Rice Krispie Pumpkin Treats

These yummy Pumpkin Rice Krispie Treats are super easy to make and the perfect fall snack.  We are taking a batch with us to a hayride tomorrow and I am sure all the kids will love them!  The stem is a tootsie roll and the pumpkin itself is an orange rice krispie treat.  

How cute is that?!

So if you have ever made Rice Krispie Treats before you will have no problem making these.  You use the same recipe and as you are mixing/melting your marshmallows in the butter you add a mixture of red and yellow food coloring until you get your desired pumpkin color.  After you mix in the melted marshmallows with your rice krispies you can start shaping them into pumpkins/balls.  We coated our hands with butter to keep everything from sticking and if you have little kids helping you, make sure the mixture has cooled a little before you start shaping them.   You don't want any burns!  I also unwrapped my tootsie rolls and put them in the microwave for about 10 seconds to make them easy to mold.  I gave them a little twist and pushed it in the top while the "pumpkins" were still warm.  That's all there was to it.  Simple and fun!

Here is the original Rice Krispie Treat Recipe just in case you have misplaced yours! ;)

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 package (10 oz., about 40)  Marshmallows
• OR
• 4 cups  Miniature Marshmallows
• 6 cups Rice Krispie cereal

DIRECTIONS

1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.   (this is the when you would add your food coloring)

2. Add Rice Krispie cereal. Stir until well coated. (after this step is when you would shape your pumpkins and then add your tootsie roll stems)

3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool. Cut into 2-inch squares. Best if served the same day.

Forever Christmas - A Book Review

It seems like every October there are a few Christmas fiction books that start hitting the shelves.  This is about the same time I'm starting to think about what presents to buy for my loved ones,  decorating and snow and just getting in the "Christmas spirit".  I love to sit down with a good Christmas book, a cozy blanket and a cup of coffee.

I had high hopes for Forever Christmas.  From the synopsis it sounded good, I had read some reviews and they were all praising this great story, but I have to say though that I was not as impressed.  I did like it, but I struggled getting in to the story line.  I also am very picky about the type of books I read.  I want good wholesome books with a good story line.  Even one curse word turns me off.  As a book reviewer and a Christian it is hard for me to recommend a book that has even one bad word in it. I feel that it reflects on me as a Christian.  I was not very far into Forever Christmas when I read the first curse word so from that moment I was disappointed.

On a more positive note, the book sends a strong message of not taking your life for granted and to cherish those you love.  It was not predictable and I was really surprised with the ending.  The story reminded me of It's A Wonderful Life and the whole thing had a familiarity about it.  It's also a quick read and depending on how much time you have you could possibly finish it in one sitting.

***This book was provid
ed to my by Booklook in exchange for my honest review.

To Everything A Season - A Book Review

I was so super excited when I seen Lauraine Snelling's newest novel To Everything A Season where she returns to Blessing, North Dakota and continues her story of the Bjorklund family!  As soon as my book came in the mail I ripped open the package and began reading.  It felt like a letter from home!  I have come to love the people of Blessing and have connected so much to the characters that I love when a new series or book becomes available.  I was afraid that the last series would be the end of The Red River of the North stories, so I was pleasantly surprised (okay, jumping for joy) when I seen that Lauraine Snelling is continuing the saga with this new series - The Song of Blessing.

This book was so good.  I soaked in every word and really felt like I was getting updates from my distant relatives.  One thing I really like about the books about Blessing is that even if the story is about a certain character, for instance this one is about Trygve finding love, there is still enough information about all the other characters that I have connected with in the past.  I will admit that there have been a few series (this new series makes five) that have been a little slow paced, but this book was right on track for me.  I couldn't read it fast enough and it reminded me of the first series when I first came to love this family.

I would definitely recommend this book, but I'm not sure it would be a good "stand alone" book.  I think you would enjoy it much better if you start from the beginning and journey with the Bjorklund's from the start.   I don't think you will be sorry!

If you want to find out more about Lauraine Snellings books you can check out her website HERE.

Now I just have to wait for the next book in the series, A Harvest of Hope!

***This book was provide to me by Bethany House Publishing blog review program in exchange for my honest review.

An Amish Second Christmas - A Book Review

There is something about fall and the onset of cooler weather that makes me want to curl up with a blanket and a book.  An Amish Second Christmas is the perfect book for doing just that.  It consists of four novellas by some of the best Amish Fiction authors.  Beth Wiseman, Ruth Reid, Kathleen Fuller and Tricia Goyer are all featured.  Each story is centered around the Amish celebrated Second Christmas.  Second Christmas is the day after Christmas and it is a continuous celebration of Christmas that is spent with family and friends.

The is a great book and I thoroughly enjoyed all four stories.  They were heartwarming and well written.  My favorite was When Christmas Comes Again by Beth Wiseman.  It was different and not as predictable as a lot of fiction novels I have read.  My second favorite was Her Christmas Pen Pal.  I would of loved for this one to of been longer!

More about the novellas:

When Christmas Comes Again by Beth Wiseman - Christmas is just around the corner and Katherine knows that it will be hard for her and her children.  This will be their first Christmas without Elias their beloved husband/father.  To add to the stress, a mysterious Englischer is following Katherine.  He presents her with photographs of her late husband and her whole family.  When she learns who this mystery man is she is in for a surprise and he blesses their family in ways unimaginable.

Her Christmas Pen Pal by Ruth Reid - Ever since her parents died Joy has engulfed herself into the family business, a bakery that her parents started.  Joy is expecting a proposal from Henry, but instead she finds him courting another woman.  She writes a letter to her cousin that ends up in the wrong hands.  A young cabinetmaker reads the 10 page letter and decides to write her back with his opinion.  They become pen pals, but a lot of twists and turns keep them from coming together.

A Gift for Anne Marie by Kathleen Fuller - Anne Marie and Nathaniel have always been best friends.  When Anne Marie's mother decides to remarry in another state Anne Marie is devastated.  How can she possible leave all her friends, but most importantly how can she leave Nathaniel.  Soon Nathaniel and Anne Marie begin to realize that their feelings for each other are stronger than friendship...seems like everyone else new it all along.

The Christmas Aprons by Tricia Goyer -  Vanilla crumb pie has been Esther's mom's signature pie for decades.  When Esther goes to help a family member she is called upon to help the town  in a benefit for the fire department.  Her mom shares the secret recipe for her vanilla crumb pie with Esther.  What she thought was a simple dessert turns into something much more...bachelor bait!

If you love Amish fiction and short novellas this is the perfect book for you!  Each novella is a fast read, but put together the four novellas offer more than 400 pages of enjoyable reading.  This would make a great Christmas gift too!

***This book was provided to me by the publisher through booklookbloggers.com in exchange for my honest review.

A Robertson Family Christmas - FREE BOOK GIVEAWAY!!

Who doesn't love one of America's best known red-necked families?!   That's why I know ya'll will be super excited about the chance to win "A Roberston Family Christmas".  It is a novella written by Miss Kay Robertson herself with the help of Travis Thrasher.  It is a crazy story of a troubled teen who finds the true meaning of Christmas where he least expects it.

Even though it is a fictional book it is based on real Robertson family Christmas traditions.  As I was reading the book there were several laugh out loud moments along with some heartfelt moments.  It may be a fictional story, but it is written as if it actually happened.  All the things that the characters say are exactly the things you can imagine, and have heard them say on their television show!  It was a cute story and a fast read.

I received two books from Tyndale Publishing.  One to review and keep for myself and an extra copy to giveaway to one of my readers!  It is a nice hardback book with a festive book cover!

So here is what we are going to do...the contest is going to run from now until midnight on Wednesday, October 15, 2014.  I will announce the winner on Thursday the 16'th.

To enter:

1.  Follow my blog if you don't already.
2.  Leave me a comment and tell me what your favorite Christmas tradition in your family is.
3.  Share a link to my blog about the contest on FB or Twitter

For each of the above you will get one entry.  So be sure to do all three to increase your chance of winning and be sure to let me know if you are sharing on FB or twitter.

Winner's address must be in the USA.

***Thanks to Tyndale Publishing for providing me with a copy of A Roberson Family Christmas for review and an additional copy to giveaway!

A Love Undone - A Book Review

When it comes to Amish fiction Cindy Woodsmall is definitely one of my favorite authors.  She has a way of writing about the Amish community that brings it to life and makes the characters seem real and relate-able.   In her most recent novel, A Love Undone, she tells a beautiful story of shattered dreams and God's unfailing grace.  The main male character is Andy Fischer.  If you are familiar with Cindy Woodsmall's books that name may ring a bell.  We were first introduced to Andy in The Dawn of Christmas, we only seen a few glimpses of his character then as he was a minor character.  Since Andy did not have a main story line in The Dawn of Christmas you don't need to read it before you read A Love Undone, however, it is a great story that I think you will love, so you may want to pick up both of these great novels.

More about the book:

In A Love Undone Jolene is a young 19 year old girl who is on the brink of having all her dreams come true.  She is getting ready to marry Van in just 10 days and then she will follow her dreams of painting and selling her work.   In a blink of an eye her world comes crashing down around her.  When her mom and dad are killed in an accident, Jolene is overcome with grief but knows she must step up to the responsibility of taking care of her siblings so they are not separated.  Ten years have now passed and Jolene is comfortable with the role of who she is.  Most of her siblings have started a life of their own except for Hope and Ray who are the youngest.  Ray was struck  by lightening when he was a young child and has many problems as a result.

Andy Fischer is a "grass widower" (a man whose wife has left him) with a young son named Tobias.  He trains horses for a living and when Andy and Jolene come together to train some horses from the Humane Society sparks instantly fly.  When Jolene realizes that they cannot be together because of his marital status her heart is broken.  They fight their feelings and remain separated from each other, but despite their best efforts their feelings for each other remain and the rumors begin to circulate.

A few thoughts:

I really enjoyed the story of Ray.  Reading about his struggle with his emotions and anxieties and watching him come to age was really enjoyable.

Andy and Jolene's story was very unique and I was a little concerned about how the author was going to write this story and keep it "safe" since it was dealing with a married man.  As to not give too much away I will only say that I was very pleased with how the story was concluded.  Both Jolene and Andy are such admirable characters that want to please God and the elders of the church, even if it means sacrificing their own happiness.  It is also a great story of God's healing.  Sometimes life happens and it is not at all what we expected, but God can heal our hearts and help us to come out victorious!

If you want to learn more about the author and her other books you can check out her website at www.cindywoodsmall.com

***This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.  

Tried and True - A Book Review

I was first introduced to Mary Connealy's books when I read The Kincaid Brides series and I became an instant fan.  Her next series was The Trouble in Texas series and I was a little disappointed with that series.  Now I just finished the first book in her new series Wild at Heart and let me tell you, she has captivated me again!  I absolutely LOVED this book and I cannot wait for the next book to come out.  From the very first page to the last I was intrigued with this well written and highly entertaining novel.  

Mary Connealy has a unique writing style.  Her books are all westerns and she has a lighthearted, comedic way of writing her stories.  There is also a lot of romance in them.  If there is such a thing as a wild west fairy tail then that is how I would describe the way she weaves her stories.  I loved all of the characters in this novel and there was plenty of page turning action and suspense!  This is surely a series you don't want to miss!

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Kylie and her sisters disguised themselves as men and fought during the civil war, now the war is over and they have all claimed homesteads and are still disguising themselves as men in order to get their homesteaders exemption.  Kylie is not like her sisters though, she likes dresses and pretty things and dreams of a civilized life.  Her plans are to prove her homestead, sell out to her pa and then head for civilization. 

Aaron Masterson is a land agent and it doesn't take him long to discover that Kylie is really a woman.  When someone starts threatening Kylie's life in an attempt to run her off her land Aaron comes to her rescue time and time again, but will the only way to keep her safe be to marry her?  Will Kylie marry Aaron and give up her dreams of a civilized life?  You are just going to have to read for yourself to find out!  

***Thanks to Bethany House Publishing for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

  

Bend Your Brain - A Book Review

Calling all nerds...okay, maybe you don't have to be a bonafide nerd to enjoy Bend Your Brain, but if you love puzzles and bind benders this is a great book that you are sure to love.

Once you pick up Bend Your Brain it is hard to put it down.  It is filled with 151 puzzles, tips and tricks that blow and grow your mind.  There are five sections - Visual Perception, Word Skills, Critical Thinking, Coordination, and Memory. There is a wide variety of puzzles ranging from easy to hard.   

I sat down with my 16 year old daughter and worked through a lot of the puzzles together and what fun we had!  Some of the puzzles were challenging, but that just gets your brain working all the harder.  

Since I am a homeschool mom these type of books always intrigue me.  I have purchased several "mind bending" type puzzle books through the years and I have to say this is the best I've seen.  The puzzles are new and fresh and unlike any that I have seen in previous books.  The directions are clear, examples are given when needed and the answers are in the back of the book in case you get completely stumped or just want to check and see if you are right.

The only negative thing I have to say about the book is that many of the puzzles require writing and once you write on the puzzle that's it.  I like a book that can last for several uses, so we used a pencil, wrote light and then erased so someone else in the family could try the same puzzle.  So it still worked, but that was the only draw back I found. 

***This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Honor - A Book Review

Honor is the first book in the Quaker Brides series by Lyn Cote.  I absolutely loved the story of Honor Penworthy, a young Quaker woman, who due to some unfortunate circumstances finds herself without a home, money or hope for a future.  All she has is her maid Royale, a black servant whom she has promised to free.  With no skills Honor's future depends on a marriage to Samuel Cathwell.  Samuel lost his hearing as a child, but has learned sign language and is a successful business man.  Despite his success he is withdrawn from the hearing world and feels like everyone sees him as a burden.  

Samuel and Honor along with Royale and a few other servants that they have hired, head west to start a new life.  Honor is very passionate about freeing slaves and soon becomes involved in the Underground Railroad.  Samuel knows that his wife is hiding something, but he is not sure what.  

Honor is such a brave character and is willing to risk everything to do what she feels is right.  The way the author portrays the feelings between Honor and Samuel is so realistic and I could relate to both of them.  I have a passion for deaf culture and have been learning ASL myself so I was instantly drawn to this book because one of the main characters was deaf.  It is so well written.  There is courage, suspense and love.  Honor is a true heroine and I was captivated from the first page to the last.  On top of loving the story of Honor and Samuel there were several minor characters that added so much to the story!  I can't wait to read the next book in this series.  

If you enjoy historical fiction I am sure you will love this book too!

***This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for my review.

Making Marion - A Book Review

Marion Miller comes to Sherwood Forest to uncover he father's mysterious past.    She is looking for somewhere to stay, but instead finds herself on the wrong side of the reception desk at the Peace and Pigs campsite.  Despite her shyness, she promptly lands herself a job working for the big-hearted and irrepressible Scarlett.

It takes all of Marion's determination to come out of her shell and get to grips with life on a busy campsite, where even the chickens seem determined to thwart her.  Then an unfortunate incident with a runaway bike throws her into the arms of the beautiful, but deeply unimpressed, Rueben...

Can Marion discover her father's secret?  And will she find peace, and perhaps even love among the pigs?

I have to admit that the thing that first attracted me to Making Marion by Beth Moran was the cover.  Unlike most books I've read lately the cover looked fun and lighthearted, then when I seen that it was a Robin Hood story I was even more intrigued.  After reading more serious drama filled books I was ready for something fun.

I hate to say that I was disappointed with what I found within the pages of the book.  The story was just okay, but what bothered me the most was some of the language.  There was not a huge amount of bad words, but enough to turn me off from it.  I am very particular as to what I read and I would not classify the book as a christian novel and because of those reasons I could not recommend this book to others.  

About the Author:

Beth Moran lives in Nottningham with her husband, and three children.  When she's not writing, Beth helps lead a national women's network.  You can visit her website by clicking HERE.

***This book was provided to my by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.