Kate Lloyd's Blog, page 4

Soup Weather Giveaway

The rain is pattering on the roof of the house, the wind is blowing leaves through the streets and thanks to Daylight Savings Time, the sun set today at 4:32 p.m. Welcome to Fall in the Pacific Northwest. And yes, I do welcome Fall. It’s my favorite season, that time of year when hot cocoa becomes my afternoon treat, my slightly worn, super comfortable sweaters come out of the closet, leaves crunch underfoot as Piper and I go on our walks, and things slow down a bit from the activity of summer.

Fall also has my favorite holiday of the year, Thanksgiving. No presents or extravagant decorations, just a celebration of food, family, friends and traditions. I grew up watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade from my Grandmother’s apartment on Central Park South. One year my husband and I took our sons to New York City to watch the parade in person. We nearly froze but it was so much fun!

I continue to work on developing the habit of giving thanks, with morning journaling of the many things I have to be grateful for. It sets the right tone for my day, making me happier and more centered. I have so much to be thankful for.  Whether it’s a cheery hello from fellow dog walkers, a wave from the mail carrier, a smiling store clerk, all make my life a little brighter. And of course, the love of my husband, sons and grandchildren.

Whenever I’m on the Olympic Peninsula, I enjoy stopping at Pacific Mist Books with their wonderful window displays.

Another of my favorite things about Fall is that it’s Soup Weather. A cool, crisp Fall day just needs a steaming bowl of soup to make it perfect. I eat soup nearly every day, with my favorite being chicken soup. Besides being deliciously tasty and comforting, it can help fight off a cold. I love to add some of the Fall root vegetables to my chicken soup this time of year, and this soup is easy to make and ready in less than hour.

Chicken and Root Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped (1/4 cup)
2 cloves minced garlic
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced (1 cup)
3 medium parsnips, peeled and sliced (1 cup)
1 medium leek, sliced (2 cups)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
7 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup wild rice, rinsed (or quinoa)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 tablespoons chopped fresh or 2 teaspoons dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

Heat olive oil in dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook onion, garlic, carrots, parsnips and leek in the oil, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender. Stir in oregano, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook until aromatic, about 1 minute.Stir in broth, chicken and wild rice or quinoa. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender.

Soup Weather is a perfect time to read a good book. I’m so looking forward to reading Debbie Macomber’s latest book, Jack Frost. I absolutely devour her upbeat stories filled with gentle humor, faith and love.  I respect and admire her tremendously, not because she’s a #1 New York Times bestselling author, but she brings to life compelling relationships that embrace family and enduring friendships, uplifting her readers with stories of connection and hope. She is an awesome writer.

With the rest of her family on a cruise, Lindsay Calhoun will be spending her first Christmas alone, so she volunteers to plan an especially festive holiday party for her company. Her coworkers are grateful—except for tall, quiet Jack Taylor. Jack has always been a loner, but something about Christmas puts him in an unusually foul mood.

Despite Jack’s Scrooge-like complaints, the party is a success, ending only with a sudden snowstorm. As Lindsay cleans up and Jack looks for lost keys, they are the last ones in the building. Then the power goes out. The locks malfunction. Lindsay and Jack are stuck together with no rescue in sight.

Jack Frost is a celebration of the romantic magic of Christmastime, when something as simple as a gingerbread cookie can offer a new beginning, and when love can surprise us when we least expect it.

I’m working on the final edits for my latest book, which features a single woman, her quirky brother, an Italian café, and both new and old love interests. I’m also looking for a review crew for anyone interested in getting an advance reader’s copy and willing to write and post an honest review.

Enter my Soup Weather Giveaway by November 27 for a chance to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card plus a copy of my latest novel, Reinventing Ruthie or another of my books if you’ve already purchased a copy. US only. Winner will be announced Tuesday, November 28 and has three days to respond to my email. Only by responding to my email can you win.

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Congratulations

Please help me congratulate Pamela Doo, winner of my Changing Seasons Giveaway of a $100 gift card and Reinventing Ruthie.  Many thanks to all who entered. I appreciate each and every one of you!

Changing seasons

Wow, summer sure went by quickly! We’re already mid-way through fall and heading directly into winter and the holidays. It’s been a blustery last few weeks here in the Pacific Northwest, and many of the spectacularly colored leaves have blown away, leaving bare branches waving in the wind.

The bare branches are perfect for halloween. While I don’t at all care for the creepy decorations festooning some of my neighbors’ yards, I’m all for cute pumpkins. While my husband and I no longer carve pumpkins now that our sons are grown, I’ve discovered some serious talent while Piper and I are out on our walks.

Knowing that The Farmers Almanac promises a cold and dry winter in the Pacific Northwest, but lots of snow for most of the rest of the country, my kitchen adventures are definitely turning to soups, stews and chilis. I think pumpkin is one of those overlooked ingredients when it comes to savory dishes. Here’s an easy pumpkin chili recipe that’s ready in less than an hour, so you’ve got all evening to snuggle up with a cozy blanket and good book.

Easy Pumpkin Chili

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. ground spicy Italian sausage
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 (15-oz.) cans fire-roasted tomatoes, not drained
1 (15-oz.) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-oz.) can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
2 1/2 c. chicken broth

Directions:

In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring to break into pieces, until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.Add the onion and bell pepper to the Dutch oven. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cumin, chili powder, salt, black pepper, and cinnamon. Cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.Stir in the tomatoes, kidney beans, black beans, pumpkin puree, chicken broth, and sausage. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve with pumpkin seeds, sour cream, cheese, and avocado.

While I’m on the topic of good books, I’m desperately trying to find the time to finish up my summer book reads. Next on my list is Rachel Hauck’s Best Summer of Our Lives.

Twenty years ago, the summer of ’77 was supposed to be the best summer of Summer Wilde’s life. She and her best friends, Spring, Autumn, and Snow–the Four Seasons–had big plans.

But those plans never had a chance. After a teenage prank gone awry, the Seasons found themselves on a bus to Tumbleweed, “Nowhere,” Oklahoma, to spend eight weeks as camp counselors. All four of them arrived with hidden secrets and buried fears, and the events that unfolded in those two months forever altered their friendships, their lives, and their futures.

Now, thirtysomething, Summer is at a crossroads. Returning to the place where everything changed, she soon learns Tumbleweed is a place for healing, for reconciling the past with the present, and for finally listening to love’s voice.

While Autumn is a time of transition, the somewhat jarring mix of summer clearance items, Halloween costumes, and Thanksgiving turkeys side-by-side with Christmas trees, bows and wreaths can give me whiplash. I enjoy each holiday as it comes, and have never indulged in the countdown to Christmas. I don’t feel the need to be reminded that it’s 68 days to Christmas. Oops! I guess I did fall into that one.

If you’re ready to start on your Christmas reading list, I’ve got two books and a novella all set in the Christmas season, A Lancaster Family Christmas, From Rome With Love and An Unexpected Christmas Gift.

Enter my Changing Seasons Giveaway for a chance to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card plus a copy of my latest novel, Reinventing Ruthie or another of my books if you’ve already purchased a copy. US only. Winner will be announced Tuesday October 24 and has three days to respond to my email. Only by responding to my email can you win. Sorry, I don’t read Facebook or Instagram messages.

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Congratulations

Please help me congratulate Lisa Cobb Sabatini, winner of my It’s Fall Already Giveaway.  Many thanks to all who entered. I appreciate you all so much.

It’s Fall Already Giveaway

Oh my!  I’ve been working so diligently on the final edits to my latest novel, I’ve barely noticed that we’ve slipped past August and are already in mid-September!

The days are getting shorter and wetter, and I’m noticing that the bird songs of summer are quieting down. The Pacific Northwest is a birdwatcher’s paradise all year long, but it’s especially impressive during the fall migration seasons, which can last a couple of months. Swirls of starlings and the honking vee-shaped flights of Canadian Geese overhead, compete with Trumpeter Swans and Snow Geese for attention. As my husband and I drive up to our house on the island, we often stop in Mount Vernon to watch the tens of thousands of Snow Geese that visit the Skagit Valley between November and early spring.

Snow geese flying in the Skagit Valley. The migrations also remind me it’s time to put out my backyard bird feeder. While I leave the hummingbird feeder up all year long, I take down the birdfeeder in April and put it back up in late September. I don’t want the birds to forget how to forage for themselves during the summer months! I find endless entertainment watching the chickadees, sparrows, finches, robins, juncos, and so many others. I’ve got at least 15 different bird species visiting my feeder on a regular basis. My feeder is just a simple one, but I make sure I’m feeding my backyard friends a good quality bird seed mix to that’s applicable to the birds in the area. The quizzical expression on this Gold-Crowned Sparrow makes me smile. While I’m not a huge fan of pumpkin-spice (which makes me a definite minority around here), I do love a good apple crisp, and the way the house smells after baking. Apple Crisp

Ingredients:

6 cups tart apples, cored and chopped (about 6 apples)
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon, divided
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup old fashioned oats
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, diced into small cubes
pinch of kosher salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Grease an 8×8 baking dishMix together chopped apples, granulated sugar, 3/4 tsp of the cinnamon and lemon juice. Pour into prepared baking dishCombine brown sugar, oats, flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, salt, and diced cold butter, until the mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs.Spread topping over apples in baking dish, and gently pat to even it out. Bake 40-50 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.Serve warm, with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream, or for a totally decadent treat, drizzle with caramel sauce. It’s been a very busy summer for me, and I’m looking forward to finally catching up on some me-time. I’m anxiously awaiting my copy of Suzanne Woods Fisher’s latest novel, Lost and Found, from the author, which releases on September 26. It’ll go perfectly with a bowl of warm apple crisp! Trudy Yoder shares a passion for birding with Micah Weaver–and she has an even greater passion for Micah. Their friendship is finally turning romantic when Micah abruptly grows cold. Worse still, he wants to leave Stoney Ridge.

Micah Weaver thought he was over Trudy’s older sister. A year and a half ago, Shelley had broken his heart when she ran away from Stoney Ridge to pursue a singing career in Nashville. Then, out of the blue, she’s started to leave distressing phone messages for him.

When the bishop asks for volunteers to scout out a possible church relocation in Tennessee, Micah is the first to raise his hand. Despite scant details, he’s confident he can find Shelley. After all, his reputation as a field guide is based on finding birds that don’t want to be found.

What Micah doesn’t know is that what you’re looking for isn’t always what you find.

Suzanne has generously agreed to send a copy of Lost and Found to my giveaway winner. And I’m giving away a $50 Amazon gift card and a copy of one of my books. U.S. only. Winner will be announced Tuesday, September 19, and has three days to respond to my email.

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Congratulations

Please help me congratulate Dee Kamp, winner of my Hot Summer Giveaway.  Many thanks to all who entered. I appreciate you all so much.

Hot Summer Giveaway!

To me, July is a month of contrasts. It starts off with a bang (quite literally) on Canada Day on July 1, and of course, the 4th of July. It then meanders along the lazy, hot days of summer, where the heat wars with your determination to do some late summer planting in your garden.

July is all about staying cool. Growing up, we didn’t have much in the way of air conditioning, so my mother was inventive when it came to ways to cook a healthy dinner without turning on the oven. My father, being a firm believer that there was nothing you couldn’t grill, would happily experiment with whatever Mom pulled out of the refrigerator. The variety and contrasts in taste and texture he and my mother came up with kept us happily, if occasionally suprised, fed.

So much more than just hot dogs and hamburgers, there would be grilled corn, carrots, tomatoes, and my favorite, grilled peaches. To this day, the slightly smoky, slightly charred taste of grilled food takes me back to hot summer days, backyard croquet games, reading in the backyard, and day trips to the beach with friends and family.

GrilledPeaches

Ingredients:

4 ripe peaches, halved and pitted, skin on1 tbsp. vegetable or canola oilVanilla ice cream, for servingHoney, for drizzling
Flaky sea salt

Directions:

Heat grill to medium high.Brush peaches with oil and grill cut-side down, until soft, 4 to 5 minutes.Flip skin-side down and grill until almost falling apart, 4 to 6 minutes more.Serve with ice cream, a drizzle of honey, and a sprinkling of flaky sea salt.

My reading list for July is also filled with contrasts. Everything from a quick, light, entertaining but not necessarily memorable book, to best sellers, literary classics and more. Thankfully, library summer reading programs, which according to the American Library Association, began in the 1890s to help children develop the habit of reading, are more structured.  (I taught both our sons to read because they wanted to learn how to read, and am glad I enrolled my sons in various summer reading programs as they were growing up. )

Like most people, I tend to read books in certain genres such as Contemporary and Literary Fiction, and Romance.  Occasionally though, I find myself at a loss of what to read next. The Good Luck Stone, by Heather Bell Adams, was recently recommended by a bookaholic friend, and while outside my usual scope, it intrigued me enough to add it to my summer reading queue.

Her desperate decision during World War II changed everything. Now, 70 years later, her secret is unraveling.

At ninety years old, Audrey Thorpe still lives in a historic mansion on palm-tree-lined Victory Drive, determined to retain her independence. But when her health begins to fade, her family hires a part-time caretaker, Laurel. The two women seem to bond—until Audrey disappears. Unbeknownst to Laurel, Audrey has harbored a secret for 70 years, since her time as a nurse in the South Pacific during World War II. As the story moves between the verdant jungles of the war-torn Philippines and the glitter of modern-day Savannah, friendships new and old are tested. Along the way, Audrey grapples with one of life’s heart-wrenching truths: You can only outrun your secrets for so long.

I’m still writing and editing a couple of new books, in between trips to the beach and visits from family. I’m still hoping to visit with friends I haven’t seen for ages.

Piper had a hard time sitting for this photo. She loves running on the beach, especially at low tide!

Now that summer is well underway, what remains on your summer to-do list? To help you on your way, I’m giving away a $100 Amazon gift card and a copy of one of my books. U.S. only. Winner will be announced Tuesday, July 31, and has three days to respond to my email.

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Congratulations

Please help me congratulate Adele Fiorino, winner of my Summer Planning Giveaway.  Many thanks to all who entered. I appreciate you all so much.

Summer Planning

With the first day of summer just around the corner, I find my mind frequently wanders to things I’d like to do this summer rather than actually focusing on the tasks at hand. I even have a section in my journal for my Summer Bucket List.

Summer, with its long sunny days, is time for vacations, travel, the outdoors, simple recipes, and good books. Piper and I cover a lot of ground in our daily walks, but there’s something appealing about being a tourist in your own neck of the woods. Here in the Pacific Northwest, there is an abundance of locations to explore. From urban cityscapes to pristine wilderness, I’ll never run out of adventures!

Piper and I love to walk on the beach at low tide, with Mount Baker and the Cascade foothills in the background.

Washington is a gorgeous state, blessed with amazing walking and hiking trails, more than three thousand miles of coastline, and not one, but three, national parks within easy driving distance from Seattle. To the south, Mount Rainier dominates the Seattle skyline, and Mount Rainier National Park, the nation’s fifth oldest national park, is less than two hours away.

Photo of Mount Rainier taken on an early moring walk with Piper.

To the north, there’s North Cascades National Park, also less than a 2 hour drive, and stately Mount Baker, where I’ve skied often, even on July 4th.  And to the west, a two-and-a-half hour drive will take you to the amazing Olympic National Park, with nearly a million acres to explore, including 50 miles of coastline. I recall as a girl when my little brother won a fun stay for our family in Lake Quinalt Lodge in the rainforest of the Olympic Peninsula.

Summer doesn’t always mean go-go-go. To me, the appeal of summer also includes sitting outside on our deck on the island with family and friends. When I think of the 4th of July I can’t help but recall my mother-in-law’s fabulous Strawberry Shortcake made from local strawberries.

Strawberry Shortcake

Ingredients:

2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped
1-1/2 quarts fresh or frozen strawberries, sliced

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9″ square baking pan.In a bowl, cream sugar and shortening. Add egg and vanilla; beat well.Combine dry ingredients and add alternately with milk to the creamed mixture.Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool on wire rack.Cut into nine servings. Split each serving horizontally and fill with whipped cream and strawberries. Replace top of cake; garnish with a dollop of whipped cream and more berries. Serve immediately.

As a writer I read many books. Like a chef who adores food, I love reading. I find imagination, inspiration, new vocabulary, learn insights about people and relationships, and find out what works and doesn’t work in writing. There are books that leave me less than enthused, and others that I think about long after the last page.

One author I consistently enjoy and who never disappoints is Elin Hilderbrand.  Her latest novel, The Five-Star Weekend, is on that summer bucket list I mentioned earlier. My ordered copy will arrive soon.

Hollis Shaw’s life seems picture-perfect. She’s the creator of the popular food blog Hungry with Hollis and is married to Matthew, a dreamy heart surgeon. But after she and Matthew get into a heated argument one snowy morning, he leaves for the airport and is killed in a car accident. The cracks in Hollis’s perfect life—her strained marriage and her complicated relationship with her daughter, Caroline—grow deeper.

When Hollis hears about something called a “Five-Star Weekend”—one woman organizes a trip for her best friend from each phase of her life: her teenage years, her twenties, her thirties, and midlife—she decides to host her own Five-Star Weekend on Nantucket, where my family vacationed before we moved out west. But the weekend doesn’t turn out to be a joyful Hallmark movie.

I can’t wait to read this book!

While I’m busy planning my summer activities, I’m also editing a book that I’ve been working on, plotting another new one, and enjoying the reviews for my latest novel, Reinventing Ruthie. I learn so much from my readers and thank each one for reading my newest book and leaving a short review!

If you’d like to add my latest novel, Reinventing Ruthie, to your summer reading list, enter to win one of 20 Kindle copies on my Goodreads Giveaway. 

Fun to watch my sons playing frisbee on the beach at low tide with Mount Baker in the background.

What are your plans for the summer – on the go, stay at home, or something in between? To help you on your way, I’m giving away a $100 Amazon gift card and a copy of one of my books. U.S. only. Winner will be announced Tuesday, June 27, and has three days to respond to my email.

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Congratulations

Please help me congratulate Rita Corey, winner of my Colors of May Giveaway.  Many thanks to all who entered. I appreciate you all so much.