Book Review

BOOK REVIEW: The Bric-a-Brac of Mickey Mack

This sharp, witty contemporary poetry collection captures the emotional leap into adulthood through coming-of-age themes, written in a humorous, satirical style using parodies. This book pays homage to the time period where the youthful optimist now bears the weight of adulthood with a sink-or-swim attitude. The parody verses are clever, witty, relatable, and meaningful. It's a light-hearted approach that offers insight into everyday struggles for readers entering a new phase of life. While the book highlights the inevitable sense of crushing defeat and loss one can encounter when becoming an adult, it also shows the importance of laughing anyway. Author Mickey Mack feels life can be a game of avoiding the consequences of your own actions. Illustrations are eye-catching caricatures that punctuate the verses. I enjoyed the preface, a lengthy author overview that defines what bric-à-brac means to him. He is upfront, stating he considers himself a collector of clutter, a great cataloger of nonsensical junk of incalculable sentimental value. But in his defense of clutter and collecting mementos, one can be transported to a time of great significance, when, at some point, this trash becomes your greatest treasure. These treasures may remind us of a moment in time, who we were in our life's story. Don't waste time, jump into the zany world of Mickey Mack and enjoy the hilarious ride through poetic verses.

ALL ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mickey Mack hails from a speck in the flyover zone, a Midwestern

city in the American Heartland. Mack has spent his life tripping

over his shoelaces into success. A walking oxymoron, Mack’s life is a parade of ill-advised decisions that somehow land him in clover. His carefully plotted schemes disastrously explode, while his spur-of-the-moment capers bear the juiciest fruit. He’s fallen backward through existence as a self-proclaimed wiseman in hindsight, a lifelong old soul now exiting youth resentfully and ungracefully.

#parody #mickeymack #bluecottageagency #storylaboratory #poeticverses #clicksbynadison #rendevouswithawriter #midstatedesign

Caprese Pasta Salad

 

FIRE UP THE GRILL

TRY A NEW SIDE: CAPRESE PASTA SALAD

Cook's Notes: An easy side that pairs well with your next BBQ meal, potluck, or picnic. It's fresh and full of summer flavor, made with juicy tomatoes, mozzarella balls, basil, and balsamic glaze. The recipe was adapted from twopeasandtheirpod. 

For the best flavor, marinate the tomatoes for an hour at room temperature before adding the cooked pasta to the dish.  

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 8 oz. bocconcini (small mozzarella balls found in the deli section)  
• 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1-1/2 tablespoons high-quality dark balsamic vinegar
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 4 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• Dash of crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 tablespoons minced fresh basil
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1-1/2 cups dried pasta e.g. bowtie or orecchiette 
• Grated Parmesan cheese
• Optional add in seasoned croutons

Directions:

• In a medium-sized bowl, combine chopped tomatoes, cheese balls, olive oil, 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, spices, basil, salt and pepper. Stir until the tomatoes and cheese balls are coated, then let sit for 1 hour at room temperature. 
• Add pasta to boiling salted water, reduce the heat to medium-high, and cook al dente about 7 minutes. 
• Drain pasta and rinse with cold water. Add to marinated tomatoes. 
• Drizzle the top of the salad with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and grated Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
  
  

LOOKING FOR SOME BBQ MEAL IDEAS TO SERVE WITH THE SALAD?

Raspberry Balsamic Chipotle BBQ Glazed  

https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2023/05/fire-up-grill.html

BBQ Bacon Bourbon Chicken Skewers

https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2025/07/4th-of-july-round-up_2.html

Honey Garlic BBQ Sauced Sloppy Joes 

https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2022/10/honey-garlic-bbq-sauced-sloppy-joes.html

ENJOY YOUR DAY

 

Blueberry Yogurt Parfait

Knowing a Blueberry Yogurt Parfait is waiting for you on the table, no doubt you'll rise and shine quickly.  It's a simple recipe that makes for a delicious breakfast, a tempting midday snack, or part of a Sunday brunch. Simple ingredients come together for yogurt parfait cups packed with smooth, creamy yogurt, crunchy granola, and juicy, colorful fruit. I went "fancy" and used wine glasses for serving this parfait. The blueberry sauce can be made the day before and refrigerated.  The sauce can also be served over cake or ice cream. The recipe was adapted from cookingclassy.com

Ingredients:

• 2-1/2 cups fresh blueberries, divided
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2-2/3 cups low-fat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 cup cinnamon granola store-bought (break up clusters before measuring) 

Directions:

• In a saucepan, bring 2 cups of blueberries, sugar, and water to a simmer over medium heat. 
• Cook, stirring frequently, until the berries have mostly burst and the compote has thickened, about 5-7 minutes. 
• Add in vanilla, and there should be 1 cup of blueberry compote.
• Pour sauce into a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve. 
• To assemble parfaits among four glasses: layer 1/ 3 cup of yogurt, 2 tablespoons blueberry sauce, 2 tablespoons granola, and 1 tablespoon blueberries. 
• Repeat the layers one more time. Serve immediately. 
  

Looking for another healthy breakfast option? Craving a banana split but too many calories? Try this healthier version, a meal in itself.   

• Split the banana lengthwise. Add several dollops of yogurt down the middle. 
• Load up with fresh fruits and a sprinkle of nuts.
• Whole wheat toast points are added to round out the meal. 
  
  
  

A Winning Combo

 

A toast to summer at the lake

Black-Eyed Susan Cocktail

Cook's Notes:

Since I missed posting this popular Kentucky Derby recipe in May, I thought it was perfect for a lake summer toast in June. The cocktail combines everyday spirits with fruit juices for a refreshing drink.  

The recipe below makes one drink and was adapted from inspiried by charm blog site.

Ingredients: 

• 1 oz. vodka
• 1 oz. white rum or coconut rum
• 1/2 oz. tripe sec
• 2 oz. pineapple juice
• 2 oz. orange juice 
• Optional lime slice and a Luxardo cherry for garnish 

Directions: 

• Fill a glass about 3/4 full of ice.
• Add the ingredients and stir until well combined. 

BBQ Ham, Bacon, and Pineapple Quesadillas 

Cook's notes:  

The recipe makes 1-10-inch tortilla or 2- 6 or 8-inch tortillas

I used a panini maker, but a griddle works just as well. These sandwiches can be cut into smaller pieces and used as an appetizer. I used 2- 6-inch tortillas for this recipe. The recipe was adapted from closetcooking.com

Ingredients:

• 1- 10-inch tortilla or 2- 6 or 8-inch tortilla 
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced deli ham, diced
• 3 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled  
• 1/4 cup drained pineapple tidbits
• 2 tablespoons of your favorite BBQ sauce
• Optional 2 tablespoons jalapeno, sliced

Directions:

• Drain pineapple on a paper towel.
• Place the tortilla on a sheet of wax paper. On half of tortilla spread BBQ sauce. Add  pineapple, ham, bacon, jalapeno if using, and top with shredded cheese. 

• Heat the griddle or panini maker. Fold the top of the tortilla down over the filling ingredients.  
• Cook about 2-4 minutes a side. 

 

A Slice of Summer

 

Especially when enjoying a slice of summer-Strawberry Blueberry Cream Pie 

Cook's Notes: A slice of pure summer bliss with juicy strawberries and blueberries. Raspberries can be substituted for the strawberries. The cream filling is nestled in a crunchy cookie almond crust. YUM! YUM! Recipe from Star Tribune, July 13, 2017, by Beth Dooley. For the best taste, serve the same day it's made. 

Cookie Almond Crust Ingredients: 

• 2-1/2 cups finely crushed vanilla wafers
• 1 cup sliced almonds 
• 1 tablespoon Saigon cinnamon or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 5 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Cookie Almond Crust Directions:

• Use a food processor to crush vanilla wafers. Add in cinnamon, sugar, almonds, and melted butter. Mix well. 
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pat crumbs into a pie pan. Bake 6 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Cream Filling Ingredients:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup plain Greek Yogurt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla 
•  1 tablespoon honey
• Assorted berries

Cream Filling Directions:

• In a medium bowl, whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks. On low speed, mix in yogurt, vanilla, and honey to taste. 
• Place filling in cooled crust. Arrange berries on top. Refrigerate until serving. 
  
  
  

Scrambled Egg Burrito with Avocado and Tomato

 

ARE YOU AWAKE FOR SOME HEALTHY EATS? 

Scrambled Egg Burrito with Avocado and Tomato

Cook's notes: The recipe makes 2 burritos.

Ingredients:

• 6 large eggs
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon each elote seasoning or cumin and parsley flakes 
• 1 tablespoon of butter 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Optional 1 jalapeno pepper, deseeded and diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup diced mushrooms 
• ¼ cup red onion or green onion, diced
• Cherry tomatoes, diced 
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese
• 2 flour or whole wheat tortillas
• ¼ cup salsa
• 1 avocado, sliced or diced
• Optional add in 1 cup crumbled cooked Italian sausage 

Directions:

• Whisk eggs, spices, and milk in a blender.
• Drizzle olive oil into a skillet over medium heat, add peppers, mushrooms, garlic, and onion, and saute about 2-3 minutes until just tender. Add in chopped tomatoes. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the same frying pan.
• Pour into the skillet the egg mixture with the vegetables, adding in the cheese. On medium-low heat, scramble the eggs just until set.
• Divide scrambled eggs across two flour tortillas. Top with salsa and avocado slices.
• Fold and serve warm.

Healthy Berry Yogurt Smoothie  

Cook's Notes: A super simple 6-ingredient Healthy Berry Yogurt Smoothie recipe. Protein-packed to keep you full throughout the day. A perfect on-the-go breakfast full of vitamins and nutrients, and a great way to sneak in some greens!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen berries (I used raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries)
• 1 /2 cup plain Greek Yogurt
• 1/2 - 1 cup torn baby spinach leaves 
• 1/3 cup ripe avocado chunks
• 1-2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1 cup coconut water
• Optional: add your favorite protein powder
• Optional 1 frozen small banana, diced 
• Garnishes as shown in the photo

Directions: 

• Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add additional coconut water if it's too thick for you. Add any garnish if desired. Coconut flakes also taste good on this one!

Chicken Salad with Grapes, Pecans and Croissant Croutons

 

• "Let us live like flowers, wild and beautiful and drenched in sun." ―Ellen Everett

Will you spring for this salad?

Chicken Salad with Grapes. Pecans and Croissant Croutons

A fresh and flavorful salad made with chicken chunks, sweet grapes, toasted pecans, crisp romaine, and spinach tossed with a tangy honey mustard dressing. The salad is topped with buttery croissant croutons for the perfect crunch. The recipe was adapted from twopeasandtheirpod. The flavors and textures make this fresh chicken salad a must-try. The salad ingredients can easily be increased to match the number of servings needed. The salad was paired with a strawberry-rhubarb muffin. That recipe was previously posted. 
Cook's Notes: If making this salad for 2 people, and you don't want to purchase a whole rotisserie chicken, they sell cooked chicken cutlets in the deli that work well in this salad. A store-bought honey mustard dressing was used for this salad.
Salad Ingredients:

• 4 cups Romaine lettuce and 2 cups baby spinach leaves
• 2 cups cooked chicken pieces (2 inch)
• 1-1/2 cups chopped celery
• 1-1/2 cups small red grapes
• 1 cup toasted pecans
• 1/2 cup diced red onions
• honey mustard dressing

Croissant Croutons

• 1 large croissant

Directions:

• Make croutons ahead. Let the croissant dry out slightly for a few hours. Cut into 2-inch pieces. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/3 cup olive oil with 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning and ½ teaspoon garlic powder. Add croissant pieces and dredge in oil mixture. Place on a baking sheet and toast at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Stir once halfway through the baking process.
• Toss salad ingredients mixed with honey mustard dressing. Top with toasted croutons.