Recipes Galore

In Jan 2020 I had a rather aggressive goal to try 100 new recipes this year. I knew in my heart there was no way I was ever going to hit that number. It was my attempt to motivate myself to cook more and eat out less. 

Then COVID happened. In an odd way, I have COVID to thank for me not only hitting my goal but exceeding it by quite a long shot. Yesterday I posted my 132nd recipe of the year. I might hit 150 new recipes by the end of the year. 

I started wondering about how many recipes per year had I done on average. Over on the cooking blog I could find that answer. 

I suspect there are recipes I've tried that are NOT on this blog. I wasn't overly diligent about adding them back in the early years. In fact, in 2020 I added a couple of recipes that I love that were not on the blog. 

I have a similar goal for next year to cook more. I think I'm going to leave it at 100. Who knows what next year will bring? 

I was asked the other day why I was so interested in cooking. There's not really an easy answer for this. I was raised in a house where dinner was always home made. Dad was the one who started looking through cookbooks to find new recipes (this was back before the Internet bombarded us with recipes and the like on a regular basis.) Mom eventually got into it as well. So we designated Wednesday night as "New Recipe Night". When I was about 12, the parental units also designated Thursday night as MY night to cook. I could try something new or something old. It didn't matter. The rule was to have my grocery list to them by Saturday for the weekly shopping day.

Over the years I dabbled in cooking. I knew how, but never really wanted to become a "great" cook. Then when I dated this guy in the early 2000's who also like to cook I got a bit addicted to it. My project manager self realized cooking was just one big project. 

In 2005 I lost a bet and had to start this blog. Not too soon after I decided I also wanted a cooking blog. But, as I mentioned, I wasn't really great at being diligent with posting recipes. It was harder then because not many were on the net. It was "real" typing in the recipe. (Such 1st world problems).

Later I'll do a post about my favorite recipes for this year. There aren't as many as you'd think. 

Books, Books and More Books

I'm a prolific reader. I'm fond of books. I read all the time. I read a lot of different genres. Reading allows me to escape, for a moment, and live in a world the book I'm reading created. 

Each year I have a  reading goal. Some years it's a bit of a stretch. Other years it's just a number. This year my goal was 50 books OR 15,000 pages. In early December I was at 45 books and pretty sure I wouldn't make it. Then I buckled down and read 3 books in quick succession. 

I don't have any qualifiers on the type of books I read. Meaning, I don't try to force them to be literary masterpieces. I read everything from deep, thought provoking books to smut novels. Sometimes you need a little smut. 

I thought it'd be fun to do a quick review of my Top 10ish Favorites this year. These aren't in any order of favorite. Though if I had to pick one favorite I think it would be a toss up between Orphan Train and Where the Crawdads Sing, but I can't pick a favorite...don't make me do it.

Flowers in the Attic Back Story Books (V.C. Andrews):
We all read the Flowers in the Attic series back in the 1980's. We all loved it and we all secretly wondered how they got to that point. Well, turns out V.C. Andrews wrote several back stories of the characters. I found them this year and devoured them. If you're a Flowers in the Attic fan, you will love these books. 

1. Garden of Shadows
2. Beneath the Attic
3. Out of the Attic
4. The Shadows of Foxworth

Becoming by Michelle Obama

This was a book club selection. I'm not sure I would have read this book without it being a book club selection. It's one of those books I would want to read, but I'd never make the time to read it. It was a good book. It was interesting to read about her entire life and how she (they) got to the White House.

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

Probably one of my most favorite books this year. I didn't have a clue about the orphan trains back in the day. This books follows a little girl who's orphaned through her experiences and how her life turns out. I highly recommend this book!

The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony

This was also a book club pick (my work book club). I would never have read this book...ever. It wouldn't have been on my radar in any way. I was completely taken in by this book and felt the urge to go on a safari. The book is written by a manager of a game reserve called Thula Thula. He's asked to adopt some rogue elephants for his reserve. He agrees and the book is his story of how he "tamed" these elephants. It's a great book and such a clear look into the world of conservationists when it comes to endangered animals. 

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewel

Such a great book. Captivating! It's a great mystery that unfolds nicely. I hate mysteries that leave it until the very end to give the the "who dun it". Instead I like mysteries that unfold and allow you to slowly put the pieces together. 

The Hundred Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais

Oh my goodness. This book popped up because of my book bingo. I had one slot left to get a bingo and the box was "book with food as a theme". This book was beautifully written. The story of a young Indian immigrant who finds his passion in French cuisine. The movie is also fantastic, but misses several pieces of the book. I'm glad I read the book first then saw the movie. 

The Last Boleyn by Karen Harper

This is the story of the "other" Boleyn sister. We all know about Ann Boleyn, but almost nothing about her sister. In fact I think my exact words were, "She had a sister?" This was a Vines & Spines book club selection and I'm so glad we read it. Research I did after uncovered that there was some historically inaccurate parts of this book, but then I had to remember it is fiction. If I wanted to read about the actual facts, I could. 

When Time Stopped: A Memoir of My Father's War and What Remains by Ariana Neumann 

Ariana was a classmate of mine at TASIS. We didn't pal around together, but we knew each other. Or at least I knew of her. We ran in different circles. When she started promoting her new book I had to read it. Its the story of her father's family in German occupied Czechoslovakia. WWII stories are among my favorite. So much suffering and so much understanding I feel we must have in order to not repeat those atrocities ever! Her family's story was heartwarming, sad, and so well told. She's a true story teller. 

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

I think this was THE book of 2019 and 2020. I was thrilled when it was selected for Vines & Spines book club. This story was so fantastic. I had heard some murmuring from others who read it saying it wasn't very sophisticated and more like a young adult level. Ok? I like young adult books. It was also criticized for much of the court room part saying it was pretty unlikely. I didn't care about any of that. I read it and loved it. 

Hideaway by Nora Robert

And in the "smut" novel category, I give you Nora Roberts. Her stories are exactly the same every time and I love that about her stories. I know two people are going to meet, have something that will keep them apart, some danger, a little intrigue and finally happily ever after. It's perfect. This book had me captivated from the beginning all the way to the end. I read it in a day. Super interesting story line and the mystery kept me engaged up until the end.