Alpha by Rachel Vincent

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


When I began reading Alpha, the final book in the amazing Shifter series by Rachel Vincent, I knew I would shed some tears. I also knew that no matter how the love triangle was resolved, I would feel eartbroken right along with Faythe. This book did not disappoint in any way, shape, or form.

Vincent managed to wrap up her series with a dynamic, action packed novel, full of surprises and emotional scenes. I think the most amazing thing about this series is the incredible way Faythe’s character has developed and grown throughout each book. After I read Stray, the first book in the series, I loved it so much I gave it to my mom to read. My mom gave it back after reading a few chapters and said she thought the character of Faythe was spoiled rotten. Boy has Faythe changed! She has gone from being an unruly, immature girl to a mature, confident leader and a strong woman.

If you are looking for a “and they lived happily ever after” ending to this series, you may be a little disappointed in Vincent’s approach. Yes, she provides closure for all the major plot elements in her series, but the ending is realistic rather than fairy-tale-ish. I admire Vincent’s resolve to finish her series with this book while the characters and the storyline are still fresh and interesting, rather than dragging it out for another 5 books like some authors would.

If you haven’t read the Shifter series, you are missing out on an amazing Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy series. I look forward to future books by this incredible author.





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Canning: Tomatoes and Apples

It's been awhile since I blogged about food, so I thought I would share a little bit about canning and preserving. First, do not be intimidated. Although it can be a bit time consuming, depending on what you are preserving, canning using a water bath canner is a relatively simple process and the results are well worth the effort.
Walmart sells a basic canning kit which includes a large pot, and several utensils used during the canning process for around $30-$40. You will also need canning lids, jars, and rings.
I purchased the Balls Complete Book of Home Preserving: 400 Delicious and Creative Recipes for Today a few years ago and it has every canning recipe you could possibly need. My other source for recipes, tips and instructions is Pick Your Own (http://www.pickyourown.org/allaboutcanning.htm), which is a fantastic website for newbies.
This weekend I canned tomatoes from my friend Jacqueline's garden. They were beautiful heirloom tomatoes called "Pineapple" and they turned out great. I also canned Apple Pie Filling and apple butter in preparation for the holidays. Nothing is easier than making apple pie with homemade canned filling and a frozen pie crust. The apple butter makes a fantastic hostess gift for holiday parties.
Please, please, please give it a try. I promise you will feel so fulfilled when you see your pantry filled with healthy, local foods you canned yourself.

Restaurant Review: JAX in Truckee

My friend had seen JAX featured on Diners Drive-ins and Dives, so we decided to stop in for lunch. She ordered the fish sandwich and I had the Crab Cake Slider and Ahi Salad, all of which were delicious! The crab cake had very little breading and was as fresh as it gets. We ordered a side of beer battered onion rings and they were the best onion rings I have ever had. The food was so good, we returned for dinner with an invitation from the Executive Chef to try our hands in the kitchen. Chef Phil made us lobster macncheese with truffles that was so good, I could have taken a bath in it.
The Kobe Beef Meatloaf is out of this world!
We had our appetizers and drinks within a couple of minutes of being seated, despite a large private party on the patio. I have no complaints and look forward to a return trip for breakfast. I hear their Maryland Blue Crab Cake Eggs Benedict is amazing!

Aarti's Pulled Pork

It's been awhile since I've blogged about a new recipe, but I had to share this one. This is one of the first recipes Aarti Sequeira shared on her show "Aarti Party" after winning the Next Food Network star. It is a super easy recipe, it just takes some time on the stove. The meat falls apart in your mouth and the sauce is to-die-for. I served it on french rolls with homemade sweet zucchini pickles. Enjoy!

Cook Time:3 hr 0 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients
1 boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), about 3 pounds, excess fat removed
Rub:
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons kosher salt
BBQ Sauce:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 onion, finely minced
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1 serrano pepper, thinly sliced (seeds discarded if you don't like it spicy)
Kosher salt
2 cups mango puree
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons molasses
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
Brioche rolls, split
Bread and butter pickles
Directions
Rub: Combine the rub ingredients, in a small bowl and massage it into the pork shoulder until well coated. Set aside while you make BBQ sauce. You could do this a day ahead and keep refrigerated until ready to use.

BBQ sauce: In a large saucepan, warm the oil, over low heat, until hot and shimmering. Add the cumin and fennel; they should splutter upon contact - be careful! Once the spluttering subsides, add the onions, ginger and serrano and a little salt, to taste. Saute until they soften but don't let them get any color. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients. Simmer about 5 minutes. Taste and season.

Add the pork shoulder to the saucepan, coating it with the sauce. Cover, and gently simmer until the pork falls apart easily, stirring and turning often, about 3 hours.

Remove the pork from the saucepan and shred it using 2 forks. Return it to the sauce and stir to coat with the sauce. Put a generous spoonful of the pork inside a brioche bun, top with a few slices of pickle and serve. Cook's Note: prepare to have your loved one swoon over you!

The Witch is all grown up

Waking The Witch by Kelley Armstrong

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is the 11th book in the Women of the Otherworld series and features the young witch Savannah, previously introduced in Book 2- Stolen. SO although this book's story line can stand alone, I highly recommend starting with book 1 and working your way through. One of the most satisyfing parts about this book is seeing how grown up Savannah is now, compared to where she started in Book 2 (she was 12 years old then). Also, if you read this book first, the ending will leave you extremely confused...and that's all I will say about that.



***Spoilers***



This was another fantastic addition to this series. I thought Savannah's narrator voice was youthful and refreshingly honest. I adore the relationship that has developed between Savannah and Adam and can't wait to see where the future leads for them. I would have liked to see more Otherworld characters featured in this book, since aside from Adam, the only others made cameo appearances via telephone conversations.

I also would have liked to see Savannah use her powers a little bit more. The fact that Savannah is so powerful, at such a young age, is what makes her so interesting. Hopefully, Savannah will kick a little more *ss in the next installment.



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Funny Vampires? Who knew.

Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs by Molly Harper

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I wish there was a 3 3/4 stars rating, because that is where I would rate this book.

I would classify this book as "Paranormal Chick-Lit". It revolves around a very intelligent, albeit newly unemployed, librarian who meets a very sexy "undead" man at a bar while drowning her sorrows in some hard liquor. Her new admirer follows her home only to see her get mistaken for a deer by a drunk hunter and shot. Her admirer, "Gabrielle" turns her into a vampire in order to say her life.

The author was extremely witty and had me laughing out loud on several occastions.

I thought the relationship between Gabrielle and Jane (the librarian) sizzled, although I would like to see it explored more in future installments. The character Dick was supremely hilarious and I can't wait to see more from him.

The bits between Jane and her mother had me in stitches!

Reading this helped me understand that books don't have to be serious in order to be entertaining and fun to read.





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Finally hitting her stride....

Curse the Dawn by Karen Chance

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


What can I say about the 4th book in this series other than it was really good. Four books into the series, Chance’s world has developed to a point that it no longer leaves me feeling confused about what I have just read. I can read and enjoy each crazy, plot-bending page.
***SPOILERS***
The relationships between Cassie and Pritkin, and the relationship between Mircea and Cassie, have developed at very believable pace. I love that Chance does not feel it is necessary to force a sexual encounter between two characters of the opposite sex, although I don’t think her readers would mind. I do think it demonstrates restraint and maturity to allow the characters’ sexual relations to develop at a natural pace.
At one point in the story, Cassie and Pritkin switch bodies and the results had me laughing my butt off. There is also a very memorable scene involving Pritkin, Cassie and a very large, black cross dresser….and that’s all I’m going to say about that. The sexual tension between these two is killing me! At the same time, I find myself rooting for Mircea and Cassie’s relationship as well.
My favorite aspect of Chance’s writing is her outrageous sense of humor. She is completely unpredictable from one moment to the next, which makes her books very exciting.
I will be anxiously awaiting the next installment in the series.

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Eat, Pray Love: Discussion 3

Finish Indonesia and discuss general feelings on the book. How did it affect you?
This book really made me want to see more of the world.

Will you go see the movie?
I will definitely be going to see the movie, with as many of my girlfriends as I can gather around. I am a huge Julia Roberts fan and I love that she read the book first. Whenever I go to see movies based on books I love, I always try to keep my expectations low and try to view the movie or tv show as a separate interpretation of the work. That way, I am not disappointed when the movie is not as good as the book (they rarely are) and I get to enjoy another “version” of something I really liked.

Will you read Committed which is Gilbert’s follow up to Eat Pray Love?
I really have no interest in reading about marriage. I’m not married (although Ihave been, albeit unhappily) and have not plans to get married anytime soon.

What are some of your favorite quotes from the book?
Luca: “Vegetarians can eat this, because intestines aren’t even meat, Liz. They’re just shit.” (In reference to lamb intestines)
"Stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone ought to be."
"I am burdened with what the Buddhists call the 'monkey mind' -- the thoughts that swing from limb to limb, stopping only to scratch themselves, spit and howl." "Operation Self-Esteem--Day Fucking One."
"Having a baby is like getting a tattoo on your face. You really need to be certain it's what you want before you commit."
"You need to learn how to select your thoughts just the same way you select your clothes every day. This is a power you can cultivate. If you want to control things in your life so bad, work on the mind. That's the only thing you should be trying to control."
"Il bel far niente. "

"The mosquitoes here are big enough to rape a Chicken!"

Night Rising: Putting me to sleep

Night Rising by Chris Marie Green

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I'm feeling really, really generous as I write this review, so I am giving this book two stars.
I will skip the plot recap because it was wierd, but not in an interesting way, and I'm not really sure what the point was.
Essentially, the main character is a stunt woman who returns to Hollywood to search for her missing alcoholic father with the help of his former PI coworkers. The catch is that the PI form he worked for specializes in paranormal investigations and it looks like her father may have been made vampire.
The heroine has some strange sexual comulsion which makes her want to pick up skeezy guys in bars for meaningless sex and soon after the start of the book, she begins an intangible affair with her "ghostly" new employer. Confused yet? Me too.
I really didn't care for this book. The characters were weak and boring, the plot went nowhere, and I really had no interest in the main character.
I say skip it unless you have nothing else better to read.

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Dark Prince

Dark Prince by Christine Feehan

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


First, I have to say I have been looking forward to starting this series for a couple of months now. I have read many positive reviews about Christine Feehan.
I'm sad to say I couldn't finish this book. I gave it 67 pages and a couple of hours of my life, but I couldn't get into it. The characters were silly, shallow, and lacked any kind of emotional depth.
I struggle with any book based on the ability of the heroine to make moronic choices every time she turns around.
If you are into silly, bodice-ripping romances with completely underdeveloped worlds, then you might like this book....heavy emphasis on "might".

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