My Take on Magpie Murders

Book Reviews

Like a good mystery? Why not give Magpie Murders a try. It is full of surprises and written in a way unlike I have ever seen before.

Anthony Horowitz, author of Magpie Murders, has an unusual concept in writing a murder within a murder. A two-for-one if you will. The novel, Magpie Murders, is written by the character Alan Conway in the book. The manuscript of Magpie Murders is given to editor Susan Ryeland to read. That is where the reader begins the book, seeing it through Susan’s eyes. Then, just as the reader is engrossed in the who-done-it, the manuscript ends and Susan is in search of the missing chapters and finds herself in a mystery of her own.

I found it an interesting way to write a book and was intrigued by this style. It left the reader yearning to solve one mystery only to start another and then come back to finish the first mystery. I also liked the setting, a small town in England. The suspects all knew each other or were connected in some way.

So, if looking for a new twist on who-done-its, why not give Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz a try. It will be sure to entertain and challenge with more than one mystery under it’s cover. Happy Reading!

Meditation…Not as Easy as it Sounds

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Meditation is good for the soul and has been proven to have health benefits. Meditation helps a person to relax, reduce stress, reduce pain, and clear the mind. Meditation sounds easy enough. Just clear the head for a few minutes. Piece of cake right? Think again!

Meditation is a practice. That literally means it is something one needs to practice in order to get it right. Meditation sounds so simple. Sit cross-legged on a cushion, close the eyes, be at peace while listening to soothing music of waterfalls in the background. Easy enough…until the mind starts to drift and lose it’s focus. What will I make for dinner? I need to add bread to my shopping list. When I get done I need to… What was that noise? The list goes on.

So, yes, meditation takes practice. The idea is to clear all thoughts and focus on breathing. Listening to the breath. However, the mind wants to think of a million other things. This is normal. When meditating, one has to keep re-focusing back to the breath. After a while, it does get easier. At first, meditating for a short period of time is fine. Working up to a goal of, let’s say, ten minutes over time. Once able to become immerged in meditation, one becomes quite relaxed.

Meditation can be done anywhere. No cushion is needed. Sitting in a chair is fine. No background music is needed. Some prefer quiet in order to focus better. All that is needed is just a quiet place where one can focus on their breathing. It is absolutely free. It just requires a little patience and commitment. Practice makes perfect.

For more information on meditation check out the book 8 Minute Meditation by Victor Davich.

Puff Pastry Apple Pies

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Feel like apple pie but want it now? Get out the puff pastry. I’ve got another fast and easy recipe, this time for dessert.

Set the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Take one sheet of puff pastry dough and thaw on the parchment paper. While that is thawing, peel, core and slice 3 apples. Melt a couple of tablespoons of butter in a saute pan and add the apples. Saute until soft. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Sprinkle with a couple tablespoons of sugar (or to taste). (Could also add nutmeg, allspice, raisins, etc…) Set aside.

Once thawed (but not too tacky), roll out puffed pastry a bit with a rolling pin (just a bit). Spread apple mixture on half of pastry. Using a pastry brush, brush water around edges of pastry.

Fold pastry over apples and crimp the edges of pastry top and bottom together with a fork. With a knife, make a slit in top of pie.

Pop in oven and bake for 15 minutes, until puffed and golden. (serves 3-4 persons) Bon Appetit!

Fast and Easy Pizza Using Puff Pastry

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Want a quick and easy week night meal? No time to let pizza dough rise? Sounds like a night for Puff Pastry Pizza!

Set the oven to 400 degrees F and gather the following ingredients, it’s pizza time! What is needed: package of puff pastry dough (find in the freezer section), jar of pesto (or tomatoe sauce, or fresh tomatoes), green pepper (cut into slices), Italian sausage (cooked), onion slices, oregano, basil, garlic, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese.

Let the puff pastry dough thaw enough to work (but not to the point of being tacky). Place the puff pastry on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Roll the dough slightly, especially at the folds to flatten. Top pastry with pesto or sauce of choice leaving a border around the edge for the “crust” to form. Add toppings and herbs. Sprinkle with cheese and pop in the oven for 15 minutes, until puffed and golden.

This is a very light pizza as the puff pastry is nice and flaky. One sheet of puff pastry will serve about two persons, at four sliced squares total. If additional servings needed, use more puff pastry. Serve with a side salad if desired. Fast, easy, and quite tasty indeed!

Puff Pastry Pizza

Having a Bad Day? Serve Chicken

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Is it important to pound chicken breasts before cooking them? Indeed it is! Why not just cook it as is? Will anyone be able to tell the difference? A Master Chef will!

There are several advantages to pounding chicken breasts before cooking. The chicken will cook more evenly as it will be the same thickness. It will also be thinner and in turn will cook faster. Also, by pounding the chicken, it is being tenderized.

Pounding chicken is very simple. Place the chicken on a cutting board meant for meat and cover with plastic wrap. Grab a meat mallet and start pounding in the center working to the edges of the piece of chicken. The goal is to pound to 1/4″ to 1/2″ thick.

So, if having a bad day, why not serve chicken? Get out some frustration by pounding that chicken. The results will be delicious! Bon Appetit!

My Take on The Golden Tresses of the Dead

Book Reviews

If not an avid reader of the Alan Bradley series on Flavia de Luce, do not read past this paragraph. The Flavia de Luce series should be read in order starting with The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. Flavia, an eleven year old with a passion for chemistry, always seems to find a good murder to solve in her small English town of Bishop’s Lacey, set in the 1950’s. While the main character is eleven years old this is not a children’s book. Bradley does his research in chemistry as he relates this to how Flavia can outwit the police and solve the murders in his novels. Read on for my take on book number ten in the series.

The Golden Tresses of the Dead starts out with the residents of Buckshaw preparing for Ophelia’s wedding. Flavia is now twelve years old and the owner of Buckshaw, which gives her many responsibilities. She has also formed a professional partnership with Dogger to solve the mysteries she seems so apt at finding. The novel’s mystery is centered around Ophelia finding a human finger in her wedding cake. Oh my!

While Dogger has helped Flavia in previous cases, this novel is about their partnership. This is meant to make Flavia be taken more seriously as a sleuth, as she is now part of a genuine business. Dogger and Flavia complement each other and one still gets the since of her independence, as she still takes Gladys out for a spin to do her share of the investigating on her own.

Flavia can also be seen to be growing up a bit as she now has a house to run with the help of Dogger and Mrs. Mullet. She is also not the youngest at Buckshaw anymore with cousin Undine living there. Undine is also evolving into more of a storyline in the latest novel as she helps with clues in the mystery. Undine reminds Flavia of herself and therefore is tolerated.

Alan Bradley has delivered yet another interesting read with the latest in the Flavia de Luce series. He has taken his characters to another level to keep the series believable and entertaining. So, head to the nearest bookstore or library and pick-up a copy of The Golden Tresses of the Dead. There is a mystery to be solved!

A Few Thoughts on Hospital Food

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After spending a few nights in the hospital, recovering from surgery, I will share a few thoughts on hospital food. Thinking I would be offered Jello of every color of the rainbow, imagine my surprise when in fact, I was not offered Jello at all. What a relief!

But do not get too excited. Hospital food probably would not live up to Master Chef expectations. My children thought that if they made the food too good, patients would want to stay longer than needed, thus making a shortage of available rooms. True…

The first day, do not expect to get any choices. The tray will magically appear with a little lid over the plate. Lift the lid and voila, the meal is revealed. After that, the nutritionist will take orders either via phone or in person with a handy little I-Pad type device. She’ll be a stickler though, so be aware; she will require the adequate amount of food groups, calories, carbohydrates, etc…

The nutritionist taking my orders was very pleasant not only in personality, but to look at as well. On first introduction, she had on BRIGHT red eye shadow with a matching red flower in her dark hair. The next day, it was BRIGHT blue eye shadow with matching blue hair accessories. She was young and liked to make a statement. This I found uplifting and cheery. I asked her how many shades of eye shadow she owned. Around sixty was her reply. Plus she could mix these palettes, so the possibilities seemed endless.

My biggest tip on eating hospital food is… Be sure to eat the cold foods first. This is important because all of the food trays are delivered to the floor at once; and it takes a while to pass them all out. The hot items come covered to keep the heat in. However, the cold items can get to room temperature pretty quickly. Milk, yogurt, pudding, and the like, will taste better cold. Also, even though ice cream is a dessert, it MELTS! This was the disappointment I faced when I had finally finished my dinner, anticipating the vanilla ice cream to come, only to find it had melted to soup with a small ball of ice cream in the center. Wow! Luckily, my husband knew where to score a replacement and was off to get one right away. Apparently, a nurse told him where to find the freezer with the ice cream, should he want any. The only thing was, they were out of vanilla and only had chocolate or rainbow sherbert. Ice cream is ice cream ,in my opinion, so chocolate it was. Thanks Honey!

Another tip…order the foods that are hard to mess up on. Grilled chicken is usually a safe bet. I thought tilapia would be safe, however, mine came tough and rubbery. I’ve never had that problem with my tilapia at home. Where were they fishing? Mashed potatoes are also a pretty safe bet and as a comfort food will be welcomed. The creamed chicken soup was soothing. As a matter of fact, I ordered it twice. Anything with melted cheese should be eaten pretty quickly (like the ice cream) so the cheese doesn’t get hard. Just saying…

Since the appetite is usually off when in the hospital, it helps to stay with comfort foods. Just listen to the stomach and eat slowly and only the amount that is tolerable. If the tilapia is rubbery, push it aside. Also, remember that it helps to eat the foods in an order that will benefit their temperature, making them more desirable to eat. Mostly, recognize that it is not a five star Michelin restaurant, and hopefully the stay will be short and home cooking will be in sight soon. Bon Appetit!

Baked Brie Puffed Pastry with Raspberry Jam

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Want a quick but elegant appetizer? A baked brie puffed pastry with raspberry jam may be just the ticket. Savory and sweet wrapped up in one package. Let’s get baking…

Ingredients:

  • One sheet of puffed pastry dough (thawed and ready to go)
  • One wheel of brie cheese (8 oz)
  • 4 Tbsp of Raspberry Jam (or jam of choice)

Also Needed:

  • Parchment paper
  • Baking dish

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Roll the puff pastry out just a bit with a rolling pin. ( Note: Do not let puff pastry dough get to warm or it will be sticky. Thaw only until it is workable – no longer.)

Put the brie wheel in the center of the dough.

Spread 4 Tbsp of raspberry jam evenly over the brie.

Fold up the puff pastry dough around the brie to form a little package.

Place on a baking dish lined with parchment paper.

Pop in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the pastry is puffed and has good coloring.

Cut (into approximately 6 pieces) and enjoy! Bon Appetit!

Another Fun Utility Box Just Popped-Up

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I recently spotted an Orville Redenbacher utility box. Why I love this box so much is that it is near a movie theater and of course Orville was famous for his popcorn, which I grew up eating, and of course movie theaters serve popcorn. The box not only has Orville’s portrait on it, but is printed on a classic red and white stripped popcorn box with popcorn spilling out the top. What an absolutely fun box! Love it!

Any fun Utility Boxes in your neck of the woods?

Making Macarons…Round Two

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My first attempt at making macarons was such a hit with the family that I did not waste any time at giving it a second go. This time I had two goals in mind. The first, to accomplish the perfect bake time, second, to try a new flavor.

For my macarons, I chose a pretty pink color with a raspberry butter cream filling. (The raspberry butter cream filling can be found at https://delishably.com/desserts/Macaroon-Fillings-Easy) The recipe I chose would work well with just about any jam flavor. I really enjoy adding the different colors to match the flavors of the macarons. They are a joy to look at as well as to eat.

I baked my macarons for about 10 1/2 minutes this go around. I found this to be a perfect bake for my oven. First goal accomplished!

My family liked the raspberry butter cream filling. I think next time I will try a chocolate ganache; a lemon curd could also be nice. The possibilities seem endless.

Macarons with Raspberry Butter Cream

I must say that making macarons is easily becoming an addiction for me. I do not find it as difficult as people make it out to be. Honestly, the hardest part of the whole process is sifting the almond flour. So do not be intimidated to give macaron baking a try. Bon Appetit!