The Hungry Bookworm

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Kids Edition: Sometimes I Like to Curl Up in a Ball + "Dirt" Pudding Cups

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We received Sometimes I Like to Curl Up Into a Ball second-hand. I didn’t realize it’s part of a Little Wombat series and is quite popular! Either way, it is quickly becoming popular in our house. Henry will often grab it and bring it over to have it read to him, and with the fun story and cute pictures, we are more than happy to oblige. 

Sometimes I Like to Curl Up in a Ball by Vicki Churchill and Charles Fuge
Available on Bookshop.org and Amazon

In it, a wombat takes children through his day, where he plays with his friends — all sorts of animals including a koala, turtle and rabbit. He likes to make funny faces, jump as high as he can, play in the mud, and of course, sometimes, he likes to curl up in a ball. 

I drew inspiration from the page where the little wombat plays in the mud with his friends:

“Sometimes I like to get in a real mess, 
with mud on my feet and my hands and my chest.” 

In the illustration, he is sitting in the middle of a garden with his friends a rabbit, frog and a worm. He is completely covered in mud and smiling. 

It reminded me of a dessert I made once as a kid — we called it a dirt cup. It was actually pudding with crushed Oreos on top and some gummy worms too. 

I found a recipe that required no cooking or hot ingredients, so Henry could help me make it.

First, I made the pudding, which I did by whisking 2 cups of cold milk into a packet of instant pudding and allowing it to thicken for 5 minutes. Then, I combined it with the thawed Cool Whip. (This is where I let Henry help, though I gave him his own small bowl and spatula.)

He also, of course, wanted to help me mix the big bowl of pudding.

Once the pudding and Cool Whip were mixed, I scooped it into clear cups.

Pudding Cups

I topped it with crushed Oreos, which I crushed by breaking them up in a large Ziploc bag. (This could be a great activity for older kids, or more interested toddlers — I tried to have Henry help but he wasn’t very into it.) 

"Dirt" Pudding Cups

Then, I added a couple of gummy worms to make it look like the messy scene in the book.

"Dirt" Pudding Cups with Worms

Not only was this an easy-to-make snack, it was delicious too. A perfect pairing for this charming children’s story.

Dirt Pudding Cups inspired by Sometimes I Like to Curl Up in a Ball
"Dirt" Pudding Cups with Worms
Print Recipe

"Dirt" Pudding Dessert Cups

Prep Time10 mins
Total Time10 mins
Course: Dessert, Snack

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cold milk
  • 1 3.9-ounce package instant chocolate pudding, 4 serving size
  • 8 ounces frozen whipped topping such as Cool Whip, thawed
  • 1 1/2 cups crushed sandwich cookies such as Oreos, about 16, divided
  • Gummy worms

Instructions

  • Whisk together the milk and instant pudding for 2 minutes, until pudding is completely dissolved. Let stand 5 minutes to thicken.
  • Stir in frozen whipped topping and 1/2 cup of the crushed cookies.
  • Spoon into individual (clear, if possible) cups.
  • Sprinkle remaining crushed cookies over the pudding mixture. Top each cup with 2 gummy worms. Chill for at least 60 minutes or until ready to serve.

Notes

From: The Spruce Eats

The Midnight Library + Broccoli and Ricotta Toast

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Like so many hyped books before it, The Midnight Library excited me and gave me pause. I was immediately drawn to it from the description — a story about multiple lives lived and making right on past regrets — but the over-enthusiasm I saw everywhere pushed me away. I was, of course, afraid it wouldn’t live up to the hype. Ultimately, though, I knew I would regret not picking it up, and so I did. It was amazing.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Available on Bookshop.org and Amazon

Matt Haig created a novel about a library in which every book contains another life Nora Seed could’ve lived. She is free to explore as many lives as she chooses, until she finds one that suits her, where she’s fulfilled, and then she will stay. In one life, Nora is famous; in another, a scientist; and in another, she just eats toast. In some lives, she is married or single, a mother or not. Family and friends who have died are now alive, and sometimes those who were living have passed on. When picking a regret to correct, Nora never quite knows what will happen in the new story of her life — she must open the book and live it. 

I loved the concept. I loved the execution. Of course, I also loved that inside every book was a different life to live. And that Nora had a wonderful librarian to guide her in her journey. I was absolutely riveted and finished the entire novel within 24 hours. It made me think and feel… lots and lots of emotions. 

“Librarians have knowledge. They guide you to the right books. The right worlds. They find the best places. Like soul-enhanced search engines.” 

The Midnight Library, Matt Haig

The life where Nora eats toast is literally one line in the novel — "In one life she only ate toast." — but it stood out to me in a story where food wasn’t paid much attention. 

The other exception being a life in which Nora has a husband who "tended to put a whole bulb of garlic in every meal he created." (Sounds like an excellent husband to me!) In that same life, she enjoys "a great garlicky pasta-and-broccoli meal." Together, these things brought me to my recipe: Broccoli and Garlic-Ricotta Toasts.

If you love roasted garlic and roasted broccoli and snackables, you will love this recipe. I couldn’t get enough and was really sad when they were gone. Thankfully, making them was easy; I fully plan to make them again.

First, I toasted the baguette slices and roasted the broccoli and garlic. I sliced the baguette into thin (half inch) cuts on the bias and made sure the broccoli was cut into smallish florets so they would fit on the toasts later. 

Broccoli and garlic for roasting

Once the bread was golden, I took it out of the oven and let the broccoli continue roasting.

Toasted baguette slices

When the broccoli and garlic were done — a little brown on the edges — I pulled the pan out and let it cool enough to handle the garlic. While it cooled, I quickly mixed together the drizzle, which was just honey, white wine vinegar and red pepper flakes. Then, when it was cool enough, I squished the garlic out of the peel and into a bowl. 

Roasted garlic and hot-honey sauce

I mixed the garlic with ricotta cheese to make the spread for the toast.

Roasted garlic and ricotta spread

Then, I assembled the toasts. I spread each piece generously with the garlic-ricotta mixture, placed 2-3 pieces of broccoli on each, and then arranged them on a tray, drizzling them with the hot honey sauce before serving.

Broccoli and ricotta toasts

I know if I ever lived a life where all I ate was toast, this would be the one I want. I could eat this forever and ever. 

Broccoli toasts inspired by The Midnight Library
Broccoli and ricotta toasts
Print Recipe

Broccoli and Ricotta Toasts

Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Total Time40 mins
Course: Appetizer
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 1 baguette sliced ½" thick on a diagonal (about 12 slices)
  • 6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil divided
  • 1 head of broccoli florets chopped into ½" pieces
  • 1 head of garlic cloves separated
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 Tbsp. honey
  • 1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
  • ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1½ cups fresh ricotta
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 400°. Arrange bread slices in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with 2 Tbsp. oil. Toss on baking sheet to coat, then arrange again in a single layer. Place broccoli and garlic on another rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with remaining 4 Tbsp. oil. Season generously with salt and toss to combine.
  • Place broccoli on top rack and bread on bottom rack and roast until bread is golden brown and crisp, 10–12 minutes. Remove bread from oven and continue to roast broccoli and garlic, tossing once, until broccoli is browned all over and garlic is tender, another 15–20 minutes. Let cool slightly.
  • Meanwhile, whisk honey, vinegar, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.
  • As soon as garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze cloves out of their skins and mash in another small bowl to form a paste. Add ricotta and mix well; season with salt and black pepper.
  • Spread ricotta over toasts and top with roasted broccoli. Arrange on a platter and drizzle with honey mixture.

Notes

From: Bon Appetit

This post contains affiliate links. This does not increase the price you pay, but I may receive a small commission for any products you choose to buy. Purchases made through affiliate links help to cover my blogging costs. Thank you for helping to support The Hungry Bookworm! Full disclosure here.

Mango and Peppercorns + Vietnamese Macaroni and Cheese

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Mango and Peppercorns is a memoir told collaboratively from three perspectives — that of Tung Ngyuen, a Vietnamese immigrant; of Kathy Manning, an American who sponsored Tung; and Lyn, Tung’s daughter, born in Miami, where Tung and Kathy lived. It is a memoir not only of the immigrant experience (from both sides) but of food and family as well. Together, Tung and Kathy opened a successful, award-winning restaurant.

Mango and Peppercorns
Available on Bookshop.org and Amazon

This memoir is a great reminder of the opportunities that American can provide and the successes immigrants can realize when given the right support. The alternating points of view made the story whole and demonstrated that all relationships — even those that are long-lasting and loving — have their conflicts. 

Throughout the book, recipes were included. The one I chose to include may seem like an odd choice, but I loved that it embodied the combination of Vietnamese heritage and American culture shared throughout the book. This macaroni and cheese is one that Tung made for Lyn, who as a younger girl preferred American food over her mother’s traditional Vietnamese cooking — yes, the cooking that made Tung an acclaimed chef. But, as Lyn realizes in retrospect, sometimes children don’t always appreciate what’s in front of them until it’s no longer there. 

Anyway, Tung tried to bring some Vietnamese flavors to a very traditional American dish, primarily by adding fish sauce and Accent flavoring. I didn’t end up including Accent flavoring because my local supermarket didn’t have any and I didn’t have time to run to the Asian market, so that may have affected my experience with the recipe. 

It was really easy to make: start by boiling macaroni. Meanwhile, in a skillet, melt some butter, brown onions and garlic and add ground beef, cooking until browned. To that, add fish sauce and salt (and Accent flavoring). 

Ground Beef

Once the macaroni is finished, drain and rinse in cold water. Add the ground beef mixture and stir to mix. Pour it into a 9x13 pan — I found deep dish was best — and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Cover in foil and bake until the cheese is melted.

Vietnamese macaroni and cheese

I really loved the idea of this macaroni more than the finished product. I didn’t think the fish sauce was enough to bring out that flavor. I also didn’t like how the cheese was just melted on the top and not incorporated throughout. (I prefer a creamy macaroni and cheese myself.) To me, the dish honestly tasted like ground beef with noodles and some cheese. 

That said, I’m sure the Accent flavoring would’ve made a huge difference! I may experiment again with more fish sauce and creating more of a cheese sauce than just sprinkling it on top before baking.

I sort of wish I had chosen one of the many many more traditional Vietnamese recipes Tung serves at the restaurant, but honestly, a lot of them had ingredients that are hard to find here. They all sounded absolutely mouth-watering though! 

Vietnamese macaroni and cheese inspired by Mango and Peppercorns
Vietnamese macaroni and cheese
Print Recipe

Vietnamese Macaroni and Cheese

Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Total Time35 mins
Course: Main Course

Ingredients

  • 1 lb elbow macaroni or 3 cups
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter
  • 6 medium garlic cloves minced
  • ½ medium sweet onion chopped
  • 2 lbs ground beef
  • 2 tsp fish sauce
  • ½ tsp Accent Flavor Enhancer optional
  • ¼ tsp kosher salt
  • 4 cups shredded Colby-Jack cheese

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350-degrees F, with rack in the middle position.
  • Meanwhile, cook the macaroni according to the package directions. Rinse with cold water and set aside.
  • In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat, add the onions and garlic, stirring occasionally until lightly browned. Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon or spatula.
  • Lower the heat to low, stir in the fish sauce, Accent (if using), salt and cook for about 2 minutes. Raise the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally to incorporate the juices, until the beef is cooked through, about 5 minutes more.
  • Off the heat, stir in the reserved cooked macaroni, then transfer the mixture to a 9x13 pan. Scatter the cheese evenly across the top. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil, leaving some space between the top of the macaroni and the foil. Bake until the cheese is melted, 10-15 minutes.

Notes

From: Tung Nguyen in Mango and Peppercorns
If you had a deep 9x13 baking dish that would work best. When I used a regular one, it was too full to cover without the foil touching the cheese on top. The original recipe said to bake for 5-10 minutes but my cheese took closer to 15 minutes to melt, so I added additional time here.
Also, the original recipe called for 1¾ lbs of beef, but I used 2 lbs because that was what I had on-hand and didn’t want to save/waste ¼ lb of beef.

*I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This post contains affiliate links. This does not increase the price you pay, but I may receive a small commission for any products you choose to buy. Purchases made through affiliate links help to cover my blogging costs. Thank you for helping to support The Hungry Bookworm! Full disclosure here.

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies + Peach Cobbler

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It’s well-documented over my years blogging here that short stories aren’t for me… usually. In fact, I can count on one hand the number of short story collections I’ve truly enjoyed. That being said, Deesha Philyaw’s The Secret Lives of Church Ladies is one such collection. And I didn’t just like it — I loved it. It was my first 5-star read of the year and my first 5-star short story collection ever. 

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw
Available on Bookshop.org and Amazon

It’s a slim volume, so I expected to get through it quickly but it ended up going even faster than I thought — I finished it the same day I started. I couldn’t put it down, which is unusual for me with a short story collection since it has several natural "take a break" points. The stories in Church Ladies focus on Black women and their varied relationships. They are told with insight and nuance, each word chosen with precision. Each story quickly drew me in, kept me engaged and then ended without leaving me wanting. 

The best part of this collection is that there was a clear food tie-in, which meant I got to write a review-recipe pairing for it! That food? Peach cobbler. There is, in fact, a story titled for the dessert in which it plays a feature role, and it’s mentioned in at least one other story too. It was possibly my favorite story, though I loved so many of them, it’s hard to pick a true favorite. 

Anyway, "Peach Cobbler" starts as such: 

My mother’s peach cobbler was so good it made God himself cheat on his wife. 

The main character watches her mother making the cobbler covertly, longing "to perfect the sweetness and textures" of her mother’s recipe. She also describes eating it:

I grabbed a handful of the cobbler and shoved it all in my mouth at once. The sugary juice dribbled over the corner of my mouth down to my chin as I chewed. I savored the peaches and the soft bits of crust soaked through with the syrup. 

Now, if that doesn’t make you want to gobble down your own peach cobbler, I don’t know what will. But I absolutely had to have some. I googled around to see if Philyaw herself shared a recipe somewhere, since she wrote about the "best cobbler in the world" with some authority, but I couldn’t find one. So, I settled for a Southern peach cobbler recipe that the creator says she spent an entire summer perfecting. 

I can’t help but agree that it is very delicious, even though I had to use canned peaches because fresh aren’t in season right now. (In the story, the mother uses fresh, except when not in season and is described as taking great care to drain the canned peaches, so I felt okay doing the same. But I can’t wait to try making it with fresh fruit this summer!)

As I mentioned before, I started with canned peaches. I used 5 cans, or what ended up being just over 6 cups. I drained 3 of the cans and used the juice from the other two, as the recipe creator recommended using about half the juice when using canned peaches. I cut them into bite-size chunks, except when the slices were already small or thin.

I tossed them with lemon juice, white and brown sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg and cornstarch. Then, I poured them into a 9x13 glass baking dish. 

Peaches for cobbler

I baked the peaches for 10 minutes in a 425-degree oven. Meanwhile, I made the topping. 

I grated cold butter using my food processor.

Grated Butter

Then I combined the dry ingredients — flour, white and brown sugars again, salt and baking powder. To them, I added the grated butter and then a half cup of boiling water, stirring it all together until just combined. 

Crust topping for cobbler

I used a small spoon to drop the crust in dollops onto the peaches. 

Crust on unbaked cobbler

I sprinkled the whole thing with cinnamon sugar and then slipped the dish back into the oven to bake for just under a half hour, until the crust was baked through and golden. 

Peach Cobbler

It was a mouthwatering pairing for The Secret Lives of Church Ladies — one that I will absolutely be making again.

Peach Cobbler inspired by The Secret Lives of Church Ladies
Peach Cobbler Piece
Print Recipe

Peach Cobbler

Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time40 mins
Total Time1 hr
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Southern
Servings: 8

Ingredients

Peach Filling

  • 8 medium-size fresh peaches* (about 9-10 cups) sliced into thin wedges or bite size chunks
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 2 teaspoons arrowroot or cornstarch

Crust Topping

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 12 tablespoons butter chilled and grated
  • 1/2 cup boiling water

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

  • 1/3 cup white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425°F. Place a large baking sheet covered in foil on the lowest rack in the oven, as the cobbler may overflow. The baking pan will catch the drips and prevent a mess in the oven.
  • In a large bowl, combine the peaches and the lemon juice and then add the rest of the filling ingredients. Stir to coat and then pour into a 9x13 baking dish.
  • Bake the peach mixture in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. While the peaches are baking, combine the dry topping ingredients and whisk to combine. Toss the grated butter in the flour mixture. Stir in the boiling water, just until combined, leaving plenty of little lumps of butter.
  • Remove the peaches from the oven and drop the topping over them in spoonfuls. Sprinkle the cobbler topping with the cinnamon sugar topping. Bake until the crust is golden and a toothpick inserted into the crust comes out clean, about 28 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Notes

From: Barefeet in the Kitchen
*If using canned peaches, use about 5 cans, or 6-7 cups. Drain about half of the juice (or 3 out of 5 cans worth). 
Use a cheese grater or grating attachment in a food processor to cut the butter in quickly.

This post contains affiliate links. This does not increase the price you pay, but I may receive a small commission for any products you choose to buy. Purchases made through affiliate links help to cover my blogging costs. Thank you for helping to support The Hungry Bookworm! Full disclosure here.

Kids Edition: Thank You and Good Night + Peanut Butter Cookies

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When Henry was still a very tiny baby, we fell in love with a book I’d never even heard of before — Thank You and Good Night by Patrick McDonnell. We insisted on starting a bedtime routine around 3 months old and settled on: bottle, pajamas, book, bed. Almost a year later, bedtime remains the same (except the bottle is replaced with teeth brushing). We also always read two books, and this is often one of them.

Available at Bookshop.org and Amazon

In this book, three friends have a sleepover. Jean the elephant and Alan Alexander the bear spend the night at their friend Clement the bunny’s house. They play and play and eat and play until they are exhausted enough to finally go to bed. 

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Oona Out of Order + Chai Lattes

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Even though I read Oona Out of Order almost a month ago, I’ve thought about it almost every day since. I love time travel novels, because not only are they usually very interesting but they also get me thinking. When I closed the book, I wasn’t ready to be done with Oona. I seeked out a podcast interview with the author Margarita Montimore. It also just so happens that last week Netflix announced that it would be adapting the novel into a series (so excited!). 

Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore
Available on Bookshop.org and Amazon

The concept of Oona Out of Order isn’t one I’ve encountered before — in it, the main character Oona experiences her adult life (you guessed it) out of order. Her birthday is on New Year’s Day, which is quite symbolic I’d say, new beginnings and all of that. Every year, at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve she abruptly leaves the current year and "wakes up" in a completely random one; it could be the future, it could be the past. The first time it happens, she turns 19 but is suddenly living in her 51-year-old body. She’s also leaped forward from 1982 to 2015. 

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