Easy Peasy Holiday Entertaining

*information for this post was in part supplied by Hormel Foods through their Hormel Extended Family Blogger program. No compensation was received for this post.

A few months back, we made the decision that since our house hunt hadn't led us to the right house for us, that we would enter into the project of updating the kitchen. Originally, we were focused on getting a quote and planning to wait for spring to start the project Then, as luck would have it, the cabinets that we had selected were on a special. We decided that we should take advantage of the discount and get the cabinets. We didn't want to pay for cabinets and not install right away, so we decided to move the whole project up. We chose a start date, knowing that with a 4 week timeline, we would be without a full kitchen on Thanksgiving, but anticipating that we would be back to normal in early December.

Unfortunately, some quality issues with a cabinet, some unexpected water pipes in a wall we removed that had to be rerouted and an issue with the counter top led to an extension to our timeline. I wasn't too worried about this, other than the holidays. We had gotten rather adept at using our bar kitchen and our oven, which was operational most of the project time-frame, to keep ourselves fed. As the holidays approached, I started to worry. I rely on baking to provide gifts to the kids' teachers, my team at work, our neighbors and family. I also have various holiday parties that I attend, where I need to bring a dish to share. All of these things are more challenging without an operational kitchen.

Fortunately, I like to think outside of the box and came up with several things that I could make that provided great flavor and could be made without a kitchen.

For the holiday food day at work, I turned to my crockpot and LLOYD’S® Pulled Pork.

The product is very flavorful on it's own, but since I was planning to warm and hold in my crock-pot I added our favorite barbecue sauce. I grabbed some slider rolls on the way to the office and voila, I had a great dish to share at lunch.








For a holiday gathering with my women's club, I turned to the microwave and Hormel Snackers dips. I took a bag of tortilla chips, some sliced baguette,

two containers of the HORMEL® SNACKERS® Cheesy Bacon & Jalapeño Dip and two of the HORMEL® SNACKERS® Spinach & Artichoke Dip.







Of course, Hormel Gatherings snack trays would have been another easy solution.

With precut cheese, meat and crackers, it is ready to go and be part of your party in no time.

As for my holiday baking, I fortunately had a counter top and sink installed and reconnected in time to spend a weekend baking. I made over 30 batches of biscotti and one batch each of cut out cookies, Italian Christmas cookies, fudge and bruchtel bars.

How do you entertain at the holidays? What are your favorite snacks to take and share?


No compensation was received for this post. All opinions expressed are mine or those of my family. I am completing this post as a participant in the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger program. Hormel Foods provided some product samples for my family to try. I also receive thought starters, information and photos that can be used in a post.

The Wedding Chapel by Rachel Hauck

A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

For the past several weeks, we have been under construction at my house. We decided that it was time to make some upgrades to our kitchen and a project that was supposed to take about 4 weeks, somehow stretched to taking about 6 weeks. It left me with a few days early in our Christmas break, where we had to stay close to home and yet I was unable to do the unpacking into the kitchen that I had planned to complete. On the upside, it gave me the chance to just sit around. It wasn't like I could be doing laundry or cleaning or cooking/baking or anything else, there was construction going on and I had to stay out of the way. While I just sat around, I took advantage of the time and sat around and read...and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Finding uninterrupted time to read is a luxury for me, as life as mom is a busy experience.

The book that I was reading was The Wedding Chapel by Rachel Hauck. I have read a few of her other books, and surprisingly, although not part of the same series, there were still at least one or two references to a character in one of the other stories. Nothing is lost if you haven't read those books, but I love how the author uses that device to help make the other stories more authentic (is that the right word?).

I love how Rachel uses the multi-character approach to telling the story. It allows the reader a greater insight into several perspectives and helps them more fully understand the story. With the story spanning 60 years, although focused in year 1 and year 60, if you will, she also takes advantage of the different times to keep the story moving, both with flashback portions as we are reading the story from one view point or another and with actual sections devoted to telling the story in a current fashion simply set in earlier year of the story. Both of these wound together, really let the reader fully immerse in the story and feel connected to all of the characters. Yet, even in all of this connection, she still manages to surprise the reader with minor turns and twists in the plots. Sure, some of the secrets you start to ponder and question earlier than they are revealed, but even with pondering, it is not until she reveals the turn that you are completely sure that you are right.

The stories told in The Wedding Chapel were realistic and experienced by what I would call everyday people, both of which allow the reader to be more fully immersed in the story and more able to relate to aspects of the story that they are reading. There are two main love stories, surrounded by other stories that help fill out the background, that despite the separation in time find themselves intersecting. There is growth that takes place in the characters and hard news to share and face along the way, as the characters learn and heal on their journey of love.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and look forward to reading more by Rachel Hauck.

About the book:

The Wedding Chapel

For sixty years, a wedding chapel sat silent, waiting for love. But times have changed and the hour has come when it just might be too late.

Retired hall-of-fame football coach Jimmy "Coach" Westbrook never imagined anything would come of his labor of love---the wedding chapel he built for Collette Greer, the woman he fell for back in '49. But now an offer has come to turn the chapel into what it was meant to be---a place for love---and Jimmy sees no reason to hang onto his dream any longer.

Photographer Taylor Branson is trying to make a life for herself in New York. Leaving her hometown of Heart's Bend, Tennessee, she put a lot of things behind her, including her family's abysmal marriage rate. But love surprises her when she falls head-over-heels for Jack Forester, a top ad man. Their whirlwind romance results in an elopement, and a mountain of doubt. Jack, while genuine in his love for Taylor, can never seem to overcome his own demons to find the words of his heart.

When Taylor takes an assignment in Heart's Bend, the job does more than send her back to her hometown, but into a world of family secrets buried beneath the sands of time.

When Taylor's journey intersects with Coach's, they rediscover the heartbeat of their dreams and that the love they long to hold is right in front of them. And worth every waiting moment.

Purchase a copy here.

About the author:

Rachel Hauck is an award-winning, best selling author of critically acclaimed novels such as The Wedding Dress, Love Starts with Elle, and Once Upon A Prince. She also penned the Songbird Novels with multi-platinum recording artist, Sara Evans. Booklist named their novel, Softly and Tenderly, one of 2011 Top Ten Inspirationals. She serves on the Executive Board for American Christian Fiction Writers and is a mentor and book therapist at My Book Therapy, and conference speaker. Rachel lives in central Florida with her husband and pets.

Find out more about Rachel at http://www.rachelhauck.com/.

Connect with Rachel: Twitter and Facebook

You can learn more about the book and read other reviews on the blog tour landing page.


No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

Whispers in the Reading Room by Shelley Gray

A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

I have read a number of books by Shelley Gray, but to date, most of them have been Amish fiction. A few months back, I got the chance to read her novella An Outlaw's Heart as part of the book, Among the Fair Magnolias. So, when I saw that she had a new book coming out that was period fiction, I was excited for the opportunity to read it.

Whispers in the Reading Room is set in Chicago in 1893. It turns out that it was the third in the A Chicago World's Fair Mystery series. Fortunately, there was no need to have read the earlier works to thoroughly enjoy this one.

Even from the first chapter, I was drawn into the story and found myself wanting to read more. There were evenings that went a little later than planned, as I convinced myself to read just one more chapter (and then perhaps another) so that I could see what happened next. My husband even made fun of me as I attempted to read a few pages on a short car ride to lunch one afternoon.

As with her other works, this story has great character development. Through the course of the story, I came to know the main characters and yet, they still managed to surprise me in their action.

I frequently find passages that strike me, but rarely share them. In this case, I tabbed the corner, because it was something that I really could relate to, that feeling when you finish a book.

"She still remembered the expression on his face last week when he'd finished and closed the last tome. He'd looked pleased and just a bit melancholy. She knew those dual feelings well - the satisfaction of completing a well-written piece of literature while also coming to terms with the fact that those few moments of pure bliss would soon be replaced with longing for more."

I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to those that love period history and those that love stories of mystery and love.

About the book:

Whispers in the Reading Room (Zondervan, November 2015)

Lydia's job at the library is her world---until a mysterious patron catches her eye . . . and perhaps her heart.

Just months after the closure of the Chicago World's Fair, librarian Lydia Bancroft finds herself fascinated by a mysterious dark-haired and dark-eyed patron. He has never given her his name; he actually never speaks to a single person. All she knows about him is that he loves books as much as she does.

Only when he rescues her in the lobby of the Hartman Hotel does she discover that his name is Sebastian Marks. She also discovers that he lives at the top of the prestigious hotel and that most everyone in Chicago is intrigued by him.

Lydia and Sebastian form a fragile friendship, but when she discovers that Mr. Marks isn't merely a very wealthy gentleman, but also the proprietor of an infamous saloon and gambling club, she is shocked.

Lydia insists on visiting the club one fateful night and suddenly is a suspect to a murder. She must determine who she can trust, who is innocent, and if Sebastian Marks-the man so many people fear-is actually everything her heart believes him to be.

Purchase a copy here.

About the author:

Shelley Gray is the author of The Heart of a Hero series. Her Amish novel (written as Shelley Shepard Gray), The Protector, recently made the New York Times best seller list. A native of Texas, she earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in Colorado and taught school for ten years. She and her husband have two children and live in Southern Ohio.

Connect with Shelley: website, Twitter, and Facebook

You can learn more about the book and find other reviews on the blog tour landing page.


No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

The Five Times I Met Myself by James L Rubart

A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

When I was presented with the opportunity to read The Five Times I Met Myself, I was definitely intrigued. At first, I thought it was non-fiction and would be about identifying your direction in light. As I read the description, I discovered that it was a work of fiction and was intrigued by the questions being posed. Wish you could go back and tell yourself what you should have done differently? What would you say if you met your 23-year-old self in a dream?

What made it more interesting to me is that a co-worker had just recenlty been talking about a book that she was reading about personal transformation. While it was not the same style of work, it seemed to be driving towards a common path.

As I read the book, I realized that the questions are not so straight forward and that what you might want to change in your life could result in a much further reaching impact than simply the path that you take. It made me take pause and think about who else and what else would have been impacted if I had made different life choices along the way. It gave me a great perspective on the idea that it was through a series of individual decisions that led me to exactly where I am, and where I feel like I belong. Any changes to those decisions could see me married to someone else, living somewhere else and not the mom to my kids. What a strange thought.

Brock learns a lot on his journey and I really enjoyed the journey, not just for what I learned alongside Brock, but for what it made me think about and consider in my own life.

About the book:
The Five Times I Met Myself

What if you met your twenty-three-year-old self in a dream? What would you say?

Brock Matthews' once promising life is unraveling. His coffee company. His marriage.

So when he discovers his vivid dreams---where he encounters his younger self---might let him change his past mistakes, he jumps at the chance. The results are astonishing, but also disturbing.

Because getting what Brock wants most in the world will force him to give up the one thing he doesn't know how to let go . . . and his greatest fear is that it's already too late.

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1O1Wrle

About the author:

James L. Rubart is a professional marketer and speaker. He is the author of the best-selling novel Rooms as well as Book of Days, The Chair, Soul's Gate, Memory's Door, and Spirit Bridge. He lives with his wife and sons in the Pacific Northwest.

Connect with James: website, Twitter, Facebook

Learn more about the book and read more reviews on the blog tour landing page.


No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

LLOYD’S® Babyback Pork Ribs #hormel

*information for this post was in part supplied by Hormel Foods through their Hormel Extended Family Blogger program. No compensation was received for this post.

We are doing a little bit of update work in the kitchen. As a result, we don't have any space to prep, but do still have use of the stove and oven. We also are relying on just our utility sink in our laundry room for clean-up. This has resulted in us having to be a little more creative with meal planning, looking for ideas that don't require much in terms of preparation or clean-up.

One night for dinner last week, we went with ribs and baked potatoes. Since we had a package of LLOYD’S® Babyback Pork Ribs, the preparation was easy.

Simply wrap the ribs in foil and bake for about an hour.

Even though you have to cook the ribs for an hour, I would say that these ribs are quick prep and best of all, you get the taste of slow cooked ribs in just about an hour.

The ribs are so tender and bones come out easily and clean.

The ribs are seasoned and you can enjoy them as is, or add your favorite barbecue sauce.

The ribs were very tender and moist. The flavor was great even without sauce. Both of the kids really enjoyed them. With about 2 pounds in the package, we had enough for the family and a little bit for leftovers. The leftovers will be repurposed for pork quesadillas, another low prep, easy and tasty meal that we can enjoy while under construction.

Have you tried making ribs at home?

No compensation was received for this post. All opinions expressed are mine or those of my family. I am completing this post as a participant in the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger program. Hormel Foods provided some product samples for my family to try. I also receive thought starters, information and photos that can be used in a post.

BeepEgg - A Singing Breakfast Party #Tryazon #Brainstream #beepegg

No compensation was received for this post. Complimentary BeepEggs and Ines Rosales torta, as well as information for the post, were provided so that I could host a party, through Tryazon.

This weekend I had the chance to host a Tryazon A Singing Breakfast Party, featuring the BeepEgg from Brainstream and Ines Rosales torta. The BeepEgg helps you make the perfect soft boiled, medium boiled or hard boiled egg.

I decided the best way to start was to demonstrate the functionality of the BeepEgg. We put a few eggs and the BeepEgg into a pan with tap water and turned on the heat.

After a few minutes, the egg beeped, letting us know that it was working and that the water had reached 45C. Then, a few minutes later, a beep to let us know the water was boiling and the stove temp could be turned down to medium. The first song the BeepEgg Classic played was 'Oh Susanna', letting us know we had perfect soft-boiled eggs.

We removed one egg and allowed the others to continue to cook. We cracked it open and took off the cap, revealing a perfect soft-boiled egg:

My mom even commented that she was so glad to have a perfect soft-boiled egg, because they are so hard to make.

The next song that the BeepEgg Classic played was 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame', letting us know we had perfect medium-boiled eggs. We removed one egg and allowed the others to continue to cook. We cracked it open and took off the cap, revealing a perfect medium-boiled egg:

The next song that the BeepEgg Classic played was 'Hail Hail the Gangs All Here', letting us know we had perfect hard-boiled eggs.

We loved that the egg sang each song multiple times and that even if you weren't standing at the stove, you could still make the perfect egg. I loved that the outside of the yolk in the hard boiled eggs was still yellow, mine always seem to be on the edge of turning green.

Now that all of the remaining eggs were hard boiled, we set out to make a few dishes to share.  My son is a fan of deviled eggs and since I use the same 'recipe' to make deviled eggs as I do for egg salad, we took the easy route and made part into deviled eggs and chopped up the rest to be egg salad.

Here the dishes are with some 'fancy' plating.  


Deviled Eggs

Open Face Egg Salad Sandwich



We also tried Ines Rosales tortas.  I hadn't thought to buy some spreads for the tortes, which everyone agreed the Sesame Seed and Sea Salt variety needed.  The Seville Orange variety was a lightly sweet treat to cap the snack.

Everyone had a great time trying the products. Two lucky party guests also took home their very own beep egg - of course, one went to my mom so that she could make perfect soft boiled eggs at home.

History
Dr. Rupprecht Gabriel, a German engineer and entrepreneur, was always annoyed by his poorly boiled breakfast eggs. They were either too runny, too hard. In 2000, he decided to solve the problem and the BeepEgg was born - an egg shaped timer that could sing and float. Shortly thereafter Gabriel formed a creative team and Brainstream became an enterprise. Brainstream strives to impress their customers with their “fun and functional” products. Their line of products include BeepEgg, Cregg, SOI - the automatic handbag light, and more.

BeepEgg
The BeepEgg - looks like an egg, feels like an egg, boils like an egg, but unlike an egg it sings. BeepEgg is a precise egg-timer, which is boiled together with real eggs. The BeepEgg and real eggs have to enter water at the same time. Once yolk and egg-white have reached the desired degree of hardness, BeepEgg will play a tune.

Watch this video to see how it works:

For more information about Brainstream please visit:
http://www.brainstream.de/index.php/en/brainstream/detail/ueber_uns

Brainstream can be purchased at: http://kitchenkaboodle.com or Amazon. Ines Rosales is available at http://yummybazaar.com and at various store retailers.

No compensation was received for this post. Complimentary BeepEggs and Ines Rosales torta, as well as information for the post, were provided so that I could host a party, through Tryazon.

"H" is for Halloween

*information for this post was in part supplied by Hormel Foods through their Hormel Extended Family Blogger program. No compensation was received for this post.

I am a big fan of the fall. I enjoy cool evenings, crisp days, hayrides, bonfires, and the tastes of fall. Our schedule seems to dictate to what extent we get to enjoy all of those activities. The best part is that they are family activities that allow us to spend time simply being together.

Last weekend, the kids asked if we could make an apple pie. I had some apples that I had picked up at the orchard, as well as some that were leftover at the swim meet concession stand, so the three of us made a pie. It was the first time my son had helped make a pie. It was fun to teach him about cutting in the shortening and tossing it gently with water to give a nice flaky crust. My daughter helped measure out the flour, sugar and seasoning to add to the apples. And my son measured for the crumb topping. I got to peel the apples and told the kids how my grandma and grandpa could peel the entire apple in one continuous piece, creating a spiral of peel. I showed them that I couldn't do the full apple, but was getting close.

This weekend we are hosted a slumber party to celebrate my daughter's birthday. We did a build your own pizza bar. I made a homemade crust and set out individuals crusts for each girl. The toppings included pizza sauce, regular and mini pepperoni, two types of shredded cheese, browned sausage, and diced peppers. It was a fun time by all building their pizzas.

For Halloween, my daughter requested to be a cat. So, we headed to the store to find fur to make the tail, ears and patches. We found a black hoodie and leggings to be the foundation of the costume. We planned out the patches, the tail and ears and I did the cutting and sewing. My son was in the uncertain phase this year, so he is recycling a convict costume that we had in the basement. Historically, we have made his costume as well. Recent selections have been a baseball card, a Lego Minifigure and a vending machine. This may be the last year that we head out to trick or treat as a family. It is always a good time, catching up with others in the neighborhood. There are families that gather on a driveway with a bonfire and one year a family had a food truck that was serving sample size soups and coffee to the parents.

How will you celebrate Fall and Halloween?

“H” is for Halloween: With fall officially in full swing, Hormel Foods is introducing the "ABC's of Fall" on the Hormel Foods Recipes Pinterest page! Encourage your readers to check out new seasonal posts, and share with us their favorite fall recipes, “spooky” snack ideas, and ways they use classic fall flavors using the hashtag #ABCsofFall and #HormelFamily.

· “M” is for Mummies:

Hanging out in cemeteries isn’t the only place for these scary creatures – turns out they like pizza too! That is, in these Mini Mummy Pizzas. To make your own, top half an English muffin with pizza sauce, add Hormel® Pepperoni Minis, sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese and add two sliced black olives for eyes. Viola!

· “S” is for Spooky: Make a “Spooky Chili” this Halloween for a fun and filling time! Use Halloween-shaped cookie cutters to cut shapes out of cheese slices and place the cheese shapes over a bowl of hot Hormel® Chili with Beans. Pair it with this spooky Halloween dip

featured on the NATURAL CHOICE® Pinterest page, which uses a variety of Hormel Foods products!

· “W” is for Weekends: Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, so use the whole weekend as an excuse to indulge in some of your favorite fall treats!

No compensation was received for this post. All opinions expressed are mine or those of my family. I am completing this post as a participant in the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger program. Hormel Foods provided some product samples for my family to try. I also receive thought starters, information and photos that can be used in a post.

Five Below #shop5B #Sponsored

This is a sponsored post for Five Below, through She Speaks. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family.

The wind down has begun...after weeks of crazy fall sports schedules, this past week wrapped up the remaining fall sports. Of course, the break will be short lived, as we officially kicked off winter sports with our first swim meet of the season this weekend. During the wind down and the slow period that we can enjoy for the next few weeks, we have been taking advantage of the quiet evenings and weekends and getting out and doing things as a family.

The other weekend, because we had no sports and had a few errands to run on Friday night, we took the opportunity to stop at Five Below with the kids. Five Below is a family favorite shopping destination. Usually, we head there without a shopping list, but often times we choose Five Below when we are looking for a specific (and unique) item. I think part of the appeal to the family is just the unique collection of items that they offer and that they offer them all for $5 and below. It is a great place to pick up stocking stuffers and fun items for a white elephant gift exchange.

On this trip, since we came armed with an available budget and an intent to spend it, we spent longer than normal shopping. Everyone wanted to see what was available before making any commitments.

My daughter's first stop was at the plastic shoes. They offer both a lined and unlined version. She found a pink pair in her size and tried them on. Satisfied that they fit, they were the first item added to our cart.

My son headed to the back of the store and checked out the assortment of sports balls. They seem to have one for every sport. A few minutes were spent playing with the balls and deciding if we wanted one or another.

The giant tennis balls were a hit with the kids, but they opted to skip getting a ball and continued around the store.

With the release of the new Star Wars planned for this fall, the kids were excited to check out the vast assortment on Star Wars items that were available at Five Below.

In addition to those items, they also had some posters. The kids gave them a good review, looking for the best options to update the decorations in their bedroom.

Our next stop was in the office/art section. We looked for gift options for a birthday party my daughter was planning to attend. She settled on a sketch pad and a set of colored pencils for her friend. Then, she added in another sketch pad for herself and a dry erase calendar with magnets for her room. Then we found a photo clip pack that consisted of a string that could be mounted and several small clothes pins for attaching pictures. This was a solution I had been looking for to display my daughter's ribbons from swimming, so I added this to the cart.

Our next stop was at the phone/tablet accessory wall. Their selection in the tech area is diverse. They have covers for seemingly all brands/styles of phone and tablet with several colors, styles and themes to choose from. I think my personal favorite was the Lego cover where you could attach building bricks to further personalize the cover.

They also offer charging cables and headphones. My kids are required to bring a set to school, so we always keep a few on hand to replace the ones that get lost or the cords bent and stop working.

Then, we headed up to the candy section.

The selection, oh the selection! Suddenly, the cart started to fill faster. There were the theater boxes of candy...there were three or four varieties chosen. There was the wall of 10/$1 candy items. There were three or four bags filled with personalized assortments of candy. There were gummy bears and candy corn (shh! those were mine, all mine!).

Everything we bought was $1 - $5, in even dollars, except the candy corn which was priced at $1.79, which I found odd given the typical pricing that we saw in store.

Everyone was pleased with their purchases and we headed on to tackle our remaining errands and grab dinner, although I'm pretty certain that a couple of the 10 for $1 candy items might have been consumed on the way to dinner.

This is a sponsored post for Five Below, through She Speaks. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family.

Miracle Drug by Richard L Mabry, M.D.

A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

I started reading thrillers when I was in high school and continued into college. While on a trip with friends following college, I read my first medical thriller. I would be lying if I didn't say I was immediately hooked. When I heard about the latest book from Richard L. Mabry, M.D., Miracle Drug , whose description sounded like a medical thriller to me, I decided that I should check his book out.

The story started off quickly, immediately creating a scene of mystery. This introduction to the story was a great way to pull the reader right in and the movement of the story kept the reader engaged. I, as might be expected, found myself not wanting to put the book down and staying up too late, in the attempt to read just one more chapter.

With the author being a retired physician, he had the background to really make the medical conditions, the lab tests, the diagnostic practice and the life of the medical professionals come to life for the reader. I enjoyed getting to know the characters, many of them members of the medical profession, as the story unfolded. There were plenty of 'decoys' interspersed in the story, characters that helped move the story along and served as a reasonable 'suspect' for the reader as they tried to stay a step ahead of the characters and solve the mystery - of course, the reader doesn't know they are decoys until the end of the story though when the story is resolved. As the characters go through the ups and downs of the story, the author interjects reflections of faith. The power of prayer and the belief in a higher being helps keep the characters moving forward in their battles to overcome the mysterious illness.

In the end, I would say that the book delivered more on the medical mystery than on the medical thriller that I had anticipated. I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading other books by the author, but felt like the end was a little rushed...with the answers a little too neatly wrapped up. Some of the wrap up left me scratching my head - not sure why they were needed and/or feeling like it was the answer to part of the story that had been cut in an earlier edit.

About the book:
Miracle Drug (Abingdon, September 2015)

Overcoming these odds will take more than a miracle drug---it will take a miracle.

The infection wasn't supposed to happen, but it did. The treatment was supposed to take care of it, but it didn't. Then Dr. Josh Pearson discovers why---his patients, including the former President of the United States, have been dosed with a different strain of the original virus, one that is universally fatal. The only chance for survival is treatment with an experimental drug, but the manufacturer might already have discarded its supply.

As if treating the President of the United States isn't stressful enough, the situation goes from bad to worse when Rachel Moore, a nurse Josh is falling in love with, falls ill. With the nation's eyes on him, Josh must pull off a miracle to save a man who holds a good deal of power and the woman who holds his heart.

Purchase a copy here.

About the author:

Dr. Richard Mabry is a retired physician who writes "medical suspense with heart." His novels have won multiple awards: a semifinalist for International Thriller Writers' debut novel; finalists for the Carol Award, Inspirational Reader's Choice Award, and Romantic Times' Reader's Choice Award; and both finalist and winner of the Selah Award. "Miracle Drug" is his ninth published novel. He and his wife live in Frisco, Texas.

Find Richard online: website, Facebook, Twitter

Learn more about the book and read other reviews on the Blog Tour Landing Page.

No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

Rediscovering Quesadillas

*information for this post was in part supplied by Hormel Foods through their Hormel Extended Family Blogger program. No compensation was received for this post.

We have a new favorite, quick and easy meal or snack at my house - Quesadillas. They are so simple to make from whatever you have on hand. I am completely surprised by families sudden enthusiasm for quesadillas. When they were little, my kids would always turn their nose up at the option of quesadillas when we went out for Mexican. The good news is that they ate Mexican food and didn't just ask for the hot dog or chicken nuggets.

Anyway, back to the quesadilla explosion. It all started one day with leftovers. We had grilled some chicken the night before and had some leftover. Most of the chicken was eaten as a topping for salad, but there was a small amount left and my husband asked for a quesadilla. We took the leftover chicken and chopped it up, placing it on one tortilla in a small skillet and then added peppers, onions and cheese and warmed it up to melt the cheese. Since that day, they have become a go to request for a leftover or grab what you want type meal.

I generally have some tortillas on hand because soft tacos are a popular go to menu option, but lately I have had to add tortillas (Chi Chi's tortillas are our go to brand) to my 'pantry' shopping and make sure that I have an extra pack on hand, so that we don't run out.

I think my favorite part is how versatile a quesadilla can be. You can chose to have no meat or whatever meat you have on hand (typically leftovers) - chicken, ground meat, sausage, pepperoni. You can use any type of cheese - cheddar, mozzarella, goat. You can add a variety of vegetables - onions, hot peppers, bell peppers, squash. You can serve it with any number of dips - sour cream, salsa, queso, ranch, pizza sauce. Essentially, you can make it your own and everyone can have their own variety with ease.

My small skillet is the perfect size to fit a soft taco shell. It's non-stick and the quesadilla only takes a few minutes to warm over a medium heat. I also like that it is easy for the kids to make their own too. It may just be a phase, but for now quesadillas are a quick, easy snack or meal option for our family.

What is your go to snack? How do you repurpose leftovers?

No compensation was received for this post. All opinions expressed are mine or those of my family. I am completing this post as a participant in the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger program. Hormel Foods provided some product samples for my family to try. I also receive thought starters, information and photos that can be used in a post.

The Lost Heiress by Roseanna White

A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

There is nothing like a good book to transport you. With the lovely days that we are having, I find myself sitting on the porch or in the kitchen with the gentle breeze blowing and as I begin to read my book, I find that I am suddenly somewhere else - another time, another place. The story line so engaging that I simply don't want to put the book down. I know that there is laundry to do and dishes to wash, but that can surely wait. Who attacked Brook and what were they after? Would Justin and Brook recognize what they have before it is too late? What exactly was in that journal and what would it reveal about their lives?

Those were some of my thoughts as I enjoyed reading The Lost Heiress this past week. I really enjoyed the read. It is the first book that i have read by Roseanna White, but it will not be my last. She did a good job developing characters through the progression of the story, revealing things about some of the characters right up to the end of the story. Her story was so engaging that I found myself not wanting to put the book down. I needed to know what happened next - there was never a good spot to stop. It had the perfect balance of romance, adventure, mystery, intrigue, deception and faith.

I thoroughly enjoyed the setting in Edwardian England. I still am fascinated by the idea that the women wore multiple dresses a day and that they had a ladies maid to help them with clothing changes and doing their hair. I loved that Brook was ahead of her time and although every bit the lady, had a bit of a wild streak and a love of adventure running through her blood. Character traits that allowed her to persevere.

This book was the first in a new series, Ladies of the Manor. I can't wait for the next story.

About the book:

The Lost Heiress
Ladies of the Manor, Book 1

Brook Eden has never known where she truly belongs. Though raised in the palace of Monaco, she’s British by birth and was brought to the Grimaldis under suspicious circumstances as a babe. When Brook’s friend Justin uncovers the fact that Brook is likely a missing heiress from Yorkshire, Brook leaves the sun of the Mediterranean to travel to the moors of the North Sea to the estate of her supposed family.

The mystery of her mother’s death haunts her, and though her father is quick to accept her, the rest of the family and the servants of Whitby Park are not. Only when Brook’s life is threatened do they draw close—but their loyalty may come too late to save Brook from the same threat that led to tragedy for her mother.

As heir to a dukedom, Justin is no stranger to balancing responsibilities. When the matters of his estate force him far from Brook, the distance between them reveals that what began as friendship has grown into something much more. But how can their very different loyalties and responsibilities ever come together?

And then, for a second time, the heiress of Whitby Park is stolen away because of the very rare treasure in her possession—and this time only the servants of Whitby can save her.

No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

Red Robin's Burger for Better Schools Program #Giveaway

No compensation was received for this post. The Red Robin information and gift cards (one for my family, one for the giveaway) have been provided by Red Robin. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family.

When I first graduated from college, I took a job with a company that had a training program that included rotations at two different production locations. It was an awesome experience and gave me the opportunity to live in two different cities and meet a lot of amazing people (including my husband). While on my second rotation, I was living in South Jersey and working in Philadelphia. It was a really fun rotation. I had a roommate that was there for a co-op assignment at the same plant and we had a blast exploring our new community. In addition to meeting new people, it also gave me a chance to catch up with some of my friends from college that had moved to the area years ahead of me. One weekend, I went and spent a couple of days with a sorority sister who lived about an hour away from my apartment. While visiting with her, we went to dinner at a restaurant that was new to me at the time - Red Robin. I remember they had a great hamburger selection and that the food was very good.

It has been several years (several, like 18 years) since I had last been to a Red Robin. For a long time, I didn't live near one and then when I moved 'close' to one, it was still a good half hour away from me and although we shopped in the area, the crowds generally kept us from stopping to eat, instead opting to head home to eat. They would come to mind when we had cravings for a good burger, but we hadn't been.

When Red Robin reached out about their new way to support local schools with their Burgers for Better Schools program, we decided we should make the journey - it helped that I had a work event near the Red Robin and the family came down and met me there for dinner.

Burgers for Better Schools is an extension of Red Robin’s loyalty rewards program, which gives members the opportunity to support local K-12 schools simply by dining at participating Red Robin restaurants and using their Red Robin Royalty member account. When a Red Robin Royalty member’s account is presented at the time of purchase, Red Robin will donate one percent of the total bill (excluding taxes, gratuities and gift card sales) to their school of choice.

Fortunately, since I was close by, I was able to time my arrival just enough in advance of the family, that I was able to wait the wait out by myself and we were seated within minutes of my family arriving. The kids each got kid's menus, which came with the tiniest crayons, they were sort of cute.

They also have tablets at the table, that allow you call the waitress, explore the menu, and play trivia. We were a little bummed that trivia came with a cost, especially since with it being on the tablet, it would be real easy for a kid to start playing without realizing. We asked why they charged for the trivia, when so many other places use the trivia as an additional draw to get crowds to come in and linger longer. The waitress wasn't sure, but agreed that it might be nice for it to be complimentary like it is elsewhere.

Then came time to explore our menus. I was very pleased by the selection and quickly narrowed it down to my top three or four options (I'm not the best decision maker when it comes to what do you want to eat...I want it all). As he explored the regular menu, son's eyes were bigger than his stomach, but fortunately, when we asked they have a plan for that...he was able to get a smaller version of his preferred burger from the adult menu. He went with the Burnin' Love.

He opted to try the cole slaw for his endless side. I have to tell you that we all thought it was really good.

My husband went with a different spicy burger - the Chili Chili Cheeseburger, with a side of fries. He was disappointed that it was not spicy and had to order some ghost pepper sauce to spice it up to what he wanted.

I was torn between the Royal Red Robin, which comes with an over easy egg on it and the Guacamole Burger. I went with the Guacamole Burger and the Garlic Herbed fries for my side. There was an extra charge for the Garlic Herbed Fries, but they are still bottomless.

My daughter chose the Little Red's Burger from the kids menu for her meal. She upgraded her drink to a Root Beer float. It was a small drink, but it was bottomless, which meant that there was enough to meet her expectations.

When you were ready for more sides, all you had to do was ask and they would bring out another basket.

Everyone was very pleased with their meal. We thought about dessert, but the food was so tasty that we all ate our meals and didn't have room for dessert. When we were ready, we were able to use the tablet on our table to pay our bill, including tip and print our receipt.

My husband liked this, he has often talked about how he would love to be able to pay at the table, so that the credit card was never out of of his control.

In addition to enjoying a great meal, we were able to help our local school out to. We had registered before going and the school we chose will get one percent of what we spent.

We are already planning our next visit.

Information about Red Robin’s Burger for Better Schools Program:

· Burgers for Better Schools is an extension of Red Robin’s loyalty rewards program. Red Robin Royalty provides members with added perks when they dine at Red Robin restaurants throughout the year, such as granting every 10th item purchased as free, a free birthday burger, exclusive surprises and more

· Burgers for Better Schools gives Red Robin Royalty members an opportunity to support local K-12 schools simply by dining at participating Red Robin restaurants and using their Red Robin Royalty member account. When a Red Robin Royalty member’s account is presented at the time of purchase, Red Robin will donate one percent of the total bill to their school of choice (excluding taxes, gratuities and gift card sales)

· Participating in Burgers for Better Schools is as easy as becoming a member of Red Robin Royalty. Red Robin Royalty members can sign up for Burgers for Better Schools on their account dashboard on Red Robin’s website or by visiting http://www.redrobin.com/betterschools. If you are not already a Red Robin Royalty member, sign up for free and select your child’s school BEFORE your visit!

· Through the Burgers for Better Schools dashboard, Red Robin Royalty members can select their school of choice to receive support, and change their school selection at any time throughout the year

· Members who have opted into Burgers for Better Schools can follow their progress in supporting a K-12 school of their choice on their Red Robin Royalty account dashboard. Details include individual contributions, how many others are supporting that school, and total donations raised by all supporters

· At any time, Red Robin Royalty members can donate an additional sum to the school of their choice by using the credit card option featured on the Burgers for Better Schools homepage

· Red Robin also makes it easy to help spread the word about the Burgers for Better Schools program at school, online and socially with a variety flyers, website banners and social media-friendly content in the online digital tool kit



Information about Red Robin:

· Red Robin Gourmet Burgers is the Gourmet Burger Authority, a place where families and adults alike can enjoy a great dining experience

· The first Red Robin restaurant opened in Seattle, Wash., in 1969, and now there are more than 500 Red Robin restaurants across the United States and Canada

· Red Robin is famous for serving more than two dozen craveable, high-quality burgers with Bottomless Steak Fries® in a fun environment welcoming to guests of all ages. In addition to its many burger offerings, Red Robin serves a wide variety of salads, soups, appetizers, entrees, desserts and signature Mad Mixology® Beverages

· Red Robin is proud to offer fresh, high quality ingredients and every meal is made-to-order. Red Robin’s commitment to food quality includes Gourmet Burgers made with fresh, never frozen, all-natural, domestic, USDA-inspected beef; hormone free poultry and locally sourced produce that is hand-selected by its suppliers and freshly prepared in-house

· To sign up for the Red Robin Royalty program and become eligible to support your local school through Burgers for Better Schools, visit http://royalty.redrobin.com

You can find and connect with Red Robin
* Red Robin website

* Red Robin Burgers for Better Schools

* Red Robin on Facebook

* Red Robin on Twitter

* Red Robin on Instagram

Giveaway

Thanks to Red Robin, I have the opportunity to give one A Busy Mom of Two Reader a $75 gift card to check out Red Robin.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Giveaway will remain open through October 9th. Giveaway is open to residents of the US only. Winners will be selected through Rafflecopter. The winners will have 24 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected.

No compensation was received for this post. The Red Robin information and gift cards (one for my family, one for the giveaway) have been provided by Red Robin. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family.

A Wedding at the Orange Blossom Inn by Shelley Shepard Gray

A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

There is something very good about a book that can draw you into the story in the first chapter. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary that happened, a silly mutt had gotten away leaving it's family to locate it. But Shelley Shepard Gray with her straight-forward style and the way that she reveals enough about the characters to pique your interest, pulled me right into her new book, A Wedding at the Orange Blossom Inn.

The book takes place in Pinecraft, an Amish community nestled in Florida. For those that have read earlier books in the Brides of Pinecraft series, it revisits old characters and introduces many new. For those that are new to the series, there is nothing lost in having not read the earlier books.

The story is universal in it's storyline, the chance meeting, the common challenges, the shared issues and the opportunity for more, despite the unique setting and Amish characters. I think that is one thing that really appeals to me about this book (and others like it). Although it is Amish fiction, and their religious ways come into play, at the heart the stories are about people and emotions, something that we can all relate to. Gray does a great job developing the characters in the book and the reader is easily pulled in and watches as they open themselves up and close back down in worry, as they grow from experiences and come to discover that there is more out there, as they find love and worry about losing it.

If you are looking for an easy, enjoyable love story to read, you should definitely consider A Wedding at Orange Blossom Inn.

About the book:
A Wedding at the Orange Blossom Inn (Avon Inspire, September 2015)

A wedding brings together two young widowed parents . . . and gives them a second chance at love.

Emma Keim was heartbroken when her husband, Sanford, passed away, leaving her to raise three young daughters alone. Though several years have passed, her relatives have made it no secret that they expect Emma to remain a widow, mourning Sanford indefinitely. But when she meets Jay Hilty---a handsome widower with three young sons of his own---Emma is delighted to have a new friend who understands her struggles. Still, she is dismayed that her family is so opposed to their friendship---and the idea of it ever becoming anything more. She honors her husband's memory every day, but is she destined to be alone forever?

Emma's gentleness with Jay's boys stirs something in his heart that's been quiet for far too long. But when his oldest son becomes engaged to a local woman, suddenly Jay, Emma, and their children are swept up in wedding preparations. Witnessing his son's joy, Jay wonders if it's time for him to move forward, too, and find happiness again.

Once again, love has come to Pinecraft. But can these two parties of four become a happy, healthy family of eight?

Purchase a copy here.

About the author:

Shelley Shepard Gray is a two-time New York Times bestseller, a two-time USA Today bestseller, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time Holt Medallion winner. She lives in Southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town's bike trail.

Find Shelley online: website, Facebook, Twitter

Learn more about the book and read other reviews on the Blog Tour Landing Page.

No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

Lucy Leid's Gather Around the Amish Table

A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

It's no secret, I love to spend time in the kitchen. Whether baking or cooking, it is a time that I really enjoy. Spending the time in the kitchen with my kids makes it even better. When I was given the opportunity to check out and do a review of Gather Around the Amish Table, I was happy to try out some new recipes. Especially because I have dined at local restaurants that feature Amish food and I know that I enjoy the home-style goodness of the dishes I have tried, from main courses to sides to desserts. The cookbook was authored by Lucy Leid, who is Amish.

When we received the cookbook, my son started perusing it right away and marked several recipes for us to try. I love the little stories that were shared with several of the recipes - some talked about specific memories around the recipe or a story around the source of the recipe. Stories and anecdotes about the food help create a connection and pique interest in trying the recipe.

One recipe that we tried was the Onion Rings. I have made a lot of breaded sides, but I'm not sure that I have ever made a battered side. I was surprised at how easy it was and how delicious it turned out. They were great fresh from the frying pan and the leftovers were equally tasty warmed in the oven the next night for dinner. This recipe is definitely a keeper and one that makes us want to fry other veggies.

Another recipe that we tried was the Chewy Molasses Cookies. Warning - the recipe says it makes 6 dozen cookies, which didn't sound that big to me, but they must be huge cookies! I cut the recipe in half and it barely fit in the bowl of my stand mixer.

I don't do raisins, so I left those out. I quickly learned that because of the directions to plump them in water that they were more than just a mix in. I wound up adding some oatmeal to give the cookies more body. Next time, I will still use oatmeal as my alternate to raisins, but will 'plump' it versus just mixing in. The cookies weren't pretty because of my modifications, but they were very delicious and were soft as promised. Can't wait to try them again.

We have not been disappointed in any of the recipes that we have made. Based on our experience, we will definitely be spending the next few months working our way through a number of the other recipes that we have marked in the cook book. There are several recipes that based on our flavor preferences we aren't likely to try, but I've never found a single cook book where every recipe appealed.

If you are a fan of homemade style food, I recommend that you check out Gather Around the Amish Table.

About the book:
Gather Around the Amish Table (MennoMedia, September 2015)

Straight from Amish kitchens to yours, this cookbook offers favorite family recipes and charming stories from Amish and Mennonite cooks.

Bake the pecan rolls that taste best after an ice-skating party, or try the hoagies that a community sold to help an Amish family with hospital bills. Discover the cocoa cupcakes with instructions to "stir by hand" that one young cook took literally, or whip up the whoopie pies that one Amish woman took to market in her horse and buggy.

These cherished recipes speak of comforting traditions, lively communities, and strong Christian faith. Gather your family around the table to sample the nourishing fare and trademark charm of the plain people. In the words of one cookbook contributor: "Bake someone happy!"

Purchase a copy here.

About the author:

Lucy Leid is an Old Order Mennonite wife, mother, and cook in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

Learn more about the book and read other reviews on the Blog Tour Landing Page.


No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

Dinner Planning Funk - Dinner Solved!

*information for this post was in part supplied by Hormel Foods through their Hormel Extended Family Blogger program. No compensation was received for this post.

I have been stuck in a dinner planning funk. On the plus side, the family is still eating three meals a day. On the down side, at 5 pm, as I am wrapping up my work day, I have no idea what I am going to come home and prepare for the family. This is a little stressful and limiting in the sense that somethings require advance prep or at least advance defrosting.

It's times like this that I am glad that I generally have some convenience items in my pantry and a set of staples (at least to us) in my refrigerator. The other night, when the decision of what to have for dinner was still unanswered, I opened up my pantry looking for inspiration and saw that I had a jar of Herdez Mexican Cooking Sauces - Traditional Chipotle. This was all the inspiration that I needed for a quick, flavorful and balanced meal for my family.

I pulled some already grilled chicken out of the freezer, along with two slices of already cooked bacon and set it in my saute pan to warm it up. Once it was warm, I added in part of the jar of the Traditional Chipotle sauce. I grabbed a bag of shredded Mexican style cheese, a bag of salad, sour cream and a package of Chi-Chi's Flour Tortillas out of the fridge. Also, from my pantry, I grabbed some rice and a can of pinto beans and prepped both. From the garden, I had the kids grab a couple of tomatoes and an onion, which I diced up.

In a matter of about 15 minutes, I had prepared a flavorful dinner. Some ate it more like a salad or bowl, others prepared soft tacos with beans and rice on the side.

How do you handle those unplanned dinner nights? I just checked out their recipe page and I discovered a number of recipes that I could have also used for a quick meal.

No compensation was received for this post. All opinions expressed are mine or those of my family. I am completing this post as a participant in the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger program. Hormel Foods provided some product samples for my family to try. I also receive thought starters and information that can be used in a post.