It's been a good run...........

Slow Cooker shortcut rotisserie chicken

Two weeks ago I posted a risotto recipe served with an easy slow cooker meal. The shortcut rotisserie chicken recipe is from Delish magazine and I can recommend it as super easy and flavorful.

Did I get photos of the bird all cooked and browned and pretty? Noooo...so here is a photo from the magazine and I swear, it looked just like this!

You'll need the following:

cooking spray
2 TB brown sugar
1 TB chili powder (I only used a sprinkle)
1 TB smoked paprika
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1 whole chicken, giblets removed *
salt and pepper

Grease a large slow cooker with cooking spray. Roll a few balls of aluminum foil and place in the slow cooker, creating a rack for the chicken.

In a small bowl, whisk together the seasonings.  We aren't fans of a lot of heat so I didn't use as much chili powder. After washing the chicken pat dry with paper towels. Generously rub with salt and pepper then rub the seasoning mix all over the bird.

Place in slow cooker, breast side up.

Cook on High for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours, until juices run clear. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and if you want it browned more or crisp skin, place under a broiler for 3 minutes.

We didn't do the broiler part, just carefully lifted the chicken out next to the cutting board, let it sit a moment before cutting.

* The recipe didn't state what size chicken so I used one which was almost 5 pounds and went for the longer cooking period.  Turned out perfectly.

Update: we made it again and here it is 👇 still in the crock.  We did not put it in the oven to brown afterwards.

Linking with Marg at The Intrepid Reader for Weekend Cooking.

Gnocchi with spinach, cherry tomatoes and goat cheese

Gnocchi is a wonderful staple for the pantry.  It doesn't need refrigeration and can be dressed up a variety of ways.  If the electric goes out, and you have a gas stove or camp stove, this is an easy meal.  I mention that because in Florida we have hurricane supplies on hand in case you need to hunker down. 👇 This is a stove top meal.

This plated up nicely but take my word for it - Do Not replace goat cheese with Boursin cheese.  This turned out so incredibly rich we couldn't eat the leftovers.  I ought to have followed the recipe and not substituted! Here is a recipe for the meal but I found the recipe I used in a magazine.  Now I can't find the magzine so, can't tell you the publication.  This recipe appears to be the same and again...use the goat cheese.

Besides the gnocchi you have nice fresh ingredients such as cherry tomatoes, fresh baby spinach, garlic and onions. Let me know if you try this and have better luck with the goat cheese :-)  This is a vegetarian dish if you use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

Sharing with The Intrepid Reader for Weekend Cooking.

Book page

Book Page is a free publication available at the library.  I like flipping through to see which new books are showcased and get ideas for my to-read list on Goodreads. 

I saw a historical fiction review in Book Page for The Bookbinder by Pip Williams.  It mentions this is a follow-up book to The Dictionary of Lost Words.  Has anyone read either of these books and if so, could I read The Bookbinder without being totally lost?

Finished / The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton.  If you click on the book title it will take you to my review on Goodreads.  * Thank you Terrie for helping me  figure out how to link to my account :-) 

This was great to read while Hurricane Idelia was deciding where to go. We are in north Florida and landfall was south of us near Cedar Key. We were just down in that area two weeks ago when Doug delivered a telescope.  Currently we're getting rain and wind but nothing like the full force of a hurricane. 

Currently reading / The Downstairs Neighbor by Helen Cooper. The setting is London England.  I saw this on Les' site Coastal Horizons and it's a good so far.  Love a mystery.

That's my bookish roundup this week.  

Linking with:

Readerbuzz for Sunday Salon
Joy for British Isles Friday 

Books, movies and life

Life / Two weeks ago Doug sold one of his telescopes so we made a short trip south for the handoff.  It's always nice when you don't have to ship something large and heavy. 

Doctor appointments seemed to be clustered into a 10 day period between the two of us. The usual physical, eye exam to keep check on Doug's eye after his torn retina in 2020 and a crazy misdiagnosis for me about my liver.

 I had a call that my blood work came in and was told I had a history of cirrhosis and they needed me to see the doctor instead of the P.A. Naturally I panicked. Then I received an apology because they had misread my chart/ mixed me up with another patient. Whew!  So here I am now, just enjoying my healthy liver :-) And a few glasses of Chablis :-)

Book 📚📚📚 Chat

I saw The Downstairs Neighbor on Les's site Coastal Horizons so that's in my lineup.  For my nonfiction book I am reading The Great Displacement by Jake Bittle. Here's my reading buddy Loki.

Just finished Fresh Water for Flowers by Valerie Perrin. 

Watched / A British mini series called In the Dark. This show was adapted from books by Mark Billingham and gets quite gritty.  Filmed in Manchester you get a dose of crime, drama and good acting.  You'll loathe a few characters and have a nice twist near the end.  Only four episodes. Note: There is another show called In the Dark so if you look for this one look for one starring MyAnna Burring and Ben Batt.

We also tried Guardians of the Galaxy 3 and it wasn't great, in our opinion.  You get Rocket's back story and it was, as expected, very sad.  Will not purchase.

That's my roundup - I hope you are enjoying some good books and lovely weather!

Linking with:

Readerbuzz for Sunday Salon
Joy for British Isles Friday
Women in Translation months - August 2023

One Pot Meal - Ranch Chicken and Rice

With heat indexes constantly in the triple digits I like to prepare something which doesn't require the oven.  Why add more heat to the kitchen - find a one-pot stove top dish to slap together. 

Here is a good recipe which is fast, easy and utilizes only one pan.  This ranch chicken and rice was on the table in 40 minutes from start to finish.  That includes prep and all you need is a skillet. * Jinjer, you can make this in your cute pink hotpot!

The magazine is called Delish and this is a repeat of their popular chicken dinner publication. So far I have tried three recipes from this magazine and all have been successful. Don't you hate it when something doesn't turn out and you followed the directions? This magazine appears to actually test the recipes. 

Ranch Chicken and Rice

Delish Chicken Dinners magazine - 2022

4 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs

salt and pepper

1 cup Ranch dressing

2 TB extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 cup white rice

1 cup baby spinach

3/4 cup chopped parsley

In a large mixing bowl, season chicken with salt and pepper.  Add ranch dressing and marinate at least 5 minutes.  * I dumped the chicken in a freezer bag and put it in the fridge for an hour.

Heat large skillet and add olive oil.  Pat some of the ranch dressing off the chicken. Sear the chicken skin side down until golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate, cover to keep a bit warm. Reduce heat and add garlic and onion, about 2 minutes.

Stir in broth and rice. Season with more salt and pepper per your taste.  Return chicken to rice mixture, skin side up.  Simmer until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through.  This will take approx. 20 minutes.

Stir in baby spinach and parsley and serve.

Next up is the slow cooker rotisserie recipe #winner

Linking with Marg at The Intrepid Reader for Weekend Cooking.

Fresh Water for Flowers by Valerie Perrin {Women in Translation Project month}

This is my first book by Valerie Perrin and I look forward to reading more of her work.  I discovered this author through Goodreads and the Women in Translation project which is celebrated in August.

The description for this book states Violette Sousaint is a caretaker at a cemetery in a small town in France. She lives on the grounds, opening the gates in the morning to receive visitors and funerals, caring for the flower and vegetable gardens, closing the gates at night. 

I like the beginnings of each chapter with a the epitaphs:

His life was a lovely memory, His absence a silent agony.

We lived together in bliss, We rest together in peace.

They'll always be someone missing to make my life smile: you.

The epitaphs seem to "ward off the passage of time.  Death begins when no one can dream of you any longer."

"There are more than a thousand photographs scattered across the cemetery. On the day all of those photos were taken, none of the men, women, childen could have thought that that moment would represent them for all eternity.   It was the day of a birthday, a family meal, a walk in the park, at a wedding...."

Violette is a wonderful character.  The chapters will abruptly switch to another timeline where you'll get more of her back story.  She was thought dead when she was born, roused by a nurse yet unwanted by her mother.  She went through life in foster care, hoping to be adopted and belong.  She never was wanted by any family. When she became of age to work, pouring drinks at a local bar she met her husband. The stunningly gorgeous Phillipe Toussaint singled her out and took her home. He may have been a handsome devil but he is also a scoundral. Once they had a daughter it seemed Violette's life was whole as she had what she always wanted - a family.

 The back stories are not only of Violette.  The people interred have stories as well.  The visitors to the graves sit with Violette and pour out their hearts.  It's all entwined how a mourning lover still leaves flowers or tokens on a lover's tomb, only to swept away by the widow when she visits. 

A turning point comes when a policeman named Julian Sole arrives to ask questions about Gabriel Prudent, a man his mother Irene wants to be buried with. This man Prudent is a stranger to him but through his mother's journals, Irene and Gabriel's story unfolds in future chapters. 

The story about Violette's daughter will break your heart. As you read you'll find love, hope, sorrow and grief.

This book was touching, moving slowly but not boring, learning about so many people and their stories then wrapping it up with several revelations I never considered.

I'm looking forward to her next novel titled Three, also translated by Hildegarde Serle.

Stormy weather......

Storms. One of the things we don't love about living in Florida.  There are several churning about now and the gulf waters are heating up rapidly.  I expect there will be many storms in September, our busiest month for hurricanes here.

Rising homeowners insurance costs, politics, rewriting history and giving children a less than stellar education, leprosy and humidity. But we are an income tax free state, so far.  

Book Chat

My library book holds all came in at once. I forgot to watch my holds list and suspend a couple of titles so this wouldn't happen.  Oh well, I need to prioritize now according to how long the wait list is for each book, in case I need to turn some in before reading.  That will teach me to pay attention!

Currently reading Fresh Water for Flowers by Valerie Perrin.

Recently finished // I've been reading a mixture of different genres depending on my mood.  For a light hearted romp in a bookshop in London I enjoyed With Love From London by Sarah Jio. The appeal is the London setting as well as the bookshop. That would be fun, to own a used bookshop. The plot is somewhat predictable but there were heart warming moments. #BriFri

For nonfiction I recently finished - Daily Rituals by Mason Currey.

Daily Rituals: How Artists Work by Mason Currey is a cool compendium of the rituals and inspiration of famous writers, scientists, musicians and more.  This is the sort of book you pick up and read a little at a time, turning to the ones you want to know more about. 

There are many names I am unfamiliar with but the standouts for me were Anthony Trollope, Picasso, Matisse, Jane Austen, Joseph Heller, Darwin...too many to name.

Willa Cather enjoyed writing but didn't make herself do it.  "The only reason I write is because it interests me more than any other activity I've ever found.  I like horseback riding, opera, travel.....If I made myself write it would be a chore."  She devoted early morning hours for writing when inspired.

Ayn Rand found herself pressured and rarely left her desk.  When she wasn't writing she still refused to leave her desk and would stare out the window or play solitaire. She was so anxious about the job at hand that she took Benzedrine, a fairly new drug then, to boost energy levels.

Franz Listz rose at four every morning, even when he had been invited out the previous evening, had drunk a good deal of wine and went to bed late. He had a loose routine and planned around his breakfast, lunch and naps. A man after my own heart...except that 4 a.m. wakeup...ugh.

Happy Reading to all!

Linking with:
Readerbuzz for Sunday Salon
Joy for British Isles Friday
Shelleyrae at Book'd Out for the nonfiction reader challenge.

Hosted by Shelleyrae at Book'd Out. Sign up may be found HERE. Category: Arts

Risotto with Spring Vegetables{from Williams-Sonoma Italian Cookbook}

This past week I made a new recipe from Delish magazine and a tried and true one from my Williams Sonoma Italian cookbook.  Spotlighting the risotto today I can say it's flavorful and would be a good addition to the dinner table. 

 

I used my Williams-Sonoma Italian cookbook but you may find the recipe HERE.  Years back I did a vitural tour of Italy using this book and cooking from the different regions.  I posted many links in the tab above titled Italian Cooking! 

The risotto is from the Veneto region in the northern part of Italy.   Next time I would add more of the slender asparagus.  The Parmesan adds a good flavor but does stick to the dishes as it melts.   This paired well with a slow cooker recipe for a rotisserie chicken.  That recipe is coming up and I can say, it was a winner.

The risotto is a vegetarian dish which you could have for a lunch or main part of a dinner. To make it vegan use vegetable broth instread of chicken broth and, of course, omit the cheese.

Linking with Marg at The Intrepid Reader for Weekend Cooking.

Hello World

Hello world.  I have been in a serious slump for blogging and decided I'd try posting again. Life has been same old, same old.  I read, do jigsaw puzzles, occasionally work on a crochet project, take naps....  The cooking mojo deserted me for a bit too so I wasn't making anything new.

Last week I made Julie's Noodle Casserole.  This is a recipe I have made now and again.  The link will take you to the recipe - this time I used ground chicken instead of beef. This is hearty enough for cold nights yet not so heavy you can't enjoy it in hot summer months as well.

As for reading, I've enjoyed quite a few books but instead of posting here, I used my Goodreads account. I have silently lurked on blogs I follow, occasionally leaving comments when I am not thwarted by Disqus.  Recently I deleted the Disqus account. Haven't been very active otherwise. 🤷

Here's part of my list since my last post in May 👇

I've linked to my Goodreads review but I am not sure if you link to my account/review or the general book page.

V for Victory by Lissa Evans

Homecoming by Kate Morton

Meredith, Alone by Claire Alexander

The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson

Deep into Darkness by M.S. Morris

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab

The Bog People: Iron-Age Man Preserved by Peter Vilhelm Glob (nonfiction)

Battleworn: The Memoir of a Combat Medic in Afghanistan by Chantelle Taylor (nonfiction)

📚  Classics?....📚

In my effort to keep an interest and interaction I considered joining the Classics Club.  Instead I made my own list of books, trying to stay motivated.  My first in the list was The Talented Mr. Ripley.  What a sociopath!

This is the most I've typed out in two and a half months. Old people get tired easily so that's it for me :-) Perhaps I'll get on a schedule again.  

I hope anyone reading this is doing well.

Linking with -

 Sunday Salon at Reader Buzz 

 Joy's Book Blog for British Isles Friday 

The Intrepid Reader for Weekend Cooking.

If you like a western drama, check out 1883

Loki  was due for a bath so we dropped him at the vet's office and decided to make a day of it.  Coffee at the Lucky Goat cafe, dropped a return at the UPS store, shopping for new sneakers at Shoe Station, out to Ashley Furniture to spend a good hour+ looking at kitchen sets and living room furniture, a splurge of 5 Guys burgers, grocery shopping at Publix and then home. Whew!  That's way more than we do on an average week.

The furniture shopping involved lots of measuring to see if a table or sofa would fit where we need it. 🛋 Lots of photes taken.  The burger was the first beef we've had in months and we felt it....so heavy. 😒 Staying home the rest of the week now :-)

Watching / 1883 is a very good series and has some heartbreaking moments. Well acted, beautiful scenery and one of the better western dramas I've seen. We tried watching the popular show Yellowstone with Kevin Costner a few years ago and just didn't like it.  Too soap-operay so we had reservations about this series.  It's apparently a prequel to Yellowstone. A+ in my opinion.

Reading / I finished book three, The Dying of the Year, in the DCI Tom Raven series. The first book had me hooked, the second has some unrealistic plot turns near the end and the third was good but....not as good as book one.  Hoping for good things with book four.

I have started Music for Prime Time by Jon Burlingame.  It's a fat book but I can renew it if need be.  Trying to find a shorter fiction book to read while I wait for Kate Morton's newest Homecoming.  

Previous posts this week was a stroll around Tallahassee Nurseries

Linking up with 

Joy's Book Blog for British Isles Friday

Deb at Readerbuzz for Sunday Salon

A stroll around Tallahassee Nurseries

A few people expressed interest in a local nursery we frequent as it's very park-like, a wonderful place to wander around. We went a week ago and I have more photos, especially the ones in the green house where there's a koi pond, a bridge over it and lots of cool lights and plants.  

 Tallahassee nurseries hosted a Spring Fling on Thursday.  We didn't go as it would be packed and far enough away from our home that....wouldn't want to drive home later.  The tickets are expensive but it's for a good cause - fundraising for Tallahassee Hospice. Food, wine and music are provided.

These colorful pots are on our wishlist as they'd look great in your back yard.

This is the gift cottage - loads of windchimes, pottery and cards.

The clay pots displayed 👇

The greenhouse is a cool place to go when the sun is beating down on you.  Besides plants they have koi pond which Loki found very interesting.

It's hard to tell by this photo but here is a hanging window frame covered in fairy lights.  I am on the bridge over the koi, trying to get a good shot while Loki pulls me toward the water....in the opposite direction. The people on the other side of the bridge might have thought I was trying to get their photo :-)

The lit up ball with lights would look great at home but....not sure how we'd get electricty to it ....maybe use solar lights?

We need to get more pine straw for the beds we started but it's been so awfully hot, keep putting it off.  Maybe this week after the rains have passed.