Author Archives: Cecelia Dowdy

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Chocolate Splash Photo courtesy of Idea Go.

I want to wish all of my blog readers a Happy Valentine’s Day! What are you doing to celebrate? My husband and I are going out to dinner today.

I’ve been in a totally crappy mood over the last few weeks. I know I rarely vent on my blog, but I’m taking the liberty to do so today. Things are winding down and hopefully everything will be better soon. I’ve been stressed and tired and with the little bit of free time I’ve had, I’ve been trying to lose myself in my cookbook. Meaning, I’ve tried a few new recipes, trying to cheer myself up.

Since it’s Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d share a few chocolate recipes that I tried recently:

Chocolate Waffles

1/2 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, melted
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk

Directions
1 Stir cocoa and butter in bowl until smooth; stir in sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; add alternately with buttermilk to cocoa mixture.

2 Bake in waffle iron according to manufacturer’s directions. Carefully remove waffle from iron.
NOTE: Leftover waffles can be frozen; thaw in toaster on low heat.
Serve with maple syrup and butter. These were good, but, to tell you the truth, I enjoyed them about as much as regular/non-chocolate waffles.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

2 cups buttermilk baking mix (I used Bisquick)
1 cup milk (You might need more milk. I thought the pancakes were too thick when using just one cup)
2 eggs
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat an electric griddle or large skillet on medium heat.

Combine baking mix, milk and eggs. Add chocolate chips. Pour 2 tablespoons of batter onto hot griddle for each pancake. Flip when one side is done – you should see bubbles. Serve with butter and maple syrup.

Best Brownies

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

CREAMY BROWNIE FROSTING (recipe follows) Directions
1 Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 9-inch square baking pan.

2 Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in bowl. Add eggs; beat well with spoon. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually add to egg mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in nuts, if desired. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.

3 Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Prepare CREAMY BROWNIE FROSTING; spread over brownies. Cut into squares. About 16 brownies.

CREAMY BROWNIE FROSTING

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
3 tablespoons HERSHEY’S Cocoa
1 tablespoon light corn syrup or honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Beat butter, cocoa, corn syrup and vanilla in small bowl until blended. Add powdered sugar and milk; beat to spreading consistency. About 1 cup frosting.

I made these brownies without the frosting and they were still good! I was too lazy to make the frosting. We enjoyed these last Sunday while we were watching the Superbowl. Also, I used cashews for my nuts. Very tasty brownies. Maybe I’ll try them again with the frosting soon.

I made my lasagna recipe last weekend with the following change: I made my own sauce. Due to high blood pressure, I’m trying to watch my salt intake and most of the pre-made sauces have a high sodium content. To make my own sauce, I used four small cans of low-salt tomato sauce and one can of tomatoes. I poured that into a pot and added a chopped onion, a whole bulb of chopped garlic, and A LOT of Italian seasoning and oregano. I also added a little bit of sugar and some SEA SALT. I let it simmer for a few hours. It smelled heavenly while it was simmering on the stove! When the onions were soft and done, I completed the recipe as I stated in the link, substituting my homemade sauce for the pre-prepared sauce. It was so good! My husband thought the version made with the homemade sauce tasted better than the jarred sauce version! Yummy! We enjoyed this last weekend while watching the Superbowl, too!

If you try any of these recipes, let me know how they turn out!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

BOOK GIVEAWAY – FOLLOW THE RULES TO ENTER

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This giveaway is over! Winner is listed here!







I’m hosting another book giveaway! ONE winner will receive the titles listed above. IF YOU WANT TO ENTER THE DRAWING YOU MUST DO TWO THINGS:

#1. You must join my mailing list! You can join my mailing list here:

If you’re already on my email list, then you can skip step one.

#2. You must comment on this blog post to enter and LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN YOUR BLOG POST – IF YOU DON’T LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN YOUR BLOG POST, THEN YOU WON’T BE ENTERED INTO THE CONTEST! I need an email address so that I can contact you if you win!

I’ll be drawing the winner within the next few weeks or so! 🙂

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Vanilla Pound Cake

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This recipe is a nice variation of my favorite Lemon Pound Cake. You use only vanilla instead of lemon. It’s sweet, moist, buttery and oh-so-good! 🙂

Vanilla Pound Cake

1 ½ cups butter (3 sticks)
3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup evaporated milk

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 10-inch tube pan. Beat butter in large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add sugar ½ cup at a time, creaming well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Stir thoroughly after each addition. Pour into prepared pan. Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 70 to 80 minutes. If cake is not done after 70-80 minutes, bake longer, until wooden pick comes out clean. Cool for 20 minutes; remove from pan.

Enjoy! 🙂

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Introducing Author Rose McCauley! :-)

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Rose McCauley was one of my critique partners several years ago! Our group was struggling to get that elusive publishing contract! Well, last September, Rose received a nice surprise at ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) Conference! She received her very first book contract from Barbour for a Christmas novella! I received an email from Rose yesterday, telling me about her updated website and she’s also received her book cover! Isn’t it pretty?

Visit Rose’s website and her blog! Leave her a comment and congratulate her on her recent success! I especially like her tag line: Stories from small towns with huge hearts. I know it’s a bit into the future, but, when Autumn comes, if you see Rose’s book in Walmart or the bookstore, pick up a copy for yourself or give as a gift to a friend or family member! I look forward to reading her Christmas story! I’m sure it’s wonderful!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Basic Burgers

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I made the best hamburgers the other day! I used an extremely simple recipe in my Southern Living Cookbook. The only alterations that I used were:

1. I used ground turkey instead of ground beef.
2. I used canned/store-bought Italian breadcrumbs instead of homemade bread crumbs.

I’ll admit, I’ve never used Greek seasoning before, and I had to go to the store to buy some to make these hamburgers! But, they were excellent! I pan-fried them, but we’ll probably make them again this summer to fry on the grill!

Basic Burgers

Ingredients
1 pound ground chuck (I used ground turkey.)
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 cup soft breadcrumbs (homemade) (I used store-bought Italian breadcrumbs.)
1 tablespoon grated onion
1/2 teaspoon all-purpose Greek seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt (I used sea salt)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
4 hamburger buns
Preparation
Combine first 8 ingredients, blending well. Shape into 4 patties. Grill, uncovered, over medium coals (300° to 350°) 15 minutes or until done, turning once. Serve on buns.

For broiling: Place patties on broiler pan; broil 3 inches from heat about 10 minutes or until done, turing once.

For panfrying: Heat a heavy skillet until hot. Add patties, and cook over medium heat about 8 minutes or until done, turning once.

I served the burgers on toasted hamburger buns. I slapped some mayonnaise and ketchup on the burgers and topped with lettuce and tomato. Add a slice of American cheese if you wish. We had sea-salt potato chips with our burgers.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Fatal Judgment By Irene Hannon

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Fatal Judgment by Irene Hannon
From the Back Cover
U.S. Marshal Jake Taylor has seen plenty of action during his years in law enforcement. But he’d rather go back to Iraq than face his next assignment: protection detail for federal judge Liz Michaels. His feelings toward the coldhearted workaholic haven’t warmed in the five years since she drove her husband–and Jake’s best friend–to despair . . . and possible suicide.

As the danger mounts and Jake gets to know Liz better, he’s forced to revise his opinion of her. And when it becomes clear that an unknown enemy may want her dead, the stakes are raised. Because now both her life–and his heart–are in danger.

Full of suspense and romance, Fatal Judgment is a thrilling story that will keep you turning the pages late into the night.
==
Federal Judge Liz Michael’s life has taken a strong blow. Her sister, who was temporarily staying with her, has been murdered and Marshal Jake Taylor is assigned to protect Liz – what if her life is in danger, too? At first, Liz doesn’t think her life is in danger, after all, Liz’s sister, Stephanie, was hiding at Liz’s, trying to heal emotionally and physically from the abuse that her husband has inflicted upon her. She’s pregnant, and she didn’t want her abusive husband to hurt their unborn baby. When she’s shockingly murdered, Liz thinks the abusive husband has shot her sister.

However, Stephanie’s husband’s grief seems too raw, and too real. The marshalls conclude that Stephanie’s husband can’t be the one who shot her…that’s when they begin to assume the shooter shot the wrong woman – Liz may have been his intended target.

Throughout this story, both Liz and Jake’s faith is tested as Liz is taken into seclusion for her own safety. Jake finds himself smitten with Liz. Liz was his deceased college roommate’s wife, and Jake thought she was a cold, unfeeling workaholic, after awhile Jake finds that he’s been getting the wrong information about Liz.

Meanwhile, Jake has his own grief. He’s still struggling with the guilt he harbors for his wife’s death. He holds himself responsible and hasn’t forgiven himself for her tragic accident.

While a lunatic plots to kill Liz, both Jake and Liz grow closer as Jake hopes not to fail in this assignment.

This book was a real page-turner and I highly recommend it for those who enjoy good, romantic suspense. I was up late into the night reading this novel, and it’s rare for me to stay up past my bedtime reading a book nowadays! You really feel for the characters – and the way the villian was portrayed was haunting – he could’ve been your next door neighbor and you wouldn’t have suspected he was plotting to kill. Overall, a very good read.

Many thanks to Baker/Revell for providing me with a free review copy.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Never Been Kissed By Melody Carlson

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Never Been Kissed by Melody Carlson

From the Back Cover
New School = New Chance for That First Kiss
Summer is ending, and for once that doesn’t seem like such a bad thing to Elise. She’s hoping that starting fresh at a new high school will turn her first-kiss prospects around. New guys, new friends, and a new lease on life.

What she wasn’t counting on was all the new pressure–to hang with the right crowd, wear the right clothes, and date the right guy. Just when it seems she’s on top of the world, everything comes crashing down. Could one bad choice derail her future?

This book will be kind of nostalgic, reminding you how you felt when you were a young, insecure teenager. Elise has moved with her mother to a new town. When she meets the “in” crowd at school, sharing a lunch table with them, she feels that she’s on top of the world. Finally, it appears she’s being accepted. Wanting to elevate her feelings of self-worth, she lies to her young friend, who lives in her apartment building, telling the story about a fake boyfriend back at home and the booming social life that she used to have.

Now that she’s in a new school it appears that Asher, one of the most popular guys in the school, really likes her, however, his girlfriend keeps getting in the way, and Elise just wants them to break up so that she can be with him. When she starts receiving secret emails from Asher, telling of his true feelings, she hopes that things will work out between them.

However, things go awry when Elise is arresting for sexting. Stunned, she doesn’t know what to do. Her faith is tested as she comtemplates the worst.

I enjoyed this book. I think it should be recommended reading for all teenagers. I think they can learn a huge lesson from Elise’s experiences. Elise finds herself tried and almost convicted, barely giving her a chance to defend herself. The book also shows how seriously the law regards the crime of sexting. I think most young people may not be aware of the extreme nature of this offense, and by reading this book, it will make them more aware.

I highly recommend this book, especially if you have a teenager.

Many thanks to Baker/Revell for providing me with a free review copy.

~Cecelia Dowdy~