Welcome Guest Chef Dana R. Lynn

Look who is taking over the cafe today! Welcome Dana R. Lynn.

Memories and Peanut Butter

Hi all! Dana R. Lynn here. Thank you, Cate Nolan for the invitation to be here. I am so happy that I could join you on this lovely autumn day.  This is my favorite of all seasons, so I’m pretty pumped. Plus, I just started a new job three weeks ago, and I love it. Seriously. For the first time in twenty years, I have my own classroom, instead of being an itinerant (or traveling) teacher, and it is so much fun!

This year has been a year of change for my family. My daughter has temporarily left to take an internship, my older son has graduated and is now working full time as an electrician, and my youngest son is getting ready to begin driving and is starting to explore college options. It can be nerve-wracking, but I know God has a plan, so it’s all good.

I am sorry to inform you that my propane oven ran out of propane, so I was unable to bake and provide you with pictures. Sorry.

Two years ago, Hurricane Irma hit Florida. To avoid the storm, my mom drove to stay with my brother, and I went to visit them. We spent a day in Shipshewana, Indiana, exploring the Amish stores, going for a buggy ride, and eating Amish cuisine. It was a great time. My mother, knowing that I was writing suspense with an Amish twist, purchased this book for me:

 The title is “The Amish Cook’s Anniversary Book.”

This is more than a cookbook. It’s a series of articles and a wealth of research. It’s a great addition to my library. But more than that, it’s a tangible reminder of the joy and fun-filled time I spent with my family.

While we were in Shipshewana, I was introduced to Amish Peanut Butter. Don’t let the name fool you. It’s like peanut butter fudge in a jar. My mom and I hunted down a recipe.

Here’s the recipe we used:

AMISH PEANUT BUTTER

1 cup light corn syrup

½ cup creamy peanut butter

¼ cup marshmallow crème or fluff

Mix everything together and store it in a closed container in the refrigerator.

Speaking of memories, this month my 10^th Love Inspired Suspense, Hidden in Amish Country, released. In this book, my heroine is in an accident and has amnesia. She’s on the run from a killer, without any memories of why. She must rely on an Amish widower with an adorable son to help her.

Thanks for letting me hang out today!

Dana R. Lynn, Visiting Chef, Serves up Quiche

Broccoli and Cheese Quiche

            I am so happy to be here at the Yankee Belle Café again. Thanks Cate for inviting me.

            I am especially excited right now as my fourth Love Inspired Suspense just released yesterday. Plain Retribution is out in digital format now, and will be released in print on August 8th.  I had so much fun writing this book. It’s the second book in my Amish Country Justice series, and it delves into the relationship of Rebecca Miller, a young woman who grew up Amish, and Miles Olsen, the cop she falls in love with. Rebecca is a very special heroine. She’s smart, strong, and a talented artist. She’s also completely deaf and relies entirely on ASL, or American Sign Language. Miles is the one officer able to fluently communicate with her. It was fun getting into her head and trying to see the world as Rebecca might have.

            As I mentioned, the print edition of Plain Retribution releases on August 8^th, which is a date very close to my heart. It’s the date I became a mother, an event which changed and enriched my life. And as we added two more children, sometimes contributed to a few gray hairs on my head. But I wouldn’t change it for anything.

            Now, raising a family has presented many challenges for my husband and myself. We are busy with our jobs, sports, scouts, horse shows, and church activities. In the past year and a half, another challenge was added to our lives.

            My daughter became a vegetarian. This might not sound like a difficult thing, but it can be tricky. We bought a small crockpot. So now when I fix chili, I also fix a smaller meatless version. Same thing with lasagna. Or burgers. Or, well, you get the drift. Even going to restaurants takes a bit more thought than before. The important thing is to make sure she is still getting enough protein.

            One thing I did was start a board on Pinterest for vegetarian recipes. One recipe we found that my daughter loves is for a Broccoli and Cheese Quiche. Here’s the recipe:

Preheat the heat the oven to 375 degrees. Have a cookie sheet in there while it’s preheating. When it’s done, bake a nine-inch pie crust for nine to eleven minutes until it’s lightly browned. While it’s cooking, cut two cups of broccoli florets into small pieces and sauté a medium onion until it’s translucent. Place the onion, broccoli and 6 ounces of white cheddar cheese in the bottom of the crust. (I can’t always find white cheddar, so I use what’s on hand.)

            In a separate bowl, whisk together three large eggs and two egg white, one cup of half and half and ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Pour the mixture over the broccoli and cheese. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Wait fifteen minutes before eating.

That’s it! Easy Peasy. My daughter divides the pie into four and eats it over the course of two days. 

Dana grew up in Illinois, but now resides in rural Pennsylvania with her husband, three children, and enough animals to start her own petting zoo. She is a teacher for the Deaf and hard of hearing during the day, and an author of romantic suspense by night. She has been on the Publisher's Weekly Bestseller list for religious fiction, and was a finalist in the 2017 New England Readers’ Choice contest. Her friends know to beware...anything they say may someday show up in a story.

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Thanks, Dana, for joining us today. Congratulations on your new release!

 

Welcome Guest Chef Dana R. Lynn and her Jello Pretzel Salad

 Hello. Today we're welcoming my fellow LIS author, Dana R. Lynn. Dana's here to celebrate spring and the launch of her latest book.

Welcome, Dana!

        

            I love spring, don’t you? Everything seems so new. I love the smell as the plants grow and the blossoms bloom on the trees.

            This year, I realized that I hadn’t taken the time to really enjoy the season like I usually do. Mostly because my work has taken a crazy turn. For the past few weeks, I have been taking on a new role at work, filling in for an injured co-worker. Now, I am enjoying the work. And the challenge. I have found, however, that the change is exhausting.

            I decided that I needed to really take a step back enjoy the things around me. That’s why I am posting a picture of these chicks. 

See, my family loves our critters. Dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, even the occasional rat or two. We love them. A couple of weeks ago, we added six brand-spankin’ new chicks to our menagerie. Aren’t they sweet? They are Leghorns, and will be beautiful white hens. Plus, they will supply my family with fresh eggs, which we love. I can almost taste the quiche, and the omelets these eggs will make. Yum!

            And that’s another reason that I love spring. It’s so obvious in nature how God provides for us. Food, warmth, rain to help our plants grow.  God always has us right in the palm of His mighty hand, if only we would look around and see it.

            Okay, so in my zest to enjoy spring, I decided to be daring this Easter and forgo the normal chocolate cake. Gasp!!! I know. But I was in the mood for something different. So I got my mom’s recipe for her Jello Pretzel Salad. Yummy. It’s sweet and salty, and really easy to make.

1.     Mix 2 cups crushed pretzel pieces, ¾ Cup melted butter, and 3 T sugar. Press them into a 9 by 13 dish and bake at 350 degrees for ten minutes. Let it cool completely.

2.     Combine 8 oz. of cream cheese, 1 Cup sugar and 8 oz of cool whip. Spread over the cooled crust.

3.     Mix together 1 large box of strawberry jello, 2 Cups boiling water, and 2 Cups frozen, unsweetened sliced strawberries. Stir until thickened, then pour on the cream cheese mixture and chill until set.

I have a couple of pictures of this delicious dessert. You can see how much my family loves it… they didn’t even let me take the picture before someone stole the first piece. Still, it’s always a joy knowing that I can provide for my family that I didn’t care.

            In my new book, Plain Target, the hero and heroine are on the run from a killer who seems to be always one step away, even as they hide deep in Amish Country. The lesson that God will provide is one that they will need to learn and hold tight to. Here’s the blurb:

SANCTUARY IN AMISH COUNTRY
Horse trainer Jess McGrath only wants to clear her disgraced brother's name, but enemies keep coming out of the woodwork and danger only gets closer. Jess soon learns that no place is safe—and no one can be trusted…except for the last white knight she'd ever expect to ride to her rescue. Paramedic Seth Travis was the boy behind her high school humiliation, but he's also the man keeping her alive. When they find sanctuary in the Amish community, can they uncover answers in time to stop a killer—and resolve their past in time to build a future together?

 

            I love this cover. It gave me chills the first time I saw it.

            Thanks so much for having me at the Yankee Belle Café today. Always a joy to be here!

            

Biography:  Dana R. Lynn grew up in Illinois. She met her husband at a wedding and told her parents she had met her future husband. Nineteen months later, they were married. Today, they live in rural Pennsylvania with their three children and enough pets to open a petting zoo. In addition to writing, she works as an educational interpreter for the deaf and hard of hearing and is active in several ministries at her church. Dana loves hearing from readers and enjoys interacting with them on social media.

            

Thanks to Dana for visiting with us today. I just started reading Plain Target and am already hooked.

 

Welcome Dana Lynn to the Cafe

 Happy Wednesday everyone. I'm excited to welcome my "Killer Voice" sister, Dana Lynn, to the Cafe today. Dana sold to LIS with me back in 2014 when the editors ran their Search for a Killer Voice contest. Her 2nd book for LIS is out this month.

Please join me in giving a Yankee Belle welcome to Dana.

Thank Goodness for Teenagers and 4WD

 

Dana R Lynn here. I'm so happy that Cate Nolan invited me to be on Yankee Belle Cafe today.  I had a post all planned out, but then God got my attention. So, I'm going to focus on gratitude.

Like many of us, I live a busy life. I have three kids involved in various activities, a husband with a very demanding job, and I work full time.  Oh,  yeah,  and I have this writing thing.  I just accepted a three book contract with Love Inspired Suspense,  so I have deadlines.  (Yay!) Sometimes,  things get hectic.  Just a bit. And sometimes I forget to count my blessings.

Until yesterday.

Let me explain.  My hubby, wise man that he is, insisted I needed a vehicle with 4WD, so he bought an old pick-up truck.  It's not the most attractive thing,  and I have trouble getting in it (I'm only 4'10"). And for most of the winter, it has sat in our driveway. This past month we have been hammered with a couple of snow storms.  And now I love my old,  ugly,  plows-through-snow-like-butter truck. Then yesterday, we had the worst storm yet. My kids got a snow day.  Me?  I work in a different district and had to go to work.  That's when God showed me how blessed I was. My 16 year old (my nurturer) got up to make me a bagel and fix my lunch. Leftover lasagne, which I will tell you about in a bit. My varsity wrestler went out and started and cleaned off my car. And my 12 year old took care of the pets. Then they all said a prayer for my safe travel. I am so blessed!

So now to the lasagne. ..I am grateful for the ability to provide for and nourish my family. And I'm grateful that it's so easy to do. I love food that's easy and this recipe doubles well, so I can freeze half. Plus, it uses oven-ready noodles, so I don't have to pre-boil them.

Here's the recipe:

1 lb. Ground beef or sausage, cooked and drained

 

1 pint ricotta cheese

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

2 cups  mozzarella cheese

Oven-ready noodles (12)

2 eggs

28 oz of spaghetti sauce

1 tsp Italian seasoning

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix ricotta,  1 cup of mozzarella,  1/4 cup of Parmesan, eggs and spice together.

Mix sauce and meat. Put 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 pan.  Top . With 4 noodles.  Top with half of cheeses mixture. Repeat process. Cover cheese with last 4 noodles. Cover with remaining sauce and then sprinkle with the rest of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. 

Cover with double layer of aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour.  Yummy.

Oh...wait. I'm supposed say something about my book.  INTERRUPTED LULLABY is now on shelves.  I love this cover.  My sweet and silly hubby calls it Swingset Adventures.  Lol.

This is what it's about:

Maggie Slade's been on the run since witnessing her husband's murder, hiding from a killer who wants evidence he believes she has. A killer who was dressed as a LaMar Pond policeman.  And she'd better run fast,  because it's not just her life on the line -Maggie now had year - old twin babies. But then she's attacked again,  and rescued. .. by a LaMar Pond cop. Trusting Lieutenant Dan Willis is frightening.  Letting him take get back to LaMar Pond to find her husband's killer is terrifying.  But to protect her babies, she'll risk anything.  Even her life.  And as she draws closer to Dan and learns to trust again...she may even risk her heart.

I loved writing this story. And I'm again reminded of gratitude.  For even in the midst of danger, God provided for Maggie, giving her a worthy protector. Just like he used my children and husband to provide for me and show His awesome love.

I can't help but say God is good...all the time!

Cate here - I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm suddenly craving lasagna!

 

Keeping it Simple in PA, with author Dana R. Lynn

Hi, everybody! The Fresh Pioneer is back and I have a special guest this weekend. Dana is a woman after my own heart. She's a writer and a busy mom, living the dream while keeping things in perspective. I love her can-do attitude! So, here she is, telling us how dinner goes down when life throws you a curve ball.

             Today was one of those days.  You know what I mean. We’ve all had them. My day began with the alarm not going off. I woke up to discover I had to get myself and my entire household up and ready in record time. By the time I hopped in my car, I was ready for a nap. Then there was work. Baseball for one child, horse training for another. I had no time to spend on an extravagant meal. Fortunately, my cupboard is stocked for just such emergencies.

            Ta da! All the ingredients I need for a tater tot casserole. My family loves this hearty casserole. And the beauty of it is that it is quick, easy, and flexible. I love flexible. Don’t have ground beef? Sausage will do. We buy a pig every year at a 4H auction, so we always have sausage. Out of cream of chicken soup? Mushroom works. I have even switched out the cheddar cheese soup for a jar of cheese sauce. It’s all good.

Here’s the basic recipe:

2 lbs of ground beef, browned

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1 can of cheddar cheese soup

Salt and pepper

One bag of tater tots

Ground the beef (or sausage) and put in a 9x13 dish. Mix soup together and spread over meat. Salt and pepper to taste. (I don’t even use salt and pepper usually.) Top with tater tots and bake for an hour at 350 degrees. Yummy

My family devours it. Which leaves me more time to spend with them and write.
  I recently released my first Love Inspired Suspense story, Presumed Guilty. (click on the title to find it on Amazon) Wait! I have a picture…

          

I love this cover. It looks just like rural PA to me.

Here's the blurb:
“I’m innocent!”

            After four years in prison for a crime she didn’t commit, Melanie Swanson’s finally free. Yet starting over brings a heavy load of challenges. Nearly everyone believes she’s guilty- including police lieutenant Jace Tucker. Jace’s certainty cracks only when Melanie is repeatedly attacked, and when the people around her picked off one by one. Melanie’s clearly innocent- and terrified. Someone wants her dead to keep her shattered memories from recalling the crime she witnessed rather than caused. She lost her friends, her fiancé and her freedom when she was found guilty- but proving her innocence could cost Melanie her life.

           

            I’m so glad I was able to stop by the café today. I have been reading these posts for awhile now, and it’s been such a joy to visit.

Blessings from PA!

(Virginia again) Thanks for stopping by and congratulations on your book release!