Dianne Price – Recipe for Romance – Part 1 of 2

Shannon here: Historical romance author, Dianne Price was granted her wish and she joined her beloved Savior and her husband in Heaven. She is probably dancing a Scots reel even as you read this. But Dianne’s books and recipes live on and her publisher is offering a print book of either Broken Wings (Book One) or Wing and a Prayer (Book Two) of the Thistle series. OR e-versions of both to one lucky winner. The 2nd book will release in a few weeks. Comment on any post dated Jan 1 – 3 to enter the drawing. Deadline: Jan 11th, 11:59 pm central time. 

MEET DIANNE PRICE

She fell in love with writing at the age of five. On horseback, she roamed her family’s farm in Oregon, memorizing the shape of clouds overhead, the flickering shadow of a conifer branch bowing in the wind, the velvety texture of fungus growths on trees, the intoxicating fragrance of new-mown hay. Each night, she hid beneath her blankets with a flashlight, writing everything she had seen, heard, felt, and smelled into a notebook. Little wonder she never doubted the existence of her Heavenly Father, for who else could have created such wonders?

Her interest gradually moved to people and their gestures, personal quirks and mannerisms. Her stack of notebooks grew, augmented by tales her father told of his exciting barnstorming days in a bi-plane. Each story he told was put down word-for-word. Alas, she had been bitten by the dreaded “flying bug.”
In her late teens, she studied under many talented writers, especially John Cunningham, who wrote the novel upon which the movie “High Noon” was based. She attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, and met and married the man God had prepared for her, (another victim of the flying bug). They began a family. In California, she wrote and narrated a Christian radio program focused on how young wives with growing families need the guidance found in God’s Word to nurture themselves, their husbands, and their children. Her own family provided poignant and even humorous fodder for many of the broadcasts.
In the midst of raising her family of three boys and two girls, she burned the midnight oil and wrote three novels which were published by Zebra Press. But they were not Christian novels, and she felt a need to show others how God could bless and enrich their lives.
Her father’s stories of flying and the memories of her loved-ones who had served on B17 bombers during WWII, sparked an idea which had lain dormant for years. But the sudden illness and departure of her beloved husband into heaven left her feeling hollow and aimless. How could she serve the Lord now? Praying for guidance, she traveled to Scotland, the land of her husband’s mother’s clan (the MacDonalds) and her own mother’s clan (the Galbraiths). Notebooks filled her luggage. After several annual trips to the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, after gallons of tea, after too few hours of sleep, frustration, hair-pulling, and sudden bursts of insight, the “Thistle Series” was born.
It was a labor of love. She still visits the Outer Hebrides, learning the Gaelic language, dancing at ceilidhs (kaylees), and taking long walks along the “machair,” where she soaks up the ambiance of these mystical, still primitive islands with endless skies and the Atlantic Ocean “sooking” on their rocky shores. Every sight, sound, and smell is treasured. Indeed, who but Almighty God could have created such wonders?

Family Recipes

Here are a few of my family’s favorite recipes. If your family is like mine, they will enjoy these treats and ask for them again and again. But before they take that first bite, here’s a humorous Scot’s blessing: “Doon heid (down head), up paws, thank God we have got jaws.”Scotch Eggs
Ingredients
1 lb. sausage (ground)
5 hard boiled eggs, shells removed
1 large raw egg
3 oz. dried bread crumbs (or use Panko)
Pinch of mace, salt, pepper and a dash of garlic salt. (I like to add minced parsley or chives.)
Directions
1. Dust hard-boiled eggs in a little flour, Mix salt, pepper, and herbs into sausage and divide into 5 portions.
2. Place on floured surface. Wrap/mold sausage meat around eggs, making sure there are no gaps.
3. Beat raw egg and water together and coat the eggs with this and bread crumbs (Panko). Press into meat so it sticks.
4. Deep fry in hot oil (360 F/185 C). Cook 5 to 6 minutes. If you don’t have a fryer, cook in oil in a frying pan, turning often to brown.
5. Drain and serve hot or allow to cool in refrigerator. My husband loved them cold!