Whenever You Come Around By Robin Lee Hatcher

Will writing a romance help this author find a real-life hero?Charity Anderson turned her back on Kings Meadow years ago, with good reason, and has avoided visits to her hometown whenever possible. But with her house in Boise damaged by floodwaters and a book deadline bearing down, staying in her parents' empty home seems her only option. However, being in Kings Meadow dredges up a painful secret, and old fears threaten to overwhelm her.Charity's former high school classmate Buck Malone never left town, instead sacrificing his dreams to take care of his family. Now he enjoys an uncomplicated life as a wilderness guide and confirmed bachelor. The last thing on his mind is settling down.When Charity's dog causes an accident that leaves Buck with a broken ankle and wrist at the start of prime tourist season, Charity has little choice but to render aid while he recuperates.  Soon Buck becomes the inspiration for Charity's hero, both on the page and off. Can he also help her face and overcome her fears so they might find their own happily ever after?

Pick up your copy here...

http://www.amazon.com/Whenever-Around-Kings-Meadow-Romance/dp/1401687695/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1430358288

Best-selling novelist Robin Lee Hatcher is known for her heartwarming and emotionally charged stories of faith, courage, and love. Winner of the Christy, the RITA, the Carol, the Inspirational Reader's Choice, and many other industry awards, Robin is also a recipient of the prestigious RWA Lifetime Achievement Award. She is the author of 70+ novels and novellas with over five million copies in print.

Robin enjoys being with her family, spending time in the beautiful Idaho outdoors, reading books that make her cry, and watching romantic movies. Her main hobby (when time allows) is knitting, and she has a special love for making prayer shawls. A mother and grandmother, Robin and her husband make their home on the outskirts of Boise, sharing it with Poppet, the high-maintenance Papillon, and Princess Pinky, the DC (demon cat).

Robin is active on her Facebook Author Page where she loves to interact with readers. Please join her there: http://www.facebook.com/robinleehatcher

For more information, please visit her web site at http://www.robinleehatcher.com

I hated to see this book come to an end I LOVED it but way to short for me.

Book two of the Kings Meadow Romance series was just as good as book one, I could not put it down!

Charity and Buck were such easy characters to fall in love with. They were so real to me.

I loved their story and their hurts and ups and downs make this a book you will not put down until the very last page. I rooted for the under dog the whole time!

I gave this book 5 stars and I HIGHLY recommend it.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.

Reservations for Two By Hillary Manton Lodge

A culinary concoction of taking chances and finding love in the most delectable places Food writer-turned-restaurateur Juliette D’Alisa has more than enough on her plate. While her trip to Provence might have unlocked new answers to her grandmother’s past, it’s also provided new complications in the form of Neil McLaren, the man she can’t give up.   Juliette and Neil find romance simple as they travel through Provence and Tuscany together, but life back home presents a different set of challenges. Juliette has a restaurant to open, a mother combating serious illness, and a family legacy of secrets to untangle – how does Neil, living so far away in Memphis, fit into to her life?   As she confronts an uncertain future, Juliette can’t help but wish that life could be as straightforward as her chocolate chip cookie recipe. Can her French grandmother’s letters from the 1940’s provide wisdom to guide her present? Or will every new insight create a fresh batch of mysteries?

Pick up your copy here

http://www.amazon.com/Reservations-Two-Novel-Flavors-Horizons/dp/0307731774/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430259264&sr=8-1&keywords=reservations+for+two+by+hillary+manton+lodge

 

 

Hillary Manton Lodge is the author of A Table by the Window, Plain Jayne, a Carol Award Finalist, and Simply Sara, an ECPA Bestselling book. A graduate of the University of Oregon's School of Journalism, Hillary discovered the world of cuisine during an internship at Northwest Palate Magazine. A storyteller at heart, in her free time she enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, watching foreign films, and exploring her most recent hometown of Portland, Oregon. She shares her home with her husband, Danny, and their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Shiloh.

Book number two in the Two Blue Doors series was a much awaited book , I was left hanging in book one and could not wait to get my hands on book number two.

I have to say that book number two left me hanging again, I'm not real sure about cliff hangers. I want to know what the key is to and how the mom is doing. I might die waiting for book three to get here.

Lodge has a way of writing and leaving you wanting more and feeling like you are right there in the midst of it all.

I gave this book 4 stars and think you will enjoy it.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.

Make sure that you read everyone of the letters that Juliette found!

The Woods Edge By Lori Benton GIVEAWAY!

At the wood’s edge cultures collide. Can two families survive the impact?   The 1757 New York frontier is home to the Oneida tribe and to British colonists, yet their feet rarely walk the same paths.   On the day Fort William Henry falls, Major Reginald Aubrey is beside himself with grief. His son, born that day, has died in the arms of his sleeping wife. When Reginald comes across an Oneida mother with newborn twins, one white, one brown, he makes a choice that will haunt the lives of all involved. He steals the white baby and leaves his own child behind. Reginald’s wife and foundling daughter, Anna, never suspect the truth about the boy they call William, but Reginald is wracked by regret that only intensifies with time, as his secret spreads its devastating ripples.   When the long buried truth comes to light, can an unlikely friendship forged at the wood’s edge provide a way forward? For a father tormented by fear of judgment, another by lust for vengeance. For a mother still grieving her lost child. For a brother who feels his twin’s absence, another unaware of his twin’s existence. And for Anna, who loves them both—Two Hawks, the mysterious Oneida boy she meets in secret, and William, her brother. As paths long divided collide, how will God direct the feet of those who follow Him?

Get your copy here....

http://www.amazon.com/Woods-Edge-Novel-Pathfinders/dp/1601427328/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1429975887&sr=1-1&keywords=woods+edge

Lori Benton was raised east of the Appalachian Mountains, surrounded by early American history going back three hundred years. Her novels transport readers to the eighteenth century, where she brings to life the Colonial and early Federal periods of American history. When she isn’t writing, reading, or researching, Lori enjoys exploring the Oregon wilderness with her husband. She is the author of Burning Sky, recipient of three Christy Awards, and The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn.

Ready for a book with a little  book of devastation, loss, heartache, joy, and a whole lot of the grace of God on every page? Then this is your book. Very detailed story line.

Very well written and such emotion on each page, I never wanted it to end.

I hate that I can only give it 5 stars. I do recommend this book.

This was a first for me by this author but not my last.

I was given a copy of this book by Wynn Wynn Media.

The Heart of the Amish By Suzanne Woods Fisher

Everyone has been hurt. Everyone experiences conflict, great and small. Everyone has someone to forgive. But sometimes we just can't bring ourselves to forgive someone who has wronged us or we don't take the need to forgive seriously--not like the Amish do. Forgiving others in order to live at peace is woven into the very fabric of their faith. To the Amish way of thinking, "You can't love the stream without knowing the source. " We must forgive others, they believe, because God forgave us.
The Heart of the Amish invites readers into the world of a people renowned for their ability to forgive. Through true stories gathered from a variety of Amish communities, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher illustrates how they are able to release their pain and desire for revenge, and live at peace with others. Her in-depth, personal research uncovers the astounding yet fundamental way the Amish can forgive anyone from the angry customer at the grocery store to the shooter at Nickel Mines. Readers will learn how to invite God into their stories, apply lessons from the Amish to their own circumstances, and find the freedom that comes with true forgiveness.

Pick up your copy here...

http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Amish-Lessons-Peacemaking-Forgiveness/dp/0800722035/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1429668384&sr=1-1&keywords=the+heart+of+the+amish

Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of Amish Peace and Amish Proverbs, as well as many novels about the Amish, including the Lancaster County Secrets series, the Stoney Ridge Seasons series, and The Inn at Eagle Hill series. She is also the coauthor of an Amish children's series, The Adventures of Lily Lapp. Suzanne is a Carol Award winner for The Search, a Carol Award finalist for The Choice, and a Christy Award finalist for The Waiting. She is also a columnist for Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazines. She lives in California. Learn more at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and follow Suzanne on Twitter @suzannewfisher.

This was such a moving read. Fisher pens many short inspiring stories on forgiveness and the mystery behind the Amish way.

The Amish find it very easy to forgive, you must read this book and find out the mystery behind how they do it and why they do it.

I loved the story of Auntie Anne's Soft Pretzel titled Twist of Faith it was one of my favorite and really touched me.

I gave this very inspiring read 5 stars. I highly recommend it.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.

The Love Letters By Beverly Lewis

Marlena needed time to let things sink in. It was beyond her how all this could possibly work out--adding the care of an infant to her daily routine. Fortunately, it would just be until Luella returned home from the hospital and was stronger.No more than a couple weeks, surely.

Marlena Wenger's life takes an unexpected turn on the day she learns she must care for her estranged sister's baby. Spending the summer in Brownstown, Pennsylvania, to assist her Mennonite grandmother, and miles from Marlena's Old Order Amish beau, she feels out of her element in nearly every respect. Yet Marlena determines to do her best and stay focused on her future, even as those hopes become drastically altered.

Pick up your copy here...

http://www.amazon.com/Love-Letters-Beverly-Lewis/dp/076421246X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1429634545&sr=8-1&keywords=the+love+letters+lewis

Beverly Lewis, born in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country, has more than 17 million books in print. Her stories have been published in eleven languages and have regularly appeared on numerous bestseller lists, including the New York Times and USA Today. Beverly and her husband, David, live in Colorado, where they enjoy hiking, biking, making music, and spending time with their family. Learn more at www.beverlylewis.com.

Another hit for Beverly Lewis, you won't want to miss this one.

For a while Beverly was writing all of her stories almost alike, but not this one it has a different twist to it.

The Characters are real and not perfect like a lot of Amish fiction characters.

I have to tell you the ending is not predicable like most Amish books.

I gave this book 4.5 stars and recommend it.

I was given a copy by the publisher for my honest review.

Tillie & Clementine Noises in the Night By Dan Killeen

Tillie and Clementine live with their parents in an old brick house down in Benton Park. One night Mommy has to go to a neighborhood meeting, leaving Daddy in charge for a few hours. He manages to make the girls dinner, get them ready for bed, and tell them a thrilling bedtime story. A little later, though, the girls are awakened by strange noises coming from just outside their window! What could it be and what will they do? Noises in the Night contains a story within a story when Daddy tells the girls a bedtime tale about two princesses. For about the middle ten pages we are in the medieval world of castles, crowns, and dragons before returning to the original narrative and present day. From there young readers enjoy anticipating the finale of the book as it echoes the plot of the bedtime story. This device encourages children to recognize patterns and themes in books. Expressive, humorous illustrations entice kids to read and reread Tillie & Clementine stories, and in the process youngsters may broaden their reading skills. These books do contain the occasional challenging word, but kids can derive the meaning from context clues in the nearby copy and artwork.

Pick up your copy here...

http://www.amazon.com/Tillie-Clementine-Noises-Night-Killeen/dp/0989847411/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1429570846&sr=1-2&keywords=tillie+and+clementine

Dan Killeen is an author/illustrator living in beautiful and humid St Louis. He is the seventh of eight artistically inclined siblings. Dan's books display his love of classic comic strips and silly family humor.

I loved the illustrations in this book they are fun and colorful like a comic strips.

Mommy has to go out to work and daddy is left in charge oh boy you have to pick up a copy of this book to find out what happens while mommy is away.

This is a fun book for kids, I highly recommend this book for kids.

I gave this book 5 stars.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.

Gathered Waters By Cara Luecht

They want to worship as their hearts demand...

but is it something they can give up everything for?
Brianna has only ever been what her life demanded. A wife, a hostess, a mother. But when a stand her husband takes ostracizes them from the Lutheran church that controls so much of life in Sweden, Brianna finds herself needing to find a strength beyond her station...a strength that will see her through prejudice and persecution and to a home she never dreamed she would find.
Based on the true story of the author s family s journey from Sweden to America, this sweeping saga paints the brilliance of new faith, the bravery of a new land...and the beauty of plunging beneath the waters and emerging a new person, capable of what one never thought one could do.

Pick up your copy here...

http://www.amazon.com/Gathered-Waters-Cara-Luecht/dp/1939023300/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8

 

Cara Luecht lives in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin with her husband, David, and their children. In addition to freelance writing and marketing, Cara works as an English Instructor for a local college. Cara graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Wisconsin and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Family value, that's the jest of this book. How important is the value of family to you?

This book will get you thinking. Written with much emotion you are sure to love the rich history on each page.

It was very easy to get into from the very first chapter.

I gave this book 4.5 stars.

I was given a copy of this book by Wynn Wynn Media for my honest review.

Better All Time By Carre Armstrong Gardner

Seraphina Darling has always struggled to stand out. With her weight issues at the forefront of her mind, Sephy prefers to place herself comfortably in the background. But when Sephy’s best friend and older brother announce their engagement, she vows to make a permanent change in her appearance and her life.
Meanwhile her younger sister, Amy, lands her dream job: coordinating the restoration of the community theater’s arts programs. As the deadline for the project’s completion approaches, Amy continues to run herself ragged, struggling to delegate and trust anyone but herself.
As the Darling sisters move through tragedy and triumph, between shadows and the limelight, each must find a path into the freedom of who God intended her to be.

Pick up your copy here...

http://www.amazon.com/Better-Darlings-Carre-Armstrong-Gardner/dp/1414388152/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1429200832&sr=1-1&keywords=better+all+the+time

Carre writes from the big small town of Portland, Maine, where she's the mom of 3 teenagers and 2 dogs she would rather not own. (Only the dogs, not the teenagers.) From 2007 to 2010, she and her family lived in Russia, studying the language and doing humanitarian work.

Like most writers, Carre grew up with her a book always in her hand. The heroines she admired most were smart, creative, independent thinkers like Anne Shirley, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Nancy Drew, and Cherry Ames. Nancy proved that being a girl detective might just be the coolest career ever, but Cherry taught her that nursing was more practical. Carre compromised by becoming a nurse and marrying a sleuth.

Nearly every flat surface in Carre's home has books on it. The stories she loves most are those about the ordinary lives of ordinary people; she thinks of every life as a fascinating drama. Isn't each one of us the hero of our own story? She'd love for you to drop her a line and tell her yours!

I am patiently waiting for book three the find out how this series ends.

Gardner writes with such description and has many real characters and lots of great stories going all at once but it is not over whelming  it is a fun read.

I loved that I felt like part of a family while reading this book.

I gave this book 4.5 stars and can't wait for book three.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.

The Sweetaplolita Bakebook

Paint, doodle, and sprinkle your way to stunning one-of-a-kind sweets.

The world of Sweetapolita is sparkly and sprinkly and charming as can be, with 75 recipes for everything from pretty homemade cookies to decadent layer cakes. But what really sets these treats apart are interactive designs that let everyone in on the fun of decorating: Painted Mini Cakes are served with edible "paint" for guests to personalize at the table, the fondant-covered tiered Chalk-a-Lot cake is paired with homemade edible "chalk," and Rainbow Doodle cookies are made for kids to go to town on with edible markers.

Rosie Alyea, the creator of the Sweetapolita blog, frolics in flour and frosting, and she loves to get her two young daughters involved, too. The pages of her debut book are full of playful ideas that will inspire creativity in bakers of all levels—including a recipe for making sprinkles at home and numerous ways to showcase them, such as the Sprinkle-Me-Silly Pizza with rainbow jimmies and nonpareils galore.

With 75 full-color photographs of cookies, cakes, and more plus step-by-step technique tutorials, The Sweetapolita Bakebook will change the way bakers decorate, while entertaining every kid—and kid-at-heart.

Pick up your copy here...

http://www.amazon.com/Sweetapolita-Bakebook-Fanciful-Cookies-Decorate/dp/0770435319/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1429118853&sr=8-1&keywords=the+sweetapolita+bakebook+75+fanciful+cakes+cookies+%26+more+to+make+%26+decorate

This is such a fantastic cookbook, it is great for moms and grandmas, it has so many great ideas and what is so great about it your kids and grandkids will have a blast decorating the cakes and cookies. What I loved about this  cook book was it has chalk and chalkboard frosting. Yes you read that right. Edible chalk and chalkboard.

This is just the best cookbook for moms and girls to have a blast in the kitchen together.

I found all of the recipes easy and they were made with things I have in the panty already.

I gave this cookbook 5 stars. I highly recommend it to all the bakers out there.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.

Finding Me By Kathryn Cushman

What would you do if you learned your life was a lie? All her life, Kelli Huddleston has been told the story of a fire--a fire that killed her mother and two siblings when she was an infant. After her father's death though, she uncovers evidence of a different story, including clippings about a boat accident that killed a young father and his infant daughter. And Kelli quietly realizes the story of her life has been a fiction. How far would you go to discover the truth?Armed with only a few pictures of what she thinks might be her family, Kelli crosses the country to Tennessee, determined to uncover the truth about what happened over twenty years ago in a small southern town. When the trip threatens to open doors to the past better left shut, and her plans for the future are jeopardized, Kelli is faced with an agonizing choice that will change her life forever.

You MUST pick up a copy...

http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Me-Kathryn-Cushman/dp/0764212613/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1428892580&sr=8-2

 

Kathryn Cushman is a graduate of Samford University with a degree in pharmacy. She is the author of five novels, including Leaving Yesterday and A Promise to Remember, which were both finalists for the Carol Award in Women's Fiction.

A Phenomenal book. I was hooked from page one, I never put it down until the very last page. I was so sad to see this book end!

Mystery, Family, and a little romance all in one book. I have to say Kathryn never disappoints and Finding Me is a book binge book.

You are going to LOVE the plot as well as the characters.

I of course gave this book 5 stars two times and I HIGLY recommend this book.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.

A Heart's Obsession By Colleen Coble

Will Sarah’s journey west lead her back into the arms of the one man she can trust?

When her father succumbs to a long illness, Sarah Montgomery is freed from duty to family. At last she can be with the love of her life, Rand Campbell, who has gone out west to Fort Laramie, Wyoming. Sarah and her younger brother Joel make the arduous journey filled with hope.

But at Fort Laramie, the reception Sarah meets isn’t what she had hoped for. Her friend Amelia is thrilled to have her, but Rand seems to be in the clutches of Jessica DuBois, the scheming daughter of the post commander.

Sarah resolves to remain at Fort Laramie and try to win Rand back. But things will get tougher before they get easier . . . especially when her ex-fiancé Ben Croftner arrives in Wyoming, obsessed with having her back in his arms.

Pick your copy here...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0718031652/ref=s9_psimh_gw_p14_d3_i2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=desktop-1&pf_rd_r=0Q0G8ZQ4YVYFHHTEWZ5H&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=1970559082&pf_rd_i=desktop

USA Today bestselling author Colleen Coble has written several romantic suspense novels including Tidewater Inn, Rosemary Cottage, and the Mercy Falls, Lonestar, and Rock Harbor series. Visit her website at www.colleencoble.com Twitter: @colleencoble Facebook: colleencoblebooks

I was some what disappointed with book number two in this series Journey of the Heart. I did not like some of the things that happened and they way it ended  was not very appealing to me, left me hanging so I will have to read the next four books in this series. To know what is going on next.

It is a very fast read as it is a very small book.

I gave this book 3.5 stars.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.

The Inn at Ocean's Edge By Colleen Coble

Claire’s visit to a luxury hotel in Maine awakens repressed memories, threatening all she holds dear.

In 1989, Claire Dellamare disappeared from her own fourth birthday party at the Hotel Tourmaline on the island of Folly Shoals, Maine. She showed up a year later at the same hotel, with a note pinned to her dress but no explanation. Nobody knows where Claire spent that year—and until now, Claire didn’t even know she had ever been missing.

But when Claire returns to the Hotel Tourmaline for a business meeting with her CEO father, disturbing memories begin to surface . . . despite her parents’ best efforts to keep them forgotten.

Luke Rocco lost his mother under equally mysterious circumstances—at the same time Claire disappeared. After a chance encounter reveals the unlikely link between them, Claire and Luke set out together to uncover the truth about what happened that fateful year.

With flashbacks swimming just beneath her consciousness and a murderer threatening her safety, Claire’s very life depends on unscrambling her past . . . even if her family refuses to acknowledge it. Someone—maybe everyone—is hiding something from Claire Dellamare, and it will cost her everything to drag the truth out into the light.

Pick up your copy here

http://www.amazon.com/Inn-Oceans-Edge-Shadow-Bay/dp/1401690262/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1427758831

USA Today bestselling author Colleen Coble has written several romantic suspense novels including Tidewater Inn, Rosemary Cottage, and the Mercy Falls, Lonestar, and Rock Harbor series. Visit her website at www.colleencoble.com Twitter: @colleencoble Facebook: colleencoblebooks

What a phenomenal  mystery. I read it in one sitting and was still wanting more when I turned the last page.

I loved the twist and it was one that keep me turning pages until the very end. This was not predictable at all. It was well over half way before I know who was doing what.

I must say Coble has written a 5 star book that you will be very sorry you missed if you don't pick up a copy.

The characters are the kind you love and dislike and still keep on reading to see what they are going to do next.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.

Cookie Love By Mindy Segal

A new, edgier take on baking cookies, from a James Beard Award-winning chef and the owner of the popular Chicago restaurant, HotChocolate.
Mindy Segal is serious about cookies. And Cookie Love is your new go-to, never-fail reference for turn-out-perfectly-every-time cookie recipes. Mindy, award-winning pastry chef and self-professed “cookie nerd,” shares all of her secrets for turning classic recipes into more elevated, fun interpretations of everyone’s favorite sweet treat. From Peanut Butter Peanut Brittle Cookies and Fleur de Sel Shortbread with Vanilla Halvah, to Malted Milk Spritz and Peaches and Cream Thumbprints, Segal’s recipes are inspired and far from expected. Inside you’ll find more than sixty perfected recipes for every kind of cookie including drop cookies, bars, sandwich cookies, shortbread, thumbprints, and more, as well as the best tricks and tools of the trade and everything you need to know to build the ideal cookie pantry. A must-have for anyone looking to up their cookie-baking game, Cookie Love is a celebration of the most humble, delicious, and wonderful of baked treats.

Pick up your copy here...

http://www.amazon.com/Cookie-Love-Techniques-Ordinary-Extraordinary/dp/1607746816/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1428536297&sr=1-1&keywords=cookie+love+mindy+segal

Mindy Segal specializes in contemporary American cuisine, placing a modern twist on traditional classics. Segal was awarded the prestigious James Beard Foundation award for Outstanding Pastry Chef in the Country in 2012. Her Chicago restaurant, HotChocolate is the culmination of 25+ years of dedication to her craft. Chef Segal has appeared on The Today Show, The Martha Stewart Show, The Food Network and in Food & Wine, Bon Appétit, and The New York Times.

Oatmeal Scotchies
makes approximately 42 cookies

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons old-fashioned oats
1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup cane sugar
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 extra-large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup cake flour
½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
1 cup (6 ounces) butterscotch chips 

There is one cookie that I cannot make: oatmeal raisin. When I was in culinary school, I spent a week trying to produce the perfect oatmeal raisin cookie. I was on a quest to make it flat and crisp, but it never worked out. The raisins always dried out or the cookies turned flabby. I finally set this cookie aside and moved on.

Yet two sources of inspiration drove me to revisit the oatmeal-cookie category. Three Sisters Garden in Kankakee, Illinois, sells unhulled oats that look like barley malt and I wanted to highlight these special oats in a cookie. Then along came my second source of inspiration. Luke LeFiles, a Carolina boy, managed the bar at Hot Chocolate for years. He constantly put in requests for oatmeal scotchies, the butterscotch-filled chewy cookies he remembered from home. One day I realized that swapping out raisins in exchange for butterscotch would solve my flabby oatmeal cookie problem: The butterscotch complemented the oats, and the batter baked like an oatmeal lace cookie.

Whether you have unhulled oats from a farm or old-fashioned oats from the grocery store, toasting oats before baking them draws out the flavor. I take a small amount of the toasted oats and grind them in a spice grinder to enhance the cookie’s delicate texture. For a variation of this recipe, use shards of Toffee (page 250) in place of butterscotch chips.
Heat the oven to 350°F and line a couple of half sheet (13 by 18-inch) pans with parchment paper.
Spread the oats across a third half sheet pan and toast lightly until the oats smell like cooked oatmeal, approximately
5 minutes. (Keep the oven on for the cookies.) Let cool. In a spice grinder, grind 2 tablespoons of the oats into a fine powder.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter briefly on medium speed for 5 to
10 seconds. Add the sugars and beat until the butter mixture is aerated and pale in color, approximately 4 minutes. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to bring the batter together.

Crack the egg into a small cup or bowl and add the vanilla.

Place the powdered and whole oats, flours, baking soda, and salts in a bowl and whisk to combine. Add the butterscotch chips and stir until lightly coated in flour.

On medium speed, add the egg and vanilla to the butter mixture and mix until the batter resembles cottage cheese, approximately 5 seconds. With a rubber spatula, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to bring the batter together. Mix on medium speed for another 20 seconds to make nearly homogeneous.

Add the dry ingredients all at once and mix on low speed until the batter comes together but still looks shaggy, approximately 30 seconds. Do not overmix. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer. With a plastic bench scraper, bring the dough completely together by hand.

Portion the dough into 8 mounds using a ¾-ounce (1 ½-tablespoon) ice cream scoop and evenly distribute onto a prepared sheet pan. (The cookies will spread significantly as they bake.)
Bake for 8 minutes. Give the pan a sturdy tap against the counter or the oven to deflate the cookies. Rotate the pan and continue to bake until the edges are a deep golden brown, the centers have fallen, and the cookies are beginning to crisp and brown, another 4 to 6 minutes (Do not underbake or the cookies won’t crisp up when they cool.) Let the cookies cool completely on the pan. Repeat with the remaining dough.

The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up
to 3 days. The cookies are best when baked the day the dough is made.

I really have enjoyed this cookbook. These recipes are great and most of them are made with ingredients that you have in your pantry already.

The pictures really do this cookbook justice, they are such great pictures you want to make all 60 cookies.

I am so excited about the Milano recipe that is my favorite cookie.

The tricks of the trade chapter is worth picking up this cookbook alone. But I really enjoyed the Tools of the trade chapter myself.

I gave this cookbook 5 stars and I highly recommend this book!

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.

Together with You By Victoria Bylin

Sometimes the most unexpected love can be exactly what a heart needs...
When a Lost Child warning blares over the mall's PA system, Carly Mason finds the little girl playing with a stuffed rabbit. Something about Penny Tremaine is different. An ex-social worker, Carly recognizes that the child suffers fetal alcohol effects, and a piece of Carly's past suddenly confronts her. Never again will she become personally involved with a client. The risks are far too great. But something about Penny--and Penny's handsome father--tugs at Carly's heart.
Dr. Ryan Tremaine is trying to put his life back together. With his ex-wife remarried and on a trip far away, his two teenage sons and Penny are living under his roof full time. Ryan has put his faith in his Sink-or-Swim list, a plan to reconnect with his children. The first step: recruit Carly Mason to be Penny's nanny.
Ryan never anticipated being so drawn to Carly, an attraction Carly seems to fight as much as he does. Could Carly be the missing piece that helps his family stay afloat, or will their blossoming romance only complicate things further?

Pick up your copy here....

http://www.amazon.com/Together-With-You-Victoria-Bylin/dp/0764211536/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1428421646&sr=8-1

Victoria Bylin is a romance writer known for her realistic and relatable characters. Her books have finaled in multiple contests, including the Carol Awards, the RITAs, and RT Magazine's Reviewers Choice Award. A native of California, she and her husband now make their home in Lexington, Kentucky, where their family and their crazy Jack Russell terrier keep them on the go. Learn more at victoriabylin.com.

Are you ready for a captivating, read with realistic characters about family, love, and the most important forgiveness? This is your book, I will share this warning with you, You can NOT put this book down, so don't think your going to get anything down in the house.

This book is on top of  my top ten favorite books so far this year.

Bylin is an author to watch out for, this was my first book I have read by her, I hope she sends me some more.

I must tell you all this:" RUN don't walk and pick up a copy of Together with You today!"

I gave this book 5 stars to times it is a book binge book for sure.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.

The Post Card By Laura Hilton

David Lapp (from Promised to Another) survived a "code blue" when he was in a buggy/semi truck accident in Seymour, Missouri. Now after extensive therapy he has lingering mobility problems and is still struggling to find his place in the world. Lured away from Webster County by thoughts of closed buggies and a postcard friendship he's developed with an Amish girl in Jamesport, he moves north, hoping for a fresh start. He finds temporary work in the area teaching school, and also makes fishing flies and weaves baskets. He sells his products in the Amish markets in the Jamesport area.

Rachel Miller dreams of travel, but feels tied to her Amish life. She is being courted by Mark Graber, but wonders if there's more to life. When she sees David's name mentioned in The Budget, she strikes up a pen pal friendship with David while he's in the hospital and in therapy, consoling him when he and his girlfriend part ways. She never dreams that David will come north and move into her community. David is still fearful in the buggy, especially in high traffic areas. Feeling he's called by God to preach, David spends hours in the Bible, but the Amish discourage him, believing their ministers should be drawn by lot. Will David follow his call, even if it takes him out of the Amish church? Will Rachel realize her dream to travel?

Pick up your copy here

http://www.amazon.com/Postcard-Amish-Jamesport-Laura-Hilton/dp/162911359X/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1428001462&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=The+Post+card+by+laura+Hilton

Award winning author, Laura Hilton, her husband, Steve, and their five children make their home in Horseshoe Bend, Arkansas. She is a pastor's wife, a stay-at-home mom and home-schools three of her children. Her two oldest children are homeschool graduates and are in college. Laura is also a breast cancer survivor.

Her publishing credits include three books in the Amish of Seymour series from Whitaker House: Patchwork Dreams, A Harvest of Hearts, and Promised to Another. The Amish of Webster County series, Healing Love. Surrendered Love and Awakened Love. A nonAmish book Swept Away will release November 2014 from Abingdon Press. She is contracted for another three book Amish series with Whitaker House, The Amish of Jamesport, releasing in November 2014 (The Snow Globe), June 2015 (The Postcard), and November 2015 (The Birdhouse). A Christmas Amish book, A White Christmas in Webster County, will release in September 2014. Laura is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. Laura is a professional book reviewer for the Christian market, with over a thousand book reviews published at various online review sites.

The Post Card has been Hilton's best book to date, I can't wait to read her next book.

I love a good romance! This is the sweetest Amish romance you will read this month.

I loved Rachel and David they were the most fun loving and real characters. They were easy to relate too.

You can see the Amish in such a way that you don't get to in most Amish books. Hilton is one of my favorite Amish Fiction authors.

This book has God's hand all over it.

Amish Book lovers...... you are ferhoodled if you don't go out and pick up a copy of The Post Card RIGHT NOW!

I gave this book 5 stars and I highly recommend it.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.