Nancy Lee Badger's Blog, page 10

Memorial Day Weekend is About More Than Parades

"Every citizen should be a soldier. This was the case with the Greeks and Romans and must be that of every free state." --Thomas Jefferson
When the United States of America celebrates its armed forces who have died in service to their country, certain people consider the weekend at the end of May as time off from work. They obviously have never lost anyone during war. My family has been unlucky in that regard. 
On Memorial Day, we remember those who served, but are no longer with us and they include my uncle, Lt. David Lee Johnson who died in WW2; my husband's great-uncles Sgt. Richard Ayers and Pvt. Gerald Ayers who both died in WW2, and my great-great-great-great uncle Pvt. Enoch Lee who died at Petersburg, near the end of the Civil War. The last person lost was Bruce Lyle Badger who died during the Vietnam Conflict. 
We also remember two special family members who served in the Civil War.
Joseph Abner Bean is my husband's great-great-great grandfather. He died in Libby Prison in Richmond, VA before the end of the war. He hailed from Vermont.

My great-great-great grandfather was Brownell W. Lee, who joined from upstate New York. He was wounded at the battle of Malvern Hill by a bullet to his chest. He was captured and also imprisoned at Libby Prison, but he was released. He then returned to fight again and survived though he lost his brother, Enock.

My dad, Robert F. Beegle, joined the navy during WW2 and was lucky not to see combat, but he was always proud of his service. Dad passed away in February 2019 at the ripe old age of 94. We miss him daily. All we and his grandsons can do is raise a glass while we celebrate the holiday with family. 
The last person to serve and return home safe was our son Sgt. Eric Badger. We thank him for his service often.
p.s. check out my steamy contemporary military novella  UNWRAPPING CHRIS  

Find buy links for all my books HERE

Enjoy your weekend and remember what Memorial Day is all about. Fly the American Flag, place flowers on a soldier's grave, watch a parade, or read a book, but NEVER FORGET!

Sugar-Free Lemon Blueberry Cake

A recent gathering of family members called for a quick and easy dessert. Now, I usually shy away from using box cake mixes, but when I saw this box of Sugar-Free Yellow Cake Mix by Pillsbury, I had to try it. My sister said I had made a lemony cake with blueberries one year and asked if could make that again.

Seeing this box in the store gave me an idea for a simple sheet cake, where only a few calories came from sugar. It contains non-nutritive sweeteners and does have calories, but I had to try it.

After baking the cake mix with parchment paper lining the 13 inch by 9 inch metal pan, (including 3 eggs, water, and canola oi)l I baked it for 34 minutes. After cooling, I turned it upside down on a glass cutting board. I mixed about 1/2 cup of substitute confectioners sugar then added the juice of a lemon. The mixture was not quite sweet and tasty, so I added some real confectioners sugar (sugar!) The lemon juice was the best part! 

Whisking the glaze thoroughly, I poured it over the cake and spread the thin coating gently with a rubber spatula. I then decorated the top with fresh blueberries. I placed it in the refrigerator until the next day. The glaze hardened and kept the berries intact.

The family enjoyed it and I will try experimenting with the box mix again. They also make sugar-fee chocolate cake. Hmmm...add cherries? How about their many flavors of sugar-free Brownie Mix, but I enjoy my homemade brownies using Hershey Cocoa. (Sorry, Pillsbury!) Enjoying a few calories and real sugar as infrequently as I do is okay.

I might make brownies this week since the cake is long gone. Then I can sit outside in the sunshine and read a book. If you are in need of book ideas, here are a few:

Find all Buy Links HERE

Low Sugar Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

I tweaked a favorite recipe to keep the sugar content lower than normal while keeping the flavor and juiciness. Strawberries were on sale, so I grabbed two boxes and a handful of Rhubarb stalks. Yum!

Nancy's Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

9" Double Crust pie (I used 2 frozen shells, defrosting 1 for the top)

1/2 Cup white sugar

1/2 Cup sugar substitute (I used Splenda)

1/2 Cup flour

Approx. 1 pound Rhubarb stalks

2 Pints fresh strawberries

2 Tablespoons butter          Cooks @400 35 to 40 minutes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place pie shell on cookie sheet to catch drips. Mix flour and sugar then add sliced fruit (thinner the better). Toss and set aside about 30 minutes. Pour fruit mixture into unbaked shell. Dot with butter slices. Cover with top crust and seal edges. Cut about 8 slits in the crust for steam. Cover top loosely with foil for the first 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue cooking about 15 to 20 minutes or until top is golden brown and fruit is bubbling.

Best served cold (to solidify) but can be gently reheated. Vanilla ice cream is a great addition.

Enjoy a slice while reading a book or two, all of which you can find HERE.

Why I Do Not Fear FRIDAY THE 13th

by Nancy Lee Badger

The 13th of a month rarely falls on a Friday. In fact, last year during the widespread Covid-19 Pandemic, it only appeared once, in August 2021. This year, May is the only month, although January 2023 will return with another special Friday for me to celebrate.

I have heard the stories that warned of "Black cats crossing your path" while others said "Don't walk under a ladder." Who can forget to be careful and to not break a mirror? These and other superstitions have swirled around the number 13 for centuries.

Many have made money off the fear of Friday the 13th (sound like any movies you may have watched?) I never watched those movies, and I have owned two black cats. I own ladders as well, but why would I walk under one? I will admit to being extremely careful when carrying a looking glass.

The Author at Age 5

The truth is, my parents had something miraculous happen on a Friday long, long ago. I was born. Yep, they welcomed their first child. Was it unlucky that the calendar said I was born on the 13th? Is it true when I hear that "Friday's child is loving and giving." That's me!

The Author enjoying the sea, decades later

I play the lottery weekly and the Powerball number I play on my tickets is always 13. It comes up quite often. So, when you think of superstitions and curses, especially on the 13th of anything (my lucky number) think of me and my books, which you can find HERE

My latest book was released last Friday. 

Yep, I like Fridays, too!

Mother's Day and a New Book by Nancy Lee Badger

Years go, I came  up with a series set on Scotland's Isle of Skye and set in the past. The paranormal stories about shape-shifting dragons was fun to make and share. After reading through the four books in my Clan of Dragons series, I found there were a few loose ends to tie up concerning three characters. So, I created SANDY, a novella.

Book Blurb

Sandy is a lonely dragon and flies from an island off the Scottish mainland to the Isle of Skye to find a mate. Shifting into a naked male, a chance meeting on a sandy beach with an interesting woman is interrupted by pirates. To escape, she leads him into the sea, a place he detests since he can barely tread water. What about sharks? They survive and together find a hiding place in the forest. Feelings surface, but she is different. Could this human learn to love a dragon? 

Isobel lost her seal skin to a pirate. She has been following the thief for months and now has only two weeks to live. Bent on her mission, saving a naked human male slows her down. A visit from Brownies and her friend, Orin, complicate things when pirates kidnap her. Sandy comes to her aid, but can her growing feelings for the handsome human be denied? Why does she yearn to find her seal skin if success means never seeing him again?

Consider the four other books in the series, too.

Interested? Find all ebook US & International Buy LinksHERE

More Highland Games photos by Author Nancy Lee Badger

As I mentioned in a previous post, hubby, son Eric, and I attended the recent Loch Norman Highland Games in Huntersville, North Carolina. It is held annually about three hours southwest of Raleigh and just north of Charlotte at the Rural Hill Historic site. Since I am soon releasing a new Scottish historical novel, I took tons of photos and am sharing a few here again, including my favorites, the turning of the caber and the  Highland cows.

                                                    Turning the caber 

(aka a telephone pole-sized log!) 

And yes, that is a woman doing it!

Wrestling: all ages, girls and boys...

Throwing the stone. Yikes!

A large and really authentic historical village,

from the Pics to the Continental Army Scots.

Seven Nations Concert

And my cover model... Bubba!
This year, travel more and try experiencing a Scottish festival! 

This EARTH DAY Read ebooks!

Earth Day comes around every year, but have you done anything to celebrate? We planted a new dark pink azalea bush and will soon trim the bushes to get them ready to re-bud for next year.

 I took this photo of one of the more mature azaleas in our garden
Not into gardening? An easy suggestion to save trees is to use your Kindle, Nook, Phone, etc. to download ebooks. They are less expensive than paperback or hardback books. Need ideas? Here are a few...


AMAZON

AMAZON

AMAZON

AMAZON

Happy Earth Day 2022!

Nancy Lee Badger

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Highland Games are Back! Photos by Nancy Lee Badger

Hubby, son Eric, and I attended last weekend's Loch Norman Highland Games in Huntersville, North Carolina. It is held normally annually about three hours southwest of Raleigh and just north of Charlotte at the Rural Hill Historic site. 

We watched a blacksmith create tools

and weapons over a hot air-fired furnace.

We attend the Loch Norman Highland Games every year EXCEPT in 2019, because my dad had recently passed and I was too busy helping mom in Florida to think about the games. The games were canceled in 2020 and 2021.  

The rock band SEVEN NATIONS was awesome!

Taking a chance to attend these games was fulfilling, especially taking photos of the historic encampment site AND of my favorites...the Highland cows. 

Recognize 15 year old Bubba? I used his image from about five years ago to make my book cover for LOVE, HAMISH

More to come, or you can check out my Facebook page HERE!

Thinking About Chocolate! by Author Nancy Lee Badger

I admit that I think about chocolate all the time. Is there anything so delicious? The price of everything is skyrocketing. We need to buy cautiously and get back to baking and cooking from scratch. Delving into my recipe box (yes, us older folks still keep files with recipes written on index cards!) I found the following:

Nancy's Homemade Cocoa Brownies

1 cup butter, melted

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups sugar or equivalent sugar substitute

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 eggs

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Look what I made!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray bottom of 13 inch by 9 inch pan. Melt butter and add to electric mixing bowl. In another bowl, mix together cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. To the melted butter in the mixer bowl, add the sugar and vanilla and mix on medium until smooth. Add eggs one at a time and mix 2 minutes until well blended. Slowly add the flour mixture. Beat until smooth. Add nuts (optional) and mix well. 

Spread in the pan and bake 30 minutes. Knife inserted should come out fairly clean or until brownies pull away from sides of the pan. Cool. 

Grab a glass of milk and a book and relax. Find all my available books HERE and check out a few suggestions of books by North Carolina authors I know: 

Amazon 

Amazon 

Amazon 

Enjoy the spring weather and keep safe. Someone I know and love came down with Covid recently...it is still out there! Nancy Lee Badger

Why I have Stopped Writing

APRIL FOOLS! 

I cannot stop writing. Whether it is a blog article, a poem, a letter to a friend, or my next novel, I seem to bubble up with stories that need to be put to paper (or in my case, typed into my laptop). Here is the plan:

*Finish writing the sequel novella in my Clan of Dragons series

*Continue editing and formatting my Clan of Dragons 5 book series into a Boxed Set to release in early July.

*Finish formatting and make a cover for my currently untitled medieval Christmas tale coming out November 1st in a multi-author Boxed set

*Finish the ending, then format and create a cover for The Rogue's Ring, the third and last book in my Treasure Tales series to be released in Early January 2023

*Continue to collect and set-up author craft-based articles for the FFandP Blog

*Create Friday blog posts for the rest of 2022 for this blog

Other than this, I am a retired person who keeps writing and working toward creating a nice retirement for my husband and me. So, please check out all my books wherever you purchase books, or click on my Book Page HERE for buy links and don't miss the latest releases.

Eagerly awaiting the second booster,

Nancy Lee Badger