What I’ve been reading, watching, making, and otherwise doing for the past month!
In January, I spent most of my free time reading, but I also spent some time doing cross-stitch and have just started on a set of paintings.
I have also added a new page, Projects. This includes a few sub-pages: Arts + Crafts Projects, Cookbook Cook-Thru Projects, Wine Project. These pages are all works-in-progress!
As a reminder, only monthly wrap-up posts are currently open to comments.
Books + Media
Finished
Books
- Audiobook – The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman, 1962
- Book – Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, 1878
- Book series – City Watch subseries of Discworld by Terry Pratchett, 1989–2011
Guards! Guards!, Men at Arms, Feet of Clay, Jingo, The Fifth Elephant, Night Watch, Thud!, Snuff
Media
- Movie – Barbie starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, 2023
- Movie – The Imitation Game starring Benedict Cumberbatch, 2014
- Movie – Wonder Woman starring Gal Gadot and Chris Pine, 2017
- Movie – Wonder Woman 1984 starring Gal Gadot and Chris Pine, 2020
In progress
Books
- Book – The Story of My Experiments with Truth by Gandhi, 1927
Reviewed
- The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen (Children’s Fiction)
- Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko (Fiction, Audiobook)
- How Green Was My Valley by Richard Llewellyn (Fiction, Audiobook)
- Rebecca Daphne du Maurier (Fiction, Audiobook)
Arts + Crafts
Finished
Nothing this month!
In progress
Cross-stitch
- “Hogwarts” kit from online shop Stitchering [defunct]
Watercolor
- “Malacology” set by self
Food + Health
Finished
Cooking
- Cookbook cook-thru project – Tasting History by Max Miller, 2023
Potage d’onions au lait - Cookbook cook-thru project – The Food Lab by J. Kenji López-Alt, 2015
Bolognese sauce - Cookbook cook-thru project – Methodist Morsels by the FUMC of Lamesa, Texas, 1983
Eggs goldenrod by Roxie Satterwhite - Cookbook cook-thru project – Essential Breads magazine special ed., 2018
Milk bread by Joe and Katy Kindred - Magazine clippings cook-thru project
Chicken piccata from Bon Appetit magazine, recipe by Chris Morocco
- Tuscan-style tuna and white bean salad from America’s Test Kitchen: Best-Ever Salads special ed.
Of the new recipes I tried this month, I especially enjoyed the eggs goldenrod from Methodist Morsels. It took next to no effort to make but resulted in a cute, delicious brunch. I will almost certainly make it again.
Unfortunately, I was disappointed by the milk bread from Bon Appetit Essential Breads. It turned out with a cakelike texture, when it should have been more like sandwich bread; the recipe calls for much more yeast and much less kneading than is typical for an enriched dough, which caused it to be underdeveloped and rise too fast. I would like to attempt it again, but with some modifications.
Dining + Drinks
- Dined out – The Original in Galveston, Texas
I did not try any new wine this month, so no Wine Folly Challenge yet for 2024.
Fitness
- Walking, 7.5 hours (22.75 miles)
- Hiking, 3 hours (5.5 miles)
- Rowing machine, 2.5 hours
iFit “Lean and Strengthen” series with trainer Gideon Akande - The Challenger “The Lord of the Rings” series — 477.5 total miles
My 1st-ever First Day Hike was at Armand Bayou Nature Center. This was a 1.5-mile trail. The weather was overcast; this was after a big storm, so the trail was swamped and it took me longer to complete than expected. I saw deer in the park as well as several species in the ambassador + rehab area.
I also joined a women-only hiking group and went on a hike with the group at Memorial Park. This was a 4-mile trail. The weather was chilly but in a perfect way; the trail was a little muddy but not terribly so.
Last year, I began using an app called iFit. This app includes training series for our home exercise equipment (rowing machine, stationary bike). I completed a series of rowing machine workouts which began last month; “Lean and Strengthen” with trainer Gideon Akande.
However, the stationary bike is on the fritz. I’m still waiting for tech support to help me figure out how to fix it. It isn’t our favorite exercise option, anyway, but it is nice to have when the weather makes it impossible to be outdoors for long periods of time.
In progress
Cooking
- Cookbook cook-thru project – Tasting History: Explore the Past through 4,000 Years of Recipes by Max Miller, 2023
- Cookbook cook-thru project – The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science by J. Kenji López-Alt, 2015
- Cookbook cook-thru project – Methodist Morsels by the Cookbook Committee of the First United Methodist Church of Lamesa, Texas, 1983
- Cookbook cook-thru project – Bon Appétit + Gourmet Essential Breads from Condé Nast Special Editions, 2018
- Magazine clippings cook-thru project
Dining + Drinks
- Wine tasting project – Wine Folly by Madeline Puckette, 2015
Fitness
- The Challenger “The Lord of the Rings” series, “Mordor” section
Have something to say? Monthly wrap-up posts are open to comments!
I started ANNA KARENINA years and years ago as a book to read on a plane that helps me fall asleep, lol. I’m afraid I didn’t get too far and at this point I barely remember any of it. Sadly, I’m not someone who gets into classics very easily. How did you like it?
Oh boy, I can totally see that one as a sleep aid, haha! I had mixed feelings about it; on on hand, I admire the complexity and character depth… but on the other hand, pretty much every character and their repetitively dumb choices started to get a bit eye-roll-y. If classics aren’t your thing then don’t worry about it — go, be guiltlessly free from Tolstoy LOL!