Sandra Merville Hart's Blog, page 93

A Groom for Mama by Catherine Castle

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This contemporary romance is a definite page-turner! I had a hard time putting down this novel.

Given the title, the story seemed like it would be about a son or daughter finding a suitable husband for their mother. It’s the opposite.

Allison had dated Jack in a long relationship a few years ago. She broke off the relationship and moved away. Jack maintained a friendship with Mama, Allison’s mom.

Now Mama is sick, dying from a rare form of cancer. She is determined to see Allison married before she dies and enlists Jack’s dating service to set her up with dates to find “Mr. Right.”

Allison suddenly finds herself on a whirlwind of dates with several “Mr. Wrongs” with the occasional “nice guy, just not for me” men while Mama undergoes further testing.

Those dates torment Jack, who has never stopped loving Allison.

Castle writes with humor. The author excels at building romantic tension and also at touching the hearts of readers with family drama. The characters are likeable and believable.

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

Definitely recommend this novel and this author!

-Sandra Merville Hart

 

Filed under: Review Tagged: Book Review, Catherine Castle, Contemporary romance, Sandra Merville Hart

Chili Porcupine Meatballs Recipe

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I’ve been craving a dish that my mother used to make when I was a child. My mother passed away a few years ago. My sisters didn’t have the recipe so I despaired of ever tasting this meal as she made it again.

Then I found the recipe in an old family cookbook. I couldn’t wait to try it. Yum! It was as delicious as I remembered so I decided to share it with you around the Christmas holidays.

Ingredients

Meatballs

1 pound lean ground beef

1 pound lean ground pork

1 egg, beaten

½ cup milk

2/3 cup long grain rice (not minute rice)

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 teaspoons salt

Sauce

2 cans diced tomatoes

4 cups water

2 tablespoons chopped onion

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon chili powder

½ cup long grain rice

[image error]Mix the meats together. (You might as well use your hands—a method my grandmother taught me. Sometimes spoons just don’t work as well as your fingers.) Beat the egg in a separate bowl and then add egg, milk, 2/3 cup rice, 1 teaspoon chili powder, and 2 teaspoons salt to the meat mixture. Mix well. Form into 1 ½ inch meatballs. (My batch made about 25 meatballs.) Melt about 2 tablespoons of shortening into a skillet. Brown meatballs in batches and drain on a paper towel. Add shortening as needed for browning.

[image error]For the sauce, add tomatoes, onions, and water with the remaining rice and seasonings into a large stockpot. Bring the sauce to a boil then gently add meatballs to the pot. Reduce to low heat. Cover. Cook about 1 1/2 hours. Stir occasionally. Add water as needed.

I could barely wait until the meatballs cooled to dish up a serving. A wave of nostalgia struck me as I ate. It was almost as if my mother had cooked for me one last time.

Enjoy this comforting meal on a cold day!

-Sandra Merville Hart

 

Filed under: Historical Nibbles Tagged: chili porcupine meatballs recipe, Historical Nibbles, Sandra Merville Hart

Civil War Home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis

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Confederate President Jefferson Davis moved his family to the former  home of Dr. John Brockenbrough in Richmond, Virginia. This home served as the executive mansion from August, 1861, until April 2, 1865.

The capital of Virginia became the Confederate capital. The once quiet city changed into a transportation hub. Military headquarters, hospitals center for wounded soldiers, and a prison for captured Union soldiers increased the city’s population. Richmond also boasted of industries such as the Tredegar Iron Works.

Citizens grew accustomed to changes the war brought to their city though they didn’t enjoy knowing the Union army saw Richmond as a target.

Davis held important meetings with his generals at the executive mansion. Richmond citizens and military leaders often gathered in Davis’s parlor, where Varina, his wife, participated in war discussions.

Meticulous with details, Davis had a difficult time delegating. His family lay tucked in bed long after he still worked. His dignified demeanor coupled with his military and political career made him popular in the beginning. His impatience with folks who didn’t see eye-to-eye with him soon chipped away at his popularity.

His family also suffered personal tragedy while living at the White House of the Confederacy. His five-year-old son, Joseph, fell and died in 1864.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Sources

“Biography: Jefferson Davis,” Civil War Trust, 2017/10/29

https://www.civilwar.org/learn/biographies/jefferson-davis.

“Jefferson Davis,” Wikipedia, 2017/10/29 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Davis.

“The White House and Museum of the Confederacy,” American Civil War Museum, 2017/10/29 https://acwm.org/about-us/our-story/museum-white-house-confederacy.

Filed under: From Our Past Tagged: American Civil War, American history, Civil War, Confederate President Jefferson Davis, Richmond, Sandra Merville Hart, White House of the Confederacy

Anna’s Crossing by Suzanne Woods Fisher

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This novel is the first book in the Amish Beginnings Series.

The story is set in 1737. A small group of Amish embark on the ship, Charming Nancy, on their way to the colonies where a member awaits their arrival.

Anna doesn’t want to go to the New World where William Penn has made land available to her church members. She wants freedom to worship God just as her members do, but she’d rather stay with her grandparents.

Bairn, the ship’s carpenter, isn’t pleased when his captain agrees to transport so many passengers. Half the number of passengers would be crowded below deck, but the little boy, Felix, refuses to stay below. Anna comes after him. She’s beautiful but is also one of the ‘Peculiars.’ Bairn fights his growing feelings for her.

There are many layers to this story. Bairn is a man with a past. Readers are given glimpses of it throughout the novel.

There isn’t a lot of dialogue in this novel. The main characters are believable. One is a character readers will love to hate.

There are many surprises in the action-packed drama. I had a hard time putting it down.

Anna’s strong faith in God is her anchor when things go terribly wrong.

Full of twists and turns, this novel is a definite page-turner!

Recommend! Will look for more by this author.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Christianbook.com

 

 

Filed under: Review Tagged: Book Review, historical fiction, Sandra Merville Hart, Suzanne Woods Fisher

Cream Soup Recipe

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This recipe for Cream Soup was found in an 1877 cookbook under “Food for the Sick.”

A few common ingredients made this an easy recipe for cooks and nurses to give to patients. It was probably given to wounded soldiers during Civil War.

[image error]The main ingredient is toasted bread, which was heartier 150 years ago than white bread readily available on grocery store shelves. I made a loaf of white bread in my bread machine and baked it in the oven. This gave me bread slices with denser consistency.

I toasted sliced bread “very brown” under the oven broiler. It felt more authentic than sliding them into a toaster.

Pour two cups of boiled water into a medium-sized serving bowl. Add ½ cup of heavy cream and ¼ teaspoon of salt and stir.

[image error]Break two slices of toast into pie. Pour the cream broth over the pieces in a serving bowl.

Eat immediately.

I tasted this soup. It surprised me how much I like it—possibly because I really like the homemade bread.

For this reason, I feel that any of the hearty breads you love would work well in this soup. Feel free to experiment with your favorite breads. If you buy the bread, this soup can be ready to eat in about 10 minutes.

I’ve often eaten toast when sick as well as serving it to my daughter. Cream and nourishing bread—I understand why this was given to convalescing patients.

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

-Sandra Merville Hart

Sources

Compiled from Original Recipes. Buckeye Cookery and Practical Housekeeping, Applewood Books, 1877.

 

 

Filed under: Historical Nibbles Tagged: Civil War, Civil War food, Cream Soup, Cream Soup recipe, historical cooking, historical cooking for patients, historical meals for patients, Historical Nibbles, Sandra Merville Hart

Civil War Confederate President Jefferson Davis

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Confederate President Jefferson Davis and his family lived in the home of Dr. John Brockenbrough in Richmond, Virginia. This home served as the executive mansion from August, 1861, to April 2, 1865.

Davis had suffered from many personal losses before he stepped into the foyer of the impressive Federal style mansion in Richmond.

He fell in love with Zachary Taylor’s daughter, Sarah, while the future President Taylor was still a Colonel. Recognizing the difficulties of frontier army life, Taylor refused to allow Sarah to become a military wife.

His reasons swayed Davis to resign from his post. The couple married on June 17, 1835. Two months later, the newlyweds traveled to his sister’s home in Louisiana. Sadly, they both fell ill with malaria. Sarah died. Davis’s family feared that malaria would also take Jefferson’s life, but he slowly recovered.

He lived on his Mississippi cotton plantation for about eight years before meeting Varina Howell, a guest at his brother’s home. He proposed and married the eighteen-year-old in 1845.

Samuel Emory, their oldest son, was born in 1852 and died a month shy of his second birthday. Margaret Howell was born in 1855—Davis’s only child who married. Jefferson Davis, Jr., was born in 1857. A third son, Joseph,  was two when the Davis family moved to Richmond.

Varina was pregnant with William Howell in August of 1861.

When Davis crossed the threshold into his new home, he didn’t know that his son, Joseph, would fall to his death at age five in 1864. Or that Varina Anne “Winnie” would be born two months after Joseph’s death. Winnie, born during the war, became known as the Daughter of the Confederacy.

In addition to his personal sorrows, Davis suffered from old battle wounds, recurring bouts of malaria, a chronic eye infection, and trigeminal neuralgia, a painful nerve disorder.

Davis was selected as President for a six-year term, a job he didn’t want. With his training at West Point and his army experience, he preferred a military command. As President, he had little patience for folks who disagreed with him.

No, Davis could not know all the difficulties that awaited him as he stepped into the mansion in Richmond. His courage might have failed had he been able to see into the future.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Sources

“Biography: Jefferson Davis,” Civil War Trust, 2017/10/29

https://www.civilwar.org/learn/biographies/jefferson-davis.

“Jefferson Davis,” Wikipedia, 2017/10/29 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Davis.

“The White House and Museum of the Confederacy,” American Civil War Museum, 2017/10/29 https://acwm.org/about-us/our-story/museum-white-house-confederacy.

“White House of the Confederacy,” NPS.gov, 2017/10/29 https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/richmond/WhiteHouse_of_theConfederacy.html.

 

Filed under: From Our Past Tagged: American Civil War, American history, Civil War, Confederate President Jefferson Davis, Sandra Merville Hart

The Caretaker’s Son by Yvonne Lehman

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I enjoyed this novel!

Annabelle Yarwood has been in multiple beauty pageants and now teaches young girls what she’s learned, especially how to find their beauty in God’s eyes. Her fiancé, Wes, works long hours building his career in a law firm.

Annabelle is intrigued by the return of Symon Sinclair, the caretaker’s son, to her Aunt B’s home. She remembers him from her childhood. Symon’s an author and she enjoys his company while Wes is working.

Symon longs to reconnect with Aunt B, the woman who had been like a mother to him after his own mom abandoned him.

Aunt B seems to understand pain and suffering all too well.

The contemporary romance is multi-layered. There are many twists that kept me turning pages. I enjoy stories that have depth, and under Lehman’s expertise, this one does.

Realistic characters each have their own goals, making this an interesting read. This story drew me in immediately.

Recommend!

-Sandra Merville Hart

Amazon

 

 

 

 

Filed under: Review Tagged: Book Review, Contemporary romance, Sandra Merville Hart, Yvonne Lehman

Cherry Tarts Worthy of a Love Story

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Today’s post is written by fellow author, Sandra Ardoin. I enjoyed reading her Christmas historical romance where the heroine is a baker. Sandra shares a recipe from the time period of her book. Welcome, Sandra!

 Unlike my heroine in The Yuletide Angel, I’m not much of a cook. Oh, I can do it. It simply isn’t something I enjoy. However, I don’t hesitate to collect recipes. Go figure.

When I discovered Violet Madison possessed the joy of baking, it left me with a question. What recipes would she prepare in 1890? So, I went to one of my favorite resources for 19th–century research: Google Books. Did you know the site holds over two centuries-worth of tested and tried recipes (or receipts) printed in old magazines and cookbooks? I found the following in a digitalized version of Warner’s Safe Cook Book: Compiled Especially for Warner’s Safe Yeast Company, 1887.

Here is the recipe Violet might have used, as stated on page 301 of the company’s cookbook (punctuation is mine):

CHERRY TART NO. 2

“Line patty pans or pie plates with puff paste. Stew the desired quantity of cherries with a liberal amount of sugar and a little water. Add a tablespoonful of flour for a pint of the stewed cherries. Fill the shells and bake in a quick oven. When the crust is done remove from the oven. Dust with powdered sugar when serving. Dried cherries make excellent tarts. They require to be soaked for several hours before being heated and must then cook very slowly and for only a short time.”

The term patty-pans threw me. If it did you, too, don’t fret. It’s another term for a miniature tart pan, the kind you’d find in stores today. As for the “puff paste” or pastry, if you’re dieting, you might want to rethink this one, since it contains a heart-stopping amount of butter.

Shy, little Violet certainly knew the way to a man’s heart: sweets. But her cherry tart was only one of the reasons Hugh Barnes fell in love with The Yuletide Angel.

-Sandra Ardoin

[image error]BIO:

Sandra Ardoin writes inspirational historical romance. Her Christmas novella, The Yuletide Angel, and the Grace Award-winning novel, A Reluctant Melody are available on Amazon. Visit her at www.sandraardoin.com and on the Seriously Write blog. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Goodreads, and Pinterest. Sign up for her newsletter.

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Available on Amazon

BLURB:

It’s Christmastime 1890 and someone ventures out at night to leave packages at the homes of the needy. Dubbed the Yuletide Angel, no one knows the identity of this mysterious benefactor. No one, except Hugh Barnes, who finds himself drawn to the outwardly shy but inwardly bold Violet Madison.

But a phantom figure lurks in the shadows, prepared to clip the wings of the young woman who risks her safety to help others.

Filed under: Historical Nibbles Tagged: Cherry Tart recipe, historical cooking, Historical Nibbles, Sandra Ardoin, Sandra Merville Hart

Civil War President Lincoln’s Summer Home

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George Riggs, a wealthy banker, sold his 256-acre summer retreat known as “Corn Rigs” in 1851 to the U.S. government. The Gothic Revival country cottage was used as a Soldiers’ Home.

Retired soldiers moved to a larger building. President Buchanan, receiving an invitation from the Old Soldiers’ Home, used the location three miles from the White House as a summer home.

President Lincoln and his family lived in a cottage on the property from June to November from 1862-64. The family enjoyed the peaceful beauty away from the populated capital.

Lincoln didn’t shirk his presidential duties. Cavalry troops with drawn swords accompanied his daily rides to and from the White House. This commute took him past hospitals. Past camps for former slaves. Past cemeteries. No, Lincoln could not forget his duty.

Lincoln’s family was evacuated back to the White House from the Old Soldiers’ Home in July of 1864 when Confederate General Jubal Early attacked Fort Stevens. The battle was about a mile from the Old Soldiers’ Home. President Lincoln went out to observe the battle on July 12th, a risky decision. He is the only sitting president to come under hostile fire.

Even his daily commute to his summer residence placed him in danger when a sniper tried to shoot him.

President Hayes and President Arthur also stayed at the cottage while in office.

The Soldiers’ Home is now the Washington Unit of the Armed Forces Retirement Home. President Lincoln’s Cottage is open for tours, but buy tickets in advance to reserve a spot.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Sources

“President Lincoln’s Cottage at the Soldiers’ Home,” NPS.gov, 2017/07/04  https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/presidents/lincoln_cottage.html.

“The Soldiers’ Home,” President Lincoln’s Cottage, 2017/07/04 http://www.lincolncottage.org/the-soldiers-home/.

 

Filed under: From Our Past Tagged: Abraham Lincoln, American Civil War, Civil War, Confederate General Jubal Early, Fort Stevens, Lincoln's summer home, Old Soldiers' Home, only sitting President to come under hostile fire, President Abraham Lincoln, Sandra Merville Hart, White House

Dance Over Me by Candee Fick

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I enjoyed this contemporary romance!

Danielle Lefontaine, actress/dancer, longs for a part in a Broadway musical. Hard work finally pays off when a local theater offers her a contract. Now she can concentrate on her career and finding her brother. Separated as children, she hasn’t seen him in years and is desperate to find him. After that, she may be able to focus on the band leader, Alex Sheridan, who has snagged her interest.

Alex is skittish about starting a relationship with another actress. His last dating relationship ended when his girlfriend left him for a bigger stage. Dani is talented. Will she also leave him?

A jealous star makes Dani’s life miserable. And how does her adoptive mom feel about her search for her brother?

This story drew me in immediately. I kept reaching for the novel to find out what happened next even when I needed to be doing other things. The characters are realistic and believable.

Recommend!

-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, Candee Fick, Contemporary romance, Sandra Merville Hart