Sandra Cox's Blog, page 302

Holiday Recipe #7: Chocolate Covered Ritz Crackers

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White-Chocolate Covered Ritz Crackers

Spread peanut butter between two Ritz Crackers. Make desired number.
Melt white chocolate bark in double boiler.
Dip the sandwiched Ritz Crackers in the white-chocolate with tongs.
Place on waxed paper to cool.

Got a recipe you'd like to share with this blog? Put holiday recipe in the subject line and send to cast5away@yahoo.com

Seasons of Reading and Holiday Recipe #6

I'm taking part in Seasons of Reading at DowntownYA today. If you'd like to win a download of Vampire Bay and/or a copy of Grounded for your local library (if outside the United States, the copy will be donated in your name to Iredell County Library) just stop by and leave a comment with your email addie.
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Holiday Recipe #6: Banana Nut Bread
Cream together in large bowl:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter then add and mix:
3 large ripe mashed bananas
2 tablespoons milk
2 eggs
Add dry ingredients:
2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup walnuts
Bake at 350 for one hours. Makes two loaf pans.

Got a holiday recipe you'd like to post on this blog? Just put holiday recipe in the subject line and send to cast5away@yahoo.com

Holiday Recipe #5: Potato Casserole

www.myfreewallpapers.net
Potato Casserole
Preheat oven to 375
1 32 oz package frozen hash brown potatoes
1 can celery soup
1 stick margarine or butter
8 oz. carton sour cream
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
Let potatoes thaw a bit so they separate. Mix all ingredients together. Bake for 45 minutes then sprinkle cheese over the top.

Got a holiday recipe you'd like to share with this blog? Just put recipe in the subject line and send it to: cast5away@yahoo.com
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Blogs of interest:
Amarinda Jones
Anny Cook
Julia Barrett
Shelley Munro

Giveaways on Night Owl and Holiday Recipe #4

Night Owls is having a December book giveaway plus an opportunity to win a Kindle Fire. There are several books being given away including Boji Stones. Here's the contest link: http://www.nightowlreviews.com/nor/Pages/Contests.aspx
Each day you enter you get to choose the book you want to win and get another entry into the Kindle Fire contest.
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Cranberry Salad
1 # chopped cranberries
2 large apples chopped
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1/3 cup chopped nuts
1 small can pineapple-drained
1 3/4 cups sugar
Mix and let stand overnight. Next day fold in 1/2 pint of whipped cream.

Lizzy Stevens and Holiday Recipe #3

With us today is Lizzy Stevens, here to tell us about her new Christmas Story. Welcome, Lizzy.
Thanks for having me on your blog today Sandra. I love the holidays.
Christmas is my favorite of them all. My husband and I love to drive our boys around looking at all the Christmas lights and I'm one of those people who can't wait to put my tree up. My tradition with my Christmas tree is to stand the tree up and plug in the lights and then get out a huge box of decorations and let my boys go wild LOL. They love to decorate. My boys are now 7 and11. I see the perfectly decorated trees in some houses and they are awesome of course but I like to make memories with my boys instead. So our tree has decorations with no rhyme or reason to the placement of them but in the end I think it's perfect.
Then we go about decorating up the rest of the house and of course we do a gingerbread house each year. Now that is a sight to see. We seem to have no crafting skills in our bones LOL and me and my boys end up with more frosting on us than our house has but that's ok. We always end up having extra candy too that just doesn't seem to fit on the house anywhere. It's funny how that happens LOL We can't let it waste so w have to eat it LOL.
Bio:
I am married with two wonderful boys. My family is my number one pride and joy. When I'm not spending time with them I enjoy writing. I have been writing for about five years and I am a Fictionwise and Amazon Best Selling author. I write whatever comes to mind. I don't really stick to one genre. I write woman's fiction, short stories, novellas, paranormal romance, mystery. I just enjoy to bring stories to life. The genre of that story doesn't really matter to me.
Blurb:
Samantha wasn't expecting what she got for Christmas this year. Her doorbell rang and there sitting on her porch was a baby in a basket. This changes her life for the good. But then something happens. The baby's father comes for his child. How can Samantha convince him that she is the best thing for the child? Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/A-Surprise-For-Christmas-ebook/dp/B00570IBZO/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321314213&sr=1-3

Where to find Lizzy
http://twitter.com/LizzyStevens123
http://www.lizzystevens.blogspot.com/
http://www.lizzystevens.com/
~*~
Holiday Recipe:
Lizzy's Christmas Yogurt Pie
Ingredients:
1/4 cup water
1 package of strawberry Jello
2 small containers of yogurt
1 container of coolwhip
1 graham cracker pie shell

How to prepare:
In a large bowl put 1/4 cup warm water. Mix jello in it. Add yogurt add coolwhip and mix together. When it's all mixed together put it into the graham cracker pie shell and refridgerate for at least an hour.

variations: Use any flavor yogurt or jello. For a completey sugar free pie that tastes great and you can't tell it's sugar free use sugar free jello and yogurt. I make the sugar free version every time I make it and my kids love it. They have no idea there isn't any sugar in it.

Blog Tour & Holiday Recipe #2

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Strawberry Pretzel Salad 2 cups crushed pretzels 3/4 cup melted butter 3 tablespoons sugar, plus 3/4 cup sugar 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese 1 (8-ounce) container whipped topping 2 (3-ounce) packages strawberry gelatin dessert mix 2 cups boiling water 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen strawberries Directions Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. For the crust, mix the pretzels, butter, and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Press this mixture into a 9 by 13-inch pan and bake for 7 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool. In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and 3/4 cup of sugar. Fold in the whipped topping, and spread over the cooled crust. Refrigerate until well chilled. In a small bowl, dissolve the gelatin in the boiling water, and allow to cool slightly. Add the strawberries and pour over the cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate until serving time.

Home Again and a Holiday Recipe

I'm back home. Actually, we got back Saturday night.






There were nine of us that came from NC, PA, and MO. I thought our idea was so unique, spending Thanksgiving in the Smokies. UhHuh.There were thousands that had the same idea. And Black Friday starting Thursday night added to the congestition. But we still had all kinds of fun.

We had enough food to feed a small army. The apartments we stayed at were on opposite ends of the unit, so Thanksgiving morning was spent running food and utensils back and forth from one kitchen to another.

We did the traditional Thanksgiving evening at the movie theater. Three of us went to Breaking Dawn and the rest went to The Muppet Movie.







The next day, half did the tourist thing and the other half hung around the apartment. The apartment was very nice. Every morning I spent out on the balcony with a book and a cup of coffee.









The last night we played Imaginiff till after midnight. Have you ever played it? Its a hoot. My sister, the queen of games, introduced it to us. Saturday morning we headed home.





How did you spend your Thanksgiving?
~*~







H oliday recipe: Platte County Pie
2 large eggs
1/2 c flour
1 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c softened butter
1/2 c pecans
1 c semi sweet chips
1 deep pie shell
Beat eggs, add flour and sugar, butter, vanilla, nuts and chocolate chips. Pour into pie shell. Bake 1 hour at 325.

LADY IN WAITING, MIRROR MIRROR

With me today is fellow MuseItUp author Penny Ehrenkranz. Not only is she going to tell us about her new releases but she's also sharing a recipe for Honey Mead.
Welcome, Penny!
Hi Sandra, thank you so much for hosting me today during my blog tour for my two r eleases from MuseItUp Publishing: Lady-in-Waiting and Mirror, Mirror. I want to tell your readers I am hosting a contest. Everyone who leaves a comment and contact information will be entered into a final drawing at the end of the tour. One person will receive a copy of Lady-in-Waiting and another will receive a copy of Mirror, Mirror.

Since both of these stories take place in the fifteen century, I'm promoting them together. Lady-in-Waiting is the tale of Mabriona, lady-in-waiting to her cousin, Princess Alana. Mabriona's tale is one of deceit and lies. Lies which ultimately could cause her undoing. Mirror, Mirror takes Lindsey Baker on an unexpected journey to the fifteen century where she learns women aren't treated quite as well as she would have hoped.

Since I've had both women sit down to eat meals, I've been curious about what types of foods were served. A great online resource is RenFaire, http://www.renfaire.com/Food/index.html. There is a listing of common foods as well as recipes. History tells us folks in the fifteen century ate much the same foods we do: roasted meats, vegetables, stews, soups, and breads. What might be different are the types of meats of which many were game animals such as venison and wild boar.

Since refrigeration wasn't an option, the only way people could keep things cold were root cellars. Here crops such as potatoes, winter squashes, carrots, and beets were kept until they went bad. Pickling vegetables was a common practice as was drying, smoking and salting. Almost all households had a garden for fresh produce during the warmer months. Barley ale, honey mead, and weak beer were all common drinks as most water was unsanitary and not fit for drinking.

Lindsey and Mabriona both partake of honey mead. Here's a recipe, courtesy of RenFair. Please note, I haven't tried this recipe myself, so I have no idea how good it is.

Honey Mead

3 gallons of water

1 gallon of honey

Set water and honey over fire, cook just until honey melts.

Add: thyme, sweet marjoram, winter savoury, sweet bryer, and bay leaves.

Boil for one hour.

Let liquid sit for twenty-four hours in a wooden container.

Drain and strain the liquid into another vessel.

Add: ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, mace, and cloves placed into a mesh bag and hung in the container.

Let this mixture sit for six months before serving.

Lady in Waiting released November 18th from MuseItUp.
Direct buy link: http://tinyurl.com/6u4keh5
Mirror, Mirror will release in December. The MuseItUp Bookstore buy link: https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2

TITLE: Lady-in-Waiting

Tag Line: Through a series of misunderstandings, Mabriona is forced to live a lie, but when the man she loves awakes from his coma, will she confess her deceit?
Blurb: Mabriona is cousin to the beautiful and spoiled Princess Alana. When Alana is forced to marry a man she despises, Mabriona is torn between her loyalty to her cousin and her attraction to the handsome Prince Blayne. Tragedy befalls the cousins on the way to Prince Blayne's castle. Servants, believing Mabriona to be Alana, refuse to listen when she tries to explain. While she waits for Blayne to recover, Mabriona meets his equally handsome younger brother, Madoc, a bard. When Blayne awakes, will Mabriona choose life with a future king, will she be sent home in disgrace because of her inadvertent lies, or will Madoc win her love with his poetry?

EXCERPT:

"Today's the day, Mabriona," Princess Alana said as Mabriona entered the chambers. She wiped tears from her eyes with an embroidered linen. "Prince Blayne will be here, and soon I'll be his wife. I think the worst part of being father's daughter is marrying someone I've never even met."

"You've always known your marriage would be arranged for the benefit of the kingdom, Princess, but I'm sure he'll be very nice," Mabriona replied as she opened the heavy drapes covering the windows. She looked at her cousin and sighed. She wanted to feel sorry for Alana, but they'd had this discussion so many times. Mabriona was tired of it. Alana had known from the time she was a child that she would not wed for love. Why can't Alana just accept her fate? Outside the day was as wet as the one before and the one before that.

"Nice? Who wants nice? I want someone handsome and dashing. A knight in shining armor who will love me forever. I certainly don't want someone like my father who will make me do everything I don't want to do."

TITLE: Mirror, Mirror

Tag Li ne: Lindsay Baker's purchase of an antique mirror sends her back in time to salvage a love torn apart by class restrictions.
Blurb: Lindsay Baker is intrigued by everything about the middle ages, but when she purchases an antique mirror and a costume to attend a Renaissance Faire, she suddenly finds herself transported back in time. There she finds she's been called by a witch to right a terrible wrong. Graham loves Prudence, but he can't marry her because he's landed gentry, and she is only the baker's daughter. Before Lindsay can return to her own time, she must convince Graham to marry against his father's wishes. Unfortunately, she also finds herself falling for the handsome gentleman. Can she find her way back to her own time, or will she be stuck in a time when women had no rights?

EXCERPT:

After Stefany left, Lindsey adjusted the water spigots on her tub. A few drops of bubble bath went into the water, and the soothing scent of lavender filled the moist, steamy air. While the tub filled, Lindsey tried on her Renaissance outfit for the upcoming Faire. She couldn't believe her good luck at finding the perfect pieces. She tested the bath water to be sure it was the right temperature. Then she picked up her antique mirror to get a better view. Was this a scryer's mirror at some point in time? It slipped from her wet hands into the bathtub.

"Nuts," she mumbled as she leaned over the tub. She pulled one sleeve up on her blouse and fished around in the bubbles for the mirror. When she pulled the mirror from the water, spots appeared in front of her eyes, and she felt faint. While she watched her reflection in the old mirror, the background changed. She no longer saw the inside of her bathroom. She closed her eyes as the room around her went black.

Temporary buy link: https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2

Dating 911

SEX & CALORIE BURN~ FACT OR FICTION?

Have you read the stats? Yes. It is a true fact!! According to health care professionals, just 30 minutes of sex can burn up to 85 calories. Doesn't sound like much, but if you're a hero/heroine in a romance who can do the unthinkable and pull off all nighters and what they hey—all day long sessions of hot steamy sex, it's no wonder they're in such great physical shape! Not to mention burning about 2500 calories a week by having sex alone! LOL.

But seriously, sex does have a lot of really great health benefits. A lot of which I bet you wouldn't have even guessed at. Beside the minimal calorie burn, sex is great for relieving stress, can boost your immune system, reduce pain, and improve intimacy. I guess that is why my hero Firefighter Jett Avery, in my current release Dating 911 thought he could use sex as a remedy to help him control is PTSD.

What are some other benefits of having sex? Please leave a comment for your chance to win a free digital copy of my book, Dating 911. I would love to hear your thoughts!

Thank you so much for having me here today!

Kathleen

BLURB:

Emergency room nurse, Roxanne Carter is a loser-magnet wishing she could enjoy her single life. Commiserating with girlfriends over butterscotch martinis creates the idea of The Dating Manifesto--a not so scientific research project which promises to point the way to dating success. While gathering data to find the most suitable single men available, she wades through a series of unsavory, stale dates, which literally places her back at ground zero. Just when she is ready to give up, sin personified in the form of sexy firefighter Jett Avery, arrives tainting all of her previous data.

A traumatic warehouse fire, in which firefighter Jett Avery's closest friend dies, has him suffering from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Attempting to stave off the worst of his depression, he decides to use his brand of therapy...Sex. The remedy has lost luster until he encounters ER nurse Roxanne Carter.

The pursuit of Roxanne by Jett's twin brother, Doctor Cruz Avery, complicates her research and interferes with Jett's therapy. Does Roxanne choose the brother who by analysis is the perfect match? Or the broken, dark and irresistible one?

EXCERPT:

Roxanne started. Focused on the man with the microphone,

she hadn't seen Jett come into the bar. She twisted in her chair and tilted her head. Her gaze traveled up worn black jeans that accentuated powerful thighs. He wore another T-shirt. This one was white with bold red letters advertising,

" How Hot Do You Want It ?"

The fabric stretched across his broad chest and molded every muscle. His jaw tightened. Stormy eyes glared down at her. Mouth suddenly dry, Roxanne grasped her soda and sipped. His nearness instigated a chain reaction deep within her body. Her heart pounded against her rib cage. She squeezed her quaking thighs together.

Okay. Remain calm.

"What does it look like?" She asked, proud her voice

remained unruffled.

Jett slapped his palms on the table in front of her. She flinched. He leaned in, his face mere inches from hers. "This was not the deal."

His hair was still damp from a recent shower. The short black

strands were carelessly styled, like he'd just run his fingers through them. The strong scent of leather and spice reached her, warming her belly. She squelched the desire to jerk her chair back, giving herself breathing room, and held her ground. "If I recall," she said coolly, "you blackmailed me into a date when I'd already had plans for the evening. The only way to earn my release was to invite you along. So, if you want your 'date', I'd get over and draw a number before they're all gone."

"Is there a problem, Miss?" the emcee for the evening asked.

She smiled and Jett straightened.

"No, not at all. I was just telling this gentleman how the

process works. He's a virgin speed-dater." She gave Jett what she hoped came across as a coy look.

His jaw tightened. A thunderstorm flashed in the depths of his eyes. Then with a blink, the tempest disappeared. His lips curved into a slow, sexy smile.

Her breath caught. What was he up to? Whatever his agenda, he ought to provide some great research material.

"Yeah. I better grab a number," Jett said easily.

"I'll be happy to show you how to get started. Come with

me," the announcer said, and led the way to the registration table. Jett followed in his wake. Was it her imagination, or did he seem to have an extra swagger in his gait?

Eyes narrowed, Roxanne watched him. He mingled effortlessly with the other participants, smiling and talking with each of the men gathered on the sidelines. Her jaw dropped. Damn! How could he change from stormy to charming so effortlessly? She made a mental note to examine his character more in depth when they had their time together. Her earlier excitement returned. Maybe this wasn't going to be a total bust after all…

BUY LINKS:

Evernight Publishing - http://www.evernightpublishing.com/dating-911-by-kathleen-grieve/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR :

A graduate of University of Nebraska Medical Center, Kathleen Grieve earned a Bachelor's Degree in Science and Nursing in 1994. She has been a dedicated nurse for the past seventeen years, serving most of those years in intensive care. Always writing, Kathleen chose to pursue yet another career- that of a writer. An avid romance reader of all genres since age 13, she decided to try a hand at writing her own novel in the summer of 2006.

She draws a lot from the real-life medical drama she experiences as a RN for her novels. Writing romance is a creative outlet where she can effectively deal with the daily stress and sorrow, adding levity and humor to situations that provide a happily ever after when there isn't one.

To find out more about Kathleen Grieve and her books, you can stop by her blog, Keeping A Pulse On Life & Romance at: http://kathleengrieve.blogspot.com

Her website: www.kathleengrieve.com

Follow her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Kathleen-Gr...

Follow her on Twitter: @KathleenGrieve

Link to blog party and giveaway:

http:// coffeebeanslovescenes.blogspot.com/2011/11/vbt-launch-party-end-of-tour-giveaway.html

In Bred Cat

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