Dinner, 11/11/13; Fiery Prawn Linguine

Verdict: not very fiery - needed hotter chilis.

Dinner, 6/11/13: Parsnip, Leek and Lemon Soup

As winter draws in, there will be a lot more soup in the North household...

Dinner, 5/11/13: Black Bean Burritos

Dinner, 4/11/13: Pasta with Broccoli Pesto

Dinner, 3/11/13: Chicken with lardons and lentils; rustic mash; Chinese greens

mmm, tasty.

What I read: Sept & Oct 2013

I haven't stopped reading, but I only read 5 books in September, so  I decided to wait and combine them with my October books. Part of the reason I read little was that of course I had to go back to work, but also, I read two books which were quite long, and that took some time...  Anyway, here's what I thought of them all.

1. The Hour I First Believed,  Wally Lamb. Wally Lamb is the author of one of my favourite all-time books (She's Come Undone) so when I saw this one in a used book shop, I grabbed it. This was one of the long ones, but it was a great story. Reminded me of a kind of John Irving epic (without the wrestling). The story centered on the lives of two people who were (fictional) survivors of the Columbine school shooting - one who actually lived through the event and her husband, who taught at the school, but was out of town on the day due to a funeral.  It was an interesting exploration of the effects that a traumatic event can have on the lives of the people involved - those who lose loved ones, those who survive the event, those who are connected to survivors, and so on. There was lots more to the book, but that's the starting premise. I found the characters well drawn - realistic and flawed but in a way which still drew me to them. And I am reminded that I actually own Lamb's other novel, I Know This Much is True, but have never read it (it's a gigantic hardback and I always forget about it as it's on a different bookcase.  Really must get around to it!)

2. The Cleaner of Chartres, Salley Vickers.  Lots of people have heard of Miss Garnet's Angel, but Vickers has written many other stories, of various styles and subject matters (though all roughly dealing with human relationships). I enjoyed this one more than some of her others (though I haven't disliked any I've read) - perhaps because it's more in my comfort zone and perhaps a little less heavy, despite dealing with some serious issues, than some (e.g. The Other Side of You, which I read earlier this year).

3. Arlington Park, Rachel Cusk. A novel about a number of people who live in a certain neighbourhood, exploring their lives and issues. This was fine, but not one of my favourite reads.

4. Memoirs of a Geisha, Arthur Golden.  This book has been on my shelf for a while - I picked it up at a book sale a year or two ago, and had been reluctant to try it - I think under that principal that when everyone raves about something, maybe it's too good to be true.  However, I finally decided to give it a go, and am glad I did - apparently, it's one of those instances where everyone likes a book simply because it's a really excellent book. If you haven't read this, do try it - it's a super story, and the main character is very engaging. And of course the details of the life of a geisha are very interesting as well, and probably not entirely what you'd expect. (This was the other longish book!)

5.  Moon over Soho, Ben Aaronovitch. And then for something completely different. 2nd book in the Peter Grant, Apprentice Wizard series (not sure if the series is called that - I just tagged it that way) and although perhaps not quite as good as the first (partly due to the effect of knowing what some of the funky twists were likely to involve) still an excellent continuation of the idea (detective story in contemporary London, only with magic thrown in), with great characters, new and old, and a creative plot line. Plus lots of things set up for book 3 and beyond. And I do love the author's tone - very funny, without trying too hard.

6. Sacred Hearts, Sarah Dunant. An historical novel about a girl inside a nunnery in 16th century Italy. I like a good historical novel, and this was.

7. The Sea Change, Joanne Rossiter.  The parallel stories of the life of a young woman victim of a tidal wave (on her honeymoon) and her mother, who was forced to leave the village she loved growing up (taken over by military in the war) examining their unresolved issues both with one another and in other relationships in their lives.  Enjoyed this, though not one of the very top reads.

8. Graceling, Kristin Cashore.  Teen fiction, fantasy. Set in a world where some people are born with special gifts, which set them apart from others, either through the ability itself or through fear and superstition. The main character, Katsa, is graced with the gift of killing.  Also involves some romance and political intrigue. An excellent piece of teen fantasy. Looking forward to the other books set in the same world.

9. Whispers Underground, Ben Aaronovitch. Another in the series above and again, an excellent adventure. My husband is reading these as well, and keeps ordering them from the library, so rather than savour them over time, I am feasting on them more or less all at once.  However, the author has only written four so far, so after we read the next one, we'll have to have a break!

10. Club Dead, Charmaine Harris. 3rd in the Sookie Stackhouse southern vampire series. This is the sort of thing I often read when I want something easy on the brain, but still entertaining.  These amuse me; they're good fun.

11. The Age of Miracles, Karen Thompson Walker. A nice coming-of-age story, with a twist - the earth's rotation is slowing down, and it's causing all kinds of problems. Thought this well written, with a well-thought-out premise and a lot of interesting side issues.

12. The Sunday Philosophy Club, Alexandfer McCall Smith.  Gentle mystery set in Edinburgh. I'd probably read more of these, especially on holiday, etc, where I want something easy-going and not-too-taxing, but still well-written, but I probably won't seek them out. It wasn't  quite as charming as the No 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, but what is...

13. The Three Body Problem, Catherine Shaw. Another mystery. This one historical, and set in late 19th century Cambridge, centering around mathematicians. I have a couple more in this series, which I think I will also enjoy. The mathematics was interesting without being too tiresome or detailed and the characters were pretty solid and didn't feel anachronistic.

Dinner, 2/11/13: Courgette & Mozzarella Tarts

A nice way to use up a bit of pesto, if you have a bit hanging around...  Very quick and easy! And easy to modify a bit to suit your particular needs...  Recipe here. 

A day with the dreamy spires...

We travelled out to Oxford for the day, to meet up with my brother- and sister- in law. Oxford has the advantage of being lovely, as well as being about halfway between where they live (Leicester) and where we live (London). So we often meet up there...  I used to live in Oxford, many moons ago, in my student days, so I have a great fondness for it.  My sister-in-law hadn't been since she was a teenager, and as she's older than I am, it's been a few years for her!  So we poked around a bit in the morning, then had some lunch, and poked around a bit more in the afternoon. 

I've always loved the covered market - I think this produce stand has been there forever - there was certainly one in the same place when I lived there, and that was nearly 25 years ago. 

And I'm sure the pigeons are simply descendents of the pigeons which always used to hang out there!

I spotted quite a few lovely doors this time around, in addition to more expected attractions, like the Radcliffe Camera, 

...which had been yarn-bombed!

And what's Oxford without a photo with a number of bicycles in it!

October Roundup

WHAT WAS FOR DINNER, OCTOBER 2013

You can tell that the cooler weather is upon us - a lot more casseroles and soups are making their way back into the menu rotation!

• 1st: Fish Fingers, Oven Chips, Salad
• 2nd: Chicken Korma (Olivia cooking)
• 3rd: Everyone find some dinner
• 4th: Filled Pasta with Tomato & Mascarpone
• 5th: Mushroom and Pancetta risotto
• 6th: Pot Roast
• 7th: Lentil & Carrot Soup
• 8th: Fusili with Prawns and Pesto
• 9th: Leftovers
• 10th: Sticky Citrus Chicken with Carrots and Cashews
• 11th: Tomato and Chorizo Rice
• 12th: Lasagne with Pesto, bread, salad
• 13th: Lunch out with friends
• 14th: Five Spice Chicken with Courgettes
• 15th: Curried Vegetable Broth
• 16th: Cheesy Leek and Broccoli Bake
• 17th; Jacket Potatoes with toppings
• 18th: Belly Pork, Spring Greens, Yorkshire Puddings, Gravy
• 19th:Golden Veggie Shepherd's Pie
• 20th: Ghobeli
• 21st: Chili Enchiladas
• 22nd: Pasta with Cream Cheese and Tapenade
• 23rd: Cabbage, Potato and Bacon Bake
• 24th: Find your own supper
• 25th: Honey and Soy Salmon, Roast Beetroot, Rice
• 26th:Chicken Jalfrezi
• 27th: Homemade Pizzas
• 28th: Roast Chicken, Chinese Greens, Oven Potatoes
• 29th: Cauliflower Cheese Lasagne
• 30th: Spicy Sausage Casserole with Mash
• 31st: Leftovers

Happy Hallowe'en!

From my little zombie, with his candy haul.  Olivia went to a friend's house to trick or treat, so I don't have a photo of her, and Sarah went out with friends to the cinema (though they did dress up, a bit)...

Dinner, 30/10/13: Spicy Sausage Casserole (with Mash)

This year's pumpkins...

Outside, having a test run before the actual night...

Alex's

mine

Olivia's

Sarah's

Dinner, 29/10/13: Cauliflower Cheese Lasagne

One we've had before - essentially cauliflower and broccoli and cherry tomatoes with thinned creme fraiche and herbs and grated cheese (and lasagne) - this one has a little ham in it, too, but it needn't...

A little Hallowe'en nail art...

Ta da! Rainbow Cake Success

Despite some trouble with the purple layer, it came out very well in the end, and Olivia's friends were duly impressed with the rainbowness when we cut the first slice out (she didn't tell them what was inside...)

Birthday pizza

(Actually, this was my pizza, but you get the idea) - I did offer other meal options, but everyone decided pizza was the way to go, so we did...  Two of Olivia's close friends also have birthdays in October, so there has been a run of weekend sleepovers in the past few weeks - only one of this core of four girls has a birthday some other time of year.  (There's another girl who was invited but she couldn't make it.)  Anyway, they are lovely girls to have around, and aside from a bit of giggling, no trouble at all...

Rainbow Birthday Cake

Before this, there was a lot of this:

The true test will be when we slice it open later, though!

Dinner, 26/10/13: Chicken Jalfrezi

From the Harry Dieters Cookbook. Again. We really like this!

Part of this afternoon's entertainment..

Dinner, 25/10/13: Honey and Soy Salmon, Wild & Red Rice, Roast Beetroot

The salmon is very dark because of the soy marinade - but it was yummy. And the fresh roasted beetroot was a gift from a friend with an over-productive allotment - hoorah, allotments (as long as I don't have to work in them myself...)!

Happy Birthday, Baby O...

14 years ago. I know, we all look a lot younger!

Dinner, 23/10/13: Sausage, Cabbage and Bacon Bake

Pretty much what it sounds like. It has potatoes as well. You basically cut all the stuff up, add a little stock and some seasonings and chuck it in the oven.  I used spring greens rather than Savoy cabbage, which is what the recipe called for (though I've made it with Savoy before) because I had some leftover in the fridge from last week...  Even though it's very mild out at the moment, we are definitely enterring the hearty cooking time of year!

Another birthday, another laptop

A very slightly early birthday present for Olivia, who is turning 14 tomorrow. This arrived in the post yesterday, and despite being a tiny bit before time, we let her open it. Partly because I'm not totally mean and cruel and partly because then Sarah could help her set everything up vis a vis homegroup networks, remote printing and so on, before she (Sarah) went off on her school trip to Germany and Poland in the wee hours of tomorrow. We now officially have more laptops than people in the house, if you count the two older ones which are rarely used (one a netbook). But the girls both have so much homework which needs to be done partly or wholly on a computer that it's really necessity. And it means I might once again in the evening get a chance to use my laptop for my own stuff!