Remember those quizzes that our high school teachers announced on the spur of the moment? They were called pop quizzes. They were unexpected tests over the material we were covering. I think the teachers gave pop quizzes to see if we were paying attention in class.

When I decided to add a new blog feature, I debated what to call it. Every Wednesday I’ll share a post, but the subject matter will change from week to week. You won’t know what to expect. Thus, the title, “Pop-Up.”

Don’t worry. I’m not going to quiz you on anything!

Since today is the first Wednesday Pop-Up feature, I decided to make it about something I love:

Recipes

We’re in the middle of winter here in Michigan, so I like to fix hot soups. A couple of years ago I started experimenting with recipes for “white chili.” I tried a few different ones, and they were good. Yet I wanted something simple, with just a few ingredients that I could throw together from the pantry.

Today I’m sharing a 4-ingredient recipe for white (or maybe I should say green) chili that freezes well and tastes good warmed up, as well as fresh.

White Chili

from pantry ingredients

Ingredients:

2 cans great northern or cannellini beans, drained

6 cups chicken broth or bouillon equivalent (I keep powdered bouillon in the pantry)

1 cup Herdes Verde Salsa

1 can chicken, drained

Additional add-ins (Optional):

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in saucepan on stove and bring to a boil, then simmer for fifteen minutes. Serve.

Can also be cooked in the Crockpot on low for four hours.

Yield: 6 servings.

Note: I usually serve the chili with cornmeal muffins. I also like to add a dollop of sour cream to my bowl.

With a 4-ingredient soup that will warm you from the inside out, you can chase away the winter chill.

So that’s my first pop-up feature. See, no quiz!

Today’s Featured Book:

About the book:

Having lost her mother in a tragic drunk driving accident, Laney Spence is no stranger to grief and loss. Despite this tragedy touching her life at such a young age, Laney has maintained her belief that God brings good out of even the most difficult circumstances. For her, that good came in the form of her older brother’s best friend, Matthew Jordan. Kind and compassionate, Matthew helped her grieve—and she’s been harboring a crush on him ever since.   

Years later, when tragedy shatters Matthew’s life, Laney is there for him the same way he’d been there for her all those years ago. But they’re not kids anymore. She’s a teacher with little life experience, and he’s a jaded divorce lawyer with a past he’d rather keep secret. Neither of them can ignore the attraction that blooms, though, leaving them both wondering—is attraction, history, and a shared faith in God enough to keep them together for good, or will circumstances beyond their control drive them apart?   Excerpt:

Excerpt:

“That’s it!” Matthew snapped his fingers then pointed at her. “That’s what’s different. You’ve cut off all your hair.”

“I didn’t cut it all off.” Laney touched the back of it and frowned, as if he’d insulted her. “It’s just short.”

Actually thinking the style was complimentary, he tugged on the strands she’d been trying to tuck away. “Very short.”

Laughing, she knocked his hand away. “Stop.”

Scanning down to her heeled feet again, he shook his head. “You look…so different.”

A small tuck formed between her brows. “Thanks?”

He averted his gaze to the people coming and going around them. “I meant it as a compliment,” he admitted, swinging his attention back to her. “I think you’ve forgotten your nickname.” He leaned forward. “Button.” Matthew was smart enough to not mention the knobby knees and skinny arms he remembered.

“That’s because of what your mom said.”

“I remember my mom shaking her head, saying you were cute as a button because of something you’d say or do.” He also remembered she was funny and energetic, and the main reason Matthew had high-jacked his mom’s observation into a nickname. “The nickname suited you.”

Laney cocked a brow, giving him a saucy smirk. “So, you thought I was cute?”

Finding her response mildly fascinating, he laughed. “Out of everything I said, that’s the only thing you heard?”

About the author:

 Penelope grew up in Tennessee, but has lived in various states and a few countries outside the United States. She holds a BS in Business/Political Science and a MS in Multinational Commerce from Boston University.

After working in the field of banking and finance, she left to invest her time with her children. Now that they are grown, she is pursuing the life of a writer. As an avid reader of fiction and a student of Biblical truth, she combines what she learns into stories of redemption.

A Furrow So Deep and A Powerful Voice are full length romances published through Anaiah Press, LLC, as well as, her Christmas novella, My Christmas Hope.

You can follow Penelope on social media:

Facebook: https://facebook.com/PenelopePowellAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/@penpowell89

Website: www.penelopepowell.com

She also has a profile on Amazon, Bookbub, and goodreads.

This feral cat that we named Shadow showed up in our garage in the fall of 2018. I figured she was about four months old at the time. I planned to schedule her to be spayed in the spring, but I wasn’t quick enough. In May 2019, she gave birth to two kittens but neither survived.

We attempted to catch her to take her to be spayed, but we were unsuccessful.

In August 2019, she had a litter of five kittens, and all survived. My kids were able to tame the kittens. My son claimed one for himself. We found a home for another one. A third one got hit by a car and died. The others were integrated into our household.

After the winter passed, we tried again to trap Shadow so we could have her spayed. Unfortunately, she wouldn’t cooperate. In May 2020, she gave birth to a third litter. Those kittens had a rough start, but three of the four survived. We found homes for them.

In August 2020, we picked up a livetrap from the animal shelter and set it up outside our garage. We caught her this time and brought her into the house. I scheduled her for surgery.

We didn’t realized that she’d just given birth to another litter until we heard kittens crying in the garage. We found two. Although they were separated from her for 5 days, they survived. However, we couldn’t take Shadow in for surgery until the kittens were weaned.

We kept them in the house for a few weeks so we wouldn’t have to try again to trap her. She was given free run of the house, but she didn’t like the other cats, or us. She preferred to stay in one of the bedrooms under the bed. However, the two kittens became tame and thrived. We found a home for one of them.

In mid-November, we scheduled surgery for Shadow. On our way to the spay/neuter clinic, our car broke down and we had to go back home. By now my frustration level with the situation was at an all-time high. I’d tried to do the best thing for Shadow so many times, and had been unsuccessful.

We got the car fixed, and rescheduled the surgery. On November 30, we managed to finally get her to the clinic. After her surgery, we brought her home and contained her in the house for a few days to make sure she was healing. A family member decided to adopt Shadow and her remaining kitten. That was a huge blessing to us, the ending of a year of cat drama.

Shadow was a real trooper. She gave birth to 10 kittens who have found good homes (with the exception of the one that was hit by a car).

Maybe it hasn’t been the best quality of life for her, but the new owners of her kittens are very happy to have them. Now she can live out her days in good health, with her kitten for a companion.

We wish her and all of her kittens a long and healthy life.

The official countdown to Christmas is on. Usually at this time we’re busy with office parties, church pageants and family gatherings. For many of us, those things aren’t on our calendar this year. Maybe you have more down time as you go into this Christmas season. Or maybe you always set aside time for some holiday reading.

For the past few weeks, I’ve been featuring seasonal novellas from Anaiah Press, the company that published Angelica’s Christmas Wish. However, there aren’t enough Fridays left in December to feature all of them.

Today I’ve decided to post a link to the Anaiah website where you can browse through the selections:

https://www.anaiahpress.com/shop/anaiah-seasonal/7

These novellas will take you to a variety of settings across U.S. and Canada. You’ll meet some interesting and lovable characters as you enjoy some clean holiday romance.

Make your purchase, relax with a hot cup of coffee or tea, and nibble on a cookie as you take a Christmas tour.

The Movers Will Thank You: Ebooks vs Paperbacks by Ann Brodeur             

Our first home was a small two bedroom apartment. Both of us had been on our own for quite a while and trying to merge two households together was a challenge. There was a lot of purging – getting rid of the lesser quality items and keeping the newer ones. It was relatively easy to do since my husband loves to cook and his kitchen tools reflected that and I was more picky with bedding.

Our favourite past time was, and still is, reading. This presented a problem when our little family grew from two to four in a matter of a few months. There wasn’t enough space for the four of us and all of our books (or the equipment required for two littles). It was time to move into a bigger place.

Since our twins were infants, we decided to hire movers to make the transition easier.

Moving day came and the movers kept going in and out, in and out. After about twelve trips into the apartment, one mover was visibly frustrated. The boxes were heavy – but not full. They held our most prized possessions – our books. The young guy placed another box into the back of the truck and glared at my husband.

“Haven’t you heard of a tv?”

I suppose if the same mover were to help us now, he’d be a little more grateful for my collection of e-books.

I’m an old-school kind of reader. There’s nothing better than holding a paperback in my hands and losing myself in the pages. I love the smell of a new book freshly purchased from the store or receiving the first copy our local library ordered of a book I’ve been waiting to read. When we go camping, it’s a challenge to pick just one or two paperbacks to throw in my bag. I know I’ll have time to read by the lake or read under the shade while the kids are playing in the park. I also appreciate the fact I can read a book for hours without straining my eyes. It fits in my purse and it can sit in the console of my car.

I confess I do have an e-reader though. I own a KOBO and I love it too. The e-ink screen is similar to reading a paperback. The downside – I just don’t get that new book smell. However, this little device can store boxes and boxes of books. A new book comes out and I can instantly have it in my hands. If I want to read at night in our trailer while the littles are fast asleep, I can turn on the back light and read without disturbing anyone else. The battery life is incredible. I charge it before we go camping and I don’t have to charge it until a month has gone by. And I read A LOT when we’re camping.

The upside to e-books is the cost. However, I’ve been known to own both an e-copy and purchase the paperback because the book was just that good. The downside – you need to charge it. Heaven help you if you’re right at the climax of the book and your battery dies…

How about you – which do you prefer, ebook or paperback or hardcover?

Christmas novella by Ann Brodeur:

https://www.anaiahpress.com/product/Snowbound-in-Winterberry-Falls/80?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=7

http://brodeurwrites.com

http://brodeurwrites.com