As promised, the entries in the Double the Fun contest have been judged by an anonymous panel of judges (thanks, y’all!) and a winner has been decided upon. I have to tell you that they had a really hard time picking a winner because everyone’s entries were so well done. I’m glad I wasn’t the one having to choose!

For those of you who entered and didn’t win, your names were included in the drawing for the 2nd and 3rd place prizes along with those who didn’t enter. Here’s how the entries stood at the end of the contest:

Jennifer H.: 22 comments for 13 entries
Renee C.: 20 comments for 11 entries
Jess P.: 19 comments for 10 entries
Liz J.: 18 comments for 9 entries
Jolanthe: 16 comments for 7 entries
Becky Miller: 20 comments for 11 entries
Alexandra R.: 10 comments for 1 entry
Carman B.: 15 comments for 6 entries
Becky Terry: 15 comments for 6 entries

I wish I could award everyone a prize, because the verve you had in commenting on all the posts this month made it so much fun for me to try to think up topics that would hopefully capture your interest. I hope that even if you didn’t win, you did get something out of the conversations that happened here over the past four weeks, and I really hope you’ll come back to chat often! (Especially since I’m going to be doing some posts this month in preparation for the release of Menu for Romance and Ransome’s Honor that I hope will get you even more excited about them!)

THE PRIZES

Grand Prize (one winner): Signed copy of both Menu for Romance and Ransome’s Honor, your choice of one of the cookbooks on the MFR list and one of the DVDs on the RH list, and a $100 gift certificate from your choice of Amazon, ChristianBooks.com, or Wal-Mart (yes, Wal-Mart. Why? Because they, unlike B&N, will actually carry my books!).

2nd Place (two winners): Choice of Menu for Romance or Ransome’s Honor (signed) with one cookbook (for MFR) or one DVD (for RH) from the list, and a $25 gift certificate from your choice of Amazon, ChristianBooks.com, or Wal-Mart.

3rd Place (two winners): Choice of Menu for Romance or Ransome’s Honor (signed) with one cookbook (for MFR) or one DVD (for RH) from the list.

Menu for Romance cookbook choices:
• Tyler Florence: Stirring the Pot
• Tyler Florence: Dinner at My Place
• Best of the Best from Louisiana

Ransome’s Honor DVD choices:

• Persuasion (1995)
• Horatio Hornblower: Mutiny & Retribution
• Master & Commander

And the winners are . . .

3rd Place (two winners): Choice of Menu for Romance or Ransome’s Honor (signed) with one cookbook (for MFR) or one DVD (for RH) from the list.

Carman Boley
and
Renee Chaw

2nd Place (two winners): Choice of Menu for Romance or Ransome’s Honor (signed) with one cookbook (for MFR) or one DVD (for RH) from the list, and a $25 gift certificate from your choice of Amazon, ChristianBooks.com, or Wal-Mart.

Jolanthe
and
Becky Miller

Grand Prize (one winner): Signed copy of both Menu for Romance and Ransome’s Honor, your choice of one of the cookbooks on the MFR list and one of the DVDs on the RH list, and a $100 gift certificate from your choice of Amazon, ChristianBooks.com, or Wal-Mart (yes, Wal-Mart. Why? Because they, unlike B&N, will actually carry my books!).

Every Time
by Liz Johnson

The smoke begins curling around the patio overhang, and I let my eyelids drop. Maybe if I’m really still, the sweat on my arms won’t slide to my fingers or the drops on my lip won’t slip to the corner of my mouth adding a salty tang to the rest of the evening. I risk taking a deep breath through my nose. And that’s when it hits me.

The spicy smell of home.

I’ve been at college for just six weeks. Just a five hour drive from the rest of the family, from the heat of southern Arizona. Except it feels like a lifetime and a million miles since I’ve stood next to my dad in front of his grill.

One of the brown patties in front of us drops a stream of grease and sizzles as a flame licks its edge. Dad’s practiced hand slides a spatula under the burger in the back corner and flips it. Then the next. He presses the bottom of the turner to the top of that one, and the fire pops loudly.

“Cheese?”

“Huh?”

My dad looks down at me, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “Cheese?”

I jump. I’ve forgotten my only responsibility for the evening meal. I run inside, immediately missing the scent of the smoke mingling with the Italian spices I saw Dad mixing with the ground beef earlier today.

“Who wants cheese?” I call, sailing past my sister, who is setting the table.

One “me.” One “no.”

The other two are unaccounted for, and a quick glance shows they’re nowhere to be seen. I shrug. You don’t pipe up. You don’t get cheese.

With a bounce in my step, I carry the cheese slices back outside. Dad is just turning the last burger. The wrappers in my hand crinkle as I cover the perfectly char grilled patties. Orange cheese curls at the corners as the heat begins to melt it.

Before I know it, Dad is scooping the burgers onto a plate, and I realize we haven’t spoken more than half a dozen words to each other in the fifteen minutes we’ve been standing side by side watching our dinner cook. Is this going to be our only time alone together during my long weekend? Have I wasted my only chance to tell him about my first weeks of college?

I don’t have a choice now. He’s headed through the door, and if I want dinner, I have to follow.

My head is bowed, and my eyes are closed as my dad offers thanks for the meal on the table. But I can’t help sneaking a peak at my brother holding my right hand and my mom sitting across from me. I didn’t realize how much I miss being with my family until this moment.

My sister passes the platter of burgers and I stab a cheesy one, settling it between the two halves of a potato bun. I choose minimal condiments—ketchup with a dab of old-school mustard—and use the top of the bun to swirl them together on the melted American cheese.

Using both hands, I bring my meal to my mouth, ready for the first bite, but stop just before chomping down.

If I hurry through the meal, will I shorten the time I have with my family? If I rush through my burger, will I start to lose touch with my home?

Dad leans over. “Everything okay? You haven’t touched your burger. I made it because I know it’s your favorite.”

I have to fight the tears that sting the corners of my eyes.

“I’m good,” I mumble before cramming a huge bite into my mouth. The bun is soft and light and melts away. And the burger is just like I remember it. Tangy and juicy. Solid and comforting.

It’s the taste of home.

“Will you make these next time I come home?” I whisper to Dad.

“Every time.”

Congratulations to all the winners. Look over the prize lists and e-mail me to let me know what you’ve chosen!