Eats
I made these pumpkin cookies on a whim and am very happy about them. My only recipe notes are that I don't feel that it is necessary to use both butterscotch chips and white chocolate chips and next time I will just use white chocolate chips, and also that right off the bat I doubled the amount of butterscotch/white chocolate chips because the receipt amounts of 1/8 cup each seemed...sparse. Otherwise these are exactly what I wanted.
Workouts
The Hubs and I hit the bike trail hard this weekend. As you can see, the views are not ugly.
ICYMI earlier this summer I started biking a 100 mile long bike trail in sections (drive to a trailhead, bike 5-7 miles to the next major trailhead, come back, pick it up at the next trailhead next time). I started near the middle of the trail and Hubs happened to join for for the northernmost leg and then we jumped back down to where I started and started working our way south. I think it will take us about six more rides to get all the way to the south end. If the weather holds we can finish it this year, and if it doesn't we'll just pick it up again next spring.
We went out on Saturday and had such a great time that it was a given that we would ride again on Sunday. We left our bikes in the car overnight, and when we got to our Sunday spot, we wheeled the bikes out and whomp whomp Hubs's back tire was flat as a pancake. Gah, we were all geared up and ready to go and we got hit with a "no go".
Hubs said "well, there's got to be a gas station around here somewhere" and started wheeling his bike back to the car. And then he realized that when Stepson #1 started driving that he put together repair kits in all of our cars...which included a can of Fix a Flat. 30 seconds later our "no go" was a "go" again.
Running continues to feel sluggish but I'm still in the mood to be outside for my workouts so I'm continuing to do short run/walk for now.
Watching
Hubs and I Went There and watched a movie that generally comes up on the list of the worst movies of all time.
Now that we've watched it, I'd say that Myra Breckinridge isn't as much bad as it is ahead of its time. And yes a movie made in 1970 can still be "ahead of its time" in 2024. Myron Breckinridge transitions to Myra Breckinridge and havoc ensures. You've got Racquel Welch being very convincing in the lead role, Mae West, Farrah Fawcett, a very young Tom Selleck, and Rex Reed - I knew him as a critic and did not know that he had been an actor. This movie was worth watching for the cast alone but at the same time not really worth watching so don't feel bad if you missed it.
Reading
Some of the new books that I've had on hold on Libby finally came in so I read something besides a Linda Castillo book
As of this writing I am back to reading a Linda Castillo book.
Non-Linda Castillo book #1
All Fours by Miranda July. All that I knew going in was that it is about a woman making a cross country car trip - exactly what I'd like to be doing right now! Ok, so she ran into a little detour on the first day, I'm all about heading off for a destination and finding something else. Totally up my alley!
Ugh totally not up my alley. I kept reading, but barely. By the end it turned into a hate read. I'm not sure what the author was trying to say besides that it sucks to be a middle aged woman. Message back to the author from a middle aged woman: thanks for nothing.
Non-Linda Castillo book #2
TFW everyone who is anyone is raving about a hot new book and it leaves you cold. That was my God of the Woods experience. I adored Liz Moore's previous book, Long Bright River and was really looking forward to God of the Woods. During my very long Libby wait each hype that I heard made me more and more excited to read it and I came very close to breaking down and just buying it already.
My excitement quickly turned to utter boredom. It's about a girl who disappears from summer camp in 1975, and the book starts off with the disappearance and then slowly introduces an ensemble of characters. Right off the bat I wasn't feeling drawn to anyone but c'mon of course this is a great book so a slow start is fine.
And then the story leapt back in time to the 50s and someone's mother's backstory and I pushed the off button on my Kindle and clicked the return button in Libby.
As far as I knew I was the only person on the planet to not be completely enthralled by God of the Woods until I saw Jess's summer reading recap post. I feel seen.
(PS: I found out about the Linda Castillo books from Jess)
Peace out!
Birchie, that link does NOT go to a pumpkin cookie recipe and I am sure you can imagine my disappointment over here. Please tell me the real link.
ReplyDeleteHuh. Everyone is loving that God of the Woods book. I am #104 on the hold list, so I guess I'll read it in six months when everyone else has forgotten about it.
Oops! I had the link to the Myra Breckinridge movie IMDB page which is definitely not a pumpkin cookie recipe. I've fixed it.
DeleteLOL at your comment to the author of All Fours. Also, eyeroll from me to that author.
ReplyDeleteGood to know I can skip God of Woods. I remember Long Bright River being a bit meandering too, maybe? But I also remember liking it. That was a different Kim though.
Well, Jess and I are two votes against GOTW but we're outnumbered. Maybe it's just her and me.
DeleteI have really good memories about Long Bright River, but a different Birchie read it so who knows. It was good at the time and that's all that matters.
Oh yay, what a great weekend of bike riding (sounds like so much fun!) and I love that your stepson had the foresight to put repair kits in the car. Win!
ReplyDeleteThe biking thing really is fun, and it's the perfect thing for us to do together. I didn't write that sentence very clearly...it was HUBS who made up car repair kits when the kiddo started driving, not the kid. So Hubs did a good thing for the fam and he was the first one to benefit from it.
DeletePumpkin cookies. What is this sorcery! I've never had a pumpkin cookie but they sound delish.
ReplyDeleteI'm on the waitlist for God of the Woods. When people I admire love it (Lisa) and people I admire don't love it (Birchie) I am always so curious where I'll fall on the spectrum.
I was so disappointed about the flat tire and did not expect such a happy ending to the story. Yay!
It's possible that I was just in a mood when I started reading GOTW - everyone except for Jess and me loves it. We'll see!
DeleteAn EIGHTH of a cup???? For a total of ONE QUARTER CUP OF CHIPS?! That is insanity and I'm relieved that you ignored it.
ReplyDeleteWow, Stepson #1 is a hero!!!!
"As of this writing I am back to reading a Linda Castillo book." This cracked me up. And same, girl, same. But not with Linda, with Sophie Hannah, Tana French, Kate Atkinson, Sue Grafton, or any of the other comfort rereads I cycle through every few years.
Listen. I liked God of the Woods well enough. But... it was no Long Bright River. And that's okay. It was a... fine mystery and I thought it was a quick read. I look forward to her next book.
This was poor writing on my part...Hubs was the one who made the kits for all our cars when #1 started driving...and Hubs is the first to benefit from his own heroic act for the family.
DeleteThank goodness for our favorite authors and comfort reading. I want to read the bright shiny new stuff as much as anyone else but I also want to cuddle up with my favorites. And solve all of the murders that are going down in Amish country...they have quite an epidemic our there.
Sigh. No, it was poor reading comprehension. Hubs is a hero!
DeleteLOL to the plague of Amish murders. A deadly community for sure.
OMG BIRCHY I JUST FINISHED ALL FOURS TODAY. And I...was so unprepared for the amount of fluids. I had a writing date with Suzanne today and I forced her to know about the scene with the tampon. If I have to know, I have to share. I JUST DID. It wasn't a hate read for me, I did enjoy it because it was so over-the-top bonkers. I mean. She tucked her shirt into giant panties and then said "it's a new outfit he's never seen before" which cracked me up. But it was MUCH more graphic than I thought it would be.
ReplyDeleteI just this second left a comment on Suzanne's pumpkin post saying I don't make many pumpkin related things and now, with the whole "we are reading All Fours at the same time" plus this, I feel like maybe we are soul sisters now? Because I need pumpkin cookies but I feel like I DO need butterscotch and white chocolate.
So many fluids! I've changed my mind, I think All Fours should be our next CBBC read!
DeleteReport back after you try the cookies! I didn't test this, but I feel that they would pair very nicely with some Snoop Wine.
I can guarantee that All Fours will NOT be the next CBBC read!
DeleteWise choice, but the comment section would have been...what's the word...spirited. I think the word count for "hat" is low or zero tho.
DeleteHow can I NOT read this book after such intriguing hints about its content?!?!?!
DeleteWow, that biking view is spectacular! So glad your biking flow wasn't interrupted on Sunday with that flat tire. I'm guessing that the hubby's repair kit included an air pump as well? Talk about foresight!
ReplyDeleteAny I'm so happy to see you're keeping up on your outdoor run/walks. How is doggo these days - is she trained enough to come with you?
No, we didn't have an air pump so that's why the Fix-a-Flat saved the day!
DeleteMy fitness needs are very different than Doggo's walking needs. She does zoomies and standing still but she's not very much into steady state cardio. Luckily I get to do both! Some kind of high intensity cardio for me, and walkies for her!
I haven't made those cookies but am a fan of pumpkin baking in general. One year for Thanksgiving I made like four different pumpkin items. I can look them up but I am pretty sure they were all Martha Stewart. Also yeah, a quarter cup of chips is no bueno.
ReplyDeleteDang it re God of the Woods, as it is now less than two weeks away on my holds shelf and I've been waiting for two months. All I'm saying is that I hope I am team Lisa and not team Birchie for this book. On a brighter note, I just borrowed the first Castillo book! I will report back!
Yay for hubs being prepared! It may make sense to also start carrying a tire repair kit for the bikes (and learning how to change them if you don't already know how). A flat tire really is NBD but if you don't have the tools it can be a big downer.
I hope you are Team Lisa for GOTW as well - you don't need a mediocre read and I don't need to be "right". I'm very excited that you're joining Team Amish! The first two books were super gory/high emotional impact/super good and after that then she mellowed out on the gore but kept the high emotional impact/super good parts.
DeleteThe big advantage to being married to a Boy Scout is that he is always prepared! But also yes we should have a tire repair kit b/c if either one of us had gotten a flat at the 7 mile turn around point...that would have been a long ride back.
Okay, seriously? My library hold of God of the Woods FINALLY came in and I'm all set to read it once I finish the Ken Follett book. Sigh...
ReplyDeleteThat pumpkin cooke recipe looks great, and I'll bet my daughter would love them. She's a big fan of butterscotch and white chocolate. The recipe calls for an egg, but my rule is, if it's just one egg, it can easily be replaced with a flax egg. Maybe I'll make them this weekend.
So apparently everyone should carry a can of Fix a Flat in their car! Glad you were able to do your ride. The photo is beautiful.
There is no reason to think that GOTW will be a miss for you. Lots of people loved it, including folks who are solid recommendation sources for me. So far I only know of two people who had a meh reaction and one of them is me.
DeleteAs you already know, it's very easy to sub out animal products. I would have no hesitation about using the flax egg in this recipe. A long time ago I used to do that for cost savings/those times when I was out of eggs & didn't feel like going to the store.
I got your postcard, and it brightened my day!!! Thank you, Birchie and Kyria! What fun! This post and all the comments had me laughing out loud. I feel like I must look into the book that will NOT be the next CBBC read!
ReplyDeleteWe had so much fun at our postcard party! Sigh, All Fours would have been an epic CBBC pick...but alas it is not to be.
DeleteThe whole flat tire conundrum is something I am going at with my September goals - I would feel so much more confident going on bike adventures if I felt more confident in knowing what to do if something went wrong, haha! I was going to try and make apple scones this weekend, but those pumpkin cookies would probably wow my little family so I think I'll try them out!!
ReplyDeleteI want to make an apple dessert as well!
DeleteI know nothing about bike maintenance. My bike was very cheap so I'm not worried about something happening to it, but it would be pretty lousy if it broke down at the furthest point from my car. So yes another subject that I could stand to learn more about.
It looks like you usually post on Mondays, I'm gonna make a mental note of that as I do so enjoy your blog. I do not think sparce covers the total lack of chips in that recipe. I'm glad you adjusted. When I was in 7th grade, we could make pumpkin cookies for extra credit (if memory serves). It was one of our centers. They were beyond tasty. I'd love to rediscover that recipe. Well done in being prepared for the near miss on the biking outing. The bike trail scenery is beautiful. I've never heard of Myra Breckinridge. The book I'm reading right now is called The Good Left Undone. The author went to my alma mater, and I my book club is the alums of my alma mater. I'm enjoying it, but romance isn't really my fav.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ernie! In theory I post on Mondays but I'm also struggling with my schedule/motivation so I'm not 100%. Yes, I know the site for the cookies is Budget Bytes, but 1/4 cup of chips in a batch of cookies is way too budget friendly for my tastes.
DeleteOh no! I'm sorry God of the Woods didn't work for you. It took me about 100 pages to get into it, but once I got there, I was HOOKED and didn't want to put it down for anything. But my favorite thing to do when I'm not enjoying a super popular book is to read the 2-star reviews on Goodreads. It always makes me feel less alone! So I'm glad you found someone you could commiserate with.
ReplyDeleteFix a Flat - what a great invention!
It happens. Not every book is for every one. I loved Long Bright River so Liz Moore has done right by me.
Delete1/8 cup of add-ins? Come on! Where's the fun in that! Isn't that like a couple of table spoons! Sheesh. I'd be dumping more in for sure.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear that you didn't like God of the Woods. It is definitely pretty literary and the story unfolds kind of slowly but I really loved it. I heard about All Fours on another podcast and was like - NOPE!! And now after reading your description, I sure am glad I did not add it to my hold list or read it!
I'm reading Wellness now which I think you were pretty meh on. There are aspects I like but then it gets off track with a lot of history about ancestors and I'm like - I don't care, get on with the story. But I still want to read it to see where the story goes. In the first chapter when the protagonists are talking about how if you aren't experiencing pure joy in a marriage, then what is the point I was like - oh, this is certainly foreshadowing... But what a naive take on marriage. I mean there is joy but no one can sustain that kind of joy forever...
I think that I read about 25% of Wellness and skimmed the rest, but there were some gems in there. We'll talk after you finish it! A lot of books lose me when they start going into the characters' ancestors backstories - exhibit A is me DNF'ing GOTW as soon as the story went back to the 50s.
DeleteI'm so glad that your flat tire story has a happy ending! I mean, you could have just gone for a nice walk I guess, but if you had biking shoes on (my husband wears the kind that clip into his pedals) then that would not have worked.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of God of the Wood, nor the River book by the same author. I'm running low on books on hold via Libby, so maybe I'll try the other one. :)
Everyone really likes GOTW so I wouldn't rule it out. But also I don't think you can miss with Long Bright River.
DeleteWe *could* have gone for a walk but it wouldn't have been the same. The weather was drop dead gorgeous and there is no guarantee of how many more bikeable days we have left before it turns cold. It was just so perfect to be able to get his bike right back in service and bike that section of the trail that day.