Reading Update: 10%

"I will admit to losing a sense of adventure, however. The man I sought to know was all subtlety and nuance, while I find his substitution rather obvious and predictable."

Even with the mask and the dark, she saw his eyes narrow. He had not liked that.

Menu Monday

As you're reading this I'm on my way to New York or already there, who knows, time zones are wild! ;)  Hoping after I get back I can finally find some time for reading and looking over my BLs feed.

Mahi-mahi with Thai Coconut Curry Sauce

Another one of my easy fish recipes. Again, simple and not time consuming to make but this one definitely didn't have enough of a strong taste to impress or make memorable. I'm not going to make it again because there are other easy recipes out there that taste better. A hit it and quit it!

Lemon and Artichoke Couscous With Shrimp

I can't remember if I've posted this one before because I make it over and over but I LOVE THE HELL out of this one too. I know artichokes aren't for everyone but the taste combo happening here with such simple, few ingredients is so light, refreshing, and GOOD (as you can probably tell by my heaping plate). If any, um, family members (husbands) don't like seafood, no court of law would hold you accountable for whatever you have to do to make and enjoy this. I think it even takes under a half hour to make. 

Orange Chicken Poppers

These had a brilliant orange flavor and took under an hour to make. It was a quick flavor filled meal but I thought the balls could have been a bit dry, maybe I over mixed the chicken. Just not wowing and probably not something I would make again.

Blackberry Cream Cheese Pie Dippers

If you like blackberries, you have to make these. I just used store bought crust, so these were pretty simple to make, I 'd say under an hour. The filling was rich/sweet enough for me so I skipped the extra sprinkling of sugar on top. The dip is super simple to make and I thought a pretty good compliment but I ate these plain more than not. I'm not going to lie, I loved the hell out of these, lol. I'm a fiend for blackberries though and these, obviously, have a strong taste. If you love blackberries the way I do, make these, make these now. 

Spicy Supreme Hummus

I don't know, I felt this could have been spicier and if it makes any sense, it kind of had a dry taste to the taste. I guess I'm saying, I've had better hummus. Looking at the picture, I'm not sure it has visual goodness either. Not quite a fail but definitely won't be making again.

Any successful hummus (or other food) recipes to share? 

Enjoy the week, everyone!

Menu Monday

Y'all. A blizzard in April. We were hit with about 15 inches over the weekend. I was not pleased.
However,

If only we could hitch a shovel to the guy and get our driveway plowed.

On to the food!

Turkey Apple Breakfast Hash

I loved this one! All the flavors combined together to form The Perfect Hash (said to the tune of SNL's "The Perfect Cheer"). I had the brilliant idea of drizzling maple syrup over it and my god, life changer. If you ever have overnight guests, make this for them in the morning and they will be yours for life. Yummy X1,000,000. Also doesn't take long or much effort to make, I used turkey sausage, left out the zucchini, and did sweet potato.

Strawberry Orange Sunrise Smoothie

This one was good but any orange flavoring definitely gets lost in favor of the strawberry. Ice cubes are used too, so you can't make the night before. Probably won't make again because I wanted more orange flavor but if strawberry is your thing, not bad. 

Hot Potato Chip Chicken Salad Casserole

This was so good! I mean I really enjoy putting chips on burger, so this was going to have a hard time going wrong for me. The almonds had me side-eyeing but through whatever witchcraft, add a lot and makes this even more awesome than the chips. If you already have some cooked leftover chicken, this would probably only take a half hour, if not, add in the cooking time for some chicken. I again, substituted the mayo with greek yogurt. If spring still exists out in the world, would be a good picnic or family get together bring.

Chicken Ranch Wraps

Super duper easy and you probably don't need a recipe, lol. Takes about 15 minutes to throw together if you have leftover shredded/cut up chicken. I dipped mine in salsa for some added flavor. Would work really well for a take to work for lunch. 

What did you all eat this week? And feel free to torture me with talk of spring weather.

Reading Update: 30%

Thing was, Kismet implied that there was some sort of larger, ultimate plan and he was at the mercy of it. He’d never much liked being at the mercy of anything. He did not like ambiguity.

Reading Update: 30%

A woman’s will was much stronger than a man’s…and her husband deserved the lesson she was going to happily teach him.

Review: Small Town Girl

Small Town Girl by LaVyrle Spencer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.3 stars

For more comments, quotes, and discussion - Buddy Read Small Town Girl

This leans a little more towards women's fiction with the focus more on the heroine Tess, her career, and how she integrates with her family life. Our hero Kenny doesn't get many povs but when he does appear on the pages, you'll love the heck out of him.

It was super refreshing to have the heroine with the rich glamorous lifestyle and how the dynamics were a bit different because of that. The author does an A+ job of bringing you into the heroine's world. I hate to be all, oldies did it better, but I can't help but compare the obvious research and how fantastic the author flushed out Tess, story, and characters, to how a fair amount of newer publications skimp on this; it does wonders in helping you sink into the story. There were a couple times the details slowed things down but overall, I was fully immersed into this world.

I would definitely read another by this author again, a few are highly recommending Hummingbird. The romance wasn't prevalent enough on the pages for me but when it was, I liked how they sparked off one another. If you're looking for a heroine focused with emotional family dynamics, this was fantastically written.

View all my reviews

35%

She marched over to confront him at closer range, glaring up at his eyes. They were brown and belligerent with a spiky set of lashes that were perhaps his best feature. His mouth might not be bad if he ever stopped crimping it up like a rooster's asshole.

Rooster's asshole. Rooster's asshole I can't find someone fast enough to insult this way. Everyone is a rooster's asshole from here on out.

Menu Monday

Thai Chickpea and Veggie Pizza

Really good, the peanut sauce is what makes it. I actually think I would switch out the canned chickpeas for the bagged ones. They are more soft out of the can and I think a crunchier vibe would go better with this. Pretty easy, blending up the peanut sauce was the most work and not time consuming to make.

Smoky Southern-Style Meatless Meatloaf

I know, I know, meatless meatloaf is wackadoodle but beanloaf just doesn't have the same ring to it. This one takes some time and effort, was in the 2hr mark. The BBQ sauce was so good, bf said it would taste amazing on ribs. Sigh. I thought the loaf was pretty good but I would switch out the cornmeal for Panko bread crumbs next time for some added texture.

Smashed White Bean, Basil, and Avocado Sandwhich

I forgot to take a picture of this one before I inhaled it, so you get a picture of Raiden enjoying his backyard view. :)

I was trying to help usher spring in with this lighter sandwich, as you can tell by the snow on the ground, it didn't work. Quick, easy, and light lunch that was really good. Get that extra lemon to spritz more on. 

Cheeseburger Casserole

I used turkey instead of hamburger. I thought this one was a little blah tasting, I would season the turkey meat with something while I cooked it next time. Very easy to whip up and not very time consuming. Cut up pickle spears on the bf's plate (he thought it was really good) and shredded lettuce and carrots on mine. 

Orange Dreamsicle Bread

So good, amazing orange dreamsicle taste with cream cheese. I added orange zest to the frosting and loved the extra spark it gave it. I made mine in one 9X4 loaf pan. There was some extra batter that got tossed but not a lot left over. I also had to add about 20mins to the cook time. This one takes some time and effort, probably around 2 hours, but if you like dreamsicle tastes, make this. My mouth is watering just thinking about how good this was again, lol.

How was your eats this week?

Reading Update: 20%

Five years ago she'd offered to build her mother a new house with a dishwasher and air-conditioning and anything she wanted! Five years! But would Mary say yes? Of course not. Instead here was Tess, washing dishes by hand and glaring out a window at Kenny Kronek's house!

Family dynamics, ego-checking, and anticipated sexual tension battles afoot.

More quotes and comments - Buddy Read Small Town Girl 

Review: Unmasking Miss Appleby

Unmasking Miss Appleby by Emily Larkin
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I liked the hero and the heroine but the paranormal aspect of shapeshifting kept them from building a romantic relationship together. I know they spend time together but hero doesn't know it's her and they never bond that way.
The trying to murder mystery was loose end, red-herring, and fractured for me; didn't flow or provide entertainment for me to follow along with.
I may be too square for this story, lol. Like I said in a update, their was more intimacy between the heroine and her "pego" for most of the story than between her and the hero. I'd be interested in reading this author if she didn't include paranormal elements because I liked the hero and heroine's character.

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Reading Update: 50%

How I feel reading 50% of the book and so far the most sexual intimacy has been between the heroine and her "pego". 

*No transsexual identities here, a heterosexual cisgender woman who has the gift of metamorphosis. 

Giveaway!

My giveaway bookshelf is filling up again, time to share the wealth. If you live in the USA, comment with your first, second, and third choice. I'll have Random Number Generator pick three winners with one of their choices on Monday, 9th. 

Please comment on the post on BookLikes:  WhiskeyintheJar Romance Giveaway

You don't need an account with BL to comment, just make sure to post an email where I can reach you.

*When you win the book, you get to keep the book. I've had three or four people send the book back thinking I was just library-ing them out, lol. 

Books eligible to be won:

(a mixture of ARCs, contest wins, garage sales, and store bought)

Good Luck!

Review: The Hellion Bride

The Hellion Bride by Catherine Coulter
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

2.5 stars

“I love you, Sophie Sherbrooke . I never thought such a thing existed, but evidently it does. I love you and I will love you until I cock up my toes and pass to the hereafter and I will still love you even as I float about in eternity. And I will continue to force you to pleasure until you accept my love and take me into your heart as well as into your body.”

I really liked the first half of this, the leads snapped, sparked, and challenged each other. The heroine had numerous great quotes about the crap women have to deal with and calling out the injustices. The second half went downhill for me. There were some forced and feeling pointless plot points but the biggest disappointment was the lack of romance I felt between the two.

The heroine has well deserved trust issues with men and needed time to learn to trust Ryder, heal, and become confident and comfortable with not only her own sexuality but being intimate with Ryder. The above quote is moving and all but the last sentence is the problem I had with the whole second half. Ryder decides and forces Sophie to sexually accept him on his timetable and what he thinks is best for her. No, dude. The sex scenes were awful,  a book club would need more than one meeting to discuss the consent and emotional issues.

I ended up not believing in their romance, the murder-mystery plot fizzled, and two pointless zombie lusting characters make a pointless appearance.
Enjoyed the first half and was disappointed in the second. Rounded up because of the heroine and her truth bombs she liked to drop.

For more quotes, comments, and discussion - Buddy Read The Hellion Bride

View all my reviews

Menu Monday - Easter edition

Hope everyone had a good Easter and got to eat some good food. I didn't do as fun themed stuff this time because of time constraints but found a couple good new recipes.

Jalapeno Popper Macaroni Salad

I substituted the mayo for Greek yogurt because neither I or the bf are big mayo fans and why it is so hard to find macaroni salads we like. I had the great idea to use Greek yogurt instead of mayo and it helped immensely. I also used fresh jalapenos because why use canned ones, bleh. I liked it and the bf was a big fan. I probably wouldn't make again but if you don't like mayo, do my Greek yogurt substitute. 

Homestyle Sausage Stuffing

I've for sure posted this recipe before because I make it every holiday. I use turkey sausage and the bf goes gaga for this. I like stuffing but I'm no connoisseur however, I don't think you can ever go wrong with this one.

Spinach Puffs

I might have posted this recipe before too but these are great little appetizers. I made these in place of rolls. The puff pastry bread make these so good and they look a little fancy, so you feel cool serving them :)

Baked Parmesan Sweet Potatoes

First time I made these and really liked them. The Parmesan blended and complimented the sweet potato taste so well. They were super easy to make and only took about 20 mins in the oven. Timed it perfectly so when turkey came out, rested, and then carved, these came out of the oven. Great side dish. 

Cream Cheese Mints

I was ridiculously over the moon with how pretty the colors came out for these. I halved the recipe and just kept the flavor mint for all of them. Easy to make but kind of time consuming as you have to let them sit in the fridge for two hours and then after formed, they have to sit out for four hours. Really added some fun, pretty color pop to the Easter spread. 

Peanut Butter Pie

The crowd pleaser. As long as you have a food processor for to ground up the Oreos for the crust, this is pretty easy to make. It actually wasn't as sweet/rich as I thought it was going to be; it tastes like a soft peanut butter cup. Yummy is thy name. I've gotten two tummy aches eating too much of this but Worth It.

Any fun East treats or old family holiday standbys to share?