How many cookies is too many cookies? Let's find out!

More Adventures in Cookie Baking- Day 10! My freezer is getting very full. Youngest Daughter says what are you going to do with all these cookies?  I say for the 44th time, I'm going to give them away. This time she answers "Ok."  Apparently she wasn't listening the many other times I said I was making cookies to give away for Christmas.

Onward.

As my life has been quite busy with work, and picking up and dropping off kids and attending Holiday events; I decided if I wanted to continue baking, I needed to  chill some balls.  to that end, I rolled these lemon cookies and then let them chill in the fridge overnight before glazing and baking them.

Katie C. recommended this recipe from Martha Stewart.  She likes to make these cookies into Christmas Wreathes.  I took a cue from Katie and decided to put some festive sprinkles on mine.

Let's say you are sitting around wrapping presents and would like to indulge, I recommend these cookies with a nice prosecco. How delightful! You could even, take it to the next level by adding some fresh raspberries to your plate or to your glass.  Lemon- raspberry is such a lovely flavor combination.

And while I'm here just 4 days left to enroll in the ACA ! Get Covered!

What about Gluten Free?

Happy Adventures in Cookie Baking Day 9. I didn't bake for today's post because I didn't have time.  I almost had some time, but I was very tired and took a pass on cookie baking or cookie prep. 

Of course, I remain in a cookie state of mind.  To that end, I found a recipe from Food & Wine for a gluten free cookie that is probably super difficult to make.

Smores Linzer Cookies

And if that wasn't good enough, I found a recipe at Food & Wine  to make a gluten and dairy free Chocolate Crinkle Cookie!  This recipe starts with a bag of gluten free pretzels!  You can see the video below:





I think I may try making the Chocolate Crinkle Cookie recipe in the upcoming days. So many kinds of cookies, so little free time!


Tomorrow is St. Nicholas Day!  Don't forget to leave a shoe out tonight!

xoxo

It's Finally Here! The Day We've Been Waiting for All Year!

Happy #NationalCookieDay!  It's Adventures in Cookie Baking Day 8!

Today's cookie isn't really a cookie, although you do bake it, so it's almost a cookie.  Cookie adjacent we can call it.  What is it?  A cookie bar that loads of people enjoy!

7 Layer Magic Cookie Bars!

Here is an up close picture of the 7-layer bars cooling.  You can't see it here, but several family members have already helped themselves to a piece.  A very gooey piece of the bars because the recipe hadn't cooled off and set yet.

If you like these you can make them as directed or swap out ingredients as you wish.

7 Layer Magic Cookie Bars (See cookies is in the title; ergo, these are a perfect fit for #NationalCookieDay)

Step 1: Preheat Oven to 350



2 1/2 cups of crushed graham crackers. (I couldn't find crushed graham crackers at the store and got tired of looking so I bought graham crackers and used a cheese grater to crush them.  It worked.

1 1/2 sticks melted butter

Mix above 2 ingredients and then press evenly in a 9x13 inch pan.

Pour 1 can of sweetened condensed milk over the cracker mix evenly-don't try to smooth out, just pour it over and leave it.

Next layer each of these in order:

1 1/2 cups of butterscotch morsels

1 1/2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups of coconut flakes

1 cup of  walnuts

Place in a 350 degree oven for 23 minutes and then try to let cool completely before sampling.

You could swap the butterscotch for white chocolate chips  or peanut butter chips--you could add dried cherries or cranberries. You could use pecans or hazelnuts.  It's a very flexible recipe.

Happy #NationalCookieDay!

xoxo

Do you have FOTO? Fear of the Oven? Here's a cookie recipe for you!

After my Oatmeal Scotchies debacle, I needed a few days to recover and a couple more trips to the grocery store, and now I'm ready for another butterscotch morsel-centric cookie recipe. 

Not much is simpler than a 3-ingredient recipe and only using a microwave.  Note: you can melt the butterscotch chips on the stove if you don't use a microwave. Of course if you don't use a microwave, you probably don't eat processed items chock-full  of  sugar.

Butterscotch Haystacks

You can find many variations of this recipe on Google, Pinterest, etc.  This is what I did:

1/2 a bag of La Choy Chow Mein Noodles.
1 bag of Butterscotch Morsels
2/3 ish a cup of dry roasted peanuts.

Put the noodles and the peanuts in a bowl.  Put the Butterscotch Morsels in a microwaveable bowl. Microwave the morsels for about 90 seconds, until they are melted.  Pour over the noodles and peanuts. Mix until all is covered; then put bunches of the mix onto a tray. My tip is to use some plastic gloves to mix everything and  to put the little bunches of mix --i.e. haystacks onto a tray or cookie sheet. Next chill in the fridge or freezer.  Once the haystacks are solid you can store in Tupperware or in a plastic bag in the freezer etc.

You can put the haystacks on waxed or parchment paper and let it cool on your counter tops as well--whatever works for you.

I think Butterscotch Haystacks date back to the 1970s, so it's a nostalgic treat!

Happy Day 7 of Adventures in Cookie Baking (making)!

xoxo

A Twist on Brownies, Tastes Great, Looks Very Homemade!

Hello!  Well here I am, Adventures in Cookie Baking day number ah, 6. The other day a random dessert thought popped into my head.  What if I melted dark chocolate orange slices on top of brownies.  How good would that be?

Today my mission was to find out how good that would be.

This is the chocolate I melted and put on top of the finished brownies. I used a brownie mix to make the brownies. I don't think I've ever made brownies from scratch.

Turns out I don't currently own any square baking dishes. I should really buy at least one 8x8 pan.  Or maybe someone could get me one for Christmas.

After I baked the brownies, Tom and I ran up to the High School for the annual A Christmas Carol dinner and show. Before the show the actors in character serve the diners dinner and then the Madrigals and Jazz Band perform and then the final show of the year takes place.  Youngest child did a great job in her part as a scoundrel.

When we arrived home much later, BMO had helped himself to some of the brownies. Frankly, I was surprised at how small a piece he took.

I cut up half of the brownies and left them plain for BMO and the Man.  The rest I frosted with dark chocolate orange.  Once the top had hardened, I attempted to cut the brownies.  It didn't go well.  But, they do taste delicious!

This afternoon I need to run out and get more butter and the adventure shall continue!

xoxo

Ever Have a Day When You Just Need a Cookie?

The odds are pretty good that you have the 3 key ingredients for this cookie.  There are loads and loads of variations on this cookie recipe, but in a pinch, you can make a couple dozen tasty gluten-free cookies with just one egg, one cup of sugar and one cup of peanut butter (crunchy or creamy-you pick)

 Today I took a tip from Summar E. and added one teaspoon of baking powder to my dough and this made my cookies look like very traditional peanut butter cookies.  If you skip the baking powder, the cookies will only spread just a little.  Either way, they hit the spot when you need a cookie and you need it now.

Here is my official recipe:

Preheat oven to 350:

1 cup of Natural creamy peanut butter
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp of baking powder
1 egg

Mix in a bowl, roll or plop about 1 tbsp of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Us a fork to make a criss-cross on top.  Bake the cookies for 10-12 mins. 

If you want the cookies to last more than 15 minutes, I suggest putting a dozen or so into the freezer, preferably in a Country Crock container that has KALE written across the top to throw children, significant others and roommates off the scent of your cookie stash.

Happy Day 5 of Adventures in Cookie Baking!
xoxo

Taking the Guesswork Out of Cookie Baking

Welcome to day four of my adventures in cookie baking!  Today I started with a mix and whipped up a batch of delicious thumbprint cookies.  This is a mix and a recipe I've used before so I was 99.5% certain these cookies would turn out *chefs kiss* perfect.

On to the cookies,

I used the my favorite cookie sheet, which was purchased by the Man, so I'll give him credit for finding a quality cookie sheet at a good price. I don't know what he paid for it, but he loves to shop for a good deal.

The mix I used was the Absolutely Almond Pound Cake Mix from Tastefully Simple I got my box from my good friend Becky McNeill.

All you need is the mix, 1 stick of butter, an egg, a wee bit of water and the jam of your choice. I had a jar of the Tastefully Simple's Rhubarb Strawberry Fruit Spread so I used that, but in the past I have used apricot jam and the best of all jams: Currant Jelly.

You mix the ingredients and then bake for 10 minutes after which you remove the cookies from the over, make the thumbprints, add your jelly of choice and cook for another 4-6 minutes.  What sets these cookies apart is the almond flavor in the mix. 

Here is my finished product.  I ate a couple and the kids had a couple and now the rest are in my garage freezer--safe from easy consumption and ready to be added to holiday cookie trays.

What cookies will I make next?  Stay tuned!
xoxo

They Claim to Be the Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe, Let's Find Out!

Welcome to my adventures in cookie making day three. Today I tackle, with the help of Ms. Anna, everyone's favorite cookie, the chocolate chip cookie.  I found a recipe that calls itself "Best Chocolate Chip Cookies" and I had to try it. What did I have to lose right?

We followed the recipe exactly, and I think the one instruction that sets this recipe apart from other chocolate chip cookie recipes I have used is this:

"Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt."

After making the first dozen, Anna lost interest and left me to my own devices. Out of the goodness of my heart, I proceeded to make two dozen more walnut free cookies.  By the time I had finished with the last of the plain cookies, Bryce had eaten the first dozen.

The last two dozen cookies are the best of the batch because those cookies have delicious walnuts in them. Walnuts, as you may know are not cheap but add a richness and crunch the the basic chocolate chip cookie.  Nuts are also good for you; therefore, adding nuts makes the cookie more of a health food than a treat.

This recipe did deliver excellent results.  The cookies are a little crispy on the edges and soft and gooey on the inside, but not too gooey.

Tomorrow's recipe is going to be super easy for me because it starts with a mix! We won't even need the Kitchen Aid.

xoxo

Adventures in Cookie Making Day 2

I really like Oatmeal Scotchies. Or should I really say I think I remember really liking Oatmeal Scotchies.  I know that they must have orange zest to be great and so you can be sure I zested an orange instead of using vanilla extract for this recipe. Below is the original Toll House recipe for Oatmeal Scotchies.  Now I followed this recipe with precision, however my cookies cooked in much less time than instructed and spread flatter than a pancake.  Should I have used more flour and less oats?  Was it the baking soda?  I went online to see what other bakers had to say.

According to the reviews, for this very recipe on the cookie morsel website, I am not alone, super flat scotchies abound. It's not me; it's this recipe.  I also found a blog done by a wise woman who on her first time out the gate with this recipe reduced the oats by 1/2 a cup. Her resulting cookies look thicker than mine. 

When my first dozen came out so flat and brown, I put the remainder of the dough in the fridge and then made the rest with chilled dough.  Alas, that didn't matter. Sigh. Can't win them all I guess.  I have seen there are recipes for Oatmeal Scotchie Bars, maybe next time I'll try that --or better yet if I want a butterscotch treat- I should try a no bake option and make butterscotch haystacks. 

Tomorrow with assistance from Anna I'll be tackling a recipe called "Best Chocolate Chip Cookies" 

Happy Tuesday xoxo! 

It's Christmas...Cookie Time!

Recently, I got it in my head that this year I'd like to make many different kinds of Christmas Cookies.  Thanksgiving has passed and the time is here. Plus there were a couple of really good sales on butter, and I have a bunch of butter on hand.  Is there a better way to use excess butter beside cookie making?  I think not.

For my first batch of cookies I got out my cookie press and made these spritz cookies. The recipe is very short and simple. I used almond extract instead of vanilla because that is the flavor I expect in my spritz cookies. 

As I was sampling my work, I pondering a key question. What beer or wine would pair best with these bites of goodness? 

Here is what Food & Wine has to say: 

 Simple Cookies: Prosecco
I don’t mean “simple” in a bad way here; these cookies just don’t have a lot going on: sugar cookies, spritz cookies, shortbread cookies, basically anything light in color and straightforward in taste. There are no mix-ins, no fillings, and no complex flavors from caramelization or browning. Not surprisingly, these cookies pair well with simple, light, even sparkling beverages. 

Now on to beer, the internet says spritz cookies and a nice pilsner pair well. If you would like to actually put beer in cookies, here is a round up of some beer cookie recipes.

Happy Baking!  Next up I'll share my attempts to make oatmeal scotchies.  

xoxo! 

Did I predict the future?

Three years ago today I said this "Tip for the day: It's almost Halloween, so skip the makeup this morning and get a little more sleep."

As I stood at the train station this morning waiting for my train and scrolling through Facebook the above status update popped up in my memories from three years ago. I thought to myself.  That's a good post, I'm pretty funny sometimes.

Then I realized...I had forgotten to put on any makeup before leaving for work!  Look at me, predicting the future! 

If only I had used my magical powers to play the billion dollar Powerball. Alas It would seem I can

The kids of Halloween Past...

only predict my own personal behavior, which is probably really common and not at all magical.  Nevertheless, on the Eve of Halloween, I'm calling myself a psychic, consider it my costume!


Happy #NationalCandyCornDay !!! Will you be buying a bag to enjoy or throw directly into the trash?  Candy Corn brings out strong opinions!

The Incredibly Silly Thing I've been Doing

Nostalgia is a very effective means of stress reduction. Note, I have no scientific basis for that first remark.  Life is stressful!  The news is stressful, people are bonkers.  And let's not forget it's unseasonably cold in my area.  I hate turning my heat on before November.  I gave in and started wearing my winter coat a week ago.  It's madness I say.  Also stressful is being the passenger as BMO works on reaching 50 hours of driving time to get his driver's license!

I bet there are tons of happenings in your own life stressing you out.  If you are like me, you really can't afford to take up a daily drinking habit--so what is a girl to do?

Some people turn to ASMR on YouTube.  I have turned to watching old commercials.  To be more specific holiday commercials.  Did you know there are hours and hours of commercials from the 70s, 80s, and 90s curated on YouTube right now? 

Yes Virginia, hours and hours of Christmas Commercials awaits you!

I know it's silly, but it's so relaxing to revel in the Nostalgia of childhood.  Try it! You'll like it!  

Happy Wednesday!

xoxo

When was the last time you tried something new?

It was a funny thing, for most of junior high Anna was very opposed to continuing band in high school.  Even as we discussed her schedule for the upcoming year, she didn't really want to continue.  So yes we nudged her a bit, nagged a little for her to give it a try for the first year,  just the basic band and if she didn't want to continue after that, she could stop.  Then out of the blue, just before eighth grade ended, she decided to attend the marching band meeting.  This was a surprise development, we went to the marching band meeting and saw the well-made promotional video and Anna decided to join marching band.

This was the same girl who said previously, "I'm never joining marching band, marching band is like a full-time job."  The first couple days were rough, not knowing how things worked and where to go and how to act, but after a few weeks she was warming up to it.  This was due, not in small part, to the band matching up Seniors to mentor Freshman.  By the time band camp arrived-- note, I didn't know band camp was really a thing--she was all in.

Saturday was the last marching band performance of the year at the University of Illinois, it was about 20 degrees below zero outside and the wind was a brisk 30ish miles per hour.  We froze as we watching the band perform, and we respected Ms. Anna's request that we not acknowledge her in any way.  If you ask her how the band did, she will tell you they had a bad run. She is more critical of the ensemble than the band director!  What I saw was all the kids giving it everything they had all season long. In the aftermath of the season finale, Anna has now been hit with the cold that has been going around school for weeks.

Moral of the story, nudging a teenager to try something, to push themselves,  can work.  Really, this also goes for adults, especially those long past the high school years.  Give yourself a nudge, try something new, push yourself.

xoxo

The thing about blogging is...

The thing about blogging is that it would be cool if lots of people read my blog; however, in order for that to happen, you have to invest a ton of time and some money to try and make that happen.  It's a bummer but that is the way of writing really, anyone who writes doesn't write with a guarantee that anyone will ever read their writings.  Even Stephen King doesn't know that whatever he is writing today will ever reach the masses --sure it's fairly likely in his case, but no guarantees. 

Today we are driving down to the University of Illinois to Ms. A in the marching band competition.  She said she would like us to be there, but she doesn't want us to try to talk to her or make contact while we are there because she needs to concentrate on her performance.  I admire her dedication and was also a little annoyed, as is to be expected when dealing with teenagers. If it was up to me we'd stay home and watch the live stream, but when youngest child asks us to be there, well we are going to be there even though we are going to have to drive over two hours to watch an 8-minute performance and drive back.  I'm really not complaining, much.   

Need Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer in Your Ear Holes? Listen to the Dresden Files!

Death Masks by Jim Butcher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I listen to this series on audio, I don't read any of the books--James Marsters is perfection as Harry Dresden. This is book #5 of this enjoyable series that I tend to pick up, listen to a book and then a few months pass and then I pick it back up. There is enough reiteration of who the main players in the series are to help you remember if you don't binge read the series. I am going to make more of an effort to get through this series in a more timely manner. I have to say I don't really care about the romance aspect of the book, but if Harry is happy I'm happy. Whenever Harry talks about his cat Mister, I think anew that Mister is the perfect name for a cat. And speaking of perfect character names, I hope the next book has more Murphy- the perfectly named police detective- in it.

Love that this book takes place in Chicago. Nice that Harry and modern tech don't get along as this is handy for plot building. The pacing of this book was good, I personally wouldn't mind if there had been a bit more downtime - like maybe 2 fewer battles, but that's just me. I'm going to go see if my library has book #6 before I get distracted by another book on my TBR pile.


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 #ThursdayThought :  Today marks  the 4 week countdown until Thanksgiving.  😱😱😱😱  I'm hungry right because it's lunchtime and my mouth is watering as I am adding to my Thanksgiving Feast Pinterest Board.  Click to see what I'm planning on serving this November. I've also begun creating a Christmas menu as well.

Happy Thursday!

xoxo

Is Being a Morning Person a Choice?

My goal this Fall is to become a morning person. Is this goal achievable? I really want, need, to finish the book I've been slowly writing over the last year so my latest scheme to make that happen is to become a morning person.

To that end, I started setting my alarm earlier- from 6:15 to  6:00, to 5:35AM. Yes that's right I can't yet push myself to be up at 5:30AM, I need that extra 5 minutes. To show the extreme lengths I will go to try and make this morning person thing happen--I even set an alarm and got up before 7AM on the weekend.  On the weekend! Sunday I didn't even take a nap!  Did I get more writing done?  Barely, but slightly more than the previous few weeks is an improvement.

Here I am near my window, daylight has just broken.  You can't see the sun because my window is Southwest facing and I didn't feel like getting up and trying to get a picture w/the sunrise in it.

I wonder how long this transformation will take?  weeks? months? decades? Can you reset your internal clock for good? Or will one week of vacation set me back? 
******

Frost is now upon the pumpkin, soup weather is here! Please do yourself a favor and make this fantastic soup

xoxo
V

Who loves Halloween? Who loves Hocus Pocus?

Hocus Pocus & The All New Sequel by A.W. Jantha
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fall is here and when it's Fall I fill my TBR pile with Witches and Ghosts. I also fill my DVR with movies and TV shows featuring Witches and Ghosts. When I saw there was a book version of the movie and a sequel to the -dare I say- cult classic movie--I had to read the book ASAP.

"Hocus Pocus and the All New Sequel" was a fun nostalgic read. I really enjoyed the sequel and am looking forward to seeing the movie version of this follow up to the classic Hocus Pocus. The sequel features some of the children of characters from Hocus Pocus and of course those terrible witches are back too.  Note, I read that the sequel won't start the same actresses as the Sanderson Sisters, which is a bummer to be sure. That's was makes the book even more fun, as reader of the sequel, I was able to picture the original witches. The pacing of the stories is on point with a nice build up to the final confrontation between the witches and the humans. In the original story I thought the 8 year old Dani was too mature for her age in words and actions--she really seems more like an 11 year old. The teens in the stories are perfectly age appropriate which is a nice change.

This would be a fun book to read with kids at bedtime as you count down to Halloween. I borrowed the book digitally from my library, so I'm sure it's easy to get a copy to enjoy before October ends. Once you finish the book you can have a family movie night, pop some popcorn and watch the classic movie! 


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Dr. Death is the Must Listen to Podcast of the Fall

Have you heard about this podcast?  Oh my gosh, it's fantastic and awful. This is a horrifying tale of  medical malpractice.  Dr. Death is new podcast by Wondery, one of my top three favorite podcasting companies. This is the same group that brought Dirty John to ear holes across the land. Interestingly, Dirty John was also a shady criminal in the medical field.  Dr. Death is a neurosurgeon you never want to meet, let alone allow to operate on you.

This podcast is very compelling.  These patients, like Barry, who decided to have surgery instead of trying diet and exercise one more time, will break your heart.  Patients were butchered by this doctor and then Dr. Death went on to practice at another hospital!  You cannot listen to this and not be shocked at how long he is able to 'practice' medicine.  He gets away with murderous malpractice via bravado, a slick website and the greed of the medical establishment.

 Keep listening, he will get his comeuppance---and that will only because a couple of doctors kept sounding alarms and going to the medical board. Frankly the police should have been involved after the second surgery gone wrong.   This guy is an extreme example of systematic problems in our medical system that values profit over lives far too often.  It's also an unvarnished look at how far a white man with Dr. before his name can get before finally being stopped.

A couple of facts from the Wondery website "1.3 million 'bad doctor' reports on the National Practitioner Data Bank," and "in 2017 13 state boards never checked the data bank." Ugh!  Oversight doesn't work if no one uses it!

Patient beware! If you have to have a surgery, get that second opinion and research your doctor.  This organization provides doctor report cards. 

Got a couple hours? Read this book!

Sweet and Deadly by Charlaine Harris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Everything about this book made me feel as though I'd stepped into a small town in the 1950s or 1960s. The only tell I could find that this is actually more contemporary is  Catherine says that abortion is legal. I would describe this book as a novella and as such it has very good pacing. In other works by Charlaine Harris there tends to be, in my opinion, too much time spent on housekeeping details. In this book, fortunately, there is only one long scene of Catherine cleaning.

The mystery is solid, there are some nice red herrings and the main character doesn't foolishly put herself in harm's way but once.

The killer's motive is the weakest part of this book in my opinion. If you enjoy mysteries, you'll likely enjoy this book.


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***********************************
What's going on with my writing?

Thanks for asking!  I am a solid  63% done on my first draft.  My plan is to finish my draft before 2019 shows up. Actually,I'd like to get it done before December arrives. If I get stuck in my writing lately what I've been doing is writing out of sequence.  Yesterday I was working on the book's final scene.  Bad news, I thought I had it all figured out and then I realized I didn't like where it was going. Today I'm writing in sequence and maybe that will help my final scene whenever I get back to it.

Socially to help with my writing I just joined the "Guppy" Chapter of  Sisters in Crime. This is an online group for first time writers of mysteries.  With my membership I can join a critique group to get feedback on my unpublished work.  I'm very excited and also overwhelmed.  The business of publishing is not easy. (understatement).  The important thing for me to keep reminding myself is to focus on finishing my book, then try to get it published.  Don't put the cart before the horse and all that!

Happy September!

xoxo

What if Fairy Tales Were True in the Age of iPhones?

I have to share with you this book I've read!  If you aren't a big reader, check out the audiobook. After you read this tale, which you will love, get excited for the FX adaptation!


The Changeling by Victor LaValle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If this whole book was just the story of Apollo & Emma's first year of parenting Brian in NYC, I would have enjoyed it immensely. However, this is not a simple tale of parenting, this is an old school- Black Forest Germany - fairy tale where children are spirited away and monsters walk among us. I completely enjoyed the way Mr. LaValle weaves classic fairy tale lore into the 21st century and works with all the trapping of modern life while telling this ancient tale.

"The Changeling" doesn't shy away from the reality in America where for a black man, any encounter with the police can end in death. This story doesn't shy away from reminding us that far too often the concerns of new moms are brushed aside as they suffer silently with postpartum psychosis. This story doesn't shy away from reminding us we all cling to fairy tales we tell ourselves in order to sleep through the night.

In the end, Victor LaValle gives Emma, Apollo, and Brian some happiness. It's not forever but it's happily for now.


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*****

The summer is already winding down and with that I'm ready to enjoy Fall. I'm hoping for lots of sunny days, low humidity and temps that stay around 70 degrees throughout all of  September. Frankly, I'm in no hurry to break out my boots.  I am ready to enjoy spooky stories and for that I'm subscribed and enjoying each installment of the podcast Spooked (from Snap Judgement and WNYC Studios). Each week they are counting down to Halloween with a new tale of the paranormal.  Are the stories real, are they fiction?  I don't know!  You can listen via the website or subscribe at iTunes, Stitcher, Npr.org, etc. 

Did you know you can listen to all the best selling novels out there for FREE?

In addition to listening to a bunch of podcasts, I also listen to audiobooks when I'm out running or am cleaning around the house. The best way to listen to books is to borrow them from your local library and these days you don't even have to go to the library.  They have an app for that!  My library uses Libby/Overdrive.

It doesn't get any easier or cheaper to read a novel or twenty.  Currently I'm listening to "The Outsider" by Stephen King.  The Kindle version is $14.95, a gently used hardback is $17 and to purchase it the Audible member price is $24.49.  The cost to me via my library: $0.00. You can't beat it!

Just before starting "The Outsider"  I listened to "A Cast-Off Coven" by Juliet Blackwell.  "A Cast-Off Coven is the second book in her "A Witchcraft Mystery" cozy mystery series. Lily Ivory is a witch and owns a vintage clothing store so the series has lots of supernatural lore and vintage fashion nods.  I recommend it, a fun series to listen to as you are out running or walking while the leaves change.

A Cast-Off Coven by Juliet Blackwell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I listened to the audiobook. The reader does a nice job with the various character's voices including the potbelly pig. It's fun to read this series as fall approaches. This book's pacing was spot on, and the audiobook runs just about the right length of time for a cozy mystery at 8 hours.

I am enjoying how Ms. Blackwell intertwines San Francisco in the book, allowing for a small sense of community as she makes friends inside the big city setting. Each book in the series has a main mystery along side the slow parceling out of Lily's backstory. I have to keep reading to find out what the deal is with her father!

When I finished this book, I had the undeniable desire to go visit a vintage clothing store!


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Looking for a Great Summer Read? Crazy Rich Asians is Perfect!

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I picked this up to read in advance of the movie version coming out in August. Throughout the book there are many references to luxury designers and descriptions of such an opulent lifestyle, I was overwhelmed at times with the conspicuous consumption of it all. Kevin Kwan overwhelms the reader with generational wealth on a massive scale and through this I was as overwhelmed as Rachel midway through the book.

At the same time, Kwan manages a to add depth this large cast of characters and the reader is able to look beyond the trappings of billionaire wealth and care what happens to not just Rachel and Nick but also Astrid, Colin, Araminta, etc. He also does a wonderful job imparting cultural and historical knowledge about Singapore bringing readers without an understanding of the area into the fold and making readers who are familiar with Singapore feel at home.

On the whole this book draws heavily from the classic tale of Cinderella, and it works very well. There is a reason some themes are done over and over and it's because they are classic. As I read the book, I found myself looking increasingly forward to seeing the movie. The descriptions and the landscapes in the book lend themselves to being on the big screen and the cast lines up so well with how I pictured the characters.


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Did you know you can find Plated Meal Kits at the Grocery Store?

Recently, I was enjoying the option of being able to skip a trip to the grocery store by ordering my groceries online.  Seriously, what a treat!  As I was ordering I saw that my local Jewel carries Plated meals, and thought I'd give it a try.  If you are like me, you like to try new recipes and are happy for the convenience of getting a box containing everything you need along with detailed instructions.   Yesterday I made the Gnocchi Pomodoro.  I had one slight hiccup with my meal prep.  The yellow squash in the meal kit was not fresh. Lucky for me, I had garden fresh zucchini ready to use.  If I hadn't, I would have contacted Plated to see if I could get a replacement meal because the yellow squash shouldn't have had brown slimy spots. 

You get a bi-fold in the kit showing the included ingredients and step-by-step instructions with pictures.

Here is my good looking zucchini 

The instructions were easy to follow and the meal came together quickly.  The kit included a small amount of sugar to add to sauce, I chose not to use it as the sauce had  a nice rich flavor.

 I love a skillet filled with a colorful meal and this meal definitely fit that criteria.

Behold!  The finished product.  The meal claims to be for two people but I got three decent sized servings. If you threw in one more squash or zucchini or some mushrooms, you could feel a family of four from this kit.

Will I buy more from Plated?  Yes, but in the future I'll be sure to buy it when I am at the store and can see the meal and judge the freshness of the produce. (FWIW this isn't an ad, I paid for the meal and just felt like writing about it.)

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How's the book going?

Thanks for asking!  I spent a few days thinking I should start back at the beginning of my book and read through what I have written and work on finding continuity errors. I sort of started on this work, but now I'm back in the frame of mind that I should just keep on writing until I get to the end and then begin to work through what I have written to do major editing and revising.

 I did spend some time make a detailed floor plan of my main character's condo- not really necessary- what I should be doing is make a map of the town where my book takes place so I have that to refer to when I am placing people and places.

Have a great day!
xoxo

Is a Raised Garden Bed Worth the Effort?

Is it? Yes, a resounding yes is the only answer.  Here is my picture proof!  The garden was started on Memorial Day weekend.  We used Miracle Gro for fruits and vegetables and I got all the plants from Home Depot.  I did splurge and got the Bonnie Plants tomatoes and peppers because they were on sale 3 for $5.  A decent deal but still on the high side for starter plants.

This is how it began. By the second half of June, the bibb lettuce was ready to be harvested and it was used for some quick and easy lunches.  Then I had to replant one of the two pepper plants in lettuce space because the zucchini leaves were shading my pepper plant to death.

 Here we are just about 6 weeks later... See what I mean about the zucchini leaves?  They are huge!

 The largest of my tomatoes so far, about the size of golf balls.

This zucchini is twice a big today as it was on Sunday when I took this picture. I'm hoping to harvest my first zucchini by Sunday!

I also have thyme, rosemary, lemon balm and flat parsley growing in the garden, next year we will add a second bed so we can have an herb garden and a vegetable garden and I'll probably have a couple fewer plants, I'm worried I have too many plants in the space.

So there you have it, raised garden beds are fantastic.  Miracle-Gro Soil and Bonnie Plants rock.  Knock on wood we continue to enjoy a garden with few weeds  and other pests!

Thanks for reading!

xoxo

I just finished a good summer audiobook here are the details:
Hounded by Kevin Hearne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

On audible they recommended this book and it was on sale, so I listened rather than read this book. The audiobook has a very good reader who does a great Irish Wolfhound voice. The story is enjoyable and I look forward to the second book in the series. Note: if you read paranormal for the romance, you won't find a romance in this particular book.


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Summer is Speeding Along

From June 15-30 I participated in #1000wordsofsummer and I did it.  I wrote over 15,000 new words in my book.  I am now on Chapter 18 and am right about to the halfway point of the book. If I can keep up practice, I can finish my rough draft before winter.  #1000wordsofsummer was created by writer Jami Attenberg you can click on her link to see her published works and what she has coming out soon!

 Im very glad I participated in the challenge it made a real difference and moved my work forward. Now since July began I've only written 1200 words and it's the 9th.  This I blame on being on vacation.  😁

Our vacation was a long drive 600 mile drive to visit family.  The highlights of the trip were hiking around a lake to see a waterfall at Vogel State Park  and getting to be on Lake Chatuge.  We are very lucky in  that we have a family member who has a family member who has a boat.  Above is my first attempt to use the panoramic feature on my phone to capture the setting sun.  I think turned out pretty well.

On the trail to the waterfall. 

Three generations of the men of my family and the waterfall.

The Man is sporting his Tindr shirt from Gamestop.  Fun Fact: he doesn't swipe left right or up, he doesn't have Tindr! 

It's been wet and warm in Chicagoland so we came home to a garden gone wild- well tomatoes and zucchini gone wild. We should be harvesting in the next couple weeks.  I can't wait for fresh tomatoes! 

READING:

I'm currently reading Crazy Rich Asians. 

Looking for Summer Reads? Try some Urban Fantasy

I recently finished the Hollows Series by Kim Harrison. Below is my review of the final book in the series.  The first book is Dead Witch Walking. If you are tempted to take a taste of this series, the Kindle version is only .99 cents. That's how they get you sucked in! 😊 All the books were available at my local library, so you can read for free or order from audible.com for audio ( or get the audio or e version from your library as well). Or support your local independent book seller!


The Witch With No Name by Kim Harrison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I started reading this book when it first came out and then I put it down for a few years, Why? It's the last book in Kim Harrison's Hollows Series and I wasn't ready to be done forever with Rachel, Ivy, Jenks and Al.

I thoroughly enjoyed the series. Back around book 7, I met Kim Harrison at a book signing. She is a lovely person. It's always nice when the writer whose work you look forward to reading is also pleasant and happy to answer questions about her stories.

I'm not 100% clear on the vampire resolution, like what will happen when Ivy dies her first death. Will there be some sort of vampire daisy chain? I'm not going to over think this, because I have to say I don't care as much about the vampires as I do the demons. The demon situation was resolved very satisfactorily.

I was disappointed on the fast forward that occurs in final chapters, I was really hoping to see Rachel and Trent marry and raising the kiddos (with Quen) shortly after the climax of the book. Ending with Rachel finally feeling like a full member of society would have been icing on the cake. Rachel says she is OK without a marriage, but I think we know better. Also Rachel's mom would love for her daughter to get married.  😊 Maybe Kim will do a short story follow up with a wedding, or maybe she has done one already and I don't know!

Having so many great books sitting in my TBR pile, and on my Audible wish list, I rarely re-read anything. However, The Witch With No Name did have me feeling surprisingly nostalgic and I want to go back to the beginning and read Dead Witch Walking  now that I know how the story ends.


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On the writing front, tomorrow starts the #1000wordsofsummer challenge.  You can click to join the challenge if you like to write!  I'm excited because yesterday I figured out what to do with the date I accidentally sent my protagonist on with one of her co-workers. It's going to be awkward!

Let's have a refresher on the Rules of the Road Shall We? And also a recipe for pie.

Summertime means that I run on the mean streets of the Chicagoland area almost everyday.  In the course of that running, I am annoyed and occasionally in fear for my life.  Why? Disrespectful Drivers!  In the words of Dustin Hoffman in Midnight Cowboy "I'm walking (or in my case running) here!"


All because some drivers insist on turning in front or behind me when I'm in the crosswalk with the right of way!  You, driver, are not supposed to be turning right or left while I'm in the roadway.

Me trying to live. You, driver, not paying attention or looking both ways before making a right turn.  Look both ways ! Lucky for me, I didn't get hit by a car recently; because I assume if I don't make eye contact with the driver turning right, then it's not safe for me to cross.

Also while I am ranting into the wind here, if you have a dog, put it on a leash.  Dogs like to chase me. I run slow and that makes me very catchable.

And now a recipe for pie...

Pie actually seems fairly complicated to make in my opinion, so I googled easiest pie to make and this post was at the top of the list. If you are game, here are some super easy pies you can make!

Easy Pie Recipes

you can also find easy pie recipes at foodnetwork.com

On the writing front: Not much to report, still working on Chapter 14 and I'm not sure yet how this date should end.  A promise of a future date or nah.  I need to write more and see what happens. Next week I'm participating in an online challenge to write 1000 words a day for the remainder of June, so that *hopefully* gets me writing more!