What I’ve been reading, watching, making, and otherwise doing for the past 3 months!
For the past few months, I honestly spent most of my time working and just… surviving.
Almost everything else on my personal to-do list remains on the back burner — but thankfully, I did also get a chance to spend a little time cooking, participating in local genealogy society events, and walking around outdoors (which might sound strange for winter, but keep in mind that we’re in a subtropical climate so this is prime outdoors time).
The next few months promise to be terrifyingly busy at work (what’s new?), but I’m really trying to carve out at least a little time for self-care, whether that’s in the form of exercise or making healthy homemade meals or just reading a good book.
Books + Media
Finished
Books
- Book — Why We Can’t Wait by Martin Luther King, Jr., 1964
- Book series — The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan with Brandon Sanderson, 1990–2013, books 8–10
Media
- Movie — Sinners starting Michael B. Jordan et al., 2025
- Movie — The Wrecking Crew starring Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista, 2026
In progress
Books
- Book series — Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan, 1990–2013, books 11–14
Media
- TV series – Mad Men starring Jon Hamm et al., 2007–2015
- Podcast – If Books Could Kill hosted by Michael Hobbes and Peter Shamshiri, 2022–TBD
- Podcast – Maintenance Phase hosted by Aubrey Gordon and Michael Hobbs, 2020–TBD
Food + Health
Finished
Cooking
- Cookbook cook-thru project – The Food Lab by J. Kenji López-Alt, 2015
15-minute pantry tomato soup
Mushroom soup - Cookbook cook-thru project – Cook’s Illustrated All-Time Best French Recipes special ed., 2018
Potatoes à la lyonnaise
- Creamy Thai sweet potato soup from Better Homes & Gardens: Soups & Stews special ed.
- Pumpkin, barley, and andouille soup from Better Homes & Gardens: Soups & Stews special ed.
- Stromboli from from The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen
Last year, I tried writing more about this hobby on a separate blog/newsletter on Substack — Eats + Makes
I’ll leave the archive there for the present, but having that additional thing to keep up with is not working for me right now.
I’m also not thrilled by the ethically compromised nature of the platform itself, Substack (though my family history newsletter is probably going to have to stay put there for the foreseeable future).
In the meantime, I’ve updated the project page for this hobby + built a little virtual bookshelf, just for fun: Cookbook Cook-Thru Projects and Cookbook Bookshelf
Dining + Drinks
- Wine tasting project – Wine Folly by Madeline Puckette, 2015
Cabernet Sauvignon by Maria’s Legacy of Chile, 2022
Touriga Nacional by Quinta das Carvalhas of Portugal, 2022
Pinotage “The Owl Post” by Neethlingshof of South Africa, 2022 [review coming soon]
- Herbal tea – Fireside vanilla spice from Celestial Seasonings; Boulder, Colorado
- Herbal tea – Vermont maple ginger from Celestial Seasonings; Boulder, Colorado
- Dined out – Bubba T’s Kitchen in Conroe, Texas
- Dined out – Five Guys in Conroe, Texas
- Dined out – The Great Greek in Friendswood, Texas
- Dined out – La Tuna Tacos in Houston [food truck]
Fitness
- Walking, 26.25 hours (77.75 miles)
- The Conqueror “Conquer 2025” annual challenge — 352 total miles
In progress
Cooking
- Cookbook cook-thru project – Baking Yesteryear by B. Dylan Hollis, 2023
- Cookbook cook-thru project – Dining In by Alison Roman, 2017
- 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 – Pirate’s Pantry by the Junior League of Lake Charles, Louisiana, 1976
- Cookbook cook-thru project – Cook’s Illustrated All-Time Best French Recipes, […] Hot and Spicy Recipes, […] Side Dish Recipes special eds., 2018
- Magazine clippings cook-thru project
Dining + Drinks
- Wine tasting project – Wine Folly by Madeline Puckette, 2015
Fitness
- The Conqueror “Star Trek: The Next Generation” series, “Locutus of Borg” section
- The Conqueror “Conquer 2026” annual challenge
How was your month? Tell me if you’ve read, made, or done anything particularly interesting!
Leave a Reply