Tag: bookshelf

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A new look and a favorite new recipe!


Hello Friends!  I am loving my new haircut and color!  I wash at night, go to bed with damp hair, and that’s it, no need to curl or spray!  So easy!

I know this looks really silly but I made a promise to myself to start wearing makeup, including eye makeup.  Since I retired from my full-time job I have pretty much given up on wearing makeup.  I recently saw a picture of myself and I thought I looked really washed out. So now, I have made a pledge to myself to put some effort into my morning routine.  See me above, yup, I am wearing eye makeup!  

Oh, and lipstick and blush 🙂  Going to work in style!!

I really checked in today to share this very quick and delicious Chocolate Banana Bread recipe. It comes from the blog SkinnyTaste and I found the exact recipe in Gina Homolka’s new cookbook titled SkinnyTaste Fast and Slow.  It’s filled with delicious recipes to use in your slow cooker and for fast night dinner ideas.  On page 56 is the wonderfully easy Chocolate Banana Bread recipe that I have made, no lie, eight times already.  I can almost make it by heart.  Her blog is definitely worth checking out as well as her new book.  She gives such great insight into recipes that are healthier and user friendly.  Her pictures are beautiful and she even creates weekly menus that you can print out 🙂  SkinnyTaste.com

In the future I will highlight some of the other recipes from this book.  I purchased mine from Amazon, since I had to return the public library copy. Amazon Skinnytaste Fast and Slow Cookbooks


The author gives slow cooker versions of each recipe but also gives the conventional oven version, that’s the one I used for this banana bread.  The bread is moist and healthier than traditional recipes.  It calls for applesauce and egg whites instead of oil and whole eggs.

I use dark chocolate chunks and probably add more than I should, but it is sooo good!
Just click and you will find the recipe. You may use your oven at 350° for 50 mins. 
-chocolate-swirl-banana-bread

Enjoy!!    Amazon SkinnyTaste Fast and Slow Cookbook

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Karen’s Book Shelf

April (2017) Books – The following materials can be found in your local library!



As many of you know, I try to alternate fiction and non-fiction books.  I am always looking for new ways to stimulate my mind and not get caught up in the fiction world.  Not that a really good fiction book can’t be stimulating, but if I didn’t restrict myself- that would be all I would read!

Damaged by Lisa Scottoline   I have never read anything by this author but have come across her books often at the public library.  I thought I would give her a try.  I was not disappointed, although she goes on and on in her explanation of people and settings- giving too much detail at times.  I found myself skipping a few paragraphs at time just to get to the point she was trying to make.  With that said, I believe she is a good story teller and she did keep my interest, or at least enough to finish the novel.    This story takes place in modern day and is told through Mary DiNunzio, a young lawyer who is crazy busy with clients and planning her upcoming marriage to Anthony, the love of her life. Mary is given a new case that involves a 10-year old special education boy that has been abused by a teacher’s aide.  I love the way Scottoline intertwines special ed law into the story- it feels like she did some pretty lengthy research to make the story believable.  Anyway, the young lawyer, Mary, has a soft spot for the young boy, Patrick, and feels she needs to become his guardian after the only living relative, his grandfather, dies.   The story becomes a mad race for Mary to fight the courts for guardianship and keep Patrick out of the foster care system while trying to convince her fiance’ that adopting Patrick is in Patrick’s best interest, even though Anthony feels differently.  Damaged is a good story and one that as an educator seems plausible.    


Image resultGOOP Clean Beauty by the editors of GOOP.  I LOVE Gwyneth Paltrow.  I would love to meet her and ask her tons of questions about clean living and detoxing.  This book is so good; I might just buy a copy for myself.  If you haven’t been to the lifestyle GOOP blog that Gwyneth began in 2008, then I suggest you spend time there first.  You will get a feel for her beliefs on looking and feeling your best.  This book encompasses discussions on eating clean, sleeping habits, exercise and presenting the best you you can present.  There are lots of great recipes, tutorials on applying makeup, on yoga, deep breathing, vitamins and clean hair and skin.  I particularly enjoyed the information on detox since I just finished my own detox and feel really good about it. On page 108 Paltrow offers a wonderful Asian Salmon and Avocado Salad that I know Dave will just love. Actually, so would Olivia and Zach- maybe I can bribe them to visit soon :).  On page 113, the Spinach and Lemon Hummus sounds really good too!  I’m not a big fan of hummus but this one looks palatable. Toward the end of the book there are wonderful instructions for a natural makeup regime and a smoky eye that I want to try.  

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I watched Still Alice for the second time.  I really enjoy this movie- the acting is superb.  But the subject is difficult. I sometimes wonder about my own mental health and what will happen if I were to get dementia and lose my memory. I would hate for Dave and the girls to have to deal with that.  

I am still reviewing my German words and phrases.  

What have you been reading or watching?  

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Karen’s Book Shelf

March (2017) Books – The following materials can be found in your local library!



As many of you know, I try to alternate fiction and non-fiction books.  I am always looking for new ways to stimulate my mind and not get caught up in the fiction world.  Not that a really good fiction book can’t be stimulating, but if I didn’t restrict myself- that would be all I would read!

March Books are little late…sorry for the late post for March Books.  This home stuff has me so preoccupied.  I love to read and always look forward to quiet time with my books, but lately it’s been tough getting the time to read because work crews seem to be always at the house.
Anyway, here is what I have read lately.


My Husbands Wife, written by Jane Corry.  This is a fast pace, first time U. S. publication for this author, thriller novel. The story takes place in current time England.  The main characters are Lily and Ed-very flawed characters which make them very interesting. There are lots of twists and turns and just when you think you have things figured some new information is given and you are thrown back into curiosity.  The characters have a difficult marriage with lots of secrets between them.  Ed is an artist looking for inspiration, while Lily is an aspiring lawyer looking for that big case.  Both get what they want, but at a huge cost. The story is told by alternating authors, very popular in today’s writings.   I had a hard time putting the book down, I believe you will as well. 





Only Time Will Tell (Clifton Chronicles Book 1) by [Archer, Jeffrey]Only Time will Tell, by Jeffery Archer.  Book one of the Clifton Chronicles.  There are six books in this series and I plan on reading them all!  This is a captivating story about a family with lots of secrets to unveil.  I picked this one because a patron came into the library and told me how much she enjoyed the series, she was just picking up the 6th book to enjoy that day.  I needed a break from all of the psychological thrillers I have been reading as of late and I thought this would be a good distraction.  This is one of those stories that stays with you. It is well written and has just enough of a story line to keep you wanting more.  The story takes place in England 1920’s and travels through modern day by the 6th novel.  In book two, World War II makes an entrance and the main character goes off to fight in the war.  I love me a good war novel, especially anything involving WWII.  Only Time will Tell  evolves around a young boy named Harry who is a gifted singer and earns his way through college by earning a scholarship for music. It seems that there are a lot of town’s people looking out for Harry and many have an interest in his success.  Nothing scary happens in this series, just heartbreak. Heartbreak because his mother lied about who his actual father is, and that lie starts a snowball effect that literally breaks Harry’s heart.  Book two is already checked out from the public library and waiting for me on my nightstand! If you like a well written, plot driven with good character development story, then this series is for you!

Product DetailsBehind Her Eyes, by Sarah Pinborough.  Interesting little story about a secretary, Louise, who has a fling with a guy on a Friday night only to find out the following Monday the fling is actually her new boss, who is also married.  Louise is a single mom trying to cope after a sudden divorce she never wanted.  She spends her evenings caring for her young son and when he sleeps she drinks a bit too much wine and wonders about her life.  She doesn’t have time to date, being too busy working full-time and caring for her son.  When she finally does go out on a Friday night, after her friends’ suggestion, she meets David.   When her new boss, David, shows up for work on Monday, she is thrown into the realization of guilt and desire for him. She knows he is married but she can’t get over their fling.  She becomes friends with his wife; she wants to know all about him.  She finds herself enjoying her new friendship while her boss has no idea that she is having luncheons and going to the health spa with his wife. And when things start to turn for the worse, one can’t help but feel sorry for the wife, or is it the mistress you feel sorry for? This is not your typical wife, husband and mistress triangle love/hate story.  It has many twists and turns and oddly enough a little sci-fi thrown into the mix.  The ending has you wondering what the hell just happened.  It’s definitely worth your while to pick this one up from your local library.   You will have it read in two days flat!

Still studying German as well, it’s a tough go but I am enjoying it.  The cleanse I have been referring to all month is from a Dr. Ann Louise Gittleman.  Her book,  The Living Beauty Detox Program is fascinating and I will do a complete post on her next week. 

What is on your book shelf?

auf Wiedersehen!
  

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March Reading Month






I couldn’t contain my excitement last week when I was asked to read to KJ’s classroom!  I read the book No, David, by David Shannon. It’s a perfect book for young listeners because there are few words with big funny pictures. The children sat so quietly as I read and smiled when I pointed out what David was doing in each picture.  After the story we took them to the tables to color a picture of David.  After that, we went back to the carpet and sang “If your happy and you know it…!!”  I loved spending time in KJ’s classroom and it brought back some wonderful memories of my own classroom.

KJ loved the added attention!

There are lots of free activities to do with this book. Since this was a very young age group, we only colored a face of David.  But there are free masks online and for an older group, K or grade 1, that would be a lot of fun! 

 I had such fun!  Can’t wait till I am asked to read again. 🙂

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Karen’s Book Shelf

February (2017) Books – The following materials can be found in your local library!



As many of you know, I try to alternate fiction and non-fiction books.  I am always looking for new ways to stimulate my mind and not get caught up in the fiction world.  Not that a really good fiction book can’t be stimulating, but if I didn’t restrict myself- that would be all I would read! 





The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson.  Both Dave and I read this book.  I started it and continued to give it praise so Dave decided to buy it and read along with me.  He caught up to me in no time.  We really enjoyed this one.  It’s definitely a page turner; in fact, we would have nights when all we would do was read from 8:00 pm on.  I would reluctantly turn off the light just so we could get some sleep.  I originally picked up Swanson’s latest book titled Her Every Fear and read the reviews.  The reviews were good, but everyone on the website goodreads.com kept referring back to this book, saying that it was much better.  Since I hadn’t read anything from Swanson before, I thought I would listen to the reviews and check out this one first. 

Ted and Lily meet in an airport bar and begin sharing stories over cocktails- just killing time before their flight. This is not a chance meeting; Lily has plotted and planned for this meeting to occur; only Ted doesn’t know it, he doesn’t remember her.  Within a few hours and after many drinks, Ted has told Lily he recently found his wife having sex with another man.  Lily asks what he plans on doing about it; Ted replies, “I think I’ll kill her.”  Lily says,”I can help you with that.” The story takes off from there.  We enter a dark world of murder, romance, incompetent detectives, and serial killers.  This novel is a thrill ride with a huge twist in the middle – just when you thought you had things figured out, even the last few pages will sucker punch you.   This book is highly recommended!  I’m now a fan of Swanson and have been put on the waiting list for Her Every Fear.
I haven’t read a non-fiction book this month because I am studying German.  It takes so much of my time to go through the chapters and re-learn the language.  I recently met a German tutor in the library and he said he would be my language coach and help me study and speak German.  I begin meeting him for an hour a week next week 🙂  -Should make studying more enjoyable.


Product DetailsI’m only half way through Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough.  I will review it next month.  So far, sehr gut!


auf Wiedersehen!!

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Valentine’s Display

 Hi everyone!   We have been very busy traveling and I will tell you more about it later in the week, but first I wanted to show you how clever my Librarian friends are 🙂  This beautiful life-size doll is made up entirely of paper for the bottom and a scarf for the top. The Librarians printed paper book covers from a color printer and glued them to form a dress. The display was put together with romance titles to celebrate Valentine’s Day.  

These ladies are amazing.  All the patrons who visit the library are just enthralled by the display!  It’s been a great conversation starter. The dress will be displayed for the entire month.