recipes – aTransParentMom

Face-Off with Roseanna M. White!!

Published on August 13, 2015 by aTransParentMom33 Comments

I am currently reading Roseanna’s new book and…let me tell you…It’s AMAZING! It will be released on September 8th. Reserve your copy now!!

Roseanna M. White pens her novels beneath her Betsy Ross flag, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two children, editing and designing, and pretending her house will clean itself. The Lost Heiress is Roseanna’s tenth published book. Her novels range from biblical fiction to American-set romances to her new British series. She is also the senior reviewer at the Christian Review of Books, which she and her husband founded, the senior editor at WhiteFire Publishing, and a member of ACFW, HisWriters, and Colonial Christian Fiction Writers.

Impressive, huh?!?!

Let’s she how she holds up in this face-off!!

The rules are simple. I ask Roseanna some random questions. She replies and then I give my answers. Each winning answer is worth one point and I get to decide whose answer is better.

It’s my blog.

Here we go!

1. What do you think was the worst part of being in high society in the 1800’s England?

Roseanna – I know everyone always expects the answer to be “corsets,” but those really weren’t as bad as people think for most of the century, and very few people tight-laced. =) I think what would be the worst, actually, would be the expectations to do and be exactly what you were supposed to do and be. The Victorian Age was very repressed, and it resulted in women especially having ideas about what they should and shouldn’t feel that didn’t exactly lead to healthy relationships much of the time. Glad I have no part of that.

Charity – I have to agree 100%. Men didn’t work because it was ungentlemanly, so they had to marry rich women to continue the lifestyle of the elite. Women had to marry someone with a title so that their fathers would hand over their money (From their dowry). Awful. Pretentious snobs. haha.

–Tie

Charity 1 / Roseanna 1

2. What’s your favorite kind of cereal?

Roseanna – I go through phases. At the moment, I’m digging the Chex family—Honey Nut, Vanilla, Chocolate…cereal has always been a mainstay for me. Except when I was pregnant with my second—I couldn’t eat cereal. I think I lived off chicken noodle soup for a few months, it was the only thing I could keep down.

Charity – I should have never asked this question. waaahhh! I love cereal so much, but I am on an auto-immune diet (just recently), so I can’t have any. POOR ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

— You get that. I added a picture so I could live vicariously through you. weird?

Charity 1 / Roseanna 2

3. Go-To favorite recipe?

Roseanna – I have a macaroni and cheese recipe that I adore. I never quite outgrew all those kid foods…

Charity – ha! That’s awesome. ANOTHER FOOD I LOVE AND CAN’T EAT!

Ok, I have this amazing pizza that I make…

Ingredients:

Homemade Bread Dough (in the bread machine)
Ranch Dressing
Chicken (Cooked/Baked)
Mozzarella Cheese

Prep:

Roll Out the Bread Dough (Makes 2 pizza crusts)
Cover with Ranch Dressing (Leave room for crust)
Put cut up pieces of cooked chicken all over
Cover with Cheese
Bake

SOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOD!!!!!!!!!!! Best Pizza Ever.

— I totally get that one!!!!

Charity 2 / Roseanna 2

4. Have you ever done re-enacting?

Roseanna – Does dressing up to go to book signings count??If so, then absolutely. Here’s my Edwardian garb. However, actual re-enacting…no. =)

Roseanna is Pretty in Pink —>

Charity – Totally counts! I have done some Regency, Civil War and Revolutionary War Re-Enacting. *MAJOR NERD ALERT*

<— Regency with my youngest son and Momma!

<— Civil War Ball (20 years ago!!!) <— Yorktown Fife and Drum Corp (I am the snare drummer). This was about 25 years ago 😮

— Tie!! We both have epic pics!

Charity 3 / Roseanna 3

5. Most interesting car you ever owned?

Roseanna – A 1994 Jeep Cherokee—and before you call it uninteresting, let me specify that it has 400,000 miles on it and is still going strong on the original motor! It’s the most dependable car we own, and we trust it for long trips much more readily than our newer vehicles, LOL.

Charity – WHAT?!?!?!?! You have to be kidding me! What in the world? You hit the JACKPOT, girl! Wow. I didn’t think you could even touch my car, but…you did good. You did real good *said in a hick voice*

Ok, picture this:

Teenager.
Skater Chick.
Big Mercury Zephyr.
SPRAY painted it Glow-In-The-Dark, Fluorescent Lime Green
White Paint Inside
Black Lights
“Skateboarding Is Not A Crime” Grip Tape Sticker on the back windshield.
Majorly Pimpin’

Not my car, but a picture of a Mercury Zephyr. BAM!

— I thought I had this one FOR SURE!! But, who can fight against a 400,000+ vehicle that you TAKE ON TRIPS?!?!?!?!

Charity 3 / Roseanna 3

6. What is your favorite tv show?

Roseanna – I have a hard time narrowing it down to one, but my top few are The Walking Dead, Once Upon a Time, and Sherlock. And I’m really sorry that White Collar is finished—I watched it on Netflix every week when I fold laundry, and I was seriously attached.

*fanning myself*

Charity – Ok, I had to add that. Best tv show kiss of all time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! EVER!!!!!!!!!

I love Blacklist, Jimmy Fallon, Once Upon a Time, The Killing, Pretty Little Liars (Don’t hate me!! hahahaha! I fast-forward the ewwie parts!!)

<— Jimmy Fallon doing his “Ew” skit!

— Another TIE!!

Charity 4 / Roseanna 4

7. How do you strive to bring God the most glory in your life?

Roseanna – I think it’s a very simple (to say, not necessarily to do, LOL) matter of doing what He calls me to do. Right now, that means writing, running a small publishing company with my husband, home schooling our kids, and a host of the small things related to our church. And, through it all, remembering who I am in Him and being a mirror to reflect His light.

Charity – Love it! I homeschool my kiddos too! woot woot! Mom in Jumpers UNITE! And, I completely agree with you!

— God Wins!

Charity 4 / Roseanna 4

8. Did you like the New Kids on the Block (in the 80’s)?

Roseanna – Oh my—YES! They were my favorite. My friends and I would play make-believe games that revolved around meeting them. My “play” name was Robin, and I always fell for Jordan. My best friend claimed Joey. But we were only 8, so it was cute. 😉

Charity – haha! I was in love with Jordan too! The thing is, you were young and cute. I was a teenager…so…there’s that.

It should be illegal for a man to have a voice that high.

Final:

Charity 5 / Roseanna 5

So much fun, Roseanna!!!!!! Thanks, girl! (especially for giving me a reason to post the Sherlock kiss!!)

I am SUPER EXCITED to make this announcement. GET THIS:

Roseanna is giving away THE FIRST SIGNED COPY OF THE LOST HEIRESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my word!! This book is so good and IT’S THE FIRST SIGNED COPY!!!

Just head on over to a Rafflecopter giveaway
and start entering!! This is an awesome giveaway!!!!

*U.S. Rez only
*Entries will be checked – Don’t falsify or you shall be disqualified

The Lost Heiress:

Brook Eden has never known where she truly belongs. Though raised in the palace of Monaco, she’s British by birth and was brought to the Grimaldis under suspicious circumstances as a babe. When Brook’s friend Justin uncovers the fact that Brook is likely a missing heiress from Yorkshire, Brook leaves the sun of the Mediterranean to travel to the moors of the North Sea to the estate of her supposed family.

The mystery of her mother’s death haunts her, and though her father is quick to accept her, the rest of the family and the servants of Whitby Park are not. Only when Brook’s life is threatened do they draw close—but their loyalty may come too late to save Brook from the same threat that led to tragedy for her mother.

As heir to a dukedom, Justin is no stranger to balancing responsibilities. When the matters of his estate force him far from Brook, the distance between them reveals that what began as friendship has grown into something much more. But how can their very different loyalties and responsibilities ever come together?

And then, for a second time, the heiress of Whitby Park is stolen away because of the very rare treasure in her possession—and this time only the servants of Whitby can save her.

Face-Off with Sarah Price!!

Published on June 11, 2015June 11, 2015 by aTransParentMom3 Comments

Today, I have a super fun lady facing-off with me! The author of more than two dozen novels, Sarah Price brings twenty-five years of experience of living among the Amish to her books, many of which have been Amazon Top 100 Bestsellers. In 2013, she signed with Realms, a division of Charisma House, to publish the Amish Classics series. Initially focusing on the retelling of Jane Austen’s timeless classics from within an Amish setting, her first traditionally published book, First Impressions, A Retelling of Pride & Prejudice, debuted on the ECPA bestseller list.

She intends to continue retelling classics, including the Bronte sisters and Victor Hugo, as she enjoys “raising the bar” on her own intellectual stimulation as well as that of her expansive base of loyal readers.

In 2014, she signed with Waterfall Press and published An Amish Buggy Ride which became a #1 bestseller in Religious Romance.

Let’s have some fun!!!!

The rules are simple. I ask Sarah some random questions. She replies and then I give my answers. Each winning answer is worth one point and I get to decide whose answer is better.

It’s my blog.

Here we go!

1. What is the WORST Jane Austen adaptation kiss scene?

Sarah – I’m not really a movie watcher sooooooo I’m a bad person to ask. I’m a reader. I will tell you the BEST Jane Austen kiss scene (of the few that I’ve watched): Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy at the end of the movie.

*sigh*

Matthew Macfadyen is just the perfect Mr. Darcy. I’m not certain I could have held out from his first proposal like Elizabeth did. Not if Matthew Macfadyen proposed to me. His dark, broody nature is just…*sigh* (she writes as she raises her hand to her forehead and swoons onto her bedroom’s lounge chair).

Charity – Well, I won’t go into THAT because I am not a Kiera Knightley fan. Matthew Macfadyen was a great Darcy though. I just like the 1995 version. *Sigh*

Now, onto the grossest, wettest, slobbery-est kiss of all time? Persuasion 2007 wins.

— I asked for worst…

Charity 1 / Sarah 0

2. If you were going to have as many kids as the Duggers and name them all with one letter, what letter would you choose? Sampling of names?

Sarah – Z. And I’ll tell you why. How much fun in would be to come up with amazing Z names???? Just make them up if you have to. And I am fairly certain that not too many people would have them! Zebediah, Zara, Zinga, Zorse, Zarry, Zia, Zephron, Zate. Plus, Z’s are fun to draw. Did you ever try it?

Charity – Oh, wow. I haven’t given it as much thought as you have…clearly! I do like the “Z” idea. Here’s the thing. If I was going to have as many kids as the Duggars, you could just shoot me now. I mean, I love my kids. I especially love them when they are teenagers! No. More. Babies!!!

How about “P” though? Peter. Piper… Oh, wait.

— You get that one!

Charity 1 / Sarah 1

3. Who would be your dream cast for Persuasion?

Sarah – Oh boy. This totally depends if I’m on set or not.

Robert Pattinson has the sulky “I’m miserable” look that would be picture perfect for Frederick. But I wouldn’t do that to Frederick. So, I’m going to have to select Ben Affleck. He’s still broody-looking but not so miserable. If, however, I get to be on set, I’m going for Colin Farrell (but only if he plucks his eyebrows a bit and doesn’t slick back his hair).

Hey, if I have to lounge around on set, I’d like to enjoy myself a bit.

Anne: A brunette Scarlett Johansson unless I get to be on set. Then I’m voting for Lindsay Lohan, just so I can be privy to her antics. Between Lindsay and Colin, something interesting is BOUND to happen.

Sir Walter Elliott: Morgan Freeman. You have to love his voice! I can see him pulling off a wicked awesome Walter, fretting and mumbling all over the set.

Elizabeth Elliott: Angelina Jolie. Just because I don’t care for her. I doubt that it would be a stretch for her to play a vain Elizabeth.

William Elliott: Jim Carrey. How much fun would THAT be? Let’s kick it up a notch and have some outrageous humor!

Musgrove Sisters: Emma Stone and Jennifer Lawrence. They are both lively and fun, both on and off the screen!

Mary Musgrove: Rebel Wilson. Hands down, she will win over every viewer and steal the show as Mary.

Charles Musgrove: Ansel Elgort. OK, so I just totally heard my thirteen-year old scream in my head. Sorry, Cat, I know you love him but Mommy finds him completely dull and blah in interviews. He could just stand there and not act and he’d nail Charles’ role as the hen-pecked husband of Rebel Wilson.

Captain Benwick: Seth Rogen from Neighbors or Zach Galifianakis from the Hangover movies. Hands-down. Again, really fun people that, presuming I haven’t been kicked off set yet, I want to hang with these guys for a while.

Charity – Oh, wow! Now to try to follow that… Here we go:

Frederick – Jake Gyllenhaal is pretty brooding. I thought that Rupert Penry-Jones was a fabulous choice though. too hard. Ok, I am going to go with Gerard Butler! hahaha. He would be fabulous!

Anne – Emmy Rossum

Sir Walter Elliott – Anthony Hopkins

Elizabeth Elliott – Kate Winslet

William Elliott – How about…Ben Affleck for that one! The ladies man.

Musgrove Sisters – The Fanning Sisters! (Elle and Dakota)

Mary Musgrove – I LOVE your Rebel Wilson idea! hahahaha

Charles Musgrove – Ansel is a great one for him too!!!! Or Robert Pattinson…

Captain Benwick – Paul Rudd would be fun!!

— Tie

Charity 1 / Sarah 1

4. Would you ever consider a life as a unicyclist?

Sarah – I would not.

My balance ability is ZERO (see the Z?). But, when I was eighteen, I did run away with the circus. I helped with tigers and elephants. I also did a little “clowning” around (pun totally intended). I was “in love” and wanted to marry an acrobat who juggled his brother on his feet. Luckily I bounced back to reality (pun intended).

True story.

Obviously, I didn’t marry him. However, I’m still in touch with him. He gave my daughter her dog, Peekaboo (Pica, for short). Apparently Pica was a circus reject, probably because she runs away all of the time.

Charity – Oh my word!! Best Story Ever! I can’t believe you ran away with the circus for an acrobatic, human juggler! HAHAHA! That’s amazing.

— You get that FOR SURE!!!

Charity 1 / Sarah 2

5. Who is the dumbest Disney princess? haha

Frankly, all of them are basically stupid from an intelligence perspective.

Cinderella…her best friend is a mouse and she wears glass slippers. Seriously? How do you walk without breaking them and cutting up your feet?

Snow White: Someone is trying to kill you, Girl! And you take food from an old yucky witch? That’s just plan ignorant.

Alice: I cannot imagine her surviving the real world. She’d be the dream consumer for advertisers, buying everything and anything just because the companies put a little “Buy Me” sign on the product.

Aurora: The fairies warned her not to touch anything and she touches the spindle anyway? (rolls eyes).

Ariel: Seriously, who gives away their voice box? And to Ursula of all people? That was dumb. But Daddy to the rescue, right?

I like Belle. She’s my fav. Her sacrifice for her father is admirable. Plus, I love animals so Beast is right up my alley. I’m not grooving on the yellow gown, though. Mango orange, perhaps.

Charity – Oh my gosh! I am rolling right now. This is amazing. haha! I can’t compete with that…

— I concede!

Charity 1 / Sarah 3

6. Favorite recipe?

Sarah – 1-800-GrubHub.

On Mother’s Day, I was informed by my seventeen-year-old son that I am a “not a great cook” to which my daughter and husband nodded their heads.

I can’t argue with them. I get distracted and burn things all the time. Or I don’t have all of the ingredients so I substitute something and it turns out horrendous. However, to be fair, my husband and daughter do not show up until late (he’s working at the barn and she’s at the barn riding her horses). So I do NOT take responsibility for dried out food.

Charity – No! NO! Not on Mother’s Day!!! HAHA! That’s amazing!!!!

I, uh…., love food. SO, I have way too many. I do love this one though!!:

Link in the pic

— I am taking it!

Charity 2 / Sarah 3

7. How do you strive to bring the most glory to God in your life?

Sarah – Do good, be good. John Adams used to tell that to his children before he left on long journeys. Growing up, my mother always told me that I should never do something that would hinder me from looking at myself in the mirror.

God gave us a user’s manual: the Bible. I read it almost daily and try to behave as God wants and instructs us. I’m not perfect; none of us are. But He gave me a gift and that was breast cancer. That gift was a game changer. So many horrible things happened since May 31, 2013 when I was diagnosed that I couldn’t even begin to describe them. I maintained a positive, healthy attitude throughout, but as Heraclitus said, “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.”

Doing good and being good in this world has to maintain a balance with those who view ‘doing good’ as a home-court advantage from them. Especially when you are successful. People want to latch their dreams on your hard work. I write my novels because I love writing. It’s my passion. I believe God tells me what to write. And I’m not going to write to make other people “famous.”

I’ve found that the more good you do for others, the more those people expect from you. And when you put your foot down, feathers get ruffled. Well, feathers can get ruffled. I don’t have to be taken advantage of in order to bring glory to God, as long as I can look myself in the mirror each morning. And I do.

Charity – Wow! Thank you for sharing that, Sarah. I had no idea! God definitely uses those things to grow us.

— God wins!!

8. Have you ever done Regency re-enacting? If so, have you been to the Jane Austen Festival or stayed at the cottage from Sense and Sensibility? (you can totally rent it!!!) ❤

Sarah – I have not!

But I do have Regency Days in my house. I pretend I’m Elizabeth Bennet and my family goes bananas. They HATE Regency days. My husband is French and he can’t always understand me when I’m speaking regular. When I try to talk like a high society woman from the early 1800s? Forget it. I might as well be speaking Pig Latin to him.

However, even better…Soap Opera Hour! I respond to everyone as if I’m an actress on a soap opera. Sometimes I can get my son and daughter to play along. My son is actually really good, although I doubt he has ever watched a soap opera. Try this in public. It’s hilarious to see people’s reactions, especially when your family plays along.

Charity – HA! How fun!! We sometimes will act like we are in a musical. My husband and I will sing everything to the kids. They hate it!! They are like, “STOPPPP!!!! Please! I can’t stand it!!!”

Oh, and: That’s me with the blue top on. Woot Woot!

— Tie

Charity 2 / Sarah 3

9. What is the funniest viral video you have ever seen?

Sarah – Tie!

Brian Regan’s Me Monster
vs.
Dane Cook’s Burger King

My son gets soooooo irritated because whenever we go to a drive-thru, I do the Dane Cook’s drive-thru Pickle Person Voice. My daughter rolls with laughter in the back of the car. We usually wind up not getting anything because the drive-thru attendant ignores us after the first thirty seconds. But a great belly laugh builds character (and muscles!)

Charity – So fun to torture our children with those antics. *Sigh*. Life is good…

I have so many that I like. This one is at the top:

— Tie

Charity 2 / Sarah 3

10. If you had to quote a speech from one of our founding fathers, could you?

Sarah – It depends how many words you want. “We the people, in order to form a more perfect union…” That’s it. That’s all I got. And I’m not even sure that’s right. Is it?

Charity – haha. Oh man. No, I don’t think I could and I have no idea if that is correct…”I regret that I have but one life to give for my country”?? Nathan Hale’s speech (That he may, or may not, have given…).

— Tie

Final:

Charity 2 / Sarah 3

again.

Thank you, Sarah! This was great getting to know you 🙂 Check out her books below! Links are in the pics:

Face-Off with Dani Pettrey!!

Published on June 2, 2015June 2, 2015 by aTransParentMom3 Comments

Heart pumping, thrill seeking, fast paced author, Dani Pettrey, is here today!! She’s a homeschooling mom (WOOT WOOT! me too!!) and stay at home wife that somehow finds time to crank out book after book. Her books have been honored with the Daphne du Maurier award, two HOLT Medallions, a Christy Award nomination, two National Readers’ Choice Awards, the Gail Wilson Award of Excellence, and Christian Retailing’s Best Award, among (many) others.

She claims to be a Grandma, but I can’t possibly believe that!!! Look at her!!

Let’s she how she does in this face-off…Shall we?

The rules are simple. I ask Dani some random questions. She replies and then I give my answers. Each winning answer is worth one point and I get to decide whose answer is better.

It’s my blog.

Here we go!

1. What is the most exotic fruit you’ve ever eaten?

Dani – Star fruit. It looks adorable, but is a bit too tart for my tastes.

Charity – I wish I had a good answer, but I DON’T! I had a chance to try a Durian once, but I was too chicken. It’s the worst smelling and tasting fruit in the world.

–Definitely Dani!

Charity 0 / Dani 1

2. How many versions of the American Flag have we had? (no cheating!!)

Dani – I’m so going to bomb on this one, but I’ll go with 15.

Charity – I have NO IDEA either. I am going to guess 9.

*looking it up now*

–There have been a million. Dani wins. grrrr

Charity 0 / Dani 2

3. Have you ever been close to a poisonous snake in the wild? (Not at a zoo or anything like that).

Dani – Yes. I was fishing from a canoe with my dad when I was young and a water moccasin attacked the canoe. Terrifying.

Charity – “ATTACKED THE CANOE?!?!” That is horrifying!!

I was raking out in our back yard one day. Of course, I was wearing flip-flops…I looked down and, BOOM, there was a copperhead RIGHT. BY. MY. BARE. PIGGIES! I yelled for my oldest son (who was 11ish at the time) to bring me something to kill it…QUICKLY. He shows up with scissors and a little, tiny, child’s shovel. Thanks… So, I did what any normal person would do. I pinned it’s head with the miniature shovel (yes, that meant my hands were right by it *shudder*) and starting cutting it’s head off with the scissors. I kid you not. It took forever to cut through it’s head. It was the grossest thing I’ve ever done in my whole life. *SHUDDER*

–So, basically, I am taking that point.

Charity 1 / Dani 2

4. What’s the fastest meal in your repertoire? Recipe allowed

Dani – Bean burritos.

Heat 2 cans of Busch’s Texas Rancheros Beans. Fill up flour tortillas with the beans, diced onions and shredded cheese. Top the folded-up burritos with shredded cheese. Pop in the oven at 350 until the tortillas get crispy-ish (is that a word?) and the cheese melts. Approximately 20 minutes.

Charity – Oh man! YUM!!! We thrive on Mexican food. Sooo delish!!! I will definitely try that!

Mine is a crock-pot meal. I throw in frozen chicken, a bottle of BBQ sauce and call it a day.

— Tie

Charity 1 / Dani 2

5. Most awkward verse in the Bible?

Dani – Leviticus 19:28 “‘Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.”

It’s awkward because my hubby is covered in tattoos, but one is of an angel kneeling in reverence. I also have one and it is Psalm 27 inside a heart.

Charity – ha! I love it! Besides, Jesus has a tatoo according to Revelation 19:6

“On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords.”

I have a tat too. (haha. a tat too. tattoo. tattoo too…) It’s a flower behind my ear.

–Most awkward verse…I am not even going to go there. I will let you take this one! ha!!

Charity 1 / Dani 3

6. When’s the last time you painted your toenails? What color?

Dani – They were painted two weeks ago a fun shade of teal, but not by me. Had a wonderful mother/daughter mani/pedi for Mother’s Day.

Charity – Aw! That’s so sweet!! I have sons…so…I painted them in April. Gross, huh? They are pink.

–I don’t stand a CHANCE!

Charity 1 / Dani 4

7. Are any of your book characters named after family members?

Dani – Only one. He appears at the end of Sabotaged.

Charity – Oooohh!! Nice! Now it’s up to our imagination…

–Uh, I don’t have any characters.

Charity 1 / Dani 5

8. How do you strive to bring God the most glory in your life?

Dani – I pray that my entire life may bring God glory through the equipping of His Holy Spirit because I’d never be able to do it on my own.

Charity – AMEN!!

–God Wins.

Charity 1 / Dani 5

9. Who is the funniest comedian?

Dani – Bill Cosby

Charity – Wrong. Michael Jr.

— haha 🙂 I’m taking the point because my answer is better 😉

Charity 2 / Dani 5

10. Have you ever spilled a drink in your purse?

Dani – The question should really be how many times 😉

Charity – Girl, I hear ya! For some reason, I always think it’s a good idea to go to Chick-fil-A before a movie and get food and drinks for our family. I then proceed to hide them in my ginormous purse as we enter the theater. Then, I go directly to the bathroom to clean out the inevitable spill that has poured into my purse. We then share whatever drinks are left while we eat are delicious treats and watch the movie.

I am a natural blonde…

— tie

Final:

Charity 2 / Dani 5

“whyyyyyyyyy? Whyyyyyyy?????”

Oh, wait! What’s this?!?! Dani has some questions for me…

Dani – Who is the best superhero? (My daughter says there is only one right answer).

Charity – hmmm. That is scary, but I am going to have to go with Wolverine! woot woot!!

Dani – How many Five Star Generals have there been (no cheating)?

Charity – HAHAHAHA! Oh my gosh. 12? AHH! I looked it up. Only 9!!!!

Dani – What’s the hardest word for you to pronounce? (For me it’s Mitsubishi)

Charity – Easy. “Rural”. I can’t say it to save my life.

Dani – Favorite literary sleuth?

Charity – Uh, Nancy Drew? No, I am going to have to go with Gilbert Morris’ book heroine, Dani Ross.

Dani – Most memorable novel?

Charity – Toss up between The Count of Monte Cristo and Courting Morrow Little (by Laura Frantz)

Dani – Quirkiest place you’ve lost/found your keys? (Mine were in a bouquet of lilies. :))

Charity – wha?? How?!?! haha. No, I am pretty organized. I have a key ring by the front door. Put them on there as soon as I walk in.

Thank you, Dani! So much fun getting to know you 🙂

Pick up Dani’s books for yourself and your friends!! Links are in the pics!!

Face-Off with Tamera Alexander!!

Published on May 6, 2015May 6, 2015 by aTransParentMom8 Comments

No! Your eyes are NOT playing tricks on you!!! They read it correctly!!!

Ok, you want a list of some serious awards?

– 4 Time CBA Bestseller

– 5 Time ECPA Bestseller

– 4 Time Christy Finalist

– 2 Time Christy Award Winner

– 1 Time RITA Award Finalist

– 4 Time RITA Award Winner

– Library Journal Starred Review

– Booksellers Best Award Winner

– Golden Quill Award Winner

WOW! Deep breath!!! Let’s play, shall we??

The rules are simple. I ask Tamera some random questions. She replies and then I give my answers. Each winning answer is worth one point and I get to decide whose answer is better.

It’s my blog.

Here we go!

1. Do you garden?

Tamera – Does fawning over Southern Homes and Gardens magazine qualify? Or having two peace lilies that are six years old that I haven’t managed to kill off yet? I wish I could say I garden but right now, I do not. Just no time. But I aspire to garden. How’s that? Sometimes I just go to Lowe’s in stand in front of the fertilizer, breathe deeply, and dream. (And get a little woozy.)

Charity – ha! Nice. I get woozy THINKING about gardening… I have a serious black thumb. You couldn’t get any less gardening-ish than me!

— At least you want to and don’t kill things!!

Charity 0 / Tamera 1

2. What is your favorite kind of fish (to eat!)?

Tamera – Salmon all the way. To catch? Bass. I love to fish! And yes, I bait my own hook when we use live bait. But I find it more sporting to use lures. Something I learned from my husband of 30+ years. Far more sporting that way—for the fish.

Charity – 😮 Whew. You are a real woman!! haha. I like Tilapia, to eat! Fishing…not so much.

— You get that, for sure!

Charity 0 / Tamera 2

3. Strangest fan encounter?

Tamera – Hmmm…. I think every author has the bathroom story, where someone is waiting outside the stall. But when she knocked ON the stall wall… LOL. Well, that got my attention. We laughed about it afterwards. And then I left as quickly as possible. (JK!)

Charity – I’m sorry. 😮 Did you say you “laughed about it”???? OMGosh! hahahaha. That is so frightening!! I can’t even handle it when people talk to me, or are in the bathroom at the same time as me. If they were talking and knocking…whew!!!

— I am getting CRUSHED!!

Charity 0 / Tamera 3

4. Do you like to attend professional sports games? If so, which teams?

Tamera – I watch on occasion but I’m not a diehard fan, by any means. I love the Broncos. The John Elway years were epic. We lived in Colorado for 17 years. Such fun to play in the Rocky Mountains.

Charity – Oh man! I LOVE sports. It’s kind of backwards in this household. My husband gets bored. He goes to the gym while I watch football!! hahahaha. Redskins, Braves, and Duke Blue Devils are the teams I follow.

— Totally taking it!!

Charity 1 / Tamera 3

5. Do you have any unpublished books?

Tamera – No. But my first one almost wasn’t. The manuscript that sat in my drawer—the first story I ever wrote—for nearly 7 years was finally published after a total rewrite. The Inheritance. It’s sold over 100,000 copies to date and is my all time bestseller. Who knew, huh? All you writers out there: Never throw away a manuscript. Every “no” along the way is really part of God’s final “Yes!” when his perfect timing is reached. Be patient. Keep writing. Keep seeking His will.

Charity – That’s a great one!! I loved it!

Uh, I publish everything I write on my blog. No books.

— Tamera

Charity 1 / Tamera 4

6. What is one of your favorite holiday memories?

Tamera – I have many, but the most treasured is a couple of Thanksgivings before Mom passed away. It’s of cooking with her in the kitchen. We laughed and laughed, made pies and cornbread dressing and sweet potatoes while watching It’s a Wonderful Life in the background. I treasured the time then, but even more so now.

Charity – Now, that is a low blow! How can I compete with that?! That’s the sweetest story of all time!!!

— ahhhh

Charity 1 / Tamera 5

7. If you had to choose one name you would NEVER want to name someone, what name would it be? (ie: worst name ever)

Tamera – Buttford. I read that in an old diary once and thought, “Seriously? What were the parents thinking?”

Charity – AH!! HAHA! That is HORRIBLE! I was thinking Archibald, but…have you played this game before?

— You are SERIOUSLY good at this game!

Charity 1 / Tamera 6

8. How do you strive to bring God the most glory in your life?

Tamera – Through surrendering to Him in every area of my life. And honey, I’m a work in progress. A decision I made five years ago was to start the BSF study (Bible Study Fellowship) that meets once a week, and it’s an intense Bible Study. It truly has changed my life, and my understanding of who God is and how much he loves us. But also, how much he expects—demands—obedience to him. What truly takes my soul’s breath away is to realize that God gave the Law to Moses, and all of those instructions for sacrifices, all the rules, as a foreshadowing of Christ. From the very beginning (to us, anyway, He is the Alpha and Omega, he knows no beginning and no end), his plan was to offer his Son as a ransom for our sins. Sins he knew we could never pay for. He set it up that way, because he loves us that much. If that’s not a motivation to surrender, I don’t know what is.

Charity – Beautiful. He is insanely precious. I just want to be in His arms at all times!!!! ❤

— God ALWAYS wins!

Charity 1 / Tamera 6

9. How do you celebrate the 4th of July?

Tamera – We take the boat (remember, I told you I love to fish?) and we go fishing for the day, then cookout, then watch fireworks from the lake that night. Fun family time. Especially when you’re dodging buoys in the dark as you make your way back to the dock.

Charity – Oh!! NICE!!! We found this glorious, small town that had the best 4th of July celebration! They feed the entire town as much Papa John’s pizza as you can eat!!! That’s not counting the chips, desserts and tons of other food!!

I live really close to Yorktown, VA, so I have spent MANY celebrations there. I was in the Fife and Drum corp when I was growing up, so we preformed every 4th.

— Totally taking a point wherever I can get it! I DON’T CARE IF YOU HAVE A FANCY BOAT!!

Charity 2 / Tamera 6

10. Favorite thing to cook/bake?

Tamera – Pies. Hands down. I adore making pies. It’s a spiritual kitchen experience. My favs are Creamy Praline Pecan Pie, Buttermilk Pie, any kind of fruit pie, and last but not least, French Coconut. Next would be biscuits. Making biscuits is so comforting. The feel of the dough, then cutting them out and slipping them onto the pan, the wonderful floury feeling on your fingers. And sneaking bites of buttermilk dough isn’t bad either. Yum!

Charity – I want pie.

I love Pumpkin and Cream Cheese Whoopie Pies
Original recipe from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

Cakes

3 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 c. oil
1 c. dark brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
3 c. pumpkin puree
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

Cream Cheese Filling

1/2 c. (1 stick) butter
1 8-oz. package cream cheese (you could use light)
3 c. powdered sugar
3 tablespoons maple syrup of 1/2-1 tsp. maple extract
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.

Lightly spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level with a knife. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat together the brown sugar, white sugar, and oil. Add the pumpkin puree and mix well. Add the vanilla and eggs and mix well. Slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until combined.

Using a 1 tablespoon scoop or a 1/2 tablespoon measure, drop the batter onto a baking sheet (lined, if possible, but not necessary), leaving about 1″ between the batter. Try to keep the batter as circular as possible. Bake for 10-14 minutes or until the tops are done and a toothpick inserted into the middle of one of the cakes comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes on the pan and then transfer to a cooling rack.

To prepare the filling, beat the butter on high for 1-2 minutes until smooth and fluffy. Add the cream cheese and beat until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, maple, and vanilla and beat until combined. Transfer to a large Ziploc bag and cut 1/2″-1″ off the corner.

Flip the cakes over on a flat surface. Squeeze about 2-3 tablespoons of filling per large whoopie pie (less if you used a 1/2 tablespoon measure) onto every other cake. Top each pie with the remaining cakes. Serve immediately if possible; otherwise, these can be refrigerated in an airtight container. Makes about 30 large whoopie pies.

— YUM!!! Tie!!

Final:

Charity 2 / Tamera 6

I got smooshed again.

Tamera, you were more than a worthy opponent! You were AWESOME!! SQUEEEE! You all know what the balloons tell!! A GIVEAWAY!!!

Tamera is giving away a paperback copy of her new book!!

Doesn’t it look lovely? I love this series!! Oh, best news? It’s ONLY $4.99 pre-release!! You only have a few more days to get it at this price! It will probably triple a week from today! (Link is in the pic)

Ok, so if you want to try to win this, head on over to a Rafflecopter giveaway and enter.

*U.S. Rez only (We do love the rest of you too)

** All entries will be checked. Any falsified will get disqualified!

GOOD LUCK!!

This just happened…

Published on October 3, 2014 by aTransParentMomLeave a comment

It so happened. And, guess what? 100% Guilt Free.

These bad boys are Gluten Free, Carb Free(bie foods list), and Sugar Free. Wha Wha??!!

Raw Cookie Dough Bites (Grain, Sugar, Dairy, & Egg-Free)

Yield: about 15 bites

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups blanched almond flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup coconut oil (solid but soft)
1 Tablespoon honey
2 Tablespoon almond butter
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
mini dark chocolate chips
stevia to taste, if additional sweetener is needed

Directions:

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Combine the oil, honey, almond butter, and vanilla in a separate, smaller bowl. Pour wet mixture into the dry mixture and combine well. Your own two hands to the best job of getting it all combined. If you find the mixture is too dry and crumbly, add a tablespoon of water at a time until you reach cookie dough consistency.

Taste, and add stevia if you prefer the dough sweeter. Mix in the desired amount of chocolate chips and roll into 1 to 1 1/2 inch balls.

Store in the refrigerator. They should keep for several days, although they tend to dry out the longer they are stored. (If they last that long…)

Nat’s Notes:
1. The more you work the dough, the more the coconut oil will melt, resulting in the balls getting greasy. Return the dough to the freezer to re-harden if this bothers you.
2. This recipe doubles well.

3. You can even make these in a food processor. Just process the dry ingredients and add the wet ones once you’ve mixed them together. For those who don’t like to get their hands messy…

— Find the recipe here.

One Healthy Yum and One “not so much” Healthy Yum

Published on October 2, 2014October 2, 2014 by aTransParentMomLeave a comment

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Shake

Ingredients
2 frozen bananas, pre-sliced before freezing
1 1/2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp maple syrup or sugar/sweetener
1 heaping Tbsp peanut butter

Directions
Blend in a high power blender for best results.

Calories: 496
Carbs: 86
Fat: 15
Protein: 16

Apple Nachos

Ingredients

3 crispy and slightly tart apples
1 tsp lemon juice
3 tbsp creamy natural peanut butter
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup pecans
1/4 cup flaked unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup vegan chocolate chips

Directions
For these, I sliced up some apples thin enough so it would be easy to eat the slice in one or two bites. I also lightly spritzed the apples with lemon juice to keep them from browning too fast.

Then I melted some peanut butter–until it was super runny–and drizzled it all over the apples. Next, I topped the apples and peanut butter with unsweetened flaked coconut, sliced almonds, a few pecans and, of course, chocolate chips. And finally, I drizzled a little more peanut butter onto the plate. Ya know, for good measure.

Couldn’t get much easier! Be sure to eat these with your hands, just like real nachos. 🙂

— Credit where it’s due:

Apple Nachos

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Shake