Ready to kick of 2025 with a thrill? Look no farther than The Butterfly Garden. This isn’t your usual stroll through a peaceful garden surrounded by butterflies. Join the FBI agents to question the survivor of horrific crimes as she walks us through her experiences with a kidnapper/serial killer. Happy New Year!

Recipe: You will need a cup and a half to two cups of diced ham, 2 carrots, 2 or 3 stalks of celery, a small onion, garlic, kale or spinach, 2 Tbsp tomato paste, a can of white beans, chicken or veggie broth or water, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Chop up all the veggies, except for the greens, and that’s pretty much all the prep you will need to do. As I so often do when it comes to soup, I made this in my instant pot. Simply put all the ingredients in, aside from the kale or spinach, give it a stir, and pressure cook for 6 minutes. Allow for a natural release if you have the time, and then stir in the greens. The soup is ready to be served! If you decide to use a crockpot, you’ll probably want to cook it on high for 3-4 hours, again waiting to stir in the greens until the end. Store any leftovers in the fridge, and enjoy!

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Artwork by @stephanieilana

Music: Clementi Sonatina No. 1 in G Major III

Editor: Alex Schmitz

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I read so many amazing books this year and am so excited to share my top choices with you all. There are also so many books I am already looking forward to in 2025. Happy reading and New Year to all!

Follow me on Instagram here to keep up with all the latest updates and reviews of what I am reading, and the mouth-watering meals I make to accompany them!

Artwork by @stephanieilana

Music: Clementi Sonatina No. 1 in G Major III

Editor: Alex Schmitz

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It’s Christmas (and Hanukkah) time in the City! Whisk away to NYC for a wintery story featuring a chef, a secret, and gelato. 

Recipe: For the noodles, use an instant noodle pack or bowl of your choice. All you will have to do for that is put water and the included flavor/spice packet in with the noodles and microwave it for the time indicated on the packaging. Now for the add-ins! You will need onion, garlic, broccoli, carrots, pepper, celery, mushroom, cabbage, and spinach. Feel free to add in or take out any veggies that you like. Turn the stove on low to stir-fry your veggies. For spices, which I love, I use cumin, ginger, paprika, and chili powder. Sometimes a pinch of cinnamon. I also toss in a splash of lemon juice. You can be as liberal as you want with these spices, it all depends on your taste. Stir-fry the veggies for about 6-8 minutes, adding the spinach in right at the end. Then you are all set to add your beautifully stir-fried veggies to the noodles. If you want to add a source of protein, this would be delicious with chicken, salmon, or shrimp.

Looking to make vanilla gelato? Try this recipe! 

Follow me on Instagram here to keep up with all the latest updates and reviews of what I am reading, and the mouth-watering meals I make to accompany them!

Artwork by @stephanieilana

Music: Clementi Sonatina No. 1 in G Major III

Editor: Alex Schmitz

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jean Meltzer’s schtick is bringing Judaism to the romance fiction shelf with witty, fun books that’ll have you laughing, crying, and learning about yourself, Jewish traditions, and a variety of other topics. In this episode, Rachel interviews Jean about her writing journey, books, chronic disability, and more.

Recipe: We’re making latkes! This tasty food is an appetizer or side dish commonly served over Hanukkah, where the oil used to fry them symbolizes the oil that burned in the temple. You will need 3-4 russet potatoes, a small onion, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons of matzo meal or breadcrumbs, salt and pepper to taste, and oil. Use a food processor or grater to grate the potatoes and onion. If you’re using a food processor, you can do both vegetables at the same time. Drain the excess liquid and put the grated potato and onion into a bowl with all the other ingredients. Mix it up! Form the patties, or pancakes. You’ll want to use about a quarter cup of the mixture for each one. Pour the oil into a frying pan and set the stovetop to medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, fry your latkes for 4 minutes on each side. They’re best when hot! If you aren’t going to serve them immediately, put them in the oven at 200 to keep them warm. You can enjoy your latkes plain, or with the traditional toppings of applesauce or sour cream.

Check out My Jewish Joy on Facebook. You can find all of Jean’s books, and more about her, on her website. 

Follow me on Instagram here to keep up with all the latest updates and reviews of what I am reading, and the mouth-watering meals I make to accompany them!

Artwork by @stephanieilana

Music: Clementi Sonatina No. 1 in G Major III

Editor: Alex Schmitz

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recapping a magical night where fantasy book lovers were whisked away to frolic amongst the fae! 

Really dive deep into the fae with this comprehensive guide.

Follow me on Instagram here to keep up with all the latest updates and reviews of what I am reading, and the mouth-watering meals I make to accompany them!

Artwork by @stephanieilana

Music: Clementi Sonatina No. 1 in G Major III

Editor: Alex Schmitz

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Climb aboard the Hogwarts Express (or the flying Ford Anglia) and return to the Harry Potter series. School security issues, talking to snakes, heroic actions, and bubbling potions all come into play as we dive further into the wizarding world.

Recipe: This week’s recipe is a white bean mushroom soup. You will need a pound of mushrooms - I use baby bellas but you could use white, cremini, a mix, whatever you want - half a large onion or all of a small one, garlic, a can of white beans, 3 cups of broth (vegetable or chicken), Italian seasoning, chili pepper flakes for a kick, salt and pepper to taste, and kale or spinach. I use my Instant pot for this. Simply put all the ingredients in, except for the greens, and pressure cook for 8 minutes. It’ll take some time to come to pressure and then you can either do a natural release or a quick release. Give the soup a good stir and mix in your kale or spinach. Serve and enjoy or store it for later!

Follow me on Instagram here to keep up with all the latest updates and reviews of what I am reading, and the mouth-watering meals I make to accompany them!

Artwork by @stephanieilana

Music: Clementi Sonatina No. 1 in G Major III

Editor: Alex Schmitz

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Olympus where the gods treat the humans like toys and people compete in all sorts of tasks. This is not your average Olympiad! Feast with the gods as we talk about Lyra, Hades, and maybe find ourselves in the Underworld instead of atop Olympus.

Recipe: Here is the recipe for the simple, delicious Greek salad. For a base you can use whatever greens you like - I typically do a mix of romaine and spinach. Now it’s time to pile on those veggies. A standard Greek salad has tomato, cucumber, onions, olives, and feta cheese. Peppers or pepperoncini also are very common additions. Here’s the deal: I don’t eat olives. They’re one of the few foods I don’t like. So my Greek salad does not have olives but, if you are an olive fan, or you want the full Greek salad experience you should definitely add olives. In lieu of olives, I like to saute some zucchini and throw that on there. It’s easy - simply toss some zucchini, garlic, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar in a pan over medium heat for a few minutes. Then you can let it cool or put it right on the salad with the other veggies. I do like to use a bell pepper too, as well as all the other toppings I mentioned. Again, thats tomato, cucumber, onion, and feta. Lastly, pick your protein. I either use grilled chicken, chickpeas, or falafel if I have it. I have not made my own dressing yet, but any grocery store will sell Greek and/or a tzatziki dressing, depending on what you prefer. Mix it all together and enjoy!

Listen to more on the Games Gods Play with this Novel Finds interview with author Abigail Owen.

Follow me on Instagram here to keep up with all the latest updates and reviews of what I am reading, and the mouth-watering meals I make to accompany them!

Artwork by @stephanieilana

Music: Clementi Sonatina No. 1 in G Major III

Editor: Alex Schmitz

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Talking all things thriller and horror for this Halloween episode. The ghouls, goblins, thrills, and chills come to play…and Rachel will stick to books that keep her up all night eager to find out what happens next and not shaking in fear. Happy Halloween!

Recipe: No recipe with this episode, but enjoy some candy or treats of your choice! 

Follow me on Instagram here to keep up with all the latest updates and reviews of what I am reading, and the mouth-watering meals I make to accompany them!

Artwork by @stephanieilana

Music: Clementi Sonatina Op. 36, No. 2/Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor

Editor: Alex Schmitz

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For a book that’s all about a girl no one remembers, it sure is hard to forget! A book about life, memory, and the ways in which we make an impact. Also hard to forget - this hilarious and fun conversation featuring guest and fellow book podcaster, Julia of Novel Finds.

Recipe: Looking to make those brownies Julia mentioned? Try this recipe! 

Listen to more Novel Finds, and follow them on Instagram

Follow me on Instagram here to keep up with all the latest updates and reviews of what I am reading, and the mouth-watering meals I make to accompany them!

Artwork by @stephanieilana

Music: Clementi Sonatina No. 1 in G Major III

Editor: Alex Schmitz

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if? That is a question asked by all of us, so many times. These books give us the chance to start over, maybe not from scratch, but close enough to it that we see our characters tweak the recipes of their lives. And find some humor and revelations along the way!

Recipe: You will need: a small onion, a can of black beans, a can of kidney beans, a can of pinto beans, diced jalapeno peppers, a can of diced tomatoes, an optional bell pepper, a can of pumpkin puree, garlic, cumin, paprika, chili powder, cinnamon, and water or broth. Pretty much all you have to do in terms of prep for this dish is dice the onion. Once you have done that, put everything into the instant pot. Do not drain the beans or tomatoes, just throw them in. This means you will probably only need a cup, maybe cup and a half of the water or broth. If you want the consistency to be more soupy and less chili-y, you can add more liquid. For the spices, I like a kick so I tend to be pretty liberal with the paprika and chili powder, but you can add however much you want depending on your taste. You can make it multiple times and do it a little differently each time! Give it all a good stir, close the instant pot, and set to high pressure for 8 minutes. Allow for a natural release, or quick release if you’re in a hurry. Once it’s done, feel free to top with shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado, whatever your desired chili toppings may be. 

A bit more on magical realism 

Holly Grammazio’s husband generator

Follow me on Instagram here to keep up with all the latest updates and reviews of what I am reading, and the mouth-watering meals I make to accompany them!

Artwork by @stephanieilana

Music: Clementi Sonatina Op. 36, No.1

Editor: Alex Schmitz

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.