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Here are the tastingspoons players. I’m in the middle (Carolyn). Daughter Sara on the right, and daughter-in-law Karen on the left. I started the blog in 2007, as a way to share recipes with my family. I’m still doing 99% of the blogging and holding out hope that these two lovely and excellent cooks will participate. They both lead very busy lives, so we’ll see.
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BOOK READING (from Carolyn):
Music of Bees, Eileen Garvin. Absolutely charming book about a woman in midlife, lonely, who raises bees, also makes unlikely friends. Heart-warming and very interesting about beekeeping.
A Postcard from Paris, Alex Brown. Really cute story. Dual time line, 1940s and present day about renovating an old apartment in Paris, things discovered.
Time of the Child, Niall Williams. Oh such a good book. Very small village in Ireland, 1960s. A baby is left on the doorstep. The town all whispers and helps. I listened to an interview of the author, which made me like him and his books even more.
Sipsworth, Simon Van Booy. If you like animals you’ll swoon. An old woman who really wants to die finds a tiny mouse in her house and befriends it and finds a reason to live. Utterly charming book.
The Forger’s Spell, Edward Dolnick. True story. For seven years a no-account painter named Han van Meegeren managed to pass off his paintings as those of Johannes Vermeer.
If You Lived Here, You’d be Home by Now, Christopher Ingraham. Could hardly put it down – about a journalist who takes on a challenge to move to small town in Minnesota and write about it. He expects to hate it and the people and place, but he doesn’t. Absolutely wonderful true story.
The River We Remember, William Kent Kreuger. 1950s, Minnesota. A murder and the aftermath. Could hardly put it down. Kreuger has such a vivid imagination and writing style.
How the Lights Gets In, Joyce Maynard. An older woman returns to New Hampshire to help care for her brain-injured son. Siblings and family, lots of angst and resentments.
The Filling Station, Vanessa Miller. Every American should read this book. A novelized retelling of the Tulsa massacre in 1921. Absolutely riveting.
The Story She Left Behind, Patti Callahan Henry. Love this author. Based on a true story. A famous author simply vanishes, leaving her husband and daughter behind. She had invented a mystical language no one could translate. Present day, someone thinks he’s solved the riddle, contacts the family. Really interesting read.
The Girl from Berlin, Ronald Balson. Love anything about Tuscany. An elderly woman is being evicted from a villa there, with odd deed provenance. Two young folks go there to help unravel the mystery. Loved it.
The Island of the Colorblind, Oliver Sacks, M.D. Nonfiction. The dr is intrigued by a remote Pacific island where most of the inhabitants are colorblind. He also unravels a mystery on Guam of people born with a strange neurological problem. Medical mysteries unveiled. Very interesting.
The Bookbinder, Pip Williams. Post 1914 London. Two sisters work at a bookbindery. They’re told to not read the books. One does and one doesn’t. One has visions beyond her narrow world; the other does not. Eventually the one gets into Oxford. Lovely story.
The Paris Express, Emma Donoghue. 1895 on a train to Paris, a disaster happens. You’ll delve into the lives of many people who survived and died in the crash.
A Race to the Bottom of Crazy, Richard Grant. This is about Arizona. Author, wife and child move back to Arizona where they once lived. Part memoir, research, and reporting in a quest to understand what makes Arizona such a confounding and irresistible place.
The Scarlet Thread, Francine Rivers. A woman’s life turned upside down when she discovers the handcrafted quilt and journal of her ancestor Mary Kathryn McMurray, a young woman who was uprooted from her home only to endure harsh frontier conditions on the Oregon Trail.
A Place to Hide, Ronald Balson. 1939 Amsterdam, an ambassador has the ability to save the lives of many Jewish children. Heartwarming.
Homeseeking, Karissa Chen. Two young Chinese teens are deeply in love, but in China. Then their families are separated. Jump to current day and the two meet again in Los Angeles.
North River, Pete Hammill. He always writes such a good story. A doctor works diligently healing people from all walks of life. His wife and daughter left him years before. One day his 3-yr old grandson arrives on his doorstep.
A Very Typical Family, Sierra Godfrey. A very messed-up family. Three adult children are given a home in Santa Cruz, Calif, but only if the siblings meet up and live in the house together. A very untypical scenario but makes for lots of messes.
Three Days in June, Anne Tyler. The usual Anne Tyler grit. Family angst. This wasn’t one of my favorites, but it was entertaining and very short.
Saved, Benjamin Hall. Author is a veteran war reporter. Ukraine, 2022, he nearly loses his life to a Russian strike. Riveting story – he survives, barely.
Grey Wolf, Louise Penny. Another Inspector Gamache mystery in Quebec. She is such an incredible mystery writer.
All the Colors of the Dark, Chris Whitaker. A missing person mystery, a serial killer thriller, a love story, a unique twist on each. Could hardly put it down.
Orbital, Samantha Harvey. Winner of 2024 Booker Prize. I don’t usually like those, but I heard the author interviewed and she hooked me. This is not a normal book with a beginning, a story and an end. It’s several chapters of the day in the life of various astronauts at the ISS (Int’l Space Station). All fictional. She’s been praised by several real astronauts for “getting it” about space station everyday life.
The Blue Hour, Paula Hawkins. An island off Scotland. Inaccessible except when the tide is out. Weird goings on. An artist. A present day mystery too.
Iron Lake, William Kent Krueger. A judge is murdered and a boy is missing. Riveting mystery.
Tell the Wolves I’m Home, Carol Ricks Brunt. 1980s. A 14-yr old girl loses her beloved uncle. Yet a new friendship arises, someone she never knew about.
Four Treasures of the Sky, Jenny Zhang. 1880s, a young girl is kidnapped in China and brought to the United States. She survives with many hurdles in the path.
The Boy Who Fell out of the Sky, Ken Dornstein. Memoir, 1988. The author’s brother died in the PanAm flight that went down in Lockerbie, Scotland. A decade later he tries to solve “the riddle of his older brother’s life.”
Worse Care Scenario, T.J. Newman. Oh my. Interesting analysis of what could/might happen if a jet crashed into a nuclear plant. Un-put-downable.
Song of the Lark, Willa Cather. Complicated weave of a story about a young woman in about 1900, who has a gifted voice (singing) and about her journey to success, not without its ups and downs.
Crow Talk, Eileen Garvin. Charming story which takes place at a remote lake in Washington State, about a few people who inhabit it, the friendships made, but also revolving around the rescue of a baby crow.
The Story Collector, Evie Woods. Sweet story about some dark secrets from an area in Ireland, a bit magical, faerie life, but solving a mystery too.
A Sea of Unspoken Things, Adrienne Young. A woman investigates her twin brother’s mysterious death. She goes to a small town in California to figure it out, to figure HIM out.
The King’s Messenger, Susanna Kearsley. 1600s England, King James. About one of his trusted “messengers,” and his relationship with a young woman also of “the court.” Lots of intrigue.
In the Shadow of the Greenbrier, Emily Matchar. Interesting mystery in/around the area of the famous resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.
Isola, Allegra Goodman. Hard to describe, survival story on an island in the 1600s.
Save the Date, Allison Raskin. Rom-com, witty, LOL funny. Clever.
The Sirens, Emilia Hart. Numerous time-lines, Australia. Mysteries abound, nightmares, abandoned baby, weird allergies.
Red Clay, Charles Fancher. LOVED this book. Mostly post-Civil War story about the lives of slaves in Alabama during Reconstruction.
Stars in an Italian Sky, Jill Santopolo. Dual time line, 1946 and recent time. Love stories and a mystery.
Battle Mountain, C.J. Box. Another one of Box’s riveting mysteries. Love his descriptions of the land.
Something Beautiful Happened, Yvette Corporon. A memoir of sorts in Greece, tiny island of Erikousa, where the locals hid Jews during WWII. All elusive stories told by the author’s grandmother.
The Jackal’s Mistress, Chris Bohjalian. 1860s Virginia, about a woman who saves the life of a Union soldier. Really good story.
Song of the Magpie, Louise Mayberry. Really interesting story about Australia back in the days when it was mostly a penal colony. Gritty strength of a woman trying to thrive with her farm.
The Boomerang, Robert Bailey. A thriller that will have you gripping the book. About a lot of secrets surrounding the president (fictional novel, remember) and his chief of staff and about cancer. A cure. Such a good story.
Care and Feeding, Laurie Woolever. Really interesting memoir of a woman driven to succeed in the restaurant business. She worked for Mario Batali and then Anthony Bourdain. Gritty stories.
Everything is Tuberculosis, John Green. Maybe not a book for everyone. A real deep dive into the deadly tuberculosis infection, its history. I heard the author interviewed and found the book very interesting.
The Book Lovers Library, Madeline Martin. Fascinating read about Boots’ drug stores’ lending library. And the people who worked in them.
The Arrivals, Meg Mitchell Moore. LOL funny, about a middle-aged couple whose children (and their various family members) return to the family home and the chaos that ensues.
My Life as a Silent Movie, Jesse Lee Kercheval. About grief. A big move to Paris, finding herself a new life with a new set of real blood family.
Escape, Carolyn Jessop. Another memoir about a woman really in bondage in Utah, Mormon plural marriage.
Tasting Spoons
My blog's namesake - small, old and some very dented engraved silver plated tea spoons that belonged to my mother-in-law, and I use them to taste my food as I'm cooking.
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Posted in Uncategorized, on December 24th, 2012.
Posted in Uncategorized, on December 22nd, 2012.
These camels were part of a nativity scene from Africa. The animals (instead of cows) included hippos and a lion. They all were made from thin strips of aluminum from soft drink cans, woven into a wire frame. They were absolutely adorable, and I’d have bought one if they’d been for sale.
Posted in Uncategorized, on December 19th, 2012.
A couple of weeks ago we visited a wonderful exhibit at a Mormon church near us. Every year for a few days they have crèches on display from all over the world (and some lively choirs and vocal ensembles singing in the adjoining auditorium). There must have been 100+ of the crèches. They’re displayed well, on stands, on Christmas themed tables, etc. They take all forms. This one was from Africa, as I recall, and it’s a ceramic teapot (made for the purpose, obviously) with the nativity scene inside. In the next week, each day I’m going to post a photo of one. I took jillions of photos, but the lighting wasn’t the best for iPhone photos. These you’ll see are the better ones.
Posted in Uncategorized, on December 3rd, 2012.
I’ve gone on and on about this stuff before. I hate to beat a dead horse, but as I was making a soup the other night I was just reminded how MUCH I use these soup bases. The chicken one the most. If I had to hone down a bunch of advice to all of you cooks out there, young, old, experienced or not, I’d tell you that after having a really good set of knives, THIS product above would be #2. They’re not that expensive, and I’m telling you true – they’re worth their weight in gold. I go through about 3 of the chicken ones a year. I just opened my last one, so I’ll be due to visit the new Penzey’s store that’s opened in San Diego this year to buy a new stash. Or I could order online (shipping applies, obviously), but I need other things from there too.
This product ISN’T just for soups, although that’s what they call it. It’s like buying bouillon cubes, or the jars of dried stuff at the grocery store. You’ll use it so often – in sauces, stews – you won’t have to fill your pantry with those quart boxes anymore. Just use this and add water. The grocery store types don’t hold a candle to the flavor in the Penzey’s brand. Here’s the LINK – just go do it, would you? You’ll be doing yourself a big favor. As I write this, they’re $10.85 each. I’d order the chicken and beef for sure. The ham one I have but rarely use. The seafood one is also such a time saver when making fish soups or sauces for fish. These do contain sodium, but not nearly as much as the other brands. Do it, would ya?
Posted in Uncategorized, on November 21st, 2012.
I hope each and every one of you has a very special, fun-filled Thanksgiving holiday. I’m counting my blessings. And I’m going to try to eat just one piece of pumpkin pie.
Graphic: created by me at Wordle.net
Posted in Uncategorized, on November 6th, 2012.
We entertained a few nights ago. I made my easy cassoulet, spinach hummus, a new sweet onion and thyme dip (it will be posted here next week), and one of my favorite sides, baked onions with thyme. Other guests brought a salmon dip (that I loved, and hope to give you a link to Kim’s blog once she posts it) and a delicious sugar-free apple strudel. Another guest helped me by making a cocktail – a clove-scented sidecar. That recipe will be up in another week or so too. I had fun setting the table. Over the years I’ve collected a bunch of Fall and/or pumpkin-oriented stuff that I use on our kitchen island or on the dining room table. Just thought I’d share with you. I don’t know that rattan chargers are “in” any more, but I like them. I’ve had the decorated balls for several years. The ceramic pumpkins I bought a few years ago, along with the rings that go on the candle bases. The big twig pumpkins I bought last year on sale.
Do you suppose anybody noticed that one candle was a little Leaning Tower of Pisa? Hope not! The brownish thing lying on the runner (just above the silver wine holder) that s-curves is a 5-foot long garland, of sorts, of sewn-together cut twigs and red chiles (dark red, so you can hardly see that they’re red, as they’re almost brown). I bought it years and years ago – every time I touch it, almost, a red chile (very dried out, obviously) breaks open and a dozen seeds fall. But I like the texture of it. I store it in a plastic sealing bag the other 11 months of the year!
Posted in Uncategorized, on September 21st, 2012.
Isn’t that just stunning? As I write this we are staying at a bed and breakfast over on the right side of that photo. It’s right on the lake. More photos later. The picture above was taken on the Mt. Rose Hwy. between Reno and Incline Village (a community in Nevada that also fronts on Lake Tahoe). After 2 days of long driving days we are back in California, albeit up in the northeast corner, sort of. Today we are driving to Placerville to celebrate our granddaughter Taylor’s 15th birthday. It’s going to be 80 degrees here today.
I have hundreds of photos (well, maybe not hundreds but close) to sort through and stories to tell. One about a guest ranch we stayed in, in Montana, that just blew our socks off. I have several photos from there. We drove from the guest ranch to Jackpot, Nevada in one long day, suffering with the intense smoke from the forest fires. Then another long driving day from Jackpot through Winnemucca, an oasis in the desert, to Reno. We stayed at a casino hotel there, where we had two power outages. That’s real fun when you’re buried deep in a casino with no outdoor lights and the power goes out. There were some dim safety lights way off in the distance. The outages didn’t last too long, fortunately. The hotel Internet went out (including TV and phones), so no watching television that night. No blogging either. If you’ve never been to Lake Tahoe, you should.
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