The Five

Rainier Cherries at Pike Place Market Seattle

Sight

Found by by Margaret Peterson Haddix

I'm a big fan of young adult fiction. I read most everything that Young One does. There are some great authors out there and you're missing out if you don't check out these shelves at your library. Don't let the genre fool you, the stories can be very complex and eloquently executed. I'm a Haddix fan. I enjoyed her Shadow Children series. This is a new series. Thirteen years ago a plane suddenly appears on the tarmac of an airport. The plane is empty except for 36 babies. This first book in the series concentrates on the kids, now thirteen years old, how they come together and how they start to unravel where they come from. A great read and one that just begs to be shared with the young ones in your life.

Mermaids in the Basement by Michael Lee West

How have I missed this author? This book tells Renata's story and the story of her parents. You know the story we're talking about. It's the real one of what really happened with her parents and their relationship, not the one that Renata thinks is true, but the truth. It's told from the individual perspectives of all the major characters all filled with their own unique charm. This book gripped me, kept me up late to finish it, and it's depiction of the gulf coast of Alabama is still with me. Brava Michael. I will definitely read more of your work.

Sound

Adele 19 and ABBA's Greatest Hits Gold

An interesting combination, I am sure, but that's my usual. I'm just loving track 9 from Adele. Beautiful. And ABBA, just because I want to reminisce a bit. My brother used to play their albums and I'd sing Dancing Queen into my jump rope microphone. Sweet memories.

Scent

Pancakes. Hodgson Mill Baking Mix comes to the rescue. It's been a busy weekend getting ready to head out of town, so breakfast for dinner it is! I improvised a bit and left out the sugar and the oil in their pancake recipe on the back of the box and subbed two overripe bananas quick defrosted in the microwave. I usually make my own baking mix, but I haven't had the time lately. This mix was a bargain at $2.00 for the box, so it's almost as thrifty as homemade. It's very Point friendly.

Taste

Pancakes with real maple syrup--no substitute at our house. We buy from local producers and it's delicious! A little goes a very long way, I usually only use about a tablespoon for my serving. Drizzled over my pancakes, it's divine without being too high in Points. We served our cakes tonight with fresh Rainier cherries, my favorite summer fruit. I wait for their season every year, but the best ones I've ever had were fresh from Washington and purchased at Pike Place Market in Seattle (see picture above).

If you ever want to impress your guests, bake a simple layered chocolate cake and frost with rich, chocolate frosting. Then, decorate with Rainier cherries. This was D's cousin's wedding cake and I've stolen the idea several times over. Simply beautiful and delicious.

Touch

New clothes! I've dropped another size and nothing fits. It was so fun this weekend trying on sizes I haven't worn in years. And because it's the end of the season, I saved a ton of money. What a great feeling!