Cookbook Giveaway Winners & A Free Shipping Deal!

Thank you all so much for entering! I loved hearing what some of your favorite recipes are- and several comments prompted me to put a few on my menu for the next couple weeks because it's been awhile since I've made them (Curried-Chicken Potpie, Pumpkin Streusel Bread, and White Chili for starters).

Now, before I announce the winners I want to offer a little something to those of you who didn't win. If you order a cookbook this weekend (before midnight on Sunday, the 15th), I will reimburse you the cost of shipping, making shipping FREE!  So to be clear- you'll be charged the full amount initially but before I ship your order, I'll reimburse you $3.75 for the cost of shipping. If you order more than one, I'll reimburse all your shipping. I'm sorry but I cannot make this offer to those of you living outside the US.

If you can't purchase one this weekend but would like one, put it on your Christmas list! Your loved ones might be looking for ideas:-).

On to the winners!  If you see your name below, please send me an email (thyhand123@gmail.com) with your mailing address and I'll get them right out to you.  Congratulations!!

AnonymousNovember 9, 2015 at 8:21 PM

Don't have your cookbook yet, but definitely would like to try the quiche! I also absolutely love making soups, chowders, etc this time of year, so that would be a whole section I would love to explore! :)

Reply Delete

Replies

1. 
   AnonymousNovember 9, 2015 at 8:34 PM

   Forgot - name is Loretta!

and...

Faith GorhamNovember 9, 2015 at 9:39 AM

Can I just say "all desserts" as my entry? LOL. If I have to choose one, it would be Shoofly Pie.

Reply Delete

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Cookbook Giveaway!

This giveaway is closed. Thanks for entering!  

See who won here.

It's been a LONG time since I've given away one of my cookbooks.  What was I thinking waiting for so long?!

find out more about the cookbook here

Anyway.  I'm ready to remedy this little blunder by offering up a free cookbook to TWO readers this week.  Just leave a comment below and tell me if you have a favorite recipe from my site.  If you own the cookbook already, let me know what you've tried and loved so I can enter you to win one for a friend.  If you haven't tried any of my recipes- not a problem.  Just click on the recipe tab at the top and let me know of a recipe you'd like to try.

Please one entry per household.  Remember to leave me your initials or first name to help identify you if you win.  I'll randomly draw two winners this Friday and announce the winners here later that day.  Consider them early Christmas presents:-). Happy entering!! Pin It

Our Favorite Christmas Treats

Originally posted November 20, 2013.

Just because we're waiting until the week before Christmas to bake, doesn't mean you are.  You all are much more disciplined about not sneaking them from the freezer or gobbling up half a dozen while they're still warm, right?  Not that there's anything wrong with that.  Of course.

In the event you're already baking or will be baking soon, I wanted to offer up our favorites.  If you've been around here for awhile, you'll see that our list hasn't changed much.  That's because these are the cream of the crop, in my opinion, and improving on the list would be tough.  That said, I'd love to hear what your favorite Christmas cookie is.  Would you tell me?  Please, please, please?

Almost all of these recipes below can also be found here.

First off- Lemon Bars. Oh, how I love them.  My infatuation began in our college cafeteria where I ate them for the first time.  Imagine how I now enjoy these in contrast with the albeit tasty cafeteria version (they actually baked them there, I believe).

Next, we have my mother-in-law's Caramel Popcorn.  Hers is the best I've ever had- well-coated, not grainy, just melt-in-your-mouth heavenly.

These Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies are my favorite cookie in the world and I'm not exaggerating.  I could eat them every day at every meal.  Boldly spiced and chocolaty, they are divine.

Ahhhh.  These are my mother's Chocolate Mint Brownies.  You can add green food coloring to the mint layer to make them more festive, but I like leaving them pure white so your unsuspecting company is wowed by the flavor punch.

Such a classic- Peanut Blossoms.  These were my favorite growing up.  I'd always eat the peanut butter cookie around the kiss, saving the chocolate for my last bite.  Hmm.  Come to think of it, that's exactly what I still do:-).

This Gingerbread Cookie recipe came from my mom.  She use to pipe white icing on her gingerbread men, giving them faces and little pants, shirts and shoes.  Several years ago, I decided to decorate them by dipping them in melted chocolate and then let the kids decorate with sprinkles.  As you may have noticed above, I love the chocolate-gingerbread combination, so these are my second favorite cookie.  And I can still give the illusion of little pants, shoes and hats.

Do you know about Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies?  Well, I am happy to introduce you.  The bark can totally stand alone as a treat (or sweet gift wrapped in a cellophane bag), but add them to chocolate cookies?  Be still my beating heart.

In the back of Beth Morre's Bible study book on Esther comes this recipe for Haman's Ears.  Soft, sweet cookie is wrapped around your choice of filling- we use apple butter and different flavors of jam.  Not only are they delicious, but they remind our family of the way God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

Lastly, Homemade Marshmallows.  If you've never tried these, you really must.  They are surprising easy to make and taste so much better than the store bought variety.  And!  Your kids will love dropping one big giant marshmallow into their hot chocolate instead of those of itty-bitty ones.

Happy baking, loves!

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Free Cookbook Deal for Christmas Giving

It's that time of year again!  We're keeping our eyes peeled for gifts for the special people in our lives OR we're trying to think of things to add to our own Christmas list for loved ones who want ideas from us.  Well, I hope that I can help.  Not only that, I want to give some gifts away!  So....

From now until December 15th, every 5th purchase of one of my cookbooks will be free.  In other words, if you order a cookbook and it happens to fall on a multiple of 5, you will be charged for the cookbook and shipping but! within the next day, I will reimburse you the cost of the cookbook (you will still pay shipping and tax, if it applies). 

The cookbook is spiral bound with a clear plastic cover.  Go here and scroll down the page to read more details as well as reviews.

If you happen to order two cookbooks and one of them falls on a multiple of 5, you will get one of the two for free.  If you order five cookbooks, you'll be guaranteed to get one free, etc. This applies to the coil-bound cookbook version only (not the e-version).

Also, just so you know, I am going to start the free giving at a random number between 1 and 5 which means that the first, second, third or fourth order that comes in will be the first free one.  I will go with every 5th from there. Click here to order yours.

Blessings, friends. I hope you have a wonderful week!
Jane Pin It

Cookbook Special!

Back in November of 2012, I self-published a cookbook.  It was (and is) a compilation of our family's most used and loved recipes.  I also included instructions for canning and freezing in terms that beginners can understand.  It truly was a labor of love.  With an emphasis on both the labor and the love ;-).

In the past (almost) two years, I am so pleased to say that I've sold almost 500 copies of the coil-bound version of Thy Hand Hath Provided (the cookbook).  I have been humbled by the cookbook love and encouragement I've felt from all of you!

As an early means of celebrating it's two-year anniversary, I have a special to share.  I've highly discounted the e-version of the cookbook on Amazon again (and is available now!).  The low, low price will slowly inch back up over the course of the week until it returns to full price, so act quickly if you'd like to add it to your e-library.

(click image to be taken to Amazon)

The paper, coil bound version is, of course, available as well.  You can read more about it and find links to online reviews here.  I will personally mail your copy and even sign it if you ask.

In the midst of a very busy back-to-school month, I wanted to say thank you.  Since I can't bake you a peach cobbler, I hoped this would do.

P.S.  The peach cobbler recipe I *would* make you if I could can be found in the cookbook.  It's my grandmother's recipe and is called "Cobbler, Southern Style". Pin It

Thank You & Cookbook Winner

Well, I cannot say thank you enough- for helping to share about the discounted e-book ($4.99 today- the last day of the discount) and for sticking by me when things got confusing.  I received so many email of grace and encouragement.  You all are so sweet.

Not only was my cookbook the #1 Best Seller in the Kindle Store: Cookbooks, Food & Wine for a few hours (on Amazon)...

but it also held at the top of the Canning & Preserving category for most of the week! I did not expect this- a friend had to point it out!  I should have expected it of you all, though.  Thank you:-).

On to the winner!  I counted each way you shared on all the related posts and selected a winner randomly. The winner is...

beckaMay 5, 2014 at 11:23 AM

I did post about this on my Facebook account and several friends were interested. I hope it generates some business for you. I really enjoy my hard copy. :)

Congratulations, becka!  Please email me at thyhand123@gmail.com and provide me with your full name and address.  I'll get a coil-bound hard copy of the cookbook out to you ASAP.

Have a wonderful weekend, friends. You deserve it!

Love,

Jane

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$.99 Thy Hand E-Cookbook TODAY

I am a bit speechless.  What I set up to be a FREE (with a gradual increase in price throughout the week) e-book schedule has not registered correctly.  Instead it's up now for .99.  I feel terrible- especially for all of you who helped spread the word already!  I am unable to change it but hope that .99 will still be cheap enough for many of you to enjoy.  You can find it here: Thy Hand Hath Provided Cookbook. Please accept my apologies. I feel terrible!

The cost will stay low and slowly inch up until it's 4.99 on Saturday, May 10th (and then back up to its original price of $9.99 on Sunday, the 11th).  You'll have this whole week to get an e-copy at a huge discount!

The cookbook in E-book form can be downloaded to your e-reader, Android OR to your computer!  You can also gift the e-book! If you're partial to real books, you can always buy a spiral-bound copy here.

If you would be so kind as to help spread the word TODAY or anytime during this week, I would SO appreciate it. If you blog or do facebook or twitter or myspace or whatever-else-might-be-out-there that I don't know about and share about the upcoming week's e-book deal, leave me a comment telling me how you shared about it and I'll enter you in a drawing for a free spiral-bound copy! If you share about it two ways, leave me two comments! I'll randomly select a winner this weekend (please don't forget to leave your name or some initials so I can identify you if you win).

A huge thank you to those of you who have already started sharing! If you left a comment on last week's announcement post, I'll count you in the drawing as well!

Please pop over here:Thy Hand Hath Providedto snag the e-version at a highly discounted price and help spread the word today (if you would be so kind).

Thanks in advance for your help and have a wonderful week!

Love,
Jane Pin It

Discounted Thy Hand E-Cookbook on Monday!!

Update 5/5/14: I am a bit speechless.  What I set up to be a FREE (with a gradual increase in price throughout the week) e-book schedule has not registered correctly.  Instead it's up now for .99.  I feel terrible- especially for all of you who helped spread the word already!  I am unable to change it but hope that .99 will still be cheap enough for many of you to enjoy.  You can find it here: Thy Hand Hath Provided Cookbook. Please accept my apologies. I feel terrible!

If you get to the party later in the week, don't worry!  The cost will stay low and slowly inch up until it's 4.99 on Saturday, May 10th (and then back up to its original price of $9.99 on Sunday, the 11th).  You'll have the whole week to get an e-copy at a huge discount!

The cookbook in E-book form can be downloaded to your e-reader, Android OR to your computer!  You can also gift the e-book! If you're partial to real books, you can always buy a spiral-bound copy here.

If you would be so kind as to help spread the word on Monday, I would SO appreciate it.  If you blog, please blog about it. If you do facebook or twitter or myspace or whatever-else-might-be-out-there that I don't know about and share about the upcoming week's e-book deal, leave me a comment on my Monday's reminder post telling me how you shared about it and I'll enter you in a drawing for a free spiral-bound copy! If you share about it two ways, leave me two comments! I'll randomly select a winner next weekend (please don't forget to leave your name or some initials so I can identify you if you win).

Please pop over here:Thy Hand Hath Providedto read more about the e-book and then bookmark it so you can snag it for cheap and help spread the word next week.  I want to see how many copies I can give away for free!!  Wheeee!!

Thanks in advance for your help and have a wonderful weekend!

Love,
Jane Pin It

Mother's Day Cookbook Deal!

Hi, friends.

I wanted to let you know that I am running the same deal leading up to Mother's Day as I did leading up to Christmas.  Every 5th (coil bound) cookbook ordered will be free! So, if you need a gift idea for your mother, a mother you know or an idea to give others for yourself, read on!

It will work the same as last time: Go here and order a cookbook.  If your cookbook order falls as the 5th, I will reimburse you the cost of the cookbook ($15.99) within 24 hours.  You will still pay shipping (and sales tax if it applies).  I will start with a random number between 1 and 5 so that one of the first orders placed may actually be the first 5th.  If you order multiple copies, only the one that falls on the 5th will be reimbursed.  If you're highly ambitious and order five, you'll be guaranteed a free one!

This deal will end May 1st to ensure delivery by Mother's Day (Sunday, May 11th).  International orders take longer, so please order earlier.

I gave away 13 cookbooks leading up to Christmas and I can't wait to give away more!

Blessings,
Jane

the recipes for all these foods are found inside

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Cookbook Winner

It was so much fun reading which of our recipes are your favorites- thanks to all who entered!

If you didn't win, you can purchase a coil bound copy or a e-book version here.

The randomly chosen winner's comment is...

DHFebruary 5, 2014 at 1:45 PM

I actually haven't tried one yet -- mainly because life gets so hectic and I tend to use old favorites. But I would love to try one! :)

Congratulations, DH!! Please email your name and mailing address to thyhand123@gmail.com and I'll mail your copy right out.  Please also let me know if you'd like it signed (and to whom).

Next week, I'm talking bees in winter and the quickest dinner recipe I've ever put together (and it tastes fabulous and uses simple ingredients from my pantry/freezer)!

Have a wonderful weekend, friends!

Love,
Jane Pin It

For Love

This giveaway is closed.  Go here to see who won!

To show my love for all you precious people being patient with me as my blogging has slowed (it's only temporary!), I wanted to give you a gift.  I wish I could give you each one.

all cookbooks now have a clear, protective plastic cover!

So today, I'm offering a copy of my cookbook (signed, if you like) to one reader.  To enter, please leave me a comment, letting me know which recipe of mine you've tried and enjoyed (many are posted right here).  Do you have a favorite?  If you haven't tried any, you can just be honest and tell me that and you'll still be entered. Just one entry per household and please leave me your first name or initials which will help me identify you if you win.

This will be a quick one- the winner will be randomly drawn this Friday afternoon!

Best of luck to all of you and thank you, thank you, thank you for your kindness via comments and personal emails.  Each one is precious to me- you all are so dear!

Love,
Jane

all these recipes found in the cookbook

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Happy New Year!!

It's so good to be back!

I hope you all had a safe, healthy and joyous Christmas.  And I pray that at least once during all the busy-ness, meal preparation (and/or meal consumption thank-you-very-much), family and friends, you found some quiet moments to reflect.  If you didn't, it's not too late.  Steal a moment first chance you get.

my mother's Christmas cookie plate

December was a wonderful whirlwind.  First of all, thanks to all who ordered and gifted cookbooks this year!!  I had so much fun giving every 5th one away (13 were mailed off for free)!  That deal is over for now, but I will re-introduce it in time for Mother's Day gifting (and receiving).

After seven years of homeschooling, it finally occurred to me to use our two weeks off of school the week before Christmas and the week of Christmas.  This way I had extra time to bake, wrap gifts, visit with friends, and pack for holiday traveling.  New Year's week is not a big deal around here so we're back to school this week but mornings only to ease us back into things.

While I killed all three kids' Beta fish by not taking them to our willing neighbor while we were away, I'm happy to announce that our cat, chickens and bees are still with us!  Jamey can hear the bees buzzing when he puts his ear to the hives.  This is no guarantee that they'll survive until spring, we're sure glad they're not dead yet!

A semi-distant relative through marriage was given a white elephant gift of a vintage-looking bee hat/veil. Since she doesn't have bees (or mosquitoes, evidently), she thought of us and I was thrilled to be the recipient of it!  Thank you, April!! I will wear it with pride this summer and won't fear a bee getting caught in my hair any longer!

The seed catalogs are pouring in and our minds are busy with ideas and plans for this spring and summer. New gardens?  New animals?  I must admit, it wasn't long ago that I was SO happy for that garden and all its weeds to wither up in the cold and die.  But now, I'm longing to be out in the sun again- hanging up laundry in the warm breezes and digging in the flower beds while popping blueberries in my mouth.

Just before Christmas, I received a promotional email from Tattler Reusable Lids announcing a one-day 50% off sale on all their lids.  I announced it on this site's facebook page but for those who missed it, I'll make sure to announce the next one, too.  We went ahead and bought another lot of them since we'd like to make the switch all the way over this year.

In other canning news, after years of waffling, I'm in the process of saving my swagbucks to purchase a pressure canner.  Please say a little prayer for me.  For some reason, they make me nervous. Oh, maybe it's because a family member had a pressure canner lid fly off and hot food splattered all over their kitchen.  But I'm putting on my brave face (and maybe my bee veil and Jamey's new chainsaw chaps) and diving in.  You'll hear all about it when I get it and start using it and I'm counting on those of you who are pros to give me pointers when the time comes.

On another note (how many topics can I cover in one post?), I recently received a very nice email from a male reader asking if any other men read my blog (since they rarely comment).  If there are any readers out there (of the male variety) who would like to show Bob he's not the only one, let us know in the comments below and thanks for reading!

So, here we go! 2014 is here.  I'm so glad to have you along.

Blessings for the whole year through,
Jane Pin It

My Favorite {Recipe} Season

During the winter I so look forward to asparagus, fresh peas and lettuces.  Before long, I'm pining for tomatoes and cucumbers.  Once I've had my fill of those and my head is spinning from canning and freezing projects, I love settling inside, tending the stove and making the foods that make this time of year my favorite one, recipe-wise.

I wanted to remind you (and myself) of some of our favorites.  Click on the title of the recipe to see more pictures and be taken to the recipe online or turn to the noted page number in the cookbook (I am having so much fun reimbursing orders!).

Pumpkin Bread (page 17) This is my mother's recipe- simple, moist and delicious.

Pumpkin Streusel Bread (page 18)  This spin on pumpkin bread adds raisins and a streusel topping.  It freezes beautifully and makes nice Christmas gifts.

Apple Bread

Sweet Potato Crescent Rolls

Double Corn Bread (page 14) This bread is double because it calls for corn as well as corn meal, making it extra flavorful and moist.

Brunswick Stew (page 39)  This is my favorite stew recipe.  Double it in a large pot and freeze the many leftovers for busy fall nights.

White Chili  (page 37)

Sweet Potato & Sausage Soup

Black Bean & Butternut Squash Chili  (page 38)  Make it in your crock pot and serve it over Double Corn Bread (link above).

Pumpkin Pasta (page 54) It's the ultimate comfort food in my mind.  Greens and pesto round it out making it more healthy and flavorful than macaroni and cheese.  Argue with me if you like, but I'm sticking to it.

Sweet Potato, Caramelized Onion and Feta Pizza  (page 55) An unlikely group of toppings come together to make a fabulous pizza.

Curried-Chicken Potpie (page 66)  Made with potatoes, peas, bell peppers and raisins with a little cream cheese to make it wonderful and creamy.

Sweet Potato Pie  (page 93) Cut back on the sugar a bit and serve it as a side dish or don't hold back and bring it out for dessert.

(Concord) Grape Pie (page 90) I think God made these grapes for this pie (or at least it may have been one of His reasons).

Pumpkin Pie (page 95) Simple and traditional- the way it should be (in my humble opinion).  

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An Early Christmas Gift for YOU: My Cookbook

Christmas is coming!!  What a wonderful time of year.  Please start thinking about how you can make this Christmas season deliberate and simple.  The saying "the reason for the season" may be overused but it drives home such an important point.  I've found that giving myself plenty of time to think about what I want and don't want our Christmas season to be helps a lot.  For each family, this will look different, but I encourage you to not just get sucked up into the craziness of it all- swept up and through so fast that before you know it, it's over and you didn't even take time to reflect and enjoy it.

As much as I'd love to give one of my cookbooks to every single one of you that would like one, I can't. Instead, I'd like to help you with your Christmas giving.

From now until Christmas Day, every 5th purchase of one of my cookbooks will be free.  In other words, if you order a cookbook and it happens to fall on a multiple of 5, you will be charged for the cookbook and shipping but! within the next day, I will reimburse you the cost of the cookbook (you will still pay shipping and tax, if it applies). If you happen to order two cookbooks and one of them falls on a multiple of 5, you will get one of the two for free.  If you order five cookbooks, you'll be guaranteed to get one free, etc. This applies to the coil-bound cookbook version only (not the e-version).

Also, I'd like to note that all of our current stock has the clear, plastic protective cover as seen below.

This starts right now!!  And, just to spice things up a bit, I won't be starting the counting at 1 today, meaning that it won't take five orders to get to the first free one- it might take only one or two!  I'm so excited to help ease your giving this year.  Feel free to help spread the word- it will lead to more free cookbooks!!

Blessings to you, friends.  Prepare your hearts and minds for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ- the most extraordinary gift EVER!

Merry Christmas, Loves.
Jane

"For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Isaiah 9:6

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Too Busy to Post: So Why Am I Posting?

Can your head spin in a good way?  I think it can if you know the spinning (or the degree to which it's spinning) has an end.

I've started two projects.  One has to do with Christmas so my lips are sealed on that one (after Christmas I'll share).  If you want to make gifts for Christmas, now is the time to start.  If you'd like some ideas, check out My Crafty Sisters Series.  I have very crafty sisters.

The other project has to do with this....

Lord, help me.  It has it's own story which I'll share once I'm done.  Part of me is kicking myself for starting it now but the other part of me had reasons to begin.  I should really get myselves together.  Some people have family meetings- maybe I need me meetings.

School, of course, is taking up a lot of my time but it's going well (right this very week, Praise you, Jesus). Older kids do become a lot more independent with their work which gives me hope that I can handle three in school next year.

I dried some of our own Shiitake mushrooms to have for soups and casseroles this winter.  I just followed the instructions in my dehydrator guide.

We went to one of my favorite place on earth a couple weekends ago and had a lovely time. If we could move there, I think we might.

Then, last weekend, I participated in a women's retreat our church organized that focused on integrating our spiritual and physical beings.  I could write a whole series of posts on my experience with this and maybe I will.  In the dead of winter.  When all my projects are done.  And I'm curled up in front of the fire.  Oh, wait. I just might fall asleep if all that comes to be.

So, that's all for now.  I really shouldn't be here in the first place but I guess I just wanted to check in and say hello. I'll be back soon with a Christmas Cookbook deal you won't want to miss.

Take care and don't forget to take deep breaths and spend plenty of time in prayer this busy, busy time of year.

Love,
Jane

Sarah, our most spoiled chicken

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Cookbook Winners!

Well.  It was such a treat being able to read about what you all did in August.  Some of your comments made me tired- gracious me!  Some almost made me cry.  You all are amazing.  I know I've said this before but I truly think I have the nicest readers around.  It is only once in a blue, blue moon that someone leaves me an unkind comment.  It's very rare.  And that in itself is rare compared to what I've heard other bloggers have to deal with.  Maybe you all are just too polite to complain.  But more likely it's because you're awesome.  Thanks for making blogging so much fun!!

On to the winners!  The two people who have won 7th printing, clear-plastic-cover copies of the Thy Hand Hath Provided Cookbook are...

AnonymousSeptember 11, 2013 at 2:52 PM

Harvesting the garden, weeding, canning, weeding, trying out my new dehydrator, more weeding!! Made lots of salsa from our great tomato harvest, and lots of applesauce from our apple trees - lots more apples and pears coming the end of the month. Covering plants when the temps dropped in the 40's for a few chilly days in August. We are back in the 90's but Thursday's low is supposed to be in the 40's again. Crazy MI weather. We are blessed to be able to make it to retirement and have the time (not always the energy) to do the things we love. God is good and we are blessed. Herbielady

and

B-flySeptember 9, 2013 at 3:48 PM

August went by so fast, I'm not sure what I did! Well actually, I spent a lot of time preserving--canning, baking, cooking, freezing. All good stuff. I also spent time slowing down a bit. Thank you for this contest, I'd love to win a copy of your cookbook. Welcome back!

Congratulations!  Please email me (at thyhand123@gmail.com) your full names and mailing addresses and I'll send your cookbooks out right away:-).

If you didn't win, don't be dismayed!  We still have about 70 of these clear-plastic-cover copies left.  So, if you'd like one, either for yourself or a gift, please go here and when ordering, make a note that you'd like a clear-cover copy!

Have a wonderful weekend friends.  It's cooling down a bit here...I wonder when we'll start up the wood stove and put the garden to bed....

Love,
Jane Pin It

1000th Post Cookbook Giveaway!

This giveaway is closed and the winners have been contacted.

According to Blogger, this is my 1000th post.  Who would have thought I'd have 1000 posts worth of things to say (actually, anyone who knows me well may not be surprised)?!

This blogging experience has morphed over the years.  It began as a way to keep out of town (and state) family up on what we were doing and to keep a record of our experiences (and it remains this for us).  Then, people I didn't know started reading it and, to be honest, it felt kind of weird at the time!  Over the past five years there have been times when I tried to anticipate what the readers would like to read but for the most part I've stayed true to letting this space follow where my head and heart lead, asking God to use me to encourage others.  That's when I enjoy it the most.

During my August hiatus I discovered something.  I need breaks as much as I need blogging.  And so, I'm planning another month long hiatus in December, another in the spring and another next August.  But, oh, how I miss being away on these breaks!  And, so....

The Giveaway:

To celebrate this (ridiculous) number of posts and the fact that we're back together again, I am giving away two (2)  of my cookbooks this week.  And, lucky for all of us, the printer made a slight (albeit a good) error and this 7th edition comes with a clear plastic cover to help protect it from spills.  The two giveaway copies have this cover!  If you'd like to order a copy, please note in your order that you'd like a clear plastic cover and my shipping manager (the always lovely, Kathy) will make sure you get one at no extra cost:-).  It's never too early to start Christmas shopping!  Don't forget you can also buy an e-version for your Kindle or computer if you prefer.

To Enter:

In the comments, please tell me what you did during the month of August.  One entry per household, please. Please leave me your first name or your initials so I can identify you if you win.  I'll randomly select two winners this Friday afternoon.

Have a wonderful day!

Blessings,
Jane Pin It

Thy Hand Hath Provided Cookbook Giveaway at The Deliberate Agrarian!

If you'd like a chance to win a copy of the Thy Hand Hath Provided cookbook, please go here and enter your sweet self! Pin It

My Non-Fancy Camera

One of my new favorite things to do is traipse around our yard, looking for bees pollinating our flowers, fruits and vegetables.  I carry my camera along just in case.  I love capturing the little things going on around here.

My camera (an Olympus SP-320) is on the old side.  We bought it about 8 years ago, I think.  At the time, it was quite the big purchase for us.  I think it was around $200 on sale.  I still think that's a lot of money for a camera, but I know many people spend much more than that.  I just wanted to show you how an relatively inexpensive camera can take decent pictures.  And, it's compact, to boot.  No extra camera bag to tote along- it fits in my purse.

bee on strawberry blossom

bee on phlox

unripe blueberries

sweet cherries

young Robin

On an unrelated note, I had the privilege of introducing my cookbook at our local farmer's market last weekend.  Despite the dreariness of the day it was fun watching the vendors set up in the quiet, early hours of the morning.  I loved meeting customers and talking food and recipes with others who care deeply about what they feed their families. Pin It