completely. My poor husband has to put up with me liking thighs better than breasts and since I do the cooking, I use thighs more often than breasts. He complained last night that it’s not as easy to cut a bone-in thigh as a bone-in breast although he loved dinner. (first air fryer recipe, okay but not stunning). I could see substituting b/s chicken breasts in this one since there’s lots of sauce.

Question: Paprika. How many kinds should one keep on hand? I’m out of the one bottle I had. Your recipe calls for sweet paprika. Is that what you used?

Is it too late for some corn bread?

Red Beans and rice is a lovely dish for cold weather dinner.

I find NOLA very honky tonk and noisy but for the food I will forgive all.

>79 karenmarie: - Hi Karen! The Wayne also prefers thighs, but said this would probably be okay with breasts because of the sauce. You and he are on the same wavelength :)

We always have Hungarian and Spanish paprika on hand (The Wayne may be Penzey's single biggest customer...). I don't know if sweet Hungarian is different from regular Hungarian, to be honest. Spanish paprika has a decidedly smoky flavor that I love. I used 1.5T of the Hungarian and .5T of Spanish last night...

>80 magicians_nephew: - Never too late for cornbread, but I don't have any, more's the pity.

I agree that the food in NOLA makes up for a lot.

Morning, Katie! Your casserole looks most yum. Thanks so much for posting the photo here, too. Of course the rest of the day I will be saying, "Waiter, there's too much pepper on my paprikash. But I would be proud to partake of your pecan pie" Do you remember that line from When Harry Met Sally?



Birdy and I are complete nuts about chicken thighs - we have to get everything out of there before working with them, which is a lot of work. I would gladly pay extra for chicken thighs that came completely completely gunk free.

Crossing my fingers that the river stays where it's supposed to.

>79 karenmarie: I have paprika, smoked paprika, and hot Hungarian paprika in the spice drawer currently. Now I'm going to have to get some Spanish paprika to try.

And now I want cornbread.

>82 Crazymamie: - HA! I quoted that line to The Wayne last night and he looked at me blankly...

The Wayne did a good job getting most of the gunky stuff off the thighs, it's really the odd-looking, non-smooth-like-breasts parts that throw me off. I am not explaining it well...

I *always* want cornbread.

Well, fuuuuuuuck. Our mold remediation company just called to schedule our "re-cleaning" which means we didn't pass the independent inspection. Which means it's at least another week of not being able to move forward. I think I might just go have a good cry now.

>84 katiekrug: I'm so sorry, Katie. That sucks.

Cornbread paprikash? Hm. Never thought about that before but reading that sauce recipe...hm.

Sweet, smoked, hot, all are necessary for different yums. Sweet smoked is probably the best all-rounder.

River-B-Kool Whammys™

So I was looking on Amazon for paprika... and the hot water heater installer guy came to look at the closet and talk about what heater and how much everything is and etc. He and Bill have headed off to Lowe's to pick up a hot water heater so we can use Bill's military discount and save $45. We'll also save 5% on labor with Bill's Lowe's card.

Anyway, I had the paprika screen up and Ivan the installer pointed at the Pride of Szeged sweet paprika and said it was the best, so I bought it and the same brand's hot paprika. What the heck, why not...

edited to add: I'm so sorry about not passing the inspection. ((hugs))

>78 katiekrug: Yours looks much more appetizing than the one featured with the recipe. You were right to take the trouble with the crumbs, for sure.

>84 katiekrug: Oh, f*** indeed! Hope the flowing water stays where it belongs and you get dry enough air to get rid of the mold. How about a little time with a good book by the fire today?

Damn mold, that sucks Katie.

Sorry about the mold, Katie.

I loved The Round House; I've taught it several times, and I enjoyed reading it each time I reread it.

>85 Crazymamie: - Thanks, Mamie. After a minor freak-out which involved yelling really loudly, I returned to my "que sera sera" attitude...

>86 richardderus: - Oooh, I kind of like the idea of serving the casserole over cornbread. Next time, maybe...

>87 karenmarie: - I hope you like the paprika! We only get spices from Penzey's but that one sure sounds like it should be authentic :) Thanks for the hugs!

>88 laytonwoman3rd: - Thanks, Linda!

>89 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba. No fire (it's about 60F), but I am planning to curl up for some focused reading this afternoon :)

>90 lauralkeet: - Sure does, Laura. Ah well. Nothing I can do about it now. The re-cleaning is free, of course. And honestly, I think they came and did the test too early...

>91 BLBera: - Thanks, Beth. I'm very much enjoying TRH. I can see how it would be a good one to teach.

We are getting a respite from the rain, and when it starts back up, it shouldn't be too heavy, so I think the river will remain in its banks. We are contemplating going to trivia tonight to get out of this a-cursed house - hoping it's not canceled, as I keep seeing things getting cancelled on FB, even though the worst is supposed to be over...

Sorry to hear that the mould people came up with the wrong answer.
I think after your recent experiences, rain might not be your favourite form of weather. Hope the quiz is on and you can get out and leave your troubles behind for a bit.

>84 katiekrug: Well crap. I'm sorry Katie. You sound like me, though: my instant reaction to even a slight inconvenience or change in plans is sometimes dramatic, but given the chance to breathe through it, I can usually get back to equilibrium fairly quickly.

>94 Helenliz: - Thanks, Helen. It's just exhausting being at sixes and sevens all the time.

>95 scaifea: - TW is the opposite - he starts out reasonably calm and then things fester and he freaks out days later...

Oh boo on the mold test. What a pain. I did think of you when the forecast said lots of rain, and kept my fingers crossed that you wouldn't have another flood.

>97 ffortsa: - Thanks, Judy. It's been a bit nerve-wracking since last night, but I think we are in the clear now.

The Inimitable Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse

I love the audios of the Jeeves books read by Jonathan Cecil. This was another great one, dealing mostly with Bertie and his friend Bingo, who falls in love (usually with someone inappropriate) at the drop of a hat. Good fun.

4 stars

Yay for a good time with Bertie!

>100 MickyFine: Ha!

>99 katiekrug: A bracing dip in the Scapa Flow!

'Morning, Katie! Happy Trophy Wife Wednesday.

>99 katiekrug: I just watched all the Jeeves and Wooster episodes, Fry and Laurie. They were so much fun - have you watched them?

>100 MickyFine: Hugh Laurie as Bertie Wooster is absolutely brilliant.

>100 MickyFine: - *grin*

>101 richardderus: - Snort!

>102 karenmarie: - Morning, Karen! I've seen a few episodes - my aunt has the complete set on DVD and I watched some.

Morning, all! It's blustery and grey here today, but no more rain forecast, so that's good. We did go to trivia last night and came in 12th of 18 teams. Still, it was fun. I had a chicken parm sandwich for dinner at the bar.

Today's plans include trying to make sense of our flood insurance and figuring out who to contact to submit some invoices for work we've had done related to the flood. I also need to clean up my office. Other than that, I'll do some reading and cooking and puttering. I have two recipes to make - for lunch, a lemon dill chicken dish and for dinner, sheet pan Salisbury steak with roasted onions and potatoes. Fingers crossed they turn out well!

Oh, and the mold people are coming back this morning to re-clean the basement and ground floor :-/

Still listening to the hockey romance on audio and reading The Round House.

>104 katiekrug: Two meals in one day? Sounds exhausting, but the recipes sound great!

My eyes skipped over the middle of your last sentence and I thought, "Iiii don't remember The Round House being about hockey players in love..." *snork!*

Sending all sorts of wishing your way that this time the mold people take all the mold with them when they leave.

>105 scaifea: I, too, was impressed that Katie was doing actual cooking for two meals. I enjoy cooking dinner much more now that I'm not working, but lunch is still a pretty slap-dash affair.

>105 scaifea: and >106 lauralkeet: - I'm only cooking two meals because when I meal-planned and shopped, I forgot we'd probably go out for dinner/trivia on Tuesday, so I need to use up the ingredients I bought for Tuesday's dinner. The chicken dish looks pretty easy, and sheet pan dinners are usually no fuss, so I think I'll survive. Just this once :)

Next thing we know will be a Katie in a frilly apron and brandishing a wooden spoon at The Wayne as he sneaks off with a cookie.

*shudder*

These ARE the End Times.

>108 richardderus: - I love that image!

I'm just wondering what time she's expecting us for dinner! Both sounds good to me. My culinary dilemma is whether I should eat a can of chilli that is BBE 2017...

>110 Helenliz: - The Wayne does not believe much in the dates on canned things, so he would say go for it :)

I got all prepped for the chicken dish, and then TW informed he would be on calls until 1:30, so that'll wait.

Quartet in Autumn by Barbara Pym

This novel is a quiet rumination on ageing and loneliness. There is also some dry humor which alleviated what could have been a rather depressing read about 4 colleagues facing the inevitability of time and how to connect to others. This was my first book by Pym but won't be my last.

4 stars

So glad to hear the river behaved this time around. Hope the mold finally gets the hint this time and that you'll soon have your house back together again.

>112 katiekrug: I am so glad you enjoyed your first Pymming. I wonder if Excellent Women...hm...yes, that or, if your mood is a bit darker, No Fond Return of Love...for the next?

>112 katiekrug: Your first Pym? I didn't know that!
Several years ago the Virago group read one Pym a month in celebration of her centenary and since she only wrote 12 novels, that means I've read them all*. Quartet in Autumn is more melancholy than her other novels (but yes, bolstered by her dry wit). Most of them are comedy of manners, poking gentle fun at certain "types" ie, church women, academics.

* Oops, no I haven't. Just double-checked and there's one I didn't read and have no idea why!

>113 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba!

>114 richardderus: - I have EW on my shelf, but not NFRoL...

>115 lauralkeet: - I have 6 more Pyms on my shelf to read, Laura (see below). Which of hers have you not read?

Some Tame Gazelle
Jane and Prudence
A Glass of Blessings
Excellent Women
Crampton Hodnet
The Sweet Dove Died

>116 katiekrug: Lovely Pymmage indeed. Many happy hours therein. Sip sparingly, I've learned; the cup can grow...heavy.

>112 katiekrug: Pym is so good! I am glad you enjoyed your introduction to her.

Sorry to hear about the continued mold problems and hope they - and the insurance paperwork that goes along - are taken care of soon.

>117 richardderus: - I'm not one to binge authors, RD, so no worries!

>118 alcottacre: - Thanks, Stasia. It's a headache and a half, to say the least...

The lemon-dill chicken came out great! I served it over some leftover egg noodles, and The Wayne gobbled it right up. As usual, after cooking, I wasn't very hungry but I did enjoy what I had. This will definitely go in the rotation...

https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/252591/lemon-dill-chicken/



(I used chicken tenderloins instead of breasts.)

>116 katiekrug: I've read all of those, Katie. I haven't read An Academic Question. I also haven't read Civil to Strangers, which is a collection of her writings rather than a novel.

>121 lauralkeet: I've never even heard of An Academic Question! (That I can recall, anyway.)

>120 katiekrug: Looking tasty indeed!

>121 lauralkeet: - I've not heard of An Academic Question.

>122 richardderus: - Thank you, sir. I'm stupidly proud of myself :)

Hi Katie - So nice that you are discovering Pym. I really liked Excellent Women. I know I've read others, but it's been a while.

Okay well I hadn’t heard of that Pym either and in the Virago group we definitely thought we were reading all of her novels. *shrug*

I actually read all the Pym books in 2013 with the Virago group read and I'm quite a fan Katie. I plan on rereading them in 2023 because that will be ten years since I read them. The neat thing about reading them in order of publication like we did at the time was that Pym had the habit of making characters reappear, surprisingly, in more than one novel. She was one of a kind for sure but I definitely loved her books. I'm also sure An Academic Question was one of the ones the group read. It's not her best and I think it was put together from some of her manuscripts and that may have been after her death.

Your chicken looks great! I may have to try that one sometime.

So nice to see Barbara Pym being discussed again, with so much affection. I still have 2 or 3 of hers to get to, but I have enjoyed all those I've read. I have read An Academic Question, and Bonnie is right that it wasn't finished at the time of her death, and was put together by her biographer, Hazel Holt, who also edited some editions of Pym's work, including Civil to Strangers, which was also published posthumously.

>126 brenzi:, >128 laytonwoman3rd: Well well. This whole Pym discussion sent me down a rabbit hole. The Virago Group has a wiki with an archive of group read threads, which I should have checked yesterday. Sure enough, as Bonnie & Linda can attest, the group read An Academic Question in Nov 2013 and Civil to Strangers in Dec 2013.

I also could have sworn I was "all in" on the Virago Group's Pym centenary read, but it looks like I'd already read about half of her novels, and joined the group read for most but clearly not all of those I hadn't read yet.

So much for memory. But it does make me glad that I take the time to document my reading.

>124 BLBera: - Hi Beth! I am looking forward to reading more by Pym.

>125 lauralkeet: and >126 brenzi: - I participated a bit when the Virago group read Elizabeth Taylor's novels, but I didn't get to them all. It's also easy to miss some with these very prolific authors.

Bonnie - thanks for the heads up about recurring characters. Maybe I'll move through her work by pub date, as I do like to see connections like that.

>127 bell7: - It was really easy, Mary!

>128 laytonwoman3rd: - I am always suspicious of reading books the author didn't have a chance to finish/polish...

>129 lauralkeet: - Laura, I agree about being glad I document my reading, both here and in my little notebook. And on a spreadsheet. (I may be slightly obsessive...) My memory is awful :)

Looks to be a beautiful day here today with lots of sunshine and a high in the low 60s. I'll be out and about, doing some shopping and errands. I'll probably treat myself to lunch somewhere.

I made that sheetpan salisbury steak recipe last night, and it turned out very nicely. Of course, I'll tweak it in the future to our tastes a bit more, but it was a solid meal. Here's the recipe if anyone is interested. My one tip would be to cut the onions thicker than the recipe calls for...

Virtual happy hour tonight and The Wayne is making noises about Vietnamese or Thai for dinner, so we'll see...

Nothing new on the books front - still working on the same two.

>130 katiekrug: I'm obsessive too, Katie. *fist bump*

>131 katiekrug: And the sheet pan is one of my favorite recent culinary inventions. I know you've sworn off chicken thighs, but they cook up nicely in a variety of sheet pan recipes.

>132 lauralkeet: - Do you have any favorite sheet pan recipes, Laura? I'm really enjoying having the time to cook.

‘Morning, Katie! Happy Thursday to you.

>130 katiekrug: I should have started it when I was little and regret not doing so, but do have a record of every book read since joining LT - on a spreadsheet, of course.

>131 katiekrug: That recipe looks good.

>133 katiekrug: I’m glad you’re enjoying having the time to cook.

" I am always suspicious of reading books the author didn't have a chance to finish/polish..." Me too.

Now I know why I hadn't heard of An Academic Question. Hm. I'm less suspicious than this crowd of reprobates, so I'll go read it and report back.

Happy Thurmsdeogh.

Morning, Katie! Your recipe sounds good, but I laughed when I saw the photo - I would need to make a triple batch. It's awesome that there are recipes for cooking for two, though - I remember when we were first married it was very hard to cook for just two people. Now I am warped by my years of cooking for my crowd, so I will probably never be able to master cooking for two. I do love sheet pan dinners, so I am looking forward to any suggestions posted here.

>135 laytonwoman3rd: Me, three.

>99 katiekrug: a friend fo mine wrote a lovely book about P.G. Wodehouse his life and times many years ago now I want to dig out out and read it again.

Apparently aside from writing hysterically roll on the floor funny books he was rather a dull little man, who loved to talk your ear off about Pekinese Dogs and planting apple trees.

>108 richardderus: we were watching an old Perry Mason episode on the TV this morning from the 1950's. All the women in pearls and below the knees little dresses - and girdled to an inch of their lives, and hats! and gloves!

When I see our Katie in pearls and gloves I will know the End Times are upon us

>118 alcottacre: Curiously I've never read Pym either, perhaps I should poke a nose it

We learned sheet pan cooking from our Hello Fresh Boxes mostly but Lordie is is a great way to cook veggies and chicken and other stuff too.

But not, alas, corn bread!

>138 magicians_nephew: "But not, alas, corn bread!"

...or corn splodge, as we call it...

The notion of anyone wearing one of those smelly Lycra sausage-casings in today's world, outside the gym, is preposterous.

>133 katiekrug: My sheet pan recipes are all from NYTimes cooking, and if you search on "sheet pan" you'll find a ton of 'em. I've made two with salmon: one with broccoli, sesame & ginger and another with harissa, potatoes & citrus. For chicken, I like one with sweet potatoes, kale, and spices and another with chickpeas, cumin, and turmeric. I could go on ...

>134 karenmarie: - Afternoon, Karen... My spreadsheet of books read goes back to April 2001. I wish I had kept a log in my younger years...

The recipe was a pretty good one, and so easy, which is my favorite part :)

>135 laytonwoman3rd: - *fist bump*

>136 richardderus: - Do report back!

>137 Crazymamie: - *fist bump*

I have enough trouble cooking for two people, I can't imagine doing it for a big crowd :) At first, I thought the Salisbury steaks would be too small, but with the onions and potatoes, it was fine. I also made a cheat gravy (from a packet, but doctored it up myself), and that made the meat rather rich and filling, too.

>138 magicians_nephew: - Well, Jim, I do occasionally wear pearls, but have never worn gloves for anything other than warmth!

Stop tormenting me with mentions of cornbread!

>139 richardderus: - *shudder*

I'm back from my outing, where I managed to acquire three pairs of jeans, wine for happy hour, and had a meh lunch at a local diner. It was, however, lovely to just sit in a booth, sipping a Diet Coke and reading my book :)

The rest of the afternoon will be mostly lazy, as I've declared today a Do-Nothing-Annoying day, so I am not making any phone calls, looking at flood related paperwork, etc. I'll read some more, maybe watch some crappy TV, and/or nap. I feel that my adjustment to not working is going swimmingly :D

I forgot to mention that I had to stop and go make cornbread after reading your thread the other day.

Your mention of packet gravy reminds me that the only recipe Craig's horrible mother has ever asked me for was for my gravy. So I went to the pantry and got her a bottle to take home. Figures - an entire meal from scratch except for the gravy, and she wants the gravy recipe.

I see a Thursday tradition on the making. Except for the meh lunch part.

>138 magicians_nephew: My mum also wrote a book about PG Wodehouse, he lived in my home town for a while and you can see any number of local places appearing as names in his books. The house has a plaque on the garden wall to mark it.

What exactly is sheet pan cooking? I've been struggling with the casserole that wasn't (as it was a bake), but I can't mentally work out sheet pan cooking at all

I'm a bit rubbish at cooking for 2, I tend to over cater. Which is why the freezer has loads of single helpings of stuff. I have no excuse, we've been just the two of us for a long time.

>138 magicians_nephew: - I meant to also say, Jim, that Wodehouse himself sounds like one of his own characters :)

>143 Crazymamie: - I have added cornbread mix to my shopping list, so I can finally assuage my craving...

LOL at your mother-in-law. Are you sure yours and Amber's aren't related?

>144 Helenliz: - Sheet pan cooking is basically throwing some cut veg and meat on a rimmed baking sheet and cooking it all together in the oven. I always cover the pan in foil so clean up is super easy, and you can do lots of different combinations, seasonings, etc. I have a good recipe for a chicken fajita sheet pan dinner.

Sausage, peppers, and potatoes with chunks of garlic chucked on the sheet-pan, olive-oiled, salted, and fennel-seeded.

Yes lawd.

>145 katiekrug: Sheet pan cooking is basically throwing some cut veg and meat on a rimmed baking sheet and cooking it all together in the oven.
Don't forget the seasonings!

Bon Appétit magazine had a feature recently on making up your own sheet pan dinner combos, a la >146 richardderus: but I can't seem to find it online. However, in the Thanksgiving issue that just arrived in my mailbox today, they actually have a sheet pan turkey recipe, in which the drippings are used to make gravy. So, pretty much what I usually do with a roasting pan. Hmm.

>146 richardderus: - I've done a sausage and peppers one, but I never say no to potatoes...

>147 lauralkeet: - I mentioned seasonings!

I'm surprised Bon Appetit deals with something as plebeian as sheet pan dinners ;-)

ETA: The turkey idea is intriguing... I wanted to go out for Thanksgiving this year but TW persuaded me to do what we did last year, which was a small-ish dinner for the two of us with a turkey breast, my lazy-man's version of my mom's stuffing, mashed potatoes, and a veg. Of course, last year we smoked the turkey breast and we can't do that this year because poor Egg-bert the smoker got flooded.

>148 katiekrug: Here you go Katie
Sheet Pan Turkey & Gravy

>149 lauralkeet: *gasp* ALL-PURPOSE flour?! Oh nay nay nay! Wondra or begone with thee! Other than that, this is a perfect sheet-pan recipe.

>144 Helenliz: Interesting, Helen. my Friend's book is P. G. Wodehouse: Portrait of a Master and it's pretty good even when talking about Plum's rather bizarre broadcasts for the Nazis during World War II.

What was your mum's book?

Katie - whenever we get a Hello Fresh that calls for mash potatoes we just cut them in chunks and throw them in the oven on a sheet pan. Deeee lish!

>11 BLBera: Mum's book is Emsworth's Plum and there seem to be just me that owns a copy. I can't imagine it was a best seller!

Hi Katie!

>141 katiekrug: Packet gravy. I used to shudder at the thought and still don’t use it, but only because I’m now extremely lazy and occasionally buy jars of gravy and use them.

>142 katiekrug: Do-Nothing-Annoying day. I love it. I think I’ll make it one today.

>148 katiekrug: Poor Egg-bert the smoker. I didn’t realize he was a casualty of The Flood.

GOOD MORNING KATIE!!

HOW WAS THE HAPPY HOUR LAST NIGHT? AND HAVE YOU WATCHED GBBO YET?!

>149 lauralkeet: - Thanks, Laura!

>150 richardderus: - My mother was also a Wondra devotee.

>151 magicians_nephew: - There is really no wrong way to cook potatoes, as far as I'm concerned!

>152 Helenliz: - I think that's kind of cool, Helen!

>153 karenmarie: - I like packet gracy better than the jarred stuff, myself. The Wayne thinks he can resuscitate Egg-bert, but has neither the time nor the space to do it at the moment...

>154 richardderus: - I don't have a hangover, so nyah nyah. I've already been up and out this morning :) And no, I haven't watched GBBO/S yet - it's on tap for tonight!

I slept in a bit this morning and then went to get my hair cut. Afterwards, I stopped at The Pie Store, a shop selling traditional British pies, imported foodstuffs from the UK, etc. I bought two cheddar scones and was generous enough to give one to The Wayne when I got home... Dinner will be a shared Cornish pastie and mini chicken madras pies. I figured we needed a break from frozen pizza on Fridays :)

Happy hour last night was good - my firends surprised me with a gift which actually arrived as we were on the call. It's a personalized bookshelf-themed lap quilt (well, bigger than a lap quilt, more like a decent sized throw, I guess) with book titles and little details they brainstormed to include. Apparently, they got it through Etsy and it's so fun and thoughtful. I will share some pictures soon.

The rest of today will be sorting papers and making a list of all the questions I have for our flood insurance company...

>156 katiekrug: The rest of today will be sorting papers and making a list of all the questions I have for our flood insurance company...

You know how to live, don't you. *confetti toss*

I'd just like to say that, after this week, I am so madly in love with Chigs...what a man.

>156 katiekrug: what a lovely gift! I can't wait to see the pics.

>157 richardderus: - Well, needs must and all that... And I goofed off all of yesterday, so...

Chigs! Can't wait to see what happens.

>158 lauralkeet: - Perfect timing, Laura. I'll be adding some photos now.

Happy Friday, Katie!

This is much of the quilt. I'll add the actual book titles below, since it's hard to get them all in one pic.

SPEAKING of Things Cornish...I can't lend you my Kindlebook of A Cornish Christmas, a lighter-than-expected Holiday romantic suspenser, but it is only 99¢: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JENDH0I?tag=bg-u00-20

I read it in two hours and really quite enjoyed it.

>161 katiekrug: What a great gift!! You will have many happy hours snuggled under that quilt I'm sure.

Top shelf:
* a pair of glasses (because I wear glasses)
A dictionary (because I like words)
Animal Farm (because it's a favorite book)
'The Romantic Times' (because of my love for romances)

Second shelf:
'The Wicked Puzzler' (because I like to do jigsaws)
'The Leonard Da Vinci Code' (for Leonard the cat)
'Politics' (because I have, er, strong opinions)
'The Devil Joel Wears Nike' (a nod to Joel the Devil)
*a jar of wine corks (because duh)

Third shelf:
'Bookshop Jersey Girl' (another duh)
'Have Passport Will Travel' (because I love to travel)
'TW Development Hacks' (a nod to The Wayne and his profession, sort of)

Bottom Shelf:
'The SPE BoardEffect - A Mystery' (this might be my favorite - BoardEffect was the web portal we used to share documents with the Board and I was respopnsible for it and no one else ever understood how it worked or how to do anything in it)
'Noodles for Nuala' (for Nuala the dog)
'Wines of the World' (yet another duh)
'The Boozy Cow' (because Rebekah, who organized the gift, was with me in Edinburgh when we stumbled upon the pub in the photo below and I said, "Look! They named a bar after me!"

>160 alcottacre: - Thanks, Stasia!

>162 richardderus: - I do love me a cozy Christmas romance!

>163 RebaRelishesReading: - I plan on it, Reba :)

>164 katiekrug: A great gift even better with all of the clever personalizations. Absolutely love it!!

The Boozy Cow! Harharhar...I know they did it for la publicité, but what a great name for a bar. I loved my old local, The Stoned Crow, for the same reason.

>164 katiekrug: amazing, so well thought out and meaningful. Lucky you!

>166 RebaRelishesReading: - I was very touched by the thoughtfulness of it.

>167 richardderus: - It was a pretty good pub, if I remember correctly...

>168 lauralkeet: - I have some pretty great friends, for sure.

What a great gift, Katie.

OMFG

I wasn't going to say anything about >161 katiekrug: because I thought you were going to start quilting it! I was sure that wouldn't end well, though most likely quickly.

That is so sweet!

>164 katiekrug: How very thoughtful of your friends. It's really beautiful Katie.

>161 katiekrug: My mother was a quilter when I was growing up. I will have to show her a picture of that one. I know she will get a kick out of it.

>170 BLBera: - Their thoughtfulness and creativity blows my mind, Beth.

>171 richardderus: - No quilting for me. I don't have a craft-y bone in my body (I can be crafty, however, when needed...).

>172 brenzi: - I think so, Bonnie. And we're supposed to have rain and damp tomorrow, so I plan some quality time on the couch underneath it, with book in hand!

>173 alcottacre: - Apparently, it's from an Etsy shop, Stasia. They communicated with the quilter and got it perfectly personalized :)

>174 katiekrug: That is so very cool!

That's just epic! And I love the boozy cow!!

Happy Saturday, Katie. The quilt is beautiful. Wow. How was your first full week of freedom? Dumb question?

Oh yeah- hooray for the Boozy Cow!

>175 alcottacre: - :)

>176 Helenliz: - Thanks, Helen!

>177 msf59: - Hiya, Mark! First week was good, though I need to organize my days better. I'll figure it out :)

Thanks re: the quilt!

It's rainy and grey here again, so most of the day will be spent inside. I do have to run out to pick up a prescription, but after that, I can settle in. I do have that romance novel mini-workshop thing this afternoon for a couple of hours. I'm interested to see what I learn.

We watched the latest episode of GBBO/S last night and it was pretty perfect. Chrystelle deserved the win, Amanda deserved to go home, and Noel and Matt were pretty hilarious with all the sexual innuendos flying around. The Wayne and I giggled through much of it.

We didn't have our British meat pies for dinner last night, so that'll be tonight, plus maybe a scary(ish) movie. The Wayne doesn't love super scary stuff, and my tolerance for it has waned as I've gotten older. I used to love being terrified :)

I have about an hour of listening time left in my hockey romance, and just a few pages in The Round House, so I'll be picking my next reads today, too. I love Book Turnover Day.

Hi Katie!

>155 katiekrug: I just wrote down ‘packet gravy’ next to ‘jar gravy’ on my shopping list and will give it a try.

>161 katiekrug: and >164 katiekrug: Wow. Thoughtful and appropriate. You’ve got good friends.

>174 katiekrug: No quilting for me. I don't have a craft-y bone in my body (I can be crafty, however, when needed...). Me, too. Saves the hands from carpal tunnel, too, don’t you know.

>179 katiekrug: sounds like a good Saturday for you and TW.

>179 katiekrug: Love "Book Turnover Day." It is so much fun to choose the next read!

Yes, GBBO was very satisfying yesterday.

>180 karenmarie: - Good morning, Karen! I added a bit of Worcestershire sauce and fresh balck pepper to my McCormick's gravy packet, which gave it more depth of flavor, I think.

I do have good friends, and I'm so thankful for them!

My mom was a needle-pointer, but I was never much interested in any sort of craft, even as a kid. My aunt is a quilter, and I have a lovely quilt she made me years ago...

I am looking forward to a quiet day :)

>181 BLBera: - I just finished the Erdrich so the hunt is on for a new book! I sure hope I can find something... Heh.

All around, a great episode I thought.

Ha, I love the idea of Book Turnover Day. I usually have two or three books going at once and often finish them around the same time to start new ones, so I completely relate (and might steal it lol).

Katie!!! I love the quilt! What a thoughtful and personal gift that also reflects your humor.

We also watched the latest GBBO last night, and I agree with your assessment. The technical challenge was slightly insane.

I am jealous of your British meat pies. Those sound most yum.

Hoping your Saturday is full of fabulous!

>183 bell7: - Hi Mary! Steal away. I think I stole it from someone else...

>184 Crazymamie: - Hi Mamie! Isn't that quilt great? So thoughtful. I can't wait to use it.

GBBO was so much fun last night - I mean, I always enjoy it but it seemed especially entertaining this go-round.

I am very much looking forward to dinner tonight *grin*

The sun came out, so today is nicer than expected. I've run my errands and can now settle in at home, which is fabulous indeed!

>182 katiekrug: You just liked all the sexual innuendo, Katie, admit it. I've never seen Paul crack up so much before.

>186 BLBera: - Oh, for sure! We giggled all the way through it, because we're mature like that :)

>187 katiekrug: I guessed.:)

>179 katiekrug: We loved the GBBO/S episode too, of course. What's not to like? The innuendo kept us laughing and it was nice to see Paul loosen up a bit. I also liked the way he handled the handshake with Crystelle, because it seemed at first like he was going to point out an issue with the bake.

>189 lauralkeet: Her expression! I was suckered in as much as she was.

Probably the funniest moment to me was when Paul lost it utterly when talking about Giuseppe's meat such a stupid, childish thing and Dame Prue was so eyerollingly Matronly about the whole thing.

>190 richardderus: Oh yes, that was hilarious. Paul is usually all business and it was nice to see him be a bit more human.

>188 BLBera: - You know me too well!

>189 lauralkeet:, >190 richardderus:, >192 katiekrug: - Yes, I liked both those bits. The whole thing, really.

Happy Sunday! It's sunny and crisp here, which is a nice change from rainy and damp. Not much ont he agenda today - I was thinking, "Oh, it's Sunday. I need to go to the grocery store." And then realized nope. I can go tomorrow when hopefully it will be less busy. I've decided on 3 meals for the week and prepped my list, so I am good to go :)

Last night, we had our British meat pies for dinner. I over-bought, so my part of the Cornish pastie will be breakfast, I think. Then we had a double feature night, which we haven't done in a while. The Wayne's pick was Fistful of Dollars and mine was Bridget Jones' Diary. Yes, we have very different tastes :)

The "workshop" I attended (virtually) yesterday on romance writing was really good. I took pages of notes, and it got me really excited to get serious, which hopefully I can do once all the flood crap is taken care of. The Wayne and I did agree that once the current "phase" is finished up (mold gone, HVAC replaced), we are going to pause things until the spring. We're just super tired of the disruption, so while it means we'll still have some unfinished walls and floors, we'll also have some time to think about what we want to do with the space.

I've started reading Matrix by Lauren Groff, and my new audio is Frankenstein, read by Dan Stevens.

Morning, Katie! The best time to go to the market is weekday mornings, I have found. What are your three meals for this week? I am working on a menu today, and so far all I have are those white bean enchiladas from the Skinnytaste blog.

I have never seen or read Bridget Jones' Diary.

Hooray for the workshop being really good. And for writing excitement. I think the Pause is an excellent idea, and it will give you time to just stop and enjoy the approaching holiday season - I love this time of year with Thanksgiving a'coming.

Oh! Frankenstein! I have a soft spot for that one.

>193 katiekrug: I retired 4 years ago and sometimes I still forget that I can go places on weekdays! And the grocery store? Absolutely. It can be madness on weekends.

Happy Sunday, Katie!

>194 Crazymamie: - Morning, Mamie!

I would go to the store tomorrow morning, but we have the gym and then TW has a dentist appointment, so it will have to be the afternoon.

I'm making a "quick" (we'll see...) chicken piccatta to serve with parmesan couscous (found the box in the back of the pantry and figured I should use it); dirty rice with ground pork; and chicken and black bean tacos in the IP. If any of these turn out well, I'll share the recipes :) Well, the dirty rice is just a box mix that we dump seasoned meat into...

BJD is delightful, especially for the Pride & Prejudice lovers among us. Even The Wayne found it a bit charming, and he's a tough nut.

Yes, we love the holidays, too, and would rather just try to enjoy them and then re-start the work later.

Glad to have your endorsement of Frankenstein! I've not read it before. I expect it's nothing like the film Young Frankenstein, which I adore :)

>195 lauralkeet: - It's so funny how we get programmed to think a certain way, Laura. My plan is to go on Mondays. If I can remember :)

>196 alcottacre: - Thanks, Stasia. You too!

You have not read Frankenstein before?! *jaw drops* Yes, it is very different from Young Frankenstein, which I also love.

There is next-to-no resemblance between the films and the book of Frankenstein. Shelley was an Enlightenment lady, an educated person by the standards of her time; that makes her a scholar by the debased standards we adhere to. Her erudition, fairly unremarkable for the men of the time, was formidable by today's lights and she definitely shows it.

Embark on a long journey and it will reward you; expect a flight to an exotic locale, you'll go mad with boredom.

>200 richardderus: What he ^^ said. Leave all you think you know about Frankenstein at the door. I only read it for the first time a few years ago - it's quite startling, in some ways.

We started going to the supermarket on a Monday lunchtime when lockdown hit - quieter by far than the weekend.

Hi Katie and happy Sunday to you, too.

>193 katiekrug: I’m glad the workshop got you excited, and I agree that taking a break on some stuff ‘til spring is a good idea. You have both been through quite a lot in recent months.

>194 Crazymamie: Never read or seen Bridget Jones’ Diary? Mamie. At least watch the movie. Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Renée Zelwegger…

Until the pandemic Bill and I used to go grocery shopping together on Saturday mornings, but since then he does errands/takeout pickup on Saturdays and I go grocery shopping whenever we start running out of critical stuff. My plan is to go tomorrow afternoon after my chiropractic appointment.

So, is Brigit Jones' Diary to Pride and Prejudice as Clueless is to Emma? I have never seen BJD, nor wanted to, but you've piqued my interest.

Also interested me in your "quick" chicken piccata recipe. Hubby loves that and I've only tried a time or two but with only limited success. If yours is good, please share recipe :)

Ooh I read Frankenstein when everything was shut down and I was working from home last year (after watching the free online plays with Benedict Cumberbatch and somebody else I've forgotten swapping the main roles). I'll look forward to seeing your thoughts on it.

>199 Crazymamie:, >200 richardderus:, >201 Helenliz: - I was kidding about it being like Young Frankenstein! Give me some credit!

>202 karenmarie: - Thanks, Karen. We are very much looking forward to The Break. Tempers are short and we don't like sniping at each other. Stupid flood.

>203 RebaRelishesReading: - Very similar, Reba, in terms of both being a modern re-imagining. Not a re-telling, but the themes and some of the details are very similar. And the best part of BJD is Colin Firth playing the Darcy character he had played just a few years ago in the BBC P&P production. Very meta...

I will let you know about the piccata recipe. I love piccata, so hope it works well!

>204 bell7: - I'm not very far in, Mary, but the narration by Dan Stevens (of Downton Abbey fame) is excellent!

Morning, Katie! Welcome to the world of grocery shopping on a weekday! I think you'll love it here.

I *love* BJD, both the book and the movie! For years and years Tomm and I have watched it as one of our Christmas movies, but we've saved it for after Charlie's bedtime since he's been in the picture. I think this is the year we can stop doing that and bring him into the Bridget Jones fold.

(Speaking as someone with a degree in English Lit, I'm not a huge fan of Frankenstein. I appreciate its importance, but the monster just gets annoying by the end. I much prefer Young Frankenstein.) But anyway, I hope you disagree and love the book!

>206 scaifea: - Morning, Amber! Thanks for the warm welcome :)

BJD is a great Christmas movie, what with the reindeer jumper, turkey curry, etc... Such a fun movie. I hope Charlie enjoys it, too.

I'm hoping to get a bit farther into Frankenstein today, so we'll see.

Yesterday was mostly a bust, as I helped The Wayne put together a small storage shed. He thought it would take about an hour or so. FIVE HOURS later, it was sort of done, but a little janky because it turned out to be a piece of crap, with holes not aligned properly for putting it together and other fun things. Entirely too much time spent outside, if you ask me.

But then he took me out to dinner, so that was nice. I got a quattro formaggi pizza, with leftovers for breakfast. We have the gym this morning - we've adjusted our schedule because it's been hard for TW to get away from work in the evenings. Most of his team are in California, and the time difference makes things complicated sometimes. And Joel the Devil abandoned us, so we are starting with a new trainer today. I hate change.

After the gym, I have a couple of phone calls to make (gross), and the grocery shopping to do. I think dinner will be shredded chicken and black bean taco bowls.

Sounds like one of our projects…

>208 katiekrug: Ooooh pizza for breakfast! YES!

I hate change. Sing it, sister.

>208 katiekrug: And Joel the Devil abandoned us, so we are starting with a new trainer today

He's gone already? I didn't realize it would happen so quickly. We had a trainer in Philly who left the gym to work in partnership with another trainer. We tried her new place but had issues with it (mostly pandemic protocols), and continued with the gym because they were offering outdoor classes. We found a couple of trainers that we liked pretty well and might have "blossomed" had we stayed there. So ... I hope you feel good about the new trainer if not today, then after a little time.

I have this *awful* feeling Joel will be back. Sadder, but wiser, and back.

What a crummy day Sunday was, the Sunday part of it anyway. Holes that don't line up puzzle me to no end...this is a *manufactured*object* there shouldn't be these sorts of issues! Nothing grinds my gears more than the careless and indifferent way some projects come from the manufacturer.

Apparently I r uh eejit because my blog post, scheduled for 6.30a, got plonked on 6.30p. Annoying.

Grumble grouse gripe.

>209 drneutron: - And you're still married, so that gives me hope! ;-)

>210 scaifea: - Pizza is warming up now...

>211 lauralkeet: - He's still around, but he is trying to get stuff ready for his relocation, so he dumped us with someone new. His name is Julian, and he seems very nice. Much quieter than Joel, which may not be a bad thing, because Joel was endlessly distracting (and entertaining), and I often lost focus :-P

>212 richardderus: - He doesn't leave until January, so we'll see if he's back in the spring. Even if the bf thing doesn't work out, I'm not sure he'd come back here.

Ooops, sorry about your blog post. Better late than never!

‘Morning, Katie!

>208 katiekrug: Yikes. FIVE hours on a piece-of-crap shed. The last time Bill and I put something together was a TV-table for a 65” TV. It also took a lot longer than expected, and one of the cats decided to liven things up by bringing in a worm snake and sharing.

Dinner out sounds lovely and leftover pizza for brekkie is always marvelous. I thought JtD wasn’t going to abandon you ‘til after Christmas? Sorry about having to have a new trainer – I hope he works out.

>213 katiekrug: But… but… cold leftover pizza for brekkie is da bomb. Lunchtime or dinnertime leftovers must be reheated. I just threw away leftover Domino's pizza. Blech. We may be limited to frozen pizzas with additional pepperoni and cheese as our favorite pizza place in town finally succumbed to Covid. Domino's (cheap) and John's (expensive) don't cut it. There is a Papa John's north of town...

At least you’ll still get to use the abbreviation JtD – I’ve gotten used to it and was envisioning having to change. Thank you. *smile*

>214 karenmarie: - I generally will eat pizza cold for breakfast, but this wasn't a regular cheese pizza and it needed warming up.

I'm sure the new trainer will be fine. Maybe not quite as much fun as the original JtD, but that's a hard act to follow :)

Re: pizza - if you can fine Mama Marias's (I think that's the name; something very similar anyway) prepared pizza crust at the grocery store, it bakes up nicely with a bit of sauce and whatever toppings you want. Not quite as good as good restaurant pizza, but better than frozen pizza (though I also like frozen pizza)...

ETA: i just looked it up - the pizza crust is Mama Mary's.

We do have pizza crusts and pizza sauce at the store. Good idea. Thanks. I've never tried one, but there's always a first time.

>215 katiekrug:, >216 karenmarie: No need to buy pizza sauce at the store! Buy crushed tomatoes instead, and make the world's easiest pizza sauce, no cooking required! This recipe is from a trendy and delicious Philly pizza place: Red Sauce for Pizza

Looks like my local grocery carries Mama Mary's pizza crusts so I'l have to check them out. I've bought pizza dough before but never tried a frozen crust.

>205 katiekrug: Absolutely going to look for BJD and very glad you made me aware of what it is. Looking forward to piccata recipe.

I love pizza for breakfast. I've been trying not to eat breakfast lately and now I'm both hungry and wanting pizza :(

Your shed story sounds frustrating. We put together two metal frames for raised beds in the garden this weekend. It was pretty straight forward and everything lined up but it's awkward trying to screw together pieces to make a big rectangle of corrugated metal. Now we just have to hoist them over the deck railing and get them in place.

>218 RebaRelishesReading: I've been trying not to eat breakfast lately and now I'm both hungry and wanting pizza I feel your pain. I've been doing intermittent fasting for a couple of years now and usually I'm fine with no breakfast, it's just every now and then... I'm just very glad that there's a time difference and that by the time Katie is posting about Pizza for breakfast, I've already had lunch. Omelette today, bacon & mushroom.

>208 katiekrug: I also feel your pain. We put up a shed together. It was not, shall we say, a resounding success. Probably for the reasons you state. We put it close the the neighbour's garage wall, so that in order to nail the felt to the roof I had to climb up one side, balance across the ridge on my stomach and nail it down whilst perched on top of the shed.
It got even more surreal when our over the back neighbours came out of their house and their youngster looked at me (visible over the fence) in horror and asked, quite tremulously "Mummy, What is that lady doing?" A very good question without a sensible answer.

>205 katiekrug: I did. A bit. But I was still taken aback by how very different the book was from what I thought I knew I was getting into.

>216 karenmarie: - Jarred pizza sauce is gross. We usually use our homemade marinara.

>217 lauralkeet: - I think you shared that recipe with me once before, Laura... Yep, just checked, and I have it saved in my recipe folder! I will definitely have to give it a go now that I am Queen of the Kitchen :)

The Mama Mary's crusts I get aren't frozen, just FYI...

>218 RebaRelishesReading: - I hope you enjoy BJD, Reba! I think I'm making the piccata on Wednesday, so watch this space Thursday morning :)

Good luck with the hoisting!

>219 Helenliz: - I wonder if the child was scarred for life, Helen. Heh.

Already, Frankenstein is not quite what I expected, what with the framing device...

I'm back from grocery shopping. Monday around 12:30 wasn't a bad time to go. A bit busier than I would have expected, but not weekend busy. They were also doing some sort of inventory in several aisles. I'm hoping that's a monthly thing and not a weekly thing. And all their renovations are done, and it's so much nicer now - lighter and brighter with more space to maneuver.

I treated myself to a banana nut muffin and a half gallon of apple cider. Ah, the dangers of shopping by oneself...

>220 katiekrug: Oh good! I didn't realize I'd shared it before, Katie.

>221 katiekrug: In addition to cider, 'tis the season for Spice Wafers. Do they sell those up your way? They were an autumn staple in PA but I haven't seen them here.

>222 lauralkeet: - I think it's the same recipe, Laura, but I could be wrong...

I am not familiar with spice wafers, but now I want some because I love anything spice. At Christmas, we always get a giant tin of Swedish ginger cookies from World Market for my MIL (who is half Swedish). We all eat them over the holiday - very good with tea and/or coffee! Also, with red wine :)

Well it looks like you can get Ivins Spiced Wafers on Amazon (because of course you can), but they might well be in your stores. They come in a very distinctive box; here's a link so you can see it and be on the lookout next time you shop.

https://www.amazon.com/Ivins-Famous-Spiced-Wafers-Twin/dp/B005RSZ3ZC

But then again it's possible they're just a Philly thing.

>204 bell7: "Frankenstein" is one of those books that everyone talks about and almost no one has read. Yes the ending is talky and the Creature simply too good to be true.

I always felt the book shivers with a young bride's sudden discovery of human body parts - perhaps thats a little unfair.

But almost ANY movies version is better than the book.

Happy Monday, Katie! Have a terrific week.

Morning, Katie!

I like pizza both cold and warmed for breakfast; it really just depends on my mood.

The best time for grocery shopping is on a weekday morning, just after rush hour is good and done. The stores are always pretty empty then, it seems.

>224 lauralkeet: So, ginger snaps, sort of? I *love* that it's ginger snap season now. *happy sigh* I'm also a huge fan of speculaas cookies, which should be showing up in stores now, too, although I have a couple of good recipes for those as well.

>227 scaifea: yeah Amber, they are similar to ginger snaps, but the mix of spices is a bit different and the cookies themselves are very hard/crunchy. I am struggling to explain the difference and just found this article, which says:

Spiced wafers are best compared to ginger snaps, although there are distinct differences. Containing a mix of autumnal spices including ginger, cinnamon, allspice, molasses, and cloves, these tough cookies have a more complex flavor than traditional ginger snaps. The wafers are baked three times longer than most cookie varieties, achieving a hard, but not rock-solid, texture, “born to be dunked.”

The article also confirmed they are a Philly thing, so I suspect Katie will be unable to find them. Alas.

>228 lauralkeet: Huh. Interesting! I'd lump those in with ginger snaps, myself, but I have several snap recipes, all with varying levels of crisp/crunch/chew and different levels of spice. But...snaps *are* supposed to be...snappy, right?

Hello again, Katie!

>224 lauralkeet: - I may order some, Laura. I am a sucker for such things. I was thinking of making a spice cake for our Thanksgiving dessert this year...

>225 magicians_nephew: - I love your description of Frankenstein, Jim. So far, it's not too bad, but I'm still only in the early phase (learning Victor's backstory).

>226 alcottacre: - Thanks, Stasia, you too!

>227 scaifea:, >228 lauralkeet:, >229 scaifea: - *Really* wishing I had some spice cookies to go with my coffee right now!

Ooof. I am so sore from the gym yesterday. That's what happens when you don't go for a week :-P Hopefully, I'll soon stop walking like an old lady.

The chicken and black bean tacos came out pretty well. I served them over shredded lettuce with some Mexican cheese on top. I would definitely make the recipe again, but I'd fiddle with it a bit and add more seasoning. I do love how easy it is to cook chicken from frozen in the InstantPot...

After dinner, we watched the Giants lose, because of course.

Today is Election Day here int he great state of New Jersey, so we'll be walking over to the nearby elementary school sometime today. The campaign for school board has gotten very heated in the last month or so, though the nastiness is mostly coming from the candidates I had already decided not to vote for. Our governor should win re-election, which is good, because I'm a fan.

Oh! I forgot to mention yesterday that my plumber/HVAC guy has once again come to the rescue and kicked the remediation company in the pants to get me some results. So the hygienist showed up yesterday to re-test, and Joe got the remediation dude to agree that he could go in and start work on our ducting and replacing the furnace unit. So that starts tomorrow. Progress!

Morning, Katie! Hooray for the plumber/HVAC guy! And for forward momentum.

>231 katiekrug: That was a rough game. So frustrating because it was completely winnable, but too many mistakes (and a rough face mask call).

>232 katiekrug: Hooray for progress with repairs and replacements and remediation - here's hoping the fixes are smooth sailing from here on out!

YAY! for an effective plumber! Here's to hoping that you'll be able to flip the switch on the heat soon.

‘Morning, Katie!

>216 karenmarie: I found Mama Mary’s thin and crispy pizza crusts and bought some jarred pizza sauce. It's going back, see below.

>217 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura! Next time I’ll use that recipe. I’ve already put crushed tomatoes on the new shopping list.

>220 katiekrug: The jarred pizza sauce is Mama Mary’s brand, but yesterday the checkout clerk mentioned that the jar had some on the outside but he said it must have been from a broken jar. I didn’t look at it – just assumed he was right. Ha. Bill put up the groceries, and when I went to check it just now, I can see where the lid is not properly sealed. It’s going back today, 'cuz who wants to get poisoned? And I’ll buy the crushed tomatoes in Laura’s recipe.

You go, Queen of the Kitchen!

>232 katiekrug: Yay for kicks in the pants and starting the work tomorrow.

>233 Crazymamie: - Thanks, Mamie!

>234 bell7: - I kept nodding off during the 4th quarter and then *poof* it was over and they had lost. Kinda glad I slept through seeing it ;-)

Thanks re: the house stuff. I'm. So. Tired. Of. It.

>235 richardderus: - Fingers crossed!

>236 karenmarie: - I haven't had the thin crust ones, so if you hate them, it's not my fault *grin*

Ick to the jarred sauce, on several levels. Glad you'll be trying Laura's recipe. Be sure to report back!

I have been to vote and then we walked to the bagel shop and got coffee and, er, bagels (everything for me, cinnamon raisin for TW). Mine was so pretty all toasted up, I almost didn't want to eat it. But I did.

I need to make a quick run to the store today because somehow I totally blanked on getting coffee yesterday, so TW had to make a pot this morning that was 1/3 caffeinated and 2/3 not. Oops.

>238 katiekrug: Yum to good bagels - not something easy to get here in central NC. I'm with TW - cinnamon raisin.

We had to start getting mail order coffee since our grocery store has hardly any whole bean coffee anymore. I've gone through several tests with products on Amazon, which has become unreliable with droughts and supply chain issues, so now we're getting coffee directly from the roaster on a subscription plan. More expensive? Yes. Worth it? Yes.

>239 karenmarie: - We are but simple folk and just drink Folgers. Or whatever is on sale :) I doctor mine so much, the base flavor doesn't matter to me much, and The Wayne views coffee strictly as a caffeine delivery device. He'd take it via IV if he could...

>238 katiekrug: So now he's entitled to be 1/3 civil to you, 2/3 not. *tsk* not having extra coffee in the house! Imagine!

>241 richardderus: - I treated him to bagels and fully caffeinated coffee to make up for it!

Yeah, it was a major fail on my part. I was even in the right aisle because I had to get some tea... *smh*

>240 katiekrug: True, doctored up doesn't require freshly ground whole beans. Bill used to use Folgers and uses artificial sweetener, but one time he drank a cup of my freshly ground and now that's what he insists on, too. We still have separate pots because he doesn't like his as strong as I do. TW's caffeine-delivery device. I like that.

Sweetzels is the spiced wafers brand we've always gotten. Amazon has them.

Judi made pizza often, always from scratch. Make the dough, spread it on a cookie sheet or whatever. She used tomato puree as the sauce. Italian seasoning. Soft mozz and shredded mozz. Toppings as you like them. She even got a pizza stone to bake the pizza on.

>232 katiekrug: Good news! I hope the kick in the pants helps!

Happy Tuesday, Katie!

>243 karenmarie: - Whatever works!

>244 weird_O: - I'll definitely have to order some spice wafers, Bill. We've made pizza from scratch, too. Our favorite is scratch dough, cooked on the grill. Eventually, we'd like to get an outdoor pizza oven. A pizza stone is essential to good pizza at home, IMO.

>245 alcottacre: - Thanks, Stasia!

Election Day here too but there are no polls :) One is strongly encouraged to register to vote and then when you are registered you are mailed a ballot a few weeks before the election. Starting a couple of weeks before "election day" the ballot boxes (which are spotted all over town) are unlocked and you stick your completed ballot in there...or you can mail it in if you prefer. So civilized and so easy to vote. I've voted by mail for over 30 years (even in California where there are polls but one is also allowed to request vote-by-mail) and really appreciate the ability to sit down with all of my gathered info and decide my vote ... especially on the complicated ballot measures.

Here's Hubby voting in this election -

I've given myself a headache trying to research COVID boosters, and whether mixing and matching is better than sticking with what you got originally. All the studies have been small so the data isn't great, but the consensus seems to be that if you got the J&J, getting a Pfizer or Moderna booster is a good idea. But if you got P or M, a booster of either makes little difference. There may be a slight edge to Moderna for both original P recipients and M recipients, but the study was small. Anyway, we got Moderna (SpikeVax! Thank you, Dolly Parton) so we'll probably stick with that. Plus, it's what the county has the most of and we plan to go to a county-run site, as we did when we got the original shots. I'm just waiting on TW to tell me when a good time to go would be. They take walk-ins and people I've heard from said it was super efficient and fast. They are open Monday through Saturday, 8am to 4pm. I really have to hand it to our town and county - they have really done a great job with testing and vaccination - lots of dedicated sites for both, as well as pop-up sites in several places every week.

>247 RebaRelishesReading: - We voted by mail last year, Reba, and I appreciated the convenience, especially with COVID, but I really have a thing for going to the polls in person :) New Jersey finally instituted early voting this year, and that would be my second choice. I did all of my research beforehand and made a cheat sheet of how I wanted to vote. It was a very short ballot - governor, a couple of state senate seats, the county sheriff, local school board, and two public questions, both related to gambling. We were in and out in 10 minutes. And funnily enough, I also have a photo of my husband turning in his ballot!

Yes, a cheat sheet would work but I like the comfort of deciding, voting, moving on to consideration of the next issue. We have a lot of ballot measures to vote on here in the west. I thought it was a California thing but I think there were 10 measures plus two advisory votes on the ballot here this time.

>25 laytonwoman3rd: - The important thing, of course, is to vote!

New thread! https://www.librarything.com/topic/336440