What you should know before getting married

What You Should Know Before Getting Married

Sorry blog readers. I pulled this post. It was bad judgment on my part.  I had not looked at the book yet so I wasn't able to give it a full review. If I had I would not have posted a review on it. 

Thanks for your support!

FREE PicPocket Book picture iphone app

 
Raise your hand if you have an iPod or iPhone and you want a free book for your child???  Today, Friday April 2nd, only, you can go get the free Friday App. 


The book that you get is "Round Is A Mooncake" http://bit.ly/ahKiU9  by @PicPocketBooks.  The site the link takes you to is MomsWithApps (Find them on Facebook, too!).  They have a linky set up where others are posting App links!!

This is very much worth your time if you are looking for kid friendly apps!! PicPocketBooks have a lot of fun, family apps.  Go check them out and give them a try!

While you are here stop here on my blog for the Friday Book Blogger Hop and say HI! Join in the fun!

Friday Book Blogger Hop

Here we go again! Another Friday is here and I'm ready for another Book Blogger Hop! If you stop in for the hop please say HI and follow me so that I can do the return favor! I LOVE meeting new bloggers. We get such great ideas from one another. 

Here are some of my most recent Book Reviews/Giveaways. I have 2 giveaways going on right now. One ends tonight!

1) The Overnight Socialite (LOVE this BOOK!) Giveaway ends Friday, April 2nd.

2) World Autism Awareness Day- 3 book giveaway The Autism Book

3) Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls

4) The Recipe Club

5) Quick, Healthy, Springtime Dishes- Featuring Herbs by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich

World Autism Awareness Day Book Review and Giveaway

 

 Today is World Autism Awareness Day.  Chances are that you know of someone who has a child with Autism.  According to the book, 1 out of 100 children with 1 in 58 being boys are being diagnosed.  The two children that I know of personally are boys.  Autism is so devastating for parents because it is something that is unexpected and  strikes a seeming healthy child between 1-2 years of age. The child simply stops progressing through normal childhood milestones such as social and language development.

I recommend the book if you know of a child with Autism.  The book is a comprehensive guide given to detect, treat and prevent autism. The author is Robert W. Sears, MD, FAAP, is a board-certified pediatrician.  He is the author of The Vaccine Book and HappyBaby and the coauthor of The Baby Book, The Premature Baby Book, and The Baby Sleep Book.  He lives in Dana Point, California.

From Hachette site:

With clarity and compassion, Dr. Robert Sears guides the reader through the maze of autism, explaining what precautions parents can take to decrease their baby's risk, how to detect autism at the earliest possible age, and how to proceed once a diagnosis has been made. The book provides parents with a simple and clear understanding of the biomedical treatment approach that Dr. Sears has used successfully with many of his young patients. It lays out a plan for developmental, behavioral, and learning therapies; shows parents how to begin treatments without a doctor's help; presents information on vaccines and their safe use; and includes an extensive resources section.
 More information can be found at The Autism Book Website.  
Check out World Autism Day website, too.
World Autism Day is a trending topic on Twitter today, too! Do a topic search for World Autism Day for more post on this topic. 

GIVEAWAY

3 copies to my US readers.

To enter: Tell me if you know of someone with Autism and if they are a boy/girl and share your thoughts and opinions for your entry.

Leave your email at least once. Leave separate comments for each entry.

BONUS ENTRIES:
1) Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect, Networked Blogs and or Facebook Fan Page. (2 entries each for new or current followers)
2) Tweet or blog giveaway (2 entries each, unlimited)
3) Make comments on any of my other blog post (2 entries each, unlimited)

Giveaway ends April 12

 
Thanks to Anna at Hachette for the book to review and 3 copies as giveaways to my US readers.  Thanks to The Product Review Place for the review opportunity.

HELP with Dihydrogen Monoxide Awareness Day!

 This is an ongoing epidemic. Please do your part! Watch the video and pass along the cause!

Thanks to Elementary Spirits for bring this to my attention today! Check out Steve Spangler on this important mission. Please visit his site to learn more about how you can help:
Please Take Action! Understanding the Dangers of Dihydrogen Monoxide

Quick, Healthy, Springtime Dishes- Featuring Herbs by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich

 

(Thanks to FSB Associates for providing the article and recipes. She is my Guest Chef today! I can't wait for my fresh herbs to get going strong so I can try out her Herb Pesto.  In the meantime, fresh herbs can be picked up at local markets/stores.) 

Quick, Healthy, Springtime Dishes -- Featuring Herbs!
By Lidia Matticchio Bastianich,
Author of Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipes

The use of fresh herbs has exploded in the American kitchen today. I recall that as a young apprentice in Italy -- at my great-aunt's apron strings -- for every herb we had in the garden, there seemed to be a pot on the stove to match.
Some herbs were better to cook with while others were better added at the end to a finished dish. For example, rosemary, bay leaves and thyme are mostly used for long cooking where their oils are extracted slowly out of their leaves. Sage, oregano and marjoram need very little cooking time, and herbs such as basil, parsley and mint are great to toss in raw at the end -- just enough to release their refreshing aromas.
If you have small children a wonderful way to introduce them to the enticing aromas of herbs is to gently crush the herbs in your hands and let them smell. I did this with my grandchildren when they were very small and it's a great way to get them excited about the world of herbs and food at an early age.
In fact, once you get your small children excited about herbs, introduce them to your own dishes. Here I'm sharing some of the quickest, and most child-friendly. Enjoy!

HERB PESTO

Makes 1 ½ cups

• 1 cup packed fresh Italian parsley leaves
• ½ cup packed fresh basil leaves
• ½ cup packed mixed fresh sage, thyme, and marjoram leaves
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt

Wash the herb leaves in cool water and dry them thoroughly, preferably in a salad spinner. Combine the herbs and garlic in a blender and blend on low speed, slowly adding the oil while the machine is running, until the pesto is smooth and all the oil is incorporated. Add salt to taste.

Keep in a sealed jar in the refrigerator and use as needed. Pesto will keep refrigerated for up to 4 weeks or it may be frozen for up to 3 months. Make sure there is a thin film of oil over the pesto to keep its flavor and color bright.

HERB FRITTATA
Serves 2 as an appetizer, 1 as a lunch dish

From "Lidia's Family Table" (Alfred A. Knopf, 2004)

• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

Whisk the eggs, milk, salt, and fresh herbs until just blended together.

Heat the butter and oil in the small frying pan until it just starts to sizzle, then pour in the eggs and turn the heat down very low. Cook gently for 3 to 4 minutes. The eggs will start to puff up and sizzle at the edges. Lift a corner of the frittata with a spatula, and check to see if the bottom has browned in splotches. When it has, flip the frittata over by giving the pan a firm, quick shake up and over toward you so that the egg mass dislodges and flips over in one piece. Or, if that unnerves you, turn the frittata over with a spatula. Cook the second side for 1 ½ to 2 minutes, again checking to see if the bottom has browned to your liking. Serve right away, or let cool to room temperature and cut the frittata in wedges.

BAKED FISH WITH SAVORY BREAD CRUMBS
Serves 6

Landlocked Umbria does not have a seafood cuisine. But its mountain lakes, rivers, and streams abound in freshwater fish, like the tasty tench. This simple preparation is one I found in Umbria, and it is excellent for fillets of our sweet-water varieties, such as carp or whitefish, or even light ocean-fish fillets like sole.

• 2 pounds whitefish fillets
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Juice of a large lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
• ½ cup white wine
• 6 plump garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
• ½ cup fine dry bread crumbs
• Zest of a large lemon (about 2 teaspoons)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon peperoncino flakes, or to taste, chopped fine
• Fresh lemon slices, for serving

Recommended equipment: A 4-quart shallow rectangular baking dish; a heavy-bottomed skillet or saute pan, 12-inch diameter or larger, with a cover.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Lightly salt the fish on both sides, using about ¼ teaspoon salt in all. Pour 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, the lemon juice, white wine, and another ¼ teaspoon salt into the baking dish, and whisk together well. Drop in the garlic cloves, and stir with the dressing. Lay the fillets in the dish, turn and swish them in the dressing so both sides are thoroughly moistened, and arrange them, skin side down, in one layer.

Toss the bread crumbs in a bowl with the lemon zest, parsley, oregano, chopped peperoncino, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Drizzle with the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, and toss the crumbs well until evenly moistened with oil.

Spoon the seasoned bread crumbs on top of the fillets in a light, even layer. Bake, uncovered, until the crumbs are crisp and golden and the fish is cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Lift the fish out with a spatula, and set on a warm platter to serve family-style, or on individual plates. Spoon over it the juices left in the baking dish, and serve right away, with lemon slices on the side.

© 2010 Lidia Matticchio Bastianich, authors of Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipes


Author Bio
Lidia Matticchio Bastianich, coauthor of Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipe, is the author of five previous books, four of them accompanied by nationally syndicated public television series. She is the owner of the New York City restaurant Felidia (among others), and she lectures on and demonstrates Italian cooking throughout the country. She lives on Long Island, and can be reached at her Web site, www.LidiasItaly.com.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls

 How many times do you pick up a book and get this overwhelming thirst to devour the book page by page?  That is exactly how I felt while reading, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: DAWN OF THE DREADFULS! 

From the back cover:

Journey Back to Regency England -- Land of the Undead!

Readers will witness the birth of a heroine in Dawn of the Dreadfuls -- a thrilling prequel set four years before the horrific events of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. As our story opens, the Bennet sisters are enjoying a peaceful life in the English countryside. They idle away the days reading, gardening, and daydreaming about future husbands -- until a funeral at the local parish goes strangely and horribly awry.

Suddenly corpses are springing from the soft earth -- and only one family can stop them. As the bodies pile up, we watch Elizabeth Bennet evolve from a naive young teenager into a savage slayer of the undead. Along the way, two men vie for her affections: Master Hawksworth is the powerful warrior who trains her to kill, while thoughtful Dr. Keckilpenny seeks to conquer the walking dead using science instead of strength. Will either man win the prize of Elizabeth's heart? Complete with romance, action, comedy, and an army of shambling corpses, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls will have Jane Austen rolling in her grave -- and just might inspire her to crawl out of it!

The above is an excerpt from the book Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.
Copyright © 2010 Steve Hockensmith, author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls


Read the first chapter of this book here!

MY TAKE ON THE BOOK:  

First off, this book is not the type of book that I normally read.  I'm not someone who enjoys books or movies that include blood and guts.  I chose to read this because we have been reading Pride and Prejudice for school and my teens have friends who are reading them. I wanted to see what the hype was about!

As already mentioned, I wanted to be like a zombie and devour this book like it was a human brain. This brings up my favorite quote repeated in the book, "Buh ruhzzzzzz.....buh ruhzzzzzz."  

I'm a huge fan of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.  I love her style of writing and witty romances.  This book is dedicated to Jane.  It says "For Jane. We kid because we love." 

I loved the review by Wired, "Jane Austen isn't for everyone.  Neither are zombies.  But combine the two and the only question is, Why didn't anyone think of this before?  The judicious addition of flesh-eating undead to this otherwise faithful reworking is just what Austen's gem needed" --Wired


The prim, proper and prideful Bennett girls, soon found out that their old potting shed was once a dojo. The father turned it back into a dojo so that he can train his daughters to be zombie warriors. One of the girls said, "Ummm.......what if we don't want to be warriors?" and then Mr. Bennett replied, "Then I will disown you, and you will, most likely, be torn apart and eaten by a pack of festering corpses."


This book is great for young adults and above.  The illustrations by Patrick Arrasmith were great. Thanks to FSB Associates for providing the book for me to read. The review is of my own words.

Author Bio
Steve Hockensmith is an award-winning novelist and reporter. His debut mystery, Holmes on the Range, was a finalist for the Edgar, Shamus, and Anthony awards. Critics have hailed the novel and its sequels as "hilarious" (Entertainment Weekly), "dazzling" (The Boston Globe), "clever" (The New York Times), "uproarious" (Publisher's Weekly), "wonderfully entertaining" (Booklist), and "quirky and original" (The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). He lives in Alameda, California, with his wife and two children. 

CLICK HERE TO READ the first chapter and to watch a video of the book!

More Zombie Ideas

Brain Food 
BROKEN GLASS Cupcakes
FINGER FOOD
Jello Brain Dessert
{Kid Zombie} Iced Coffee Frappes
{Momma Zombie} White Russians
MUMMY FACE Pizza
Pumpkin Cookies
Pumpkin Guts 
Toxic Waste Punch
Zombie Party Ideas, Recipes & Photos

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