When we moved to Penticton, The Penticton Public Library was my very first phone call. I signed HBear and I up for the Baby and Me classes that are held in the children’s library section . When I was a kid and we would visit Penticton, our first stop with my Nana was always the Public Library! She told me that that’s where the community came together. She was right. I remember taking out summer holiday books about treasure hunting! I don’t know why, but maybe because of the gold rush many years ago or possibly because metal detectors were big thing at the time 😂 but I believed Penticton held a secret treasure, and it was my job to find it. Years later I have come to realize that the treasure was and still is, the Library itself.
Our Library is still the hub of the community. it is in the centre of our town and houses our small museum. They offer many activities and challenges throughout the year. HBear has always enjoyed all of the free activities the Library has afforded us over the years from holiday parties to STEAM workshops to participating in the Youth Action Committee and now… Working there and being a Library Page! Every 3 weeks for the past 14 years, we go to the Library. When the Kids were younger, the books I took out were books for them or books to teach me how to deal with them 😂 but as they have gotten older, I have found more time to read the books that I want to. Unfortunately, because I haven’t read for the last decade, I am behind on some very very good books!
This year, the Kids and I joined the Public Library Ultimate Book Nerd Challenge! The challenge gets you to expand your preferences and really branch out in your literary selections. HBear has always read a wide variety of books, but SBean has been a bit more difficult. She loves the Warrior Cats and anything other than the Warrior Cat series has been a difficult sell. Thankfully, this challenge has opened more doors for her! She just had her school book fair last week and while I remember, excitedly, circling the new Taffy Sinclair book or Babysitter’s Club books in the flyer, SBean picked 3 books, completely off brand for her, but that she is really looking forward to reading!
The Storied Life of A.J Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin This is a beautiful book with a genuine story about people and how they deal with grief and love. It is about not judging a book by its cover and how books can mean so much more than just pages with words on them.
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman I honestly don’t know what to say about this book. It’s quirky, funny, and really deep. I genuinely enjoyed every character, all the dialogue and the mayhem mystery of this book. It is ultimately about, hope. I feel like I’m not giving this book enough credit because a few days after reading it, I was still thinking about it! To me, that is truly the mark of a good book, when it’s characters and storyline remain with you long after you finish the last page.
Seven Days in June. This book. I loved it so much. It gave me a completely different perspective. A black, single mother in NYC with a history of drug abuse, and mental health disorders who is also a supernatural romance writer with a chronic illness. When she was 17 she met her soul mate and they spent 7 days together. 15 years later, both accomplished authors who have been secretly writing about and to each other, meet again. So good and so laugh out loud funny. I enjoyed this book very much.
The Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan Wiggs At first this was a hard one for me. Losing a mother. I remembered that exact feeling when I read my mom’s last book and got past her bookmark. I liked the passion for books that this story had. The quotes from literary works that were used throughout the book were fun. It reminded me that there’s a book out there for any way that you are feeling.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus I know it was on everyone’s list last year, but I had a really hard time getting into it. I really liked Six-Thirty, the dog. His interpretation of the world around him really made me think and chuckle. I ended up turning around about it a quarter way through and couldn’t put it down! It is written in such a refreshing way told from such a clinical view, it was charming and funny.
Wild by Cheryl Strayed my mom died the year before this book came out. I wanted to read it and see the movie but it felt way too close to home. 10 years later and I’m finally able to pick it up and I am so glad that I did! It took me days to get through the first few chapters. She wrote words that were so true to how I felt/feel that it was hard to get through. That’s how well written this is! Once she got into her journey, it wasn’t as emotional for me and I was able to enjoy her story, revelations, and healing process. I highly recommend this book. It has everything! What an adventure!
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab This was a cool book! It’s about a young woman who lives in the 1600’s in a small village in France. She dreams of not having to answer to anyone and do whatever she wants with her life. After making a deal with an evil night God, her wish comes true. But like any wish there’s always a consequence. This was an interesting story concept with fantastic characters that kept you wanting to know what was next, even after 300 years.
Check out How Was Your Week, Honey? Episode #329: Dick Garage HERE! This week, we get together on May long to chat: body changes, computer issues, eye tests, ivy, Mavis, camping, The Hatching Post, Charles Adler, The PGA, backyard work, & first album loves.
Are you ready for the easiest and most flavourful wrap you have ever tried? Here it is, the Thai Basil Beef Wrap! This recipe is just a few ingredients, but packs a massive punch! The freshness of the cucumbers and the spices make for a delicious and filling wrap that is perfect for the spring! The recipe calls for Chinese five spice, but I have found it next to impossible to find in our town so I use garam masala, which is basically the same thing plus or minus a spice lol either way, you are in for a treat!
Adapted from Half Baked Harvest
1 pound ground beef
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons Chinese 5 spice or garam masala
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Thai chili sauce
3 green onions, chopped
1/2-3/4 cucumber, chopped
2 handfuls cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup basil, chopped
1/3 cup peanuts, chopped
4-6 flour tortillas
In a large skillet, cook the beef over medium heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, and garam masala, cook another minute. Add the soy sauce and sweet Thai chili sauce. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the sauce coats the beef, 3-5 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons of chopped green onions. remove from the heat.
This week I dealt with less fatigue so I was able to do more things with and for my family! SBean felt a little under the weather at the beginning of the week and stayed home for the day. She wrote a story while I read a new one! I went to the eye specialist this week for tests, and the Kids enjoyed a sunshiney week at school! This weekend, my Sis and BIL took their kids and SBean to their campground in Alberta! I am unbelievably grateful that SBean gets to experience camping the way I did when I was a kid! She played with her cousins, summer friends, had water gun fights, jiffypop, waffles, and came home with the dirtiest feet ever proving that it was a weekend for the books!
While they were in Alberta, Ninja and I went to the Hatching Post to try out their Bullride Caesar, part of Kelowna’s Caesar week! We drove by the rock slide in Summerland on the way home, thank goodness nobody was hurt! HBear had a great weekend too! Starting with a visit to the Art Gallery with her friends, swimming in Grandma and Grandpa‘s pool, hanging out the beach at the beach with her Besty, and getting a ton of yard work done around the house! This year we hired HBear to do all of our yard work! The money that she earns this summer will pay for the band trip she took to Vancouver last month! We watched an amazing story unfold at the PGA Championship, watched Jeopardy Masters, had a barbeque at my in-laws, and just enjoyed the weekend. We ended it with a visit from a podcasting friend from Texas! The May long weekend was quieter than long weekends of the past, but it was still a wonderful weekend spent, together 💛.
1 thought on “What I’m Reading & Thai Basil Beef Wraps”
Your Thai basil beef wraps look so yummy😋