Holiday 2011 and Beyond: Anderson Seafoods Delivers! #Review

This is a gift! If you have a seafood lover and you want to send them something special for a holiday gift or an anytime gift for that matter, you can find what you need at Anderson Seafoods. I have raved about the quality of the fish and I will show you a recipe using some GORGEOUS mahi-mahi in just a bit. I cannot express enough how delicious and how high quality this fish it; the mahi had been in the freezer for over a month and yet it tasted fresh. FRESH! This is serious restaurant quality fish shipped right to your door. I recognize that it is more expensive than you might find at your supermarket but the quality is so far superior that it is well worth the price - and I am on a tight budget.


The portions are 8oz each which is a LOT of fish. I cut them in half so each filet makes two dinners. It's a very satisfying entree size. Free shipping kicks in at $119 so you can stock up - as I have said it keeps exceptionally well in a deep freezer - or you can get together and share an order. Think of a special occasion meal; New Years, Valentine's Day. Wouldn't a fantastic seafood dinner be wonderful? I think so...


So here is the mahi I made for the hubby last night. Needless to say he was a happy man. Me, not so fond of the mahi but I did taste this and it was excellent quality fish. (I tend to like the milder fish.)


Mahi-Mahi with Pumpkin Polenta and Gingered Carrots

Preheat the oven to 350° - you'll need it for the fish.


This was the first time I made Pumpkin Polenta and truth be told the idea just popped into my head. I had some leftover pumpkin from my Thanksgiving cheesecake and I had to figure out something to do with it. I love polenta and so here goes nothing. It's a recipe in progress I think but I do like how it came out last night.


1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
salt to taste

Mix 1/4 cup of pumpkin with 3/4 cup of the milk and add the nutmeg. Pour into a saucepan and heat until just about to boil. Add the cornmeal. As it thickens add the rest of the pumpkin and milk. Salt to taste. Heat through and set aside and keep warm.


For the fish I made a dry rub. As we all should know by now measuring is not my strong suit. And I was tired last night and not thinking. So....

....meet the ingredients for the rub. You can sort of see how much, right? *sigh* I really need to get better at this. I remembered for the polenta, that has to count for something......
It made a smoky, slightly sweet taste on the fish. It was a perfect compliment to the pumpkin in the polenta.

I let the fish come to room temperature and salted it. Then I coated it well with the rub.
Isn't that a beautiful piece of fish?!

I put my small fry pan on the stove with about a tsp of canola oil. I let it get hot and I put the mahi in and cooked it for three minutes on each side.

I sprinkled the top side of the fish with some more of the rub and I popped it into that 350° oven and turned off the heat.

I let it stay in there for 10 minutes and out came a perfectly cooked piece of fish. And one hot pan - always remember when you do this to use your oven mitt. Do not forget that the PAN IS FREAKIN' HOT AND YOU WILL BURN YOURSELF IF YOU TRY AND PICK IT UP. *sigh* when will I learn....fortunately the fish did not land on the floor as so many other things have when I have done this stupid, stupid thing.

The fish, as I said, was cooked perfectly. It flaked and was nice and moist. The polenta was really tasty. I didn't know what to expect it being the first time I made it but I will be making it again.


The ginger carrots were left over from Thanksgiving and this recipe will show up soon as a demonstration from a cookbook I will be reviewing.

Hubby gobbled his fish down and said it was delicious. He was quite filled with half of the filet and will have the second half tonight.


I have been so thrilled with all four of the different types of fish I have gotten to try from Anderson Seafoods. All of my reviews -  the Halibut Picatta, the Chilean Sea Bass en Papillote and the Salmon with a Late Summer Salsa -  have showcased fish of superior quality and I know I will be looking to this company for my seafood needs.


I know I gush but I am truly thrilled with the company; it's service and it's fish. 


I do have a widget up on my blog now for the company. If you click through it and make a purchase I earn a small commission.


You can shop at Anderson Seafoods
You can find Anderson Seafoods on Facebook
You can find Anderson Seafoods on Twitter
You can sign up for the Anderson Seafoods Newsletter


Disclosure:  I received a box o'fish from Anderson Seafoods gratis. Any opinions expressed are my honest opinions and were not impacted by my receipt of the free product. I received no monetary compensation for this post.

Book #Review: My Evangeline by Heidi Radford Legg

About the Book:


When small town Acadian girl, Evangeline, 18, is faced with choosing between living out her late-mother's unfinished dreams at her father’s insistence or following her own charted path that includes her summer boyfriend, the American Max, the magnitude of her decision weighs heavily. When she folds to her father’s pressure and moves to Montreal, she not only finds herself embroiled in political protests and losing Max, but begins to unravel a family secret her father was desperate to hide. My Evangeline, set in retro 1995, tells the story of a willful heroine, who with all her irreverent and rebellious undertones, is stopped in her tracks by duty. With a nod to Longfellow’s epic Evangeline who was faced with the same choice, we meet a contemporary heroine who begins her journey naïve and dutiful. And like the fabled heroine of old, she finds her inner strength once she realizes the casualty of her choices. Elements of magic realism permeate the story as she unravels the secret. She meets an owl, a panther and a raven that challenge her ability to reason as she sets out in search of her true spirit.


About the Author:


HEIDI RADFORD LEGG has written six screenplays and piles of essays and poems. Born in New Brunswick, Canada, she has long admired the beauty and character of the Acadian people with whom she shared many idle unfettered summer days in her youth and… more than a few missed curfews. She has a graduate degree in journalism from Concordia University in Montreal and now lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts with her husband and two children, a short walk from Longfellow's home. This is her first novel. www.heidilegg.com


My Opinion:


I must admit to not knowing much of the famous poem to which this novel compares its heroine. To me that did not detract from enjoying the tale of a young woman wanting to make her own way in the world but feeling beholden to the father who raised her after her mother died in childbirth. Eve so wants to pursue her dreams at the school of her choice with her boyfriend but her father does not recognize - or does not WANT to recognize the strength of their love. He feels Eve needs to live a bit before she settles down. He does not want her repeating her mother's history.


Eve reluctantly agrees to her father's pressure and goes to school in Montreal instead of America where she meets a man of money, influence and ulterior motives. As she gets involved in the separatist movement for Quebec she learns that all is not as it seems.


This book was a departure for me from my usual reading material and that is why I so love reviewing books. It gives me the opportunity to read stories I might not have otherwise found. It challenges me to look to different genres where I find gems like this.


I found myself very involved in Eve's life as she found herself torn between her father and her boyfriend. Eve is a very young character and she has some growing up to do as she is faced with life's decisions and her parent's past. A book I truly enjoyed and I suspect would be especially good for lover's of Longfellow's heroine.


My Evangeline is available on Amazon.com


Disclosure:  I received a copy of My Evangeline gratis. Any opinions expressed are my honest opinions and were not impacted by my receipt of the free book. I received no monetary compensation for this post.

Holiday 2011 and Beyond: Slick New Rides for the Little Ones

This may REALLY be a more a gift for mommy rather than the Little One...but doesn't he or she want to look totally cool while being pushed around? I also don't think there is a mother (or aunt in my case) out there who wouldn't prefer lightweight strollers to  heavy, clunky monstrosities. So why not check out the wide selection at Wayfair? It's the perfect time to shop for a holiday gift for the mother to be!


I like this one

It's red, it looks fast and IT'S RED! Now if you are not as in to red as I am it also comes in blue.
It's a jogging stroller but I think it would work even if you are a slug like me. It would make you look like a jogger. heh


This one is pretty spiffy too

Yes, it's red also. I have a thing for red. So sue me. I especially like the awning. Oh, it's a HOOD not an awning - you can tell I don't have kids. Doesn't mean I might not have to shop for a stroller some day though. It's good to know I can find such a wide selection online since I live in the middle of nowhere.


There are also choices if you or your gift recipient are expecting more than one child.

Yes, yes, red again. It's the holiday season. I'm using the color to decorate the blog. It's quite streamlined too, isn't it? I can almost hear the theme to Rocky! Run with those twins, RUN!


It doesn't matter what color you like you will be able to find a lightweight stroller to suit your needs at Wayfair along with just about anything else for your house. I think I spent half the day browsing around the kitchen sections. Woo hoo! Good times are ahead!


Disclosure:  I will be receiving an item from Wayfair for this post. Any opinions expressed are my honest opinions and were not impacted by my impending receipt of the product. I received no monetary compensation for this post.

Holiday 2011 and Beyond: The Allon Books by Shawn Lamb

When it comes to holiday gift giving I am very much in favor of books. A book is so much more than   a cover and some pages in between; a book is escape, adventure, romance. A book is a journey to distant lands, to different times. A book opens the mind to new ways of thinking. A book is a gift that gives forever.


Can you tell I love books?
There will be quite a few books in my Holiday 2011 posts. Books for all ages. Today I kick off with the Allon books from Shawn Lamb. I have reviewed the first three books and I truly enjoyed them. Today I bring you the fourth book, A Question of Sovereignty. But before I get to that let's review the first three titles; the first book Allon (my review HERE) introduced the characters and the mythology. The second book, Insurrection (reviewed HERE) brought us the heir, Prince Nigel and lots of change to Allon; not all of it good. The third book, Heir Apparent (reviewed HERE) dealt with Nigel's coming of age and the arrival of his bride. His relationships with his sisters and their role in the future of Allon played big a big part in this chapter of the series.


This young adult fantasy series has been very engaging to this adult reader. It would be a wonderful gift to give the pre-teen to teen in your life for a holiday gift.


Now on to the fourth book:





About the Book:


Only One Can Reign

“He shall be Allon’s greatest king; of such a heritage as to rule Guardian and mortal alike” so says Prophecy of the man to succeed Ellis. He decides upon Prince Sullivan of Gorham to wed his heir, Ellan, unaware that Sullivan’s mother is an old enemy. Their arrival allows Ellan’s own ambition to blossom. The royal family and Guardians become impacted by dark machinations threatening a coup. Determined to save her father, Tristine meets two unlike allies: a blacksmith and crippled beggar. But how can they help? And what about the Great King?

About the Author:

Shawn lives in Antioch, Tennessee, just outside Nashville with her husband of nearly 25 years and their college age daughter, Briana. Shawn pursued her love of writing and took it to a professional level, writing for the 1980s Filmation animated series "BRAVESTARR". Along the way, she won several screenwriting awards, including a Certificate of Merit from the American Screenwriters Association.

Taking the skills of writing for televison along with experience of working with kids and teens, she began work on the series ALLON. The results are stories of faith to believe and overcome obstacles, commitment to a cause, and the endurance to see it through to the end.

Begin the journey with Ellis and Shannon as they struggle to restore hope to the mortals of ALLON and pave the way for the return of the immortal Guardians.

My Opinion:


This fourth book is just as entertaining, albeit a bit darker, as the first three books in the Allon series. The dark forces that have been lurking in the background come to the fore. Ellan does not really have a good temperament for ruling; she is Queen, therefore all shall be as she says. She does not want to be protected by her Guardian, she does not feel she needs it. Her father does not want to find her a husband.


But prophecy must be fulfilled.


This was another page turner as I raced to the end. Oh no! I'm not going to tell what happens. You will have to read for yourselves! Or better yet, buy the quartet for your teen for a holiday gift and share the adventure together!


You can find all of the Allon books on Amazon.com


Disclosure:  I received a copy of A Question of Sovereignty gratis from the author. Any opinions expressed are my honest opinions and were not impacted by my receipt of the free book. I received no monetary compensation for this post.

The Queen of America by Luis Alberto Urrea #Rafflecopter #Giveaway

About the Book:


After the bloody Tomochic rebellion, Teresita Urrea, beloved healer and "Saint of Cabora," flees with her father to Arizona. But their plans are derailed when she once again is claimed as the spiritual leader of the Mexican Revolution. Besieged by pilgrims and pursued by assassins, Teresita embarks on a journey through turn-of-the-century industrial America-New York, San Francisco, St. Louis. She meets immigrants and tycoons, European royalty and Cuban poets, all waking to the new American century. And as she decides what her own role in this modern future will be, she must ask herself: can a saint fall in love?

At turns heartbreaking, uplifting, and riotously funny, QUEEN OF AMERICA reconfirms Luis Alberto Urrea's status as a writer of the first rank.


About the Author:

I was born in Tijuana, Jewel of the Border, The Great Walled City of the Barbarian Chicimeca Empire. My father Alberto was from Rosario, Sinaloa. He claimed I was the seventh son of a seventh son - he was convinced I was a seer and a hippie. My mother Phyllis was from New York. She was a Woodward and a Dashiell. They're both gone now.

I was registered with the US Gov't as a US Citizen Born Abroad, thus circumventing many of the INS hassles many of my other relatives have faced. We lived on Rampa Independencia, in Colonia Independencia, where I contracted tuberculosis. When I was three or so, we moved to San Diego, living in Logan Heights. This was the largely African-American highlands above Barrio Logan (made famous by Juan Felipe Herrera's work and the place where I was baptized—Our Lady of Guadalupe! And where my daughter Chayo was also baptized—go Father Brown!).

We lived at 3935 National Avenue, and if you're in the 'hood right now, we were the bottom back apartment on the dirt alley. I went to St. Jude's, where the nuns beat my ass with yardsticks and the homies did it with fists.

Unexpectedly, we left the barrio and moved to a white suburb when I was in fifth grade. I attended Clairemont High School, which became famous as "Ridgemont High" and that was where I discovered writing. I was the first member of my family to graduate from college (The University of California-San Diego). 

You can read more HERE

The Queen of America is available on Amazon.com


The Giveaway:

Three lucky readers will get to win this fascinating book!

How do you win? It's easy!

Just click on "read more" and jump on the Rafflecopter. If you are here by direct link the copter is waiting.

Holiday Photo Cards

Is time flying or what?
It seems like it was just summer and now the Christmas carols are taking over the airwaves.
Where did the time go?
I don't know about you but I haven't gotten my act together about ordering my photo holiday cards.
Thank heavens it is so easy to create pretty cards and shipping is so fast and easy.
Otherwise I would be in a heap of trouble.

I think these are very festive. Simple message but easy to personalize.

Can you see Sherpa the Farm cat starring on this one? He has that look down!


So how about you? Have you gotten your cards yet?
Granted, there is still a bit of time but with all the great choices it will take some surfin' to narrow down the perfect card for you and your family so get looking!


Happy shopping!

From Kitchen to Table: The Kitchen Daughter by Jael McHenry #Review

Today ends From Kitchen to Table, sniff sniff. I had a lot of fun putting it together and I hope you had fun with the various posts. Tomorrow will start Holiday 2011 and Beyond where I will showcase lots of great ideas for holiday gifts and ways to spend that cash you might get yourself.

About the Book:


After the unexpected death of her parents, painfully shy and sheltered 26-year-old Ginny Selvaggio seeks comfort in cooking from family recipes. But the rich, peppery scent of her Nonna's soup draws an unexpected visitor into the kitchen: the ghost of Nonna herself, dead for twenty years, who appears with a cryptic warning ("do no let her…") before vanishing like steam from a cooling dish.

A haunted kitchen isn't Ginny's only challenge. Her domineering sister, Amanda, (aka "Demanda") insists on selling their parents' house, the only home Ginny has ever known. As she packs up her parents' belongings, Ginny finds evidence of family secrets she isn't sure how to unravel. She knows how to turn milk into cheese and cream into butter, but she doesn't know why her mother hid a letter in the bedroom chimney, or the identity of the woman in her father's photographs. The more she learns, the more she realizes the keys to these riddles lie with the dead, and there's only one way to get answers: cook from dead people's recipes, raise their ghosts, and ask them.


About the Author:


Jael McHenry is a talented and enthusiastic amateur cook who blogs about food and cooking at the SIMMER blog, She is a monthly pop culture columnist and Editor-in-Chief of Intrepid Media, online at intrepidmedia.com. Her work has appeared in publications such as the North American Review, Indiana Review, and the Graduate Review at American University, where she earned her MFA in Creative Writing. She lives in New York City.


My Opinion:


Ginny has just lost her parents to a tragic accident. She lived with them in a magnificent old home in Philadelphia and was not at all prepared either emotionally or in reality for them to be gone. She is living with undiagnosed Asperger's and her parents had protected her all throughout her life. After the funeral her sister blows in like a tornado trying to take over her life and sell the house and take her away from everything she has ever known. Her sister refuses to accept that Ginny is capable and Ginny refuses to accept that something could be wrong with her.


Ginny's way of coping with stress is to cook; whether in a real kitchen or in her head cooking and recipes soothe her. As she recreates recipes from people in her past she finds she can bring their ghostly presence to a form of life in her kitchen where they bring her messages that help her move forward.


I truly enjoyed this unique tale of Philadelphia, cooking and sisters. I don't have a sister but I have always tried to imagine what it would be like. Cooking is a fantastic way to settle the mind to a task and have a measurable result at the end. The emotional storyline is powerful as the two sisters try to deal with the sudden loss of two very loved parents. As the girls go through the house and pack up their parents' belongings they find lessons in their pasts and secrets that have been hidden for years. Those secrets, had they not been kept might have made significant differences for Ginny but she only learns this too late. But it's not too late to perhaps help her sister when she needs that help the most.


I found myself truly wrapped up in this story in spite of the fantastical aspects. It was a book that packed an emotional punch on many different levels. The sisters had a lot to work out between them and Ginny had some serious growing up to do. The cooking and recipes are an added bonus.


Disclosure:  I received a copy of The Kitchen Daughter gratis from Gallery Books a division of Simon and Schuster. Any opinions expressed are my honest opinions and were not impacted by my receipt of the free book. I received no monetary compensation for this post.

Cyber Monday Sale at Broken Teepee Designs

I am happy to announce a Cyber Monday sale at Broken Teepee Designs.
All items are 20% off - just use the code CYBER at checkout to get the discount.
This includes pieces already on sale!

So go to the shop and look around! You might just find a perfect gift for someone on your list - or for yourself!


The coupon cannot be combined with other coupons or Gift Certificates won as blog prizes.....

Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving dinner was less than traditional at the Broken Teepee household. It was only the two of us and going through the fuss and bother of cooking a turkey just didn't seem worth it to me. I still wanted a special meal so I decided to use the lovely filet mignons that came in my box from Omaha Steaks. I topped them with some shrimp and a delicious Bearnaise sauce. On the side I made some ginger carrots (you'll see the cookbook next week) for the hubby and some broccoli for me. Sweet Jasmine rice rounded out the meal.


I was going to show how I made the Bearnaise but I soon realized that the carrots, the sauce and the proteins were all cooking at the same time and there was no way that as I was whisking egg yolks, turning steaks and saucing vegetables that I would be able to take photos. You will just have to settle for the final plate:

A fuzzy photo I know....

But this is a better one of the star of the meal. The filet mignons were DELICIOUS. Very tender and with a wonderful flavor. I have been so happy with all of the contents of my box from Omaha Steaks. I managed to cook the shrimp perfectly (go me!) and the Bearnaise, while old fashioned, was a delightful accompaniment. I used the recipe in my Techniques from the Culinary Institute of America Cookbook and it came out just right!


The hubby had picked the carrots from his garden - there are still some out there - and they were as fresh as could be. He enjoyed the ginger/balsamic flavor as a contrast to the richness of the Bearnaise.


Dessert was a pumpkin cheesecake from a recipe in our local paper, The Missoulian from Greg Patent a Montana cookbook author. I made a couple of adjustments to suit what I had on hand and I used the graham cracker crust 'cause I like my cheesecakes that way. I also halved the recipe since it was just the two of us and I didn't want all that dessert around the house.

It was very tasty but I felt it needed something. I thought maybe a bit of sugared cranberries or even some strawberries. Something a bit tart to cut the creamy of the cheesecake. That has NOT stopped us from continuing to eat it....


So all in all we had a lovely dinner for two and a delightfully restful day home. We didn't do much but sit and read together which is a rare day for both of us. I had a craft fair all day Saturday so that is why I'm a bit late in posting this.


I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving as well.


Disclosure:  I did receive a box o'Omaha Steaks gratis. Any opinions expressed are my honest opinions and were not impacted by my receipt of the free product. I received no monetary compensation for this post.

One Hundred and One Nights by Ben Buchholz #Rafflecopter #Giveaway

About the Book:


After 13 years in America, Abu Saheeh has returned to his native Iraq, a nation transformed by the American military presence. Alone in a new city, he has exactly what he wants: freedom from his past. Then he meets Layla, a whimsical fourteen-year-old girl who enchants him with her love of American pop culture. Enchanted by Layla's stories and her company, Abu Saheeh settles into the city's rhythm and begins rebuilding his life. But two sudden developments--his alliance with a powerful merchant and his employment of a hot-headed young assistant--reawaken painful memories, and not even Layla may be able to save Abu Saheeh from careening out of control and endangering all around them.

A breathtaking tale of friendship, love, and betrayal, One Hundred and One Nights is an unforgettable novel about the struggle for salvation and the power of family.


About the Author:


Benjamin Buchholz served as a Civil Affairs Officer in Safwan, Iraq, from 2005 to 2006 and is currently living with his family in Oman. His nonfiction book Private Soldiers was published by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press in 2007. One Hundred and One Nights is his first novel.


The Giveaway:

Three lucky readers will win copies of this fascinating book. It's next on my "to read" pile and I can't wait to start it.

How do you win? It's easy!

Just click on "read more" and jump on the Rafflecopter. If you are here by direct link the 'copter is waiting!

#Rafflecopter #Giveaway: Chicken Soup for the Soul Devotional Stories for Tough Times

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I know I did. 

I have another great Chicken Soup for the Soul book to give away. This one is titled, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Devotional Stories for Tough Times. One reader will receive this book full of uplifting stories to read and cherish.

101 Stories of Hope, Miracles, Faith, Divine Intervention, and the Power of Prayer

We all need help from time to time, and these 101 true stories of answered prayers show a higher power at work in our lives. Regular people share their personal, touching stories of God's Divine intervention, healing power, and communication. Filled with stories about the power of prayer, miracles, and hope, this book will inspire anyone looking to boost his or her faith and read some amazing stories.

How do you win? It's easy!
Just click on "read more" and jump on the Rafflecopter. If you are here by direct link the 'copter is waiting!

A Message for Thanksgiving and Beyond

Buzzed Driving IS Drunk Driving

In 2009, there were 411 motor vehicle traffic fatalities on our nation’s highways during the Thanksgiving holiday.

Whether at a Thanksgiving dinner or catching up with hometown friends, many of us will be on the road this Thanksgiving weekend. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Ad Council are reminding everyone that the best way to stay safe is to plan ahead and designate a sober driver before you head out for your festivities. This Thanksgiving, help spread the joy; give thanks to life by not driving impaired.

This is a message for all year round but it especially resonates at the holidays when we all get together to celebrate. It really is not a hardship for one person per car to abstain to help keep the riders and all the other people on the road safe.

Check out this video:

You never know what your actions might lead to.

Here is a Facebook tab with 50 delicious non-alcoholic drinks. Just because you are abstaining does not mean you have to drink water....


And be sure to check out the Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving Website to learn more. There are activities that mimic buzzed driving so you can test the effects.


I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving full of good food, wonderful conversation and lots of time with family. If you drink, don't drive. If you drive, don't drink. It's that simple.


Disclosure:  I received no compensation for this post. I felt it was very important information and I wanted to pass it along to my readers.

Black Friday Deal Alert! Chocoley Chocolate

I fondly remember my review of Chocoley Chocolate.
Mmmm, chocolate.
I made some delicious chocolates for the firemen.
They enjoyed them and I had fun making them.
You can read my review HERE.


Well! Chocoley is having a HUGE Black Friday sale that starts Thursday at 12:00AM EST. Many items will be up to 60% off!!!!


You can get all of the details at Chocoley Chocolate

I think I am going to have to do some shopping!
Mmmmm, chocolate!


Disclosure:  I received no compensation for this post in product or money. I just love chocolate!

From Kitchen to Table: Ultimate Recipes e-Book #Review and #Rafflecopter #Giveaway and Baking for the Firemen

The Ultimate Recipes e-Book will certainly have you going From Kitchen to Table! This massive download; it came in 4 separate files. BIG, HUGE, FREAKIN' FILES. There are 5,000 recipes in those files and each "set" has distinct cookbooks. Most files are sent in both WORD and PDF formats which explains why the files are so freakin' HUGE.


  Set 1 includes a small cookbook that is a confusing mix of Appetizer, Bread, Cookie, Deep Fryer and Salad recipes. Set 2 is equally confusing; a file containing Chocolate, Gift Jar and the Ultimate Chicken Wing Cookbook, one full of Amish recipes (this is where the demonstration recipe came from), Apple recipes, Cheesecake recipes and a reprint of a small cookbook called Cathead Biscuits and Garlic Fried Chicken.


Set 3 brings us Chicken recipes, Crockpot recipes, Delicious Italian recipes, Diabetic recipes and a reprint of The Complete Library of Cooking:  A Five Volume Set of Everything You Need to Know about Cooking. (I must admit to not reading it through to verify that statement.)


Set 4 closes with Ice Cream recipes, Mexican recipes, Pudding recipes (I know you were DYING for a pudding cookbook!), Camping, Jam and Kids recipes, More salads, Weightloss, Smoothies and Summer Party recipes, and more Bread recipes.


As you can see this e-book collection covers a lot of ground. The recipes are for the most part basic and easy to follow. They seem to me to be compilation of those fundraising cookbooks you find from churches and schools. Usually full of a collection of recipes handed in from parishioners or other interested parties and then bound together for a cause. There are a few diamonds in the rough but finding them can be a bit challenging. It's a challenge with one of those cookbooks but faced with a multitude of them in an e format and it's like digging for gold in a silver mine. The PDF format makes it challenging at best to page through to any recipe you seek. There is no easy search function to find a specific recipe. I suspect that when it comes to working with e-cookbooks people expect more.


That being said, if you are a beginning cook having this wealth of simple, easy recipes on hand is great. You can find tasty choices for easy meals and treats for your family on the computer and then print the recipe to use in the kitchen. You don't have to collect all of those little cookbooks full of family recipes handed down through time. As I said, there are some gems to be found within the dross. 


The following Amish Blueberry Cake is one of them. It was time to bake for the firemen again and I wasn't feeling well. I was going to just make brownies but this cake was just as easy and it was truly delicious. The recipe is simple and you could easily substitute other fruits for the blueberries. I think the next time I make it might just add cherries instead since I am not a big fan of blueberries.  I did try a piece - or two or three - of this cake and it was moist, dense and the crumb topping was to die for!


You will need: 
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 cups flour ( I used White Whole Wheat)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups blueberries, well drained ( I used frozen)


Topping:
1/4 cup cold butter (unsalted)
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon


(I doubled the recipe for the firemen so if my photos don't look like the ingredient list, that is why.)


Preheat oven to 375°

Cream together the sugar, oil and the egg until lemon colored.
Stir in the milk.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and stir into the creamed mixture.

Gently fold in the blueberries.


Make the topping:

Combine all of the topping ingredients and cut together with two knives or a pastry blender. I then squeezed the topping to make some nice clumps.

Doubled recipe went into a 10 x 14" pan

Spread batter into greased and floured 9x9" square pan.

Sprinkle with the topping.

Bake in the 375° oven for 45 - 50 minutes until it's golden brown.

After it cooled a bit I sprinkled some powdered sugar on top and sent it on its way to the fire meeting. It was very well received. Not much came home but it was enough for me to have a little taste. It was very good. I LOVED the topping. Not too sweet with just that perfect hint of cinnamon.


Two readers will win the Ultimate Recipes eBook and its 5,000 recipes.
How do you win? It's easy!
Just click on "read more" and jump on the Rafflecopter. If you are here by direct link the 'copter is waiting.

Blog Tour, Book #Review and #Rafflecopter #Giveaway: The Personal History of Rachel DuPree by Ann Weisgarber

About the Book:

Just optioned for film by Viola Davis, star of The Help; winner of the Langum Prize in American Historical Fiction and the Texas Institute of Letters’ Steven Turner Award for Best Work of First Fiction, longlisted for the Orange Prize(alongside books by Toni Morrison and Marilynne Robinson), and shortlisted for the Orange Prize for New Writers, The Personal History of Rachel DuPree is out now in paperback.

Ann Weisgarber has given voice to a pioneer who embodies the grit and spirit that built this country. Rachel DuPree is an American everywoman, a heroine of uncommon strength whose everyday actions rise to the extraordinary when she’s called on to fight for the safety and well-being of her family. But she’s also a woman finding her place in a man’s world, and very much a white man’s world. The setting—the South Dakota Badlands—and the time period—the early 20th century—bring into high relief Rachel’s ultimate triumph as a woman, and especially as a black woman.

Acclaimed by reviewers nationwide, embraced by booksellers and book clubs, and endorsed by Alice Walker as well as Tony Award–winning actress Viola Davis (who’s starring in The Help), Oprah pick Robert Morgan (Gap Creek), National Book Award finalist Susan Straight (Highwire Moon), indie favorite Jeffrey Lent (In the Fall), and the author of the novel that inspired the movie Crazy Heart (starring Jeff Bridges), The Personal History of Rachel DuPree is a quintessentially American novel with a twist, and it’s poised to break out in paperback.

About the Author:

Ann Weisgarber was born and raised in Kettering, Ohio. She was a social worker before earning a master’s degree in sociology at the University of Houston and becoming a teacher. She divides her time between Sugar Land and Galveston, Texas.

Visit Ann at her website, www.annweisgarber.com.

My Opinion:


In this tale of a woman who basically sells herself into her marriage for 160 acres of unforgiving land in the South Dakota Badlands the reader sees the strength of the American homesteader.
Rachel Reeves was working in the kitchen of Mrs. DuPree's boarding house when Isaac DuPree comes home in his Army uniform. Rachel falls in love but Isaac has one thing on his mind; homesteading in the Badlands where he can stake his claim to 160 acres of land. To him land is everything. Rachel reminds him that as a single woman she too can claim 160 acres. She give him her claim if he agrees to marry her. They do marry and off they head to South Dakota.


In spite of Isaac offering her an out after one year of marriage they stay together forging a relationship, building a house and buying other ranches. They are never quite accepted by the others in town due to their color but they cannot be ignored because of the size of their holding.


All is going well until drought strikes and suddenly everything they have built together starts to implode. Rachel realizes that Isaac is not what she thought he was. Nor is she.


I read this book in one sitting. I couldn't put it down. It's powerful, it's compelling and it's hard to read. Not because of the writing; the writing is beautiful in a harsh, Badlands way but because of the topics. (They are startlingly beautiful but unbelievably harsh country. I loved visiting.) Rachel is a woman who knew what she wanted, went after it but got more than she bargained for. She got her man but he never cared for anything but the land. Everything he did was for that accursed land. What she wanted didn't count. Another woman who thought she would change a man....


The characters are well drawn and utterly fascinating. Isaac is a man who knows what he wants and will let nothing stand in his way. Rachel is a woman of strength, courage and love. Like every mother she wants more for her children than she had. When she realizes that life on the ranch is depriving them of many of the sweeter aspects of life she makes a hard decision that will effect all of their lives. I so wanted this book to continue. I felt as if I were immersed in the time period and in the world. Ms. Weisbarber's writing had the power to do that. You won't be disappointed in reading this book.


The Personal History of Rachel DuPree can be found on Amazon.com


The rest of the Tour Schedule can be found HERE

One lucky reader is going to win a copy of this page turning book.
How do you win? It's easy!
Just click on "read more" and jump on the Rafflecopter. If you are here by direct link the 'copter is waiting.