Until next year...and a GBP Cookbook Winner!

Hello there Ladies!

Happy Belated New Year (wow-that has a weird ring to it)!   
I hope you all had a Wonderful CHRISTmas!  We had such a nice Christmas Day, spent with family, I just wish it all didn't fly by so quickly!


I know this post has taken way to long to get up but if you could see my one handed typing right now you may understand why, lol.   Long story short...New camera for Dee....and no pictures to show for it!

I am now in the process of reading the manual for new (long awaited) camera Santa brought me After shooting 1,235 pictures on Christmas and accidentally deleting them.....mmmmhmmmm.  Hence the lack of pictures for this post.....:(


Yes,
I received a lovely (and high tech) camera this year.  I have ooohhed and ahhhhed over this camera for a VERY long time...and sure did a LOT of saving for said camera...for a long time....just to explain what a treat it was to receive it.  So funny, I don't think a diamond ring would have gotten the same reaction that this camera received....but then again, I'm not a a Fancy Schmancy jewelry person anyway.

I was definitely moving up in the world of photography....sheer excitement...oh the possibilities!  Then poof...all gone....just like that.

I was snapping Christmas pictures up left and right...no one could move without me chasing them with the new camera. 

See the tree?....SNAP!   Opening gifts?.....SNAP!  Playing with new toys?.....SNAP!    Oh, Christmas Ham done?....SNAP?  Eating?.....SNAP!       Sneezing?.....SNAP!    OOOOH, WHAT DOES THIS BUTTON DO?  wait...one more picture pleease!

Oh, wait, Eating again?.....SNAP!    
Blowing your nose?......SNAP!   Napping?......SNAP!
SNAP, SNAP, SNAP, SNAP, SNAP, SNAP!!!

 Hehe.....

Oh, Whats that?  You're trying to eat?  

Okay, great honey, now can you retake that bite so I can capture that picture would ya?...SNAP!!!

They were good sports for a while but I SNAPPED until they almost SNAPPED, lol......

then I got a hold of myself.

I now know that what I should have been doing instead of chasing family members for photos was taking the time to read the owners manual....BECAUSE.....

If I had.......
I would have known that the top button deleted ALL of the pictures not just the one bad one....
Oh, boy!

I would still have all of those awesome pictures to show all of you

LOL,

sniffle, sniffle.....

So if your still following me here you now know that all of my photos are gone....

poof.....

that's right, all gone! 

My baby opening his gifts...gone.

The look of surprise on their faces.....gone.

The excitement that was captured...now gone. 

It's so sad it's almost funny ...almost.

So my New Year's Resolutions for 2012 are:

PATIENCE........
Taking it slower...not rushing into everything just to get it done.
Enjoying the process more.
Even if it means waiting and reading the manual.

Also to start taking time for myself to do more of what I would like.
Is it terrible to tell you that I would like to say No more in 2012?
 

Saying No more and Yes only to the things with the greatest payoff?Things that will really matter to others, and things that are truly important to me or my family.
That should help with Patience right?
It won't be easy...I used to say YES a lot!

I also want to make the time to

learn a few new things too, like how to really use this camera and all of the functions.

So, what are your 2012 Resolutions?

Have you been able to keep them up thus far?

Now onto better things.....

The GBP Rush Hour Recipes Cookbook Giveaway!

I have to say that I THOROUGHLY enjoyed each and every Christmas memory shared.....THANK YOU ALL FOR TAKING THE TIME TO DO THAT it truly was a treat!

So many memories you all have with your families, matching homemade flannel night gowns, holiday candy making, families decorating trees and baking cookies....many spent with loving Grandparents, cousins, and other special people in your lives, many of you who now hold their precious memory in your hearts.

Favorite childhood gifts...(I too LOVED my Easybake oven and baked many cakes for my daddy that Christmas).  Daughters coming home unexpectedly (that must have been the best Christmas gift, Joni).  Hiking in the snow, homemade gifts and cookies.  Patty Hart what a neat tradition...the Surprise you must have had when finally seeing that tree!  Stringing popcorn on your family tree...so precious!

Thank you for sharing your stories...it was such a gift for me to read all of them!  I couldn't choose any one story that was better than the others, in my opinion each and everyone of your stories was very special and so I let my daughter choose a number from the hat, foolproof and fair.   

Here is our winner.....Judy, please contact me with a comment, as to the best way to get your shipping information and congratulations on your win, you will really like this cookbook, I'm sure! 

Judy@cutest-little-things.blogspot.com              Dec 29, 2011 09:54 AM

There are so many special Christmas memories to choose from since many of my family are no longer here, but the most magical was the Christmas that I became pregnant with my now 5-yr. old son. Oh it wasn't official - I hadn't taken a test...but I'll never forget Christmas Eve church services, standing before the altar, listening to the heavenly choir and a little feeling...something that just told me to lay a hand on my belly and I knew!!! Just a week later I took a test that confirmed the good news! I'll never forget that moment of feeling a magical secret within - and feeling more connected than ever to the Christmas story of Jesus' birth :)

If you haven't had the chance yet, try to read through the giveaway comments...they are all so heart warming!  I'll be back soon....Stay warm and Take care!

~Dee~

A Quick and Easy GBP Giveaway!

Ok folks...I know it's been a while...again.  I'm awfully sorry I've been gone so very long!! 

This spring has flown by and I have been a very busy bee. Preparing for the end of the school year, wrapping up spring sports, Easter, Mothers Day, a few road trips to get some fresh spring air after a long winter and then....just when I was getting into the swing of things.... a computer virus!  Yes, again.  Believe it sister.  For weeks we have been without a computer.  I didn't realize how much I loved and could become distracted with my puter'.  Don't know what you've got til it's gone, lol!   Even my lil' notebook had the sniffles!

Well, unfortunately the post that I originally made for this giveaway was lost with all of the pictures that went with it....:( !! So very frustrating!  I was so itching to get this post up all month, it was such torture!  When I finally got my computer back all of my hardwork was gone...gone...gone!  I was upset to say the least.  But, the good news is that was the only thing that I lost, so I am very grateful!  Oh.... well,  "back to the drawing board"....and off I went to start again!

Well, what does this mean for all of you, you ask?  It means...another giveaway. 
Two at once to be exact. 

yes

Yippee!

Quick and Easy Christmas

Giveaway No. 1: 
Now you may think that it was hard to review a GBP christmas cookbook during the month of May right?  I first thought it might be also.  When I received this cookbook I grabbed a nice cold glass of homemade sweet tea and headed out to my front porch rocker for a spring time review of Gooseberry Patch's brand new Quick and Easy Christmas cookbook!   It was kind of strange really; me there basking in the sunlight, sitting amongst my freshly sprouting flower beds thumbing through a Christmas cookbook.

There were so many wonderful recipes in there though that could easily be adapted to the warmer months it occurred to me that I have sooo many GBP holiday cookbooks that I pack away until that time of year and only briefly go through picking my fav seasonal recipes for a particular season or holiday that I'm now ready to drag a few out on the next rainy summer afternoon and see which recipes I can use now.  Sometimes just changing a few ingredients can put a whole new twist on a recipe.

Well....
I found the most delish recipe in Quick and Easy Christmas that was easy to make, healthy, only a few ingredients (all on hand) and made in the crockpot!!!

Who wants to heat up their kitchen with the oven going in the warmer months to make delicious meals for their family?  Not me.  I try to cook mostly on the stovetop and grill all summer long. But this meal is perfect when you want to take a break from the usual summer meals and want something a little more filling.  It's also a great way to use up the summer surplus of Eggplant from your garden on a rainy summer's eve.  

Slow Cooker Baked Eggplant

by Megan Brooks

1 eggplant, peeled &  cut into 1" cubes

2 onions, thinly sliced

2 stalks celery, cut into 1" pieces

1 T. olive oil

16 -oz. can diced tomatoes

3T tomato sauce

1 T sugar

2 T. balsamic vinegar

1 t. dried oregano

optional:  1 T. capers, drained

salt and pepper to taste

Garnish: Parmesan cheese

Combine eggplant, onions, celery, oil, undrained tomatoes, and tomato sauce in slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low setting 3-4 hrs., until eggplant is tender. Stir in sugar, vinegar, oregano, and capers if using.  Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low setting 45 mins.- 1 hr., until heated through.  Garnish with parmesan cheese.  Makes 4-6 servings. 

I added sliced mushrooms instead of capers and served this with pasta on the side and a little parmesan sprinkled over it.  Easy and delicious!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And now for dessert....

This next one was a big hit with my family and

a favorite of mine made easy without heating up the kitchen in the warm weather....

Fastest Cheesecake

by Erin Brock

8 oz pkg. cream cheese, softened

3 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

14 oz can sweetened condensed milk, divided

1/4 c lemon juice

9" chcolate cookie crust

Garnish Whipped Cream, raspberry preserves

In a med. bowl, beat cheeses with electric mixer until smooth and fluffy.  Gradually add half of the cond. milk, beating constantly.  When half of milk has been added, beat in lemon juice until smooth.  Beat in remaining cond. milk until smooth.  Pour over crust, cover and chill at least one hour.  Garnish with whipped cream and raspberry preserves to serve.  Makes 8-10 servings.

Ummmm....so good it hurts!  You're gonna want to eat the whole pie, but it's filling, just like cheesecake.  I thought this would be a great dessert to make while camping.  We have a small refridgerator in the camper and you don't have to bake it so this will be on the menu for the next camping trip. 

Giveaway No. 2

This one will be pulled out often in my house because I'm a quick and easy kinda momma in the kitchen now-a-days!

101 Easy Everyday Recipes

101 Easy Everyday Recipes

This book is filled with beautiful photographs that easily display the recipes (I like photos of the recipes, so I can visualize what I am making beforehand). And it is true to it's title....Quick and Easy...with a table of contents that reads Easy-Brezzy Breakfasts, Toss-Together Suppers, Dinner's in the oven, Sides in a Snap, and No-Fuss Desserts they should have thrown Great in the title too...

Now girls...I know what you're thinking....Watermelon and onions???  seriously?  But when I had a whole watermelon to eat up and I knew we would tire of it before finishing I found this recipe and decided to give it a try....and was pleasantly surprised!  It was really, really, good....and different...but so good!

Tangy Watermelon Salad

14c watermelon, cubed
1 red onion, halfed & thinly sliced
1 c. green onions, chopped
3/4 c. orange juice
5T red wine vinegar
2 T plus 1-1/2 t. honey
1 T green pepper, finely chopped
1/2 t salt
1/4 t EACH of pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and dry mustard
3/4 c. oil

In large bowl, combine watermelon and onion; set aside. In a small bowl, combine orange juice, vinegar, honey, green pepper & seasonings; slowly whisk in oil. Pour over watermelon mixture; toss gently. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hrs. Serve w/ slotted spoon. Makes about 10 servings.

You are all not going to belive how this combination could be deliciously entertaining.  The sweet, with the savory combonation is really unique.  I loved it all the way home.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Next, I tried a B a n a n a s foster recipe for desert.
and I was so pleased with how quick this went together with only a few ingredients thrown into the crock pot (no watching) and tasted sooooo good!   This would be a nice addition to an ice cream social buffet.  On the other hand it is also fancy enough to serve as a quick and easy dessert to accompany a nice meal for company.

Bananas Foster

1/2 c. butter, meted

1/4 c. brown sugar, packed

6 bananas, cut into 1 " slices

1/4 c. rum or 1/4 t. rum extract

Garnish: Vanilla ice cream

Stir together butter, brown sugar, bananas and rum/extract in a slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low setting for one hour.  Use a slotted spoon to place bananas into serving dishes.  Top with a scoop of ice cream and drizzle with sauce from the slow cooker.  Makes 4 servings.

The Giveaway:

Because these are Quick and Easy recipe books, this will be a super speed, quick and easy giveaway as well.  I am also doing a double giveaway.

There is no time to waste now, this giveaway must go on. You are all going to be so excited.... these cookbooks are just GREAT!

To enter to win Quick and Easy Christmas:

 Please leave a comment here telling me your favorite summer recipe...this counts as one entry.  A post on your FB wall with a link to this post counts as a second entry. LEAVE A SECOND COMMENT HERE LETTING ME KNOW YOUR FACEBOOK LINK so I know you have  a total of two entries.  Of course you always have to be a FHCS follower to qualify.

To enter to win 101 Easy Everyday Recipes:

 Leave a comment on FHCS Facebook page under the Quick and Easy Giveaway Facebook post.  Giveaway entries close Saturday at Midnight, EST.  Winners will be chosen on Sunday, June 12th. 
So be Quick...Gooseberry Patch has made it easy!  You are going to LOVE these cookbooks gals!  Please visit Gooseberry Patch for more great recipes and cookbooks.  For those of you who simply want to purchase these great cookbooks then click HERE to go to Gooseberry Patch's site to purchase. 

Thanks for stoppin' on by gals!

Take care,
Dee

GBP Cookbook Review and Giveaway

.

You can just imagine how excited I am to be a part of Gooseberry Patch's Early Bird Reviews.  The opportunity to review recipes from one of my Favorite companies before the book hits the market and give away a free copy to one of my followers....I'm thrilled!  I have always loved their cookbooks and have been collecting them for years.  My family has eaten many meals cooked from the recipes on their pages and they are always a hit.


Well here is my first review...
Quick and Easy Autumn by Gooseberry Patch.  Autumn...my FAVORITE season of all.  I know it is almost spring, but once you see these recipes in this book it really doesn't matter all that much, yes they are that good girls!  Asking their customers to review their books is brave and brilliant, how many companies do you know that chooses to go right to the source for an honest opion?  It could only be the ones that stand confidently behind their products, right? I so love that about them. I also love the whole concept behind Gooseberry Patch-they are so wholesome, sharing great family recipes with each other like women in communities have done for generations.  

How neat is it that they also understand the quick and easy part of todays wives and mothers?  So many of us are juggling families, homekeeping, jobs, businesses and extra curricular activites that we sometimes fall short on time.  Well I know that I don't want to compromise the food I prepare for my family in spite of all that and this book has so many recipes in it that make it possible to prepare great meals that are quick, easy and taste great!   

As far as my family goes, on the days that I work, it's a challenge to find the time to prepare and put a decent dinner on the table let alone add a homemade desert to it.  So for my first review from their brand new cookbook, I have chosen a cobbler prepared on one of those very busy nights.  Now, I don't want to sound like I have to pitch their book for them, because I don't, they do well all on their own, I'm only here for a review. All of the GPB fans out there already know what I'm talkin' about, but I want it on the record, that I am honored to have been asked to do these reviews! 

Let's get down to business now..... shall we?

Quick & Easy Autumn 

Cherry Cobbler

by Carol Van Rooy

This recipe was sooo easy and quick.  Exactly like the title says.  I am a busy momma these days and it was so nice to find a delicious recipe that took no time at all to make and one that my family really enjoyed. 

 

Lets make it together now.  First, you should go put on a cute lil' apron, it makes it more fun cookin' and makes ya good lookin'!  

Here's the list of ingredients......

~ 21 oz. can of Cherry pie filling, ~ 1T. lemon juice,  ~ 1T. cinnamon,  ~ 1/2 C. melted butter,  ~ 1 1/4 C. flour,  ~  1/2 C. sugar,  ~ 2T. baking powder,  ~ 1 C. milk ~ 

Mmhhm, Seriously that is all you need.

~You probably already have these ingredients in your pantry like I did!~

In a bowl combine the flour, sugar and baking soda.

Add the milk and melted butter to the flour mixture and combine.  It will be the consistency of pancake batter when mixed. 

Pour the mixture into a lightly greased 9x13 glass baking dish.  Spread out evenly.

In another bowl, mix the cherry pie filling with

the ground cinnamon.  {I LOVE McCormick's Grinders.  If you haven't tried them yet, do so.  The flavor of the freshly ground cinnamon is

sooo much better, all you do is twist the top}

Add the lemon juice to the cherry mixture and mix well.

Pour the cherry mixture as evenly as possible over top of the batter mixture.

Now, put the pan into a preheated 325 degree oven bake for 25 minutes.  Yes, stand there lookin' pretty, patiently waiting while your homemade cobbler bakes...     

{or not}

now, turn the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 10 mintues or until golden and batter has risen over the top of the pie filling.

Now, go enjoy it with your loved ones!

Serves 8-10

We served our Cherry Cobbler with a scoop of good vanilla bean ice cream while it was still warm. The ice cream starts to melt and Oh My Word is this sooooo yummy!  Now run over to your pantry and gather these ingredients because your missin' out darlin! 

There are so many great recipes in this cookbook, I can't wait to review more recipes like... 

Peachy~Keen Sweet Taters

Applie Spice Country Ribs

Sticky Bun Toast Toppers

Gingersnap Baked Beans

Janet's Farmer's Pie

Rosemary Pork Loin

Grandma's Apple Nut Dessert

Autumn Cranberry Chicken

and lots more

My family and I discussed some of the recipes over dinner oohhhhing and ahhhing over the titles.  So you will be hearing a few more reviews on this cookbook for sure. 

Now, if you liked this recipe and want to try to win a copy of your own Quick and Easy Autumn of your very own then here's the criteria to enter:

FHCS Gooseberry Patch

Quick and Easy Autumn Cookbook Giveaway:

**Anyone who enters must be a FHCS follower.**

You do not have to have a blog to enter but please leave an email contact in your comment.

*1 Entry:  If you leave a comment for this post

**2nd Entry: If you blog about this on your blog and link it up to mine (be sure to link it up to this post)

***3rd Entry:  If you link to this giveaway on your sidebar

****4th Entry:  If you LIKE the new FHCS Facebook Fan Page

Leave the same comment for each entry adding to each one which you qualify for.  The winner will be chosen by random number generator on April 30th.  Announced The first week of May.  This giveaway is open to US residents and Canada only.


If you absolutely cannot wait for the giveaway to end you can pre-purchase your very own copy HERE.  It won't be available until May but you can pre-order on Amazon now.

Good luck to you all, I will post another recipe from this book very soon.  Happy Spring Gals!

Take good care

xo,

Dee