"Code Word"

Navy SEAL Jay Wellman is a member of the Saint Squad, a portion of the larger squad that killed Osama bin Laden.  Jay suffers emotionally when his part of the mission doesn't go exactly as planned.  Carina Channing's family and past still haunt her years after her mother was murdered.  She can't change the fact that she's been born into the Chicago Mafia by virtue of her father.  As a young adult, she's given up her own dreams to protect the dreams of her two younger sisters.  Carina's life has a very fragile balance and it's put in jeoprady when one of the members of "the Family" arrives.  Carina and Jay happen to meet and become acquainted through Carina's youngest sister.  When trouble comes knocking on Carina's doorstep, Jay is immediately there for the Channing girls and takes it upon himself to keep them safe.  As they spend more time together, Jay and Carina begin to develop feelings for one another, but must consider the circumstances, as well as their beliefs.

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading every Traci Hunter Abramson book I've read, this one included.  I love the way she combines romance, action, mystery, and religion into one novel.  This one in particular had a larger mystery element, so that was entertaining to read.  It's fun reading all of her books because they're nearly all intertwined, too.  You can find updates on characters from a previous novel in her newer novels.  Her characters are very likeable and their relationships seem real.  If you like LDS fiction that includes some good action, I think you'll like this novel.

The Last Word:  Suspenseful read, more action than romance

Gooey S'mores Cookies

http://pinterest.com/pin/67624431877656425/

Gooey S’mores Cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/3 cups flour

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (7 full graham cracker sheets)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup Mini Hershey’s Kisses (or chocolate chips/chunks)

1 cup Jet Puffed Mallow Bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.

Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat for an additional 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, use a food processor or blender to crush 7 graham cracker sheets into 3/4 cup fine crumbs. In a separate bowl, whisk together the graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix on low speed until the dough just comes together. Add the chocolate and marshmallows and stir to combine.

Place 1.5 tablespoon sized scoops of dough onto the prepared cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

(I doubled the original recipe)

Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to the best cookie dough on the planet.  This stuff is AMAZING.  There may be raw eggs in it, but I'm not one who worries too much about that. ;) These cookies take some work to make because it's basically making chocolate chip cookies from scratch with some extra steps for the graham cracker and marshmallow bits.  But it's worth it!  I shared these with several other people and everyone enjoyed them.  

I've actually made them twice now and I doubled the recipe both times because the original recipe says it only makes 2 dozen - and 2 dozen isn't nearly enough! :)  The first time, it appeared that they weren't done after 10 minutes, so I added 1-2 more minutes to the time.  They were good warm, but they got hard really fast after they cooled.  The second batch I made, I took them out right at 10 minutes and they stayed soft!  So a tip for future baking: even if these cookies don't look done, they're probably done.  I also recommend creaming the butter and sugars for the full three minutes.  It makes the cookies really soft.

Note: I've made these cookies at both high and low altitudes without any changes to the recipe, and I didn't notice any difference in the dough or the cookies.

I recommend this recipe to everyone.  Now, if you're a s'more connoisseur, then you might say that you can't taste the graham cracker well enough.  However, these are still great cookies, so give them a try!

 

The Last Word:  Scrumptious cookies - both raw and baked!

"Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters"

Click to enlarge

The Percy Jackson movies are based on the book series written by Rick Riordan that tell of half-bloods, children born of a Greek god and a human.  They stay at Camp Half Blood for safety, but in this particular installment, their safety at the camp is compromised.  Percy and his friends Grover and Annabeth, as well as his newly discovered half brother, Tyson, set out on a journey to find the Golden Fleece - the only thing believed to be able to solve their problem.

I read 4 out of the 5 books in the "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series several years ago and I must say that this movie has motivated me to finish the series.  Hollywood pretty much ruined the first book in the series, The Lightning Thief, but this one was - thankfully - way better.  There weren't nearly as many cheesy aspects like I thought there were in the first one.  They followed the book much better than they did in the first movie, too.  There were a few big things that weren't in the book, but I was able to overlook them because they kept with the spirit of the book.  The acting improved and the special effects were pretty awesome. (I bet it would've been even cooler in 3D!)  To me the characters were more likable in this movie - enough that I'm a Logan Lerman fan now. :) Overall, for those who have read the Percy Jackson books, I'd say it's worth the money to see it in theaters.  To those who haven't read the books: read them - they're really good! - and then go see "Sea of Monsters!"

The Last Word: Big improvement; worth it for Percy Jackson fans