Keeping Your Workouts Interesting

I've been doing a lot of yoga lately, so much in fact, that I'm making Goal #29 to add another yoga workout each week to my fitness commitments. Since I sometimes don't have the time or money to go to classes at the yoga studio, I have been doing some of my yoga at home, using DVDs from the library. In order to keep these workouts interesting and challenging, I am trying something new, which is to use light dumbells (3lbs) with some of the poses I am doing. 3lbs doesn't sound like much, but when I am in a pose that is already challenging, the weights push me just a little farther and keep my workouts interesting. I am also very grateful to Zach who rearranged the furniture in our dining room to give me a mini yoga studio in our house. Even though I was (highly) skeptical at first, it has been so awesome to have a nice space to work out in at home.

Changes

Lately I've been noticing that my body is starting to look different than it did back in January when I started this blog. My clothes sit in different places on my body, and I can see muscles and definition where I didn't see them as much before (especially in my shoulders and legs). After a few questions from family members about how much weight I've lost, I decided to weigh myself on a proper scale. I don't have a scale in my house because I don't want to obsess about my weight, and so I hadn't weighed myself in a few months. On my last visit to the Y, I got on the scale and I was surprised to find that I have actually lost a fair amount of weight. I want to point out that I have not been trying to reduce my caloric intake or forbidding any particular foods (with the exception of beer, which I decided to take a month long break from last week). I've just been eating tons of healthy food and exercising more than I used to. After noticing that I had lost some weight, I decided to check my measurements. I recorded them 2 months ago when I ordered a dress, so I have a recent record to compare to. Since the beginning of June, I've lost an inch from my waist and hips, two inches from my bust, and (thankfully), no inches from my biceps. I hope I can keep getting strong and fit as the year continues, developing muscles where I didn't have them before, and increasing my endurance and flexibility. I'm also excited for the next time I visit the doctor for my annual blood work, etc. to see how my dietary and fitness changes have impacted my blood sugar, cholesterol, etc.

Taking An Afternoon Off From Everything

I haven't posted in almost a week. I've been busy being on call for work, and it was kind of a doozy of a week. When I am on call, even at the times when I don't get called in to work, I just can't relax. Being on call is very draining for me, and at the end of it, I always struggle for a few days to try to figure out how to recharge my internal batteries. This morning, after I was freed of my on-call responsibilities, I was feeling kind of at loose ends about what to do with my day. My body felt too sore to paddle or go to the gym, and my spirit felt too disrupted for me to believe that starting a house project was a good idea. What to do? What I really felt like doing was taking a nap and then laying out in the sun with a book, some popcorn, and several glasses of iced tea. And that's what I did. I just took the afternoon off from everything and it felt great. Being "lazy" is usually hard for me, but like savasana (the relaxation pose at the end of many yoga practices), I think taking time to relax may be just as important for a healthy mind and body as being active and productive is.

Tempeh Tacos

Tonight I was in the mood for tacos. I've been wanting to try using tempeh as a filling for tacos for awhile, so tonight I decided to experiment a little and see what I could come up with. These turned out pretty well, and the tempeh filling will make a good base for lots of different toppings. I also think it would taste great on top of a bed of greens, taco salad style. I ate 3 of these tacos and with a side of broccoli, it was very filling. 2 would probably be enough unless you are really hungry.
Easy Tempeh Tacos
makes six tacos
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 an onion, finely chopped
1 8oz package tempeh, crumbled
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbps chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp tamari
soft corn tortillas
whatever you want to top your tacos with: I used pepper-jack cheese, cilantro, Quark (similar to low-fat sour cream or low-fat Greek yogurt), red peppers, and lime juice

Heat oil in a skillet. When it's hot, add the onion and saute until it's nearly translucent. Add the tempeh and cook until onions start to brown (probably 3-5 more minutes). Add garlic and saute briefly. Add spices, water, and tamari. Cook until tempeh is done, stiring frequently, about 7 minutes. Lightly salt if desired.
Heat tortillas in a dry pan on the stove.
Fill tortillas with tempeh mixture and top with whatever toppings you like.

Kitchen Tip #3 "Deep Fried" Tofu That Isn't Deep Fried

I don't eat tofu a lot, but I do like it from time to time, and I especially like having a rice noodle salad with fried tofu on top. The problem with fried tofu is that it is usually deep fried which greatly increases the fat content. This week I learned a technique for cooking tofu that produces  something very similar in taste to deep fried tofu, that is just fried in a pan with a little bit of olive oil.


Healthier "Deep Fried" Tofu
1 package firm tofu
1 egg
some olive oil
Slice the tofu into fairly thin slices (maybe 1/2 in thick)
Lay a paper towel on a plate and lay the sliced tofu on top in a single layer
Cover tofu with another paper towel and press down to absorb the water
Repeat with another dry paper towel on top
Crack egg into a bowl and whisk
Heat a small amount olive oil in a skillet on medium-high heat
Dredge each piece of tofu in the egg and place in the hot skillet
Cook on each side until browned, I think mine took about 7 minutes on each side

Goodbye Beer, See You In a Month

As much as I hate to do it, especially in the middle of the summer, I'm taking this opportunity to make Goal #29 giving up beer for one month. Although I really love beer, the kind of beer I like (microbrew IPA) is calorically dense (250-300 calories per 12oz beer) and relatively expensive. Since I am looking for ways to cut some unhealthy calories out of my diet, and also looking for ways to save money, this seems like a good two for one kind of goal. Tonight I'm going to visit the Co-op and stock up on lots of cold and fizzy drinks (carbonated water, kombucha, iced tea makings) so that I will have some good substitutes on hand for post yard-work summer days, which is when I think I'll probably miss beer the most.

Kitchen Tip #2- Perfect Green Beans and Broccoli

If you have ever wondered how good restaurants always seem to have perfectly cooked green beans and broccoli, wonder no more! The secret is submerging them in an ice bath as soon as they are just tender to prevent them from cooking any further. I like to lightly steam them in a basket steamer, but you could also briefly blanch/boil them. I keep an eye on them while they are steaming and once they turn bright green, I taste them every few minutes until they are just right. I have a big bowl of ice water ready and plunge the beans/broccoli into the ice water bath as soon as they taste tender. I then drain them in a colander, and either serve them cold (as in a vegetable salad) or heat some olive oil in a pan, add a little chopped garlic, saute for a couple of minutes, then add the broccoli or green beans and a sprinkle of salt for a brief saute/warm up.

Sunday Bike Ride

 Today I wanted to get out and enjoy the beautiful Pacific NW. I really felt like taking a hike in the woods, but due to some blisters I got breaking in new shoes this week, I knew that probably wasn't a good idea. I decided to take a bike ride instead, and as I was riding along I remembered that there is a portion of the Chehalis-Western trail near my house that is wooded and quiet, and I thought that would be a great substitute for a hike in the woods. I've written about the Chehalis-Western trail before in relation to walking, but I have to say, it is even better on a bike! The trail is flat and paved, and it winds through some really beautiful areas. The portion of the trail I was on today is kind of funny, because it is bordered in some areas by cow and horse pasture, so you do get an occasional whiff of barnyard smell, especially on warm days like today. In a few more weeks the blackberries will be ripe, though, and when that happens, the only thing you will smell on the trail is their heavenly, musky berriness. As I was riding on the trail, I looked up at the trees. With the dappled sunlight hitting their array of green leaves and needles,  they were breathtaking. I thought about how amazing it must be for people who come to the Pacific NW for the first time. I feel so fortunate to live in a place of such incredible beauty, and I hope I never take this place for granted.

Lose Yourself To Dance

 Last weekend some friends and I were watching videos from Daft Punk's new album Random Access Memories. A couple of the videos (Lose Yourself To Dance and Give Life Back to Music) featured people dancing on the show Soul Train in the 1970s, as well some fantastic shots of people dancing from movies and music videos. We danced along with the videos, and I had so much fun and got in some great exercise too. I've posted before about how much I love to dance, but when I was watching the Soul Train dancers, I felt totally in awe of their incredible moves. There is also this memorable dance scene from the movie Boogie Nights which I've always loved. I want to learn to dance like that, and believe me, if anyone ever offers a disco fitness class, I'm totally in! Since that doesn't exist yet, I decided to check out the library's catalogue to see if there were any instructional disco dvds I could check out. There were two available, and I checked them both out a few days ago. Tonight, I watched portions of both of them and danced along with them for about an hour. It was so super cheesy, and I felt like a total weirdo dancing along to these in my living room by myself. It was definitely a funny and fun experiment though, and I'm going to try to find a better quality disco dvd and keep practicing my moves. Hopefully, someone will invent a time machine eventually, and I'll get to go back and show off my moves. Ha!

Easy Baked Tempeh

 Tonight I made a dinner that was a little weird but good, and it was inspired by some really fresh looking produce that I saw at the Co-op today- green beans and corn. I took the easy route with those (just steamed the green beans and boiled the corn) since they were so fresh and didn't need any help. When I was trying to decide what to serve with them I remembered that we had some tempeh in the refrigerator and I decided to cook that up. For those of you who are unfamiliar with tempeh, it is a food made from fermented soybeans. The fermentation process used for turning soybeans into tempeh (it's magic!) makes the nutrients in soybeans more available to us and also reduces the gas that is sometimes associated with eating beans. Truth be told, I mostly eat tempeh because I think it tastes delicious, but I also have a few friends who find it totally unpalatable, so I will admit that it's not for everyone. Besides the taste, what I like about tempeh is that it is very quick and easy to season and cook, it's relatively inexpensive, and it's nutritious and filling.

Erin's Easy 
Baked Tempeh
1 8oz package tempeh
1 2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
juice of 1 lime
2 Tbs tamari
1 Tbs rice wine vinegar
1 Tbs toasted sesame oil

Heat oven to 400F. Slice the tempeh into long 1/2 inch thick strips. Mix all other ingredients in a shallow, oven-safe dish large enough to accommodate the tempeh in a single layer. After marinade is mixed, lay the tempeh in the dish. Cook in the heated oven for 10 minutes. Turn tempeh over. Cook on the other side for 10 minutes. Remove tempeh from oven. Serve topped with the garlic and ginger left in your baking dish, along with a sprinkling of fresh basil.

"Nature's Perfect Food"

I know I have been going a bit quinoa crazy on this blog as of late, and I'm starting to feel a little  like one of those people who is always trying to convince you that you should try a food they like because IT REALLY IS NATURE'S PERFECT FOOD. Ha. So since I'm no proselytizer, I'll just say YUMMM, THIS SALAD IS SO GOOD!
It's also quick and easy to make, and I threw it together using stuff I had on hand:

Lemony Quinoa Salad with Kale and Parsley
1 1/2 cups quinoa
2 3/4 cups water
2 lemons
fresh pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/3 cup olive oil
3 green onions, finely chopped
1/4 bunch Italian parsley, chopped
1/2 bunch Italian kale, chopped
1/2 cup toasted nuts, chopped
feta for sprinkling on top (optional)

Add quinoa and water to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook quinoa for 15 minutes, or until all water is absorbed. As I've said before, always better to undercook quinoa rather than overcook.
While quinoa is cooking, get the dressing ready:
Zest one lemon into a large bowl. Next add juice of both lemons (should be about 6 Tbs of juice). Add pepper, salt and garlic powder, and stir well with a fork. Slowly add olive oil in a stream and continue to stir until well blended.
When quinoa has finished cooking, pour it into the bowl with the dressing and stir well. Add all other ingredients and stir. Serve with a sprinkling of feta if desired. Makes a nice size serving, so you will have plenty of leftovers. This would probably be really good with some smoked salmon or cannelini beans for extra protein.

Happy Anniversary!

Today Zach and I celebrated 17 years together! It's pretty weird to think that we were both in our early 20s when we got together (so long ago!), and it definitely doesn't feel like 17 years have gone by already. About 10 years ago, my mom told me to appreciate every day because as you age, time will start going by really fast, and boy, she wasn't kidding! For our anniversary, we had a  fun day hanging out and enjoying time together. The best part of the day was sitting in a park in the shade, watching bunnies hopping around, listening to the rustle of the leaves in the trees, and eating ripe blackberries from the Fremont Sunday Market.  It's awesome to be with someone who I can still have so much fun with after all this time, and I feel incredibly lucky to have such a great partner.

Shakshouka

Last night I made an easy and interesting dish that is popular in Tunisia, Israel, Libya, Algeria, Morocco, and Spain. Traditionally it is served for breakfast or brunch, but Shakshouka is also hearty enough to serve as a main dish for dinner. It is pretty rich and spicy, so it is nice to serve it with something light like a fresh green salad and some whole-wheat bread (or pitas) for mopping up the sauce.  This recipe comes from epicurious and includes some garbanzo beans for extra protein. Some Shaksouka recipes also include sauteed bell peppers. This recipe doesn't use any, but I'm sure they'd be a nice addition if you have them available.

Poached Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Chickpeas and Feta (aka Shakshouka)

1/4 cup olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

2 jalapeños, seeded, finely chopped

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained

2 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand, juices reserved

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup coarsely crumbled feta

8 large eggs

1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 425°F. Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and jalapeños; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 8 minutes. Add chickpeas, paprika, and cumin and cook for 2 minutes longer.

Add crushed tomatoes and their juices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens slightly, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle feta evenly over sauce. Crack eggs one at a time and place over sauce, spacing evenly apart. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until whites are just set but yolks are still runny, 8-10 minutes. Garnish with parsley and cilantro. 

Breakfast Of Champions

This morning I made a quinoa porridge for breakfast that was really, really good. The secret is to boil the quinoa in 1/2 milk and 1/2 water- it gives the cereal a nice creamy body while still maintaining its light, fluffy, quintessential quinoaness. I enjoyed mine with a plate of steamed kale and a cup of coffee- yum! In honor of my delicious breakfast this morning, I'm adding a new goal (#27), which is to eat quinoa at least twice a week. As I mentioned in a previous blog post, quinoa is  highly nutritious and versatile, and I'm excited to incorporate more of it into my diet. The recipe below makes 3 good-sized servings, so you can either scale it back if you are just cooking for yourself, or portion it out for eating cold on subsequent mornings like I did. I found the recipe on 101cookbooks.com, and it is pretty much perfect as written. I've just made a couple of modifications to allow for substitutions and to provide slightly larger serving sizes:

Warm and Nutty Cinnamon Quinoa 

1 cup milk
 (I used almond milk, but any kind of milk should work just fine)

1 cup water


1 cup quinoa


2 cups fresh berries


1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon


1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted*


3 teaspoons agave or honey

Combine milk, water and quinoa in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Turn off heat; let stand covered 5 minutes. Stir in berries and cinnamon; transfer to three bowls and top with pecans. Drizzle 1 teaspoon agave nectar over each serving.

Serves 3.

*While the quinoa cooks, roast the pecans in a 350F degree toaster oven for 5 to 6 minutes or in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes.

Possibly the Most Delicious Salad Recipe Ever

This past weekend I taught a cooking class called "Summer Salads". One of the recipes I used in my class is this incredibly flavorful quinoa salad. I've made this salad lots of times, and it really is the perfect dish for summer. It's great for parties and barbecues, as it keeps well and makes a great big bowl. It's also nice to have in the refrigerator so you don't have to worry about making lunch or cooking dinner later in the week when you're hot and tired. The other cool thing about this salad is that it uses a lot of fresh vegetables, and you can be pretty flexible with what you put it. I found the recipe on epicurious, and though I've kept the ingredients pretty similar, I've changed the preparation method for the quinoa to simplify the recipe- it's a lot faster and easier to prepare.  It does take a bit of time to chop everything up, but other than that it's an easy and satisfying main dish that does a great job of showcasing fresh, seasonal summer produce.

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad
adapted from Gourmet  | July 1994
1 1/2 cups quinoa
1 1/2 cups cooked black or pinto beans (or a combination of both), rinsed if canned
1 1/2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups cooked corn (cut from about 2 large ears)
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 chopped red bell pepper
1 small yellow summer squash, sliced into small pieces
1 small red onion, finely chopped
a few green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 pint (or more)cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 avocado, cut into cubes
1/2 cup (or more)finely chopped cilantro
a few pickled jalapenos, sliced
For dressing
5 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin, or to taste
1/3 cup olive oil
generous squirt of sriracha hot sauce

Prepare quinoa:
Boil 2 3/4 cups water . Add quinoa and reduce heat to simmer. Cook quinoa 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Remove lid and remove from heat. You do not want to overcook the quinoa! It is much better to err on the side of undercooking rather than overcooking.
While quinoa is cooking, toss beans with vinegar in a small bowl.
Make dressing:
In a large bowl whisk together lime juice, sriracha, salt, and cumin and add oil in a stream, whisking.
Assemble salad:
Add warm quinoa  to bowl with dressing and mix well. Stir in all vegetables and beans, taking care to add soft vegetables like avocado and tomatoes last and to stir them gently. Cool in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.

Healthier Ice Cream Substitute

Tonight I wanted to make a sweet treat for a friend of mine who is injured, so I whipped up some "Nice Cream" in the food processor. Nice Cream is like ice cream, except instead of using dairy products as the base, you use frozen bananas. Nice Cream is easy to make, you just have to plan ahead a little.
What you'll need:
ripe bananas
a flat freezer safe dish
a food processor
anything you'd like to mix into your Nice Cream (For this batch I used coconut and pecans. I've also used peanut butter and hippie Nutella which are also both delicious, and a co-worker told me he's used figs. Really, anything you'd enjoy eating in regular ice cream should work fine)
Step 1: Peel the bananas and slice them onto the flat freezer safe dish in a single layer
Step 2: Freeze the bananas until they are solid (I usually freeze them overnight)
Step 3: Puree the frozen bananas in the food processor. They will go through some weird stages (big hard lumps, tiny gritty lumps, etc.). You want to keep pureeing them until they are still frozen but starting to get smooth. When they get to that point, mix in your other ingredients and give it one more whir. Scrape your concoction into a freezer safe container and freeze for a few more hours. Yum.
Happily, I made enough extra to enjoy some myself when I got home from my bike ride!

Breakfast In the Sound

Today after work, I went for a beautiful paddle. I saw an incredible array of marine animals, including seals (tons of them were hanging out on the log boom- they looked like a pack of dogs with bowling balls for heads!), blue herons, and jellyfish. This time, the jellies weren't the harmless moon jellies that I've written about before, but another type called a fried egg jellyfish. The fried egg jelly is much larger than the moon jelly, but has a sting that is mild, so I was careful not to fall in, but not too afraid. There were so many of them out in the sound, and they really do look like giant fried eggs floating in the water. It's a pretty weird sight to see.

I don't normally go paddling much on the weekends due to the potentially heavy boat traffic, and today was no exception. A few of the boats were zooming around really fast (despite the "no-wake" zone) and it reminded me of "THUNDER! THUNDER! THUNDER! On the Ohio"- a speedboat race on the Ohio river that used to happen in my hometown. Being on a paddleboard with heavy boat traffic is kind of like riding your bike on a busy street, except you have a much bigger bike lane to ride in! At any rate, despite all the boat traffic, I was glad to have gone out. It was a great way to unwind after work and a chance to get in a good workout too. 

Necessity Is...

This week I got a bit of a sunburn on my back when I was working in the yard. Although I was wearing sunblock, there were a few spots I just couldn't reach. When I was talking to a couple of my co-workers about their weekends, they also mentioned getting burned on their backs in spots they couldn't reach.  If only someone would invent a tool for spreading sunblock on hard to reach spots, I thought...
This week, I made it my goal to figure out a way to get sunblock all over my back for those times when I'm alone and want to be out in the sun, and today I accomplished that goal- with a kitchen spoon! Before I went out on a fabulous after-work paddle, I wrapped a paper towel around my spoon, secured it with a rubber band, and loaded it up with sunscreen. I was able to reach my entire back easily, and didn't get a burn despite being out for an hour and a half. When I told Zach about my exciting discovery, he asked me why I didn't just use the spoon without the paper towel. I was worried about getting the spoon messy with a non-food product, but since my sunblock is largely olive oil and smells like mayonnaise anyway, maybe next time I'll try doing exactly that. Whichever way I go, it is nice to be able to spend the afternoon alone in the sun and not have to worry about having a red and uncomfortable sunburn on my back as a result.

Unintended Side Effects of Goal #6

A few days ago I went in for a dental cleaning. I may not have the straightest teeth, but I feel lucky that I am blessed with good dental genetics- the dentist always raves about my deep roots ( he once told me "you know, we never get to see teeth like yours in real life, only in text books when we were in dental school"). Maybe because of this, I work hard to take care of my teeth, and make brushing and flossing a priority. In January when I gave up chewing sugarless gum, I was a little concerned that it would decrease my dental health. I have read that chewing gum stimulates saliva production, which is helpful because saliva minimizes bacteria in your mouth and also contains substances that help prevent tooth decay and gum disease. When I gave up sugarless gum, I was also worried about having bad breath. I drink coffee and eat lots of fragrant foods, so I decided to carry a toothbrush and toothpaste in my bag and brush whenever I felt like I had yuck mouth (on average I'm probably brushing twice a day more then I used to). Fast forward six months, and as the hygienist starts to clean my teeth, she says "have you changed your dental routine since your last cleaning? Your teeth have virtually no stain or tarter on them at all. They look really great.". What exciting news to find that in giving up sugarless gum, I also unintentionally improved my dental health! Looks like I can keep smilin' and keep saying no thanks to artificially sweetened gum.

The Love Child of Salad and Potato Chips

Yesterday I made a ridiculously simple cucumber salad. It was so delicious, yet weirdly, reminded me of eating flavored potato chips. So for anyone who would really rather be eating potato chips, this one is for you:

Cucumber, Mustard, and Dill Salad

Gourmet  | October 2004

ingredients

2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon mild olive oil

1 large seedless cucumber (usually plastic-wrapped; 1 lb), peeled

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

preparation

Whisk together vinegar, mustard, salt, and sugar in a bowl, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking.

Cut cucumber into small rounds, first removing all or part of the peel if desired.

Add cucumber and dill to vinaigrette, tossing to coat.

Stopping to Smell the Roses or Read the Books

For the past year or so, I have walked by this cool little free library that someone set up just a few blocks from my house. Every time I've walked by, I've thought "Wow, that's so cool! I should take a book and bring one back". So this week, I finally did it. The first book I read from the little free library was Bold Spirit; it's about a woman who walked all the way across the United States in the 1890s. The book was completely fascinating and may have even inspired me to make walking across the United States one of my long term goals! There are so many things in life, like the little free library, that I think about doing and intend to do, but never seem to get around to. I think this is exactly what the phrase "remember to stop and smell the roses" is about- not living and working at such a frantic pace that you don't even take a moment to stop and appreciate all the cool things around you. Incidentally, stopping and smelling the roses is something my friend Justin actually did once when we were on a walk, and at that time I had the embarrassing realization that I had walked by that particular rose bush many times and never even noticed it was there. Thanks in part to Justin's inspiration, I've gotten better at taking the time to notice the beauty around me, but clearly, I'm still having trouble slowing down sometimes. The little free library is going to be my rose bush of the year, and I'm making it one of my goals to read at least three more books from it before the end of the year.