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!




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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

Seven Layer Dip

Tomorrow is New Year's Eve and us wild partiers at the Goodnight casa are revving up for a good time of chip and dip, maybe a movie or two, and the ever popular midnight event (at our house anyway)  that comes right after the ball drops in Time Square - The Chicken Dance!

Here's the dip I'll be serving to all the revelers:

Seven Layer Dip

(Yes, I "borrowed" this photo. I'll try to post mine tomorrow.)

 

 

1 16 oz can of refried beans (no-fat kind is okay.)

1 package taco seasoning

1 small, (about 12 oz) container of guacamole dip

1 16 oz carton of sour cream (low-fat is okay)

 

2 cups of cheese, cheddar or Mexican blend or Monterey Jack. I usually do cheddar (low-fat is okay)

1 small can sliced or chopped black olives

                                                                               3-4 green onions – just the green part chopped up

                                                                                1 cup chopped tomatoes

To put together:

9 x 13 dish (Can also do round if you have a pretty round container. A trifle bowl would look gorgeous!)

1. Mix beans with the taco seasoning and layer into bottom of dish. Then layer on the following:


2. guacamole dip


3. sour cream


4. black olives


5. cheese


6. Green onions
Tomatoes. 
I sometimes like to put a little shredded lettuce on top but that’s optional

You can eat it right away or chill and serve in an hour or so. Best if eaten the same day it’s made but still good the next day--just not as pretty.

Serve with tortilla chips or corn chips.

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR, my dear friends.  Keep Calm and do the Chicken Dance!!

 

Ireland, land of poetic kings and fairy dreams

Don't I look elegant in my tennis shoes? :-) I loved this garden in Killarney but I was always cold in Ireland!

Can words even experss how gorgeous this is. We climbed some stone steps to a rise and looked down onto this Victorian garden at Muckross House in Killarney. I wish I was there right now!

This makes me think of romantic times past, of poetic kings and fairy dreams. Muckross House

Queen Victoria once stay at Muckross House.  The men rode off on hunts while the ladies had tea.

Just like a in a romance novel. We're riding in the horse drawn carriage toward a thatched cottage. Those thatched roofs are amazing. I'm told they last up to 7 years!!

Ireland photos, May 2013

Let us travel this road together through Killarney NP into our dreams.

 Sundy outside Muckross House, a gorgeous, wonderful "castle" from the 1850's.

 Have you ever seen such rhododendrins? They were huge and blooming everywhere in Killarney.

Cornbread dressing!

Thanksgiving dinner conjures up memories of heavenly smells,  family, laughter, and a belly so full we all have to watch a little football before we can play Scrabble or move outside to play cornhole. I LOVE Thanksgiving when all my enormous family crowds into my small house for a day. Pure heaven.

My favorite, favorite, favorite thing to eat on Thanksgiving--and Lord knows I have many-is cornbread dressing with cranberry sauce, slathered in turkey gravy. Oh, yeah!! So, I'm always on the lookout for tasty new dressing recipes. Down here in Oklahoma, we call it dressing but if you call it stuffing, that's okay. It tastes great either way.

This is a new recipe I'm trying this year.  It comes from Paula Deen's website. Thanks, Miss Paula!
 

Bacon and Pecan Stuffing or Dressing

Save some of the bacon drippings to rub into the turkey skin for extra crispiness and flavor. (Linda's note: or be naughty like me and dump it in the dressing.)

Makes about 7 ½ cups, enough for a 12-pound turkey

4 cups (firmly packed) diced day-old firm home-style bread (crust and all)
4 cups day old skillet cornbread, crumbled
8 slices bacon, diced
1 cup chopped yellow onion (about 1 medium)
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup toasted and roughly broken pecans
½ cup minced parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh or 2 teaspoons crumbled, dried sage
2 tablespoons chopped fresh or 2 teaspoons crumbled, dried thyme
About 1 to 1½ cups turkey broth, made from neck and giblets
Salt and whole black pepper in a peppermill
Whole nutmeg in a grater
2-3 tablespoons butter, cut into bits

Position racks in the upper and lower third of the oven and preheat to 225 degrees F. Spread the bread and cornbread on large, rimmed baking sheets and bake until almost dry. Meanwhile, sauté the bacon in large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat until browned. Spoon off all but 2 tablespoons of the drippings, add the onion and celery, and sauté, tossing, until golden but not browned, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.

Toss together the bread and pecans in large mixing bowl until mixed. Add the onion, celery, and herbs and moisten well with broth, but don’t make soggy. Season liberally with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, toss to mix, and if made ahead, cover and refrigerate. Let it sit at room temperature for thirty minutes before proceeding.

If using this to stuff the turkey, put it in the skillet in which onions cooked (or use 2 if you don’t have one large enough). Turn on the heat to medium heat and heat thoroughly, tossing. Spoon it loosely into the turkey while hot. Truss it as usual and roast the bird at once. Do not stuff it ahead and let it sit or refrigerate it.

If baking it separately as dressing, position a rack in the center of oven and preheat it to 350° F. (I put it in the oven when the turkey comes out, so that it bakes while the bird rests.) Lightly butter a 9" by 13" baking pan or dish that will hold all the dressing in a single 1-inch-deep layer. Pour in the dressing and pat flat. Dot the top with butter and bake until the center is set and the top golden brown, about 45 minutes.

 

 

Hurricane Sandy Relief

 

 

My daughter lives in Manhattan, New York where she works for a nonprofit. She is also on the church staff of Morning Star New York (MSNY). As such, her church joined other volunteers to serve the enormous needs of those most harmed by the recent Hurricane Sandy.  Saturday MSNY had volunteers in numerous areas of the city, including lower Manhattan which remains without power. Many people had not had a healthy, hot meal since the storm. Volunteers set up in one of the concrete parks where they prepared and served 2000 meals--until they ran out of food.

 

Here are some photos from my daughter's camera.

 

 

 

Sundy in the scarf with other volunteers getting ready to serve lunch!

Volunteers helping hurricane victims get much needed items like food, water, and baby formula.

Much needed water being given thanks to a multi-organizational effort. Msny, Trinity Grace, the National Guard, Salvation Army, Mercy Chefs and others helping with volunteer efforts

 

Many New Yorkers  out of electricity for days were fed a hot meal today.  

 

 

www.msny.org  has a relief donation page if you're interested.

Back from RWA And Mickey Mouse land-Photos!!

Back from the Romance Writers of America's national conference in Anaheim, California, land of unending sunshine and Mickey Mouse! I didn't win the RITA but had such a great time being a five time finalist. Schmoozing with fellow finalists at that RITA reception and signing books for readers at a charity booksigning were big highlights for me. Here are a couple of photos from the conference.

Love Inspired Authors. That's me in the front in the brown with red hair.

At the RITA Award ceremony with double finalist, Christine Rimmer. We had a table together with her editor and mine and several Golden Heart finalists. A great group of writers.

Fellow finalist Irene Hannon, Debbie Clopton who writes those funny Mule Hollow boooks, and me in the jacket. We had a blast at the Harlequin Party. Who wouldn't with lots of fun oldies music for the fleet of foot, an ice cream bar complete with bananas foster,  a crepes bar, a dessert bar, and a decorate your own cupcake bar!!

The conference included lots of emphasis on the new trailblazers in fiction publishing--ebooks. So tell me, do you own an ereader? If so, what kind?

THE LAST BRIDGE HOME

Available February 1, 2012, anywhere books are sold.
This is book 5, the last book in the Redemption River series. Romantic Times Magazine gave it 4 1/2 stars. I hope you will too!

THE CHRISTMAS CHILD

Available October 1 - Book 4 in the Redemption River series.  Preorder:  at Amazon.com

REDEMPTION RIVER  series in order of release:

Finding Her Way Home - book 1 - still available on Amazon
The Wedding Garden - book 2 - on Amazon now
A Place to Belong - book 3 -  on Amazon now
The Christmas Child - book 4 -  Oct. 1, 2011
The Last Bridge Home - book 5 -  winter of 2012

Thank you to reader "Rose" for asking!

THE CHRISTMAS CHILD

Coming October 1!  THE CHRISTMAS CHILD, book four in the Redemption River series.

 I hope you'll love this heartwarming story of  a battle-weary cop, a lost mute boy, and the small town that cared.

ACFW Carol Awards

I'm thrilled to announce that THE WEDDING GARDEN is once again a contest finalist! This time, it is one of three finalists for the Carol, American Christian Fiction Writers' top award, a huge  honor.

NEW BOOK!

THE NANNY'S HOMECOMING, book one in an exciting new series with 5 other fabulous authors, hits the stands June 21. Order now from Amazon

THE BROTHERS' BOND--AT LAST!

Many, many of you have written in search of one or more of the Brothers' Bond series. Today, I received great news. Love Inspired will re-release two of the books as a 2-in-1 classic in January 2012. A SEASON FOR GRACE and THE HEART OF GRACE will be yours for the reading!

Thank you for asking....It's a relief to finally have an answer for you.

A PLACE TO BELONG - NEW BOOK

Apparently, my latest Redemption River novel has made an early appearance on the shelves. Here's the cover. I hope you like the book better than I like the cover! :-)

NEW BOOK -THE LAWMAN'S CHRISTMAS WISH

My newest Love Inspired novel, THE LAWMAN'S CHRISTMAS WISH, has been sighted in Walmart, Walden's, Borders and other book stores, so it has arrived a few weeks early. It's Book six and my only contribution to the ALASKAN BRIDE RUSH series, a fun series about a missing treasure, a dying Alaskan town, and a lot of good looking wilderness tour guides and the ladies who love them.
THE LAWMAN'S CHRISTMAS WISH is about Christmas with a twist of mystery, some danger, and a very brave hero and his equally heroic dog. I hope you like it!

Home again

I'm back from Orlando. Didn't win another RITA but I had a wonderful time reconnecting with author-friends and seeing Disney World! I took Masha, my 14 year old, along with me. Despite the heat, we soaked up the wonder of Disney. So much color, so many parades and characters and rides and shows. It's an amazing place!

Author Extravaganza

What a week! The airport, shopping for a fancy dress, the hair-dresser, a birthday party, a rodeo and on Saturday the big booksigning. Oh, yeah, and somewhere in there I'm homeschooling and writing books!

Please come by Mardels Book Store if you're in the Edmond, Oklahoma area between 11 and 3 on Saturday, July 17. Along with seven other Oklahoma authors, I'll be signing books, giving away free stuff (including books and chocolate), and having a great time. K-Love Radio will be there broadcasting, too!

Can't wait to see you there!

THE WEDDING GARDEN

THE WEDDING GARDEN

My newest book in the Redemption River series will hit the stands anywhere books are sold sometime during the last week of April and the first week of May. I hope you'll pick up a copy and let me know how you like it.

To order from amazon.com click this link:

RITA Nomination!

THE SNOW-KISSED BRIDE is nominated for a RITA Award!

REDEMPTION RIVER - New Series

My new series from Love Inspired began with January book, FINDING HER WAY HOME. It's still available so please order a copy or pick one up from your local book seller. Walmart is out already so please try elsewhere.

Book 2 - THE WEDDING GARDEN arrives in May. I'm already getting some exciting buzz about this book that just thrills me to pieces.  Love Inspired has asked me if they can send out first chapter samples of the book, a good indication that the editors love it too.  No cover yet, but when I get one, I will post it here.

There are 3 more books already scheduled for next year in this series about a small town where hope and healing flow like a river.

Please join me Redemption very soon!!