It's Time Again.....

To order Christmas Cards!!!

We are always very excited about our Christmas Card. We have two children ages 10 and 8 and have always done a photo Christmas Card of them together. Sometimes the hardest part of the process is for my husband and I to agree on a photo. This year Shutterfly has a beautiful assortment of cards to choose from. Their Holiday 2010 collection is lovely. We love the stationary photo flat cards. This year it is going to be hard to choose from all the great cards available. Here are some of the photo cards from Shutterfly that we love:

(I think this is my favorite....LOVE the border)

When choosing a photo card, we are very particular. The card has to be on cardstock-not photo paper. The card must be a flat card and 5 x 7. We like simple designs that are pretty and elegant, fun and cute, yet do not completely focus on the design but on the photo of our children.

We are also very specific that we want the card to say Merry Christmas and NOT Happy Holidays. Just my thing...I am funny about that!!:)

SHUTTERFLY fulfills all our requirements AND make it extremely simple to upload photos, crop and personalize. Go to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/holiday-cards.

Shutterfly is also great for photo gifts, calendars and photo books. My friend just made a lovely photo book of her trip to Paris and it is beautiful. Shutterfly is amazing and the quality of the products are wonderful. Go to http://www.shutterfly.com/photo-books/simple-path.

Photo Calendars also make a wonderful Holiday gift for your spouse, grandparents or friends. Check out the wonderful and easy to make calendars at http://www.shutterfly.com/calendars.

I am sure if you check out the Shutterfly website at http://www.shutterfly.com you will not be disappointed.

If you are a blogger....its your lucky day......you can get 50 free cards from Shutterfly by going to http://www.blog.shutterfly.com/ Be sure to check it out!!

Cheers....................

Tonight's Dinner

Even though we have had 100 degree days and sweltering heat, this was my kid's request for dinner tonight! I got this recipe for Shrimp and Corn Chowder from Real Simple Magazine (one of my favorites!). I have made this chowder at least three times and it tastes better every time. I tweaked the recipe just a bit. This was my alteration: I did not use fennel. I used 2 cups of 1% milk since that is what I buy and 1 cup of 1/2 and 1/2. I also added some onion to my chopped leeks and pureed them in the food processor before I sauteed them in butter.



Serves 4 Hands-On Time: 30m Total Time: 30m


Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 leeks (white and light green parts), chopped
1 fennel bulb, chopped
kosher salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 8-ounce bottle clam juice
3 cups whole milk
1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 pound cooked peeled and deveined medium shrimp
1 10-ounce package frozen corn
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
bread, for serving (optional)


Directions
Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and fennel, season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 4 to 5 minutes; stir in the flour.
Add the clam juice, milk, and potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 12 minutes. Stir in the shrimp and corn and cook until the potatoes are tender and the shrimp and corn are heated through, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice. Serve with the bread, if using.



This is so tasty and yummy!! For tonights chowder I am also going to add in some bay scallops to surprise the kids!!!

Cheers................

Any thoughts??

A friend of mine recommended this book to me?? Has anyone read it?? Thoughts??
Cheers...............

My New Favorite

I absolutely LOVED this book!! I have recommended it to several friends and they have loved it as well! I was so sad when the book was over. I never wanted the story to end. Always the sign of a great book! Don't miss out.....enjoy!
My rating: @@@@
Cheers................

Gone in an Instant

The Bag Lady Papers is a story about survival, inspiration and Independence. It is the memoir of Alexandra Penney and her financial ruin after investing all her savings with Bernie Madoff and her road to recovery.

Synopsis
Throughout her life, Alexandra Penney's worst fear was becoming a bag lady. Even as she worked several jobs while raising a son as a single mother, wrote a multimillion-dollar bestselling advice book, and became editor in chief of Self magazine, she was haunted by the image of herself alone, bankrupt, and living on the street. She even went to therapy in an attempt to alleviate the nagging in her mind that told her that all she had worked for could crumble.
And then, one day, that's exactly what happened. Alexandra Penney had taken a friend's advice and invested nearly everything she had ever earned with Bernie Madoff. So one day she was successful and wealthy; the next she had almost nothing. Suddenly, at an age when many Americans retire, Penney saw her worst nightmares coming true.
Entertaining and inspiring, The Bag Lady Papers chronicles Penney's struggle to cope with the devastating financial and emotional fallout of being cheated out of her life...

I had checked this book out of the library, yet I will most likely purchase it. I think it's a good one to keep on hand. A good reminder of what is truly important and the fierce reality of the difference between our 'wants' and 'needs' in life.
My rating: @@@
Cheers.......................

Getting Started

I have just returned from a vacation in Ireland!! As soon as I adjust to the time changes, I have lots to share. I read some great books and look forward to writing about them!! Stay tuned.........
Cheers................

Hello

I have always been an avid reader with a passion for books! I get asked often from friends what I am reading and willing to pass along! I also have a friend who is always asking me to start a book club. This, I have not done and have never been a part of a book club. Maybe in the near future...we'll see! I have been reading blogs for over two years and I am eager to pass along book recommendations, as well as some good recipes that I stumble upon, for this blog!
Welcome....hope you enjoy and if you have a good book or recipe to pass along to me, I would love to know about it!!!!
Cheers.................