by Sarah | Jul 19, 2016 | All About Home, All of Us, Blogging Life, Giveaway, Random, Redefining Perfect, Sponsored
*This post is sponsored by Phoenix Trading Company. I was given an air fryer in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.*
In the world of home appliances, I have both too many, and too few. Recently I got a new kitchen appliance that has brought about some good.
See, we have had a bit of a problem in our marriage since day 1.
I LOVE fried food.
Erik hates it.
So some of my favorite meals, he only picks at. He doesn’t like the grease, slime, general heaviness of fried anything.
When I was approached to try out this Air Fryer, I jumped at the chance.
What better compromise could this nearly-14 years married couple make than air frying?
No greasy food, just pure taste. At least, that was the hope. Hubs wasn’t so sure once he heard about it, and saw the thing. But, I persisted.
I made the one meal I love to make often, and hubs has always liked the taste of, but not the frying.
Breaded lemon chicken (just call me Debra Barone).
I did everything the same as I always did, but instead of fighting dropping it in a pan, I set it in a basket, spritzed it with some olive oil spray and slid it into the cooker. Ten minutes later, they were done.
Bonus points I didn’t even think of?
- I didn’t have to worry about the chicken being cooked through in the middle. Normally in oil I either get the breading burned, and the inside isn’t cooked…or vice versa. In the air fryer every single piece was perfection, from the thickest to the thinnest.
- Oil burns be gone! See, I have a bad habit of getting burned by everything I cook in oil or in its own grease (hello bacon, my delicious nemesis). Holy cow is it nice to be able to not worry about that. My hands, arms, and even my face are free from grease splatter.
- If I was just cooking for one or two of us, I could have slipped our whole meal in one basket as their cooking time was the same. However, there were four of us, so I had to spread it out. Still, for a quick lunch, I’m all over this.
- It’s a smaller kitchen appliance that can either sit on your counter, or slip into a cabinet should you have a tiny kitchen with no counter space like me. 😉
- Did I mention the no oil thing? A little spritz of olive oil instead of sitting in pools of oil will help keep me out of that plus size clothing 😉
- My husband eats the food. Scarfed it down, actually.
So we had a delicious meal. Perfectly cooked chicken, potatoes and cauliflower. A meal that everyone ate up, and turned out to be easy as pie.
Oooh, pie. That’s something I should make next. Little mini pies in no time flat.
You in with me? I can help you with that super easy.
Because I’m sharing a giveaway for a Todd English 1500W 3.3 qt Touchscreen Air Fryer w/ Filter & Accessories !!!
Seriously, you want in. Soon as I get that pie recipe done, I’ll share it with you. I’m on it tonight.
About Phoenix Trading Company (PTC):
First, we’re not in Phoenix, Arizona. Never have been (we’re in Boston). Our name refers to the
mythical bird, the Phoenix, which is reborn to soar again. Our clothes and other products are
sort of like that. We buy large volumes of out-of-season, overstock and clearance designer
merchandise from national retailers and TV shopping channels, then pass the savings to
you—on average offering our goods at 60% below retail. And by the way, the pictures of shoes
and clothing you see on our site are the actual items that you’ll get in the mail. Nothing photo-
shopped here.
People seem to like us. We started in 2001 in 700 square feet subleased from a machine shop,
and have grown to be one of eBay’s top three women’s clothing sellers. We’re also an eBay top-
rated plus seller. Not that we’re bragging. It’s just true.
There is something we’re kind of proud of, though: A third of our workforce are people who are
housebound, either through physical disabilities or childcare responsibilities, and who would
otherwise not be able to have a job. And honestly, we couldn’t function without them.
So, that’s us in a nutshell. Phoenix Trading Company, bringing you style and savings at the click
of a mouse.
Social Media Links:
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/PhoenixTradingCompany
Tumblr – http://phoenixtradingcompany.tumblr.com/
Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/phoenixtrading/
by Sarah | Jun 10, 2016 | Giveaway, Writing
I’ve been on a giveaway-entering spree lately. They pop up in author newsletters all over the place. So I thought I’d share the love and give you all some links to enter these yourself. They cover the gamut from books to Kindle’s to an Amazon Echo! So pop on in and enter a few.
- Kindle Paperwhite – via Author Andrea Pearson – ends June 19
- Kindle Fire – via Helen Smith Books – ends June 22
- $100 Amazon Gift Card or Kindle Fire – via Free Kindle Giveaway – ends June 26
- Grand Prize of $2000 Amazon Gift Card (& various other prizes) – via Becca Hamilton Books – ends June 30
- 100 Paranormal Romance books – via Becca Hamilton Books – ends July 6
- 2 Years Free Kindle Unlimited – via Becca Hamilton Books – ends July 13
- $1000 Amazon Gift Card & 14 books – via Becca Hamilton Books – ends July 31
That’s what I have for now. I’ll keep try to keep up with this regularly.
by Sarah | Mar 10, 2016 | All About Family, All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Disney, Giveaway, Redefining Perfect
A big thank you to Jenn Naas for visiting today to discuss what she does as a Disney Vacation Planner! I haven’t had the pleasure of using her services yet, but I’ve certainly peppered her with questions since our introduction! Our most recent trips to Disney have made us addicts, so we’re already dreaming and planning. There is a giveaway at the bottom of the post so stay tuned!
My family LOVES Disney World. I’m not sure if I used that word strong enough so let me bold it- LOVES Disney World!! About eight years ago my husband had a work trip in Orlando so we decided that I would join him, we’d bring our (then) two kids along and try out Disney. Our love affair began then and has been in fast forward ever since.
There is this wonderful thing that happens when you take a Disney vacation with your kids, you cry tears of happiness seeing Disney through their eyes (it’s ok to admit it- we all do it). You leave all the cares of the real world behind while being transplanted into this magical, happy place you never want to leave. I am not kidding- If you don’t believe me, ask around, you’ll see.
(Parade time is a MUST for my family- I never watch the
parade though, I watch my kids watch the parade)
Many families love Disney vacations, yet with increasing costs, new technology, and the limitless amount of information available on the internet, planning a magical family vacation can be a bit overwhelming.
First time guests and seasoned Disney-goers can both benefit from the advice of a Disney expert. This is where a certified Disney Planner comes in! I love nothing more than creating perfect, magical vacations for families and adding my own pixie dust along the way. Best of all… my services are FREE! Yes, you read that right, my services cost you zip a dee do dah zilch!
Too good to be true? Not in this case! Disney pays planners like me so you don’t have to! I then get to work with you to find the best dates, resorts, and packages for your family within your budget. I take time to build an itinerary to include dinner with princesses or pirates, fastpasses to meet Anna and Elsa or for the new Seven Dwarfs Mine train coaster, and so much more. All of this is included in the packages and no surprises.
And it’s not only Disney parks. Disney Cruise Line takes you to magical locations like the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Hawaii and even the Mediterranean. Disney service at sea… it doesn’t get much better.
By now, you may be wondering about some of the benefits of using a Disney Planner. Let’s start with all the time-consuming, stressful parts. Like waking up at 6:00am to snag the perfect reservation at Cinderella’s castle for your little princess. Constantly worrying if there is a better deal available. You leave those things to me so you only have to worry about how many sets of Mickey ears you need to budget for. The questions are endless and I’m here to answer each and every one and I’m excited to work for you to ensure you have the most magical vacation.
When you call Disney directly to book your vacation, you will begin chatting with a wonderful Disney Cast member trained to book your trip and move on to the next phone call. Sometimes you won’t even speak with a Disney employee at all but rather a 3rd party costumer service rep. While these employees are wonderful people, they can’t give advice or opinions. I am lucky enough to be the personal side of Disney that can and will give opinions. Not to mention you will work with me the entire way not some new person each time you call. I get to know you on a personal level and can easily adjust your trip to best fit your needs.
For those seasoned Disney families that feel they don’t need any help- a good planner will allow you all the control you want, but take over the parts you don’t AND sprinkle a little extra pixie dust as a thank you for working with us! As a special bonus for cruisers, many planners are able to offer you onboard credits that you can spend while on the ship on just about anything! This is one big bonus you are unable to receive when booking yourself! Don’t forget Disney is ALWAYS changing and having someone on your side to let you know all the new and updated happenings is always a bonus!
Extensive knowledge of different Disney resorts, the theme parks, pricing trends, and crowd patterns makes Disney planners’ knowledge invaluable to our clients. This comes from experience, frequent trips to the Theme Parks and on Disney Cruises, and love for the product.
My favorite part of this job is getting to know each client and what will make their trip special. I want my clients to leave for their vacation knowing that they got the best price possible and feeling prepared for their experiences – whether they are at land or at sea.
If you have even been thinking about Disney – contact a planner. I promise you will say it’s one of the best decisions you made when planning your Disney trip!
Mention you saw this post to get a special gift upon travel with a
minimum of a three-night vacation package to Disney World, Disneyland,
Disney Cruise, Aulani, or Adventures by Disney vacation.
Who wants a giveaway?!?!
Jenn has been so great to not only tell us about what she does, but has provided a fun giveaway of some pretty awesome Disney stuff.
Leave a comment below about your Disney dreams to win this amazing prize package!
Who doesn’t want Mickey ears, an autograph book and a Disney picture frame? Shoot, if I could, I’d enter for the frame alone! It’s awesome!
Leave a comment below about your Disney dreams to win this amazing prize package!
*Disclaimer: Giveaway is open until 12noon Wednesday, March 16th, 2016.
by Sarah | Feb 27, 2015 | Book Release, Book Spotlight, Guest Authors, Writing
Buy Links: Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo | Publisher
Enchanter’s Echo by Anise Rae
Mayflower Mages # 2
Blurb
Aurora Firenze lives a quiet life hiding in a junkyard. Her repair shop is the last hope for gadgets and gizmos before they get tossed onto the trash towers. Fortunately, Aurora can fix almost anything, including mages, though repairing people with metal enchantments is highly illegal.
Edmund Rallis, heir to the Rallis senate seat, has spent months hunting down his errant enchantress. He’ll play every game he knows to win her back and entice her to share the secrets she hides. But he’s inadvertently put her on the frontlines of a new game, one with an opponent who’s determined to destroy Rallis Territory and drive the Republic toward war. If the new enemy isn’t stopped in time, Edmund will lose his enchantress again—and this time there won’t be another chance.
Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/01/paranormal-picks-from-lyrical-press.html
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23404003-enchanter-s-echo?from_search=true
Author Info
Anise Rae grew up among the cornfields and soybeans of Ohio, dreaming of being a ballerina, an astronaut, and a romance writer. With no turn-out and a soul deep love of chocolate, her ballerina dreams floated away as high as the moon, equidistant with the astronaut aspiration. She stuck with writing. After 22 years, she got the call. Or rather, she got the email. Syphon’s Song, a 2012 Maggie Award of Excellence finalist, will be released March 3, 2014 from Lyrical Press.
Now transplanted to the South, Anise lives in Georgia with her family and a cast of characters that flit around in her head. A select few of those imaginary people are ever so grateful for their chance to escape into the real world of books. The remaining characters, enough to form an army, still clamor for freedom.
Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
Buy Links: Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo | Publisher
Black Wolf’s Revenge by Tera Shanley
Silver Wolf Clan # 2
Blurb
He’ll risk it all to bring her home.
Morgan Carter witnessed her sister’s murder, has been turned into a werewolf and is now raising her young niece. Then her fiance, Greyson Crawford, proves he wants to be with her for the wrong reasons, and she knows her life couldn’t be any stranger. Devastated, she retreats to her cozy house in the city with her sister’s little girl, Lana. There, they’ll have normalcy, and maybe eventually, even happiness.
But Morgan’s the only living silver wolf. Her uniqueness—the ability to produce werewolf offspring—means, without Grey’s protection, she’s unknowingly put herself and Lana in deadly danger. Other werewolves want to claim her for their pack, and she’s the easiest, most tempting prey ever.
When they strike, Grey has to find her and rescue her before it’s too late. Not so simple a task; he has only the uncontrollable beast inside him, Wolf, and an unlikely pack of allies he’s forced to rely on. Can he get to her in time? And if he does, can he convince her he’s there for the right reasons, saving them both?
Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/01/paranormal-picks-from-lyrical-press.html
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23403887-black-wolf-s-revenge?from_search=true
Author Info
Born and raised in small town Texas, Tera Shanley grew up in books. Her cousin gifted her a signed copy of Beauty by Bill Wallace when she was young and that was it for her. So smitten was she with getting lost in a story, that while other eleven year olds her age were groaning at the accelerated reader program in school, she was racking up the points just for fun.
Balancing chronic book-wormyness is her devotion to the outdoors. Hunting, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, camping – her soul is happiest out of doors. And lucky for Tera, her family feels the same. She grew up a wild child helping her grandma ranch cattle, and has a hundred memories out in the wilderness which tend to influence her books.
When she’s not eating chocolate, slinging rifles, or soaking up some sun, she’s lost in a book, but these days it’s more often one she’s writing. From historic western romance, to paranormal romance, to apocalyptic (zombie) romance, the genre doesn’t matter quite as much to her as the love story.
She currently lives with her husband and two young children, and is owned by two crazy mini-cujos.
Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
Buy Links: Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo | Publisher
Windburn by Juliette Cross
Nightwing # 2
Blurb
In the Gladium Province, the boundaries between humans and Morgons, the dragon-hybrid race, continue to blur as a new generation surrenders to long-forbidden temptation…
Sorcha Linden does whatever she wants whenever she wants, and no one can stop her. Least of all a man. After all, they’re good for only one thing—warming her bed. But then she meets Lorian, brother of Lucius Nightwing. Seductive and iron-willed, Lorian is determined to melt her emotional defenses—and warm her rebellious heart.
The beast within Lorian longs to cage Sorcha and mark her as his own. Forever. Yet the man within also longs to protect her. When a stalker starts leaving Sorcha suggestive gifts with cryptic messages bearing an ancient blood cult symbol, Lorian’s dragon side takes over. With her life at stake, Sorcha can no longer deny the love they share. But when evil tracks her into the night, will she be too late to claim it?
Author Info
Juliette Cross calls lush, moss-laden Louisiana home, where the landscape curls into her imagination, creating mystical settings for her stories. She has a B.A. in creative writing from Louisiana State University, a M.Ed. in gifted education, and was privileged to study under the award-winning author Ernest J. Gaines in grad school. Her love of mythology, legends, and art serve as constant inspiration for her works. From the moment she read Jane Eyre as a teenager, she fell in love with Gothic romance—brooding characters, mysterious settings, persevering heroines, and dark, sexy heroes. Even then, she not only longed to read more novels set in Gothic worlds, she wanted to create her own. Visit her website at www.juliettecross.com.
Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
Buy Links: Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo | Publisher
Love, Lattes and Mutants by Sandra Cox
Mutants # 1
Blurb
Finding love is hard, even when you aren’t a mutant.
Like most seventeen-year-olds, Piper Dunn wants to blend in with the crowd. Having a blowhole is a definite handicap. A product of a lab-engineered mother with dolphin DNA, Piper spends her school days hiding her brilliant ocean-colored eyes and sea siren voice behind baggy clothing and ugly glasses. When Tyler, the new boy in school, zeroes in on her, ignoring every other girl vying for his attention, no one, including Piper, understands why…
Then Piper is captured on one of her secret missions rescuing endangered sea creatures and ends up in the same test center where her mother was engineered. There she discovers she isn’t the only one of her kind. Joel is someone she doesn’t have to hide from, and she finds herself drawn to the dolph-boy who shares her secrets. Talking to him is almost as easy as escaping from the lab. Deciding which boy has captured her heart is another story.
Author Info
Multi-published author Sandra Cox writes YA fantasy, historic and paranormal romance and metaphysical nonfiction. Sandra lives with her husband, a menagerie of pets, and an occasional foster cat in sunny North Carolina. To see the brood go to her website www.sandracox1.com and click on the cat tab.
Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
Rafflecopter Giveaway (Digital iBook Bundle of ALL Four Releases)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
by Sarah | Oct 17, 2014 | Book Spotlight, Books, Giveaway, Guest Authors, Reviews, Writing
I have been really excited to bring you this review. I asked to review Ascension on a whim, not even sure what I’d get. In the end, I haven’t regretted it one second.
For me, Ascension receives a good, solid four and a half stars.
Belinda is a heroine that made me happy on so many levels. She was strong, self-sufficient, and didn’t take any BS from anyone. In an age when women were supposed to be soft of body and mind, she’d grown hard after an attack by demons exposed her to a world unlike any she’d known before. While her fiance was off fighting in the war, she begins fighting her own war at home & by the time he returns, neither of them are the same. She worries he’d never accept what she’s become and tries to push him away…but can’t deny the age-old burning attraction between them.
I loved Belinda. So much.
However my true heart belongs to Gabriel. He comes home to a fiancee foreign to him in many ways, but he refuses to let go of his love for her. When he learns what she’s doing there are so many things you would expect a hero to do–but Gabriel does none of them. Even though he’s worried for her and doesn’t want to lose her to a brutal death by demon, he supports her need to do so, in fact he joins in the fight.
He admits his fears, but supports her anyway. He is the ultimate hero. I love him so much. So very much. I want a Gabriel of my own, can I please?
The story lagged for me a little in the middle, but then picked back up, and that’s the only reason for the cutting of half a star.
Overall, this has been one of my favorite reads of the year, and I can’t wait to see more from A.S. Fenichel!
Blurb
When demons threaten London, Lady Belinda answers the call.
Lord Gabriel Thurston returns home from war to find his fiancée is not the sweet young girl he left behind. She’s grown into a mysterious woman who guards her dark secrets well. When he sees her sneaking away from a ball, he’s convinced it’s for a lover’s rendezvous. Following her to London’s slums, Gabriel watches in horror as his fiancée ruthlessly slays a man.
Lady Belinda Carlisle’s only concern was her dress for the next ball—until demons nearly killed her and changed everything. A lady by day, and a demon hunter by night, she knows where her duty lies. Ending her betrothal is the best way to protect Gabriel from death by a demon’s hand.
Gabriel soon realizes, like him, Belinda has been fighting for her country. He joins in the fight, determined to show her that their love can endure, stronger than ever.
Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2014/08/ascention-demon-hunters-1-by-as-fenichel.html
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22595242-ascension?from_search=true
Buy Links
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Ascension-Demon-Hunters-S-Fenichel-ebook/dp/B00MMMGY2M/ref
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ascension-as-fenichel/1120138658?ean=9781616505592
Kensington: http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/book.aspx/30949
Author Info
A.S. Fenichel gave up a successful career in New York City to follow her husband to Texas and pursue her lifelong dream of being a professional writer. She’s never looked back.
A.S. adores writing stories filled with love, passion, desire, magic and maybe a little mayhem tossed in for good measure. Books have always been her perfect escape and she still relishes diving into one and staying up all night to finish a good story.
Multi-published in erotic paranormal, contemporary and historical romance, A.S. is the author of the Mayan Destiny series, Christmas Bliss and many more. With several books currently contracted to multiple publishers, A.S. will be bringing you her brand of romance for many years to come.
Originally from New York, she grew up in New Jersey, and now lives in the East Texas with her real life hero, her wonderful husband. When not reading or writing she enjoys cooking, travel, history, and puttering in her garden.
Author Links
Website: http://asfenichel.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/A.S.Fenichel
Twitter: https://twitter.com/asfenichel
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5154640.A_S_Fenichel
Rafflecopter Giveaway (Two (2) $10.00 Amazon or B&N Gift Cards)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
When I was approached to try out this Air Fryer, I jumped at the chance.
I did everything the same as I always did, but instead of fighting dropping it in a pan, I set it in a basket, spritzed it with some olive oil spray and slid it into the cooker. Ten minutes later, they were done.
So we had a delicious meal. Perfectly cooked chicken, potatoes and cauliflower. A meal that everyone ate up, and turned out to be easy as pie.
