Wednesdays learn and earn...

~WORD OF THE DAY~

inspissate  \in-SPISS-ayt\  ~ verb

DEFINITION: to make or become thick or thicker

EXAMPLES: "Marmalade of carrots is the juice of yellow carrots, inspissated till it is of the thickness of fluid honey, or treacle, which last it resembles both in taste and color." — From Capt. James E. Cook's 1777 book A Voyage Towards the South Pole and Round the World, Volume 1

"Estrogen and progesterone affect direction and flow of tubal secretions, which may accumulate, inspissate, and eventually calcify." — From Gary B. Siskin's 2009 book Interventional Radiology in Women’s Health

DID YOU KNOW?  "Inspissate" is ultimately derived from Latin "spissus" ("slow, dense") and is related to Greek "spidnos" ("compact") and Lithuanian "spisti" ("to form a swarm"). When it appeared in English in the 17th century, "inspissate" suggested a literal thickening. Francis Bacon, for example, wrote in 1626 that "Sugar doth inspissate the Spirits of the Wine, and maketh them not so easie to resolue into Vapour." Eventually "inspissate" was also used metaphorically. Clive Bell once wrote of "parties of school children and factory girls inspissating the gloom of the museum atmosphere." There is also an adjective "inspissate," meaning "thickened in consistency" or "made thick, heavy, or intense," but that word is used even less frequently than the somewhat rare verb.

 

Find more great words at merriam-webster on line.

~THE REBATE~

Getting in the gift giving mode yet?  If you are planning on purchasing games this holiday season this is a great rebate.  Hasbro is offering a rebate of up to $40.00 back on many of their great games.  You can mix and match up to 12 games, but you are limited to only 4 games of one title per rebate form, but you can mail in two forms.   Even better, you can file your rebate right on line and save yourself the postage.  The games included are:

• The Game of Life (SKU# 04000)
• Monopoly (SKU# 00009)
• Scattergories (SKUs# A2861, 05721)
• Pictionary (SKU# 05713)
• Scrabble (SKUs# 04024, 37719),
• Yahtzee (SKU# 00950)
• Hungry Hungry Hippos (SKUs# 05297, 98936)
• Jenga (SKU# 53557)
• Twister (SKUs# 16965, 98831)
• Connect 4 (SKUs# 08417, 98779),
• Elefun (SKUs# 05294, 98934)
• Operation (SKU# 40198)

To maximize your savings be sure to check your local paper for game sales and Hasbro coupons as well as join their reward program for their Perks Coupons and discounts.

I hope you are all having a great day.

C.Q.
 

Thursdays pircure perfect deal...

The picture...

The birds of prey have been migrating all month and we have had a few beauties visit our yard looking for mice or small birds but this Merlin was special, at first I thought it was just resting but the more I watched I realized he only has one leg.  In the bird world that's not usually a big deal, UNLESS you need your feet to hunt with.  This guy, or gal, was doing just fine though, beautiful bright eyes, nice plumage and a good weight.  A good reminder of the things we can over come if we put our minds to it.

The deal...

Looking for a way to hold onto your Summer memories through the Winter?  Check out the great deal from Snapfish:  40% off one photo book using coupon code NOVBOOK40, 50% off two books using coupon code NOVBOOK50 or a huge 70% off 3 books using coupon code NOVBOOK70.  This would be a great way to get pictures together as a Christmas gift for someone far away as well.  The coupons expire November 7, 2012 so be quick.

I hope you are all having a good week and to any of my readers affected by Hurricane Sandy you are all in my thoughts and prayers.

Michele

Wednesday's learn and earn...

~WORD OF THE DAY~

 

Halloween ~ noun (Concise Encyclopedia)

Holiday observed on October 31, the eve of All Saints' Day. Its pagan origins can be traced to the Celtic festival of Samhain, celebrated in ancient England and Ireland to mark the beginning of the Celtic new year. The souls of the dead were supposed to revisit their homes on Samhain eve, and witches, goblins, black cats, and ghosts were said to roam abroad. The night was also thought to be the most favorable time for divinations concerning marriage, luck, health, and death. The pagan observances influenced the Christian festival of All Hallows' Eve, celebrated on the same date. The holiday was gradually secularized and was introduced into the U.S. by the late 19th century. Still associated with evil spirits and the supernatural, it is celebrated by children in costume who gather candy by ringing doorbells and calling out “trick or treat,” “trick” referring to the pranks and vandalism that are also part of the Halloween tradition.

Find more great words at Merriam-Webster online.


~THE REBATE~

Today's rebate is great if you are buying gifts for a few children or a lot this holiday season.  Get up to $38.00 back from Crayola on select items including Glow Book, Jewelry Boutique, Light Sketcher and My First Crayola Color Me A Song just to name a few.  Just print off the rebate form; I had to click on "save" to download it, then open it from my own computer.  Check off the boxes of the products purchased, then mail it together with the original UPCs from the package(s) and the original cash register or online receipt(s) dated between October 15, 2012 and December 31, 2012.  There is a limit of one rebate per item as well as per household.

Happy Halloween and hope you are all having a great week!

C.Q.

 

Wednesday's lean and earn...

~WORD OF THE DAY~

vanward \VAN-werd\ ~ adjective

DEFINITION: located in the vanguard : advanced

EXAMPLES: The company is looking to hire a marketing director who is savvy in social media and other vanward marketing tactics.

"The New Jersey Festival of Electronic Arts, held today from 1 to 8 p.m. … is described as 'an exploration of electronic, environmental and performance art … where AV geeks are vanward and hip.''' — From an events listing in The Star-Ledger (Newark, New Jersey), March 10, 2012

DID YOU KNOW? The troops at the head of an army are called the "vanguard," and that word can also mean "the forefront of an action or movement." It was "vanguard," rather than "vanward," that led the way on the route into English. "Vanguard" was first documented in English in the 15th century. By the early 17th century, it was sometimes shortened to "van"—a reference might be made to an army's "van and rear." Some 200 years later "vanward" brought up the rear, making its English debut when writers appended "-ward," an adjective suffix meaning "is situated in the direction of," to the shortened "van," thereby creating a word meaning "in the forefront."

Find more great words at Merriam-Webster online.

~THE REBATE~

With the heavy cooking season approaching I thought this was a really nice deal!  From now until November 3, 2012 you can get a really nice free free 5-Quart Glass Bowl OR Food Grinder Attachment when you purchase a new KitchenAid 5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer.  The attachment is usually either $49.99 for the grinder or $69.99 for the glass bowl.  This offer has a few store restriction: it is not valid at Bed Bath & Beyond, Macy’s, Whirlpool Corporation’s VIPlink program or employee purchase program or at online auction sites.  To get the free attachment you will need to fill in the rebate form and mail it in together with the UPC from the mixer box and a copy of your dated register receipt.  Allow up to 8 weeks for your item to arrive.

I hope you are all having a great week so far!

C.Q.

Tastefully Tuesday...

Happy Fat Tuesday!!  Did you know that this was the day medieval Christians used up their eggs, butter, and milk because they were forbidden during their Lenten abstinence.  Traditionally they used them all to make pancakes and pastries, thus was born the tradition of pancakes on Fat Tuesday.  In Britain "Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday to use its correct title, is the traditional feast day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. Lent - the 40 days leading up to Easter - was traditionally a time of fasting and on Shrove Tuesday Christians went to confession and were "shriven" (absolved from their sins). Pancake Day became a great way to use the foods that were given up for Lent – milk, butter, and eggs. The humble pancake has featured in recipe books as far back as 1439." Quote from About.com 

With that in mind I though I would find a couple of great Pancake ideas for today.  The first one is from Paula Dean's show, the second is from the Food Networks Magazine.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Cinnamon Cream

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

2 large eggs, separated

3 tablespoons butter, melted plus 4 tablespoons, divided

1/2 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Cinnamon Cream, recipe follows

Maple syrup, for serving

Cinnamon Cream:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat griddle to 350 degrees F.  In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

In a small bowl, combine milk, egg yolks, and 3 tablespoons melted butter; add to flour mixture, whisking until smooth.

In a small bowl, beat egg whites at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until stiff. Gently fold into batter. Gently fold in chocolate morsels.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter on hot griddle. Ladle about 1/4-cup batter for each pancake onto hot griddle. Cook pancakes for 2 to 3 minutes, or until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Turn and cook the other side. Repeat procedure with remaining 2 tablespoons butter and remaining batter.

For the Cinnamon Cream:

In a medium bowl, beat cream at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until thickened. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar and cinnamon, beating until stuff peaks form. Cover and chill.

Serve pancakes with Cinnamon Cream and maple syrup.

Prep time 15 minutes, cook time 20 minutes, yields 10 servings.

Almost-Famous Cheesecake Pancakes

1 1/2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced

2 tablespoons seedless strawberry jam

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1 large egg

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of salt

2 cups chopped frozen cheesecake

Cooking spray

Butter, confectioners' sugar or whipped cream, for topping (optional)

Mix the strawberries, jam and 2 tablespoons warm water in a bowl; set aside. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.

Pulse the flour, buttermilk, egg, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cheesecake pieces, keeping them whole.

Coat a large nonstick skillet or griddle with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Working in batches, pour about 1/4 cup batter into the skillet for each pancake. Cook until bubbly on top, about 4 minutes, then flip and cook until the other side is golden brown, about 2 more minutes. Transfer the finished pancakes to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Serve the pancakes topped with the strawberry sauce; top with butter, confectioners' sugar or whipped cream, if desired.

Prep time 15 minutes, cook time 15 minutes, yields 8 cakes.

Coupons:
$0.50 off Imperial Sugar^® Extra Fine Granulated Pure Cane Sugar Bags
$0.35 off Diamond Crystal Salt Sense
$0.55 off Horizon Organic Milk Plus
$0.75 off Davidson's Safest Choice All Natural Eggs
$0.50 off Land O Lakes Spreadable Butter
$0.50 off two Nestle Toll House Morsels
$1.00 off Spice Islands Spices or Extracts
$0.55 off any Welch's Jam, Jelly or Spread
$0.50 off  LouAna® Vegetable Oil
$1.00 off 2  Arm & Hammer Baking Soda Products

Today's no cook options are from Restaurant.com, for today only when you check out use coupon code BEADS to get a $25.00 certificate as low as $3.00!!  I love this one because you are less limited on your choice of where to go eat.

Have a great Fat Tuesday everyone.

C.Q.

2011 in Review...

Java over a Never Growing old is taking today off for New Years so I thought I would share some of my favorite posts with you from 2011.

In January I went with a friend of mine to Minneapolis so she could have some medical tests run and found some great information on hotel shopping that I passes along in Hotel Happiness, I also found a new blogger friend Meg Hart and her great book Housecat Confidential, a view of life from a cats perspective, that I posted in my Sunday's media madness.  If you get a chance you can check out Meg's new blog at Hart Stories, she is a terrific writer and I highly recommend her book and her blog.

In February I started getting a little antsy to play in my garden and a friend sent me some info on hay bale gardening that I passed along because it is easy and inexpensive and a great way to have a garden quick in an area that may not have an easy place to plant stuff.  You can check that out at Hey! Hay! Hay! Garden the easy way...

March brought two awards that I received, one for the Cherry on Top award and one for the Incredibly Sweet blog award, both required me to share some information about me which was fun, with the Cherry on Top one I also shared a favorite picture of my grandmother.

In April I shared a great recipe for my favorite Easter treat, Hot Cross Buns together with a little history on them.  I also started doing posts called Saturday Sojourn that were a lot of fun for me and included tips on saving while traveling.  One of my favorites was the one I did for Saint Paul, MN since we were heading there ourselves for a short vacation. 

May brought the release of a book from a series that I love by Jess Loury so I was able to do a little review of the book Octoberfest to share with my readers, May also marks Memorial Day and I was able to thank our armed services folks and post two great old pictures of my grandfather and my dad looking very dapper in their uniforms from WWII.

In June I had two great guest bloggers while I was on vacation for my 25th anniversary, the first was Alexis from from Simply Beautiful Veg.  and her great post on ways to organize, including a great pocketed organizer project you can make yourself.  My other guest poster was Nina from The Adventures ArtsyNina.  She did a wonderful post on making a Pallet Kitchen Cookbook Shelf, a very cool and extremely inexpensive project.

In July I stopped doing the Saturday Sojourn's and replaced them with Silly Saturday, my first one I loved because it emphasises simplicity.  I also love this time of year when all the fruits and veggies are getting ripe and took the opportunity to share a wonderful no bake blueberry cheesecake for everyone.

August was a great month for my Media Madness section for me, I found a couple of great apps, Uno and Conde Nast Traveller Magazine, that I love and use all the time.  The other was for the book The Help, which was wonderful and I would recommend to anyone looking for a good read.

September was a moth of highs and lows, the low being the sadness that came with the 9/11 memorial ceremonies I watched that day, the high was going on vacation to Chicago with two of my best girl friends and being able to share a bit of what we did and how we saved a ton of cash along the way.

The October posts were where two of my favorites are, one is one of my many favorite pictures, this one was of a small grey tree frog in our backyard that I used on the Thursday's picture perfect deal, the other was one of my favorite Silly Saturday's featuring a great photo shopped scene.

November was all about sharing my favorite things, including a list of movies, a great app called Flipboard and a recipe I always make for Rosy Fruit Salad, a wonderful frozen concoction that is from the 1950s.

December was all about relaxing and getting ready for the holidays and vacation, but in between that I was able to post one of my favorite ever pictures of my dog Tucker loving the first snowfall from last year.  Java also posted a wonderful Meet Me On Monday with 15 questions to tide us over until after New Year's, and being a good bit Irish, I couldn't end the year without and Irish Christmas Blessing to all my readers.

Thank you to all my readers for reading last year, I am looking forward to 2012!

C.Q.

Thursday's picture perfect deal...

The picture...

This is from last years first snow fall, my dog Tucker was so elated to have the white stuff to play and roll around in again!

The deal...

Now through Sunday December 16th Newport News Fashion is offering 50% off on all orders over $75.00, the discount is automatically applied, no code needed.  What a great way to get a little something for yourself this season!

Have a wonderful Thursday everyone.

C.Q.

Sunday's media madness...

I love to find fellow bloggers who do amazing things!  I was blog hopping a couple of days ago and found BLYRO Books.  The author wrote the children's book Over and Under for her own daughter when she found that reading to her "precious restless toddler" was a challenge with most children's books.  The words on the pages were too long or there were simply too many of them.  The book is beautiful, the background and pictures will encourage your youngster to read along, this will help develop reading skills that will help them through their entire life.  She even made sure the type font she used would no cause confusion in young readers, like the way a "g" in type is different from the way we print it.  I am a huge advocate of reading and was thrilled to find this book for children so young, it is aimed at the 0 - 5 age range.  I am not a parent myself so when my friends and family have children I have a hard time knowing what books are best for the younger age range, this fits the bill.  As an even better bonus BLYRO is donating copies of her books to low income families, funded by sales of the book and her beautiful bookmarks.  I think that is awesome and encourage anyone who is looking for a great gift for a youngster on your holiday list to check out this gorgeous book.

Have a relaxing Sunday everyone!

C.Q.

Friday's freebie

This holiday season while you are out doing you shopping be sure to take a little time for yourself.  With these goodies you can get a free milkshake with nothing else to purchase, or if you are feeling like grabbing bite to eat you can get a free large fry with any purchase at Rally's or Checker's.  Just print the coupon you want and bring it in with you, these offers expires on 12/31.

Hope you are all enjoying your Friday.

C.Q.

Friday's Freebie...

With the holidays coming up quick its time to start thinking about baking.  Several years back I requested the Jiffy mix cookbook and was really surprised at the amount of great ideas it had.  To get your free cookbook from them just fill in the online order form and watch your mail box.

Hope you are all enjoying your Friday.

C.Q.

Tastefully Tuesday...

Photo from Taste of Home

Halloween is almost here and its time for fun themed food items, but what to make?  I have seen a lot of ideas for eyeball items, spiders and creepy cupcakes, but this recipe from Taste of Home was a new one to me an looks fun. 



Boneyard Cookies
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
2 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 to 3 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
16 to 18 ounces white baking chocolate, chopped

In a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and cornstarch. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extract. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to sugar mixture and mix well.

Shape dough into a ball; flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 30 minutes or until easy to handle.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 3-1/2-in. bone-shaped cookie cutter. (The best place to find this may be a pet store) Place 1 in. apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

On the bottoms of half the cookies, spread 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon jam down the center; top with remaining cookies.

In a microwave, melt white chocolate at 70% power for 1 minute; stir. Microwave at additional 10- to 20-second intervals, stirring until smooth.

Dip each cookie in chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set. Yield: 34 sandwich cookies.

$0.35 off one Argo or Kingsford's corn starch
$1.00 off one package of Davidson's Pasteurized Eggs
$0.50 off one Simply Organic extract
 

Today's no cook option is from Taco Bell.  Right now when you purchase a $20.00 gift card you get a free Chicken Flatbread Sandwich combo.  This is a nice perk and you can save the gift card to use later for yourself, as a holiday gift or give to your college kid for an meal different than Ramon Noodles.
 
Have a great Tuesday!
 
C.Q.

Thursday's picture perfect deal...

The picture...

I saw this little grey tree frog early last month sunning on my lilacs.  I hear them all the time but because they can camouflage themselves depending on their surroundings I rarely see them.  The can change color like a chameleon but much slower.  This one is a boy, he has a grey throat, females have white throats.

The deal...

Roamans is having their holiday preview sale with savings up to 60%.  Now is the time to get some great holiday looks at a good price.  Be sure to check out the clearance section as well for deal up to 80% off.  If you sign up for their email they will send you a code for free shipping, and be sure to check out the codes available at Retail Me Not for discounts on sweaters, outerwear, lingerie and boots.

Have a great Thursday everyone!

C.Q.

Thursday's picture perfect deal...

The picture...

When we visited St. Paul this summer I really enjoyed the bronze Peanut's characters that were scattered around in and near Rice Park.  I really loved this one of Charlie Brown resting under a tree with his best friend Snoopy.

The deal...

Need to get started on your holiday craft gifts?  A Cherry on Top has a beautiful 2012 calender kit on sale from Basic Grey, it was originally $19.95, now its on sale for 10% off at $17.95.  They also have Copic Markers on sale, buy 3 get one free!  If you have never used Copic Markers this is a great way to try them out, if you have and are hooked like I am, this is a great way to fill in what you need.  While you are there be sure to check out the stores clearance section, you can always find some amazing deals, and  all orders over $49.00 will be shipped for free.

Hope you are having a great Thursday!

C.Q.
 

Tastefully Tuesday...

With Easter coming up I thought I would share a recipe for one of my favorite treats, Hot Cross Buns.  The buns, believed to pre-date Christianity are said to have been made by the Saxons to honor the goddess Eostre, the cross divided the bun into four quarters representing the phases of the moon, and the name Eostre may be where the word Easter originated.  When the church came they tried to ban the practice but it was so ingrained in the culture that they allowed the buns, but only for reliogous pourpeses like Easter, Chrismas and Funerals.  One of the superstisions associated with the buns I really love says that sharing a hot cross bun will guarantee friendship through the year, espically when the "toast" of "Half for you and half for me, Between us two shall goodwill be" is said before eating.

Hot Cross Buns
Recipe from Fabulous Foods

1 cup milk
2 tablespoons yeast
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
4 eggs
5 cups flour
1 1/3 cups currants or raisins
1 egg white

Glaze
1 1/3 cups confectioner\'s sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped lemon zest
1/2 teaspoons lemon extract
1- 2 tablespoons milk

In a small saucepan, heat milk to very warm, but not hot (110°F if using a candy thermometer). Fit an electric mixer with a dough hook. Pour warm milk in the bowl of mixer and sprinkle yeast over. Mix to dissolve and let sit for 5 minutes.

With mixer running at low speed, add sugar, salt, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg and eggs. Gradually add flour, dough will be wet and sticky, and continue kneading with dough hook until smooth, about 5 minutes. Detach bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let the dough \"rest\" for 30-45 minutes.

Return bowl to mixer and knead until smooth and elastic, for about 3 more minutes. Add currants or raisins and knead until well mixed. At this point, dough will still be fairly wet and sticky. Shape dough in a ball, place in a buttered dish, cover with plastic wrap and let rise overnight in the refrigerator (see note at right if you\'re in a hurry). Excess moisture will be absorbed by the morning.

Let dough sit at room temperature for about a half-hour. Line a large baking pan (or pans) with parchment paper (you could also lightly grease a baking pan, but parchment works better). Divide dough into 24 equal pieces (in half, half again, etc., etc.). Shape each portion into a ball and place on baking sheet, about 1/2 inch apart. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.

In the meantime, pre-heat oven to 400° F.  When buns have risen, take a sharp or serrated knife and carefully slash buns with a cross. Brush them with egg white and place in oven. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350° F, then Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack. Whisk together glaze ingredients, and spoon over buns in a cross pattern. Serve warm, if possible.

Todays no cook option is a free order of Zeppole Italian Style Doughnuts from Maggiano's.  Be sure to join the Email list for more coupons in the future. This coupon is not good with other offers or on delivery or take out orders, limit one per table and expires on May 4, 2011. 


I hope you are all having a great Tuesday!

C.Q.

Sunday's media madness...

When I was visiting a friend in Montana we all decided to check out the local thrift stores, something I love to do because you always find some gem of a treasure.  This expedition was no exception when I stumbled across a book called Celebration; A Year of Parties, Extravaganzas & Gatherings with Friends and Family by Susan Branch.  The book is no longer in print but can still be found at Amazon new for $19.99.  I was also able to find a copy at AbeBooks.com for $7.81 with $3.99 shipping in brand new condition.  The premise for the book is  "A great deal of the joy brought about by any event or celebration is in the remembering. With that in mind, Susan created this keepsake book as a place where family and friends can share impressions, expressions of love, words of wisdom and friendly advice. Included are wonderful handwritten quotations and beautiful watercolor illustrations in Susan’s lighthearted style – with lots of room to record the memories that will truly make this book a keepsake. Every season has its events, from Spring flings and Summer celebrations to Fall festivities and Winter revelries. This keepsake book is designed to be a record of all the fun!" ~ Amazon  As always, with this or any out of print book be sure to check on Ebay as well, you may find a one cent deal with shipping under $3.00.

  

  

In doing this article today I found that even though this book is no longer in print, Ms. Branch does have other books available and I am excited to find them because I love to document important moments in life, Holidays, weddings, vacations, milestone birthdays etc.  A few currently in print are Christmas Joy : A Keepsake Book from the Heart of the Home, Days from the Heart of the Home, Girlfriends Forever and Baby Love: A Keepsake Book from the Heart of the Home. all of which look like really fun books and would make great gifts for Birthdays, Baby Showers and the holidays.  You can check out the Susan Branch web site for information about the author, more great books that are on the way as well as some great recipes, you can even order books and calenders direct from the author as well as some really fun stuff for sewing and baking as well as things for the home, including one of my favorite sections, the vintage area.

Have a great Sunday everyone!

C.Q.

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