Friday, August 5, 2022
Recipe - Maple-Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- 2 pounds small sweet potatoes (about 5), peeled and cut lengthwise into 1-inch wedges
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- Sea salt and freshly grated nutmeg, to taste, for serving
DIRECTIONS: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Toss the sweet potatoes on a large, foil-lined rimmed baking sheet with the oil; season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Roast the potatoes for 20 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and toss the potatoes with the syrup.
Back in the oven, roast, tossing twice, until the potatoes are beginning to brown and are tender, about 15 minutes more. To serve, sprinkle warm potatoes with freshly grated lemon zest, sea salt, and nutmeg to taste.
(Recipe and photo courtesy of Food Network)
Tuesday, August 2, 2022
Review - Under the Magnolias
AUTHOR: T.I. Lowe
RATING: ★★★★★
Summary (from Goodreads): This night not only marked the end to the drought, but also the end to the long-held secret we'd kept hidden under the magnolias.
Magnolia, South Carolina, 1980: Austin Foster is barely a teenager when her mama dies giving birth to twins, leaving her to pick up the pieces while holding her six siblings together and doing her best to stop her daddy from retreating into his personal darkness.
Scratching out a living on the family's tobacco farm is as tough as it gets. When a few random acts of kindness help to ease the Fosters' hardships, Austin finds herself relying upon some of Magnolia's most colorful citizens for friendship and more. But it's next to impossible to hide the truth about the goings-on at Nolia Farms, and Austin's desperate attempts to save face all but break her.
Just when it seems she might have something more waiting for her--with the son of a wealthy local family who she's crushed on for years--her father makes a choice that will crack wide-open the family's secrets and lead to a public reckoning. There are consequences for loving a boy like Vance Cumberland, but there is also freedom in the truth.
T. I. Lowe's gritty yet tender and uplifting tale reminds us that a great story can break your heart . . . then heal it in the best possible way.
REVIEW: Such a beautiful story! This was my first time reading this author’s work, and I fell in love with this book! Being an 80’s kid, the music and other references to that decade made my heart swell and brought back some wonderful memories. I truly admired Austin’s strength, determination, and dedication to her family. (Coming from a broken home myself with several younger siblings - I GET IT). It’s also very refreshing to read a story where God is prominent to the plot and the characters lives. Well done, Mrs. Lowe! I can’t wait to read more of your work!
Saturday, July 30, 2022
Recipe - Taco Soup
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 1/4 lbs lean ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
- 2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes with green chiles
- 1 (14 oz) can low-sodium beef broth
- 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 3/4 tsp ground paprika
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 1 1/2 Tbsp dry ranch dressing mix
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups frozen corn
- 1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (14.5 oz) can can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
DIRECTIONS: Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and drizzle lightly with oil.
Add ground beef along with chopped onion, crumbling and stirring occasionally until browned. Add jalapeno and garlic and saute 1 minute longer.
Drain excess fat from beef mixture.
Stir in tomatoes with chiles, beef broth, tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, ranch dressing mix and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover pot with lid and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add in corn, black beans and pinto beans and cook until heated through. Add 1/2 cup water to thin soup if desired. Serve warm and with desired toppings.
NUTRITION INFO: Calories 387; Fat 10g; Saturated Fat 4g; Cholesterol 53mg; Sodium 804mg; Carbohydrates 49g; Fiber 14g; Sugar 5g; Protein 31g
(Recipe and photo courtesy of Cooking Classy)
Saturday, July 23, 2022
Sullivan Book Nook July Update
Weekend pictures from the Little Free Library. Lots of Christian romance books added. If you see something you’d like to have then come on and get it, but please don’t take more than 3 to 4 books at a time. Save some for everyone else to enjoy! If you have any books you’d like to donate, leave them inside the library and send me a message to let me know.
Tuesday, July 5, 2022
Review - Book Lovers
AUTHOR: Emily Henry
RATING: ★★★★
Summary (from Goodreads): One summer. Two rivals. A plot twist they didn't see coming....
Nora Stephens’ life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.
Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away—with visions of a small-town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute.
If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again—in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow—what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.
REVIEW: Such a great story! Emily Henry never disappoints. There were SO many times I caught myself laughing out loud while reading this book. The witty banter between the characters was top-notch and very entertaining. The only reason I didn’t give it five years was due to the angst between Nora and Libby. Their dependency on each other and their anxiety over it seemed overly dramatic at times. Still, I love a great rom-com, and I would highly recommend Book Lovers to those of you out there who love them too.
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