Authors in Bloom! Giveaways here and more there…

I’m a part of the Authors in Bloom Blog Hop which is running from April 10-19th.  Join the fun, get gardening tips, recipes and a chance to win gifts at each stop as well as a special Grand Prize (details on the Authors in Bloom main website. Just click the link on the right!)

So here is the scoop for my site!

I’m giving away a $10 gift certificate to Macaroni Grill or DSW. Your choice. Shoes or food? The decision is all yours if you are randomly selected. It’s easy to join in on the fun. Just leave a comment along with with your email.

Please use the following format example to go by:

kara-(at)-karashleydey-(dot)-com

This will help to prevent unnecessary filters from putting your comment aside for moderation. If this happens, though, don’t worry. I will be monitoring your comments throughout the ten days and post those that fall through the cracks. 🙂

 

 

OR

 

 

 

 

I’d love to share a recipe I got from a dear college friend that has been a must have at every party we’ve hosted. And my family has parties ALOT!

RECIPE: JOJO’S AWESOME BEAN DIP

1 LARGE can of El Paso refried beans

or

2 medium cans of EL Paso refried beans

1 can of Hormel No Bean Chili

1 bottle of your favorite salsa (I use a Texas chipotle salsa)

1 package of Kraft Shredded Cheese (I use Mexican or Four Cheeses)

Your favorite tortilla chips

OPTIONAL:

1 half an onion, diced

1 avocado, sliced

In a slow cooker: combine refried beans, Hormel Chili, 3/4 bottle of Salsa, half package of cheese, and diced onion (optional).

Mix thoroughly. Set cooker to low heat.

On top of this add the remaining cheese, top with remaining salsa and avocado (optional) and any remaining diced onions (optional).

Place your favorite chips in a bowl next to the cooker. Let the contents simmer throughout the party. I’ve found this to be a great ‘end of party’ snack. People gravitate to it after they have drunk a bit. And it tastes better with time. But if you go this route, you might want to opt out of the avocado. Either way, it’s always been a big hit at my parties. 🙂

GARDENING TIP — ROSES

If you live in a cold area and have your roses outside, make sure to clip them down in the Fall and cover them with a plastic pail, to keep them safe from frost. Surrounding this plastic pail with straw or mulch also helps protect the roses from frost.

 

Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. To be eligible for the Grand Prize of the Blog Hop, make sure to check out all the other blogs here: http://www.inlinkz.com/wpview.php?id=230445

-Kara xxooxx

21 thoughts on “Authors in Bloom! Giveaways here and more there…”

  4. Thank you for being part of the hop… that bean dip sounds good… and thank you for the rose tip don’t really frost so much in the south but good tip to know just in case.

    j.m.platt83 at gmail dot com

  7. Spring is bloom and I love the flowers that come along with it. The warm weather, the happy people, the blossoming of roses and sunflowers. Sunflowers have to be my favorite flowers. They are so happy reaching towards the sky. Their petals are like eyelids opening wide to look upon the great blue sky above. My mother makes the best cheesy cauliflower soup that I adore in the springtime. It’s thick and creamy and I could easily eat gallons of it!
    Anyway, thanks for the giveaway!

    mestith at gmail dot com

    1. You keep talking about that cauliflower and I’m going to run to the freezer an unthaw my California blend! Lol

  9. The last time I tried making bean dip I started all the way back at dried beans; it took 2 days and still didn’t taste all that great! This one sounds much more manageable. 🙂

    1. Oh wow, that is an ordeal. Like making pea soup from scratch. Hope you enjoy this alternative! 🙂

  10. Beautiful roses! Thanks for sharing and being apart of this fantastic hop! 🙂
    shadowluvs2read(at)gmail(dot)com

    1. I take pictures of flowers like some take pictures of dinner. Oh heck, I do both. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂

  11. Thanks for stopping by everyone! 🙂 I’ll be drawing my winner tomorrow morning.
    -Kara

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