Sherry Morris's Blog, page 47

Review: The False Light

The False Light by Diane Scott Lewis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


When I sampled this book on Kindle, I absolutely had to buy it in print. The beauty and rawness of the seventeen hundreds was completely magnetic. Ms. Lewis pulls you into the French Revolution and makes you live it from all angles.Bravo!



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Review: The Neighbor (Detective D.D. Warren, #3)

The Neighbor (Detective D.D. Warren, #3) by Lisa Gardner

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A gripping, frightening page turner. Subjects I didn't want to delve, but Ms. Gardner held me captive with her well-written forward propulsion. So many suspects. All of them sympathetic. All of them could be dasterdly. Very satisfying ending.



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Recipe: Pound Cake

From the Kitchen of the Late Great Marion Morris, Long Island Housewife Extraordinaire Pound Cake 3 cups all purpose flour 2 cups sugar 3 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 2 cups butter, softened 1/2 cup milk 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp almond extract 6 eggs Combine dry ingredients in mixer bowl. Add butter, milk, vanilla and almond extract. Mix on low one minute. Stop and scrape bowl, beat on medium high for two minutes. Stop and scrape bowl.
Add eggs, one at a time, mixing about 15 seconds after each addition. Beat on medium for 30 seconds.
Pour batter into greased and floured 10" tube pan. Bake at 350° for 1 hour 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack. Remove cake from pan.

Recipe: Humingbird Cake

Hummingbird Cake From the kitchen of Alleyne Dickens
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple
2 cups chopped bananas
2 cups chopped almonds
Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add eggs and oil, stirring until moistened. Do not beat. Stir in vanilla, pineapple, bananas and 1 cup of nuts. Spoon batter into a prepared tube pan that has been greased and flour. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove and cool completely before frosting.
 
Frosting:
2 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened
1 cup butter, softened
2 (26 oz) pkgs powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla.
Combine cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla. Sprinkle with remaining almonds.

Excerpt from HUNDRED DOLLAR BILL

Excerpt from HUNDRED DOLLAR BILLBy Sherry Morris

Washington, DC 1945

Miss Chloe Lambert stepped off the streetcar at the corner of Fourteenth and C Streets. Frigid air played tag with her breath and steam from underground. Strolling carefully on the slippery sidewalk, she watched as Sergeant Bill Blandings hoisted the loading dock door and stepped outside the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. He struck a match to light the cigarette dangling from his lip then ascended the ramp, locking his gaze onto hers. Heart pounding, Chloe paused to refresh her lipstick. Bill sucked the smoke deep into his lungs as he watched and waited. Finally exhaling, he blew five smoke rings. She stepped up to him and scattered the circles with her blue gloved hand.

He said, "You are one gorgeous dame tonight."

Chloe gazed into his midnight blue eyes. Nobody has eyes like Bill. He has the devil in them. They are so darned…irresistible. She brushed him aside.

He threw down his cigarette and snuffed it out with one twist of his black steel-toed police boot. Powdery snow blew off the retaining walls as they walked down the salted ramp. Chloe and Bill entered the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. He lowered the door. It thumped against the concrete floor.

She led the way through the cavernous federal building. The scent of floor polish wafted up from the pristine terrazzo.

He confided, "We're pretty much alone now. The bureaucrats departed hours ago. The charwomen came and went. Just the skeletal police detail is left. Me, Schwartz and Krankowski."

Bill followed Chloe into the printing room. He balked. "Jeez, this place is a pigsty."

In her sweet southern drawl Chloe said, "Alcohol was the most popular guest at our office party today, resulting in a whole run of botched hundreds. They didn't change the plates. The same image is printed on both sides of the notes." She pointed to the sloppily bundled currency and a big ink stain on the floor. "They ought not to have bothered working at all. As the currency inspector, I have to file a report. I feel like a lousy snitch."

Bill eyed her fur. "Hey, where'd ya get the coat from? It's not from that weasel Myron in personnel, is it?"

"Eww! No, Bill. It's Mrs. Grogan's. My landlady. She let me borrow it. I told her this was a special night."

Bill grabbed her collar. They kissed hungrily. Finally taking a much-needed breath, Chloe pulled away and smiled as she unbuttoned the full-length sable. She was wearing his favorite blue dancing shoes…and nothing else.

"Jeez, Chloe—lay off of them doughnuts."

Before she could process the insult, Bill slipped his fingers under the fur. She shoved him away.

Her voice trembled, "I won't be your dirty little secret anymore. Divorce Vera."

There, I've said it.

Bill ran his fingers through Chloe's soft red hair. He knew just the spot to touch.

"Lovey, we've been all through this. You know I can't possibly divorce her while he's in office. How would it look if the President's secretary all of a sudden up and got divorced? The Republicans would go wild! And it'd be rough on my little girls. Just wait a little bit longer. Lovey, I promise we'll be together soon. He ain't gonna be Prez for the rest of his life ya know."

Chloe fought back tears. Whatever was I thinking? Momma was right. I should have stayed in the mountains. But eleven months ago, her country had called for good girls to fill the shoes of the boys at war. When I was still a good girl. I had no idea what I'd have to do for my country. It might as well have been eleven millennia ago. I can't ever go back. Not now.

She shoved her hands in the deep silk-lined pockets…where she felt the cold steel of a revolver.

Five shots exploded down from the supervisors' catwalk. Chloe dove under a metal desk, pulling in an olive drab trash can for cover. Bill slumped face down into a carelessly heaped pile of hundreds.

Chloe peeked from behind the can. She watched a female silhouette blow smoke from the barrel and stroll back along the catwalk then out of sight. No! This can't be happening. I'm in a bad movie. Bad dream. Bad world.

Shaking, Chloe crawled to Bill and rolled him over. A C-note covered his eyes. She yanked it off and screamed in horror.

Chloe ran through the building and slammed straight into the loading dock door.

She struggled to hoist it high enough to crawl under. Rolling onto the ramp, she pushed herself up on hands and knees, then to full height. She put her hand on the revolver in her pocket and lit out running. As she looked back over her shoulder, she slipped on the icy sidewalks, battering her knees.

Back on her feet, she forced herself onward. A dry lump ached in the back of her mouth, forced open from heavy breathing. Frozen rain stung her face. As Chloe tumbled again she pulled her hand out of her pocket, not letting go of the pistol. The cobblestones abraded her wrists as she broke her fall.

As she scrambled up again, one blue heel snapped off in a snow-covered grate, propelling her face first into a police call box. Moaning in agony, tasting blood, Chloe looked over her shoulder. A lone car sped past. Forcing herself onward, she made it to the Fourteenth Street Bridge. Gasping for breath, Chloe leaned over the concrete railing and threw the revolver. It slid along the surface of the frozen Potomac River. "Damn it. I can't even dispose of a gun properly. It doesn't matter anyhow. It isn't the murder weapon." Murder weapon? "No!"

An icicle fell from the lamppost above her. Chloe drew back as it seemed to shatter in slow motion. She looked at the hundred dollar bill still crumpled in her hand.

Benjamin Franklin's picture adorned both sides. The drunken printers should be ashamed of themselves for such a mistake. Chloe dreaded turning them in. But right now that was the least of her worries. She shivered almost convulsively as she clutched the paper to her heart. Tears blinded her as she buttoned the fur coat.

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Passions Cast Tribute (1999 - 2008) - "Breathe" Theme

Passions Introduction

I discovered the NBC paranormal soap, Passions, shortly before it was canceled. Does anyone know if it went into syndication somewhere? I love the theme song.

Recpie: French Cheesecake

From the Kitchen of the Late Great Marion Morris, Long Island Housewife Extraordinaire French Cheesecake 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 lb cream cheese 3 tbsp flour 1/4 tsp salt 3 eggs separated 3/4 cup cream 1 tsp vanilla extract Rich prepared pie dough or 1 stick butter and 2 cups graham crumbs 1 can fruit pie filling to top (optional). Sift flour, sugar and salt together. Ad to softened cheese and cream, egg yolks & vanilla. Beat until smooth and creamy. In separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff & fold into above mixture. Line an 11" x 7"x 1 1/2" pan with rich prepared pie dough or 2 cups graham crumbs mixed with 1 stick melted butter to form a crust. Bake at 450° for 15 minutes, then at 325° for 45 minutes. Turn heat up to 375° and bake for 10 minutes or until firm & golden brown. When completely cool, dust with powdered sugar. Best to cool inside oven.Add any can of fruit pie filling to top (optional).

Recipe: Dump Cake

Dump Cake
1 can crushed pineapple (20 oz)

1 can pie filling (any flavor)

1 box dry cake mix (white, yellow or spice)

1 stick butter

350° oven - ungreased 13" x 9" x 2" pan

Spread pineapple on bottom of pan

Spread pie filling over pineapple

Spread dry cake mix over mixture

Slice butter into pieces and dot over cake mix

Bake 50 to 60 minutes.

***This recipe is from an old dear friend, Anita Lutrario.

General Hospital 1999 - Spencer vs. Cassadine and Faison part 1

Cesar Faison was my favorite General Hospital villian. Here he makes a dramatic re-entry into Port Charles in 1999.