Category Archives: Holidays

Early Christmas Present!

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I don’t usually blog twice in one day, but I had to comment about the fact that when I got home from work (my job closed down at 3:00 today), and checked the mail, I discovered that I’d received my monthly shipment of novels from Heartsong Presents. I’m a member of the book club, and in the shipment received, my novel, Milk Money was enclosed. It’s been officially released to the bookclub members! So, if you’re a member of the Heartsong Presents bookclub, you should be receiving your monthly shipment soon (that is, if you haven’t received them already!) If you receive them today, like I did, you may want to consider reading my book over the holidays!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Do You Believe?

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Believe it or not, it’s a few days before Christmas, and I’m struggling with the Santa Claus issue. As a Christian, is it right to teach my child to believe in Santa Claus? I just don’t know. Santa Claus came to my three-year-old’s daycare this morning and gave the kids gifts. I took pictures. When I picked up my son at the end of the day, he was anxious to take his gift home and open it. He said, “I want to open the gift that Santa Claus gave me.”

As you might be able to tell, I’m not the most holiday-spirited person. I grew up not believing in Santa Claus, and I’ve never purchased a Christmas tree. My hubby and I usually exchange gifts with one another for Christmas, but, now that we have a child, Christmas celebrations may be taken up a notch or two! For the last few years, our child wasn’t really vocal about celebrating the holiday. However, this year, he notices the Christmas lights and he’ll say, “Mommy. Look at the lights! Are they out here because it’s Christmas!”

We don’t have a tree this year, but we’ve got lots of great Christmas cards decorating the mantle over our fireplace! Our son has never asked for a tree, but I feel that next year will be the year when we’ll buy him a Christmas tree.

I’ve purchased a ton of gifts for our son. I’ve been wrapping them while he’s in bed. I’ve hidden the gifts in the closet in my office. I’m not sure what I’ll say when he sees the pile of gifts at the appointed time. If he says, “Mommy, did Santa Claus bring the gifts?” What’ll I say…Yes?? or, No…??

I guess, as of right now, he’ll just awaken to the pile of presents, and I’ll say, “Open your gifts!” I won’t mention Santa unless he does, and then I’ll play it by ear, decide on what to say!

My question to readers is: What would you do if you were me?

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Tired!

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Man, am I tired! I went Christmas shopping for my three-year-old today! If you read this old blog entry, you know how much I HATE SHOPPING!

I hope he enjoys his gifts. We’re not going overboard too much, but felt we needed to have something to give to our child this holiday season!

Do any of your children have a long list of gifts? What did your children request for Christmas?


~Cecelia Dowdy~

Booksigning At Security Square Mall in Baltimore, MD

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I just signed up to participate in a Holiday event next week! Come on out to the center court of Security Square Mall
6901 Security Boulevard in Baltimore Maryland on Saturday, December 13, 2008 between 1pm – 5pm! There will be several Christian authors signing books and I’ll be signing both of my novels, MILK MONEY and JOHN’S QUEST. My books are only $3.00 each, so they’d make great stocking stuffers! There’s also a gospel choir competition going on at the same time! Come on out and enjoy some holiday music and buy some books!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Stocking Stuffer Idea!

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Need a cheap way to stuff your friends’ and family’s stockings? Well, I’m taking this opportunity to do a little shameless self promotion!

You can purchase John’s Quest for only $2.97 plus postage. And, get this, you can order up to 12 copies and still pay the same amount of postage.

If you’d like to purchase my novel for $2.97, but don’t want to purchase multiple copies, then you can choose other Heartsong novels for the same price! Again, it’s only $2.97 per Heartsong Presents novel, and you pay the same amount of postage if you order between one to twelve copies! What a deal! What a cheap and memorable way to fill the stockings of your loved ones!

If interested, just fill out this order form!

Or, call (800) 847- 8270 to place your order. If the line is busy, you can also fax the order form to Barbour at (740)922-5948.

I have several drawings that I need to draw names for, and I also will be posting my December Book Giveaway soon!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Happy Thanksgiving!

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We’re heading out of town tomorrow to Durham, North Carolina. I made the desserts for the holiday. I’m about to place the Lemon Pound Cake into the oven and I just removed the Sweet Potato Pies (I made two of them) from the oven. I’ve posted the Lemon Pound Cake recipe before, but thought I’d repost it. I’ve also posted a recipe for Sweet Potato Pie. Since the internet connection is kind of spotty at my in-laws, I doubt I’ll be blogging until sometime this weekend. I realize I still need to do the Kingsbury children’s book giveaway as well as post my views about The Shack.

So, Happy Thanksgiving! If you need dessert ideas, try the ones posted in this blog entry! Enjoy, and stay blessed!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

SWEET POTATO PIE
1 (14 1/2 – ounce) can mashed sweet potatoes or 2 large baked sweet potatoes. (I prefer the baked sweet potatoes)
3/4 cup evaporated milk
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon butter or margarine melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
One refrigerated pie crust

If using baked sweet potatoes, remove potatoes from the skin and place into bowl. Mix all ingredients together, except for the pie crust. Pour into crust. Bake at 400 degrees for first ten minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 35 or more minutes until done.


OLD FASHIONED LEMON POUND CAKE

1 ½ cups butter (3 sticks)
3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (I don’t measure the lemon juice. I use the juice from one whole lemon.)
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind (I don’t measure the lemon rind. I use the rind from one lemon.)
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, lemon extract, juice and rind. 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.

GLAZE:
Sift one cup of confectioners’ sugar into a bowl. Squeeze juice of one lemon into a separate bowl. Remove seeds from the lemon juice. Mix lemon juice with confectioners’ sugar and drizzle over cooled cake.