Menu Plan Monday 6/10

Monday- Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and homemade fries
Tuesday- Tacos
Wednesday- Pasta
Thursday- Pizza Hut
Friday- Asian Chicken with Jasmine Rice and Edamame
Saturday-Leftovers
Sunday- Taquitos

Totally forgot to publish this on Monday again and here it is.  The last week of school and super busy with most of the time up at school so we are getting this one done the best we can make it through.

This Heart of Mine Book Review

I can't believe how quickly I read through these books but they are hard to put down and the added benefit that we have entered the summer television schedule so there is little to watch on TV.  I am getting way more time to read even though the schedule otherwise is super busy.  This Heart of Mine (Whiskey Creek) by Brenda Novak is the eighth book in the series and I am back on track for reading them in order.

First love. Second chance?  As the daughter of a hoarder, Phoenix Fuller had a tough childhood. So when the handsome, popular Riley Stinson became her boyfriend in high school, she finally felt as though she had something to be proud of. Phoenix was desperate not to lose him—especially once she found out she was pregnant. Yes, she might have acted a bit obsessive when he broke up with her. But she did not run down the girl he started dating next.

Unfortunately, there was no way to prove her innocence. Now, after serving her time in prison, Phoenix has been released. All she wants to do is return to Whiskey Creek and get to know her son. But Jacob's father isn't exactly welcoming.  Riley doesn't trust Phoenix, doesn't want her in Jacob's life. He is, however, ready to find someone to love. And he wants a good mother for his son. He has no idea that he's about to find both!

Another amazing books in the series from Whiskey Creek.  Phoenix came back to Whiskey Creek after getting out of jail.  She served time for a crime she swore she didn't commit but most of the people in the small town of Whiskey Creek believed that she was guilty.  It was a hard place to come back to but she wanted to take care of her mother and get to know the son that was taken away from her while she was in prison. She quickly made a life and showed people that she had changed.  Her son has become a big part of her life and she is doing everything to make sure that he comes first.  She is giving up things so that she can provide the best for her son and that is gaining more attention from her once boyfriend.  They both decide that she is innocent and take her back into their lives.  You have to pick up the book to find out what happens when they work together.  I hope that you check out this book and the rest of the great series.  I think that you will enjoy this interesting small town with great characters.

Mashed Potato Bacon Cheddar Tater Tots

We had some leftover mashed potatoes and we were running low on potatoes to make homemade fries so I decided to use what I had on hand to make the meal more complete.  I decided that I was going to make the Mozzarella and Parmesan tater tots that I saw online (which I can't find again because I made it so long ago but might be closest to these) and mix up another batch with bacon and cheddar which I was totally making up because that sounded yummy to me.  I started with leftover mashed potatoes.

I added in the bacon and the cheese to try to make it way more flavorful and exciting.  I think that I could have added even more after making them.

Then I added in an egg that was already beaten.

I put some flour in the bowl and formed them into tater tot size nuggets...although I think that mine might have been too big.

After they were coated, I put them on the edge of the plate to wait to fry.

 Once they fried up, I put them on the paper towel to dry.

They ended up being a little bigger then I was wanting but it was hard to work with the sticky potatoes so it was the best I could do for my first time.

They were pretty tasty when they were hot and crispy out of the fryer but I think that they would have been even tastier with the breadcrumbs on the outside that many of the recipes suggested.  I would totally try this again but I might add a little flour to the mixture, make them smaller, add more fillings and bread the outside.  I think it is a great way to use up the leftover mashed potatoes that otherwise wouldn't be eaten.  It was a great quick addition to our meal which is always helpful and used up leftovers that weren't being eaten.  I hope that you try out your own combination for yourself.

Come Home to Me Book Review

I have enjoyed reading the Whiskey Creek series which started with one book that I got off the free shelf at the libraries and has turned into enjoying the whole series.  The bad part came when I thought I had the whole series on the shelf but it turns out I was missing the 6th book!!  I actually went on and read the 7th because I was tired of waiting for the book from the library but I quickly finished that and came back to this one. Come Home to Me (Whiskey Creek) by Brenda Novak was the sixth book in the great series which I just read a little out of order.  It is a perfect fast summer read that keeps you super interested in what is happening so that it is hard to put down.

Home is where her heart is...When Presley Christensen returns to Whiskey Creek with her little boy after two years away, she has completely changed her life. She's made peace with her past and overcome the negative behavior that resulted from her difficult childhood. Now she's back in the small town that was the closest thing to "home" she ever knew—the town where she can be with the sister who's her only family.

There's just one catch. Aaron Amos still lives in Whiskey Creek, at least until he moves to Reno to open a branch of the Amos brothers' auto body shop. And no matter how hard she's tried, Presley hasn't been able to get over him. Seeing him again makes the longing so much worse. But she hopes she can get through the next few months, because she can't fall back into his arms…or his bed. She's come too far to backslide now. And there's a secret she's been guarding—a secret she'll do anything to protect.

Presley went through so much in the previous books that I know that I was pulling for her to come out ahead and this is finally her book where she has her life together.  She moved back to the small town of Whiskey Creek when she finds that her child care isn't as reliable as she thought because there were bruises on her son.  She knows that she will be in for trouble but she decides to overcome her past and start a yoga and massage studio so that she can do two things that she has been trained to do in her home town.  She has the support of her sister, Cheyenne, and her husband, Dylan.  The bad part is her ex still lives in town and she is afraid that seeing him will bring up bad times and good times from the past.  She doesn't want to have anything happen to her future and supporting her son by getting involved in the past.  You have to pick up the book to find out what secret she is hiding and if she manages to keep it hidden.  You will also have to find out what happens and if she turns her business and life into a success after moving home.  I hope that you check out this book and all the others in the wonderful series.  The characters and the writing are so good that you feel like you are member of this small town.  I hope that you enjoy them as much as I have!

Menu Plan Monday 6/3

Monday- Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and homemade fries
Tuesday- Spaghetti with Sausage Sauce
Wednesday- Whole Roasted Chicken with potatoes or rice
Thursday-Asian Chicken with Jasmine Rice
Friday- Simple Fried Rice and Egg Rolls and Edamame
Saturday-Leftovers
Sunday- Taquitos

I did pretty well until Friday when I was too exhausted for making dinner and we had mac and cheese with chicken and some of the new McCain frozen potatoes.  It was a tasty dinner and better yet, my husband made most of it.  Saturday my son had a birthday party and then we got to eat at home. Sunday was even busier so we got take out pizza from Pizza Hut.

How is your week going??

Waste Free Kitchen Handbook Book Review

I was going through the library online catalog and reserved a bunch of cookbooks and other things that might inspire me to start making some new meals that are tasty and frugal.  Funny this is that I reserved a book that I had already read before (see original review from 2016 here).  I was ready to return Waste-Free Kitchen Handbook: A Guide to Eating Well and Saving Money By Wasting Less Food by Dana Gunders when I decided that everyone needs a refresher.  I read the book very quickly and I was glad that I did.  I can't wait to start posting some new recipes and actually getting the things that I cook online for everyone to see.

Despite a growing awareness of food waste, many well-intentioned home cooks lack the tools to change their habits. This handbook—packed with engaging checklists, simple recipes, practical strategies, and educational infographics—is the ultimate tool for reducing food waste. From a scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council come these everyday techniques that call for minimal adjustments of habit, from shopping, portioning, and using a refrigerator properly to simple preservation methods including freezing, pickling, and cellaring. At once a good read and a go-to reference, this handy guide is chock-full of helpful facts and tips, including 20 "use-it-up" recipes and a substantial directory of common foods.

The book is separated into quick to read sections about the things that you might be most interested in.  I think that the one thing that I forgot from last time is to take stock of the food that you throw into the trash whether it is because you thought you were going to use it as a leftover or just didn't get back to eating or cooked too much.  It is interesting to put that thinking on things but I know that I have this trouble with pasta specifically.  I often think that I have enough when I don't and I ended up way over cooking the next time.  I do a good job of reusing rice, chicken and other items that end up in the fridge but pasta often doesn't get cooked up anymore.  I have turned it into buffalo chicken pasta and spicy szechuan noodles but haven't been doing it as much or I have been drastically overcooking for what we need.  I try to pay attention to the things that I throw away and I often think of the cost associated with getting more of that item but I know I need to do better about putting things in the freezer.  In the recipe section, the main ones that I use is leftover fried rice where it all gets thrown into the mix and sometimes the leftover pasta dishes.  The one that I love is the leftover breadcrumbs which are the best.  I grind up any shred of cracker, chip or pretzel into breadcrumbs which make the best chicken in the world.  I like to stock them up because it often takes a long time to get enough to coat all the chicken.  I also save any bread ends in the freezer to toast and turn into bread crumbs so that we don't have to buy them anymore.  I thought that it was good book to read again and I am glad that I got it out of the library again. I hope that you check out this book and see if it helps you shop better, cook better and use up all those leftovers to make new meals.  Hope it makes you think!!

The Heart of Christmas Book Review

I was missing the next book in the series and too impatient to wait to get it at the library so I moved on to the 7th book in the series and skipped the 6th.  It isn't something that I normally do but it was nice to get another book started in the same series.The Heart of Christmas (Whiskey Creek) by Brenda Novak was the next book that I read.

Just call her Christmas Eve... Eve Harmon has always enjoyed Christmas, but this year it reminds her of everything she doesn't have. Almost all her friends are married now, and that's what Eve wants, too. Love. A husband and kids of her own. But the B and B she manages, and even Whiskey Creek, the small Gold Country town where she was born and raised, suddenly seem confining.
Eve's worried that her future will simply be a reflection of her past. There's no one in the area she could even imagine as a husband until a handsome stranger comes to town. Eve's definitely attracted to him, and he seems to have the same reaction to her. But his darkly mysterious past could ruin Eve's happily ever after just when it finally seems within reach. And just when she's counting on the best Christmas of her life!"

Another character that has been in all of the books, we finally get to learn a little more about Eve in his book.  She was involved in a relationship with Ted a few books ago because she decided that since they were friends that they could grow to love each other and build a life together but it didn't happen because Ted decided to be with Sophia who he had always loved.  Eve was left alone to have to deal with the embarrassment in the small town.  She just wanted to get married and have a family but she couldn't find anyone to share her life with. She was trying to figure out if she was going to hire someone at the B&B that she runs to take a year off and get away.  During the depressing Christmas season, Eve runs into a handsome stranger and after a crazy night on the town, she ends up spending the night with him.  Then she learns that he is keeping secrets but she can't figure out what they are so she tries to solve the mystery.  I hope that you pick up the book and try to figure out the mystery too because I don't think that you will believe what she uncovers.  At the same time, Ted is trying to solve the mystery of the little girl that was killed many years ago at the home before it was a B&B.  It is another mystery that will shock you.  I hope that you enjoy this book as much as I have!!