JICAMA SLAW and GIVEAWAY

2 carrots, peeled and julienned
1 small jicama (about 1 - 1/4 lbs.) peeled and julienned
1 large red bell pepper, cored and very thinly sliced
1/4 head red cabbage, cored and very thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, halved lengthwise and very thinly sliced lengthwise
6 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoons minced cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoons red chile flakes

In a medium bowl toss all vegetables.

Combine oil, vinegar, lime juice, minced cilantro, salt, pepper, sugar, chili powder and chile flakes in a small bowl; whisk until blended.

Add dressing to vegetables and toss everything together, let sit 15 minutes,stirring 2 to 3 times. Serve garnished with cilantro, if you like.

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

Notes: Use a handheld slicer (like a mandoline or a Benriner) to make cutting the vegetables easier.
Vegetables can be put in a large resealable plastic bag, chilled and kept up to 2 days.
Dressing can be made ahead, chilled and kept up to 2 days.

Make-Ahead Meals for Busy Moms has a combination of GREAT!!! ideas for family meals. Make-ahead recipes that can be entirely made or partially made ahead of time and frozen to be reheated are serve later. I love this idea for busy mom, like all of us.

What I like about this cookbook is that the recipes are EASY!!! to make and includes items that I have in the pantry. This is a must for any busy mom. The font is big and the directions are simply and clear to read. There are instructions for freezing to keep the flavor and the taste fresh. Since this AWESOME!!! cookbook will give you a lot more recipes for meals to prepare ahead of time you will enjoy the stress free dinner time. But, best of all and the most important the recipes are delicious, your family will enjoy the variety.

Now, here what you need to do to enter a chance to win this GREAT!!! cookbook:

Jane Doiron @

Make-Ahead Meals for Busy Moms

asked me if I would be interest in a giving away her cookbook @ Heart N' Soul Cooking. I am a follower of her blog and think she has GREAT!!! recipe, so I knew I would be interested in doing a giveaway for my blog friends.

GOOD LUCK!!!

• 1st and mandatory - Visit Jane Doiron @ Make-Ahead Meals for Busy Moms! and tell me one recipe that you would love to cook at home found on the Table Of Contents (click on cookbook on sidebar)
  

For Extra Entries:

• Follow Heart N' Soul Cooking (with Google Friend Connect)
• Blog about this giveaway, with a link back to me.
• Follow the Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms blog
• Sign up for the Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms newsletter.
• Grab the Make Ahead meals for Busy Moms button, found on her blogs sidebar.

For 3 Extra Entries:

• Visit Amazon.com or Barnesandnoble.com and purchase a copy for yourself or as a GREAT!!! gift.

Please leave a separate comment for each item that you have completed stating that you have done so. That will give you 9 AWESOME!!! chances.

Winners will be chosen via Random Drawing. Winners who I am unable to contact and who don't claim their prize within 48 hours of being sent their winning email notifications and me posting the winner of the prize will forfeit their prize. Please follow directions. This is open to all bloggers and nonbloggers alike. You have from now until March 7th, 2010 at 11:59 PM (Alaska time) to comment and be entered for a chance to win. I will randomly pick one winner and announce it here on my blog shortly after March 8th! Open to USA only!

GREAT!!! COOKBOOK GIVEAWAY

Make-Ahead Meals for Busy Moms has a combination of GREAT!!! ideas for family meals. Make-ahead recipes that can be entirely made or partially made ahead of time and frozen to be reheated are serve later. I love this idea for busy mom, like all of us.

What I like about this cookbook is that the recipes are EASY!!! to make and includes items that I have in the pantry. This is a must for any busy mom. The font is big and the directions are simply and clear to read. There are instructions for freezing to keep the flavor and the taste fresh. Since this AWESOME!!! cookbook will give you a lot more recipes for meals to prepare ahead of time you will enjoy the stress free dinner time. But, best of all and the most important the recipes are delicious, your family will enjoy the variety.

Now, here what you need to do to enter a chance to win this GREAT!!! cookbook:

Jane Doiron @

Make-Ahead Meals for Busy Moms

asked me if I would be interest in a giving away her cookbook @ Heart N' Soul Cooking. I am a follower of her blog and think she has GREAT!!! recipe, so I knew I would be interested in doing a giveaway for my blog friends.

GOOD LUCK!!!

• 1st and mandatory - Visit Jane Doiron @ Make-Ahead Meals for Busy Moms! and tell me one recipe that you would love to cook at home found on the Table Of Contents (click on cookbook on sidebar)
  

For Extra Entries:

• Follow Heart N' Soul Cooking (with Google Friend Connect)
• Blog about this giveaway, with a link back to me.
• Follow the Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms blog
• Sign up for the Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms newsletter.
• Grab the Make Ahead meals for Busy Moms button, found on her blogs sidebar.

For 3 Extra Entries:

• Visit Amazon.com or Barnesandnoble.com and purchase a copy for yourself or as a GREAT!!! gift.

Please leave a separate comment for each item that you have completed stating that you have done so. That will give you 9 AWESOME!!! chances.

Winners will be chosen via Random Drawing. Winners who I am unable to contact and who don't claim their prize within 48 hours of being sent their winning email notifications and me posting the winner of the prize will forfeit their prize. Please follow directions. This is open to all bloggers and nonbloggers alike. You have from now until March 7th, 2010 at 11:59 PM (Alaska time) to comment and be entered for a chance to win. I will randomly pick one winner and announce it here on my blog shortly after March 8th! Open to USA only!

APPLE GALETTE

1 - 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold butter
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
1/2 cup walnuts
2 pounds tart apples (3 to 5) such as Pink Lady or Granny Smith
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 large egg, beaten to blend with 1 tablespoon water

In a food processor or large bowl, combine flour, granulated sugar and salt. Cut 1/2 cup butter into pieces and add to flour mixture; pulse motor, cut in with pastry blender, or rub in with your fingers until mixture resembles coarse meal. With motor running (or stirring with fork after each addition), add egg yolk and 3 to 4 tablespoons cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time; process or stir just until mixture comes together in a ball. Form dough into a flat disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill until firm but still pliable, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, spread walnuts in a baking pan and bake in a 375 F oven until barely golden under skins, 6 to 8 minutes (leave oven on). Coarsely chop nuts.

Peel and core apples, cut each into eight wedges. In a 10 to 12 inch nonstick frying pan over medium heat, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. When it's foamy, add apples and stir often until slightly softened and brown at edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Sprinkle brown sugar and nutmeg over fruit and stir until liquid is syrupy and bubbling, about 5 minutes. Stir in walnuts. Remove from heat.

Unwrap dough. On a lightly floured surface, with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll into a round about 15 inches in diameter. Line a 12-by-15 inch baking sheet with cooking parchment (or butter the sheet well) and carefully transfer dough round to sheet (edges will hang over sheet).

Pour apple mixture onto center of pastry, mounding wedges in a circle about 8 inches wide and 2 inches high. Gently fold edges of dough over apples, pleating as you go, leaving an opening about 4 inches wide in the center. Brush pastry all over with beaten egg mixture.

Bake in a 375 F oven until pastry is golden brown and apples are tender when pierced, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer galette (with parchment, is using) to a wire rack to cool. Transfer to a large plate, gently pulling parchment from under tart. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges.

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

Notes: serve this tart with vanilla ice cream.

TWO I LOVE YOU AWARDS

Here are the rules for the award:

My sweetheart of a friend Sugar over at Vanillastrawberryspringfields just gave me these to awards, THANKS SUGAR!!! She has an AWESOME!!! blog filled with Lots of Love!!! Her recipes and photos of her food are DELICIOUS!!! and RICH!!! Visit Sugar @ Vanillastrawberryspringfields!

1. Post the award on your blog.

2. Don't forget to mention the person who gave you the award and link back to their blog.

3. Share the LOVE!!! with as many bloggers as you wish.

4. Let them know about this award by commenting on their post.

5. Now share the LOVE!!!

I am sharing this award with the following Bloggers.

Go visit:

Tiffanee @ One Crazy Cookie!

David @ My Year on the Grill!

Sugar @ VanillaStrawberrySpringFields!

Wendy @ Relatively Unique!

Alea @ Premeditated Leftovers!

Annalisa @ Cooking Easy!

Mandy @ Home Is My Paradise!

Sue @ I Need Mom!

Arleen @ The Food Of Love!

Jeanette @ Starting Over!

Mama Bird @ Mama Bird's Nest!

Cynthia @ Cookin' With Cynthia!

Wishing each of my blogger friends LOVE!!! because each of you spread LOVE!!! with each of your posts. THANKS!!! for sharing. Remember what you do with all your Heart N' Soul is done with Lots of Love and should be shared with those you LOVE!!!

Geri

SUNSHINE BLOG AWARD

My sweetheart of a friend Sugar over at Vanillastrawberryspringfields just gave me this SUNSHINE BLOG AWARD THANKS SUGAR!!! She celebrates the gift of life with joy and laughter today and ever after!!! Loves good food that is DELICIOUS!!! and RICH!!! Visit Sugar @ Vanillastrawberryspringfields!

Here are the rules for the award:

1. Post the award on your blog.

2. Don't forget to mention the person who gave you the AWARD.

3. Pass the award to 12 bloggers.

4. Link the nominees and let them know about this award by commenting on their post.

I am sharing this award with the following Bloggers who spread SUNSHINE!!! with they blogs:

Go visit:

Ashley @ The Happy Little Home!

Miranda @ For Food And Life Encounters!

Liz @ The Flowering Dogwood!

Jerri @ Simple Sweet Home!

Tiffanee @ One Crazy Cookie!

Sarah @ The Budgeted Life!

Charlene @ Secrets of A Southern Kitchen!

Pam @ A Love for New Recipes!

Katie @ The Cutting Back Kitchen!

Coleen @ Coleen's Recipes!

Mama Bird @ Mama Bird's Nest!

Cynthia @ Cookin' With Cynthia!

Wishing each of my blogger friends SUNSHINE!!! because each of you spread SUNSHINE!!! with each of your posts. THANKS!!! for sharing.

Geri

SHRIMP STIR-FRY with NOODLES

3/4 pound (41 to 50 per lb ) frozen shelled, deveined shrimp
3/4 pound asparagus
8 to 9 ounces fresh linguine
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and pressed
1 cup chopped tomatoes
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
about 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
salt and pepper

Place shrimp in a colander, rinse frequently with cold water until thawed. about 5 minutes. In a covered 5 to 6 quart nonstick pan over high heat, bring 2 - 1/2 to 3 quarts water to a boil.

Break off and discard tough stem ends from asparagus. Rinse asparagus and cut diagonally into 1 - 1/4 - inch lengths.

Add linguine and shrimp to boiling water, cook uncovered, until pasta is barely tender to bite and shrimp are opaque, but still moist-looking in center of thickest part, 2 to 3 minutes. Wash colander and pour pasta and shrimp into it, rinse with hot water and drain.

Rinse pan and return to heat heat. When dry, add oil, garlic and asparagus. Stir often until garlic begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, cilantro and 1/2 cup broth; bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium.

Pour shrimp mixture into pan. Mix until pasta is hot, 1 to 2 minutes. For a moister dish, add 2 to 4 tablespoons broth. Pour into a wide bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Yield: Makes 3 servings

WE HAVE A WINNER!!!

Thank you to all of you who stopped by and entered my giveaway for the Proctor-Silex Waffle Maker and the box of Chef's Choice Gourmet Waffle Mix. I also want to Thank CSN Stores were you can purchase "bar stools" and much more here's their website @ All Bar Stools.com!

I carefully assigned each entry a number and the winner is Kendra Haden @ Haden News. She has been notified and has 48 hours to respond.

I will be having a New Giveaway starting on Friday. Come by and visit so you can enter.

Geri

KREATIV BLOGGER AWARD!!!

The Kreativ Blogger Award rules.

My sweet of a friend Alea @ Premeditated Leftovers!

Alea gave me this WONDERFUL!!! AWARD.

She has a GREAT!!! blog full of AWESOME!!! recipe and ideas. My favorite idea is her EASY!!! way to roll out Shortbread. THANKS!!! Alea for the AWARD!!!

1. Post the award.

2. Thank and mention the person who gave you the award.

3. Pass the award on to seven blogger's who you think embody the spirit of the Kreativ Blogger Award.

4. Name seven things about yourself that others don't know.

5. Don’t forget to notify the your seven Kreativ Bloggers about their AWARD and post a link to their blog.

Here are my 10 things I want to share about myself.

1. I was diagnosed with Lupus in 1990, but count my blessing each day.

2. I have won many blue ribbons at the New Mexico State Fair, but I'm most proud of winning 1st place for my Pear Shortcake with Crisco.

3. Taught my sons to cook. The youngest who now is 21 yrs. old is the one who cooks all the time is an AWESOME!!! cook. A messy cook, but a GREAT!!! cook.

4. Love collecting frogs. F - forever, R - rely, O - on, G - God.

5. My favorite color is purple. If you look in my closet you would see lots of shades of purple.

6. Hate cleaning the stove and oven, so that is why I grill year round.

7. Can't wait for the spring, I love to see the flowers bloom.

I'm passing this award to these bloggers for the creativity in the area of cooking.

Go visit:

Joanne @ Have The Cake!

Monica @ Don't Forget the Food!

Ginny @ Gigi's Treats and Frugal Tips!

Candi @ Family, Stamping and Food'!

Joy @ Joy of Desserts!

Angel @ Angel in the Kitchen!

Heather @ Blessed and Busy!

Well, the rules say I can only choose seven bloggers and this has been real hard. I would really like to give this AWARD to each of my friends, because I think all of you are CREATIVE!!! and WONDERFUL!!! I just want to say a THANK YOU!!! to all of you for each of your WONDERFUL!!! comments and following my blog.

Geri

CRUNCHY SHRIMP WONTONS and LAST CHANCE to ENTER GIVEAWAY

1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons minced ginger
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
24 large shell-on shrimp
Vegetable oil for frying
24 square wonton wrappers
1/4 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
3 tablespoons finely chopped green onion

In a large bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup soy sauce, chopped cilantro, lemon zest, 2 tbsp. ginger amd 1 tbsp. sesame oil.

Peel shrimp, leaving tails on and devein. Add to soy mixture and marinate, covered, 15 to 20 minutes at room temperature. Drain shrimp in a colander, spread out on paper towels and pat dry.

Pour oil into a deep, heavy pot to a depth of 3 inches and heat to 375. Meanwhile, spread out wonton wrappers. Working with one wrapper at a time, put several cilantro leaves and stems along wrappers edge opposite the tail over shrimp. Brush far edge of wrapper with water and starting near edge, roll wrapper loosely around shrimp, forming a package. Press seam firmly to seal.

Preheat oven to 200 F. and put a shallow rack in a baking pan. When oil reaches 375 fry wontons in several batches so as not to crowd them, flipping midway through cooking until medium golden brown. 1-1/2 to 2 minutes. Lift shrimp out with tongs, draining excess oil and transfer to baking pan; keep warm in oven.

In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1 tbsp. sesame oil, the orange and lemon juice, marmalade, green onion and 2 tsp. ginger. Serve wontons hot with dipping sauce on the side.

Yield: Makes 24 wontons

All you have to do to qualify for a chance to win is to go visit: CSN Stores website @ Cookware.com! and tell me which is your favorite BAR STOOLS, they have just added several NEW!!! and GREAT!!! lines of bar stools to their site. (mandatory before any extras)Extra Entries:

CSN Stores @ COOKWARE.com

Have chosen Heart N' Soul Cooking to giveaway two of their products. A lucky reader will win a Proctor-Silex Waffle Maker and a box of Chef's Choice Gourmet Waffle Mix. THANKS!!! and GOOD LUCK!!!

• Become a follower of my blog. Current followers count too!
• Blog about giveaway on your GREAT!!! blog.
• Tell me your favorite waffle topping.

Please leave a separate comment for each item that you have completed stating that you have done so. That will give you 4 AWESOME!!! chances.

Winners will be chosen via Random Drawing. Winners who I am unable to contact and who don't claim their prize within 48 hours of being sent their winning email notifications and me posting the winner of the prize will forfeit their prize. Please follow directions. This is open to all bloggers and nonbloggers alike. You have from now until February 14th, 2010 at 11:59 PM (Alaska time) to comment and be entered for a chance to win. I will randomly pick one winner and announce it here on my blog shortly after February 15th! Open to USA only!

HONEST SCRAP AWARD!!!

The Honest Scrap Award rules are simple.

My sweetheart of a friend Mama Bird @ Mama Bird's Nest!

Mama Bird gave me this AWESOME!!! AWARD. She's a full-time mom, obsessed with food, design and entertaining. She loves to read cookbook as if they were novels.

1. Post the award.

2. Thank and mention the person who gave you the award.

3. Pass the award on to ten blogger's who you fell embody the spirit of the Honest Scrap and whose blog's you find brilliant in design and/or content.

4. Write 10 honest things about yourself and make them interesting, even if you have to dig deep!!!

5. Don’t forget to notify the your Fabulous Sugar Dolls about their AWARD and post a link to their blog.

Here are my 10 things I want to share about myself.

1. I cook with all my Heart n' Soul and believe that what you do with all your Heart n' Soul is done with Lots of Love and should be shared.

2. I have been married to my WONDERFUL!!! husband for 32 years.

3. I have two GREAT!!! sons and three BEAUTIFUL!!! grand-daughters.

4. Love collecting recipes and cookbooks.

5. My favorite place is the kitchen, were I love to cook for my family and friends.

6. Love entering cooking contests.

7. I love to grill and do it year round.

8. Hate grocery shopping, so I only go shopping twice a month.

9. Creating new recipes and sharing them with my family and friends.

10. I LOVE CHOCOLATE!!! and try any recipe that is made with chocolate.

I am sharing this award with the following.

Go visit:

Tiffanee @ One Crazy Cookie!

Annalisa @ Cooking Easy!

Sugar @ Vanillastrawberryspringfields!

Elizabeth @ Gramma's Cookin'!

Mandy @ Mandy's Recipe Box!

Cara @ Homespun Kitchen!

Patti @ PATTI'S PANTRY!

Jamie@ Life's a Feast!

Mandy @ Home is My Paradise!

Michelle @ My Italian Grandmother!

I have made so many WONDERFUL AND SWEET!!! friends and would really like to give each one of them this GREAT!!! award. I just want to say a THANK YOU!!! to all of you for each of your WONDERFUL!!! comments and following my blog.

Geri

CHICKEN PIZZA

CSN Stores @ COOKWARE.com

Has chosen Heart N' Soul Cooking to giveaway two of their products. A lucky reader will win a Proctor-Silex Waffle Maker and a box of Chef's Choice Gourmet Waffle Mix. THANKS!!! and GOOD LUCK!!! Now go visit to enter; Heart N' Soul Cooking!

1 pound boned, skinned chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1/3 cup prepared spaghetti sauce
4 slices bacon, cut into 1 - inch pieces
2 baked pizza crusts (7 to 8 inches)
1/4 cup cream cheese (2 oz.)
1/3 cup canned diced green chilies
1/2 cup shredded jack cheese
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon hot chili flakes

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Place in a 8 - inch baking pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in a 350 F oven until no longer pink at the center of the thickest part (cut to test), about 20 minutes. Let stand until cool enough to handle, then tear into bite-size chunks. In a small bowl, mix with spaghetti sauce.

Meanwhile, in a 10 to 12 inch frying pan over high heat, stir bacon until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain.

Place pizza crusts on a 12 by 15 inch baking sheet. Spread each with about 2 tablespoons cream cheese. Spoon chicken in sauce evenly over both crusts; top with bacon, green chilies, jack cheese and hot chili flakes.

Bake pizzas in a 400 F oven until cheese is browned and bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a board and cut into wedges.

Yield: Makes two 8 - inch pizzas; 2 to 3 servings

NOTES: You can make pizza dough from scratch, but you will need to pre-bake the pizza crusts. An easy shortcut is to purchase pre-baked pizza crusts.
Spaghetti sauce can be substitute for 1/3 cup barbecue sauce for a GREAT!!! BARBECUED CHICKEN PIZZA!!!