Lisa Renee Jones's Blog, page 126

The Tall, Dark and Deadly Box set on sale a few days only!

99 cents for the set again but this is very short term. Get it now! 

All retailers!

Here is the AMAZON link and BARNES hasn’t adjusted the price yet but I entered it. 

 

 

Day 14 Recipe – Fried Tortillas

 

 

Just GREAT, that’s all I can say.  I love tortillas, I love fried foods (I know I know, its bad for you), I love cinnamon & sugar = add all this up and you get Rae’s day 14 recipe which, yup you guessed it, I LOVE!!!!  Check out the pics, you will be a star in your neighborhood and have everybody at your house asking what you are gonna make next.

As always, Just comment for your chance to win the daily prize. All prizes will be drawn at the end of the month so that means if you get here late you can still comment on every day for your chance to win. Picture of today’s prize is at the bottom of the post.

FRIED TORTILLAS

 

You will need:

 

Flour tortillas (as many as you want to make) (1 per person is recommended ½ for kids)

Oil for frying

Optional- confectioner sugar, cinnamon and sugar mix

 

Heat oil  in small skillet

Cut tortilla in slices like a pie in 8-10 pieces, or you can be creative and make different shapes

When oil is at approx. 350, place only 2 or three tortilla strips in at a time, flip until golden brown, as the oil is hot they may be done in just a few seconds, watch carefully.  When they are golden brown, take out of skillet and drain them on a plate with paper towel.  Sprinkle them while they are hot with either confectioner sugar or cinnamon sugar mix.  This is a fast and easy dessert.  You can eat plain or serve with ice cream or cajeta (Mexican caramel).

Enjoy!

TODAY’S PRIZE: Grape Coasters with Caddy

Day 13 Recipe – BUTTERMILK PANCAKES!!!

 

Rae picked just the perfect recipe to get us through the middle of the week, how can anyone go wrong with a nice stack of good ol’ BUTTERMILK PANCAKES!!!  Well, you can’t, they are a win win no matter what the situation.  Take a look at the pic, read the directions and go for it!!

BUTTERMILK PANCAKES

YOU WILL NEED:

2 cups flour

2 tablespoons sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons butter

2 cups buttermilk (see tip below)

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs, lightly beaten

 

Maple syrup for serving

 

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt

Melt 4 tablespoons butter.  In medium bowl whisk butter, buttermilk, vanilla and eggs

Whisk buttermilk mixture into flour mixture, mix as little as possible to make a thick and lumpy batter.  DO NOT OVERMIX

 Spray skillet with cooking spray, heat skillet, add 1 tablespoon batter to skillet heat until bubbles form on pancake, flip cook until golden brown.

Repeat until mixture is gone.

 SERVE WITH YOUR FAVORITE BREAKFAST SIDES, LIKE EGGS AND SAUSAGE!!

 TIP: 

Buttermilk substitute-

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon lemon juice or 1 tablespoon vinegar

Directions:

1 Combine ingredients and let stand 5 minutes.
2 After 5 minutes, mix well and use as buttermilk in any recipe.

Enjoy!

 

Recipes With Rae

TODAY’S PRIZE: Tiki Spreader Set

Day 12 Recipe – Soft Pretzel Day (you know you want one)

 

 

SOFT PRETZEL DAY!!!  We all love the smell of these when we are walking in the mall and cant help but take a sample when the soft pretzel people are handing them out.  Well here is a recipe from Rae that brings this goodness to your home, don’t wait, don’t hesitate make them…

As always, Just comment for your chance to win the daily prize. All prizes will be drawn at the end of the month so that means if you get here late you can still comment on every day for your chance to win. Picture of today’s prize is at the bottom of the post.

SOFT PRETZEL RECIPE

 

1 1/3 cups warm water (110 degrees) (see note)
2 tablespoons warm water (110 degrees) (see note)
1 (1/4 ounce) packet dry yeast
1/3 cup brown sugar
5 cups flour (may only need 4cups)
1/2 cup baking soda  (DO NOT ADD TO THE PRETZEL MIXTURE THIS IS FOR THE WATER POT TO BOIL PRETZELS)
KOSHER SALT (see note)

Directions:

1 In a large bowl for your mixer, mix 2 Tablespoons warm water with yeast to dissolve.
2 Stir in remaining warm water and brown sugar.
3 Using the dough hook, gradually add the flour until it forms a ball.
4 Turn out onto a work surface and knead until smooth.
5 Preheat your oven to 475 degrees
6 Spray 2 baking sheets with non-stick spray.
7 Bring 2 quarts water and the baking soda to a boil.
8 Cut dough into golf ball-size pieces, then roll into ½” thick “worms”.
9 Boil for 30 seconds, then drain and place on baking sheet.
10 Sprinkle with kosher salt.
11 Bake for 8 minutes or until golden brown.

TIPS:  after making this recipe many times.  I found I like to put an egg wash on the pretzels for a better color.

          * I also take 2 TBSP. of butter melt it and add about ½ tsp. table salt mix and put on pretzels with a pastry brush after they come out of the oven.  I don’t keep                                          kosher salt on hand so this works fine as a substitute.

          * water temp needs to be 110 for the yeast, it can’t be too cold or too hot, 110 degrees is just right.

          * last tip of the day.  If you love cinnamon and sugar on your pretzels, make a cinnamon/sugar mix put in large Ziploc bag.  Add buttered pretzels shake and   enjoy.  They taste just like the ones you get at the mall.

 

Enjoy!

 

Recipes With Rae

TODAY’S PRIZE: City Sandstone Coasters – Set of 4

Lots of prizes to be given away at the new Facebook fan page and twitter accounts

Here are pictures of some prizes….the canvas bags are cool but won’t be here for a week. I’ll post a picture soon. And ARCS. YES! BEING ME! Yep! I will have copies! Link up here

 

 

 

 

Day 11 Recipe – Almond Pastry

 

For today’s recipe, Rae has created another little piece of heaven.  Something that people will say “did you really make this from scratch??”, you can say with pride, “yes, yes I did” – it looks absolutely wonderful and I once again wish we were not so anti-baking in our house.

 

ALMOND PASTRY

 

YOU WILL NEED:

FOR THE CRUST RECIPE:

 

1 cup flour

½ cup butter

2 TBSP. water

 

FOR FILLING RECIPE:

½ cup butter

1 cup water

1 cup flour

3 eggs

1 tsp. almond extract

 

FOR GLAZE RECIPE:

½ cup confectioner sugar

½ tsp. almond extract

1 TBSP. milk

(optional, maraschino cherries to decorate)

 

Preheat oven 350 degrees

Directions for the crust, mix 1 cup flour, ½ cup MELTED butter and 2 TBSP. water in a medium bowl.  Mix well.  On a  parchment lined cookie sheet greased with cooking spray,  Using your hands, spread the dough evenly.  It will not cover the entire sheet, just get it thin and spread out as good as you can, (see photo) set aside.

Filling instructions, put butter, water in pan, bring to a boil.  Remove from heat add almond extract flour, stir until smooth & thick, add eggs one at a time, beat in until smooth.  Put filling on top of crust, spread evenly, (see photo).

Bake in 350 degree oven 50-60 minutes check for golden brown. (my oven takes only 50 minutes.)

 

Let cool,

 

While it is cooling make glaze,

Mix sugar, milk and almond together, drizzle on top of pastry.  On top of that I place maraschino cherries to decorate. TIP: sometimes I add maraschino cherry juice to glaze to give it a pink/red tint.  You may need to add more sugar if glaze is to runny. Slice to serve.

Enjoy!

 

Recipes With Rae

TODAY’S PRIZE: Butterfly Bottle Stopper

Next BEING ME GOODREADS $50.00 Gift Card Winner!!

Amy Jennings Congrats you are the next $50.00 Gift Card Winner!!

Reading order of THE INSIDE OUT SERIES

Hi all–

I skyped with a bookclub on Friday and it became very apparent that there is much confusion over the journals and the reading order of the series. I then posted on facebook to get a feel for the journals and readership and the overwhelming response of confusion prompted this post. 

First, the journals are not simply companion material. They are Rebecca’s story from the series and they end at a place that leads into BEING ME.

Second, you find out what happens to Rebecca in BEING ME so if you don’t read journals 1-4 before you read BEING ME then you will have that spoiled for you. Lots of people are telling me they thought the journals were going to spoil BEING ME for them. Just the opposite. They make BEING ME better and BEING ME will spoil the journals for you. 

Third, Journal 5 (MASTER UNDONE) is not a journal at all. It is a novella in THE Master’s POV and it leads into his own book and a continuation of the INSIDE OUT SERIES. YES there are more books in the series after REVEALING US and you will see that when you finish REVEALING US. 

Fourth, the MASTER UNDONE novella is meant to be read after BEING ME. That’s why it’s released after BEING ME. 

Finally, Rebecca’s lost journals are written as a story despite the journal entires. There are many actual scenes Rebecca remembers that are in the journals  and each leads to the next journal. You learn how she met THE Master and how their relationship develops. They read as stand alone stories but they are packed with clues as to what happens in BEING ME. 

BEING ME answers almost all of your questions and launches into a whole new chapter of INSIDE OUT that begins in REVEALING US. But you won’t have to worry that you will be left hanging. I didn’t draw out the story just to write a book 3. I’ve plotted a long storyline for this series. You’ll see where that is going very clearly in REVEALING US. I’m really excited for the readers of the series to experience where it’s going. I love these characters and look forward to sharing more of them in the future!

 

Please if you will help spread the word about the journals and post on twitter and/or facebook and even your blogs. I would be so very very grateful. I don’t want  people to miss the experience of the journals and how they tie to the end of BEING ME. The last page of BEING ME is so much more profound if you have read the journals. Again though you CAN skip the journals but I think when you finish BEING ME you will know why they are a special part of the series.

I cannot wait for JUNE 11th! I love BEING ME more than any book I’ve ever written and I cannot wait to see what YOU think!:)

Lisa

PS just because I can’t help myself…

My most recent Mark pinup. Sigh. Hotness personified!

 

Mark Mark Mark! Sigh…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 10 Recipe – Friday Dinner & Desert :)

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Well, Rae decided to team up with Colleen to give us a full meal today, an entree and desert, both look absolutely yummy.  These dishes are sure to satisfy most in a household, I mean come on, you are cooking with BACON – no more really needs to be said!!

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As always, Just comment for your chance to win the daily prize. All prizes will be drawn at the end of the month so that means if you get here late you can still comment on every day for your chance to win. Picture of today’s prize is at the bottom of the post.

Slumgolien  (Beefy Tomato pasta)  (Have no idea why we called it that either)

 

2 lbs lean ground beef (90-10 or you can use lean ground turkey)

1 lb pasta-elbow, penne, curly or bow tie

1/2 lb bacon (you can use more if you’d like for more smoky flavor)

1 large onion, chopped

8 large cloves garlic, minced or put through garlic press

6 – 15 oz cans condensed tomato soup

salt, pepper, granulated garlic, granulated onion to taste

 

 Cook pasta according to instructions and drain.

In large cooking pot, cook bacon till crispy. When done, take out and drain on paper towels and crumble.  Drain all but 2 Tbsp of bacon fat from pot.  Add onion and garlic and saute till onion translucent-don’t let garlic burn.  Add the ground beef and break up, mix well with the onion and garlic.  Cook meat till browned, season with salt, pepper, granulated garlic and onion to taste.   Remove as much of the fat from the meat mixture as you can, then add the cooked pasta.  Mix well.   Add 4 cans of tomato soup, don’t add any water!  Mix well and if it seems dry add one or both of the remaining cans of soup and mix.  At this point, you can heat it up till bubbling on the stove and serve it or you can also put it into a casserole dish and heat till top is browned and bubbly.  Either way, it’s a good dish.  We always had it with crusty bread and salad.

 

Enjoy!

Colleen

 

CHOCOLATE COVERED CHERRIES

 

2 1/2 cups confectioner sugar
1/4 cup butter softened
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 (8 ounce) jars maraschino cherries, with stems well drained
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (12 ounces)
2 tablespoons shortening

Directions:

1 In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, butter, milk and extract; mix well.
2 Knead into a large ball.
3 Roll into 1-inch balls and flatten each into a 2-inch circle.
4 Wrap around cherries and lightly roll in hands.
5 Place with stems up on waxed paper-lined baking sheet.
6 Cover loosely and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
7 Melt the chocolate chips and shortening in a double boiler or microwave-safe bowl.
8 Holding on to stem, dip cherries into chocolate; set on waxed paper to harden.
9 Store in a covered container.
10 Refrigerate 1-2 weeks before serving.
11 Yield: about 3 dozen.

I used stem-less cherries and dipped them with a fork.

 

After reading IF I WERE YOU ,you may be in the mood for date night.  These tasty treats make a great dessert for date night!!

Enjoy!

Recipes With Rae

TODAY’S PRIZE: Bobblehead Pig Bottle Stopper

Contest Winner!!

The $50.00 Winner  is Shayna Snyder!!! Congrats!!