Kristina's Favorites

Midweek Morsels: Superbowl Snacks

2012-02-02T08:57:00.004-05:00

It's that time again! The big game!! I don't usually have a party but we do go to my inlaws so I always like to have something to bring. My staple is usually Buffalo Chicken Dip...we love that stuff. Maybe I'll try to bring one of these new ones as well. Don't forget to head over to BooMama's Diptacular, a linky party she holds every year full of fantastic dips...and new blogs to visit too =)

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken

from: My Kitchen Apron

This would be perfect to have cooking all day long. That way it can double as a dip or for sandwiches to start out.

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken

3 lb. bag of frozen chicken breasts
1 bottle Frank's Wings Buffalo Sauce
1 packet Ranch Dip Mix
2 TBSP butter

Put frozen chicken, wing sauce, and ranch dip mix into crock pot.
Cook on low at least 6 to 7 hours
Using two forks, shred chicken & return to crock pot.
Add butter.
Cook on low for an additional hour

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

from: Gina's Recipes (Skinny Taste)

I love Spinach Dip, I haven't met one I didn't like.

Hot Spinach & Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:

13.75 oz artichoke hearts packed in water, drained
10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup fat free Greek yogurt
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
2/3 cup Parmigiano Reggiano
4 oz shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
salt and fresh pepper to taste
olive oil spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°.
In a small food processor, coarsely chop the artichoke hearts with the garlic and shallots.
Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Place in an oven-proof dish and bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes, until hot and cheese is melted. Serve right away.
Can be made one day in advance and stored in the refrigerator before baking. Makes about 3 3/4 cups

BLT Rollers

from: Kraft Foods

Perfect bite sized versions of a BLT, this is great finger food for passers-by! You could even save a few calories by preparing with light or fat free version of cream cheese and mayo.

Ingredients

4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1/4 cup KRAFT Real Mayo Mayonnaise

8 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, cooked, crumbled

1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

2 flour tortillas (8 inch)

1/2 cup shredded romaine lettuce

Directions

Mix cream cheese and mayo in medium bowl. Add bacon and tomatoes; mix well.

Spread onto tortillas; top with lettuce. Roll up tightly.
Cut each into 7 diagonal slices.

Hopefully this will hold you over on game day!! What sorts of things do you make? If you have any good appetizer recipes you're willing to share, I would love them!

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2012

She Thinks She's Crafty.....

2012-01-24T18:52:00.002-05:00

Yes, by "she", I mean me. This is the title of my Pinterest Crafty Pinboard. I may think I'm crafty, so it contains all the crafty stuff I want to get into.

At 12 years old, my mom taught me how to cross stitch and ever since then I've loved creating beautiful pieces of art from little threaded x's.

Sometimes it's just the idea that all those stitches create a bigger picture, it's amazing. Right now I'm working on a stocking for my little man. I started it right after he was born, insanely thinking I could get it done in less than a month for Christmas.....WRONG! So here we are 4 years later and I'm almost done! At least I didn't toss it right?

After my recent Pinterest addiction, Christmas was quite interesting and very homemade this year....more on that later. But I wanted to share something...it's not much but it's very cute and I made it and it's not cross stitch.

My mom bought Ethan a make-it-yourself blanket for Christmas, even though she knew I'd have to make it! This monkey felt is just absolutely adorable!! But I laid out the felt blankets, right sides out. I pinned it all down so it wouldn't move, cut squares out of the corners and cut all the fringy pieces. Then I tied them all together and took out all the pins. Ethan loves this! And now he has his very own blanket.

Then I realized, do you know how easy it would be to make these....with any felt you could find?!? Just wait until that felt goes on sale and they would be perfect for Christmas gifts.

Have you been crafty lately?? What have you made?

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2012

The Boy Next Door

2012-01-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

The Boy Next Door
by Meggin (Meg) Cabot

384 pages
October 2002

Read: January 2012

"Using the clever medium of email transmissions from character to character, Meggin Cabot -- author of the popular young-adult Princess Diaries series -- crafts a hilarious story of a New York gossip columnist with journalistic aspirations, romantic complications, and one very large problem: what to do with her comatose neighbor's Great Dane. For Melissa Fuller, the path to true love is riddled with a pretentious ex-boyfriend, a best friend who's marrying into a crazy Italian family, nosy coworkers, and a boss who might fire her at any minute. If that's not enough, there's the mystery of who bonked her elderly neighbor on the head, and whether the neighbor's nephew is the man of her dreams or just a bad nightmare. This zany romantic caper is truly a novel for the 21st century!"

I've never read anything by Meg Cabot so it's only fitting that I start with one of her first. This was a very charming book. I love the storyline and how it all plays out in email format. Melissa (Mel) and Nadine (Nad) work for a New York paper and must spend all day doing nothing but emailing each other about their personal lives. It's quite hilarious actually, because not only is Nadine emailing Melissa about her personal life, she is also the office gossip and is emailing everyone else in the office and her fiance about Melissa's personal life. Melissa's neighbor gets conked on the head and is in a coma in the hospital. She tries to track down her neighbor's family and gets her grandson, the most obnoxious photographer around. When she meets him, he's nothing like the rumors that swirl around him. Little does she know, the man she's met is not who she thinks he is.....he's better.

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2012

Midweek Morsels: Rigatoni

2012-01-18T13:29:00.000-05:00

After Trisha's newly remodeled recipe book, I decided to step up my game and get all my cut out, ripped out, and printed out recipes into some sort of order. I got myself a binder and some tabs to organize. I think I did a pretty good job and I've found it easier to start making some of these recipes. I love pasta and this one comes from All You Magazine. It's creamy and delicious and tastes almost exactly like the Vodka Pasta I make....only with wine, not vodka =)

Rigatoni in Creamy Tomato Sauce

All You Magazine

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 ounces pepperoni, finely chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 cup heavy cream, warmed

Salt

1 pound rigatoni

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add pepperoni and onion and cook, stirring, until onion is soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute longer.

2. Add wine and cook, stirring, until almost evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and sugar, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in heavy cream. Season with salt.
3. While sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add rigatoni and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes or as package label directs. Combine with sauce and basil and serve.

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2012

Midweek Morsels: BBQ Chicken Calzones

2012-01-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

I love BBQ chicken! But I'm not a fan of bread so I don't make pizzas, calzones, scones, or biscuits very often. I remember when my mom used to make pizza bread for my dad on football Sundays, before we even heard the word calzone. This recipe reminded me of those days, even though there wasn't any football this time. These calzones are really good, I will add a little more BBQ sauce next time....we like our sauces! These would be great for Super Bowl Sunday =)

BBQ Chicken Calzones

adapted from Life as a Lofthouse

4 servings

1 can (16oz) Pillsbury Grand's Homestyle Biscuit dough

1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded

1/2 cup BBQ sauce

1/2 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/2 cup chopped green onions

Shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together the cooked chicken and barbecue sauce.

Remove biscuit dough from can. Take one dough piece and lay out on a clean surface. Roll out flat into a 6 inch circle. Repeat with all dough circles.

In the center of a flattened dough circle, place 1/4 cup of barbecue chicken. Top with desired amount of red onion, bacon, and mozzarella. Take another dough circle and place over the top. Seal the edges by pressing them together. I also used a fork and gently pressed all around the edges. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. You will have 4 calzones total.

Bake for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown.

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2012

My Latest Obsession: Doctor Who

2012-01-09T09:23:00.000-05:00

I'm a big fan of Pinterest....no shock there lol. One of the ladies I follow has an obsession with Harry Potter and Doctor Who. I had no idea what Doctor Who was so I wanted to find out. You know what they say about curiosity right? Sheesh, I spent my entire week of vacation watching the first 3 Seasons of Doctor Who!!

Well, apparently these are the first three seasons of the returning Doctor Who which originally aired in 1963, because they are on the 11th Doctor! I'll have to go back and watch the first ones, I think that would be a hoot!

I started with Season 1 and the Doctor being Christopher Eccleston. I like him, he was good. Of course you always like the one it started with because they make the character.

I was a little upset when I saw the Doctor was changing. However, David Tennant is fantastic! I recognized him and couldn't figure out from where, so I looked him up because it was making me crazy and realized he was on Harry Potter as Barty Crouch, Jr.! I knew I knew him from somewhere lol.

So while I really really love David Tennant as The Doctor, I know it's going to change. I have 2 more episodes, "The End of Time" season finale, in Season 4 which I believe ended in 2009. I can't remember if I have 1 season left with him, but this might be the last one and it makes me so sad! I get so attached to these characters!!

I can't imagine why I haven't heard of this show before. I am a sucker for all the British accents and am constantly watching at least one BBC show, (Absolutely Fabulous being one of my favorites, which I just read is coming back...yippee!). I do hope that the New Doctor is as good as this last one!!

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2012

Once a Witch

2012-01-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

Once a Witch
by Carolyn MacCullough

312 pgs
2010

Read: January 2012

"Tamsin Greene comes from a long line of witches, and she was supposed to be one of the most Talented among them. But Tamsin's magic never showed up. Now seventeen, Tamsin attends boarding school in Manhattan, far from her family. But when a handsome young professor mistakes her for her very Talented sister, Tamsin agrees to find a lost family heirloom for him. The search—and the stranger—will prove to be more sinister than they first appeared, ultimately sending Tamsin on a treasure hunt through time that will unlock the secret of her true identity, unearth the sins of her family, and unleash a power so vengeful that it could destroy them all. This is a spellbinding display of storytelling that will exhilarate, enthrall, and thoroughly enchant."~Barnes & Noble Overview

This was the first book I read on my new Nook Tablet! Have you ever read a book that just really reminded you of all the other books? Not the EXACT same, but very similar. Girl doesn't have talent, then girl receives talent; girl meets boy with talent who's not like other boys; girl and boy fight horrible evil thing with talent together. I tend to fall into the same trap every time. However, if the story is a good one then it doesn't matter, I don't see the pattern. The problem comes when the story gets boring, then you start to notice it more. That didn't happen with this book. I like those sort of books with magic powers and witches, werewolves, vampires and ghosts. That's just me. It interests me...a lot. Sometimes I think I might have a magic power if I really concentrate =) Once a Witch wasn't exhilarating but it was good; it didn't blow me away, but it didn't bore me either. There is a sequel called Always a Witch that I do want to read, if only to see what happens to the girl who met the boy......

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2012

Midweek Morsels: Corn Chowder with Shrimp

2012-01-04T08:23:00.000-05:00

I think it's cold enough (finally!) for a good soup. This recipe was perfect for this week because we got some nice snow. However, it's going to warm up to 50 again by the end of the week. I'm not happy about that, but I am happy about this chowder. I'm not a seafood lover by any means and I'm not a fan of clams, so my chowder usually consists of corn and/or potatoes. I have this recipe cut out from my All You Magazine from October 2011. It's a full-flavored, hearty soup especially great for winter.

Corn Chowder with Shrimp

Ingredients

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 16-oz. bags frozen corn

1 onion, finely chopped 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

2 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch rounds

2 russet potatoes, diced

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 cup heavy cream, optional

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Combine chicken broth, corn, onion, bell pepper, carrots, potatoes, bay leaf, 1 cup water and 1 tsp. salt in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until vegetables are tender, about 6 hours.

Puree 3 cups of soup in a blender and return to slow cooker. Stir in shrimp. Cover and cook until shrimp are pink and firm, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in cream, if desired, and cook until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2012

52 Small Changes...

2012-01-02T11:17:00.000-05:00

52 Small Changes: One Year to a Happier, Healthier You
by Brett Blumenthal

348 pages
Release Date: January 3rd, 2012

Read: January 2012

"Whether as New Year’s resolutions, birthday wishes, or daily promises, most everyone vows at some point to make a major life change. But change is easier said than done, especially when it comes to better managing our wellness amidst the chaos of everyday living. Fortunately, wellness coach and award-winning writer Brett Blumenthal has devised a way to inspire and motivate her readers to live healthier and make positive changes in their lives. Although Blumenthal’s method is not a quick fix, it is a surprisingly simple one: make one small change per week, for fifty-two weeks, and at the end of a year, you’ll be happier and healthier. After all, it is the small changes that are the most realistic, instead of trying to overhaul your lifestyle all at once. 52 Small Changes addresses all areas of wellbeing, including nutrition, exercise, stress management, mental wellness, and even the health of one’s home environment. By guiding readers through these changes at an easy, manageable pace, Blumenthal provides an engaging roadmap to lasting results and “a happier, healthier you.”"

When I think of change, I think of something new that will take me out of my comfort zone....and let's face it, I quite like my comfort zone! This is probably how I gained so much weight in the first place. The saying that I've always heard is that "it takes 21 days to form a habit". That's what I always take into consideration when I think of making a change. However Blumenthal makes a good argument when she states that "the amount of time required to make a lasting change is highly individualistic and depends on the person, the change, and the circumstances." (Introduction pg 3). It's very likely that we all know this, but we are constantly trying to find the fast fix, that instant gratification.

The reason I believe this book will work for me is something else that Blumenthal says, "extremes don't work". Now, how many of us have tried to do it all at once? Cut carbs, drink more water, less fat, exercise every day.....I know I've done it and I know it doesn't work. So the ability to change one thing every week is a great concept, even better since I have this book I can take my time. If one change isn't sticking, I can use an extra week if I need to! And as motivation, each success could come with a reward...not food of course!

In the introduction chapters you will find an assessment/questionnaire to start off. This will take you through a survey of questions that will ultimately tell you which areas of your life that need the most work. Each chapter is equipped with an explanation of the importance of the change, ways to implement the change, a checklist for you to follow, and little tips, tricks and tidbits of information. In the back are important tools and resources to help you along your way. There are food journal templates, lists of affirmations, strengths and accomplishments, nutritional worksheets, prevention plan checklists, budgeting worksheets and internet resources.

Blumenthal's work is more than just a diet and exercise book, it's a lifestyle change. She doesn't just focus on a healthy diet and exercise. She also implements changes in household cleaning supplies, stress management and toxins in beauty products. When I saw this book a few months ago while I was browsing some sites I immediately put it on my wishlist. I need to make a change this year, I want to make a change this year....my body is craving this change. What a perfect way to start! Even though I've read through the entire book, I will be starting this week from the beginning and implementing a new change every week! I plan on updating my progress as I go so this is definitely going to be a new year for me, with a new challenge. I hope that some of you will follow along with me! Here's to a great start at a new year!!
Thank you to Natalie Surowiecki and Amazon Encore for the opportunity to review this book!

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2012

Happy 2012!!!

2012-01-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

I interrupt your festivities to wish everyone a Happy New Year!!! 2012 seemed so far away when we were all huddled on our couch awaiting the new millenium to see if the lights would fail LOL. I hope that everyone has a wonderful and SAFE holiday! I'm not going to make any goals this year except one, to be healthier. I have fallen off the "watch what you eat" wagon lately....I secretly blame the holidays...so it will be time to get back on the saddle and straighten up. Tally ho! Party on!!

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2012

2012 Book Reviews

2012-01-01T00:30:00.000-05:00

2012 Book Reviews

January

Brett Blumenthal - 52 Small Changes

Carolyn MacCullough - Once a Witch
Meggin Cabot - The Boy Next Door

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2012

2011 Bookish Stats

2011-12-31T12:00:00.000-05:00

2011 proved to be yet another year where I signed up for entirely too many challenges and didn't finish them. However I did try out a numbers challenge on Goodreads....and I finished it! So that feels good =) Here are the numbers this year....

Bookish stats:

2011
Challenges completed: 3/7 (42%)
Books read: 58
Pages read: 17,923

2010
Challenges completed: 10/16 (62%)
Books read: 44
Pages read: 13,944

2011 Top Ten Favorite Reads (no particular order)

Hush Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick
Lucky Man - Michael J Fox
Paranormalcy - Kiersten White
Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins
Letters to Ethan - Tom McQueen
Delirium - Lauren Oliver
Before I Fall - Lauren Oliver
Inner Circle - Brad Meltzer
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - Ransom Riggs
Christmas Jars - Jason Wright

Categories:
Classics: 0
Belong to a Series: 23
Young Adult: 27
New Authors: 24
Non Fiction/Biography: 8
Chick Lit: 6
Thriller/Mystery: 14
Holiday: 2
Over 400 pages: 13
Between 200-400 pages: 32
Under 200 pages: 10

What I've learned this year is that I have a happy medium idea on how many pages my books should have. I think most of my reads had right around 300 pages. I've also learned that I am in desperate need of some classics in my life. I'm very happy with the fact that I read 2 more non-fiction/biography books than I did last year, but I will still shoot for more! I'm surprised that I read just as many new authors again this year. So I have a comfortable area in which I read or choose my books. My goals for next year are to read more classics, complete more challenges by entering into less of them, and finish the series I started instead of starting more.
All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2011

31 years....

2011-12-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

Today at 11:28 PM, while I am sleeping soundly, I will turn 31. Thirty-one.....that's nuts. I can't even comprehend that I am 9 years away from being 40, when I can remember being 17 at my senior prom like it was yesterday. Somedays I feel like I'm now in my 30s and I have nothing to show for it.

Some people have great events in their lives; books they've written, fantastic jobs, incredible inventions, a talent for singing. Me....nothing. Then I have a wonderful husband who reminds me that in my 31 years I have graduated high school, graduated college, been married for almost 8 years, have a sweet 4 year old little miracle boy, and a job that I enjoy. Shouldn't that be enough?

When you factor in the little things that have happened in my life like I attended my high school prom, I've been to Disney World, I grew up with 3 crazy sisters, my dad bought me Valentine's Day gifts until I had a husband of my own, my mom showed us that it's never too late by going back to school at 40, my husband writes love notes, my son says I love you everytime he hugs me.......I really should be grateful for everything that I have and have been a part of.

My life really is full of those incredible events that some people never get to accomplish....even if I never invent the next post it note or write the next best seller.

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2011

Midweek Morsels: Snickers Fudge

2011-12-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

Snickers Fudge

Culinary in the Country

First layer:

1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup butterscotch chips
1/4 cup peanut butter

Second layer:

4 tablespoons butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped salted peanuts

Third layer:

14 ounce package caramel cubes
1/4 cup heavy cream

Fourth layer:

1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup butterscotch chips
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

To prepare the first layer

In a small saucepan over low heat, add milk chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and peanut butter. Stir often until completely melted and smooth. Pour mixture into the bottom of a 9 x 13" baking pan lightly coated with nonstick spray. Using an off-set spatula, spread the mixture to an even layer and place in the refrigerator until set.

To prepare the second layer

In a medium heavy saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Mix in sugar and evaporated milk. Once it comes to a boil, let cook 5 minutes while stirring. Remove from the heat and quickly stir in marshmallow creme, peanut butter and vanilla. Stir in peanuts. Pour over the set chocolate layer and use an off-set spatula to gently spread mixture in an even layer. Place in the refrigerator until set.

To prepare the third layer

Place the unwrapped caramel cubes and heavy cream in a medium saucepan. Place over low heat and stir until the mixture has completely melted and is smooth. Pour in the pan and quickly spread to an even layer with an off-set spatula. Place in the refrigerator until set.

To prepare the fourth layer

In a small saucepan over low heat, add milk chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and peanut butter. Stir often until completely melted and smooth. Pour over the third layer and use an off-set spatula to spread to an even layer. Place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before cutting into squares.

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2011

Presenting the Catholic Faith

2011-12-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

Presenting the Catholic Faith
by Frank P DeSiano

153 pages
1986

Read: Sept-Dec 2011

This year I decided just to do it. I entered catechism classes, or RCIA, the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. My husband is Catholic, but we married in my hometown Methodist church. I never thought this would be an issue for me until after we had Ethan. I want to have Ethan baptized, just like I was and just like my husband was when we were little. However, I also want to go to church together. One other thing about my husband is that he's very stubborn. Not willing to change his denomination, I decided to look into becoming Catholic. So I did all the research I could, even ~~grilling~~ questioning my father-in-law, who used to teach these catechism classes. He was so informative, but I was still having some difficulty. See, my mom is also very stubborn in her ways and disappointing her would be worse than anything....even at 30 years old I still care what she thinks! I had to realize that this was my decision and I needed to make it for me.

Now through the first phase of the class, the Inquiry, we've discussed this book in detail. Anything I wanted to know was answered. This book was very informative and really did cover everything in a way that anyone would understand, even those like me, who knew nothing about the Catholic religion. DeSiano sets this up as a Q&A session of sorts. The most common questions on each topic are asked and answered in each chapter. The only thing I didn't like was that it was written in 1986 and a lot of the views are different now. But overall I am learning so much from the teacher who is teaching us from this book.

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2011

Merry Christmas!!

2011-12-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

I want to take a moment to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!! I hope that you all are getting exactly what you wished for, that our children are having a blast, and that we are all taking time to remember the true meaning of Christmas =) Have a fantastic holiday!!

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2011

Ophie Out of Oz

2011-12-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

Ophie Out of Oz
by Kathleen O'Dell

192 pages
2005

Read: December 2011

"At her school in California, fourth-grader Ophie Peeler has it all: starring roles in all the school plays, plenty of attention and, of course, the best best friend a girl could ask for. Like Dorothy, Ophie is on the yellow brick road to a glamorous, adventurefilled life. But all of that changes when Ophie and her family move to Oregon, trading in the California sunshine for a dreary, rain-soaked life. The popular girls at school shun Ophie, Brittany Borg (the class oddball) follows her around, and to top it all off, Ophie outgrows her treasured ruby slippers. Will Ophie find a way to fit in, or has her one chance at happiness just sailed away over the rainbow?"

This book was so cute! Ophie Peeler and her best friend Lizzie are the most popular girls in her school. Then Ophie has to move to Oregon and a new school where she doesn't know anyone and no one knows her. Ophie tries so hard to fit in that she only makes matters worse. Then she finds the one thing that will guarantee her to fit in with the most popular girls. But once she fits in, little by little, she realizes that she really doesn't belong. I love the message that this book sends to young girls, you don't have to be popular. It's always best to be a good person.

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2011

Midweek Morsels: Chili for Christmas

2011-12-21T14:26:00.003-05:00

This year, instead of going for the huge traditional dinner, with so many leftovers that we can't possibly eat them all, we will be eating......CHILI!!! My mom has decided that chili and sandwiches are on the menu this year and I can't be happier. After 30 years of the same turkey and ham dinner (at my in-laws now too!) I am super excited about the change-up. I'm also in charge of making one of the two kinds of chili on the menu! We decided that one should be with beans and one should be without. I am making mine without beans and with Italian Sausage. This is gonna be so good! I got my recipe off of the Uncle Charley's Sausage website, which is the brand of sausage that I usually buy....so that worked out great =) I'm hoping that it doubles well!

Italian Sausage Chili

1 Lb. Uncle Charley's Hot Italian Sausage
1 small Onion, minced
1 T. Chili powder
2-16 oz Cans Red Kidney beans
1-12 oz. Can or Bottled Beer
1 Jar Uncle Charley's tomato sauce with peppers & onions
1-4oz, can chopped mild green chilies
¼ t. dried Oregano Leaves
1 oz+ Container Sour Cream
3 oz (3/4 cup) Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese, shredded

Remove sausage from casing. Cook sausage, onion, and chili powder stirring to break up sausage, until sausage is browned and onion is tender
Add beans with liquid, beer, sauce, chilies, and oregano leaves. Heat to boiling.

Reduce heat to low, simmer 15 min, stirring occasionally.
To serve, spoon chili into 6 bowls. Spoon sour cream over chili,
Sprinkle with cheese.

**Update** - Everything doubled great, except the beer. Next time I'll use less beer...maybe a 16 oz bottle for a double batch.

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2011

Memorable Memoirs Challenge 2012

2011-12-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

Challenge #5: The Final Challenge this year. I told myself 5 challenges and I had to stick to that and choose just one more. I had several to choose from but I need to read out of my comfort box this year and so I chose Memorable Memoirs hosted by The Betty and Boo Chronicles. I will become a Diarist and commit to 1-4 memoirs.

1.
2.
3.
4.

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2011

New Author Challenge 2012

2011-12-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

Challenge #4: Literary Escapism is back with the New Author Challenge in it's 4th year. I think this is my 3rd year....I've lost count lol. The New Author Challenge always helps me to get out of my series reading comfort zone =) I'm going to try for 15 new authors this year.

1. Brett Blumenthal - 52 Small Changes
2. Carolyn MacCullough - Once a Witch
3. Meggin Cabot - The Boy Next Door
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2011

What's in a Name 2012

2011-12-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

Challenge #3: One of my favorites is back! Beth Fish Reads is hosting the What's in a Name challenge in it's 5th year. This will be my 3rd year and I love being able to look on my bookshelf to find the titles that fit the categories. I will fill them in as I find them.....

A book with a topographical feature (land formation) in the title:
A book with something you'd see in the sky in the title:
A book with a creepy crawly in the title:
A book with a type of house in the title:
A book with something you'd carry in your pocket, purse, or backpack in the title:
A book with a something you'd find on a calendar in the title:

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2011

Midweek Morsels: More Holiday Baking

2011-12-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

Lots and lots of holiday baking going on these days. The problem is narrowing down all the wonderful possibilities. There are so many things I want to make and consistently browsing Pinterest is not helping at all!! Then I found something that looks fantastic and is comprised of my dad's two favorite treats, shortbread and caramel......

Salted Caramel Shortbread

by doughmesstic

Shortbread Layer:

Prepare an 8×8 inch pan with parchment paper with the edges of the parchment hanging over two of the sides. This allows you to remove the bars easily once cooled.

Combine the melted butter, sugar, salt and zest with a fork in a large bowl. Add the yolk and again combine with the fork. Add the flour and stir with a heavy spoon or your hands and combine the dough until it is well combined. Place the dough in the prepared pan and press down evenly with your hands until the pan is covered. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to one hour. Remove and bake at 350 for 25-28 minutes, until very lightly browned. Allow to cool while you are preparing the caramel.

In a heavy bottomed pot, such as enameled cast iron, combine all caramel topping ingredients save for the extracts. Bring to a boil and stir until sugars are dissolved and the mixture is well combined. Using a candy thermometer, watch for the goal of about 230 degrees. Remove from heat and stir in the extracts. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes, then pour over the shortbread base. Sprinkle with sea salt, then refrigerate for several hours. Once chilled, cut into small squares, serve and enjoy!

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2011

10 tbsp. salted butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
Zest of half an orange
1 egg yolk, whisked
1 2/3 cups All Purpose flour

Caramel Layer:

1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. orange extract
Sea Salt flakes to top

Get Those Kids Reading!

2011-12-13T08:21:00.002-05:00

You Are What You Read

I saw this on Alyce's blog At Home With Books and thought I'd share. I'm always a big believer in the fact that kids can never have too many books and should have as many as they want at their finger tips. I'm a book giver at Christmas too, so this is a great thing!

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Live on The View today, Whoopi Goldberg kicked off Scholastic’s “One Million Bookprints for One Million Books” Campaign – an initiative to donate one million books to kids in need through the literacy nonprofit Reach Out and Read. By joining Scholastic’s online book community YouAreWhatYouRead.com, you can make a Bookprint – a list of 5 books that have shaped your life. And for every Bookprint, Scholastic Book Clubs will donate a book. It is that easy to make a difference this holiday season!

Here are Whoopi’s books:

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

With your help, Scholastic Book Clubs will donate up to one million books to Reach Out and Read, to help put books into the hands of children in need through pediatricians offices around the country. Now more than ever, Reach Out and Read needs our help. Recent government funding cuts has made it a major challenge for literacy organizations like Reach Out and Read to continue to get books into the hands of kids in need. Join Judy Bloome, Malcolm Gladwell, James Patterson, Jodi Picoult, Suzanne Collins, and make your bookprint today!
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I made my bookprint today, will you??

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2011

2011 Completed Challenges

2011-12-13T08:00:00.001-05:00

With all the planning and holiday parties and get togethers, I usually don't get a whole lot of reading completed this month. I'm going to go out on a limb and say I'm not going to finish all the challenges I entered this year. So here are the 3 I've completed which are among my favorites. I always love starting new series, getting books off of my shelf, and the young adult genre.

1st in a Series Challenge hosted by Katy at A Few More Pages
I finally completed this one!! I've done this challenge for the last 3 years and never completed it. When I think about it, I can't even believe I read the beginning of 12 series and only followed up with one! That's nuts....someone show me the 2nds Challenge LOL.

My List

2011 Reading from My Shelves Project hosted by Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea.

I love this challenge, for the last 2 years I've been able to get more than 20 books off of my own shelf. One of these years I'll do nothing but read from my own shelf.
My List

2011 Young Adult Reading Challenge hosted by Jamie and Jamie's Bookshelf.
Another great challenge, I've completed this challenge for 3 years and will continue to do this one for as long as I can. It introduced me to a new genre of books three years ago.
My List

Even though I only completed three, I am proud of all that I've read this year and all the new books and authors I've tried and liked. I will be doing fewer challenges this year so hopefully I will have more completions in 2012 =) I'm so anxious to see everyone's end of the year statistics...I'm getting mine together!!

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2011

Christmas Jars

2011-12-12T10:00:00.000-05:00

Christmas Jars
by Jason Wright

122 pages
2005

Read: December 2011

"Where had it come from? Whose money was it? Was I to spend it? Save it? Pass it on to someone more needy? Above all else, why was I chosen? Certainly there were others, countless others, more needy than me... Her reporter's intuition insisted that a remarkable story was on the verge of the front page. Newspaper reporter Hope Jensen uncovers the remarkable secret behind the "Christmas Jars", glass jars filled with coins and bills anonymously left for people in need. But along the way, Hope discovers much more than the origin of the jars. When some unexpected news sets off a chain reaction of kindness, Hope's greatest Christmas Eve wish comes true."

When I entered this book onto my GoodReads page last night, the reviews all struck me as odd. Maybe I'm the oddball. First, all the reviews said that the writing was bad and the story was just ok. Well, when I finished this book, I was crying. I think the story was great!!
I picked this book up at the library because 1) I wanted a holiday read and 2) I like the quick stories. In this story, everything comes full circle and the end still surprised me. But it was a great, heartfelt Christmas story that left me feeling like I need to do more with my life. To me, that's the perfect recipe for a Christmas story. I enjoyed it =)

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2011

2012 YA Reading Challenge

2011-12-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

Challenge #2 Accepted. The 2012 Young Adult Reading Challenge hosted by The Eclectic Bookshelf. I first started reading YA books because of a book challenge in my first year of blogging. I didn't even know about book genres, I just read books because I liked to read. I'm very grateful for the challenges around the blogosphere because they have helped me learn what sort of books are actually out there. So I'm going to read 12 more YA books this year.....

1. Once a Witch - Carolyn MacCullough
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2011

2012 Audio Book Challenge

2011-12-09T11:01:00.001-05:00

Challenge #1 Accepted. The 2012 Audio Book Reading Challenge hosted at Teresa's Reading Corner. I mentioned earlier that I'll only join 5 challenges this year, so I'm really narrowing down my choices. I'm waiting to see if there will be challenges that I've previously participated in making a comeback again this year, so I've got 2 spots sort of reserved. Anyway I listen to a lot of audio books from the library and I figured that this would be a great challenge to get me to listen to a few more, get me out of my comfort zone for this one. I'm going to make this a true challenge and go for 25 audio books, even though I'm pretty sure I listened to just as many this past year, I never kept count. So here we go!

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2011

Midweek Morsels: Holiday Baking

2011-12-07T12:20:00.001-05:00

I don't normally try to find my inner baker around the holidays....we have other relatives who are way better at the cookie making than I will ever be. But since my new obsession with cupcakes and the ever popular Pinterest, I can't help but want to get Ethan in the kitchen to help me make some cookies, candies and cupcakes. My husband has already tried his concoction of oreos, caramel and pretzels. Very messy, but very good lol. I wanted to share what I think we will be making this year and I'm hoping that baking will become a part of our family Christmas tradition.

Cakepops (Veronica's Cornucopia)

I've been wanting to make cakepops for a long time. I've seen so many different kinds and they all look so easy. You even get to decorate them however you want! I think we will do chocolate cake, white chocolate on the outside with red and green sprinkles. Festive, right?

Salted Caramel Turtle Triangles (Betty Crocker)

Anything that even resembles turtles are top on my list. The good thing about this recipe is that it starts with a Betty Crocker Chocolate Cookie Mix. Could that be any easier??

Reindeer Feed (Utah Deal Diva)

Reindeer Feed?!?! How cute is that?!? And who doesn't love Chex covered in Chocolate with Peppermint? Ethan wanted to make this as soon as he heard it was what Santa's reindeer ate =)

Caramel Cashew Clusters (My Baking Addiction)

I think I have a problem and it's name is chocolate and caramel and nuts. Yum!

What is everyone else making? I'd love to have some more ideas!!

Leave me a link to your favorite Christmas sweet =)

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2011

It's Beginning to Sound Like Christmas.....

2011-12-06T11:33:00.000-05:00

I'm in love with Christmas music. If people wouldn't look at me weird, I'd be blasting it in July!

Kelly Clarkson - Oh Holy Night (my all time favorite)

But, there's just something about the beginning of Christmas.

Harry Connick Jr. - It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas

That feeling you get when you put up the Christmas tree and start playing your favorite Christmas CD.

Celtic Women - Ave Maria

Of course, now we have radio stations on TV and iPhones for that. So my sister, Kara, and I call each other every year when we hear our first Christmas song on the radio. We get so excited, that's our tradition! It's absolutely my favorite time of year.....

Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24

(I wish my house did this)

I started thinking lately about how and why I love it so much. It all goes back to when I was a child, about 9 or 10 years old. We would go to my grandmother's house in Ohio, where we were guaranteed a white Christmas and all the holiday treats you could ask for.

Mariah Carey ft. Justin Bieber - All I Want for Christmas is You

(cheesy? yes. good song? absolutely)

The car ride up was filled with various stations of holiday music. My grandmother had an alarm clock radio in the kitchen and in our bedrooms so we always had the music on. I believe this is why I love Christmas music so much.

Straight No Chaser - 12 Days of Christmas

Every year I get excited when I first hear a Bing Crosby tune, or Michael Buble belt out Let it Snow, so I've put together a few videos (some you may think are really cheesy) of my favorite Christmas tunes that never get old and some new ones that I look forward to.....it breaks up the old stuff so I don't get bored too quickly.

Justin Bieber ft. Boyz II Men - Fa la la (my favorite this year)

We have a local station that plays nothing but Christmas music from the day after Thanksgiving until December 31st. I love that =)

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2011

The Christmas Child

2011-12-01T19:31:00.000-05:00

The Christmas Child
by Max Lucado

48 pages
2003

Read: November 2011

"A Chicago journalist finds himself in a small Texas town on Christmas eve. Lonely and alone, he encounters old faces and new facts…a hand carved manger, a father's guilt, a young girl's faith. The trip into the past holds his key to the future, and a scarlet cross shows him the way home."
~ Barnes & Noble Description

I started my Christmas reading off with a bang! Max Lucado is never one for disappointment. I love his writing. This is a short story...a very short one indeed at only 48 pages! But it wasn't any less majestic. The book opens with Jack, a journalist on his way to Texas. He has an assignment but due to a fight with his wife, Meg, left a little early to make a stop along the way. Jack has an old picture of a church in this little town and that's all he has to go on. When he finds it, he finds a wonderful man with a wonderful history....just enough to make you feel all warm, fuzzy, and in the mood for Christmas!

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2011

Before I Fall

2011-11-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

Before I Fall
by Lauren Oliver

470 pgs
2010

Read: November 2011

"What if you only had one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it turns out to be her last.

The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. Living the last day of her life seven times during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing."

This book reads like a true mean girls moment. Truth, at first, I hated Sam. I couldn't stand anything about her; her popularity, her looks, her friends, her thoughts...nothing. She was mean, hateful, flippant, and just not deserving of any praise. Along comes Cupid Day, the day she should die, but miracles happen and she wakes up the next morning....reliving that same day over and over until she gets it right. The transformation of Sam alone will leave you swept off of your feet and wanting more and more. This novel was amazing to say the least. When I first started reading and thought....oh no, not another Groundhog day book. If you remember, I don't like Groundhog Day and I just read 11 Birthdays which was almost exactly like this! But just like Delirium, Lauren Oliver held me from word one. I love this author and I will always be picking up her books.

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2011

Forgotten

2011-11-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

Forgotten

by Cat Patrick

304 pgs
2011

Read: November 2011

"Each night at precisely 4:33 am, while sixteen-year-old London Lane is asleep, her memory of that day is erased. In the morning, all she can "remember" are events from her future. London is used to relying on reminder notes and a trusted friend to get through the day, but things get complicated when a new boy at school enters the picture. Luke Henry is not someone you'd easily forget, yet try as she might, London can't find him in her memories of things to come.

When London starts experiencing disturbing flashbacks, or flash-forwards, as the case may be, she realizes it's time to learn about the past she keeps forgetting-before it destroys her future."

Could you imagine waking up each morning with no idea what happened the day before, or the day before that, or last week? I know we all forget things and I know my memory isn't what it used to be, but I don't know if I could handle that!! London Lane has a memory reset every morning at 4:33am. If you aren't in her future, she won't remember you in the morning. This drives her crazy when she meets Luke, a boy that she thinks could easily be a part of her future, yet she can't "remember" him. With this concept, at first I was confused. It took me a few minutes to realize what was going on, but once I did, I think this was the greatest concept ever! One of those "why didn't I think of that' moments =) The idea that you must write everything down before you go to bed is crazy to me, but how else would you remember what happened yesterday? Cat Patrick created a fantastic book with memorable characters and a surprising ending!!

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2011

After Tonight

2011-11-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

Have you ever had a song just resonate with you so loudly that you had to share it?? I don't know if it's the lyrics or the haunting melody of this song, but I just needed to share my new favorite song...well, for the last few months anyway =) Enjoy! "After Tonight" by Justin Nozuka

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2011

Midweek Morsels: Thanksgiving Dishes

2011-11-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

I started this post realizing that I did the exact same thing last year at Thanksgiving. I must have a repeat button....somewhere....I just need to turn that off.

Squash Hummus from Dana Treat

I have come to the conclusion that I'm obsessed with side dishes! And have an urge to find and collect all that I can find. This would be the reason you're seeing many =)

Garlic Cheesy Stuffed Mushrooms from My Life As a Mrs.

Thanksgiving is one of those meals that is usually, in my case anyway, a family collaboration, "you bring this" and "you bring this".

Skillet Stuffing from Georgia Pelligrini

Anyway, this usually means that the turkey is most times already taken care of at the house of the host. But in case you are the host....here is one for you.....

The Ultimate Thanksgiving Turkey from Heather's Dish

I am always trying to find some exotic, unusual side dishes to take with me. I've been searching all the recipe blogs in my Google Reader trying to find that one dish that no one else will make. Then I found Southern Living's 60 Spectacular Thanksgiving Side Dishes and wanted to make them all, especially the cajun dishes!

Cajun Corn Maque Choux from Southern Living

I'm not a fan of pumpkin, so that search at this time of year has been a challenge...... But, I think I've collected quite a few extraordinary, if not exotic, side dishes, appetizers and desserts.

Brown Sugar Pecan Cookies from Heather's Dish

One of my favorite foodie blogs is by Jessica at How Sweet It Is. She put together a collection of turkey, sides, desserts and even cocktails. She is hilarious, you have to follow her.

Pumpkin Mousse Parfaits from Annie's Eats

I hope that I have given you enough to wet your whistle, or get you in the door at your family Thanksgiving dinner =)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2011

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

2011-11-22T15:47:00.000-05:00

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
by Ransom Riggs

June 2011
352 pgs

Read: November 2011

"A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows."

At the risk of sounding overwhelmingly boring and cliche, I'm just going to say it.....I loved this book. I seem to be saying this a lot, but I guess that's the idea right? To only read what I think I will enjoy? I must have good taste ;)

While Jacob is the main character, he is by no means, the most memorable. I would even venture to say he might be the least memorable, until the end. Jacob's journey is slow to start, but starts to take off about a quarter of the way through and it doesn't stop there. The mysterious island that only inhabits a few residents and NEVER sees tourists is shocked when Jacob and his father arrive. When Jacob starts to explore, he finds things that he never envisioned, never thought would be true. From then on out, his journey is amazing, heartfelt, sad and touching all at the same time. I really hope that this isn't the end of this story. The characters were too in depth and too fantastic to be done in one novel.

I don't read too many debut novels, not that I don't want to, just that I don't come across them too often. And I certainly don't by brand new books without hearing too much about them. But I will pin this author to the forefront of my brain as to not miss anymore of his remarkable work. I was thoroughly pleased to have spent my hard earned money on this hard cover book and I will gladly do it again if Mr. Riggs has another great one in him. I just saw there will be a sequel....and that makes me happy =)

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2011

To Challenge or Not?

2011-11-18T10:08:00.001-05:00

I've been noticing the 2012 challenges popping up around the blogosphere lately and I am trying to contain my excitement.

It's no secret that I am a lover of challenges and LOVE to fit my already teetering TBR pile into each category and theme.

But, I've given it a lot of thought in the last month and have decided that I have been jumping at the first 20 challenges I see and then kicking myself because the thought of joining one more might send me over the edge.

I want to join a handful and then actually have a chance to finish them. Honestly, I want to be free to read what I want to, when I want to. Not that I didn't join enough challenges that I could choose to read whatever I wanted, but that I'm always disappointed in myself for not finishing them.

I need more positivity in my life and I think that 2012 is the year for WOWs =)

So, I'm going to limit myself this coming year, relax, and stick to 4 or 5 of my favorites, which you will be seeing posts pretty soon. I just saw that Beth Fish posted her Name Challenge...I love that one =)

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2011

Katy's Thanksgiving Recipe Exchange

2011-11-17T15:48:00.001-05:00

Instead of my usual Midweek Morsels this week, I decided to "attend" my friend Katy's Thanksgiving Recipe Exchange. I don't usually have to cook Thanksgiving dinner, I have a wonderful mother-in-law who does that for us =) But I do have one favorite dish that isn't mine, my sister in law Jamie makes a fantastic green bean casserole. I was just telling my husband the other day that I hope she makes it. However, since that isn't part of the game, I will give you a recipe that I always take everywhere I go. My sisters usually request it for Christmas, I'm not allowed to bring anything else LOL. So here is my.............

Cornflake Potatoes

1 bag Southern Style Ore-Ida Hash browns
2 bags shredded cheddar cheese
2 cans cream of potato soup
1 (16) oz container of sour cream
cornflakes, crushed
melted butter

You could dump all ingredients into the bowl (except cornflakes) and mix, but I start with the hash browns and 1 bag of cheese. Mix that together, then add the potato soup and sour cream. Put into a baking dish, I use a long one, not a square, it barely fits. Top with remaining cheese (you may not use a whole bag). Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Take it out. Mix melted butter with crushed cornflakes. I don't usually measure but I do make a lot here, more is better than not enough and trying to crush it a second time. Spread cornflake mix on top of casserole, bake 15 more minutes. That's it! Enjoy!

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2011

I. Can't. Wait.

2011-11-15T12:08:00.001-05:00

Ahhhh!! It looks so good!!

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2011

Midweek Morsels: Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cupcakes

2011-11-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

I've been on this cupcake kick lately and Pinterest is wonderful at helping me with that! I come across so many recipes that I'm afraid to attempt and I've had to inhale deeply and just do it. If I don't, I'll just end up making the same dinners and the same desserts over and over again. I figure one way to get over my fear of baking is to make cupcakes. It all started with Paula Deen's Cheesecake Cupcakes. And then I found these:

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cupcakes

picture by Your Cup of Cake

Cinnamon Cake:

3 eggs

1/3 cup oil

¾ cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup sour cream

Vanilla Cake Mix (not white cake mix)

1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup Cinnamon Toast Crunch, lightly crushed

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Buttercream:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

½ cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups powdered sugar

2/3 cup Cinnamon Toast Crunch powder

(Crush the cereal in a bag and then sift out 2/3 cup)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with 20-22 cupcake liners.

2. In a large bowl, gently combine eggs, oil, buttermilk and vanilla.

3. Mix in sour cream.

4. Add cake mix and cinnamon and mix until smooth.

5. Stir in lightly crushed cereal.

6. Fill cupcake liners ¾ full and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until an inserted knife comes out clean.

7. Buttercream: Beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add Cinnamon Toast Crunch powder. Add vanilla and powdered sugar. Adjust the consistency using milk if it is too thick.

8. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and top with cinnamon sugar and Cinnamon Toast Crunch squares.

These were excellent!! The icing was perfect and the cake was moist. I was honestly impressed because I don't like cinnamon. But it tastes just like the cereal. If you're going to serve them immediately go ahead and top it with the cereal squares like it shows in the photo. I didn't serve them right away and put them in the fridge and that square was soggy when I did serve them. But they were still very, very good!
All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2011

11 Birthdays

2011-11-08T09:23:00.000-05:00

11 Birthdays
by Wendy Mass

272 pgs
2010

Read: October 2011

"It's Amanda's 11th birthday and she is super excited---after all, 11 is so different from 10. But from the start, everything goes wrong. The worst part of it all is that she and her best friend, Leo, with whom she's shared every birthday, are on the outs and this will be the first birthday they haven't shared together. When Amanda turns in for the night, glad to have her birthday behind her, she wakes up happy for a new day. Or is it? Her birthday seems to be repeating iself. What is going on?! And how can she fix it? Only time, friendship, and a little luck will tell. . . "

At first glance, I thought I'd hate this book. I'm not a big fan of the movie Groundhog Day or reruns of any sort. Although when I started reading I was pleasantly surprised. The writing is very well done and it didn't make it seem like it was the same day over and over, although the reader clearly knows it is. There are things that you look forward to seeing and things that you hope the main character changes. I love a story that makes you root for the main character.

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2011

The Bungalow Mystery

2011-11-03T07:00:00.000-04:00

The Bungalow Mystery
by Carolyn Keene

1930
192 pgs

Read: October 2011

"While trying to help a friend out of a difficulty, Nancy has a perilous experience in and around a deserted bungalow, from which only her bravery and quick thinking save her."

Another great mystery from lady-sleuth, Nancy Drew. The author grabs your attention from the beginning, which is something I don't find very often with these older mysteries. Nancy and her friend Helen are in a boat in a storm. Just when they have to jump because it's sinking, a strange girl comes to their rescue. They discover her name is Laura and her parents just passed away and left her a small fortune. Only she has a guardian who is trying to steal her money. Enter Nancy Drew, detective!

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2011

Midweek Morsels: Hearty Meatball Soup

2011-11-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

It's winter here! I don't know what it was like at your house last weekend, but we had snow Saturday morning. It definitely put me in the mood for soup. I found a hearty meatball soup that looked promising....

Hearty Meatball Soup

Ingredients

1/2 lb. lean ground beef

1 onion, chopped, divided

3 cloves garlic, minced, divided

2 tsp. dried oregano leaves, divided

20 PREMIUM Saltine Crackers, finely crushed

1 egg, beaten

1 Tbsp. oil

2 cans (14 oz. each) reduced sodium beef broth

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) stewed tomatoes, undrained

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained

Directions

Combine meat, 1/4 cup onions, 1/3 of garlic and 1/2 tsp. oregano in large bowl. Add cracker crumbs and egg; mix well. Shape into 1-inch balls.

Cook and stir remaining onions and garlic in hot oil in Dutch oven or large saucepan on medium-high heat 3 to 5 min. or until onions are tender. Add broth, tomatoes, spinach and remaining oregano; bring to boil. Add meatballs; cover. Simmer on low 20 to 25 min. or until meatballs are done.

Serve with additional saltines.

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2011

The Hidden Staircase

2011-10-31T08:01:00.038-04:00

The Hidden Staircase
by Carolyn Keene

192 pgs
1930

Read: October 2011

"In seeking to solve the mysterious happenings in an old stone mansion, Nancy uses her courage and powers of deduction and tackles a situation that would have appalled a far older person."

I can remember reading this one as a little girl and I believe this is the book that started the addiction to ghost stories. In this second book, Nancy is helping a friend, Helen, to discover what is happening at her aunt's mansion, Twin Elms. Helen and Rosemary believe it's a ghost but need Nancy's skills to help them fix it.

As a little girl, this was probably the scariest book I had ever read at the time. It's neat now to go back and re-read these, because I laugh. The ending was very abrupt. For those of us who enjoyed Nancy Drew books as a child, I wonder if you knew there were different versions? There is the original version, and there are those re-written versions from 1959. So in the 30s, 23 of the first 30 books were written by Mildred Wirt Benson who was fed up with the goody-goody idea of women. She wrote Nancy to be feisty and independent which in turn made her very popular among the readers of that time. Harriet Stratemeyer Adams, took over the publishing company after her father's death. She took on the Nancy Drew series and started a revision of the first 34 books. There were many ghost writers after that. Harriet's style portrayed Nancy as more a finishing school girl. She also rewrote any racial and stereotypical undertones. My personal opinion is leave the book alone. I like the original and I think it's the best version. What surprised me the most is that Carolyn Keene is a pen name for the numerous ghost writers assigned to the Nancy Drew Series...I believe there are 14 names known.

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2011

Halloween Blues

2011-10-28T23:19:00.001-04:00

This week has been one of the craziest weeks that I think I've ever had. I love Halloween. Mainly because it means cold weather is coming. But I love seeing the children all dressed up in hopes that their bags or pumpkins will be filled with yummy candy that their parents will probably eat or take to work for the candybowl on their desks.......nope, not me lol.

The little man finally decided, after weeks of contemplating, the he wanted to be Batman. Now he was Superman last year so I was kinda hoping he would lay off the super heroes for a few years, but it must be a boy thing. He was deciding between Batman, Spiderman, Ironman....basically anything with "man" at the end. Ok, Batman it is.

It wasn't hard to find, but I always have the hardest time with the sizes. I bit the bullet, since I ordered from a reputable company, and ordered his actual size.....wrong again. It was too small, but it was a little too late to be sending it back so we made do. I also didn't expect it to be so thin. I got black thermal underwear and he wears it underneath to lengthen the pants and sleeves, and it keeps him warm. Now for the mask. It really doesn't fit so he has to wear it on the top of his head instead of like a mask on his eyes. Now I'm just upset. I can't believe I've done this to my almost 4 year old who was looking forward to a great time!

I'm not too sure about this, Mom.

Monday we had a local "Trunk or Treat" on campus. Since we are in a college town, the big kids get all costumed up and deck out their car trunks and hand out candy to all the kids in town. It was a nice day, a lot of cool college kid costumes, and a lot more kids. Halfway through, which was about an hour into it, Ethan pulled on my sleeve and said, "I'm done Mom, I don't want anymore candy." Reeeeeaaallllllyyyyyy????? I never thought I'd EVER hear that one, but ok. Maybe his feet hurt or maybe he was tired of adjusting that mask/hat that I so brilliantly ordered.

Tuesday I had a couple board meetings at Ethan's school which meant I wasn't getting home until late. There was another "Trunk or Treat" at our local Chick-fil-A. This time we asked Ethan if he wanted to go and he exclaimed "Yes!". So, my husband got him dressed, forgot his pumpkin to collect candy, and headed out. Total, total bust. He said there were maybe 5 "trunks" and huge lines that ended in receiving a balloon. Ugh. Now everyone is frustrated.....not a good day.

Thursday we had Malloween at our mall. Again, long lines, long waits, lots of children and a fed up 4 year old and his daddy. We went because the school had an information table in the middle of the mall and we gave out candy.

Have I burned him out? Have I completely ruined his idea of Halloween? Now I don't want you to think I drag my child out to every event in town, because I really don't. We went Monday because we'd never been before, Tuesday because Daddy wanted to take him this time, and Thursday because I had to work the table. We were invited to a Halloween Breakfast at a restaurant in town tomorrow morning, I'm still debating on whether or not we should go. He still has a parade at school and actual trick or treating here at home. I'm pretty sure he's going to start having meltdowns if he doesn't start having fun. I'm not sure Mommy is even enjoying this Halloween season anymore.

On the bright side.....we are supposed to get snow tonight =)

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2011

The Secret of the Old Clock

2011-10-28T08:00:00.023-04:00

The Secret of the Old Clock
by Carolyn Keene

1930
192 pages

Read: October 2011

What did you read as a child? I can remember reading Nancy Drew, The Babysitters Club, Girl Talk, and eventually as I got older I gravitated towards RL Stine and the scary stuff. I don't remember ever having anything like the Young Adult book genre of today. So when I went to our library a few weeks ago I stumbled across the first 4 Nancy Drew books. This first book to the series was published in 1930 and it's amazing that they are still around today. I absolutely could not pass these up and they are everything that I remember them to be.....

In this first book, The Secret of the Old Clock, we are introduced to Nancy Drew and her father Carson. Carson Drew is an attorney and he sometimes has his daughter help him investigate cases. In this case, Nancy finds out that Josiah Crowley had made another will just before he died, but no one can find it. The old will has all the money and assets going to his already rich snobby cousins. Unless Nancy can find that new will, a lot of deserving friends of Mr. Crowley will be worse for the wear.

This book was first published in 1930...and you can tell by the language in which it's written. It's got that "golly gee" soda pop shop feel to it. But it's written well, to the point, with no fluff. I think that this series is great for kids and teens, I know it was for me =)

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2011

Midweek Morsels: Chicken Ranch Mac N Cheese

2011-10-26T08:00:00.001-04:00

I've been doing a lot of blog hopping lately. While my main passion is reading and logging all my reviews, I've stumbled upon some Mommy Blogs and Foodie Blogs that have really sparked my interests and new ideas for this blog. I will definitely have to have a new found blogs post pretty soon. Since my addiction to Pinterest, I've had a lot of things interest me lately. So when I came across a new version of mac n cheese, I thought I'd give it a try.

picture belongs to One Ordinary Day

Chicken Ranch Mac n Cheese

adapted from Michelle at One Ordinary Day

Ingredients

16 oz. dried pasta, I used whole wheat spaghetti

4 Tbsp. margarine

1/4 c. whole wheat flour

3/4 package of bacon, diced

2 cans white meat chicken, shredded

3 c. skim milk

1 pkg. Italian blend shredded cheese; divided

1 1/2 c. Monterey Jack shredded cheese

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. dill

1 tsp. salt

pepper, to taste

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, leaving some drippings in the pan. Drain bacon on a paper towel. Add chicken to drippings, increase heat to medium-high and saute for until no longer pink. Set aside.

Melt butter in the same pot you made the pasta in. Whisk in flour. Cook and stir 2 minutes. Add milk to saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Boil for 2 minutes. Stir in most of the cheese. (Reserve a handful of each cheese blend to sprinkle on top of casserole.) Add spices and chicken and stir to combine.

Spray 9×13″ baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer pasta to baking pan. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon and reserved cheeses. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, until thoroughly heated.

NOTES: I'm not sure if it was because of the whole wheat spaghetti and whole wheat flour, but it seemed like the moisture was just sucked right out of this recipe. Michelle used shell pasta, but her picture just looks so moist like mac n cheese should. Since whole wheat was all I had, I decided to use it. Next time I'll be using rotini or something, and maybe some more milk =)

Among the Hidden

2011-10-25T14:10:00.001-04:00

Among the Hidden (Shadow Children #1)
by Margaret Peterson Haddix

153 pages
1998

Read: October 2011

"Luke has never been to school. He's never had a birthday party, or gone to a friend's house for an overnight. In fact, Luke has never had a friend.

Luke is one of the shadow children, a third child forbidden by the Population Police. He's lived his entire life in hiding, and now, with a new housing development replacing the woods next to his family's farm, he is no longer even allowed to go outside.

Then, one day Luke sees a girl's face in the window of a house where he knows two other children already live. Finally, he's met a shadow child like himself. Jen is willing to risk everything to come out of the shadows — does Luke dare to become involved in her dangerous plan? Can he afford not to?"

This is a different concept. It's strange to think of a world where you aren't allowed to have more than two children, especially in today's world where couples everywhere are struggling to have one, and one family has 19. I can't imagine a law that imposes a limit on how you can build your family. With that said, I am curious to see where this goes. Now, I know this is a young adult/children's book and the meaning isn't supposed to run that deep, but I can't help but think of the children here. What would that do to a child who knows that he isn't supposed to be there, or that he must hide in order to save his life and the life of his family.........is it worth it? I hope that as I read further in the series, Ms. Haddix explores this aspect in depth. So far, this is the first book and the author did a great job at setting the stage. Now the main character has been given a choice, let's see what he does with it.........

All content © Kristina's Favorites 2007-2011

Midweek Morsels: Lemon Cupcakes

2011-10-19T08:00:00.045-04:00

Yesterday was "Bring a Flower to Childcare Day" at Ethan's daycare. We could bring in any kind of flower that we wanted to; traditional flowers or roses, paper flowers, pictures of flowers....whatever you wanted. We were told to be creative. So I wanted to make cupcakes because I just don't get enough practice and I just think that they are cute.

I searched the internet for cupcake tutorials, mainly because I wanted to know how to put on the icing. Usually, I end up just spooning it on and it always looks messy.

I found this really awesome blog in my searching and she has a cupcake tutorial, chock full of tips, tricks, and tools of the trade. I was so set with my list of tools and ingredients to buy. You really need to see this tutorial!

These are definitely not mine! They are so pretty =)

Perfect Lemon Cupcakes

Cake:
1 package lemon cake mix
1 C sour cream
3/4 C water
3/4 C oil
4 eggs
1 small package lemon instant pudding

Mix dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients. Mix with electric mixer on medium speed for about two minutes. Use a strong mixer, this batter is thick. For cupcakes, bake them at 350 degrees for 20 minutes (I was able to get 24 very full cupcakes from the recipe). For regular cake, pour into a greased 9×11 pan or two round pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Don’t over bake or the cake will be too dry! The toothpick test works to check to see if they’re done.
The original recipe said that the cupcakes will fall after they come out of the oven, but this is normal and to just fill up the indentation with more frosting. I didn’t have this problem at all!

Lemon Buttercream Frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, very soft
6-8 C powdered sugar
1/2 C fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of sugar, then the juice and the zest. Beat until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, until icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency (I added 6 cups total). Use and store at room temperature. (Don’t refrigerate and it will last in a covered container for about three days.)

Garnish with berries, if desired right before serving.

These are mine!

Ok, so you can see from the picture I'm not a very good presenter! LOL! However, I'm a very good eater, and these were amazing! You have to like lemon, but these were so good, it's hard to eat just one. Just some notes.....

I added 6 cups of powdered sugar and it was very thin, and a little too runny so I put it in the freezer to thicken it up a little so I could frost the cupcakes. I would have remade it, but I didn't have anymore lemons for the juice!
I wanted to stay with the flower theme, so instead of the strawberries I saved a lemon and cut the slices into lemons to make a flower shape. The center of the "flowers" are 3 silver edible decorating balls.
Oh, you'll notice that I ended up spooning the frosting on again lol it was too thin to put through the decorating tips. I'll get it next time!

It's the Little Things......

2011-10-13T15:33:00.000-04:00

I recently found out that a friend of ours is expecting a baby after years and years of trying! She wrote a post about "Natural Highs & Simple Pleasures" and how, years ago, she created a list of those little things that mattered most. I, too, can remember creating a journal entry, in a book that was lost long ago, about what made me smile. So, like Carey, I will try to recreate that list today and reflect on the little things that I so often overlook. I know this cannot possibly hold all that I am thankful for.....

the smell of freshly washed sheets. when my son looks in my eyes and says "I love you, mommy". unexpected surprises. uncontrollable laughter. cool, crisp salads. a child's giggle. An email from an old friend. date night. cool Fall air. open windows at bedtime. music. family. a-ha moments. the first page of a new book. your own corner nook. A cold pillow. sunshine peeking through the clouds. Jeremy Camp. a simple thank you. the library. a favorite show. a hot shower. "mommy, play with me". a perfect photo. comfy jeans. Amy Grant. pajama pants. fantastic characters. a great quote. flip flops. christmas. the first snow. diet pepsi. a song that makes you dance. long conversations. a new town. mom's lasagna. going home. walking into a clean home after a long trip. finding a new blog. discovering a great recipe. a loved one's approval. a good hair day. hard work. new clothes. a kitten's purr. a baby in a bath.

Thanks to Carey for opening my eyes again to the simple things in life =)

Midweek Morsels: Bolognese Sauce

2011-10-12T10:05:00.001-04:00

I've been wanting spaghetti since last week! But, every time I ask the little man what he wants for dinner it's alway hot dogs or fish sticks. Well, I know what he eats at school...and he eats it, so we are no longer the family of hot dogs, fish sticks, and chicken nuggets. We are going to eat real food! I wanted a meaty, yet thin sauce and I didn't want to slave all day. I searched the internet for a slow cooker recipe and found this. And wouldn't you know...he ate it all! So the next time that he tells me he wants hot dogs, I will remind him about the yummy tuna noodle casserole and peas that he eats at school =)

image by RealMomKitchen

Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce

2 pounds ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
8 cloves garlic, minced
3 (14 oz) cans chopped tomatoes, drained
3 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
2 teaspoons dried marjoram
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. Cook beef in large skillet until browned.

2. Transfer to 5 quart slow cooker. Stir in all remaining ingredients, mix well.

3. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

4. Serve over your favorite pasta.

I was in a hurry and only cooked this on high for 4 hours and it did just fine! We served it over angel hair pasta, and it was amazing =)

The Book of Lies

2011-10-10T08:00:00.004-04:00

The Book of Lies
by Brad Meltzer

352 pages
2008

Read: October 2011

"In Chapter Four of the Bible, Cain kills Abel. It is the world's most famous murder. But the Bible is silent about one key detail: the weapon Cain used to kill his brother. That weapon is still lost to history.
In 1932, Mitchell Siegel was killed by three gunshots to his chest. While mourning, his son dreamed of a bulletproof man and created the world's greatest hero: Superman. And like Cain's murder weapon, the gun used in this unsolved murder has never been found.

Until now.

Today in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Cal Harper comes face-to-face with his family's greatest secret: his long-lost father, who's been shot with a gun that traces back to Mitchell Siegel's 1932 murder. But before Cal can ask a single question, he and his father are attacked by a ruthless killer tattooed with the ancient markings of Cain. And so begins the chase for the world's first murder weapon.

What does Cain, history's greatest villain, have to do with Superman, the world's greatest hero? And what do two murders, committed thousands of years apart, have in common? This is the mystery at the heart of Brad Meltzer's riveting and utterly intriguing new thriller."

I'm pretty sure I can't stress enough that I LOVE BRAD MELTZER!! This man comes up with some of the most interesting cases and scenarios to write about. I mean, the missing weapon of the first murder, Cain and Abel....who thinks of these things! I love it. Ok, this wasn't his best work, I really like his governmental conspiracies. But this was so interesting! Whoever thought you could tie Superman to Cain and Abel?? You'd be surprised!

Suddenly Supernatural

2011-10-06T08:00:00.005-04:00

School Spirit & Scaredy Kat
(Suddenly Supernatural Series1 & 2)
by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel

566 pages
2010

Read: September 2011

Book 1 "All Kat Roberts wants is to be normal, or at least to look that way to students at her new school. But her mother is a medium, and not the kind that fits in between small and large; Kat's mom is the kind of medium who sees spirits and communicates with them. And, even worse, Kat has just discovered that she can see spirits too.
In this first adventure in the popular Suddenly Supernatural series, Elizabeth Cody Kimmel brings humor and heart to the trials and tribulations of finding out who you are and who you want to be-all while surviving the seventh grade."

Book 2 "Kat can see spirits, but what's even worse is the fact that spirits can also see her, especially the exceptionally needy ones. As this medium-in-training discovers, having an entourage of dead people can be kind of overwhelming-and a tad scary. So when an exploration of the abandoned house next door leads Kat and her best friend on a search for a missing boy, Kat's not sure if she wants to help--or even if she can.
Elizabeth Cody Kimmel's second Suddenly Supernatural book reminds readers that some things are even scarier than surviving middle school."

I really enjoyed these books. There's a certain type of book that I enjoy that takes me back to what I wish would have been my childhood reading experience. When I can see myself in my room as a 12 year old, curled up in bed with the blankets and pillows all around me, with a great book that keeps my interest for hours....that's a good book. It's the kind of interest that you really don't have to think about and before you know it, you've read for an entire afternoon and mom is calling you for dinner! Whoa. I LOVE that kind of feeling and Ms. Kimmel created it in the first two books of her Suddenly Supernatural Series. Kat and Jac (short for Jacqulyn) are characters that I believe many teenage girls can relate to, especially when they go through feelings of not belonging to any cliques in the school. What memories...... Great books!

Midweek Morsels: Buffalo Chicken EggRolls

2011-10-05T08:00:00.002-04:00

I have a problem. I love anything that has anything to do with buffalo chicken. I can eat buffalo chicken dip by the gallon! I have made every buffalo chicken whatever from Rachael Ray. So when I saw buffalo chicken egg rolls....I couldn't pass it up! This recipe comes from one of my favorite blogs, Can You Stay For Dinner?. It's a blog about one of the most inspiring weight loss stories I've ever heard. You've got to read it. Oh....and these were amazing!!

Buffalo Chicken EggRolls

Ingredients
12 egg roll wrappers (roughly 4 square inches)
1 cup cooked and shredded chicken (6 ounces)
1/2- 2/3 cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
1 cup crumbled blue cheese (4 ounces)
1 cup broccoli slaw or cole slaw (dry)
Small bowl of water
Nonstick cooking spray
Blue cheese dressing, for serving

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lay egg roll wrappers on a clean work surface. In a small bowl, stir chicken* (see note below) and hot sauce until well coated, using more or less sauce depending on your spice preference. The meat should be moist with sauce.

Begin by placing one tablespoon of the broccoli slaw on the diagonal of the bottom right corner of one of the wrappers. Next, place 2 tablespoons of shredded spicy chicken evenly on top of the slaw. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the blue cheese crumbles over the chicken. Do not overfill.

To fold: Fold the bottom right corner over the stuffing mixture so that it covers it completely, with the tip of the corner now pointing to the center of the egg roll wrapper. Fold in the bottom left corner, followed by the right, so that you now have formed an envelope. Roll the wrap upward one time, leaving the top left corner open. Wet your index finger in the small bowl of water and press to moisten the top left corner. Now fold that down on top of the filled roll, sealing it like you would an envelope.

Repeat with remaining rolls.

Place the rolls on a wire rack set on top of a cookie sheet (or just on a greased cookie sheet) coated with nonstick cooking spray. Spritz each roll evenly with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the rolls crisp and turn a light golden brown.

*Note: To make the chicken, place 1/2 lb of uncooked chicken breast in a small pot and fill with enough water just to cover it. Bring to a boil on your stovetop, reduce the heat slightly, then simmer for about 12 minutes, or until cooked through. Drain and let cool before shredding with two forks, pulling against the grain of the meat.

Fall Decor

2011-10-04T11:38:00.000-04:00

I love Fall, I really do. Not because Fall is my favorite season, but because it tells the coming of my favorite season....Winter! I know, you must be thinking "she's got to be kidding!". Winter has always been my favorite. Anyway, the things I love about Fall are the chill in the air, comfy sweaters, Halloween, and decorating! I love to browse for decorating ideas, but my decorating talent usually consists of a pumpkin and a candy dish full of candy corn as a centerpiece. I'm hoping to bring out my inner decorator this year so I wanted to share some of the best that I've found while browsing.....

This makes me wish I had a fireplace, I would totally do this! I don't know if you'd find enough pumpkins this year. This just screams fun yet simple to me.

I love the bold, beautiful colors of this one!!

I definitely need to get me some clear glass vases and jars to put stuff in. I'm thinking leaves and nuts, maybe some fake cranberries?? I love this because the possibilities are endless!

I love the simplicity of this one too. I like the idea of putting the decor in front of a mirror for that extra effect. It's really very pretty.

Doors, doors, doors! I love to see beautifully decorated doors. This one popped out at me because...again, the simplicity. I love simple. Basic flowers, a basic fall festive wreath....gorgeous!

This one struck me as beautiful because of the colors. Even though it's a little dull, it's all matches extremely well. The leaves around the door are my favorite. It's great with the black door....

Last, but certainly not least is this cute pumpkin tree! I need to find me one of these!! How cute is that?!?

So do you have some favorite fall decorating images, tips or traditions?? Let me know, I need all the help I can get!

Top 100 YA Books List

2011-10-02T08:00:00.001-04:00

I found this list while reading Novel Thoughts (I also stole the image from the twins too...shhh!) I love lists, I really do. I have recently, in the last several years, been reading more Young Adult books in my life as well so I thought this was a perfect list to keep. Where were these authors when I was a young adult, I don't remember anything like what's out now!

Going through and linking these reviews and checking off what I've already read was so interesting. I've seen how I've gotten better at my posts since the beginning. I could still use some work on reviewing but I've improved a little. I wish I could go back and rewrite some of the reviews of the books that still linger with me, like Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why, that one was amazing and I didn't do it justice. I've also noticed that I need to start completing some series!! So, I've colored in Pink, or linked a review to, the books I've already read and italicized the series that I will continue to read.....

1. Alex Finn – Beastly
2. Alice Sebold – The Lovely Bones
3. Ally Carter – Callagher Girls (1, 2, 3, 4)
4. Ally Condie – Matched
5. Alyson Noel – The Immortals (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
6. Anastasia Hopcus – Shadow Hills
7. Angie Sage – Septimus Heap (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
8. Ann Brashares – The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (1, 2, 3, 4)
9. Anna Godbersen – Luxe (1, 2, 3, 4)
10. Anthony Horowitz – Alex Rider (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
11. Aprilynne Pike – Wings (1, 2, 3)
12. Becca Fitzpatrick – Hush, Hush (1, 2, 3)
13. Brandon Mull – Fablehaven (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
14. Brian Selznick – The Invention of Hugo Cabret
15. Cassandra Clare – The Mortal Instruments (1, 2, 3, 4)
16. Carrie Jones – Need (1, 2, 3)
17. Carrie Ryan – The Forest of Hands and Teeth (1, 2, 3)
18. Christopher Paolini - Inheritance (1, 2, 3, 4)
19. Cinda Williams Chima – The Heir Chronicles (1, 2, 3)
20. Colleen Houck – Tigers Saga (1, 2)
21. Cornelia Funke – Inkheart (1, 2, 3)
22. Ellen Hopkins – Impulse
23. Eoin Colfer – Artemis Fowl (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
24. Faraaz Kazi – Truly, Madly, Deeply
25. Frank Beddor – The Looking Glass Wars (1, 2, 3)
26. Gabrielle Zevin – Elsewhere
27. Gail Carson Levine – Fairest
28. Holly Black – Tithe (1, 2, 3)
29. J.K. Rowling – Harry Potter (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
30. James Dashner – The Maze Runner (1, 2)
31. James Patterson – Maximum Ride (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
32. Jay Asher – Thirteen Reasons Why
33. Jeanne DuPrau – Books of Ember (1, 2, 3, 4)
34. Jeff Kinney – Diary of a Wimpy Kid (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
35. John Boyne – The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
36. John Green – An Abundance of Katherines
37. John Green – Looking for Alaska
38. John Green – Paper Towns
39. Jonathan Stroud – Bartimaeus (1, 2, 3, 4)
40. Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl – Caster Chronicles (1, 2)
41. Kelley Armstrong – Darkest Powers (1, 2, 3)
42. Kristin Cashore – The Seven Kingdoms (1, 2)
43. Lauren Kate – Fallen (1, 2, 3)
44. Lemony Snicket - Series of Unfortunate Events (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
45. Libba Bray – Gemma Doyle (1, 2, 3)
46. Lisa McMann – Dream Catcher (1, 2, 3)
47. Louise Rennison – Confessions of Georgia Nicolson (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
48. M.T. Anderson – Feed
49. Maggie Stiefvater – The Wolves of Mercy Falls (1, 2, 3)
50. Margaret Peterson Haddix – Shadow Children (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
51. Maria V. Snyder – Study (1, 2, 3)
52. Markus Zusak - The Book Thief
53. Markus Zusak – I am the Messenger
54. Mark Haddon – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
55. Mary Ting – Crossroads
56. Maureen Johnson – Little Blue Envelope (1, 2)
57. Meg Cabot – All-American Girl (1, 2)
58. Meg Cabot – The Mediator (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
59. Meg Cabot – The Princess Diaries (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
60. Meg Rosoff – How I live now
61. Megan McCafferty – Jessica Darling (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
62. Megan Whalen Turner – The Queen’s Thief (1, 2, 3, 4)
63. Melina Marchetta – On the Jellicoe Road
64. Melissa de la Cruz – Blue Bloods (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
65. Melissa Marr – Wicked Lovely (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
66. Michael Grant – Gone (1, 2, 3, 4)
67. Nancy Farmer – The House of the Scorpion
68. Neal Shusterman – Unwind
69. Neil Gaiman – Coraline
70. Neil Gaiman – Stardust
71. Neil Gaiman – The Graveyard Book
72. P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast – House of Night (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 )
73. Philip Pullman – His Dark Materials (1, 2, 3)
74. Rachel Caine – The Morganville Vampires (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
75. Rachel Cohn & David Levithan – Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist
76. Richelle Mead – Vampire Academy (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
77. Rick Riordan – Percy Jackson and the Olympians (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
78. Rom LcO’Feer – Somewhere carnal over 40 winks
79. S.L. Naeole – Grace (1, 2, 3, 4)
80. Sabrina Bryan & Julia DeVillers – Princess of Gossip
81. Sarah Dessen – Along for the Ride
82. Sarah Dessen – Lock and Key
83. Sarah Dessen – The Truth about Forever
84. Sara Shepard – Pretty Little Liars (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
85. Scott Westerfeld - Leviathan (1, 2)
86. Scott Westerfeld - Uglies (1, 2, 3)
87. Shannon Hale – Books of a Thousand Days
88. Shannon Hale – Princess Academy
89. Shannon Hale – The Books of Bayern (1, 2, 3, 4)
90. Sherman Alexie & Ellen Forney – The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
91. Simone Elkeles – Perfect Chemistry (1, 2, 3)
92. Stephanie Meyer – The Host
93. Stephanie Meyer – Twilight Saga (1, 2, 3, 4)
94. Sue Monk Kidd – The Secret Life of Bees
95. Susan Beth Pfeffer – Last Survivors (1, 2, 3)
96. Suzanne Collins – Hunger Games (1, 2, 3)
97. Suzanne Collins – Underland Chronicles (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
98. Terry Pratchett – Tiffany Aching (1, 2, 3, 4)
99. Tonya Hurley – Ghost Girl (1, 2, 3)
100. Wendelin Van Draanen – Flipped

The Journey of the Noble Gnarble

2011-09-30T07:30:00.000-04:00

The Journey of the Noble Gnarble

by Daniel Errico

illustrations by Tiffany Turrill

32 pages

Release Date: October 1st, 2011 (TOMORROW!!)

There is a gnarble who has his home "far below the ocean waves". He dreams all night about how he would love to swim to the top of the ocean to see the sun, the sky and all the colors. When he makes his dreams known, the other sea creatures tell him that it can't be done. The blyfish tell him that he's too small, but he didn't listen, the gnarble kept going.

He swam past the spongy boulders and even when his fins got tired, the gnarble still kept swimming. Then a warckel stopped him in his path, but the gnarble escaped because he was too bony for the warckel to eat. So still he kept swimming. The gnarble turned around to see a subbalubble following him!

But the subbalubble caught up to him and the gnarble pleaded for his life. Just about the time the subbalubble was going to eat him, the gnarble grabbed on to the tail of a shiny glimmy glin! Whew! He swam and swam as fast as he could and soon he saw the sun shining through. But he wasn't paying attention and the plink swallowed him.....

So he swam and swam around with his thoughts, the gnarble had come too close to give up now. What he didn't realize was that all his swimming was tickling the plink! The plink tried to hold in his laugh, but he couldn't and the gnarble swam out all the way to the ocean waves.

My three year old son and I sat on the floor and read The Journey of the Noble Gnarble together. We marveled at the amazing illustrations and cheered on the gnarble until he reached his goal. I love when a book will teach my son something he can always take with him. The noble gnarble taught us that persistence and perseverance will help you to reach your goals or your journey. The gnarble also shows us that just because you are unique or smaller than everyone else doesn't mean you can't do what they do. The author states that the gnarble is, "ambitious but not arrogant, persistent but not aggressive, and scared but still brave. That's what makes him noble." Children need to see these perspectives at this early age. It helps to shape their minds and give them the confidence even when people tell them they can't do something. I loved this book and we will keep it on our shelves to enjoy forever. I will be buying many copies for the children in our entire family.

Daniel Errico grew up in Short Hills, NJ and went to work in New York City after graduating from Villanova University. He has many published works out on various sites and mobile ebook devices, yet The Journey of the Noble Gnarble is his first physical children's book. His work, Do Hippos Play?, reached number one on a children's nookbooks award site.
Daniel has always supported the idea that all children, regardless of economic status, should have access to books. He created the site FreeChildrenStories which is a site that shares stories specifically for those children who may not be able to afford traditional books.

I would like to thank JKS Communications, specifically Marissa DeCuir for contacting me about this fabulous book and allowing me to review it. We will treasure it forever =)

Midweek Morsels: Mongolian Beef

2011-09-28T08:00:00.004-04:00

I've been on Pinterest for...oh 8 hours a day for the last month! As stated before, I am addicted. However, I have found many great recipes by browsing this site. This next recipe was fantastic! I also have another addiction....the Chinese food at the mall. I try all the time to recreate it and most time it doesn't work. Every once in awhile I will find a recipe that makes me smile =)

Mongolian Beef

Ingredients
1 lb of flank steak, thinly sliced crosswise
1/4 cup of cornstarch
3 teaspoons of canola oil
1/2 teaspoon of grated ginger (about 1/2 inch piece)
1 tablespoon of chopped garlic (about 2 -3 large cloves)
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup of soy sauce (I use low sodium)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
3 large green onions, sliced crosswise into thirds

Directions
Prepare the meat:

First, make sure the steak slices are dry (pat them dry) and mix them with the corn starch. Using your hands or a spoon, move them around to make sure all pieces are coated. Place beef slices in a strainer and shake off excess corn starch (see picture bellow).

Make the sauce:

Heat half of the oil in a large wok at medium-high and add the garlic and ginger. Immediately add the soy sauce, water, brown sugar and pepper flakes. Cook the sauce for about 2 minutes and transfer to a bowl. Don't worry if the sauce doesn't look thick enough at this point. The corn starch in the beef will thicken it up later.

Cook the meat and assemble dish:

Turn the heat up and add the remaining oil to the wok. Add the beef and cook, stirring until it is all browned (this is a quick thing). Pour the sauce back into the wok and let it cook along with the meat. Now you can choose to cook it down and reduce the sauce or leave it thinner. Add the green onions on the last minute so the green parts will stay green and the white parts crunchy.

Serve it hot with rice.

Movie Weekend: Valentine's Day

2011-09-24T09:00:00.038-04:00

We all know Valentine's Day is the busiest day of the year for florists. But now we get to see what happens throughout the entire day with a variety of couples. Those who are just finding love, those who are through with it, and those who are in for some pretty big surprises.....good and bad! This all-star cast shows us a whole new side to the most affectionate day of the year.

THE ACTORS

If I talked about each and every cast member, we'd be here all day! So I'll just tell you this....there are a lot of stars in this one! I think every actor in this movie played a really good part and they played it really well. But, the movie as a whole....I don't know. For a chick flick, romantic comedy, it was good. I'm not particularly fond of Valentine's Day myself, so maybe that had something to do with it, but I wasn't thrilled. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad, it just wasn't my idea of a movie worth watching. I do like Jennifer Garner though!

A New Kind of Addiction.....

2011-09-22T14:52:00.000-04:00

A few months ago, I saw a few friends on Facebook raving about something called Pinterest. I got curious and decided to check it out. Well, that was my first mistake because my crafty inner self came out and I was on that site for about 2 hours!!

I have found some of the most clever ideas for around the house,

sewing projects,

yummy recipes,

great quotes,

and inspiring photos.

So you find these "pins" because they "interest" you, and you pin them on your boards, which you create. I've seen some pretty interesting board names too lol.

So why don't you come join me in my new addiction....Kristina's Pinterest Boards

Midweek Morsels: Cheesy Beef Stroganoff

2011-09-21T08:00:00.009-04:00

There was one night last week that I was so late getting out of work and I needed something quick and easy. I went to my iPhone app for Kraft Food and searched for something quick. I found this and it really was quick, easy and very good.

Cheesy Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef
2 cups water
3 cups medium egg noodles, uncooked
1/2 lb. (8 oz.) VELVEETA®, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Directions

BROWN meat in large skillet; drain.

STIR in water; bring to boil. Stir in noodles; cover. Simmer on medium-low heat 8 min. or until noodles are tender.

ADD VELVEETA, soup and pepper; cook 5 min. or until VELVEETA is melted and mixture is well blended, stirring frequently.

Nighttime is My Time

2011-09-19T08:00:00.039-04:00

Nighttime is My Time
by Mary Higgins Clark

464 pages
2004

Read: September 2011

"Jean Sheridan, a college dean and prominent historian, sets out to her hometown to attend the twenty-year reunion of Stonecroft Academy alumni, where she is to be honored along with six other members of her class. There is something uneasy in the air: one woman in the group about to be feted, Alison Kendall, a beautiful, high-powered Hollywood agent, drowned in her pool during an early-morning swim. Alison is the fifth woman in the class whose life has come to a sudden, mysterious end.

Adding to Jean's sense of unease is a taunting, anonymous fax she received, referring to her daughter -- a child she had given up for adoption twenty years ago.

At the award dinner, Jean is introduced to Sam Deegan, a detective obsessed by the unsolved murder of a young woman who may hold the key to the identity of the Stonecroft killer. Jean does not suspect that among the distinguished people she is greeting is The Owl, a murderer nearing the countdown on his mission of vengeance against the Stonecroft women who had mocked and humiliated him, with Jean as his final victim."

Ok, so Mary Higgins Clark is notorious in the mystery reader's world. In my opinion, she isn't the best, but I do like some of her books. She's big on the damsel in distress scenario, but this time, there are three. I loved the storyline and everything leading up to the end, but it just ended. It was like "here's the killer, the end." I hate it when books end like that. It doesn't really give me any closer. Although, I will say, I had no idea who it was until that very last bit. Despite that, I still like Mary Higgins Clark and will still, every once in awhile, pick up one of her books.

Movie Weekend: The Village

2011-09-17T09:00:00.013-04:00

There is a small village surrounded by woods in Pennsylvania. These woods are home to "those we do not speak of". A truce is in place with these creatures. They do not come into the village and the inhabitants stay out of their woods.

THE ACTORS

Bryce Dallas Howard

Yes, she is the daughter of Ron Howard, Oscar-winning Director. I thought this was the first time I'd see her in anything. Then, come to find out she's Victoria in Eclipse!! It doesn't even look like the same person! She's a very good actress and I hope to see her in many things.

Joaquin Phoenix

I love Joaquin Phoenix. I just wish he did more movies. I loved Walk the Line, Ladder 49 and The Gladiator. He's one of those actors that you never have to try to believe, you just do because he makes it all seem so real. This movie is no disappointment, he was great.

Adrien Brody

Adrien Brody...what can I say? You know when you watch one of those talent reality shows and they say "that one's a dark horse, watch out for him"? I'm going to say it now, this one's a dark horse, watch out for him. I know he's been around awhile but I've only seen him in a few things. He's a superb actor in this film, I was really amazed. The first time I remember seeing him was in that Diet Coke commercial with all the bubbles.

My Thoughts
All in all, I loved this movie. It was just the right mix of suspense and twists. However, I will say, the ending was awful. It just....ended. I looked at my screen and thought "that's it?". I wish they would have done a little more, gone a little farther. Once you see it, you'll understand. I just felt a little....taken, with all the hype that surrounded the movie. I can only imagine those who saw it at the theater, boy I bet they were mad. With that said, it really was a good movie, a great twist and knowing what I know now, I'd still watch it again.

Bossypants

2011-09-16T18:38:00.000-04:00

Bossypants
by Tina Fey

277 pages
April 2011

Read: September 2011

"Before Liz Lemon, before "Weekend Update," before "Sarah Palin," Tina Fey was just a young girl with a dream: a recurring stress dream that she was being chased through a local airport by her middle-school gym teacher. She also had a dream that one day she would be a comedian on TV.

She has seen both these dreams come true.

At last, Tina Fey's story can be told. From her youthful days as a vicious nerd to her tour of duty on Saturday Night Live; from her passionately halfhearted pursuit of physical beauty to her life as a mother eating things off the floor; from her one-sided college romance to her nearly fatal honeymoon — from the beginning of this paragraph to this final sentence.

Tina Fey reveals all, and proves what we've all suspected: you're no one until someone calls you bossy."

I like Tina Fey. I'll admit, I'm probably the only person on the planet who doesn't watch Saturday Night Live, most times I don't think it's funny. This book wasn't exactly what I expected. I expected an autobiography, something about her life. It really wasn't like that. It was more like a very hilarious story. She cracks me up! I loved it, I don't think I laughed so hard!

Midweek Morsels: Red Velvet Cookies

2011-09-14T08:00:00.002-04:00

I wanted to make something to take to a friend of mine. Our 3 year old boys are friends in school and she just had a new baby. She's been on maternity leave for a few weeks and I thought she needed some company and some good food. So along with my favorite Buffalo Chicken Dip and some tortilla chips, I made some Red Velvet Cookies. It looked so simple...and it was!

Red Velvet Cookies

Ingredients
1 box of Red Velvet Cake Mix
1 cup of All-Purpose Flour
2 sticks of softened butter
1 egg
2 cups of White Chocolate Chunks

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, add butter and mix until soft and fluffy. Slowly add cake mix and flour. Once combined, add egg and mix completely. Add white chocolate chunks, and mix for a minute or so until well combined. Form dough into one inch balls, and place into the oven for 8-10 minutes. {Yields about 24 small cookies.}

**These cookies were fantabulous!! They were amazing! The only thing that I would warn you about is watch the splatter from the mixer, that red stuff stains!**ENJOY!!**

Four Years Ago.....

2011-09-13T12:28:00.000-04:00

So, four years ago it was a weekend and I was bored while my husband was watching football. I was 7 months pregnant and just wanted to sit around and be lazy. So I was on the couch with my laptop and reading all the wonderful blogs that I had discovered, when a thought popped into my head. Why don't I do that? It would be a fantastic way to keep track of all the books I read, since I was seriously lagging behind in my book journal. I didn't just want to do books though, I wanted to do all of my favorite things. I started with cooking, some of my favorite blogs to read are cooking blogs (have you seen How Sweet Eats?, you must!), then eventually moved to books, movies, and cross stitch. I love to do all those. Now I have another addiction, but that's a whole new post.

Oh. My. Goodness. I really cannot even believe that I have been blogging for 4 years now. I still feel like a baby blog! There are still so many things that I don't know and things that I hope to learn. I've made great "blogger friends". I wish that I were closer to everyone so that I could meet a lot of you. Most of you are in Utah...maybe it's a sign I should move...ha! Anyway, I want to thank those of you who continue to read and comment on my blog, those of you whose blogs I read, and those of you who have helped me when I send a panic email when I can't figure out what to do =) LOL! Here's to 4 more wonderful years!!

My Little Sister

2011-09-10T14:06:00.000-04:00

Well, my youngest sister isn't so little anymore. She's 17 years old and in the running for a calendar shoot for her high school. If you would take a few minutes and vote for her on facebook, I would highly appreciate it!! Just click on The Queen's Choice Facebook Page and click like. Then go to the Glam Girls 2012 photo album and like her photo. Thank you so so much!!!

Waiting on Wednesday

2011-09-07T09:00:00.000-04:00

Let me start out by saying this is a special post. I don't normally do Waiting on Wednesday because there are entirely too many books to choose from and I couldn't possibly just post them all. But this book and it's author deserves the attention.

You Are My Only
by Beth Kephart

"Emmy Rane is married at nineteen , a mother by twenty. Trapped in a life with a husband she no longer loves, Baby is her only joy. Then one sunny day in September, Emmy takes a few fateful steps away from her baby and returns to find her missing. All that is left behind is a yellow sock. Fourteen years later, Sophie, a homeschooled, reclusive teenage girl is forced to move frequently and abruptly from place to place, perpetually running from what her mother calls the “No Good.” One afternoon, Sophie breaks the rules, ventures out, and meets Joey and his two aunts. It is this loving family that opens Sophie's eyes, giving her the courage to look into her past. What she discovers changes her world forever. . .
The riveting stories of Emmy and Sophie—alternating narratives of loss, imprisonment, and freedom regained—escalate with breathless suspense toward an unforgettable climax."

Let me just tell you, if you've never read a book by Beth Kephart, you have no idea what you're missing. I've read several of her books but the one that stands out in my mind is Undercover. You know when you read a book and it sort of plays a movie in your head? Undercover was that book for me. It was unreal the way it took me back to high school and every feeling associated with it! For an author to be able to make you feel like you don't want the story to end is one thing, but for the author to write a story that you will never forget?...that's amazing. I cannot wait until You Are My Only comes out next month!!

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine =)

Midweek Morsels: Cheeseburger Quiche

2011-09-07T08:00:00.044-04:00

When I think of quiche, I think eggs and I think breakfast. But I found this awesome idea....Cheeseburger Quiche?!?!

Cheeseburger Quiche
Frugal Upstate

4 Eggs
1 C Milk
1/2 C Cream, 1/2 &1/2, Sour Cream or Evaporated Milk
1/2 C Flour
3/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C browned Hamburger
1 C Cheddar Cheese
Dash or two of Nutmeg
Grind of Pepper

Mix eggs, milk and cream until thoroughly combined.
In a separate bowl mix flour, baking powder and salt.
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
Stir in cheese, burger, nutmeg and pepper.
Pour into a greased casserole dish or pie plate.
Bake at 350 for 50-60 min, until browned and center is fully set.

Oh yum!

The Millionaires

2011-09-05T09:00:00.002-04:00

The Millionaires
by Brad Meltzer

2002
496 pages

Read: August 2011

"Two brothers. Three secret service agents. And millions for the taking. Charlie and Oliver Caruso are brothers who work at Greene and Greene, a private bank so exclusive there's a $2 million minimum to be a client. But when the door of success slams in their faces, the brothers are presented with an offer they can't refuse: $3 million in an abandoned account that can't be traced. It's the perfect victimless crime. Charlie and Oliver opt to take the money, but get much more than they bargained for. Now, with a lot of extra zeroes in their pockets and a friend found dead, the Secret Service and a female private investigator are closing in. Whose money did they take? How will they stay alive? And why is the Secret Service trying to kill them? Both Charlie and Oliver quickly realize it's not easy being The Millionaires. ."

I'm finding out that I'm a sucker for these fast-paced, page-turners that end in some absolutely ridiculous, unrealistic scenerio. But I LOVE them!! Brad Meltzer has tickled my thriller bone once again with a fun idea. What would happen if you could commit the perfect crime and no one would ever find out? Would you do it? Fun, fun, fun.

Movie Weekend: Arthur

2011-09-03T19:24:00.001-04:00

Arthur is a drunk, a happy drunk....a rich, happy drunk. I think I'd be happy and drunk if I were rich too =) Arthur's mother has been thinking, she won't run the company forever and she certainly can't trust her son to run it when she's gone. Here comes the ultimatum; you marry Susan (a woman of wealth and smarts) and she will run the company, you don't, you lose everything. Faced with this ultimatum and the fact that he doesn't like Susan and could be falling in love with Naomi, Arthur takes to the streets to find a job when he's never worked a day in his life.

THE ACTORS

Russell Brand as Arthur

I can remember the first time I saw Russell Brand. It was the 2008 MTV Music Video Awards. I can remember turning it on and thinking, who is this guy? I had honestly never heard of him. After the rude comments about President Bush and the Jonas Brothers, I was surprised to hear that they asked him back to host the 2009 VMAs. However, when I heard the ratings were up 20% from 2007, I wasn't surprised. I, truthfully, boycotted the 2009 VMAs because I didn't want to watch that spectacle again. So until now, I've never watched anything with him in it and really haven't heard anything else about him except that he married Katy Perry. Ok, fine. So I had to look him up to write this post. I found out that not only is he an actor but also a radio host, a columnist, an author, and a stand up comedian. Wow. I was really shocked. He wrote an autobiography called My Booky Wook in 2007 and from what I've read, critics said that it puts all other celebrity books to shame (I've got to get my hands on that book!). Back to Arthur, Brand was very good. I won't say he's exceptional and deserves Oscars but don't count him out based on previous performances. I think he'll be big in future comedy roles.

Greta Gerwig as Naomi

Greta who? I've never heard of this girl, but she's a good actress. Kinda quiet, but I think that was the role. She played very well opposite of Russell Brand.

Jennifer Garner as Susan

I love this woman. It could be the fact that I love her movies or it could be the fact that she is a West Virginia native like me =) Whatever the case, she always makes me laugh!

Helen Mirren as Hobson

Such a very classy woman....even in a comedy! I had to go through her filmography to see what else she was in and lo and behold I have never seen anything else she's done! That's crazy! We'll just have to fix that.

MY THOUGHTS
I haven't seen the original so I don't have anything to compare it to. While I was not enthusiastic about watching something with a guy who was so rude the last time I saw him, I was pleasantly surprised. Again, it wasn't outstanding, but it was good. Russell Brand ended up being a good actor and not overly cheesy as I thought it would be.

The Inner Circle

2011-09-02T11:00:00.000-04:00

The Inner Circle
by Brad Meltzer

449 pgs
2011

Read: August 2011

"There are stories no one knows. Hidden stories. I love those stories. And since I work in the National Archives, I find those stories for a living.

Beecher White, a young archivist, spends his days working with the most important documents of the U.S. government. He has always been the keeper of other people's stories, never a part of the story himself...

Until now.

When Clementine Kaye, Beecher's first childhood crush, shows up at the National Archives asking for his help tracking down her long-lost father, Beecher tries to impress her by showing her the secret vault where the President of the United States privately reviews classified documents. After they accidentally happen upon a priceless artifact - a 200 hundred-year-old dictionary that once belonged to George Washington, hidden underneath a desk chair, Beecher and Clementine find themselves suddenly entangled in a web of deception, conspiracy, and murder.

Soon a man is dead, and Beecher is on the run as he races to learn the truth behind this mysterious national treasure. His search will lead him to discover a coded and ingenious puzzle that conceals a disturbing secret from the founding of our nation. It is a secret, Beecher soon discovers, that some believe is worth killing for.

I absolutely love love love these novels! Everytime I read a Brad Meltzer novel, I want to go do research on Presidential secrets!! He is amazing at turning my world around and making me believe in something so unbelievable. Historical secrets and Presidential wrong-doings are becoming an American pastime lol. We are just waiting for the President to screw up something. Brad Meltzer is very good at bringing that to life on the page.

Brad Meltzer wrote comic books.....what? That was my reaction too! But he's contributed to greats such as Green Arrow, Identity Crisis, a Superman/Batman tribute, and Justice League of America. So to that already amazing repertoire we can add political thriller novelist, TV show creator (Jack & Bobby), TV show host (Decoded), and...get this...attorney! He also co-wrote the swearing-in oath for all Americorps members. This is one talented man. And to think, he's very first novel received 24 rejection letters and still sits unpublished on a shelf at home!

Midweek Morsels: Slow Cooker Chicken

2011-08-31T08:00:00.001-04:00

I love slow cooker recipes. It's so nice to know that after a long day at work you don't have to come home and rush to make dinner. I love it!

Slow Cooker Italian Chicken
by Taste of Home

Ingredients
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) chicken broth
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes, cut up
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt or garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion salt or onion powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cold water
Hot cooked pasta

Directions
Place chicken in a 3-qt. slow cooker. In a bowl, combine the broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, green pepper, onion, garlic and seasonings; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until meat is tender. Remove chicken and keep warm.
Pour cooking juices into a large saucepan; skim fat. Combine flour and cold water until smooth; stir into juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with chicken and pasta.
Yield: 4 servings.

This recipe was so easy, I only had to through everything in the slow cooker and turn it on. i did the last little bit when I got home before my husband came home. It was a little dry, but other than that it was good. We put it on rice instead of pasta and let the juices soak into the rice which was really yummy!

What's your favorite slow cooker recipe?

Pretty Little Liars

2011-08-29T08:00:00.030-04:00

Pretty Little Liars
by Sara Shepard

286 pgs
2006

Read: August 2011

"Everyone has something to hide—especially high school juniors Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hanna.

Spencer covets her sister's boyfriend. Aria's fantasizing about her English teacher. Emily's crushing on the new girl at school. Hanna uses some ugly tricks to stay beautiful.

But they've all kept an even bigger secret since their friend Alison vanished.

How do I know? Because I know everything about the bad girls they were, the naughty girls they are, and all the dirty secrets they've kept. And guess what? I'm telling."

So, I am in love with the show Pretty Little Liars on ABC Family. It's so intriguing, so mysterious and just so addicting. I kept texting my little sister, because she's read all the books, to find out what was going to happen next. She must have been annoyed with me because next thing I know she's given me all her books. Well, that's one way to get the books, right? =) I was a little surprised with this though, the show is very different from the books. Even the way the girls are described is different from the way they look on the show. However, the storyline is just as good and there are a lot of similarities, so it's easy for me to follow along. I will most definitely continue with this series. Here's a trailer from the Season Two Premiere:

Movie Weekend: Date Night

2011-08-27T09:00:00.031-04:00

Let me just say, this was hilarious!! The comedic timing and chemistry between the two main characters was just spot on and it made for a really great time. The premise is a boring married couple have fallen into such a routine that they've become nothing more than really great roommates.
The husband, trying to make a memorable Date Night, does something really wild which causes a rolling avalanche of problems. So the rest of the movie they are trying to get out of danger and it was cracking me up. I love a good comedy =)

The Actors

Steve Carell

This is one funny guy!! There are some times where he says something so funny yet so serious that it's hilarious. So he really made this movie for me.

Tina Fey

Tina Fey was never a favorite of mine but she really held her own in this film. I've only seen her on Saturday Night Live and I've never watched her TV Show. Tina and Steve played off of each other really well and the whole movie was so funny.

Midweek Morsels: Pecan-Coated Roughy

2011-08-24T07:25:00.000-04:00

Fish isn't on the top of my list of favorite foods, but I do like it. I don't cook it very often simply because I just don't know how. So when I come across some fish on sale or a good recipe, I tend to keep it and tweak it to how we like it. So, when I saw this recipe it just looked so yummy I couldn't pass it up. I don't know the difference between Orange Roughy and Whitefish Fillets so I just get whatever fish is on sale or looks good to use in the recipe.

Pecan-Coated Roughy
by Taste of Home

Ingredients
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
4 orange roughy fillets (6 ounces each)
1 tablespoon chopped shallot
2 teaspoons butter
1/2 cup white wine
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Directions
Place the egg and pecans in separate shallow bowls. Dip fillets into egg, then coat with pecans. Place in a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, saute shallot in butter until tender. Add wine. Bring to a boil; cook for 1-2 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half.
In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, orange juice and mustard until smooth; stir into wine mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with orange roughy.
Yield: 4 servings.

This recipe called for Orange Roughy, but I found some fish on sale at the local supermarket that I used instead. It's called Swai, and I even had to look it up because I had no idea what it was. Apparently it's a farm-raised catfish. Hmm...cool. It was really good! Next time I'll get my pecans crushed a little better since the big pieces don't stick too well. I think it should be pecan dust =)

Do you have a favorite fish recipe?

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

2011-08-22T08:00:00.022-04:00

Crescendo
by Becca Fitzpatrick

427 pages
2010

Read: August 2011

"Nora should have known her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away and Nora can't figure out if it's for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy Marcie Millar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home.

The farther Nora delves into the mystery of her father's death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim blood line has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn't answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?"

I really love this series. I can even say I love it better than the Twilight series. Yeah, it's that good. So in this second installment, Patch (angel, who's not angelic) and Nora (Nephalim attracted to danger) are still together, but will Scott (new guy, Nephalim, but doesn't know it) give Patch a run for his money. It looks like he wants to be a little more than friends with Nora, and he brings a little more danger with him. It's a great story, with good characters. It's definitely a page-turner.

Movie Weekend: 1408

2011-08-20T16:30:00.001-04:00

Stephen King's short story, 1408, was brought to life on the big screen in 2007 with John Cusack and Samuel Jackson in the starring roles. I never read this book, in fact, I didn't even know it was a Stephen King book before I watched the movie. The idea is, Mike Enslin, a horror novelist, travels from city to haunted city in search of material for his next novel. The Dolphin Hotel and it's rumored to be haunted Room 1408 is next up. Mike gets the run around after calling the hotel....they are not letting him stay in 1408, too many strange deaths in that room. After all the lawyers get involved, he gets his way and stays in Room 1408. The freaky weird stuff starts to happen, and, at first, Mike believes it's all staged....part of the hype. But then it gets really weird; ghosts reliving their last experiences, voices from the other room, telephone calls from far away, and rooms that constantly change. This one was really strange.

The Actors

John Cusack

I'm really not a fan of John Cusack. I can't quite put my finger on why, although there was one movie that I really did like him in, 2012. Anyway, this seemed like the perfect movie for his quirky personality. He really did a great job.

Samuel L. Jackson

Not a big fan of his either however he was a little creepy in this film, so it was right on. I love the air of mystery he brought to the story although I'm not sure what the ending was all about. He left me a little confused.

Midweek Morsels: Chicken Paprikash

2011-08-17T07:00:00.060-04:00

I'm always up for trying something new, but I don't want to have to find specialty ingredients. I had to look up Chicken Paprikash because I'd never heard of it before. When I found that it's an old Hungarian dish, I thought that would be a good one to try, and with accessible ingredients. So I tore out the recipe and here it is:

Chicken Paprikash

Ingredients
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, sliced across the grain
1/4 inch thick
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
2 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 onion, sliced
1/4 inch thick
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch wide strips
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1/3 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions
In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, 1 tablespoon sherry, the garlic, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stir in 2 teaspoons oil.

In a small bowl, combine the chicken broth and the remaining 1 tablespoon sherry. Stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch until dissolved.

Heat a 14-inch, flat-bottomed wok over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes upon contact. Swirl in 1 tablespoon oil. Add the chicken mixture, spread in a single layer and cook undisturbed for 1 minute. Using a metal spatula, stir-fry until the chicken begins to brown, about 1 minute; transfer to a plate.

Lower the heat to medium and swirl in the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add the onion and bell pepper; season with salt and stir-fry until softened, about 1 minute. Add the paprika, return the chicken and any juices to the wok, increase the heat to high and stir-fry until just combined. Swirl in the broth mixture and stir-fry until the chicken is just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the sour cream and parsley.

Very, very good! Great flavor!! Enjoy!!
To see more Whip Up Something New recipes, please head over to Joann's blog to see all the hosts from this and previous months.

Red Lily

2011-08-16T08:07:00.001-04:00

Red Lily
by Nora Roberts

384 pages
2005

Read: August 2011

"A Harper has always lived at Harper House, the centuries-old mansion just outside of Memphis. And for as long as anyone alive remembers, the ghostly Harper Bride has walked the halls, singing lullabies at night...

Hayley Phillips came to Memphis hoping for a new start, for herself and her unborn child. She wasn't looking for a handout from her distant cousin Roz, just a job at her thriving In the Garden nursery. What she found was a home surrounded by beauty and the best friends she's ever had - including Roz's son Harper. To Hayley's delight, her new daughter Lily has really taken to him. To Hayley's chagrin, she has begun to dream about Harper - as much more than a friend...

If Hayley gives in to her desire, she's afraid the foundation she's built with Harper will come tumbling down. Especially since she's begun to suspect that her feelings are no longer completely her own. Flashes of the past and erratic behavior make Hayley believe that the Harper Bride has found a way inside of her mind and body. It's time to put the Bride to rest once and for all, so Hayley can know her own heart again - and whether she's willing to risk it...."

I will have to say that this was my favorite of the trilogy. By now all the characters are developed and we are really getting into the ghost story. I love ghost stories =) One thing that kind of made me go, "ew" was the fact that Hayley and Harper were together at all. In the first book, they mention that Hayley came to get help from her distant cousin Rosalyn Harper Ashby. So, distant cousin meant cousin by marriage that ended in divorce. So I'm guessing she really wasn't related at all. But then to have her fall in love with her cousin's son. I'm thinking the whole cousin thing probably didn't need to be mentioned at all. That was just weird. However, I loved the books and I'm glad I read this series. I usually take one look at Nora Roberts and think, "nah, I don't like romance".

Movie Weekend: Sucker Punch

2011-08-14T20:00:00.001-04:00

This weekend I watched Sucker Punch. Weird name I know but the trailer made me drool! Most of the actors were unknown which sometimes I think is a good thing, but, here I'm not so sure....

THE ACTORS
Emily Browning as Baby Doll

Vanessa Hudgens as Blondie

Abbie Cornish as Sweet Pea

Jena Malone as Rocket

Jamie Chung as Amber

Oscar Isaac as Blue

Carla Gugino as Dr. Vera

The Plot
I'm not really sure what to say here. Emily Browning's character at the beginning goes through losing her mom and her stepdad is a bad man and he has her committed in order to get whatever was left to her in the will. So he takes her to this asylum where it looks as though the girls have nick names and do "theater". After this I have no idea what was going on.

What I Thought
I know that it looked like this asylum was a home of sorts for orphaned children and run like a brothel....so I thought. This movie was very screwy, in a mess-with-your-head sort of way. Like a story within a story within the movie. It got a little confusing at times. If anyone has seen Inception with Leonardo Dicaprio, you'll know exactly what I mean. Unlike Inception, I'm not even sure that Sucker Punch was a good movie. There was no real point. In other words, I didn't like it. Although I was really surprised at Emily Browning. I hadn't seen her since her Lemony Snicket debut and she's changed quite a bit.

Midweek Morsels: Linguine with Garlic Sauce

2011-08-10T07:12:00.040-04:00

My Taste of Home Simple & Delicious Cookbook is really going to get worn out pretty soon! I love all these recipes and they are set up fantastically. It's set up as a menu planner's dream. This recipe was good for my husband and I, but my 3 year old took one look at it and said "nuh uh, mom". Spinach will do that to a child =)

Linguine with Garlic Sauce
by Taste of Home

Ingredients
12 ounces uncooked linguine
1/2 pound sliced bacon, diced
5 cups fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1-1/4 cups 2% milk
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cubed
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

Directions
Cook linguine according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towels; drain, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings.
In the drippings, saute spinach and onion until spinach is wilted and onion is tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add the milk, cream cheese, butter, salt, nutmeg and pepper; stir until smooth. Stir in pine nuts and bacon; heat through. Drain pasta; toss with sauce.
Yield: 4-6 servings.

This pasta was creamy and with the flavor of the smoky bacon...just amazing! I liked the pine nuts in it but my husband didn't. He didn't like the texture, so next time I'll make it without. I loved it though! Did you know you can buy pine nuts already toasted in the store?? That was easier =)