tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73418661542774646092024-03-05T13:38:10.605-05:00NOVA Frugal FamilyGreat place to share couponing stories, cooking and baking recipes, and lots of fun for families without spending a lot of money.NOVA Frugal Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298382094101689880noreply@blogger.comBlogger2779125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341866154277464609.post-73541829803176043592023-09-28T21:34:00.000-04:002023-09-28T21:34:20.807-04:00Her Only Wish Book Review<p> I was excited to get to read the next book in this series after having the chance to read the first. The cover was again set in beautiful Pinecraft but it showed a different character so I was excited to find out who this book was going to follow. I love all of the books that I have read by Shelley Shepard Gray especially the first book in the Season in Pinecraft series.</p><p> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Her Only Wish: Season in Pinecraft, Book 2" class="s-image" data-image-index="1" data-image-latency="s-product-image" data-image-load="" data-image-source-density="1" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81MEbkdgNNL._AC_UY218_.jpg" /></p><div aria-expanded="true" class="a-expander-content a-expander-partial-collapse-content a-expander-content-expanded" style="padding-bottom: 20px;"> <span class="a-text-bold">Return to Pinecraft, Florida, for a Sweet Amish Romance</span><span><br /><br />Sheltered
yet adventurous, Betsy Detweiler is on a mission to get out of Kentucky
and experience new things in life. She's got a list--a life list. What
better place to start than with her friends in beautiful Pinecraft,
Florida?<br /><br />From the moment Betsy walks into the Snow Bird Golf
Course to sign up for lessons, August Troyer is mesmerized. Betsy is a
mass of contradictions--beautiful yet awkward, outgoing yet unsure,
joyful yet hesitant. She's like no one he's ever met before, and as the
only child of missionary parents, he's met a </span><span class="a-text-italic">lot</span><span> of people.<br /><br />As
Betsy and August embark on a month of enjoying life to the fullest,
they'll encounter several reasons to back off and play it safe. But
playing it safe has its own consequences. This tender romance reminds us
that life--and love--requires a fair amount of risk.</span> </div><p>I was excited to see Betsy return in this book to have another vacation from her small town in Kentucky to stay with her friend Mary Margaret in Pinecraft. Betsy is working on changing her life because she has lived with lifelong medical problems. Betsy has set up a life list of things that she wants to accomplish. She has decided that the first thing that she going to try is learning to play golf. She has no athletic ability but has decided that she has decided she is determined to learn. Betsy meets August Troyer who works at the golf course. She was set that during the month in Pinecraft she is going to finish her list but what she learns is even more valuable because she makes many lifelong friends. Betsy is learning a lot along the way but in addition to her list, she is learning more about herself then she ever thought as well as to be independent. I hope that you check out this book and enjoy it as much as I did but I do highly suggest starting with the first book in the series first. This was a great follow up book to tell Betsy's story. I can't even wait to read the next book in the series to follow our last friend through her life changing process.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p>**I was provided a copy of the book for my review but the review was not required to be positive.<br /></p><p> </p>NOVA Frugal Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298382094101689880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341866154277464609.post-84748819167985351222023-09-28T21:07:00.000-04:002023-09-28T21:07:54.348-04:00Her Heart's Desires Book Review<p> I was excited to read another great series by Shelley Shepard Gray. <span>I thought it looked like a great book just from the lovely cover and I love everything that I have read by this author. I was excited to start another series following different characters in each book as many of her series do. My favorite is to start at the beginning of the series like this which is the first book in the A Season in Pinecraft series. I have enjoyed reading other Amish fiction that were also set in Pinecraft so I was excited to read this new series. </span></p><p> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Her Heart's Desire: Season in Pinecraft, Book 1" class="s-image" data-image-index="1" data-image-latency="s-product-image" data-image-load="" data-image-source-density="1" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81tMPzw8X4L._AC_UY218_.jpg" /> </p><p style="text-align: center;"> </p><p><span>Mary Margaret Miller needs an escape from her small Amish
community. She boards a bus, all alone, for a vacation in Pinecraft,
Florida. Meeting Betsy and Lilly on the way, she’s amazed to find two
kindred spirits. They become fast friends and determine to have the best
two weeks of their lives. For Mary, it starts when she meets Jayson
Raber, a handsome and charming carpenter.</span></p><p><span>Jayson is
taken with Mary from the get-go, but he has responsibilities back home
in Kentucky—including a girl he’s supposed to marry. And when someone
from Mary’s past shows up in Pinecraft, it seems like her perfect
vacation is ruined. But that’s nothing compared to what’s coming when
she realizes what Jayson has been hiding …</span></p><p><span>Mary Margaret wants to go on a vacation and get away from her normal life in her small Amish community. She is traveling to Pinecraft, Florida to enjoy the warm weather and a break from her normal life. During the trip, there is a weather delay and she gets to meet Betsy and Lilly during the trip and delay where they have to stay overnight in a hotel. They decide that night that they are all going to change their lives by living their best life while on vacation and leaving their pasts behind them. MAry Margaret meets Jayson while he is in Pinecraft and they become quick friends even though they haven't known each other for very long. Jayson is struggling with the life that he needs to live at home and his responsibility to his sister. I though that the fight that they have when Mary Margaret discovers the truth. The end is a surprise and I hope that you read all the way to the end and figure out what is going to happen. I hope that you enjoy this book and check it out for yourself. The characters were fun and I was really interested to see who would be featured in the next book in the series. Stay turned and you will also find out!!<br /></span></p><p><span>**I was provided a copy of this book for my review but no positive review was required. <br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"> </p>NOVA Frugal Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298382094101689880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341866154277464609.post-76891736600668506082023-09-28T20:29:00.000-04:002023-09-28T20:29:48.649-04:00Second Time Around Book Review<p> I thought that this cover and title sounded very intriguing even before I got to the summary of the book. I have also read a bunch of different books by this author and I have enjoyed them all. I can't relate to having an empty nest yet but but I totally think that being overwhelmed by the move and construction is something that I can totally relate to. I tend to prefer the books when I can find something I sympathize with or relate to in the main character. Mallory Farrell was starting over in a new life with what her grandmother left her in her will.<br /></p><p> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Sponsored Ad - Second Time Around" class="s-image" data-image-index="2" data-image-latency="s-product-image" data-image-load="" data-image-source-density="1" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/811CUwmW+EL._AC_UY218_.jpg" /> </p><p style="text-align: center;"> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><span>When empty nester Mallory Farrell inherits her grandmother's
run-down tourist shop in Seaport, Oregon, it seems the only sensible
thing to do is to sell it. But when her former secret crush, Grayson
Matthews, wants to buy the property in order to complete his plans to
redevelop the funky town's business district into a soulless,
cookie-cutter outdoor mall, Mallory digs in her heels and decides to
renovate the property herself.<br /><br />With a lot of hard work and a
little bit of help, Mallory makes incredible progress turning the store
into an eclectic home décor shop called Romancing the Home--all while
trying to ignore the depressing and decrepit apartment she's living in
on the second floor. When the shop catches the eye of a popular
renovation TV show producer, Mallory is thrilled--until it becomes clear
that her apartment is to be part of the segment as well.<br /><br />She's
tempted to abandon her dreams and the town under a cloud of shame. But
perhaps there's more to Grayson than meets the eye. Can he swallow his
pride, change his plans, and help Mallory romance her own home--and
possibly her life?</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span>The story jumped directly into the middle of the big life decision where Mallory was dealing with her grandmothers estate and traveling back to the small town she spent summers at as a child. I thought it was really interesting to see how Mallory avoided dealing with Grayson based on their history together when she was a child. But she quickly decides to give up her career and house and move to the small town because she has decided that this was exactly what her empty nest life needed. I am not sure what decision others would make in her place but I thought it was a great story. Mallory has to move all of the stuff out of the shop and quickly finds a great buyer to take all of the things in the shop and starts making big strides to renovate the shop to turn it into the home decor shop that she has envisioned. All of the fun parts of the story where Mallory is connecting to others in the small town and making her new life is the best part of the story. The only part that is hard to understand is that she so set on doing things herself and being miserable because things aren't going well. Although I am sure we can all relate to wanting it to be independent, it is a great improved story when she starts to trust and rely on others. I hope that you check out this book for yourself and enjoy it as much as I did. It was a great story with great characters. <br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span>**I was provided a copy of the book for my review but I was not required to provide a positive review. </span> <br /></p>NOVA Frugal Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298382094101689880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341866154277464609.post-37368093199736580892022-10-17T22:49:00.000-04:002022-10-17T22:49:45.412-04:00A Quilt for Christmas Book Review<p> I was excited to get a chance to read another Melody Carson Christmas book. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Quilt-Christmas-Novella/dp/B0BC2G46FB/ref=sr_1_1?crid=37BRRK9VSURGH&keywords=a+quilt+for+christmas+by+melody+carlson&qid=1666059951&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIxLjUzIiwicXNhIjoiMS4zMiIsInFzcCI6IjEuMzAifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=%2Caps%2C74&sr=8-1" target="_blank">A Quilt for Christmas by Melody Carlson</a> was a great book to add to my Christmas reading pile. I have enjoyed a few of her books in the past and certainly can't turn down a good Christmas book or movie. My favorite type of book to read because it really has the spirit of the season to get my in the mood for the holiday. I look forward to reading these great piece of the holiday spirit.<br /></p><p> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="A Quilt for Christmas: A Christmas Novella" class="s-image" data-image-index="1" data-image-latency="s-product-image" data-image-load="" data-image-source-density="1" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91KeNZf2tYL._AC_UY218_.jpg" /></p><div aria-expanded="true" class="a-expander-content a-expander-partial-collapse-content a-expander-content-expanded" style="padding-bottom: 20px;"> <p><span>Christmas
should be celebrated with family. But for Vera Swanson, that's not an
option this year. Widowed and recently relocated, she is lonely in her
condo-for-one—until little Fiona Albright knocks on her door needing
help. With her mother seriously ill and her father out of town, Fiona
enlists Vera's help, and when she finds out her new neighbor is a
quilter, she has a special request—a Christmas quilt for Mama. </span></p><p><span>Vera
will have to get a ragtag group of women together in order to fulfill
the request. Between free-spirited artist Tasha, chatty empty nester
Beverly, retired therapist Eleanor, and herself, Vera has hopes that
Christmas for the Albright family will be merry, after all—and she may
find herself a new family of friends along the way. </span></p><p><span>Bestselling
and award-winning author Melody Carlson invites you to cuddle up this
holiday season with this cozy story of giving, forgiving, and a little
bit of romance.</span></p>I started off the story thinking that it was going to be sad and was a little worried but as always, there is a quick pick up of hope. I was instantly won over by Fiona Albright who was an adorable little girl that was coming to a neighbor that she didn't even know to ask for help for her mom. Vera Swanson stepped up to take care of three neighbor children that she didn't even know because their mother was in the hospital and their father was working out of town. Vera was brought back alive from the short few days with Fiona by starting a project to make her mom a Christmas quilt. Vera put herself out into the neighborhood and gets to know some people who are interested in learning how to quilt and might be able to help her finish this big project by Christmas in order to bless this family who was new to the area. It was a fast read that was an emotional story that had you hoping for all of the characters in the story. There were all the members of the Albright family, Vera Swanson and the Quilting ladies and their families. It was a great mix of characters and all of the interactions brought more information to the surface. The characters in the quilting group were all very different and they brought out qualities so that you could learn about everyone while making the Christmas quilt but you have to pick up the book for yourself to find out what happens. As with many shorter stories, I sometimes get to the end and wish there was a little more but that might be true with many books. I hope that you check out this book by Melody Carlson and a bunch of her other Christmas stories. <br /></div><p>* I was given a copy of this book for my review but all opinions here are honest and my own.<br /></p>NOVA Frugal Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298382094101689880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341866154277464609.post-34944312904890396752022-07-16T01:39:00.000-04:002022-07-16T01:39:24.586-04:00Sunburst Book Review<p>I have loved all of the books by Susan May Warren that I have read so I was excited to read this one. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0800739833/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?psc=1&pd_rd_i=0800739833&pd_rd_w=50u51&content-id=amzn1.sym.837c9c40-8722-4df3-9922-02a1f44f92b9&pf_rd_p=837c9c40-8722-4df3-9922-02a1f44f92b9&pf_rd_r=22ZWDRME57Z07DJSG5CM&pd_rd_wg=dmB4s&pd_rd_r=f697880e-f88a-48f4-a4c0-2954fac84fcd" target="_blank">Sunburst: Book 2 Sky King Ranch</a> by Susan May Warren is the second book in the series and I was so excited to find out what brother this book was going to be about. After reading about Dodge in the first book, I was excited to read about the next brother. The cover looks amazing and seemed like it would be another good flying book. I was ready to get to know all the ins and outs of this interesting family even though the cover clearly isn't set in Alaska.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9uO07d7AF85zCm8oz_keIeoiL94RGQRFfleRBsk4dWI24k6w0FQMIDAtVYi7lFfGZBIpnWpqNT5JzJfOKTmPUY5m1fGUl62zgDAOfB5v0fS3SCUoBK5yKw54YDdjFL2mCJZEkCR_x96WahcQ1evSMwihdSbKzhcxltcXvmtt9ZMnZaOvEO-4L9clxlg/s320/Sunburst.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="207" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9uO07d7AF85zCm8oz_keIeoiL94RGQRFfleRBsk4dWI24k6w0FQMIDAtVYi7lFfGZBIpnWpqNT5JzJfOKTmPUY5m1fGUl62zgDAOfB5v0fS3SCUoBK5yKw54YDdjFL2mCJZEkCR_x96WahcQ1evSMwihdSbKzhcxltcXvmtt9ZMnZaOvEO-4L9clxlg/s1600/Sunburst.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><br /><span>When former Navy SEAL and lifelong bachelor Ranger Kingston is
called upon to take part in a rescue mission to save his brother Colt,
who has been kidnapped by terrorists in Nigeria, he is shocked to find
among the hostages a woman he knows and could never forget.<br /><br />Noemi
Sutton was attempting to return a young girl to her family in Boko
Haram territory when she and the girl found themselves taken hostage,
along with several others. <br /><br />And while Ranger Kingston may be able
to get the hostages away from their captors, he'll need Noemi's help if
he ever hopes to get out of Nigeria alive.<br /><br />Her solution? Pose as
husband and wife. But when her uncle discovers the union, he insists on
a traditional Nigerian wedding--binding Noemi to a man destined to
break her heart. Worse, she's discovered the real reason she was
kidnapped, and anyone around her is bound to be caught in the cross
fire. Including her so-called new husband. She'll need to figure out a way to leave the man she loves if she wants to save his life.</span> <br /><p></p><p>This book is about Ranger who is one of the Kingston triplets. It follows his career as a NAVY Seal. The amazing background story starts to pull you in and make you really want the best for this life long bachelor. Ranger goes on a mission to save his brother in Nigeria and ends up saving the women that he had fallen for. Noemi Sutton was a mystery women that Ranger met at a hotel while in Seal training. I was so excited as they got to know each other again even if it was while running away from terrorists who were trying to kill them. It made it really hard to put down the book to do anything because there was always something happening from trying to get through a check point to getting married in traditional Nigerian wedding. Through it all, I was hoping for Ranger and Noemi end up together but you have to pick up the book to find out what adventures they have and how it ended. I thought it was a great story with even better characters. I hope that you check out this book and the rest of the series. I know that you will enjoy it as much as I have.<span class="cr-widget-FocalReviews" data-hook="cr-widget-FocalReviews"><span class="a-size-base review-text" data-hook="review-body"><span></span></span></span></p><p><span class="cr-widget-FocalReviews" data-hook="cr-widget-FocalReviews"><span class="a-size-base review-text" data-hook="review-body"><span><br />*I
received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell and was not
required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.</span></span></span></p>NOVA Frugal Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298382094101689880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341866154277464609.post-22853957363342464402022-07-15T01:58:00.003-04:002022-07-15T01:58:12.148-04:00Sunrise Book Review<p> I have enjoyed all of the books by Susan May Warren and I was excited to get to start a new series. The first book in the series was <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sunrise-King-Ranch-Susan-Warren/dp/0800739825/ref=pd_bxgy_sccl_1/142-2450344-6794252?pd_rd_w=Giqs5&content-id=amzn1.sym.7757a8b5-874e-4a67-9d85-54ed32f01737&pf_rd_p=7757a8b5-874e-4a67-9d85-54ed32f01737&pf_rd_r=YB8JK6BHZFZJNS8TCMZ6&pd_rd_wg=0Nbv3&pd_rd_r=b79851b9-d60d-4697-b366-7b5f02206afb&pd_rd_i=0800739825&psc=1" target="_blank">Sunrise</a> by Susan May Warren. The cover alone looked really fun with the snow covered mountain and the plane. This is the first book in the Sky King Ranch where you get to know the wonderful Alaska wilderness and the great Ranch where the story is set.<br /></p><p> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxF6gP9v_DCCkSxfh2hgDeeGUE2_t2RZIVsB8Xa7_8DB2CCD1Z3ajGBgelNes61Xdgd80S-Jt1nKxi_kh_lCqn680o0ap52fPTnXW3_hw9C4ikidU9-Y_brMqw49cPAQenJ3ubyW_I_bipdTQ0R-ucH-f2D8fxs3Y7LkyF2NkJX-nsD44dkPe6osS_wA/s218/Sunrise%20Audio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="218" data-original-width="218" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxF6gP9v_DCCkSxfh2hgDeeGUE2_t2RZIVsB8Xa7_8DB2CCD1Z3ajGBgelNes61Xdgd80S-Jt1nKxi_kh_lCqn680o0ap52fPTnXW3_hw9C4ikidU9-Y_brMqw49cPAQenJ3ubyW_I_bipdTQ0R-ucH-f2D8fxs3Y7LkyF2NkJX-nsD44dkPe6osS_wA/s1600/Sunrise%20Audio.jpg" width="218" /></a></div><br /><p><span>Pilot Dodge Kingston has always been the heir to Sky King Ranch.
But after a terrible family fight, he left to become a pararescue
jumper. A decade later, he's headed home to the destiny that awaits
him. <br /><br />That's not all that's waiting for Dodge. His childhood best
friend and former flame, Echo Yazzie, is a true Alaskan--a homesteader,
dogsledder, and research guide for the DNR. Most of all, she's living a
life Dodge knows could get her killed. One of these days she's going to
get lost in the woods again, and his worst fear is that he won't be
there to find her.<br /> <br />When one of Echo's fellow researchers goes
missing, Echo sets out to find her, despite a blizzard, a rogue grizzly
haunting the woods, and the biting cold. Plus, there's more than just
the regular dangers of the Alaskan forests stalking her . . .<br /><br />Will Dodge be able to find her in time? And if he does, is there still room for him in her heart?</span></p><p>I thought this was a great start to the series. The book started right in the middle of the action and had you pulling for Dodge right away. Dodge was in the military after a family fight and left home for 10 years. He only returned after he got a call that his father had an accident. It was a tough choice to come home but he even decided that he would stay until his father got better and help run the family business. Of course after returning home, we meet Echo who is the reason Dodge left home. Echo lives in the wilderness of Alaska training sled dogs and taking care of her father. The beauty of Alaska is wonderful and it makes you feel like you are in the cold and snowy winter. You have to read the book for yourself to find out what happens but I promise that you will love this fast moving story where there is always something going on. It made me want to pick up the next book in the series immediately. I hope that you check out this book and all the others in the series and enjoy them.<br /></p><p>*I received a copy of the book for my review but all opinions here are my own and not positive reviews were required.<br /></p>NOVA Frugal Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298382094101689880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341866154277464609.post-58330624817013297582022-07-11T13:41:00.000-04:002022-07-11T13:41:30.982-04:00The Sweet Life Book Review<p> I was excited to check out this new series by Suzanne Woods Fisher. I thought from the picture on the cover that it would be a light summer read so I was surprised by the beginning of the book. It was about the break up of a relationship that was headed towards marriage and about getting over the death of a loved one. This was a lot deeper then an ice cream cone on the cover suggested. I think that the lighter ice cream cover suggests a lot more because of the name of the Cape Cod Creamery.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiN67vd5izP0Q6rXHmRobZ_xFp6ZL-z29beH6JrLGjK57gYZd8hiWs1FGEXlzz0XIbx6c3qP1tcYANGPOjxZ3WPRbWfxmUyDJCxuJVZ-itjemqUbFUrIFCLygGMoXNAxNYOhZYfqr7kjvrA7Yb73KAfNiNaxmmeoyrTFbKKb14cFxi4FiMo-B6uxprDg/s218/Sweet%20Life.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="218" data-original-width="218" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiN67vd5izP0Q6rXHmRobZ_xFp6ZL-z29beH6JrLGjK57gYZd8hiWs1FGEXlzz0XIbx6c3qP1tcYANGPOjxZ3WPRbWfxmUyDJCxuJVZ-itjemqUbFUrIFCLygGMoXNAxNYOhZYfqr7kjvrA7Yb73KAfNiNaxmmeoyrTFbKKb14cFxi4FiMo-B6uxprDg/s1600/Sweet%20Life.jpg" width="218" /></a></div><br /><div aria-expanded="true" class="a-expander-content a-expander-partial-collapse-content a-expander-content-expanded" style="padding-bottom: 20px;"> <p><span>Dawn
Dixon can hardly believe she's on a groomless honeymoon on beautiful
Cape Cod...with her mother. Sure, Marnie Dixon is good company, but Dawn
was supposed to be here with Kevin, the love of her life (or so she
thought). </span></p><p><span>Marnie Dixon needs some time away from the
absolute realness of life as much as her jilted daughter does, and
she's not about to let her only child suffer alone - even if Marnie
herself had been doing precisely that for the past month. Given
the circumstances, maybe it was inevitable that Marnie would do
something as rash as buy a run-down ice-cream shop in the town's tightly
regulated historic district. After all, everything's better with ice
cream. </span></p><p><span>Her exasperated daughter knows that she's the
one who will have to clean up this mess. Even when her mother's
impulsive real estate purchase brings Kevin back into her life, Dawn
doesn't get her hopes up. Everyone knows that broken romances stay
broken...don't they? Welcome to a summer of sweet surprises on Cape Cod - a place where dreams just might come true.</span> </p><p>I thought it was an interesting book that started out with a deep sadness. It was hard to get started on the book because it was sad because Dawn lost her father and broke up with her fiance. Marnie lost her husband and got breast cancer. I knew that starting off on such a negative note meant that anything had to get better. Both women decide to go on a vacation together (which happens to be the honeymoon that Dawn was supposed to go on). There is a lot of hurt and sadness and they spend most of their time apart doing things that make them both feel better like laying on the beach or walking around the small town they are staying in. Both Marnie and Dawn are on the very slow road to healing and the small Cape Cod town is helping them to do that. Although this isn't a light and uplifting book, it is still a book of hope and rebuilding after something bad happens in your life. I know that many people use books as an escape from the things that are going on in our lives and if a heavy book is not what you are looking for, I totally understand. However, I promise that you will want to keep on going to find out what happens in the lives of all those involved in the Cape Cod Creamery. Marnie and Dawn bring a lot of people into their lives through this story and they all make the story great. I know that there are a few surprises worth sticking around to find out. I hope that you check out the book and see for yourself.</p><p>**I got a copy of the book for my review but all opinions here are my own. No positive comments were required.<br /></p></div><p></p>NOVA Frugal Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298382094101689880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341866154277464609.post-9398216789451847182021-11-06T23:46:00.000-04:002021-11-06T23:46:27.545-04:00A Season on the Wind Book Review<p>I picked this book because I love the author and have loved everything that she has written. When I finally started it, I realized that it wasn't exactly what I expected. Although I know that Suzanne Woods Fisher does a lot of different books, this book was about birds. I wasn't very interested in reading about birds but I knew that if I hung it, it would be a great story with great characters.<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Season-on-the-Wind/dp/0800739507/ref=cm_wl_huc_item"> Season on the Wind</a> by Suzanne Woods Fisher is a stand alone book about an Amish town and the people who live there.<br /></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="A Season on the Wind" class="s-image" data-image-index="2" data-image-latency="s-product-image" data-image-load="" data-image-source-density="1" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91fGeeyYP6L._AC_UY218_.jpg" /></p><p>Ben Zook had only two loves in his life: books and birds. In a stroke of
good fortune, he'd stumbled onto a way to cobble together those two
loves into a career, writing books about rare birds. He was as free as a
bird--until a chase for a rare White-winged Tern takes him to the one
place on earth he planned to never return: his Amish home in Stoney
Ridge. Desperate for photographs of the elusive tern, Ben hires a
local field guide, Micah Weaver, and boards at Micah's farm, planning
to "bag the bird" and leave Stoney Ridge before anyone recognizes him.
But he neglected to plan for Micah's sister, Penny. <br /><br />One long-ago
summer, Penny had introduced Ben to birding, even sharing with him a
hidden eagle aerie. That was when she knew true love. She'd always hoped
he would come back to Stoney Ridge. Back to his Amish roots. Back to
her. The only problem? Ben has absolutely no memory of Penny. Bestselling
author Suzanne Woods Fisher welcomes her readers to the Amish community
at Stoney Ridge in this engaging story of discovering just who the rare
birds are in life. </p><p>Whether interested in birds or just in the Amish culture, I hope that you check out this book and enjoy it for yourself. There was lots of interesting information about birds and bird watching. There was even more great characters in the wonderful small town in Stoney Ridge. Ben Zook is immediately the center of all of the attention when Penny recognizes him as former Amish. I couldn't wait to find out why he stood out so much in her memory. I was excited to read the rest of this adventure and you should check it out for yourself.<br /></p><p> ** I was given a copy of this book for my review but all opinions here are my own and a positive review was not required. <br /></p>NOVA Frugal Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298382094101689880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341866154277464609.post-90184128280049344502021-10-06T23:08:00.000-04:002021-10-06T23:08:41.123-04:00A Christmas in the Alps Book Review<p> The cover looked amazing and I knew that I had enjoyed the author before so I was excited to read <a href="https://www.amazon.com/A-Christmas-in-the-Alps-A-Christmas-Novella/dp/0800739337/ref=cm_wl_huc_item">A Christmas in the Alps: A Christmas Novella</a> by Melody Carlson. I love a good Christmas story and one set in the Alps sounded like the perfect first Christmas book of the season. I like being surprised by a book so I took a quick look at the summary to see if it would be something that sounded interesting and promptly forgot what it was about. I was excited to pick up the book and find out if it lived up the cover.<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="A Christmas in the Alps: A Christmas Novella" class="s-image" data-image-index="3" data-image-latency="s-product-image" data-image-load="" data-image-source-density="1" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91hrHiRVrGS._AC_UY218_.jpg" /></p><p><br /></p><p>After a time of heartache and loss, Simone Winthrop discovers a
tantalizing letter from her French great-grandmother, which seems to
suggest that she is heir to a family treasure. Ever practical, Simone
assumes the claim is baseless, but her best friend encourages her to
find out for sure. Despite her deep-rooted fear of flying, Simone boards
a jet to travel to Paris at Christmastime to uncover the truth.<br /><br />During
the long flight, Simone meets the charming Kyle Larsson, who's on his
way to France to become an apprentice clockmaker. Though they abruptly
part ways, an unexpected rendezvous in the French Alps at Simone's
family's clock factory may lead to the discovery of the family treasure .
. . and so much more.<br /><br />For anyone who is wearying of staying
home, Melody Carlson invites you to spend Christmas with her in the
beautiful French Alps this year. So pull on your mittens, tie your scarf
tight, and prepare yourself for a magical mountain holiday.</p><p>Simone Winthrop is going through her great grandmothers house after her passing and trying to get all of her things in order but it was so hard since everything seem to hold memories. Her friend helped her go through some of the things and found a letter that was addressed to Simone but it was sealed and they were both very confused on why that would be in boxes of old things. It was a letter telling Simone that she had to go to France to the small town where her great grandmother grew up and find a treasure. The biggest problem is that Simone is too scared to fly. Her friend doesn't give her a chance to back out by getting her new clothes, new luggage and going so far as to book the tickets. Simone is under way on the great journey when she meets Kyle in the seat next to her. He does an amazing job of helping her calm down and make it through the plane ride. Although there is a layover in Iceland and it turns out that he is getting on a plane to Norway while she is getting back on the plane to France. Simone gives Kyle her information and hopes to hear from him again. Simone makes it to France and you really need to pick up the book to find out if she talks to Kyle again and what the treasure is that she finds in her grandmother's hometown. I know I had my ideas what it was going to be from the beginning but I was ready to read and find out. I hope that you check out this book for yourself to follow the adventure and enjoy this wonderful Christmas story of family and coming back after great loss. I thought it was a great book and I can't wait for the next Christmas story from this fun author!!<br /></p><p>**I was provided a copy of the book to review but all opinions here are my own and I was not required to post a positive review. <br /></p>NOVA Frugal Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298382094101689880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341866154277464609.post-62395171134416962072021-09-15T02:30:00.025-04:002021-09-15T02:30:00.277-04:00Beyond the Tides Book Review<p> I knew the author sounded familiar when I saw this interesting cover and was immediately drawn in to find out what the book was about. I didn't look her up until after completing the book that I have previously read The Red Door Inn and A Dazzle of Diamonds both written by her. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-the-Tides-Prince-Edward-Island-Shores/dp/0800737377/ref=cm_wl_huc_item">Beyond the Tides (Prince Edward Island Shores)</a> by Liz Johnson is the first book in a new series about Prince Edward Island and growing up with the island life. I couldn't wait to get started and find out more about it.<br /></p><p> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Beyond the Tides (Prince Edward Island Shores)" class="s-image" data-image-index="5" data-image-latency="s-product-image" data-image-load="" data-image-source-density="1" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71KDwk-zCnL._AC_UY218_.jpg" /> <br /></p><p> </p><p>When Meg Whitaker's father decides to sell the family's lobster-fishing
business to her high school nemesis, she sets out to prove she should
inherit it instead. Though she's never had any interest in running the
small fleet--or even getting on a boat due to her persistent
seasickness--she can't stand to see Oliver Ross take over. Not when he
ruined her dreams for a science scholarship and an Ivy League education
ten years ago.<br /><br />Oliver isn't proud of what he did back then. Angry
and broken by his father walking out on his family, he lashed out at
Meg--an innocent bystander. But owning a respected fishing fleet on
Prince Edward Island is the opportunity of a lifetime, and he's not
about to walk away just because Meg wants him to.<br /><br />Meg's father
has the perfect solution: Oliver and Meg must work the business
together, and at the end of the season, he'll decide who gets it. Along
the way, they may discover that their stories are more similar than they
thought . . . and their dreams aren't what they expected.</p><p>I thought this was great book with wonderful characters that made it really hard to put it down. I started reading it before bed one night just to see what it was about and ended up staying up half the night to see what was going to happen next. From the relationship between father and daughter and the relationship with the boating community, this book made you wonder what was going to happen next for these characters. I was immediately taken with Meg Whitaker and felt everything she felt through the story. She gave up her dreams to move home when her mother got sick and gave up even more when her father decided to walk away from the business. She decided that she couldn't let her father sell the company that she has known all her life that was her family legacy. She quit her job as the high school teacher in the community to go to work on the fishing boat. The biggest hurdle was that she got seasick so just setting foot in the boat was hard to handle but the worst part is that the person she hated the most was the person that she had to work with every day. Not only that, if she gave up the family business then he would be the one that got to buy it. Meg was determined not to let her bitter rival, Oliver Ross, take away her family company. Oliver was equally relatable because he was a nice guy who had a tough time growing up with his father leaving when he was young and his brother leaving more in the past 10 years to pursue his hockey career playing in the NHL. Both had left and never looked back to the small Canadian town of Prince Edward Island. Oliver's whole life has been working on the boat and he wasn't willing to give it up without a fight even if that meant that he would have to work along side the person that was his biggest regret. I don't want to ruin the story but there are amazing twists and turns with the great characters of Meg's mom and dad and Oliver's mom and younger brother as well as all the other people in the small town. I know that you will want to pick up this book and be transported to the small ocean town and learn all about what the lobster business means to both Oliver and Meg and everyone else in the small town.</p><p> </p><p>**I was given a copy of the book for my review but all opinions here are my own and I was not required to give a positive review. <br /></p>NOVA Frugal Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298382094101689880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341866154277464609.post-24369692766501142412021-09-14T17:30:00.001-04:002021-09-14T17:30:36.226-04:00Menu Plan 9/13<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFwfbI-nIzG6wwLu8gFTAaAG1QeAB7CMWpyMpTam_3M2GmwtMNPA-Kll_ensugbyzs0-RZnzzB7KBj5VS-oVOgQtDsBYkOQNDSwUVWdMlGLmP2uEWKC2Au_xfGLJQXCaCaT2JHc_BaX9pr/s150/ambiru_happybuttons3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="67" data-original-width="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFwfbI-nIzG6wwLu8gFTAaAG1QeAB7CMWpyMpTam_3M2GmwtMNPA-Kll_ensugbyzs0-RZnzzB7KBj5VS-oVOgQtDsBYkOQNDSwUVWdMlGLmP2uEWKC2Au_xfGLJQXCaCaT2JHc_BaX9pr/s0/ambiru_happybuttons3.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VXV-00Oh5sfK5oK1RNCttLYGixxgxghzcd0unW-jRvPoDpzwFVdVzUSj0F2AvrrXKmcS1ss7OZWUUofpPPVXOrPpBW0nZ4cQTGlnk5sfAGT_OHaiRFBb4EFYGMdijOyC-kNu7es1oxkZ/s2048/IMG_4022.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VXV-00Oh5sfK5oK1RNCttLYGixxgxghzcd0unW-jRvPoDpzwFVdVzUSj0F2AvrrXKmcS1ss7OZWUUofpPPVXOrPpBW0nZ4cQTGlnk5sfAGT_OHaiRFBb4EFYGMdijOyC-kNu7es1oxkZ/s320/IMG_4022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p> </p><p>Pasta with Sausage Sauce and garlic bread </p><p>Grilled Caesar Chicken with Herb Rice (Leftover Pizza)<br /></p><p>Tacos (Hash Browns with bacon)<br /></p><p>Paninis with tater tots and curly fries (Chicken Fries)<br /></p><p>Homemade Pizza<br /></p><p>Rosemary Chicken and Potato Casserole or Chicken and Rice Casserole (Hash Browns and Bacon)<br /></p><p>Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and Homemade French Fries</p><p> </p><p>I haven't been posting in awhile because things got a little busy with summer and family. The last few months have been a lot of easy meals to make after going to the pool. Now the end of summer has come and there was an end to the pool and the beginning of school. We are working on the new schedule and getting things done. Although it is still very hot here, we are trying to work on some winter meals that we miss even though it is kind of warm. </p><p>I went shopping at the end of last month and I am wondering how long it will last. I didn't do the best at planning out that shopping trip because we needed a few things urgently and threw together my plan. I do have a few things that I need like celery, milk, toilet paper and pineapple. I also have to do a little stock up on flour to get me through a few months because I am totally out of what I got last holiday baking season. We use about 10 lbs a month so I am trying to decide how many to buy before what I hope is the normal sales cycle for the flour.</p><p>How is your menu and meal planning going?<br /></p>NOVA Frugal Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298382094101689880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341866154277464609.post-6319046335950232002021-06-01T00:06:00.002-04:002021-06-01T00:06:23.834-04:00A Lighthouse Point Book Review<p> I was excited to read the next book in the Three Sisters Island, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/At-Lighthouse-Point-Three-Sisters-Island/dp/0800739973/ref=cm_wl_huc_item">At Lighthouse Point (Three Sisters Island)</a> by Suzanne Woods Fisher. I love this author so I was excited to see that there was a new book to read. I didn't even knew that it was in the series that I had already read but I was excited to get started to find out what the sisters had been up to. I was a little disappointed at the beginning because there was a lot of whiny behavior but I knew that if I hung in there it would lead to a resolution. I wasn't disappointed.<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="At Lighthouse Point (Three Sisters Island Book #3)" class="s-image" data-image-index="2" data-image-latency="s-product-image" data-image-load="" data-image-source-density="1" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91WHwo9UvmL._AC_UY218_.jpg" /></p><p>Blaine Grayson returns to Three Sisters Island with a grand plan--to
take Camp Kicking Moose to the next level. Her dream starts to unravel
when she discovers Moose Manor's kitchen has been badly remodeled by her
sister, Cam, who doesn't know how to cook. Added to that blow is the
cold shoulder given by her best friend, Artie Lotosky, now a doctor to
the unbridged Maine islands.<br /> <br />As old wounds are opened, Blaine
starts to wonder if she made a mistake by coming home. Little by little,
she must let go of one dream to discover a new one, opening her heart
to a purpose and a future she had never imagined. Bestselling
author Suzanne Woods Fisher invites you back to the coast of Maine for a
story that reminds you to release what doesn't matter and cling to what
does: faith, family, and friendships.</p><p>I was excited to see Blaine again because I enjoyed meeting her in the previous book. Blaine went oversees after having a bad experience in her school. She started over in Paris and decided that she was chasing her dream but she found out that her depression followed her there. She was in a very dark place and was saved by a new friend who she brought back to meet her family. Blaine was trying to make a new life after working through her problems. She went through the program at Cordon Bleu Cooking school and came back to the small island and her family. Although that wasn't without it's issues. The family was trying their best to get along but two sisters were pregnant, her best friend was mad at her and her father and grandfather were at odds. It was a crazy time in the household and the camp was looking to maybe not open because there weren't permits for the things that they fixed. All of the family needs to pull together or everyone is going to have issues. You have to pick up the book and find out what happens and who saves the day this time. After finishing reading this book, I realized that I don't think that I have read the first book in the series! I guess I will have to look at the library and see if they have the first book to read so that I finish the series.<br /></p><p> </p><p>**I received a copy of the book to read for my review but all opinions here are my own and I was not required to <br /></p>NOVA Frugal Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298382094101689880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341866154277464609.post-42182147085696704422021-05-31T21:19:00.000-04:002021-05-31T21:19:27.760-04:00Menu Plan Monday 5/31<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFwfbI-nIzG6wwLu8gFTAaAG1QeAB7CMWpyMpTam_3M2GmwtMNPA-Kll_ensugbyzs0-RZnzzB7KBj5VS-oVOgQtDsBYkOQNDSwUVWdMlGLmP2uEWKC2Au_xfGLJQXCaCaT2JHc_BaX9pr/s150/ambiru_happybuttons3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="67" data-original-width="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFwfbI-nIzG6wwLu8gFTAaAG1QeAB7CMWpyMpTam_3M2GmwtMNPA-Kll_ensugbyzs0-RZnzzB7KBj5VS-oVOgQtDsBYkOQNDSwUVWdMlGLmP2uEWKC2Au_xfGLJQXCaCaT2JHc_BaX9pr/s0/ambiru_happybuttons3.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VXV-00Oh5sfK5oK1RNCttLYGixxgxghzcd0unW-jRvPoDpzwFVdVzUSj0F2AvrrXKmcS1ss7OZWUUofpPPVXOrPpBW0nZ4cQTGlnk5sfAGT_OHaiRFBb4EFYGMdijOyC-kNu7es1oxkZ/s2048/IMG_4022.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VXV-00Oh5sfK5oK1RNCttLYGixxgxghzcd0unW-jRvPoDpzwFVdVzUSj0F2AvrrXKmcS1ss7OZWUUofpPPVXOrPpBW0nZ4cQTGlnk5sfAGT_OHaiRFBb4EFYGMdijOyC-kNu7es1oxkZ/s320/IMG_4022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p> </p><p>Pasta with Sausage Sauce and bread with olive oil<br /></p><p>Grilled Caesar Chicken with Rice (Crispy Pepperoni)<br /></p><p>Salsa Sloppy Joes with tater tots (Chicken Fries)<br /></p><p>Tacos Mac and Cheese (Pasta)<br /></p><p>Homemade Pizza<br /></p><p>Spicy Honey Mustard Chicken and Potato Skins (Hash Browns and Bacon)<br /></p><p>Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and Homemade French Fries</p><p> </p><p>Last week went mostly according plan until Saturday when we did a quick menu change to make a Buffalo Chicken Pizza with the leftover dough from the night before and then made Hamburgers and tater tots for the adults and Hash browns and Bacon for my son. We had company at dinner time and had to adjust to feed everyone so it was a little thrown together but still tasty and already in the house. </p><p>I made up this weeks menu to be easy since we are in the home stretch of a lot of school projects and the pool is open. We might have to do school work or want to go to the pool for a little bit before dinner on a few nights. I think that some of the meals might change a little. Plus with all the school work and pool time, I think that I am putting off the monthly shopping trip for a little bit so using up what is left in the house. Although we are out of a bunch of things, there is still a lot left to make it through for awhile so maybe I will be able to put it off for a bit but I have some free time on Thursday so who knows. We still have egg, butter and milk so plenty of yummy things can be made for sure. I am planning on pumpkin bread, chocolate chip bars and soft pretzels. We started making soft pretzels every weekend and have really mastered the process. Super yummy and tasty and way easier then I ever thought that they would be. Fingers crossed for a yummy week. How are you adjusting to summer weather and summer schedule??<br /></p>NOVA Frugal Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298382094101689880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341866154277464609.post-58072079529084928592021-05-24T20:23:00.003-04:002021-05-24T20:23:18.769-04:00Menu Plan Monday 5/24<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFwfbI-nIzG6wwLu8gFTAaAG1QeAB7CMWpyMpTam_3M2GmwtMNPA-Kll_ensugbyzs0-RZnzzB7KBj5VS-oVOgQtDsBYkOQNDSwUVWdMlGLmP2uEWKC2Au_xfGLJQXCaCaT2JHc_BaX9pr/s150/ambiru_happybuttons3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="67" data-original-width="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFwfbI-nIzG6wwLu8gFTAaAG1QeAB7CMWpyMpTam_3M2GmwtMNPA-Kll_ensugbyzs0-RZnzzB7KBj5VS-oVOgQtDsBYkOQNDSwUVWdMlGLmP2uEWKC2Au_xfGLJQXCaCaT2JHc_BaX9pr/s0/ambiru_happybuttons3.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VXV-00Oh5sfK5oK1RNCttLYGixxgxghzcd0unW-jRvPoDpzwFVdVzUSj0F2AvrrXKmcS1ss7OZWUUofpPPVXOrPpBW0nZ4cQTGlnk5sfAGT_OHaiRFBb4EFYGMdijOyC-kNu7es1oxkZ/s2048/IMG_4022.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VXV-00Oh5sfK5oK1RNCttLYGixxgxghzcd0unW-jRvPoDpzwFVdVzUSj0F2AvrrXKmcS1ss7OZWUUofpPPVXOrPpBW0nZ4cQTGlnk5sfAGT_OHaiRFBb4EFYGMdijOyC-kNu7es1oxkZ/s320/IMG_4022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p> </p><p>Pasta with Sausage Sauce and garlic bread </p><p>Grilled Caesar Chicken with Rice (Crispy Pepperoni)<br /></p><p>Chicken Paninis and mac and cheese (Chicken Fries)<br /></p><p>Ground Beef Tacos (Pasta)<br /></p><p>Homemade Pizza<br /></p><p>House Autry Fried Chicken and Tortilla Crusted Chicken with mashed potatoes or Spicy Brown Stir Fry with rice (Hash Browns and Bacon)<br /></p><p>Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and Homemade French Fries</p><p> </p><p>Last week was a long week and we were done with the meal plan by Thursday. I decided to make Hash Browns and Bacon which I was planning for my son and we both had it. My husband had hamburger on the grill and I used the leftover grilled chicken and mac and cheese to make him chicken buffalo mac and cheese. Friday we did Pizza Hut take out which we normally do once a month but this was a perfect week for it because I was exhausted. Saturday was busy and we pulled all the leftovers out of the fridge and we had everything in the fridge which I can't even remember what it was that we ate. Sunday we had our normal chicken wraps and homemade fries but I was barely hungry because it was a tasty day. I had made homemade soft pretzels earlier in the day so we had already all eaten lots of things before dinner but we will still ate one of the favorite meals of the week. </p><p>I had a lot of work to make up for on Sunday to get ready for the coming week. I made the soft pretzels which we saved a few but ate most of them. I made rolls for my husband's lunch. I made a loaf of bread for garlic bread and toast and things through the week. I made a loaf of lemon pound cake and cut up strawberries to make strawberry shortcake on the pound cake. YUM! Nothing says summer like strawberry shortcake. I still have to cut up chicken that I bought at the store to prepare for the coming months and a few more things. I hope that I everything one the meal plan made this week but only time will tell!!<br /></p>NOVA Frugal Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298382094101689880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341866154277464609.post-56006445145202855502021-05-12T03:30:00.025-04:002021-05-12T03:30:00.314-04:00The Bounty Book Review<p>I went through the list of the new releases at the library and was excited to see the next installment of the Fox and O'Hare series which I have really enjoyed. I reserved it and waited a long time while it went through all of the people that were way more on top of things and reserved it earlier. I was so excited when <a href="https://www.amazon.com/The-Bounty-A-Novel-7-A-Fox-and-O-Hare-Novel/dp/1982157135/ref=cm_wl_huc_item">The Bounty: A Novel (7) (A Fox and O'Hare Novel)</a> by Janet Evanovich finally came on to my reserve shelf so that I would get to read this fun book. It has all the fun of the Castle television series with the drama of FBI versus criminal.<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="The Bounty: A Novel (A Fox and O'Hare Novel Book 7)" class="s-image" data-image-index="2" data-image-latency="s-product-image" data-image-load="" data-image-source-density="1" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71bLEr-bQzL._AC_UY218_.jpg" /></p><p><b>FBI agent Kate O’Hare and charming criminal Nick Fox race against
time to uncover a buried train filled with Nazi gold in this thrilling
adventure in the “romantic and gripping” (<i>Good Housekeeping</i></b><b>) Fox and O’Hare series from the #1</b><b><i> </i></b><b><i>New York Times</i></b><b><i> </i></b><b>bestselling author Janet Evanovich.</b> Straight
as an arrow special agent Kate O’Hare and international criminal Nick
Fox have brought down some of the biggest bad guys out there. But now
they face their most dangerous foe yet—a vast, shadowy international
organization known only as the Brotherhood. Directly descended
from the Vatican Bank priests who served Hitler during World War II, the
Brotherhood is on a frantic search for a lost train loaded with $30
billion in Nazi gold, untouched for over seventy-five years somewhere in
the mountains of Eastern Europe.<br /> <br />Kate and Nick know that there
is only one man who can find the fortune and bring down the
Brotherhood—the same man who taught Nick everything he knows—his father,
Quentin. As the stakes get higher, they must also rely on Kate’s own
father, Jake, who shares his daughter’s grit and stubbornness. Too bad
they can never agree on anything. From a remote monastery in the
Swiss Alps to the lawless desert of the Western Sahara, Kate, Nick, and
the two men who made them who they are today must crisscross the world
in a desperate scramble to stop their deadliest foe in the biggest
adventure of their lives.</p><p>The book was off to a fast start with Kate and Nick on loan to the Vatican to try to help them increase their security and find the flaws. However they didn't believe that they were going to be broken into so they didn't take the advice very seriously. When they were broken into and it just so happened to be Nick's father that was the robber, they immediately decided that it was an inside job. Although they ere surprised when he stole a map instead of the highest priced item the ring they were expecting. Nick froze when he saw who was breaking in and then decided that he and Kate were on the job to find his father. It was a fun story from there because there was so much action and adventure. Every time I read these books I think about how great they would be as a TV show or movie because there is so much going on. It reminded me of a Indiana Jones movie where they were hunting for buried Nazi gold and they needed all of the other people to help them find it. Nick and Kate followed the clues with the help of their fathers. It was a great story and made it hard to put down because you wanted to find out what was going to happen next. I hope that you check out this book and the rest of this great series. I am amazed that there are 7 books in this series already. I hope that you start at the beginning and follow the great journey through Kate and Nick's relationship to see how they got to where they are in this book! I know I enjoyed all of them and I hope that you will too.<br /></p>NOVA Frugal Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298382094101689880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341866154277464609.post-11386649485352439532021-05-11T03:30:00.010-04:002021-05-11T03:30:00.273-04:00The Vineyard at Painted Moon<p> I reserved this book because I saw it on the new release section and I love this author. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/The-Vineyard-at-Painted-Moon-A-Novel/dp/1335418784/ref=cm_wl_huc_item">The Vineyard at Painted Moon: A Novel</a> by Susan Mallery seemed like an interesting book even though I knew nothing about it. From the cover, it looked like it was going to be a book about some foreign country but I was pleased to find out that it was set in Washington State and talking about local wine making in the US. I hope that you check out this book for yourself because you will immediately be taken on a vacation to wine country.<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="The Vineyard at Painted Moon: A Novel" class="s-image" data-image-index="1" data-image-latency="s-product-image" data-image-load="" data-image-source-density="1" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81YkHNEpNsL._AC_UY218_.jpg" /></p><p><b><i>Step into the vineyard with Susan Mallery’s most
irresistible novel yet, as one woman searches for the perfect blend of
love, family and wine.</i></b><br /><br />Mackenzie Dienes seems to
have it all—a beautiful home, close friends and a successful career as
an elite winemaker with the family winery. There’s just one problem—it’s
not <i>her</i> family, it’s her husband’s. In fact, everything in her
life is tied to him—his mother is the closest thing to a mom that she’s
ever had, their home is on the family compound, his sister is her best
friend. So when she and her husband admit their marriage is over, her
pain goes beyond heartbreak. She’s on the brink of losing everything.
Her job, her home, her friends and, worst of all, her family.<br /><br />Staying
is an option. She can continue to work at the winery, be friends with
her mother-in-law, hug her nieces and nephews—but as an employee,
nothing more. Or she can surrender every piece of her heart in order to
build a legacy of her own. If she can dare to let go of the life she
thought she wanted, she might discover something even more beautiful
waiting for her beneath a painted moon.</p><p>I was very happy to get this book and get a chance to read it. Mackenzie Dienes is working in a career she loves as a winemaker at a family winery. She loves taking care of the grapes and working with her husband's family to make the best wine that she can. The winery has won many awards because of all of Mackenzie's hard work. She has no family of her own and was immediately taken in by her husband's family with his mom taking over as her motherly figure. She is also best friends with his sisters and they all live on the family property in separate houses. They find out that they are no longer happy in their marriage and decide to get divorced. In the divorce, she is set to loose everything including her husband, her friends, her job and her home. It is a hard blow to her that she figures out that she needs to make a new life for herself to be happy on her own but you have to pick up the book to find out what happens. It is amazing to watch the entire transformation and see how Mackenzie changes her life. You will love this book as much as I did when you read the great story of overcoming what is many huge obstacles to make her own life. I was even more happy when I realized that I knew Bruno from another series which I didn't realize until he revealed his past. I hope that you check out this fun book and enjoy it for yourself.<br /></p>NOVA Frugal Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298382094101689880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341866154277464609.post-23374285477316155822021-05-10T03:00:00.001-04:002021-05-10T03:00:00.269-04:00Menu Plan Monday 5/10<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFwfbI-nIzG6wwLu8gFTAaAG1QeAB7CMWpyMpTam_3M2GmwtMNPA-Kll_ensugbyzs0-RZnzzB7KBj5VS-oVOgQtDsBYkOQNDSwUVWdMlGLmP2uEWKC2Au_xfGLJQXCaCaT2JHc_BaX9pr/s150/ambiru_happybuttons3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="67" data-original-width="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFwfbI-nIzG6wwLu8gFTAaAG1QeAB7CMWpyMpTam_3M2GmwtMNPA-Kll_ensugbyzs0-RZnzzB7KBj5VS-oVOgQtDsBYkOQNDSwUVWdMlGLmP2uEWKC2Au_xfGLJQXCaCaT2JHc_BaX9pr/s0/ambiru_happybuttons3.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VXV-00Oh5sfK5oK1RNCttLYGixxgxghzcd0unW-jRvPoDpzwFVdVzUSj0F2AvrrXKmcS1ss7OZWUUofpPPVXOrPpBW0nZ4cQTGlnk5sfAGT_OHaiRFBb4EFYGMdijOyC-kNu7es1oxkZ/s2048/IMG_4022.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VXV-00Oh5sfK5oK1RNCttLYGixxgxghzcd0unW-jRvPoDpzwFVdVzUSj0F2AvrrXKmcS1ss7OZWUUofpPPVXOrPpBW0nZ4cQTGlnk5sfAGT_OHaiRFBb4EFYGMdijOyC-kNu7es1oxkZ/s320/IMG_4022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p> </p><p>Pasta with Sausage Sauce and Pan Fried Zucchini and Garlic Knots and garlic bread </p><p>Grilled Caesar Chicken with Rice (Crispy Pepperoni)<br /></p><p>Chicken Paninis and mac and cheese (Chicken Fries)<br /></p><p>Ground Beef Mexican Rice Enchiladas (Hash Browns and Bacon)<br /></p><p>Homemade Pizza<br /></p><p>House Autry Fried Chicken and Tortilla Crusted Chicken with mashed potatoes (Pasta)<br /></p><p>Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and Homemade French Fries</p><p> </p><p>Last week was a little different then the menu but still went pretty well. I got all of the beginning of the week done but by Friday I was exhausted and the fridge was full of a bunch of different leftovers. I made leftovers for the adults and individual pizza from the frozen crust for my son's dinner. Saturday was also exhausting and we had a bigger lunch with more creative leftovers and we ate later in the day. I decided on Pancakes, Eggs, Hash browns and bacon and we all enjoyed it. It was a good week and we used up lots in the fridge which made it extra good. </p><p>I have a few things on the menu to use up things this week. We have a little of the House Autry breader still left after last month so I thought I would do what I could out of that and make the rest of the chicken into Tortilla Crusted chicken which will use up the chips that we aren't as interested in eating. I put some enchilada sauce in the freezer and I know that I will need to make more but I want to make sure that I use up what we already have and maybe make a full batch for the freezer. At the same time, I might need to make a full batch of spaghetti sauce because I just started the last jar of my homemade sauce so I might open a big can of tomatoes to use or pull the smaller ones out of the pantry to clear out some of the other ones. I know there are a few more things I need to use up but working through the plan that I currently have for the month. I think that we have plenty of groceries but I might need to get some lettuce and some more ground beef this month with the rest of the budget. </p><p>Can't wait to see where the inventory leaves us for the June when I take it next week. I think that we will still have tons of food left in the freezer, fridge and pantry to start off the summer on the right foot. I hope that having a plan will make it easier at the end of the long and busy day leading up the end of school. How are you doing with meal planning??<br /></p>NOVA Frugal Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298382094101689880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341866154277464609.post-11456826873122702742021-05-03T22:32:00.000-04:002021-05-03T22:32:35.681-04:00Menu Plan Monday 5/3<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFwfbI-nIzG6wwLu8gFTAaAG1QeAB7CMWpyMpTam_3M2GmwtMNPA-Kll_ensugbyzs0-RZnzzB7KBj5VS-oVOgQtDsBYkOQNDSwUVWdMlGLmP2uEWKC2Au_xfGLJQXCaCaT2JHc_BaX9pr/s150/ambiru_happybuttons3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="67" data-original-width="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFwfbI-nIzG6wwLu8gFTAaAG1QeAB7CMWpyMpTam_3M2GmwtMNPA-Kll_ensugbyzs0-RZnzzB7KBj5VS-oVOgQtDsBYkOQNDSwUVWdMlGLmP2uEWKC2Au_xfGLJQXCaCaT2JHc_BaX9pr/s0/ambiru_happybuttons3.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VXV-00Oh5sfK5oK1RNCttLYGixxgxghzcd0unW-jRvPoDpzwFVdVzUSj0F2AvrrXKmcS1ss7OZWUUofpPPVXOrPpBW0nZ4cQTGlnk5sfAGT_OHaiRFBb4EFYGMdijOyC-kNu7es1oxkZ/s2048/IMG_4022.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VXV-00Oh5sfK5oK1RNCttLYGixxgxghzcd0unW-jRvPoDpzwFVdVzUSj0F2AvrrXKmcS1ss7OZWUUofpPPVXOrPpBW0nZ4cQTGlnk5sfAGT_OHaiRFBb4EFYGMdijOyC-kNu7es1oxkZ/s320/IMG_4022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p> </p><p>Pasta with Sausage Sauce and Fried Zucchini and Garlic Knots and garlic bread </p><p>Grilled Spiedies Chicken with Rice and Corn on the Cob (Crispy Pepperoni)<br /></p><p>Ground Beef Salsa Sloppy Joes with tater tots (Chicken fries)<br /></p><p>Spicy Honey Mustard Chicken and mac and cheese<br /></p><p>Homemade Pizza<br /></p><p>Fried Rice with egg rolls, pot stickers, and edamame (Hash browns and Bacon)<br /></p><p>Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and Homemade French Fries</p><p> </p><p>Last week we enjoyed a yummy week with most of the meals going according to plan. Saturday we decided on Skillet Lemon Chicken because I had lemon in the fridge and chicken went on sale so that I could buy it to use. I got to use up the rest of the orzo in the cupboard to make the rice which was super tasty. I also used up half of a spice jar of Italian seasoning that I hadn't used previously.<br /></p><p>I have done a great job of planning and using up the things that are already in the house in the meal plan for the month. I still have lots of things in the cupboard to use but it still costs a lot to fill in the holes to make sure that we have everything we need to make it through the month. I was previously using a $160 budget for groceries and $40 for eating out. When we first went through the lock down, we used all of the $200 towards groceries and did no eating out. We have started to get pizza once a month which was a little over $10 per month so I was using the $190 for groceries. The price of groceries continues to go up and the price of pizza has started to go up too so we tried to figure out what would work as a better budget and we have decided to try $200 for groceries and $20 for eating out. I am hoping that this will give us a little more flexibility in the monthly shopping. <br /></p>NOVA Frugal Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298382094101689880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341866154277464609.post-41304589318978966992021-04-30T23:52:00.002-04:002021-04-30T23:54:08.330-04:00Blackberry Beach Book Review<p>I have never read this author before but the description and cover made it sound like a book that I would like. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Blackberry-Beach-Hope-Harbor/dp/080073615X/ref=cm_wl_huc_item">Blackberry Beach (Hope Harbor)</a> by Irene Hannon is the 7th book in the Hope Harbor series. I was so excited after reading the book to look it up and see that I had 6 other books that I would get to read. I decided to take a chance and I wasn't disappointed. The rest of the books are at the local library so I will check out those and others by the author.<br /></p><p> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Blackberry Beach: A Hope Harbor Novel" class="s-image" data-image-index="3" data-image-latency="s-product-image" data-image-load="" data-image-source-density="1" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91ZFEpgqe0L._AC_UL320_.jpg" /></p><p>Katherine Parker is on the cusp of having everything she ever
wanted--fame, money, and acclaim. So why isn't she happy? In search of
answers, she comes incognito to Hope Harbor on the Oregon coast for some
R&R. Maybe in her secluded rental house overlooking the serene
Pacific she'll be able to calm the storm inside.<br /><br />Coffee shop
owner Zach Garrett has found his niche after a traumatic loss--and he
has no plans to change the life he's created. Nor does he want to get
involved with his reticent new neighbor, whose past is shrouded in
mystery. He's had enough drama to last a lifetime. But when Katherine
and Zach are recruited to help rehab a home for foster children, sparks
fly. And as their lives begin to intersect, might they find more common
ground than they expected . . . and discover that, with love, all things
are possible? Bestselling and award-winning author Irene Hannon
invites you to come home to Hope Harbor--where hearts heal . . . and
love blooms.</p><p>Katherine Parker was going through a lot in her life and decided to go where she was happy and relaxed. It took her back to a rental in Hope Harbor. She felt that she could finally relax from the spot light that she was feeling in LA where she was normally living. Next door to Katherine's rental is Zach Garrett who moved to get away from the grind of the job that was not fulfilling. He worked hard and opened the local coffee shop where customers are treated kindly and everyone feels at home. Katherine and Zach feel a connect because they have both gone through similar changes in their lives and they try to help each other. At the same time, Frank, who works at the coffee shop, is fighting the feelings that he has for Zach's aunt because he feels that she is out of his league. I love a book that has more then one story line going but still isn't so caught up in the cast of characters that I get confused. I hadn't read any of the other books in the series and I was able to pick up this book and read it like a stand alone book. I don't want to give away the path that the story takes but follow this group of great characters and find out how all of their lives turn out. I am sure you will enjoy the ups and downs and how they work through the hard parts of life. Books where the characters overcome their burdens always leaves me feeling hopeful and I hope that you check out this book and the rest of the amazing series. I can't wait to read some of the other books now that I have found this fun new small town of Hope Harbor. I know that they will all be just as wonderful as this one was!</p><p>**I was provided a copy of the book for my review but all opinions here are my own and I was not required to have a post review.<br /></p>NOVA Frugal Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298382094101689880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341866154277464609.post-27981622418648888722021-04-27T03:30:00.001-04:002021-04-27T03:30:00.278-04:00Huckleberry Lake Book Review<p> I hope that you check out this next installment of Mystic Creek series, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Huckleberry-Lake-Mystic-Creek/dp/0399586385/ref=cm_wl_huc_item">Huckleberry Lake (Mystic Creek)</a> by Catherine Anderson. It is the 6th and final book in the series. I was looking forward to seeing who we got to learn more about when I picked up this book. I was so excited to see Erin De Laney and Wyatt Fitzgerald who I enjoyed getting to know in the last book.<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="Huckleberry Lake (Mystic Creek)" class="s-image" data-image-index="1" data-image-latency="s-product-image" data-image-load="" data-image-source-density="1" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81x2fwrADoL._AC_UY218_.jpg" /></p><p><br />Erin De Laney came to Mystic Creek hoping that the slower pace might
rekindle her enthusiasm for law enforcement. Instead she feels as
frustrated as she did in the city and when her disillusionment with the
job increases, she takes a position on her uncle's ranch. Her
life has enough complications without her attraction to handsome, deaf
cowboy, Wyatt Fitzgerald, the foreman on the ranch. Wyatt has sworn off
dating, and Erin fears that nothing she does will ever change his mind.
Yet while working with an abused horse under Wyatt's guidance, Erin
comes to better understand herself. She also learns that love can heal
almost anything. Wyatt yearns to take Erin into his arms, but
he's hesitant to pursue a romantic relationship. When their work sends
them out alone together into a wilderness area, Wyatt is even more
determined to hold Erin at arm's length. But out of their time
alone together on the mountain blossoms a chance for a
once-in-a-lifetime love if only he's willing to give her his heart and
make her his.</p><p>I enjoyed getting to know Erin and Wyatt in the last book and was excited to see them in this book. I was a little disappointed at the beginning of the book because I thought it was a change from where the last book left off. Erin and Wyatt were sort fighting a relationship but it was still a friendship so it was a little switch in my mind to where this book started. I know most people aren't reading the books back to back so they might not feel the same way or they might have seen something differently in the last book that I missed. I enjoyed watching their friendship grow again in this book and see all the challenges that both go through in this book. I love that this series normally covers two different couples and this book was no exception because we got to know Wyatt's brother who was fun to get to know and his love interest. I think that the book quickly got back on track and I was much happier as the book went on but I don't want to ruin anything so I think that you should pick up this book and read for yourself. I hope that you check out this book and the rest of this series. I enjoyed it a lot and was so happy to get to have one more time to visit this small town. <br /></p>NOVA Frugal Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298382094101689880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341866154277464609.post-7145652331240918812021-04-26T12:46:00.003-04:002021-04-26T12:46:39.781-04:00Menu Plan Monday 4/26<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFwfbI-nIzG6wwLu8gFTAaAG1QeAB7CMWpyMpTam_3M2GmwtMNPA-Kll_ensugbyzs0-RZnzzB7KBj5VS-oVOgQtDsBYkOQNDSwUVWdMlGLmP2uEWKC2Au_xfGLJQXCaCaT2JHc_BaX9pr/s150/ambiru_happybuttons3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="67" data-original-width="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFwfbI-nIzG6wwLu8gFTAaAG1QeAB7CMWpyMpTam_3M2GmwtMNPA-Kll_ensugbyzs0-RZnzzB7KBj5VS-oVOgQtDsBYkOQNDSwUVWdMlGLmP2uEWKC2Au_xfGLJQXCaCaT2JHc_BaX9pr/s0/ambiru_happybuttons3.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VXV-00Oh5sfK5oK1RNCttLYGixxgxghzcd0unW-jRvPoDpzwFVdVzUSj0F2AvrrXKmcS1ss7OZWUUofpPPVXOrPpBW0nZ4cQTGlnk5sfAGT_OHaiRFBb4EFYGMdijOyC-kNu7es1oxkZ/s2048/IMG_4022.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VXV-00Oh5sfK5oK1RNCttLYGixxgxghzcd0unW-jRvPoDpzwFVdVzUSj0F2AvrrXKmcS1ss7OZWUUofpPPVXOrPpBW0nZ4cQTGlnk5sfAGT_OHaiRFBb4EFYGMdijOyC-kNu7es1oxkZ/s320/IMG_4022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p> </p><p>Pasta with Sausage Sauce and Garlic Knots and garlic bread </p><p>Grilled Caesar Chicken with Rice (Crispy Pepperoni)<br /></p><p>Grilled BBQ Chicken with mac and cheese or tater tots (Chicken fries)<br /></p><p>Tacos and corn bread (Hashbrowns and Bacon for my son) </p><p>Homemade Pizza<br /></p><p>??<br /></p><p>Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and Homemade French Fries</p><p> </p><p>I can't believe another Monday is here!! It always seems like a surprise when these happen because the weekend feels so short. I am excited that I had the whole month planned but working on finishing the plan for May and I keep changing my mind! I need to get that finished soon and start my monthly shopping list. I have a few options for Saturday but the plan keeps changing when I rearrange the meal plan so I will see if I can get that finished today.<br /></p><p>Last week went according to plan and I was very grateful to have it in place. We actually ran out of lettuce because the head that I got was gross in some spots so I switched the tacos that were originally on the menu for the chili from this week. I was super happy with making the switch at the beginning of the week and it made the week go so smoothly. Now I am way more excited about tacos this week and my husband will be very excited for Taco Pizza. It is super tasty!!</p><p>Hope you have a great week planned and if you have any great recipes that I need to add, please let me know!!<br /></p>NOVA Frugal Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298382094101689880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341866154277464609.post-88588285641642554202021-04-19T22:55:00.001-04:002021-04-19T22:55:54.847-04:00Menu Plan Monday 4/19<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFwfbI-nIzG6wwLu8gFTAaAG1QeAB7CMWpyMpTam_3M2GmwtMNPA-Kll_ensugbyzs0-RZnzzB7KBj5VS-oVOgQtDsBYkOQNDSwUVWdMlGLmP2uEWKC2Au_xfGLJQXCaCaT2JHc_BaX9pr/s150/ambiru_happybuttons3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="67" data-original-width="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFwfbI-nIzG6wwLu8gFTAaAG1QeAB7CMWpyMpTam_3M2GmwtMNPA-Kll_ensugbyzs0-RZnzzB7KBj5VS-oVOgQtDsBYkOQNDSwUVWdMlGLmP2uEWKC2Au_xfGLJQXCaCaT2JHc_BaX9pr/s0/ambiru_happybuttons3.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VXV-00Oh5sfK5oK1RNCttLYGixxgxghzcd0unW-jRvPoDpzwFVdVzUSj0F2AvrrXKmcS1ss7OZWUUofpPPVXOrPpBW0nZ4cQTGlnk5sfAGT_OHaiRFBb4EFYGMdijOyC-kNu7es1oxkZ/s2048/IMG_4022.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VXV-00Oh5sfK5oK1RNCttLYGixxgxghzcd0unW-jRvPoDpzwFVdVzUSj0F2AvrrXKmcS1ss7OZWUUofpPPVXOrPpBW0nZ4cQTGlnk5sfAGT_OHaiRFBb4EFYGMdijOyC-kNu7es1oxkZ/s320/IMG_4022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p> </p><p>Spaghetti with Sausage Sauce and Garlic Bread Pizza (Penne with garlic bread for my son) <br /></p><p>Grilled Spiedies Chicken with Rice (Hashbrowns and Bacon for my son) <br /></p><p>Chicken Paninis with tater tots and shoestring fries (Chicken fries)<br /></p><p>Chili and corn bread (Pasta)<br /></p><p>Homemade Pizza<br /></p><p>House Autry Fried Chicken with mashed potatoes or twice baked potatoes or Fried Rice, Egg Rolls, Pot Stickers and Edamame<br /></p><p>Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and Homemade French Fries</p><p> </p><p>Last week we ate everything according to plan except our take out which we were expecting to be just one cheaper pizza was more expensive because the promotions in our area changed so we had pay regular menu pricing or pick a new promotion. We enjoyed pizza, bread sticks, and buffalo chicken bites with the new promotion and spent $18 after using the rest of our gift card. Then Saturday we decided to have leftovers and clear out the fridge instead of the meal planned. We are going to have that this weekend instead of the meal planned.</p><p>Super excited to have all of the meals planned for the month and everything in the house to make them work...mostly. However we had a few extra salads and our lettuce was a little gross when I cut into so a bunch went into the trash which was a bummer. We need to get a little more lettuce and probably some milk at the end of the month. So this week we switched out Tacos that we were supposed to have with Chili so that we could put off the purchase of the lettuce later. Hopefully we won't have another bad head but it has been happening a lot no matter where I buy it. <br /></p>NOVA Frugal Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298382094101689880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341866154277464609.post-8516594464120691352021-04-15T03:00:00.018-04:002021-04-15T03:00:00.347-04:00Strawberry Hill Book Review<p> I was straight on to book 5 in the series, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Strawberry-Hill-Mystic-Creek/dp/0399586369/ref=cm_wl_huc_item">Strawberry Hill (Mystic Creek)</a> by Catherine Anderson after finishing the last book. This was a hard one to put down because I wanted to find out what was going to happen next. Not a mystery but totally suspenseful!!<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="Strawberry Hill (Mystic Creek Book 5)" class="s-image" data-image-index="2" data-image-latency="s-product-image" data-image-load="" data-image-source-density="1" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81Kp+wJdBKL._AC_UY218_.jpg" /></p><p>As a camp cook, Vickie Brown loves feeding any size crowd in the great
outdoors--with one notable exception. She never would have predicted
she'd join the crew led by gruff cowboy Slade Wilder, the man who broke
her heart just days before their wedding.<br /> <br />Life has gone on since
Vickie left him, but Slade can admit his attraction to the one woman
he's ever loved remains stronger than ever. If he wasn't in such
desperate need of an experienced cook for his paying guests, he would
send Vickie packing. He knows better than to seek out the company of the
woman who broke off their engagement so many years ago.<br /> <br />Except
there's no escaping each other in the confines of the wilderness area,
especially once their anger begins to soften in the shared close
quarters. But after Vickie finds the courage to confront Slade, it will
take a leap of faith for them to put their past behind him, even if it's
the only way to recapture their once-in-a-lifetime love.</p><p>Super fun book that starts off with Vickie who we haven't met before who is dealing with having to take a job far away from where she was living because of the economic downturn. She finds a camp cook job which happens to be in her hometown that she swore she would never return to. Although we have to learn why she doesn't want to return when she breaks down and tells her daughter all of the secret information from her past. She had her heart broken by Slade Wilder who was supposed to marry her in a few days but she found out that he was cheating and left. Although she wrote him 4 letters after she left to tell him that she was carrying his baby but she heard nothing in return. Vickie finds out that the camp cook is working for Slade but she decided that she is going to take the job to deal with her past issues. She pulls into camp and waits for Slade to show up and see how the years have affected him. Slade decides to let her go but the other guys in his crew disagree because without a cook, they won't keep the customers happy. Vickie and Slade have to confront their issues in the past and figure out how to work together in the middle of the wilderness but it is a crazy ride while they figure out how to do it. I hope that you check out this book and the others in the Mystic Creek Series. I know that you will enjoy them. Stay tuned for the review of the next book in the series soon!!<br /></p>NOVA Frugal Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298382094101689880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341866154277464609.post-43104673779030662492021-04-14T03:30:00.000-04:002021-04-14T03:30:00.229-04:00Spring Forward Book Review<p> I was excited to get back to this series since it was due back to the library soon and I had three books to read through. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Spring-Forward-Mystic-Creek/dp/0399586342/ref=cm_wl_huc_item">Spring Forward (Mystic Creek)</a> by Catherine Anderson was the 4th book in the series. I had other books that were due back to the library that I needed to read first so this second half of the series was put on hold for a little bit. I was excited to see who we were going to be meet in the small town of Mystic Creek now.<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="Spring Forward (Mystic Creek Book 4)" class="s-image" data-image-index="1" data-image-latency="s-product-image" data-image-load="" data-image-source-density="1" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/910TBbaDBYL._AC_UY218_.jpg" /></p><p><br /></p><p>When a favorite customer on his delivery route needs a favor, Tanner
Richards agrees to help without a second thought. The last thing he
expects is to face off against the man’s spitfire granddaughter.<br /> <br />
Crystal Malloy is near her breaking point. Her beloved grandfather
constantly skirts the rules at the retirement center where he’s
recovering from surgery. She’s caring for his escape artist dog, even if
it means abandoning her salon customers, and she has no time for a
romantic attraction to the handsome new stranger. <br /> <br /> After
Tanner’s reassigned to Mystic Creek, Crystal can no longer ignore how
much she misjudged the man’s good intentions. She has known too much
sorrow to easily open her heart, but she can’t deny that Tanner and his
children could gift her with a happiness beyond compare—if only she can
forgive herself for the past and accept that she’s deserving of such a
love.</p><p>Tanner Richards is living a life all about his family. His wife is gone and he is raising his two children alone. His mother is there to help but he feels like he puts too much on her and she isn't getting a chance to have her own life. Tanner left his accounting practice to move to a smaller town to have a better life for his kids. He now works a delivery person and becomes friends with a lot of people along his route. Although one of those friendships gets him into trouble. He is asked to deliver a package to a friend who has left his home on Tanner's route to delivery to the Retirement Home that he is living in while recovering from surgery which is in a different town. Tanner decided that he is going to do it and then ends up loosing his route and having to work longer hours. Tanner meets the granddaughter of his friend, Crystal Malloy, and is immediately drawn to her. She is dealing with a lot trying to keep her business afloat and make sure that her grandfather is well taken care. At the same time she is caring for her grandfather's difficult dog who keeps escaping. The characters and the story are really good and make me want to keep reading to find out what happens. I think that you will be surprised by all the ups and down in this book. There were surprises around every turn of the page. I hope that you check out this book and the others in the Mystic Creek Series. <br /></p>NOVA Frugal Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298382094101689880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341866154277464609.post-597577746988156872021-04-13T11:37:00.003-04:002021-04-13T11:37:56.488-04:00Menu Plan Monday 4/12<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFwfbI-nIzG6wwLu8gFTAaAG1QeAB7CMWpyMpTam_3M2GmwtMNPA-Kll_ensugbyzs0-RZnzzB7KBj5VS-oVOgQtDsBYkOQNDSwUVWdMlGLmP2uEWKC2Au_xfGLJQXCaCaT2JHc_BaX9pr/s150/ambiru_happybuttons3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="67" data-original-width="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFwfbI-nIzG6wwLu8gFTAaAG1QeAB7CMWpyMpTam_3M2GmwtMNPA-Kll_ensugbyzs0-RZnzzB7KBj5VS-oVOgQtDsBYkOQNDSwUVWdMlGLmP2uEWKC2Au_xfGLJQXCaCaT2JHc_BaX9pr/s0/ambiru_happybuttons3.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VXV-00Oh5sfK5oK1RNCttLYGixxgxghzcd0unW-jRvPoDpzwFVdVzUSj0F2AvrrXKmcS1ss7OZWUUofpPPVXOrPpBW0nZ4cQTGlnk5sfAGT_OHaiRFBb4EFYGMdijOyC-kNu7es1oxkZ/s2048/IMG_4022.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VXV-00Oh5sfK5oK1RNCttLYGixxgxghzcd0unW-jRvPoDpzwFVdVzUSj0F2AvrrXKmcS1ss7OZWUUofpPPVXOrPpBW0nZ4cQTGlnk5sfAGT_OHaiRFBb4EFYGMdijOyC-kNu7es1oxkZ/s320/IMG_4022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p> </p><p>Spaghetti with Meat Sauce and Garlic Bread Pizza (Penne with garlic bread for my son) <br /></p><p>Grilled Montreal Chicken with Rice (Hashbrowns and Bacon for my son) <br /></p><p>Ground Beef Salsa with mac and cheese (Crispy Pepperoni)<br /></p><p>Chicken Enchiladas and corn bread (Chicken Fries with tater tots)<br /></p><p>Pizza Hut Take Out Movie Night<br /></p><p>House Autry Fried Chicken with mashed potatoes or twice baked potatoes<br /></p><p>Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and Homemade French Fries</p><p> </p><p>Last week, we had everything according to plan and used up all of the things that I thought we would. I got cheers when I announced take out this Friday and I am going to be excited to not be cleaning the kitchen. I have already spent the monthly grocery shopping budget and the overage from take out on the grocery shopping for the month. I know that I have to make a lot of extra treats from scratch in order to make sure that we make it through the month and maintain the limited budget that is left. I think that we should be set up to finish all the meals that I have on the menu so we just need to make sure we have breakfast and lunch and snacks!! Going to start baking now!<br /></p>NOVA Frugal Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10298382094101689880noreply@blogger.com0