Counting Our Blessings

by Lisa Jordan, @lisajordan

As families and friends are gathering together around the U.S. to celebrate Thanksgiving, we'd like to take time to count our blessing beginning with our readers who read our books and share our stories. Without you, we wouldn't be able to write the stories that glorify Him and minister to others. So, thank you. We love you. We appreciate you. 

And here are other things we're thankful for: 

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I'm thankful for my darling grandchildren who are a constant light in my life.  I'm also thankful for the path my career has taken and all the people along the way who continue to bring me joy and support when I need it the most. -Tracey J Lyons 

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I am thankful every morning at the moment when I open my eyes because then I know God has given me a precious gift. Another day. Without the time to enjoy life, nothing else really matters. -Valerie Hansen

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Wishing everyone a blessed and happy Thanksgiving. I’m thankful for my dear family, for the extra time I’ve gotten to spend with my dad and for the many blessings the Lord has given me, including a wonderful career in writing, an awesome agent, Pam Hopkins and my talented and dedicated editor, Emily Rodmell. -Patricia Davids 

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I'm thankful for all the blessings in my life, especially my family and my new son-in-law! -Laura Scott 

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I'm thankful for the miracle of words. They are literally my lifeline. I would not be me without them. And to all the readers who love words too! -Sherri Shackelford

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I give thanks to God for all His blessings...for the gift of life...for the gift of my wonderful husband, my beautiful children and grandchildren...for extended family...for dear friends and for wonderful readers who are the reason I write. I am so very grateful! I pray this season of gratitude will be filled with joy and love and laughter for all of us! Happy Thanksgiving! -Debby Giusti

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This year I’m particularly thankful for those who were called to be eye specialists, joints specialists and back specialists because hubby and I have needed all three recently and we’re so blessed to have been cared for. Blessing to all and have a Happy Thanksgiving. -Lorraine Beatty   

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I'm thankful for my Mom. I feel incredibly lucky to still have her in my life when so many of my friends have lost their mothers. -Christa Sinclair

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So many things to be thankful for, but I'm especially thankful for our freedom to worship where we wish and to write the books we desire. I'm thankful for my family and friends who support me with their love and encouragement.  -Lisa Jordan

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Heart, home, and faith have always been important to Lisa Jordan, so writing stories with those elements come naturally. Represented by Rachelle Gardner, Lisa is an award-winning author for Love Inspired, writing contemporary Christian romances that promise hope and happily ever after. Her newest book, Season of Hope, releases in March 2019. She is the Operations Manager for My Book Therapy. Happily married to her own real-life hero for almost thirty years, Lisa and her husband have two grown sons. When she isn’t writing, Lisa enjoys family time, kayaking, good books, and playing in her craft room with friends. Visit her at lisajordanbooks.com.

Gathering Together by Jo Ann Brown

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Not only is it the official kick-off to the holiday season (and has football on throughout the day!), but it focuses on two things I really love—family and feasting. Oh, and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, whose ending has always been the signal to put the turkey in the oven. I can’t forget that!

Our family has a long tradition of getting together for Thanksgiving. When I was younger, my mother’s parents and her older brother always joined us to share the meal. Or almost always. One year when I was in high school and we lived about ten miles from my grandparents, we got more than 30" of snow overnight on Thanksgiving Eve. At our house, we had the turkey and all the fixings. At my grandmother’s house were the desserts. My dad tried a couple of times to get out to pick them up, but the roads hadn’t been plowed yet, so he had to turn around. We got together for leftovers and lots of laughs the next day.
Another year, after I was married and had children of my own, we’d planned to get together with one of my sisters, her family and her in-laws. All went according to plan until my mom ended up in the ICU and my dad (who by then worked for the town) was called out to plow another three feet of snow. Mom got better, and Dad was able to stop in the house for a quick meal with us—including some pie, of course. We had extra reasons to be grateful that year.
The years have passed, and my family has scattered to live over almost 1500 miles apart from the farthest north to the farthest south. We all get together on occasion, but that doesn’t happen too often. That’s why last year, my son and some of his cousins decided to take matters into their own hands. They put out the word that they wanted to have a family reunion this year in the town where my dad lives (and where I grew up).

They put a lot of time into the plans, coordinating who would stay where and who would do what. Early on, we decided to have the meal catered and hold it at the membership hall of the church my dad attends (which is just around the corner from his house). That would give us access to two kitchens. The invitations went out through word of mouth and social media, and everyone got really excited. We may be missing two members of the family because of work obligations, but the rest plan to be there. The gathering of the food (of course, we need extra pies and other goodies) and the division of who will be bringing what has gone smoothly.
And this is what I love most about Thanksgiving. Being with family and catching up on new and old news. Gasping about how big the kids have grown since the last time we saw them. Discussing and debating sports teams and their chances next year. Starting so many sentences with, “Oh you remember [Fill in the name]. She (or he) was in school two years before you and...”
Oh, did I mention that we’ll be five generations strong? We’re looking forward to being together and each of us is thankful to have the chance to share hugs and a meal...and of course, pie!

Be Grateful

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, I find I always have much in which to be grateful. Good music, my pets, my writing and, of course, my family and faith.

This week on the Love Inspired Authors and Readers Group on Facebook, I am sharing more about my favorite things and chatting with other readers and authors about theirs. If you are on Facebook, I hope you’ll come join us. It’s a very active group and great fun. You can find us here:

LOVE INSPIRED AUTHORS AND READERS GROUP

I do hope you'll join us, but whether or not you’re on Facebook, I’d love to know what you’re thankful for this year. Happy Thanksgiving!

Look for Deb Kastner's Christmas novel on the shelves starting November 20th or preorder here.

Haven't become a Deb's Daydreamers VIP and joined my newsletter yet? What are you waiting for? Sign up HERE.

From Us to You: Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing you and yours a blessed Thanksgiving. I pray for a joyful day for you and your family.

Janet Lee Barton

Janet's outside fall decorating

As we pause to give thanks to our Lord for all His goodness to us, Joe and I are wishing you and your loved ones a most blessed Thanksgiving and holiday season. Eat lots of turkey. Happy Thanksgiving!

Deb Kastner

Wishing everyone a warm and blessed Thanksgiving. I pray you'll embrace this
special time with family and create memories to last a lifetime. Happy
Thanksgiving. 

Lorraine Beatty

Hope your pecan pie is the best and that every family member takes home laughter and good memories as well as leftovers.
Pamela Tracy

Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving with much joy! 
Louise M. Gouge

I'm thankful for the deepening relationship with God. This has changed how I look at life. It helps me to deal with difficulties. I'm thankful for my family and friends. Life is meant to be shared with others and to relish the moment. I'm thankful I can work at a job I love. And I'm thankful for my readers. 

Margaret Daley

 Many wishes for a blessed Thanksgiving and a peaceful holiday season.
Mindy Obenhaus

Wishing you a blessed day with friends and family. Happy Thanksgiving from the Tippens family!
Missy

Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours. May the day be blessed with the fellowship of loved ones and the joy of sharing the abundance Our Lord has given us.
Jean C. Gordon

Thanksgiving food at Jean's

I wish you all a wonderful holiday with food, family and a thankful heart. From my home to yours!
Patricia Johns

I hope you have enjoy the blessing of time with family, friends and all the tasty Thanksgiving treats you can hold!
Dana Mentink

Dear readers, I wish you a blessed Thanksgiving with family and friends. May love and laughter flow.

Christine Johnson

It is my hope that all of you have a wonderful, blessing and grateful Thanksgiving. God Bless You All!

Barbara Phinney 

I am so thankful for all of you who had taken the time to read my debut. I wish you bountiful blessings, time with family and friends, and a true feeling of gratitude.

Cate Nolan

May the Lord bless you and keep you on this Thanksgiving. I hope that everyone enjoys time with their family and friends. And that you eat some pumpkin pie. Happy Thanksgiving!

Rachel Dylan

This Thanksgiving, I hope you all are able to take a break from the rush of the holiday and spend some time being thankful. We have so much to be thankful for, and I’m incredibly thankful for all of our wonderful readers.
Danica Favorite 

 I pray that your table is full of treats and your house full of loved ones. Holidays can be very hard, and if that is your situation this Thanksgiving, I pray comfort for you, sweet friends, from the One who knows our pain and loves us through it.
Dana Mentink

 I'm thankful for the freedom to write stories about faith, hope and love. I'm thankful for readers and for my writing family. And I'm thankful for the gift of family, friends and faith :)
Lenora Worth :)

This Thanksgiving I’m so thankful for my family and the many blessings I have. I’m thankful for our readers, and I wish each of you a blessed Thanksgiving filled with love and thankfulness.

 Merrillee Whren

 As I look around our troubled world this Thanksgiving, I thank God for Jesus, for a close knit family, and for peace in my small corner of the world. Wishing you the peace of God, the joy of love, and the ability to eat all the yummy food you want without gaining one pound! (The first two are possible. Number three, well, just eat and enjoy anyway!)
Linda Goodnight

Wishing all of you a joyous Thanksgiving! I hope you'll be with family and friends and that you can look back on the year full of gratitude. I'm grateful for all the wonderful folks who visit this blog, who read Love Inspired Books, who are friends on Facebook...for all of YOU! You brighten my world.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Debby Giusti

Thanksgiving wish: May your time of thanksgiving be blessed with love and laughter and the light of Jesus.
Terri Reed

 Wishing my fellow Americans a blessed time of gathering with loved ones. May your prayers be overflowing with so many grateful recollections of blessings the past year has held that your feast is in danger of growing cold.
Keli Gwyn

What's your favorite thing about fall.... Lenora Worth

It's that time of year. The time where Christmas decorations start popping up right after school starts. We have Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, usually in that order but lately things are getting a little confusing. It's like Valentine's Day with Mardi Gras thrown in. Beads or Chocolate?

What is your favorite thing about fall?

I don't like to rush things so I truly wish retailers would go with the order of things. Plenty of time to put out Halloween things after the back-to-school-rush. And let's enjoy Thanksgiving before we dive into standing in line for bargains to put underneath the tree. This can be the most wonderful time of the year if we celebrate at the right time of the year.

But not to worry, fall is still magical and wonderful and part of the process that God put on the calendar that week he created the earth. Spring--things are reborn, Summer--things get a little world-weary and warm. Fall--things turn golden and misty and the earth reclaims the leaves from the trees. Winter--a big chill makes us long for blossoms and sitting on a green hill. It's a system that works if we just allow each season to have it's very own reason. So in honor of how the four seasons are set up I'm going to share some pictures of nature and it's bounty today. In case you missed Summer because you were searching for pumpkins and in case you missed fall because you were knee-deep in Christmas decorations! Enjoy: These moments are brought to you by God! His world is amazing :)



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This last one is a reissue of one of my Christmas favorites from 2009!

Had to get in a book cover, of course!

 



Grandma's Cookbook

Hello all! Christine Johnson here today on the eve of the U.S. holiday of Thanksgiving. I love this holiday because it's all about food and family (and American football). What's not to love?

Holiday food is especially poignant because it brings back taste memories. My mom's sweet potatoes and mincemeat (actually mince-fruit) pie instantly transport me to Thanksgivings past. Christmas comes with a load of food memories. One I can still taste today is my grandma's plum pudding.

Educational Point #1 - Traditional pudding does not come in a box. For those of us who grew up in the Jello generation, this kind of pudding is a rich and moist cake. 

When I began writing this November's book, Legacy of Love, I wanted the heroine to attempt to make my grandma's plum pudding. To portray this accurately, I needed the recipe. So I asked my mom if she had it. She didn't, but she remembered my grandma saying it included suet. Suet? I instantly thought of the blocks of greasy birdseed that we put out for the birds in the winter. That wonderful moist cake included birdseed?

Educational Point #2 - Suet doesn't have to have birdseed in it. Apparently it's fat rendered from beef, as opposed to fat from pork, which is called lard.

Though I figured that out, I was no closer to the actual recipe. After extending the search, one of my aunts not only had the recipe, she had the whole cook book! 

 

 

Here is the very page with the recipe, from the Modern Priscilla Cook Book from 1924. As you can see, it's very well-used. It's also called plum duff, though Grandma always called it plum pudding. She served the pudding with hard sauce, so called because of its texture. The firm butter and sugar sauce would melt on the warm pudding. Oh yum, I'm getting hungry! Maybe I should make it. Then I read the recipe.

 

Educational Point #3 - Older recipes can be less than precise.

 

First, the cook needs to mix a lot of dried fruits and nuts into the suet and let "ripen" for a week. Okay. How does one "ripen" fruit and nuts in fat? I suspect it does not involve a refrigerator. Cooking also involves steaming in molds for four hours at an unknown temperature. How? Alas my grandma didn't leave any notes in the margin for future generations, but she did tuck into the cook book a modern photocopy of an English Plum Pudding recipe with more detailed directions. Though I can understand this recipe more easily, it lacks the charm and simplicity of the 1924 version. My heroine, a novice cook, might have produced a perfect plum pudding instead of the catastrophe that summoned the hero to make a food rescue.

 

For me, Christmas will always recall the taste of my grandma's plum pudding. What special taste memories do you have for the holidays?



The Loner's Thanksgiving Wish by Roxanne Rustand

How exciting to have Mei Clayton, the heroine of The Loner's Thanksgiving Wish, visit with us today! This book, written by Roxanne Rustand, is a November 2011 release from Love Inspired Romance.

1. Mei, tell me the most interesting thing about you.

As a child, I was adopted and brought to America by a rural physician and his wife. I was so blessed to be given endless opportunities in this wonderful country, to pursue an education and reach my dreams. But being adopted into the Clayton family wasn't all roses and sunshine. Coming to terms with my past, healing old emotional wounds and finally becoming a happy, well-adjusted adult has been a lifelong process. Now, I understand so much more about the complexities and conflicts in my family, and can fully embrace my life. The saying about needing to love yourself before you can love others is so true.

2. What do you do for fun?

People laugh in disbelief when I say this, because I look more far more fragile than I am, but I love rock climbing up in the mountains and long distance hikes on my favorite trails.

3. What do you put off doing because you dread it?

I actually have put off coming back to my home town for years. I don’t have a lot of happy memories of my childhood. My grandfather openly disliked me, my cousins always seemed distant, and I never felt I really fit in anywhere until I went away to college.

4. What are you afraid of most in life?

Has that ever changed! I used to be terrified of standing in front of people--I could barely speak, I was so shy. But I love kids and I found that I love teaching, and now that fear is gone. Becoming an adult made a difference as well. I no longer worry about what people think of me, and have much more confidence.

5. What is the most important thing to you?

That has changed a lot too, especially recently. I used to take my faith for granted--going to church was just something I did now and then, because I was "supposed to." Now my faith is far more personal and is a big part of my life. I find my life is enriched in so many ways by making it a priority.

6. Do you read books? If so, what is your favorite type of book?

I'm an avid reader. Fiction, non-fiction, news magazines--but my favorite books are romantic suspense.

7. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I look back, and when I felt like I didn’t really belong anywhere and thought some of the townsfolk were being judgmental about me, I was actually being judgmental about them. I made false assumptions and withdrew before giving people a chance. Now that I'm back in my hometown, I've been working hard to change.

8. Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?

I have a giant, fluffy dog named Moose, and for good reason!

9. If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?

I would love to travel back in time to the cowboy days here in Colorado. Not for a long stay, but long enough to visit with the amazing strong, resourceful women who helped settled this rugged part of the country. Today, we stew about traffic jams and minor inconveniences. Those women faced life and death situations all the time.

"Ask Elnora" Becomes "Lyn Asks"-Share Your Thanksgiving Highlights

Our sweet Lenora is away due to family matters. And she asked me to take over for today! I guess she thinks that over the 15 years we've been friends that I've absorbed all her Elnora vibes!

But did I need them? I told my husband very early in our marriage that I was practicing for when I was a grouchy old lady. One day, he told me to stop practicing, I didn't need anymore! :-)

That same sweet husband is always my Thanksgiving feast helper. He begins by dicing up the dried bread for stuffing. Then he minces the onions and celery for said stuffing. (Or do you call it "dressing?" Either's delicious to me.)

My dh does this because I am a tearer of bread and he likes it cubed the way his grandmother did it. As long as he dices, I'm good with it!

Now I'm going to share my recipe for Slow Cooker Stuffing. My husband lives for turkey and dressing and I must have plenty of leftovers. I can't stuff enough into the bird--even if I get one that weighs in over 25 lbs.

Here's the link to the recipe at allrecipes.com

Now I am constitutionally INCAPABLE of making most recipes without fiddling with them. So I don't add the parsley, mushrooms or marjoram. But the rest works well. I get raves and have tons leftover without tying up the oven.

Do you have a Thanksgiving feast helper?
Or a recipe you'd like to share?
Do you call it dressing or stuffing or both???

DO TELL!!


BTW, the link to the giveaway in the right column is http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/16640-holiday-hideout
Nearly 300 readers have already signed up for the giveaway!

We're Thankful for Readers

November is the month for Thanksgiving. Here on the Craftie site, we're especially thankful for readers. So, let's celebrate one.

Welcome, Julie! Tell us a little about yourself.

Let’s just say I am an early bird eclectic. I got married at 19 to my own personal hero and had my children early too. I have a microbiology degree from NC State and later went back to school to earn my Masters from Duke University’s Divinity School. This is a problem during ACC basketball season. I have worked in a laboratory, run a Vacation Bible School for five hundred children, consulted on a website for senior citizens and their caregivers, pastored a church building a sanctuary, and worked for a cancer focused non-profit. I once said, “if I don’t do anything after 40, I will still have had a full life.”

These days I am a card and paper artist, volunteer for an organization rearranging cast-off flowers and makes new arrangements for those in need, and am a very young “Grandma Juju.” I love my life and all the time I have to read, write, and create.

How did you discover Love Inspired Romance and how long have you been reading them?

Seven years ago, my mother died unexpectedly. It was life changing event in ways both big and small. I decided I needed to read for entertainment more but picked up a couple of books with surprise unhappy endings. [Spoiler Alert: I could show you the wall dents from when I threw Cold Mountain and My Sister’s Keeper across the room.] So I decided to try romance books because I heard they came with guaranteed HEAs!

I credit Linda Goodnight and Victoria Bylin for getting me reading inspirational romance. When I began glomming romance, I found myself drawn to contemporaries and historical westerns. I read everything Linda and Vicki had written. Then I noticed they also wrote for Love Inspired. Truthfully, I was leery about inspirational romance. How could someone combine stories about faith and love? Would they be sappy, too simplistic, too “religious” or not enough? But I was thrilled! What a wonderful discovery Love Inspired and its community of authors have been for me. Of course, I may be one of the only folks who writes to an LI author saying how “theologically sound” I find their books - in addition to being wonderful love stories.

What is your favorite Love Inspired Romance? Why?

Nope, not going to answer that one. Don’t ask me which child is my favorite either! I read more contemporary and historical than suspense. I have my favorite authors but specifically buy the new authors as they debut. I believe it is a calling to support and encourage inspirational authors in all the sub-genres out there.


What are you reading today?

Just finished Pamela Nissen’s Rocky Mountain Homecoming and Renee Ryan’s Courting the Enemy. Now I am enjoying Pamela Tracy’s Once Upon A Cowboy. (Disclaimer: I was reading Pamela’s book before she asked me to do this interview.) I don’t read a lot of the suspense LI books but I may have to glom her mysteries now.

Do you write, also? If so, tell us what you’re working on?

I have been a writer since I was little. In addition to sermons, I used to write devotionals and essays for a national publishing house. I have always written from “the other point of view.” These days, my writing friends are encouraging me to explore fiction. I am fleshing out some stories including an idea about a woman who finds herself fingered as a former “other woman,” affecting her new faith and relationship with a possible love interest. My friends have said if anyone could make folks see her side of the story, it would be me. We will see.

Besides the Craftie Ladies, tell us two or three other Blogs you like to visit and why.

I visit www.seekerville.blogspot.com for their writing tips and encouragement of newbie writers. I love www.petticoatsandpistols.com for their always interesting background on the Old West. Don’t get me started on all the wedding blogs I am reading getting ready for my daughter’s wedding in October.

What are you three favorite books of all time (I know, hard to narrow it down). Tell us, what spiraled them to the top of your list? What did the author do that won you over?

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott taught me about the writer’s longing to write but I wonder if it was really my “first” romance book. The young loves and adventures of the sisters were described with great detail and written with warmth, humor and pathos.

Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer introduced me to characters that were not glamorous but tugged at my heart. The Depression and WWII setting was so vividly described. Authors who are painstaking about details are put on my auto-buy list.

I read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens each year on my birthday in December. A tale of redemption, lost love, found hope, and a carefully entertaining commentary on the state of society at the time.

Anything else you'd like to add?

If any of the Love Inspired authors have ever wondered if they “make a difference,” they do! I can’t tell you the number of times I have picked up a Love Inspired book and the scripture verse, story line or something a character says jumps out at me, lifting me up and encouraging me. Thank you all.

Thanksgiving Traditions and Trivia

Hi all, Winnie Griggs here. I know it's a bit early to be thinking about Thanksgiving, but this month, my first ever novella, Home For Thanksgiving, released. It’s part of a 2-in-1 in a holiday themed anthology titled Once Upon A Thanksgiving. And in honor of it being a Thanksgiving story, I thought I’d share a few bits of trivia and fun facts about this very special holiday.

Contrary to popular belief, the first recorded Thanksgiving in America was NOT celebrated at Plymouth Rock. Instead, after the pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock they decided to travel further south to set up their colony and ended up in the Cape Cod area, where the famous feast eventually took place.

That first Thanksgiving celebration lasted for 3 days.

Though celebrated widely, if intermittently, since the time of the pilgrims, Thanksgiving was not declared a national holiday until 1941.

When astronauts Aldrin and Armstrong prepared their first meal to eat on the moon, their foil food packets contained turkey.

91% of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving day. That translates to about 675 million pounds of the tasty fowl.

In addition to family gatherings and lavish meals, the most widespread American Thanksgiving traditions is watching football and watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. By the way, the first of these parades took place in 1924 and was first shown on television in 1939.

As for the traditions my family celebrates, there’s always a big family gathering, this year it’ll be at my home. We join hands and go around the circle with each person giving thanks as they feel led. Foods include the standard fare such as turkey, ham, cornbread dressing, deviled eggs, and sweet potatoes. We’ll also have gumbo, shrimp dressing, and whatever new dish any of a half dozen relatives feels led to try. And, oh my, the deserts!!

So what about you - how do you celebrate Thanksgiving and what are your own traditions?

His goose was cooked by Pat Davids

November is here and Thanksgiving is so close I can smell the turkey roasting. Except, this year I'll be in Cancun Mexico for a wedding instead of chowing down on my favorite pumpkin pie and whipped cream. I know, poor little me. Boo hoo.

Anyway, I thought I'd talk about one of my special Thanksgiving memories. After more than fifty years it's hard to pick one Thanksgiving memory out of so many wonderful ones, but I got a chuckle thinking about this one and thought I'd share it with you.

My brothers, all four of them, were hunters. Pheasant, duck, quail, goose. You name it. If it had a season they shot it. One day, just before Thanksgiving, my brother Mark came in with two big geese. Now geese in the wild aren't like the ones that live here in the city and beg for bread crumbs in the park. Bagging a goose takes skill and luck and Mark had TWO.

Thanksgiving was at our house that year and Mom decided to cook the geese instead of the usual turkey. I admit they smelled good as they roasted throughout the morning. When everyone was assembled at the table, my mother brought them in. My brother Mark watched with pride as his trophies came to the table. After cautioning everyone to watch out for buckshot, mom carved them up.

My grandpa, as the oldest, got the first piece. He took a bite and nearly pulled his dentures out. After mulling his mouthful for a while, he gulped and looked at Mark. "You didn't shoot these.""But I did," Mark insisted. By this time we were all trying to eat the tougher-than-boot-leather birds and not having much success.

"Nope," said Grandpa, pushing his meat to the side of the plate. "This one died of old age when your gunshot scared him to death."We all laughed but I did feel bad for Mark and my mom. Thank goodness there was plenty of side dishes to go around and plenty of pumpkin pie to fill us up. No one when away hungry, but goose was never on the menu at our house again.

I invite you to share a less than perfect Thanksgiving memory. I'm sure you've had one or two.

Already Thinking Thanksgiving! A Must-Have Recipe!

Lyn Cote here! I'm already thinking Thanksgiving. And I wanted to share a must-have recipe if you're like me and have a husband who LOVES stuffing! I do stuff the bird but then I make a crockpot full of stuffing so I have some for leftovers. Also I only have one oven and usually the turkey takes up all the room in my oven.
So here's the recipe:

Crockpot Stuffing
1/3 c butter or margarine
1 c chopped onion
1 c chopped celery
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sage
1/4 tsp thyme
6 1/2 c dry bread cubes
1 can cream of chicken soup with enough water to equal 2 cups liquid OR 2 cups of chicken or turkey broth
1 egg, well beaten
Saute onions and celery in butter around 7 minutes. (Personally I don't. I like my veggies al dente)
Combine all ingredients. Add egg last. Pour mixture into crockpot, cover, cook on high for 45 minutes and then low for 5-8 hours. Adjust liquid in accordance with dryness of bread cubes.
For large recipe, 13-14 cups, double all ingredients except soup or broth.

Hope this helps! How do you make stuffing or dressing? Anybody like cornbread or with raisins or craisins?

Happy Thanksgiving

In two days we celebrate Thanksgiving. My little family unit will be going to a family friends house where we'll have a combnation of the all American turkey (we're in charge of the bird) and an Irish dinner of corned beef and cabbage (the host is making). Other guests will be providing the side dishes. It should be a fun filled day. A day that I'll hopefully remember because I have no recollection of last year's Thanksgiving. Last fall I had a major medical emergency and was in and out of the hosptial or loopy on drugs from the beginning of October to about April. Needless to say the most importand thing I'm thankful for this year is--- I'm here.
What are you thankful for?

Thanksgiving and the Internet

Merrillee here. During this time of year, at least in the United States, we are thinking about being thankful. Thanksgiving is a time to count our blessings. I have many--too many to lists them all. The most important are my faith and my family.

But as a writer, I'm so very thankful for the Internet. Research has become much easier because of the information found there. I can find out hundreds of things just sitting in my chair. For the book I'm working on now, HOMETOWN PROPOSAL (the second book in my Kellerville series), which will be out in August 2010, I've used the Internet to find out about people who work on cruise lines. That is part of my hero and heroine's back story. I've researched things about Cincinnati, Ohio, and the surrounding area because my book is set in an imaginary town in southeastern Ohio close to Cincinnati. I lived in this area over thirty years ago, but I needed more up-to-date information.

There is a two-and-half-year old girl in the story. I needed information about how a child of that age would be talking. There is a site on the Internet for that. I researched toys for children that age. I learned about parade floats because my hero and heroine ride on a float in the town's Fourth of July parade. The heroine's father loves Karaoke, so I studied Karaoke machines and found dozens of songs that my characters could sing.

My hero is in a car accident and breaks his leg. I needed to learn about broken legs. Did you know there are Internet sites where people share their broken leg stories? My characters play wiffle ball on several occasions, so I looked up information about wiffle ball. This was the most entertaining site I found. A guy tells the story of how he came to have a wiffle ball stadium in his yard. I love this story. You can find the story by going to www.youtube and searching for wiffle ball.

What are some of the things you are thankful for? Do you have any interesting Internet sites that you have found?

Hello, it's Lenora. Fall is finally here. The leaves are falling in my yard and the morning's are crisp and cool. I love spring and summer, but there is something magical about fall. Pumpkins and hay bales and turkeys roasting in the oven or being fried in a big pot. Stuffing, or dressing, as we call it in the south. Thanksgiving.
This is what fall means to me. One of the best things about fall is watching my Thanksgiving cactus bud and bloom. My mother gave me the first clipping for this plant when I got married almost 35 years ago. It has traveled with me each time we've moved. It took a while for my tiny clipping to produce blooms but when it did, I was delighted. My mother died when I was in my twenties, so each time my cactus blooms I think of her. Sometimes, it waits until Christmas to bloom. And a few times it decided to hold out until Easter. But I can always count on it to make me smile and feel better. My cactus loves filtered light and big windows. And the funny thing, each house we've lived in has had big windows in the living room so the plant had thrived in each of our homes. This plants also reminds me that no matter where I live, God is always there with me, shining through in the sun and in the changing seasons. My pretty cactus offers up a bit of God's beauty to enjoy, a bit of surprise and awe to teach me about life, and a bit of hope that each new season will bring new blessings. And each bloom reminds me of my mother's love for her children. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. I appreciate our many readers and I appreciate being able to write the kind of love stories that also surprise and bless me.

Thanksgiving Recipe and Stories of Strong Women

This is my first posting on this new blog. I'm excited to have another chance to talk to the faithful readers of Love Inspired Romances. I was fortunate to have my very first book, Never Alone, come out in the first year of the Love Inspired line which has grown so much with the support of faithful readers like you.

Now first, I was to give you an inexpensive and easy coffee cake for Thanksgiving (or Christmas) morning that you can make ahead.

It's adapted from a recipe I watched Paula Deen make on her TV show.

Easy Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
Ingredients
3 tubes of refrigerator biscuits
1 tube or 1 8 0z package of cream cheese
3/4 cup ground pecans ( the nut of your choice)
Cinnamon Sugar
1/3 cup melted butter (Paula Deen can't cook without butter!)

Now this is what is called a tease. Today I'm also launching my first ever personal blog, titled "Strong Women, Brave Stories" and I'm going to post the rest of the recipe on www.LynCote.net

And a story about my first strong woman in my life, my mom.
Didn't you always suspect that I was a big tease?