Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Healing Love

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Healing Love, the first in the new series, The Amish of Webster County, by Laura V. Hilton.  To celebrate this tour, Laura is giving away a basket of goodies, on her blog, all comments left on this blog or on her blog during the blog tour (November 1 -22nd) will be entered for the drawing of the Grate-Fall Basket.  Click on the link below the picture to go to Laura's blog to learn more about the participants and to enter the giveaway.  Don't forget a comment here also will give you an entry.  This book was provided by Whitaker House for review purposes, Blog Tour promoted by LovenGod Promotions.

                                                             Laura V. Hilton's Blog

Kristi Lapp loves her Amish life. She enjoys her job as a midwife, helping women through their pregnancies and assisting with the birth of their boppli (babies) into the world. But her life is changed forever when a speeding car sends her buggy over the edge of the highway and down a steep embankment, leaving her seriously injured.

Her recovery is slow and she is left with a painful leg and bad limp. The only bright spot she can see in her life is the fact that she was rescued by local veterinarian, Shane Zimmerman. A man that just happens to be her next door neighbor. Kristi finds herself falling for the handsome vet from the moment she sees him. But the fact that he is Englisch and she is Amish is a hurdle she sees no way to overcome. She must marry an Amish man. Her family will accept nothing less. But how will she ever reconcile herself to another relationship when her heart is lost to Shane?

Shane Zimmerman, still grieving from the tragic death of his pregnant wife, moves to Webster county to begin life anew. No woman has turned his head since his wife's passing. . .until he rescues Kristi Lapp. The beautiful Amish woman captures his every thought from the first. 

He realizes that the time has come for him to acknowledge that his heart is ready to move on. But a warning from Kristi's father to stay away from her leaves him torn between his respect for her father and the longing in his heart to love Kristi. He knows that he must trust God to find a way if the two of them are meant to be.

His own father left the Amish life many years ago to marry. It would take a leap of faith on Shane's part to leave behind his Englisch life. Will his prayers reveal that God is calling him back to his Amish roots? 

You will love Kristi and Shane from the start as they deal with the love that they have for each other, and their struggle to trust God to show them the path He has for them to take. 

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Pumpkins

Nothing says fall like pumpkins! I love their bright orangey colors and their sometimes quirky shapes. The mini pumpkins make fantastic table decorations and the bigger ones give the porch a cheery look on a cool, cloudy afternoon.

For all their decorating potential, the thing we love most about pumpkins, around here. . .is eating them:) Below is our favorite pumpkin muffin recipe. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Muffins

2 cups all purpose flour                                1/4 cup softened butter
2 teaspoons baking powder                        1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon                       1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt                                         1 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger                          1/2 cup of milk
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg                         1/4 cup of coconut oil or corn oil
1/8 teaspoon of cloves

Heat oven to 350. Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. In another bowl, beat together butter and sugar until creamy. Add egg, pumpkin, milk, and oil. Beat on high speed until mixture is light and fluffy. Stir in flour mixture just until moistened. Put in greased muffin tins and bake 24-30 minutes. Watch carefully if your oven cooks hot. Makes one dozen muffins.