by Andrea Hurst
Jude moved in beside Lily, as did Shirley.
Kyla pulled back a knit bonnet and displayed her rosy-cheeked little angel.
“She’s beautiful,” Jude said.
Luke admired his daughter. “We think so.”
“Come in and get those wet coats off,” Lily said.
Kyla and Luke could barely get their coats off before the rest of the group mobbed them, cooing and sighing around the new baby girl. After they took a seat, Lily gave them the baby’s first Christmas ornament she and Gwyn had made. It was a keepsake they would put on their tree every year.
In the living room, most of the women took seats on the couches and chairs, while the children played on the floor. Ian and Ryan stood talking by the fire. The stockings were empty and no gifts were left under the twinkling tree.
“By the way, my daughter, Lindsey, has some more good news.”
All eyes went to Lindsey. “I just found out I start at the Salish Sea restaurant in Seattle as their new sous chef.”
Ryan beamed. “It’s a James Beard Award-winning restaurant and an incredible opportunity for her.”
“And she’ll be just a ferry ride away from Madrona Island,” Jude said.
Congratulations filled the air. There was so much to be thankful for this holiday season, Lily thought.
Lily watched Grandpa John wander over and sit in the rocker next her. “Everyone’s here,” he said.
Lily nodded. “I wish…”
“I know,” John said. “I wish Maggie were here too.”
“She is in spirit,” Lily said.
John’s eyes glistened.
Mona walked over and took him by the hand. “My special wassail is ready now. Let’s go get you a cup.”
A few moments later, they came out carrying two trays of small glasses filled with the warm, sweet wassail. After everyone had a glass, Grandpa John held his cup up and proposed a toast.
“To Maggie Parkins, who helped bring us all together in this wonderful inn.”
“To Maggie,” everyone echoed.
Gwyn tugged on Lily’s sweater. “Who’s Maggie?”
“She was my grandmother and your great-grandmother. Maggie opened this bed and breakfast many years ago and left it to me after she passed away. And, you know, this is where I met your father.”
“Oh,” Gwyn said, looking deep in thought. “Can we eat now?”
Lily laughed. “Very soon. We have one more thing to open before we eat.”
“For me?” Gwyn asked.
“You’ll see.” Lily walked over and whispered into Ian’s ear. She watched him walk back into the innkeeper’s quarters and come back carrying a large box with a big red bow on top.
“Look what Santa left,” Ian said. He placed the box on the floor in front of Gwyn.
“It’s wiggling,” Gwyn said.
Suddenly, the lid popped open, and a furry, golden-colored puppy balanced her paws on the edge. Gwyn screamed. She looked at her mom and then her dad. They both nodded. She scooped the puppy up into her arms and squeezed it tight.
“Thank you, Santa,” she said, looking right at her parents. “My very own dog.” She kissed the pup on the nose. “I love you already.”
“It’s snowing,” Jason said. He rushed to the window, followed by little Christopher.
Outside the window, fluffy white snowflakes whirled in the air as they drifted down and covered the pine branches, turning the landscape into a winter wonderland. Lily’s eyes drifted from person to person, noting their happy faces. It wasn’t all the shopping and cooking that made Christmas great. It was the love of family and friends. And this was the best Christmas yet. And there were so many more to come.
⌘
If you enjoyed this book, please sign up for my mailing list to receive updates and special offers at:http://www.subscribepage.com/t0z6d4
If you enjoyed reading this book, please leave a review on Amazon. They are truly appreciated. https://www.amazon.com/Andrea-Hurst/e/B001JS0Y76/
Web: www.andreahurst-author.com
Also by Andrea Hurst
Continue the journey to Madrona Island with the three full novels of the Madrona Island Trilogy:
Book One – The Guestbook
Everyone remembers their first love…But sometimes it’s the second love that lasts
Fleeing her picture-perfect marriage among the privileged set of Brentwood and the wreckage of a failed marriage, Lily Parkins decides to move to the only place that still holds happy memories, her grandmother’s old farmhouse. The lush and majestic setting of the Pacific Northwest calls to her and offers a place of refuge and perhaps renewal. Her grandmother has passed away, leaving the Madrona Island Bed & Breakfast Inn to Lily. Left with only an old guestbook as her guide–a curious book full of letters, recipes, and glimpses into her family history–Lily is determined to embrace her newfound independence and recreate herself, one page at a time. With the help of the quirky island residents she has befriended, she slowly finds the strength to seek out happiness on her own terms. But as soon as she has sworn off men and is standing on her own two feet, Lily meets Ian, the alluring artist who lives next door, and her new life is suddenly thrown off course. The last thing she wants to do right now is to open her heart to another man. Ultimately, Lily must decide if it’s worth giving up her soul for security or risking everything to follow her heart in this romantic love story.
Book Two – Tea & Comfort
This second volume features the puzzling yet sensuous, Kyla Nolan. The story unravels the mystery behind her hasty departure from her glamorous New York life as a top model and her transformation to shop proprietor, herbalist, and local tea leaf reader on Madrona Island. Follow her battle with a reoccurring illness and the return of Lucas, the wealthy winery owner and former fiancé whom she left behind. Can a love that was so based on outside trappings survive illness and loss? With a touch of the paranormal, and her island friends, Kyla comes to terms with her fears and her heart’s longings.
Book Three – Island Thyme Café
The third book features the vivacious and loving, Jude Simon, owner of the popular Island Thyme Café. After Lily’s wedding festivities are over, Jude must face the dark secret from her past. Years ago, she’d found out her husband was cheating on her in an article in the local paper. Left a single mother of an infant daughter, Jude went on to make a success of her café, but still hides her broken heart behind her radiant smile. At almost 40 years old, she finds herself falling hard for her new chef, Ryan. Her feelings are returned, and just when she thinks she has found love at last, Ryan’s own dark secret returns in the form of a seductive ex-lover who is determined to have him back. With the help of Kyla and Lily, Jude decides to fight for what she wants most and find the happy ending she has always longed for.
Madrona Island B&B
The heartwarming yet bittersweet prequel novelette to the Amazon bestseller, The Guestbook.
Grandma Maggie has been running the Madrona Island B&B for many years. But when she finds out her time is short, she decides to make her final months the best they can be. Maggie begins putting together a last weekend at the bed and breakfast with all of her favorite guests; a weekend she hopes they will never forget.
Together with her late-in-life love, Grandpa John, Maggie sets out to rediscover the beauty of the place she’s called home for so long, alongside the people who have meant so much.
Web: www.andreahurst-author.com
Recipes
Aunt Nellie’s Latkes (for four to six people)
Credit: compiled by Paula Friedman from recipes used by havurahs in Hood River, Oregon, and in Berkeley, California
Ingredients:
3-4 large russet potatoes
1 medium-to-large onion
1 egg
a few sprigs of parsley
salt, pepper, other spices as desired
olive or canola oil
To prepare the latkes:
1. Peel the potatoes and cut them
into very thin slices; then cut the slices lengthwise to make many long thin slices; cut the narrow slices across to have many short thin narrow pieces of potato.
2. Peel and slice the onion in the same manner.
3. Lightly chop the parsley.
4. Place the potato slices, onion slices, and chopped parsley in a large mixing bowl.
5. With a fork, lightly beat the egg and add it to the bowl with the potato slices and onion slices.
6. Lightly mix and combine these ingredients, adding salt, pepper, and any other spices (to taste--not too much).
7. Heat the oil in a large frying pan or on a pan broiler until it is hot but not smoking (be sure to turn the heat down to medium as soon as the oil heats in the pan. Place spoonfuls (about 1 heaping tablespoonful each) of the combined ingredients to the pan, being careful not to let them spatter, and if possible keeping them separated into patties; as they begin to cook, flatten them each a bit with a fork.
8. When they are nicely golden and nearly crisp on one side, turn them and cook the other side.
9. Remove the latke patties to a dish covered with paper towels and let the oil drain from them; then place them on a platter and serve.
10. Serve with sour cream (or fresh goat cheese) or apple sauce.
Norwegian Christmas Bread (Julekake) (Recipe by Dawn Berntsen Tupick)
Ingredients
¼ c. warm water
2 tsp. cardamom
2 pkgs. dry yeast
1 c. raisins
3 ¾ c. milk, warmed (set aside to
1 (16 oz.) container candied fruit or citron cool slightly
Flour (bread or all-purpose)
½ lb. butter, melted in warm milk
½ tsp. almond extract
2/3 c. sugar
½ tsp. salt
2 eggs
1. Add dry yeast to warm water (100 – 110 degrees).
2. Stir in a tablespoon sugar and set aside until foamy.
3. Pour into large bowl, the now cool milk and butter. It is okay if the milk and butter are still slightly warm.
4. Quickly, add foamy yeast, sugar, eggs, cardamom and almond extract to milk mixture.
5. Beat together with an electric mixer until milk, yeast, eggs, sugar, almond extract and cardamom are well blended.
6. Using a spoon, mix raisins and fruit into the milk mixture.
7. Using an electric mixer, start to add 2 cups flour slowly to the fruit and milk mixture.
8. Beat well, adding more flour, slowly, until the dough becomes too heavy for the mixer to handle.
9. Pour onto floured bread board, add more flour and knead.
10. Keep adding flour and kneading until dough is shiny and elastic.
11. Put dough into a large greased bowl, cover with a clean cloth and set in a warm place to double in bulk.
While the dough is rising, grease four medium bread tins and set aside. When dough is doubled, punch down, remove from bowl and form 4 loaves. Set loaves in bread tins, cover and let them double in bulk again. Bake at 350 degrees for about ½ hour or until tops are light brown, turning tins after 15 minutes so bread will be evenly brown on all sides. Brush loaves with butter while still warm.
Christmas Jam Cake
Courtesy of Jean Daniel
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cup margarine or unsalted butter
1 cup blackberry jam
1 cup strawberry jam
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon allspice
1 tablespoon cinnamon
6 egg whites
1 cup raisins
1. Cream sugar and margarine in bowl until light and fluffy. Mix in the jams and buttermilk.
2. Mix flour, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, once mixed add to creamed mixture.
3. Fold in unbeaten egg whites and raisins. Pour into 3 greased and floured 9 inch pans.
4. Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes or until it tests done. Frost with favorite icing.
Popcorn Cake
From Sheila’s Cookbook, by Ethel Hoefter
4 quarts popped corn (2 bags—make sure unpopped kernels are removed)
10 ounces gumdrops (1 1/2 cups)
10 ounces mixed nuts (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup cooking oil
6 ounces butterscotch chips (1 cup)
1 pound miniature marshmallow
1. Pour popped corn in large mixing bowl. Add gumdrops and nuts.
2. In large saucepan combine oil, butter, chips, and marshmallows, melting over low heat
3. Pour mixture over popped corn mixture stirring until well coated
4. Pour into tube cake pan sprayed with Pam and press down until cake is firm. (While pouring mixture into tube pan and pressing in, coating your hands with Pam makes the process much easier).
5. Turn at once onto plate. Chill for one hour, and let cake return to room temperature before slicing.
Ryan’s Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake
Recipe by Andrea Hurst
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
CRUST:
1 1/2 package of chocolate graham crackers or oreo cookies crushed
1 1/4 stick of sweet butter melted
ADD to butter mixture 2 tsp. honey
Mix butter mixture with grahams and line glass cheesecake dish
FILLING:
2 packages of soft cream cheese
2 eggs beaten
2/3 cup of honey
1 tsp. pure vanilla
¾ tsp. pure peppermint extract
4 heaping tablespoons pure cocoa powder
Mix until creamy
Pour over crust. Bake in the over for 30 minutes do not over bake.
TOPPING:
1 16 oz. carton sour cream
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp. vanilla
¼ tsp. peppermint extract
1 heaping tablespoon of pure cocoa powder
Mix and spread over warm cheesecake just out from oven. Add to the top crushed peppermint bark. Put back into the oven for five minutes. Remove. Cool and then chill in the refrigerator.
Cranberry Kumquat Sauce
Recipe by Cameron Chandler
The cranberry sauce is an important part of our holiday menu. Once you start making your own, you will never go back to canned. This recipe is a gourmet riff on the traditional favorite, and yet it is so simple to make. It brings a lot of OH’s and AH's from everyone at the table. If you own a saucepan and can boil water, you can nail this recipe and astound your in-laws.
Start by boiling the alcohol off the wine, making a sweet, non-alcoholic fruit syrup by gently simmering. Then, add the cranberries and thinly-sliced kumquats, increase the heat to medium and cook until it returns to a foamy boil. As soon as the berries pop, take the pan off the heat and it will continue to cook while it cools. Don't boil the fresh fruits longer than it takes to bring them to a rolling boil and hear the cranberries pop. You get fresher, brighter flavors this way. Pick any inky black, young, fruit-heavy red like a Zin, or a Syrah. There’s no need to throw big bucks at it; after all, you are going to cook with it. The wine-infused syrup turns those cranberries and kumquats into something luscious that goes perfectly with roast turkey or ham, and all the fixings.
3 Qt. Saucepan
Active Prep: 30 minutes
Makes 12 Servings
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups dark fruity red wine (Syrah or Zinfandel work great)
1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
4 cups cranberries (one 12-oz. bag fresh, or frozen)
1 cup (about 12-15) fresh kumquats, sliced thin (washed, leave skins on, discard any visible seeds)
Preparation
1.Combine the wine and sugar in the saucepan, bring to a boil stirring occasionally, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes.
2.Add cranberries and kumquats. Increase heat to medium and stir until the fruit
s come to a rolling boil, about five minutes. When most of the cranberries have burst, turn off the heat, cover and let cool.
Cranberry Kumquat Sauce can be made several days ahead and keeps well in the refrigerator for a week.
About the Author
When not writing, visiting local farmer’s markets, or indulging her love for dark chocolate, Andrea enjoys working with other authors as a developmental editor and workshop leader. Her passion for books drives her to write stories that take readers on a journey to another place and leave them with an unforgettable impression. She lives in the Pacific Northwest, on an island much like the fictional Madrona, with all of its natural beauty and small town charm.
Her published books include the Amazon bestseller, The Guestbook, Tea & Comfort, Island Thyme Café, and Madrona Island B&B. Her other publications are Always with You, The Lazy Dog’s Guide to Enlightenment and Everybody’s Natural Foods Cookbook, and she co-authored A Book of Miracles: Inspiring True Stories of Healing, Gratitude, and Love with Dr. Bernie Siegel.
To be alerted of upcoming new releases and receive contest and giveaway notifications, please follow her on Facebook where she shares beautiful pictures of the island, new recipes and, of course, updates on soon-to-be-released books. Newsletter subscribers enjoy special bonus content as well.
Sign up for my newsletter:
http://www.subscribepage.com/t0z6d4
Connect with Andrea
andreahurst-author.com
[email protected]
Acknowledgments
I want to thank all the people who helped me with this book along the way, including Geneva Agnos and Justin Hurst. My plot party friends, Sean Fletcher, Rebecca Berus, Audrey Mackaman. I also want to thank my editors, and all of my betas and early readers, with a special thanks to my Street Team: Harriet Horowitz, Lorna Milnthorpe, Sheila Hayes Myers, Melissa Henderson, Marilyn Grable, Tara Tara, Jean Daniel, Lisa Hudson, Teri Donaldson, Cynthia St. Germain, Debbi Broderick, and Lenda Burns. And all the fans who asked for another book in the series, I hope this book brings a happy ending to the tales on Madrona Island.