Friday, September 12, 2025
Wednesday, September 10, 2025
The Christmas House {Review}
Young entrepreneur Liz Lantz is thriving in her buggy tour business. Looking forward to the holiday season and meeting new clients, Liz seems to have found her niche. Her brother, Adam, is a good partner, and her Christmas House Buggy Tours are filling rapidly. But then her father and brother are called away to help a family member, and Matthow2 steps into Adam's place. Liz is reluctant at first, but finds a good friend in Matt. He's charming and easy-going, and the tours seem to benefit from his addition to the business.
In the meantime, Hickory Hollow is welcoming new Englisch neighbors, and they're causing quite a stir. The new family seems determined to have the largest Christmas light display imaginable. And while beautiful, this Amish community isn't used to such extravagance ... or traffic. When a sudden snowstorm descends on the community, Liz sees an opportunity to bring the Hickory Hollow together. But will the same storm keep her family apart at Christmas?
Author Beverly Lewis writes some of my favorite Amish fiction, and this delightful novella is perfect for the upcoming holiday season. Liz is slightly more mature for an Amish romance (at 22 years old), and her character is far from giddy. Her romance unfolds slowly and with a great deal of friendship. Lewis does a wonderful job of portraying a realistic look at a maturing relationship. The conflict between the Amish community and their new neighbors is honest without being overly dramatic, and all the characters develop as if they were real-life individuals. Sometimes novellas seem to fall flat in comparison to full-length novels. Not Christmas House. This sweet tale is purely satisfying from cover to cover. I couldn't put it down.
Beverly Lewis' Christmas House is the perfect blend of small town, Christmas magic, real families, faith... delightful for curling up with on a cozy winter evening. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Monday, September 8, 2025
Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
*Originally posted on 9/26/12. Enjoy!
September screams fall to me and nothing says fall like apples. The crisp juicy crunch of a freshly picked apple is unbelievable. And apple desserts are all about capturing that feeling and the comfort of the changing seasons.
So when I saw this recipe on pinterest several months back, I'm immediately pinned it, already thinking ahead to the changing seasons and the cooler evenings. If you're like me, you'll pin anything that says "cheesecake" and these make a seasonal treat that is not to be missed. Enjoy!
Carmel Apple Cheesecake Bars
from The Girl Who Ate Everything
Crust:
2 c. flour
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. butter, softened
Cheesecake Filling:
3 (8oz) pkages cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. sugar, plus 2 Tbsps, divided
3 lrg eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
Apples:
3 apples, peeled, cored, and chopped (Granny Smith's for tartness)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Streusel Topping:
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. flour
1/2 c. quick cooking oats
1/2 c. butter, softened
Carmel Topping
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Press evenly into a 9x 13 pan sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 15 min or until lightly brown.
- Beat cream cheese with 3/4 c. sugar until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla. Pour into warm crust.
- Stir together apples, remaining brown sugar (2 Tbsp), cinnamon and nutmeg. Spoon over cream cheese mixture.
- Combine all streusel topping ingredients. Make sure the butter is really cut well.
- Sprinkle streusel over apples. Bake 40-45 min. or until set. Drizzle with carmel and let cool. Enjoy!
Friday, September 5, 2025
Wednesday, September 3, 2025
The Influence of Books on Our Kids
*This post was originally published on 11/21/22. Enjoy!
(click on post for video)
Today I'm sharing my thoughts on the influence of books on our kids and why I'm discerning with the influences we bring into our home.
Join The Creative2xmom Family on their journey of being a family of 5! 💑21yrs led to 👱17 yrs, 👧14 yrs, and 👱 11 yrs. Fall Reading List: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6z6We... What We Read in September 2022: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyZFZ-UbpKI My Mom Notebooks ll Homeschool Tools for Mom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJJXr... Five Books that Shaped Me as a Parent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P59Ud... 2021-22 Homeschool Read Alouds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5AXS... Contact us for business inquiries, reviews and collaborations: BethAnn_97@hotmail.com C O N N E C T subscribe at http://www.youtube.com/creative2xmom read at http://www.creative2xmom.blogspot.com like me on http://www.facebook.com/creative2xmom follow me on https://www.instagram.com/creative2xmom/ https://www.goodreads.com/review/list... Music Attribution: Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod FTC Disclosure: This video is not sponsored. *This video is not intended for audiences under 13 years.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
