Nancy Drew the short straw in the kitchen

Look what I was lucky enough to uncover at the thrift store today!

It's a classic cookbook created by the Nancy Drew team, incorporating recipes purportedly from many of the characters, and using the titles of many of the early books.

Not only is Nancy a stylish teen who dresses well, drives a cute car, and is both superbly popular and preternaturally clever at solving mysteries, she is also, apparently, a wonderful hostess who can throw together a charming dinner party.

Using these recipes.

Too bad I didn't have this cookbook before the weekend...I could have served some of these delicious salads at our Thanksgiving feast.

 Should the word "Diary" appear in any recipe name?

But since there were just two of us, maybe this pair of pears would have made a more suitable salad course.

And this tasty sounding autumnal soup could have been the clincher.

Okay, now that I've made myself a little nauseous simply by reading these recipes, I think I'd suggest that Nancy stick to dressing well and zooming around town solving crimes, and leave the cooking to Hannah Gruen.

To be fair, some of the hot drinks and dessert ideas do sound edible, and very suitable to the younger audience I'd assume this book was originally created for back in 1972. I would have adored this book with its weird recipes and seasonal menus (and little one-page mysteries interspersed) when I was a preteen and fond of Nancy Drew & the Hardy Boys. I had a strange fascination for retro party planning as a kid, even though all the parties I planned were imaginary....

A Trio of Lifestyle Books

I've been reading a wide variety of all kinds of books lately, but not sharing them with you! To catch up a little, here is a roundup of a trio of "lifestyle" books that I've just finished.


My New Roots: inspired plant-based recipes for every season / Sarah Britton
Toronto: PenguinRandomHouse, c2015
256 p.
I received a review copy of this beautiful cookbook, which intrigued me because the author/chef is Canadian (though she lives in Denmark), and, of course, because it's vegetarian. This book is based on her blog, also called My New Roots - which I was unaware of previous to this. What can I say, I don't really follow food blogs! It's a good, solid, vegetable based cookbook. There are nice pictures -- both of the food and of the author & her lifestyle -- which are all one and the same in this book. Britton shares life stories and seems like a normal person, ie: one that is still based in average realities, thus the recipes are not aspirational, but ones that people might actually make. The recipes are vegetarian, and sound delicious, but most are the kind that you'll have to plan ahead for to locate special ingredients & find ample time to create; though not all of them -- some are quick and tasty dips or salads or such, which are more my speed ;) If you are a real food person I think you'll enjoy this one. It's the kind of cookbook you read through even if you're not actually intending to make anything shortly. Check out her blog to get a feel for her style. Oh, and fyi, she took all the photos for the book herself too!


Homemakers / Brit Morin
New York: HarperCollins, c2015.
437 p.

This bright and colourful book by the founder of Brit & Co. is definitely not aimed at my demographic. Morin is another young woman who has left a successful tech career and gotten into crafts and the DIY arena. The book is heavily reliant on her personality; photos feature her so often it becomes notable. Interesting fact though -- the photo locations are sourced through her partnership with Airbnb. That's a clever business idea.

I can see the appeal for a certain type of young person who doesn't have a lot of experience in these areas. But a book is not a website, and unfortunately this book feels like a bit of a dog's breakfast. There are beauty tips, design, then recipes, then crafts again. Most of the crafts are basic and can be found many places, so not terribly unique.  They might appeal to those new to crafting who aren't yet concerned about technique. Also, the idealized concept of "homemaker" is not really for me.

Best part = tech suggestions at end of each chapter. Her background in tech business comes in useful, as she suggests apps and useful online resources for each of the areas she's discussing. That is her unique selling point, and that was the most intriguing part of this book.


The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up / Marie Kondo
Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, c2014.
213 p.

I don't really have to tell you more about this best-seller except that I put it on hold at the library just check out all the fuss. It's another of those 'get organized' minimalist kind of books. And wow. She keeps ALL her books on a shelf in the shoe closet. That told me that I'm not her kind of person. And wantonly destroying books by ripping pages out so she doesn't have to keep the whole thing! Yikes. To me that's almost neurotic.

But there were some good points: make sure what you own doesn't own you. Things you give space to should "spark joy" -- her catch phrase but it does encapsulate the idea that what you have around you should be there by choice. I did start looking at the excess stuff I have and give some away; 3 bags of books and some clothing. But generally speaking, I like my stuff. I've worked hard to earn it, and I enjoy it. I'm more of a Victorian than a Modernist when it comes to my surroundings; I like having things in my space. I've accepted that fact, and have to just keep it to a level where I can still find everything that I own. When I start forgetting where I've put things then I know it's time to have a clear-out.

As someone who finds material culture very important, especially in terms of the historical record, I'm very leery of this kind of drastic, ground-clearing approach to throwing everything out. I think there can be a balance between hoarding and minimalism, and much of that lies in reducing our consumption in the first place. So. Another book with some good points to ponder, but which doesn't entirely convince me in the end.


*************************
And how about you? Have you read any of these titles? If so, what did you think? Or do you have a lifestyle title to recommend to me?