Tamera Alexander & Recipes! How Exciting! :)

Hi Everyone!

My review for this book will be here in a few days, but first I want to share a recipe with you!
Check this out!!!  Consider this post the prequel to my book review. :)

Quiche! I LOVE this stuff! Seriously I do. I have since I was a child. :)
Please TRY to not drool on your keyboard, phone, tablet or iPad device when you see this.

Eleanor Braddock’s Savory Custard

(or Ham and Cheddar Quiche)

From the novel A Beauty So Rare

by Tamera Alexander

www.TameraAlexander.com

Most people think quiche originated in France. Not so. It’s originally a German dish and people referred to them as "savory custards" in the 19th century. Which is accurate since the egg-based mixture forms a luscious-like custard as it bakes.

In my novel, A Beauty So Rare, the second standalone novel in the Belmont Mansion series, the heroine, Eleanor Braddock, is "a cook with a dream." But her dreams don’t quite turn out like she thinks they will. However, her savories always do!

I hope you enjoy this recipe (or "receipt" as recipes were called in the 1800s) from A Beauty So Rare. For more about A Beauty So Rare and for recipes from all my novels, visit www.TameraAlexander.com.

Ingredients

1 old-fashioned unbaked pie crust (recipe below)

1 large onion,diced (or sliced if you like larger pieces of onion in your savory)

2 tablespoonsbutter

1 pound cooked ham diced into cubes (if using bacon, use 8 slices, fried chewy, not too crisp)

8 large eggs

1-1/2 cupsheavy cream or half-and-half

1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, or to taste (I always go heavier on the pepper, personal preference)

1 3/4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Instructions

Sautéonion in the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden brown. Set aside to cool.

Chop the ham into bite-sized pieces (or fry your bacon until chewy, then chop). Set aside to cool. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Roll out pie crust and press into a deep dish pie plate. A medium-sized iron skillet works wonderfully for making a savory custard (and is what Eleanor used). The crust comes out divine. I just happened to use a pie plate this time.

Whip the eggs, cream, salt and pepper in a large bowl, then mix in the onions, ham (or bacon), and cheese. Pour the mixture into the pie crust. Cover the pie plate (or skillet) lightly with aluminum foil and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the quiche is set and the crust is golden brown. QUICK BAKING TIPS: The quiche may still seem a little loose when you first remove it from the oven, but it will firm up nicely once removed from the heat. Also, watch that lovely crust so the edges don’t get overly brown. I use a silicone pie crust shield if that starts to happen. Those are a fabulous invention (but foil crimped around the edges works just as well).

Remove from the oven and allow the savory custard torest for 10 to 15 minutes before diving in. It’s so good, and just like Eleanor Braddock would make. It’s also delicious left over and warmed up the next day.

Eleanor Braddock’s Old-Fashioned Pie Crust

(makes two large crusts)

From the novel A Beauty So Rare

by Tamera Alexander

www.TameraAlexander.com

This is a wonderful crust that I’ve been using for years. Eleanor would likely have used lard in place of Crisco (since lard was cheaper than butter in her day), and you may too, if you prefer. Yes, lard is still available on most grocery shelves, although I’m pretty sure I just felt you shudder!

This pie crust "freezes beautifully " as they say in Steel Magnolias (instructions on freezing below), so even though I may need only one pie crust at the moment, I always use this recipe and make a second, and freeze it for later. Makes that next pie (or savory custard) go twice as fast!

1 ½cups Crisco (or lard)

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 egg

5 tablespoons ice water

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, using a pastry cutter (or two knives will do the job), gradually work the Crisco into the flour for 3 to 4 minutes until it resembles coarse meal. In a smaller bowl, whipthe egg and then pour it into the flour/shortening mixture. Add 5 tablespoons of ice-cold water, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir gently until all ingredients are blended well.

Halve the dough. Form 2 evenly-sized balls of dough and place each into large sealable plastic bags. Using a rolling pin, slightly flatten each to about 1/2 inch thickness to make rolling easier later. Seal the bags and place them in the freezer until you need them. (If you’re using the crusts immediately, it’s still a good idea to let them chill in the freezer for about 15- 20 minutes. They’ll be much easier to work with.)

When you’re ready to roll the dough for your crust, remove from the freezer and allow to thaw for 15 minutes (if it’s frozen). On a well-floured surface, roll the dough, starting at the center and working your way out. Sprinkle flour over the top of the dough if it’s too moist. If the dough starts to stick to the countertop, use a metal spatula and gently scrape it up and flip it over and continue rolling until it’s about ½inch larger in diameter than your pie plate (or iron skillet).

Using a spatula, carefully lift the dough from the surface of the counter into the pie pan. (I sometimes fold my well-floured dough in half and then "unfold" it onto iron skillet. Or you can lop it over your rolling pin. That works well, too.) Gently press the dough against the sides of the pan or skillet, getting it all tucked in. Then crimp the edges in whatever way you prefer. And now, you’re ready for that yummy savory custard filling above, or maybe for a fruit pie.

If you make this recipe (or if you’ve read A Beauty So Rare), I’d love to hear from you. You can write me through my website at http://www.tameraalexander.com/contact.html.

Sincerely Yours: A Novella Collection by Laurie Alice Eakes, Ann Shorey, Amanda Cabot, and Jane Kirkpatrick

Sincerely Yours is written by four authors. Each one gives us a story that ties into a letter, or letters.
Each story is very good! I do have my favorite, but I enjoyed them all.

In Moonlight Promise our first lovely lady winds up jumping aboard a moving steam boat in a bold effort to get where she is going before time runs out. Her livelihood is at stake, and she didn't plan on being attracted to the ship's captain. He didn't plan on having a passenger, much less a female one at that! They both have some major life issues besetting them at this time, can they survive the passage and come out where God wants them to be? Will the thin threads of Faith they cling told pull them through?

In Lessons In Love we have a very advanced lady for her time frame. She is publishing! (Imagine that!) It is still a forward move for a woman in that era. When her editor decides he must meet with her there is a major obstacle. Her editor assumed that she is a male writer and now she must either prevail upon someone for help, or watch her dreams vanish. A touchy decisions since she is mainly writing about how Godly Christian wives are to behave and the rolls they play in their families and husband's lives.

Ahhh! One Little Word! This story was my favorite. I do like the others very much, they are worth reading, but this one got my heart! :) Lorraine M. Caldwell is going to visit her brother, who is alive! He wrote her and specifically requested she come to his wedding. A wedding to someone that has raised more than a few eyebrows. Upon reaching Lilac Hall she finds much more than she ever envisioned. Soon she finds herself very drawn to Jonah Mann. He is in the process of making a carousal and Lorriane is captivated with the carousal, and with Jonah. Neither of them are exactly what they seem though. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I have to say, I have long loved carousels and probably have a healthy dose of the "malady" that Amanda Cabot has in this area.

A Saving Grace is aptly named. I struggled at first with the front part of this story, but soon got into following it better once our dear brave Grace started finding out that her friend Rebecca has put herself into a place called Starvation Heights. While that is shocking, it is even more so when you consider that some women today still go to such drastic measures to get well, or be fit, or be skinny enough. Rebecca is in serious trouble and Grace has only one ally as she signs up to be a patient at Starvation Heights in order to learn more about what is going on, and to save Rebecca who's sweet young daughter is waiting for her Mommy to come home. Will Grace be able to save Rebecca, or even her self in time, or will they waist away and perish while trying to be healthier? This short story was very riveting because of the way that these women were treated. Turns out that this place was real, and the history behind it is so graciously given at the end of this novella.

Below is more about the book, and the stories, and the cover! I'm glad I was able to review this book for Revell in exchange for my honest review, and nothing else.

Carol :)

http://www.amazon.com/Sincerely-Yours-A-Novella-Collection/dp/0800722043

Four unexpected letters. Four intrepid women. Four lives changed forever. Spanning a century and a continent, these romantic novellas will lead you on a journey through the landscape of love. Four young women find their lives altered after each receives a letter that sets her on a new path. From a Hudson River steamboat to a lush drawing room, from a carousel carver's workshop to a remote hospital, you'll be swept into the lives of women who are making their way in the world and finding love where they least expect it. Moonlight Promise by Laurie Alice Eakes Camilla Renfrew is a highborn English lady fleeing false accusations when she runs smack into love on a steamboat bound for the new Erie Canal. But can this unexpected attraction survive the treacherous journey? Lessons in Love by Ann Shorey Marigold Montgomery Bentley writes marriage advice forKipler's Home Weekly even though she is single.Everyone assumes from the initials that "M. M." is a man. When the editor asks to meet Mr. Bentley, can Merrie come up with a ruse to keep her writing job? One Little Word by Amanda Cabot Lorraine Caldwell will lose her family fortune to a reckless cousin if she doesn't marry quickly. When she learns her long-lost brother is alive, she hopes she's found the answer to her problems. What she finds instead is a mysterious carousel carver who turns her life upside down. A Saving Grace by Jane Kirkpatrick Grace Hathaway must rescue a dear friend from a remote and notorious clinic that promises healing but delivers only heartache. In a place laced with deceit, where lives hang in the balance, whom can she trust to help her?

Maybelle In Stiches by Joyce Magnin (Quilts of Love #16)

Maybelle is welding. Yes indeed, hard work, but she has to do something while her husband is off fighting in the war. Two weeks before he shipped out, they got married and now here she is, missing Holden more than words, letters or her heart can say. Time feel slow when someone you love is away from you. When Maybelle finds a quilt, though she had no idea how to sew, she decides she is going to make this thing whole. It would be just right for their bed when Holden comes home from the war. 

Finding out the scraps she found to make this quilt, that were all in the attic of her Mom's house are all little parts of her heritage and family history makes her all the more interested in getting this task done, and piecing together more of her torn life. With her husband missing in action, all she can do is sew and pray for his return. 

Will she get her happy ending, or will she be left with a quilt and no husband?

Carol :) 

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Maybelle In Stitches Abingdon Press (March 18, 2014) by Joyce Magnin

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A word from the Author:

I am the author of seven novels. Five adult novels and two middle grade readers. I never wanted to do anything else but write and every day I wake up astonished that I get to do what I always dreamed about. My days are filled with words and images along with the usual family stuff. I have three children, Rebekah who is married to Joshua. They have three of the most adorable boys on the planet, Lemuel, Cedar and Soren. My daughter Emily Kate is a lovely young woman anthropologist and my son Adam is fourteen and a student--he's a genius who loves frogs and lizards and fish and plants. He amazes me.

I have never eaten a scallop. I love cream soda. Drink way too much coffee. I do not like elevators but I do enjoy needle arts and of course books. I prefer jazz over country (no offense), milk chocolate over dark, but not roller coasters although my life has often resembled a roller coaster ride.

One of my life's desires is to meet Amy Grant so I can tell her she saved my life.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Maybelle can’t sew. But when she finds an unfinished quilt in the attic of her mother’s house, she gets the crazy idea to complete it. At first, it’s just a way to fill the lonely nights while her husband, staff sergeant Holden Kanzinzki, is away fighting in World War II.

Yet when Maybelle discovers that the quilt is made from scraps of material that can be traced back through her family heritage, the project is suddenly much more important. Then word comes that Holden is missing in action, and with little else to do, Maybelle clings to the quilt as much as to the hope that her husband is still alive. As neighborhood friends gather around Maybelle to help her through the unknown days and nights ahead, it is the quilt that becomes a symbol of her unflagging belief that Holden will return—to her, to their home, and to their quilt-covered bed.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Maybelle In Stitches, go HERE.

Joyce can be reached through the Contact link on her Blog 

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1426752806 

A Draw of Kings by Patrick Carr (The Staff and The Sword Series)

Today we get to read some about the third book in this series. I throughly enjoyed the first two books.
A Hero's Lot and A Cast of Stones are the first two books. We enter this book and things get shocking quickly! Errol and Princess Adora, among a few others, are quickly found to be captured by a man who thinks to make himself King. Weir thinks he can take over, and in doing so turns Adora over to his evil niece, Sevra. She physically tortured Adora and while she was brave and strong, and didn't give up hope or faith, it about did me in with the abuse she suffered! It could have been worse, but that was just horrible. (Slight spoiler) Adora survives, for now, but has to be separated from Errol.

Now we start seeing more of what the church plans, and plots start to unfold. Romance is really picking up! I am not done reading, so God willing I can update you again shortly!

Carol :)

   From the Back Cover

Dark Forces Have Gathered and the Final Battle for Illustra Has Begun
Their journey to Merakh should have made Errol and his companions heroes of the realm. Instead, they've been branded enemies of the kingdom. 

In the wake of the king's death, Duke Weir is ruling the country--and he intends to marry Adora to bring an heir from the royal line. With Errol and the others imprisoned and the identity of the rightful heir to the throne still hidden in secrecy, Illustra is on the verge of civil war--and threatened by hostile forces gathering on every side.

A dangerous mission to free Errol is attempted, but the dangers facing the kingdom mount with every passing moment. The barrier has fallen, ferrals are swarming toward the land, and their enemies draw ever closer. Will the discovery of the true heir turn back the tide of Illustra's destruction?

Biography

Patrick Carr was born on an Air Force base in West Germany at the height of the cold war. He has been told this was not his fault. As an Air Force brat, he experienced a change in locale every three years until his father retired to Tennessee. Patrick saw more of the world on his own through a varied and somewhat eclectic education and work history. He graduated from Georgia Tech in 1984 and has worked as a draftsman at a nuclear plant, did design work for the Air Force, worked for a printing company, and consulted as an engineer. Patrick's day gig for the last five years has been teaching high school math in Nashville, TN. He currently makes his home in Nashville with his wonderfully patient wife, Mary, and four sons he thinks are amazing: Patrick, Connor, Daniel, and Ethan. Sometime in the future he would like to be a jazz pianist. Patrick thinks writing about himself in the third person is kind of weird.

A Draw of Kings -  http://www.amazon.com/Draw-Kings-Staff-Sword-Patrick/dp/0764210459/ 
Author Website - http://patrickwcarr.com/
Participants’ links:

Gillian Adams
Jennifer Bogart 
Keanan Brand
Beckie Burnham
Mike Coville
Pauline Creeden
Vicky DealSharingAunt
Carol Gehringer
Victor Gentile
Rebekah Gyger
Nikole Hahn
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Jennette Mbewe
Amber McCallister
Shannon McDermott
Shannon McNear
Meagan @ Blooming with Books
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Joan Nienhuis
Nissa
Writer Rani
Nathan Reimer
Audrey Sauble
James Somers
Jojo Sutis
Steve Trower
Shane Werlinger
Phyllis Wheeler
Nicole White
Jill Williamson

Poison Town by Creston Mapes

This is the second book in this series. I really enjoyed the first book, and this one too!
Here we find a large corporation. This company, Demlar-Vargus is so upsetting people. The company is under accusations from people that they are destroying the land, causing cancer, polluting the environment and in general - they are just bad for everyone. Folks are sick, they are dying and they are sure that Demlar-Vargus has a hand in their health issues. After all, they make fiberglass, that should cause all kinds of problems, right?

Jack, from our first book, is now in Poison Town with his wife and they have some major forgiving issues to cope with. Jack is invesitgating for the newspaper, The Dispatch. Jack has people he cares about who are very very sick. They are dying from symptoms that may well lead back to Demlar-Vargus. Just how much is this company covering up? Will they find the truth in this situation?

Now, with his family under attack, Jack might be too close to the truth of the entire matter. Folks are going missing, who were witness and things are really going on with non-stop action! Is what is poisoning this town, and Jack's heart what they really think is poisoning them?

Take a trip with Jack Crittendon and see what is really going on in the hearts and minds of the folks who reside in Poison Town.

Carol :)

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Poison Town David C. Cook (February 1, 2014) by Creston Mapes

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Creston has fond memories of his boyhood in Bath, Ohio, where he became enchanted with his future wife, way back in the fourth grade. His father, Bernie, owned and operated The Weathervane Furniture Shop in town. The whole family lived right upstairs in the century-old house known as "The Shop."

Creston studied journalism at Bowling Green State University, then began his writing career. During the past 30 years, he has worked as a reporter, corporate copywriter, creative director, freelance writer, and author.


ABOUT THE BOOK

There's More Than One Kind of Poison in This Town

People are sick and dying. Rumors are swirling. Some claim chemicals leaking from a manufacturing plant are causing the cancer that's crippling people on the poor side of Trenton City, Ohio. Yet nothing at the plant appears amiss.

  The problem remains a mystery until reporter Jack Crittendon's long-time mechanic falls ill and he investigates. Soon Jack becomes engulfed in a smokescreen of lies, setups, greed, and scandal.

The deeper he digs, the more toxic the corruption he uncovers. As he faces off with the big-time players behind the scenes and tries to beat the clock before more people die, he realizes the chillingly unthinkable--he knows too much.

If you'd like to read the first chapter of Poison Town, go HERE.

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1434704874

Creston can be reached through the Contact link on his Website 

Ollie Chandler Collection: Three Novels: Deadline, Dominion, Deception by Randy Alcorn

This book is interesting, but VERY hard to get through. That is unusual for me. It focuses on a man who has died and is in Heaven. He is learning about God's glory with the help of his guardian Angel. I like all that, and the lives of the people on Earth try to figure out what killed this man, and some other things along that line. It stars a homicide detective, Ollie Chandler. That is typically right up my "alley"!

Over all, I am not happy to say that I haven't been able to force myself through the rest of the story. I mange to read a few pages and I just can't stay engaged. I will continue to try to finish this book. I hate not knowing endings. I really hope that it is just me who has not been able to read this book as it was intend by the Author. I feel like it has potential, if I could just make it through enough of it for it to fully engage.

I was given this copy from Blogging for Books for my honest review and nothing else.

Carol :)

The Book Link:
http://www.amazon.com/Ollie-Chandler-Collection-Deadline-Deception-ebook/dp/B00985DV4U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394649473&sr=8-1&keywords=The+ollie+chandler

Three suspense detective novels for the price of one in this eBook-exclusive omnibus.
Ollie Chandler is a brilliant and quick-witted homicide detective who lives by Ollies' First Law: "Things are not what they appear." These best-selling novels offer readers a compelling, intriguing story of Ollie Chandler combined with other favorite characters. Deadline, Randy Alcorn's first novel, stayed on the bestsellers list for thirty-six months. Dominion is a dramatic story of spiritual searching, racial reconciliation, and hope. Deception responds to readers' demand for more of his believable, compelling fiction. Readers will gain a greater understanding of heaven while recognizing a new idea of why God allows suffering.

Deadline
Involved in a tragic accident under suspicious circumstances, award-winning journalist Jake Woods teams with detective Ollie Chandler to uncover the truth. This alluring e-omnibus of the Randy Alcorn bestsellers finds Jake drawing upon all his resources in an ever-intensifying, dangerous murder investigation. Unaware of the imminent threat to his own life, Jake struggles for answers to the mystery at hand and is plunged into a deeper search for the meaning of his own existence. Deadline is a dramatic and vivid novel of substance, filled with hope and perspective for every reader who longs to feel purpose in life.

Dominion
When two senseless killings hit close to home, columnist Clarence Abernathy seeks revenge for the murders--and, ultimately, answers to his own struggles regarding race and faith. After being dragged into the world of inner-city gangs and racial conflict, Clarence is encouraged by fellow columnist Jake Woods to forge an unlikely partnership with a redneck homicide detective. Soon the two find themselves facing dark forces, while unseen eyes watch from above. This re-release of Randy Alcorn's powerful bestseller spins off from Deadline and offers a fascinating glimpse inside heaven. Filled with insight--and with characters so real you'll never forget them--Dominion is a dramatic story of spiritual searching, racial reconciliation, and hope.

Deception
Homicide detective Ollie Chandler has seen it all. Done more than he cares to admit. But when he's called to investigate the murder of a Portland State University professor, he finds himself going places he's never gone before. Places he never wanted to go. Because all the evidence is pointing to one, horrific conclusion: The murderer is someone in his own department. That's not the worst of it, though. Ollie has nagging doubts...about himself. Where was he during the time of the murder? Joined by journalist Clarence Abernathy and their friend Jake Woods, Ollie pushes the investigation forward. Soon all three are drawn deep into corruption and political tensions that threaten to destroy them--and anyone who tries to help. But they're in too deep to quit. They've got no choice. They have to follow the evidence to the truth...No matter how ugly--or dangerous--it gets.

Balenced: Finding Center as a Work At Home Mom by Tricia Goyer

We are women. We have a million things to do each day. Many of us have children. How you do balance a work at home career and still raise the kids, help the husband, and do what God called you to do with out falling apart? Tricia Goyer has written a very nice book on this topic! Like many of us, I have read some of her work before, but nothing that has come close to the depth of what she shared in this book.
Unlike most of the folks reading this book, I don't have children. Yet. I still pray over that. That aside, I have friends with children.  I have watched them struggle to keep things "together", and I do work at home. I have 100's of things pulling at me that I have had to learn to shut off or try to figure out how to deal with those things at a later date. I found that Tricia's book was a fast easy read with lots of personal sharing. I deeply appreciated her honestly that her home (like most of ours) isn't exactly "perfect at all times". Life is simply not perfect, we are learning as we go and Tricia shared so much of her lifetime of learning with us in this book! 
Tricia gave ideas of how to figure out your top priorities and to stick to them. She gave women permission to not be perfect, but to refocus themselves on the things that matter the most while still getting the bulk of the work done. As someone who is working on writing themselves, in an area I am not use to writing in, I LOVED all her insight into how she writes, and was amazed at the way she has accomplished this with the insights God has given her. 
This was a very important read that I think I will find myself referring to again, and do plan to share with others! 
Carol :)  Get Balanced!
 Tricia's Balanced author chat party on March 10(https://www.facebook.com/events/1452943561603285/). Tricia will be chatting about her tips for attaining balance and juggling the many hats moms wear. There will also be some giveaways, and Tricia will announce the start of an eleven-day Balancedchallenge that begins on March 11. You're invited to take part in the challenge, and everyone who participates will receive a downloadable package of freebies from Tricia and her friends! 
This post is part of the Balancedchallenge with Tricia Goyer—and you can join, too!

 About the Book: 

How can a work-at-home mom raise kids, juggle a career and take care of family responsibilities with only 24-hour days? Working at home while raising kids and juggling a career and family responsibilities is no easy feat. Author and homeschooling mom Tricia Goyer shares her tips for finding balance among all your many hats as a mom. Balancing is a process and a journey, one that Tricia herself has yet to perfect. But between writing more than forty books, raising and homeschooling six kids, being a wife, and being active in her community, she has amassed valuable tips she shares in "Balanced."

The book includes tips on:
—how to create focus themes for your family
—how to prioritize your schedule
—how to utilize your job so it also benefits your kids
—how to keep yourself out of the comparison game
—how to make working at home work for you
—and much more!

The book link is :http://www.amazon.com/Balanced-Finding-Center-Work-at-Home-Mom-ebook/dp/B00HHDF788/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394480707&sr=8-1&keywords=balanced+by+tricia+goyer

About the Author: 

Tricia's web page has more about her than I can easily past here. For starters she has written more than 35 books while raising SIX children!!!  I highly suggest you check out her web site and learn more about her, her work, and her framily!  http://www.triciagoyer.com/about/

Litfuse sent me this book for free in exchange for my honest review, and nothing more.