This is my recipe for split pea soup. For the ham, my little trick is to go to the deli counter where they sell lunch meat. I ask for a pound of ham sliced VERY thickly, about 1/2 - 3/4 inch. That way I have exactly the amount I need for this recipe, and I can just cut the slices into cubes at home.
This book shows a bit of WWII from the Soviet perspective, and that is very is interesting.
This book also has a lot of teenage obsessive romantic mush. Total mush. The 16 year old girl in me loved it.
Negatives:
30 year old me was thinking, "Was I that psychotic as a teenager?" And I think the answer is yes. Sorry mom and dad.
Suggested Reading Environment:
Somewhere chilly with a small glass of vodka, comrade.
The Amazon description:
The golden skies, the translucent twilight, the white nights, all hold the promise of youth, of love, of eternal renewal. The war has not yet touched this city of fallen grandeur, or the lives of two sisters, Tatiana and Dasha Metanova, who share a single room in a cramped apartment with their brother and parents. Their world is turned upside down when Hitler's armies attack Russia and begin their unstoppable blitz to Leningrad. Yet there is light in the darkness. Tatiana meets Alexander, a brave young officer in the Red Army. Strong and self-confident, yet guarding a mysterious and troubled past, he is drawn to Tatiana—and she to him. Starvation, desperation, and fear soon grip their city during the terrible winter of the merciless German siege. Tatiana and Alexander's impossible love threatens to tear the Metanova family apart and expose the dangerous secret Alexander so carefully protects—a secret as devastating as the war itself—as the lovers are swept up in the brutal tides that will change the world and their lives forever.
Geoff took me to Lisbon in September for our anniversary. It was mild and warm, with expansive blue skies. There were lovely views of the sky and the water from the top of Lisbon’s steep hills. I stole peeks between white tiled buildings with orange roofs, leaning slightly over steep walls and steps to peer down at buildings and churches and life
teeming below.
The weather in Lisbon changes very quickly and the transitions are impressive.I’d look over my shoulder and see huge clouds sweeping in from
the west and churning over the Atlantic, tumbling over themselves through the
mouth of the Tagus river and towards the city, bearing down over me and giving me
barely enough time to duck into a pasteleria to escape the sprinkles. I would stay
there for a while, looking out the windows, kept company by Geoff and a tiny cup
of coffee and a pastry. Just as quickly as they had come, the gray billowy clouds
would rush away, and we’d emerge back onto the street, tiles on the ground and walls freshly rinsed by the rain.
Here comes a front!
My
thought on Lisbon is that it is special because of its accessibility. Here is
what I like about it: it presents a lovely culture and sophistication without
the snootiness of Paris, it offers sights without the crowds of Rome, and it has
coastal-type living, sea breezes, and fresh, unique food without the Spanish
prices. It is lively, but not congested. It is evident that the city doesn't have as much physical historical depth as its close European cousins (an earthquake
destroyed most of the city in the 1700s) but I thought that I could feel the history and a spirit of adventure and fun in this slippery, hilly, tiled city.
I also
liked all the vinho.
We
stayed in an apartment high above the city center near the Castleof São
Jorge. I carried my suitcase up approximately 682349314 steps. We later
learned that there was a public elevator nearby, built right into the hill.
Joke’s on me.
Our apartment
The palace square was expansive, not terribly crowded, and it
butted right up to the river. Just at the edge, there were steps where we could
sit and watch the boats pass by.
We took the famous rattling trams a few times, but mostly we
walked.
I thought that Parque Eduardo VII was lovely. I wanted
to sit and read my book there all day. I was impressed that all the people
respect the public space to keep it looking so beautiful.
Geoff sampled the local beers:
And got up close and personal with the art installations
around the city:
And got so embarrassed when I took this picture of somebody’s
undies flapping in the breeze. It’s one of my favorite pictures from the trip.
We also went to Belem, had a
custard pastry from Pastéis deBelém, and took a look around.
Jerónimos Monastery
I was especially charmed by all of the tile streets, paths, and sidewalks.
One night we were wandering around on top of the hill
looking for dinner. We ran across this. I’m still not quite sure what it was –
could this really just be young people having an impromptu dance
party? Eventually we joined in, though we aren't great dancers. We must have been caught up in the Portugese spirit.
I can think of few better ways to spend a crisp, chilly fall day than breathing fresh air, hiking in the trees, and spending the night under the stars with my husband and pup.
Our hideout
Scuppernong Trail is only about an hour and a half drive from the North Shore.
I love the trail's massive pine trees, as much for the smell of pine needles under my feet as for the scenery.
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