April 5, 2010-Happy Easter a day late.

For Easter I met friends at the Brio Tuscan Grille in the Town Square in Las Vegas, NV. We had a wonderful brunch-there were 18-21 of us (the numbers varied on who showed up at different times). They gave us a private dining room, because our group was so big and it was marvelous.

On Friday, I met friends and we had tapas and Sangria at the Barcelona in Southern Highlands (a golfing community in Las Vegas). Again, we had a big group and this was a little harder to accommodate us, but we had wonderful tapas. I tried for the first time Figs wrapped in Bacon in a wine sauce-to die for.

This past Thursday (I have been very busy), I went and saw Luke Jermay, Mind Reader-at O'Sheas on Las Vegas Blvd. He is featured quite a bit on the Mentalist TV show. Amazing show, he truly has a gift and enjoys what he's doing. Alot of it is a carnival act, but surprisingly he brought out many things in the audience from their childhood. If you don't laugh at his jokes(British humor), he just laughs anyway. Now, his assistant Kathleen took a dislike to me for whatever reason. She had every person in the audience, but me, fill out information for Luke Jermay to think about (though honestly, he never used it), but that's besides the point.

And the other day I had a massage at the European Massage School with Kelly. Now when Kelly started the school massage program-she had a gift. A gift for massaging, now she has a technique. Take away the gift-it is so sad.

What else-on my Ebay website, starting today and every day through April 11th, I will have over 100 new books listed. This is in addition to the other 350 I will have listed. Lots of gems in here. Please look under Valerie2901 on EBay or under the general heading of cookbooks. And for you cake decorators out there-there are four older Wilton Cake Decorating Annuals, still in top condition. Did you know that Wilton Cake Decorating has been in business since 1929? I would never have guessed. Look for new seafood cookbooks on the 7th. And new Christmas books; Christmas books sell for 10 months out of every year-I'm amazed by this.

That's all for now.

CookbookVal

The Next Chapter

As I said earlier, I'm back and since I won't be selling as many cookbooks in the next few days, I will be busy with my blog. Cookbooks will be back selling on April 6th. Please visit my website on EBay at Valerie2901 for new, different & fun books.

On the 6th, I've decided to start with Diet and Dessert Cookbooks. I know opposite ends of the universe, but I'm quirky that way. I have so many new books now, you'll just have to keep checking back each day for what's newly listed. All my prices still start at $.99, so there are some real bargains out there, if you pay attention.

For those of you trying to lose weight (arn't we all), there is a new website that will give you information of other websites that will pay you to lose weight. Actually 5,000 people have already signed up for this. Go to: www.livelighter.org/get-paid-to-lose-weight-in-2010/ . Getting paid to lose weight-that may be the motivation that will work for me!

Another one is where the top 10 weight loss winners win a vacation for two to an exotic destination: www.uweightloss.com/contests.aspx .

For you dessert lovers and chefs out there, here are some new contests for you to enter:

Your Signature Dessert Recipe Contest-$1,000. Go to: www.mixingbowl.com/group/contest/rules.castle?g=1728985

The Great American Cake and Wedding Show Competition, May 1-2, 2010

www.greatamericancakeshow.com

Did I ever tell you that I joined Houseseats.com in Las Vegas. They also offer it in Reno and Phoenix. Well, for a yearly fee of $89. I can 2 tickets to so many available shows in Las Vegas. I have been a member about a month and I have already paid for my membership. I'm not sure if you have to live in Las Vegas to participate in this, but it doesn't hurt to check it out, next time you're in town. Tonight, I'm going to see Luke Jermay, Mind Reader. Maybe the not the show for you, but they have usually 3 children's shows listed daily, lots of comedy shows, magic shows, variety shows and today I could have gotten tickets to see Melissa Etheridge on Saturday, but I have another commitment. Something to think about.

I'm in my pasta stage right now and I'm going to share a recipe with you.

Ziti with Three Cheeses

1 pound ziti, 1 (15ounce) container ricotta cheese, 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, 1 egg, lightly beaten, 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley, 1 clove garlic, minced, salt and pepper to taste, 1/2 tsp. basil, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese.

Cook ziti in boiling, salted water following package directions, drain. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, egg, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper and basil together in mixing bowl. Place in greased casserole dish. Top with remaining mozzarella and grated Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and serve.

Hmm. Good. I've been craving Baked Ziti for about a week now. Enjoy!

That's all for now.

Cookbook Val

Quick Note Only

I will blog later today, but I wanted to send off this quick note. No, I am not out of business on my EBay website, I just don't have any books listed right now. New books will come out again on April 7th. Because I pushed all my work dates together this month, I knew I couldn't ship out the cookbooks in a timely manner. So I'm taking a break, until books start again on April 7th.

Please be patient, new information, lots of fun contests & much more-later today.

That's all for now.
Cookbook Val

Another day, a week later

Well, I'm changing things up again in my blog. Still finding my voice. Right now, I am home sick with either a head cold or sinus infection (can't tell). So, I'm living on Dayquill right now. I'm getting all caught up with the couple of hundred cookbooks that I still need to list for my EBay website-Valerie2901. Lots of new/used cookbooks. Good cookbooks-just keep checking back. Hopefully, I will have all of the new books listed by Tuesday night and then I'm taking to take a break and sit back for awhile.

I've pushed (or will be pushing) all my trips together in April, so I only have to commute once back and forth from Las Vegas to April-probaly be gone for 13 days. During this time, you may not see alot of books listed. I just don't want to promise I can mail books, when I can't-if I'm not in Las Vegas. Friends keep telling me to get an assistant for when I'm out of town, but I'm not doing that good selling cookbooks. Maybe some day, I'll have an assistant.

Then I'm off to Cancun, Mexico for a week with friends, at the end of April. Sun, fun and hopefully no drama. I also have one trip (as a flight attendant) to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. And maybe some fun San Juan, Puerto Rico layovers coming up.

The sun is definitely shining in my life. Las Vegas weather is perfect right now. I've even had a few days of my convertible top down.

I've picked easier trips for next month and while I'm away for 13 days, I'm going to concentrate on my dieting and some exercise. (I can only carry so many books with me-so I might as well exercise and my time to good use). I also have my laptop with me, so you can follow me on this new journey. Maybe someone will pay me $1000. every time I lose a pound, like they did for that woman on the Biggest Loser.

A Star Studded Foodie Event: April 8-11, 2010-Pebble Beach, CA Third Annual Food & Wine Festival. Featuring 250 wineries and a lineup of 60 chefs, including Wolfgang Puck, Jacques Pepin, Hubert Keller, Thomas Keller, Alex Stratta and many, many more. For more information go to www.pebblebeachfoodandwine.com

Noted Las Vegas Chef and show favorite, Les Kincaid is leading food and wine tours to Italy June 16-29 and Napa Valley, October 8-10, 2010

Blacksburg, VA-May 1, 2010 will have their 2nd Annual Blacksburg Fork and Cork, Food, Wine and Art Festival, featuring more than a dozen local wineries, cooking demonstrations and live entertainment. For more information go to www.blacksburg.org/fork

That's all for now.

CookbookVal

Another day and it's raining in Las Vegas. I've been very busy in the last week and a half. Last night I want to "Maria's" Tamale Party, where I had tamales for the 1st time in my life. Maria made 100 chicken tamales from scratch. Wonderful tamales, about 30 of us at the party enjoying drink and food. My contributions were a fruit salad and a grilled chicken salad-no one ever brings anything healthy. My salad with the grilled chicken was a big hit, because I made it for only $3.50 to serve 20 people. Shopping at my favorite $.99 America store, I bought 3 heads of lettuce for .99, a package of 5 ripe tomatoes for .99, and 2 chicken breasts that I grilled and I bought for $1.99 a pound (from Smith's)-bought 3 pounds worth, 8 chicken breasts later. Anyway, I used a huge oval platter (that was a casino gift), tore up all the romaine lettuce, placed quarter tomatoes around the outside rim, then I had leftover mushrooms, that I sliced up and placed around the platters, next to tomatoes, some leftover onions, sliced and placed next on top of lettuce and then the grilled chicken, grilled and shredded on top. I added a few croutons on top that I had in stock and 1/2 cup shredded jack/cheddar cheese. I paid $1.50 for 2 cups of grated cheese-it was just to make it look pretty. And then I made a vinaigrette dressing of leftover olive oil, spices & red wine vinegar. People wanted to know how I could afford to make it for a party, so I told them my secret.

Up next-Who wants to own their own restaurant? NBC is casting for innovative ideas for a new reality show. Go to www.NBC.com/casting. or 213-630-6530 ext 295

How about Seeking the Best Bakers for a new reality TV Show. This is an on-going Best Baker Search. Go to www.bestbaking.wordpress.com.

I also went to McCormick and Schmick's on Wednesday for their happy hour. Not like it used to be. There was a group of twenty of us and the only way they could serve us was if it was all on the same bill. First problem-there is always someone who doesn't pay the tax and tip and others get stuck with extra fees. Second problem-if you didn't ask for happy hour drink prices, you got charged double the price-many people got stuck with very high liquor tabs. Me, I always ask for happy hour prices, but that's just me. The menu has changed too. It used to be $1.99 for all happy hour foods, but now, it has a sliding scale-up to $4.95. I had the cheeseburger platter for $2.95 which is still a great deal and it was very good. But overall the experience could have been handled a little better. McCormick and Schmick's is a nationwide seafood house, that does happy hours Monday-Fridays-3:30pm-6:30pm.

I also went to a timeshare experience last Monday. The woman who spoke with me, sounded like if she didn't get people there, she would lose her job. So I gave up two hours of my life and left the timeshare experience feeling very bad. The sales pitch was very good, but I had no intention of buying-I was told no problem, by this voice on the phone, plus you'll get great gifts. Like I said the sales pitch was very good. The timeshare program started at $25,000 and many sales people later, it was down to $4,900-how can this be? Plus their gifts all had strings attached and I was told there were no strings attached for these gifts. I guess timeshares are a good value for their money for some people, but the maintenance fees have gotten so high-do people really take expensive vacations every year? I think if you had bought a timeshare years ago, you were locked into the maintenance fees and even if you didn't use the timeshare one year, it wasn't such a great deal, but now....

I made weiner schitzel yesterday with chicken instead of veal and it was wonderful. I didn't realize it was so easy. Basically, dredge the chickens in flour, egg wash, bread crumbs and fry in peanut oil-I can do that over and over again.

Lots of new cookbooks on my EBay listing-Valerie2901. Some great buys, lots of new and unusual cookbooks.

That's all for now.

CookbookVal

Thank you Donna from NH. Donna has purchased close to 100 cookbooks from me. Which means I make some money and now I need to list a lot more books to make up for those sales. Actually thank you everyone for supporting my blog and my EBay website-Valerie2901. I appreciate all sales, not just the big ones.

So lots of new cookbooks being listed, keep your eyes out for some special ones. I only have a few minutes today, because I need to get ready to meet some friends for Mexican dinner.

I think I said I was going to take a TransAtlantic Cruise in May, but that has been postponed, because a friend is taking me to Cancun in April-all expenses paid. Can't refuse that-maybe I'll take that TransAtlantic in the fall-starting from Europe.

I have put a Twelve Volume Set on EBay-Contemporary Cooking, selling it one volume at a time. I would have liked to sell it all together, but EBay won't let me add the shipping in that I need for twelve books. So if you are interested in a complete cooking series-look at my website-Valerie2901.

I went to a Fat Tuesday party the other night and we all had to bring a Cajun/Creole dish. I brought Baked Shrimp Cajun style (was very good, but still not a keeper) and a Southern Homemade Pecan Pie. Remember those pecans I shelled for hours and hours. Well that pie as always was wonderful.

Not brand new, but worth considering, a new cookbook being listed: "The view from Grandma's Kitchen". Written by Janet Beyer and Phyllis Higgins, both from Vermont. Each chapter is based on recipes and stories given to them by their grandmothers. Or maybe it's a book you should be looking for in a brand new condition to give as a gift. Definitely something to look into.

Last, but not least, I saw the movie last week: With Love From Paris, with a bald John Travolta and Jonathan Rhys-Myers. Action packed, a little gory, but funny too. After the movie we went to the Blue Martini at the Town Center. With your ticket stub, you get any free drink you want. I had a very expensive merlot.

That's all for now.

CookbookVal

Here I sit, the night before Valentine's Day, Saturday night sitting at the computer with no date before me. Oh well, sigh... I did have a date for Valentine's Day, but alas, no more. Sigh....

In the meanwhile, I have some great cookbooks being listed under Valerie2901 on EBay or under the general heading of cookbooks. I have an original printing-1960 of the Ladies' Home Journal Cookbook (792 pages later-minus the dust cover) & a Good Housekeeping Cookbook, 1973 with a dust cover (but the dust cover is in bad shape). Somebody who is paying attention, is going to get some good buys on these collector items (starting price .99).

I also have an exotic cookbook listed: The Czech National Cookbook by Hana Gajdostikova, I have never seen a cookbook before from this country printed in English.

I also have two gift books in brand new condition for someone in your life: Food by Ogden Nash and illustrations by Etienne Delessert & The Pleasures of Wine & Sprirts by Ambercrombie & Fitch.

On other topics, I went to the Stratosphere Hotel & Casino for lunch the other day and ended up at the Top Of The World Restaurant. This is a fine dining revolving restaurant that takes 1 hour and 20 minutes to revolve completely giving you views of all of Las Vegas-wonderful lunch. I was actually looking for Roxy's Diner-didn't know the name at the time, but a diner, where the waiters and waitresses sing throughout your meal. Another time.

I need some what I thought was major dental work. Very expensive, most of which is not covered by my dental plan (a piss-poor plan anyhow), but it's all I've got. Anyway, I had been told to search out the Dental Schools in this region and found the highly respected, University of Nevada Dental School here in Las Vegas. I am now a patient and eventually after the crowns are done, the fillings are filled, there will be either an implant or bridge in my life or in my mouth at half-the normal price. In fact, all of the services are half or less than half of the regular price of dentists. When I lived in GA, my friends told me they were going to the big dental school in Alabama. I didn't believe it was worth it, but now I have seen the error of my ways. So if you have great dental insurance, than visit your local dentist, but if you have a poor dental plan or none, I would recommend researching the dental schools in your area or nearby state.

I'm on vacation now, taking care of many things, including dental work and listing probably 200 more cookbooks in the next few days. Business is good, thank you very much.

That's all for now.

CookbookVal