Carol's Notebook – Page 219

Comfort Food by Julia Bettelheim

February 21, 2018 by Carol4 Comments

Comfort Food by Julia Bettelheim has a wonderful variety of recipes, from soups and main dishes to desserts and cookies, even some specialties from Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The author has lived and worked in a variety of places, which shows in this collection. A lot of the dishes sound delicious and I want to try them, like the potato pancakes with mushroom sauce, pastitios, and hummingbird cake. I do wish it had a few more photos, though. Last night I made the "Perfect Tuna Rolls" and was very happy with how they turned out. I served them with mashed potatoes and peas, as the recipe suggested. Perfect Tuna Rolls 1 tub of ricotta cheese (250g) 1 can flaked tuna (440g) 2 eggs salt and pepper 1 teaspoon lemon juice 2 packets puff pastry ½ cup grated cheese ¼ cup milk Makes about 8 rolls. Preheat the oven to a moderate temperature. Mix the ricotta cheese, drained tuna, one of the eggs, grated cheese, salt and pepper and lemon juice in a bowl all together...

Readers’ Workouts – 2/20

February 20, 2018 by Carol6 Comments

It's warm and sunny out today!! It'll probably be raining when I get off work though. This week's activities: Tuesday - Pilates, Weights Wednesday - Pilates Thursday - Elliptical Monday - Pilates Dinners: I forgot to write down what we ate at the beginning of the week. Friday - Hot dogs and macaroni and cheese Saturday - Hamburger stroganoff Sunday - Fried artichokes and cavatelli with tomato sauce (at restaurant) Monday - Kielbasa and pierogies Goals for February Gym - 4 times (Current: 6) √ Pilates - 12 times (Current: 7) Yoga - 1 28 pts in the #Feburpee Challenge (Current: 13) Meal ideas for next week: Sausage rolls (I have a cookbook for review that this is coming from) "Skinny" eggplant parmesan (I still haven't made this) French bread pizza Veggie wrap Hamburgers 2018 Fitness Goals: - Lose weight. Goal - Lose 25 lbs. (current: -6 lbs) - Run 4 races of any length - Hit my weekly step goal (average 8,000 steps/day) for 48 weeks. (Current total: 3) How was your week? Readers’ Workouts is hosted by Joy at Joy’s Book Blog....

First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intros

February 20, 2018February 19, 2018 by Carol8 Comments

Every Tuesday Vicki at I'd Rather Be At the Beach hosts First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intros, where we share the first paragraph or two of a book we are reading or thinking about reading soon. Mine comes from Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith. The train tore along with an angry, irregular rhythm. It was having to stop at smaller and more frequent stations, where it would wait impatiently for a moment, then attack the prairie again. But progress was imperceptible. The prairie only undulated, like a vast, pink-tan blanket being casually shaken. The faster the train went, the more bouyant and taunting the undulations. Guy took his eyes from the window and hitched himself back against the seat. Miriam would delay the divorce at best, he thought. She might not even want a divorce, only money. Would there really ever be a divorce from her?...

Saturday Snapshot – The Andy Warhol Museum

February 17, 2018February 16, 2018 by Carol5 Comments

We went to The Andy Warhol Museum last weekend. Warhol was born in Pittsburgh, and the museum holds the largest collection of Warhol’s artworks and archival materials. It is one of the most comprehensive single-artist museums in the world and the largest in North America. In the basement, they have a workshop area where you can buy t-shirts, totes, aprons, etc. and screen print them. I made a t-shirt. https://www.instagram.com/p/BfCJH5xA4l7/?taken-by=carolsnotebook Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Melinda at West Metro Mommy Reads....

Anatomy of a Scandal by Sara Vaughan

February 15, 2018February 13, 2018 by Carol2 Comments

Anatomy of a Scandal is a very timely courtroom drama. Just a warning, there is going to be a minor spoiler here. I don't think I can help it. Handsome, charming James, a Junior Home Office Minister, is accused of rape by an ex-lover. Sophie is his wife who believes, at least at first, that he could never have done such a heinous thing. Kate is the lawyer determined to prove him guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt- and she doesn't have any doubt. The story flowed well. It's not a nail-biting thriller, but it's tense and emotion-filled. We see James and Sophie in their college days, along with their friends. We know what they were like then and who they became. We learn that some things change, and others don't. It's a story that sucks you in, but I'm not sure I really enjoyed it. First, there's never any doubt for the reader about James guilt, just whether the jury will believe...

Murder on Valentine’s Day by P. Creeden

February 14, 2018 by Carol2 Comments

I have to assume that I'm not the only person out there who's perfect read for Valentine's Day includes a murder, right? "Murder on Valentine's Day" was a good choice. Emma, our amateur sleuth, is sent to the home of the richest person in town to pick up a cat, even though she tends to be allergic to them. I sympathize with her; I love cats but they make me sneeze and my eyes itch and swell. The cat's owner is dead, apparently of a heart attack, but of course it was actually murder. This is a short story, so we only have a couple suspects, but the author does a good job at planting the clues, even if the motive was a little weak for me. Emma manages to put the clues together, and convinces her dad, the sheriff, whose house he needs to search, but she does put herself in a bit of unnecessary danger. I like Emma. Like...