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My week in review...

Sunday, 12/7/25, Project Positivity Day 306

I had a great time performing at Cole Sarar's SciFi Reading Hour. Caly accompanied me with awesome scifi Elvis music (which weird fusion she somehow pulled off--amazing). Cole read her emotional teleportation piece. I read the 6th Annual Superhero Conclave, Day 1 flash fiction piece, and then the significantly longer Ain't Nothin' but a Hadron Hound Dog (Elvis in the Large Hadron Collider) piece. My Princess Awesome spaceship skater dress + teal sequined shrug worked well for a scifi but sparkly vibe. I didn't fumble any lines too badly, I remembered to add hand gestures, and I think everything went pretty well. Had a bunch of fun chatting with folks afterwards, too.

Monday, 12/8/25, Project Positivity Day 307

I've rediscovered the TV show Bull (streaming on Paramount+ or Roku), and I'm enjoying watching it. I do love me some episodic fixer TV, and it's (so far) smart enough to avoid huge drama arcs that would undercut the "every episode there's a problem, and we fix it."

Tuesday, 12/9/25, Project Positivity Day 308

Phil and I earned a Parenting Gold Star. Picture the scene: a massive snowstorm, and your son tells you that you have to drive and pick up a 3D printed model at 7PM for a school project. And he has to paint it. That evening. Because it's due the next day. And you don't own 3D-print painting supplies like primer or even acrylic paints. And did I mention massive snowstorm? Phil missed the first part of a remote work meeting to drive and pick up the model (since my car is very not good in deep snow). He nearly got stuck just driving to the other kid's house, so a special trip to a craft store for painting supplies was Not Happening. Honorable mention goes to the Reddit subthread that casually mentioned that nail polish actually works pretty well for painting 3D-printed models. Yes, my massive nail polish collection came in clutch! When the model was finished, it actually looked really good.

Wednesday, 12/10/25, Project Positivity Day 309

Phil felt well enough to go back to work! Flu A really knocked him on his ass, despite Theia testing positive for flu early enough that *he* could get the Tamiflu antiviral, even if she couldn't. He missed work all last week and the first couple of days of this week, running a fever every day. He was still running a bit of fever late in the afternoon, but mostly he was capable of doing stuff again.

Friday, 12/12/25, Project Positivity Day 310

Felt accomplished because I successfully bought All the Things. Presents for spouse, son, and niece. Snacks and ingredients for my kiddo's unexpectedly large sleepover party (note to self: just assume everyone's going to attend, even if you haven't heard from them) that includes a vegan. If you are in my home, I will provide you with foods you can eat, damn it! Failure to feed guests is unacceptable.

Aaaand, this is another "ported over before it's too late" recipe. But also, it's real good! I promise!

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 onion, peeled and minced
4 cloves garlic
2-3 large carrots, peeled and diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 c. spinach
1 lb. ground beef
1 c. beef broth (2x strength)
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 pkg brown gravy mix
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. fresh-ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. rosemary
1 can peas
1 can mushrooms or smallest package of mushrooms

(Additions in best-yet version: 1 c. sliced daikon, 4 parsnips, 1 c. spaghetti sauce w/ meat and spinach, and 1/4 c. cider.)

~4 c. mashed potatoes (Garlic [5 cloves] + dill is good--try using yogurt cheese instead of cream cheese + yogurt and maybe pre-baking to dry out, get a crust on top--it's important to not use too buttery a mashed potato recipe.)
1/2 - 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.

Heat the oil in a large pan. Add onion and sautee until onions start to become transparent, 1-2 minutes. Add garlic, meat and carrots and saute until meat is browned, about 8 minutes.

Mix together broth and add the spices, sauces, and tomato paste.

Drain the fat from the meat. Add broth mixture. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.

Add canned peas and mushrooms. Pour into 1 1/2 qt baking dish. Cover with mashed potatoes. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top.

Bake until top is golden, 30-35 minutes.

Usually I make this for our annual fall sumo party. It's a great cold-weather chicken soup. And delicious.

Good Luck Chankonabe
(Sumo Soup)
Serves lots.

Note: Why chicken? Because armless and legless fish are considered unlucky for wrestlers who depend so much on arms and legs, and because cows keep all four legs on the ground--an automatic loss in sumo.

This is also super-tasty made vegetarian/vegan--just replace the chicken with another cake of fried tofu slices, and use vegetable stock.

Ingredients:
1 pack udon noodles
12 c. chicken stock
4 boneless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch chunks
1 daikon radish (yes, that huge thing), sliced
1 potato, chopped into bite sized chunks
2 onions, quartered
12 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, quartered
1 carrot, peeled and chopped into bite sized chunks
1 cake firm tofu, sliced into 1/3" thick rectangles
1 cake firm tofu, sliced into 1/3" thick rectangles and fried in vegetable oil until golden on both sides
1 bok choy cabbage chopped into bite sized chunks
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. mirin
(extra salt if not using salty chicken stock)

Directions:

Note that the first 3 steps can be done simultaneously.

1. Bring water to boil in a pot. Add daikon and potato slices and parboil for a few minutes. Drain. Set daikon and potato aside in a bowl with ice water.

2. Meanwhile, bring chicken stock to a boil, add onions, carrot,and mushrooms, chicken, and 2 kinds of tofu. Simmer about 15 minutes. Add daikon, potato, and cabbage and simmer about 5 more minutes.

3. Meanwhile, cook udon noodles according to package directions, drain, and reserve.

To soup, add soy sauce and mirin, salt if needed, and simmer a few more minutes.

Add cooked noodles just before serving--if doing individual servings, dollop into bowls and spoon broth over.

Basic recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen's "Pasta with Garlicky Broccoli Rabe," which was itself adapted from Gourmet September 2006. Fascinating, seeing how recipes evolve!

Salt note from Smitten Kitchen: Please don’t use table salt. Most table salt is iodized and that iodine can turn your garlic a weird bright blue/green color. It will still be safe to eat but look… disturbing.

This is a great recipe to use whatever wilting or stir-fry greens your CSA gives you. My kids loved it, which is a huge victory for eating greens! I used a combination of broccoli rabe and tat soi, but any spinach-like green would do--kale or collards would be too tough.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. Kosher salt
1 lb. penne or other chunky pasta
1/2 - 1 lb. greens
1/2 cup olive oil
6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced or pressed
1 dried red pepper, minced
1 tsp. Kosher salt
15 oz. ricotta cheese (small container)
Lemon juice to taste

Instructions:
1. Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a boil. (It will heat faster this way.)

2. Chop greens into roughly 1" squares. Separate and mince stems if necessary.

3. Add 1 Tbsp. kosher salt and penne to boiling water.

4. 5 minutes before the pasta's cooking time is up, add the greens. They will wilt and cook alongside the pasta.

5. Drain greens and pasta together.

6. In the same pot, heat the olive oil with the garlic, pepper flakes and 1 tsp. Kosher salt over low-medium heat, stirring frequently for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the garlic becomes lightly golden.

7. Add pasta back to pot, along with ricotta cheese. Stir just until cheese is melted.

8. Serve with lemon juice to sprinkle on lightly immediately before eating.

INGREDIENTS

1 kohlrabi
2 medium carrots
3 green onions or 1/2 regular onion, minced
3 Tbsp garlic scapes, or fresh chives, chopped
2 eggs
2 Tbsp plain flour
2 tsp paprika
1 ½ tsp salt
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp onion powder
⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
Black pepper to taste
Vegetable oil for shallow frying

INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare the kohlrabi. Cut off the leaves and stalks, and then peel the vegetable with a knife.

Shred kohlrabi in food processor.

Press down on the grated kohlrabi with paper towels to remove excess moisture.

Peel and shred the carrots.

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.

Heat oil in a large frying pan. Once the oil is hot, turn the heat down to medium. Use a small cookie dough scoop to dollop batter into frying pan. Press it down to flatten so that the fritters don’t end up too thick in the middle. Cook for around 2 1/2 - 3 minutes per side, until light brown but not scorched (it is easy to overcook these!).

When the fritters are ready, transfer them to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain off any excess oil. Lightly salt.

This recipe is for S.O.S. AKA Shit on a Shingle AKA Same Old Stuff AKA "chipped beef gravy on toast" if you're feeling classy. This is my spouse's grandfather Bud Sherman's recipe for S.O.S., a military meal staple from the Navy during WWII. This version varies from the standard by the addition of canned corn and a pinch or two of cayenne. He did a fair amount of kitchen duty.

Ingredients

Boiling water
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c. warm milk
1/2 jar dried beef (about 2.5 oz)
1/3 c. canned corn (or frozen, if cooked)
1 pinch cayenne pepper
black pepper
salt

Toasted bread
Butter

Directions

Put dried beef slices in a bowl. Pour boiling water over them. Let sit briefly and drain (this removes some of the extra salt).

Chop slices into roughly 1/2" squares.

Begin toasting your bread. Estimate at least 2 slices per person.

In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Meanwhile, microwave milk to warm it slightly.

Whisk in flour to form a roux and cook for 1 minute.

Whisk in warm milk, a little at a time. Increase heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring, until thickened.

Stir in beef, corn, and cayenne. Heat through.

Add black pepper and salt (optional) to taste.

Serve over buttered toast.

Note: Serves 8 (over rice). This is mildly spicy--feel free to adjust up with more dried red pepper as wanted.

Collard Greens

6 c. water
1/2 lb. ham, chopped
2 bundles collard greens (about 3-4 lbs), rinsed and chopped
1 dried red pepper, minced (or 1 tsp. red pepper flakes)
1/4 c. vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste

Place water and ham in a large pot (stock pot size) with a tight fitting lid. Bring to a boil. Lower heat very low and simmer covered for 30 minutes. Add collards and pepper flakes. Simmer covered for 2 hrs, stirring occasionally. Add vegetable oil and simmer covered for another 30 minutes.

Hoppin' John

1 Tbsp olive oil
3 strips bacon, choppped
1/2-1 lb ham, chopped
1 onion, minced
1 dried red pepper, minced (or 1 tsp. red pepper flakes)
1/2 celeriac root, minced (OR 1/2 c. chopped celery)
1 green pepper, chopped
1 jalapeño, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. black-eyed peas, soaked overnight and rinsed
4 c. chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. dry thyme
Salt and black pepper to taste
White rice to serve over

Heat oil in large soup pot, add ham and sear on all sides, about 4 minutes.
Add bacon, onion, and dried red pepper. Cook until onion starts to brown.
Add celeriac, green pepper, jalapeno, and garlic, cook a couple more minutes.
Add black-eyed peas, stock, bay leaves, thyme, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more water as needed.
Taste, and add salt or pepper as needed.
Serve over rice.

Traditional for New Years' Day, but good year-round!

I finally found The One True Recipe that will get my daughter to like potatoes! True facts: she's like the only kid who hates French fries, mashed potatoes, etc.

Plate holding scalloped potatoes and a single sausage.

INGREDIENTS

3 clove garlic, lightly smashed and peeled

Unsalted butter, room temperature, for pan

4 pounds peeled and thinly sliced potatoes, pref. Yukon Gold potatoes (8 medium)

2 c. heavy cream

2 c. whole milk

1 tsp. dried sage (or thyme or other seasonings)

1 Tbsp. coarse salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1/4 c. grated Gouda cheese

2 c. grated extra-sharp white Cheddar cheese (we like Cabot Cheddar)

2 thick-cut slices of ham, diced

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Rub the bottom and sides of a 9x13 baking dish with crushed garlic cloves; reserve garlic. Butter pan.

2. Add potatoes and garlic to a large pot with 2 c. cream, 2 c. milk, 1 tsp. sage, 1 Tbsp. coarse salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper.

3. Bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 1 minute. Let cool 10 minutes.

4. Layer by thirds: 1/3 potatoes, 1/3 cheese mixture, 1/2 diced ham etc. (No ham on top layer, just cheese.) The potato layer should include the cooking liquid and the garlic. Leave no cream behind!

5. Cover pan with parchment paper (to keep from sticking), followed by tin foil.

6. Bake 40 minutes, until potatoes are tender when pierced.

7. Remove foil. Turn oven to broil. Broil until lightly browned in spots on top, 3-5 minutes.

8. Cool 15 minutes before serving. This is important! Otherwise the layers will not stick together and it will be a hot mess.

ADVANCE PREP

Without the last layer of cheese, you can cover tightly with saran wrap (no oxygen between the wrap and the potatoes) and refrigerate for a day in advance. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before baking, let come up to room temp, and then add final layer of cheese before baking as directed.

Step 1. Get your head right. 🪄Ta-da✨ and Good Things lists are a good start! Here are mine from Sunday.

💖GOOD THINGS
No more unwanted expelling of body fluids! I'm still having sharp stomach pains, though. That's not so fun.
Putting a couple of stickers on my replacement laptop has made me feel a lot more like it's mine.
Having files synced to the replacement laptop means I can work in my bedroom reading nook while the kids are playing video games downstairs and Phil is recuperating in the attic.
The dog has not had any vomit- or diarrhea-related incidents today. Yet.
The kids had a really good, long D&D session that did NOT erupt in a sibling squabble and end in tears and screams.
How very much Theia loves Lotus egg rolls. She got one from the deli when she went grocery shopping with Phil, as a treat. It just makes me smile.
Rewatching Leverage:Redemption to prescreen episodes for the kids.

🪄TA-DA✨
Did 2 loads of laundry. There is SO MUCH laundry.
Fed dog, cats, and kids breakfast and lunch.
Free-writing warm-up.
Sent a stressful email explaining why I can't fulfill my volunteer commitment to help set up at an upcoming pie social (norovirus is contagious for quite a while, turns out).
Checked calendar for next week--very important!
Checked with Cassius about if he wanted us to watch his theatre performance--no.
Put away miscellaneous laundry.
Hand-washed 2 sinks of dishes.
Re-ordered approximately 3,000 words of the out-of-order draft ending to Desolation Station. Lots more to go!
Cut and bundled branches from downed tree into 1 bundle for yard waste.
Wiped down kitchen counters.
Made dinner (pasta with pesto, very easy).
Folded 1 load of laundry while watching Leverage:Redemption.

I recently finished recording the narration for a charming, sapphic, spaceship-stowaway / just-one-bed scifi holiday romance story, “To Catch a Flieff” by Julia Rios. I enjoyed reading it a lot, and I hope you will too. You can listen to the first part of it at the Escape Pod podcast on October 10th: https://escapepod.org/

Writing-wise, I’ve been digging into all the things that I postponed dealing with until school started. Currently I am sick with the inevitable “first two weeks of school” family cold, which is not great for improving productivity.

Sh!t on a Shingle AKA Dried Beef Gravy on Toast AKA Chipped Beef Gravy on Toast

This is Great-Grandpa Bud Sherman's recipe for S.O.S., a military meal staple from the Navy during WWII. This version varies from the standard by the addition of canned corn and a pinch or two of cayenne.

Ingredients

Boiling water
4 Tbsp. butter
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
3 c. warm milk
1 jar dried beef (about 2.5 oz)
2/3 can corn
2 pinches cayenne pepper
Black pepper to taste
Salt if needed (but TASTE FIRST)

Toasted bread
Butter

Directions

Put dried beef slices in a bowl. Pour boiling water over them. Let sit briefly and then drain (this removes some of the extra salt). Chop into roughly 1/2" squares.

In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter.
Whisk in flour all at once to form a roux.
Whisk in warm milk, a little at a time. Increase heat to medium, and simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened.
Stir in beef, corn, and cayenne. Warm through.
Add black pepper and salt (optional) to taste. You probably will not need salt, because the beef provides it.

Serve over buttered toast.

So I slept in. When I woke up, I thought that wasn’t great timing because it meant I couldn’t take the kids to the Minnesota State Fair first thing in the morning like I’d planned. Turned out, the fair was closed for a while in the morning to do some post-storm cleanup anyway, so that was okay.

The first thing the kids saw was a mirror maze, but then they glimpsed the fun house on the other side of it and decided that they wanted to do that instead. They loved it, and I felt lucky to escape the rides section with only one expenditure!

Cassius’s must-do was the Haunted House, which we've never done before. Theia was also enthusiastic about this idea. So we made our way in that direction. Along the way, we stopped and visited the sheep barn and the Miracle of Birth barn. It’s a state fair; the kids have to see some farm-related things, even under (Cassius’s) protest!

We also found two of our New State Fair Foods. Mine was the Strawberries and Cream Waffle Stick from Waffle Chix. It was a waffle on a stick with some strawberry syrup and cream poured over it. It was only okay. Would not go out of my way to eat again.

Theia’s was Lady’s Slipper Marble Sundae from Bridgeman’s Ice Cream, just a few feet away from Waffle Chix. That was delicious! Chunks of ladyfingers cookies, strawberry ice cream, and a delightfully light lemon pudding.

The Haunted House was very dark and full of "monsters" banging "weapons" on the walls and grabbing at people walking through. Not my favorite thing. I wish the creepy scenarios had been slightly better lit, because mostly we didn't see anything at all in the rooms. Theia hated it and was extremely freaked out by strangers grabbing at her (though they didn't actually touch her--they did actually grab some other visitors). Cassius of course thought it was awesome.

Theia's must-do was a visit to Monty's Traveling Reptile Show, of course. This makes the second (or third, if you count Twin Cities Reptiles) reptile zoo that we've visited this summer, since just last week we went to Snake Discovery.

The Giant Slide is a must-do for all of us!

Cassius's New State Fair Food was close to the Giant Slide. He wanted the Blazing Greek Bites from Dino's Gyros, which were basically chickpea tots with roasted red pepper hummus. Good enough, but not really worth seeking out specially next year. Fairly substantial, though! I felt smart for packing a couple of gallon ziploc bags to save leftovers for later in.

We spent a lot of time at the beginning of the fair, because as it turned out, that was where most of the stuff we planned to do was. We took the Skyglider up to the top of the fair after that, though.

At the far end of the Skyglide ride, the "Cats and Dogs The Exhibit" was a lot of fun. The kids enjoyed the activities, and I enjoyed the air conditioning! We cut through the Eco building and did a few of the activities, then pretended to be art critics in the Fine Art building. I found some favorites that were all very firmly outside of price range. But I took pictures so that I can enjoy them as backgrounds on my phone and laptop.

The kids did the Krazy Maze. While they did that, I waited in the block-long line to get donuts for us to share. The donuts were very light and delicious, but I'm not sure they were worth the wait. Other people were flipping out about them, though.

We ended up taking the donuts home with us to eat later (mostly), because after the Krazy Maze, the kids wanted the pizza pretzel. This was their new State Fair Food last year, a giant pretzel stuffed with cheese curds, pepperoni, and secret seasoning, with pizza sauce to dip it in, and liberally sprinkled with their special cheesy garlic seasoning that must also contain crack. It is so good. And we found a picnic table side area beside the food truck where we could also hear the concert going on next door.

On the way out, we had a side quest for cotton candy (on a cone, Mom, not a bag!) and of course we got french fries with malt vinegar to go as we headed out the door. Cassius chose a new light-up sword as his souvenir, and Theia had a giant inflatable axolotl that she had insisted on getting earlier and then completely freaked out about the possibility of it getting damaged by random circumstance (or her brother) for the rest of the fair. It was super cute seeing her carry it, though.

All in all, it was a decent state fair. I spent way too much on food. I have a "budget" plan for next year, which involves me just handing the kids cash and telling them that when they're done, they're done. Having ziploc bags was amazing, especially because they fit in my pocket so I didn't need a bag to bring them. One of these years I really need to find the crop art exhibit. And I miss the agriculture building! That used to be my favorite thing to do on my own. Next year?

Me with Waffle Stick and Strawberry Cream

Less than two weeks now until the end of school and the onslaught of summer vacation. Phil says I always act like it's this big scary thing to have the kids home and like I won't be able to do anything else for the whole time--and he's right. I do act that way. BECAUSE IT'S TRUE!

Kidding. A little. But I am trying really hard to finish writing the rough draft of Desolation Station before summer hits, and I don't expect to get a whole lot done after that.

Yesterday was my birthday. I didn't go collecting birthday freebies or do much this year, mostly because I was still recovering from Saturday's 5K. It's not as much fun going places when you're using a cane and prone to unpredictable spikes of pain in your knees. But Phil got a fancy "tuxedo" cake, and steaks, and corn on the cob. We had a very tasty dinner--the steaks were *so good*. Grilled perfectly, just short of well-done but still juicy. Penzey's Chicago Steak Seasoning is delicious. The kids got me a candle (Theia) and an "Ignore the Mess" mug (Cassius--very funny, kiddo!). Phil plans on taking me to a home store to buy a new lamp for the bedroom. And then after the kids were theoretically in bed, we watched Inside Man.

The 5K was on Saturday! Theia's been doing Girls on the Run this year, an afterschool program that culminates in running a 5K at the State Fair Grounds with approximately 3,000 other Girls on the Run, their running buddies, and their coaches. Theia needed a running buddy, and it was very unclear if I would be physically capable of this. Phil tried running. Once. And immediately got shin splints that ruled this out. Because of his recent work trip to China and how busy he's been at work with other projects, he didn't have the time to try and scale up training. I've been doing a Couch-to-5K program this spring. I tried this program last year, too, and it went really badly. I was basically always crippled after trying it. This year I was smarter and did a lot of physical therapy work before beginning running. I have really bad knees thanks to post-traumatic osteoarthritis caused by blowing out my ACLs and the surgery that replaced them.

And now I need to rest a bit and do more of my physical therapy exercises to recover.

(time passes)

So now it's one week until the end of school. ::runs around screaming with panic--except I can't run right now:: I am still getting lots of gnomes randomly stabbing my knees with daggers. This is what happens when my knee inflammation flares up and I get meniscus involvement and some other bullshit. I can kinda walk down stairs semi-normally today, though, which is better than the rest of the week. (Edit: nope. Thought I could, and then a gnome stabbed me in the knee while I was going downstairs and I nearly fell down the damn steps.) So that's severely inhibited my ability to do things around the house, plus I need to take time to ice my knees, do physical therapy exercises etc. I am not good at taking that time.

And then our dishwasher flooded all over the floor on Friday. We were able to get an appointment to have the repair guy come out on Sunday and take a look at it. He did, he has ordered new replacement parts for the filter and pump, and when they arrive we will need to make another appointment. In the meantime, we maybe cleaned out the filter enough that it kinda works? With close supervision? (Edit: also nope. It flooded all over the place. Again.) And there have been a lot of handwash dishes, which is a problem for me since standing for long Angers The Knees. But Phil's been great, and I made the kids wash some dishes too.

We had been thinking of maybe traveling to Wisconsin for cousin graduation parties, but appliance repair plans and long car rides being bad for knees nixed that. Instead, on Saturday Theia had a birthday party to attend at Johanna Beach, which is a nice little beach in Arden Hills that I'd never visited before but it was the perfect weather for it. And Phil and I looked around Home Depot and Target and surveyed lamp options for my "new bedroom floor lamp" birthday present. Eventually I concluded that modern lamps all suck (and are too short! what's up with so many modern floor lamps being under 5' tall???) and I'll be buying a Tiffany knock-off from the internet.

The rest of today is basically going to be struggling to get the kids to do their homework. (Edit: That went really badly. 5 hours of being screamed at.) Next week is field trips and special events and school wrap-up events. And then next weekend is 4th Street Fantasy convention for me, a writers' convention that I look forward to every year! As well as Father's Day, so I need to help the kids do something for that.

Hey, I finished a journal entry!

Lemon Cupcake with Fresh Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

Actually, this is a recipe for the frosting only. I wasn't happy with the lemon cupcake part, but I was VERY happy with how the frosting turned out after some tweaks. Will make again, trying a different lemon cupcake recipe for the base.

Fresh Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
This makes enough frosting for 4 dozen cupcakes.

Ingredients:

1 c. strawberries
1 c. butter, softened
1 pkg cream cheese, softened
4 c. confectioner's sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions

Chop strawberries in the food processor (or by hand) until they are slightly blended but still have large chunks.

Add butter and cream cheese to stand mixer bowl. Whip thoroughly.

Add powdered sugar 1 c. at a time until combined.

Add vanilla and strawberries and briefly mix. You don't want the strawberries to be fully blended in--strawberry streaks are great and look pretty!

Cut in 1/3" slices:
* 2 medium eggplant
Cover with hot water and let stand 5 min.

Saute in butter:
1/2 green pepper, minced
1/2 onion, minced
1 Tablespoon minced garlic

Add to saucepan:
* 2 cans diced tomatoes
* 1 jalapeno, minced
* 2 T. tomato paste

Simmer uncovered 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, dry eggplant slices and salt. Fry in 1/3 c. oil until lightly browned on both sides. Put on paper towels to drain oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put in the bottom of 9 x 13" baking pan.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. This is probably when you want to stick your garlic bread in the oven and start water boiling for spaghetti if you're making it.

Mix together in a bowl:
* 2 c. breading (pulverized Italian-seasoned croutons OR toasted bread crumbs plus 1/2 Tbsp Italian seasoning OR pulverized seasoned dried stuffing mix)
* 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
* 2 T. chopped parsley, fresh or dried
* 1 t. salt
* 1/8 t. pepper
* 1 t. dried oregano

In another bowl, make cheese mixture:
* 1/4 c. Parmesan, finely grated
* 1-2 c. mozzarella, shredded
* 1/2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
* 2 Tbsp sundried tomatoes, minced

Sprinkle breading mixture over eggplant.

Spread tomato sauce on top of breading mixture.

Top with cheese mixture.

Optional: If you have fresh basil, it looks pretty chiffonaded on top of the cheese.

Bake Eggplant Parmesan for 15 minutes at 375 degrees.

Served with garlic bread and buttered spaghetti.

Last week I got to write at a new coffee shop in S. Minneapolis! Sunbean Coffee at 4553 34th Ave. S. Friendly vibe, tasty coffee, good wifi, good power outlets, not a lot of elbow room. They have a cute little space that's mostly counter seating, with a couple of small 2-person tables and a 4-person table in the back. I got an over the top chocolate syrup/cookie crumble/whipped cream coffee drink special that was exactly as ridiculous as I wanted. And apparently they're famous for their "adult pop tart" but they sell out fast!

I'm pretty happy with this recipe because both kids like it as-is, including the extremely picky eater, and it got veggies (cabbage, carrot, onion) and protein (egg) into them. And I usually use the leftover lime cabbage from Chicken Fajitas with Lime Cabbage and Avocado, so winner winner leftovers dinner.

Lime Cabbage
Make the lime cabbage up to 24 hours in advance for this recipe (if you don't have it left over), to allow marinating time.

Combine:

2 c. cabbage chopped into 1/4"-1/2", packed in the measuring cup (about 1/4 head of cabbage)
2 Tbsp. lime juice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. fresh parsley
salt to taste

Cabbage-Fried Rice

Ingredients:

3 c. cooked rice
(if cooking the rice fresh, make with 1 Tbsp. butter and 1 tsp. salt)
vegetable oil
2 c. chopped lime cabbage (about 1/4"-1/2" squares), packed in the measuring cup
1 carrot, finely grated
1/2 onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced or finely grated
2 eggs, beaten
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1 1/2 tsp. fish sauce
1 tsp. brown sugar

Directions:

Chop, mince, beat, and measure all the things in advance.

Heat oil over high heat in a wok or your largest pan. Add:
2 c. lime cabbage
1 carrot, finely grated
1/2 onion, minced

Stir constantly until vegetables are beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add:
3 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp. ginger

Stir for another minute.

Heat a little more oil (about 1 Tbsp.) in the middle. Add rice and stir until thoroughly coated.

Make a well in the center of the pan by pushing rice to the sides. Lower heat. Pour 2 eggs into center and stir eggs constantly in the center until mostly cooked. Then stir all the contents of the pan together.

Combine in a small bowl:
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1 1/2 tsp. fish sauce
1 tsp. brown sugar

Drizzle sauce over rice and mix.

Enjoy!

Do overdue library books from 2023 count for my TBR 52 Book Challenge? Absolutely! Do new library books from 2024 count? Nope! Dear self, put that book back, you've got more than enough to read.

Arsenic and Adobo, by Mia P. Manansala (2021). TBR Book Challenge 3/52.

That "2021" is notable because that's the first book in the series and there are already FIVE books in it, which is unusually speedy for trad pub. (Must...write...faster...!) I want to read them all, but I have to restrain myself because I already have reeeeaaaally big TBR stack challenge to get through, per my earlier comment.

This is a mostly delightful food-based mystery. Yes, the food description is excellent. Yes, there are recipes in the back of the book. Because solving the mystery involves visiting different restaurants, the dishes are from a variety of different cuisines. The unraveling of the mystery itself is not very complex.

My main pet peeve: the "girl comes home from the Big City and discovers true meaning when she accepts having to stay in her small hometown" was a leetle too Hallmark Christmas Movie for me.

I enjoyed this book because of the delicious descriptions and the fun characters. If you like food-based cozy mysteries, I recommend it.

Sisters of the Forsaken Stars, by Lina Rather (2022), 2/52 #TBR #52BookChallenge, finished at the family cabin in Wisconsin on MLK weekend.

This SF novella is all about the *aftermath* of a ship of nuns making a politically difficult, morally necessary choice to save a colony from an intentionally deadly plague, making powerful enemies, and losing a lot of people anyway. That all happened in the first book. This is very much the second book in a series (and I didn’t read the first). It is full of angst, indecision, grief, and consequences. People who enjoyed Sisters of the Vast Black might want to read this sequel to see how different characters cope afterward, and this would be a satisfying read in that way. But it really doesn’t stand on its own. I did enjoy the wonder-filled descriptions of the liveships and their biology, though!

Persephone Station by Stina Leicht (2021)
TBR Stack, Book 1 of 52

This is the cyberiest of cyberpunk, with an overlay of "first alien contact gone wrong." It reminded me quite strongly of CJ Cherryh's more action-driven SF, and of Pat Cadigan's steampunk work.

Set in the far future on a hostile alien planet and starring a rag-tag crew of enforcers that are as much family as they are battle-buddies... No, starring an immortal, nonbinary gangster don with secret enemies and allies... No, I take that back, the real star of the book is an empathetic AGI (artificial general intelligence) newly decanted into a biological body on a mission of mercy. Eventually all their different conflicts converge, and the ending was a satisfactory series of new beginnings.

Recommended.

Apparently there's another in the series?!? Different main characters, and it came out last year in 2023. Hey, this "52 Books in a Year" challenge was supposed to be *shrinking* my TBR stack!

Reviews, Recipes, and Random Slices of Life

Being the journal of an all-too-human writer, reader, and eater of deliciousness

SciFi Reading Hour, Bull, Nail Polish Magic, Family Recovering from Flu A, and Party Prep

Recipe: Shepherd's Pie

Recipe: Sumo Soup

Recipe: Pasta with Garlicky Greens

Recipe: Kohlrabi Fritters

Recipe: S.O.S.

Recipe: Hoppin' John and Collard Greens

The One True Scalloped Potatoes Recipe

🪄Ta-da✨ and 💖Good Things: Norovirus Recovery Edition

Monthly Writing ?Progress? Update

Recipe: S.O.S. or Sh!t on a Shingle AKA Dried Beef Gravy on Toast AKA Chipped Beef Gravy on Toast

Minnesota State Fair

5K, End of School, Etc.

Recipe: Lemon Cupcake with Fresh Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe: Eggplant Parmesan

Coffee Shops: Sunbean Coffee

Recipe: Cabbage Fried Rice

Books Read: Arsenic and Adobo

Sisters of the Forsaken Stars

Books Read: Persephone Station

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