Hi there! Thanks for visiting 🙂
Hope you enjoyed your 4th of July weekend!
To celebrate my recent blogiversary, I thought I’d raise the bling factor a little bit this week and offer a bracelet for the giveaway!
~Sea Breeze Bracelet in Teal~
Nothing sparkles like a Swarovski crystal, and this pretty bracelet features 19 of them!
I used both cube-shaped and bicone-shaped crystals in a fabulous shade of TEAL!
Bali silver spacers and silver-lined glass beads serve as lovely accents.
The bracelet closes with an elegant silver-plated toggle clasp with a delicate floral design.
Measurements: 7-3/4″ in length, and 1/4″ wide.
Contest Rules and How To Enter
This week, you will have up to four (4) chances to enter the weekly giveaway.
You can choose any or all of the following 4 ways to enter:
1st Chance:
Leave a comment answering the first weekly question:
Can you share a recipe for a summer meal? If you can’t think of a summer recipe, then share any recipe that you like!
2nd Chance:
Leave a comment answering the second weekly question:
Can you recommend a good book for summer reading? It can be a book you read a long time ago or a current favorite! By the way, is there any book that you have read more than once?
3rd and 4th Chances:
Come back another day this week and leave a comment any other post on this blog. It can be left on a very recent post or an old post. There are over 170 posts – take a peek at the “Categories” on the right side of the page for choices.
Please note: You do NOT have to tell me that you left a “comment” on another post. The blog program shows me all of the “comments” as they come in – so I do not miss any of them! 🙂
The Boring Stuff . . .
You must be 18 yrs. old. After the completion of the contest, the name of the winner will be listed here. The winner will also be notified by email. If no valid email address is given at time of entry, or if winner fails to respond to email within 3 days from the time notification email has been sent, the win will be null and void and a new winner will be chosen. The prize will be mailed by USPS First Class Mail.All entries must be received by 9:00 p.m. EST on 07/12/09, and the winner will be selected on or about 07/13/09.
I love to make a salad – using lettuce, spinach, blueberries, cranberries, strawberries and shredded carrots. It’s very refreshing.
I’m reading Sandra Brown’s Smoke Screen. It’s a mystery and very enjoyable.
Recipe, huh. Since I am thinking of making this tonight I’ll use it. This is my own concoction, since I like to just throw things together.
2 cups cooked rice
1 can of diced (ready for chili) tomatoes, drained
diced green pepper, I like lots so use what you like
1 can of black beans, drained
1 can of pitted black olives, sliced
Just toss it all together and VaLa!
I haven’t been reading much, but I really like that bracelet so I wanted to enter again. “Five People You Meet In Heaven”. The book is great and the movie was good also.
I have a ton of books I could recommend, but most of what I like to read would not be considered “Summer Reading”.
Here’s my favourite recipe:
Tabouleh
Serves: 10
Ingredients:
1 ÂĽ c water
1 c bulgur
ÂĽ c lemon juice
ÂĽ c olive oil
4 slices red onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 ½ tbsp parsley
1 ½ tbsp mint
Instructions:
1. Boil water, turn off heat, add bulgur, take off heat and sit 20-30 minutes.
2. Mix all ingredients in a bowl, let sit in fridge overnight.
I’ve read The Stand more than once and I still don’t get the end. It’s also the book I’d recommend 🙂
Pecan Pumpkin Dessert Total Time 1hr 15 min Makes 15 servings
Ingredients:
2 cans ( 15 oz. each ) pumpkin
1 can ( 12 oz. ) evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 pkg. DRY cake mix
1 cup melted butter
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
Frosting
1 8 oz. cream cheese
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 large Cool Whip
Preparation:
Line a 9 x 13″ pan with wax paper. Spray with cooking oil spray, set aside.
Combine pumpkin, milk, sugar, beat in eggs one at a time, then vanilla.
Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle with DRY cake mix. Drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle with pecans.
Bake in 350* for 1 hour or til golden brown. COOL COMPLETELY in pan.
Invert onto a platter or cookie sheet. Carefully remove the wax paper.
In bowl, cream the cheese, conf. sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Fold in the Cool Whip. Spread on the dessert. Keep refrigerated.
Notes:
This is very good!
Thanks, Cindi
“Sunset Beach” by Trish Perry is a great book!
Thanks, Cindi
I love the book The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. Not exactly a light summer read but I found it facinating. The Sea Breeze bracelet is stunning. Thank you!
My favorite summer recipe is anything with a MEXICAN flair – add a margarita and voila!
Guacamole Black Bean & Corn Dip
2 ripe avocados
1 can of black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can of whole kernel corn
1 tsp of minced garlic
1 small onion (finely diced)
1 firm tomato (finely diced)
1/2 lime
Red pepper flakes (optional for added SPICE!)
Sour cream (to garnish, if desired)
Tortilla Chips (to serve)
In medium bowl, pit and scoop out avocado from skin. Cut into small cubes, and mash slightly to smooth consistency. Add black beans, corn, onion, tomato, and garlic – and mix. Squeeze lime juice over mixture. Add a dollop of sour cream to top to serve with tortilla chips.
OPTIONAL – to add a little SPICE sprinkle some red pepper flakes into mixture (to your taste).
ENJOY!
Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway is an excellent summer read. I can’t count how many times I’ve read it – it’s been one of my favorites since undergrad.
I’ve been thinking I need to make some Sangria again. The last time it was so delicous! I let the fruit sit for quite a while.
Classic Spanish Sangria
INGREDIENTS
1 lemon
1 lime
1 orange
1 1/2 cups rum
1/2 cup white sugar
1 (750 milliliter) bottle dry red wine
1 cup orange juice
DIRECTIONS
Have the fruit, rum, wine, and orange juice well chilled. Slice the lemon, lime and orange into thin rounds and place in a large glass pitcher. Pour in the rum and sugar. Chill in refrigerator for 2 hours to develop the flavors.
When ready to serve, crush the fruit lightly with a wooden spoon and stir in the wine and orange juice. Adjust sweetness to taste.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Classic-Spanish-Sangria/Detail.aspx
I hardly ever read books twice. I just read Seabuscuit – I’m not a history person, but it really held my attention and was very interesting!
Something we really like in the summer is just a simple thing that makes hot dogs a little different and more interesting. We carmelize onions in a sauce pan and then add barbecue sauce to them. We just let it simmer for a few minutes so the sauce is nice and warm and we drizzle it on our hot dogs like you would chili on a chili dog. It’s just a nice little break from the typical hot dogs with the usual condiments that summer barbecues are full of!
I love any books by Anita Shreve (Wifey is a good one). Her books all just have a quality that sucks you into the story and keeps you interested. I’ve also read Jane Eyre 3 times, but I’m kind of a dork like that. LOL
Hi, love your jewelry!
One of my favorite recipes for summer is something I call Waldorf Salad. Although it isn’t your typical old fashioned waldorf.
You can use canned fruit from your pantry if you don’t have any fresh, which makes it super easy. Pretty much everything is optional or exchangeable.
For example, if you don’t like the chemicals in cool whip you can make real whipped cream and use that instead.
1 large container of cool whip
1 small bag of mini marshmallows
1 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
5 sticks finely chopped celery
3 finely chopped apples
1 can of mandarin oranges
1 large can of fruit cocktail (I discard the grapes…gushy)
2 cups fresh washed seedless grapes (red or green)
Marashino or fresh cherries for garnish.
Combine all your fruit in a bowl. And coconut and nuts. Mix in cream/whip and marshmallows. Chill for about an hour. You can also chill everything prior then you don’t have to wait. Sprinkle with cherries.
Lasts quite a few days and travels well to picnics.
Enjoy!
for summer reading” My Sister’s Keeper” by Jodi Picoult quick before you see the movie
I love the summer salad using spaghetti,cucumbers,tomatoes,italian dressing and Salad Supreme. Its so good! Thank you!
For summer reading I read anything and everything by Dean Koontz. Even reading the same books more than once.
I Love making smoothies and it’s easy and it does not take long to make
so let me get started!
Ingredients:
strawberrys
avocato
Directions:
smash them in a bowl
together till it becomes like liquid!
Then you are ready to serve!
ENJOY!!
The book i recommend for summer is Ms. Taken Identity! I Love it and read it a few times!
My summer recipe:
Grilled chicken, pineapple salsa, and rice. mmmmm goood!
Here’s my recipe for Chicken Enchilada Soup
(http://www.recipezaar.com/Thick-and-Tasty-Chicken-Tortilla-Enchilada-Soup-233350)
Soup
* 4 cups chicken broth
* 2 cups cooked chicken, cubed (white or dark)
* 1 (10 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
* 1 cup green enchilada sauce
* 1/4 cup onion, chopped
* 1/4 cup green pepper, chopped
* 1/2 cup sour cream
* 1/2 cup stewed tomatoes, chopped
* 1 bay leaf
* 1 dash cayenne pepper
* 1 teaspoon cumin
* 1 teaspoon chili powder
* 1 teaspoon onion powder
* 4 tablespoons white flour
Garnish
* cheddar cheese, shredded
* pico de gallo, with cilantro
* sour cream
* tortilla chips, crushed
Directions:
1. Soup: Pour all ingredients except chicken, sour cream and flour into a pot and bring to a boil.
2. Mix Flour and Water to make a pour-able paste.
3. Add flour water mixture to soup while stirring constantly.
4. Add more flour/water mix if it is not the consistency you desire.
5. Stir until it thickens.
6. Reduce heat.
7. Add Chicken and Sour Cream.
8. Mix Gently.
9. Ladle into bowls and add garnish on top.
P.S. I absolutely love that beads are square on this bracelet! So cute!
For summer reading, I suggest The Whole Soy Story by Dr. Kaayla T. Daniel. I absolutely love that book!
Another book I like (fiction) is Last Bite: A Novel of Culinary Romance by Nancy Verde Barr. It’s about a Food TV personality that travels to Italy to film. Probably one of the better fiction books I’ve read lately. There’s even recipes in the back of the book.
As for books I’ve read more than once, I’ve read Ella Enchanted 17 times (it was my favorite book when I was younger!)
summer meal mashed potato with cheese on top.
Chop Spanish red onions
-Chop water chestnuts
-Chop fresh herbs, basil, chives and parcel
-Chop a red pepper
-Chop apple pieces.
and then add all chopped items into the rice bowl.
*While your chopping and preparing the salad
ingredients, roast the red pepper on a BBQ for
15-20 minutes
Right now I am reading Girl With A Pearl Earring by Tracy Chavelier!
Can you share a recipe for a summer meal? If you can’t think of a summer recipe, then share any recipe that you like!
Tiramisu is a great cool dessert that I really enjoy
Easy Tiramisu
2 pkg. (3 oz. each) ladyfingers, split, divided
1/2 cup freshly brewed strong MAXWELL HOUSE Coffee
1/4 cup sugar, divided
2 tsp. vanilla, divided
1 container (15 oz.) POLLY-O Original Ricotta Cheese
3 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
ARRANGE half of the ladyfingers on bottom of 12×8-inch dish. Mix coffee, 2 Tbsp. of the sugar and 1 tsp. of the vanilla; brush half of the coffee mixture onto ladyfingers in dish.
BEAT ricotta cheese, remaining 2 Tbsp. sugar and remaining 1 tsp. vanilla in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed 2 min. or until well blended. Gently stir in whipped topping.
SPOON half of the ricotta cheese mixture over ladyfingers in dish; top with remaining ladyfingers. Brush with remaining coffee mixture; top with remaining ricotta cheese mixture. Sift cocoa over top of dessert. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Store leftovers in refrigerator.
Can you recommend a good book for summer reading?
In the summer I like to read cookbooks featuring lots of fruits and vegetables so that when I go to the market or farmer’s market, I will have plenty of ideas and enthusiasm for what I see and buy. Thanks!
When the temps go high for many days, and we are tired of the cold suppers, I will cook a turkey in the grill and have meat for many meals..cold and hot. It brings a needed change to hotdogs/hamburgs, sandwiches, and salads over and over again….
The Shack was an ‘interesting’ new read…you have to get over your hangups about God, but there are some good lessons to be learned. I reread classics every few years….and other favorites like the Janette Oake books, Anne of Green Gables, and George McDonald books.
We love grilling in the summer – fish, steak, chicken…it’s all so yummy on the grill! It’s nice to mix a meat with ramen noodles for a great stir fry! The variations are endless! If I do steak, I usually soak the noodles in water for about ten minutes, then toss in a pan with olive oil, bell peppers, onions and broccoli. Then I mix in the steak, in strips. On one side of the pan, scramble an egg. Mix it all and coat with a little soy sauce – don’t forget to mix in the sauce packet from the noodles – we always get lots of compliments on this – yummy!
The Nim’s Island book is great! It’s a good one for the kids AND the adults – I enjoyed it better than the movie. I’m a library media specialist, so I try to read books to recommend to the kids, but I enjoyed this one! AND, since it’s an Island Adventure, it’s great for summer!
A good book for summer reading is The Night Gardener by George Pelecanos if you like mysteries and crime thrillers! I have read lots of books more than once – the Nancy Drew series for example when I was younger!
Recently I made burgers on the grill:
1lb ground meat (beef or turkey)
1 egg
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 shredded cheese (i used cheddar)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup milk
mix the bread crumbs and milk and let sit until soft. combine the reminder of the ingredients, form into patties and throw on the grill until cooked through!
Oddly enough, my favorite book to read during the summer is “To kill a mocking bird” Probably read the first time over summer break years ago, but every summer I pick it up again. Also Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice! Great summer reading!
A good light desert for summer is an easy one I found.
Key Lime Pie
1 reduced fat graham cracker crust
1 sixteen ounce package sugar-free lime gelatin
1/4 c boiling water
1 eight ounce container fat-free whipped topping
2 six ounce containers key lime yogurt
1. In a large bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water
2. Stir in yogurt with wire whisk.
3. Fold in whipped topping with wooden spoon.
4. Spread in curst
5. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours
This along with some grilled hamburgers and corn on the cob makes you feel like summer!
A book I just finished reading and liked very much was Any Minute by Joyce Meyer.
I love this summer recipe. It’s so light and delicious.
Mozzarella Capriese
Sliced tomatoes with fresh mozzarella, basil leaves and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.
a fresh tomato
salt and pepper to taste
4 oz. fresh mozzarella
1 oz ext. virgin olive oil
6 leaves of fresh basil
Slice tomato and mozzarella into six slices each. arrange in a circle alternating cheese, tomato and basil. Top with drizzled oil, salt and pepper.
Ok. Summer reading….I’m reading this book called “lovely bones”. My friends 13 year old daughter is required to read it for school in August. Has anyone read this…OMG. I can’t imagine a school would require this. But, as an adult it is a very good book.
it’s hot here in texas, so my idea of a summer treat is anything with ice cream. it’s more of dessert than a meal, but i’m a college student, so ice cream and cake makes sense for me as breakfast. it’s a hot fudge pudding cake with a side of vanilla ice cream. not my own recipe, so it’s actually good.
1-1/4 cups sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup butter (melted)
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1-1/4 cups hot water
combine 3/4 cup sugar, flour, 1/4 cup cocoa, baking powder and salt. stir in milk, butter and vanilla, then beat. pour that into a 9″ square baking pan. stir together remaining 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar and remaining 1/4 cup cocoa; sprinkle mixture on top. pour hot water on top (don’t stir). bake 35-40 minutes at 350F. serve with vanilla ice cream.
i love to read, but when reading for fun during the summer i like something light and happy that i can put down and resume whenever i have the moment. so i always have alice in wonderland, a little princess, the secret garden, and pride and prejudice on hand. i’ve read all of them more times than i should admit.
for more substantial reads (but ones i’ve also read multiple times), i’d suggest sophie’s world (if you don’t mind philosophy), heart of darkness, and the scarlet letter.
I love hamburgers on the barbeque during the summer, and I recently found a tip that is helpful. When you’re making the patties, throw some ice chips into the meat and mix together. The ice will melt while they’re cooking on the grill, which makes a more moist and tender burger! So that’s a pretty easy recipe, just hamburger meat, and ice! Sometimes I throw in half a packet of dry onion soup mix just to add a kick!
Well my must read book for the summer is “Emma” by Jane Austen. I love how she creates the character personalities so well, and that she creates a storyline that entices you to never put the book down!
Great summer time breakfast or snack recipe, I just created.
low fat Vanilla Yogurt, fresh berries or other fresh fruit, Kellogg’s All Bran cereal, walnuts (or your favorite nut), and flax seed. Mix it all together and enjoy. It’s very yummy and healthy!!!!
Great summer time reading is the Stephanie Plum series. I just finished #15, very good.
The only book I have ever read twice was the Twilight Series.
The Ladies Auxiliary by Mirvis Tova is what I just read for book club. I enjoyed it.
Any of these will make a great summer read:
Snow Flower and The Secret Fan by Lisa See
The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran
Empress Orchid by Anchee Min
Jantsen’s Gift by Pam Cope
Have a nice day! =)
i love this grilled chicken from Kraft
4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 lb./450 g)
1/4 cup KRAFT SIGNATURE Sundried Tomato and Oregano Dressing, divided
1 tomato, finely chopped
1/2 cup KRAFT 4 CHEESE ITALIANO Shredded Cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried basil leaves
PLACE large sheet of heavy-duty foil over half of barbecue grate; heat barbecue to medium heat. Meanwhile, place chicken in resealable plastic bag. Add 2 Tbsp. dressing; seal bag. Turn bag over several times to evenly coat chicken with dressing. Refrigerate 10 min. Remove chicken from bag discard bag and dressing.
GRILL chicken on uncovered side of barbecue 6 min. Meanwhile, combine remaining dressing, tomatoes, cheese and basil.
TURN chicken over; place, cooked-side up, on foil on barbecue. Top with tomato mixture. Close lid. Grill 8 min. or until chicken is done (170ÂşF).
Its so yummy!
i love the time travelers wife! reading it right now!