Love, Laughter, and Life

Adventures With a Book Lover


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Haiku Moment: tree people

daylight freezes them

and winter, but come August

tree people watch, play

tree people by Angie Quantrell

Lake Keechelus, I-90, Washington state


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Haiku Moment: pahto watches

is the horse running?

do huckleberries burst, smile?

pahto watches, waits

pahto watches by Angie Quantrell

photo by Angie Quantrell

Pahto (Mount Adams), Washington


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Haiku Moment: crowned

wearing a wind cap

Tahoma stands tall, regal

glaciers, cold and crowned

crowned by Angie Quantrell

photo by Angie Quantrell

Mt. Rainier, WA state


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Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives: Frost Me Sweet Bakery and Bistro

Once in a long while, we get hooked on watching Guy Fieri as he travels around the U.S. showcasing fabulous meals on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Sometimes I’m hoping to be inspired for dinner, other times I want recipes. I LOVE watching the chefs prepare the meals and I’m always astounded at how MUCH they make! The quantity is mind-boggling. And when the featured location is nearby . . . I want a road trip!

We recently caught an episode filmed in Richland, Washington, a mere 90 minutes or so away. Road trip, here we come! I have no idea about the original air date of the episode, but Frost Me Sweet Bakery and Bistro is still in business, so it’s all good.

Sweet potato lasagna. Oh, boy. That’s what I wanted. And the Duck Banh Mi sandwich. Those were the two items featured on the show, and wow, they looked wonderful! Unfortunately, the Duck Banh Mi was sold out. So Kevin went with the Prime Time, a Prime Rib panini.

The only bad thing about our trip was the heat. We arrived early, about 11, since we eat lunch early. But it was still heading up over 90. Despite that, we chose to sit outside in their adorable covered seating area. There was a line waiting to get in even at that early hour! And nearly the entire time, people were waiting to be seated for the bistro side of the business. Note: The bakery is right next door. Both are connected and you can enter either door or walk between both in the waiting area.

Sweet Potato Lasagna

This dish was so yummy! I loved the sweet potato “noodles”. A few edges were a tiny bit underdone, but not enough to stop me. And I think it could have been hotter (temperature). Well, I ALWAYS want heat in my food, so I would add crushed peppers to my sauce. Mmmm. This dish was so tasty and hugely filling! I think it was a bit much with the heat, but come fall and cooler temps . . . give me ALL the sweet potato lasagna! Served with grilled pesto toast. I LOVED the sauce and meat and the way all the gooeyness came together. Mmm. I would definitely order this again.

Prime Time

Kevin’s Prime Time panini featured thinly sliced prime rib, carmelized onions, horseradish aioli, Swiss cheese, and au jus. The panini was made with their own garlic focaccia bread, and was served with a salad. I had a taste, and it was pretty delish! The au jus was very salty, so dip wisely. And (we both love spice) I think Kev would have loved MORE horseradish to heat things up. The sandwich was very filling and yummy.

The bakery had tempting treats, but we were stuffed, and with the temps, we didn’t want to haul around something that would melt.

Two thumbs up for Frost Me Sweet Bakery and Bistro. The menu is chock full of other dishes we want to try. So once fall hits, I’m counting on another road trip to sample the menu.

Have you hit the road to find a featured location from Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives? Let us know how it went. And if you have any suggestions for fun dining, do share! We’d all love a taste.


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Book Review: Squish, Squash, Squished by Rebecca Kraft Rector and Dana Wulfekotte

Squish, Squash, Squished

Written by Rebecca Kraft Rector

Illustrated by Dana Wulfekotte

Nancy Paulsen Books, 2021

As the oldest child in a family of 4 children and 2 parents, I can relate to being squished in the car. And squabbling and fighting about it, especially over who gets a window seat. (This was before the time of cell phones, electronic games, and movie viewing options many children have now. Back in the dark ages. We had a car. A station wagon car. With fold up bench seats in the way back, but that was usually full with the family dog and picnic lunch stuff.)

I digress.

I won a copy of Squish, Squash, Squished from Rebecca Kraft Rector through Kathy Temean’s blog, Writing and Illustrating. You can view the original post to learn more about Rebecca and Dana here. THANK YOU, Rebecca and Kathy!

Squish, Squash, Squished is such a delight to read! I loved the problem (squished in the back seat), the characters (adorable cuties with their no-nonsense mom who takes extreme-but fun-measures to stop the bickering), and the imaginative cast of characters who hop in for a ride. The words are just perfect with plenty of language and word-play, and the illustrations are the icing on the cake.

I suggest this book for anyone who has bickering children in the backseat, anyone who has children (or is a child), those who love fun word-play and stories, and creative minds who believe animals can do the things they do in this book.

Why I Love This Book:

~ told in the style of It Could Always Be Worse, the escalating drama is wonderful

~ I love the word-play and sing-song silliness

~ fun cast of characters, a mix of people and animals (love it)

~ adorable setting and the perfect illustrations to make this picture book of the magical sort

~ while not preaching about keeping it quiet in the backseat, readers will get the hint that it could always be worse . . .

Living in an RV, I sometimes drift into the theme of being squish, squash, squished, but I better hush-mush or my hubby might invite in some passers-by…