For Whom The Bread Rolls is the second book in the Pancake House Mystery series by Sarah Fox. This book stands on its own, but I had read the first book in the series last year. Marley is back at The Flip Side, a pancake house she inherited in her former hometown. When the woman harassing her is murdered, Marley becomes a person of interest and works to clear her name. I enjoyed this book but did not love it. I was annoyed at the amount of time spent on Marley's love life. I read cozy mysteries because I like mysteries not romance. I am not giving up on the series. However, I would like to see the mystery have a more prominent role in the next book.
Alison Cayne's The Haven's Kitchen Cooking School is a wonderful resource for beginning cooks. It is divided into nine focused sections from soups to sauces to desserts. The book includes teaching recipes that cover cooking basics and then builds on those. I tried the recipe for Crispy Sauteed Mushrooms and found the cooking times to be spot on which is important for any recipe book. While more established cooks might not find much new information, a new cook need look no further to gain confidence in the kitchen.
Purr M for Murder by TC LoTempio is the first book in the Cat Rescue Mystery series. Sydney returns to her hometown to help her sister Kat with the local animal shelter, Friendly Paws. Things are off to a bad start when Sydney's pop up cat cafe plan meets an adversary, Trowbridge Littleton. When Trowbridge is murdered, Kat is the top suspect. Sydney begins her own investigation to clear Kat's name and save the shelter. I loved the setting and the characters. This series has great potential for growth. I am already looking forward to the next book.
disclosure: I received these e-books from NetGalley but was not otherwise compensated for these reviews. All opinions are my own!
Saturday, April 8, 2017
Thursday, April 6, 2017
52 New Recipes: Week 14 ~ King Arthur Flour April Bakealong
My planned new recipe fell through when we ate leftovers a couple of nights. I kept pushing other planned meals further down until the new one was off the menu. I got an email for the April Bakealong with King Arthur Flour - Chocolate Babka. I had pinned several recipes for chocolate babka. Those recipes tended to be very involved and used expensive chocolate. I had everything on hand to make King Arthur Flour's version.
I did halve the recipe and used the bread machine to make things even easier. I mixed the filling and topping right by the recipe. I think this is the first recipe in a long time that I followed exactly. While I do need to work on my twisting/shaping, I thought it turned out well considering I was finishing up dinner at the same time as the babka.
My picture is not great as it was late when we actually cut the bread. It was delicious - sweet but not overly sweet. I really loved how easy it was once I tasted it. This will go into my recipe book. Now I want to go back and do the other bakealong challenges.
I did halve the recipe and used the bread machine to make things even easier. I mixed the filling and topping right by the recipe. I think this is the first recipe in a long time that I followed exactly. While I do need to work on my twisting/shaping, I thought it turned out well considering I was finishing up dinner at the same time as the babka.
My picture is not great as it was late when we actually cut the bread. It was delicious - sweet but not overly sweet. I really loved how easy it was once I tasted it. This will go into my recipe book. Now I want to go back and do the other bakealong challenges.
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
In the Garden
I was so busy in the garden last week that I never got around to taking pictures to share. I have all of the raised beds weeded. The newest bed is filled, and the chickens have done an excellent job of mixing all of the dirt/manure for me.
We had a nice shower of rain earlier in the week. I have no idea what it is about rain water, but plants simply grow better after a good rain. First up the catnip. It is beginning to fill the cage. The cats have already been visiting.
We had a nice shower of rain earlier in the week. I have no idea what it is about rain water, but plants simply grow better after a good rain. First up the catnip. It is beginning to fill the cage. The cats have already been visiting.
The eggplants have really grown. I have one that sprouted back out from last year and one my aunt gave me.
One section of my herb garden - sages, oregano, garlic chives, and thyme.
The bee balm has grown like crazy over the past two weeks.
Pepper plants - I got a bit carried away with different varieties. I have red, yellow, and green bell, jalapeno, banana, cubanelle, fish, and lunchbox. I still need to get poblano pepper plants.
I planted tomato plants in with the kale. They are nearly the same size now, but the tomato plants will soon outgrow the kale.
The cucumber seeds I planted last week have sprouted. I love to see the little seedlings pop up out of the ground.
How are things growing in your garden?
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Hosting an Easter Egg Hunt
For several years I have co-hosted the community/church egg hunt in my neighborhood. Over the years I have narrowed down what works best for us. Maybe some of these tips can help you.
Our egg hunt is open to children aged baby through 12 years old. Living in a very small town allows me to know who most likely will come. If you are hosting a neighborhood hunt, you most likely will also know the families that will attend. It helps to have an idea the number and ages of children who will attend. I add a couple of children to each age group to be on the safe side. I plan a dozen eggs for each child.
For our egg hunt we provide all of the plastic eggs and treats inside. Children only need to bring their baskets. I have a family member who has kept us stocked in plastic eggs bought on clearance after Easter. Fortunately we have room store store all of these eggs. Alternately you can ask people to donate empty or filled plastic eggs in the weeks prior to the egg hunt.
Having the eggs ahead of time allows us to hide the eggs before the egg hunt. A bonus of doing it this way is that we do not need to provide entertainment/games for the children while someone hides all of the eggs.
What I put inside the eggs varies a bit from year to year depending on what I have found. For the youngest age group I normally put Saf-T-Pops or small packs of gummy bears. Stickers are another nice item for the toddler group. The middle age group gets candy and stickers. The older age group primarily gets candy. I normally buy a bulk package of candy from the regular candy aisle. I have found the prices to be better.
We serve a light lunch. Most often this is grilled hot dogs, individual bags of chips, and mini cupcakes. This gives the children a chance to open their eggs and play. The parents have a chance to visit. Most years we provide treat bags. I try to find things on clearance. Some popular items are small coloring/activity books, small bottles of bubbles, and either candy or cookies.
Have you every hosted an Easter egg hunt? I would love to hear your tips for making it a success!
Our egg hunt is open to children aged baby through 12 years old. Living in a very small town allows me to know who most likely will come. If you are hosting a neighborhood hunt, you most likely will also know the families that will attend. It helps to have an idea the number and ages of children who will attend. I add a couple of children to each age group to be on the safe side. I plan a dozen eggs for each child.
For our egg hunt we provide all of the plastic eggs and treats inside. Children only need to bring their baskets. I have a family member who has kept us stocked in plastic eggs bought on clearance after Easter. Fortunately we have room store store all of these eggs. Alternately you can ask people to donate empty or filled plastic eggs in the weeks prior to the egg hunt.
Having the eggs ahead of time allows us to hide the eggs before the egg hunt. A bonus of doing it this way is that we do not need to provide entertainment/games for the children while someone hides all of the eggs.
What I put inside the eggs varies a bit from year to year depending on what I have found. For the youngest age group I normally put Saf-T-Pops or small packs of gummy bears. Stickers are another nice item for the toddler group. The middle age group gets candy and stickers. The older age group primarily gets candy. I normally buy a bulk package of candy from the regular candy aisle. I have found the prices to be better.
We serve a light lunch. Most often this is grilled hot dogs, individual bags of chips, and mini cupcakes. This gives the children a chance to open their eggs and play. The parents have a chance to visit. Most years we provide treat bags. I try to find things on clearance. Some popular items are small coloring/activity books, small bottles of bubbles, and either candy or cookies.
Have you every hosted an Easter egg hunt? I would love to hear your tips for making it a success!
Monday, April 3, 2017
2017 Goals Week 14
1. Completely Finish the New House & Update Property
I am excited that we are getting some of the small things done. This past week we braced up the aquarium cabinet. The 80 gallon aquarium had sagged a bit due to the weight of the extra thick glass, water and gravel. I was very, very nervous about this. I kept imagining the aquarium cracking and water going everywhere. Our aquarium is partially inside the wall which would have resulted in major damage. All went well though. The aquarium is no longer leaning, and the cabinet has extra bracing.
W also finished the cover for the water manifold. We needed something that provided easy access and did not want just a door. This frame was at W's parents old house. I cleaned it up and painted it. He used some scrap wood which he painted with chalkboard paint to go inside it. It turned out great and only cost $10 (paint).
This week our plans are to work on the entertainment cabinet doors and possibly the doors for the aquarium cabinet which is actually a large built in.
2. Plan Ahead for Birthday & Holiday Gifts
I have chosen a few items for the wedding shower. I think I will crochet some dish cloths with cotton yarn I already have as an add in.
3. Use the Garden to Be More Self-Sufficient
All of the raised beds are weeded. I have a good bit of garden pea seeds saved for next year's planting. The forecast was warm enough that I planted the seedlings I had in the greenhouse and the pepper plants I bought. More on the garden in Wednesday's garden post.
4. Take One Class a Month
I am still on the French bread class. I am baking more loaves today and will have one lesson left for next week.
5. Pack Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes on a Budget
Nothing going on with this goal until after Easter. I am continuing to work on the wash cloths though.
6. Boost Savings
This goal was hit or miss for the past week. I did not buy unnecessary items but we did do some spending. I needed stuff for an Easter egg hunt. I will share that tomorrow. I had to have a battery for my car. Life happens sometimes. I made a menu plan for April. I tried to focus on using items we have on hand to keep my grocery spending low.
I am excited that we are getting some of the small things done. This past week we braced up the aquarium cabinet. The 80 gallon aquarium had sagged a bit due to the weight of the extra thick glass, water and gravel. I was very, very nervous about this. I kept imagining the aquarium cracking and water going everywhere. Our aquarium is partially inside the wall which would have resulted in major damage. All went well though. The aquarium is no longer leaning, and the cabinet has extra bracing.
W also finished the cover for the water manifold. We needed something that provided easy access and did not want just a door. This frame was at W's parents old house. I cleaned it up and painted it. He used some scrap wood which he painted with chalkboard paint to go inside it. It turned out great and only cost $10 (paint).
This week our plans are to work on the entertainment cabinet doors and possibly the doors for the aquarium cabinet which is actually a large built in.
2. Plan Ahead for Birthday & Holiday Gifts
I have chosen a few items for the wedding shower. I think I will crochet some dish cloths with cotton yarn I already have as an add in.
3. Use the Garden to Be More Self-Sufficient
All of the raised beds are weeded. I have a good bit of garden pea seeds saved for next year's planting. The forecast was warm enough that I planted the seedlings I had in the greenhouse and the pepper plants I bought. More on the garden in Wednesday's garden post.
4. Take One Class a Month
I am still on the French bread class. I am baking more loaves today and will have one lesson left for next week.
5. Pack Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes on a Budget
Nothing going on with this goal until after Easter. I am continuing to work on the wash cloths though.
6. Boost Savings
This goal was hit or miss for the past week. I did not buy unnecessary items but we did do some spending. I needed stuff for an Easter egg hunt. I will share that tomorrow. I had to have a battery for my car. Life happens sometimes. I made a menu plan for April. I tried to focus on using items we have on hand to keep my grocery spending low.
Sunday, April 2, 2017
Weekend Book Review: The Acid Watcher Diet
The Acid Watcher Diet by Dr. Jonathan Aviv interested me primarily because my husband deals with acid reflux. As I was reading the opening chapters, I was surprised that many other symptoms my husband has are tied to the reflux. Dr. Aviv does an excellent job of explaining what reflux is and how an individual's diet affects it.
He starts the diet portion by giving a list of habits for reducing acid. Many are general habits that anyone trying to improve his/her health should do. His advice ties into the popular belief that processed foods are one thing to be avoided.
Next comes the 28 day healing diet. While I can see that it would benefit someone with acid reflux, I do not think my husband has reached the point that he would want to follow the diet. It is quite restrictive. Dr Aviv has obviously never been to the middle of nowhere (AKA my hometown) as readers are encouraged to go to the local juice bar for freshly made juices.
Overall this is a good book with excellent information. My husband may never be completely on board, but the book does give lists of foods which are better than others for acid reflux sufferers. I think anyone dealing with reflux would find something useful in The Acid Watcher Diet.
disclosure: I received this book from Blogging for Books but was not otherwise compensated for this review. All opinions are my own!
He starts the diet portion by giving a list of habits for reducing acid. Many are general habits that anyone trying to improve his/her health should do. His advice ties into the popular belief that processed foods are one thing to be avoided.
Next comes the 28 day healing diet. While I can see that it would benefit someone with acid reflux, I do not think my husband has reached the point that he would want to follow the diet. It is quite restrictive. Dr Aviv has obviously never been to the middle of nowhere (AKA my hometown) as readers are encouraged to go to the local juice bar for freshly made juices.
Overall this is a good book with excellent information. My husband may never be completely on board, but the book does give lists of foods which are better than others for acid reflux sufferers. I think anyone dealing with reflux would find something useful in The Acid Watcher Diet.
disclosure: I received this book from Blogging for Books but was not otherwise compensated for this review. All opinions are my own!
Saturday, April 1, 2017
Weekend Book Reviews
The Backyard Gardener by Kelly Orzel is a wonderful guide to gardening. The six chapters cover everything from soil to a monthly gardening calendar. Many plants from flowers to vegetables are covered with thorough information. I especially appreciate Ms. Orzel's guide to succession planting and companion planting advice. While very helpful for beginners, this book will also appeal to longtime gardener's too. The beautiful photographs added to my enjoyment of the book. It will be a book that I refer to for many years to come.
Hoedown Showdown by Misty Simon is part of the Ivy Morris Mysteries series. Ivy's children are visiting their grandparents for the week, and she has plans to enjoy her child-free time. Those plans come to a halt when she discovers a dead body in a neighbor's shed and a new overbearing police officer comes to town. This book could have been great. The mystery was interesting. My problem was that the main character spent way too much time talking about her sex life. Nothing graphic was mentioned, but the topic got old fast. I thought I was reading a mystery, but for most of the book I had serious doubts. I did make it to the end of the book, but this will be the only one I will read in the series.
Vicky Delaney's Elementary, She Read is the first book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series. Gemma is an Englishwoman living in Cape Cod and running her uncle's Sherlock Holmes themed bookshop. Her friend, Jayne, runs an adjoining tea shop. Gemma's super observation skills get her in trouble when she discovers two bodies. I adored everything about this new series. The characters are charming, and the setting is almost perfect. Readers do not need to be Sherlock Holmes fans to enjoy this book. I look forward to reading more in this series!
disclosure: I received these e-books from NetGalley but was not otherwise compensated for these reviews. All opinions are my own!
Hoedown Showdown by Misty Simon is part of the Ivy Morris Mysteries series. Ivy's children are visiting their grandparents for the week, and she has plans to enjoy her child-free time. Those plans come to a halt when she discovers a dead body in a neighbor's shed and a new overbearing police officer comes to town. This book could have been great. The mystery was interesting. My problem was that the main character spent way too much time talking about her sex life. Nothing graphic was mentioned, but the topic got old fast. I thought I was reading a mystery, but for most of the book I had serious doubts. I did make it to the end of the book, but this will be the only one I will read in the series.
Vicky Delaney's Elementary, She Read is the first book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series. Gemma is an Englishwoman living in Cape Cod and running her uncle's Sherlock Holmes themed bookshop. Her friend, Jayne, runs an adjoining tea shop. Gemma's super observation skills get her in trouble when she discovers two bodies. I adored everything about this new series. The characters are charming, and the setting is almost perfect. Readers do not need to be Sherlock Holmes fans to enjoy this book. I look forward to reading more in this series!
disclosure: I received these e-books from NetGalley but was not otherwise compensated for these reviews. All opinions are my own!
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