SHARING SATURDAY

One of Jan's personal photos from her blog.

Earlier this morning while visiting a few blogs, I noticed one that I normally follow had disabled her comments and contact section because of public disinterest.  When I saw that, it made me sad that a person who had started her blog about 3 years ago felt that no one cared.  Her posts are about lovely photos that she takes, and thought-provoking poetry, and to me they make an impact.  

In January this year, my New Year's resolution was to visit new blogs because I felt that if someone was willing to put their thoughts  and lives on display for the world to see, he or she had something to say.  For the first time ever, I've been able to keep a resolution because I wasn't crazy enough to do the dieting thing again that had always been an epic fail every dang year! 

Some topics from blogs and social media fit in with my lifestyle, and a few do not.  For me, it's the kindness shown, the finding of a new novel, the pics or places, the kookiness of the person, the outright anger that a person feels or simply the fact that I always learn something new that keeps me hanging out in other places.  

Dress designed and made from nature

Dress designed and made from nature

So this Saturday is all about sharing some of the things I've seen throughout the blogosphere or social media as a shout out.  If I'm behind on  visiting your blog lately, or I'm late on commenting back, I haven't forgotten you and will get back on track soon.  Meanwhile, I hope this blogger friend sees this post and reactivates her comments again.  I see you Jan, and I care. 

Golden African sunsets on Masai Mara.

Walkway on the Grand Canyon

Apples and Pears

Lion made from a watermelon

THROW IT OUT THERE THURSDAY + CHOCOLATE CHIP BROWNIE BARS

Chocolate Chip Brownies

This chocolate treat is so simple to make and once they taste it, your friends will love you!

Chocolate Chip Brownie Bars

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
One 6.5-ounce box brownie mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil


Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil with a 2-inch overhang. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar at medium-high speed with a mixer until fluffy. Add 2 eggs, beating until well blended. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating until the mixture forms a soft dough. Stir in the chocolate morsels.

In another large bowl, combine the brownie mix, oil, 1/4 cup water and remaining 2 eggs, beating until well blended.

Spread the the cookie dough in prepared pan. Pour the brownie mixture over the dough. Using a knife, swirl the mixtures together. Bake until the edges start to pull away from sides of the pan, 40 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours. Cut into bars.
Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen

Do you like going to the movies?  Did you know you can earn cash just by doing special assignments while there?  Check out www.marketforce.com to sign up.  Scroll down to Shoppers , then click on "Become a Theater Checker" for a list of available assignments.  You'll be contacted by a representative to go over the job.  How much can you earn?  $50 - $75!

If you signed up to do some extracurricular cheating over at Ashley Madison, the gig may be up. The hackers, The Impact Team, who wanted the Ashley Madison site to be taken down or else, have now exposed 30 million names, including Josh Duggar, (allegedly) from the now defunct TLC program 19 Kids and Counting. Many may or may not agree, but I consider cheating to be an abusive act towards a spouse or significant other, so the fact that this site literally has millions of subscribers is very disturbing. Instead of spending money trying to hide an affair, why not pay some bills, or use it for something special for the person you actually married or profess to be in love with. I'm just saying...

NC State Fair Teen Reading Challenge for grades 6-12  is effective September 1 - September 30, where readers can win 4 State Fair Passes.  Sorry, but this won't include rides. Register on-line at www.ncstatefair.org .


Have you ever fallen in love with the work of an author, then had to own everything he or she has ever written?  That's definitely me! It's taken me about  2 years, but I finally completed my Catherine Anderson library by snagging Switchback from 1990 and Cry of the Wild from 1992.  Yay!

Did you know that according to the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, women who ate 3 ounces of tomatoes before a meal can actually lose nearly 2 1/2 pounds in just one month? The nutrients inside a tomato help to speed weight loss.

Do you remember the Rubik's Cube?  Were you ever able to solve it?  I sure never did!  He didn't break the world record of American Collin Burns, but Feliks Zemdegs from Australia shocked everyone by solving the cube at the Rubik's World Championship in Brazil for the second time, in less than 6 seconds. Wow!
  

See the actual video -  click here)

WIN BOOKS AND MAJOR SWAG

Are you a lover of books and just can't get enough?  Enter for giveaways from these sites and you'll be amazed.  Some authors offer not only books, but gift cards, chocolate, jewelry and lots more!

You'll never win if you don't give it a try.

http://www.epicreads.com/contest/ - Teen Books

http://www.yabookscentral.com/ - Young Adults + Kid Books

http://bookdivas.com/ - A Mix of Books

http://www.freshfiction.com/contests.php - specialize in books 

from various genres (romance, thrillers, horror and other 

        types of neat prizes)

Hammock in a Bag so you can read anywhere!

http://leitesculinaria.com/category/giveaways - win cookbooks 

        and cooking related prizes like dishes, pots, etc.

DO YOU EVER WISH YOU LIVED IN A LIBRARY ?

I'm giving my buddy Katherine P. a shout out because her blog http://iwishilivedinalibrary.blogspot.com/ actually captures how I've felt on a few occasions.  Hey there Sarah!  I'm also waving big to my friend Red Iza of https://theereaderjunkie.wordpress.com who actually has the very cool job of being a librarian.

In my lifetime, I've lived in about 12 different states, and every arrival meant a new library card.  I would grab an armful of books, choose a comfy chair and read through many treasures for hours.  

But libraries today have changed.  A lot no longer the rule of speaking quietly while others are reading.  Many have reading events for children or teens. Some have closed due to budget issues, a few have minimized their hours, and still others have embraced the culture of reading, offering new concepts to attract customers.

If you're ever or live in Barcelona, they offer large kitchens in both of their facilities,  The Biblioteca del Fondo and The Central Library of Castelldefels.  These libraries actually provide cooking classes!

Back here in the states, Meadowridge Library at 5726 Raymond Road in Madison WI expanded their library to include a very large kitchen.  

And in Hartford, CT,, they are doing it big with a kitchen that provides gourmet meals to the public.

There are plenty more places that provide kitchens for employees that aren't really publicized, making it simple to have special parties or mini events at minimal costs.

In addition to easy access to all the books we love and enjoy, libraries are making it even more likely that we can move in at our leisure.  Kitchens, bathrooms and large couches, computers and books.  Yay!!!

What about you?  If the decor was right, would you live in your local library?

STRESS FREE SUNDAY AND SUMMER STUFF

Before we get started, let's give a super shout out to my girl Kim of http://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/, who lovingly does her weekly meme every Sunday about news, reviews, books and great info.  Last week she celebrated her 4 year blogoversary and we're super proud of her hard work and dedication. Stop by to wave at Kim when you have the chance.

One thing that stands out in my mind from last week is having a few wrapped candies of Ferrero Rocher®  thrown at me in the store by a really animated customer. The cashier was entering all of the merchandise into the register, when the lady realized she wanted a snack.  In her haste to get that candy on the conveyor before the cashier finished, she grabbed those balls and somehow threw them all over the place, hitting me in the process.  We were surprised to see all those flying balls and giggled hysterically.  She felt really bad and bought me a box of candy, (I tried to decline, but she wasn't havin' it) along with a few others who'd been playfully attacked.  Very cool lady!

S'MORES ICE CREAM SANDWICHES

INGREDIENTS

32 

graham cracker squares

1/2 

cup Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy chocolate frosting

1/2 

cup marshmallow creme

1/2 

gallon brick-style chocolate ice cream (or any flavor you prefer)

DIRECTIONS

• Arrange 16 of the graham crackers in the bottom of an ungreased jelly roll pan, 15 1/2x10 1/2x1 inch. Spread frosting on top of each cracker. Spread marshmallow creme on one side of remaining crackers.
• Cut ice cream crosswise into four 3/4-inch-thick slices. Cut each slice into fourths to make 16 pieces. (Freeze remaining ice cream for another use.) Place one ice cream piece on each cracker in pan. Top with remaining crackers, marshmallow sides down, pressing lightly.
• Cover and freeze about 2 hours or until firm. Wrap each sandwich in foil or plastic wrap; store in freezer. (Betty Crocker Recipes)

On March 12 of this year, Martha Stewart opened up a cafe in the building she owns.  If you live in New York, or are just there for a visit, be sure to check out her special tea and coffee blends and pastries at  601 W 26th St, New York, NY 10001.

An excellent home chef, my mom did everything she could to teach me to cook when I was a kid and I kept coming up with excuses.  I was going to be a career woman so I wouldn't have time to cook, or I planned to travel and visit lots of exotic restaurants.  She told me that the way to a man's heart was through his stomach, which made absolutely no sense to me.  As a tomboy, all I cared about was climbing fences or playing sports with the guys, and there were no thoughts of romance with any of them! (lol) Needless to say, by the time I did get married, every meal was a disaster.  The noodles for spaghetti were sticky and thick, eggs were burned or brownies were so hard they were used for target practice. The only thing I never screwed up was a cheeseburger! (lol)  I figured it out gradually, but because I'm a Book Nerd, I had to have cookbooks to help.  I don't use them as much now, but over the years, I've managed to collect about 223 cookbooks, some dating back to the 60's.  Now, thanks to the Food Network and all those cookbooks, I can make a zillion types of gourmet cheeseburgers, but I'm not ready for any professional stuff.

Are you a mini master in the kitchen and get complimented on every meal you make?  Ever wondered if you can turn your culinary genius into cash?  Below are 3 upcoming events to enter for the chance to win bragging rights and moola.

"2015 AMERICA’S BETTER SANDWICH™" CONTEST
DEADLINE	August 23, 2015 12pm
DESCRIPTION	Submit your better — more nutritional — sandwich including one or two slices of an Arnold®, Brownberry® or Oroweat® bread product, depending on category. The five categories are: Open-Face Artistry; Breakfast in Bread; Love, Healthfully; Creative Classics; and Fueling Good. Include a short description of how your sandwich is better in terms of health and taste. The sponsor will donate one loaf of bread to Feeding America for each Entry and vote submitted, up to 100,000 loaves.
ELIGIBILITY	Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, DC and PR who are age 18 or older and have reached the age of majority.
PRIZES	Grand Prize: $25,000 check. 5 Category Prizes (1/category): $5,000 check.
DETAILS	Click here for contest information.

LOWES FOODS LOCAL FLAVOR RECIPE CONTEST: BEER
DEADLINE	August 23, 2015
DESCRIPTION	Enter your original recipe which uses beer as an ingredient.
ELIGIBILITY	Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and DC who are age 18 or older.
PRIZES	Grand Prize: $500 shopping spree at Lowes Foods and recipe will be featured in an upcoming Lowes Foods ad in Our State magazine, in addition to being featured on ourstate.com, lowesfoods.com, social media, and on Lowes Foods in-store recipe cards. Second Prize: $250 shopping spree at Lowes Foods. Third Prize: $100 shopping spree at Lowes Foods. 2 Honorable Mention Prizes: $20 gift card to Lowes Foods.
DETAILS	Click here for contest information.

SUTTER HOME'S BUILD A BETTER BURGER® CONTEST 2015
DEADLINE	September 8, 2015 12pm PT
DESCRIPTION	Create and enter a burger recipe, defined as a grilled patty formed of ground meat or other ground foods, and served on a bread product or alternative wrappings such as lettuce. It may include condiments, sauces, spreads, cheeses, and toppings, all in or on the bread product/alternative wrapping. No side dishes or garnishes are allowed. Size your recipe to make 6 burgers or 12-18 sliders. Recipes must be completely preparable in 60 minutes or less. The use of sustainable, organic, and locally sourced ingredients is encouraged. The sponsor would also prefer recipes that are not overly complicated or costly to make. Previous non-winning entries may be updated and resubmitted.
ELIGIBILITY	Open to legal residents of the United States (excluding PR and other U.S. territories or possessions) who are age 21 or older. Previous finalists and winners are excluded. Check the rules if your work involves alcoholic beverages.
PRIZES	Grand Prize: $25,000. People's Choice Award: $5,000. 5 "Potential Winning Recipe" Prizes: $1,000 toward the purchase of Weber® products.
DETAILS	Click here for contest information.

Thanks to Contest Cook

Just for today, place all your troubles in the pocket that has the hole in it, then grab your favorite drink and relax with a good book or that movie you've been wanting to see.