Hello my friends. 

A nasty bug snuck up on my this weekend and has kicked me butt.

I'm sorry I didn't have posts scheduled ahead enough to keep the blog going until I can get back to it. I'm only here now because if I stayed in my bed on more second I was going to scream. But my bed is calling me back already. Big hugs and love to you all until I get back hopefully in a day or two. 💕

 

What's Cooking?

Sunday Bonus Edition!

A creative approach to seasonal cooking, A DISH FOR ALL SEASONS presents 26 adaptable recipes, each with four seasonal variations, for a total of more than 100 accessible recipes for creative weeknight cooking.

This practical cookbook flips the script on recipe books organized by season. Instead of dedicated recipes to Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter—which would mean three quarters of the book goes unused for three quarters of the year—this book features 26 go-to recipes, each with four variations. Every dish includes a base recipe—such as a simple frittata, Panzanella salad, sheet pan dinner, or loaf cake—plus four adaptations based on the season. Readers will also find simple instructions and formulas for creating original dishes, giving them the tools they need to improvise based on the ingredients they have on hand. With a photograph to accompany all 100 dishes, this is a versatile, repertoire-building cookbook will be a go-to resource for home cooks looking to create delicious, healthy food all year long.

SMART STRATEGY BOOK: This book teaches home cooks to cook creatively. With a base recipe, seasonal variations, and instructions for adapting the recipe using whatever ingredients are on hand, readers can choose to follow a seasonal recipe exactly, swap out an ingredient or two depending on what's available at their local market, or experiment with their own, totally original combinations.

GREAT VALUE: With more than 100 go-to recipes, plus instructions and formulas that let readers experiment, this cookbook is a great value. Like DINNER'S IN THE OVEN and other weeknight books featuring lots of photography and simple recipes, the package is as appealing as the content.

RECIPES WITH WIDE APPEAL: These are the kind of recipes that people actually cook on a regular basis—easy weekday staples such as oatmeal, hummus, quesadillas, sheet-pan dinners, penne pasta with meatballs—but with a seasonal twist.

Perfect for:

• Beginner cooks who want to master a few staple dishes
• Home cooks of all skill levels looking for easy, creative weeknight recipes
• Amateur chefs interested in updated basics
• People who like to cook seasonally and shop at the local farmer's market

I’m going to admit, this review is a bit of a copout. The description on the back of, A DISH FOR ALL SEASONS, says most of what I wanted to say about this book.

What opinions of my own that I can add are this. I would not buy this book for myself. While extremely well done, there are almost no recipes I would consider making. The recipes just don’t mesh with my personal eating habits. That in no way means you shouldn’t check it out. I know some people who would love just about every recipe between it’s covers.

Some of the recipes author Kathryn Pauline has included are . . . Zucchini Tomato Frittatas, Ramps and Greens Shakshuka, Watermelon Fattoush Salad, Olive Orange Panzanella, Pickled Turnip Bean Salad, Chili Almond Chard Slaw, Cheddar Peach Crostini, Roasted Maple Mustard Brussels Sprouts, Carrot Chive Au Gratin, Thyme Grape Focaccia, Squash Lentil Soup, Cumin Shrimp Quesadillas, Parsnip Ricotta Veggie Burger, Shrimp Rolls (Okay, I can get behind this one), Whole Chicken Grilled with Veggies, Sage Pumpkin Raviolis, Syrupy Tomato Spaghetti with Meatballs, Mixed Berry Almond Fruit Tart, Blackberry Sumac Fruit Galettes, Spiced Apple Streusel Loaf Cake, Pineapple Gingerbread Upside-Down Cake, and so many more.

There are many color photos to give you the idea of what your finished dish should look like. That’s always a plus for me.

Overall, I think this would be a wonderful book to have on hand if you entertain, or just have a varied, adventurous palate.

 

As always, please leave a comment and 

let me know what you think!

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Happy Saturday all!

Ready for more cozy Halloween titles?

Sure you are!

Halloween Cozy List #3

September 13 Release

Pre-order today

 

Mmm . . . Do you think I can come up with a fourth list of Halloween cozies?

Who knows? It's a mystery. 😉

As always, please leave a comment and 

let me know what you think!

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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.

 

It's

Cozy Food Friday!

September is around the corner, and I for one could not be more thrilled. I'm really hoping for early cool temperatures and putting this hot summer to rest. 

In hopes of cool (I'd be happier with cold) temperatures, I'm thinking hot comfort foods.

🍽 🍽 🍽 🍽 🍽

LOADED SCALLOPED POTATOES

photo property of www.cookierookie.com

Ingredients

3 pounds potatoes sliced ⅛ inch thin. Russet work well, but they have to be thinly sliced.

4 tablespoon butter
3 cloves garlic minced

½ cup scallions greens and whites. Use only the crisper parts of the greens.

4 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups heavy cream

2 cups Monterey Jack shredded

2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
12 slices bacon cooked and crumbled

½ teaspoon salt or to taste
½ teaspoon pepper or to taste
Chopped chives for garnish

Sour cream for garnish

photo property of www.foxvalleyfoodie.com

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400 F degrees.

   Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and scallions, and cook for 30 seconds until aromatic.

   Sprinkle add flour to the scallions/garlic/butter then whisk well until combined. 

   Continue whisking and add chicken broth. It will look like a thick paste. Cook for another minute while whisking, then add the heavy cream and whisk until smooth. 

   Season with salt & pepper. Continuing cooking until creamy and comes to a simmer. Remove the saucepan from the heat and set aside.

Assemble

   Start by pouring 2 ladles full of the sauce over the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish. Place one third of the potatoes over the sauce in an even layer. Top with more of the sauce to cover the potatoes. Top with one third of each cheese, and one third of bacon. Continue layering with in the same way until done. 

   Cover with foil, bake for 45 minutes. 

   Remove foil, finish baking for for another 45 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.

   Garnish with sour cream and chives.

   Serve warm.

photo property of www.cookingfunwithmy3sons.com

As always, please leave a comment 

and let me know what you think!

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What's Cooking?

Cake! 
🍽 🍽 🍽 🍽 🍽

A humble slice, square, or wedge of homemade cake never fails to delight and here you'll find forty-five simple recipes to make any day feel a bit special.

Using ingredients that are readily available, these cakes are unfussy yet sweetly indulgent. Recipes are arranged using pans most of us already have in our kitchens: round, square, loaf, rectangle, sheet, and bundt. Flavors include warm spices, herbs and flowers, and sweet essences, plus chocolate, fruit, nuts, and seeds.

An appealingly wide range of cakes will tickle every fancy:

The Yellow Birthday Cake with Whipped Malt Chocolate Buttercream is perfect for a birthday celebration of any age

The Lemon-Lavender Yogurt Cake is quick to make and satisfying with cup of tea.

The Strawberries-and-Cream Cake is the ideal way to end a summer supper.

There's something for every mood and craving in Everyday Cakes.

EVERYDAY CAKE

45 Simple Recipes for Layer, Bundt, Loaf, and Sheet Cakes

by

Polina Chesnakova 

Do I love cake? Yes, I do. Do I love EVERYDAY CAKE? Yes, I do! 

Author Polina Chesnakova starts off her book with mostly always featured in every cookbook, “Let’s Get Started” chapter. This chapter is very extensive and gives a lot of helpful information. It’s worth reading, so don’t skip it.

Every chapter features a different style cake such as, Bundt and Tube, Round, Square and Rectangular, and Loaf. 

Some of the recipes you’ll find are . . . Double-Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake, Raspberry-Rose Angel Food Cake, Whole-Citrus Almond Cake, Carrot Cake with Browned Butter-Cream Cheese Frosting, Frosted Apple-Cinnamon Oat Cake, Salted Butterscotch Fudge Sheet Cake, Earl Grey Tea Cake, Roasted Pumpkin Spice Cake with Tahini Glaze, and many more. So many I have never heard of before!

Dozens of color photos are included. If you have read my cookbook reviews before, you know that plenty of color photos are a must for me. I want that visual reference to guide me while I prepare a recipe.

All in all, EVERYDAY CAKE is a handy book to have on hand if you ever want something different for your dessert, or an exciting new flavor of cake to give as a gift or take to a pot luck.

🍽 🍽 🍽 🍽 🍽

As always, please leave a comment and 

let me know what you think!

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Happiest of Tuesdays my friends!

Did I hear some of your groan when you saw the word Halloween? Hear me out. 

I always send you holiday cozy mystery lists just a week or two before the holiday. You don't have time to order them, let alone read them, before the day is over and in your rearview mirror. 

Halloween Cozy List #2

Most of these are older titles. I'll have some new mixed in for next time. So be on the lookout for 

Halloween Cozy List #3

coming soon!

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.

Win a book? Yes, please!

Check out the cozy mysteries you could win from GoodReads!

(Use the link below the cover of each book for a chance to enter it's giveaway.)

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I know Goodreads giveaways can be hard to win because of the volume of people who enter them. But stick with it. I have won a few titles, and you can too.

Since it can be hard to win,

I'm still entering each giveaway as well!

If I win, one of you will win!

I have entered each giveaway I have posted today. If I win a book, I will have a giveaway here and one of you will have another chance to win the book . . . from me! I like knowing that your my friends will have that second chance to win.

So, GOOD LUCK to you!

And wish a GOOD LUCK to me (for you)!

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.