Cookbook Tested and Reviewed: Country Cooking from a Redneck Kitchen

I was excited to try Country Cooking from a Redneck Kitchen by Francine Bryson, as the recipes didn't seem too complicated. There are over 100 recipes, and they are all family-friendly recipes, except maybe the squirrel casserole that is thrown in to make it truly authentic! I found many dishes that sounded great for dinner, such as meatloaf, a chicken casserole with homemade cream of chicken soup, lemonade rolls glazed with Country Time mix, and the Sunday Supper Pie.
This evening, I made the Redneck Hawaiian chicken and it came out great. It actually restored my husband's faith in me that I may be able to feed him. Here is a picture of it simmering in the slow cooker:

In addition to the awesome dinners, there's also a bunch of dessert bars and other treats included, since the author is an award winning baker. As an amateur cook with simple tastes, I will get tons of use out of this book, and am happy to have received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

America's Best Breakfasts Cookbook Review

I have been on a breakfast kick for about the past 12-14 years, so of course I had to have the America's Best Breakfasts cookbook. The book is arranged by region and includes breakfasts from local restaurants across the United States. Each recipe has nice pictures and anecdotes from the restaurant or about the meal.
The recipes are varied, and also vary in difficulty, which was nice. Recipes range from a simple yet unique granola to lemon curd waffles. I am excited to cook my way across the country!
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from Blogging for Books.

Cravings by Chrissy Teigen Lives up to its Name

My boyfriend has liked Chrissy Teigen for a while, and I kind of assumed it was just for the obvious reasons: she's gorgeous and voluptuous. But when I saw an article about her cookbook, it actually sounded pretty good. I was puzzled by the negative reactions to a swimsuit model making a cookbook because I believe her when she says she loves to eat. She seems like a sincere person, so I decided to try out her cookbook. I am happy I did because it is full of fun pictures, funny introductions, and varied recipes that could become regulars.
I really liked the salad section, because I've been wanting to try some simple homemade dressings and didn't know where to start. Likewise, I have had a "craving" for biscuits and gravy for a while, and a simple and delicious recipe for this is included, along with some other breakfasts that sound good but are not over the top. Most recipes called for things I actually have on hand, unlike some cookbooks that expect you to have an unlimited budget and a fish monger, cheesemaker, herb garden, and a baker all next door. I think I can actually cook the recipes in this cookbook, and I'm confident some will become favorites.
I received a review copy of Cravings from Blogging for Books, but my opinion is always my own!

A Mental Memoir from Rob Roberge

In his memoir Liar, author and apparent seedy degenerate Rob Roberge presents us with non sequitur entries addressed, oddly enough, to himself. In these passages, he recounts some wild and personal stories, but his memory is a bit foggy due to likely CTE from experiencing multiple concussions while going hard on the stuff for 20 years. The whole thing seemed like an exercise in self pity, especially as the author interspersed his personal memories with accounts of the suicides of notable artists, as if wishing he would one day be remembered among them. This book won't be the one to earn him that (morbid) spot. I received a copy from Blogging for Books, and the book's out now.

Legit Ways to Make Money Online

I'm sure a lot of people would like to make a little extra cash for sitting on their butt in front of the computer. Since I do too, here's a list of sites that have actually made me money:


MyPoints.com
This website sends a few emails a day and all you do is open and click on them. Each email earns you 5 points and it takes about 3000 points to start having some good redemption options. You redeem your points for gift cards and the best part is you can earn up to 10 points per dollar spent through their website. I once used my points to get a Gap gift card and then earned about 500 MyPoints (almost $5) just by using it online! It works just like these credit card cash back offers except no bogus fees and crazy interest rates!

Amazon Mechanical Turk
Now this website is just great. It is great if you need to do some academic research and you want to pay participants as well. With this program, you just complete surveys for Amazon credit. This is really boring but pays really well. I sometimes make a better hourly rate than at my real job - the other day I made 20 bucks in 30 minutes.

BzzAgent

This is fun but requires a little more work. BzzAgent is a marketing company that provides samples in exchange for feedback and information sharing. In addition to sending samples, BzzAgent also rewards your feedback with MyPoints! Talk about a great deal! I most recently received 5 mascaras and 5 lip balms in the Maybelline Lots of Lashes and Baby Lips campaign.

Update: I have recently joined Crowdtap, which also gives free samples in exchange for reviews. I have not received a full-sized product, but have gotten some cool samples. You can also complete quick surveys that are usually about one or two questions each, and build up points to redeem for gift cards. I usually net about $5 a week for about 5-10 minutes of surveys.
I have also considered selling items on Etsy that I buy from estate sales. The problem I have found is that everything at estate sales is pretty much overpriced, so it's hard to make any money. I would stick to garage sales, where gems can still be found.

Mystery Shopping

Mystery shopping is definitely not a full time job, but it is pretty fun and you can make some cash. Look on the MSPA website for a list of legit mystery shop companies. Different companies often have shops in different regions of the country. You can expect to be asked to submit detailed reports about your experiences on assignments such as restaurants, gas stations, and movie theaters. Many companies reimburse your meal as well as pay a small fee, usually around $5. If you are very detail oriented, you can end up with a few extra bucks and a few free meals at the end of each week.
Good luck!

Fake Jobs Flood Craigslist

This is a big WARNING against looking for jobs on Craigslist. These times are depressing enough if you don't have a job. Imagine browsing through Craiglist on a whim, hoping to get lucky. Suddenly you read the perfect ad- they are looking for an administrative assistant in your field in your town paying $15/hr right away! You get to typing up the perfect cover letter and feel like you are about to get that interview call seconds after you click send....... And in a sudden turn of events, the automated response comes. It tells you that they are trying to set up an interview but need you to complete your application on a website. Now, this website told you that the job was in Newark, NJ, was part time and paid $15/hr. You also just sent your resume to the e-mail address listed on Craigslist. Why then, does this website ask you to fill out your name, address, employer information, desired salary and desired schedule (part time or full)??? Wasn't this already done?? Well, it turns out that one company, Career Network, posts phony ads all over the country. They post many different jobs with many different email addresses to respond to. They seem very real, but they all have the same type of automated response. Some will even say they tried calling you but could not reach you 4 seconds after you e-mailed them. Do not respond to these ads! This company sells your information and you will receive nonstop emails and calls if you do!!

In addition to the national job scams, we of course have the local scams. This guy in Montclair NJ ought to be ashamed of himself. For months on end, he has been posting ads repeatedly and in all sections of Craigslist advertising for bartender openings at his bar in Montclair. He says he prefers to train his own staff. SO- When you call, this guy asks how many years of experience you have. We have tested him out many times and if you say none, he will call you back because he is operating a sketchy bartending school on the low. Michael called and said he had six years experience and the guy said he'd call right back and never did. I called and asked him why so many people were talking about his ads being fraudulent if he is really a bar and not a school and he started flipping out on me like I was the one illegally soliciting customers for my business disguised as a job. People online that have fallen for it say they have paid for the school and just got their money taken. This guy and others like him need to be stopped! I say boycott Craigslist jobs for a little bit!!