Fully Loaded Blondies by @Donna_Fasano #Foodies #Desserts

Sometimes, you just need something DELICIOUS. These blondies are loaded with good stuff! I hope you enjoy them.

Fully Loaded Blondies 

5 Tablespoon butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 350° F. Spray an 8-inch x 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and stir until ingredients are fully incorporated.

Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir to thoroughly combine.

Stir in nuts, coconut, and chocolate chips. Using a rubber spatula, scrape batter into prepared pan. Batter will be stiff. Press batter into all corners and flatten top evenly. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven. Cool. Cut into squares.

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This month, I'm offering TWO HEARTS IN WINTER for just 99 cents. 

Save $3 during the month of March.

 As an Amazon, Nook, and iTunes Associate, Awesome Romance Blog earns from qualifying purchases. This post may contain paid links.

 

Gluten-Free Muffins with Banana Powder by @Donna_Fasano

Because I have family members who suffer with celiac disease, I have been playing around with gluten-free recipes. I also purchased banana powder and decided to incorporate it into this recipe. If you don’t have banana powder, see the note at the end of the recipe. These muffins are light and airy and delicious! If you didn’t know they were gluten-free… you couldn’t tell. Yum.

Banana Millet Muffins  

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1/4 cup water*

3/4 cup millet flour

1/3 cup banana powder*

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup walnut pieces

1.    Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare a 12 cup muffin tin by spraying with baking spray (or line with cupcake paper.)

2.    In a medium size bowl, blend together the brown sugar and the eggs until there are no lumps of sugar. Add the oil, lemon juice, and water. Mix to combine.

3.    Add the flour, banana powder, baking powder, and soda. Stir until all ingredients are incorporated. Stir in walnut pieces until evenly distributed in the batter.

4.    Fill muffin cups three quarters full. Tap tray on the counter to remove large air bubbles. Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool and enjoy.

*If you don’t have banana powder, omit the banana powder and the water and add 1 ripe, mashed banana.

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This month I’m offering SECOND CHANCE VALENTINE on sale in the Kindle Store for just 99¢. Here’s more about the book:

As teens, Josie and Alex met under golden sunshine, frolicked in the surf and sand, and fell head over toes in love. But their one glorious summer ended in ruin and Josie fled Ocean City with a broken heart.

Now Josie’s grandmother is ill and needs help with the family business, a thriving harbor-side diner called Joe’s Place. So after more than a dozen years, Josie returns to her hometown only to discover she has a 180 pound problem—Alex is the Kitchen Commander at Joe’s Place. Surely, Josie can work with Alex until her grandmother is back on her feet. However, when Alex’s little girl starts scheming, not a single heart will be safe against the little matchmaker.

This book contains bonus recipes from Joe’s Place!

SECOND CHANCE VALENTINE is also available (at regular price) in Paperback. 

 As an Amazon, Nook, and iTunes Associate, Awesome Romance Blog earns from qualifying purchases. This post may contain paid links.

 

Take A Romantic Stay-cation This Holiday!

The holiday season is here! I am offering 3 of my Christmas books on sale for just 99¢ each. All of these titles are stand-alone stories that take place in Ocean City, Maryland. I have had more than one book reviewer say that my sweet romances are like Hallmark movies. That description always makes me smile!

I am also featuring below a book that takes place during the winter months that is a little spicier and the story features more complicated issues. If you haven't yet read it, I hope you'll check it out.

Books on the sweeter side:

Grown-Up Christmas List is a romantic suspense novel. Dina Griffiths witnesses a brutal act that puts her very life in danger. Trusting no one, she flees to Ocean City, Maryland where she meets a local police officer who senses she’s in trouble. Can he gain her trust before it’s too late? This book is a free read for Kindle Unlimited members.

For fans of ‘Me Before You’ and ‘The Fault in Our Stars’—An Almost PerfectChristmas brings together two people in need of the kind of love that can overcome tragedy. A heartbreakingly romantic novel that challenges each of us to live—and love—to the fullest… even when life is less than perfect. This is a free read for Kindle Unlimited members.

Veronica “Ronnie” Clark has had it up to here with her family. So she shoves her suitcase into the trunk of her car along with that billowy, lacy, monstrosity of a bridal gown and hits the road. Unfortunately, her old Volvo gives out, leaving her stranded on Christmas Eve in the nearly deserted seaside town of Ocean City, Maryland. Oh, boy, does she ever need a miracle! Free read for Kindle Unlimited members.

And on the spicier side…

Reminiscent of Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks and culminating in a happily-ever-after similar to the great Nora Roberts, Two Hearts in Winter is a story about learning to let go of the past, about realizing that, though hardship affects us, it need not define us, and about coming to understand and truly believe that beauty is sometimes covered in scars. The human heart has an amazing ability to forgive, to heal, and to hope, especially when touched by love. This book is available for Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iBooks, and is also available in Paperback. 

Two Hearts in Winter is Book 2 of the OC Boardwalk Series and is best read after Book 1 because the first 3 books of the series feature 3 girlfriends who grew up together in Ocean City, Maryland. Once you read Books 1 and 2, you will surely want to read Book 3. 

I send you warm wishes for every 

wonderful thing this holiday!

As an Amazon, Nook, and iTunes Associate, Donna Fasano earns from qualifying purchases. This post may contain paid links.

Cranberries And Cream Cookie Bars #Recipe

I found a recipe online that combined a cream filling with an oatmeal crust and I fiddled with the recipe a bit. I added extra vanilla and cranberries to the cream filling. And I decreased the salt and swapped out the white sugar for brown sugar in the crust. The result is a cookie bar that is wonderful served warm (with a scoop of vanilla ice cream???) or cold (with a cup of hot tea!). I hope you enjoy!

Cranberries and Cream Bars

Ingredients:

CREAM FILLING:

3 large egg yolks

1 1/2 cups sour cream

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cup dried cranberries

CRUST:

1 cup butter, very soft

1 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/3 cups old fashioned oats

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly spray a 13-inch x 9-inch baking pan with non-stick spray. Set pan aside.

2. Prepare cream filling. In the top of a double boiler, whisk together the egg yolks, sour cream, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, and salt until well combined; stir in the cranberries. Cook and stir over simmering water until mixture is thickened, 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Prepare the crust. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar. Stir in the vanilla. Add the flour, oats, salt, baking soda, and coconut. Stir until all ingredients are well incorporated. Press HALF of the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Bake the bottom crust until set, about 10 minutes. (The remaining dough will become the topping.)

4. Remove the bottom crust from the oven. Spread cranberry cream mixture over crust and crumble reserved dough evenly over the top of the cream. Bake until filling is set and top is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.

Don't Forget to Fall Back ~ Trick Or Treat for UNICEF

 Don't forget to turn your clocks back 1 hour on 

Sunday, November 1, 2020.

As a child, I went trick or treating for UNICEF. Did you? UNICEF helps children all over the world. This year, Trick Or Treat for UNICEF is going virtual. You can donate today. Click on the image below to donate:

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman @amplecat #BookReview

 

All readers will be able to identify with Nina Hill, a bookish bookseller who doesn’t have time for a love life. But there’s so much more to this story than love and romance. There’s the book-store owner who can’t pay the rent and the building owner who’s determined to get his money. There’s the Trivia Teams (which are filled with wonderful characters!) and the weekly Trivia Competitions (fun AND informative!). Then there’s Nina’s mother, a foot-loose-and-fancy-free photographer who never told Nina she had a father. (Well, of course, Nina had a father, but his identity has remained a secret… until now.) And I can’t forget about the burgeoning family that Nina never knew she had--interesting characters, one and all.

Abbi Waxman has written a story that’s both charming and funny. It left me with a wonderful light and airy feeling. I highly recommend it.

 

Dust Be Gone! 6 Tips for Staying Dust Free

Every time I turn around, it seems that a new layer of dust has collected on my furniture. Well, I say, “Dust be gone!” The dust in your home is made of carpet and clothing fibers, pet dander, dirt and grime from outside, and, yes, dead skin cells. Here are six simple ways to reduce the dust in your house.

Rugs and Mats, Inside and Out

An outside doormat encourages guest to wipe their feet before they enter your home. An small rug place inside will help remove even more dust and grime from the bottoms of shoes. Place sturdy mats and rugs inside and outside of every entrance to your home.

No Shoes Rule

Make a No Shoes Rule for your home. Remove your shoes and ask guests to do the same. Shoes worn outside carry in all manner of dirt, dust, and who-knows-what into your home. It’s just good manner to remove shoes when you enter your own or someone else’s house.

Magic Moisture

Feather dusters look nice, but they whisk dust into the air instead of collecting it. A cloth is better for dusting. Rather than using a dry cloth, which pushes dust around and causes it to billow into the air (to settle elsewhere), use a damp cloth to remove dust from furniture surfaces. I’m not saying wet… I’m saying damp. Barely dampen your dust cloth with water and wring it out as much as you can. The moisture will capture and hold the dust tight. Rinse the cloth often. Run it through the washer when you’re finished dusting.

Filter the Air

Your HVAC system has a filter that should be changed regularly. Check the owner’s manual of your system and make sure you are changing your filter often enough. It’s better to change it more often than less often, where dust in concerned.

Clean Air Ducts

Every room in your house probably has at least one air register. A few times each year, I use a dryer brush to clean as much of the air ducts as I can reach. There are professional companies that will come in and give your air ducts a thorough cleaning.

Murder the Mites

Dust mites are attracted to the dead skin and pet dander that ends up in your mattress and pillows. Wash your sheets and pillowcases weekly. Wash your mattress pads monthly. And several time a year, vacuum your mattress and run your pillows through a dryer cycle to keep them as clean as possible.

How do you keep dust from collecting in your home? Comment below so everyone can learn something new.