Reviews – Page 10 – The Pajama Chef

Welcome to the next installment of Sarah’s book reviews! Today we have a Gothic/Regency/Inspirational book to review for you… Julie Klassen’s The Secret of Pembrooke Park. And it is fabulous. 🙂

Here is a description of the book from the publisher:

Abigail Foster is the practical daughter. She fears she will end up a spinster, especially as she has little dowry, and the one man she thought might marry her seems to have fallen for her younger, prettier sister.

Facing financial ruin, Abigail and her father search for more affordable lodgings, until a strange solicitor arrives with an astounding offer: the use of a distant manor house abandoned for eighteen years. The Fosters journey to imposing Pembrooke Park and are startled to find it entombed as it was abruptly left: tea cups encrusted with dry tea, moth-eaten clothes in wardrobes, a doll’s house left mid-play…

The handsome local curate welcomes them, but though he and his family seem acquainted with the manor’s past, the only information they offer is a stern warning: Beware trespassers drawn by rumors that Pembrooke Park contains a secret room filled with treasure.

This catches Abigail’s attention. Hoping to restore her family’s finances–and her dowry–Abigail looks for this supposed treasure. But eerie sounds at night and footprints in the dust reveal she isn’t the only one secretly searching the house.

Then Abigail begins receiving anonymous letters, containing clues about the hidden room and startling discoveries about the past.

As old friends and new foes come calling at Pembrooke Park, secrets come to light. Will Abigail find the treasure and love she seeks…or very real danger?

As usual, my five point review:

This plot. It. is. AWESOME. Think intriguing mystery plus action plus a bit of romance. Mmm, my faveee! My biggest complaint with many Christian novels [and I’d say this one is more “clean” than “Christian”] is that the plots aren’t complex. I know some of these authors are good, but sometimes their fiction can just be la-di-da happy bunnies and kitties. Yup, I said that. 🙂 Well, if you’re looking for a good plot and a complex mystery, look no further. This is it.
These characters. I instantly liked Abigail. She’s smart, and mature, and organized. Her role had been taking care of her family. But truthfully, I never liked her family. They didn’t appreciate her, even her father [who blamed her for losing the family money]. I get her sister’s actions, but her parents? Ugh. Abigail makes some great friends in the community, and of course has two great options for love interests. I’m on team William, the local curate [basically pastor], not team Gabriel [aka neighbor]. Read and see who she chooses! 🙂
Though I know I said I liked the complex nature of the mystery, one area that I found confusing was tracing family relationships. Having a family tree included would have been useful, but ultimately would have spoiled the unraveling of the story. So I’ve got it… but you just have to be pay attention to make sense of it all.
I loved all the Jane Austen and other classic English literatures references in this novel. So smart, especially since this book was set in the 1800s. How fun would that have been to live in those times, reading new Jane Austen novels!
Though this novel is on the long side [460 pages], it goes by in a flash. I read most of it over this past Valentine’s weekend, and it’s definitely a stay-up-all-night read! Five stars for sure!

What are you reading lately?

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers. However, I was not required to write a positive review. The thoughts expressed above are entirely my own. Thanks to Bethany House for the chance to read this great book!

Main Dishes, Recipes, Reviews, Salads, Sides, Vegetables

#TripleSBites: Caesar Salad with Fried Chickpeas

February 2, 2015February 2, 2015 Sarah

This caesar salad, made with tender spring mix and hearty kale, is full of flavor and spice! A perfect starter to any meal.

Welcome to #TripleSBites! For the next week, I’ll be sharing some fun, romantic recipes. Now, my definition of romantic might be a little nontraditional, but my husband LOVED every recipe I’m sharing so that works for me. 🙂 For more details about this week, and to enter the giveaway, go here now!

To start things off, I thought I’d share a salad. Salads have a reputation of being a boring way to eat veggies, especially if they are just a side salad. They don’t have to be boring though! I think it’s all in the toppings and dressing! To set the stage for this caesar salad, I made a fresh dressing that is just out of this world… just lemon juice, dijon mustard, garlic, olive oil, and some seasoning. Simple and fresh, just how I like it. [The recipe is from Melissa D’Arabian’s new cookbook so you know it has to be good!!] After tossing the dressing with my greens of choice [this time, spring mix and kale], I added the star of the show: fried chickpeas. [And gigantic shreds of parmesan cheese. Ben was in charge of that, haha. :)]

Now, for these fried chickpeas I used one of our sponsor products: Acala Farms Chili Cumin Oil. This oil is awesome! It’s an infused cottonseed oil and is slightly spicy, so it gives a great flavor to those chickpeas as you fry them up in a skillet. I also seasoned them with dried parsley so they’d look a little prettier and to cut that spice a bit. Acala Farms also sent me a Cilantro Oil to try and I can’t wait to play around with that! If you don’t have time to fry up some chickpeas as a salad topper, did you know that you can buy crispy chickpeas that are kinda sorta the same thing?!? Another #TripleSBites sponsor is 2 Armadillos [what a fun name, btw!] and they make all sorts of flavored crispy chickpeas: rosemary, spicy cayenne, tomato basil, and cinnamon toast. So far, rosemary is my fave but I haven’t tried cinnamon toast yet so we will see! They’re perfect for a snack or to put on salad. I’m wondering about trying to bake with them too… as a crust or in granola or something?! Hmmmm… Since the package arrived the other night I just want to snack on them all. the. time! Who would’ve guessed chickpeas would be so tasty?! I truly loved the oil and the chickpeas, and don’t want my blog to read like an ad but simply must say… you need to try these products! I love buying from small businesses and really appreciate how the internet has made purchasing from smaller companies SO much easier. Hope you check them out! 2 Armadillos is on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Acala Farms can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Thanks to these great sponsors!

Well, that’s all I have today but be sure to come back later this week for more #TripleSBites recipes, and check out the linkup below for more recipes from other #TripleSBites gals! Happy Monday!

one year ago: Chili Relleno Casserole
two years ago: Baked Jalapeno Popper Ranch Dip
three years ago: Fried Eggs on Pesto-Parmesan Toast
four years ago: Mini Meatloaf

Caesar Salad with Fried Chickpeas

Servings: 2
Time: 20 minutes
Print

dressing recipe from Supermarket Healthy by Melissa D’Arabian

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon Acala Farms Chili Cumin Oil
15 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained and patted dry
1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes
4 cups lettuce, kale, or spinach [I used half spring mix and half kale]
shaved parmesan

for dressing

juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove, finely minced
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. When hot, add chickpeas [make sure they are dry!]. Season with parsley and fry for 10-12 minutes, tossing occasionally and allowing all sides to get browned.

Meanwhile, prepare dressing. Whisk together lemon juice, dijon, and garlic. While whisking, pour in 1 tablespoon oil. Season with red pepper, salt, and black pepper. Add extra oil and/or water to thin as necessary.

Toss dressing with lettuce. Serve with shaved parmesan and fried chickpeas.

Check out these other yummy #TripleSBites recipes!

Disclosure: I received some infused cottonseed oil from Acala Farms and some chickpea samples from 2 Armadillos as part of my participation in #TripleSBites. I was not compensated in any way–for my time, to create a recipe, or to publish positive comments. I was not required to use these products as part of my recipe. My opinions are my own.

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes, Reviews, Rice, Sides

Cheesy Molasses Chicken with Mushrooms and Homemade Rice a Roni Mix

January 28, 2015January 25, 2015 Sarah

This cheesy chicken and mushroom dinner is perfect for company, but also for a nice weeknight dinner for your family. It’s also nice to have some of this Rice a Roni mix in the pantry for an easy side dish too!

Two recipes in one day! Whoa there, this is crazy! So last fall I read Bread & Wine by Shauna Niequist and that book just makes me want to COOK! And eat, but that’s no surprise. It’s a collection of essays knit together thematically around the idea of food, community, friendship, and growth. Though it’s written from a Christian perspective it’s really not in your face Christianity, if you get my drift, and it’s just a lovely book. Being a librarian I pretty much ALWAYS check books out to read from the library prior to purchasing them, and I think this one is good enough to go on my to-purchase [read: Christmas/birthday present] list. Though I made this dinner just for Ben and myself, it’s truly a company-worthy meal. Though it’s weeknight-doable, the flavors are rich, intoxicating, and delicious. It feels like a fancy escape from the week, even if only at the dinner table.

As I sit here thinking about what I just wrote, I wonder… why do we consider things to be “company-worthy meals” or not? At the root of it definitely is our innately human desire to put on our best face for everyone and to receive compliments/praise/glory/affirmation of how great we are. Somewhere in there is a desire to treat others well. And why shouldn’t we do that for our families on a regular Tuesday? I know people are busier than ever but I still think regular family dinners–even if it’s just you and your husband–are so important. They don’t have to be fancy. In the same vein, “company meals” don’t need to be fancy either–they just need to be made with love, like this meal. This chicken dish only took about 40 minutes to put together, and much of that is baking time. Using a few pantry ingredients, some mushrooms, and cheese, it looks so special! And the homemade Rice a Roni mix is awesome too! Hope you give it a try–and check out this book. 🙂 Enjoy!

one year ago: Flourless Peanut-Chocolate Cookies
two years ago: Buffalo Pretzels
three years ago: Camp Tecumseh Baked Oatmeal
four years ago: Crispy Honey Ginger Chicken

Cheesy Molasses Chicken with Mushrooms

Servings: 4
Time: 40 minutes
Print

Ingredients:

extra virgin olive oil
4 thin boneless skinless chicken breasts [I cut one large 16 ounce chicken breast into 4 smaller cutlets]
freshly ground black pepper
dried tarragon
4 ounces mushrooms, sliced [I used shiitake but regular white mushrooms would be fine too]
1/2 cup diced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1-2 tablespoons molasses
1/2 cup thinly sliced or shredded swiss cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat with a bit of olive oil. Season one side of each chicken breast with pepper and tarragon, then sear chicken for a minute on the seasoned side. Flip to the other side, season, and cook for a minute. Remove chicken to an oven safe baking dish.

In the same skillet, add more olive oil if necessary and reduce heat to medium. Cook mushrooms and onion for about 5 minutes, until soft, then add garlic. Cook another 30 seconds until fragrant. Season with more pepper and tarragon. Add water, vinegar, and molasses and bring to a boil, letting most of the excess liquid cook off, about 3-4 minutes. Spoon mushrooms, onions, and sauce overtop chicken.

Cook for 10-20 minutes or until fully cooked. When chicken is almost done, top with cheese and return to oven until cheese melts.

Serve with homemade Rice a Roni [below].

Homemade Rice a Roni Mix

Servings: 12
Time: 25 minutes
Print

from Fabulously Frugal

Ingredients:

for mix

2 cups uncooked white rice
1 cup small pieces of angel hair, vermicelli, or thin spaghetti, broken into 1/2 inch pieces
4 tablespoons dried parsley
6 tablespoons chicken bouillon powder OR 3 tablespoons poultry seasoning [original recipe called for the former but I didn’t have any so I improvised]
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

for preparation

2 tablespoons butter or oil
1 cup of rice a roni mix [above]
2 1/4 cups water or chicken broth

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a large airtight jar or plastic storage container. Breaking apart the noodles was probably the most difficult part. I found it easiest to break just a few at a time, while the measuring cup was in a taller bowl. I used maybe 1/3 of a 16 ounce box of pasta. Orzo or another small pasta would be a good substitute I think.

To make the rice, heat 2 tablespoons of butter or oil in a saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add 1 cup rice a roni mix and stir. Cook, constantly stirring, for about a minute until pasta begins to turn golden brown. Add water and bring to a boil, then prepare as you would rice–reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes until water is absorbed.

Reviews

Book Review: Longing for More: Daily Reflections on Finding God in the Rhythms of Life

January 19, 2015January 19, 2015 Sarah

Another book review today! Normally I review fiction or cookbooks on my blog, but I recently requested a different sort of book for review: a daily devotional. When I saw it available at the end of last year, I thought it would be a great book to start the new year off with. And I was right! Timothy Willard’s Longing for More: Daily Reflections on Finding God in the Rhythms of Life is a great book that I highly recommend. Thanks to the blogger review program for Bethany House Publishers for the chance to read and review it!

Here is a description of the book from the publisher:

Catch your breath and sit for a moment. Now listen . . .

What do you hear–questions of trust, longing, disappointment, courage, and love? In Longing for More, Timothy Willard invites us to think and pray through our deepest needs, and explores how the ebb and flow of life can be used for God’s glory. Creatively organized in 52 chapters that follow the four seasons of the year, the daily readings point the way to a richer spiritual life.

As usual, my five point review:

I’m a librarian, so I know you shouldn’t judge a book by the cover. But you know what? I do. All the time. Sometimes this is good, other times it might not be. This cover is just phenomenal. It’s welcoming, inviting, relaxing… and I just want to sit with this book and read it all day thanks to the fabulous cover art. The print book itself also feels good in my hands. The cover is substantial and the pages don’t feel brittle. I know that’s just a minor thing, but if this is supposed to be a daily devotional, to turn to day after day, it’s gotta stand up to that. And this book does. Bravo!
Enough about the aesthetics. The content of the book is just as fabulous as its appearance. [Spoiler alert: I didn’t read the entire book… a year hasn’t gone by, silly!] That being said, the book is set up to be read 5 days a week for a year. The book was originally written as emails to a group of fellows within a social justice program, presumably the author’s friends or at least acquaintances. So it has a feeling of warmth and familiarity which I loved. It’s meant to “reflect the rhythms of daily life, but also point to the heavens, to God.” This is demonstrated in many ways, not least of which is the fact that the third daily reading is just a prayer–because by this point in the week that is what the author needs most. Good call. You can begin this book at any time of the year, but it is structured to align loosely with the church calendar, so a January start is good but not essential. This book isn’t meant to be your one and only devotional either, it is meant to supplement deeper Bible reading so I could see it being good to use at a different time of day than your normal devotions.
Willard does a great job blending Biblical truth with his own life experience, as well as quotes from Christian thinkers throughout history [mainly C.S. Lewis and Søren Kierkegaard]. I appreciate that there wasn’t tons of fluff in the entries I read, and though the entries are deep, they aren’t so theologically heavy that they require a dictionary and reference books to understand. It’s a great balance.
Willard is also a very poetic writer. These devotions should be savored and pondered throughout the day, each accompanies a daily passage of scripture and they blend well together. The scripture is definitely prioritized but the devotion isn’t an outright Bible study either.
The general tone of these devotions is encouraging. Though Willard challenges his readers to more closely follow the Lord and acknowledges the challenges of life and realities of suffering, the tone of encouragement is awesome. He does a great job focusing on heaven while on earth. I highly recommend this devotion and would read more of his work!

What are you reading lately?

Reviews

Book Review: A Table by the Window: A Novel of Family Secrets and Heirloom Recipes

January 15, 2015January 14, 2015 Sarah

You guys. I am SO in love with Hillary Manton Lodge’s third novel, A Table by the Window: A Novel of Family Secrets and Heirloom Recipes. I’m being super serious when I say that I probably would have posted about it on my blog even if I had just picked up a copy at the library myself. Instead though, I received a free copy of this book from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group as part of their Blogging for Books Program.

Here is a description of the book from the publisher:

Heirloom recipes, family secrets…and a chance for love.

The youngest heir to a French-Italian restaurant dynasty, food writer Juliette D’Alisa has spent her life negotiating her skill with words and her restaurant aspirations. When her brother Nico offers her a chance to open a restaurant together, she feels torn—does she really have what it takes? Should she risk leaving her journalism career?

After the death of her grandmother, Juliette discovers an antique photograph of a man who looks strikingly like her brother. As the truth behind the picture reveals romance and dark secrets, Juliette struggles to keep the mystery away from her nosy family until she can uncover the whole story.

Inspired by her grandmother’s evolving story, Juliette resolves to explore the world of online dating. To her surprise, she finds a kindred spirit in Neil McLaren, a handsome immunologist based in Memphis, Tennessee. With a long-distance relationship simmering, Juliette faces life-shifting decisions. How can she possibly choose between a promising culinary life and Neil, a man a world away in more ways than one? And is it possible her Grandmother’s story can help show the way?

And as usual, my five point review:

I’m hard pressed to think of something that I didn’t like about this book. It was lovely… so well written and with such engaging characters! If you like food and romance and mystery and culture and comedy, you’ll find something to love about this book. Don’t be too concerned that it is Christian fiction. God and faith are discussed, but without lots of fluff, and the characters are real. Their problems don’t get solved in an instant just because they prayed. That’s not how it happens most of the time in real life, and that’s not how this book goes either. It is very genuine and down to earth.
I loved Juliette. She’s friendly and likeable, but also very smart and cultured. She’s well read, witty, brave, and energetic. She’s driven and family oriented, traits that serve her well [while also causing internal conflict as plot events shake out]. As much as I love the single Juliette, I adore how her character grows as she gets to know Neil. Good, healthy relationships are like that, and though theirs isn’t easy or normal Neil really helps her become more herself in many ways.
The author’s writing is just amazing. She’s so poetic and does a fabulous job balancing modern, cultural references [read: internet dating] with charming French or Italian words/phrases. She references literature too, which I love. Everything isn’t explained to the precise detail either [a common occurrence in some Christian writing that drives me nuts]. And for once, this isn’t a predictable novel!! 🙂 YES! In fact, it ends on a cliffhanger. I can’t wait for the next installment to come out!
Another reason I loved this novel was that Juliette includes some of her [errr Hillary’s] recipes. The hot chocolate sounds wonderful! I want to make it this winter. 🙂 I think they all sound really good, actually.
All in all, this was a great book. It has so many elements that I love–a character I adore and wish I could hang out with in real life, faith, cooking, travel… it was just perfect! Though I might not have family I can go visit in Europe, it’s fun to live through someone else, and you can certainly do that through Juliette! Thanks, Hillary, for such a great novel. I can’t wait to read part two!

What are you reading lately?

Disclosure: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. However, I was not required to write a positive review. The thoughts expressed above are entirely my own. Thanks to WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for the chance to read this great book!