Recipe: Zucchini Loaf

Ingredients

• 3 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup oil
• 3 cups shredded zucchini (I always use frozen zucchini, so thaw it first, and then squeeze all the water out of it before mixing with other ingredients)
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 cup coconut or 1/2 cup crushed pineapple

Steps

1. In one bowl, mix eggs, sugar and oil together.
2. Add to the shredded and dried zucchini. Mix in.
3. Add vanilla.
4. In separate bowl combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda.
5. Add to zucchini mixture.
6. Mix thoroughly.
7. Add coconut and/or pineapple. If you want both you could do 1/2 cup coconut and 3/4 cup pineapple.
8. Pour mixture into two greased loaf pans.
9. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

*Makes two loaves

- Recipe from my Nana :)

Recipe: Beef Taco Skillet

Ingredients

• 1 lb of ground beef
• 2 tsp garlic powder or garlic salt
• 1 tsp onion powder or onion salt
• 1 can corn, drained
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 3 Tbsp taco seasoning (full Old El Paso packet)
• 8-9 oz of pasta (I used penne)
• 1 cup water
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 1/2 cup shredded cheese (colby jack or mozzarella)

Steps

1. Brown hamburger in large skillet. Drain.
2. Add all above ingredients, except for cheese, to the skillet.
3. Bring to a boil, and then turn down to a simmer.
4. Cover for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Sprinkle cheese on top.
6. Cover and cook until cheese is melted.

- Recipe based from The Domestic Geek, with some alterations by myself (green pepper, salts, mozzarella cheese, amount of pasta)

I added the cheese on after, instead of letting it melt in the skillet.

Recipe: Pancakes

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1 Tbsp white sugar
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp cinnamon or 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Steps

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and baking powder together. Mix well with a fork.
2. Before adding the eggs to the big bowl, I like to beat them a little with a fork. Then I add them to the flour mixture.
3. Add milk and vegetable oil. Stir in well.
4. Add cinnamon or chocolate chips and stir to mix.
5. Heat a griddle to 350 degrees. I put about 1/2 Tbsp of oil onto the griddle and spread it around.
6. Pour pancake mix onto griddle. I usually do circles, but like to do Mickey Mouse shaped pancakes. I'd like to eventually get some shape stencils so I can make letters or other objects.
7. Flip after 1-2 minutes (I leave mine longer than usual because I like them a little crispy).
8. Flip again after 1-2 minutes.
9. Serve with butter and maple syrup!

Product Review: Melissa & Doug Wooden Puzzles

Last week I went to Scholar's Choice in a mall close-by, and found a lot of neat puzzles for toddlers. Ryan has been showing an interest in doing puzzles, so I thought I would be on the lookout for different puzzles that he can do. I have some floor puzzles that I do with him - he can't figure out where the pieces go based on their shapes yet.

However, the Melissa & Doug wooden peg puzzles have been an amazing find! They're puzzles that he likes doing and can actually do on his own! He can lift the pieces out and move them around the way he wants to. Also, because the puzzles have the pictures of the pieces underneath, he can visualize where they go. It's super! I ended up buying one at Scholar's Choice, and another at Chapter's the next day. He enjoys doing them himself (although he still likes doing the other puzzles with me).

He likes to call out the names of the pieces too - great vocab enhancer!

I absolutely love that he can see the pictures underneath.

Doing it all himself!

It keeps him calm and focussed for a little while too.

The fire truck is definitely his favourite.

The puzzles I have so far for him are:

• Transportation wooden peg puzzle
• Construction site wooden peg puzzle

Recipe: Pepper Steak

Ingredients

• top sirloin grilling steak (cut into strips)
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 onion (sliced)
• 1-2 green peppers (sliced)
• beef bouillon cubes/package (I use OXO)
• 1/4 cup soya sauce
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1 Tbsp corn starch
• rice to serve over

Steps

1. Fry steak in vegetable oil in large skillet. Remove steak and put into a bowl for a few minutes.
2. Add strips of onion and peppers to the leftover oil in the hot skillet, and saute until golden.
3. Add steak back into the skillet, and mix into vegetables.
4. Prepare beef broth with the bouillon cubes or package. The OXO package requires 3/4 cup of boiled water to be mixed with one package. Add to steak mixture.
5. Add soya sauce and stir in.
6. Prepare thickener by mixing cold water with corn starch in a small cup. Add to steak mixture once it is stirred well together.
7. Bring mixture to a boil, and then let simmer for 10-15 minutes.
8. Prepare rice during the last 5-7 minutes of cooking.

- Recipe from my Mommy

Recipe: Beef Chili

Ingredients

• 1 lb extra lean ground beef (or lean)
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can kidney beans
• 1 green pepper (optional)
• 1 onion (optional)
• cayenne pepper
• chili powder
• 2-3 cups macaroni or penne
• 1 cup shredded cheese

Steps

1. Brown ground beef in large skillet. Add diced onion once brown.
2. Add diced green pepper, and brown for a few minutes.
3. Add can of tomatoes (including the water in the can).
4. Add can of kidney beans (including the water in the can).
5. Mix together, and bring to a boil.
6. Add cayenne and chili powder to taste (I use quite a bit, but some people don't like it as spicy).
7. Mix in and let boil for 5 minutes.
8. Turn to simmer/minimum heat until ready to serve.
9. Cook pasta and shred cheese while waiting.

- Recipe used by my parents as I grew up, and now one of my own favourites to make.

Book Review: No Child of Mine

No Child of Mine
by Susan Lewis
2013
560 pages

Synopsis:
Alex Lake’s life is centered on helping people. Her job as a social worker in a British seaside town is more than a career: It’s the very essence of who she is. And though there are frustrations, Alex takes to heart the rewards of placing a child in a safe and loving home. But when she encounters three-year-old Ottilie Wade, Alex is completely unprepared for the effect the sweet, shy little girl has on her. Though on the surface Ottilie seems to want for nothing—she’s perfectly healthy and lives in a very nice home—she’s mysteriously silent and asocial. Alex knows that something is not right in the Wade house. And the deeper she looks into the case, the more Alex comes to feel that she and Ottilie are being drawn together by fate.

As disturbing evidence mounts and Alex’s superiors seem unwilling to help, Alex knows she will have to risk everything—her job and the life she loves—to save Ottilie. But Alex will also have to wrestle the demons of her own past before she can secure a future for this child in need.

Rating: 3 / 5 Stars

My Review:
I enjoyed this book much more than the other Susan Lewis novel that I read. The writing wasn't so descriptive, and the story was well told. The characters were very believable, and I was able to really connect with the main character, Alex Lake, and understand her side of the story. The material in the novel was a lot more tragic than I was expecting. There were situations involving child abuse that I was not prepared to read about. It's really apparent to me that now that I'm a mommy, things like that happening in a book are very disturbing for me to read. Lewis did it in a very tasteful and well-written manner, and the shock-factor definitely had the right effect that she was probably going for. The ending was a little odd to me - not at all what I was expecting. Nor was it realistic (or so I think). It was a happy and interesting ending which Alex and Otillie definitely deserved to have after everything they'd been through, but it was not what I was expecting at all. I'll read another novel of hers in a little bit, and see if I continue to enjoy her storytelling.

Book Review: The Family of Jesus

Heart of the Story: The Family of Jesus
by Karen Kingsbury
2014
240 pages

Synopsis
Through The Family of Jesus, listeners will develop an emotional connection to the family members of Jesus, learning about their lives and falling in love with Scripture along the way. Bible studies and devotionals abound, and in churches everywhere people gather to seek a deeper understanding of God’s word and its application to their lives. But too often these studies engage only the analytic approach to Bible learning.

In The Family of Jesus, #1 New York Times bestselling novelist Karen Kingsbury will make you laugh, cry, and ultimately care more deeply about the Bible by helping you grasp the truths in Scripture not just with your mind, but with your heart. The characters in these short stories were among those closest to Jesus—Mary, Joseph, Jesus’ brother James, John the Baptist, Zechariah, and Elizabeth. Each has a compelling tale to tell. Kingsbury intersperses fictional, emotionally gripping details anchored in Scripture with historical and theological insights and questions that will guide soul-searching and reflection.

The Family of Jesus not only provides a deeper understanding of the relatives of our Savior, but also helps listeners acquire tools that will draw them closer to Christ, to the Scriptures, and to each other.

Rating: 5 / 5 Stars

My Review:
A beautifully written novel looking at the lives of 6 family members of Jesus: his parents, Mary and Joseph, his aunt and uncle, Elizabeth and Zechariah, his cousin John the Baptist, and his brother James. I found the stories worked well together and told the story of Jesus' upbringing and ministry quite well. There were some parts that were obviously made up as it's not mentioned in the Bible, but that needed to happen in order to pull all the stories together, and to adequately portray the different character's lives. It was well-written, descriptive, and interesting to read about each of their different perspectives. I also like that she added a Bible Study to the novel, so that you could either work on it through your own devotions, or do it with a church group. Next time I'll get it from the library without doing the "Express" read, so I can take some time doing the studies.

Book Review: No Turning Back

No Turning Back
by Susan Lewis
2012
544 pages

Synopsis:
Eva Montgomery is at the peak of her career when she is viciously attacked by a stalker. While still traumatised, she makes the biggest mistake of her life -- one she can never turn back from.

Sixteen years later, Eva has managed to rebuild her life in a way that seemed impossible after the attack. Her home in Dorset, high on the cliffs overlooking the sea, is as elegant as she is, but bears none of the scars. To an outsider, her world seems perfect in every way.

Then the past invades the present -- with shattering consequences.

Hurt, frightened and confused, Eva struggles desperately to put right the terrible mistake she made sixteen years ago and finally break free from a past that nearly destroyed her.

Rating: 2 / 5 Stars

My Review:
At first I thought I wouldn't be able to finish this book. The beginning was really long and drawn-out, and somewhat confusing. I decided to keep plugging along, and I'm glad I did, because the story did pick up and get more interesting. The characters were interesting and the dialogue was pretty good. There were many spots where I had to go back and re-read a section because I wasn't sure what was going on, or who did what, etc. Then there were other parts that I skimmed quickly because it was a lot of drawn-out detail. I'm glad I stuck through it though, as I really enjoyed the ending and how things came to a close. I will try more of her novels because she has good story ideas, but I hope the writing style improves or differs from this one.

Recipe: Chocolate Macaroons

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 cups oatmeal
• 1 cup coconut
• 6 Tbsps cocoa
• 1 tsp vanilla

Steps

1. In a large pot, combine butter, sugar and milk.
2. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring often.
3. Meanwhile get other ingredients ready, in separate bowls/containers.
4. Once mixture has boiled, remove from heat.
5. Add in cocoa and stir.
6. Add in vanilla and stir.
7. Add in coconut and stir.
8. Add in oatmeal and stir.
9. When mixture is stirred in completely, drop by spoonful onto wax paper on baking pans.
10. Refrigerate/Freeze until set.

- Taken from my Mom's recipe