Michele Scott's Blog, page 14

Riding the Trail with Professionals Choice

Trail riding is often not viewed with the same respect as "real" horse events like dressage or jumping. But I use trail riding as a great training tool. I have both an eventer and a reiner, and these horses are shown often. Like any high demand schedule for both humans and horses, the pace of intensive showing and training makes them prone to burn out. My favorite option to enable them to relax and reconnect with their inner horse, is taking them out on the trail. Trail riding is a great way ...

A Recipe From My New Book Happy Hour

Happy Hour is about every woman and that group of friends in her life ~ her "go to girls" The friends that she can turn to who "get it." The ones who are there for you no matter what. The ones who laugh with you and cry with you. The ones that will always be there. These are the women of Napa Valley.
Danielle's Mexican Style Quiche served with Champagne or margaritas if preferred

Pastry dough
1 large garlic clove
¾ teaspoon salt

1 lb poblano chilies (about 4 large), roasted and peeled

6 large eggs

1...

Another Great Recipe from one of the Wine Lover's Mystery Series

Reading making you hungry?  Try out another recipe, you can find this one in Murder Uncorked. Not quite as quick and easy as the last recipe I posted but equally as delicious!

Pork Tenderloin with Salsa Verde




2 pork tenderloins

1 8-ounce jar of salsa verde (Herdez is a good one)

1 package of Lawry's taco seasoning

3 large cloves of garlic

2 seeded, drained, and chopped canned chipotle peppers (these are spicy so be careful if you don't care for spicy)

2 tablespoons minced red onion

2 tablespoons brow...

Tequila and a Mystery Title Anyone?

You know you're a mystery author when your assistant walks into your office and you're saying out loud, "I have to figure out how to kill this guy," and she replies, "Do I have to clean it up?" My response to that was, "It depends on how messy it is." Thank God my wide-eyed, very efficient assistant (a.k.a) Cassie understands my eccentricities and has said on more than one occasion, "At least you're never boring to work for."

I am still trying to figure out how to kill this character off and ...

My Favorite Celeb

Some of you may have read this last year when I posted it, but I'm digging it back out because I was just listening to "If I was a Rich Girl," by my favorite celeb and then I remembered this post.  And then, I also remembered that I really needed to write a new blog post but the day is getting away from me, so I'm reposting. C'est la vie.

I know that I'm a bit "eclectic." I suppose that is a nicer term than weird, but I'm a writer and many of us (I think) are a tad "eclectic." For example, on...

After Hours Pasta

Need a quick and easy recipe?  Look no further than After Hours Pasta, you can put this dish together with things just sitting in your fridge or shelf. 

 1 lb penne pasta

6 ounces fat-free Italian dressing

1 large ripe, but firm tomato

1 medium green pepper

2 ribs celery

1 medium carrot

5 small green onions

3 ounces thinly sliced pancetta or bacon



Cook pasta according to package instructions, drain, and while still hot, pour Italian dressing over, toss lightly and set aside for pasta to absorb...

Mistakes and Regrets

So I was watching Access Hollywood or TMZ (I can't remember, I just know it was mindless and that I had about a 20 minute time slot where I could watch something other than Fox or Wheel of Fortune (which I love but it plays awfully loud in my parents' home), because my dad had stepped away from the television--some of you may know that we are living with my parents until the escrow on our new house closes. Anyway digression over...) and this story comes on about the Miss Universe Pageant and ...

Inspiration

Everybody needs a little inspiration. Here's one of the great recipes you can find in my Wine Lover's Books


Goat Cheese and Apple-Smoked Bacon Tart


Tart Dough: 9-inch tart pan
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ Teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold sweet butter cut into small pieces
1 ½ tablespoons solid vegetable shortening
2 ½ to 3 tablespoons ice water

In a bowl combine flour, salt, butter, and shortening. Quickly work ingredients together with fingers until evenly ,ixed. Add 2 ½ tablespoons of water and gently work into the dough until it comes together. Form into a ball and let rest, covered in plastic wrap, in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a circle about 1/8 inch thick. Place into tart pan, trim the edges leaving a 1 inch margin so that you can fold it under, and crimp edges.
Bake at 425°, using buttered foil and beans or pie weights to keep the crust from risin. Bake 8-10 minutes until the edges are set and slightly brown.

Filling:
1 teaspoon cookin oil
5ounces diced apple-smoked bacon
3cups sliced red onion
1 tablespoon fresh choppe thyme
1 whole egg
1 yolk
6 ounces Chevre-style goat cheese
1 Pinch nutmeg
1 pinch salt
1 cup half and half

Cook bacon in 1 teaspoon oil until most of the fat has been rendered. Pour off excess fat and add onions. Cook slowly until soft and translucent, add thyme.
Mix eggs with goat cheese, nutmeg, and salt until it has a smooth consistency. Add half-and-half slowly as to prevent lumps, until it is all incorporated.
Spread bacon and onion mixture evenly throughout the tart. Pour on the goat cheese mixture and bake in 350° until custard is set, about 35-40 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before serving.
This tart goes great with Grgich Hills Chardonnay. Cheers! Michele

Inspiration

Everyone needs a little inspiration, so here is one of the many great recipes from my Wine Lover's Mystery series!


Goat Cheese and Apple-Smoked Bacon Tart



Tart Dough: 9-inch tart pan

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ Teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons cold sweet butter cut into small pieces

1 ½ tablespoons solid vegetable shortening

2 ½ to 3 tablespoons ice water

In a bowl combine flour, salt, butter, and shortening. Quickly work ingredients together with fingers until evenly ,ixed. Add 2 ½ tablespoons of water an...

I Need a Name for My Next Victim

So I have finally started breathing new energy into my writing career. Yes--I have been in a slump. I'll admit it. Life became insanely stressful and busy over this past year and instead of my usual 3 books a year, I have not written a manuscript for a year. Gulp--I said it--well sort of (I wrote it). Lucky for me, I did have some new books released into the world, (Patron and Happy Hour) but now it's time to get back to business.

My problem as a writer has always been that I have a bazillion ...