Sunday morning

Starting a new book today- A Gentleman in Moscow.  Perfect Sunday for pumpkin bread, a French press of Tribute Blend and a good read!

where has the summer gone!

How can it possibly be the end of August?

I've had a pretty good reading summer .  I kicked it off with my trip to Hawaii at the beginning of June.  I  read 3 books on the beach and started a 4th.

House at the Edge of Night- great family sage set in Italy.  I really liked it but it was divided into 4 parts each told of a different generation of the family.  I liked some of the stories better than others.  But overall I'd give it a strong 4 stars out of 5.  Maybe even 4.5.  Interesting stories, great characters, lovely setting but just a bit long.

Dear Mr. Knightly - this is definitely a retelling of Daddy Long legs.  I really liked it because it was hopelessly romantic.  Not very realistic but fun and a fast read.  perfect for the beach.  4 stars as a beach read.  probably 3 stars if you are looking for a solid read.

Lizzy and Jane-  I love almost anything remotely related to Pride and Prejudice.  So of course this fits the bill.  It is the story of 2 sisters who have been separated physically and emotionally.  Elizabeth goes to Seattle to take care of Jane while she goes through chemotherapy and they heal their relationship and themselves.   I really enjoyed the relationship, the little touch of romance and the Seattle setting.  4 stars.

The last 2 were both written by Kathrine Reay.  I have now got to read the Bronte Plot and A Portrait of Emily Price.  They are on my list for this year!  plus she has a new one coming out in November called The Austen Escape.  Also on my list.

I enjoyed these 2 so much that i re watched the PBS Pride & Prejudice series.  All 6 hours.  Love me some Mr. Darcy!

Also in Hawaii, i started the Netflix series call Anne with an E.  It is a retelling on Anne of Green Gables.  SO GOOD!  i watched the first 4 eposides on the flights to and from Hawaii.  I watched the remaining 3 at home.  Can't wait for season 2.  Those books were never my favorite but i did love the disney series that ran in the 90's.   They did an exceptional job of updating it and yet sticking to the heart of the novels.  

Also, started watching the Handmaids Tale on Hulu.  Watched the first 3 with Francesca.  it kind of freaked me out!!  To close to where we are headed as a country.  I still need to watch the remaining 7 eposides.  Yikes.  Maybe i should re-read the book too.

Okay.  that is the start of summer update.  Not much cooking happening but I do have a few things to post next time related to books AND food.
Below are the photos of my scenery while reading!  #luckygirl

Book of Speculation and Crab Cakes

Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler

This is a debut novel by the author and I think she did a great job!
The story goes back and forth between the current day in Long Island Sound and a traveling circus in the 1700's.  Simon, in the current day, is about to lose his house, literally.  It is falling into the ocean and he can't afford to repair it.  He is dealing with some dramatic family history where the women in the family seem to all drown themselves.  He receives a book in the mail which turns out to be a circus log.  From there we are introduced to the circus and his ancestors.  The women can hold their breath for long periods of time and do a mermaid act.
The stories each have drama and take you along for the ride.  I actually liked both stories which is unusual because typically I love one or the other.  Simon's sister comes into the scene and he is worried that she will follow in her mothers footsteps of drowning.  But Simon can also hold his breath for up to 10 minutes.   Without giving too much away, I'd say that I enjoyed the circus scenes and also kept wondering what was going to happen to Simon.  In the book, horseshoe crabs play a major role.  They are absolutely weird fascinating animals.  They also kind of freak me out.   We use to find the empty shells on the beach when i was a kid.  I read that they date back  450 million years ago.  They are considered to be living fossils.


The author has a food blog :)
ieatbutter.tumblr.com.


I finished the book and decided to make crab cakes.  I love crab cakes and kind of just made up a recipe.
I went to Trader Joe's and found a can of Lump Crab meat.
I drained the crab
added an egg
2 Tbsp Mayo
3 green onions chopped up
1/2 cup of Italian seasoned bread crumbs
 Parsley flakes
Garlic salt

I fried them in a skillet with just a little bit of vegetable oil.

I took some Mayonnaise and added lemon juice (1 full lemon)
and a tiny shake of Cayenne pepper.

They taste delicious!  I added a spinach salad with some orange peppers and mushrooms and feta cheese.  YUM!

2017! A new beginning

Wow!  I started this blog a few years ago and then ditched it.  At the time it didn't seem so important because i had only some family members following me and i figured i could just talk to them by phone.
But, it is 2017 and I'm feeling the urge to tell some stories and share some love.  I figure even if i just post once a month, it will be a chance to talk about the books I've been reading and the food I've made.

I've set a goal of 2 books a month.  PLUS i am in 2 book clubs which means I'm reading a couple of books just to keep in the club.   Let's see if i can stick with it.  If you decide to follow- Thank you and welcome.  You'll keep me inspired.
Here we go.....