tuesday truths...(the culinary edition)

► I ate roasted broccoli for the first time tonight and IT WAS SO GOOD.
How did I not know about this?  I tossed it with some olive oil, lemon juice,
smattering of salt and pepper and a heaping (yes, heaping...I can't help it)
spoonful of garlic.  And, even though I suspect I cooked just a tiny bit too long,
it was still SO GOOD.

►  I am not sure that I will ever remember how to spell broccoli. 
I get so confused on how many c's and how many l's.  Sigh.

► If you know me at all...you will know that I tend to order chicken fingers
when I go out to eat.  I love chicken fingers.  Or a chicken burger.  Fries.  No vegetables...
unless the vegetables are corn...I like corn.  Never any sauce for my chicken fingers.  Just salt please. 

I tried sweet and sour sauce tonight though...and I liked it.

My taste buds must be growing up!

►  In the past month, I have eaten pretty much a full family size box of chicken fingers
BY MYSELF.  Mostly with 5 minute fries.  Always with a can of diet coke.  That's healthy, right?  I mean, sometimes there's corn.

► OH!  & totally not related to food....but AJ  Finn liked my tweet about his book!  :)

whatcha readin'? {2018::books 1, 2 and 3 - goal 24}

First week of February and already
I have gotten 3 books under my belt.
Maybe I will actually hit 24 this year!

I read the last two Harry Potter books in January...
and I know I said this already,
but I was surprised at how much I loved them.
And also surprised when I caught myself
crying
at one point.
I won't say what point...but there were definite tears
and maybe a few loud sniffles.

I read "the woman in the window" in pretty much
one sitting.
It's one of those fast paced what-is-going-on
who-did-that-what-will-happen-next kind of books.
It reminded me a little of Gone Girl...
dark and riveting and fast.
I would definitely recommend.

5 out of 5 ♥♥♥♥♥'s (for all three!  that's a good way to start the year!)

NEXT UP:  HOW READING CHANGED MY LIFE - ANNA QUINDLEN

what about you?  what's keep you up reading at night?

wordless wednesday...

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tuesday truths {the "winter makes me bitter" edition}

☼☼☼
i hate being cheated
out of the promise of a good storm day.
i love a good storm day.
what is the point of living in a place
with bitter cold winters
if you can't get a good storm day once in a while.

and today...i felt cheated.
i'm still bitter.

☼☼☼
i am failing spectacularly
at almost
all
of my new years resolutions...
ALREADY.
it's been so long since i have been to the gym,
i think i forget where it is.
i am existing on diet coke and mike and ikes.
no sauna.
no board games.
no eating healthier.
sigh.
winter does this to me.
i just want to wrap myself in
layers of fuzzy blankets
and sleep
until the sun comes out...

☼☼☼
i may have created a new playlist
consisting of mainly power ballads
and one country song
at 3 am the other night
when i couldn't sleep...
 

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whatcha readin' special edition...the 2017 summary

My goal for 2017 was to read 24 books.
In all honesty, I was SURE that I was going to be able to do it
because I wasn't doing any weddings...
and yet...I still did not hit it.

but...I came pretty close...22 books!

the year before was 19 so it's a progression...
a slow one, but a progression nonetheless.

I also said I was going to re-read all of Lucy Maud Montgomery's books.
I read 2.
But that wasn't a 2017 goal.
That's an ongoing one.

I did want to read all of the Harry Potter books
and I DID IT.
Not all in 2017 but a good portion of them...and finished the
last two in 2018.
That was a bucket list item so yay!  :)

Here is how I felt about the remaining books I read in 2017:

◘  Harry Potter (I am not going to link them here because I am pretty sure you know where to find them) - I have to say...I completely loved these books.  I was re-reading the first couple but then the rest were new to me.  I loved them.   The characters, the writing, the imagination, the twists and turns...Dobby...Dumbledore...Dursleys...so many fun words to say.
♥♥♥♥♥ out of 5 ♥s

◘  Sharp Objects - Gillian Flynn:  I enjoyed this but not as much as I had liked Gone Girl.  It might have been the subject matter though.  I have a soft spot for kids. :)  Still a great read though!
♥♥♥♥ out of 5 ♥s

◘  Before You Know Kindness - Chris Bohjalian:  I really, really loved this.  His writing is beautiful and the characters always feel so real.  The story pulled me in and made me wonder what I would have done.  Great read!
♥♥♥♥ out of 5 ♥s

◘  The Mothers - Brit Bennett:  The truth is I knew nothing about this book or author.  It was right after the library took a chance and gave me a new library card and this was an e-book that was available so I read it.  And I was glad that I did. 
♥♥♥♥ out of 5 ♥s

◘  Dark Places - Gillian Flynn:  I liked this one more than Sharp Objects and slightly less than Gone Girl.  Definitely carried you along wanted to know what was going to happen. 
♥♥♥♥ out of 5 ♥s

◘  Witches of New York - Ami McKay:  I love her writing.  And the subject matter.  And the cover.  And the era it was written in.  And her characters.  All in all...I loved this book.  I want to read more by her!
♥♥♥♥♥ out of 5 ♥s

and that was what I read in 2017!  Looking forward to reading even more in 2018...
and definitely open to suggestions!