Simple Pleasures

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Books, books, books! I’m working my way down and around my reading list, and what I’ve been reading has inspired and informed what I’m cooking. The cooler weather hasn’t hurt either – I finally turned on the oven.

I’ve been reading memoirs – not what I usually read – but memoirs by food personalities take me to my “happy place.” They warm my heart with their passion for food. While there’s a whole lot I can’t eat, I’m savoring what I can, and experimenting more.

It all began with Ina Garten’s newest book, her memoir. I’ve been a fan since early 2000’s (I even wrote about her in my book) I’ve always wanted to meet her!
She and I had the same spirit-crushing fathers – they even had the same name: Melvin! But she had such deep trust in herself, that she took risks over and over again. With tons of hard work, and the loving support and trust of her husband, she has succeeded wildly on her own terms.

Stanley Tucci. What else can I say besides I have a total crush on the guy?
If you have not seen “The Big Night” or “Julie & Julia,” do so. Both passionate movies about delicious food and the people preparing it. Besides being a great cook, Tucci’s a consummate story-teller and a talented artist. His book is like taking a vacation in Italy.

Speaking of storytellers, I got to hear the fabulous Ruth Reichl read from her then new book “Comfort Me with Apples” at the Texas Book Festival in 2002. I was gifted a ticket to the Gala dinner and she was one of the three authors who read to us. She was the one I enjoyed most, because while I’ve always loved food and cooking, she displayed a passion in her writing, and reading, about food that I’d never experienced before. I just finished Apples, a memoir at that point in her life, and look forward to reading “Save Me the Plums,” her latest memoir about her ten years of running the glamorous Gourmet magazine.

All of this reading about food and recipes got me back in the kitchen after months when I just didn’t care. Adjusting to a new (more restricted) diet, and dealing with 110 degree heat, the last thing I wanted to do was cook anything intricate. However, a few cool nights and a few great books was all it took to get me jazzed again.

Reading Gourmet magazine online, they shared a new type of squash called Honeynut. It’s like a baby butternut squash; but richer, sweeter, and smaller with an edible skin. They are everything the magazine claimed they were, but after trying the skin, and not liking it, I just scraped the creamy flesh out and ate that.

I followed the microwave directions after cutting it in half (easily!) and in five minutes I was enjoying it with lunch. These squash are going to make a great soup, too. I stumbled upon mine at Costco.

And last, but not least, I made my wonderful gluten-free brownies last weekend since we had a little cool spell. I love a simple well-made brownie, maybe add a few toasted chopped walnuts or pecans. But it had been a while since I gussied up my brownies by adding teaspoons of room temperature all-natural unsweetened almond butter.


From top left, the plain batter. Then add scant teaspoons of almond butter evenly around batter, taking a butter knife, drag it through the batter making long swirly designs. Bake as always, until the tiniest bit gooey in the center, but a toothpick comes out clean.

Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack or else they won’t hold their shape. It’s hard to wait, I know, but it will be worth it.
You can do this with your favorite brownie mix or home recipe. Peanut butter (chunky or creamy) are both delicious also.

I hope I’ve offered you some great reads and great food ideas. My birthday is next Wednesday, and my sweetie and I are heading to San Antonio for a romantic getaway. We have a couple of favorite restaurants we want to revisit – it’s been since the pandemic that we’ve been back there. I’m looking forward to strolling along the Museum Reach-end of the Riverwalk. It is always wonderful because it’s so much less crowded than the middle of downtown. I’ll tell you all about it next time.

Thank you for being here,

XO Donna

WRITERS & READERS

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I didn’t know that it was William Butler Yeats who said, “Things fall apart, the center cannot hold.” I thought it was Joan Didion. In fact, it was the title of a 2017 documentary about her life and work entitled, “The Center Will Not Hold.” And I can relate to that feeling… things are getting better, but life now is still two steps forward and one back. I’ve found a lot of pleasure lately in reading because I can finally relax and enjoy it.

After having had the attention-span of a gnat for most of this year – and consequently being unable to read, now I’m reading lots of great blogs, watching good documentaries (Joan Didion, above) have read five books in quick succession. And I’m also studying both Spanish and French!

My sisters and I formed our own Book Club intending to read a bunch of Murder/Mysteries – a genre we all like. We each bought Susan Juby’s “Mindful of Murder,” and I think everyone enjoyed it, but I’m not sure.
What’s not to like about an engaging-ex-Buddhist-nun-turned-butler solving crimes? The book takes place in the Pacific Northwest at a stunning retreat center. I learned a lot about being a butler, which is a career I didn’t know existed here in the U.S. But, it’s a thing!

Our book club didn’t quite come together as planned, the phrase “like herding cats,” is what comes to mind. I went on to read the next book, “A Meditation on Murder,” by myself, but didn’t enjoy it as much because I really had no interest in a bunch of young people whose only goal in life is becoming influencers and being mean girls along the way. So, I wouldn’t recommend this one. Her first was more satisfying.

Next I read a memoir called, “Men Have Called Her Crazy,” by Anne Marie Tendler, a NYT bestseller. I downloaded it to my Kindle (I actually prefer books on paper, but wanted instant gratification) and read it in one day. It gets a lot of bad reviews, and I didn’t realize that she had been married to John Mulvaney, a stand-up comic, until the end of the book. The author has serious mental health issues (to wit, she was married to John Mulvaney) and so checked herself into a psychiatric hospital. Maybe it’s not a topic for everyone, but I enjoyed her style, if not necessarily all of her thought processes. But, she’s young, and has lots more growing-up to do.

As you can see, I keep wonderfully detailed, well-organized lists of books I want to read. Joking! But I have lots to choose from, and am always open to your suggestions. I just downloaded “A Visit from the Goon Squad,” by Jennifer Egan. It has earned 11,588 4-star reviews and is a National Book Critics Circle Winner. We’ll see. And, after that, “The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store,” by James McBride.

I’d like to acknowledge the passing of Dame Maggie Smith – I’m not sure why, but her death had me crying all day. She was my favorite on Downton Abbey, and I admired her greatly. We rewatched the films “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” and “Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” last week. If you’ve not seen them, I can recommend both whole-heartedly. There aren’t many fun-filled, thoughtful, movies made about older adults and the changes that come with living a long life. These two films will bring a big smile to both your face… and your heart. I promise!

XO Donna

TURN, TURN, TURN

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“To everything turn turn turn, there is a season turn turn turn,
A time to be born, a time to die. A time to build up, a time to break down..”

Well, it must be true, because both my stove and microwave have broken down. All of the appliances were installed with the house in 2013 – just ten years ago, but perhaps that’s the life expectancy of things these days.

We’ve already had to replace the kitchen faucet, which seemed like a fun project, but wasn’t, at all. Two faucets, and three visits from the plumber later, we have one that works. Kind of.

We also replaced the heating element in the oven. Things were taking longer than I thought they should to cook. Was it the oven, or was it just me? I bought an oven thermometer which told me the oven was fine. A few days later I was baking a large gluten-free carrot cake. When the timer went off, telling me the cake was done, I was met by a hot mess! The finicky heating element had finally given out.

Now a burner on the glass-top stove heats, then doesn’t. Heats, then doesn’t. Like someone driving with one foot on the gas and one on the brake.
At least I have three other burners. The nuke however, won’t heat at all and sounds like it’s about to blast-off into outer space when you turn it on. I didn’t realize how much I rely on it, until it quit working.

Well, time to move! Kidding. Actually, not kidding.

For a while we have been talking about downsizing even further, and moving to our “forever home.” We realized that neither of us would want to live here without the other. We’ve realized that we don’t enjoy yardwork anymore, so we discussed another apartment – no maintenance – even going to tour an over-55 complex that would be like living in a luxury hotel. Concierge, croissants and coffee in the morning! But they were tiny and expensive and their pool was mostly in the shade..

We looked at another complex that was beautiful, with both veggie and flower gardens, a beautiful pool and patio set-up, large balconies, and friendly staff… but it was far from everything… out in a cow pasture. We put the idea of an apartment on a back burner. Fitting analogy.

Then, around the holidays a friend called to say hello. He used to live three blocks from my cottage in downtown Austin. I asked how things were going and he told me he’d sold his house and moved into an apartment that he’d worked on back in the late 80’s. He’s a landscape architect. I know the area, but had never noticed the apartments – turns out they are tucked back in the woods and some even overlook a canyon and preserve.

Intrigued, we arranged for a tour of a couple different floor plans and explored the grounds, visiting with my/our friend for a bit afterward. He said the tenants tend to be older professionals, lots of retired folks, and it’s a quiet place. He seemed very content there. Could we be?

.

Since then we’ve been talking about the things we like , and I did a “pros and cons” list. There are 15 items on the “pros” side, one of which is a gas stove and oven. And of the 3 things on the “cons” side, only one of them is a real drag – moving!

The apartment would be close to our kids, so we’d get to see them more often. And great food and shopping are within a couple of miles in all directions.
It seems like it could be a very nice area to grow older. And speaking of that, my sweetie celebrated his eightieth birthday last week! We went out for a delicious dinner and our favorite cake on the planet – Whiskey Cake. It’s based on a British sticky toffee pudding topped with spicy roasted nuts and a cremé anglais. The cake itself isn’t like anything we’ve ever had before. Perfect for celebrating a man like no other!

The adventure continues. Tomorrow I am having a half-price sale on everything in my Etsy shop: etsy.com/shop/fairviewphotos

Great, and grateful, to talk to y’all again.
XO Donna

GOOD THINGS

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Since I last posted, I had a birthday and turned 71. Unimaginable! If you’re not there yet, it’s just fine, I don’t suddenly feel “old.”
Old is absolutely a state of mind, a way of looking at life. A choice. And one I am not choosing.

To celebrate, we had a delicious lunch out – yes, in a public place! I have been hesitant to go any place without a mask for a long time, despite being vaxxed and boosted, and having had both a flu and pneumonia shot. As Dr. Fauci said, “An over-abundance of caution.”
I love that, and I think he’s pretty cute, too. So, I’m finally dipping my toes in the water.

The restaurant we chose was spacious, with lots of room between the tables, so I felt safe. The building was originally the old city post office here in Georgetown which has been newly renovated into a modern and elegant space, with tall charcoal wainscoting and soaring ceilings. There’s even a grand piano in the main dining room, which could be another wonderful reason to return.

As a reminder of its past-life, they’ve left a bank of post boxes in the entry foyer. We used them as a backdrop for our photo. I always judge a restaurant by the state of it’s Ladies Room – and it was immaculate and beautifully appointed. Add a daybed and it would make a lovely boudoir. Gave me some decorating ideas!

My dear friend Mike, (on right) whom you’ve met before, came with us to celebrate our Scorpio birthdays! We’ve been doing this for years. I’m lucky to have him in my life. The three of us were seated in a spacious, yet still cozy, booth. The food was great, and our waitress was on top of every single thing, a delight in this age of indifferent service. We even met and chatted with the manager. As were were leaving our waitress took this photo of us. Another great birthday on the books!

I’m a big BBC and Masterpiece fan, and I have a couple of things to recommend. First, “Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont,” was a joy. It stars Joan Plowright, who strikes up a sweet (not romantic) friendship with a young writer. It turns out they have more in common with each other – despite the age difference – than they do with people their own ages. I really love the theme of intergenerational friendships. Living in a place where everyone is the same age, I really miss having that, as I did when I worked.
In my rating system, I give this movie 5 hearts.

Next is “Enola Holmes.” Do I mean Holmes, like? Yes, Mycroft and Sherlock’s Holmes younger sister. A wonderful, exciting romp about a young girl who was unconventionally raised, then abandoned, by her suffragette, firebrand mother – played by Helena Bonham Cater.
Enola struggles to find her place, though her gift is undeniable, and eventually, after lots of adventures and misadventures, all becomes clear. It’s in two parts, and worth watching on your own, but it would be fun to watch with kids old enough (10+) to follow the plot and be inspired by the lessons learned. Especially liberating for young girls. This movie gets another 5 hearts.

And last, but not least, I am anxiously awaiting a new film starring Bill Nighy. You know him, of course – he played the aging rock star in “Love Actually.” (Which you must put on the top of your holiday watchlist!)
I believe I have seen everything he’s ever acted in, he’s that good and that watchable. The new film is called, “Living,” which comes out here in the States on December 23, after its debut at Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.

The film has an amazing pedigree: inspired by the 1886 novella The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Tolstoy, with a screenplay by Kazuo Ishiguro, the Nobel and Booker prize winner who wrote The Remains of the Day. It’s set in the 1950s about a civil servant who has dutifully trudged through life, and upon finding out he has cancer, and not a lot of time left, decides to make his remaining time count. If anyone can make this beautiful, it’s Nighy. I can’t wait…. c’mon Santa!

For now, I wish you all a lovely Thanksgiving, and a safe journey if you’re traveling. I am thankful that you are all at the other end of this post, reading and maybe learning some fun new things. I look forward to hearing how your Thanksgiving went.

And, if you are a Black Friday fan, I’ve got a sale running in my shop, starting Friday with Free Shipping, no code needed. Here’s the address.
I’ve been told the link didn’t work, but you can copy and paste, or just type this out. Thanks to Trish for letting me know!

etsy.com/shop/fairviewphotos

XO Donna