Memorial Day Cookout Recipes

I hope everyone has a great Memorial Day enjoying getting together with family, friends and maybe doing some BBQing. This weekend officially starts off the summer season. If you’re headed to the beach you better head out early. I know traffic back in Westerly RI will be a mad house with all the beach traffic. Lets remember to be safe too, have a designated driver and share the road with all the motorcycles that will be out there and don’t forget the sunscreen.

I also hope everyone enjoys telling stories and remembering their family and friends that have left this world. So please feel free to share your stories.

My older brother Glen(Marine) was my hero as a kid and he died when he was 33. I still have the Timex wrist watch he sent me with his first paycheck in boot camp when I turned 13 I believe. He’s the one that gave me the nick name that my niece and nephews call me. Glen used to call me Ziny Wieny when we were kids and when I told my sil that story she thought it would bother me ( yes she didn’t like me at first – still not sure she does)if her kids called my that name to tease me. It backfired on her  because I love it when they run up to me calling Aunt Wieny, it helps me remember my brother as he’s been gone about 20 years or so now. He used to own a Hurst that he drove around and a Thunderbird Convertible that only went in reverse, he was real good at driving backwards fast.

So in honor of Memorial Day here are some recipes for cooking out. Denny will be home Sat. night and we’ll cook out Sunday as he has to work Monday. Which reminds me I need to take out some extra steaks.

Enjoy!

Z Seawitch

From the All- recipes website.

  Chili Burgers

“Sausage and chili sauce add to the usual ground beef to make a great consistency and flavor for burgers.”

Rate/Review                    |        Read Reviews            (30)

  Prep Time: 5 Min           Cook Time: 15 Min        Ready In: 20 Min

Original Recipe Yields 8 servings

            Ingredients

•                     1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1/2 pound Italian sausage
•                     1/3 cup tomato-based chili sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

            Directions

1.                     Preheat a grill for high heat. When the grill is hot, lightly oil the grate.
2.                     In a medium bowl, mix together the ground beef, Italian sausage, chili sauce, salt and pepper. Form 8 balls out of the meat, and flatten into patties.
3.                     Grill patties for 5 minutes per side, or until well done. Serve on buns with your favorite toppings.

   Scott Hibb’s Amazing Whisky Grilled Baby Back Ribs

 By: Scott David Hibbard

                        “Man, when your guests bite into these at the Memorial Day cookout, they’ll savor meat so tender and juicy that it slides right off the bone and gets you the respect you deserve! I have found that the major restaurant chains who make this awesome dish pre-cook their ribs SLOWLY before the quick grilling process.”

Prep Time: 20 Min        Cook Time: 2 Hrs 40 Min        Ready In: 3 Hrs

Ingredients

•                     2 (2 pound) slabs baby back pork ribs
•                     coarsely ground black pepper
•                     1 tablespoon ground red chile pepper
•                     2 1/4 tablespoons vegetable oil
•                     1/2 cup minced onion
•                     1 1/2 cups water
•                     1/2 cup tomato paste
•                     1/2 cup white vinegar
•                     1/2 cup brown sugar
•                     2 1/2 tablespoons honey
•                     2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
•                     2 teaspoons salt
•                     1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 1/4 teaspoons liquid smoke flavoring
•                     2 teaspoons whiskey
•                     2 teaspoons garlic powder
•                     1/4 teaspoon paprika
•                     1/2 teaspoon onion powder
•                     1 tablespoon dark molasses
•                     1/2 tablespoon ground red chile pepper

            Directions

1.                     Preheat oven to 300 degree F (150 degrees C).
2.                     Cut each full rack of ribs in half, so that you have 4 half racks.  Sprinkle salt and pepper (more pepper than salt), and 1 tablespoon chile pepper over meat. Wrap each half rack in aluminum foil. Bake for 2 1/2 hours.
3.                     Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir the onions in oil for 5 minutes. Stir in water, tomato paste, vinegar, brown sugar, honey,  and Worcestershire sauce. Season with 2 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper,  liquid smoke, whiskey, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, dark molasses, and 1/2 tablespoon ground chile pepper. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer for 1 1/4 hours, uncovered, or until sauce thickens. Remove from heat, and set sauce aside.
4.                     Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.
5.                     Remove the ribs from the oven, and let stand 10 minutes. Remove the racks from the foil, and place on the grill. Grill the ribs for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Brush sauce on the ribs while they’re grilling,  just before you serve them (adding it too early will burn it).

Easy Raspberry Salad

Prep Time: 10 Min    Ready In: 10 Min

Ingredients

•                     1 pound mixed salad greens
•                     1 pint fresh raspberries
•                     1 jicama, peeled and chopped
•                     4 ounces slivered almonds
•                     1 cup raspberry vinaigrette, or more to taste

            Directions

1.                     Toss salad greens, raspberries, jicama, and almonds together in a large bowl. Drizzle with raspberry vinaigrette to serve.

      Skewered Cantaloupe

Prep Time: 15 Min          Cook Time: 6 Min       Ready In: 21 Min

Ingredients

•                     1 cantaloupe – peeled, seeded, and cubed
•                     1/4 cup butter
•                     1/2 cup honey
•                     1/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
•                     skewers

            Directions

1.                     Preheat grill for medium heat.
2.                     Thread the cantaloupe chunks onto 4 skewers. In a small saucepan, heat butter with honey until melted. Stir in mint. Brush cantaloupe with honey mixture.
3.                     Lightly oil grate. Grill skewers 4 to 6 minutes, turning to brown all sides. Serve with remaining sauce.

Great Grilled Smoky Vegetables with Avocado and Goat Cheese Crumbles

Prep Time: 25 Min       Cook Time: 5 Min    Ready In: 1 Hr

Ingredients

•                     6 portobello mushroom caps
•                     4 red bell peppers, cored and quartered
•                     1 red onion, thickly sliced
•                     1/2 cup olive oil
•                     2 limes, juiced
•                     2 tablespoons grill seasoning
•                     2 cloves garlic, minced
•                     1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
•                     2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
•                     1 avocado – peeled, pitted, and cubed
•                     1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
•                     salt to taste
•                     freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil

            Directions

1.                     Place mushrooms, red bell peppers, and red onion in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Whisk olive oil, lime juice, grill seasoning, garlic, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl; pour over vegetables. Toss to coat and allow vegetables to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
2.                     Preheat grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate.
3.                     Remove vegetables from the marinade, and shake off excess. Reserve remaining marinade.
4.                     Grill vegetables on preheated grill until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer grilled vegetables to a large platter. Whisk remaining marinade with balsamic vinegar; pour over vegetables. Top with avocado and goat cheese, then season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with basil to serve.

   Garlic Corn on the Cob

Prep Time: 10 Min     Cook Time: 30 Min       Ready In: 40 Min

Ingredients

•                     12 ears  corn, husked and cleaned
•                     12 tablespoons butter, divided
•                     1/4 cup garlic powder

            Directions

1.                     Preheat grill for medium heat, or preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.                     Place each ear of corn on a separate square of aluminum foil. Place 1 tablespoon of butter on each one, and sprinkle with garlic powder. Wrap ears tightly with the foil.
3.                     Place ears of corn on the grill or in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, turning over occasionally.

     Ribbon Salad

Prep Time: 25 Min        Cook Time: 5 Min       Ready In: 6 Hrs 15 Min

Ingredients

•                     2 cups milk
• 1 cup white sugar
•                     1 (3 ounce) package cherry flavored gelatin mix
•                     1 (3 ounce) package lemon flavored gelatin mix
•                     1 (3 ounce) package lime flavored gelatin mix
•                     1 (3 ounce) package orange flavored gelatin mix
•                     2 (.25 ounce) packages unflavored gelatin
•                     1 (16 ounce) container sour cream

            Directions

1.                     In a medium saucepan, boil milk and sugar. Cool completely, but do not refrigerate.
2.                     Dissolve each package of flavored gelatin separately in 1 1/2 cups of boiling water. Set aside.
3.                     Dissolve unflavored gelatin in 1/2 cup of warm water. Add with sour cream to cooled milk and sugar mixture. Set aside.
4.                     Spread gelatin of one color on the bottom of a 9×13 inch pan. Chill in refrigerator until set. Then put 1 1/3 cup of the sour cream mixture on the chilled, firm layer of gelatin. Keep alternating these until all gelatin is used. Be sure to chill after each addition of gelatin.

There are many many recipes on this site and I have to say those ribs sound real good, lip smackin’ good.

Again Enjoy!

Z Seawitch

I’m Cheating

I am cheating today because I’m tired from the weekend trip. Really tired. My friend Fatin from Write-Minded Readers has a blog and she posted today the covers of a lot of books releasing today. There are several I’d love to get my hands on so here is the link to her blog so you can see all the pretty covers and add to your own wish lists. Me I’m headed to the store soon to listen to Miss Ivy’s advice she sent me the other day and pick up some multi vitamins with iron, small enough for me to take easily.

http://rrahnovelthoughts.com/2012/05/22/new-releases-may-22-2012/

Enjoy and don’t forget we have a great guest topping by next week. Laura Kaye.

Oh and hopefully everyone has started getting their books as the rest were all sent out last week. Thank you to those that shot me an email letting me know your books had made it.

Z Seawitch

A Weekend Recipe

If anyone that hasn’t already sent me their email and wants to take the survey for RomCon Genre Fued you can still email me and join the fun!

The rest of the packages are going out today, sorry it has taken so long, and thanks for understanding .

Here is another recipe from Miss Stephanie. Enjoy your weekend everyone. I am taking my grandkids up to visit their da and I’m visiting with Denny with some of our kids.

Z Seawitch

Cheap, Fast, and Good Recipe

By Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross

Workman Publishing 2005

Cheryl’s Tortellini and Spinach Soup    pg 17     serves 4     ~ 25 minutes

 

• 1 package (10oz) frozen chopped spinach
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 med onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 cans (14 oz each) chicken broth
• 1 can (14oz) diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 c frozen cheese tortellini
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 1 lg egg

 

1.)  Remove the spinach from packaging and microwave, uncovered, on high for about 5 minutes.

2.)  Heat the oil in a pot over med heat. Peel and finely chop the onion, adding as go. Add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until the onion tender (~2-3 minutes). Add 2 cups water and the broth; raise the heat to high and bring to a boil.

3.)  Remove the spinach from microwave and drain it well, squeezing out the excess water. Add to the pot. Add tomatoes with juice and sugar. Stir well.

4.)  Add the tortellini and bring the soup back to boil. Reduce heat to med, maintaining a slow boil, and cook until pasta is tender (~4-5 minutes).

5.)  Meanwhile, combine the cheese, salt, pepper, and egg in a small bowl and stir vigorously with a fork or whisk. Set aside.

6.)  When pasta is tender, slowly drizzle the egg mixture over the soup, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Then remove from heat, spoon the soup into shallow bowls, and serve.

 

Stephanie (Girl Friday)

A Submarine Life Recipe

Today is the last day of school here and tomorrow I get  to sleep in just a little then the madness begins, lol. So I thought you all would enjoy this, this is what it’s like on a submarine. There is one thing though, once the sub pulls out of port you no longer live in a 24 hour world your days are now 18 hours days. At the end is a link to a video where they talk about the 18 hour day. You spend 6 hours on watch, 6 hours regular/maintenance work and you get 6 hours to sleep before starting the cycle over again. The bed are called racks btw. Oh and you have to get your meals in there somewhere too and do your laundry and hopefully shower and shave. Believe me you have to shave almost everyday but according to Denny not all of them take enough showers and they have to force some to shower because they stink so bad.

From the USS West Virginia Blue Crew FRG Cookbook

 USS West Virginia, these “boomer subs are bigger than the sleek fast attack sub that Denny prefers. If you just below the flag you see people in orange on the sail, my favorite place to be when on a dependants cruise.

 These are midshipmen from the Naval Academy making the WV while on a ride, if you look there are girls!!!! Sorry I’m against women on subs unless it’s an all female crew….but that’s a whole nother soapbox. The USS West Virginia was the first to take women midshipmen and when it comes out of dry dock it will be re-fitted to have females on board. I’ll save that soap box for another day.

How to Simulate  Submarine Life At Home

1. Sleep on the shelf in your closet. Replace the closet door with a curtain. Every two hours after you go to sleep, have someone whip open the curtain, shine a flashlight in your eyes and mumble. “Sorry, wrong rack, ” or “Sign this.” 

 The USS Connecticut, fast attack sub. Here it is in the Arctic     Yes they had my hubby go out and buy chain saws before the trip because they have to cut thru the ice to get to hatches and stuff I guess. Not sure if that picture is of him or not. And here is the picture of the polar bear that attacked the sub when it surfaced, this happened just after we transferred off the sub. 

2. Use 18 scoops of coffee per pot and allow it to sit for 5-6 hours before drinking

 USS Philadelphia drapped with its homecoming lei, this boat was our favorite fast attack, it is no longer in service.     This picture shows the “wart” that is carried when SEALS are on board and the mini sub. Here is an underwater shot. 

3. Install a fluorescent lamp on the underside of you coffee table and lie under it to read books.

4. Every so often yell, “Emergency Deep!” or ‘Torpedo in the Water!” and run into the kitchen: throw all pots, pans and dishes onto the floor.

   USS Bergall, doing an emergency blow. I have done one of these….fun and scary! Lots of pots and pans crashing to the floor in the mess deck, then the cook cursing. This wasn’t one of Denny’s boats but it was one of my ex’s, my first sub.

5. Once a month a month, take every major appliance completely apart and then put them back together(just incase they are about to break).

  The USS Haddo Denny’s first submarine.

6. Make up your family menu a week ahead of time without looking in your food cabinets or refrigerator.

  USS Dallas, Denny was a rider on this sub. If you have seen the Hunt for Red October than you’ve seen the Dallas, it also carries a wart and the SEALS that go with it.

7. When making a cake, prop up one side of the pan while cooking. Spread icing really thick on one side to make level.

  Here is the Dallas coming home…see the lei and the crew are in their dress whites.

Now that you have read the recipe here is a video for you to watch, this link takes you to a blog site that I just found and was surprised to find I know the blog owner, he served on the USS Connecticut with my husband. In fact the day the twin towers were hit in NYC I was driving over the Gold Star Bridge between New London and Groton, (the subs have to go under the bridge to get out to sea) and went to his  house and spent half the day with his wife when I heard the news on the radio. Scroll down a little ways till you see the National Geographic video, I tried to copy the link but it only takes you to the main page at National Geographic website and not the video. This sub is the USS Florida which I belive is a SSBM like the West Virginia.

http://bubbleheads.blogspot.com/2010_06_01_archive.html

Z Seawitch

And the Survey Says!!!

If you ever watched Family Fued you will recognize those words. I have an opportunity for you all courtesy of my friend Christine over at RomCon. They have a survey for their version of Genre Fued and need people to take the survey.

So if you would like to help out please email me off list with the email addy you would like the survey sent to. Send your email to Seawitch Reviews @ yahoo.com (remove spaces) and put     FF Survey   in the subject line.  This is time sensitive so be quick!!!

Z Seawitch

Texas Bride by Joan Johnston

So while I was walking around the VA hospital with the two wee ones waiting while Denny had his scope, I found a stack of books and I picked up a new to me author Joan Johnston and the first book in her Mail Order Bride series Texas Bride. I found out at the end that this book is connected to a few other of her books and since I did enjoy it my OCD has kicked in and I’ll be on the lookout for her backlist and the next two books in this series. The book images, blurb and excerpt are from the authors site. I find Mail Order Brides interesting …maybe I should see if any Scottish Highlanders want a mail order bride and send my gel Stephanie over to meet them…hummmm.

 Now I said I enjoyed it and I did but there were a few things that irked me as well, but we’ll get to those.  Look at the cover, isn’t it pretty???? Earlier today I was over at Warm Fuzzies snooping…lurking…and one of the posts was about covers and if they convey what the story is about. I love this cover but it says contemporary not historical to me. After reading the book and going back to look at the cover as I’m writing this review there are things wrong but that’s the art department fault not the authors. Sometimes the art department would benefit from reading the book first, I’m not just talking about this book but many books out there.

Let’s meet the heroine, Miranda Wentworth, oldest daughter of a rich banker who is orphaned along with her 5 younger siblings in the great Chicago fire. They are left to rot basically by their uncle Steven in the orphanage under the care of one Miss Birth….now now ladies that’s Birth not Bitch, even though as you will see she is one-big time. Miranda must step up and protect her siblings as much as possible from the evil reign of Miss Birth…until she turns 18 and will be forced to leave the orphanage and her siblings. As the children are all trying to figure out what to do her sister Josie presents her with a solution…become a mail order bride then rescue the rest of the family.  Events happen that cause Miranda to leave and steal away with the two youngest brothers 9-10 year old Nick who has a chip on his shoulder where adults are concerned and 4-year-old Henry who is a bit on the sickly side. I greatly admired Miranda’s fortitude and inner strength and if you get a chance to read the story you’ll understand why. I also must say that I enjoyed her transformation into the strong woman she was meant to be after she left the orphanage behind.

Our hero Jake Creed is a heartbroken man, he lost the love of his life Priss in childbirth and he needs a mother for his 2-year-old daughter Anna Mae. That’s what he needs, a mother for the baby but the only way to get one is to advertise because no woman with-in 100 miles would marry him because his step-father Blackthorne is trying to ruin him any way he can. He doesn’t want a wife but he knows he’ll have to get one.  He’s just hoping she’ll be understanding when he finally tells her he has a baby and a crippled old man for her to take care of and oh yeah by the way…this marriage will be in name only  because I will never love you. Oh I so enjoyed Jake’s fall but I must admit I expected him to sleep in the barn right from the beginning.

The supporting characters were very well done from the evil Miss Birch and Uncle Steven to Miranda’s siblings. The interaction was very well done especially when Miranda met her father in law and he let his two cents worth be known. Little Anna Mae I liked how she called Miranda mama, this struck a chord with me as I have been raising my grandchildren and sometimes they call me mama. I definitely have to read the books that are connected because I want to know more about Blackthorne and even the older Mr Creed. I don’t know if they are in the other stories but I intend to find out. The events that occur during the story I find to be in keeping with the time period which is very important with me. I hate to read a Scottish Medieval and find the characters saying modern things.

Now on to the things that irked me a bit. For a good portion of the story Jake’s step father Blackthorne is the “bad guy” then all of a sudden he backs off, I have my thoughts on why he did it but I feel it should have been explained and he is replaced by other “bad guys” The other thing that seemed off was the timing…I felt Miranda fell in love to quick, it felt like only a day passed and she was madly in love.  It was hard sometimes to tell how much time had passed also…the story seemed to be moving daily then jump ahead to next week in the story without a bridge so to speak, so sometimes the timing was unclear for me but over all I did enjoy Texas Bride and will be picking up the next book in the series Wyoming Bride as I did enjoy that little excerpt at the end for it.  I don’t normally use a rating system unless I feel it’s needed so out of five stars I’d give Texas Bride a 3.75, but remember just because there were a few things that irked me here and there it was a good storyline and I did enjoy it and you may enjoy it even more than I did.

   A Bitter Creek book: Mail Order Bride series book 1

Book Blurb from author’s site:

HE MAY BE HER ONLY HOPE. SHE MAY BE HIS LAST CHANCE.

Texas Bride Miranda Wentworth never imagined becoming a mail-order bride. Now marriage to a stranger is her only hope of finding a home where she and her two younger brothers can escape the brutality of the Chicago orphanage where they live. With any luck, she can even start a family of her own, once the three of them are settled at Jacob Creed’s Texas ranch. But Miranda has one gigantic concern: Her husband-to-be knows nothing about the brothers she’s bringing along. What if he calls off the deal when he discovers the trick she’s played on him?

Jake Creed is hanging on to his Texas ranch by his fingernails. His nemesis, Alexander Blackthorne, is determined to ruin him. Jake will never give up, but he’s in desperate trouble. His wife died six months ago in childbirth, along with their stillborn son, and his two-year-old daughter needs a mother. The advertisement Jake wrote never mentioned his daughter—or the fact that he has no intention of consummating his marriage. He’s determined never to subject another wife to the burden of pregnancy. But Jake doesn’t count on finding his bride so desirable. He doesn’t count on aching with need when she joins him in bed. And he never suspected his bride would have plans of her own to seduce him.

 Excerpt from authors site:

Miranda was afraid to reach for the tickets. She seldom took anything for herself before offering it first to one of her siblings. Her life the past three years had been full of sacrifices. But none of her siblings were old enough to marry. She would have to do this herself.

It didn’t feel like a sacrifice. She’d be going on a grand adventure to a place she knew about only from stories in the Daily Herald. A place full of wild broncs and longhorned cattle. A place full of cowboys. . .and Indians. It all sounded so exotic. And exciting. She’d have a husband and maybe, one day soon, children of her own, two things she’d seen as very far in the future after she’d become a destitute orphan. And with a new life outside the Institute, there was at least a chance she could rescue her siblings.

Miranda didn’t let herself dwell on the possibility that her husband might turn out to be as cruel as Miss Birch. No one could be as cruel as Miss Birch.

Speak of the devil and she appeared.

“What is this!” a piercing voice demanded.

Miranda quickly slid the vellum and tickets back across the table to Josephine, who slipped them back into the pocket in her night shift. As the headmistress descended on them like a whirling dervish, Miranda whispered to her siblings, “I’ll take care of Miss Birch. Go!”

Her younger brothers and sisters grabbed their blankets and scampered for the door in the dark shadows at the opposite end of the dining room, leaving Miranda behind to face their nemesis.

Miss Birch was wearing a tufted robe over her nightgown and had her long black hair, of which she was so proud, pinned up under a nightcap. The headmistress was short and stout, with large eyes so dark brown they were almost black and cheeks that became florid when she was angry, as she was now.

“I presume that bunch who ran off was the passel of brats you brought with you to the orphanage,” Miss Birch said. “I’ve warned you before about leaving the dormitory after lights out, Miss Wentworth.”

Miranda lowered her eyes in submission, knowing that was the best way to conciliate the headmistress. “Yes, Miss Birch. I was saying good-bye to my brothers and sisters, since I’m leaving tomorrow morning.”

“You think the fact you’re leaving tomorrow means you can flaunt my rules tonight?”

“No, Miss Birch. I–”

A slender wooden rod whipped through the air and hit Miranda’s right shoulder without warning. Whop. She gasped at the pain and bit her lip to keep from crying out. She didn’t want her siblings to hear her and try coming to her rescue. There was no defying Miss Birch.

Miranda kept her hands at her sides, aware that if she tried to protect herself, Miss Birch would only hit harder.

“I’ll be glad–whop–to see–whop–you go!”

The pain was excruciating. Miranda felt tears of pain well in her eyes, but she didn’t make a sound, not even a whimper. She refused to give Miss Birch the satisfaction.

She could hear the heavyset woman breathing hard from the effort of whipping her. She raised her gaze, staring into the black eyes that stared hatefully back at her, and said with all the calm and dignity she could muster, “Are you done now? May I leave?”

She watched as Miss Birch resisted the urge to hit her again. Three cracks of the rod. That was Miss Birch’s limit, no matter how bad the infraction. Miranda knew her punishment was over, which was why there had been a taunt in her calm, dignified voice.

Then Miss Birch hit her again. WHOP. Hard enough to make Miranda moan with pain. Hard enough to make the tears in her eyes spill onto her cheeks.

“Now I’m done,” the headmistress said with malicious satisfaction. “Go back to the dormitory, Miss Wentworth, and stay there until it’s time for you to leave.”

Miranda had turned to go when Miss Birch said, “Too bad you won’t be here when those brats get their punishment.”

“You’ve already punished me!” Miranda protested. “There’s no need to punish anyone else.”

“They were here, weren’t they? Where they didn’t belong? Oh, they’ll be punished, all right. Each and every one of them!”

“The baby–”

“That brat is no baby! He’s four years old.”

“Only four years old!” Miranda retorted, fear for her youngest brother, whom she would no longer be able to protect, making her bold. “How can you be so mean?”

“Mean?” Miss Birch pressed her lips flat. “I enforce discipline, Miss Wentworth. Without discipline, where would we be? Those children must learn to obey the rules. They must learn there are consequences when they break them.”

“If you must punish someone, beat me instead.”

Miss Birch raised her eyebrows as she tapped the rod against her open palm. “Let me see. Three strokes times five offenses. How many is that, Miss Wentworth?”

“Fifteen,” Miranda replied past a throat tight with fear.

“I’m tempted, Miss Wentworth. Oh, how I am tempted.”

“Who would know?” Miranda said in a voice that was almost a whisper. “I’m leaving tomorrow.”

Miss Birch laughed. “You’re a fool, Miss Wentworth. I could give you fifteen strokes of the rod tonight and punish the rest of them tomorrow after you’re gone.”

Miranda knew very well that Miss Birch would find reasons to punish her siblings, even if there weren’t any. But the tickets secured in Josie’s pocket gave her courage. “Do it,” she urged. “I trust you will be too tired after the effort to bother my siblings, at least for tomorrow.”

“Very well, Miss Wentworth. Turn around and bare your back.”

Miranda’s eyes went wide. “You can’t mean–”

“Bare your back,” Miss Birch demanded. “Or I’ll have every one of those brats back in here tonight to get three strokes of the rod.”

“Yes, Miss Birch.” Miranda turned and slid her shift off already aching shoulders, securing the folds of cloth against her small breasts.

She focused her terrified mind on the faceless man at the end of her coming journey. The man who would be her husband. The man who would be the salvation of her siblings. The man who would plant the seeds for a family of her own. The man she would somehow learn to love. The man who might someday learn to love her.

Miranda braced herself and waited for the cane to strike.

Well, there you go what a spoiler this excerpt is for my review.

If you’d like to go over to check out Joan Johnston’s website and her back lists here is the link to her site.   http://www.joanjohnston.com/

Family Fued Questions

Ok, here is your chance to help. Here is an email I received, I sent back some questions I thought of but I’m opening it up to all you as well. So read it and then please send me your questions to my email with family feud in the subject line and I’ll pass them along. Thanks!

Z Seawitch

Seawitch Reviews @ yahoo.com

Hi,

  I hope my email finds you healthy, happy, reading and writing until your heart is content. I am emailing because I need a little help. I am setting up a game that will be played at RomCon. I am calling it Genre Feud. It is going to be played just like Family Feud. It will have authors and readers from different genre’s competing against each other. So far I have erotic , paranormal, and historical author’s and readers. They have given some questions but to keep it fair I need more. My problem is the questions. I am setting up a survey to help with the game but I have run out of questions. Do you have any suggestions? Here is an example question… Name things you can do in a barn/shed. Thank you for any help you can give!! Have a great night.