Review & Giveaway: Dot's Brittle Kitchen~CLOSED~

Dot's Brittle Kitchen's homemade brittle is made fresh to order using only the best ingredients. No preservatives, only the freshest ingredients. There are 11 varieties of brittle to choose from:

Almond Brittle
Cashew Brittle
Coconut Brittle
Hazelnut Brittle
Macadamia Nut Brittle
Peanut Brittle
Peanutless Brittle - try this one dipped in chocolate
Pecan Brittle
Pistachio Brittle
Supreme Brittle - for those who want it all or can't decide!
Walnut Brittle

Dot's will make any of these varieties sugar-free (sweetened with malitol) upon request. Also, you can have any of your favorite brittle with toppings of your choice - Chocolate, Toasted coconut, or extra nuts.

I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to sample several varieties of Dot's homemade brittle, including peanut, almond, cashew, macadamia, and coconut. Before trying Dot's brittle, I had only ever had peanut brittle, which has always been a favorite of mine, but I have some new favorites now! They all tasted fresh, sweet, and flavorful. Peanut brittle is still my favorite, but I also especially enjoyed almond and cashew. Now I'm wondering what they would taste like topped with chocolate...

The Giveaway:

Dot has generously offered to provide a 1 pound tin of any variety of her brittle to the winner of this giveaway.

Here's what you have to do to win it:

MAIN ENTRY:

Visit Dot's Brittle Kitchen and look around. Come back here and tell me something specific about Dot's Brittle Kitchen that I haven't already mentioned here. This must be done FIRST, in order for your entry to count. Comments not meeting this requirement will be deleted.

EXTRA ENTRIES:

~Follow me on Blogger (Google Friend Connect). Make sure I can see your name in My Followers on my sidebar.

~Blog about this giveaway - include a link to this post, and to Dot's Brittle Kitchen, then leave the link to your Blog Post in a comment.

~Follow me on Twitter (@amylou61) & Tweet this Giveaway. Leave a link to your Tweet in a comment. You can copy this Tweet:

" @amylou61 Win a 1 Pound Tin of Dot's Homemade Brittle of your choice at Peace & Quiet: http://tinyurl.com/lwdvxa "

~Grab my button and post it on your Blog's sidebar. Include a link to it in a comment.

Entries will be accepted until September 10th at 11:59pm EST. Winner will be drawn by random.org and validated per rules. US & Canada addresses. Winners will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to reply before an alternate winner is chosen. Good Luck!

Winner!

The Winner of the Teak, Wicker & More Giveaway is #57 (chosen by Random Number Generator).

wigget said... i like the Arizona Sahara Deep Seating Set by Barlow Tyrie
Congratulations, wigget! Make sure you respond to my email sent today, so I can get your prize shipped to you.

Book Review and Giveaway: Off Season *CLOSED*

Off Season by Anne Rivers Siddons

From Hachette Book Group:

Acclaimed novelist Anne Rivers Siddons's new novel is a stunning tale of love and loss. For as long as she can remember, they were Cam and Lilly--happily married, totally in love with each other, parents of a beautiful family, and partners in life. Then, after decades of marriage, it ended as every great love story does...in loss. After Cam's death, Lilly takes a lone road trip to her and Cam's favorite spot on the remote coast of Maine, the place where they fell in love over and over again, where their ghosts still dance. There, she looks hard to her past--to a first love that ended in tragedy; to falling in love with Cam; to a marriage filled with exuberance, sheer life, and safety-- to try to figure out her future. It is a journey begun with tender memories and culminating in a revelation that will make Lilly re-evaluate everything she thought was true about her husband and her marriage.


My Review:
I loved this book! I like stories with an ocean, lake, or other waterfront setting, and the author described coastal Maine in beautiful detail. It made me want to travel there and spend a summer. (I wish!) The characters were developed so completely, that I felt as though I was getting to know each of them. I especially liked Lilly. She was wise, strong, and determined, even as a child. She had a rich life, experiencing adventure, love, and loss. Off Season is full of joy and sadness, and it made me feel like laughing and crying, as it drew me in to the lives of Lilly, her friends, and her family. I highly recommend it.


Off Season can be purchased at many online and brick-and-mortar retailers such as Amazon.com, BN.com, and Borders.


Giveaway:

Thanks to Valerie and Hachette Book Group, I have 5 copies of Off Season to give away.

MAIN ENTRY:

Tell me in a comment where you saw this giveaway. You must do this FIRST, in order for your entry to count.

EXTRA ENTRIES:

~Follow me on Blogger (Google Friend Connect). Make sure I can see your name in My Followers on my sidebar.

~Blog about this giveaway - include a link to this post, and to Hachette Book Group, then leave the link to your Blog Post in a comment.

~Follow me on Twitter (@amylou61) & Tweet this Giveaway. Leave a link to your Tweet in a comment. You can copy/paste this tweet: Win a copy of Off Season by Anne Rivers Siddons. 5 Winners! http://bit.ly/UIuR0

~Grab my button and post it on your Blog's sidebar. Include a link to it in a comment.

Entries will be accepted until August 25th at 11:59pm EST. Winners will be drawn by random.org and validated per rules. US & Canada addresses. No PO Boxes. Winners will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to reply before an alternate winner is chosen.
Good Luck!

Happy National Zucchini Day!

Today is National Zucchini Day. Who knew? This year my hubby planted a couple of zucchini plants in the garden, which are doing very well, and producing more zucchini than I can keep up with. I've baked Zucchini Bread, sauteed zucchini with peppers, onions, and garlic (just like my mom used to make), roasted zucchini with olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, and onions - tossed with pasta, and just a couple of days ago I made my favorite Fried Zucchini.

Fried Zucchini

Ingredients:

vegetable oil for shallow frying (I use canola)

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

1 teaspoon salt (plus more for seasoning)

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or granules (optional) *see note*

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 eggs

1 medium zucchini

Heat about a half inch of oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking. Line a plate or cookie sheet with several layers of paper towels or newspaper. Heat oven to warm. Slice zucchini into thin rounds. Beat eggs in a small bowl. Mix flour, bread crumbs, salt, garlic powder or granules (if using), and pepper in a shallow bowl. Dip zucchini slices into eggs, then lift them out and allow the excess to drip back into bowl. Drop slices into the flour mixture, turning to coat both sides. Carefully place into hot oil. Adjust temperature of oil if they don't begin to fry right away, or if they begin to get brown too quickly. Fry until golden brown on the underside, then turn over and brown on the other side. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels or newspaper. Salt to taste. Fry in batches, removing the drained zucchini to another plate or cookie sheet and keep warm in oven.

*note* I use Garlic Salt in place of the salt and garlic powder or granules, but you can use just plain salt, if you prefer.

You can serve this with marinara sauce for dipping, but I like it just as it is. My husband and I polished off the entire plate with dinner. Yummy!

Teak, Wicker & More Giveaway*CLOSED*

I was recently "introduced" to CSN Stores , with over 100,000 items in dozens of categories. I soon saw the potential for endless hours of browsing and dreaming, and knew this would become a distraction that could be dangerous...Okay, maybe dangerous is too strong a word, but all of you shopaholics know what I mean, don't you?

One of the CSN stores I enjoyed perusing was Teak, Wicker & More, which offers Patio Furniture, Wicker Furniture, Hammocks, Grills and Grilling Accessories, Outdoor Fountains, and so much more. They have just about everything you can think of to decorate and accessorize your outdoor living. Here are just a few items that caught my eye:

This would be great on our deck or patio.

I've always wanted a hammock chair on my front porch.

And a fountain in that square flower bed just next to our garage.





The wonderful people at CSN Stores have given me the opportunity to offer one item of my choice to one of you! I chose this Polder - BBQ Safe Serve™ Instant Read Thermometer from Teak, Wicker & More.







This handy gadget is a must-have for any kitchen! A 10 inch long probe accurately tells you when your meat is cooked to perfection. The convenient probe folds to become a 5" long instant read thermometer.
Features:
10 in. long probe allows you to safely check meat on the BBQ
Large LCD screen with back-light button
Safe Serve™ feature sounds when meat has reached a USDA recommended safety temperature
Cooking presets help you cook to desired doneness
Probe has two locking positions for easiest reading angle
Probe folds closed to become an instant read thermometer with 5 in. long probe
Probe sheath included


The Giveaway:


MAIN ENTRY:


Go to Teak, Wicker & More's Patio Furniture section, and choose your favorite item (besides any I've mentioned in this post.) BE SPECIFIC, don't just say a patio table or chaise lounge. Then come back here and leave a comment telling me the specific name of the item in your comment. You must do this FIRST, in order for any of your entries to count. I'll delete all entries that don't follow the rules.


EXTRA ENTRIES:


~Follow me on Blogger (Google Friend Connect). Make sure I can see your name in My Followers on my sidebar.


~Blog about this giveaway - include a link to this post, AND a link to patio furniture. Leave the link to your Blog Post in a comment.


~Follow me on Twitter (@amylou61) & Tweet , mentioning this giveaway, and linking to it. Leave a link to your Tweet in a comment. You can copy/paste this Tweet:

Win a Polder BBQ Safe Serve Instant Read Thermometer at Peace & Quiet! http://tinyurl.com/knovcv


~Grab my button and post it on your Blog's sidebar. Include a link to it in a comment'


PLEASE make sure your email is visible in your comment or linked to your name! If I can't email you, you can't win!


Entries will be accepted until August 18th at 11:59pm EST. The winner will be drawn by random.org and validated per rules. US & Canada addresses. No PO Boxes. Winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to reply before an alternate winner is chosen.


Good Luck!