My favorite part of a pan of brownies is the crispy corner piece. But there are only four of those! Sure, there are edge pieces, but it's just not the same. Then, one day, it hit me: how about a brownie that is ALL crispy edged? I pulled out my muffin tins, sprayed them with some Pam, and whipped up a box of brownie mix.
A "family-sized" box of brownie mix yields about 12 muffin brownies. You can tell they're done when the edges pull away from the sides a little bit. The brownies are crispy on the edges and gooey (but still cooked) on the inside. They are FANTASTIC!
Want healthier brownies? Leave out any extra ingredients your brownie mix calls for and add a can of blended up black beans, juice and all. It is JUST AS GOOD!!!
Definitely ★★★★★!!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
YA Novel: Fallen
Fallen was written by Lauren Kate. It is the first of two books, the second being Torment.
Synopsis: Luce is a troubled 17-year-old with a history of psychosis. At least that's what the doctors say it is. She is hounded by eerie shadows that follow her and show up at dark and stressful times. One of those times was a tragic fire that turned deadly. Now, suspicious of her involvement in the fire, her parents have sent to a reform school. Sword and Cross is a last resort for Luce's parents. It is supposed to be a safe place for 'wayward' teens like Luce. The only bright spot at Sword and Cross is Daniel Grigori. The only problem is, Daniel doesn't feel the same way about Luce.
Review: Yet another teen love story. I do read other genres, I promise! I suppose, as with any other book, Kate must reel the reader in quickly. I was hooked by the prologue, though not in love. While I finished Fallen quickly (3 days), it wasn't because of my eagerness to read it, but rather my lack of anything better to do. Admittedly, I was eager by the last quarter of the book to find out what was going to happen. Sadly, there was no conclusion. Just an open-ended cliffhanger luring me to read the next book Torment, which I will, undoubtedly, read very soon, just to see what happens with the characters and the story line. Bottom line: Not great, but not bad, either.
Pros: Easy read, very descriptive text, interesting religious references, interesting character development
Cons: No conclusion, same-ol'-same teenage angst
Rating: ★★★
Mom Rating: PG-13 for violence, adult situations, and language. I would let my kids read this at age 15.
Synopsis: Luce is a troubled 17-year-old with a history of psychosis. At least that's what the doctors say it is. She is hounded by eerie shadows that follow her and show up at dark and stressful times. One of those times was a tragic fire that turned deadly. Now, suspicious of her involvement in the fire, her parents have sent to a reform school. Sword and Cross is a last resort for Luce's parents. It is supposed to be a safe place for 'wayward' teens like Luce. The only bright spot at Sword and Cross is Daniel Grigori. The only problem is, Daniel doesn't feel the same way about Luce.
Review: Yet another teen love story. I do read other genres, I promise! I suppose, as with any other book, Kate must reel the reader in quickly. I was hooked by the prologue, though not in love. While I finished Fallen quickly (3 days), it wasn't because of my eagerness to read it, but rather my lack of anything better to do. Admittedly, I was eager by the last quarter of the book to find out what was going to happen. Sadly, there was no conclusion. Just an open-ended cliffhanger luring me to read the next book Torment, which I will, undoubtedly, read very soon, just to see what happens with the characters and the story line. Bottom line: Not great, but not bad, either.
Pros: Easy read, very descriptive text, interesting religious references, interesting character development
Cons: No conclusion, same-ol'-same teenage angst
Rating: ★★★
Mom Rating: PG-13 for violence, adult situations, and language. I would let my kids read this at age 15.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
YA Novel: Shiver
My most recent read is Shiver by Maggie Siefvater.
Synopsis: Grace is a 17-year-old girl from Minnesota who was attacked by a pack of wolves. Sam is the one who saved her. The book follows their 6-year-long distant admiration of each other until they finally meet in person. They have fallen in love with each other, but must fight to remain in each other's lives.
Synopsis: Grace is a 17-year-old girl from Minnesota who was attacked by a pack of wolves. Sam is the one who saved her. The book follows their 6-year-long distant admiration of each other until they finally meet in person. They have fallen in love with each other, but must fight to remain in each other's lives.
Review: This is a teen love story. Don't expect more than that from it. It was a quick read; I finished it within 3 days. I made it sound not so great, didn't I? But as Teen-agery as it was, I couldn't put it down. Siefvater hooks you within the first 2 chapters (they're short) and I couldn't wait to finish it to see what happens. I was constantly questioning the probability of Grace and Sam being able to keep their relationship intact given their impossible circumstances, and this kept me reading. And as an added plus, it was easy to get lost in it. Shiver didn't require too much thinking, but wasn't so simple it was boring.
Pros: Quick, easy to read, not part of a series (you can read it and have closure, not have to wait for another book), doesn't involve much thought.
Cons: Predictable , teenager cheesy.
Rating: ★★★1/2
Mom Rating: PG-13 for sensuality, violence, and mild language. In other words, I won't be letting my kids read this until age 14 or 15.
***Note added 12/19/10*** Just found out there are 2 other books in this series: Linger and Forever. I'll update with follow-up reviews as soon as I find the books!!
***Note added 12/19/10*** Just found out there are 2 other books in this series: Linger and Forever. I'll update with follow-up reviews as soon as I find the books!!
An Introduction
I am an opinionated stay at home mom who loves to read, watch movies and give unsolicited advice. What better way to give advice than via blog?
I'll review things with a rating of 5 stars or less. Here's a key:
★=don't waste your time
★★=if you have nothing better to do, go ahead
★★★=give it a try; you might like it better than I did
★★★★=I highly recommend
★★★★★=you can't miss this!!!
E-mail me with any review suggestions at nowhearthisreviews@yahoo.com. Feel free to comment and share your thoughts! Enjoy!!
I'll review things with a rating of 5 stars or less. Here's a key:
★=don't waste your time
★★=if you have nothing better to do, go ahead
★★★=give it a try; you might like it better than I did
★★★★=I highly recommend
★★★★★=you can't miss this!!!
E-mail me with any review suggestions at nowhearthisreviews@yahoo.com. Feel free to comment and share your thoughts! Enjoy!!
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