Peaches and Cream Pie by Author JoAnn Durgin!

 Author JoAnn Durgin

Sam Lewis, my core character in The Lewis Legacy Series, loves peaches. On my website, you’ll find And the Man Said Peaches, in which I tell the story of the amazing way the Lord used that specific word (peaches) in my life, and how significant it was on my journey to publication. Here’s a favorite recipe in my family—delicious and easy—and one I’m sure Sam would absolutely love!

Peaches and Cream Pie

Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 (3 ounce) package non-instant vanilla pudding mix

3 tablespoons butter, softened

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1 (29 ounce) can sliced peaches, drained and syrup reserved

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon white sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease sides and bottom of a 10 inch deep-dish pie pan.
In a medium mixing bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder and pudding mix. Mix in butter, egg and milk. Beat for 2 minutes. Pour mixture into pie pan. Arrange the peach slices on top of the pudding mixture.
In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add 1/2 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons reserved peach syrup. Beat for 2 minutes. Spoon mixture over peaches to within 1 inch of pan edge. Mix together 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and sprinkle over top.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown. Chill before serving.

Blurb:

Captain Jacob Marston, Starlight, Iowa's wounded hometown hero, made a long ago promise to the Lord: he won't kiss a woman until he knows she's "the one" he'll marry. Now, at age twenty-eight, the rugged firefighter questions if it'll ever happen. Then he meets his best friend's sister, Julia Sinclair, and Jake believes he's found the woman of his dreams—but she’s promised to another. When Julia makes an unexpected confession on Christmas Day, Jake shares his secret with her, and it looks as though happily-ever-after will make a holiday appearance. But somehow, everyone in the tiny town learns Jake's secret and he's transformed from town hero to laughingstock. Did Julia reveal his secret? Can Jake and Julia find their way under the mistletoe for a forever kiss?

Theme verse: Psalm 62:1-2

Bio:

JoAnn Durgin is the author of the popular Lewis Legacy Series (Torn Veil Books) and Meet Me under the Mistletoe (Pelican Group Ventures/White Rose Publishing). She lives with her husband, Jim, and their three children in her native southern Indiana. JoAnn is an estate administration paralegal in a Louisville, Kentucky law firm and loves writing Christ-honoring fiction. She’d love to hear from you via her website (www.joanndurgin.com) or drop her a line on

A Cozy Custom by Author Nancy Thelen

Author Nancy Thelen

My Cozy Custom

When my nieces and nephews were small, I gave them a new   Christmas Ornament each year. Some years I made the ornaments, and other years I purchased something special.  I continued the practice until they graduated from high school.  Now they all have families of their own, and there are seven great nieces and nephews. When each of the ‘greats’ was born, I picked up the tradition, and continue to give each one of them a new ornament to hang on the family Christmas tree.  It’s heartwarming to see their trees decorated with all of the ornaments from years past, along with the new collection. The little ones look forward to opening that special package on Christmas Eve, and even though they know what’s inside.

About the author

Nancy resides in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, where she spends her free time writing and cooking. She’s recently published her second book, ‘The Color of Light’, and hopes to re-publish her first, ‘Lost and Found’ in the near future. She has two more written, and is working on the fifth. Along with that, she enjoys cooking, and is always experimenting with recipes to find just the right balance for one or two servings. She plans on publishing a cookbook in the early part of next year. This is all accomplished while holding down a full-time job.

kliknkeys@gmail.com

nancy-thelen.blogspot.com

About the book:

Summer in the Northwoods is hot and surly. A tornado unleashes it fury, devastating the residents in the small town of Rivers Run. Spirit’s Rest, the old church camp located on the pristine shores of Sunset Lake, takes a direct hit. Now the value is even lower according to the development company that’s been pressuring the church to sell.  They have plans to build a resort that will help the sleepy little town grow and prosper.

Happy with the peace and tranquility of small town life, Jackie O’Reilly is against the sale of the property. To be honest, she covets the property for herself, so that she can preserve her privacy. When she wins a free makeover on the popular TV show, ‘On Board’, she asks to pay it forward, so as not to draw attention to herself. Her plans take a different direction, however, when the star of the show, Doug Sterling, manages to find a way to invade her personal space. Especially her heart. She secretly watches him on TV every week, but that’s just a star-struck crush. It doesn’t matter anyway, because once the episode is wrapped up Doug will be moving on, and she won’t see him again in person. Or will she?