My Culinary Critique on Terry’s Terrace in Harrison Township Michigan

Harrison Township Michigan, also known as “Boat Town” is known for... boats shall I say.  In the spring time within this region, people walk, roller blade, and jog up and down the metro beach route while the weather permits.  After all, Michiganders appreciate the limited time of warm weather provided by Mother Nature annually.

Casing the community out on a mission to find some good food, I found myself stopping at Terry’s Terrance located on Jefferson.  The atmosphere of restaurant puts one in the mind of a seafood bar and grill found within Daytona Beach area.  As I entered the restaurant, I was greeted with a smile and immediately escorted to my seat.   

Having a wide variety of food items to select from, I started with a bowl of Cheesy French Onion soup.  Due to it being my first time having this specific type of soup with melted cheese on top, I had my doubts prior to tasting it.  To my surprise it was pretty good.  The next time I have it, I’ll request less cheese.   For my main course, I decided on the Beer Battered Fish and Green Beans.  Usually a skeptic for ordering fried fish due to the batter over powering the flavor of the actual cod, I must admit, it was delicious and filling.  As for the Green Beans, they could’ve used a little bit more seasoning however; I appreciated the fact that they were fresh and not canned.  

Folks I’m giving Terry’s Terrance three out of four stars and if you’re ever in the area, stop on through and have a meal in ‘Boat Town.”

Here’s my Culinary Critique “Dessert Edition” for Sweet Potato Sensations in Detroit

Leaving from a educators professional development this past Wednesday on the West Side of Detroit, I in a hurriedly fashion headed down Grand River to make it to the East Side for my last training of the day.  En route, I decided to turn down Lahser Road to stop through one of my favorite places. Known for creating delectable desserts from the sweet potato, Detroit’s Sweet Potato Sensations is simply one spectacular place.

The customer service is impeccable. Nita, the cashier rep for the day, understands the concept of “winning a customer over.”  Two deserts this hump day were available for individuals to sample at no cost.  

Although their menu is filled with extraordinary treats such as sweet potato cookies, cakes, and fries.  I simply cannot get enough their famous sweet potato ice-cream with pecans.  Having a similar taste to butter pecan ice-cream, the texture is rich, and smooth.  Eating this is like having sweet potato pie mixed together with ice-cream minus the crust.  The creation of this sinful treat is heavenly and will leave a smile on anyone’s face.  People if you ever feel yourself having a “sweet craving’ during the day, head on over to Sweet Potato Sensations on Lahser in Detroit and satisfy you sweet tooth need. 

 

 

Here's my review on Joel Osteen's Every Day A Friday: How to be Happier 7 Days a Week.

There are spiritual awareness reads and then there is Joel Osteen.  Out of books I’ve read and reviewed, over the years, I cannot seem to get enough of the awesome messages he sends to his readers.  Everyday a Friday assisted me with refocusing on my current situation.  Often, we feel that in life that we are not in a “good place.”  Some of us start to feel as if we have failed in life due to not achieving personal lifelong goals.  Completing this book was the affirmation I needed this year of 2014.

I am now on a daily mission to identify “a positive” attribute from the entire parameter of my being.  I am learning to be happy during both the sweet and sour days of my time here on earth. The people who are in my life are the ones who are supposed to be there.  Individuals who are not have simply served their purpose in my life and have moved on.  In regards to jealous hearted individuals, one of my favorite sections of this book comes from chapter twenty-seven. Osteen’s words are listed as follows, “When they come at you, simply say, in a humble way “I’m wearing this blessing well, despite criticism and jealously.” If my friends aren’t happy for my blessing then, it’s time to find new friends who will celebrate with me as I celebrate with them.”  

In life one will eventually seek for a sign or message of hope from either a self-help or spiritual read. The words enclosed within this book were just what I needed to let me know that I’m on the right path. Joel Osteen books rock!

 

Here’s my Review on Shay Stone’s why am I Still Single?

                                                                      

Girlfriends hang out all the time together.   Statistics indicate that a lot of females are not satisfied due to being…well, you guessed it, SINGLE.   No matter where a group of women are hanging out together, the topic is going to be addressed.    The topic is so common now that you may find it taking place at brunch, a night-club, and definitely at the beauty shop.  From what I’ve been told, it’s even being discussed a lot at church these days.  

Talking about it and blaming it on the selection of men to choose from is one thing however, having the courage to actually take a look in the mirror and realize the fact or the reason you’re a single female may in-fact have a lot to do with you is another.   The topic as a whole, can lead single women to doing a lot of self- guessing. This book greatly assists with elimination of the guessing game and pin-points directly what may possibly be holding women back from real love.

Divided into twenty-nine innovative chapters, Stone provides a situational probe for the first twenty eight and identifies the flawed characteristics that are distributed by either a man-less woman or a soon to be one.  She even goes as far as providing homework for each flaw.  Because we as women are curious about what men are thinking, I really appreciate the fact that a males perspective, titled “The Bottom Line”, is included at the end of each selection as well.  Chapter Twelve, “The Gold Digger” was quite amusing yet the flawed characteristic that stood out to me the most can be found in chapter twenty-six titled, “The Savior.”   Not only does this section of the book make for good reading, it made me only think higher of the author. Stone not only wrote the book, she had the courage to tell her own situation regarding her own love life.   I truly enjoyed this one.    If you want a book that provides sound advice on getting out of the single race, ladies put this on your "To Read" list.

Here's my Culinary Critique on Midtown Detroit's La Feria

The atmosphere puts me in the mind of a local small town eatery in California.   Upon entering, one’s senses of smell are instantly enticed.   The place I’m referring to is La Feria located in Midtown Detroit.  A small place yet very decorative, I along with a friend of mines decided to eat at the bar.

With a reputation for serving authentic Spanish dishes, the selections decided upon to indulge on this Saturday were; Berenjenas  Fritas- Fried Eggplant with honey, Patatas Bravas – Fried potato & Spicy Salsa, Grilled Portabella, Pincho Moruno-Moorish style grilled chicken, and the Pisto Manchego W/Egg –assorted spicy vegetables with egg.

To be honest, I was surprised at what I actually enjoyed the most.  The Berenjenas and the Patatas were average.  The Moruno-Moorish chicken was fairly decent however; the Grilled Portabella and the Pisto Manchego vegetables were absolutely delicious.  It was as if the head chef had picked the vegetables straight from their own garden and brought them to the restaurant to prepare and cook.  The customer service was terrific.  By the way, I got a chance to meet the owner and the head chef on my actual initial visit.  I'll be headed back real soon to La Feria for some more of that Pisto Manchego W/Egg.

 

Fast Life by Cassandra Carter

Good girls sometimes are attracted to bad boys.  The courtship can be fun and exciting. On the other side of the coin, the good girl can sometimes bite off more than she can chew when selecting to deal with a gangsters or wise-guy.    Kyra Jones, a young lady from Chicago accustomed to the “Life” witnessed the killing of her father at a very young age.

Due to losing her father over a decade ago, Kyra channeled her energy at being an “arm piece” for her boyfriend Makai.  Everything in Kyra’s world was going great until her mother announced the news that would turn this teenager’s life upside down.  Although Kyra is disheartened by her mother’s decision and totally against it, she has no choice and must abide by Geneva Jones to relocate.  

Many say you don’t know who your real friends are until a dilemma arises.  Relocating to the Island of Bahamas, Kyra soon realizes this saying to be true.   Reading this book throughout its entirety, I could actually envision the plot. I could definitely picture Cassandra’s book on a movie short on MTV.  It’s definitely a page turner created to entertain the young adult population.  Great job Carter on your first literary contribution to the young adult world.   I look forward to reviewing other books from your series soon.