Today is National Hot Dog Day!

Mmmmm hot dogs! Hot Dog what a great day! This is an interesting day because I seem to find it has two dates. Today and in late July. Hot Dogs I have discovered are a personal taste type of food. They are my dad's favorite meal. My mom and dad have actually taken a hot dog vacation of sorts. They had a list of hot dog places to go eat at while traveling. I grew up back East where I remember eating at Callahan's Hot Dogs. I still crave the taste of the fried hotdog paired with the chocolate Yoo-Hoo drink combo. Boy I miss that taste. Moving to California I found the wonderful Pink's hot dogs in Hollywood. Love the mushroom dog covered with swiss cheese. YUM. My usual hot dog made at home, ketchup with relish. I love the sweetness. I also make Slaw dogs with a nice amount of cole slaw slathered on the dog. The entire country has a different idea of what the hot dog should be. Chicago dogs, Coney Island dogs. Chili dogs. It is endless but oh so good!

Well I couldn't let the day go by without finding a few "Hot Dog" recipes. These are not the meaty kind of dogs but fun ones. Take a look!

From Family Fun - A recipe for Hot Dog Cupcakes using a circus peanut candy for the bun. So cute!

At Taste of Home - A recipe for Hot Dog Cookies made with a butter cookie recipe and coconut plus yellow frosting for the mustard. Adorable.

Featured at EasyCakeideas.com - A Hot Dog Cake made from a pound cake recipe which also includes pound cake french fries. Wouldn't that be fun for a birthday party?

At YumSugar - An easier version of the Hot Dog Cake made with store bought pound cake and Twinkies. Very clever.

Besides today being National Hot Dog Day, it is also Take a walk in the park day! If I take my dog to the park to walk and she gets a lot of sun, I guess I have a Hot Dog!

How do you like your hot dogs? Do you have a favorite Hot Dog restaurant I simply must try?

Enjoy your day!

Today is National Lemon Chiffon Cake Day!

As if we were not already on sugar overload from yesterday being National Black Forest Cake Day.....today is National Lemon Chiffon Cake Day! The refreshing taste of lemon always reminds me of spring and summer. I love the idea of making one of these delightful cakes. Here are a few recipes to drool over.

TasteBook has a beautiful Lemon Chiffon Cake recipe made in a tube pan.

From Tender Crumb - their version of Lemon Chiffon Cake is Triple Lemon Chiffon Cake with Three layers! I love how refreshing it looks.

At Ezra Pound Cake (love that name) she made a Lemon Chiffon Cake in the middle of winter to give her a taste of summer. That is a good idea.

For something different - Epicurious has a recipe for a Lemon Chiffon Pie with a Gingersnap crust. I would love a slice of this one.

Last my favorite cdkitchen has four versions of Lemon Chiffon Cake including a cheesecake. Yum.

Funny, suddenly I am craving lemonade. I have added all these recipes to my One 2 Try pile!

Enjoy your day!

Today is National Black Forest Cake Day!

Time to catch up to the National Days! Today is National Black Forest Cake Day!
Typically, Black Forest cake consists of several layers of chocolate cake, with whipped cream and cherries between each layer. Then the cake is decorated with additional whipped cream, maraschino cherries, and chocolate shavings.

I found a nice assortment of Black Forest Recipes just for this occasion you may want to try. I know I am going to.

From Real Mom Kitchen here is a lovely Black Forest Cheesecake that sounds pretty simple to make. It uses cream cheese and cherry pie filling. Yum!

At Taste and Tell - A Black Forest Cookie recipe from a cookbook known as Baked: New Frontiers in Baking.

Annie's Eats is featuring the cutest Black Forest Cupcakes. They look so incredibly delectable. Great job!

From CookingBread dot com here is a step by step instructional to make Black Forest Buns. Ambitious but I bet these are so delicious.

Last is one of my favorite sites cdkitchen with an entire list of recipes for Black Forest desserts.

Enjoy your day!

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Lucky Winners to Announce!

Here are a couple lucky winners to announce for recently ended giveaways!

The Complete Idiots Guide to the Paranormal

Random Integer Generator
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7 Timestamp: 2010-03-27 13:57:58 UTC

7. ~*Katie*~ said...

March 16, 2010 11:43 AM
I follow your blog!!


Melitta Coffee

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200 Timestamp: 2010-03-28 18:56:13 UTC

200. maxfate said...

March 23, 2010 8:53 AM
Daily Tweet (maxfate)
http://twitter.com/maxfate/status/10931332789


Congratulations to the winners! I have contacted you both by email. Many thanks to Idiot Guides and Melitta Coffee. Be sure to enter the current giveaways to find more about great products!

Illumenature Candle Company - Review with Giveaway

Continuing with my fragrance candle obsession, I have a wonderful candle maker to introduce you to. These beautiful candles come from illumenature candle company. "Scents that will melt their heart".

illumenature candle company offers eco-friendly, hand-poured soy candles made in the USA, from products made in the USA. They believe in supporting the U.S. economy and the American agriculture industry. illumenature candles are made from soybean wax from the finest soy beans. The wax is blended with superior essential oils for a clean, very fragrant burning candle.


Every candle is hand-poured giving each candle a distinct appearance. Each candle is presented in a lovely glass jar decorated with a ribbon and label to match the candle colors perfectly. There are two sizes available, an 8oz. and a 20oz. jar. I love the classy look of the illumenature candles. The simple cylindrical jar with the ribbon accent will blend nicely with any decor. What makes these candles so fabulous are the scents. French Vanilla, Lavender, Mango & Papaya to name a few. Courtesy of illumenature candle company, I was able to sample a few of the incredible candle scents. My first scent is the Chestnut & Brown Sugar. It smells like a rich cookie is baking in the oven. The warm smell filled my home with a very inviting aroma. The color of this candle is a lovely deep beige. It really does smell like cookies. Another foodie scent is Banana Nutbread. I found this scent very pleasing although not as prominent in aroma as the Chestnut scent. It had a more subdued aroma but you can definitely tell it has banana in it. The creamy banana color with the brown matching ribbon is beautiful. My favorite of the candles I am thrilled to receive is Cherry Tangerine. Oh this smells so delightful. The Tangerine scent is so refreshing and clean, then the cherry aroma delicately bursts through for a tasty energizing aroma. It reminds me of a summer popsicle. The bright orange coloring with a lovely red ribbon makes this candle really stand out. I love the way illumenature candles burn. They burn slow and will last for a long time. When the candle is finished, to keep it eco-friendly, you can recycle the glass jar or use it for another purpose. Brilliant!

If you love candles and have been looking for new scents, I have a discount code you can use for $5.00 off a $30.00 purchase. Use Code NATURE5 when you place your orders directly on the website. With such lovely scents available and two sizes for your choice, illumenature just might become your favorite candle company. The prices are reasonable with the 8oz candle starting at $11.99 but the real value is the 20oz candles starting at $14.99. illumenature also features a special of the week which this week is the Cherry Tangerine - my favorite!


Would you like to try illumenature candles for yourself? Here is your chance to win! illumenature candle company is providing an 8oz. Candle of choice to TWO lucky readers. Thank you very much illumenature candle company!

Mandatory Entry (First entry)
--Visit illumenature candle company and tell me in a comment which candle scent would be your choice for your home.
--Include your email address (if not public in a profile) so I can contact you if you win.

Additional optional entries: Eligible after completing mandatory entry above: You can do any or all of the following for one entry each. Please leave a separate comment for each that you have done.

--Subscribe to my blog and verify the subscription. Current subscribers are eligible too.

--Follow my blog (see the right side bar to sign up) Already a follower, just leave a comment saying that you are a follower.

--Follow me on Twitter.Current followers are eligible too, just leave a comment saying that you are a twitter follower.

--Follow illumenature candle company on Twitter.

--Tweet about this giveaway and leave a link to your tweet (Can tweet once daily).

--Post my button on your blog and leave a link to your blog.

--FOR 5 EXTRA ENTRIES - Write a blog post about this giveaway, with a link to my blog. Come back and leave the link to your blog post. Post FIVE separate comments that you've blogged about this.

--FOR 5 MORE ENTRIES - Make any purchase from Illumenature Candle Company. Post FIVE separate comments about your purchase. Don't forget the discount code mentioned above!

Giveaway ends on April 8th at 11:59 PM Pacific time. Open to US addresses only. No PO Boxes. Winner(s) will be chosen by random.org and contacted by email. Please respond in 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. To be fair to everyone, comments not meeting requirements will be deleted. Rules.

Many thanks to Ryan of illumenature candle company for providing the review samples and giveaway product.

Disclosure: I received gratis samples for this review. No monetary compensation was offered or accepted for this post. The opinions above are my own. Others experience may vary.

Dear So and So....

Here is another week of the letters I wish I could have sent.

Dear Next Door Neighbor,
You have the only two story home on the block. You had the upper story added to your home many years ago. There was a big tree in your yard blocking your view of our yard, swimming pool, jacuzzi, patio, etc. It gave us some privacy as well. Then you cut the tree down. Little did we know you have a window to your upstairs bathroom facing out to our backyard. You scare my dog each time you pass by that window and she barks - so you complain. Guess what she is a dog and dogs bark. I hope you enjoy the view of the chunky dunkers swimming in the pool all summer long. Be careful if you look out at night. Our jacuzzi is clothing optional and you could be in for a real surprise. Might I suggest buying curtains for your window.

Dear Across The Street Neighbor,
I have been living here for nearly five years. When I moved in, I was warned about you. I have never spoken to you before until the other day when you cornered me. So you asked me "Are you Jay's Sister?" I shook my head and so "No I am his wife" then you replied " His wife? Well he had another woman over there I hate to tell you!" ....you hate to tell me? Well let me enlighten your time warped mind. Yes he did have another woman here over 10 years ago. That would be his ex-wife. I wonder what you hated to tell her? Glad to know you are keeping a close eye on things.

Dear Hotel Guest Services Person,
I enjoy the little coffee machines you provide in the rooms. I needed to have the coffee pack replaced because I am a huge coffee drinker and one little pack does not go far. I stopped at your desk to ask for more coffee packages. I even explained it was for the coffee machine in the room. You looked at me with a dumb look and promptly told me I had to call room service to order coffee. I then again said it was for the coffee machine in the room, the little coffee packages that you put by the coffee machine. I could not be more clear, but you were not paying attention. Room Service you said....again. Sure if I wanted to pay $15.00 for a coffee. The correct answer was housekeeping! One call and presto more coffee. I will share some with you to get your brain in gear!

Dear Jamie Oliver,
I applaud your efforts in your new show Food Revolution. You have a big challenge ahead of you. It is too convenient to use the drive thru's in our country. My favorite part of your show was when you were running with the green pea costume on. Hilarious. Maybe you could combine the show with something like Shaq's Big Challenge to get the kids moving. I would also start with getting rid of all those dollar menu items.

Dear Drive Thru,
Not me but hubby, was in the drive thru while I was gone. He placed his order and was told to please park out front and you would bring it out to him. First off there was not a place to park out front. So he parked where he could see you exit the door with his food. He waited and waited and waited. Finally he got out of his car and went inside to find out about his order. Now I think that defeats the purpose of a Drive Thru! The issue....waiting for the french fries from the dollar menu.

Dear Hubby,
Oh yes you get included in Dear So and So. I asked you what happened to my, oh so special, sample box of chocolates I had in the fridge? Your reply - "Oh I might have ate them". Humpfh!

I hope everyone had a wonderful week. If you post any Dear So and So letters, let me know. I would love to stop by to read them.

I am featured on Murray Newlands Marketing Blog!

I am so excited to be interviewed on Murray Newlands Marketing Blog! Come take a moment and read my full interview about One 2 Try.

Lucky Winners to Announce!

Here are a few lucky winners to announce for recently ended giveaways!

Terro Ant Bait
Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
55 2 Timestamp: 2010-03-26 15:18:30 UTC

55. Shel said...

March 17, 2010 7:55 PM
3/17 RT
http://twitter.com/auntiethesis/status/10652978559

2. kathyluman said...

March 14, 2010 12:15 PM
I'm a subscriber of your blog via email.


Olay Walmart Gift Card
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376 Timestamp: 2010-03-26 15:23:22 UTC

376. Janna @ Feed Your Pig said...

March 22, 2010 4:43 PM
I don't get caught up in age sterotypes!
Thanks for entering me! Great Contest!

Janna Johnson

Beas Easter Basket
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247 Timestamp: 2010-03-26 15:34:33 UTC

247. Stephanie said... Confirmed! Yay For Stephanie.

March 15, 2010 7:50 PM
I follow on twitter @sgrant2005

A big congratulations to all the winners! Check your emails I have sent notification of your wins. Many thanks to all the sponsors for providing the fantastic products. Thanks everyone for participating.

Do you Etsy?

I am looking for handmade crafters to feature for Mother's Day!

I remember when I was a little girl in school we would always make something special for our moms. It could be a flower pot or a macaroni necklace. One time I remember making a decopage ceramic plaque. You know as simple as they were, my mom always loved it. I am sure she still has a couple of the items tucked away somewhere.

Which started me thinking...I would love to feature handmade items from all you wonderful crafty Etsy or small business owners. Do you have a special item you would like featured for Mother's Day? Or do you know someone with a must see item that would be perfect for Mom? I am all ears. Tell me about your product and let's see if we can work together to feature your items. I plan on running the Look Mom - It's Handmade posts during the month of April. I hope to have a great response. Tell your crafty friends to get in touch with me.

To make it easier, just fill out this form and I will get back to you.



I hope to hear from you soon.

Take It All Off Thursday! - Nutrisystem Update.

Here I am at week 4 of Nutrisytem. Actually I am not here this week. I am on a mini girls only quick trip. Mom and I have left the guys at home. I do come home late Thursday. With being away from home these past 3 days I have not had a chance to see what the scale says. I can tell you my clothes are fitting a little looser. I feel I have more energy too. My cravings are in control, with the exception of chocolate but with the Nutrisystem program they seem to understand the need for a woman to have chocolate. There has been a lot of chocolate treats. Thank goodness. I own a shirt that says "I would quite eating chocolate but I am no quitter". I am so happy chocolate is part of the program. Me without chocolate is not a pretty sight!

So in anticipation of my days away from home, I am bringing a few of the more portable Nutrisystem foods like the bars and the snacks. Nothing I really have to cook. I am bringing my guide book on how to dine out and stick to the program.

I am impressed with the eating suggestions for all types of dining choices. The dining out guide is found at the back of the meal planner for easy access. For optimal weight loss of course you should stay on the Nutrisystem foods and use your meal planner. In some circumstances such as traveling, learning to make the right food choices makes all the difference.
A few helpful tips for eating out:
-Pre-plan. Check out the menu online if you can and make the meal fit in your normal schedule.
-Make special requests like dressing on the side or fruit instead of french fries.
-Pace your eating. Make the focus of your attention on the atmosphere and less on the food. Eat Slowly and enjoy the experience.
-Watch the portion sizes. Ordering small is much better than super-size.

When eating at certain cuisines, some food choices are much better options. From an American menu - choose salads and broth soups over fried appetizers. Marinated and broiled over anything fried. Choose a healthy appetizer as your entree for the smaller portion size.
Eating Chinese? A good choice is soups, vegetable listings and fresh fish fillets. I would be in trouble at Mexican restaurants but with the dining out guide I can make better decisions on the meals I order. Choose black beans instead of refried beans. Try shredded spicy chicken with salsa and avoid the basket of tortilla chips. If need be ask them not to bring the chips.

I am bringing my guide with me. I am going to make the best choices I can and watch very carefully the portion sizes.

As for my weight loss update....I am going to let it wait until next week. My scale says thank you! Just kidding I have been doing pretty good.

Take a moment to find out more about the Nutrisystem program for yourself. The information is available to you online.

Many thanks to Nutrisystem for providing the program for my weight loss journey.

Disclosure: I received a gratis Nutrisystem program in exchange for my weekly reviews. No monetary compensation was offered or accepted for this post. The opinions above are my own. Others experience may vary.

Lucky Winners to Announce!

Here are the lucky winners for the Hershey's Extra Dark Giveaway! If you are real nice to them, they might share the chocolate.

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:

393 274 Timestamp: 2010-03-23 15:02:24 UTC

393. NL6369 said...

March 20, 2010 7:00 AM
Daily Tweet http://twitter.com/eyzofblu63/status/10773470296

274. clynsg said... Confirmed

March 14, 2010 6:55 AM
Google friend follower

Congrats to both the winners! I have just sent your notification emails. Many thanks to Hershey's for providing the giveaway. Thanks to all who participated. You are the best!

New Cookbooks - Good to the Grain and HAM: An Obsession with the Hindquarter - Review

I have an obsession with cookbooks. Beyond finding wonderful new recipes that are One 2 Try, I can sit and just read a cookbook. You can find so much about the history of cooking or the regional specialties by curling up with a good cookbook.

Here from Abrams Books are two new recently released cookbooks perfect for finding your recipes for Easter Brunches or your family Easter Dinner.

Good to the Grain - Baking with Whole-Grain Flours by Kim Boyce
ISBN: 1-58479-830-0
EAN: 9781584798309
Publishing Date: 3/1/2010
Page Count: 208
Cover: Hardcover with jacket
Illustrations: 35 color photographs; 75 recipes


Good to the Grain is a wonderful introduction into baking with the rich, healthy, whole-grain flours. Author Kim Boyce is a former pastry chef who brings her love of baking to her home kitchen. She began experimenting with whole-grain flours determined to make delicious baked goods her family would really enjoy. Each chapter of her lovely cookbook brings us a different whole grain goodness and how best to utilize it in baked goods. Whole-wheat flour, amaranth, barley, buckwheat, corn, oat and many more flours are discussed in beatuifully photographed chapters. The mouthwatering recipes are incredible. I would love to work with some of these whole-grain flours. In the Amaranth chapter there is a Muscavado Sugar Cake the looks decadent. From the Barley chapter I would love to try the Strawberry Barley Scones. Oh they look so perfect for a brunch. I am not familiar with kamut flour but Kim makes the recipes look so tempting I will have to find some to bake with.

Your mouth will really water in the jams and compotes chapter at the end of the book. Apricot jam, onion jam, pear compote and apple butter grace the pages in this section. I love that they are included to make for tasting on all your bread recipes. What's not to love?

Good to the Grain proves is it easy to work with whole grains and anyone can produce tasty results. Good to the Grain should be a staple in any bakers kitchen.


Ham: An Obsession with the Hindquarter by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough
ISBN: 1-58479-832-7
EAN: 9781584798323
Availability: In Stock
Publishing Date: 3/1/2010
Page Count: 224
Cover: Hardcover
Illustrations: 25 color photographs; 100 recipes


Ham - An Obsession with the Hindquarter
This gem of a cookbook made me so hungry. Inside this incredible book are recipes from around the world. Recipes are included from Spain, the American South, and Europe plus more regions. I stopped to drool at the recipe for Jerk-roasted Boneless Fresh Ham served with blueberry ketchup. Doesn't that sound incredibly delicious? I love reading the tidbits of history and the stories of the regions. Who knew ham was so different worldwide? The European method is to dry-cure the hams. These dry-cured hams come in a variety of types matching the tastes of the regions. I would love to make this nosh recipe I found for Quesadilla with dry-cured ham, mango, brie and roasted red peppers. I am definitely making this recipe. I can't wait to taste it. For a more traditional glazed ham, I was drooling over the five different glaze recipes provided. Orange-bourbon glaze, cranberry-port glaze, pineapple-rum glaze and Apple-honey glaze would make a wonderful ham flavor. Mmmmm I can smell the ham cooking now. My only wish for Ham - I really wanted to see more photos. The recipes are so inviting, a photo of more completed meals would have sent me over the edge. The good news is it does contain more than 100 recipes.

You can find both these books, Good to the Grain and Ham An Obsession with the Hindquarter, online at Abram Books, Amazon or check with your local bookstore.

Have a spectacular Easter Dinner this year. With the help of these two new cookbooks, your meal will create memories. And lots of asking for seconds!

Many thanks to Abrams Books for providing the review copies.

Disclosure: I received gratis copies for this review. No monetary compensation was offered or accepted for this post. The opinions above are my own. Others experience may vary.

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Biotta Premium Organic Juices - Review

It truly is a wonderful honor to be certified organic. An even more distinguished honor to be certified by five organizations for your efforts in your entire organic cycle, from cultivation to processing and production. Which company has this distinct prestige - Biotta Juices.

Biotta Premium Organic Juices was founded in 1931 by Dr. Hugo Brandenberger in Switzerland. The goal was to bring fresh juices as nature intended. The first juices were produced and launched in 1957. Since that time Biotta juices maintain the organic production methods to produce fresh tasting juices from naturally grown fruits and vegetables.

Biotta juices was very kind to send a few of these premium juices for me to sample. I have to tell you, I enjoyed most every flavor. I could not believe the fresh taste captured in a bottle. It was like being in the fields it was so fresh. Starting with the vegetable line I was able to taste Beet and Carrot juice. I loved the beet juice. I like the flavor of beets and this was so tasty. I was not sure how it would be at first but it was very pleasing if you like beets. The beet juice contains properties that could help boost your immunity. The Carrot juice was more earthy in taste and not as sweet as the beet juice. Still it was refreshing. The carrot juice contains natural beta carotene (pro-vitamin A) – essential for vision. Jumping to the fruit juices - I tried the Elderberry juice. I was not fond of this flavor. It just wasn't pleasing to me. It had an unusual aroma to me and I could not get past that to enjoy the juice. The Blends were my favorite. The Breakfast juice was so scrumptious. It was like a fruit smoothie in a juice. I could taste the banana, the orange, and the grape juice in this fabulous blend. I wish I had more of the Biotta Breakfast Juice.



The best part about Biotta Juices besides the fantastic flavors is all the healthy attributes you will find in each bottle. Depending on the flavor you can expect to see these HEALTHY ATTRIBUTES:
• Alcohol Free• Caffeine Free• Cholesterol Free (<2 mg/svg & = or < 2 g Sat. Fat/svg) • Dairy Free • Gluten Free • Lactose Free • Low Cholesterol (20 mg or less/svg & = or < 2 g Sat. Fat/svg) • Low Fat (<3 g/svg) • Low Saturated Fat (<1 g/svg & = or <15% Calories from Sat. Fat • No Artificial Color • No Artificial Flavors • No MSG Added • No Sugar Added • Nut Free • Organic • Peanut Free • Preservative Free • Soy Free • Trans Fat Free (<.5 mg/svg) • Vegan • Vegetarian • Very Low Sodium (<35 mg/svg) • Wheat Free

 Those are some great reasons to drink Biotta Premium Organic Juices. You can find Biotta Juices in select retail stores and it is also available by shopping online through Biotta.

Grab a bottle of Biotta Juice. Your insides and tastebuds will thank you.

Many thanks to Biotta for providing the review samples.

Disclosure: I received gratis samples for this review. No monetary compensation was offered or accepted for this post. The opinions above are my own. Others experience may vary.

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Taking a Silly Survey - Just for Fun!

I saw this cute survey posted at Life as a CEO and thought it sounded like fun. Here is some useless information about yours truly!

*Where is your cell phone?   On the charger.
*Your Hair?  Revlon Colorsilk #47
*Your Mother?  more like a sister
*Your Father?  Knows everything, just ask him.
*Favorite Food?  Chocolate
*Your Dream Last Night?  I won $52000.00 on a slot machine.
*Your Favorite Drink?  Coffee with Coffemate creamer
*Your Dream/Goal?  Have a stay at home job.
*What Room are you in?  My Computer Cave (office)
*Your Hobby?  Collecting recipes and cookbooks
*Your Fear?  Earthquakes, car accidents and being on bridges.
*Where do you want to be in 6 years?  In a bigger home.
*Where were you last night?  In my jacuzzi
*Something that you aren’t?  A fashion Model
*Muffins?   Please. blueberry! (thats why I am not a fashion model)
*Wish List Item?   Just one? A new washer and dryer.
*Where did you grow up?  New Jersey until 11 y/o then California
*Last thing you did?  Took the dog outside
*What are you wearing?  Sweat pants and a t-shirt. (again not a fashion model)
*Your TV?  Always on
*Your pets?  Pepper my dog, Tally and Laurel my cats, two fishtanks and a tortoise.
*Friends?  Love them.
*Your Life?  A constant work in progress.
*Your Mood?  Amused
*Missing someone?  My Grandmother, My namesake.
*Vehicle?  Need a new one
*Something you’re not wearing?   Makeup (again not a fashion model)
*Your favorite store?  Thrift shops
*Your favorite color?   Aqua
*When was the last time you laughed?  This morning
*Last time you cried?  Yesterday watching Dreamgirls the movie.
*Your best friend?  My hubby
*One place that I go to over and over?  My Computer Cave
*Favorite place to eat?   My Kitchen

That was fun! Feel free to try it on your blog.

HERSHEY’S BETTER BASKET BLOG HOP

This Easter season, Hershey is celebrating it’s new Easter products sold exclusively at Walmart and their legacy of making a difference. Hershey’s will donate up to a total of $5,000 to the Children’s Miracle Network. For each blog that participates in the blog hop by sending virtual Easter Baskets, Hershey's is donating $10 to the Children’s Miracle Network.



I have been sent a lovely basket by fickleinpink. My that looks so chocolatey.

I am hopping my virtual Easter Basket to:
Mommy's Memorandum
The Groschen Goblins
She Scribes
SoCal Frugal

And to all the many wonderful blogs I read who would like to be a part of helping the Childrens Miracle Network.

HERSHEY’S BETTER BASKET BLOG HOP RULES

* Copy and paste these rules to your blog post.
* Create a blog post giving a virtual Easter Basket to another blogger – you can give as many Virtual Baskets as you want.
* Link back to person who gave you an Easter Basket.
* Let each person you are giving a Virtual Easter Basket know you have given them a Basket.
* Leave your link at BetterBasket.info/BlogHop comment section. You can also find the official rules of this #betterbasket blog hop, and more information about Better Basket with Hershey’s there.
* Hershey’s is donating $10 per each blog participating to the Better Basket Blog Hop to Children’s Miracle Network (up to total of $5,000 by blog posts written by April 4th, 2010).
* Please note that only one blog post by each blog url will count towards the donation.

For more information about the Blog Hop, visit Hershey's Better Basket.

Learn more about The Childrens Miracle Network.

Lucky Winners to Announce!

I have a few lucky winners to announce for recently ended giveaways.

The Soy Box Candle
Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
37 Timestamp: 2010-03-17 15:55:58 UTC


Here are your random numbers:
133. 3 Boys and an Old Lady said... Waiting for response
#3 I blogged about this giveaway

Vanishing Creatures
273. annemarie562000 said..  Waiting for response.

March 20, 2010 1:29 PM
I signed up for the Sign the Wildlife Trust email Newsletter.

Congrats to the winners. I have sent email notifications. Please reply within 48 hours. Thanks everyone for participating.

Giveaway Update - Have you Entered?

I have a few great giveaways to enter with some ending very soon. Make sure you have entered for a chance at great prizes from the sponsors.

Michael Jordan Signature Steaks Ends 4/1
Yes Michael Jordan sells fabulous steaks. The same as in his restaurants. You could win two 24oz porterhouse steaks, so lipsmacking tender. Plus a Target $25.00 gift card from myself. Don't forget the 30% off discount to order Michael Jordan Steaks good through 4/1. Huge savings.

Melitta Coffee Ends 3/27
You could win a Melitta Ready Set Joe with an 11oz bag of Hazelnut Creme Brulee coffee. Yum.

The Complete Idiots Guide to the Paranormal Ends 3/26
Boo! Things that go bump in the night. You could win a copy of this fascinating book on the Paranormal.

Bea's Easter Gift Basket ends 3/25
Make Easter special with an Easter Basket of choice up to $50.00. You could win! The best part is you can enter on mine and two other blogs. 3 blogs are giving away Easter Baskets. Enter on all three!

Olay Total Effects Body Wash - $10 Walmart Giftcard Ends 3/24.
You could win a $10.00 Walmart gift card to purchase the luxurious Olay Total Effects Body Wash. Pamper your skin.

Got Ants? Terro Ant Bait Ends 3/24.
Take a chance to win an assortment of Terro Ant Products to keep your home pest free.

Hershey's Extra Dark - Ends 3/21.
Love chocolate? Here is your chance to win a nice size assortment of Hershey's Extra Dark and Special Dark Chocolates. YUM.

Vanishing Creatures Chocolates - Ends 3/20.
You could win a very detailed Koala Bear created in Dark Chocolate. It is almost to incredible to eat. Last day to enter!

Get your entries in! You just might be a One 2 Try Lucky Winner!

Dear So and So....

Here I go with my Dear So and So letters of the week. These are the letters I wish I could send.


Dear Octomom,
I was so happy when you finally disappeared from all the news, all the time. Now you are right back in it. Who did you think was going to make your house payment? I wish you the best for your childrens sake.

Dear Sandra Bullock,
Congrats on the Oscar. I am a big fan. My fave movie is Practical Magic. I have watched it at least a dozen times. I am sorry real life has Blind Sided you. Jesse - shame on you. I can only go by what the media is reporting and we all know how they like to sensationalize everything. I pray you both find the love in your hearts that brought you together to work past the hurt. To the tattoo homewrecking model, I have a few choice words you can ink on your skin. Shame on you too. We love you Sandra. Stay beautiful.

Dear Mistress of Tiger Woods,
Seriously! I don't think you can make him look any worse. With each new detail you bring out, you are only making yourself look the fool. Was he wrong? Yes! But what on Earth were you thinking?

Dear Planet Earth,
I apologize for what we have done to you. Global warming and all. But could you please not rebel against us with so many earthquakes? You are making me nervous in Southern California. A big truck goes by and I am ducking for cover. One little house creak and I am convinced the big one is coming. I keep asking my family, was that an earthquake? Hold on. My desk is shaking. Oh false alarm, a fat cat jumped on it.

Dear Henry Ford,
I have a theory about global warming. It is all your fault. You created the production line that eventually led to all these cars. Think about it. I'm just saying.

Dear Toyota,
I have a theory about your troubles too. I think the cruise control is getting triggered on its own somehow. The driver has not set it, so the cruise control does not know when to stop accelerating! The driver does not know it is waiting for a stopping mileage. Hmmmm I'm just saying. If you have a spare car I would be happy to test it for you.

Dear Skin,
Thanks for the really ugly breakout. I have to hide in my computer cave for a few days. Hubby will slip the food tray under the door.

I hope everyone had a really good week.

Michael Jordan Signature Steaks - Review with Two Giveaways

Michael Jordan - Number 23. Excellence on the court. High quality in every thing he does. I am so excited to introduce you to Michael Jordan Signature Steaks.

Sourced from the top beef purveyors in the country, Michael Jordan Signature Steaks are branded with quality, consistency and delicious flavor to ensure a whole-hearted experience.

Michael Jordan Signature Steaks are dry-aged USDA Prime Steaks. These steaks are hand selected from the top two percent of beef in the country. They have just the right marbling, color and grain. The dry-aging brings out the tenderness and fabulous flavor. The Signature Steaks are the only steaks served in Michael's signature restaurants. Now the high quality, exceptional Michael Jordan Signature Steaks are available for your home dining.

I live in a family of beef lovers. They usually will not eat it if it does not have a B, two e's, and an f. When I was generously offered a sampling of Michael Jordan Signature Steaks, you should have seen the twinkle in my husband eyes. He kept asking me when would they come. When the box arrived, fully encased in freshness packaging, we could not believe the beauty of the beef. My selection provided was the 24oz Porterhouse. According to my husband this is his ultimate favorite cut of steaks. The fabulous package of these, I can't believe my eyes, porterhouse steaks included two restaurant sauces. With steak as beautiful as these cuts of porterhouse we decided not to use the sauces. We fired up our brand new gas grill with our mouths just watering at the sight of these steaks. The color and richness of the meat was very evident just by its appearance. We used simple seasonings of a little garlic salt and season salt. The thickness of the 24 oz porterhouse was amazing. They were nearly 2 inches thick so we grilled them nice and slow, allowing the juices to stay in the meat. Sizzle Sizzle. Are you drooling yet? We certainly were while watching the steaks being grilled. The aroma was like being in a fancy steak house. Yet I was standing in my own backyard. We removed the incredible steaks at medium rare, which is our favorite way to eat steaks. The finished steaks looked like they came from a five star restaurant. You can not imagine how delicious the first bite was.



I tasted a bite before my hubby did. It was melt in your mouth tender. The juices were so flavorful. I am glad we used the little seasoning that we did because this steak was so good it needed nothing else. I watched in anticipation as hubby took his first bite. A grown man with this oh this is Heaven look on his face. Priceless.

Hi Everyone! I am Jay. My wife asked me to tell you how I enjoyed my Michael Jordan Signature Steak. This is the reason I started eating steak! This porterhouse was the best steak I have ever had. I wanted to talk to Michael to tell him his steaks were a beef lovers dream. The best ever and I have eaten a lot of steak at home, in restaurants and nothing has ever been as tender or flavorful as these steaks. The taste was so excellent it lingered for awhile. I am already drooling thinking of my next order. I am glad we were able to try the porterhouse because this is what steak should be. From one beef lover to Michael - excellent my friend, excellent. Thanks readers - from Jay.


You can purchase Michael Jordan Signature Steaks directly online. Here is a very generous discount code just for One 2 Try Readers for 30% off your purchase. Take advantage of these savings - 30% off is a significant amount to save on Michael Jordan Signature Steaks. Use code "TRY" at checkout for your discount. I am placing an order or two for my family. With steaks this good plus the outstanding discount they are simply One 2 Try!

Order with confidence as your steaks are aged and hand-cut for optimal quality. They are fresh cut-to-order and shipped with gel packs to maintain a proper temperature during shipping. Finally, an insulated inner box and a sturdy, corrugated outer box protect your order. Orders are shipped Monday through Wednesday via 2 day Fedex. Overnight shipping is available for a limited time at the price of $19.95.

*** GIVEAWAY CLOSED ***
Here is your chance to win! Michael Jordan Signature Steaks is providing to one very lucky reader - A gift package of 24oz Porterhouse Signature Steaks. This is a $109.95 value.

To enter the Porterhouse giveaway - ENTER HERE directly at Michael Jordan Signature Steaks to register. One entry per person. Tell your friends! Giveaway ends on April 1st! Winner will be chosen at random by Michael Jordan Signature Steaks.

But that is not all! Signature Steaks this good deserve special dinner plates to enhance the dining experience. As Michael Jordan was so generous in providing the Porterhouse, I am personally providing a $25.00 gift card to Target so you can buy new plates! Winner may be different than actual steak winner.

To win the Target Gift Card:
Mandatory Entry (First entry)
--Visit Michael Jordan Signature Steaks to sign up for the giveaway, then look at the mouthwatering steaks. Tell me here in a comment that you entered AND which steak you would most like to enjoy.
--Include your email address (if not public in a profile) so I can contact you if you win.

Additional optional entries: Eligible after completing mandatory entry above: You can do any or all of the following for one entry each. Please leave a separate comment for each that you have done.

--Subscribe to my blog (see the right side bar to sign up) Current subscribers are eligible too.

--Follow my blog (see the right side bar to sign up) Already a follower, just leave a comment saying that you are a follower.

--Follow me on Twitter.Current followers are eligible too, just leave a comment saying that you are a twitter follower.

--Tweet about this giveaway and leave a link to your tweet (Can tweet once daily).

--Post my button on your blog and leave a link to your blog.

--FOR 5 EXTRA ENTRIES - Write a blog post about this giveaway, with a link to my blog. Come back and leave the link to your blog post. Post FIVE separate comments that you've blogged about this.

--FOR 10 MORE ENTRIES - Make any purchase from Michael Jordan Signature Steaks. Take advantage of the 30% off code "TRY". Post TEN separate comments about your purchase.

Giveaway ends on April 1st at 11:59 PM Pacific time. Open to US addresses only. No PO Boxes. Winner will be chosen by random.org and contacted by email. Please respond in 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. To be fair to everyone, comments not meeting requirements will be deleted. Rules.

Many thanks to Benjamin and of course Michael of Michael Jordan Signature Steaks for providing the review sample and giveaway product.

Disclosure: I received gratis samples for this review. No monetary compensation was offered or accepted for this post. The opinions above are my own. Others experience may vary.

SeaPak Shrimp Co. - Review with a Sweepstakes to Enter!

Well since I am on Nutrisystem, my hubby says I don't cook for him as often. He does a lot of cooking himself, but dang he is a good cook. I wanted to make him something special the other day so I chose SeaPak Shrimp Scampi from SeaPak Shrimp Co. I found it in my local grocers freezer.

The Shrimp Scampi is succulent shrimp in an authentic butter an garlic sauce. It was so convenient to make. It sautes in about 7 minutes! It smelled so good while it was cooking. The garlic aroma was delightful. The shrimp scampi uses real butter for a rich flavor. I decided to serve the scampi tossed over linguine pasta with a sprinkling of grated romano cheese. Wow did I ever get the kudos for this dinner for him. It was so fast and easy to make but it looked and tasted like I had spent a long time in the kitchen. The flavors were fresh, garlicy and the butter was oh so good. The serving size was enough for 3 servings or 2 for more heartier eaters like my hubby. Served with a side salad, this meal was a complete success. I already have requests to make it again.

The folks at SeaPak know shrimp. You can find a lovely assortment of shrimp products including butterfly shrimp, popcorn shrimp, shrimp scampi and seafoods. Look for the SeaPak products in your grocer's freezer or use the product locator to find SeaPak in your area.

I love the recipes provided on SeaPak. They call them Inspired Seafood recipes. Take a look - How about Casino Popcorn Shrimp Pizza or Popcorn Shrimp Mac n Cheese? You will find recipes for 15 minute meals, kid approved, sandwiches and much more. All made with the great tasting SeaPak products.

You can connect with SeaPak on Facebook to keep up with all the new happenings.

Enter the SeaPak Coastal Getaway Sweepstakes. You could win a 4 day escape to the sea and sand of St. Simons Island, Georgia. Take a chance.

Many thanks to Vicki and SeaPak for providing the review sample.

Disclosure: I received a gratis sample for this review. No monetary compensation was offered or accepted for this post. The opinions above are my own. Others experience may vary.

Take It All Off Thursday! - Nutrisystem Update.

Week Three of my Nutrisystem journey. This past week was a little struggle for me. I have been busy with a project on my computer, busy with a household project and did not get nearly enough walking time in. The scale did budge down ever so slightly with a 6/10th of a pound loss. Well that is more than a 1/2 pound. At least it is still a downward trend. Total Loss so far 6.6 pounds. I am so excited.

I had no troubles with the Nutrisystem foods this week except I am towards the end of this 28 day package. Which means I have already eaten a lot of the really good stuff. Now I am left with the foods that require making and mixing or are just a meal bar. I did try to eat a mixture of all these foods throughout the entire 3 weeks so I would not be left with all my second choices at the end. Don't get me wrong all the foods have been even tastier than I imagined but some of them are so delectable. I always choose them first.

I tried very hard to be exact on portion sizes this week. This will help me when I am on my own again and off the Nutrisystem program. I have been using my food scale for weighing, my measuring cups and reading each portion size correctly. I like to fill up on the unlimited vegetables. I have a completely new respect for cucumbers and tomatoes. You can't go wrong with a mixed green salad with a squeeze of lemon. Delish!

Have I slipped at all? Well actually I am pretty satisfied most of the time with the amounts of foods I have been able to have. I am not hungry and I find myself only eating when I am hungry. No mindlesss munching! I did have a chance to sample (for review purposes) some new food items this past week that were too incredible not to try. I was able to try a new fabulous local family chocolate company that is coming up in a review soon. I also had the most amazing dinner the other day you will have to wait to find out about. Even with the only two times I have strayed from the Nutrisystem program, I did keep everything those days in moderation to make up for the items I knew I was eating. I managed okay. A little bit of the temptation, I did not beat myself up over. I controlled it, then the next meal I was right on track again. Hey I am human! Put chocolate in front of me and all bets are off! LOL. Honestly in moderation it is okay. That is the key. I think I have done pretty good with Nutrisystem. I am anxious to see what the next delivery of foods contains.

If you are considering the Nutrisystem program, take a moment to browse the website. You will find plenty of information about the meals, the program and all the price levels. They offer online support as part of the program for you as well. Plus Nutrisystem foods are very tasty. I know - I am a foodie. It may not be filet mignon but it is a pretty good lasagna! Darn I have to wait until the next order for lasagna.

Many thanks to Nutrisystem for providing the program for my weight loss journey.

Disclosure: I received a gratis Nutrisystem program in exchange for my weekly reviews. No monetary compensation was offered or accepted for this post. The opinions above are my own. Others experience may vary.

Happy St. Patricks Day!

Tis the wearin o' the green. I thought I would do something different than green for St Patrick's day. How about rainbow? Leprechauns love the rainbows. Who wouldn't want to find a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

A few very colorful recipes for you to have a rainbow of fun.

From Flour on Her Nose - A rainbow bread recipe. I love the photo of her hands from the food dye. Pretty ambitious but it looks great.

At The Noshery - here are the cutest rainbow cupcakes complete with rainbow sprinkles.

I am Mommy made these super colorful rainbow pancakes for her kids. I bet they were all giggling during the fun breakfast.

For a jiggly rainbow treat - Do Better made rainbow jello with all the bright colors to serve them as jello squares. They look like glistening gems.

From The Hostess Blog - there is a fun Fabulous Rainbow Cake. A bright cake with complete tutorial on creating this rainbow sweetness.

Last here is a cake you have to see...Charmaine's pastry blog made a birthday cake for a little girl who loves rainbows and turtles. Insert Awwww!

Enjoy your day,