Cooking with Author Marilyn Nutter

Today we welcome author Marilyn Nutter who has a new book out that offers hope for widows. She also has a recipe for us to bake. So let's get rolling.

I'm glad to have you here, Marilyn. Thank you for joining us at the blog today.

What were the circumstances that led you to write Hope for Widows: Reflections on Mourning, Living, and Change?

I was encouraged by a fellow writer to write articles and a book to help widows--sharing my thoughts, responses to grief, and how to help someone navigate this journey. Some of my book comes from my journal entries. Other parts are experiences with friends and family that once I was encouraged to write a book to help widows, I began to record and apply to grief, mourning, and life changes. And some are responses to scriptures in my devotional reading or Bible studies.

How long did it take you to complete your book?

That’s an answer with many layers. The book evolved over several years. As I said, I was encouraged at a writers’ conference to write a book to help widows walk on their path. I attended conferences and a writers’ group for critiques, so the work went through much editing and changes. I took out a section from each vignette that I might use now for another book. It was declined by several editors because I didn’t have a large platform and some even thought there isn’t a market for widows’ books. That was disappointing. Each day 1,000 women are widowed and the average age of a widow is 59. Finally, once represented by an agent who believed in the message (she has a widowed relative and saw the relevance) she shopped the manuscript. That was about nine years since I began writing, then rewriting. It was a good example of Isaiah 60:22 “When the time is right, I, the Lord will make it happen.”

What was the most difficult part of writing your book?

Probably reliving the night my husband died and the days and months that followed. I could visualize all that I wrote about-even the details. In grief or trauma, when we do that-tell and retell our story- we are in that experience again. We have to re-ground and look at our surroundings to go back into the present.

What do you hope readers will gain/learn from reading it?

I wrote the book for widows- to support and encourage them that they are not alone. The book is interactive and following each vignette, I offer two opportunities: Treasured Reflections where they can respond to their application of the story, such as- did they have a similar experience and what were their thoughts. The other is Treasured Thoughts – asking them to journal how they want to respond and move forward. So the book isn’t just my story but guiding widows to write theirs. The book is not just about the reality of grief but also change, living, and purpose.

I also wrote the book as a widow’s advocate. Everyone, even those with the loss of the same person, grieves in different ways. But aside from the grief of losing the person physically and relationally, there are other losses. We call those secondary losses. An example might be always driving alone somewhere, learning new skills such as banking or home maintenance, and of course loneliness. I want others who know and love widows to have insight into the dramatic life changes and challenges a new path brings to a widow and read Hope for Widows too. Grief is far more than the death of her husband. Hopefully, others who are not widowed will read it and then care more intentionally for the widows in their lives.

Please share a recipe with us.

Sticky Rolls

2 loaves frozen bread dough, thawed

1/2 cup butter

1 large package vanilla pudding (cooked variety, not instant)

1/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Spray a 9x13” pan with cooking spray. Tear off pieces of bread dough and place in pan, pieces next to each other. Set aside. Melt butter and add milk, dry pudding mix, and cinnamon. Blend until smooth and pour over bread dough. Our family doubles the butter and milk so we have lots of caramel with the rolls. Cover and refrigerate three hours or overnight. When ready to bake, remove cover and place in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 30 minutes. Leave in pan to serve. Have a spoon ready to scoop up the caramel!

Why is this recipe special to you?

It was a traditional Christmas morning breakfast when my girls grew up. Now they have carried on the tradition and do the same for their families.

Thank you for joining us today, Marilyn!

You can get a copy of Marilyn's new book on Amazon.

Read more about Marilyn and her writing at her website.

Cooking with author Janet Thompson

I'm doing a series on authors, their books, and food. I had a few authors last year post about these topics, and am thinking since all my novels have recipes at the back, I should make this food-author theme continue here. Well, this is a patchwork quilt blog for a reason. There are a variety of things I write about here and I tend to let a few have their season and then (could it be due to being a little over 50?), I promptly forget what I'd planned to continue. So, having said all that, we'll see how it goes.

Today I have Janet Thompson as my guest. Welcome Janet! Janet's recent book is, Dear God, He’s Home by New Hope Publishers. In this book, Janet offers practical and emotional support for wives with "Stay-at-Home" husbands.

I found the subject line interesting as my husband has been at home unemployed for over a year. He just started a small business in the garage, so while I write upstairs in the office, he's downstairs in his "office". I grew up seeing my parents live and work in the same house for their entire missionary career in Japan, so am quite familiar with this aspect of having to "share space and work together" as well as "work apart in the same space".

Janet has personally experienced three different life seasons with her "stay-at-home man." At age 50, her husband’s layoff left him unemployed—-at home—-for 18 months. Another layoff years later brought him home again. Then after several years of successful work in a new field, physical disability led to retirement.

"Regardless of the reason for this season," Janet says, "wives of stay-at-home men experience similar difficulties, hardships, and blessings." Dear God, He’s Home is a collection of biblical and life-tested wisdom. Janet not only writes from her own experiences, but she also includes stories from other women and men who have been through similar situations. She leads the reader through guided journaling and prayer and presents Scripture application for encouragement. The book’s epilogue, an entry from Janet’s husband, offers his perspective.

Janet is founder and director of About His Work Ministries. She developed the Woman to Woman Mentoring Ministry at Saddleback Church and served as a lay minister for 12 years leading Saddleback’s Woman to Woman Mentoring Ministry. Janet continues to share the blessings of mentoring by training and speaking in churches around the world. She is author of several books including The Team That Jesus Built: How to Develop, Equip, and Commission a Women’s Ministry Team, as well as two other titles in the Dear God series, and seven books in the Face-to-Face women’s Bible study series. Janet and her husband, Dave, have four married children and love being Grammie and Grampa to 11 beautiful grandchildren. "Refusing to grow old" and embracing their retirement years with great zeal, they make their home in Garden Valley, Idaho.

When asked about food, Janet says: "As for comfort foods, I eat super healthy raw organic so when I see organic fruit and vegetables I feel so loved by God that He created such wonderful food for us! Wild salmon is my most favorite food ever and I love spring and summer organic strawberries! Also when my hubby brings in the harvest from his vegetable garden and I look at all that fresh produce that he grew with love, well, that tops the comfort scale."

Thanks, for sharing with the readers here, Janet!


To order a copy of Dear God, He's Home, please click here.

View the YouTube video for Dear God, He's Home.