Sunday Smatterings (The Kerr Edition)
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Hi, guys! It's me, The Kerr. Did you have a good week? Mine was pretty good since I found good Tex-Mex in Nashville!!! Finding good Tex-Mex this far north is like spotting a unicorn in the wild 🦄, so needless to say, this native Texan is super pumped she can get homemade flour tortillas and delicious beef fajitas (cooked medium-rare, because hello, flavor) anytime she wants. I cannot stress enough what a miracle find this is!
ANYWAY. I could talk about food all day. Let's get on with the program, shall we?
What I'm Eating
Oh, look, more conversations about food!
As you know, St. Patrick's Day is coming up on Friday. If you want to celebrate, but don't feel like making the same Corned Beef & Cabbage like you do every year, you should try this apple cider-braised cabbage.
Confession: I didn't make this recipe the way it's written here. I didn't have any cider, but I did have cider vinegar and some fuji apples (and some celery) that needed to be used up, so I added those in there. And I used red cabbage. And I cut it into one-inch pieces, not wedges. And I sautéed everything in bacon fat first, because bacon. If you want some protein in here, I think kielbasa or polish sausage would be phenomenal.
So... basically what I'm telling you is that I didn't follow this recipe at all. But I used it as inspiration! That should count for something, right? 😂
What I'm Playing
Think fast: can you match these three-letter words to their definitions? I did it in 2:35. I know you can beat me.
What I'm Reading
I needed a laugh this week, something a bit more lighthearted than THE GODFATHER (don't get me wrong, I love it—just ready for fewer backroom deals and gunfights, ya know?). My friend Lisa and I text each other our books for the week, and I saw Nora's book of essays, I FEEL BAD ABOUT MY NECK (and other thoughts on being a woman), in her stack and I shamelessly copycatted her. I'm not sorry about it, either, just like I'm also not sorry for snort-laughing alone in my house. Nobody makes me giggle quite like the dry wit of Nora Ephron.
What I'm Watching
You guys. THE AMERICANS came back this week! 🎉👏🇺🇸
I don't know why this show gets so little buzz and critical acclaim. It is wonderfully cast and written, and definitely deserves a few EMMYs by now (especially Matthew Rhys as Phillip—he's just so transformative in the role). Also, who couldn't love Keri Russell? And Margo Martindale, who is up there with Kathy Bates as a wonderful supporting actor in any role.
Here's the premise: it's set in the 1980s and focuses on the Cold War. The show follows Phillip and Elizabeth, two KGB spies living in suburban Washington, DC, trying to gather intel and assets without raising the suspicions of their next-door-neighbor, Stan, who is (of course) an FBI agent. Phillip and Elizabeth have two children, the older of which begins to become suspicious of her parents' erratic hours and behavior, thinking perhaps they aren't the travel agents they claim to be. The show masterfully examines what it means to be a patriot (especially how much of your individual self you can—and should—sacrifice for the greater good), marriage, spirituality, and gender roles, to name a few.
The show is equal parts suspenseful and fascinating. Folks nostalgic for the 80s are going to love the details like music and set design. Seriously, thriller fans, you're going to love it.
***One last thing: THE DEVIL'S TRIANGLE is coming out Tuesday! To celebrate, JT is going to host a Facebook Live on her page Tuesday night at 8 pm EDT. If you comment during the live cast, you could win one of three signed copies of THE DEVIL'S TRIANGLE. So mark your calendars, and head over to JT's Facebook page Tuesday night!!!
That's all I have for you this week, you guys. Have a great week, go get a copy of THE DEVIL'S TRIANGLE and devour it (and tell me what you think), and I'll talk to you again soon!
Warmly,
The Kerr
