Gina Rae Mitchell

Friday Finds 3 September 2021 | Books, Food, & Fun

Hello and welcome to the Friday Finds 3 September 2021 edition. I hope you find a new book to read, a recipe to try, and perhaps a little crafty project for the US holiday weekend.

Not only is it Labor Day, but also our 45th wedding anniversary! I need a trip to the beach! We are visiting relatives in Wisconsin for the next couple of weeks, so I may have to sneak away to Lake Michigan a couple of times while I’m there.

I went with an end-of-summer theme today. So there are books to read on a holiday, recipes for that big cook-out, two fun projects, crocheted fall leaves, and a beautiful eagle wreath tutorial.

Let’s chat! How do you celebrate the end of summer?

Friday Finds 3 September 2021 –  Books

Can’t live without it!

The Old Farmer’s Almanac 2022

Happy New Almanac Year! It’s time to celebrate the 230th edition of The Old Farmer’s Almanac! Long recognized as North America’s most beloved and best-selling annual, this handy yellow book fulfills every need and expectation as a calendar of the heavens, a time capsule of the year, an essential reference that reads like a magazine. Always timely, topical, and distinctively “useful, with a pleasant degree of humor,” the Almanac is consulted daily throughout the year by users from all walks of life.

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We have a release date for Book 9 of the Outlander series! Pre-order NOW!

Can you tell I love this series? I have the first eight nearly memorized word for word.

I can’t wait!

#1 New York Times bestselling author Diana Gabaldon returns with the newest novel in the epic Outlander series.

The past may seem the safest place to be . . . but it is the most dangerous time to be alive. . . .
 
Jamie Fraser and Claire Randall were torn apart by the Jacobite Rising in 1746, and it took them twenty years to find each other again. Now the American Revolution threatens to do the same.

It is 1779 and Claire and Jamie are at last reunited with their daughter, Brianna, her husband, Roger, and their children on Fraser’s Ridge. Having the family together is a dream the Frasers had thought impossible.

Yet even in the North Carolina backcountry, the effects of war are being felt. Tensions in the Colonies are great and local feelings run hot enough to boil Hell’s teakettle. Jamie knows loyalties among his tenants are split and it won’t be long until the war is on his doorstep.

Brianna and Roger have their own worry: that the dangers that provoked their escape from the twentieth century might catch up to them. Sometimes they question whether risking the perils of the 1700s—among them disease, starvation, and impending war—was indeed the safer choice for their family.

Not so far away, young William Ransom is still coming to terms with the discovery of his true father’s identity—and thus his own—and Lord John Grey has reconciliations to make, and dangers to meet . . . on his son’s behalf, and his own.

Meanwhile, the Revolutionary War creeps ever closer to Fraser’s Ridge. And with the family finally together, Jamie and Claire have more at stake than ever before.

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   Middle Grade

Spy School at See by Stuart Gibbs

Thanks to the evidence Ben uncovered in his investigation of the Croatoan, the CIA has tracked his nemesis, Murray Hill, to Central America, where they believe he is boarding the world’s biggest cruise ship, The Emperor of the Seas, on its maiden voyage around the world.

His mission: Pose as part of a family, with Alexander and Catherine Hale as his parents, Erica as his sister, and his best friend Mike as his brother, to find out what Murray is plotting.

At first, it sounds exciting to have a mission on the most glamorous ocean liner on earth, but as usual, nothing goes according to plan. There is action, danger, and plenty of surprises as Ben and his team quickly find themselves in hot water.

Friday Finds 3 September 2021- Ask me a question

Last week I had a question in the comments from a reader looking for a  good salsa recipe.

This is the super simple recipe I use.

Wash fresh tomatoes, dice (see below for my favorite dicing tool, and put in a pot.

Add white Distilled Vinegar and Mrs. Wages Salsa Mix. It comes in mild, medium, and hot.

Bring to a boil, simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve it – Freeze it – Can it!

The mix gives you the measurements for making a huge pot full, starting with 17 lbs of tomatoes! You can adjust the recipe down to just small one-time batches using a few fresh tomatoes or diced canned tomatoes, a splash of vinegar, and salsa mix to taste.

Mrs. Wages Medium Salsa Can...Shop on Amazon Heinz All-Natural Distilled...Shop on Amazon Red Gold Petite Diced Tomat...Shop on Amazon Vidalia Chop Wizard - Chop ...Shop on Amazon

I use my Vidalia Chop Wizard for everything from tomatoes to onions to eggs. I love it!!

 

Friday Finds 3 September 2021 – Blog Roundup

I am shining a spotlight on several of the semi-finalists in this year’s BBNYA (Book Blogger of the Year Award) competition. There is no significance to which ones I feature. The coordinators divided them up among the panelist that could take part. It does not mean I have read these excerpts. You can search Twitter using the hashtag #BBNYA_Official to take a peek at many more. The finalists have been announced. I am so thrilled to be a judge again this year. Here is a list of my spotlights this week.

BBNYA Semifinalist Spotlight on Sins of the Father by Sharon Baiden

The following are the book tours and author/publisher review requests I did the past week. Take a look at those giveaways. The authors were certainly feeling generous.

To Be Enlightened by Alan J Steinberg | Spotlight & $100 Giveaway

The Meeting Point by Olivia Lara | Review 

A Fairy Godmother’s Redemption by Maya Tyler | Review – Excerpt – $25 Giveaway

Arthur Visits the Zoo by Gene Lipen (Young Explorers #7)

Relatively Normal Secrets by C.W. Allen | Spotlight, Excerpt, $25 Giveaway

Keepers of the Gate (Twilight Ends Book 1) by E. Denise Billups | Review

The Ticklemore Tavern by Liz Davies | Review – Publication Day Tour

Never Say Chai by Kirsten Weiss | Tea & Tarot Cozy Mysteries #4 | Spotlight & Giveaway

Love on Location by Lynne Shelby | Review & Book Blog Tour

Wow, that’s a lot of posts! Keep in mind that I haven’t read the spotlights and many of the others, I’ve had months to read. So I didn’t completely have my nose buried in a book all week. But, maybe don’t ask that question of my husband. He might disagree. lol

Friday Finds 3 September 2021 – Recipes

Many of us are looking for recipes for the last big holiday cookout of the summer so I found a few recipes that sound good to me. I hope you find something you like too.

Smoky Sweet Coffee Rub (for beef & pork)

Tangy & Sweet (Easy) Grilled Corn Salad Recipe

Firecracker Cake

 

Friday Finds 3 September 2021 – Creative Project

Today’s craft project is a Patriotic Eagle Wreath Tutorial. 

Please note…this is a paid tutorial.

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Fall Leaves Crochet Pattern from Crochet with Tanya

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That wraps up the Friday Finds 3 September 2021 edition. Be sure you scroll down to reply and let me know your favorite find this week. How do you celebrate the end of summer?

You can find so many services on Fiverr From book cover designers to copywriters to video experts.

I also share many of my reviews on the following websites:

• Lovely Audiobook’s Monthly Link-up (Not limited to audiobooks)
• The Inspire Me Monday Link Party
• Inspire Me Monday with Anita Ojeda
• Grammy’s Grid Unlimited Monthly Link Party
• Esme’s Salon Monthly Link-up