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? 
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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! 

Have you heard this podcast already?

Happy Sunday!!  In case you missed it, you need to know that I love podcasts.  And I love to share my favorites with anyone who will listen or read me so check these out and subscribe! 

You may not realize there are a few companies that produce a wide variety of podcasts, there are Slate, Panopoly and Gimlet. 

Today I thought I'd share a couple from Gimlet Media since they recently sent me an email promoting their two-day podcast festival.  I would totally be there except it's in Brooklyn and alas, I am not.

My two favorite podcasts from Gimlet are Sandra and Uncivil.

Sandra is fictional and one of the voices is Kristen Wiig.  It's a comedy, revolving around an imaginary system like Alexa but called Sandra and the main character works in a call center as a Sandra, when you say Hey Sandra and ask a question about birds, then your answer comes from this call center employee.  An interesting and fun story unfolds as the voice behind Sandra tries to make a life for herself away from Ex. 

 Uncivil is entirely different than Sandra.  It is an incredibly enlightening podcast showcasing the stories from the Civil War and Reconstruction that you've never heard before-- and you should.  It's history that informs who America is today.  Does that sound dry?  Trust me this podcast is nothing like you remember of U.S. History in school.  Everyone should listen to this insightful series. You can also follow the creators on Facebook and Twitter where they share books highlighted in the series. 

Uncivil won a Peabody Award in 2017,  you *know* this is really good stuff for your ear holes.
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On the writing front: A friend is reading the first chapter of my book.  She is an English major; I hope I have not made it too chockful of grammerical and capitalization errors. Currently, I have crossed the bridge into chapter 14!! and I accidently introduced a new character and my protagonist is now going on her first date in for-eveh! I don't see them together long term, he was really just supposed to impart some information to the protagonist , but now who knows what is going to happen next.

#WednesdayWisdom Are we still talking about Life Hacks? And it's #WineWednesday

Apropos of nothing, I was wondering the other day if BuzzFeed is still doing 'life hack' lists or if we have all moved on to a post life hack life.  My own personal life hack is to put on my socks before my pants because then my pants slide on faster.  You're welcome. 😏

I could use a life hack to get through riding shotgun for Bmo's 50 hours of required drive time to get his license.  Does stress burn calories?  We only have 46 more hours to go. Lucky for me, I'm hosting a wine tasting tomorrow night so I can stock up on post driving wine. My friend is a representative for The Wine Shop at Home and we will be trying their Renegade wine sampler.

(The Wine Shop at Home doesn't mess around, look at those medals!)

Since it is summer, we will be trying more whites than red and these will be chilled for the most part.  I like a nice chilled glass of wine after a day in the backyard or with a dinner salad.  I will report back about what we try and how the tasting goes tomorrow.   I hope the Rosé is tasty!

If the weather is nice we will sip outside, and in that case, what wine pairs well with OFF?  Seriously, are there any natural mosquito deterrents that work? They eat me alive.

Wait, what if there was a wine that repelled mosquitoes?  Now that would be a life hack! If  we can put a man on the moon, we can do this people! 

Happy #WineWednesday!

xoxo

PS On the writing front, I was at the hospital with my oldest yesterday and then took middle driving.  I was completely mentally drained and ate nutritionally empty food and didn't write.  Today's goal 500 words.

How many activities can I squeeze this Summer? Chicago offers and embarrasment of riches.

Summer is here! Kids are out, the sun is high, and the humidity is rising. June is my favorite month. We get lots of sun, I'm on a summer schedule, and the days are still getting longer.  June is like the Friday of summer. Everyone, for the most part, is in a good mood knowing we still have Saturday (July) and Sunday (August) ahead of us.

I aim to enjoy this summer to the fullest; and that is easy to do with the multitude of  outdoor concerts, festivals, and community events  taking place in Chicago. To kick things off, me and the family, are going to go to the Printers Row Lit Fest and Blues Fest this weekend. I'm looking forward to picking up some new books, meeting authors, and then enjoy fabulous music against the gorgeous background of Chicago's skyline.

Writing wise, here's what I'm up to this week.  First of all, I skipped writing for a couple days but I am definitely increasing how often I am writing and it helps to keep that momentum going. I continue to struggle with when is the best time for me to write, and I am still very easily distracted.  I think that as I continue to build up my writing stamina this will get better? I hope.  My philosophy is writing is like running, don't think about it just do it. I mean, Nike said it best, right?

Have a great Monday!
xoxo

What's in my ear holes this week? #HitParade and #Keepit!

If you haven't taken advantage of the amazing world of podcasts, you need to start listening now! There literally hundreds of amazing podcasts on any subject you can possibly imagine.  Have a hobby?  Have an interest?  Want to catch up on World History or listen to a fictional tale?  All is yours in the land of podcast.  But wait there's more! Almost all are offered free to you the listener, so put a podcast your ear holes today!

One of my new favorite podcasts is Hit Parade from Slate. You don't have to be well versed in popular  music to find it fascinating.  One recent episode discusses how the Billboard Top 100 changed a few years ago to include You Tube music video plays vs. just purchases of music. Most interesting was learning that if someone makes a parody or fan video and uses the original song audio; that fan video or parody counts toward the original song's number of plays.  So when a song goes viral with a dance, like the Harlem Shake, and thousands of people film themselves dancing--the original song gets the credit.

You can listen to the latest episode HERE (or at iTunes, Stitcher, etc.)

Do you like pop culture?  Ira, Kara and Louis give a weekly review of the biggest happenings in pop culture and call people on the absurdity of it all. They shade those who deserve it and point out whats good.  And they laugh, a lot.  It's infectious.  I look forward to Keep It hitting my feed each week.

You can find the latest Keep It HERE (or at iTunes, Stitcher, etc.)

Gardening at Night

Not really but it is the song title of a good REM song that was released 26 years ago.




Me and the Man have been gardening by day.  Last weekend it was cloudy and the temps didn't get above 55,  and this weekend we are in the 90s!  Look, one thing Chicago weather  can be counted on for is its unpredictability.  This however is beyond the typical fluctuations.

 I hope my plants aren't too upset about being planted in this heat.  Some people think you can communicate with plants, I don't see any harm in talking to them so if you seem me mumbling in the garden , I'm just trying to raise happy plants. I haven't had a backyard garden in eight years, so I want generous plants that provide us with tasty yields of cherry tomatoes, squash, and orange heirloom peppers.

On writing, I am closing in on a scene that will take place in a local library.  I need to go visit the library so I can refresh myself with the layout and general vibe. However, I don't see myself making it over there until next Friday at the soonest.  What I have decided is the best course of action for me is to keep writing daily and not wait until I actually go  the library. I can add in details and switch things around as necessary after my visit. Otherwise, I'll use my upcoming library field trip as an excuse to skip writing for the next week. I'm quickly learning writing is much easier if I write something, anything daily, versus saving up until that magic moment when I have "extra time".  I know myself well enough to understand that I am incredibly good at finding other things I *must* do instead of writing!

Happy Tuesday!
xoxo

Writer in progress

Since I last wrote, after 4 years of renting, we bought a townhome. It's so wonderful to have a place of our own, that I'm happy to see that mortgage payment leave our account each month! We *finally* timed a real estate purchase properly! Plus, our townhome is the very rare kind that has our own small fenced backyard and there is no association! No fees and we can landscape as we want!

Tomorrow the Man and I are headed out to purchase our garden seedlings and get my raised bed started!  I'm planning on Fresh tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, parsley, basil, and thyme.  It's the little things.  I'm so grateful to be able to raise fresh produce in our backyard.

On the reading front, I, not too long, ago reviewed a lovely book for Project Fandom and you can see the review here.  If you are looking for a captivating story to read this summer, this is an excellent choice!

The school year is wrapping up and our oldest GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL. We are very lucky to live in-district for our local community college so Mr. P is able to continue his education, close to home and get those required classed completed at the lowest cost possible.  At work, I see tuition bills for schools from coast to coast and the average cost of a year at a 4-year college/university is more than I make in a year.  Now it is true I don't make a ton of money but should college cost  $30, 40 grand a year? It makes it unaffordable for most people to attend, or they suck it up and take out loans they are still paying back in their 50s.

Alright, I'm off my soapbox.  Now back to me.  I've been working on my book. It has no title, but I have the series name already picked out.  I call it "Creating Cakes: Book 1."  My plan moving forward is to post with some consistency on this blog and share how the writing is going. Also, I plan to do a bit of crowdsourcing for some of my editorial decisions. 

I hope you will stay tuned and provide your two cents as I write.  Here is my first bit of crowdsourcing, my first chapter is in decent shape.  If I had it here to read, would you be interested in reading it if there was a $1.00 fee for the chapter and that fee offered future VIP perks?  Comment below and let me know!

The Grad enjoying the best present ever, Hamilton Tickets!

Snow Day

An unexpected snow day arrived today. Unexpected in that we didn't know a large snow fall was going to be occurring at this time last week. Expected if you watched any local Chicagoland News the past 72 hours.

If you ask me, all large snowfalls should occur on Fridays. This gives everyone who can work from home or skip work the opportunity of sorts for a bit of a 3 day weekend. It also allows two days for roads to be cleared for the Monday commute.

I'm grateful that if we must have a bunch of snow in February,  it has occurred this Friday and not next Friday.  Both Anna and Patrick are heading to Disney (and Universal) for their respective music department trips and these trips have been months (Patrick) and years (Anna) in the making.

Additionally I'm grateful that when it comes February snows,  I'm able to look at it this way; snow in February is just one last hurdle before we welcome Spring. Yes, I'm well aware it often snows in March, but IDC, IDC.  March is virtually Spring.

If you are snowed in, and are looking for something to binge, let me recommend Altered Carbon on Netflix Great futuristic show, 10 episodes so perfect for a snowy weekend.