#seashells #seashore #Chincoteague #novels #books #Christianfiction #Christianromance #inspirational #fiction #CeceliaDowdy #TheCandyBeachSeries #inspirationalfiction #church #worship

I hope all of you had a fantastic week!

I wanted to start this newsletter with some memories from my childhood. When we were at the beach last summer, I found a seashell. I picked it up and rinsed it off and kept it. When I did this, I recalled how I used to collect seashells when I was a kid. I had a shoe box with about seven or eight seashells. As you can tell, I didn’t have very many shells. At that time, I’d never been to the beach, so, am unclear as to where I had gotten the seashells. I believe some of them may have been purchased from a store?

Occasionally, I’d take out my gray shoebox and take the shells out, and just look at them. There was something about the shells that I found fascinating – but it was hard for me to say why I liked the shells so much. Well, in life, you learn that sometimes it takes time to find answers to questions – even questions about our own behaviors, likes, and dislikes.

While in Chincoteague last summer, I figured out that I loved my seashell collection because I loved the sea/beach! Do any of you remember that series, The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau? I enjoyed watching that show! Sea creatures can be so soothing, mesmerizing, and dangerous!

The first time I went to a beach, it was at a local place, Elk Neck State Park. I had a good time – but was somewhat disappointed that the beach didn’t look as pretty as I’d seen on TV. There were dead fish floating in the water and the beach was brown, no blue oceans or white sandy shores!

My love for the beach was reignited when I started traveling internationally. When I first took a boat out into the waters at Cancun, and saw all of those pretty fish swimming to the surface to eat breadcrumbs, I was overjoyed! It was so beautiful.
Although I love the beach, I don’t know how to swim! I might try and learn after I’m finished with graduate school!

Do you know how to swim? If so, how old were you when you learned?
My love for the beach was used as a springboard for The Candy Beach Series. In Rocky Road Dreams, Book 5 in the series, Kyle spends his Christmas on the Outer Banks. While there, he reconnects with his childhood friend Melanie. A snowstorm, a road trip and a mystery make this book a perfect read for Christmas, or, any time of the year!

Awhile ago, our son sent me this cool baseball cap. He’s been doing well at Towson. He doesn’t reach out to us very much. We’ve been calling him once a week – just to check in.

These cookies are so good!
They have a soft and chewy texture.You can add nuts and your favorite chips!
Ingredients:
1 box of brownie mix
2 eggs
1 stick of butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup of Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips (or whatever chips you prefer)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place the butter into a microwave-safe bowl. Melt the butter in the microwave.
When the butter has cooled, mix the butter, and the rest of the ingredients, in a large mixing bowl.
Scoop cookies onto a parchment-paper-lined cookie sheet; 12-15 cookies at a time; depending on the size of your cookie sheet.
Bake until done.
I have to bake mine for 12 minutes. But if you’re using a dark cookie pan, it will probably take less time. Makes about 28 cookies.
Enjoy!

#emptynest #emptynester #emptynesters #recipe #lasagna #lasagnarecipe #food #foodfor2 #freshherbs #tomatoes #book #books #Christianfiction

Empty Nesters!

I hope all of you have had a fantastic week!

In my last newsletter, I mentioned that our son had moved into his college dorm. Well, we’re still getting used to not having him with us.

We call him once a week to check in.

He never calls us.

Looks like he’s doing fine in college & doesn’t miss us.

He’s still marching with the band. Last week, Towson played against University of Maryland College Park (my alma mater). Towson lost.



University of Maryland is a few miles away from my house, but we opted not to go to the game. My husband had to work overtime that day and I had too much homework to do.

Lasagna for 2

Speaking of living in an empty nest, our grocery bill has decreased since our son has been gone. While here, he ate a lot of food. Now, we find that our leftovers last us a long time.

Since autumn is coming, in the mornings, there’s been a nip in the air. I wanted something warm and comforting for dinner.

I decided to make a pan of lasagna, but Chris suggested cutting the recipe in half.

Great suggestion!

I don’t use jarred sauce for my lasagna.

I take fresh tomatoes, garlic, onions, sugar, salt, pepper, fresh basil, fresh oregano, & red wine and cook it slowly for hours. I use this as the sauce for my lasagna.

It was so good! So rich and comforting!

I was too tired to make a salad – so we had sweet purple grapes with our meal.



In Rocky Road Dreams, Kyle is struggling with his life. An alcoholic, he’d learned to cope with his addiction by learning to cook. He loves making homemade lasagna and serving it with a nice bundle of sweet grapes on the side. Cooking brings him joy – and it was an untapped passion that was not discovered until he’d gone through therapy.



𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐊𝐲𝐥𝐞’𝐬 𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲!

Email me if you would like to purchase an autographed paperback of Rocky Road Dreams!

𝐒𝐨, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝?

Lasagna for 2 Recipe

1 or 2 pounds of ground beef

1/2 box of uncoooked lasagna noodles

1/2 container of ricotta cheese

1 egg

fresh oregano and basil

1/4 teaspoon salt (more to taste)

1 large bag of shredded mozzarella cheese

Sauce:

6-7 roma tomatoes

a few splashes of red wine

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 bunch of fresh basil, chopped (I cut mine with scissors)

A few sprigs of fresh oregano, chopped (Again, I use scissors)

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

1 tablespoon of sugar (may use more or less, depending on your preference)

1 small can of tomato paste

1-4 hot peppers, chopped, with seeds (optional). I used fresh jalapenos from my garden. If you don’t like spice, you can leave this out.

Dump all ingredients, except ground beef, into a large pot or dutch oven. Turn on the heat to high and stir the ingredients together. When the tomatoes start to sizzle, add more wine, put the lid on the pot, and turn the heat to low.

Let this cook for several hours. I believe mine cooked for four or five hours. You may sample while cooking, adding extra salt, pepper, etc. depending on what you like.

This sauce takes awhile, but it is so worth it! It tastes so much better than the jarred sauce.

You can also use this sauce for spaghetti, if you wish.

Once the sauce is done, brown the ground beef. Add the beef to the sauce.

Chop more fresh oregano & basil. Add oregano, basil, egg, and salt to ricotta cheese. Mix well.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Spray an 8×8 square pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Spread some sauce at the bottom of the pan.

Layer uncooked noodles on top of the sauce.

Layer ricotta cheese mixture on top of the noodles.

Layer mozzarella on top of the ricotta cheese mixture.

Repeat these layers.

The final layer might be noodles, sauce, then mozzarella cheese.

It’s okay if the layers are not exactly as stated above, just do what’s comfortable for you. It’s sometimes hard to get layers exact when using a small pan.

Cover with aluminum foil.

Cook at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

Sauce may bubble over into the stove!

After 45 minutes, remove foil and leave in the oven for an extra 10 minutes so that the cheese on the top layer can get brown.

Let the lasagna cool before serving.

Enjoy!

ROCKY ROAD DREAMS by CECELIA DOWDY

#Chincoteague #Assateague #Virginia #JamesAlone #shipwreck #vacation #beach #ceceliadowdy

Wow, what a busy couple of weeks it has been! Our son has officially moved into his dorm room! We’re officially empty nesters! Here are a few pics from his move-in day!

In my last newsletter, I’d mentioned that we were embarking on an amazing adventure! We went to Chincoteague Island for vacation! So much fun!

This little guy came looking for food!

We tried a glazed donut topped with bacon! Tasted strange! I prefer my bacon on the side!

I visited the Museum of Chincoteague Island.

While visiting the museum, I was mesmerized about the account of James Alone.

Over 200 years ago a Spanish ship was tossed amidst a raging storm off the coast of Assateague Island. The ship broke apart and 400+ soldiers, plus wives and children, perished. Before the ship broke apart, the mother of one of the children tied her boy to a wooden plank and tossed him into the ocean, desperately hoping that he would survive.

When the storm was over, the boy washed ashore. The boy spoke in a language unknown to the islanders. The islanders raised the boy as their own.

They named him James Alone.

When James was 20 years old, he officially changed his name to James Lunn. He chose that name because that was the name of the family who raised him.

James Lunn married twice and had kids and grandchildren. Many islanders can trace their lineage back to James Lunn.

This story resonates with me because I wonder how it feels not to know from where you came.

What I mean is, what is it like to not know your relatives, which might lead one to wonder about one’s roots.

James Alone never knew his mom. In spite of this he lived a life on the island and he embraced his new family.

In Rocky Road Dreams, Kyle is somewhat lost – he never knew his mom, and not knowing her – has left an unfilled hole in his life.

During his work hiatus, he longs to find out more about the mother who gave birth to both him and his twin brother.

Rocky Road Dreams is the story about a journey – a mysterious journey where Kyle finds out about his mother’s past, giving him insight into his current life.

I hope all of you have an amazing week!

So many of you have emailed me with your advice about my air conditioner. For those who can’t recall, the manufacturer would honor my warranty, although it was valid. Air conditioner is now fixed & warranty was honored! My son and I recently celebrated our birthdays! Mine was July 30th! His was July 31st! He’s 18! He even opened up his first bank account yesterday! In case you’re wondering about the names on the cake – Dawn is my middle name – and it’s what family & friends call me. CJ is what we call our son – short for Christopher Junior. This is CJ – right after he opened his bank account yesterday! We’re so proud of him! Birthdays are a time for reflection. I was thinking about how much our son has grown up. One of my favorite children’s songs popped into my mind. Make Me a Servant. This is my son when he was five years old, singing at his kindergarten graduation with his classmates. Hearing these sweet little voices makes me stop and think about Jesus. Speaking of Jesus and reflection, in Rocky Road Dreams, Kyle has to think about his life and about his faith. He knows he needs to rely on Jesus, but, he still struggles. I believe most of us can relate to struggling. Kyle has unanswered questions about his past – questions to which he seeks answers. His curiosity takes him on a journey – a journey in which he discovers more about himself – and his faith. Join Kyle as he delves into his childhood and uncovers secrets about his past! A Journey!Speaking of journeys – we’re about to go on an amazing adventure! Stay tuned!

keywords & hashtags: #teaparty, tea party, questions #questions

All of you have been on my mind recently. I realized that I don’t know a lot about folks who visit my blog.

I wanted to get to know all of you better.

Why? Well, I just thought it would be fun to get to know all of you better! I’ve always enjoyed meeting and interacting with new people, so, knowing more about you will help with interacting with you.

Do me a favor, would you?

Could you respond to these questions by leaving a comment?

What are your favorite movies & why?

If you had all the money to travel, where would you travel?

Favorite era in history?

What books are you reading right now?

Looking forward to seeing your responses.

Readers! Come and join me at this event in April! I’ll be signing most/all of my novels in paperback! Bring a friend! The more the merrier!

Greetings!

Agape Magazine recently interviewed me. Come and check it out! Tell your friends by sharing this blog post! Have a nice day!

Download these romance novels today for FREE! You must click on this link to access the titles! These titles aren’t necessarily FREE on Amazon. My novel, Loving Luke, is included in this deal! Spread the word by sharing this link with your friends!

ENJOY!

I’ll be at Cascades Library’s Eat Local Read Local festival Saturday, Oct. 15, selling and signing books! Bring the whole family and support the writers and artists in our community.

Facebook Event Page.