Kate Collins's Blog, page 37
April 26, 2019
Finally in Print
by Lorraine Bartlett / Lorna Barrett / L.L. Bartlett
What if there was a magical place off the coast of Massachusetts that could heal your soul ... would you go there? The place is real: Martha's Vineyard. The stories ... mystical.
That's the premise for the Tales From Blythe Cove Manor.
Authors Shirley Hailstock, Kelly McClymer, and I have written more than a dozen stories about this wonderful bed and breakfast, where lovers find each other, people with aching hearts find peace, and those in need of direction in their lives find wisdom ... all thanks to their hostess, Blythe Calvert.
Now, I've collected all five of my Blythe Cove Manor stories into one volume, as an email and print edition. For a detailed descriptions of all five of my stories, check out my website at this link.
Check out the following links:
In printAmazon | Barnes & Noble | Books A Million | Indie BoundBook Depository (free shipping worldwide)
As an ebook:Kindle US | Kindle Worldwide | Nook | Kobo | Apple
All five of my stories (A Dream Weekend, A Final Gift, An Uninvited Visitor, Grape Expectations, and Foul Weather friends) can be purchased individually, but also as a collection in Mystical blythe Cove Manor.
So ... are you ready to check out Blythe Cove Manor?
...
What if there was a magical place off the coast of Massachusetts that could heal your soul ... would you go there? The place is real: Martha's Vineyard. The stories ... mystical.That's the premise for the Tales From Blythe Cove Manor.
Authors Shirley Hailstock, Kelly McClymer, and I have written more than a dozen stories about this wonderful bed and breakfast, where lovers find each other, people with aching hearts find peace, and those in need of direction in their lives find wisdom ... all thanks to their hostess, Blythe Calvert.
Now, I've collected all five of my Blythe Cove Manor stories into one volume, as an email and print edition. For a detailed descriptions of all five of my stories, check out my website at this link.
Check out the following links:
In printAmazon | Barnes & Noble | Books A Million | Indie BoundBook Depository (free shipping worldwide)
As an ebook:Kindle US | Kindle Worldwide | Nook | Kobo | Apple
All five of my stories (A Dream Weekend, A Final Gift, An Uninvited Visitor, Grape Expectations, and Foul Weather friends) can be purchased individually, but also as a collection in Mystical blythe Cove Manor.
So ... are you ready to check out Blythe Cove Manor?
...
April 24, 2019
Cat Safe Gardening
by Karen Rose Smith
Every year when I plan my herb and flower gardens, I consult the list I've made over the years for cat-safe plants. We have two stray outside/inside felines who make their home in our yard and basement. Bonnie and Clyde have been coming for three years but still aren't socialized. With five inside cats, we have let Bonnie and Clyde grace us with their presence on their terms, and that works.
Remember to use mulch that isn't dyed. Pennsylvania has a law against toxins in mulch but you have to watch for caffeine too!
When I began looking for cat-safe plants, websites were confusing. One website would list a flower or plant as toxic to cats and another would not! I began to realize I had to consult more than one site as well as a friend with a Masters in herb therapy to grow my list. If I consider planting something new, I search the name of the plant and "cat safe" before I decide to purchase it. The ASPCA keeps a list of toxic plants on their website and I regularly consult that. ASPCA Cat safe plants Here in Pennsylvania, this is the list of pet-safe herbs and flowers that I've developed:
HERBS
Basil
Catnip
Catgrass
Bee Balm
Catmint
Chamomile
Dill
Lavender
Parsley
Sage
Thyme
PLANTS
Petunias
Snapdragons
Zinnias
Roses
Coneflowers
Carnations
Sunflowers
Cosmos
Phlox
Coral Bells
You can have a cat safe garden that is beautiful, refreshing and fit for you and your outside felines.
Every year when I plan my herb and flower gardens, I consult the list I've made over the years for cat-safe plants. We have two stray outside/inside felines who make their home in our yard and basement. Bonnie and Clyde have been coming for three years but still aren't socialized. With five inside cats, we have let Bonnie and Clyde grace us with their presence on their terms, and that works.
Remember to use mulch that isn't dyed. Pennsylvania has a law against toxins in mulch but you have to watch for caffeine too!
When I began looking for cat-safe plants, websites were confusing. One website would list a flower or plant as toxic to cats and another would not! I began to realize I had to consult more than one site as well as a friend with a Masters in herb therapy to grow my list. If I consider planting something new, I search the name of the plant and "cat safe" before I decide to purchase it. The ASPCA keeps a list of toxic plants on their website and I regularly consult that. ASPCA Cat safe plants Here in Pennsylvania, this is the list of pet-safe herbs and flowers that I've developed:
HERBSBasil
Catnip
Catgrass
Bee Balm
Catmint
Chamomile
Dill
Lavender
Parsley
Sage
Thyme
PLANTS
Petunias
Snapdragons
Zinnias
Roses
Coneflowers
Carnations
Sunflowers
Cosmos
Phlox
Coral Bells
You can have a cat safe garden that is beautiful, refreshing and fit for you and your outside felines.
Summer Bucket List
Reagan Summerside from Savanna Georgia and thrilled to pieces that summer is here…or almost here. I just bought new ferns to hang from the porch to spruce up Cherry House and bought new window boxes for geraniums and petunias. I redid the displays in the Prissy Fox with new summer duds of garden party dresses, sandals and shorts and added new fun jewelry in pastels and white.get Lethal In Old Lace here
I am so looking forward to another outside barbecue with ribs and chicken on the grill. I swear you could BBQ a stick and I’d eat it. I love the smell of BBQ over an open fire and the meat sizzling over the flames.And I want to make ice cream over at Auntie KiKi’s. She has one of those old ice cream tubs where you put the cream in the middle cylinder then add ice and salt around the edges and crank away. Can’t wait for a mouthful of creamy heaven.And then there’s martinis on the front porch as Auntie KiKi and I try and solve yet another murder. Why am I constantly tripping across dead people? I think it’s the fates playing dirty tricks. When they took Hollis the Horrible out of my live they decided to fill the void with dead bodies.But on a brighter note… This summer I want to take another picnic out to Tybee Island and eat on the sandy shore. I love Tybee and only made it to the ocean three times this year. Barely enough to get my toes wet.And while I’m out on Tybee I want a funnel cake with powdered sugar on top and a read snow cone. Don’t you love funnel cakes and snow cones?Auctions are big in Savannah and the summer auction out at Fort Jackson is the best. Last year I bought an old blue and pink rug for the front entrance of the Prissy Fox. Got it for next to nothing. Love auctions.
I want to see fireworks over the Savannah River, get Auntie KiKi to make me Lemon Meringue pie of the summer and see if I can get Walker Boone to take me for a ride in his red ’57 Chevy convertible. I really have a thing for convertibles and with BW…that’s Bruce Wills the canine version…in the back of the car what could be more fun.So what’s on your summer bucket list? Got big plans for this summer. Things you cannot wait to do with family and friends? I’ll give away book socks from the answers.Have a great summer!!! Hugs, ReaganDuffyBrown@DuffyBrown.comwww.DuffyBrown.com
April 22, 2019
Cherry Blossom Time
by Maggie SeftonJapanese Cherry Blossom trees around the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C.
There's nothing like the holidays to provide an opportunity for people to gather in various and sundry groups---some made up of relatives, while others gather with old friends who are like family. That later description aptly describes my Family/Friends groups. I'm presently where I fondly call "Back East" which for me is the ever-expanding Northern Virginia area across the Potomac River from Washington, DC. I arrived last Friday, so I could join family for an Easter Dinner at my oldest daughter's home in Vienna, Virginia. My second oldest daughter, Melissa, was also there. She's the Traveling One and will be leaving this week for a couple of months back in Fort Collins, Colorado, her old hometown. Daughters Serena and Maria are both traveling in the U.S. and other places with their families for Spring Break getaways.
I love Spring Break travel, especially when I can return to this Northern Virginia area. The Japanese Cherry Blossom trees are always in full bloom and are gorgeously pink. :) I'll also be visiting my dear friends from childhood in Arlington, Northern Virginia----sisters Nancy and Diane and their husbands Tom and Les. Those visits are always special and I really look forward to them. Diane and I will also participate in one of our favorite charity efforts---buying tickets to this year's Fairfax County Garden Show and house tour. Visiting some of the beautifully decorated designer homes in the Fairfax, Virginia area is always a treat.
Have any of you visited garden or house tours in your areas?
by Maggie SeftonJapanese Cherry Blossom trees around the ...
by Maggie SeftonJapanese Cherry Blossom trees around the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C.
There's nothing like the holidays to provide an opportunity for people to gather in various and sundry groups---some made up of relatives, while others gather with old friends who are like family. That later description aptly describes my Family/Friends groups. I'm presently where I fondly call "Back East" which for me is the ever-expanding Northern Virginia area across the Potomac River from Washington, DC. I arrived last Friday, so I could join family for an Easter Dinner at my oldest daughter's home in Vienna, Virginia. My second oldest daughter, Melissa, was also there. She's the Traveling One and will be leaving this week for a couple of months back in Fort Collins, Colorado, her old hometown. Daughters Serena and Maria are both traveling in the U.S. and other places with their families for Spring Break getaways.
I love Spring Break travel, especially when I can return to this Northern Virginia area. The Japanese Cherry Blossom trees are always in full bloom and are gorgeously pink. :) I'll also be visiting my dear friends from childhood in Arlington, Northern Virginia----sisters Nancy and Diane and their husbands Tom and Les. Those visits are always special and I really look forward to them. Diane and I will also participate in one of our favorite charity efforts---buying tickets to this year's Fairfax County Garden Show and house tour. Visiting some of the beautifully decorated designer homes in the Fairfax, Virginia area is always a treat.
Have any of you visited garden or house tours in your areas?
April 19, 2019
My Easter Dessert Suggestion
by Lorraine Bartlett / Lorna Barrett / L.L. Bartlett
The best part of holidays for me is ... the food. It's so enjoyable to share a wonderful meal with friends and/or family, and this year for Easter we're going traditional with a spiral ham, deviled eggs, honeyed carrots, rolls, and at least one more fresh veggie. We'll see what's at the store tomorrow.
But my favorite part of the meal is the dessert. Okay, I've got a sweet tooth. This year, I'm leaning toward cake. My upcoming book, The Best From Swans Nest, a Lotus Bay Cookbook, has ten cake recipes and five frosting recipes. YUM! I'm leaning toward making spice cake with maple frosting. (That maple frosting also takes great with carrot cake or hummingbird cake. Yum-yum!)
Spice Cake
Ingredients
¼ cup butter or ½ cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup dark-brown sugar, packed
4 eggs
½ cup milk
½ cup molasses
2¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC, Gas Mark 4). Butter and lightly flour two 8-inch round cake pans. Cream the butter or shortening and slowly add the two sugars, beating until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, then add the milk and molasses, beating thoroughly. In another bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients and add to the wet mixture, beating until well blended. Pour the batter into the pans and bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack.
Frost with your favorite cream cheese or buttercream frosting. Also tastes great with maple or caramel frosting, or sift confectioners’ sugar over the top.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Maple Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2¾ cups confectioner’s sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
¼ cup chopped walnuts
Place the softened butter in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer for 30 to 40 seconds until whipped. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Sift the confectioner’s sugar into the bowl. Beat with an electric mixer for 30 to 40 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the brown sugar and maple syrup. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes or until the mixture is fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Stir in the walnuts until just until mixed and spread on the cooled cake.
Yield: 3 cups
THE BEST FROM SWANS NEST arrives on May 14th. Pre-order your copy now!
Kindle US | Kindle Worldwide | Nook | Kobo | Apple Books
The best part of holidays for me is ... the food. It's so enjoyable to share a wonderful meal with friends and/or family, and this year for Easter we're going traditional with a spiral ham, deviled eggs, honeyed carrots, rolls, and at least one more fresh veggie. We'll see what's at the store tomorrow.
But my favorite part of the meal is the dessert. Okay, I've got a sweet tooth. This year, I'm leaning toward cake. My upcoming book, The Best From Swans Nest, a Lotus Bay Cookbook, has ten cake recipes and five frosting recipes. YUM! I'm leaning toward making spice cake with maple frosting. (That maple frosting also takes great with carrot cake or hummingbird cake. Yum-yum!)
Spice CakeIngredients
¼ cup butter or ½ cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup dark-brown sugar, packed
4 eggs
½ cup milk
½ cup molasses
2¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC, Gas Mark 4). Butter and lightly flour two 8-inch round cake pans. Cream the butter or shortening and slowly add the two sugars, beating until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, then add the milk and molasses, beating thoroughly. In another bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients and add to the wet mixture, beating until well blended. Pour the batter into the pans and bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack.
Frost with your favorite cream cheese or buttercream frosting. Also tastes great with maple or caramel frosting, or sift confectioners’ sugar over the top.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Maple Buttercream FrostingIngredients
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2¾ cups confectioner’s sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
¼ cup chopped walnuts
Place the softened butter in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer for 30 to 40 seconds until whipped. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Sift the confectioner’s sugar into the bowl. Beat with an electric mixer for 30 to 40 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the brown sugar and maple syrup. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes or until the mixture is fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Stir in the walnuts until just until mixed and spread on the cooled cake.
Yield: 3 cups
THE BEST FROM SWANS NEST arrives on May 14th. Pre-order your copy now!
Kindle US | Kindle Worldwide | Nook | Kobo | Apple Books
April 17, 2019
Old Fashioned Coconut Cake for Easter
by Karen Rose Smith
I like "old fashioned" baking, I remember the dense cakes my mom and grandma baked from scratch. Using that principal, I developed this recipe for coconut cake for my sleuth's sister to make in SHADES OF WRATH. The ingredients that make this cake special are the coconut oil and coconut milk. They give it that old-fashioned flavor. You can dress this cake up for a special dinner (like Easter!) by making it a layer cake. I use colorful sprinkles on a flaky coconut icing. Or you can bake it in a sheet pan for a more casual approach. Either way, you will create a delightful holiday dessert.
Bella's Old Fashioned Coconut Cake
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
1/2 cup solid coconut oil1 3/4 cups granulated sugar5 egg whites1 whole egg1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (I use Silk Coconut Milk)1 teaspoon salt3 teaspoons baking powder1 teaspoon baking soda2 1/2 cups flour
In electric mixer, cream the coconut shortening with the sugar. Add eggs slowly and mix until batter is smooth. Add salt, baking powder and baking soda. Mix until blended. Add vanilla and coconut milk and mix just until blended. Add flour 1/2 cup at a time, mixing two minutes or until batter is smooth.
Pour evenly into a 9 x 13 inch greased and floured pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Frosting
1 stick (1/2 cup) margarine (softened)½ cup Crisco
Cream together the softened margarine and Crisco. To this mixture add:
1 cup granulated sugar3 tablespoons flour (1 at a time)2/3 cup coconut milk (This should be tepid temperature and added slowly. I use Silk Coconut Milk)½ teaspoon vanilla
Beat 8-10 minutes at high speed until frosting is smooth. Spread over the cake and sprinkle the top with flake coconut.
SHADES OF WRATH on Amazon
SHADES OF WRATH on Barnes and Noble
I like "old fashioned" baking, I remember the dense cakes my mom and grandma baked from scratch. Using that principal, I developed this recipe for coconut cake for my sleuth's sister to make in SHADES OF WRATH. The ingredients that make this cake special are the coconut oil and coconut milk. They give it that old-fashioned flavor. You can dress this cake up for a special dinner (like Easter!) by making it a layer cake. I use colorful sprinkles on a flaky coconut icing. Or you can bake it in a sheet pan for a more casual approach. Either way, you will create a delightful holiday dessert.
Bella's Old Fashioned Coconut Cake
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
1/2 cup solid coconut oil1 3/4 cups granulated sugar5 egg whites1 whole egg1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (I use Silk Coconut Milk)1 teaspoon salt3 teaspoons baking powder1 teaspoon baking soda2 1/2 cups flour
In electric mixer, cream the coconut shortening with the sugar. Add eggs slowly and mix until batter is smooth. Add salt, baking powder and baking soda. Mix until blended. Add vanilla and coconut milk and mix just until blended. Add flour 1/2 cup at a time, mixing two minutes or until batter is smooth.
Pour evenly into a 9 x 13 inch greased and floured pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Frosting
1 stick (1/2 cup) margarine (softened)½ cup Crisco
Cream together the softened margarine and Crisco. To this mixture add:
1 cup granulated sugar3 tablespoons flour (1 at a time)2/3 cup coconut milk (This should be tepid temperature and added slowly. I use Silk Coconut Milk)½ teaspoon vanilla
Beat 8-10 minutes at high speed until frosting is smooth. Spread over the cake and sprinkle the top with flake coconut.
SHADES OF WRATH on Amazon
SHADES OF WRATH on Barnes and Noble
Listen to me
Hi, all. Duffy Brown here. Braking for Bodies was just released in audio…yippee! Get Audio Braking for Bodies herehttps://www.amazon.com/Braking-Bodies-Cycle-Path-I love listening to audio books while driving or doing such mundane things as polishing silver...that never gets done till company is coming...or pulling weeks or washing windows.Audio books are terrific! I get so into them that time flies buy and I forget about the boring task at hand. In fact...true confession time...I’ve driven miles out of my way and completely missed exits ‘cause I’m into the story and not paying one bit of attention to where I’m going. I just get in the slow lane and putter along or get the silverware so polished it looks like new.I remember driving through Utah with my two daughters on the way to Monument Valley and listening to The Help. Love the movie and love the audio even more. And of course there are such great memories now connected to the audio.So my question to you today is, do you listen to audio books? Got a fave time you listen to them? Got a fave audio book? Let me know and I’ll give away a bicycle key fob from the answers.Hugs, Duffy
April 15, 2019
Do You Read Suspense?
by Maggie SeftonFor those Cozy Chicks Readers and Fans who are new to our blog site, the Chicks like to let Readers know about some of the other mystery novels we write. In addition to the Kelly Flynn Mysteries, I also write a Suspense trilogy set in Washington, D.C. No real politicians or media or other people who appear on the news channels show up. Just fictional characters. Thank goodness. :)
DEADLY POLITICS is the first in the Suspense trilogy and a brief summary appears below. Check my website for more details as well as an excerpt from the novel.
Welcome to Molly Malone’s world----
Politics is a blood sport in Washington, DC, and only the strongest survive. Like the politicians she’s rubbed shoulders with for a lifetime, Molly Malone is smart and tough and savvy enough to stay out of trouble---most of the time. However, trouble has a way of finding Molly.
Years ago, Molly Malone was driven from Washington, DC by political back-stabbing, scandals, and personal heartbreak. But now, circumstances have forced her to start a new life in the one place she swore she’d never return to—the city that broke her heart---and face the ghosts and the enemies from her past.
As the daughter of a respected United States Senator and once the wife of a rising star young Congressman, Molly has seen it all in Washington politics---the cynics, the sincere, and the schemers. But the brutal murder of her Congressional staffer niece brings Molly up close with Washington’s darker side. “The beautiful monuments and parks are deceiving. Washington can be ugly.” How ugly, Molly’s about to find out. There are other schemers out there who may not have won elections, but are more powerful than the politicians they ensnare.
If you need a little talk radio ... Mary Kennedy can help yiou out!
Mary Kennedy is out of town today, so the Chicks are standing in to post for her...and why wouldn't we want to talk about her wonderful Talk Radio Mysteries?
If you haven't tried this series, what are you waiting for? They are laugh-out-loud funny. Dr. Maggie, her Mom, Lola, and dog, Pugsley, are a hoot! Check them out on Mary's website.
You can get them as stand-alones, or you can buy her ebook box set of the first three novels."Frasier Meets Murder She Wrote"—that's how readers have described the Talk Radio Mysteries. It's all about a NY psychologist who moves to sunny Florida to become a radio talk show host. Of course, she solves a murder in every book! No doubt about it, you'll be hooked on Dr. Maggie.
Kindle US | Kindle Worldwide | Nook | Kobo | Apple Books
Now, have you got something on your mind you'd like to talk to a radio shrink about? If so, Dr. Maggie is listening.
