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You are here: Home / Archives for Julianne

Julianne

My Favourite Cookbooks

March 14, 2022 By Julianne Leave a Comment

I’ve wanted to write this post for ages, but was stymied by the fact that I only had two favourite cookbooks. ‘Nobody wants to read a post about just two books,’ I told myself. Sometimes I considered posting it anyway. ‘Don’t let the fact there’s only two hold you back from raving about them! The world needs to know!’ I thought, in grander moments.

The Green Roasting Tin and 200 Healthy Curries books on a grey kitchen countertop

And so, today I decided to take the plunge, still feeling some trepidation as I went downstairs to take photos of the chosen two. But then, as I looked at my shelves, I realised that something had changed.

I now have three favourite cookbooks, which obviously makes all the difference. Now I am writing without the slightest hesitation, and I hope you enjoy these reviews of my top culinary catalogues:

1. Hamlyn All Colour Cookbook: 200 Healthy Curries by Sunil Vijayakar

This is the cookbook I’ve had the longest from this mini-selection. I think I bought it on a whim in The Works, along with the equivalent volumes about cocktails and pasta dishes. But this little book punches far beyond its tiny weight. Let me tell you, it is an absolute STAR. We make dishes from this book at least twice a week and are even now, eight or so years on from first buying it, discovering new wonders. The recipes are from or inspired by various different parts of Asia, and include a variety of foods, though I am partial to the chickpea ones. We mainly cook vegetarian/vegan food, and there are plenty of recipes in this book that meet that criteria – to be honest, I barely notice the meat and fish ones, the veggie options being so tempting!

My favourite recipes from this book:

  • Potato and french bean curry
  • Curried cabbage and carrot stir fry
  • Lebanese tomato and courgette curry
  • <South Indian vegetable stew
  • Chickpea and red pepper curry
  • Chickpea and spinach curry

Buy: Amazon (affiliate link)

2. The Green Roasting Tin by Rukmini Iyer

I love this book so much I collected all the other Roasting Tin books, but this remains my absolute favourite. It’s just so full of good stuff, much of it quick to prepare and incredibly satisfying. There’s something about one dish dinners that makes me feel very smug. What is it? Oh yeah, the lack of washing up and the time you get to spend swanning around your home while the oven does all the hard work.

My favourite recipes from this book:

  • Three bean chilli (officially this is ‘three bean chilli with avocado salsa, but I hate avocados)
  • Groundnut stew: sweet potato in a peanut and tomato sauce (VERY filling, skip the rice on this one)
  • >Beetroot, chickpea and coconut curry
  • Crispy gnocchi with roasted peppers, chilli, rosemary and ricotta
  • Sweet potato with mozzarella (onions) and basil (I skip the onions and add paprika to this one)

Buy: Amazon | Bookshop.org (affiliate links)

3. The Soup Book, edited by Sophie Grigson

I’d had this book on my shelf for a while, but it was only getting an Oddbox subscription that led me to start paging through it and discovering all the wonders it contains. Suddenly I had all these random fresh vegetables to use up, and I couldn’t fit them all into dinners, so weekend lunchtimes have become soup-from-scratch time. And I almost always reach for this book.

My favourite recipes from this book:

  • “Penny” soup
  • Celery and celeriac soup
  • Leek, carrot and potato soup

Buy: Amazon | Bookshop.org (affiliate links)

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Books to Help Inspire and Encourage You to Work on Your 2022 Goals

January 17, 2022 By Julianne Leave a Comment

Have you set any 2022 goals yet? I’m working on mine at the moment, so I thought it was the perfect time to share some book recommendations to help you work on your goals, whether you set them in January or are only just getting around to it.

Designing Your Life: Build a Life That Works for You by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans

If you have no idea where to start with planning or picking goals, this is the book for you. Based on a class the authors teach at Stanford (and now around the world), the basic premise is to apply various principles of design thinking to your life. I’m actually still partway through, because it’s a workbook that takes some time to complete, but I really recommend it.

Buy: Amazon | Bookshop.org (affiliate links)

168 Hours and Off the Clock by Laura Vanderkam

I’ve said before that I think Off the Clock is Laura Vanderkam’s best book, as it focuses on how to feel like you have more time for all the things you really love and want to do – and that’s what your goals should be all about! But to get the most out of it, I recommend reading 168 Hours first, as background material, as it goes into a lot more depth on time tracking.

Buy 168 Hours: Amazon (affiliate link)
Buy Off the Clock: Amazon | Bookshop.org (affiliate links)

Real Artists Have Day Jobs (And Other Awesome Things They Don’t Teach You in School) by Sara Benincasa

This is a really great book to have around to dip in and out of. It’s essentially a collection of pep talks, in the form of short essays on various topics, ranging from the relatively frivolous to deeper reflections on mental health. You could even read one every week for a year – there are 52 essays. I’ve been working through it and  enjoying it a lot.

Buy: Amazon (affiliate link)

Unf*ck Your Habitat: You’re Better Than Your Mess by Rachel Hoffman

I’ve only just started this one, but I used to love following the tumblr and getting decluttering, tidying and cleaning inspiration from other fans. And I need some inspiration to keep me going on my slow decluttering journey (the problem with slow decluttering is that it’s slow!)

Buy: Amazon | Bookshop.org (affiliate links)

Beginners: The Joy and Transformative Power of Lifelong Learning by Tom Vanderbilt (I received a review copy via NetGalley)

I read this early in 2021 and really enjoyed it. It’s about the author’s quest to learn several new skills, while also researching how we learn best. He talks to various experts, teachers and coaches along the way and I got more than a few tips to apply to my own learning. If you’ve set yourself some learning challenges for this year, this is a must-read.

Buy: Amazon | Bookshop.org (affiliate links)

Your Best Year Ever: A 5-Step Plan for Achieving Your Most Important Goals by Michael Hyatt

Okay, let’s be honest. It’s very unlikely that 2022 is going to be anyone’s Best Year Ever. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t try to make the best of it, even if we’re more focused on surviving than thriving. Despite the title being slightly offputting in current circumstances, this is a really comprehensive guide to goal setting. I especially like the process the author outlines for checking in on your goals and revising them as I don’t think it’s realistic to assume you can and will want to stick to the same goals all year.

Buy: Amazon | Bookshop.org (affiliate links)

The Artist’s Way: A Course in Discovering and Recovering Your Creative Self by Julia Cameron

This book changed my life when I first went through it, aged 19, and I’ve revisited it several times since. It’s an amazingly powerful book, though the very strictly atheist amongst us may find it difficult to get through as there are lots of references to God and spirituality. If you are more agnostic, like me, then it is not such a problem as the author’s ideas about God are very vague, and you can interpret them as you wish and apply them to your own belief system.

Buy: Amazon | Bookshop.org (affiliate links)

The First 20 Minutes: The Surprising Science of How We Can Exercise Better, Train Smarter and Live Longer by Gretchen Reynolds

If you’re interested in exercising more effectively for less time, and understanding what science tells us about the best way to do it, this is the book for you! The author is honest about what studies actually conclude, and how conventional wisdom often appears to be incorrect. I’m reading this at the moment and it’s extremely interesting.

Buy: Amazon | Bookshop.org (affiliate links)

Do you have any recommendations for books to help us get through/do our best in 2022?

Filed Under: Book Reviews, Organisation and Planning

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Hi! I'm Julianne and I have so many different passions I have to be relentlessly organised to keep track of them all! On this blog I document my current obsessions and share my tips for juggling multiple interests while maintaining your creative energy. I believe that advanced planning brings advanced peace of mind - so join me, and plan to succeed in everything you do! More...

Categories

Organisation and Planning

Books to Help Inspire and Encourage You to Work on Your 2022 Goals

Five Ways to Prepare for NaNoWriMo

See More...

Charity Shop Tuesday

Charity Shop Tuesday: Favourite Floral

Charity Shop Tuesday: Little Black Dress

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Friday Favourites

168 Hours, Laura Vanderkam

Friday Favourites: Time Tracking

Friday Favourites: The Mslexia Writer’s Diary

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Fashion and Style

rails of clothes at walk in wardrobe event

Sustainable Sunday: Walk In Wardrobe Review

Slow Decluttering

See More...

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