This video cracked me up; a friend posted it on Facebook yesterday. I don’t know how this lady kept such a straight face, but talk about sarcastic?! This is truly how I feel sometimes when I see the cheesy commercials on tv….oh yes, i just want to twirl slowly! Gotta love it….laugh it up!

For more Friday Funnies, visit Kim at Homesteaders Heart.

First of all, let me just say this recipe is awesome!  It’s from the kitchen of my Aunt Nancy.  It’s a very filling meal, so it fed our family 2 meals.  Second of all, the picture above is not the casserole, as you can see; I had to do without because I forgot to take a picture last week when we made this!  Oh well, if you like cashew chicken, this is a must have meal.  Enjoy!

Cashew Chicken Casserole

1/2 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
2 tbsp margarine
3/4 cup chicken broth
4 tbsp soy sauce
4 cups chopped chicken
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
3 cups rice, cooked
1 large can chow mein noodles (the more the merrier, I say)
1 cup cashews

Saute all vegetables in margarine. Add broth, soy sauce, and soup; simmer for 2 minutes. Add chicken and rice. Put in 9×13 pan, and back for 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Put noodles and cashews on, and return to oven for 3-5 minutes. Enjoy!

Rarely do I pick up a book and just want to keep reading until I finish….and being a mom, that’s basically impossible to do. However, this book I’m going to tell you about drew me in from the very start, and I didn’t want to put it down. With its small-town charm, its real-life characters that felt like they were right in front of me as I read, seemingly playing out characters in a movie, Texas Roads was an awesome book, in my opinion.  The author, Cathy Bryant, has such talent with words that the story just felt very real for me; there was no sense of “fake” within the covers of this book.  It brought back memories of growing up in a small town and what that can be like with gossips and rumors.  I even found myself laughing out loud a few times.

Within the covers of this book is a story worth reading.  Not only is it a great story, but it has depth and meaning behind every chapter.  Dani is a young widow who has had a very tough year.  As she seeks for that one place that she can call home, she finds herself in Miller’s Creek, Texas, visiting the aunt that she never really knew.  Soon, the people of Miller’s Creek start to grow on her, such as her aunt, Mama Beth, J.C. Watson, and of course, Jolene, the hairdresser who has her sights fixed on the mayor.  Of course, she also gets a chance at love herself.  Through the story, Dani faces challenges, and she faces times of turmoil.  As she seeks to help the town of Miller’s Creek rebuild itself, rumors start to abound, and when a fire destroys part of the town, the rumors begin to cause devastating ripples throughout the community, mostly aimed at Dani.   Just as all this is going on, Dani learns a terrible secret that could destroy everything she’s ever known.   Will she ever find the home that she longs for?  Is it just an earthly home she’s looking for?

With both mystery and romance, this book offers a story written in such a way as to make you want to keep reading to find out more.  You can purchase Texas Roads as an ebook for $3.99 or in printed form, paperback, for $12.99.  I highly recommend it as the perfect book for that rainy day weekend.  You can follow Cathy Bryant’s blog, WordVessel, where you can find sample chapters of the book.  You can also visit Cathy Bryant to learn more about her.

Now for a giveaway.  Cathy Bryant is offering one reader a chance to win a copy of Texas Roads.  You can enter by doing one or more of the following.  Just be sure to leave a separate comment for each way that you enter.  I’ll draw the winner, using random.org, on Wednesday, May 19, 2010.

1. Visit Cathy’s blog, WordVessel, and leave her a comment, being sure to come back and let me know you did so.
2. Follow my blog, or subscribe to my posts.
3. Follow me on Twitter.
4. Tweet about this giveaway, being sure to link back to Real Heart Prints.  In fact, you can tweet daily to earn extra entries.
5. Blog about this giveaway, being sure to link back to Real Heart Prints.
6. Digg or Stumble this post.
7. Vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs or on the Mom Blog Network (just click on buttons in sidebar to vote).

Good luck, and have a wonderful day!

(Disclosure: I was provided a copy of this book, free of charge, by Cathy Bryant, for the purposes of this review.)

The winner of the Forget Me Not book giveaway is….

Terri! Congratulations, Terri!

Thank you to all who entered! Be sure to check out some of my other great giveaways going on right now, and have a wonderful day!