Showing posts with label The Long Trip Home. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Long Trip Home. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Wedding Bells and Chocolate Cream Pies

This past Saturday our daughter Holly got married. Our last child married Hudson her beloved in a sweet ceremony led by my niece's awesome husband Nate - the only ordained minister I know who changes into his tuxedo T-shirt for the dancing! 

For those of you who've happily experienced passing the baton of parenting over to the new spouse, you'll understand my husband and my feelings of joy and relief! Hudson will take good care of her.

I posted in October of 2012, "God has been so gracious to provide wonderful mates for three of our four children. We trust Him to provide for our youngest daughter Holly as well." And in 2015 He did!

The wedding had a few breaks from tradition - one being the guests were served chocolate cream pie instead of wedding cake. It was our daughter's wish so her father and I made 16 pies, transported them 35 minutes away, and served them to 110.

I've included my recipe at the end of this post in case any of you are feeling domestic. 



Amazon Kindle Nook SW and Kobo
Amazon Kindle Nook SW and Kobo

At the end of Book 7
"The Ruby of Siam"
Jillian Bradley gets married in London at an upscale hotel across the street from Buckingham Palace. 





But unlike our daughter's picture perfect wedding you'll read in Book 8 "THE LONG TRIP HOME" about a tragedy that occurs at the reception. It all ends happily, though - thanks to the vehicle of fiction.




There's still time to enter the $200 Amazon Gift-card Giveaway contest. Thanks to all of you who've followed our sites and liked our pages. Click here for your chance to win: 
http://cozymysterymagazine.blogspot.com/p/cozy-raffle-200-prize.html

Cheers!

~Nancy Jill    


Nancy Jill's Chocolate Cream Pie  
For the Ganache:

1 c sugar
1/4 c flour
2 T cornstarch
1/4 t Salt
1 1/2 c whole milk
1 1/2 c heavy whipping cream
3 egg yolks. membranes removed
2 1/2 oz bittersweet chocolate
2 T butter
2 t vanilla

For Ganache and Topping:
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 c powdered sugar
1 t vanilla

1. In a heavy 2 qt saucepan mix sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt together. Add milk and 1 cup of the whipping cream.
With a fork mix the egg yolks together and add to remaining 1/2 c of whipping cream. Mix then add to saucepan combining ingredients well.


2. Cook over high heat stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Stir until melted, then add butter and vanilla.


3. Pour mixture into freezer proof bowl. Cover with plastic wrap pressing down until no air remains and sides are sealed.
(Prevents skim from forming.)

 4. When cool, whip heaving whipping cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Fold in 1 cup of mixture to ganache.


5. Pour ganache into baked pie shell mounding to center.
Cover with remaining whipped cream and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips, chocolate shavings or chocolate sprinkles.
Chill for at least 4 hrs before serving.




Nancy Jill Thames was born to write mysteries. From her early days as the neighborhood story-teller to the Amazon Author Watch Bestseller List, she has always had a vivid imagination and loves to solve problems – perfect for plotting whodunits. In 2010, Nancy Jill published her first mystery Murder in Half Moon Bay, introducing her well-loved protagonist Jillian Bradley, and clue-sniffing Yorkie, “Teddy.”

When she isn’t plotting Jillian’s next perilous adventure, Nancy Jill travels between Texas and California finding new ways to spoil her grandchildren, playing classical favorites on her baby grand or having afternoon tea with friends.

She is a member of Leander Writers’ Guild, American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW CenTex Chapter), and Central Texas Authors

To learn more about Nancy Jill, visit these sites.



Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Tea Party Tuesday - A Winner is Announced!


Welcome to Tea Party Tuesday, everyone - I hope you'll take a few moments after we've had our tea to explore the site. You may find something you like.

Let me pour you a nice cup of tea. Milk? Sugars? This plum tea cake looked perfect for our time together.

The contest for reaching 1,000 likes on my Facebook Author Page culminated in a bit of drama last night.

When the counter was at 999, a friend of mine in Idaho called her daughter and asked her to like my page, which she did.

Then, someone (accidentally, I'm sure) unliked the 1,000th like and sent me back to 999! 

Oh, woe is me! I was so discouraged. Have you ever had one of those days?

A friend tried coming to my rescue and asked his followers to like my page. Well, the counter went backward because if someone has liked my page, not remembering they already liked, and hits the like button again, it can delete the first like.

More people on Facebook joined in until the number of likes finally went over 1,000.

Meanwhile, when I initially reached 1,000 likes, gung-ho me immediately entered the last 20 likes into a drawing and selected a winner. I had Sarah Elizabeth McRae's book ordered and on it's way before the number went back down to 999.

Congratulations, Sarah of Juneau, Alaska! She choose "The Long Trip Home" as her prize.

May I refill your cup? 



I think this photo says it all.


Thanks for joining me today, and a big thank you to all who liked my author page. I hope you have a splendid week, devoid of drama like mine!


Cheers!
~Nancy Jill