July 2024

What I’ve been reading, watching, making, and otherwise doing for the past month!

In July, I got in a little extra reading time as we weathered Hurricane Beryl (albeit by candlelight). I also made a bit more progress on my family history project and newsletter.

As a reminder, only monthly wrap-up posts are currently open to comments. ALL posts are currently open to comments.

Books + Media | Arts + Crafts | Food + Health

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Books + Media

Finished

Books

• Audiobook — The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, 1989
• Audiobook — The Mark of Zorro by Johnston McCulley, 1924
• Audiobook — The Scarlet Pimpernel by Emma Orczy, 1905
• Audiobook — A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood, 1964
• Book — The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco, 1980
• Book — The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu, c. 1010

Media

• Movie — The Cat from Outer Space starring Ken Berry, Sandy Duncan, and Ronnie Schell, 1978

In progress

Books

• Book — Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih, 1966
• Book — Train to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh, 1956

Media

• TV series — Zorro starring Guy Williams, 1957–1959
• Podcast — Wine 101 hosted by Keith Beavers, produced by VinePair, 2020–TBD

Reviewed

• The Birds of America by John James Audubon (Nonfiction)
• The Story of My Experiments with Truth by Gandhi (Nonfiction)
• The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge (Poetry)
• Shakespeare’s Sonnets by William Shakespeare (Poetry)

Arts + Crafts

Finished

Nothing this month!

In progress

Cross-stitch

• Multiple projects from Feminist Cross-Stitch by Stephanie Rohr

Watercolor

• “Malacology” “Texas gastropods” set by self

Food + Health

Finished

Cooking

• Cookbook cook-thru project – Tasting History by Max Miller, 2023
  Everlasting syllabub
• Cookbook cook-thru project – The Food Lab by J. Kenji López-Alt, 2015
  Classic Genovese pesto
• Cookbook cook-thru project – Methodist Morsels by the FUMC of Lamesa, Texas, 1983
  Jalapeno cornbread by Pauline Martin
• Cookbook cook-thru project – Holiday Entertaining magazine special ed., 2018
  Charred eggplant spread by Alison Roman
• Magazine clippings cook-thru project
  Zucchini rollatini from Eating Well magazine, recipe by Joy Howard

• Black bean, mango, and quinoa salad from America’s Test Kitchen: Best-Ever Salads
• Chicken salad with cherries and goat cheese from America’s Test Kitchen: Best-Ever Salads

Of the new recipes I tried this month, I especially enjoyed both of the salads from America’s Test Kitchen: Best-Ever Salads — no surprise there; I really haven’t had a bad recipe from this little booklet yet.

I also enjoyed and would recommend the zucchini rollatini from Eating Well and the everlasting syllabub from Tasting History.

Dining + Drinks

• Wine tasting project – Wine Folly by Madeline Puckette, 2015
  Negroamaro Puglia from Pazzia Cantine San Marzano; Puglia, Italy
• Wine tasting project – Wine Folly by Madeline Puckette, 2015
  Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore from Michele Castellani; Marano di Valpolicella, Verona, Italy

I have also updated my page for this: Wine Project

• Dined out — Nobie’s in Houston, Texas

Fitness

• Walking, 2.25 hours (6.5 miles)
• Rowing machine, 2.5 hours
  iFit “Hawaii Weight Loss Rowing” series with trainer Kai Wilding
• Stairs, 7.75 hours
• Weight training, 3.25 hours

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 Holiday Entertaining from Condé Nast Special Editions, 2018
• Magazine clippings cook-thru project

Dining + Drinks

• Wine tasting project – Wine Folly by Madeline Puckette, 2015

Fitness

• iFit “Hawaii Weight Loss Rowing” series with trainer Kai Wilding

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