Fresh Friday 10.30.09 - Happy Halloween!

Isalys's Choice:

Cheesy Jack O' Lantern
Prep Time: 10 min | Total Time: 1 hr 10 min| Makes: 24 servings

What You Need:

3 green onions, divided
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 pkg. (8 oz.) KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided
1/4 cup finely chopped red peppers
2 slices pepperoni

Make It!
CUT 4-inch length from green end of 1 onion; slice remaining onions. Beat cream cheese and 1-1/4 cups Cheddar with mixer until well blended. Stir in sliced onions and peppers. Refrigerate 1 hour.

SHAPE into ball; roll in remaining Cheddar. Cut pepperoni into shapes for the jack-o'-lantern's eyes, nose and mouth; press into cheese ball to make face. Insert green onion piece into top for stem.

SERVE with RITZ Crackers.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Vanessa's Choice:

Graveyard Brownies

Prep Time: 15 min | Total Time: 1 hr 20 min | Makes: 24 servings

What You Need:

1 pkg. (8 squares) BAKER'S Unsweetened Chocolate, divided
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine
2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1 Tbsp. decorating gel
24 NUTTER BUTTER Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping (Do not thaw.)
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup BAKER'S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut, tinted green

Make It!
HEAT oven to 350°F.

LINE 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides; spray with cooking spray. Microwave 4 chocolate squares and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted; stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in granulated sugar. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour; mix well. Spread into prepared pan.

BAKE 30 to 35 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not overbake.) Cool completely in pan. Meanwhile, use decorating gel to decorate cookies to resemble gravestones.

MICROWAVE remaining chocolate squares and COOL WHIP in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 to 2 min. or until chocolate is completely melted; stir until well blended. Add powdered sugar; mix well.

USE foil handles to lift dessert from pan; spread with frosting. Stand cookies in brownies; add small amount of coconut at base of each for grass.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

And one more to wash it all down with...
Ghoulish Punch
Prep Time: 15 min | Total Time: 15 min | Makes: 10 servings

What You Need:

2 cups boiling water
1 pkg. (8-serving size) JELL-O Lime Flavor Gelatin
2 cups cold orange juice
1 bottle (1 liter) seltzer, chilled
ice cubes
1 pt. (2 cups) orange sherbet, slightly softened
1 orange, thinly sliced
1 lime, thinly sliced

Make It!
STIR boiling water into dry gelatin in large bowl at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Stir in juice. Cool to room temperature.

POUR into punch bowl just before serving. Add seltzer and ice; stir.

ADD scoops of sherbet and fruit slices.

Just 1 day to go til Halloween *boo*!

Looking for the right book store?

This ain't it!
LOL!!
{This is an actual book store in Hong Kong!}

I'm baaaack :)

Hiya kiddos!!

I'm back from my anniversary trip to the UK. Phil (the hubby) and I had a wonderful time!! We got to see some incredible places and meet really nice people from all over the world. Being the history buff that I am, I was in awe at some of the areas of London, Dublin and especially Edinburgh. It's almost as if time stood still!

It's funny, I've dreamed of going to England for such a longggg time (and if anyone knows me, they know that I've been obsessed since I was 11) and the day we arrived, I couldn't seem to grasp how 'real' this place was. It existed in my mind for so long that to walk its streets seemed surreal!

I wanted to share a few pictures with you, but this is only a sampling though because by the end of the trip, we had 860 pics!! (You can click on the images to enlarge.)

LONDON ♥ ENGLAND

Arriving at Hampton Court Palace. I don't know if you can tell, but I was teary eyed. This was a really big deal for me and I got all emotional!


1) Tower of London 2) Big Ben 3) Tower Bridge


DUBLIN ♥IRELAND

1) Night time Dublin pubs 2) At a our first Irish pub 3) Dublin Castle


1) Factory tour of Guiness 2) Enjoying my free beer! (Note: Guiness tastes a heck of a lot better there than here!)

EDINBURGH ♥ SCOTLAND

1) Rockin' the Scottish plaid 2) Edinburgh Castle (amazing!) 3) Formal Scottish dinner (and yes, we tried the haggis!)


1) The Carlton Hotel proudly displaying the Scottish flag
2) The Floors Castle, still inhabited by the 9th Duke of Roxburgh

Just a quick recap of our total visit:
England: London, Stonehenge, Salisbury, Bath, York, Stratford-Upon-Avon
Wales: Newport, Cardiff
Ireland: Waterford, Kilkenny, Kildare, Dublin
Scotland: Highlands & Lowlands, Edinburgh
(We drove A LOT...we actually covered 1,241 miles in 11 days! Yowza)

Well guys, I hope you all enjoyed walking down memory lane with me. I miss it there already!

Wicked Wednesday 10.28.09 Part 2

Wicked Wednesday Giveaway
October 28 - Nov 11
Connected: The Surprising Power of our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives
by Nicholas A. Christakis MD, PhD
&
James H. Fowler PhD
{We have 5 copies available}

To participate in this giveaway, you will now need to submit your entry via our new Google Docs form.

FILL OUT THIS FORM TO ENTER GIVEAWAY

**We still ask that you make a comment on the giveaway post letting us know that you've submitted your entry. By leaving a comment in the post, you are making our lives easier! :)
Thank you!!**

*We ♥ Google Docs*

Don't forget about our other awesome giveaways!
Supreme Courtship by Christopher Buckley {Ends Nov 4}
The Bible Salesman by Clyde Edgerton {Ends Nov 4}

♥ Connected: The Surprising Power of our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives ♥

Synopsis:
Connected will forever change the way we look at one another — and at ourselves

- Happiness is contagious.

- Your future spouse is likely to be your friend's friend.

- Your friends' friends' friends can make you fat — or thin.

These are just a few of the startling findings of internationally renowned scientists Nicholas A. Christakis and James H. Fowler. In Connected, they present intriguing new evidence that our real-life social networks shape virtually every aspect of our lives. How we feel, whom we marry, whether we fall ill, how much money we make, and whether we vote — everything hinges on what others around us are doing, thinking, and feeling.

Connected shows that our world is governed by the Three Degrees Rule — we influence and are influenced by people up to three degrees removed from us, most of whom we do not even know. For example, your friend's friend's friend has more impact on your happiness than $5,000 in your pocket. Our social networks underlie financial scams, eating disorders, substance abuse, and suicide clusters, but also voter turnout, innovation, altruism, and "random" acts of kindness.

Provocative, insightful, and useful, Connected explains why emotions are contagious, how health behaviors spread, why the rich get richer, and much more. Overturning the notion of the primacy of the individual, Connected provides a revolutionary new paradigm — that, like schools of fish changing direction in unison, we are consciously and unconsciously led by the people around us..

Read Chapter 1!
Book Website
Become a fan on Facebook!
Twitter!
Book Club Guide
Download Slides
Discussion Board

{5 Copies Available}

Rules:
• To enter the giveaway you must complete the new form and leave a comment.
• Books will be delivered directly from the publishers so the giveaways are only available for U.S. and Canada residents. No P.O. boxes please.
Note: It may take several weeks to receive your prize!
• Winners will be drawn soon after the contest ends and posted thereafter.
• Winners will be chosen using random.org!

Ways to earn extra entries:
+1 for being a follower
+1 for following us on Twitter
+1 for following us on Blogged
+1 for subscribing via email or RSS reader
+1 for comments on other posts throughout the week
(Please reference which other posts you've commented on)
+1 for twittering or posting about this giveaway on your blog/site
(Please include a link to the post)

♥ Feel free to contact us via email at booksoulmates[at]gmail[dot]com if you have any questions ♥

Good luck!

Wicked Wednesday 10.28.09 Part 1

Wicked Wednesday Giveaway
October 28 - Nov 11
Chosen By Desire by Kate Perry
{We have 5 copies available}

To participate in this giveaway, you will now need to submit your entry via our new Google Docs form.

FILL OUT THIS FORM TO ENTER GIVEAWAY

**We still ask that you make a comment on the giveaway post letting us know that you've submitted your entry. By leaving a comment in the post, you are making our lives easier! :)
Thank you!!**

*We ♥ Google Docs*

Don't forget about our other awesome giveaways!
Supreme Courtship by Christopher Buckley {Ends Nov 4}
The Bible Salesman by Clyde Edgerton {Ends Nov 4}

♥ Chosen By Desire by Kate Perry ♥
Synopsis:It's down to the wire and Carrie Woods is leaving China without the proof she needs for her thesis: Wei Lin's journal. While on a final tour of the monastery, Carrie finally locates the scrolls and attempts to photograph the documents. Caught in a sticky situation, Carrie takes the scrolls, only to notice a mysterious monk watching her--the same monk that she's seen each time she's taken a tour. Unable to return the scrolls, she travels back to California and isn't too thrilled when she notices the monk at the airport.

Maximillian Prescott first came to the monastery as an orphaned teenager when he inherited the Book of Metal from a distant uncle he hardly knew. After spotting a woman stealing from the monastery, he follows her to get back the documents he knows she's stolen. Max is further intrigued when he finds out that the chatty woman is friends with his archrival, Rhys Llewellyn, and he will stop at nothing to get back everything he's lost.

Chapter One Sneak Peek!!
Kate Perry's Website
Kate Perry's Blog
Kate Perry's Twitter

{5 Copies Available}

Rules:
• To enter the giveaway you must complete the new form and leave a comment.
• Books will be delivered directly from the publishers so the giveaways are only available for U.S. and Canada residents. No P.O. boxes please.
Note: It may take several weeks to receive your prize!
• Winners will be drawn soon after the contest ends and posted thereafter.
• Winners will be chosen using random.org!

Ways to earn extra entries:
+1 for being a follower
+1 for following us on Twitter
+1 for following us on Blogged
+1 for subscribing via email or RSS reader
+1 for comments on other posts throughout the week
(Please reference which other posts you've commented on)
+1 for twittering or posting about this giveaway on your blog/site
(Please include a link to the post)

♥ Feel free to contact us via email at booksoulmates[at]gmail[dot]com if you have any questions ♥

Good luck!

UPDATE: Wicked Wednesday Winners!! *Yay!*

Here are all the winners to the awesome giveaways!
**Drum roll please**

NEW WINNER CHOSEN FOR HISPANIC HERITAGE GIVEAWAY!

The Hispanic Heritage Mega Bundle Winners are.....1. Mindful Musings (Have Addy)

2. BookJunkee *(Need Addy)*
3. HoldenJ (Have Addy)
4. DrBethNolan (Have Addy)
5.NEW WINNER:
Sarah - Saemmerson *(Need Addy)*


Beat the Reaper Winners:

1. Donna S. (Have Addy)
2. Crystal P (CrystalMariePorter) (Have Addy)
3. Mary Ann DeBorde (Have Addy)
4. Carol (Mittens) (Have Addy)
5. MartheE (Have Addy)

Girl on Top Winners:
1. Marian (Have Addy)
2. Jumpin Beans (noelle) (Have Addy)
3. Nancye Davis (Have Addy)
4. Debbie Walker (Have Addy)
5. Angela (Flower Child) - *(Need Addy)*

The Smart One/Pretty One Winners:

1. Venus (etirv) (Have Addy) ***NEW WINNER***

2. Nely (Have Addy)
3. Celticladysramblings (Have Addy)
4. AngelaJasmiine (Have Addy)
5. DarcyO (Have Addy)

The Historian Winners:

1. Simply Stacie (Have Addy)
2. The_Book_Queen (Have Addy)
3. I Heart Book Gossip *(Need Addy)*
4. Andrea (Andiev107) - *(Need Addy)*
5. Dina (Aitmama) - (Have Addy)

All winners were chosen using random.org and all extra points earned were included. Everyone will be contacted via email and we look forward to your reply with your name & mailing address (no PO Boxes please). Your prize will be shipping directly from the Publisher's office.
If for any reason, you do not receive our email and you see that you have won, then please feel free to just email us your contact info.

Addy's We Need: (only 4 more!)
BookJunkee *(Need Addy)*
Angela (Flower Child) - *(Have Addy)*
I Heart Book Gossip *(Need Addy)*
Sarah - Saemmerson *(Need Addy)*

♥♥ Update ♥♥
Thanks to the wonderful world of Google Docs, we already had the majority of the addresses we needed for the winners! The addy's we had on hand are already sent to the publishers! Woot woot!! Please check to see if you're one of the ones we're missing and please email us with your info.
Thanks!

Tuesday's Teasers 10.27.09

Who wants to go shopping for some new books? I do, I do!!

Fresh Friday 10.23.09 - Halloween Edition

Vanessa's Choice:

Spaghetti with Oozing Eyeballs

Prep Time: 20 min | Total Time: 45 min | Makes: 8 servings

What You Need:

2 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1 cup water
2 eggs
1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce, divided
4 sticks KRAFT STRING-UMS String Cheese, cut into quarters

4 pitted large black olives, cut into 4 slices each
1 pkg. (1 lb.) spaghetti

Make It!
HEAT oven to 375ºF.

MIX meat, stuffing mix, water, eggs and 1/4 cup spaghetti sauce. Shape into 16 (2-inch) meatballs. Insert 1 cheese piece into top of each meatball, with end of cheese piece just showing at top. Place on baking sheet. Top each with olive slice to resemble eyeball.

BAKE 20 to 25 min. or until meatballs are done (160ºF). Meanwhile, cook spaghetti and heat remaining spaghetti sauce as directed on package and jar.

DRAIN spaghetti. Serve topped with meatballs and sauce.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Isalys's Choice:
Boo Cups

Prep Time: 15 min| Total Time: 15 min| Makes: 15 servings

What You Need:

2 pkg. (3.9 oz. each) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding
3-1/4 cups cold milk
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
20 OREO Cookies, crushed (about 2 cups), divided
30 miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

Make It!
BEAT pudding mixes and milk in large bowl with whisk 2 min. Stir in half each of the COOL WHIP and cookie crumbs.

SPOON 1 Tbsp. of the remaining crumbs into each of 15 (6-oz.) plastic cups. Cover with layers of pudding mixture and remaining crumbs.

DROP remaining COOL WHIP by spoonfuls onto desserts to resemble ghosts. Add chocolate chips for the eyes.

Just 7 days to go til Halloween *boo*!

Thursday's Thoughts 10.22.09...Name That Castle

Today's quiz is on...

Castles
because who doesn't wish they had one?

1. This castle dates back to the time of William the Conqueror and it's the oldest castles still in occupation. Name this castle.


2. The buildings of this present castle date back to the 12th century and is it now the 2nd most popular tourist attraction in Scotland. Name this castle.


3. The original structure dated back to the 12th century as was built by the Normans but burned down in 1708. Instead, this new modern version was built in it's place. It's located in Ireland. Name this castle.

4. This castle located near the cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris, France is a formal royal palace and prison. Name this castle.


5. This castle located in the old city of Segovia, Spain also dates back to the 12th century and was originally an Arab fort before it was taken back into Christian hands. It became a favorite of Spanish monarchs. Name this castle.

Rules:
• All answers must be submitted via EMAIL only to
TWERD413 [at] gmail [dot] com.
Simply post a comment saying that your answers have been sent.
• Each question is worth 2 extra point for a potential maximum of 10 points.
• Each point is redeemable for an extra entry in the giveaways
(that's up to 10 extra entries)
• Everyone has until 11.05.09 to submit their answers for this quiz.

NOTE: Answers submitted to this quiz will be applied to entries for Wicked Wednesday Giveaway 10.21.09!

Wicked Wednesday 10.21.09 Part 2!

Wicked Wednesday Giveaway
October 21 - November 4
Bible Salesman by Clyde Edgerton
(We have 5 copies available!)

To participate in this giveaway, you will now need to submit your entry via our new Google Docs form.

FILL OUT THIS FORM TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY!

**We still ask that you make a comment on the giveaway post letting us know that you've submitted your entry.**

*We ♥ Google Docs*

Don't forget about our other Wonderful Giveaways!!
A Highlanders temptation by Sue-Ellen Welfonder {5 Copies Available}
Supreme Courtship by Christopher Buckley {5 Copies Available}

♥ Book Up For Grabs ♥
Bible Salesman by Clyde Edgerton
* Pub. Date: August 2008
* Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
* Format: Hardcover, 256pp
* ISBN-13: 9780316117517
* ISBN: 031611751X

Synopsis: Preston Clearwater has been a criminal since stealing two chain saws and 1,600 pairs of aviator sunglasses from the army during the Second World War. Back on the road in postwar North Carolina, now a member of a car-theft ring, he picks up hitchhiking Henry Dampier, an innocent twenty-year-old Bible salesman. Clearwater immediately recognizes Henry as smart but gullible, just the associate he needs—one who will believe Clearwater is working undercover for the F.B.I.; one who will drive the cars Clearwater steals as Clearwater follows along in his own car at a safe distance. Henry joyfully sees a chance to lead a dual life as a Bible salesman and a G-man.

During his hilarious and scary adventures, Henry grapples with doubts about the Bible's accuracy, and we learn of his fundamentalist upbringing, an upbringing that doesn't prepared him for his new life. As he falls in love with the captivating Marleen Green and questions his religious training, Henry begins to see he's being used—that he is on his own in a way he never imagined.

Book Website
Reading Group Guide

Rules:
• To enter the giveaway you must complete the new form and leave a comment.
• Books will be delivered directly from the publishers so the giveaways are only available for U.S. and Canada residents. No P.O. boxes please.
Note: It may take several weeks to receive your prize!
• Winners will be drawn soon after the contest ends and posted thereafter.
• Winners will be chosen using random.org!

Ways to earn extra entries:
+1 for being a follower
+1 for following us on Twitter
+1 for following us on Blogged
+1 for subscribing via email or RSS reader
+1 for comments on other posts throughout the week
(Please reference which other posts you've commented on)
+1 for twittering or posting about this giveaway on your blog/site
(Please include a link to the post)

♥ Feel free to contact us via email at booksoulmates[at]gmail[dot]com if you have any questions ♥

Good luck!

Wicked Wednesday 10.21.09 Part 1

Wicked Wednesday Giveaway
October 21 - November 4
Supreme Courtship by Christopher Buckley

(We have 5 copies available!)

To participate in this giveaway, you will now need to submit your entry via our new Google Docs form.

FILL OUT THIS FORM TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY!

**We still ask that you make a comment on the giveaway post letting us know that you've submitted your entry.**

*We ♥ Google Docs*

Don't forget about our other Wonderful Giveaways!!
A Highlanders temptation by Sue-Ellen Welfonder (5 Copies Available)

Bible Salesman by Clyde Edgerton (5 Copies Available)

♥ Book Up For Grabs ♥

Supreme Courtship by Christopher Buckley
Pub. Date: September 2009
Format: Paperback, 304pp
ISBN-13: 9780446697989

Synopsis:

President of the United States Donald Vanderdamp is having a hell of a time getting his nominees appointed to the Supreme Court. After one nominee is rejected for insufficiently appreciating To Kill A Mockingbird, the president chooses someone so beloved by voters that the Senate won't have the guts to reject her — Judge Pepper Cartwright, the star of the nation's most popular reality show, Courtroom Six.

Will Pepper, a straight-talking Texan, survive a confirmation battle in the Senate? Will becoming one of the most powerful women in the world ruin her love life? And even if she can make it to the Supreme Court, how will she get along with her eight highly skeptical colleagues, including a floundering Chief Justice who, after legalizing gay marriage, learns that his wife has left him for another woman?

Soon, Pepper finds herself in the middle of a constitutional crisis, a presidential reelection campaign that the president is determined to lose, and oral arguments of a romantic nature. Supreme Courtship is another classic Christopher Buckley comedy about the Washington institutions most deserving of ridicule.

Rules:
• To enter the giveaway you must complete the new form and leave a comment.
• Books will be delivered directly from the publishers so the giveaways are only available for U.S. and Canada residents. No P.O. boxes please.
Note: It may take several weeks to receive your prize!
• Winners will be drawn soon after the contest ends and posted thereafter.
• Winners will be chosen using random.org!

Ways to earn extra entries:
+1 for being a follower
+1 for following us on Twitter
+1 for following us on Blogged
+1 for subscribing via email or RSS reader
+1 for comments on other posts throughout the week
(Please reference which other posts you've commented on)
+1 for twittering or posting about this giveaway on your blog/site
(Please include a link to the post)

♥ Feel free to contact us via email at booksoulmates[at]gmail[dot]com if you have any questions ♥

Good luck!

Tuesday's Teasers 10.20.09

Get yourself some new books...

Fresh Friday 10.16.09 - Halloween Edition

Isalys's Choice:

Mummy Face Pizzas

Prep Time: 5 min | Total Time: 15 min| Makes: 2 servings

What You Need:

plain bagel (3-1/2 inch), cut horizontally in half
2 Tbsp. pizza sauce

2 sticks KRAFT STRING-UMS String Cheese

4 slices black olives
(Note: You can always double-up to make more!)

Make It!
HEAT oven to 400ºF.

SPREAD bagel halves with sauce. Pull cheese into thin strips; place in random criss-cross fashion on tops of bagels to resemble mummy bandages. Trim ends with kitchen shears. Add olives for the eyes.

PLACE on baking sheet.

BAKE 10 min. or until bagels are crisp and cheese is melted.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Vanessa's Choice:
Halloween Truffles

Prep Time: 1 hr | Total Time: 3 hr 20 min | Makes: 10 servings

What You Need:

1 pkg. (6 squares) BAKER'S Bittersweet Chocolate
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 Tbsp. butter, softened
1 pkg. (6 squares) BAKER'S White Chocolate, divided
Yellow and red food colorings (3 drops yellow and 2 drops red)
3 Tbsp. BAKER'S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut, tinted orange
Black decorating gel

Make It!
MICROWAVE bittersweet chocolate squares, cream and butter in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 to 2 min., stirring after 1 min. Stir until chocolate is completely melted; cover. Freeze 1 hour or until firm enough to handle. Use teaspoon to scoop and roll chocolate mixture into 20 balls, each about 1 inch in diameter; place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. Freeze 20 min.

MICROWAVE 3 white chocolate squares in clean microwaveable 1-cup measuring cup or small bowl 1 to 1-1/2 min., stirring after 1 min. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Set aside. Repeat with remaining white chocolate squares in separate bowl; stir in food colorings. Cool chocolates completely.

DIP 10 chocolate balls in tinted chocolate, turning to evenly coat each ball. Return to baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chocolate balls and untinted chocolate. Decorate orange truffles with coconut to resemble pumpkins. Use decorating gel to draw eyes and mouths on white truffles to resemble ghosts. Refrigerate 30 min. or until chocolate is firm. Keep refrigerated.

Just 14 days to go til Halloween *boo*!