The Stopping of Summer Special

Well, the end is here. Thankyou to all who helped out, commented and visited during my month of summer madness. I hope you picked up some tips of things to do, places to see, recipes to try, authors to read and/or blogs to visit. I'd love to hear what you thought- maybe you could leave a comment or make a blog post to tell me. Hopefully this will be the beginning of more events that I'm able to hold.

Just before I leave you to go back to normal broadcasting, I bet you want to know who won what. Well, here you are:

The Winner of Bloody Jack is Mystica
The signed bookmarks were won by Sahina Bibi
The personalised magnetic bookmarks were won by Jade Walker and Janhvi Jagtap
The Winner of the Hairdresser of Harare is Mazz Nixon
And, finally, Anne was the winner of Murder in the Dark.

Congratulations to all the winners. You have been contacted by e-mail and now have 48 hours to respond.

If you didn't win this time, don't despair- you can still win with my 100 followers giveaway (see the sidebar of 'The Story Factory Reading Zone' for more details.

Tune in Tuesday #4- 90s edition

Hosted by GReads!

Suggested Activity 18: Listen to a local band in the park

If its lovely weather- why not see if there are any bands playing in your local park. Many parks have bandstands where brass bands, small groups and even choirs might be performing. In others there may be buskers who provide nice background music for activities such as a picnic or simply reading a book.

Over to you:

What sort of music would I find in your local park?

Pop over to 'The Story Factory Writing Zone' this afternoon to read an interview with author Joanne Harris.  

Autumn Overhaul

Just a quick note to let you know that you may spot a few changes on my blogs over the next few weeks. Don't panc- nothing major's going to change, I just wanted to give the place a makeover whilst I have the chance. The main things that will be happening will be to make the blogs more similar,  so that people can (hopefully) clearly see that they're all run by the same person. I'm also hoping to make them easier to navigate.

If you have any suggestions of anything you think could make this blog better do leave  a comment. I can't promise I'll act on them all, but I certainly seriously consider them!

Recipe Resort: Bread-Maker's Bread

OK, so I have a slight confession to make before I start this post. I have a little cheat when I make bread, and that is that I use a bread-maker. This means that you may need to adjust the recipe below for your own bread-maker and you'd certainly need to adjust them for baking in the oven.

I started baking a few months ago, after my Dad found that he was often too busy to use his bread-maker himself. I just love the smell of freshly baked bread wafting through the house, and nothing can beat it for freshness. So, I thought I'd have a go myself. Now I make one or two loaves of bread most weeks, and love experimenting with new recipes. When I start a new recipe it often takes a while to get the adjustments right (you have to take account humidity, temperature, freshness of yeast and adapt for the machine), but the recipes that I know come out right most of the time. I'm going to share my favourite with you (including exactly which makes of ingredients I use- I think this is important), and then let you know about some bread-mixes that I also feel work well. I'd like to point out that I'm not sponsored by any of these makes, just honestly telling you which ones I've found to work well so far.


Wholewheat Seeded Bread (lactose free)
Put the following ingredients into your bread-maker in the order stated. This makes a 2lb loaf and works well in our Morphy Richards breadmaker.

• 5/8 cup of warm water
• 1 cup So Good soya life soya milk
• 3 tbsp sunflower oil
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• 4 cup Hovis Strong Wholemeal Bread Flour
• 1 packet of Allinson's Easy Bake Yeast (7g)
• 2x crushed Vitamin C tablets (120mg in total)

The following should be placed in the fruit and nut dispenser, or added when the beeper sounds:

• 4tsp sesame seeds

Use setting 2 Wholemeal, or equivilant setting.



My favourite bread mixes:

• Wright's Mixed Grain (just add water)
• Apple and Sultana Flour (I get mine frm Q Gardens Fam Shop, but can't remember the make- sorry). This is used as on the packet, and seems to work quite fine of th 2lb loaf setting.

Over to you:  

What sort of bread do you enjoy eating / cooking?

Do you have any good bread recipes that you'd like to share with us?

Tomorrow, you can pop back here to get another 'suggested activity', or join us over at 'The Story Factory Writing Zone' for an afternoon interview with author Joanne Harris.

Tune in Tuesday #3- 90s edition

Hosted by GReads!

Suggested Activity 12: Take up a new instrument

Take up a new instrument

'The Story Factory Reading Zone' readers include woodwind and string players, as well as singers- who knew! As those who read this blog regularly will know- I'm a brass player and a singer, as well as an ocassional guitarist myself. Out of those I'd recommend taking up the guitar in the summer. It might take you a little while, but persevere and hopefully you'll be ready for the Christmas carols.

Over to you:

What instruments do you play?

Have you ever thought about trying out a (different) instrument?

Tomorrow, I'll be suggesting a 'Place To Visit' over at 'Living In A Time Warp'. I'd love if you'd join me there.

Suggested Activity 1: Discover some new music

Discover some new music

Its tempting to imagine that all summer days are warm and sunny. If only that were so! If you find yourself in the middle of a rainstorm and don't fancy going out, why not look for some music. Here are some suggestions made by 'The Story Factory Reading Zone' readers:

 

Over to you:

What sort of music do you like listening to?

Next post in the 'Summer Special' will be tomorow at 'Living In A Time Warp'

The Week Ahead: Week One

Welcome to the first of 4 'Week Ahead' posts during my August 'Summer Special'. The aim of these posts is to keep you updated with what will happening each week, including any changes from the published schedule. They may also include my response to the 'It's Monday: What Are You Reading?' meme (I don't do this every week, just when I have new reading to announce).

WEEK ONE- Welcome To The Summer!




This week is all about getting the feel for what the 'Summer Special' is about. As well as the launch post, I'll be taking you round all my blogs as I share with you some suggested activities for the summer, one of my favourite recipes and a place to visit. The week ends with the first 'Summer Sharer' and blog feature.
Click on the blog titles to be taken to their main pages.

Day One-     Launch Post (all blogs)
                    The Week Ahead (all blogs)
                    Suggested Activity 1 (Music Helps The World Go Round)
Day Two-    Suggested Activity 2 (Living in A Time Warp)
Day Three-  Suggested Activity 3 (Crafty Creations)
                    Recipe Resort: Peach Sorbet (Blog For The Thought)
Day Four-    Places To Visit 1 (Blog For The Thought)
                    Suggested Activity 4 (Blog For The Thought)
Day Five-     Suggested Activity 5 (The Story Factory Writing Zone)
Day Six-       Suggested Activity 6 (Crafty Creations)
                    Summer Sharer: Wanderer's Tales (Living in A Time Warp)
Day Seven-  Blog Feature: My Book-Crazy Life (The Story Factory Reading Zone)

Over to you: What does summer mean to you?

Summer Special Starts!

Apologies for the late start to this 'Summer Special'.
Who knew it would take me over an hour to write this post!?

Welcome to the first ever 'Summer Special' taking place across various blogs run by Abigail Ann (aka neeuqfonafamai).

So, what is 'Summer Special'?
Basically, its a change to our regular schedule where you can hang out during your summer holidays. Or, if they're already over, then you can use the opportunity to imagine them back again and begin planning for next year. Every day in August, I'll be leaving you some ideas of  things that are good to do in hot weather. They'll also be giveaways, blog features, author interview(s), recipes for you to try, and a chance for you to join in during our 'summer sharers'. That's in addition to all my usual book reviews and memes. And, at the end of each post, will be an 'over to you'- something to spark discussion in the comments, or to post about on your own blog (if you want to).
Let me now tell you some more about the types of posts you may come across during this month:

• The Week Ahead. At the start of each week in August, I'll be putting up a post saying what's happening that week. This will be an updated post and will include the 'It's Monday: What Are You Reading?' meme. 
• Suggested Activity. These are posts talking about activities that myself or my blog readers like to do. They contain ideas of things that could be good to do in warm weather. 
• Places to Visit. These are brief posts telling you about various places that could be good to go and visit. These are specific places that you might want to see if you live nearby, or to go to on holiday in the future.
• Blog Feature. Telling you all about some of the blogs that our readers run. 
• Giveaway. Your chance to grab a prize. Thanks to the generousity of our readers most of these are international! Plus, I'll be adding a surprise giveaway if the followers of 'The Story Factory Reading Zone' hit 100 followers during this event!
• Author Interview. Your chance to find out more about an author that may be new to you. 
• Blogger Interview. Your chance to learn more about a fellow blogger.
• Summer Sharer. Essentially a series of one-off memes, these posts are your opportunity to join in by sharing your photos, summer exploits, or writing. Let us know what you're up to this summer on your own blog, or via the comments.
• Recipe Resort. I'll be sharing some recipes that I've found to be good for the summer.

Enough of the posts, where do I find them?
They'll be spread across my blogs. But don't worry, they won't be hard to find as each day I'll leave a note for you of where you can find the next post. Plus, there's a list below of what will be happening when and where, which I'll leave (and update as necessary) on the new 'Summer Special' page of each of my blogs.
Just to make sure you don't miss anything, here's a list of the blogs participating:

• The Story Factory Reading Zone 
• Music Helps The World Go Round
• Living in A Time Warp
• Crafy Creations
• Blog For The Thought
• The Story Factory Writing Zone

The Schedule
These are the posts that I've already got planned for the 'Summer Special' event. Also, look out for all my usual posts, as well as the possible additional giveaway or interview.

WEEK ONE- Welcome To The Summer!
Day One-     Launch Post (all blogs)
                    The Week Ahead (all blogs)
                    Suggested Activity 1 (Music Helps The World Go Round)
Day Two-    Suggested Activity 2 (Living in A Time Warp)
Day Three-  Suggested Activity 3 (Craft Creations)
                    Recipe Resort: Peach Sorbet (Blog For The Thought)
Day Four-    Places To Visit 1 (Blog For The Thought)
                    Suggested Activity 4 (Blog For The Thought)
Day Five-     Suggested Activity 5 (The Story Factory Writing Zone)
Day Six-       Suggested Activity 6 (Craft Creations)
                    Summer Sharer: Wanderer's Tales (Living in A Time Warp)
Day Seven-  Blog Feature: My Book-Crazy Life (The Story Factory Reading Zone)

WEEK TWO- Giveaways Galore!
Day Eight-   The Week Ahead (all blogs)
                    Suggested Activity 7 (The Story Factory Reading Zone)
                    Summer Sharer: Recipe Resort (Cradt Creation)
Day Nine-    Suggested Activity 8 (Music Helps The World Go Round)
Day Ten-      Places To Visit 2 (Living in A Time Warp)
Day Eleven-  Suggested Activity 9 (Blog For The Thought)
Day Twelve- Suggested Activity 10 (The Story Factory Writing Zone)
                     Giveaway 1: Bloody Jack (The Story Factory Reading Zone)
                     Blog Feature: Ann's Reading Corner (The Story Factory Reading Zone)
Day Thirteen-Suggested Activity 11 (The Story Factory Reading Zone)
                     Giveaway 2: Assorted Signed Bookmarks (The Story Factory Writing Zone)
Day Fourteen-Giveaway 3: The Hairdresser of Harare (The Story Factory Reading Zone)

WEEK THREE- Sharing the Summer
Day Fifteen-  The Week Ahead (all blogs)
                     Suggested Activity 12 (Music Helps The World Go Round)
Day Sixteen- Places To Visit 3 (Living in A Time Warp)
Day Seventeen- Suggested Activity 13 (Crafty Creations)
                     Summer Sharer: Crafty Capers (Crafty Creations)
Day Eighteen-Suggested Activity 14 (Blog For The Thought)
                      Recipe Resort: Beetroot Cake (Living In A Time Warp)
Day Nineteen-Suggested Activity 15 (The Story Factory Reading Zone)
Day Twenty-  Suggested Activity 16 (Living In A Time Warp)
                      Summer Sharer: Holiday Snaps (The Story Factory Writing Zone)
Day Twenty-One- Giveaway 6: Magnetic Bookmarks (Crafty Creations)

WEEK FOUR- Writing and Reading the World
Day Twenty-Two-   The Week Ahead (all blogs)
                               Places To Visit 4 (Living In A Time Warp)
Day Twenty-Three- Suggested Activity 17 (Crafty Creations)
Day Twenty-Four-   Suggested Activity 18 (The Story Factory Reading Zone)
                               Summer Sharer: A World of Writing (The Story Factory Writing Zone)
Day Twenty-Five-   Author Interview: Karen Tyrrell (The Story Factory Writing Zone)
Day Twenty-Six-     Places To Visit 5 (Living in A Time Warp)
                               Recipe Resort: Bread-maker's Bread (Music Helps The World Go Round)
Day Twenty-Seven- Suggested Activity 19 (Music Helps The World Go Round)
Day Twenty-Eight-  Blogger Interview: Hilde (The Story Factory Reading Zone)

WEEK FIVE- Reaching the End
Day Twenty-Nine-  The Week Ahead (all blogs)
                               Giveaway 7: Murder in the Dark (The Story Factory Reading Zone)
Day Thirty-              Places To Visit 6 (Living in A Time Warp)
Day Thirty-One-      Wrapping Up The Summer (all blogs)

I hope you'll be able to join us for some summer fun this month!

If you want to be certain not to miss anything, please consider following one (or all) of the blogs

Over to you: What are your plans for August?