Sara Reads Things

We had a great party over the weekend for my middle son. He turned six years old last week and he is supper proud of it. I took him to the store to pick up some food for his party and he told everyone that he passed that it was his birthday. Love that boy. I took a long weekend off of work so I could spend some time with the family. We've been working on the garden again, adding more veggies and flowers. It is looking great now. I hope you have a great week and enjoy the menu! Monday -  Parmesan chicken and potatoes Tuesday - Crock pot taquitos Wednesday - Baked Ravioli Thursday - Loaded beef nachos Friday - Deep dish pizza casserole Saturday - Grilled burgers. Sunday - Tuna sandwiches

Welcome back to part three of The Midnight Trail. I wonder what Shelby has in store for us this week? Part Three With every step I took, the memory of Jarrod seemed further and further from my mind, but I knew that it would take a lot more than just a long walk in the forest to release myself from the guilt I felt. It wasn’t your fault, Shelby . I didn’t know why I was talking to myself, but the further I got from civilization, the more I answered my own questions. The river beside me began to carve a deeper path in the forest bed. It widened and twisted forming small waterfalls and rocky outcroppings where the water ran white and quick around it. The sound quickly went from a quiet rippling to a rushing that seemed to push me on faster along the path, but the trail was becoming rocky and I thankfully found myself forgetting about my thoughts and concentrating on my footing. I skirted along a cliff side that was only wide enough for one person to traverse. The trees...

This would be the first year my husband and I have attempted to grow a garden. And I do say attempted. We are great at getting the seeds to grow with our indoor green house, but the minute we take them outside, something terrible happens and we kill all the little plants. We've drowned them, baked them and had the Blue Jays pick them out of the ground. The cats keep digging them up and there is a opossum that nibbles on the stocks. We just can't win. Even thought we've had to start over on a lot of our little plants, w still have a few that have managed to make it. Exhibit A   We have tomatoes, spinach, lemon cucumbers, carrots and radishes. There are also a few marigolds to help keep the bugs away from my tomato plants. They are starting to bloom. I do have to admit that I almost fried those too by leaving them in the sun too long without water. They all survived and look great now. Exhibit B Our new baby plants that will need to be put in the ground. Pumpkins ...

Call me Grill Master! I learned a very important life skill over the weekend. I can now grill a burger on my propane grill that Jason bought for me. Don't ask me to use the charcoal grill yet, but maybe some day. My sequel to my first novel Hunter, is coming along nicely. I have six chapters now in only a matter of weeks. I feel like its just flowing out of me. I guess there is something to be said for loving your characters and knowing them well. This week is my middle child's birthday week. He is turning 6 and my husband bought him a bounce house for his party. He is super excited and so am I. I love that kid! Enjoy this weeks menu! Monday -  Pot Roast Tuesday - Parmesan chicken and potatoes Wednesday - Spaghetti Thursday - Baked Parmesan Chicken Nuggets Friday - Steak Fajitas Saturday - Ronan's 6th birthday party Sunday - Tuna Sandwiches

Part Two The melodious sound of birds chirping in the canopy above complimented the early morning light. Once I had stepped through the gateway to the Midnight Trail, it was like I was in a whole other world. The light seemed brighter here, the birds sang sweeter and the shades of green seemed more vibrant. I couldn’t help but smiling at the joy around me. The path wound its way through the underbrush, along a stream that bubbled with fresh water. I stopped for a moment and touched the surface with my finger tips. I hadn’t expected the cold shiver that ran up my back. It must have been runoff from the mountain nearby, but it was summer. I had thought it would be somewhat warmer, another surprise on the trail. It had been an hour when I stopped for a break. The path had been fairly easy and well worn as it twisted through the forest. By my calculations I had already gone several miles and I was making good time. If I could keep up this pace for another hour or two, I migh...

I know I've been writing a lot of movie reviews lately, but when you have a back injury and have to rest a lot, you send a lot of time reading and watching movies. Some of the movies I've been watching have been total crap, and I've shared them with you before. Other movies are pretty dang good and deserve another watch, but sometimes these movies boggle my mind in a totally different way. Like the next movie I am about to introduce, I still don't know what to think of it. The Adjustment Bureau (2011) - Sometimes you come across a movie that when you first start watching it you think, this seems interesting, but then as you get further into the show, you start to think, WTF? what is going on? Here is a blurb that I found on the internet about the movie:  Just as he is on the brink of winning a Senate seat, politician David Norris (Matt Damon) meets a ballerina named Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt). Though David is instantly smitten, mysterious men conspire to keep him ...

Came across another yummy Buffalo Chicken recipe to share with you. This one comes in a scrumptious panini sandwich, with blue cheese and mozzarella. Ingredients: 2 slices of bread (I used sourdough) Shredded chicken breast (good use of leftovers) Buffalo chicken sauce Blue cheese Mozzarella cheese Instructions: Mix the chicken, blue cheese and buffalo sauce, use your discretion on how spicy you want it to be. Layer the chicken mix with the mozzarella on the bread, top with the other slice of bread and place on the panini maker. Really, just make a sandwich. Its really simple, but delicious. 

Today was such a different day from a few days ago. Friday was almost 90 degrees. The sun was shinning and there wasn't even a cloud in the sky. Today is dark and gloomy. Cold with a constant rain all day. I feel a chill in my bones. All I wanted to do today was work on my garden, but with the rain I ended up staying in doors all day doing laundry. Not my favorite, but it had to be done. Enjoy this weeks menu! Monday - Cobb Salad Tuesday - New Hing Restaurant Wednesday - One Pot Sausage Skillet Thursday - Ranch pork chops Friday - Garlic chicken Saturday - Pot Roast Sunday - Dinner with the in-laws

Welcome to my new web series. A collection of short chapters that chronicle the adventures of Shelby as she tries to forget her tragic past and survive the struggles that the trail throws her way. Don't miss an installment or you might not know if Shelby has the strength to survive midnight on the trail. Part One It was only in the early morning light that one who was seeking the Midnight Trail could find where the path began, and I was definitely seeking the Midnight Trail. It had taken me months to convince the local hiking community that I was trustworthy enough to keep their secret, but finally with a little luck and a lot of patience, I was given the location and sworn to never tell a soul about what I found there. As the sun crested over Mount Hood to the East, and the forest around me was lit up with the light of morning, I pulled a small piece of paper from my pocket. Written in small text were the instructions for my journey. “ Shelby ,” I read out loud t...

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms that stop by my blog. I had an amazing day spending time with my boys, my own mother and my mother-in-law. They made it specail for me. I got to wake up to an amazing breakfast, made just the way I like it from my husband. My boys, amazingly slept in till almost 9:30 and we spent the whole day in the garden. It's coming along nicely. We also had an awesome time seeing Captain America, Civil War with my dad for my husbands birthday. The movie was very entertaining, but didn't have all the witty banter that the previous movies did, but It was still a five stars. Enjoy this weeks menu! Monday - Ranch chicken and potatoes Tuesday - Taco salad Wednesday - Steak Quesadilla Thursday - Buffalo Chicken Panini Friday - Pork schnitzel and baked potatoes Saturday - Garlic Parmesan Panini Sunday - Toad in a hole

So, I got roped into purchasing one of those book advertised on Facebook for $.99. They claimed that it was a close rival to Twilight and all though I liked Twilight well enough, I didn't think there could be a book out there that wasn't a complete copy cat. I was hoping for something original. Let me tell you, there is nothing original anymore when it comes to books about vampires. They all seem to be the same. This purchase was for a novella, not even a full length book, but it had potential from the moment I picked it up. I had to look past the corny awkward love story, but once the main character got involved with the vampire clan I wanted to know how she got out of the whole situation she was in. I read the book in two days and then purchased the second one which I didn't like as much. I set it down and didn't pick it up for a few months when I was out of things to read. I am now reading the third book and I have a feeling they are all going to get a little w...

If you asked me what kind of TV I like to watch, I would tell you that I like the strange shows that make you think and bend your perspective on reality. Its interesting to see what people think about things that others find outrageous and untrue. Its also fun to form my own opinions about strange facts. Here is a short list of some of the strange shows that I've watched recently and what I think of them. 1. Ghost Adventures - I've been watching this show for years and what intrigues me the most about it are all the cool gadgets these guys have. There is a device they use that maps out the outline of ghosts that aren't visible to the human eye. In one episode during the most recent season, there were four ghosts on a stage performing. They even got one to dance. It was very entertaining. The commentary in this show is very dramatic and at times very dark, but they visit some really cool places across America that, of course, I would never set foot in. They've eve...

Happy May! Well, the back pain is back, but its tolerable. I just need to be careful. May is one of my favorite months of the year. My husband and middle son both have birthdays this month and the flowers are starting to bloom. Jason and I worked on the garden over the weekend and the plants in the sun box are coming along nicely even though I tried to fry them in the sun by leaving the top open too long, oops. Jason saved them. I guess I don't have a green thumb. Here is this weeks menu, enjoy! Monday -  Crockpot fiesta chicken Tuesday -  Steak and potato stir fry Wednesday -  Pork schnitzle Thursday -  Philly cheese steak sloppy joes Friday -  Broccoli stir fry Saturday -  Ranch pork chops Sunday - Tuna sandwiches