Monday

Gooseberry Patch Homestyle in a Hurry Review with Tasty Recipes

Gooseberry Patch Cookbooks rock! I'm a huge fan and this is the start of my Early Bird Cookbook Review relationship with this wonderful company. 
Today is the day! What day would that be you ask? The day that I get to tell you about a fun secret that I've been holding on to for a few months!!!  This secret is from Gooseberry Patch.  If you are not familiar with their awesome cookbooks then you will be after reading this post!  I'm a Gooseberry Patch groupie!  I'm someone who reads and follows their Twitter, Facebook and Blog posting almost daily and pops in at their website, looking and waiting for new cookbooks to be released.  Is this you, too?
If you click my I LOVE GOOSEBERRY PATCH button above or on my left sidebar you will see that I've posted many times on my blog about their cookbooks and the tasty recipes inside of them.  The secret that I've been holding on to is that I was asked to be a Early Bird Reviewer for their Cookbooks.  Over the next several months I will be posting reviews on cookbooks that have yet to be released for sale.  This will give you a sneak peek into the book ahead of time.  Along with this I will have a copy of the cookbook to giveaway to one of my readers!!!


This month my review is on Homestyle in a HURRY (click the link to check out the release date and preorder a copy)  I have looked and drooled on this book for a few weeks now.  I will be cooking from this book this week and will come back and post recipes and photos.  When I post, it will link back to this giveaway post so you can get in on the new recipes and earn entry points into the Giveaway.

This book is 220 pages of pure fun!  I was impressed with all the simple, quick and easy recipes all in one book.  I was familiar with quite a few of the recipes in this book.   I loved the fact that some used ingredients that I had not thought of using. I've been cooking for 17 years and really found a lot of new recipes to try out from this cookbook.  I kept thinking that this cookbook would make an excellent gift for a new mom,  a wedding gift and even for a young person who is getting their first apartment/home.

The table of contents and a few of my favorite recipes include:
*Busy-Day Breakfast with Morning Glory Muffins and Speedy Sausage Muffins
*Quick bites with Lake Charles Dip, Pretzels with an Attitude, Chocolate Chip Dip and Julie's Fresh Guacamole 
*No-Fuss Soups & Sandwiches with Spicy Sloppy Joes and Avocado Egg Salad
*Speedy Sides & Salad with Better than Creamed Corn and Veggie "Fried" Rice
*Dinner in a Dash with Garlicky Shrimp & Pasta, Beef & Snow Pea Stir-Fry
*Easy-as-Pie Desserts with Chocolate Sandwich Cookies and Pineapple Pig Cake! 



Here is a quick and easy recipe for Chocolate Chip Dip 


8 oz pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. powdered sugar
2 T. brown sugar, packed
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
graham cracker sticks


Directions:
In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.  Add sugars and vanilla; beat until smooth.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Serve with graham cracker sticks.  Makes 2 cups.
*Note: Ritz Crackers cinnamon honey crackers are good in this, too.  I top mine with extra mini chips!



Disclosure:  I have been selected to be a Early Cookbook Reviewer by Gooseberry Patch.  I received a cookbook for this purpose.  All tasty opinions are my own. 



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Saturday

Happy New Year 2011

Happy New Year 2011 to all my internet friends.
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Monday

What are the 12 Days of Christmas?

I'm all for the 12 Days of Christmas!  I love our Celebration of Christ Birth on Christmas Day, day one of Christmas. For the next 11 days, the celebration continues!  Some people give gifts for each of the 12 days.  We don't do that but it would be fun!  I had heard that if you purchased one of everything in the 12 Days of Christmas you would be out about $25,000.  Looking to spend more? Then go along with the song and buy everything on each day and it will run you around $100,000. 


Have you ever heard of the song, The Twelve Days of Christmas??  It does not refer to the 12 days before December 25th.  It refers to Christmas Day and then the 11 days after and ending on January 5th.  The next day, January 6th is Epiphany.  

Someone sent me the below info in an email! I hope you find it as interesting as I did! 
Religious symbolism of The Twelve Days of Christmas   

Day 
1 True Love refers to God
2 Turtle Doves refers to the Old and New Testaments
3 French Hens refers to Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological Virtues
4 Calling Birds refers to the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists
5 Golden Rings refers to the first Five Books of the Old Testament, the "Pentateuch", which gives the history of man's fall from grace.
6 Geese A-laying refers to the six days of creation
7 Swans A-swimming refers to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the sacraments
8 Maids A-milking refers to the eight beatitudes
9 Ladies Dancing refers to the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit
10 Lords A-leaping refers to the ten commandments
11 Pipers Piping refers to the eleven faithful apostles
12 Drummers Drumming refers to the points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed
12 Days of Christmas 

On the first day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
A partridge in a pear tree.

On the second day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the third day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the fourth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the fifth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the sixth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the seventh day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the eighth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the ninth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the tenth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Ten lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the eleventh day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Eleven pipers piping,
Ten lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the twelfth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Twelve drummers drumming,
Eleven pipers piping,
Ten lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree! 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!



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Friday

Coffee Christmas tree? I'll drink to that!

Merry Christmas to all my Blogger friends! I have decorated trees all over my home. My favorite is my coffee tree that I have in my kitchen or as we know it, Susie's Cafe!

Merry Christmas! Christ Our Savior is born.
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Thursday

Merry Christmas from our home to yours

Merry Christmas from our home  to yours! Do you have photos on your blog of your home decorated for the holidays?  If so leave a link! I'd love to come take a peek! I have a tree in every room of my house. I decorate everything and then invite family and friends in for a Christmas open house full of festive treats, Christmas goodies, music and fun! Since most of you do not live close by, here is a sneak peek!
Snowman and Kid Handprint Tree in bathroom



Holiday Cards

Kitchen Coffee Tree

Drink Station for Christmas Open House







Click here for more photos and Christmas goodies recipes!

Even More Christmas Goodies

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Wednesday

Is there a Santa Claus??

What are some of your family favorite traditions? Did you create them or were they passed down from when you were a kid? I'd love to know. Did you decide to have Santa Claus as part of that tradition because it was yours as a kid? Have you had to explain to your kids that there is or isn't a Santa? How do you answer, "Is there a Santa Claus?" 


What do you do to keep the santa tradition going? 


Each year my girls decorate the main family tree with their own ornaments. They get a new one each year from me. Someday when they move away I will give them their ornaments so that they will have a part of home on their new tree.


The cat LOVES helping out with the Christmas tree. He has a few ornaments of hs own.

Here are some photos from our year family & friends Christmas Open house. Do you do this? 

What some Christmas food ideas?  Click here for food and drink ideas! 

More Christmas Goodies




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SWAGG smart phone app is sweet and free!


WHAT IS SWAGG?
SWAGG is a cool smartphone app that allows you to take all your plastic gift cards, loyalty and membership cards and load them into your smartphone!! No way you say? Yes way!  I tried this out with a few of my cards! What a cool way to keep tract of your cards.  I know that I'm always misplacing mine, never sure of the balance and never have the right membership card when needed.  No more mess! What a great way to get organized.

SWAGG allows consumers to import more than 250 brands of gift cards and rewards cards and, unlike plastic cards, SWAGG permits consumers to view available balance and reward information on most of these cards. Additionally, consumers can use their mobile device to give, get and even exchange SWAGG GIFTS from participating merchant partners such as American Apparel Inc., The Wet Seal Inc., Crocs Inc., 1-800-Flowers.com and Arden B. Through SWAGG, consumers can access the offers that matter most to them, connecting users with more than 3,000 retailers. Retailers benefit by acquiring new customers, increasing in-store business and retaining existing customers.
This App is for US Residents who are Apple and Android users only.  Go check it out and download to install here!!! It is free to use.  For every download throughout the month of December = $1 donation from SWAGG to Stand Up 2 Cancer.

Disclosure/Disclaimer: I received $20 in my SWAGG account as part of the Mom Bloggers Club Member to review this app.  Facts were provided and my tasty opinions were my own experience. 
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