THOUSANDS OF FREE BLOGGER TEMPLATES

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Holiday Gifts Of Love Blog Hop

I'm thrilled to be a part of the Holiday Gifts Of Love Blog Hop! Join me in celebrating the holidays with a fantastic group of authors as we share everything we love about Christmas, Christmas steamy stories and you might even learn a new tradition along with dozens of chances to win fantastic prizes!

In my family, the holiday takes place on Christmas Eve. Christmas Day is a relaxed, vegetative state where much grazing occurs, but Christmas Eve is when we actually celebrate. That's when everyone usually gets together for enough food to make you burst and presents are passed around as soon as the clock strikes midnight. The kiddies always insist they will stay up but only the most determined usually do and we end up having to drag half groggy little ones to the tree. Of course once the wrapping paper starts flying, they wake right up!

Dinner is usually a sublime roasted duck. We're not big ham or turkey folks, maybe because we're Portuguese. It's duck, roasted potatoes and veggies. There is always some kind of seafood dish too! Usually squid, baby octopus and shrimp. Dessert can be various little cakes but everyone usually gravitates towards the custard tarts (pasteis de nata if you're ever in a Portuguese bakery) and Honey cake (bolo de mel)

We do eggnog differently too. In that there is no egg and no nog. (what IS nog anyway?) Our version is a decadent dessert in a glass called Nikkita (no idea why!) It's from Madeira (where the mommy is from) and the recipe is sinfully simple. Equal parts vanilla ice cream and passion fruit soda (Sumol is our brand of choice). You can use seven up as a substitute and if you go to Madeira you'll find they use BEER in the restaurants! I'm partial to the passion fruit soda myself. Simply scoop three or four helpings of vanilla ice cream into a blender and pour in enough of the liquid (or liquor!) of your choice to level with the ice cream. Blend until you get it the consistency you like. Usually when it's just a little thicker than milk, you're good to go but by all means, add more or less liquid if you'd rather! You're going to be making batches of this stuff all night. Trust me.  It will separate as it stands. No worries. Just give it another quick blend before you serve. Enjoy!

As a part of the hop, each of the participating authors are giving away a little something. I thought for my prize I would give away a sneak peek at my upcoming historical erotic romance Wanted! I've been sharing snippets from it for the past couple of weeks and you guys have told me your're really excited for when this releases on January 4th so how about a peek at the first chapter?  Just comment here between Dec 14th and the 17th and I'll pick one lucky commenter to win that first chapter!

But that's not all you can win!

There is a huge blog hop grand prize you can win by commenting one my blog and by visiting the other participating hoppers! The more blogs you comment on, the more chances you have to win that grand prize! So what IS the grand prize? Have a lookie loo!


So leave me a comment here with your e-mail addy and then get hopping to the other authors blogs on the main site here: http://carrieannbloghops.blogspot.com/ too! Happy Holiday Hopping!

30 comments:

laurie said...

thanks for the great blog and wonderful giveaway

parisfan_ca@yahoo.com

Naomi Shaw said...

Happy Christmas. You have a great blog and are offering a wonderful giveaway

Naomi Shaw said...

my email is naomishaw6@hotmail.co.uk

Anonymous said...

One of my favorite Christmas Romance Books is The Untamable Rogue by Annette Blair! The story is about Ashford Blackburne Fifth Earl and he has to get married and get his willing bride pregnant before Christmas or his grandfather won’t let him inherit his money. Ash truly needs to inherit the money because his late father squandered it all away and he is taking care of his mother. After getting stood up at the alter, again, Ash and his friends go to the local pub where the owner plays a drunken Ash in a card game…his consolation prize is the pubs daughter Larkin, who he wants to get ride of. Ash has to learn to forgive…Larkin has to learn how to trust…can two completely different people find love together. This is a cute, extremely funny, romantic story with a surprise Christmas ending!

Angelheart618@gmail.com

BLHmistress said...

Yummy, not sure about the squid though LOL. but the 'eggnog' sounds delicious.

Ours consist of Ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, some veggie, noodles. and for dessert pumpkin pie for me the others sorted creme pies.

Dawna N.

vampiremistress2010(at)gmail(dot)com

Unknown said...

i'm looking forward to spending more time with my kids. some are out of the house either married or in college. so this is the one holiday i really get to spend with the whole family. i loved the blurb and can not wait to read the book! thanks for the great giveaway!
miriam.whitewolf@gmail.com

crystaley73 said...

Thanks for the great giveaway
Merry Christmas

crystaley73 at yahoo dot com

JanD said...

I love the desserts during the holidays. I haven't warmed up to eggnog though.
bituin76 at hotmail dot com

Veronika said...

Merry Christmas to you! Thank you for the giveaway!
verusbognar (at) gmail (dot) com

Kat said...

A few years ago I spent Christmas working in a soup kitchen. When the kids are old engough I will do it again. The type of experience gives you real persepective on the holiday.

Raonaid Luckwell said...

Hop hop hopping on the blog hop. But huh, I have never had duck. But then I had a quite many wild game: deer, squirrel, rabbit but never duck.

Not sure what we'll be fixing for Christmas. Haven't thought that far ahead yet.

Raonaid at gmail dot com

Unknown said...

Happy Holidays! Great giveaway!

aprilnu2003(at)yahoo(dot)com

Anonymous said...

There are so many more things I would have done had I known I was going to get severe arthritis by the time I was 60.

So, if you are able, get out. Do. Help. Love.

Thank you for giving us a chance to win some goodies.

Merry Christmas.

Gail
djgandyfan@gmail.com

Unknown said...

Happy Happy Holidays! Thanks for the great giveaway!
Love that sexy cover art!!!
grapeapril75(AT)gmail.com

Unknown said...

thanks for the recipe that sounds good
kaholgate at ymail dot com

LEENA7 said...

We always have a ham dinner and for a drink we have 7up and add rainbow sherbert to it,,so yummy
peach_hugs@yahoo.com

Liese2 said...

Thanks for the great post and Happy holidays!
sqwalker2@hotmail.com

Natasha said...

Thanks for the chance to win!
Happy holidays!
natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com

Amy said...

Happy Holidays!
ajcraig77@comcast.net

Unknown said...

Thanks for the chance to win.

j.m.platt83@gmail.com

Holly said...

Hello, thanks for the giveaway! And Merry Christmas! :)

skizzles_22_hju@yahoo.com

Beckey said...

Thanks for being a part of the hop :)

My Christmas day is one of those divide and conquer the day (one that I have to remind myself of Carpe Diem)
Morning with my parents and afternoons with my ex and his family

Happy Holidays
BeckeyWhiteATgmailDOTcom

Stacey Brucale said...

Thanks for participating in the hop! Happy holidays!

squiggles87(AT)aol(dot)com

Shadow said...

What an awesome hop!! And a fantastic giveaway! Thank you!! Happy holidays to you all! Best wishes and many blessings!
shadowluvs2read(at)gmail(dot)com

Krysta B. said...

Happy Holidays!

Morganlafey86(at)aol(dot)com

Carla said...

My favorite thing about this season is cookies; I love making and eating them. Everyone is so willing to share.
planterofhope at aol dot com

LisaRayns said...

I'm spending this holiday season with my family and hoping to win so I can read more romances. I don't have an ereader. Happy Holidays! lisarayns at gmail dot com

Kym said...

Merry Christmas !
~Kym
flwrs4ever(at)yahoo(dot)com

Missie1 said...

Happy Holidays, Big Hugs
Missie Jones
missie25524 @netzero .com

E. Jamie said...

Thanks soooo much to all of you who stopped by! I hope you guys try the yummy Nikkita and definitely give the roast duck a shot!

Now for the winner of my blog prize, a sneak peek at my historical erotic romance Wanted: Miriam Whitewolf! miriam.whitewolf@gmail.com
I shall send you the chapter in an itty bitty!

Wanted releases Jan 4th so follow my blog for many more chances to win as we get ready for release day!