The following two recipe pages were updated this morning:
- Breakfast Recipes (Now includes a section dedicated solely to protein pancakes!)
- Desserts, Baked Goods & Sweet Treats
That’s just a lil’ peek. 
Happy cooking, baking and eating!
Lunch
Today’s lunch was inspired by Ryan’s breakfast.
Ryan and I will often eat similar if not the exact same breakfast, but sometimes we do our own thing. While I ate my bowl of chocolaty oats, Ryan enjoyed eggs and officially sparked a craving in me.
I knew my lunch would include scrambled eggs since 7 a.m.!
I made my eggs by combining three eggs, milk and shredded mozzarella cheese in a bowl before scrambling them on the stovetop and adding fresh spinach.
A lightly-buttered whole wheat bagel rounded out the meal.
Moving right along…
February Book Club
It’s that time again! It’s time to select the book of the month for the February Book Club!
The following books were taken from your recommendations on the PBF Facebook page. Please vote on the book you would most like to read below. On March 1, I’ll post my review of the book along with discussion questions for us to talk about in the comments section of the post.
Also, if you post a review of the selected book on your blog before March 1, please email me at [email protected] and let me know so I can be sure to include your review in the link up of book reviews that will be included in that post as well.
Let’s get voting!
- A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Born a generation apart and with very different ideas about love and family, Mariam and Laila are two women brought jarringly together by war, by loss and by fate. As they endure the ever escalating dangers around them-in their home as well as in the streets of Kabul-they come to form a bond that makes them both sisters and mother-daughter to each other, and that will ultimately alter the course not just of their own lives but of the next generation. With heart-wrenching power and suspense, Hosseini shows how a woman’s love for her family can move her to shocking and heroic acts of self-sacrifice, and that in the end it is love, or even the memory of love, that is often the key to survival.
A stunning accomplishment, A Thousand Splendid Suns is a haunting, heartbreaking, compelling story of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love.
- The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
A deeply evocative story of ambition and betrayal, The Paris Wife captures a remarkable period of time and a love affair between two unforgettable people: Ernest Hemingway and his wife Hadley.
Chicago, 1920: Hadley Richardson is a quiet twenty-eight-year-old who has all but given up on love and happiness—until she meets Ernest Hemingway and her life changes forever. Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for Paris, where they become the golden couple in a lively and volatile group—the fabled “Lost Generation”—that includes Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.
Though deeply in love, the Hemingways are ill prepared for the hard-drinking and fast-living life of Jazz Age Paris, which hardly values traditional notions of family and monogamy. Surrounded by beautiful women and competing egos, Ernest struggles to find the voice that will earn him a place in history, pouring all the richness and intensity of his life with Hadley and their circle of friends into the novel that will become The Sun Also Rises. Hadley, meanwhile, strives to hold on to her sense of self as the demands of life with Ernest grow costly and her roles as wife, friend, and muse become more challenging. Despite their extraordinary bond, they eventually find themselves facing the ultimate crisis of their marriage—a deception that will lead to the unraveling of everything they’ve fought so hard for.
- Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
In nineteenth-century China, in a remote Hunan county, a girl named Lily, at the tender age of seven, is paired with a laotong, “old same,” in an emotional match that will last a lifetime. The laotong, Snow Flower, introduces herself by sending Lily a silk fan on which she’s painted a poem in nu shu, a unique language that Chinese women created in order to communicate in secret, away from the influence of men. As the years pass, Lily and Snow Flower send messages on fans, compose stories on handkerchiefs, reaching out of isolation to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments. Together, they endure the agony of foot-binding, and reflect upon their arranged marriages, shared loneliness, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood. The two find solace, developing a bond that keeps their spirits alive. But when a misunderstanding arises, their deep friendship suddenly threatens to tear apart.
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A Thousand Splendid Suns is an AMAZING book. You should read it even if it doesn’t win for the book club!
i LOVED the kite runner, so i have a feeling i’d really like this book, too! i definitely want to read it.
Its even better than The Kite Runner – I promise!!
i agree. easily one of my favorite books. I read it in one night, I couldn’t get myself to close it.
Yes, I agree it’s better than The Kite Runner, in my opinion because it focuses on women. BUT, it’s also the most heart-wrenching and intense book I’ve ever read so don’t take it on lightly (aka don’t read while on a weekend getaway w/ your significant other like I did at the time) because it will completely take over your emotions!
Agreed! I loved it, but I remember being in absolute streams of tears reading it!
Danggg, these are all on my list so I don’t know which one to pick 🙂
These are some great choices. The Paris Wife sounds interesting to me! I can’t wait to see which one wins.
Hi I don’t usually comment but I had to put my two cents worth in. I have actually read all three of those books and I must say that A Thousand Splendid Suns was by far the best book I’ve ever read, and I have been a avid reader since I was old enough to read. Even if it doesn’t get voted for, may I suggest you read it anyway? You won’t be sorry.
i am definitely planning on it!! i really liked his first book, so i think it would be right up my alley.
A Thousand Splendid Suns is an awesome book! I read it after finishing the Kite Runner – since they are by the same author and about similar areas.
The Paris Wife reminds me a bit of a book I read about Frank Lloyd Wright and his mistress.
A Thousand Splendid Suns is INCREDIBLE! I hope everyone votes for it, so more people will read it! Its even better than the author’s more well-known book, The Kite Runner.
I am currently reading Princess by Jean Sasson which is a true story about princesses in Saudi Arabia. Whether you do it for PBF Book Club or personal reading, I strongly recommend it. This is definitely one of those ‘can’t put down’ books!
I read Snow flower and the Secret Fan about two years ago and it is one of the books I always suggest people read. I LOVED it. I am planning on reading A Thousand Splendid Suns soon anyway.
Even though I don’t necessarily participate, I love getting ideas for new books to read based on these posts. 🙂
on behalf of budget readers, i always apprciate books i can get in paperback (ideally real cheap used ones but that’s icing on the cake). so i’d vote for either 1 or 3 (read both but happy to revisit!)
A Thousand Splendid Suns is excellent! As other commenters said, it’s similar to The Kite Runner, but the novel’s protagonists are women which really made the story hit home. This book honestly changed my outlook on so many things, definitely read it!
A thousand splendid suns was awesome!
I just finished the Paris Wife and I absolutely loved it! It was such a great story so hopefully it will be this month’s pick! 🙂
A Thousand Splendid Suns is one of my all time favourites…love it!
I want to read ALL of them!!! 🙂 So I am excited for any of those.
Love eggs. Just can’t get enough of them!!
I’ve been wanting to read The Paris Wife for months!
I have never joined the book club before, but this time I want to get involved! 🙂 My vote is for the Paris Wife! I love reading so this is such a good way to hear about good books. I may need to check out the already read books from the book club for additional options 🙂
The Paris Wife was so, so wonderful. What made it even better (to me) was that I had just read The Sun Also Rises by Hemingway, so it put things into a different kind of context for me. While I haven’t read The Paris Wife without having ready The Sun Also Rises, I’d highly suggest it!
They all sound so good! Tough decision this time!
I’ve heard REALLY good things about the Paris Wife. And since we’re going to Paris in 3 months, I should probably read it regardless of the vote outcome.
I am very excited. I am hoping for the paris wife, and its looking good so far!
I don’t think I’ll be able to participate this month (I just started the Hunger Games!) but I really want to read the Paris Wife! I can’t wait to hear what you think about any of the above books though- they are all on my to-read list!
The Paris Wife is definitely one of my favorite “non-classic” books. BUT, I definitely think it helps to have read The Sun Also Rises (like Margaret suggested), and to have some background info about Ernest Hemingway. He’s one of my top three favorite authors, and I’ve read many books and articles about his past, so I was able to appreciate the details McLain chose to include (and those she left out). I would suggest at least reading the wiki page on Hemingway before reading the book. 🙂
I voted for the Paris Wife because I have to read it for another book club I’m doing! I’ve heard it’s supposed to be great!
Although I’ll admit that I likely won’t have time to read it, my pick is A Thousand Splendid Suns!! (And on a completely different note, the protein pancakes look AWESOME!)
All of the books look really great, I am excited to see what gets chosen. But I am even more excited to make several different types of protein pancakes 😉
Julie–do you use farm eggs? If no try to get some–huge difference. Surely someone around there has chickens:) We love eggs– farm fresh! E
i have read a thousand splendid suns before, and it is an excellent book.
Thanks for the section on protein pancakes! I have been eating the pumpkin pancakes a few times a week since finding them here! So yummy and the only thing that keeps me full for all the hours I’m in class.
Thousand Splendid Suns!
Also, naturally beelined for the desserts page. Chocolate Crinkle Cake Mix Cookies look deadly, in a good way 🙂
i like your style. 😉
A Thousand Splendid Suns is very good!!
Hey Julie! This is totally unrelated, but I just started a blog over at Myhealthyaddictions.wordpress.com. I was inspired by you to start a blog ( I posted a bit about it today) and just wanted to let you know!
how coo!! hope you love blogging! can’t wait to check it out.
Can’t wait to find out the next book selection. I like participating because you usually pick books that I don’t normally read, so I get to read something that I normally wouldn’t!
A Thousand Splendid Suns is INCREDIBLE! I loved Kite Runner but enjoyed this so much more. I have never been so sad for a book to be over… I wanted to immediately re-read it.
Julie- I am new to the blogging world. My twin sister and I look at your blog all the time! We were born amd raised in ocala! If you ever have any questions or need suggestions on things to do, let us know. We enjoying seeing sll the places you go to in Ocala and enjoy! We are always inspired by your workouts and new ideas. We just started a blog. If you have any words of advice for us, we would love to hear them.
how cool!! i’m still really enjoying exploring the area. we loved the dish on saturday! definitely a local favorite for us so far.
thousand splendid suns is one of my all time faves highly recommend.
I love that your book club book choices generally feature strong women.
Only voted for the Paris Wife because I’ve read the other two – but they are both amazing!
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and A Thousand Splendid Suns were both amazing books! 2 of my favorite! I’m gonna have to check out the other book 🙂
My oh my, those scrambled eggs look absolutely delectable!
Those eggs do look amazing!
Your breakfast recipes are my Sunday morning GO TO! Can’t wait to see the new recipes!
I have read A Thousand Splendid Suns and I think this is a book that every woman has to read because it makes us aware of how different lives for other women in the other part of the world. and also, the bond and love that grew between these 2 women is so beautiful yet so sad that i kept on crying when i was reading it. Trust me, you don’t wanna miss this book.
I’ve really been wanting to read both A Thousand Splendid Suns & The Paris Wife! 🙂
Your lunch plate reminds me of Yoshi from the Mario Brothers world. And yes, I am a 27 year old woman, not a 12 year old boy. Yikes 🙂
Julie, what is YOUR vote/pick for February book club? 😀
i’m happy to read any of them, but i voted for a thousand splendid suns! 🙂
I was so happy to see One Thousand Splendid Suns and Snow Flower in here for your book club. Both are on my favorites list! If you liked the Kite Runner, Thousand Splendid Suns is better! And as boring as the synopsis for Snow Flower is, i ended up love love loving the book! I suggest you read both, even if Paris Wife wins!
haha i did think the synopsis was a bit dull! 🙂 glad to hear it’s good!
I actually just started reading “The Paris Wife.” I absolutely love it–really hope it wins!
I hope The Paris Wife stays in the lead! Looking forward to participating again this month,