Friday's freebie...

Way to go Walgreen's, thanks for making walking both fun and rewarding. You can join the Walk With Walgreen's program and start earning rewards like coupons and other surprises, plus if you submit a Walk and you’ll automatically be entered in our $100-a-day-Giveaway. They reward you just for registering! Just set a goal, then log your daily steps. In no time at all, you’ll be receiving rewards and coupons from our partners for doing what you already do.

I hope you are all having a great day!

C.Q.

Thursday's picture perfect deal...

The picture...

Recently we were in St. Paul, MN for vacation and I was able to get this great picture of old meets new.  Where we stayed, the St. Paul Hotel, was reflected in the new glass building across the street and I really liked the look of the shot, kind of like an architectural passing of the torch.

The deal...

This is an amazing deal from Lands End; every Saturday they put up a group of products for their "On the Counter," sale.  They are usually limited quantities, but are substantially reduced from the original catalog price.  It works like this; on Monday, that discount price is reduced another 25%, on Wednesday, 50%, and on Friday, 75% off.  If you want to chance it you can wait it out but they may run out of an item and its important to remember, the price at you purchase at is the only one they can honor, so if it goes lower you still need to pay the slightly higher price.  Plus, if you use coupon code ROADTRIP with Pin #1051 you can get free shipping until May 26th.

Hope you are all having a great week.

C.Q.

Wednesday's learn and earn...

~WORD OF THE DAY~

biophilia \bye-oh-FILL-ee-uh\ ~ noun

DEFINITION: one who under oath vouches for the character or conduct of an accused person

EXAMPLES: As a compurgator, you do not have to believe in the innocence of the defendant, but you do have to feel confident speaking positively about that person's character.

"To clear himself, the defendant required corroboration from a prescribed number of compurgators or 'oath-helpers,' which varied according to the nature and severity of the accusation. Neither the defendant nor his compurgators were required to present any evidence to the court." -- From Bruce L. Benson and Paul R. Zimmerman's 2010 book Handbook on the Economics of Crime

DID YOU KNOW? "Compurgator" is a descendant of the Latin verb "compurgare," meaning "to purify wholly." The root of that word, "purgare," also gave English "purge" ("to clear of guilt," "to cause evacuation from," or "to get rid of") and "expurgate" ("to cleanse of something morally harmful, offensive, or erroneous"). "Compurgator" has occasionally been used in a more general sense of "one who supports or defends another," but its primary application is to the specific legal situation in which someone appears in court as a character witness for the defendant. "Compurgator" has been used in English with this specific legal meaning since the 16th century.


~THE REBATE~

Have a little one at home that's into Dinosaurs?  Now when you buy 3 Langer’s juices from Langers you can get a collectible Dinosaur Train pack that includes Buddy, Mr. Argentinosaurus and the train car for just $1.99 for the shipping.  Just fill in the mail in rebate certificate and send it in together with the three proof of purchase OR original store receipt(s) and a check or money order for the $1.99.  Allow up to 12 weeks to recieve the toy.  Offer good while supplies last.  Remember, if you don't have kids this is a great way to donate to the toy drive around the holidays without blowing your budget.

Have a great day everyone!

C.Q.

Tastefully Tueday...

When the weather starts to turn warmer we tend to eat a little later in the day since we are doing so much outside, so I love having something a little sweet but not too heavy in the afternoon.  This is a perfect snack with a glass of iced tea or lemon-aid.




7UP Cake

1 1/2 cups butter
3 cups white sugar
5 eggs
3 cups all-purpose or cake flour
2 teaspoons lemon extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup 7UP ™

Cream together the butter and sugar for 20 minutes. (that is not a typo, if you don't do the full 20 minutes the cake will end not be nearly as light) Add eggs, one at a time. Add flour, lemon extract, vanilla and fold in the 7UP ™ soft drink. Pour into a well-greased 12 cup Bundt pan. Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 60 to 75 minutes.  If you would like you can serve this with a glaze of 1 cup powdered sugar to 2 tablespoons of milk mixed together and spooned over the top, or you can serve with fresh fruit.

$0.50 off Imperial Sugar® Extra Fine Granulated Pure Cane Sugar Bags
$1.00 off Arrowhead Mills flour

For today's no cook option is with Pizza Hut, until June 4th they have brought back their $5 for any size pizza with any crust (stuffed crust is a little extra) and any toppings for carry out, they also have their Tuscan Tuesday, 2 pastas with bread sticks for $10.00.  If you "like" them on Facebook you will be entered to win a free pizza or a $50.00 Pizza Hut gift card.

We also have a winner for the pizza and cutting board give away!! Congratulations to Esther, she had the winning entry of  #4 so I will be sending her out an email today, and thanks to everyone who entered.

Have a great day everyone!

C.Q.

Meet Me On Monday...

Monday again and time for the Meet Me On Monday hop hosted by Java over at Never Growing Old.  This is one of the things I think most of us bloggers look forward to on Mondays.  Hope you all have a great week, here are today's questions:


1. Crunchy or smooth peanut butter?
2. What is your favorite color Rose?
3. Do you remove your shoes when you walk into your home?
4. What is your favorite season?
5. Approximately how many hours a day do you spend blogging?

-------------------------------
1. Crunchy or smooth peanut butter?
 

I don't care for nuts in things so I love smooth peanut butter, even better is smooth honey roasted peanut butter!
2. What is your favorite color Rose?

I would say two toned pale yellow and a touch of pink since my favorite Rose is a Peace rose (I prefer the vintage varieties to the new brighter hybrids).  The rose was named because when it was invented in France in the late 30s the inventor, Francis Meilland knew war was coming and sent cuttings of his rose to his friends in the US, Turkey and Germany to keep the rose safe.  It's believed that the cutting sent to the US was on the last plane that went out before the German invasion.  After the war the French Viscount Alan Brooke was asked by Meilland if he could name the rose after him since he was so integral in ending the war.  Brooke declined saying a more suiting name would be "Peace".  Per Wikipedia: "The adoption of the trade name "Peace" was publicly announced in the United States on 29 April 1945 by the introducers, Messrs Conard Pyle Co.. This was the very day that Berlin fell, officially considered the end of the Second World War in Europe. Later that year Peace roses were given to each of the delegations at the inaugural meeting of the United Nations in San Francisco, each with a note which read: "We hope the 'Peace' rose will influence men’s thoughts for everlasting world peace".

3. Do you remove your shoes when you walk into your home?
 

I don't think I have ever worn shoes in my house, not even as a little kid.  Its more comfy in socks or bare feet, plus its really hard on the floors to wear shoes inside so nope, we take them off.

4. What is your favorite season?

I would have to say Spring, I love watching everything come to life again and plant all my flowers and vegetables.

5. Approximately how many hours a day do you spend blogging?

That's a tough question, if you are talking about just getting mine out it can take anywhere from a half an hour to 4 hours depending on what I am doing.  Friday and Monday are the easier ones taking about 1/2 hour, Saturday's Sojourn takes about 4 hours, sometimes more.  If you are including reading as well then I can sit up in my office for a whole day sometimes, it depends on what I am supposed to be doing that day.

Hope you are all having a great day, I am looking forward to seeing everyone's answers. :)  Be sure to enter the giveaway for the free pizza and cutting board, it ends Tuesday and has REALLY low entries.

C.Q.

Sunday's media madness...

Some of you are lucky enough to live in areas where you have started planting already, up in the north we need to wait until at least Memorial day, and sometimes even that is pushing it a little.  Today I thought I would showcase a group of books to help you get the most from your garden and local Farmers Markets.

The first book is The Vegetable Gardener's Bible (10th Anniversary Edition) by Edward C. Smith.  This books focuses on getting the most out of your garden using a method he calls W-O-R-D which stands for Wide rows, Organic methods, Raised beds, and Deep soil.  The author looks at individual growing, harvesting, and best varieties of a large number of both common and more exotic vegetables and herbs.  The book features great photographs and an in depth A-Z section where you can find all the information you need for a great and bountiful vegetable garden of your own.  I was able to find the new paperback book at its lowest price at Go Hastings for $17.06 with free shipping.  If you have a Kindle you can download it for $9.48 from Amazon.

The next book is Grow the Good Life: Why a Vegetable Garden Will Make You Happy, Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise by Michele Owens.  From the Amazon product description: "With her wry, funny, and accessible approach, Owens helps beginning gardeners overcome obstacles that keep them from planting a few seedlings every spring. She explains why dirt isn't dirty; the health benefits of growing one’s own food; and that vegetable gardens are not antithetical to the frantic pace of modern life, but simple and undemanding if intelligently managed.  Grow the Good Life is not just another how-to. Instead, it will teach you the true fundamentals of vegetable growing: how to fit a garden into your life and why it’s worth the trouble."  I was able to find this book for the lowest price at Book Depository for $15.99 with free shipping.  Amazon also has this in the Kindle version for $9.99.
To go with these two great books I found because no matter how much you plant, the local Farmers Markets always have great stuff you either didn't plant yourself, didn't plant enough of or isn't ripe in your garden yet, they are a great way to fill in what you need while supporting your local growers.

This first book is Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America's Farmers' Markets by Deborah Madison.  One of the Editorial reviews: "The book offers chapters deftly arranged by fruit and vegetable families as they appear in the markets, such as "The Vegetable Fruits of Summer: Eggplants, Tomatoes, and Peppers" and "A Cool Weather Miscellany," which includes recipes such as Sautéed Artichokes with Potatoes and Garlic Chives and a marvelous "essence-of" soup, Elixir of Fresh Peas. Madison also treats unfamiliar fruits and vegetables, presenting the likes of lamb quarters in a soup made with Sonoma Teleme cheese, and sugar loaf chicory simply grilled and dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Recipes for delightful salads like Melon Salad with Thai Basil also appear, as do a selection of pastas and risotto, such as Winter Squash Risotto with Seared Radicchio, and sweets like White Peaches in Lemon Verbena Syrup and Date, Dried Cherry, and Chocolate Nut Torte. With sidebars like Atlanta's All-Organic Market: Late October and color photos throughout of vendors, produce, and many of the dishes, the book offers the perfect match of Madison and the markets. --Arthur Boehm"   I was able to find this paperback book at its lowest price from Go Hastings for $17.78 with free shipping.

The last book is Fresh from the Farmers' Market: Year-Round Recipes for the Pick of the Crop by Janet Fletcher.  With more than 75 fresh recipes and big color photographs, this book makes the most of what is in season with each soup, salad, entree, and dessert.  "Janet Fletcher guides shoppers through the market, sharing tips on selection and storage as well as advice from the farmers themselves, so readers can turn peak-season produce into delicious eating, year-round."  I was able to find this paperback book at Book Depository for $16.21 with free shipping world wide.

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend and remember to enter my Pizza giveaway, the entries are VERY low so you have a great chance to win a free pizza and bamboo cutting board from Freschetta.

C.Q.

Saturday's Sojourn...

Cumbria, UK



Today I used a site called Dart on Map, its a really fun way to find out about places I would never have thought of before and this one looks lovely!!  The dart landed on a little town in the UK called Cleator Moor.  Per Wikipedia "Cleator Moor is a small town and civil parish in the English county of Cumbria and within the boundaries of the traditional county of Cumberland."  The town has a large population of Irish who immigrated there during the potato famine looking for work, it is now known as "little Ireland" to the locals. 

I found this great historic place to stay called The Crown, which started life in March 1857, when the Whitehaven Hematite Iron Company, sold a parcel of building ground to a Nathaniel Leveason after many sales, land transfers and name changes the building is still there today offering folks a welcoming place to stay and rejuvenate.  The hotel offers En-suite bathrooms, FREE Wi-fi broadband, Satellite TV, Tea/coffee making facilities, Hairdryer, Radio alarm clock, sewing kit and shoe shine cloth.  There is a pool, exercise area and spa on the property also.  Dogs are allowed with arrangements made ahead of arrival.  Besides the classic rooms, The Crown also offers Suites and a cottage which has its own kitchen area.  If you don't feel like cooking The Conservatory restaurant is open for Breakfast, Lunch and dinner and overlooks the beautifully landscaped gardens.  Right now the hotel is offering a couple of specials, first, is the Summer Sizzler 3 for 2 break, £79 per person per night get the 3rd Night BB free, the other is the Spa Special which includes accommodations, a dinner in the Conservatory Restaurant, a full breakfast, a 1 1/2 hour mini treatment during your stay and full use of the leisure facilities all for £79 per person per night with a two night minimum.

Next up, a little bit of sightseeing.  Hadrian's Wall is pretty fascinating and something they advise taking the day to visit.  So what is it? Hadrian's Wall is the remains of Britain’s greatest ancient monument, ancient earthworks, Roman roads, castles, Abbeys, and farms that you can walk along.  Truly one of those types of places that gives you a real perspective of history.  The actual wall was built by the Roman Emperor Hadrian, who visited the region in 122 CE and runs 73 miles, a true engineering feat in its day. 

I love train rides so this is a ride I would definitely want to take on my visit.  The Settle-Carlisle Railway will take you on the 72 mile route from Settle to Carlisle takes you on a journey through the magnificent Yorkshire Dales, over the 24 arches of the Ribblehead Viaduct before plunging in to the longest tunnel on the line at Blea Moor. Emerging onto the side of Dentdale, the line leaves the Dales at Garsdale and makes it way through the gentle, lush rolling hills of the Eden Valley, with rural villages and market towns before arriving at the great border city of Carlisle.  While there you can try you luck at the Carlisle Racecourse.

What is the English Countryside with out castles and Abbeys?  North of The Crown Hotel you have a nice selection to visit; Chillingham Castle - said to be one of the most haunted places in England,  Belsay Castle -  a trip to Belsay is one of the best value family days out in north-east England. Alnwick Castle - Recently the castle has been used as film sets for Harry Potter, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves and Black Adder.  Hexham Abby - There has been a church on this site over for 1300 years since Queen Etheldreda made a grant of lands to Wilfrid, Bishop of York c.674.  Bamburgh Castle - This medieval fortress is thought by many to be the original site of Sir Lancelot's castle, Joyous Garde.  Warkworth Castle -  Once the home to 'Harry Hotspur', hero of many Border ballads and the bane of Scots raiders.  Aydon Castle - Almost completely intact, it is one of the finest and most unaltered examples of a 13th century English manor house.  Dunstanburgh Castle - The focus of fierce fighting during the Wars of the Roses, it was twice besieged and captured by Yorkist forces, but subsequently fell into decay. Chillingham Castle - A visit to the castles Torture Chamber is not for the faint hearted. It displays interesting and gruesome implements of punishment, including a stretching rack, cages, a bed of nails, nailed barrel and spiked chair.  Berwick-upon-Tweed Castle - Berwick Castle is a mid 12th century stone keep and courtyard fortress built along the river Tweed, founded by King David I.  Prudhoe Castle - Surviving two sieges during the 1170s , Prudhoe was the only Northumberland castle to resist the Scots.

I hope you all have a great weekend!  Want to see more information on a place?  Let me know and I will try to feature it on a Saturday Sojourn.

C.Q.