Deborah Vogts's Blog, page 143

Onion Bread

This is a recipe I enjoy making when I bake a roast or serve beef. Smells delicious when you bake it.

3/4 cup milk
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 packages dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 beaten egg
4 cups flour
1 egg + 1 Tablespoon water for egg wash
sesame seeds (optional)

In small saucepan, scald milk. Stir in onion soup. Add sugar and butter. In large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add lukewarm milk mixture. Stir in egg. Add 1 cup flour. Beat in. Add rest of flour; knead several times. Place in greased bowl; cover and let rise until double in size. Punch down dough. Cut into two pieces and form into mound. Place in graced 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Let rise for 30-40 minutes. Brush with beaten egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes until golden brown. Makes 2 loaves.

Book Preview ~ Serendipity

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Serendipity Bethany House (August 1, 2010) by Cathy Marie Hake



Known for surfing across the kitchen on a dropped dill pickle slice, waterskiing on sea anemone spit, and using Right Guard® as hair spray; she considers herself living proof that God does, indeed, possess a healthy sense of humor.


Cathy loves classical music, romantic getaways with her husband, and Diet Pepsi Free®. "I need chocolate to survive, love my friends, and enjoy a deep personal relationship with the Lord. Although an extrovert, I'm very conservative on a personal level."


In her writing, Cathy attempts to capture a unique glimpse of life and how a man and woman can overcome obstacles when motivated by love. In her inspirational pieces she enjoys the freedom of showing how Christ can enrich a loving couple's relationship.


Cathy Marie Hake is a registered nurse who worked for many years in an oncology unit before shifting her focus to perinatal care. The author of over twenty novels, she lives with her husband and two children in Anaheim, California.


ABOUT THE BOOK:
Todd Valmer should have known better. A farmer who's been through several disasters, he travels to Virginia to fetch his widowed mother to cook and help him around his Texas farm...or that was the plan until she keels over on the train and they get kicked off.


Maggie Rose barters for a living and also makes soaps, lotions, and perfumes with a special rose recipe passed down from mother to daughter for generations. She hasn't wanted to marry...until that handsome Texan shows up.


Her heart skips a beat, and when he proposes, a hasty marriage follows. What ensues, however, is a clash of culture and a battle of wills--and it's clear they both mistook instant attraction and infatuation for love. As their marriage loses its sparkle and fills with disillusionment, Todd and Maggie must determine what is worth fighting for. He dreams of a farm. Maggie wants to fulfill the family tradition with her rose perfumes.


Todd's mother, however, has entirely different plans for her son that do not include Maggie. In light of their hasty marriage and mistaken dreams, is there any hope of recapturing their love and building a future together? If you would like to read the first chapter of Serendipity, go HERE.

Book Drawing ~ Courting Miss Amsel

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Courting Miss Amsel Bethany House (January 1, 2011) by Kim Vogel Sawyer
Kim Vogel Sawyer is the author of fifteen novels, including several CBA and ECPA bestsellers. Her books have won the ACFW Book of the Year Award, the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, and the Inspirational Readers Choice Award. Kim is active in her church, where she leads women's fellowship and participates in both voice and bell choirs. In her spare time, she enjoys drama, quilting, and calligraphy. Kim and her husband, Don, reside in central Kansas, and have three daughters and six grandchildren.


ABOUT THE BOOK:
Edythe Amsel is delighted with her first teaching assignment: a one-room schoolhouse in Walnut Hill, Nebraska. Independent, headstrong, and a strong believer in a well-rounded education, Edythe is ready to open the world to the students in this tiny community. But is Walnut Hill ready for her?


Joel Townsend is thrilled to learn the town council hired a female teacher to replace the ruthless man who terrorized his nephews for the past two years. Having raised the boys on his own since their parents' untimely deaths, Joel believes they will benefit from a woman's influence. But he sure didn't bargain on a woman like Miss Amsel.


Within the first week, she has the entire town up in arms over her outlandish teaching methods, which include collecting leaves, catching bugs, making snow angels, and stringing ropes in strange patterns all over the schoolyard. Joel can't help but notice that she's also mighty pretty with her rosy lips, fashionable clothes, and fancy way of speaking.


When Edythe decides to take her pupils to hear Miss Susan Anthony speak on the women's suffrage amendment, the town's outcry reaches new heights. Even Joel isn't sure he can support her newfangled ideas any longer. And if he can't trust her to know how to teach the boys, how can he trust her with his heart? If you would like to read the first chapter of Courting Miss Amsel, go HERE.


Leave a comment below to enter this week's book drawing. A winner will be selected on Sunday, January 16. *Void where prohibited. Open only to US residents. Odds of winning depend on number of entrants. 

Finding God in Your Story Setting

My books aren't historical, but I adore historical novels, and some of my very favorite authors are members of the  Writes of Passage blog. Last week, I was tremendously honored to be a guest blogger there, and I thought I would share with you my blog post from that day. 
My contemporary romance series, Seasons of the Tallgrass, "reads like historical fiction" and has been promoted as Contemporary Prairie Romance—something that just tickles me to pieces. Below are some pictures from one of my  "research trips" into the Flint Hills of Kansas, the setting for my book series. Some of my most cherished moments in life have occurred while driving off-the-beaten-path into the heart of these rolling pastures.

On this particular November day, the north winds were trying to blow in a storm, but we managed to stay dry--cold but dry. And the prairie colors couldn't have been more beautiful.
"I heard the prairie call to me, its words a whisper on my heart, and I knew that I was home." from Snow Melts in Spring.


Cattle Guards are used in the open range to keep cattle within their pasture boundaries without the use of gates. A very nifty invention. In case you haven't guessed, my books deal with ranching, horses, and family conflict . . . with some romance thrown in for fun.


Pictured above, my husband pretending he's a movie director. I first fell in love with the Flint Hills while attending college at Emporia State University. And while these hills were my first love, the man above claimed my heart a few years later and has never let go. We'll celebrate our 21st wedding anniversary in February.



My road to publication has been long and winding, just like this back road through the Flint Hills. But it's been a joyous adventure and well worth the wait. I'm currently working to finish my third book with Zondervan, Blades of Autumn (release date to be announced). What I find most rewarding, however, is how with each book, I learn a little something new about myself and my faith in God.


Just like in this closing picture—when the sun peaked out and smiled on us, reminding me that God is always with me. Each time I drive out into the Flint Hills, my heart soars, and I'm touched by God's presence in the simplicity of that rolling prairie. Do you have a favorite place that warms your heart?

Chicken Cordon Bleu

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
8 oz Mozzarella cheese ~ 6 thick slices 
6 slices ham
3 tablespoons olive oil
Seasoned Salt

Flatten chicken to 1/4 inch thickness. Place slice of Mozzarella cheese and ham on each to within 1/4 inch of edges. Fold in half; secure with a toothpick. Brush with oil and sprinkle with Seasoned Salt. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until juices run clear. Serve with rice and green vegetable. Makes 6 servings. Enjoy! 

Book Promotion ~ The Girl in the Gatehouse

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing The Girl in the Gatehouse Bethany House (January 1, 2011) by Julie Klassen

Julie says: My background is in advertising and marketing, but I am blessed with a dream job—working as an editor of Christian fiction. I have been writing since childhood, but Lady of Milkweed Manor was my first novel. It was a finalist for a Christy Award and won second place in the Inspirational Reader's Choice Awards. My second novel, The Apothecary's Daughter, was a finalist in the ACFW Book of the Year awards. I am currently writing one novel a year.


I graduated from the University of Illinois and enjoy travel, research, BBC period dramas, long hikes, short naps, and coffee with friends. My husband and I have two sons and live near St. Paul, Minnesota.


ABOUT THE BOOK:
Miss Mariah Aubrey, banished after a scandal, hides herself away in a long-abandoned gatehouse on the far edge of a distant relative's estate. There, she supports herself and her loyal servant the only way she knows how--by writing novels in secret.


Captain Matthew Bryant, returning to England successful and wealthy after the Napoleonic wars, leases an impressive estate from a cash-poor nobleman, determined to show the society beauty who once rejected him what a colossal mistake she made.


When he discovers an old gatehouse on the property, he is immediately intrigued by its striking young inhabitant and sets out to uncover her identity, and her past. But the more he learns about her, the more he realizes he must distance himself. Falling in love with an outcast would ruin his well-laid plans. The old gatehouse holds secrets of its own. Can Mariah and Captain Bryant uncover them before the cunning heir to the estate buries them forever? If you would like to read the first chapter of The Girl in the Gatehouse, go HERE.


Note from Deb: I began reading this book last night and am heartily enjoying it so far. It has a definite Jane Austin feel to it, so if you like that sort of read, I'm sure you'd enjoy this! Stop by here next week, when I'll be giving away one of Kim Vogel Sawyer's latest releases. Until then, Happy Reading! 

Free Kindle E-Books

Okay, I admit it . . . I broke down and asked for a Kindle E-Reader for Christmas. The temptation to receive free e-books on Amazon was just too much for me to resist. I will always prefer a printed book to hold and will continue to buy and read them. But by having a Kindle, I'm able to read other books that I might not be tempted to buy -- and in so doing, find a treasure.



From now on, I'll occasionally post about Free Kindle inspirational books offered on Amazon. Here are a few being offered to start out our new year -- some really great reads! (Click on the link below each book cover to access the kindle page)
Remember, if you don't have a Kindle, you can download these books to your PC or Mac by following the instructions on Amazon. Happy Reading! 
 The Centurion's Wife by Janette Oke
Daughter's of Joy by Kathleen Morgan

Fools Rush In by Janice Thompson
Happily Ever After by Susan May Warren
The Apothecary's Daughter by Julie Klassen
Against All Odds by Irene Hannon

Cranberry Salad

This is a favorite recipe to use during the holidays.

4 cups raw cranberries, ground
3 cups water
2 cups sugar
2-3 oz. cherry gelatin
1 cup crushed pineapple
2 cups diced apples
1 cup chopped pecans

In medium saucepan, cook cranberries in water and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in sugar and cherry gelatin until dissolved. Let cool and add remaining ingredients. Pour into large serving bowl. Chill until set.

Christmas Memories

I pray you had a wonderful Christmas weekend and are gearing up for a fabulous New Year. When I was a girl, it always made me sad when the Christmas decorations were put away and the celebrations died down. As I've gotten older, I've learned that it's okay to keep the decorations up for a few weeks after Christmas to keep that festive air alive in our house. It helps me to look forward to that new start when I can start afresh. New beginnings. New motivations. New to-do lists. But first, here's a peek from last week's Christmas celebration. 

The girls and I after our Christmas Eve service at church.

The girls with their Grandma Judi on Christmas morning by the banner she created for the season. 
What about you? Does it make you sad to say good-bye to the Christmas season? What do you look forward to in the New Year? 
May you keep the love of Jesus Christ in your heart throughout this Christmas season and all the year through. 

The Twelve Days of Christmas

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas weekend with your family and friends. But did you know that Christmas doesn't end on December 25? That's right--you can continue celebrating this glorious holy day until Epiphany on January 6, the day we celebrate the arrival of the Magi to worship Jesus. By tradition, these twelve days from Christmas through Epiphany comprise the Twelve Days of Christmas.
I'm sure many of you are familiar with the Christmas Carol the Twelve Days of Christmas. Here is a fun clip you might enjoy: