Pin Picks

I thought I’d start something new here on the ol blog. Each week I’m hoping to showcase some of my favorite things I’ve found on Pinterest that week. I will also hopefully be showcasing any completed pin projects in the post as well.

If you like what you see and want to see ALL the things I pin then you can follow me on Pinterest here.

Completed Pins:

There is just something about completing a pin that just makes me feel good. It’s like I have this giant virtual to-do list and I’m marking one off.

This week has been insane! Everyone has been sick at least twice including me! I just wanted dinner to be fast easy and delicious and these two recipes fit the bill.

Taco Pasta at The Girl Who Ate Everything. It was a quick, easy comfort food dish.

Roast Beef Big Mouth Sliders at Mommy I’m Hungry.  These were glorious. Like the best thing I’ve ate in awhile glorious. Make them. Seriously.

Pin Picks:

I’m drooling over these Fried Chicken Skins at Eat the Love. I’m not sure if Fried Chicken Skin would count as a main dish or what but I’ll just eat these all the time. Ok? Ok.

Anything that has the word Creole or Cajun makes me miss Mississippi. I practically crave that state. I’m not even sure why really, well, I am sure why, it’s the food and this Big Easy Style Saucy Creole Shrimp at Half Baked Harvest looks like it could settle that craving.

We have Guinea Pigs. And they eat A LOT of vegetables. I’ve been trying to re-grow romaine lettuce from the bases of the lettuce and that sort of has me on a re-grow all the things kick. This graphic helps.

How do people keep their throw pillows from getting dirty? I think my family is just a bunch of animals because ours are gross! I need to make some covers and this tutorial at A Curiously Chic Life looks simple enough for my very limited sewing skills.

I think the thing that makes me the saddest about the 6 year difference between my daughters is no one makes matching outfits in that size difference. After much research I found an etsy shop that does! My cheesy mom dreams have came true!

I hope you enjoyed my favorite pins this week! What was your favorite pin you found?

Hades by Candice Fox

Goodreads

Description:

A dark, compelling and original thriller that will have you spellbound from its atmospheric opening pages to its shocking climax. Hades is the debut of a stunning new talent in crime fiction. 

Hades Archer, the man they call the Lord of the Underworld, surrounds himself with the things others leave behind. Their trash becomes the twisted sculptures that line his junkyard. The bodies they want disposed of become his problem for a fee. Then one night a man arrives on his doorstep, clutching a small bundle that he wants 'lost'. And Hades makes a decision that will change everything...

Twenty years later, homicide detective Frank Bennett feels like the luckiest man on the force when he meets his new partner, the dark and beautiful Eden Archer. But there's something strange about Eden and her brother, Eric. Something he can't quite put his finger on. When the two detectives are called to the scene of an attempted drowning, they find a traumatised victim telling a story that's hard to believe - until the divers start bringing up bodies. 

Frank is now on the hunt for a very different kind of serial killer: one who offers the sick and dying hope at murderous cost. At first, his partner's sharp instincts come in handy. Soon, he's wondering if she's as dangerous as the man they hunt.

My review:

I have such mixed feelings about this book. On one hand I loved the serial killer murders. What would you do to save someone you love? How low would you go? It’s something as a human you can relate to. I wish we could have learned more about the serial killers motives and such. I also really liked Hades. He had an interesting story line and I also wish I learned more about him. However, I feel like things fell short with Frank, Eden and Eric. I couldn’t get into their characters and was always bored when the book talked about them. Overall, this book is SO much like Dexter it isn’t even funny. It’s sorta like they threw a bunch of Dexter components in a bag shook them out and rewrote it with slight variations. Also once I started looking for Dexter similarities I couldn’t stop. A brother and sister in a police force and their names start with the same letter? I know that is a small one, but really. When you get past the Dexter similarities it’s a pretty good crime novel.

My rating: 
3 out of 5

I received this book to review through NetGalley for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Sweetwater Bar and Grill

        
For my birthday dinner this year we went to Sweetwater Bar and Grill in Cinnaminson, New Jersey. Upon arriving I actually got a little star struck walking through the door when Chef George Kyrtatas greeted us at the entrance and seated us at our booth. I can’t say I've followed Kyrtatas’ career but I did see him on Cutthroat Kitchen and that was enough to make me feel like I was in the presence of a star.

        The interior of Sweetwater was absolutely beautiful! I felt like I should be paying way more for just the atmosphere but the prices are quite reasonable. Yet again I didn't take any pictures of the decor ( I really need to get it together) but you can check out their website to see what it looks like.

      
  We started off with one of their many delicious sounding appetizers. After plenty of deliberation we chose the Philly Style Cheesesteak Spring Rolls. This choice did not disappoint! The filling was delicious. I’m sort of a sucker for anything fried in a spring roll with a delicious sauce though.

        After our appetizer the rest of our order came. I chose the Stuffed Jumbo Shrimp, my husband chose the combination seafood marinara and my daughter chose from the kid’s meal spaghetti and meatballs.

        
My stuffed shrimp were so tasty. I've been on a seafood kick this pregnancy and what is better than giant shrimp stuffed with a crab meat stuffing?! My sides were good as well but nothing to write home about. I didn't try my husband’s dish but he said it was really good and it sure looked like it. The plating was beautiful.  

My daughters dish was given two thumbs up! We also received great customer service the whole time we were there!

        Sadly, one thing I can’t comment on is their alcoholic beverages. Their website boasts a large selection and I am going to have to go back later when I’m not pregnant to give it a try! But not only will I be going back to try the drinks I need to try pretty much everything else on their menu! I’d give this restaurant 5 stars hands down.

Check out their website for their menu.

Don’t forget to follow them on facebook and twitter too!

        

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Black Chalk by Christopher J. Yates

Goodreads

Description:

One game. Six students. Five survivors.

It was only ever meant to be a game.

A game of consequences, of silly forfeits, childish dares. A game to be played by six best friends in their first year at Oxford University. But then the game changed: the stakes grew higher and the dares more personal, more humiliating, finally evolving into a vicious struggle with unpredictable and tragic results.

Now, fourteen years later, the remaining players must meet again for the final round.

My review:

This book in my opinion was weird. Not necessarily in a bad way but not in a good way either. Does that even make sense? While reading this book I didn’t want to put it down sometimes. But at other times I was bored of reading about college students’ crushes and time spent drinking and smoking. Once the “game” started things became more entertaining but I was honestly disappointed in most of the aspects of the game too. Although the book left me wanting more I wanted to know how the book ended and yet again I was pretty disappointed. I could see some people really enjoying this book but it just wasn’t for me.

My rating:

2 out of 5.

I received this book to review through NetGalley for an honest review. All opinions are my own.