Riversong

Riversong

by Tess Hardwick

Romance, suspense, fear, healing from the past, starting over & more...so many issues are present in this inspiring book. Tess Hardwick is an awesome storyteller...you feel a part of the action. I really enjoyed this book! A great women's literature book.....I had fun watching Lee's life bloom after she had left a tough situation!!  A great "Fairy Tale" ending....so that makes it even better! 

I finished this book a few weeks ago and am just posting it.....I guess I am all wrapped up in....

....so glad summer will be here in a week (SCHOOL IS OUT SOON!!!)...then I can enjoy my reading and have several stay home and read all day......I can't wait!!

A Great Lemony Desset!

Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake

or it can be just Lemon Bundt Cake w/out adding blueberries!

(The cake my cute new polka dotted cake stand from Marshalls..true love!! Thank to my friend Jami Jill for "spotting" it for me!!)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
3 eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup of blueberries sprinkled with flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Glaze ingredients:

1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees .
• Grease and flour a bundt pan. (So I way overdid this on this cake...last time I didn't do it enough and it stuck to the pan and was hideous...but still tasted great!! I was determined to get it out of the pan this afternoon...and I did!! Whew!!)
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.
• In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla.
• Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
• With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter..mix well! 
• Add blueberries and mix again.
• Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean. I could have pulled it out about 5 minutes early...so check it near the end of the baking time!
• While cake is cooking, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.
• When the cake is done,  cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
• Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan.
• While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.  (This makes the cake SUPER MOIST!!!!)
• For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.

DELICOUS!!  Can't wait to have it tomorrow morning again for breakfast!

Peace, Prayers, and Blessings to Grandma Rose!

"Grandma Rose" (Cecero) Marchese

April 17, 1916-April 12, 2012

Rob's sweet Grandma passed away on Thursday morning....just after midnight!

She was the highlight of our trips to Rob's hometown of Batavia, New York!

It will never be the same without her....you can tell by the obituary...The Marchese Family stays close to home...thank goodness Rob found a job in Austin after getting his masters from RIT (Rochester Institue of Technology)!!  Thank you Motorola/Freescale for hiring him....I am so lucky that he is a TEXAN now and never wants to go back!

Mrs. Rose (Cecero) Marchese, 95, of Batavia died Thursday (April 12, 2012) at United Memorial Medical Center following a short illness, just five days away from her 96th birthday.

She was born in Batavia April 17, 1916, a daughter of the late Vito and Anna Tenebruso Cecero. Mrs. Marchese was a member of Ascension Parish, the Altar and Rosary Society, St. Michael’s Society and the St. Joseph’s Table Committee which she helped to establish. She was also a member the St. Jerome Hospital Guild. Prior to her retirement Rose was employed by the NYS Department of Labor – Unemployment Office, Oliver’s Candies, Don’s Dinette and along with her husband they ran Batavia Washing Machine and Appliance Company.

She is preceded in death by her husband Joseph Marchese in 1978, daughter, Joanne M. Monachino in 2003, daughter-in-law, Joan Koziel Marchese; brothers, Anthony, John, Michael and Dominic Cecero and two sisters Theresa and Mary Cecero.

She is survived by her beloved sons Francis G. Marchese and Victor C. (Fiancée Brenda Scalia) Marchese of Batavia; two grandsons, Paul (Sandra) Marchese of Batavia, Robert (Melayne) Marchese of Austin Texas; two great-grandsons Joseph and Michael Marchese of Batavia; sisters-in-law, Eleanor Cecero and Joan Marchese of Batavia; brothers-in-law Steve (Rose) Marchese of California and Vincent March of Batavia who survive along with several nieces and nephews who loved Rose.

Catching Fire

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Hunger Games    5+ Stars -- LOVED IT! Catching Fire     4 1/2 Stars -- LIKED it pretty good! I read The Hunger Games in less than 48 hours....I was so excited to read the next book (Catching Fire) in the Trilogy. It did take me about a month to finish this second book (not sure why??)....it started right where the other book left off...so that made it a quick, easy transition...but I just couldn't get into it!  We saw The Hunger Games at the movie theater on Good Friday...and it motivated me to pick up this book again...once I did that I couldn't put it down! After the first book, I was so intrigued by Peeta, Katniss, Gale, and Prim...I could hardly wait to see what happened next..... the author surprised me over and over again. What an imagination! Katniss had a huge heart and she loves her sister dearly...as well as Peeta and Gale! My favorite part in both books was when they are actually in the arena trying to become victorious....it is amazing all the obstacles they have to go through.....such brave, wounded souls! Action on every single page...and many unpredictable twists and turns!! Catching Fire ended with a cliffhanger "Katniss, there is no District Twelve."......I am anxious to read the next book to see where she goes and what she does...but I am not ready yet! I think I will take a Hunger Games break...... The funny thing is..."My PGA Man" went with me to the movie and was quick to come home and download the first book and he is reading it now, too! I am curious to see if he reads through all the trilogy himself before I even start book #3??....he adored the movie almost as much as I did! Team Gale? Team Peeta? Hmmmm.......I adore Gale.....but after the movie I joined Team Peeta!

Easter at Onion Creek Club

We had the best time at the annual Onion Creek Club Easter Egg Hunt.  Amy and the girls came with their baskets.......we had an amazing time!

 Taylor and Emily ready to hunt!

Last year Taylor had nothing to do with the Easter Bunny and this year she couldn't get enough hugs from her.....she didn't want to leave...she thought she might just stay with the Easter Bunny all day long!

 On your mark, Get set.....GO!!

 

Monica our club trainer...makes the best Easter Bunny....but I know it was hot in that costume!

TEXAS HEAT!!

 Checking out her Easter Eggs....

 Emily is ready for the hunt....the older kids all spotted the golden prize egg before they began...so it was a mad dash for the GOLD. Emily still managed to get some eggs...next year we hope they hide the golden egg a little better so everyone gets a better chance of finding it without the stampede!

Happy Easter 2012!!

The Hunger Games

If you haven't read it...add it to your list!!!

TRULY AMAZING!

I am typically a chic-lit/woman's literature fan....and didn't think I could get into this book. Well, I loved this book (and I will love the movie, too)!  It took me awhile to bite the bullet and give it a try....but once I did...I couldn't put it down!  Kept my attention every page of the way....very brutal and cruel... but, oh so  beautiful all at the same time! Despite all the blood shed...I still enjoyed every part of this book.  I fell in love with Katniss Everdeen's character...a girl with a big heart but ready to take on anything that stood in her way...when she feels something you seem to feel it, too!  I enjoyed meeting Gale in this first book and hope he appears more in book 2!??! 

 Already started reading it.......what a great way to spend a day off!

Muffin Tin Pineapple Upside-Down Cakes

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake....doesn't that just scream the 1980's??.... crunchy brown sugar topping over pineapples and cake...brings back so many childhood memories. My mom used to make pineapple upside down cake in a cast iron skillet so the topping was nice and caramelized on top. Today... I just used JUMBO muffin tins instead of a cast iron skillet.

Normally, I would double this recipe because it only makes 6 Jumbo mini-cakes....but today I bought eggs at Target...and I assumed they would make it home with me...NO EGGS (I hate when that happens!!).   Today I made these for our great friend, Matt Naylor....he is celebrating his 49th birthday again today!  This is his favorite cake...so we are excited to share them wtih him tonight after a delicious meal at Vivo's!

Cake Ingredients: (remember this just makes 6 JUMBO mini-cakes)
2 eggs
2/3 C white sugar
4 T pineapple juice
2/3 C all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Topping:
1/2 stick butter
2/3 C brown sugar
1-can pineapple rings
6-maraschino cherries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray your JUMBO muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray.

In a mixing bowl, add eggs, white sugar, and pineapple juice. Beat for 2 minutes. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and turn mixer back on for 2 minutes.

In a small sauce pan, melt the butter and add the brown sugar. Stir on low heat for one minute.

Place a pineapple ring in the bottom of each jumbo muffin tin. Add a cherry in the middle of each pineapple. Spoon over a layer of the warm brown sugar mixture.

Pour cake mixture over to fill muffin tin 3/4 of the way full.

Bake jumbo cakes for 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven. Let cool in pan for 3 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of each cake to help loosen in case it sticks a little.

 

Place a wire cooling rack on top, and quickly flip over.

Place wire rack of cakes on baking sheet to cool.

Yummy...we can't wait to eat them....Happy Birthday, Mateo!!

Safe Haven

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

Not sure how I felt about this book...I adore Nicholas Sparks, but it took me weeks to get through this book. I always love his "love story" type of stories...but this one got a little intense near the end. I really didn't want to turn the next page...but finally did...as usual everything turned out ok, but it wasn't easy! 

Did you read this book? Did you like it?

The jury is still out for my...NOT my favorite!

Amazon.com's book description...

When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children; and another with her plainspoken single neighbor, Jo. Despite her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family.

But even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her . . . a past that set her on a fearful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport. With Jo's empathic and stubborn support, Katie eventually realizes that she must choose between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards . . . and that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven.

Guesswhat I am reading now and am really having a hard time putting it down....

LOVING IT SO FAR!!!