Friday Night

The last week has been a bone-grinding torture-fest. There was the worst yet in a series of winter storms. There were snowbanks that I couldn’t see over to get out of my driveway. There was air that hurt my face. There were early work mornings and late work nights and long work shifts. There were heavy things to lift. There were deadlines to meet. And there were Balrogs.

I think the only thing that saved me was that I had 2 vacation days this week and I only had to give up a small part of one of them (deadlines!), so I got to spend some time….

Reading…

**Terminal Uprising by Jim C. Hines. This is the second book in the Janitors of the Post-Apocalypse series. And I love it! This series is so much fun to read. The story is great, the characters are great, the humor is great. These are among the most entertaining books I’ve read in the last year. If you like science fiction, or humor, or the custodial sciences, you must read Janitors of the Post-Apocalypse!

**The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien. Not for everybody, I know, but I enjoy writing fiction, and find this collection of world-building scriptures - from no less than the godfather of fantasy world building - inspirational. (This is where the Balrogs are.) I have listened to the very good audiobook version of The Silmarillion read by Martin Shaw at least twice, but I’ve never read my way through from cover to cover. My husband recommends The Prancing Pony Podcast as a companion work if you really want to delve into The Silmarillion, and I can say that the little bit that I’ve listened to was engaging and fun.

Cooking and baking…

**Pancakes and French Toast. I made two successful hot breakfasts last weekend, including the Fluffy Orange Pancakes I posted, and a rich and delicious make-ahead raspberry French toast. I hope to post that recipe in the next few days.

**Pie crust. I talked a lot about making the crust in my most recent post with a recipe for Spinach and Feta Quiche with Parmesan. I just think it would be really great to get “into” pie making, and I need to get better at making crust. I was inspired by the beautiful book, Sister Pie, by the beautiful Lisa Ludwinski, and went all hands-on. I wish it had been more fun, and I may mess a bit with the food processor, but I truly believe I am one step closer to being a confident pie person. The next few months will tell.

**Risotto. Delicious risotto! Using the same basic formula I posted here and here, I put together a risotto with roasted garlic and black pepper last night. I was planning to make Soup Beans, but failed to make the necessary preparations. We were disappointed, so I really had to come though. This concoction was so delicious, the disappointment has been forgotten! (And I think it cured a cold.) More on this recipe soon.

**Banana Cake. Finally, there was a simple banana cake with multigrain flour and chocolate chips, based on a recipe in Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce. I flirted with the idea of frosting it, but, gosh, it was just so munchable, I didn’t want to make the unnecessary extra effort. I’ll get a post together for this cake as soon as I can.

It’s now March, or so I’ve heard, but it looks like it’s going to be a long slog until spring. I hope to continue making pies, maybe even following through with ideas for butterscotch cream pie and Irish coffee cream pie. I have a recipe for some luscious-looking peanut butter bars that I want to try. I’m also missing these energy bars, which I haven’t made in way too long. I guess I have plenty to keep me happily occupied until things get greener again.

I hope your coming week is full of joy! And free of Balrogs.