Everyone knows that I love to eat. I collect recipes and have several favorites. One recent recipe is for a Pretzel Salad. I used to work at Convergys and a coworker brought it to one of our potluck dinners. I do not really like pretzels. I do not like jello. But those are two of the ingredients of this recipe. About a year after I got the recipe, I found that Macey's grocery store had it on their free recipe cards. This recipe can be used as a salad or as a desert.

PRETZEL SALAD

2 cups crushed pretzels

2/3 cup melted butter

3 Tbsp sugar

1 large pkg raspberry jello

2 cups hot water

20 oz frozen raspberries

1 cup sugar

2 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese

16 oz cool whip

Combine pretzels, butter and 3 tbsp sugar and press into a 9 X 13 in pan. Bake at 350 for seven minutes. Refrigerate.

Dissolve Jello in water, blend in raspberries, and set aside in refrigerator until thick, but not set.

Combine 1 cup sugar, cream cheese and cool whip. Spread on pretzels, then pour Jello mixture on top. (I actually like to do the opposite, I put the jello on top of the pretzels and then the white mix. Sprinkle some crushed pretzels on top. ) Chill until set. Can put raspberries on top for decoration if desired.

Now, I will add how I like to make it. I put the jello raspberry mix on top of the pretzel base. Then I put the cool whip, cream cheese and sugar on top of the jello. I sprinkle some of the crunched up pretzels on top.

The fist book which I recommend is “The Story of Beautiful Girl” by Rachel Simons.

This story takes place back in the days (1968) when anyone could be locked away forever in a mental institution for being slow, strange or not considered normal.

An older women, Martha who is retired, receives a knock on her door. Standing on her doorstep, is a large African-American deaf man named Homan and a young white woman named, Lynnie. Lynnie is holding a newborn baby.

When the authorities who are searching for them arrive at Martha's house, Homan escapes out the back door. Lynnie, who had been hiding in the attic, came downstairs without the baby and as she is taken away, she whispers to Martha, “hide her.”

The story goes through the next 40 years about what happens to Martha, Homan, Lynnie and the baby, Julia.

 

 

Rachel Simons has also written another non-fiction book, called “Riding the Bus With My Sister”. This is about her Down's Syndrome sister who spends almost every day riding the public bus system in Philidelphia. Her sister, Beth challenges her to ride the bus with her. Rachel agrees and spends the next year at least once a month for a year.

I have both of these books if someone wants to borrow them.

Some book series that you may not have read

   Today while visiting my brother's house, we got into a discussion of books that we had read recently. Present was David, Charlene, Danny and Ali Stewart with baby, James. Tiffany and Peter Stockwell with Anthony, Ryanna, Aspen and their new baby Kiah (I am sure that is not the right spelling.) Rachel and John Hone with Benjamin and Callie Stewart. Hope I did not forget anyone.

   Most of us have been reading juvenile, teen and young adult books; mostly fantasy and dystopian.  So I thought that I would add to my blog with updates on books that I have enjoyed or ones that I have not enjoyed.

  Here are some series you might not have heard about. 

SISTERS GRIMM series Michael Buckley

 

This is a series about two sisters. Their parents disappear and they are sent to live with their Grandmother Grimm, who they never knew existed. They find out that they are descendents of The Brothers Grimm. That two hundred years ago, the Grimms brought all of the fairy tale characters, who are real people to live in Ferry Landing. As long as a Grimm stays in Ferry Landing, none of the fairy tale characters can leave. Some are good, some are bad and some are funny and strange. The two sisters have many adventures and try to solve where their parents are.

The Fairy-Tale Detectives

The Unusual Suspects

The Problem Child

Once upon a Crime

Magic and Other Misdemeanors

Tales from The Hood

The Everafter War

The Inside Story -

FLAVIA DE LUCE series Allen Bradley

 

This series is more for adults. I love Flavia. The books take place in England. Flavia's family once was rich and live in a large manor house that is now in poor condition. Flavia's father is distant and more focused on his stamp collection. She has two older sisters, who do all they can do to be mean to their younger sister. Their mother died when Flavia was little, so she has no memory of her. One of her ancestor's was a chemist and had his laboratory in one wing of the house. Flavia is very intelligent and has self educated herself in chemistry. She is only 12 years old, but is fascinated with how poisons work and how they are made.

   She has a bike named Gladys. She gets involved with several murders that take place in her village. Although the police discourage her, she ends up finding clues and solving the murders before them.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag

A Red Herring Without Mustard

series by Pseudonymous Bosch

 

Try telling people that you are reading a book and the name of the book is secret.

The Name of This Book Is Secret

If You're Reading This, It's Too Late

This Book Is Not Good for You

This Isn't What It Looks Like

You Have To Stop This

The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series by Michael Scott



The Alchemyst

The Magician

The Sorceress

The Necromancer

The Warlock

The Enchantress





An Enola Holmes Mystery series by Nancy Springer

Did you know that Sherlock Holmes had a younger sister. Enola which when spelled backwards means Alone is 14 years. Her mother disappears on her 14th birthday. She leaves her a booklet with clues that leads Enola to hidden money. When her brothers, Mycroft and Sherlock show up, they are determined to send her to a boarding school. They also insist she wear proper young lady clothes, which includes a painful corset. Enola runs away and ends up in London. She uses disguises and her own intelligence to solve mysteries and to continue to hide from her brothers.

The Case of the Missing Marquess (2006)
The Case of the Left-Handed Lady (2007)
The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets (2008)
The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan (2008)
The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline (2009)
The Case of the Gypsy Goodbye (2010)



The Mysterious Benedict Society series by Trenton Lee Stewart

Mr. Benedict has an evil twin brother who he must defeat. He puts an add in the paper for children who are gifted children looking for special opportunities. He selects 4 children, each who has special skills.

The Mysterious Benedict Society (2007)

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey (2008)

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma (2009)

500. J. MacHale    The Pendragon series

I read these quite a while ago. They have characters that can travel between different worlds. They fight against evil to save all of the worlds, including earth.

The Merchant of Death

The Lost City of Faar

The Never War

The Reality Bug

Black Water

The Rivers of Zadaa

The Quillan Games

The Pilgrims of Rayne

Raven Rise

The Soldiers of Halla