The Scam Book Review

I was waiting for my copy of the next book in the Fox and O'Hare series to come into the library when I was looking at the new release section and saw one in large print.  I grabbed The Scam: A Fox and O'Hare Novel by Lee Goldberg.  I read four chapters of the large print one and my reserve copy came in so I returned the large print and started reading the other one :)

Nicolas Fox is a charming con man and master thief on the run. Kate O’Hare is the FBI agent who is hot on his trail. At least that’s what everyone thinks. In reality, Fox and O’Hare are secretly working together to bring down super-criminals the law can’t touch. Criminals like brutal casino magnate Evan Trace.

Evan Trace is running a money-laundering operation through his casino in Macau. Some of his best customers are mobsters, dictators, and global terrorists. Nick and Kate will have to go deep undercover as high-stakes gamblers, wagering millions of dollars—and their lives—in an attempt to topple Trace’s empire.

It’s a scam that will take Fox and O’Hare from the Las Vegas strip, to the sun-soaked beaches of Oahu’s North Shore, and into the dark back alleys of Macau. Their only backup—a self-absorbed actor, a Somali pirate, and Kate’s father, an ex-soldier who believes a rocket launcher is the best way to solve every problem. What could possibly go wrong?

This was a great book filled with enough action for lots of books.  It would be the perfect movie!!!  There is action in lots of different countries as Nick and Kate try to take down a money laundering casino.  I hope that you check out this book and all the other books in the series.  I called my mom and told her that she had to read the series after this one... she likes Janet Evanovich and a good action movie so these are up her alley.  I know that you will enjoy them as much as I have (so will see)!!  Let me know if you have checked them out and have a favorite one.  I am trying to patiently await the next one which was newly released on June 21st but I missed getting on the list early.  I am currently 74 for the book and there are 39 in the library system so I don't know how that adds up to me getting it soon but I am going to try to be patient because I have a ton of other books to read in my pile before then.  Here is hoping that I get it soon!!!

Amish Friendship Cinnamon Bread without a Starter

I was so excited to get this recipe because I loved the bread from the Friendship Bread Starter had had yet to find anything that was as tasty.  Especially with things that I have at home all the time!!  I tried it just a few minutes after finding it online.  I was hopeful that it would taste as yummy as the one with the starter so that I could have this bread without the trouble.  I wasn't disappointed!!!

Here is the directions and step by step to make the very easy recipe.  I hope that you enjoy this yummy treat for yourself.

Mix the sugar and the butter in the mixer until creamy.

At the same time, I added some vinegar to the milk that I had to make buttermilk or sour milk.

Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture.

Add the milk and mix until combined.

The batter pulls together quickly and easily.

 It is smooth and fills up a lot of the bowl... this was the first time that I realized that this made two loaves of bread!  I guess we are having two loaves.  Of course, after re-reading the original instructions, it is right at the top of the paper.... Oops!

I greased the inside of the pan with the extra butter on the packages and used a few more that I have in the freezer.  Then I covered it with some of the cinnamon and sugar mixture on the bottom and sides of the pan.  

I added 1/2 of the batter to the bottom of each pan.

 I covered that with cinnamon and sugar mixture.

I added the other half of the batter to each loaf pan.  Then I topped it with more cinnamon sugar mixture.  The original recipe said to mix with a knife and I didn't do that on my Amish friendship bread so I didn't do it but I will next time...see more below.

Then they baked in the oven for about an hour.

The cinnamon sugar layer on the top lifted up and bread below them took a little longer to cook and squished out the side of the bread.  I will mix the top cinnamon next time to hope to fix that problem.

The finished loaf looked like this.  It was nice and thick bread which was super tasty.  It was just like the Amish bread and I am excited to try it again.  I hope that you try it too!!!

Make sure you also check out the original site where I got the recipe because I am sure there are lots more of great recipes!!

AMISH FRIENDSHIP

CINNAMON BREAD

Without the starter

(makes 2 loaves)

Batter:

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 cups buttermilk or 2 cups milk plus 2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice

4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

Cinnamon/sugar mixture:

2/3 cups sugar

2-4 teaspoons cinnamon 

Mix in separate bowl the 2/3 c sugar and cinnamon to taste (we like a lot and I usually just dump it in).  Grease two loaf pans and coat with cinnamon and sugar mixture.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together butter, 2 cups of sugar, and eggs.  Add milk, flour, and baking soda.  Put 1/2 of batter (or a little less) into greased loaf pans (1/4 in each pan).  Sprinkle 3/4 of cinnamon mixture on top of the 1/2 batter in each pan.  Add remaining batter to pans; sprinkle with last of cinnamon topping.  Swirl with a knife to mix the cinnamon into the batter.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 min.  or until toothpick tester come clean.  

Cool in pan for 20 minutes before removing from pan.

The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club Book Club

I saw another book in the series on the shelf at the library and had to pick up the whole series!!  The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club by Wanda E. Brunstetter was the last book that I got in the series and the first one that I read.  I was interested to see what all this quilting group was about.

Lives are transformed...one stitch at a time. As Amish widow Emma Yoder contemplates the task ahead, her thoughts center on one: What if she fails? Longing to remove a burden from her family by becoming self-sufficient, Emma has offered to hold quilting classes in her home. But when she sees the patchwork of faces assembled for the first lesson, her confidence dwindles as doubt threatens to take hold. There's Star Stephens, a young woman yearning for stability; Pam and Stuart Johnston, a struggling couple at odds in their marriage; Paul Ramirez, a widowed father hoping to find solace in finishing a quilt; Jan Sweet, a rough and tough biker looking for something creative to do; and Ruby Lee Williams, a preacher's wife seeking relaxation amid mounting parish problems. While Emma grows to realize her ability to share her passion for quilting and her faith, the beginning quilters learn to transform scraps of fabric into beauty. And slowly, their fragmented lives begin to take new shape - some in unexpected ways - with the helping hands of each other and the healing hand of God.

It took me a little longer to get through this book although it was really good.  I think that the change in schedule from summer to fall was a hard transition and this book was in the middle of it.  There were a bunch of "misfits" that showed up on the doorstep of Emma Yoder's Amish homestead to learn to quilt.  All came for different reasons but it was easy to see that they all had problems and wanted to try to quilt in order to avoid problems in their lives.  It is amazing to see what happens and I think that you will be totally caught off guard just like I was with all the twists in this unexpected book.  I hope that you check out this book and all the others in the series to find out what happened to this interested group of characters.  I can't wait to get to the next one but I have at least three or four books that I need to read first because they are due back to the library and I need to review them.  Here is hoping that I get back to the series soon.

The Job Book Review

I was excited to get to the third book in the series to find out what happens next.  The Job: A Fox and O'Hare Novel by Lee Goldberg was the only one left of the series on my shelf so I was a little sad because there was not a next one to read in the pile!!!  WHAT?!  I guess I was too busy reading to pay attention but I quickly went on to the library reserve to get the next two reserved.

The FBI had one demand when they secretly teamed up Special Agent Kate O’Hare with charming con man Nicolas Fox—bring down the world’s most-wanted and untouchable felons. This time it’s the brutal leader of a global drug-smuggling empire.  The FBI doesn’t know what their target looks like, where he is, or how to find him, but Nick Fox has a few tricks up his sleeve to roust this particular Knipschildt chocolate–loving drug lord.

From the streets of Nashville to the back alleys of Lisbon, from the rooftops of Istanbul to the middle of the Thames, Nick and Kate chase their mark. When they find themselves pitted against a psychopathic bodyguard and a Portuguese enforcer who gets advice from a pickled head, they decide it’s time to enlist some special talent—talent like a machete-wielding Somali pirate, a self-absorbed actor, an Oscar-winning special effects artist, and Kate’s father Jake, a retired Special Forces operative. Together they could help make this Fox and O’Hare’s biggest win yet . . . if they survive.

AHHH!!!  Loved this one but not as much as the last one.  The plot was mostly about taking down a drug lord that had plastic surgery to change his appearance so they had to find him through his love of treasures and chocolates.  It was fascinating to see all the things that they do for this one assignment but it was all about the one assignment where other books had little other things that they also stuck in to keep things going so it seemed a little slower paced.  Of course that being said, they were chasing down a really bad man who changed his face which is the stories movies are made of.... and we all sit on the edge of our seat to find out what happens.  This book was no different!!  The farther you get into the series, the more I am amazed at how they mix up the mysteries. I hope that you check out this book and the rest of the Fox and O'Hare series.  I can't wait for the next one to get into the library and I am on the wait list for the next one already at the library.  I hope that you check these out and enjoy them as much as I have!!

Middle of the Month Budget Update for September

I can't believe how quickly this month has gone with back to school and keeping some of our summer activities going, I am exhausted.  Soccer started and we have practice once a week and games once a week.  Super glad to not be in some of the busier leagues that do more then one practice and more then one game a week because I can barely take this schedule (and my sympathy to the moms and dads out there that are doing that for young kids).  My son got to go to one last Magic Tree House Book Club because it is farther from school and homework doesn't start until next month.  We are also doing at least one more of the other book club that is closer to the house.  We have plans for a haircut for him this week before picture day!!

We got a new air conditioner this month because ours broke over the summer. The new one makes the area inside so much nicer...I took pictures while they were working and this was midway through below.  We also have dentist appointments and doctor appointments (mostly me) to keep up with.  There is so much happening that it has been hard to get to some of the other things that we have wanted to do.  We started a list and my husband said he was going to take some time off work so that we can get some things done.  First order of business is to try to get rid of the wood pile that is falling apart in the back yard from the previous owners.

My husband started working on that while I made a batch of cookies and mixes (pictured below) for the cupboard.  Sadly, we are getting really low on almost all the baking supplies.  I have two 5 lb bags of flour, one 4 lb bag of sugar and one 5 lb bag of white whole wheat flour left after the containers are filled.  I have no bread flour or anything else tucked away in the kitchen cupboards.  I am trying to get back to baking more and we might run out before the holiday rush starts.  I do have a few rain checks and I plan on going and buying some stuff to stock up the cupboard to hold us over but it was shocking!!!  I am sure my husband would be shocked since he was the one that I got to move all that flour to the new house but it was over a year ago and I can't believe it!!

Anyway, back to the month at hand!  My goal for our family of three is to spend no more then $160 per month on groceries and household supplies.  This includes the food, paper products, snacks and cleaning supplies that our family needs (and sometimes just wants).  In order to make that low budget amount, I shop sales and use coupons to get the most for our money.  I also cook most of our meals from scratch including muffins, breads, rolls, buns, scones and other treats.  With back to school snacks started, I have also been making popcorn which is what my son takes to school for his snack every day.

This month I have made some rice krispie treats which were really yummy because we haven't had them in so long. I had a bag of marshmallows so I decided to buy the Aldi brand krispies to try and they were exactly the same.  I also made scones with leftover caramel bits that I had in the cupboard and a free yogurt that I got (pictured above) with some chocolate chips.  I found a new recipe for Amish Cinnamon bread (pictured above) which I made as well...yum, recipe coming soon.  We enjoyed some homemade salsa (made with some jalapenos that I got from Little Caesars with our order, a can of fire roasted tomatoes, and frozen diced onions), homemade brown sugar and a few other things that I stocked up around the house.  I also made some hash brown from red potatoes which are a family favorite and homemade french fries.  All of these things help stretch the budget so that I don't have to spent as much at the store.

Here is what I got for the month so far!!!

Aldi $35.58- $0.85= $34.73 

I got a bunch of things at the store with a list that my son made me.  Love to find ways to have him practice his writing and make him feel useful.  We decided on pretzels, Nacho chips and tortilla chips, animal crackers, shortening, turkey, cheese and milk.  the red potatoes were on sale and the main reason that I was going to the store so I grabbed three bags.  YUM!!!  I decided on the rice krispie treats while in the store so I grabbed the Crispy Rice Cereal (mostly Nathalie's fault because she talked about them and they were on my mind).  it was a cooler day so I decided that I wanted lasagna so I grabbed mozzarella cheese and ricotta because I have the noodles and the sausage sauce in the freezer and extra eggs.  I also decided that I would get more vanilla because we were out and it was $1.99 but it rang up wrong and the lady had to give me money back after the fact...plus I had money in a found cart so it was a profitable day at the store!  I might have added a few things but I think that I did pretty well with the trip and we are using everything that I got.

Harris Teeter $0

I checked on the Saturday specials and saw that there was a free yogurt and free small cereal cup at Harris Teeter so I packed my cooler and dropped the boys off at soccer and ran into the store.  

I grabbed only the two deals and paid nothing.  I already used the yogurt to make scones and my husband will enjoy the cereal treat before work this week.  I love going to the store and spending very little on my order but I love even more getting some free stuff that I put to immediate use.

Total Retail $54.12

Total Savings $19.39

Total OOP $34.73

I hope that you are having a good month and getting lots of great deals!!!  I am trying to dig through the cupboards and find things that need to be used.  I just found a recipe for Honey Siracha Chicken to use a ton of Siracha that I have in the cupboard.  I will also be making some of my Worchestershire Chicken to use up that if I can find the box in the basement.  We have a lot of mustard in the cupboard so I think that it is going to be made into the Spicy Honey Mustard Chicken.  I don't know what is going to be on my list to buy for the rest of the month but I am hoping to have a few productive days and get some brown rice made and frozen and some lasagna made and frozen so that we have some easy meals on hand when we need them.  

What things do you do to use up the items around your house??

Menu Plan Monday 9/19

Monday- Chicken fries, Buffalo Chicken with Homemade Fries
Tuesday- Pasta with garlic bread (and sausage for my husband)
Wednesday- French Dip Sloppy Joes with mac and cheese
Thursday- Buffalo Chicken Wraps with white rice
Friday- Chicken Paninis with leftovers
Saturday- Soccer Game Saturday ??
Sunday-Leftovers

We are following the same plan as last week with the almost all chicken (yup, that is how we roll here Nathalie) but there are really one breaded and one grilled chicken and the third is our leftovers from both other nights in a sandwich.  Last week went really well here and I we followed the plan until Saturday and they had signs up for $3.99 Dominos pizza after soccer so we caved and got a very fresh pizza from Dominos as a special treat.  We ended up not eating much for dinner because it was almost 3 pm when we had lunch after soccer.  We did leftovers on Sunday for lunch and my husband made corn dogs from the freezer, I got the last piece of pizza and my son had white rice.  That night for dinner my husband and I had soup and my son asked for penne pasta.  It was a easy weekend to end the week following the plan!!  I also threw together a yummy chopped salad with pan fried pepperoni and homemade croutons to use up all the leftover lettuce that I cut up for tacos so I don't have any more for meals this week so adding it to the shopping list!!

Easy Sugar Cookies Recipe

My son and I decided that we were going to make some sugar cookies so I went looking for the recipe that we were going to use.  I pulled out all the of ingredients and luckily we had them all!!

We put the butter in the mixing bowl.

We added the sugar but then forgot to take all other pictures because cooking with a  year old seems to be hard enough without trying to photograph and have him slow down enough.

The dough came together easily and was a little sticky.

We pushed it into the center of the bowl and refrigerated it until it was cooled.

I took out the decorations so that my son could decorate all the cookies himself. 

He scooped them on to the sheet where I told them would be best to fit the most cookies.

He picked decorations and had fun making each cookie unique which took a lot of time and effort so he didn't get a lot decorated and I had to finish the decorating.

You can see that mine were a lot more boring then his because I used the same sprinkles on all of the cookies...mine are in the front.

Then, I made some that were the color of the Olympic rings since we were watching the Olympics which all had stars on them for our United States Stars.

I hope that you get to enjoy some of these easy cookies soon!!  If you want to check out the original recipe here.  We enjoyed them a lot hot out of the oven and even a few days later but they quickly got dried out and they weren't finished.  Not sure this is the answer to our sugar cookie recipe but we enjoyed the beginning of the batch.  Let me know how they turn out for you!

Easy Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.