Sharing a Book Review and The Weekly Menu

Hello everyone.  I hope you had a wonderful weekend.  Mine was glorious with lots of time spent with family and friends.

Saturday night we went to a 40th birthday celebration for my niece, Denise, at a local pub.  It was a great get together with most of my siblings and many of their children (the cousins) in attendance.  Denise is a sweetheart and deserved this birthday blast hosted by her sister, Stephanie.

Sunday, a group of us from choir got together and went to the Fisher Theatre for a showing of Love Never Dies, the sequel to Phantom of the Opera.  It was an amazing show and a wonderful afternoon and evening spent with friends.

We have a pretty quiet week ahead of us...typical stuff like meetings, watching the Angel Face and choir...nothing out of the ordinary.

A week or so ago I finished listening to an audible book by James Hankins, Jack of Spades.  Frank also enjoys Hankins' work so he listened to it with me.  We would listen whenever we were in the car together.  We were nearly at the end of the story when we were driving home from a dinner out with Amy, Doug, Jen and Lili.  When we got home we poured ourselves another glass of wine and finished listening instead of turning on the television.  You know it's a good story when you don't want to stop listening.

The Jack of Spades is Detective John Spader, who is not at all happy with the nickname.  John is coming off of a bad streak that included divorce, trouble with his son, breaking up with his girlfriend and, worst of all, a bad guy getting let off on a technicality.

Now there is another bad guy out there committing very similar crimes and taunting Spader all the while...or is it the same bad guy come back to wreak more havoc?  Spader means to make sure that whoever it is that is dressing up in a cartoon alien mask and forcing people to make horrendous choices doesn't get away with it and is racing against the clock in the hopes of preventing any more people from being victimized.

Hankins has become one of my favorite authors.  The narrators chosen for his work on audible always do a great job.  Have you read any of Hankins novels?

I'm now listening to Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate, a novel based on the true life horror story of the Tennesee Children's Home Society founded by Georgia Tann.  I will be sharing my review of this story very soon.

I'm reading The Christmas Cookie Club by Ann Pearlman.  I am enjoying this fun little novel but will probably wait to give you my review during Cookie Week in December when I share a recipe or two from the book as well.

No big blogging events going on for a while.  Phew, after Pumpkin Week and Choctoberfest I am ready for a break.  We are still doing the Instagram #FallFoodiePhotoChallenge but that is quick, easy and fun.

So that's about all I have for today.  I am posting our Weekly Menu and will be sharing recipes and photos so please stop back by and say HI.

Saturday

Chile Colorado Burritos in the Instant Pot
Spanish Rice
Refried Beans

Sunday

Dinner out before Love Never Dies

Meatless Monday

Herbed Mascarpone Ravioli in Mushroom Sauce

Salad

Toddler Tuesday

Chicken and Noodle Casserole

Wednesday

Smoked Sausage with Mushrooms and Onions

Fettuccine Alfredo

Steamed Broccoli

Thursday

Leftovers before choir

Fish Friday 

Kung Pao Shrimp

Fried Rice