Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Coming Soon.....

It's never too early to think about Christmas, 21 days to go until the great event......the CHRISTMAS BLOG HOP......I have some great sponsors lined up and ready to go!
BUT
in the meantime, I'm going to keep you busy with some delicious recipes, some knit goodies, and some random giveaways because I am thankful for all of my wonderful followers!

SO
keep watch because you'll never know what you're going to find!

We're going to start with a VERY delicious recipe so you can awe your Thanksgiving guests, I grew up in a home where Thanksgiving was the event of the year, it still is!  My parents own the original farm house, so that's where we end up....this year, all 38 of us!  We spend the entire weekend, have 13-15 pies, two turkeys, it's simply crazy!  Our new tradition is for everyone to go bowling on Friday evening and have a pizza party....what are your Thanksgiving traditions?

....and here's the pie recipe, straight from Bake For the Cure

Caramel Glazed Apple Pie
Ingredients
Apple Pie:
Pastry for double crust pie
8 cups peeled and sliced cooking apples (about 4 to 6 large)
1/3 cup Karo® Dark Corn Syrup
3 tablespoons butter OR margarine, melted
3 tablespoons sugar
1-1/2 tablespoons Argo® OR Kingsford’s® Corn Starch
1 teaspoon Spice Islands® Ground Saigon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Caramel Glaze:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans
3 tablespoons Karo® Dark Corn Syrup
2 tablespoons butter OR margarine, melted
1 tablespoon Argo® OR Kingsford’s® Corn Starch
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F.

Fit one pie crust into bottom of 9-1/2 inch deep dish pie pan.
Add apples.  Combine corn syrup, butter, sugar, corn starch,
cinnamon and salt in a small bowl.  Pour over apples.  Top
with second crust, fold edges under, seal and flute.  Cut a
few slits in top crust to vent.

Place a shallow pan under pie to catch any drips and bake for
45 to 55 minutes, until crust is browned and apples are tender. 
Combine all Caramel Glaze ingredients in a small bowl.  Dollop
over pie and carefully spread over hot crust.  Bake 10 minutes
or until topping is bubbly.

****Very important...be sure to put something under your pie,
because it will drip...I forgot to do this and a haze covered my
kitchen, I had to open the windows and let in the 30 degree chill!
**************************************************************
I just decided to turn this into a giveaway.....leave a comment with
your special, unique, odd, etc Thanksgiving tradition or happening
and I will randomly choose one entrant to win a handmade knit
turkey dishcloth, made by non other than myself! 


+1 if you follow via GFC
+1 if you follow via Networked Blogs
+1 if you subscribe





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Monday, November 8, 2010

CFBA Book Tour: Grace




This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Grace
Avon Inspire; Original edition (October 26, 2010)
by
Shelley Shepard Gray


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:






Shelley Shepard Gray is the beloved author of the Sisters of the Heart series, including Hidden, Wanted, and Forgiven. Before writing, she was a teacher in both Texas and Colorado. She now writes full time and lives in southern Ohio with her husband and two children. When not writing, Shelley volunteers at church, reads, and enjoys walking her miniature dachshund on her town's scenic bike trail.


ABOUT THE BOOK

It's Christmastime at the Brenneman Bed & Breakfast, and everyone is excited about closing down for the holiday.


Anna and Henry will be celebrating their first Christmas as a married couple, and for Katie and Jonathan Lundy, it's their first Christmas with baby Stefan. Winnie and Samuel Miller plan to stop by as well for a wonderful two weeks of family and rest.


But when two unexpected visitors show up, hoping to stay for Christmas, the family must test their commitment to hospitality. Levi is a widower who lost his wife four years ago and can't bear the thought of another Christmas alone. And Melody is a young pregnant woman who won't open up about how she ended up on her own at Christmas at almost nine months pregnant.


Anna, who knows a thing or two about keeping secrets, doesn't trust her, and strives to find out the truth about these two strangers who have disrupted their holiday. But as the Christmas spirit descends on them all, as well as snow that traps them in the inn, a healing and hopefulness takes over, allowing new relationships to be built, and the boundaries of family to be extended.


If you'd like to read the first chapter of Grace, go HERE.


My Thoughts:
I'm having a difficult time getting into the holiday spirit, the weather is 20 degrees above average, it's downright balmy here at 60+ degrees and it feels more like spring than Holiday Season so this book gave me a good dose of winter, and it was a fun dose!

This story is full of characters who are struggling with all different kinds of problems, some much worse than others and when they're all thrown together in a quiet Amish setting just about anything can happen!  Grief and anguished hearts turn soft, souls are mended and love blooms all under a terrific winter storm, enough to make you shiver in the warmth of your home.  While reading this book I could smell Christmas, the baking, the crisp snow, hot chocolate on the stove and pine boughs, the perfect book for the holiday season, and once again, a wonderful stocking stuffer...I recommend this book for everyone looking for a good holiday read!

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The Twelve Days of Christmas, for knitters!

I found the cutest song today, it's full of gift ideas for you knitters, really, this song could be your wish list! Lisa and Alli over at Knitwits Heaven gave me permission to share their song with you!  Go on over and visit them, they have some great patterns!

The Twelve Days of Knitting Christmas
On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me: 
A new set of Susan Bates Needles


On the second day of Christmas my true love sent to me:
Two skeins of yarn

And a new set of Susan Bates Needles

On the third day of Christmas my true love sent to me:
Three Knitting Patterns

Two skeins of yarn
And a new set of Susan Bates Needles

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love sent to me:
Four D P N’s

Three Knitting Patterns
Two skeins of yarn
And a new set of Susan Bates Needles

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love sent to me:
Five Golden  Stitch Markers

Four D P N’s
Three Knitting Patterns
Two skeins of yarn
And a new set of Susan Bates Needles

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love sent to me:
Six Cable Needles

Five Golden  Stitch Markers
Four D P N’s
Three Knitting Patterns
Two skeins of yarn
And a new set of Susan Bates Needles

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love sent to me:
Seven Debbie Bliss Books

Six Cable Needles
Five Golden  Stitch Markers
Four D P N’s
Three Knitting Patterns
Two skeins of yarn
And a new set of Susan Bates Needles

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love sent to me:
Eight more balls of yarn

Seven Debbie Bliss Books
Six Cable Needles
Five Golden Stitch Markers
Four D P N’s
Three Knitting Patterns
Two skeins of yarn
And a new set of Susan Bates Needles

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love sent to me:
Nine Knitting Gauges

Eight more balls of yarn
Seven Debbie Bliss Books
Six Cable Needles
Five Golden Stitch Markers
Four D P N’s
Three Knitting Patterns
Two skeins of yarn
And a new set of Susan Bates Needles

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love sent to me:
Ten Measuring Tapes

Nine Knitting Gauges
Eight more balls of yarn
Seven Debbie Bliss Books
Six Cable Needles
Five Golden Stitch Markers
Four D P N’s
Three Knitting Patterns
Two skeins of yarn
And a new set of Susan Bates Needles

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love sent to me:
Eleven Red Heart Pounders

Ten Measuring Tapes
Nine Knitting Gauges
Eight more balls of yarn
Seven Debbie Bliss Books
Six Cable Needles
Five Golden Stitch Markers
Four D P N’s
Three Knitting Patterns
Two skeins of yarn
And a new set of Susan Bates Needles

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love sent to me:
Twelve storage receptacles

Eleven Red Heart Pounders
Ten Measuring Devices
Nine Knitting Gauges
Eight more balls of yarn
Seven Debbie Bliss Books
Six Cable Needles
Five Golden Stitch Markers
Four D P N’s
Three Knitting Patterns
Two skeins of yarn
And a new set of Susan Bates Needles


...And while you're here check out my giveaways, they are linked on my sidebar, there is one giveaway ending each day this week through Saturday!

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Sunday, November 7, 2010

Sunday Thoughts


This is a good reminder that sometimes we need to edit our thoughts as well as what we say a bit more carefully. Things don't always come out the way we mean them to, just look at what jumbled words can do!

* Something went wrong in jet crash, expert says
* Police begin campaign to run down jaywalkers
* Iraqi head seeks arms
* Teacher strikes idle kids
* Juvenile court to try shooting defendant
* War dims hope for peace
* If strike isn't settled quickly, it may last awhile
* Cold wave linked to temperatures
* London couple slain; police suspect homicide
* Red tape holds up new bridges
* Typhoon rips through cemetery; hundreds dead
* Man struck by lightening faces battery charge
* Kids make nutritious snacks
* Local high school dropouts cut in half

Sometimes we know what we want to say, but the words just don't come out quite right, has this happened to you?!

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Saturday, November 6, 2010

Stocking Stuffer Giveaway #6: Skin Free

Skin Free Giveaway!!!
I would love to get this in my stocking!

What isn't there to like about Skin Free? I love Skin Free.  I recently received the following products for review:
Whipped Tamanu Body Butter - 8 oz - $24.99
The Polynesians discovered the healing and protective properties of Tamanu oil centuries ago. We have combined the delicious Tamanu oil with Olive and Shea to make a remarkable whipped butter.

 Extra Moisturizing Soap & Shampoo Bar - 3.5 oz - $4.99
Awarded the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance August, 2008, our soap is like no others. It's rich, creamy lather will sooth and moisturize. Perfect for delicate, sensitive, or very dry skin. Helps with eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, and acne. 

Acai Scrub for Sparkling Skin - 6 oz - $18.99
We formulated our new Acai Scrub for Sparkling Skin for those looking to soften, rejuvenate and clarify their skin.

My Review:
I love these products.  The Whipped Tamanu Body Butter is like silk for your winter skin, I even put this on my very sensitive face and it was fine!  Whenever I get out of the shower my skin feels rough and itchy, with the body butter it is so soft, I feel simply luxurious!  The Tamanu Body Butter it very light and softly scented, no greasy feeling, it truly is remarkable!

The Soap and Shampoo bar is amazing, especially when you combine it with the Tamanu Body Butter!  I tried this in my hair and it left my hair soft and silky, no need for conditioner with the Extra Moisturizing Soap and Shampoo Bar!

The Acai Scrub...wow....amazing, use a little on your face and it makes you feel like a baby, soft soft skin...I am in love!  A jar of this scrub will go a long way, you need very little to get the desired affect!  My daughter tried this as well and I had all I could do to keep her from stealing it from me, that is the only downside to this product!

Now, I'm sure you would love to try Skin Free products, or at least know someone who would love a Skin Free gift!  Skin Free has offered my readers a $30 gift code to be used at skinfree.net or blueridgegypsy.com. 

So here's what you need to do for a chance to win:

Mandatory:  Make sure to leave your email in your commnent

Friend Skin Free on Facebook
Follow Skin Free 
Sign up for Skin Free's Newsletter (they offer great deals!)
....once you have completed these 3 come back and leave me a comment, and tell me if you will keep the gift for yourself or give it to someone special!


Extra Entries:  Leave one comment for each entry

+1 Follow my blog via GFC
+1 For every other giveaway you enter this week
+1 Follow via networked blogs
+1 Subscribe

This giveaway will end at midnight on Saturday, November13th.  The winner will be chosen by random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to my email or a new winner will be chosen!

Here are the links to my other Stocking Stuffer Giveaways!
#4  Misikko
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Friday, November 5, 2010

Stocking Stuffer Week Giveaway #5: 2 Books!

Giveaway #5
It's officially Christmas Season and I have two wonderful books that will put you in the mood, or make a great stocking stuffer for the book lover in your life!

Call Me Mrs. Miracle by Debbie Macomber and A Chesapeake Shores Christmas by Sherryl Woods

Call Me Mrs. MiracleA Chesapeake Shores Christmas

To Read my reviews on these books go HERE

Wouldn't you just love to be the lucky winner of these books?  Keep them for yourself and buy a copy for a stocking stuffer, or win a copy for someone special!  You can click the links above to purchase or if you'd like to try your hand at winning follow the steps below:

Mandatory:  Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry
Follow my blog via GFC and leave a comment with your email telling me about a Christmas you treasure!


Extra Entries:
+2 Follow via networked blogs
+2 Follow me on twitter @lluuluu and tweet, you can tweet once per day
+2 Grab my button, leave a link
+1 Subscribe
+1 For each giveaway you enter in the Stocking Stuffer Giveaway Week, total of 7 (ends Sunday) leave one comment for each giveaway entry

Contest will end on Friday, November 12th at midnight.  The winner will be chosen by random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to my email or a new winner will be chosen.

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Thursday, November 4, 2010

CFBA Blog Tour: Head in the Clouds




This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Head in the Clouds
Bethany House; Original edition (October 1, 2010)


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Karen Witemeyer is a deacon's wife and mother of three who believes the world needs more happily-ever-afters. To that end, she combines her love of bygone eras with her passion for helping women mature in Christ to craft historical romance novels that lift the spirit and nurture the soul.

After growing up in California, Karen moved to Texas to attend Abilene Christian University where she earned bachelor and master's degrees in Psychology. It was also there that she met and married her own Texas hero. He roped her in good, for she has lived in Texas ever since. In fact, she fell so in love with this rugged land of sweeping sunsets and enduring pioneer spirit, that she incorporates it into the pages of her novels, setting her stories in the small towns of a state that burgeoned into greatness in the mid-to-late 1800s.

Karen is living her dream by writing Christian historical romance novels for Bethany House. When she visited her publisher back in January of 2010, she was interviewed by the staff. If you'd like a behind-the-scenes glimpse into how she develops her story ideas and a description of her bumpy journey to publication, go to her website to listen to a podcast of that interview.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Adelaide Proctor is a young woman with her head in the clouds, longing for a real-life storybook hero to claim as her own. But when a husband-hunting debacle leaves her humiliated, she interviews for a staid governess position on a central Texas sheep ranch and vows to leave her romantic yearnings behind.

When Gideon Westcott left his privileged life in England to make a name for himself in America's wool industry, he never expected to become a father overnight. And five-year-old Isabella hasn't uttered a word since she lost her mother. The unconventionality of the new governess concerns Gideon--and intrigues him at the same time. But he can't afford distractions. He has a ranch to run, a shearing to oversee, and a suspicious fence-cutting to investigate.


When Isabella's uncle comes to claim the child--and her inheritance--Gideon and Adelaide must work together to protect Isabella from the man's evil schemes. And soon neither can deny their growing attraction. But after so many heartbreaks, will Adelaide be willing to get her head out of the clouds and put her heart on the line?


If you would like to read the first chapter of Head in the Clouds, go HERE.


My Thoughts:
What stands out to me is how very normal the characters are in this book, they just strike me as down to earth everyday people.  Adelaide leaves her teaching job and heads towards Ft. Worth, TX in search for the man she hopes to marry only to find herself deeply humiliated and hurt.  Luckily for Adelaide she has an overcoming spirit and found herself on an adventure hoping to land a position as a governess.  Adelaide tends to have a rather sharp tongue and speaks what's on her mind, which is quite a bit different than the other two women hoping for the position, but despite spilling oats all over her perspective employer she gets the position!

The story takes you through the struggles of Adelaide's employer, Gideon Westcott and as she learns some truths her fighting spirit comes out and you see how strong Adelaide truly is, but is she strong enough to overcome what is ahead?

Adelaide is spunky, Gideon is a man who stands for what is right and his young daughter full of sweetness.  Adelaide was definitely my favorite character, she had me laughing out loud over her antics and I truly enjoyed this book!

*Thanks to CFBA for the complimentary review copy of this book, I was not compensated in any other way for my honest opinion.

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