Abi of Cyrene, Second Post. Conclusion of Chapter One

“Abi,” a girl’s voice whispered with the sound of excitement.

Realizing she had forgotten to breathe, Abi released a sigh as she unlatched the door. She cracked it only enough to look out. The young women she’d danced with the previous evening stood huddled in the corridor.

“We’re going out to the mound.”

“Ahh.” Abi sheathed her knife.

“Come with us,” Leah, who had replaced Abi as the natural leader of the group of young soldiers in training, said. “This will be your last time.”

Barefoot, Abi sprang into the middle of the senior group of thirty-six soldiers in training. Making no more commotion than a wave of a shadow passing in the night, the student archers glided down the hall to a back entrance.

Rigid as a stone pillar, the guard stood next to the door. In a single file, the young women passed him.

Within a few moments, they left the Candace’s dwelling. Having paused to pull their garments through their belts, the barefoot archers stepped along the walkway of stones arranged along a path behind the Candace’s compound and to the north gate of Meroe.

What could be better than the opportunity to celebrate the end of the rainy season with her former comrades? She wasn’t tired anymore.

The guard blocked their exit from the gate. “Go back where you belong.”

“We go to worship.”

Without another word, he stepped back.

The girls snickered. No doubt the warrior maidens could defend themselves against anything, including the guard.

Holding hands in groups of threes and fours, they followed the path, now nothing more than a muddy rut, to the open field, where a plateau-like embankment the size of the space occupied by the Candace’s mansion stood in the center. Tall as a man, the mound had slanted sides reinforced by stones.

One at a time they climbed the steps on the south side and formed a line near the edge until every girl was on the mound.

“Listen,” Leah said.

With their weapons and skill, they could fight off anything that dared come near. The Nubian archers didn’t fret about the wild creatures of the night, but as intelligent warriors, they practiced discretion.

After lingering several moments in the night with no sounds except those of peaceful birds, insects, and frogs, each girl called out her own name.

“Thirty-seven.” Esther, who had counted, announced.

“Thirty-seven,” the others said.

The pomegranate moon, which was the fourth full moon to pass over the island of Meroe since the commencement of the rainy season, filled the sky on the clear night. Soon they were dancing in a circle and weaving among themselves.

“Defy the rabbi!” Leah shouted.

“Thanks be to Adonai,” they chanted.

On and on and on the night wore as the moon spread above them. Abi immersed herself in the building euphoria. “Thanks for bringing us through another season of rain. Please keep your eyes upon us in the dry time ahead.”

Praises chanted without reservation swelled through the night.

Abi lost all her apprehension about her future, forgot her struggles with her father, quit caring about whether she could attract a wealthy man. Spinning and weaving through the group, she felt lighter each time she made a circle along the edge of the mound. The exhilaration of praise to the Lord of Hosts filled her being.

The musk of unidentified beasts of the darkness blended with the sweat-challenged incense of the Nubian girls. The dancers led Abi toward the center of the mound. When she reached the middle, they released their grip and locked their arms together. Staggering now that she was disconnected from them, she took a moment to regain her balance.

Dazed, she watched the archers whirl in a circle around her. They released their grip on each other and stretched to the edge of the mound. In rhythm, they returned to her.

“We know you will leave us soon, dear sister, but we don’t know how far you will go.” Leah spoke for the group. “Wherever you go, our prayers will go with you.”

Esther said, “You are not supposed to—”

“Hush, Esther,” Leah scolded. “The Rabbi isn’t God.”

Silence fell over the girls as they stood with their arms uplifted.

What felt like minutes to Abi passed, as the young women spoke, sang, and danced dedicating her to Adonai’s care. They threw themselves into joyous praise for the end of the rain and finally offered a song of boundless joy to Adonai.

The moon slid away from the top of the mound. Esther said, “We need to go back.”

They returned to the back courtyard, where urns full of water awaited them. Quiet with light motions, they rinsed away the mud.

“Come to our sleeping hall,” Leah said.

Abi followed them.

They closed the door. Each girl came to her with a whisper and a hug.

“You’re going to marry the handsome prince who came here yesterday. I just know.”

“After tomorrow we may never see you again. Go with God.”

Streams of tears flowing softly down her cheeks, Abi crept back to her tiny chamber.

Abi of Cyrene, The Beginning of Chapter One

Sharing with you the beginning of Abi of Cyrene:

Part One: Meroe Two Decades after the Beginning of the First Millennium

Chapter One

The Sisterhood

Elbows on the table and head in her palms, Abi jerked when Leah nudged her. “Wake up, Abi Zuri.”

“Huh? Oh.” Abi placed her hands in her lap. Everyone expected her to follow the decorum required in the side room, where the food resembled that of the Candace’s dining hall. “My apologies.”

The chatter of her old friends came into her head as music, melancholic and sweet. At the end of dinner, however, Abi welcomed the solitude of the little room. She secured the door and placed Papa’s gold jewels inside a pouch, which she hung from her neck. If she lost the valuable jewelry, Papa would slowly torture her until she’d pray to die.

After extinguishing the oil lamp, she changed to a shift for sleeping and knelt on the stone floor. No words and no thoughts formed—nothing more than the presence of the Lord of Hosts. Even if she wasn’t supposed to talk to Adonai, she delighted in the Almighty’s closeness to her, a humble maiden.

Having climbed into the narrow bed, she arranged the bedcover. She found a comfortable position and let her mind float to the realm of dreams.

Tap, tap.

Quieter than her four-legged friends who shared her room at home, she sat up. Who knocked? As an outsider, she needed to be cautious. No longer did she have the protection of belonging to the corps of archers. If some man brutalized her and if she survived, she’d have no choice except to appeal to the Candace. The thought of torture clenched her insides.

In the black shadows, Abi reached for her belt. As soon as she secured it around her waist, she tucked her sling inside it and grasped her knife in her hand.

Tap, tap.

Hovering next to the wall, she crept to the side of the door. 

What Abi of Cyrene Is About

Soon Abi of Cyrene will be available as a Kindle book. Here's a brief synopsis:

In the Bible this character has no name, but we know who she is. In the last chapter of Romans, the Apostle Paul sends her a greeting because he loves her like his own mother. Simon, her husband, is the last person who performs an act of kindness for Christ before the crucifixion. Her two sons, Alexander and Rufus, appear to be leaders in the early church. It seems she spends her later years in Antioch, home of the first people called Christians.

History has remained silent about this astonishing woman. Abi of Cyrene, an imaginative novel about Simon’s wife, uncovers her life as it might have been.

Before moving to Cyrene, she is a young Nubian archer, living near the Nile in the ancient land of Nobatia. The name Abi, meaning her father, alludes to her greatest need, to be loved by a father. The man who contributed to her biological parentage beats and belittles her. Melech, a eunuch slave, loves her as a father should.

The rabbi in her hometown of Meroe tells Abi not to pray to the Father in Heaven because she is a woman. She prays anyway in every crisis, and she receives blessings. As life's journey takes her from one culture to the next, can her hopes be realized?

Jameson Gregg, Heroic Visionary

A shocking documentary about the chicken processing industry by Frontline can be viewed at the PBS website

Jameson Gregg has written a comic novel, LUCK BE A CHICKEN, in which he exposes the unsanitary conditions of chicken processing plants.

Read Jameson's book and watch this documentary for a new look at one of our nation's most popular foods.

Here's Jameson signing his book at the North Georgia Authors Guild event. He's the guy on the righthand side of the photo, and he's also my nephew

Free May 16-20, 2015:
A Prayer of Nehemiah, The Birth of Leadership

Thank you.

Thanks to the thousands of you who downloaded The Dream Bucket. Your help with this project exceeding my expectations. I hope you enjoy the book. You've given me incentive to continue with my next novel.

The Dream Bucket is # 1 on Amazon.com in its category.

Best Sellers in Historical Christian Romance Fiction

Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #146 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)
#1 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Religious & Inspirational Fiction > Christian > Romance > Historical
#2 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Religious & Inspirational Fiction > Christian > Historical

Thanks to all of you who plan to read this book I loved writing. God bless your Mother's Day.

My Gift to You -- The Dream Bucket or Something Else if You Prefer

May 8, 2015

Today is the first day of my Mother's Day #freebie gift to you. If you go to Amazon.com and click on The Dream Bucket, you can get it for free. If you already have it, I'd still love to give you a Mother's Day present. Drop me a note as a Facebook message, and I'll send you another gift as long as the supply lasts. I have several more great gifts.

There are no gifts attached, but you can help me celebrate Mother's Day by writing a review of The Dream Bucket on Amazon.com.

THE DREAM BUCKET:
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #737 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)
#5 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Religious & Inspirational Fiction > Christian > Romance > Historical
#14 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Religious & Inspirational Fiction > Christian > Historical

Ruth's Biscuits

My Sister Ruth Ishee's Biscuit Recipe

Ingredients
2 cups self-rising flour
2 tablespoons shortening
¾ cup milk (approximately) any kind of milk—buttermilk is good
More self-rising flour (about ¼ cup)
Non-stick cooking spray

Preparation
• Blend the shortening into the flour until it is in pieces about the size of small peas.
• Mix the milk into the flour.
• Make the mixture as moist as possible, and still have it in good condition to handle.
• Form the dough into a ball.
• Sprinkle flour on a cutting board; lift the dough onto the board.
• Flour your hands. Knead.
• Shape the dough into biscuits by rolling them in your hands. Place them in a greased pan.

Angel Biscuits

5 cups unsifted flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon soda
1 cup butter flavored shortening
3 tablespoons baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons warm water
2 cups buttermilk
1 package yeast

Dissolve the yeast in water. Stir dry ingredients together. Cut the shortening into the dry ingredients. Add the yeast. Stir the mix with sprightliness. Store the dough in a tightly closed plastic bag in the refrigerator. Pinch off portions and use as needed. Roll the dough into a thick layer onto a flour board. Cut them with a cutter. Bake in a greased pan at 400° for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Crawfish Étouffée (Light Version)

Crawfish Étouffée  (Smothered Crawfish) usually contains a blond (light) roux. This recipe uses cornstarch instead. It's a little easier to make, and the texture is lighter because it contains less butter. Cornstarch gives it an inviting, shiny appearance.

Serve this dish with rice. (Cook 1 cup rice with 2 cups water.)

Ingredients:
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 ribs celery
1 large green bell pepper
1 large purple onion
2 cloves garlic
1 pound Louisiana crawfish with fat
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more)
1 teaspoon creole seasoning
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup chopped green onions

Directions:

• Mince the garlic and finely chop the other vegetables.
• Place the butter and oil in a heavy duty skillet or dutch oven.
• Sauté all the vegetables except the green onions until tender.
• Add the crawfish and cook 10 minutes.
• Stir the cornstarch and seasonings in the water until thoroughly mixed.
• Add the conrstarch mixture and simmer for 10 more minutes.
• Stir in the green onions.

Old books never die. They just find new sellers on Amazon.

In 2006, I reworked for the third time my story and recipe cookbook called Flavored with Love, Mary Lou's Family and Friends Can Cook. The first two editions, done in a homespun fashion with spiral covers, sold as well as hotcakes at a benefit on a cold Saturday morning. Mostly my sister, Ruth Ishee, sold them throughout south Mississippi. She had contributed a large number of recipes and told me some of the stories included.

The third edition, which has a cool-looking cover but still has the same down-home style, has made a modest showing on Amazon. Since my sister's health has not allowed her to continue to sell  books and since all her friends bought earlier editions, it hasn't succeeded the way I'd hoped.

In 2004, Ruth gave me a pickup load of collard greens, which inspired another cookbook co-authored by Dr. Paul Elliott, The Collard Patch, also published in 2006. It has an attractive cover, quite a bit of nutritional information, some stories, and all sorts of recipes for collards and cornbread. Unlike Flavored with Love, it sold well on Amazon.

Since the paper upon which these books are printed has aged, I removed them from the market. Other sellers though continue to offer them on Amazon.

Having been encouraged to write some Kindle cookbooks, I'm working on pulling some of the favorite recipes from these two books and publishing them as Kindle books.

Two Families--Many Dreams. A Mother's Day Gift to You.

For Mother's Day, I am offering The Dream Bucket, my newest e-book, as a free gift to you, May 8-12. If you already have this book, please write me a note as a Facebook message. I'll send you another gift. (No strings attached--I simply want you to have something new and inspiring to read.)

When the time gets closer, I'll remind you about this freebie.

The Dream Bucket is a story about a newly-widowed young woman with two children, ten-year-old Trudy and twelve-year-old Billy. Trudy doesn't think her mother has enough knowledge and intelligence to take care of the family. How can this woman in a savage frontier life survive and protect her children?

Here's a brief excerpt:

With King stationed on the porch, the little family faced the dangers of their first night in the shack.
Nothing had ever hurt Trudy the way it did that moment. “I love you, Mama.”

“I love you, Mama,” Billy echoed.

If only her mother had more sense about what they needed to do, they’d survive.

“We’re going to get through this.” Mama spoke with force. “I love both of you.”

In lantern light, they sorted through the piles. Trudy found something to lay out to wear the next day, a happy yellow dress with a big skirt. She took it to the back room and closed the door behind her so she could try it on.

“How do I look?” Trudy prissed in front of the lantern light.

“Baby girl, you look lovely. Come on, Billy J. Let’s find something for you to wear tomorrow.”

He held up some work dungarees and a khaki shirt. “I’ll try these.”

The pants fit, but the shirt, which was oversized, lacked two buttons.

Mama rummaged until she pulled out a dress that needed the hem mended, but she had no needles, thread, or time. Neither did she have any pins.

“You’ll look pretty,” Trudy said. They’d go back to MacGregor’s Mercantile in a day or two to buy essentials for sewing.

Why do you go to Subway?

We like to go to there because Subway is everywhere. Although the restaurants are not always the same, the sandwiches maintain their quality everywhere we go.  A low calorie lunch that will satisfy a hungry eater is the six-inch turkey sandwich.  At the official website http://www.subway.com it is possible to calculate the number of calories in the sandwiches.

The turkey sandwich served on nine-grain wheat bread with cucumbers, green peppers, lettuce, red onions, and tomatoes without cheese has only 280 calories. I like to add the olive oil blend, a little vinegar, and some mustard. The oil raises the calories to 340.

When we're starving, we add a bag of  harvest cheddar Sun Chips, which has 210 calories, but it isn't so bad if we share.

Sometimes when we sit down to eat a big burger with fries, we realize we could have gone to Subway and eaten more sensibly. Also we could have gone and smelled the bread. The best part of going to Subway is smelling the bread!

Beef and Lamb Stew

Beef and Lamb Stew
How many servings will this recipe yield? I’m not sure, but it will make a big pot for a covered dish meal. It has a hint of lamb, which seems to be a taste unfamiliar to many of my friends. Most people who have tasted this stew have trouble stopping with only one bowl. The ingredients in this stew are chopped fine so it can be offered in small servings that include all the ingredients.
Chop into small cubes and trim away fat:
--2 pounds high quality beef for stew, coated with garlic powder..
Lightly brown (sauté) the meat. Don’t overcook. Use:
--2 tablespoons canola and olive oil mixed.
Lightly brown and drain the excess grease:
--1 pound ground lamb
Again, don’t overcook the meat. You may wish to blot the browned lamb with day-old sliced bread or clean paper towels. Place all the meat in a large slow cooker, along with finely chopped vegetables. Measure AFTER chopping:
--2 cups mixed bell peppers (red, yellow, orange)
--2 cups onions
--2 cups baby carrots
--¾ cup celery
Place in the slow cooker:
--1 can (11 ounces) tomatoes with green chilies
--1 cup water
--1 teaspoon rosemary
--1 teaspoon thyme
--1 teaspoon summer savory
--1 teaspoon kosher salt
--1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Toss to combine ingredients and cook until the carrots are almost tender. (The vegetables will continue to cook while this dish is cooling.
While the dish cooks, rinse and boil until al dente:
--¼ cup pearled barley in 2 cups water
Chop and brown in a small amount of oil:
--1 cup fresh mushrooms (also measured after being chopped)
Add the mushrooms and barley near the end of the cooking time.
Prepare a white sauce to be added to the stew. You will need
--4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
--4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
--1 quart fat free half and half cream
Melt the butter. Stir in the flour, add the cream and heat slowly until there are no lumps and the sauce is smooth and slightly thick.
Pour the sauce over the mixture. Toss lightly.
Note about potatoes: Chances are your slow cooker cannot hold the potatoes. Also the potatoes need to be firm but not mushy.

Baked Seasoned Potatoes
You will need:
--4 pounds small red potatoes.
Wash the potatoes and trim away any black spots. Cut the potatoes in quarters.
Mix together:
--2 teaspoons paprika
--¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
--1 teaspoon Kosher salt
Coat the potatoes with the seasoning mixture. You will need to cook the potatoes in increments. Pour onto a baking pan:
--1 tablespoon oil
Add half the potatoes and toss them until they are covered with oil. Bake at 400 degrees until the potatoes are done. Do not overcook. Repeat the process. If you need to divide the potatoes into small portions to cook, decrease the oil. Don’t use more than 2-3 tablespoons oil for all the potatoes.

Note about serving the stew: The stew is to be eaten with the potatoes added. You will need to be innovative if you don’t have a pot this large. Ideally the potatoes should be added to the stew in a big pot. You may prefer to place the potatoes in a bowl beside the stew. Provide garnishes:
--Finely sliced green onions
--Fresh parsley springs

Serve this stew with small biscuits. Have the guests drop a biscuit into each bowl of stew.
(Look for the biscuit recipe soon.)

Collard Greens and Pork

Today, I cooked some collards that thrilled my beloved's heart. I want to share this easy recipe with you.

Place some sweet potatoes in a small slow cooker to cook while you're preparing the collards. Select two bunches of collards from the produce section. I found some that were tender, full bunches with small leaves.

Here are the easy steps to prepare your collard greens. Rinse them in soda or salt water. Wash the greens until there is no grit. On a cutting board, slice out the main stem of each leaf. If you get a rhythm going to preparing the leaves, the process will go quickly. Grab a handful of leaves and roll them loosely. The roll will be about the size of a cigar. Cut vertically down this roll and slice it with a sharp knife on the cutting board in ribbons. Keep going with the quick slicing.

In the mean time brown in a skillet:

1 pound ground pork.

Let the pork cool and rinse it in a colander to remove excess grease.

You need a large pot such as a soup pot with a see-through lid. Place into the pot:

2 tablespoons oil (We like mixed olive and canola oil.)
The trimmed collard greens (They'll cook down.)

Stir-fry the greens. Cover and cook them 6-10 minutes at high heat. They will make their own liquid. Add:

The meat
1 can tomatoes and green chilies
A shake of season salt
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon savory
1 cup water

Lower the heat to the lowest setting possible and simmer the collard greens until they are almost tender. Don't overcook the collard greens. You don't want them to be mushy.

Make some cornbread following the recipe on Aunt Jeremiah's cornmeal.

This is a great meal with the collards as a main dish.

Congratulations on mailing your taxes! Now you have time to read The Courtship of Miss Loretta Larson

Today, April 16, is the first of a five-day offer, in which you can obtain The Courtship of Miss Loretta Larson (Kindle) free. If you already have it, drop me a message on the Facebook message page. We'll talk about what you'd like, and I'll send you something else.

Also if you've read it and enjoyed it, tell a friend.

A review would be welcomed. Your review would help more than words can say.

The Courtship of Miss Loretta LarsonAs I write this note, The Courtship of Miss Loretta Larson is #28 in Free Christion Historical Romance Fiction

And finally, please consider reading the other books in the series if you haven't yet.

An Interesting Dining Experience

Back Yard Burgers has several delicious and rich choices--Black Jack Chicken Club, Classic Backyard Burger, Fried Pickles, Garlic Parmesan Waffle Fries, Onion Rings, Wild Turkey Burger, Pineapple Upside Down Shake, 1/3 Pound Bacon Cheddar Burger, Prime Rib Burger, Chocolate Covered Cherry Shake.

Go to http://www.backyardburgers.com/ to calculate the nutritional value of your meal. This site is interactive. At first I panicked, but then I realized it isn't as high calorie as I had feared. For example the Wild Turkey Burger with all I want on it has only 675 calories. That is not too bad because it is about one third of a normal adult diet for the day -- not bad for a meal.

The atmosphere of this restaurant across from University Hospital, Jackson, is intriguing. There are three or four restaurants in the same room.

2601 N. State Street
Jackson, Mississippi 39216
Store Phone #:601-362-5223

Jason's Deli -- I don't know of a better food bargain!

Jason's Deli is one of our favorite places to go for Sunday lunch. We almost always choose the salad bar, which is one of the best anywhere. I love the variety of cheeses.

Oh, and the hummus! I put some on a separate small plate, slice a boiled egg over it, and add a bit of olive oil from the bar. This goes well with the fantastic crackers or sliced, toasted bread.

We like to top off our meal with a complimentary ice cream cone. It's just salad, right? Not too many calories. (Tongue in Cheek)

Sometimes I go there on a week day, off hours, and get a salad or two to go. I take it home and combine whatever I get with whatever I have at home. I love to do this when guests are coming over. They're always impressed with the salad.

Other foods we like are the muffaletta, baked potato, and Reuben. These require a take-home box.

If I didn't like any of this food, I'd still go there. Jason's is a busy, exciting place full of interesting people. The waiters are always accommodating. Whether it's Jason's in Baton Rouge, Amarillo, or Shreveport, the service and food quality is always the same, always outstanding.

Happy Post Income Tax Day

April 16 should be a United States national holiday to celebrate the sheer relief and joy of filing our taxes. To help you celebrate, I'm giving you a present. My novel, The Courtship of Miss Loretta Larson, which can be read on your Kindle or other device, will be free for five days -- April 16 through April 20.

Thursday, remember to go get your free book.

I am rich.

Having a few million dollars wouldn't make me rich, but I became a wealthy woman the day I looked into my daughter's intelligent beautiful face. She has always been a blessing in my life.

Publishers and editors caution writers about taking what their family members say about the authors' books. I agree that the comments of family should not be the only opinions we should seek, but I also believe we should consider what those who know us best believe. Sometimes they are the most difficult to please. (In fact, it has been my experience that strangers are kind in their reviews.)

I'm happy to share with you the beautiful review Christie Underwood, who is an individual owns her own strong opinions, wrote about Secret Promise.

Quoting from Christie's review: Inspiring Romance

Warning: This book may cause you to get completely lost in its southern story.

As I read the novel, I completely forgot that I was sitting on a tiny airplane seat for two hours. The long flight from Lubbock, Texas, to Madison, Wisconsin, seemed to fly by, and I was disappointed when we touched down because that meant reading time was over. During the day I found myself lingering in Taylorsburg, wondering what Jake and Caroline were doing. No book has affected me this way since the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

If you enjoyed reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett, you will especially enjoy reading Secret Promise as Mary Lou Cheatham draws from the experiences of her youth growing up in southern Mississippi.

The heroine of the story, Caroline, takes you to the brink of frustration just before you find relief. You gain an understanding of the love Caroline has for sweet, dear Rachel, one of her mothers, and gain insight into how many southern children during this era were actually raised. Brother George’s ministry to Jake grows into a strong bond that envelops the story.

It’s amazing how much our world has changed in just a hundred years. The wording, characters, everyday life, and technology are accurate to the time period. Southern Mississippi has gone through many changes, and this book is a snapshot into a tumultuous time period.

A must read

Treat Yourself for Finishing Your Taxes

Here's something to help you relax after Income Tax Day. April 16-20, The Courtship of Miss Loretta Larson will cost you nothing. For five days, you can download it free! It's a Kindle book. If you don't have a Kindle, you can read it on your computer.

Loretta Larson doesn't have to worry about money. She has more than she needs. You may consider what I'm going to say a cliché. This thirty-something school marm discovers she needs something money cannot buy. You know what it is: LOVE.

The Courtship of Miss Loretta Larson is the second in a three-book series, The Covington Chronicles. Although the three books occur in the same south Mississippi town in the early 1900's, they are independent of each other. You can read this one without reading the others first.

Loretta, however, appears as a minor character in the first book, which is called Secret Promise. This first book, available as a Kindle and also a paperback book, is not eligible for the free gift program. It's about a beautiful young woman, also a school marm, who doesn't know she is beautiful and who allows people to mistreat her until you will want to scream at her. How can she ever rise above the struggles she has in her life and find LOVE? (Check out the latest review on this one.)

Start the New Year Right: Cook Some Collards

It's been a while since I've talked about cooking collards. Today we cooked a medley of collard greens and other vegetables. This dish was so good I wish I could put the taste right here and you could pull it out of this blog. It was a little work chopping but really uncomplicated. Working as a team, we found it fun. I want to show you this procedure step by step.

First, chop the collards. I'm sorry that I didn't photograph this process. We used two large bunches. They cook down to a much smaller amount than one would expect. Simply cut the stems out, roll two or three leaves like a cigar and slice into slivers. With practice, this step goes fast.
Soak them in a bowl of cool tap water with some salt,
Then wash them until you are sure they are free of grit.

While the collards are soaking in salt water.slice a couple of small potatoes.
In a very large skillet, fry the potatoes in a mixture of olive oil and canola oil.
Remove the potatoes.
Throw in a cup of sliced mushrooms and cook no longer than a minute.
Remove the mushrooms.
Set the potatoes and mushrooms aside.

Chop a large purple onion.
Saute it.
Don't overcook the onion. Just let it cook in some oil until it sweats.

Add the collards on top of the onions.
You may need to add some more oil. Try to use as little as possible, but don't skimp until you are miserable. A little oil is good for you.
In this picture the collards are sitting in the large skillet on top of the onions.
Don't add water.
Stir fry the collards and onions at high heat for two or three minutes.
Lower the heat, and put the lid on the skillet.

Chop a small apple. It's surprising how good an apple tastes in most stir-fried dishes.
You don't need to peel it.
We usually select Gala apples.
Toss the apple into the collard mixture and give it a stir.
Continue to cook the collard greens at low heat.

Chop some more vegetables.
Drop them into the skillet.
Today we added a yellow squash, a zucchini, a small stick of celery, and small sections of bell peppers three different colors.

This dish needs some cornbread on the side.
We used a Jiffy(R) mix.

Add a 10 ounce can of Ro-Tel Mexican Lime and Cilantro Diced Tomatoes (R).
Pour in a couple of tablespoons of juice from your sweet pickle jar.
Make a pass through your spices and season it to your taste.
We added Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime (R) and some garlic powder.
We shook in just a bit of Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning(R) and a few grains of Kosher salt. Also we added a few chunks of cooked chicken.
It's time to add those potatoes and mushrooms, too.

You may want a side dish.
Since we were cooking New Year's Day lunch, we opened a can of black-eyed peas, heated them, and served them over rice.
With all the lively seasoning of the collards, peas tasted good plain.

Oh, yum!

Update on My Christmas Gifts to You

How exciting! Some of you are unwrapping your Christmas presents I'm giving you. DO YOU KNOW HOW GOD LOVES YOU? is #5 on Amazon!

Look at this:

#5 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Religion & Spirituality > Christian Books & Bibles > Bible Study & Reference > Meditations

THE DREAM BUCKET is #23.

See?

#23 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Religious & Inspirational Fiction > Christian > Romance > Historical

To get your gifts, please go to these links:


THE DREAM BUCKET

DO YOU KNOW HOW GOD LOVES YOU?

Today (December 19, 2014) is the first day of my Christmas giveaway.

December 19-23, you are welcome to download a free copy of my newest book, a historical and inspirational novel called THE DREAM BUCKET. This book has received an award. It appeared on the "hot and trending" list of the Kindle Scout program every day for the thirty days it was featured there.

Go here to get your copy of THE DREAM BUCKET:

The Dream Bucket for Free

Congratulations to Mike Link, a friend who taught at Louisiana Tech several years ago. Mike is a great educator with an humble spirit. It is thrilling to see his great accomplishment.

McKinney Orchestra at Midwest

Christmas Gift Idea -- New Kindle

There's a Kindle for only $59. Amazing that the price has dropped so much!

2014 Christmas Gifts to You

A schedule of the Kindle books I’m giving you this Christmas:

The Dream Bucket
Newest novel, available FREE on these dates in 2014: December 19, 20, 21, 22, 23.

Do You Know How God Loves You?
Big book of daily devotionals, e-book version only available FREE on these dates in 2014: December 19, 20, 21, 22, 23.

The Courtship of Miss Loretta Larson
New novel, available FREE on these dates in 2014: December 20, 21, or 22 and December 29, 30.

I'm Choking . . . But Life Moves On Along the Path of Grief
Little book about grief, available FREE on these dates in 2014: December 26, 27, 28, 29, 30.

The above books are free to anyone who goes to Amazon.com and downloads them either to a Kindle, computer, or other electronic device.

Help with Grief

I'm Choking . . . But Life Moves On Along the Path of Grief

In case you’re feeling blue this Christmas or know someone who is grieving, you may want to read this little book after Christmas. Everybody I know has felt that way at one time or another. Several people who have read the book say it has helped them through some sad times.

I’m giving this one to you as another Christmas present. It will be available for free to download onto your Kindle or computer December 26-30, 2014.

Another Christmas Gift to You

In addition to a free Kindle copy of The Courtship of Miss Loretta Larson, The Dream Bucket’s sister book, on December 20, 21, 22, 29, and 30, 2014, at Amazon.com, I’m giving you something else.

Christmas 2007, my daughter requested a book of daily devotionals for Christmas. I gave her two, but she told me after Christmas that she wanted me to write a devotional book for her. What a gift she gave me! The opportunity to say some things I may not have remembered to tell her when she was a child.

Christmas 2008, I gave her Do You Know How God Loves You? She thought of the title. It contains 366 daily devotionals. Through the years, I’ve sold a few. It has been read in the Philippines, Europe, Africa, and South America.

Christmas 2014, on December 19-23—any time during those five days—you can go to Amazon.com and select the Kindle version for free of Do You Know How God Loves You? If you don’t have a Kindle, you can download it to your computer.

Thank you for the wonderful gift so many of you have given me: your nomination and your support for The Dream Bucket, which is near the end of its campaign in the Kindle Scout program. Go here for details.

A Christmas Gift for You

4 days remaining in the Kindle Scout Program for THE DREAM BUCKET.

Kindle Scout

Thank you for keeping this book on the hot list.

16 Days until Christmas. Here’s a gift for you:

The Courtship of Miss Loretta Larson is a new novel, released as a Kindle book on November 16, 2014. This inspirational romance is about a woman in her thirties who lives in the town of Taylorsburg in the early 1900’s, and it’s a companion to The Dream Bucket, which tells the story of a family’s difficulties on a farm near the same Mississippi village a year later.

As a Christmas present, I’m giving you a free copy of The Courtship of Miss Loretta Larson. Since it is a Kindle book, you will need either to load it onto your Kindle or download onto your computer. There are no strings attached (although reviews are a great blessing).

To unwrap your gift, go to the Amazon.com page and type The Courtship of Miss Loretta Larson on Amazon's search bar, OR click on the picture below. You can get your free book any time on December 20, 21, or 22, 2014. If you’re too busy then and miss this, wait until December 29 or 20, 2014, when it will be available for free again. If you have any problems, please send me a private message on Facebook. (CONFESSION: I've never participated in this five-away, and I hope I'm doing this right.)

In the meantime, remember to nominate The Dream Bucket if you haven’t done so already. You’re allowed to nominate it only once. If Amazon chooses to publish it through the Kindle Scout program, you will receive a free copy of it.

Random Thoughts

Now it's Christmas. Almost. What does it mean? What else does it mean besides the wonderful coming of the Savior to rescue us from our depravity? What I'm trying to ask is this: once we have Christ's grace, what do we do with it?

This year I'm absorbed in a project of sharing some thoughts so personal I cannot spell them out in literal terms. I need to say them in fiction. If you read my stories, you may catch a glimpse at what I want to say. Even better, you may find something within yourself that the stories evoke.

The question is often asked of writers--plot or character driven? I think my stories are setting driven. A place with a situation comes to mind. I ask who would be in that place.

Then I let them do what is natural. There is little control on my part about the outcome of writing. I wasn't always sure which man Loretta Larson would choose, and I wasn't sure how Zoe Cameron would solve her horrendous problems.

What I have observed about the heroic characters in these two books is an unselfish attitude.

Please nominate The Dream Bucket.

Duck in the Well

When Ruth, my sister seven years older than I am, was young she had a baby duck. (This event happened before I was born.) For sport, she was chasing her duck through the yard. Our dad had removed the wooden frame that protected the well so he could repair it.

The results were not as bad as they could have been. Ruth didn't fall into the well, but her baby duck did. Upon her insistence, Daddy drew bucket after bucket of water to rescue the duck, but he never found it.

My sister's recollection of losing her duck in the well inspired a scene in The Dream Bucket.

Please help me publish this book by nominating it here: Kindle Scout

Character in The Dream Bucket: A Young Girl Named Trudy

As The Dream Bucket begins, ten-year-old Trudy appears to think she is entitled to have nice things. Her papa’s little princess, she deserves to live in a stately mansion with fine furnishings in her bedroom and an abundance of beautiful dresses to wear to school.

On page one, she learns that having things cannot make her happy. What good are pretty lamps, curtains, and rugs if Mama and Papa fight in their room next to hers? Not much later she learns how it feels to lose almost everything.

When circumstances strip away material things, Trudy’s sense of entitlement changes to an attitude of thankfulness. She soon learns to recognize her blessings. For example, when she lies down on the floor in a rotten shack, she thanks God she doesn’t have to sleep on the ground.

Please help me convince Kindle Scout to consider The Dream Bucket for publication.

Nominate The Dream Bucket.

Wash Pot

None of the blog entries will spoil the story of The Dream Bucket. I promise.

After the Camerons’ home burned, Zoe, Billy, and Trudy went looking for anything they could glean from the fire that had reaped most of what was theirs. It hurt to go looking around at the old house site.

Between the backyard and the chicken yard, the three-legged cast-iron wash pot stood waiting to be drafted into service to the little family.

With help, they set it up behind their new home. They filled it with water and built a fire underneath it to boil their clothes.

While having fellow writers critique The Dream Bucket, I discovered that not very many people know what a wash pot is. Some friends in the Taylorsville group on Facebook helped me find some pictures to show readers. Here is one of them.

The Dream Bucket is a slice of life the way it was about a century ago. I hope you’ll paint your own mental picture of this life in Mississippi, which was a little bit pioneer and a little bit reconstruction era lingering on.

Your nomination at KindleScout.Amazon.com will help Kindle Scout make a decision to publish it. Please CLICK HERE and select the blue bar underneath the presentation of The Dream Bucket that says “Nominate me.”

Old Mississippi Lifestyle

A Dozen Common Practices in the Good Old Days

1. Rolling hair on corn shucks
2. Drawing water from a well
3. Living in an unpainted house
4. Laundering with a black iron wash pot, galvanized washtub, and washboard
5. Hanging clothes on the line-- maybe bushes or fences if no line was available
6. Ironing with a flat iron made of iron
7. Riding in a mule-drawn wagon
8. Refrigerating food in an icebox containing a big block of ice
9. Robbing honey from a beehive in a tree
10. Cooking biscuits in a wood-heated stove
11. Cracking eggs and dropping then into a separate container just in case they're rotten
12. Tying a milk cow's tail with a string to keep her from hitting you in the face when she swats at horseflies

Life in The Dream Bucket was like this. Please nominate this book at Kindle Scout. CLICK HERE.

The Dream Bucket Featured in Kindle Scout's Reader-Powered Publishing Campaign

11/24/2014 . . .
11 days since Kindle Scout launched The Dream Bucket

19 days until the end of the campaign.

All campaigns last 30 days.

How many nominations does the book need?

Who knows?

All I know is that the more nominations The Dream Bucket receives . . .
the more likely it will receive attention from the Kindle Scout team
so it can be selected for publication.

Remember:
You have the power to select The Dream Bucket for Kindle Scout to publish.

Thanks for your vote!

CLICK

The Dream Bucket

What are your dreams?

What's in your bucket?

KindleScout

10 reasons why I'm excited about KINDLE SCOUT

What’s so exciting about having The Dream Bucket featured for nomination on Kindle Scout?

Amazon’s new publishing program is a stroke of genius.

Kindle Scout began a campaign 10 days ago to feature The Dream Bucket. Readers can go to KindleScout.Amazon.com and nominate it for supported publication.

20 days remaining . . .

Nominate The Dream Bucket today or by December 13, 2014, with a better-than-traditional contract. CLICK HERE.

The ten reasons why I’m excited:

1. The Dream Bucket is “hot.” It has maintained a spot in the Hot and Trending category every day for 10 days.
2. Many dear friends, established authors, cousins, Facebook friends, and some folks I don’t really know have supported the campaign by nominating (voting for) the book , sharing my comments, and “liking” my posts on Facebook.
3. Kindle Scout is providing a built-in platform of readers for my new novel by allowing Amazon customers to select the books to be published. If The Dream Bucket is selected, Amazon will give each person who nominated it a free copy of the book with an invitation (but not requirement) to write a review.
4. The Dream Bucket has a unique cover specifically designed for this project. The picture of the shack evokes curiosity about the mysterious events unfolding in the story.
5. This historical novel with an inspirational theme holds its own along with racy thrillers.
6. Kindle Scout gives me an open professional route to promote the book.
7. Amazon provides broad-marketing access.
8. Submitting to Kindle Scout is an opportunity to promote the book without hiring an agent.
9. Kindle Scout is the beginning of an excellent opportunity. This campaign has started to provide me a chance to share some universal struggles found in the hearts of the characters in the story.
10. KindleScout.Amazon.com presents new books in a clever, interactive way. This is a live website.

You have the power: 21 more days to vote for THE DREAM BUCKET

You have the power to select a novel for Kindle Scout to publish. Amazon will promote the book and provide a beneficial contract. My novel,The Dream Bucket, is in the list of unpublished works to be considered in a 30-day campaign.

21 more days . . .

THE DREAM BUCKET at Kindle Scout

Three weeks from now, Amazon will tally your nominations for The Dream Bucket. I'll receive an email to tell me whether it has been selected for publication.
If you haven't voted yet, please nominate (vote for) The Dream Bucket in Kindle Scout today or before December 13, 2014. Thanks to all of you who have voted. You are keeping the book in the "Hot and Trending" list.

Several friends have asked me if it is possible to vote twice. No . . . just once for The Dream Bucket. If it is one of the books selected and you voted for it, you'll receive a free Kindle copy.

The Dream Bucket, a Tender Romance

Until a few decades ago, a woman had no right to know specific details about her husband’s finances. The man handled the money, but what was a woman to do if she lost him?

The Dream Bucket . . . courage, self-discovery, grief, healing family pain, survival – a tender romance with threads of humor and mystery . . .
In the spring of 1909, Zoe Cameron shares a prosperous life with William and their two children – twelve-year-old Billy Jack and ten-year-old Trudy. Two days after William refuses to tell Zoe where he stashes his fortune, he dies in a fire that destroys their Southern mansion.

For more information about THE DREAM BUCKET, please visit Kindle Scout. If you'd like to see this story published in the Scout program, nominate it by clicking on the blue bar.

THE DREAM BUCKET AT KINDLESCOUT.COM

What The Dream Bucket is About

The summer of 1909 presents overwhelming challenges for the Camerons and the Bentons, two neighboring farm families in Mississippi. A farm bucket—the dream bucket—brings a glorious solution to all the problems that have made their lives difficult.

Ten-year-old Trudy Cameron overhears her parents, Zoe and William, fighting about money. Zoe wants to know where William hides his unlimited supply of twenty-dollar gold pieces. Instead of sharing this essential information, he slaps Zoe.

Two days later William dies in a fire that destroys their mansion. Trudy, whose father has indulged her and whose mother has been cold toward her, has nothing to rely on. Zoe lacks experience with the dairy and farming operations. The three survivors move into a rat-infested shack with a roof as leaky as a colander. They milk cows, harvest produce, and tend cornfields.

This is the beginning of The Dream Bucket, which has been selected by KindleScout.com to be featured in a campaign for thirty days. Amazon wants to know how many people will want to read this story. I'm asking you to go to KindleScout.com, find the picture of the shack and vote for (nominate) The Dream Bucket.

The Dream Bucket

Jacob MacGregor, Transcendent Hero

Have you watched a television series or read a series of novels with one character serving as a common thread in many stories? No matter what happens, this one heroic person is always an important part of the action.

Jacob MacGregor is such a character in the Covington Chronicles. He first appears in Secret Promise as a self-absorbed young man, but he grows into an admirable person. In The Courtship of Miss Loretta Larson, he steps into the background but remains important to the story by being a supportive friend to Loretta. In The Dream Bucket, he is a true friend of the young widow Zoe.

The epitome of greatness, Jake makes the best choices in the situations that present themselves.





Please help publish The Dream Bucket by going to KindleScout.com and nominating (voting for) it.

Villians

Elvin Trutledge in THE DREAM BUCKET is one of the favorite characters of the authors who critique my writing. He's the kind of villain people love to hate. So is Johnson Daniels in THE COURTSHIP OF MISS LORETTA LARSON.

First, let me say that I researched these names and couldn't find that they belonged to anyone. If they do, please accept my apology. I do not wish in any way to cast aspersions on anybody.

Behind every character in a novel is a background not always revealed to the readers. Backstory can get in the way of the progress of the plot. It's fun though to show some of this back story in a blog so the readers can know more about what is going on or where the writer came up with the idea.

Elvin Trutledge in the summer of 1909 could have taken over the entire book if I'd allowed him. The inspiration for him comes from a great song, "Paradise" sung by John Prine. I'm sharing a link to it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEy6EuZp9IY

Thanks again for all the nominations (votes) for THE DREAM BUCKET to be published by Kindle Scout.

Names of Characters in THE DREAM BUCKET

On November 17, 2014, with 26 days remaining in the Kindle Scout Campaign, I want to share some information with you about naming characters in THE DREAM BUCKET. A friend asked me on Facebook why I chose the name Cameron. The answer was for no reason except it's simply a pretty name with a study old Southern sound. I've had some great friends with that name, but not with the characters of the Camerons in my novel.

Most of the other names in the book have no special significance. Some of them appear in SECRET PROMISE and THE COURTSHIP OF MISS LORETTA LARSON, but you don't have to read those books before you read THE DREAM BUCKET, which is involved right now in the campaign.. The campaign must end before THE DREAM BUCKET can be published. Thanks for voting.

A Dream in My Bucket

In August 2011, The Dream Bucket placed second in the book proposal category at the Texas Christian Writers Conference. I had written the entire book back then, but for the last four years I've revised the manuscript over and over. With the helpful advice of an agent/editor, a writer/editor, and three critique groups in Texas and Louisiana, along with useful information gleaned from books about writing, I've worked to make The Dream Bucket enjoyable to read.

After writing and self-editing The Dream Bucket for five years, having started it in 2010, I considered it finished. In the meantime, I had written two books that preceded it in a series.

At that point, a friend sent me a note on Facebook about the Kindle Scout program. The rewards are generous, and the requirements were doable. I'm really excited about this publishing opportunity.

First an author submits a novel with a a catchy title and a one-liner that introduces it. The author must also provide a short autobiography, a brief synopsis, and the answers to three of the questions from the list, and a cover suitable for a Kindle book. Supplying all the items listed above, I submitted it. The next day, Kindle Scout informed me that it would be placed online for readers to vote on.

Unlike the usual Kindle programs, which allow the writers total freedom to publish whatever they choose, Kindle Scout is a "reader-powered" publishing system designed for books not previously published. Readers have the privilege of deciding which books will be considered for publication.

At this time, I'm at the mercy of readers and friends, who are nominating The Dream Bucket. The campaign will be completed on December 13, 2014. Nominate (Vote for) The Dream Bucket here: THE DREAM BUCKET at Kindle Scout

Remember the calaboose?

In the town of Taylorsville, Mississippi, a flimsy tin shack squatted on the main street across from a row of stores back in the fifties. The proud citizens of our town pretended it wasn't there. Even now, it feels like taboo to reminisce about it. Some of our kin and the family members of our friends--the men our parents called "sots" in hushed tones--spent time in the local jail.

Did you ever quake in fear, horror, and embarrassment on Saturday afternoon in Taylorsville when a drunken acquaintance would stagger down the sidewalk? Everyone south of Center Ridge and east of the Y in the Mize road went to town on Saturday. Everybody saw. People knew but were kind enough not to mention what happened on Saturday afernoon.

I'm not sure about the chronological order of the images recorded in the mind of my childhood. I just remember the drunken man yelled loud enough to be heard a block away, looked through the crowds of men milling around for some enemy so he could settle a feud with his fist, tripped on a crack in the sidewalk, fell, received a blow from an officer's bill club, was dragged across the street, and transported to the calaboose. He stayed there until he sobered up.

Who knows when Taylorsville had its first jail? I wanted to look inside, but no self-respecting female would have walked within twenty feet of it. When it was empty, some of my friends played pranks in the calaboose.

The imaginary town of Taylorsburg, which vaguely resembles our beloved Taylorsville, contained a similar jail when the twentieth century began. It was also constructed of flimsy tin.

In the year 1908, Zoe Cameron, a prim lady in THE DREAM BUCKET, enters the village calaboose. Discover why she goes there and what happens when she opens the door and steps inside. I want you to read this part near the end of the book.

Please help me convince Kindle Scout that THE DREAM BUCKET is worthy of a contract. Go to Kindle Scout and nominate (vote for) THE DREAM BUCKET.

Announcement about The Dream Bucket

https://kindlescout.amazon.com/category/158566011

28 more days remaining in the Dream Bucket campaign . . . still listed as "Hot"

Thanks, friends!

I'm grateful to you who went to https://kindlescout.amazon.com/category/158566011
or
https://kindlescout.amazon.com/ yesterday, wrote your own reviews, pasted or wrote original requests for others to vote, sent e-mails to your friends, let me know you voted, and just gave me all kinds of encouragement.You helped me start this campaign with momentum to get THE DREAM BUCKET published by the Kindle Scout program.

Three Questions about THE DREAM BUCKET

Kindle Scout requires each participant to answer three questions. Here are the ones I chose with the answers. I could have written volumes about these, but Kindle Scout reined me in by allowing only 300 characters.

Q. Is there a message in your book that you want readers to grasp?
A. In the early 1900’s farmers had the treasures that mattered most—a sense of humor, love for one another, respect for the land, and reliance on the Lord to see them through any situation. I hope, though, that readers grasp the joy of this story so much that this message becomes secondary.

Q. Where did the idea for this book come from?
A. When I was 17, our home burned to the ground. My father went inside the burning house and pulled out some valuables. He moved into a house he kept for sharecroppers. I moved into an apartment in town. My mother alternated between the two residences. This loss inspired THE DREAM BUCKET.

Q. This book is part of a series, tell us about your series.
A. THE DREAM BUCKET, an independent, complete story, shares some characters and locations with SECRET PROMISE and THE COURTSHIP OF MISS LORETTA LARSON. These three books, known as THE COVINGTON CHRONICLES, show life in and around a Mississippi village in the early 1900’s.

Nominate THE DREAM BUCKET HERE.

The Dream Bucket by MARY LOU CHEATHAM: Two Families, Many Dreams

Campaign:
November 14-December 13, 2014
Vote to have this book published.

Synopsis

Ten-year-old Trudy loves Papa more than anybody else until she hears him slap Zoe, her mother. She is so angry at him she wishes he’d die. When he accidentally sets fire to the family mansion and dies in the fire, she is not prepared for the shock. William has cautioned Zoe not to pry into his financial arrangements. She wants to know where he keeps his money in case his life should end. How will she survive as a widow? The family has nowhere to call home except a sharecropper’s shack.

Categories:
Romance,
Historical Romance
Go here to vote.



Please go to kindlescout.amazon.com
Vote for THE DREAM BUCKET.
If Kindle Scout publishes this book, you will receive a free copy to read on your Kindle or computer.

Jimmy John’s, Gourmet Sandwich Shops

Do you ever wonder what the history is behind a restaruant where you like to go? Or what’s behind the name of a sandwich shop that sells food you love?

Having discovered some of the world’s most delicious sandwiches in Jimmy John’s in Lubbock, TX (4730 Slide Rd. 806-795-0800) and in Amarillo, TX (4730 Slide Rd. 806-795-0800), I decided to check on the name.

Jimmy John Liautaud, the owner/founder, started his first sandwich shop in 1983 when he was nineteen years old, and now there are about 200 of them. His story is fascinating. Go to www.JimmyJohns.com to read more about it. Also look at the information at Wikipedia

To learn about the sandwich it is necessary to try one. The menu overwhelms me with a plethera of enticing choices. I like #6, the Vegetarian.

Included on the website is a thorough chart of the nutritional value of the items.

Bon appetit!

Eating Chinese Buffet Food

Most of us consume an inordinate amount of calories when dining at a Chinese buffet. As much as one thousand in a meal. (And lunch from the inviting pans of hot food may contain more sodium in it than most of us need to consume in a day.) This food has a Chinese influence, but it is Americanized with all our demands for high calories.

According to Calorie Count About.com, a serving of General Tso’s Chicken has 844 calories per serving. One solution is to get a tiny piece of chicken.

Next, a pile of crab Rangoon awaits hungry diners. Just one. That shouldn’t be too bad. Chicken is a popular diet foods, but the chicken on the buffet is fried and dipped in various sweet syrups. A mere bite of one and another . . . which one tastes better? Soon a mountain of food piled on a plate awaits our tingling fingers and salivating palates. At the table it all tastes alike because we mix it together, or at lest stack it in close proximity.

We know to avoid all those fried foods with crusts. Instead of fried chicken, we can choose chicken with broccoli, and for being good we can select one high-calorie food we’ve been craving. The broccoli cancels the calories.

Soup isn’t too bad. A cup of egg drop soup, if it isn’t loaded with chicken fat, may have as few as 100-120 calories. It is definitely a better appetizer than an egg roll, which may have 200-300 calories. Since we’re craving the crisp taste of something chewable, let’s try a spring roll, which supposedly has half the calories of an egg roll.

Who isn’t in a hurry these days? Sometimes we don’t like to spend time ordering food and waiting for it. This Chinese buffet has to be an improvement over fast food, right? Hurried travelers and business people often find Chinese buffets practical solutions for the problem of obtaining a quick lunch. Let us remember though that we don’t have time to go back and get a second or third plate of food.

The Great Wall Buffet, 2005 Lamar Street, Sweetwater, TX 79556, is a typical Chinese buffet restaurant. I honestly don’t see much difference in most of the Chinese buffets I’ve visited throughout the South.

One of the popular buffets in Ruston, LA, is Peking Restaurant, 1300 North Vienna Street. It has improved. Sometimes it features fresh, tasty sushi at the end of the buffet line. There’s something about all that food that is addictive. Plate after plate, we consume it until the waiter comes and offers a serving of ice cream.

Ruston now has a leaner alternative: Teriyaki Grill, 1913 E. Kentucky Ave. #6, Ruston, LA 71270. We can order Asian food, freshly prepared and not go back for seconds. At the restaurant’s website there are pictures of beautiful food, low in caloires and ample with proteins . . . but what about the sodium content?

Eating at the Airport

One of the most entertaining ways to occupy time when I have to occupy an airport is to find something to eat. It’s important to take the food to a place near the gate for the pending flight. Occasionally there are places close enough to allow me to sit at a table, but more often than not it is prudent to sit in a chair and nurse carry-on luggage, along with food and drink.

Boarding a plane on Hollywood Avenue in Shreveport, LA, I learned two valuable lessons. First, liquids are not to be purchased before checking in at security. If there’s not enough time to eat in a civilized manner, it is better to check in and walk to the inside section. Two food counters are in this airport.The one outside the security check place seems more appealing. I think it may have more choices on the menu. It’s possible to buy a sandwich out there and take it through security, then buy a drink at the inside place.

The sandwiches at the Tailwinds are mouthwateringly delicious, the employees are pleasant, and the dining areas have an inviting ambiance. The entire airport has fascinating paintings on the walls. There is one problem though. It seems to take forever to cook a hot sandwich there.

The food service in DFW is quite different. Because the airport restrateurs are accustomed to seeing people run from gate to gate with the boarding places changing frequently, the cooks don’t dally around. Cousin’s B-B-Q, for example, can provide a delicious meal in a flash.

What's Great at McAlister's Now

When my friends and family go with me to McAlister’s, I order the same meal every time until something even tastier comes along. My favorite was the veggie spud until the Savannah chopped salad entered my life. By the way, men like salads; they find the Savannah chopped irresistible.

According to the McAlister’s website, A Savannah chopped salad consists of sliced, grilled chicken breast, dried cranberries, Gorgonzola cheese, honey roasted almonds, tomatoes and cucumbers. Chef's dressing selection: Sherry Shallot.

Calories: 440, Total Fat: 16 g, Total Carbohydrates 43 g, Dietary Fiber 11 grams, Protein 32 grams, 11 Weight Watchers Plus Points.

A typical conversation goes like this:
“Do you want to go to McAlister’s”
“Yes.”
Such a conversation means without saying:
“It’s time we had another Savannah chopped salad.”
“I’ve been waiting for you to say that.”

We’ve indulged in this salad at 1202 Pecanland Road, Monroe, LA 71203; also at 1671 E 70th St, Shreveport, LA 71105. The salad always tastes the same, which is somewhat wonderful, and the salad dressing is always on my mind.

Many more salads await us, but this first one we tried is so good we haven't been able to move on.

A fellow author reviews Secret Promise

Having a fellow author compliment something I wrote is a gratifying experience. Kathy McKinsey, a sensitive writer who has written some family novellas, reviewed Secret Promise:

Secret Promise. Delightful. Heart wrenching.

Mary offers us both in this gripping story from Mississippi in the early 1900s. Jake and Caroline struggle with tragedy and sorrow, and wrestle through ups, downs, and twists before they find joy, love, and a sweet relationship with God.

Kathy McKinsey