Clarifying Countdown Contest rules, and my Thanksgiving gift to you: Grace Divine's infamous caramel apple pie recipe

So I wrote my last blog post really late at night and I've realized that the The Final Countdown to THE DARK DIVINE Contest rules are totally confusing. Therefore, I will clarify them here (and on that actual post). And for being patient with my previous nonsensical rules, I will treat you all to the fantastic recipe for Grace Divine's Caramel Apple Pie.

Here's what you have to do in order to enter The Final Countdown to THE DARK DIVINE Contest:

1. Be a follower of the blog. (So if you're not a follower, start following :D)

2. To get 1 entry in the contest, all you have to do is leave a comment here saying that you'd like to entered. Easy peasy, right?

For bonus entries you can do the following:

1. Get 2 extra entries for Tweeting/Facebooking/blogging about the Countdown contest

2. Get 2 extra entries for Tweeting/Facebooking/blogging about the Romantic Times preview (Plus, you will get entered into the weekly random prize giveaway, if you tweet about the preview, and leave a comment on the RT blog.)

3. Get at least 5-10 BONUS entries (as determined by me or hubby based on what you do) for doing something to show your excitement for THE DARK DIVINE. I'm assuming since you are reading this blog and entering this contest, you are at least somewhat excited about TDD. So all I'm asking you to do is to share that excitement with the people around you. (Creativity will get you closer to the 10 entries)

You can vlog, make a music video, make a youtube commercial for the book, get all your friends to wear all purple and black to school one day, start a campaign to get TDD to be a trending topic on twitter, wear a Team Daniel t-shirt to New Moon, go door to door at your dorm and tell people how excited you are about the book release, call your local bookstores and ask them to carry the book or have me come do a signing, 0r get your entire English class to read the first six chapters of TDD on the RT blog . . .

Okay, you get the point, right? Do something creative to show your excitement for TDD and then come back here and tell me about it. Physical evidence is also requested (not required) such as posting a picture or video on your blog/myspace/facebook/twitter/youtube. Or you can email it to me at readbree(at)gmail(dot)com. (Please nothing obscene or illegal!!)

Remember, this is just for BONUS POINTS, don't let the creativity thing scare you off from entering the contest in the first place.

UPDATE, originally I was going to to end the contest and announce the winners on December 22nd, but I have decided to end the contest on December 14th and announce winners December 15th instead. That way if you want to give away any of the books you win as Christmas presents, you will get them in time for the holiday.

*Sorry, for legal/customs reasons, this contest is only open to U.S. residents.

Okay, I hope that all makes more sense. Basically, all you have to do is comment to be entered in the contest. . . anything else is just for bonus points. You can comment on this post to be entered, or you can comment on the previous post. If you have already commented on the previous post, you are already entered in the contest, so don't worry.

To see a list of the many fantastic prizes (including an iPod nano and 8 different books) CLICK HERE.

And now, for being patient with me, I give you the much requested and much coveted award winning (I'm not kidding, it's really won awards) recipe for Grace Divine's Infamous Caramel Apple Pie:

1 jar of Mrs. Richardson’s Butterscotch Caramel (You can find this in the aisle with the Hersey’s Syrup)

Pie:

Your favorite pie crust (Grace would make pie crust from scratch, but I use Pilsbury pre-made crust that you roll out into the dish. It saves a lot of time and tastes just as good as homemade, in my opinion.)

¼ cup sugar

3 Tbsp flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp salt

5 ½ cups peeled apple, thinly sliced (I use Rome apples)


Mix apples with sugar, flour, and spices and fill pie crust

Topping:

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup flour

½ cup oats

½ cup butter

Mix topping ingredients. You can spoon out the topping onto the top of pie and smooth it out, or roll it out like a giant cookie onto wax paper and then transfer to the top of the pie.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, and then put foil around the crust edges and bake for another 20 minutes or until the top is crunchy and firm. (Grace would like me to remind you not to leave the pie in the oven while you run to the store to get last minute Thanksgiving supplies. Seriously, it's not a good idea.)

You can serve the pie hot or cold. Just before serving, warm a jar of Mrs. Richardson’s Butterscotch Caramel (with lid off) for 30-60 seconds in microwave and then pour desired amount over the top crust of the pie

(Hint, hint: Making Grace's pie for Thanksgiving and telling everyone at the table about TDD would be a great way to earn bonus points in the contest.)