Several weeks ago, when I was speaking in Southern California, I got the chance to spend the afternoon with bestselling author Cindi McMenamin.

I had read several of Cindi’s books before, but I had a built in prejudice about her. You see, Cindi and I had been in the running for speaking at the same retreat. And the retreat committee chose Cindi. OH did I mention that it was at my own church? Bitter – party of one.

Sadly, I had to get over my lingering resentment as Cindi is a very, very cool chick. (Drat.)

She not only is a talented writer, but she wrote of an subject that is close to my heart: Are you expecting others – especially the men in your life, to meet the needs that only God should be meeting? Here is a description of the book:

Are You Ready to Experience True Love?

Do you long to have your emotional needs met, yet find that your husband or those close to you cannot always bring fulfillment to your life? Through the pages of this book, Cindi helps you take your emotional expectations off of the people in your life and leave them with the Lord resulting in a new you and more harmonious relationships. Through this book, let Cindi enable you to:

• experience unconditional love knowing God is your constant companion
  
• enjoy the closeness of expectation-free friendships
  
• move your marriage from surviving to thriving
  

Cindi continues to be cool since she is letting me giveaway a copy of her book. Leave a comment on and you will be entered to win.

To see more about Cindi’s ministry, books, speaking, check out her website at: Strength for the Soul

Recently, my kids (Justen,18 and Kimber 16) and I had an opportunity to go to a Steam Punk Ball.

Yep, I didn’t know what it was, either.

Here is what Wikipedia says about it: “Steampunk is a sub-genre of fantasy and speculative fiction that came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. The term denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century, and often Victorian era
England—but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy, such as fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, or real technological developments like the computer occurring at an earlier date.”

Here is what a Steamtop Computer would look like:

We were invited to the ball by Young Adult Fiction author Shelley Adina, creator of the All About Us Series of books. My kids fell in love with Shelley – Kimber because she got to dress up in all of Shelley’s Victorian garb, Justen, because she shares the same agent as Jim Butcher, his favorite author. Here is a picture of the girls before the ball:

So the other cool thing is that Shelley is giving us three of her books in the All About Us series. I will be giving away all three of the books to one of the readers who leaves a comment on today’s post.

These books are great for the young ladies in your house, but I have to let you know, they are a guilty pleasure for me as well. (Think Gossip Girl without the smut…) You can find out more about Shelley and all of her books at: Shelley’s Website

How cool is that? Not only could you win a set of books for your girl, you can shock her by knowing with Steam Punk is…

It was suppose to be a beautiful “lay-around-the-house-after-church” Sunday yesterday. That is until the car thermometer hit 95 degrees. Ugh. Too hot and sticky to lay around.

So Roger and I decided to go out for dinner – hit an air conditioned restaurant and cool off. So we went out – and once we ordered our Grilled Polenta appetizers we realized that we picked the only restaurant in modern America that did not have air conditioning. Double Ugh.

So in celebration of hot-sticky weather, I am sharing one of my favorite Frozen Gourmet Recipes that’s perfect for BBQing. (Oh, and if you are like my agent who Twittered about how the sun was gleaming off the snow in Colorado this morning, this recipe is great for the oven as well…)

Also, I will be giving away a copy of my cookbook The Frozen Gourmet this Friday, randomly drawn from one of the commenters to this posting. Let me know what your favorite hot weather dish is – two chances to win if you actually include the recipe!

Teriyaki Chicken

We make this marinade again and again – it is much better than any prepared marinade you can find in the store.

4 each    Chicken legs and thighs (or use six chicken breasts)

1/2 cup    Soy sauce

3 tbs    Honey

1 tsp    Grated, fresh ginger

2 tbs    Dry sherry (optional)

1 clove    Garlic, minced

2    Green onions, thinly sliced

1. Prepare: Place the chicken in a gallon plastic bag. Mix the remaining ingredients together in a bowl. Pour the mixture over the chicken. Seal the bag.

2. Freeze: Place your bag in another gallon bag and lay flat in the freezer.

3. Serve: Defrost the chicken. Pour off marinade and bake chicken in a pan at 350° for 30- 40 minutes, (or until no longer pink in the center.)

Servings: 4

Have you got something fun planned for the weekend?  Take a minute now to plan a little something-something for you and your hubby to do this weekend.

Here is just one idea from our list “20 Dates for $20 or Less”:

Starbucks  –  And not the drive thru. Go in, order a couple of tall lattes, two giant cookies, and soak up all that atmosphere.

Not the most creative idea on the planet, but the prize doesn’t go to the most creative woman – it goes to the woman who actually goes on a date with her husband.

Some of the most popular projects were the ones that are all about the food. As you think of a food to preapre that will be man pleasin” this week, here is a great one you may want to try if your man is all about the meat.

This recipe was contributed by Carla Dietz from San Jose, Ca

Smothered Steak for Two

Carla says: My husband likes to do the grilling part while I prepare the rest.  It makes for a fun way to share the making of a meal!  Add a green salad with more blue cheese, and some fresh baked bread with butter for a simple but delicious man-pleasing meal!   2 fillet mignon steaks (size is up to you, salt and pepper to taste)4 cups of sliced mushrooms (not too thin)5 T. butter (more if you like)1 clove garlicSalt and pepper to tasteYour husband’s favorite brand of blue cheese, at room temperature, sliced into several chunks Just after putting steaks on to grill, melt butter and pressed garlic in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add mushrooms to saucepan. Add salt and pepper, and let simmer over low heat, until mushrooms are tender. When steaks are done to your liking, place a chunk of blue cheese on top of each sizzling steak. Then pour sautéed mushrooms over the blue cheese, allowing them to overflow over the sides. My husband likes to do the grilling part while I prepare the rest.  It makes for a fun way to share the making of a meal!  Add a green salad with more blue cheese, and some fresh baked bread with butter for a simple but delicious man-pleasing meal!

 for more guy recipes, get a free copy of the e-booklet The Ultimate Guide to Man Food when you order The Husband Project at www.kathilipp.com

I love this Chicken Cacciatore – not only is it delicious – it freezes Beautifully… So you can make batches and freeze for a quick dinner over pasta, mashed potatoes or rice.

 This is from my booklet, The Frozen Gourmet. 

This booklet has the top 20 recipes from my freezer cooking club – Six Chicks Freeze and Fix. You can check out the booklet here at:My Bookstore

Chicken Cacciatore

1 lb                Boneless, skinless, chicken breasts

1 Tbs             Vegetable oil

1 1/4 cup      Onion

2 cups           Mushrooms

1 tsp              Minced garlic

1-28 oz         Can of crushed tomatoes in puree

2 tbs              Parsley

1/4 tsp          Pepper

2 tsp              Italian Seasoning

1 ts[               Basil

                      Parmesan cheese

1. Prepare: Cut chicken into cubes. Slice onions and mushrooms. Chop garlic.

2. Cooking: In a large skillet, sauté chicken in vegetable oil until no longer pink in the center. Remove chicken from skillet and sauté onions, mushrooms, and garlic until the onions are transparent. Add chicken and remaining ingredients except for Parmesan cheese. Simmer for 15 minutes. Allow sauce to cool.

3.  Freeze: Freeze in a 13×9 pan.

4. Serve: Thaw sauce in the refrigerator overnight. Place the foil-covered pan in a 350° oven for 30 minutes to warm. Serve over pasta or mashed potatoes.

Servings: 4

I like to serve this with a crisp salad and rosemary bread.