New Year's Good Luck Meal--Southern Black-eyed Peas with a Twist!

Ever wondered where the southern tradition of eating black-eyed peas for good luck on New Year's Day began?  Well, here you go! 

According to lore, during the Civil War, the Yankees pillaged and plundered the south until there was little left for southerners to eat except for black-eyed peas and greens. The  south survived and thrived on these nutrient rich, common foods and today they are a staple we love to enjoy anytime.  Add some cornbread-another southern staple-and a fortunate New Year is almost guaranteed!

 Try this healthy black-eyed pea salsa/side dish we call "Cowboy Caviar". There are many variations. This is ours.

                                                            Cowboy Caviar
                                                         The Goodnight Way

1 can whole corn, drain half the juice
1 can black-eyed peas, drain half the juice
1 bell pepper, diced (The red or yellow ones make it pretty, but green will do.)
½ cup green onions, diced (any onion will do)
1 medium tomato, diced
1 tsp. minced garlic

Optional: If you like spicy, add a chopped jalepeno.

Mix all ingredients in a medium sized bowl.

Dressing
½ cup vinegar
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup oil

Mix the sugar and vinegar together until the sugar melts. Then add the oil and mix well. Pour over the vegetables, stir and chill for about an hour until the flavors get well acquainted. Can be made the night before. Serve as a cold side dish or as a dip with tortilla chips or Fritos.

WISHING YOU A HAPPY  AND PROSPEROUS 2015!

Orange Slice Treats and an Old Fashioned Christmas

 So, I was at our little bitty, local IGA yesterday—love this store--and ran across the old fashioned candies I remember from childhood. Frankly, I never liked the taste but I LOVE the smell so I bought some. They smell like Christmas to me.
As I was talking to the checker, she told me this recipe. I’ve yet to try it, but it’s simple and yummy looking and adds a festive attitude to the plain old forerunner to gummy bears. Let me know if you try it.

                                                              Orange Slice Treats
Orange slice candies
Powdered sugar
Pecans, chopped or ground
Put candy in microwavable bowl and microwave until soft. Twenty seconds is plenty in my microwave. Immediately, place the candy between slices of plastic wrap, waxed paper or parchment paper and roll out until flat. Dip in powdered sugar and then in pecans.
Let cool and enjoy!

YUM UPDATE:  A marvelous Facebook friend gave me an even better idea! Cut the orange slices in half lengthwise and dip in melted dark chocolate.  Oh, yeah!




________

The Memory House  is coming March 31, 2015 - available for preorder now, y'all!!

Welcome to Peach Orchard Inn, a house that's rich in secrets, history and sweet possibilities....

"The Memory House is a  beautiful, rich, memorable story filled with tenderness and heart." NY Times Bestselling Author, RaeAnne Thayne

Preorder from any retailer including these:
Amazon   Barnes and Noble  Indie Bound  eharlequin

Christmas Traditions

We have a Christmas tradition at our  house that I dearly love. It started a few years ago, sort of spontaneously. We'd always baked a cake and sung happy birthday to Jesus but one year my older daughter, Sundy, came up with a twist on the idea. We generally have around 20 or 30 people at our house for Christmas dinner and frankly, by the time we eat, no one wants a big piece of cake. So my girls bake mini-cupcakes, spelling out "Happy Birthday, Jesus" with a letter on each tiny cake.  While everyone is still gathered in the living room, we put a candle in each cupcake and pass one out to each person. Then we light the candles, turn off the lights and sing to Jesus.

What traditions -old or new- do you keep in your family?

COWBOY UNDER THE MISTLETOE - New Book News

 

Order Cowboy Under the Mistletoe

Yippee! It's finally here. The first book in my new series from Love Inspired has hit the shelves to get you  warmed up for the Christmas season!

Here's a bit about it:

Second-Chance Christmas
It's been nine years since Jake Hamilton broke Allison Buchanon's heart and left town. But she's never been able to forget the high school boy she secretly loved. Now Jake's come home to care for his ailing grandmother, and Allison's family will do anything to prevent a rekindled romance. Unfortunately, the connection between Allison and the green-eyed cowboy is undeniable. She believes that forgiveness is possible, especially at Christmas. But Jake cares too deeply about Allison to take her away from the close-knit Buchanon clan. Will Allison have to choose between a loving family and the love of her life?

The Buchanons: Steeped in loyalty, bound by family.

Let me know if you like it or better yet, post a review on Amazon or Goodreads. Thank you so much!

Remember if you have a Good Report to share, send it to me and if I use it on my blog, I'll send you a brand new copy of Cowboy Under the Mistletoe!

linda   @   lindagoodnight  dot com

Today's Lost Youth, Dog Food, and a ROK

It all started with a bag of dog food. A BIG bag of dog food. Fifty pounds of dog food. If you guessed I have several large dogs, you'd be correct. I was at Walmart when the husband called to say we were out of dog food. I don't usually make these purchases because fifty pounds is heavy and I'm a wimp. But this day I braved it to save an extra trip to town.

Back in the pet aisle, the fifty pounders were stacked so that I had to wrestle a bag forward and then hoist it up and into my cart. To say I was making little progress is putting it mildly but I could do it. Eventually. Suddenly, a pair of masculine hands appeared and took hold of the bag. A young man probably 19 or 20 said, "Let me get that for you." I didn't know this young man nor was he an employee. He was simply a shopper with wonderful manners and a pair of strong arms.

Has anything like this ever happened to you?

If you have good news or a random act of kindness to share, please email me. If I choose your anecdote for the blog, I'll send you a print copy of one of my recent books!

linda  @ lindagoodnight   dot   com

The Good News Blog

More than once lately I've complained that the "News" programs on TV report only bad news, never the good stuff.  When a person walks through a dark season in her life, as I have this year, finding the joy in life is often difficult. As I floundered, searching for a way to escape the doldrums, I heard a simple sermon by a young preacher on maintaining joy in life. His text was from Phillipians 8.

 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Is it really that simple? Is it worth a try?


Then I heard someone talking about the state of the world, how bad everything was, how disrespectful today's youth are, etc. Negative, negative. No wonder we are in the doldrums. All around is negativity and  bad news.  There must be good things happening in this world. We are just too programmed toward the bad to notice.

And so begins my new purpose for this blog. To find and accent the GOOD. Sure, I'll still post a recipe or news about a book's release-that's good news to me--but I'm more interested in the little daily moments of good news.

Stay tuned, on Monday I have a Random Act of Kindness to share with you!

Easy Peach Cobbler-only four ingredients!

Last night, I wanted pie. While I resisted that urge, I succumbed to an easy version of peach cobbler. This recipe makes a light amount of crust with lots of peaches. Sorry we ate it so fast, I forgot to a take picture. 

Easy Peach Cobbler

Ingredients needed:

Peaches, self-rising flour, sugar, butter

For crust, blend together the following until crumbly:

1 cup self-rising flour
½ cup sugar or a combination of sugar and Splenda
½ stick butter or margarine, melted

Sprinkle about ¼ of the crumbs on the bottom of a sprayed 8 x 8 pan.

Spoon in 1 large can of peaches (about 29 oz), including juice.
Top with remaining crust crumbs.
Drizzle on another melted ½ cup butter.
Sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar over that.

Bake at 350 about 1 hour.

Serve hot. Good with Cool Whip or ice cream.

Optionally, you can add a little cinnamon and/or nutmeg to the peaches.

First Kisses is on sale for 99 cents!! Whoopee!

Six authors, six great books!

http://inspykisses.blogspot.com/

Too much fun! I loved doing this collection with these fabulous women. And I loved reading all the books. I think you will too. A wonderful mix of genres, so there is something for everyone.

For a limited time, we are offering the new FIRST KISSES COLLECTION FOR ONLY 99 CENTS!

 Okay, I couldn't resist posting the hero from my book. Is he great or what!!!

Inspy Kisses Video

First Kisses is so much fun! Remember yours?

Enjoy this sneak peak at the exciting new collaboration between five of my author friends and me. Sweet, inspiring, and romantic!

Let me know if you like it.

THE LAWMAN'S HONOR RELEASES TODAY

 4**** STARS from RT Magazine!

Anyone else love a strong, tough officer of the law? How about a former DEA agent bent on upholding his father's legacy? And what if one rain-slicked, stormy night, a lovely widow sees him crash his car on curvy mountain roads! Find out what happens in my new novel from clean, wholesome, exciting Love Inspired Romance, THE LAWMAN'S HONOR.

Order here or anywhere books are sold. On sale Feb. 18, 2014.

 

 

Linda's New Website

My brand new website is up and running!

My web designer, the inimitable Deborah Coates and I have been hard at work creating an all new look for Linda Goodnight books. Please pop on over, look around and let me know what you think. If you find any issues, links not working or such, please let me know!

And don't forget to sign up for my occasional newsletter while you're there. Or click the link to access the form.

Enjoy.

www.lindagoodnight.com

XOXO

Linda g

The Lawman's Honor, NEW BOOK

Whew, time sure flies!  It's been a while since I've written a post and I promised to keep you posted on new books and such. So here goes:

Releasing Feb. 18:

THE LAWMAN'S HONOR, book four in the Whisper Falls series.

Love's Duty
As assistant police chief, Heath Monroe never expected he'd ever need rescuing. But that's exactly what Cassie Blackwell does when she pulls him out of a car wreckage. He's surprised at the beautiful widow's strength and joyous spirit. But he's been burned before and is cautious to get involved. Especially since his investigation into the town's drug operation might implicate Cassie's late-husband! Yet the more time he spends with her, the deeper he falls. Will he have to choose between duty and his growing love—or is there a way he can have both?

Whisper Falls: Where every prayer is answered…