Gina’s Friday Finds for 21 January 2022 | Books, Comfort Food, Needle Felting, Giveaways, & Blog Roll
Welcome to today’s edition of the Friday Finds. I hope you find something you enjoy in this post.
Brrr. It’s cold here. I know I said last week that winter was here but, I was still not prepared for the sub-zero wind chills. I miss the beach so much. I need that warmth and sunshine to spark my creativity. I’ve spent a lot of time curled up in my big chair with a hot drink, a good book, and a heated blanket. I am so spoiled! Is it cold where you live? If so, what are your favorite ways to cope with the bone-chilling cold?
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Friday Finds for 21 January 2022: Books
Take a peek at what I’m reading this weekend. Reviews of this series will be up on the blog in the near future.
Wanted: An Honest Man (The Lindsey Lark Series #1) by Cricket Rohman
Cricket is a great friend of the blog. She is wonderful to work with. Book one in the Lindsey Lark series will be free on Amazon on Feb 2, 3, & 4. If you can’t wait to get started on this series, all three books are currently offered in Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited program.
Available formats: Kindle, Paperback
The following books have been suggested to me. I’m considering which to add to my ever-growing TBR (To-Be-Read) list.
Enough Already: Learning to Love the Way I Am Today by Valerie Bertinelli
Beloved actress and New York Times best-selling author Valerie Bertinelli returns with a heartfelt look at turning 60, the futility of finding happiness in numbers on a scale, learning to love herself the way she is today, and tips for a healthier outlook on life.
Valerie Bertinelli shares an inspiring blueprint that offers women in midlife support and hope. She shares personal stories that many women will relate to from her past decade: hitting her 50s, taking care of her dying mother, the evolving relationship with her husband, a career change, her relationship with food, and the battle to believe in herself as she is.
Available formats: Kindle, Hardcover, Audio CD, & Audiobook
This stunning novel from the survival story master, set along a rugged coastline centuries ago, does for the ocean what Hatchet does for the woods, as it relates the story of a young person’s battle to stay alive against the odds, where the high seas meet a coastal wilderness.
When a deadly plague reaches the small fish camp where he lives, an orphan named Leif is forced to take to the water in a cedar canoe. He flees northward, following a wild, fjord-riven shore, navigating from one danger to the next, unsure of his destination. Yet the deeper into his journey he paddles, the closer he comes to his truest self as he connects to “the heartbeat of the ocean . . . the pulse of the sea.” With hints of Nordic mythology and an irresistible narrative pull, Northwind is Gary Paulsen at his captivating, adventuresome best.
Available formats: Kindle, Hardcover, Audio CD, & Audiobook
The Horsewoman by James Patterson & Mike Lupica
Maggie Atwood and Becky McCabe, mother and daughter, both champion riders, vowed to never, ever, go up against one another.
Until the tense, harrowing competitions leading to the Paris Olympics.
Mother and daughter share a dream: to be the best horsewoman in the world.
Coronado is Maggie’s horse. An absolutely top-tier Belgian warmblood.
Sky is Becky’s horse. A small, speedy Dutch warmblood.
Only James Patterson could bring you such breakneck speed, hair-raising thrills, and spills.
Only hall of fame sportswriter Mike Lupica could make it all so real.
Available formats: Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook
Cornbread & Poppy (Book 1) by Matthew Cordell
Caldecott medalist Matthew Cordell debuts his first early reader series about two best friends who are as different from each other as can be.
Cornbread LOVES planning. Poppy does not. Cornbread ADORES preparing. Poppy does not. Cornbread IS ready for winter. Poppy…is not. But Cornbread and Poppy are the best of friends, so when Poppy is left without any food for the long winter, Cornbread volunteers to help her out. Their search leads them up, up, up Holler Mountain, where these mice might find a new friend…and an old one. Celebrating both partnership and the value of what makes us individuals, young readers will find this classic odd-couple irresistible as they encounter relatable issues with humor and heart.
Available formats: Kindle, Paperback. Hardcover
Friday Finds for 21 January 2022: Recipes
Taco Bake Easy Dinner Recipe from Jimmy Dean
Jimmy Dean® turns this simple dish into a dinnertime favorite! This delicious Mexican casserole layered with tortilla chips, Jimmy Dean® Pork Sausage, tomatoes, and kidney beans will spice up any dinner.
Easy Vegetable Pasta Bake by Inspired Taste
This easy, baked pasta is loaded with vegetables, extra cheesy, and seriously irresistible. Our meatless baked pasta will please vegetarians and meat lovers alike.
Earthquake Cake by SmallTownWoman
Earthquake Cake is a fun cake that combines a box cake mix with coconut, pecans, and a cream cheese filling. Once baked the cakes has crevices and cracks like a cake that has literally been through an earthquake. The end result is an ooey-gooey scrumptiously moist chocolate cake with pockets of cream cheese, pecans, and coconut.
Friday Finds for 21 January 2022: DIY
Lavender Fields Needle Felt Kit from Felted Sky
Lavender Fields Needle Felting Kit – beginner-friendly – includes video instructions – DIY Craft Gift – Painting with Wool. Something about the vibrant, simplistic design of this project speaks to me.
You’ll find everything you need to get started on your needle-felting adventures HERE!
Friday Finds for 21 January 2022: Blog Roundup
If you missed a book review in the past week, here’s an easy link to find them. There are giveaways ranging from $50 gift cards to signed copies of books. Be sure you are entered before they expire.
These are a few blogs that I visit frequently. Look for more shout-outs every week.
Let’s chat about all things books, food, crafts, and life! Leave a comment to start the conversation.
Thanks for reading this week. Wishing you a safe, healthy, happy week to come!
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All of those recipes look so good I’m drooling
Thanks Jenny! I have a couple of “half” bags of tortilla chips. I think that Taco Bake would be the perfect way to use them up. So happy you stopped by.
Love this feature! Such a great range of reads and that lavender needle felting project is so gorgeous!
Hi Gina!
Thank you so much. So many wonderful highlights on your blog today. Thank you for including me. Sharing this all over now! 🙂
Have a great weekend.
J
Thanks for sharing The Horsewoman, it looks like it might be a great gift for my horseriding friend. My blog is called Intangible Hearts.
Thanks for stopping by Eve. I’ll be sure to add your blog to my list.
Great Friday Finds Gina. I always find something interesting on these posts. I just need to remember to head to Amazon on Feb. 2nd. 🤞
Thanks Carla! I’ll try to put out a reminder.
I like how you did the headings with the roses.
My favorite winter activity is drinking hot chocolate!
For some reason I keep getting to you. Will try one more time. I am going to make a recipe from last week: 4 cheese Mac and Cheese. Have make a change or two but anxious to try it. Not a fan of this weather.☹️ Stay warm and have a blessed week. Trouble
So good to hear from you Ms Trouble. Miss you!
Finally. Miss you too.
Well the first sentence was a royal mess. For some reason I am having my comments get to you.
I sent you a text message too. But it was evidently the wrong number. Lol.