Spotlight Saturday Blog Hop #4

It's Spotlight Saturday Hosted By

Between the Lines, Survey Junkie, and Kindred Spirit Mommy

<a href="http://www.betweenthelines-kel.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Between the Lines" src="http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/jacquiblogger/LINES%203/Spotlightanimated2.gif" /></a>
Welcome to our new blog hop with a twist!  Every week swing by to link up your blog and one you want to spotlight!  Did you find a new blog you liked this week?  Is there one you visit on a daily basis?  Well, simply link up your Spotlighted blog right under yours.  We will Spotlight our favorite blogs of the week in spots 4, 5, and 6.  This week we are spotlighting our favorite Crafty blogs!  Please share your favorites with us!

How it Works

1) Link up your own blog.
2)Link up a blog you want to spotlight for the week.(ex. Spotlight: I Spot You)
3) Follow your three hosts.
4) Grab our button and post it on your sidebar or in a Spotlight Saturday Post.
5) Follow as many blogs from the list as you like and leave a comment so they know you stopped by.
6) Return the favor by following blogs that followed you.
(Be aware that URL's cannot be duplicated so please have a second spotlight choice in mind. If your blog's URL has already been spotlighted, just add one you'd like to spotlight. And don't forget to leave a comment with the blog you spotlighted so they can come and join the blog hopping fun! )

 

Another Fun Blog Hop you may be interested in!

Two Giveaways Ending Tonight!

Don't miss your last chance to enter The Magic Warble and Giddy Up & Grow Giveaways!  Just click on the links over on the right sidebar to go directly to the post.  And Don't forget tomorrow is Spotlight Saturday!  Have a great weekend!

Wacky Jacqui's Designs Launch Pary!

From Wacky Jacqui's Designs:
I am going to have a week long launch party event. I finally have a launch date for my website and I’m excited. There will be prizes given out by me and 25% off my 2 largest packages. This event will be from August 23rd to August 30th.

Now on to the prizes I will be giving to lucky winners.

3 winners- Custom Made Buttons

2 winners- Pre-made Design Package

1 Winner- Animated Header

2 Winners- I Heart Blogging Package

3 Winners- Custom Made Twitter Background

GRAND PRIZE-
A Blog make over that include everything I can do.
• 2 or 3 column design
• Custom background
• Custom header (basic or animated)
• Matching font color
• Sidebar titles (unlimited)
• Custom signature
• Custom post divider
• Social network icons (unlimited)
• Convert to a 3 column layout (if needed)
• Custom blog button (2 included)
• Matching profile picture
• Navigation bar with text or images
• Matching twitter background
• Favicon
• Deletion of Blogger navigation bar if desired
• Installation

Total of 12 prizes to giveaway.

Rules to enter:
Mandatory Entry- Follow this blog. You can only enter each prize only once AND you must write a post about the prize you want to win in order to enter. You must include the link back to the post you wrote about. Make sure you leave your E-mail so I can contact you.

-Sorry no multiple entries-

Please help spread the word for this event I am hoping this will bring me more traffic and more business. If you would like to donate any prizes to this event please let me know at Jacquisdesigns@gmail.com

Want learn more about Jacqui?  Keep reading to hear what she has to say:

Fabulous Food Friday with Debbi Does Dinner...

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 Debbi from Debbi Does Dinner...Healthy and Low Calorie. When you get a chance, swing by Debbi's yummy blog.  I’m sure you’ll find a recipe you and your family will love. Debbi has even altered many of my recipes to make them healthier for your family!  Here's one of Debbi's favorite recipes:

This is one of most favorite recipes. I could eat these every week (and often do!). I found this recipe first at Picky Palate, she takes the most amazing pictures! We've played around with the recipe a bit and below is how we like it here. I've noticed that the size of the bag of broccoli slaw differs depending where you shop. Cub has 10 oz. bags and Walmart has 16 oz. bags. I've even seen 12 oz. bags before. Just use what you find. I don't often mention brand names but I do believe that LaChoy teriyaki sauce is key here. I've tried Kikkoman which is cheaper (at Costco) and it's lower in calorie but it's much thinner and doesn't seem to taste as good or coat the broccoli slaw as well. I also use the jarred ginger and garlic for this recipe, it seems to work fine and I do put a lot of garlic in this. I usually wrap these with my tortillas but they are fantastic as lettuce wraps as well.

Asian Turkey Broccoli Slaw Teriyaki Wraps

Cooking spray

1 large chopped onion

1 lb. 93% lean ground turkey

1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 tbsp. ginger

2 tbsp. garlic

2 - 10 oz. bags of broccoli slaw

1 small can of water chestnuts, rough chopped

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. LaChoy teriyaki sauce

2 tsp. sesame oil

8 in. whole wheat 100 calorie tortillas or lettuce leaves

Spray cooking spray into a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground turkey, when it is almost done, add onion. When turkey is completely done, add garlic and ginger and stir for about 1 minute. Stir in broccoli slaw, water chestnuts, teriyaki sauce and sesame oil. Cook for about 10-15 minutes or until broccoli is wilted down and heated through. Serve in slightly heaping 1/2 cup portions on 8 in. tortillas or lettuce leaves.

Total calories = 1460

10 - 1/2 cup servings = 146 calories

2 servings broccoli slaw + 2 tortillas = 492 calorie dinner

Calories calculated from Calorieking.com, some numbers are rounded and approximate.

Tricky Trivia

What was the original name of Scrabble?

Take a guess in the comments below!

$25 Photacular Giveaway Ending Tonight!

Don't miss your last chance to enter the $25 Photacular giveaway!  Enter HERE!

School is Near

Here are my little girls just one year ago.  This was my eldest daughters first day of kindergarten and she was so excited.  I remember how nervous I was to send her off to such a big school without me.  I think the knot in my stomach remained there for the next two weeks.  She, on the other hand, didn't get phased at all.  She loves school and was happy to go.  So as school is approaching (next week..eeek), her excitement level is rising.  Unfortunately for me, not only will she be going to school for a full day now, but my little one will be starting preschool too.  Really?!?  I have to let go of both of my girls!?!  I go back and forth about wanting to home school them, but they love it so much, I don't think they would be very happy with me.  So I will try to strong for them both! :)  Next week, I will post some new pictures of their first day of school.

Tricky Trivia

All the clocks in the movie Pulp Fiction are stuck at________.

Take a guess in the comments below.

Tortuga Rum Company Review and Giveaway

Tortuga Rum Company is a twenty-five year old family-owned business that is proud of their long tradition of making the finest Caribbean rum cakes and gourmet products.   Their moist, delicious rum cakes are made from a secret family recipe that has been delighting consumers for years.  Although their main bakery remains in Grand Cayman, Tortuga’s popularity has allowed them to expand to the Barbados, Jamaica , and the Bahamas.  To keep up with the demand, Tortuga Rum Company has also expanded to Miami, Fl where they manage the worldwide distribution, mail orders, food services, and online sales.

The Tortuga Rum Company is more than just cake.  They are the “largest duty free liquor business in the Cayman Islands with 18 stores throughout Grand Cayman.”  They offer a wide variety of flavored cakes, coffees, chocolates, and sauces.  When you get a chance, I would encourage you to explore their website.  They have fabulous ideas for gifts for loved ones, or for yourself!  They even have a variety of gift baskets to choose from.

I had my first experience with Tortuga when I went on a cruise to the Caribbean.  I remembered my Dad commenting on how good they were, so of course I had to give them a shot.  Each cake is individually wrapped and then vacuumed sealed.  This seal makes it difficult to open without scissors, but it keeps the cakes so fresh and moist.  I recently bought my Dad a mixed 6 pack of mini cakes for Father’s Day.  He said he enjoyed the different flavors, but the original rum cake remains his favorite.  Tortuga was gracious enough to send me a few samples as well, and my favorite by far is the Orange Taste of Florida.   The Tortuga Taste of Florida also offers Key Lime and Coconut, but I have yet to try them.  They sound delicious and I can’t wait to come up with an excuse to purchase them!  Tortuga also sent me a sample of their Gourmet Rum Flavored Coffee.  Because I am not a coffee drinker, I shared it with a few of my neighbors.  My one neighbor thought it was a creamy and rich coffee and asked if there was more.  I think a bag of Gourmet Rum Coffee would make a great gift.  My other neighbor enjoyed it, but said that he prefers unflavored coffee.

The Tortuga Rum Company offers too many wonderful products to be able to cover them in a single post, but if you would like a chance to sample some of them, you are in luck.  The generous people from The Tortuga Rum Company have offered one lucky reader of Between the Lines a chance to win a Tortuga Picnic Pack.

The Tortuga Picnic Pack includes a Caribbean sauce pack: 5oz bottles of jerk sauce, hell fire hot sauce and gourmet steak sauce; a 10oz jar of pepper jelly; and a 16oz original golden with walnuts rum cake.  If you don’t win, you can order it for only $38.50 which includes shipping anywhere in the United States.

Mandatory Entry: Like The Tortuga Rum Company  on Facebook and leave a comment saying you do and your first name and last initial so I can confirm.

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

~ Sign up for Tortuga’s Email list (5)

~Follow Between the Lines (3)         

~ Subscribe to my email (5)

~ Update FB status that you entered the Tortuga giveaway from Between the Lines (2)

~ 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 Facebook (5)

~Follow me on Twitter (2)

~ Follow Tortuga on Twitter (2)

~ Add my Spotlight Saturday button and leave a link (5)

~Tweet this giveaway leaving me your link. (3x a day not back to back) (1 entry each)

~ Enter another one of my giveaways (1 each)

~Blog about this giveaway and leave me a link (10)

~Make a purchase from Tortuga (10)

This giveaway will end on September 2nd @10p.m Eastern

Giveaway open to US  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 complimentary samples 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.

It's Huge!

Check out this picture of a praying mantis that we found on our porch.

Since it is so hard to tell just how big it is from a photo, I convinced my friend to put her hand up so you could compare.

It may not be the coolest thing ever, but the kids sure thought it was!

Tricky Trivia

How many verses does the National Anthem of Greece have?

Take a guess in the comments below!  How many verses are in your country's National Anthem?

Fill-r- Up Winner!

Congrats to Golden Orchid!  She is the winner of our fill -r- up giveaway.  Golden Orchid won with comment number #22, "Like fill r up on FB C.J. Jennings #1".  Our winner has 48 hours to claim her prize or I will randomly select a new winner.  Thanks to all who entered and I hope you keep reading Between the Lines!

Wizard Of Oz

My friends and I took our 6 girls to see the Wizard of Oz on the big screen yesterday.  Our new theater in town was screening it for only a dollar.  Having a very timid four year old, I hesitated a bit before deciding to go.  But in the end, I figured we could just leave if she got too scared.  Now the theater gets some big pluses and some ginormous minuses (spell check didn't catch ginormous...who knew it was a real word???)  All six girls had a great time.  This was a big plus for the theater.  It was nice to let the girls have the whole movie experience, but for only a fraction of the cost.  They got to talk to together, laugh together, exchange silly bands, and eventually enjoy the movie.  Overall in their books, perfect!  Now comes the minuses.  My poor friend, M, seems to forget to remove the sign she wears that states she would love poor service every time we go to this theater.  No matter how often we remind her to leave the sign at home, she still wears it.  She has been to this theater over 10 times, and each and every time she has received very bad service (except for the one time she told the waiter she was expecting bad service, then he took good care of her.).  The theater is actually a Drafthouse which serves food and drinks at your seat.   You order at your seat and they bring it out to you.  Typically she either gets her food an hour later than everyone else or it is the wrong order and she has to start her order all over.  Either way, her food is always cold.  Poor M!  Do you enjoy taking your kids to the movies?  Is it too much of an ordeal or worth it?  Grab a latte, put up your feet, and join the discussion!

Recipe Corner: Chocolate Mint Cookies

As you all know, I love my cookies!  Here is a different, but yummy cookie you should all try.  It is not the healthiest of cookies, but I suppose you could use Splenda and Egg beaters.  Either way, just delicious!!   Please let me know if you are interested in featuring one of your recipes on our Fabulous Food Friday Post.  I'd love to have you!  (betweenthelines-kam@hotmail.com) And don't forget to find more great recipes at Crazy Daisy's Tuesday's Taste Party!

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 (4.5 ounce) packages chocolate covered thin mints

Directions

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the sugar, butter and water, stirring occasionally until melted. Remove from heat, stir in the chocolate chips until melted and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
2. Pour the chocolate mixture into a large bowl, and beat in the eggs, one at a time. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, stir into the chocolate mixture. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets. Roll cookie dough into walnut sized balls and place 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, be careful not to overbake. When cookies come out of the oven, Press one mint wafer into the top of each cookie and let sit for 1 minute. When the mint is softened, swirl with the back of a spoon or toothpick to make a pattern with the green filling of the mint wafer. For smaller cookies, break mints in half.

Tricky Trivia

How long do Alligators typically live (just an estimate)?

Take a guess in the comments below!

NOVICA Giveaway Ending Tomorrow!

Don't miss your last chance to win a $30 gift certificate from NOVICA!  Enter HERE!  Giveaway ends tomorrow.

GourmetGiftBaskets.com Review and Giveaway

 GourmetGiftBaskets.com offers an extensive variety of gifts for every occasion.  Whether you are celebrating, congratulating, or wishing someone well, GourmetGiftBaskets.com has the perfect handmade gift basket for you.  All of their food products contain award-winning and critically acclaimed ingredients.   With GourmetGiftBaskets.com you will never struggle to find the perfect gift again.

Gift baskets prices range from about $34 to around $250.   If you are looking for a gift within a specific price range, GourmetGiftBaskets.com’s website is easy to navigate.  You can also search for gift baskets relating to a specific theme or celebration.  If you need a gift quickly, GourmetGiftBaskets.com offers same day delivery on many of their unique baskets.

Thanks to Brian, from GourmetGiftBaskets.com, I was able to review the yummy Snack basket shown above.  This basket included:

· Dipping Pretzels by East Shore Specialty Foods - 6 oz. - East shore is known for their plump and salts pretzel sticks which are meant for dipping.
· Raspberry Honey Mustard Pretzel Dip by Robert Rothschild Farm - 7.8 oz. - This Robert Rothschild pretzel dip is a delicious blend of juicy raspberries, clover honey and tangy mustard. Not only does it have a distinctive flavor, but it's also all natural. Kosher and gluten free.
· Key Lime White Chocolate Chip Cookies by Brent & Sam's - 7 oz. - Made from scratch, these cookies have a crunchy style and are tangy yet sweet to the taste. The key lime flavor is perfectly balanced out by the sweetness of the white chocolate chips.
· Almond Pecan-dy Crunch by Morley Candy Makers - 9.25 oz. - This gourmet popcorn by Morley Candy Makers is renowned for being one of the best. With whole almonds and pecans, the irresistible buttery toffee evenly coats every bite.
· Salted Peanuts in Box by Feridie's - 7 oz. - Feridie's uses only the best of Virginia's peanuts, the top 2% of the crop each year. Once picked, they are roasted in pure peanut oil and salted to perfection.
· Petite Cheese Biscuits by Salem Baking Co. - 1.5 oz. - This beautiful tin is filled with savory, bite-sized biscuits that are baked with finely milled wheat flour and extra-sharp aged cheddar cheese. They are accented with the delicate crunch of toasted rice and a hint of cayenne and paprika.
· Metropolitan Trail Mix by GourmetGiftBaskets.com - 4 oz. - Our metropolitan mix is all natural and contains exotic fruit like papaya and pineapples as well as raisins, cranberries and bananas. It also has whole peanuts, almonds and pepitas.  It's a natural and delicious snack!
· Buttered Peanut Crunch by Old Dominion Peanut Company - 10 oz. - These peanut squares by Old Dominion can be found in all of our snack gift basket made with a bit of brown sugar and only the freshest grade AA butter. These ingredients combined with lightly salted peanuts makes for a scrumptious and crunchy treat.
· Peanut Roll by Dillon Candy Co. - 3 oz. - Dillion Candy starts their roll with a fluffy nougat center which is covered by a distinct layer of caramel and is then rolled in lightly salted peanuts. This amalgam of texture and flavors makes for the most delectable of peanut rolls.
· Coconut Bar by Oskri Organics - 2.2 oz. - This bar is 100% organic made of only fresh coconut and rice syrup. It has a delicious crunch and is sure to satisfy any coconut lover; that's why you'll find it in our gourmet snack foods baskets.

My family loved the gift basket.  It was full of deliciously unique food.  My favorite by far was the pretzels dipped into the Raspberry Honey Mustard.  It was a perfect combination of sweet and tangy.  My girls and I also fell in love with the Key Lime White Chocolate Chip Cookies.   It was like a mixture of my favorite pie and favorite cookie all rolled into one!  I could go on and on about the wonderful treats that were included in this snack basket, but don’t take my word for it.  Visit GourmetGiftBaskets.com today and order your own small Snack Basket for you and your family ($59.99).  Or share the love and buy one for a friend.  These Snack Baskets are perfect for any occasion!

The generous people from GourmetGiftBasket.com have offered one lucky reader of Between the Lines a chance to win their very own Small Snack Basket.

Mandatory Entry:  Like Gourmet Gift Baskets on Facebook and then leave a comment on their FB Page letting them know I sent you and one of your favorite product they carry at GourmetGiftBaskets.com. Come back here and leave a comment letting me know you’ve completed your submission.
This entry must be completed for additional entries to count.

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)

~ Update FB status that you entered the GourmetGiftBaskets.com giveaway from Between the Lines (2)

~ 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 Facebook (5)

~Follow me on Twitter (2)

~ Follow GourmetGiftBaskets.com on Twitter (2)

~ Add my Spotlight Saturday button and leave a link (5)

~Tweet this giveaway leaving me your link. (3x a day not back to back) (1 entry each)

~ Enter another one of my giveaways (1 each)

~Blog about this giveaway and leave me a link (10)

~Make a purchase from GourmetGiftBaskets.com (10)

This giveaway will end on August 31st @10p.m Eastern

Giveaway 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 a complimentary gift basket 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.

A Tricky Blog Post

About 5 Days ago, I had a Tricky Trivia post about not using a particular symbol from our ABC’s.  A fab lady from THIS blog said I should try writing a blog post without this symbol.  I don’t know what to blog about, but I thought I’d try to form a post without this symbol.  I am truly curious how an author could form a book without the symbol.  I’ve finding it awfully difficult to form a thought without it.  Do you know which symbol is missing from this post so far?  It is an awfully popular symbol and I miss using it! That is about all I got.  No victory, but I did as good (I know not good grammar) as I could. Try it and find out just how hard it is!

Tricky Trivia

Humans are the only animals that use a _______ as an emotional response.

Take a guess in the comments below and don't forget to leave your own tricky trivia questions on Between the Lines' Facebook page!

Earn Extra Entries!

Would you like to win 10 extra entries for any of my giveaways?  If so visit Mommy in a Wonderland's review and giveaway of her Etsy shop Giddy Up and Grow. Then simply email me that you entered and I'll send you the bonus entry word. (betweenthelines-kam@hotmail.com). 

Silent Sunday

Waterpark Fun!

Bumper Boats that spray water!

You can't see her well, but she's going fast!

Simple Sunday Twitter Hop

Welcome to the

Simple Sunday Twitter Hop .

Hosted by Survey Junkie, Between the Lines ,

Its Me Melbie & Crazy Daisy.

With this weeks Guest Host Carries Rambles.

<center><a href="http://www.betweenthelines-kel.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/af324/staycee413/Twitwith4blogs.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /> </center> Grab a cup of coffee & join us every SundayYou can gain new Twitter followers, find some great blogs & bloggers in the process.
Have Fun !!!
Plus every week we will draw a random guest host to fill our #5 seat :)
How it Works
1. Follow blogs 1 -5 ( we will follow back )
2. Add your Twitter URL ( not your blog url or giveaways)
3. Snag our new button to use in a post about the Simple Sunday Twitter Hop
4. Follow as many ppl. as you would like & follow everyone back that follows you :)
( This is not a giveaway linkup & anything other than your Twitter url's will be deleted ) Link up every Sunday at 12:00 am est !!