Books Read in May 2017

I'm almost up-to-date!

• The Enforcer by HelenKay Dimon (NOTE: This is part of the Games People Play series. The order of which can be found here.)
• Love Me Again by Jaci Burton (NOTE: This is part of the Hope series. The order of which can be found here.)
• Master of Solitude by Cherise Sinclair (NOTE: This is part of the Mountain Masters/Dark Haven series. The order of which can be found here.)
• American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Good month of books!  To be honest, American Gods took up most of the month, but it was worth it.  Despite being a little heavy on the characters and page count, I liked how it ended.  The tv show is meandering even more, but I know it is going to be more than one season.  I hope it works out because I loved how it started.  I hope it keeps up momentum, but I also hope it gets out and gets to come to as awesome of a conclusion.

Books Read and Movies Watched in April 2017

Books read in April 2017

• Unbreak My Heart by Lorelei James (NOTE: This is part of the Rough Riders Legacy series. The order of which can be found here.)
• The Big Break by Cara Lockwood (NOTE: This mentions the characters in Her Hawaiian Homecoming, but it's not necessary to read that before this one.)
• Wrapped and Strapped by Lorelei James (NOTE: This is part of the Rough Riders Legacy series. The order of which can be found here.)
• Hang Tough by Lorelei James (NOTE: This is part of the Rough Riders Legacy series. The order of which can be found here.)
• The Thing About Love by Julie James (NOTE: This is part of her FBI/Attorney series, but they're not really connected.)
• Never Seduce a Scot by Maya Banks (NOTE: This is the first book in her Montgomery/Armstrong series. The order of which can be found here.)
• Highlander Most Wanted by Maya Banks (NOTE: This is the first book in her Montgomery/Armstrong series. The order of which can be found here.)

It was a good reading month. It was all romance so pretty fast-reading books. Most were old and I felt like catching up on the series. I learned I'm not too into New Adult fiction. I really liked Maya Banks Highlander series, but then I found out it stalled after two books, but there is rumor a third may eventually be released. Fingers crossed!

Movies watched in April 2017

• Central Intelligence
• How to be Single
• Suicide Squad

I really enjoyed Central Intelligence. The others were a fine waste of time. I figured I'd take advantage of the movie channels and made my way through their offerings.

Books Read and Movies Watched in March 2017

Books Read in March 2017

1. The Talented Mr. Rivers by HelenKay Dimon (NOTE: This is part of the Tough Love series. The order of which can be found here.)
2. Mr. and Mr. Smith by HelenKay Dimon (NOTE: This is part of the Tough Love series. The order of which can be found here.)
3. Guarding Mr. Fine by HelenKay Dimon (NOTE: This is part of the Tough Love series. The order of which can be found here.)
4. Loving You Easy by Roni Loren (NOTE: This is part of the Loving on the Edge series. The order of which can be found here.)
5. Wanderlust by Roni Loren 
6. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Movies Watched in March 2017

1. Sausage Party 
2. Beauty and the Beast 
3. Woman in Gold

Let's see.  I read a lot of sexy books this month, the HelenKay Dimon was m/m romance.  I liked them.  It was more realistic suspense.  I had wanted to read The Handmaid's Tale again for years, and the new TV show and the new administration inspired me.  I got a lot more out of it this time around than in high school.  

Movies ran the gamut.  Little Miss really liked Beauty and the Beast.  I liked the little moments and some of the added moments, but it wasn't quiet as good as the animated film.  I'd still buy it and rewatch though - if only to watch the parts I missed while bringing Little Miss to the bathroom. 

Little Miss wore her Belle gown to the movie. We also met my friend's baby for the first time who also had the same dress so we got the cutest photo ever!

Twinsies! #allthecuteness #belle

A post shared by April Moore (@princessapr) on Mar 19, 2017 at 1:49pm PDT

Bourbon? Veggies? Yes, please.

I tried this recipe this past weekend for my sister, the bourbon drinker. You can find it here. 

First of all, I cut the bourbon recipe in half so it was 1 stick of butter and a half bottle of bourbon.  I used 8 TBS of the butter (the whole batch) and doubled the veggies.  It made way more, but then I didn't have leftover butter or wasted bourbon.  It says you can reuse the butter-infusede bourbon but ew.  I thought it was a weird mix with the cauliflower, but it mixed well with the sweet corn.  My sister and I think it would be better with corn and maybe onions or red bell peppers, veggies that take to the sweet better.  It's all about the butter though.

Corn and Cauliflower Sauteed in Bourbon Butter 

• 4 tablespoons Bourbon-Infused Butter, recipe follows 
• 1/2 head cauliflower, cored and cut into bite-sized florets 
• 2 ears corn, kernels cut off the cob 
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 
• 1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

 Butter-Infused Bourbon and Bourbon-Infused Butter 

1. One 750-milliliter bottle good-quality bourbon 
2. 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter

Directions

Melt the Bourbon-Infused Butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cauliflower and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender and golden in spots, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the corn, 3/4 teaspoons salt and some pepper, and continue to cook, stirring often, until the corn is just cooked through, about 4 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with the parsley.

Butter-Infused Bourbon and Bourbon-Infused Butter:

Combine the bourbon and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat and cook until the butter melts. Transfer to a container and freeze until the butter has solidified. Remove the large piece of bourbon-infused butter and reserve, refrigerated in an airtight container, for cooking. Strain the bourbon through a fine-meshed sieve and coffee filter to remove any remaining particles of butter. Return the butter-infused bourbon to its original bottle and keep frozen to use in cocktails for up to one month.

New Food - Tomato Soup

Awhile ago, I bought tomato soup from La Madeleine.  Today, during the snow day, I heated it up.  Little Miss asked to try it and then ate a bowl.  She liked it, but she probably has similar tomato soup taste as I.  I basically want tomato sauce.  I want it savory and thick, not sweet.  It was delicious.  I'm glad she's trying new things - and even liking some!  We'll get there.  I just need to be patient while she finds her dietary way.

New Food - Mozzarella Sticks

Honestly, I don't care what the new food is as long as she keeps trying new foods.  We went to NYC last weekend where we had a blast.  Little Miss saw her first Broadway play.  Plus, she did a little shopping at Madison Square Garden.  No lie she has worn this knit cap every day (even the 70 degree days) since the trip.  She's only really taken it off to eat and shower and sleep.

We traveled through lunch and had early dinner reservations so we decided just to nosh.  Little Miss had a piece of cake.  The adults ordered truffle fries and mozzarella sticks.  So, Little Miss decided to try fried cheese and marinara sauce.  So, duh, of course she loved it.  However, neither one of the kids is a big french fry fan so there's no obvious likes or dislikes here.

First Broadway play! #cats #meow🐱

A post shared by April Moore (@princessapr) on Mar 4, 2017 at 4:54pm PST

Books & Movies Watched in February 2017

February wasn't a very productive month.

Books Read in February 2017

• A Man Called Ove by Frednik Backman
• Echoes in Death by J.D. Robb (NOTE: This is part of the In Death series. The order can be found here.)
• The Fixer by HelenKay Dimon (Note: This is the beginning of The Games People Play series. The next book is due out in the Spring. More can be found here.)

Movies Watched in February 2017

• The Jungle Book
• Ghostbusters
• Lego Batman
• Trolls

I adored A Man Called Ove - so much that I'm watching the Swedish movie.  We also watched The Lego Movie and Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief which I've already watched.  Trolls was super cute and already a family favorite.  

Movies & Books in January 2017

I've been lazy at keeping up with the blog.

Movies Watched in January 2017

• Finding Dory 
• Nancy Drew 
• The Spiderwick Chronicles 
• Just Add Magic
• Hidden Figures

Books Read in January 2017

• Who Do You Love by Christie Ridgway (This is part of the Rock Royalty series. The order of which can be found here.)
• Rules of Contact by Jaci Burton (This is part of the Play by Play series. The order of which can be found here
• Accidentally on Purpose by Jill Shalvis (This is part of the Heartbreaker Bay series. The order of which can be found here.)
• Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick

I decided to start listing our Sunday Family Movies.  Every Sunday, we make pancakes and watch a movie as a family.  Most of the time, Little Miss chooses, but we sometimes take turns.  I saw Hidden Figures in the theater with Mom and Sister which was fun.  

The books were all pretty solid, fast reads.  Three romance and one memoir - all enjoyable.

New Food - Chicken Piccata

Husband makes chicken piccata and roasted broccoli often. There was no reason Little Miss wouldn't like it so, this past weekend, she gave it a shot and ate a whole piece and asked for more. She picked off the capers, but so did I so no complaints there. She's been doing really well trying new things or at least giving them a shot. Sometimes, just explaining what's in the food or why she would like it helps. Throwing in some desserts help, too, even if she doesn't always like them. None of always likes new things, but, as I tell her, it's the trying that helps.

New Food - Kit Kat Fudge

Sometimes, you throw the kid a soft ball.  So, today, we made fudge.  It was 2 1/2 cups semi-sweet morsels, 14oz sweetened condensed milk, 1 tsp vanilla extract microwaved until spreadable in 30 second increments.  Then, you place Kit Kats on top and chill.  Pretty simple.  Obviously, Little Miss enjoyed. You can find the recipe here. 

Nee food - Lemon Bars

The lemon bars were deemed to "lemony".  Next time, the pastry should bake longer, but they came out ok.  I snagged the recipe from here.

Lemon bars

Ingredients
For the pastry base

• 1 cup cold butter cut in small pieces
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups flour

For the lemon layer

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 4 eggs
• zest of two lemons very finely chopped
• cup juice of 2 lemons about 2/3 to 3/4 juice

Instructions
To make the pastry base

Using a pastry cutter or in a food processor blend together the butter sugar and flour.
Press evenly into the bottom of a greased and parchment paper lined 9×13 inch baking pan.
Bake for 20 to minutes at 350 degrees F ( 325 degrees F if you are using glass bake-ware) The bottom should just be beginning to brown slightly at the top edges.

For the lemon topping
Simply whisk together the sugar flour, eggs, zest and lemon juice until the sugar is dissolved.
Allow the topping to sit for about 10 minutes before whisking together well again and pouring over the baked shortbread base.
Bake at 350 degrees F for about another 20- 25 minutes or until the top is slightly browned and the custard appears to be set. Cool completely. Sprinkle with icing sugar when cool or try adding a meringue topping.

New Food - Pork

Little Miss decided on pork loin, but I couldn't find one in the store.  With more planning, I think she would have enjoyed a roast pork loin with maybe a sweet sauce/glaze.  However, we ended up quickly baking up some pork chops.  She said they tasted fine, but she didn't like all the chewing.  They were the most moist pork chops I'd ever baked, too.  So, it's on the maybe list.  We'll try it again.  So far, we're keeping up with it though.  

We are cheating.  Little Miss has had pork, even pork chops, before, but it's not plain chicken or pasta so we're going with it.  She chose uncooked carrots as her side which is fine by me.  I don't care how she eats her veggies as long as she does.

March on Washington

A very small part of me wanted to March, but I can hardly stand the Metro during rush hour, and chaos and crowds give me anxiety.  So, I stayed home, went to Cheesetique and had some wine and mac and cheese, bought more wine and cheese to bring home and then baked.  In addition to fudge, I made pink cupcakes in honor of those who marched.  They weren't fancy, just funfetti with dyed frosting (6 drops of red and one drop of blue).  I added a little glitter because glitter makes everything better.

New Food - Chicken Teriyaki

• This week, I made chicken teriyaki, jasmine rice, and green beans sauteed in toasted sesame oil and shallots (I added a little water and covered to steam them because they weren't cooking very fast).  I've made these before (see blog recipe though last time I used snow peas instead of green beans), but Little Miss never tried it.

This received thumbs up!  Plus, she said she'd eat it again.  Captain was not into it.  He picked out the rice and didn't eat anything else.

2017 is off to a good start!

Chicken Teriyaki

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup honey 
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 garlic cloves, minced 
• 2 tablespoons peeled and finely grated fresh ginger 
• Coarse salt and ground pepper 
• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds total) 

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. In a large bowl, mix honey, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken and toss to coat. Transfer chicken and sauce to baking sheet. 

2. Bake chicken, skin side up, basting occasionally with pan juices, until well browned and cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve chicken drizzled with pan juices.

No New Food

No new food this week.  Little Miss has a touch of the stomach bug.  Captain took good care of her.  While she was in the bathroom, he was told not to go in there, but he sat right at the door and offered her everything he could think of.  He later brought her tissues at her request.  He kept bringing her books.  He was very concerned and asked, "Laura, all right?"  Then, when she didn't answer, he looked at me and said, "Mama, help."  It was so precious.  He's missed his playmate quite a bit and has been extra snuggly with us to make up for it.  He had Husband read him many books and snuggled hard this morning with me.  His sister will be back to normal soon and everything will right itself.

New Food - Fried Eggs and Bacon

Little Miss received The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook for Christmas. We decided to resurrect the New Food of the Week. And this time, we mean it. To help us keep accountable, I thought I'd revamp the blog and record our findings. 

The first dish is an easy one - fried eggs and bacon. I let the eggs fry a bit longer to avoid the gooey yolk. I also scrambled a couple of eggs as a back up in case she did not like them. She did not. She ate the egg whites and the the scrambled egg on reserve. Obviously, the bacon was a hit as that wasn't a true new food. Originally, the thought was to go through the book chronologically, but there's a whole chapter on sauces and such so we decided to randomly pick recipes. We'll see what she chooses for next week! As when we first started this venture, it still helps that she chooses the food and also helps that she makes it with me. She pretty much made the entire egg portion this week.

P.S.  The serving size was 2 pieces of bacon which I thought was ridiculous.  I gave each kid 3 pieces to look like a hero.  I did not dole out the bonus bacon until after the fried egg was tried though.

Lobster Rolls

The boy and I are not fond of mayonnaise, but I wanted a lobster roll really bad.  So, I found this recipe.  It is delicious. 

It is so easy.  You really need it all together to make it work.  The salad by itself is a little plain.  The garlic butter rolls are what puts it all together.

This is where I found the recipe and also where I snagged the photo.

*******

Lobster Rolls with Lemon Vinaigrette and Garlic Butter
Serves 6 (I think it made 6 so depending on your sides or appetite, it may not serve 6)
Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 50 min
Source: Gourmet magazine; July 2009

Ingredients:
4 (1 1/4- to 1 1/2-lb) live lobsters
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/4 cup finely chopped peeled celery
1/4 cup celery leaves
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 stick unsalted butter
3 garlic cloves, smashed
6 hot dog buns, preferably top-split

Accompaniment: lemon wedges

Directions: Prepare a gas grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-high heat. (I simply put the buns under the broiler in the oven....instead of using a grill.) Plunge 2 lobsters headfirst into a large pot of salted boiling water and cook, partially covered, over medium-high heat 8 minutes (for 1 1/4-lb lobsters) to 9 minutes (for 1 1/2-lb lobsters) from time they enter water. Transfer with tongs to an ice bath and let stand until completely cooled. Return water to a boil and cook and cool remaining 2 lobsters. Remove meat from claws, joints, and tails. Save carcasses, shells, and any roe for another use (see "To Make Lobster Stock" and "To Make Lobster Oil"). Coarsely chop meat. Whisk together lemon juice, oil, and 1/2 tsp salt in a large bowl. Whisk in scallions, celery, celery leaves, and parsley, then add lobster and gently toss. Season with salt. Melt butter with garlic in a small saucepan over low heat, mashing garlic with a spoon. Brush inside of buns with garlic butter. Grill, buttered side down, until golden, about 1 minute. Fill buns with lobster.

Cooks’ notes: Lobsters can be cooked 1 day ahead. Remove meat from shells and chill. Buns can be grilled in a lightly oiled hot 2-burner grill pan over medium heat or toasted in a 350ºF oven 5 to 7 minutes.

******

Full disclosure, I bought the lobster meat already cooked.  It is probably better if you cook it yourself, but it was still good enough.  I did not grill but broiled my buns.

Movies Watched in July 2016

The BFG

Star Trek Beyond

Deadpool

The Good Dinosaur

Bad Moms

Very good month! Little Miss and I saw The BFG. She enjoyed it quite a bit. I thought it was ok. After a year of deciding if I was a big enough girl to watch Deadpool, I sucked it up and did it. It wasn't as violent as I thought. Plus, it was super funny. We won't talk about how much I cried in The Good Dinosaur. I thought it was underrated and super cute though even if it calls back many other Disney movies. Husband and I went to see Bad Moms, and we loved it. It is hilarious.

August 2016 Weekend Update

I could be sleeping.  But I'm not. (@Rob_Sawicki)

A photo posted by @princessapr on Aug 5, 2016 at 4:55pm PDT

August was really busy!  The first weekend, Husband and I traveled to New Jersey for a wedding while the kids stayed home with the in-laws - and their cousins.  We hit the track on Friday night to lose a few bucks.  We had a nice dinner.  Then, the next day, we had a wedding to attend.  It was a beautiful wedding.  Between, we grabbed some drinks before going to the country club for a lot of eating and drinking.  We visited with some of the Husband's family before heading back on Sunday.

Family - we clean up well. #keatingwedding86 (@Rob_Sawicki)

A photo posted by @princessapr on Aug 6, 2016 at 4:45pm PDT

The next weekend, we took off for vacation with the in-laws.  The older nephew and Little Miss went up a day before.  We met them the next day.  It was a beautiful week of sun and sand.  We did a lot of eating.  The kids loved the water - both the ocean and the pool.  I still feel like I'm recovering.

The kids really loved spending time with their cousins.  They little ones are really getting much better at playing together and interacting.  They still need to be watched because Captain can be kind of mean sometimes.  He's used to being the darling baby of the group, but he turns into such bully, not wanting to share any attention.  Then, sometimes, when you're not looking, the two of them play so nicely.

Vacation  #nevergoingback (@Rob_Sawicki)

A photo posted by @princessapr on Aug 19, 2016 at 4:25pm PDT

The last weekend, Husband and I went to La Tasca and had sangria and paella.  The sangria was delicious.  We definitely need to do that more often.  Then, we saw John Oliver!  It was amazing.  He's one of my favorite personalities/comedians.  After we saw a friend from college and her wife, and then we grabbed drinks with a former co-worker.  It was a lot of fun and full of adult, grown up things.

Can't see the tears from this angle. #sensey (@Rob_Sawicki)

A photo posted by @princessapr on Aug 19, 2016 at 7:02pm PDT

The next day was another wedding!  It was the last of the season.  The wedding was lovely.  We grabbed a drink after with another couple before we went to the reception where we had a blast.  After, we were like entirely different people and went to the after party until we shut the bar down.  I haven't done that in I don't know how long.

Night out!!! #johnoliver #3sangrias

A photo posted by @princessapr on Aug 26, 2016 at 3:37pm PDT

That said, we are definitely ready for the routine of school to start up again.  I think our busy summer was great - and fast - but there's sometime comforting in the routine of the Fall.  We have some plans we'd like to carry out in the Fall so it'll be something to look forward to. 

Adult night out again!  #scherry #scheraffair

A photo posted by @princessapr on Aug 27, 2016 at 3:36pm PDT

Third Grade, Here We Come!

I don't know how, but Little Miss is entering the third grade! This morning, she got up early, got ready on time, did her own hair for goodness' sake.  She was a little nervous, but I know she'll do great.  I can't wait to hear all about it.  It's still gratifying to see brand new school supplies - backpack, lunch bag, and water bottle all clean and shiny!

Captain was not excited.  He sobbed as she left for school.  He's so adored her being with him all summer.  They love each other so much.

Obligatory #firstdayofschool photo. #ACPS #teacher @Rob_Sawicki

A photo posted by @princessapr on Sep 6, 2016 at 5:31am PDT