The Wizard Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

The second book in the Heir Chronicles is The Wizard Heir, and I must say I liked this book even better than the first, and I LOVED the first.

The Wizard Heir is the story of Seph McCauley, who has been to and been kicked out of several boarding schools over the last few years.  Seph grew up knowing that he was a wizard, but also knowing very little about his family.  He knows that what he has been told about his family is a lie and all he wants is answers.  In the book Seph gets sent to the Havens, an all boys school, and discovers that the alumni and staff are all wizards.  The story goes on to tell of Seph's troubles at the school, his escape and finding out who his family really is.  During the story Seph ends up in Trinity and Jack, Ellen and quite a few other characters from The Warrior Heir show up to add to the story.  This is a really great book, and I loved how the author included/continued characters and story plots from the first book while adding Seph and a few other interesting characters.  For more information about The Heir Chronicles please visit the author, Cinda Williams Chima's website, www.cindachima.com.

 

 

Enjoy,
Tabitha

 

*you can purchase this book from Amazon.com

**pictures are from www.cindachima.com and Amazon.com

The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

So I have been reading the first three books of the Heir Chronicles and I just finished, I have been wanting to blog about these books but I could not seem to put them down.  The first three books are called The Warrior Heir, The Wizard Heir and The Dragon Heir.  I am going to start by telling you about the first in the series, The Warrior Heir.

The first book is about Jack, an average high school student who almost died when he was a baby (OK, not so average).  So since he was a baby he has had to take medicine for his heart.  However one day he forgets and everything goes crazy.  Jack finds out that he is a Warrior Heir and maybe the last of his kind.  As if that's not enough he also finds that there are wizards and other non-wizard weir out there.  The biggest problem is that the wizards want to capture him, so that they can play him in the game, which gives its winner control over the other wizards and non-wizard weir.  As the story unfolds Jack goes thru a lot of ups and downs trying to figure out what is best for him and his family and friends.  The end is great it finishes part of Jacks story while leaving you waiting for more :)

This book will keep you up late at night wanting to know what will happen next.  I think that I finished it in two or three days it was so good.  Cinda Williams Chima knew what she was doing when she wrote this book.  Please check out her web site, www.cindachima.com.

 

Enjoy,

Tabitha

 

* you can purchase this book from amazon.com

** pictures are from Cinda Williams Chima's web site, www.cindachima.com

 

Snickerdoodle Cookies

This past weekend I wanted to take something special to a class that I have been attending.  I decided that I would take my Great Aunt Carol's Snickerdoodle Cookies.  I don't know where she got the recipe but I have been making these cookies for as long as I have known how to bake, my mom calls these one of my specialties.  Snickerdoodles are a favorite in my house and as soon as I bake them they seem to be gone.  They were a great hit at the class, everyone enjoyed them.  Here is the recipe, I hope that you like them as much as my family and friends do.

Great Aunt Carol's
Snickerdoodle Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup shortening
1/2 cup margarine softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

*you will also need some cinnamon sugar, about a half cup sugar and about a half teaspoon cinnamon in a bowl you can eye ball this

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix shortening, margarine, sugar and eggs until combined.
Add flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt until combined
Roll into 1 in balls and then coat in cinnamon sugar.  Bake 8 to 10 minutes.

Enjoy,

Tabitha

Casa Carbone and Longbranch

Last night was our monthly BFF Night Out.  It was my turn to pick where we went out to eat and what we did afterwards.  I picked Casa Carbone for dinner and Ashton had been wanted to go back to the Longbranch since her birthday, so that is what we did.

First off Casa Carbone was really good, it is a cute little Italian restaurant.  Inside was very nice there were little candles on all the tables and it had good ambiance.  Ashton and Dennys had the fettuccine alfredo and I had the vegetarian lasagna.  All I have to say is yummy, the lasagna was so good it took a little while to get our food but once it came it was wonderful.  My lasagna had spinach and mushrooms in it and the marinara sauce was the best I have had.  I forgot to take a picture of it but I was hungry and did not think about it till my food was gone :(  Ashton and Dennys' fettuccine looked really good too.

After we ate we headed over to Longbranch which is a country bar with a huge dance floor.  We had so much fun, we got to play pool in the sports lounge and line dance.  BTW I really need to work on my pool game I was terrible :)  What I really like about Longbranch though is that there are different areas for different people.  In part of the Longbranch there is a club like area that plays all different kinds of music, so if country is not your thing you can still go and have a good time.  While we were there, the band Honeysuckle Ridge played and they were awesome.  I had not heard of them before but I am so glad that I have now.

Many thanks to Ashton and Dennys for going out last night, I had a blast and I hope you both did as well.

Enjoy,

Tabitha

Casa Carbone picture was taken from their website: http://www.casacarbone.com/

Longbranch and Honeysuckle Ridge pictures were taken from: http://longbranchraleigh.com/ 

Trisha Yearwood's Sweet and Saltines

Last night my family wanted something sweet after dinner, so I decided to try a recipe that I saw on Sunday's episode of Trisha's Southern Kitchen.  She referred to these Sweet and Saltines as crack (lol) so I had to try them.  Mine did not turn out as pretty as hers but this was just my first batch, I will be making them again.  My family loved them and yes they are addicting once you have had some.  They are a really good combination of sweet and salty, they were also really easy to make and easy to clean up.  Here is the recipe and check out Trisha's Southern Kitchen it comes on Sunday on the Food Network.

Trisha Yearwood's
Sweet and Saltines

Ingredients:
Cooking spray
35-40 saltines
2 sticks butter (1 cup)
1 cup light brown sugar
8 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Line one large or two small cookie sheets with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray.  Arrange saltines on cookie sheet(s).  In med. sauce pan melt the butter and brown sugar until boiling and light caramel color.  Pour over crackers, covering evenly.

Bake for 3 to 5 minutes until bubbly, watching carefully.  Remove from oven and put on chocolate chips, let melt and spread evenly with a knife.

Place cookie sheet in freezer to harden up 15 to 20 minutes.  Break into pieces and enjoy, store leftovers in air tight container.

Enjoy,

Tabitha

*This picture of Trisha Yearwood is from Food Network.

Taste of Home's Beef Enchiladas

Baking has always been one of my favorite things to do, however, I have never been much of a cook.  Unless you count boxed mac and cheese (I've been told I make the best ever (its just Kraft)).  Well anyways I don't count boxed mac and cheese as cooking so, I have wanted to learn a signature dish that can be my specialty.  One of my favorite foods is my Aunt Linda's Beef Enchiladas, I don't know where she got the recipe but they are so so so GOOD.  This is the second time I have tried to make enchiladas and this time they turned out pretty good (still not as good as Aunt Linda's though).  The recipe I found was from Taste of Home and is below, make sure that you read your whole recipe because I forgot to add the can of tomato soup :( they were still good though.

Taste of Home
Beef Enchiladas
20 servings

Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds ground beef
2/3 cup chopped onion (I left this out)
2 cans (15 oz. each) enchilada sauce (I could only find 10 oz. cans so I had to use 3 cans)
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) condensed tomato soup, undiluted
20 flour tortillas (8 in.) warmed
2 1/2 cups (10 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
additional shredded cheddar cheese
*Optional: Nacho Doritos, Sour cream, taco sauce, lettuce(torn or chopped up)

Directions:
In a large skillet cook beef and onion, drain.  Combine enchilada sauce and soups, mix.  Stir 1 1/2 cups of sauce into meat: Pour 1 cup sauce into each of two oblong cake pans.  Set rest of sauce to side.

Spoon 1/4 cup beef onto center of each tortilla, top with cheese.  Roll up tightly and place 10 seam side down in each pan.  Top with remaining sauce and sprinkle extra cheese on top.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

You can freeze one pan for later if you like.

I put my enchiladas on a bed of lettuce and Doritos then top with sour cream and taco sauce.

So Good (still not as good as my Aunt Linda's though :)

Enjoy,

Tabitha

The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

Last week I read The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen and I absolutely loved it.  Sarah Addison Allen is a North Carolina author from Asheville, NC.  She has written four books total and she is one of my favorite authors.  All of her books have these magical elements that leave you wanting more.  I have read all of her books and they were all really great novels.  I can't wait to read the next one :)

The Peach Keeper is about these two young women, Willa and Paxton, who don't seem to have much in common.  However, in the end they become good friends when they solve the identity of a body that is found on the grounds of what once used to be Willa's family home and which Paxton has renovated.  This book has it all, mystery, friendship, and two love stories.  I hope that you read it and tell me what you think.  You can find out more about Sarah Addison Allen on her website, http://www.sarahaddisonallen.com/, which is where I got these wonderful pictures from.

Enjoy,

Tabitha

*You can purchase this book from amazon.com