Davey's Daughter Book Review

I was excited to start this new series by Linda Byler after reserving the third book in the series and not realizing that I hadn't read the rest of the series. Davey's Daughter (Lancaster Burning) by Linda Byler was the second book that I read quickly after the first.

Barns are burning in the Lancaster County's Amish community, and no one knows who's doing it or why. Sarah Beiler's barn was the first to burn and it was quickly followed by two other barn fires. The entire Amish community is on edge and wrestling with how they should respond to these seemingly random crimes. Sarah thinks Ashley, whom she's learned to know at the local farmers market, knows more about the fires than she will admit. But Sarah can't convince her to share her secrets. Should the Amish consider police protection as Sarah's cousin, Melvin, insists, or should the community continue to follow their traditional peaceful approach to violence as Sarah's father, Davey, the local minister, counsels? Then another barn burns, this one more devastating than any other, and the community again rallies around the distressed family.

Even in the midst of this chaos, life must go on for Sarah and her family. But now it feels as if nothing is normal. The local Amish school board asks Sarah to take over teaching a school where the students are out of control. How will she handle obstinate Amish kids and their defensive parents? Matthew is asking if the Amish church is the right fit for him. Will Sarah follow him if he decides to leave the community? Sarah's mother can't stay out of it and keeps urging Sarah to pay more attention to Lee, the well behaved Amish man, who helps anyone in the community in need. How will Sarah respond to all of the forces that are pulling her in different directions? She is Davey's daughter, after all, raised to love and respect the long-held traditions of her people. But will the outside forces become so great that she gives up her parents' ways and decides to leave her community? Will her father agree to police protection for the vulnerable Amish farmers especially for those who are widowed—or continue to insist that God will provide?

This book picked up right where the last one stopped.  It was a great continuation of the story of the small town fires in the barns in the Amish community.  Sarah takes the next steps in her life after Matthew leaves the Amish community and goes to Haiti.  She becomes a school teacher for a troubled school which gives her life more meaning than it has had in a long time.  Sarah is making a difference in the troubled children's lives.  All of these changes start to open her life again so that she can move on.  This book and all of the great characters made it even better then the last book!!  I hope that you check out this book as well as the others in the series.  I think that you will enjoy this "mystery" series as much as I have.  I put down the first book and picked up the second book and quickly finished it over the weekend and started on the third in the series.

Fire in the Night Book Review

I reserved a book at the library which I thought was part of a series that I had already read but when it came in, I realized it was the third book in a series that I hadn't read.  I quickly reserved the first two books.  Fire in the Night (Lancaster Burning) by Linda Byler was the first in the series so it is where I started!

One barn fire might be an accident, the Lancaster County Amish community believes. But two barns burning just weeks apart is suspicious. Sarah Beiler wants to protect her family, even though they don't like Matthew, her new boyfriend. Book 1 in Amish author, Lydia Byler's, series"Lancaster Burning."

The Amish community of Lancaster is being terrorized by barn fires. David and Malinda Beiler's barn was the first to go. The clues are sparse, but Levi, the Beilers' oldest son, happened to be awake in the middle of the night and spotted a white vehicle driving past the house with its lights off. Sarah, David and Malinda's daughter, observes her parents' agony. Not only is she afraid, and wishing she could protect her parents, she's entranced by the flirtatious Matthew Stoltzfus. He's dating her friend, Rose, but when he tenderly bandages Sarah's hand after she burned it at the barn raising, she wonders who he's really interested in.

When a second Amish barn burns for suspicious reasons, the Amish grow more restless. "We're too quiet too much of the time," a group of Amish men tell David Beiler, their minister. Seriously considering police protection, the increasingly tense community questions their traditional nonresistant approach to violence. Sarah now finds herself at odds with her mother over her choice of boyfriends and uncertain about how to respond to the attention of Lee, a newcomer to Lancaster. Not only that, she wonders if her dad is a wise enough leader as her community reels from within and without. Everyone is on edge as the losses mount and suspicions undo the usual steadiness of these people.

There is a great mystery in the Amish community outside of Lancaster when multiple barn fires are started.  There is a lot of speculation on how and why these horrible fires were started which cause lots of separation in the community opinion.  At the same time, families are pulling together to help rebuild barns and rebuild their lives.  There is a fear by the neighborhood every time they hear the sirens.  Sarah is going through a lot with the loss of her family barn and her safety in her life.  She is also dealing with the love of her life dating her best friend while still flirting with her.  Lots of things are happening in this action packed book so I hope that you pick it up and check it out for yourself. I hope that you enjoy this book as much as I did.  It was a great book to start off this series.  I was ready to find out what would happen next in this interesting series so I actually immediately picked up the next book in the series.  It is a really great time to have all of the series on my shelf so that I can pick them up one after then next!!

Menu Plan Monday 11/21

Monday- Chicken fries, Buffalo Chicken with homemade fries
Tuesday- Pasta
Wednesday-Leftovers or Homemade Pizzas
Thanksgiving Thursday- Turkey, Mashed Potatoes and yummy food
Friday- Leftovers (like pumpkin pie for breakfast...YUM)
Saturday- Take Out Food (either Wendy's or Little Caesars)
Sunday- Breakfast for Dinner or Salsa Sloppy Joes from the freezer

Last week wasn't as bad as it seemed at the beginning of the week when I didn't have a plan.  We did our regular Monday dinner...my son's favorite dinner.  Tuesday I had the boneless chicken in the fridge that needed to be cut up.  I cut up four bags for the freezer and we decided on Chinese Stir Fry with the remaining chicken so I coated in corn starch and pan fried and used sweet and sour sauce.  Wednesday was busy because we had a meeting at 5 pm (yuck) so my son had pasta, my husband had leftover Chinese fried rice and I had leftover waffles.  We cleared out the fridge and ran the dishwasher :)

I made french dip sloppy joes on Thursday with some shoestring french fries because I didn't know what side dishes to make and we have at least 35 lbs of potatoes :)  I was pretty excited that things were going well because I certainly didn't have a lot of prep time so the menu was the only thing saving me.  My son had a birthday party on Friday night so we were supposed make pizzas and they were having pizza at the party so I wasn't sure if we should make them but we did which was great because they had chicken at the party which my son doesn't eat.  Saturday was our soccer festival and coach bought pizza so we had that for dinner and my husband had soup when we got home because he needed to warm up (and it just happened to be on the menu as well)!!!  Sunday was the day with no plan except breakfast for dinner and we ended up having that for lunch.  Luckily, I took out some ground beef so we got to have tacos.

While I was prepping and cooking the hash browns for lunch, I also peeled and cut the french fries for Monday night dinner so that was another thing checked off my list.  I still had a few rolls to get me through my husbands lunch for the week so I decided on cinnamon rolls and muffins or breads.  I wanted to make cookies too but there wasn't enough time for everything.  Here is hoping that I get the rest of things made on Wednesday so we have some treats for our time off work and school.  Hope you have a great week and wonderful holiday with your family.

Wild Montanta Skies Book Review

I have enjoyed other books by Susan May Warren and jumped at the chance to read this new series.  Wild Montana Skies (Montana Rescue) by Susan May Warren is the first book in the Montana Rescue series.  I was excited to get to read this book and start at the beginning of this new series.  This was a wonderful start with great characters and great writing.

Search and rescue pilot Kacey Fairing is home on leave in Mercy Falls, Montana, twelve years after she joined the military to escape the mistakes of her past. With a job waiting for her as the new lead pilot of Peak Rescue in Glacier National Park, Kacey hopes to reconnect with the now-teenage daughter she sees only between deployments. What she doesn't realize is that someone else is also back in town.  Ben King has been building his country music career since the day Kacey shut him out of her life. Now all of that's on hold when his injured father calls him home to help run Peak Rescue until he's fully recovered. It doesn't take long, though, to discover his father's ulterior motives as Kacey Fairing walks into the house and back into his heart.  With Mercy Falls in a state of emergency due to flash floods, Kacey and Ben are forced to work together to save lives. But when floodwaters turn personal, can they put aside the past to save their future?

Kacey Fairing, although a decorated military helicopter pilot, is coming home to a whole new life.  She is starting as the PEAK Rescue pilot and mom to her daughter who she has been away from for a long time.  She is trying to start her life over after the military and she is faced with all of her past when she sees her old boyfriend, Ben King.  There are lots of fireworks that fly with these old friends and first loves.  I loved the relationship between Kacey and Ben as well as watching them both settle back into the life in the small town where they grew up.  After reading the book, I couldn't wait for the next book and was ready to take a vacation to Montana!!  This book showed a wonderful area in the outskirts of this Montana town (even though they were going through floods and lots of problems).  I thought this was another great book from Susan May Warren!!  I really enjoyed the great writing and the way that the characters grew through the book.  I hope that you check this out and add it to your reading list!!  I know that you will enjoy it as much as I did!!

**I received a copy of this for reading but was not required to post a review.  All opinions here are my own.

Where Two Hearts Meet Book Review

I was excited to get to read the second book in this great series after I enjoyed the first one so much.  The first one was a surprise because I hadn't heard of the author or read anything else by her but I enjoyed it a lot.  Where Two Hearts Meet: A Novel (Prince Edward Island Dreams) by Liz Johnson was a great a find and I enjoyed it as much as the first one!!

In her kitchen at the Red Door Inn, executive chef Caden Holt is calm, collected, and competent. But when her boss asks her to show off their beautiful island to impress a visiting travel writer and save the inn, Caden is forced to face a world much bigger than her kitchen--and a man who makes her wish she was beautiful.  Journalist Adam Jacobs is on a forced sabbatical on Prince Edward Island. He's also on assignment to uncover a story. Instead he's falling in love with the island's red shores and Caden's sweets.  When Caden discovers Adam isn't who she thought he was, she realizes that the article he's writing could do more than ruin the inn's chances for survival--it might also break her heart.  Readers will discover hope for the hurting, joy for the broken, and romance for the lonely at the enchanting Red Door Inn.

I fell in love with the Red Door Inn and the story on the first book and this only made me want to do there more.  The beauty of the island and bed and breakfast is clear through the descriptions in this book.  The characters are also wonderfully deep and complex.  I love watching how all of the characters interact and waiting to see what happens next.  The writing in this book is amazing just like the first which quickly transports you to a place that you might have never been.  I love Caden and always want her to get everything that she deserves.  Caden is a wonderful giving person who works at the Red Door Inn while still donating her time and energy to everyone who needs it in her small town including teaching young children to cook and make breakfast treats for the local church.  Everything has you pulling for her to get everything that she wants but of course you have to pick up the book and find out what happens.  I hope that you enjoy this book as much as I did.  The first book in the series was great but this stands up on its own as another great book if you haven't read the first one, I would still check this out.  I hope that you add this book and series to your reading list!!

**I received a copy of this book for my review but was not required to publish a positive review.  All opinions here are my own.

Menu Plan Monday 11/14

Monday- Chicken fries, Buffalo Chicken with homemade french fries

Tuesday-Chicken ??? Something boneless

Wednesday- Pasta

Thursday- French Dip Sloppy Joes

Friday- Homemade Individual Pizzas

Saturday- Soup, Sandwiches and Leftovers

Sunday-Breakfast for Dinner

Last week the plan went really well but I moved around a lot of things because I didn't have enough time to get things done on the days that we were trying for but the best part of having the plan is that it is easy to switch nights.  I didn't have anything written down for this week so I am winging it.  Here is hoping that I can pull it off.  I made chocolate chip muffins, banana bread and oyster crackers on Monday instead of doing the work at home that I was supposed to get done.  I have to make cinnamon rolls and rolls tomorrow after work so here is hoping that I get everything ready to make the week go smoothly....probably need to write down a list!!  I do better when I start with a list but a nap sounds better right now :)  How is your week looking??

Almost Middle of the Month Budget Update

I haven't been in the store a lot this month and haven't gotten a lot of things.  Although there was a lot of purchases at Aldi at the beginning...and Harris Teeter today.  The great thing is that spending was really low so there is always more room for the month.  I got a bunch of things on the list and saved lots of money so hoping to use my coupons and find the best deals for the rest of the month.  Here is what I got so far!!

Aldi $15.18

I had to get oranges for soccer and milk because we were out at home.  There was a great sale on potatoes for $1.49 for 10 lbs.  I grabbed three bags!!!  There was a sale on asparagus for $1.69 and baby carrots for for $0.49 per bag.  I also got another bag of pepperoni because we were towards the bottom of our bag but not yet out.

I turned in the Checkout 51 for $0.25 back on the potatoes which was credited to my account.

Trader Joes $3.06

This is my son's favorite apple cider so we grabbed one for him since we were already at the store and my son might have had at least 5 samples!!

Aldi $0.81

I was by the store and grabbed a bag of oyster crackers because the ones that I made the last batch with too much garlic.  I thought that if I made these that they might offset the other batch.

 

Trader Joes $3.58

We love their blue cheese!!  I went to one store and they were out so I drove to one farther away because we were totally out.  I only have to use a little bit of this tasty cheese to get the awesome flavor for our buffalo chicken. 

 

Harris Teeter $0.03

I printed out a ton of coupons and left them at home!!  We stopped at the store on the last day of the sale with an entire list written out.  I got the free naan bread which I had the coupon for with the idea that I would go back to the store closer to our house later but it didn't happen.  There were some great deals that I missed again.  Bummed but glad that I got the free bread.  We made some yummy personal pizzas so we all got to have our own flavors.  YUM!!!

Harris Teeter $40.16- $4.58= $35.58

I went to the store with a few things in mind... I knew that I was going to get some deals and I had to spend a lot more money then I normally do because I was going to need to spend $40 to get the price for the turkey down to $0.57 per pound.  I had a nice bonus that I could also use a competition coupon for another grocery store that I never go to for $10 off a $50 purchase!!  I picked out my turkey and a ton of other things on sale and that I had coupons for.  I used a rain check to get the Sister Shubert Rolls for free.  I used a rain check on the Cooked Perfect Meatballs for $1.50 after rain check and coupon.  They will make great addition to pasta and meatball sliders.

I got lots of deals like $0.49 Dawn Dish Detergent, $0.67 Puffs tissues, $0.50 Heinz BBQ, $0.25 Betty Crocker Brownies, $0.39 Tetley Tea Bags, $0.08 Light Brown Sugar, $0.75 Suave Body Wash, $1.44 Country Crock Sticks, $0.87 HT Margarine and $1.77 Quaker Chewy Bars.

I did the meal deal which was $7.99 for 5 items including the Seattle's Best Coffee, Dozen Eggland's Best Eggs, Aunt Jemima Waffles/Pancakes, Jimmy Dean Sausage Roll, and Mrs. Buttersworth Syrup.  They were out of the syrup so the customer service person let me substitute the extra dozen eggs instead of the syrup which I didn't really want anyway!!  I used an electronic coupon, printed coupon and the meal deal to get the coffee for $1.83 and I will use for a Christmas present.  I got the Jimmy Dean sausage for free after meal deal and coupon.  I got one dozen eggs for $1.12 and the other for $1.56.  I got the waffles for $0.94.  I think that those were all a great price even though I didn't have coupons for the eggs or the waffles.

Because I knew that my total wasn't going to be high enough, I went to the deli counter and got the boneless, skinless chicken for $1.99 per pound.  I got 4.45 lbs so it was $8.86 which made the difference in the total to keep it high enough to get the different deals.  It basically ended up being free with the coupon for $10 off!!  Who doesn't like a way to get free meat!!

The Liberte Yogurt rang up incorrectly at $1.69 and so did the Heinz mustard (at $2.69) so customer service refunded the total price to me instead of just the difference between the price that it was supposed to ring up so I got $4.58 back on my credit card.  I didn't realize until after I got to the car that the $2 promotion didn't come off for the Suave Body Wash but since customer service was already so nice I didn't bother going back to ask for $2 more refunded.

I did a bunch of rebates from the one shopping trip.  MobiSave had $0.10 for eggs and $1.00 for Seattle's Best Coffee.  Checkout 51 had $0.50 for Egglangs Best, $0.75 for Country Crock (limit 2), and Heinz BBQ $1.00.  Ibotta had $0.25 for eggs and $1.00 for the Cook Perfect Meatballs.  I turned in my receipts for all of those and I also get the Saving Star coupons automatically for $2 off Suave Body Wash, $0.50 off Country Crock, and $0.30 Liberte Yogurt.  All of the rebates combined were $8.15!!  Nice little bonus and I finally have gotten over the $20 total for all my accounts so I can cash out if I want to on most of the systems.

Total OOP $58.24

Super excited with my trips to the store and how much food I got.  I know that I have a lot of cooking and baking ahead of me with lots of supplies.  I also have a bunch of chicken, turkey and meatballs even though I said that I didn't need to get anymore protein just last month.  We will cook the turkey for Christmas but the sales are only found at Thanksgiving but we like to have one at Christmas too.  I know that I didn't buy all of my items at Harris Teeter at the lowest price but the bonus $10 off and the bargain turkey price helped make it be the best possible deal.  Also super excited by the $1.49 for 10 pounds of potatoes so that should last us at least two months (hopefully).

How is your month going so far??