Sloane Taylor's Blog, page 125
June 11, 2013
It's Wednesday. So What's Cooking?
A unique cake served up with a generous helping of humor from Marci Boudreaux.
Something can be said for Pinterest. I have learned so much from that site about gardening, decorating, and fashion. So when it came time to plan my daughter’s birthday party, I pulled up my Birthday board and took a gander.
Oh, polka dot cake…my daughter loves polka dots. So much so, that I painted her room pink with purple polka dots just last summer.
Now, anyone who has ever tried something off of Pinterest knows that, generally, it’s not going to go as smoothly as assumed. Well…let me tell you about the polka dot cake.
The first sign of trouble was when I read the directions and I didn’t have the required cake ball pan. Well. I have a mini muffin pan, I can improvise. I’m good at that…as you’ll soon see.
So I took out my three cake mixes, stirred one together, and split the batter. So far so good.
Then I dyed the batter. Well…my colors didn’t come out nearly as vibrant, but that’s okay. We can go with dingy pastel shades. So I made the mini muffins.
Then I mixed up the other two batters and layered the first bit on the bottom of the pan. And suddenly, like a light bulb going off, I realized my polka dots would look like…well, mini muffins. So I gently pried the muffin tops off and decided that was close enough. (These are a bunch of eight year olds, really, they’re just happy there’s cake, right?)
I cover my make-shift muffin polka dots with the rest of the batter and…wait…my muffin-dots are rising. I push them down and hurry up and put the cakes in the oven. Because we all know, the quicker you get it in the oven, the faster we can pretend that everything is resolved and all will work out.
Twenty five minutes later, the timer dings and I tentatively open the oven door to find…more muffins?
Oh, yes, perhaps I overfilled the pans just a touch in my attempt to cover my muffin-dots. The cake had grown up and over the cake pans, making giant, yet thin muffins.
Hmmm. These are supposed to layer, right? How can I layer muffins? I considered this for a long time. I even had an in-depth discussion over the phone with my husband who obviously didn’t care in the least about the ins and outs of layering cakes that looked like muffins.
Finally, it was decided. I’m just going to decorate one cake. There are only a few girls anyway, so I chose the better looking of the two and slathered it in white frosting. I did this because we had picked out lovely glitter infused purple icing (the package said it was pink, that stuff was purple) to put on lovely little polka dots and polka dot sprinkles to go with the awesome polka (muffin) dots inside.
So the icing is set and I get out the purple-not-pink decorative icing and start putting on the polka dots. But even icing doesn’t play nice when it is going on a Pinterest cake. It smeared, it smudged, it taunted me at every turn. I’m fairly certain I heard some of those TV bakers laughing at me as I tried to mimic their squeeze, push, and pull technique for making dots.
Well, at this point all the warm and fuzzy Betty Homemaker feelings were gone. I grabbed the biggest meanest looking spatula I could find and I smeared that damned icing, not giving a crap what it looked like. Damn it, it’s just a cake. They only want it for the sugar buzz anyway.
Then I stood back and I smiled because, despite all the trouble, I had just made a beautiful white and purple-not-pink tie-dye looking mini muffin-dot cake.
And it was lovely.
I set it aside, ready for the glittery candle to be placed, headed straight for my laptop, and deleted that damned polka dot cake recipe from my birthday board. But, I’ll share it with you, just in case you want to give it a try.
Polka Dot Cake
2 boxed white cake mixes (plus the oil, water and eggs to make them according to the package)
You favorite frosting (I used my butter cream recipe, doubled, which you can get by clicking HERE .)
Sprinkles or candy to decorate the cake.
Preheat oven to 350°F
Make one of the cakes according to package directions.
Divide batter evenly into smaller bowls based on the number of colors you want to use (I did 4).
Color the batter using color gels (I love the Wilton brand in particular because it gives such a vivid color)
Following the directions for your particular cake pop maker, make cake balls using each of the colors.
While cake balls are cooling, preheat oven to 350F, and make the second cake mix according to package.
Spray 3 – 6″ round pans with non-stick spray and set a circle of parchment paper in the bottom of each one (to keep your layers pretty!)
Spread a thin layer of batter in the bottom of each pan, place cake balls on top in any pattern you choose and divide remaining batter over the top of the balls so they are completely covered.
Bake layers for about 30 minutes. You can use the toothpick test (I recommend it!) but be careful to hit cake and not cake balls…you can kind of tell where they are- they bump up just a bit.
When cooked all the way through, tip over on a cake rack to cool completely.
Trim, if needed, to flatten layers and use frosting to stack all three layers and cover the entire cake with frosting. Decorate as desired.
To see what the Polka Dot Cake should look like, please click HERE.
Here's a little from Unforgettable You, my latest contemporary romance, for your reading pleasure while you sit back with a glass of chilled wine and forget you ever thought of baking.
Is their love strong enough to survive their real lives?
Desperate to keep her ailing mother-in-law Doreen in the family home, Carrie Gable agrees to board a few of Hollywood’s elite actors. Despite her resentment of their demands, she can’t stop her attraction to actor Will Walker.
Will, out to save his failing career, agrees to a project that bores him. The more time he spends with his egotistical co-stars, the more drawn he is to their hostess. Long nights talking with Carrie make him realize he wants a simpler life, but his ties to L.A. refuse to let him go.
The temptation to regain stardom pulls Will in one direction while the obligation to family tugs Carrie in another. Against all odds, the couple struggles for a solution to save their new found happiness.
To read an excerpt from Unforgettable You, please click HERE .
Check out the trailer for Unforgettable You HERE .
Learn more about Marci Boudreaux on her website. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter .
No posts next week because I'm on jury. I'll see you all June 24. Until then...
Bon Appétit!
Sloane Taylor
Twitter
Amazon Author Page
Something can be said for Pinterest. I have learned so much from that site about gardening, decorating, and fashion. So when it came time to plan my daughter’s birthday party, I pulled up my Birthday board and took a gander.Oh, polka dot cake…my daughter loves polka dots. So much so, that I painted her room pink with purple polka dots just last summer.
Now, anyone who has ever tried something off of Pinterest knows that, generally, it’s not going to go as smoothly as assumed. Well…let me tell you about the polka dot cake.
The first sign of trouble was when I read the directions and I didn’t have the required cake ball pan. Well. I have a mini muffin pan, I can improvise. I’m good at that…as you’ll soon see.
So I took out my three cake mixes, stirred one together, and split the batter. So far so good.
Then I dyed the batter. Well…my colors didn’t come out nearly as vibrant, but that’s okay. We can go with dingy pastel shades. So I made the mini muffins.
Then I mixed up the other two batters and layered the first bit on the bottom of the pan. And suddenly, like a light bulb going off, I realized my polka dots would look like…well, mini muffins. So I gently pried the muffin tops off and decided that was close enough. (These are a bunch of eight year olds, really, they’re just happy there’s cake, right?)
I cover my make-shift muffin polka dots with the rest of the batter and…wait…my muffin-dots are rising. I push them down and hurry up and put the cakes in the oven. Because we all know, the quicker you get it in the oven, the faster we can pretend that everything is resolved and all will work out.
Twenty five minutes later, the timer dings and I tentatively open the oven door to find…more muffins?
Oh, yes, perhaps I overfilled the pans just a touch in my attempt to cover my muffin-dots. The cake had grown up and over the cake pans, making giant, yet thin muffins.Hmmm. These are supposed to layer, right? How can I layer muffins? I considered this for a long time. I even had an in-depth discussion over the phone with my husband who obviously didn’t care in the least about the ins and outs of layering cakes that looked like muffins.
Finally, it was decided. I’m just going to decorate one cake. There are only a few girls anyway, so I chose the better looking of the two and slathered it in white frosting. I did this because we had picked out lovely glitter infused purple icing (the package said it was pink, that stuff was purple) to put on lovely little polka dots and polka dot sprinkles to go with the awesome polka (muffin) dots inside.
So the icing is set and I get out the purple-not-pink decorative icing and start putting on the polka dots. But even icing doesn’t play nice when it is going on a Pinterest cake. It smeared, it smudged, it taunted me at every turn. I’m fairly certain I heard some of those TV bakers laughing at me as I tried to mimic their squeeze, push, and pull technique for making dots.
Well, at this point all the warm and fuzzy Betty Homemaker feelings were gone. I grabbed the biggest meanest looking spatula I could find and I smeared that damned icing, not giving a crap what it looked like. Damn it, it’s just a cake. They only want it for the sugar buzz anyway.
Then I stood back and I smiled because, despite all the trouble, I had just made a beautiful white and purple-not-pink tie-dye looking mini muffin-dot cake.And it was lovely.
I set it aside, ready for the glittery candle to be placed, headed straight for my laptop, and deleted that damned polka dot cake recipe from my birthday board. But, I’ll share it with you, just in case you want to give it a try.
Polka Dot Cake
2 boxed white cake mixes (plus the oil, water and eggs to make them according to the package)
You favorite frosting (I used my butter cream recipe, doubled, which you can get by clicking HERE .)
Sprinkles or candy to decorate the cake.
Preheat oven to 350°F
Make one of the cakes according to package directions.
Divide batter evenly into smaller bowls based on the number of colors you want to use (I did 4).
Color the batter using color gels (I love the Wilton brand in particular because it gives such a vivid color)
Following the directions for your particular cake pop maker, make cake balls using each of the colors.
While cake balls are cooling, preheat oven to 350F, and make the second cake mix according to package.
Spray 3 – 6″ round pans with non-stick spray and set a circle of parchment paper in the bottom of each one (to keep your layers pretty!)
Spread a thin layer of batter in the bottom of each pan, place cake balls on top in any pattern you choose and divide remaining batter over the top of the balls so they are completely covered.
Bake layers for about 30 minutes. You can use the toothpick test (I recommend it!) but be careful to hit cake and not cake balls…you can kind of tell where they are- they bump up just a bit.
When cooked all the way through, tip over on a cake rack to cool completely.
Trim, if needed, to flatten layers and use frosting to stack all three layers and cover the entire cake with frosting. Decorate as desired.
To see what the Polka Dot Cake should look like, please click HERE.
Here's a little from Unforgettable You, my latest contemporary romance, for your reading pleasure while you sit back with a glass of chilled wine and forget you ever thought of baking.
Is their love strong enough to survive their real lives?Desperate to keep her ailing mother-in-law Doreen in the family home, Carrie Gable agrees to board a few of Hollywood’s elite actors. Despite her resentment of their demands, she can’t stop her attraction to actor Will Walker.
Will, out to save his failing career, agrees to a project that bores him. The more time he spends with his egotistical co-stars, the more drawn he is to their hostess. Long nights talking with Carrie make him realize he wants a simpler life, but his ties to L.A. refuse to let him go.
The temptation to regain stardom pulls Will in one direction while the obligation to family tugs Carrie in another. Against all odds, the couple struggles for a solution to save their new found happiness.
To read an excerpt from Unforgettable You, please click HERE .
Check out the trailer for Unforgettable You HERE .
Learn more about Marci Boudreaux on her website. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter .
No posts next week because I'm on jury. I'll see you all June 24. Until then...
Bon Appétit!
Sloane Taylor
Amazon Author Page
June 9, 2013
Vonnie Hughes and Musa Publishing
are delighted to present
CAPTIVE
, an Aurora Regency, for your reading pleasure.
When Alexandra Tallis sets free the attractive man her sister stupidly tried to hold captive, her actions lead not only to a love she never thought to find, but also to a horrific family secret that threatens that love.
BLURB:
When Alexandra Tallis discovers that her witless sister has imprisoned their father’s nemesis, Theo Crombie in their attic, she quickly frees him, fighting an unladylike impulse to keep him as her own special captive. Despite the brutal beating she receives from her father for her actions, Alexandra continues to yearn for the delicious Mr. Crombie even though she knows that nothing will ever come of her dreams.
Injured and shackled in a stranger’s attic, Theo unexpectedly discovers the woman of his dreams. But how can he pursue those dreams when her bizarre family’s complex relationships threaten the very foundation of his existence? Somehow Theo must find a way through this maze to claim his lady.
EXCERPT:
“Oh, no, Emmaline! Please untie him. Let him go.”
Whatever would her sister do next? At seventeen, she was an eligible man’s worst nightmare. And this latest escapade—
“Don’t be such a bore, Lexie. ’Tis a great joke! For once, Papa will thank us. Especially when he finds out who it is we’ve trussed up.” Emmaline laughed her silvery, seductive laugh that drove men wild and irritated women.
“Thank us? He is more like to beat us. You cannot capture someone and bring him here and…and just tie him up!”
“Of course I can. I already have. I shall lock the two of you in here together and then raise an outcry. Papa and the servants will come running and—,” she waved her pretty hands in the air, “—the rest will take care of itself. Papa’s investment problem will be solved, and with a bit of luck, you might even be married by next week, sister.”
“Are you out of your mind?” rasped an angry voice from the darkest corner of the garret.
“Ah, you’re awake!” trilled Emmaline.
Alexandra Tallis gulped. She was doing her best not to look at the near-naked man half-hidden in the shadows. But her eyes refused to behave. Stripped to the waist he was a wondrous sight, all muscle and taut sinew. His arms tensed and strained as he struggled to escape.
“Get me out of here,” he snarled.
Alexandra blinked and looked more closely, but her eyesight was not the best. She lifted a candle from the wall sconce and took a step forward. And another.
“You’re bleeding!”
He swiveled his head to look in her direction. “Sense at last. Yes, I’m bleeding. I’d be obliged if you’d free me from these bl—these ridiculous bonds.” There was a clank and rattle as he tried to move.
Gracious! Emmaline hadn’t just tied the man up—she had chained him. Alexandra closed her eyes for a few seconds.
“Emmaline! How on earth did you manage—?”
“Davy did it for me. Well, he would fight, so Davy had to subdue him.”
“What did that witless boy do? Shoot the poor man?”
“Yes, actually. He did,” the man muttered.
BUY LINK
Vonnie Hughes is a New Zealander living in Australia. She loves animals and jogging. Vonnie writes Regencies and romantic suspense novels along with short stories. She is presently working on a romantic suspense, working title: Innocent Hostage and a Regency novella, working title: A Tale of Two Sisters.
Her earlier book Coming Home is about a soldier and a nurse, thrown together during the Napoleonic wars, who find more danger on their return to England than they ever did on the Iberian Peninsula.
The Second Son is actually a prequel to Coming Home . A second son, filled with angst, stands to inherit a title and property through the death of a brother he has always loathed and mistrusted. A young disabled woman teaches him how to find his self-respect and how to love.
Another Regency Historical, Mr. Monfort’s Marriage , has businessman Matthew Monfort inveigled into marrying an earl’s daughter. With good reason he loathes the ton, so his new wife needn’t think she’s going to win him over, even though she’s quite delightful…and intelligent…and sweet…However Verity shows him that not all members of the ton are idle layabouts and that he can do much good with his largesse and with—shock, horror—the unexpected and embarrassing title conferred on him by Prinny.
All of Vonnie’s books are available on Amazon and Musa Publishing .
Learn more about Vonnie Hughes on her website and blog .
Stay connected on Facebook and Goodreads .
I'll be back Wednesday with a new menu. Until then...
Happy Reading!
Sloane Taylor
Twitter
Amazon Author Page
When Alexandra Tallis sets free the attractive man her sister stupidly tried to hold captive, her actions lead not only to a love she never thought to find, but also to a horrific family secret that threatens that love.BLURB:
When Alexandra Tallis discovers that her witless sister has imprisoned their father’s nemesis, Theo Crombie in their attic, she quickly frees him, fighting an unladylike impulse to keep him as her own special captive. Despite the brutal beating she receives from her father for her actions, Alexandra continues to yearn for the delicious Mr. Crombie even though she knows that nothing will ever come of her dreams.
Injured and shackled in a stranger’s attic, Theo unexpectedly discovers the woman of his dreams. But how can he pursue those dreams when her bizarre family’s complex relationships threaten the very foundation of his existence? Somehow Theo must find a way through this maze to claim his lady.
EXCERPT:
“Oh, no, Emmaline! Please untie him. Let him go.”
Whatever would her sister do next? At seventeen, she was an eligible man’s worst nightmare. And this latest escapade—
“Don’t be such a bore, Lexie. ’Tis a great joke! For once, Papa will thank us. Especially when he finds out who it is we’ve trussed up.” Emmaline laughed her silvery, seductive laugh that drove men wild and irritated women.
“Thank us? He is more like to beat us. You cannot capture someone and bring him here and…and just tie him up!”
“Of course I can. I already have. I shall lock the two of you in here together and then raise an outcry. Papa and the servants will come running and—,” she waved her pretty hands in the air, “—the rest will take care of itself. Papa’s investment problem will be solved, and with a bit of luck, you might even be married by next week, sister.”
“Are you out of your mind?” rasped an angry voice from the darkest corner of the garret.
“Ah, you’re awake!” trilled Emmaline.
Alexandra Tallis gulped. She was doing her best not to look at the near-naked man half-hidden in the shadows. But her eyes refused to behave. Stripped to the waist he was a wondrous sight, all muscle and taut sinew. His arms tensed and strained as he struggled to escape.
“Get me out of here,” he snarled.
Alexandra blinked and looked more closely, but her eyesight was not the best. She lifted a candle from the wall sconce and took a step forward. And another.
“You’re bleeding!”
He swiveled his head to look in her direction. “Sense at last. Yes, I’m bleeding. I’d be obliged if you’d free me from these bl—these ridiculous bonds.” There was a clank and rattle as he tried to move.
Gracious! Emmaline hadn’t just tied the man up—she had chained him. Alexandra closed her eyes for a few seconds.
“Emmaline! How on earth did you manage—?”
“Davy did it for me. Well, he would fight, so Davy had to subdue him.”
“What did that witless boy do? Shoot the poor man?”
“Yes, actually. He did,” the man muttered.
BUY LINK
Vonnie Hughes is a New Zealander living in Australia. She loves animals and jogging. Vonnie writes Regencies and romantic suspense novels along with short stories. She is presently working on a romantic suspense, working title: Innocent Hostage and a Regency novella, working title: A Tale of Two Sisters.Her earlier book Coming Home is about a soldier and a nurse, thrown together during the Napoleonic wars, who find more danger on their return to England than they ever did on the Iberian Peninsula.
The Second Son is actually a prequel to Coming Home . A second son, filled with angst, stands to inherit a title and property through the death of a brother he has always loathed and mistrusted. A young disabled woman teaches him how to find his self-respect and how to love.
Another Regency Historical, Mr. Monfort’s Marriage , has businessman Matthew Monfort inveigled into marrying an earl’s daughter. With good reason he loathes the ton, so his new wife needn’t think she’s going to win him over, even though she’s quite delightful…and intelligent…and sweet…However Verity shows him that not all members of the ton are idle layabouts and that he can do much good with his largesse and with—shock, horror—the unexpected and embarrassing title conferred on him by Prinny.
All of Vonnie’s books are available on Amazon and Musa Publishing .
Learn more about Vonnie Hughes on her website and blog .
Stay connected on Facebook and Goodreads .
I'll be back Wednesday with a new menu. Until then...
Happy Reading!
Sloane Taylor
Amazon Author Page
June 5, 2013
Soup Fit For A Duke
My kind friend Emma Lane has stopped in with an amazing soup recipe and a brief intro to her wonderful book. Take it away Emma!
The Duke and Miss Amabel Hawkins is my newest Regency tale. The story pits two very strong characters against each other. Each person in this young couple struggles passionately for control. Eventually everything gets turned around into something more interesting for lovers of romance. The book is coming soon from Musa Publishing and other popular download sites.
Here's a little from The Duke and Miss Amabel Hawkins along with a tasty recipe to tease your appetite for reading and food.
When a suspicious duke decides to join that managing female, Miss Amabel Hawkins, on her errands around the estate, he winds up coaxing a reluctant fat pony to a stop in front of a thatched cottage. Miss Hawkins brings gifts to a new baby while many children hang around outside with the duke and the new father. The duke is impatient and starving when Miss Efficiency herself, Amabel, appears holding a bowl of a steaming liquid. The fragrance is tantalizing and irresistible. She spoons the duke a large taste and then hands him the bowl. He declares it delicious, finishes it off quickly and demands to know if his cook has the recipe. The farmer and Amabel suppress their chuckles. "It's cabbage soup, Milord."
A plebeian meal, for sure, but if you're a fan of the cabbage family, there is nothing better than a big bowl of cabbage soup. It's nutritious, easy to make and delicious. There are probably no wrong ways to make this soup. The main ingredient, of course, is chopped cabbage. After that add one chopped onion, a chopped carrot or two, a ham hock or just some small pieces of ham. Some folks like to add a bit of bacon, but I am a firm believer in ham with my cabbage. Optional but delicious is a chopped potato. Add another if you love this cooked with the cabbage as I do.
Place all the ingredients in a good-sized pot, then add water to cover. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the all vegetables are soft. More simmering is fine especially if your house needs added moisture on a cold day. Be sure to leave enough liquid (add more if necessary) so you can declare it soup. The broth is the best part. Cook up a pan of corn bread and serve.
Okay, I will take pity on you and suggest you follow these directions to rid your house of the aftermath of cabbage soup. During kitchen clean-up, of which there isn't very much, add the following into a small saucepan: water, whole cloves with a dash of cinnamon (a piece of whole cinnamon is fine) whole all spice if you have it, and a capful of vanilla flavoring. Simmer for one hour. Don't let the water run out. You'll love the fragrance of your house and will not regret that earlier decision to cook delicious and nutritious cabbage soup that's able to feed a large family and even a duke can love the taste.
Don't forget the corn bread.
Enjoy!
To read excerpts from Emma Lane's other Regency novels, please click HERE .
Emma Lane teeter totters between her love for writing and her love for nature. She lives on a few acres with her patient hubby and two cats right outside a lovely village in Western NY.
The Duke and Miss Amabel Hawkins is my newest Regency tale. The story pits two very strong characters against each other. Each person in this young couple struggles passionately for control. Eventually everything gets turned around into something more interesting for lovers of romance. The book is coming soon from Musa Publishing and other popular download sites.
Here's a little from The Duke and Miss Amabel Hawkins along with a tasty recipe to tease your appetite for reading and food.
When a suspicious duke decides to join that managing female, Miss Amabel Hawkins, on her errands around the estate, he winds up coaxing a reluctant fat pony to a stop in front of a thatched cottage. Miss Hawkins brings gifts to a new baby while many children hang around outside with the duke and the new father. The duke is impatient and starving when Miss Efficiency herself, Amabel, appears holding a bowl of a steaming liquid. The fragrance is tantalizing and irresistible. She spoons the duke a large taste and then hands him the bowl. He declares it delicious, finishes it off quickly and demands to know if his cook has the recipe. The farmer and Amabel suppress their chuckles. "It's cabbage soup, Milord." A plebeian meal, for sure, but if you're a fan of the cabbage family, there is nothing better than a big bowl of cabbage soup. It's nutritious, easy to make and delicious. There are probably no wrong ways to make this soup. The main ingredient, of course, is chopped cabbage. After that add one chopped onion, a chopped carrot or two, a ham hock or just some small pieces of ham. Some folks like to add a bit of bacon, but I am a firm believer in ham with my cabbage. Optional but delicious is a chopped potato. Add another if you love this cooked with the cabbage as I do.
Place all the ingredients in a good-sized pot, then add water to cover. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the all vegetables are soft. More simmering is fine especially if your house needs added moisture on a cold day. Be sure to leave enough liquid (add more if necessary) so you can declare it soup. The broth is the best part. Cook up a pan of corn bread and serve.
Okay, I will take pity on you and suggest you follow these directions to rid your house of the aftermath of cabbage soup. During kitchen clean-up, of which there isn't very much, add the following into a small saucepan: water, whole cloves with a dash of cinnamon (a piece of whole cinnamon is fine) whole all spice if you have it, and a capful of vanilla flavoring. Simmer for one hour. Don't let the water run out. You'll love the fragrance of your house and will not regret that earlier decision to cook delicious and nutritious cabbage soup that's able to feed a large family and even a duke can love the taste.
Don't forget the corn bread.
Enjoy!
To read excerpts from Emma Lane's other Regency novels, please click HERE .
Emma Lane teeter totters between her love for writing and her love for nature. She lives on a few acres with her patient hubby and two cats right outside a lovely village in Western NY.
June 2, 2013
What Makes Cozy Mysteries so Popular?
by Sam Cheever
What is it about cozy mysteries that makes them so much fun? To answer that question, I guess you need to start with the basic elements of a cozy. When one thinks of a cozy, one might think Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple or maybe Angela Lansbury’s character, Jessica Fletcher, of Murder She Writes fame. The traditional cozy is set in a specific, confined area, such as a bunch of people stranded in a remote location with a killer in their midst, a.k.a Clue (Best. Movie. Ever). Many contemporary cozies are in small town settings, with quirky characters and the challenges and opportunities inherent in small town living. A cozy generally revolves around a murder, but the murder is usually off screen and/or not overly violent.
Cozy mysteries feature amateur sleuths of all kinds. For example, some of the most popular contemporary cozy series feature flower shop owners, chefs, caterers, accountants, book store owners, writers, and dog trainers. These unlikely sleuths find themselves repeatedly embroiled in murder most foul and struggling to figure out whodunit. The mystery is made more interesting by the quirkiness of the people involved, their tendency to lie and cover, and the misconceptions that come from knowing someone for years. It’s a fun formula fraught with opportunities for both the reader and the sleuth to go awry and lose their way.
Which brings me to the reason I love a good cozy mystery. I love the challenge and journey of figuring out whodunit in a light, fun environment. No guts, no gore, no over-the-top sensuality. Just a big, fun puzzle.
My own cozy mystery series is centered on an antiques store owner and has an additional fun twist. Filled with lots of great, old things, Yesterday’s Antiques is a hotbed of paranormal activity, giving Yesterday Mysteries a paranormal edge. This aspect adds an extra element of fun to the already enjoyable mystery. Anna Yesterday is a kind, attractive young woman trying to make a living doing what she loves in a small town in Southern Indiana. When Anna opened Yesterday’s Antiques, she inherited two spirits, who are tied to objects that were once buried under the store.
Joss is a cowboy from pre-Civil war times, whose gun belt and holster were uncovered behind the store when Anna was having some improvements made. Joss is sexy, protective, and obviously in love with Anna, and she feels pretty much the same about him. The second specter, Bess was a saloon girl who sometimes cleaned the floors in the inn that was located where Yesterday’s now exists. She lived in the mid to late 1800s and Anna isn’t sure what her transference object is. Bess and Anna butt heads on a regular basis, mostly due to the fact that Bess is jealous of Anna’s relationship with Joss, but also because…well…Bess is kind of a crank.
To make things even more interesting, Anna has a sexy, flesh and blood assistant who’s an ex-cop to help her with her sleuthing. Her growing feelings for Pratt are confusing and cause no end of tension between the two men in her life. All in all, it’s a fun series with likeable characters and I’m really enjoying being on the creation side of the cozy mystery genre for a change! I hope you’ll check these books out.
~~*~~
Antiques can be a dangerous business. Especially when you’re dealing with a desperate politician, a sexy ex-cop, and a couple of “spirited” companions.
Anna Yesterday owns Yesterday’s Antiques in small town USA. When she finds an old newspaper clipping lining the drawer of an antique dresser, she realizes she’s never heard the ugly story of rape and suicide detailed on the yellowed newsprint. So she starts to dig, and her sleuthing exposes an ugly cover-up that casts the residents of Crocker, Indiana into danger and intrigue, and leaves them with a corpse.
All eBook formats
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~~*~~
A deadly secret is tangled up in Yesterday’s Threads, and Anna is racing
the
clock to get it unraveled.
In 1859, Elisabeth Margaret Nelson traveled to Crocker, Indiana to meet her new husband and start a new life. Her family never saw her again. The story of her death and a heartbroken husband who grieves his entire life is a sad tale for sure. But is it true?
When Anna Yesterday receives some vintage dresses from the local museum, she’s excited about highlighting them at Crocker’s annual Apple Blossom Festival. But someone wants the dresses back, and they’ll apparently stop at nothing to get them—leaving a trail of murder and destruction in their wake.
As Anna and Pratt work to uncover the deadly intrigue behind the vintage dresses, interference of another kind is working its way to the surface. All too soon, Anna and Pratt find themselves neck deep in trouble from more than one dimension—and wondering which will get them first!
All ebook formats
All Romance eBooks
Kindle Us
Kindle UK
Kindle CA
Sam Cheever writes mainstream romantic suspense and fantasy, all heat levels; and Declan Sands for M/M romantic suspense and fantasy. Her books are fast paced and fun loving. Not one of them will solve a single world problem, but you definitely won’t be bored while reading them!
Sam’s published work includes 40+ works of young adult, romantic suspense, and fantasy/paranormal. My books have won the Dream Realm Award for fantasy, been nominated and/or won several CAPAs, were nominated for Best of 2010 with LRC and The Romance Reviews, and won eCataromance’s Reviewer’s Choice award. She is published with Ellora’s Cave, both Romantica and Blush; Changeling Press; Electric Prose Publications (her own imprint), Musa Publishing, and Red Rose Publishing.
She lives on a hobby farm in Indiana with 13 dogs, 2 horses, and one husband.
Sam Cheever links: Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Blog
Declan Sands links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
What is it about cozy mysteries that makes them so much fun? To answer that question, I guess you need to start with the basic elements of a cozy. When one thinks of a cozy, one might think Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple or maybe Angela Lansbury’s character, Jessica Fletcher, of Murder She Writes fame. The traditional cozy is set in a specific, confined area, such as a bunch of people stranded in a remote location with a killer in their midst, a.k.a Clue (Best. Movie. Ever). Many contemporary cozies are in small town settings, with quirky characters and the challenges and opportunities inherent in small town living. A cozy generally revolves around a murder, but the murder is usually off screen and/or not overly violent.Cozy mysteries feature amateur sleuths of all kinds. For example, some of the most popular contemporary cozy series feature flower shop owners, chefs, caterers, accountants, book store owners, writers, and dog trainers. These unlikely sleuths find themselves repeatedly embroiled in murder most foul and struggling to figure out whodunit. The mystery is made more interesting by the quirkiness of the people involved, their tendency to lie and cover, and the misconceptions that come from knowing someone for years. It’s a fun formula fraught with opportunities for both the reader and the sleuth to go awry and lose their way.
Which brings me to the reason I love a good cozy mystery. I love the challenge and journey of figuring out whodunit in a light, fun environment. No guts, no gore, no over-the-top sensuality. Just a big, fun puzzle.
My own cozy mystery series is centered on an antiques store owner and has an additional fun twist. Filled with lots of great, old things, Yesterday’s Antiques is a hotbed of paranormal activity, giving Yesterday Mysteries a paranormal edge. This aspect adds an extra element of fun to the already enjoyable mystery. Anna Yesterday is a kind, attractive young woman trying to make a living doing what she loves in a small town in Southern Indiana. When Anna opened Yesterday’s Antiques, she inherited two spirits, who are tied to objects that were once buried under the store.
Joss is a cowboy from pre-Civil war times, whose gun belt and holster were uncovered behind the store when Anna was having some improvements made. Joss is sexy, protective, and obviously in love with Anna, and she feels pretty much the same about him. The second specter, Bess was a saloon girl who sometimes cleaned the floors in the inn that was located where Yesterday’s now exists. She lived in the mid to late 1800s and Anna isn’t sure what her transference object is. Bess and Anna butt heads on a regular basis, mostly due to the fact that Bess is jealous of Anna’s relationship with Joss, but also because…well…Bess is kind of a crank.
To make things even more interesting, Anna has a sexy, flesh and blood assistant who’s an ex-cop to help her with her sleuthing. Her growing feelings for Pratt are confusing and cause no end of tension between the two men in her life. All in all, it’s a fun series with likeable characters and I’m really enjoying being on the creation side of the cozy mystery genre for a change! I hope you’ll check these books out.
~~*~~
Antiques can be a dangerous business. Especially when you’re dealing with a desperate politician, a sexy ex-cop, and a couple of “spirited” companions.
Anna Yesterday owns Yesterday’s Antiques in small town USA. When she finds an old newspaper clipping lining the drawer of an antique dresser, she realizes she’s never heard the ugly story of rape and suicide detailed on the yellowed newsprint. So she starts to dig, and her sleuthing exposes an ugly cover-up that casts the residents of Crocker, Indiana into danger and intrigue, and leaves them with a corpse.
All eBook formats
All Romance eBooks
Kindle US
Kindle UK
Kindle CA
~~*~~
A deadly secret is tangled up in Yesterday’s Threads, and Anna is racing
the
clock to get it unraveled.
In 1859, Elisabeth Margaret Nelson traveled to Crocker, Indiana to meet her new husband and start a new life. Her family never saw her again. The story of her death and a heartbroken husband who grieves his entire life is a sad tale for sure. But is it true?
When Anna Yesterday receives some vintage dresses from the local museum, she’s excited about highlighting them at Crocker’s annual Apple Blossom Festival. But someone wants the dresses back, and they’ll apparently stop at nothing to get them—leaving a trail of murder and destruction in their wake.
As Anna and Pratt work to uncover the deadly intrigue behind the vintage dresses, interference of another kind is working its way to the surface. All too soon, Anna and Pratt find themselves neck deep in trouble from more than one dimension—and wondering which will get them first!
All ebook formats
All Romance eBooks
Kindle Us
Kindle UK
Kindle CA
Sam Cheever writes mainstream romantic suspense and fantasy, all heat levels; and Declan Sands for M/M romantic suspense and fantasy. Her books are fast paced and fun loving. Not one of them will solve a single world problem, but you definitely won’t be bored while reading them!
Sam’s published work includes 40+ works of young adult, romantic suspense, and fantasy/paranormal. My books have won the Dream Realm Award for fantasy, been nominated and/or won several CAPAs, were nominated for Best of 2010 with LRC and The Romance Reviews, and won eCataromance’s Reviewer’s Choice award. She is published with Ellora’s Cave, both Romantica and Blush; Changeling Press; Electric Prose Publications (her own imprint), Musa Publishing, and Red Rose Publishing.
She lives on a hobby farm in Indiana with 13 dogs, 2 horses, and one husband.
Sam Cheever links: Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Blog
Declan Sands links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
May 28, 2013
Dinner with Lizzie T. Leaf
This recipe has a beautiful flavor and is easy to prepare. Add a fresh salad and a chilled bottle of white wine and you have the perfect dinner. The extra bonus is that leftovers freeze very well.
Zucchini with Meat Stuffing
6 zucchini of the same size, weighing about 1¾ pounds (800 g) in all
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium-sized onion
1 clove garlic (or more if you like garlic)
1 small bunch fresh parsley or 2 tbsp. dried
¾ cup brown rice (cooked)
1 egg
4 tbsp. grated Parmesan or mixed Italian cheeses plus extra for topping
½ pound Italian seasoned ground turkey (or add seasonings to regular ground turkey)
Salt & pepper to taste
Fresh thyme or basil
Small can tomato sauce
Preheat oven to 375°
Cut zucchini in half and scoop out the pulp. Place the shells into a pot of boiling water. Return the water to a boil. Boil shells for 5 minutes. Remove and place upside down to drain and cool.
Mince the pulp with onion, garlic and parsley. Sauté the mixture in oil until it is lightly browned.
In a medium size bowl combine the vegetable mixture, rice, egg, cheese, and the meats. Mix well. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and thyme.
Pam a baking pan or oven-proof dish.
Fill the shells with the stuffing, pressing it down firmly but carefully so as not to tear the shell.
Arrange the zucchini in the /pandish. Spoon tomato sauce on top. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with additional cheese and bake 5-10 minutes more.
Now that you have dinner in line, take a moment or two for yourself with my latest adult paranormal.
Will family secrets let her find love with a guy that cats around?
BLURB:
Sharla Gomez’s dream encounter with the man she’s lusted over for months turned into rain-soaked nightmare. Her hopes of love and passion have gone to the dogs. Being a shifter is hell, especially when you’re a Pug/Chihuahua mix, or as some call the breed, a Chug. Even dogs don’t want to be told they’re so ugly they’re cute?
Dorsey Smith wants to get to know the exotic number-cruncher in charge of the strip club’s books. Just his luck she disappeared before he could ask her out for coffee. Instead of taking home the woman he lusts for, he takes home the small, drenched dog shivering in the rain. When he discovers the animal missing the next morning and he senses magic in the air. Has his safe haven been discovered and will his secrets be revealed?
Can two people with deep secrets discover the truth about each other and still find love. Or will the secrets and the evil lurking drive them apart?
To read an excerpt or purchase a book, please click on a vendor's name.
MUSA Publishing
Amazon Kindle
Barnes & Noble
All Romance eBooks
Learn more about Lizzie T. Leaf on her website and blog . Connect with Lizzie on Facebook and follow her on Twitter .
I'll be back Monday with Sam Cheever. Until then...
Mangiare Bene!
Sloane Taylor
Twitter
Amazon Author Page
Zucchini with Meat Stuffing 6 zucchini of the same size, weighing about 1¾ pounds (800 g) in all
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium-sized onion
1 clove garlic (or more if you like garlic)
1 small bunch fresh parsley or 2 tbsp. dried
¾ cup brown rice (cooked)
1 egg
4 tbsp. grated Parmesan or mixed Italian cheeses plus extra for topping
½ pound Italian seasoned ground turkey (or add seasonings to regular ground turkey)
Salt & pepper to taste
Fresh thyme or basil
Small can tomato sauce
Preheat oven to 375°
Cut zucchini in half and scoop out the pulp. Place the shells into a pot of boiling water. Return the water to a boil. Boil shells for 5 minutes. Remove and place upside down to drain and cool.
Mince the pulp with onion, garlic and parsley. Sauté the mixture in oil until it is lightly browned.
In a medium size bowl combine the vegetable mixture, rice, egg, cheese, and the meats. Mix well. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and thyme.
Pam a baking pan or oven-proof dish.
Fill the shells with the stuffing, pressing it down firmly but carefully so as not to tear the shell.
Arrange the zucchini in the /pandish. Spoon tomato sauce on top. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with additional cheese and bake 5-10 minutes more.
Now that you have dinner in line, take a moment or two for yourself with my latest adult paranormal.
Will family secrets let her find love with a guy that cats around?BLURB:
Sharla Gomez’s dream encounter with the man she’s lusted over for months turned into rain-soaked nightmare. Her hopes of love and passion have gone to the dogs. Being a shifter is hell, especially when you’re a Pug/Chihuahua mix, or as some call the breed, a Chug. Even dogs don’t want to be told they’re so ugly they’re cute?
Dorsey Smith wants to get to know the exotic number-cruncher in charge of the strip club’s books. Just his luck she disappeared before he could ask her out for coffee. Instead of taking home the woman he lusts for, he takes home the small, drenched dog shivering in the rain. When he discovers the animal missing the next morning and he senses magic in the air. Has his safe haven been discovered and will his secrets be revealed?
Can two people with deep secrets discover the truth about each other and still find love. Or will the secrets and the evil lurking drive them apart?
To read an excerpt or purchase a book, please click on a vendor's name.
MUSA Publishing
Amazon Kindle
Barnes & Noble
All Romance eBooks
Learn more about Lizzie T. Leaf on her website and blog . Connect with Lizzie on Facebook and follow her on Twitter .
I'll be back Monday with Sam Cheever. Until then...
Mangiare Bene!
Sloane Taylor
Amazon Author Page
May 27, 2013
HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!
by SS Hampton Sr.
It is a 3-day holiday weekend! Time to take off with the family to the vacation cabin or maybe just go set up tents and make a campfire around which to toast marshmallows. Or maybe stay home, have a few friends over, break out the BBQ for steaks, cheeseburgers, chicken, and hot dogs, and open a few beers. And music to dance to. Oh yes—and hit a few of the many tempting sales, all of which promise big savings.
Sounds like fun, right? Well, it is! All 3-day holidays are fun.
Except, to some people a 3-day holiday is just another three days…
“In Flanders Fields the poppies blow / Between the crosses row on row…” From the poem “In Flanders Fields” by LTC John McCrae, MD, Canadian Army. You may read the poem in its entirety HERE .
We have all heard the phrase, “freedom isn’t free.”
Well, it isn’t free.
Take a moment and ask yourself if you really know what it is to be wet, hot, cold, freezing, thirsty, hungry, dirty, and stink. Ask yourself if you have ever really known fear or the joy of being alive. When was the last time you truly enjoyed something as simple as a hot shower, a breeze on your cheek or the smell of green grass?
I suggest you take a moment to reflect on what the day really means. The day is meant to remember those who have fallen in the service of our country. That means those ill-trained volunteer Soldiers who first met the British regulars at Concord and Lexington. Years later those volunteers, trained and dedicated, forced the British regulars to surrender and brought the war to a close at Yorktown, Virginia. The day is for those in blue and gray who fell at Antietam, Shiloh, Gettysburg, and Cold Harbor. It is for those who died in the disease, rat-infested, and gas-filled trenches of the Western Front in World War I. It is for those of the Greatest Generation who fell on a thousand battlefields around the world, and for those in Korea, Vietnam, Koh Tang Island, Desert One in Iran, Panama, Grenada, Mogadishu, and the Persian Gulf.
And now the day remembers those who have fallen in the Global War On Terrorism.
The spirit of Memorial Day is to attend a memorial service in a combat zone for a fallen Soldier killed by an IED. There is no more lonelier and heart-breaking sound than to hear from the hot desert night the playing of “Taps” for a fallen comrade. The meaning of Memorial Day is in the actions of those who risk, and sometimes sacrifice, their lives for one another. The meaning of Memorial Day can be seen in the eyes of Soldiers, male and female, who have faced and seen death on behalf of their country.
And sometimes…see a Soldier critically wounded when an IED strikes his vehicle and a white hot chunk of shrapnel rips through his body; watch three medics work frantically to keep him alive; listen to the radioed request for a medevac chopper; look at the faces of worried, angry Soldiers marking a landing zone and providing security while stealing glances at the sky, searching for the medevac; watch the medevac land in the LZ with an on-board medic ready to go to work to keep the Soldier alive; and watch a surgical team of doctors and nurses labor to save the Soldier’s life…sometimes, thankfully, there is one less name to be remembered that day.
This Memorial Day I urge you, your family, relatives, and friends to put a red poppy on your shirt and take a moment to consider what Memorial Day really means. Think about this truly special sacrifice from those who never returned to their families. And take a moment to consider all of the men and women who stepped forward to replace the fallen.
“To you from falling hands we throw / The torch; be yours to hold it high.” From the poem “In Flanders Fields” by LTC John McCrae, MD, Canadian Army. You may read the poem in its entirety HERE .
SS Hampton, Sr. is a full-blood Choctaw of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, a grandfather to thirteen, and a veteran of Operations Noble Eagle and Iraqi Freedom. He served in the active duty Army, the Army Individual Reserve (mobilized for the Persian Gulf War), then enlisted in the Army National Guard; he was mobilized for active duty for almost three years after his enlistment. He continues to serve in the Guard, where he holds the rank of staff sergeant.
He is a published photographer and photojournalist, an aspiring painter, and is studying for a degree in anthropology—hopefully to someday work in underwater archaeology.
Hampton's first short story was published in 1992. His writings have appeared as stand-alone stories, and in anthologies from Dark Opus Press, Edge Science Fiction & Fantasy, Melange Books, Musa Publishing, MuseItUp Publishing, Ravenous Romance, and as stand-alone stories in Horror Bound Magazine, Ruthie’s Club, Lucrezia Magazine, The Harrow, Penumbra E-Mag, and River Walk Journal, among others.
It is a 3-day holiday weekend! Time to take off with the family to the vacation cabin or maybe just go set up tents and make a campfire around which to toast marshmallows. Or maybe stay home, have a few friends over, break out the BBQ for steaks, cheeseburgers, chicken, and hot dogs, and open a few beers. And music to dance to. Oh yes—and hit a few of the many tempting sales, all of which promise big savings.
Sounds like fun, right? Well, it is! All 3-day holidays are fun.
Except, to some people a 3-day holiday is just another three days…
“In Flanders Fields the poppies blow / Between the crosses row on row…” From the poem “In Flanders Fields” by LTC John McCrae, MD, Canadian Army. You may read the poem in its entirety HERE .
We have all heard the phrase, “freedom isn’t free.”
Well, it isn’t free.
Take a moment and ask yourself if you really know what it is to be wet, hot, cold, freezing, thirsty, hungry, dirty, and stink. Ask yourself if you have ever really known fear or the joy of being alive. When was the last time you truly enjoyed something as simple as a hot shower, a breeze on your cheek or the smell of green grass?
I suggest you take a moment to reflect on what the day really means. The day is meant to remember those who have fallen in the service of our country. That means those ill-trained volunteer Soldiers who first met the British regulars at Concord and Lexington. Years later those volunteers, trained and dedicated, forced the British regulars to surrender and brought the war to a close at Yorktown, Virginia. The day is for those in blue and gray who fell at Antietam, Shiloh, Gettysburg, and Cold Harbor. It is for those who died in the disease, rat-infested, and gas-filled trenches of the Western Front in World War I. It is for those of the Greatest Generation who fell on a thousand battlefields around the world, and for those in Korea, Vietnam, Koh Tang Island, Desert One in Iran, Panama, Grenada, Mogadishu, and the Persian Gulf.
And now the day remembers those who have fallen in the Global War On Terrorism.
The spirit of Memorial Day is to attend a memorial service in a combat zone for a fallen Soldier killed by an IED. There is no more lonelier and heart-breaking sound than to hear from the hot desert night the playing of “Taps” for a fallen comrade. The meaning of Memorial Day is in the actions of those who risk, and sometimes sacrifice, their lives for one another. The meaning of Memorial Day can be seen in the eyes of Soldiers, male and female, who have faced and seen death on behalf of their country.
And sometimes…see a Soldier critically wounded when an IED strikes his vehicle and a white hot chunk of shrapnel rips through his body; watch three medics work frantically to keep him alive; listen to the radioed request for a medevac chopper; look at the faces of worried, angry Soldiers marking a landing zone and providing security while stealing glances at the sky, searching for the medevac; watch the medevac land in the LZ with an on-board medic ready to go to work to keep the Soldier alive; and watch a surgical team of doctors and nurses labor to save the Soldier’s life…sometimes, thankfully, there is one less name to be remembered that day.
This Memorial Day I urge you, your family, relatives, and friends to put a red poppy on your shirt and take a moment to consider what Memorial Day really means. Think about this truly special sacrifice from those who never returned to their families. And take a moment to consider all of the men and women who stepped forward to replace the fallen.
“To you from falling hands we throw / The torch; be yours to hold it high.” From the poem “In Flanders Fields” by LTC John McCrae, MD, Canadian Army. You may read the poem in its entirety HERE .
SS Hampton, Sr. is a full-blood Choctaw of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, a grandfather to thirteen, and a veteran of Operations Noble Eagle and Iraqi Freedom. He served in the active duty Army, the Army Individual Reserve (mobilized for the Persian Gulf War), then enlisted in the Army National Guard; he was mobilized for active duty for almost three years after his enlistment. He continues to serve in the Guard, where he holds the rank of staff sergeant. He is a published photographer and photojournalist, an aspiring painter, and is studying for a degree in anthropology—hopefully to someday work in underwater archaeology.
Hampton's first short story was published in 1992. His writings have appeared as stand-alone stories, and in anthologies from Dark Opus Press, Edge Science Fiction & Fantasy, Melange Books, Musa Publishing, MuseItUp Publishing, Ravenous Romance, and as stand-alone stories in Horror Bound Magazine, Ruthie’s Club, Lucrezia Magazine, The Harrow, Penumbra E-Mag, and River Walk Journal, among others.
May 24, 2013
Make Your Summer Sizzle
FRENCH Tart Book 1 in Naughty Ladies of Nice series is now released from Musa Publishing.
Bon Appétit...Satisfy all your cravings at cooking school.
Determined to prove herself and shed her party girl image, Donatienne Dubois pins her hopes on the exclusive cooking school in Nice, France. One by one her expectations are shattered by a foul-mouthed parrot, a bogus Michelin chef, and a headmistress with a heart of tungsten steel. Doni's lifesaver is a bad boy hunk too hot not to handle.
Mark Anderson is incognito and hating every minute. To pose as a student while keeping tabs on a rich wild child is his version of hell, until he partners with the dish of Crème Brule good enough to eat.
Class takes on a whole new meaning as Doni and Mark heat up the kitchen when they discover honey has better uses than sweetening tea.
PG EXCERPT:
Mark pasted a cheery smile on his face. Hell, he was getting the hang of this cooking stuff. He tipped the mountain of cheese piled on his platter and leaned closer to the stove, eyeing the pan that looked too small to hold it all.
“Stop!” Doni held up her tiny hand. “You cannot toss all that in here.”
He stumbled backward. What the hell? He’d done exactly what she told him. She couldn’t blame him because the damn block of cheese grated up to Matterhorn size.
“Are you sure you’re in the right cooking school?” She threw in a handful of the white shreds and shuffled the pan until one side of the omelet flipped over the other.
“Are you sure it’s cooked?” He pointed at the pan. “Looks kind of pale to me.”
“Are you sure you know anything about food?” She glared at him while wiping her slender fingers on a striped blue towel. “This is the easiest dish we’ll prepare. What’s going to happen when we advance to boeuf à la mode and present it?”
Now she had him on this present thing, let alone whatever the hell kind of food she meant. If it even was food.
“No problem. I’m your man and ready to step up to the plate.” Dammit. How stupid was that, to make a baseball reference? Quick, change the subject. “What’s next?”
She handed him a coffee cup.
Good, a caffeine jolt would go good about now.
“Snip the chives.”
“Ah, sure.” He gingerly took the mug, wondering what the hell she expected of him.
“These”—she waved a handful of limp skinny green sticks at him—“are chives. From the onion family.” She shook her head, then slid the omelet onto an oval platter. When he didn’t move, she slapped a pair of scissors into his palm. “Do I have to do it for you?”
“You don’t have to be insulting.”
“I apologize.” She tossed her head to move a thick strand of hair from her cheek. He looped the blonde lock around his finger—pure silk—then curled it behind her ear. Her breath quickened and his heart swelled. He leaned into her, needing to taste her pink lips. The sweet aroma of flowers filled his lungs.
“Chives.”
Before he could say anything, Chef edged between them.
“Interesting.” Chef took the platter from Doni. “Perhaps a bit plain, do you not think?”
She gasped when he grabbed a handful of some chopped green thing and plopped the wad on her omelet, obliterating the light-colored food.
He dropped the plate back into Doni’s hands and strolled on to the next pair of fledgling chefs.
Doni blinked rapidly as she pressed her lips tight. Mark slung an arm around her shoulder, feeling guilty as hell that he’d done nothing to stop...
BUY LINK
Have a wonderful weekend. I'll be back Monday with SS Hampton Sr.. Until then...
Happy Writing!
Sloane Taylor
Twitter
Amazon Author Page
Bon Appétit...Satisfy all your cravings at cooking school. Determined to prove herself and shed her party girl image, Donatienne Dubois pins her hopes on the exclusive cooking school in Nice, France. One by one her expectations are shattered by a foul-mouthed parrot, a bogus Michelin chef, and a headmistress with a heart of tungsten steel. Doni's lifesaver is a bad boy hunk too hot not to handle.
Mark Anderson is incognito and hating every minute. To pose as a student while keeping tabs on a rich wild child is his version of hell, until he partners with the dish of Crème Brule good enough to eat.
Class takes on a whole new meaning as Doni and Mark heat up the kitchen when they discover honey has better uses than sweetening tea.
PG EXCERPT:
Mark pasted a cheery smile on his face. Hell, he was getting the hang of this cooking stuff. He tipped the mountain of cheese piled on his platter and leaned closer to the stove, eyeing the pan that looked too small to hold it all.
“Stop!” Doni held up her tiny hand. “You cannot toss all that in here.”
He stumbled backward. What the hell? He’d done exactly what she told him. She couldn’t blame him because the damn block of cheese grated up to Matterhorn size.
“Are you sure you’re in the right cooking school?” She threw in a handful of the white shreds and shuffled the pan until one side of the omelet flipped over the other.
“Are you sure it’s cooked?” He pointed at the pan. “Looks kind of pale to me.”
“Are you sure you know anything about food?” She glared at him while wiping her slender fingers on a striped blue towel. “This is the easiest dish we’ll prepare. What’s going to happen when we advance to boeuf à la mode and present it?”
Now she had him on this present thing, let alone whatever the hell kind of food she meant. If it even was food.
“No problem. I’m your man and ready to step up to the plate.” Dammit. How stupid was that, to make a baseball reference? Quick, change the subject. “What’s next?”
She handed him a coffee cup.
Good, a caffeine jolt would go good about now.
“Snip the chives.”
“Ah, sure.” He gingerly took the mug, wondering what the hell she expected of him.
“These”—she waved a handful of limp skinny green sticks at him—“are chives. From the onion family.” She shook her head, then slid the omelet onto an oval platter. When he didn’t move, she slapped a pair of scissors into his palm. “Do I have to do it for you?”
“You don’t have to be insulting.”
“I apologize.” She tossed her head to move a thick strand of hair from her cheek. He looped the blonde lock around his finger—pure silk—then curled it behind her ear. Her breath quickened and his heart swelled. He leaned into her, needing to taste her pink lips. The sweet aroma of flowers filled his lungs.
“Chives.”
Before he could say anything, Chef edged between them.
“Interesting.” Chef took the platter from Doni. “Perhaps a bit plain, do you not think?”
She gasped when he grabbed a handful of some chopped green thing and plopped the wad on her omelet, obliterating the light-colored food.
He dropped the plate back into Doni’s hands and strolled on to the next pair of fledgling chefs.
Doni blinked rapidly as she pressed her lips tight. Mark slung an arm around her shoulder, feeling guilty as hell that he’d done nothing to stop...
BUY LINK
Have a wonderful weekend. I'll be back Monday with SS Hampton Sr.. Until then...
Happy Writing!
Sloane Taylor
Amazon Author Page
May 22, 2013
It's Wednesday. So What's Cooking?
Busy spring days don’t allow for much time in the kitchen. This is a tasty dinner that helps to keep your life free and easy.
Sautéed Pork Tenderloin
Sautéed Broccoli
Baked Potatoes
White Wine – Riesling
Sautéed Pork Tenderloin
1 pork tenderloin for every two people*
Olive oil to cover
¼ cup dry white wine
2 tsp. garlic powder
6 sprigs fresh parsley or 1 tsp. dried
8 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried
Carefully cut away the silver streaks and connective tissue from the tenderloin.
Combine all ingredients in a glass bowl or plastic bag. Marinade in the refrigerator for 2 – 6 hours.
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Discard marinade. Lay meat on a foil lined cookie sheet. Roast 20-20 minutes.
Let meat rest 5-10 minutes under a foil tent. This allows the juices to remain in the meat when sliced.
Carve into ½ inch thick slices and serve.
*Pork tenderloin packages usually contain 2 pieces of meat. If you only use one, the other freezes well for use at a future date.
Baked Potatoes
1 russet potato per person
Olive oil
Aluminum foil
Butter
Sour cream
Chives
Black pepper
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Wash potatoes under cool water. Pat dry. Poke several sets of holes in each potato with a fork. This stops the potato from bursting as it bakes.
Rub potatoes with a small amount of olive oil to keep the skin soft.
Wrap each potato in a section of foil, then lay on a cookie sheet. Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the potato shows no resistance.
Serve with butter, sour cream, chives, and pepper.
Set the foiled potatoes on top of the stove while the tenderloin is roasting. They will remain toasty hot.
Sautéed Broccoli
1 head broccoli
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
¼ cup Gorgonzola crumbles or amount to taste
Trim off the broccoli stalk. Cut the flowerets into serving pieces.
Pour olive oil in a medium-size frying pan. Heat on medium high. Stir in the broccoli and butter when the oil shimmers. Stir to coat the broccoli well. Sauté until crisp tender.
Sprinkle Gorgonzola crumbles over the broccoli and serve.
I'll be back Monday with SS Hampton Sr.. Until then...
Happy Eating!
Sloane Taylor
Twitter
Amazon Author Page
Sautéed Pork Tenderloin
Sautéed Broccoli
Baked Potatoes
White Wine – Riesling
Sautéed Pork Tenderloin1 pork tenderloin for every two people*
Olive oil to cover
¼ cup dry white wine
2 tsp. garlic powder
6 sprigs fresh parsley or 1 tsp. dried
8 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried
Carefully cut away the silver streaks and connective tissue from the tenderloin.
Combine all ingredients in a glass bowl or plastic bag. Marinade in the refrigerator for 2 – 6 hours.
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Discard marinade. Lay meat on a foil lined cookie sheet. Roast 20-20 minutes.
Let meat rest 5-10 minutes under a foil tent. This allows the juices to remain in the meat when sliced.
Carve into ½ inch thick slices and serve.
*Pork tenderloin packages usually contain 2 pieces of meat. If you only use one, the other freezes well for use at a future date.
Baked Potatoes
1 russet potato per person
Olive oil
Aluminum foil
Butter
Sour cream
Chives
Black pepper
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Wash potatoes under cool water. Pat dry. Poke several sets of holes in each potato with a fork. This stops the potato from bursting as it bakes.
Rub potatoes with a small amount of olive oil to keep the skin soft.
Wrap each potato in a section of foil, then lay on a cookie sheet. Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the potato shows no resistance.
Serve with butter, sour cream, chives, and pepper.
Set the foiled potatoes on top of the stove while the tenderloin is roasting. They will remain toasty hot.
Sautéed Broccoli 1 head broccoli
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
¼ cup Gorgonzola crumbles or amount to taste
Trim off the broccoli stalk. Cut the flowerets into serving pieces.
Pour olive oil in a medium-size frying pan. Heat on medium high. Stir in the broccoli and butter when the oil shimmers. Stir to coat the broccoli well. Sauté until crisp tender.
Sprinkle Gorgonzola crumbles over the broccoli and serve.
I'll be back Monday with SS Hampton Sr.. Until then...
Happy Eating!
Sloane Taylor
Amazon Author Page
May 19, 2013
ROMANCE AS IT'S MEANT TO BE
Is the buzz about Marci Boudreaux's new release Unforgettable You. Here's a little for your reading pleasure.
When life throws a widowed innkeeper and a world-famous movie star together they share an unexpected romance. But is their love strong enough to survive their real lives?
BLURB:
Desperate to keep her ailing mother-in-law, Doreen, in the woman’s home, Carrie Gable agrees to board a handful of Hollywood’s most elite actors at the manor. Despite her resentment of the demands being placed upon her, she can’t help but be taken in by actor Will Walker.
Will, in a last-ditch effort to save his career, has agreed to a project he has no interest in. The more time he spends with his egotistical co-stars, the more drawn he is to Carrie. Long nights spent talking about the paths their lives have taken make him realize he’d rather have a simpler life, but his ties to L.A. aren’t as willing to let him go.
With the temptation of stardom pulling Will in one direction and the need to care for Doreen tugging Carrie in another, the couple struggle to hold onto the happiness they were missing until finding each other.
EXCERPT:
“It must be heart-wrenching to see Doreen fading away like that,” Will said.
Carrie’s face sagged. “It isn’t easy.”
“It’s a lot of work trying to keep up with her.”
“Sometimes,” she said dismissively as she looked at the menu. She glanced at the clock again. “Well, I won’t be slow roasting chicken tonight, will I?”
“I’m worried about you.”
“About me?” she asked lightly. “Why?”
“This is a lot for one person to handle.”
“I’m fine.”
“You keep saying that.”
“Because I am.”
“Carrie.” He coaxed gently.
Turning from the menu, she seemed to plea with her eyes. “What do you want me to say, Will?”
“You can start by telling me how you are doing.”
“How the hell do you think I’m doing?”
He took in the deep creases on her forehead and the puffiness of her eyes. “Not nearly as well as you’d like everyone to believe.”
“Falling apart is not an option right now.”
“Well, burying it isn’t either.”
Carrie opened her mouth as if to argue with him but, after a moment, she stepped back, putting space between them. He watched her pull out a Dutch oven and carry it to the sink to fill with water.
Moving to her side, he looked down at her. “Can you just talk to me? Tell me what you’re thinking.”
“What I’m thinking?” she asked. “I’ve spent the last two years pretending that my dead husband is at the grocery store,” she sat the pot on a burner, “returning insane purchases, picking her up from all over the county after she’s driven off to some place that no longer exists, if it ever did exist, but somehow it didn’t seem real until today.”
“The disease—”
“I know,” she said turning to look at him. “I know what it does. But I never really felt it. Pretending Mike is running errands, taking away her access to money, hiding the car keys, it all seemed so ordinary. Laundry? Check. Dishes? Check. Lie to Mama? Check.”
He saw fresh tears shimmering in her eyes before she turned toward the drawer where she’d hidden the knobs for the stove to prevent Mama from turning on the heat.
She tried several times to get the knob in place but it resisted her push, refused to fit. Cursing under her breath, Carrie slammed it down and turned to face him. “I’ve read the books, I’ve done the research, I’ve talked to support groups and doctors, but nothing they said could have possibly prepared me for that,” she said as the tears that had made her eyes shine fell down her cheeks.
“Nothing could have prepared me for her not knowing who I am.”
“I’m sorry,” he whispered as he reached out to her. When he wrapped her in his arms, she leaned into him and buried her face in his chest. A sob escaped her causing her shoulders to shake and he soothed her by whispering softly and running his hand over her back.
BUY LINK
Check out the trailer for Unforgettable You HERE .
Learn more about Marci Boudreaux on her website. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter .
I'll be back Wednesday with a new menu. Until then...
Happy Reading!
Sloane Taylor
Twitter
Amazon Author Page
When life throws a widowed innkeeper and a world-famous movie star together they share an unexpected romance. But is their love strong enough to survive their real lives?BLURB:
Desperate to keep her ailing mother-in-law, Doreen, in the woman’s home, Carrie Gable agrees to board a handful of Hollywood’s most elite actors at the manor. Despite her resentment of the demands being placed upon her, she can’t help but be taken in by actor Will Walker.
Will, in a last-ditch effort to save his career, has agreed to a project he has no interest in. The more time he spends with his egotistical co-stars, the more drawn he is to Carrie. Long nights spent talking about the paths their lives have taken make him realize he’d rather have a simpler life, but his ties to L.A. aren’t as willing to let him go.
With the temptation of stardom pulling Will in one direction and the need to care for Doreen tugging Carrie in another, the couple struggle to hold onto the happiness they were missing until finding each other.
EXCERPT:
“It must be heart-wrenching to see Doreen fading away like that,” Will said.
Carrie’s face sagged. “It isn’t easy.”
“It’s a lot of work trying to keep up with her.”
“Sometimes,” she said dismissively as she looked at the menu. She glanced at the clock again. “Well, I won’t be slow roasting chicken tonight, will I?”
“I’m worried about you.”
“About me?” she asked lightly. “Why?”
“This is a lot for one person to handle.”
“I’m fine.”
“You keep saying that.”
“Because I am.”
“Carrie.” He coaxed gently.
Turning from the menu, she seemed to plea with her eyes. “What do you want me to say, Will?”
“You can start by telling me how you are doing.”
“How the hell do you think I’m doing?”
He took in the deep creases on her forehead and the puffiness of her eyes. “Not nearly as well as you’d like everyone to believe.”
“Falling apart is not an option right now.”
“Well, burying it isn’t either.”
Carrie opened her mouth as if to argue with him but, after a moment, she stepped back, putting space between them. He watched her pull out a Dutch oven and carry it to the sink to fill with water.
Moving to her side, he looked down at her. “Can you just talk to me? Tell me what you’re thinking.”
“What I’m thinking?” she asked. “I’ve spent the last two years pretending that my dead husband is at the grocery store,” she sat the pot on a burner, “returning insane purchases, picking her up from all over the county after she’s driven off to some place that no longer exists, if it ever did exist, but somehow it didn’t seem real until today.”
“The disease—”
“I know,” she said turning to look at him. “I know what it does. But I never really felt it. Pretending Mike is running errands, taking away her access to money, hiding the car keys, it all seemed so ordinary. Laundry? Check. Dishes? Check. Lie to Mama? Check.”
He saw fresh tears shimmering in her eyes before she turned toward the drawer where she’d hidden the knobs for the stove to prevent Mama from turning on the heat.
She tried several times to get the knob in place but it resisted her push, refused to fit. Cursing under her breath, Carrie slammed it down and turned to face him. “I’ve read the books, I’ve done the research, I’ve talked to support groups and doctors, but nothing they said could have possibly prepared me for that,” she said as the tears that had made her eyes shine fell down her cheeks.
“Nothing could have prepared me for her not knowing who I am.”
“I’m sorry,” he whispered as he reached out to her. When he wrapped her in his arms, she leaned into him and buried her face in his chest. A sob escaped her causing her shoulders to shake and he soothed her by whispering softly and running his hand over her back.
BUY LINK
Check out the trailer for Unforgettable You HERE .
Learn more about Marci Boudreaux on her website. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter .
I'll be back Wednesday with a new menu. Until then...
Happy Reading!
Sloane Taylor
Amazon Author Page
May 15, 2013
It's Wednesday. So What's Cooking?
This week is dedicated to comfort food, specifically Southern comfort food. Our meal is tasty and easy because it’s a one pot event.
Chicken & Dumplings
Tossed Salad
White Wine – Riesling
Chicken & Dumplings
1 qt chicken stock - my favorite brand is Kitchen Basics*
2 carrots scraped and diced
Pepper to taste
1 lb cooked chicken breasts and/or thighs skinned and boned**
1 tbsp. cold water
2 tsp. corn starch
Dried parsley for garnish
Chicken
Pour the stock in a 5 quart saucepan. You need that size so the dumplings cook properly and you have leftovers to freeze. Add the carrots and pepper. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Tear the meat into bite size pieces. Add to the pan.
Combine water and cornstarch, then stir into the saucepan.
*Kitchen Basics is made by McCormick. KB stocks are made from real chicken or beef which makes your dish more savory. And most important - they are not “flavored” as are so many other brands. KB stocks also tend to be the lowest priced on the shelf.
**It’s no problem if you don’t have cooked chicken on hand. Simply place your fresh or thawed chicken pieces in the same pot you’ll use for the meal with 1 quart water. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove the chicken and let cool before you tear it. Pour the cooking water into a bowl to cool. Skim off as much fat as possible then pour into containers and freeze for future use when you boil potatoes or heat vegetables.
Dumplings
2 cups Bisquick®
2/3 cup milk
Combine Bisquick® and milk in a bowl. Mix until a soft dough forms.
Return chicken and stock to a boil. Drop the dough by large spoonfuls onto the stock.
Reduce heat to simmer. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Cover the stock and cook another 10 minutes.
To serve: Ladle into large soup bowls then sprinkle with dried parsley for color.
Leftovers freeze beautifully for up to 2 months.
Tossed Salad
Lettuce from 2 different types torn into bite size pieces, red leaf and head are excellent choices
Tomatoes chopped
Cucumber peeled and sliced
Zucchini diced
Green Onions sliced, be sure to add some of the green
Mushrooms sliced
Black Olive
Combine everything, or any grouping you like, in a bowl. Cover with a damp paper towel and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Toss with your favorite dressing.
I'll be back Monday with Marci Boudreaux. Until then...
Happy Eating!
Sloane Taylor
Twitter
Amazon Author Page
Chicken & Dumplings
Tossed Salad
White Wine – Riesling
Chicken & Dumplings1 qt chicken stock - my favorite brand is Kitchen Basics*
2 carrots scraped and diced
Pepper to taste
1 lb cooked chicken breasts and/or thighs skinned and boned**
1 tbsp. cold water
2 tsp. corn starch
Dried parsley for garnish
Chicken
Pour the stock in a 5 quart saucepan. You need that size so the dumplings cook properly and you have leftovers to freeze. Add the carrots and pepper. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Tear the meat into bite size pieces. Add to the pan.
Combine water and cornstarch, then stir into the saucepan.
*Kitchen Basics is made by McCormick. KB stocks are made from real chicken or beef which makes your dish more savory. And most important - they are not “flavored” as are so many other brands. KB stocks also tend to be the lowest priced on the shelf.
**It’s no problem if you don’t have cooked chicken on hand. Simply place your fresh or thawed chicken pieces in the same pot you’ll use for the meal with 1 quart water. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove the chicken and let cool before you tear it. Pour the cooking water into a bowl to cool. Skim off as much fat as possible then pour into containers and freeze for future use when you boil potatoes or heat vegetables.
Dumplings
2 cups Bisquick®
2/3 cup milk
Combine Bisquick® and milk in a bowl. Mix until a soft dough forms.
Return chicken and stock to a boil. Drop the dough by large spoonfuls onto the stock.
Reduce heat to simmer. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Cover the stock and cook another 10 minutes.
To serve: Ladle into large soup bowls then sprinkle with dried parsley for color.
Leftovers freeze beautifully for up to 2 months.
Tossed Salad
Lettuce from 2 different types torn into bite size pieces, red leaf and head are excellent choices
Tomatoes chopped
Cucumber peeled and sliced
Zucchini diced
Green Onions sliced, be sure to add some of the green
Mushrooms sliced
Black Olive
Combine everything, or any grouping you like, in a bowl. Cover with a damp paper towel and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Toss with your favorite dressing.
I'll be back Monday with Marci Boudreaux. Until then...
Happy Eating!
Sloane Taylor
Amazon Author Page
