Looking out the Window: Light Strawberry Summer Desserts and Books for the Lake, Beach, Mountains or Back Porch

HAPPY SUMMER!

Whether enjoying a lemonade and a snack while reading a good book, having tea with a friend or hosting a bridal shower, strawberries make the occasion special. See recipes below.

Summer Reading and Recipes

There are over two-dozen recipes in the back of Cooking up a Mystery, each one named for a character in the book. They were donated by members of Mission Love Seeds, a charitable group created to help children throughout the world and to respond locally after disasters to demonstrate God's love. Learn more at Mission Love Seeds

About Cooking up a Mystery

Laney Eskridge worked to put her husband through dental school. Then he left with another woman. She's on edge from the emotional scars and her parents' deaths. Then she hears unexplained noises in her new tea house, and her anxiety is tripled. Add a budding romance with Eric—a guy with a fear of commitment—and it's all too much to handle. She cuts ties with Eric and plunges into making her business pay off.

When Eric discovers that Laney's in danger, he vows to protect her. But can he make a lasting promise? Will she trust him? . . .and when they overhear a threat that could cause national turmoil, will anyone believe them? There's more brewing than herbal tea in Cooking up a Mystery.

Buy Cooking up a Mystery on Amazon and all places online where eBooks are sold.

Learn more here

About Cold Vengeance a New Suspense Novel by my Friend, Best-Selling, Award-Winning Author Nancy Mehl.

When a renowned crime podcaster vanishes without a trace, former FBI behavioral analysts turned private investigators River Ryland and Tony St. Clair are called upon to track her down. As they wade through the evidence she left behind, they unearth a startling connection--she may have discovered the existence of an unknown killer, and he will stop at nothing to carry out a deadly plan.

As the pair delves deeper, they soon find themselves the targets of a relentless enemy determined to silence them. With their lives--and hearts--on the line, can they confront the evil that threatens them before it consumes them both?

Buy on Amazon and other places where books are sold.

Learn more on Nancy’s Website

Stay tuned for Nancy's visit to my blog!

Strawberry Brownies

1 box strawberry cake mix (without pudding in the mix)

2 large eggs

1/3 cup oil

1/2 - 1 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)

Mix together box of cake mix, eggs and oil well. (It’s thick. I used my mixer.) Spray an 8 x 8 pan or use parchment paper (The batter is thick and sticky). Spread evenly. Bake 350 degrees for 17 minutes or until the edges are slightly brown. Do not overbake. (I used a toothpick to see if it came out of the center of the batter clean.)

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1 - 2 tabl. water (lemon or lime juice)

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)

Note: You can use different flavors of cake mix and vary the flavors of extract. Vanilla for strawberry brownies and almond for white or lemon cake mix brownies.

The Busy Bee Seniors’ Strawberry Royale from Cooking up a Mystery

Ingredients

One-half cup coarsely chopped pecans

One cup flour

One-third cup brown sugar

One-half cup butter, melted

Four egg whites

One-half cup sugar

Two (10 oz.) packages frozen, halved strawberries, completely thawed

Three tablespoons lemon juice

One (12 oz.) carton frozen whipped topping

Mix flour, sugar, nuts and butter. Spread in a 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for twenty minutes, stirring often. Remove and cool. Remove one-third of the mix for topping and spread the remaining in bottom of pan. Beat egg whites until peaks form. Slowly add sugar and beat five more minutes. Fold in lemon juice and thawed, undrained strawberries. Mix thoroughly. Fold in whipped topping. Spread strawberry mixture over mix in the pan. Sprinkle reserved mix on top. Cover and freeze six hours or more. Remove and let stand at room temperature approximately twenty minutes before cutting into squares and serving.

Submitted by Leanora Harkins of Fort Walton Beach, Florida

Looking Out the Window: Memories on the Heart

Several weeks ago my husband, Rick, and I ate at a restaurant we frequent fairly regularly. The cute, young waitress who usually waits on us took our orders for burgers and fries. I’ll call her Mandy. As usual Mandy’s smile and bubbly personality brightened our day. We giggled and confessed to her that we shouldn’t eat the fries, but we were going to do it just this once. She joked. “Okay, you’re being bad today.” Not long after we got our food a couple came in and sat in the booth behind us. Mandy walked up to the table with her big grin. “Hi, how are you?” she asked. The man, who had salt and pepper colored hair and a pudgy face, spoke in a harsh tone, “I want the steak.” “Sure, which one would you like?” Mandy asked. “I don’t want you to put it in the microwave. That will make it tough. Do you understand?” Mandy’s lips turned down. “Yes sir, which one do you want to order?” “I want it medium rare. I don’t want blood oozing out of it. I want it cooked right.” “Yes sir, which steak di

Looking out the Window: Karen Malley Talks about Her New Book, Moonlight and Mystery. Giveaway.

A Warm Welcome to Karen Malley Karen will give away an eBook of Moonlight and Mystery . To enter to win leave a comment and email address below and enter the Rafflecopter contest. She also gives away a free short story each week for a newsletter sign-up. See below for her Website address. Hi Gail, thanks so much for having me on the blog today. It's my pleasure. I’m happy to share with you a Bible verse and a recipe, and tell you about my newest book! One of my favorite Bible verses is Romans 10:9. “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” I love this verse because it distills down the message of Christianity to its simplest elements. So often people add to the gospel, but it really all comes down to our belief in Jesus’ saving work on the cross. This verse tends to make its way into my writing. It’s in my latest novel, Moonlight and Mystery, when the heroine, Beth attends a carnival at a

Looking out the Window: Bible Study Leader Kristi Neace Says God Won't Fail Us and Introduces Us to Her New Book, Pathlight to Praise. Free Bible Study Coming Soon.

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