cooking – Page 3 – Somewhat Awry

What I’m Reading 09.18.19

Published on September 18, 2019 by Tracie1 Comment

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Well hello there. This has been sitting on the back burner of my life for quite a long time. I’ve had a difficult time sorting my thoughts out about books lately. For months I literally couldn’t concentrate enough to get through a page of a book, much less a whole book. No matter what I picked up my mind would just flutter around and I would realize that I had no idea how far my eyes had read down the page, but my brain was off in lala land.

So. I stopped reading books. For months. I swear I could feel my brain shrinking and my entire being getting stupider by the day. Please, PLEASE don’t take that as a personal insult if you don’t like to read. I know many, many people who are much more intelligent than I am who do not enjoy reading. But for me, reading is like breathing air. I felt like I was suffocating. I thought to myself one day: This must be what writer’s block feels like in a way. Gahh. That’s horrifying.

We went on vacation with my family in June and usually that’s when I can burn through many, many books. I didn’t read a single book this year. I started a LOT of new books and put every single one of them down in frustration.

Then I decided sometime in the middle of July that I was determined to get through a book, so I picked up an old favorite. Books that I’ve read over and over. That way if my mind did wander off in the middle of a sentence it didn’t matter, because once my brain caught up with my eyes I still knew what was going on. Then I read another old favorite and another until we are caught up today.

Light, easy, fun and entertaining reads. That’s what I’ve spent the last month and a half reading. Things that I’ve read over and over. That’s definitely not a complete list of my favorites, but it got me started again and now I can breathe.

I actually picked a new to me book from my ginormous to be read pile and I’m about halfway through, so I’ll tell you all about it next week! That’s all I’ve got. If your brain is stuck in neutral and you can’t bring yourself to finish even one paragraph of a new book, pick up an old favorite and just immerse yourself in it. Your lungs will thank you.

You can see a list of all of the books I read in 2018 here. Just scroll to the bottom of the page.

Books I’ve read in 2019:

Novels:

Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J Maas

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Of Blood and Bone by Nora Roberts

Cookbooks:

Baking with Mary Berry: Cakes, Cookies, Pies, and Pastries from the British Queen of Baking By Mary Berry

Southern Girl Meets Vegetarian Boy by Damaris Phillips

Weight Watchers One Pot Cookbook by Weight Watchers

Non-Fiction:

Cheaper By the Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

Homebody: A Guide to Creating Spaces You Never Want to Leave by Joanna Gaines

The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman

The Backyard Orchardist by Stella Otto

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What I’m Reading Right Now 04.24.19

Published on April 24, 2019 by TracieLeave a comment

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Here you will find all of the books that I’m reading and other books that I have read in the past. You’ve come to the right place to find out about books!

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A Simple Favor by Darcey Bell

I found this book in my and Hayden’s wanderings. I included it in my March book haul. At first I couldn’t decide if I even wanted to read it. I have SO MANY books on my wait list and the reviews were a mixed bag with this book. So I stuck it in my book bag when we left to go home for Easter. I read over half of it in the car on the way to my parents. In one sitting. It helped that our trip was extended by almost three hours courtesy of the weather, roadwork and being stuck on the interstate for more than 2 1/2 hours in traffic.

I’m almost through the book and I’m going to make Denton watch the movie with me this weekend. He doesn’t know that yet, but he won’t mind. TV is his relaxing place and I rarely indulge him for more than an hour a day. I have books to read people!

All of that to say, I found this book to be fast paced, ridiculous at moments, surprising in other moments, and ….. a good read. I don’t know exactly why this surprised me. But, it did. Preconceptions. They are dangerous things in the real world and in books. Which is why Hayden won’t read the back of a book before he reads it. I raised a very smart man.

Let me know what you thought of it!

Smitten Kitchen Every Day: Triumphant and Unfussy New Favorites

By Deb Perelman

I follow Smitten Kitchen on my Instagram and you should too! It is absolute food heaven. And this cookbook is no different. Lovely. Utter loveliness. Check it out….

You definitely have to see this one. It’s absolutely lovely.

That’s all I’ve got for now. What have you been reading? I’m always looking for a new book!

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. Check out what that means to you here.

You can see a list of all of the books I read in 2018 here. Just scroll to the bottom of the page.

Books I’ve read in 2019:

Novels:

Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J Maas

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Of Blood and Bone by Nora Roberts

Cookbooks:

Baking with Mary Berry: Cakes, Cookies, Pies, and Pastries from the British Queen of Baking By Mary Berry

Southern Girl Meets Vegetarian Boy by Damaris Phillips

Weight Watchers One Pot Cookbook by Weight Watchers

Non-Fiction:

Cheaper By the Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

Homebody: A Guide to Creating Spaces You Never Want to Leave by Joanna Gaines

The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman

The Backyard Orchardist by Stella Otto

Save

SaveSave

Save

What I’m Reading Right Now 03.20.19

Published on March 20, 2019 by TracieLeave a comment

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Here you will find all of the books that I’m reading and other books that I have read in the past. You’ve come to the right place to find out about books!

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Cheaper By the Dozen

by Frank B. Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

I started this book last night, and I am loving it. If you didn’t already know, before this was a film it was a book….that is based on the Gilbreths’ family story. And it is hilarious! I hope to finish it tonight. You should definitely check it out.

Baking with Mary Berry: Cakes, Cookies, Pies, and Pastries from the British Queen of Baking

By Mary Berry

I seriously love Mary Berry. She reminds me of ALL of my Mamaw’s wrapped into one. She’s funny, kind, patient, and she still doesn’t take any gruff from Paul Hollywood or anyone else. I love to watch her bake and this book gives me aspirations…..

You definitely have to see this one. It’s absolutely lovely.

That’s all I’ve got for now. What have you been reading? I’m always looking for a new book!

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. Check out what that means to you here.

You can see a list of all of the books I read in 2018 here. Just scroll to the bottom of the page.

Books I’ve read in 2019:

Novels:

Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J Maas

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Of Blood and Bone by Nora Roberts

Cookbooks:

Southern Girl Meets Vegetarian Boy by Damaris Phillips

Weight Watchers One Pot Cookbook by Weight Watchers

Non-Fiction:

Homebody: A Guide to Creating Spaces You Never Want to Leave by Joanna Gaines

The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman

The Backyard Orchardist by Stella Otto

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What I’m Reading Right Now 03.14.19

Published on March 14, 2019 by Tracie1 Comment

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Here you will find all of the books that I’m reading and other books that I have read in the past. You’ve come to the right place to find out about books!

Homebody: A Guide to Creating Spaces You Never Want to Leave

by Joanna Gaines

I LOVED this book. Is it something I would buy and keep? More than likely not, but. This is total eye candy in my opinion. And that’s a great thing. If you want lovely, calming, beautiful examples of what Joanna Gaines does, this book fulfills all of that and more. It is a truly, lovely book. I enjoyed spending a few nights just gazing at all of the spaces that look nothing like mine, lol. Now if I could just muster the energy to paint……

You should definitely check it out at your local library!

That’s all I’ve got for now. What have you been reading? I’m always looking for a new book!

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. Check out what that means to you here.

You can see a list of all of the books I read in 2018 here. Just scroll to the bottom of the page.

Books I’ve read in 2019:

Novels:

Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J Maas

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Of Blood and Bone by Nora Roberts

Cookbooks:

Southern Girl Meets Vegetarian Boy by Damaris Phillips

Weight Watchers One Pot Cookbook by Weight Watchers

Non-Fiction:

The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman

The Backyard Orchardist by Stella Otto

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FREE: 10 Kindle Instant Pot Cookbooks

Published on February 13, 2019 by TracieLeave a comment

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. Check out what that means to you here.

My brother has an Instant Pot and he LOVES it. He makes all kinds of yummy recipes with his. I’ve had one for a couple of years – (a knock off version) and it lives in its box in my kitchen, where it stays nice and safe. I know a lot of people who have blown up the traditional type of pressure cookers, so I am very hesitant to even try my Instant Pot. But my brother has given me the courage to at least take it out of its box and look the thing over.

If you are looking at your Instant Pot longingly too, here are ten FREE kindle Instant Pot cookbooks to give you some courage to actually try it.

Good luck! Let me know what your favorite recipe is, so that I can try it too!

What I’m Reading Right Now 01.23.19

Published on January 24, 2019 by TracieLeave a comment

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Here you will find all of the books that I’m reading and other books that I have read in the past. You’ve come to the right place to find out about books!

SignMission Book Lover Street Sign | Indoor/Outdoor | Funny Home Decor for Garages, Living Rooms, Bedroom, Offices Personalized Gift

In case you’ve noticed, I LOVE this sign. I think I need it. I don’t know where I’d put it, but I want it. That’s why I’m just going to leave it right here for a while. So I can figure out where I can put it in my house. Or maybe my car. Somewhere.

Kingdom of Ash

by Sarah J Maas

I love it when I walk into my library and spy a book I’ve been waiting for – and it’s sitting there on the shelf, waiting for me to find it. Doesn’t that make your day? I can’t wait to get started on this one. If you haven’t heard of Sarah J. Maas, please don’t start with this book, it’s the last in this series – maybe. I hope not. I love it!

My new purse book.

Purse book: A book I keep in my purse at all times to read while I am standing in lines. It keeps me off of Facebook and I might actually learn something useful in the process.

The 5 Love Languages

by Gary Chapman

Have you read this one? I haven’t, but I’ve heard excellent things about it. There are a LOT of these books now, ones for children, men, single’s, teenagers and more. I’m interested to see what I think about this one.

Zero Sugar Cookbook

by David Zinczenko

This was another lovely find at my library. I love a great, full color cookbook. This one doesn’t disappoint.

Ancho Chicken Tortilla Stew. Yum.

Double Ginger Banana-Almond Oatmeal Cookies. Another recipe that I hope hides a disgusting banana. Or at least turns into deliciousness, so that I won’t notice it’s there.

Butternut Squash and Red Pear Soup. I have a butternut squash in my fridge that I might try this one with. I don’t know about the pears……maybe substitute apples?

I am always reading from my giant pile of magazines.

If you want to start your own magazine pile, all the ones below are on sale right now for $5.00! I love them, I’m sure you will too!

Real Simple Better Homes & Gardens Reader's Digest Family Handyman

Men's Health Martha Stewart Living O, The Oprah Magazine AllRecipes

That’s all I’ve got for now. What have you been reading? I’m always looking for a new book!

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. Check out what that means to you here.

You can see a list of all of the books I read in 2018 here. Just scroll to the bottom of the page.

Books I’ve read in 2019:

Novels:

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Of Blood and Bone by Nora Roberts

Cookbooks:

Southern Girl Meets Vegetarian Boy by Damaris Phillips

Weight Watchers One Pot Cookbook by Weight Watchers

Non-Fiction:

The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman

The Backyard Orchardist by Stella Otto

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SaveSave

Save

Easy Salted Brownie Bites

Published on November 16, 2018September 11, 2024 by Tracie10 Comments

Please don’t run away when you see that this recipe is based on a box mix. It’s really good, I promise!

I always keep brownie mix in my cabinets for an easy, quick dessert. Everyone at my house loves them, so I know I won’t eat the entire pan myself, which is a plus. And these will be ready in under 25 minutes – start to finish! You have to try these easy, salted brownie bites tonight. 😀

My favorite – hands down – brownie mix is the Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate brownie mix. But you can use anything for this recipe, because the secret addition is what knocks them out of the park. The secret ingredient is salt, in case you missed it in the title. 😀 But we’ll get to that. Now, let’s make brownies!

Today I used Betty Crockers’s brownie mix, since that was what I had on hand.

And my pink Himalayan Coarse salt. I love this stuff.

Preheat your oven to the appropriate temperature. Make your brownies with the directions on the box. See! How easy is this?

Beat your eggs, oil and water together….

Add your dry mix…..

Mix until just combined.

Spray your pan VERY well. We do NOT want these yummy bites to stick.

I always use my scoop to put the brownie mixture into the pans. Ready to bake!

Just pulled from the oven and piping hot. Now is the time to sprinkle a tiny amount of the pink Himalayan coarse salt on them.

A tiny, tiny amount is so good and makes the chocolate so much more intense.

This is so simple, but it’s also very, very delicious! Enjoy!!

Here’s the handy dandy printable.

Easy Salted Brownie Bites

Print Recipe

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Servings 48 Brownie Bites

Ingredients

1 box of brownie mix your choice!
Ingredients to make brownies eggs, water, oil, etc.
Pink Himilayan coarse salt

Instructions

Mix and bake the brownie mix.
While they are still piping hot, sprinkle a tiny amount of the coarse salt onto the brownie bites,
Enjoy!!

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. Check out what that means to you here.

Fast and Easy Doughnuts

Published on January 7, 2018September 11, 2024 by Tracie14 Comments

Fast and easy doughnuts

How cold is it at your house today? It’s an unbelievable 5* this morning at my house. The perfect morning to make fast and easy doughnuts. You’ll be so, so glad you did!

The first thing to remember about this recipe is to use cheap canned biscuits.

Pop them out of the can – try not have a heart attack waiting for the pop – and cut them into four pieces.

Deep fry them in hot oil until they are golden brown and drain on paper towels.

While they are frying, pour about 1/2 cup of sugar in to a gallon sized ziplock baggie and add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.

Close it up and shake it until it’s combined.

After you drain the doughnuts, while they are still warm, drop them into the sugar/cinnamon mixture and shake until they are covered. Fast and Easy Doughnuts

Then try not to eat them all before your family figures out what you’ve created!

One thing to note about these doughnuts is that they are absolutely divine – when they are warm and just made. But, they do not keep well. So, just keep in mind that you’ll have to eat them all when you make them. It won’t be hard, I promise.

Here’s the handy dandy printable recipe.

Fast and Easy Doughnuts

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Canned biscuits the cheap kind is best!!
Hot oil for deep frying
Sugar
Cinnamon

Instructions

Cut each canned biscuit into quarters.
Deep fry in hot oil until golden brown.
Drain on paper towels.
Mix sugar and cinnamon in a gallon sized ziplock baggie.
Put warm fried doughnuts into the baggie and shake.
Hide in your kitchen and eat the doughnuts until your family discovers what you've made! Enjoy!

Tag: cooking

What I’m Reading 09.18.19

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FREE: 10 Kindle Instant Pot Cookbooks

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What I’m Reading Right Now 01.23.19

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Easy Salted Brownie Bites

Easy Salted Brownie Bites

Ingredients

Instructions

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Fast and Easy Doughnuts

Fast and Easy Doughnuts

Ingredients

Instructions

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Easy Salted Brownie Bites

Ingredients

Instructions

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Like this:

Fast and Easy Doughnuts

Ingredients

Instructions

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Like this: