Chocolate Orange Swirl Bread

I made this delicious bread for the kids' breakfast a couple days ago and it was a huge hit! I substituted clementines for the oranges, since that's what I had on hand, and made up the remaining amount with lemon juice. It was still great! Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Chocolate Orange Swirl Bread
(makes 2 loaves)

1 c. softened butter
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
2 lg. oranges
4 c. flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 TB. unsweetened cocoa
2 TB. milk

Mix butter, sugar, and eggs until well combined. Grate the peels from both the oranges to measure at least 2 TB. zest. Juice both oranges to equal approximately 1 c. of juice. If you don't get quite enough, you can add milk or water to make up the difference. Mix zest and juice into butter mixture. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl, then stir into wet mixture until just combined. Pour all but 1 c. of mixture into 2 pans. Add cocoa and milk to the remaining mixture and whisk until well combined. Divide between the two pans, pouring down the middle of each. Use a knife to swirl the mixture around a bit. Bake at 325º for 1 hour.

Why It's Not "UnChristian" To Be Open On Christmas Day And Thanksgiving

I can't tell you how many versions of "Don't Shop at ...." I see during this time of year. Stores are labeled pro or against Christmas, like in the recently published AFA Naughty or Nice list. 

People put up snotty status memes like this one:

Or this one is even better...

Makes me want to remind them about the holi-day our Lord, a practicing Jew, celebrated during this time of year---Hanukkah. Heard of it? Besides the fact that it makes sense for a business to buy a Happy Holidays banner that will suffice from Nov. 1-Jan. 2, this arrogant point of view also shows off your ignorance, since Christmas was a man-made holiday that came way after Jesus. I don't think he really cares one way or another if or how we celebrate it. (Yes, I celebrate. No, I don't want to have this discussion.)

But the thing that just makes me want to smack y'all upside the head is when you tell me you're going to actually boycott a store because it's open on Thanksgiving or Christmas. Are you kidding me?

"Oh, but those poor single moms should be home with their poor kids who have to be in school all week long and they should at least get Christmas together, for crying out loud!"

Really? No, actually it's called, doing what you have to do. Or, more plainly, having character and integrity.

Ok, so I'm sure there are tons of people, who work for companies that require them to work on a holiday, who are pretty put out about the whole thing. In fact, I bet every single one of them wishes they could be home with their families for Christmas Day. 

You know, because that's what normal families do.

You know what else probably goes through their minds? They're probably thanking God they have a job. They're probably thanking God they might be able to provide for some or all of their family's celebration that year. They're probably thanking God they're doing better than they did last year. Maybe they know their willingness to work hard, even when it hurts, will show their employers that they're committed to the job and they'll be put up for a promotion? 

Many companies offer time and a half, or even double time and a half, for employees who will work the holiday. Maybe that's the make it or break it day that will push their paychecks up just enough to be able to make their family celebration meaningful. Because they're making their own family traditions...a normal for them that is, frankly, none of your business.

Last Thanksgiving morning, my husband was home for the day, enjoying his paid holiday with his children. As they all giggled and played in the living room, I worked in the kitchen preparing a beautiful Thanksgiving dinner---more food than we could even fit on our table. I realized I'd forgotten to get something, and headed to Walmart. I felt a little guilty "making" the cashier ring me up, even though she had to be there anyway. As I reached for my change, I told her thank you for working that day. I told her how much I appreciated the store being open so I could finish what I was working on. 

That woman didn't see me as some snob who was rubbing it in her face that I got to be normal and she didn't. She smiled big and told me how much she appreciated that I said that. I'd made her feel valued in the midst of hundreds of other shoppers also rushing through to get back to the kitchen. Her family was preparing the dinner and she was going home later that afternoon to enjoy it with them. This was her normal.

This Thanksgiving, I might just head down to Walmart for the fun of it. Just to tell one of them thanks for doing hard things. Here's a new status meme for you...I dare you.

The Last Bride --- Book Review

I received this book from Family Christian for review. All opinions are honest and are my own.

I've been reading Beverly Lewis books for years---I've read every adult one she's published so far! While The Last Bride wasn't up there with my favorites of hers, I must say that there was more than one surprise in this one---which is surprising in itself since I found most of the story pretty predictable.

Book Description: In The Last Bride, the sixth book in the Home to Hickory Hollow series from bestselling author Beverly Lewis, nineteen-year-old Tessie Miller is the youngest of her Old Order parents' five daughters - and the only one yet to marry. She has her heart set on Amishman Marcus Smucker, and come wedding season, they plan to tie the knot and start a family together. But Tessie's father disapproves. Ammon Miller has his reasons, and he has put his foot down: the marriage will not go forward. 

Impetuously, Tessie and Marcus take matters into their own hands, eloping to exchange their vows in the English world. After a secret honeymoon, they return to their Plain community to live as singles, hoping that, in time, they can convince the Millers to give their love a chance. But when the unthinkable happens, Tessie faces the biggest challenge of her life - and the almost-certain censure of the People. 

My Thoughts: First off, I must say that what I thought the cover meant by "the unthinkable happens" is not actually what happened. Well, it was---but there was more to it which definitely surprised me. See, now you can stop right there and go buy the book because that's just enough vagueness to get you interested, right?

No? Ok, so this was the first Lewis book I read after being in Missouri's Amish country earlier this fall. I saw my first Amish man, horse and buggy, and Amish-made goods for sale in September in Mansfield. It gave me some real faces to imagine on these made up characters and that was a neat experience. 

Without giving too many spoilers away, I'll just say that while the book definitely did have a happy and redeemed ending, this didn't move me to tears like most of hers normally do. There were several holes left open and the plot line wasn't tight enough to keep me from asking question after question about the scenarios that didn't make complete sense. Still, Lewis is and will probably always be up there in my top five favorite authors, so I'll proudly place this book on the shelf with the rest of the collection and enjoy it for years to come.