Book Debut

Just a reminder that my daughter's best friend, Kiersten White's Book "Paranormalcy" DEBUTS TODAY!!! You can find it HERE on AMAZON or at your local Barnes & Noble and lots of other bookstores near you. I recently finished Kiersten's book and I can highly recommend it to young and old alike. It is fresh, exciting and captivatingly romantic and funny. You will love Evie's voice in the book. I'm not going to tell you anything because I don't want to give anything away. Just know that you will love it.

We are SUPER EXCITED for Kiersten and we've recently heard news that she just signed a Movie Deal for film rights to her book. That is really cool news!!! You can read more about the excitement at Kiersten's Blog.

If you're a writer my daughter is having a Paranormalcy Party and is giving away a FULL Manuscript Critique on her blog. Go HERE to read more about the Party. Her contest will end September 7th. Kiersten is also having a contest and giveaway that will end September 12th so run HERE and enter her contest.

For those of you who would like to meet her in person and have her sign your copy of her book you can go HERE for TOUR information. A few other author's will be traveling with Kiersten.

Kiersten will be here in Salt Lake City, Utah at King's English Bookstore on September 11th at 2pm for a book signing. If you come look for me and say HI. I just may have something for you if you tell me you read this on my blog. I'd love to see you there!!!

Le Cordon Q

Would you like to know where you can find
the recipe for this yummy salad?


...then read on...

Brie & Raspberry Salad with Chicken
and Fresh Raspberry Vinaigrette

If you absolutely LOVE to COOK and BAKE and CRAFT
but... not all at the same time... of course... lol...
...then this POST is just for YOU...

Let me INTRODUCE you to...

Kayley...


from...

Le Cordon Q...

I've known Kayley since she was 15 years old when she and her family were our neighbors. Her family moved soon after she graduated from High School. Kayley and my oldest daughter were good friends and continue to keep in contact. I was lucky to watch Kayley grow up and see her many talents blossom.

I started to think that all of you would enjoy sharing in the results of her talents so, I emailed her and asked her what she thought about doing an interview and letting me do a post about her new cooking blog. She was very excited to let me do that for her.

The name of her newest blog is called Le Cordon Q and the pictures alone are worth having a look. I have yet to try one of her recipes (since her blog is still really new) but, there are several recipes that I want to try my hand at. If you get a chance to visit her blogs I know she would love you to leave some comments and become a follower. Also, I'm sure she would enjoy hearing back from you whenever you make one of her recipes.

Kayley also has two other blogs you'll want to be checking out...

Her crafting blog is Frayed & Fancy...
You can also link to her Etsy Shop HERE...

Her Cake Blog is Cakes by Kayley...

Here are a few pictures of her cakes.

I could eat this cake right now.
It looks so yummy!

I recently did an interview with Kayley so I could introduce her to you...My Blogging Friends. I hope you enjoy the pictures of her wonderful food as much as I did. I'm really HUNGRY, now! I better go make dinner...if only...I had the ingredients handy to make one of her entrees, soups, salads, or desserts.

Questions • Answers • Pictures • and Links

Me: How old were you when you discovered your love for cooking? Describe the memory.

Kayley: I remember being about 7 or 8 years old and being absolutely convinced that I had concocted a new dish never seen before by the culinary world. It was sliced hot dogs, pan-fried and served on toothpicks. Gordon Ramsey would have been proud.

Chicken Fricasse

Me: Tell us about your journey to Culinary School and how long it took you to finish?

Kayley: I decided to go to culinary school because I really wanted to have a useful education that could provide a career that I would enjoy. So I took a look at all the things I like to do and decided that culinary school made the most sense. I chose to go the self-paced route so that I could focus on school and get done as quickly as I'd like. The average length of culinary school to earn an associates degree is about 2 years. I focused only on school and pushed through in about a year. I know that many culinary programs offer beginner and intermediate classes for those who are interested in learning a little more.

Watermelon Agua Fresca

Me: I know you have a passion for creating beautiful cakes and desserts so, what is your favorite dessert(s) to make?

Kayley: Hmmm. Chocolate has always been my one true love and the epitome of a "real" dessert to me. My favorite dessert to make is my chocolate truffle torte. It's a flourless chocolate cake covered in ganache and has the texture of a truffle. It's so yummy! When I lived in Utah, I would enter it in Cache Valley's Chocolate Festival in various forms and it won the contest three years in a row. Chocolate never lets you down.

Velvety Carrot Soup

Me: What has been your most asked for recipe? Tell us about it.

Kayley: My Key Lime Curd Mousse Torte has always been a popular one. It consists of a buttery shortbread crust filled with a mousse made from key lime curd, whipped egg whites and whipped cream and then topped with more key lime curd. I took it to a company party once where utensils had been forgotten and folks were walking around eating it with tortilla chips or giant spatulas as their forks. I've been wanting to make it recently, but I can't eat it because of the raw egg whites. Pregnancy food restrictions are the hardest part of the whole 9 months, I've decided.

Strawberry Pana Cotta

Me: What made you decide to start your newest blog?

Kayley: Now that I no longer am working(if you count chasing after a two year old and keeping up a house with a billion flights of stairs not working), I really miss having a job where I can be involved with food to the same extent that I am used to. So, I started Le Cordon Q to give me an outlet for my passion for cooking. I love sharing culinary creations with others and seeing what others create.

Mediterranean Tomato Phyllo Tart

Me: Would you share with us a little about your two other blogs?

Kayley: Well, my cake blog is a blog where I post pictures of the cakes that I make to kind of advertise options for those looking for a special occasion cake. My Frayed and Fancy blog is my crafting blog where I get to post all of my crafty creations, whether it be furniture refinishing, paintings, home decor, or accessories from my Etsy store.

Heirloom Tomato Bisque with Basil Butter

Me: I know you are a very creative person so, tell us a bit about what you LOVE to do.

Kayley: I think I love to do too many things, which is exactly why I have too many blogs. Besides cooking, cake decorating, and crafting, I also love to sing and play the piano. Music is HUGE to me. I also just love getting to be a mom and be with my little family. I love life. Life is great =).

Flourless Chocolate Raspberry Cake

Me: Do you have any insights or experiences that you'd like to share with us?

Kayley: Ha. I don't know about insights, but I will tell you one of the biggest secrets to cooking: Presentation. If you can make your food look nice, people will think it tastes better, even if it's terrible! I used to work with eating disorder patients who had about as much interest in eating as my two year old does in potty training. But I found that if I presented their meals to them in an asthetically pleasing way, they were much more excited to eat it. The mind can trick the stomach sometimes. Please note that this theory does NOT work on young children. Or Gordon Ramsey.

You will find more of these kinds of delicious recipes and more on Kayley's Cooking Blog.

American Quilting

Guess What?

My friend Amy McClellan is the owner of American Quilting and she started a BLOG for her quilt shop! Yippee!! I've been helping her get started so she can learn the in's and out's of blogging. She's doing really well! Take the time now to add her to your google reader and blog list. You will love getting to know her and seeing everything that she creates.

Amy is a very talented lady!! She use to tole paint back in the day when I was tole painting and she had a business producing and selling her designs. Infact, I bought one of her pieces at a craft fair when I was visiting Utah several years ago not knowing that one day we would become friends. It's been so much fun getting to know her over the years.

Right now Amy is having a Garden Party & Quilt Show in her backyard and front yard. Each year Amy invites her friends & customers to display their quilts. It's a lot of fun looking at all the beautiful quilts, enjoying good company, and eating ice cream sundaes. Go check it out!

I Love Your Blog Award

Yippee!! This is my very first award. I'm so way excited! Thank you Jo-Anne for the sweet recognition and I'm glad you enjoy my efforts. I too have enjoyed reading your blog and I feel like one of your friends. That's what I've enjoyed the most about blogging is making sweet connections with other ladies that love doing the same things I LOVE to do! It's so inspirational and motivational. I think I spend more time blogging than I do quilting or cleaning. Especially now that I'm working I get my QUICK QUILTING FIX by looking at all the wonderful quilting blogs out in blogland. Keep Quilting and Blogging Ladies!!!!


Here are the rules to this little bit of fun!
1. The winner can put the logo on her blog.
2. Link the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate at least 5 other blogs.
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs of those you’ve nominated.

And the nominees are........

1. Nanette at Freda's Hive~ I've known Nanette for some time now and I just love her work and she's the one that inspired me to start a quilting blog. Thanks Nanette! Nanette has so many favorites of mine how can I pick just one but here's a recent favorite, I'm sure you'll agree.

2. Joanne at Applique Today~ She loves to applique and has some awesome projects. You will love her bright and happy colors. Here's one of my recent favorites.

3. TLC Stitches~ I don't know her first name but she does beautiful work and she knits too! This is one of my favorite posts about her "First, Worst, and Best" quilts she's made. Love it!

4. Patty at Sew Easily Distracted- Patty doesn't know me but I just love her blog. She's part of the Dear Jane Group that Anina the master and leader of our group. Her lollipop blocks are to die for and I can hardly wait to see it all put together. Here's one of my favorites.

5. Anina at Dear Baby Jane~ I just have to give a huge pat on the back to Anina. She is the master and leader of our Dear Baby Jane Group. She does a remarkable job keeping us all motivated and inspired. Her instructions and blocks are awesome! Check it out. Even if you don't join in the fun it's amazing to witness the process of making all of these wonderful blocks originally made by Jane Stickle in 1863.

My other most favorite sites that have already been given this award are Anna at Thimbleanna and Jo-Anne at The Carter Clan. You Go Girls!!!