Firefly Cove | January Book Club

FIREFLY COVE

I've got ten (10) hard-back copies to GIVE AWAY! Write to me at D@Delilah.com and tell me why you'd like one! Be sure to provide your snail-mailing address so I can ship it to you if you're chosen!

We've rung in the New Year, and I stayed up until midnight "just for fun."  Last week I was up waaaay past the clock striking twelve but it was because there were so many things to be done; pies and cookies to bake, gifts to be wrapped, and last minute footed pajamas to be found and rush ordered...

And between these weeks? There were books to read! Glorious, lose yourself in the story, make the world go away, introduce me to new and wonderful character, books!

Among my favorites, and the one I chose for Delilah's January Book Club, is Firefly Cove by Davis Bunn. In it, we go back to Miramar Bay, the setting of Bunn's previous novel (If you haven't read it, pick up BOTH books!) and get to know Lucius Quarterfield. 

Lucius was born dying. The poor kid wasn't expected to make it long because of his "bad ticker." Perhaps it was because he knew he had to cram a whole lifetime in whatever time he had, but Lucius was a determined kid, who became a focused teen, who turned into a  successful entrepreneur with 11 car-dealerships to his name at the ripe "old" age of  28...

Alas, it seems as though the end really IS in sight and however many minutes, days, weeks or whatever Lucius had left, he was determined to spend it near the only person who had had ever really captivated his weak, irregular, imperfect heart; Jessica.

"A novel rich with rediscovery... Readers will be particularly swept away."
Publishers Weekly.

This novel is one that will draw you in and have you rooting for love no matter how cynical you've become. It's about first, second, and last chances, it's about hanging on and letting go.

Pick up Firefly Cove by Davis Bunn at AMAZON, and while you're there, buy Miramar Bay too!

Happy New Year, my book loving friends. I hope 2018 is filled with kindness, love, and book after beautiful book. Start it off with Firefly Cove!

New Year's Day Brunch Menu & Recipes for 8

We all have our "go to" resources, The Good Housekeeping All-American Cookbook ©1987, is mine. 

I was cruising through looking for ideas this holiday season, when I landed on their New Years Brunch menu, for a group of 8.  To make it an extra special spread, for an extra special day, the menu suggest 3 different fruit juices, blueberry muffins AND coffee cake, and two-melon granitas.

Here's the entire menu and accompanying recipes for you to pick and choose from:

Fresh Fruit Juice
(orange, grapefruit & pineapple)
Country Brunch Pancakes
Breakfast Sausage Patties
Party Creamy Eggs
Blueberry Muffins
Pecan-Curmb Coffee cakes
Two-Melon Granita
Tropical Fruits
Coffee

---

PLANNING AHEAD

2 days ahead - Bake muffins and coffee cake. Make and freeze granita - soften to scoop, arrange scoops in bowl, then refreeze.

1 day ahead - Prepare fresh juices. Make sausage patties and pancake batter; cover and refrigerate.

Early in Day - Slice fruits and arrange on plate; refrigerate until ready to serve. Fry bacon and sausage patties; keep warm in oven, Make fig-maple syrup.

1 hour ahead - Make pancakes; arrange with sausage patties and keep warm in oven. Prepare mushrooms, avocados, and smoked salmon; begin cooking eggs; add bacon to accompaniments. heat muffins if you like.

---

RECIPES

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2/3 cups sugar
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 Tablespoons butter
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon grated lemo peel
• 1/2 teasoon vnilla extract
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease muffin-pan cups.
2. In bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
3. With pastry blender or 2 knives used scissor-fashion, cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs.
4. In small bowl, beat eg, ilk, lemon,peel, and vanilla extract until blended.
5. Stir egg mixture into flour mixture just util flour is moistened (batter will be lump.) Fold blueberries into batter. Spoon batter into muffin pan cups.
6. Bake 20-25 minutes until golden and toothpick inserted in center come out clean. Immediately remove muffins from pan. Serve warm or cool muffins on wire rack to serve later; reheat if desired.

PECAN-CRUMB COFFEE CAKES

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup pecan halves, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cups quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup milk

Directions:

1. In medium bowl with fork, stir brown sugar, cinnamon and flour. With pastry blender, or two knives used scissor fashion, cut in 1/3 cup butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles large crumbs. Stir in the chopped pecans; set aside.
2. Grease and flour two 8x8 baking pans. Preheat oven to 375 F.
3. In large bowl, mix sugar, oats, baking powder, salt, and 3 cups all purpose flour. With pastry blender or cut in remaining 2/3 cups butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
4. In medium bowl with fork, beat eggs with mild until blended; stir into flour mixture just until flour is moistened. Spoon batter evenly into pans. Evenly sprinkle pecan mixture on top of the coffee cakes. 
5. Bake 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool coffee cakes in an on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans. Serve warm. Or, to serve later, wrap cakes with foil and reheat in 375 F oven 35 minutes.

TWO-MELON GRANITAS

Ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• 1cup sugar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 ripe small cantaloupe (about 2lbs)
• 1 rip small honeydew melon (about 2lbs)
• Mint leaves for garnish

Directions:

1. In small saucepan over high heat, heat water and sugar to boiling. Reduce heat to medium, cook 5 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in lemon juice.
2. Cut cantaloupe into chunks. In blender at medium speed or in food processor with knife blade attached, blend cantaloupe until smooth.; pour mixture into 8 by 8 baking pan. Repeat process with honeydew melon; pour into another 8x8 baking pan.
3. Pour half of sugar mixture into each baking pan; stir until well mixed; cover pans with foil or plastic wrap and freeze melon mixture until firm, about 5 hours, stirring occasionally so mixture freezes evenly.
4. To serve, let the granitas stand oat room temperature about 3 minutes to soften slightly. With spoon, scrape across the surface of granitas in pans to create a pebbly texture. Soon some cantaloupe granita and some honeydew granita into each of 12 chilled dessert bowls. Garnish with the fresh mint leaves. 

BREAKFAST SAUSAGE PATTIES

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs pork shoulder blade roast - boneless cut into 1" cubes.
• 1/4 cup shopped parsley
• 21/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. With food grinder using coarse cutting disk, rind cubed pork into large bowl.
2. Add the chopped parsley, salt, rubbed sage, and peper; mix well. Shape the mat mixture into patties.
3. In 12 inch skillet oer medium low heat, cook the patties about 25 minutes or until they are browned and well done.
4. Carefully turn the patties occasionally with pancake turner to ensure thy cook and brown evenly. Serve patties immediately.

COUNTRY BRUNCH PANCAKES WITH FIG MAPLE SYRUP

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 3 Tablespoons sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda'1/2 cup milk
• 1 8oz container creamed cottage cheese
• 3 eggssgjt;u beaten
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• Salad oil

Directions:

1. In large bowl, mix flour ad next 4 ingredients. Add milk, cottage cheese, eggs, and lemon juice; stir just until flour in moistened.
2.  Heat griddle or skillet over medium heat until drop of water sizzles; brush lightly with salad oil. Pour batter by scant 1/4 cupfuls onto hot griddle, making a few pancakes at a time; cook until tops are bubbly and bubbles burst;  edges with look dry. With pancake turner, turn and cook the pancakes until the undersides are golden; place on warm platter; keep pancakes warm.
3. Repeat until batter is used, brushing griddle with more salad oil if necessary. Serve with Fig-Maple syrup

Fig Maple Syrup: In 1 quart saucepan over high heat, heat 1 1/2 cups maple or maple-flavor syrup., 1/2 cup dried figs, finely chopped 4 Tablespoons butter, and 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel to boiling; reduce heat to low and simmer 3 to 4 minutes; keep warm.

Tropical Fruits: Mangoes, Persimmons, Papaya, Kiwi Fruits. Peeled and sliced. Arrange on a platter in a visually appealing way. 

PARTY CREAMY EGGS

Ingredients:

• 3 8oz packages of thick-sliced bacon
• Seasoned Avocados
• Sauteed Herbed Mushrooms
• 14 eggs
• 1/4 tablespoon pepper
• 6 Tablespoons butter
• 2 3oz packages of cream cheese, diced
• 3 3oz packages of sliced smoked salmon

Instructions:

1. Cook Bacon:

• Arrange bacon slices, overlapping slightly, on rack in broiling pan.
• Place about 5 inches from source of heat; broil bacon at 300F 10-15 minutes until golden.
• Turn bacon, separating slices.
• Broil about 10 minutes longer or until bacon is browned and crisp.
• Remove to paper towels to drain; keep warm.
• Meanwhile, prepare Seasoned Avocados; cover and refrigerate, stirring occasionally.

2. Prepare sauteed mushrooms; keep warm

3. Prepare cream-cheese scrambled eggs.

• In large bowl with fork, beat eggs and pepper until just blended. 
• In 12 inch skillet over medium high heat, melt butter. 
• Add egg mixture. As egg mixture begins to set stir slightly so uncooked egg flows to bottom
• When eggs are partially cooked, add diced cream cheese.
• Continue cooking until egg mixture is set but still moist.
• Remove from heat.
• To serve, spoon mixture into warm bowl, place on large platter. Arrange seasoned Avocados, sauteed mushrooms, bacon strips and smoked salmon around eggs on platter.

Seasoned Avocados:

In medium bowl mix 1T sugar, 3T white wine vinegar, 2T salad oil, 1T chopped parsley, and 3/4 t salt. Peel and remove seed from 2 large avocados. Cut avocados lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1/4" thick slices. Add avocado and 1 2-oz jar of sliced pimentos, drained, to dressing in bowl; toss to coat well with dressing. Makes 2 cups.

Great Pet Products | Whistle & iFetch

It's no secret how much I love animals, and if you love your pets as much as I love mine, they'll be included on your holiday shopping list this year. Here's a couple of suggestions:

Not long ago, my lab went missing and for a bit I thought we'd never see him again. He eventually came home, and soon after I got the Whistle 3 GPS Pet Tracker and now I always know where he, and the rest of my furry buddies are!

• Whistle 3 connects to your pet's collar
• Receive fast alerts when your pet leaves it's home turf
• Pinpoint and track  your pet nationwide from your smartphone
• Reduce time searching for your pets!

Get (or give) the #1 device that's keeping more pets safe, and save $30 by using code DELILAH upon checkout at Whistle.com.

Learn more about Whistle 3 GPS Pet Tracker HERE.

---

My dogs love the award-winning iFetch ball launchers and yours will too!

This interactive ball launcher will be your dog's new friend. Train your dog to drop the iFetch ball into the IFetch and watch them retrieve over and over again. My kids love to use this with our mutts!

Find the best model for your pets HERE.

• Great mental and physical stimulation for your dog
• Choose from three models
• Programmable distance setting on iFetch and iFetch Too models

Save $30 off (1) iFetch product now at GoiFetch.com.
Use coupon code DELILAH at checkout.

Wishing you and your pets a healthy, happy, holiday season!

Love,  Delilah

A Season of Giving | Balsam Hill Donates to Point Hope

Christmas is one of the best times of year to lend a helping hand to those in need. In keeping with the spirit of the season, and on behalf of Point Hope, I'm thrilled to partner with Balsam Hill, a company that is not only the leading provider of premium realistic artificial trees, but also one that places high value on giving back to the community.

This December 7 through January 8, Balsam Hill will be launching its annual “A Season of Giving” philanthropic campaign. For each engagement on campaign-related posts social media, they will be matching with a donation for five participating charitable organizations while encouraging others to help spread awareness about each worthy cause.

The participating charities include; the Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Idaho, JDRF of Minnesota, Enchanted Makeovers, Point Hope, and Reba’s Ranch House, with each to be featured on the Balsam Hill Facebook page, blog, and Philanthropy page.

Every share, comment, or Facebook reaction is equivalent to a dollar amount, and Balsam Hill will tally all the engagements and donate corresponding funds to each organization.

This is not the first giving campaign where Balsam Hill has made Point Hope a benefactor of their philanthropic work. I can't express my gratitude to Balsam Hill, and all the really beautiful and giving people within the organization for inviting us to participate in their "A Season of Giving" campaign.

Please help spread the word and join us in supporting Point Hope and their mission to be a voice for forgotten children.

Visit the Point Hope page, and Balsam Hill's blog and Facebook page to learn more!

Recipes | Better with Borden® Cheese

Get all the delicious recipes from Borden® Cheese HERE

My awesome sponsor, Borden® Cheese, is THE place to go for the most incredible, cheesy recipes! They generously send me selections to share with you in my newsletter, and here on my web page, and have dozens more on their site www.BordenCheese.com.

Take a look and see how these might fit into your winter meal planning and make sure to visit Borden® Cheese for more gooey goodness!

---

Cheesy Sausage Vegetable Soup

This hearty meat,vegetable and cheeeeezy soup, looks especially satisfying for a cold and crisp, (or more likely wet and dreary,) day. I'll try it if you will!

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 lb. sausage links, cut into ½ inch-thick slices
• 2 large yellow onions, chopped
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 lbs. zucchini, diced
• 4 to 5 large carrots, cut into thin slices
• 2 tbsp. Borden® Butter
• 3 tbsp. flour
• 2 cans (12 oz. each) chicken or beef broth
• 1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
• 1½ cups Borden® Cheese Finely Shredded Mild Cheddar Shreds

Directions:

1. HEAT oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add sausage; cook and stir until browned. Remove sausage from skillet and keep warm. Add onions and garlic to skillet and cook until onions are tender. Stir in zucchini and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are crisp-tender; set aside.
2. MELT butter in a large saucepan. Whisk in flour until it forms a paste. Add the broth a little at a time, whisking after each addition until the mixture is smooth. Bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and stir in the evaporated milk and 1 cup cheese. Continue cooking, stirring continuously, until the cheese has melted. Stir in the reserved sausage and vegetable mixture.  
3. TOP with remaining ½ cup cheese before serving.
4. VARIATIONS:
   Add 1 head of chopped cabbage; or add 2 bunches of torn Swiss chard, torn spinach into the soup when you stir in the cheese.

---

Cheesy Flatbread Pizza

MmMm! I'm all about this recipe! Perfect for every holiday get-together, there won't be a cheesy slice left! Visit Borden® Cheese for more fantasically cheesy recipes and ideas!

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. olive oil, plus a small amount for brushing
• 1 pkg. (8 oz.) Borden® Cheese Mild Cheddar Shreds
• 8 strips thick sliced bacon, cooked crisp and broken into 1-inch pieces
• 4 whole garlic cloves, sliced
• 4 plum tomatoes, sliced
• ½ red onion, cut in strips
• ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley

Directions:

1. PREHEAT oven to 400°F.
2. BRUSH the bread with a small amount of olive oil and place on cookie sheet. Spread 1½ cups cheese evenly around the bread. Top evenly with bacon pieces.
3. HEAT 1 tbsp. olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat until hot. Add the sliced garlic cloves and sauté until lightly browned. Sprinkle onto the pizza. Arrange sliced tomatoes and red onions over the pizza.
4. ADD parsley to the remaining ½ cup cheese and spread over other ingredients.
5. BAKE for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut into squares and serve immediately.  Garnish with fresh basil leaves, if desired.

---

Elsie's Mac and Cheese

Oh my word has it been windy at the farm! The kids are blowing in from school, cold and hungry! Absolutely nothing does the trick this time of year better than (my) original comfort food, mac'n cheese!

And Elsie's Mac and Cheese from Borden® Cheese is THE best! Warm, and smooth, and oh-so-cheesy, it's like a big, delicious hug!

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups Borden® Cheese Triple Cheddar Shreds
• 1 cup Borden® Cheese Colby & Monterey Jack Shreds
• 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni noodles
• 2 tbsp. Borden® butter
• 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup Borden® Vitamin D Milk
• 1 cup Borden® Half & Half
• ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper (or to taste)
• ½ tsp. black pepper
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. PREHEAT oven to 350°F.  Spray a 1½-quart casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Combine cheeses in a medium bowl and set aside.
2. COOK macaroni in boiling salted water according to package directions; drain well and set aside.
3. MEANWHILE, melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Blend in flour, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly. Gradually whisk in milk and half & half. Stir constantly, until mixture boils and thickens (about 2 to 3 minutes). Remove from heat and add cayenne and black peppers, and 2 cups of the reserved cheese mixture; stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth.
4. STIR cooked macaroni into the sauce and season to taste. Place in the prepared casserole dish. Top with remaining ½ cup of cheese and dot with additional butter, if desired. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through and lightly browned.

And don't feed it all to the kids, us parents need some cheesy comfort too!

Get more delicious recipes from Borden® Cheese HERE

A SIMPLIFIED LIFE | DECEMBER BOOK CLUB

I speak to you about finding your serenity often. The holidays are the most trying of times to do this, and yet, if you are to "survive" them, or at least come out in the New Year relatively unscathed by the craziness of the months preceding, serenity (sanity!) is exactly what you must find!

Enter my December Book Club pick, A Simplified Life: Tactical Tools for Intentional Living, by Emily Ley.

For those of you longing to simplify the demands on your time, energy, and resources, those with complicated responsibilities, overwhelming to-do lists, and endless clutter that leaves you feeling overwhelmed, THIS is the resource you've been looking for.

Busy wife, mom, entrepreneur, and bestselling author Emily Ley knows how you feel. With a growing family, increased work demands, and more, she understands the struggle it is to keep the plates spinning.

In A Simplified Life, you’ll find Emily’s strategies, systems, and methods for permanently clearing the clutter, organizing your priorities, and living intentionally in 10 key areas—from your home and meal planning, to style and finances, parenting, faith life, and more. Emily will show you how to truly make the most of your days with realistic, achievable, and tactical tools.

“If you can’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of anyone else!”

Walk alongside Emily through each page of the book, working through her simple strategies toward your own goals as you simplify and make space for what matters most.

Know other busy, hassled, and harried folks striving to "do it all?" What a nice little gift for company, book club, coffee klatch, or church group gift exchanges! A great stocking stuffer... might I suggest the PERFECT gift to give oneself? The gift of A Simplified Life!

A Few of My Favorite Things | New Christmas Music!

Here comes Santa Claus with his sleigh full of musical gifts!

There are so many great Christmas albums out this year, and I'll be playing selections from each on the air.  Here's a sampling of some of my favorites:

 

Five For Fighting | Christmas Where You Are

Five For Fighting's new single, Christmas Where You Are, ft. Jim Brickman is special. Very special. Exceptionally special. Why? It honors our troops. Those whom I am so dearly fond of, who stand up and say "I will" protect our country, protect our people, protect our freedoms. These are the same men and women who very often find themselves separated from family and loved ones at Christmas and other holidays. 

Listen to Christmas Where You Are.
(But grab a tissue before you do!)

BUY THE SINGLE

---

for King & Country | Christmas, LIVE from Phoenix. 

If you don't know about for KING & COUNTRY, you should! This incredibly famous Christian pop duo, who credit U2, OneRepublic, the Beatles and Goo Goo Dolls as influences, have an awesome sound. Their version of The Little Drummer Boy is unique and amazing! A great stocking stuffer for music lovers on your list.  Available now everywhere.

LISTEN to Little Drummer Boy

BUY THE ALBUM

---

Holidays Rule | Volume 2  

Collaboration is a beautiful thing. Especially so when it comes to great artists and lovely music! A new album from Capitol records, Holidays Rule, Volume 2, is today’s artists with wonderfully fresh takes on holiday classics. A joyful and diverse collection of seasonal music featuring an array of superstars including Paul McCartney with his spirited new version of Wonderful Christmastime featuring, Jimmy Fallon and The Roots! Interested now, aren't you?! 

BUY THE ALBUM

---

Lindsey Stirling | Warmer in the Winter

Do you remember when dancer/performance artist/violinist, Lindsey Stirling, visited the farm earlier this year? She was so delightful and while she was there, became a 'mother' to a brand new baby goat we named "Stirling" in her honor! Lindsey has a new holiday CD, Warmer In The Winter.

The album features renditions of holiday classics like Jingle Bells, the gorgeous Angels We Have Heard On High, and a playful You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch. And, on her newly penned original, Christmas C'Mon she teams up with guest vocalist, Becky G!!

You can catch Lindsey on tour by following this link:  TOUR

BUY THE ALBUM

---

Pentatonix | A Pentatonix Christmas Deluxe

Take one listen to Away in a Manger and you'll know that Pentatonix has done it yet again. The incredible harmonies and sound effects that define this group is still hauntingly beautiful. I could listen to them all day and all night! The new Deluxe album features Jennifer Hudson on How Great Thou Art.

Don't miss their holiday special, Monday, November 27th at 10pm ET/PT on NBC! 

BUY THE ALBUM

---

SIA | Every Day is Christmas

The fun and talented Sia gifts us with her brand new holiday album, Every Day is Christmas! For those who crave a little new with all the old classics, this is the album for you. SIA has written and composed  modern-day holiday songs that will be the next generations classics like Santa’s Coming For Us, Candy Cane Lane, Sunshine, and the so-adorable-it-can’t-be-real, Puppies Are Forever. 

BUY THE ALBUM

---

Train | Christmas in Tahoe DELUXE

One of my favorite bands is back this year with a DELUXE version of their holiday album Christmas in Tahoe. With 17 tracks on the album, there are old and new favorites.

Run Run Rudolph and Blue Christmas, This Christmas, and Shake up Christmas are all included as well as bonus tracks like, Please Come Home for Christmas.

Put a little Christmas Train under your tree!

BUY THE ALBUM

---

Trolls | Trolls Holiday  

Troll lo lo lo lo, lo lo, lo lo... Trolls are back this sparkling season with a brand new holiday album and TV show, Trolls Holiday. The seven-track album features musical performances from the entire cast. The gang is all back including Anna Kendrick as Poppy, Justin Timberlake as Branch, and Zooey Deschanel as Bridget. Trolls Holiday is available everywhere right now!

LISTEN TO CLIPS &
BUY THE ALUBM

Trolls Holiday, the show, will premiere Friday, November 24th, on NBC.

WONDER | November Book Club

WONDER | November Book Club
by R.J. Palacio
Now a major motion picture

WATCH THE TRAILER

If they are going to start making movies like this, we are going to have to replace our definition of Real - vs - Hollywood.

WONDER, the movie, is based on the New York Times bestseller of the same name by R.J. Palacio. It is the story of an ordinary boy born into an unordinary body; one with facial differences that required multiple surgeries and kept him out of mainstream school settings until now.

When Auggie enters the %th grade at Beacher Prep, he becomes the most unlikely of heroes as his new classmates, and the community at large, struggle to find their compassion and acceptance. Auggie's extraordinary journey unites the community and proves that,

“You can’t blend in when you were born to stand out.”

WONDER will be in theaters on November 17th. It has a fantastic cast starring many of my favorites; Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, Jacob Tremblay, Mandy Patinkin, Daveed Diggs and Izabela Vidovic. 

Hollywood just got real.  

BUY THE BOOK

From Tricks to Tinsel, Mantle Makeover Giveaway with Balsam Hill

Balsam Hill approached me this year with the idea of giving away some quality, realistic foliage that will take your mantle from Halloween through New Year's by swapping out a variety of accessories and timely seasonal pieces. Wreath, garland, candles and candle sticks can remain in place looking splendid throughout.

We paired up on "From Tricks to Tinsel, Mantle Make-Over Sweepstakes" where you can enter to win:

A White Berry Cypress Wreath and Garland (pre-lit,)
Set of 3 Faux Bois candle sticks in walnut, and
Three Miracle Flame Wax Pillar Candles.
Arms Full of Love, book by Delilah
Autographed photo of Delilah

Check out the inspiration photos at top to see how you might integrate your win with other fabulous Balsam Hill items to create a mantle that says WOW (or meow - your choice!)

Balsam Hill is the leader in realistic artificial Christmas Trees, beautiful spring florals and fall decor. Be sure to check out all their quality offerings at BalsamHill.com.

ENTER THE SWEEPSTAKES NOW

Same Kind of Different as Me | October Book Club

October Book Club | Same Kind of Different As Me
by Ron Hall & Denver Moore

BUY THE BOOK

On February 1, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln approved the Joint Resolution of Congress submitting the proposed 13th amendment, which formally abolished slavery in the United States, to the state legislatures.

Astonishingly, entire families were held virtual captive in rural areas of the south, made to pick cotton, clean houses, take punishments and abuse, and live in squalid conditions for a nearly a century more; in rare cases up until the 1960’s!

In Same Kind of Different As Me, you’ll meet Denver, a man raised under this type of plantation-style slavery in Louisiana in the 1960s. He escaped, but what does a man unused to the modern world, and bitter to the soul do with his new-found freedom? He wandered, homeless, angry, and hostile, for 18 years in Dallas, Texas. 

You’ll also meet Ron, and international arts dealer, who’s lived a life so completely opposite that of Denver, that it’s difficult to mention them in the same breath.

And then there is Deborah, Ron’s wife, who is currently being held by a different hostage-taker, cancer.

How they all come together is, of course, a God thing. Deborah believed in the power of prayer, and listened intently for direction from God. She obeyed what she believe He was telling her to do, and charges her husband to rescue a dangerous homeless man… Thus an unlikely trio was formed.

Same Kind of Different As Me is the emotional tale of their story: a telling of pain and laughter, doubt and tears, a story of how one woman’s faith and trust in GOD saved a life.

Now an inspirational film with the all-star cast of Greg Kinnear, Renee Zellweger, Djimon Hounsou, and Jon Voight, you can pick up the book at any booksellers, and find the movie in theaters on Oct 20th. 
 

WATCH THE TRAILER