Monday, April 29, 2013

April Snapshot

What I'm Into at HopefulLeigh
check out what others were into here!

On my nightstand: Suite Francaise. I really like Irene Nemirovsky (David Golder is a very wonderful, if bleak, read), but I’m having trouble getting into this one. Time to leave the World Wars for a while and find a new reading theme. How about English classics? On an e-reader! I’ve made the jump, and while I still prefer paper books (easier for flipping back and forth, underlining, dog-earring, and just plain cozier), the e-book has improved my commute 110%. It’s also just perfect for waiting rooms – no need to touch outdated, germ-coated magazines! I haven’t tried buying any e-books yet (just reading through some of the 100 books already on there), but so far it’s very user-friendly, and ideal for travelling. I can have dozens of hearty books with me, and less than 200 grams.  

On TV: Vikings. It’s really quite violent, but I love this show! And the music in the opening credits is great.

We've also started watching Arctic Air. It's a Canadian show set in and around Yellowknife that follows a cast of characters who work for a northern airline (um, called Arctic Air).

On my MP3: Nothing – I don’t need it, because my e-book has a built-in MP3 player. :D Heehee.

segovia - the cathedral and the city wall
In my browser: All Free Sewing. Guess what it's about?  This site has some great patterns, too. I'd like to try to make the skirt.

On my plate: I’m working my way through It’s All Good, a cookbook by Gwyneth Paltrow that I received for my birthday. Watch for some brownies and a pro-Gwyneth tomorrow. You can check out some of the recipes here.

In my mug: Cinnamon Orange tea, my new evening drink.


waiting semi-patiently for a treat
On my mind: Way too much! So I’m clearing space with short daily meditation sessions. Sometimes with music, sometimes just silence.

In my agenda: Not a thing. We’ve got a long weekend coming up, and we’re planning on doing nothing.

On my to-do list: Yogurt-making and apron-sewing, two things I've been wanting to do and just haven't done, for no reason in particular.

a post-lunch stroll in pedraza
In my heart: Baby Levi – my Fairy-God-Sister had her first child this month, and I am looking forward to meeting him this summer!

8 comments:

  1. yogurt making...reminds me of a dinner we had together at my place in madrid a few years ago....remember?!:)

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    1. Haha, don't worry - my yogurt will not be vomitrocious! :) I have a recipe for coconut milk yogurt, so we'll see how that goes first.

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  2. Cinnamon orange tea...yum!

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  3. I'm curious about Gwyneth's cookbook. Is it a good one?

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    1. Hi Adele,

      So far I really like it! Yesterday I posted a photo of brownies I made and a mini-review. The recipes use lots of fresh ingredients (some of which are probably easier to locate Stateside than over here in Spain) but nothing is so bizarre that it's impossible to find, and she usually gives substitution ideas. Recipes are really flavourful, weekly menu planning suggestions at the back, a good forward, and a pantry guide.

      Many recipes involve a high powered blender. I have a vita-mix, but other than an ice cream recipe (which you could also do in a food processor), I haven't come across anything that could not be done in a normal blender or even with an immersion blender.

      I say check it out!

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  4. I haven't heard much about Vikings- in fact, I'd forgotten all about it! I'll have to see if I can track down the episodes and watch. Hope you enjoy Gwyneth's cookbook! As much as I wish she'd suck at something, I realize she's extremely talented. It's just my insecurities talking. :)

    Thanks for linking up with What I'm Into!

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    1. Do check out Vikings, but be prepared for lots of violence! I do quite a lot of watching with my eyes closed, but the story sucked me in so I keep watching.

      I'm really taking the GP cookbook for a run, and so far, so good - Today we had mushroom soup, and there's a pot of chicken soup on the stove for tomorrow. Pancakes for breakfast. And really great, really easy salad dressings of the "why didn't I think of that?" kind.

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