Authors in Bloom Blog Hop - Cabbage Salad with Blackberry Vinaigrette

I'm thrilled to join in the Authors in Bloom Blog Hop, which is being coordinated by Tiffany of A Cozy Reader's Corner Reviews. Tiffany is one of the Fool's Gold Varsity Cheerleaders, and I'm so happy that she invited me to participate in this fun blog hop.


Here's how it's going to work. The blog hop will run from April 9-April 18. Each participating author will share a recipe or a gardening tip and will give away a prize. I'm giving away a copy of ALREADY HOME, my 2011 women's fiction book. (My latest women's fiction novel is BAREFOOT SEASON, in stores now!) For a chance to win a signed copy of ALREADY HOME, join the Members Only section at www.susanmallery.com, then leave your email address in a comment here. Don't forget to leave your email address - that's how we'll be able to verify that you're a Member. This contest is open internationally.

April 19 update...

And the winner is....

jpart2121@aol.com - check your email for a message from my assistant! Congratulations!

You can also collect a brief phrase at each blog, the put them together for a chance to win the grand prize, a Kindle Fire or a NOOK - winner's choice! Here's my secret phrase...

Line 47: Odd to compare girls to flowers.

Recipe: Cabbage Salad with Blackberry Vinaigrette

• ½ head of cabbage, sliced thin or shredded
• 4 green onions, sliced thin
• 1 stalk of celery, sliced thin
• ¼ C walnut pieces
• ½ C blackberry vinaigrette (Recipe at BlackberryIsland.com/recipes.html)
• Variation: 1 C cooked turkey or chicken, chopped

Toss all ingredients. Makes 4-6 side salads or 2 main dish salads.

Honey Orange Pork Chops

Print this recipe for free from www.susanmallery.com/recipes.php!

I’m drawn to shiny things – sparkly jewelry, glistening frosting on a chocolate éclair, and the latest, greatest gadgets. That’s why I created the free Susan Mallery app for the iPhone and Android, and that’s why I bought this doohickey when I saw it at Tuesday Morning. A turkey baster with a silicone brush… who could resist such a thing?

Then I faced a dilemma – I had a pretty new basting brush but nothing to baste. That would never do. We were planning on having pork chops on the grill at a friend’s house that evening. (My condo’s HOA frowns on open fire on our balcony.)

I whipped out my phone, did a search for “pork baste,” and used the recipes I found to come up with a recipe all my own. I have to tell you, in all modesty, that this tastes amazing!

If you like to create recipes, too, don’t forget that I’m holding an original recipe contest! Some lucky home cook is going to win $300 to Williams-Sonoma, one of the most fabulous cooking stores on the planet! You can find details about the contest at www.susanmallery.com/ah_main.html.

Recipe: Honey-Orange Pork Chops

Basting sauce:
1 C water
¼ C honey
¼ C mild vinegar – I used rice vinegar
1 T salt
1T Worcestershire sauce
1 t black pepper
1 t orange zest
½ t red pepper flakes

4 thick pork chops
1 whole orange, cut into 4 thick slices

Preheat the grill on high. Put the pork chops on the grill and baste the exposed side every couple of minutes for 8-10 minutes.

Flip the chops over, baste, then put one thick orange slice on each chop. Continue basting frequently while the chops cook.

When the chops reach 150 degrees internal temperature, remove them from the grill and allow them to sit for 5 minutes before serving. Seriously fabulous.

Susan Mallery + Julia London = Win an iPad!

My friend author Julia London and I wanted to do something really special for our fans. We’re giving away an iPad! And you don’t have to do anything special to qualify – everyone who clicks Like on both our Facebook pages will automatically be entered for a chance to win. We’ll hold the giveaway as soon as Julia’s page has 8,500 likes and mine has 6,500 likes. Encourage your friends to like both our pages. The sooner we reach our goal, the sooner someone will win! Could be YOU!

www.facebook.com/susanmallery

www.facebook.com/julialondon

To get this party started, I’m giving away a copy of Julia’s fabulous new book, A LIGHT AT WINTER’S END, to one lucky fan who clicks like or posts a comment on the contest announcement on my Facebook page today! I'll choose the winner at random at the end of the day, so get clicking!

Members Only Refer-a-Friend Contest

Friends who read together are The Best of Friends! Invite your friends who love to read romance to join the Members Only area at www.susanmallery.com. If your friend joins, you’ll both be entered to win a pair of matching coffee mugs and some fun little surprises. (Including free books, of course!) When the prizes arrive, you can call each other and giggle over what you got.

The contest is open to fans around the world, and I want to know where you’re from! There will be nine pairs of first place winners. Three pairs of second place winners will win a Fool’s Gold goodie pack. We will also have one GRAND PRIZE winner for the person who refers the most friends who join my Members Only area. The Grand Prize winner will receive a $50 gift certificate to Amazon.com!

To refer your friends, click here: Refer-a-Friend Contest.