Roasted Asparagus and Spring!

Roasted Asparagus is back! This simple and popular veggie side dish can be a meal for me! I love it! And it's simple....

Take a pound or two of asparagus spears, fresh from your local farmer or grocer...

Trim bottom ends.

Cover baking pan/sheet with foil.

Spread out asparagus. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with Bruschetta seasoning, whatever is your favorite "go to" seasoning...

 Broil on low for about fifteen minutes, more or less depending on spear "size". Thicker spears take longer to cook. Or if you forget that you put things in the oven (like I do!) then bake at 400 degrees for about fifteen minutes, Plus or Minus a few.... Ovens vary, so if you know your oven, dance to its tune.

Serve hot and delicious!!! A great way to increase the green veggies in your diet and make use of the local farmers!!!

Then we've got the twisty slide.... Now I'm not a fan of new slides. They're so safe that they're boring. They look cool... but you can't come down fast on most of them, and that's sad! But you don't fall to your death from up top, either, so that's a good thing!

#focusonpositives
#slowslidesareboring

 But as you can see, MacKenzie and Morgan figured out ways to make it less boring... by climbing up the outside of the slide and then doing various interesting ways of coming down "SLOWLY" while making faces... or laying on bellies... or pretending it was REALLY FAST when it was painfully slow, LOL! Slow-mo slides!!!!

And these are all Herne girls! My great-nieces and some of my grandbabies...  Aren't they beautiful little athletes? It was soccer night for Alicia and Mary Ruth.... The rest of us were there to cheer them on!

And from my last visit to NYC, a shot of one of the reflecting pools at the 9-1-1 Memorial. I try to get there whenever I drive down to the city. It's the perfect place to pray... to think... to remember that day... and then pray for peace.

And then to the huge new subterranean mall and train station next door beneath the "Oculus", wide-spanning white steel "arms" that make a winged above-ground entrance that is breathtaking from inside!

This is an Unsplash.com picture credited to Tim Queng because mine from last year seem to have disappeared!

Upscale stores line every level of the sides of the train station, going down four levels.... NJ Path, Fulton Street Station and soon more entrances to other Lower Manhattan places... It's an amazing place to visit, right next door to the 911 Memorial and the reflecting pools inscribed with the names of all victims of the terror attacks of September 11th.

It's lovely to be back home... it's green here! LEAVES ON MANY TREES! And you can chart the leaves by soil temperature because the trees react to soil temperature to begin the leafing process. By me, the Black Locust trees are one of the last to get their leaves and first to lose them. By late August, tiny golden leaves begin dotting the black locust trees, super tall trees with craggy trunks and branches.

But for now, we are in the business of welcoming leaves! Welcoming spring!!!!

And getting smelly cleaning out little water ponds to attract birds and frogs and toads! They love the bugs attracted to the water. Perfect! 

Calling All Pet Lovers!

Who loves their pets???

I think most of us here would give a big two thumbs up to pets. Between us we have a bunch of dogs...

Missy Tippens "Duke" getting a little gray in the muzzle!

Cate Nolan's famous "Fenway"!!!! And Yankee-loving Ruthy doesn't even make fun of his name. MUCH!!! :)

JAN DREXLER'S THATCHER!!!! :)

And Jan's "Wynter".... How pretty are those ears????

A few cats...

Xavier and baby "Toasted Marshmallow" kitten

Patti Jo Moore and one of her feline faves!!!

And we love them!

So we'd like to do occasional posts about pets. What they mean to us? What they mean to you? And we'd like your help!

Send us your pet pics and feel free to share a personal story or brief tidbit about your pet. We'd like your permission to use those tidbits here in Yankee Belle Cafe, where folks like to gather around the coffee pot or the wood stove or grab sweet tea and take a rocker on the covered porch... and chat about this, that and the other thing.

We'd like to know more about you...

And the things you love!

You can send your thoughts, pics and prayers to loganherne@gmail.com...

And we'll see what this group of chocolate and pet lovers can put together.

Our pets love us... and we love them. So let's have some fun with it!

Ruthy

 Award-winning author Ruth Logan Herne is a down-home gal who loves living on her farm, working in dirt, baking cookies (not at the same time, usually, but she makes no promises!) and loves God... her family... her friends and faith community, diet Mt. Dew (shh... don't judge) and chocolate. You can friend her on facebook or follow her on Amazon or Bookbub!

Mother’s Day Burgers, Courtesy of My Guys

By Mindy Obenhaus

Well, after a whirlwind Saturday that included our oldest son’s college graduation,

I came home from church Sunday, contemplating what I might do with such a quiet day. Our younger son was gone for the weekend, there was nothing pressing so, hey, maybe I’d take a nap or at least attempt to be a vegetable and become one with my couch. The possibilities were endless.

Then the younger boy texted that he’d decided to come home early. Next thing I know, our college grad is walking through the door, wishing me a happy Mother’s Day. So much for a quiet day, but who cares. This mama is happiest when her chicks are in the nest.

And since everyone was tired of traveling, we decided to stay in for dinner. Talk about a Mother’s Day present. They cooked for me!

Grad boy has spent his college years working on the perfect hamburger, so he decided to show off for Mom. And I have to say, I was very impressed.

He started with 2 pounds of ground chuck and 1 pound of ground venison, then chopped up some onion, mushrooms and jalapeno. (all seeds and ribs were removed so there was no heat).

Wait. There are veggies in this burger? Who are you and what have you done with my non-veggie-eating son?

Mix everything together in a large bowl, including some Montreal Steak Seasoning to taste.

Then form your patties.

He prefers half-pound patties, but then he’s a growing boy. You’re welcome to go smaller.

From here, you can grill the burgers

Or pan fry them.

He decided to try both methods to see which he liked best. Not sure I ever heard the verdict, though.

The outcome, however, was one juicy, delicious burger.

Mama was impressed. Throw in some bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers and my favorite Mesquite Barbecue potato chips and I was in heaven.

After dinner, we went for a drive around the property. Hard to believe that after all the flooding from Hurricane Harvey last fall, we now find ourselves heading into a drought. The lakes are already getting low.

Most of the pastures are still green, though. And the calves continue to arrive.

Some still find it difficult not to stray from their mamas.

Note that this one’s mama is on the other side of the fence. Baby decided to hop the cattle guard and do a little exploring. Unfortunately, they never seem to remember how they got in and, inevitably, have to be coaxed back out.

Oh, and remember this guy/gal from a few weeks ago.

He/she is still keeping watch over their family in that mulberry tree and always on the lookout for anyone or anything that might seek to disrupt them.

So how was your Mother’s Day? Did you do anything special? Is Mother’s Day celebrated in Canada?

Three-time Carol Award nominee, Mindy Obenhaus, lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She's passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com

A Spring Visit to Amish Country and a Cover Reveal

by Jan Drexler

We spent the past week visiting family in Michigan and Indiana, and of course we included a tour through Amish Country!

Indiana's Amish Country is full of farms and seemed a bit crowded compared to our wide open prairies in South Dakota! But at the same time, it's home.

It was also Ascension Day, so the Amish families were spending the day observing the holiday with family. We saw several farms with many buggies parked in the drive.

Since it was a holiday for the Amish, it was a day of rest for the horses, too!

Another bonus? We saw babies of all kinds!

This mama was watching over two sleeping foals in this pasture. These are draft horses - huge horses! The day before this, we saw a farmer plowing with a team of eight of these horses, four in front and four behind. There is a lot of power in those muscles!

There were also plenty of lambs, kids, and calves with their mothers, too. But the cutest was this little guy:

There is nothing better than a passel of baby animals to welcome spring, is there?

And now it's time to reveal my new cover!

Order this book here!
Due to be released Sept. 18, 2018

"The Sound of Distant Thunder" is the first in my new series from Revell, The Amish of Weaver's Creek. The series is set in the Holmes County, Ohio Amish community during the American Civil War.

Here is a little bit about the story:

 Katie Stuckey and Jonas Weaver are both romantics. Seventeen-year-old Katie is starry-eyed, in love with the idea of being in love, and does not want to wait to marry Jonas until she is eighteen, despite her parents' insistence. So much can happen in a year. Twenty-year-old Jonas is taken in by the romance of soldiering, especially in defense of anti-slavery, even though he knows war is at odds with the teachings of the church. When his married brother's name comes up in the draft list, he volunteers to take his brother's place. But can the commitment Katie and Jonas have made to each other survive the separation?

From the talented pen of Jan Drexler comes this brand new Amish series set against the backdrop of the Civil War. She puts her characters to the test as they struggle to reconcile their convictions and desires while the national conflict threatens to undermine and engulf their community.

Happy Mother's Day

We want to wish a Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers and mother-figures out there.Blessings on you for caring for the children in your lives!

Fish in a Pouch

Missy Tippens

I discovered a new service this week at Kroger (and a friend told me she's seen the same thing at Publix). At Kroger, it's called "Easy for You Oven-Ready Seafood." For no extra charge, they put the fish in an oven-safe pouch and add whatever extras you'd like. I added butter, fresh orange slices and fresh rosemary. There were lemons and limes and other herbs.

Here are the sealed pouches. I bought cod and selected the extras.

 Instructions are right on the pouch.

Here's a closeup. You can see the dollop of butter and the orange slice. The rosemary is underneath them.

Our fillets were fairly thick, so I baked them about 21 minutes. Then I cut the pouch open...

Beautiful! So easy. But would it taste good?

Yes! It was perfectly cooked and moist. I'll definitely be doing this again!

www.missytippens.com

Rhubarb Custard Pie

 

There is a beautiful rhubarb garden ready to begin harvesting... so of course we have to repeat one of our favorite long-time recipes "Rhubarb Custard Pie". My buddy Jan loves rhubarb custard, too, and it's a great old-fashioned dessert. If we had a spring church pie festival, I'd be entering this in a contest because it's a great mix for rhubarb lovers! I'm repeating this because I'm developing a new proposal for Love Inspired and I've got to focus on that... and farmwork! Because when the sun comes out.... oh mylanta, the work begins!

If you do not like rhubarb, then this post is not for you.

I love rhubarb pie. I love Strawberry/Rhubarb jam. I love the bright, summer blend of flavors and the imagery that goes along with it....

Big, leafy rhubarb plants, bursting with flavor!

Delicate strawberries, shiny and red.

And the marriage of the two is wonderful!!!

But this old-fashioned recipe is wonderful in its own rite. I first discovered this recipe in my mother's Betty Crocker cookbook, circa 1959....

And when they reprinted the cookbook on its 50th anniversary, I bought a copy! It was so exciting!

The melding of rhubarb and custard might sound odd, but it's not.

It's amazing.

Custard, hinted with nutmeg, is delicious.

Rhubarb, the bite and the tang, acts like an opposites attract romance.

Put them together and you have a delightfully "New England" Yankee kind of dish.  I had pie crust frozen and fresh rhubarb and berries, and small pie pans, so I played a little! For this week, let's focus on the Rhubarb Custard Pie that just might earn a spot in a Double S Ranch book!


Pastry for two-crust pie

For filling:

6 cups chopped rhubarb
1 3.4 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Mix dry ingredients together, then toss with rhubarb

Line a 9" pie plate with crust. Fill crust with rhubarb/sugar/flour/spice mix.

In a medium sized bowl whisk:

3 eggs
4 tablespoons milk

Whisk completely and pour over fruit/sugar mix in pie crust.

Add top crust. (I like the lattice look, but it can be any kind of top crust.)

Flute edges. Cut slits in top if you used a full crust.

Bake at 400° for about 45-60 minutes, until filling is cooked, and custard seems set. If your crust edges get too brown, consider covering them with narrow strips of aluminum foil before you place in oven.

Trying to cover them at 400 degress is TOO HOT.

You will burn your hands.

Don't do that.

You're welcome.

I will admit I ate far too much of this pie. But it was sooooo delicious! So absolutely fun and yummy, and you can actually pick up pieces of this pie (the custard "sets" the filling) and eat like Danish... Because it holds together so well!

I love fruits of the season! I love playing in the kitchen! And I love re-visiting old favorites and giving them a new life, here in the world of the World Wide Web!

Dave is avidly working on the farm.... And trying to stay ahead of deer and bugs.

In the yard, I've been busily rebuilding an old water feature, a pond and a waterfall I created about fifteen years ago.... And it's coming along! My reward when I'm done writing is to go get dirty!

So much fun in a garden, and it brings me such peace.


And this! This was to celebrate that I discovered I passed the ONE MILLION BOOKS milestone back in the spring!!! HIP HIP HOORAY!!!!! Happy dancing in upstate!!!! This is MacKenzie holding the clutch of balloons from Son #3 who is busily writing his own book in Arizona right now...

And some of us went to Abbott's Frozen Custard to celebrate!!!! Do you see how they're dressed? It was COLD here, LOL! But the cold did not dissuade us from Abbott's!!!!

Newest Abbott's Lover! Magdalena got to make her first trip to Abbott's and share Grammy's banana split! So amazingly good, I got "Best Grammy Ever!" award!!!

And two of the boys jumped in out front to help me dig out old ivy roots... Xavier and Logan, hard at work... and the bonus of this? They created new holes for our froggy friends!!!! We love frogs and toads on the farm!

Almost summer.... the classes with kids are winding down, school days are sporadic with Regents testing for the older kids, and the younger kids are tired because the sun is keeping them up late... and tired kids get a little grumpy!

But with snuggles and ice cream, we can keep the "Grumpy" at bay!!!!

Ruth Logan Herne is still pinching herself over the million book mark, and you can find her pinching herself at ruthloganherne.com or on facebook where she loves chatting with people!!! Or here at the cafe, talking kitchens and food and fun, or over at Ruthy's Place.... And in Seekerville, where a group of wonderful authors loves to talk about God, romance, writing... and really cute heroes!