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LIESELOTTE’S APPLE NUT CAKE “I assembled a tray with a steaming pot of coffee and thick, fragrant slices of an apple nut cake, warm from the oven, that Mama had taught me to make—some combination of a cake she’d grown up with and one she’d Americanized.”  — Cathy Gohlke, Secrets She Kept   Cake Ingredients 3 cups unbleached flour 1 …

Corrie ten Boom’s writings have impacted my life since I first read The Hiding Place, her book with John and Elizabeth Sherrill, and first saw the movie adaptation in the 1970s.  I still remember the thrill of those scenes and the tears I shed through both book and film.  The secret she learned about forgiveness changed my life and that …

Cherry Almond Scones (This recipe is one I adapted from a cookbook to my own tastes and ingredients I had on hand.  I’m sorry to say I don’t own or remember the cookbook, but these are delicious made with fresh cherries!) Ingredients: 1 egg, at room temperature ½ to ¾ cup milk 1 teaspoon pure almond extract 2 cups all-purpose …

“It’s not that much different today, is it?  People want what they want and they find a way to make their sin palatable to society—or legal.”—Cathy Gohlke, from Night Bird Calling Until next time, take care, enjoy these glorious days of summer, and may God bless you,   Cathy Subscribe to my Newsletter @ http://authorcathygohlke.com/contact/ Follow me on Bookbub for …

Gladys’s Pecan Cookies “It was Wednesday, time for Jesse’s next visit with Miz Hyacinth.  There was no new letter from across the pond, but they could have tea and maybe some of Gladys’s pecan cookies and play Miz Hyacinth’s Victrola—maybe some Caruso records she was partial to.” — Cathy Gohlke from Night Bird Calling Ingredients 1-3/4 cups chopped pecans 1 …

Typing THE END of Night Bird Calling began a journey into the past for me.  With those words I realized I’d not finished with the characters or their deeper stories. What history brought them to this moment in time with the prejudices, personalities and concerns they carried?  What was the antebellum racial and Civil War history of No Creek and …

This attractive and delicious recipe came from a family member who received it from a B&B many years ago.  It’s one of our family’s favorites in almost any season—perfect for a nice brunch. Poached Pears with Craisins Ingredients: 3 pears halved and cored (I prefer Bosc Pears for this) 2 Tablespoons orange marmalade ½ cup sugar ¼ teaspoon salt ¾ …

“My peace, my companionship,” Olivia said softly, “come from my surety that the Lord loves me.  Surety that because I’ve asked, believing He’s redeemed me, He’s also forgiven me and accepts me—now, as I am.  He lives inside me, walks beside me, in  the form of His Holy Spirit.  He holds my heart, my life.  He is my heart, my …

If you have the opportunity to visit Ellis Island and the Tenement Museum in Lower Manhattan this summer it is well worth your time.  Walking through the station where so many of our ancestors knew they’d either be accepted to begin a new life or rejected and sent back across the ocean sent chills up my spine. Exploring those reproduced …