The EXPATS

EXPATS gripped me from the first paragraph. Kate Moore is leaving her job as a concession for her husband's job transfer to Luxembourg. There she'll raise her sons with her husband Dexter, a securities analyst for a banking firm. Kate has a secret past, and decides against telling her husband what she really did for a living while they were stateside. She promised herself that she would never investigate her Dexter.
In Luxembourg, Kate meets Julia from Chicago and they become fast friends. It isn’t long before Kate's internal alarms begin to sound and she checks into a few things that Julia had said, to find them untrue. Julia and her husband Bill don’t seem to be quite a couple; and even though they pose as husband and wife, Kate isn’t buying it. Suddenly, Kate is suspicious of both of them.
At home, Dexter blatantly withholds information from Kate, who is driven to insane levels of curiosity. Will she give break her own vow to herself and check up on him?

I loved every moment in this story, each chapter ended in a cliff hanger. Like putting together an intricate puzzle, EXPATS had me guessing at every turn, then suddenly, the entire picture emerged. Chris Pavone writes masterfully and more than once I found myself holding my breath waiting to see what would happen next. I will be searching for the next one in what promises to be an engaging series.
Definitely a must read.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Amazon Vine program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 

Theanine 200: Five Stars

Jarrow Formulas Theanine 200, 200mg, 60 Capsules (Health and Beauty)

L-Theanine 200 is an amino acid capsule containing a Unique Relaxant that is reportedly prominent in tea. It generates Tranquil relaxation with no drowsiness. I've taken it at the end of the day to read in the evenings before I go to bed to maintain focus. I have had great results, as I choose when to leave off in a book instead of crashing unexpectedly.


I have used it occasionally during stressful days and it has helped me. It produces a pleasant platform of well-being, with no grogginess and I've not experienced any feelings that were negative and no "hang-over" or unpleasant after-effect. I would recommend this to anyone who gets jittery at meetings, before making speeches or finds themselves in the middle of anxiety producing moments, as well as those days one is taking a test or has to be at the top of their game, when anxiousness would be a hindrance.

Vitamins Please!

Vitamin Squeeze Energy Drink, Fruit Punch flavor is delicious. It's in an easy to hold, flexible 12-Ounce container with a flip top. The Fruit Punch flavor is fortified with Vitamin C; 120% of the recommended daily total and taurine which is an essential nutrient said to be necessary for retinal health and found in animal protein. If you're a vegetarian like I am this might be for you! I take it with me to work and add it to my afternoon glass of water for a quick pick me up.
On the plus side: The color is a vibrant red, there is no nasty after taste. The flavor can be as rich and full as you like, there are no calories, no jittery feeling and no crash. It includes electrolytes which sometimes need replenished due to aggressive work outs or fluid depleting illness. I like the easy to hold container which is much larger, than the MiO water enhancers.
On the down side, it leaves an odd residue on the inside of plastic bottles, so if you are one that likes to reuse them, you won’t want to keep the bottle for long. Also, because it does that, I’m less inclined to use this product in my stainless steel drinking bottles. If you use it at home in a water glass for example, the residue washes off easily with the slightest hand scrubbing. (But I noticed it after the dish washing cycle finished. I will say it may have been my dish machine soap not being top grade). If you are all about portability, it's a bulkier package than the MiO.

I would highly recommend this product due to the convenience of having vitamins on the go, as well as on color and flavor.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product free through the Amazon Vine program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 

Diary of a Mad Fat Girl

Diary of a Mad Fat Girl
By Stephanie McAfee

Graciela Jones, “Ace” to her friends, might be rotund, but she doesn’t let it affect her friendship with Chloe and Lilly. In fact the only time it seems to bother her at all is when she thinks of the love of her life, Mason McKenzie a hot-looking stud who only has eyes for her. But because of one incident, she’s keeping her distance from him. The same cannot be said for her beloved pet Buster Loo who seems to adore him on the days that Mason arrives on Ace’s doorstep attempting reconciliation.
This story is like having a conversation over a couple of beers with your neighbor. The irreverent humor, and slightly off color metaphors help keep you turning the pages of this crazy adventure in Bugtussle, Mississippi. It is laugh out loud funny in parts, the characters are heartwarmingly real and anything but predictable.
If you are offended by somewhat crude humor and the occasional f-bomb, this might not be for you. But if you enjoy chick-lit from an unconventional view point, this book will make a great summer read.
If you like the book, you may want to follow Ace on Twitter.com/mad_fat_girl or StephanieMcAfee.wordpress.com


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Amazon Vine program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 

Need You Now Book Review

According to the abundant promotional material in which this book is slathered, author Grippando is the author of at least a dozen and six published novels, with a number of them labeled “best sellers.” In his latest effort, NEED YOU NOW, the work is technically well crafted, in that each chapter tells its own story, most ending in a cliff hanger.

Additionally, Grippando’s “style” borders on being original, in that chapters dealing with the central character are written first person (“I did this, I did that.”) Everyone else is written third person (“He shot someone here, he stabbed someone there.”) A clever effect which soon became tiresome.

NEED YOU NOW deals with the aftermath of a sixty billion dollar Ponzi scheme, in which a young financial advisor and his girlfriend are confronted by decidedly unpleasant people who want their money back. Oh, and of course you have the normal bad guy who has been framed, and the traditional government people who may or may not be trustworthy. Couple this with an obvious bad guy (Undisclosed until a couple of hundred pages have slipped past your eager fingers.)

So here’s my problem – I don’t care. The characters are reasonably well crafted, but I couldn’t warm up to them. The story line is predictable and pedantic. The endless stream of agencies named by initials only gave me a headache. The only places that drew my attention were those where an expendable clerk was being turned into dog food. (Did I mention the rhetoric here is truly going to move the classification into the “Rated R” category.)

Bottom line: If I had never seen a Tom Hanks or Julia Roberts adventure movie, I might consider the book interesting. Unfortunately I have, so it wasn’t.

A special thanks to my friend Jack Petersen for his contributions on this review.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Amazon Vine program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Old Kili's Instant Ginger Lemon Beverage Mix

Old Kili's Instant Ginger Lemon Beverage Mix was fragrant when added to 8 oz. of  boiling water, and appeared to be darker than in smaller cup in the photo. The ingredients were not listed on the side of the box which always concerns me when trying a new product. I'm not a fan of sugar. Also, the directions list only the metric amount of water to add, not a plus if you don't know metric conversions (and I don't) and nothing about the depth of flavor aspect.

I am usually very fond of ginger and lemon drinks but as I said with no ingredient list, I was uncomfortable drinking it.  It was tasty enough, but not all that remarkable to me. I have discovered since drinking it that dried honey was the sweetener, something that really should be promoted on the box somewhere. I like to be in control of how sweet something is going to be. A lack of information on the packaging would keep me from buying this product in the future.
On the plus side: For an instant beverage, it wasn't bad. If you were traveling, taking it to work or camping it would be great to have along because of the minimal amount of effort it takes to prepare.

Not Kraving It

I like the idea of a multi-grain cereal but not so thrilled to combine it with chocolate.
Although this cereal weighs in at a 11 grams of sugar it is less than some other high sugar cereals. The taste was pleasant enough although my sweet-toothed cereal eater turned away from it. I liked the little bit of chocolate in the center, although I'm not a big sweet eater to begin with. It wasn't overwhelming.
If you're looking for a way to get more fiber into your kids, this will be a good one to try.

Three Cheers for Chantea

I count myself a health conscious consumer and was excited to try the Chantea Green Tea and Aloe Vera. Chantea, is unlike any other mass produced beverages, it's all natural blend of Green Tea infused with Aloe Vera bits - two powerful and healthy ingredients.
This is a tasty, high quality drink but I was initially thrown by the Aloe Vera bits, I didn't expect "pulp" in tea. But really it tasted great. It's lightly fruity in a slender container that fits in a lunch box or great to take on the go. Not overly sweet or too in-your-face.
Chantea won the Best New Product Award at the 2011 World Tea Expo and Buyer's Choice Best Ready to Drink Tea at the North American Tea Championship in Las Vegas.
If you want to try something new, be looking for this product on store shelves near you.

Home Front by Kristin Hannah

 This is the first time I’ve read one of Kristin Hannah’s books. I have known military families throughout my life and have marveled at their strength and resilience. This story hits home with the war in Iraq stil going on. I like how she hits the ground running and pulls you along through the tears of a 5-year-old, drama of a tween, the emotional and physical abscense of a defense attorney and the unraveling romance of his marriage with wife, Chief Jolene Zarkades.

This is a story about the high cost of war. The physical, emotional and psychological agony endured by those who defend our freedom.

Hannah takes you right into the gritty pain of a military family who can barely hold it together before or after Jolene's deployment to the front lines of Iraq. This story starts out like a slow moving train, gaining strong momentum, chapter by chapter. But it’s also a story about how they rally.

 I have a new appreciation for what some of them go through. I think it's a timely and provocative story that everyone should listen to.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Amazon Vine program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Just Peachy

Since the first time I tried the MiO liquid water enhancement products, I’ve tried other flavors: Berry Pomegranate, Strawberry Watermelon and now PeachTea. I like how fast and easy it is to use these. I’ve gotten used to filling my water bottle at work squeezing the bottle for a second,  and then presto, it’s ready to drink.
I have one in my desk there, and one I carry in my lunch box. They are a convenient size, caffeine free and full of flavor. All the flavors are equally good, and the Peach Tea is a welcome addition to this family.

Under a Dark Sky with Lisa Gerrard and Sigur Ros

I'm a big fan of listening to new music. I listen to Pandora at my bill-paying job. It's the one vice I have, that I listen to music all day. When my personal life took a hit last Spring, there was no comfort to be found anywhere else.
By the fall, I finally realized I was grieving a loss. I ditched my normal wardrobe and bought all black clothing: Coats, shirts, jeans and shoes. You can call it Goth if you want, quite a few people do, but really it's just me expressing a deep pervasive grief. Expressing it helped quite a lot, and the other thing that helped, was
becoming a regular at Amazon buying music downloads. Some of the music that resonated that same dark feeling were Lisa Gerrard, Black Opal became a big favorite and I could listen to Redemption ten replays at a time. I preferred the extreme melancholia of her non-English songs, which was also a draw for me with
 Sigur Ros,

The bands release, Untitled I listened to while in the tanning bed.(Although I like black, I don't like looking pasty white. So now you know, I'm not a true Goth.) Saeglopur was their first cut that got to me and after that, I was on a quest to get more. Sfevn-G-Englar is moody enough to keep me in a holding pattern of sadness, on the grey days where I feel more like brooding than smiling. It reminds me of old Acid Rock with out the driving beat of drums. I am currently winding down on the events that led me to this music, so I'm not sure that I will be getting more at this point.

Currently, Spring is weeks away, and I might prefer the lighter tunes of Matt Nathanson and Augustana. But, that's another post, for another day.

Rendang Curry with Tofu

Rendang Curry by Prima Taste is a Dry Beef Curry sauce kit. The box says Best Singapore Favorites. Lately I’ve been trying out a couple of exotic food kits, so this one piqued my interest. Although 28 oz of beef tenderloins  were required, I’m not a beef person and decided to try using tofu instead. I invited two other people to join me for this experience. All of us like rich, spicy food and all the better if it is restaurant quality at home.

To start, I took two packages of extra firm tofu (packaged in water) and sliced each into eight no nine slabs like a loaf of bread. I laid these on a clean dishtowel to drain the excess moisture out of them which aids in absorbing the flavors of the sauce.

Choosing toasted sesame oil, I coated the bottom of an iron skillet until the oil was fragrant. I cut each slab of tofu in to eight chunks and laid them in the pan, letting them brown slightly. Then took those out and set aside until all of the tofu was browned.

Meanwhile, basmati rice (not in the box) simmered in another pan. The box says it also goes well with mashed potatoes, something I’d like to try next time.

One of two enormous packets contained a slightly oily red paste that upon first inspection looks like tomatoes, but turns out to be an exotic blend of Galangal, Palm Sugar, Pandan Leaf, Candlenut, Ginger Salt and Lemon grass to name a few. The minute it hit the hot skillet a pleasing fragrant aroma wafted through the house. Each of the guests commented about it.

The second packet held a dry, powdery mix of coconut milk solids. I hadn’t seen coconut processed this way before, but after adding the required amount of water, the sauce began to look much more like a curry. After following the cooking instructions I added the tofu to the sauce. When it was heated through, we served it over rice. Each of us had a small plate, and there was enough left over for each of us to have another meal.

It made an abundance of sauce as well. We were all satisfied with the flavor and talked about having seconds, but were full.

I found it a bit on the sweet side, as mentioned above palm sugar contributed to this. I’m not a fan of sweet curries. Although the taste was sensational, the spicy kick was surprising but not overwhelming. For a bit of variation, the addition of baby green beans, julienned carrots, or sautéed onions would be welcome.

All in all, we found Rendang Curry very tasty, and everyone enjoyed it. I’ll be looking for this on store shelves.

The Better Chip

Walking through the grocery the other day, I came across a bag of snacks called “The Better Chip” made with fresh jalapenos. They are Jalapeno and sea salt. All natural. I don’t know about you, but I have had all natural stuff that tasted like cardboard, or even, Styrofoam, completely devoid of flavor.

NOT THIS! They are not overly salty even eaten plain, just a little bite from the peppers. The flavor from non-GMO corn surpasses what I expected from an all-natural corn chip. There are no chemical preservatives. They are not too thick, not too thin and crispy without being too hard. For 8 oz. you will spend two bucks or two fifty. I will buy these again, and tell all my friends about them. But I will probably not share mine! See more flavors and where you might find them in your neighborhood!

http://www.thebetterchip.com/#

Smead Office Supplies

Great for organizing home or office, these roomy pockets come in assorted colors, which is great if you like color coding your notes or papers. They slip right into a standard 3 ring binder. The slash jacket makes it easy to slide papers in and out. Each double sided pocket is reinforced at the front and bottom of the seam.

They are translucent enough to read through and strong enough to easily hold 50 pages per side. Now that I see how sturdy they are, I’m thinking of even more uses for them.