Surviorship and a Blue Apron Meal I made my own.

 

I like Lynn Cahoon's Kitchen Witch series. I also loved the idea of this series since it is supposed to be about a cancer survivor starting a book club for survivors of cancer. Being diagnosed with cancer, cancer treatments, and losing friendships and romantic relationships as a result of the cancer experience are talked about early and often in this book. That can be triggering for some people who are looking for a cozy mystery. 

I listened to the audio version of this book. I liked the narrator's voice but I didn't like when she changed her voice for the main character Rarity or the sidekick Sam. Overall I liked characters in the book. I wasn't sold on the killer, I thought I knew the motive, but I was off a bit. This is a book worth reading and I will pick up the second book in the series. I almost always like the second book in a series better than the first!

A couple of years ago, I got an order from Blue Apron and one of the meals was baked eggs and kimchi. It was so good! I make this dish often now, especially in the wintertime. It's good any time of day and it's delicious if you add gochujang sauce on top! 

Preheat oven to 430 degrees F.

Use cooking spray to coat a 9x9 baker or an oven-safe skillet

Then add these ingredients to the pan:

2 tbsps minced ginger ( I use the frozen ginger that is minced already.)

2 tbsps minced garlic (or more if you love garlic)

3 green onions chopped

1 cup of mushrooms chopped

6 oz of baby spinach

2 tbsp sesame seed oil

3/4 cup of kimchi

1 cup of rice 

2 cups of water.

Mix that all up and cover the pan or skillet with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes.

Take it out of the oven and mix everything up.

Then make 4 wells in the kimchi rice, crack an egg in each well. 

If you want--add rinsed sugar snap peas on top wherever you don't have an egg.

Put back in the oven for 5-8 minutes or until the eggs are set!

Then enjoy! If gochujang sauce is too spicy, try a little drizzled hoisin sauce on top. 

Thank you NetGalley for the Latest Lynn Cahoon's Kitchen Witch Series!

 

This is the fourth book in Lynn Cahoon's delightful Kitchen Witch Cozy Mystery series. I was happy to receive an ARC from Net Galley and dive back into Mia's world. I thought this was a pretty good mystery.  This series has a substantial amount of scenes showing the day-to-day life of Mia and her catering business.  If you don't like reading about the interworking of a small business person who is also a kitchen witch, this is not the series for you.  For me, the scenes of daily life focused on the preparation and sharing of food is cozy to read.  I also find comfort in the idea of magic all around us. 

In this book, Mia has become a go-to source for Magical Springs when a mystery needs to be solved, so it is no surprise when Mahogany asks Mia to solve the death of her mother.  The police think her mother died of old age, but Mahogany is certain it is murder. Mia, of course, helps and ultimately solves the murder. Unlike many cozies, Mia doesn't confront the murderer herself in a desolate area, she calls the police. 

I was surprised at the ending point, we don't get any resolution to Mia's job situation and we don't get to see the wedding. I wonder if the next book will take place seconds after this one ends? 

My rating for this book is 4 stars. 

Thank you #NetGalley for this book! All opinions are mine! #FourCharmingSpells 

Second Book in a Witchy Cozy! #TwoWickedDesserts #NetGalley

 Two Wicked Desserts is the second book in Lynn Cahoon's Kitchen Witch Mystery series. I would say that this is a paranormal lite cozy.  I think if you are not interested in a cozy that really leans into the magic, you will probably enjoy this series as while there is some magic, the amateur sleuth still solves the murder using traditional questioning and observations.

I like Mia our main character, she is steadfast and remains calm even when bad people are after her.  There is a nice slow romance with Trent, who is a grocery store owner and not in law enforcement, which is nice.  Instead we have a competent sherrif in Mark Baldwin and Mark and Mia have an entertaining bit of bickering throughout the book. 

The food and catering talk in the book is mouth-watering and the pets and Mia's grandma give the story just right amount of magic.  This second book is a nice continuation of the first and I look forward to what happens next!

4.5 Stars for Two Wicked Desserts

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Now that it is August is it time to start reading books about Autumn? What do you think?  I think anytime after my birthday (which is in August) is a fine time to start dreaming of the fall. 

What's A Kitchen Witch? Magic in the Kitchen and a Cozy Review!

 What is a kitchen witch? It can be a handcrafted doll that is used as a good luck charm in Scandanavian kitchens or it can be someone who practices magic centered on the craft of cooking and all things related to food.  One can be a kitchen witch who practices in the Wiccan tradition. In my opinion, if you cook with love and talk to your plants, and have a green thumb and secret recipes for delicious cookies that you won't share- I probably think you are a kitchen witch. 

In paranormal fiction, various types of witchcraft are as popular (i.e. Harry Potter)  as vampires and werewolves.  Of course, I don't think vampires or werewolves exist, but paganism and Wiccan practices have been around for millennia and only got a bad wrap when men took over religions.  Under the cozy mystery umbrella is the subgenre of paranormal cozies.  Paranormal cozies are chock full of many different types of witches!  

One Poison Pie by Lynn Cahoon is a series featuring Mia who is a kitchen witch and is working on starting up a catering business, only to have a murder pop up right before her first catering gig! This magical cozy is light on the magic and heavy on the sleuthing and traditional cozy themes, so if you haven't read a magical cozy yet, this could be the perfect foray to see if you like it. 

I enjoyed the fresh tone of the book, Mia has common sense and a dogged determination to get her fledgling business off the ground.  She also has a terrible ex, a grandmother who holds secrets and a potential new boyfriend. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Two Wicked Desserts,  which I will be reviewing next month thanks to a copy from Net Galley. 

Solid 4 Stars!  A series I will continue!

As you know from reading my blog, I'm an aspiring cozy writer myself.  I love the idea of a kitchen witch protagonist and I have been doing research and have an idea I am working on, I also have an 80% complete rough draft for another cozy mystery series idea.  What I need to do is focus, finish one of these books and then go from there! 

This is a beautiful book filled with recipes and rituals to be more connected to the Earth.