My Never-Ending 'To Be Read' Stack

This will be updated as I finish books and get new ones. I'm also going to try and add a section at the bottom later for what I'm reading with my kids for school.

Non-fiction

90 Minutes in Heaven
Age of Opportunity
Before You Meet Prince Charming: A Guide to Radiant Purity
Calvinism: A Southern Baptist Dialogue
Instructing a Child's Heart
Raising Unselfish Children in a Self-Absorbed World
The Excellent Wife
The Mission of Motherhood
The Pursuit of Holiness

Fiction

Christmas Cookie Murder
The Cat Who Went Underground

What I've Read in 2010

Fiction

A Cooking Class Mystery: Cooking Up Murder by Miranda Bliss
A Cooking Class Mystery: Murder on the Menu by Miranda Bliss
Aloha Reef Series: Distant Echoes by Colleen Coble
Aloha Reef Series: Black Sands by Colleen Coble
Boo by Rene Gutteridge
Boo Who by Rene Gutteridge
Colorado Crimes (3-in-1) by Lisa Harris
Coming Home to Ruby Prairie Series: A New Day at Tanglewood by Annette Smith
Coming Home to Ruby Prairie Series: A Town Called Ruby Prairie by Annette Smith
Coming Home to Ruby Prairie Series: Charlotte Leaves the Light On by Annette Smith
Fallen From Babel by T.L. Higley
Gaslight Mysteries: Murder on Astor Place by Victoria Thompson
Gaslight Mysteries: Murder on Bank Street by Victoria Thompson
Gaslight Mysteries: Murder in Chinatown by Victoria Thompson
Gaslight Mysteries: Murder on Gramercy Park by Victoria Thompson
Gaslight Mysteries: Murder on Lenox Hill by Victoria Thompson
Gaslight Mysteries: Murder in Little Italy by Victoria Thompson
Gaslight Mysteries: Murder on Marble Row by Victoria Thompson
Gaslight Mysteries: Murder on Mulberry Bend by Victoria Thompson
Gaslight Mysteries: Murder on St. Mark's Place by Victoria Thompson
Gaslight Mysteries: Murder on Washington Square by Victoria Thompson
Life, Libby, and the Pursuit of Happiness by Hope Lyda
Lonestar Homecoming by Colleen Coble
Lonestar Sanctuary by Colleen Coble
Lonestar Secrets by Colleen Coble
Lumby on the Air by Gail Fraser
Kinsey Millhone: "G" is for Gumshoe by Sue Grafton
Kinsey Millhone: "H" is for Homicide by Sue Grafton
Kinsey Millhone: "I" is for Innocent by Sue Grafton
Kinsey Millhone: "J" is for Judgment by Sue Grafton
Knitting Mysteries: A Deadly Yarn by Maggie Sefton
Knitting Mysteries: Knit One, Kill Two by Maggie Sefton
Knitting Mysteries: Needled to Death by Maggie Sefton
Mainely Mysteries (3-in-1) by Susan Page Davis and Megan Elaine Davis
Nosy in Nebraska (3-in-1) by Mary Connealy
Petra: City in Stone by T.L. Higley
Seven Wonders Series: Guardian of the Flame by T.L. Higley
Seven Wonders Series: Shadow of Colossus by T.L. Higley
Shop-Til-U-Drop Series: A Cut Above by Ginny Aiken
Shop-Til-U-Drop Series: Priced to Move by Ginny Aiken
Shop-Til-U-Drop Series: A Steal of a Deal by Ginny Aiken
Simply Christmas by Pamela Dowd, Wanda Luttrell, and Christine Lynxwiler
Stork Raving Mad by Donna Andrews
The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall
The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall
The Robber's Cave by A.L.O.E. (A Lady of England, the pseudonym for Charlotte Maria Tucker)
The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner
The Shepherd of Bethlehem by A.L.O.E. (A Lady of England)
The Wanderer in Africa by A.L.O.E. (A Lady of England)
Under the Cajun Moon by Mindy Starns Clark
When the Heart Cries by Cindy Woodsmall
When the Morning Comes by Cindy Woodsmall
When the Soul Mends by Cindy Woodsmall

Non-Fiction

Bible
Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris
Have a New Kid by Friday by Dr. Kevin Leman
Of Knights and Fair Maidens by Jeff and Danielle Myers
Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges
The Consolations of Imperfection by Donald McCullough
They Thought They Were Free by Milton Mayer
Walking from East to West by Ravi Zacharias

Turtles

This was ashamedly the only thing I baked over the holidays, and I don't think it can qualify under the baking category because it was so simple.

You've probably seen them out there, but in case you haven't, I want to share the simple deliciousness of this treat with you.

Turtles
can't remember where I saw it first

mini pretzels, calls for twists, I used the square Snyder's
Rolos, unwrapped
pecan halves

Place the pretzels on a parchment paper or aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Place the Rolos on top.

Bake at 250 degrees for 3-5 minutes. You want the Rolos shiny, which means they are soft, but not melting and losing their shape on their own yet.

Press a pecan into the top of each Rolo. Place in the refrigerator to cool and set.

Try not to eat them all in one sitting.

Christmas Cranberry Salad

But it's not just for Christmas!

Christmas Cranberry Salad
from my friend, Lori

1-6 oz pkg strawberry jello
2 cups boiling water
1 large pkg frozen strawberries, thawed (I think mine was 16 oz)
1 large can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 can whole cranberry sauce

In a large bowl, dissolve jello in boiling water. When cool, add pineapple, cranberries, and strawberries. Place in refrigerator until firm. It's best made the day before.

Williamsburg Orange Cake

I always try to make a cake for Christmas since we celebrate it first as Jesus' birthday. This was the one I made this year.

Williamsburg Orange Cake
from my friend, Marsha

Cake:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup shortening
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 T grated orange rind or 2 T orange juice
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Combine all the ingredients except the pecans, 30 seconds on low and then 3 minutes on high. Add pecans.

Pour evenly into 3 greased and floured 8-inch cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove and cool completely.

Frosting:
3/4 cup butter, softened
6 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 T grated orange rind
7 1/2 T orange juice

Mix in blender until it is spreading consistency. You can add little bits of orange juice if you need more liquid.

Store in refrigerator.

You must use butter in the cake. My grandma tried to make this years ago when she was still living after I had made it for her for her birthday. She used margarine. It didn't work.

For All You Wives Out There, This Is Priceless

I saw the end of this clip on an ESPN top 100 show recently. I can't find just the end of the horse race, so watch the whole thing. I don't think you'll regret it.

We always knew, didn't we?

Merry Christmas!

From the girls in our house,

and the two boys willing to be photographed this morning,

Merry Christmas!

We had an atypical Christmas for us. It was only the second Christmas in my life that I haven't had the traditional homemade chicken pie. The other time was 1993 when the girls were in the hospital and we were staying at the local Ronald McDonald House.

After unexpectedly spending Thanksgiving Day in the hospital with Hubby this year and the kids spending it with special friends from church, I cooked our turkey on the evening of Black Friday. It was what has become known as the great turkey disaster.

I always cook my turkey in the large plastic bags and they always turn out fine. My problem is that I always want to cook them upside down. Hubby always has to tell me which way is up. Since he wasn't here, I couldn't ask.

And the year I decide to cook it opposite the way I think it should be is the year I'll have it right the first time.

Well, the meat thermometer said the turkey was done and I started cutting. Eventually I realized I'd cooked it upside down and most of the meat wasn't cooked. It was too late to remedy the situation. I also found a second bag of innards, which is my second turkey-cooking issue. I can never find them or there is a second bag I don't find.

So for Christmas we had turkey! Complete with a surprise bag of innards upon cutting it!

I can also cook a turkey right side up if I buy one with a pop-up timer.

Here are the kids with their beloved socks, which we open last.




This is our "Happy Birthday, Jesus!" cake. It's a Williamsburg Orange Cake with Williamsburg Butter Frosting. I'll share the recipe soon!

I pray that you all had a wonderful day celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior!