Monday, October 29, 2007

Bloggy Giveaway

This Giveaway is now closed - THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO ENTERED! I will randomly select the winner later today and due to the number of entries, I will also draw a runner-up who will recieve a cookbook-related suprise gift!
***UPDATE: Thank you all for entering and feel free to continue! Just please make sure you leave a way for me to contact you...if your blogger profile is private or you don't have a blog, make sure you leave an e-mail address. If I cannot figure out a way to contact you, I will draw again. Happy giveaway week everyone! :)***

I'll be the first to admit that I'm a sucker for cookbooks! I LOVE them - I read them recreationally. :) This does translate into me trying new recipes and finding mealtime inspiration but it also translates into LOTS of cookbooks. I find them everywhere - bookstores, garage sales, secondhand stores, book sales...you get the idea. Yes, it's a bit of an addiction. :) But I am truly passionate about cooking and baking - they are my creative expressions of art!

When Shannon hosted the Dog Days of Summer Giveaway carnival this past July, I thought it was such a fun idea and even won one of them! So, I decided to actually have a giveaway this time.

In keeping with the giveaway being something that reflects me, I decided to find some great cookbooks (some of which are brand new!) from my collection for this giveaway. I'm super happy to give them to someone who will enjoy them!

The winner will receive a variety of cookbooks (some low-fat) and a few other secret gifts. :)



To enter, please leave ONE comment (no duplicates, please) and tell me your favorite thing to cook or bake! I will randomly draw a winner on Saturday, November 3. You are eligible even if you don't have a blog; just leave a valid e-mail address. I will contact the winner via their blog or e-mail. The winner will have 4 days to send me a mailing address so I can ship these fun books & goodies! This giveaway is open to U.S. and international.

Check out Bloggy Giveaways for lots more great giveaways!

144 comments:

Anonymous said...

I would love to win this and I love to bake bread! Thanks for this great giveaway.

Mary said...

Wow, I have to enter since I now understand your obsession with cooking and baking. Before I had to start cooking everyday I thought I would hate the task and was mind boggled that it could actually be enjoyed. I have now crossed over to the other side. I too have started skimming cookbooks for new dinner ideas. I love my Taste of Home subscription and want to make most of the recipes in each magizine right then and there. My favorite is definately baking over cooking but I do love new cooking recipes that use straight out natural ingredients and are full of flavor. As for baking, it is a hard task to take it down to one thing, I think my favorite is baking pastries - pies and morning treats.

Anonymous said...

Count me in!!! I am always reading cookbooks/mags too!!

Stacey said...

This would be great! I love to make cookies!! yummmy

Anonymous said...

count me in!

My give-away is a cook book too!!

Short Stop said...

I love cookbooks! Count me in!

Jes said...

Anything that will give me food ideas is great!

Jess B said...

I love to bake desserts. Especially chocolate and peanut butter ones! I'm a bit of a cookbook addict myself! Thanks for the great giveaway!

Anonymous said...

Great prize, count me in.

fell4utoo2001@yahoo.com

Holly (2 Kids and Tired) said...

Awesome prize. I love to bake and cook. I enjoy baking treats and breads. I love finding new crock pot recipes. Please enter me!!

Amy said...

My favorite things to cook are usually Mexican foods-- my Chicken Enchiladas (recipe on my cooking blog in sidebar) and Tortilla Soup come to mind. I also love to use my crockpot.

Oh, and I read cookbooks for fun, too! :)

CrystalGB said...

Great prize. I love cookbooks.

Susanne said...

I love cookbooks too! My fave thing to cook is chicken paprikash with nokedli (tiny dumplings).

Please enter me.

Anonymous said...

I'm love to bake pies and cobblers!
summersnookATgmailDOTcom

Sheila said...

Count me in...i love new cookbooks!

Anonymous said...

I love to bake cookies! Any and all kinds!

laura_licious101[@]hotmail[.]com

Renee said...

Count me in! I love to cook..most anything but especially lasagna.

Renee'
http://rmboys2.wordpress.com/

Kim said...

How generous! Please include me.

Bups_67 at yahoo dot ca

Love to cook anything new!

Jean said...

I love to try new recipes and could use some new cookbooks.

Anonymous said...

Love to cook. Count me in! Hillary
hillarycampos@gmail.com

Jenna said...

I am much more of a baker than a cooker... though I do love potato soup, crackers... and duck on a string! ;-)

Jessica said...

Awesome collection of cookbooks. Count me in!

Shannon @ Gabi's World said...

I love to bake lasagne and cook stroganoff.

Count me in and Come enter mine, too!

greg&sarina said...

currently, my favorite think to bake is bread!
enter me please!

Melanie said...

I too read cookbooks like some people read a novel! I devour them!

Betsy said...

Nice!

Amy ~ (Life's Small Treasures) said...

Please count me in!
Amy

M the Mommy said...

Count me in, please!
My favorite thing to bake is Amish Friendship Bread. Contact me if you would like the recipe. It is a great bread to give to neighbors and friends as a treat for the holidays.

Trina said...

This sounds maaaah-velous dahling! Put me down . . .

Anonymous said...

I have to agree with one of the other commenters. I used to hate cooking buy have crossed over too. It is fun to create something individually. Adding your own something to it. Please enter me.

Nikki

Southern Girl said...

Oh, one can't ever have too many cookbooks! My favorite thing to cook right now is shrimp étouffée.

Please enter me! Thanks!

southernbornandbredgirl@yahoo.com

Melanie said...

count me in!

Anonymous said...

I lvoe to cook! My favorite thing to make is pumpkin pie with made from scratch filling and crust.

Ginny said...

Never can have enough of those@

Robin said...

I think Asian food (mainly Thai and Chinese) are my favorite things to cook, but I love cooking all sorts of stuff.

This giveaway is right up my alley - I too read cookbooks recreationally and have a collection that is getting seriously out of hand, and I love it that way.

Rockin' Mama said...

My favorite thing to bake is scones...my favorite thing to cook...spinach/artichoke dip

Pam said...

I love to both cook and bake, but I am favoring Mexican food right now. I also collect cookbooks. These look great.

Jump on over to my place and join in the fun : )

Anonymous said...

i'm a cookbook collector, too!!!

apple pie is probably my favorite item to bake!!!

Anonymous said...

Anything with a crockpot, sister!

Anonymous said...

I like to cook soup. monk5@charter.net

Liz said...

I too love getting new cookbooks. My newest favorite recipe is for Butternut Squash Casserole! Awesome giveaway! Count me in! Thanks!

courtcourt said...

Yay for cookbooks! Sign me up!

My favorite thing to cook is probably Vaca Frita. It's a Cuban dish, and involves beating the living daylights out of a flank steak. Nothing like getting the aggression out!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the chance to win. I enjoy baking pumpkin bread, especially this time of year.
amyjohnallen at bellsouth dot net

Hedi said...

Cookbooks!!! Ou... I so much like cookbooks! My favorite thing to bake it defenitely somthing sweet, a cake, like for example chocolate fudgy cake! Count me in, please!

Amy said...

I love cooking too! My favorite thing to cook this time of year is soups...I should actually say healthy soups. The kind that you leave on the stovetop for a while and it makes the house small all warm and yummy.
I would love any new recipes to add to my collection. There is always the internet but I prefer hard copies myself...come visit my giveaway too!

ikkinlala said...

My favourite thing to bake is pie.

Rachel said...

I love to bake strawberry rhubarb pies. :)

Sarah said...

i'm a cookbook junkie too

Anonymous said...

I would love to win this, please enter me! This time of year I start making cookies to plan cookie trays to hand out for the holidays.

Shannon said...

I love to bake just about anything! My specialty is pies. I really enjoy baking with my boys...their favorite thing is monkey bread!

Anonymous said...

I love to bake anything that is sweet and from scratch. I have a bad sweet tooth. count me in. apurv623@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

I love to make my homemade spaghetti sauce!

Tamara said...

Salmon chowder with our fresh Alaskan salmon! I'm a recreational cookbook reader too! LOL

mrshuntinak AT msn DOT com

Michelle said...

i so love cookbooks.and baking scones as well as banana loaf is a favorite ok also cookies.please enter me and thanks for the blog visit..

Bowen Family- Ashley said...

Count me in Please!!

Heather said...

Cookbooks! I love cookbooks! I love baking cookies.

Anonymous said...

Wow. I must also be a cookbook addict. Who knew. afriend@netcommander.com

Jen said...

Desserts, hands down, are my favorite things to make. From cookies to cakes or anything made from ice cream of chocolate, I am ALL over it. :)

Micah said...

Hey! You got some people's attention on this one!!! :) My favorite thing to bake is whatever I'm hungry for :) - real original, I know! Maybe we could meet at Panera for breakfast on Saturday?

Unknown said...

How great would this be for my Tasty Thursdays? I'm in!

Michelle said...

I can't pass up cookbooks either!

Geri said...

count me in !!! Please!!! Love this!!!
gerijones64@hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

I love to make crockpot dinners. Count me in!

Carole Burant said...

Ooooh what a fabulous giveaway!! Please add my name to your draw:-) xo

Anonymous said...

What a great giveaway!!! Please enter me! Thanks!

http://bimw.wordpress.com

Qtpies7 said...

I love making homemade bread, no cheating with a bread maker! Nothing beats kneading by hand.

Anonymous said...

please put me in the draw

Lynn said...

I love to cook and bake (much to my husband's delight). I don't have anything specific, but I love to try new recipes.

Trina and Jophie said...

Ohh! Love to cook! Count me in Please!

Trina

palmtreefanatic said...

Please enter me in as i would love these cookbooks!!! Thank you for a great giveaway!

Cheryl said...

Count me in, I love to cook. thanks for considering me.

Anonymous said...

I make a mean sugar cookie. Your boys are darling, by the way.

Anonymous said...

Great giveaway! bigfamily8 at yahoo dot com

Barbie said...

Me too! I am always needing new recipes! Thanks!!

Ms. Kathleen said...

Running a camp and retreat center I am ALWAYS looking for recipes. ☺ This is a wonderful giveaway! Thank you for entering me and have a blessed day!

Debbie#3 said...

I'm a much better baker than cook, and I make a fabulous chocolate chip cookie.

jodene said...

Please enter me. Thanks for the chance!

peppylady (Dora) said...

Cookbook know one can have to many of these.

Please put my name in the hat for your give away.

Linda SS said...

I would love to win! It's so much fun to try new recipes:) Thanks for the chance.

Laurel said...

i think my favorite thing to bake is the pumpkin apple streusel muffins on allrecipes.com. they are phenomenal, and i get such compliments on them!!

Anonymous said...

I love cooking spicy Thai food. Please enter me in your giveaway. Thanks!

Little ol' Me said...

Please enter me in your drawing. I'm just learning to cook (DH is the master chef of this abode!) and would love a few cookbooks!

Happy Halloween!
Tiffany
scrapsadaisy.blogspot.com

Elaine said...

Thanks for the drawing! I like to cook tasty sauces!

Anonymous said...

Nothing could be more perfect! Cookbooks! I love them. I guess that is why I am the home ec teacher for our school. I love to cook and I love to try new things.

Andrea Payne

andreahpayne@yahoo.com

Karen said...

This is fabulous, please count me in, Thanks!!!

My favorite thing to cook is chicken. If you visit my blog on Menu Plan Mondays, you will see that there are always SEVERAL days of chicken on the menu, LOL:-)

kpuleski [at] gmail [dot] com

Amanda Jayne said...

My favorite thing to bake is bread...any good bread recipes in those books??

Anonymous said...

I LOVE cookbooks! :) Please include me in your drawing. :)

Sherry said...

Please enter me in this drawing. Thanks!

Sheena @ Mommy Daddy Blog said...

I love baking apple turnovers!

Blessed Beyond a doubt.... said...

Love chocolate!

Pleassee pick me! Awesome prize!

http://tonsofsons.wordpress.com/

Thanks ~

Nise' said...

My favorite thing to bake is chocolate chip cookies!

The Proverbs Wife said...

My favorite thing to bake is banana bread and cakes. I love sweets.

Liberty said...

You aren't the only sucker for a good cookbook! I adore them. And what do I like to bake? How about I share a lovely recipe...

Be sure to follow the directions exactly. They may sound odd - like baking at 275 - BUT I tell you, this is not a recipe you want to tweak :)

The worlds BEST banana cake with cream cheese frosting

ingredients:
3/4 cup butter
2 1/8 cups sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas

frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
chopped walnuts

1. preheat oven to 275°.
2. grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan.
3. in a small bowl, mix mashed banana with the lemon juice; set aside.
4. in a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
5. in a large bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and 2 1/8 cups sugar until light and fluffy.
6. beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in 2 tsp vanilla.
7. beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk.
8. stir in banana mixture.
9. pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for one hour or until toothpick inserted in centre

comes out clean.
10. remove from oven and place directly into the freezer for 45 minutes.
11. this will make the cake very moist.
12. for the frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
13. Beat in 1 tsp vanilla.
14. add icing sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high speed until frosting is smooth.
15. spread on cooled cake.
16. sprinkle chopped walnuts over top of the frosting, if desired.
17. ready yourself for all the praises you're going to get!

Lib

notmuchmorethanthis [at] gmail [dot] com
http://not-much-more.blogspot.com/2007/10/fall-yall-bloggy-giveaway.html

Anonymous said...

My favorite thing to bake is Christmas sugar cookies and pumpkin rolls.

seekinghim@gmail.com

The Fritz Facts said...

I am just starting to really enjoy cooking, and I love making sugar cookies and bars. It can be so relaxing!

Kim said...

Yum! I love to bake cakes, breads and cookies. But, I also like making food with green peppers, onions and garlic. Basically, I love to be in the kitchen!
Blessings, Kim

רחל said...

Isn't it so realxing! I just love browsing through a good cookbook. I especially like the ones that give the history of the food and have gorgeous full page photos!

mamaredhead said...

I love to bake - especially desserts. My favorite is a peanut butter bar that's pretty much to die for! :)

mamaredhead (at) gmail (dot) com

Angela said...

I love to make anything quick and easy.. especially stir fry.. with a new baby its hard to really spend as much time as I'd like.. but nothing better than making something yourself.

Anonymous said...

I love when my husband cooks his meat lasagna.
He is the chef and enjoys reading cookbooks.
Thanks,
Karen (karenyoram@gmail.com)

momofmhasr said...

I love to cook and am always on the lookout for something new

maggie said...

I love to cook and I love cookbooks. My favorite is baking cheesecakes....at least that is my family's favorite.

Stacey said...

that is a tough one!

probably my La Madeleine Tomato-Basil Soup! i posted it a few weeks ago!

Shana said...

I love cookbooks! I have recently realized that I've become something of a collector, since I have so many. But I can hardly resist new recipes!

Anonymous said...

I like to cook chili - and it never turns out the same because I add whatever strikes my fancy (or that we have on hand at the moment). I have a lot of fun with it lol.

These cookbooks look great. :)

Audra
writetome (at) thesilvas (dot) com

Paula said...

I love to cook--please count me in!

Anonymous said...

Cookbooks are a weakness of ours here! Count me in!

Debby
all_for_christ_6@hotmail.com

Eden said...

Please enter me. I like to bake. Thanx.
I'm doing a giveaway over at my place too.

Anonymous said...

I love to cook everything! lol. My favorite would probably have to be egg rolls. Yummm.
jdeguzman0930@gmail.com

Michelle Olsen Sasak said...

My favorite thing to bake is soda cracker toffee. It's a beautiful (and very fattening) thing. I'd love to win! Thank you.

Richelle said...

I love to make banana bread!

Cindy said...

I would love to win this! I really enjoy baking just about anything, but what makes my family's tummy happy are cookies and breads.

Christi S said...

awesome! Count me in!

HilLesha O'Nan said...

Count me in!

Craft & Bake said...

Great contest! I enjoy baking sugar cookies for the kids to decorate.

Anonymous said...

I love cooking and baking my own chocolate chip cookies.
Theresa N
weceno@aol.com

Amy said...

I would love to win these for my daughter! Thank you so much!

JewelsHud said...

I do like to cook - just not enough time - Probably cookies are my favorites.


julieahudson[at]hotmail[dot]com

seahagstudio said...

i only know how to cook a few things,but potato soup and stuffed green pepers are my fav. sign me up please. thanks, tracy

Anonymous said...

Count me in. I love cookbooks

Amber said...

I love to bake my mom's Promise Land cake recipe that she serves in @ Honey Heaven....unfortunately I can't share the recipe, I'm bound to secrecy;)

I'd love a cookbook!

0:) Amber

Hollene said...

I love to cook anything that I can sample as it cooks! I also like to whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies!
Count me in!

PastormacsAnn said...

I like cooking Italian food.

Please count me in. Great giveaway!

Rosina {Rosy ~ Posy} said...

Please enter me into your draw : ) I love to make different breads.
www.homeschoolblogger.com/NatureNotesFromAbove
roslenhs(at)oberon(dot)ark(dot)com

Anonymous said...

Oh Alaina, what a great prize! I absolutely love cookbooks and cooking, unfortunately I haven´t got many, only 2 :( But maybe I can win one now? :) Let me tell you what I love to bake, it is either a very dark chocolate cake that is all soft in the middle or pink chocolate truffle. I can make that often! Just have to watch the waist :)

javede said...

I would love to win those as my parents will make a long vacation over christmas and I will have to cook for myself then ;-)

Cherie J said...

Please enter me. I love cookbooks as well. My favorite thing to bake are cookies. Thanks for the contest!

cherierjatyahoo.com

Anonymous said...

I *heart* cookbooks of any kind!

dcab_67@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

I love cookbooks please enter me in your contest

Romie said...

Me too, me too, so cool :)

Anonymous said...

Wow, so many cookbooks! And surprise gifts added to them! Plus international shipping!!! How very generous of you, thanks a lot.

I love baking the olives' cake. ^^

internationalfreebies[at]gmail.com

Marla said...

Love cookbooks!!! What a neat giveaway.

Sharon L. Holland said...

Sign me up.

Jenni Benni said...

Please enter me and thanks.

Unknown said...

My favorite thing to make is Sticky Marmalade Chicken. It doesn't take long to cook and it is wonderful!!!

Anonymous said...

Love to bake banana bread, and hubby loves to eat it. :)

shoeaddict said...

My fav thing to cook is Cajun food- red beans and rice, gumbo, etoufee... I'd love to win

holly K said...

My favorite thing to bake is different kinds of bread and cheesecake. Thanks for entering me. cookiecutter72@hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

One of my favorite things to cook this time of year is a big pot of Chicken Noodle Soup ... ooh!yum! And my favorite thing to bake ... oh! probably "Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake" ... delicious!

Please enter me in your contest! :)

Jodi

jodi at hilltop dot net

Anonymous said...

I am THE banana bread maker around here. :) I love it! A friend of mine won't even make it cause his doesn't turn out like mine...or so he says.

Anonymous said...

I'm learning how to bake bread without a bread maker it's pretty exciting.

Joanna said...

Can't have too many cookbooks!

Dawn said...

I love cookbooks. My favorite thing to cook is probably pizza because you can be so creative with it. My favorite thing to bake is cookies. Yum.

Mavis said...

hiya. we like cooking indian food around here. so many flavors, it puts american food to shame. yum.