When You Give A Friend Nutella ... and cover reveal.

Hello, everybody! The Fresh Pioneer is back and I've got a few yummy deserts to share. 

I was going to share my apple crisp but a friend got me this and well.... when a friend gets you a six pound bucket of Nutella, you're obligated by the laws of chocolate to use it!

Behold... friendship.

 So, the first recipe is really easy but was so delicious I might just add Nutella to all my mochas. Make your latte how you usually do... whether in Mr. Latte (my BFF) or simply by heating milk and espresso together.

 Melt one TBS of Nutella and 4 TBS of milk in the microwave for 30 seconds and stir until smooth. Pour into the bottom of your mug.
                                           
My kids decorated these mugs with oil based Sharpies and then we baked them in the oven to "set" the paint. Anyway, this mug... whenever I look at it I think of all the wonderful verses about the beginning of a new day... or it could be , "Better start praying, Mama's coffee is gone."

                                              Pour in the latte. Simple, right? But it gives it an incredibly smooth taste, almost like Mexican hot chocolate, but not as sweet.

 Top with whipped cream and slivered almonds and more Nutella sauce, if you wish.

 Another shot of the mugs. I love kid art. I always want to put it up in the cabinet so it doesn't get broken, but then they wouldn't get the fun of using their special creation.

 So, the next recipe is very easy. Nutella stuffed doughnut holes, but they're baked, not fried. (I think that's because the Nutella would leak because every recipe was baked, and I don't think that so many people care about added grease. You'd think somebody would have tried to fry them. So, even though you may want them fried, I'd recommend baking.)
1 cup flour
1 tbs sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
Mix all dry ingredients together and make a well in the bowl. Add in the wet ingredients and place in a greased cupcake tin, about 1/2 full.
2 tbs oil
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk
Bake for 350F for 15 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

Fill with Nutella using a frosting applicator. Melt butter, toss in sugar and cinnamon. Enjoy!!

 And as for us, it's that time of the year. Not grape time, but balloon time.
                                           
                      We get up at 4AM (some of us are more perky at that hour than others),

                                            and drive out to the vineyards or the fields. The major festival is this weekend and there will be launches every morning and then a night festival, but today they were filming a move for an IMAX-type Disney ride. It was an interesting experience because as they filmed, we had to duck and run, or hide behind trees as the camera flew by (on a drone). So, instead of just the usual ground crew tasks, we also had to play hide and seek from the camera. Of course, the little people loved it.
                                        
Usually three balloons this size would take a crew of thirty, but they needed it to be small (because of the camera and not being able to hide that many people) so fifteen people doing the work of thirty was quite a work out.
                                                   
Here, after unrolling, attaching ropes and the top vent, they're opening the envelope, getting the fan running.

 When it all checks out, they attach the basket and light it up. Cue Fall Out Boys, except we try not to light anything on fire, especially ourselves.

 The first one standing up is always a special moment.

 We got good exercise running up and down the hill. The second balloon went up and was tethered.

 The third balloon needed a lot of heat to stay upright and out of the nearby trees, which means it needed more weight before they could safely rise any higher. My older boys had to be "dead weight", haha, but they also had to duck out of the way when the camera flew by. Pretty funny to watch them. They looked like groundhogs, up and down, up and down.

My favorite moment: I was holding  the lead rope (which guides the balloon upright as it's filling). You have to be very strong and run whichever direction at any moment and it might be the only time you ever wished you weighed more than you actually do. 

Anyway, I really wanted a picture of the sunrise and so I asked my ten year old to grab the rope... and he worked like a champ! Right before he slipped and got dragged down the field. Fifty thousand cubic feet of hot air will show you who's the boss. We're still laughing about it. (This is also why you wear leather gloves and all your gear.) 

And I almost forgot... a cover reveal! (I thought I'd shared it here, but I just looked and I don't see it. It must have been just facebook and my blog. But if I have and I'm not seeing it, I apologize for spamming. LOL.)

The fourth Cane River Romance is titled A Star to Steer By. Our plucky heroine spends most of her time in a big foam cupcake costume. It's one of those stories where someone has an awesome secret identity, except hers isn't so awesome. Coming Oct 31st!

Feel free to stop by my facebook page Pride, Prejudice, Cheese Grits or my blog The Things That Last! 

Until next time! 

Lynn Huggins Blackburn's debut book and a great recipe!

Hi everybody! The Fresh Pioneer here and I have a special guest with us today. Lynn Huggins Blackburn is releasing her FIRST BOOK in a few weeks! It's called Covert Justice. 

Doesn't it look amazing?? Here's the blurb:

AGENT UNDERCOVER 
When a woman drags Blake Harrison out of his wrecked car, he knows the mysterious stranger has saved his life. But more shocking than the hit-and-run is the news that a crime cartel has infiltrated his factory. There's a fortune to be made by tampering with the factory's products…but only if Blake is out of the way. Undercover FBI agent Heidi Zimmerman has two goals—catch the criminals in the act, and keep Blake alive. Falling for the single dad and his adorable daughter isn't in the plan. But everything changes when an abduction leaves Heidi face-to-face with a killer, revealing the danger that's been hiding in plain sight all along…

And here's the beautiful Lynn, and a little about herself. (We always love to meet our hostess before we dive into the food! And what a delicious recipe she has for us! )

Lynn Huggins Blackburn believes in the power of stories, especially those that remind us that true love exists, a gift from the Truest Love. She’s passionate about CrossFit, coffee, and chocolate (don’t make her choose) and experimenting with recipes that feed both body and soul. She lives in South Carolina with her true love, Brian, and their three children. Her first book, Covert Justice, releases June 2015. You can follow her real life happily ever after on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and at lynnhugginsblackburn.com.

So, now I'm turning the cafe over to Lynn! 

Thanks for having me here today!

I’m excited to be with you to talk about food, although I must say that writing this post has convinced me to stick with fiction. I would make a horrible food blogger. I’m way too messy in the kitchen when I cook!

Anyway…

I’ve always enjoyed food.

Probably more than I should.

When I was a kid, the contents of my lunchbox could bring joy or dismay.

Oreos – Yes!

Doritos – Fabulous! Orange fingertips were cool!

PB&J – Great! No reason to complain about a classic.

Ham sandwiches – Fine.

But there was one lunch box regular that I’m sorry to say never made me smile.

Tuna fish.

It made my lunchbox smell like, well, fish. And it always left my bread soggy.

I don’t do soggy.

My feelings about tuna fish were so ingrained that I avoided the stuff for many years.

Two things changed my mind about it:

1.     I found some fun things to add to it that amped up the flavor. (Getting over my childhood distaste of onions helped…)

2.     I quit trying to eat it as a sandwich. I rarely eat bread these days. (I love it – it doesn’t love me).  And it turns out that it wasn’t really the tuna I didn’t like. It was the soggy bread that I had to gingerly peel away from the still soft bread in order to eat the sandwich.

As a busy mom of three, I don’t have time to fix fancy meals for lunch. I’m lucky if I get to eat lunch sitting down! So tuna salad has become one of my favorite quick meals. I can make up a big batch on the weekend and then I’ve got lunch prepared for several days. A bowlful of lettuce topped with a big spoonful of tuna salad, maybe a few slices of tomato, and I’ve got a healthy and filling lunch that will keep me running until supper!

I never make it exactly the same way, but I have a handful of ingredients that usually find their way in there:

 

Celery – chopped small for crunch and color (I guess it add flavor, but that’s not why I use it!)

Nuts – leave these out if you’re allergic. I like to mix it up. Pecans, walnuts, almonds – whatever I have in the pantry is fair game.

Something sweet – Diced apples (I like fuji or jazz) or Apple-Juice sweetened craisins are my favorites.

Something savory – Onion (red, white, sweet, scallions – I use whatever I have on hand). Sometimes I use diced dill pickles. My mom always used sweet pickle relish, but I rarely have it. If you’ve got some, try it!

Salt & pepper

Mayo, and sometimes a little squirt of mustard!

 

Here are my three favorite flavor combinations. 

The Classic – Tuna, dill pickle, celery, onion, mayo, mustard, salt, pepper.

The Waldorf – Tuna, apple, celery, walnuts, onion, mayo, salt, pepper.

The Family Favorite – Tuna, craisins, celery, walnuts, onion, mayo, salt, pepper.

I may never be asked back to the Yankee-Belle Café, given that this isn’t a real recipe, but here you go.

Directions:

1.     Pick your favorite combo.

2.     Open your tuna.

3.     Dump it in a bowl and break up any chunks.

4.     Add your ingredients until it looks right.

5.     Mix in as much mayo as you need.

6.     Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

Thank you again for having me here today!

Virginia here again and YES, you are welcome back anytime!! I love tuna and my whole family does, too. We can't wait to try these. :)

Becky Avella brings her debut book and Aunt Angie's Pasta !

Hi everyone! The Fresh Pioneer is back with another special guest! 

Becky Avella is here in the cafe to tempt us with a delicious dish for those busy weeknights. (Isn't she pretty?? And that top... love that color. I think she lives somewhere near me, so I'm just going to really quietly look up her address and wander over to see if she'll loan it to me. And the necklace. Ok, and the jacket. )

But before we get to the recipe, I want to say Becky's debut book, Targeted, released in April 2015 and you can get it here. Look at that cover! Love Inspired Suspense covers really give that scary vibe. 

MARKED FOR MURDER 

When photos of Stephanie O'Brien are found in a serial killer's home, she must face the horrible truth that she's the next intended victim. She has nowhere to hide, nowhere to run—except to K-9 cop Rick Powell. As her self-appointed bodyguard, Rick will do anything to protect the innocent teacher—even keep his attraction at bay. He's known loss; he won't lose Stephanie. But the killer seems to anticipate their every move. And Rick fears he's never faced an opponent so cunning. One who won't stop till he has his victim right where he wants her…six feet under.

Can't wait to read this! Ok, I'm turning over the cafe to Becky... 

I am so happy to be visiting the Yankee Belle Café for the first time. Thank you Mary, for inviting me! I’ve been scrolling through past posts and drooling over all the good-looking recipes. 

Now I’m hungry. J 

Today, I thought I’d share one of my go-to meals. It originally came from my sister-in-law, so our family affectionately refers to it as “Aunt Angie’s Pasta.”

When Angie gave me the recipe, I didn’t know how much I would grow to appreciate it. I enjoy entertaining and bringing meals to people when the need arises, but I used to get so nervous about whether or not my cooking would turn out okay. But this meal is easy to make, is a crowd pleaser, and seems to always turn out yummy. Having this recipe has solved the “what should I make” worries. I hope you and your family will enjoy it, too.

 Aunt Angie’s Pasta:

2-3 frozen chicken breasts (I use Foster Farms from Costco)
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
1 jar of Alfredo sauce
1 box of Rigatoni noodles
Approx. 2 cups of shredded Mozzarella or Italian Blend Cheese
(But you can never have too much cheese, right?)

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.     Boil chicken breasts until cooked through.  (Approximately 14 minutes if breasts are frozen)

3.     For efficiency sake, I cook the noodles at the same time that I’m cooking the chicken.

  Chop cooked chicken into bite size pieces and stir together with both sauces, the cooked noodles, and half of the cheese. Pour mixture into an 11 x 13 pan and sprinkle remaining cheese on top. 

 Bake at 350 degrees or until cheese is melted and the pasta is hot throughout. 

6.     Serve with Caesar salad and warm garlic bread. Enjoy!

(Me again, just drooling over here. OH MY WORD. Yum!)

As I was preparing this post, I debated between sharing the pasta and sharing my microwave caramel corn recipe. The caramel corn is another go-to recipe of mine (a favorite of my writers group). It’s also a perfect treat to munch on when you are reading a super-suspenseful book, hint hint. J 

You can find that recipe here. (http://teamloveontherun.com/2014/12/15/best-ever-microwave-caramel-corn-recipe/)

Thanks again for having me! Have a delicious weekend!

-Becky 

OK, I'm back and now I want to make caramel corn, too. My sweet neighbor used to make us caramel corn all the time. We were so spoiled! And I never learned how. Now is the time... I can feel it.

 Thanks so much for stopping by, Becky. Pasting your bio and links below so we all know where to go to find great recipes and keep in touch!

Becky Avella grew up in Washington State with her nose in a book and her imagination in the clouds. These days she spends her time dreaming up heart-pounding fiction full of romance and faith. Becky married a real life hero and follows him around begging him to give her material she can use in her stories. Together with their children, they make their home in the beautiful Northwest.

You can connect with Becky on:

FacebookTwitterInstagramPinterest
Amazon Author Page
www.teamloveontherun.com  

Tiramisu and book reveal!

Hello, everybody! The Fresh Pioneer is back and it's so good to see you all! My break from YBC flew by and although I didn't get as much done as I wanted on my new book, I did do a lot of cooking, a lot of visiting, a lot of relaxing, and  some traveling. I had guests from out of town, out of the country and some I hadn't seen in twenty years. I wrote blog posts (including one for a hero who has initials HH, squee!), caught up on my e-mail and got a big start on a brand new series. In all, it's GOOD TO BE BACK!

But first... a book reveal. :) The dedication to my last Love Inspired book, for my friends Mike and Terri Neal, who give their hearts so freely to children in need.

I love me a box o' books!

So, let's make a celebration cake! I've always wanted to make tiramisu but was afraid to try. I wanted it to be fabulous! (Stop groaning. We all know how this is going to end.)

• 6 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pound mascarpone cheese
• 1/4 cup strong brewed coffee, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons rum
• 2 (3 ounce) packages ladyfinger cookies
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

Okay, the eggs.... My pretty farm eggs! I love my Americuna chickens!

I made two cakes. A friend was having a birthday. Anyway, here are 12 yolks. Can you tell the store-bought eggs? They're the lighter ones!

 The first part is a standard pudding type recipe. Mmmmm. So hard not to eat it straight out of the pan!  So, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until well blended. Whisk in milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it boils. Boil  for 1 minute, then take it off the stove.  Cover tightly and chill in refrigerator 1 hour.

Meanwhile, we'll start on the cake. We cheated and used a box (Mostly because my daughter had a feeling this was going to fail if we had too many variables.) So, parchment paper for the bottom of the pan. Pour in the pound cake. Cook according to instructions.

When it's done, flip it over and peel it off. Now, in a medium bowl, beat the heavy cream with vanilla until stiff peaks form. Whisk mascarpone into yolk mixture until smooth. I have no idea why I don't have a picture of this. I swear it has nothing to do with the next photo.
 You'll have some delicious whipped cream (do not eat!) and some amazing marscapone with custard (do not eat!).

When we we are the beach, I found these little bottle of liquor at the store. how cute! Here, they give you the five gallon size. Who needs that? You're supposed to mix this with the coffee and drizzle on the cake, but the kids protested. So it never made it in the cake. Some day it will probably make its way into my coffee. Some day soon.

Mmmmmm, coffee drizzles pound cake. I want to eat it right now!! Take both coffee soaked layers and put them side by side (not across the kitchen like I did, so I dripped goop on my nice clean floor). Layer the first slice with marscapone custard, then a layer of whipped topping. Gently lay on the second layer. (GENTLYYYYY!!) Put the second of half of the marscapone custard on top, then the second half of the whipped topping. It looks a little wobbly.
So, we never did find lady fingers at our store. A friend offered to send me some all the way from Portland. Isn't that sweet! I love cooking pals! But in the end, my kids wanted to use pirouette cookies.
But now we're going to put on the pirouette cookies. (Usually this would be the rest of the lady fingers.)

Decorate with fresh fruit!

Layer fresh fruit on top... This can be chilled another few hours or eaten immediately. Of course we ate it! In our defense, we had guests coming over. But we'd probably have eaten it at midnight. It was amazzzziiiiiiing!

 OK, my friends, I hope you enjoyed the fabulousness that is tiramisu and I'll see you all again next weekend!