Be My Guest: Stacy Monson

This week I'm pleased to host my friend and critique partner, Stacy Monson. In her article, she gives us a glimpse of her writing journey. The hope really shines through, don't you think?

Hope Deferred

By Stacy Monson 

I’ve been writing literally all of my life. My younger brother says he thinks I was born with a pencil in hand. He’s pretty close – once I learned to write, I never stopped. I’ve loved writing papers for school (except for boring topics), letters, emails, blog posts, freelance articles, and most of all novels. I even enjoy filling out forms. Really!

However, even with my love of all things writing, my dream of publication was a secret - until six years ago when I felt the unmistakable call from God to write. It was as clear as if He’d spoken aloud.

I immediately signed up for a writing class, joined several national writing organizations, and started a Minnesota chapter for one of them. I entered and won lots of contests, made tons of new writing friends around the world. I was on my way. Even with the usual ups and downs (win a contest, tank a contest, etc.), I felt empowered, energized. Like a balloon soaring ever upward.

I signed with an agent. I received requests from several publishing house editors to look at some or all of my books. I connected with a local editor who taught me so much about writing and editing. I was flying high, teetering on the brink of realizing my dream.

But then a tiny pin prick developed in my balloon. Instead of continuing toward publication, I started to sink. I separated from my agent. The requests I’d received resulted in “no, thanks.” My mom and mother-in-law both died of Alzheimer’s. I couldn’t write. My balloon continued to sink.

Then, last summer, I signed a contract with a publisher who had started a fiction line. I loved her ministry, the work she’d done in the nonfiction arena, her heart for God. My debut novel was set to come out on June 1, 2014. My balloon soared. I’d made it!

Less than two months before my book was to launch, it was reassigned to release in October, then the publisher closed her fiction line. It was a good move for her, but devastating for me. It seemed God had punctured my balloon permanently. Maybe I’d misheard His call. Or maybe He’d never meant I’d get published, just that I was to write.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick.  Proverbs 13:12

My heart certainly was sick. I spent hours seriously considering if I should stop pursuing publication. I needed to assess priorities, desire, energy. Was this the time to set my dream aside? Or should I patch up my balloon and keep trying?

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart, and wait for the Lord.  Psalm 27:14

The words are a balm to my battered heart, an answer to my cry of “what now?” It doesn’t promise I’ll ever realize my dream, but it does promise that God is working on my behalf. It doesn’t tell me to write harder, find an agent, or leap on the self-publishing bandwagon. It tells me to hold fast to my God. To stay strong in my waiting as He does His work.

So I’ll continue to write because that’s the gift He’s given me. What He chooses to do with it is up to Him. It’s been a wild ride, and I’m praying it’s not over yet. But while I wait to see what He’ll do next, I’ll stay strong in the faith and keep my heart and mind on Him. My balloon is lifting slowly toward the heavens once again.

What are you waiting for? How are you coping?

Stacy is a freelance writer and novelist, and posts regularly on Inkspirational Messages, The Barn Door, and InspyRomance. Past president of MN-NICE, the Minnesota ACFW chapter, she’s the Area Director for Minnesota.

You may visit Stacy Monson at her website or on her Facebook page.

Thanks for hanging out with us today, Stacy. Our journeys certainly are roller coaster-y sometimes, aren't they? Keep at it, girl! No matter how it ends up, God is with you... and we here at Writing to Inspire will be praying for you.

Readers, do you have any questions for today's guest, Stacy Monson? Or please answer her question: How are you coping with the ups and downs of your journey?

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July Celebrations... and a Recipe!

By Andrea Renee Cox

The first week of July is always exciting for me. My sister celebrates her birthday, and our country celebrates its independence. Cake and fireworks. Celebrations don’t get much better. Since we live in town, we decided to try something new this year. On the fourth, we drove out to the country and found a great spot to pull off the road where we had a great view of several different bursts of fireworks. It was practically a panoramic view. Oh, they were beautiful! We were far enough away where we couldn’t hear the loudness of them, which is my least favorite part, but the variety of colors took my breath away.

On the fifth, my family had a barbecue and invited a family who are great friends of ours. Chicken and hot dogs, pasta salad, healthy cheese-less mac & cheese (trust me, it’s delicious!), fruit salad, and several desserts were laid out and enjoyed. Conversation flowed through our living room, along with laughter. We had a great time.

The reason we had our party on the fifth was because our town held its fireworks show that day. After we ate and the sky grew dark, we sprayed with bug spray (crucial in this summer of chiggers!) and sat in chairs in the grass by the railroad tracks. (Don't worry. There weren't any trains coming.) From there, we had a great view of the fireworks the city shot off from the high school. It was another beautiful show. There was a new firework I hadn’t seen before. It appeared to be a small white cloud when it burst. Very cute but kind of puzzling.

Getting together with friends for any celebration, or even just because, never gets old. Fun times and happy memories are always to be had. I like this new tradition we’ve started, having a barbecue for the Fourth of July (this year, on the fifth) with another family in town. Hopefully we’ll be able to continue these fun times for many more years to come.

I tried a few new dessert recipes this year. I’ve already shared my root beer float cookies with you. Here’s another one that my family and friends really liked. It’s definitely a keeper. Not only that, but it may be adapted for nearly any celebration with just a few alterations.

RED, WHITE, ’N’ BLUE SALAD

Red, White, 'N' Blue Salad

Ingredients:

1 (3 oz.) package berry blue gelatin

2 cups boiling water, divided

2 ½ cups cold water, divided

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

1 cup heavy whipping cream

6 tablespoons sugar

2 cups (16 oz.) sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (3 oz.) package raspberry gelatin

1 cup fresh raspberries

Whipped topping and additional berries, optional

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, dissolve berry blue gelatin in 1 cup boiling water; stir in 1 cup cold water. Add blueberries. Pour into a 3-quart serving bowl (a clear bowl works well so you can see the beauty of this dessert). Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

2. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, sprinkle unflavored gelatin over ½ cup cold water; let stand for 1 minute. Add the cream and sugar; cook and stir over low heat until gelatin and sugar are completely dissolved. Cool to room temperature. Whisk in sour cream and vanilla. Spoon over the blue layer. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

3. In a large bowl, dissolve raspberry gelatin in 1 cup boiling water; stir in 1 cup cold water. Add raspberries. Spoon over white cream layer. Chill until set, about 1 hour. Garnish with whipped topping and additional berries, if desired.

This recipe will quickly become a favorite among your family and friends. To create a similar dish for holidays or parties other than the Fourth of July, simply use different flavors of gelatin with fruits that compliment them. Examples: grape gelatin with halved grapes or whole blueberries; orange or lemon gelatin with mandarin oranges; strawberry gelatin with quartered strawberries. Play with it and have fun!

If you’re not making a mess, you’re not really cooking.

Readers, it’s your turn. What are your family’s Fourth of July traditions? Do you ever try new recipes for your family get-togethers, or do you stick to your favorites? Care to share any?

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A Broken Kind of Beautiful

By Andrea Renee Cox

After reading Katie Ganshert’s first two novels, I’ve come to expect brilliance in the form of broken characters struggling to discover a way to live life again. What took me by surprise in A Broken Kind of Beautiful was the new depth Katie found. Her characters weren’t only broken; they’d been completely shattered like a dropped snow globe. Ivy Clark in particular was lost and desperate for everything that was wrong for her. The journey she had to take to climb out of the dark, cold cave was beautifully written and so true to life. Figuring out that you’re broken and alone is sometimes the hardest, most frightening process, and Katie captured that with such raw vulnerability that I often found myself either breathless or in tears. Not many books have moved me so powerfully lately, but that might be because I could identify so much with the tagline of the book: “Sometimes everything you ever learned about yourself is wrong.” My own situation isn’t nearly as bad as all that, but I did discover something along the way that changed my perspective on my life.

Even though figuring out how broken and alone you are is so difficult, once you discover the God who can mend you and breathe new life into you… there’s no other feeling in the world like it, and there aren’t enough words for me to describe the freeing joy that comes with it. There’s not a safer, more comforting place to be than in God’s arms. He’s big enough and loving enough to take every shattered person and heal them until they’re better than they were before. He loves us so much. If you haven’t yet discovered His love, I hope you’ll dive into His Word and find Him. He’s calling you now. Won’t you answer Him?

“It took darkness to show me truth.” Sara’s words from chapter twenty-two couldn’t be more true. As sinners, we live in darkness. It isn’t until we realize how big we’ve messed up that we can appreciate and find the truth of God’s love and sacrifice. It’s books like A Broken Kind of Beautiful that remind me just how huge Jesus’s dying on the cross was. He freely forgives our worst mistakes when we ask Him. He mops up and erases our biggest messes. His forgiveness and grace overwhelm me because I know I don’t deserve them; no one does. That’s why they’re free gifts. There’s nothing we can do to earn them. But if we ask for them with honest, humbled hearts, God gives them to us, adopting us into His family and assuring us eternal life on the other side of this mortal one we’re living now. It is my prayer that you will discover the beauty in His gift. It’s quite amazing to behold.

About the book: A Broken Kind of Beautiful tells the story of Ivy Clark, an out-of-work fashion model who must go back home to a small town that holds her haunting past, and Davis Knight, a man who set aside his dream of being a fashion photographer to live a quiet life in that same small town. When they join forces to create multiple advertisements for a relative’s wedding dress boutique, will they help each other heal from their broken pasts? Or will they continue to live with the shards of mistakes and regrets poking them at every decision? Will God’s truth reveal that each of them is a broken kind of beautiful?

Thank you to Blogging for Books, who provided this book to me for free in exchange for my honest review.

Readers, how do you deal with your brokenness? Do you try to make up for it? Do you play the martyr and punish yourself, when no one asked you to? Or do you accept God’s forgiveness and move forward, toward His calling on your life?

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June 2014 Movie Wrap-Up

By Andrea Renee Cox

This month has been a busy one for me. The San Antonio Spurs won the NBA championship. So proud of them. This makes five championships for Coach Gregg Popovich and player Tim Duncan. The summer session of tutoring has begun. I’m not as busy there as I usually am, but I’m enjoying the break. Last school year was crazy-hectic for me, and being able to breathe properly again is quite nice. The extra time I have due to the lack of students in my area of expertise I’ve been putting to good use. Editing one story while writing another is a challenge that I’m trying to balance out. Plus, I’ve been able to squeeze in a proofreading job.

Even with all these things piling up, I’ve managed to get several movies in this month. Each movie falls in the political thriller genre, except one (The Monuments Men), although the political part might still be correct; it’s more of a political adventure that’s based on real events. Not sure why I was drawn to that genre this month, especially because I dislike politics, but each film is wonderful in its own right. All four movies I’ve chosen to tell you about this month contain some rough language and are rated PG-13, so viewer discretion is advised.

NEW! TO OWN OR RENT

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

When an injured military man is recruited by the CIA, his life spins out of control. Will he have what it takes to sort through the chaos and discover the enemy’s secrets before it’s too late?

This story captured me from the beginning when Jack Ryan decided to join the military because of the attack on the Towers on 9/11. Once he’s recruited by the CIA, he’s blindsided by a live or die mission. This action packed thriller kept me on the edge of my seat until the end credits rolled up the screen. Nice humor sprinkled throughout brought an extra depth—and brief reprieves!—to the storyline.

The cast of Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is top notch. Chris Pine gives his best performance yet as Jack Ryan. Keira Knightley dons an American accent and also brings stellar talent to the screen in my favorite role of hers. Then you have Kevin Costner in a role of leadership, which is nothing new for him, yet he finds a way to make us think he’s never been better than in this film.

The Monuments Men

When artwork goes missing or gets destroyed during World War II, a group of men (who each specialize in some form of art) band together to steal back the stolen art. Even though they’re unlikely heroes, they dig deep and find they’ve got what it takes to become the soldiers the Allies need them to be. Will they find all the pieces before Hitler’s men destroy them? Will they all make it home alive, once their mission is completed and the war is over?

Shadowed by Grace
by Cara C. Putman

Another fabulous cast lights up the screen. George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, and John Goodman, among others. Do you see the comedic moments waiting to happen? You’ll laugh, you might cry. I found myself doing both at once a couple times. The emotional journey of the Monuments Men is even greater than normal because it’s based on real events. Those types always grip my heart a bit stronger.

There’s a Christian fiction novel by Cara Putman that was inspired by the Monuments Men’s story (though it was written before the movie came to theaters). It’s called Shadowed by Grace, and I hope you have an opportunity to read it. You can read the first chapter of this book here. The Kindle version of this book is on sale through Tuesday (that’s tomorrow, folks!) for only 99 cents. Be sure to grab your copy before this sale runs out!

ALSO ON BLURAY AND DVD

The Bourne Legacy

When the United States’s intelligence community decides to erase all evidence of the programs compromised by Jason Bourne and Pamela Landy, the agents’ and even the scientists’ lives are at risk. Rogue agent Aaron Cross not only uses his genetically-engineered skills to survive the program shutdown, but he also saves scientist Marta Shearing’s life for reasons you wouldn’t expect. Thrust together in the midst of a crazy cat-and-mouse chase, will Aaron and Marta escape their demise long enough to accomplish their goals? Or will the next generation of agents be able to take them out?

This movie is my newest obsession. I can’t watch it enough times. The original Bourne trilogy (Identity, Supremacy, and Ultimatum; all starring Matt Damon) were awesome films themselves. When the Bourne Legacy came to theaters, I wasn’t sure if the filmmakers would be able to capture the essence of the original three films and yet make it their own. With Jeremy Renner as the rogue agent and Rachel Weisz as the scientist, I couldn’t have been more wrong. Legacy is an amazing story. I’m planning on watching all four Bourne films as part of a movie marathon weekend sometime in July. I’ve already seen Legacy four times this month, and I’m still not tired of it. I understand a new piece of it every time I watch it. I can’t recommend it enough.

I’ve heard there’s going to be another new Bourne film in 2016. I haven’t heard the title yet, but Jeremy Renner is supposed to be bringing Aaron Cross back to the big screen. Can’t believe we have to wait so long to see it, but I guarantee you it will be worth the wait.


Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

When the bombing of the Kremlin implicates the IMF as international terrorists, Ethan Hunt and his elite team must go underground yet still work to clear the agency’s name and stop the real terrorists before they set off a nuclear war. This may be their most dangerous, most impossible mission yet!

Guess who joins the cast in this one? Jeremy Renner. Yep, the Avengers (Hawkeye) and Bourne Legacy (Aaron Cross) actor joins Tom Cruise’s crew as they use every new gadget in the book. The stunts are out-of-this-world crazy, keeping you glued to the screen. I recommend watching the previous three films to catch up on the missions before watching this one, but you wouldn’t have to. Ghost Protocol stands on its own two feet very well. The cast is a bit different than in the previous films, but you’ll notice a couple have stuck around. There might even be a little cameo appearance by one of my favorite agents near the end of the movie. (Can you guess who?)

Soon there will be a fifth Mission: Impossible movie, and I’ve heard Jeremy Renner is returning to reprise his role. I’m pretty sure the summers of 2015 and 2016 will have me practically living at the movie theater. How could they not with so many Jeremy Renner flicks coming out? (Have you figured out yet that he’s my current favorite actor?)

Readers, what are your favorite political thriller movies? Is there a movie that you’re obsessed with and can’t watch often enough? Do you like to read books inspired by the same events that inspired movies?

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Derailed!

By Andrea Renee Cox

It was an ordinary Friday afternoon. My dad and I were running an errand when my mom called. She had peeked out the house window and seen something crazy down the street. Out of the ordinary doesn’t begin to describe the event of Friday, June 20, 2014.

Four train cars derailed.

As in, came off the tracks.

Yep. The train that had gone by our house just before Dad and I left apparently had trouble of some kind, and four of the rock-carrying cars toppled over, leaving a fifth car leaning precariously. The weird thing was, with the air conditioners going, my mom hadn’t heard the crash from inside our house.

When Dad and I returned after completing our errand, sure enough, there was a sea of rock splattered across the grass down the road from our house. Four large, black train cars lay on their sides, rock still half filling them. The fifth car worried me, as I was certain it would fall and crush someone, especially once workers arrived to clean up the huge mess.

It took all day Saturday, but the crews were able to get the cars righted once more. First, they emptied out the rest of the rock. To make sure they got it all, they used two cranes and a backhoe type machine to turn the cars upside down. Then they turned them right side up and suspended them in the air above part of the track that was still intact. The men on the ground then came in and assisted the crane operators in attaching new sets of wheels to the bottom of the cars. Once that task was completed, one of the cranes pulled the fixed cars farther down the track so they could repeat the process with the other cars that needed to be put back on tracks that hadn’t been destroyed in the derailment.

They brought in an engine to pull the rear of the train back away from the messed-up section of track. Once all the toppled cars were moved down the other side of the broken section, the engine hooked up to the remaining cars. When the engineer tried to pull the train cars, the engine’s wheels spun and spun, flinging orange sparks against the ground. With the leaning car still attached, the other cars wouldn’t budge, even though a couple of crew members put some tool in front of the wheels to help right the leaning car, which was still filled to the brim with rock. After several unsuccessful attempts, they decided to uncouple the leaning car from the rest of the train. The engine was then able to pull the upright cars to the other side of the highway that sits in front of my house, so it would be out of the way of fixing the tracks.

So, they brought the cranes back over to lift the super-heavy leaning train car. They slowly took it down to a part of the track that was still lined up right. There the ruined wheels were exchanged for new ones. With that job finished, the guys stopped work for the day.

As I’m writing this article in my living room on Sunday afternoon, a crew is outside cleaning up the carnage that used to be railroad ties and train tracks. I’m not sure if they’ll get around to scooping up the spilled rock today or if that will be done tomorrow, when you’re reading this. It’s such a huge mess, the cleanup process takes multiple days. Each step gets its turn, with each crew member pitching in at the right time. It’s quite the orchestrated chaos, if you ask me, but the job is getting done.

I’m thankful that no one was hurt, either in the original crash or during the cleanup. It did concern me when I first saw the disaster, because there have recently been several children riding their bikes up and down the two roads parallel to the tracks. Praise God they’re all safe and weren’t injured in this catastrophe. This might have been a much more somber event, but I’m so glad it wasn’t.

Seeing the process of cleaning up the derailed train reminded me of how God takes my brokenness and cleans me up and fixes me one little piece at a time. It’s the reminder and encouragement I needed this weekend. I’ve been struggling because promises take so long to be fulfilled sometimes. The more years that go by, the harder hope is to cling onto. But through this weekend’s craziness and Sidewalk Prophets’ CD Live Like That, God showed me that He hasn’t forgotten me. He’s the God who is more than all I’ve ever wanted. He’s saving me every day, through every pain and doubt and struggle I face. He’s scooping me up and hugging me tight, whispering words of comfort into my heart. Though I may struggle to find the courage to stand firm in my faith at times, I will never lose sight that God is still God and God is still good. He’s got me in His hands, and He’s leading me into the future He has designed for me. I trust Him with my life and my dreams, because He is my Everything.

Readers, what exciting things happened during your weekend? What lessons have you learned from the weekend that you can apply to your life? Are you holding onto the hope God is giving you?

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Be My Guest: Mary Albers Felkins

It is my great pleasure to introduce to you a new friend of mine, Mary Albers Felkins. Her unique voice lends a pretty cool point of view in the article she's written for us today. I hope you feel inspired by the end of it. I certainly did!

Just Breathe.

By Mary Albers Felkins

  

Inspire.  I’ve become drawn to this word.  It means to breathe into, to fill with an exalting influence, to animate, arouse, galvanize, awaken, ignite (someone) with the urge or ability to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.

A similar word, respiration, comes to mind.  Medically it refers to the inhalation and exhalation of air.

Yes, I breathe.  Everyday.  Twenty-four/seven.  The genius of my autonomic nervous system tends to that.  But do I consider the breath of the Holy Spirit in the process of writing?  

I invite you to take a deep breath and check out these verses.

In Genesis 2:7 it states that “God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and the man became a living being.”  God breathed life into something lifeless.  Hmmm.  Sounds an awful lot like the process of crafting story characters to me.

And in John 20:22 it says, “He (Jesus) breathed on them (disciples) and said, “Receive the spirit.”  That’s powerful!

Beyond the mere fact that breathing keeps me alive it seems there’s greater power in a breath.

Typically I face my computer each day with an agenda.  My agenda.  That blog idea that awakened in my head while on the elliptical at the gym?  Got to record it.  A scene change?  Got to record that, too.  A plot structure flaw?  Must be corrected.  And that’s all fine.  But if I want my writing to fulfill God’s purpose I must breathe in His Spirit before I begin, let Him pour life onto the screen (or the paper), in order to bring characters and words to life.  He’s the one from Whom the ideas came in the first place.

Ah, but then there are those other times.  You’ve seen it; I’ve seen it.  And stared at the thing for several agonizing minutes.  That daunting blank screen with its annoying, on-off cursor (like a ticking time bomb).  I sigh heavily, releasing a boatload of air from my lungs, sometimes with clenched fists.  And inhale the Sprit of the living God?  Honestly, no.  Not always.  Which gives birth to my classic whine, “Just what am I supposed to write here?”

So, before I write, I’ve challenged myself to…

-Quiet myself and pray (Oh yeah, that).  I ask God to breathe into the page/screen and give life to my (ahem, His) characters or ideas. 

-Listen to what God, the Author of life, is saying.  Then create from that launching pad. 

-Receive rescue breaths from others who can encourage me when my spiritual lungs ache.  A check of my pulse might suggest I am hindering forward progress with worry, angst.  Or working inefficiently from relying on my own effort.

Quiet…

Listen…

Receive…

I desire void, shapeless, and lifeless writing to become animated, galvanized, awakened, and ignited to empower another with the ability to say or do something significant.  I want to produce writing that is teeming with life.  God’s spiritual breath can accomplish that.

I’ve asked God to breathe His breath of life onto the pages/screen each time I begin.  How about you?  Maybe you just need to breathe.

Bio

Mary Albers Felkins is currently constructing her first manuscript using principles taught through My Book Therapy.  (www.mybooktherapy.com)  She considers scripture the most alluring romance ever written.  She is married to Bruce Felkins.  They have four arrows in their quiver: Anthony, Alexandra, Jonathan, and Caroline.  She is learning to breathe before (and while) she writes…

Upcoming/Current releases

First novel, Christian contemporary romance.  Inspired by Revelation 19:11, the image seen by John when the heavens stood open, a Rider on a white horse.  What if protective love means marrying the kind of man you said you’d never marry?  Is it worth the cost?

Link to website

www.maryfelkins.com

Mary, I am intrigued by that story question and can hardly wait to read your debut novel! Thanks for sharing your take on inspiration and reminding us to breathe deeply in our Lord. I think I won't be the only one to consider taking up your challenge of "quiet, listen, receive." Great idea!

Now it's your turn: When have you realized you've forgotten to ask God to breathe in your ministry? Do you notice any differences in your impact on the world when you stop and ask God to bless your work beforehand? What happens when you try to do things in your own power?

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Summer Has Arrived!

By Andrea Renee Cox

Well, it’s official. Summer has arrived. Maybe not by the calendar, but the temperatures reveal the truth. With temps nearing closer to triple digits by the day, north Texas is warming quite nicely. Which means air conditioning, ice in my water, and sunglasses at all times when outdoors. Sunblock, lighter meals, bug spray, and sand volleyball.

The thing I’m looking forward to most this summer is my family’s Fourth of July barbecue. It might be a small affair with only one other family in attendance, but we make fun memories every year and share lots of food and conversation, squeezing in a cool movie of some sort. And, of course, there’s fireworks. Not my favorite part of the night, never has been, but we can usually see two or three different sets of fireworks from our front yard. Since we live in town, that’s a nice little luxury that comes as a surprise.

Since fireworks isn’t my favorite part of the Fourth of July, would you like to know what is?

Trying new recipes.

Not just any recipes, either. Typically, I test out new dessert recipes around this time of year. This year is no exception.

One I tried just last week, in preparation for the Fourth, is Root Beer Float Cookies. Talk about melt-in-your-mouth delicious! My dad said these cookies bumped up into his top five cookies of all time. I’ll take that compliment. Everyone who’s tried them so far has absolutely loved them. Not only are they great for family barbecues, but they also make great tips for furniture movers, a great barter for a ride (especially if you’re broke and can’t afford gas money), treats for children’s birthday parties, and so many more events. These cookies have been such a great hit, I thought I’d share my recipe with you. Trust me, if you make these cookies once, you better be prepared to make them often… and in large batches!

Root Beer Float Cookies

Cookie Ingredients:

½ cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon root beer concentrate

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

Filling Ingredients:

¼ cup butter, softened

1 ⅓ cups confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon water

1 teaspoon root beer concentrate

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and root beer concentrate. (I used my standing mixer, and it worked great, especially during step two.)

2. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking soda. Gradually add this dry mixture to the creamed mixture and mix well. (The batter will get pretty thick. That’s why I recommend using a standing mixer. It seems to be able to handle the thickness better than a handheld mixer.)

3. Shape dough into ¾-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 6-8 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks and cool completely.

4. In a medium bowl, beat the filling ingredients until smooth. Spread on the bottoms of half of the cookies; top with remaining cookies. (I spread a bit of filling on the bottom of one cookie, then immediately topped it with another cookie. This method worked well for me. You could also put filling on ten or so cookies, then top them, continuing this pattern until all the cookies are used. Feel free to try different methods until you find one that works best for you.)

This recipe yields about 2 ½ dozen cookies. When I made it, I doubled all the ingredients, which worked really well. Since it’s so popular, I might even consider tripling it next time.

Now it’s your turn: What summer plans does your family have? Are you planning anything special for the Fourth of July? What recipes do you especially enjoy making during the summer months?

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