Beth and Amy - Squash Casserole

 Beth and Amy by Virginia Kantra 

I read this first book sometime ago and really enjoyed it. (link to first book) I'm a true sucker for all things Little Women . This is the 2nd book in the series and focused on Beth and Amy.  It's a modern retelling and the chapters flip back and forth between the two sisters.  I really enjoyed this one as Beth was my favorite character and Amy my least but....  after the most recent movie version of Little Women, I started to appreciate Amy and view her in a whole new light.   Amy is building a business in NYC and has comes home for Jo's wedding.

  She is hiding a secret from her sisters about Laurie.  I think we all know how that's going to end but I had fun getting there.  Beth's story was a bit different and I wasn't sure what was going to happen.  She is a country music star and suffering tremendous anxiety about life on tour but wants to stay with her famous boyfriend who, by the way, she made famous with her song writing.   Beth also has a secret from her sisters that I won't share here.  

Just like the original story, this story is about family and sisterhood but also about these women finding their way in the world.  Really enjoyed the two stories and how the story went back and forth.  Marmie is very different in this modern version and I like her.    You could read this book with very little knowledge f the classic and still really enjoy it.   I hope she continues the series!  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I struggled a bit with the food.  To be honest no food stood out for me and sometimes i get into the story and forget to listen for it.  But, I have two Little Women Cookbooks so I decided to prepare one of the recipes listed.  I choose the squash casserole A) because I love Butternut Squash  B) it was a Beth recipe . 

This was super easy and pretty tasty.  BUT i'm not a big fan of nutmeg and next time I would leave that out.  I also felt like it could use a little pick me up so i'm wondering if saute onions might be a good addition.  I'm going to need to think about this and maybe play around with the recipe.  It's a good base to start with!    I used the Little Women Cookbook by Jenne Bergstrom and Miko Osada.  Below is a photo of the recipe.   

Enjoy

Henna Artist served with Butter Chicken and Naan

I had seen this book for a while on Bookstagram and finally got around to checking it out.  So glad I did!  Not only do I not know a ton about India but even less the India of the 1950's.

 

 This is the story of Lakshmi who escaped an abusive marriage and recreated herself in Jaipur as a Henna Artist and health advisor for the wealthy women.  She has a sister who she never met who comes to live with her. Her life changes drastically when this happens.  The story is about how a woman must survive on her own in India, how she must now provide for her sister, how gossip and status and can bring someone down and finally how love can save you.    ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I really enjoyed all of the characters, even the one's that you weren't supposed to like were well developed and you felt for them.   Just a wonderful story and I'm excited to see there is a 2nd novel!   I'm adding it to my library list! 

I decided to make Butter Chicken and Naan. I found a recipe on Pinterest by Little Sunny Kitchen. 

It turned out great!  I made a couple of small changes listed below with the recipe. 

https://littlesunnykitchen.com/instant-pot-butter-chicken/

The Naan I made just turned out okay.  Not going to share the recipe yet because i think I might need to make this one more time to try to get it right.    

The easiest ever Instant Pot butter chicken! This super creamy, and fragrant Indian dish is so comforting, healthy and delicious.

–+Servings

Ingredients

• ▢3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ▢5 cloves garlic about 5 teaspoons, minced or crushed
• ▢2 inch (5 cm) fresh ginger root grated (about 2 tablespoons) I didn't have fresh ginger so used pre ground.  I put in a teaspoon. 
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• ▢1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ▢1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• ▢½ teaspoon chili powder optional
• ▢1 teaspoon salt add more if needed
• ▢2 pounds (900g) chicken thighs skinless, boneless, diced into bite-size pieces
• ▢17 oz (500g) tomato sauce or passata
• 1 cup (250ml) heavy whipping cream or coconut milk, or half and half*  I did heavy cream 
• ▢2 tablespoons fresh parsley, mint, or cilantro for garnish

Instructions

• On the Instant Pot press on SAUTE and melt the butter. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute).
• Add all of the spices, and the salt, stir, and cook for a minute. You might want to deglaze the pot at this point if the mixture is stuck to the bottom of the pot, just add a splash of water and scrape off any stuck bits with a wooden spoon. Then add the tomato sauce (passata) and a ¼ cup of water. Switch off the saute setting.
• Add the chicken thighs, give everything a mix.
• Secure the lid and set the vent to SEALING. Select the PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL setting and set the cooking time for 6 minutes at high pressure. The Instant Pot will take around 10 minutes to come to pressure and start cooking. When the cooking program ends, quickly release the steam.
• Carefully remove the lid, and press on SAUTE. Stir in the cream, and allow the sauce to reduce a little (season with more salt if necessary). Taste the sauce and see if you need to add a little bit more salt. Serve warm over rice with chopped parsley or cilantro.
•  

Jane Austen #4 Retellings - Incense and Sensibility and Mango overnight oats

 Incense and Sensibility with Mango Overnight Oats-  I was so excited to read the 3rd book in the Raje series and it met all of my expectations!   This one is a retelling of Sense and Sensibility and just like her other two books, it holds it own as a great story with just hints of the classic mixed it.  I really enjoy this family.  This one is focused primarily on Yash Raje who is running for California Governor and India Dashwood an old family friend.  Similar to the classic, there is a passionate younger sister who falls in love fast and hard and gets her heartbroken.  India is a yoga instructor and very much in control of her emotions.  She is trying to support her family and help Yash who has come to her for help even though years ago he broke her heart.    

Just as with the other books, the characters are complex and interesting.  Sonali Dev's books are listed as romance novels but I'm not sure that is accurate.  Yes, there is romance and heartbreak but I think they are more family saga.   I didn't love the friend pretending to be the girlfriend storyline but understood why it was necessary.  Just found her irritating.  

Overall a really great read.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

In the book, she makes overnight Mango oats.  Yash thinks he hates overnight oats but once he tries them , he can't stop eating them!   I also had made overnight oats a while back and didn't really love them.  It just felt like oats should be hot and not cold.  But, i'm willing to sacrifice for literature and tried it again.   Boy was I glad I did. 

I cut up a Mango and made puree.  Put the mango in a blender with a couple of tablespoons of water and blended it up.  Put that in the bottom of the jar.  In a bowl I mixed up old fashion oats with Oat milk, couple of tablespoons of maple syrup and some honey yogurt.  Spooned that over the mango puree and topped it with some cut up mango.   Refrigerated it for a day.  next morning....  It was delicious.  The cold oats didn't bother me and it was so yummy that I kind of wanted to eat both jars at one time.  I managed to save the 2nd jar for the next morning.   I will make this again.