REVIEW: And Poison Fell From the Sky by Marie Therese Martin

/
And Poison Fell From the Sky by Marie Therese Martin

Earth Day is this month, although I think we are all figuring out every day should be Earth Day by now right? Either way I was happy to have a copy of Marie Therese Martin’s And Poison Fell From the Sky from LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers program to read this month.

This memoir by Marie Therese Martin detailed her life growing up and raising a family in Maine’s Cancer Valley. She really drives home the fact that our tendency is to ignore the truth when it will impact our paycheck.

I think this book is successful because it’s not preachy. Martin understands what it’s like to live in a mill town dependent on polluting wages. She has lived through controlling relationships of all types, and brings a unique perspective to he pollution poisoning her town and many others.

Walking Wednesday April 12, 2023

/
Images from our trip to North Carolina

The kids were on Spring break so we spent the holiday in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It was cold and incredibly windy, but we made the most of it!

Most of my audiobook time was in the car this week. We’ve been listening to Great Expectations as a family. Read by Eddie Izzard!

Note: Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

Fat

/

Growing up in the 90’s we were told fat was a villain, but of course we know now that it’s actually essential to human survival. In Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat we’re given the good advice to not add fat to your cooking, but to make better use of what you do have.

I had two good takeaways from this chapter:

  1. Pair your fats from the region you’re cooking from

  2. All good texture comes from fat

I haven’t decided yet what I want to cook inspired by this chapter, but now that Lent is over there’s a good chance it might be pie crust.

Note: Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

On My Nightstand April 9 2023

/
A statue at Easter Island seen at the Natural History Museum in Washington, DC

Happy Easter to those who celebrate, and to everyone else have a beautiful Sunday. This is my favorite holiday, and I’m hoping for a peaceful day with my kiddos. Plus a little reading of course.

Have a great week everyone.

Quote of the week

“Easter is never deserved.”
— Home to Holly Springs by Jan Karon

What I’m Reading This Week

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon -- I’ve been trying to read this for months, but its such a chunkster I keep falling asleep when reading it in bed and dropping it on my face. I’m going to try on kindle instead.

Killed at the Whim of a Hat by Colin Cotterill -- I was looking for a mystery set in Thailand for the #FoodAndLit challenge, and couldn’t resist this title.

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens -- We watched this mini series on PBS and wanted to give the audiobook a try during a long car trip.

Note: links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

SALT, FAT, ACID, HEAT: Ceasar Salad

/

My first cooking experiment from Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat was Caesar salad. One of my cooking rules is to not spend hours in the kitchen, but there’s also something decadent about leaving work on time during a busy week and making your own mayonnaise.

That’s how the recipe started- with homemade mayonnaise. It was just an egg yolk and olive oil, but it took a while. The recipe called for wrapping a bowl in a towel and whipping 3/4 of oil a drop at a time. I have my limits. I used an immersion blender. I was rewarded by a yellow liquid that looked nothing like mayonnaise. My bad, but I had used so much olive oil I wasn’t about to give up.

For the dressing the recipe called for whole anchovies mushed up, but I relied on my trusty anchovy paste. Other than that I made the recipe as written still using my immersion blender. The salad itself was simple- just some romaine with croutons. SFAH had a crouton recipe, but I was trying to clear out my kitchen and just used some leftover burger buns, more olive oil, and a garlic herb mix.

I didn’t have high hopes, but this was delicious! There was leftover dressing and it is being jealously guarded as a chicken marinate for later. I will be making this all summer!

Note: Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

On My Nightstand April 2, 2023

/
Cherry blossoms against a pink sunrise.

The cherry blossoms are still going strong here, but we’ll see what happens after this weekend’s strong storms. I really hope they’re not as bad as predicted, and that everyone stays safe. Basically I’m hoping for weather gross enough to keep me in and reading, but isn’t bad enough to do any damage. Fingers crossed.

Have a great week everyone. Stay safe!

Quote of the week

“I’ve been through many hardships, just like all of us, but most days grief is balanced out by the pleasures: a delicious meal, the smell of cedar on my hands, the sound of rushing water, good friends. Joy and sorrow are the things of life, the two things always tangled together. Anybody who’s ever lost anyone knows that.”
— Lark Ascending by Silas House

What I’m Reading This Week

Life of Pi by Yann Martel -- I loved this when it was new, so I decided to re-read to see if it holds up.

In The Quick by Kate Hope Day -- I tried this in print, but no quotations marks. Changed to audiobook in self defense. It’s slow so far, but I love the premise so much I’ll keep going.

And Poison Fell From The Sky by Marie Therese Martin -- I got this as an ARC from LibraryThing. So far it packs a punch.

Note: links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

Salt

/

The first chapter in Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat is all about salt. Nosrat says In almost every case, anything you cook for yourself at home is more nutritious, and lower in sodium, than processed, prepared, or restaurant food.” and I like this book already.

This chapter was like a very delicious chemistry lesson. I loved the reminder that salt isn’t just what’s in the shaker. It’s also cheese, capers, and anchovies. Yum. I’ve been a vegetarian for a bit now, but I’m not ready to give up anchovy paste yet.

This chapter didn’t have any recipes in it, but it did make me hungry for a Cesar salad. So, that will be my experiment tomorrow. (I assumed making Cesar dressing from scratch would break my money and time budgets, but it doesn’t sound too bad. In theory. We’ll see.)

Note: Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat

/

Last year when my cooking felt stagnant I went back to basics and cooked from The New York Times Cookbook. I was feeling bored in the kitchen again lately so I decided to read and cook through a book I got as a gift a few years ago- Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat.

There are a few mental ground rules I’ve had to set for myself when I do something like this:

  1. No pricey one time use ingredients

  2. Adaptable for vegetarians

  3. Can’t take hours to cook

I can’t wait!

On My Nightstand March 26, 2023

/

Much to Daisy’s delight I started reading Down City at around 4 this afternoon, and couldn’t put it down until I finished. It’s been a long time since I’ve done that, and I think I can say my reading slump is officially over.

This week I’m going to try to finish up some reading goals I had set for March, and start packing for my vacation coming up in a few weeks. I also need to work on my garden if it ever stops raining.

Have a good week friends!

Quote of the Week

“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness?”
— John Steinbeck, Travels With Charley

On My Nightstand This Week

In The Quick by Kate Hope Day - I heard this described at The Martian meets Jane Eyre, which as luck would have it are two of my favorite books. How could I resist?

Death By Dumpling by Vivien Chien - I’m reading this as part of a diverse cozy buddy read. So far, so good!

Lark Ascending by Silas House -- I saw this on some list somewhere of best books of 2022, and my library hold came in Friday. I’ve only just started, and I’m looking forward to some dystopia. (Yes this is the third week I’ve has this on my list. This week I am determined because it really does sound good!)

Note: links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

On My Nightstand March 19, 2023

/
A purple sun rise behind a bare tree.

My reading slump continues. Hopefully this week will be slower and I’ll have better concentration.

This is supposed to be peak week for Cherry Blossoms here which meant a lot of traffic pre-covid. We’ll see what that means this year. My goal this week is to take a walk and see the blossoms every day. They truly are beautiful.

Have a good week friends!

Quote of the Week

“It is always fatal to have music or poetry interrupted.”
— George Eliot, Middlemarch

On My Nightstand This Week

The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri -- We’re reading about Syria this month for #FoodAndLit. I’d heard a lot about this book, but not loving it. I’m willing to accept this is because of my book slump and not the book.

The Old Ways by Robert MacFarlane -- I signed up for a travel writing postal book club, and this is our first book. I’m looking forward to this group so much!

Lark Ascending by Silas House -- I saw this on some list somewhere of best books of 2022, and my library hold came in Friday. I’ve only just started, and I’m looking forward to some dystopia.

Note: links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

Show Us Your Books March 2023

/

February was a short month, but I fit in a lot of good books. I’m dreaming of outdoor reading season starting soon. I’m starting to get tired of reading under a blanket season. It’s on my to-do list to start fixing up my reading porch this week.
Here’s what I read last month.

Five Stars

What The Moon Saw by Laura Resau -- I loved this book so much. I just finished and have a big case of the warm and fuzzies.

This book is about fourteen year old Clara discovering herself when she leaves her suburban Maryland home to visit her grandparents in rural Mexico. I wish they had it on audiobook so I could listen to it with my kids in the car.

Four Stars

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo -- This was an excellent audiobook read by the author. In just a few hours she covers religion, immigration, first generation Americans, romance, parent child relationships, and so much more.

The Puma Years by Laura Coleman -- I enjoyed these memoirs of a woman working at a nature preserve in Bolivia. I like cats of all sizes and I learned about the issues facing the jungle and animals that live in it. I got this free at some point from Amazon First Reads, and I noticed it‘s still free on Kindle Unlimited.

Murder in the High Himalaya by Jonathan Green -- A heartbreaking but fascinating story contrasting the lives of high priced adventure tourists and Tibetan refugees in the Himalayas around the time of the Beijing Olympics.

Ivona Iverson's Rules for Commuting by Clare Pooley -- What a fun book. Strangers on a Train if Maeve Binchy wrote it.

Three Stars

All Roads Lead To Austen by Amy Elizabeth Smith -- This is a memoir by a woman who spent a year holding Jane Austen book clubs in various Central and South American cities. I enjoyed the insights into how different cultures reacted to some of my favorite books more than the details about the author‘s love life, but overall this was a good read.

Note: Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

This is linked to Quick Lit on Modern Mrs. Darcy.

On My Nightstand March 12, 2023

/

Everything is in bloom here this week, and I am loving it. The whole world looks like an Easter basket. It’s been cold this weekend, but so far the blossoms seem to be holding on.

How are you all doing with the time change? Our schools are closed for a teacher work day tomorrow which I think is really smart! Let the kids ease into it I say.

Last week was really busy so I didn’t read much. I’m hoping this week will be better. I have a lot of good books going on!

Have a good week friends!

Quote of the Week

“You’re bound to get idears if you go thinkin’ about stuff.”
— John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath

On My Nightstand This Week

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck -- This is my third time reading this chunkster classic. It’s one of my favorites.

Caroline: Little House, Revisited by Sarah Miller -- I’ve been doing a chapter a day re-read of the Little House books on Litsy, and it inspired me to re-read this one. It’s Little House on the Prairie told from Ma’s perspective.

Lark Ascending by Silas House -- I saw this on some list somewhere of best books of 2022, and my library hold came in Friday. I’ve only just started, and I’m looking forward to some dystopia.

Note: links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

A Bookish Walk on the National Mall

/
The Washington Monument on a cloudy day

Last Tuesday instead of taking the metro to work I took it to the Smithsonian station and had myself a field trip.

Late February can be touchy weather wise in Washington, DC, but it turned out to be a perfect day for strolling through museums. There were no lines to get in, and the exhibits weren’t crowded at all.

A book illustrated with a yellow and green bird.

My initial thought was to see the Nature of the Book exhibit at the Natural History Museum. I had high hopes, but this was really just two cases of books and other artifacts. Pretty, but it took me ten minutes to see.

After looking at the rest of the Natural History Museum I went next door to the National Gallery of Art. I almost had it to myself and spent hours there. I enjoyed all the exhibits, and made sure to snap a pic of Young Girl Reading by Jean Honore Fragonard (pictured above.) The National Gallery has about three or four cafes and I was grateful to sit for a while at one of them. I ordered avocado toast and read my book. My reading choice for a day in DC? It was Rivals by Katherine McGee.

By about 2 pm I was ready to head home, but decided to duck in The American History Museum. They know what they’re doing, and put a huge gift shop right by the entrance. I didn’t buy anything, but I did add Never Panic Early by Fred Haise to my TBR.

Upstairs I hit the highlights. A new addition to the culture section was a costume from The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu.

After that it was time to head home and meet the school bus. It was only a day, but I felt like I had been away for a week. I’m adding it to my to-do list to do this kind of thing more often!

Note: Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

On My Nightstand March 5, 2023

/
A homemade mug

Happy weekend! I had a great week. I took a day off and took myself on a field trip to the Smithsonian museums on the National Mall. It’s been a long time (like 20 years) since I spent a day wandering through museums by myself like that. I went specifically to see a certain bookish display, and I’ll post more about that later this week.

This week it’s back to normal working for the man and reading as much as possible!

Have a great week everyone.

What’s on my nightstand this week:

Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King -- I’m re-reading this series in anticipation of Stephen King’s new book Holly which is coming out in September.

Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck -- I read and loved this at the suggestion of a friend a few years ago. John Steinbeck is our Author A Month on Litsy this month, and I’m looking forward to re-reading this one.

A Corpse in the Koryo -- This is for my work book club, and it’s actually not bad! Work book club can be hit or miss.

Quote of the Week:

I’ve found that while a grilled cheese won’t solve my problems for me, it makes them a bit easier to manage.

From Rivals by Katherine McGee

Note: links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

Walking Wednesday March 1, 2023

/
A grid with images of flowers seen on my walks this week.

Despite snow last weekend the flowers are really starting to bloom around here now. Love to see it! I’ve been spending more and more time outside and less and less time in the gym. That’s as it should be!

I bailed on the Julia Child biography I was listening to, and have moved on to A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende.

Note: Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

On My Nightstand February 24 2023

/
A grey British Shorthair cat lounging by a bush.

My neighbor’s cat supervised me while i read outside a few days ago

Happy weekend everyone! We’re on another wild weather roller coaster. It was 80 Thursday, and we have snow in the forecast this weekend. I hope the flowers survive.

My daughter’s party was fun last weekend, and we ate so much cake. We all gave up sweets for Lent and we were all so overloaded on sugar no one misses them yet!

This weekend I’m hoping for some quality reading time in between kid’s sports which started again last week. Work has also been a lot which makes it hard to concentrate on reading at night.

Have a great week everyone.

What’s on my nightstand this week:

What The Moon Saw by Laura Resau - I’m reading this for a book club. It’s not what I would pick out on my own, but that’s what books clubs are for!

The Women Could Fly by Megan Giddings - I’ve only listened to about the first 20 minutes of this when I was walking this morning, but wow! I am into it!

Murder With Fried Chicken and Waffles by A.L. Herbert - This cozy mystery takes place about 10 minutes from where I live otherwise I probably would have bailed. Cozies just don’t seem to be my thing any more.

Note: links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!