Author: Gail

📖 🍰 📖 Read, Bake, Read 📖 🍰 📖 🍰 “Blogger Recognition Award!” 🍰

It’s no secret people hang out in coffee shops and book stores for the atmosphere and aromas. After all, it’s becoming a favorite pastime as well as a way to connect with others. If you enjoy reading books, and totally love baked goodies, here is a way to enjoy both activities. Go visit Charley at her amazingly interesting blog where the title says it all. http://booksandbakes1.wordpress.comI truly appreciate being nominated and find it a privilege to share my story and carry on.
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Here are tithe rules for the Blogger Recognition Award:

~ Post an image of the award.

~ Thank the person who nominated you and provide a link to them.

~ Briefly explain how your blog got started.

~ Give a piece of advice to fellow bloggers.

~ Nominate fifteen (15) more bloggers to receive the award, and notify them.
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My Story:

I have always enjoyed the written word, from personal notes to scribbling in diaries and travel journals. There’s something about taking the ordinary moments in life and recording them for extraordinary flashbacks later on. The more descriptive, the better. I took a leap of faith in starting my blog, Snapshotsincursive, as a way to express myself while dealing with the loss of my father. At first it began when I started to notice that people are looking for a kind and gentle spirit in others, especially when you pay attention. Complete strangers, on impulse, started to share their stories with no more than a smile of encouragement, a listening ear, and a few moments of my time. As I took snapshots, the stories and photos came together. Because I love to cook and eat, food became another way for me combine the best of both worlds. What better way to share recipes than “Eating My Way Through the Alphabet”.
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My Advice:

Keep it Simple. Everyone is busy and has a desire to stay connected with other fellow bloggers. By being courteous with your time and posts, the likelihood of maintaining lasting friendships increase. There is no need to continually post several times a day, in my opinion. If you are looking to increasing your numbers, it could have an adverse effect. Once again, Keep it Simple.
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Here are my fifteen (15) nominees:

http://kindestjourney.com
http://sorayabakhbakhi.wordpress.com
http://sparksinourhearts.wordpress.com
http://theplatememoirs.wordpress.com
http://ny59th.wordpress.com
http://khayceelyncordovilla.wordpress.com
http://thedotcouture.wordpress.com
http://mlglife.wordpress.com
http://athoughtfullife.com
http://awhippeddream.com
http://a3traveller.com
http://arcticmelancholy.wordpress.com
http://abbiegrrl.wordpress.com
http://acrossthebooks.wordpress.com
http://sbazzini8.wordpress.com
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Grab a book, take a bite of a freshly baked muffin, and enjoy the company of others.

Gail of  http://snapshotsincursive.com

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter M

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Joy of Eating: Mouth-Watering Strawberry Mint Salad! Before the frost sets in, I wanted to take advantage of the lingering crop of fresh mint in the herb garden. What better way than to give it center stage in this appetizing side salad? It’s refreshing, light, aromatic, and appealing to the eye. Experience your first bite through the sense of sight, then follow your heart to the nearest market and pick up 3 simple ingredients to create your own masterpiece. 
MOUTH-WATERING STRAWBERRY MINT SALAD
Ingredients:

1 quart of fresh strawberries

1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

3 sprigs of fresh mint leaves
Instructions:

Rinse strawberries and pat dry. Remove tops and discard. Slice strawberries into quarters. Place portions into chilled salad bowls. Spoon feta crumbles over strawberries. Tuck mint leaves throughout. Serve. 

🐶🐶 All Dogs Go To Heaven 🐶🐶 “Starlight Blogger Award!”

Everyone has lost a pet, a best friend, sometime in their life. It is heart-breaking and bittersweet. Nupur shares the life and experiences of Mowgli in her blog entitled https://letterstomowgli.wordpress.com

From laughter to tears, Nupur will captivate you in her creative writings. It was an honor to be nominated by her for a symbolic award that reaches to the stars.
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Here are tithe rules for the Starlight Blogger Award:

~ Post an image of the award.

~ Thank the person who nominated you.

~ Answer the three (3) questions listed.

~ Nominate six (6) more bloggers to receive the award, and notify them.

~ List three (3) new questions for the nominees to answer in response.
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I was asked the following questions:

1. What led you to writing? I have kept journals my entire life.

2. How did you overcome the weakest point of your life? Prayer, Faith, and Strength.

3. What is the one thing you’ve always wanted to do, but haven’t done yet? I would love to visit New York City and experience the food and culture there.
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Here are my six (6) nominees:

http://ditchingthedog.wordpress.com
http://lifekidsandaglassofred.com
http://abike4allseasons.com
http://agirlwithpinkcheeks.com
http://modernpilgrimjourney.wordpress.com
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Please answer the following questions.

1. Did you have a favorite pet or best friend who passed away?

2. How do you keep their memory alive?

3. What helped you heal from the loss?
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Reach for the stars and connect with those you’ve lost.

Gail http://snapshotsincursive.com

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter L

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Joy of Eating: Lively Calypso Mac ‘n Cheese! When I needed a quick side dish to serve with the Xtreme Sloppy Joes, I turned to my pantry for a flavorful inspiration from Pappardelle’s*. The multicolored shapes alone are conversation starters. Picture this: Lime gnocchi shells, mango-peach sea shells, and red southwestern chile lumache. The natural flavors explode when cooked and mixed with cheese, butter, and milk. It’s macaroni and cheese with a Caribbean twist. Well done!
LIVELY CALYPSO MAC ‘N CHEESE
Ingredients:

8 ounces Pappardelle’s Calypso Blend pasta

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup butter

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup milk

Crushed croutons for garnish
Instructions:

Bring a 2-quart pan of salted water to a rolling boil on high heat. Add 8 ounces of Pappardelle’s Calypso Blend pasta. Stir for the first 15 seconds. As the water returns to a slow simmer, reduce heat to medium and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Drain pasta. Melt butter in pan on low heat. Add cheddar cheese and milk. Stir to blend until cheese is melted. Return pasta to pan and stir to coat evenly. Do not burn. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with crushed croutons. 
*I receive no recompense for promoting their product.

Take a Seat at the Table

“You should make something.

You should bring something

into the world

that wasn’t in the world before. 

It doesn’t matter what it is. 

It doesn’t matter if it’s a table

or a film

or gardening-

everyone should create. 

You should do something,

then sit back and say,

‘I did that.'”

~ Ricky Gervais

Dining Outside the Home: MIA of Oxford, Ohio

Smooth jazz set the stage for a celebration dinner at an intimate table for two in a private curtained alcove set apart from others. The flickering candlelight seemed to dance off the red lampshade casting tiny shadows across the stemmed water glasses. Dinner was divine: Filet mignon upon a bleu-cheese risotto cake served impressively with a delicate pink plumeria as its crown. Is it any wonder the magic of its allure transported us to a tropical island where these same flowers lure Sphinx moths to their fragrant petals? The attention to detail earned this upscale restaurant a five star rating, in my opinion.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter K

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Joy of Eating: Key Lime Pie in a Flash! I’m Busy! When the hours fly by in a flurry of activity, it’s nice to know shortcuts don’t imply sacrificing flavor. After all, pre-packaged dessert mixes and sweet treats have gone the distance with culinary masters. Tried and true components can become the foundation for producing inspiring results, like today’s version of Key Lime Pie. By using fewer ingredients, preparation can be done in a flash! 
KEY LIME PIE IN A FLASH
Ingredients:

1 box Jell-o No Bake Real Cheesecake Dessert

2 tablespoons sugar

5 tablespoons butter, melted

1 1/2 cups cold milk

1 tablespoon lime extract

1 drop green food coloring

1 lime, sliced

1 tablespoon toasted coconut
Instructions:

To make the crust, combine butter, sugar, and crust mix. Reserve one teaspoon of crumb mixture for garnish. Press remaining crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Refrigerate until ready to fill. Next, pour milk into a medium bowl. Add filling mix and blend with a hand mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Scrape sides and beat on medium speed 3 minutes until filling turns thick. Slowly add 1 tablespoon of pure lime extract. Mix 30 seconds longer. Add 1 drop of green food coloring and mix another 30 seconds. Pour into the chilled crust. Refrigerate one hour. Garnish with fresh lime slices, reserved crumb mixture, and toasted coconut.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter J

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Joy of Eating: Jazzy Jerk Sauce! Get fired up as you crank up the heat with this homemade habanero pepper sauce. Choose those festive little lantern-shaped peppers from the local market or nearby health food resource, don a pair of vinyl gloves, and fill your kitchen with aromas from the Caribbean Islands. As it cooks, let your imagination run wild for the condiment that sends the temperature rising!
JAZZY JERK SAUCE
Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 sweet onion, diced

1 cup baby carrots, chopped

2 cups water

10-12 habanero peppers, seeded and finely chopped

3 tablespoons orange juice

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions:

In a medium sauce pan, sauté garlic in olive oil. Add onion, carrots, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until carrots are soft. Remove from heat. Add habanero peppers, orange juice, vinegar, and sea salt. Transfer to a blender and purée until smooth. Pour into a jar and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. 
*Serving suggestion: Wicked Hot Wings and Drummies.