Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Gearing Up For Fall and a Recipe by Melanie D. Snitker


Temperatures are starting to fall a little here in my area of Texas. I'm surprised, to be honest, and half expect summer to make another appearance before it's all said and done. Meanwhile, I'm enjoying the cool temps in the morning. It's making me look forward to cozy shirts, the smell of cinnamon in the air, and pumpkin spice cake. 

Another reason I'm excited for fall this year is the release of Fall Into Romance, a collection of ten novellas. It's been an honor to work with fellow Sweet Romance Reads authors Shanna Hatfield, Raine English, and Liwen Y. Ho, and six other wonderful authors to put together a boxed set that's guaranteed to make you smile.



Surround yourself in the romance of the autumn season with 10 heartwarming, sweet novellas from USA Today, national bestselling, and award-winning authors with a foreword by Susan Hatler, New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author.

Each story takes you inside the heart of a small town—its people—and features adorable animal friends in need of a forever home. 

Take a trip to Romance, Oregon, where falling in love has never been easier and happily-ever-after is guaranteed!


Available for Pre-order For Only $0.99!

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My novella, Finding Forever in Romance, was a blast to write! Between the sweet romance, a little boy with a lot of character, and cuddly animals that made me want to adopt them myself, it's my hope that you'll come away from reading this novella with a smile on your face.

From the time he was a child, Brent Todd has helped lost pets find healing and homes. Now, he runs Romance's Finding Forever Animal Rescue. Amid the dogs, cats, donkeys, goats, and exotic animals in his care, he convinces himself he has everything he needs. Then a beautiful woman and her son volunteer to help at the shelter. Brent soon realizes he needs more than the rescue animals to fill the empty spaces in his heart and home. 

Dedicated to raising her son, Nicole Crawford views romance as a lovely idea. But between being a single mom and the pain of her past, she refuses to dwell on something so out of reach. To teach her son about helping others, they volunteer at Finding Forever on a temporary basis. But the more time she spends with Brent, the more she realizes it'll be impossible to walk away from him and the shelter with her heart intact. 

Together, maybe Brent and Nicole will discover a forever family of their own.

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Join Us for the Release Party!


October 5th
2:30 - 6:00 p.m. EDT

Join us on Facebook as we celebrate the release of Fall Into Romance. There'll be games, prizes, giveaways, and so much more. Trust me, you won't want to miss it! 


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Recipe: Pumpkin Bars

I'm not a huge fan of pumpkin pie, but I absolutely love pumpkin bars. I rarely make them except for during the fall season, and I'm looking forward to making them again soon. Here's the recipe in case you'd like to try them yourself. 

4 eggs
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 cup oil
1 (16 oz.) can pumpkin
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

  • Beat together eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin until light and fluffy. 
  • In a separate bowl, stir flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon
  • Add to pumpkin mixture and mix
  • Spread batter in an ungreased 15" x 10" pan
  • Bake at 350'F for 25-30 minutes. Test with a toothpick to see if it's done.

Cream Cheese Frosting: 
1 (3 oz) cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

Cream the cheese and butter, stir in vanilla and sugar a little at a time. Mix until smooth. Spread the frosting over the pumpkin cake and enjoy! 

What's your favorite fall-inspired food or treat? Feel free to share a recipe!

11 comments:

  1. Looking forward to reading this wonderful boxed set, Melanie, by some of my favorite authors. Thanks for the recipe, also!

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  2. Melanie, the collection sounds terrific and the recipe does as well. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Thanks, Mary! I'm looking forward to making it again.

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  3. Home made Chicken Wild Rice Soup

    2 chicken breasts, cut and cooked
    2 cups cooked wild rice
    4 carrots sliced
    4 ribs of celery sliced
    1 med onion diced
    1 package of sliced mushrooms (fresh work best)
    6 cups of chicken broth
    3 T butter and Flour to make a roux
    2 cups half and half or to taste

    For garnish: crumbled bacon and some sliced green onion or croutons

    Cook wild rice according to directions. You will cook 1 cup of rice to gain 2 cups of cooked rice. This takes about an hour or a little longer.
    In med fry pan cook chicken pieces until juices run clear.

    While chicken cooks, slice up carrots and celery and dice onion. Add to a large pot and add chicken broth. Cook until cooked tender. Add the butter and flour to the pan you cooked the chicken in and form a roux. add half and half to this and let thicken a bit. Add this mixture to the pot of veggies and then add the chicken and wild rice. at this point add the sliced fresh mushrooms and let simmer for about 20 minutes stirring occasionally. seasoning as desired with salt and pepper. Serve with crumbled cooked bacon and sliced green onions or croutons if desired.

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    1. I forgot to say I am excited to read this. I loved boxed sets! Your pumpkin bars sound very good!

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    2. Thanks for sharing. The recipe sounds great and I love soup in the fall and winter. Yum!

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  4. Yummy recipe, Melanie and the boxed set looks great!

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  5. The pumpkin bars sound delicious! Going to have to try them! Thanks, Melanie!

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    Replies
    1. You're welcome, Shanna! I'm hoping to make them soon. I've been craving them for a while!

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