Meet The Crew of the Yankee Belle Cafe

When we first started Seekerville, we had no idea how it would grow and expand. It was just a sweet blog of writers helping writers, with no money involved... And it became a village.

Well what kind of village doesn't have a cafe or it's own town diner? 

And so began The Yankee Belle Cafe, a wonderful internet gathering spot for the other side of us: The side that cooks, cleans, works, nurtures, washes, shops, swats flies, scolds, bakes and runs whatever form of business we can... aside from writing! 

Today I am delighted to introduce all the gals who make the Yankee Belle Cafe a fun "go-to" place on the web... I'm Ruth Logan Herne, but at the cafe? They just call me "The Yank" because that's what I am! Youse all know me, so lets meet the rest of the cooks in the kitchen and below each cook's message is a glimpse of what they're giving away today! Leave a comment and we'll toss your name in the cake dish!

Monday's Hostess, "The Midwesterner" Jan Drexler!

Hey, everybody! Jan Drexler here, the Midwesterner at the Café. You’ll find my posts on Mondays.

In the thirty-plus years my husband and I have been married, we’ve lived all over the Midwest, from Michigan to Texas, Kentucky to South Dakota, and points in between. As much as we hated moving, we loved learning about our new homes and the local cooking. At the Café I share my favorite recipes – new and old – that I’ve collected along the way. I also throw in a healthy number of Amish and Pennsylvania Dutch recipes, passed down from my grandmothers. And since we live in the Black Hills of South Dakota now, I share a bit of cowboy cooking from time to time.

It was hard to find my favorite post to share, but since spring is coming (It is, I promise!) I thought I’d share this recipe for my favorite spring tonic – Rhubarb Custard Pie. Enjoy! http://yankeebellecafe.blogspot.com/2014/03/spring-fever-tonic-rhubarb-custard-pie.html

Bio:

Jan Drexler grew up surrounded by books and storytellers. With pastors and teachers populating both sides of her extended family, we aren’t surprised that she wanted to be a first-class storyteller herself. She writes for Love Inspired Historical and Revell Publishing.

Born and raised in Michigan, Jan is the descendant of Amish, Mennonite, and Brethren immigrants who settled in Berks, Somerset, and Lancaster counties in Pennsylvania in mid-1700.

Her first love was homeschooling, but when her youngest son graduated she asked God to give her something useful to do for the next phase of her life. The answer was a computer and the deep well of family stories handed down from her parents and grandparents.

Autographed copy of "Hannah's Choice" and a copy of "Amish Cooks Across America"

Tuesday's Barista "The Texan" Mindy Obenhaus:

Howdy, y’all! Mindy Obenhaus, aka The Texan, coming to you every Tuesday at the Yankee-Belle Café.

Cooking is my love language. Whether it’s whipping up a batch of homemade biscuits to start your day, tantalizing your taste buds with some yummy Tex-Mex or smokin’ a big ol’ brisket, I’ve got you covered. But why stop with these regional favorites when there’s so much food to be explored? And the Yankee-Belle is definitely the place to do that. If you like food, the Yankee-Belle is the place to be.

It’s hard to nail down just one favorite recipe, so I’ll settle for sharing a staple. This biscuit recipe was passed down from my girls’ great-grandmother. Let me tell you, there’s nothing better on a cold winter’s morn that a pan of piping hot biscuits. http://yankeebellecafe.blogspot.com/2013/12/icemageddon.html

Prep dishes, spice collection and "A Father's Second Chance"!

 Wednesday's Hostess, "The Healthy Writer" Cate Nolan:

Hey everyone, Cate here. I'm the newest member of the cafe staff. I write for Love Inspired Suspense but I promise there's nothing deadly in my cooking. Actually, I'm the "Healthy Writer." We all know that writing is not the most healthy, weight-friendly occupation. Too much time sitting in a chair, too much chocolate and coffee (Okay, there's no such thing as too much chocolate and coffee if you're trying to make a deadline!) Every Wednesday, I try to bring a recipe or a food to prove that it's possible to cook healthy foods that taste great too.

Two of my favorite posts have been Chocolate-dipped fruit (all those anti-oxidants!)  and a recent one - sweet potatoes cooked in orange juice with pomegranates and pecans. So good!

Just yesterday I was sharing healthy alternatives for Super Bowl snacking! I hope you'll come on by and visit for some fun and healthy eating. 

I'm giving away my all time favorite gadget - the coolest garlic press. How to get perfect, fresh garlic without making your hands stink!

Cate Nolan lives in New York City, but she escapes to the ocean any chance she gets. A devoted mom, wife and teacher, Cate loves to leave her real life behind and play with the characters in her imagination. She’s got that suspense writer gene that sees danger and a story in everyday occurrences. Cate particularly loves to write stories of faith enabling ordinary people to overcome extraordinary danger.

A copy of Cate's debut novel "Christmas in Hiding" and her garlic press!

Thursday's Gal "The Yank" Ruth Logan Herne
Ruthy's got the sweet tooth working, she's been a professional baker and loves to sugar things up north of the Mason/Dixon line, but she has to cook standard fare, too, so it's anybody's guess what she'll bring to the table! A born northern girl, comfort foods are a family favorite, and if it can hold gravy, the only question is: How much? One of her favorite posts is this crazy popular "Patriotic" Berry pie:

http://yankeebellecafe.blogspot.com/search/label/Patriotic%20pie

Baking fun! Cupcake corer, cupcake wrappers, decorating tips and bags with a signed copy
of "An Unexpected Groom"!

Friday's Barista, "The Belle" Missy Tippens 

Missy Tippens, here. I was born and raised in Kentucky and have been in Georgia ever since I met my future husband in grad school. I'm the Belle part of Yankee-Belle. Ruthy and I joined together several years ago to provide a Cafe when Tina developed the village for the Seekerville website. And we're still going strong! 

We have such good time together, sharing recipes and other fun times. I try to bring southern favorites but often end up sharing recipes that I throw together with the ingredients on hand. :) Today I thought I'd share one of my favorites that a couple of you mentioned this past weekend on the blog. :) 

Fried Okra with The Belle

A signed copy of "The Doctor's Second Chance" and Missy's favorite potato masher!

Weekend Barista and Chief Cook "The Fresh Pioneer" Mary Jane Hathaway:

"I love anything fresh!  My husband does a wonderful job of growing delicious edibles on our little acre of land in a valley renowned for its long growing seasons. (I try to do my part and not burn the food when I cook it. No promises.) My posts run the gamut from simple heirloom tomatoes drizzled with balsamic vinegar to individual triple layer chocolate mousse cakes to fresh grilled cactus. I believe in enjoying all the deliciousness that this world has to offer, especially the natural foods that come right from my own backyard. Pop on by Saturday or Sunday to check out what's on the menu!

I couldn’t pick one single recipe so here’s a post where I moved to the weekends (from Wednesday, I think it was) a few years ago. I link a whole bunch of different recipes, with pictures. There are recipes for fresh fruit smoothies, pesto, baked chicken and mushrooms, mulberry sorbet, tarte tatin, ratatouille, enchilada soup, salsa, lilac jelly, etc., etc.!

 http://yankeebellecafe.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-fresh-pioneer-takes-over-your.html

Mary Jane's Bio:

Mary Jane Hathaway is an award-nominated writer of Christian fiction and a home schooling mom of six young children who rarely wear shoes. She holds degrees in linguistics and religious studies from the University of Oregon and lives with her habanero-eating husband, Crusberto, who is her polar opposite in all things except faith. They've learned to speak in short-hand code and look forward to the day they can actually finish a sentence.

In the meantime, Mary Jane thanks God for the laughter and abundance of hugs that fill her day as she plots her next book. She also writes under the pen name of Virginia Carmichael and loves to meet readers on her facebook page of Mary Jane Hathaway, on the weekends at the cooking blog Yankee Belle Café, or over at Huffington Post where she blogs about all things books.

E-copies of the Cane River Romance series and the cute measuring jar set!

Come on inside, there's coffee, tea, and all kinds of good things to eat... nobody does it better! Leave a comment to have your name tossed into the cake dish... and thanks so much for stopping in, we are delighted to have you!