Baby Bump 36 weeks

I can’t believe there’s only one month to go before we get to meet Baby Doc! The time has been going so fast…


(Don’t mind the dust bunnies in the photo. I can’t bend down to pick them up anymore. Someday I’ll vacuum again…)

Hometown Harvest Cookbook Giveaway

Are you ready for fall yet? The weather around here just turned, and it is finally feeling a little more like fall. I am sure ready! To celebrate, I have this wonderful cookbook from Gooseberry Patch to giveaway – their new “Hometown Harvest”!


This fall-themed cookbook hits all the high points of a great fall. The chapters include:

• Hometown Pancake Breakfast (some amazing breakfast recipes!)
• Church Social Soup Supper (chock full of new soups to try)
• Thanksgiving Dinner to Remember (some classics, and some new twists on side dishes)
• Game Day Get-Together (tons of appetizers and finger-foods for a crowd)
• Pumpkin Patch Sweets (what's fall without dessert?)
• Slow-Cooker Potluck Pleasers (my favorite - crockpot meals!)
• Over the River & Through the Woods (heart warming stories from Gooseberry Patch families everywhere!)

101 Stovetop Suppers Giveaway!

I’ve been talking about this cookbook. A lot. Because it’s awesome. Seriously. “101 Stovetop Suppers”? All things that are pretty fast and easy, done on the stovetop, and plenty yummy? Count me in!
And to celebrate just how much I’m loving this cookbook, I’m going to give a copy away to one lucky reader!

Gooseberry Patch Cookbook Giveaway

Oh yes, here it is! Before you can get it from the stores, I have a copy to give away to one lucky reader! Introducing Gooseberry Patch’s newest cookbook, “Garfield… Recipes with Cattitude!”


We are definitely Garfield-lovers around here, and we have an appreciation for his love of… fine dining. Okay, so he’s not quite a 5-star restaurant connoisseur, but he knows what he likes, and this cookbook does it so very well!

Gooseberry Patch Cookbook Giveaway

I am always looking for good slow cooker recipes, and Gooseberry Patch always delivers! In fact, one of their new cookbooks for 2013, Slow Cooking All Year 'Round, recently made it into my kitchen. Better yet, I have one copy to give away to one lucky reader!
I love that this cookbook is broken down by seasons. There are the hearty stews you think of for winter time, like the Hearty Meatball Stew.

Carhartt for the boys

Er, men.

Last fall, we had a great partnership with Carhartt where the Real Farmwives got to show off some of Carhartt’s new women’s line. Now it’s the guys’ turn… Carhartt partnered with the Real Farmwives again for the men in their life (the Real Farmers? The Real Farmhusbands?) – the guys got a chance to try out some of Carhartt’s spring line early!

And want to know the best news? Carhartt and the Real Farmwives have a giveaway for you! Check out the Real Farmwives website and enter for a chance to win some Carhartt gear for your guy!

Hubby Doc tried out the Astoria Jacket in black. He’ll be the first to tell you that he’s a big guy, and needs a big jacket. We did have a bit of a hard time finding a jacket that was available in the 2X size he was looking for. But, Carhartt came through with this choice.

Even though this March has been unbelievable warm, it still is cool in the mornings and evenings around here. And I may have mentioned before that it gets just a tad windy up on our hill, so the jacket has come in handy on a few occasions. The farm dogs take their pills/treats every night. (They’re such good girls!)

These boots have done their walking

I have this pair of Merrill hiking boots. I got them during my residency, and they have worked hard.

They have been worn on 16-hour shifts, working in the large animal hospital. They have been worn at 2am to see an emergency in the middle of the night. They have been worn at 10pm when the work isn’t done for the day yet.

They have been in horse manure, sheep manure, cow manure, alpaca manure, and dog poop.

(I had a different pair of boots I wore when I helped cows give birth. THAT is a different kind of mess…)

Now they mostly sit in the corner and collect cat hair.


The cats are fans of these boots. Something about the smell of all that poop is just so great to rub on.

The Pampered Chef Winner!

Congratulations to apple blossom... She won The Pampered Chef giveaway! I am so excited to have this chocolate-themed prize pack to share!

The good news for everyone else is that my party is still open... If you were just dying for the Chocolate Cookbook, or something else Pampered Chef that you just have to have, you can still order through Donna's site until Sunday 10/30, and please list me as your host! (Just search for Marybeth in the "first name" box, and you'll find me!)



Thanks for playing along... I hope you were inspired by The Pampered Chef line as much as I was... I'm looking forward to some great fall cooking with my new tools! (Oh yes, there will be pictures.)

{While my Pampered Chef consultant, Donna Harpe, has donated the items for this giveaway, the comments and opinions expressed here are my own.}

The Pampered Chef giveaway!

Have I teased you enough? The giveaway is finally here! I am so excited to have this fantastic candy-themed prize pack to give away!

The prize pack includes...

Gooseberry Patch winner!

I am so pleased to announce the winner of Gooseberry Patch’s Autumn with Family & Friends!

There were 89 comments on the giveaway post on Blogger, and 2 comments on the giveaway post on WordPress. So I added the two WP comments, and did a random drawing of 91 entries.

(Part of the problem of maintaining two sites… but I had some die-hards who started with me on WordPress, and it has been hard to convince them to move over to Blogger. Cause I love you, I stick with both!)

The winner is…

Number 28 from the Blogger site… hondagal!

Please email me to claim your prize - alarmclockwars-at-gmail-dot-com, or use the “Talk to the Clock” link on the sidebar.

Congratulations!

Special thanks to Gooseberry Patch for providing me with this great cookbook to try and share with you. If you would like to purchase this or other cookbooks, please visit their store. If you would like to see other great recipes, check out www.realfarmwivesofamerica.com.

Gooseberry Patch cookbook giveaway!

I have had a blast cooking through Autumn with Family & Friends with the Real Farmwives of America & Friends and Gooseberry Patch.
I hope you have found a recipe or two that you have wanted to try! And now, it’s time for a giveaway, so you can try the recipes I’ve shown you, and all the others you want!

I did not have any trouble picking out recipes to try from this book… The trick was narrowing it down to ten!

We tried some great main dishes like

Perfect Cheesy Pasta Bake
Sweet Autumn Pork Chops

Connie’s Meatloaf Roll
 Pumpkin-Sausage Penne
Party Ham Casserole
I checked out a new comfort food recipe – Dad’s Best Mac & Cheese
There were the kid- and adult-friendly Crunchy Chicken “Toes”
Some fantastic side dishes…

Cinnamon Pineapple
Grandma’s Buttery Mashed Potatoes
and a new favorite, Garlic Bubble Bread (I am so making this to go with lasagna tonight!)
And I managed to stick to only one dessert (but, oh, was it good!) – Pumpkin Custard Crunch
Are you hungry yet?

I have a copy of Autumn with Family & Friends to give away!! Try all these recipes, and tons more! How about New England Cider Doughnuts… Apple-Cinnamon Pancakes… Bacon Bread (Hubby Doc has been after me to make this one)… Pumpkin Bread Pudding! They all sound so good… who can choose? (I think I’ve held off on the desserts long enough!)

You can earn entries in this giveaway for a copy of this wonderful cookbook by…

• Leave a comment here telling me which was your favorite recipe, or which you want to try first.
• Following AlarmClockWars through Google Friend Connect (or sign up for email updates through my WordPress site).
• Following @AlarmClockWars on Twitter
• Becoming a Fan of Alarm Clock Wars on Facebook
• Following The Real Farmwives of America and Friends and Gooseberry Patch through Google Friend Connect. Leave a comment telling them you are new! (Psst…  GP has another giveaway going on right now!)
• Following @realfarmwives and @gooseberrypatch on Twitter
• Becoming a Fan of The Real Farmwives of America and Friends  and Gooseberry Patch on Facebook
• Joining the Gooseberry Patch Circle of Friends email club

Be sure to leave me a separate comment for each entry.

The giveaway will close at midnight (Central time) on Friday, September 9. I’ll announce the winner on Saturday, September 10!

Good luck! I know you will love each and every recipe!

Play ball!

The winner of the Indianapolis Indians baseball tickets for Indiana’s Family of Farmers Family Night at the Ball Park is…

Donna Handley!

Congratulations, and thanks for entering! I’ll be contacting you soon with the details. I hope you and the kids enjoy the night, and have a chance to talk with some Real Farmwives and their Kids!

Are you ready for some… baseball?

Right, okay, that’s the football promo. I will admit, I am not a huge baseball fan. I’m actually a hockey girl, and baseball just doesn’t move fast enough for me. But this is a great excuse to get together and hang out with some family and friends!

 

My friends at Indiana’s Family of Farmers are hosting Family Night at the Ballpark on Tuesday, July 19th at the Indianapolis Indians baseball game, and they are working with some Indiana bloggers to help give away tickets!!

 

Winners will receive up to 8 tickets to the game for their family and friends to come hang out with IFOF at the Indians game on July 19th (game starts at 7:00pm). The winners will also get a wristband to join IFOF in the picnic area for an invite-only picnic with a choice of hot dog, hamburger, or pulled chicken barbecue. There will also be a selection of salads, cookies, and drinks.

 

Wait – it gets better!

 

Some of the Real Farmwives of America and Friends will be there, too!

 

(Sorry to say that I can not make it, but some of the other RFOA will be there for sure!!)

 

So…  to enter! You must…

1. Follow AlarmClockWars through Google Friend Connect (GFC – on the right sidebar)

 

You can also…

2. Fan Alarm Clock Wars on Facebook

3. Follow @AlarmClockWars on Twitter

5. Fan Indiana’s Family of Farmers on Facebook

6. Follow @FamilyofFarmers on Twitter

7. Follow the Real Farmwives of America blog through GFC

8. Fan the Real Farmwives of America and Friends on Facebook

9. Follow @realfarmwives on Twitter

10. Tweet about this contest and mention @AlarmClockWars and @FamilyofFarmers in your tweet

 

Leave me a separate comment for each entry.

 

The contest ends at midnight (central time) on June 28th. I will announce the winner here on June 29th.

 

Good luck!!

 

(Indiana’s Family of Farmers provided me with tickets for this giveaway.)

You ARE creative!

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions over the last week.  I had lots of great name options, here and at my WordPress blog (mirror site). 

All the names were great, and it was tough choosing my favorite.  I had my hubby chime in on the options.

My favorite suggestion was “AgriCulturing” by Kerry.  I love the idea of that!  The trouble is, the domain name “agriculturing.com” is not available.  All that is posted there right now is “coming soon,” and I don’t have a guess as to what will be there in the future, so I am hesitant to go for “agriculturing.net.” 

A very close second was Jessica’s idea of using the word “raising” in the name somewhere, to pull in the idea of raising food and raising families.  I also love that idea!

So, two winners!  Kerry and Jessica, please email me at alarmclockwars at gmail dot com and let me know where you want your Starbucks gift cards sent!

Now…  I’ve been brainstorming over the last week, and my current choice for a name for this budding business is “Farmers Raising Families.”  Any other brilliant ideas on this?

Thanks so much for all your help…  I had a ball reading the names as they came in!

Are you creative?

I’m working on a business plan.  I know what I want to do, and I have a pretty good idea of how I want to do it.  I don’t know what I want to call it.

My goal is to help moms understand where the food they buy for their families comes from.

I want to help address some misconceptions in agriculture.  I want to help busy moms understand how food gets from the farms to their families.  I want to explain the procedures used in raising animals and crops for our food.  I want to talk about why things are done the way they are – with both the emotion and the science behind it.

What would you call this business?

Chime in with your suggestions.  I’ve got a Starbucks gift card to give away to my favorite name!

I’ll take suggestions until Sunday (November 14) at 10:00pm Central time.  I’ll pick my favorite, and post the gift card winner at 8:00pm Central time on Monday.

Give me as many options as you want…  No limits!

Another ticket giveaway: Dig-IN!

Thanks once again to the kind folks at the Indiana Soybean Alliance, I have 2 tickets to Dig-IN to give away!

Dig-IN is Sunday, August 29 at the White River State Park in Indianapolis.  This promises to be a fun-filled day, starting at noon.

The list of entertainment includes:  food tastings, beer and wine tastings, ice cream making demonstrations, cooking demonstrations, gardening exhibits, Q&A sessions with local chefs, local bands, and much more!

To enter the giveaway, you can get one entry each for:

• Following this blog
• Commenting on this post
• Becoming a fan of AlarmClockWars on Facebook
• Following AlarmClockWars on Twitter
• (Please leave a separate comment for each entry)

That’s four entries!  (Already follow?  Already a fan?  That counts too – just leave me a comment and let me know!)

The winner of the 2 tickets will be chosen by random drawing and announced Friday, August 27 at 12:00 noon Central Time.  Good luck!

State Fair Ticket winner!

Congratulations…  Crystal!

Please email me with your address to claim your prize!

We had a blast at the fair, and I’ll have lots of photos to post over the next few days.  Once I get all 400 off my fancy camera, that is!

Special thanks for the Indiana Soybean Alliance for the State Fair Tickets (mine and the giveaway set), and to Indiana Dairy, Indiana Pork, and Indiana Beef for feeding us yesterday!

It’s Indiana State Fair Day!

Today’s the day!

Thanks to the Indiana Soybean Alliance, my hubby and I and some of my bloggy friends are headed to the Indiana State Fair today with some complimentary tickets.

We’ll get some behind the scenes views of what goes on at the fair, and have some yummy fair food.  (Nothing like a day at the fair to make you decide that TOMORROW is the day to start watching what you eat!)

I’ll be Twittering about the goings-on, so be sure to watch the Twitter feed here.  Or, better yet, just go ahead and follow me on Twitter!  Later this week I’ll be blogging about what we did in a little more detail than the Twitter adventures.

If you haven’t entered yet, don’t forget to enter for the Indiana State Fair Ticket Giveaway here, and at my GOODe friend’s sites!  You can enter until midnight tonight (Eastern time), and I’ll announce the winner at noon on Tuesday.  (And, yes, if you entered at the WordPress site, you’re still entered.)

Too bad, so sad…

My cute little point-and-shoot camera died last weekend.  We were on a tour of the Southern Indiana-Purdue Agricultural Center (which I promise to blog about…  sometime…) with the Indiana Farm Bureau.

One minute, I was taking a picture.

The next minute, I had a black screen.

No amount of button-pushing did me any good.

Luckily, a fellow blogger was sitting right next to me, and she shared her photos of the tour with me.  For my blog post in the nebulous future.  In fact, she’s already beat me to it!  But this won’t deter me.  I’ll blog about it anyway!!!

Andrea was also nice enough to loan me a fancy Nikon she isn’t using anymore.  I haven’t had a chance to play with it, but will be doing just that this weekend!  Then, I’ll be all practiced up for my trip to the State Fair on Monday!

Don’t forget…  I’m giving away 4 free Indiana State Fair tickets on Tuesday!!

It’s State Fair Time!

Are you ready for some State Fair fun?






Some GOODe friends and I are getting ready for Family Fair Days with GOODEness Gracious 'N Friends at the Indiana State Fair! We will be visiting the State Fair and giving you some behind the scenes looks at awesome State Fair activities sponsored by the Indiana Soybean Alliance!

To kick things off right today, the Indiana Soybean Alliance has given me and all of my friends  4 Indiana State Fair tickets each to giveaway on our blogs to our readers!

So here is how you enter:

• The winner of 4 Indiana State Fair Tickets (courtesy of the Indiana Soybean Alliance) will be chosen at random on August 10.  I will post the winner at noon.
• Each person is eligible for 3 entries: 1 entry for following this blog, 1 entry for commenting, and 1 entry for becoming a fan of Alarm Clock Wars on Facebook.
• GOODEness Gracious is offering an extra entry for becoming a fan of GOODEness Gracious on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Goodenessgracious
• Please leave a separate comment below for each entry. (If you are already a blog follower or Facebook fan, please just post a separate comment saying so :)
• Hop on over to all of the following blogs for multiple chances to win!
  
  
  
  • 2 Maids a Milking
  • 3 Kids and Lots of Pigs
  • A Latte with Ott, A
  • Beyer Beware
  • Fence Row to Fence Row
  • Frugalista Farmlife
  • Gal in the Middle
  • Going Jane
  • GOODEness Gracious
  • Life is a Highway and Mine’s Surrounded By Corn
  • Off the Cuff and Indypendent