Deborah Vogts's Blog, page 151

County Fair & Saying Good-bye

Today is the last day of our County Fair. We've had hot temperatures and a storm and downpour that upset Saturday night's Ranch Rodeo, but even still our youngest daughter had a good project year. Here are a few pictures from our week at the fair:

Foods project - Chocolate Layer Cake & Rosemary Garlic Braid
Meat Goats
Fine Arts - Charcoal Sketches of her favorite classic actresses: Audrey Hepburn & Lucille Ball


Bunny Quilt she made with her Grandma

Horse Project - Because of the heavy rain...

Spinach Salad

1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
10 cups torn spinach
2 cups fresh strawberries or manderin oranges
1 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion

In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the first seven ingredients; shake well. Just before serving, combine spinach, fruit, almonds and onion in a large salad bowl. Add dressing and toss to coat. Makes 8-10...

Seeds of Summer Thursday Promotion

I always enjoy meeting new people at my book signings. Many times, I learn that I'm distantly related to someone. Here's a photo with distant relatives on my Grandpa Swiler's side of the family who I met at the book signing at Richey's Rexell Drugstore last week during the Old Soldiers & Sailor's Reunion.


Follow the links below to this week's reviews, interviews and blog posts about Seeds of Summer . Some are offering book drawings, so be sure to stop by and leave a comment!

Review by Nora St...

Book Drawing - Cowboy for a Rainy Afternoon

Cowboy For A Rainy Afternoon
Novel As Memoir by Stephen Bly

You're in for a real treat this week as author, Stephen Bly shares with readers about the writing of his latest release:

The plot for Cowboy For A Rainy Afternoon developed like homemade stew in a crockpot. A slow simmer. Then, the image of the 1950s kitchen filled with sweet aromas and sights and sounds. Hours later all the parts seemed ready.

The story grew out of fond memories from my childhood. What makes it real personal is that I...

Corn and County Fair

Last Sunday my family and I processed our garden sweet corn.

All afternoon & evening.

I think I cleaned up the last of the mess around 11:00 PM. And that's after two day's of being away on a book signing. To say the least, I was tired . . . but very thankful to have the corn to harvest and freeze.
This week our county fair begins. We only have one daughter in the fair this year, but she's enrolled in the following 4-H projects: fine arts, foods, horses, meat goats, and reading. It'll be...

Easy Barbecue Chicken

This is a recipe we enjoy at our house often.

3-4 pounds chicken breast strips
1/3 cup chopped onion
3 Tablespoons butter
1 cup ketchup
1/3 cup vinegar
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoons mustard
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Place chicken in 13X9" baking dish. In a small saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender; stir in remaining ingredients. Simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes. Pour over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees about one hour or until...

Seeds of Summer Thursday Promotion

Tomorrow I'll be signing books at Richey's Rexall Drug Store, Erie, KS from 2-4:00 PM in celebration of the Old Soldiers & Sailors Reunion and Bean Feed. If you're in the area, please stop by for a visit and cool off with some refreshments.

Pictured here at the Parsons Library with Delores March (librarian) and Peggy Weidert, owner of The Mustard Seed bookstore

Here is a listing of this week's interviews and reviews. Be sure to visit these blogs to say hello.

Review & Interview with Laura...

Book Drawing - A Love of Her Own

A Love of Her Own by Maggie Brendan
Heart of the West Series - Book #3

She has everything her heart desires . . . except the one thing money can't buy.

Still cautious after a broken engagement, April McBride fully intends to guard her heart when she travels to Lewistown, Montana, to attend her brother's wedding. One look around the small mining town convinces April that doing so won't be difficult--just a bunch of dusty shops, bad service, and ill-bred cowboys. But a run-in with horse trainer...

Facebook Reader Group

Yahoo! To celebrate the 800th membership on my Facebook Reader Page, I'm giving away three books of either Snow Melts in Spring or Seeds of Summer (winners' choice).

To enter this drawing, you must 1) be a member of my Facebook Reader Page & 2) leave a comment below. Three winners will be drawn on Sunday, July 25.

Thanks so much for following along on this writing journey. Many blessings to you!

Kansas Author Weekend Tour

This past weekend I joined fellow Kansas authors, Deborah Raney and Kim Vogel Sawyer for a weekend book signing tour in Central Kansas. It was a lot of fun meeting old & new friends and readers. Thanks bunches, to the following book stores for their generosity, creativity and willingness to host us for the weekend tour:
Thee Bookstore, 117 N Main, Hillsboro, KS The Well, 109 N Main, McPherson, KS Faith & Life Bookstore, 606 N Main, Newton, KS

The tour began with a detour to the Mexican...