Thursday, July 29, 2021



LIVE WELL
BAKE COOKIES 
75 Classic Cookie Recipes  for Every Occasion
by Danielle Rye


Live Well Bake Cookies shares 75 cookie and bar recipes, including both classic favorites and soon-to-be classic favorites that are guaranteed to be the best you have ever had.

Danielle Rye, the creator of the popular baking blog Live Well Bake Often, believes that anyone can become an expert baker, and in this book she will help you do just that by gently guiding you in the kitchen with foolproof recipes for cookies and treats that come out perfectly portioned and dependably delicious every single time. Recipes include a range of classicoatmealpeanut butterchocolateholidayseasonal, and Christmas cookies, including: Chocolate Chip CookiesCarrot Cake Oatmeal CookiesPeanut Butter Cup Cookie BarsDouble Chocolate M&M’s CookiesIced Maple Cinnamon CookiesPumpkin Whoopie PiesApple Cinnamon SnickerdoodlesPeppermint Snowball CookiesFrosted Sugar Cookie Bars Complete with helpful tips and tricksmake-ahead and freezing instructionssmall-batch recipes, and a gorgeous photograph accompanying every recipe, this cookbook will truly have you living your best baking life.

LIVE WELL: BAKE COOKIES starts off with an introduction from Danielle Rye, who then fills readers in on the basic ingredients needed for cookie baking, helpful to essential tools and kitchen equipment, all the way through to freezing instructions, to packing and shipping. Rye sets you up to win at making the best cookies you can bake.

Mouthwatering cookie recipes include such as . . . Chocolate Chip, White Macadamia Nut and White Chocolate, and Shortbread, Iced Oatmeal, Banana Oatmeal, Carrot Cake Oatmeal, and Lemon Blueberry Oatmeal, Edible Peanut Butter Cookie Dough, Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprints, Peanut Butter No-Bake, Brownie Cookies, Chocolate Cutout Sugar, Chocolate Orange, Toasted Coconut Snowballs, Brown Butter Butterscotch Oatmeal, Butter Pecan, Strawberry Shortcake Cookies, Cherry Cheesecake Sugar Cookie Cups, Red Velvet, Lucky Charms, and so much more. I’ve hardly scratched the surface of the recipes included. And there’s a chapter on Christmas cookies!

Photos have always gone a long way in selling me on a cookbook. I was thrilled to see every cookie in this book came with a full color photo of each delicious treat.

You can never have enough cookie recipe books. So, if you’re looking to add another to your collection, LIVE WELL: BAKE COOKIES is the book you need!


As always, please leave a comment and 
let me know what you think!

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Tuesday, July 27, 2021

 

Did you know these 
wonderful new releases are available today?!


Mia Malone conjures up delicacies while casting about for clues in New York Times bestselling author Lynn Cahoon's Two Wicked Desserts, continuing her Kitchen Witch Mystery series...

Magic Springs, Idaho, may be a small town, but Mia Malone is living an enchanted life running her own catering business and cooking school. And while she's teaching the locals culinary craft, her grandmother is teaching her witchcraft for the day she inherits the family magical spells that have been passed down for generations. Unfortunately, all that knowledge is not helping Mia or her grandmother in removing the spirit of warlock Dorian Alexander from Mia's cat Mr. Darcy.

But even though Dorian hasn't yet left this earthly plane, his spells have already been transferred to his daughter Cindy's grimoire. An actress looking for her big Hollywood break, Cindy is hoping there's something in her father's bag of tricks to make her a star. But playing with magic has only resulted in a trip to Idaho where Cindy finds herself the number one suspect in the murder of a hitman whose body was found in the garden of Mia's Morsels. Now it's up to Mia to conjure up a killer before everything she's worked so hard for vanishes with a poof!



A murder leads to a string of shocking revelations for bookstore owner Tricia Miles in the latest entry to Lorna Barrett's New York Times bestselling Booktown series.

Tricia Miles has just received a second marriage proposal within fifteen minutes. The first was from her friend with benefits, Marshall Chambers, and the second from her ex-lover, police chief Grant Baker. Tricia's got some serious thinking to do.

She's still weighing her options when she hears the sound of an engine roaring down Main Street. It's a big white pickup truck that aims for and hits Marshall as he's walking back to his apartment. Tragically, he's killed, leaving Tricia feeling bereft and guilty. She retreats to her sister, Angelica's, apartment to wait for Baker to update her on what happened. While there, Tricia takes Angelica's dog out for a comfort call behind the building, and the same white pickup roars up the alley and just misses hitting Tricia.

Still shaken by that news, Tricia returns to Haven't Got a Clue and is met by federal marshal Kirby, who tells her that Marshall had been in the Federal Witness Protection Program. Everything Marshall told Tricia was a lie--in particular, that he was a widower. Was his death an act of revenge?

Tricia's on the hunt for a killer, and it seems like she might be next on the list.



National bestselling author Vicki Delany's delightful Tea by the Sea mystery series continues, as Cape Cod tearoom proprietress and part-time sleuth, Lily Roberts, stirs up trouble when she unwittingly serves one of her grandmother's B&B guests a deadly cup of tea...

Lily has her work cut out for her when a visit from her grandmother Rose's dear friend, Sandra McHenry, turns into an unexpected--and unpleasant--McHenry family reunion. The squabbling boils over and soon Tea by the Sea's serene afternoon service resembles the proverbial tempest in a teapot. Somehow, Lily and her tearoom survive the storm, and Sandra's bickering brethren finally retreat to Rose's B & B. But later that evening, a member of their party--harmless Ed French--dies from an apparent poisoning and suddenly Tea by the Sea is both scene and suspect in a murder investigation!

Mercifully, none of the other guests fall ill. They all ate the same food, but Ed insisted on bringing his own special blend of herbal teas. So it seems, amid the whining and dining, someone snuck up to one of Lily's cherished teapots and fatally spiked Ed's bespoke brew, but who? Was it Ed's long-estranged sister-in-law? Did teenage troublemaker Tyler take a prank too far? Or perhaps the family's feuds have been steeping for longer than anyone realizes? It's up to Lily, Rose, and their friends to get to the bottom of the poisoned pot and bag the real culprit behind the kettle murder plot.



Plus-sized PI Savannah Reid doesn't shy away from high-profile cases with the Moonlight Magnolia Detective Agency. But when an upscale party ends with murder, drawing clues from famous guests may prove trickier than squeezing into an old pair of jeans...

For the first time in recent memory, Savannah has no guilt about indulging in personal interests before her career. Between being a mom to her new foster son and arranging a lavish wedding for her sister, things are messy, unpredictable, and delightfully fulfilling. She even gains an impressive friend: Dr. Carolyn Erling, a caring veterinarian with a deeper story than her down-to-earth nature suggests . . .

When Savannah attends a birthday bash for Dr. Carolyn's husband, she's astonished to find that her no-frills acquaintance resides in a pristine hilltop mansion with Dr. Stephen Erling, a jet-setter brain surgeon boasting throngs of A-list patients around the globe. Before Savannah can get a headcount on the mingling celebrities, Dr. Stephen has one too many champagne toasts and drops dead.

With a poisonous residue found inside Dr. Stephen's glass, the search is on for the killer who spiked his drink. Motivated to set things right for a devastated Dr. Carolyn, Savannah must infiltrate the elite world of foreign dignitaries and Oscar-winning stars to identify the guilty culprit--or prepare to kiss this happy chapter in her life goodbye.
 


In case y9u missed them, 
these titles were released earlier in July.


Lawyer Andy Carpenter and his golden retriever, Tara, work to free a man who risked it all to help a dog in need

Lawyer Andy Carpenter and his wife, Laurie, enjoy walking their dogs, Tara and Sebastian. By this point in their marriage, it's routine. When out for one of their strolls, their simple ritual isn't so simple anymore. Across the street, a man is mistreating his dog. Three things happen at once: Andy yells, Laurie runs to stop the abuse, and so does a closer passerby, who so thoroughly beats the owner that both are arrested when the cops arrive.

Andy scoops up the dog and takes him to the Tara Foundation, the dog rescue organization that's always been his true passion. Meanwhile, at the police station, the passerby is identified as Matthew Jantzen, and he's wanted for murder. Andy and Laurie are struck by the fact that Jantzen, a man on the run, would nevertheless intervene to help a dog, and decide to find out more.

Dog Eat Dog, the twenty-second installment in the Andy Carpenter series, features the charming cast of characters - old and new - that David Rosenfelt is known for and the dogs that accompany them.



As witch and vintage store owner Lily Ivory steps into her new role as leader of the Bay Area's magical community, she's faced with a mysterious death of magical proportions...

Strange things are happening in Lily Ivory's San Francisco. First, she finds a vintage mermaid costume which dates from the 1939 San Francisco's Treasure Island World's Fair - and which gives off distinctly peculiar vibrations. Next, she stumbles upon a dead man in the office of her predecessor, and as the community's new leader, she feels compelled to track down the culprit. Just when Lily thinks things can't get any stranger, a man appears claiming to be her half-brother, spouting ideas about the mystical prophecy involving San Francisco and their family...

When the dead man is linked to the mysterious mermaid costume, and then yet another victim is found on Treasure Island, Lily uncovers ties between the long-ago World's fair and the current murders, and begins to wonder whether the killer might be hiding in plain sight. But unless Lily can figure everything out in time, there may be yet another body floating in San Francisco Bay.



Southern Hospitality with a Smidgen of Homicide.

It creams my corn to think I've been accused of murder.

I'm a handyman in the Daniel Boone National Park. My main employer is Mae West at the Happy Trails Campground.

When I got a phone call to take down some trees on this guy's property for a side hustle, I jumped at the chance. That's one of the biggest money making jobs around these parts.

Unfortunately I got hauled off to jail after I was accused of being part of an illegal logging crew. Simple enough, I gave Sheriff Hank Sharp the name of the man who hired me, only he was found murdered by one of my tools.

Not only am I accused of illegal logging, now I'm the number one suspect in this man's murder.

It just creams my corn to be accused of murder.

There's only one person I trust to get me out of this mess and that's Maybelline West.

I'm sure she, along with her nosy friends, the Laundry Club Ladies, will snoop around to help clear my name.



Sydney Whitmore, a forensic psychologist living in San Francisco, moves home to Shipwreck Island, and the resort owned and operated by her family, after tragedy strikes leaving her struggling for a way to make sense of things. After finding out about the assault of an old friend, which has left him comatose, she renews her relationship with Ezra Reinhold, a reclusive billionaire who enjoys poking around in cold cases and has the means to hire the best people to find the answers no one else has been able to.

In book 2 in the series Syd is asked to help a man regain his memories after showing up a decade after he went missing with no memory of where he'd been since disappearing from his home when he was eight. Meanwhile, she continues to look for answers relating to Riley's attack, which seems an impossible task, until Kelly invites her to a meeting with Ezra's group who all pitch in to offer insight.

Bonus Material: Text and photos for Emily by the Sea and Emily’s Kitchen contributed by Christy Turner.

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Can you believe all of these amazing books? And, I know I missed some! Time to add to that TBR!

As always, please leave a comment and
let me know what you think!

Follow my blog by submitting your email in
upper right hand corner of this page (on the side bar).

Reading from your phone? Scroll to the bottom of your page and click "View web version". Then follow the above directions.

Monday, July 26, 2021

 

Check out these giveaways at GoodReads!

There could be a mix of print and eBooks, so make sure to check before you enter.

Use the link below each book for a chance to enter.

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GOOD LUCK!

PS . . . While you're there, I'd love for you to friend me and check out my reviews! If you enjoy them, please make sure to Like them. Thanks!



As always, please leave a comment and 
let me know what you think!

Follow my blog by submitting your email in 
upper right hand corner of this page (on the side bar).

Reading from your phone? Scroll to the bottom of your page and click "View web version". Then follow the above directions.

Saturday, July 24, 2021

 


Written on Friday

It's Yard Sale day!

I'm excited and exhausted all at the same time! LOL
My goodness, a lot goes into getting one of these ready.
It will be worth it though. Getting lots of clutter out of the house, and making some money for more clutt . . . um, essential things. 😉

I've had a lot of yard sales in my life. Endless hours of pricing things, displaying them just right on the tables to give them eye appeal, and so on. But not this time. No way. Everything at this yard sale is only $1.00!


Big or small, each item is only $1.00! And things get put on the tables just anywhere. No stress this time!


Well, it's time to get some more done.

Have a great Saturday everyone! 
Leave a comment on what you're doing today!

Friday, July 23, 2021

It's
Cozy Food Friday!

That means it's time to share a recipe from 
another great cozy mystery!

This week's recipe is from
Jody Rath
author of the Cast Iron Skillet Mysteries
the latest of which is Book 7
PORK CHOPPED TO DEATH


You know what they say, you are what you eat, and Jolie and Ava are about to turn into everything they have been craving including pounds of chocolate, pizza, pickles, and ice cream.Mafia, urban sprawl, gentrification, newborn babies, and the lives of the Leavensport villagers will be altered forever. Change is inevitable. Jolie Tucker is a Type-A perfectionist with fanatic tendencies who detest the very thought of change. Regardless of what she wants, change is a comin' along with a grizzly discovery of murder of one of the village’s most beloved, mayhem between the villagers and the urbanites of Tri-City, and new dynamics of family dysfunction. Get ready for a roller coaster ride from the peaks of new life, yummy food, and blossoming relationships to the lows of slayings, chaos, and war. The residents of Leavensport are in for the battle of their lives, and it’s up to Jolie, Ava, and their crew to determine the future of their village.
Welcome to Leavensport, Ohio, where DEATH takes a DELICIOUS turn!

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Today, Jodi is sharing with us her recipe for

Ryder Chen’s Cast Iron 

Cashew Chicken Noodle


Ingredients

  • 8 ounces uncooked thick rice noodles (I use Udon noodles)
  • 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed (I use shredded white chicken in a can from Sam’s Club—makes the dish SUPER quick to make!)
  • 1 tablespoon peanut oil
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 6 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 cup unsalted cashews
  • 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce (we use Melinda’s Thai Sweet Chili Sauce—it is DELICIOUS!!!! Also, I put about SIX to EIGHT tablespoons of this sauce in—do so at your own risk!)
  • Toasted sesame seeds, optional (we do this, and it’s great!)
  • We garnish with fresh green onions and some chili flakes.

Directions

·         Cook rice noodles according to package directions.

(Jodi was excited to be cooking this dish for us on her new stove!)

·         Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, cornstarch, and garlic. Add chicken. 

     In a large cast-iron or another heavy skillet, saute the chicken mixture in peanut and sesame oils until no longer pink. Add onions; cook 1 minute longer.

·         Drain noodles; stir into skillet. 

    Add cashews and chili sauce and heat through. If desired, top with toasted sesame seeds. 

Cooking with Cats and the Hubby

~ Jodi Rath


Y’all, my life is tough. I mean, it’s very, extremely tough. Part of my job entails trying out new cast iron skillet recipes every month or so and then—wait for it—yes, we then MUST eat the food too. Ugh, right? Lucky for me, I’ve always been a bit on the thick side with lots of curves and love handles—so it’s not like I’m trying to maintain a certain weight! LOL!


First, apologies to all of you who do NOT have pets or those who feel pets belong outside. At the Rath home, we have eight cats that pretty much rule the roost—all inside. As you browse the pictures of Mike and me making this dish, you find NO cats hanging around—it’s as if they knew this was a working recipe! Truthfully, full-disclosure—we usually eat around noon, BUT we waited until 3:30 PM today—why? That’s when all the cats are napping! Hehe!
 

The newest surfer dude in Leavensport Ohio, Ryder Chen, is taking Carlos’s place as new chef of Cast Iron Creations and boy, does he ever serve up some delicious dishes! Ryder is proud of his Chinese heritage, and the women in his family have passed down recipes from generation to generation—kind of like Jolie’s family has done.

Ryder, Jolie, Ava, and I hope you all enjoy Ryder’s Cast Iron Cashew Chicken Noodle dish. As you can see from the pictures, my hubby and I enjoyed it immensely!


I want to thank Jodi and her husband, Mike, for going above and beyond for taking and sharing these wonderful photos with us! Aren't they fun?

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If you haven't already read Jodi's Cast Iron Skillet Mysteries, please check them out!

 

Book 1                                    Book 2



Holiday Book                         Short Story



Book 3                                Book 4


      Book 5                                Holiday Book



Book 6

 

Book 7 Available today!



Holiday Book Available October 29



As always, please leave a comment and 
let me know what you think!

Follow my blog by submitting your email in 
upper right hand corner of this page (on the side bar).

Reading from your phone? Scroll to the bottom of your page and click "View web version". Then follow the above directions.