Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Pretty Little Liars: Ruthless (Book 10)

I'm a little behind on posting my books, OOPS! I have been a reading fool, it's crazy how fast I'm going through this series. I told my husband last week I might have a reading problem. LOL


Summary
It is revealed that last summer while Spencer was taking AP courses at Penn, she began taking speed pills called "Easy A" that Phineas was giving her as a way to help with her studies. After being arrested by the police for possession, she arranges for Hanna to help her frame her roommate, Kelsey, as a dealer, in order for Spencer to not face charges. After landing the role of Lady Macbeth in the school play, the stress and guilt begin to take their toll on Spencer, causing her to have frequent hallucinations in which she is haunted by Kelsey and Tabitha. She becomes paranoid and begins to believe Kelsey is "A" and is taking revenge on her for being framed.
Emily accidentally meets Kelsey at a party and is instantly smitten with her. She and Kelsey grow close, much to Spencer's disapproval. After Emily is hurt by Spencer's remarks about her love for Alison, she angrily tells Kelsey that Spencer framed her for the drug possession. Depressed, Kelsey overdoses and attempts to throw herself into the quarry where Mona died, but Emily saves her and Kelsey is sent to the Preserve for treatment. While visiting Kelsey, the girls realize that Tabitha was also a patient at the Preserve and was the same age as Alison and Courtney.
Hanna's father brings her on to help with the social media aspect of his campaigning. She meets a boy named Liam, who she falls for, despite knowing he is the son of her father's political opponent. They break up when she learns he has been seeing multiple other girls while dating her, and reconciles with Mike.
And after Aria is dumped by Noel, she seeks out comfort in Ezra, in hopes of rekindling their romance. However, things are strained between them, and Aria eventually goes back into a relationship with Noel, after discovering Ezra and Klaudia being intimate.
The Liars attempt to circumvent "A's" threats by coming clean about their secrets, with varied success. Meanwhile, "A" becomes more violent, shoving Emily down a hill at Stockbridge trail. "A" sends Spencer an email of Tabitha on the beach with a head injury, indicating that "A" was the one who disposed of Tabitha's body. "A "taunts the Liars, stating they will never discover "A's" true identity.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Can't Stay Awake....

Have you ever had a problem where at night you just can't stay awake for anything?

Well....that's me these past couple weeks. I have been falling asleep on the couch around 8pm if not sooner, I just don't understand! Shane and I will come home make dinner and sit down to watch a show or movie and shortly after dinner and watching the TV I'm passed out. I haven't ever been this sleepy in a long time or if ever, I mean I like my sleep but I usually go to bed between 9-9:30 or so most nights. I know what some might be thinking but no I'm not pregnant. When I go to bed I will sleep all night so it's not like I will be up and wide awake at 2am, I will sleep all night and still want to sleep when the alarm goes off. I have a sleeping problem these days and I need to figure out how to fix it.
Hopefully with daylight savings and spring just right around the corner, I will be able to stay up later and spend time with my hubby instead of passing out on him and leaving him alone all night. Haha!

If you have suggestions on how to fix this I'm up for trying something. :)


Thursday, February 20, 2014

Taco Salad

As I mentioned in my post about Jordann's birthday, I made Taco salad for her dinner.

Here is the recipe for it

Ingredients:

1 Ib. Hamburger Meat
1 can Kidney Beans, drained
Bag of cheese
Lettuce, to your liking
Pico de Gallo, to your liking
Fritos
Taco Seasoning

Directions:
1. Brown Hamburger and season with taco seasoning.
2. Add in Kidney beans till warm.
3. Place hamburger & beans in big bowl, add cheese and mix together. Once cheese is melted add lettuce, Pico and Fritos.

Taco Seasoning:
1/2 tsp. Onion Powder
1 tsp. Paprika
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 tsp. Chili Powder
1 tsp. Red Pepper
1 tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. Jalapeno Pepper

Pico de Gallo:
1 medium tomato, diced
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 sprigs fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

1. In a medium bowl, combine tomato, onion, jalapeno pepper (to taste,) cilantro. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir until evenly distributed. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Happy Birthday Mom

My mom's birthday was February 14th, yes she is a Valentine's Day baby. This is the first year in LONG time since all the kids and her were able to celebrate with her. She came down on Saturday and we went out for dinner to Fronteras then came back to our place and did dessert and gifts. It was good time and she seemed to enjoy herself.

Yes they came and sang to her and she got some free fried ice cream.
She thought they were trying to feed her a bit but really they wanted to put the whipped cream on her nose.

My brother, sister and I all went in and got her a pink camo purse. She loved it!
For dessert I made her Hot Fudge Oreo Cupcakes. These were the most yummy things ever! I will be posting the recipe soon!

Happy Birthday Mom! Hope you had a wonderful day!


Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Pretty Little Liars: Twisted (Book 9)

Another book almost done!

Summary:
The book begins with the girls vacationing in Jamaica and Emily seeing a girl who she strongly believes is Ali. Throughout the rest of the book, details about that fateful vacation emerge. It turns out they pushed the girl they believed was Ali (who had been claiming her name was Tabitha Clark) off a building.
In the meantime, Noel, Aria's boyfriend, has an exchange student, from Finland, comes to live with him. Instead of being the nerdy boy, Klaudius, that Noel expected, the exchange student turns out to be a gorgeous blonde, Klaudia, who tries to steal Noel from Aria. Aria ends up accidentally pushing Klaudia off of a ski lift as an act of self-defense, however Klaudia uses that information against Aria. By that point, Aria and Noel's relationship is shaky and uncertain.
Also, Emily meets a new girl, Chloe, who moves into the Cavanaugh's old house. They immediately become good friends, bonding over Chloe's baby sister, Grace. Emily has now given up hope of getting a swim scholarship, her only option for college. Chloe's dad offers to help but also hits on Emily, even making sexual moves towards her. Chloe walks in on her dad kissing Emily, but thinks that it's Emily who is wrecking her family (her father had previously been cheating with another woman).
The girls start to get messages from a new "A", and believe it's Ali and that she somehow survived the fall from the building. Hanna's dad runs for senator of Pennsylvania. Patrick, somebody who's helping out at the set, offers Hanna a modeling job, but he takes some naughty pictures and threatens her with them, saying he will release them to the public and ruin her dads' chances of becoming senator, unless she gives him $10,000. Hanna steals money from her dad and frames Jeremiah, a mean man who is also working on set.
Spencer's mom has begun to date Nicholas Pennythistle, the father of snobby Amelia and her brother Zach, in whom Spencer develops a romantic interest. When they go out dancing, she kisses him, only to find out Zach is gay. When the Hastings and Pennythistles travel to New York together, Spencer and Zach drunkenly fall asleep in the same bed. During the night, Spencer had kicked off her clothes because she was hot, leaving her in her blouse and underwear. The next morning Mr. Pennythistle wakes them both up by entering the room. Their indecent clothing and close proximity leads Mr. Pennythistle to believe that they had slept together and acts violent. Spencer tells him that Zach didn't touch her and that he's gay, hoping to help, but Mr. Pennythistle becomes furious and sends Zach to military school. Zach and Spencer's friendship ends, Zach leaving Spencer with the words "Rot in hell, bitch".
In the end of the book, the news turns on and a teenage girl's dead body was found floating in the water in Jamaica. They identify this girl as Tabitha Clark from New Jersey. The cops believe her death was a tragic accident - not a murder. The girls realize they killed an innocent girl.







Monday, February 17, 2014

Happy Birthday, Jordann!

I'm a little late on this post...OOPS! Back on the 7th we celebrated Jordann's 25th birthday! Her birthday was February 6th. We always get together for dinner and dessert for birthdays.

This birthday Jordann wanted Taco Salad. Her mom used to make taco salad she loved and she has tried but couldn't figure out how she made it so good. When she said she wanted it I stepped up and decided I would give it a go and see what I could make. I was super nervous to make this because trying to make something as good as her mom, well that's hard for anyone if you ask me.

I'm pleased to say my taco salad turned out great and it is something everyone enjoyed and would love to have again. I was so happy to hear this and I do look forward to making it again for them soon!

The taco salad I made. I will post the recipe soon.

Stefanie made her a Snickers Cheesecake.
Happy Birthday pretty lady!!



Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Jeff & Becky's Wedding

This post is LONG overdue! On December 28th I was happy to shoot a wedding for a friend at work her sister was getting married. This wasn't the traditional type wedding at all but it was small and very cute and personal. It was very nice and I was happy to be part of it.

The wedding was at The Elm's, but they booked a suite for Friday and Saturday and had the ceremony in the suite. There was just a hand full of people there so it was a nice stop to have it.

I have never been to the Elm's before and my friend told me I could go with her Friday night and stay till Sunday in her room. It turned out to be a nice weekend away and capturing a wonderful memory at the same time! The Elm's was nice but I think a little expensive for my taste. Haha!

Here are some pictures from the shoot.

Outside the front entrance to The Elm's
The living room in the suite where the ceremony was held.



 
The Wedding Party
The Groom's Mom & Day
The Happy Couple



To see more from this shoot, visit my Facebook Page.


Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Pretty Little Liars: Wanted (Book 8)

I actually finished this book last week but forgot to post. Oops.



Summary:
Aria, Hanna, Emily and Spencer are shocked to learn of the existence of Alison's twin sister, Courtney, when she's introduced at a press conference. Courtney had spent her life in institutions due to "health issues" and her existence was kept secret by her family. It is revealed that Jason was not a patient at the Radley but instead he was visiting Courtney. She was finally released and went home to Rosewood, where she attempts to resume her sister's life and begins tentative friendships with Ali's old friends. She later reveals that she's actually Ali, the real Courtney had pretended to be her on the night of Ali's disappearance, and she was the one who was killed. When she had tried to tell her family who she was, they didn't believe her because Courtney was notorious for pretending to be Ali, and sent her back to the institution in Courtney's place. The girls are thrilled that Ali is back, and jump at the chance to go with her to the family's house in the Poconos after a school dance. On the way there, Spencer gets a frantic call from her mother telling her that Melissa has disappeared. Spencer had begun to believe that her sister was the one who killed Ali and that she may be after the rest of them, but once they arrive at the house it's revealed that Ali is the killer. They discover that the girl they were friends with years ago was actually Courtney, and the real Ali was stuck in an institution. She had killed Courtney for ruining her life, attempted to kill the girls in the forest fire, tried to have them arrested, and is now going to kill them by setting the house on fire.
They're able to escape after stumbling onto Ian's body hidden in a closet and releasing a bound Melissa, who Ali had kidnapped and was planning to kill as well. Ali is trapped inside the house and it's assumed she died in the fire, although her body is never found.
After learning that her ex-husband shipped Hanna off to a mental institution, Ashley Marin transfers back to Rosewood and kicks Hanna's father, Isabel and Kate out of the house, thrilling Hanna. Hanna and Mike get back together.
Meredith goes into labor, giving birth to a girl named Lola. Aria and Noel get back together after it's revealed that Ali kissed him, not the other way around, and Ella breaks up with Xavier after learning of his inappropriate behavior towards Aria.
Spencer's father proclaims that even though he and her mother may not get back together, things are going to change for the better in their family, and Spencer and Melissa grow closer after almost being killed.
Emily buries everything she can find that reminds her of Ali at Courtney's grave, hoping she can finally find closure, but is unsure of whether the noises she hears at the cemetery are real or imagined. And somewhere, a new girl starts her senior year at an anonymous school, a girl whose name just so happens to be an anagram of Alison DiLaurentis. The reader is left wondering if Alison is...alive?


Monday, February 3, 2014

Pretty Little Liars: Heartless (Book 7)

Yes you guessed it! I have finished yet another book in my series. I'm telling you this series I'm enjoying a lot. LOL Not that you can tell or anything.


Summary:

In picturesque Rosewood, Pennsylvania, neighbors gossip over picket fences, and gleaming SUVs sit in every crushed-granite driveway. But recently, friendly smiles have been replaced with suspicious glares and accusatory whispers—and it's all because Hanna, Aria, Emily, and Spencer just can't keep their mouths shut. . . .
First they claimed they found a dead body in the woods behind Spencer's house, only to have it vanish without a trace. Then when the same woods went up in flames, they swore they saw someone who's supposed to be dead rise from the ashes. And even after all that, the pretty little liars are still playing with fire.
Hanna's trading in her Dior trench for a straitjacket. Aria's trying to contact the dead. Emily's dumped her boyfriend and is skipping town . . . again. And Spencer thinks someone in her family has gotten away with murder.
The friends insist they're telling the truth about what they saw, but all of Rosewood thinks they're simply out for attention—and nobody likes a girl who cries wolf. So when the big bad killer comes after the girls, will anyone believe them . . . or will they be the next to disappear?

Friday, January 31, 2014

Chicken Taco Bowls

Wednesday I had another new recipe I wanted to try out for the slow cooker. So, Wednesday morning I got everything together and put in the cooker and set for 8 hours. I love cooking in our slow cooker and coming home to dinner done. Makes for an easy night of not being in the kitchen for an hour preparing dinner. LOL.

This recipe turned out pretty good and we would like to try it again but using something different rather than rice, maybe like rolling it up in a tortilla shell or eating with tortilla chips.




Ingredients:
Instead of using the seasoning I just made some taco seasoning and used that. I did use the minced garlic & oregano.

11/2 lbs. chicken breasts
1 (16 oz.) jar salsa
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained
1/2 lb. (8 oz.) frozen corn
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 Tbsp. cumin
1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. salt        
Cracked pepper, to taste
2 cups dry rice
8 oz. shredded cheddar
1/2 bunch cilantro (optional) 

Directions:
1. Add everything except the rice, cheese, and cilantro to the slow cooker along with ¼ cup of water (for good measure). Give everything a good stir and make sure the chicken is covered in the mixture.
2. Secure the lid on your slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hrs.
3. Near the end of the cooking time, cook the two cups of rice according to the package directions (Bring the rice and 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot with a lid in place, as soon as it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving).
4. After 8 hours of cooking, carefully remove the lid of the slow cooker. Stir with a fork to shred the chicken (it should be super tender and will shred easily). Build the taco bowls by placing rice on the bottom, then the taco chicken mix, shredded cheese and fresh cilantro.


Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Pretty Little Liars: Killer (Book 6)

This week I have finished yet another book in the PPL series! I'm really enjoying these books if you can't tell, LOL. I feel lately that every week I'm buying the next book in the series. Before I know it it's going to be over and I will have to find a new series.

Killer

Summary:
In picture-perfect Rosewood, Pennsylvania, ash-blond highlights gleam in the winter sun and frozen lakes sparkle like Swarovski crystals. But pictures often lie—and so do Rosewood's four prettiest girls.
Hanna, Aria, Spencer, and Emily have been lying ever since they became friends with beautiful Alison DiLaurentis. Ali made them do terrible things—things they had to keep secret for years. And even though Ali was killed at the end of seventh grade, their bad-girl ways didn't die with her.
Hanna's on a mission to corrupt Rosewood's youth, starting with a very attractive sophomore. Aria's snooping into her boyfriend's past. Spencer's stealing—from her family. And pure little Emily's abstaining from abstinence.
The girls should be careful, though. They thought they were safe when Ali's killer was arrested and A's true identity was finally revealed. But now there's a new A in town turning up the heat. And this time Rosewood is going to burn.

Monday, January 27, 2014

Pad Thai

Last night for dinner we tried another new recipe and it turned out pretty good.  We had Pad Thai and Sushi. Shane has been making sushi at home for a few weeks now. I'm not a huge sushi fan but I'm trying to like it more because he loves it. The Pad Tahi I just became a fan of when we went out for his birthday I had that while he ate sushi. LOL

Pad Thai. This was really easy to make and didn't take super long.
Here is our meal. I didn't eat all the sushi, I'm still trying to get used to the taste of it. LOL

Ingredients:

For the sauce:
1 1/2 Tablespoons tamarind concentrate/paste
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon Sambal Oelek (chili sauce)
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon fresh black pepper

For the noodles:
8 ounces Thai rice noodles
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
Vegetable oil, for stir-frying
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup sliced carrots, for garnish
1/2 cup shredded red cabbage, for garnish
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, for garnish
1/3 cup roughly chopped peanuts, for garnish
Lime wedges, for gar
nish

Directions:

Make the sauce:

1.      In a medium bowl, whisk together the tamarind concentrate with 1/2 cup warm water. Whisk in the remaining sauce ingredients. Set aside.

Make the noodles:
1.      Fill a large pot with hot water. Add the rice noodles and cover the pot, allowing them to soak and soften for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they're barely al dente. (Alternately, cook the noodles according to the package instructions.) The noodles will be stir-fried so do not overcook them at this point.
2.      Drain the noodles and rinse them with cold water to prevent them from sticking together.
3.      Cut the chicken breasts into thin, 1-inch slices. Place the chicken in a medium bowl. Whisk together the cornstarch with the soy sauce then pour it over the chicken, stirring to coat.
4.      Heat a wok or large nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil then add the minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and cook, stirring continuously, for 30 seconds until the garlic is golden brown and fragrant. Add the chicken to the pan (including all liquids), and cook, stirring frequently until it is no longer pink. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of chicken stock at a time to the pan while the chicken is cooking to prevent it from drying out. (You may not use the entire 1/4 cup of chicken stock.)
5.      Add the noodles to the pan then pour in the prepared sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil, and using two flat spatulas, lift and turn the noodles to combine all of the ingredients. (Don't stir the noodles too vigorously or they'll break.) Continue cooking the noodles for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly, then add the bean sprouts and cook for 1 more minute. The noodles are fully cooked when they are chewy and no longer crunchy.
6.      Transfer the noodles to serving dishes and garnish with the sliced carrots, shredded red cabbage, cilantro, scallions, peanuts and lime wedges.
 


Friday, January 24, 2014

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Every week I have been trying to add one new recipe to our menu for dinners. I have so many on Pinterest that I thought I should start trying them! Last night I made this pasta dish and it turned out amazing! We will definitely be having this again! 




Ingredients:
8 ounces uncooked linguine
1 pound chicken breast strips
1-2 tsp. Cajun seasoning (or to taste)
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 cup fat free low sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup skim milk
1 tbsp. flour
3 tbsp. light cream cheese ( I didn't put cream cheese in ours)
Fresh cracked pepper
2 scallions, chopped
Salt to taste
Cooking Spray

Directions:
1. Prep all your vegetables.
2. Make a slurry by combining milk, flour and cream cheese. Set aside.
3. Season chicken with Cajun seasoning, garlic powder & salt.
4. Prepare pasta in salted water according to package directions
5. Heat a large heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; spray with cooking spray and add the chicken.
Sauté 5 to 6 minutes or until done, set aside on a plate.
6. Add olive oil to the skillet and reduce to medium; add bell peppers, onions, and garlic to skillet, sauté 3-4 minutes.
7. Add mushrooms and tomatoes and sauté 3-4 more minutes or until vegetables are tender. Season with 1/4 tsp salt, garlic powder and fresh cracked pepper to taste
8. Reduce heat to medium-low; add chicken broth and pour in slurry stirring about 2 minutes
9. Return chicken to skillet; adjust salt and Cajun seasoning to taste, cook another minute or two until hot. I added a little more flour to mine to make it thicker since I didn't use cream cheese.
10. Add linguine; toss well to coat. Top with chopped scallions


Thursday, January 23, 2014

Gallery Hallway

When we moved into our home over a year ago I was so excited to have pictures hanging up in the hallway. I told my hubby I was going to fill it up and he thought I was crazy, LOL. It only took over a year but I finally have my hallway done and I'm so happy with it! It turned out great and my hubby did so much work hanging everything up for me. This was a big project and took months for me to get all the frames and decide what pictures I wanted and to find different quotes to hang up, but finally it all came together and I'm happy to share with you!

Our Gallery Hallway!!

This was the first wall to be done.
This saying we like but I think we are going to find a different one to hang up. Only because this one you can see the clear sticker and with the other ones on the wall they look better and more like a sticker or painted writing on the wall. Hopefully that makes sense. LOL

I don't know if you can tell but in this one you can't see any clear matting like from the one above. This is what we want the one above to look like. It looks much better in our opinion.


This is my little wall for Senior pictures. This year we will be adding our niece Sydney to this wall. Now that's just crazy talk!

That ends my gallery hallway!