This Week's Menu

Sunday: Italian Wedding Soup from Barefoot Contessa's Back to Basics. We've had this before and it takes a little time but it's so good!  Just like most of Ina's recipes tend to be!

Monday: Chicken with Easy Lemon Butter Sauce  from My Life as a Mrs., Mashed Potatoes from the Pioneer Woman

Tuesday: Fajitas with these flour tortillas from Mom on Timeout and Rotel dip

Wednesday: Fried Pork Chops from Six Sisters Stuff (though I'm using boneless chops),  Luxurious Garlicky Scalloped Potatoes from An Old-Fashioned Christmas which I'm reviewing in a couple of weeks.

Thursday: Becky Higgins' Garlic Chicken Farfalle

Friday: Roast Beef Sliders Horseradish Cheese Baked Sliders from Real House Moms because I love everything horseradish and horseradish cheddar is my favorite!  I will be using regular slider buns instead of the Hawaiian rolls because J is weirdly against Hawaiian bread.

Saturday: Freebie - We may eat out or pick something up or I may make something super simple.

Extras:  I've been craving cheesecake lately so I thought I'd try this recipe for The Best Homemade Cheesecake from Plain Chicken.  Plain Chicken is one of my favorite food blogs so I have high hopes.

There will be bread for most of these meals though I probably won't decide which kind until the day of.  Last week I made these Buttery Soft Rolls from Tastes of Lizzy T's and they were really good!

We have Fajitas every Tuesday because the Tornado loved the idea of Taco Tuesday after watching The Lego Movie.  J loves the idea of having basically the same thing every week but to me it seems kind of boring.  I like to try new things both cooking-wise and eating wise and we very rarely have the same thing twice in a month.  I do tend to make something with a sauce on Monday and serve mashed potatoes with it but that's mostly because the Tornado loves mashed potatoes!  Which side do you fall in?

I'm linking up with Weekend Cooking hosted by Beth Fish Reads

What are you eating this week?

Friday Linkups: Echo Lake

It's Friday linkup time!  I'm linking up with the Book Blogger Hop hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer, Book Beginnings of Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, and the Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice.

This Week's Book Blogger Hop Question:
As you are reading a book, do you take notes for your review, write your review as you read, or something totally different?

My Answer:
I do occasionally take notes if there's a point that I really have to make or a name I'm afraid I won't remember.  Normally, though I just write the review after I've read it though I may do everything but my opinion (blurb, cover, buy link, etc) before I finish.

This week's book is Echo Lake by Carla Neggers.  I'm embarrassed to say how long I've had this eARC and I have no idea why I haven't read it as this is a series I enjoy AND the premise involves restoring and old house which is one of my favorites.  However, I'm digging this out of the neglected pile before I begin her new Christmas novella as this is a series best read in order!  I haven't started it yet but hope to tonight and am really looking forward to it!

The Beginning:
As much as Heather Sloan loved a bright New England winter day, chasing a puppy through knee deep snow in seventeen degrees wasn't her idea of fun.

My Thoughts:
It doesn't sound like my idea of fun either!  Seventeen degrees is not weather I want to go outside in especially if you throw knee high snow into the mix!

The 56:
Brody buttoned his jacket, trying to appear casual.  He wanted to get a read on Adrienne without alarming her.

My Thoughts:
I have no idea what's going on here since I haven't actually started this one but it sounds way more tense than I expected!

So what do you think?  Keep reading?

Beyond the Books: Bad Habits

This week I'm linking up with KissinBlueKaren for Beyond the Books.  This is a meme where we all answer a non-bookish question.  It's always so fun to see everyone's answers and get a peak at the blogger beyond the books.  This week's question is - What are my bad habits that I don't intend to give up?

I, of course, don't have any bad habits but if I admitted that I did this would probably be the list:

1.  Diet Coke - It seems every week there's some study about how Diet Coke makes you fatter, kills you quicker, makes you glow in the dark, etc but I love the stuff and while I do try to drink more water I don't see me getting rid of my Diet Coke addiction anytime soon.

2.  Staying up too late - When I read The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin one of her big things is going to bed early.  So I tried it for a few weeks and it absolutely sucked.  I didn't wake up any easier and I didn't feel any better during the day.  In fact the only result was that I got less down time to do what I want to do.

3. Buying too many books - I know I have a ridiculous number of books and really should take a year off of getting new books so I could get the stack down a little.  But it's so not going to happen!

4. Long, hot baths and showers - There is nothing more relaxing than a bath or a shower and I usually try to do one of each a day.  I love super hot water even though I know it's bad for my skin.  I'll just put on extra lotion because it's so worth it!

5.  Coffee Creamer - I get an assortment box of K Cups from my favorite brand off Amazon and I love having a selection of coffee creamers to compliment the flavors with.  I know coffee creamer is pretty much all fake stuff but it's delicious fake stuff!

So what are your bad habits that you plan on keeping around?

Spending the Holidays With People I'd Like to Punch in the Throat - Review

Spending the Holidays with People I Want to Punch in the Throat: Yuletide Yahoos, Ho Ho Humblebraggers, and other Seasonal Scourges by Jen Mann
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Source: NetGalley
Description:  From the popular, hysterical, and award winning blogger Jen of People I Want to Punch in the Throat.com comes the next destined to-be holiday classic!  You'll want to make room on your bookshelf next to A Christmas Carol and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer for Spending the Holidays with People I Want to Punch in the Throat.  So, grab a cup of hot cocoa, sit back and enjoy Jen's latest collection of humorous rants dissecting the "most wonderful time of the year." (from Goodreads)

Genre: Nonfiction/humor

Why I Picked This Book:  I've been following Jen's blog for a long time and I really enjoyed her previous book.

My Impression:  I've made no secret that I was avoiding Christmas books until after the Halloween but after all the spookiness and murder of my Halloween reads I wasn't necessarily ready to jump into the sweetness and light of the Christmas romances. So I thought this would be a good compromise and I was so right!  I found myself giggling right along with Jen as she discussed holiday decorating,  hiding Christmas presents and then forgetting where she hid them, and the madness of kids changing their mind on their must have gift at the last minute.  I loved the eavesdropping on the humblebraggers and Christmas shopping with her (kidless) cousins and grandmother.  The Christmas letter was hilarious and the talk about Cookie Exchanges and other parties made me glad of my anti-social tendencies!
This book isn't for everyone.  If you don't have kids I'm not sure this would appeal to you.  As well, Jen's language is not what one would call family friendly.
This book was a funny start to the holiday season and perfect for my already frazzled attention span.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Yes!  I always enjoy seeing what Jen has to say.  Even if I don't agree with her she's always entertaining!

Would I Recommend this Book?: I would.  I definitely encourage people to check out her blog - People I Want to Punch in the Throat to give her a try.

Evergreen Springs - Review

Evergreen Springs (Haven Point #3) by RaeAnne Thayne
Rating: 4 Stars
Source: NetGalley
Description:  Christmas is the last thing Cole Barrett is thinking about this year.  He's barely hanging on trying to care for his two grieving children since his ex-wife died in a tragic accident.  For the reclusive Cole, this is no time for gift-giving and celebration - and certainly not for a sunny-natured optimist to blow into his screwed up life.  In the years since her cancer treatments, physician Devin Shaw has researched the curative powers of Lake Haven's mineral waters.  Unfortunately, the hot springs are on Barrett property, forcing Devin to strike a bargain with the ranch's attractive gruff owner: she'll give Cole's children the magical Christmas they deserve and Cole will allow her patients access to the springs.  But can she work her holiday magic to heal the Barrett family's battered hearts - and her own? (from Goodreads)

Genre: Romance/Contemporary

Why I Picked This Book: RaeAnne Thayne is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors and I really enjoyed getting to know Devin in the previous book

My Impression: Once again Thayne proves why she's on my auto-buy list.  This was an incredibly sweet and Christmas-y story.  While the romance is a major plot point the story is so much more than that.  This is not just a romance but a story of hope, healing and forgiveness.
Devin is just so nice.  She's good, she's kind and optimistic as well as being smart and capable. It made sense how she became involved in Cole's life before she had really gotten to know him.  Cole's reasoning for allowing Devin into his world also made sense.  At the beginning he's so overwhelmed and is so pulled to pieces he really has no choice but to take Devin up on her offer even though he's not super enthusiastic about it.
This isn't a hot and spicy romance though Cole and Devin are very much attracted to each other from the beginning.  In fact most of the story revolves around Cole, Jazmine, and Ty learning how to be a family and become part of the community.  It's also nice to watch Devin start to feel that she's part of a family even though she really resists it.  For me, the very best kind of romance is the kind when the characters make each other better and are able to really bring comfort to the other person and that was definitely the case with this book.  Devin and Cole just work even though superficially they don't have very much in common at all.
There were a few flaws with this one.  Cole thinks something about Ty's parentage at one point that feels really out of left field and is never mentioned again.  It felt really unnecessary to the story.  As well the story did drag a bit in the last quarter.  I kind of felt like we were going over the same issues over and over again with not enough progress.  Cole thinks he isn't good enough for Devin, Devin wants Cole to forgive his father, Cole isn't going to forgive his father and repeat.  However, the ending was so satisfying that I can definitely forgive a 30 or so page lag!  In addition it was just lovely to visit Haven Point again.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Yes!  I've got another book by Thayne that's part of a different series coming up soon and I can't wait to read it.  In addition I'm already looking forward to my next visit to Haven Point.

Would I Recommend this Book?: Yes!  If you love a Christmas-y feel good book this is a series that you must read.

Polish Your Poise with Madame Chic - Review

Polish Your Poise with Madame Chick: Lessons in Everyday Elegance by Jennifer L. Scott
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Source: NetGalley
Description:  The New York Times bestselling author of Lessons from Madame Chic and At Home with Madame Chic revives the timeless quality of poise and shows how to cultivate it as a daily practice and a life-long endeavor.  Just step out of your door today and you will notice that poise is a rarity in our wired, fast-paced, and unmannerly world.  As uncivil behaviors like flip-flops at Broadway shows and digital oversharing proliferate, this timely book reminds us of the quiet power of behaving with dignity, kindness, and grace.  Jennifer Scott's Parisian mentor, Madame Chic, embodied poise and not just with the good posture, stylish attire, and natural manners that made her extraordinarily elegant.  She also demonstrated steady assurance and graceful calm in everything she did; from interacting with her family and receiving guests at home to presenting himself in public.  Jennifer L. Scott passes on the lessons she learned as well as some of her hard won wisdom, addressing topics such as proper attire at social events, good grooming, communication skills, hospitality and being a good guest, our interactions with neighbors and strangers, role models, self discipline and self-image.  This charming illustrated, practical, and inspiring book, full of tips, lists, and ideas, is certain to start a new conversation about the timeless art of poise.  (from Goodreads)

Genre: Nonfiction

Why I Picked This Book:  I really enjoyed Scott's previous book, At Home with Madame Chic, and was intrigued by the focus on poise - especially as we're entering the holiday season where poise is definitely hard to find!

My Impression: While the previous book I read by Jennifer L. Scott had focused on the home this one is all about the individual.  She talks not just about behavior but a mental attitude and a method of doing things so that you create calmness and confidence around you.
I found myself nodding along with quite a lot of what she says - especially the sections on appropriate clothing.  The whole pajamas in public thing mystifies me as much as mystifies her!  I also really enjoyed what she had to say about about being a hostess and a guest as well as taking compliments.

While I agreed with everything that Scott had to say I didn't really feel like this book was for me.  With a few exceptions I felt like I was already acting in the ways that Scott recommended but I think I would have gotten a lot out of it when I was in my early 20s, just out of college and entering the work force and had just gotten married.

Despite that I got some useful reminders about cutting down screen time, not being so stressed on absolute perfection, and being more mindful on how I present myself.  While I won't be cooking or cleaning in nice clothes with an apron over it as Scott suggests I can take the extra minute to put together a more comfortable outfit that still feels cute and put together simply because it makes me feel nice!

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: I definitely would!  While most of her information is not earth shattering-ly new information, she always provides very useful reminders and a very positive way of looking at things.

Would I Recommend this Book?: I would!  Especially if you're just starting out or feeling frazzled.  I feel like this book does a good job of providing tips to add more calm to your life.

This Week in Reading: November 1

It's Sunday Post time!  This is hosted by the awesome Caffeinated Book Reviewer and gives us all a chance to recap our week.

What I Got:

The Sayers Swindle by Victoria Abbott - There's a classic mystery author's name IN the title.  How could I pass that up??  This is the 2nd in this cozy mystery series and I already have the first sitting on my shelf.  (paperbackswap)

No Ghouls Allowed by Victoria Laurie - While this series definitely has it's share of flaws I always enjoy a mystery with a ghost hunt in it!  (paperbackswap)

Off Kilter by Hannah Reed - This is the first in the Scottish Highlands Mystery series.  I haven't read much set in Scotland so I'm really curious.  (paperbackswap)

A Copper Ridge Christmas by Maisy Yates - I've been wanting to try this author and the blurb interested me so I figured I'd give it a try.  (NetGalley)

Currently:

Reading: Evergreen Springs by RaeAnne Thayne and Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie

Listening: The Super Serials podcast because it's such fun.  This week's podcast was a double header discussing Sweet Valley Twins and the Curse of the Ruby Necklaces as well as a Goosebumps book called Werewolf of Fever Swamp. I'm also listening to Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo

Watching: I don't know what's going on but I'm not watching nearly as much TV.  I seriously need to get caught up.  I am watching Poirot on Netflix while I'm cooking dinner and stuff and really enjoying them.

Off the Blog:

We have survived a very wet and soggy Halloween!  It's rained most of the week here and decided to really come down right about trick or treating time today.  On top of that for the first time ever the Tornado had to be picked up from school because he was sick.  He spent most of Friday with a fever around 100 and just absolutely miserable.  Luckily, it was gone when he woke up Saturday though he was definitely not 100%.  We went to his end of the year soccer party which was a costume party and then went to an event at the Space and Rocket Center where he ran into a Jedi to battle!  He made it about an hour before his energy just left him so we ended up leaving, picking up take out and heading home and skipped the actual trick or treating.
I hated for him to miss Trick or Treating but he really wasn't feeling it and had gotten plenty of candy at the event and his school party earlier in the week.  Plus, getting home and spending the evening curled up on the couch in warm cozy clothes wasn't too bad!  We watched Room on the Broom which is such a cute Halloween story an involved a grumpy cat which totally cracked the Tornado up.  After that we watched some Halloween Wars from Food Network because he's my child and I've convinced him that food shows are fun.

On the Blog:

What Happened:

Monday: Trick or Deceit - Cozy Mystery Review
Tuesday: My Top Ten Halloween Movies - Some scary some not
Wednesday:  Nine Lives - Mystery Review
Thursday:  Beyond the Books: My Anti-Bucket List
Friday: Friday Linkups Featuring Disney After Dark
Saturday: Weekly Menu Plus Menu Planning

What's Coming Up:

Monday: Polish Your Poise with Madame Chic - Nonfiction Review

Tuesday: Evergreen Springs - Contemporary Romance Review

Wednesday: Spending the Holidays with People I Want to Punch in the Throat - Nonfiction/Humor Review

Thursday: Beyond the Books: Bad Habits

Friday: Linkups featuring Current Book

Saturday: TBD

Have a great week!