Mary Quast's Blog, page 51

Happy 4th of July

Strawberry Fun

I stopped at the local farmers' market and found some large strawberries. Hmm... strawberries!
Dip them in chocolate!

I managed to get the berries home and cleaned before the boys noticed. I dipped some in chocolate to take for a picnic. Some went into the freezer to use later. When the boys sixth sense kicked in, I popped some into the blender with a scoop of ice cream and a cup of milk to make smoothies.

Today's romance tip:
On hot days, keep large strawberries in the freezer. Tease your honey when he gets home from a hot day at work. Keep some for later at night too! The coolness of the berry against hot skin... the sweet smell tickling the senses... the caress of a tongue that laps up the juice left behind.

#HumpDayHottie - Pick Your Patriot

In honor of Independence Day pick your Patriot
or
or
or

Feel free to add your own in the comments.

#HumpDayHottie

Say hello to Dustin Stiles, the hero in Taming Rachael.

Rachael Willis signed up for a 1Night Stand with hopes of finding something that is missing in her life. Is it a coincidence her date is scheduled during a class reunion? Why did the one person she’s avoided for years have to show up?
Dustin Stiles never recovered from the one that got away. Madame Eve is his last hope to get her back.

Will one night be enough to wash away the pain of the past and rekindle the passion they once shared?

Once upon a spirit animal...

“Once a man opens himself to the Great Spirit, a guardian in the form of an animal spirit will be gifted upon him. When this awakening happens, the animal is a part of his soul. The spirit within the chosen gives the body the ability to shift from human to creature at will. The man must maintain control over the magical power and instinctive urges. However, it is most wise for the man listen to the animal’s wisdom. The spirit can sense good and evil as well as the man’s one true love, the mate for both man and beast.” – Indian Dave

Indian Dave rented the cottage next to ours and every summer he shared wonderful stories with me and my cousins around the evening bonfires. He taught us customs, legends, dances and the importance of the harmony between nature and the spirit world. 



Animals and humans inhabit the physical world together. The spiritual world is made up of angles, archangels, departed loved ones and animal spirit guides (aka Totem Animals). All these beings help protect, educate heal and inspire us along our life path journey. Animal spirit guides choose their human and come into their life for a reason. The spirit animal will offer insight, power and guidance, helping them with their duties. In return the human honors the wisdom and knowledge the animal gifts upon him.
The tales Indian Dave wove during my childhood inspired the Native American heroes in my Legend of the Spirit series I've created for Decadent Publishing's 1 Night Stand series. In my book, Eagle Dance, I even mention Indian Dave and the summers spent at the cottage became the foundation upon which I built the story. I'm drawn toward the magic and mystery of a person having a spirit animal.
If you had a spirit animal, which do you think it would be?

Romance Tip - Enjoy the Hummers... Birds That Is

When we built our log home in the woods, we designed our 60'x8' porch to be an extension of our living space. During nice weather, Hubby and I enjoy quiet moments sipping wine and watching our neighborhood humming birds visit a feeder which is only a few feet from where we sit. Once in a while a couple females get scrappy and poor hubby has to duck out of fear of getting flown into by one of the tiny creatures. (He likes wearing red or orange t-shirts... perhaps it makes them amorous. LOL)

ROMANCE TIP:Grab your honey and visit your local hardware or home store and pick up a brightly colored humming bird feeder. Together in the kitchen brew up a batch of Hummingbird food. Find a spot in your yard where you can hang the feeder and sit to enjoy some quiet time together. Early morning while enjoying your coffee or in the evening sharing a bottle of wine is the best time for simple romance while bird watching.


Below is some tips on food and care of your feeder. 
Food
    In nature, hummingbirds eat flower nectar for energy and bugs for protein.  Flower nectar is 21% to 23% sucrose - regular table sugar - so it is very easy and inexpensive to make.  Here is the recipe for making hummingbird nectar:
Mix 4 parts water to 1 part table sugar in a pan.  For example, use 1 cup sugar to 4 cups water.  Do not use honey, Jell-O or brown sugar.   Especially do not use artificial sweeteners.  Putting hummingbirds on a diet will kill them.  They burn prodigious amounts of energy for their size and need real sugar.  Do not use red food coloring.  It is unnecessary and can harm the little hummers even in low concentrations because they eat so much nectar.  If your feeder isn't red, tie a red ribbon on it as described in the Feeders section, above.  Do not add anything else that you might think of.  Just sugar and water, that's all.Bring to a boil then remove from the heat.  Stir it while it is heating until all of the sugar is dissolved.  Don't boil it for long because that will change the ratio as water is boiled off.  The reason for boiling is not to make syrup, but to drive out the chlorine in the water and to kill mold and yeast spores that might be in the sugar.  This will help make the nectar last longer both in the feeder and in your refrigerator. Cover and allow to cool before using or pouring into the storage bottle.  We recommend making a large batch of nectar and storing it in the refrigerator in a 2 liter soda bottle (washed thoroughly first.)  This makes refilling the feeder so easy that you won't mind doing it every few days. Cleanliness
    Sugar water is a very rich growth medium.  Yeasts like to eat it causing fermentation which can harm hummingbirds.  Mold and bacteria grow in it and can also harm the birds.  That is why it is important to keep the feeder clean and the nectar fresh.  You must change the nectar frequently to avoid these contaminants.    In cooler temperatures we recommend changing it every seven days.  If the temperatures are getting above 70 degrees, follow this chart:
High temperaturesChange nectar after71-756 days76-805 days81-844 days85-883 days89-922 days93+change daily

Tuesday Teaser - It's Baseball Time!

It's Baseball Season and I've been cheering on my Tigers.


I think more women are watching the games just to get a glimpse of our hot manager, Brad Ausmus.

Ahem... right ladies?

ANYWAYS...
In honor of this wonderful season and hot baseball guys...
 I recommend reading Lucky 13 (Deadlines & Diamonds) by my friend Morgan Kearns.


BLURB:
Tragedy made it possible for Enrique Santiago to take over as Left Fielder for the Las Vegas Rockets. Talent keeps him there, giving him everything a guy could want. Except a woman to share it with. 

A painful past with one very prominent reminder molded Shayne Xavier into the woman she is. She isn’t bitter or jaded, though. She’s a realist. Men can’t be depended upon and only lead to broken promises and shattered hearts. 

Unaware of the demons of her past, Ricky tries to offer strength as Shayne’s life spins out of control. Sometimes Happily-Ever-After is too good to be true. Will Shayne and Ricky ever be able to restore the luck of his Lucky 13?


Get it today on Amazon                                           Visit Morgan Kearns website

Take Time for Romance

"Being over-scheduled is the biggest killer of romance, because when we're tired and frazzled we have nothing left for each other." - D.P. Washington

Can couples find the time and energy for romance and still cope with commitments,s tress, and even fatigue?  
YES!Establish priorities and set goals by making better use of the time they have by creating time they thought they didn't have.

*Make a lunch date together

*Take a shower or bath together

*Make time for pillow talk

* Set aside one night a week - no interruptions, no appointments

*Plan your weekends in advance - put them on your calendar in ink

*Take control of your time - unplug the electronics

Taming Rachel excerpt

BlurbRachel Willis signed up for a 1 Night Stand with hopes of finding something that is missing in her life. Is it a coincidence her date is scheduled during a class reunion? And why did the one person she’s avoided for years have to show up?Dusty Stiles never recovered from the one that got away. Madame Eve is his last hope to get her back.Will one night be enough to erase the pain of the past and rekindle the passion they once shared? ExcerptDeep in thought and alone, she continued to watch the fountains. The scrape of a chair nearby distracted her. Large, warm hands grasped her shoulders. She jumped but couldn’t turn to see who stood behind her. The sweet melody of citrus with a hint of spice tickled her nose. The signature scent and familiar touch belonged to only one man.“Hello, Rachel.” A man’s deep voice washed over her as he caressed her nape with his lips.“Hello, Dusty.” The words came out with a sigh. “It’s been a long time.”“Too long, babe.” He pulled her back against his broad chest.“You’re awfully brave to come up to me like this. You startled me, and I could have cracked one of your ribs with my elbow.” She playfully jabbed at him.“You could never hurt me.” He ran his hands down her arms and pinned her elbows at her sides. “At least not physically.”“Is that what you think?” She stiffened in his grasp.“Baby, there are ways you could kill me.” The silken tone still softened her dissent. “You are fucking gorgeous in this dress. I imagine you wearing something like this as a wedding gown.”Her stomach flipped with excitement at his praise. The strapless white bustier dress bared her shoulders. A tilt of her head gave him easier access to her neck, where he placed soft kisses. He slid his hand under her arm and around her satin-covered torso. He would be pleased at what lay hidden under the layers of lace making up the skirt. Wait a minute. The white stockings and satin thong were meant to impress her date, not him! She tried to pull away, but he held her firm.“I saw you watching me, and I know that expression in your eyes.” His voice caressed her ear, sending waves of heat through her. “Come with me.”

 Taming Rachel Buy LinksAmazon Smashwords BookStrand.com  http://www.bookstrand.com/taming-rachel-1night-stand
Free Sample http://pdf-ebooks.net/_/_/702178/taming-rachel-1night-stand

Amaretto Brownies

I love finding yummy recipes using some of my favorite ingredients... that is anything with chocolate! I highly recommend making this with your honey.  Nothing is better than having fun together in the kitchen!
Amaretto Brownies 1 1/2 sticks butter                                           1/4 tsp. salt6 oz/ semi-sweet chocolate                            1 1/2 c. nuts chopped pecans & walnuts mixed3 whole eggs                                                   1/3 c. amaretto liqueur1 1/3 c. sugar3/4 c. flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.  melt butter in microwave.  Add chocolate and stir continuously with spoon until melted.  Add eggs and sugar.  Stir well.  Add flour and salt.  Stir well.  Add pecan and walnut mix.  Stir well.  Spread into prepared pan.  Bake for 30-35 minutes.  Cool.  When cool, poke with fork.  Pour amaretto over brownies.  Refrigerate overnight.  Makes 24 servings.