The Terror by Dan Simmons

I'm only up to p. 280, but I'm enjoying the novel immensely. It's about the 1840s Franklin expedition to the Arctic and truly brings to life what it must have been like. Injected into this adventure is a major supernatural element as "something" is ambushing and slaughtering men from the two ships.

Last night I read an amazing scene that kept me on the edge of my seat as the icemaster is attacked and uses all his wiles and knowledge to try to escape a bloody death (the man who is an ice expert and advises the ship's captain as to where it can and cannot go during the loooong arctic winters).

If you have the book on your "to read" pile read it.

The first chicken soup of the season

Today I'm making my first chicken soup of this winter. What I do is buy a roast chicken at the supermarket and eat the wings and some white meat while it's fresh.

Then the next day or so I throw the rest of the chicken whole (skin, fat, bones) into a large pot, put in salt, water, parsnips, and potatoes and put it on a very low heat, checking it regularly. Sometimes I'll throw in a few bay leaves, but it really doesn't need it. Later, I'll thrown in some carrots (they cook the quickest). When it's been over the flame for a few hours (replenishing any water that boils off) it sits and cools down until I can hand the chicken and take it all the way off the bones (I'll eat the marrow of the larger bones as I work)--throw out the skin and any fat or cartilage I found and pack it up into plastic containers to freeze. It will usually last for a few meals.

And I can work while the pot cooks.