Wednesday, October 14, 2026

WOW {Warm Oven Wednesday}

  

Another great recipe from Pinterest:
Ingredients
  • 5 tbsp butter, divided
  • 3 large carrots, chopped
  • 3 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 c. or a 32 oz. box, low-sodium chicken broth
  • 3 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-3/4 inch cubes
  • 1 celery root, peeled and cut into ¼ inch cubes
  • 2 medium heads broccoli, chopped into florets
  • 1 small head cauliflower, chopped into florets
  • ¼ tsp. dried thyme
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. ground black pepper
  • pinch paprika and cayenne pepper
  • 6 tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 3 c. milk (1%, 2% or whole)
  • ½ c. half & half (non-fat, low-fat or regular)
  • 2 c. shredded medium or sharp cheddar cheese (8 oz block)
Directions
  1. In a large pot over set over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of butter. When the butter has melted, add the carrots, celery and onion and saute for 4 minutes. Add garlic and saute for a minute longer. Stir in the chicken broth, potatoes, celery root, thyme, salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium, cover and allow to simmer for 15 minutes (or until the potatoes are almost tender). Stir in the broccoli and cauliflower, cook for 5-7 minutes longer or until veggies are tender.
  2. Meanwhile, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook, whisking constantly for about a minute. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking vigorously as you add the milk little by little. Whisk until smooth. Constantly whisk as the mixture comes to a gentle boil. When it begins to thicken add the half & half, then remove from heat and pour into the soup (after the veggies are fully cooked). Stir everything together, then turn the heat off. Gradually add the cheddar, stirring until the soup is nice and smooth

Tuesday, October 13, 2026

Secrets In Amish Country by Mary Alford


 Book Description:  Eve Lantz’s life takes a deadly shift when her return home after her brother’s sudden death is met with gunfire from an unknown assailant. Still haunted by her father’s unsolved murder, Eve is determined to uncover the truth behind the tragedies surrounding her family. Joining forces with her childhood friend, Assistant Police Chief Casey Masterson, she plunges into a dangerous investigation. Casey vows to protect Eve and expose the secrets linking these crimes, but the deeper they go, the more perilous their search becomes. The shadowy perpetrator will stop at nothing to keep his dark secrets hidden—and Eve may be the next victim.

My Thoughts: I love reading stories authored by Mary Alford.  Secrets in Amish Country is another over the top read!
This story starts with a bang and the action just keeps on going.
Mary Alford is one author who can keep a story going with fast paced action.  Honestly, it's difficult for me to stop reading when I know the action just keeps going and going.
Eve Lantz has been away from home but almost the minute she returns to her hometown she is targeted..."This isn't how she imagined coming home...with death waiting for her."
But then her childhood friend, Assistant Police Chief Casey Masterson, enters and keeps saving Eve from an unknown assailant.
I had a hard time figuring out who the "bad guy" was.  
This action packed, slight romance, lots of suspense and mystery keep me reading page to page.
It's a fantastic read!

You can buy it on Amazon for a great price.  Just click on the gray on Amazon link.

Monday, October 12, 2026

Secrets In Amish County by Mary Alford


 A Deadly Homecoming

Eve Lantz came home looking for the truth.

Someone intends to make sure she doesn’t live long enough to find it.

Her brother is dead. Her father was murdered years earlier. And the questions connecting their deaths have made Eve the next target.

With a killer closing in, she must trust Assistant Police Chief Casey Masterson—the man who once broke her heart—to help her expose a secret powerful enough to destroy them both.

Secrets in Amish Country by New York Times bestselling author Mary Alford releases October 27.

#SecretsInAmishCountry #MaryAlford #AmishSuspense #ChristianRomanticSuspense


A Time to Stand by Robert Whitlow

  

Book Description:  In a small Georgia town where racial tensions run high and lives are at stake, can one lawyer stand up for justice against the tide of prejudice on every side?

Adisa Johnson, a young African-American attorney, is living her dream of practicing law with a prestigious firm in downtown Atlanta. Then a split-second mistake changes the course of her career.

Left with no other options, Adisa returns to her hometown where a few days earlier a white police officer shot an unarmed black teen who is now lying comatose in the hospital.

Adisa is itching to jump into the fight as a special prosecutor, but feels pulled to do what she considers unthinkable—defend the officer.

As the court case unfolds, everyone in the small community must confront their own prejudices. Caught in the middle, Adisa also tries to chart her way along a path complicated by her budding relationship with a charismatic young preacher who leads the local movement demanding the police officer answer for his crime.

My Thoughts: 
Interesting how an author will write a fiction story about a current event in our world.  I think authors like to voice their opinions through a story.  
In any event, this is quite an interesting story.
Adisa Johnson is a young African-American attorney who enjoys living her dream of practicing law in Atlanta.
However, Adisa returns to her small Georgia hometown where racial tensions are flying high because a white police officer shot an unarmed black teen who is comatose in a hospital.  But Adisa must consider what she believes/stands for because she is to defend the police officer who shot the teen.
And she is in a budding romance with a charismatic young preacher who is demanding that the local police officers make this a crime and punish the police office who shot the black teen. 
This story is more about emotions and how people, no matter what the skin color, can be racist.
This is a think.about.it.read . . .  what one really values and what one really believes is right no matter what ones skin color may be

  • Paperback: 416 pages
  • Publisher: Thomas Nelson 
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0718083032
  • ISBN-13: 978-0718083038

Wednesday, October 7, 2026

New Book


 I'm reading Mary Alford's newest book.  
It's great!

WOW {Warm Oven Wedneday}

 Easy, make ahead taco salad for a quick lunch.

Brown hamburger with seasonings, place tomatoes, cheese and 

sour cream in individual cartons, add lettuce in a baggie.

Follow picture for put together, refrigerate and grab and go for lunch.

Tuesday, October 6, 2026

GIVEAWAY!


 Enter to win an autographed copy of Secrets in Amish Country!

Mary Alford is giving away 5 signed print copies on Goodreads to celebrate the October 27 release of Secrets in Amish Country!

Two family tragedies. A trail of unanswered questions. And someone determined to keep Eve Lantz from learning the truth. As she and Assistant Police Chief Casey Masterson search for the connection between her father’s unsolved murder and her brother’s sudden death, their investigation puts them in the crosshairs of a killer.

And the truth could cost Eve everything… even her life.

The giveaway runs October 4–26. Enter through Goodreads here:
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/453014-secrets-in-amish-country

Good luck, readers! 

#SecretsInAmishCountry #MaryAlford #RachelsCrossing