Time for a little music...GIVEAWAY!!

      Those of you that read my blog regularly know that I do love my music! I'm always happy when I am contacted to review a new CD (although I do turn down the ones I know I won't enjoy). I was intrigued when I was contacted by Sneak Attack Media to listen, review and giveaway a copy of the new TV Soundtrack from NCIS Los Angeles. Many of you will know this as the CBS hit series which stars LL Cool J and Chris O’Donnell. It focuses on a division of NCIS that is charged with apprehending dangerous and elusive criminals that pose a threat to the nation’s security. It is on Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT. 

     I wasn't sure what the soundtrack would be like. Released by Artists’ Addiction Records, it is a specially produced soundtrack album showcasing music from the hit television series. The compilation features new, exclusive—and in some cases previously unreleased—tracks from some of today’s top artists, including series star and Grammy Award winner LL Cool J, Taio Cruz, Alex Clare, Jakob Dylan, Daughtry, Allen Stone, Ryan Bingham, Ice Cube and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. 

One of the soundtrack’s breakout tracks is from emerging Dutch songstress Caro Emerald, who has been called the ‘Dutch Adele. The soundtrack producer, Mark Wike, says "this soundtrack album encapsulates the myriad of musical pulses that flow through the City of Angels. From the folky canyons, down through the night clubs of Hollywood, to the urban sprawl, it has it all."

 

     This music is definitely current and gritty. My favorite song is Daughtry's Never Die. It is easy to imagine that these are the songs of NCIS: LA. You can listen to the album on Rolling Stone Music, click here.

 

     If you would like a chance to win a copy of the NCIS:LA Soundtrack, all you have to do is leave a comment telling me you are interested. I will pick a winner on April 23rd. Good luck!

 

 

NCIS: LA Track Listings*

 1. Never Die (Daughtry)*

2. Wine & Vinegar (The Wild Feathers)*

3. Lipstick On His Collar (Caro Emerald)

4. No More (LL COOL J feat. Ne-Yo)

5. Shotcaller (Taio Cruz)*

6. Alive (Adrian Lux feat. The Good Natured)

7. Everythang’s Corrupt (Ice Cube)

8. Mama Gonna Punish You (Allen Stone)*

9. Devil In The Back Seat (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club)*

10. Lonesome Valley (Ryan Bingham)*

11. Shuffle A Dream (Little Dragon)

12. Where Is The Heart? (Alex Clare)*

13. Arms Of A Ghost (Jakob Dylan)

14. Misery (The Gaslight Anthem) *

15. Your Next Move (Zac Brennan)
*

16. Kerosene (Jim Hanft)

 

* previously unreleased in North America

 

About Artists’ Addiction Records
Artists’ Addiction Records, formed in 2005 by Principal Jonathan Scott Miller, encompasses Artists’ Addiction Music Publishing and Stop! Go music supervision. The multifaceted company’s mission is to bring consumers and clients the finest in branded entertainment, soundtrack production and music supervision. This includes soundtracks to contemporary films and television shows, album releases from known artists, soundtrack production and music supervision of various high profile films, television and commercials. Past projects include Saw 1-6, Friday Night Lights, Parenthood, NCIS, 90210, Stomp The Yard and Charmed.

Need A Yummy Low-Cal Appetizer for the Game? Giveaway!

     When I think of Superbowl Sunday, the first thing I think of isn't football...it is the food! I am all about appetizers and desserts and could really care less about actual meals! I, like many of you, have been trying to make some healthy eating choices since the first of the year. My daughter sent me this recipe for a baked version of Crab Rangoon and it is really good. If I were serving it to guests, I might dress it up a little bit with a bit of green onion tops or paprika after baking. I put this recipe into a calorie calculator and each piece has 56 calories and 2 grams of fat. They are so easy to make! I used the leftover wonton wrappers with 1 T. of chocolate chips in the middle, folded in half and baked until brown for a 90 calories sweet treat. 

Baked Crab Rangoon

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

1 can (6 oz) white crabmeat, drained 

4 oz reduced fat cream cheese 

1/4 cup light mayonnaise

sprinkle of season salt

12 wonton wrappers (found in the produce section)

     Mix the drained crab, cream cheese, mayo and season salt together in a bowl until smooth. I just used a spatula. Spray a regular sized muffin tin with cooking spray. Place a wonton wrapper in each hole of the tin. Gently press them in to make a "cup" to hold the cheese mixture. Spoon a teaspoonful of filling into each wonton "cup". Bake about 18 minutes until edges of the wontons are slightly brown and filling is heated. I don't cook with onions, but for those that do, you could add some green onion to the mix and leave out the season salt. 

     These are really good. Do I wish they had more filling, of course...could I eat all 12 of them, absolutely. What I liked the most was that they taste like a real appetizer and you don't feel as if you are missing out on something. 

I am joining Michael @ Rattlebridge Farm for Foodie Friday.

Please check out all the wonderful recipes there today. 

Don't forget to sign up for my Foodie Giveaway!

Click Here! 

Safe Haven-CD Review

     I don't know about the rest of you, but I've been seeing the commercials for the new film, Safe Haven and I can't wait. In theatres Valentine's Day February 14^th, 2013, Safe Haven is directed by Oscar®-nominee Lasse Hallström and based on the best-selling novel by Nicholas Sparks. The film stars Josh Duhamel (love him), Julianne Hough (love her too). It is an affirming and suspenseful story about a young woman who struggles to find love again after she arrives in a small North Carolina town. 

     I was contacted recently by Big Picture Media to see if I would be interested in listening to and reviewing the soundtrack for the film. 

     I had already purchased the song,  "We Both Know" by Colbie Caillat and Gavin DeGraw and I have been playing it constantly. It is one of those beautiful ballads that you just can't hear too many times. You can watch the video here. So, I jumped at the chance to hear the rest of the soundtrack.  Produced by Relativity Music Group and Republic Records, it features artists that were new to me as well as Caillat and DeGraw. 

     I got the tracks today and the music doesn't disappoint. Tristan Prettyman's, Say Anything, is one of my favorite tunes.

We won't break if we let go

You and I already know

We were bound to be set free

Even surely, here we are now

You can say anything

     Canoeing (Katie and Alex's Theme) by Deborah Lurie almost made me cry and I haven't even seen the film yet! The soundtrack ends with Go Your Own Way, which will make most of us think of Fleetwood Mac, but which is done beautifully by Lissie for the film. I would say the music tends to be what I would consider a cross between folk and pop. The artists have that song-writer vibe that is so interesting and popular right now. A film that I already wanted to see is only going to be enhanced by this excellent soundtrack. 

Tracks:

Colbie Caillat featuring Gavin DeGraw- "We Both Know"

Tristan Prettyman- "Say Anything"

Ben Howard- "Keep Your Head Up"

Dar Williams- "Summer Child"

The White Buffalo- "Sleepy Little Town"

Gareth Dunlop- "Wrap Your Arms Around Me"

Sara Haze- "Moonshine"

FM Radio- "The Journey"

Brandi Carlile- "Heart's Content" (Strings Mix)

Amos Lee- "Violin"

The Deep Dark Woods- "My Baby's Got To Pay The Rent"

Deborah Lurie- "Canoeing" (Katie and Alex's Theme)

Lissie-"Go Your Own Way"

     The Safe Haven soundtrack is available to pre-order on iTunes. For more information on Safe Haven visit www.safehavenfilm.com. 

     My only compensation for this review was to be able to listen to the soundtrack (4 time only) in order to write the review. 

Don't forget my GIVEAWAY

Click Here

Cookies!! GIVEAWAY with Cookbook! Yummy!

     Do you remember Tate's Bake Shop? Last year I had the pleasure of giving away some of their cookies and a cookbook to one of my lucky readers. Well, they have contacted me again and asked if I would like to share some Tate's Bake Shop "Love" with my readers

in honor of Valentine's Day.

  

     Kathleen King, owner of Tate's has a new cookbook, Baking for Friends. I love that title, don't you? She is sharing a recipe from the book for Linzer Heart cookies (see above). Aren't they the perfect Valentine treat? 

TATE'S BAKE SHOP LINZER HEART COOKIES

     An important tip: be sure to chop the nuts and chocolate very fine in a food processor (pulse to chop so the friction doesn’t warm them), or the dough will be too rough-textured to roll out smoothly. 

You need a graduated set of heart-shaped cookie cutters to make these. 

Yield: 20 sandwich cookies

Cookies

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup cornstarch

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ pound (3 sticks) salted butter, at room temperature

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups toasted, skinned and very finely chopped hazelnuts

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, very finely chopped

-plus-

½ cup seedless raspberry jam

½ cup confectioners’ sugar for sifting

1. Sift the flour, cornstarch, and salt into a medium bowl. In a large bowl, beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar with an electric mixer set on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Beat in the egg and vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, mix in the flour mixture, just until combined. Mix in the hazelnuts and chocolate.

2. Gather up the dough and shape it into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours. (The dough can be refrigerated for up to 1 day. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes to soften slightly before rolling.)

3. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to a round about ¼-inch thick. Use a 3 ½-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the cookies as close as possible to avoid excess scraps. Arrange the hearts about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Gather up the dough scraps and gently knead together, and cut out more cookies. If the dough becomes too soft to roll out, refrigerate until chilled. You should have 40 cookies. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

4. Position the oven racks in the top third and center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F.

5. Use a 1-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the centers of 20 cookies. These will be the cookie tops. (You can bake the mini hearts to nibble on later! Don’t throw away or re-roll.) Bake, switching the position of the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking, until the cookies begin to brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Sift some of the ½ cup of confectioners’ sugar over the hot cut-out cookies Let cool completely on the baking sheets.

6. Spread the jam on the cookie bottoms, leaving an 1/8-inch border around the edges. Add the tops, sugared sides up, and press together gently. Just before serving, sift the remaining confectioners’ sugar over the cookies.

Giveaway

Tate's Bake Shop has generously offered to send one of my readers 

the Valentine's Cookie Cube and Cookbook Combo. 

     I have tasted these cookies and they are delicious. They are thin, crisp and are made with excellent quality ingredients. You may notice from the picture that they are running a special on this package at 50% off, which means you can order this package for just $21.50. They are also allowing me to offer you 20% off any web store purchase with the code BLOG213 used at checkout. 

     In order to be registered for this Giveaway, simply leave a comment on this post telling me you are interested. I would love to have you as a follower if you aren't already...but, I won't force you into becoming one by offering free cookies! I will select a winner from all those entered on Sunday, February 3rd. Good Luck! Please check out Tate's Bake Shop website, click here!

I was not compensated for this post (not even a cookie!). 

Tate's will send the winner's gift directly to the winner.

Those Shelves Sure Filled Up Quickly! Vintage Giveaway!

     I told you that I would show you the shelves once they were loaded...it certainly didn't take long to fill them! I thought I had so much space...and then I didn't have enough. Isn't that how it always is? The sad thing is that my holiday dishes are stored in the cedar chest (you will see it later in the post) and my good china as well as my mother's china are also stored in a different room and all of my white dishes, everyday dishes and a few others are in the kitchen. At least I can see what I have now.

     This room is an interior "bedroom" in our basement. It has no window, so I wouldn't sleep in it. The prior owners used it as a home office. No one sees the room, so the furniture is just a mix of old pieces we had around the house that function to hold things. I didn't paint them because I knew they would just get scratched and battered. The bookcase holds ribbon and a few other crafty items. Old crocks work well for florals.

     The cedar chest is full of Christmas dishes. The old radio was my grandfather's, I just can't part with it. Napkin rings, paper napkins and other small tablescaping items are in the storage boxes. The shelf has Easter items.

     A few random Christmas items on the shelf and some trays, flatware and spring items sit on this old table that was my grandmother's. The large pine armoire holds more china and glassware, flatware and trays are in the drawers. The large cedar wardrobe is perfect for hanging tablecloths and runners.

     It is crowded, and not very pretty but it is organized. The extra table works well when I'm trying to pull things together for a tablescape. You can see a peek of my old rocking horse and my daughter's dollhouse that my dad built for her 9th birthday. You've seen this room before, but the new shelves really changed the function of the room.

Giveaway!



     I know I just had a giveaway, but it was sponsored by someone else. While cleaning out my dish room, I pulled out a few of the items that I love to decorate with and I'm going to send a "goody package" to one of you.

     I'm sending you some very old magazines, sheet music, postcards and photographs. My house is somewhat traditional/contemporary and yet, a few pieces of vintage paper still looks great in a vignette. If you don't want to decorate with the items...it is still fun to look at them.

     All you have to do is be a follower and let me know you are interested in my vintage grab bag in a comment. U.S. and Canadian readers only, sorry. I will pick my winner on March 11th! Good luck!

I am joining Marty @ A Stroll Thru Life for Table Top Tuesday

and

Kim @ Savvy Southern Style for WOW Us Wednesday

I've Found My "Crafty Calling"! Giveaway Reminder!

     I've found it! The perfect DIY project for me. It is inexpensive, it only takes a few minutes, I couldn't possibly mess it up and the recipient loves it! Who could ask for more?

     It starts with soft fleece. I bought small remnants on sale at Walmart. It looks best if you use 3 different colors. These would not be my colors of choice, but it is what they had. My recipient isn't as picky about color as I am.

     Cut the fleece into 4" wide strips the length of the material. This requires a ruler and scissors. It doesn't have to be exact (love that). 

     Stack the fleece strips on top of each other and secure the end with a rubber band about 4 inches from the end. I actually did the first one this way, the others I made I just tied a very tight knot and then I didn't have to worry about cutting out the rubber band. Holding the rubber band end between your knees (or the knot), tightly braid the three strips of fleece until you get the length you want. Cut the ends off with a 4" tail and either add another rubber band or tie another tight knot. If you use the rubber bands, tie the knot now and clip out the rubber band. Cut the ends into 3 sections for "fringe"!

Handmade dog chew rope! Very soft and stretchy.

It is washable and Zoe found my project to be a huge success.  

Finally something I can actually do!

Don't forget to sign up for my Giveaway!

Click Here!

The Empty Shelf and a Giveaway!

Giveaway Has Ended.

     I mentioned last week that my husband was working on a shelving project in my "dish room" and he finally finished them yesterday. I thought I would post a picture of them empty, because by the time I get done with them...they won't look all that pretty! I actually wanted them for open storage and I'm not going to try to make them decorative. The room I use for a dish room is a basement bedroom and no one ever sees it. This room is better suited for an office, so we wanted the shelves to be able to function for books etc. when we decide to sell the house.

     The main goal was to make them very strong so that I could stack lots of china on them. The last thing I want to hear is a loud crash coming from the basement. You can see all of the support he put under each shelf. The inspiration came from the picture below that I found on Pinterest. You can see the blog where it was originally posted here. My husband made my upper shelves shorter because he already had the wood and we were trying to make this project as economical as possible. As you can see, the Pinterest photo has the beautiful whites and grays displayed perfectly. Mine won't look like that! I may let you see how mine do look after I get the rest of the room arranged. It will be such a disappointment after seeing the Pinterest photo!

Now for the Giveaway!

   A representative for Celtic Woman has given me the opportunity to review and giveaway the new Celtic Woman CD and DVD, Believe. If you aren't familiar with the Celtic Woman group, they are an all-female musical ensemble conceived and assembled by Sharon Browne and David Downes, a former musical director of the Irish stage show Riverdance in 2004. Their music ranges from traditional Celtic tunes to modern songs. Celtic Woman has been described as being "Riverdance for the voice."

     I was familiar with Celtic Woman after seeing them on PBS. I also had a friend who saw them in concert and couldn't say enough about how talented they are. I can sum it up in just a few words. They sing like angels. Their voices are pure and clear, you simply feel better after listening to their music. It is also so relaxing that you just may want to close your eyes and nap while the CD is playing. The songs range from traditional to a bit of Broadway. I really loved their version of Bridge Over Troubled Waters.

     My husband and I watched the DVD Friday night and really enjoyed the performance. You can see a clip from the DVD here, or listen to a little bit of the CD here. They are both available for purchase on Amazon, the DVD is $13.99 and the CD is $11.88. However, a representative for Celtic Woman is going to send 1 of my readers the DVD and 1 of you the CD. They will be signed copies, how cool is that?

     All you have to do to enter is be a follower of I Need Mom! Just leave a comment telling me that you are. The Giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada only. The Giveaway ends on Sunday, Feb. 23rd at Midnight EST. Good Luck!

Celtic Woman are currently on tour. If you get a chance...go see them in person!

Tour Dates
Feb 22, 2012 Charlottesville, VA John Paul Jones Arena
Feb 24, 2012 North Charleston, SC North Charleston Performing Arts Center
Feb 25, 2012 Asheville , NC Asheville Civic Center
Feb 26, 2012 Columbia, SC Koger Center
Feb 28, 2012 Roanoke, VA Civic Center
Feb 29, 2012 Norfolk, VA Chrysler Hall
Mar 2, 2012 Raleigh, NC Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts
Mar 3, 2012 Fairfax, VA Patriot Center
Mar 4, 2012 Baltimore, MD Hippodrome Theatre
Mar 6, 2012 Hershey, PA Giant Center
Mar 8, 2012 Philadelphia, PA Liacouras Center
Mar 9, 2012 Boston, MA The Wang Theatre
Mar 10, 2012 Boston, MA The Wang Theatre
Mar 11, 2012 New York, NY Radio City Music Hall
Mar 13, 2012 Syracuse, NY Landmark Theatre
Mar 14. 2012 Albany, NY Palace Theatre
Mar 16, 2012 Manchester, NH Verizon Wireless Arena
Mar 17, 2012 Wallingford, CT Oakdale Theatre
Mar 18, 2012 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena
Mar 20, 2012 Richmond, VA Landmark Theater
Mar 21, 2012 Pittsburgh, PA Consol Energy Center
Mar 23, 2012 Detroit, MI Fox Theatre
Mar 24, 2012 Cincinnati, OH Aronoff Center for the Arts
Mar 25, 2012 West Lafayette, IN Elliott Hall of Music
Mar 27, 2012 Akron, OH Civic Theatre
Mar 28, 2012 Columbus, OH Palace Theatre
Mar 30, 2012 Chicago, IL Rosemont Theatre
Mar 31, 2012 Chicago, IL Rosemont Theatre
Apr 1, 2012 St. Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center
Apr 3, 2012 Champaign, IL Assembly Hall Star Theatre
Apr 4, 2012 Kansas City, MO Music Hall
Apr 5, 2012 Little Rock, AR Robinson Center
Apr 6, 2012 Memphis, TN Orpheum Theatre
Apr 7, 2012 Memphis, TN Orpheum Theatre
Apr 10, 2012 Louisville, KY The Palace Theater
Apr 11, 2012 St. Louis, MO Fox Theatre
Apr 12, 2012 Wichita, KS Century II Performing Arts Center
Apr 14, 2012 Dallas, TX Verizon Theatre
Apr 15, 2012 Baton Rouge, LA River Center Arena
Apr 16, 2012 Houston, TX Jones Hall
Apr 18, 2012 Denver, CO Wells Fargo Theater
Apr 19, 2012 Salt Lake City, UT Energy Solutions Arena
Apr 21, 2012 Portland, OR Keller Auditorium
Apr 22, 2012 Spokane, WA INB PAC
Apr 23, 2012 Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre
Apr 25, 2012 Sacramento, CA Memorial Auditorium
Apr 27, 2012 Phoenix, AZ Comerica Theatre
Apr 28, 2012 Los Angeles, CA Nokia Theatre L.A. Live
Apr 29, 2012 Las Vegas, NV The Smith Center for Performing Arts

I am joining Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday.

Please stop to say hello to our hostess!

Epcot's International Food and Wine Festival

     As most of you know, my daughter works for Disney in Florida. For us, that means we go to Orlando more than the average couple living 1000 miles away. We don't spend the hours in the parks that we did when our kid's were young, but there are certain events that we really enjoy. Epcot has always been my favorite of the parks, and The Food and Wine Festival is one of my favorites things to do when we visit.

     The fabulous landscaping artists replace many of the plants with "food related" beauties during the weeks of the festival.

     This year we were greeted by a real cranberry bog, complete with an expert explaining how it all works. It was really beautiful. I've only seen them in pictures.

It always amazes me how beautiful nature can

 be in the middle of the theme park full of people.

I'm always drawn to this area, near the Twining's Tea Cottage.

Now, for some of the food we sampled.

Remember, there were 4 of us and we were sharing!

Greece

Griddled Greek Cheese with Pistachios and Honey

Desserts & Champagne

Lemon Chiffon, White Chocolate Macadamia Mousse with

 Dark Chocolate Pearls and Tres Leches Verrine

France

Créme Brulée au Chocolate au Lait

Morocco

Baklava

Germany

Apple Strudel Featuring Werther's Original Karamel Sauce and Vanilla Sauce

Artisan Cheese Selection with Sweet Gras Dairy Thomasville Tomme,

Delice de Bourgogne, PC Wyngaard Chevre Affineurs Goat Gouda

Brazil

Seared Mahi Mahi with steamed Rice, Hearts of Palm and Coconut-Lime Sauce

Argentina

Beef Empanada  

South Korea

Lettuce Wraps with Roast Pork and Kimchi Slaw

Belgium

Belgian Waffle with Berry Compote and Whipped Cream

France

"Coq au Vin sur gratin de macaroni"

During the festival, there are free concerts every night.

We were lucky and got to see 38 Special.

They were great, one of the best parts of the festival!

Please sign up for my giveaway of Daryl Hall's new CD!

Click Here!

I am joining Susan @ A Southern Daydreamer for Outdoor Wednesday and

Kim @ Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays.

Please visit our wonderful hostesses!