M.A. Kropp: Writer, Blogger, GeekGirl. My Life. My Words. My Way.
Hey, guess what? As I am typing this on Sunday, the sun is actually out! That's a big, and welcome, change from the last while, where all we have had is clouds and rain. I hope it sticks around for a while. I have spent the week slowly, and I do mean slooowwwlllly, taking down … Continue reading January, Week 2
Welp, it's running right quickly down to Christmas Eve and Christmas, and then the beginning of the New Year. The house is mostly decorated, with just a couple more things to get set up. We got a tree last week. It's pretty, if a bit short, but it is very, very full. Hanging ornaments is … Continue reading Ho, Ho, Ho, and All That
Here in the USA, today is Thanksgiving Day. According to the history we (of a certain age) were taught, it is the day set aside to commemorate the first European settlers here in the New World, and their supposed feast of the bounty of their new home. It was taught as a feast that included … Continue reading Being Thankful
What's new around here? Not a whole lot, really. I planted some little bluestem grasses in a corner of the front hill that seemed a bit bare. The plan is for them to spread and fill in that spot. And some Great St. John's Wort in the shade garden under the dining room windows. I … Continue reading Not Much Is New
But not this week for me. I have that bane of the over-40 group's existence coming up- the ever-popular colonoscopy. Don't get me wrong- I am all for everyone having theirs when they need to be done. I had surgery a number of years ago that removed part of my colon due to cancer that … Continue reading Food, Glorious Food
My rating: 3 of 5 starsI think I would have enjoyed this book more if I had liked Salatin's attitude more. Don't get me wrong- he has some really good points in this book. It is important to understand what we eat, how it is grown/raised, and why getting "back to the Earth" is a … Continue reading Friday Review: Folks, This Ain’t Normal by Joel Salatin
My rating: 4 of 5 starsEric Ripert is a well-known, Michelin-starred chef at one of New York's best restaurants, Le Bernardin. He grew up in the Andorra region of France, where his mother was an excellent cook, but insisted that the kitchen was no place for a boy. He adored his father and was devastated … Continue reading Friday Review: 32 Yolks: From My Mother’s Table to Working the Line by Eric Ripert
For those of us in the US, this past Thursday was Thanksgiving which, for many, marks the beginning of the winter holiday season. It's also been a bit of a controversial holiday lately for some, but I choose to think of it more as a day for family and gratitude. The actual history of the … Continue reading And So It Begins
My rating: 3 of 5 starsI like food. I like to eat good food (perhaps a bit too much!). So, I generally enjoy reading the stories of the people who have worked their way through the difficult journey to professional chef. And if that chef happens to be woman, all the better, because the food … Continue reading Blood, Bones, and Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef by Gabrielle Hamilton
On Saturday, we went to Spiedie Fest in BInghamton. Spie adies are a bit of a local thing here. It's chunks of marinated meat, originally lamb, but now made with pork and chicken also, grilled and served on slices of soft Italian bread. It's a summer thing that started in BInghamton, and isn't known too … Continue reading It’s a Local Thing
And So On... 