Yummyday Tuesday - Chicken Salad Crossiants

Easy Chicken Salad Croissants




4 Large Cans of Canned Chicken - drain well
2 packages of Slivered Almonds
3/4 C. Chopped Onion
(1) 15oz bottle of Ranch Dressing
Salt and Pepper - To Taste

Mix well. Should make enough for 4 dz. croissants.

Give It Up! Monthly Challenge and Book Review

Book Review – Give It Up! By Mary Carlomagno

I actually read this book about two years ago but thought it would be the perfect book to review for the New Year! You know, with all those “resolutions” you are pretending you’ll uphold…why not do what Mary did for an entire year read. Each month she vowed to give up one thing in her life, just for that particular month. She chronicles the month with all it’s painful (and sometimes enlightening) glory. From alcohol (which she went back to consuming) to newspapers (which helped her move onto reading books) to cell phones (in which she really struggled) – it’s all there.

This book inspired me to think about what I could give up to make me “live better with less.”

You would think, as I sit here in pain after a night of over-indulging while celebrating the New Year, my first choice would be alcohol ( Mary’s was) but actually, with the holiday shopping behind me and in conjunction with my current “Purge the Pantry” assignment, I think January is the perfect month to give up shopping. I’ll let you know how it goes at the end of the month.


What do you think you could give up for the entire month of January to “live better with less?”

To help you get started, here is Mary’s list from Give It Up! – My Year of Learning to Live Better with less:


January – Alcohol

February – Shopping

March – Elevators

April – Newspapers

May – Cell Phones

June – Dining Out

July – Television
August – Taxis

September – Coffee

October – Cursing

November – Chocolate

December - Multitasking

I was not compensated in any manner for this book review. I purchased this book for my own pleasure. Please read my Review Disclaimer.

Book Review - The Talented Mr. Ripley

I love to read about the arrogant, wild, free-spirited writers and authors of the past. Although I had heard (but not seen) of the movie, The Talented Mr. Ripley, I had not heard of the original book's author Patricia Highsmith until browsing B& N for new books to read. Ms. Highsmith's biography caught my eye and defiantly caught my attention - she was just the type of Fitzgerald-era character (Mr. Gatsby, anyone?)I love to read about. I decided I had better read one or two of her books before I tackled her biography and naturally chose The Talented Mr. Ripley, simply because it was familiar to me. I did try to track down a copy of the movie but the library did not have it. Instead I found the book, which turns out to be a trilogy about Mr. Tom Ripley.

Let me tell you, if you like suspense – there is none better than this title. My stomach was literally in knots from page 100 on. I stayed up until 2am to finish the first book and had to take a sleeping pill to calm myself down from the suspense of it all! I couldn’t wait to post about this book, even as I am reading on through the second book now. Who knows what Ms. Highsmith’s biography will bring after I complete the Ripley stories – I cannot wait!
Here’s a short summary of the first of the Ripley stories – The Talented Mr. Ripley.

The story begins with Tom, a non-descript character who dabbles in small time forgery crimes for fun. He find himself being tailed by a gentleman, who turns out not to be a detective, but the distraught father of one of Tom’s friends. The father tells Tom that his son has run off to Europe and will not return home, even with his mother in failing health. Sensing an opportunity, Tom worms his way into an expense paid trip to Europe to bring the son, Dickie, home.

Dreaming of a new life abroad, Tom quickly becomes friends with Dickie and his lady friend, Marge. They spend the summer together, making plans to winter traveling Europe. The friendship seems queer to Marge and she convinces Dickie to severe the friendship. The men take one final trip together and Tom sees his bright future slipping away. In a fit, he kills Dickie and assumes his identity. Dodging Marge and moving to Paris, Tom totally transforms himself in to Dickie, even forging his bank cheque and living off the dead boy’s money.

In a fluke, a mutual friend finds Tom at “Dickie’s” Paris apartment. Quickly figuring out that something is amiss; the friend starts to question Tom. Tom kills the friend and dumps the body, making the murder look like a robbery. This begins a suspenseful cat and mouse game between Tom and the police. Tom is only one small step ahead at any given moment and is eventually confronted.

I won’t spoil anymore for you, as it’s obvious he gets away this time for there would not be two more Ripley books if he didn’t. I guarantee you will be on you toes and holding your breath the entire way. Just remember to breathe every now and then!

Enjoy, The Talented Mr. Ripley as I am off for a long night of reading, Ripley Under Ground!

Book Review - Come Back by Claire and Mia Fontaine

I chose this particular story for my first book review because it is such a powerful, REAL story - and it hits close to home as I am currently dealing with a similar situation with my own daughter. I scoured the book shelves to find every bit of information I could about teen runaways and this book left a deep impression in my heart. If you are struggling with a child that has runaway, is using drugs or is having serious behavior issues – this is the book that will help you discover there is hope.


BOOK REVIEW: Come Back by Claire and Mia Fontaine


How does a mother react to the sudden realization that her once normal daughter is actually a drug abusing teenager? What happens when the daughter runs away and cannot be found? What is the daughter’s view on her self-destruction behavior? How do both the mother and daughter find help and journey back to normal life? These questions are just the tip of the iceberg in a page-turning chronicle. Both mother and daughter write their own version of events in alternating chapters. The uniqueness of the books is that you read how the daughter feels going through withdrawals, being in confinement and her treatment firsthand and at the same time, you get all the raw emotions of the mother and her struggles with her own side of the treatment process. Come Back is the dual memoir of a mother and daughter as they journey, in their own words, “through Hell and back.” Vividly emotional and striped clear of any “sugar-coating,” this is a powerful account of a daughter, a mother and the struggle to ‘come back” to each other.

Claire and Mia are currently working on a follow-up memoir. Please visit their website for more information on their amazing journal. Resources for parents and teens are also available on their website.

*This book review is covered under my Review Disclaimer. If you have a book or product you would like me to review on this blog, please contact me.