Thursday, February 29, 2024
Sullivan Book Nook February Update
Just a glimpse of what’s inside the Little Free Library. If you see something you’d like to have, please come get it. You don’t have to leave a book to take one, but please don’t take more than three books at one time. Leave some for others to enjoy.
(NOTE: I received several new kids books yesterday, but unfortunately they came from a house with smokers. I do my very best to clean every book before I put them in my library, but there are some scents that are almost impossible to get out of books, and smoke is one of them. So, I apologize for any lingering odor on the books).
Saturday, February 10, 2024
Recipe - Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 15.5 oz can black beans, drained
- 15.5 oz can kidney beans, drained
- 8 ounce can tomato sauce
- 10 oz package frozen corn kernels
- 2 cans diced tomatoes w/chilies, 10 ounces each
- 4 oz can chopped green chili peppers, chopped
- 1 packet reduced sodium taco seasoning or homemade
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 24 oz 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
DIRECTIONS: Combine beans, onion, chili peppers, corn, tomato sauce, diced tomato, cumin, chili powder and taco seasoning in a slow cooker and mix well.
Nestle the chicken in to completely cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours or on HIGH for 4 to 6 hours.
Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred.
Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in.
Top with fresh cilantro and your favorite toppings!
NUTRITION INFO: 1 scant cup, Calories: 220 kcal, Carbohydrates: 28 g, Protein: 21 g, Fat: 3 g, Cholesterol: 44 mg, Sodium: 729 mg, Fiber: 8.5 g, Sugar: 6 g
(Recipe and photo courtesy of Skinnytaste)
Friday, February 9, 2024
Review - How to Walk Away
AUTHOR: Katherine Center
NARRATOR: Therese Plummer
RATING: ★★★★★
In the hospital and forced to face the possibility that nothing will ever be the same again, Margaret must figure out how to move forward on her own terms while facing long-held family secrets, devastating heartbreak, and the idea that love might find her in the last place she would ever expect.
REVIEW: I absolutely love Katherine Center’s work, and How to Walk Away jumped right into the #2 spot on my list of favorites (right under What You Wish For). This is such an amazing story, and I’m SO glad I chose to listen to the audiobook version because Therese Plummer is an incredible narrator. This was my first time listening to her, and she truly made the story come to life. Between Katherine’s writing and Therese’s narrating, I was totally immersed in this story from beginning to end. I laughed out loud more times than I can count. I gasped. I cried. I was heartbroken when it ended. I loved every character. (Okay, maybe not Chip. He was a douchebag). Margaret is such a strong and admirable heroine, Kit is the sister I wanted but never had, and Ian’s tough and tender sides just melted my heart. I would highly recommend this book to everyone.
Thursday, February 8, 2024
Recipe - Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Slurry:
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour or gluten-free flour mix
- 1/4 cup half and half
- 1 cup cold water, divided
Soup:
- 7 ounces sweet Italian chicken sausage, removed from casings
- Olive oil spray
- 5 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 1 large shallot, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 parmesan cheese rind
- 1/3 cup sundried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 16 ounce package gnocchi, or gluten-free gnocchi
- 4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, rough chopped
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 tbsp fresh basil, optional for garnish
DIRECTIONS: Create a slurry by combining 1/2 cup of the cold water, half and half and flour in a small bowl and whisk until well blended. Set aside.
Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and spray with oil then add the sausage. Cook the sausage, breaking up with a wooden spoon as it cooks, until no longer pink and slightly browned.
Add the shallots and garlic and cook until soft, 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and chicken breast.
Pour the remaining 1/2 cup water and chicken broth, parmesan rind, sundried tomatoes, Italian seasoning and bring to a boil. Partially cover and simmer on low until vegetables are soft and the chicken shreds easily, about 25 minutes.
Remove the chicken and set aside, shred with 2 forks.
Return the chicken to the pot then slowly stir in slurry, stirring well as you add and bring it back to a boil.
Add the gnocchi, spinach, parmesan cheese and basil; cook according to package directions for the gnocchi, or until they start to float to the top and soup thickens. Adjust salt and pepper to taste, discard parmesan cheese rind and serve.
NUTRITION INFO: 1 1/2 cups, Calories: 341 kcal, Carbohydrates: 37 g, Protein: 29.5 g, Fat: 7.5 g, Saturated Fat: 2.5 g, Cholesterol: 86 mg, Sodium: 790.5 mg, Fiber: 2.5 g, Sugar: 2.5 g
(Recipe and photo courtesy of Skinnytaste)
Wednesday, February 7, 2024
Review - The Paradise Problem
AUTHOR: Christina Lauren
RATING: ★★★★
RELEASE DATE: May 14th, 2024
Summary (from Goodreads): Christina Lauren, returns with a delicious new romance between the buttoned-up heir of a grocery chain and his free-spirited artist ex as they fake their relationship in order to receive a massive inheritance.
Anna Green thought she was marrying Liam “West” Weston for access to subsidized family housing while at UCLA. She also thought she’d signed divorce papers when the graduation caps were tossed, and they both went on their merry ways.
Three years later, Anna is a starving artist living paycheck to paycheck while West is a Stanford professor. He may be one of four heirs to the Weston Foods conglomerate, but he has little interest in working for the heartless corporation his family built from the ground up. He is interested, however, in his one-hundred-million-dollar inheritance. There’s just one catch.
Due to an antiquated clause in his grandfather’s will, Liam won’t see a penny until he’s been happily married for five years. Just when Liam thinks he’s in the home stretch, pressure mounts from his family to see this mysterious spouse, and he has no choice but to turn to the one person he’s afraid to introduce to his one-percenter parents—his unpolished, not-so-ex-wife.
But in the presence of his family, Liam’s fears quickly shift from whether the feisty, foul-mouthed, paint-splattered Anna can play the part to whether the toxic world of wealth will corrupt someone as pure of heart as his surprisingly grounded and loyal wife. Liam will have to ask himself if the price tag on his flimsy cover story is worth losing true love that sprouted from a lie.
REVIEW: I’m always excited when I get my hands on a new book by Christina Lauren because I know it’s going to be a fun ride, and The Paradise Problem was no exception. I laughed out loud SO many times while reading Liam and Anna’s love story, and there’s something in this book for everyone - romance, comedy, mystery - and the chemistry between these two characters is off the charts! One specific thing I was very glad to see is the way the authors didn’t sugar coat family trauma, and I loved that the conclusion wasn’t wrapped up in a cute little bow, like a lot of love stories. (I don’t want to spoil it for anyone, but if you know you know!) Once I started reading this book I couldn’t put it down, and I highly recommend it to everyone!
(DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this title from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.)
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