With the Fall season in full swing we wanted to share one of our favorite recipes that's quick and really takes advantage of your bounty from a great day of apple picking. This Autumn Apple, Pear, and Cheddar Salad is an easy creation when you're in the mood to dress up your daily lunch or as a great side to any entree. This recipe is heavy on the prep and light on the cooking; the recipe yields six servings, so feel free to turn this one into an activity for the whole family. Let's take at look a what you'll need to plate this heart healthy meal:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup apple juice
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 10 cup gourmet salad greens (about 10 ounces)
• 1 cup seedless red grapes, halved
• 1 medium McIntosh apple, cored and cut into 18 wedges
• 1 medium Bartlett pear, cored and cut into 18 wedges
• 1/4 cup finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 3 tablespoons chopped pecans, toasted

Instructions:

Full prep and cool time: 15-20 minutes

Want to share your favorite recipe with the Gamesville community?

Send recipes to: members@gamesville.com

In addition to your detailed recipe, please be sure to include:

• Your Gamesville member name
• Why you wanted to share this recipe

What was her moment of victory like? What does she treasure most in this world? Find out below...

What will you spend your winnings on?
A little of my winnings will go towards Christmas presents and my old van needs some work. I have been driving on one donut tire for about two months now, so I can get that taken care of too. That's all the prize money I will spend on myself, the rest I'll use as needed for necessities.

What do you do for a living?
I retired in 2003 from the 911 police fire dispatch center. It was a high stress job and 25 years was enough for me. The best thing now is the freedom, but the worst is that I am not able to enjoy it much because of disabilities. I hardly ever go out, but playing games on Gamesville helps a lot.

What three songs could you listen to for the rest of your life?
Three songs I would listen to for the rest of my life would be:

• Believe - Brooks and Dunn
  
• When I Get Where I'm Going - Brad Paisley & Dolly Parton
• Faithfully - Lorrie Morgan (originally by Journey)

What do you treasure most in the world?
My sister! We share a home together now so we can help each other out in our quickly approaching golden years. I don't know what I would do without her; she is the only member of my immediate family that is left. My 16-year-old nephew is very special to us and we are very proud of him. He is the best gift we have ever received, given to us by our brother before he passed away 13 years ago, what a gift! We all miss him so much it is hard to put into words.

What does your Gamesville member name mean?
'Beaches' is one of my favorite movies, and Bette Midler played the role of my favorite character 'C.C. Bloom'. I added the 911 because of my former career and to honor all those all over the country that are affiliated with emergency response.

What do you think was the secret to your Gamesville win?
There is no secret to winning here at Gamesville, just keep on keeping on. I have been a loyal Gamesville member for about eight years now, so it was a long time coming. Just hang in there and keep playing, that's all I can say.

What game would you like to see the Gamesville team create next?
Your site is great as it is, but I would like to see a couple of more games with jackpots! Even if some new games paid out like the new Quick-Draw Poker, spreading out the cash with smaller jackpots. I really like single player card games.

Thanks, Ccbloom911 - and congratulations again on your BIG win!

Daylight savings time is here so it's time to hunker down, find comfy blanket and start to settle in for the winter months. But that doesn't mean your entertainment has to suffer! So this month's GV Rewards Sweepstakes is a prize that offers something to keep you sharp and provide tons of fun when you're not playing for big cash prizes here at Gamesville!

This month we're giving away the chance to win a new Ninendo DS Lite! With Nintendo DS Lite, dual screens and touch-screen technology allow you to interact with games like never before. Wireless communication allows you to experience real-time multiplayer gameplay, and the free Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service allows you to compete against players from around the globe. Game on the go with Ninendo DS Lite, the best-selling video game system in the world with, this month at Gamesville.

Congratulations to Djmitchell2 of Hardy, AR, who won our HP Mini Netbook in last month's monthly GV Rewards sweepstakes.

As any Gamesviller who has been lucky enough to experience it can attest to, the thrill of a jackpot win in one of their favorite online game shows is a rare and exhilarating feeling. So you can imagine one lucky Gamesviller's reaction when she stuck gold not once, but TWICE this weekend at Gamesville! A BIG congratulations to Barb_55, a longtime Lycos member from Poughkeepsie, NY (and recent convert to Gamesville) who hit jackpots in two of her favorite game shows. The first strike in her big weekend run came on Friday evening when she scored $190 in fast cash playing Quick-Draw Poker (a DOUBLE jackpot just for being a GV Gold member). Then she decided to play on and press her luck, winning a whopping $882 the next day in CatchUp CoverAll.

And Barb_55 wasn't the only Gamesviller to take home prizes this weekend, as over 60 Gamesvillers took home cash in the Bingo Zone, not to mention our daily $25 Target gift card, weekly $100 GV Sweepstakes and our HP netbook winning monthly sweepstakes prize winners. Congrats to Barb_55 and all our lucky Gamesville winners from this past weekend!

Last week we put out a call for submissions to our Gamesville Halloween Fan Photo Costume Contest and asked all you Gamesvillers to show us your freaky side by adding your costumed photos to the Gamesville Facebook fan page. Well the ballots are in and the votes have been counted, time to find out who will be taking home the coveted title as Gamesville's best dressed for this Halloween...

It was a tough decision ... mostly because one costume scared us out of our skins. But, in the end, it was that member's thirst for blood that put her over the top. Congrats to Gamesviller DynamicAngel73 who provided her creepy photo and is now taking home a copy of season one of NBC's Heroes on DVD and a cool 10,000 GV Rewards!

And of course who couldn't forget about our other winners! In second place we had Gamesviller Kimmycub who looked dazzling as a flapper posing here with her hubby. And in third place was the stunning Egenett84 in her awesome Carmen Sandiego costume. These winners won't be going home empty handed, as each will receive 5,000 GV Rewards for their creative efforts! Thanks to all our members for their terrific submissions!

PS - If you're not yet a fan of the Gamesville Facebook page what are you waiting for? Head to Facebook.com and add yourself the to page for updates and fun by your friends at Gamesville!

Last week we told you how to create our scary Eye-Popping Soup and this week we thought we'd share another holiday favorite for your sweet tooth. These Chocolate Pumpkin Pecan Browines are a Halloween-themed treat that are sure to be a hit at your spooktacular bash and are a great seasonal variation from the classic chocolate brownie. If you're familiar with baking already this recipe should be a snap, so let's take a look a what you'll need to construct this decadent delight:

Pumpkin Batter Ingredients:

• 1 tsp Unsalted butter; softened
• 3 oz Cream cheese; softened
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1 Egg
• 1/3 c Canned pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/2 tbsp Ginger
• 1 tbsp All-purpose flour

Chocolate Batter Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup Unsalted butter; softened
• 4 Eggs
• 1 1/2 cups Sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1 1/3 cups All-purpose flour
• 1 cup Chopped pecans

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and line a rectangular baking pan, approximately 8in x 12in, with greaseproof or parchment paper. To make the pumpkin mixture beat all the ingredients together until smooth and then keep to one side. For the chocolate mixture combine the butter and chocolate together, either in a bowl over a pan of simmering water or gently in the microwave. In a separate bowl beat together the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract with an electric hand whisk until thick and creamy. Then mix in the melted chocolate and butter. Finally, stir in the flour, salt and pecans.

Pour the chocolate mixture into the lined baking tin and level off the surface. Using a tablespoon drop dollops of the pumpkin mixture over the top, and then using the back of a table knife loosely swirl it into the chocolate mixture. Place the combined batter in the oven and cook for about 25 minutes, until the top has cracked and the center is set. Leave to cool in the baking pan for 40-45 minutes before cutting into bite-sized squares.

Full prep and cool time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Want to share your favorite recipe with the Gamesville community?

Send recipes to: members@gamesville.com

In addition to your detailed recipe, please be sure to include:

• Your Gamesville member name
• Why you wanted to share this recipe

Distinguishing Personality Traits

Snowberry0187 had this to say about her little man, "This is our talkative little trouble maker Narley. The photo captures Narley's face if you tell him 'No' long enough when he begs. Narley is my pride and joy but I can honestly say he is worse than a child. He constantly demands attention, never shares his toys with our other dog and throws temper tantrums when he does not get his way. A truly rare personality for a dog."

Want to share photos of your own favorite pet with the Gamesville community?

Send photos to: members@gamesville.com

In addition to your pet's picture, please be sure to include:

• Your Gamesville member name
• Your pet's most distinguishing personality trait

If we publish your pet as a "Best Pet," we'll give you 5,000 GV Rewards. Submit your pet today!

What was her moment of victory like? How did she come up with her curious GV member name? Find out below...

What will you spend your winnings on?
The money will help with some Christmas shopping, since I am on Social Security and my daughter is unemployed at the moment with a three-year-old to support.

What three songs could you listen to for the rest of your life?
Three songs I would listen to for the rest of my life would be:

• Mercy Me - Imagine
• Brook Benton - Rainy Night in Georgia
• Cher - Believe

What do you treasure most in the world?
The things I treasure most are my granddaughter and my pets, they truly mean the world to me.

What does your Gamesville member name mean?
My daughter's nickname is Squeak because she is so little.  Her friend, who is also tiny, was nicknamed Pip. So we have a Pip and a Squeak. Soon after everyone started calling me MamaSqueak, my granddaughter is BabySqueak and my mother, who is 86, is called GrannySqueak.

What game would you like to see the Gamesville team create next?
I love Gamesville. I have been playing here since 1996 when you first opened and have met many wonderful people through chat! I don't know that if I would change anything about Gamesville and I think the variety of games is great.

Thanks, Mamasqueak0 - and congratulations again on your BIG win!

Dear Gamesville community -

We're deeply sorry and embarrassed about the service interruption many of you experienced last night, into this morning.

Starting at around six o'clock eastern time on October 26, the Gamesville database entered an unstable state. No data was lost, but Gold status was not properly recognized across the site, GV Rewards values were incorrect or missing, and game rooms were no longer available for anyone (free members or Gold members) to play in. Internal monitoring failed to alert us to the situation so the problem persisted into this morning. Once the problem was identified, we immediately began working to fix the problem, and posting messages on the Gamesville Blog to update you on our progress and answer questions. Gamesville was fully functional by nine-thirty this morning, but that's little comfort to people who wanted to play in the hours before then and couldn't.

There aren't words to express how sorry we are for the frustration, concern, and disruption that we caused. At Gamesville, odds are great, you'll have fun time -- relaxing, hanging with friends, winning a prize you've always wanted. Last night, we failed to deliver, and that needs to change. That will change.

We are taking immediate actions to regain your confidence. More comprehensive monitoring is being installed to better recognize and alert us to problems, and help mitigate or prevent such outages in the future. We are also working on a more extensive communications plan to provide timely information to you, in a more convenient way. As a result, Gamesville will prove to be more reliable and responsive to you than ever before.

You deserved more than what you got from us last night. Everyone here at Gamesville hopes you'll give us the chance to welcome you back into our game rooms again and provide you with the positive experiences you've come to expect.

If you have any comments or questions about what happened last night, or anything at all, please feel comfortable posting here or contacting me at my personal email address.

Sincerely,
Chris Cummings
Manager, Gamesville.com

Gamesville is experiencing technical difficulties, and has been intermittently for several hours. Problems range from being unable to save avatar changes to not being able to play games at all.

We've heard from a number of frustrated people. Please understand, we share your frustrations: Every minute you can't play is another minute our business is failing to entertain you (which violates one of our core missions as a business) and is another minute we're not generating the revenue we should be.

Our engineers continue to work overtime to restore normal operations, and I hope to have good news to report shortly.

Sincerely,
Chris Cummings
Manager, Gamesville.com

UPDATE 9:15 AM EST: Full service has been restored. Thank you for your patience during this outage--and see you in the games!