May 18, 2010

The Secret Side of MC Halliday

Few people know our British born guest author, MC Halliday, is a marvelous cook. Below are two of her easy selections that Studs’ loves and you will, too.

LUSCIOUS LEMON HERB CHICKEN

Ingredients
1 x 2kg/4½lb free-range chicken whole*
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large lemon, quartered
1 whole bulb of garlic, broken into cloves (don’t remove skins)
handful of fresh thyme, leaves stripped from stems
good quality olive oil
handful of fresh rosemary sprigs, leaves plucked

*Sloane note: I used a whole fryer and the recipe was excellent

Method
Rub the chicken inside and out with a generous amount of salt and freshly ground black pepper, then cover the chicken and leave in the fridge until you’re ready to start cooking it. (Pre-seasoning and holding for a few hours will increase tastiness when cooked.)

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Remove chicken from the fridge, pat it down with paper towel and rub the skin generously with olive oil. Place the garlic cloves, the quartered lemon, rosemary and thyme in the cavity. Bake on a rack in a pan in the preheated oven for around 90 minutes, no need to baste. The chicken is cooked when the thigh easily pulls away and juices run clear.

Remove the lemon and garlic from the cavity; squeeze the soft garlic from the skins and smear all over the chicken. Discard the lemon.

Serve with favourite veggies and roast or mashed potatoes. Hint: some of the garlic pulp can be added to the potato mash for extra good flavour.

HEAVENLY SOLE

Ingredients
2 pounds fresh or frozen skinless sole or other fish fillets.*
2 T. fresh lemon or lime juice
½ c. grated Parmesan cheese
¼ c. butter softened
3 T. mayonnaise
¼ teas. sea salt

*Sloane note: I used Tilapia and it was GREAT

Method
Pat fillets dry then place in a single layer on a cookie sheet sprayed with Pam. Brush with lemon or lime juice then let stand 10 minutes.

Broil 4 inches under heat source about 6 minutes or until fish flakes.

Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl.

When the fish is ready, remove from the oven and spread mixture evenly over each piece. Broil 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly browned.

The fish will come apart easily so we found it best to arrange the pieces on individual dinner plates to serve.

To learn more about MC HALLIDAY, check out her website. You can also catch up with MC on Facebook and Goodreads. For the YouTube lovers, click here.

I’ll be back tomorrow with enchanting author Lizzie T. Leaf. Until then…

Happy Writing!

Sloane Taylor
Sweet as Honey…Hotter than Hell

May 12, 2009

FRUSTRATED

A frustrated woman is an unhappy woman. And friends, today I am one frustrated woman.

Studs is a huge lover of pork chops. Poor guy. Every time I fry them they come out tougher than leather soles on Florsheim shoes. Now Studs is a gentleman. He chomps on the damn things with a stamina that would make an Olympic champion proud. Whereas I want to sob as I gnaw away in disgust.

I’ve tried light browning, medium browning, cooking in wine, and/or chicken stock and anything else you can imagine. At this point, I’m ready to try voodoo dolls!

If any one out there has one shred of pity for my plight, please share your technique to fry a pork chop that’s edible. Studs would sure apprciate it.

Sloane Taylor
Sweet as Honey…Hotter than Hell

December 24, 2008

Christmas Day with MC Halliday

Many thanks to Sloane Taylor, a great friend and ab fab author, for inviting me to share in this most special of days, Christmas Eve.

Gathered here are my traditions and photos of an English Christmas in Canada.

Gifts with Morning Champers

Upon rising, the stuffing is prepared with much chopping and sautéing to get the goose or buttered turkey in the oven before gift opening begins.

Once the bird is stowed, a nicely chilled sparkling wine is popped and poured as we sit around the tree. Several bottles are kept perfectly chilled on the back step to the garden, ensuring glasses are topped up as prezzies are opened. Everyone takes a turn and gifts passed around for viewing.

After paper and ribbon are collected into the recycle bin and with gifts spread about the front room, it’s time for:

Games, Nibbles and Drinks

Charades are lots of fun for everyone and can be enjoyed by youngsters as well. Board and card games are then brought out and the whole party joins in or we separate into groups of fewer players. Some of our favourites are Mad Gab and Pictionary for group participation; Clue, Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit for four players each; Yahtzee, Cribbage and Uno for two players.

Nibbles are best made ahead and even better, if easy-peasy start to finish. These Cheese Pennies are one of my favourites. A savory bite-size delight fresh from the oven, they are excellent served with any unsweetened drink and will disappear very quickly.

Cheese Pennies
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
¾ lb Old Cheddar, grated
1 large egg yolk
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon hot mustard powder
¼ teaspoon salt

In a food processor, combine the butter and egg yolk until smooth and creamy. Add the grated cheese and blend well; cheese does not have to be completely incorporated into mixture.

Stir the salt, mustard and flour together until evenly blended.

Add the dry mix to the food processor in one go, clean the sides of the bowl and pulse just until the dough comes together to form a ball. Dough will be very soft; try not to over process or handle too much, as the delicacy of the penny will be compromised.

Ready two sheets of parchment paper. Divide the dough in half, placing each piece on a parchment. Working with one half, gently nudge the dough into a log about an inch to an inch and a half thick, using the parchment paper.

Wrap the log in the parchment and then in plastic wrap: refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours. The logs can be kept up to one week in the fridge or three months in the freezer!

When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 350 F.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Remove logs from the refrigerator or freezer and unwrap. Slice into ¼ inch pieces and arrange on lined baking tray. No need to worry about crowding as the pennies don’t expand much. The longer time is for frozen pennies.

Bake until golden, about 10-13 minutes. Makes about 100 pennies.

Serve slightly warm.

And a few hours later, everyone is ready for:

Christmas Lunch with Crackers and Paper Crowns!

In England, it’s called Christmas Lunch as it is usually served by early afternoon but the traditional dinner can be served at any time, according to games in progress or the amount of treats and drinks served beforehand…or the timing of the bird.

A Christmas Cracker is positioned at each place setting and upon taking a seat at the table, the crackers are pulled with the assistance of a nearby participant. Oohs and aahs are voiced according to the ‘crack’, as the snap is absent if the cracker is not held firmly at the twist.

Cracking is best done before plates are laden as the contents of the cracker may end up in your dinner…there are jokes or riddles, small prizes and a paper crown. Colours usually vary from bright pink to blue, orange to yellow, purple and red. My cousin Katie is pictured here in a fabulous gold crown.

Hats donned, we help ourselves to a platter of sliced goose, a massive bowl of sage and onion stuffing, a covered dish of tender brussell sprouts and glorious oven roasted parsnip and potatoes. A good portion of thick gravy is poured over all, by me at the least.

During the gorgeous meal, riddles are shared and the wee prizes from the crackers displayed: flashlights, key chains, glass charms, tiny roller ball games, plastic insects (much loved by small boys), teeny packs of playing cards and so much more. Gads of fun!

Then for afters, steamed Plum Pudding! Ever on the Christmas menu, I never make this lush stodgy dessert as there are so many excellent puddings available. However, I will suggest plum pudding be served with either clotted cream or vanilla ice cream, as it’s much too rich on its own.

Once the dishes have been cleared, everyone seeks out a place for:

Reading, napping or viewing

Movies are slipped in the DVD players as others take to a comfy chair with a new book. And on this special eve before Christmas, I am feeling especially blessed and grateful as my Medieval Fantasy Romance The King’s Daughter is to be released in print in a few days. On December 30th, it can be ordered at all good bookshops or online everywhere!

THE KING’S DAUGHTER
Samhain Publishing
ISBN 978-1605040240

BLURB:
It is the year 997 AD, in a country broken by warring clans, led by
kings.

The secluded, protected daughter of the King of Munster, Magaith,
must wed a king in a pact of peace and renounce her true love. But
naught is what it seems for sinister plots and deception abound. Thus
begins a journey of discovery as Magaith is introduced to enchanted
beings and animals, spells and powers.

At the heart of her destiny lies the salvation of Eire. Yet, as
Magaith battles the forces of evil, her beloved knight is marked to
die – a dark wizard covets her and will see all dead – if they dare
stand in his path to be High King, with Magaith as his wife.

REVIEWS:
Bestowed with the ultimate 5 Red Roses from Red Roses for Authors
and
Awarded ‘Outstanding Read’ by Simply Romance Reviews:

The King’s Daughter by MC Halliday is a very well-crafted story of what happens when a young woman is sent away to another kingdom and told to marry for her country’s sake, even though what her heart wills would lead her elsewhere. As the book takes place in Eire, the requisite witches and magic are added with what seems to be a very vivid flair to make the story even more breathtaking and exciting…Ms. Halliday is very adept at combining real with otherworldly characters to create an interesting story, with a happy ending for all. I found this book to be very entertaining, definitely an enjoyable read!

Wishing everyone a most glorious celebration, whether shared with family and friends or away from home and perhaps, alone. As times are troubled the world over and many are weary from worry, truly we are in need of heartfelt joy and a wee bit of celebration.

May love and peace be yours, now and through the coming year.

MC Halliday

http://members.shaw.ca/mchalliday

December 23, 2008

An Aussie Christmas

G’Day Everyone, it’s me, Maggie Nash waving to you from Australia!

People in the northern hemisphere often find it hard to relate to Christmas in the great south land. Summer isn’t something you northerners identify with carols, eggnog, roast turkey and tinsel. Well, I’m here to tell you we love our Christmas here in Aussieland…and we remember that the first Christmas was actually in a hot arid country so celebrating in the hot weather isn’t all that strange. Okay, so seeing poor Santa swelter in that heavy red suit and beard in the heat is a little weird I guess, but hey, we watch TV…we see how you guys do it! We don’t want to be left out….LOL…

To be honest the traditions here are changing. It has a lot to do with our climate, and a lot to do with our multicultural country. As a child I lived in a society where most people were of a European background. Hence we celebrated much like a family from England or from the USA…minus the snow of course. Now we are a more eclectic society. Our neighbours are from Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong….plus we still have our Irish, English and European heritage. It’s quite a melting pot really.

So now we combine our traditions. We might have lobster and prawns, and then plum pudding. Some still have turkey and ham and all the trimmings. Some have a barbeque on the beach. Anything goes.

What doesn’t change is that it’s bl**dy hot! So I try to have something cooling but still Christmassy enough to be a special occasion.

Here is my recipe for Ice Cream Christmas Pudding. It’s absolutely delicious, if I say so myself.:)

Ingredients
1 litre tub of chocolate ice cream
500g mixed dried fruit
100 g glace cherries (optional)
100g choc bits
25 mls brandy or rum
500g good quality choc buttons (dark or milk)
250g white chocolate buttons
sprig of holly to decorate

Method
Leave the chocolate ice cream out to soften until it is able to be stirred.

In another bowl, combine the fruit and cherries. Leave aside

Line a pudding bowl with clear plastic wrap.

Melt the chocolate buttons ( in a double boiler, or microwave)

Add a small amount of the brandy or rum to the chocolate and stir. It now becomes hard, in a play dough sort of texture.

Put the chocolate mixture into the prepared pudding bowl and mould it around the sides until you have completely lined the bowl with the chocolate. Place it in the freezer for a few minutes.

Mix the fruit and the choc bits into the ice cream and pour it into the pudding bowl over the chocolate lining. Bring the cling wrap back over the top and wrap.

Place the bowl in the freezer and let it refreeze. Preferably overnight, but at least 4 hours.

To serve, pull the pudding out of the bowl with the plastic wrap. Up end it onto a serving plate. Melt the white chocolate and pour it over the frozen pudding and it will harden. It looks like custard.

Decorate with a sprig of holly…and voila!

Christmas pudding Aussie style.

And if you want to get a look at what some sexy Aussies get up to all over the country, then go out and buy yourself a copy of BOYS DOWN UNDER!

It’s available NOW from Aspen Mountain Press
www.aspenmountainpress.com

Here’s the blurb from my story in the anthology

The Executioner – By Maggie Nash

Blurb

A team building exercise at a remote location reignites the heat between former lovers Madeleine Smith and Nicholas Garabaldi. When team members start dying they must learn to trust again so they can outwit whoever is killing off the group one by one. Is this the “Executioner” from the indigenous Dream Time legend of the local Bilbulmun tribe? Or is someone closer to home responsible?

So to everyone, best wishes for the holiday season, however you celebrate it!

Lots of Love,

Maggie
www.maggienash.com

December 22, 2008

TIZ THE SEASON

Hi All,

First, I’d like to thank Sloane for having me as her guest. We’ve had a heck of a time getting together for me to blog on her site. My computer crashed on our previous dates, but she has been kind enough to give me another chance…

I’m Tabitha Shay, author of the Winslow Witches of Salem series, paranormal romances. Book three was recently released, Witch’s Moon with book four, Witch’s Magic, scheduled for release in 2009.

I’m also the author of the Montana Men series, contemporary western romances under the pen name of Jaydyn Chelcee.

I hope you’ll scope out my website for the book covers, reviews and the beautiful artwork and Bios of some of my witchy characters.

Now to some holiday traditions…

When I was a kid growing up, Christmas at our house was always a rowdy time of year. Our tradition, no matter the weather, was to go hunt for a live tree every year. We all traipsed through the woods, forcing our way past knee deep snow in search of the perfect tree. Then we strung popcorn, acorns, berries, and crepe paper chains and decorated the tree. It was the best times of our lives.

I was the eldest of nine kids and though we were poor as church mice, I can never remember going without or not getting what I asked for from Santa. I think Mama and Daddy had their own tradition of making certain we kids got exactly what we wanted during the holidays. I remember one Christmas in particular…I had hit my teenage years and Daddy asked me what I wanted for Christmas. Being a teenager, I wanted a phonograph and .45 records. Daddy hedged asking, “Wouldn’t you rather have a new bike?”

Now of course, I had no idea my parents had already done their shopping and they’d bought each of us kids a new bike, and I’m sure it took every last dime they had to do that. I wanted a record player and I stuck to my guns…On Christmas morning, to my surprise, I had both a new bike and a record player. It was the best Christmas I ever had and I can tell you, I wore out both items…lol.

Another tradition we had was that as soon as the first big snow fell, we made Snow Ice Cream. If there was snow, it was a given that we would have snow cream…

I’d give most anything if I could turn back the pages to these days of lighthearted fun and laughter. Yes, times were hard, but enjoyed each other. With a family our size, it was either have fun together or an all out war…lol…anyway, I thought I’d share our family recipe for Snow Ice Cream:

SNOW ICE CREAM

A dishpan filled with sparkling clean snow
Add a half gallon of milk
A can of cream
2 eggs
A teaspoon of vanilla
Add sugar and sweeten to taste
Add more snow if it needs to be thicker
Sprinkle cinnamon on top of each bowl or add choclate syrup or any flavored syrups.

Now for the blurb and an excerpt from my latest release:

NO HOLDS BARRED
Book Two in Montana Men series.
Eternal Press

BLURB:
Rimrock—Home of the Montana men and the women who tame them.

Professional horse trainer Kaycee Spencer decides to relocate when she becomes the target of an insane stalker. She chooses remote Rimrock, Montana where no one can find her.

Jace Remington, co-owner of the Dancing Star Ranch, refuses to allow women around his thoroughbreds—females are nothing but trouble with a capital ‘T’—that is, until he meets Kaycee Spencer, a woman who crashes into his peaceful life with trouble close on her heels.

Set against the backdrop of the rugged mountains of Montana, Kaycee and Jace discover that if they are going to survive the vicious serial killer stalking Kaycee, they will have to learn to trust each other.

No Holds Barred, a roller-coaster ride of murder, romance, and the discovery love might conquer all.

EXCERPT:
She stole another quick glance of the cowboy and felt warmth creep into her cheeks. Ohmigod! Kaycee stared at the bill he’d just slipped under her glass. Shit! He thought she was a hooker! The dress! The freakin’ dress! She snatched up the bill and dropped it in his beer mug. “You’re wasting your time, Mister.”

He eyed her as if he thought she’d lost her mind.

“How much?” he asked quietly.

“Nothing! I don’t charge!”

He lifted a brow as if to say, Oh, you’re giving ‘it’ away?

“I—I mean—I’m not a—a—”

“My apologies, I misunderstood.” He fished the money out of his beer, shook off the excess liquid and shoved it in his shirt pocket.

Yeah, the dress, it was definitely too provocative.

Desperate to control the nervous flutter in her stomach, she downed the liquor in the tumbler in one hasty gulp—and swallowed liquid fire. The rich, amber liquid seared the back of her throat, blazed a path to her stomach, and lit a torch to her blood.

Ohmigod!

Her eyes watered. Her breath escaped her lungs in several fierce wheezes, joined by the most peculiar suction noises she’d ever heard, then her throat abruptly closed. No wheezes. No suctions. No air. Nothing but dead air space remained between her ears and her lungs.

“Uuuuh. Uuuuh.” She tried sucking in a lungful of air. No go. Oh God, she was going to explode or implode, she wasn’t sure which, but the ploy to remain unruffled was lost along with her ability to breathe. She gasped, coughed and thought she just might flop over onto the floor and have a seizure.

“Are you all right?”

His voice, laced with a rich drawl steeped with the flavor of the Old West—and spoken far too close to her ear, sounded like heaven’s idea of black velvet seduction. He leaned closer. His movement brought him so near, the rim of his Stetson brushed her hair. It shrouded them in a shadow of false intimacy.

She tilted back her head, startled to find herself looking directly into his onyx gaze. It was something of a shock to feel his warm hand glide across the bare skin on her back. More shocking to realize he was gently stroking her spine. Oh, shit!

A jolt of physical awareness shot through her. The caress was oddly soothing, as though he was gentling her to his touch. Breaking her in like a mare he planned to ride hard, she thought cynically.

Kaycee jerked away as if a bolt of lightning had struck her.

“Easy, honey,” he whispered soothingly. He carefully tucked a stray curl behind her ear, then grinned. Deep dimples appeared in his right cheek. “I never harm kids, dogs, horses, or beautiful ladies.”

Well, guess that’s it for me…Again, Thank You, Sloane for being so patient…I’ll place each person’s name who leaves a comment today into a hat and hold a drawing tonight at 6pm, CST…that lucky person gets their choice of one of my books, so be sure and scope out my website at http://www.tabithashay.com

Happy Holidaze,

Tabitha Shay
www.tabithashay.com

December 20, 2008

Christmas in the Homeland

That’s the UK Homeland *lol*. I’m Clare London and I live in London, England, and always have done. I was born on the South coast at Brighton, moved to Surrey when I was 10 and have lived hereabouts ever since.

The familiarity of Christmas is both a delight and a burden, I find.

On the one hand, I love the way all our tree ornaments have a history to them. I love the way the kids expect things to happen at the same time, in the same place as every year since they were born. And I love the glitter and lights that spring up everywhere to celebrate, even if it seems to happen earlier every year.

But on the other hand, we can’t suggest going somewhere warm for Christmas to our children – we can’t suggest going *anywhere* different. I only weaned everyone off Midnight Mass a few years ago, when it stopped being either fun or a religious pleasure. And every year, Hubby suggests we eat something different, as he enjoys cooking new dishes – but you can imagine how that’s greeted!

This year, however, there *will* be changes.
My sister is visiting friends in South Africa. She’s been before, and she gets distraught at the thought of not being here for Christmas Day itself, but we manage quite happily, just celebrating on a much lower key and having a *second* Christmas in the New Year when she gets back.

The kids are older – Son#1 will be carousing his way through the season with his own friends now he’s adult, and Son#2 is attending a drama course, at the end of which they’ll put on a Christmas play for us all.

And Mother-in-law has said she can’t face cooking the mince pies for us all. So I’m doing them! Maybe my Pastry Hands have learned new skills over the years (or maybe I’ll buy some *LOL*).

We start celebrations on Christmas Eve – I’m working up until lunch time.

Then the local church has a children’s celebration in the afternoon, where they all run up and down the aisle with tea cloths over their heads, playing ‘shepherd’, and attempt to set fire to their siblings with the lighted Christingle oranges, while we adults valiantly sing Little Donkey (not without the odd tear, I must say). Son#2 will be singing solo with a couple of friends, so for me the hanky will come out yet again.

On Christmas Day we’ll go to Mass in the morning, then over to my mother and stepfather’s for late lunch.

It’ll be roast turkey of course, and maybe roasted ham as well. Son#2 likes the cocktail sausages wrapped in bacon that are placed around it as it cooks: Son#1 is permanently hungry so he’ll just inhale the stuff as fast as we can get it on the plate. Serve up with roast potatoes – maybe mashed as well – beans, carrots and brussel sprouts. Thick gravy with the meat juices (Hubby’s speciality), and with sides of bread sauce and cranberry sauce. Dessert is Christmas pudding, covered in brandy which Son#1 sets alight and we all take cover. Then it’s served up with either custard or cream and/or brandy butter.

Hopefully we’re all finished in time to watch the Queen’s speech on TV at 3pm, then we lie around like beached whales discussing whether or not she looks good in green, moaning how there’s never anything good on TV at Christmas, and mourning the passing of the Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show. We’ll end up watching the Sound of Music for the umpteenth time, then when lunch has settled, eat cold turkey sandwiches (my favourite) and eat (hopefully) my mince pies. And – for those who don’t like mincemeat, like ME – I’ll have made some little apple pies too.

I will, of course, be online for most of the time, whether surfing the net or writing *lol*. Visit my four Christmas stories if you get a chance, on Sloane’s blog Dec 4, and on my website as below.

And a very happy, healthy and harmonious Holiday to you all, whatever or however you get through the season.

Clare London, Author
Writing… Man to Man

http://www.darkpearldiva.com

http://www.myspace.com/clarelondon

http://claredivatoo.livejournal.com/

December 19, 2008

Do you like it spicy?

Try some Chili Verde Christmas morning over your eggs with a side of Tortillas. I have a recipe that actually is two in one. And the best thing is, it makes enough to freeze for more meals!

Hi Everyone, I’m Mary Martinez from Utah and wanted to share a family favorite with you.

The first thing I do is take a Kirkland pork sirloin tip roast (other brands will work, too) and cook it in the crock pot all day. When it’s done I cut off a chunk and weigh it until I have 16 oz (1 lb) and put it in the fridge. Then with what is left I either have a pork dinner with potatoes, etc or I make Zatarains Red beans and rice with the rest of the pork pulled/shredded into the beans and rice.

Then the next day I do my Verde.

I pull/shred with my fingers the 16 oz pulled pork into the crock pot.

Then I add the following:

3 – 28 oz. cans Las Palmas Green chili enchilada sauce
1 ¾ cup chopped green bell pepper
1 ¾ cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped jalapeños
¾ cup chopped red hot peppers
1 ¾ cup chopped onion
½ tsp chili powder or to taste

I cook on low for about 3 hours

I usually want to thicken it so I scoop out liquid into a bowl and mix it with flour (optional). I use a fork to stir until creamy and not lumpy. Then I add it to the pot of Verde and cook for another hour on low.

I serve with rice and refried beans and tortilla’s and shredded cheese.

Nutrition w/flour
Serving size 1 cup
Calories 124
Total Fat 6 grams
Saturated fat 0 grams
Trans fat 0 grams
Cholesterol 19 mg
Sodium 768 mg
Total carbohydrate 13grams
Dietary fiber 3 grams
Sugars 2 grams
Protein 8 grams
Vit. A 11%
Vit. C 68%
Calcium 1 %
Iron 4 %
(% based on daily requirements)

Nutrition – same recipe without added flour to thicken
1 cup serving
Calories 112
Total Fat 6 grams
Saturated fat 0 grams
Trans fat 0 grams
Cholesterol 19 mg
Sodium 802 mg
Total carbohydrate 10 grams
Dietary fiber 3 grams
Sugars 2 grams
Protein 7 grams
Vit. A 11%
Vit. C 71%
Calcium 1 %
Iron 3 %
(% based on daily requirements)

Relaxing with a good book is ideal while your cock pot does all the work for this perfect breakfast to spice up your morning!

MEET ME IN FANTASYLAND
Aspen Mountain Press

BLURB:
Rissa isn’t as surprised as she should be that her husband left her. She’d had an idea for a few years he wasn’t being faithful. She’d buried her head in the sand for the sake of the twins. He left her four month’s earlier, and now he’s asked her to clear all of his possessions out of their home and do with them what she wants. As she boxes everything for Good Will she comes across her old diaries. In them she finds her entry of the pact she made with Robert, Bobby, Graham to meet in Twenty-five years. That date is in two weeks. Would he be there?

Rob Graham has loved Rissa for as long as he remembered. When they’d been in high school she’d only thought of him as a buddy, the brother she never had. Would she remember their pact? If she did, would she be there?

Hope you enjoy the recipes. Happy Holidays!

See what Mary has going at www.marymartinez.com

Newsletter http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Marys_Books_and_Such/

Mary’s Margarita Reviews http://marysbooksblogger.blogspot.com

http://www.myspace.com/marylmartinez

December 17, 2008

The Tempting World of Lena Austin

Today we have the incomparable Lena Austin who is a “fallen” society wench with a checkered past. She has been a licensed minister, hairdresser, and realtor, radio DJ, exotic dancer, telephone service tech, live-steel medievalist swordswoman, BDSM Mistress, and investment property manager. Not necessarily in that order.

She never finished that degree in archaeology, but did learn to scuba. After a life like that, gardening is pretty restful. Of herself, Lena writes, “I’m tall, presently red-haired, and I look like an unholy mating between an Amazon and a librarian.” But she sure can cook!

Here are two of Lena’s Holiday favorites to tease your sweet tooth:

Eggnog Truffles
Source: 2006 Yearbook at http://www.Wilton.com

Ingredients:
• 1 pkg (14 oz.) White Candy Melts® coarsely chopped
• Dark Cocoa Candy Melts® melted, or
• Light Cocoa Candy Melts® melted, or
• White Candy Melts®
• 1/4 cup prepared eggnog
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg ground (Freshly grated is best)
• Christmas Sprinkles Assortment

In microwave safe container or on top of stove, melt Candy Melts with eggnog and cream. Stir in nutmeg. Pour into shallow pan. Refrigerate 1-2 hours or overnight until firm but pliable. Roll into 1-inch balls. Dip into melted candy; roll in sprinkles.

Makes: Each truffle serves 1. Makes about 5 dozen candies.

Red Velvet Cheesecake

For the Crust:
1 ½ cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup butter, melted
1 TBSP granulated sugar

For the Filling:
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 TBSP unsweetened cocoa
1 cup sour cream
½ cup whole buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp distilled white vinegar
2 (1 oz) bottles red food coloring

For the Topping:
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup butter, at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Crust:
Stir together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and 1 TBSP sugar; press mixture onto bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan.

For the Filling:
Beat together cream cheese and sugar at medium low speed with an electric mixer 1 minute.
Add eggs, unsweetened cocoa, sour cream, buttermilk, vanilla extract, vinegar and food coloring. Mix on low speed just until fully combined.
Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake at 325F for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 300F, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until center is firm.
Run knife along outer edge of cheese. Turn oven off and let cheesecake stand in oven 30 minutes.
Remove cheesecake from oven; cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 m minutes.
Cover and chill for 8 hours.

For the topping:
Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth; gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until smooth.
Remove cheesecake from refrigerator and spread topping evenly over top of cheesecake.
Remove sides of spring form. Garnish if desired.
Source: Southern Living Christmas Cookbook

While you’re indulging yourself with these tasty treats cruise on over to Lena’s website for more great recipes and a look at her soon to be released YULE FIRE from Aspen Mountain Press.

BLURB:
Belle is hiding her multi-millionaire preschooler from the press. Jacques is hiding his business dealings and playing the reluctant war hero Belle must host as a promo stunt for her magazine. All they both want is a quiet holiday season in each other’s arms, but not if Belle’s obnoxious boss has his way.

What are a witch and a war hero to do but become co-conspirators, determined to have a little food and fun with no strings attached? But Someone else has plans for them both that go beyond the holiday season.

Lena Austin

http://lenaaustin.com/

http://depravedduchess.blogspot.com/

December 15, 2008

Hellooooo Dollies!

G’ morning!

Celia Kyle here and the first to kick off Sloane’s series of yummy holliday sharing and I can’t wait to give ya’ll the low down on one of my traditions.

Now, first, you have to recognize what an accomplishment it is for me to even COOK.  Like, ever.  For example, my typical holiday feast consists of a ham from the Honey Baked Ham Company (yes, a company that sells fully cooked hams, woot!), boxed mashed potatoes, boxed stuffing, bottled gravy, canned cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes.

Notice a trend?  Celia, she does not cook.  However, there is always one exception to every rule and for me, that’s Hello Dollies.

Ingredient Group 1:

1 Cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
1/2 stick butter Melted

Ingredient Group 2:

1 1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips – Semisweet
1 Cup Chopped Walnuts
1 Cup Coconut – Shredded
1 Can Eagle Brand Condensed Milk

Combine the Graham Cracker Crumbs and melted Butter, mixing thouroghly and then press into a 9′ x 11′ pan.  Then, sprinkle the ingredients listed in group 2 in the order which they appear above.  First, Chocolate Chips followed by Walnuts and finally the Coconut.  Then, pour the can of condensed milk over it all and press down with a spoon (the back) to make sure it’s all snuggly in there.  Then, bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Voila!  Take one bite and you’ll be shouting “Hello Dolly” right along with me this holiday season.

And for those you who may be as clueless as I was when I started making these… you can buy a box of graham cracker crumbs at the grocery store.  You know, instead of using a plastic bag and rolling pin to crush your own…  Not that I ever did that or anything. 

Now if you’d like an interesting holiday cocktail, why not try…

SILK PANTIES

Ingredients
1/2 oz Peach Schnapps
1 1/2 oz Vodka
1 Sexy woman with a penchant for silk

Lisa Bradenton is breaking out of her shell. What better way to take a walk on the wild-one-night-stand-side than a visit to the infamous Del Fantasma? At the urging of her friends, Lisa goes to the bar with the hopes of finding a lover to take her mind off her ex-boyfriend. Soon after walking through the doors she’s overwhelmed by the sexy bartender who has a quick smile, sexy eyes and deep rumbling voice. He is definitely one-night stand material. Definitely.

Jonathan and his inner beast crave the sexy, sultry and curvy siren’s touch. A smile and good conversation aren’t enough for him. Even after he’s gotten her in his bed, he still craves everything about the seductress. Her looks reeled him in, but her uncertainty and open nature snare him forever. But after one night of bliss, she disappears. What the hell is he supposed to do now? Lisa is his mate and without her, he’s lost.

Buy it NOW from Aspen Mountain Press!

Happy holidays!!!!

Celia

http://www.celiakyle.com/