Cedar Fort Blog Tour: One Dirty Bowl (Review + Recipe + Pictures)

Here's a description of the book from Cedar Fort:

Create delicious desserts without making a mess! One Dirty Bowl indulges your sweet tooth while getting you out of the kitchen in no time. Whip up showstopping desserts like --White Chocolate and Strawberry Cupcakes --Very Vanilla Brownies --Hazelnut Puffs --3X Chocolate Cookies. From Christina Dymock, author of Young Chefs and The Hungry Family Slow Cooker Cookbook, this cookbook will impress your guests and satisfy any craving. And these quick, tasty desserts only dirty one bowl, which means more time with your family and friends at the table. Fast desserts, faster cleanup—grab a bowl and get ready to bake!

My Review

One Dirty Bowl...but a wide variety of desserts! I enjoyed browsing through the bright, color-coded sections of this cookbook and peeking at the tasty-looking pictures scattered in between the recipes. The layout is simple and helpful: the ingredients are listed in an easy-to-see fashion, the amount each recipe will make is clearly noted under the dessert titles, and the writing itself is fun and flows well.

Some of the recipes require more ingredients and effort than what I'd probably invest at this particular stage in my life, but they still seem fairly simple, and something to try someday! (Maybe when I visit home and have access to my mom's fridge and dishes? *wink*)

What's missing: Well, I'd love for there to be pictures of all the recipes, and a little conclusion to wrap things up at the end would be nice. Otherwise (having tried one recipe so far, which was super easy and tasty), I think it's great, and there are even helpful measuring equivalents and an index in the back. Sweet!

*With thanks to Cedar Fort for providing me with a PDF copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.*

Now available on Amazon (hard copy and Kindle ebook) and Barnes & Noble (hard copy and Nook ebook)! 

My Cooking Adventure

I decided that in order to give an authentic review of a cookbook, I ought to try one of the recipes (and the author gave me permission to share one with you all). I picked something pretty simple that would be easy on the budget and on my time (not to mention the fact that it's chocolate - that seems like a no-brainer, right?). So here it is, with my comments in blue...

Chocolate Crispy Bars

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 25 large marshmallows
• 4 cups crispy rice cereal

Crisp Rice Cereal from Trader Joe's and chocolate chips and marshmallows from Target

Instructions:

Spray a 9 x 9 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

Amber: I went with a larger pan. I think it's 13 x 9, but don't quote me on that. The reason I used it? My 8 x 8 still holds some brownies, and I'm working on building up my cooking resources, so I don't have a ton of baking pans just yet.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat.

Amber: I can do this! LOL.

Add the chocolate chips and marshmallows and stir well.

Continue stirring until the marshmallows are melted and the mixture is smooth.

Amber: I turned up the heat just a bit to speed up the process. I stayed in the medium-low range. It still took a few minutes, but not so bad!

Add the crispy rice cereal and stir to coat.

Pour the mixture into the pan and spread it out evenly. You can spray your hands with nonstick cooking spray to press the mixture into the pan if needed. Allow to set before cutting.

Amber: I didn't have to spray my hands - the mixture spread without much struggle on my part.

The recipe is supposed to make 9 servings, but I guess I'm getting more (albeit thinner) bars this way. 

And the verdict? Yum! I confess I like how thin these are - I think it makes them easier to eat. Mine didn't turn out super sticky, and they came out of the pan nice and easy. I really like the texture, and - of course - the chocolatey goodness! 

And guess what? Besides the utensils/measuring cups and the baking pan, it only took one dirty bowl. *wink*

About the Author

Christina Dymock graduated from the University of Utah with a B.S. in Public Relations. She has been published in Woman’s World Magazine and several Chicken Soup for the Soul books, and she is the author of 101 Things to do With Popcorn. She resides in Central Utah with her husband and four children. You can follow their cooking adventures at teachingyoungchefs.blogspot.com.

Love Finds You at Christmastime!

Today our guest is Anita Higman, co-author (with Irene Brand) of Love Finds You Under the Mistletoe! Anita has been busy working on a deadline (and we as readers certainly don't want to interrupt the authors writing these great books!), but she kindly agreed to share this interview she and Irene put together, answering questions about their book.

Love Finds You Under the Mistletoe is two stories in one, with one novella written by Anita Higman and the other written by Irene Brand. The novellas are connected to each other, as well!

Enjoy the interview! (And remember to keep reading for information about today's giveaways!)


Was it difficult to connect your two stories?

Anita: Not at all. We had a brainstorming session by phone and by email and figured it out. Irene’s historical novella, An Appalachian Christmas, is tied to my contemporary novella, Once Upon a Christmas Eve. They are connected through the passing of a mistletoe ball through the generations. It was a delight to work with Irene. She’s very easy to get along with. In fact, we’ve become long-distant friends.

Irene: It wasn’t difficult. Actually, this may have been the easier part of the writing project. After we’d each read the other’s manuscript, I provided Anita with the information necessary for continuity, and she did the same for me. It was easy to insert the other story line into my novella

Do you think you’d consider working on another project together?

Anita: Yes, in fact we’ve been chatting about working on another project together.

Irene: It would appeal to me. Although our writing styles aren’t the same, still the differences seem to improve the book.

How did you come up with the idea for your story?

Anita: My novels are more character driven, and so my characters tend to move the story along. The idea for Once Upon a Christmas Eve may have started with my interest in the fairy archetype. I loved the movies Cold Comfort Farm and Chocolat for that very reason. There was something enchanting about those two heroines as they whirled around, fixing people’s lives. I gave my main character, Holly Goodnight, some similar fanciful qualities.

Irene: My husband and I spent a few days in Owsley County, Kentucky, where my novella is located. After we met the local people, visited the site where the action would be, and learned about the local history, the story was easy to develop.

What did you want the reader to take away from your story?

Anita: That no matter how impossible circumstances look, God can work all things for good.

Irene: That even when a romance seems hopeless, true love can overcome any barrier.

What are your five favorite things about Christmas?

Anita: The birth of Christ, of course. But then I love the music, the scents, the special foods, and family time together.

Irene: Local church activities, music, baking and visiting shut-ins with goodies, Christmas dinner with extended family, holiday movies on TV.

Where can readers find you online?

Anita: I would love for folks to drop by my website at www.anitahigman.com.

Irene: www.irenebrand.com

Anita: Thank you for inviting us to your blog! Irene and I hope your Christmas is filled with the love of Christ and all things bright and beautiful!


Amber: Thank you, Anita, for joining us for the "Love Finds You" Blog Party!

Readers, Anita has generously offered to give away 2 copies of Love Finds You Under the Mistletoe to two lucky winners! Isn't that cover lovely? And this is such a timely giveaway! To enter, leave a comment for Anita with your e-mail address. (This giveaway is for U.S. residents only.)

Remember that all winners will be announced on Friday, December 10.

Now, would you like a way to get extra entries and have some fun? I hope so!

This time of year is full of food...fudge, cookies, pie, candy, etc. And there are plenty of dessert auctions and social events where such food can be shared among friends. So, as a group of friends gathered here--is anybody up for another recipe exchange? (Since we can't actually share the desserts with each other, recipes will have to do!)

The picture above is of me and my grandparents (my grandma is right beside me in the picture) last year at my sister's school's Christmas play, where they also had a dessert auction. I got to come home early from college for Christmas break, and only my parents knew about it, so I got to surprise the rest of my family, including my grandparents! While they were looking at the desserts, I walked right up behind them and gave them a hug. It was so special! (With lots of happy tears!)

But anyway, just picture all of us around a table like this, ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the wonderful Christmas desserts everyone has brought to share! Help us picture these desserts (and help us make them on our own!) by sharing your recipe, and you'll get 3 extra entries in today's drawing for Love Finds You Under the Mistletoe!

Dig in!

Fall Friday (Recipes and Giveaways!)

Good ol' fall with its good ol' food! Not just candy, but a whole harvest of apples, pumpkins, and other treats! I'm so thankful we have all sorts of food to enjoy, even if I am a rather picky eater.

The poll I had up this week was just to give you a "taste" of what was to come. For those of you who are curious about the final results of the poll, here they are:

• Roasted pumpkin seeds (2--16%)
• Caramel apples (5--41%)
• Candy Corn (2--16%)
• Pumpkin pie (3--25%)

There were 12 votes total, and the winner was caramel apples! My roomie was disappointed that pumpkin pie was not the favorite, but either way it was fun to get your input! I love apples and apple cider, and if I was more of a fan of caramel, I'm sure I'd agree with ya'll, too. ;)

Anyway, I'm excited to announce an exciting fall giveaway today! Last spring I gave away a Walmart gift card during "Food Week," with extra entries given for those who shared recipes. It was so fun to do a sort of recipe exchange then, and I think it would be great now to do a fall-themed recipe exchange (especially now that I have more followers, which hopefully means more recipes!).

This time there will be two winners!!! The giveaway is for Love Finds You in Victory Heights, Washington or The Vigilante's Bride. Both are my gently used copies of the books. Click HERE to read my review of the former, and click HERE to read my review of the latter.


Here are the rules for the giveaway:

• You must leave a comment which includes your e-mail address and a fall recipe.
  
• You must have a U.S. or Canadian mailing address.
• Also, please let me know which book you want to win! (Pick only one, please!)
• The giveaway will be open though Wednesday, October 20. Winners will be announced on Thursday, October 21.

As a college student who eats her meals at the cafeteria most of the time, I'm looking forward to talking about recipes and home-cooked food! The cafeteria here isn't bad at all, but with Thanksgiving approaching, a home-cooked meal sounds delightful. I'd love to hear any fall food stories you would like to share, as well!

Help yourself to some of my store-bought candy corn as you search for a recipe. ;)

P.S. I have a plentiful TBR stack, so in order to cut back I'll offer my copy of Out on a Limb by Rachelle McCalla (a "Love Inspired Suspense" book) to the first person who can correctly guess what my vote would have been on this week's poll!

(Just to clarify, it's really hard to keep the "Love Inspired" books in pristine condition, so even though I didn't even read that much of the book, it's not in perfect condition anymore. I blame it mostly on those silly price stickers that don't want to come off nice and neat! But hey, it's a free book, right?) ;)

So don't wait any longer--dig into the giveaway feast!

My Day at the Fair

Original title, I know. ;) Doesn't it sound like I'm writing a report for a third-grade class? But I hope you don't mind joining me anyway on my fabulous day at the Humboldt County Fair!

My dear friend, Elena, joined my mom, sister, and me for a fun afternoon and evening at the fair. The first task on our list was to see how our various entries fared. My mom and I got second place stickers on our poems, and my sister got second and third place stickers on her artwork and photograph, I believe (as well as some stickers for several poems). But what really excited us was the special award ribbon my sister received for one of her poems! How exciting! Of course, my sister was especially excited about the $35 cash award that came along with it. ;)

Next on our task list was finding a bunny. Yes, my sister is getting a bunny for her 13th birthday! We'll be picking up the bunny from the fair on Sunday, my sister's actual birthday. The picture on the right is of our new (most likely) soon-to-be member of the family: Candy. (My sister chose the name.) Isn't she sweet? She's a Holland Lop, if I'm not mistaken. My sister is quite delighted, which is no surprise!

Following the two activities above, we all got caricatures of ourselves (me with Elena, and my mom with my sister). The man who drew them was really nice, and we had fun chatting with him while he worked!

The rest of the time was a blur of food, rides, food, games, and (did I mention this already?) food! ;) Elena and I shared a funnel cake covered in powder sugar early on. After all the talk on this blog about funnel cakes, how could I not get one? And believe me, it was GOOD! Dinner for me consisted of a "beef stick" and curly fries, topped off with a frozen peach lemonade. And for dessert: cotton candy! Oh, yes, I was stuffing my face with great pleasure, and I loved every bite! Yum, yum, yum!

And the rides? Oh, so much fun! Elena and I felt like little girls again, running around like crazy, shouting with glee, and taking in the thrill of it all! The picture to the left is of the three of us (my sister, Elena, and me) on one of my favorite rides: the Yo Yo. I loved spreading my arms out wide and feeling the rush of the wind. It made me think of standing on the bow of a ship, like on Titanic. I loved that sense of adventure and excitement as I was flying through the air on a swing!

This next picture is not flattering in the least (with my eyes all squinted like that!), but I decided to share it with you because I think it gives you a glimpse of how much fun we were having. The bumper cars were great, and between that and the other rides, I was laughing a ton!

There's nothing quite like a day at the fair when you're with those you love. We had such a fantastic time, and I'm so thankful for my mom, my sister, and Elena. God blessed me so much by letting us be a part of each other's lives!

It has been so much fun celebrating the county fair with all of you this week, and I'm so thankful for your friendship! I hope this post might have brought a smile to your face, and I hope it might serve to remind us all of the blessing we have in our family and friends! How great it is to be able to reach out to one another--even simply making each other laugh!

On a side note, as I'm writing this, I can smell the kettle corn that I purchased today. Yes, as an encouragement to any possible last-minute contest entrants, I picked up a bag of kettle corn to include in the prize package. I'm also adding a cute, purple stuffed monkey I got at one of the games to the deal! Thank you to all those who have already entered! =) Be sure and check out the comments section of the contest post to read the latest entries!

(Thank you, Mom, for the pictures and for the great memories at the fair this year!)

My Adventures in Nevada

What a vacation this has been! My family and I have been keeping busy, going on adventure after adventure. I will attempt to chronicle some of these adventures for you. I hope you enjoy the pictures and stories, and may they inspire you to live your own adventure!

Nevada is a very dry state. On our way to Virginia City last Sunday, we saw a fire in the hills to the side of the road. (This could have either been in Eastern California or Nevada.) Actually, I should say that we saw smoke, because I didn't really see any flames. As shown by this helicopter, help was there to put out the fire, and I'm so glad! It's astounding how fast disaster can strike--we just never know what's going to happen from day to day. But God knows, and there is great comfort in that fact! We shouldn't let what's unknown to us keep us from living our lives to the full for the Lord.

Our first full day of our trip, we headed out to Fallon Naval Air Station, where we looked through the outdoor "museum" of military aircraft. It was incredible to see all of those planes, ranging from the United States' aircraft to Russian aircraft. And hearing my dad's stories and the facts that he knew about those planes was really neat. My dad's whole life has been quite the adventure!

After Fallon, we went to Grimes Point, where we walked for a little while along a trail of rocks with Native American petroglyphs. While the sights on the ground were intriguing, it was the sights in the air that really grabbed our attention. There was quite a storm heading towards us from both directions, it seemed! We saw lightning, heard thunder in the distance, and felt the rush of the wind. It sure added to the mysterious effect of the place, though!

And of course I had to share a picture of one of our favorite signs! Every time we went by this place, we had to say loudly, "Chocolate!" We stopped at this candy shop twice, which is located between Carson City and Virginia City. From sponge candy to taffy--this place had a great selection! Yummy!

Our second full day here, we got a tour of an archaeological dig up on Mount Davidson, above the town of Virginia City. The picture on the left shows some of the places where they had been digging, layer by layer, hoping to uncover artifacts from some of the Cornish miners who had lived up there during Virginia City's heyday. Everybody there was very patient and friendly! They wanted the public to be aware of what they were doing up there, in order to educate others. Isn't that a splendid idea?

Wednesday evening we went to a show, which you can read more about by clicking HERE. The show was called "Shake, Rattle & Roll," and what an exciting time that was! The picture on the right is of all of us (my mom, dad, sister, and me) sitting in anticipation for the show. My sister is holding a stuffed animal we had won at Circus Circus. Now that was an exciting time, too! My mom and I really got in a competitive mood for a while. We emerged victorious with several stuffed animals for my sister, including the one she really wanted. I call that successful! ;)

And I simply had to include a picture of the Red Hat Ladies I spoke of in the post linked to above. They were so cute, all dressed up and getting into the show! Everybody loves the "Oldies" music, right? (They're all sitting up near the front, so hopefully you can see their red and purple outfits in this picture!)

Thursday found us at Lake Tahoe, which is a really busy and crowded place! But the lake is beautiful, and so big! What a grand example of God's lovely creation. The water is very clear and very blue; it looks almost exotic in some places. We enjoyed just taking in the scenery, but we also enjoyed a little fun . . .

by playing miniature golf! There were three different courses at the place we went to, so of course we did the "Grizzly" course--the hardest one. ;) I confess that I didn't do so well, but at least it was entertaining! That's me to the left, getting ready to swing at the ball (and hope it would actually go in the hole eventually!). All of the courses were so cute, and the place was kept up nicely. Lots of fun for sure!

Today (Friday) we went on a train trip from Carson City to Virginia City (and then back again). Again, God's creation was a blessing to see as it went past the train window! And the history of these places--it's just amazing! This picture is one my daddy took of me as the train was rolling down the tracks. My dad was sitting behind me, and I confess it was getting a bit annoying to see a camera suddenly sneak into my view through the window, but oh, well. My dad got his picture!

While we were waiting in Virginia City, we saw the Wild West show (corny but cute) and we rode the TNT Stagelines for the third year in a row! We have so much fun with the stagecoach driver and his wife--they're very friendly and quite a hoot! ;) And what a ride! It's a thrill to sit in that stage and see the desert hills pass around you as you're being jostled and bounced like crazy! If you ever get a chance to ride the stagecoach, don't pass it up. Click HERE if you would like more information about the TNT Stagelines.

Now, we're still here for one more full day, much to my delight. But before I finish up this post, there's one more thing I have to share with you. The place we are staying is the Edith Palmer's Country Inn. The couple who owns it now is Pat and Leisa Findley. Leisa and her son have been feeding us breakfast everyday, and oh my goodness! These breakfasts have been fabulous!!! Take a look at the following pictures to see what I mean:




And Leisa (pictured with us above) has been so nice in answering our questions and taking the time to share some of the Inn's history with us. She's so sweet, and just sitting and talking with her on the beautiful patio area near the building we're staying in has been more than wonderful. I highly recommend this place!

Overall, our adventures have been fantastic! And reading A Hopeful Heart this week was great timing. (If you'd like to read my review of this great book, click HERE.) It's wonderful to have the reminder that God has a plan for our lives and that He is working for our best throughout time and history. I love the saying that history is "His story" because it is so true! God is in control, and He has written His story for each of our lives. Learning about the past helps us remember how God has worked to bring about the present, and it gives us comfort to know He will work these present times into a hopeful and known future.

Thanks for joining me on my adventures!

Christmas in July: Day Three

Today is my 100th post! Thank you to my wonderful family for their support and to you--my dear blogging friends--for making my blogging experience marvelous so far! If it is the Lord's will, may the next hundred (or more!) posts be an encouragement to you as we continue on through these "Seasons of Humility."

Now we didn't exactly make it to 50 followers before today, but that's alright! If you stick with me through the rest of this post, I'll have a special giveaway for this special occasion anyway! =)

The picture above is actually a New Year's picture, but we keep the Christmas decorations up for a while after Christmas at our home! Today's Christmas tradition topic is . . . food!

What better way to celebrate this blog's 100th post than talking about food? And isn't Christmas a grand time for food? My mom makes fudge around Christmas-time, which is absolutely delicious! I just love chocolate desserts! (I must get that from my mom!)

And then there's Christmas Eve dinner. Last year we went out to dinner at this beautiful restaurant called The Sunset. It has a gorgeous view, and a lovely interior (pictured at right). No matter where you are, if family and good food are involved, it's sure to be a wonderful time! And Christmas dinner is always a festive affair! I love eating a fantastic home-cooked meal as everyone is gathered around the dining room table. Do you go out to dinner on either Christmas or Christmas Eve, or do you have both meals at home? And do you have a traditional main course for either of the meals? For instance, we usually have ham for Christmas dinner. Yum!

I would love to hear about your favorite Christmas foods and/or Christmas memories having to do with food! And if you leave a comment with your e-mail address, you will be entered in a drawing for the book pictured at left. It's a dessert cookbook from Nestle Toll House! From cookies, to cakes, to chocolate mousse, to fudge . . . it's all in here! (Giveaway is for U.S. residents only. I apologize to my international friends!)

Click HERE to see this recipe book on Amazon.com. Winner will be announced on Saturday, July 24. Thank you all again for making my first 100 posts so fun!

Birthday Story Bash: Day 1

Welcome to the first day of my Birthday Story Bash! To give you an idea of what the next few days will be like, each day will have its own theme based off of one (or more) of the Toy Story characters. Going along with the theme, there will be a guest interview; movie, book, and song-of-the-day selections; and a giveaway!

Today's characters are Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head! Thus, the theme will be . . . food! (No, we won't talk about eating potatoes; and yes, I do like having food themes on my blog, as some of my "long-time" followers know!)

Our guest today is author Cerella Sechrist! Please join me in giving her a warm welcome!

Amber: Who is your favorite Toy Story character (this can be from the first or second movie)?

Cerella: I adore Rex the dinosaur. Despite his insecurities and paranoia, he's always willing to help his friends. =)

Amber: What is one of your favorite stories (ie: book, movie, family history, etc.)? Anything goes!

Cerella: Growing up, I loved the Berenstain Bears as well as Dr. Seuss. In particular, I'd always ask my mom to read about Seuss's Yertle the Turtle, king of the pond. It helped that she always did a variety of character voices. Story time was so entertaining at my house.

Amber: If you were in one of the Toy Story movies, which toy would you want to be?

Cerella: I think I'm gonna go with Tour Guide Barbie. I like the idea of driving a car and showing the other toys around. And she's so perky/pleasant. Now, if they had featured Strawberry Shortcake in the movie, I might change my answer... =D

Amber: You and strawberries! ;) Can't say that I blame you, though!

Cerella: All this toy talk is making me nostalgic for my childhood! I might have to go dig out some old stuffed animals to console myself. ;) Happy Toy Story week!

Thanks so much for joining us today, Cerella! I am honored to be able to host you here once again!

Readers, you can find my previous interview with Cerella HERE. And you can find Cerella at her website or her blog. She's a very sweet and very fun person (as well as a great author!), so be sure to drop by her blog and say hi!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now for the selections of the day:

• Movie of the day: No Reservations
  
• Book of the day: Love Finds You in Hershey, Pennsylvania by Cerella Sechrist
  
• Song of the day: Dental Care by Owl City (After watching and reading about food, you'll want to go out and eat some! But just be sure to take good care of your teeth!)

Here's a video of the song that I found on YouTube:


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And now for the giveaway! Cerella has generously agreed to give away a copy of her book, Love Finds You in Hershey, Pennsylvania. But not just any copy--Cerella said I can tell you that this copy will be "autographed - personalized to the winner (I'll inscribe their name with a brief message)"! Isn't that great? =)

To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment on this post letting me know you want to be entered. You must have a U.S. mailing address and you must leave your e-mail address in your comment.

I highly recommend this book! (To read my review of Love Finds You in Hershey, Pennsylvania, click HERE.)

Note: I also recommend that you watch Toy Story and Toy Story 2 in preparation for the release of Toy Story 3 in theaters June 18!

(Toy Story picture is from the Pixar website.)

Food Flashback: Author Interview with Cerella Sechrist!

And now the moment you've all been waiting for! Drumroll please . . .

Welcome Cerella Sechrist!

1. Amber: Did you get to do a lot of research in Hershey? And did you get to go to the theme park? If so, could you give us some fun details from your experiences?

Cerella: I did get to take several day trips to Hershey, mostly to immerse myself in the town and its surroundings and get a feel for what it would be like to live there. I spent time with friends who live in the town, but I also did the tourist thing and visited museums, Chocolate World and the like.

I grew up less than an hour’s drive from Hershey so it was already a town I’m somewhat familiar with. I haven’t been to HersheyPark since I was a kid, though! I have a fear of roller coasters, ever since the time I nearly fell out of a flume ride as a teenager. LOL

Instead, I toured things like the Hershey Gardens (which are absolutely stunning, and I highly recommend them for gardeners, flower lovers or anyone who loves to stroll through enchanted places); the antique auto museum; Chocolate World (a must!); the Hershey Story Museum (which is a fascinating look into all things Hershey); etc.

The thing I love best about Hershey is there is so MUCH to do there. It’s a small town, but it’s packed with stuff, above and beyond just the chocolate and the amusement park. It truly is one sweet place.

2. Amber: Do you enjoy cooking like your main character, Sadie? And what is your favorite dessert (or at least one of your favorites—I know I couldn’t pick just one!)?

Cerella: While I’m not chef material like Sadie is, I do love cooking! I’m a foodie, so I love anything that has to do with food – I think it’s an art form in its own right. My niche in cooking is one I learned from my mom – I’m pretty good at taking whatever’s in the cupboard and creating something tasty, without having to do an extra grocery store run for missing ingredients. I’m good at filling in the blanks or making it up with what’s on hand. I was staying at my sister’s the other week and decided to make a pie by just pulling whatever she had around the house. In the end, we DID have to run out to the grocery store to buy some vanilla ice cream to go with it, though. LOL

Favorite dessert is a tough one! Because you’re right – how do you pick just one?!? So I’ll just narrow it down to TYPE of dessert. For me, that would be CAKE. And you can keep it simple. Basic vanilla cake with chocolate icing. Or lemon cake with buttercream frosting. Or strawberry cake with vanilla icing.

I’m not choosy. But cake RULES.
Otherwise, you can just give me a bag of Smarties, and I’ll be content.

3. Amber: What was your inspiration for the story—the spark that set the story in motion?

Cerella: For years, I was writing historical fiction but had no luck getting any of my novels published. I finally decided to try something completely different – take myself out of that zone and into a new one. So I decided to write a modern-day romantic comedy, which was as far from a historical drama as I could get. Once I had the genre, I asked myself what kind of story I would like as a reader. Given my love of food, a story about a chef stirred my interest. I loved the idea of writing in that world because it was one I’d never gotten to consider while writing in the historical genre.

So once I decided to go for a romantic comedy with a food theme, I needed to consider conflict. It occurred to me that a chef who is good at everything except that ONE THING (like creating desserts) would make for an interesting and relatable character. Throw in more conflict by introducing a rival chef who is VERY talented at her Achilles heel and there you have it. Of course, there are a few more ingredients to the recipe – Sadie’s impish (and entertaining!) five-year-old daughter; her best friend, Jasper, who realizes he’s in love with her and the return of her ne’er-do-well father, seeking to make amends for the past.

I like a story with varied layers. =)

With the food/dessert theme in mind, it wasn’t hard to set my sights on Hershey as a setting, especially since it’s nearby, and I’m familiar with it, having grown up in the south-central PA area.

4. Amber: Could you share some of your future plans for your writing?

Cerella: Currently, I’m finishing up the plotting for a stand-alone novel – a historical again. I’m so excited to start writing it since it’s a revision of a book I wrote a few years ago, before I had turned to modern day tales.

In the meantime, my agent is shopping around a series about three sisters who are working at mending their broken relationships. It has a little bit of everything: mystery, relationships, romance, redemption, light touches of humor. I love writing about sibling relationships because there are a wealth of layers there – you can love your siblings so much, but they can wound you pretty deeply, too. It allows for some fascinating storylines.

5. Amber: Just for fun--What is your favorite show on Food Network (or any cooking movie/show) and why? (And have you seen the movie No Reservations? I think you’d love it!)

Cerella: This question is nearly as difficult as the dessert one!! There are so many food shows that I love. I adore Rachael Ray’s “30 Minute Meals”, I’m partial to Paula Deen, and I’m fascinated by Alton Brown’s “Good Eats”. I also like to tune into Andrew Zimmern’s “Bizarre Foods” on the Travel Channel. That man is fearless when it comes to food. I’ll watch just about anything on the Food Network. It’s one of my favorite channels.

I’ve definitely seen No Reservations – in fact, I just re-watched it a few weeks ago! I really enjoy the story and how it represents that you are not defined by just one thing. My favorite scene is where Kate (Catherine Zeta Jones) says to Nick (Aaron Eckhart) in regards to her career/cooking and the restaurant, “This place is my life. This is who I am.”

And he responds with, “No, it’s not who you are. It’s only one little part.”

That one resonated with me because it does echo some of the themes of Love Finds You in Hershey – that your ability or inability is not what defines your worth.

As for other foodie films, I absolutely loved Julie and Julia with Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. It was like Meryl Streep brought Julia Child back to life. I’m definitely a foodie fan of that one!

Because food, my friends, is a great unifier. ;)

Thanks so much, Amber, for giving me the opportunity to gush about food and my debut novel on your lovely blog! Readers can also check me out at my website (http://www.cerelladsechrist.com/), my blog (http://www.thecerellalife.com/) or join me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/thecerellalife)

Stay sweet!

Amber: Thank YOU, Cerella, for your wonderful responses! I appreciate your time, and I am thrilled to host you here at my blog! Also, a big thank you for inspiring "Food Week" on my blog--it was tons of fun!

Readers, if you would like to read my review of Love Finds You in Hershey, Pennsylvania, please go here: http://seasonsofhumility.blogspot.com/2010/04/my-review-of-love-finds-you-in-hershey.html.

Songs About Food

Who wouldn't want to sing about food? We sing about all of the things we love, like people, places, and memories. So it's only natural to add to that list something as delicious (or not so) as food, which helps us survive. There's plenty of different types of food to choose from, so I'm sure there are quite a few songs about food out there. Here's a video I found on YouTube with a food song I like from Owl City:



I was introduced to Owl City this year at college, and I'm really liking this artist's music. Hope you enjoy the song--it's kind of a different type of music, so it may not be for everyone. But I really like it, so I hope you do, too!

Well, how about you? Do you have any fun songs about food (or songs that at least mention food) that you would like to share with us?

Giveaway!

I'm giving away a $10 gift card to Walmart to one lucky person!

(The actual gift card I purchased has flowers on it, which is a lot prettier than the one pictured here!)

I thought a Walmart gift card would be appealing to everyone, and not only can it be used to buy food or cookware, but it can be used to fuel any appetite (even an appetite for reading).

Now, here's how you can enter:

• One entry can be gained by leaving a comment on this post about some food-related memory.
• Two more entries can be gained by following this blog (either becoming a new follower or letting me know you are already a follower).
• Three more entries can be gained by sharing a recipe with all of us in your comment!

Some additional rules:

• You must have a U.S. address.
• You must leave your e-mail address in your comment.

Entries will be accepted through Friday, May 7. A winner will be drawn on Saturday, May 8. Best of luck to you all!

Fave Food Network Shows

One of the most interesting shows to watch on Food Network (at least for me) is the "Food Network Challenge." Mostly, I LOVE seeing the amazing cakes that people can create (nothing like mine; just read my previous post!). Apparently there is a new host for this show (I haven't been watching much TV recently, so I'm a bit behind the times), so I'll have to check it out and see what I think now!

I also enjoy watching "Good Eats," the show hosted by Alton Brown. He is full of the most interesting and random bits of information, and he is so funny! He is a great TV show host, in my opinion (and I know at least one of my followers would agree--*cough* Ariel!).

Not only does he host "Good Eats," but Alton Brown also hosts "Iron Chef America." Another competition show, "Iron Chef America" is exciting to watch. I envy their amazing cooking abilities, of which I am sorely lacking!

And this summer marks the 6th season of "The Next Food Network Star," which is Food Network's version of reality TV. Only 40 days until the season premiere!

Now, I could go on and on about other food-related shows or movies, but I'm curious to hear what ya'll think (as Paula Deen might say!). What are your favorite food shows and/or movies?

And don't forget to come back soon to read an interview with author Cerella Sechrist, who will also share her response to this question!

(Note: Pictures and information about Food Network shows came from http://www.foodnetwork.com/.)

Food Week!

In celebration of my review of Love Finds You in Hershey, Pennsylvania and my upcoming author interview with Cerella Sechrist, I decided to deem this week "food week" on my blog! Here's a "taste" of what you can expect this week:

• Review of Love Finds You in Hershey, Pennsylvania (already posted earlier today!)


• Post about favorite Food Network shows/food movies


• Author interview with Cerella Sechrist (specific date for this is yet to be determined)


• Giveaway!


• Post about music/songs celebrating food

So please come back and visit often this week! Your comments and participation are what will make this week fun!

To get the fun started, I'll share my sad food story: Last semester I wanted to help bake a cake for my friend's birthday. But there weren't that many dishes left in the second floor kitchen, and I didn't realize my roommate had a one-time-use cake pan, so I thought I could bake the cake in a loaf pan. BAD IDEA! See the cheesecake pictured on the right? Thank you, Walmart, for saving the day!