Thankfully This Recipe Was Easy and The Hubs liked it! Plus a #COYER Challenge and #2021AudioBookChallenge

How's your 2021 going so far? Around here we have had some seasonally appropriate weather that has made it difficult for me to go for a daily run. I don't have a treadmill, I really don't like running inside. Running on a treadmill is a surefire way to watch time slow to a crawl. I'd much rather layer up and run outside.  However, ice and snow equal me falling down and I don't want to find out how well the Prolia shot I had to take works.  Yes Osteopenia as a result of cancer treatment stinks, but I don't see the point in complaining, I'm just glad I don't currently have cancer.   The fix to my running in the snow and ice is to get Yaktrax , it's like putting chains on tires for winter driving. Last winter I feel like four times and almost fell more times than I can count so instead a repeat of last year where I courted breaking a bone. This year I'm going to start right off being smarter about my running. 

How about you?  Are you getting the year off to a smart start?  If you would like a hearty flavorful, cassoulet that is easy to put together, try this one! 

Substitutions that I made were- I used ground turkey instead of ground pork, I used a can of garbanzo beans instead of the second can of Great Northern Beans because I only had one can of Great Northern.

My finished picture doesn't look as pretty as I would have liked, but the meal was delicious. Here is the link to the recipe from Real Simple Magazine- One Pot Sausage, Pork, and Beans Recipe

Sometimes I listen to audiobooks while I am cooking and recently I listen to the audio version of a graphic novel. Yes, I know this sounds like an oxymoron.  I have to say the audiobook had a full cast of actors and they gave it there all so that I could 'see' the book unfolding.  Below is my review-

 

The Pretenders by Charlaine Harris and Christopher Golden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I bought the audio version of this graphic novel because it was on sale in an email I received at some point last year. Then I got distracted and didn't listen to it for a good six months. Today, I finally decided to give it a listen. I didn't realize that the audiobook I purchased was a graphic novel until after I finished listening to the story!

The audio of this book has a full cast of actors and the story really comes to life. I also didn't realize I had purchased book 1 of a trilogy, and now that I know it's a trilogy, I'm going to have to get the other two books, which are not on sale- HA! To be fair, this is a nice stand-alone story and you aren't left on the precipice of a cliffhanger.

The book starts off with an MC who wakes up in a cemetery with no memory. All she knows is that the reason she is in the cemetery is someone tried to kill her. What a great story hook! How can you not read this? I imagine it is a great looking graphic novel, the audio does not disappoint!

View all my reviews

Hey There, Whatcha Reading?

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

I suddenly realized the month of February is just about half over and I still needed to listen to one more audiobook in order to complete the audible challenge and earn a $20 gift card from Amazon. What to do? I previewed a few books and one caught my ear. Our Little Lies is read by a British reader with the most delightful accent--so I downloaded it. Audible.com has icons you earn for various feats and this book earned me the marathon badge because I could not stop listening.  I had to know how this book ended!

If you choose to read it, make sure you block off quality time.  Don't start reading at 8pm on Sunday when you have to work the next day! You have been warned!

Our Little Lies by Sue Watson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The first third of the book is such a slow-building rise of tension that it is almost maddening. You think you can rely on the narrator, but she doesn't even know herself. Layer upon layer you wonder, will she wise up? Will she believe herself? As the roller coaster starts down its steep incline, you can't stop reading this book. You really need to have time to stop everything else in your life and finish it.

Is there a twist? More than one--and then one big one. I'll be surprised if you figure it out before it happens.

The only issue I had with this book is I thought the villain got some undeserved redemption at the end.

If you are looking for a thriller you can't put down, get this book ASAP.


View all my reviews

The End Is Near!

I enjoy that the phrase 'the end is near' can be positive or negative. For the purposes of today,
 it's a good thing.

The end of me driving through the gauntlet to go to radiation will be over a week from tomorrow. What is the gauntlet?  Its afternoon traffic on 95th Street where people don't use turn signals, think switching lanes in the middle of an intersection is cool, and too many people aren't paying attention when the light has changed and I am behind them.

Every day I see a few almost-accidents.  I thought I was done with my mini-rant, but before I leave the subject. Every single trip I have to stop for emergency vehicles, this isn't the rant yet, every day there are emergency vehicles going up and down 95th street--because there are two hospitals in a 2-mile stretch. And every day there are foolish drivers that turn in front of ambulances/police or fire trucks. I mean come on people! 

Okay, I'm done now, back to the good stuff. The end is near for January! It's been a long, long month. Yesterday I got my Valentine's Day leggings from Aldi and as you can see, I'm ready for February! Personally, I'm not a fan of February either, but I'm making an effort this year to appreciate the shortest month of the year. If you love February, please let me know your secret. Maybe it is copious amounts of chocolate?  I could give that a try... 

A couple of things about this picture. 1. #nofilter 2. #nomakeup and 3. my hair was still wet from a shower so you can't see the wavy curl of it. I supposed I could take another picture but #idontfeellikeit.

The end of our streak of cloudy days is near, hopefully, Sunday will be as advertised on my app: Sunny and 51 degrees. That is a Super Sunday! If it is that nice, I'm visualizing myself going on a nice long 7-mile run. #Goals!