Saturday Vittles

 

Berry Dessert

I've made no secret of my love of sweets. But I've found some sweet treats to eat that don't have a lot of calories and so when you're having a sweet tooth, you can indulge a little. 

You will need: 

Cool Whip zero sugar whipped topping

Berries of your choice

What to do: 

Mash 6 raspberries with a fork. Add 2TBPS of Cool Whip zero sugar whipped topping. Mix together and add a small hand full of berries on top. I used blueberries and raspberries. 

This sweet treat has just 50 calories and 3 carbs.

Freebie Friday!

 

Welcome to another weekly Freebie Friday post, where I tell you what free samples and full-sized products I received in the mail and how you can get them too. Someone asked me why I do a "Freebie Friday" each week, so I'll tell you.

A while back I listed all the free samples and wins that I had received that previous year and so many people didn't believe that I could have gotten so many free things.  I decided to prove it by taking a picture every week and sharing the sites that I found the links to the freebies at. So now you too can get great free samples coming to your mailbox each week.

  You can find links to great samples at Hey It's Free and Freebie Shark.

This week I received: 

A free first aid bag with the purchase of select first aid products at Target. But everything was on a great sale and they had digital coupons to cut. You never know when you'll need first aid stuff. 

Book Review: His Bear Hands by Layla Nash

 

Book Description

Zoe Stewart didn't plan to end up in the woods after she emptied her corrupt boss's bank accounts, but the small town of Bear Creek is the only safe place for her to hide from his minions. Except Bear Creek isn't connected to anything and she might die without fast wifi, even with the handsome brooding lumberjack to look after her. After a walk in the woods goes badly wrong, Zoe discovers her protector is more than he seems.

Simon Crawford just wants to run tourists into the backwoods of the Cascades on boutique hunting and fishing trips. When his old battle buddy asks him to look after Zoe for a short time, Simon reluctantly agrees -- and discovers his bear wants her as much as Zoe wants to leave. When a car accident leaves Zoe on the verge of death, Simon saves her the only way he knows: gives her his blood and changes her into a bear.

Just as her bear recognizes his and their happily ever after seems just around the corner, Zoe's corrupt boss hunts them both down and threatens to destroy everything Simon has built in Bear Creek. Will Simon's bear hands be enough to save them both, or will their happily ever after end before it even begins?

My Review

Simon and Zoe meet when Simon's old friend asks him to look after her for a while since some very bad people (Crime Lord) are after her for stealing from them. Zoe is really good with computers and tech so this little town of Bear Creek with no wifi isn't what she really wants to deal with. But she's safe for now so she will deal with it. 

Simon is a bear shifter and he expects Zoe to get up early and help out with the lodge when guests arrive. Zoe is not an early riser though, so it causes some problems between them. The danger really sparks up though when Zoe goes for a walk in the wilderness and come smack dab in the middle of a mama bear and her cubs. Simon almost loses his mind that she was in such danger and she had no idea what to do in such a situation. Zoe doesn't know it but Simon knows right away that she's his mate. 

When Zoe surprisingly finds out that bear shifters exist, she tries to flee only to get into a car accident and almost dies. Simon can't lose her and does the only thing he can think of to save her, he gives her his blood and changes her into a bear shifter. Things get really interesting after that. 

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

Amazon

Favorite Picture of the Week

 

All of today's pictures are from the past 2 weeks. Sunset one night.

It's was a hazy day. It almost looked smokey.

A much clearer day. Bright white clouds and blue skies.

Same time as the last picture, just a little bit more to the left. 

Later that day while I was across the street from my complex.

The next morning, the clouds looked interesting.

Book Review: Darkened Dawn by E.J. Mellow

 

Book Description

From the award-winning author of The Mousai series comes the sweeping conclusion to the Icarus-inspired Way of Wings duology—where a forbidden love could save a fractured world…or bring about its end.

Cādra is on the brink of war. With their king in a coma and rebellion spreading across the lands, the winged Volari and horned Süra gather for tense peace negotiations. But beneath the momentary fragile truce simmers unrest—the mixed-blood Mütra rise, demanding the freedom denied them for centuries, as the gods themselves seem poised to intervene.

Tanwen—now a known Mütra and fugitive of the crown—and Zolya, a prince on the precipice to inherit his father’s broken kingdom, find themselves caught in a web of betrayal and divine reckoning. When their forbidden bond is exposed, they risk far more than their love—their lives, their families, and the fragile hope of peace.

Together they must decide whether their love is worth the ruin it may bring to their fractured world…or perhaps be the only key to healing it.

My Review

I won this book in a goodreads giveaway and have not read the first book in this series but I was able to follow along what was going on in this world just fine. 

Zolya becomes King once his father dies. He and his mother aren't weeping at his death since the King was a brute and not nice at all. A lot of secrets are revealed about the dead King and even though I didn't know him from the first book I didn't like the man either so I can understand why no one would be sorry he was gone. 

Now that Zolya is King, he can make some changes to his kingdom and make it a better place for his people. Not everyone is happy about the changes he wants to make and they let him know it. There's also the danger of the Gods not liking the changes he makes as well. And if that's the case, they could all be killed by the Gods if they anger them. I found the Gods interference to be interesting to say the least. 

Tanwen and Zolya thinking they were going to have to make sacrifices in order to be together because their relationship is forbidden. But what they go through in order to be together makes their love for each other stronger. Tanwen is also fighting for change so her people can be free and equal to everyone else. There was a lot going on in this book and a lot of secondary characters but it kept me entertained so that is a plus. 

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. 

Amazon

Happy Raturday!

 

*All pictures this week are courtesy of martymousehouse.*

Apartment Life #432

 

This is a weekly blog post that I'm calling Apartment Hell  Life. I've mentioned a few times some of the crazy things that have gone on in and around my apartment complex and in my neighborhood in the past 27 years that I've lived here and people keep telling me I should write a book. But instead of a book, I've decided to share the crazy things that have happened in and around my apartment complex in the last 27 years here in a weekly blog post.

On Tuesday around 8PM I walked next door to the grocery store and bought a few things. But as I was walking over there, I was approached by several homeless people asking for money. I don't carry cash, so I said sorry and moved on. The thing is, that a lot of times when they are given cash, they will go into the grocery store and sit down at one of the slot machines and gamble. 

As I came out, two teenaged boys stopped me while they were riding on their e-scooters and asked if I had any change. I said no and tried to go on but one was standing in front of me and the other to the side of me. One of them kept looking at the bags of food I had bought (mostly fruits and vegetables). They were a little too aggressive for my liking. They kept asking if I have even a quarter. I said no and walked around them. Both of these boys had on hoodies with the hood pulled up over their heads. It was 112F at that time even though the sun was going down. That to me was a huge red flag. I felt like I was about to get robbed. 

So I called my daughter and asked if she would walk over to the start of the parking lot and just watch me walk over in case I got robbed. My daughter and another neighbor came out to make sure I was safe. Nothing happened but I felt threatened. It wasn't even the homeless people that made me feel that way, it was the teenage boys wearing hoodies in this heat that made me feel uncomfortable. They seem to be over there all the time too. Irritating. I guess I'll have to make sure I have my tazer on me when I go over to the store from now on now too.

---

 

Wednesday night around 9PM I was walking Falcor when I noticed a guy running down the street, an unmarked police truck was following the guy. He ran, the police got out and ran. All of the sudden the guy running, was running from my alley, into the pool courtyard, jumped over the fence right in front of me and ran fast as hell across the street. The police ran the same way in front of me, he stopped and asked if I saw the guy and I pointed across the street. He ran over there and then over to the tunnel entrance where he and a few more cops were flashing their flashlights by the tunnel entrance. The guy got away down into the tunnels and the police wouldn't follow him down there. There were police all over the place and the police helicopter was flying overhead for a few but then they all left. 

---

The high this week was 113F/45C

The low this week was 85F/29C

So that's it for this week's Apartment Hell  Life! Be sure to come back next week for more.

Saturday Vittles

 

Potato, spinach and chicken bowl

I know this bowl looks plain but I swear I added seasoning! 🤣 It just isn't showing up in my picture. 

You will need: 

1 chicken tenderloin-chopped (4 ounces of chicken)

1 small potato- chopped

1/2 cup fresh spinach leaves

1/2 tsp. McCormick Steak Seasoning

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. McCormick Herb and Garlic seasoning

1/2 tsp. McCormick Mesquite seasoning

Salt and pepper to taste

No calorie cooking spray

What to do: 

Wash off your spinach, chop it and set aside. 

Partially cook your potato in the microwave 2 minutes. Cut the potato into pieces.

Spray your pan, add chopped chicken and potato. Cook over medium heat until chicken is cooked through and potato is cooked to your liking. 

Add seasoning and more no calorie cooking spray. Add the spinach and sauté until spinach is wilted. Serve while hot. 

This lunch has about 200 calories and 30 carbs.

Freebie Friday!

 

Welcome to another weekly Freebie Friday post, where I tell you what free samples and full-sized products I received in the mail and how you can get them too. Someone asked me why I do a "Freebie Friday" each week, so I'll tell you.

A while back I listed all the free samples and wins that I had received that previous year and so many people didn't believe that I could have gotten so many free things.  I decided to prove it by taking a picture every week and sharing the sites that I found the links to the freebies at. So now you too can get great free samples coming to your mailbox each week.

  You can find links to great samples at Hey It's Free and Freebie Shark.

This week I received: 

Greenies Original dog treats

Honey roasted peanut M&M's

Elta MD UV recovery SPF 50

I won an ebook in a FB contest

Blue Buffalo Nudges minis Beef pot roast dog treats

Falcor likes the Greenies. I've given him these before. 

I finally received the M&M's that I was sent an email that I had won. They are good. 

The Elta MD seems like a good SPF

I haven't read the book yet

Falcor loves his treats

Did you receive any freebies this week?

Book Review: Her Orc King: A Monster Fantasy Romance by Zoe Ashwood

 

Book Description

Captured by bandits, sold at auction to brutal orcs, and dragged halfway across the realm…

I never thought I’d say this, but being kidnapped by a band of pillaging bandits wasn’t the low point of my life.

No, that came when a massive, scarred orc king decided I was his mate and refused to let me leave his cave.

Orcs are a vile race without a shred of propriety, and their king is the worst of all - he expects me to accept their wicked ways and doesn’t understand that my thoughts scatter whenever he removes his shirt. He insists on taking care of me - both my body and soul - and won’t take no for an answer.

But trouble brews in this remote kingdom. The orcs are keeping secrets, and I want to learn the truth. And I’m no longer certain I want to return to the human world. Maybe I want to stay right here, in King Gorvor’s arms.

Her Orc King is an orc fantasy romance with a big, scarred hero who falls hard for the stubborn human heroine. You’ll love it if you enjoy your books with a hint of kidnapping, size difference issues, and lots of steamy scenes. This is the first book of a series of standalones - each book can be read separately and features a happily-ever-after ending for that couple.

My Review

Dawn is abducted and sold at an auction where she's bought by a couple of Orc's. She's taken back to the Orc's home where male Orc's sniff her to see if she might be the mate to anyone there. She's surprised when King Gorvor tells her that she is his mate and takes her back to his room. 

Dawn is expecting the Orc's to be awful to her but they are all welcoming and Gorvor is gentle and so sweet with her. She's slow to trust all this but the longer she's there, the more she doesn't want to leave. 

One thing is bothering her though, the Orc's seem to be keeping secrets from her and she won't let it go until Gorvor tells her what's going on. I loved Gorvor, he was so patient with Dawn. When Dawn finds herself in danger, we get to see just how much Gorvor will not tolerate anyone threatening his mate. The other characters in this book were great too, which makes me want to read more from this author. 

When Gorvor tells Dawn about his childhood, she realizes that both of them were dealt a bad hand but they can make a better future for them and their children. This was such a good book. 

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

Amazon