$300 Cash Giveaway

Posted on March 26, 2014 by Cindy Kerschner

Welcome to the $300 Cash Giveaway!

Sponsored by Michael Phillip Cash.

cash giveaway

Schism was recently chosen as a BOTYA 2013 Finalist in Science Fiction. To celebrate, Michael Cash would like to offer a everyone a chance to win $300.

On the planet Darracia, an ever-widening social gap between its inhabitants is causing turmoil that is fracturing a once peaceful world. Struggling with his identity, nineteen year old Prince V’sair must harness the power of the elusive Fireblade, the secret to a warrior’s heart, in order to overcome his uncle Staf Nuen’s lust for supremacy. Will the energy of the Elements guide the young prince to his true destiny or will Staf Nuen conquer Darracia?

Dii, an Amazon reviewer said:

“Does intolerance of people’s differences go beyond our planet? What of jealousy and the quest for power? Is it thicker than blood? Schism by Michael Phillip Cash is a fascinating and intense dark fantasy/Sci-fi filled with everything that makes for excellent, magnetic reading! Prejudice, love, greed, trust, the lust for power, deceit, cruelty and bloodshed, it’s all here in the first book of what looks to be an amazing journey to another planet somewhere in the heavens.

The ever-widening gap between the different classes is causing unrest to the once peaceful plant of Darracia, the haves get more, the have-nots lose what little they have and are beginning to fight back. Considered inferior to those around him, young Prince V’sair struggles to be seen as warrior material, in spite of his smaller stature and different skin coloring. He is a half-breed, part Darracian, part Planta. Smart, filled with knowledge from books, he still longs to feel the power of the Elements in the Fireblade, a weapon that can only be wielded by one blessed with a warrior’s heart. Forbidden to risk his life in a quest to find the powerful weapon, V’sair chafes at being trapped between wanting to help his people and needing to obey the King and Queen. But there is more to the unrest among the classes than meets the eye. Someone nearby is a traitor and it may be up to V’sair to save his world, but how? Unprepared for what awaits him outside of his castle, V’sair finds strength in love, honor and in believing in himself as he stands against the odds and the evil betrayers around him.

No doubt about it, Michael Phillip Cash can build a world with depth and clarity and then populate it characters that one can see in their minds. Soar above the clouds on a flying horse-type creature, feel the tension, feel the fear and wonder of V’sair as he runs into danger, faces near death and the love of a girl whose skin is as red as his is blue. Mr. Cash introduces each character with ease and enables the reader to see who to watch for, who to root for and who to hiss at. He has created magic with his words that transport you into another world as good battle evil in the takeover of Darracia and a boy becomes a warrior with heart. As the foundation from which this series will build, Schism is a powerful testament to the power of the imagination when guided by a masterful storyteller.”

collision

Book 2, Collision: The Battle for Darracia (Book 2) (The Darracia Saga) is now available on Amazon.

After the success of his first three books (Brood X, Stillwell, and The Hanging Tree) Michael Phillip Cash is fulfilling a dream and creating his own epic fantasy world. The third book in the series is coming soon!

Schism

Enter to win $300 Cash via PayPal

Complete the tasks below to earn entries into this giveaway.

Refer your friends using your unique link to earn even more chances to win.

Open Worldwide.

Ends at 11:59pm EDT on April 8th, 2014.

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This giveaway was coordinated by Giveaway Promote.

Posted in giveaway, What's For Dinner? | Comments Off on $300 Cash Giveaway

Crunchy Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls #chocPBday

Posted on March 25, 2014 by Cindy Kerschner

Today marks the beginning of the best day ever – it’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Day!

Hosted by Carla of Chocolate Moosey and Miriam of Overtime Cook , 31 bloggers are sharing favorite chocolate peanut butter recipes, ranging from cookies and bars to scones and muffins. Follow the hashtag #chocPBday on social media and join us with your favorite chocolate and peanut butter recipes. Looking for recipes all in one place? Follow our Pinterest board. We are also teaming up with , OXO, King Arthur Flour, and Peanut Butter & Co. to bring you three fabulous prize packs. If you love to bake, you don’t want to miss entering.”

chocpb

  • A huge thank you to our sponsors! Be sure to follow them on social media:

OXO: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | YouTube

King Arthur Flour: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Peanut Butter & Co: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest| Instagram | YouTube

  • Three lucky winners will win one of the following:

Prize Pack #1: OXO Baking Tool Set: One 3-in-1 Egg Separator, One Bent Icing Knife, One Brownie Spatula, One Cake Tester, One Cookie Spatula, One Cupcake Icing Knife, One Cupcake Corer, One Egg Beater, One Stainless Steel Measuring Cups, One Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons, One Medium Cookie Scoop
Prize Pack #2: King Arthur Flour ingredients: One bag of all-purpose flour, one package of Guittard bittersweet chocolate disks, and one bottle of  pure vanilla extract
Prize Pack #3: Peanut Butter and Co. package including: one Dark Chocolate Dreams 6-pack, One Variety 6-pack, and One 31 Days of Dark Chocolate Dreams cookbook

  • This giveaway is open to US residents only and will be picked from random draw. Giveaway ends Monday March 31 at 11:59 PM. The winners will be notified via email and have 24 hours to respond. If not, the prize is forfeited and another winner will be chosen.

choc pb balls 1
chocpb close up
To celebrate Chocolate Peanut Butter Day, I chose to make candy and cookies rolled into one. Literally!
choc pb dough
choc pb balls
These candies have bits of cookies rolled right inside. I used my own chocolate cookies to crumble but store bought work fine. If you want my cookie recipe you can find it here but leave out the chocolate chips.
Best thing its only a few ingredients!
These little candies are as much fun to make as they are to eat!

Crunchy Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
 
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Prep time
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Total time
 
Ingredients
  • ⅓ cup sweetened condensed milk
  • ¼ cup chunky peanut butter
  • 3 cups powdered sugar, divided
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ cup crushed chocolate cookies
  • 1 Tablespoon cocoa
  • ¼ cup whole peanuts
Instructions
  1. Mix together ½ cup powdered sugar and cocoa, set aside.
  2. Mix together milk, peanut butter and vanilla.
  3. Gradually stir in 2½ cups of the powdered sugar. Coat your hands with powdered sugar and knead dough until it reaches the desired consistency. Your dough should be firm by not crumbly. Add more sugar or milk if needed. add cookie bits. Dough will be sticky. Form dough into balls and place on parchment paper. Refrigerate for at least an hour until firm enough to handle.
  4. When dough is set eat as is or roll in cocoa mixture. Tap off excess.
  5. Press a whole peanut on top if desired.
Notes
I used my own homemade chocolate cookies for crumbs but you can substitute store purchased cookies to crumble.
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Join us in celebrating National Chocolate Peanut Butter Day!

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Posted in #chocPBday, candy, chocolate, peanut butter, peanuts, What's For Dinner? | Tagged , , , | 53 Comments

Chicken and Couscous Stuffed Peppers #SundaySupper

Posted on March 23, 2014 by Cindy Kerschner

Compensation was provided by Gallo Family Vineyards via Sunday Supper, LLC. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Gallo Family Vineyards.
Chicken Couscous Gallo Merlot
They say, “Every picture tells a story.” I’ll take it one step farther and say as a food blogger, the best recipes have a story behind them.

Connecting with people through food has always been a passion of mine. As a Master Gardener I taught kids where their food comes from through hand-on activities. Adults at a local adult daycare center, where I started a patio garden, shared their love of food through stories of beautiful gardens they had and delicious recipes they made for their families. We strived to let them recreate some of those memories.
teaching adults_0002_edited-1
It has only been the past two years that I’ve blogged about food and cooking. Sharing myself through this outlet has led me to meet so many wonderful friends. I feel like we are all part of a family.

It was so nice of Gallo Family Vineyards to extend a warm, “Welcome to the family!” to me in their letter. It meant a lot coming from a wonderful family-oriented company like Gallo.

The letter included an invitation to this March 23rd Sunday Supper and Gallo Family Vineyards event.

GFV-family-logo (1)

For my recipe contribution, I chose to make stuffed peppers. In my family stuffed peppers always meant comfort food. You got your own personal little filled pepper boat for dinner. I’d pile mine with Parmesan cheese.

I thought I’d switch it up with ground chicken. Lately I’ve been substituting chicken in my favorite meat recipes. That’s fine with my guy. He would eat chicken every day if I made it. I’m not bragging. He just likes chicken!

We also eat a lot of rice. Normally I keep a variety of rice on hand: brown, Arborio, long grain blends and although not technically rice, wild rice.

My guy caught me rooting through the stash trying to decide which one would be best. “Not rice again.”

“Of course not,” I said and grabbed the couscous I was saving for stuffed mushrooms.

It turns out that couscous was the right choice. Those stuffed peppers were light and not overly filling. I also saved time since couscous cooks faster than rice. Oh and those mushrooms didn’t go to waste either.

Chicken and Couscous Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients
• 2 red bell peppers, cut in half lengthwise
• 1 lb ground chicken
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1/2 cup uncooked couscous
• 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 sliced baby portabella mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
Sauce
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup Gallo Merlot
• 1/2 cup light cream or half and half
• 1 teaspoon thyme, minced
• 1 teaspoon, sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Blanch peppers for 2 minutes in boiling water. Transfer to a baking dish.
2. Sauté chicken, onions, thyme, salt and pepper in olive oil until chicken is no longer pink, about 10 minutes to reach 170 degrees. Set aside.
3. Bring broth to a boil. Add couscous, cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes.
4. While chicken is cooking, sauté mushrooms in butter until golden brown. Set aside.
5. To make sauce, combine puree, garlic, thyme, sugar, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes. Add Merlot and cook an additional 5 minutes. Stir in cream and cook until thoroughly heated.
6. Combine chicken and couscous then stuff the peppers. Top with sauce and mushrooms.
7. Bake uncovered until thoroughly heated, about 15 minutes.
8. Serve with a salad or side of greens. Pairs perfectly with a glass of Merlot.

Chicken Couscous Pepper close up

For the sauce I decided to make a rose with Gallo Merlot.

chicken couscous stuffed peppers ingredients

Gallo describes their Merlot as blended flavors of black cherry, ripe plum and hints of oak that create a velvety richness.

Since Merlot matches very well with a wide range of foods including pork roast, pasta with rich tomato sauce, poultry, as well as grilled meats and vegetables, it seemed like a natural for this chicken, pasta, tomato sauce and peppers dish. Learn more about their Merlot here.

You can find the perfect pairings for your meals with the Gallo Pairing Tool and where to buy it at their handy store locator .
Connect with Gallo Family Vineyards and stay informed on all their exciting news and specials!
Visit their website: www.gallofamily.com 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/GalloFamilyVineyards 
Twitter: twitter.com/GalloFamily 
Instagram: instagram.com/gallofamily 
YouTube: www.youtube.com/gallofamilyvineyards

 

 Please join us in sharing our recipes and the stories behind them this week from the Sunday Supper Group!
Brunch:

Mains and Sides:

Beverages and Desserts:

If you would love to try some of our Sunday Supper Recipes and want to find a retailer carrying Gallo Family Wines near you, click here. You can also visit Gallo’s website or connect with via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube.

Sunday Supper Movement
Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.
Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy! You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

 

Compensation was provided by Gallo Family Vineyards via Sunday Supper, LLC. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Gallo Family Vineyards.

Posted in #SundaySupper, chicken, Gallo Wines, peppers, What's For Dinner? | Tagged , , , | 51 Comments

Chicken Patty Melt #RecipeReDux

Posted on March 22, 2014 by Cindy Kerschner

Chicken Patty Melt
Welcome to another exciting group challenge posed by Recipe ReDux. The challenge this month is to create a healthy version of the popular “patty”.
When I think of patties I think sandwich. Crab patties, hamburger patties, veggie patties and of course, patty melts.

recipe redux

Patty Melts are nothing more than a burger in a grilled cheese sandwich. I love patty melts. Usually these beauties are made with caramelized onions that ooze from gobs of butter. Gooey cheese, greasy ground beef, rye and more butter.
I lightened up this classic by using lean chicken, low-fat Swiss and substituting 1/2 the butter with olive oil. Oh yes, and mushrooms. Lots of mushrooms.
I served this with a little salad of dried apricots and arugula drizzles with olive oil and lemon.

Chicken Patty Melt #RecipeReDux
 
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Prep time
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Ingredients
  • ½ pound ground chicken
  • ¼ cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • Salt-to taste
  • ¼ cup thinly slices onions
  • ¼ cup sliced mushrooms
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 4 teaspoons butter, divided
  • cooking spray
  • 4 slices low-fat Swiss
  • 4 slices rye bread
Instructions
  1. Mix together chicken, spices and bread crumbs and form into patties. Spray a skillet with cooking spray and fry burgers until thoroughly cooked. Drain on a paper towel if necessary.
  2. Fry mushrooms in olive oil and 1 teaspoon butter until golden brown.
  3. Fry onions in remaining butter until soft and caramelize.
  4. In a large skillet sprayed with cooking spray place 1 slice bread, 1 slice Swiss, burger, onions and mushrooms. Top with another slice of cheese and bread.
  5. Cook until bread browns and cheese is melted.
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Stop by these Recipe ReDux member sites for more great ways to celebrate “Patty”!

Posted in #RecipeReDux, chocolate, What's For Dinner? | Tagged , , | 8 Comments