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  • Books I’ve Read During the Summer – Part 1

    08/27/2016

    I did a lot of reading this summer.  Since I have 17 books that I’m going to share with you, I’ve broken the list into 2 parts.  The first part is going to be 9 of the books and the second part is going to be the final 8 books.
    Foreign Éclairs (A White House Chef Mystery #9)Foreign Éclairs by Julie Hyzy

    My rating: 5 of 5 stars

    Julie Hyzy has declared this book as the last book in the series. The last few words of the book is like a fork in the road. She can either continue with the series or the series has ended. There is no clear answer.

    Once again Oliva, aka Ollie, Paras is in trouble. At first, she thinks her mugging is just that a mugging but then discovers a previous enemy’s brother blames her for what happened to his brother. The brother will stop at nothing to eliminate what he believes to be a threat.

    This book reminded me of CSI at points in the book. I’m a big fan of CSI so maybe that is why it appealed to me. Foreign Eclairs is a heavier read than what is considered to be a cozy read.

    View all my reviews

    Killer Cruise (A Jaine Austen Mystery, #8)Killer Cruise by Laura Levine

    My rating: 5 of 5 stars

    This book was hilarious. Jaine, with an i, gets into one mess after another while on the cruise. The emails from her parents and her gay friend, Lance were the best part of the book.

    Killer Cruise is the first book I’ve read from this author. I really enjoyed her writing style.

    View all my reviews

    Here Comes the Bribe (Bed-and-Breakfast Mysteries, #30)Here Comes the Bribe by Mary Daheim

    My rating: 4 of 5 stars

    View all my reviews

     

     

    To Cache a Killer (The Frannie Shoemaker Campground Mysteries #5)To Cache a Killer by Karen Musser Nortman

    My rating: 3 of 5 stars

    Frannie and her friends are camping in Iowa. While they are camping, they are geocaching. There is a murder and a mystery involving travel bugs.

    I gave it a 3 because there were parts I felt that dragged in the story. I’m not really into geocaching like my husband. If he read the book, he might have given it a higher rating. I know the basics of geocaching but don’t fully understand it.

    View all my reviews

    The Chocolate Frog Frame-Up (A Chocoholic Mystery, #3)The Chocolate Frog Frame-Up by JoAnna Carl

    My rating: 4 of 5 stars

    Lee’s boyfriend has been accused of murder. It’s up to her and Joe to figure out who the real murderer is without getting hurt or killed themselves.

    I really liked this book especially the chocolate tidbits the author provides.

    View all my reviews

    The Chocolate Clown Corpse (A Chocoholic Mystery, #14)The Chocolate Clown Corpse by JoAnna Carl

    My rating: 4 of 5 stars

    View all my reviews

     

     

    A Clue for the Puzzle Lady (Puzzle Lady, #1)A Clue for the Puzzle Lady by Parnell Hall

    My rating: 4 of 5 stars

    This book took me a long time to complete. Well with the way I read, it took a long time to read. It was broken down into 60 chapters which made it seem longer.

    The premise is good but it took me a long time to really get into the book. Once I got into the book, I finished it within a day. So what was the premise of the book? Clues that looked like crossword puzzle clues were left at two murder scenes. Were the clues truly crossword puzzle clues or something else? You need to read to find out.

    View all my reviews

    Dutch Me Deadly (Passport to Peril, #7)Dutch Me Deadly by Maddy Hunter

    My rating: 5 of 5 stars

    I loved this book. It was entertaining and allowed me to travel without having to leave my living room.

    I loved Maddy Hunter’s description of the Red Light District. If I ever get there, I need to remember not to go into a coffeehouse. You need to read the book to find out why.

    I also learned that you need to be careful about bicyclists instead of cars when you are in Amsterdam.

    View all my reviews

    Alpine for You (Passport to Peril, #1)Alpine for You by Maddy Hunter

    My rating: 4 of 5 stars

    View all my reviews

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  • Honey Ginger Carrots

    08/26/2016

    These carrots are made using the same process as my brown sugar carrots.  However, I changed the recipe just a little bit because we were eating an Asian main dish. (more…)

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  • Cheesy Orzo Pasta (Simple Side Dish)

    08/24/2016

    The Imaginative One turned 13 last month.  A tradition in our house is for me to cook one of the birthday boy’s favorite meals for their birthday.  We had the Imaginative One’s dinner the day after his birthday because we had planned to be out on his birthday. (more…)

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  • Very Berry Green Smoothie and Sunday Prep #2

    08/21/2016

    Here’s a tasty smoothie. (more…)

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  • Lunch Time Ideas

    08/17/2016

    I always have issues figuring out what to pack for lunch.  In order to make it easier for you, I’ve decided to create a list of ideas that you can mix and match during the week.  Pick one grain/ carb, protein, and one or two fruits and veggies.  Then you will have a complete lunch.

    (more…)

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  • Asian Cole Slaw

    08/15/2016

    I started back to work last Wednesday.  Since I know life can get crazy when I’m at work, I decided I needed to make some freezer meals.  I cooked up some hamburger in the slow cooker.  Some of the cooked up hamburger became taco meat for the freezer.  The Wee One loves tacos so he’s going to be super excited to have tacos in the freezer. (more…)

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  • Skillet Corn

    08/13/2016

    I found this recipe a few months ago.  Since then, I’ve made it several times for our Sunday dinners.

    (more…)

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  • Six More Easy Breakfast Ideas

    08/10/2016

    Since it’s the beginning of the school year, I’ve decided to write a blog post about possible breakfast ideas.  It’s often hard for me to eat breakfast in the mornings because I am not like Hubby.  Hubby has to eat right when he gets up.  His one and only breakfast idea is cereal and then coffee.  If I make him breakfast, I have to make sure it is cooked and ready to go when he gets up. I, on the other hand, have to be up for a while before I have breakfast. 

    In 2013, I listed six easy breakfast ideas.  I’m now going to expand the list with five more easy breakfast ideas.

    Multigrain Toast with almond butter and a drizzle of honey

    This breakfast is pretty self-explanatory.  My favorite multigrain bread is from Fresh Thyme.  Each slice has 80 calories.  Almond butter has between 90 and 100 calories per tablespoon.  Honey has about 20 calories per teaspoon.  So, 1 slice of toast is about 200 calories.

    You could swap out the almond butter with your favorite nut butter or the honey with your favorite all-fruit preserve.

    Breakfast burrito

    Scrambled up eggs.  Brown some sausage or cook up some bacon.  You could also use already cooked ham cubes.  Saute’ some veggies like peppers and onions until soft.  In a bowl, combine the eggs, meat, and veggies.

    Spoon about 1/4 c. of the mixture in the center of a tortilla.  Fold the tortilla until it’s a burrito.  Wrap the burrito in plastic wrap.  Store the burritos in a freezer bag in the freezer.  Take one or two out for breakfast.  Unwrap the burrito and warm up in the microwave.

    For extra nutrition, pair it with seasonal fruit.

    Overnight Oats

     

    Overnight oats are just soaking oatmeal overnight in a liquid or with yogurt.  You pull it out in the morning and allow it to get up to room temperature or you could warm it up for a little bit in the microwave to take the chill off.

    1. Chocolate Almond Overnight Oats
    2. Applesauce Overnight Oats
    3. Overnight Oatmeal

    For extra nutrition, pair with seasonal fruit.

    Baked Oatmeal

    If pulling oatmeal out of the fridge and eating it coldish is not your thing, you could make baked oatmeal which is sort of like an oatmeal cake or muffin depending on you make the oatmeal.

    Baked Oatmeal Muffins

    Stars of the recipe:

    • 3 c. rolled oats
    • 1/2 c. brown sugar
    • 2 tsp. baking powder
    • 2 eggs
    • 1 c. unsweetened applesauce
    • 1 c. milk (dairy or non dairy)
    • 1 tsp. vanilla extract

    Steps:

    1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
    2. Either grease the muffin tins or line the muffin tin cavity with cupcake wrappers.
    3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients.  Set aside.
    4. In another mixing bowl, combine the wet ingredients until blended completely.
    5. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients.  Mix until completely combined.
    6. Fill the muffin tins until 2/3rds full.
    7. Bake for 30 minutes.
    8. Store in the fridge or freezer.
    9. Enjoy!

    Before baking, you could top the baked oatmeal muffins with toppings such as blueberries and coconut.

    For extra nutrition, pair with seasonal fruit and some protein such as a hardboiled egg, cheese stick or cubes, yogurt, or a spoonful of nut butter.

    Omelet in a mug

    Spray a coffee mug with cooking spray.  Add 2 eggs.  Poke the eggs with a fork. Add a Tbsp. of milk.  Microwave for a minute.  Add toppings.  Microwave for 30 seconds to a minute until the eggs are set.

    Topping ideas:

    • cooked bacon
    • cooked sausage crumbles
    • diced ham
    • onions
    • diced green peppers
    • shredded cheese

    For extra nutrition, pair with seasonal fruit.

    Energy Balls or Bars

    A few of these with fruit could be an easy portable breakfast.

    • Blueberry Muffin Energy Balls
    • Coconut Cream Homemade Lara Bars

    Since I’ve been creating Sunday prep menus, I’m going to be using these ideas for the breakfasts on the menus.

    Let’s connect on social media:

    Instagram – @Believeinthemagictraci
    Facebook – @imhungry15
    Pinterest – @imhungry75
    Yummly

    I hope you have a great day.  Thanks for reading my blog post.  

    Happy eating,
    Traci

     

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  • Snickerdoodle Bars – Secret Recipe Club (August 2016)

    08/08/2016

    #Secret Recipe Club

    This month I was selected to peruse Julie’s blog – Little Bit of Everything.  Julie is from Nebraska.  She has an impressive collection of over 100 cookbooks!  She has also written a cooking bucket list of 50 recipes she would like to try to cook or bake.

    (more…)

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  • Chocolate Almond Overnight Oats and Sunday Prep Idea List

    08/07/2016

    These delicious oats are creamy and delicious.  Sort of like a pudding in a jar but for breakfast.  Full of protein and whole grains that will keep you full until lunch time. (more…)

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