Sunday Book Reviews

Evil by the Sea by Kathleen Bridge is the fourth book in the By The Sea Mystery series.  Liz is all set to help her great aunt host the first event at the hotel - a wedding for a medium and a white warlock.  The bride is a good friend to Liz's great aunt.  The groom seems to be a controlling person that no one really likes.  When he dies at the rehearsal dinner, no one is certain if the groom or the bride was the intended victim.  As the bodies pile up, Liz realizes she may be too close to the truth for her own safety.  This is a great series as I love the setting and the quirky characters.  While this book can be read on its own, it is best read after the other books to get the full effect.

The third book in the Ditie Brown Mystery series by Sarah Osborne is Murder Most Southern.  Ditie's best friend, Lurleen, has talked her into taking part in a baking contest hosted by celebrity chef, Savannah.  Savannah's husband dies after growing ill at the welcome party and more mysterious events take place at the contest.  Ditie and Lurleen soon discover everyone involved has secrets making it hard to know who to trust.  I enjoy the southern setting in this book.  The slight "dig" about Atlanta not being the south earned a few extra points with me.  I enjoy this series, and this book is a nice addition.

A Deadly Inside Scoop by Abby Collette is the first book in the Ice Cream Parlor Mystery series.  Win has taken over her family's ice cream shop in Ohio and is ready for the grand reopening. Unfortunately it coincides with the first snowfall of the season which keeps customers away.  Too bad it did not keep the dead body out of her path.  The dead man tried to swindle her family years ago, and Win's dad is the police's number one suspect.  The book was a bit slow in places which is not unusual in the start of a series.  I loved the family aspect although Win's friends are a bit out there.  I do look forward to the next installment to see how the relationships develop.

disclosure:  I received these e-books through NetGalley but was not otherwise compensated for these reviews.  All opinions are my own!

Pantry Challenge Week 1

I am not sure that I made a dent in the freezer or pantry yet, but I spent $0 on groceries.

Breakfasts - W does not usually eat breakfast anymore.  I have been focused on eating up some things though. I had a mixture of things including sausage rolls (no biscuits) and some random packaged breakfast items in the pantry.

Lunches - I focused on using things from the freezer here.  We also ate plenty of vegetables from the garden.  The fresh vegetables are probably contributing to the fact the freezer did not go down as much.  One day our meal was boiled corn and tomatoes.  I took a few pictures, but they did not turn out well enough to share.

Dinners - We had been snacking at dinner, and it was mostly junk food.  This week I have been prepping a light dinner while I was making lunch.  It has varied from a hashbrown & ham bake to veggie summer rolls.  This has helped use up some items and gave us a better meal.  I also make pizza bites instead of buying packaged pizza rolls.

I call this first week a win.  I also set aside the money I might have spent on groceries.  This week is supposed to be cloudy/rainy so I am not sure pictures will work any better, but I will try. 

Sunday Book Reviews

Pulp Friction by Julie Anne Lindsey is the second book in the Cider Shop Mystery series.  Now that Winnie and her grandmother have the orchard back on its feet.  Winnie is hosting the first wedding event.  The only problem is that the groom is drinking heavily and gets into a scuffle with Winnie's ex Hank.  When the groom is found dead shortly after, Hank is the main suspect and is also on the run.  Winnie jumps into the investigation and soon becomes the target of the killer.  I love the setting and characters in this series.  The mystery was strong enough with plenty of misdirection to have me questioning myself.  The book ended with a cliff hanger guaranteed to make you want to read the next installment.

The second book in the Cookie House Mystery series by Eve Calder is Sugar and Vice.  Kate is loving her new life in Coral Cay.  She is getting ready for the town's pirate festival and has started a cookie of the day challenge at the bakery.  While helping her friend Maxi put in garden beds behind the flower shop next door, Kate's dog Oliver unearths a body.  At first it is believed to be the long dead pirate Gentleman George who founded the town.  It soon becomes apparent that the body is more recent. Kate begins her own investigation into both the unidentified body and the mystery of the pirate George.  I loved the setting of the book and wished I lived in Coral Cay.  Oliver was certainly the star.  The pirate mystery was just as interesting as the murder mystery.  I did wonder how Kate could give away so many cookies, but that is just the business side of me thinking.  I look forward to my next visit to Coral Cay!

Proof of Murder by Lauren Elliot is the fourth book in the Beyond the Page Mystery series.  Bookshop owner Addie heads to an estate auction hoping to finds some books for her shop.  Instead the following day she finds a dead body inside a locked room.  In addition some very valuable books are missing.  The mystery was good, but I had a few areas that bothered me personally.  First Addie abandons her own shop to constantly help out at the auction.  I could see a bit of time spent helping, but she practically gave up her own business.  Second her ex-boyfriend (almost fiance) returns to town with a new girlfriend.  This new girlfriend immediately decides Addie is guilty of everything.  If the ex had mentioned "following the evidence" one more time, I would have happily had him be the next murder victim.  Addie would have been better off hiring a lawyer to sue for harassment and go back to her bookshop.

disclosure:  I received these e-books through NetGalley but was not otherwise compensated for these reviews.  All opinions are my own!

Pantry/Freezer Challenge

I decided about a month ago I wanted to do some freeze meals toward the end of summer to make things easier as the fall and holiday seasons approach.  Life was so crazy during that time last year so I am planning ahead.

To make stocking the freezer easier, I need to do two things:

1.  I need to cut back on grocery spending so I have money to fill the freezer.

2.  I need to free up some space in the freezer.  A large portion of the room is currently taken up with cartons of milk and juice.

For the next 4-6 weeks I want to spend as little as possible on groceries while hopefully making room in the freezer for future meals. My plan is to update on Mondays.  Hopefully I can resist temptation to shop.

Weekend Book Reviews

Berried in the Past by Peg Cochran is the fifth book in the Cranberry Cove series.  Monica and Greg are enjoying a quiet night at home when a late night visitor arrives saying someone is trying to kill her.  That involves Monica in the woman's life including discovering her sister dead.  The suspect list in this was varied.  I waffled back and forth on the culprit being certain and doubting all at the same time.  I enjoy the setting of this series although I do question how many cranberry dishes two people can eat.  I have read previous books although this one can be read on its own.  I look forward to the next installment.

The eighth book in the Bookmobile Cat Mystery series by Laurie Cass is Gone with the Whisker.  It is the Fourth of July in Michigan.  Minnie and her cat, Eddie, are supposed to be enjoying a summer with Minnie's niece, Katrina.  Minnie is having a hard time relating to Katrina.  Things go from bad to worse when Katrina stumbles over a body at the town's fireworks.  Minnie is determined to find the killer and salvage Katrina's summer.  This book can be read as a standalone.  I enjoyed the setting and Eddie the cat.  Katrina's foul attitude put a bit of a damper on the book for me, but it is a nice summer themed read.

The Diva Spices It Up by Krista Davis is the thirteenth book in the Domestic Diva Mystery series.  Sophie is looking forward to a bit of a break in between jobs when a ghostwriting job falls into her lap via her ex-husband Mars.  Tilly is a former actress and current politician's wife whose former cookbook ghost writer Abby has dropped off the face of the Earth.  In addition to Abby's recipe notes, Sophie finds a mysterious code.  Sophie wonders if it has anything to do with Abby's disappearance.  Add in a second missing woman and a woman beaten nearly to death plus a mysterious stranger and Sophie has more on her plate than just delicious food.  The story is sprinkled throughout with domestic diva tips.  While this book had tons of stuff going on, it all worked well together.  It was one of those books that made me want to read "just one more chapter".

disclosure:  I received these e-books through NetGalley but was not otherwise compensated for these reviews.  All opinions are my own.

Sunday Book Reviews

Dead in the Doorway by Diane Kelly is the second book in the House Flipper Mystery series.  Whitney and her cousin have their first house to flip thanks to a great loan from her employers.  A dead body in the foyer threatens to ruin her house flipping dreams.  Whitney investigates and is not sue if the property neighbors are good people or murderers.  The mystery portion was strong, and I love the characters.  I look forward to reading more of Whitney's adventures.

The first book in the Finn Family Farm Mystery series by Elle Brook White is Dead on the Vine.  Charlotte has inherited her uncle's produce farm, and her only plan is to sell it.  Her quick sale plan goes off track when a dead body is found in the tomato patch.  Charlotte is now investigating a murder in addition to running the family farm.  The longer she stays the more attached she becomes.  When I first started this book, I thought I was going to hate it.  I was not sure that a character who thought a 1996 car was "classic" would ever be likable.  The more I read the more I liked Charlotte, her friends, and the farm fixtures.  By the end I found myself looking forward to the next book.

Shredding the Evidence by Daryl Wood Gerber is the ninth book in the Cookbook Nook Mystery series.  Jenna is excited about Food Bowl Week in Crystal Cove including the part that her bookstore will play.  The death of a local food reporter who seems to have set everyone she met on edge threatens to put a damper on the week.  It is even worse when her best friend's husband is the main suspect.  This was a good story with plenty of twists and turns along the way.  The series is great for food lovers.

disclosure:  I received these e-books through NetGalley but was not otherwise compensated for these reviews.  All opinions are my own!

June is Here

Where has this year gone?  I missed the holidays due to working, and I feel the same about the quarantine.  I finally have my head above water as far as work goes.  There are still plenty of orders on my list, but I do have time for a few other things too.

I spend a bit of time each day hanging out in the yard with the dogs and sometimes their friends. 

I pull a few weeds from the garden each day and often write a letter or read while we are outside.

I am keeping up with the housework a bit better and have managed to stay out of the grocery store except for a quick trip last week.  We have plenty of food on hand so I am making myself use it.  I am setting aside the extra money for stocking up later.  I want to do some freezer cooking in September to make life easier as the holidays approach.

I have been finishing up quite a few custom orders.  As those continue to get marked off my list I want to work on other items for the farmers market and hopefully a festival.  I have no idea what the fall/winter holds, but I am moving forward.  

Sadie has settled in nicely.  We took her to the vet last month.  They came out and got her while we waited outside.  It was hard since she is so scared of anyone new.  She did fine and was thrilled to see us when they brought her back outside.  She gets to go out in our fenced yard on her own now with plenty of "wellness checks".