And the answer is ...

DEAR READERS:

I’ve received more response from the

“Can You Find 20

Books of the Bible” puzzle since it was published than anything in a long time. Many people were happy they had found the 20 books of the Bible. However, many either didn’t find all of them or found 19 out of 20 or fewer. I soon discovered the missing one was not the same from each person. Here it is again with the answers highlighted.

CAN YOU FIND 20 BOOKS OF THE BIBLE?

If this little puzzle gets you to think about the Bible, it will have hit its (mark). It’s a lu(lu. Ke)eps (numbers) of people searching for hours. There are no Bible f(acts) here, just the names of books. After looking so hard, it may come as a (revelation) to you just how many Bible books you don’t know.

You may be in a (jam, es)pecially since the t(ruth) of the matter is that the books are not capitalized and parts of some books appear in more than one word. Finding them is a real (job).

Be careful. A beggar in Seattle was robbed while wor(king) this puzzle. The poor cha(p’s alms) were stolen while he wasn’t looking. A(hab Akkuk), a Cai(ro man, s)ays the puzzle isn’t fair to Arabs since it contains no books from the Quran.

Yes, it will be (a mos)t fascinating puzzle for you and y(es, ther)e will be some hard ones to spot. Even (judges) have trouble. I admi(t it us) ually takes a minister to find some of them and our (lamentations) are often heard when the easy ones slip by us.

One lady said s(he brews) a cup of tea to help her concentrate. You’ll want to keep the puzzle if you finish it. My cousin, (Gene’s, is) framed and on the living room wall. See how well you can com(pete. R)elax and see if you can find all 20 books. — Melba

Time keeps on ticking, ticking, ticking

DEAR MELBA: Is time passing faster or why does it seem that we just celebrated Christmas and now, Valentine’s Day is practically here? Whatever. Chocolate Pralines will be nice for Valentine’s Day or any day.

CHOCOLATE PRALINES

1 package (4 ounces) chocolate pudding mix 1 cup sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup evaporated milk

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup pecan halves

1 teaspoon vanilla

Spread waxed paper on flat surface. In medium saucepan, stir together pudding mix, sugar, salt, milk and butter. Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat, to 234 degrees. Remove from heat and stir in pecans and vanilla, stirring until mixture coats nuts. Drop from teaspoon onto waxed paper.

— Dave Farrington, Midwest City

Recipe recon

DEAR MELBA: I was wondering if any readers might have recipes to share that call for green tomatoes. I have two, Green Tomato Mincemeat and Green Tomato Relish. These have been passed down through the years from my mom and grandmother, but I would like to try some new ones. Time seems to pass quickly, so green tomatoes will be available before we really expect it.

— Sheila Burke, Blanchard DEAR MELBA: I’ve been wanting to try the Coleslaw recipe from a recent column but have been unable to find two of the ingredients: lemon garlic vinegar and dried minced onions. Please ask if anyone knows where to find them.

— Don Wages, Oklahoma City DEAR MELBA: E. Red asked for our favorite apples for making pies. My favorite pie making apple is Braeburn. They seem to be the best, not too tart but not real sweet. I’ve used these for many years. — Jan P., Choctaw

Signs from above

DEAR MELBA: Want another church sign? Some things have to be believed to be seen.

— Sandy Killian, Oklahoma City

DEAR MELBA: I think you’ll like this saying: The tongue weighs practically nothing, but few people can hold it. — James S.

If you have a problem other readers might help solve or an idea you’d like to share, email mlovelace@oklahoman.com or write to Melba’s Swap Shop, Box 25125, Oklahoma City, OK 73125. Please include your name and address.