May Book Review

Beastly by Alex Flinn
I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemmingway
Luxe By Anna Godbersen
Magic Lost, Trouble Found by Lisa Shearin
Eat Your Way To Happiness by Elizabeth Somer
Blindness by Jose Saramago (abandoned)
Dark Lover by JR Ward (review coming soon)
Eat This, Not That 2010 by David Zinczanko

Eight books for me this month! Yes, I'm very pleased with myself. I was hoping to get another book read this Memorial Day weekend but I didn't. Oh well!
I attempted to read Blindness. Maybe it was the translation but it felt like one long run on sentence.
I got 3 of read off my Fill In the Gaps Challenge. That makes 22 read off that list. Total for the year is 28.

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Eva and Marg that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.

 Another 2 for me this week. First This Year I Will...by MJ Ryan. I had this on the top of my tbr list. I'm looking forward to it. Last week I had the good fortune meeting a YA librarian. We had a great conversation about books and working in the library. My dream is to be a librarian but she gave me great tips about getting a library job without the masters degree. We also chatted about what we were reading and she recommended The Book Thief. I immediately added it to my library queue. It's on my FITG list too.
I finished I Was Told There's Be Cake and posted my review on the Fill In The Gaps blog.
So what did you get this week?

Review-Beastly by Alex Flinn

The story isn't unique. I was singing Tale As Old As Time through most of the book. But I loved the slightly different slant on the book. Kyle is a spoiled teen who's father ignores him but let's him have whatever he wants. Kyle doesn't care about anyone else and in turn no one cares about Kyle. A witch decides that Kyle needs to learn his lesson and turns him into a beast. Kyle looses everything he had but gains what he didn't have-love.
Between the sections, there's transcripts from a chat room where Kyle talks to others who have been "cursed"-The Frog Prince, The Little Mermaid-which is moderated by Chris Anderson. I found those to be humorous once I got passed the text speak (Man I'm old).
Over all a cute book. I really enjoyed it. If you like Beauty and The Beast, you'll enjoy Beastly. Other's who have reviewed Beastly: Miss Remmer's Reviews, Erika Breathes Books, The Book Zombie, Library Queue, Melanie's Musings, and Chick Lit Teens.

Lost!

As many of you know, Lost ends this weekend. It has become my favorite show. I remember the first time I saw the first episode. I rented the first season (I was a couple of seasons late to the party), watched the first episode and said no, I don't want to get sucked into this. And left it at that. Fast forward a year or two when I met Tai. He just started watching the first season and wanted me to watch it with him (we're really big on watching tv shows together). I resisted but he was so cute so I gave in and became a Lostie. (For those of you counting, I'm a Lostie and a Gleek. I wear a lot of badges). Now 6 seasons later, it's ending. I don't know how I feel about that. I cried at the episode with the sub a couple of weeks ago. I'll probably cry at the finale.

I'm definately excited that our friends are having a Lost Finale party. Sharon made the coolest invites. I have to share them:
The envelope:

The letterhead and the boarding pass sleeve:

The boarding pass:

We're encouraged to dress up, but I probably won't since I tend to be lame. What would I dress up as anyway? I'm so not that creative. But Sharon is. I cannot wait to see what she comes up with!

Shakey-Shakey

On nights were I go to the gym or Tai plays volleyball, I get off easy on dinner. Instead of making a meal, I  make us each a shake. This is Tai's recipe. He used to make them for me but I usually make them for both us as I get home before he does.
The cast of characters:

Non-dairy creamer, whey protein powder, frozen fruit, milk (lactose free). The creamer helps make the shake creamy like a milkshake. You can choose from different flavors or get fat free if you wanted to. I use frozen fruit most of the time unless it's summer (soon!) and I can get fresh fruit. I bought this Spectrum Blend from Costco, but I prefer the berry mix instead. We buy the Gold Standard whey powder from Amazon. It lasts us a few months and I think it's pretty good.
So I put 2 huge handfuls of fruit, 2 scoops of protein powder, 3 cups of milk and a splash of creamer. I blend it up and usually add more milk/creamer as needed for the right consistency.
The finished product:

To be honest we each drink 2 of those (about 32 oz) after each workout. On gym nights this is my dinner. One time I tried to eat after drinking that huge shake and gave myself a tummy ache! This is a meal. It fills me up and I don't need to eat anything else. I actually look forward to them. These shakes are delicious!

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Eva and Marg that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.

Just two for me this week. I heard about the Black Dagger Brotherhood in Vampire Taxonomy. Apparently there is a huge following for BDB and I'm excited to start the series. I also picked up Eat This, Not That. I thumbed through it already and was pretty impressed by the amount of information. I think I'll be buying this.
What did you pick up this week?

Straight No Chaser

Sunday Tai and I went to see Straight No Chaser. We were introduced to this fantastic acapella singing group by Jeff. Both Tai and I loved their Christmas album and are enjoying their new album. I thought I'd share a few of my favorites of theirs.
I'm having trouble finding the ones I want to embed so I'll have do the links. Trust me these are worth clicking!

Fix You by Coldplay-Charlie, one of members of Straight No Chaser, recently lost his uncle. They sang this last night in his memory. So beautiful and haunting!
I'm Yours-Jason Marz-one of my favorites of theirs!
How Deep Is Your Love-The BeeGees-Both Tai and I adored this one.
And this is Tai's favorite of theirs. They didn't sing it and he was bummed.

Straight No Chaser - The Man Who Can't Be Moved from Paul Ford on Vimeo.
If you ever get a chance to see them, do. You won't regret it!

Snacky Snack Time

As part of my eating healthier, I've been trying to find healthy snacks that I can take to work and that I'll like. If I don't like it, I can find something unhealthy to eat. So I thought I'd share my healthy snacks.

Craisins

I bought a huge bag at Costco and portioned them out into smaller snack bags. I take a few to work at a time. I could eat these by the handful! I love them by themselves but I could see them in salads or oatmeal too.

Brothers All Natural Crisps

I buy these in variety packs from Costco, 2 boxes at a time. I almost cannot stop eating these. I love the Apple & Pear the best. They are crunchy which is a great replacement for chips! Plus it helps me meet my fruit goal.

Cara Cara Oranges

I'm so sad the season is ending for these beauties! So juicy and yummy. I bought a 7 pound bag at Costco and ate every single one by myself! I'll console myself with strawberries since the season is starting up! Yeah!

Greek Gods Yogurt

It seems like everyone has a favorite greek yogurt and mine is Greek Gods. When a coworker mentioned that they are a local company, I switched my allegiance to them! Besides their honey is my absolute favorite.
What's your favorite healthy snack?

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Eva and Marg that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.

Just one for me this week. I saw the trailer for Beastly over the weekend. I immediately put it on my queue. I'm excited to read it and see the movie.
I finished The Sun Also Rises. I've posted my review on Fill In The Gaps blog. Wasn't a fan. I have 2 other Hemmingway books on my list. I need a break from classics for a while.
So what did you get this week?

And The Winner Is...

Glitter Graphics - GlitterLive.com

Rachel!

Arroz Con Pollo

Over the weekend, my friend Michelle hosted a late Cinco de Mayo party. Knowing that most people's idea of Mexican food is covered in cheese, I brought food Tai could eat since he's lactose intolerant. So I made pork carnitas and arroz con pollo (which isn't a mexican dish anyway). Mom used to make arroz con pollo but she took that recipe with her and I had little idea what went in it. But I stumbled on this recipe for arroz con pollo and thought it sounded good and somewhat easy for me to make.

 Several people thanked me for making it since they really enjoyed. My friend April thought it was good but different than hers. She invited me and Tai over to learn how to make it her way. I'm looking forward to that!
Definitely a great dish to bring to a potluck or serve to a lot of guests. This recipe easily makes enough for 8 hearty servings.

25 Things

I'm stealing this from Julie.

1. Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed?
Open, They slide and I usually forget to close them.
2. Do you take the shampoos and conditioner bottles from hotels?
Sometimes if it's a good brand. It has to be better than what I use.
3. Do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out?
Tai prefers them tucked out. I have no preference so I defer to his.
4. Would you rather be attacked by a bear or a swarm of bees?
Bees. I'm not allergic to them and I think I higher chance of survival.
5. Do you have freckles?
No but I always wanted them.
6. What is your biggest pet peeve?
When people take my seat on the bus. I have a preferred seat and I like to sit there.
7. Have you ever peed in the woods?
Nope. I'm not an outside type of gal.
8. Do you ever dance if there’s no music playing?
Yes, when I want to get my groove on it don't matter if there's music or not.

9. Do you chew your pens and pencils?
Occasionally I'll munch on a pen (either the cap or the end of the pen)
10. Is it okay for guys to wear pink?
Heck yeah!
11. What do you dip a chicken nugget in?
Sweet & Sour or Honey Mustard sauce
12. What is your favorite food?
Oh, that's a tough one, but I always love cheeseburgers.

13. What movies could you watch over and over and still love?
Finding Nemo, Can't Hardly Wait, Robin Hood
14. Were you ever a boy/girl scout?
Only made it to Brownie.
15. Would you ever strip or pose nude in a magazine?
If I had a smoking hot body, I might be persuaded for a price.
16. Can you change the oil on a car?
If I had to, yeah.
17. Ever gotten a speeding ticket?
Nope. I drive like a grandma.
18. Ever ran out of gas?
Nope.
19. Are you lazy?
I can be. Sometimes I can't sit still and sometimes I like to stay in bed all day.
20. When you were a kid, what did you dress up as for Halloween?

Cheerleader, Cleopatra were my favorites.
21. How many languages can you speak?
I can count to ten in Spanish, German, and French as well as English of course.
22. Who is better…Leno or Letterman?
Leno.
23. Do you sing in the car?
All the time.
24. Ever eat a pierogi?
Yup!
25. First concert?
The Beach Boys. I was about 6 or so.

Homemade Chicken Strips

I was craving chicken tenders but for some reason I decided to make my own rather than buy some.

So yummy. And crunchy which was because of this:

I dripped the chicken in beaten egg then rolled in the Corn Flake Crumbs. So good. I made a honey mustard sauce but Tai ate them plain. Oh and so easy. From start to finish these took about 30 minutes. I've got another go to recipe!

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Eva and Marg that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.

 A little bigger loot pile this week. First Magic Lost, Trouble Found which I heard about when Felicia Day tweeted about the fourth book being released. Always looking for more good fantasy. I saw Eat Your Way to Happiness on The True Book Addict's blog. I read Somer's Food and Mood book a while ago and found some helpful hints. I hope this one is the same. I Was Told There Would Be Cake is another one off my Fill In The Gaps list.
I finished Luxe and posted my review on the Fill In The Gaps blog.
Don't forget to enter my giveaway for Marriage and Other Acts of Kindness on audio. Go here to enter!
What did you get this week?

Audio Book Giveaway!

I have one copy of Marriage and Other Acts of Charity on audio disc to giveaway. There are 5 CDs, read by the author.
Open to everyone (including international peeps). To enter leave a comment on this post before 5/10 at 5pm. Don't forget to leave me an email to contact you!

I'm a Copy Cat

Last week Tai and I tried Boston's Pizza for the first time. As part of our dinner we ordered their Flat Iron Steak Crustinis. Oh em gee! A order only comes with four and we could have eaten a dozen each. I decided to try my hand at making them at home. They looked simple enough. It's grilled steak, covered in butter and garlic on a crostini. Not hard at all.

We like our meat on the pink side so sorry it gross you out. If you want to try them too here's what I did:
First melt butter and garlic. Season steak with salt and pepper. Before putting steak in hot pan, dip steak in melted butter-garlic mixture. Sear meat on both sides then put in 400 degree oven for 4-8 minutes (depending on how you like your steak) to finish cooking. Then remove meat from pan and let cool. While meat is cooling toast bread rounds in oven for about 2 minutes. I buttered my bread but you don't have to. Slice meat and put slices on top of bread. Drizzle remaining butter-garlic mixture over top of crostinis. Feel free to sprinkle mozzarella or Parmesan like they do at Boston's. I made a about 12 crostinis and served it with veggies for a complete meal or you can serve them as appetizers. Either way they are so yummy!