Christmas cookies

Sue Grafton's L novel was annoying. So much so, that I didn't finish reading it but jumped to the last chapter after reading it over half way. Aside from Kinsey, the characters were totally unlikeable. I'd rather not read about characters I don't like. I haven't started a new mystery yet but have been reading the latest Valdemar anthology. Perhaps I will devote a different blog to it. It has been a satisfying read.

No, my obsession du jour is Christmas cookies. First I tried twiddling with the toll house cookie recipe a la Alton Brown but was dissatisfied with the results. When not stored in an airtight container the cookies became rock hard. Not Good Eats. But AB is not necessarily to blame since I didn't follow his recipe exactly. Next, I made them the way I usually do according to the recipe on the package substituting 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar for the 3/4 cup each in the recipe. I used Brooke's scoops to portion the dough and was pleased with the results. I like using the scoops--they made for more uniform cookies that were well shaped. I am not compelled to eat them one after another. What's up with that?

The next experiments where shape cookies. I used AB recipe for sugar cookies but wasn't thrilled with the taste. I used Joy of Cooking's Gingerbread people recipe. I haven't tasted it yet. Brooke had a little cookie cutting and decorating party at her house for which I supplied the dough and cutters and she supplied supper, icing and guests. It was an enjoyable time but I pooped out before everything was finished and came home. I need to pick up my portion of the results later. I discovered that, like painting pottery, decorating cookies is not my forte. Brooke, Virginia and Nadia, however were pros.

Next on my list will be Mexican Wedding Cakes (Joy of Cooking) and Date Nut Balls. If either of those fail to please me, I'll know something is wrong; they are two of my favorites.

I still need to get a gift for Ali (I know what I'm getting him) and something for the other relatives (I have no clue) but I will wait until I feel better--maybe Thursday.

It's a mystery to me.

Well, I am nine months away from C.H.I.P. and I am back to being a carnivore. I have cut back on the amount of meat I eat. For example, I used only 1/4 lb. of ground beef in the pot of spaghetti I made the other day.

Over the past year, I have dabbled in several thing (see the subtitle of this blog). The one up for discussion today is mysteries. Yes, along with most of the female population that I know, I have started reading, rather obsessively, mysteries. I'm not sure which author I began with but I wouldn't be surprised if it was Nevada Barr. It was either her or Rita Mae Brown. I like to check with my favorite website: Fantastic Fiction . The web site gives lists of the series written by each author listed and in the order they were written.

I found that I could not read one Nevada Barr novel after another. They are too intense. Elaine maintains that the best qualities of a good mystery are characters and plot. Nevada Barr's novels are tightly plotted and loaded with wonderful characters. What's more, the main character, Anna Pigeon, grows quite a bit as the novels progress. Barr's big hook, however, is setting. Each novel is set in a different National Park. Given the dangers our hero encounters is enough to put you off camping! And that's another thing. The heroes of mysteries seem to fall into some peril in the last chapter of the novel. Anna, however, gets royally beaten up or almost killed in every book I've read so far. I would think that she would have lasting physical effects from all the trauma. (I think she does have to get away from it all in the novel after the next one I'm due to read.)

The next author I tackled was Rita Mae Brown and her Sneaky Pie series. I liked all the characters but I found the series quite a bit lighter than Barr's and not so tightly plotted. I read her as much for the story as for the mystery. One really does need to read this series in sequence to keep up with all the changes. I liked the way Harry mellows and begins to get along better with characters that were drawn rather harshly in the early novels. The hook for her novels--talking animals who contribute to the solving of the mysteries. They only talk to each other, so don't rank these books with fantasy.

I got into Laura Lippman throught the AARP Page Turners Book Club on the web. Lippman's hook is the city of Baltimore, which she obviously loves. Her main character, Tess Monaghan, goes through quite a bit of development. I loved her boyfriend, Crow, but didn't find him as believable as all her other characters. For plotting, she is denser than Brown but not as intense as Barr. Definitely re-readable.

Now I am reading Sue Grafton. I thought her A and B novels were weak and her character not very well developed but she has grown. I'm up to J now and am enjoying the mysteries more. One thing that bothers me is the amount of trivial detail. Grafton lets us know every time Kinsey brushes her teeth or locks her car. Maybe she's trying to impress us with Kinsey's methodical, cautious ways. Getting into these characters is like having friends you meet in the books. You feel sorry when the series is finished. Since all of these books are on my Kindle, it will be easy to visit them again.

Elaine is going through the mystery section of her library, reading women authors alphabetically. Following that lead, I have been exploring the Fantastic Fiction lists alphabetically, choosing authors that have four stars (too many, otherwise). I've read Murder with Peacocks by Donna Andrews. It went well enough that I will read more but the plotting was loose. I think its what you call romance mystery. We'll see. I also read the first Agatha Raisin novel by M. C. Beaton. I am familiar with the Hamish Macbeth series from the TV series. I loved the characters but never really saw the episodes as mysteries. The characters in the Agatha Raisin novel are wonderful. Agatha is a crusty, quirky delight and the people who surround her likewise. I think I will read Beaton and Grafton in tandem with a Barr novel thrown in once in a while for variety.

30 Days of C.H.I.P.

I finished the 30 day Coronary Health Improvement Project and, coincidentally, physical therapy this week. I kept pretty strongly to the CHIP dietary guidelines although I succumbed to sugar in the last week. I didn't lose any weight. My blood pressure was lower but I don't trust the measurement since the cuff was the wrong size. I hope that my doctor's office will call Monday afternoon with the blood test results. If there is no difference, not only will I be discouraged but also I will probably decide not to go the "graduation" on Thursday evening.

I have been feeling better physically. I am able to go up weird stairs (St. Louis front step--irregular high risers) like a normal human instead of step by step with a great deal of effort. I am not content to just sit in my recliner all day. The dark side of that is that I tend to do more than I should. Like today, for instance. I changed the sheets on my bed, did two load of wash (3 trips up and down stairs), de-cluttered the living room and vacuumed and made stir-fry for lunch. All that activity, of course, gave me a back ache so I am relegated to lying on a heating pad or kicking back in the recliner. Some day. . .

C.H.I.P.

Today is the first day of the jump start for the Coronary Health Improvement Program. I had steel cut oatmeal and a banana and blueberries for breakfast. Lacking creativity, I had the same thing for lunch but it was not as satisfying. I only have two days of eating only grains and fruit and I am so glad. I went to the store and got some grapefruit and oranges and fresh pineapple. I also got some Bob's Red Mill 6 grain hot cereal. I am not feeling very enthusiastic about this but I can do it for two days. I would season the grains creatively but I don't really have a clue. Salt is verbotten as well as sugar. Perhaps garlic and ginger?

Fasting in the 2010s

When I got up (late) this morning, I didn't turn on the TV. It was nice and quiet and I decided to fast from electronics: no TV, no computer, no electronic games, no cell phone. I didn't fast all day long--just until about 3:00. This is what fasting is for me. I never understood or got value from fasting as a Muslim. It was stressful and ultimately made me sick. But fasting from electronics was peaceful. I read and was quiet. I'm going to do it again, perhaps when Jim is off in Crestwood, perhaps sooner.

I've started reading Karen Armstrong's The Case for God. I have been reading only fantasy and science fiction for a long time; I doubted I'd be able to read something serious. But with the electronic fast, my mind was quiet enough to become immersed in it. I wonder if being vegetarian helped clear my mind, too.