Holiday Cheer - Overcoming Bah Humbug

By W. Lynn Chantale

It doesn’t happen too often, but I’ve been some what of a bah humbug mood. One theory is that there’s no snow on the ground. I live in Michigan and well, in December we are at least ankle deep in snow. There have been other personal changes and though everyone is happy, healthy and looking forward to celebrating Christmas, I’m ready for January or at least the day after Christmas. 

In the meantime I’ll have to stare at old photos of snow or rather the snow fort my son built a few years ago and make brownies. Brownies are always good on a cold winter’s day. And you can enjoy them with an ice cold glass of milk or a warm cup of cocoa. That may be chocolate overload for some, but chocolate will be the only thing getting me through this snowless holiday.

 

Brownie Fudge 

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate

1 cup butter or margarine

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup chopped nuts

2 teaspoons vanilla

Fudge Topping (recipe follows)

Directions

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Butter a 13x9 inch pan. Melt chocolate and butter in a small heavy sauce pan over low heat. Stirring until completely melted, cool. Beat sugar and eggs in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually whisk chocolate mixture into egg mixture. Stir in flour. nuts and vanilla. Spread evenly in prepared pan. Bake 25 to 35 minutes or just until set. Do not overbake. Meanwhile prepare Fudge Topping. Immediately pour over brownies. Spread evenly. Cool in pan on wire rack. Place in freezer until firm. Cut into 1-inch squares.

Makes about 9 dozen brownies

Fudge Topping

4 1/2 cups sugar

1/3 cup butter or margarine

1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

1 jar (7 ounces) marshmallow creme

1 package (12 ounces) milk chocolate chips

1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups walnuts, coarsely chopped

Directions 

Combine sugar, butter and milk in large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add remaining ingredients except nuts. Beat until smooth. Stir in nuts.

 

 

STEALING CHRISTMAS Blurb:

Secrets abound in Benson's Bakery. A crazed Santa wants something valuable hidden inside the building, and only two things stand in his way...Jake and Sara. 

When Sara Henderson receives threatening letters just days before Christmas, she asks sexy bread baker Jake Benson for help. Jake is more than happy to provide the muscle to keep the beautiful cake decorator from harm, but he has an ulterior motive--to steal a kiss under the mistletoe. Sara wants that kiss as much as he does, but first they have a mystery to solve. 

Will they find out who is stalking Sara, or will Santa succeed in stealing Christmas?

Excerpt: 

Once Tori arrived, Sara returned to the office.  Jake stood in the prep area, still up to his elbows in dough.  He glanced up as she walked by.  “I’m going with you to the bank.”

“You’re behind on the breads. I can take Tori with me or wait until Seth gets back.”

“I won’t be that long, Sara.”

She faced him.  “Neither will I.”

He plopped a portion of dough on a scale, checking the weight before rounding it in a ball.  “I’ll be done by the time you’re finished with the deposit.”

She groaned.  He wouldn’t leave her alone until she agreed to his company.  “Fine, I’ll even start the car to give you extra time.”

Jake inclined his head and continued his task.  Sara studied the way he manipulated the dough, used the heels of his hands to push the bread away and his strong fingers to fold it over and bring it back.  Over and over, he tugged and pulled, kneading and twisting.  For a moment, Sara envisioned him doing the same thing to her, even when he occasionally pinched the dough to see if it was ready.

“You’re staring,” he said.

She swallowed.  “I wasn’t.  How long will the dough take to rise?”

“Depends on how much heat and moisture it gets.”

“What happens if there’s too much heat and moisture?”  She met and held his gaze.

“The dough gets too sticky and it won’t rise as much.”  He never stopped moving his hands. 

She wondered what would get a rise out of him.  “I-I’ll be in the office.”

He rounded the dough.  “I’ll be here.”

She spun on her heel and bumped into the door, her face burned when he laughed behind her. Head held high she entered the office and closed the door.  What was she doing thinking about Jake like that?  Could he really want to pursue something with her now? She put her hands to her flaming cheeks, glancing through the door window. He still had his eyes on her. She spun away, and leaned against the door, a hand over her racing heart. A faint smile brushed the corners of her mouth as she went to the safe and pulled out the deposit.

Ten minutes later Sara had the money bundled, her change order ready, and her coat on.  She stepped out of the office, digging in her purse for her keys.  “I’m starting the car.  It’s snowing again.”

“Wait for me. I just have to wash my hands.”  Jake placed the last of the dough in loaf pans.

“My car is three feet from the door.”  She shook her head.  “I’m just warming up the car!”

He chuckled.  “I still have to wash my hands.”

With a huff, Sara stepped into the back alley and slammed the door.  She paused, thumbing through the jumble of keys for the right one and peered around the drab gray world.  Her car wasn’t exactly three feet from the door, more like thirty.  She pulled her hood over her ebony hair and started forward.

She was perfectly capable of going to the bank by herself, but now that she was in a winter wonderland alone, her bravado failed.  Sara crunched across the snow, bare asphalt peeking through in spots.  The keys jangled as her foot slid on an icy patch. She stuttered stepped and came to a bone-jarring halt. That could’ve been bad, she’d have to throw down more salt. Drawing in a deep breath, she moved forward again.

Rough hands seized her jacket.

Sara struggled for purchase while jerking away from her assailant.  How could she have been so stupid? Panic turned her limbs to jelly, her breath came in stuttered gasps. She had to get away. His strong grip held her purse and jacket.  She pried at his hands, but he refused to release her.  Twisting in his grasp, she stared into his cold eyes, his thin lips curling into a sneer.

“Let go!” she shouted.

“Give me what I want!”

Sara wrenched away from him, ripping her coat.  He struggled to retain his grip, yanking the purse tangled around her arm. If she could get enough room to maneuver she could get away. His fingers slipped. She raised her foot and kicked, her boot connecting with his shin.  He howled, but didn’t release her.

He seized her arms, lifting her. Sucking in a breath, she squirmed this way and that to break his hold. Santa’s sleeve fell back. Her eyes fastened on the bit of ink ringing his wrist. She struggled harder. A shriek left her lips and disappeared into the snow. She kicked her legs, hoping to connect with a body part. Nothing but air. He swung her around. She should’ve waited. The door scraped open. He gave her one final, violent shake, dropped her and fled.

 

Buy links:

The Wild Rose Press

Amazon Kindle

Contact Links:

Download my free Author App to your Android or Apple IOS device.

Visit W. Lynn at:

 

Website: http://wlynnchantale.com

Blog:http://decadentdecisions.wordpress.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/wlynnchantale

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/W.LynnChantaleAuthor

Holiday Cheer-Holiday Traditions

by Marie Higgins

There have always been traditions for me during the holidays. Growing up, my mother and maternal grandmother always used to bake a Norwegian Christmas Cookie called “Fattigman Bakkles”.   (no, it’s not pronounced like fatty-man, either, although I’m sure it adds to your waistline. hahaha)  Every year, my family was able to make and eat these expensive cookies. The ingredients in them were definitely not cheap! 

Another treat around Christmas time for my side of the family was the famous “Applesauce Cakes”. They looked like Fruit Cakes…but tasted sooo much better and only had chocolate chips and nuts instead of all those yucky fruits the other cakes had. Even now I’ll bake tons of Applesauce Cakes to give to friends and family for our ‘goodie-plates’. These cakes alone are the reason I gain weight over the holidays!

A new family tradition that we started a few years back was to take our grandkids to see Christmas lights. There is a drive-through park not far from our town that is full of Christmas lights and decorations. In this little Christmas village they have a Santa Claus tent where the kids can sit on Santa’s lap and get a candy cane. My grandkids love doing this, and afterwards we’ll come back to my house to have hot chocolate. This very tradition (lights and hot chocolate) is what I used in my Christmas Inspirational romance, “Dreaming Of You”. With this tradition in my story, it brings more depth to my characters and makes them more memorable.

Katelyn Palmer never believed any harm could come from using her college crush as the hero in her first romance novel—the novel that jumpstarted her writing career. However, when Shane Hunter storms into town, demanding to meet the writer who used his identity Katelyn is confronted with more than her long, silent emotions. If Shane takes her to court for invasion of privacy, her career would be over.

Shane doesn’t know how to act when his ex sister-in-law accuses him of having an affair while he was married—and then shows him the romance book as proof. Now he wants to know who this author really is and why she used his name, and most of the events in his life for her story. Desperate to know the truth Shane befriends Katelyn but he does not expect to be attracted to her, even more unexpected is the joy he finds watching his twins fall in love with the woman who is stealing his heart, too...

Purchase in Kindle - http://amzn.com/B00A6G5JO0

Purchase in paperback - http://amzn.com/1480234087  

For those interested, here is a recipe for my Applesauce Cake:

Applesauce Cake

½ cup butter                                      1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup sugar                                         1 cup nuts

1 egg                                                    ½ teaspoon cloves

1 ¾ cup flour (or so)                         1 teaspoon cinnamon

¾ teaspoon baking soda                  1 cup applesauce

½ tsp nutmeg 

Blend butter, sugar.  Add eggs.  Add applesauce with soda.  Mix well.  Add spices, choc chips and nuts.  Add flour.  Bake 350 for 50 minutes in greased and flour bread pan.

~Marie Higgins~
More than just a romance...my stories are an adventure!

http://mariehiggins84302.blogspot.com/

Holiday Cheer - A Hero For Christmas

By Cheryl Pierson

With the holidays upon us, I was thinking about traditions in our family and how much they mean in our memories.  Growing up, there wasn’t a Christmas that passed that my mom didn’t make divinity for my dad. A hard candy to make because of its temperamental proclivity not to “set”, when it “turned out”—it was a happy day. I didn’t care much for divinity—I’d rather have the other traditional candy we always had—fudge. But I still remember how my dad loved that white confection with the green and red candied cherries on top.

A tradition I started when I had kids was to buy them an ornament every Christmas. Every year, I think, “maybe this is the year to give them their collection”—they’re 23 and 26—and every year, I just can’t bring myself to do it.

 

And what could be more traditional for a good Christmas story than a handsome, to-die-for, hunk of a hero? Who wouldn’t want a hero for Christmas…or FOUR of them? And they’ll all fit snugly in a stocking or on your e-reader!

Yep, I’m talking about my latest release, A HERO FOR CHRISTMAS, which is a collection of four of my Christmas themed historical romantic short stories! These are all available separately, as “single sell” short stories for only .99 through Western Trail Blazer, as well. But I was thrilled when my publisher, Rebecca Vickery, suggested putting them all under one gorgeous cover and offering them as a collection.

 

A NIGHT FOR MIRACLES is the first story in the collection. It will always be near and dear to my heart because it was the first holiday story I ever wrote, as well as being the first short story (which really turned into a novelette.) I still just love the story of Angela Bentley and Nick Dalton. Angela’s a widow, alone on Christmas Eve. Gunman Nick Dalton stops at her cabin in gathering wintry twilight. Wounded, and with three children in tow, there’s no chance of Angela telling him he has to ride on.  Will this be A NIGHT FOR MIRACLES for them?

Legend says that miracles happen on Christmas Eve. Can a chance encounter between a gunfighter and a lonely widow herald a new beginning for them both? On this special night, they take a gamble that anything is possible–if they only believe! Available now with WESTERN TRAIL BLAZER PUBLISHING!

 

The second story is a very different kind of Christmas story, HOMECOMING. I wrote this story long before I ever even thought of selling it. In fact, I wasn’t sure I COULD sell it. But it turned out better than I ever imagined, with so much power and emotion, I’ve had many, many compliments on it. It still humbles me, to think of this story that came from nowhere, one I wasn’t sure would ever see the light of day—has now become one that so many people have enjoyed.

       A holiday skirmish sends Union officer, Jack Durham, on an unlikely mission to fulfill his promise of honor to a dying Confederate soldier—his enemy. In an odd twist of fate, a simple assurance to carry young Billy Anderson's meager belongings home to his family a few miles away becomes more than what it seems.

       As he nears his destination, the memories of the soldier's final moments mingle with his own thoughts of the losses he's suffered because of the War, including his fiancee, Sarah. Despite his suffering, can Jack remember what it means to be fully human before he arrives at the end of his journey? Will the miracle of Christmas be able to heal his heart in the face of what awaits him?

 

MEANT TO BE is the third story in the collection. It’s a time travel story of love that crosses centuries. The heroine, Robin Mallory, is stranded on Christmas Eve and begins to walk for help, only to find that she’s walked down a road to the past and into the arms of handsome a Confederate soldier, Jake Devlin. Will she stay in 1864, or will she return to the lonely life she left behind? (If he looked like Jimmy Thomas, that would be a very easy decision!)

        Robin Mallory is facing another Christmas all alone when she decides to surprise her aunt and uncle several hours away. A flat tire leaves her stranded near a desolate section of interstate. With a snowstorm on the way, Robin has no choice but to walk, hoping to find shelter before the storm hits full force. But the road she chooses leads her back in time, to a battleground she's only read about in history books.

       Confederate Jake Devlin, an officer in Stand Watie's Cherokee forces, is shocked when the spy he jumps turns out to be a girl. She's dressed oddly, but her speech and the ideas she has are even stranger than her clothing. Where did she come from, and what is he going to do with her? Will he be able to hold on to his heart? Is it possible for a love this strong to span centuries? It is, if it was MEANT TO BE…

 

And last but not least is a story I have wanted to write since I was a little girl. If you’ve ever heard the old folk song, SCARLET RIBBONS, perhaps you’ll understand why. In the song, the  singer (I love the Harry Belafonte version more than any other) tells of hearing his little girl praying for some scarlet ribbons for her hair. Everything is closed for the night, and there’s no hope of him being able to buy them for her; such a simple request and no way to grant it. All night long he’s thinking about it and finally goes to peek in on her only to find her asleep, the scarlet ribbons on her bed. “If I live to be a hundred, I will never know from where…came those lovely scarlet ribbons, scarlet ribbons for her hair…” Well, I can never get through that song without getting misty eyed, but I always wondered about the story behind the scarlet ribbons…so I wrote one.

       Miguel Rivera is known as El Diablo, The Devil. Men avoid meeting his eyes for fear of his gun. Upon returning to a town where he once knew a brief happiness, Miguel is persuaded by a street vendor to make a foolish holiday purchase; two scarlet ribbons.

       When Catalina, his former lover, allows him to take a room at her boarding house, Miguel soon discovers a secret. Realizing that he needs the scarlet ribbons after all, he is stunned to find them missing. Can a meeting with a mysterious priest and the miracle of the Scarlet Ribbons set Miguel on a new path?

Now, you can get all these stories under one cover! In one final note, I will say that after I wrote these stories and put them all together, I noticed something that is certainly NOT traditional—each of them as a special twist, the magic of Christmas working in a way that truly does bring about a miracle in each case. These stories are rated sweet to sensual.  I will be giving away a digital copy today to one lucky commenter!

For all my books, short stories and anthologies, visit my Amazon author page here:

https://www.amazon.com/author/cherylpierson

And one more bit of tradition—a recipe that we can’t live without for very long here in the Pierson household—I’ll be making this tomorrow for sure. It’s the first thing I ever learned to bake and no matter what other fancy desserts are on the table, this is always the one I go for.

BLONDE BROWNIES

4 eggs

1 tsp. Vanilla1½  cups flour

2 ½  cups brown sugar

½ tsp. salt

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

½  cup (OR MORE!) choc. Chips

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Beat eggs well. Add brown sugar gradually, beating until well mixed. Add vanilla, flour, salt and mix well. Add chopped nuts and mix. Pour into a greased, 9x13 pan and sprinkle chocolate chips over top of the batter. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes (depending on your oven). This makes a 9x13 pan of brownies. You can half this recipe for an 8x8 pan, and reduce cooking time to 25 minutes.

Holiday Cheer - RUSSIAN TEA CAKES

WIN A NOOK HD - Just leave a comment

 

By Meg Mims

 

 

Meg will give away a copy of SANTA PAWS to one lucky commenter.....

SANTA PAWS -- The last thing Lacey Gordon—divorced with a teen daughter and two cats—needs is a rescue dog coming into her life. To top it off, she's rooked into a "Get Under the Mistletoe by Christmas Eve" dating contest. Since Buddy the dog prefers to be the only "new guy" in Lacey's life, will Santa Claws ruin her holiday for good?

 

Here's my recipe and a short "story" about the cookie recipe. Stole it from Betty Crocker's website, since my mom always used her old cookbook to make these....

Mom had a special silver tray that she placed a variety of Christmas cookies in rows -- and my favorite was the Russian Tea Cake.

 

After rolling the dough into balls and baking, you roll them twice in powdered sugar. The cookie itself is a bit dry and crumbly, but I love love love them with Hot Cinnamon Spice tea from Harney & Sons, or a nice mocha latte. Mmmm! They're fairly easy to make, too. If you use all butter, the balls will melt down to half circles. I usually use half butter and half margarine.

Russian Tea Cakes

1

cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2

cup powdered sugar

1

teaspoon vanilla

2 1/4

cups all-purpose flour

3/4

cup finely chopped nuts - pecans or walnuts

1/4

teaspoon salt

Powdered sugar

1. Heat oven to 400ºF.
2. Mix butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and the vanilla in large bowl. Stir in flour, nuts and salt until dough holds together.
3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set but not brown. Remove from cookie sheet. Cool slightly on wire rack.
5. Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar; cool on wire rack. Roll in powdered sugar again.

Makes 4 dozen cookies

Do you have a special dish/tray that you bring out for the holidays? Leave a comment for your chance to win a copy of SANTA PAWS and a nook HD, full of romance stories!

Find Meg on the world wide web:

Website

Facebook

Blog

Holiday Cheer - New York Cheesecake

By Sarah Richmond

 

Here’s my big reveal: my secret New York cheesecake recipe. Believe me, your friends and family will be talking about this cheesecake all year long. There will be BIG hints dropped when birthdays are approaching and reminders of how good your cheesecake is when you’re invited to house parties and get togethers.

I cannot take credit for the recipe, however. About twenty-five years ago, the New York Times ran a contest for the Best Cheesecake Recipe of NYC. The winner was a newlywed who received the recipe from her Grandmother—along with a ten-inch spring form pan-- as a wedding present. 

When my oldest daughter married, one of my aunts wrote out some of her favorite recipes as a gift, which set me to thinking: Special recipes are made because of love and caring. Handing them down gives a new generation the opportunity to do the same. 

So here is my recipe—along with all the love that goes into making it—for you to share with those you love.

Merry Christmas 

Sarah Richmond

New York Style Cheesecake

Line 10 inch spring form pan with graham cracker crust.  (Eight  graham crackers crushed and two tabl. butter.)

Four 8oz pkg cream cheese

Two cups sugar

Six eggs

One pint (16oz) sour cream

Two teaspoon vanilla 

Combine cream cheese, sugar and eggs. Then add sour cream and vanilla.

Cook 45 minutes at 375degrees in 10 inch spring form pan.

No peeking.  

Turn off oven and leave cheesecake in oven for one hour. Let cook and refrigerate. Leave in pan 24 hours for best serving results. Keep refrigerated.

·         If you mix by hand the cheesecake will be more dense. If you mix with a mixer, the higher the speed, the taller and less dense the cheesecake will be.  A tall cake will be more prone to crack on top. 

·         I have tried low fat cream cheese and low fat sour cream and they change the taste of the cheesecake.

·         Large eggs work best 

·         The quality of the vanilla will determine the taste! 

·         I have taken liberties with the graham cracker crust, using instead chocolate cookies or vanilla wafers.

 

 

Buy it now on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

 

Sarah Richmond

A MOST INELIGIBLE SUITOR

Montlake Romance

www.sarahrichmond.com

www.rose-adagio.blogspot.com

The Holiday Season is Upon Us

By Debra St. John

“The holiday season is upon us, hmn?” Ross to Rachel: F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Season 6 – The One Where Ross Got High 

I’m a big fan of the holiday season. For me it starts with Halloween. That’s the first holiday I get out boxes of decorations and completely do over the house and porch. It’s when the heat of summer fades to the chill of Fall and brilliant color appears all around. 

In the quote above, Ross was referring to Thanksgiving. On the show, the Thanksgiving episodes were some of the funniest and the best. There wasn’t always a Halloween episode, and there wasn’t always a Christmas episode, but there was always a Thanksgiving one. 

 

Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday. It’s often overlooked in the rush to get to Christmas, which drives me no end of crazy. But it’s such a cozy time when no one expects candy or presents. It’s simply a time to be with those you love. In An Unexpected Blessing (available now from The Wild Rose Press) my heroine, Katy, shares this view. When I wrote that story, it was with a plan firmly in mind to include all of the best things about the holiday. Lists of what we’re thankful for. Crisp autumn air and colorful foliage. Football games. And of course food. What would a Thanksgiving novella be without food?! I even included recipes in the back so readers can celebrate with the Roths.

 

 

Blurb:

Single Mom Katy Roth thinks life can't get any worse. In the past six months she's been let go at work, had to move back home with her parents, and found out her ex is cutting his child support payment. As Thanksgiving approaches, she finds little to be thankful for in a life that is quickly spinning out of control.

Joe Mason is the town's bad boy. Literally. He's just returned from a four year stint in prison. He wants nothing more than to put the past behind him and get on with his life. He’s had a secret crush on Katy since grade school, but when Katy’s parents hire him to be their handyman, she’s less than thrilled to have him around.

But soon, through her young son’s eyes, Katy discovers the good in Joe. As their feelings for one another deepen, small town gossip and prejudice threaten to ruin everything. Will Joe’s past come between them, or will they be able to get beyond it and hold onto a love neither expected?

Once Thanksgiving is done, then and only then is it time to celebrate Christmas. We don’t brave Black Friday, but we do transform the house into a Christmas wonderland that day after Thanksgiving. White lights get wound on the bushes in front and the tree in back. Two trees (one upstairs and one downstairs) go up. Ornaments we’ve gathered over the years grace the one upstairs and each one provides a memory. Everyday decorations get packed away and the Christmas ones come out. That night we watch our first holiday movie of the season. We usually start with Chevy Chase’s “Christmas Vacation”. The next Saturday is cookie baking day. Our favorites to make are the Hershey Kiss ones: generally three varieties: peanut butter cookie with milk chocolate Kisses, oatmeal cookie with caramel Kisses, and chocolate cookie with mint Kisses. Last year we also added chocolate-peppermint crunch. One of my favorite things of the season is wrapping presents. I think I have more fun wrapping gifts for others than opening my own. And those brightly wrapped packages look so festive beneath the tree. I always try to get my wrapping done as soon as possible so I can enjoy looking at the presents for as long as possible! Through it all Christmas music plays on the stereo. It was Kenny and Dolly’s “A Christmas to Remember” which inspired me to write my novella of the same name for The Wild Rose Press last year. For years I always pictured a story in my head while I listened to that song. I finally wrote it down.

Blurb:

Newly single, Heather Morgan gathers her courage and decides to take a Christmas ski vacation on her own. However, the festive holiday atmosphere reminds her how dispirited and alone she feels. When she meets a mysterious stranger, her lonely vacation takes an unexpected turn.

Sam is at the resort at the urging of his brother, who thinks he needs to get out and have a little fun. Having no desire to get involved with anyone, Sam needs a way to get his brother off his back. The intriguing Heather seems like the perfect solution to his dilemma, so he makes her an offer she can't refuse.

Sam restores the joy of the season to Heather. Their time together is magical, something she'll never forget. Soon her feelings for him deepen beyond their romantic holiday fling. But Sam has a secret, one that could prevent the fantasy from ever becoming real.

Below are two of my favorite recipes from the season: Cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving (featured in An Unexpected Blessing) and that Chocolate-Peppermint Crunch for Christmas.

Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

1 bag fresh cranberries

1 c water

1 c sugar

1 Macintosh or Rome Beauty apple (cut in pieces)

¼ t salt

Directions:

Rinse cranberries through a colander. Boil water and sugar. Add cranberries, apple, and salt. Boil about 10-15 minutes until cranberries are soft. Put mixture through a sieve until it’s the consistency of sauce. Let stand at room temperature about 15 minutes.

Chocolate-Peppermint Crunch

Ingredients:

14 chocolate graham crackers

¾ c unsalted butter, room temperature

¾ c light brown sugar

¼ t coarse salt

30 white chocolate peppermint bark squares – chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place graham crackers, sugared-side down, in a single layer with edges touching. Place butter, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and cook at a rapid simmer until mixture reduces and is bubbly and syrupy (about 2 minutes). Pour over graham crackers. Bake until bubbling (about 8 minutes). Remove from oven. Let cool 3 – 4 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped bark. Let cool completely. Break into pieces and serve.

Debra St. John writes spicy romance with sexy heroes and spunky heroines for The Wild Rose Press. An Unexpected Blessing is her fifth release. Although she’s a country girl at heart, she lives in a suburb of Chicago with her husband, who is her real life hero. You can find her at www.debrastjohnromance.com or blogging at http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com, http://heroineswithhearts.blogspot.com, or www.authorsbymoonlight.com.

Holiday Cheer - Chocolate Chip Cookies

By Anna Kathryn Lanier

Why is it that there are certain foods that we only fix during the holiday season? Fudge is one thing I only make at Christmas time, yet I love it...so why don't I fix it in July?  My family also likes pumpkin bread  (find the recipe HERE), but also, I seem to only make it at Christmas. Contrary to the fact that I post a lot of recipes on this blog, I am not really a big baker/cook.  But during the holidays, from Thanksgiving through New Year's, I bake, make and cook.  Since Saturday, my family has made: pumpkin bread, Mystical Christmas Bars, Oatmeal Candied Chippers, chocoate covered peanuts (find the recipe HERE), and Santa Hats (find the recipe HERE).  I've also put together some Country Six-Bean Soup Mix and plan to make some more 'mixes in a bag' for friends....and soon, since I need to mail some of them across country. 

What do you usually only make during the holiday season?  Be sure to leave a comment so you're eligible for the nook HD drawing and I'll give away a copy of A GIFT BEYOND ALL MEASURE. Scroll through the blurb and excerpt for a chocolate chip cookie recipe, yummy!
 

Blurb:

Arriving home for Christmas, the last thing Jacob Scott expects in his house is a sexy, shotgun-toting stranger. Worse, his attraction to her bothers him even more than the gun. Still reeling from the deception of his long-time girlfriend, he’s not looking for romance.

Tessa Jones has learned one hard lesson—when everyone in your life has failed you the only one you can trust is yourself. Facing the whispers of the townsfolk and an arson charge, Tessa unexpectedly finds herself trusting Jacob with more than her legal troubles.

Struggling between the promise of the present and the hurts of the past, can these two lost souls overcome their pain long enough to discover a gift beyond all measure?

Unedited Excerpt:

In all of her Christmases, Tessa couldn't remember a time when she'd baked cookies. If she left cookies for Santa, they'd have been store bought. Her mother was always too busy to bother with something as time consuming as cookie baking. And the group home didn't allow such activities. Someone probably would have burned the place down.

She was happy to let Jacob take control of the cookie making; it was his tradition after all. She satisfied herself with standing on the sidelines, handing him ingredients as he needed.

"Now, comes the important part," he said. "Putting them on cookie sheets. They have to be just the right sized balls, or they don't cook correctly."
She grinned. "Really? Do they taste bad?"

He nodded. "Yes, that's why you have to eat them before anyone else does. You don't want anyone to eat yucky cookies."

Laughing, they each filled a cookie sheet with dough. Tessa noticed that more than one of his cookies were not the same size as the others. He caught her looking and winked.

She turned back to her task and sighed. It almost felt normal to be doing this with him. For a brief moment, she had a flash of them doing it together in future years, perhaps with children of their own. Ah, Christmas wishes, the stuff dreams were made of.

Best to remember reality.

"You never answered my question," he was saying.

"What question?"

He finished his own sheet of dough and put both in the oven. "How did you end up in Spencerville? Most people leave Spencerville for a big city. They don't leave the big city for it." He set the timer and faced her.

With her back to the island, she leaned against it, her hands gripping the cool marble surface. "It wasn't meant as my final destination. I was heading to Washington with a classmate from my cooking school. He wanted to take the scenic route through Montana and Idaho. His car broke down just outside Spencerville. After we got it towed and looked at, we knew we didn't have the money to fix it. So, we got rooms in the boarding house and found jobs. I got hired on at Baxter's Diner. He got a job with the feed store."

Jacob raised a brow, but didn't ask any questions.

"We planned to stay until we got the money to fix the car, which we did in about two months. We were all set to leave town when I woke up one morning to find the car, our money and Bobby gone." She brushed flour off her sleeve. "So was the daughter of the feed store owner."

Trust me, he’d said. Ha!

"Bobby did leave me a note. Something about destiny and how he needed to follow it. He always was a little dramatic. Personally, I think it was just lust between him and Priscilla."

Jacob leaned against the counter near the sink and crossed his arms over his chest. "When was this?"

His hazel eyes held interest. In her? Unexpected warmth surged through her. She cleared her throat.

"Two years ago. Old Man Baxter took me back, since I’d quit my job in anticipation of leaving. I worked there until....well, last month."

"Did you love him?"

"Old Man Baxter? Hell, no." She cleared her throat, picked up the bowl and moved to the sink.. She knew who he meant.

His lips twitched as he moved out of the way. "No, did you love Bobby?"

"I don't think so." She put the bowl in the sink and rinsed it out.. "Mostly, I trusted him. I trusted he'd fulfill his promise and get me to Washington, to the new life we discussed."

"A new life together?"

His interest was getting too personal for her comfort. She glanced at the timer. Maybe he’d end the interrogation when the cookies were done.

"Not the way you’re thinking. He had family there, but we talked about getting a place together. He thought we were already living together and that living together meant …." She stopped. Good Lord, what was she doing? Jacob didn't need to know that about her.

He cocked his head. "Meant what?"

Having sex. She clamped her mouth shut and shook her head. Thankfully, the timer went off and she didn't have to answer. Hopefully, he'd drop the subject. Mercifully, he did.

True to his word, Jacob ate the cookies he'd made that weren't the right size. A bit of the lightheartedness returned when he did.

It was nearly ten when they finished washing the dirty dishes. She hid a yawn behind her hand.

"That was fun. Thank you, Jacob."

He stood a few feet from her, hands flat atop the counter. "No, Tessa, thank you. It helps to remember the traditions of the holiday."

A dizzying current raced through her, ending with a tingling in her stomach. She swallowed the desire rising in her breast. The desire to fling herself into his arms and beg him for a kiss like the day before.

"Well," she breathed. "I'm off to bed. I still have to get up at four-thirty."

Instead of moving toward the door, though, she stood where she was. Something in his eyes shifted. Her stomach did a flip. He stepped toward her, ran a finger down her cheek, smoothed his thumb over her lips.

"Merry Christmas, Tessa."

His lips brushed hers in a soft touch. She sighed and he pulled her closer, kissed her harder. He cupped her head as his tongue parried deep into her mouth. She suckled it, tasting decant chocolate chip cookies.

She clung to him, to the promise he held in his eyes, to the promise his mouth gave and for this moment she wanted to believe them.

Shaky fingers slipped the buttons of his shirt free, then smoothed over the hard planes of his chest. A deep groan escaped him when she brushed his nipple. She paused, then teased the nipple again, eliciting another groan. Joy erupted in her heart. She did that to him, little Tessa who nobody wanted.

A Gift Beyond All Measure - The Wild Rose Press

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 stick butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp water
½ tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
½ tsp baking soda
1 ½ cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup chocolate chips
½ cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven 350°. Mix together butter, sugars, egg, water and vanilla. Beat well. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Add oats, chocolate chips and pecans. Mix. Drop by the spoonful onto baking sheet and bake 12 to 15 minutes or until light brown.

Holiday Cheer - A Gingerbread Dog Biscuit Kind of Christmas

By: Carla Rossi

So, one sunny day I’m writing a short story for Pelican Book Group’s Holiday Extravaganza.  It’s a Christmas short story, and I’m all in to writing about the holidays – except that it’s 92 degrees and I’m wearing shorts and watching the heat rise off the driveway through my writing cave window.

And in walks a dog.

Let me back up.  I always knew this story would include animals.  I’m a pet lover from way back, and can’t put a single word on the page without Saber the Maine Coon Muse Cat sitting nearby.  When Dr. Noah and the Sugar Plum Fairy took root in my brain, I happily developed situations to include furry companions.

Now.  In walks a dog.

I say A dog because it’s not MY dog.  It’s my son’s dog.  But between flight school, job changes, and life events, Case the Cuddle Monster has spent more time with me at my house than he ever has with my son at his.  A rescue from Houston Area Doberman Rescue, Case has always been eternally grateful to have a safe home.  He was found wandering a country road – underweight, with burned and blistered pads from walking the on the hot concrete, and with a chain well on its way to being embedded in his neck.

So I’m writing my Christmas story…

And in walks a dog.

I’m like, “Hey there, Dog, I’m writing a Christmas story and this heat is making it hard to stay in the Christmas frame of mind.”

 

And he’s like, “Baking always does it for you... Do some Christmas baking.”

Then I’m all, “Brilliant idea, Dog!” 

So my heroine Jane got busy researching how to make homemade dog biscuits with a holiday theme, and Jane and Dr. Noah’s Gingerbread Dog Biscuits were born.  And let me just say these treats are yummy (Case says so) and make the whole house smell like Christmas. 

So in walks a dog.  And he’s eating Christmas cookies. 

Jane and Dr. Noah’s Gingerbread Dog Biscuits

3 cups whole wheat flour

1 ½ to 2 tablespoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ cup molasses

¾ cup water 

¼ cup canola oil  

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon and cloves until combined.

In a small bowl, stir together molasses, water, and canola oil. 

Pour molasses mixture into flour mixture. Stir until thoroughly combined.

Separate dough into manageable portions and roll out to ¼ to ½ inch thickness.

Use your favorite dog cookie cutter to cut shapes.

Lightly spray a baking sheet or use a baking stone.

Bake for 20 minutes. 

Cool completely on wire rack.

These dog biscuits will keep fresh in the refrigerator for several weeks. They also freeze well.  

Also from Dr. Noah and the Sugar Plum Fairy:

Sunny Trumbull’s Best Ever Sugar Cookies

 1 ½ cups sugar

½ cup shortening

½ cup butter or margarine, softened

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 ½ cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

Combine sugar, shortening, butter or margarine, eggs, and vanilla and beat at medium speed with an electric mixer.

Spoon dry ingredients together and add to creamed mixture. Mix well.

Chill for several hours or overnight. (Dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.)

Separate dough into portions and roll out to desired thickness—usually ¼ to ½ inch.

Cut out cookies.

Bake on cookie sheet or baking stone at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Remove cookies to wire rack to cool completely.

 Decorate as desired.

 

 

 

Blurb:  Dr. Noah and the Sugar Plum Fairy

Take one lonely veterinarian and one reluctant ballerina.  Add a dash of crazy family and a pinch of adoring pets.  Mix well.  What’s not to love about Christmas?

     College senior and not-so-ex-ballerina Jane Trumbull is home for Christmas break.  She welcomes the joyful chaos of a happy family holiday – then the rollercoaster of emotions begins.

     Veterinarian Dr. Noah Barron hopes his return to Texas and his new clinic will help him forget about his dark days in California.  But he can’t outrun unresolved issues and doesn’t know how lonely he really is – until he meets slightly clumsy Un-Plain Jane. 

     Can Jane and Noah learn to share who they really are and what they really want?  And can they allow God to send joy after sorrow, hope for hidden dreams, and healing for past wounds? 

Enter a comment to win a PDF copy of Dr. Noah and the Sugar Plum Fairy!

Buy links:

AMAZON:

http://tinyurl.com/ba4g8xc

NOOK:

http://tinyurl.com/a9ptngd

PELICAN BOOK GROUP:

http://tinyurl.com/at2vjao  

www.carlarossi.com

facebook.com/carlarossiauthor

Thank you, Anna Kathryn, for letting me stop by!