READING: Empires of the Sea: The Siege of Malta, the Battle of Lepanto, and the Contest for the Center of the World by Roger Crowley. 16th Century history in the Mediterranean world, picking up where my beloved Byzantine history leaves off (and his book 1453, the traditional year of demise of such)...covers from 1521-1571 and the battles between the Christians and the Islamic world. Riveting...the Battle of Malta alone is fascinating, don't you think? Okay, I know, I have no illusions here...you all quit reading when you read the first eight words in the book title, didn't you? I am prepared to motor alone on these things.
COOKING THROUGH: Le Cordon Bleu at Home (Le Cordon Bleu School of Cooking), we are on vacation until January 7th when we post the roasted duck; Baking: From My Home to Yours (Dorie Greenspan), this week's recipe is French Pear Tart found on pages 368-369.
FAV NEW FIND: The two new cookbooks which I received for Christmas: Ina Garten's new Back to Basics and the Food Network Kitchens Cookbook. The guys here like anything from Ina's cookbooks, and I have cooked and cooked my way through her other four, so I was very happy to receive the newest one. The other, judging from a slow savor reading through the pages, is also one my guys will enjoy eating from!
FAV THING TODAY: Just being home with a nice fire in the fireplace, my lap blanket, and my books.
GOING TO: Actually let the guys take down the trees and holiday decor before January 6th (Epiphany, the 12th day of Christmas and all)...I know, who would have thought, but we are sort of housebound for the next few days, so it seems like a fine thing to do Saturday and Sunday. HooHawk game is on Saturday at 4:30 ET on BTN, so I plan to be court side by the television for that then. Did you even seen those Hawks during the EYES game...Hawkeyes and Buckeyes that it...AT OSU, no less...the Hawks had them running and sweating and very very nervous! Go Todd! All those three-point shots from the black and gold...I'm just saying....
PRAYING FOR: The college-bound seniors who are beginning to get their acceptance letters for this coming fall...that they will make wonderful choices and that their college years will be a time of successful ventures on their way to their chosen paths, please join me.
ADDITIONAL NOTE: I received many emails asking for the name of the movie in the clip from the Auld Lang Syne post. It is called Waterloo Bridge. You can actually watch the entire movie on Youtube...11 little clips of roughly 10 minutes each. I like the setting (released in 1940, I think)...between WWI and WWII, the actors, the scenery, all those wonderful shots of period transportation, and the music (no lyrics, but the background music is lovely with Swan Lake, Auld Lang Syne, Let Me Call You Sweetheart, etc.). Oh, go watch it...with Kleenex if you must...you can tell by the clip, things don't always go as originally planned. It's totally Hollywood in the 40's.