A Study in Pink

Fiction or Non?

In February, we talked about our reading quirks.  Today I have another reading question.  What are your reading tendencies? 

Do you read more fiction or non-fiction?   

If I had answered that question a few years ago, I would said fiction, for sure. My habits have changed or my horizons have broadened or something, though, because I've noticed that I pick up more non-fiction than I used to. 

So far in 2013, I have completed 18 books; 8 were fiction and 10 were non-fiction.  The funny thing is, my non-fiction choices are most often biography/memoir-type books that have the same style and flow as a fiction story. 



My favorite fiction read so far this year hands down is The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton.  Don't let the cover fool you.  It may appear to be a quiet and serene sort of book, but inside the pages unfolds an intriguing tale of mystery and unanswered questions  The suspense nearly killed me and I literally read during every free moment so I could figure out what was going to happen.  It's not one of those scary suspense novels, but it did keep me up at night and entered my dreams.  I was that into it!




My favorite non-fiction is not so easy to narrow down.  I loved The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less by Terry Ryan.  I've seen the movie several times and finally got around to reading the book.  Both the book and the movie show a strong female character who found creative ways to provide for her family.  While her husband worked a regular 9-5 job, he often spent his earnings on alcohol.  The movie had better character development.  The book had less language. 


I also enjoyed both Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times by Jennifer Worth and  The Midwife's Here!: The Enchanting True Story of Britain's Longest Serving Midwife by Linda Fairley.  As Gavin said, "Everything you read's about midwives!" 

Do you have a reading tendency?  Do you read more fiction or non?  Do you have any favorite books from the year so far?  

Weeknight Chinese

On occasion, we'll order Chinese food for a weekend treat.  Brian loves it.  I love it while I'm eating it, but 9 times out of 10, I end up feeling nauseous afterwards and declare I'll never eat Chinese food again! A few months ago, I tried a crockpot recipe that met our Chinese cravings without the yucky feelings.  Brian and I fell in love with it and one evening when we wanted Chinese but didn't have time for the crockpot, I adapted the recipe into this super easy, super fast skillet version.


Honey Chicken  

2 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite sized pieces

½ cup honey

¼ cup soy sauce

¹/₈ cup ketchup 
1 tablespoon coconut oil

<sub>½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon pepper

Put chicken into a skillet. Whisk the rest of the ingredients together in a small bowl and pour over chicken in pan.  Stir to coat chicken. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sauce bubbles and thickens slightly.  

(Note: If you do not have cooked chicken, you can use raw.  Before you put the sauce into the skillet, cook the chicken in 1-2 tablespoons of coconut oil.  You can use another preferred oil, but coconut oil is tasteless so it does not affect the flavor of the dish.) 

Serve with steamed rice and peas.</sub>