Old Family Recipe Cookbook And Thanksgiving Wishes

In honor of Thanksgiving this year, I have a special gift from me and several other Love Inspired Historical authors. It's a digital cookbook of favorite family recipes, with a heartwarming true-life story to accompany each recipe.

In the book you'll find everything from my very own banana pancake recipe to cabbage rolls to hunter's stew.

If you're interested in getting a copy of this book, please leave a comment below with your email address, and I'll be happy to send you a copy. I hope to eventually get this cookbook up on my website, where anyone interested can download it.

And now for what I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving: YOU. All of you wonderful blog readers who bless me with your presence and comments and positive spirits. Thank you for taking time to visit Making Home Work, and please take advantage of the cookbook.

Breakfast Casserole Recipe from Author Amber Stockton

We're back again today with author Amber Stockton, who has a delicious Breakfast Casserole Recipe to share. If you haven't stopped by our interview yet this week, Amber is giving away a copy of one of her novels. The contest ends Saturday, November 10 at midnight.



Breakfast casserole (can freeze and throw in the oven for 1 hour at any time)

1 package of hash brown potatoes or cubed/diced potatoes (frozen)
1 lb. of bacon or sausage chopped/diced (can substitute ham as well)
1 each of yellow, green, and red bell peppers, gutted and sliced into thin strips (optional)
1 lb. of shredded sharp cheddar
5 eggs broken and mixed
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Coat a 16x9 in. pan in nonstick spray. Dump in potatoes to cover the bottom and spread evenly. Sprinkle in the meat, bell peppers (optional), and shredded cheddar. Pour the eggs over top and add salt and pepper to taste. Bake in an oven at 375 for 45 minutes if ingredients are fresh, or 1 hour if casserole is frozen. Cool and serve.

*****

Colonial Courtships: My Novella (Trading Hearts): Jonathan Ingersoll is a successful merchant trader along the Great (Connecticut) River. When flooding forces him to take sanctuary in an unfamiliar inn along his route, he meets the innkeeper’s daughter, Clara Marie Preston. Immediately attracted to her shy, yet caring spirit and quiet faith, Jonathan makes a point to return. But animosity from her brother gives him pause. Learning the source of the resentment only spurs Jonathan to try that much harder to prove his worth. Doubts are cast upon his character, and his trade sales begin to decrease. When he tracks down the pirates who attacked Clara’s brother and sees justice served, things take a turn for the better. Finally, he can accept the full blessing for a union of marriage and make plans once more for the future.

"Hurried Mom's" Dinner Recipe from Carla Gade

We're back today with a quick, easy dinner recipe from Author Carla Olson Gade. Actually, she gave us two recipes. And I must admit, as easy as the second recipe is, the first just my style:

Stouffer’s Chicken Alfredo. Stick it in the microwave for 10 minutes and ta da! LOL!
 
Hurried Mom’s Dinner:
1 porkshop, 
2 peeled whole carrots (trim ends off, cut in half, slice down the middle), 
1 medium potato (cut in half). 

Wrap ingredients in aluminum foil and bake until done, about 30 minutes. Serve in foil, no plates needed.

Thanks for sharing those quick, easy ideas with us, Carla. I think every mom on the planet need a few of those back up meals in her arsenal (along with coupons for the local pizza place).

Don't forget we featured an interview with Carla Olson Gade on Monday, and we're giving away a copy of Colonial Courtships to one lucky commenter. If you haven't entered the giveaway yet, be sure to stop by and leave a comment. The contest ends on Saturday, October 27, at midnight.

Unexpected adventure has the four Ingersoll brothers rethinking their futures. But will it thwart their plans for good or bring about four colonial courtships? 

Carving a Future - Connecticut, 1753:  Ship figurehead carver Nathaniel Ingersoll has apprenticed for many years under his Uncle Phineas and hopes to become a master ship carver in his own right. Constance Starling was spirited away from England to the Connecticut coast as an indentured servant, arriving too ill for anyone to accept her. When Nathaniel takes pity on her, he purchases her contract. Has he jeopardized the future he has worked so hard to achieve for the welfare of a weakly servant?

Tips for cooking Stir Fry

Earlier this week, I introduced you to author Ruth Axtell and her newest book, Her Good Name. Ruth is back with us again today, sharing some tips for cooking Stir Fry:

Stir-frying helps me eat a wide range of vegetables. We’ve hosted a few Asian students in the past few years, and I’ve found they generally don’t eat raw vegetables (as in salad—something I eat a lot of). Instead, they eat barely cooked vegetables which are stir-fried. I don’t have any set recipe and use whatever vegetables I have on hand, or are in season. I’ll use cut-up chicken, pork or beef, or just tofu to make it meatless. The secret, I’ve found, is to use a lot of fresh garlic and ginger at the beginning. Sauté this in the oil, remove it before it burns, then stir-fry your meat, if using any; take it out before it becomes too dry; throw in your cut-up vegetables and stir-fry a few minutes. Then put the garlic, ginger and meat back in, sprinkle on soy sauce, salt & pepper to taste, and any red pepper flakes in you want it hot. AND, take it off the burner BEFORE it becomes overcooked. The secret also is to leave the vegetables crisp because they continue cooking a while even when you turn off the stove.

Yummy! I've never thought of using ginger in my stir fry before, but that sounds really good with the fresh garlic. Thanks for the tips, Ruth.

If you haven't dropped by my interview with Ruth Axtell, be sure to do so and enter the giveaway of Her Good Name, which ends Saturday, September 1, at midnight. Now here's a little more about our wonderful guest for the week:

Ruth Axtell knew she wanted to be a writer ever since she wrote her first story—a spy thriller—at the age of twelve. She studied comparative literature at Smith College, spending her junior year at the Sorbonne in Paris. After college, she taught English in the Canary Islands then worked in international development in Miami, Florida, before moving to the Netherlands, where for the next several years, she juggled both writing and raising her three children. In 1994, her second manuscript was a finalist in Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart competition. In 2002, her sixth manuscript took second place in the Laurie Contest of RWA’s Smoky Mountain chapter. The final judge requested her full manuscript and this became her first published book, Winter Is Past. Since then, Ruth has gone on to publish thirteen historical romances and one novella. Her books have been translated into Dutch, Italian, Polish and Afrikaans . Her second historical, Wild Rose, was chosen by Booklist as a “Top Ten Christian Fiction” selection in 2005. Ruth lives on the coast of Maine where she enjoys gardening, walking, reading romances and gazing at the ocean while plotting her next romance.

Introducing My Other Blog: Regency Reflections

Today I wanted to introduce you to a relatively new blog that I participate in. It's named Regency Reflections, and it exists for readers who like Inspirational Regency Era Fiction.

The Regency Era in fiction usually covers from 1800-1830 in British history. This has been a rather popular setting for romance novels in the general market. With authors like Julia Quin, Eloisa James, Mary Balogh, and Jo Beverly all regularly hitting the bestseller lists with their dastardly Regency heroes and sheltered Regency heroines.

The inspirational book market is starting to see more novels set in this time period as well. Julie Klassen's award winning Regency novels always seem to hit the inspirational bestsellers lists, and other authors such as Laurie Alice Eakes, Ruth Axtell Morren, Regina Scott, Mandy Goff, and Linore Rose Burkard are seeing success with their Regency novels as well.

Some of you may be wondering why an author with a book set during the French Revolution like Sanctuary for a Lady would be blogging with a bunch of Regency enthusiasts. Well, that's because the Regency Era is the closest popular setting I can find to the French Revolution.

France and England were anything but friendly during this time. In fact, the two countries warred from 1793 (during the middle of France's Revolution) until 1815 when Napoleon was defeated. So their are a lot of connections between England and France. Furthermore, if I'm able to keep writing novels about the Belanger family, they will soon find themselves caught in the midst of the Napoleonic Wars. I might even be seeing a British character or two on the horizon.

Today I'm blogging about Paris and British aristocrats and the Treaty of Amiens over on Regency Reflections. (Bet you never would have guessed I'd find a way to work something about France into my Regency blog!) I'd love for you to stop by, check out the blog, and meet some other great European fiction authors.

The Runaway Bride Smoothie Recipe from Author Noelle Marchand

On Monday we visited with Noelle Marchand, author of the newly released novel, The Runaway Bride. Noelle is giving away a copy of her novel to one lucky winner from Monday's post. So if you haven't stopped by to enter the giveaway yet, be sure to do so. In the meantime, here's a recipe to share:

The Runaway Bride Smoothie  



Ingredients:
1 ½  cups frozen strawberries
1 banana
6 ounce cup of raspberry yogurt
½ cup of cranberry-raspberry juice
 2 ounces of pineapple or orange juice

Directions:
1.    Place ingredients in blender.
2.    Blend until smooth.
3.    Serve and enjoy. Makes about 20 ounces.



Goodness, does this sound like the perfect summer treat. Thanks for sharing, Noelle!

The only husband Lorelei Wilkins ever wanted was Sean O'Brien, but she's wasted too much time waiting for him to love her back. When another man proposes, she accepts—until she stands at the altar…and realizes she can't marry without love. Bolting out of town toward a fresh start, she never suspected her parents would send Sheriff O'Brien to bring her home!

After an innocent mistake leaves Lorelei and her reluctant rescuer with compromised reputations, marriage is their only option. But first they must triumph over suspicious locals, shady characters, an inconvenient groom and the bride's own stubborn heart. Will it take putting their lives on the line for Sean and Lorelei to realize that only love can conquer all?

Interview and Giveaway with Author Noelle Marchand

I'm delighted to have one of my good author friends with us today, Noelle Marchand. Noelle's love of literature began as a child when she would spend hours reading beneath the covers long after she was supposed to be asleep. Over the years, God began prompting her to write. Eventually, those stories became like "fire shut up in her bones" leading her to complete her first novel at fifteen. Now, at the age of twenty-three, that fire of inspiration continues to burn.

Noelle is a Houston-native who graduated from Houston Baptist University in May 2012. She received bachelors degree in Mass Communication with a focus in journalism and Speech Communication. The Runaway Bride is her second published novel. (I reviewed it both on Making Home Work and on Amazon.) She will be giving a copy away to one lucky winner, so be sure to leave a comment below with your email address to be entered in the drawing.

I've put together a new list of interview questions that I'm very excited about for today. We'll be looking at things from a daughter's perspective and learning about the impact Noelle's parents had on her.

What decade were you born in, and what era do you remember growing up in? 

I was born in 1988, narrowly avoiding any memories of that decade. I guess I’m a millennial girl. I remember ringing in the new millennium with my family for the first minute or so then sitting down to wait for the world to grind to a halt. Thankfully, the Y2K scare was only that and we could drain the water from the bath tubs and giveaway some of our canned goods without fear.

Ah yes, I remember those stockpiles of canned goods. So glad we never ended up needing them! Where were you born?

I was born and raised in Houston, Texas—the land of skyscrapers and cowboys.

Hmmm... That's a fun combination to imagine. In fact, I think I'm getting the idea for another novel. :-) Share one of your favorite childhood memories.

When I was really young my Dad worked at home. Since I am the youngest, he would take me with him to drive my mom to work after my older siblings went to school. Afterward he’d take me to the park to feed the ducks and ride the miniature train, eat breakfast at a restaurant, or drive home and let me sit on his tummy to watch Barney. I loved having that special one-on-one time with my dad.

That sound so special. I'm really happy you were able to forge such a tight bond with him. Does your family take part in any traditions that you plan to continue in your own home one day?

Every year my sister and I take my mom to see a performance of the Houston Ballet for Mother’s Day. We all really enjoy it. It would be nice to do the same with my daughter(s) one day…assuming I have some. Lol.  

That sounds special as well. I certainly hope you're able to include your own daughter a few years from now. What do you enjoy most about your parents?

They are hilarious! My mom has a sly sense of humor while my dad’s is very in your face but they are both funny. They passed that trait along to all three of their kids. If you put all of us together in a room, there is bound an overabundance of jokes, hijinks, witticism, physical comedy and a lot of laughter.

After reading two of your novels, I can totally see that sense of humor in you! ***Warning to readers, be prepared to laugh if you pick up a copy of The Runaway Bride*** What’s the best life lesson your parents have taught you?

I can sum it up in two small words—have faith. Have faith in God. Have faith that His word is true, active, and powerful. Have faith that nothing is impossible for those who love Him and are called according to His purposes. Have faith that you can achieve every dream He places in your heart.

Oh Noelle! What a precious lesson to learn from your parents. You sound like you were really blessed with with an amazing mother and father. Now for one of the fun questions: What single chore did you hate more than any others? Why?

Folding. I hate folding. It feels like such a waste of time. I’m going to have to unfold the clothes to wear them soon anyway. I’d rather hang than fold. That’s all I’m saying.

You know, that's why I love my ereader. I download a book and put it on text-to-speech so that I can listen while I fold laundry. But unlike you, I'd rather fold than hang. How do you think your upbringing and the way your parents raised you prepared you to be a writer?

They never limited my creativity. They encouraged me to use my talents and didn’t force me to live my life in the box of their expectations. They also encouraged me to participate in and appreciate the Arts. I was constantly going to museums, listening to or singing a variety of musical genres, watching classic movies, taking dance lessons and checking out stacks of books at the library. 

And now your interest in books and creativity has morphed into you being an author. How cool is that! Thanks for being with us today, Noelle.

The giveaway will end on midnight on Saturday, July 28. To enter, leave a comment and email address below. Now here's a little more about The Runaway Bride:

The only husband Lorelei Wilkins ever wanted was Sean O'Brien, but she's wasted too much time waiting for him to love her back. When another man proposes, she accepts—until she stands at the altar…and realizes she can't marry without love. Bolting out of town toward a fresh start, she never suspected her parents would send Sheriff O'Brien to bring her home!

After an innocent mistake leaves Lorelei and her reluctant rescuer with compromised reputations, marriage is their only option. But first they must triumph over suspicious locals, shady characters, an inconvenient groom and the bride's own stubborn heart. Will it take putting their lives on the line for Sean and Lorelei to realize that only love can conquer all?

Overnight Sticky Bun Recipe from Author Sherri Shackelford

Since Author Sherri Shackelford is our guest this week on Making Home Work, I asked her to share one of her favorite recipes with us. All I had to do was glance at this one to know I'll be adding it to my file.

Sherri is giving a copy of her book, Winning the Widows Heart, to one lucky winner at the end of the week. If you haven't entered the giveaway yet, be sure to stop by Sherri Shackelford's Interview and leave a comment.

Overnight Sticky Buns

Ingredients:
1 Package Rhoads frozen dinner rolls (I use the 24 count package)
1 stick butter
½ cup brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Box non-instant butterscotch pudding (4-5 oz – the smaller package.)

Directions:
1. Melt together butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pudding.
2. Spray a bread pan or Bundt pan with Cooking Spray.
3. Place frozen rolls in pan evenly.
4. Pour butter mixture over the rolls. Place in a COLD oven.
5. DO NOT TURN ON. Leave overnight.
6. In the morning, turn oven to 350 F. (If the rolls puff over the top of the pan, just squish them back down.)
7. DO NOT PREHEAT OVEN and bake 20 minutes. (Can bake up to 30 min, depending on oven).
8. Turn over on platter. Watch them disappear! These are great for Christmas morning, or any holiday where the kids are out of bed at the crack of dawn!

*****

As someone who's rather challenged in the kitchen (particularly with any recipe involving yeast), I love that the sticky bun dough comes from the store and I don't have to make it myself. I've never seen a sticky bun recipe that calls for instant pudding either, but I can imagine it makes for a really moist topping. Has anyone else tried a recipe like this? It sounds delicious, Sherri! Thanks for sharing.

Now here's a little description about Sherri's debut novel, Winning the Widow's Heart:

When Texas Ranger Jack Elder stormed the isolated Kansas homestead, he expected to find a band of outlaws. Instead, the only occupant is a heavily pregnant woman—and she's just gone into labor. A loner uneasy with emotion, Jack helps deliver widow Elizabeth Cole's baby girl and can't get back on the trail fast enough. The robber and murderer he's after killed one of Jack's own, and he vows to catch the man. But when he returns to check on Elizabeth and her little one, he discovers that she may hold the key to his unsettled past—and his hoped-for future.

Interview and Giveaway with Author Sherri Shackelford

Hi Everyone!

I'm excited to introduce you to a very special guest today, Sherri Shackelford. I first mentioned Sherri to you earlier this month, when I told you of her debut novel, Winning the Widow's Heart (which I read and thoroughly enjoyed!). I met Sherri last summer, when both of our novels ended up finaling in the Genesis Contests, and now, a year later, we're both published authors. Oh the fun!

Sherri will be giving a copy of Winning the Widow's Heart to one winner, so be sure to leave a comment below if you're interested in the novel. Now here's a little bit about how Sherri balances her writing time and her family:

Tell me a bit about your family. How many children do you have, and if they still live at home, how old are they?

My husband and I have been married for almost fifteen years. We have three children: A girl – 12, a boy 11, and another boy 6.

Why did you choose to work from home rather than find a job elsewhere?
I actually work part time outside of the home while the kids are in school. I enjoy writing, but right now the habit barely supports itself! When the kids were little, it just made more sense to stay at home with them – the daycare costs were astronomical! Once my youngest went to school, I found a job for a few hours in the afternoon.

Wow! You must be super busy with a part time job plus writing. But I understand what you mean about daycare costing a fortune! Plus it's so nice to stay home with your little ones if you're able.What is the most challenging aspect of working from home while raising children?

Time management! That’s always a challenge. In the winter it works out fine, but in the summer I struggle between spending time with the kids and getting work done. Especially this June with the debut of my first novel. It’s been absolutely amazing – but incredibly time consuming.

Winnie Griggs and I put together a writing contract, and we’ve been keeping each other accountable. That helps.

Did you ever get your children involved with your home business? What advice would you give mothers thinking about having their children help with their business?

There’s really no way for them to be involved at this point – writing is such a solitary business. It’s funny, though – my daughter is an avid reader and I can’t even get her to read my book!

Oh goodness, I just know my kids are going to be like that one day! If you're married, what challenges did working from home present to your marriage, and how did you compensate?

My husband has always been amazingly supportive! Earlier this year, I had one of the moments where I thought, “forget this! I’m going back into marketing.” But he talked me down from the corporate ledge and kept me going. I truly owe my publishing contract to him. When life gets busy and I don’t get a chance to write, I get antsy. He can always tell and he’ll grab the kids and take them out for ice cream or a movie so I can get some work done. He’s an amazing man!

He sounds wonderful, and you're so blessed to have such a supportive man behind you. If you could start all over again, what would you do differently? What would you do the same?

I would have been born with more talent! Nothing takes the place of hard work, of course, but I’d love to be driven AND have talent. You read some authors and you just want to weep – they make it look so effortless.

I know what you mean, Sherri, and I try not to hate those other authors too much. But they do make me a little envious at times. Is it worth it? What keeps you home instead of having an outside career?

Honestly, only my career choice keeps me home! You don’t have to leave the house to write. I don’t think staying at home is a ‘right’ or a ‘wrong’ choice for anybody. There’s only a ‘better’ or ‘worse’ choice for your family. I often think my children would have benefited from the structure of daycare, but they did fine with me. And I’ve almost always had a part time job outside the house. It’s good for me to socialize with other adults – otherwise I lose my social skills!

Oh yes, I can totally relate to the feeling of loosing your social skills when you're home with your kids all day. Thank you for being with us Sherri! Sherri will be back on Thursday to share her Overnight Sticky Bun recipe with us. I don't know about you, but I'm salivating just thinking of that recipe. 


To enter the giveaway, be sure to leave a comment with an email address below. The giveaway will end Saturday, June 30, at midnight. Now here's a little more about Winning the Widow's Heart:

In the Care of the Lawman When Texas Ranger Jack Elder stormed the isolated Kansas homestead, he expected to find a band of outlaws. Instead, the only occupant is a heavily pregnant woman-and she's just gone in to labor. A loner uneasy with emotion, Jack helps deliver widow Elizabeth Cole's baby girl and can't get back on the trail fast enough. The robber and murderer he's after killed one of Jack's own, and he vows to catch the man. But when he returns to check on Elizabeth and her little one, he discovers that she may hold the key to his unsettled past-and his hoped-for future.

A Day in the Life of a Writer

With Sanctuary for a Lady having been released for about a month now, I keep fielding questions and hearing comments about what being a big, famous, published author must be like. So I thought I'd give you all a glimpse of my glamorous author's life.

1. It's not glamorous.
2. I'm not famous.
3. I'm not big. In fact I barely  reach 5'1.

I still scrub my own toilets and clean up my dog's vomit. I still play with my kids and help pick up their messes. And book contracts or not, I'm still interrupted from my computer activities. For example, since I've started writing this particular blog post, I think stepped away from the computer to tend to the kids four times. (Heaven forbid my husband who is currently sprawled across the couch get up and find spoons so my boys can eat some yogurt.)

While I might be able to endure distractions during writing a blog post, I can't handle distractions while writing scenes for my novel. So to find distraction-free writing time, I get up at 5:00 am to write. Then I get the kids around for the day, do housework, play, fix breakfast, lunch and sometimes dinner (my husband helps cook dinner certain days), and clean it all up.

On top of that, I try to sneak time for a second writing session while my youngest is taking his nap. Then I have emails to answer, blog posts to write, blog interviews to fill out, Facebook and GoodReads to swing by and chat on, and books to package, address and take to the post office.

I usually fall into bed around 8:00pm each night, completely exhausted. But I still take about an hour to read, so that I get some sort of break from the crazy, constant, motion of my life.

Would I trade my life? No. I love writing, I enjoy staying in contact with my writing friends and readers, I long to be a good mom to my children and wonderful wife to my husband. But these obligations keeps me very busy, working 14 hours most days.

Which is why I've decided to write only two blog posts per week rather than three. I enjoy each of you readers and look forward to connecting with you through my blog. The topics of mothering and balancing our other obligations are very dear to my heart, and this blog provides an opportunity for me to express that. But at the same time, as I look down the long road of blogging and realize that I'll be doing this for years to come (along with writing novels), three posts a week seems too much for me. Two posts appears a lot more sustainable over the next few years. And so I'll be switching to a Monday and Thursday blog schedule. Thank you all for understanding.

So, now that you know a little about my life, what's involved in being an author and mother, I'm curious about yours. Do you find yourself juggling multiple responsibilities? Are you the type to add too much to your plate, or not enough? How do you decide when to pull back or keep going?

Thanks so much for joining me today, and I'll be back again on Thursday.

Naomi