Book Recommendation: Last-Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson

  What a lovely book of sweet gifts!!!
Thank you Open Road Publishers and Net Galley for this most treasured book of beautiful gifts to knit.  As you know I've always got something going, and what is better than giving the gift of a handmade item.
I find that many pattern books often leave a lot to be desired, as they may only have a few things I'm interested in making.  However, this little beauty makes me want to go increase my yarn stash and get ready to go.  Everything in here is not only ideal for the perfect gift, but also makes the reader want to knit it.

This book has everything from 2 Hour Baby Booties and Scarves, to 8 Hour and over Blankets.  It is beautifully presented and I love how not only does it include little tid bits for the knitting novice, but also wonderful explanations and pictures for those who are more experienced knitters who may just need to something little different to finish or embellish the project.  The presentation is simple and beautiful and very well laid out.  I also love how she includes the knitted gift bag, as well as ideas for wrapping these hand made delights.  A perfect addition to any knitters library!  Ok, I'm off to knit!!

Book Recommendation: The Yellow House by Patricia Falvey

  Yes, another quick book recommendation for the day!!  I've been reading like a rock star lately, since I have a few extra minutes to do so, so here I am with yet another book recommendation.

Please note that if the book is a little older, I may not give it a full review as there will be so many out there, and if it's made the list for book recommendation, not just review, then I loved it!!  Why would I suggest you read a bad book - and yes, there are some out there!  However, this book is NOT one of those, it was a wonderful read that I highly recommend!!!

I've wanted to read this for quite some time as it always pops up on my Amazon page when I'm viewing authors I love, such as Sarah Addison Allen, Beth Hoffman, and Jennifer Donnelly.  So it's been on my TBR list for a while.  Then, when I signed up for the Autumn Book Challenge in one of my Goodreads groups, it asked that we read a book about Ireland or by an Irish Author, so now I HAD to read it right?  Well, then it seemed as if it were destined for me to do so when I pulled it up on Amazon and it was a bargain at $2.99 for the Kindle edition, so how could I go wrong.

Patricia Falvey's debut novel in The Yellow House follows a young Irish girl, Eileen.  Growing up in Northern Ireland at the turn of the century was no treat.  Times were tough, the fights were tougher and her family was all she had, that and of course, her beloved yellow house.  When Eileen was young, the money was very tight, yet her father surprised the family one day by bringing home a stash of yellow paint and got the entire family involved in painting the house.  It was as beautiful as a sunset and could be seen from a top many hills in town.  However, with the paint came troubles brewing between the Catholics and the Protestants and ultimately Eileen's family was torn apart in several ways.  She first lost her 4 year old sister to illness, which ultimately killed part of her mother; and as tensions and fighting grew, she lost the rest of her family one way or another, including the yellow house.  It is Eileen's dream to reunite all she's known of a family and live in that house once again.

Over the next 20 years, fighting escalates, she marries James and believes wholeheartedly in his cause, bears a child, and is working in a slave factory, all with the ultimate goal of returning to her beloved yellow house.  Trials and tribulations are only the beginning, but the story, heart wrenching as it may be, is told beautifully by Falvey.  I was truly transported to Ireland, and I find this book reads like a poor version of the ever so popular Downton Abbey.

If you're up for a good old Irish novel, then this is the book for you.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.  And who knows, maybe it's still a deal on Amazon!!

Happy Reading!!!!

Book Review: Saving Grace by Fiona McCallum

Walk, no RUN out and buy this book.  What a simply delightful read!!  Fiona McCallum's newest novel, Saving Grace, should be relished with a lovely cup of tea and an afternoon full of good reading!!!  This book will be available in April 2013.

Emily's life is in a bad way.  Her beloved Grandmother has just passed away and she is stuck in a loveless marriage out on the farm.  Fed up with all that's going wrong in her life, she meets an amazing friend in Barbara, the seller of her new puppy, Grace.  With the encouragement from this new found friend, she finally gathers the courage to leave her husband and her old life of comfort behind.  

 With Grace in tow, Emily begins a new chapter in her life, and ends up renting an old farm house of her own.  This house has more than one memory for her father, who is her only other cheerleader in the quest for a new beginning.  Her mother, mortified that she's not only left her husband, but more so that it will make her look bad, is not impressed with the dilapidated house.  Yet, Emily sees great potential and starts to work on what soon will become her home.  On the property she finds a beautiful orchard of fruit trees, and her and Barbara get to work baking and cooking away.  It is those fruit trees that get her wheels turning of things she can do with this big and beautiful house.

Emily is slowly learning that life in a small town is about more than the stares she's getting and begins to embrace her new life.  Together with Grace, Emily and Barbara embark on a journey that could potentially change Emily's luck and life.  Maybe even a male suitor or two?

Again, I absolutely loved this book.  It's an easy read that will simply put a smile on your face.  I'm very much looking forward to her next novel to continue to story of Emily and Grace!! 

Thank you Net Galley and Harlequin Enterprises Australia for an ARC of this book!! 

Chocolate "God" Cupcakes

These little bites of heaven are exactly as the name says..........YUM!!! 

This is an old family recipe that is probably all over the internet in some form or another.  I've seen several and there is always only 1 change of ingredient, but I think this one is BY far the best!!!  Funny how we get used to what we've grown up with.  The recipe is actually for a Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake, but before you gross out, remember what mayonnaise is made of...eggs, oil and sugar.  Hmmmm, this is SO much easier and I swear it's much more moist than the old chocolate cake recipe.  Another plus, this recipe appears to work perfectly at all altitudes and in both hemispheres. 

Without further ado:

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F or 180 degrees Celcius

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 Tablespoons cocoa
(I also tend to add a teaspoon or so of instant coffee, just to kick up the chocolate flavor, but it's not necessary)
1 cup COLD water (this is where the recipes vary, but I find cold water works just fine)
1 cup real mayonnaise
2 teaspoons vanilla

Add all ingredients in a bowl.  Using an electric mixer, hand or stand, mix for 1 minute on a lower speed to simply get things combined, then beat for 2 minutes on a higher speed.

Pour into a 13 x 9 inch cake pan and bake for 40-50 minutes.  I usually bake mine for about 37-38 minutes because my oven seems to cook things a little faster. 
Test cake with toothpick until pick comes out clean.  Stand to cool. 

Frost with choice of frostings.  I tend to make my own with simply powdered sugar and cocoa - yum!

Ok, that's it - but now it's time to eat!!

Enjoy!!!!

***This recipe can also be used for cupcakes as it suggests in the title!!** 

Book Review: Tin God by Stacy Green

How lucky am I to be able to review a book that will be released next month!  AND, not only is it a fabulous read, but it is by a relatively new author, Stacy Green www.stacygreen.net
WOW!!!  Stacy Green's newest novel (releasing April 2013) Tin God is one amazing read!!!

Jaymee is a twentysomething with a horrific father (and that's being mild, I'd prefer to use other terms, but will be nice) who lives in a run down trailer yet is about to be evicted and is reeling from the loss of her daughter she gave up for adoption as well as the death of her best friend Lana, who was murdered 4 years ago.  She trusts no one, but has made a friend in one of her employers.  She is burning the candle at both ends working several jobs to make ends meet and failing miserably.  Then, just when things can't possibly get any worse, she arrives to friends home to work and instead of a cheerful greeting, she is met instead by her dead body.

Then, Lana's husband, Nick, receives a letter "I killed your wife......again."  Nick and Jaymee are reunited in sorrow and begin the hunt for the killer.  What they find is that it is Jaymee's adoption, 7 years earlier, that is the root of all evil.  Together they encounter more twists and turns in the search for the killer; all the while, unknowingly falling in love.

This was quite a ride and a fantastic read from an emerging new author.  Thank you Stacy Green for a wonderful, suspense filled book.

I highly recommend you check this out.

Stay tuned for my Tin God, I meant Chocolate God Cupcake recipe.  These are so good, they truly are to die for!!

Aussie writers - HELP!?!?!?!?!?!?

Whew, as usual, my posts are about as neurotic as I've been lately, but here I am!  I think!  As you know we moved from Denver to Australia in January.  Then in June my husband decided he wanted to move back to the US, we packed up AGAIN and moved back to Denver.  Ok all is good, NOT.  After only 8 days in Colorado he once again decided to uproot us and return us to Australia so here we are!!
So now that we are here I've joined a group on Goodreads - my personal favorite social networking site (if that's what you want to call it) and joined a group of Australian readers.  That group does the best thing in that they have reading challenges to help me get my reading back on, and wow, does it work!  Their Winter Challenge, from June - July (funny since I'm used to that being summer) asked the readers to pick 12 books based on certain particulars and read them.  Lucky for me I have SO many books on my To Be Read shelf, I was able to read everything on my list except for one!  Fantastic!  Reduces my bookshelves and gets me reading too!  So in doing my homework picking the books for my challenges, I've learned that Australia does not import books.  In order for them to be sold here (at MUCH higher prices than I'm used too) they must be printed and published in Australia.  Not good for me since I'm not familiar with most Australian writers.  The newest Challenge for my group is asking for us to read an Aussie writer's YA novel.  Ok, first, I'm not overly excited about the whole YA phenomenon, yes I read Twilight and The Hunger Games, but I find that the overwhelming majority of most YA books involve vampires or werewolves, which frankly, just isn't my thing.  Nonetheless, I've read one, creepy as it is, called Doll House by Anya Allyn. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13565822-dollhouse 
 It was a really great read, but it is a trilogy and I'm not sure I'm interested in reading any more, but who knows.  So I'm asking for help of anyone who knows great Australian writers for me to explore.  I'm open to any and all suggestions, but prefer fiction to non-fiction and probably a little more believable than vampires and werewolves. 






On another note, I've just read one of my most all time favorite writers, Sarah Allen Addison's The Peach Keeper http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8546358-the-peach-keeper

and can not recommend it enough.  It is a most magical book that is just an absolute beautiful read.  She is an amazing writer and I can't wait for more.  For some reason, the only reason I didn't devour her books as soon as they were released was because I always want to have a great book on hand!  She is wonderful!

Happy Reading kids and hope to hear some suggestions from you soon!!!!

P.S. - This weekend is the first weekend of Spring in Australia - lookout beach, here we come!!!

Book Recommedation - Friendship Bread by Darian Gee

Ok, so as if moving from the US to Australia isn't crazy enough, but when it interferes with my reading habits, that's almost non-negotiable!!! However, now that we've been here for just over 3 months, I've settled in to somewhat of a routine and am able to actually sit down once and a while and read. Therefore, my first book is none other than what the title suggests, Friendship Bread by Darian Gee. Now, the weather is turning cooler here, so this book couldn't have been read at a more welcome time. It is obviously about 'Friendship Bread' which I was big in to a few years ago. I couldn't think of anything more welcoming than reading a book about baking! Now I haven't done much baking since I've been here, but I swear this book makes you want to dive right in and go get a bag of starter and get baking!
The book follows a group of women, unknown to each other initially, but then thanks to an anonymous bag of Friendship Bread starter grow to become fast friends that eventually change the entire town!
Not only is the book as delicious as the bread is, but it's full of recipe ideas and a website that leads to a plethora of Friendship Bread recipes that will undoubtedly melt in your mouth. So pick up a copy of Friendship Bread, start reading, and get inspired to make your own.
That being said, I think I may get busy on a starter of my own; and since I'm literally the new kid in town, get busy with sharing the goodness.
I'll keep you posted if the idea works as good as it did in the book. Ok, let's be honest, I'm not expecting miracles but a little Friendship Bread can certainly go a long way!!
Also be sure to check out the website: www.friendshipbreadkitchen.com
Happy Reading, and Baking!!!!