A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green (The Carls #2)

A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green
My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: April May and the Carls are back in the much-anticipated sequel to Hank Green's #1 New York Times bestselling debut novel, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing.

The Carls disappeared the same way they appeared, in an instant. While they were on Earth, they caused confusion and destruction without ever lifting a finger. Well, that’s not exactly true. Part of their maelstrom was the sudden viral fame and untimely death of April May: a young woman who stumbled into Carl’s path, giving them their name, becoming their advocate, and putting herself in the middle of an avalanche of conspiracy theories.

Months later, the world is as confused as ever. Andy has picked up April’s mantle of fame, speaking at conferences and online about the world post-Carl; Maya, ravaged by grief, begins to follow a string of mysteries that she is convinced will lead her to April; and Miranda infiltrates a new scientific operation . . . one that might have repercussions beyond anyone’s comprehension.

As they each get further down their own paths, a series of clues arrive—mysterious books that seem to predict the future and control the actions of their readers; unexplained internet outages; and more—which seem to suggest April may be very much alive. In the midst of the gang's possible reunion is a growing force, something that wants to capture our consciousness and even control our reality.

A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor is the bold and brilliant follow-up to An Absolutely Remarkable Thing. It’s a fast-paced adventure that is also a biting social commentary, asking hard, urgent questions. How will we live online? What powers over our lives are we giving away for free? Who has the right to change the world forever? And how do we find comfort in an increasingly isolated world?

Read for September book group.

Book two in the Carls, or, really book two in the April May Saga. Because this is ultimately all about April May. I noted in my review of An Absolutely Remarkable Thing that there I had enough interest in the supporting characters to read this book. And I enjoyed reading Maya, Miranda, and Andy's perspective. I was disappointed there wasn't more Robin, and after a few chapters with Carl, I completely skipped those.

I continued to agree with the author's observations on what can happen - is happening - with social media. Scary shit when you stop to think about it and yet, we keep using it anyway and then wonder why things aren't getting better. Miranda's thread was perhaps the most interesting with a wonderful twist I should have seen coming and totally missed. I found the ending anti climatic. April May was made into a Very Special Snowflake, kicked some ass, apologized to her girl friend, and everyone lives mostly happily ever after. Meh.

My opinion is still middle of the road - I enjoyed everyone but April May, the authors message about social media and the media is definitely notable, the overall plot was a bit slow (I admit to skipping bits). I'm glad this was a book group selection because we had some differing opinions and that always makes for interesting discussion.

Again - this is one you'll have to read and decide for yourself.

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Recipe Review from 9/20/21

A couple new recipes this week that are worth noting. Both simple, both tasty, both made enough for leftovers. Check them out!

The Meal Plan:
Sat (L) leftover sweet potato and quinoa (S) Potato salad with smoked fish
Sun (S) leftover potato salad (S) brats with broccoli salad
Mon (Dentist AM, yoga PM) - leftover brats
Tues - Salmon with Orzo and Broccoli
Wed (yoga)- leftover salmon
Thurs - pizza or pasty
Fri (Minoqua for Beef-a-Rama)

Lunches - sandwiches and fruit


Potato Salad with Smoked Fish (modified from Milk Street Tuesday Nights)
Potato salad for supper? Just potato salad? Yes, but it's not "just" potato salad. Nor is it your standard mid-western ubiquitous yellow-tinted potato salad. This seems to be influenced by a more European style, German/Scandinavian flavored potato salad. And really, this was a "why hasn't someone come up with this earlier" kind of recipe. Turning a simple side into a main dish with the addition of smoked fish. Brilliant really.

I used Lake Superior whitefish for this. The Husband found it too mild, which is what *I* liked about it. I would absolutely make this again, but perhaps use some smoked salmon. I'll try and remember to report back. Recommended.

Serves 4

2 lbs red potatoes, cut into 1" cubes
6 medium radish, halved and thinly sliced
5 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 cup sour cream
3 tbsp horseradish (I used 2 tbsp spicy brown mustard with horseradish)
2 tbsp olive oil
8 oz smoked trout (I used whitefish)
2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped

For the potatoes: Prepare a pot with a steamer insert, place diced potatoes in pot and bring to a boil. Steam for about 10 minutes or until potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork or knife. When the potatoes are finished, drain and put in a large bowl. Toss with 2 tbsp white wine vinegar, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper. Place in fridge for about 20 minutes or until just barely warm.

For the radish: toss radish and 2 tbsp white wine vinegar in a small bowl. Set aside. (My note - this could be skipped if you prefer a bi more "bite" to your radish in the finished dish).

For the dressing: combine the sour cream, horseradish (or in my case, the mustard) 1 tbsp white wine vinegar and olive oil in a bowl and set aside.

When the potatoes have cooled, carefully fold in the dressing. Add the smoked fish, radish, dill and 1 tbsp chives. Serve with the extra chives sprinkled over the top.

Salmon with Lemon-Herb Orzo and Broccoli (Eating Well, Sept 2021)
This was one of the few recipes that came together in the time indicated. This is also one of those "why didn't I think of that" recipes - cook orzo pasta and broccoli, serve with salmon. A bit of a no brainer, really. But sometimes when life is going a gazillion miles and hour, having a simple recipe is one less thing to *think* about.

This was simple, this was tasty, this was easy to assemble on a weeknight. I simplified a bit more by grilling my salmon - one less pan to clean up and the house doesn't smell like fish. Recommended on all accounts.

Serves 4

1 cup orzo, preferably whole-wheat
2 cups chopped broccoli (about 1/2 head)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 ¼ pounds skin-on salmon fillet, cut into 4 portions, patted dry
½ teaspoon salt, divided
½ teaspoon ground pepper, divided
4 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as tarragon, chives and/or parsley
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add orzo and cook according to package directions, adding broccoli for the last minute of cooking. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Meanwhile, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle salmon with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Add to the pan, skin-side up, and cook until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook until the flesh is opaque, 3 to 5 minutes, depending on thickness.

Whisk 2 tablespoons oil, herbs, lemon zest, lemon juice and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Add the orzo and broccoli; stir until combined.

Serve the orzo mixture with the salmon and drizzle with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil.

Recipe Review from 9/13/2021

Saturday we celebrated a couple of birthdays with take-out sandwiches from the Lazy Moose in Moose Lake, taking our lunches to Moose Lake State Park. We'd never been and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to explore. We followed our outing with steak kebabs and prawns on the grill at home. A most satisfactory day. For the week itself, the Husband was gone overnight a couple days with work business, so meals were super simple. Made a chili on Sunday while watching football, simple, easy, delicious.

Peony from this Spring's garden

The Meal Plan: Sat (L) The Lazy Moose (take-out) (S) Steak kebabs with prawns
Sun (L) leftover kebabs (S) Bourbon Chili
Mon (yoga) - sweet potato and kale salad
Tues - chili
Wed (yoga) - chili
Thurs - sweet potato and kale salad
Fri - sweet potato and kale salad

Lunches - black bean and rice burritos (co-op), fruit


Massaged Kale Salad with Roasted Sweet Potato & Black Beans (Eating Well, Sept 2021) vegetarian
In theory this should have been the perfect dish for me - in reality there is so mush stuff on this that it was more than I could eat and messy. Yes, messy. All the little bits (quinoa, pumpkin seeds, beans, feta) fell to the bottom of my bowl which left me with kale and sweet potato chunks to stab with the fork. Frustrating and disappointing. The solution - skip the kale or make it a much, much smaller portion.

As there is already enough chopping, and cooking and dicing in this recipe, I skipped the kale after that first attempt and served the sweet potato over the quinoa and beans, topped with feta and pumpkin seeds with a tich of dressing to keep things moist and brighten all the flavors. That made for a very tasty dish and one that I could recommend.

Also noting, I made much of this ahead of time - I had a tub of cooked quinoa and chickpeas in the freezer. I cooked the sweet potato in the morning and assembled the dressing while making breakfast. Kale was the only thing I needed to chop right before dinner and while I was re-heating the potato and quinoa. It's still putzy, but not an hour and a half before dinner putzy.

Recommended with some alterations.

Serves 4

1 large sweet potato, cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons ancho chile powder
½ teaspoon salt, divided
6 medium shallots, peeled and quartered
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 large clove garlic, grated
1 pound kale, stemmed and torn
1 (15 ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed
1 cup cooked quinoa
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
½ cup unsalted pepitas, toasted

Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 425°F.

Toss sweet potato with 1 tablespoon oil, chile powder and 1/8 teaspoon salt on a large rimmed baking sheet. Toss shallots with 1 tablespoon oil and 1/8 teaspoon salt on another large rimmed baking sheet. Roast the vegetables, flipping once, until tender and caramelized, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk lemon juice and garlic with the remaining 3 tablespoons oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add kale and massage with the dressing until bright green and shiny and the volume is reduced by about half. Add beans, quinoa, feta, pepitas and the shallots. Toss to combine and serve topped with the sweet potato.

Monster Hunter Guardian by Larry Corriea (MHI #7)

Monster Hunter Guardian by Larry Correia
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jacket Blurb: When Owen Pitt and the rest of the Monster Hunter International crew are called away to mount a month’s-long rescue mission in a monster-infested nightmare dimension, Julie Shackleford—Owen’s wife and descendant of MHI founder Bubba Shackelford—is left behind. Her task: hold down the fort and take care of her new baby son Ray. Julie’s devoted to the little guy, but the slow pace of office work and maternity leave are starting to get to her. But when a routine field call brings her face-to-face with an unspeakable evil calling itself Brother Death, she’ll get more excitement than she ever hoped for.

Julie is the Guardian of a powerful ancient artifact known as the Kamaresh Yar, and Brother Death wants it. In the wrong hands, it could destroy reality as we know it. Julie would die before giving it up.

Then Ray goes missing, taken by Brother Death. The price for his safe return: the Kamaresh Yar. If Julie doesn’t hand over the artifact it means death—or worse—for baby Ray. With no other choice left to her, Julie agrees to Brother Death’s demands. But when you’re dealing with an ancient evil, the devil is in the details.

To reclaim her son, Julie Shackleford will have to fight her way through necromantic death cults, child-stealing monsters, and worse. And she’ll have to do it all before Brother Death can unleash the Kamaresh Yar.

It’s one woman against an army of monsters. But Julie Shackelford is no ordinary woman—she’s one tough mother!

The Monster Hunter series:
Monster Hunter International
Monster Hunter Vendetta
Monster Hunter Alpha
Monster Hunter Legion
Monster Hunter Nemesis
Monster Hunter Siege
Monster Hunter Guardian

This was an interesting departure from previous MHI books in that this is just about Julie. No Owen (he's off hunting in the Arctic with the rest of the gang), no Earl, no Franks. The Orcs do make an appearance, but it's a small one. Julie is on her own, and she's has one mission: get. her. son. back.

I consumed this over a weekend. It was a book I had a hard time putting down. Technically, it should have annoyed me: Mom on the warpath to save her kiddo and who will move heaven and earth to make it happen. But it didn't, or not too much so. Julie got some help along the way, it's an urban fantasy so liberties can be taken (portals anyone?), Management shows up and OMGosh, Mr. Trash Bags was my favorite character to date. That was worth it right there.

And a shout out - this may be the first time I have read an accurate accounting and description of CPR being performed. Spot on! Bravo!

The book is fast paced, the great humor balances out the emotional angst, and the nasties are varied and interesting. Julie's book/story was a delight to read. For myself, this might be my second favorite maybe tied with MHI: Nemesis. It's close. Very close.

Recommended if you've read the first six in the series.

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Recipe Review from 9/6/2021

The meal plan went out the window a little bit, well, truthfully, a lot, last week. For the second week in a row the sweet potato and kale dish has been shifted to the coming week. The chipolte meatballs made one more meal than I was expecting, but that worked out to my advantage. And a crustless quiche I first tried back in April made a re-appearance for lunches. I recommended both recipes below that did get made.

The Meal Plan:
Sat (Ricing) Leftover soup and mac and cheese (S) Family
Sun (L) Sweet Potato and Kale salad Out - pizza (S) Meatballs Steak and burrito
Mon (L) Fig, Blue cheese and bacon pizza (S) Meatballs
Tues - Sweet Potato and Kale salad Meatballs
Wed (Vet am/Yoga pm) meatballs
Thurs - Salmon
Fri - Salmon

Lunches - Crustless Quiche (from April)

Salmon with Smashed Broccoli (Eat Better Live Better by Giada DeLaurentiss)
I checked this cookbook out from the library for a second looksie and was able to try another recipe. This one was simple to the point of, why didn't *I* think of this simple. Broiled (or in my case, grilled) salmon seasoned with lemon along side of broccoli and Yukon gold potatoes that have been gently "smashed" together and flavored with olive oil, ground chili and a tich of salt. Yes, that easy. Light, flavorful, a repeater. Served 4 (or two meals for two of us). Recommended!

Cook book had to go back to the library, but this might go on the Holiday wish list.


Chipolte Meatball Torta with Roasted Red Pepper (Eating Well, Sept 2021)
This was super good. Don't be deterred by the ingredient list or directions. This can be made ahead and comes together very quickly. I made the meatballs and red pepper/onion mix earlier in the day, and prepped the black beans and bread while the meatballs were re-heating. I also noticed the red pepper mixture directions online are slightly different than the magazine. The magazine had me roasting 5 cups of red pepper and onion, which I read as 5 cups of red pepper...and onion. It was actually a very nice amount after it cooked down.

Anyhoo.

This wasn't as spicy as I thought it would be, but it could have been a variation in my chipoltes. Sometimes they are super spicy, other times, not so much. If you want err on the side of less heat, just use some adobo sauce or skip. I don't have a panini maker, so I just toasted my ciabatta buns in the toaster and went from there.  Flavors were good, assembly was easy, and it made enough for three dinners for two. My kind of meal! Recommended.

Serves 6

Chipolte Meatballs
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 ½ pounds lean ground beef (I used pork)
½ cup panko breadcrumbs, preferably whole-wheat
1 ½ cups finely chopped onion, plus 1 cup sliced, divided
⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
2 medium bell peppers, sliced
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil plus 1/4 cup, divided
1 (28 ounce) can no-salt-added whole tomatoes
¼ cup canned chipotle peppers in adobo
3 large cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons chili powder

Torta
½ lime
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ cup rinsed no-salt-added black beans
1 tablespoon sour cream
Pinch of salt
16-inch baguette (I used ciabatta buns)
¼ cup crumbled queso fresco
Cooking spray

To prepare meatballs and veggies: Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.

Squeeze zucchini in a clean kitchen towel to remove excess moisture. Place the zucchini in a large bowl and add egg, beef, panko, 1/2 cup chopped onion, cilantro, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Mix gently with your hands until just combined (do not over mix). Using about 3 tablespoons to make each, shape the mixture into 24 meatballs. Place 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.

Toss peppers and 1 cup sliced onion with 2 teaspoons oil in a medium bowl; spread on another large rimmed baking sheet.

Bake the meatballs until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 165°F, 15 to 18 minutes. Roast the veggies, stirring once halfway, until browned, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, chipotles and garlic in a blender. Blend until smooth.

Heat the remaining 1/4 cup oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 cup chopped onion and chili powder and cook, stirring, until the onion is beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Stir the baked meatballs into the sauce, cover and cook 5 minutes more.

To assemble torta: Squeeze lime half over the roasted vegetables. Sprinkle with oregano and toss to combine. Combine black beans, sour cream and salt in a small bowl; mash with a fork to a spreadable consistency.

Cut baguette into 4 pieces and split each horizontally. Hollow out most of the soft bread from the center (reserve the breadcrumbs for another use). Divide the bean mixture, 8 coarsely chopped meatballs, the vegetables, 1/2 cup sauce from the meatballs and 1/4 cup crumbled queso fresco among the sandwiches. (Reserve the remaining meatballs and sauce for another use.) Coat the tops of the sandwiches with cooking spray. Cook in a panini maker until the bread is crispy, 4 to 6 minutes.

Recipe Review from 8/30/21 and Wild Ricing 2021

I think I'm caught up on my recipe review posts now.  The week of 8/23 was a scrounge and take-out week so nothing new to comment on. I got back on track this past week with two new recipes that both use zucchini and/or summer squash.

My friend and I attempted to go wild ricing, but without success this year. As in, our worst outing yet. A handful of circumstances were working against us: drought had the lake levels low and I think that impacted how warm the water became (not good for rice), a canoe near us overturned so we rendered assistance for an hour, then had lunch, and after an hour of trying to rice, we were chased off the lake by a severe storm. I think that was a sign this was not our year. So it goes. We had a good time anyway.

Kansas City at Sunset, 2016

The Meal Plan:
Sat (out) wild ricing (S) I don't remember...
Sun (L) salad (S) Zucchini soup
Mon (yoga/bkgrp) leftovers
Tues - mac-n-cheese with zucchini
Wed (yoga) soup
Thurs - mac-n-cheese
Fri - (D out) soup

Lunches - sandwiches

Zucchini Soup (Milk Street Tuesday Nights Mediterranean) vegetarian
I'm always on the lookout for a new zucchini soup. This one was different in that it incorportated toasted pumpkin seeds, flour as a thickener and lemon. I'm not entirely wild about flour as a thickener when I could add more zucchini. The pumpkin seeds were quite yummy and I found myself eating them on the side. The lemon was definitely present - not an "in your face" flavor, but there. I would make this again, it's a lovely summer soup.






Skillet Mac & Cheese with Zucchini & Pimiento (Eating Well, Sept 2021) vegetarian
This was good and could have been better if I hadn't overcooked my pasta. My "test" noodle must have been the one slightly undercooked noodle in the pot when I sampled. So a small "argh!". I like my food spicy, but the 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper was too much for this dish. A tich of heat is nice, and this was more "whoo! spicy!". Recommend 1/8 tsp. I did use summer squash as that's what was ripe in the garden. And if I were to make this again, I'd skip the panko or perhaps toast separately and put on before serving. With leftovers, it becomes lost in the reheating.

Recommended with some modifications.

Served 4-6 (I got 6-8 servings out of this, it's filling)

8 ounces whole-wheat elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 cup chopped onion
3 cups diced zucchini and/or summer squash
½ teaspoon salt, divided
½ teaspoon ground pepper, divided
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups low-fat milk
1 teaspoon dry mustard
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
1 4-ounce jar diced pimientos (see Tip), rinsed
½ cup panko breadcrumbs, preferably whole-wheat
½ teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 400°F. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil.

Cook macaroni 1 minute less than the package directions for al dente. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until starting to brown, about 2 minutes. Add zucchini (and/or summer squash) and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper; cook, stirring, until starting to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium and melt butter in the skillet. Sprinkle with flour and whisk until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk milk, dry mustard, cayenne and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly pour the milk mixture into the skillet, whisking constantly. Cook, stirring, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 3 to 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in cheese and pimientos. Using a slotted spoon, add the reserved vegetables to the skillet along with the pasta. Stir to coat.

Mix panko, garlic powder and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the casserole. Transfer to the oven and bake until the sauce is bubbling and the topping is golden, about 15 minutes.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission--and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.

Except that right now, he doesn't know that. He can't even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he's been asleep for a very, very long time. And he's just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, he realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Alone on this tiny ship that's been cobbled together by every government and space agency on the planet and hurled into the depths of space, it's up to him to conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And thanks to an unexpected ally, he just might have a chance.

Part scientific mystery, part dazzling interstellar journey, Project Hail Mary is a tale of discovery, speculation, and survival to rival The Martian--while taking us to places it never dreamed of going.

Read for August 2021 book group.

If you read The Martian, you will probably enjoy this. Book group feedback: well enjoyed by one and all. Nearly everyone had at least one quirk they came away with, but hands down, outstanding read. Audio book version comes highly recommended. Same narrator who did the Bobiverse series.

Yes, this was a fun and engaging read that ran the gambit from simple entertaining, speculative scifi, first contact, pre-apocalypitc catastrophe, with some good emotional context and "Survivor" situation thrown in. As I mentioned in my opening paragraph, everyone in book group had a quirk that popped them out of the story. I'm not going to say what mine was because it would be a major spoiler. Not going to do that to ya'll.

Not sure what else I can say that hasn't been said in the plethora of reviews for this one. There is great emotional connection between Ryland and Rocky, Rocky has to be one of the best aliens invented to date (seriously), and while the plot is reminiscent of the Martian (sole survivor has to figure out how to survive and he *might* get h0me) it's very different too. The science seems well thought out and proofed, I honestly wouldn't know, but it seems pretty solid.

In short, this checked all my happy scifi boxes. There are plenty of gushing, more elaborate reviews you can certainly read, but bottom line, GREAT book. Go read it.

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