Between the Lines: 5/30/10

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Which do you prefer?

Television or books? This is a hard question for me. For most of life, the answer would have always been books. Books were always my way to relax and have fun. I honestly think at one point my family had as many books as our little local library. But now with the kiddos wearing me down, I will admit that I love watching TV. I don’t watch it during the day since my shows are not exactly kid friendly, but at night this is how my husband and I unwind. I haven’t given up my love for books, but at the end of day it is hard to keep my eyes open and focused on a page. TV requires a lot less concentration on my part. And the shows we watch are fun and action packed. As much as I love watching TV, I am kind of excited for a break. With summer break starting next week, I have a long list of books that I am dying to read. During the summers, I typically read more books than I do during the rest of the year combined. It is partly because I’m not chauffeuring the kids around as much, but it is also because there is not much on TV. During the summer, there are only a few must see shows. If you haven’t watched Eureka or Psych, you should definitely check them out. So which do you prefer? What are your must-read books for the summer? What are your must see shows? Grab a latte, put up your feet, and join the discussion!

Tricky Trivia

How much liquid can the average diaper hold?

Take a guess in the comments below.

Friday, June 4, 2010

Fabulous Food Friday with Crazy Daisy

Welcome to Fabulous Food Friday! While exploring the blogosphere, I realized that there were many great recipes to share. So every Friday, I am going to try to feature an awesome blogger with their great recipe! Today’s feature blogger is Jasey from Crazy Daisy. When you get a chance, swing by Jasey yummy blog. You can even link up your recipes on her Tuesday Tastes Parties!

Here’s a little blurb from Jasey herself:

Happy Day to everyone! Let me introduce myself. I'm Jasey from Crazy Daisy. Besides a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, and teacher, I am just a Wyoming girl who lives for the little moments. You know, the ones that are so teensy they are lost if you are not paying attention. I try to hold on to these moments, wherever they may occur- around the table, at the park, - really anywhere! Crazy Daisy is my inspiration place - a place to celebrate life's most simple wonders, and to share ideas that warm my heart. Recipes, crafts, quilting, DIY projects, kid activities... you just never know what you may find. I would love to have you visit sometime when you have a minute!!!

I would like to thank Kelly, for inviting me over to her Fabulous Food Friday! Isn't her blog way too much fun?!?! I simply love what she has done with the place!

Now, on to the sweet stuff! I thought I might share my brand new favorite treat...Tollhouse Cookie Pie Bars. I adore these sweet little delights! They start with a simple crust made with brown sugar and butter (need I say more?) and are topped with a nutty gooey chocolate layer.

I am convinced this is what heaven tastes like! Here's the recipe

Tollhouse Cookie Pie Bars

*adapted from Nestle's Chocolate Walnut Pie Bars

1-1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

3 large eggs

3/4 cup light corn syrup

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 (12-oz. pkg.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 (8-oz. pkg.) chopped walnuts

*Note - The recipe called for 1-1/4 cups nuts, which left only 1/4 cup left in the bag. Rather than waste them or leave them to get lost in my pantry, I simply add the entire bag.

Preheat oven to 350. Beat flour, butter, and brown sugar in a bowl until crumbly. Press onto bottom of greased 9x13-inch pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, beat sugar, eggs, corn syrup, sugar, melted butter, and vanilla together in a large bowl. Stir in semi-sweet chips and walnuts; pour over hot crust.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until center is set (it may look a little puffy, but will settle into a wonderful gooey chocolate layer as it cools). Cool completely in pan on wire rack -if you can resist! Cut and enjoy! Seriously, these are my new fav! Give them a try and let me know what you think! I would love to know!

Thanks again, Kelly! What a fun visit!

Friday Follow

Welcome Friday Followers! I'm so glad you stopped in Between the Lines. While your here, find a new recipe, enter a great giveaway, or take a guess at a trivia question. And don't forget to Grab a latte, put up your feet, and join the discussion!

Giveaway Ending Tonight!

Orglamix Giveaway End Tonight!

Don't miss your last chance to enter this fabulous giveaway! Enter here.

Tricky Trivia

How are goats eyes different from other mammals?

Take a guess in the comments below.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Happy Birthday

Today my little girl turns 4! I can’t believe how fast the time has gone. It feels like just yesterday we were bringing here home from the hospital and introducing her to her big sister. Her big sister, who is now the center of her universe. My little peanut amazes me on a daily basis. She is loving, smart, funny, and has a personality that will have you constantly in fits of laughter. I love watching her grow and explore her world with curiosity and excitement. However, at the same time, I am sad to say goodbye to all her baby traits. I figure, since she is my last, I will attempt to get in as many cuddles and hugs as I can before she thinks she is too old for them. Happy Birthday Stink! I love you!

Tricky Trivia

How many meteoroids enter the Earth's atmosphere each day?

Take a guess in the comments below.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Guy and Eva Giveaway

Want to win a free pair of earrings from Guy and Eva? Well head over to Stacy's Guy and Eva blog and enter!

Kumon Books Review and Giveaway

What better way to kick off my Summer Learning Series than with a great review and giveaway from Kumon books?!? Kumon produces workbooks and learning aids that encourage learning and steady growth. Just as they do in the Kumon Learning Centers worldwide, the workbooks follow the Kumon method which has proven to be effective in children’s learning. The method is designed to help each child reach their full learning potential by breaking important concepts down to allow students to learn through a step by step process. By allowing children to master small steps at a time, they will gain the confidence and independence to begin learning on their own.

Kumon’s extensive selection offers titles on a variety of subjects for ages 3-12. My children were lucky enough to review, “My Book of Telling Time” and “My Book of Sentences”. Although the book on time is designed for children ages 5-7, my 4 year old has been enjoying learning about time like her older sister. In conjunction with a hands-on clock, she has mastered telling time to the hour on a digital and analog clock. Also, thanks to the progression of the book, we have been working on time elapse in hour increments.

My older daughter, who is six years old, has been enjoying her sentence book. This book is not only good for her to practice her writing over the summer, but it is also helping her learn the differences between nouns and adjectives. Towards the end of the book (which we haven’t gotten to yet), it progresses to learning how to use comparative and superlative adjectives in a sentence. My only disappointment in this book is that the lines for the children to write are very small. The book is designed for children ages 6-8. The lines probably are fine for an 8 year old, but a little difficult for my 6 year old (but good practice still).

The generous people from Kumon have offered one of my lucky readers their own Kumon workbook. What a great way to keep your child’s brain active during the summer.

Mandatory Entry: Visit Kumon’s website and browse through their great titles. Leave a comment, with your email, letting me know which one you would choose if you won.

Extras: (Remember each entry must have a separate comment and an email address is needed to contact winner.)
~Follow Between the Lines (3)
~ Subscribe to my email (5)
~ Grab my button and leave a link of where it’s displayed (5)
~Add me to your Blogroll and leave a link (5)
~Follow me on Twitter (2)
~ Follow Kumon on Twitter (2)
~ Like Kumon on Facebook (2)
~Tweet this giveaway leaving me your link. (3x a day not back to back) (1 entry each)
~Blog about this giveaway and leave me a link (10)
~Make a purchase from Kumon (10)

This giveaway will end on June 18th@ 10p.m Eastern.

Disclaimer: I received two complimentary workbooks in exchange for my honest review. The opinions & thoughts expressed are my own. I received no other compensation for my review nor was I under any obligation to give a positive review.

Tricky Trivia

How fast does a honey bee fly?

Take a guess in the comments below.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Relay for Life and Country Bob Giveaway

For the past 8 or 9 months, my friends and I have been fundraising for the upcoming Relay for Life walk in Winchester, VA. Despite are best efforts and hard work, we are a bit shy of our goal of $2,000. If we reach our goal before June 17th, our team captain is going to cut her hair and donate it to Locks of Love! To help us out, the wonderful people from Country Bob’s have offered to sponsor our relay team. They are donating bottles of their delicious All Purpose sauce to the relay participants that swing by our tent site. And if that wasn’t generous enough, they are also offering 3 giveaway packs (cookbook, sauces and seasoning salt). Each giveaway pack is valued at $32. Relay participants can sign up at our tent by leaving their name and email. In attempt to raise money for this great cause, we would like to offer you a chance to enter this great giveaway. For anyone who donates a minimum of $10, we will add your name and email address to the giveaway list. Making a donation is simple and can be done directly on the Relay for Life website. Every $10 you donate will earn you an entry.

To Enter:
1. Visit http://www.winchesterrelay.org/
2. Click Donate
3. Type my name in the boxes below: Kelly Malinowski (click submit)
4. Scroll down and click on my name
5. Click donate
6. Fill out the dollar amount (min $10)
7. Make sure to type your name and email address in the comments so that I can enter you into the giveaway.

On behalf of Relay for Life and The Stephens City Mom’s Club, thanks for your generous donations. Every little bit makes a big difference! For those of you who have already donated to our team, thanks again and please let me know if you’d like to be entered into the giveaway. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions (betweenthelines-kam@hotmail.com ).

Get Better Skin By Eating the Right Foods

I’ve come across several articles lately discussing how to make skin more beautiful and healthy. Mostly the articles steer clear of promoting products and stick to how important it is to eat certain foods. Take the avocado, for example. If your daily moisturizer isn’t working, adding avocado to your diet will help you get rid of your dry skin. You could even make an avocado face mask to help see results quicker. While the vitamin B3 in avocados nourishes your dry skin, the vitamin E in almonds and the vitamin A in mangoes does the same thing. The vitamin A helps repair your damaged skin cells which allow them to retain more moisture. The vitamin E in almonds is not only rich in oils that moisturize your skin, but it also contains antioxidants that help protect you from skin damage. Vitamin C is also important in protecting your skin from damage and wrinkles. Don’t forget to get 100% of your daily vitamin daily. Citrus fruits are an easy way to fulfill your daily requirements.

With the foods listed so far, I would gladly eat them on a daily basis. However, the next food is not only something I’ve never eaten, but it is not really one that I’d like to try. Oysters are the perfect food for your skin, whether you’re young or old. Oysters are rich in zinc which helps fight off pimples for the young and boosts elastin production for those of us fighting the wrinkles. Copper, in combination with zinc and vitamin C, also boosts elastin production in the skin. Eating a baked potato, with the skin, is an excellent source of copper. Copper is also necessary for your skin to have the ability to heal itself. What food do you eat to help your skin? Do you drink enough water to maintain healthy skin? Grab a latte, put up your feet, and join the discussion!

We Have Winners!

Congratulations to Pinching Abe! She is the winner of the Charm Factory bracelet giveaway. She won with lucky comment #165. Pinching Abe has been contacted and has 48 hours to respond before I redraw a new winner. Thanks to all who enter and I hope you keep reading Between the Lines!

Congratulations to Buukluvr81 who won the Second Hand Saturday Giveaway by entering the Easy Lunch Box giveaway. She has already been contacted and chosen her prize! Thanks again to all that entered and I hope you keep reading Between the Lines!

Tricky Trivia

What was the first 30-minute cartoon to air during prime time?

Take a guess in the comments below.

Monday, May 31, 2010

Bubble Chocolate Review and Giveaway (5 Winners!)

Although Bubble Chocolate is fairly new to the United States, it has long been enjoyed by people all over the world. Manufactured in Europe, Bubble Chocolate is aerated chocolate bars infused with air bubbles. It is created using the finest, all-natural ingredients. Bubble Chocolate comes in two very delicious types, Milk Chocolate and Dark Chocolate. For those with an intolerance to dairy, you will be happy to know that the Dark Chocolate Bars are dairy-free.

Although, I am usually a bigger fan of milk chocolate, I really enjoyed the Dark Chocolate bar better. It was so full of flavor and was very creamy. The best way to enjoy this light chocolate treat is to break off a small piece and allow it to melt a bit before chewing. This allows the chocolate to become moist and creamy an utterly irresistible.

“Creating Bubble Chocolate is both an art and a science. Our proprietary procedure includes the following steps: first, infusing the bubbles throughout the chocolate at just the right time and temperature, followed by molding and cooling the chocolate so that the bubbly structure remains inside while the outer shell is formed.” Are you interested in trying Bubble Chocolate for yourself? You can pick up a bar at your local Wholefoods or order from their website here.

The generous people from Bubble Chocolate have offered 5 lucky readers of Between the Lines a bar of their Milk Chocolate and a bar of their Dark Chocolate!

Mandatory Entry: Visit Bubble Chocolate and tell me something that you learned about the candy or company.

Extras: (Remember each entry must have a separate comment and an email address is needed to contact winner.)

~Follow Between the Lines (3)
~ Subscribe to my email (5)
~ Grab my button and leave a link of where it’s displayed (5)
~Add me to your Blogroll and leave a link (5)
~Follow me on Twitter (2)
~ Follow Bubble Chocolate on Twitter (2)
~ Like Bubble Chocolate on Facebook (2)
~Tweet this giveaway leaving me your link. (3x a day not back to back) (1 entry each)
~Blog about this giveaway and leave me a link (10)
~Make a purchase from Bubble Chocolate (10)

This giveaway will end on June 15th@ 10p.m Eastern

*This giveaway is open to US and Canada only. Winner will be chosen randomly. An email notification will be sent to the email address provided by the winner. The winner must respond within 48 hours. Failure to do so will result in being disqualified and a new winner will be chosen.
Disclaimer: I received two complimentary chocolate bars in exchange for my honest review. The opinions & thoughts expressed are my own. I received no other compensation for my review nor was I under any obligation to give a positive review.

Recipe Corner: Grilled Corn from Emeril

Now that grilling season is upon us, I have to share my all time favorite corn recipe. It takes a little prep the first time because you have to make the Essence seasoning, but then you have it stored for future use. I do not have the words to do this recipe justice. It is just that good! I hope you try it and enjoy! (Unlike the recipe, I removed the husks before grilling. Just our preference.)

Ingredients

• 4 ears yellow or white corn in their husks
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon Essence, recipe follows
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lime, quartered
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

- Pull back the husks on the corn and remove the silk. Pull the husks back into place and soak the corn in a large bowl of water for at least 2 and up to 4 hours. Remove and drain on paper towels.
- Preheat the grill.
- In a small bowl, mix the butter, Essence, salt, and pepper until smooth. Pull the husks down and spread 1 tablespoon of the mixture evenly over each ear of corn. Pull the husks back into place, tying the ends if necessary to keep in place.
- Place on the grill and cook until the kernels are tender, about 20 minutes, turning occasionally.
- Remove from the grill and carefully peel back the husks. Place on a platter and squeeze lime juice over each cob. Sprinkle with the cilantro and serve immediately.

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning ):

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

Yield: about 2/3 cup