Ultimate Coffee Date: February 2024

Welcome to February’s Ultimate Coffee Date! What’s been going on in your life lately?

Ultimate Coffee Date: February 2024

If we were having coffee/tea today, I’d tell you that…I was struck down by yet another bout of laryngitis last week and it sucked. (Severe coughing fits to the point of throwing up whenever I tried to speak.) I actually called off work for 3 days straight (something I’ve never done) in hopes that taking a vow of silence would help (whilst also downing copious amounts of water/tea with honey, going through bags of cough drops, and the like).

If we were having coffee/tea today, I’d tell you that…I recently got back into bullet journaling to try to get my life back on track. (I feel like I’m behind in everything/used to do so much more…)

Getting sick kinda derailed a whole lotta my would-be activities. ;_;

My friend + I were going to do a Bob Ross painting/baking day. Butttt we got sidetracked with catching up on life, hanging out with her cats, and watching YouTube videos. Since she’s also trying to get back into doing artsy/creative things again, we’re planning on trying to meet up every other month to make that happen! (Yay for accountability + also seeing each other more than once a year!)

I finally broke out my watercolor brush pens to play around with em’ + I really like the effects! *-*

If we were having coffee/tea today, I’d tell you that…I recently rediscovered/remembered that I have a NetGalley account. Due to my foolishly trying to take on reviewing a bunch of books at a time when I was still in medical school, my feedback % is terrible. I’ve been making up for it this month and have gone through a bunch of books as a result!

(Will be linking up with Lauren over at Shooting Stars Mag on Tuesday for her upcoming “My Month is Booked!”)

• Modern Asian Kitchen – I have this author’s other book, Modern Asian Baking (review will be coming up on the blog in a couple weeks!) and was thrilled to find out she was coming up with another book on non-baked items! (I’m not the best of bakers, but have been trying to get back into cooking!)
• One Night in a Thousand Years – Based on a similar experience the author had while growing up, this follows a high school senior who joins a youth group that meets weekly, but the leader is an unconventional one who encourages the young men to think outside the box of what they think is expected of them + to try to find out what they truly want from life and how to be the best versions of themselves.
• Firekeeper’s Daughter – A biracial unenrolled tribal member who witnesses a murder and reluctantly agrees to go undercover. I enjoyed learning more about Ojibwe customs/culture. The main character is kinda on the “Not Like Other Girls” spectrum, but overall I really enjoyed this read. It touches on a whole lot of different subjects. (As such, though, trigger warnings for SA/violence/suicide/drug use.)
• The Vibrant Hong Kong Table – A “love letter to the city’s culinary heritage” + the recipes are all plant-based! There are many, many studies detailing health benefits from adopting a plant-based diet. Also helps that I don’t eat pork or seafood other than fish + could not eat a bunch of traditional Cantonese dishes/recipes growing up — now I can! (If I make these…)
• The Girl From Provence – I’m adding this to my list of favorite books! 21 year old Lilou is a seamstress and beekeeper who takes care of her family’s sheep farm in the mountains of France. After her best friend + brother are taken away by the Germans, she aids in the French resistance. This is so beautifully written, you’ll feel like you’re right with the characters every step of the way. The characters are complex + well developed — it’s difficult not to fall in love/get attached to them (and the animals!), and the description of the village and the nature she spends her time in is captivating.
• The Dollmaker – I don’t usually read horror, but this was historical fiction/romance/horror set in the 1920’s. The female main character is working on becoming a doctor, so I was intrigued! Dawn is determined to break through societal expectations + become a doctor. However, when her best friend is kidnapped by a serial killer, she is swept into the investigation. It doesn’t get super gory/graphic, but would recommend for the squeamish to avoid.

See past ultimate coffee dates here!

(Link-up with Coco @ Running with Perseverance & Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner!)

End-of-Month Recap

• Any goals for the year (or next couple years)? Check out my 101 in 1001!
• Ever wanted to learn how to make any of the foods at the Disney parks? Check out this cookbook!
• Pretty trails galore in Death Valley National Park! Mosaic Canyon is one of the other hikes we did! :]