Tuesday Reviews-Day: The Nightingale Girls Series

Tuesday Revews-Day

In addition to the usual Nancy Drew and Little Women books (yes, there is more than one of the latter in the series) that Mom had on her bookshelf when I was growing up, she also had a handful of the Cherry Ames books–a series that followed the training and career of a a nurse and amateur sleuth. The books never made me want to be a nurse (both the sight of blood and needles gets me a bit shaky) but I loved the series nonetheless.

So when I heard about the Nightingale Girls series, set in the 1930s at the famed Nightingale hospital, that was just recently released in the US, I jumped at the chance to review the first three books in the series.

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Book 1, the The Nightingale Girls, follows the Dora, Millie, and Helen. Dora is applying to the prestigious nursing academy to escape a harsh home situation, Millie is trying to pass her preliminary testing, putting her a set behind, and Helen is the school’s social outcast owing to her overbearing mother’s position on the Board of Trustees.

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In Book 2, The Nightingale Sisters, we keep up with Dora and Millie but also meet the new Night Sister, Violet, who has a history that could oust her from the nursing world if she trusts the wrong person with it. Neither Helen nor any of the other nurses we met in Book 1 have been forgotten, but each book seems to focus on no more than three strong personalities.

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Then, in Book 3, The Nightingale Nurses, we focus again on Helen, in her last year as a student nurse and facing exams and a dark-horse bid for independence. Dora and Millie, constants so far in the series, are nursing patients as well as broken hearts and they each deal with troubles in the romance department.

Aside from the fact that I just enjoy series–the ability to follow along with characters for multiple stories is a treat, like catching up with old friends–I appreciate the fact that the author, Donna Douglas doesn’t keep the character’s home lives peachy keen, even-keel and reserve the mysteries and challenges only for the hospital floors. Douglas may have gone a little too far in the real life problems for my taste, in the case of Dora’s abusive father, but she handled it well to keep it from being salacious. And it’s not just the girls from the East End that have their troubles, Millie is trying to do prove her worth before settling down and producing an heir so the family’s home and title don’t pass on to some distant relation–very Downton Abbey whereas Womans Own magazine likes the series more to Call the Midwife.

Of course, once I’d devoured the three books I’d been supplied for the review, I had to see if there were more available. So far they’ve only been released digitally in the US, but there is a fourth book, Nightingales on Call, as well as a short story, A Child is Born: A Nightingale Christmas Story, that seems to take place between ‘Nurses’ and ‘On Call.’ Both were excellent (even if the short was a bit predictable, it was still a fun read) and I’m so glad I didn’t stop at ‘Nurses’ because Nightingales on Call brings us to the end of Mille & Dora’s journey as students, while introducing some new characters as well as shedding some light on one of the less-likable characters from the first three books.

The next book in the series, A Nightingale Christmas Wish, is due out in early November and focuses on Helen and two other nurses–including the Matron of the Hospital, Kathleen Fox. I know I’m looking forward to the next book and would definitely recommend the Nightingale series to anyone who enjoys Downton Abbey, Call the Midwife, or similar entertainments.

 

Convenience Comes at a Small Price

Nibbles

While we were finding amazing deals on dining room furniture, we also came across a couple of bread makers for $8 each.

Now, making bread from scratch isn’t hard. It isn’t even all that time-consuming. Which is why I could never justify the $70 or more for one in the past, even though my gadget-loving self has wanted one for quite some time. Finding one for a handful of singles was just too much temptation without very much in the way of risk.

I don’t make an inordinate amount of bread at home–not for lack of love, I just generally buy it when the occasion arises. After going Low-FODMAP, those occasions had become fewer and farther between. Unfortunately, finding a commercially-available bread that is Low-FODMAP tends to leave a lot to be desired. Making good gluten-free bread has not been the most successful kitchen experiments, though my rigged proof box did help quite a bit in that arena. Still, maybe an all-in-one machine would do the trick.

First try--good, but small

First try–good, but small

For the first run I used a recipe from Celiac in the City and my usual flour blend. Because I’d read so many dire warnings in the bread machine’s manual about over-filling the pan, I did make some adjustments to the basic recipe to keep it at the ingredient quantities the manual gave as their preferred basic ratios. I needn’t have worried, though, as the finished “loaf” didn’t even fill up half the pan!

Lack of loft aside, the bread was very tasty. It was dense, of course, but definitely lacked the sawdust tendencies of some gf baking. I stored the finished, sliced loaf in the fridge (baked goods, esp. those without preservatives, don’t do well in this house once the temperature starts to climb) overnight but the next day at lunch the slices were still good and moist.

While some bread maker’s have gluten-free settings, this one does not but the tips I’d read suggested using the “rapid rise” option if the machine gave one, as it’s cuts down on a bit of the handling. Since gf doughs tend to be super-fragile anyway, I figured that was the safest course, and also chose the light crust setting just to be on the safe side.

A bit bigger this time, but still dense. Still tasty, though!

A bit bigger this time, but still dense. Still tasty, though!

For the second trial I decided to use the same recipe but this time not alter the quantities. I stuck with the rapid rise cycle, but used a slightly different flour blend since I was out of some of the components of my house mix. Not quite a controlled experiment, but this isn’t a laboratory, is it?

The thing to be aware of with bread machines is how the ingredients need to be loaded-in. In my case, all liquids go in first, then the flour op top in such a way that it creates a lid on the liquids. The yeast gets poured into a depression in the center of the flour-layer, and then any butter or shortening gets placed in the corners. Since my test recipe uses olive oil, the first batch I poured the oil into the 4 corners of the pan, but for the second go-round I decided to just mix it in with the water and eggs.

Obviously we weren’t in danger of overflowing the pan, but the danger with the slightly larger loaf is whether or not the full loaf will bake in the given time. This one was a bit on the edge of done after the programmed time but at least was a little larger. Still dense, still tasty, and thumps hollow on the bottom, but if you wanted a darker crust or needed to get it a little more baked through, popping it into the oven for a bit is supposed to do the trick. I didn’t find it necessary for this one, though.

Each loaf has featured a really shaggy top–something that can happen with the non-machine gluten-free breads and something I’ll need to work on. Could use just a bit more liquid or some other tweaking to work well, but I’m encouraged. I’ll be making croutons with the remains of the first loaf and using the second loaf for sandwiches later this week.

* * *

I also picked up a Glutino bread mix that, while not being completely Low-FODMAP (pea protein and whey are the potentially troublesome ingredients, but once you’re past the Elimination and Challenge phases, it might be worth trying) does have the benefit of being all-in-one. And, of course, since gluten isn’t a FODMAP, one could always add some vital wheat gluten into the mix to add texture and whatnot, but I haven’t gotten that far, yet.

I think the next loaf on the list will be an old favorite: chocolate orange bread. I haven’t made it in ages, especially not since ditching the wheat, but I’ve been craving it lately. Even if it turns out dense like these, it’ll be great for chocolate bread pudding!

5 Favorite Projects for Gauche Alchemy

In The Studio

I’ve been part of the Gauche Alchemy team for a little over two years, now, and I’ve loved every minute working with these ladies. The store is now on hiatus for now but I get to share one more project on the blog.

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With change on the horizon, I thought it would be nice to take a stroll down memory lane and pull out my 5 favorite Gauche Alchemy projects, in no particular order…

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The first project I actually started for Gauche Alchemy but it took a year before I actually got it finished and ready for posting. It highlights the awesome color kits that Gauche Alchemy is famous for (at least in my eyes) and I still get a kick looking at them.

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I think this is actually the first project of mine that ever showed up on the blog, a challenge I posed to my fellow Alchemists that we all had a blast with. My little Polly Flanders doll never had it so good!

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I was so jazzed to be the Alchemist who got to play with the Dia de Los Muertos kit first, and this rosary with paper and clay beads and the skeleton cameo still holds a place of honor in my craft vault. Seriously, I love the way this turned out and, looking at the picture again, might do another on a different theme. Paper beads are kind of addicting.

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Of course when a steampunk-themed kit came out I was all over it, and my Steampunk Chef’s Hat gets a lot of compliments when I wear it (paired with my Steampunk Chef’s Coat, of course) to conventions.

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Finally, my recent Curiosity Cabinet was another project that I had in mind for several months before making the time to put it together. I love the way it turned out (a common refrain, I know, but it’s true regardless of the repetition) and it’s another project I want to revisit and make another in a different theme. Someday. First I have to get through the other ideas in my head.

Have you made anything awesome lately?

Filling in Some Gaps

The Gingerbread Diaries

In the face of simplify this, downsize that, and the small house trend, there’s a reason Todd and I were looking for a home with at least 2,000 square feet: we like our stuff.

We’re both collectors of one sort or another. For Todd it’s games and books, for me it’s art supplies, shoes, and books. And the monkeys, but that’s a story for another day. So the fact that the Dollhouse clocks in at 2,902* sq ft was a definite check in the plus category. (For comparison’s sake, our current rental is 1,571 sq ft and we definitely feel the pinch. If it weren’t for the additional 400 sq ft in the garage we’d be sunk!)

Now, with a space upgrade equivalent to my last apartment it might seem like we’ll have bare rooms once we get moved in. I think it’s more a case of our stuff will expand to fit the space since, room for room, we’re right at what we need:

[twocol_one]

First Floor:

Living Room
Front Room
Back Room
Dining Room
Bathroom
Kitchen
Screened Porch
Utility Room

Second Floor:

Bedroom 1
Bedroom 2
Bedroom 3
Bathroom

[/twocol_one] [twocol_one_last]

(current house equivalent)

Living Room
Dining Room as Library
My Office
Breakfast Nook as Dining Room/Bar
Hall (Guest) Bath
Kitchen
Garage (Todd’s tools, etc.)
Garage (W/D, chest freezer)

***

Our Bedroom
new space!
Todd’s Office
“Master” Bath

[/twocol_one_last]

*If we count the Tallahassee garage, though, it’s only fair to count the 300 sq ft of the screen porch at the Dollhouse, which will hold Todd’s tools and so forth until we buy or build him a proper workshop on the property. But the space increase still stands.

We are getting an honest-to-goodness guest room, but we already have a spare bed stored in the garage. This room connects to ours and will serve as additional closet space (I’ve already ordered 6 MULIGs to make up for the minuscule closets up there, until we find out a more circumspect solution). So even the “new” room already has commitments on its floor space.

It’s actually the dining room that we are lacking–my little 4-person table and chair set (also from IKEA, purchased 7 years ago) was going to look very sad and lonely in that 14’x14′ room and was actually far better suited to hanging out in the kitchen as an additional work space/island. My working plan had been to keep one of the folding tables in there as a placeholder, but after this past weekend we don’t have to!

Thrifted Table and Chairs for $50 (the leaves are leaning against the wall near the window)

Thrifted Table and Chairs for $50 (the leaves are leaning against the wall near the window)

If we’re friends on Facebook you may have already seen this picture, but we scored 6 dining chairs and a table with 3 leaves for a whopping $50 at the charity shop down the street. We’re not hardcore thrift shoppers or garage sale folks by any means, but we decided to stop into the Halcyon Home Store when we noticed it was open (on our weekly trip to Lowes, before the summer’s out I predict they’ll start recognizing us). We’d been talking about Todd maybe building our dining room table, but even that would have cost double in materials, plus the time, plus still needing chairs to go around it. And this table met all our must-haves in the process:

  • 7′ long (with 2 leaves it should be right around that, and then we’ve got an extra foot to spare if we really need it)
  • Wide enough to have an “aisle” for platters, etc. when there are place settings on either side
  • Curved corners so if we need to we could squeeze 4 more people around it
  • And the chairs are nice and sturdy as well as being comfortable

There’s not really anything in the way of markings on the table or chairs to show who made them. I sincerely doubt they’d fit the distinction of vintage, much less antique, but they were the perfect size and price when we needed them and I’m looking forward to the next big family dinner or game night around that table!

They even helped us carry our loot home!

They even helped us carry our loot home!

While at Halcyon (which, by the way, is a non-profit shop, proceeds going to support local battered women’s shelters) we also found 2 barrel chairs with caned back/seats that will go nicely in the library.

New paint and these will be perfect!

New paint and these will be perfect!

They all need a little work: refinishing the table and tightening the legs, eventually reupholstering the chairs, and a new coat of paint for the barrel chairs, but all in all it was a fabulous deal and the one thing we really needed for the house.

Now to get everything else moved in! (Once the contractor’s have to finish the exterior repairs… but that’s another post.)

Oh, and a sneak peek of what else I worked on this weekend when we were up at the house:

Monogrammed mailbox in progress!

Monogrammed mailbox in progress!

 

54 | Where Did You Say You Were From?

64 Arts

This post is part of our ongoing exploration of the 64 Arts.

Our place of origin, where we spent our formative years, has a profound effect on us. Those lessons stick with us like glue, no matter where else we go and how much we learn out in the world. Or how much we try to forget. It’s how we learn to live. And it’s also how we learn to speak.

Now, I spent a lot of time and concentrated effort to eliminate the Southern drawl from my voice. Sure, it still comes out now and again, and sometime I pull it out for effect, but for the most part I did my best back in school to adapt a less-place-based talk, one that sounded more professional. And it worked quite well.

I was chatting with a gentleman at the farmer’s market a while back and he asked where I was from.

“Louisiana,” I answered.

“Oh, then, but you went to school,” he said, “because you don’t sound like you’re from Louisiana.”

Mission accomplished.

Even though I’ve lost the accent (for the most part), there are still things I say that pinpoint where I’m from. Back in December the NY Times even put up a quiz that will pinpoint the cities you most talk like. Where did I end up?

DialectMap

 

Baton Rouge, LA; Irving, TX; and Jackson, MS–not all that far off, really.

There are several such “tests” and tools out there, plus a video challenge that went around earlier this year that had you reciting certain words and answering certain questions to demonstrate your accent.

Why don’t you check out the quiz (linked above) and share your results in the comments?