Hidden Valley Veggie Critter Snack Attack!

 I have to say that I love it when my kids play with their food!  It keeps life real!

The challenge was to take the Hidden Valley® Veggie Critter Snacks Recipe and make it your own! This is a great activity for the kids while you are preparing dinner.  If your child is too small to use a knife, pre-cut the veggies into various shapes and let them create from that.

Hidden Valley Critter Snack Attack! (click for a printable version)

4 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch mix

1/2 bottle of Hidden Valley Spicy Ranch dressing 

Various veggies- we used mushrooms, carrots, green onion, orange pepper, red & yellow peppers, green olives and cherry tomatoes

toothpicks

Mix cream cheese and dressing with a mixer. Chill until ready to serve. For presentation it is fun to add the dip to the inside of one of the peppers.

Get out cutting board, knife and platter. Clean veggies and let your kids create the veggie critter platter. My daughter discovered that you can use the dip as "glue" to help stick together various veggies. Eat!

Click below to find a few of our other creations with Hidden Valley:
Flower Power Artist Veggies
Mock Mashed potato bar

Money and Marriage Book Blog Tour & Giveaway

(This is the 3rd and final post on Money & Marriage Series)

About the book: Money & Marriage: A Complete Guide for Engaged or Newly Married Couples

In this thorough and practical guide, financial expert Matt Bell helps engaged and newly married couples navigate the merger of habits, flaws, and attitudes about money so two can truly become one.

His writing is full of helpful advice, Scripture, and practical steps to gaining financial freedom together as a couple. Learn to use money in a way that minimizes disputes and maximizes marital happiness.

Scraps of Life Book Club Review:

When my husband and I went through pre-martial counseling with our Pastor, he told us that money is one of the number one causes of fights with couples.   We've been married 18 years and I'm still waiting for the big fight!  No joke.  We have at time, had a budget and other times didn't have one but wished that we did.  We went through periods where he payed all the bills or I payed all the bills.  We just always seemed to work together to get it done.

The book, Money & Marriage is a great handbook for those who are going to get married or are already married.   We got married toward the end of our College years so we owed money and had some coming in.  There was a lot in the book that I would  not  have known when I was a young twenty something bride.  

Just like any issue, the money thing can make or break your relationship if you put it before Christ in your marriage. This book gives tips and advise on how not to let money break the bank and your relationship.

 

About Matt: Matt began his career as a radio journalist, with his work featured on National Public Radio, the NBC Radio Network, and several other networks. His reporting earned national awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and United Press International.

Today, Matt is a full-time personal finance writer and speaker. He is the author of two books: "Money, Purpose, Joy" (September 2008) and "Money Strategies for Tough Times" (April 2009), both by NavPress. Matt has been quoted in USA TODAY, U.S. News and World Report, the Chicago Tribune, and Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, has written for ChristianityToday.com, and has been a guest on WGN-TV and several nationally syndicated radio talk shows.

Matt holds a Master's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from DePaul University, where he wrote a thesis about the emergence of America's consumer culture and its influence on people's beliefs and behaviors.

Matt lives with his wife and their three young children in the Chicago area. Visit his website and blog at www.mattaboutmoney.com.

Link to buy the book: http://www.amazon.com/Money-Marriage-Complete-Engaged-Married/dp/1615215611/ref=sprightly-20

About the giveaway:

Win a free financial session and $100 Visa cash card in the Matt Bell’s Nest Egg Giveaway!

To celebrate the release of Money & Marriage, Matt Bell is giving away a Nest Egg Prize Package worth over $250. To enter just click on one of the icons below!

One winner will receive:

• A Free 1 Hour Financial Session
• A $100 Visa Cash Card
• A signed copy of Matt’s Money, Purpose, Joy and Money Strategies for Tough Times

Contest ends April 11th with winner announced April 13th.  Be sure to pick up a copy of Money & Marriage – important principles whether you’re newly engaged or just celebrated your 30th anniversary.

Thanks to Litfuse, I was given a book to read in my participate on the book blog tour.  Check and see what other bloggers have to say about this book on the tour. Blog tour schedule. 

Friendly Wednesday Blog Hop! Come link up

Welcome to Feeding Four's Friendly Wednesday Blog Hop! I'm glad you're here!

Thank you to all the bloggers who linked up last week! I'm behind so if you stopped by know that I'll still be visiting you!

Please feel free to grab the button from Feeding Four.  She is in the #1 spot on the link up!  If you add it to your blog it will help to get more bloggers to the blog hop!!

How to Participate:

Follow the hostesses located in the first and second spots - Feeding Four and me, Scraps of Life Blog. If you want me to follow you back, please leave a comment letting me know how you are following me and I will follow back.   All my ways to follow are on my right side bar- GFC, Facebook, Twitter and Networked Blogs.

Create a new Friendly Wednesday blog post on your own blog and be sure to use the button provided on the side bar if you want to!

Enter your information into the linkup below.

Follow all the other blogs you want. This is a great way to get more followers!

(While you are here, I have giveaways in the upper right hand side bar and TASTY recipes in the tab labeled "SusieQTpies Personal Recipes")

Lazarus Awakening Book Review & Kindle Contest

 

About the book: Lazarus Awakening

Getting God’s Love from Our Heads to Our Hearts

You believe that God loves the world…but sometimes you wonder if He truly loves you.

For many of us, moving the truth of God’s love from our heads to our hearts is a lifelong process. As we consider our inadequacies or grieve our shattered dreams, we find it difficult to believe that God cares for us personally.

In this life-giving book, Joanna Weaver shows you how to embrace the truth that Jesus loves you apart from anything you accomplish, apart from anything you bring. Just as He called Lazarus forth to new life, Jesus wants to free you to live fully in the light of His love, unbound from the graveclothes of fear, regret, and self-condemnation.

Love is calling your name.

Combining unforgettable real-life illustrations with unexpected biblical insights, Joanna Weaver invites you to experience a spiritual resurrection that will forever change your understanding of what it means to be the one Jesus loves. Bible study and Leader’s Guide available here. http://www.joannaweaverbooks.com/books/lazarus-awakening/

 I have just finished the book, Lazarus Awakening by Joanna Weaver.  This book is by the same author as Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World and it takes a clear, level and hard look at the love of God.  How many Christians do we all know who accept Christ and his gift, believe in the saving grace of God and His great love....for everyone except themselves?  I think we have all gone through periods of time in which, while we would preach the love of the Savior to everyone around us, we ourselves do not feel worthy of that great love, or as if it is even directed toward us. 

This books walks us step by step through the story of Lazarus, the one Jesus loved, and shows us that we are just like Lazarus.  Ms. Weaver explains the reasons we so often feel like second class Christians, and the steps we must take to move past this denial of the great love of Christ.

This book includes a ten week companion Bible study, and having read the book, I am now encouraged to work through this study in a group.  I enjoyed the book, and gleaned from it several areas in my own walk that could use a bit of fine tuning!  Even if all you get around to reading is Appendix F, "Hints for Unwinding Graveclothes", the book is worth the cover price.

About Joanna:
Joanna Weaver is known the world over for her transparent and life-changing books, Having A Mary Heart in a Martha World and Having a Mary Spirit. These two books have sold over a million copies and have been translated into several languages including Spanish, French, Dutch, Chinese, German, Korean and more. Joanna has appeared on a wide variety of nationally syndicated radio and television broadcasts. Past appearances include: The Harvest Show, At Home Live With Chuck & Jenni, Midday Connection, HomeWord, and Janet Parschall’s America. She is also a highly sought after speaker and shares her message at intimate gatherings and several high profile events each year. But Joanna's greatest joy is found in being a wife and mother and her role as a pastor’s wife. For more information about Joanna, please visit her website. www.joannaweaverbooks.com.

Link to buy the book: http://www.amazon.com/Lazarus-Awakening-Finding-Place-Heart/dp/0307444961/ref=sprightly-20

About the giveaway:

Joanna is celebrating the release of Lazarus Awakening with the Heart of God KINDLE Giveaway!

In Lazarus Awakening Joanna writes about getting God’s love from our heads to our hearts. We all know Jesus loved Mary – look how she worshiped. And we can understand why He loved Martha – after all, look how she served. But what about those of us who don’t know where we fit in the heart of God? Lazarus Awakening explores the tale of the third follower – Mary and Martha’s brother, Lazarus. We never hear him speak, we never see him serve. The only thing of any significance that Lazarus did was to die. And yet, the Bible is clear. Jesus loved Lazarus. And He loves you and me as well. Lazarus Awakening looks at different aspects of the story we find in John 11. We learn what it means to be a friend of God and begin recognizing the tombs we spend far too much time in. Find out more here.

One grand prize winner will receive:

•     * A Brand New KINDLE with Wi-Fi
•     * Having A Mary Heart in a Martha World
•     * Having A Mary Spirit
•     * Lazarus Awakening

Joanna will also select two additional contest entrants to receive copies of her trilogy. Enter soon by clicking the icons below and then tell your friends. Hurry the contest ends April 16th. The winner will be announced on Joanna's blog on April 18th.

This book is part of the LitFuse Blog Tour.  A book was provided to my book club to read and post a review.  This in no way influenced the words of our review.  What to read what others are saying about this book? Click here, Book Tour schedule , to read more!

Bacon Mondays! Fo' Sizzle Recipe, Giveaway & Link up

Happy Bacon Monday! Fo' Sizzle!

Why Bacon and why Monday? Last year The God Whisperers came up with  "Rules of Lent by The God Whisperers"  (Listen to Episode 132) on their "radio show podcast."  They are friends of my family and because of their wild and popular podcast & Facebook these rules of Lent began spreading around other like-minded adults and kids! So friends all over the place started celebrating bacon on Mondays!  It has all been in fun.  So if you want to hear more from the God Whisperers click on their link and listen to their show. 

So from there I decided to blog about Bacon Monday and share some recipes that I have made or tried from other recipes!  I've been able to score some giveaways to go along with my Bacon Monday!

This week, the recipe is one that I made a few months ago while going through a Gooseberry Patch Cookbook.  I tried a recipe for Sausage Muffins and from there Bacon Muffins were born and are they ever tasty!  They aren't sweet and are perfect for a grab-and-go breakfast.  These are easy to make.  We made them and froze them in individual baggies so that one could be pulled out at a time!  They just take a quick zap in the microwave and are easy to eat on the run. If you want a sweet bacon muffin, you'll have to check out last week's Bacon and Butterscotch Breakfast Muffins!  They were ranked #2 in the Top 10 Best Bacon Breakfast Recipes by the Republic of Bacon!

Bacon Muffins (click to print)

Ingredients

3/4 lb bacon, browned, drained and crumbled
3 c. biscuit baking mix
1 1/2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
10-3/4 oz can Cheddar cheese soup
3/4 c. water

Directions

Combine bacon, baking mix and cheese in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture.  Stir together soup and water; add to sausage mixture, stirring just until combined.  Spoon into lightly greased muffin cups, filling to top of cups.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until lightly golden.  Serve warm.  Makes 16 muffins.

*Hints: The bacon can be substituted with any meat.  The original recipe was for sausage.  You can easily use bacon, sausage, ham, cheese of any kind, veggies, etc.  Play with it and see what you come up with! We topped each muffin, before baking with whatever was inside so we could identify the muffin.  This is a super recipe if you need to bring a breakfast dish or cooking for a crowd.  We froze our extra in individual freezer bags so one at a time could be pulled out and warmed up in the microwave.
____________________________

This week we are giving away an awesome Bacon Tshirt from Crazy Dog T-shirts.  I'm a huge fan of their t-shirts for myself and as for gifts from others.  (I'll have a different tshirt giveaway next week so make sure you come back)

 Giveaway

1 Chemistry Bacon Tshirt

USA/Canada

Ends April 11th

Mandatory entry: You must be a blog follower using Google Friend Connect on my right side bar.  (This is a must or your other entries will not count)  Leave your email address so that I can contact you if you win.

Bonus Entries: 

1) Follow my blog on Facebook 3 entries

2) Follow @Susieqtpies on Twitter. 2 entries

3) Tweet "#Win I LOVE BACON tshirt Fo' Sizzle Giveaway! http://bit.ly/gHcRg2  #recipe #giveaway"  2 entries per tweet, unlimited

4) Leave a comment on any of my SusieQTpies recipes (top tab)  2 entries each (unlimited)

5) Want to get 10 entries? Post a photo or a recipe of anything BACON on my Facebook page!! This has to be different than you posted in previous weeks.

6) Link up anything bacon in the Bacon Monday Link up or participate in Bacon Monday and create your own Blog Post. 5 entries

7) Enter the other Bacon Monday Giveaways: (ends tonight)  I LOVE BACON Cookbook (3/28) 

Bacon Band-aids (4/4)

Fettuccine Alfredo recipe by Marvelous Mommy

(This is a photo of another Fettuccine Alfredo recipe on my blog and not a picture of Amy's delicious Fettuccine Alfredo. Whenever she is able to share a photo I'll add hers!)

Thanks to my Guest Chef, Amy over at Marvelous Mommy for sharing her tasty Fettuccine Alfredo recipe while she is at the verge of giving birth! Now that is a marvelous mommy!   Stop in and give her a visit! 

Fettuccine Alfredo

What you'll need:

• 2 Chicken Breasts
• 3 Cloves Garlic
• 9 Tbsp Butter
• 1 Cup Broccoli
• 3/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese
• 1 Pint Whipping Cream
• Salt/Pepper/Parsley to taste
• 2 Tbsp Cream Cheese (optional – thickens sauce)

Chicken:

Chicken: Cube chicken and season with salt, pepper, and parsley

In a large frying pan, add 1 tbsp butter and 1 clove garlic.

Brown garlic, add cubed chicken, brown more,

add broccoli.

Cook thoroughly and begin boiling noodles.

Sauce:

In a large pan, add 1 stick butter (remaining 8 tbsp), 2 cloves Garlic, 1 pint Whipping Cream, and 2 tbsp Cream Cheese.

Stir well while bringing it to a boil.

Slowly mix in the 3/4 cups Parmesan Cheese (adding 1/4 at a time)

Add cooked cubed chicken (optional)

Reduce heat and simmer until sauce is desired thickness.

Pour sauce on top of cooked noddles or mix the two together. And you’re finished!

Thanks Amy!



About this Guest Post Blogger: Amy is a 23 year old stay-at-home mom. She was married to her wonderful husband David in November 2008. They got pregnant 2 months later with their precious baby girl Natalie! Amy is currently pregnant with baby #2. Due March 31, 2011!! She blogs about mommy moments, recipes, reviews, giveaways, pregnancy, photography, and weight loss after baby at Marvelous Mommy!

Money and Marriage: Who's on your Board of Directors?

This is the 2nd of 3 post about Money & Marriage. Hope you enjoy the series.  

Who’s On Your Board of Directors?

By Matt Bell

“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” – Proverbs
15:22

My friend, Brad, calls it their annual “Dixie Fraley talk.” Once a year, he and his
wife, Nancy, meet with their personal board of directors, which includes their
CPA, attorney, and financial planner. Brad and Nancy reveal their balance
sheet, budget, giving plans for the year, along with plans to build their marriage
and encourage their adult children. Then they open it up for comments and
suggestions.

Brad got the idea after hearing a talk given by Dixie Fraley, widow of Robert
Fraley, a sports agent who died in the same plane crash that took the life of
professional golfer Payne Stewart. In the talk, Dixie described how Robert had
organized annual meetings with trusted advisors, and how those meetings had
left her well prepared to manage her financial affairs after Robert’s death.

Brad candidly acknowledges that prior to setting up their own board of directors,
he had been leaving Nancy out of important financial decisions, and in some
cases moving ahead with decisions she did not agree with. Not surprisingly,
finances had become a point of tension in their marriage. By submitting to the
counsel of others, Nancy gained a voice in their financial affairs. “The meetings
have made us more of a team,” Brad said. “Really, they’ve been a marriage
saver.”

Members of Brad and Nancy’s board have challenged them on everything from
the number of hours Brad works to how much money they keep in reserve. Most
importantly from Brad’s perspective, if anything happens to him, Nancy is on a
first-name basis with a team of trusted advisors.

In Dixie Fraley’s talk, she mentioned that one million Americans lose their
spouses each year, and over 80 percent of women will become widows.

Financially, how prepared would your spouse be if something happened to you?
Does anyone else know your financial details, goals, and commitments? If not,
maybe it’s time to put together your own personal board of directors.

Matt Bell is the author of three personal finance books published by NavPress,
including his latest: “Money & Marriage: A Complete Guide for Engaged and
Newly Married Couples.” Matt leads workshops throughout the country and
blogs at www.MattAboutMoney.com.

Money and Marriage: Living with Financial Freedom

This is a 1 of a 3 part Money and Marriage series by Matt Bell.  Hope you enjoy it!

Money and Marriage: Living With Financial Freedom

By Matt Bell

For many couples, money is a tough topic.  But there’s one financial issue that, like no other, causes financial discomfort among couples and raises the chances for financial fights: debt.

Take Off the Shackles
The Bible says, “The borrower is servant to the lender.”  Living as a servant to a lender isn’t wise for any of us, but it’s especially problematic in marriage.

Researcher Jeffrey Dew at Utah State University has found that not only does consumer debt (credit card debt and other installment loans) fuel a sense of financial unease among couples and increase the likelihood that they will argue about money, but “this financial unease casts a pall over marriages in general, raising the likelihood that couples will argue over issues other than money and decreasing the time they spend with one another.”

Dew’s research shows that newlyweds that take on substantial consumer debt become less happy in their marriages over time. On the other hand, newly married couples that pay off their consumer debt within their first five years of marriage are more satisfied with their marriage. Those findings held up no matter whether couples were rich or poor.

Whose Debt Is It?
How couples approach their debt is important as well.
When Scott and Karen got married, Karen brought $50,000 of non-mortgage debt into the marriage.  Scott jokingly referred to it as a reverse dowry.

One of the things I love about their story is that from the earliest days of their marriage, whenever Karen would talk about “my” debt, Scott would correct her by saying is was “our” debt. Now there’s a guy who is committed to financial oneness.

One other notable part of their story is that their faith-based convictions motivated them to give away 10 percent of their income throughout their journey of getting out of debt. Karen remembered seeing their year-end giving statement, and thinking, ‘Gee, we could have gotten out of debt so much faster if we had put that money toward our debts.” And she remembers hearing other people’s stories of unexpected blessings they felt came about because of their giving. “I started wondering where’s my cool story?” she said.

Six-and-a-half years after getting married, Scott and Karen made their last debt payment. It was a day neither one of them will ever forget. “It was amazing,” Karen says. “We felt like it was a hard road we had traveled, but we did it, and we did it in a God-honoring way. We are 100 percent debt-free.”

Scott will soon be able to retire with a full pension at a much younger age than most people, having put in over twenty years as a Chicago firefighter. They’re thinking about getting an RV and spending a year traveling the country.
Sounds pretty cool to me.

Be Done With Debt ASAP
If you are engaged or newly married, make it one of your highest financial priorities to get out of debt and then live the rest of your lives with no debt other than a reasonable mortgage (One that requires no more than 25% of monthly household gross income to pay for the combination of your mortgage, taxes, and insurance).

Put together a spending plan that enables you to maximize debt repayment.  You may find it helpful to use the recommended spending plans found in the “Money, Purpose, Joy,” workbook, which contains detailed plans for four different size households across nine different annual incomes.

Very often, when couples get married they get excited about all that they’ll be able to afford with two incomes.  But I encourage all newly married couples to base their lifestyle mostly on one income.  It’s the single most helpful step you can take to prepare for children since it makes it much easier for one spouse to choose to step out of the paid workforce if that’s their desire.  
If you have debt, it’s especially important to live mostly on one income so you can use the other income to get out of debt.  Doing so will make all the difference in helping you build a solid financial foundation and live with financial freedom.


Matt Bell is the author of three personal finance books published by NavPress, including his latest: “Money & Marriage: A Complete Guide for Engaged and Newly Married Couples.”  Matt leads workshops throughout the country and blogs at www.MattAboutMoney.com.


This article was provided in my participation in the Money and Marriage Book Tour.

Check out my Giveaways! Do U have any? Link up!

Hey Friends!

Every Friday I'm going to have a linky just for your giveaways!  Here are mine! Come enter and let me know what you have so that I can do the same!!

• Kids Lip Armor (4/7)
• Bacon Band-aids (4/4)
• Enter to #win Simple Stencil Vinyl Wall Art (4/1)
• Two coupon giveaway for Johnsonville (3/31)
• Sniffle Buddy (4/5)
• Toothpaste 2 go (4/4)
• I LOVE BACON Cookbook (3/28)
• 10 Winners! Soft Scrub Giveaway (3/26)
•  
•  

U Follow Me I Follow U Friday Blog Hop

Hi Friends! Thanks for stopping in and joining the HOP!  You can link up any links in my hop!  If you need more FB fans, link that. If you need visits on a low giveaway post, link it!  Up to you!

I only ask that you follow me back and leave a message and let me know how you are following me and I will return the favor!!  My giveaways are on the right side bar as well as all the ways you can follow me!

Here are a few of my tasty appetizers and snacks! Maybe these will come in handy over the weekend! I'm always looking for Guest bloggers to be "Guest Chef" on my blog. If you have a recipe to share, leave a comment and I'll be in touch!

Buffalo Chicken Dip
Candy Sushi
Creamy Goat Cheese Balls
Fried Dill Pickle Coins
Hidden Valley Critter Snack Attack!
Homemade Beef and Venison Jerky
Jalapeno Popper Dip 
Pico De Gallo
Pumpkin Dip
SPICY RANCH Dip and Flower Power Artist Veggies 
Super Cheesy Super Bowl Dip


Have a great day! Susie

A Rush of Wings by Kirsten Heitzmann Book Review

You Won't Be Able to Put This Taut Page-turner Down!

(From Bethany House Publishing) Though her panic is real, Noelle St. Claire is uncertain what danger she is fleeing. Fragmented images and slivers of memory have driven her to abandon her wealthy, sheltered life in New York for the hope of a haven—remote and safe.

Noelle's arrival at the Rocky Mountain horse ranch owned by Rick Spencer and his brother Morgan causes more than a little stir. Beautiful, vulnerable, yet strangely secretive, Noelle is an enigma the two contrasting brothers seek to unlock. But as their attentions breach the wall she hides behind, the past becomes a menacing threat from which Noelle can no longer hide.

 Scraps of Life Book Club Review:

     A Rush of Wings is one of several Christian fiction thrillers by Kristen Heitzmann.  In this book, our heroine, Noelle,  is fleeing a past she doesn't remember and can't understand.  As she struggles to come to terms with her broken past and the holes in her memory, we have the opportunity to watch as God directs her paths to a safe haven.

The book develops the main characters fully, allowing the reader the chance to form your own opinions as to  what role they might play in the story.  Noelle is a likable main character, you might find yourself rooting for her as I did.   Her safe haven is the home of a very appealing Christian man who struggles with his growing interest in Noelle in light of the fact that she is not a believer.

 I enjoyed this book very much.  I think Christian fiction with a spine tingling edge can be a very difficult thing to write.  Sometimes as we move through the day to day business of life, we are tempted to forget that there are forces of both good and evil working in our world.  Ms. Heitzmann does an excellent job of reminding us of that basic truth.  While this is the first book by this author I have read, I have now made plans to purchase another.

About the Author from Bethany House: 

Kristen Heitzmann is the bestselling author of over a dozen novels, including Freefall, Halos, A Rush of Wings, and the Christy Award winner Secrets. She and her husband, Jim, and their family live in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she serves as worship leader in their church. Visit Kristen's Web site at www.kristenheitzmann.com

Friendly Wednesday Blog Hop! Come link up

Welcome to Feeding Four's Friendly Wednesday Blog Hop! I'm glad you're here!

Thank you to all the bloggers who linked up last week! I'm behind so if you stopped by know that I'll still be visiting you!

Please feel free to grab the button from Feeding Four.  She is in the #1 spot on the link up!  If you add it to your blog it will help to get more bloggers to the blog hop!!

How to Participate:

Follow the hostesses located in the first and second spots - Feeding Four and me, Scraps of Life Blog. If you want me to follow you back, please leave a comment letting me know how you are following me and I will follow back.   All my ways to follow are on my right side bar- GFC, Facebook, Twitter and Networked Blogs.

Create a new Friendly Wednesday blog post on your own blog and be sure to use the button provided on the side bar if you want to!

Enter your information into the linkup below.

Follow all the other blogs you want. This is a great way to get more followers!

(While you are here, I have giveaways in the upper right hand side bar and TASTY recipes in the tab labeled "SusieQTpies Personal Recipes")

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After Review

 Ok all you Zombie fans, the third and final chapter of  Pride and Prejudice and Zombies trilogy was released today from Quirk Books. This chapter (book),  Dreadfully Ever After by Steve Hockensmith continues the misadventures of the brave Bennett sisters in zombie-stricken England.  They are fighting to destroy the undead and of course, live happily ever after.  This book would have made Jane Austen proud!

Overview

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and its prequel, Dawn of the Dreadfuls, were both New York Times best sellers, with a combined 1.3 million copies in print. Now the PPZ trilogy comes to a thrilling conclusion with Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After.

The story opens with our newly married protagonists, Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy, defending their village from an army of flesh-eating “unmentionables.” But the honeymoon has barely begun when poor Mr. Darcy is nipped by a rampaging dreadful. Elizabeth knows the proper course of action is to promptly behead her husband (and then burn the corpse, just to be safe). But when she learns of a miracle antidote under development in London, she realizes there may be one last chance to save her true love—and for everyone to live happily ever after.  

My take on the book: This by far is my most favorite of the trilogy.  I was concerned that the story line couldn't handle a third book but was I ever wrong!  The author, Steve Hockensmith would truly make Jane Austen proud of his writing!   The story included some of my most favorite characters from the other two books as well as the introduction of  new ones.  Can you say " Zombies, ninjas, epic high flying kicks?" if so you won't be disappointed one bit!

If you have read the other two, you'll know that these books are hilarious!  I began reading them to see if they were appropriate for my daughters.  I believe, it ended up, that I have thoroughly enjoyed them more than they have.  This book put a refreshing brain eating twist on the sweet, austere words of Jane Austen. 


Poor dear Elizabeth has to fight to save her dear beloved with the help or hindrance of those around here.  I bet you are wondering if the miracle antidote helped??  You'll have to read to find out, if you DARE!  

PS...(SPOILER) There are zombies in this book!
PSS... (SPOILER) Yes England is saved from the dreadful deadful zombie apocalypse. Do they all live happily ever after? But of course!

STEVE HOCKENSMITH is the author of the New York Times best seller Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls and several other novels, including the Edgar Award nominee Holmes on the Range. He lives in Alameda, California.

TASTY NEWS from Eric over at Quirk Books:

On March 24th I'll be premiering the Dreadfully Ever After book trailer, created by the award winning team behind our Dawn of the Dreadfuls video. They've been hard at work on it for the past two months, and let me tell you, it looks fabulous. Zombies, ninjas, epic high flying kicks... all the stuff you've come to expect from our book trailers. Be on the look out for an email.

We've also commissioned Etsy artist SpecialMeat (who some of you know from Witch Craft) to create special Dreadful Antidote pendants. We'll be giving away eight of these at random to folks who give the Dreadfully Ever After page a 'like' on Facebook. Carol does amazing work, just check out these bottles!

SO go LIKE the DEA page on Facebook so you can be entered to win!

ZOMBIE FAN? 
Check out P&P&Z: Dawn of the Dreadful
                  Zombie Murder Mystery Party
                  Jane and The Damned

Thanks to Eric and Quirk Books for including me on the release of this tasty novel!  Read it if you dare! My take on the book wasn't influenced by my free copy!

Johnsonville Italian Sausage SheSpeaks Recipe Review

Thanks to SheSpeaks, my family had the chance to try the Johnsonville Four Cheese Italian Sausage.  
I usually purchase the Johnsonville Sweet Basil or Hot Sausage for pasta dishes but decided to use my coupons to purchase a new flavor.  We tried out the Four Cheese Italian sausage and it worked GREAT with the pasta dish and I plan on buying it again and again!

I also received a coupon for Francesco Rinaldi.(click to read a review) pasta sauce which is all natural, fresh and delicious! I have to go to another town to purchase this sauce but it is well worth it.  I've asked my 2 local stores to carry it so hopefully they will in the future.
This is a quick and easy recipe that you can made on a very short notice.  The prep time is nothing like real lasagna!  Dive in...

Easy Bowtie Lasagna (click for printable version)

Ingredients

• 16 oz. pkg. bowtie pasta, uncooked
• 1 lb Johnsonville Italian Sausage, your choice
• 1 onion, chopped
• 32 oz. jar Francesco Rinaldi spaghetti sauce
• 8 oz. sour cream
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 t. garlic powder
• 2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• mushrooms, sliced

Directions

• Cook pasta as directed, drain & set aside.
• Brown beef and onions; drain.
• Add spaghetti sauce to meat and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Mix cooked pasta with sour cream, Parmesan cheese and garlic powder.
• In a greased 9 X 13 baking pan, layer half of beef & half of pasta mixture.
• Repeat layers; top with mozzarella cheese.
• Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
• Serves 6-8.

We served it with a huge salad, broccoli and fresh garlic bread. This recipe was adapted from a recipe out of one of my favorite Gooseberry Patch Cookbooks.

Check out the Sweet n' Spicy Italian Sausage & Pepper Sandwiches, too! 

Check out  Johnsonville on Facebook
You can find more tasty recipes on twitter if you do a search for #johnsonville.


Would you like to win some coupons? Go check out the "My Johnsonville Sausage Italian Inspiration House Party & Giveaway" over at ScrumptiousTidbits.com where she is hosting a quick giveaway! She has several tasty recipes posted, too!


Thanks to SheSpeaks and Johnsonville for the review opportunity. All tasty words & opinions are my own.

Kids Lip Armor Giveaway by All Terrain! Enter to #win

Product Description:
All Terrain has taken one of its most popular products – Lip Armor with SPF 25, and made it kid friendly with new flavors like Bubble Gum and Cherry. It’s an easy, simple way to keep your lips protected from UVA and UVB rays.

Containing natural ingredients like almond oil, shea butter, beeswax and vitamin E – in short – it’s the perfect healing balm to keep your lips supple no matter what the weather – and now its available in Bubble Gum and Cherry.


All Terrain is made with all natural products and is cruelty free with no testing done on animals.


The new Kids Lip Armor joins a long list of other child specific products made by All Terrain that includes:

· Kids All Weather Cream™ is all encompassing offering children superior protection from the drying effects of sun, wind and cold weather while aiding in the prevention of cracked or chapped skin.

· Kids Eczema Cream™ protects and relieves eczema skin irritations and provides relief from related itching.

· Kids Skin Soother Gel™ helps relieve dry, chapped or cracked skin while blending a first aid component to protect cuts, scrapes and burns.

· Kids Itch and Rash Cream™ relieves the itching and discomfort from rashes, insect bites and minor skin irritations.

· Kids Soothing Soap™ eases dry, itchy or irritated skin

· Kids Wonder Wash™ is a gentle, all purpose soap that is pH neutral, biodegradable and concentrated. It is available in Fragrance Free or Peppermint.

My take on the product:  My 12 year old loves this smooth chap stick.  The bubble gum and cherry both are pleasant on the lips with no weird taste and they both smell yummy! As for me, the mom, I love that it has all natural ingredients, not tested on animals and also works as a sun block!  I tried it and I loved it, too.  I'm  a huge lipstick/lip balm wearer and I was very pleased by these.

Enter to win a pack for any girl or boy!  They aren't color tinted so boys can wear them, too!

GIVEAWAY

1 winner

USA and ends 4/7

Mandatory entry: Follow my blog via Google Friend Connect (right side bar) and tell leave a comment and tell me who you want to win this product for. Leave an email addy so I can contact you if you win.

BONUS Entries all worth 1 extra entry so leave a separate comment for each one that you do!

1) Follow my blog, Susieqtpies Scraps of Life on Facebook.

2)  LIKE All Terrain on Facebook and leave them a wall comment.

3)  Follow All Terrain on Twitter.

4) Follow me, @Susieqtpies on Twitter.

5) Tweet out "Protect your lips with All Terrain Kids Lip Armor #giveaway "

6) Check out my SusieQTpies Recipes in the recipe tab and leave a comment on any of the recipes. Unlimited.

7) Check out All Terrain and leave a comment here on another product you would like to try! (5 bonus entries)

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Few hours left to win Friendship Bread by Darien Gee

 
TODAY ONLY! Win a galley of the the novel FRIENDSHIP BREAD by Darien Gee and a dry packet of non-dairy Amish Friendship Bread Starter from Armchair.com!

You don't want to miss out on this!  CLICK HERE to enter!  There are other giveaways going on the site, too! Check them out while you are there!

Sniffle Buddies Review & Giveaway

Product Description
Sniffle Buddies are super-soft, eco-friendly wristbands that were invented by a Mom to assist her allergy-prone son when he was a toddler. They're now used in the Speical Needs and Sporting Goods world to help out during hand-free moments in life. Take one along on your next ski trip and "give your glove a break" or check out the "Top 10 Newest Products for Special Needs Children" testing review at www.ableplay.org .

Sniffle Buddies are hand assembled in the USA form 70% Organic Bamboo / 28% Organic Cotton / 2% poly.  The fabric covers USA made elastic and is secured by USA made velcro.  They're washable, durable, easy to use, handy, award winning, and available in up to 11 colors in sizes that fit toddlers to adults.

(S) Toddler's bare wrist - $7.99
(M) Adult bare wrist / Child Over the Coat - $8.99
(L) Adult Over the Coat - $9.99

Sniffle Buddies, LLC is happy to be a Green America Approved Business! 

My Take on the product:  What a really cool product!  This is great for kids and for those doing outdoor sports.  Sniffle Buddies is not a tissue replacement. It is just there to quickly catch drool and drips until you can blog your noes if needed.  As an adult, this is great to have when you are doing outdoor activities and work.  Sometimes you can't stop and wipe so this is a really quick alternative.  

I love that Sniffle Buddies can be used on children and adults who have drooling issues.  This can help catch the drool instead of it ending up all over their hands and arms.

GIVEAWAY 

1 Sniffle Buddy

USA/Canada Ends 4/5

Mandatory Entry: Follow my blog via Google Friend Connect (right side bar) and leave a comment on who you want this for. Leave an email address with your entry so you can be contacted if you win.

Bonus Entry:

1) Go check out Sniffle Buddy and come back and tell me something you learned (5 entries)

2) Follow my blog on Facebook, Networked Blogs or Twitter (2 entries each, all on right side bar)

3) Leave a comment on any of my SusieQTpies Recipe post at the top tab. 2 entries per comment, unlimited.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Bacon Mondays! Fo' Sizzle Bacon Brownie Recipe

Welcome to BACON MONDAYS: Fo' Sizzle! This week we are featuring Bacon Brownies. YUCK? Heck no! YUM! These are the most perfect salty, sweet & chocolate treat!

Bacon Brownies- sizzlin' quick (click for printable)

Ingredients

1 brownie mix
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked

Directions

1) Fry 1/2 lb of bacon and cut/crumble when cool.
2) Mix up a brownie box mix or your favorite homemade recipe.
3) Toss in half of the crumbled bacon, mix in and pour in pan.
4)  Top off with rest of bacon.
5) Bake as directed.
6) Eat!

Last week's giveaway is still going on with the I LOVE BACON Cookbook!  Go enter here!

This week we have the BACON BAND-AIDS for a giveaway!

GIVEAWAY Over

1 box Bacon Band-aids

USA/Canada 

Ends 4/4/2011

Mandatory entry: Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect (right side bar) and answer this question "Would you really wear one of these bacon band-aids?" Why or why not!  Leave an email address so that I can contact you if you win.

Bonus Entries: 

1) Follow my blog on Facebook 3 entries

2) Follow @Susieqtpies on Twitter. 2 entries

3) Tweet "#Win I LOVE BACON Band-aids! Fo' Sizzle! #recipe #giveaway"  2 entries per tweet, unlimited

4) Leave a comment on any of my SusieQTpies recipes(top tab)  2 entries each (unlimited)

5) Want to get 10 entries? Post a photo of anything BACON on my Facebook page!! This has to be different than you posted last week.

6) Link up anything bacon in the Bacon Monday Link up or participate in the Bacon Monday Blog Post. 5 entries