Shelley Shepard Gray's Blog, page 27

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Peanut Butter Cookies

It's been a busy week here-lots of writing, and lots of emails that had to be answered right away.  My husband and I decided we needed to get back to working out-so me and the treadmill are friends again. Oh, I'm sore!  I also have been texting a certain daughter who just left for college.

In the middle of it all, I wrote a note for a newsletter for mothers of preschoolers. I thought I'd share it with you below.  It's about cookies and daughters and moving on. I'll share some writing and book info tomorrow…

Peanut Butter Cookies

  Yesterday, I made peanut butter cookies for the first time in sixteen years.  We first realized my daughter was allergic to peanut butter when she was around two. The peanut butter and graham snack that my son had loved so much made her skin break out into a rash.

Further investigation and tests revealed that she was indeed, allergic to peanuts and all peanut products. So those cookies became a thing of the past.

I can honestly say I didn't miss making them. When you're a mom, your kids' needs come first, especially health-related needs. It's just how it is. Soon I became adept at reading labels, staying away from certain Chinese restaurants, and asking waiters what kind of oil their chicken fingers were cooked in. Later, she became far better at navigating her food allergy than me. Which is how it should be, I suppose.

About a week ago, we dropped her off at college, Epi-pen tucked safely in her purse. She's all grown up now, and ready to take on the world-at least her freshman dorm.  I'm not really sure where the last eighteen years went. It's all a mix of alarm clocks and laughter. Tears and sports schedules. Cheer tryouts and guitar lessons. And art classes. And Harry Potter books.

Which brings me back to the cookies. I had some girlfriends coming over last night and I was out of chocolate chips. I was just about to make snickerdoodles, the stand-by cookie around here…when I spied the jar of peanut butter.

And that's when I remembered I really like peanut butter. And I really like peanut butter cookies.  For a moment, I still wasn't going to make them. I felt a little guilty. Like I was somehow betraying my daughter. Eighteen years of being a mom can do that to a woman, I guess.

 But then I remembered that before I was a mom, I was just me. I had my own likes and dislikes and allergies, too.  And sometimes those things should be celebrated-even if it's by baking something as simple as a cookie.

I have to admit that very first bite was heaven. It was also a nice reminder from God to remember how many gifts He gives to us moms. He gives us the strength to always put our children's needs first…and He also gives us those gentle reminders that we, too, our His children. Because before we were Moms, we, too, were once just little girls.

with blessings,

shelley

A Toast!

This morning my husband surprised me by running out to Starbucks and bringing me home my favorite drink-a Grande Nonfat Vanilla Latte. He had one, too, and so we had a little toast-To Being Empty Nesters! Hooray!

This weekend it was so hard to say good bye to our daughter. I cried and cried on our way out from Lexington-and my poor husband just kept handing me Kleenex. But she's going through sorority rush and texted us all day yesterday, and called us last night to fill us in on her news. It made me realize that though I'm going to miss her laugh and smiles, she's not going to be out of our lives completely. Yay for that!

This week I have big plans…to get organized! I've got lots of books due, conferences to plan for, and book signings to schedule. I'm still a mess, so I've hired one of my daughter's college friends to help me for a few hours each week. I hope my piles of papers won't scare her away!

Here's something you might want to look at: www.perfect-romance.com. I did an interview there, and we're going to be giving away an Amish made potholder and a book (winner's choice). All you have to do is leave a comment.

Now I'm off to sort through more papers and get to work.

I hope y'all have a nice day, too!

Shelley

A Texan's Honor

First, thank you to everyone for your birthday wishes! I had a super birthday-last night all four of us went back to Graeters and had ice cream cones. We took Suzy, too, so it was a great evening! This morning I was up before 5 ironing a couple of last minute items for my son to take back to school. Then we dropped him off at the airport at 6. Today is my critique partner meeting and a hundred little things to do before we take my daughter to college tomorrow.

In the midst of all this, I received the cover for A Texan's Honor. This book comes out sometime in 2012, and it begins with a train being held up in the middle of winter. I love the book and the cover, too!

I hope everyone has a super weekend! Wish me luck getting through my first few days as an empty nester!

Zucchini Bread

I have to admit that there are some days when I have a lot of fun on Facebook. Since I spend so much time writing, I love to take quick breaks and see what the rest of the world is doing. All week, I've been loving fellow Amish author Beth Wiseman's photos of her trip to Maui. Just seeing her smiling face on the road to Hana makes me smile. She really is a great gal and is so deserving of a wonderful holiday!

Yesterday I was staring at some zucchini I bought and my stack of cookbooks, too. I ended up asking other FB friends what kind of zucchini bread they made. Oh, I got some great recipes, including a recipe for chocolate zucchini cake. Yum!

I ended up using a recipe I found from Katie Lee Joel's cookbook, The Comfort Table. (I think she's just Katie Lee now since she and Billy Joel got divorced!) Anyway, I decided on this recipe because it had pineapple in it, which sounded very good!

And it was! The whole house smelled of spices, that first slice was moist and warm and terrific, and we even all convinced ourselves that it was healthy, too.

 So, here's a recipe for you in the middle of a very busy week. Maybe sometime soon you, too, will need a baking fix, and will find a lot of comfort in putting on an apron, grating zucchini, carefully measuring spices, and enjoying some homemade bread. : )

hope everyone has a wonderful day. : )

Spicy Zucchini-Pineapple Bread

Ingredients:

3C all-purpose flour

2 t baking soda

1 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

11/2 t ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 t. allspice

11/2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1/2 cup oil

2 t. vanilla extract

2 cups grated zucchini

8 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained

1 cup raisins

1) preheat oven to 350*. Grease loaf pan. (my loaf pan was too small…had to put some batter in muffin tins, too)

2) Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices

3) In large bowl, beat together sugar,eggs, oil, and vanilla until well combined. Mix in zucchini and pineapple. Add dry ingredients and raisins

4) Pour batter in loaf pan, bake for 50 min or until toothpick comes out clean.

What About Summer?

It's Wednesday  so I thought I'd talk about reader letters and books again.

I must get a question about the Sugarcreek books at least once a week. This week, I've already gotten two letters asking where the 'summer' installment of 'Seasons of Sugarcreek' is.  Many readers have gently reminded me (and not so gently!) that there are four seasons to the year.

So, here's the answer about why there isn't a 'Summer in Sugarcreek' book:

My publisher likes my books to be trilogies-with the exception of Christmas books, I receive contracts for three books at a time. That's just how it is.

When I first pitched the idea of 'Seasons in Sugarcreek' to my editor, I told her I wanted to write a group of books with one English family and one Amish family living side by side-and how their relationship grew and changed over one year. I got to choose the seasons. : ) 

And though I had an idea about the characters, I let the weather determine the titles. For example, I really wanted there to be a snowstorm in one book. (winter's awakening), a flooded river (spring's renewal) and leaves changing, signalling a change in life (autumn's promise).  Now I wonder, though, what I could have done with summer? A heat wave? A drought? who knows!

Even though there won't be a summer book, the series will have one more installment: Christmas in Sugarcreek. I was thrilled to write that book. It centers around Judith Graber, but has two other story lines: Caleb and Rebecca, and of course, Lilly and Robert. Here's a hint about Lilly and Robert: their story is a twist on the classic Christmas story, The Gift of the Magi.

I hope everyone is having a good week! Our guest bedroom is packed with things for my daughter to take to college, our son is sleeping in and playing golf with my husband, and the our little doxie is so happy to have lots of activity. Tonight we're grilling halibut that my son caught in Alaska when we went on vacation there in June.

All this 'busyiness' means I better write while I can! Off to work on Searching, the next book in my 2012 Amish series…

Thanks for stopping by,

Shelley

The Countdown….

This week is sure to be an emotional one for me. My son flew home on Saturday night, so I'm very, very happy to have two kids home right now.  They'll even both be here for my birthday on Thursday. (yay, kids!) On the flip side, my son goes back to college on Friday morning, and we take my daughter to college for the first time on Saturday.

So, this week, I'll be busy with cooking and shopping and running around. And maybe even eating birthday cake!

Whenever life gets tough for me, I've always found comfort in books. I stayed off the computer most of the weekend. When I wasn't busy being 'Mom', I sat outside with Suzy and read old favorites. This week, I plan to write as much as I can in the mornings.

Luckily, I've got other things to look forward to besides my kids going to college…book releases!

The Survivor will be published on August 30. Here's the blurb for the book:

For Mattie, Surviving was only the beginning…. 

Mattie's body has healed from the cancer that nearly took her life . . . but can she find the man who can mend her lonely heart?

Mattie has faced more in her twenty-three years than she ever imagined possible. Having successfully battled cancer, she's ready to reenter the world with hopes for her future. But while she was in and out of hospitals, other Amish girls her age were courting and finding the men they would marry. The only man who's ever made her heart beat faster is Graham Weaver, her best friend, who has always been there to comfort her, in good times and bad. Is it finally time for their friendship to become something more?

But cruel gossip is spreading, claiming that Graham's the father of the baby Jenna Yoder's carrying. Will Mattie's dreams of a happily-ever-after be crushed before they've left the ground?

I'm also very excited about A Texan's Promise. I think the book now will be released at the beginning of October. I received another very nice review for it today…and two fabulous authors, Beth Wiseman and Ann Gabhart have been kind enough to endorse the novel. Here's a bit more about my first historical romance for Abingdon Press:

Past promises will be tested as new ones are given…

When Clayton Proffitt, foreman of the Circle Z Ranch in Texas, discovers Vanessa Grant is the victim of her stepfather's advances, Clayton knows he must protect her honor and move her far away from the ranch—and from the man she fears.?

As they make their way West, an unexpected, deep bond develops between Vanessa and Clayton—far more powerful than a mere friendship or his sense of duty to her. But Vanessa's stepfather won't let her go so easily. As Clayton and Vanessa place their faith in God and their trust in each other, will they find healing and hope for the future together?

"Shelley Gray is a wonderful storyteller, and A Texan's Promise captured me from the first page.  This endearing love story is so rich with detail, I felt like I was traveling alongside Vanessa and Clayton throughout their incredible journey.  Clayton is the hero every woman dreams of, and I loved watching Vanessa grow from a scared girl into a strong woman.  This is a wonderful start to this new series.  Highly recommended." – Beth Wiseman Best-selling author of the Daughters of the Promise series

"Shelley Gray's fans will enjoy riding along with her characters down a new trail of romance in A Texan's Promise, the first in The Heart of a Hero series. Readers will be rooting for Clayton and Vanessa to find their way to a true and lasting love." – Ann H. Gabhart, author of The Outsider, Summer of Joy, and Angel Sister

Both A Texan's Promise and The Survivor are available on amazon.com, barnesandnobel.com, and on cbd.com

Off to write and do laundry, and double check those packing lists…

Shelley

Happy Friday!

 Yesterday was my son's 20th Birthday. He's still in Alabama, taking finals, so I'm sorry to say he didn't have a great day. 

So, I did what any good mother would do-I celebrated for him!

Yesterday afternoon my daughter and I took Suzy to Graeter's. Graeter's is kind of a Cincinnati landmark-it has really good ice cream. And in August (only August!) they have coconut ice cream-my favorite!

I asked Lesley to take a photo of me and Suzy and this is what we got!  It's a silly pic, but it makes me smile. The ice cream was delicious, the day was sunny, and the wiener dog was very happy to join us on the outing.

Tomorrow night, our son will be home for a week. We're taking him out to dinner and we'll have a Dairy Queen ice cream cake at home waiting for him.  Just like he's had for every birthday for 20 years.

Some things never change, right?

I hope everyone has a good weekend!

My Dirty Little Secret

Today is one of my husband's favorite days of the month: Cleaning Lady Day.

For the last ten years or so, we've had a cleaning service come in every three weeks.  I can honestly say it's one of the happiest days around here.

See, I kind of have a secret:  I'm not a very good housekeeper. 

Oh, I pick up things. I wash dishes and do laundry. Every now and then I'll clean the bathrooms or polish furniture.  Everything's reasonably neat.

But I don't enjoy cleaning, and to be honest, I'm not all that good at it. Years ago, Tom told me I was the 90% gal when it came to cleaning anything. As in, it  almost looks good…never great. I think he was being generous, I'm more of an 80% person. I'll wash almost all the dishes. I'll dust two rooms not three.

 He stopped complaining when I told him I thought he was just as capable as I was to clean the kitchen.

He now vacuums way more than I do.

Anyway, as of yesterday, everything was pretty messy. Tom was out of town and I was finishing a book. I spent ten hours on the couch double checking scenes, looking up things like the Pennsylvania Dutch word for 'Grandma', and adding about 4000 words. I had some lettuce and a piece of cheese for dinner.

I was very tired.  I even told my daughter if she needed laundry done she better do it herself.

Then, when the book was turned in, I took Suzy the wiener dog for a walk, watched The Closer and read a book.

Yep, even though everything was a mess-I didn't even consider cleaning.

This morning, I checked my email, saw that today was our scheduled day, and went on a mad dash through the house, picking up and cleaning off counters.

Yes, I clean for the cleaning ladies!

I also made Chicken Tetrazzini this morning because I can never get the stove top as shiny and pretty as the ladies do. So now I won't mess the kitchen up before my husband gets home! I'm very happy about that!

Our cleaning ladies are just the best. They laugh at me because I greet them pretty much like they're returning war veterans. I'm so, so grateful for them.  I not only pay them, make them cookies and give them free books.

They are always pleasant, pet the barking wiener dog, and give me advice, which is basically things like never touch the bathroom mirrors again. One morning, during my usual mad dash, I managed to get weird streaks on most of the bathroom mirrors. They had quite a time removing them.  One gal patiently explained, "Shelley, it's just easier for us if you don't try to clean things very much. Now, go write your books."

Off I went, back to the basement… somewhat sheepishly I might add. But I was relieved, too. As I've said, I'm not a good housekeeper.

In a few hours, the whole house will smell like Pine-sol and Pledge. Like Murphy's Oil Soap and Windex. The floors will be mopped, and the bathrooms will be sparkling. The house will look awesome, and very obvious to one and all that I won't have done any of it.

Because really, the fact that I can't clean as well as the cleaning ladies can isn't much of a secret at all…

Anyone else have a household chore they're not very good at? I hope I'm not the only one!

Thanks for stopping by,

Shelley

Digipalooza

Here's a quick picture from Digipalooza in Cleveland. I visited with librarians during the breaks and signed bookmarks. They also had all my books in the audio format, so I got to show them off, too. Anne and Jessica from Blackstone Audio were so sweet. They took me out to lunch and introduced me as  "New York Times Bestselling Author, Shelley Shepard Gray".   Hearing that for the very first time was quite a thrill!