Sunday, August 21, 2016

Terror on Telderan, Prequel to Escape 2 Earth - Lawrence Johnson, Sr., Author



Sausage and Beans with Tomatoes
One pot meal

Ingredients

1 pound breakfast sausage
30 oz's Great Northern or Cannellini beans (drained)
30 oz’s Tomato sauce
1 Onion (medium) Diced
1 pound Tomatoes

Cook onions over medium heat till translucent. Add sausage, cook until done. Stir in tomato sauce and tomato. If using larger whole tomatoes dice before adding. Add beans, make sure you drain before adding. Place top on pan and simmer ten minutes. For a thicker sauce remove top and simmer for an additional five minutes.

Note

Breakfast sausage is used to add seasonings.  Additional seasoning such as garlic and pepper be added if you feel it is necessary. 

Terror On Telderan - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat, Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

Rayna took a deep breath and lifted her head slowly.  "earlier I told you that as High Ruler I only have access to an astral-numerologist however, the Grand Apex has been told by the Oracle that Rotart's attempt to terra form Telderan will have catastrophic results.  The planet will spiral out of control then ultimately out of this galaxy and...onward...toward the Milky Way Galaxy.  It will eventually rip through space and smash directly into your beloved planet Earth."

J'lore is stunned by this news.  He and the other Earth Guardians must find a way to prevent what has been predicted by the Guardians of old... the destruction of earth.  They warned of this event through the Henge Stones as well as the many crop circles.  Now their time is running out.

I've read Escape 2 Earth Books 1 and 2 and this short story takes you right up to the events that take place as earth goes into destruction and the plight its people take to survive on another planet.  Both books kept me spell bound and I'm now waiting on Book 3.

Friday, August 19, 2016

Sasha - Brian L. Porter, Author




Old Time Beef Stew
(one of Sasha's favorite dishes)

2 pounds stew beef

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 or 2 bay leaves
1 medium onion, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Dash ground allspice or ground cloves
3 large carrots, sliced
3 ribs celery, chopped
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Brown meat in hot oil. Add water, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaves, onion, salt, sugar, pepper, paprika, and allspice. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Remove bay leaves and garlic clove. Add carrots and celery. Cover and cook 30 to 40 minutes longer. To thicken gravy, remove 2 cups hot liquid. Using a separate bowl, combine 1/4 cup water and cornstarch until smooth. Mix with a little hot liquid and return mixture to pot. Stir and cook until bubbly.



Sasha - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of : Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

While at the dog pound where we've adopted a number of dogs in the past, the girls took us into the rear office where, in a small dog crate, we saw a tiny, white puppy, with black markings, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier no bigger than a small rabbit.  As soon as she saw us, the puppy went straight into 'take me home' mode, her tiny tail wagging at about a hundred miles per hour and her little tongue hanging out in an anticipation of some treat or affection.  We were instantly smitten, even more so when the lady at the pound took the puppy out of the crate and placed her in my wife's arms.  The puppy had been found in the gutter on a lonely street, shivering and almost dead from hypothermia, by a passing dog warden who did in fact think it was a dead rabbit.  The warden estimated the pup as being no more than six weeks old.  She would soon be on her way to her new, loving home.

I love animals, especially dogs, so when I find a book written by someone who loves them as much and more than I do, I can't help snatch it up and start reading.  The dogs I've rescued in the past have all turned out fairly healthy but most seem to have a fear of detachment and become my shadow.  In the case of Sasha, this is true except for the health part.  It turns out that her problems are very extensive - she has seizures.  Many people I know would have had their animal put down after their first bout.  Not Brian Porter.  He sees her through many and I'm sure more to come.  And on top of Sasha, he has 9 other rescue dogs, some with health problems of their own. There are some great photographs in the book took showing Sasha from her puppy days to the present.

This book takes 'knighthood' into a brand new category and one that should be recognized making sure Mr. Porter becomes the 1st.  If you're an animal lover, especially dogs, you must read this book.  It will make you appreciate people like Mr. Porter even more while bringing a tear to your eye as well as a laugh here and there.


Sunday, August 14, 2016

Leave A Message - Faydra D. Fields, Author



Rice and Kielbasa Quick Meal
by Faydra D. Fields

Ingredients
 1-10oz bag Birds Eye Steamfresh Long Grain White Rice with Mixed Vegetables 
 ½ Hillshire Farm Polska Kielbasa (or any other of your choosing)
 Grated Parmesan
 Garlic Salt seasoning

Directions
 Microwave Birds Eye Steamfresh Long Grain White Rice with Mixed Vegetables.
 Microwave kielbasa
 Cut kielbasa into smaller pieces
 Mix rice and kielbasa
 Add grated parmesan and garlic salt to taste.


Serves 2-3 adults.

Leave A Message - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of: Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

When I received a copy of this short story I had no idea what to expect.  I'm not going to tell you much about the story other than it's about a girl who met a gorgeous man and had high hopes for the evening.  She just didn't expect to experience what he had in mind for her.

It is short, just a few pages long, but it grabs you from the very beginning.  The tension and suspense in those few pages tell me this author needs to write a full book.  She really knows how to get the reader's attention from page 1.  This would make a great story for Criminal Minds.  I hope to hear more from her.  She has great potential.

Monday, August 8, 2016

South City Mosaic - Life on Alaska - Glenn Sartori



Cinnamon Nut Cookies
(A favorite of Glen Sartoi's)

Ingredients:

1 cup shortening, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 beaten egg yolk
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 egg white
½ cup chopped pecans

Cream the shortening with brown sugar.  Add vanilla and egg yolk.  Sift and measure flour with salt and cinnamon.  Place half of flour mixture in a heap on board.  Place butter-sugar mixture on top, cover with rest of flour.  Work together lightly until it sticks together.  Pat out the mixture ¼ inch thick in buttered jellyroll pan. 
Score into squares with a knife.  Spread top with slightly beaten egg white.  Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Bake at 275 degrees for 30 minutes.

Cool and break into squares and start sneaking a few when no one is looking.

South City Mosaic - Life on Alaska - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

I was born in 1949 making me just a little younger than this author so when I saw that his book contains memories of his childhood, I had to read it.  Through these memories he has not only restored my own memories but has also given me a few laughs along the way.  If you're anywhere within this age group, see how many of these items you too remember.  If you're not in this age group, read the book to see what they were and how much fun they gave us all.

Do you remember:
A 4 bladed push mower - no motor!
Two 2 x 2 wooden posts cemented in the ground (if you're lucky) with a wire strung between them - yep, the clothes line!
Black pieces of coal - no not charcoal like used for BBQ.  These went into the furnace, with a fire, and heated your home!
The cards that you sometimes clipped to your bike wheels to make noise - You got it, Baseball Cards that you would give your eye teeth to have now!
Penny candy - sometimes you could even get 2 pieces for a penny - those days are gone forever!

These are just a few of those memories many of us still cherish.  There are many more that I had buried and were brought back to me by this author.  Just a few are - the scouts, dinner at the table as a family, mom's home remedies, and a real oldie - the 1st kiss.

As I said, if you aren't a baby boomer that grew up in these times, you'll still get a kick out of what your parents and grandparents did when they were kids.  To the author I say "Thanks for the Memories."

 
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