Sarai Henderson's Blog, page 64

Weekly Menu #521 And The Book Of The Week

 

Welcome back to my weekly menu where I share the recipes I'm preparing this week.

Did fall just show up? Is it really sweater weather? I don't know how long this cooler trend and rain will last around here, but I will take it. Although, with all the smoke in the air, its really killing my sinuses.

This is the last day before the kids go back to school and I am left in this house alone again. I have mixed feelings. On one hand, the kids need to get out of this house and leave me alone. They have been here all summer and I need a break. On the other hand, the first couple of weeks is nerve wracking. It can take autistic kids a long time to settle into a new routine, and with the pressures and mental challenges of socializing, things are going to get a bit hairy around here... Oh boy!

This weeks read is The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie. I've not read anything by this author before, but I was assured by the ladies at the Morbid Podcast that I would love it. So here we are. Jumping in with both feet. I will let you know my thoughts shortly.

Lets get to this weeks menu, shall we? Enjoy!

WEEKLY MENU

Monday

Creamy Sausage Pasta

Kids - Mac and Cheese

 

Tuesday

Mongolian Chicken

Kids - Beef Ramen

 

Wednesday

Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Peppers

Kids - English Muffin Pizzas

 

Thursday

Smoked Sausage and Sweet Potato

Kids - Chicken and Mashed Potato Bowls

 

Friday

Air fried Crispy Chicken

Kids - Chicken and Rice Bowls

 

Saturday

Garlic Butter Steak Bites

Kids - Chicken Nuggets and Fries

 

Sunday

Family Dinner

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

Cheese Quesadillas

Sunday Confessions #214

 

Hello Sunday! Welcome back to my weekly confessions and recap of the blog.

Sunday Confessions #213~Weekly Menu #520 And The Book Of The Week~Book Review: September House by Carissa Orlando~Book Review: Empty Smiles by Katherine Arden~
Life Confessions: Post #8

Weekly Menu #521 And The Book Of The Week~
August 2023 Wrap Up~Book Review: Mislaid in Parts Half-Known by Seanen McGuire~Recipe: Blackberry Oatmeal Cookies~Book Review: Most Wanted by Rae Carson~Life Confessions: Post #9~Sunday Confessions #215

85/100 2023 Reading Challenge~56/196 in my Star Wars Legends challenge~63/341 Gilmore Girls challenge~71/100 in my 100 books before you die challenge

I'm making headway on my challenges. A good feeling, but some of the books on those lists have thick hips and will take a while. I'm not sure if I want to leave those to the end or just keep going down the list like I've been doing. We shall see.
Happy reading, friends!

Life Confessions: Post #8

 

The lifestyle of a PNW mom, avid reader, exballerina and food lover.
Hello, my friends!
Its been a relatively quiet week around the hovel. I'm grateful for that. With school starting next week for the boys, I need a little quiet before chaos ensues.
I hate to talk about the weather, but there have been some forest fires close by, and another one that popped up last week from a thunderstorm that rolled through the area. Its bringing lots of smoke that's stuffing up my head and giving me headaches. Where is the rain?

Lets not forget the delicious blackberry cookies, made with freshly picked blackberries from my backyard. I will have to share the recipe on the blog next week. 
Also, the last picture is of me, trying to take a picture of a wet kitten, but the camera was pointed towards me. Figures. I look like a goof, lol.
Thanks for stopping by this week. Leave your favorite cookie recipe below so I can try them.

Book Review: Empty Smiles by Katherine Arden

A book review of Katherine Arden's Empty Smiles, 4th book in the Small Spaces series.

Title: Empty Smiles

By: Katherine Arden

Genre: Horror

Pages: 208

Release Date: August 9th, 2022

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Rating: ★★★★☆

 

Summary from Goodreads:New York Times bestselling author Katherine thrills once again in the finale to the critically acclaimed, spook-tacular quartet that began with Small Spaces.
It’s been three months since Ollie made a daring deal with the smiling man to save those she loved, and then vanished without a trace. The smiling man promised Coco, Brian and Phil, that they’d have a chance to save her, but as time goes by, they begin to worry that the smiling man has lied to them and Ollie is gone forever. But finally, a clue surfaces. A boy who went missing at a nearby traveling carnival appears at the town swimming hole, terrified and rambling. He tells anyone who'll listen about the mysterious man who took him. How the man agreed to let him go on one condition: that he deliver a message. Play if you dare.
Game on! The smiling man has finally made his move. Now it’s Coco, Brian, and Phil’s turn to make theirs. And they know just where to start. The traveling carnival is coming to Evansburg.
Meanwhile, Ollie is trapped in the world behind the mist, learning the horrifying secrets of the smiling man's carnival, trying everything to help her friends find her. Brian, Coco and Phil will risk everything to rescue Ollie—but they all soon realize this game is much more dangerous than the ones before. This time the smiling man is playing for keeps.
The summer nights are short, and Ollie, Coco, Brian, and Phil have only until sunrise to beat him once and for all—or it’s game over for everyone.

 

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Review:I really love this creepy series.
What really makes this book stand out for me was the humanization of the villain. Even though his motives were horrendous and dark, the reasons why behind those motives came to light toward the end, and our main characters even wanted to help.
I loved Ollie. She was strong, courageous and wonderfully written.
Favorite Quote: "Sometimes his smiles were scary, and sometimes they were friendly, but they never meant what you thought they did."
I gave this book 4 our of 5 stars. It was wonderful and a quick read. Made it through in just a few hours. Would be a great read for a dark and stormy night. 

Book Review: September House by Carrisa Orlando

 Book review on Carissa Orlando's upcoming release, September House.

Title: The September House

By: Carissa Orlando

Genre: Horror

Pages: 336

Release Date: September 5th, 2023

Publisher: Berkley

Rating: ★★★★★

 

Summary from Goodreads:A woman is determined to stay in her dream home even after it becomes a haunted nightmare in this compulsively readable, twisty, and layered debut novel.
When Margaret and her husband Hal bought the large Victorian house on Hawthorn Street—for sale at a surprisingly reasonable price—they couldn’t believe they finally had a home of their own. Then they discovered the hauntings. Every September, the walls drip blood. The ghosts of former inhabitants appear, and all of them are terrified of something that lurks in the basement. Most people would flee.
Margaret is not most people.
Margaret is staying. It’s her house. But after four years Hal can’t take it anymore, and he leaves abruptly. Now, he’s not returning calls, and their daughter Katherine—who knows nothing about the hauntings—arrives, intent on looking for her missing father. To make things worse, September has just begun, and with every attempt Margaret and Katherine make at finding Hal, the hauntings grow more harrowing, because there are some secrets the house needs to keep.

 

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Review:If this book isn't made into a movie, I will be so mad.
Carissa Orlando had me glued to the pages with her dark story of ghosts and murder. There were so many layers within these pages. I found myself wondering if the main character Margaret was going crazy, or was it something else. Usually I can figure out the plot long before the end of the book, but this read had me guessing the whole time.Margaret seemed to be a super sweet character who drove the story forward with how easy it was for her to brush her situation under the rug and hide the ghostly happenings from those who entered the home. This quiet demeanor kept me off guard as the story climaxed. Wonderful!
I loved the scene when the priest opened the basements door and his whole mouth filled with flies. It was truly disgusting and frankly awesome.  
This book deserves 6 stars, but since I'm only allowed to give 5 out of 5 stars, that is what you get. Loved this book and can't wait to see what else Orlando has for me.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

Weekly Menu #520 And The Book Of The Week

 

Hello Monday! Welcome back to my weekly menu, where I share my recipes for the week and some insight into what's been going on at the hovel.

I always hate that first week back to normal right after vacation. Its been rough. Work is busy, mainly due to other people out on vacation. The weather is hot and there are a lot of forest fires in the area bringing smoke our way. Its killing my lungs and giving me headaches. I want to hide inside, but there is so much to do outside to get read for fall.

This weeks read is Most Wanted by Rae Carson. I'm really getting into the good part of the Star Wars timeline and I'm excited to read about Han Solo.

Lets get to this weeks menu. I know that's what you came here for.

WEEKLY MENU
Monday
Beer Battered Fish Tacos
Kids - Cheese Quesadillas
 
Tuesday
Beef and Broccoli
Kids - Mac and Cheese
 
Wednesday
Smothered Fritos Bowls
Kids - Fritos and Cheese
 
Thursday
Spaghetti Night
Kids - Ramen
 
Friday
Tequila Lime Grilled Chicken Club
Kids - Grilled Cheese
 
Saturday
Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich
 
Sunday
Leftovers Night

Sunday Confessions #213

 

Hello! Welcome to my Sunday confessions.
Its been a long week. If you haven't read my life post from yesterday, go back and check it out. All the details from our vacation are there.

Weekly Menu #519 And The Book Of The Week~Book Review: Gallant by V.E. Schwab~Book Review: Mother's Who Can't Love by Susan Forward~Life Confessions: Post #7

Weekly Menu #520 And The Book Of The Week~Book Review: September House by Carissa Orlando~Book Review: Empty Smiles by Katherine Arden~Life Confessions: Post #8~Sunday Confessions #214




Rewrite the stars by James Arthur and Anne-Marie.

83/100 2023 Reading Challenge~55/196 in my Star Wars Legends challenge~63/341 Gilmore Girls challenge~65/100 in my 100 books before you die challenge

Another wonderful week on the blog. Happy reading, friends!

Life Confessions: Post #7

 

The lifestyle of a PNW mom, avid reader, exballerina and food lover. 
Another lifestyle post that is going to be huge.
As most of you know, we took our boys on vacation last week. It was a blast although tiering.
Day 1
Our hotel room was right on the beach with a wonderful view of the ocean. Although I'm a little disappointed that we didn't have a balcony to sit and sip our wine and watch the world pass by, there was a table by the windows where I could soak up the sun for a while and sip out of my plastic hotel room cup. I did notice that none of the other hotels along the promenade had balconies either, so I'm assuming when those buildings were built, balconies weren't a thing. Good to know for next time.
On a side note, we watched a wedding from the window, so that was fun.
The first day started out with a long drive. We had the car soo packed full of our gear and the dog, it was like riding in a clown car, but we made it. We don't usually take the dog on trips with us, but for personal reasons I will not be sharing, she came along with us this time and I'm pretty sure she had a blast.
Our first stop was the Tilamook Cheese Factory. If you are from the PNW, you just know. This is one of my favorite places on the coast and of course, I picked up a pack of cheese curd to go with my Marth Stewart wine... :D Lunch was at Seaside Brewing Company. Fun fact: The building used to be the old jail.
The food was decent, but it was hot out and we had to eat outside so the dog wasn't left in the hot car. She of course wanted to talk to every other dog that was out there, which was a lot. Apparently, everyone else had the same idea we did. We finished off the day with a trip to the Seaside Aquarium. Its still as shitty as last time, but the boys love to feed the seals. You would think with the amount they charge everyone to enter, they would spend some money on updates, but no...
Day 2
Day two was all for play. They boys had already spotted activities they wanted to do. First on the list was bumper cars. After watching how hard those cars smashed into each other (Glad I decided not to go on them) I wondered if I should have let my brain injured child go, but I was assured he could go back to normal activates now. Not sure how normal bumper cars are though.
My youngest said he would give the bumper cars 10 out of 10, but would never go on them again. You and me both, child.
We then hit up the arcade before lunch which was at Mo's. If you haven't been to a Mo's you need to go. They are all over the Oregon Coast and at the Portland airport, so if you are passing through, check it out.
After lunch was more arcade. I've come to the conclusion, my children are too talk for the games. They had to hunch over to hit the controls.

We spent as much time as we could having fun in town and on the beach. We are all worn out and glad to be home... Even the dog.

Book Review: Mother's Who Can't Love by Susan Forward

 A book review on Mothers Who Can't Love: A Healing Guide for Daughters by Susan Forward.

Title: Mothers Who Can't Love

By: Susan Forward

Genre: Non-Fiction

Pages: 304

Release Date: October 1st, 2014

Publisher: Harper

Rating: ★★★★★

 

Summary from Goodreads:With Mothers Who Can't Love: A Healing Guide for Daughters, Susan Forward, Ph.D., author of the smash #1 bestseller Toxic Parents, offers a powerful look at the devastating impact unloving mothers have on their daughters—and provides clear, effective techniques for overcoming that painful legacy.
In more than 35 years as a therapist, Forward has worked with large numbers of women struggling to escape the emotional damage inflicted by the women who raised them. Subjected to years of criticism, competition, role-reversal, smothering control, emotional neglect and abuse, these women are plagued by anxiety and depression, relationship problems, lack of confidence and difficulties with trust. They doubt their worth, and even their ability to love.
Forward examines the Narcissistic Mother, the Competitive Mother, the Overly Enmeshed mother, the Control Freak, Mothers who need Mothering, and mothers who abuse or fail to protect their daughters from abuse.
Filled with compelling case histories, Mothers Who Can’t Love outlines the self-help techniques Forward has developed to transform the lives of her clients, showing women how to overcome the pain of childhood and how to act in their own best interests.
Warm and compassionate, Mothers Who Can’t Love offers daughters the emotional support and tools they need to heal themselves and rebuild their confidence and self-respect.

 

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Review:I picked up this book to try and understand my husband and the relationship he has with his mother. Although I now hold a deep heartache for his lost childhood, I now know more about how I can help and how I can give him the love that he deserved.
There are a lot of in-depth insights that made a lot of sense and were written in a way that was easy to understand, but didn't bore me to death. 

Favorite Quote:

"You are not allowed to have a life that doesn't involve me. You are not allowed to keep any secrets from me. You must never love anyone more than you love me. If you don't want what I want, it means you don't love me."
I rated this book 5 stars out of 5. There was so much to learn and understand in this book. Even if you felt the love of your mother as a child, there is something to understand here about other's who don't. The compassion that I learned, I will share with my children, and I will try not to make those same mistakes.

Book Review: Gallant by V.E. Schwab

A book review on V.E. Schwab's Gallant.

Title: Gallant

By: V.E. Schwab

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 338

Release Date: March 1st, 2022

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Rating: ★★★★☆

 

Summary from Goodreads:Everything casts a shadow. Even the world we live in. And as with every shadow, there is a place where it must touch. A seam, where the shadow meets its source.
Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for girls, and all she has of her past is her mother’s journal—which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home—to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home, it doesn’t matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways.
Olivia knows that Gallant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant—but not. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now Olivia sees what has unraveled generations of her family, and where her father may have come from.
Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him?

 

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Review:Another wonderful read by V.E. Schwab.
The darkness that seeps from this book is intriguing and complete. Schwab's writing brings out the story with colorful pictures of the paranormal. I was really sucked in by this story.
Olivia Prior is that kind of character that has such a sad backstory, but keeps going. You would follow her to the ends of the world if you could, just to watch her over come the odds. Something she did wonderfully in the end.
Favorite Quote:“Stay with me. Stay with me. Stay with me. I would write the words a thousand times if they'd be strong enough to hold you here.”
I gave this book a solid 4 out of 5 stars. It kept me interested the whole read and had a really interesting storyline.
V.E. Schwab is an incredible writer. I can't wait to see what else she comes up with.