14 by Peter Clines (Threshhold Series #1)

14 by Peter Clines
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Book Blurb: Padlocked doors. Strange light fixtures. Mutant cockroaches.

There are some odd things about Nate’s new apartment.

Of course, he has other things on his mind. He hates his job. He has no money in the bank. No girlfriend. No plans for the future. So while his new home isn’t perfect, it’s livable. The rent is low, the property managers are friendly, and the odd little mysteries don’t nag at him too much.

At least, not until he meets Mandy, his neighbour across the hall, and notices something unusual about her apartment. And Xela’s apartment. And Tim’s. And Veek’s. Because every room in this old Los Angeles brownstone has a mystery or two. Mysteries that stretch back over a hundred years. Some of them are in plain sight. Some are behind locked doors. And all together these mysteries could mean the end of Nate and his friends.

Or the end of everything...


Read as an audio book. Narrator was same performer who does the Bobiverse books by Dennis E Taylor.

Read for February 2021 book group.

Book blurb summarizes the basic plot so I won't rehash. I have rather mixed thoughts on this selection. I was engaged for about the first 2/3 of the book, and annoyed in the last 1/3. Annoyance factor came from one bad thing after another happening to our main characters and they just couldn't catch a break. A bit of a drawn out climatic conclusion where I seriously thought about skipping a bit. But I didn't. I thought about it though.

What I liked was the diversity of the characters (narrator was great with voices). The Lovecraftian homage was interesting (noting here - I really didn't care for the voice of the nasties, nor how the nasties "spoke". It was too, simple? childish?). There were some strong similarities with another classic SF book whose name and author eludes me at them moment...argh.

Overall...Hm. Just...hm.


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Recipe Review from 2/15/2021

After a weekend ice fishing, I had a couple easy peasy meals picked out. And I do mean easy. Not sure the tuna melts actually needed a recipe, but it's nice to get ideas for different flavor combinations. The queso "chili" was more like a soup/stew and really didn't require an instant pot.  I recommend both of these dishes for a fast weeknight meal. 

Kep is less than enthused about ice fishing.

More snow art!

The Meal Plan:
Sat - Snowbank Lake
Sun - Snowbank Lake
Mon - Snowbank Lake (S) Tuna Melts Pancakes
Tues - Tuna melts
Wed (yoga) leftover tuna melts
Thurs - Creamy Queso Chili
Fri - Chili Take n bake pizza


Tuna Melts with Roasted Red Peppers (Eating Well Jan/Feb 2021)
As I noted above, this is one you wonder why you needed a recipe. Sometimes, a little flavor nudge is a good thing. I forgot to by English muffins, so I used the bread I had on hand. You could also use a jar of roasted red peppers, drained, instead of cooking your own to save some time.

Bottom line - it's tuna melts. Easy. Fast. Tasty.

This made 2 meals for two, plus 2 lunches for one.

Photo from eatingwell.com

2 larges red bell peppers, halved and seeded (or, one jar roasted red bell peppers)
2 5-ounce cans oil-packed light tuna, drained (I used 2 5oz vacuum packed packages)
¾ cup chopped celery
¼ cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons minced fresh dill I used 1 tsp dried
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
⅛ teaspoon ground pepper
4 whole-wheat English muffins, split and toasted
4 slices Swiss or provolone cheese (4 ounces total), halved


Position rack in upper third of oven; heat broiler to high. Line a baking sheet with foil; place bell pepper halves on it, skin-side up. Broil until the skin is nicely charred, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and let steam for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir tuna, celery, mayonnaise, dill, shallot, mustard and pepper in a medium bowl. Arrange English muffins, cut-side up, on the foil-lined pan. Divide the tuna salad evenly among them.

Peel the peppers and slice into 1/4-inch-thick strips. Divide the strips among the sandwiches and top each with a slice of cheese (tear it into smaller pieces if it hangs over the edge). Broil until the cheese begins to turn golden and bubbly, 2 to 3 minutes.


Creamy Queso Chili (Eating Well, Jan/Feb 2021) vegetarian option
If you don't have an instant pot - just cook on the stove. The recipe did note this can be made ahead, but to wait till reheating before serving to add the cheeses. I did add the cream cheese, but waited with shredded.

I skipped the cilantro, and topped with avocado and sour cream. This really is a simple, versitle dish. Recommended.

Serves 4

Photo from eatingwell.com

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large bell pepper, chopped
½ large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 15-ounce can no-salt-added pinto beans, rinsed
1 15-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 cup low-sodium no-chicken or vegetable broth
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded Mexican-style cheese blend
2 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, cubed
1 tablespoon lime juice, plus wedges for serving
Tortilla chips & chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Heat oil in an electric pressure cooker set to Sauté mode. Add bell pepper, onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add chili powder and cumin; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in beans, tomatoes, broth and salt. Close and lock the lid. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Carefully release the pressure manually.

Mix shredded cheese and cream cheese into the chili, stirring until melted and smooth. Stir in lime juice. Top with tortilla chips and cilantro and serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Recipe Review from 2/8/2021

We spent the weekend up outside of Ely, MN, on Snowbank Lake ice fishing. It was cold. Like -38* cold according to my phone. I heard reports that it hit closer to -50* F below zero. After a point it doesn't matter - it's just cold. But it was all good - main objective was to look at four walls that weren't our house. Second objective, fish. Both objectives were a success.

Past this sign is the BWCAW.  The furry one to the right is Kep.

Snow art!

The Meal Plan:
Sat (L) hot and sour soup (S) meatloaf
Sun (L) Leftover soup and grilled cheese (S) buffalo wings (Super Bowl!)
Mon (Yoga pm) leftover meatloaf
Tues - Chipolte glazed Salmon
Wed (Yoga pm) leftovers
Thurs - leftovers
Fri - ice fishing, Ely, MN

Lunches - (me) Roasted Cauliflower "Couscous" Salad (DH) - sandwiches


Keto Roasted Cauliflower "Couscous" Salad (I Breathe I'm Hungry blog) vegetarian, keto
I'm not doing a Keto diet; I have a friend who is and she passes along tasty looking recipes. I modified a bit and omitted the fresh dill and mint as garnish. I'm not paying $3.00/carton/each for a few sprigs. However, I DID add some dried herbs to the dressing before combining.

Another point, I'm pretty sure you could make this with frozen riced cauliflower. The key here is the squash needs to be diced small in order for everything to cook at the same time. Even then, expect your kale to get a bit crispy. I'm almost thinking, skip baking the kale and add to the salad chopped, raw.

Coming back after eating this over the week - it was "okay". My recommendations: add the kale as a raw component. It was over-cooked when prepared as directed and became bitter in the dish. Consider doubling the dressing and adding just before serving (I did skip the garlic - I was eating this at work). The dressing flavors were completely lost over the course of the week. What did surprise me was how filling this was as compared to some other vegetarian salads I've had. I didn't get as hungry later in the afternoon as I usually do. This was also my first time making and eating cauliflour "rice" or "qunioa" and I would make it again.
Recommended with some reservations and/or modifications.

Made about 4 servings

Photo from I Breathe I'm Hungry blog

For the vegetables:

4 cups raw riced cauliflower**
1 cup finely chopped kale
1 cup chopped butternut squash (1/2 inch cubes)
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds (see note below)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

For the dressing:

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, peeled and minced finely
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

**My note: how to rice raw cauliflower can be found here: TheKitchn

**My other note: you could also make this with frozen riced cauliflower.

To roast the vegetables:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place the cauliflower, kale, squash, and sunflower seeds on a baking sheet.
Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast for 30 minutes, or until the squash is fork tender. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes.

To make the dressing:

Whisk the dressing ingredients together until well blended.

To assemble:
Place all of the roasted ingredients in a medium-sized bowl, along with the herbs and lemon zest.
Pour the dressing over the top and stir well.
Serve immediately if a warm dish is desired, or chill overnight and serve cold.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. (Any longer and the flavors and textures start to deteriorate. Freezing is not recommended by the author. )

Author notes: If your sunflower seeds are already toasted, don’t roast them with the vegetables. Add them in with the fresh herbs before dressing.


Honey-Chipolte Salmon with [Rice] (Eating Well, Jan/Feb 2021)
A noteable subsitiution: The Husband doesn't like cauliflower, so I made a brown and wild rice pilaf (LOVE my instant pot!) and added the carrots and peas to that. I'm posting the recipe "as written" however.

We really enjoyed this. I did find the sauce/glaze was a bit thin and that could have been a function of the fillet I used. We also thought this was better on the second day when we flaked the salmon and 1 ¼ pounds skin-on wild salmon, cut into 4 pieces
½ teaspoon salt, divided
2 teaspoons chopped chipotle in adobo sauce
2 teaspoons honey
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups cauliflower rice (fresh or frozen)
½ cup frozen diced carrots and peas
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup sliced almonds
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon lime juice

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Place salmon on the prepared baking sheet, skin-side down, and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt. Combine chipotle and honey in a small bowl and brush on the salmon. Bake until the salmon flakes easily with a fork, 6 to 12 minutes depending on thickness.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add cauliflower rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and hot, about 3 minutes. Add carrots and peas and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until hot, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in almonds, cilantro, Parmesan, lime juice and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Serve the salmon with the pilaf.

Ice Cold Heart by PJ Tracy (Monkeewrench #10)

Ice Cold Heart by P.J. Tracy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Jacket blurb: On a bitterly cold winter night, Kelly Ramage leaves her suburban home, telling her husband she's going to meet a friend.

She never comes back.

When her body is discovered, murdered in what seems to be a sex game gone horribly wrong, Detectives Gino and Magozzi take the case, expecting to find a flirtatious trail leading straight to the killer.

However, Kelly's sinister lover has done a disturbingly good job of hiding his identity. This isn't his first victim - and that she won't be the last...



Read as an audio book.

It's been a few years since I've read a PJ Tracy book, and I just realized I completely skipped over book eight and nine. So...that says something about reading them in order. Helpful, but not necessary.

Book blurb doesn't really summarize the book adequately, offering only one plot teaser when there are two that drive the characters. There are a couple sub-plots, but those can be left for the reader to discover.

Minneapolis detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth pick up a murder case that at first appears to be a BDSM scene gone wrong. The more they investigate, the more they realize there's may be a connection to a murder in another state that's tied to a controversial art show.

Meanwhile, the Monkeewrench gang has been hired to revamp the cyber security of a bit-coin company that had millions stolen from their accounts. It's with great gusto that Harley and Roadrunner tackle this project, while Grace and Annie hold a supporting role. Roadrunner gets his moment in the limelight when he befriends a neighbor and her story becomes interlinked with theirs.

This was engaging for the most part, it kept my attention on my daily commute and when running errands. My main observation is there are a lot of moving pieces in this one and not infrequently I was sitting at a red light pondering who was being referenced and missing what ever was being said.

My main contention with the story stems from reading cozy mysteries, and the heroine goes to confront the protagonist by herself and ends up needing rescue. Major peeve.

This story should also have a trigger alert - there are scenes of sexual abuse and reference to sexual abuse with bondage.

Overall, it was an okay read. The plots were a bit grandiose and muddled from too many characters, and the book fell to an undesirable trope of damsel in distress. But it's Monkeewrench, and the Monkeewrench gang is enough to keep me reading.

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Recipe review from 1/25/21 and 2/1/21

It's been a crazy couple of weeks. My Sister brought the two little nieces up for a much needed get-away weekend and the weather cooperated. We got out for a walk in a new-to-me park in town, did a little sledding on our butts (it was icy enough we could), we played games and read books. I started leading a one time a month yoga class at a new studio in town, just opened by an associate of mine (Svajla Yoga). And the usual work, working out at the Y, classes at the Y, and errands.

Winona, MN 2019

Meal Plan from 1/25/21:
Sat (with sister) Tater tot hotdish and Tostada boats
Sun - leftovers
Mon (yoga pm) "fancy" grilled cheese
Tues - spaghetti
Wed (yoga pm) - leftover pasta
Thurs - "fancy" grilled cheese
Fri - Butternut squash soup

Meal Plan from 2/1/21:
Sat (L) Leftover soup (S) take n bake pizza
Sun (L) leftover pizza (S) rice stuffed cabbage rolls
Mon (yoga pm) leftover cabbage rolls
Tues - enchilada meatballs
Wed (yoga pm) leftover cabbage rolls
Thurs - leftover meatballs
Fri - (Vet appt, snowblowed, met friend for lunch) leftover cabbage rolls


Enchilada Meatballs (Husband found on Facebook) keto friendly
The Husband found this one on his facebook page and thought it sounded interesting. I did modify slightly since I used our "Italian" seasoned bear meat. I skipped the onion powder, salt and pepper. Honestly, if you're using taco seasoning, you can easily skip the onion powder, salt and pepper. That's getting into too much salt and seasonings.

This is a little time consuming, easily an hour to assemble, bake, and bake again. On the flip side, there's time to clean the kitchen and set the table.

You may note, there is a distinct lack of recommendations for what to serve this over. It seemed a shame to waste the enchilada sauce and odd to eat just meatballs. I served over rice for one meal, and then tried tostada boats for another. I kinda liked the tostada boats, husband liked the rice. I also added some avocado and sour cream. FYI - we're not following the keto plan.

It was...okay, when all was said and ate. Recommended with some reservations.

Serves 4 - 6 (we had two meals for two people, four to five meatballs apiece, and we were full)

Meatballs
1 lb ground beef
1 egg
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp taco seasoning
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Casserole:
Cooked meatballs
1 10 oz can red enchilada sauce
3/4 cup shredded Mexican cheese

DIRECTIONS

Meatballs:
1) Preheat oven to 400.

2) Add all of the meatball ingredients into a large bowl and mix well until combined.

3) Shape into approximately 15 meatballs and place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.

4) Bake for 25 minutes or until cooked through.

Casserole:
1) Preheat oven to 350.

2) Pour 1/4 cup enchilada sauce into bottom of small baking dish or cast iron skillet.

3) Place cooked meatballs into dish and top with remaining enchilada sauce. Top with shredded cheese.

4) Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.


Pancetta Pangrattato and Leek Pasta (Eating Well, Jan/Feb 2021)
This is a great "pantry" recipe - the only items I needed to buy were the leeks and the pancetta. I don't have access to pancetta I can dice; I bought the thinly sliced kind in the package (found in my cheese section) and sauted it like bacon. OMG - don't skip the pancetta in this dish! Sooo good!

While a bit putzy (cook noodles, set aside; cook pancetta, set aside; cook breadcrumbs, set aside; cook leeks and then combine everything), it is a fairly easy dish with minimal chopping-type prep. I do recommend having everything mise en place as once the pancetta hits the pan, assembly goes fairly quickly. And, granted, you can be cooking the noodles while sauteing the rest.

Good flavor, can use pantry staples, and okay for a weeknight. Recommended.

Serves 4

photo from eatingwell.com

8 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti
3 ounces diced pancetta
1 cup fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs (see Tip)
¼ cup finely chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary (I used 1/2 tsp dried)
2 cloves garlic, minced, divided
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups thinly sliced leeks (about 2 medium)
¼ cup dry white wine
Pinch of crushed red pepper
1 15-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the water, then drain the pasta and return to the pot. Cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, cook pancetta in a large skillet over medium heat until browned and crispy, 3 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon.

Add breadcrumbs to the pan and cook, stirring often, until starting to brown, 1 to 3 minutes. Add walnuts and cook, stirring occasionally, until toasted, 2 to 5 minutes. Add rosemary and half the garlic and stir to combine. Cook until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and stir in the pancetta.

Add oil to the pan and heat over medium-high heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring often, until just starting to brown, 3 to 6 minutes. Add the remaining garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds. Stir in wine and crushed red pepper; cook until the wine is almost evaporated, 30 to 60 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and the reserved 1/2 cup pasta-cooking water. Bring to a simmer. Add the pasta and toss to coat with the sauce. Cook, tossing the pasta with tongs, until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup of the pancetta mixture and toss to combine. Serve topped with the remaining pancetta mixture.

In Memoriam: Andy 2011-2021

Our sweet, soft, pretty Andy passed away today, Feb 4, 2021, of heart failure. He was about 11-12 years old. It was not entirely unexpected; a December vet visit revealed he had a mass in his chest and fluid around his heart, which was drained off. We were blessed to let him be "Andy" these last two months.

In May 2011, Andy came to his forever home.

He was a bit dubious about his new family.

He had to learn his manners, potty training, and a new name.  It was a lot to take in.

His "brother" Ben showed him where all the squirrels and chipmunks lived.

He learned, that with some effort, he could escape from his outside kennel. Remarkably, both times he escaped he stayed in the yard, patroling his paths. Yes, you are cute, you little escapee.

It was sad when Ben passed. But after a few months he got a new "brother", Kepler.
Kepler has a lot more energy than Ben did.

Andy was such a sweetheart. I'm going to miss you so much!