It’s a busy time around here, getting ready for our cruise so you will have to excuse me from doing “Baking With The Social Frog” today and next Wednesday as I will be happily basking in the sun and swimming in the clearest waters in St.Maarten, I am sure you understand. But I will return to my weekly column on July 14th!
Like I said the other day, planning this cruise has not ended. There is a Steakhouse called “The Chef’s Art Steakhouse” on the Carnival Dream and many people have said to give it a try, so we decided today that we will and I made a reservation.
The Menu is pretty amazing and we both can’t wait to experience it. In case you are wondering the Steakhouse is an additional charge of $30 per person but from what I hear, it is well worth it and I will let you know my thoughts on it when we return.
I am so excited..can you tell? I honestly am having trouble sleeping at night because I can’t wait to go. I am not packed yet but will be tomorrow as we have some last minute items to get. Anyone else cruising this summer?
Sarah E, I sent you an e-mail, please get back to me as soon as possible so I can send the book out to you before I leave for my cruise on Friday!!!
Thank you all for entering
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(CLOSED)
I am giving away one (1) hardcover copy of “The Passage” by Justin Cronin.
You have from now till June 29th at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time and the Winner will be announced on June 30th and I will need the winners info ASAP as I will be leaving for a week long Caribbean cruise on July 2nd.
The winner will be chosen at random using random.org
Synopsis
First, the unthinkable: a security breach at a secret U.S. government facility unleashes the monstrous product of a chilling military experiment. Then, the unspeakable: a night of chaos and carnage gives way to sunrise on a nation, and ultimately a world, forever altered. All that remains for the stunned survivors is the long fight ahead and a future ruled by fear—of darkness, of death, of a fate far worse.
As civilization swiftly crumbles into a primal landscape of predators and prey, two people flee in search of sanctuary. FBI agent Brad Wolgast is a good man haunted by what he’s done in the line of duty. Six-year-old orphan Amy Harper Bellafonte is a refugee from the doomed scientific project that has triggered apocalypse. He is determined to protect her from the horror set loose by her captors. But for Amy, escaping the bloody fallout is only the beginning of a much longer odyssey—spanning miles and decades—towards the time and place where she must finish what should never have begun.
With The Passage, award-winning author Justin Cronin has written both a relentlessly suspenseful adventure and an epic chronicle of human endurance in the face of unprecedented catastrophe and unimaginable danger. Its inventive storytelling, masterful prose, and depth of human insight mark it as a crucial and transcendent work of modern fiction.
Giveaway Requirements & Rules
This giveaway is open to US residents only!
Please leave a seperate comment for each entry!!
*Required Entery*
Leave me a comment, but it has to be more than just “hello” or you will NOT be entered. This is +2 Entries
After you do the required entry you can get more entries by doing the following:
+2 Entries-Blog about this book giveaway, with a link back to this giveaway post. Make sure to let me know in a comment with a link to your post or put this giveaway in your sidebar.
+2 Entries-Subscribe to my blog or Follow. Make sure to let me know in the comments, if you already do that counts too just let me know.
+2 Entries-Tweet about this giveaway, with a link back to it and make sure to leave a comment that you did with your twitter id.
+2 Entries-Follow me on Twitter. Make sure to let me know you did this in the comments, if you already follow me on Twitter that counts to just let me know along with your id.
The Total Entries You Can Get Are: 10
Make sure I have your e-mail address so I can contact you immediately if you are the winner. The winner will have to give me their information ASAP as I will be leaving on the morning of July 2nd and will not be able to send a package out after the 1st until I return on the 12th of July, so please get back to me on the 30th or the 1st so I can get it out to you before my vacation. If you fail to give me your contact information by 11:59 PM on the 1st, you will have to wait till July 12th for me to ship the book. I just want to make this clear! The Winner will be announced on June 30th!!
Today Daniel re-enlisted, or shall I say WE re-enlisted for another 4 years. I’ve had mixed feelings about it for a while now, there are wonderful things about re-enlisting and some sucky things. I think I will try and stay positive though,haha!
Every time we re-enlist the wifey gets some form of appreciation, I have several. I know they mean well and it’s kind of nice to get noticed for being supportive of my husband but it is so generic and being given it, lacks feeling and emotion…Take that however you like.
So in about 7 more months we will be heading off to a new duty station…somewhere. I can’t say to much but we are waiting on something and might know by the end of July, we shall see. I hope where ever we go next, we have a great time & experience new things.
I am still in Florida, counting the days till we leave for our Eastern Caribbean Cruise. We leave Port Canaveral on Saturday afternoon. I booked several excursions for us in 2 of the Ports we will be stopping in.
Coral World is an ocean park in St. Thomas, it is where my mind is at this very moment. I am really looking forward to enjoying this excursion with hubby. Watch the video, it is very cool. Also, check out the Website.
Sorry I have been off with my blogging these last few days, I have been busy. It seems that planning a cruise never ends,haha! Today we had to finish up with the dogs, they had to get up to date with all their shots and get the special ones needed for their week long stay at Preppy Pets.
I can’t wait to get away, have some much needed fun time with my hubby and experience all new things together.
Don’t forget, my Book Giveaway ends tomorrow at 11:59pm Eastern Standard Time! So come and enter!!!!!!
The 3rd of July just can’t seem to get here quick enough! In case you are out of the loop or have not heard, hubby and I are taking a week long Eastern Caribbean Cruise on the Carnival Dream.
I have been busy making sure last minute things are done, documents printed, information understood and so on. We have decided to head down to the Port a day early so that there is no rush the day of the cruise.
The dogs are taken care of, they will be staying at the Preppy Pet Suites and we will be dropping them off Friday before heading to our hotel. Friday will be a day of rest but I am insisting we take a little walk on Cocoa beach as I have never been there before.
Last weekend we got some new clothes and I finally got a new bathing suit, now all I need is a nice sandal to where on the occasion. We found and underwater digital camera about 2 weeks ago so I don’t have to think about that any more.
I am thinking that at this point the only thing left to really worry about would be having bad weather, which I am trying not to think about at all. That would suck. If I wanted rain I would just stay home, it’s like clockwork here, around 4-5pm almost every day it gets stormy. So I am praying for great weather & calm seas!
Welcome to another edition of my weekly column Baking With The Social Frog!
If you are interested in baking with me every week, put the button in your post linking to my blog. Make sure to leave a link in the comments section so I can come see what you have baked this week! Or just come by and check out what I have made and get a yummy recipe.
This week is another simple but very good treat, I hope you enjoy!
Magic Cookie Bars
Ingredients:
No-Stick Cooking Spray
1 1/2 cups Graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup Butter, melted
1 (14 oz) can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 cups semi-sweet Chocolate chips
1 1/3 cups Flaked Coconut
1 cup chopped nuts
Instructions:
Heat oven to 350. Coat 13×9 baking pan with no-stick cooking spray or line with aluminum foil, leaving an edge to be able to “lift” bars out when done baking & cooling.
Combine Graham cracker crumbs and butter in small bowl. Press into bottom of prepared pan.
Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture.
Layer evenly with chocolate chips, coconut and nuts. Press down firmly with a fork. Bake 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Loosen from sides of pan while still warm, or lift out of pan with the aluminum edge, cool on wire rack. Cut into bars.
Here is the finished and cooled cookie bars, very yummy!
Let me know if you makes these cookie bars! I do hope you will come back soon and you can find this column here every Wednesday!
I Have A Book Giveaway Going On, It Ends In A Few Days. Please Check It Out And Enter!
Have you seen any of these videos? If not, go watch them HERE. Hubby discovered this a few weeks ago, they are hilarious and now I find myself looking to see if new videos have been put up. Not only have they done the news but recently they also did a Auto-Tune The Guild. If you are not a gamer you most likely have no clue what The Guild is so click HERE to find out and watch this video!
I have a Book Giveaway Going On Right Now, “The Passage: by Justin Cronin. If You Are Interested, Enter HERE.
When I booked our Eastern Caribbean Cruise a few months ago, I immediately started to worry wonder what we would use for underwater pictures. We have one booked excursion that has us 20 feet under the sea and pictures are a must.
I researched all over the internet trying to find a solution that would not have me buying something that cost hundreds of dollars. I found something on Amazon that was called underwater camera housing. I was not sold but go figure, I bought it anyways.
This “case” came in and of course my camera did not fit. I tried my best to get the best size to fit but I guess it was not meant to be. We tried to get the thing to fit a few different ways but it did not happen. We decided we would just buy the expensive $10 throw-a-ways at whatever store and hope they came out.
I was not satisfied with that even though I know the pictures come out just fine, sometimes instant gratification is just what you want and throw-a-ways do not give you that, as it’s 35mm film and then you have to pay for all that film to be developed. Then all that money could have been spent buying a digital underwater camera.
Several days ago we actually found a digital underwater camera on sale and snatched it up quick. Problem solved. Yesterday we used it in the pool, we had fun taking pictures and we even took some video. It all came out great. I am really glad I found this as it has been a little stressful here and there planning some aspects of this cruise. Thankfully it is almost time for the cruise, 12 more days!!!!
If you would like to participate, just click the button!
Welcome to this weeks edition of Aloha Friday!
My Question This Week Is:
Do you fear there might ever be nuclear war?
My Answer Is:
Yes, I do. What I worry most about is that no one will be prepared for it either, including myself. My husband and I talk about it often sometimes and talk about what we might do if in fact it ever happened. I hope it never happens but the state our world is in, is VERY scary and feels like it could go bad very quickly.
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If you are interested, I have a Book Giveaway going on, I am giving away 1 Hardcover copy of “The Passage” by Justin Cronin. Click HERE to enter!
“Do you prefer reading current books? Or older ones? Or outright old ones? (As in, yes, there’s a difference between a book from 10 years ago and, say, Charles Dickens or Plato.)”
My preferred reading over the last few years has been current books but I’ve been known to switch it up a little and read some older books. By older I mean within the last 10 years. I do have some outright old ones that I just downloaded onto my Kindle that have been an interest to me for a long time but I’ve put them off for whatever reason.
I tend to look at the New York Best Sellers list to find books a lot of the time, I’ve been doing that for about 10 years now. I am not sure what the allure of a best seller is to me but whatever it is, it’s very attractive because I always look their first before I purchase a book.
~
If you are interested, I have a Book Giveaway going on, I am giving away 1 Hardcover copy of “The Passage” by Justin Cronin. Click HERE to enter!
Welcome to another edition of my weekly column Baking With The Social Frog!
If you are interested in baking with me every week, put the button in your post linking to my blog. Make sure to leave a link in the comments section so I can come see what you have baked this week! Or just come by and check out what I have made and get a yummy recipe.
Since it is summer I am going to throw in a lot of simple recipes because you don’t want to always have the oven going for long periods of time especially when the temps outside are like they are here in Florida, in the high 90’s.
So this weeks recipe is so very good. It’s Chocolate Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, a great way for everyone to eat some good stuff as well as chocolate! I like to call these a “healthier” version of a cookie but with the chocolate, not so much. As with everything…Moderation! I wanted to make something hubby could eat and take into work, this week he has a PRT. I hope he eats a few,lol!
As with most cookie recipes, try your own thing sometimes or add something you think it should have in it. This week I made a small variation to this recipe. It does not call for chocolate, but I wanted to test it and it wins! Onto the recipe!
Chocolate Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Ingredients:
1 Package any brand Devil’s Food Cake Mix
4 Egg Whites
1 Cup uncooked Oats (No Instant)
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 Cup Raisins (Add More or less, Up To 1 1/2 Cups
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease cookies sheets if they are light, if dark coated do not grease.
Combine cake mix, egg whites, oats and oil in a large bowl. Beat at low speed with electric mixer until blended. Stir in raisins. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets.
3. Bake at 350 for 7-9 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets. Cool on wire racks. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.
Let me know if you makes these cookies! I do hope you will come back soon and you can find this column here every Wednesday!
I Have A Book Giveaway Going On, Please Check It Out And Enter!
I am giving away one (1) hardcover copy of “The Passage” by Justin Cronin.
You have from now till June 29th at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time and the Winner will be announced on June 30th and I will need the winners info ASAP as I will be leaving for a week long Caribbean cruise on July 2nd.
The winner will be chosen at random using random.org
Synopsis
First, the unthinkable: a security breach at a secret U.S. government facility unleashes the monstrous product of a chilling military experiment. Then, the unspeakable: a night of chaos and carnage gives way to sunrise on a nation, and ultimately a world, forever altered. All that remains for the stunned survivors is the long fight ahead and a future ruled by fear—of darkness, of death, of a fate far worse.
As civilization swiftly crumbles into a primal landscape of predators and prey, two people flee in search of sanctuary. FBI agent Brad Wolgast is a good man haunted by what he’s done in the line of duty. Six-year-old orphan Amy Harper Bellafonte is a refugee from the doomed scientific project that has triggered apocalypse. He is determined to protect her from the horror set loose by her captors. But for Amy, escaping the bloody fallout is only the beginning of a much longer odyssey—spanning miles and decades—towards the time and place where she must finish what should never have begun.
With The Passage, award-winning author Justin Cronin has written both a relentlessly suspenseful adventure and an epic chronicle of human endurance in the face of unprecedented catastrophe and unimaginable danger. Its inventive storytelling, masterful prose, and depth of human insight mark it as a crucial and transcendent work of modern fiction.
Giveaway Requirements & Rules
This giveaway is open to US residents only!
Please leave a seperate comment for each entry!!
*Required Entery*
Leave me a comment, but it has to be more than just “hello” or you will NOT be entered. This is +2 Entries
After you do the required entry you can get more entries by doing the following:
+2 Entries-Blog about this book giveaway, with a link back to this giveaway post. Make sure to let me know in a comment with a link to your post or put this giveaway in your sidebar.
+2 Entries-Subscribe to my blog or Follow. Make sure to let me know in the comments, if you already do that counts too just let me know.
+2 Entries-Tweet about this giveaway, with a link back to it and make sure to leave a comment that you did with your twitter id.
+2 Entries-Follow me on Twitter. Make sure to let me know you did this in the comments, if you already follow me on Twitter that counts to just let me know along with your id.
The Total Entries You Can Get Are: 10
Make sure I have your e-mail address so I can contact you immediately if you are the winner. The winner will have to give me their information ASAP as I will be leaving on the morning of July 2nd and will not be able to send a package out after the 1st until I return on the 12th of July, so please get back to me on the 30th or the 1st so I can get it out to you before my vacation. If you fail to give me your contact information by 11:59 PM on the 1st, you will have to wait till July 12th for me to ship the book. I just want to make this clear! The Winner will be announced on June 30th!!
Reading anything good this week? I am currently reading “The Passage” at a fast pace. It is such a great story, well put together and I love the character build up!
I’ve decided that I will be giving away a hard-cover copy of the book, starting tomorrow, so please check back and enter! If you are not sure about the book read this “The Passage“.
I’ve decided today to do a bookish interview with myself. If you can not tell, I love reading. I have many interests and hobbies but this one is always there, easy to stop and start back up if need be. Last year I took a tiny break for a few months and did not read books, I missed reading but it was very refreshing and apparently needed at the time.
Do you ever take breaks from reading/reviewing?
Okay, onto the questions:
1. How old were you when you learned how to read?
Well I honestly do not remember exactly, I was young. Mom used to read and teach me at home before I had started kindergarten and I know for certain I learned by the age of 5 at school. Truth be told I did not enjoy it then though.
2. Were you a big reader growing up?
Nope, not at all. Getting me to read was like pulling teeth. I could read, I just did not like it or enjoy it, reading was just a “school” thing for several years.
3. Are there any books that left a big impression on you as a kid?
Aside from my Bible that also had pictures, no. I wish I could say there was something else but I kept reading to a minimum at a young age.
4. Favourite genres? (Do you read mainly fiction or non-fiction? Do you have a soft spot for horror, sci-fi, or romance?)
I used to be stuck on True Crime, years ago that was all I would read. I finally branched out into happier tales,lol. I absolutely love Biographies and Memoirs. I read tons of non-fiction but also love fiction.
5. Top 5 favourite authors?
Well I honestly don’t have 5 and I rarely read many books from the same author. One of my favorite authors is Adam Schell, author of “Tomato Rhapsody“. Aside from that I read books that interest me rather than authors.
6. Top 5 Favourite books? (Click On Them To Read About Them)
In my comfy rocker chair or on the couch. I will read anywhere though.
8. Do you like to eat or drink something while you read? If so, what are your foods and beverages of choice?
Well, if I am drinking something it will most likely be a Pepsi and if I am munching on something while reading it will usually be pretzels.
9. What do you typically wear when you read?
This is kind of an odd question, no? I don’t dress in anything special to read but I live in Florida so you will usually find me wearing shirts and a t-shirt reading unless I am at the beach or pool in which you will find me in my bathing suit.
10. On average, how many books do you read a month?
It varies but usually no less than 5, sometimes as high as 8. It all depends on the book lengths and my interest.
11. How do you get hold of the books? Do you buy them at a bookstore, visit an online store, borrow from a friend or family member, or do you use the library?
This changes from month to month but I usually get books from authors and or publishers, or through LibraryThing and other sources. I also purchase my own books online and at bookstores. I do not use the library any more for books.
12. Paperback or hardcover?
Before I purchased my Kindle I only ever bought paperback unless forced to buy hardcover. I personally do not see the need in owning a hardcover plus the cost is a bit much for someone who reads as much as I do.
13. At what point do you give up on a book?
I rarely give up on a book but if I can not stand it I will know after the first few pages but will give it a full chapter before letting it go. I’ve only done this to a few books over the years. I don’t like starting a book and not finishing and I have often read all the way through, but very slowly to make sure I finish it.
14. How do you find about new books and authors?
Book Blogs, Amazon, Twitter are a few places I find out about them from.
16. What was the last book you checked out from the library?
Ummm…It has been forever, several years in fact and I do not remember at all.
17. On average, how many hours a week do you spend reading?
It varies but I’d say at least 15-20 hours.
18. Are you a fast or slow reader?
I am a fast reader. I soak it all in though and I remember what I read very well.
19. Do you sometimes read more than one book at the time?
It is rare if I do. I like to devote my brain entirely to one book at a time. That way my thoughts are on one plot and I feel I can read and review books better that way.
20. Are you what Stephen King refers to as a Constant Reader, or are there periods where you don’t read at all?
Well I was a constant reader up until a point last year when I felt a little burnt out on some reading I was doing. It was personal reading that was suppose to be fun and some how it wore me out and I started to not like reading as much which is odd for me, so I knew I needed to take a short break.
21. What’s the longest you’ve gone without reading?
It was about 5 months, I guess it was a much needed break and I’ve been refreshed and am enjoying reading again. I never imagined I could get burned out reading but it happened.
Don’t forget to stop back by tomorrow for your chance to win a hardcover copy of “The Passage” by Justin Cronin.
Even though I have my Kindle, I still enjoy holding a good physical book every now & then. Today hubby and I had a nice brunch at Panera and decided to head over to our favorite book store which houses thousands of used new and old books.
This weekend seems to be filled with post-apocalyptic chatter between hubby and I, it is a subject he really gets into and I find it pretty interesting. In fact, we have 3 movies we will be watching tomorrow that deal with the subject.
We had a list of books in mind that we both wanted to read and so we walked the many isles and found just a few books and I am sure we will enjoy them.
Do signed copies excite you? Tempt you? Delight you? Or does it not matter to you?
Well the thought does excite me and truth be told it does/would delight me. My problem is, I am never around where there are book signings of anyone I am interested in or anyone really at all…or am I just not looking in the right places? Before I moved where I am now I honestly thought I’d get more books signed than just the 1 and only book I currently have. The book I do have signed is “Sorrows Road” by Ray Stefanelli and that was at my local library last year. It is not a huge deal to have a book signed but if it’s an author I really enjoy/appreciate than that would just be cool.
If you're an author or publisher and you'd like me to review a book, I accept most books for review. You can e-mail me HERE or Click Here for more information.
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