Nanny's Bundt Cake

Things to Buy (Ingredients):

1.Betty Crocker Vanilla or Chocolate Cake Mix

2. Vanilla or chocolate pudding mix (brand:jell-o)

3. 1/2 cup of sugar

4. 3/4 cups of vegetable oil

5. 3/4 cups of water
6. 4 eggs

7. 8oz of sour cream

8. depending on what you want your crust layer to be 6 oz of chocolate chips or butterscotch chips are suggested.

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a separate bowl mix cake mix, pudding, and sugar
3. In another separate bowl mix water, eggs, and oil.
4. Combine both mixes, stir well...for about 3 minutes
5. Then add the sour cream and mix well
6. Add (chocolate) chips and stir softly.
7. Lightly grease a rubber bundt pan and pour in cake batter

8. Put in the oven at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes
9. When done lets cool and serve!

***can serve up to 12 people***



for more great recipes click here! I have personally tried the

HERSHEY'S "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" Chocolate Cake and it is delicious! 

The Debs---Susan McBride

Being a Rosewood Bud, and a member of the Glass Slipper Club means everything to Ginger, Laura, Jo-Lynn, Trisha, and Camie, and when the time rolls around for the invatations to be sent out things get emotional and phyically currupt. The invitations  will culminate into this amazing ball where each debutante will feel and act as if they were princesses. Only ten girls will get their hand delivered invitations. All of the girls come from money some with family ties to the The Glass Slipper Club, some with behhind the scene connections, and others buy their way into the Glass Slipper Club. There are two groups of best friends battleing for there entry into the society. And when these girls fight...it gets ugly. Along with many social issues, a few of the girls are dealing with other issues including step-mother issues, boyfriend trouble, and even getting in trouble with the law. Not only are these annoying but also are effected these girls acceptance onto the committee. These girls have to get it together, because without their invitations there are no guarantees! 

The story is told in the alternating viewpoints between the four girls.   One being Laura who is a size fourteen and feels the pressure of her weight, but her size does not stop her from finding love.  Laura wants her invitation more than anything and anyone, and is determined to get what she wants. Mac is struggling with her mothers recent death and her fathers remarriage to a much younger and trashey Pagent Princess.  Mac just wants to be left alone, but it was her mothers dream before she dies to have Mac follow in her footsteps as a Rosewood Bud. And her step-mother is not making her choice any easier. Ginger is our tree-hugging, earthy, Deb who is always doing humanitarian work, but she falls hard for an older man, which leads to greater disaster and she winds up in locked in a cell. The fourth girl is the enemy Jo-Lynn. Her  goal in life is to  become a Deb but also she wants to make sure that Laura, who she calls  a “debu-tank” doesn’t receive an invitation.  With Jo-Lynn comes with her posse, Trisha and Camie, known as the "Bimbo Cartel". They together create a huge bumper for Ginger, Laura, and Mac. I can't wait to find out who gets their invitation!!!


Watch the book trailer here! This puts the summary of the story from the back of the book and rather than reading a boring old book cover there is an animated one here!


Susan McBride who is the author of The Debs, has written many other novels that I am looking forward to reading, especially the sequel to The Debs, called The Debs-Love lies and Texas Dips. 

The sequel to The Debs

Susan McBride

 Click here to see other people's reviews!  I think that these are good reviews because they are from other readers just like me. It also shows people's ratings of this book!
Another good review is here. It gives a good opinion of the way the author wrote the novel!


My personal opinion is that the book was written toward a younger audience. It most definitely relates to a teenagers normal experience in high school, minus the debutante aspect of the story. I liked this story because one day I would like to be a debutante myself and now that I read this book I know what to look out for..."the Bimbo Cartel!"I look forward to reading The Debs: Loves, Lies, and Texas Dips!

A débutante is a young lady from an upper class family who has reached the age of maturity, and as a new adult, is introduced to society at a formal "début" presentation.

10 things you need to know about being a debutant


1. To be a debutant, you cannot sign up or choose to be one, you are chosen by a society of women, or are sponsored.
2. To be a debutant you need a perfect white gown with a pair of satin or kid white gloves, preferably that come to about you elbow. To find stunning debutant gowns... click here, p.s. if you want don't forget the perfect crown! I have personally been to the Priscilla Of Boston where I live and the dresses are just phenomenal.
3. To be a debutant you need to perfect male escort
4. To be a debutant you need to be able to curtsey, by wrapping your leg around the other and slowly lowering           until your nose touches the floor. To watch how it is done correctly...click here... skip to then end of the video! This video will show how hard it is to curtsey!  I tried and fell flat on the floor.
5. To be a debutant you must be around age 21
6. To be a debutant you must have the perfect "coming out party." 
7. To be a debutant you must have your father help escort you "into society."
8. To be a debutant you must have the perfect invitations.
9. To be a debutant you must have the perfect bouquet of flowers that fit your personality. The perfect flowers for you are just one click away! Here you can pick your flowers, pick your colors, and get a pretty reasonable price for a beautiful bouquet of flowers.
10.To be a debutant you must have fun and enjoy yourself as a new society woman!!!

Debutant balls are different all over the world. Some are called debutants and others are called cotillions and quinceanera, all in which allow for young women do be introduced into both womanhood and society. I can't wait for my class' cotillion! To learn more about the world of debutantes and how they are celebrated all over the world and how each region differs, visit the wiki page for debutante. 

Mary E. Pearson

I am currently reading The Adoration of Jenna Fox.  A novel written by Mary E. Pearson.  Mary Pearson was born in  1955 in Southern California.  She is married and has two daughters and two golden retrievers named Brody and Hunter.  She writes full time out of her house in Carlsbad California.

Mary Pearson believes that her great education began in the second grade.  Throughout high school she had many influential teachers who helped shape her primary writing skills.  Later she went on the obtain a BFA from Long Beach State in Art.  After working for a time as an artist, she became a mother.  Still later, she attended San Diego State University where she received her teaching credential. When she began teaching the second grade, she was reintroduced into writing. During writing workshop she would sit with her students and write. She loved the process, loved the stories, and this eventually evolved for her to return to "her first love." Through many rejections she finally published her first book, The Miles Between.

Mary Pearson's has many hobbies. One being reading of course, yet she also enjoys gardening. Surprisingly she enjoys weeding which is not very common. She also enjoys long walks, snow skiing, cooking, family get togethers, and travels with her husband.

Since Mary Pearson enjoys reading so much she claims that there are too many books that she has read to choose a favorite, but one of her all time favorites is The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck.

Mary Pearson likes to get her ideas from living and watching life, and a whole lot of wondering. she says " Writing is how i explore those things i wonder about. And most stories don't just have inspiration but many."

Mary Pearson has now published 5 novels, mostly directed towards teens. To date they include ¨The Miles Between, The Adoration of Jenna Fox, A Room on Lorelei Street, Scribbler of Dreams, David v. God.  As I mention before I am reading The Adoration of Jenna Fox. I like the book. It makes you think about the would in a different way and makes you question what if?

I am excited to read the end of The Adoration of Jenna Fox, and to read another one of Mary E. Pearson's novels and I most definitely suggest this story as a must read!

To check out more about Mary E. Pearson and her books... Click Here...there is a full interview and you can send her question and she will respond!

A Sea Turtle Gives Birth

Over the Thanksgiving break i was fortuned enough to be able to travel with my friend sofia leon to Acapulco, Mexico. There we stayed at her condo and at night we would hang out on the beach and watch as the sun would set on the ocean. What a spectacular site. One night, when were waiting on the beach, the condominium guard came and got us and told us that there was a sea turtle getting ready to give birth not to far from where we were. We walked down a ways and sure enough we saw the sea turtle it was huge! At first i was scared but then the guy protecting it said not to be that it was harmless while undergoing birth. But before the turtle would lay its eggs, it continuously used its hind flippers to dig a hole 40 to 50 centimeters deep. But as the turtle would dig the helpful men would refill the hole so it would be easier for them to retrieve once the birth was done. I asked why they had to collect the eggs and they said that at night people come around and collect the eggs to sell as food in markets or to eat them themselves, but that they were here to incubate and hatch the eggs so that in the future they can release them into the ocean.
After waiting for about 15 minutes or so the turtle began to fill the nest with many soft shelled eggs as seen in the photos above. The eggs were the size of ping pong balls and there were soon many of them. The guy counted 97 from this particular turtle, but depending on the species of sea turtle, the sea turtles can have anywhere from 50 to 200 eggs per birth. After the birth the female began to re fill the nest with sand and she smoothes the surface until the hole becomes relatively invisible, to help prevent attackers. After this the mother sea turtle slowly descends back into the ocean leaving her eggs unattended, thankfully these men where there to help. THe whole birth process took close to 45 minutes considering the fact that turtles are super slow moving. The process of sea turtle birth can take anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes and sometimes more depending on the number of eggs being laid. Getting to experience birth in person was truly an unforgettable and great learning experience. It was so cool, who new a turtle could lay so many eggs, and be so calm to let humans surround her, pet her,  and hold her eggs. I hope her babies made it to the ocean okay!



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_turtle  (under life history)