Once More to the Lake

With temps going down into the 40s at night, and Autumn making its presence felt pretty strongly, Aunt Julie, The Pop'r Queen, along with Big Bear and Soccer Boy, two of The Pop'rs Cousins, took one last spin around Lake Winnebago last weekend.

"The thermometer's dipping and the trees are starting to change,," Auntie J. lamented. "The lake cools off pretty quickly this time of year. I think this was our last trip out this season." The Crew is seriously considering getting the boat winterized until next year. But with the fickle temps in Northeastern Wisconsin--It's supposed to be in the mid-70s today, for instance--they could consider keeping their vessel afloat at least long enough for my gals to try it out, right?

And, speaking of College Girl and The Wild One, they made it to Aunt Julie's house last night. Sounded like their fannies were draggin' from the drive, but we're happy that they landed safely.

Quote of the Day: Moker, who, as the Alpha Male at Our House tends sometimes to sound a tad macho, had something so sweet to say about the gals' departure. "It was so hard to let them go this morning," he sighed. He'll be out at Larry U., though, for Parents' Weekend in October. Countin' Down the Days 'til then!

It's Friday, So It Must Be Foto Fiesta Time!

Yup. Participating in Candid Carrie's uber-creative and ultra-fantastic Friday Foto Fiesta Finish today. We really should entitle this photo "Oops!" It's a shot by Aunt Julie, The Pop'r Queen, of Shark Boy trying to skim the waves at the beach a couple of weeks ago. OBX, baby! Hope ya Hang In There down on the NC Coast with the onslaught of Hurricane Hannah!

Remember...You've got Less Than 10 Hours to enter The Great New Pop'rs Giveaway. Don't be shy--Give it a try! We'll announce Two Grand Prize Winners tomorrow!

On, Wisconsin!

Thanks to Debbie over at Blog Around the World for the great chance to showcase my Guest-Blogger and Hubby, Moker, and all the Wonders of The Badger State. I've responded to everyone's comments, except for the couple of you whose blogs weren't accessible. I've had So. Much. Fun visiting everyone and blog-chatting the last couple of days!

Don't forget, everyone, to enter The Great New Pop'rs Giveaway. It runs through September 5th. Remember: You can't win if you don't enter!

As Aunt Julie, The Pop'r Queen, correctly pointed out, Moker left out a couple of key points yesterday. To recap:

• Moker, along with Aunt Julie and the rest of their family, hails from Chippewa Falls, WI. CF is the home to Leinenkugel's Beer--Grab a Leinie's today! This Northwest Wisconsin burg claims to have the "purest & softest water in the world, from the Big Eddy Springs" just outside of town.
• Chippewa Falls is also famous On the Big Screen. CF was the movie hometown of Diane Keaton in that 1970s classic, "Annie Hall." And who could forget that Leonardo DiCaprio's character hailed from Chippewa Falls in "Titanic"?
• Aunt Julie and Uncle Lynn now live in Neenah, WI, home of the Rockets, and Lynn's hometown. It's also where Kimberly-Clark was born, on the shores of Lake Winnebago in Northeastern Wisconsin. Many of the "Paper Baron" mansions still line the lake, including the manse of the woman who once controlled the corporation, and who referred to herself as "The Kotex Queen." Seriously!
• Pop'rs are made in Uncle Lynn's plant, up the highway in Wrightstown, WI, near Green Bay. And remember: The Only Place you can buy Pop'rs is online from Uncle Lynn. Click here to find out how!
• Yup, All The Pop'rs Cousins are Green Bay Packers Fans! There's still a little bit of debate about the consequences of Brett Becoming a Jet, but All Six of the PC will be wearing the Green and Gold this season!
• Moker also forgot to mention that College Girl will be a senior at Lawrence University in lovely Appleton, WI, this year. Her little sis', The Wild One, will be a freshman. We Love Larry U.! Goooooooooooo, Vikings!

What a Pair!

Before we fill you in on the scrumptious creations pictured above, we want to remind you about The Great New Pop'rs Giveaway. Remember--You. Can't. Win. If. You. Don't. Enter!

As some of our long-term readers know, my SIL, Aunt Julie (also known as The Pop'r Queen), is a quilter. She started a lovely tradition three years ago, when our oldest, College Girl, graduated from high school. Auntie J. quilted a Beautiful Blue Keepsake, formally known as Those Fabulous Blues. The next year, when her son, College Boy, headed out the door, his Mom presented him with a Texas Hold 'Em Quilt.

Well, The Wild One has been waiting patiently, and her patience paid off during our beach VAY-kay, when Aunt Julie gifted her with another Off-to-College Masterpiece. The photo above, snapped by Photographer Extraordinaire Aunt Julie, of course, shows both girls at the beach house, exhibiting Auntie J.'s extraordinary handiwork. The Wild One's quilt is the same pattern as her sister's, only in accents of pink.

"I loved seeing the two quilts together," Julie says. "I wonder how many hours of work they represent! I do know that each of them is made of 1,384 two-inch triangles."

Even though she sometimes calls these projects "The Quilts from Hell" because of various techinical difficulties, Julie also recognizes these would have been even more difficult to turn out in her great-grandmother's generation. "Thank goodness for today’s modern cutting and piecing methods," Julie says, "not to mention sewing machines. I cannot even imagine how quilts were made 100 or more years ago! And those women made several, too! They had no books with patterns and directions, or fancy, well-equipped fabric stores, either. Wow!"

Both my girls don't know what they'd do without their Aunt Julie, either. Here's sending all our thanks and love her way! She's a pretty amazing gal, isn't she?

PS: Just got word that the Blog Around the World crew is visiting The Great State of Wisconsin tomorrow! Stay tuned--we've got a lot in store for you, and a Guest Blogger, too!

Grab Your Cyber-Passport and Let's Go!

Debbie, over at This is the Life, has a fanTAbulous idea! What if you took the saying "Surfing the Net" seriously? Like, chit-chatting between Bloggy Friends, only better: really opening up your eyes to all that the Blogosphere has to offer!

Deb is having a House Party over at Blog Around the World, and the title of her newest Bloggy Endeavor means what it says. This fab idea started percolating in Debbie's Bloggy Brain: What if she tried to get a Bloggy Friend from All 50 States? What if she expanded that idea, and went international? Well, she's done all that, as she explains in her first post on her new blog.

"So what's this party all about? Last week I attempted to get a blogger from all 50 states just to see if I could," Debbie says. "Plan A was to to link up all commenters by state in one post. But Plan A only took into consideration that I'd get 30-40 replies. Umm, I received over a 100 responses. Rut roh. Plan A. Aborted. What's Plan B? I dunno. I guess I better buy a place and run it. Run it where? I don't know. I don't know what I'm doing. But, I think I've just declared myself the directory of blogs by state and country. Yay, me."

Debbie isn't doing this for the blog roll. She wants a genuine commitment from her newest Bloggy Friends. "Alas, this isn't gonna be just a white pages for bloggers," she cautions. "We are gonna have fun over here. I plan on having guest bloggers, selecting a state/country and its bloggers to feature daily just to ram traffic through your sites, and starting next week I will spotlight and interview a particular blogger. And no questions like 'where do you see yourself in five years?' will be asked. Blech ick. If you want to be included in the listing or individually spotlighted at some point, go to your state/country of residence and sign in. I'll link you up."

Sounds like an ambitious undertaking. So, to add a little flava to the pot, Debbie's holding a contest. No, this isn't just a shameless blog promotion. Debbie sounds a lot like my SIL, Aunt Julie, The Pop'r Queen. Deb's a downright friendly kinda gal. Must be all that down-home Old Dominion Hospitality she exudes!

"Go mingle with the bloggers from your state/country and leave 'em some comment love! If not, travel to a place you've never been and leave them some comment love," Debbie enthuses. "Hopefully, all kinds of new traffic will get pushed through your sites."

Sounds like it's all about Sharing the Comment Love, and getting to know lots of new folks. And, as you know, I'm all in favor of that!

Happy Birthday to an Old Dog!

Aunt Julie is on vacation, which means she's missing a Major Milestone back home. Trouble Elizabeth (remember, Julie has no girls, so had to grant the family surname to someone, even if he is a male dog) turns 16 today. Little Red, Julie's soon-to-be DIL, is dog-sitting while The Pop'r Queen is at the beach.

Julie picks up the Trouble Elizabeth tale: "We found him from an ad in the newspaper. There were lots of Springer Spaniel ads that week, and most were $350 or so. The ad for Trouble said $50. I called, to see if it was a typo. No. Why so cheap? Turns out the owner had 12 puppies to find homes for."

Trouble Eliz turned out to be a rabbit-chasing machine. "Almost every morning we’d let him out and he’d take off and not come back 'til he could hardly move, and the neighborhood was free of bunnies for another day," she remembers. "My kids were late many mornings for school because we were scouring the streets in our SUV, calling 'Trouble! Trouble!' and eventually 'Trouble Elizabeth! You get over here right this minute!' "

Julie and Uncle Lynn, The Pop'r King, came up with a great way to wake up their boys in the winter. "We had a habit of taking him outside to play and then letting him jump on the boys' beds to wake them up. Cold toes, cold nose…"

Trouble Elizabeth's alarm clock duties, however, were numbered. "One Sunday morning he jumped off the bed, but his leg got caught between the mattress and footboard, and snapped," Julie says. "Since we lived in a rural area, the local vet was a large animal vet, and his suggestion was to shoot him and get another dog! Good thing we lived near Madison and the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine! One day and $1,000 later, he was good as new!"

There are too many Trouble Elizabeth stories to tell here, "but needless to say, it was the best $50 we ever spent!" Aunt Julie declares. "He's an old doggy, but all we want is another 16 years. What a great dog!"

Like a lot of 112-year-old men, Trouble Elizabeth has become mostly an indoor doggy, and leads a pretty pampered life. His various ailments come and go; he has a "dribbling" problem, among others, and wears a Doggy Diaper. The Pop'rs Family calls him "Captain Underpants"!

Auntie J. says Trouble's aches and pains are pretty minor, though. "As long as he still barks at the mailman and wags his tail when we come home, we can cope!"

College Boy Catches a Wave

Aunt Julie, The Pop'r Queen, pointed out this morning that College Boy is the only Popr's Cousin who hasn't been featured in this blog. Well, it's your day, CB!

College Boy has been itching to catch a wave since he was a little boy and first started going to North Carlolina's Outer Banks with his cousins. Well, at first he wasn't too receptive to the OBX Coastal Culture. We do remember him arriving at the beach as a 6-year-old, in his jeans, T-shirt, socks and sneaks. It took him a couple of days to ditch the Upper Midwest Gear and make a beach-type fashion statement.

Since, then, though, College Boy has been boogie-boarding through life. Check out the pure joy in his face as he catches a wave with his cousin, College Girl, on his way into shore. His Mom, Auntie J., snapped this with her new digital camera. Life is sweet, ain't it?

She'll Purr For You, Too!

Meet Patch. She's 13--that's 91 in cat years! She rules the roost at our house. But We. Have. A. Problem. Aunt Julie, The Pop'r Queen, is coming to visit, and she's deathly allergic to cats!

We picked up Patch in 1996 at the local Animal Shelter, when she was a year old. Mama Cat, our kitty of 21 years, had just died. The girls wanted another companion.

Patch doesn't do much anymore but lie around. Oh, and she purrs like a motorboat gearing up for a race across the pond--you can hear her Evinrude running from clear across the room! She does like to go out and wander in the garden. And sometimes her curiosity gets the best of her, and she ends up locked in the neighbor's garage!

This Pretty Kitty officially belongs to The Wild One, who took this photo, BTW. But you know who feeds her, grooms her and tidies up after her, right? Dear Old Mom. That would be me!

Aunt Julie loves Patch, too. But she gets all sneezy, and runny, with swollen throat and eyes, as soon as she comes in our house! Soccer Boy, too, gets the sneezles around Patch. But his favorite thing to do when he's here is haul that kitty around. He buries his face in her thick fur, and they purr to each other. Never mind that Soccer Boy ends up with swollen eyes, just like his mom. He and Patch are dear friends.

Remind me to stock up on lots and lots of Allegra and Benadryl for the impending visit. A good time is guaranteed for all!

Pop'rs Quiz: The Jonas Brothers, Oprah, The Great Pop'rs Giveaway, and More!

1. Who are Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas?

2. Why would Pop’rs Inventor Uncle Lynn make a Great Guest on Oprah?

3. How can you help Uncle Lynn score big points with Oprah?

4. How can you help Aunt Julie plan for an Extra Special Rehearsal Dinner for Big Bear and Little Red?

5. How can you become a Big Winner in the Great Pop’rs Giveaway?

Now, because Uncle Lynn, The Pop’r King, believes in keeping his readers informed, everyone gets an “A” on this Pop’rs Quiz. Here, Faithful Readers, are your answers:

1. The Jonas Brothers, who performed on Oprah Thursday, are The Talk Show Diva’s Most Requested Guests of the Year. The reason they hold such a high honor? Because their fans absolutely deluged Oprah with online requests!

2. Uncle Lynn’s Pop’rs are good for you, add fun to family meals, and encourage you to Eat Your Veggies! An Oprah show featuring Uncle Lynn, Pop'rs, and kids like yours sampling this surprising seasoning on different kinds of food would be a hoot! In his e-mail to Oprah yesterday, Uncle Lynn even suggested adding a discussion with Dr. Oz about healthy eating into the mix!

3. Please post a note to Oprah on her Web site, encouraging her to build a show around Pop’rs and their Fun and Family Factor! Tell her about your children's eating habits and your concerns that they eat more healthy foods. Heck, send her a photo of your little darlin's, so she can include them on a Pop'rs Show! Click here to find out how you can help, plus get Extra Entries in the Great Pop’rs Giveaway!

4. Aunt Julie, The Pop'r Queen, has just two months to get ready for a 60-person rehearsal dinner at her house. Click here to offer suggestions, and enter the Great Pop’rs Giveaway at the same time!

5. The Great Pop’rs Giveaway runs through Monday, July 28. Click here to find out more, and remember: If you don’t enter, you can’t win!

On the Red Carpet? Well, Not Yet, But...

So many of you have been Blogging Up a Storm about Pop'rs that I just wanted to post a Big Group Hug this morning--and send a hearty "Thanks, guys!"

The question remains, Dear Readers: How do we get the word out about Pop'rs? Those of you who are avid fans of Eat Your Veggies! already know that this delightful seasoning is so fun and so good for you that it should be in splashed across the covers of all the great foodie mags and covered by everyone from Paula to Giada on The Food Network. So, how do we get started?

Well, we had what advertisers call a "bump" in May, when Every Day with Rachael Ray gave us some pretty good pub. Rachael said Pop'rs "...add pop to anything! We like the cinnamon on buttered toast. FIZZ FACTOR: full fireworks ..."

But you know, Faithful Readers, we're a small, family-owned company. Teeny-tiny. One mention from Rachael is wonderful, but we've got to--how do you say it?--keep the Big Mo (as in momentum) going. And that's where you come in!

The Blogosphere is abuzz about Pop'rs, and Uncle Lynn, The Pop'r King, couldn't be more pleased! Just yesterday, we received the biggest blog boosts yet.

Scary Mommy wants to know why we're not on "Unwrapped," of Food Network fame. Aunt Julie, The Pop'r Queen, says we'd love to be showcased, except that our Pop'rs process is a secret, and we don't want it getting out. Yup, we make 'em, market 'em, the whole shebang! And we're the only company that does! Scary, please help us find another way to Share the Pop'rs!

Lula, over in Lulaville (natch!), says "Y'all totally need to be on Food Network. And I totally need to be ordering some Pop'rs." Thanks for the endorsement, Lula! The only way you can get your Pop'rs fix, BTW, is to order online. And as for The Food Network: Do you know how to get us there?

Adiel, who says It's Because I Think Too Much, has given quite a bit of thought recently to Sharing the Comment Love. Thanks, Adiel--hope you think on it some more and spread the word!

Lisa, our insomniac friend from CA (did you notice that she's often first on the SITS Roll Call?), is all about The Pop'rs Love. Please help us Blog About Pop'rs, Lisa--you'll be glad you did!

Greedy Grace, our Bloggy Buddy from Just Lisa, No Filler, has questions galore about Big Bear, The Pilot, and the process for making Pop'rs. Yes, it's a secret, patented by Uncle Lynn. We're the only folks in the country who make Pop'rs. And you know where you can get 'em--online, but of course. And now Uncle Lynn is offering Pop'rs at new, reduced, recession-proof prices--so check 'em out!

Brandy, who is Not Your Average Soccer Mom, just received a fresh batch o' Pop'rs and plans to post about their yummy-ness soon. Thanks so much for the support, Brandy!

So, I guess what I'm asking you to do, Dear Readers, is Spread. The. Word. Pretty Please? Write Rachael Ray! Call the Food Network! E-mail Emeril! But above all, please keep on blogging about our fanTAbulous product! And remember--Our Great Pop'rs Giveaway is now underway, and every time you comment, you receive another entry! Aunt Julie needs tons of help planning the rehearsal dinner for Big Bear and Little Red, so don't delay--enter today!

Big Bear's the Pop'rs Pilot in Charge!

Thanks so much to all of you who have commented so far with suggestions for Big Bear and Little Red's Rehearsal Dinner. Aunt Julie, The Pop'r Queen, really appreciates the help! Remember, every comment this week earns you one additional entry in the Great Pop'rs Giveaway--for info on the Giveaway and ways to earn extra entries, click here.

Which brings me to our little tidbit for today. All of you winners out there are probably wondering how we concoct the delightful, fun and nutritious seasonings known as Pop'rs. Well, I'm here to testify!

The photo above shows Big Bear (on the right) with Pop'rs Operations Guru Jim, manning a contraption known as The Pilot. Attractive hairnets, fellas! See the steam coming off The Pilot? That's part of how Pop'rs begin life up at Uncle Lynn's plant.

Aunt Julie explains how all this works: "The Pilot machine makes a seven- to ten-pound batch and is used for experimentation. The first time we made sugar-free popping candy, we did it on The Pilot. It is used when we don’t want to experiment on a big batch of 20 to 30 pounds, because of the cost of ingredients. All of our products are started on The Pilot."

Because of the experimental nature involved in using The Pilot, Julie says, "We made once made Jalapeño Pops, a candy with jalapeño flavor, instead of, say, cherry. Not good! We also tried and flopped with a bacon-flavored Pop'rs." You see, Faithful Readers, it's a good thing that The Pop'r Family experiments with The Pilot before the product reaches the customer!

"Another little aside in the process," Aunt Julie continues, "is that we fill tubes, they cool, and are 'dropped' into a barrel, under pressure. The Pop'rs break into bits ranging from dust to golf ball-sized pieces. The bigger ones are a hoot to eat. It took guts the first time we tried this procedure; it will almost lift you off the ground!"

Auntie J. explains that since they are carbonated crystals, Pop'rs are made under a lot of pressure, which is the fun part of using them to season your veggies. "But we can't sell the big rock pieces," Julie says, "because they are so sensitive to the touch. I had some packed in a plastic jar with a screw top, and it got bumped. It blew up the jar, but the top was still screwed on!" By the time the product reaches the customer, though, it's reduced to tiny little pieces, so no worries there!

BTW, the word about our fun little ol' product is spreading! Megan, over at Reed's Home for Our Savior, says she's an "official" Pop'rs user now. "We enjoyed listening to our chimichangas 'talk' as I sprinkled on the Pop'rs," Megan writes in a recent post. "Even my hubby, who generally has a distaste for kiddie stuff, asked for some on his." Thanks for the endorsement, Megan!

And Smoochiefrog, she of In the Mind of a Thirty Something Mom, is celebrating her First Blogaversary this week by giving away a complete set of Pop'rs--all eight flavors! Her family has been trying Pop'rs on foods as varied as veggies, yogurt, ice cream and cinnamon rolls. She says she's gonna sprinkle some Color Burst Pop'rs on watermelon soon. "They really are fun to eat, and they give those extra vitamins that you totally can't tell are there. Fun and good for ya! Who knew?" Thanks, Smooch, and enjoy the celebration!

You, too, Dear Readers, can get in on the action. Big Bear's manning the Pilot, and is ready to put your Pop'rs into production! Please enter our Great Pop'rs Giveaway and join the fun!

Help Julie Elizabeth Plan a Rehearsal Dinner-And Win Some Pop'rs in the Bargain!

Those of you who visited yesterday know that Aunt Julie, The Pop'r Queen, has Big Bear and Little Red's Rehearsal Dinner to plan! She wants you, Dear Readers, to be part of the fun, and will give away a Free Box of Pop'rs (all eight flavors!) for your trouble.

Here's the deal: Aunt Julie is desperate for ideas, and she knows you've got 'em! If you saw her comment yesterday, she's even considering putting Pop'rs in the chocolate fountain at the Rehearsal Dinner! So here's what you gotta do to win.

Please send Aunt Julie a Rehearsal Dinner Idea today; just leave it in the comment box of this post, and she'll give you two entry credits for your trouble! Then, every time you comment on a daily post the rest of this week (through Monday, July 28), Auntie J. will give you two more credits. That means, Faithful Readers, that you could rack up 14 Great Pop'rs Giveaway Credits just for offering your opinion!

And it gets even better, folks: Link to Eat Your Veggies! and our Great Pop'rs Giveaway in a post on your own personal blog, and Aunt Julie will give you five more (count 'em) giveaway credits. And one final incentive: If you post the photo of the cute little guy and his mom shaking Pop'rs on their broccoli--with a link to the contest, of course--the extremely generous Aunt J. will give you an additional six credits! Why six? Because that will give you a Grand Total of 25 Great Pop'rs Giveaway Credits, if you choose to play, all the way!

Those of you who are new to Eat Your Veggies! should know that Pop'rs, which are available in eight flavors--Cinnamon, Color Burst, Chocolate, Strawberry, Raspberry, Butter, Taco and Buffalo—come in handy-dandy shakers so you can sprinkle these tasty and nutritious seasonings on everything from applesauce to broccoli to green beans to yogurt. And remember--not only are Pop’rs fun to eat, but they enhance your taste sensation and are infused with healthy vitamins--a great way to get you and your family to Eat Your Veggies!

We’re picking one Grand Prize Winner by random drawing. The Great Pop’rs Giveaway is open to everyone. The contest runs from Tuesday, July 22 (that's today!), through Monday, July 28 at 8 p.m. EST. So, Dear Readers, don't delay--play today!

Get Ready for a Sweet Celebration!

For those of you wondering about the lovey-dovey ticker at the top of this page, exciting stuff happening in the Land of Pop’rs! Big Bear, Aunt Julie and Uncle Lynn’s Number One Son, is getting married in October! He and Little Red, his fiancé, are taking that stroll down the aisle October 11, in the first-ever Pop'rs Wedding!

Bear and Red met five years ago, when he was working for a dealership and sold her a new car (He is not exactly a fast mover—nor a smooth talker—like his Dad Lynn, The Pop'r King, who married Aunt Julie just five months and five days after meeting her on Valentine’s Day!). About 250 people are invited to Bear and Red’s wedding, with 50 to 60 invited over to The Pop’r Family’s house for the rehearsal dinner. What does Aunt Julie have to say about that? Only one word: “Yikes!” All three of Bear’s brothers will be in the wedding.

Fortunately, Aunt Julie, being The Pop'r Queen and all, sure does love to cook!…the dessert menu has been solid for months—homemade carrot cake cupcakes, cheesecake with strawberries that Julie Eliz picked in June, and a chocolate fountain! Dinner is still negotiable. “Sixty people is starting to sound like an awful lot,” Aunt Julie says. Let’s see: wedding party and out-of-town family and friends. Auntie J. is taking suggestions for the dinner!

The sweetest part of all is that Bear gave Red Grandma Vera’s engagement ring. “I thought they would just remove the diamond and put it in a new setting,” Aunt Julie explains, “but the bride loves it just like it is and prefers not to change a thing. So it has been separated (it was once welded to Grandma V.’s wedding band because of wear), gold added and a new head built, and cleaned—the goldsmith said it will look just like it did when Grandpa Ernie gave it to my Mom in 1947!”

Auntie J., naturally, is a sentimental gal. “When I returned from the jeweler’s, I cried. To think it had been in a drawer since Grandma Vera died. I’m thrilled that it has been taken out, restored and is once again on the finger of the girl who is about to become Vera's first grandson’s wife!”

Here’s where you come in, Faithful Readers! Watch this space tomorrow, when I’ll explain how you, too, can get involved and help The Pop’r Family prepare for The Big Day!

Tag, You're It!

Faithful Readers:

I've been *tagged*! Although relatively new to the Blogosphere, I do believe this means that I should be a good sport, and play along! What do you think? The lovely Bloggy Pal who *tagged* me was none other than greedygrace over at Just Lisa, No Filler. Here are the rules; come join the fun, and play along, too!

The Rules:

• Link to the person(s) who tagged you.
• Mention the rules on your blog.
• Tell your readers about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours.
• Tag 6 fellow bloggers by linking them.
• Leave a comment on each of the *tagged* blogger’s site, letting her know she's been *tagged*.

As we've established before, I'm not the Quirky Kind. But Aunt Julie, The Pop'r Queen? She has enough quirks to fill a book, and then some! So, hold on to your seats--here we go!

1. Aunt Julie absolutely hates chewing noises--she won’t go to a movie because of all the popcorn crunching!
2. All Auntie J's neighbors are familiar with her doggy jammies--no, not jammies for dogs, but a cute little ensemble with a doggie print all over--since she is out every morning with her coffee in the front yard, checking her flower garden. BTW, did you see my post on Julie's fanTAbulously gorgeous delphiniums.
3. Julie will talk to anyone, and would probably try to make friends with a rock. And she has lots of funny stories to prove it! One time, while on a beach vacation with our two families, J. made friends with a random mom on the beach. The new friend's youngest and Soccer Boy had become beach buddies, so J. spent some time with the woman by the ocean, watching the kids. We returned home a week later, and a couple of days after that, my youngest received a birthday card from someone she didn't know. We figured out later that the card was from the family Julie Eliz (remember, lots of girls--and at least one boy--have the name Elizabeth in our family!) had befriended while we were at the beach!
4. Aunt Julie trusts absolutely anyone. I have more than enough stories to prove this, but one in particular stands out. My husband once worked in a big city. Julie flew in to visit, and had a couple of hours to kill before her brother--my husband--got off work. She took a cab downtown, and found a lovely park bench, occupied by another person. She became fast friends with this person, exchanging pleasantries about life, family, etc. My Hubby got off work and went to the nearby park to acquire Aunt J. before heading home. He said to her as they were leaving, "Why were you so friendly with that homeless man?"
5. Julie Eliz loves garage sales, and has a basement full of furniture for her kids, their friends or her nieces and nephews to choose from when moving into the dorms or their first apartments. She recently picked up (literally) a lovely sleeper sofa that she took from the curb last week. It’s nice enough to use in her house!
6. Julie, she of Pop'rs fame, reads in bed with 2 pairs of glasses on at the same time, "since I am clearly NOT old enough for bifocals!"

So, Dear Readers, those are Aunt Julie's little ol' quirks. What are yours? I'm *tagging* the following Bloggy Friends to find out!

• Michaela, over at Creative Writings 101
• Mannequin, of Fractured Toy fame
• LaskiGal, who blogs From the Cheap Seats
• Mamacita, whom I don't really know yet but who has a neat little ol' blog parked at Scheiss Weekly
• tnchick, of tnchick.com, who says in a recent post the technology has her all confused, but she loves that Comment Love anyway!
• Angie, who broadcasts at SevEn CloWn CirCuS

That's all I've got for a Sunday Morning, except to say, "Tag, You're It!" Oh, and one more thing: The Old Red Barn Co. is giving away a gorgeous hand-stitched quilt! Check out the link to see how you can enter!

And another thing: My Bloggy Buddy, Melissa B. from The Scholastic Scribe, is running a super-funny sweepstakes today! She borrow the photo for her contest from me--you should check it out!

Another Sweet Summer Recipe

Aunt Julie, The Pop'r Queen, likes to pick her own strawberries when they're in season. And she's always up for a summer recipe, such as Strawberry Salad, which actually combines sweet and tangy tastes in a cool seasonal medley. Top this delightful salad with Caramelized Nuts, and you've got a taste sensation worthy of any summer social!

Strawberry Salad
2 bunches Romaine, or spring salad mix, or baby spinach
2 bunches green onions, sliced thin
Sliced fresh strawberries
Dressing:
½ cup oil
½ cup sugar
4 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/8 – ¼ tsp. Worcestershire or hot pepper sauce
Top with caramelized nuts.
Toss the fruit, nuts and dressing with the green when ready to serve.

Caramelized Nuts
1 egg white
1 tsp. cold water

Beat 'til frothy.
Stir in 1 lb. pecan halves, coat evenly.
Then, combine:

1 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon (or more)
¼ tsp. salt

Pour over coated nuts, mixing well.
Bake on cookie sheet 1 hour @225. Stir occasionally.

Our Giveaway was a Bloomin' Success!

Congrats to M~, of The Suburban Farmer, and Veronica, of Supermarket Serenade, the Random Drawing Winners of our Great Pop'rs Giveaway! Uncle Lynn, The Pop'r King, will ship each gal a complete set of Pop'rs--that fun and actually good-for-you seasoning--to try with her family. Remember, Pop'rs come in eight fantabulous flavors--Cinnamon, Colorburst, Chocolate, Strawberry, Raspberry, Butter, Taco, and Buffalo--that can be sprinkled over all kinds of foods, from broccoli to yogurt--literally, To Infinity and Beyond!--as Soccer Boy and Buzz Lightyear used to say!

Uncle Lynn, Aunt Julie, Soccer Boy, and The Gang are really looking forward to what M~ and Veronica have to say about Pop'rs! Veronica asked in her entry post if Pop'rs are available in stores--right now, these vitamin-infused seasonings can be ordered exclusively online from Uncle Lynn, The Pop'r King. And The Pop'r King wants you to know that he's now offering Pop'rs at a new, reduced, recession-proof price--so just click on his name and order yours today!

Our Great Pop'rs Giveaway was so Bloomin' Successful that Aunt Julie, The Pop'r Queen, wanted to share a gardening photo and a tip with her Dear Bloggy Readers. Aunt Julie has been trying like mad to grow the Delphiniums pictured above for years. Trouble was, she planted these delightful perennials on the west side of the house, resulting in stringy, skinny, scrawny plants, with few blooms. In a nutshell, Auntie J. was frustrated. I'll let her explain the problem.

"They are one of my favorite flowers, and I have never had any luck with them coming back a second season," The Pop'r Queen laments. "I had an open spot in the east-facing garden this year, so I tried just one delphinium. It was a great success, so I moved the ones from the opposite side of the house there also. Some of the flowers are topping out at 53 inches now!" Aunt Julie will have to wait 'til next spring to see what happens, but for now, she's more than happy with this season's accomplishment!

That Aunt Julie is a pretty accomplished--but awfully modest--gal, isn't she? The thing she does brag on though, besides Uncle Lynn and her four boys, is Pop'rs. We'll be offering more Great Giveaways this summer, so drop in soon. And don't forget to Share the Comment Love!

Photo-FANTASTIC!

Got this from my Bloggy Friend Melissa B. over at The Scholastic Scribe. She received the inspiration for the photo fest from our Mutual Bloggy Pal tara r., who resides at If Mom Says OK. Tara says this artistic endeavor has been around the Blogosphere, and I can attest to the truthfulness of this statement, because I've also seen it on Regurgitated Alpha Bits, Dkzody's Weblog, and Art on a Limb. In fact, if you google "flickr mosaic meme" on the Web, you get an even 158,000 hits. Photo-fantastic!

I'm a dull-witted bore, Dear Readers, but you know that my sister-in-law Aunt Julie most certainly is not! So I recruited her to answer the following questions and create a Photo Mosaic of her own. The Pop'r Queen Herself is sharing said mosaic with you this very day! If you'd like to play along, too, here's what's what. And if you make this delightful creation on your very own blog, please Share the Comment Love with me and Auntie J.!

• Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
• Using only the first page, pick an image.
• Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into this Mosaic Maker. Follow the instructions, and presto! You have a synopsis of Who. You. Are
• Your questions, Julie's answers; click on the Mosaic to see the snaps Up Close & Personal

Aunt Julie's life in a nutshell, as told to The Author

1. What is your first name? Julie
2. What is your favorite food? Kid food
3. What high school did you go to? Chippewa Falls Sr. High
4. What is your favorite color? Blue
5. Who is your celebrity crush? Don’t have one! Am not impressed.
6. Favorite drink? Cold Leinies on a hot day, hot chocolate on a cold one
7. Dream vacation? Tahiti, in a hut at the end of a long pier
8. Favorite dessert? Strawberry shortcake (fresh strawberries that I picked, warm biscuits, and real whipped cream), eaten as dinner, not dessert. Seconds OK!
9. What do you want to be when you grow up? Grown up! I don’t feel like it yet.
10. What do you love most in life? My boys, Lynn, dogs, quilts, time spent at the beach with my brother’s family, seashells, photographs, people who like me!
11. One Word to describe you: pieceofwork!
12. Your (sister-in-law's) blog name: Eat Your Veggies!

PS: You have approximately 30 hours, give or take a nanosecond, to enter our Great Pop'rs Giveaway. Remember: You can't win if you don't enter!

Try Something Cool and Delish for a Summer Potluck!

Aunt Julie and Uncle Lynn, The Pop'r Queen and King, live in a family-friendly neighborhood. That means lots of kids playing, lots of parents on the lawn chatting, lots and lots of potlucks.

Auntie J. spends some of this social time gathering recipes from the neighbors. Here's some simple summertime fare, which Aunt Julie calls a "real hit at our block party a few years ago."

Summer Block Party

Chicken Salad

2 ½ cups cooked chicken, cut in chunks
1 ½ cups cooked white rice (really!)
¾ cup red or green grapes, halved or whole
¾ cup diced celery

1/2 cup pineapple tidbits (drain)
½ cup mandarin oranges (drain)
Dressing:
½ cup Hellman’s mayo
1 cup ranch dressing

Top with Slivered Almonds.

I've never heard of ranch dressing in chicken salad, but my mouth's watering already! This is a delightful dish that would pair well with one of Aunt Julie's pies. Hope you've had a chance to try either her Scrumptious Blueberry Pie or Tasty Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, or even both--I know I have!

And hey, Pop'rs Pals: You've got all or part of Four Full Days to enter our Great Pop'rs Giveaway Contest! So get crackin', and let us know where you like to spend those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer! We have a pretty funny photo--shot by the Talented Aunt Julie, of course!--for tomorrow's post. I know--you're on the edge of your seat, right? Well, folks, you should be--see ya then!

You Won't Wipe Out If You Enter Our Giveaway!

Where do you like to vacation! We're staying close to home this year, 'cause of gas prices, the economy and all. In fact, Aunt Julie, The Pop'r Queen, has been taking the family to the lake a lot recently, catching a little Vay-Kay in her own neck o' the woods.

They had a rousing good time up at the cottage over the Fourth. Auntie J. was soooooo proud when she was able to get up on waterskis, for the first time in ages. She was having a rolllicking good time until...well...see for yourself!

It's not too late to enter our Great Pop'rs Giveaway! Just click on this link and go from there. The contest runs through Monday, July 14 at 6 p.m. EST, so Get Poppin'! And don't forget to Share the Comment Love after you enter. Pretty Please?

PS, to All You Pop'rs Pals: Because the economy has us all in a bind, Uncle Lynn, The Pop'r King, has just reduced the price of Pop'rs! You can purchase a 4-pack of this fun seasoning for $7.69, while an 8-pack of Pop'rs now sells for $14.99. Please order your Pop'rs online by clicking here. Such a bargain!

Aunt Julie's agreed to send another yummy recipe our way tomorrow. Please join us, and don't forget: You can't win unless you enter--Today!

More Than a Patchwork of Memories

With the beautiful photos of Trouble Elizabeth and his best bud, Moses, and the pelican cruising so far from the beach, we've already established that Aunt Julie is the artistic sort. Her amazing creative portfolio also includes quilting.

Aunt Julie, aka The Pop'r Queen, has done several quilts over the years, including a pink and white baby quilt for my youngest, and a beautiful blue and white creation for my oldest, when she went off to college. She stitched the gorgeous work of art featured above (the photo is one of Aunt Julie's, too!) when Son Number 3 left the nest for the university life.

Let's let Aunt Julie tell you about this quilt, which is all wrapped up in a couple of great family memories: "This particular pattern is called 'Texas Hold 'Em,' from a book titled Dealer’s Choice, by Atkinson Designs, copyright 2004. I chose it because the boys [remember: she's the proud Mama of Four!] are big poker fans, after attending a trade show in Las Vegas a few years ago. Not long after, my then 10-year-old was working on a speech in which he had to teach something. He was having a hard time choosing a topic, and my advice was to teach something he was familiar with and good at. The light went on, and he said, 'I know! I’ll show 'em how to play poker!' Maybe not such a good idea for4th grade. But that’s what comes from having brothers who are 18, 21 & 24, and who adore you!"

You heard it here first, folks. Straight from The Pop'r Queen! BTW, Aunt Julie also wants to remind everyone to enter this week's Great Pop'rs Giveaway. The contest runs until July 14; you, too, could be a winner!