Ringing in Advent with Apple Dumplings and Family Memories

There's just something magical about the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. In some ways, we rush about in the hustle and bustle of shopping and preparations, but deep down we embrace the peace that the season brings.

As I was thinking about all of these things together, I was reminded how everything really boils down to faith and family. I was reminded of dinners with my grandparents and vacations with them, and then celebrating big Thanksgiving and Christmases at my paternal grandparent's house with all my cousins, then much smaller get-togethers at my other grandparents as my mother was an only child.

Even now, my husband's family get-togethers tend to be larger than my side of the family. His family all live close and mine are more wide-spread. But large or small, all are precious and create lasting memories.

Sometimes it's the tradition of a certain food or a certain time. For instance, my mother-in-law has served a mid-morning breakfast for Christmas for the last several years. The time of day and the break from traditional foods has always been a wonderful respite on Christmas Eve. And who doesn't love biscuits, bacon, and eggs?

In keeping with this month's theme, I'm going to share a recipe, but it might not be one you'd want to serve with breakfast, but then again... lol

We had "Second" Thanksgiving at my house on Sunday since my youngest son had to work on Thanksgiving Day. I invited my in-laws and my mother-in-law came with Apple Dumplings since that's his favorite dessert. She didn't know that I also made Apple Dumplings because... well, it's my son's favorite dessert. So we had 32 apple dumplings between us!

This led to an in-depth discussion of how we made our dumplings, plus another long email discussion among the Seekers of who's made them, how, and what ingredients. I'm not sure if Apple Dumplings has ever has as much air time as they have this week.

So, without further ado, I'm going to share my mother-in-law's version of Apple Dumplings, since it's the easiest thing to remember by far.

Two-fer Apple Dumplings

(I'm calling these Two-fer, because you use TWO of everything)

2 apples, peeled, cored and cut into 16 slices

2 cans of crescent rolls (8 per pack)

2 cups sugar (white or brown, or mixed works)

2 sticks of butter

10 ounces of either Sprite, orange juice, or Mountain Dew

Optional: Sprinkle of cinnamon

Spray a 9x16 glass casserole dish with Pam or a smear of butter

Wrap each apple slice in a crescent roll

Melt butter and mix with sugar and pour over the top

Pour the Sprite or orange juice around the edges

Bake on 340-350 until crescent roll tops are nice and brown. There will still be a good bit of liquid/juice, but this will soak up as the dish cools a bit. Eat warm or cold, and with vanilla ice cream if you like.

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Celebrate TWO New Releases With Me!

Adventures with Cowpaw is my first children's book.
I'm so excited to share it with you!
Buy it Here!

My Calico Trails Romance Collection brings three of my novellas
to PRINT for the very first time.
Buy it HERE!

It's the Beginning of Advent Season

 Erica here: I'm so thankful that Advent season is here. It's my favorite time of the year. This year, the Seekers wanted to share this special time with our readers, and gift you some of our favorite recipes and a favorite Christmas book or movie.

My recipe is for Microwave Peanut Brittle and here's what you'll need:

1/2 c Corn Syrup

1 c Raw Spanish Peanuts

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 c. Sugar

pinch of salt

1 tsp Butter

1 tsp. Vanilla

Instructions: Mix corn syrup, sugar, and peanuts, and stir well in a microwave safe glass bowl. Cook on high for 3 minutes and 45 seconds. Stir well and cook for 4 minutes. Add butter and vanilla and cook again for 2 minutes. Add baking soda last and stir well. Pour out onto a greased cookie sheet. Allow to cool and break into pieces and serve. Microwave times may vary, and be careful because the mixture gets VERY hot. Hint: Don't try to make a double batch.

As for my favorite Christmas movie, it is hands down the 1951 version of A Christmas Carol called Scrooge starring Alistair Sim. I cannot celebrate Christmas until I have watched it. A close second is The Man who Invented Christmas, another story of A Christmas Carol.

I'm wishing you and yours a blessed Advent season as you prepare to celebrate the birth of our Savior.

Erica

Sunday Scripture & Prayer Requests

First Sunday in Advent 

The Second Coming of Christ stained glass window at St. Matthew's German Evangelical Lutheran Church in Charleston, South Carolina, United States.
[Creative_Commons Attribution, Share Alike]

Jesus said to his disciples:
"As it was in the days of Noah,
so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
In those days before the flood,
they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage,
up to the day that Noah entered the ark.
They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away.
So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man.
Two men will be out in the field;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Two women will be grinding at the mill;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Therefore, stay awake!
For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.
Be sure of this: if the master of the house
had known the hour of night when the thief was coming,
he would have stayed awake
and not let his house be broken into.
So too, you also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come."

Matthew 24:37-44 

The Seekerville bloggers are praying for YOU and for our entire blog community. If you have any special intentions that need additional prayer coverage, leave a request for prayer in the comment section below. 

Please pray for our country and for an end to the problems that plague us at this current time, such as the increased cost of fuel and food and the rise in crime.

Together, let's pray we can, once again, become a unified nation. Also, please join us in praying for the protection of our military and for law enforcement officers and border agents.   

We are so grateful for all of you—for your friendship and your support! 

May the Lord bless you and keep you safe.   

Weekend Edition

  

If you are not familiar with our giveaway rules, take a minute to read them here. It keeps us all happy! All winners should send their name, address, and phone number to claim prizes.  Please send to Seekerville2@gmail.com. If the winner does not contact us within two weeks, another winner may be selected. **(All winners' emails will receive a response within a week. If you do not receive an acknowledgement, we may not have received it. Please leave a comment in the following Weekend Edition.)

Monday: Jan Drexler loves Thanksgiving for so many reasons ... especially PIE! She explored finding joy, no matter the circumstances.

Wednesday: Cate Nolan went in search of Thanksgiving commercials and look what she found! All the feels.

Thursday/Friday: Happy Thanksgiving from your friends in Seekerville!

Monday: Erica Vetsch begins our advent season with a recipe and movie recommendation

Tuesday: Pam Hillman has something up her sleeve when it comes to the Advent Season  

Thursday: Audra Harders loves the Advent season for so many reasons. Now she just has to pick one to talk about! 

  

Debby Giusti will be at 

Book Love The Book Shop

in Senoia, GA

Sat, Dec 10, 11-1 PM

If you're in the area, stop by to get your autographed copy of

IN A SNIPER'S CROSSHAIRS.

Proceeds benefit Tunnels to Towers Foundation

Supporting the families of American Heroes--Fallen First Responders and Wounded Veterans.

IN A SNIPER’S CROSSHAIRS

By Debby Giusti

An assassin’s loose in Amish country…

and she’s not the only target.

When a radio broadcast describes taxi driver Lily Hudson’s passenger as an armed criminal, she becomes his immediate target. Narrowly escaping, Lily accepts Matthias Overholt’s offer to hide at his Amish family farm for Christmas—until evidence reveals the gunman’s plan is tied to Lily’s past. Now to prevent an assassination, Lily and Matthias must unravel a years-old conspiracy…and evade a sniper who has them in his sights.

 Order HERE! 

Debby Giusti was on Tracy Fredrychowski's Podcast

BUGGY TALK, Episode #65.

Click the link below  to listen to the interview!

https://tracyfredrychowski.com/podcast/debby-giusti-in-a-snipers-crosshairs/

Coming this Tuesday...

Book two in award-winning author Mindy Obenhaus's Hope Crossing series.

Can a property dispute… Turn into a holiday blessing?

When single mom Annalise Grant inherits a fledgling Christmas tree farm in Texas, she vows to do whatever it takes to make it a success. But when neighbor Hawkins Prescott claims some of her trees are on his property, the only option is a partnership. As Christmas draws closer, Annalise and Hawkins find themselves growing closer as well. Could a family by Christmas become part of the deal?

 

Preorder your copy today!

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Best Deals for Author Tools Right Now by LA Sartor at An Indie Adventure

Delight Any Writer or Author with One of These 30 Writerly Gifts by Sandra Beckwith at Build Book Buzz

The NaNoWriMo Writing Bundle from HumbleBundle will end soon! Check this bundle of Writing Books at a minimal cost and glance through their other offerings while you're there. The NaNoWriMo bundle ends November 30!

Learn How to Write Faster by Dave Chesson at Kindleprenuer

Managing Multiple Projects: Writer Magic or Mayhem? by Kris Maze at Writers In The Storm

When You Face Too Many Ways to Open a Novel by Glynn Young at ACFW blog

What do You Include in a Book Synopsis? By Beth K Vogt at Learn How To Write A Novel

What Happens When You Don't Know Your Character's Backstory? by Kristina Adams at Writer's Cookbook

5 World-Building Tips to Write a Captivating Novel by Dario Villirilli at Live Write Thrive

5 Things Writers Can Be Thankful For Today by Lori Hatcher at The Write Conversation

Seekerville is Closed Today

 

Seekerville is closed today as we gather with friends, family, and community to celebrate Thanksgiving Day.  Please join us in setting aside a few quiet moments to thank God for the many blessings He has given us.

Then join us again SOON!

 It seems each year that I find myself posting on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. I don't think it's a day many people are thinking of writing. Thoughts are more likely turned to families and friends, pies and stuffing and how best to cook that bird. 

So what's a Seeker to post about?

Well, many of you might know that I have a weakness for sentimental commercials. I've posted about them before. I particularly love the ones that manage to intrigue us with a story while they're trying to sell us on something. 

At this time of year, and honestly since about Halloween, we're inundated with Christmas commercials. Out of curiosity, I decided to Google Thanksgiving commercials. I was pleasantly surprised to see there are some lovely ones - centered around family and food of course.

Here's a sampler. Take a peak while the pies are baking.

 

 

A little Thanksgiving humor...

There is some writing craft involved here. I love to see how even in these very short clips, the ad writers managed to tell a story, create characters which at least I come to care about, inject some pathos and some humor, and sell us on a theme of the importance of family and love and togetherness - often in less than a minute.

 

 

If you watch this one through to the end, you'll see the message we all send to all of you. We're so grateful for you, so thankful you are in our lives.

You  know how the Thanksgiving Parade always ends with Santa's arrival? Here's a Christmas preview.

As writers, we can appreciate the twist ending.

Happy Thanksgiving Seekerville!

The Secret to Thanksgiving is Joy

by Jan Drexler 

 

Of all the holidays we celebrate, Thanksgiving is one of my top three! I love everything about the day - food, fellowship, PIE! - but most of all,                                                           I love the REASON for this SEASON. 

We might think that the celebration of Thanksgiving started with the Pilgrims, but actually, believers have been setting aside days of Thanksgiving since Old Testament times.

The Pilgrims carried this tradition with them to the Plymouth colony in 1620, celebrating the first Thanksgiving in America in 1621 or 1622.

(For those of you with a calendar, that was 400 years ago!)

Here's one participant's description of that first Thanksgiving feast:

Far from being the joyless, dour folks that some people often portray the Puritans, their lives were full of joy and thanksgiving. Not only one day a year, but every day was filled with thanksgiving. 

The tradition continued with George Washington in 1789:

And with Abraham Lincoln in 1863:

One thing that I noticed about all three of these times of Thanksgiving is that they took place during or just after times of great hardship - the horribly difficult time of starvation and death during the first year after the Pilgrims landed, the war for independence that Americans fought against the British, and the American Civil War. Lincoln's Thanksgiving proclamation was given during the third wearying year of that bloody war.

How could they even think to give thanks during times like those? 

How can we even think to give thanks during times like these?

The secret is joy.

Several years ago I read Ann Voskamp's book, One Thousand Gifts. I was thinking about it recently and was reminded of the year I spent following her advice to find joy.

The exercise was simple. Every day, I was to write down three things that brought me joy. I started in 2014. I created a little diary and I was faithful - through January, February, March...

...and then March 30th came. The day my mother passed away.

This was a challenge - how could I find joy in this circumstance of my life?

The habit to find joy had been ingrained through the previous three months of that year, and I found joy in my thankfulness for the mother God had given me. Day after day I poured out my grief in counting the endless moments of joy I had known with her.

Moments I captured in Thanksgiving and Praise.

This Thanksgiving, my challenge to you is to find Joy in your circumstances, 

and give Thanks to God above!

Have a blessed Thanksgiving Day!