Contest

This is late notice, but I just came across this contest:

Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYX6NiWp3OA&feature=channel_page

After watching the video (or skipping if you prefer) send an email to promotions@kayhooper.com OR orders@firesidebooksandgifts.com.

In the email, include

your name and email

AND

my name and email (cindykbeck@yahoo.com)

We'll both entered in this exciting drawing.
It's that easy!

What you could win:
Spread the word and increase your chances to win not only this book but an ARC of the exciting conclusion to Kay's Blood trilogy, Blood Ties (due to be released Winter 2009) and a $50 gift certificate from Fireside Books and Gifts! Two names will be drawn personally by Kay the evening of December 31st, 2008.

Video

This may be the video Paula showed at her house. I thought I would add it anyway in case someone (like me) didn't get up to watch it.

I have read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and I really enjoyed it. What a great destination the Channel Islands would be for one of our summer trips! The description makes them seem quite beautiful. I had only a vague knowledge of those islands (Guernsey cows) and I had no idea that they were occupied during the big II war. I am still shocked and surprised with the depth of cruelity people were subject to under the Nazi machine. I had never hear of the slaves she wrote about. I'm going to 'google' that. Thanks for a great pick, Paula.

Christmas Wishes!

Merry Christmas to all by book loving friends! Thanks for making the past year more fun!

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

The books are here. They came a day late; I guess because of the ice. However, other than Debbie and Kim, I'm not really sure who wanted a copy. I just took a count, so if you ordered one, let me know. I will plan on bringing them to church on Sunday if that is okay with everyone. They were $13.20.

CKB

Books?

Did we read To Dance with the White Dog? I don't remember that, and I have been pretty good about reading the selections. I also don't remember the Jane Austen mystery. Let me know if I just missed those.

CKB

Thanks for posting the list. What a good idea. I quit keeping a list and I sure can't remember all the books we've read. Sorry about your little memory interruption from surgery. I have that problem but I have no excuses but age. An old, old version of Hamlet was on the tube the other night and I tried to watch it to see the connection to E. Sawtelle. I couldn't stay awake for all of it, but I definitely see what you mean.

Book Lists

I started a couple of lists of our books over to the side of our blog. It would be neat to go back and make a list for each year. How many years has it been? 5? I just listed the ones I could think of for the last few months. I'm still a little fuzzy in the brain, which I am blaming on the after-effects of the anesthesia. This past week, I ordered 2 of the same DVD sets in the same order. I also ordered a game for Hunter that I had already bought at Sam's! I'm hoping it's the anesthesia! I have a lot of the books written down somewhere, but to be honest, I don't feel like getting up to look for it right now - another thing I will attribute to surgery! Feel free to add to it as you remember.

The books I ordered should be in Tuesday. I doubt I will be out Wednesday night unless a lot of soreness goes away before then. It took a couple of days to get over getting out Thursday. However, I'm hoping by next Sunday to be back at least for worship. If you want your book before then let me know.

Black-Bottom Pecan Cheesecake Pie

Most of you didn't hang around for dessert, but this is a wonderful, rich pie. It is from a Southern Living magazine.

1/2 (15oz.) package refrigerated piecrusts
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
3 T. whipping cream
1(8oz.) package cream cheese, softened
4 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar, divided
2 tsp.. vanilla, divided
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup light corn syrup
3 T. butter, melted
1 1/2 cups pecan halves

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Unroll one piecrust, fit into a deep dish pie plate, fold under edges, and crimp.
3. Microwave chocolate morsels and whipping cream in a small glass bowl at medium power 1-1 1/2 minutes or until morsels begin to melt. Whisk until smooth. Set aside.
4. Beat cream cheese, 1 egg, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, and salt at medium speed until smooth. Pour chocolate mixture into piecrust, spreading evenly. Pour cream cheese mixture over chocolate layer.
5. Whisk together corn syrup, melted butter, remaining 3 eggs, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and remaining 1 tsp. vanilla. Stir in pecans; pour over cream cheese layer.
6. Bake at 350 for 55 minutes or until set, shielding pie after about 45 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Monogram blocks

Connie asked for instructions to make the monogram blocks that I gave at the party. They are so easy, it's embarrassing! Go here: http://www.briarpress.org/cuts/browse?t=19 to get the letters. Just copy and paste into word - you don't have to follow the directions to download or anything fancy for the size I used. Size the letters however large or small you want. They get a little fuzzy if you try to make them very much bigger. If you want them extra large, you would have do the download. Print them on whatever paper you want. I used old manilla file folders cut to fit my printer. Then I had Larry cut 2X4's into squares and sand them for me (he did the hard parts). Then I spray painted them black and decoupaged them. Ta Da! The tags are also old file folders cut to shape.
Do you like the playlist? I only chose a few songs so far. I'm loving Josh Groban's Believe now and I play it over and over!!! If you tell me songs you want added, I'll be glad to put them on there. Or I can take the playlist off if you don't like it. Let me know. I have a huge playlist on a pretend blog I set up for me.

Recipes!!!! Please post your recipes from the party!

Here's mine:

Crockpot Italian Chicken
4-6 chopped chicken breats
1/4 cup butter melted
cream of mushroom soup
8 oz. cream cheese
3 green onions
1 envelope Good Season's Italian Dressing

Mix soup, cheese, and melted butter and pour over chicken in crockpot. Top with onions and dry dressing. Cook 6-8 hours on low in crockpot. Can serve as is or over rice or noodles.

I served the leftovers mixed with cooked spaghetti the next night and it was delicious!

Possible Service Project

As Karen previously stated, last night was wonderful. I'm so glad I was able to get out for it. I was worn out when I got home, but I would have hated missing it. There are a couple of recipes I want after last night. Maybe each person could just post her recipe from last night here on the blog. That would seem like an easy way to do it.

I hate that I didn't mention this last night. I had meant to and forgot. We have talked a few times in the past about doing some type of service project, and, in my opinion, a perfect one found its way to my email.

PTC is having a book drive. They are asking for new, or at least like-new, children's books for a family literacy day that the PTC library has hosted the last couple of years. What they do is encourage students to bring their children to the library that day for readings, games, snacks, etc. They would like to have enough books for each child to be able to take one home. In the past, there have not been enough books.

My hope is that if the group is agreed, each of us could bring a children's book to the January - April meetings. At that time, we could either continue collecting for the 2010 Family Literacy Day or move on to another project.

So, what does everyone think?

The Christmas party hosted by Paula was wonderful! The food was delicious, the game was fun and the dirty Santa was fun too. I think we all got some great reads. Please bring your book to share when you are finished. I'm excited about reading my dirty Santa book, March and the selection for January, The Gernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society . So from now on we will meet on the first Monday of each month. Merry Christmas everyone!

Dropping in

I haven't checked this for a while since no one seemed to be posting. It was nice to come by and see some activity. I'm really hoping I can make the Christmas party tomorrow night! I will probably have to bum a ride home. Paula was over Monday night and said she is expecting 12 people! Kim Hackett is planning on coming. Paula mentioned we would probably be losing at least 1 member after Christmas. I hope I can remember to mention a possible service project for the beginning of the year.

Again, I hope to see everyone tomorrow night and catch up.

So worth watching!!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

The great paradox

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYURIZWxHGQ