Sandra Merville Hart

Momma’s Brisket

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by Sandra Merville Hart

KD Holmberg, my dear friend and award-winning author, brought an amazing beef brisket to a writing retreat earlier this year. She had baked it ahead of time, and it only required reheating for a hearty and delicious supper. It was such a generous portion that it provided two meals! Not only is KD a talented author, but she is also an amazing cook.

The barbeque sauce she brought was the perfect complement to the beef dish. She graciously permitted me to share both recipes with you.

I’ve been chomping at the bit to make a big meal. When family members came for supper, I jumped at the chance.

4 ½ – 5 lb. beef brisket

1 tablespoon Liquid Smoke

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon celery seed

1 ½ teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

The brisket needs to marinate overnight or up to 24 hours.

I used a glass 13×9 dish for my 5-pound brisket.

Combine the ingredients in a bowl. Rub the blended marinade over both sides of the brisket. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from the fridge at least a few minutes before baking. (I allowed mine to sit out for about an hour. Some recipes suggested allowing the meat to return to room temperature.)

I used a glass 13×9 dish to bake my 5-pound brisket. Aluminum foil was arranged along the bottom and sides, with enough to cover the meat while cooking. Spray lightly with cooking spray.

Bake according to the following schedule:

       First two hours at 250 degrees

       Second two hours at 275 degrees

       Last two hours at 300 degrees

After 6 hours of baking, KD’s recipe called for the brisket to be grilled over medium coals, while slathering with barbeque sauce.  My husband is our grill master and he was entertaining guests while I cooked, so I compromised. Instead of grilling, I opened the aluminum foil to allow it to continue baking with the brisket exposed. The purpose of grilling is to achieve a “crust” on the outside and it usually takes 10-15 minutes.

I added another 15 minutes to achieve the fork-tender quality I love. Also, I didn’t slather on the barbeque sauce while it baked because my husband likes plain brisket.

After retrieving it from the oven, I tented the aluminum foil over the top and allowed the meat to rest for 30 minutes before slicing.

Everyone loved the brisket! It was so tender that my husband sliced it a little thicker to keep the slices together. The barbeque sauce drizzled over the slices made for a mouth-watering, delicious main dish.

Pictured above is leftover brisket for our second meal. Everyone was in such a hurry to eat—me included!—from the delicious aromas that I forgot to snap a photo. 😊

Thanks, KD, for sharing your wonderful recipes. She’s an awesome cook, as I’m certain you will agree once you make this dish.

Madison’s Mission by Susan G. Mathis

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Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

A Boldt Castle Story

Thousand Islands Gilded Age

Madison Murray has served as lady’s maid to Louisa Boldt, the sweet and compassionate wife of the wealthy George Boldt, for the past ten years. Madison worries about the declining health of Mrs. Boldt, who treats her almost like family. Madison is just as impressed by the castle on Heart Island that Mr. Boldt is having built in his wife’s honor as she is with Emmet O’Connor, the construction overseer.

Emmet O’Connor loves his job as construction engineer on the beautiful castle and inspects every stone that’s laid, every nail that’s pounded to insure its precise placement. He falls in love with Madison and dreams that their friendship will blossom into much more—until tragedy strikes.

Both Madison and Emmet try to clear the web of lies entangling everyone but the danger escalates.

I loved this well-written, poignant story! Loyalty, scars from the past, grief, danger, jealousy, and courage are challenges faced by lovable, believable characters.

I was transported back to another era to small islands in the St. Lawrence River. Heroic characters tugged at my heart and drew me into the story.  The beautiful settings tempt me to explore the islands for myself.

A page-turner from beginning to end, I highly recommend this delightful read for lovers of historical romances!   

Reverence in the Wildnerness by Andrea Byrd

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Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

Frontier Hearts, Book 3

Green County, Kentucky, 1782—Keturah Elliot has just buried her father. With the deaths of her mother and brother a couple of years before, for which her father had blamed her, she is now alone in the world. It’s up to her to save the homestead that she and her father had worked so hard to build. Yet she can’t do it alone.

Daniel Scott, left behind by a group traveling westward, meets the beautiful woman in need of a husband. He’s astounded that she’d consider him. His only father had rejected him. He longs for a wife and family who will love him.

I enjoyed this short novel that portrays the struggles of early pioneers. Endearing characters face a loss that threatens their growing love for one another. The story is also a journey of faith.

The story unfolded in a natural way that was enjoyable to read.  

I will look for other books by this author. Recommended.  

Amazon

Barbeque Sauce Recipe

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by Sandra Merville Hart

Award-winning author and dear friend, KD Holmberg, made this sweet, thick barbeque sauce and brought it to a writing retreat earlier this year. Delicious! Not only is KD a talented author, she is also an amazing cook.

She also baked us beef brisket for supper one evening. She graciously permitted me to share the recipe with you. The brisket recipe will be shared in another post.

I have been waiting for an opportunity to make this delicious sauce, so when family members came for supper, I jumped at the chance.

1 quart tomato catsup

¾ cup prepared mustard

1 teaspoon onion salt

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup Worcestershire sauce

2 cups brown sugar

½ teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon paprika

¼ pound butter

After the previous ingredients have simmered for thirty minutes, remove from heat and stir in the following ingredients:

1 cup beef consommé

1/3 cup Liquid Smoke

½ teaspoon chili powder

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl (excluding the chili powder).

I didn’t realize I was out of onion salt until I started to prepare the barbeque sauce. I made onion salt (mixed 1 tablespoon onion powder with 3 tablespoons of salt) and used 1 teaspoon for this recipe.

Combine the catsup, mustard, Worcestershire Sauce, and butter in a large saucepan and stir well. Add the prepared dry ingredients, stirring until blended. Turn on low heat. I used room-temperature butter that quickly melted. Stir frequently.

When the sauce begins to softly simmer, cook on low for thirty minutes. Continue to stir frequently.

Remove from heat and stir in the final 3 ingredients—beef consommé, Liquid Smoke, and chili powder. I didn’t have consommé on hand, so I substituted with beef stock. It turned out great.

Sweet barbeque sauce is the type I favor, and this is my new favorite! My guests complimented the creamy, thick sauce so highly that I sent some home with them. 😊

This recipe makes about 6 cups. Store the unused portion tightly in Mason jars and store it in the refrigerator so that it will last about a month.  

Patriot at the River by Jayna Baas

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Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

A Novel of the American Revolution

For Liberty & Conscience, Book 2

1780—Patriot Scout Benjamin Woodbridge is a courageous soldier fighting for his country’s freedom from England, along with his neighbors from the backcountry settlement of Sunrising. Some of his fellow North Carolinians have joined the British side.

Benjamin’s anger runs deep, directed at the cruel British officer responsible for his father’s death. Those emotions have cost him the love of the woman he’d hoped to marry. Aunt Kate and his sister pray that his negative emotions don’t devour him in a need for vengeance. Now, with the British army’s sights set on destroying his village, Benjamin must protect those loves even if the Patriot army doesn’t arrive in time.

This poignant story portrays the struggles of our early patriots and the price they paid for their heroism. It is also a journey of faith.

Realistic characters and unlikely comrades drew me into the story from the first page. Danger, courageous acts, self-doubt, forgiveness, redemption, and questions of faith throughout the book make this a powerful read. I couldn’t put the book down.

This beautifully redemptive story is told from several viewpoints, including the antagonist. Unexpected twists kept me riveted to this well-written book.

I will look for other books by this author. Highly recommended.  

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The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman

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Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

The Secret to Love that Lasts

The author opens with a story about a fellow passenger on a plane. Upon learning that the author was a marriage counselor who also led marriage enrichment seminars, the man asked, “What happens to the love after you get married?”

One of the early points that Chapman makes is that he’s glad the euphoria of those feelings when love is new doesn’t last. We have a thousand other things to accomplish, which means we can’t be with our spouse every minute.

Yet the love can last throughout our years together. We just need to learn our spouse’s Love Language.

This book is filled with stories from Chapman’s clients. These examples show the different needs people have for how to express love.

An easy-to-read book that is packed full of relationship advice.

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The Surprising History of the Tussie-Mussie

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by Sandra Merville Hart

As an author of historical novels, I’m always looking for traditions from bygone eras. When I ran across tussie-mussies while researching the meaning of flowers, I dug deeper to learn the surprising history that has changed over the centuries.

Tussie-mussies are small, round bouquets with the stems bound together, a traditional bridal bouquet in the Victorian era. A knot of flowers is the “tussie” while the “mussie” is the soil that keeps them vibrant. Handheld bouquets, also called a posy or nosegay, were tied with a ribbon. Or they might be worn at the waist or in the hair by using a posy holder, a decorative cone-shaped holder often made of silver.

Posies were seen as a more modest accessory than jewelry. Women sometimes secured the bouquet with a brooch. Men wore them by placing them in buttonholes in their coats. It didn’t have to be a festive occasion.

These fragrant bouquets were popular during the Middle Ages for a different reason. People wore or carried nosegays of rosemary, rue, and thyme during the plague in Europe, believing specific herbs and flowers were a protective measure against the disease.

Rosemary has several health benefits recognized today. It can boost moods, enhance concentration and memory, offer neurological protection, and relieve pain. There are studies that suggest the herb may aid in the prevention and treatment of cancer. The herb added a woodsy, herbaceous aroma to the bouquet.

Rue has a pungent, bitter smell that is slightly citrusy. Sephardic Jews traditionally used it for healing purposes. Inhaling it is believed to help with shock. It is sometimes used in synagogues during Yom Kippur to rejuvenate those who have been fasting. William Shakespeare mentions rue in Hamlet, All’s Well That End Well, Richard II, and The Winter’s Tale. John Milton’s Paradise Lost and Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels also mention the herb.

Thyme has an earthy fragrance. It can destroy harmful organisms and may reduce high blood pressure. Thyme oil can prevent foodborne bacterial infections.Thyme was used as embalming fluid by ancient Egyptians. Ancient Greeks burned it as incense. The Romans brought it to the British Isles, so the herb has a long history in Europe.

The aromatic and health benefits of rosemary, thyme, and rue seem to suggest the wisdom of those Middle Ages men and women who kept them handy during the plagues.

Tussie-mussies have a long history that endures today. Guests at modern weddings may still spot tussie-mussie-style bouquets carried by brides. For instance, Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle carried them at their own weddings.

These are fun facts that I, as an author of inspirational historical romances, love to incorporate into my novels!

Sources:

Boeckmann, Catherine. “What Does Each Flower Symbolize?” Almanac, 2025/04/21 https://www.almanac.com/flower-meanings-language-flowers.

Felman, Adam. “What are the benefits of thyme?” Medical News Today, 2025/06/20 https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/266016.

Havenga, Sudre. “The Victorian Tussie-Mussie: from warding off the plague to declaring your undying love,” National Museum Publications, 2025/06/09 https://nationalmuseumpublications.co.za/the-victorian-tussie-mussie-from-warding-off-the-plague-to-declaring-your-undying-love/.

Hawkins, Linda J. The Unspoken Language of Fans & Flowers, Heart to Heart Publishing, 2007.

Nordqvist, Joseph. “Everything you need to know about rosemary,” Medical News Today, 2025/06/20 https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/266370#benefits.

“Nosegay,” Wikipedia, 2025/06/09 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nosegay.

“Ruta Gravolens,” Wikipedia, 2025/06/20 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruta_graveolens.

Withrow, Danielle. “Tussie Mussies and the Victorian Language of Flowers,” Biltmore, 2025/06/09 https://www.biltmore.com/blog/tussie-mussies-and-the-victorian-language-of-flowers/.

Mending Christmas by Shanna Hatfield

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Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

Rodeo Romance, Book 13

Dr. Beth Moore moves into the Idaho home she recently inherited, hoping to find a break in Twin Falls. She wants a different job away from the hospital emergency room, but first she needs rest.

She meets Billy Clark, a rodeo bullfighter, when a bull tosses him at her feet. Treating his wounds leads to a job traveling with the rodeo company. Billy’s infectious good spirits and laughter are a stark contrast to her personality. Can he grow to care for him?

Billy’s childhood had been a trainwreck. Finding a job on the rodeo and friends who cared while a teenager changed his life. Bullfighting is all he’s known. Meeting the quiet, reserved doctor who excels at her job throws him for a loop. Can he hope that someone like her will care for him?

Lovable, wounded characters quickly drew me into the story. It’s easy to see that bullfighting is a dangerous occupation. Readers will be pulled into the traveling life of those who work for the rodeo. I loved that those involved in the show became a family.

I enjoyed this holiday western romance.

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House of Cards by Rena Bell Yeager

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Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

This contemporary retelling of the Biblical story of David and Bathsheba gripped my attention from the beginning.

David Kingston, a divorced billionaire in charge of an international corporation, sees Elizabeth swimming at night from his high-rise New York City penthouse apartment. Her husband, who works for David, is on a business trip.

An adulterous affair leads to pregnancy. David’s reputation as a Christian businessman will be destroyed if the press discovers he’s the father.

There are sensual scenes in this inspirational novel that make this an adult story. Yet it is also a story of redemption and forgiveness.

Key aspects of David and Bathsheba, including the similarity of names, are part of the novel.

Characters are realistic and flawed. Their plight worsens with each twist, making this book a page-turner.

I will look for more by this author.

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Edible Flowers in Recipes

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by Sandra Merville Hart

Fresh and dried flowers have been used in cooking for centuries, yet not all flowers are safe for consumption. Additionally, not all parts of the flower are safe to eat. To be edible, flowers must be grown without pesticides and sprays, so ask if you’re not certain about the flowers in the market.

A pioneer recipe for Dandelion Salad in Log Cabin Cooking has dandelion greens, violets, pansies, nasturtiums, and calendula listed among its ingredients.

Old-Fashioned Woodstove Recipes has a recipe for Dandelion Greens.

Early American Cookery calls for rose water as an ingredient in Lemon Sponge Cake. Sugar and almonds were pounded into a paste with rose water in the Macaroon recipe. Rose water was also used in Hard Gingerbread. Both rose water and orange flower water are ingredients in Rich Plum or Wedding Cake. Pound Cake and Plum Pound Cake used a half glass or full glass of rose water. (How many ounces the glass contained is not listed. The first time making these old recipes is a trial-and-error process. 😊) 

I’ve often made dishes using recipes in Buckeye Cookery and Practical Housekeeping, published in 1877. If edible flowers were among the ingredients, I chose another recipe, but I didn’t recall that happening often. When leafing through about fifty of the nearly 400 pages of recipes, I discovered a Cornstarch Cake recipe that was to be “flavored with either lemon or rose.”

So cooking and baking with edible flowers is not a new practice. I’ve seen them most often in recipes for salads, teas, and cakes. Cookies can be topped with sugared flower petals.

Modern dishes like Rose Petal Granola, Rhubarb Rose Water Syrup, Daffodil Cake, Strawberry and Goat Cheese Crostini, and Flower Focaccia call for edible flowers.

One cook wrote of freezing rose petals in ice cubes. What a festive idea!  

Many contestants have utilized edible flowers in episodes of The Great British Baking Show.

Perhaps I should quit shying away from using them in new recipes. 😊

Sources

Buckeye Cookery and Practical Housekeeping, Applewood Books, Originally published in 1877.

Copeland, Blythe. “Our Favorite Edible Flower Recipes That Are Colorful and Delicious,” Martha Stewart 2025/06/09 https://www.marthastewart.com/edible-flower-recipes-7503243.

“Edible Flowers,” 101cookbooks.com 2025/06/09 https://www.101cookbooks.com/edible-flowers/.

Hale, Sarah Josepha. Early American Cookery “The Good Housekeeper,” 1841, Dover Publications, 1996,

Hawkins, Linda J. The Unspoken Language of Fans & Flowers, Heart to Heart Publishing, 2007.

“How to Cook with Edible Flowers,” Savannah Bee Company 2025/06/09 https://savannahbee.com/blogs/the-latest-buzz/how-to-cook-with-edible-flowers.

Old-Fashioned Woodstove Recipes, Bear Wallow Books, 1988.

Swell, Barbara. Log Cabin Cooking: Pioneer Recipes & Food Lore, Native Ground Music, Inc., 1996.