The whole family spent the weekend in New Bedford, where my sister ran the half marathon race held there last Sunday. It was a cold and blustery day, not ideal running conditions. While we were waiting, we decided to take Charlotte to the zoo (her first time!). Turns out, cold and blustery days aren’t great for zoos, either. The elephants, bears, and otters were all hiding in warmer spots in their habitat. We did get to see the seals, lynx, and bison, though. A fun way to spend an opening morning, but I can’t wait to take her on more zoo visits as the weather warms.
Here’s what I’m reading and cooking this week:
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
This is a popular book this spring, but it’s not one I’m recommending highly. I think my favorite part is its beautiful cover. While it was well written and entertaining, it was also a bit jarring in how basic the stories were. I was looking forward to learning a bit more from a cultural and historical perspective, especially because I loved the classics courses I took in college. Turns out, gods don’t behave well wherever they’re from, and it was just a little weird reading these stories as part of a bigger belief system. Humans and even other gods are often considered in bartering or bets. There was one example of a man’s hand in marriage as a prize for a challenge winner (I wonder if this is due to Gaiman’s retelling in a more modern style or true to the original Norse telling), more often than not, women were the prizes and they were stories about men doing all the things. Meh. That just doesn’t hold my attention for long. I’m glad I read it to assess its merits for myself in light of all the buzz its getting and all the best-seller lists it’s making. My mom is also reading Gaiman’s American Gods and is enjoying it so far. I’d be curious to read that, too, and compare the two.
Here’s what I cooked this week (in case you need inspiration):
Sunday: Chicken and rice with quick-picked cucumbers
Monday: Leftovers
Tuesday: Red curry with vegetables and onions from Melissa Clark’s Dinner: Changing the Game
Wednesday: 3-Herb pasta with chicken and roasted broccoli (recipe to come)
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Leftovers (again!)
Saturday: Caramelized onion and goat cheese frittata with simply sautéed green beans
