Annual Retreat with writing buddies

Every July I meet a group of writers (and soul sisters) up in Idaho to plot and plan our next books, and what fun we have! We laugh, and plot, and brainstorm, and eat, and walk, and laugh some more, all amidst five days of "close to Heaven" fellowship. I'm so grateful to have these extraordinary women in my life!

The whole motley crew

Hard at work, can you tell?

Relaxing on the back deck

Brandilyn Collins listening intently (or about to fall asleep?)

One amongst us LOVES Rolos. Can you tell who?

A lovely gift from a writing buddy

Every year Janet makes the BEST fruit salads!

Delicious!

Friend and writer Robin Lee Hatcher, brainstormer extraordinaire! During the retreat, I share a room with Robin, and ahem…on occasion we've been known to stay up late and talk. I know it's hard to believe...

Me with Janet between brainstorming sessions

Three of us have size 9.5 feet and over... Can you guess who these feet belong to? (Click here and view the comments for the answer)

The traditional picture on the stairs

I'm a little cold natured so enjoy sitting in the sun in the early mornings

Another group shot (Oh, I love these women!)

Brainstorming with Sheila

Gorgeous flowers are in bloom this time of year 

Caught chatting in the upstairs hallway

Funning around with Tricia Goyer

Frani and Brandilyn, master brainstormers (and jokesters)

Me getting tickled at something Frani did

And getting even more tickled!

 

More beauty in nature

And the wildlife...so pretty!

After a walk...

A precious little Yorkie named Bear joined us this year too

And finally, our traditional "Tada!" picture. Another wonderful time of sharing and singing and fellowship behind us. I can hardly wait for July 2013! (L to R: Tricia Goyer, Brandilyn Collins, Karen Ball, Janet Ulbright, Robin Lee Hatcher, Francine Rivers, me, Gayle DeSalles, Sheila Lovell, Sharon Dunn. Sunni Jeffers is normally in our number but couldn't make it this year.)

Don't you love your sister time! And aren't we grateful for the women in our lives...

Smitten...with three of my favorite writing buddies

Grab a cup of coffee and watch this quick video with the authors of Smitten... Denise Hunter, Colleen Coble, Kristen Billerbeck, and Diane Hunt. Fun!

Christian Fiction Magazine

The newest issue of Christian Fiction Magazine is online featuring lovely friend and wonderful writer Susan Meissner! Check it out. It's got great articles for writers and readers alike!

I'm writing, writing, writing all week long and am eager to share this next story with you. But first...to finish it! 

Blessings on your week!

Tammy

Bottoms up!

Look at what arrived in the mail yesterday from a sweet, sweet friend! Oh my goodness!

I just love wine glasses (never mind that I'm not that crazy about wine, go figure) and drink from them all day long. Sweet Southern Iced Tea never tasted so good as it does in a fancy wine glass. I say every day is a celebration so break out the fancy stuff and enjoy!

Within five minutes, I had those pretty little puppies washed and was sipping from one at my desk. So thank you, thank you, thank you to my sweet but also sometimes wonderfully snarky and always cantankerously beautiful friend (and author) Judy Miller. 

Here's sweet Judy

She visited me earlier this year and we ran around Nashville touring antebellum mansions and eating our way through mounds of comfort food and Sweet CeCe's frozen yogurt and Loveless Cafe's biscuits and cobblers. This woman got me into some serious trouble that weekend, but what fun she is! And ever so sweet too. 

Thank you, Judy. Love you, friend. Your gift arrived at just the right time too. Not an hour before the mailman knocked on my door, I had heard the song Christmas in Dixie (Mom's favorite) and was missing Mom so much. And then this hug from heaven...and from you arrived. So timely. And so appreciated. As are you!

P.S. Want to see a few more pics from my Hilton Head Writing Getaway last week? 

Great Bake-off Challenge, Round 3

Angie Hunt and I are back in our kitchens again, whipping up something yummy. And this week, we're baking gluten-free in honor of our pal and author Terri Blackstock and the rest of you dear souls who can't (or choose not to) eat wheat flour.

Angie's making French macarons and I'm baking some mouthwatering (or at least they look that way, we'll see) gluten-free brownies. So...may the best recipe win!

Join me back here tomorrow for an on-line taste test. But wait, I need volunteers! Sign up below and I'll send you a warm bite of brownie first thing in the morning. : )

Off to find my Hazelnut flour, AFTER getting more words on this next book!

Bake-off Challenge Part II - Caramel Cake Supreme

Author and buddy Angela Hunt recently started her Lovin' Oven Blog which chronicles all the fabulous creations she's been baking. I've been following her and marveling (and drooling) over her recipes. The breads especially. I love bread. It's at the top of my personal food pyramid, for sure––wait, make that the bottom half––as are the sweeter tastes in fare.

I made a Creamy Praline Pecan Pie (below, left)then challenged her to a bake-off, throwing down the baking mitten, which she promptly snatched up, accepted the offer and made this wondrous creation below, a Tuxedo Cake!

Wondering what I should bake next, I read a comment from a reader on my facebook page (waving to you sweet Stacey Daniels) about her mother's decadent Caramel Cake and––BING!––I knew what was next on my list to make. #1 because she said it was fabulous (and she wasn't lyin'!), and #2 because I'd never made a Caramel Cake before. However, I have made caramels and divinity so knew what I was in far. Sort of. LOL!

The homemade cake in this recipe is one of the best I've tasted. So delicate and moist, and not overly sweet. It's definitely a batter I'll use again even when not making the Caramel Cake.

So, for starters, I creamed the sugar and crisco...

Then added the milk and egg yolks, beating well. Then I beat the separate egg whites until stiff...

And folded them in...

Like I said above, these cakes turned out beautifully. So flaky and just a great "soft old-fashioned" cake.

Next came making the burnt caramel icing. Mmmm.... But! you know those disclaimers they put on commercials were a professional driver is road racing, like: "PROFESSIONAL DRIVER! CLOSED ROADWAY! DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS AT HOME." That's what someone should've told me so I would've been more cautious. LOL! So a word to the wise, do not answer your cell phone during this stage. Do not pause to let your dog go outside because he sees a squirrel and is going berserk! Do not do anything but mind this icing. Just sayin'...

Put the butter, sugar and milk into a pot and melt. Bring to a boil. Meanwhile, melt 1/2 cup sugar slowly in a small saucepan until it's gold and syrupy, then add it to the milk mixture. Boil the icing until soft ball stage (about 240 degrees F).

Then pour into a glass bowl, add your vanilla and whip with a mixer until spreading consistency.

I'd done a little reading on the internet about making a Caramel Cake and everyone said that this stage was the trickiest. And it is...as you'll see by my cake below. But hey, we're friends, right? We can be real with each other? : )

If the mixture gets too thick as you're working with it, you can add a touch of cream to thin it back out. But a warning, don't add too much. Like I did. You can add more but you can't take it back. Words to live (and cook) by...

And the final product...tada!

Certainly not Southern Living worthy but oh, does it taste delicious! And I put it on one of my sweet mother's favorite cake plates no less. She loved square cake plates and I love them too. I'll admit, I've got LOTS of cake plates. Love them. Collect them. And use them often just to spruce up normal everyday dishes. Kind of like I drink my sweet tea from a wine glass. They don't call it the Wine of the South for nothing. 

Oh yum, this cake is delicious, and the recipe follows below with permission of Pam Sanders, Stacey Daniel's mom.

And now, Ms. Hunt, the baking mitten is back in your court––or kitchen! What are you making next? Something sweet, I hope. I think next week, we should turn to homemade breads and rolls. Something yummy for Thanksgiving!

So...what do y'all think? 

CARAMEL CAKE

Pam Sanders (via Stacey Daniels)

1 cup Crisco
1 cup milk
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cup plain flour
1 1/2 cup self-rising flour
4 eggs (separated)

Cream shortening and sugar. Add egg yolks one at a time. Slowly add flour
and milk alternately. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold in mixture. Bake
in 3 greased and floured cake pans until done at 350 degrees.

Burnt Caramel Icing
3 cups sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 stick butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Put 3 cups sugar, milk, and butter in large boiler. Bring to a boil and let
cook on medium heat. As soon as mixture starts to boil, heat small fry pan
and sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar slowly into pan as you stir and it melts to a
golden syrupy color. 

Add to milk mixture that is on medium heat and stir until boils again. Test mixture for soft ball stage. When reached, pour mixture into large glass bowl, add vanilla, and  mix with electric beaters until  consistency is ready for icing cake layers.  Enjoy!

Let the Great Bake-off begin!

Last week I posted a recipe for a Creamy Praline Pecan Pie I'd made and then challenged Angie Hunt––gourmet baker that she is––to reciprocate with a recipe. And she did. Today! Let the bakin' begin, honey. How fun!

More to come on this...  And just in time for the holidays. 

Crusin' with some writing buddies

I had the awesome privilege of traveling with a group of my writing buddies last week, and we had a marvelous time. Here's a quick glimpse of our capers at sea.

(The full album––and I do mean full––can be viewed on my Facebook Page!)

Me and Robin Lee Hatcher, my rooming buddy

Colleen Coble and husband Dave as the ship was about to set sail

Rene Gutteridge and Susan Meissner, dining partners one evening

Robin and her Minnie Mouse Wedding Ears 

(more info on this in the Facebook Album)

(Robin is flanked by the lovely Colleen Coble (L) and Denise Hunter (R)

Trish Perry, Virginia Smith, Gayle Roper, Robin and me

Delicious "views" of the food

Isn't it amazing what creations the chefs come up with?

And lastly, me and Robin with Terri Blackstock

As fun as it was to travel, I'm thrilled to be back home and writing again. And to be stateside as A Lasting Impression hits the shelves! Hope you enjoy this first Belmont Mansion novel, and I'd love to hear from you once you've read it!