I cannot believe HBear’s last day of grade 11 is this week! That is crazy! Next week SBean graduates from middle school! Where did the time go? Something exciting happened this week! I received my MRI report and I am happy to report, I have no new lesions And no new progression since my MRI last year! What a relief! I had a pretty rough summer last year and I was worried that I had had a relapse. I’m so glad that my biannual infusion is continuing to work for me!
Now, I can relax and try to enjoy my summer without “results stress” lol. With that being said, now I can move onto other stresses lol like how to keep my Kids reading throughout the summer? I’m not going to lie, I read a lot of Young Adult books. I do this for lots of reasons, 1, they’re good lol 2, I like to see what the Kids are reading, and 3, I like to be able to recommend good books to my Kids, Nieces, and their friends! When someone likes a book that I picked out for them, honestly, it’s the best feeling ever.
These are just some of YA books and series that I really enjoyed and perhaps your Kids will too!
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard Published in 2015 I like to read young adult books in order to pick good books for my daughters and nieces. I would recommend this one. As an adult, I would like more character development but the storyline was a little different from other YA series I’ve read recently while still maintaining a strong female main character. This book is about Mare a human with no talents except for stealing. She lives in the world where humans with red blood, Reds, are inferior to the Silvers, people born with silver blood and superpower abilities. On the brink of a revolution, fate brings Mare to a position of power to change how the Reds are treated, with the “help” of 2 Princes and a childhood boy”friend”. The cliffhanger was a good one and I would be interested in book 2.
The Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard Better Than Revenge – Revenge is a main plot point. I read the first one a while ago, but you were reminded of what happened previously in the first few pages. I like that. The new king is on a destructive path of revenge while Mare and her Mötley group try to collect more people like her. This is a true YA book. While there are thoughts about relationships, it’s really a coming-of-age story about a girl that is struggling to find who she is, what comes next and where to place her trust. I really liked all the new characters that were introduced and it was another really great cliffhanger.
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo I have read adult books by this author before and she is dark. That doesn’t change when she is writing young adult. This is a graphic depiction of street gangs in a fantasy world similar to Gotham city. It is hard to believe that the characters are teenagers and our criminal masterminds but the story is captivating and fast paced. I like how each character gets their own chapter. Looking forward to finding out what happens in the next book.
Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo The 2nd book in this duology is just as gruesome as the first. Young adult? I can’t believe these characters are 14-16 years old. The book is full of action and twists and turns and fleshes out the characters even more than the first book. It was a satisfying read and ending but I will be wondering what happens to this young cast of characters in the future as they are still so young and there are so many adventures I would like to see them have.
Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson This is a standalone fantasy novel about magic and libraries. I liked books about books and this one was about magical grimoires. I liked all 3 of the main characters and especially liked Elisabeth. There is a little romance in the book but not a major plot line.
Holes by Louis Sachar This is my 12-year-old daughter’s favourite book. She has read it multiple times, watch the movie over and over again and listens to the soundtrack all the time. So I read it to see what the big deal was. Right away I like Stanley. I was interested in all the stories Zero’s, Kate’s, the holes, and even Stanley’s no good, dirty, rotten pig stealing great great grandfather’s story. I loved how all the loose ends came together in the end. I understand why my daughter loves this book so much.
We Dream of Space by Erin Entrada Kelly 1986, I really felt like my childhood! Minus the arguing parents lol but I feel like the 80s were chaotic and messy. As a parent reading this, I loved reading it from a child’s perspective. I forget sometimes how kids brains think. This book reminded me how hard it is to be a kid, how hard it is to be a human.
Thieves’ Gambit by Kayvion Lewis This is a pretty good young adult heist book. A high stakes game between thieves for the grand prize. Family, enemies, friends, this is a story about trust. Although I saw the twist coming a mile away, the cliffhanger was surprising. Making for a bit more romance I would assume in book 2. This is the debut novel for this author, so I’d like to see if she grows in the second one.
Heist Royale by Kayvion Lewis About a competition It took me a minute to remember what happened in the first book. The Organization has another gambit with fresh new challenges for the young thieves. I like the heist aspect as well as the coming of age story and the blossoming romance using the enemies to liver trope. I like Ross and her friends but I m not sure this story moved the series along as much as it could/should have.
When I was a kid, we had homemade burgers, a lot. I hated them. Like hated them! There was always big chunks of onion and practically whole cloves of garlic in the patties! My parents used to laugh at me because I called them “fake hamburgers“ because obviously real hamburgers were the ones you got at McDonald’s Lol. When I started dating Ninja, his dad made barbeque hamburgers at the cottage and… I actually liked them! I came to realize that not every homemade hamburger tastes the same, and some of them are good, no, great! These 3 burger recipes fall into that category! These are homemade burgers that will impress everyone at your next barbecue, even ME!
My Mom used to use ground pork in place of ground beef and told us we would never know the difference. We did. Ground pork isn’t ground beef and the same ingredients don’t bring out the flavours of the meat the same way. This recipe for Asian Style Pork Burgers is amazeballs. THESE are the ingredients you mix with ground pork to make a memorable burger. No more dry, boring pork burgers around here, that’s for sure!
Ninja didn’t know about this recipe at first lol to be honest, I didn’t either. You put the seasoning on the outside! We were worried that it wouldn’t be a steakhouse bite but, wrong again! Check out these Steakhouse Burgers that are jampacked full of flavour! Less is sometimes more as we have found out from these mouthwatering burgers.
We like chicken burgers. Sometimes they can be boring though however these Chicken Burgers with Bang-Bang Sauce are anything but boring! These burgers are a party in your freaking mouth lol these are not too spicy but perfectly balanced and you will want to slather the bang bang sauce on absolutely everything!
Ingredients
1 lb ground pork
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ginger, minced
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon hoisin sauce
1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
- Slaw
1 bag shredded coleslaw
2 green onions, white and light green only, thin-sliced
- Dressing
1/2 cup mayo
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon hot sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Directions
Mix all the dressing ingredients together. Set aside.
Place slaw in a bowl, and add sliced green onion.
Using the dressing you made, top the cabbage mixture with all but 1/4 cup of the dressing, which you need to reserve as a burger spread. Stir it in with the veggies, then sprinkle the 1/2 teaspoon salt and stir again. Refrigerate for up to 8 hours.
In a large bowl, place the ground pork. Add the minced garlic, minced fresh ginger, hot sauce, sesame oil, hoisin sauce, fish sauce, cilantro and salt. Using your hands, gently combine all the ingredients together.
Form 4 roughly equal sized patties.
Heat greased grill over Medium to Medium-High heat Cook the patties 6-8 minutes until done. Internal temp should be 160F. Grill buns on the top grill.
Slather buns with remaining sauce. Add the pork patties and top with slaw and sweet pickles if you like.
Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons mustard
1 onion, sliced thin
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoon butter, divided
4 hamburger buns
4 slices cheese
¼ cup mayo
2 tablespoon mustard
8 pieces bacon, cooked
Directions
In a small skillet, add 1 tablespoon butter, mushrooms, onions, Worcestershire sauce, and red wine vinegar over low heat. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add minced garlic, cover and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove lid, stir, and let any excess liquids cook off.
Form 4 hamburger patties. Try not to overwork the meat for best results. Salt and pepper both sides of all 4 patties. Drizzle about a ½ teaspoon of Worcestershire on each patty. Then, rub with ½ teaspoon mustard on all sides.
Heat your grill to medium-high heat. Add the hamburger patties to the hot grill and cook for 5 minutes, undisturbed. Flip patties over and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Butter the hamburger buns and Lay buns butter side down on top grill and cook until golden. Place cheese on each patty and turn off heat. Cover and let cheese melt.
Top each bun with mayonnaise, mustard, a cheeseburger patty, grilled onions, mushrooms and bacon.
Chicken Burgers with Bang-Bang Sauce
4
servings15
minutes10
minutesIngredients
1 lb ground chicken
½ cup panko
1 egg
½ red onion, diced
1 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon paprika
4 slices mozzarella cheese
4 lettuce slices
4 buns
- Bang-Bang Sauce
⅓ cup mayo
3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- Pico de Galo
1 Roma tomato, diced
½ red onion, diced
1 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 lime, juiced
½ teaspoon pepper
Directions
Combine all of the pico ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
Add ground chicken, panko, egg, onion, cilantro, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and paprika to a large mixing bowl. Mix well to combine. Form the mixture into a ball and divide it into 4-5 equal sections. Form each section into a 1/2-inch thick patty.
Heat grill over medium-high heat.
Whisk the mayo, sweet chili sauce, hot sauce, garlic, and salt in a small bowl.
Spray the grill lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Place the chicken patties onto the grill and cook for 4 minutes. Flip the patties over and cook for 2 minutes. Add cheese to the tops of the patties and cook for 2 more minutes or until the burgers are cooked through. Check to be sure the internal temp of the chicken patties has reached 165°F before removing them from heat. Add cheese at the end and let melt.
Lightly brush the buns with oil. Place the buns cut side down onto the grill pan over medium-high heat and toast until golden brown.
Spread the Bang-Bang Sauce onto the top and bottom of the bun. Place a chicken patty on the bottom bun and top with salsa and a slice of lettuce. Place the top bun on the sandwich.
Check out How Was Your Week, Honey? Episode #431 Optical Illusion. This week, we get together on a Monday afternoon to discuss: square footage, kids vs adults, Cherry Pie cocktail, Metis club, Golf, Father’s Day, gummies, SOW, and Brian Wilson.
Thank you to Fiesta Friday for featuring my Cilantro Lime Shrimo Tacos with Creamy Slaw at her Fiesta Friday Link Party.
Another good week as we charge towards the finish line of the school year! SBean had her last band concert of Middle School and she played the flute and the alto sax, the Kids went to the movies and we celebrated Father’s Day with everyone with lunch at Dirty Laundry, ice cream at Summerland Sweets and then the first paddleboard of the summer!
