Book Review- Go Set a Watchman

Written in the mid 1950's Go Set a Watchhman is the sequel to to Kill a Mockingbird.    In this novel by Harper Lee, Scout is 26 and returning to Maycombe, Alabama .   She goes back yearly for her 2 week vacation from her job in New York city.

  Jean Louise ( Scout ) returns to find her Father Atticus, and her boy friend Hank (  the boy who  Atticus  took under his wing) , and the town in a bit of  political turmoil.   The negro/ white situation is tense 

  Hank wants to marry Jean Louise, she keeps putting him off. Jean louise  loves Hank but can't see herself living in Maycombe.  Memories  of her childhood ( which are taken from  To Kill A Mockingbird)  keep flooding back. 

  This is a moving story about Scout's journey  into adulthood. The writing is not as polished  as Harper's famous book.Sometimes the transitions  from past to present are not always  easy to discern.  It was hard at times to keep track of where Scout was in time.

  The characters are well developed . The setting helps show the tensions and how the people lived in Maycombe.  

 So this is a story of Scout,  the people who love her, and her hometown.  Without To Kill A Mockingbird this story would   not really make sense.  

Spice Drink

      I went to my homeopath yesterday and got a new 'remedy' to help nourish my bones and body- its called a spice drink.  In their pharmacy ( Wellspring at Himalayan) the pharmacist made the blend  just to suit my needs.

  My has  cumin, fennel, hibiscus, and coriander.  Each morning I take a teaspoon  of the mix and let it seep in hot water for just 5 minutes.  Then I am supposed to sip throughout the morning.    It is really tasty and keeps the hunger pangs at bay.

  Next week or so I will  talk about some of my other  protocols that will help support my body/

Book Alert! Go catch a Watchman

  I am reading it  - just started. Not so sure where it is going. There has been  so much publicity and then criticism  about this book by Harper Lee. I am holding out all comments until I am all finished!

Book Review- The Story Keeper

   The Story  Keeper  by Lisa Wingate( Tysdale  House ,2014)   is a great read. Jen Gibbs, a successful New York city editor, is at a new position at Uda House Publishers. A mysterious manuscript appears on her desk.  Jen finds herself drawn into the manuscript - Sara & Rand and and their troubles in Appalachia.

  She has a hunch about the manuscript's author that leads her back to her hometown ( which she had thought she had left forever) . Shes goes through many twists and turns - some with her estranged family and begins to work out the author of the manuscript that entail a lot of hard feelings to stare out with . When you get to the end you 'll just want more story!

FREE Lessons For Teachers!

This is a free library lesson I am making available here for a limited time . Thereafter it will be for sale on teacherpayteachers! Sign up to follow Living on Shady Lane so you can get other freebie's before they go on sale!

  Library Lessons With The Midnight Librarian

     The Midnight Librarian by Kazuno Kohara (Roaring Book Press, 2014) is a great read aloud for introducing students in Kindergarten and First Grade to the library.   Use it  at the beginning of the year or any time  to review.  

 Read the story  aloud to the students.   Discussion questions can be asked  at the end 0f the story or at occasions where students can use text and illustration cues to answer the questions.

1. What do the animals do in the library? ( p3-4)
2. What was the correct behavior in the reading room? (P5-6)
3. Was there a hole in the roof?
4. Was it raining in the library?
5. Why was the wolf crying?
6. What jobs did the librarian do in the library?
7. What jobs did the owl assistants do in the library?
8. How did the little librarian help the tortoise?
9. How is the library in the book different from our library?
10. What do you think are some good library manners ?

Answer key:

1. read books

2. Correct behavior- being quiet
3. NO there was not a hole in the roof.
4. NO it was not raining
5. The wolf was crying because the book was sad.
6. help animals pick a perfect book, put away books
7. she made him a card so he could borrow books.
8. answers will vary
9. Answers will vary: be quiet, put books away,

Word Puzzle - The Midnight Librarian

Word Bank:  Librarian, Instruments, Yawn, Rain, Assistant, Read, borrow

1. Person who helps find the perfect book   L _ _ r_ _  _ _ _

2.what the squirrels played                            I _ _ t _ _ m_ _ _ _

3.Tortoise was allow to  take book                b _  _ _ o _

4.What  the animals did  in the library           r _ _ d

5.One who helped the librarian                     a _ _ i _ _ _ _

6.when the wolf cried                                      r _ _ _

7, owls did after story & fell asleep               y _ _ n

Answer Key

1. Librarian
2. Instruments
3. Borrow
4. Read
5. Assistant
6. Rain
7. Yawn

Matching ( terms and definitions) The Midnight Librarian

Copy  this page  ( Make several copies)  and  cut apart. Glue onto cards Have two  or three students work together to match terms.  This can be also done during  time when there are students who are finished with book check out or are not checking out books. Make a easy check by  placing on the back  books!  on the cards that go together.

Place where all  the  books are	reads you good books
Library assistants	lets you borrow books
Library behavior	being quiet and respectful

Librarian	Library
Library cards	take a book home and then bring it back.
borrow	Helps put books away

Answer key on back of

place where all the books are - Library               B

library assistant- helps put books away               o  (1)

library behavior- being quiet and respectful      o ( 2)

Librarian- reads  you good books                            k

library cards- lets you borrow books                       s

borrow -take a book home & bring it back            !

The Midnight Librarian

Sequence  Game  : Students can work in pairs to put the following cards or strips of paper in the right order after listening to the story.  After everyone is done,  you can review as a class or have another pair at the table check work.

Animals  come at night to the library to read

                                                           

                                                                                         

The Tortoise can finish his book.

The Little Librarian reads to the owls as they fall asleep.

Little Librarian & her three owl  assistants help find the perfect book.

The Little librarian asks “Please be quiet in the reading room”

The Little Librarian takes the squirrels to the activity room.

The Little Librarian makes the tortoise a  library card.

It starts to rain inside the library.

The little librarians and her assistants read to the wolf.

Bands of squirrels play music looking for a good song.

Other Books Written and Illustrated  by Kazuno Kohara

Here Comes Jack Frost /Roaring Book Press, 2009

Ghosts in the House/ Roaring Book Press,2012

Little Wizard/Pan Macmillian,, 2011

The Haunted House/ Macmillian Childrens Books, 2008

Susan Pierce Couture is a career librarian ,  with experience in both public and school libraries.  Currently , she is a branch manager in a public library system.  You can  connect with her at her blog  : TheOrganizedLibrarian. blogspot.com

Book Review- The Guest Cottage

  Here is another great summer read by Nancy Thayer. Although I hadn't read any of  her other books , I may go in search of some now that I have read this one.

  The novel. is set in Nantucket  near the beach. Sophie , at 36 , has just leaned her husband of 16 years wants a divorce.  She is at a loss on what to with her life and those of her children, Jonah and Lacy.

   Trevor Black , w web designer , has lost his wife and is struggling to bring up his little boy  Leo  who at 4 is having a hard time with the loss  of his mother.

 The tow parents end up renting the same house. When they both arrive at about the same time, they decide to try and share the house  and the responsibilities , because they don't know really what else to do.

  As the summer progresses.  Sophie and Trevor have a lot of ups and downs , adventures and incidents. Sophie is sure that she is to old for Trevor. But Trevor is smitten with Sophie. How  will it all end? Read this to find out!

Book Review- The Bookseller

     Kitty MIller and Kathryn Anderson- which is the true life, which is the dream?   Kitty is a single bookshop owner with a loving cat and her good friend, Frieda ( co-owner in her book shop) and her loving parents.

    Kathryn is a loving wife and busy mother of three.  Kitty goes to sleep and in her dreams becomes Kathryn. And she loves being Kathryn, even with the struggles  and stress with her children.

     The story will keep you turning the pages and hoping it doesn't end.

Easy Summer Dinner Mostly leftovers!

      For an easy summer dinner, pick up a rotisserie chicken. This time we got an italian  seasoned one for a something a little different .  We did that yesterday while we were doing our weekly shopping. Find the largest one you can- most are about the same size!   
  So for our dinner we had chicken, roasted potatoes ( another leftover) and Bob's Leftover salad.

     In this salad , he put odds and ends he found in the fridge from the weeks meals. So this is what was in the salad: roasted red peppers, sliced olives - both green and black, homemade salsa,  and a can of drained  chickpeas.  Then he tossed in  a little chopped cheese and some chopped hard salami.  For dressing, he put in a dash of apple cinder vinegar  &  a little olive oil. it was  delicious!!  

    So that was our dinner . We did have some chicken left over . It will go on a green salad  for one of my  lunches for next week.

Book Review- At the Water's Edge

At The Water's Edge, Sarah Gruen  ( Spiegel & Grace, 2015)

    Maddie Hyde and her husband, Ellis, and their friend Hank disgraced themselves at a High Society New Years Eve party in 1944.  Ellis is cut off from his wealthy parents.His Father is already ashamed about Ellis, his marriage to Maddie, and the fact he was not accepted to serve in the war effort.

   Ellis decides to win back his Fathers approval by finding the famous Loch Ness Monster.( His Father publically failed in doing this)  The three then go off to Scotland to see if they can document the Monster. As members of the sheltered American, they are greeted with a different world in Scotland, The food is rationed and the people are hard  workers. Maddie becomes frustrated by her husbands behavior and actions toward the people.
   As Ellis  and Hank delve deeper into their search for the Loch Ness Monster , Maddie finds she like the simplicity and beauty of the land and people of Scottish Highlands.  The message unfolds as Maddie'e life begins to unravel and then  be completed in a very surprising way. I didn't want the book to end.

Wedding gift - personalized for your favorite couple

                 This was made   for a special couple  a couple years  ago.  Ask for the couple's  colors to match their bedroom or living room. It will become a keepsake for years and years .  Also a great reminder for  both of them .

                 The same item can also be handmade for the newest member of your family!  

Book Review- Divergent

  Divergent by V . Roth ( Katherine Tegen Books, 2013)

      Beatrice has a choice, actually many choices  of factions  to belong to after her schooling. She chooses one faction she knows will be exciting and challenging, but she does it on a whim and she is not sure why she has chosen it. But did she  make the wrong choice?

     Tris ( as she decides is her new name) has new friends. There are some in her group who are not sure and aware of her ca[abilities. Tris learns a lot and builds up her body as a member of the Dauntless group.

  As a final acceptance into the group, Tris learns the truth about the factions and her leaders. She must help her old factions and the others to  avoid being controlled by a few.  This YA book is intense Science Fiction story.( Similar to the Hunger Games) Now I want to read the second novel   to see what happens next.
  If you liked the Hunger Games  , this intense novel is for you.  Roth is an exceptional author bring characters and events to life.

Meal Plan: Summer time heat & Memorial day

The weekend was warm , I mean really warm. That's the day to go to the lake, where we cook out and hang out together.  Bob and I had barbequed spare ribs, and chicken fried steaks that we put on the grill. Ann and Peter did hot dogs and Hamburgers. We had macaroni salad, pasta salad,  and of course chips and dips.  The best was the first watermelon which was really good. Don't forget also the yummy cake! I have to get that recipe!

  This weekend will be rainy so we will do  something different

 Monday- out for Chinese

Tuesday- sword fish steak, corn on the cob, sliced tomatoes

Wednesday- Spaghetti & meal balls , salad, and bread

Thursday- grilled chicken, roasted potatoes, corn on the cob

Friday- Pizza night

Saturday  : ??

Sunday : Asian pork chops,  rice , carrots

Easy Ham Dinner

 We have a great piece of Ham ( it was in the freezer)  which we did  in the Crock Pot with some brown sugar and orange juice.  It is such an easy way to do ham and it comes out so good.   The meat just falls off the bone.  It is very tender.  We had green beans and potato salad ( it was a hot day) and there is another easy dinner with not a lot of work.
  Bob also stuck in some cloves which gave it a really nice flavor.  And we had enough leftover to make ham salad for sandwiches, and also western scrambled eggs. So if you have a ham  you have the basis for quite a few meals.  In the winter or fall, I would also make lentil or split pea soup with the ham bone.

Product Review- Philadelphia Cheese Cake Filling/ Mothers day dessert

   We took my Mother out for an afternoon dinner for Mother's day. But what I like to do when we do this for a special event is to make desert, and then come back to our house for dessert and coffee.

  I like to do this for several reasons. Dessert is usually expensive at restaurants, and Ilike to be able to have something homemade or at least semi-home made ( as Sandra Lee would say!)

  So what I did  on Saturday was pick up a Philadelphia Cheese Cake filling ( Vanilla) and a graham cracker pie crust.  You simply fill the crust and pop it back in the fridge. We topped with some fresh fruit and also we will have some cherry pie filling.

The cheese cake filling made by Philadelphia is very creamy  and rich with just  a hint of lemon. You can never

Personalized Wedding Gift

  I am sewing a personalized wedding pillow for my second cousin's June wedding.I love making these pillows because I think it is a nice keepsake  and reminder.  I am hoping that the couples whom I have made them for will use them as a memento & reminder of their wedding day.
  I like to make them in either the colors of  couples master bedroom or living room. Sometimes I just make them in the bridal couples color theme for the wedding.

  I 'll take a photo o and show you  the pillow after the wedding- don't want to spoil the surprise  for the cute couple getting married.   This would also make a great  anniversary gift.!!

Pressure Cooker-Product Review

  We just received a new Power Pressure XL- yes we caved after seeing the  Seen on TV video of all the delicious easy food coming out of this machine.  We were watching QVC and decided to go ahead and order.

  It came quickly and was packed  very well.  The only thing I would change would be to have a bigger cookbook with more recipes in it.

 We made a roast pork loin  ( 4 pound) that was done in 40 minutes- also made a gravy  that was smooth and tasty.   Next time I do this roast l I would maybe do it for a few more minutes.  I am searching the Internet and looking at all kinds of pressure cook books to get more ideas for my next meal done in the Power Pressure XL.

Book Review- First Frost

   First Frost ( Allen, Sarah Addison, St. Martins Press, 2014)   a novel, show cases the Waverly Women from North Carolina, and they are a creative and unique family. Each member of the family has unique  and fascinating gifts.

   Claire is a caterer and candy maker. Sydney is a hair dresser, wants another baby.  Bay , 15 years old( Sydney's daughter) has already decided what boy she needs to be with- although the boy in question seems totally unreachable).Mariah ( Clarie' s daughter) is young and her gift is not yet evident. Then there is the mysterious stranger.

   They are all waiting for the First Frost. That's when their apple  shade tree blossoms and falls down  and everything that was wrong so far every year straightens itself out.

  This is an exciting and warm story that will keep you on the edge of your seat . And when its finished you will be wishing that there was more to read.

Easy Recipe- Pasta Salad

  Here is an easy recipe Bob put together last night.
  We had pasta left over from a night when he made a pasta bake( His specially)
First  he made a simple citrus dressing.
Then in a large bowl , he  put  the pasta ,
 a drained can of chick peas,
 chopped red  and yellow  peppers and
finely chopped red onion.
We had it with grilled chicken and seasoned potatoes also done on the grill.  Very tasty and we have left for another meal!

Book review- Firecomb Manor

     Firecomb Manor ( Riordain, Harper Collins, 2015) pairs two characters : Alice ( 1933) and Elizabeth ( 1898) as they await the birth of Alice's first and Elizabeth second child.  Alice becomes pregnant by a married man  - her parents send her away  in shame,  Elizabeth struggles with her demanding , always angry husband  with his need to have a male heir. Elizabeth has been unable to hold on to many pregnancy's

    The novel begins with Alice in London , just 22 and finding her self pregnant. Her mother send her to Firecomb manor to an old  friend  who is the maid /caretaker of the place.  This is where she begins to read the diary of Elizabeth as it outlines her daily life.

    The chapters go between Elizabeth and Alice, as we learn about each of them. Alice learns about Elizabeth and feel a definite kinship with her  The ending appears to be  natural conclusion although endearing and  exciting, Alice decided what she will do with her life   providing us with a nicely wrapped package ending,

Recipe- Lasagna Cupcakes

   We saw this recipe and had to try it!  We did a few adaptations  .  Our ravioli were from the dollar store and they were great. We got two packages.

 Lasagna Cupcakes
  24 round ravioli
   tomato sauce
   chopped spinach - ( we used Kale)
  Parmesan cheese

Step 1- Cook the ravioli in salted water for  just a couple minutes less than the specified time on the package.Drain well

Step 2- Spray  a 12 cup muffin tin with spray

 Step 3 - layer the lasagna- first a ravioli then some sauce and cheese, some kale, then another ravioli, sauce and grated cheeses.

Step 4- place in a preheated 350 oven for about 20 minutes until everything looks melted and yummy.

Cool a few minutes before serving with some extra sauce and a green salad.

 Since there are only two of us - we froze  4 of these to have at a later date.   ( I  took the extras for a lunch on day)

Book Review- Living Well, Spending Less

    According to Ruth Soukup , an unorganized life and budget leads to a stressful life . I would agree with her on both points. Through very easy reading, Living Well, Spending Less, Ruth  helps  us to work on becoming  more organized in your day to day  living.

  Ruth began as a blogger( Living Well Spending .com) I started reading her blog a while back  and found she has some great ideas  and types on organizing . I also love her site because it is so easy to find what you are looking for!

   Back to the book- for each secret  there is a chapter in which Ruth shares her story and then  offers a challenge to complete,  I also like the inspirations quotes she has shared.  She gives many references to other useful books and resources to help you in your quest to have a more organized and frugal life.  I would recommend this to all who are looking for some tips  on a less stressful life.

Easy Recipe- Leftover Casserole

     We had dribs and drabs of several meals , so Bob  made a leftover casserole  . He called paella casserole because he put in:
 Yellow Rice,
 a little bit leftover of canned shrimp
 a little bit of chopped ham
 one can chopped tomatoes
 He also added a partial can of yellow corn

 We stuck in the oven, and during the last 10 minutes we put some shredded Cheddar cheese,  It was quite tasty!  We baked it for 30 minutes at 350, served with applesauce. 

Making Easter Gifts!

   Every year I try to make a little something for all the girls( my Mom, my sistier and sister in law's , my niece,  ) So this year I decided to make pot holders ( again) . But I figured you can never have to many potholders. I did most of this by hand and then finished them up by machine.  I used blues , yellows, and pinks- all the springy colors.
  I find it very relaxing to do both hand and machine sewing. Usually they come out very nice. So I have a nice handmake gift to f give that is also useful!  What could be better than that?

Decorating for Easter

 Last year we had some decorations we put up.  This year , with our new living room arrangement, we have several more places to decorate.  Our 'dining area' looks so great with the table in front of the window and our Easter placemats . Check it out to see how good it looks!

  Then in the kitchen   with our new table ( from Christmas tree shop)  we have another set of placemats that also look very springy and great for Easter!  All of these placemats we got several years ago when they were on sale for $1.00 each so they are really very budget friendly!

Cook Book Review- Sheet Pan Dinners

    This cookbook, Sheet Pan Dinners ( Gilbert , 2014) provides excellent ideas for an easy way to get dinner on the table with not a lot of cleanup.  Molly Gilbert , who began as a blogger of Dunkandcrumble.com has an easy going style. Her recipes are divided into chapters with like entrees. I want to try them all!

   The recipes are short with mostly just a few ingredients that you may already have on hand, or can easily get. Nothing to exotic or fancy or expensive.  I really like the fish and chicken recipes because that is what we mostly eat.  Soy Mustard Salmon & Broccoli and Honey Orange Shrimp with Bok Choy are fabulous!
Pepperoni French Bread pizza ( and our own variations) are a regular Friday night staple at our house.

  The sides section is also great because it helps you come up with some new and different side dishes. They are easy to prepare , throw in the oven, and easy to clean up.

  Any way I think this is a great book.  And a wonderful shower gift. get this book, a sheet pan, make  pot holders and you are good to go!

Book Review- A Touch of StarDust

   Julie Crawford heads to California with dreams of being a screenwriter in the early 1930's.  Julie lands a job ( but not as a screenwriter) for a demanding producer David O. Selznick , who is busy directing  "Gone with the Wind". She meets Carol Lombard and then goes to work as her assistant. Carol marries Clark Gable and Julie becomes involved in their lives.
  And Andy. Andy Weinstein works also for David o. Selznick in the fast paced movie environment

 Based on memoirs of Carol Lombard and  Sam Jaffe ( Movie agent & Producer) this novel shows how the movie business was during those early days of big movies.   The story reads easily and is interesting twists and turns  lead to a finally satisfying conclusion .  

Book Review- The Rebellion of Miss Lucy Ann Lobdell- Book Review

   Part biography, part fiction, The Rebellion of Miss Lucy Ann Lobdell ( Klaber, St. Martins Press, 2013) tells the story of Lucy Ann and her struggles to live as she wanted.   Set mostly in Sullivan  County , NY and nearby Pa, there are many references to places that I am well aware of. So part of this was why I enjoyed the book so much.
    Lucy Ann walked away from her home to escape  a marriage that we did not want .  She dressed as a man, and took jobs that were men's jobs . She wanted to be able to provide a good life for the daughter she had left behind with her parents and siblings.
    Lucy Ann worked as a cook's helper, a dance and violin teacher, and enjoyed the company of men who were prominent in the different communities she lived in.

   Klaber researched Lucy's life with  help from an old friend, and weaves facts into fciotnw in an easy read to describe Lucy Ann defied conventions of a 19th century women . This is an easy and informative read for those who like historical fiction and  women's rights.

ReadifForward.com

      Readitforward.com is a very interesting and exciting site. It is a great place to discover new books that have just been released . It is also a site where users can 'read it forward" and tell other readers when you discover a books that you absolutely love.

    On Readitforward , you can discover the next best seller even before it is out in books stores and libraries.  Weekly, there are behind the scenes  articles from authors and booksellers.
Also each week,  there is a Read it first giveaway. You can enter for a chance to win an advanced reader copy.

   There are two weekly newsletters that you can subscribe to: Read it forward book giveaways and what we are reading.  Other tabs on the main page to check out are: author essays, your reading life, bonus book content, and most read blog posts.

   Check this out and see if it is for you.
  

Book Bub- for those who do ereading!

Book Bub is a free daily email that gives you notices about ebooks with a deep deep discount.  ( like 2.99, 1.99 &; .99)  There are many categories  to choose from : mysteries, actions, advice, biographies, children, cooking, historical fiction, history, horror , just to name a few.

  Book Bub features bestsellers and bestselling authors and books that have received good reviews from both critics and readers.  You can customize the types of books that you receive emails about.

  There are also links to Amazon, Kindle, Barnes & Noble,  apple books, & Goggle p[play so you can easily get the ebook for your specific device.

  At the bottom of the page, you can see links to free ebooks and free kindle books.  There is a bookbub blog which has informative and easy to read articles  about books and authors.   Also on the blog are tabs with must read articles, book lists by categories, links to most popular posts and quotes from authors and best selling books.

Book Bub is a great place to explore if you read a lot of ebooks!

More photos from Taco Night!

 I fianlly got the photos on so I could share with you! I did a lot of figureing out before I could do that.

 Here is the salsa making  part of it! We did  tomatoes, onions, a few slivers of green peppers, and hot sauce,

Making Taco Bowls

 Last week we made taco bowls.  They were so much fun, Unfortunately my photos did not come out so well  but I will show you what I did get.  We got these taco bowl makers at Aldi , and Bob made them ahead of time.    You just  brush with a little olive oil or use some pam type spray,  They bake for about 4 to  6 minutes and they are done.   Here are the finished products  still cooling on the sheet pan.

Then we made the taco seasoned  ground turkey which also come out good.  And  last but not least , Bob used the Ninja and made his own salsa from tomatoes, peppers, and onions.

 That night we had a taco bar with shredded lettuce. cheese,  salsa and chips . It was tasty !

Ninja Blender- Review

     I love my Ninja blender !  As you can see from the photos it is well used!  ( and abused) . My husband accidentally dropped it  and then glued it back together again. ( craft glue)

     I have made hummus, bread dough,  roll dough,  pizza dough, and bean dip. There is a 2 level blade, a dough paddle, and a batter paddle. We have this bowl ( shown below) and also a larger bowl that holds more  food.

   My husband like to make smoothies in the morning- The smoothie usually has milk, an egg,  a banana and a little Honey or agave.  Sometimes he also adds strawberries if we have them.

    The machine is wonderful- it crushes , blends, and even whips( I have not tried that yet)    We got a cook book with the machine and have also got another Ninja book.   Ours was purchased from Kohl's when it was on sale and when we had  a coupon for money off.

Book Review- Middle grade

 Hattie Ever After by Kirby Larson

Delacorte Press, 2012

   What happened after    Hattie Big Sky?     Hattie paid off her Uncle’s Debt and is ready to move on to her dream of being a journalist.  Her first step is taking a job as traveling wardrobe mistress, then she does land a job at a Big newspaper in San Francisco, but as a cleaner.   After much persistence, she lands a fact finder position. And finally, she gets to see her own name in the newspaper.  Charlie (her beau) throws a couple of wrenches into the story, along with some of the other people she meets.

This can be read as a sequel or on its own. 

Book Review- Adult

The Forgotten Seamstress by Liz Trenow

Sourcebooks Landmark, 2014

   The voices of Maria Romano and Caroline meadows are heard through this book. But it is not unlit the very end that we find out just how much their lives are connected.

    As Maria tells her story, she shares how her life took twists and turns, and how she came to be the head seamstress at the Royal Palace for the Prince of Wales.  

   Caroline discovers a quilt that belonged to her grandmother. The quilt pulls on her to discover who was behind the tiny stitches and the letter sewn inside the lining.

Past and present meet when all is unfolded at the end of the story.

Simple Supper! Macaroni and Meat

Macaroni and meat is an old recipe of my mothers that she still makes  and we all love to eat.  It was one of the first things I ever made when I was first married.   It is easy and economical!

 I made the other day , so today I can have some for lunch.  Along the way I took photos and thought that I had downloaded them to my computer  but for some reason it did not seem to work.

 Macaroni and Meat

1 & 1/2 cups macaroni
 1 lib ground beef or turkey
1 medium onion chopped
2 stalks celery
2 cloves garlic
20 ounces tomato sauce
salt and pepper

  Start a large pot  of water and bring to boil. Add a little salt. Cook macaroni until almost done.
   In a large pan , saute  onion, celery, and garlic until soft.  Add in the  ground meat and brown . Drain if  you have a lot of fat.   Add salt and pepper, I also added a dash of worcester sauce  because I was using ground turkey- I don't if I am using beef ( don't ask me why I just do)
 Combine the  macaroni and the beef  and the tomato sauce in a large oven proof dish with a lid.
Bake for  30 minutes at 350 degrees.
If you made ahead, and refrigerate, you will need to heat up for a longer amount of time.

Review- One Bowl Baking/ Ruperti

  Yvonne Ruperti , who is a recipe developer, has some easy and simple recipes for you to try.  Each uses one bow, some of the recipe's can be done right in the pan you bake in( the sweet bar recipes. That's the ones I want to try first- Apple crisp mix in the pan is the first one on my list.

  The recipes are well organized into chapters: Muffins& scones, cookies, bar cookies, cupcakes, snack cakes, quick breads, party cakes, and upside down cakes.

  The introductory pages  has Yvonne's ideas on what she uses in her baking as far as ingredients and utensils. If you are into baking  and want some easy ways to get the goodies in your oven then One Bowl Baking  is for you.

Happy Groundhogs day!

  Well the snow piled up here and all over the Wayne  and sullivan county. We have about 12 inches of snow. Now the winds are picking up and we are heading towards below zero temps.
  The birds were by the suet all day today. The cardinals have been visiting often.  Luckily our neighbor down the road came and plowed the driveway for us. Bob just finished  around the car and the sidewalk.