Sandra Merville Hart's Blog, page 91

Last Stop, Cordelia by Lisa Carter

[image error]

The Rails to Love Romance Collection

 The action begins with the first paragraph!

Neil MacBride risks his life to save Cordelia Cochrane, but is she grateful? No, the feisty reporter actually has the nerve to tell Neil that he should have let her remain in danger—she’d get a better newspaper story.

Being out in the middle of the Wyoming Territory with a group of former Civil War soldiers turned rail workers, Cordelia grudgingly decides to accept Neil’s help. She only cares about furthering her career.

Neil is ambitious, too. The Union Pacific worker is determined to lead his team, who are laying tracks daily. He’s been without family for a long time yet there is something about Cordelia that captivates him.

I loved this novella. I fell in love with Neil before Cordelia did!

The dialogue in the story is especially good. The couple have meaningful conversations from the beginning. The secondary characters, hardened by war experiences, are also lovable and believable.

Definitely recommend this author.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Christianbook.com

Mulligan Stew Recipe

 

[image error]

One of my favorite meals that my grandmother made was Mulligan stew. She had no patience to teach anyone how to make it. Fortunately, my brother also liked it. He observed her preparations for the stew and then wrote them down.

3 pounds stew beef

6 to 8 medium-to-large potatoes

2 medium onions, chopped

1 cup tomato catsup

3 to 4 tablespoons chili powder

Salt to taste

Butchers often slice beef into two-inch square chunks. That’s too large for a spoon and gave me lots of trouble as a child eating this in my soup.

One thing I do (that my grandmother didn’t) is cut the stew beef into bite-sized portions before cooking.

Rinse the meat and add to a large pot. Cover with cold water. Add a teaspoon of salt or season to taste. Cook over medium heat until almost done, about 45 minutes.

I use 8 potatoes because I love them in this stew. Peel and cut potatoes into spoon-sized portions.

[image error]When the meat is almost done, add potatoes and onions. Stir in a cup of catsup. If you add too much, the stew has a sweet taste. (You may prefer that taste. I modify recipes all the time. I’d suggest trying this amount of catsup the first time and see what you think.)

Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of chili powder. I used closer to 4 tablespoons in mine. Stir well.

[image error]Continue cooking until the potatoes are tender.

If you cook this in a crock pot, add all ingredients at the beginning and stir well.

I served the stew with rolls.  My grandmother served them with bread. Some people prefer crackers.

[image error]My brother asked me to make this stew on a recent visit. He said it was seasoned perfectly. High praise from someone who remembers my grandmother’s stew!

I’d love to hear if you try this recipe. Enjoy!

-Sandra Merville Hart

 

 

Civil War General Lee Sends a Frightening Message

 

[image error]

Confederate President Jefferson Davis and his family lived in the executive mansion in Richmond, Virginia. Citizens grew accustomed to hearing artillery fire in nearby Petersburg after months of fighting. With General Robert E. Lee in command, they felt safe.

Confederate President Jefferson Davis didn’t feel quite as secure. By the morning of April 2, 1865, he had already sent his family away from the city.

Still, when Davis received a message during church services on Sunday morning, April 2, color drained from his face. He immediately exited the church, leaving the congregation to wonder what momentous event had occurred to warrant his haste.

The telegram was from General Lee. He advised Davis to leave Richmond that night.

Davis issued orders to evacuate the Confederate government, though citizens were not given notice for hours. However, the sight of official documents burning in front of government buildings warned of terrible events.

Citizens learned that the government was evacuating at 4 pm. Officials and other prominent citizens abandoned the city rapidly. They exited by train. They rode out on horseback, carts, and carriages. They boarded canal barges and boats to avoid the Union soldiers.

Davis arranged to leave by train at 8:30 pm yet continued to hope it wouldn’t be necessary. He and three cabinet members delayed leaving until 11 pm. Confederate soldiers crossed the river on pontoon boats.

Chaos reigned in Richmond. City officials ordered men to destroy kegs and bottles of liquor from saloons and warehouses. They poured them into street drains, attracting crowds. Folks scooped up whiskey in boots and hats to gulp it down.

Richmond’s military commander, Lieutenant General Richard Ewell, stayed behind with a few soldiers to burn the city’s supplies of cotton, tobacco, and food. These were set afire inside buildings with the fire department nearby to keep it under control.

The stocks of meat, coffee, and other staples enraged starving citizens. They grabbed the food and then began looting stores. Fires blazed out of control. Arsenals on ships exploded.

Fires still burned the next morning when Union cavalry arrived.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Source

“Reaction to the Fall of Richmond,” Civil War Trust, 2017/10/29 https://www.civilwar.org/learn/articles/reaction-fall-richmond.

 

Filed under: From Our Past Tagged: American Civil War, American history, Civil War, Confederate General Robert E. Lee, Confederate President Jefferson Davis, fall of Richmond, Richmond, Sandra Merville Hart

The Depot Bride by Amanda Cabot

[image error]

The Rails to Love Romance Collection

Eugenia Bell is more interested in photography than in Chauncey Keaton, the man her rich and powerful father wants her to marry. When her father invites Mason Farling to Cheyenne to write a book commemorating the new depot that will include Eugenia’s photographs, she is thrilled.

Mason appreciates the ingenuity in Eugenia’s photographs immediately and he’s excited for the opportunity to work with the talented beauty.

Mason captures Eugenia’s attention in a way that Chauncey never did.

The characters are likeable and believable.

This historical romance novella is a quick read yet it grabbed my attention.

Recommend! Will look for more by this author.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Christianbook.com

Filed under: Review Tagged: Book Review, Historical romance, Sandra Merville Hart

Black-Eyed Peas for New Year’s Day

[image error]

Growing up, my dad insisted we eat black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day. I didn’t like them. He said we had to eat them for good luck in the New Year.

Of course, forcing down a spoon of the peas seemed a small price to pay for a year’s worth of good luck so I always ate them.

This year I decided to search for a more exciting way to cook them than just seasoned with salt and pepper.

I made Black-eyed Peas and Rice, a recipe found on the Food Network.

I didn’t have any curry powder so I didn’t add that seasoning. I also used a whole 15-ounce can of black-eyes peas instead of making 8 ounces from dried pies. I just wanted to try out the recipe ahead of time to see if I wanted to make this on New Year’s Day. Otherwise I followed the recipe as is.

Using canned black-eyed peas worked great. I love rice dishes and this one didn’t disappoint me. I tasted the peas along with the strong flavor of the soy sauce.

I will be making this dish for supper.

What traditional dish will you eat to begin the year?

-Sandra Merville Hart

“Black-eyed Peas and Rice,” Food Network, 2017/11/26 http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/black-eyed-peas-and-rice-recipe-1937541.

 

 

Filed under: Historical Nibbles Tagged: black-eyed peas, black-eyed peas and rice recipe, Historical Nibbles, New Year's meals, Sandra Merville Hart

12 Christmas Songs Children Love

[image error]

I start listening to Christmas music in November. Christmas carols put me in the mood for holiday baking, decorating, and shopping.

Children love to sing. They may sing in school and church programs around the holidays. There are so many Christmas songs that children love that I had difficulty narrowing it down to twelve. Hope this list includes some of your favorites.

12)  Mary’s Boy Child

11)  Frosty the Snowman

10)  Christmas Time is Here

9)   Twelve Days of Christmas

8)   Jingle Bell Rock

7)   Jingle Bells

6)   Do You Hear What I Hear?

5)   Holly Jolly Christmas

4)   Silent Night

3)   Deck the Halls

2)   Little Drummer Boy

1)   Santa Claus is Coming to Town

What is your favorite Christmas song?

-Sandra Merville Hart

 

 

Filed under: From Our Past Tagged: 12 Christmas songs for children, children's Christmas songs, Christmas Carols, Christmas songs, Christmas songs for Children, Sandra Merville Hart

A Royal Christmas Wedding

[image error]

The Royal Wedding Series

Avery Truitt is thrilled to return to Brighton Kingdom where her sister is married to the King of Brighton. Yet her heart aches for her lost relationship with Prince Colin, whom she dated while in high school—the one who stood her up for her prom five years ago.

Prince Colin has never forgotten Avery. He followed her impressive volleyball career, flying over to attend tournament games without her knowledge. But his dad was right. Colin needs to focus on his career with the family business.

Meeting Avery again reminds Colin why he loves her and how much the broken relationship hurt.

Yet there is a long-standing Brighton tradition for royal weddings. Could the ringing of the tower bell actually be for Avery?

A modern-day Christmas romance that will steal romantic hearts. This is a wonderful story to read during the Christmas holidays. I will look for more novels by this author!

-Sandra Merville Hart

Christianbook.com

 

 

 

 

Filed under: Review Tagged: Book Review, Christmas romance, Contemporary romance, Rachel Hauck, Sandra Merville Hart

Happy Birthday, Jesus Cake

[image error]

The tradition of birthday cakes for Jesus began over 500 years ago when desserts were a rare treat.

Children looked forward to baking a cake to celebrate Jesus’s birthday. Moms often hid little gifts inside the batter. Children found tiny toys like marbles or even a coin in their servings.

The cake itself contains special meaning. White cake symbolizes the sinless life of Jesus. I followed a yummy vanilla cake recipe from the Food Network for my white cake recipe.

The cake rises while in the oven to represent His resurrection.

Red icing reminds folks that Jesus died to save us from our sins. I made a basic buttercream frosting and tried to dye it red using red food coloring. The icing became bright pink.

My sister, who sometimes decorates cakes, suggested using red paste, which is available at cake and candy decorating specialty shops. Next time I will purchase this paste to create red icing.

The light of a single candle reminds us of the star the Wise Men followed to Bethlehem. Candlelight also means that Jesus is the light of the world.

[image error]I wrote “Happy Birthday, Jesus” on my bright pink frosted cake. I gave the children red and green M&M’s to decorate their own piece. It was a hit.

Merry Christmas!

-Sandra Merville Hart

“Basic Vanilla Cake,” Food Network, 2017/11/01 http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/basic-vanilla-cake-recipe-2043654.

 

 

Filed under: Historical Nibbles Tagged: Christmas, Christmas cake, Happy Birthday Jesus cake, Historical Nibbles, Sandra Merville Hart

12 Christmas Shows that I Look Forward to Each Year

[image error]

I love the Christmas season! Each year I look forward to watching my favorite movies and shows. Here’s a list of my top twelve shows I make time to watch each year.

I had a hard time ranking these shows so I went in the order that I really want to snuggle up in a blanket and watch.

If you don’t see your favorites here, leave a comment with the movie title so I can watch for them.

12)  How the Grinch Stole Christmas – the original animated version

11)  Elf

10)  A Christmas Story

9)    Frosty the Snowman

8)    The Christmas Shoes

7)    Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

6)    The Santa Clause

5)    A Christmas Carol

4)    It’s a Wonderful Life

3)    A Charlie Brown Christmas

2)    While You Were Sleeping

1)    White Christmas

 What is your favorite holiday show?

-Sandra Merville Hart

Filed under: From Our Past Tagged: Christmas, Christmas movies, Christmas shows, Sandra Merville Hart

A Wonderful Love by Linda Wood Rondeau

[image error]

I had a hard time putting down this novel.

Dorie Fitzgerald moved with her two small children to a small city in northern New York to live near her parents after his husband was killed in Iraq. She needs emotional connections as much as a job so she tries out for a part in a community theater and lands a minor role.

Jamey Sullivan is helping his ailing father while waiting for his big break on Broadway. He plays the part of Clarence in “It’s a Wonderful Life” where Dorie catches his eye immediately.

This contemporary romance is multi-layered. Dorie still grieves for her hero husband; her children miss their father. Jamey’s dad has refused to sell the family business to the family who monopolizes the town’s businesses for years—if he changes his mind, Jamey will be free to pursue his dreams.

There are many twists that kept me turning pages when I should have been doing other tasks.

I enjoy reading stories set in the Christmas season, especially during the holidays. If you also are looking for a good Christmas story, check out this novel.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas  Use coupon code SandraMHart for a 20% discount on Lighthouse Publishing books!

 

Filed under: Review Tagged: Book Review, Contemporary romance, Linda Wood Rondeau, Sandra Merville Hart