Dinner, 19/9/18: Linguine with creamy tomato, rosemary & caper sauce

This was lovely. We really liked the creamy sauce and the rosemary and capers worked brilliantly together. Will definitely do it again.

Dinner, 18/9/18: Fish Fingers, Oven Potatoes, Salad

Sometimes you need something quick and easy. We actually really like fish fingers, though I wouldn't want to eat them all the time... We will be eating a lot more fish this year, though, with both the girls gone (neither of whom is a fish lover the way that Geoff, Alex and I are). 

Dinner, 17/9/18: Spicy Parsnip Soup

Spicy and warming. I think we're back into soup weather now - I'm sure it'll be on the menu in some form or other, probably weekly!

Dinner, 16/9/18: Beetroot & Parsnip Rosti

This is a Nigel Slater recipe, which means a)it works well and b)it's comfort eating.  These were excellent - a bit of goat cheese in them helps make them really tasty and the ones which were more crispy were even better than the others. Yum. 

Book 74: The Undrowned Child, Michelle Louvric

This is a book which the girls - or at least one of them - read when younger and which we were clearing out from Olivia's bookcase. I thought it might be a suitable book for my class shelf, and indeed, it fits nicely at the top end of that age range, for my more adventurous readers. I enjoyed the slightly different Venice it portrays (alternative history), as well as the glimpses of the Venice I know a bit. And it's a good story with adventure and magic, mermaids, ghosts, and so forth. Enjoyable!

Dinner, 15/9/18: Chicken Korma

Something easy and which can be eaten in smaller or larger portions as required, as the kids and I had a big lunch today...

Dinner, 12/9/18: Pasta with bacon, pease, ricotta & mint (Alex cooking)

A quick mid-week supper before Alex's trumpet lesson. And I made him cook it, as well!

Dinner, 11/9/18: Vegetable Samosas

These are done in the oven, with filo pastry. They came out well, which is nice as I don't really cook anything at home which requires deep frying (or even shallow frying - I don't like the mess or the lingering smell of oil). 

Book 73: Midwinter Break, Bernard MacLaverty

I liked this short book, but not unreservedly. On the one hand, I was very curious to see where this portrait of a solid but quite precarious, long-time marriage ended up and found it compelling; on the other hand, I also found it rather difficult to get inside the head of either of the main characters. Not because they were unpleasant, or badly drawn, but just because they were both pretty far outside my personal experience. This is, admittedly, one of the prime reasons I read fiction, but sometimes it's easier to lose oneself than other times. There was one bit very near the end which I thought almost perfectly formed: a mental litany of things his wife knows, when the main character is reflecting on things (I shan't say more for fear of spoilers). 

Dinner, 10/9/18: Mac & Broccoli & Cheese

Dinner, 9/9/18: Shepherd's Pie (Geoff cooking)

You can tell it's autumn, as all the hearty dishes are coming out - hotpots, pies - and mac & cheese is on the cards for tomorrow (watch this space)...

Book 72: The Tea Lords, Hella S Haasse

This is a book I picked up when I was in Amsterdam last summer - the chap in the bookshop said it was a "Dutch Classic" and it was indeed very evocative of a certain time and way of life, in colonial Java on the tea plantations. Parts of it read very well and I enjoyed a lot; other parts were a bit more slow.  It's not really fiction, although it's a novel  - it's based around real people and constructed largely from documents, diaries, letters, etc (though not left in that form). I think this is perhaps the reason for the uneven way it reads. 

Dinner, 8/9/18: Vegan Hotpot

After a couple of nights of mildly disappointing meals (we do have high standards) it was nice to come back to an old favourite - one we know we'll enjoy: Simon Rimmer's Vegan Hotpot. A recipe which contains possibly my favourite instruction ever: Peel and chop the carrots, parsnips and celery attractively...

Dinner, 7/9/18: Summer Minestrone

This was ok, but lacked flavour. Would have done better with a nice dollop of pesto or something (for once, I didn't have any in the fridge).

Book 71: The Storm Keeper's Island, Catherine Doyle

This relatively new children's book has received a lot of praise, and rightfully so. I thought it was superb. Great story, interesting idea, well drawn characters and a lovely semi-resolution bringing the story to a satisfying pause while leaving massive issue(s) unresolved for the next book(s).  My main complaint is that the next one's not out until July!  Reminded me a bit of The Dark is Rising series by Susan Rogers Cooper - just something about the feel, old magic, darkness, kids, islands, that sort of thing.  That's not a bad thing, mind you, as I think that series is one of the best classic kids' fantasy series...

Dinner, 6/9/18: Curried Chicken and New Potato Traybake

Unfortunately, not as interesting as it sounded from the title. Would have been better with thighs than drumsticks, but even so, probably not worth repeating (not bad or anything, we just have high standards). I did like the fresh salsa-y topping on it - a nice idea.

Book 70: The Middle of Nowhere, Geraldine McCaughrean

I enjoyed this, though not perhaps as much as some of the other children's fiction I've read lately. The setting and characters felt very foreign to me - not surprisingly, given where it was set (Australian outback), though there was still a certain amount of empathy created. I do think the kids in my class may struggle to get inside the very different language and lifestyle, but you never know.

Dinner, 5/9/18: Coconut Curry Noodle Bowl

With roasted nuts - yum. 

Dinner, 4/9/18: Spinach & Cheese Quesadillas

These also had peas in the filling, which was a lovely addition. Very tasty and great with the salsa.

Book 69: Cogheart, Peter Bunzl

An enjoyable steampunk (though not too much so) adventure for children - I liked the idea of this and the characters were fun; included a manic race across London in an airship, with pirates and Big Ben - what more could anyone want?  I'm sure the kids in my class will enjoy it - some of them, at any rate.

August Round Up

WHAT WAS FOR DINNER, AUGUST 2018

• 31st: Courgette Lasagne
• 30th: Asian steamed chicken dumplings with spiralized veg
• 29th: Hot dogs, Corn on the Cob, Oven Potatoes (K out)
• 28th: Pan Fried Salmon with Daikon and Yuzu Ponzu
• 27th: Chicken Noodle Soup
• 26th: Roast chicken, roast potatoes, cabbage
• 25th: Pizza (homemade)
• 24th: Pasta alla Amatriciana
• 23rd: Asparagus and Feta Frittata
• 22nd: Veggie Stir Fry (Alex cooking)
• 21st: Lost in transit (airport snacks)
• 20th: Dinner out: Mission BBQ
• 19th: Lunch at mid-Atlantic Seafood
• 18th: Dinner in - snacking stuff, salads, etc
• 17th: Dinner out - Chinese
• 16th: Dinner out at Double Tee Diner
• 15th: Lunch at Applebee's; dinner: Meatloaf, corn, mash at Christy's
• 14th: Popeye's takeaway
• 13th: Snacking stuff in Mom's house
• 12th: Chicken & Veggie Bake (James cooking)
• 11th: Lunch out at Crab Shack
• 10th: Dinner with Andy at Outback Steak House
• 9th: Dinner at the Iron Bridge Wine Company
• 8th: Cookout at Christy's house
• 7th: Howard County Fair (junk food grazing!); spinach and chickpea curry in London
• 6th: Mexican food for dinner (K&S); leftover ragu in London
• 5th: Ate Brunch out (K&S); pork mince & kimchi curry in London
• 4th: Picnic stuff with sushi (K&S); spinach & chickpea curry in London
• 3rd: K & S on airplanes; Spag bol in London
• 2nd: Spicy Black Bean Tacos
• 1st: Sausages, Mash, Green Beans

August Book Update

So, in 2018, I'm taking a slightly different approach to blogging about my reading - I'm not really worrying about the in/out balance or how many books I read each month versus how many have been removed from the list. My only goal in 2018 is to read at least 100 books (as usual), so I'll be counting towards that, and noting books I read, acquire, get rid of, etc, but only for interest. I'm tired of feeling guilty if I acquire new books!

In January:  books read: 7; books otherwise removed: 3; books in: 7; books on windowsill: 62
In February: books read: 6; books otherwise removed: 1; books in: 3;  books on windowsill: 61
In March: books read: 8; books otherwise removed: 1; books in: 5;  books on windowsill: 60
In April: books read: 13; books otherwise removed: 1; books in: 6; books on windowsill: 61
In May: books read: 10 ; books otherwise removed: 1; books in: 2; books on windowsill: 58
In June: books read: 10; books otherwise removed: 1; books in: 3; books on windowsill: 58
In July: books read: 8; books otherwise removed: 0; books in: 5; books on windowsill: 62
In August: books read: 6; books otherwise removed: 1; books in: 3; books on windowsill: 63

And here's the breakdown for this month: 

• I read one book which I recently added to my shelf; I've seen the film (twice, I think) but never read the book, even though I've read lots of other titles by this author (The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje)
• I read one book of Sarah's when I was on an airplane (Open Road Summer by Emery Lord)
• and one book which actually belongs to a friend living in the US, which I'm going to post back to her while I'm in the US (Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks)
• I re-read one book which I found in the bargain shop, which I'd been thinking about (Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn)
• ...and bought another book in the bargain shop in the US (The Same Sky by Amanda Eyre Ward)
• I read (most of) one book I picked up recently in a charity shop (The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Clare North)
• I read one book from a selection we are adding to our school book corner in the autumn (The House with Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson)
• I started one book, but decided it wasn't really for me (Hawksmoor by Peter Ackroyd)
• I bought one book from AbeBooks when I realised there was one in a series that I haven't read (The Murder of Mary Russell by Laurie R King)
• I bought one book in Waterstones when picking up an order (the order was for a gift  so doesn't get added to my list) (The Murderer's Ape by Jakob Wegelius)

Here's the updated list of Books to Read in 2018. These are the books hanging out on my windowsill upstairs, waiting to be read. Or discarded. But hopefully, read. I started the year with 60 books on this list - you can see how long the books have been knocking around by the dates in brackets.

1. Ford Maddox Ford, Parade's End (Nov 2012 - birthday present - bought after the BBC adaptation - but I knew I wouldn't read it straight away as I wanted to let time pass from the adaptation.  Enough time has probably passed now...)
2. Elizabeth Gaskell, North and South (2014)
3. Gabriel Garcia Marquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude (would be a re-read, bought shortly after his death - spring 2014 - as I was reminded how much I enjoyed it and I didn't seem to own a copy - think my old one fell apart, probably...) 
4. Daphne du Maurier, Frenchman's Creek (Waterstones Piccadilly - 2016? bought in principle for the girls, but thought I might read it again as it's been ages)
5. Daphne du Maurier, Jamaica Inn (Waterstones Piccadilly - 2016? bought in principle for the girls, but thought I might read it again as it's been ages)
6. Gregory David Roberts, Shantaram (Abe Books, July 2016)
7. Susan Barker, The Incarnations (charity shop, July 2016)
8. Neil MacGregor, Germany: Memories of  a Nation (birthday present, Nov 2016) (This book isn't technically on my windowsill, it's downstairs because I keep thinking I might have a go at reading it, but haven't really got around to it yet...)
9. Orhan Pamuk. A Strangeness in Mind (Christmas present 2016)
10. Andrew Taylor, The Ashes of London (passed to me by Geoff after he read it, April 2017)
11. Mark Haddon (Introduction), States of Mind: Experiences at the Edge of Consciousness (Waterstones Piccadilly, April 2017)
12. John Irving, Avenue of Mysteries  (Waterstones Piccadilly, April 2017)
13. Mikhail Bulgokov, The Master and Margarita (charity shop, April 2017)
14. Rachel Ward, Numbers 2: The Chaos (Sarah's - added to my shelf after I read the first one, April 2017)
15. Rachel Ward, Numbers 3: Infinity (Sarah's - added to my shelf after I read the first one, April 2017)
16. Jane Smiley, Early Warning (Abe Books, May 2017, after finishing the first in the series)
17. Siri Hustvedt, A Woman Looking at Men Looking at Women (Waterstones Wimbledon, July 2017)
18. Hella Haasse, The Tea Lords (Bookhandel von Rossum, Amsterdam, August 2017)
19. Ernest van der Kwast, The Ice Cream Makers (Amsterdam, August 2017)
20. Lucy Worsley, A Very British Murder (Waterstones Oxford, August 2017)
21. Lucy Ribchester, The Hourglass Factory (charity shop, Farnham, September 2017)
22. Bi Fieyu, Three Sisters (charity shop, Farnham, September 2017)
23. Alexia Casale, The Bone Dragon (Waterstones Piccadilly, October 2017)
24. Grayson Perry, The Descent of Man (December 2017, RA Gift Shop)
25. Sarah J Maas, Court of Thorns and Roses (Christmas present, 2017)
26. Katherine Arden, The Bear and the Nightingale (Christmas present, 2017)
27. Patrick Gale, A Place Called Winter (charity shop, December 2017)
28. Sebastian Barry, Days without End (Abe Books, January 2018)
29. Anthony Horowitz, Magpie Murders (W H Smith, January 2018)
30. Matt Haig, How to Stop Time (W H Smith, January 2018)
31. Bernie MacLaverty, Midwinter Break (Watersones Piccadilly, January 2018)
32. Ursula K LeGuin, The Left Hand of Darkness (Watersones Piccadilly, January 2018)
33. Clare Vanderpool, Moon over Manifest (was in the house, moved to my shelf Feb 2018)
34. Colson Whitehead, The Underground Railroad (Waterstones Wimbledon, Feb 2018)
35. Mohsin Hamid, Exit West (Waterstones Wimbledon, Feb 2018)
36. Arundhati Roy, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness (passed to me by Geoff, Feb 2018)
37. Alwyn Hamilton, Hero at the Fall (Waterstones online, March 2018)
38. Laini Taylor, Strange the Dreamer (Waterstones online, March 2018)
39. ed. Tracy Chevalier, Reader I Married Him (Waterstones online, March 2018)
40. Bella Pollen, Hunting Unicorns (Kingston Hospital Charity Bookshelf, March 2018)
41. Diana Rosie, Alberto's Lost Birthday (Kingston Hospital Charity Bookshelf, March 2018)
42. Jojo Moyes, The Last Letter from your Lover (Charity Shops, March 2018)
43. Jojo Moyes, Sheltering Rain (Charity Shops, March 2018)
44. Sebastian Faulkes, A Week in December (Charity Shops, March 2018)
45. Marcus Zusak, I am the Messenger (Charity Shops, March 2018)
46. Jose Saramago, Blindness (Lisbon, April 2018)
47. Margaret Atwodd, Oryx and Crake (passed on by Geoff, April 2018)
48. The Killing Moon, N K Jemisin (Waterstones online, April 2018)
49. The End we start from, Megan Hunter (Waterstones Wimbledon, April 2018)
50. If we were Villains, M L Rio (Waterstones Wimbledon, April 2018)
51. Spark, Alice Broadway (Waterstones Wimbledon, April 2018)
52. The Mime Order, Samantha Shannon (Abe Books, May 2018)
53. March, Geraldine Brooks (Abe Books, June 2018)
54. The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins (charity shop, June 2018)
55. Anything is Possible, Elizabeth Strout (Waterstones Wimbledon, July 2018)
56. The Disappearances, Emily Bain Murphy (Waterstones Picadilly, July 2018)
57. Salt to the Sea, Ruta Sepetys  (Waterstones Picadilly, July 2018)
58. Cassandra at the Wedding, Dorothy Baker (Waterstones Picadilly, July 2018)
59. Selected Stories, Alice Munro (charity shop, July 2018)
60. The Shape of Water, Andrea Camilleri (passed to me by Geoff, August 2018)
61. The Same Sky, Amanda Eyre Ward (discount shop in US, August 2018)
62. The Murder of Mary Russell, Laurie R King (Abe Books, August 2018)
63. The Murderer's Ape, Jakob Wegelius (Waterstones Wimbledon, August 2018)

Dinner, 31/8/18: Courgette Lasagne, Garlic Bread

A quick lasagne, the filling is just grated courgette and ricotta with some seasonings, etc. Very tasty and very easy (for lasagne). 

Books In

A couple of books in, on the last day of the month. The Mary Russell is one I ordered from AbeBooks when I realised there was one out which I hadn't read (I'm not always good at keeping track of series that I read, and I only read a few!).  The other one was at the counter when I went to Waterstones to collect an order today (the order was for a gift, so it doesn't count as a book for my list...)

Dinner, 30/8/18: Asian Steamed Chicken Dumplings with Spiralized Veg

Using mostly daikon, as I had tons left from the other night. Plus some courgette and carrot. This is such a light, summery meal and very tasty. Also carb free, if you care about such things, as it has no noodles, just the spiralized vegetables...

Dinner, 28/8/18: Pan Fried Salmon with Daikon and Yuzu Ponzu

...although I used a mixture of lemon and lime juice in place of the yuzu juice, as that citrus veg is not readily available in my local shop. I also made my own Japanese 7 spice powder, which was pretty excellent. This was great and the daikon added a nice texture contrast. Yum. 

Recipe from this article in the Guardian.

Dinner, 27/8/18: Chicken Noodle Soup

Technically, the "noodles" were littel alphabet pastas.  But whatever. Made with the leftovers of the roast chicken. Yum!

Dinner, 26/8/18: Roast Chicken, roast potatoes, cabbage

First appearance of roast chicken after our unusually hot summer. And leftovers for tomorrow for chicken noodle soup. Yay!

Book 68: The House with Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson

Really enjoyed this children's story of a girl who lives with her grandmother, who is a Yaga - a Guardian of the dead, who guides spirits on to the after life. (Very) Loosely based on the mythology of Baba Yaga, but with lots of other stuff going on as well. An original idea, with an interesting, well-drawn character. A great addition to my classroom bookshelf.

Dinner, 25/8/18: Pizza Night!

Book 67: The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, Claire North

This was one of those books that I expected to like more than I actually did. I didn't dislike it, precisely, it just didn't grab me in the way I thought it might. Partly because of the complicated time structure, perhaps, and maybe partly because I wasn't as into the characters as I sometimes am. I still think the basic premise is interesting, and don't regret reading it, just didn't find it quite as compelling as I expected to.

Dinner, 24/8/18: Pasta alla Amatriciana

Standard household favourite. Yum.

Dinner, 23/8/18: Asparagus and Feta Frittata

This particular piece of frittata seems to have got a huge amount of feta on it, but actually, it's just all on top, so it looks more than it is.  Back to cooking (mostly) - but I don't mind, really, especially as I'm still on holiday and therefore, it's not quite as much of a rush getting things done. Another week or two, and things will be a different story!

Dinner, 17/8/18: Sesame Chicken

While my sister in law's flight was delayed by 7 hours, we decided to get some dinner...

Book 66: Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks

A historical novel, set in the American colonies in the late 17th century, focusing on a young woman, daughter of a preacher and missionary and the first Indian student to attend Harvard - based around a real person, but a very fictionalised account. I thought this very good - enjoyed it a lot more than The Secret Chord, which read earlier this year and found harder to get into. 

Dinner, 16/8/18: Reuben Sandwich

The best diner food of all...

Lunch, 15/8/18: Chicken Tender Salad

Another lunch out with another old friend... When I get home, I have to stop eating.

Dinner, 14/9/18: Popeye's chicken takeout, with some stuff from the fridge

Some days you just gotta..

Book 65: Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn

This is actually a re-read: a case of synchronicity. I was thinking about it a week or two ago when having a conversation with Alex about the usefulness (or lack thereof) of the letter "c", and then happened across a copy of it for a couple of dollars in a discount shop while on holiday. Thought it was definitely a sign I should read it again. It's still a clever book, gradually losing letters from its alphabet, but of course it's more than just that.

Dinner, 12/8/18: Chicken & Veggie Bake (James & Wendy cooking)

My friend Wendy and her partner James cooked this on our last night away at our weekend mansion getaway - very simple chicken, potato, courgette & asparagus bake - really nice. For dessert, we had vanilla ice cream with some blueberry sauce that my friend Kiki had cooked to go with pancakes on our first morning. Excellent.

A little history

We took a little trip over to Yorktown (generally regarded to be the last major battle of the Revolutionary War) for a few hours, to check out the history. It was really really hot. I was glad not to be wearing the colonial uniform, unlike these poor unfortunate souls who were doing an artillery firing.  Personally, if I'd been General Cornwallis I might have surrendered just because of the heat...  

We had a very brief wander around the edge of the settlement, but decided against the guided tour, as interesting as it would no doubt have been, strictly because of the heat. Instead we did a driving tour around the battlefields, and got to see some of the redoubts and the house where they drafted the terms of surrender. That was interesting, actually, and some very pretty countryside around the area, as well. 

Lunch at Crab Shack on the James

View (sort of) from our table. Later during the meal, we did look sideways out the window and see dolphins jumping around in the James River.

I had a crabcake sandwich, which was excellent. 

And keylime pie. Yum.