WOW {Warm Oven Wednesday}

 photo credit: www.pauladeen.com

Mexican Chicken Casserole with Cheddar Cheese and Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 1 10 3/4 -ounce can cream of chicken soup
• 1 10 3/4 -ounce can cheddar cheese soup
• 1 10 3/4 -ounce can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 10-ounce can tomatoes
• 1 whole chicken, cooked, boned, and chopped or 4 cups leftover cooked chicken
• 11 1/2-ounce package flour tortillas
• 2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the three kinds of soup and the tomatoes. Stir in the chicken.
3. In a greased 13 x 9- inch pan, layer the tortillas and the chicken mixture, beginning and ending with tortillas. Sprinkle the cheese over the casserole and bake for 30 minutes.

A Deadly Business {A Mia Quinn Mystery} by Lis Wiehl

Book Description:  A prosecutor of violent criminals. A detective on a dangerous beat. When these two pros take on an off-the-books case, the line between professional and personal becomes perilously blurred. 

When a twenty-two-year-old convict walks into the courtroom, his eyes confirm what Mia Quinn already guesses: he blames her for his conviction. In seconds, he knocks her to the ground and holds a razor blade to her throat. While she manages to escape without injury, it's just one more reminder that Mia's job prosecuting Seattle's s most dangerous criminals is far from low risk.  

As a single mom, the last thing Mia wants is for her work to follow her home or discover that it already has.

Now Detective Charlie Carlson is suggesting the very thing Mia doesn't want to believe—that her accountant husband’s deadly car accident was no accident at all. When Mia and Charlie encounter resistance to reopening the case, they take the investigation into their own hands. And they find much more than they bargained for.

Was Mia's husband more than an accountant . . . and less than an honest man? As the truth becomes more shocking and the case grows more complex, her husband's killers take note of Mia . . . and her children. How far will this prosecutor go to learn the truth about her husband—and how far will she have to go to protect her family? 

My Thoughts:  Oh.Be.Still.My.Heart!  I have waited (it seems like forever ) for the next Mia Quinn mystery.  And here it is!  

Mia is a prosecutor.  And usually her job is stressful and full but today when that twenty-two-year old walks into the courtroom Mia senses/knows that he blames her for his predicament.  Uh!Yeah! She did the crime!    Honestly these criminals make one SO angry.   As the reader can tell this is a one great suspense read!  I was SO angry at the criminal . . . a good sign that an author brings out emotion in the reader.

Mia is a single mom because her husband was killed in a deadly car accident.  But now Detective Carlson telling her the one thing she really doesn't want to hear.  Her husband's accident was probably not an accident!  And to top.it.all.off!  Her husband seems to have been into some shady dealings.

Poor Mia! She is a single mom who wants to blend into the woodwork.  She doesn't want these criminals to know that she has a family and where she lives.  

This is one of Lis Wiehl's best books!  The suspense is, well for a lack of another word, suspenseful! {smile}  One of those I'm looking over my shoulder as I read in bed at night!  Yeah!That good!

• Series: A Mia Quinn Mystery (Book 2)
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson 
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595549048

Book love!

The Memory of You by Catherine West

Book Description:  Thirteen years ago, Natalie lost a part of herself when her twin sister died. Will traveling back to the family winery finally put the memory to rest, or will it completely destroy her?

When Natalie Mitchell learns her beloved grandfather has had a heart attack, she’s forced to return to their family-owned winery in Sonoma, something she never intended to do. She’s avoided her grandparents’ sprawling home and all its memories since the summer her sister died—the awful summer Natalie’s nightmares began. But the winery is failing, and Natalie’s father wants her to shut it down. As the majority shareholder, she has the power to do so.

And Natalie never says no to her father.

Tanner Collins, the vintner on Maoilios, is trying to salvage a bad season and put the Mitchell family’s winery back in business. When Natalie Mitchell shows up, Tanner sees his future about to be crushed. Natalie intends to close the gates, unless he can convince her otherwise. But the Natalie he remembers from childhood is long gone, and he’s not so sure he likes the woman she’s become. Still, the haunted look she wears hints at secrets he wants to unearth. He soon discovers that on the night her sister died, the real Natalie died too. And Tanner must do whatever it takes to resurrect her.

My Thoughts:  Catherine West is a brand new to me author.  After reading the back of the book I wasn't sure I wanted to read the novel.  Simply because Natalie's twin dies.  I just didn't want a sad story.  

But, lo and behold, curiosity got the best of me and I cracked the cover. And began reading the first page.  That's where the author got me...hook, line and sinker. 😊

As I began reading about Natalie I felt her pain but, yet, I couldn't understand her need to not go back home.  Family is all you have so it seemed to me that Natalie was being somewhat selfish in fleeing from her family.  When someone dies, especially a child, everyone in the family feels the pain.  

Anyway, this turned out not to be a sad story.  In fact, it was fairly modern and moved along well.

The crux of the story seems to be Natalie letting go and finding peace in the death of her twin.  Also, she comes to grip with life "issues."  

A great read!

*This book was provided by BookLook*

Paperback: 320 pages

Publisher: Thomas Nelson (March 28, 2017)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0718078764

ISBN-13: 978-0718078768

WOW {Warm Oven Wednesday}

Love this fruit salad!  

      For years I never knew what to make a for a group or 

large family...when sending or making food!  

This wonderful fruit salad is so good and so easy for a crowd!

Serving Size: 20 

Ingredients 

1 fresh ripe pineapple 

1 fresh ripe cantaloup 

4 fresh ripe mangoes 

2 pounds of fresh strawberries 

4 cups of seedless green grapes 

1 1/2 cups of fresh blueberries 

3 to 5 cups powdered sugar. 

Lime juice all over!  

Blind Betrayal by Nancy Mehl

Book Description:  Deputy U.S. Marshal Casey Sloane has worked at the St. Louis Marshals office for two years and is given a routine assignment to help transport a reporter to D.C. to testify before a grand jury. Valerie, the reporter, was writing a story about an up-and-coming environmentalist who suddenly disappeared and, she later discovered, whose backers purportedly have ties to a terrorist.

When the seemingly ordinary assignment suddenly takes a shocking turn, Casey is forced to put aside her own feelings about the unexpected reappearance of a man from her past as she and two other Marshals take Valerie on the run. And as it becomes dangerously clear Valerie's testimony has even bigger implications than they knew, they'll do whatever it takes to make it out alive.

My Thoughts:  Nancy Mehl is one of my most favorite authors.  And I have been waiting {im}patiently for this next book in the Defenders of the Justice.  And I think this is the best one yet.

Casey Sloan is easy to like.  So when Casey is asked to take the reporter, Valerie, to testify before a grand jury the case becomes even more startlingly.  What seemed to be a routine assignment/case turns out to be a fight for their lives.

Valeries testimony is much more than just one reporter taking on a case.  It seems that the information Valerie has is dangerous.

Casey and Valerie must notably solve the case of who is after them and why but they must get Valerie to the grand jury.

Action, adventure with a mixture of romance.  What's not to love?!?

What a read!  I loved it!  

*This book was provided by Bethany House*

• Series: Defenders of Justice (Book 3)
• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (April 17, 2018)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764217798
• ISBN-13: 978-0764217791

The Fitting Room: Putting On the Character of Christ by Kelly Minter

Book Description: Kelly Minter explores what it means—in real life—to “clothe” ourselves (Col. 3:12) in Christian virtues like forgiveness, joy, patience, compassion, and more.

Colossians 3:12 tells us to “clothe” ourselves in Christian virtues like forgiveness, joy, patience, compassion. But how does that work in real life? Can we really “dress up” in the character of Christ? Kelly Minter says the answer is yes—if we let the Master Designer do the fitting. This relatable book offers insightful Scripture study with real-life stories and simple, down-to-earth explanations of tricky concepts as justification and sanctification—stitching it all together with dry humor and down-to-earth honesty. There are no gimmicks, no guilt trips, just an irresistible invitation for women to enjoy a spiritual makeover—to put on a life that’s personally tailored by the One who knows and loves them best.

My Review:  We all struggle with our self image.  Some feel they're too fat, some too thin, some feel they aren't worthy and the list.goes.on.and.on and we try to either dress up by spending lots of money on our clothing or we dress down, maybe, hoping no one will notice us !  But how are we to truly clothe ourselves?  Kelly brings a fresh approach to dressing up:  Let the Master Designer "dress" us with the clothing of His Word.

This down-to-earth laced with dry humor read brings us the honest way to a spiritual makeover.

Using this key verse from Colossians 3:12 Kelly centers a spiritual makeover around the following words, "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience." 

On pages 180-181, Kelly writes Jesus shows it (patience) more than He explains it, "...one of the reasons I find patience difficult to nail down is because it's so closely interwoven with with all the other virtues."

Are you clothed in His apparel?  Are you seeking to live as a patient, kind, gentle with humility type of woman?  If so, this is the read for you!  

Kelly also writes of Joseph's life in the chapter entitled Forgiveness, Part 2.  To me Joseph is a great example of one who allowed God, The Master Designer, to clothe him and therefore, Joseph was able to show great forgiveness to those brothers who had so greatly wronged him.  

This is an excellent book for men and women---not gender focused!  For we are all seeking to find God's best for our lives!

*This book was provided for review by The B & B Media Group, Inc*

About the Author:

Kelly Minter is passionate about women coming to know Jesus Christ through the pages of Scripture while discovering Him in their everyday lives. She enjoys encouraging women in this process through speaking,writing and singing, all of which keep her traveling throughout the country on a regular basis. Her roots as the oldest of four and daughter of a godly mother and incredible pastor, Mike Minter, have given Kelly a love for Scripture ever since she was a child.??Kelly's most recent Bible study is on the book of Ruth, aptly entitled "Ruth: Loss, Love & Legacy". This study follows up her first work "No Other Gods", which many were introduced to through Beth Moore's summer Bible study when she took women from her online community through "No Other Gods".??Kelly's most recent record ??"Loss, Love & Legacy" is a collection of songs based on the themes from the book of Ruth. This record follows up "Finer Day", which is Kelly's first worship record for KingsWay Music.?? Kelly resides in Nashville, TN where she has found a home in the uniquely artistic town where many create for the glory of God.