Tasty Tuesdays- No-Tomato Crockpot Chili from Catherine Castle

Tags

arthritis menu, Catherine Castle, entrée, food, nightshade-free recipe, No-Tomato Crockpot Chili, Tasty Tuesdays

Recently tomatoes have been cut from our diet. I love tomatoes and many of the recipes I cook are tomato based. Here’s the issue: tomatoes are part of the nightshade family, along with a few more of my favorite foods such as peppers and eggplants. In some people the nightshade plants make arthritis worse and eliminating nightshade foods can help keep arthritis at bay.  The problem comes when one family member loves tomatoes and the other one now has to avoid them.

There are very few, if any substitutes for tomatoes, so I’ve been on the hunt for ways to make my favorite dishes without tomatoes for the non-tomato eating half of our family, yet please the tomato-loving member. It’s been tough, especially with chili season upon us.

So, I set out to conquer the problem. Here’s one of the recipe I came up with: No-Tomato Crockpot Chili. I hope you’ll enjoy it. 

photo from the kitchen of Catherine Castle

No-Tomato Crockpot Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 can beefy mushroom soup (I used Campbell’s soup)
• ½ large onion, diced
• 2 cans of beans with the canned liquid. The bean liquids help make up for the loss of the volume of the tomatoes. You can use seasoned or unseasoned chili beans, black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, or lentils. Your choice and you can mix and match beans types.
• 1 small can diced chilies, if the non-tomato eater can eat them without issues
• One garlic clove, diced (optional)
• Chili powder to taste
• ¼ cup water, or less if you want a thicker chili
• Salsa, your heat preference for the tomato-eating family members
• Cheese for topping (optional)
• Spaghetti (optional)

Directions:

1. Break up ground beef in a large skillet and brown along with the diced onion and garlic.
2. Add beans and bean liquid, diced green chilies, soup and water to crock pot. Stir to mix well.
3. Drain beef mixture of fat and place in a crock pot. Stir to mix
4. Cook on high for 2 hours or until hot, or on low 4-6 hours or until hot.

At serving time, place spaghetti in bottom of bowl and add beef chili.  For those who can eat green chilies and tomatoes, top their bowls with ¼ to ½ cup of salsa and 1 teaspoon of green chilies to each cup of the beef-soup-based chili.  Stir lightly to combine.

While your chili is cooking settle into a comfy chair and check out Catherine’s multi-award-winning, inspirational romantic suspense book, The Nun and the Narc. It’s not your usual inspirational romantic suspense. Here’s what one reviewer said:

“You know that you aren’t supposed to laugh during a romantic suspense book, right?  And it’s a different kind of Inspirational Romance, too.  There were times in this book that I was rolling with laughter.  We needed the laughter considering that Maggie and Jed were dealing the Mexican drug cartel, trying not to get killed in the process and coming to terms with their faith and each other.  Oh and falling in love…

… Ms. Castle wrote some the most dramatic scenes that I’ve read in a while.  She could write an action/thriller movie with no problem.  I really felt like I was the fly on the wall and actually cringed, ducked and held my breath.  I will also say the James Bond references were spot on.  Jed Bond!  LOL!  Priceless and needed when you are dealing with the cartel.  Also, the humor that she writes helps with the tension and action sequences, too.

Don’t worry about the book being “preachy” or heavy handed.  Ms. Castle wrote a book that everyone can relate to in one way or another…” From Harlies Books.

The Nun and the Narc

By Catherine Castle

Where novice Sister Margaret Mary goes, trouble follows. When she barges into a drug deal the local Mexican drug lord captures her. To escape she must depend on undercover DEA agent Jed Bond. Jed’s attitude toward her is exasperating, but when she finds herself inexplicable attracted to him he becomes more dangerous than the men who have captured them, because he is making her doubt her decision to take her final vows. Escape back to the nunnery is imperative, but life at the convent, if she can still take her final vows, will never be the same.

Nuns shouldn’t look, talk, act, or kiss like Sister Margaret Mary O’Connor—at least that’s what Jed Bond thinks. She hampers his escape plans with her compulsiveness and compassion and in the process makes Jed question his own beliefs. After years of walling up his emotions in an attempt to become the best agent possible, Sister Margaret is crumbling Jed’s defenses and opening his heart. To lure her away from the church would be unforgivable—to lose her unbearable.

The Nun and the Narc is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble

About the Author:

Multi-award winning author Catherine Castle loves writing. Before beginning her career as a romance writer she worked part-time as a freelance writer. She has over 600 articles and photographs to her credit, under her real name, in the Christian and secular market. She also lays claim to over 300 internet articles written on a variety of subjects and several hundred poems. In addition to writing she loves reading, traveling, singing, theatre, quilting and gardening. She’s a passionate gardener whose garden won a “Best Hillside Garden” award from the local gardening club. She writes sweet and inspirational romances. You can find her award-winning Soul Mate books The Nun and the Narc and A Groom for Mama, on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Follow her on Twitter @AuthorCCastle, FB or her blog.

Tasty Tuesdays-Easy Popcorn Balls from Catherine Castle

Tags

Catherine Castle, food blog, National Popcorn Day, popcorn, popcorn balls, recipe, romantic comedy, Sweet romance, sweets. A Groom for Mama, Tasty Tuesdays

Today, January 19, is National Popcorn Day and I thought it would be fun to share my recipe for popcorn balls. Most popcorn balls are made using corn syrup, but in our family we adjusted the recipe since we weren’t keen on how the corn syrup stuck to our dental fillings, especially after a corn-syrup-based popcorn ball pulled out a loose filling.

Additionally, this popcorn recipe brings back memories. The day our daughter was born I had made popcorn balls to take to a Christmas party. Instead of making the party, we ended up in the delivery room. Hubby missed most of the party, but he had the popcorn balls in the car. So, when after her birth, instead of passing out cigars (which he wouldn’t have done since he doesn’t smoke), he passed out popcorn balls to the hospital staff.

This is a simple and fast recipe and was a staple at our house for a long time at Christmas. It’s good other times, too, and will make a sweet treat for National Popcorn Day. 

Ingredients:

¼ cup margarine

4 cups mini marshmallows

5 cups popped popcorn. Don’t use pre-bagged, pre-seasoned popcorn for this. Pop the whole kernel corn instead.

Directions:

1. Pop the corn as directed on the bag. Set aside each popped batch until you have 5 cups of popped corn and let it cool.
2. In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat.
3. Add marshmallows. Stir until melted.
4. Pour over the popcorn and stir well to mix.
5. Working quickly, with lightly greased hands and helpers if you can get them, form the popcorn and marshmallow mix into balls. Let balls cool completely.
6. Serve right away or store by wrapping each ball in a square of plastic wrap.

Serves: Who knows? It often depends on how much you, or your helpers, can resist eating as you roll them into balls.

While you’re waiting for the popcorn balls to cool, check out Catherine’s romantic comedy with a touch of drama, A Groom for Mama. There’s no popcorn in the book, but there are plenty of laughs.

A Groom for Mama

By Catherine Castle

Beverly Walters is dying, and before she goes she has one wish—to find a groom for her daughter. To get the deed done, Mama enlists the dating service of Jack Somerset, Allison’s former boyfriend.

The last thing corporate-climbing Allison wants is a husband. Furious with Mama’s meddling, and a bit more interested in Jack than she wants to admit, Allison agrees to the scheme as long as Mama promises to search for a cure for her terminal illness.

A cross-country trip from Nevada to Ohio ensues, with a string of disastrous dates along the way, as the trio hunts for treatment and A Groom for Mama.

Available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble

About the Author:

Multi-award winning author Catherine Castle loves writing. Before beginning her career as a romance writer she worked part-time as a freelance writer. She has over 600 articles and photographs to her credit, under her real name, in the Christian and secular market. She also lays claim to over 300 internet articles written on a variety of subjects and several hundred poems. In addition to writing she loves reading, traveling, singing, theatre, quilting and gardening. She’s a passionate gardener whose garden won a “Best Hillside Garden” award from the local gardening club. She writes sweet and inspirational romances. You can find her award-winning Soul Mate books The Nun and the Narc and A Groom for Mama, on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Follow her on Twitter @AuthorCCastle, FB or her blog.

Catherine’s Comment–A Winter Wonderland Table Setting from Catherine Castle

Tags

Catherine Castle, Catherine's Comments, clean romance, essay, Holiday table settings, inspirational romantic suspense, The Nun and the Narc, Winter wonderland

.

Christmas is over, but don’t put your Christmas village away just yet or those special winter themed dishes you may have lying around, like these adorable Norman Rockwell tumblers pictured below.

Instead, use these selected pieces to create a winter wonderland table setting and this charming centerpiece.

For this table setting you’ll need

• Your winter village accessories. I used my skating rink, the snow covered trees and bushes, and as many village figurines I could find that showed people playing in the snow. If you don’t have a skating rink, don’t worry. Just add some more of your snow covered village buildings to make up for the lack.  The point is to create a winter scene. And who doesn’t think a Christmas village isn’t wintery?
• Some cotton batting for the snow
•  A white tablecloth.
• 4 blue plates. I had 4 turquoise blue plates that looked great on the table. If you don’t have 4 colored plates, mix with white, or use all white plates against a blue tablecloth. The point is to make a striking contrast between the dishes and the tablecloth.
• Cute wintery napkins. I pulled some darling snowmen out of my stash.
• Clear bowls. I had some with snowflakes on them.
• 2 white candle in glass holders

• 

• 

Snowman napkin and snowflake bowl

Since I was using a smaller 48” diameter table, I set my skating rink at an angle to give more room for the village pieces.  If you have longer table you could spread the figurines out along the length of the table.

Honestly, the pictures I took did not do the table setting justice. It was so darned cute I wanted to leave it up all winter. But since that’s the table we eat at all the time, hubby would not have been happy.

snowman salt and pepper shakers

I hope you’ve enjoyed this Winter Wonderland table setting. If you don’t have a village, look at your Christmas decorations and see what you do have that represents winter. Some other options could include crocheted or plastic snowflakes, set on angles, in a snow bank of white cotton. Or maybe you have some snow-flocked small evergreen trees you could place in a cotton snowbank. Do you have a snowman collection? Use them. Let this setting inspire you.

Have a Happy New Year!

How about starting off your new year with a new read? Check out Catherine’s multi-award winning book The Nun and the Narc.

The Nun and the Narc

by Catherine Castle

Where novice Sister Margaret Mary goes, trouble follows. When she barges into a drug deal the local Mexican drug lord captures her. To escape she must depend on undercover DEA agent Jed Bond. Jed’s attitude toward her is exasperating, but when she finds herself inexplicable attracted to him he becomes more dangerous than the men who have captured them, because he is making her doubt her decision to take her final vows. Escape back to the nunnery is imperative, but life at the convent, if she can still take her final vows, will never be the same.

Nuns shouldn’t look, talk, act, or kiss like Sister Margaret Mary O’Connor—at least that’s what Jed Bond thinks. She hampers his escape plans with her compulsiveness and compassion and in the process makes Jed question his own beliefs. After years of walling up his emotions in an attempt to become the best agent possible, Sister Margaret is crumbling Jed’s defenses and opening his heart. To lure her away from the church would be unforgivable—to lose her unbearable.

About the Author:

Multi-award winning author Catherine Castle loves writing. Before beginning her career as a romance writer she worked part-time as a freelance writer. She has over 600 articles and photographs to her credit, under her real name, in the Christian and secular market. She also lays claim to over 300 internet articles written on a variety of subjects and several hundred poems. In addition to writing she loves reading, traveling, singing, theatre, quilting and gardening. She’s a passionate gardener whose garden won a “Best Hillside Garden” award from the local gardening club. She writes sweet and inspirational romances. You can find her award-winning Soul Mate books The Nun and the Narc and A Groom for Mama, on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Follow her on Twitter @AuthorCCastle, FB or her blog.

Tasty Tuesdays–Epiphany Frangipane Chocolate Spice Cake from Catherine Castle

Tags

A Groom for Mama, almond paste, Catherine Castle, Dessert, epiphany cake, food blog, King cake, recipe, Sweet romance, Tasty Tuesdays, three king's cake

Two years ago in late December, I discovered almond paste and went down a cake rabbit hole. My family celebrates Christmas on New Year’s Day most years, but that year we were celebrating after January 6, which is Epiphany. Epiphany is the traditional date the Wise Men visited the Christ Child, and to celebrate the event a special cake, with a plastic baby or bean hidden in the cake, is served. The Epiphany cake, often referred to as a King cake or the Three Kings cake, has many forms, flavors, and even many trinkets hidden in it. It is also a tradition in many countries, especially those with a Catholic background.

I’d never heard of a King cake, except in reference to Louisiana Mardi Gras celebrations. After some research, I decided to come up with my own version of an Epiphany King cake using almond paste. It took several tries to create something that showed off the frangipane I’d made from the almond paste. On my first attempt, using a yellow cake recipe, the frangipane melted into the cake batter and didn’t give me the definition I wanted.

So I began experimenting. I decided I’d make a chocolate spice cake with a frangipane layer. That worked. I’m calling it Epiphany Frangipane Chocolate Spice Cake. If you don’t want to make it an Epiphany cake, complete with trinkets, just call it Frangipane Chocolate Spice Cake

Here’s the recipe, just in time for you to make your own Epiphany cake for tomorrow’s celebration. So rush out to the store, get what you need and bake. Or just bake it any time you like and celebrate the Wise Men worshipping the Christ. There’s never a deadline on worship of Jesus.

Frangipane Chocolate Spice Cake

Ingredients:

Optional:

• 1 bean, or 1 plastic small baby figurine, or several small trinkets. Be sure to tell your guests these items are hidden in the cake!
• Chopped maraschino cherries or chopped candied fruit for decorating the cake. You can  add the chopped candied fruits to the baking pan before you add the batter, scattering them evenly around the pan, or you can reserve them and scatter them over the top of the bake cake adhering them to the cake with a bit of confectioner sugar glaze.

Cake ingredients:

1 cup shortening

2 ½ cups sifted cake flour

2 cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cloves

3 tablespoons cocoa

1 cup buttermilk, divided into ¾ cup and ¼ cup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 eggs, room temperature

Almond Cream Frangipane ingredients:

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

½ cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

¾ cup almond flour

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

Directions:

Make your frangipane first!

• Add all ingredients for the frangipane into a mixing bowl. Combine ingredients on medium, then on high until fully combined.
• Refrigerate frangipane until cake batter is ready.

Then make the cake batter:

• Combine sifted flour with spices and cocoa
• In another bowl, cream shortening until fluffy. Add 1 cup sugar and mix again, then add 1 cup flour and spices. Mix and beat until combined, adding ¾ cup buttermilk, ¼ cup at a time, as needed to make batter mixable.
• Add remaining flour and sugar and buttermilk until combined. Beat 2 minutes on medium speed. Keep batter scraped down from sides and bottom on bowl while beating.
• Add eggs and remaining ¼ cup of buttermilk. Beat 2 more minutes on medium.
• In a lightly buttered, easy-release Bundt pan, gently pour 2 cups of batter into cake pan, smoothing out until batter is level if necessary.
• Drop frangipane by teaspoonfuls onto batter, taking care to center in in batter. Or alternately you could pipe frangipane onto batter.

• Gently cover frangipane with 1 ½ cups batter, leveling out if necessary.
• Add another layer of frangipane in same manner as before.
• Cover with 1 ½ cups cake batter.
• Put upper rack in the lower third of oven. Preheat to 350 degrees.  Bake cake for 60-65 minutes or until wooded skewer inserted in cake comes out clean. Note: you will need a long skewer, not just a toothpick to test for doneness.
• Cool pan upright for 5-10 minutes. Invert onto a wire cooling rack, Cool cake completely on wire rack.

Note: You will have extra batter and frangipane with this recipe. To use remaining mixes, make cupcakes.

• Spoon 1/8 cup batter into a cupcake line
• Top with 1 teaspoon frangipane, centering it in batter
• Cover frangipane with another scant 1/8 cup batter. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in cupcake comes out clean.

I hope you’ll enjoy my cake. While it’s baking check out my romantic comedy with a touch a drama, A Groom for Mama. There’s cake in this book, too. Wedding cake.

A Groom for Mama

By Catherine Castle

Beverly Walters is dying, and before she goes she has one wish—to find a groom for her daughter. To get the deed done, Mama enlists the dating service of Jack Somerset, Allison’s former boyfriend.

The last thing corporate-climbing Allison wants is a husband. Furious with Mama’s meddling, and a bit more interested in Jack than she wants to admit, Allison agrees to the scheme as long as Mama promises to search for a cure for her terminal illness.

A cross-country trip from Nevada to Ohio ensues, with a string of disastrous dates along the way, as the trio hunts for treatment and A Groom For Mama.

A Groom for Mama is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

About the Author:

Multi-award winning author Catherine Castle loves writing. Before beginning her career as a romance writer she worked part-time as a freelance writer. She has over 600 articles and photographs to her credit, under her real name, in the Christian and secular market. She also lays claim to over 300 internet articles written on a variety of subjects and several hundred poems. In addition to writing she loves reading, traveling, singing, theatre, quilting and gardening. She’s a passionate gardener whose garden won a “Best Hillside Garden” award from the local gardening club. She writes sweet and inspirational romances. You can find her award-winning Soul Mate books The Nun and the Narc and A Groom for Mama, on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Follow her on Twitter @AuthorCCastle, FB or her blog.

Tasty Tuesdays–Salmon Patties from the kitchen of Catherine Castle

Tags

A Groom for Mama, Catherine Castle, entree, fish, food blog, recipe, Salmon patty, Tasty Tuesdays

After all the rich food of the Christmas season,  I thought it would be nice to share a homey meal of salmon patties with the readers today. This is my mother’s recipe, and quite frankly, I love it so much that I always put a few patties aside for breakfast. I even eat them cold. As kids, and when I could eat more carbs, these were served with white rice and gravy made from the oil and patty drippings left in the pan. Nowadays I choose a more carb friendly side.

I hope you’ll enjoy these salmon patties from the kitchen of Catherine Castle

Ingredients:

1 can 15 oz. can of pink salmon, drained. Bones and skin included in recipe

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup finely diced onion.

1 cup finely diced celery

1/4 cup yellow cornmeal. 

Directions:

Drain salmon, leaving bones and skin in bowl. Add eggs and veggies and mix well. Add cornmeal and mix well.

Heat 1-2 TB oil in skillet until it shimmers. Form patties using a 2-inch diameter spoon and fry in oil until golden brown on both sides. It may take 2 batches to cook all patties and you may need to add a bit more oil as patties cook. Keep patties warm in oven while 2nd batch cooks.

Makes 12 patties

After you’ve enjoyed these patties settle in with Catherine’s award-winning sweet romantic comedy with a touch of drama A Groom for Mama. As Allison travels the country in search of a husband she has a lot of dates that involve dinner. To see what she eats as she tries to find her person, check out the book on AMAZON  and Barnes and Noble.  Here’s a peek at the story’s blurb.

A Groom for Mama

By Catherine Castle

Beverly Walters is dying, and before she goes she has one wish—to find a groom for her daughter. To get the deed done, Mama enlists the dating service of Jack Somerset, Allison’s former boyfriend.

The last thing corporate-climbing Allison wants is a husband. Furious with Mama’s meddling, and a bit more interested in Jack than she wants to admit, Allison agrees to the scheme as long as Mama promises to search for a cure for her terminal illness.

A cross-country trip from Nevada to Ohio ensues, with a string of disastrous dates along the way, as the trio hunts for treatment and A Groom For Mama.

About the Author:

Multi-award winning author Catherine Castle loves writing. Before beginning her career as a romance writer she worked part-time as a freelance writer. She has over 600 articles and photographs to her credit, under her real name, in the Christian and secular market. She also lays claim to over 300 internet articles written on a variety of subjects and several hundred poems. In addition to writing she loves reading, traveling, singing, theatre, quilting and gardening. She’s a passionate gardener whose garden won a “Best Hillside Garden” award from the local gardening club. She writes sweet and inspirational romances. You can find her award-winning Soul Mate books The Nun and the Narc and A Groom for Mama, on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Follow her on Twitter @AuthorCCastle, FB or her blog.

Catherine’s Comments—Two Thanksgiving Table Settings from Catherine Castle

Tags

A Groom for Mama, Catherine Castle, Catherine's Comments, Holiday essay, Holiday table settings, Table decor, Thanksgiving decor, Turkey Table Decoration

A couple of weeks ago I posted four holiday table place settings using twenty mismatched dishes. Readers loved them and I received requests for more. So, just in time for Thanksgiving, I’m posting three place settings using the same dishes, but with some seasonal dishes, napkin rings, and different centerpieces. These items are another way to add pizazz to the table if you don’t have a whole set of seasonal dinnerware.

This time I chose white dishes because I wanted the centerpieces to shine. I added a tiny turkey dish to the mix, just big enough to hold some butter or a small roll.  When I found these in the grocery store a few years back, I couldn’t resist them. (Remember I said I had a dish fetish.) Even though they are a one-season item, they take up very little storage space. In my opinion they were well worth the cost for the seasonal zing they add to the table. If you have any Thanksgiving themed dishes you can add them to a single color palate and allow the seasonal dishes to shine in the place setting.

I also added my leaf napkin rings to the mix. And a fall colored tablecloth, since I didn’t have four fall placemats.

When looking for fabric tablecloths check both sides of the cloth. Sometimes, they are reversible, like the one I used. One side is a deeper, more vibrant colors the other side muted. By just flipping the tablecloth you can change the whole look of the table.

I’m calling the first two place settings below “It’s all about the Turkey” because the place setting and the centerpieces focus on the turkey.

The next place setting uses the same dishes, but I changed the turkey centerpiece. I filled a smaller turkey basket with buckeyes and placed a battery-operated candle on top of the buckeye nuts. . I like to use battery operated candles because they are safer and less messy than a wax candle. You could use acorns or marbles or any other material to raise your candle to the proper height, or just use a taller pillar candle. The important part here though is the turkey basket.  If you don’t have a turkey basket, but have other turkey décor, go ahead and use that in the centerpiece. Remember the theme is “It’s all about the Turkey.”  

The last setting, using the same dishes, has a pilgrim theme. In this setting I placed the buckeyes into a clear cylinder vase and placed a short battery operated votive candle on top of the nuts. I had this quirky set of pilgrim figurines I bought at a dollar store, so I set them on either side of the vase, back to back to both sides of the table could see them.  

If you don’t have pilgrim figurines, buckeyes or a clear cylinder vase, you, and the kiddos, could construct a pilgrim hat from black poster board. Make a hatband and buckle from colored construction paper and glue it to the hat. Leave the top of the hat open and fill with silk, fall leaves or short branches from brightly colored bushes from the yard. A piece of floral inside the hat will help hold the stems in place. Place battery-operated votive candles around the brim of the hat.

And there you have it. Three different table themes using the same dishes and different centerpieces.  If you liked these ideas, please sign up to follow the blog. I’ll be posting some Christmas table settings in December and other holiday settings throughout 2021.

Here’s wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving!

If you need a break from your holiday preparations, take a look at Catherine’s award-winning romantic comedy with a touch of drama, A Groom for Mama.

A Groom for Mama

By Catherine Castle

Beverly Walters is dying, and before she goes she has one wish—to find a groom for her daughter. To get the deed done, Mama enlists the dating service of Jack Somerset, Allison’s former boyfriend.

The last thing corporate-climbing Allison wants is a husband. Furious with Mama’s meddling, and a bit more interested in Jack than she wants to admit, Allison agrees to the scheme as long as Mama promises to search for a cure for her terminal illness.

A cross-country trip from Nevada to Ohio ensues, with a string of disastrous dates along the way, as the trio hunts for treatment and A Groom For Mama.

Available from Amazon.

About the Author:

Multi-award winning author Catherine Castle loves writing. Before beginning her career as a romance writer she worked part-time as a freelance writer. She has over 600 articles and photographs to her credit, under her real name, in the Christian and secular market. She also lays claim to over 300 internet articles written on a variety of subjects and several hundred poems. In addition to writing she loves reading, traveling, singing, theatre, quilting and gardening. She’s a passionate gardener whose garden won a “Best Hillside Garden” award from the local gardening club. She writes sweet and inspirational romances. You can find her award-winning Soul Mate books The Nun and the Narc and A Groom for Mama, on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Follow her on Twitter @AuthorCCastle, FB or her blog.

Catherine’s Comments–Cute, Easy Turkey Table Decoration from Catherine Castle

Tags

A Groom for Mama, Catherine Castle, Catherine's Comments, Craft, Turkey Table Decoration

Pear-Turkey table decoration/place card

Thanksgiving is on its way, and although you might not have the large family gathering of past, thanks to recent COVD spikes, there is no reason to neglect your table for two or just for your immediate family. I love the holidays, and I love to set a pretty table filled with special touches. I guess I’m a Martha Stewart wanna be at heart.

I also love to make things from greeting cards I’ve saved. So, I came up with this darling turkey to grace the Thanksgiving table. You can use several as centerpieces, set in a length of silk leaves, or add an extra feather to the turkey’s fan and make a place card holder. Either way, it’s an easy craft to enjoy with the kiddos, or by yourself, that will make your Thanksgiving table a little special.

MATERIALS:

• Greeting cards with a buy print on them on one side, and a solid color on the back. Or, two sets of greeting cards: one with a busy print and the other with a mostly solid color. If you don’t have a stash of old greeting cards on hand you can use colored , heavy stock craft paper o white cardboard stock and color in the feathers and turkey head.
• A small pear. I used a red Anjou pear because it fit inside the bowl I wanted to use as a base, but you could use a brown Barlett pear as well. Your feathers might have to be cut larger than the directions, though, if you use a larger pear.
• Flat-sided toothpicks. Round will work, but they tend to roll around and are harder to place in the center of the feather.
• Scissors
• Glue (I like rubber cement, but the paper crafters glue tape would work too or hot glue)
• Small bowl to use for the base to hold the turkey. If you don’t have a bowl, you can also cut a slice from the bottom of the pear so it will sit on a plate.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Select a greeting card with a busy pattern on one side and a color on the back side (if possible). If you don’t have a card with a colored back side, use a second card with a mostly solid color for the back side.

• Place the insides of the two greeting cards together. Mark the front of the greeting card into 1-inch wide strips and then mark each strip in half. Keeping the whole card together (If you are using both sides of the same card) cut the strips out. If you are using two fronts, then stack them printed sides out and cut into strips. Holding each set of strips together, cut out a feather shape from the bottom of the strip, then cut a second set of feathers from the top of the strip. Keep a firm grip on the cards as it’s important to make sure the paper doesn’t slide, so when you glue the feather halves together they will match evenly on the edges. Set the feathers aside, keeping each set together.

• Holding each set of feathers together, cut a shallow curve in the flat end of the feather.  This will allow the feather to seat nicely on the curve of the pear.

• Glue a toothpick onto the plain side of on the the feathers in your feather set, leaving ½ of the sharp end of the toothpick exposed. If your toothpick is too large for your feather size, break the toothpick in half. Spread glue on the remaining inside surface of the feather. Match the edges of the paper and press the edges of the feather together tightly.  Set the feathers aside until they are dry.

• From another card with a solid printed side, preferably a tan or light brown. If you don’t have the right color, you can use a white greeting card and color in the head A quick internet search will net you a turkey head graphic that you can easily copy. The easiest way to cut the head out is to fold the card or paper and place the top of the turkey’s head on the fold. Draw or trace your turkey head, and then cut it out. When you cut the head, keep it connected at the top for easier gluing. Color in the gobbler’s neck and beak and give him an eye. Don’t forget to color both sides of the head. Glue sides together in the same manner as the feathers, with a whole toothpick sandwiched between the sides. Set aside to dry.

•  When the feathers and head are dried, stick the exposed toothpick into the pear, arranging feathers on the pear in a fan shape, using as many feathers as you wish.

• Cut off the stem of the pear and insert the turkey head into the small end of the pear.

• To make the turkey into a place card, cut two feathers from a solid colored or white section of a greeting card. Write your guest’s name on the feather and glue together using a whole toothpick as instructed above.  Insert the feather in the center of the turkey’s fan. Set the turkey on a plate and watch your guests ooh and ahh.

What do you do with your old greeting cards? I’m always looking for new ideas.

While you’re waiting for your turkey feathers to dry check out Catherine’s award-winning romantic comedy A Groom for Mama.

A Groom for Mama

By Catherine Castle

Beverly Walters is dying, and before she goes she has one wish—to find a groom for her daughter. To get the deed done, Mama enlists the dating service of Jack Somerset, Allison’s former boyfriend.

The last thing corporate-climbing Allison wants is a husband. Furious with Mama’s meddling, and a bit more interested in Jack than she wants to admit, Allison agrees to the scheme as long as Mama promises to search for a cure for her terminal illness.

A cross-country trip from Nevada to Ohio ensues, with a string of disastrous dates along the way, as the trio hunts for treatment and A Groom For Mama.

About the Author:

Multi-award winning author Catherine Castle loves writing. Before beginning her career as a romance writer she worked part-time as a freelance writer. She has over 600 articles and photographs to her credit, under her real name, in the Christian and secular market. She also lays claim to over 300 internet articles written on a variety of subjects and several hundred poems. In addition to writing she loves reading, traveling, singing, theatre, quilting and gardening. She’s a passionate gardener whose garden won a “Best Hillside Garden” award from the local gardening club. She writes sweet and inspirational romances. You can find her award-winning Soul Mate books The Nun and the Narc and A Groom for Mama, on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Follow her on Twitter @AuthorCCastle, FB or her blog.

Catherine’s Comments–Age Doesn’t Matter by Catherine Castle

Tags

acheivements, Catherine Castle, Catherine's Comments, essay about life, inspirational romantic suspense, Sweet romance, The Nun and the Narc, writing success

I got a text from my daughter the other day. It read, “You’re kind of like Laura Ingalls Wilder. She didn’t get published until 65.”

I took a bit of umbrage to that statement, and pulled a bit of pride from it as well. I’d love to be an internationally well-known writer like Laura Ingalls Wilder, who was one of my favorite authors –as well as my daughter’s favorite author, now and when she was young. I wasn’t so crazy about the 65 bit, however. I was under 65 when my first book was published, and well under 65 in how-young-you-feel-and-look years. (And isn’t that what really counts?)

However, my daughter’s statement got me to thinking about how our accomplishments aren’t limited to age. I was actually in my early 40s when I began writing professionally as a stringer for our local town newspaper. I’d always loved to write and had filled a notebook full of poems, written dozens of short stories that never made it past the Mom-thinks-it’s-wonderful stage, and composed countless school essays that always made great marks. The writing assignments that other students groaned about, I relished. I loved everything about them, from the research, to the actual writing, and even the editing—things that serve me well now as a published author.

Writing and reading have always been my passions, along with singing and acting. As a teenager I wanted to be a rock-and-roll singer or act on stage. At the time, writing never even entered my realm of careers. It was only a hobby I loved. I never made it to the limelight of center stage, in spite of the many times I tried out for school plays or musicals. I got chorus parts, but never the starring roles.

Ahh, but never give up. There’s a time and a place for everything and, for some of us, that time comes later in life. Today, I’m a published author—both as a solo author and co-authoring with my husband. I sing onstage at church, praising the Lord who gave me my voice. I’m also co-writing plays for our church (with my husband), acting and co-directing in plays for our church. Granted, it’s not Hollywood, which I have decided I wouldn’t want to be part of now anyway. Nor am I on the New York Times Bestseller list, to which I still aspire. But I’m doing what I’ve always wanted to. I’ve discovered doing what you love, at any age, is satisfying beyond belief.

Here’s the interesting thing: Age doesn’t matter–just ask Abraham’s wife. After all, if he could give Sarah and Abraham a child in their old age, at just the right time to begin his plan of salvation for the world, who am I to question why my bit of success didn’t come when I was twenty? Knowing how everything turned out, I believe I’m right where God wants me to be, at the time of my life he wanted me to be there.

Mine is not to wonder why, but just to do and be satisfied. So, if you’re bemoaning the fact that you haven’t “made it” yet in the publishing world, or with any other goal you’ve set for yourself, don’t. Just keep working toward that goal and relish the success, no matter how big or small, whenever it comes.

Catherine achieved her goal of publication and also won several awards with her debut book, The Nun and the Narc. Check out the blurb and read a sample on Amazon.

The Nun and the Narc

By Catherine Castle

Where novice Sister Margaret Mary goes, trouble follows. When she barges into a drug deal the local Mexican drug lord captures her. To escape she must depend on undercover DEA agent Jed Bond. Jed’s attitude toward her is exasperating, but when she finds herself inexplicable attracted to him he becomes more dangerous than the men who have captured them, because he is making her doubt her decision to take her final vows. Escape back to the nunnery is imperative, but life at the convent, if she can still take her final vows, will never be the same.

Nuns shouldn’t look, talk, act, or kiss like Sister Margaret Mary O’Connor—at least that’s what Jed Bond thinks. She hampers his escape plans with her compulsiveness and compassion and in the process makes Jed question his own beliefs. After years of walling up his emotions in an attempt to become the best agent possible, Sister Margaret is crumbling Jed’s defenses and opening his heart. To lure her away from the church would be unforgivable—to lose her unbearable.

The Nun and the Narc is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble

About the Author:

Multi-award winning author Catherine Castle loves writing. Before beginning her career as a romance writer she worked part-time as a freelance writer. She has over 600 articles and photographs to her credit, under her real name, in the Christian and secular market. She also lays claim to over 300 internet articles written on a variety of subjects and several hundred poems. In addition to writing she loves reading, traveling, singing, theatre, quilting and gardening. She’s a passionate gardener whose garden won a “Best Hillside Garden” award from the local gardening club. She writes sweet and inspirational romances. You can find her award-winning Soul Mate books The Nun and the Narc and A Groom for Mama, on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Follow her on Twitter @AuthorCCastle, FB or her blog.

A Writer’s Garden–Garden Surprises of the Insect and Flower Variety by Catherine Castle

Tags

A Writer's Garden, Catherine Castle, GArden Surprises, Insect, The Nun and the Narc, tropical flower

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing.

Today’s post closes this year’s season of A Writer’s Garden blog series. I hope you’ve all enjoyed your visits and mini garden parties as you’ve virtually strolled through the gardens of 27 wonderful writers and gardeners. I know I’ve enjoyed the writers’ visits and we’ve all enjoyed sharing our garden joys, trials and surprises with our readers this year.

And speaking of surprises I thought I’d end the season with a few of the garden surprises I got this year—of the creature kind as well as plants.

To get the icky factor over for those gardeners who don’t like insects, I’ll start with them.

 I should have known this would be an unusual garden year when I pulled my garden shoes from their cubby in the laundry room. Thank goodness I looked inside the shoe because nestled on the black shoe liner I spied something brown and stick like. After I tromboned my arm a couple of times, so I could see what lay in the shoe, I discovered a dried out walking stick. Not of the variety one uses to support wobbly legs, either.

Unfortunately I didn’t have the foresight to snap a photo. I wasn’t in garden blog mode so early in the season. For those who haven’t seen a walking stick here’s what they look like.

courtesy of pixabay

The next garden adventure was encountered by my husband. I know I’ve mentioned before that our southern Ohio yard is crawling with lizards. We have a lot of rocks and hardscape and I guess some pet lizard escapee decided our yard would be their home, so now big, little, and every size in between lizards roam over our stone walls and graveled beds. This year, while putting in new gravel beds that will house my above ground veggie pots, my husband found the lizard nest.

courtesy of pixabay

Dozens of tiny lizards scattered when he shoveled up their home, sending him scrambling off the wall. I’m grateful I wasn’t there to see that or I’d probably have jumped five feet off the ground and broken who knows how many bones when I landed.  I don’t mind that they crawl around and eat insects, but I would mind if they crawled over me or into my house. So far they’ve run the opposite direction whenever I’ve approached them,

My next garden insect encounter of the unusual kind came when Hubby and I were working on the patio garden beds. This lovely hornet-like creature kept buzzing us.

courtesy of pixabay

“Giant hornet!” Hubby yelled as it dived bombed him. Hubby’s been stung by hornets in the past and reacted badly. He was ready to quit and retreat to the house.

 Fortunately, I had a previous encounter with this sort of insect one spring. His presence in my flower bed, and the fact that he dive bombed me whenever I went out, kept me inside until I sourced out what the giant hornet-like insect was.

When hubby’s “giant hornet” finally landed on a stone wall I said with confidence, “Not to worry. It’s just a cicada killer. It’s not after you.”

Unlike the aggressive hornet, which the cicada killer resembles, this wasp hunts cicadas, not people. The female, which has the stinger, stings the cicada and puts the paralyzed insect into the nest with her unhatched eggs so they will have something to eat. Although the female of the species has a large stinger, and will sting you if she’s attacked, she is not aggressive like hornets or honey bees and does not have the nest-guarding instinct of those insects. You can walk through areas where cicada killers are active without attracting their attention.  They do have quite a buzz and they look a bit scary, but in general if you leave them alone they leave you alone.

And personally, I rather have a cicada killer roaming in my garden that be bombarded by those ugly cicadas. 

Then one morning as I was walking up the gravel garden path, this crossed my path.

courtesy of pixabay

It wasn’t the first time I’d seen a velvet ant, otherwise known as a cow killer, in the garden, but it was the first time I’d seen two in the garden. A couple of days later we found some ant hill looking piles of dirt in the fresh gravel beds we’d been laying. Knowing I’d seen a cow killer/red velvet ant, I gave hubby some wasp spray to shoot onto the hills. A red velvet ant came scrambling out of each hill. He soaked them as best as he could as they scrabbled away.

Hubby didn’t know what they were, but when he described them to me and I later saw the back end of one sticking from the gravel where it had crawled to die, I knew exactly what it was. There’s reason these fuzzy red and black creatures are called cow killers.  The wingless female has a potent sting. The winged male, however, has no stinger.

The female velvet ants, misnamed because the species are really wasps, dig into the nesting chambers of ground-nesting bees and wasps and lay their eggs on the larvae inside. When the eggs hatch the immature ants eat the larvae. Female cow killers can be found on bare or sandy soil. The winged male, which thankfully I haven’t seen, prefers flowers and plants. This insect is not aggressive, but if you step on it or handle it you will be stung. So beware if you see this insect in your garden.

And now on to the more beautiful, but definitely unwanted surprise in the garden this year—a Passion flower. Not something I’d planted. According to my research, the tropical vine is hardy up to zone 5 and can be invasive in some areas. Hubby presented one to me after he’d pulled a wild  vine growing up my bridal wreath bush.

He got a hurt look on his face when I didn’t appreciate his offering. “You threw it away,” he complained.

“Even a flower that isn’t where you want it can be a weed,” I replied. “Especially this one. It can be invasive. If we don’t get it all now, you’ll be pulling this for years to come.” He grudgingly acknowledged my dismissal on the beautiful flower. After all, he’s the one who has to climb up the hill, dig into the bushes, and uproot the weedy vines.

Later in the season, when the plant grew back on the bush, I gave the giant seed pod to my landscaper when she discovered it upon pulling the last of the vine from the bush this fall. When I showed her, via the internet, what the plant would look like, she said, “Are you sure you don’t want to keep it? It’s such a gorgeous flower.” 

“If I let it grow it will take over the garden, “I replied. “The vine grows over 20 feet and there are lots of seeds in that lemon-sized pod. You take it if you want it, but be warned, it can take over the area where you plant it.”

 She said she’d plant it by her chicken coop. Better in her yard than mine, although I suspect we’ll still be pulling it out of the bushes next year.

Well, that’s my garden surprises for this year.  I want to thank all my writer/gardener friends for joining me this year, and all you readers for following us this garden season. God willing, we’ll all be back again next spring with more garden stories.

In the meantime, remember this: God made rainy days and winter so gardeners could get the housework done.

Happy Gardening and I hope to see you all next year!

About the Writer/Gardener:

Multi-award winning author Catherine Castle loves writing. Before beginning her career as a romance writer she worked part-time as a freelance writer. She has over 600 articles and photographs to her credit, under her real name, in the Christian and secular market. She also lays claim to over 300 internet articles written on a variety of subjects and several hundred poems. In addition to writing she loves reading, traveling, singing, theatre, quilting and gardening. She’s a passionate gardener whose garden won a “Best Hillside Garden” award from the local gardening club. She writes sweet and inspirational romances. You can find her award-winning Soul Mate books The Nun and the Narc and A Groom for Mama, on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Follow her on Twitter @AuthorCCastle, FB or her blog.

This fall and winter don’t forget to check out all the books the writer/gardeners have promoted this season.   Here’s Catherine’s multi-award-winning book The Nun and the Narc available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

The Nun and the Narc

by Catherine Castle

Where novice Sister Margaret Mary goes, trouble follows. When she barges into a drug deal the local Mexican drug lord captures her. To escape she must depend on undercover DEA agent Jed Bond. Jed’s attitude toward her is exasperating, but when she finds herself inexplicable attracted to him he becomes more dangerous than the men who have captured them, because he is making her doubt her decision to take her final vows. Escape back to the nunnery is imperative, but life at the convent, if she can still take her final vows, will never be the same.

Nuns shouldn’t look, talk, act, or kiss like Sister Margaret Mary O’Connor—at least that’s what Jed Bond thinks. She hampers his escape plans with her compulsiveness and compassion and in the process makes Jed question his own beliefs. After years of walling up his emotions in an attempt to become the best agent possible, Sister Margaret is crumbling Jed’s defenses and opening his heart. To lure her away from the church would be unforgivable—to lose her unbearable.

The Nun and the Narc available on Amazon

and Barnes and Noble.

Musings from a Writer’s Brain–Spooky Mommy Magic by Catherine Castle

Tags

A Groom for Mama, Catherine Castle, Contemporary Romantic comedy, essay about life, Musings from a Writer's Brain, paranormal esp, Sweet romance

photo courtesy of pixabay

I got a text  message from my daughter the other day.

“I need your Mommy magic,” she said. “Help me find my missing items. Text me and let me know where they are.”

 She was looking for: a pill cutter, a monkey necklace, and a pair of orange-handled scissors she travels with.

Her Dad told me to text her that they would be in the last place she would look. I did, but then I sent her the locations of the items.

“The pill cutter will be on a shelf, possibly with some bottles. The necklace is hanging from something, and the scissors are in your kit bag, train case, or a suitcase pocket,” I said.

A few minutes later my daughter’s text came back. “The pill cutter was with other bottles of hubby’s medicine, in a ziplock bag. I told him, ‘Dang, she’s good!!!’when I read your description.”

Hah! Mama’s still got the Mommy Magic!

A few days later she told me she found the scissors in a travel bag.

Then she called and said she’d lost her pill case. I saw the hallway bookshelves. So she went on a house-wide search looking on all the book shelves.

When she couldn’t find the item, she called back and said, “Nope. What else did you see? What colors?”

“Blue,” I said. “Like a blue carpet.”

“I said the pill case was blue, Mom,” she said.

“I don’t remember that,” I replied. “I just know I saw blue when you asked me where it was.”

“But the hall carpet’s not blue,” she replied.

“Well, I saw blue. Look for it around something blue.”

And they were off on another search. A few minutes later, she texts me a photo of a popcorn box with the message, “Ur all wrong about the carpet.”

But I was right about the blue!

They found her pill box, in front of the popcorn box, which is mostly blue. I missed the carpet, but, Hey, I got the color right!

At the writing of this post, I don’t know if she found the necklace where I predicted, but 99-percent of the time when she sends me on a long-distance hunt for lost items, I can see the general location of the lost items.

I have no idea why I can do this. When she asks me to find a lost item, a picture pops up in my brain. I go with it. I have to say the first picture I see, even if it makes no sense—like it’s in a small, dark place. That was a real response once, and she found the item in a black, velvet bag after asking me what color I saw in the vision. Or if I envision something that is in my own house, like where my own pill cutter resides—on a shelf—possibly with other bottles—I still go with that first image. That was the first thing I saw that day. If I don’t go with the first thing I see, the magic doesn’t work quite as well.

Sometimes, even though she swears she’d looked in a location I’ve seen, a second search in the place I said to look will turn up the item. Other times she says she would never put it there, but that’s right where she finds the missing object. Occasionally, I get accused of sneaking into her house and placing the lost article where I predict just so she’ll find it there.

Trust me, I don’t.

I’ve even found things long-distance for my daughter’s neighbor.

Funny thing about this Mama-lost-item-finding power…it doesn’t work for me. I can lose things for weeks on end, searching unsuccessfully in every corner I can think of. Once I lost my Kindle and went into a panic.  I found it weeks later at the bottom of a pile of papers on my desk. Every time I do a sweep to clean the house quickly and dump every loose item I can get my hands on into a box, I’ll lose something. Sometimes for months on end, because I forget what I swept up in the frantic cleanup and where I put the box. Which begs the question: If I forgot what I lost, is it really lost or just forgotten?

Next time I lose something, I should call my daughter and ask her where it is. If I have this power, shouldn’t she? After all, she is my daughter.

What about you? Can you find lost items? Magically or otherwise.

If you’ve lost something and can’t find it, take a break after searching and pick up a copy of Catherine’s award-winning romantic comedy with a touch of drama, A Groom for Mama. You’ll laugh as you watch Mama search for a husband for her daughter.

A Groom for Mama

By Catherine Castle

Beverly Walters is dying, and before she goes she has one wish—to find a groom for her daughter. To get the deed done, Mama enlists the dating service of Jack Somerset, Allison’s former boyfriend.

The last thing corporate-climbing Allison wants is a husband. Furious with Mama’s meddling, and a bit more interested in Jack than she wants to admit, Allison agrees to the scheme as long as Mama promises to search for a cure for her terminal illness.

A cross-country trip from Nevada to Ohio ensues, with a string of disastrous dates along the way, as the trio hunts for treatment and A Groom For Mama.

About the Author:

Multi-award winning author Catherine Castle loves writing. Before beginning her career as a romance writer she worked part-time as a freelance writer. She has over 600 articles and photographs to her credit, under her real name, in the Christian and secular market. She also lays claim to over 300 internet articles written on a variety of subjects and several hundred poems. In addition to writing she loves reading, traveling, singing, theatre, quilting and gardening. She’s a passionate gardener whose garden won a “Best Hillside Garden” award from the local gardening club. She writes sweet and inspirational romances. You can find her award-winning Soul Mate books The Nun and the Narc and A Groom for Mama, on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Follow her on Twitter @AuthorCCastle, FB or her blog.