Making a List and Checking it Twice...

I'm making a new list! In searching the internet for inspiration, I stumbled across some advice to live with your list for a week or so and check back over it before committing to it. So, that's what I'm doing. I'm announcing my new list for the sake of accountability and because I'm excited to be trying this again.

Some thoughts on this list business:

• I used the list last time to try to challenge me to do new things, rather than focusing on things that I could reasonably complete if only given a little push. Subtle, I know, but I think it was crucial in the problems with the list process.The next 1001 days are particularly hazy for me right now, so it's hard to figure out what is actually doable. This won't be clarified in the next week or so when I re-review the list, but I am trying to focus on things that are able to be finished rather than big items that will challenge me to do new things (tried that last time around, most things went un-done).
• I need to check in on my progress regularly. I'm not sure yet of the best way to do this but there are enough things that I want to do on a regular basis on this list to spur me along. I may mix in weekly round-ups about things like blog posts (spoiler alert: I am trying to do a lot of blogging this year...) with specific item posts. 
• I had plans to replace this whole list thing with a narrower focus month by month a la Gretchen Rubin's Happiness Project. Instead, that sort of project will be an item on the list. I still don't know what that will all look like, but I think it will be an interesting complement to this process and a way to spur me to work on these items.

So, I'm getting excited. List to come. More planning to come. A great 1001 (plus some) days to come.

Time Flies...Some Reflections on the Past 900-Some-Odd Days

It's been almost a year since I last updated this blog. I can't say that I've been tracking any of the items, but I have been tackling some of them. I've been cooking and reading, but not writing about it (or keeping track there either). I've been in and out of exercise and yoga routines, interrupted mainly by bouts of physical inability.

And in reviewing the list at this point, there are a lot of things that I wanted to focus on in principle, but didn't really make the time for in a way that was trackable. There are also a lot of experiences that I listed out as very specific items (that was, in fact, the rule of the project - get specific), but really just represent my general wish to have new experiences and try new things. I've been doing some of that this past year as well, again, just not tracking it.

I'm not giving up on finding a way to bring more of the kinds of experiences I'm wishing for into my life. And maybe even to track them. One of my biggest overarching goals was to write more, whether it is for a formal audience as in this blog or my long-neglected food blog, or just for myself. I like the idea of holding myself publicly accountable, if only to an unnamed public, and so this blog may evolve and change and reflect the next stage of my indulgent path towards the life of my dreams.

There will be more to say about what that will look like, sometime between now and January (I fully appreciate that resolutions big or small don't have to coincide with the New Year, but my current schedule is looking pretty hectic for the next couple of months. Ah, life.). And because I draw so much inspiration from other quests for happiness and exciting experiences, chances are it will look like something I've read recently (working on Happier at Home right now, the next installment in the Gretchen Rubin Happiness Project experience) or seen elsewhere.

Until then...

New Recipes

Recently, I started cooking again and while I haven't been great about writing about it on the Brooklyn Forager (or tracking it here), I'm hoping to make sure everything gets logged appropriately more frequently.

For now, I've tried a couple of new recipes that are fitting the bill for this challenge:

• Curry Roast Chicken with Tomato Leek Gravy
• Pear Ginger Muffins
• Butternut Squash, Apple and Leek Casserole

I only wrote about the chicken so far, but the other two recipes will be going up on the blog as soon as I can get all the pictures in order and the recipes together.

More Non-fiction and More Food Blogging

I've read a couple of additional books this month, slowly adding to my total.  I read Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr which inspired a diet cleanse and more blogging over at Seeking White Space (yes, I probably have too many blogs...but they're all different!). I'm excited to have a new challenge and I hope to use it to get inspired in the kitchen and for blog posts across all of my various writing locations.

I also read:

• Not Even Wrong: Adventures in Autism by Paul Collins
• Super Freakonomics by Stephen D. Leavitt and Stevin J. Dubner

Trying to get in as much non-fiction as I can, I guess! I suppose I've been drawn in this direction these days, and it doesn't hurt that I get double credit!

Another One Bites the Dust: New Restaurant Round-up

While I wasn't looking, I also managed to finish my restaurant item! We don't go out to eat very often, so I set the bar low, and that worked to my advantage. Here are the places I've tried:

• Two 8 Two
• Lupa - This one was for our 11 year dating/2 year wedding anniversary.  I could write a whole entry just on this one, but in the interest of time, I'll just say it was fabulous AND counted for a date night.
• People's Republic of Brooklyn - We ate in the back garden, so this one was one of our al fresco nights. 
• Cubana Cafe
• http://www.stoneparkcafe.com/

Part of what I wanted to do with the books, movies and restaurants was write more. I think that with all of these items I bit off more than I could chew (which leads me into some thoughts about how to morph this blog into something a bit more simplified and targeted next time around, but I'm getting ahead of myself).  To remedy this, I'm reverting to lists and will focus my writing on the places that really call for it (some Brooklyn Forager posts are coming!). 

A Lot of DVDs Going On

I have been streaming loads of Netflix movies and TV since my last Netflix update (I know, 10/10.  That's sad.). But making a list of those streamed discs seemed daunting.  So I let the list get longer.  I sat down tonight to count actual discs as a start, with a couple notable movies from streaming thrown in.  And lo and behold! I finished this item with a couple to spare.  Very exciting.  Here are the movies that got me here:

• He's Just Not That Into You
• Ironman 2
• Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone: Part 1
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
• Where the Wild Things Are
• Big Love Season 4 (3 discs)
• Whip It!
• Inception
• Alice and Wonderland
• The League Season 1 (2 discs)
• Scott Pilgrim v. The World
• I Am Legend
• My Sister's Keeper
• Kick-Ass
• Damages Season 2 (3 discs)
• Dexter Season 3 (3 discs)
• Big Love Season 3 (1 disc)
• Mamma Mia! 

Since I actually managed to finish this one so early, and because I'm so behind on my other items, I'm reading the tea leaves and seeing that I need to really focus on my other activities.  Which is sort of the point of this whole list.  I've got a couple of things lined up, so now I just need to take this sign and run with it. 

Catching Up: What I've Been Reading

I'm hoping for more regular updates soon, but in the meantime, here is what I've been reading:

• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
• The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
• Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
• Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert
• The Essential C-Section Guide by Maureen Connolly and Dana Sullivan
• Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr
• Empty Cradle, Broken Heart by Deborah Davis
• The Agency by Ally O'Brien

I will skip the reviews this time around, but I hope to get back to it now that I'm getting back on track. At this point, I'm well aware that I won't come even close, but I like tracking so I'll keep trying to get as close as I can. 

Catching Up: Books, Dates, Home and Family

There are so many things that I need to update on this list.  While I haven't been actively keeping track, I'm going to try and go through to update whatever I can remember. Here are a few of the categories I've been working on:

Date Nights - We've actually been doing really well on these.  It helps that we have a very liberal definition of date night, but also that we're making an effort to frame even simple nights in with a special home-cooked (or ordered) meal and a movie counts.  Last night, we went to see friends briefly for a farewell party, but then moved on to see Super 8 and eat gyros at the local Greek street fair.  I won't bore you with all the gory details, but we've had at least one night a month, and usually more, that I can fit into this category.

Books Read - Since I got pregnant, reading has been a real challenge.  I'm just too tired at night.  I've gotten some reading in on our travels, partly added by e-books on my commute.  Here are the books I can remember finishing in the past few months:

• The Help by Kathryn Stockett - This was one of the best books I've read in awhile.  It helped get me out of a slump.  It's beautifully written and thoughtful.  I literally laughed out loud, cried and marveled at how well crafted the book was overall.  The movie trailer looks like they may have done a decent job with it and I'm looking forward to it.  I definitely recommend the book first, though, since it was a great reading experience. 
• An Embarassment of Mangoes by Ann Vanderhoof - I picked this book up (after glowing recommendations from my father-in-law who lent me his copy) over the cold winter when I needed to imagine the Caribbean.  This is a beautiful memoir of the cruising life taking a couple from cold Canada through the hurricane season in the Caribbean and back.  While I also recommend this book, make sure you don't have easy access to a sailboat.  You'll be off before you know it.  The book also includes great recipes that I'm dying to try once I can get my hands on conch and can drink good Caribbean rum. 
• Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen - I got this book in hardback when it first came out as a gift or gently used.  It sat around my house in the "To Be Read" pile until just before the movie came out.  I finally decided to knock it out before the movie was released since it's usually the better way to go about it for me.  I enjoyed the book, although there were aspects I didn't love.  The Depression-era circus culture was fascinating and very well written.  The modern day aspect wasn't as exciting for me, although I liked the way Sara Gruen finally brought it all together.  
• A Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory - This wasn't my favorite of the Tudor stories from Philippa Gregory.  I find the back story very interesting and I knew nothing of Queen Katherine except the bits and pieces from the later Boleyn years.  I thought this book made me wonder if Gregory was finally over-fictionalizing since so much of it is assuming private thoughts and actions.  I'll have to do my own research (which is one reason I love these books - I get motivated to get to the bottom of whatever historical information is actually out there) to see where I fall.  I found the book generally overly romantic, but it is about a teenage bride becoming a widow and negotiating her way back onto the throne.  I'm sure it's hard not to be.
• The Billionaire's Vinegar by Benjamin Wallace - I didn't know much about the wine auction world or rare antique collecting before. I can't say that now I do, but I know more and this books presents a fascinating story of wine purported to belong to Thomas Jefferson and sold for an exorbitant price at auction. Definitely a new world for me and a new way to think about these wines. 
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Frank L. Baum - I tried to read this book in high school some time, but the minute I saw that things were not like my well loved movie version, I put it aside.  The Gregory Maguire Wicked series peaked my interest again, but I didn't do anything about my interest until I found the series free on Amazon Kindle.  I actually enjoyed the book this time, appreciating the differences from the movie and discovering the aspects of Oz that had previously escaped my notice. I'll certainly work through the series.

Home and Projects - I've kept up on trying to declutter and keep everything tidy around the house.  It's been harder with a less energetic me and a less-often-home Austin.  But I'm moving forward.  I've also made progress on one of my embroidery projects.  It's a big crib cover for the baby's room which is taking me forever even when I am working on it.  I can't count it anywhere near done, but I'm making progress. 

Family and Friends - I started on my birthday cards this year.  I have to get through 10 to get credit, but  I do have plenty of birthdays coming up to get me there.  Hopefully focusing on this one more closely will help set up a good habit.

I do have more areas - loads of Netflix (my one constant) watched and maybe some others, but this gets me up to date on some of the ones that I was procrastinating.  More to come....

A Day of Jodi Picoult

It's now been at least one full weekend since my indulgent day of reading Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult in bed for most of a morning and finishing off the evening watching My Sister's Keeper (the movie based on Jodi Picoult's book of the same name).  I didn't mean to be quite so focused on one author, but as I've mentioned before, Jodi Picoult's books are like Lifetime movies and I can always get into one.  They read very quickly and I think I've gotten more or less out of my reading slump.

The movie, on the other hand, was sort of a waste of time.  I am glad that I watched it because it's another DVD sent back to Netflix, but, as with most novel-turned-movies, the movie was just not that good.  Lesson learned.

I was even more indulgent since I watched 2 more DVDs worth of TV shows (Damages and Brothers and Sisters) since it was a long weekend.  I may not be getting much else done, but at least I'm moving along on my couch potato activities!

Everything else, another round up

I topped up a few categories over on the list, but I only have a couple that I will write up here.  I am going to try to make regular visits back here as I move forward on my projects, so this won't become too much of a habit.

For a lot of reasons, I haven't been reading much at all in the past two and a half months.  I'm in the middle of two non-fiction books (and really six if you count reference books, but I won't take credit for those unless I work all the way through) now, so I will catch up hopefully on that count.  I did read two fiction novels in my time away:

• Let Me In by John Ajvide Lundquish - a Swedish vampire story that is very engaging, if a bit graphic at points. A young boy meets a curious young girl next door who never seems to change.  A group of drunk friends starts to watch its own go missing, or go extremely bizarre.  It was apparently made into a movie which I am going to sit down and watch on Netflix streaming if I can ever get Austin to watch a scary movie with me.
• Julia's Chocolates by Cathy Lamb- This novel sells itself as a Ya-Ya sisterhood of sorts, and I suppose that is a decent description.  A young woman escapes an abusive relationship and a history of neglect to her aunt's house and finds an unexpectedly diverse group of women and, of course, love.  I don't think it ever got far enough below the surface to really win me over, but the characters were interesting, if predictable.

Even when I'm not reading, cooking or doing much of anything else, I have been getting as much as I can out of Netflix. We've watched some bits and pieces of series, so I didn't really count those.  Here is a summary of what we have been watching: 

• Damages, Season 2
• Dexter, Season 3
• South Park, Greatest Hits (sometimes I let Austin pick)
• Avatar: The Last Airbender, Book 3
• Kick-Ass
• Big Love, Season 3
• Mamma Mia (such a disappointment!)
• The League, Season 1
• Whip It! 

That's the rough update.  The rest will come more closely to real time, I hope!

Stoner Chili Sunday

While I was silent, we hosted a day of chili cooking/eating and football watching to honor a friend who was a serious friend of both.  I cooked our friend David's secret recipe and others brought their own twists on chili (even if David would have been horrified at the beans, the chicken and the vegetarian versions), corn bread, cole slaw, guacamole and other delicious items.  I've never seen so many people in our apartment, but we made it work and had a lot of fun (and surprisingly few leftovers).

The Long Catch-up

Since the end of December, I haven't been doing much of anything around here.  Seriously - hardly any cooking, reading, writing or exploring.  I have a couple of things to add and cross off (a potluck, a couple of books here and there, loads of Netflix movies and shows) and will do that shortly.  I haven't gone away and hope to be more active in days to come!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I wrote this a long time ago, but just got the pictures posted: Ladies and gentlemen, that time of year is here.  Last year, I was not ready for the holidays and, for some unknown reason, fought the coming of Christmas and winter tooth and nail.  This year, I saw the Christmas trees going up in Honolulu before Thanksgiving even arrived and I was nothing but excited.

I kicked this year off with a cookie day with a friend and her son.  We made a (semi-successful) batch of double chocolate peppermint cookies, sugar cookies of all shapes and sizes and gingerbread cookies.  I'm going to post each over at the Brooklyn Forager since they were fun recipes and I'm a bit behind in my weekly posts and new recipe counting.

Here are some of the creations we made:

I'm a Winner!

Ladies and gentlemen, at 50,121 words, may I present to you a NaNoWriMo winner! I went about writing my novel in fits and starts and spent a lot of weekend days focused on driving the number up, while remaining woefully behind.  The best advice I have for anyone who wants to try this is to jump off the deep end and give it a try.  The amount of concentration it takes is insane, but the very act of finishing makes it seems so much more fun.  And even possible to do again.

Sometime.

In the future.

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

Fingersmith is a typical Sarah Waters' novel in that she has written a Victorian-style novel set in historical England with interesting female characters, a lesbian love story and a complex plot line.  The complexity, however, of the plot of this novel far outstrips the others that I have read so far.  In Fingersmith, a young orphan, Sue Trinder, is raised by a baby farmer Mrs. Sucksby in a squalid flat in London.  A con-artist gentleman with a gambling problem comes into the house with a plan to swindle a country girl, Maud Lilly, out of her inheritance.  Sue follows the gentleman (known to his friends as Gentleman) to execute the plan and from there, everything is as you expect, until it isn't anymore.

I can't explain more without spoiling the twists and turns, but I will say that I haven't read a 500 page novel this quickly in a long time.  Knowing that there will be twists pushes you through the somewhat unsurprising first third of the book.  This section raises some questions and keeps you guessing, but the real drive comes in the latter two-thirds.  I will leave it at that - this is a provocative suspenseful Victorian novel that you never see coming.

Mirror, Mirror by Gregory Maguire

You may have heard of a little Broadway show called Wicked.  It was originally created from a book by Gregory Maguire who has made quite a name for himself re-telling fairytales and classic stories. I have had Mirror, Mirror on my to-read list for several years and finally got to it over the holiday weekend.

The novel re-tells the classic story of Snow White.  Maguire sets the story in the early 1500s with appearances by Cesare Borgia (the inspiration for Machiavelli's The Prince) and his sister Lucrezia.  Though he brings in history (which he admittedly takes liberties with for the sake of the drama), there also is a layer of the fantastic when it comes to the dwarves.  This re-telling was very entertaining and brought perspective to the tale we know so well as told by Disney.  The way that the mirror, for example, works into the story - a creation by the dwarves with magical elements, but maybe not quite the same magic as we thought - makes Snow White fresh, and almost possible.

I've enjoyed each of Gregory Maguire books from the Wicked series to his retelling of Cinderella (Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister).  Finally getting to this one was worth it, both for the story itself and to remind me to keep up with Maguire's latest books.

Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde

I list Jasper Fforde among my favorite authors whenever I get a chance.  He wrote the Thursday Next Eyre Affair series and the Nursery Crimes series.  As many reviewers pointed out, he sort of defies genre and does it in an incredible way.  He creates a fabulous alter-universe which is ridiculously complete and makes you want to run away and hide there. 

His latest series, Shades of Grey, takes a very different turn in similar territory.  In his latest universe, he creates a future world where people are separated into a rigid social structure based on color.  The color, however, is not our present-day focus on the color of one's skin, but rather the color in Fforde's latest book is to be perceived by the eye.  People can only see one color (or two in the case of compounds like Greens and Oranges) and are ordered by the ROYGBIV scale.  There is a whole mythology and history that is created throughout the story to (sort of) explain how the world has gotten to be this way.

Because it is the first of a planned series (at least a trilogy if the book jacket is to be believed), this book is really setting the scene.  There is only a hint of a conflict at the beginning and there is much to dig through before you get to the real mystery and action.  I almost put the book down impatiently, but with faith in Fforde, I carried on and all in all was not disappointed.

Also because of the scene-setting, I can't reveal too much of the plot without ruining the story (the book jacket itself gives away something that happens in the last third of the book. although as you might expect from Fforde, the story itself is still full of twists and turns), but I can say that a young man about to come of age in this strange world is sent to the Outer Fringes of society to learn a lesson (with an official Chair Census to conduct to learn humility).  He learns many and opens all sorts of doors that the powers that be, prefects and the Chromatagensia, want to keep shut.

The Thursday Next books are by far my favorite, but I will look out for future Shades of Grey books.  The witty style of Jasper Fforde makes all of his stories compelling and well worth the read.

Date Night Catch-up

There have been date nights, I'm sure, in the past two months, but I haven't been very good about tracking them.  For the past two weekends, though, we've had nights that definitely qualify.  Last weekend, we did an actually novel thing for us - go out in our neighborhood.  We so often go out to see friends on their turf, knowing that it's not always so easy to get them to come to us.  When we stay home, we really stay home.

So, on the night before Halloween, we opted out of everything but Brooklyn.  And it totally paid off.  We tried a restaurant that I had been to, but that was right up A's alley and found a fun relaxed neighborhood bar with NFL season ticket (clearly more of a plus for A than me, but it means we'll leave the house on Sundays now too).

Then, last night, I was whisked away after work into the world of the Malaysian Street Food Fair in Grand Central.  Laut, among many other restaurants, were there to give Manhattanites a taste of Malaysian food.  We had a fabulous cupcake (Malaysian Coconut and Toasted Almond) that may have been the best ever.

The date night ended up with him heading out to see the boys and with me heading home to the dog and the NaNoWriMo project (update coming!), but it was fun to share the experience together.  A date doesn't have to be a big dramatic evening (or even out of the house), and this was a fun way to spend some time at the end of a busy week.

Laut

Recently, I had the incredible opportunity (and you can too!) to try out Laut, a Michelin one-star Malaysian restaurant near Union Square in Manhattan. We were surprised that we breezed right in a week or so after the Michelin ratings were announced (apparently the masses have found it - call during busy times.  Lunch is still manageable.), but were happy to give it a shot.

I can't say enough about this restaurant.  Malaysian and Singaporean cuisine play a big role in our lives since Austin spent so much time there and I got to take a trip there myself.  We have tried a number of Malaysian restaurants in the city, and whenever Austin's parents come to town, we tend to hit one in particular. This last visit, we went to Laut twice with the in-laws (which makes, count it, three times in as many weeks for Austin).

A note: Michelin star does not mean stuffy or formal.  This is a simple Malaysian/Singaporean restaurant with amazing food and great service.  We got to speak with the owner and realized at the bottom of it all, this is finely prepared food made with serious heart.

Must Try Items: Beef Rendang, Roti Canai, Mee Siam, Peanut Pancake dessert, Soft Shell Crab Appetizer, Sake Bomb
(Really anything is good - feel free to experiment!)

Brooklyn Forager Round-Up

It has been a ridiculously long time since I checked in with my Brooklyn Forager posts.  The point was, of course, to track this more regularly, but, alas, this is an easy one to let slip for me.  Here's what has been cooking:

• Harvest Season in the Brooklyn Forager Garden
• Walnut Rosemary Oven-Fried Chicken
• October Daring Cooks Challenge: Stuffed Grape Leaves (This is also my first one back after some time off! I need to get back on my challenges.)
• Late Summer BLT Salad
• Changing Seasons: Swiss Chard and Bacon Risotto
• Summer Weeknight Supper: Zucchini, Tomato and Ricotta Tart
• Bento Lunch Special: Sesame Balsamic Chicken, Pineapple Fried Rice and Roasted Broccoli 

This round-up also highlights the need to get posting! I have a couple of posts lined up, so that's great.  I also need to really figure out how and when to write.  I seem to write in fits and starts and can generally get 3-4 posts up a month, but I'd really like to be blogging (whether here, Brooklyn Forager or my other blogs) every day.