January 27, 2017

Monthly Book Review: Jan 2017

I got down to business this month.

The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom - follows an Irish immigrant girl as she straddles the worlds of slaves and "big house whites". This was very thought provoking and a good fictional perspective of an era I'm not as familiar with - slavery; a very sad mark in American history with repercussions that can still be seen/felt.

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly - I love me a WWII era book and this did not disappoint. The lives of three women intersect - east coast socialite, Polish prisoner on a mission to grow up too fast and German concentration camp doctor.

You by Caroline Kepnes - Whoa! Narrated in the first person about an intense infatuation. Takes "stalker" to a whole new level. Witty, disturbing and clever. I'll be reading the follow up. Note: explicit so not for the faint of heart.

The English German Girl by Jake Wallis Simons - a German girl is sent to England to pave the way for the rest of her Jewish family. I enjoyed the first half much more than the second - it never ceases to puzzle me how the Nazi regime was allowed to vilify an entire race of people no matter how educated, loyal or affiliated with their religion they were. Sad - this is why we must pay attention to international atrocities and mind our biases at home.

Next up:
Everybody Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes

January 26, 2017

Morning Glory

I have a new breakfast addiction - avocado toast. I know the rest of the free world has already discovered this but we've established I am not an early adopter (nor likely a fast follower).

Here's how I love mine:
    Toasted sprouted grain bread (I will never go back to traditional sandwich bread - I love the texture and health benefits over whole wheat which are amino acids and bioavailability of vitamins/minerals)
    Spread with avocado half - split in half, twist apart, slice half without pit a few times lengthwise, scoop out with spoon and spread on warm toast (save the other half face down with pit in water and/or lemon/lime juice)

    Salt and pepper (I add balsamic vinegar sometimes)

    Onion slices

    Tomato slices

    Enjoy!!!

January 16, 2017

MLK 2017


“If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl. But whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.” –Martin Luther King, Jr.