Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Recipe - Amish Potato Salad
- 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, plus extra for garnish
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
- 1 rib celery, chopped
- 1/4 cup diced white or yellow onion
DIRECTIONS: Begin by boiling the cubed potatoes with a dash of salt until they are tender enough to be pierced with a fork, then drain and cool them.
In a separate bowl, create the dressing by whisking together mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, sugar, smoked paprika, and salt.
Combine the cooled potatoes, chopped eggs, grated carrot, chopped celery, and diced onion with the dressing, ensuring an even coat.
Chill the potato salad in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or ideally 24 hours, to allow the flavors to meld together.
NUTRITION INFO: Calories: 269kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 402mg | Potassium: 553mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1887IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg
(Recipe and photo courtesy of Food Faith Fitness)
Saturday, April 27, 2024
Review - Demon Copperhead
AUTHOR: Barbara Kingsolver
NARRATOR: Charlie Thurston
RATING: ★★★★
Summary (from Goodreads): "Anyone will tell you the born of this world are marked from the get-out, win or lose."
Set in the mountains of southern Appalachia, this is the story of a boy born to a teenaged single mother in a single-wide trailer, with no assets beyond his dead father's good looks and copper-colored hair, a caustic wit, and a fierce talent for survival. In a plot that never pauses for breath, relayed in his own unsparing voice, he braves the modern perils of foster care, child labor, derelict schools, athletic success, addiction, disastrous loves, and crushing losses. Through all of it, he reckons with his own invisibility in a popular culture where even the superheroes have abandoned rural people in favor of cities.
Many generations ago, Charles Dickens wrote David Copperfield from his experience as a survivor of institutional poverty and its damages to children in his society. Those problems have yet to be solved in ours. Dickens is not a prerequisite for readers of this novel, but he provided its inspiration. In transposing a Victorian epic novel to the contemporary American South, Barbara Kingsolver enlists Dickens' anger and compassion, and above all, his faith in the transformative powers of a good story. Demon Copperhead speaks for a new generation of lost boys, and all those born into beautiful, cursed places they can't imagine leaving behind.
REVIEW: This was my first time reading Barbara Kingsolver's work, and I LOVED IT! I'm glad I chose the audiobook version because the narrator, Charlie Thurston, did such an amazing job. His voice is clear and concise, and the way he gives each character such a distinct voice is just incredible. Demon's life from childhood (enduring foster care) to adulthood (battling with addiction) will make you laugh, cry, gasp, and truly break your heart at times. The only problem I had with this otherwise great story was the ending. The last chapter felt rushed, and the conclusion left me feeling a bit confused. I don't want to give away any spoilers, so I'll just say I didn't see that one coming. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to everyone, and I can't wait to read more of Kingsolver's work. Oh yeah, almost forgot...if you're the type who doesn't like cursing, then you might want to skip this one because there is A LOT. The audiobook version is also 21 hours long, so make sure you have the time to devote to it.
Saturday, April 20, 2024
Recipe - Egg Muffins
- 12 stalks of green asparagus, chopped
- 1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
- 1/2 green bell pepper, finely diced
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 4 large eggs
- Pinch of sea salt and black pepper
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
- Freshly chopped parsley for garnish
DIRECTIONS: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and lightly coat a 6-cup muffin tin with nonstick spray. Divide half of the green asparagus, bell pepper, and tomatoes among the cups in the muffin tin.
In a large bowl add the eggs, chopped parsley, and season with a pinch of salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Whisk gently until combined.
Fill each muffin cup with the egg mixture, top with the other half of the vegetables, and sprinkle the feta evenly over the top.
Bake the muffins for 20- 25 minutes in the preheated oven until the eggs are set. Remove the baked egg muffins from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Loosen the muffins with a knife then remove them from the pan and let them cool slightly on a wire rack.
NUTRITION INFO: 54kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 87mg | Potassium: 131mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 626IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg
(Recipe and photo courtesy of Food Faith Fitness)
Friday, April 19, 2024
Sullivan Book Nook April Update
Here’s what’s inside the Little Free Library at the moment. If you see something you’d like to have, please come get it. You don’t have to leave a book to take one, but please don’t take more than three books at one time. Leave some for others to enjoy.
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Review - The Rom-Commers
AUTHOR: Katherine Center
NARRATOR: Patti Murin
RATING: ★★★★
Summary (from Goodreads): She’s rewriting his love story. But can she rewrite her own?
Emma Wheeler desperately longs to be a screenwriter. She’s spent her life studying, obsessing over, and writing romantic comedies—good ones! That win contests! But she’s also been the sole caretaker for her kind-hearted dad, who needs full-time care. Now, when she gets a chance to re-write a script for famous screenwriter Charlie Yates—The Charlie Yates! Her personal writing god!—it’s a break too big to pass up.
Emma’s younger sister steps in for caretaking duties, and Emma moves to L.A. for six weeks for the writing gig of a lifetime. But what is it they say? Don’t meet your heroes? Charlie Yates doesn’t want to write with anyone—much less “a failed, nobody screenwriter.” Worse, the romantic comedy he’s written is so terrible it might actually bring on the apocalypse. Plus! He doesn’t even care about the script—it’s just a means to get a different one green-lit. Oh, and he thinks love is an emotional Ponzi scheme.
But Emma’s not going down without a fight. She will stand up for herself, and for rom-coms, and for love itself. She will convince him that love stories matter—even if she has to kiss him senseless to do it. But . . . what if that kiss is accidentally amazing? What if real life turns out to be so much . . . more real than fiction? What if the love story they’re writing breaks all Emma’s rules—and comes true?
REVIEW: I've always been a huge fan of Katherine Center, and I've read about 80% of everything she's written. Her books are usually big hits for me, but I have to say this one was just "okay". I believe the main thing that turned me off to this book is the dialogue repetition. There was a ton of repeat questioning between the characters, which drove me bonkers. Also, the hero, Charlie, grated on my nerves a bit in the beginning. I enjoyed the second half of the book much more than the first half, and Charlie finally redeemed himself toward the end of the story. The narrator was good and very entertaining, but listening to the repeat dialogue almost made me DNF this audiobook. I actually read the last few chapters of the eBook, and it wasn't nearly as annoying. Unless you're just a HUGE fan of audiobooks, I would recommend reading the print or eBook version instead.
(DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this title from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.)
Monday, April 15, 2024
Recipe - Protein Waffles
- 2/3 cup 4% milk fat small curd cottage cheese
- 2 large eggs, separated
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
- 1 cup oat flour (or grind old-fashioned rolled oats in blender)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
DIRECTIONS: Heat a waffle iron on its medium setting.
Place cottage cheese, egg yolks, vanilla, and sugar, if using in the blender. Add 6 tablespoons water, oat flour, baking powder and salt and blend until mixture is smooth batter. Transfer to a medium bowl using a spatula to get all the batter out.
Beat the egg white to soft peaks then fold into the batter.
Spray pre-heated waffle iron with oil spray. Pour batter into iron (about 1/4 cup) and cook until golden brown and steam is no longer being released.
NUTRITION INFO: 2 small waffles (1/2 cup batter), Calories: 121 kcal, Carbohydrates: 12 g, Protein: 8.5 g, Fat: 4.5 g, Saturated Fat: 1.5 g, Cholesterol: 81 mg, Sodium: 224.5 mg, Fiber: 1.5 g, Sugar: 1.5 g
(Recipe and photo courtesy of Skinnytaste)
Friday, April 12, 2024
Review - Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing
AUTHOR: Matthew Perry
NARRATOR: Matthew Perry
RATING: ★★★★
Summary (from Goodreads): “Hi, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Matty. And I should be dead.”
So begins the riveting story of acclaimed actor Matthew Perry, taking us along on his journey from childhood ambition to fame to addiction and recovery in the aftermath of a life-threatening health scare. Before the frequent hospital visits and stints in rehab, there was five-year-old Matthew, who traveled from Montreal to Los Angeles, shuffling between his separated parents; fourteen-year-old Matthew, who was a nationally ranked tennis star in Canada; twenty-four-year-old Matthew, who nabbed a coveted role as a lead cast member on the talked-about pilot then called Friends Like Us. . . and so much more.
In an extraordinary story that only he could tell—and in the heartfelt, hilarious, and warmly familiar way only he could tell it—Matthew Perry lays bare the fractured family that raised him (and also left him to his own devices), the desire for recognition that drove him to fame, and the void inside him that could not be filled even by his greatest dreams coming true. But he also details the peace he’s found in sobriety and how he feels about the ubiquity of Friends, sharing stories about his castmates and other stars he met along the way. Frank, self-aware, and with his trademark humor, Perry vividly depicts his lifelong battle with addiction and what fueled it despite seemingly having it all.
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing is an unforgettable memoir that is both intimate and eye-opening—as well as a hand extended to anyone struggling with sobriety. Unflinchingly honest, moving, and uproariously funny, this is the book fans have been waiting for.
REVIEW: Matty, Matty, Matty. *heavy sigh* I planned on reading Matthew's biography as soon as it was published, but I never got around to it, and listening to the audiobook now that he's no longer with us was such a bittersweet experience. Like millions of other people, I adore Friends, and Chandler Bing will always be my favorite character on the show, but now that I know the struggles Matthew went through with addiction, watching this beloved sitcom takes on a whole new meaning. Listening to Matthew tell his story made me laugh, it made my jaw hit the floor, and it also broke my heart. I literally sobbed when he described the day he found God and how that relationship altered his life, and the sincerity resonates so much in his voice that you can't help but feel it too. His biography was such an eye opener for me. I'm so thankful I've never struggled with alcohol and drug addiction, and I'm so glad Matthew was able to find some happiness and tranquility in his life before he passed away. I only wish his dream of having a wife and children had come true before that fateful day. Matthew, I pray your soul is at peace now. I can't think of anyone who deserves it more.
Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Recipe - Italian Sub Salad
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 1/4 tsp teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 cups chopped iceberg or romaine lettuce, chopped
- 6 ounces thin sliced turkey, chopped
- 2 ounces thin slices genoa salami, chopped from about 6 thin slices
- 3 ounces turkey pepperoni, chopped
- 2 ounces Capicola, chopped
- 1/3 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella & provolone mix, low moisture
- 1/3 cup cherry tomato, chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion, sliced
- 1/4 cup pickled pepperoncini or banana peppers, sliced (plus 1 tablespoon brine)
- 1/4 cup black olives, sliced
DIRECTIONS: In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, vinegar, 1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning, garlic, salt and 1 tablespoon brine from pepperoncini.
Add a large bowl add the lettuce, turkey, salami, pepperoni, Capicola, cheese, tomato, red onion, pepperoncini, and black olives.
Drizzle in the dressing when ready to eat and toss to coat.
NUTRITION INFO: 2 cups, Calories: 298 kcal, Carbohydrates: 11.5 g, Protein: 22 g, Fat: 19 g, Saturated Fat: 5.5 g, Cholesterol: 71.5 mg, Sodium: 1573.5 mg, Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 5.5 g
(Recipe and photo courtesy of Skinnytaste)
Tuesday, April 2, 2024
Review - Educated: A Memoir
AUTHOR: Tara Westover
NARRATOR: Julia Whelan
RATING: ★★★★
Summary (from Goodreads): Tara Westover was 17 the first time she set foot in a classroom. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, she prepared for the end of the world by stockpiling home-canned peaches and sleeping with her "head-for-the-hills bag". In the summer she stewed herbs for her mother, a midwife and healer, and in the winter she salvaged in her father's junkyard.
Her father forbade hospitals, so Tara never saw a doctor or nurse. Gashes and concussions, even burns from explosions, were all treated at home with herbalism. The family was so isolated from mainstream society that there was no one to ensure the children received an education and no one to intervene when one of Tara's older brothers became violent.
Then, lacking any formal education, Tara began to educate herself. She taught herself enough mathematics and grammar to be admitted to Brigham Young University, where she studied history, learning for the first time about important world events like the Holocaust and the civil rights movement. Her quest for knowledge transformed her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge. Only then would she wonder if she'd traveled too far, if there was still a way home.
Educated is an account of the struggle for self-invention. It is a tale of fierce family loyalty and of the grief that comes with severing the closest of ties. With the acute insight that distinguishes all great writers, Westover has crafted a universal coming-of-age story that gets to the heart of what an education is and what it offers: the perspective to see one's life through new eyes and the will to change it.
REVIEW: If there's one thing I can say with no hesitation that I honestly and truthfully understand, it's dysfunctional families. With that being said, there were many parts of this book I could identify with, which made it personal for me. Still, when it comes to having the most dysfunctional family I've ever read about, Tara Westover wins hands down. Her story drew me in right away. (Also, I highly recommend the audiobook version because the narrator, Julia Whelan, did an excellent job). I lost count of the number of times my jaw hit the floor, and I went through SO many emotions while listening to this book - anger, heartache, shock, disbelief, etc. Some of the things Tara went through with her family just blew me away and her amazing way with words made me feel like I was there witnessing it all. I can't recommend this book enough. Miss Westover is a wonderful writer, and I hope she decides to publish more books in the future.
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