Back to School for us is, TODAY! SBean is off to her first year of high school and HBear, is in her FINAL year!!! Gulp. They say it goes by so fast, and it does. Some days it doesn’t feel like it LOL but it does.
To get your Kids back into the swing of school I have a few Young Adult books that I have read recently and recommended to SBean and SPea. I read some of them last year (hence the short reviews) but as always the italics beside the title correlates with the reading challenge topic it checks off. I also added links to Indigo but feel free to check out your local library, used bookstore or local bookstore for these awesome titles.
Better Than The Movies by Lynn Painter Teardrops On My Guitar – Unrequited love. This is SUCH a nostalgic book even though it’s set in modern time. It’s the perfect book to read and share with your daughter, or maybe your daughter shared it with you, like in my case. It reminded me of the 80’s movie Can’t Buy Me Love or the 90’s movie She’s All That. I cried laughing at the basketball part and the Mr PotatoHead nose. This is a delightful book that I absolutely adored. The main characters are charming, the side characters are great and the humour is quick and made me literally lol many times. I loved this book and so did my 12-year-old. I really hope they make a TV series. I can’t wait to read the second book and see where the adventure takes Liz and Wes.
Powerless by Lauren Roberts This book was reminded me a lot of the Cursebreaker trilogy mixed with the Inheritance Games trilogy with a lot of the Hunger Games mixed in. It had all the makings of a good young adult series but seemed very formulaic to me. But I was interested in the characters and could see myself reading more of the series.
Reckless by Lauren Roberts A Sequel. I roughy remembered the first book as it’s been a while since I read it, but I didn’t remember the intense connection between Kai and Paedyn. I vaguely recall me not knowing which brother she had a better connection with, so I was surprised by their chemistry in this book. I don’t particularly enjoy hate make outs, especially in young adult though. I like her though. She’s got spirit, she’s observant, compassionate, and smart. Looking forward to the final book in this trilogy.
Fearless by Lauren Roberts Summer book 1. The last book in the Powerless trilogy. So many side characters that I didn’t remember and I wish the author reminded us of who they are a bit better. Callum who?? I feel like Paedyn is too smart to fall for the complete change in the new king. Kai too. This series closely resembles The Red Queen series so if you like that, you will probably enjoy these books. I really enjoyed the Edric of it all but felt like it was too little and way too late. Almost like a whole new book starting. It came together in a long drawn out way. It got a little convoluted but I was satisfied with the ending.
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black This was a book SBean brought home that was on my list so I read it. It is a YA fantasy that really doesn’t have romantic storyline. It is a good story with a good twist and I like the main character, Jude and Shadow Court but I didn’t enjoy the other characters including who will most likely be her romantic interest in the future.
The Wicked King by Holly Black I’m still not sure about this series. While I like Jude, I really dislike Cardan. In fact, I don’t really like any of the characters other than Jude, nobody has loyalty to her. I will be interested to see how the third book plays out after that cliffhanger!
The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black This was the best book in the trilogy by far! With that being said, the characters were still not as deep as I wish they were. Their relationships not fully fleshed out. Jude is a great character though and I love her loyalty and her cleverness. I think this is the perfect series for tweens because there’s romance but no sex and killing but no swearing lol.
The Stolen Heir by Holly Black Vigilante Shit – Book with a morally gray main character. The thing with the Elfhame books is that the Faye aren’t nice. In the Folk of the Air trilogy, we met a young Oak heir to the Fairy throne of Elfhame. The trilogy was good, but I didn’t like the characters. They are very morally gray. This is the first book in a duology based in the same world, but this time it’s Prince Oak’s story. Oak and Wren were promised to each other as children as pawns in a traitorous uprising for the throne. It’s 10 years later and they still can’t trust each other.
The Prisoner’s Throne by Holly Black Paper rings – a book with a ring on the cover. This is the second/last book in the Stolen Heir Duology. I appreciate that the author gave a good refresher at the beginning to remind us what Prince Oak has been up to. I like Oak and I even like Wren. However, just like the rest of the books in this Elfhame universe, there would be no conflict if everybody just spoke plainly. It’s frustrating to read a story that could be so easily fixed. I like that Jude is back and all the characters from other stories are involved. It feels like this story is wrapped up but will the next books be about the Kingdom under the sea? I guess we’ll have to wait to find out!
I like to stock our freezer with goodies for the kids lunches. I hate lunches. When I first had each bear that was one of the hardest things for me as she was a toddler and then later school aged. Lunches. I hate them. Thankfully, Ninja took over lunches a few years ago, and I like to help him by providing different treats to put in their lunch kits!
Both my kids love banana bread and I don’t know why but there’s just something about bananas that make me think of, School. These Brown Sugar Banana Muffins were so delicate. The flavours, the texture, and the fragrance of these muffins makes them the best comfort snacks.
SBean wanted 1 thing for school lunches, cheesecake bites. These are not healthy lol but they sure are fun. These No-Bake Oreo Cheesecake Bites are a sweet little treat to put in your little ones lunch kit. I like to put them in the freezer and then pop them into their lunch kits in the morning for a sweet surprise at lunchtime.
HBear asked for, granola. She loves granola by itself, on ice cream, or with yogurt. There are no nut allergies in her group so she picked out the nuts and helped me make The Best Homemade Granola as she says. I always put the raisins in before I bake it, but if you like them, chewy, add them at the end!
Like I said above, bananas remind me of school and comfort. To send the kids off to school with a full belly you can make this Banana Bread French Toast that my Kids LOVED. Actually I did too! We used My Go-To Banana Bread Recipe, which I posted below and added whipped cream, toasted almonds, and maple syrup to kick off HBear’s last first day of school 😭.
It’s zucchini season! I usually like to make chocolate zucchini baked goods but I felt the other treats were already pretty sweet so we went with this Honey Zucchini Bread instead. It is moist, subtlety spicy with a hint of sweetness. Absolutely delicious!
The Overdue Life of Amy Byler Blind Date with a Book Well, this book was certainly a surprise! I would have never picked it out for myself but thoroughly freeenjoyed it. This is the perfect back to school book for that transition from summer back to the reality of fall and the beginning of school and routine. Amy‘s husband left her and her two kids three years ago. Now he’s back. So Amy allows her soon to be ex-husband to spend the summer getting reacquainted with his kids while she takes some much deserved time to herself in, New York City. I laughed and maybe even snorted a few times as school librarian, Amy, enjoyed her “Momspringa”. The text messages between Amy and her 2 best friends Talia and Lena made me laugh so hard. My favourite part was when she went to the restaurant and made friends with the chef, the descriptions of food, and just the whole scene reminded me of one of my favourite movies, Last Holiday. I also loved the real talk of being a Mom, especially a single mom and how many awesome books, authors and quotes are dropped in this book!
Brown Sugar Banana Muffins
12
muffins15
minutes20
minutesIngredients
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 large ripe banana, mashed
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2¼ cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin pan.
Use an electric hand mixer to beat the butter at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add the brown sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
In a medium bowl, stir together the mashed bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to the butter mixture alternately with the banana mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
Beat at a low speed just until blended after each addition (do not overbeat). Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling two-thirds full.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the pans immediately, and cool for 10 minutes on the wire racks.
No-Bake Oreo Cheesecake Bites
4
servings30
minutes40
minutes300
kcalIngredients
1 package, 8 oz, cream cheese, softened
1 small container of Cool Whip
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
24–26 Oreo cookies, plus minis for garnish
1/4 butter, melted
Directions
Place the Oreo cookies in a plastic bag and seal it tightly. Using a rolling pin, crush the Oreos until they become fine crumbs. (This can also be done using a food processor for a quicker and more even texture.)
Add melted butter and mix. Spoon about 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons of buttery crushed Oreos into the bottom of 24 muffin cups filled with liners. Press the crumbs down slightly to form a base.
In a stand mixer bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and powdered sugar. Beat the mixture until smooth and creamy. This should take about 2 to 3 minutes on medium speed. Add the vanilla and mix until well incorporated.
Gently fold in the whipped topping using a spatula. Be careful not to overmix, as this will help keep the filling light and airy. Fold in the remaining crushed Oreos.
Divide the cheesecake filling evenly among the muffin liners, spooning it over the crushed Oreo base. Lightly press the filling down to ensure there are no air pockets.
Cover the cups with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. Before serving, top each cheesecake cup with additional whipped topping and place a Mini Oreo on top of each cheesecake cup.
The Best Homemade Granola
4
servings5
minutes40
minutesIngredients
4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups unsalted nuts, Whole nuts or chopped. (I used ¾ cup cashews nuts, ¾ cup walnuts and ½ cup almonds)
1 cup raisins
½ cup unsweetened coconut, shredded
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup coconut oil, melted
¾ cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, nuts, raisins, coconut, salt, and cinnamon. Stir to blend.
Pour in melted coconut oil, maple syrup or honey and vanilla. Mix well, until every oat and nut is lightly coated. Pour granola onto your prepared pan and use a large spoon to spread it in an even layer.
Bake until very golden brown, about 15 minutes per side, stirring halfway. It might need 5 minutes more, per side. It’s done when it’s golden brown. Total bake time is about 30-40 minutes. The granola will further crisp up as it cools.
Let granola cool completely. Store cooled granola in an airtight container at room temperature.
Banana Bread French Toast
4
servings5
minutes10
minutesIngredients
4 eggs
1 cup milk
4 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
8 slices banana bread, 1-inch thick and slightly dried out (see recipe below)
4 tablespoons butter
Garnish: sliced bananas, toasted pecans, and maple syrup
Directions
Heat a large griddle or skillet over medium-low heat and melt the butter.
Whisk the eggs, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt into a shallow dish.
Place the bread slices into the mixture, allowing them to soak on each side for at least 30 seconds.
Cook bread on each side for at least 3 minutes or until golden brown.
Plate and top with banana slices, pecans, and maple syrup.
My Go-To Banana Bread
1
loaf10
minutes50-60
minutesIngredients
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups flour
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour a loaf pan or spray with baking spray.
In a large bowl, combine the mashed bananas with the melted butter, then add the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Stir well.
Sprinkle the baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt over the banana mixture. Stir to combine.
Add flour and stir just until no streaks of flour remain. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
Honey Zucchini Bread
1
loaf15
minutes60
minutesIngredients
2 eggs, room temperature
¾ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
- Glaze
½ cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
½ teaspoon butter, melted
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, honey, and vanilla until smooth.
In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just combined. Fold in the zucchini and mix well.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the glaze, whisk together the icing sugar, milk, and melted butter until smooth and drizzle over the cooled loaf. Let the glaze set before slicing and serving.
This week I had Dr appointments and I recovered from our trip by going through so many pictures!! The Kids went to Movie in the Park with Papa, got haircuts, ate Brooklyn Pizza, and went shopping for school clothes and supplies. We all celebrated the end of summer at Grandma and Grandpa’s by the pool with the whole family and with dinner at Orolo followed by the new Naked Gun movie! I am grateful to have had a summer not spent in bed but actually enjoying most of the activities we had planned. Today the Kids are back to school and Ninja and I are celebrating our 16th anniversary of moving to Penticton! 16 years ago today!
15 thoughts on “A YA Reading List & Back To School Treats”
I love this post so much. I am excited to share a few of these books with my daughter. Especially, the Lauren Roberts series. We also love banana bread and will be trying the muffins very soon. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much for stopping by! My daughter gave me a new list so I will be doing another YA review later in the fall, I hope you check it out 🙂
I really enjoyed Better Than the Movies; it was so cute! I vaguely remember The Overdue Life of Amy Byler. I’m kind of surprised I never thought to make french toast out of banana bread. I hope both your girls have a fabulous year of school.
Such a cute book! I know, I’m shocked I didn’t use banana bread before now too. So good!! Thanks so much for your well wishes 🙂
Wishing your girls a fantastic year!! Also, that banana bread looks delish!
Thank you! 🙂
Yes indeed life goes so fast! I made some homemade toasted muesli today – a very similar recipe indeed!
cheers
sherry https://sherryspickings.blogspot.com/
These reads sound great and so do your treats.
Visiting today from Farrah’s
Thanks for visiting!
PS: Thanks so much for sharing with Bookish Bliss Musings & More Quarterly Link Up dear friend.
I hope the return to school went well. My own kids are all adults now. I’ve got one who is working and has bought his own house and two at university. But I’ve also got a 12yo niece, so it’s always nice to have book recommendations for her age group.
Popping over from Book Worms Monthly.
Thank you so much! Yes, my 12 year-old niece is a big reader too and I am constantly recommending titles to her, she keeps me on my toes lol. Take care.
Thanks so much for sharing these great reads and snacks with Sweet Tea & Friends this month dear friend. I’m so happy you’re here.
I hope your girls had a great return to school, It’s nice that you share books with your girls, I like a lot of YA books myself.
So far so good! There are a ton of fabulous young adult books! I don’t want to miss out on any of them 😆. Thank you so much for stopping by!