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Monthly Media October 2020

This month I read a Peter Swanson novel and posted it on Instagram…and Peter Swanson liked my post!! Yup, a real author liked my post!  It really was a good book and one of many Swanson books I have been reading. Before She knew Him is a fast-pasted, hooked me quick, kind of book 🙂   I also read Nearly Normal Family by M.T. Edvardsson, best book I read this month, and The Polygamist’s Daughter by Ana Lebaron.  

Skillet love: from steak to cake: more than 150 recipes in a cast-iron pan by Anne Byrn.  Love, love, love this cookbook!  I have made so many recipes already and I also ordered my own copy from Amazon.  The best part of cooking with iron is you can start on the stove, finish in the oven, then eat right out of the pan at the kitchen table.  Very romantic!

I can seem to stay away from slow cookery cook books!  This one was very good and I really enjoyed making the raspberry balsamic pork chops!  Easy to follow recipes with common ingredients. 

Streaming or movies we have enjoyed lately…

Finally finished season one, on to season two!
Had high hopes to learn to knit during this pandemic, couldn't get into it. 🙁
I absolutely loved this film. You get full access "behind the curtain" of one of Dior's designers. Full of drama.
This movie was hard to watch. An abused women looks for ways to deal with her abusive and dismissive husband. Rotten Tomatoes gave it high marks. Good acting but story was disturbing.

Listening to lately…

I love browsing the music section at the library and selecting random CD’s.

All Media Available at Your Public Library!

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Maria by Callas – Have you seen this DVD at your public library?

This morning I had a few hours to indulge myself before heading off to work so I popped this DVD in the machine and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I checked it out from work the other day after hearing a review on NPR.

The documentary was delightful and so informative, I had no idea who Maria Callas was. I was drawn into the story immediately. The soprano had a colorful life to say the least! The film, directed by Tom Volf, is full of personal letters, interviews, video clips, and the best of all- lots of beautiful performances. The film is mostly told in Maria’s voice. Vintage clips of her singing at the MET and other famous opera stages are included.

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Why I Love Cookbooks!

There is nothing better than sitting in my comfy chair on Saturday mornings surrounded by cookbooks while sipping a freshly brewed cup of coffee!  I always start my Saturday’s thinking about what I plan to cook for the week ahead.  I get out my calendar, look at my work schedule, and then begin to plan. 

When my girls were younger, I would plan meals around their activities.  If they had a basketball game or a golf match, I would make sure to crock it that day so all we had to do was get home and eat.  I swear by crock pots!  Some of my favorite cookbooks are crock-pot recipe cookbooks.  Working full-time and having two very busy girls, I was always using my crock pot. A week of crocking usually meant leftovers as well, which meant either lunch for me the next day or a quick dinner for someone hungry at night. And I always doubled the recipe when I made soup or chili.  Anyway, with my calendar close by, I would write out the menu for the week.  I would list the page number from the cookbook the recipe was located on and write out the ingredients needed on my grocery list.  I felt like I was taking care of the needs of my family.  It felt good.

Another reason I love cookbooks is I like to flip through them and look at all of the pictures.  I try to imagine if the recipe is something I could make and if my family would like it. After making a recipe, I would usually write notes and suggestions to myself in the margins.

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I Love Cookbooks!

I have an entire shelf in the upstairs hall closet full of cookbooks, photocopies of recipes found in magazines, cookbooks from school book sales and some of my mother’s cookbooks. 

Being a librarian you would think I would have a handle on organization…a winter project for sure! Over the years I have given some cookbooks to my girls and to the library book sale.  I used to have two-full shelves filled with memories and recipes. I have now reduced this clutter to one shelf in my office. I’ll post my office pics soon- still remodeling.

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My Favorite books are usually Historical Fiction

I just finished The Librarian from Auschwitz by Antonie Iturbe and now I’m reading the Baker’s Secret by Stephen Kiernan.  I have really enjoyed getting back to historical fiction especially after the long list of mystery books I read last year. So, if you enjoy historical fiction, focusing on World War II, here is a list just for you.  All of the titles were published this year or last, and all are in heavy rotation at the public library.  Many have already been chosen for book clubs.  My next read will be The Taster by V.S. Alexander, the last book on this list. Enjoy!

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