What’s on the Menu? by Penny Zeller

Howdy, y’all! I am so honored to be a guest again on Petticoats & Pistols. This time, I’m taking us on a culinary journey.

While writing Dreams on the Horizon, I discovered through research a recipe for shoo-fly cake that included cinnamon. Many of us have heard of shoo-fly pie, but what about the cake variety? After reading the ingredients and knowing that Landon, my hunky main male character, loved cinnamon and was fond of the shoo-fly pie, I knew I had to incorporate the cake into the story.

I also found a recipe for clear soup from President Benjamin Harrison’s wife, Caroline. It inspired me to mention it in the book as the recipe Mae and her younger sister, Ruby, are making for supper in a fun scene where Ruby tries her feeble attempts at matchmaking. One of the ingredients is mace.

Mace? Because we authors are known to do three hours of research to write one sentence, I discovered mace is a spice that enhances the flavor of soup.

Read on for a fun excerpt:

Mae stirred the clear soup while Ruby chopped the carrots and separated the yolks from the whites of four eggs.

“Are you fond of Landon?”

One could always rely on Ruby to unexpectedly raise a topic unrelated to the current task. “Why do you ask?”

Ruby positioned her round face directly in front of Mae’s. “Your face is infused with blush.”

“It’s the heat of the stove.”

“Hmm.”

“Besides, you and Timothy really need to mind your manners and refrain from being utter pests when we have a guest.”

Ruby shrugged and returned to the carrots and eggs. “It was necessary at the time.”

“To converge on Landon and me all the while attempting to hide behind a sheet? Really, Rube, we could see you. Your eyeball and the top of your head, anyway.”

“It’s good practice for when I write articles for The Horizon Herald. I’m sure Mr. O’Kane may occasionally send me on a secret mission.”

“Secret mission indeed. I doubt it. Horizon isn’t a big city, and you aren’t Nellie Bly.”

Ruby lifted the knife in midair. “I may not be Nellie Bly, but I am assiduous, dauntless, and stealthy. All important traits for a successful newspaper reporter.”

I’m not sure what it was about food for this book (maybe I was hungry while writing it), but another topic I researched was restaurant menus. These days, we take for granted when we visit a nice restaurant, a café, or even the fast-food drive-through, that we’ll have a plethora of choices from which to choose. While conducting research for food choices for Landon’s uppity and wealthy parents, I discovered that, according to fastingtable.com, “The first restaurant menus in the U.S. were offered at Delmonico’s in New York City. Historical evidence confirms their use in the iconic restaurant by the 1830s.”

Most of us remember dollar menus, but what about feeding a family of four for a dollar? An article in Women’s Chronicle dated July 26, 1890, informs readers that the magazine, Table Talk, includes a menu for feeding four people for one dollar (seen below). According to the magazine, “It tells how to make everything…and gives the price of each ingredient used.”

Thank you for joining me on this culinary journey. Dreams on the Horizon releases on June 25. Can love overcome all obstacles? Will Mae Shepherdson’s dream of a school for the deaf be for naught when the company Landon Bennick works for determines the location of the new railroad spur? When a nefarious character with vengeful intent threatens Mae, will Landon intervene before it’s too late and save the woman who has claimed his heart?

***GIVEAWAY***

I’m giving one lucky winner their choice of a paperback or ebook of Dreams on the Horizon. (Limited to U.S. residents only). To enter, please leave a comment about the most unique food you’ve ever eaten. Can’t wait to read your comments!

Go here to snag your copy of Dreams on the Horizon.

Thank you for joining me today. As a special gift, be sure to snag An Unexpected Arrival, a Wyoming Sunrise novelette, for free by going here.

Penny Zeller is known for her heartfelt stories of faith-filled happily ever afters and her passion to impact lives for Christ through fiction. Her books feature tender romance, steady doses of humor, and memorable characters that stay with you long after the last page. She is a multi-published author of over two dozen books and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. She is also a fitness instructor, loves the outdoors, and is a flower gardening addict. Penny resides with her husband and two daughters in small-town America and loves to connect with her readers at her website at http://www.pennyzeller.com,

 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Day

Today is National Chocolate Chip Day!

It made me think of how good our house smelled when I’d walk in the door after school and Mom would have a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies. They were my favorites.

I tried and failed so many times over the years to recreate her cookies and couldn’t.

Mom was never good about writing down recipes or sharing them, so I finally gave up.

After she passed away, I happened to find her recipe, tried it, and the cookies were just like the ones she used to make.  With every bite of chocolate-imbued nostalgia, they took me back to those days when I’d come home and she’d ask about my day while I sat at the counter and had a glass of milk with a cookie or two.

If you need a good chocolate chip cookie recipe, here’s the one from my mama.

Mom’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients: 

1 cup salted butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

2 1/2 cups flour

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and sugars. Add egg and combine. Add vanilla. Stir baking soda and salt into flour then add a little at a time to dough. Stir in chocolate chips.

Use a cookie scoop, or a tablespoon to drop dough on parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes until cookie are just set and barely starting to brown. Remove from oven and cool for a minute before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Yield: 36 cookies

What is your favorite way to enjoy chocolate chips?

If you aren’t a chocolate fan, what is your favorite cookie?

Post your comment for a chance to win a set of recipe cards!

 

Quilt Week 2024

 

“In the quilt of life, friends are the stitches that hold it together.”

If you read any of my books, my blogs, or my posts, you know that next to creating sweet historical romance, quilting is near and dear to my heart. With that being said, I’m taking you on a virtual tour of Quilt Week 2024.

Since 2000, 6 or 8 or 10 friends get together to quilt, shop, eat, and share lots of laughs. It first started out as a long weekend, then a week, and now has morphed into a ten-day getaway from household chores, husbands, children, grandchildren (although we love them all, girl time is important, too!).

In recent years we’ve rented a 5-bedroom house in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

Here is what my husband jokingly calls the “sweat shop”!

…and, of course, we require sustenance at home and at Lapp’s Creamery twice a week!

   

Then there was the fabric shopping…a real feast for the eyes! So many choices!

   

I can’t forget the Amish foods at Bird-in-Hand Bakery, Stolzfus meats, Dienner’s Restaurant, and Kitchen Kettle shops!

      

Now, you might be thinking all we did was eat and shop…but you’d be wrong. We worked very hard until 9:00 p.m. Here is a breakdown of the items created and the results of ten days of sewing.

  • 32 quilts
  • 3 table runners
  • 5 wall hangings
  • 1 Christmas tree skirt
  • 1 table topper
  • 3 Diamond Dot decorations
  • 3 pillowcases
  • 3 cosmetic bags

 

 

Every year, prior to quilt week, we have a “challenge” in which we utilize a different theme and donate to hospitals, veterans’ groups, homeless shelters, NICUs, etc. This year we made 17 quilts and a fleece blanket that are being donated to an organization called My Very Own Blanket that will be given to foster children.  https://www.myveryownblanket.org/ 

There you have it…10 days full of sunrises, sunsets, rainbows, ice cream, laughs with women whose friendships span fifty years…I’m one very blessed quilter!

      

*****************

What is your favorite vacation spot to share with family or friends?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Valentine’s Day Reflections

Some days I swear I can’t be as old as I am (and no, I’m not sharing that detail). Other days, I feel old. Not so much physically but in the slap-me-upside-the-head-with-a-reminder way. When my children’s babysitters started having children, that was a rude age awakening. (Now some of their children are going college!) This year as Valentine’s Day approaches, I’ve had another odd age related realization.

I remember what a big deal that day was in elementary school. Would my latest crush, Chris or Lester, give me a Valentine. Yes, I’m old enough that we didn’t have to give valentines to everyone in class. In college, I wondered what to do on that day because goodness, no one wanted to be sitting home. And of course, when I was dating, Valentine’s Day was a big deal. Do I give a gift or simply a card? If I go with the gift, what and how much do I spend? Such angst. When I had young children, Valentine’s Day was a great excuse to get a babysitter, go to a restaurant, and have couple time.

This year as a woman married forty-two years, the holiday isn’t as big a deal in the romantic love sense. Hubby and I will have a quiet night at home. We’ll get takeout, but don’t want to deal with getting a reservation and fighting packed restaurants. After dinner, we’ll watch a movie. Now I see the day as a reminder to tell those I care about how much they mean to me, including my exceptionally patient husband.

I want to make a point to thank all of you for being a part of my life. The first Wednesday of the month, you take time out of your busy day to chat with me. You share the ups and downs of this crazy writing life and have helped with my stories in more ways than I can count.

Since candy/sweets is the most popular Valentine’s gift, and I assume most of that is chocolate, I as my Valentine’s Day gift, I’m sharing my grandmother’s Chocolate Drop cookie recipe with you.

 

Chocolate Drop Cookies

1/2 C butter

1 C sugar

1 egg

1 tsp baking powder

1 3/4 C flour

1/2 C milk

4 Tbs Cocoa powder

1/2 C nuts (optional)

In a bowl, mix dry ingredients. In a different bowl, cream sugar and butter. Add egg and milk. Beat well. Add dry ingredients and combine. Drop a small dollop on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for # minutes. Insert a toothpick to test for doneness. Cookies will have a cake like texture.

Frosting

1 C powdered sugar

1 Tbs cocoa powder

2-3 Tbs butter softened

2-3 Tbs milk

Beat until creamy and smooth. Frost cookies when cool.

These cookies and chocolate covered strawberries are my favorite Valentine’s Day treats? What’s yours? Let me know.

Valentine’s Day in the Old West

Goodness, it’s February already! And that means Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. So, whether you love or loathe it, there’s no doubt it’s one of the most widely celebrated holidays in the world.

But how did we arrived at a holiday in the dead of winter, and symbolized by a chubby baby wearing a diaper carrying a bow and arrow, that will bring in revenue over $14.2 billion this year?

History

Valentine’s Day, also called St. Valentine’s Day or the Feast of St. Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14th. It originated as a Western Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named St. Valentine and is recognized as a significant cultural, religious, and commercial celebration of romance and love in many regions of the world.

Formal messages or valentines, appeared in the 1500s, and by the late 1700s commercially printed cards were being used. The first commercial valentines in the United States were printed in the mid-1800s. Valentines commonly depict Cupid, the Roman god of love, along with hearts, traditionally the seat of emotion. Because it was thought that the bird mating season begins in mid-February, birds also became a symbol of the day.

Up until the end of the Civil War, men might shower their special lady with a card to express his sentiments.

A “window” valentine ca. 1864.

This card was called a “window valentine” because front flaps opened to reveal a hidden message or image.

Or if a fella was well-to-do, he would purchase “eating chocolates” for his sweetheart. Produced by Richard Cadbury, these chocolates were sold in beautifully decorated boxes that could be used again and again to store mementos, from locks of hair to love letters.

           

The Old West and Valentine’s Day

Once the war was over, many soldiers left the war-torn East for a new life in the West. So, if a man was lucky enough to have a wife or sweetheart in the far reaches of the frontier, what was available to him?

In lieu of tangible gifts, the suitor might present his lady with something of himself. A carefully handwritten love letter in his best penmanship was a gift many a lady would highly cherish.

 

Carving out a life in the West, many men acquired skills which came in handy when crafting a gift for his intended. Whether it was a hand-tooled leather sewing box, a wooden blanket chest, or a poem of his own creation, men in the West were determined to show their affection on Valentine’s Day by manufacturing something hewed by his own hands.

 

By the last decade of the 1800s, access to a mail-order catalog (Sears & Roebucks, Montgomery Ward, and Eaton’s in Canada) offered jewelry, hat pins, parasols, and rings to the man who had hard cash and the desire to impress his lady.

Today, as in the past, Valentine’s Day celebrations are as varied as the people planning them. However, in 1873, this advertisement in the Matrimonial Times actually occurred in San Francisco.

            “Any gal that got a bed, calico dress, coffee pot and skillet, knows how to cut out britches and can make a hunting shirt, knows how to take care of children can have my services till death do us part.”

What women could resist an invitation so eloquently stated?!!!

Turning the clock back to the late 1950’s – early 1960’s…

I have such wonderful, vivid memories of Valentine’s Day in elementary school. A week before Valentine’s Day, every student would bring in a shoe box. During art class, we would decorate our boxes with crepe paper, hearts cut from red and pink construction paper, and paper lace doilies, making sure there was a large slit in the cover for all the Valentine cards we were sure to get. Ironically, most of the cards had a western cowboy/cowgirl theme! Do these look familiar to anyone?

      

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, share your comments about a favorite Valentine’s Day memory from your school days.

 

 

 

Christmas on the Prairie

It’s easy to romanticize the Currier & Ives yuletide days of long ago, with families gathered around warm fireplaces, children marveling at their stockings hanging from the mantle, and warmly dressed folks merrily bringing in the Christmas tree or arms full of presents.

But what about celebrating the yuletide season on the prairie or in the mountains in the old Wild West?

In the 1800s, the pioneers and cowboys on the prairie celebrated Christmas in much the same ways we do today. There was Santa Claus, presents, holiday decorations and, of course, the Christmas feast.

The difference was evident in the humbleness of the gifts and decorations. Life on the prairie was hard and unpredictable. There were often terrible blizzards and howling winds. Yet, these hardy and hard-working pioneers would not forget the spirit of Christmas.

The women would begin baking for the holiday feast weeks in advanced, bringing out the preserved fruits they’d ‘put up’ in the summer and dried vegetables. If possible, fresh game–wild turkey or venison–added to the feast. Or for those who could afford it, maybe even beef or pork.

The tradition of Santa Claus was popular among children on the frontier as well. In 1873, a children’s journal called “St. Nicholas” became available for children in isolated areas. It included stories, poetry, contests, games and crafts. Many a mother saw this journal as a way to keep her children entertained during the long winter months on the prairie.

Most likely, gifts, corn husk dolls, sachets, carved wooden toys, and clothespins, were all made with love by the family members. Sometimes, the mother made a doll from corn husks, (a Scandinavian tradition), or with straw or yarn and snippets of leftover “store bought” material. Maybe a little girl would get some new hair ribbons. Boys might get a “store bought” ball, a homemade wooden carved boat, or some other type of toy. Maybe a homemade checkerboard?  Or maybe the child would get a “store bought” book, or one that was “used,” (already read), and given as a gift from a neighbor. A girl’s hand-embroidered handkerchief was folded and twisted into an angel that was hung on the tree and then given to a little girl on Christmas morning.

Very few presents were wrapped with expensive paper under the tree. Sometimes old newspapers were used, but often, presents weren’t wrapped at all. Often the children found the gift unwrapped by their plates on the table on Christmas morning or they had to hunt for them in the barn or under a bed.

As in our homes today, the tree was the tangible focus of the holiday. In many cases, however, sagebrush, a red cedar bush–or in the homes of German immigrants, a feather tree–would do nicely. Bits of ribbon and yarn were hung on the Christmas tree’s branches.

Decorations were homemade, unless special ones were brought from the “old country” or from back east. Local stores didn’t stock Christmas ornaments in the early days. They used evergreen branches, pinecones, holly, nuts, and berries to brighten up the bleak log walls or the stone fireplace. Popcorn strings were used as were paper loops glued together with a homemade paste of flour and water. They hung cookie dough ornaments or gingerbread on the branches. The children knew, because of the mother’s instructions, not to eat the gingerbread men until after Christmas was over.

(Side Note: I made sugar cookie dough ornaments one year much to the delight of my two-year old son who took a bite out of every cookie ornament his little hands could reach!)

          

With the discovery of gold and silver in the West in the early-to mid-19th century, mountain men, government explorers, trappers, and Native Americans led a lonely existence. And while they might not see each other often, small gatherings always took place on December 25 to celebrate Christmas. Years later, writer Bret Harte told of a night of Christmas merriment among some cowboys holed up together in a bunkhouse. To these men, finding a kindred spirit to spend Christmas with was essential to keeping their spirits up.

Determined to bring the spirit of Christmas alive on the American frontier, these tenacious pioneers looked forward to forgetting their hard, everyday lives to focus on the holiday.

May the peace and blessings of Christmas be yours, and may

the coming year be filled with happiness!

Just in Time for the Holidays!!

He made a promise to a dying friend.
She vowed never to love again.

“You can’t continue living like this, Linnea. You’ve become a hermit.”
Linnea Nyland heard the concern in her sister-in-law’s voice. Still filled with grief and missing her husband a year after his unexpected passing, she didn’t have the inclination to disagree with the statement. Though she dearly missed working her magic in the family bakery, she liked her life on the farm just the way it was…solitary.

Especially after Deputy Finn McBride came calling with his ridiculous proposal of marriage!

In a moment of panic, Finn made a heart pledge to Erik Nyland to take care of Linnea, to marry her. He’d bungled his first attempt, and he’s not sure his heart can endure the vow he made knowing he’d been in love with her from the day he came to Holly Springs.

Giving it one last try, he challenges her to a holiday baking competition. If he wins, she must agree to let him court…if she wins, he’ll leave her alone…forever.

Throw in a matchmaking landlady, a Norwegian Buhund dog, and a missing special ingredient, the lonely deputy prays for a Christmas miracle.

CLICK HERE

Gabe Dawson didn’t believe catastrophes came in threes.

That is, until his grandfather died, a fire nearly destroyed his home, and his grandmother started showing signs of forgetfulness.

When Hope Brody discovers Nora Dawson wandering in a snowy field and learns of the family’s loss, she sets out to recreate the quilt that was destroyed in the fire. But in order to present it to her at the Annual Christmas Eve Quilt gathering, that meant she’d have to get to know the taciturn Gabe Dawson.

Despite thwarting her efforts at friendship, Gabe finally acknowledges that Hope’s visits are helping ease his grandmother’s anxieties. Soon, he finds himself falling for the lovely quilter. But with only a small farm and almost constant care of his ailing grandmother, he has nothing to offer and would never be a woman’s first choice.

As Christmas approaches, will Hope look beyond his obligations and see a future blossom from a special, once-in-a-lifetime friendship?

P.S. The quilt in the background is one I made for our bed at home.

CLICK HERE

To be entered in the random drawing for your CHOICE OF EITHER BOOK (digital copy only), leave a comment about how you would decorate your home on the prairie in the 1800s.

Pecans – Fun Facts & Trivia

Hello everyone, Winnie Griggs here. November is pecan season here in NW Louisiana. There are quite a few pecan trees in hubby’s pastures and even one in my own backyard and they’ve all been carpeting the ground with their fruit the past few weeks. And since I’ve got pecans on my mind lately I thought I’d share some facts and trivia I discovered

HISTORY

  • Pecans are the only nut tree species that originated in America.
  • Native American tribes have relied on pecans as a valuable food source for thousands of years. They harvested pecans from the wild and incorporated them into their diets, using the nuts fresh from the tree and also storing them for later use. Pecans served as a crucial source of nutrition, especially during the lean winter months. The name “pecan” is actually a Native American word that comes from the Algonquin word “paccan” that was used to describe “all nuts requiring a stone to crack.”
  • The introduction of pecans to European settlers was a significant milestone in pecan history. Early European explorers and colonists encountered pecans in the New World, and they were quick to recognize their value. Pecans were collected, cultivated, and integrated into European cuisine. This marked the beginning of the pecan’s journey from a regional Native American staple to a broader American and international audience.
  • During the American Civil War, pecans played a vital role in providing sustenance to both soldiers and civilians on both sides. Pecans were a readily available food source in the South, and their nutritional value made them a valuable addition to rations. Pecan trees dotted the landscape, providing a reliable and accessible food source when other supplies were scarce.

SOME  TRIVIA

  • Pecan trees come in a wide range of varieties, In fact there are over 1,000 varieties but just a few of them make up the majority of the production in the US and each has its own unique characteristics. Here are three of the more popular varieties
      • The Stuart pecan is one of the most common varieties. It’s known for its robust flavor and large-sized nuts. These pecans are popular for their rich, buttery taste and versatility in various recipes. They also do well farther north than most other pecan varieties.
      • The Desirable pecan lives up to its name, offering a desirable taste. Another thing that sets it apart is its relatively easy-to-crack shells, which can be a time-saver for home bakers and commercial producers alike.
      • The Elliot pecan is appreciated for its consistent quality and reliable production, making it a favorite choice among pecan growers. Its moderate size and thin shell also make it a popular pick.
  • Pecans thrive in primarily the Southeast and South Central states. Georgia is often called the “Pecan State” and leads the nation in pecan production, contributing approximately 100 million pounds to the annual harvest. Texas is another major pecan producer as are New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Arizona (I was surprised that I didn’t see Louisiana and Mississippi in that list).
  • In Native American culture, pecan trees are seen as symbols of strength, endurance, and wisdom, representing the connection between humans and nature.
  • The pecan pie is a quintessential American dessert and is believed to have originated in the southern United States. One theory is that it was created by the French people who had settled in New Orleans. The classic pecan pie consists of a sweet, gooey filling made from pecans, sugar, butter, and often corn syrup, all nestled in a flaky pie crust.
  • Pecan pralines are another true Southern delight. Pecan pralines are a confectionery masterpiece that combine the richness of pecans with a sweet, buttery, and creamy caramelized sugar mixture. The result is a texture that’s simultaneously smooth and crunchy, with the unmistakable taste of pecans running through every bite.
  • Thomas Jefferson had pecan trees imported from Louisiana for his Monticello orchards.
  • During World War II, pecans played a surprising role in the war effort. Pecan oil, extracted from pecans, was used in the production of explosives and lubricants. The nut’s high oil content made it a valuable resource for the military.
  • Pecan shells have also been utilized in unusual ways. During WW II roasted pecan shells were often used as a substitute for coffee. And they have more recently been utilized as a base material for mulch and even as a natural abrasive in industrial cleaning products.
  • Georgia pecan wood was selected by the Atlanta Committee to make the handles of the torches for the 1996 Olympic Games. The torches were carried in the 15,000-mile U.S.A. relay and in the lighting of the Olympic flame in Atlanta on July 19, 1996.

STATISTICS

  • In 2022 there were approximately 407,000 acres of bearing pecan trees.
  • The U.S. produces about 80 percent of the world’s pecan crop.
  • It takes around 12 years for pecan trees to mature enough to begin producing pecans.
  • Pecan trees can live for several centuries, and some of the oldest known pecan trees in the U.S. are estimated to be well over 200 years old.
  • Pecans are one of the largest fruit-bearing trees. The largest pecan tree on record had a canopy that spanned over 200 feet.
  • Pecans are not only tasty but also incredibly nutritious. A one-ounce serving provides around 196 calories, 2.6 grams of protein, 20.3 grams of healthy fats, and a good dose of dietary fiber. They are also an excellent source of vitamin E, manganese, and other essential nutrients. These nutrients make pecans a nutritious snack or ingredient for various dishes.
  • And average Pecan pie uses about 78 pecans.
  • The “Oldest Continuous Pecan Festival” in the U.S. is the Sorghum Festival and Pecan Festival in the small town of Blairsville, Georgia, which has been celebrating pecans for over 50 years.

 

So there you have it, my curated list of everything you always wanted to know about pecans. Did any of this surprise you? Do you have a favorite recipe that includes pecans? Do you even like pecans?  Leave a comment to be entered into a drawing for one of my books.

Challenging the Chef

Between our kitchen model and life in general, being able to have time and my mind in the right mental space for writing has been a bit of a challenge in recent months.

Finally, I finished the sweet and wholesome small-town contemporary romance I’d originally hoped to release in July.

Challenging the Chef will release October 19! I’m so thrilled to share this story with you!

I’m fortunate you can’t gain weight by drooling over Pinterest recipes because I sure found a lot of tasty ideas to include in this book. Writing it made me so hungry and eager to get in my kitchen and create something!

The book is about Owen Thorpe, a former celebrity chef who moved to a tiny little Eastern Oregon town to help his uncle during his last days before he passed away. Owen settled into the community of Summer Creek and decided to stay. He inherited his uncle’s dive bar and restaurant, and is working hard to change the reputation of the Broken Bucket to a destination for people who love good food. Owen gets coerced into contributing a week of cooking lessons to an auction package. He has visions of a middle-aged foodie winning the package and driving him nuts.

Tawni Young is a school psychologist. The demands of her job are stressful, so she uses cooking and gardening as her therapy to relax and unwind. When her aunt wins the Summer Creek auction package and gives it to Tawni as a gift, Tawni is shocked to realize the cooking lessons are with a celebrity chef she had a huge crush on in college.

When they meet, nothing is like either of them had expected.

 

When an interloper arrives in his kitchen, will romance start to simmer?

Chef Owen Thorpe left behind his celebrity status when he moved to Summer Creek. The quaint town and country atmosphere allow him to seek solace in his recipes. His peace and quiet is threatened when he’s coerced into being part of a big auction package that includes the winner spending a week cooking with him in his restaurant. The last thing he wants is some chef wannabe in his way. However, the real danger he faces is losing his heart when the winner turns out to be a beautiful woman who knows her way around a kitchen.

Burdened by the weight of her demanding career as a school psychologist, Tawni Young turns to cooking and gardening to escape from the never-ending stress of her work. When her aunt gifts her an auction package that includes cooking lessons in the small town of Summer Creek, Tawni realizes the chef she’ll be working with is none other than a celebrity she had a huge crush on during her college years. From the moment the two of them meet, an undeniable attraction sizzles while wits collide.

As they embark on a tantalizing journey of culinary delights, will Tawni and Owen discover the most important ingredient is love?

In this heartwarming and deliciously wholesome tale, Challenging the Chef takes readers on a savory adventure filled with sweet romance.

 

 

If you could win an experience with a celebrity,

who would you choose and what would the experience be? 

Share your answer for a chance to win an autographed copy of

Catching the Cowboy,

the first book in the Summer Creek series.

I’d love the chance to learn photography from someone who has great skill at it, especially for shooting live action (like rodeos). One of my favorites is Matt Cohen.

 

My Favorite Things

 

I thought it might be fun today to share a few of my favorite things – summer style!

This time of year is always filled with sweet memories from my growing up years on my family’s Eastern Oregon farm. I spent a lot of time with my dad as his official “sidekick,” but I also spent time with my mom, who was determined to “domesticate” me. It took a while but I think she finally succeeded!

At any rate, there are certain things that, to me, say “summertime” and are among my favorites for the summer season.

I adore roses anytime of the year, but I have several rose bushes and love, love sniffing their fragrant blooms. I think they smell the sweetest in June. My favorite color is pink, so pink roses have always been my absolute favorites.

Idaho Spud Bars (which have appeared in a few of my stories) are one of my favorite sweet indulgences. When I was a kid, the local grocery store would often have them on sale in the summer  – four for a $1! Mom would stock up on them and keep them in the fridge. On a hot summer day, there was nothing quite look a chilled Idaho Spud bar. The pillowy, soft cocoa marshmallow center is surrounded by chocolate and rolled in coconut. It is so yummy! If you’ve never had the joy of experiencing one, I hope you get to someday! They are made by a company that has been in business for more than a hundred years.

Music is something I enjoy year round. In the summer, though, I have certain tunes I like to listen to and The Beach Boys are among them. My brother had several of their records and my sister liked to play them. My oldest niece thought the words to Little Deuce Coupe were “Little Goose Goop” so I think we played that song often just to hear her sing her version of the lyrics.

 

I love summer sunrises, but the sunsets are often far more showy in our little corner of the world. Watching those colors glide across the evening sky makes such a spectacular way to end the day.

 

Parades, particularly a 4th of July Parade, are another of my favorite things. The little town near our farm always had a big parade and rodeo for the 4th of July. It was a highlight of the summer to attend both. There is just something so patriotic about watching a parade go by (or participating in one!).

Those rodeos I went to as a child are what ignited my love of rodeos and writing about rodeo cowboys!

 

One year when I was about ten, my sister-in-law brought homemade banana ice cream to our 4th of July gathering. It has been my absolute favorite ice cream since then. When I introduced Captain Cavedweller to it, it became his favorite too. We generally make a batch of it to celebrate Independence Day.  If you’d like to give it a whirl, here is the recipe:

Banana Ice Cream

5 eggs
2 1/2 cups sugar
4cups whipping cream
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. banana flavoring
4 cups milk
4 ripe bananas, mashed
* Warning! Consuming raw eggs may increase your risk of food borne illness.   If you do decide to make this and use the raw eggs, please choose eggs that are fresh with no cracks in the shell.
Start by beating the eggs until they are foamy and light. I let mine go about six minutes. Add in sugar and continue mixing. Slow the speed on the mixer and add in the cream followed by the salt, vanilla and banana flavoring. Continue mixing and add in the milk, blending in the bananas last. Pour into your ice cream freezer and freeze according to machine directions. We are usually unable to restrain ourselves long enough to put this in the freezer and let it get firm, but if you can, you can do that. There are never any leftovers, but if you have some, store in a covered container in the freezer for up to a week.

What about you?

What is one of your favorite things about summer?

 

Lucky Shot & 1972

If you are keeping up with the releases of the Pink Pistol Sisterhood series, book 9 is now ready for your reading pleasure.

I hope you’ll check out Lucky Shot! I shared last month about what a joy and blessing it was for me to write this book, but I thought it might be fun to share a little about the research I did for the story, since I was a toddler when it takes place, in 1972. I also had some excellent brainstorming help from the fillies here on Petticoats and Pistols. Thank you, my Pink Pistol Sisters for all the great ideas!

My grandma’s old 1960s era cookbook provided great ideas for recipes my characters might be eating.

I remember my mom having the butcher block top portable dishwasher before we moved into a new house in 1975. You can see more of the visual inspiration that helped when I was writing the story in my Lucky Shot Pinterest board.

Our very own Cheryl Pierson sent me an amazing list of songs from the summer of 1972. I think you’ll see some tunes on the list you probably recognize!

Thanks to the wonders of eBay and fast delivery, I also had this June 1972 copy of Woman’s Day magazine. I grew up with a mother and grandmother who loved magazines. It was a much-anticipated event when a new one would arrive in the mailbox (which is probably why I still love magazines). Anyway, this one took me right back to the days of my youth with all the articles, colorful and clever advertisements, and articles.

Look at the summer fashions of the day!

One of my mom’s favorite parts of the magazine was The Collector’s Cook Book. She always pulled them out and saved them. I wonder what ever happened to all of them.

Just for fun, here is a recipe from this South Pacific themed collection of recipes.

Tropical Pear Bars

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar

1/4 cup butter

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 can pear halves, drained and diced

1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts

1 cup flaked coconut

2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

Combine 1 cup flour and 1/4 cup brown sugar and cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Pat firmly into buttered 9″ square pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, beat eggs until light. Gradually add remaining brown sugar. Mix together remaining flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir into egg mixture. Fold in remaining ingredients and spread over warm baked mixture. Put back in oven and bake 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool and cut into bars.

If you want to take a stroll down memory lane, or dive into some “retro” fun, check out Lucky Shot, available now on Amazon. You can get it in eBook, through Kindle Unlimited, in paperback, or hardback!

What’s a girl to do when her aim is true?

As a registered nurse at the Boise VA Hospital, Grace Marshall is devoted to her patients, but some wounds require more than medical care. A patient too stubborn and angry to accept the help he needs storms out of her exam room, ruffling her feathers. Yet, when the man returns to apologize, something about him tugs at her heart.

Levi Gibson left for war young and idealistic but returned from Vietnam with physical scars and a haunted soul. He tries to banish the darkness brewing inside him with hard work on his family’s potato farm, but it’s a young nurse’s kindness that brings unexpected light and joy into his life. If Levi can open up to Grace and let her see his pain, could she be the key that unlocks a future full of hope instead of mere survival?

After her father sends Grace a legendary pistol, target practice provides an excuse to spend time with Levi during the summer of 1972. As his shadows overwhelm him, it will take far more than a lucky shot for Grace to hit love’s mark.

If you could travel back in time,

what year would you visit and

what one food would you look forward to enjoying?

Post your answer then pop over to this link for a chance to win a big

Lucky Shot prize pack that includes an autographed hardback!