HUCKLEBERRY HAPPINESS - Ice Caves and Wild Huckleberries

She dreams of winning the contest, but what does her heart want? 

Huckleberry Happiness, a  novella for The Wild Rose Press “One Scoop or Two” collection, highlights two things unique to Pennsylvania: ice caves and wild huckleberries. In 1885, Emerlia Stone, the heroine, wants  to make huckleberry ice cream to win a dessert contest offered by the railroad.

       The hero, Joe Sawicki, owns an ice cave and supplies ice to Emelia’s bakery and the townsfolk. Huckleberries are native to Pennsylvania, dating back to the first bushes which survived as the ice cover was melting over 13,000 years ago. Ice caves are rare phenomena that maintain freezing temperatures year ’round and contain ice during the hottest days of the summer.

Strip mining erased almost all traces of them after the 1920s.

BLURB:  

         In 1885, Emelia Stone and her sister must learn to operate their deceased parents’ bakery in a small town in Pennsylvania. A large mortgage looms on their family home. When her sister leaves town, Emelia is forced to handle the bakery and burden alone.

 The Pennsylvania Railroad is searching for the perfect dessert for its passengers. Joe Sawicki, owner of Sawicki Brothers Ice Company, is certain Emelia can win the contest and the hundred- dollar bonus if she creates a special ice cream to accompany her popular huckleberry pies. He has loved her since they played hooky in grade school to explore the company’s ice cave.

Can Emelia find courage to stand up to the town’s bully to win the competition? And will Joe have the mettle to express his undying love and win first place in Emelia’s heart?

            An engaging romance for only $1.99 -  HUCKLEBERRY HAPPINESS

KEEPING WARM: Creamy Potato Soup

Sparkling snow. Glistening icicles. Frigid temperatures. It’s January and winter. January is also National Soup Month. What I like most about the winter season is the amazing soups you can make to eat hot and which keep you warm on chilly days. In most cases, they are healthy. Many have lower calories than other foods, and they fill you up.

I have so many favorites. My husband is the connoisseur of soup-making—all of them from scratch. My favorite one is his ham and potato soup, but his chicken and rice, with lots of carrots added, is another winner. Our local supermarket here in Florida has a “soup counter,” where you can purchase at least six different already-made, piping hot selections. I dive right in and grab a small tub of the clam chowder served on Fridays. (Now this one may not fit the low-calorie chart.)                                                   

Growing up on a farm, we have all kinds of soups: beef noddle, red cabbage soup (Borscht), chicken noodle, vegetable, cream of potato, etc. They weren’t fancy like the present Campbell’s hearty, no-water-added varieties such as “Chicken and Sausage Gumbo” which I purchase every trip to the store. I hate to admit it, but anything with the word gumbo has me hooked.

What is your favorite winter soup? Do you like a broth or cream base to it?

Below is my recipe for potato soup. It takes a little longer to make, but it’s worth the effort!

       CREAMY POTATO SOUP

1 (one) lb. bacon, fried and chopped in small pieces—save ¼ cup bacon grease in pan for frying other vegetables. Save some chopped bacon for topping as well.

2 stalks of celery, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
Approx. eight (8) Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed —russet, red, and others will also work
4 cups chicken broth—enough to cover the potatoes
3 TBSP butter
¼ cup flour
1 cup of heavy cream (I use whole milk)
Salt and Pepper to taste
*two (2) cloves minced (Optional)
*tarragon or cilantro (Optional)
*shredded cheese or bacon crumbles for topping, if desired

STEP 1

Fry bacon in a large frying pan until done and remove from pan. Chop into small pieces.. Drain off bacon grease, about 1/4 cup. Cook celery and onion in the reserved bacon drippings for five minutes until soft. (Here is where you can add minced garlic, if you want it.)

Add your cubed potatoes and toss to coat—sauté 3-5 minutes. Toss in bacon to pan and pour enough chicken stock to cover potatoes. Cover and simmer until tender.

STEP 2

Melt butter and whisk in flour, cooking and stirring over heat for a few minutes. Once rue is made, whisk in cream (or milk) and cook again, stirring until thickened. Stir cream/milk mixture into the potato mixture. Take about a half-cup of soup and puree it, returning it to the pan. Use more puree for a thicker soup.

Top with additional bacon bits or shredded cheese. Serve piping hot. Serves eight (8)

TEN 2022 NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS

Ten years ago, I wrote these New Year's Resolution for 2012.
They are as relevant today as then.

 

I will strive to. . .

Live each day to the fullest and allow the activities of that day to take me on new, winding journeys I never expected. “Ninety-five percent of the people who died today had expected to live a lot longer.” --Albert M. Wells, Jr.

Be more patient with people, family, processes, my writing, distractions—even slow elevators. We must learn that, like the farmers, we can’t sow and reap the same day.

Exercise more, listen more, laugh more. . . and let the future come one day at a time, as it always does.

Enjoy my home to its fullest, despite the work, dust and menial chores that surround me which often gobble time set aside for writing. After all, home is where you hang your heart.

Dream . . . or rather allow myself the luxury to dream. Dreams are the heart of creativity. “The poorest of all men is not the man without a cent, but a man without a dream.”

Handle criticism graciously.  “If it’s untrue, disregard it. If it’s unfair, keep from irritation. If it’s ignorant, smile. If it's justified, learn from it." --Anonymous

Be grateful for the doors of opportunity. . .and for friends who oil the hinges. As writers, we need our family, our friends, and other writers who understand the trials and toils of the writing process.

Help find and better define truth in the world. We have lost sight of the importance of truth and honesty in our lives. Our media and people today have failed to delineate the difference between fact versus opinion. “Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.”-- Aldous Huxley

Understand  and accept that peace does not mean the same thing (or have the same definition) for all the people who inhabit our world. Therefore, as part of a U.S. military family, I will pray for a peace that will remove all our men and women in foreign lands and bring them home to the safety of American soil. “God blesses those who work for peace, for they shall be called the children of God.”   Matthew 5:9

Reiterate my daily mantra in the New 2022 Year to all who will listen:

  

                                          “Never let anyone steal your  joy.” 

 

                                         The Musical Christmas Series
                                         

DECEMBER ~ LAST BUT NOT LEAST

 

What does December mean to you? For me, the month inspires a flurry of activity. December is the start of the Christmas season as well as the winter solstice. In northern states, it’s a time for outdoor snowy sports like skiing, sledding, ice skating, snowmobiling, and snowman building.

Inside, the wonderful smells of hearty meals cooking on the stove top or in the oven permeate the air. Recipes for cookies and wonderful holiday desserts emerge from hiding, whether in a cookbook or scrap of paper stuffed in a drawer or cupboard. What about fruitcake?  Ho, ho, ho. Bake it with a lot of nuts and soak it in rum, and I’m a fan.

Most of all, December brings us thoughts of Christmas with its holiday music, glowing candles, twinkling lights, colorful decorations, poinsettias, wreaths and trees, and air-filled Santas rocking in the neighbor’s front yard.

One of my favorite things about Christmas is receiving Christmas cards, now a dying practice. My husband and I send out about sixty cards each year. We enjoying hearing from friends and family and learning about their various activities throughout the year. What do I like the least about the holiday? Luckily I can easily dispense with Elf on the Shelf and all the Ugly Sweater parties.

Despite the hustle and bustle of December, we all need to remember the true meaning of Christmas. For Christians, it’s the joyous celebration of the birth of the Christ child. Also, it’s all about what you give and not what you get. It’s the season of peace, hope, love…and magic. 

FOR A HEARWARMING HOLIDAY READ

THE MUSICAL CHRISTMAS SERIES

JUNE ~ THE PIANIST

ADLENE ~ THE VIOLINIST

LUCY ~ THE CLARINETIST 

LINK for Judy Ann's Amazon Author Page