Author: cvegnad

September 16, 2015

A Song For Bellafortuna by Vincent “Chip” LoCoco

A Song for Bellafortuna follows a young man and his desire to free his Sicillian village from the domination of one family’s long reign.

About A Song for Bellafortuna

For years, the beautiful and secluded hilltop village of Bellafortuna, Sicily, was a great producer of wine and olive oil and the entire village prospered. After the arrival of the Vasaio family, production dwindles and the villagers soon find themselves in crushing debt to the Vasaios. Only one family in the village remains outside the control of the Vasaios, but the reason haunts Antonio Sanguinetti every day of his life. Antonio is determined to erase this legacy by offering financial and emotional support to his fellow villagers. He introduces them to the choral song from Verdi’s opera, Nabucco, which becomes the rallying cry for the villagers and offers them hope for a better life.

When Antonio’s only son, Giuseppe, discovers his family’s past, he becomes determined to take on the Vasaios and remove them from power. Led by the young Giuseppe, a plan is hatched that could result in either complete freedom for the villagers or will forever solidify the Vasaios’ control.

My Thoughts

A struggle for power, fairness, equality and overcoming poverty. The beautiful village of Bellafortuna was destroyed by one family who wanted to control it all. They used their power to ‘protect’ the people from a bigger threat (the Mafia) but in turn crushed the people in debt. While the villagers were angry and knew this was wrong, they were powerless to stop it. So instead, this vicious circle continued from generation to the next.

It is one young man, Giuseppe, who is willing to lay his heart and everything on the line to protect his people. He can no longer see them suffering as it causes heartache for him to think that his family may have played a role in this.

A Song for Bellafortuna is a beautiful and touching story of hope, grace, forgiveness and strength. I love that the story centres around music because it is music that gives us hope, lifts our spirits and gives our heart freedom. A wonderful story with a truly nail biting ending. You will love it from start to finish.

You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Award winning and bestselling author, Vincent B. “Chip” LoCoco, lives in New Orleans. His first novel, Tempesta’s Dream – A Story of Love, Friendship and Opera, became an Amazon bestselling novel and was awarded the 2014 Pinnacle Achievement Award in Historical Fiction. Amazon also has named his book as a Top Rated Novel in Italian Historical Fiction.

His most recent novel, A Song for Bellafortuna, was shortlisted in the William Faulkner – William Wisdom Competition. He is an estate planning attorney in New Orleans, where he lives with his wife and two children.

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

September 16, 2015

Week Five: Still Holding On

We are officially in the second week of school and normal routines are almost back (thank goodness!). My regular fitness routine is slowly returning to normal, with help from my calendar on the fridge – desperate times call for desperate measures! I have started to see a physiotherapist to help with my stretching which has helped a lot with some of the pain I have been experiencing. I have always had lower back pain and this has really helped to improve my range of motion and compression like feeling I have been having. Most of the pain is due to my poor posture and abdominal weight so my fitness goals couldn’t have come at a better time!

So how did I do?

Here is week four:

~~1-2 pound weight loss.~~ Although to be fair this was the weight I gained back from my Dad’s delicious cooking!
~~Weight training five times this week.~~
Yoga three times this week.
~~Daily squat, lunge, push up and crunch challenge.~~
11,000 steps a day. Every day but Friday! I was so close this time!
Two 3km walks.
~~One 4km walk~~ And I chose the hottest day to do so, I was looking lovely in my sweaty clothes.

Week Five Goals:

1 to 2 pound weight loss.
Weight training four times.
Yoga twice this week.
Daily squat, lunge, push up and crunch challenge.
11,000 steps a day.
Two 3km walks.
One 4km walk.

Week five marks one week closer to my walk for Sick Kids coming up on September 26th. For more information on my walk (or if you would like to donate to this great cause) please check out my post on The Great Camp Adventure Walk.

Here is to good things in week five! Have a great week and I will see you here next week.

September 14, 2015

Shhh…..South Street Burger Launches Their Secret Menu!

On August 30th, Canadian chain South Street Burger Co turned ten years old. The South Street Burger celebrated in a big way by not only launching their secret menu but also giving out free coupons, cake and ice cream.

When South Street Burger launched their secret menu, they turned to you their fans for inspiration. These four new items were inspired by fan photos of their favourite orders and includes:

The Cheesy Vegetarian: their veggie burger with brie cheese.
The Naughty Vegetarian: their veggie burger with bacon (!).
The South St Chicken Club: a traditional chicken club with grilled chicken, bacon, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and garlic mayo.
Mac’s Big Burger: two 4 oz burgers, two slices of cheese, lettuce, pickles, onions and signature sauce. This burger was named after the founder Jay Gould’s son Mac who always orders his burgers this way.

South Street Burger wants to know how you like to dress your burger. Head in to any one of their thirty locations in Canada and show South Street Burger on social media how you like to have your burger. Use the hashtag #SouthStSecretMenu and tag them on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Sharing your photos and the hashtag will give you the chance to win Burger Bucks.

After a long weekend of tryouts, we headed into the Burlington location to celebrate the first tryout hurdle for our son and enjoyed the Cheesy Vegetarian, The True North and two regular 4 oz burgers. The combos also come with New York Fries (always a favourite in our home). Talk about mouth-watering goodness!

What is your favourite way to dress a burger?

Disclosure: I received Burger Bucks to try out the Secret Menu. All opinions expressed are my own.

September 14, 2015

The Inheritance by Marianne Perry

A family is torn through loyalties in the novel, The Inheritance.

About The Inheritance

Set during the period 1897 to 1913, the Calabria region was subject to earthquakes and tsunamis; the land harsh and poverty the norm. Superstition clashed with religion and a class system ruled the people who lived there. Calabria is the perfect backdrop for the tragedy that unfolds in The Inheritance.

Caterina is an atypical woman, and The Inheritance chronicles her life from birth to young womanhood. Born with an inheritance of loss into a society that has predetermined what she can and cannot do, she vows to live a life of her choosing. Caterina refuses to allow the limits of her gender, the constraints of her class and the demands imposed by those in power to stand in her way. Caterina remains steadfast in her commitment to become the woman she imagines. Her decisions ignite conflicts and fuel a chain of events that result in dire consequences for all whose path she crosses.

My Thoughts

Wow. My first thoughts after I finished this novel, was just wow! It was far more intense and powerful than I had ever imagined. Living in our times, it is hard to imagine the rules that were imposed on people by others who assumed control by force and violence. Women were expected to do as they were told but yet in this novel we see a young woman try to break out of this control and live life as she wants to. The repercussions of these actions are shocking and heart breaking.

Her life is intertwined with a young man who ultimately his family becomes her demise. It is her love for him that gives her strength and courage. He to is forced into the constraints and expectations of Italian men during this era, of putting family and blood first. He was always viewed as the outcast, the weak one and it is unclear as to how far he will go to either gain his Father’s acceptance or to defy him. The ending was difficult but promising at the same time. It shocked me with its probable truth and pain. It was full of raw emotions and heart ache but also hope. I definitely would love to see and find out what happens to Caterina. The Inheritance is a novel that you will definitely not want to put down until you find out what happens to our two main characters.

You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Chapters.

Rating: 5/5 +++

About the Author

Family dynamics, genealogical research to solve ancestral mysteries and international travel are Marianne Perry’s priorities. A second-generation Canadian-Italian, she is the author of The Inheritance, a historical fiction set in Calabria, Italy from 1897 to 1913 inspired by her grandmother’s early life in Calabria. With a thirty-year career in education and communications, Marianne holds a Master of Education Degree from The University of Western Ontario (Canada).

A past member of the Board of Trustees, the Canadian National Arts Centre Corporation, she has also published non-fiction genealogical articles throughout North America. As a girl, Marianne fell in love with The National Geographic Magazine and dreamt of exploring the world. With her recent visit to Antarctica, she achieved her goal of stepping foot on every continent. The mother of two grown children, Marianne and her husband live on the shores of the St. Mary’s River, which drains Lake Superior on the outskirts of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. She continues to research family history and write non-fiction genealogical articles. In addition, she is working on her second novel and planning further adventures.

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

September 11, 2015

Make Meal Time Easy and Healthy With Nudge Foods Vegetable Mac N Cheese #GetNudged

Simple Weeknight Gluten Free Mac N Cheese with Nudge Foods

It is hard to resist the creamy, satisfying and just overall goodness of macaroni and cheese. It is a meal that all family members love but making it from scratch can be difficult during the busy school week, we just don’t have time for that. What I am not okay with is unhealthy ingredients that make you cringe not to mention that you can’t even say the names on some of the boxed products.

So how do you find a simple boxed macaroni and cheese that helps you eat better? Enter Nudge Foods. The Nudge team set out to create a product that not only tasted great but also be a product that you would be confident to bring into your home.

The result: four macaroni and cheese products that are:

made with organic ingredients
made with grass-fed dairy
peanut free
non GMO ingredients
no artificial colours, preservatives or flavours
a source of Omega 3 fatty acids (from the grass-fed dairy and flax pasta)

My family and I were quite impressed with the creamy taste of the macaroni and cheese, good doesn’t have to taste yucky!. The gluten free shells were fantastic and delicious, sometimes gluten free pasta can be quite textured and almost mushy tasting but the shells maintained their shape and texture with a great taste.

While the Nudge Macaroni and Cheese variety is perfect on its own, why not shake it up a little bit and add in vegetables to not only fill you up faster but add even more nutrient value to your meal.

Ingredients

one box of Nudge Foods Gluten Free White Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese
margarine or butter (2 tbsp)
milk (5 tbsp)
one zucchini and one carrot (other great vegetable combos are: spinach and red pepper, mushrooms and green beans)
one tbsp of coconut oil
ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Prepare the macaroni and cheese as directed on the box.

While the macaroni is cooking, cut up your carrots and zucchini. I like to quarter my zucchini and shred my carrots. In a separate pan, add the coconut oil, zucchini and carrots and cook until tender. Add the black pepper as desired.

Once the macaroni is fully cooked, drain the pasta and mix in the butter/margarine and milk. Add the cooked vegetable mixture to the macaroni and cheese and mix.

Serve and enjoy!

Make sure you follow Nudge Foods on Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date. Watch out for another simple, week night recipe using Nudge Foods that your children will love.

Watch out next week for a new recipe using my kids favourite the elbow macaroni and cheese!

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product free of charge. All opinions expressed are my own.