Book #2: The House I Loved by Tatiana de Rosnay

 

 

I have finished book #2 of 2014.  Well, honestly, I've finished book #3 but am only up to writing about #2.

 

The House I Loved by Tatiana de Rosnay.

The same author who wrote Sarah's Key...which I loved.

 

The story is an ongoing letter to the main character's long deceased husband.  The story takes  place during the "modernization" of Paris. 

 

Keeping my interest from page one, the story has it's ups and downs, funny parts and sad parts.  The author definitely creates a neighborhood among pages.  Rose, the main character, gets you to fall in love with her and the misfit cast of neighbors that she encounters over her years in the house.  Feeling pain for the people who are losing their homes is just one emotion in this rollercoaster ride.

 

 

While I found the book to keep my interest and the build up exciting, the ending was just as momentous but yet lacked something.  It was like a curtain was pulled on the screen and that was that.

 

I want you to make your own opinion tho.

Would I recommend the book?

You bet your sweet bippy I would.

 

Check it out & let me know if you like it.

 

Even better tell me what you are reading now.

I am always looking for good books.

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

Pinterest Fail? No! Pinterest WIN!

Ok, how many of us collect all kind of things on Pinterest & never do anything with it?
I'm guilty of it.
I'm a Pinterest hoarder.

Well not anymore.
I have decided to start doing, instead of collecting.

My first do:

From this great blog: HighHeelsandGrills

It has literally 6 ingredients.

12 oz green beans (I used fresh...frozen may produce too much water)
4 chicken breasts (diced)
1lb red potatoes, chopped
1/2 cup butter
1 (.6oz) Zesty Italian seasoning packet
salt & pepper

The next steps are too easy.

Preheat oven to 350

Layer green beans, chicken & potatoes in 9x13 inch baking dish. Cut your butter into 12-16 slicer & spread evenly thoughout the pan.

Sprinkle the Italian seasoning evenly over the entire pan.
Add salt & pepper to taste (I think you can omit this but I did do it).

Like so:

Now bake for 1 hour.

Here is the end result:

Looks yummy.

Guess what?
I served this to Bob & Cheeks.  (Chris was at his mom's house)

Bob told me I need to make it more often and then proceeded to eat what was left in the dish.

I had a small helping & thought it was super good.
I might cook it a bit longer for the potatoes to not be a bit crunchy but then you run the risk of drying out the chicken...so you take your chances.

This will definitely be going into my cooking rotation.
Although I will increase the amounts due to feeding all men in my house.
Especially Bob...he just kept eating it, eating it & eating it! 

So I say this was a Pinterest Win for sure!!!!!

What have you made from Pinterest?

I'm raising a PLAYA!

Last night, Cheeks & I visited our local Chick-fil-A for dinner. We are both Chick-fil-A fanatics and I happen to be a Chick-fil-A mom…Holla!

Anywho, the young lady who took our order looked very much like a member of the Kardashian family. She was about 18, small stud in her nose and her makeup, while heavy handy, was done beautifully.


As we were standing there waiting for my change, my miniature Don Juan, looks at the young lady & blurts out:


“I like your eyebrows!”


She just giggled and I thought “Well they sort of like like Lily Munster’s eyebrows but what ever floats your boat”

He then turns to me and says “Mom, I think she’s really pretty”

I told him “ Don’t tell me, you have to tell her”

So he looks up at her, big blue eyes sparkling with little hearts & says “You are really pretty!”

She was embarrassed but gracious enough to say “Thank you”.

Cheeks then skipped away to find a table and I stood there thinking to myself, it’s only just begun.

He’s only 7.

Sigh.

First Book of 2014: The Winter Palace by

One of my resolutions this year is to keep track of the books I have read.
See how many I can complete in a year.

The first book I have finished this year is:

The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak

It's a novel about the rise of Catherine the Great. 
The author writes a great, fictitious tale of the rise of Catherine and her royal tongue, Varvara.  It is told from the point of view of the royal tongue.  A bookbinders daughter, orphaned and taken in by the Empress of Russia.

Intriguing at times, catty at others.  I enjoyed the book.  Made me wonder how madness doesn't over take those in power.

I tend to read historical novels.  I'm certain I was born in the wrong century.  LOL
Vivid images are painted of The Winter Palace allowing the reader to feel as if they are there, spying along with the royal tongue!

So would I recommend this book?
You bet your sweet bippy.

Check it out.
Better yet, tell me the last book you read & if I should read it!