Light Strawberry Summer Desserts and Books for the Lake, Beach, Mountains or Back Porch
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Whether enjoying a lemonade and a snack while reading a good book, having tea with a friend or hosting a bridal shower, strawberries make the occasion special. See recipes below.
Whether enjoying a lemonade and a snack while reading a good book, having tea with a friend or hosting a bridal shower, strawberries make the occasion special. See recipes below.
For Reading Look for Cold Vengeance. For Reading and More Recipes Look for Cooking up a Mystery.
About Cold Vengeance a New Suspense Novel by my Friend, Best-Selling, Award-Winning Author Nancy Mehl.
When a renowned crime podcaster vanishes without a trace, former FBI behavioral analysts turned private investigators River Ryland and Tony St. Clair are called upon to track her down. As they wade through the evidence she left behind, they unearth a startling connection--she may have discovered the existence of an unknown killer, and he will stop at nothing to carry out a deadly plan.
As the pair delves deeper, they soon find themselves the targets of a relentless enemy determined to silence them. With their lives--and hearts--on the line, can they confront the evil that threatens them before it consumes them both?
Buy on Amazon and other places where books are sold.
Learn more on Nancy’s Website
About Cooking up a Mystery.
There are over two-dozen recipes in the back of Cooking up a Mystery, each one named for a character in the book. They were donated by members of Mission Love Seeds, a charitable group created to help children throughout the world and to respond locally after disasters to demonstrate God's love. Learn more at Mission Love Seeds
In the book. Laney Eskridge worked to put her husband through dental school. Then he left with another woman. She's on edge from the emotional scars and her parents' deaths. Then she hears unexplained noises in her new tea house, and her anxiety is tripled. Add a budding romance with Eric—a guy with a fear of commitment—and it's all too much to handle. She cuts ties with Eric and plunges into making her business pay off.
When Eric discovers that Laney's in danger, he vows to protect her. But can he make a lasting promise? Will she trust him? . . .and when they overhear a threat that could cause national turmoil, will anyone believe them? There's more brewing than herbal tea in Cooking up a Mystery.
Buy Cooking up a Mystery on Amazon and all places online where eBooks are sold.
Learn more here
Strawberry Brownies
1 box strawberry cake mix (without pudding in the mix)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup oil
1/2 - 1 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)
Mix together box of cake mix, eggs and oil well. (It’s thick. I used my mixer.) Spray an 8 x 8 pan or use parchment paper (The batter is thick and sticky). Spread evenly. Bake 350 degrees for 17 minutes or until the edges are slightly brown. Do not overbake. (I used a toothpick to see if it came out of the center of the batter clean.)
Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 - 2 tabl. water (lemon or lime juice)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)
Note: You can use different flavors of cake mix and vary the flavors of extract. Vanilla for strawberry brownies and almond for white or lemon cake mix brownies.
The Busy Bee Seniors’ Strawberry Royale from Cooking up a Mystery
Ingredients
One-half cup coarsely chopped pecans
One cup flour
One-third cup brown sugar
One-half cup butter, melted
Four egg whites
One-half cup sugar
Two (10 oz.) packages frozen, halved strawberries, completely thawed
Three tablespoons lemon juice
One (12 oz.) carton frozen whipped topping
Mix flour, sugar, nuts and butter. Spread in a 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for twenty minutes, stirring often. Remove and cool. Remove one-third of the mix for topping and spread the remaining in bottom of pan. Beat egg whites until peaks form. Slowly add sugar and beat five more minutes. Fold in lemon juice and thawed, undrained strawberries. Mix thoroughly. Fold in whipped topping. Spread strawberry mixture over mix in the pan. Sprinkle reserved mix on top. Cover and freeze six hours or more. Remove and let stand at room temperature approximately twenty minutes before cutting into squares and serving.
Submitted by Leanora Harkins of Fort Walton Beach, Florida
~~~
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Happy July 4th
God Bless America
Remembering a Yesteryear July 4th Spectacular at My House
On July 4th several years ago, I got up and dressed in blue jeans and a three-quarter-length shirt, attire a bit warm for the day. But perfect for the fireworks display that night, because there was less of me exposed for the bugs to bite.
During the afternoon it rained, but my husband, Rick, said, “It’s supposed to clear up. I don’t think we’ll have a problem going to the show tonight.”
We’d been to the fireworks before when it rained, even got caught in a storm there one year and waited an hour or so for the event to start.
The rain stopped. Rick and our daughter, Laurie, who always came home to go to the July 4th fireworks, dressed in jeans. At twilight we grabbed a can of bug spray and our stadium seats and started out the door. A loud crack of thunder roared. We slinked back inside like wet puppies to wait until the sky cleared. It grew darker and the thunder louder. Lightning danced around our front yard.
Rick turned the television to a weather station. The radar showed red and yellow patches in a line of dark green headed right for us. “This should be gone soon. We’ll leave then.” More thunder boomed and lightning flashed.
In the background of the thunderous roar I detected faint pops. “Did you hear that? One of our neighbors must be shooting fire crackers.”
“Yes, but the thunder’s so loud I can barely hear them,” Laurie said. “I wonder if we’re going to make the show.”
“We still have time. When it lets up, we’ll leave,” Rick said.
But another line of storms showed up on the weather station. Rick’s lips turned down. “I’m not sure when this storm’s going to end.”
Trees fell in the neighborhood. It wasn’t safe to go out. We watched a clip of the fireworks show on the eleven o’clock news. I couldn’t help but wonder if this was God’s way of saying He wants to be part of our country. I still wonder that today.
~~~
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Summer's Overlooked Malady
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Summer means staying outside—swimming, sun bathing, going to water parks, having fun in the sun day after day. Approach the season with vigor, but also with care. We’ve learned to take steps not to get sunburned. We need to do the same to prevent nasty bug bites.
Most people know little about Lyme disease and don’t consider it a problem—until they get it. Some say it doesn’t exist. Others claim you can’t get rid of it. I know it exists because I have chronic Lyme disease. When I grew ill, after a month of testing no one could diagnose my problem. The doctor said, “I’m sorry we can’t treat you.” I was devastated, shocked, and so sick I couldn’t think. God intervened and led me to David G. Lee, D.C., Ph.d., C.Ad. God and Dr. Lee have kept me active and on my feet for twenty years. During that time, I’ve learned a lot about this malady.
First, natural bug spray and protective clothing can prevent bug bites. Secondly, if a bite looks strange, unusually large, or highly irritated, especially if it’s accompanied by fever, chills, or any type of malady, see a doctor. A pill will get rid of Lyme disease while it’s only a bite. Even after it reaches the bloodstream, I V antibiotics will wipe it out. Act quickly though. If the bacteria, other diseases and parasites carried by the insect bite are left untreated, the illness becomes chronic Lyme disease. Don’t let that happen. The toxins are no longer at the site of the bite or in the bloodstream. They are lying in wait deep inside the body’s organs. The medical test for Lyme disease is a blood test. Unfortunately, but obviously, if the toxins aren’t there, they don’t show up in the results.
The bacteria are spirochetes that burrow into body tissue and form a hard shell to protect themselves. When a person’s immune system is down with a cold or other sickness, the bacteria emerge and attack. The parasites reproduce. There’s no need to fall prey to the debilitating ailments this disease can cause. Learn the facts.
After I grew ill and received help, lots of people contacted me about my treatment. That’s why I wrote Barely above Water, which gives valuable information about the symptoms and treatments for chronic Lyme disease and the myths about it. It’s a fun book to read. The facts are woven into a romance. There’s also a kids’ rag-tag swim team.
Here are two myths about Lyme disease:
People only get it from a tick bite.
If bitten by a tick carrying Lyme disease, the victim will know it because he or she will see a bullseye rash.
Barely Above Water is a 2017 Reader’s Favorite Award Winner
In her review for Reader’s Favorite Deborah Stone says, its “A lovely story with well-defined and well-developed characters, and a story line with factual information that will help, or at least educate, readers.” She also says “Gail Pallotta's story...resonates with hope when all hope seems to be gone… ”
To learn more about Barely Above Water click here and scroll down the page.
Buy Barely Above Water on Amazon
and anywhere online e-books are sold.
~~~
Most people know little about Lyme disease and don’t consider it a problem—until they get it. Some say it doesn’t exist. Others claim you can’t get rid of it. I know it exists because I have chronic Lyme disease. When I grew ill, after a month of testing no one could diagnose my problem. The doctor said, “I’m sorry we can’t treat you.” I was devastated, shocked, and so sick I couldn’t think. God intervened and led me to David G. Lee, D.C., Ph.d., C.Ad. God and Dr. Lee have kept me active and on my feet for twenty years. During that time, I’ve learned a lot about this malady.
First, natural bug spray and protective clothing can prevent bug bites. Secondly, if a bite looks strange, unusually large, or highly irritated, especially if it’s accompanied by fever, chills, or any type of malady, see a doctor. A pill will get rid of Lyme disease while it’s only a bite. Even after it reaches the bloodstream, I V antibiotics will wipe it out. Act quickly though. If the bacteria, other diseases and parasites carried by the insect bite are left untreated, the illness becomes chronic Lyme disease. Don’t let that happen. The toxins are no longer at the site of the bite or in the bloodstream. They are lying in wait deep inside the body’s organs. The medical test for Lyme disease is a blood test. Unfortunately, but obviously, if the toxins aren’t there, they don’t show up in the results.
The bacteria are spirochetes that burrow into body tissue and form a hard shell to protect themselves. When a person’s immune system is down with a cold or other sickness, the bacteria emerge and attack. The parasites reproduce. There’s no need to fall prey to the debilitating ailments this disease can cause. Learn the facts.
After I grew ill and received help, lots of people contacted me about my treatment. That’s why I wrote Barely above Water, which gives valuable information about the symptoms and treatments for chronic Lyme disease and the myths about it. It’s a fun book to read. The facts are woven into a romance. There’s also a kids’ rag-tag swim team.
Here are two myths about Lyme disease:
People only get it from a tick bite.
If bitten by a tick carrying Lyme disease, the victim will know it because he or she will see a bullseye rash.
Barely Above Water is a 2017 Reader’s Favorite Award Winner
In her review for Reader’s Favorite Deborah Stone says, its “A lovely story with well-defined and well-developed characters, and a story line with factual information that will help, or at least educate, readers.” She also says “Gail Pallotta's story...resonates with hope when all hope seems to be gone… ”
To learn more about Barely Above Water click here and scroll down the page.
Buy Barely Above Water on Amazon
and anywhere online e-books are sold.
~~~
Intervention
I carried the blue canvas stadium chair to the beach and planted it in the deep, white sand. A baby lizard lay in the seat. My husband, Rick, flipped it out with his hand and turned around to set up his chair. Tail and all, the tiny creature measured only one to one-and-a-half inches. It writhed in the grained earth.
Bright sunshine lit up the spring day, but the shore felt chilly to my bare feet. He must be cold. I stared at the lizard. His little arms and legs so thin; his fingers, like short pieces of thread, wiggled frantically. “Now you’ve done it. What are you doing in a beach chair?”
Rick sat down and gazed at the lizard.
“He can’t travel on the beach,” I said.
Rick stood. Using his foot, he scooped up a large amount of sand with the lizard atop it. He took several steps, and the sand filtered to the ground, so he flicked off the lizard and repeated the process. At first the little reptile squirmed as though he tried to escape. But after a while he lay very still while Rick moved him. At last Rick reached the fence in front of the dunes, where sea oats and vines grew. But the foot patrol wouldn’t work here.
“I’ll get a piece of a vine and put it up to the lizard. He can grab hold of it,” I said.
Rick raised his dark eyebrows. “You can try.”
I poked a stem at the lizard’s feet. He lay like a stone. I tried again and got the same result. Finally, on the fourth attempt the lizard wrapped those tiny legs and arms around the vine and held on tight. I threw him over the fence into a patch of greenery. As far as I know, he’s enjoying his new home.
I sometimes feel stuck like that lizard. I’m over-burdened and bogged down, often with problems or unpleasant situations. Like the lizard, I turn this way; then, that way, trying to escape. My mind spins so fast thinking of possible solutions, but I get nowhere. I think if I work a little harder, I can handle things. Eventually, I’m physically and emotionally exhausted. But I’m still writhing around in the sand. I don’t find relief until I turn my burdens over to God. He lifts me above them.
Matthew 7: 7-8, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”
Suzie, the main character in Barely above Water, could relate to the story of the lizard. Bogged down with a mysterious illness, she turned every which way trying to overcome her malady. Then God intervened. Visit Gail's book page here and scroll down to see more .