PUMPKIN BREAD........

I was blog hopping one day and ran across this meme.  It's called Recipe Roundup and is hosted over at Gooseberry Patch.  The question this week is...

What are YOUR favorite PUMPKIN recipes?

This is my mom's recipe for Pumpkin Bread.  But sometimes I make muffins from it too.

Pumpkin Bread

Dry Ingredients

3 ½ C. flour

3 C. sugar

2 teas. Baking soda

½  teas. Salt

1 teas. Cinnamon

1 teas. Nutmeg

Wet Ingredients

2 C. pumpkin

4 eggs

1 C. oil

2/3 C. water

Optional Ingredients

1 C. walnuts

1 C. raisins

Mix dry ingredients together.  Mix wet ingredients together.  Add dry mixture to wet mixture.  Mix well together.  Add Walnuts and Raisins.  Pour into well greased and floured loaf pans.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until done.  If making Muffins, pour mixture into paper liners.  Bake at 350 for 18 to 20 minutes.  Add Cream Cheese Icing if desired.

NEEDLEWORK......

Heather over at Books and Quilts is the host for Needlework Tuesday and Sharon over at Pintangle is the host for Take A Stitch Tuesday.  Hop over and check out their places for some beautiful Needlework.

The stitch this week is....
Stem Stitch....easy quick basic linear stitch.

My Stem Stitch

Here I've worked it around the outside of this shell on my Crazy Quilt block 3.

I've also started another quilt.  It's my Summer Seasonal Quilt. 
Caterpillar Block

Watering Can Block

Bird Block

As always if you want a close up view, just click on the picture.

BOOK REPORT AND CHALLENGE WRAP UP.......

Femme - Bill Pronzini

Product Description
Inside cover
Femme fatale. French for "deadly woman."
  You hear the term a lot these days, usually in connection with noir fiction and film noir.  Brigid O"Shaughnessy in The Maltese Falcon. Cora in The Postman Always Rings Twice.  Phyllis Dietrichson in Double Indemnity.  Matty Walker in Body Heat.  Catherine Tramell in Basic Instinct.  Scheming, sxually demanding wonen who ensnare their lovers in bonds of irresistible and destructive desire.  Lethal women.  Eve in the Garden, Jezebel, Salome, Cleopatra.
   But they're not just products of literature, film, the folklore of nearly every culture.  They exist in modern society, too.  The genuine femmes fatale you hear about now and then are every bit as evil as the fictional variety.  Yet what sets them apart is that they're the failures, the ones who for one reason or another got caught. 
   In the thirty years the Nameless Detective has been a private investigator, he has never once had the misfortune to cross paths with this type of seductress....but in Femme he'll meet Cory Beckett, a deadly woman who has brought some new angles to the species.  New---and terrible.

MY THOUGHTS: This was a short book and I enjoyed it very much.  Gave me a new perspective on what a Femme Fatale really is.  I have seen all the movies listed above but didn't quite get the idea they were that kind of female.  But this book put all this info into something I could understand.  Good book.  I give this book 4....

This is also a book for The Full House Reading Challenge.

This is also my wrap up for this challenge.  My list of books read.

1. Kiss The Girls - James Patterson
2. The Last Good Man - A. J. Kazinski
3. The Christmas Wedding - James Patterson
4. The Undertaker's Daughter - Katherine Mayfield
5. Everything I Never Told You - Celeste Ng
6. Feme - Bill Pronzini
7. A Duke of Her Own - Eloisa James
8. Code Name Verity - Elizabeth Wein
9. Bread Alone - Judith Ryan
10. The Museum of Extraordinary Things - Alice Hoffman
11. The Murder Man - Tony Parsons
12. Jack & Jill - James Patterson
13. The Wonder of All Things - Jason Mott
14. Deeply Odd - Dean Koontz
15. Lean Mean Thirteen - Janet Evanovich
16. Inferno - Dan Brown
17. Field of Prey - John Sandford
18. The Book of Speculation - Erika Swyler
19. Along Came A Spider - James Patterson
20. Prey - Linda Howard
21. Twelve Sharp - Janet Evanovich
22. Saint Odd - Dean Koontz
23. Suspicion - Joseph Finder
24. Ideal - Ayn Rand
25. The Queen of Cool - Cecil Castellucci

BOOK REPORT.....

Pirate Latitudes - Michael Crichton

Product Description(Amazon.com)
#1 New York Times bestselling author, the incomparable Michael Crichton (“One of the great storytellers of our age” —Newsday) takes to the high Caribbean seas for an irresistible adventure of swashbuckling pirates, lost treasure, sword fights, duplicity, and hair-breadth escapes in the New World. 
Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages 
Publisher: Harper; Reprint edition (September 28, 2010) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 0061929387 
ISBN-13: 978-0061929380

MY THOUGHTS:  I have read several of this author's books and enjoyed.  This one was total surprise for me.  This is totally different from any book I've read of this author's.  And I loved this book.  If you like historical books this is a good one.  It takes place at Port Royal in the Caribbean, an English port at the time, set in 1665.  It follows the Privateer Charles Hunter.  His mission is to raid a Spanish stronghold and steal Spanish War ship loaded with treasure.  Estimated treasure on board is 200,000 dollars in gold and silver.  Plus other commodities.   Hunter and his crew set out for this island and they are taken prisoner by the commander of the island.  But they get away and soon confiscate the ship they are after.  But they run into all kinds of trouble while trying to get home.  I give the book 5......

This book is also for my Birthday Month Reading Challenge.

SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY......

Ashley over at Ramblings & Photos is the host for Scavenger Hunt Sunday.  Hop over and check out all the photos everyone is sharing.

My version on the list of words this week.

An Autumn Drink....

When it starts getting chilly I like to have some hot coca and some toast.

Wooden.....

My collection of wooden spoons.  A couple of those I've had for 20+ years.

Seasonal....

Falling leaves, they get all over the place.  We are surrounded by trees.  Not that many yet, but there will be soon.

My Outfit Today...

I hate having my picture taken, but this is me with my old raggedy sweater on.

My View.....

Is all the medicine in the kitchen window.  We are all sick here, and we all have medicine to take.

BOOK REPORT.....

Ideal - Ayn Rand

Product Description(Amazon.com)
Originally conceived as a novel, but then transformed into a play by Ayn Rand, Ideal is the story of beautiful but tormented actress Kay Gonda. Accused of murder, she is on the run and turns for help to six fans who have written letters to her, each telling her that she represents their ideal—a respectable family man, a far-left activist, a cynical artist, an evangelist, a playboy, and a lost soul. Each reacts to her plight in his own way, their reactions a glimpse into their secret selves and their true values. In the end their responses to her pleas give Kay the answers she has been seeking.

Ideal was written in 1934 as a novel, but Ayn Rand thought the theme of the piece would be better realized as a play and put the novel aside. Now, both versions of Ideal are available for the first time ever to the millions of Ayn Rand fans around the world, giving them a unique opportunity to explore the creative process of Rand as she wrote first a book, then a play, and the differences between the two. 
Hardcover: 256 pages 
Publisher: NAL; 1St Edition edition (July 7, 2015) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 0451475550 
ISBN-13: 978-0451475558

MY THOUGHTS:  This is my book clubs choice for October.  It is also a very short book.  I read it in a few hours.  I seldom read books like this.  Well, the play part anyway.  I was a really great contrast.  Reading the original book and then the play.  I thought it would be the same, but it's totally different.  The characters in the play are the same, with a couple extra's.  I got a whole different perspective of the book after reading the play.  I give this book 4......

This book is also for the Full House Reading Challenge.

FRIDAY BOOK MEMES.......

Gillon over at Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings, Freda over at Freda's Voice hosts The Friday 56 and Billy over at Ramblings of a Coffee Addict hosts Book Blogger hop.  Jump over to their places and check it out.  You could find your next book.

FEMME - Bill Pronzini

Book Beginning.....
Femme fatale. French for "deadly woman."
She had thick, wavy black hair, a model's willowy figure, and a worried smile that even turned down had a good deal of candle-power.  But what you noticed first, and remembered most vividly, were her luminous gray-green eyes.  They had a powerful magnetic quality; I could feel the pull of them, like being drawn into dark, calm water.

I have to admit the book cover grabbed me right off.  The description of this woman was the second thing to snag me in.  I wanted to know what this woman had the was so fatal.

The Friday 56.......
     "You haven't notified the client yet?"  I asked.
     Runyon said, "No.  I thought I'd give Beckett a few minutes to cal down, then make one more try at reasoning with."
     "Likely to do any good?"
     "I doubt it.  He's pretty strung out."
     "But not on drugs."
     "No."
    
Book Blogger Hop......
The question this week....
What's your favorite "Halloween" snack to munch on while you're reading? ?

Carmel Apples, love those things. 

BOOK REPORT......

The Baker's Apprentice - Judith Ryan Hendricks

Product Description(Amazon.com)

The sequel to Judith Ryan Hendricks' absorbing debut novel, Bread Alone
Having found her calling, Wynter Morrison is blissful about her new career in Seattle as a baker -- cherishing the long days spent making bread and the comforting rhythms of the Queen Street Bakery. Still, she struggles with the legacy of her failed marriage and with her new boyfriend Mac's reluctance to share his mysterious past. When Mac abruptly leaves Seattle, Wyn again feels abandoned and betrayed, at least until intimate letters arrive in which Mac at last reveals his deepest secrets. But the more she learns about her absent lover, the more Wyn discovers about herself -- and when tragedy threatens, she will have to decide if there is a place for Mac in this new life she has made. 
Hardcover: 384 pages 
Publisher: William Morrow; First Edition edition (April 5, 2005) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 0060726172 
ISBN-13: 978-0060726171

MY THOUGHTS:  This is book 2 of a trilogy.   Wynter is in love but the guy she loves seems to want something else.  He's taken off for Alaska to "find something".  He gets stuck in Beaverton Canada before making it to Alaska.  He keeps in touch with Wynter through long letters.  Just when she gives up on Mac, he appears.  But is he too late?  Do they still have a chance to make it as a couple?  Along with this Wyn is facing the closing of the Queen Street Bakery.  Can't wait to read the next book.  I give this book 4......

EMBRODIERY WORK......

Sharon over at Pintangle is the host for Take A Stitch Tuesday.  Sharon gives you a tutorial for embroidery stitches.  Hop over and check out her work, she's awesome.

The stitch this week is....
Satin Stitch.....which can be used as a filling stitch.
This is my Satin Stitch

I've recently started my Crazy Quilt Block Number 4.  I've used the Satin Stitch to make a rock in the sea area of the block.  After looking at this for several days, I've decided to take the frog off the rock.  It doesn't look right to me.

If you want to see the pictures close up, just click on the picture.

I'm also linking up with Heather over at Books and Quilts for Needlework Tuesday.  Hop over and check out her place.

MONDAY.....

Tamar over at Random-osity is the host for The Good. The Random. and The Fun.  Hop over and check out all the photos everyone is sharing.

The Good....

I sandwiched two quilts this week.  One is my Dachshund Quilt and the other is my Calendar Quilt.  Now all I have to do is tie them and put the binding on.

The Random.....

It's a cold dreary day.  But it hasn't started raining yet.

The Fun....

I'm working on Crazy Quilt block number 4.  I've learned so many new embroidery stitches from Sharon over at Pintangle  It's lots of fun coming up with ways to decorate these blocks.

If you want to see a close up of the pictures just click on the picture.

SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY.....

Ashley over at Ramblings & Photos is the host for Scavenger Hunt Sunday.  Hop over and check out all the photos everyone is sharing.

My interpenetration of the words this week.

Cooking Utensils....

 Doesn't everyone have a drawer like this?

Stairs....

The stairs at our house.

Weather.....

What's left of the rain.

New.....

We out grew our old crock pot so we got a new one.

Part of....

This is part of

My Crazy Quilt block.

BOOK REPORT.....

Sizzling Sixteen - Janet Evanovich

Product Description(Amazon.com)

Trenton, New Jersey, bounty hunter Stephanie Plum has inherited a "lucky" bottle from her Uncle Pip. Problem is, Uncle Pip didn't specify if the bottle brought good luck or bad luck….
BAD LUCK
Vinnie, of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds, has run up a gambling debt of $786,000 with mobster Bobby Sunflower and is being held until the cash can be produced.
GOOD LUCK
Being in the business of tracking down people, Stephanie, office manager Connie, and file clerk Lula have an advantage in finding Vinnie.
BAD LUCK
Finding a safe place to hide Vinnie turns out to be harder than raising $786,000. Not even local stoner Walter "Moon Man" Dunphy is up to the task.
GOOD LUCK
Between a bonds office yard sale, Mooner's Hobbit-Con charity event, and Uncle Pip's lucky bottle, they just might raise enough money to save the business, and Vinnie, from ruin.
BAD LUCK
Saving Vincent Plum Bail Bonds means Stephanie can keep her job as a bounty hunter--and keep hunting down a man wanted for polygamy, a turnpike toilet paper bandit, and a drug dealer with a pet alligator named Mr. Jingles.
GOOD LUCK
Being a bounty hunter comes with its perks, namely Trenton's hottest cop, Joe Morelli, and the dark and dangerous security expert, Ranger. With any luck at all, Uncle Pip's lucky bottle will have Stephanie getting lucky--the only question is…with whom?
Sizzling Sixteen…so hot, the pages might spontaneously combust! 
Series: Stephanie Plum Novels (Book 16) 
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages 
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks; Reprint edition (June 21, 2011) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 0312383312 
ISBN-13: 978-0312383312

MY THOUGHTS:  The "lucky" bottle that Stephanie inherited from her Uncle Pip comes in handy sever times through out the book.  I was wondering how the author was going to work this in and she did it great.  This book is all about Vinnie, Stephanie's cousin and boss of the Bail Bonds business.  Vinnie gets in trouble while "cooking" the books of fake bail bonding and all his bets.  Stephanie, Lula, and Connie have to save Vinnie from his own mess.  Along with Ranger and Morelli they do save Vinnie, but the Bail Bond building gets burned down to the ground.  Now they need a new building and money to start another Bail Bonds business.  I give this book 5......

 

BOOK REPORT.....

Inferno - Dan Brown

Product Description(Amazon.com)
Harvard professor of symbology Robert Langdon awakens in an Italian hospital, disoriented and with no recollection of the past thirty-six hours, including the origin of the macabre object hidden in his belongings. With a relentless female assassin trailing them through Florence, he and his resourceful doctor, Sienna Brooks, are forced to flee. Embarking on a harrowing journey, they must unravel a series of codes, which are the work of a brilliant scientist whose obsession with the end of the world is matched only by his passion for one of the most influential masterpieces ever written, Dante Alighieri's The Inferno.  
Series: Robert Langdon (Book 4) 
Paperback: 624 pages 
Publisher: Anchor; 1st Printing edition (May 6, 2014) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 1400079152 
ISBN-13: 978-1400079155

MY THOUGHTS:  I enjoyed this book, but, isn't there always a but, it was kind of long.  It is filled with so much information on history, art and the different cities that the book takes place.  The first half of the book went pretty fast, but after that it kind of dragged along.  This is the first book of this author and series I've read.  I have seen the move The Da Vinci Code.  And I really liked that.  I've also found this is a series of books.  Now I'll have to add them to my ever growing list.  I am giving this book 4......

This book is also for the Full House Reading Challenge.