What I’ve been reading, watching, making, and otherwise doing for the past month!
In March, I spent most of my free time playing a videogame (The Sims), but I also spent quite a lot of time just going for long walks outdoors and, of course, reading.
As a reminder, only monthly wrap-up posts are currently open to comments.
Books + Media
Finished
Books
- Audiobook – Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner, 1936
- Audiobook – Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, 1937
- Audiobook – Doctors and Distillers by Camper English, 2022 [DNF]
- Book – The Blind Owl by Sadegh Hedayat, 1937
- Book – The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, 1898
- Book series – Witches subseries of Discworld by Terry Pratchett, 1987–1998
Equal Rites, Wyrd Sisters, Witches Abroad, Maskerade, Carpe Jugulum
In progress
Books
- Book – The Story of My Experiments with Truth by Gandhi, 1927
Media
- TV series – Resident Alien starring Alan Tudyk, 2021–TBD
- TV series – Zorro starring Guy Williams, 1957–1959
Reviewed
- Backlist Love | Historical Kitchens (Nonfiction)
I did not post full reviews this month. However, I did a big index update project and cleaned up metadata + edited for clarity a bunch of the older reviews.
All reviews are now listed by title, author, genre, region, and time period: Book Review Index
I also worked on our home library cataloging project. I have now completed 4 ½ out of 9 shelf units.
Arts + Crafts
Finished
Nothing this month!
In progress
Cross-stitch
- Multiple projects from the book Feminist Cross-Stitch by Stephanie Rohr
Knitting
- Beginner swatches from the book Stitch ’n Bitch by Debbie Stoller
Watercolor
- “Malacology” set by self
Food + Health
Finished
Cooking
- Cookbook cook-thru project – Tasting History by Max Miller, 2023
Precedella - Cookbook cook-thru project – The Food Lab by J. Kenji López-Alt, 2015
Super crisp roast potatoes - Cookbook cook-thru project – Methodist Morsels by the FUMC of Lamesa, Texas, 1983
Lemon cake by Ruth Howe - Cookbook cook-thru project – Essential Breads magazine special ed., 2018
Classic focaccia by Claire Saffitz - Magazine clippings cook-thru project
Spring herbs soup with fregola from Food and Wine magazine, recipe by Justin Chapple
- Basil-Parmesan chicken salad with apples from America’s Test Kitchen: Best-Ever Salads special ed.
- Caesar green bean salad from America’s Test Kitchen: Best-Ever Salads special ed.
Of the new recipes I tried this month, I especially enjoyed the focaccia from Bon Appetit Essential Breads. It was much more successful than my previous two attempts at recipes from this publication. I will definitely make it again, perhaps with additional flavors; I think fresh rosemary from the garden would give it a good boost.
I also enjoyed and would recommend both of the salad recipes from America’s Test Kitchen: Best-Ever Salads and the spring herbs soup with fregola from Food and Wine.
Dining + Drinks
- Wine tasting project – Wine Folly by Madeline Puckette, 2015
Cannonau from Palmalias; Sardinia, Italy
- Wine tasting project – Wine Folly by Madeline Puckette, 2015
Château des Déduits from Jean-Claude Debaune; Fleurie, Beaujolais, France
I have also updated my page for this: Wine Project
Fitness
- Walking, 20 hours (57.5 miles)
- The Challenger “The Lord of the Rings” series — 584.5 total miles
No hiking this month. Bad weather has made many nearby trails unpleasant or unusable.
However, I did get in some good long walks during the intermittent nice weather. We also paid a visit to the local zoo, which in my opinion definitely counts as exercise.
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!
Very cool to see you’re cooking through the Tasting History cookbook! We discovered Max’s YouTube channel during the early pandemic days when he recreate garum. We always love watching what ancient or historical food he cooks up next.
Tasting History is such a fantastic little show! It started as a pandemic comfort-watch for me, too, and it is still one of my favorite subscriptions. The results have been kind of hit-or-miss so far, but it isn’t really fair to judge it by regular cookbook standards because the whole point of it is the novelty of trying unusual historical recipes.
Ive been wanting to try making focaccia, I’m glad you found a recipe you like. Wow, you did a lot of walking! And the zoo definitely counts as exercise😁
Go for it! I’m really not very good at making bread yet at all, but I don’t think even I could have messed up the focaccia LOL