Book Review - DOWNFALL by Terri Blackstock

Downfall is the final book (#3) in New York Times best-selling author Terri Blackstock's Intervention series. Downfall follows Emily Covington, who has turned her life around after a drug addiction, but her family still has trouble trusting her. One day a woman is found dead and it turns out the woman's husband was in rehab with Emily. Eventually Emily remembers that the woman's husband and another man had discussed a plan for killing their wives while the three were in rehab together. Emily almost becomes a victim herself, when a homemade bomb is found under her car. While Emily is working to find out who is behind the murder plot, her brother Lance is having his own problems at school especially because of Emily's notoriety.

My thoughts: This book grabbed my attention from the beginning with the actions of "The Avenger" in Chapter 1. There was a lot of action and suspense in each chapter while at the same time moving forward the different characters and relationships. It wasn't almost until the very end that the perpetrator of the crimes was revealed and it was a surprise to me. Don't worry if you haven't read the previous two books in the series because enough of Emily's past story and her family relationships are explained and they become a part of the current story. I really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to anyone.


Disclosure: I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Giveaway Sneak Peek

Little Pink Plum is turning 4 next week! And the "Etsyversary" giveaway begins next Thursday and here's a peek of just a few of the goodies I'll be giving away - a handful of pocket mirrors.

Do you have any special plans for the weekend? My little guy is sick - missed kindergarten today so we'll be staying home, drinking lots of orange juice and just resting.

Have a great weekend!

Weekly Wednesday Review - Something Almost Being Said

Something Almost Being Said: The Music of Bach and Shubert
is the second album by pianist Simone Dinnerstein. This is a great album for any classical music lover as well as someone that is beginning to explore the classical music genre. The melodies of Bach and Shubert are played so beautifully by Simone.

Here's the tracklisting:


01. Partita No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 826: I. Sinfonia
02. Partita No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 826: II. Allemande
03. Partita No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 826: III. Courante
04. Partita No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 826: IV. Sarabande
05. Partita No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 826: V. Rondeau
06. Partita No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 826: VI. Capriccio
07. Impromptus, Op. 90, D. 899: Impromptu No. 1 in C Minor
08. Impromptus, Op. 90, D. 899: Impromptu No. 2 in E-Flat Major
09. Impromptus, Op. 90, D. 899: Impromptu No. 3 in G-Flat Major
10. Impromptus, Op. 90, D. 899: Impromptu No. 4 in A-Flat Major
11. Partita No. 1 in B-Flat Major, BWV 825: I. Praeludium
12. Partita No. 1 in B-Flat Major, BWV 825: II. Allemande
13. Partita No. 1 in B-Flat Major, BWV 825: III. Corrente
14. Partita No. 1 in B-Flat Major, BWV 825: IV. Sarabande
15. Partita No. 1 in B-Flat Major, BWV 825: V. Menuet I & II
16. Partita No. 1 in B-Flat Major, BWV 825: VI. Gigue


First person to leave a comment (with their email) on this post will receive my copy of the CD!

fat tuesday

Image from SoulKitchen


Happy Fat Tuesday! So what exactly is it? Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday, referring to the practice of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which begins on Ash Wednesday.

The biggest Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras celebration in the West happens to be here in San Diego and things tend to get crazy in the downtown area - I just heard on the news that over 400,000 people are expected to show up tonight. I've never done anything to celebrate the day but I do love eating King Cake! I found a recipe that doesn't seem as labor intensive on About.com (it uses crescent dough instead of having to make your own). And don't forget the baby - you can get packages of the plastic babies in the baby shower section at Party City or similar place.

•Filling:
•4 ounces (half of a large block) cream cheese
•1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
•1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•1/4 cup raisins, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes, drained, and patted dry on paper towels
•1/2 cup pecan halves (optional)


•Cake:
•2 rolls (total of 12 individual crescent rolls) refrigerated crescent rolls in the can


•Icing:
•1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar)
•3 to 4 Tablespoons milk or cream
•1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
•Purple, green, and yellow colored sugar crystals or food coloring

Place cream cheese, brown sugar, cinnamon, and raisins in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process until combined. Add pecan halves and pulse until pecans are chopped to about 1/4-inch pieces. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a pizza pan or baking sheet with butter-flavored vegetable oil.

Unroll crescent roll dough and separate into triangles. Position triangles next to each other with the points toward the center, overlapping the long sides about 1/4-inch, forming a large round. Where the pieces overlap, press the seams together only in the center of each seam, leaving either ends of the seams unsealed so you can fold them up over the filling.

Spread the filling around in a ring covering the center sealed seam of each triangle.

Place a small plastic baby (or dried bean if you don't have a baby) somewhere in the filling. (The person who gets this piece will have good luck for the year.)

Fold the short side of each triangle toward the center just to the edge of the filling to cover. Then pull the point end of the triangles toward the outer rim of the pan to fully enclose the filling, tucking under the points. Lightly press the seams.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Let cool to room temperature.

Whisk together the confectioners' sugar, milk or cream, and vanilla until smooth. The consistency should be fairly thick, but still thin enough to slowly drip down the sides. Add more milk as necessary. Spoon the icing in a ring over the top of the King Cake and allow it to slowly drip down the sides.

To decorate for Mardi Gras, sprinkle wide stripes of purple, green, and yellow colored sugar crystals.

Wednesday Weekly Review - Heart of Gold

Heart of Gold is a fictional novel written by Robin Lee Hatcher, a Christy and Rita award winning author. Heart of Gold is set during the 1860s, at the time of the Civil War. Reverend Delaney Adair leaves his home in the South to answer a call to lead a church in Idaho and brings his daughter Shannon with him.

Shannon is a spoiled Southern girl. She resents having to leave her home and is bitter against Northerners, since her fiance was killed in the war. However she ends up nursing Alice, a woman from one of the northern states who is dying and becomes close friends with her. Because Shannon is taking care of Alice, she comes in frequent contact with Alice's brother, Matthew, and the story follows their relationship.

My thoughts: I liked the book and the characters were likable, especially Reverend Adair. I liked how he still kept his long-deceased wife in his thoughts and would have conversations with her throughout the book, as well as quietly setting a Christian example for his daughter. I did feel that the relationship with Shannon and Matthew developed rather quickly and am not sure if that is very realistic. However I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick read.



Disclosure: I received this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

a recipe for valentine's day

Happy Valentine's Day! Do you have any special plans for today? I'm planning to try out this cake pops recipe I got from Health.com with the kids:

Ingredients
Cake
1/2 cup plus 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 10-inch angel food cake
Lollipop sticks

Toppings
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
Assorted sprinkles


Preparation

1. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese and powdered sugar; stir with a whisk.

2. With clean hands, break up the angel food cake into large pieces (about 6 cups total). Place in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs form; transfer crumbs to a large bowl.

3. Add the cream cheese mixture and blend until a dough forms. Shape into 1-inch balls and insert lollipop sticks. Transfer to a large plate and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

4. Place the dark chocolate and white chocolate chips into separate microwave-safe bowls. Heat one bowl at a time for 30 seconds. Remove and stir until chips are melted and smooth (you may need to microwave for another 20 seconds). Immediately remove pops from the refrigerator and dip into either chocolate bowl; sprinkle with desired toppings. Serve immediately.


I'm looking forward to tomorrow - all Valentine's day candy and chocolates are 50% off so I'm going to stock up on chocolate, yum!

Have a great day!

Lowell Milken Center Discovery Award

Hello and Happy Monday! My kids have the day off from school in honor of Lincoln's birthday. Do you consider Lincoln to be a great president and/or hero?

The subject of "heroes" has been a fascinating topic to me. I admit to being one of those people who reads all the news articles about people who act heroically to better the world for others. I've read accounts that made my mouth hang open by the sheer selflessness of individuals who put themselves in danger for the sake of others. There are also plenty of other people who devote themselves to improving life for others and they are, to me, also true heroes.

I was reading some real-life stories about these heroes and I stumbled across an organization, the Lowell Milken Center, which is devoted to acknowledging such people. The Lowell Milken Center aims to tell the stories of individuals who changed history -- sometimes changing history for hundreds or thousands of people and sometimes changing history for just a few people. The Center is devoted to featuring the stories of individuals who have gone above and beyond reasonable expectations to improve the world.

For me, one of the most exciting aspects of the Lowell Milken Center is the fact that it's aimed at encouraging young people to seek out stories about heroes. The students learn the heroes' narratives and chronicle the accounts of the actions. These accounts offer an opportunity for each of us to pause to think about what each of us can do, in our own lives, to impact positively on the world.

The center runs a contest in which individuals can nominate an unsung hero who has had an impact on events in such a manner that they have changed the course of history. The nomination must be based on solid research and provide examples of how the hero can be seen as a role model. Eligibility is for students in grades 4 - 12 and the prizes range start at $10,000 for the first prize donated by Lowell Milken founder of the Center.

I'm excited about following the contest and reading more about these amazing individuals. I encourage you to check out the site too!

treasury time....

Just had to share this beautiful treasury titled 'Blossoms', perfect for Valentine's day! My coaster set is in the last row, left corner. Curated by abigailfulbrook.

Giveaway Winners

Winners for the Celtic Woman giveaway are #2 and #5 as selected by random.org - I'll try to post the screenshots later.


Congratulations and I'll be in touch soon!


On March 1st, I will start my 4 year Etsy-versary giveaway - $100 worth of products or as many items that will fit in a flat rate envelope. I'll be stuffing the envelope with Little Pink Plum mirrors, purse hooks, magnet sets, pill boxes, bookmarks, glass tile pendants and scrabble tile pendants. A random mixture of everything and I may include a gift certificate to the shop also!

Bertollli Make a Weeknight Meal Challenge

I love Bertolli® sauces and olive oil and recently took part in a challenge by them to prepare a special weeknight meal in one hour. That included not only preparing the meal, but decorating, creating an ambiance and also plating the food. I received two coupons for Bertolli® Meal Soups (find them in the frozen section) and selected Chicken Minestrone and the Tuscan-Style Beef & Vegetables.

On most weeknights it's pretty casual at our house, but on the day of the challenge, I used a tablecloth (we usually just use placemats) and lit two candles. I decided to make both Bertolli® Meal Soups and also bought a loaf of French bread (and garlic bread for the kids) plus salad fixings. So once my husband came home from work, we sat down with the kids and tried the new soups. The soups were very easy to prepare and it took less time than the garlic bread baking in the oven. I really liked the taste of both soups so it would be hard for me to pick a favorite, although I think my husband kind of preferred the Tuscan-Style Beef & Vegetables more.

My three tips for making a weeknight meal more special:

1. Use your best dishes or china.

2. Light candles, just make sure the little ones don't get close to them.

3. Play some classical or instrumental music to create "sound ambiance".

For more information about Bertolli and their new line of Meal Soups, visit them on Facebook, Twitter and visit Bertolli's website.


Disclosure: I was compensated by Bertolli to participate in the Weeknight Meal Special Challenge.