Blue Sisters & Maple Espresso Cookies

what a combo . . .

Hi there and Happy Thursday! I hope this finds you safe and healthy - especially depending on where you are in the world. My mind is on all of those impacted by the intense storms both last night and last week. Thinking of everyone hit and having to start thinking about rebuilding.

We’re on the heels of a fall break for our older daughter, so I’m soaking in as much quiet time and work time as possible. I hope October has been treating you well so far. Here’s what I’ve been up to:

Held
by Anne Michaels

Transportive to say the least. Reading it felt like a hypnosis where I stopped really paying attention to what the words were saying but was taken on an adventure by what the words made me feel. It was a really unique, special experience. Though since I missed much of the meaning, I missed a lot here. The last 1/3rd was particularly hard to follow for me, so it didn’t end with a bang but I’ll remember the feelings this book gave me.

Blue Sisters
by Coco Mellors

This was the first book I finished in four months. It was beautifully written and captivating. The first half or so is told in three different perspectives from the sisters living separately, but somewhere in the middle they physically come together (though separate perspectives remain). I loved the scenes where the sisters’ feelings and secrets all came to a head and they had a big fight scene that just felt so real and I was almost acting it out while I was reading. The energy really changed when they all got together, it feels so energetic and fraught. I really enjoyed this one, and it got me out of my reading slump.

Taste
by Stanley Tucci

Finally listened to this one, mostly because Annie from The Bookshelf was raving about it in anticipation for Tucci’s next book, What I Ate in One Year (coming out next week!). Loved it. Such a great, calming, and charming listen. He’s a bit too persnickety about which pastas go with which sauces and I do have some feelings about the fact that he makes his own chicken broth (any other Better Than Bouillon users out there?), but it was delightful and I just love listening to his points of view.

I revisited one of my favorites this week! Maple Espresso Cookies from Snacking Bakes by Yossy Arefi. They’re quick and easy and we usually have all of the ingredients on hand (espresso powder and maple syrup being the big ones). And there’s a delicious icing to go on top that makes them look eye-catching (and allows the littles to really add their own flair sometimes [their cookies not pictured because they’re eye-catching but in a different way 😅]).

I did, however, mess up the icing this time around and I was stunned that Chris noticed. Neither of us can brag about a discerning palate. But I accidentally ALMOST put in a whole teaspoon of salt instead of water . . . I realized my mistake before the whole teaspoon went into the bowl, but as the recipe called for just “a pinch,” there was very little fixing it. I persisted, however, and added a ton more powdered sugar and maple syrup and water until I got to a consistency that felt good and *I* couldn’t taste the salt much. I then very boldly put the icing on every single cookie before Chris tried one and said, “ . . . Hm. Something’s different?”

Me: “👀”

Him: “I don’t know, it’s just . . . not as good as usual?”

Me: “👀"

Chris asked why I didn’t just remake the icing, but ya know, truly I hadn’t thought of it. 🙈

Hahaha awesome. So anyway. I liked them enough to eat them. And he liked them enough to eat them, but added vanilla ice cream. 😂👌

• I just had to buy the newest edition of the Chicago Manual of Style. It is not cute; I very much do not like the yellow but they have assured me that the dust jacket comes off and the hardcover is just red. Here’s a great LitHub article on why CMOS is still so essential. And here are some important changes to the 18th edition!

• A bit hard to watch, but here’s a funny video on how our kids hear our generation’s music 😭😭

• Also, speaking of music, the playlist at the coffee shop last week was solely from my emo phase of 8-10th grade (circa 2004-2006) and wow. Just wow. Sum 41, Panic! At The Disco, Taking Back Sunday, Yellowcard, All-American Rejects, etc. etc. etc. Just all of the yikes. #cringe

• Kolina Cicero discusses Blue Sisters better than I ever could and describes it as her favorite book of 2024 so far.

• And I just found this series, Creative. Inspired. Happy. from author Evelyn Skye. One of her latest videos was an interview with Alison Espach, author of The Wedding People, and I’m looking forward to following along for more.

• I am *not* looking forward to spooky season, but I *am* looking forward to fall! We’ve already done a pumpkin patch outing, we have several more Halloween events scheduled, and our costumes are almost entirely in order. Big sister wanted to do Paw Patrol this year, so she’s Rocky, little sis will be Skye, I’m going as Chickaletta (just a big chicken onesie), and Chris will probably be Chase though the adult puppy costumes are just a little off-putting (here).

• I’ve started getting sciatica pain in this pregnancy. Awesome! My heating pad has been a lifesaver, and I need to do some more prenatal yoga. Otherwise, the pregnancy is going really smoothly and I just passed the glucose test!

• We’re also starting the renovations on my mom’s house in anticipation of our moving in, and it’s so much work. We’ve met with an architect twice to get the floorplan just right, Chris is cleaning out the attic, and we’re going to start the process of selling our house soon. Things are moving along, and we’re probably moving in about five months. I’ll be really sad to leave our little starter home behind, but it’s an important step for us and my mom . . .

That’s all for this week (/month probably?). I’ll see you next time & as always, thanks for being here. I hope the rest of your week/month is filled with good books and baked goods!