Welcome to Day Two of the week-long virtual party for Tracie Peterson’s 100th book, A Sensible Arrangement! I loved reading all of your comments and congratulations for Tracie on yesterday’s blog post!
Today it’s time for a little fun from Texas (a state I just visited for the first time last week on Beverly Lewis’s book tour…still going on! Check it out if you live in Texas or Louisiana). Since the series is called LONE STAR BRIDES, it’s pretty obvious that the great state of Texas is pretty special to our heroes Marty and Jake.
Take a Virtual Tour of the Lone Star State!
Scroll through 35 breathtaking Texas photos submitted by state residents like the one above. I could hardly pick a favorite!
Or, if you’re actually planning a trip to Texas (or would like to in the future), take a look at this list of places to visit and things to do.
What’s a Party Without Cake?
And, finally, if you have a bit of a sweet tooth, here’s my favorite Texas sheet cake recipe! (This one is perfect for book clubs to use…or anyone who happens to like chocolate. Which, really, is almost everyone.)
Texas Sheet Cake
2 cup sugar
2 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 sticks margarine/butter
4 Tbsp. cocoa
1 c water
½ cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
Place sugar, flour, baking soda, and cinnamon in a bowl and stir them together. In a medium-size saucepan over medium heat, melt together the margarine/butter, cocoa, and water. Bring to a rapid boil, stirring constantly, then remove from heat. Pour cocoa mixture over dry ingredients and mix well. Let cool for 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400° F. Then add buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla to other ingredients and mix well. Pour the batter into a greased jelly roll pan (15.5” x 10.5” x 1”). Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool before icing.
Icing
1 stick margarine/butter
4 Tbsp. cocoa
6 Tbsp. buttermilk
3 ½ cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter, cocoa, and buttermilk. Bring to rapid boil, stirring constantly. Then stir in powdered sugar and vanilla Pour on cake while the icing is still hot.
Serves 24
Visit the blog tomorrow for a fun surprise: something we’ve never done on the Bethany House fiction blog (or anywhere else for that matter)!
Bethany House Fiction 
That cake looks yuuuummay. The Texas flowers beautiful as well. See ya tomorrow! Have a terrific Tuesday y’all! 🙂
As a lifelong Texas resident, I of course LOVE my state! The fun thing about living in Texas is that there are so many opportunities for road trips! I live in Dallas and yes you out of state people should visit here and of course Austin and San Antonio, but many Texans enjoy taking vacations in Fredericksburg in the hill country in the late spring. Seriously, it is a beautiful place to see, my family and I are going memorial day weekend for a little get away! 🙂
I can not wait to read A Sensible Arrangement! Also, that sheet cake sounds tasty, I will have to make it for my next book club meeting, thanks for the great recipe! 🙂
Hi Cristi,
Love your enthusiasm for your home state! For the tour, we drove through some rural areas of Texas, and I agree…so beautiful! Especially since it’s bluebonnet season. Thanks for stopping by the blog.
I am glad you were here during Bluebonnet season. It is such a great time to travel through Texas. My husband and I are taking our kids for pictures in the Bluebonnets at the end of the week. Its’ a Texas tradition. 🙂
Beautiful photos. Congratulations to Tracie! I love Texas Sheet Cake and this recipe sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing.
Texas Sheet Cake is one of the best! Congrats, Tracie! LOVE your books!!
Love pictures of TEXAS. I can always use them for background info. 🙂 HAPPY 100TH BOOK, TRACIE. That is a true ACHIEVEMENT!!! God bless you.
Congrats Tracie! Your books are some of my favs and I can’t wait to read some that take place in my state!
WOW! An Epic Achievement! Thank You, Tracie for all the happy hours of reading you have given me!
I absolutely loved this book! Getting ready to review this book myself. Great achievement! Great author!
Congratulations on your 100th book. I can’t even imagine writing one. The cake looks divine (comment coming from a chocoholic!) Hopefully you will make it to at least another 100. I enjoy reading your books!
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I love Texas Sheet cake. Thanks for sharing the recipe and I plan to share it also. Congratulations on this wonderful milestone!