Laundry and Amazon.com

I didn't finish any books yesterday. I'm currently just over halfway through Francine Rivers As Sure as the Dawn, the third book in the Mark of the Lion trilogy. This series of books is so powerfully moving. Tomorrow I'll have a review up of this last one.

Last night I tried a new recipe from my Kraft Kitchens magazine. Here's a link to Quick Fettucine Cacciatore, very yummy without too much prep work. I doubled the recipe and it fed four of us with plenty of leftovers for lunch today!
http://www.kraftfoods.com

I have a question for everyone out there. What do you use when you do laundry? I use a powder detergent, fabric softener in a Downey ball, bleach (color-safe for colors), plus Oxi-Clean in every load. What do you think? Too many steps? I'm always trying to watch my budget, but I want my clothes to stay clean so they last, because that saves money too. Please post a comment and let me know about your routine.

If you scroll down on the right of this page, there are links to several of my favorite authors webpages/blogs. There's also a link to Amazon's recommneded to you. This is my current obsession. I think it's just the greatest idea, and it has introduced me to many of the authors I currently love. You just have to try this! So here's how to get started. I'm not a shill for Amazon.com, this doesn't cost anything (except lots of your spare time if you enjoy it). Go to www.amazon.com and set up an account. All they really need is your email address and a password. How much information you give them is completely up to you. Type in a few books that you love/hate and go to their pages. Just below pricing information are five blank stars and a note that says "Rate it". Rate several books that are indicative of what you like. Make sure you include several different genres. Then click on the link that says "Your store" on the top of the page. From there, click on the Books link under Recommendations you made on the left hand side. Your selections should have made a list of about 100 books based on those you rated. Now you can rate all of those books from that list that you've already read or know you aren't interested in. It takes some work to get it set up the first time, but now I check out and update my list daily. I never would have tried Lisa Samson, Deborah Bedford, Robert Whitlow, Terri Blackstock, Donald Miller, or Laurie R. King without the recommendations from this site. Saying you enjoy one book leads to another and another. It also lets me know when new books by my favorite authors are coming out. This site is the reason I have 15 books by my nightstand and another 20 on my reserve list at the library! You can also rate DVDs, music, and video games. Waaaay too much fun. So try it today and maybe you'll find a new book!

Enjoy the beautiful day!