What a week! The number of COVID-19 cases is breaking records here in Florida, positivity rates and hospital admissions are rising, and we're staying home - grocery store/pharmacy only. Early last week, our city/island became the first in southwest Florida to implement a mask mandate. Then, in light of the east coast beach closures, city-owned beach parking lots were closed for the long holiday weekend. Local restaurants are beginning to reevaluate, too. A few closed for a couple of days for deep cleaning... I'm assuming that means staff must have tested positive, but there is no legal requirement to disclose that information. Another just closed down for two weeks, and a third has returned to take-out only. All Fourth of July festivities have been cancelled. Thing seem to change daily...
As all this unfolds, I continue walking, reading, and cooking. I've also gotten into the habit of swimming most evenings... which really means swimming a few laps, then relaxing on a pool float ;-)
Recent reading//
Passing by Nella Larsen
28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand
Current reading//
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
I'm only a third of the way in, but this is excellent!
On the blog//
Mixing it Up: Late June Mini-Reviews
In the kitchen//
It's a good thing I enjoy cooking... I'm spending a little time every day looking for new recipes to try. What I really miss is being able to run out to the store and pick up a few ingredients whenever the mood strikes. Now I need to plan meals out one to two weeks and make detailed shopping lists. It's nowhere near as much fun, but it works for now. Here are a few things I tried last week...
This Southern Buttermilk Pie from Southern Living magazine was absolutely delicious... but very rich and sweet! I've never had buttermilk pie before and decided to try this when I needed to finish buttermilk purchased for another recipe.
With a block of tofu left in the back of my refrigerator, I made a Sheet Pan Fried Rice with Tofu from the Food Network. My daughter and I enjoyed it, but my husband wasn't a big fan. He grilled himself a hamburger that night...
Finally, these Lemon Chicken Piccata Meatballs from Simply Delicious were a hit with all of us. I had ground turkey in the freezer, so used that instead of chicken. It was a nice change of pace from tomato-based pasta dishes.
Renovation Update//
We are finally in the home stretch! We're meeting with the contractor this week to go over the punch list. Then we'll be deciding whether to get our things out of storage before heading north or save it for early October when we return.
The week ahead//
More of the same... again. Walking, reading, cooking, swimming.
How was your week? What have you been reading?
The Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.
It's Monday... What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date.
You and us and Texas, where my elder son and his family live (Houston) are in the sweepstakes for worst case Covid scenario. Ugh! One of my reading groups is doing The Vanishing Half in August. My week was good but I miss eating our of the home and we had to forgo our annual 4th of July get together with my nephew and his family (closest relatives as they live in Santa Monica). How long, oh Lord!
ReplyDeleteJudy - I'm almost halfway through The Vanishing Half and really enjoying it! We ended up having my in-laws for a post-4th barbecue yesterday. It was a nice change of pace. I see Miami-Dade is closing indoor dining and other activities today... this is going away any time soon.
DeleteIt's ugly here in Texas. And yesterday there was a big event across the street from us at the Rotary Club. There were lots of people. I thought the Rotary Club was a service organization. How can you best help people right now? Maybe by staying home? I said nothing, though.
ReplyDeleteYou are the third person who has given a thumbs up to Vanishing Half. It sounds like something I should look for when I return from Paris in July.
I have to substitute or leave out ingredients in almost everything I cook. Frustrating. I wish I was better at planning out my week's cooking.
Deb - Definitely give The Vanishing Half a look when you return from Paris! ;-) I think we're all becoming a little more creative in the kitchen these days... making do with ingredients on hand. Glad to have the creative outlet of cooking though :)
DeleteI'm in SW Florida too, it's really getting scary. We are staying in self quarantine too, not taking any chances. I also love to cook thankfully and have that same issue with not being able to just run to the store whenever. I try to really plan things out especially right now. 28 summers is in my TBR stack, love her books for summer reading. Have a great Sunday :)
ReplyDeleteMartha - It's getting pretty scary down here, isn't it? Someday we'll be able to drop everything and run to the store again, but I'm afraid it won't happen any time soon. Thinking about adding another Hilderbrand novel to my summer stack. Have a good week and stay safe!
DeleteI love buttermilk pie but haven't had it in ages. Definitely very rich and very sweet but so good. The area we are in has a mandated mask policy and all the restaurants have very limited hours and most are take out or outside dining only. I hope you have a great week.
ReplyDeleteKatherine - That buttermilk pie was a new taste experience for me... never even heard of it before! I could only eat a small piece, but that made it last longer, lol. Thinking of you and your family this week. Hope things are still going well.
DeleteI thought you were done going north! No? Must have got my memory mixed up somewhere...
ReplyDeleteOoh yum that buttermilk pie. I'm trying and failing to imagine what it tastes like. We have some buttermilk here that we need to use up too and pie sounds delicious!
Stay safe - Florida and Texas are mostly what I hear about in pandemic-news but cases are easily rising here as well sadly.
Athira - We did sell our house in NY, but will likely spend parts of the summer (at least August andSeptember) up there. Not sure I can handle a hurricane season complicated by COVID.
DeleteNot sure how to describe the pie other than super sweet and rich. A small piece goes a long way, but it's so good! Have a good week!
Your food looks so yummy. Would you come over and cook for me? My meals have often been rag-tag combinations that don't go together. Ha! Have a good week. My Sunday Salon post
ReplyDeleteAnne - I'd love to! I miss having people over for dinner and it would be fun to sit and chat... not nearly enough socialization these days.
DeleteOur annual Pops concert/fireworks display (which I can see part of from my living room window) was canceled so I was surprised when I went to bed (at the other end of my apt) and kept hearing them. I even got out of bed to see if maybe they were going on after all. No... turns out there was a rash of illegal fireworks being set off across the city. So much for sensible, cooperative Bostonians.
ReplyDeleteI am three chapters in to House Lessons and really enjoying it, so thank you for that!
Speaking of enjoying, I'm going to make those meatballs asap. For a while it was impossible to get ground turkey or ground chicken at the supermarket, so when I started seeing it again I bought extra for the freezer. I like the fact that it's a change of pace from tomatoey pasta dishes, as much as I love those. (BTW, since we're been discussing Smitten Kitchen recipes, her Baked Chicken Meatballs are easy and fabulous...)
I hope you stay safe while all this is going on ... and I hope we can find a way to visit when you come up north again. :)
Audrey - I was surprised at the LACK of fireworks here! Municipal event cancelled, but I though people would pick up the slack. It turned out to be a very quiet night.
DeleteHope you like the chicken meatballs. We could get poultry for weeks at the beginning of this, but now I'm trying to use up what's in the freezer before we leave for a couple of month. I'll take a look at Smitten Kitchen's recipe. Thanks for the tip about freezing buttermilk. I ended up dumping the last bit of it, but will try it next time.
Glad you're enjoying House Lessons! I heard about it on From the Front Porch Podcast... sounded like my kind of book. Will try it soon.
Maybe we can figure out a way to visit in September after Labor Day. Sound like things are getting better up there now... fingers crossed that continues!
PS apparently you can freeze buttermilk! I haven't tried it but will let you know if I do.
ReplyDeleteHouston is in much the same condition. Things are shutting back down that were opened just a couple of weeks ago, and the number of new cases and hospitalizations continues to rise every day. We, too, are only getting out for groceries and meds at this point. The state is under a mandatory masking rule right now, and people here are taking it slightly more serious than they do when there's no official mandate requiring them to wear a mask.
ReplyDeleteWithout books and book blogging, I think I would have gone stir crazy by now. I have "The Vanishing Half" on hold at my library and I'm looking forward to reading it.
Sam - The news from Houston and the rest of Texas is dire again today. More opening rollbacks in Miami-Dade today, but nothing official on this side of the state. Reading and blogging is helping to keep me sane, too... so little in-person interaction now. I'm halfway through The Vanishing Half now and enjoying it very much. Her earlier novel, The Mothers, was excellent, too.
DeleteYou are wise to stay home and keep outings to a minimum. I'm sure you wear a mask.
ReplyDeleteI love the look of that pie! And the meatballs!
I have been eyeing 28 Summers.
Enjoy! Stay safe, and thanks for visiting my blog.
Laurel-Rain Snow - 28 Summers was a perfect summer read... there's something about that Nantucket setting that gets me every time. I think you'll like it, too!
DeleteI am sorry for all you are having to go through right now. Unfortunately, it is similar here with rising rates and some businesses having to scale back or close altogether. There's still a lot of pushback though from the public against it. So many people aren't taking it seriously, including the mask mandate. It's all very frustrating. I envy you your being able to swim right now. I so wish we had a pool. Maybe I'll have to get into my daughter's little inflatable one. LOL Wouldn't that be a sight? I hope you are enjoying your reading. Take care and have a great week. Stay safe and well.
ReplyDeleteWendy - I'm actually surprised from the public pushback against masks, distancing, and even science in general!It's very discouraging. Our neighborhood has a community pool, but I usually don't use it much. Many of neighbors have gone north, so it's practically a private pool now! Have a good week.
DeleteYikes, it's scary what's going on in Florida! It's worse than it was here at the peak, and I thought that was bad. I'm glad you're staying safe and finding ways to stay busy!
ReplyDeleteAngela - It really is crazy here... why are people so resistant to wearing a mask?? Oh well, at least I can keep reading and blogging and cooking, lol. Hope you're having a good week.
DeleteThe situation in a Florida is frightening, I’m glad you are staying sensible & safe.
ReplyDeleteWishing you a great reading week
Shelleyrae - I'm glad my husband and I get along so well... not seeing many other people at all! Happy reading to you this week, too.
DeleteWe just keep telling ourselves to remember to do all the things - isolate as much as possible, mask, wash hands, distance... it's like our mantra these days.
ReplyDeleteThat pie looks delicious!!
Stay safe!
Erin - That's what it's all about these days - masks, hand washing, and distancing. Sigh. Hope your week is off to a good start.
DeleteFlorida seems like a really scary place to be right now. I'm glad you're staying safe. Who would have ever imagined all of this a year ago. Ending your day with a swim sounds wonderfully relaxing.
ReplyDeleteHope you're enjoying The Vanishing Half, Have a great week!
Susie - Halfway through The Vanishing Half now and enjoying it very much! I also love her earlier novel, The Mothers. Have a good week.
DeleteVicki - There doesn't seem to be any strong leadership coming from the national, state, or county level... guess it's up to the municipalities now. Sigh. Hope your week is off to a good start!
ReplyDeleteYou and me (Arkansas) and Texas... I swear I am the only person in our community still wearing a mask in public.
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking us to the sheet pan fried rice and lemon piccata meatballs! I printed both recipes out and can't wait to try them.
Stay safe!
Jinjer - It seemed like most of the residents here were wearing masks, while most of the vacationers come here to forget about the virus. I'm glad out city council made it mandatory. Hope you like the recipes, too!
DeleteThose meatballs look mighty tasty.
ReplyDeleteFlorida, Texas and Arizona are spiking but California is right behind everyone. Our testing is all messed up so our numbers are probably much higher. They shut the beaches down over the weekend to mitigate spread and they have closed inside dining again. People are not happy about the bars being closed. Still waiting to find out how the high school will be handling school this August. So much is still up in the air. Really hard to plan. No word on when I will return to work. Probably not until January.
Ti - The schools have me worried. Kids need that structure, but I sure hope they can find a way to do it safely. Schools here open early next month. My sister teaches in NY where they start after Labor Day and are still trying to come up with a workable plan.
DeleteWe've been hearing the news from across the pond here and there, and it definitely reads quite unsettling... Although it isn't all too positive here in the UK either. I think COVID-19 has opened eyes more to the 'take it day by day' saying.
ReplyDeleteWalking, reading, cooking and swimming sound like pleasant ways to spend the days though. I have heard good things about The Vanishing Half (it is on my wishlist) and I hope your positive reading experience of it continues.
Happy reading and a good week to you!
Jade - I think we'd be in a lot better shape if we had leadership at the federal level. Hopefully there will be some after the election. Sigh.
DeleteThe Vanishing Half continues to be an excellent read... highly recommended!
I'm sorry things are so scary in Florida. Here in Virginia, we're kind of the middle of the pack, neither a big spike nor a huge drop, and yet we moved to phase 3 on July 1. Way too soon, IMO. I hope all state leaders can come to their senses and help to guide us out of this disaster. It's frustrating to see how other countries have controlled the spread, while we've failed.
ReplyDeleteAileen - The complete lack of federal leadership has forced states to do it on their own, but here in FL the state isn't acting either. We're seeing some counties and municipalities stepping up, while others pretend there isn't a problem. No wonder we're in this situation!
DeleteIt's awful what's happening in Florida, Texas, Arizona and other states, JoAnn. We just got back from a very quick trip to the grocery store and it was so busy for a Tuesday, but it's tourist season, so I shouldn't be surprised. There were so many people in town for the holiday weekend, but we stayed put and it passed just like every other day of this new "normal." We'll see how things go in two weeks, with regard to new cases.
ReplyDeleteI'm envious of your pool time. We have a very small community pool in our neighborhood, but it's indoors and hasn't been used since the start of the pandemic. It's not really big enough for swimming laps, though. I am trying to get out on my bike more, but that seems a bit boring in our small neighborhood. Walking suits me better, especially since I listen to audiobooks then and not when I'm riding.
I'm glad I enjoy cooking, too. I made three fruit galettes over the course of a week and am planning to try Smitten Kitchen's rhubarb hamentashen later in the week. That buttermilk pie sounds like a great way to use up buttermilk, which we always seem to have since we love buttermilk pancakes. My husband would have joined yours with a burger. He is not a fan of tofu! However, I might be able to convince him to try those lemon chicken meatballs. Sounds delicious to me!
So glad to hear that your renovations are almost finished. My daughter and her husband just bought a home in Franklin, TN and they're just beginning to make some renovations. Pretty exciting!
I can't wait to read The Vanishing Half. I'm glad you're enjoying it! I just finished State of Wonder by Ann Patchett. LOVED it! I can't believe I waited almost a decade to finally pull it from my shelves. Now I'm reading some fluffy Elizabeth Berg (The Confession Club) and a nonfiction book for my book club (Women Rowing North). I'll probably dive into another Louise Penny after I finish those.
Have a good week. Stay safe!
Les - The pool has been the best, especially now that my walks are getting cut short by heat and humidity! It's shared between the 9 homes in our community, but there are only 3 of us here now. One uses it for early morning laps, another has kids that play in the afternoon, but we've had it to ourselves in the evening. And I love it! I've now decided to try water aerobics classes when our rec center pool finally opens. Our new house is in a 12-home community where 8 have private pools. We don't, but I'm hoping for a similar situation.
DeleteCongratulations to your daughter and her husband on their house! That's very exciting! Hope they have as good luck with their project/contractor as we have. It seemed to drag on because of the pandemic, but overall we've been very happy. Our movers are scheduled a week from Friday.
I'm still loving The Vanishing Half and already feel comfortable giving it a strong recommendation. I loved State of Wonder, too, and am trying to remember if that was the one where I had a slight issue with the ending. Of course now I don't even remember the ending, so it couldn't have been anything major, lol. I've been eyeing that Elizabeth Berg series. My mother enjoyed the first two, but it's been years since I've read her.
My goal is to just make one more trip to the grocery store before we head north. We're trying to eat what's in the freezer now... don't like to leave much in there when we'll be away for a couple of months. Hopefully we will find a much better situation in NY and CT. Hope you're having a good week!
Your food always looks so good, JoAnn! Yum. Glad your renovation is finally getting done and I hope you guys are able to go north for a while. Understandable in many ways. Take care!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kay! We met with our contractor today and have been reassured that we can move our stuff out of storage next week as planned. We'll head north for a while after that and leave most of the unpacking for fall. I'm afraid things are going to get even worse around here, especially as they plan to reopen the schools next month. Hope you and your husband are staying safe and healthy!
DeleteSame old here. It's not just Florida with folks who won't ra masks and stay home excpet for necessities. Big Sigh.
ReplyDeleteI have been getting book suggestions from all my book blogger friends as I am certainly reading more!
Great looking meals. Happy to hear your renovations are almost done - yea!
Tina - It seems like I've gotten a lot of great book suggestions lately, too... and there's definitely more time to read these days! We've got the movers scheduled for the end of next week - yay! Plan to call and make sure they will wear a mask in our house.
DeleteOh JoAnn: so sorry about Florida -- your island sounds like a bastion of being careful and smart in a sea of other areas that haven't been so. but hopefully they will reign it back. My mind has been so scattered this week that I haven't really started The Vanishing Place which I have on ebook. Hope it is good! And that's great news about your renovation being almost done ... wow, it's the good news to savor these days. Soon I will be flying to Calif. more on that later. enjoy your weekend.
ReplyDeleteSusan - Things have gotten even worse this week. The number of cases on the island is still relatively low, but increasing at an alarming rate. Hopefully we'll head north in 7-10 days. I finished The Vanishing Half this week and loved it! It will surely be on my list in December.
DeleteWalking, reading, swimming is pretty much my life. Continued success on your renovation! Looking forward to 28 Summers.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Nise'. Hope you enjoy 28 Summers as much as I did.
Delete