October 26, 2010

Buono Mangiare!

As you all know, it’s rare for me to post a restaurant review. Today, I have to.

Studs and I had the pleasure of dining at Merlo La Salumeria, which translates to The Delicatessen, on Chicago’s north side. The restaurant was new to us, but it was Italian so we knew it had to be good. Good didn’t begin to cover it.

The smiling staff welcomed us the moment we walked into the intimate dining room with modern Italian décor of pale, warm colors and subdued lighting, creating an instant sensation of coming home. Crisp white tablecloths and napkins and a menu to die for made us want to nestle in and never leave.

Our server arrived and introduced herself. Being the pro that she is, Jacqueline had extensive knowledge about the menu and wine card. She offered suggestions to create a dinner we’ll long remember. With her friendly manner, Jacqueline turned a good evening into a perfect night.

With Jacqueline’s guidance our first plates were handmade tortelloni filled with ricotta di pecora in Bolognese ragu and handmade ravioli filled with ricotta di pecora, and parsley, tossed with a lighly spiced beef, pork and chicken ragu then topped with pecorino di pienza. The pasta melted in our mouths.

The main course was organic pork tenderloin medallions pan seared with white wine, pink and green pepper, and served with glazed Granny Smith apples. The flavorful meat was fork-tender, nothing like I’d ever had before.

We also shared a plate of asparagus with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper which were scrumptious.

The desserts were tempting, but we decided cappucinos would be best after a superb meal.

Besides awesome food, another bonus to this topnotch eatery are the pleasant, helpful servers and crew who never slack. Without being intrusive, they work hard with a minimal amount of noise. It’s noticeable and much appreciated.

What good is a review without pictures? It’s not. I freely admit “borrowing” these from the Merlo La Salumeria website. Below are two pastas to set your mouth watering.

Luisa Silvia, the Executive Chef and owner, is a marvel. Each day fresh pastas, sauces and ragus are prepared under her talented guidance.

The tastes are amazing. Believe me – you’ll never want another boxed noodle or jarred sauce in your life.

Open for dinner, the Salumeria offers a huge variety of recipes including salads, pastas, meats and fish entrees along with carryout. Next time you’re in Chicago, be sure to share a meal at this wonderful establishment.

When you go, be sure to ask for Jacqueline – the lady is a treasure.

Merlo La Salumeria
2638 N Lincoln Avenue, Chicago
Phone: (773) 529-0747

I’ll be back tomorrow. Until then…

Happy Writing!

Sloane Taylor
Sweet as Honey…Hotter than Hell

October 11, 2010

Heat Things Up with P.A. Brown

Along with writing mysteries that keep you on the edge of your seat, P.A. Brown is a terrific cook. Here’s a hot recipe to ward off the coming cold weather. P.A.’s notes are italicized.

Pat’s Beanless Crockpot Chili

½ lb bacon, cooked crisp
2 lbs ground meat – can be lean beef, chicken, turkey or pork, or a mixture. Exotic meats can be used as well – venison, buffalo, etc.
2 28 oz cans of whole tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
Chopped hot peppers to taste – for no heat, use green bell peppers
Carrots, shredded fine
Chili powder to taste
2 tbsp cocoa powder – should be at least 70% cocoa
salt and pepper to taste
Bottle of dark beer – stout, porter or brown

Optional Additions to include before deglazing
Roasted kernel corn
Mushrooms, chopped
Grilled tomatoes, chopped
Grilled peppers, chopped

Toppings
1 cup of sour cream – Plain yogurt can be substituted for the sour cream
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese – I like sharp, 2-3 year old cheddar, but any cheese will do
Chopped cilantro if you like

Directions
Cook bacon till crisp. Drain on paper towel.

Use bacon grease to cook ground meat until it begins to brown, remove from pan and put in crock pot. If there’s a lot of fat, drain most of it. Add all other ingredients, including any of the optional additions you like, to crock pot.

Use beer to deglaze the meat pan, then pour into crock pot, scrapping the bottom of the pan.

Stir cock pot well with a wooden spoon. Cook on high for half an hour, then turn to low and let it simmer all day if you want.

Serve with corn bread, garlic bread, or crusty rolls. Top with grated cheese, sour cream, cilantro if used.

This chili is wonderful with fries and cheese for chili fries. Or topping a hamburger.

Freezes very well. Could be kept for up to 6 months. This one only gets better with age.
While this superb chili is simmering, enjoy a few chapters of P.A. Brown’s Between Darkness and Light available at MLR Press.

Here’s a small clue about the book:
Detective Russell Hunter emerges from darkness to meet fine artist Stephen Fischer, darling of the Los Angeles art world. Can these two unravel the mystery surrounding the death of two of L.A’s art critics before Stephen becomes the next victim.

The downtown Los Angeles financial center is the heart of this thrilling murder mystery and the unwanted love that grows between a cop with a dark secret in his troubled past and an up and coming world class artist.

Learn more about P.A. Brown and the vacation from hell on her website

I’ll be back Wednesday with KC Kendriks. Until then…

Happy Writing!

Sloane Taylor
Sweet as Honey…Hotter than Hell

October 4, 2010

P.A. Brown’s Goodies for All to Try

Not only does reknown author P.A. Brown create unforgettable stories, she also concocts mouth-watering goodies. Below are two of P.A.’s recipes to entice you. We tried them and Studs couldn’t get enough.

Berry Crunch Muffins

1/2 C Lowfat granola
1 C whole-wheat flour
1 C all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg
3/4 C orange, grape juice or cranberry
1/4, C vegetable oil (canola, corn, peanut, etc)
2/3 C light brown sugar
3 tbsp Dutch cocoa (at least 70% cocoa)
1 tsp grated lemon zest (or if using orange juice use orange zest)
1 1/2 C fresh or frozen blueberries or cranberries
1/4 C flaxseed
1 tsp Vanilla

Pre-heat oven to 400 F. Coat muffin pans – 12-16, or mini pans – with cooking spray. Crush granola to eliminate larger chunks.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, flax and salt in a large bowl.
In medium bowl whisk juice, egg, oil, vanilla, zest and sugar and blend until sugar dissolved.

Add liquid to dry mixture. Fold in until just moist, do not over blend. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full, sprinkle with enough granola to cover top of muffin. Pat down so granola adheres.

Bake until tops are golden brown and center comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. Remove from pan, cool and cover.

Added note from P.A.: These are great warm. they’re crunchier when fresh, but still taste great the next day. Word of warning, these are very crumbly. I don’t advise eating over a keyboard.

While these tasty muffins are baking, it’s a perfect time to read a few chapters from FOREST OF CORPSES. If you don’t have a copy yet, you can purchase one at MLR Press

Another great recipe for a fun Sunday night is P.A.’s Pizza.

Pat’s Pizza

SAUCE
1 28 oz can of whole tomatoes
3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
½ small white onion, chopped fine
6-8 large basil leaves, chopped fine
Large bunch of fresh oregano, chopped fine or 2 tbsp dried oregano

You can even slip in things like finely grated carrots, or flaxseed into the sauce.

DOUGH
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose white
1 tsp salt
¼ cup virgin olive oil
1 cup warm water
1 pkg yeast
1tsp sugar
¼ cup corn meal

TOPPINGS (some possiblities)
Fresh mushrooms, chopped
Pepperoni, sliced thin
Peppers (green, yellow, red)
Ham
Fresh tomatoes
Sausage
Onions
Pineapple
Bacon
Anchovies
Chicken
Spinach
Olives
Garlic
Zucchini
Broccoli
Basil leaves
Roast peppers or tomatoes
Anything else you can think of

½ – ¾ cup Mozzarella cheese, grated
¼ cup Parmigiana cheese, grated fine

INSTRUCTIONS

For the best results, make the sauce the day before. Blend tomatoes, garlic, onion, basil and oregano. I use a food processor or blender. A hand held blender will work, too. Do not over blend. There should be some texture to the sauce. Cover and refrigerate at least overnight to blend flavors. DO NOT COOK.

For dough, add yeast and sugar to warm water. The best temperature is just warm to the touch. Let stand for 10 minutes in warm place. Add flour and salt to large bowl. Blend well. Add water and yeast. Add oil and mix well. Turn dough out onto a dry, floured surface, knead for at least 10 minutes. Add flour as needed until dough is no longer sticky. Form into a ball and place in a clean, oiled bowl. Cover with damp cloth and put in warm, draft free place. (I put it in the oven with the oven light on) Let rise for at least 2 hours or until dough has doubled in size.

Heat oven to 450 F. If you have a pizza stone, put it in the oven now.

Divide the dough into 3 even pieces. Roll into balls. On floured surface, knead dough into a disk. I use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 14” circle. It can also be stretched by hand. (I’ve never mastered the art of throwing dough) On a 14” pizza pan, spray with non-stick cooking spray or oil. Dust with corn meal. Fold dough in half, place it on pizza pan and make sure it goes to the edges. Let sit for fifteen minutes. Using a fork poke holes in dough so it doesn’t puff up in oven.

Precook dough for 5 minutes (this helps ensure it doesn’t get soggy from the sauce). Remove from oven. Do this with each piece of dough. Three 14” pizzas can be made (thin crust) or two thick crust or several pie pan individual pizzas. Bake each one for 5 minutes.

Using small ladle or large spoon, spread at least half a cup of sauce on dough (you can use less if you want. I like a lot of sauce with my pizzas). Top with ½ cup of cheese. Layer ingredients over top of cheese. Add another ½ cup of cheese. Sprinkle a couple of teaspoons of parmigiana.

Either using a pizza paddle, or a pizza pan, slide the pizza on the stone. Let cook for 10 minutes, check and rotate. Cook until cheese bubbles and begins to brown. Remove from oven and put on pizza pan sprinkled with corn meal. Let sit for 5 minutes, slice as desired.

A few notes from P.A.:
*Whole canned tomatoes are freshest – they only undergo 1 cooking, whereas chopped, pureed or crushed are all cooked a second time.
**All whole wheat can be used though the texture will be slightly heavier. Non-bleached white, or all white flour can also be used.
***Sauce can be frozen and kept for up to four months. Sauce can also be used with panzarotti, lasagna, as a dip for mozzarella sticks, pizza rolls, or anything a good tomato sauce can be put on. English muffins, crusty rolls, pita bread, tortillas, and flat bread can be substituted for the home made crust.
****A variety of cheeses can be used – including, but not limited to goat, asiago, Monterey Jack, cheddar, feta, blue cheese. Several types of cheese can be blended.
**** Good quality fresh Parmigiana is worth the higher price. At all costs, avoid the canned Parmesan. It’s flavorless.

One pie feeds 2-4 people. Wrap leftovers with Saran Wrap. Will keep a day or two in the fridge, but frankly, it’s not as good the next day. This is one meal that tastes best fresh.

P.A. Also says: My favorite pizza pans are the ones with holes. Other equipment to have if you make pizza regularly include a pizza wheel, pizza stone and pizza paddle. The stone and paddle can also be used to bake bread as well.

With a pizza stone this could also be cooked on a barbecue.

Now’s a good time to read P.A.’s hit book GEOGRAPHY OF MURDER. Click HERE to learn more. You can also catch up with P.A. Brown on her website.

I’ll be back on Wednesday with the popular Ginger Simpson. Until then…

Happy Writing!

Sloane Taylor
Sweet as Honey…Hotter than Hell

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