Recipe Review from 5/28/18 - Part II

First recipe uses the prepared bulgur from Part I of this review, the last recipe uses some of those prepared spicy chickpeas. 

The Meal Plan:
Sat  (L) Tabbouleh with Avocado   (S) leftover taco salad
Sun (L) leftover tabbouleh   (S) leftover tabbouleh with hummus sandwich

Mon (L)  green pea fritters and salad  (S) Chickpea pasta with peas
Tues (L) out     (S)  Kale Salad with chickpeas and berries

Wed - Summary Lentil Soup
Thurs (yoga) - leftovers
Fri - Broccoli mac n cheese

Green Pea Fritters with Avocado (Ckng Lght June 2018) vegetarian, vegan
This dish comes together fairly quickly, and as the recipe notes stated, the pea/tofu/bulgur mixture is very soft.  I didn't even bother to try and shape into patties - I spooned directly into the pre-heated pan and kinda mooshed into patties.

These were tasty, but with the green patties, green avocado, green kale, and green cucumber - it was a lot of green!  I did add some red cherry tomatoes for color.  I would make this dish again - super simple, under half an hour to assemble, and filling.  Recommended.

Serves 1

1/4 cup extra-firm silken tofu (2 oz.)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 cup Pre-made Bulgur  (recipe above)
2/3 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1/4 cup chopped scallion whites (I used a shallot)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 ripe avocado
1 small garlic clove, grated
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, divided
1 1/2 cups torn stemmed lacinato kale
1/3 cup sliced English cucumber
1 thin red onion slice, halved

Process tofu and flour in a mini food processor until smooth. Add pre-made bulgur (recipe here); pulse until blended. Add peas, scallion, cumin, and 1/8 teaspoon salt; pulse until combined.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium. Shape pea mixture into 2 patties.; (They will be very soft but will firm up as they cook.) My note - just spoon/dollup directly into the pan, mixture is too soft to form into patties.; Add patties to skillet; gently flatten to 3/4-inch thickness. Cook until browned on bottom, 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully turn fritters, and cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes.

Mash avocado, garlic, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and a dash of salt until smooth.

Place kale in a bowl; drizzle with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil. Massage until lightly wilted. Add cucumber, onion, remaining 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and remaining dash of salt; toss to combine. Serve salad and fritters with mashed avocado.

Chickpea Pasta with Green peas (Ckng Lght, June 2018); vegan, vegetarian, gluten free
This was my least favorite dish due to the "pasta".  What a gummy mess that turned out to be.  You must have to stir the pasta constantly and/or keep it at a vigorous boil (like its about to boil over boil),  or do something special after you drain it.  I was not privy to these tips beforehand.

On the positive side, I have extra pasta so I get to try again.

Otherwise, a decent dish, good for summer or one of those evenings where you need something with minimal fuss.  

Serves 1

2 ounces uncooked chickpea spaghetti (such as Banza)
1/4 cup frozen green peas
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon plus a dash of kosher salt, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped unsalted roasted almonds
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Cook pasta in boiling water until almost al dente, about 5 minutes. Add green peas; cook until peas are warmed through and pasta is tender, about 1 minute. Drain pasta mixture, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Cover pasta mixture to keep warm.

Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-low. Add garlic; cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Add pasta mixture, pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 cup reserved cooking liquid; toss to combine. If necessary, add up to 1/4 cup additional cooking liquid to reach desired consistency.

Make the gremolata: Stir together parsley, almonds, lemon zest, and remaining dash of salt. Sprinkle over the pasta and serve immediately.


Kale and Spiced Chickpeas with Berries Salad (Ckng Lght, June 2018) gluten free, vegetarian, vegan
This was perhaps, our favorite recipe in the bunch.  So much so we brought it to a potluck later in the week.  This is light, refreshing, filling with a nice balance of tangy and sweet with neither being overpowering. 

photo from cookinglight.com

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups torn stemmed lacinato kale (about 2 oz.)
1/2 cup half-moon English cucumber slices
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
1/2 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1/2 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/3 cup Smoky Roasted Chickpeas
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped unsalted roasted almonds

Whisk together olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper in a medium bowl. Add kale, and massage gently until kale is lightly wilted. Add cucumber, raspberries, strawberries, and bell pepper; toss well to coat. Arrange salad on a plate; top with Smoky Roasted Chickpeas and almonds.

Recipe Review from 5/28/2018 Part I

Memorial Day weekend gave me the opportunity to explore a "3 Day Gut Health Makeover" menu by Cooking Light.  Gist of the menu is, to give the bacteria in your digestive system a re-boot or boost, by eating a combination of high fiber and high pro-biotic foods.  I just thought the recipes sounded good, I had the time, and the menu was perfect for the long weekend.   I didn't follow the menu exactly - we went out for lunch once, and the portion sizes were a bit all over the place so there were leftovers that needed to be eaten.  Which meant, a three day menu stretched out to a week plus.

Because this is rather recipe intensive review, I broke this up into three parts over three separate reviews.  Actually four reviews - part of this slid over into next weeks meal plan. 

The Meal Plan:
Sat  (L) Tabbouleh with Avocado   (S) leftover taco salad
Sun (L) leftover tabbouleh   (S) leftover tabbouleh with hummus sandwich

Mon (L)  green pea fritters and salad  (S) Chickpea pasta with peas
Tues (L) out     (S)  Kale Salad with chickpeas and berries

Wed - Summary Lentil Soup
Thurs (yoga) - leftovers
Fri - Broccoli mac n cheese


Smokey Roasted Chickpeas  (Ckng Lght June, 2018)  gluten free, vegetarian
Easy, tasty, interesting as a topping in several recipes. 
 

photo from cookinglight.com

1 (15-oz.) can unsalted chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Spread chickpeas on several layers of paper towels, and pat dry. Spread in an even layer on a small rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with oil, and shake pan to coat. Bake at 400°F 30 minutes.

Remove pan from oven. Sprinkle chickpeas evenly with paprika, salt, and cayenne pepper; stir well. Return to oven, and bake at 400°F until chickpeas are very crisp and crunchy (but not burned), 15 to 20 minutes.

Cool completely; store in an airtight container up to 1 week.


Simply Seasoned Bulgur (Ckng Lght, June 2018) gluten free, vegetarian
This dish is for the Bulgur Breakfast Bowls and Tabbouleh with Avocado below; Wasn't as "fluffy" as some other variations I've tried, but still easy enough.

photo from cookinglight.com

Makes 4 - 1/2 cup portions

1 1/3 cups water
2/3 cup uncooked bulgur
2 teaspoons olive oil
3/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Bring 1 1/3 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high. Stir in bulgur; cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 12 minutes. Remove from heat, and let stand, covered, 10 minutes. Uncover. Drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with salt. Fluff with a fork to combine.


Strawberry Bulgur Bowl  (Ckng Lght, June 2018)  gluten free, vegetarian
This dish is from a 3-day Gut Health Makeover from the June issue of Cooking Light.  The recipes intrigued me, plus I had a long weekend what with Memorial Day, so this seemed like something to try.   One note - I skipped the almond milk and used regular.  I'm not a fan of "fake milk" for myself. 

This was a nice change from oatmeal.  I added a splash of almond extract to boost the almond flavor.  You can easily substitute another berry for strawberries in this.  I liked how the dates provided the sweetness - something I might explore with our oatmeal.   Recommended.

photo from cookinglight.com

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk  (I used regular milk)
2 dates, pitted and finely chopped 
3/4 cup Simply Seasoned Bulgur
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup halved small strawberries  (or fresh berries of choice)
2 tablespoons unsalted roasted almonds, chopped

Place almond milk and dates in a small saucepan; mash dates with a fork to break them up and incorporate them into milk. Add Simply Seasoned Bulgur. Cook over medium, stirring often, until mixture just comes to a simmer. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla.
Spoon bulgur mixture into a bowl. Top with strawberries and almonds.


Tabbouleh with Avocado  (Ckng Lght, June 2018)  gluten free, vegan
This uses the bulgur made in the recipe above. 

I didn't measure the ingredients exactly, plus I had doubled to serve two of us, and somehow I ended up with enough to make three meals.  I really liked this variation on tabbouleh, but then I really like avocado.  The chickpeas were a nice addition, adding a bit of spicy crunchiness.    Recommended. 

photo from cookinglight.com

2/3 cup chopped English cucumber
1 medium tomato, chopped (about 2/3 cup)
1/2 cup Simply Seasoned Bulgur
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley  (I forgot the parsley)
1/4 cup finely chopped lacinato kale
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion   (I omitted)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 ripe avocado, chopped
1/3 cup Smoky Roasted Chickpeas

Combine cucumber, tomato, Simply Seasoned Bulgur, parsley, kale, and onion in a medium bowl. Drizzle with lemon juice and oil, and sprinkle with salt; toss well to combine. Gently fold in avocado. Arrange tabbouleh in a serving bowl or on a plate; sprinkle evenly with Smoky Roasted Chickpeas.

The Fallen by David Baldacci (Amos Decker #4)

The Fallen by David Baldacci

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: Amos Decker and his journalist friend Alex Jamison are visiting the home of Alex's sister in Barronville, a small town in western Pennsylvania that has been hit hard economically. When Decker is out on the rear deck of the house talking with Alex's niece, a precocious eight-year-old, he notices flickering lights and then a spark of flame in the window of the house across the way. When he goes to investigate he finds two dead bodies inside and it's not clear how either man died. But this is only the tip of the iceberg. There's something going on in Barronville that might be the canary in the coal mine for the rest of the country.

Faced with a stonewalling local police force, and roadblocks put up by unseen forces, Decker and Jamison must pull out all the stops to solve the case. And even Decker's infallible memory may not be enough to save them.

Read as an audio book.

Premise of the book is Amos and Alex are on vacation visiting Alex's family in Barronville, PA, when Amos stumbles across a murder. Against Alex's wishes, Amos starts to investigate. What he finds is Barronville is a complex mix of decades old resentments, an out of control opiod epidemic, and a new sorting facility that isn't quite what it seems. When Alex's sister's husband dies from a factory accident, and he and Alex are nearly killed in a trailer explosion, Amos knows he's on the right path.

I enjoyed this latest installment with some exceptions.

Alex persuades Amos into coming on vacation with her to visit Alex's family. Amos really didn't want to go and is bored (duh, it's not his family). Amos finds a murder to investigate and Alex is mad because "they" should be spending time with "her" family. After the sister's husband is murdered, Alex expects Amos (a stranger to the family) to help with funeral stuff, then gets mad when he doesn't. This whole Alex dynamic annoyed me. I would have much preferred if she had just let Amos go investigate while she hung out with her sister.

Over use of the term "bereaved" - maybe this doesn't come across in the print version, but on audio it was readily apparent. After Alex's sister's husband died, Amos kept referring to the "bereaved" (sister, daughter, Alex, extended family).

Twice in the novel the characters performed CPR - the author noted the vomiting correctly, however, Amos and Alex's sister wouldn't be moving all that fast due to cracked ribs. If CPR is performed correctly there will be cracked ribs from the chest compression's. Folks are gonna be sore. Real sore. As in you won't be sneezing or laughing for a while sore.

Zoe. I know five/six year olds are bright and precocious, but she did not talk like a five/six year old. Granted, part of this could be the narration, but I did question some of the child's sentence structures.

The animosity toward John Barron came across as almost implausible. Coming from a small down, and currently living in an economically depressed area, I can understand the resentment toward the "have's" from the "have not's", but in this case, the anger toward the Barron's and specifically John Barron felt over the top.

Those are a handful of items that detracted from the overall story. Overall, I did enjoy this, I thought the overreaching plot was engaging, I liked how Amos just keeps plugging away and putting pieces together until everything clicks into place, and I liked how this was done outside of the FBI Task Force. I figured at some point in the series Decker would have to address his memory and synesthesia and it's impermanence and he does so here.

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



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Recipe Review from 5/21/2018

Well, I got a little loosey-goosey with the meal plan this past week and don't remember what exactly I planned - or made - a couple of days so below is kind a guess.  Except the recipe, I definitely made that.


The Meal Plan:
Sat - leftover Mushroom burgers
Sun - leftover Mini Pizza's
Mon (yoga/bkgrp/legion) out
Tues - Black Bean Taco Salad
Wed - Brats
Thurs - leftover brats
Fri - Fish Fry
Sat - leftover salad

Lunches - hummus and fruit

Black Bean Taco Salad  (CrunchyCreamySweet Blog)  vegetarian, gluten free
Super simple to assemble, tastes great, perfect for a potluck, lunches, or for company on a hot summer evening.  I used frozen corn, thawed, in place of the canned corn and I didn't toss the salad with the dressing ahead of time because I knew I would have leftover and I don't like how the lettuce gets "soggy". 

I served with some leftover cornbread muffins I had in the freezer, but corn chips and salsa would be good too.  This would also be good with a grilled chicken breast for added protein. 

Photo from CrunchyCreamySweet blog

Recommended!

For the salad:

• 3 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
• 1 15 oz can black beans rinsed and drained well
• 1 15 oz can whole kernel sweet corn rinsed and drained well  (I used 2 cups frozen corn, thawed)
• 3 mini sweet red and orange peppers chopped
• 1/2 medium red onion chopped  (skipped, not a fan of onion breath...)

For the dressing:

• 1/2 cup sour cream  ( used drained greek yogurt)
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 3/4 tsp ground cumin

Place lettuce, black beans, sweet corn, peppers and onion in a large mixing bowl. Toss gently together.

In a mini blender, combine sour cream, salsa and cumin. Blend until smooth. Pour dressing over salad. Toss gently to coat.  (I mixed well with a whisk, then set aside until serving.  I didn't dress the salad ahead of time because I don't like everything getting soggy.)

Serve immediately or refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi

The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Jacket Blurb: The first novel of a new space-opera sequence set in an all-new universe by the Hugo Award-winning, New York Times-bestselling author of Redshirts and Old Man's War.

Our universe is ruled by physics and faster than light travel is not possible -- until the discovery of The Flow, an extra-dimensional field we can access at certain points in space-time that transport us to other worlds, around other stars.

Humanity flows away from Earth, into space, and in time forgets our home world and creates a new empire, the Interdependency, whose ethos requires that no one human outpost can survive without the others. It’s a hedge against interstellar war -- and a system of control for the rulers of the empire.

The Flow is eternal -- but it is not static. Just as a river changes course, The Flow changes as well, cutting off worlds from the rest of humanity. When it’s discovered that The Flow is moving, possibly cutting off all human worlds from faster than light travel forever, three individuals -- a scientist, a starship captain and the Empress of the Interdependency -- are in a race against time to discover what, if anything, can be salvaged from an interstellar empire on the brink of collapse.

Read for May scifi book group.

Classic Scalzi. Classic Space Opera. A fun and fast read.

Premise of the book is humanity is spread across the galaxy and is connected via the Interdependency and the Flow, a space travel concept that allows ships to move great distances in a relatively short period of time as compared to conventional travel. All planets, habitats and space stations fall under the rule of the Emperox and the Church, located at the Hub. The Interdependency has a new Emperox, one of the ruling Houses is making a bid to take over as Ruling house, and the Flow is about to collapse, stranding humanity again.

As I noted above, classic space opera. It's political intrigue and drama set across vast expanses of space. There is the Emperox, the Church, ruling families, the guild families, merchants, universities and everyone else. The beginning of this series (and it will be a series) has everything in flux - from the ascendancy of a new Emperox, the fall of the Flow, to the political maneuvers of a major ruling house and the counter moves from a major Guild house.

It's total brain candy. I loved it! And it's ok if you don't. That's the great thing about books - none of us are reading the same book.

The characters are varied, interesting, and kept me engaged. The back stabbing and political maneuvering was quite a lot of fun and helped to keep characters on their toes and the plot moving forward with alacrity.

I didn't worry about the "science" of the Flow. This is where the "fiction" part comes it. Not any different than say, trying to explain Warp Drive. It exists in this universe, except when it doesn't, and that's good enough for me.

As noted by the author, this is a Book One, so no surprise at the end when there is no overall resolution and threads are left floating in space. Thankfully, no obnoxious cliffhanger.

And with that I will say...recommended. If you enjoyed Old Man's War, you will probably enjoy this.



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Recipe Review from 5/14/2018

An uneventful week all around, so I'll hop right into recipe review!

The Meal Plan from the previous week:
Sat (L)  leftover tostadas    (S)  NE Smokehouse in Cloquet
Sun (B) Sausage Taquitos    (L) burgers   (S)  Mini pizzas
Mon  (yoga) leftover burgers
Tues - leftover pizzas
Wed - Grilled Vegetable salad with Tortellini
Thurs (yoga) leftovers
Fri  Leftovers

Lunches - fruit and hummus sandwiches

Egg and Sausage Breakfast Taquitos (Special Cuisine Recipe blog via Pinterest) gluten free
Moved a bit away from my usual lunch and supper recipes and tried something different this weekend - a breakfast wrap.  Yeah, yeah, it seems kinda silly to need a recipe for something as ridiculously simple as this, but I'm a recipe kinda gal and sometimes I just don't want to think about ratios.

The idea behind these is you can make them ahead and freeze for later.  I thought this might be worth a try, though I would either have to bring to work and microwave or thaw in the oven at home (I don't have microwave).  So we'll see how that works, if they get eaten or if they end up languishing a bit.

Now I will add, fresh out of the oven with some salsa on top, these were quite tasty.  I ended up with 10 taquitos, which if you are looking to feed a group would be easy to make and have sitting out.   If you have any vegetarians in the group, skip the sausage and add extra eggs.  Recommended!

I made 10 taquitos.

7 oz box Jones Dairy Farm sausage links  (I used a 16oz pkg locally sourced breakfast sausage)
5  large eggs  (ha!  I used closer to 10 eggs; 5 just wasn't enough)
salt and pepper
1 1/2  cups shredded cheese , cheddar, pepper jack or Monterey jack
1 cup baby spinach , chopped (optional)  I used cilantro
10  white corn tortillas , or use 6'' flour tortillas

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Add the frozen sausage links to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, turning occasionally, until warmed through.
3. Remove to a plate, leaving a little bit of the sausage grease in the pan.
4. Crack eggs into a bowl and add a splash of water or milk. Whisk well with a fork and then add to the pan.
5. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes, tossing and scrambling as they cook. (If using spinach, add it to the pan about 2 minutes before the eggs are done cooking.) Remove from heat.
6. Warm the tortillas inside of a damp paper towel for 10-15 seconds in the microwave.
7. Divide the scrambled eggs among the tortillas and top with shredded cheese.
8. Place a sausage link on top. Roll up and place, seam side down, on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper.
9. Spray lightly with cooking spray and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with salsa for dipping.

Recipe Notes
To Freeze: Prepare and bake the taquitos as directed. Allow to cool completely and then place in a freezer ziplock bag. When ready to eat, microwave them until warm.

Grilled Beef-Mushroom Burgers (Ckgn Lght June 2018)  gluten free
A bit of a departure for me, making beef burgers, but the recipe intrigued me so I thought what the heck?  I also thought about subbing buffalo for the burger, but it was nearly twice as much in price so I opted to go with grass-fed beef instead.

These were pretty tasty - if you are not a mushroom fan, or know someone who is not a mushroom fan, they won't even notice the 'shrooms.  I liked how these weren't on a bun, which I am finding are just filler (for me).  The taziki sauce had a bit of zing by the second day, so either cut back on the garlic or skip for those little or sensitive tastebuds. 

Made four burgers - two meals for two of us with a side.

4 ounces sliced button mushrooms

photo from cookinglight.com

1 pound 90% lean ground sirloin
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/3 cup chopped cucumber
1/4 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons minced roasted garlic (about 4 large cloves)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
8 large butter lettuce leaves
4 heirloom tomato slices  (I used a red bell pepper, cut into rings, because I had some on hand)
4 red onion slices

Preheat grill or a grill pan to medium-high (about 450°F). Place mushrooms in a food processor, and process until minced, about 1 minute.

Combine mushrooms, ground sirloin, oil, pepper, and 3/8 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl; gently shape into 4 (4-inch) patties, and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Stir together cucumber, yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, and remaining 3/8 teaspoon salt in a small bowl; set aside.

Place burgers on grill grate, and grill, uncovered, to desired degree of doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium.

Place 2 lettuce leaves on each plate; top each with a burger patty, tomato slice, red onion slice, and 1 heaping tablespoon yogurt mixture.


Mini Pizzas (Ckng Lght, June 2018) lots o' options
This recipe caught my eye for it's simplicity.  There are lots of variations on this floating around, and, because it's "pizza", you can do what ever you want for toppings and crusts.  I used a lavash bread I bought at the co-op for the crust and combined it with co-op pizza sauce and shredded cheese mix (which I purchase to make a regular homemade pizza).   Toppings were red pepper, pepperoni and mushroom.   Then I tossed the pizzas on the grill - which worked only so-so.  I  was concerned about the crust burning and ended up finishing under the broiler. 

So, base recipe below.  I greatly modified.  This is a good way to use up leftovers. 

4 whole-wheat pita rounds

1 (4-oz.) link sweet Italian turkey sausage, casing removed
1/2 cup lower-sodium marinara sauce
4 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
1 large plum tomato, thinly sliced
1 (2 1/4-oz.) can sliced black olives, drained

Preheat broiler to high with oven rack in top position.

 

Place pitas on a baking sheet. Broil until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Remove baking sheet from oven; turn pitas over. Do not turn off oven.

Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add sausage, and cook, stirring to crumble, until no longer pink, 4 to 5 minutes.

Spread 2 tablespoons marinara over each pita. Top evenly with cheese, sausage, tomato, and olives. Broil until cheese melts and browns in spots, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

Happy Forever-home Day!

8 years ago today, Andy came home to stay!

He was a bit dubious about his new family.

He had to learn his manners, potty training, and a new name. 

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

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

Andy says life is pretty good.

Happy Forever-Home Day!

One year ago today, Kepler came home to stay!

He was so little!  

But he grew a bit...

And a bit more...

And here we are, one year later!  Such a handsome boy!  

Visitor by CJ Cherryh (Foreigner #17)

Visitor by C.J. Cherryh

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: The seventeenth novel in Cherryh’s Foreigner space opera series, a groundbreaking tale of first contact and its consequences…

The human and atevi inhabitants of Alpha Station, orbiting the world of the atevi, have picked up a signal from an alien kyo ship telling them that the ship is inbound toward Alpha. Five thousand of the inhabitants of Alpha are human refugees from the now derelict Reunion Station. They have seen this scenario before, when a single kyo ship swooped into the Reunion system and, without a word, melted a major section of Reunion Station with a single pass. These refugees, who were rescued through the combined efforts of an allied group of humans and atevi and brought to safety at Alpha, are now desperate with fear.

Bren Cameron—brilliant human emissary of Tabini-aiji, the powerful atevi political leader on the mainland below, and also the appointee of the human president of the island nation of Mospheira—is the obvious choice of representative to be sent up to deal with both the panicked refugees and the incoming alien ship.

As a member of the spacefaring delegation who rescued the refugees, Bren has talked to kyo before—and even won their trust by saving one of their kind from a Reunioner prison. Because of his remarkable diplomatic and linguistic abilities, Bren managed to communicate with that grateful kyo individual on a limited basis, and he has evidence that that same kyo is on the ship heading to defenseless Alpha Station.

But no one can predict what an alien race might do, or what their motivations could be.

And Bren Cameron, the only human ever to be accepted into atevi society, is now the one individual with a hope of successfully interacting with the crew of the incoming ship. But Bren knows it will take putting himself in the hands of the kyo.

Can Bren count on the gratitude of one individual alien to save his life and the lives of thousands on Alpha Station?

The saga continues. The Kyo are coming for reason's unknown, there is a simmering rebellion on the Space Station, and tensions are running high all around. But tensions are always running high.

This was not my favorite installment; this one felt more like like a transition book than any previous book: a Two Towers kinda transition book, where the sole purpose was to move the characters from point A to B so the greater plot can move forward. There was lots of backstory, quite a bit of internal reflecting, and numerous info dumps.

What I did observe in this book is Bren delegating more or letting others do their jobs, that he stepped back from tasks that were more appropriately left to others. Gin Kroger tackles the Space Station and the Reunioner issue. Jase Graham acts as liaison between Bren and the other Senior Pilots, Caijeri is tasked with hosting and seeing to the comforts of his small association (Irene, Gene, and the rest) and their families who were pulled from the tunnels and Reunioner side at the end of the previous book.

I truly enjoy Caijeri and Ajii-ma's viewpoints. After so much Bren-angst and interospection, the young ajii's outlook is refreshingly different.

The bit with the Kyo felt like the author was wrapping up a sub-plot line, and it was here where the one bright gem in this book lies that makes reading the book worthwhile. Other than the fact that it's a Foreigner book...

It also seemed like there were a lot of sub-plots left dangling while the Kyo issue is concluded, so I can only assume those will be addressed in the next book.

Recommended with reservations if you've been reading the series. New to Foreigner? You need to start at the beginning. These are not stand alone books. Tho this one came close with the sheer amount of backstory and info dumping.



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Recipe Review from 5/7/2018

A fairly quiet and uneventful week.   It was super nice out at the start of the week, then the temperature dropped and it rained, rain cleared and temps stayed in the 50's.  Trees are leaving out, I see my early iris and crocus are coming up, and after that rain the grass is greening up a bit.

Only one new recipe this week: the Mediterranean bowls from the previous week made enough to slide us into this meal plan.  Then we did a very simple roast chicken for one meal, not much to say there.  Leftover shredded chicken from the Mediterranean bowls and the roast chicken was turned into BBQ sandwiches.   But the tostadas, I'm going to rave about those below!

The Meal Plan from last week:
Sun (L)  leftover Mediterranean bowls    (S)  Roast Chicken with potatoes and carrots    
Mon (yoga)  leftover roast chicken
Tues (yoga) pulled chicken BBQ sandwiches
Wed - Refried Bean tostadas
Thurs (yoga) leftover BBQ
Fri - leftover tostadas


Refried Bean Tostadas with Cabbage Slaw (Ckng Lght, May 2018)  gluten free, vegetarian option
These were very good and will be making repeated appearances on the menu for those weeks when we need something quick and simple.  I loved the bright flavors and ease of prep. 

A couple of modifications:

• I subbed regular refried beans for the black refried beans.  One, I had a can on hand and two, the husband doesn't care for black beans.  
• I subbed regular jarred salsa for the pico de gallo.   
• I made my own cabbage slaw, working on the principal that *I'm* the one chopping the food, not a factory.   This also has the advantage that you can make just the amount you need for that meal - the slaw wasn't the most attractive as leftovers.  It was completely edible, but the vinaigrette kinda made it wilty.  
• I can never find queso fresco, so I subbed a different Mexican cheese. 

The Husband also doesn't care for hard shells.  I had some leftover soft shells in the fridge that I warmed up which worked just fine - more of a softshelled bean taco than a tostada.

Recommended!  

1 (15.4-oz.) can lower-sodium refried black beans (can easily sub vegetarian options)

(I used regular refried black beans)

photo from CookingLight.com

1/2 cup pico de gallo, drained
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 (10-oz.) pkg. shredded cabbage
1 cup thinly sliced radishes
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
6 (5-inch) corn tostada shells
6 ounces queso fresco (fresh Mexican cheese), crumbled (about 1 1/2 cups)
Torn fresh cilantro

Combine beans and pico de gallo in a small saucepan. Cook over medium, stirring often, until hot, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and cover to keep warm.

Whisk together oil, vinegar, oregano, and salt in a large bowl. Add cabbage, radishes, tomatoes, and onion; toss to combine. Let stand 5 minutes.

Spread each tostada shell with 1/3 cup bean mixture; top each with 1 cup cabbage mixture and 1/4 cup queso fresco. Garnish with torn cilantro, if desired.

The First Family by Michael Baldacci (Sean and Michelle #4)

First Family by David Baldacci

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: A daring kidnapping turns a children's birthday party at Camp David, the presidential retreat, into a national security nightmare.

Former Secret Service agents turned private investigators, Sean King and Michelle Maxwell don't want to get involved. But years ago Sean King saved the First Lady's husband, then a senator, from political disaster. Now the president's wife presses Sean and Michelle into a desperate search to rescue a kidnapped child. With Michelle still battling her own demons, the two are pushed to the limit, with forces aligned on all sides against them--and the line between friend and foe impossible to define ... or defend.

Round up to 3.5 stars

Read as an audio book.

This installment seemed to be about everyone but Sean. Michelle is still reeling from her mental breakdown in the previous book compounded by the unexpected death of her Mother. When she starts to question the circumstances in which her deceased mother was found, Michelle quickly decides it was murder and unfortunately, everything is pointing at her Father. Sean was kinda relegated to the sidelines as Michelle works through the past in order to unravel the present.

Then there is Sam Quarry, who has spent years working to right the wrong that was done to his daughter, leaving her brain dead in her 20's. Sam has kidnapped a woman and a twelve year old girl and set into motion events that go all the way to the White House. A lot of the story was about him prepping for the final confrontation.

I thought this got a little long and predictable. I wasn't thrilled with the whole Michelle business in the previous book, and I wasn't exactly excited about it here. Still to much "damsel in distress" syndrome. I know it needed a resolution, but, meh. Whatever.

Quite about revolved around Jane Cox and her Husband, the President. I thought the author did a pretty good job of showing her transformation from worried Aunt to a determined power hungry and arrogant woman. Which was a refreshing change from the power-hungry arrogant male antagonist we so frequently read about. By the end of the book, I was totally detesting Jane Cox.

And as usual, a few points niggled at me - the circumstances under which Michelle's mother's was found dead, a single spot of blood on the floor and no dent in the car. I'm fairly certain a person could smack their head into the side of a car and not dent it - older cars were built like tanks and modern cars are mean to be more resilient. Our heads, however, are not. Not saying I'm right or wrong here, just that I have my doubts.

I seriously didn't care for the business of Michelle returning to the family's previous home over and over and over. This is just my opinion, but it just made the book drag out. And I was never certain if she actually saw her father there just after her Mother died and I don't think it was explained during the conflict resolution. I could be wrong, I do miss things if my mind wanders while listening to an audio book. At any rate, this whole plot thread was played out and we can thankfully move on.

Even with the length of the book and the two disparate plot lines (Michelle's Mother and Sam Quarry), the ending made up for much of the middle. A nice little sucker punch plot twist at the end.

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



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