Noteworthy Nonfiction

Hey, A,

Laundry is done, housecleaning still awaits, but I thought I'd write (and read) a bit before continuing with chores. It's only 6:30 after all....(vacation rocks!)

I ran a couple of errands earlier in the day before I did my laundry and was almost tempted into running out again (I started craving mussels--random), but decided I needed to stay focused. Furthermore, I had defrosted some chicken to make curried chicken salad and it would have been a waste to go with the craving. I'm so glad I stuck with the chicken, as it was delicious. The recipe came from my Everything TJs cookbook from C. It calls for Thai Yellow Curry sauce (which I already had on hand in the fridge) and mango ginger chutney (which I picked up on Saturday when I went to TJs with my gift certificate). Rather than add grapes, I added Craisins (because I had them) and some candied walnuts; and I had it on a nice roll that I had in the freezer (instead of buying pita). To bring a long story back down to size, the chicken salad was delicious and I'd make it again, I'd even serve it to guests, and I'll keep using Ina Garten's tip of roasting skin-on, bone-in chicken breast rubbed with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper when I make any chicken salad. It's tasty and inexpensive, and the skin is a nice little snack. Oink Oink.

I think I'll do mussels on Wednesday night, as my New Year's Eve treat. W doesn't like seafood much, and although he is coming down, he is not coming until New Years Day, so that will be a little something special to look forward to for my solo celebration. It's all good.

D read The Glass Castle and loved it. She told me all about it and found it riveting as well. I still have not picked it up, but thought I might put it on my list of things to read. I do read non-fiction on occasion, and that seems worth the read. I am actually reading non-fiction right now, a book I got for Christmas from L, recommended by D, called Garlic and Sapphires. It's by Ruth Reichl, whose Tender at the Bone you gave me years ago and I loved. This one is about her years as a food critic at the New York Times. So although it's homework of a sort, I love her and think she's a great writer. She could make day old, dried out boxed mac and cheese sound both scrumptious and sumptuous. In fact, she could probably get me to eat shoe leather. After I'm done with G and S, it's on to Wally Lamb's new tome, which should take me the better part of 2009....

So that's my day in a nut shell. I'll spend the rest of it reading and cleaning. I might also finish some writing I started a couple of days ago.

Have I mentioned how much I love vacation?????

Love,
Barb

PS I think the shoes would look great with jeans and a black top or black pants and fun color top. My two cents, so you can save yours from the Nordstrom monster.