DO MEN READ ROMANCE NOVELS?

A zillion years ago while in the Air Force as a kid, I had a male buddy who used to read romance novels, which sort of surprised me. When he told me why he read them, it made a little more sense. He wanted to find creative lines to pick up women. (lol) Well...ok.  This friend also spent his spare time drawing pictures of vaginas (another story-heh) and had them plastered throughout his dorm room.  We lost touch, but I often wonder if he ever got married. (lol)

Hottie Hubby's Book for July and Fun Bookmark

So once a month, Hottie Hubby picks up one of my many romance books for his reading pleasure and this time it's one from Diana Palmer published in 1991 called True Colors.    He finishes 
but we never really discuss them other than to comment on whether he liked or disliked the content.  He then gives it back to me so he won't put it in the wrong place on the bookshelf. (lol) This is what got me to wondering if there are more men out there who are reading from our libraries.

Statistically, I was already shocked to find that there are actually more male bloggers than women, but when I realized that according to Nielsen Books and Consumer Tracker, in a survey they did for RWA, 16% are reading romance novels, my jaw dropped.

Other than my husband, I've never seen a guy read or talk about a romance novel, having only seen those who dismiss what we read as silly or unreal.  We like our Happily Ever After, but do men want to see that too?  Are they actually talking about romance, reading reviews or joining book clubs like we are?

A Blog was started in 2014 about men reading romance, and while it's currently not active, the premise behind it was a really good idea, so I hope it starts again. http://menreadromance.com/

But what about you?  Do you know male bloggers who discuss romance novels, or have friends who are reading stories that make us swoon?

READING BOOKS THAT HAVE BEEN SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR

The other day, I was going through my bookcases to dust and noticed quite a few books that had been signed by the author, which of course, is really neat.  I received many from book store signings, authors, contests or friends and those copies have never been read.  In many instances I purchased a few duplicates, but there are still some that remain untouched.

As a bookworm, it's a total thrill for me to receive a novel that has been personally signed by the author and specified for me, so I just don't have the heart to mess it up in any way. It's personal and has to stay in pristine condition. I'd rather spend the money to get another copy when possible, than to take that chance.

What about you?  Do you treasure your signed copies and never read them?  Do you read them and keep them in a special place? Does it matter?

TASTY TUESDAY & NOVEL NEWS

Have you ever read a novel with an older woman and younger man as the main characters?  Was it one of the best stories you ever read, or did it fall short of your expectations?  I have not read any, but I've heard of two really good ones that have been extremely popular: The Summer of Good Intentions by Wendy Francis and On the Island by Tracey G. Graves.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Summer-Good-Intentions-Novel/dp/145166642X

If you're reading these type of romances, would you live it in real life if the opportunity became available?  Would you date or marry a younger man? Would it bug you if your mom dated someone significantly younger?  Inquiring minds want to know.

We're still celebrating frozen treats all this month, so here's a grown up drink that will take just minutes to make, and you'll be surprised how good it is.

FROZEN HOT CHOCOLATE
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 Cups of Crushed Ice
1/2 Cup Dark Chocolate Hot Cocoa Mix
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/8 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
6 Oz. Cold Chilled Milk

DIRECTIONS
Combine all those ingredients in your blender, blending on low until the ice breaks down.  After that, turn up the heat to high speed until everything is nice and creamy.  Top with some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, then enjoy!

For extra chocolate flavor, use chocolate milk instead of white milk, and chocolate ice cream.

JUST ONE MORE THING & TUESDAY TRIVIA
While watching Chopped on the Food Network, we see a 1 hour program that includes commercials and a lot of sweating in the kitchen.  If it plays ON Demand, it's on for about 44 minutes.  In real time, and I admit this is hard to imagine, it takes 12 hours to film just one day of this show and 75 people are there during the production!

The judges make it look really simple to figure out who gets chopped, but on average, it may take them about 20 minutes, unless they really disagree, according to the host, Ted Allen.

MAKE IT YUMMY MONDAY

Whew!  What a weekend filled with all kinds of stuff!  For those really neat bloggers who can manage to recap an entire week of events, you deserve major cool points.  I sort of remember what happened within the past few days, but don't ask me to go back any further than Saturday. (lol)

Tea has lately been one of my go to faves, so when I realized you could add in all these delicious fruits for a unique flavor, I was right on board.  I stayed home pretty much all weekend and had time to test these fantastic treats.  Give one a try, then relax with a good book or invite a friend over to enjoy.

THIRST QUENCHING TEA RECIPES
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan, then remove from the heat adding the teabags.  Let it steep, stirring twice for 3-4 minutes, before discarding the teabags and letting the tea cool.  This is considered the BASIC TEA CONCENTRATE.


DOUBLE APPLE ICED TEA
Make the Basic Tea Concentrate, then
core and slice 2 apples like Granny Smith or Braeburn.  
Stir them into the tea concentrate, along with 4 cups of apple juice.
Store in Fridge, and when ready, serve over ice.

STRAWBERRY ICED TEA SLUSHIE

Use the Basic Tea Concentrate
In a blender, puree 8 ounces frozen or fresh strawberries, 2 cups of the basic tea concentrate and 1 cup ice until smooth.
Transfer to 3 glasses, then repeat as needed for more decadence.

HONEYDEW & WATERMELON ICED TEA

Use the Basic Tea Concentrate
Stir in 1 Cup each of watermelon and honeydew that has been cut up.
Add 4 Cups of Cold Water
Store in Fridge, and when ready, serve over ice.

When making your Basic Tea, feel free to use Green Tea, Black Tea or a Flavored Tea that you like. 

YOGURT BLUE CHEESE DIP

This particular recipe uses Greek Yogurt, and thanks to Chef Extraordinaire Bobby Flay drilling it in my head via a zillion commercials, I recommend Fage, which sounds nothing like it's spelled. Greek Yogurt is thicker and creamier than regular yogurt, and has about twice the protein.

However, you may have noticed that since cheating on his wife Stephanie with an assistant became public knowledge, (their divorce was finalized a few days ago) we no longer see those ads on tv.  I'm just saying. Despite all that, I do still love the yogurt because it has a really tart flavor that works well with a lot of recipes.

In a bowl, combine 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt, 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice, 1/4 Tbs Hot Sauce of your choice, and 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper.  Stir in 1 scallion that's been finely chopped, and 1 Tbsp Parsley.  Fold in 2 Ounces Crumbled Blue Cheese, then serve with cucumbers, radishes, potato chips or flavored crackers.

JUST ONE MORE THING

Has your handsome hubby or boyfriend ever been sick?  Do those strong hunky men change right before you into babies who just fall apart at the seams until they're all healed up?  

Do you think there's a difference between how men cope versus women who get ear infections, colds or broken fingers?  What are your thoughts?

FEEL GOOD FRIDAY + SOME FREEBIES

Zack Francom from Provo UT was on a mission to help others at just 6 years old, and he's been doing it ever since.

What exactly has he been doing?  Mixing up his own personal batch of cookies for $.50 and lemonade for just $.50 a cup and earning a whopping salary of $60,000!  

"I started doing this when a charity (LDS Philanthropies) came to our classroom and they asked every classroom to earn $86 to earn wheelchairs for people," Francom said.

He has become so popular that the now 12 year old entrepreneur ended up on the popular Steve Harvey show and earned an additional $5000.

Zack's first goal was to just raise enough money for one wheelchair but over the years, his shack grew in popularity. He wasn't just raising enough for one wheelchair, but lots of them.  Everything he earns is given right back for those in need.

Now that's a wonderful act of kindness!

If you want to help visit www.itfeelsgreattogive.com.

This is a quick nod to my buddy Mary Kirkland from Darkthoughts who shares all the free things she's snagged throughout the week on Freebie Fridays at her blog.  Some of the things she picks up are fab. Hey There Mary! 
http://scarymarythehamsterlady.blogspot.com/

FREE STUFF FOR FAMILIES

July 27 - July 31:  Family Friendly movies for FREE at Halle Cultural Arts Center in Apex., NC. Bring your own goodies to munch on.

nc-apex.civicplus.com/874/Free-movies

Visit the Wallace Parking Deck at 150 E. Rosemary St. in Chapel Hill, NC on the 3rd + 4th Thursday of the month through August 27 and enjoy FREE admission for outdoor movies, popcorn, games, activities for kids/adults, telecscope demos and prizes.  Bring your own comfy lawn chairs.

townofchapelhill.org

If the heat is too much and you want to cool off, why not bring along the kids to Fuquay Varina's brand new Splash Pad. At 6000 square feet, with lots of bright gadgets, there's sure to be plenty of fun for everyone in the family!

Where: South Park, 900 S. Main St, right beside the local Community Center

Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily until the fall

Cost: FREE

FREE FOOD!

This sounds totally hard to believe, but it's true.  Act quickly to get your Blue Ribbon Foods  FREE Chef’s Mixed Grill sample package. This includes two premium flat iron steaks, three chicken breast kabobs, and a delicious apple cobbler crisp. Just fill out the form here and a Blue Ribbon customer service representative will contact you to coordinate delivery. No purchase is necessary, and no credit card is required. Sample packs are extremely limited and only available to those in their delivery area. Thanks to the Freebie Blogger for finding this awesome deal! 

http://www.blueribbonfoods.com/free-sample/

JUST ONE MORE THING

Not my everyday purse - too small (lol)

The other day, I went through the monumental task of cleaning out my purse, which is already fairly large.  Every time I switch bags, I tell myself that I'm not going to pile it up with tons of useless stuff. Consistently, my intentions are really good, but just like a New Year's resolution, I'm right back to my old habits before I know it. I found 2 Strawberry Lip Balms in a state not intended for use because I forgot and left my purse in the car one day.  Then I save receipts from every purchase thinking that they'll be needed for a day that very rarely comes. Should I mention all those books that mysteriously find their way in, along with mail, mascara, medicine, phones, phone books (yes, I still carry one of those), spoons, tire gauges, soap/facecloth, tissues and goodness knows what else? The answer to this is probably to use a smaller purse, but junk will surely find its way in there, too. Yes, I know I need some discipline, but dang it, I need those things to be in there! (lol) What about you?  Are you just carrying too much stuff?

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