Greek Salad Skewers

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WORD TO THE WISE, the tenth book in the Library Lover’s Mystery series by Jenn McKinlay, weaves in the creepy issue of stalking into a well-plotted mystery. It’s always a pleasure sitting down and catching up with the characters in this long-enduring series and this new release didn’t disappoint. Protagonist Lindsey Norris is the library director at the Briar Creek Public Library in Connecticut. I so enjoy the interaction she has with her staff, all well-developed characters on their own. Sweet Beth, the children’s librarian, brings lighthearted fun to the story and I admire the close friendship she has with Lindsey. It’s been rewarding watching the characters grow and develop, especially Mrs. Cole, aka The Lemon.

When the stalker increases his attentions toward Lindsey as she plans her wedding, her friends and co-workers provide support and try to protect her from harm. Ms. McKinlay ups the suspense by portraying the ways people can excuse or dismiss the behavior of stalkers and how it can turn deadly for the victim. Except in this story, the stalker ends up being murdered and Lindsey’s fiancé, Mike Sullivan, becomes a suspect. While the perpetrator wasn’t difficult to guess, there were some twists that kept the book entertaining and kept me turning pages.

One of the fun events included in each of the books in this series is the library’s Crafternoon events: a combination of crafts, book club, and shared food all in one. It’s a time for friends, new and old, to come together and forge stronger bonds. I love how Ms. McKinlay includes a book club list of questions for a book the group reads, directions for a craft, and a couple recipes at the back of the book. I decided to make her appetizer recipe for Greek Salad Skewers. Light and refreshing, these mini appetizers are quick to make and provide a fun, healthy way to satisfy guests’ appetites before serving a meal. Simple ingredients threaded onto cute bamboo skewers make presentation a snap, and since they can be done ahead of time, frees up your time to spend with friends.

 

Light and refreshing, Greek Salad Skewers are mini appetizers that are quick to make and provide a fun, healthy way to satisfy pre-dinner appetites. Recipe shared with permission granted by Jenn McKinlay, author of WORD TO THE WISE.

 

Amazon Synopsis

Lindsey Norris is finally getting married to the man of her dreams–but it’s not all roses for Briar Creek’s beloved library director, as gardening enthusiast and town newcomer Aaron Grady gives the term “book lover” a whole new meaning. Inappropriate looks and unwelcome late-night visits to Lindsey’s house have everyone from the crafternooners to Lindsey’s fiancé, Sully, on edge.

When Grady’s dead body is found staged outside the library and all the clues point to Sully, Lindsey knows it’s up to her to dig through the hidden chapters of Grady’s previous life to find the real culprit and clear Sully’s name. But becoming a thorn in the killer’s side is not without its consequences, and the closer Lindsey gets to the truth, the more determined the murderer is to make her just a footnote.

 

 

 

 

A special thanks to Jenn McKinlay for providing one winner with a hardcover copy of WORD TO THE WISE. Contest ends Sunday, September 22, 2019 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

 

 

 

 

Light and refreshing, Greek Salad Skewers are mini appetizers that are quick to make and provide a fun, healthy way to satisfy pre-dinner appetites. Recipe shared with permission granted by Jenn McKinlay, author of WORD TO THE WISE.

Print
Greek Salad Skewers
Ingredients
  • 1 big block of feta (about 12 ounces), cut into 12 cubes
  • 1 bottle Greek salad dressing
  • 12 pitted Kalamata olives
  • 12 cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cucumber, cut into 12 large cubes
  • 12 6-inch wooden skewers
  • Flaky sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Fresh dill
Instructions

  1. Marinate the feta cubes in the Greek dressing.

  2. Take a skewer and slide on a cube of cheese, a Kalamata olive, a cherry tomato, and a cucumber cube.

  3. Make 12 skewers. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and dill to taste. Offer extra salad dressing on the side.

Light and refreshing, Greek Salad Skewers are mini appetizers that are quick to make and provide a fun, healthy way to satisfy pre-dinner appetites. Recipe shared with permission granted by Jenn McKinlay, author of WORD TO THE WISE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Light and refreshing, Greek Salad Skewers are mini appetizers that are quick to make and provide a fun, healthy way to satisfy pre-dinner appetites. Recipe shared with permission granted by Jenn McKinlay, author of WORD TO THE WISE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you receive my blog post via email you will need to visit my website to view the video.

 

I was provided an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

 

Light and refreshing, Greek Salad Skewers are mini appetizers that are quick to make and provide a fun, healthy way to satisfy pre-dinner appetites. Recipe shared with permission granted by Jenn McKinlay, author of WORD TO THE WISE.

Ninette’s Rum Raisin Cake with Rum Frosting

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FATAL CAJUN FESTIVAL, the fifth book in the Cajun Country Mysteries by Ellen Byron, is another entertaining addition to an award-winning series! The reader is treated to a music festival, Cajun-style, in Pelican, Louisiana. Ms. Byron is effective at writing highly visual scenes that tantalized my senses as I turned the pages. The sounds of the zydeco bands, the tastes of the Cajun food served at the festival booths, the sights of the bayou and plantation homes, and the sticky feel of humidity in the hot months of summer were brought to life. The protagonist, Maggie Crozat, and her family own the Crozat Plantation turned bed and breakfast. Local girl turned famous and her backup band have taken over the Crozat’s B & B while in town to perform. The Pelican native, Tammy Barker, seems to have let fame go to her head, yet she can’t let go her grudge against a high school mate, one of Maggie’s close friends. This ramps the drama up and provides a subplot that weaves together with the mystery.

Despite the angst going on in the story, the author manages to create humorous scenes to lighten the mood involving Maggie’s family. I especially loved Maggie’s feisty grand-mère, who just so happens to be the instigator of the festival and has been known to quote, “It’s Louisiana chère. When do we not celebrate?” I appreciate that Ms. Byron has created a close-knit, supportive family for the protagonist, with both her parents and grand-mère, and captures the vernacular of the characters. And of course I can’t pass up mention of Maggie’s fiancé, Bo, Pelican’s handsome detective. It was refreshing to see that Bo respects Maggie’s intelligence and actually asks for her input, realizing she has access to information that people won’t share with him.

I’ll have to admit I thought I knew who the victim was going to be, but Ms. Byron threw in a twist that kept me on my toes the rest of the book. Not only was I uncertain if the victim was the intended target, but who were viable suspects. The twists and turns kept me glued to the pages to see how the author would fit the puzzle pieces together in a convincing mystery. And fit them together she did, with an unforeseen curveball that left me thinking about the story long after it was over.

Maggie’s mother creates quite a few delectable dishes to serve at the family’s B & B, plus Maggie herself is in charge of creating the pralines to serve at the family’s booth at the festival. So many mentions of yummy regional food had my mouth watering. Luckily for the reader, Ms. Byron includes several recipes at the back of the book, including one laugh out loud mention of her attempts at making Sweet Potato Pralines. (I’ll admit, I am intrigued by the elusive confection!) I was drawn to the Rum Raisin Cake with Rum Buttercream for a couple of reasons. I love any recipe that starts with a cake mix because I know it’ll be an easy, no-fail recipe. And second? Well, rum… lots of rum! This deliciously light cake is a yummy treat that will impress dessert lovers!

 

Rum Raisin Cake with Rum Buttercream starts with a cake mix, including lots of rum and is a deliciously light cake that will impress dessert lovers! Recipe shared with permission granted by Ellen Byron, author of FATAL CAJUN FESTIVAL.

 

Amazon Synopsis

Louisiana B&B owner Maggie Crozat kicks up her heels at a country music festival–but she’ll have one foot in the grave if she can’t bring the killer of a diva’s hanger-on to heel.

Grab your tickets for Cajun Country Live!, the pickers’ and crooners’ answer to the legendary New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Maggie Crozat, proprietor of the Crozat Plantation B&B, plans to be in the cheering section when her friend Gaynell Bourgeois takes the stage with her band, Gaynell and the Gator Girls.

The festival’s headliner, native daughter Tammy Barker, rocketed to stardom on a TV singing competition. She has the voice of an angel…and the personality of a devilish diva. But Maggie learns that this tiny terror carries a grudge against Gaynell. She’s already sabotaged the Gator Girls’ JazzFest audition. When a member of Tammy’s entourage is murdered at the festival, Tammy makes sure Gaynell is number one on the suspect list.

Gaynell has plenty of company on that list–including every one of Tammy’s musicians. Posing as a groupie, Maggie infiltrates Tammy’s band and will have to hit all the right notes to clear her friend’s name.

 

 

 

A special thanks to Ellen Byron for providing one winner with a hardcover copy of FATAL CAJUN FESTIVAL. Contest ends Wednesday, September 18, 2019 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

 

 

 

Rum Raisin Cake with Rum Buttercream starts with a cake mix, including lots of rum and is a deliciously light cake that will impress dessert lovers! Recipe shared with permission granted by Ellen Byron, author of FATAL CAJUN FESTIVAL.

Print
Ninette's Rum Raisin Cake with Rum Frosting
Ingredients
The Cake
  • 1 cup golden raisins
  • 1 cup rum
  • 1 box white cake mix
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 3 egg whites
The Frosting
  • 1 cup softened butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 tablespoons rum
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 - 3 tablespoons milk (or use rum, if you like your frosting boozier)
  • 4 cups confectioners' sugar
Instructions
The Cake

  1. Soak the golden raisins in rum for thirty minutes to an hour.

  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).

  3. In a mixer on low speed, blend together the cake mix, water, and eggs. Turn off the mixer and add the rum and raisins. Set the mixer to medium and blend all the ingredients for 2 minutes.

  4. Pour the batter into 2 greased 8-inch cake pans.

  5. Bake for 20 - 30 minutes, making sure to check at 20 minutes because the layers cook faster with liquor substituted for water as the batter liquid. If you insert a toothpick into the middle, it should come out clean. Do not overbake! The cake will dry out.

  6. Cool cakes in pans for 5 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack.

  7. Let the cake layers cool before frosting.

The Frosting

  1. Cream the butter with the vanilla, rum, salt, and 1 tablespoon of milk.

  2. Slowly add the confectioners' sugar, blending it well with the other ingredients. If you need to thin the frosting, add another tablespoon or two of milk - or rum. Add additional confectioners' sugar if frosting needs thickened.

Assembly

  1. To assemble the cake, slice a thin layer off one of the cake layers so that it will be level on the bottom, then invert the cake layer onto a plate so that the flat side - the bottom - is facing up. (Feel free to eat the thin slice!) Frost this layer.

  2. To add the second layer, invert it onto a plate, then place it on the frosted layer with the flat side down. (This is how you get a professional-looking cake - placing flat side to flat side, that is, bottom of the layer to bottom of the layer. Frost the rest of the cake.

Rum Raisin Cake with Rum Buttercream starts with a cake mix, including lots of rum and is a deliciously light cake that will impress dessert lovers! Recipe shared with permission granted by Ellen Byron, author of FATAL CAJUN FESTIVAL.

 

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

 

Pin to Pinterest:

Rum Raisin Cake with Rum Buttercream starts with a cake mix, including lots of rum and is a deliciously light cake that will impress dessert lovers! Recipe shared with permission granted by Ellen Byron, author of FATAL CAJUN FESTIVAL.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you receive my blog post via email you will need to visit my website to view the video.

 

I was provided an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

 

Rum Raisin Cake with Rum Buttercream starts with a cake mix, including lots of rum and is a deliciously light cake that will impress dessert lovers! Recipe shared with permission granted by Ellen Byron, author of FATAL CAJUN FESTIVAL.

 

Mulberry Thumbprint Cookies

 

 

 

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I’m delighted to be participating in the Great Escapes Virtual Book tour, introducing MULBERRY MISCHIEF!  This fourth book in the Berry Basket Mysteries by Sharon Farrow is a berrylicious addition to an entertaining series. The protagonist, Marlee Jacob, is a sweet young woman who has close friendships with her employees and gives of her time to make the town’s numerous events a success. As owner of the yummy Berry Basket shop, Marlee is well-versed in the properties of a multitude of berries. I enjoyed the bits and pieces of health benefits available by consuming berries that is shared in the story. While facts are woven in, they never detract from the pace of the tale.

The town is gearing up for the Haunted Halloween Harvest Health Fair, showcasing top celebrities in the fields of health and beauty. With the volunteers in costume and the decorations celebrating the spookiness of the season, the author captures the spirit of the holiday and the event. The town’s eccentric woman, Leticia, the Lady of the Lake, requests Marlee to sell her bags upon bags of mulberries to protect her and her “ghost”. This adds an element of Halloween as Marlee tries to find the ghost. As the story unfolds, an influential family and a long ago murder converges with a falsely accused teen and a new murder caused by a mulberry wood arrow. There were plenty of suspects that kept me guessing and plenty of action to keep me turning pages. As Marlee closes in on the identity of the killer, the suspense ratchets up until the final, edge-of-your-seat conclusion is reached.

Marlee’s Berry Basket chef, Theo, bakes all sorts of berry and mulberry-themed treats, such as Mulberry Thumbprint Cookies. When Ms. Farrow sent the recipe to me, I was excited. I’d never tasted mulberries, much less cooked with them and I was anxious to try. However, here in California I couldn’t find mulberries, no matter the season. I didn’t realize how regional this fruit is. Fortunately, I found some mulberry jam online and bought a jar. What I found is that while mulberries look very similar to blackberries, they are much sweeter. The mulberry jam pairs beautifully with the shortbread-style cookie dough and provides an enticing dark purple jewel in the middle of the baked cookie. Rest assured that if you don’t have access to mulberry jam, any of your favorite flavors will work in this recipe.

 

Mulberry Thumbprint Cookies are a shortbread-style cookie with a dollop of mulberry jam providing a beautiful dark purple jewel in the middle of the baked cookie. Recipe shared with permission granted by Sharon Farrow, author of MULBERRY MISCHIEF.

 

Amazon Synopsis

Autumn has arrived on the shores of Lake Michigan, but Marlee Jacob, proprietor of The Berry Basket, is feeling a chill for other reasons …

With the Harvest Health Fair in full swing, Marlee makes sure to stock up on elderberry products for cold and flu season. But this year there’s also a run on mulberry when an eccentric customer wants to use the dried berries to ward off evil forces. True, it’s almost Halloween, but something else seems to be spooking Leticia the Lake Lady, Oriole Point’s oddest resident. She believes someone plans to kill her—and the ghost. Only mulberries can protect them. Marlee doesn’t take her fears seriously until a man named Felix Bonaventure arrives in the village, asking questions about a mysterious woman.

The next day, Marlee finds Bonaventure dead on Leticia’s property—shot through the heart with an arrow made of mulberry wood. And Leticia has disappeared. Marlee soon learns the Lake Lady has a deadly past that is connected to the famous Sable family who are in town for the health fair. A bunch of clues start to come together—and figuring out what’s going on puts Marlee in a real jam …

 

 

 

 

A special thanks to Sharon Farrow for providing six giveaway copies of MULBERRY MISCHIEF. Contest ends September 8, 2019 at 11:59 pm PST and limited to U.S. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe to enter. The contest is administered by Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours and the winner will be announced on this page as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

 

 

 

 

 

Mulberry Thumbprint Cookies are a shortbread-style cookie with a dollop of mulberry jam providing a beautiful dark purple jewel in the middle of the baked cookie. Recipe shared with permission granted by Sharon Farrow, author of MULBERRY MISCHIEF.

Print
Mulberry Thumbprint Cookies

As cookie fans know, thumbprint cookies are a longtime favorite at Christmastime. However, I love thumbprint cookies so much, I’d happily eat them year round. And in MULBERRY MISCHIEF, Marlee’s baker Theo makes mulberry thumbprint cookies for the festivities leading up to Halloween. Using The Berry Basket’s own mulberry jam, naturally. Of course, this classic recipe can be used with any number of berry jams, not just mulberries.

Ingredients
  • 1 -1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup butter softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup mulberry jam
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Mix well.

  3. In another bowl, beat sugar and butter until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.

  4. Add dry ingredients to the sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla mixture. Stir until blended.

  5. Shape dough into small 1-inch balls. Place on cookie sheets 2 inches apart.

  6. If the dough is too sticky, refrigerate 45 - 60 minutes before shaping into balls.

  7. With your thumb, indent each cookie center about 1/2-inch deep.

  8. Spoon jam or preserves into each thumbprint.

  9. Bake 13-14 minutes, or until cookie edges are golden. Makes 3 dozen.

Mulberry Thumbprint Cookies are a shortbread-style cookie with a dollop of mulberry jam providing a beautiful dark purple jewel in the middle of the baked cookie. Recipe shared with permission granted by Sharon Farrow, author of MULBERRY MISCHIEF.

 

 

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

 

 

Pin to Pinterest:

Mulberry Thumbprint Cookies are a shortbread-style cookie with a dollop of mulberry jam providing a beautiful dark purple jewel in the middle of the baked cookie. Recipe shared with permission granted by Sharon Farrow, author of MULBERRY MISCHIEF.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you receive my blog post via email you will need to visit my website to view the video.

 

 

 

 

 

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

August 26 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
August 26 – I Read what You Write – SPOTLIGHT
August 27 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW
August 27 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT, RECIPE
August 28 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
August 28 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – GUEST POST
August 28 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
August 29 – Curling Up by The Fire – REVIEW
August 29 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 30 – The Avid Reader – READER
August 30 – eBook Addicts – SPOTLIGHT, RECIPE
August 31 – Socrates Book Reviews – REVIEW
August 31 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
September 1 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
September 1 – LibriAmoriMiei – REVIEW
September 2 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW
September 2 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
September 3 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
September 4 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW
September 4 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
September 5 – Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW, RECIPE
September 5 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
September 6 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW
September 6 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – SPOTLIGHT
September 7 – Teresa Watson’s Blog – REVIEW
September 7 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
September 8 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW
September 8 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

 

 

I was provided an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

 

Mulberry Thumbprint Cookies are a shortbread-style cookie with a dollop of mulberry jam providing a beautiful dark purple jewel in the middle of the baked cookie. Recipe shared with permission granted by Sharon Farrow, author of MULBERRY MISCHIEF.

Livvie’s Pumpkin Bread

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HAUNTED HOUSE MURDER by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Barbara Ross is the third anthology book the three talented authors have teamed up for. With three Halloween-themed novellas to provide short, goosebump-worthy reads, each author spins tales based on their much-loved characters from their long-enduring series. As you would expect, each novella has different characters and much different storytelling styles.

Leslie Meier writes a soft mystery intertwining a social issue. I like how she uses the grandson of the protagonist, Lucy Stone to increase the suspense.  Lee Hollis takes the reader back in time to when the protagonist, Hayley Powell, has her young children at home. Halloween, especially when kids are involved, tends to not be quite so scary. Still the author manages to insert references to old-school horror movies and characters that had me chuckling. Barbara Ross ramps up the spookiness factor with a ghost tour in which she relates local ghost stories of Busman Harbor. As a longtime fan of the Maine Clambake Mystery series, I appreciated the peek into a different view of the town’s history and setting. I also appreciated her tale adhering to the title of the book by including a murder and not just a mystery. Despite the short novella length, Ms. Ross manages to make the story feel full length with good character development, a crime, great settings and Halloween flavors, and a complete resolution.

There are a few recipes included in HAUNTED HOUSE MURDER. I couldn’t wait to make Livvie’s Pumpkin Bread recipe provided by Barbara Ross. I loved that this is a recipe the author made for her own children throughout their childhood, and for good reason. Tender and moist, this pumpkin bread is full of warm spices that enhance the pumpkin. I appreciate that the recipe uses whole wheat flour and doesn’t use as much vegetable oil as some recipes I’ve tried. I’ll be making this yummy bread again and again for my own granddaughters, especially as autumn and Halloween approaches.

 

Tender and moist without using a lot of vegetable oil, this pumpkin bread is full of warm spices and whole wheat flour that enhance the pumpkin. Recipe shared with permission granted by Barbara Ross, author of HAUNTED HOUSE MURDER.

 

Amazon Synopsis

Tricks and treats keep the Halloween spirit alive in coastal Maine. But this year the haunted house theme is getting carried a little too far . . .
 
HAUNTED HOUSE MURDER by LESLIE MEIER
Newcomers to Tinker’s Cove, Ty and Heather Moon have moved into a dilapidated house reputed to be a haven for ghosts. Now strange noises and flickering lights erupt from the house at all hours and neighborly relations are on edge. And when a local boy goes missing near the house, it’s up to Lucy Stone to unravel the mystery of the eccentric couple and their increasingly frightful behavior.

DEATH BY HAUNTED HOUSE by LEE HOLLIS
For the past two years, the house next door to Hayley Powell has sat abandoned after the owner died under mysterious circumstances. The Salinger family has recently taken possession of the property, but the realtor behind the deal has vanished—after a very public and angry argument with Damien Salinger. If Bar Harbor’s newest neighbors are murderers, Hayley will haunt them until they confess.

HALLOWED OUT by BARBARA ROSS
With its history of hauntings and ghost sightings, Busman’s Harbor is the perfect setting for Halloween festivities. But when a reenactment of a Prohibition-era gangster’s murder ends with a literal bang and a dead actor from New Jersey, Julia Snowden must identify a killer before she ends up sleeping with the fishes.

 

 

 

 

A special thanks to Barbara Ross for providing one winner with a hardcover copy of HAUNTED HOUSE MURDER. Contest ends Sunday, September 8, 2019 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

 

 

 

 

Tender and moist without using a lot of vegetable oil, this pumpkin bread is full of warm spices and whole wheat flour that enhance the pumpkin. Recipe shared with permission granted by Barbara Ross, author of HAUNTED HOUSE MURDER.

Print
Livvie's Pumpkin Bread

In the story, Julia's sister, Livvie, makes this pumpkin bread for the people on the Halloween Haunted House tour. In reality, it's a recipe I often made in the fall for my children when they were young. Made with canned pumpkin, it is simple and practically foolproof.

Ingredients
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2/3 cup canned pumpkin
  • 1/3 cup molasses
  • 1 cup whole-wheat flour
  • 3/4 cup white flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves
Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F).

  2. Beat eggs and sugar together.

  3. Add oil, pumpkin, and molasses. Mix well.

  4. Add rest of ingredients and mix until well blended.

  5. Pour into a greased 9x5x3 loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes.

  6. Cool in pan for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Tender and moist without using a lot of vegetable oil, this pumpkin bread is full of warm spices and whole wheat flour that enhance the pumpkin. Recipe shared with permission granted by Barbara Ross, author of HAUNTED HOUSE MURDER.

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

Pin to Pinterest:

Tender and moist without using a lot of vegetable oil, this pumpkin bread is full of warm spices and whole wheat flour that enhance the pumpkin. Recipe shared with permission granted by Barbara Ross, author of HAUNTED HOUSE MURDER.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you receive my blog post via email you will need to visit my website to view the video.

 

I was provided an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

 

Tender and moist without using a lot of vegetable oil, this pumpkin bread is full of warm spices and whole wheat flour that enhance the pumpkin. Recipe shared with permission granted by Barbara Ross, author of HAUNTED HOUSE MURDER.

Basic Bread Pudding as served in Victoria’s Bake Shoppe

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SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT, the fourth book in the Year-Round Christmas Mysteries by Vicki Delany, is a delightful addition to a fun holiday read. While the town of Rudolph, New York celebrates Christmas year-round, this newest book is set at Thanksgiving time. I enjoyed how the author melded the two holiday celebrations together in the shop of Mrs. Claus’s Treasures, owned by protagonist Merry Wilkinson. Ms. Delany has a strong descriptive voice and has developed terrific characters. I greatly enjoyed the descriptions and names of the town’s shops and locations, all capturing the holiday spirit the town wants to convey to the many tourists who visit. I also appreciated the close relationship Merry has with her parents: her father, Noel, who is the town’s resident Santa, and her mother, Aline, a retired opera diva. They are supportive and caring of each other, which brings a sweet, emotional element to the story. On the other hand, when Aline’s college friends come for a reunion visit, continuous strife seems to haunt the group which disrupts the Wilkinson’s household. I’ll have to admit, all of the women were nasty, maybe too nasty. It wasn’t a surprise when one of them is murdered while eating a potluck dinner with the group.

The investigator insists the women stay in town until they can be cleared…stuck at Aline’s house. This prompts Merry to get involved to find the killer and get the remaining horrid women out of her mother’s home and life. There’s also a subplot woven into the murder mystery of why Noel Wilkinson might be ousted from his role as the town’s Santa. I had to admire Noel’s calmness and the way he exhibited the true meaning of Christmas in the face of strife. As the story progresses, the author sprinkles clues for a sharp reader to catch, then provides a twist to pull it all together for a satisfying conclusion. In my opinion, it’s never too early to get in the holiday spirit and SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT is a delightful way to indulge.

Basic Bread Pudding starts with an egg-rich bread soaked in a mixture of eggs, sugar, milk, cream and warm spices. With a sprinkling of plump, sweet raisins and a drizzle of caramel sauce served over the warm dish to up the flavor, this easy to make comforting bread pudding will please friends and family whether you’re serving it for breakfast or dessert.

 

 

Basic Bread Pudding starts with rich bread soaked in a mixture of eggs, sugar, milk, cream and warm spices. The addition of lump, sweet raisins and caramel sauce makes this an extra special treat. Recipe shared with permission granted by Vicki Delany, author of SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT.

 

Amazon Synopsis

Residents of Rudolph keep the spirit of Christmas alive year-round—but their joy is threatened when a group of grinches visits the town, in the charming fourth installment of the Year-Round Christmas series.

It’s the week before Thanksgiving, and Merry Wilkinson, owner of Mrs. Claus’s Treasures, is preparing for a weekend reunion of her mother’s college friends. But when the group of women comes into Merry’s shop, Merry is met with frosty attitudes and cold hearts.

The women argue amongst themselves constantly, and the bickering only intensifies after one of the friends is poisoned. With her father’s role as Santa in danger due to his proximity to the crime, Merry will need to use all of her investigative gifts to wrap this mystery up and save Santa and her favorite holiday.

 

 

 

 

A special thanks to Vicki Delany for providing one winner with a print copy of SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT. Contest ends Wednesday, September 4, 2019 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. and Canadian residents. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic Bread Pudding starts with rich bread soaked in a mixture of eggs, sugar, milk, cream and warm spices. The addition of lump, sweet raisins and caramel sauce makes this an extra special treat. Recipe shared with permission granted by Vicki Delany, author of SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT.

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Basic Bread Pudding as served in Victoria's Bake Shoppe

Silent Night Deadly Night by Vicki Delany is set the week before Thanksgiving, when food, glorious food, is uppermost on everyone’s mind and pies, tarts, biscuits, and cakes are flying off the shelves at Victoria’s Bake Shoppe in Rudolph, New York, America’s Year Round Christmas destination.

"I glanced at the blackboard on the wall. Thanksgiving stuffing bread pudding with caramel sauce.
Just looking at the words, I felt three pounds settle on my hips."

Vicki won’t give us her secret for what makes her bread pudding “thanksgiving stuffing” worthy, but she always starts with this basic version.

Ingredients
Bread Pudding
  • 12 ounces brioche or challah, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 2 cups milk
  • 3 cups heavy cream
  • 4 large eggs, plus 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
Caramel Sauce
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Bread Pudding
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

  2. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; set aside.

  3. Put bread in a large bowl; set aside.

  4. Heat milk and cream in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until just about to simmer; remove from heat.

  5. Whisk eggs, yolk, sugar, salt, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Whisking constantly, pour cream mixture in a slow, steady stream into egg mixture.

  6. Pour over bread; fold to combine. Let stand 30 minutes, tossing and pressing occasionally to submerge bread.

  7. Meanwhile, soak raisins in 1 cup boiling water for 30 minutes.

  8. Drain raisins and stir raisins into bread mixture. Transfer bread to buttered dish; pour liquid in bowl over top.

  9. Set dish in a roasting pan; transfer to oven. Pour boiling water into pan to reach about halfway up sides of dish.

  10. Bake until golden brown, about 50 minutes. Let dish cool on a rack 10 to 20 minutes.

  11. Serve with warm caramel sauce if desired.

Caramel Sauce

  1. Bring brown sugar, butter, and milk to a gentle boil and cook until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat; add vanilla extract.

Basic Bread Pudding starts with rich bread soaked in a mixture of eggs, sugar, milk, cream and warm spices. The addition of lump, sweet raisins and caramel sauce makes this an extra special treat. Recipe shared with permission granted by Vicki Delany, author of SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT.

 

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

 

 

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Basic Bread Pudding starts with rich bread soaked in a mixture of eggs, sugar, milk, cream and warm spices. The addition of lump, sweet raisins and caramel sauce makes this an extra special treat. Recipe shared with permission granted by Vicki Delany, author of SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you receive my blog post via email you will need to visit my website to view the video.

 

I was provided an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

 

Basic Bread Pudding starts with rich bread soaked in a mixture of eggs, sugar, milk, cream and warm spices. The addition of lump, sweet raisins and caramel sauce makes this an extra special treat. Recipe shared with permission granted by Vicki Delany, author of SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT.

Crêpes Suzette

Click on book to visit Amazon

CRYPT SUZETTE, the sixth book in the Five-Ingredient Mystery series, by Maya Corrigan is a treat for readers with plenty of tricks to keep them guessing. Halloween season has come to Bayport in the Chesapeake Bay area. Protagonist, Val Deniston, along with her roommate/granddad, Don Myer, are gearing up for the town’s spooky festivities. I adore Val and Don’s close relationship and the way they work together. There’s plenty of sass and humor between the two as they interact. I especially admire Granddad…he’s a hoot. I greatly enjoy the way he keeps himself active and motivated by becoming the Codger Cook, writing a newspaper column; a private eye; and in this book, a ghost hunter, in which he solves ghostly cases.

Ms. Corrigan does an admirable job interlocking Granddad’s cases with the murder Val finds herself involved in. In CRYPT SUZETTE, Granddad’s young college boarder, Suzette, is killed in a hit-and-run accident. The police aren’t sure if the accident was intentional, but Val is certain the very secretive college girl was living in fear. As her quest for finding the truth progresses, Val finds many people have secrets they’re trying to keep hidden. I enjoyed how the author weaves the plot into the Halloween festivities and even the town’s haunted house inspires clues that help Val solve the case. While I’d say I’m not a huge fan of Halloween, this book provides just enough chills and thrills for a delightfully spooky read without needing to sleep with the lights on.

The Codger Cook has become quite skilled at creating Five-Ingredient recipes without his granddaughter’s help. I love the recipes the author includes at the back of the book that would make Val and Granddad proud. I was excited to try the recipe for Crêpes Suzette, which is actually two recipes: 1 for the crêpes and 1 for the orange sauce. Our family loves crêpes and I knew the addition of the “Suzette” would be a huge hit. A few staple ingredients whisked together ahead of time, paired with a few simple ingredients simmered together, and voilà, a scrumptious treat for breakfast or dessert will be on the table in no time at all!

 

Crêpes Suzette are a few staple ingredients whisked together and paired with a few simple ingredients simmered together, creating a scrumptious treat Recipe shared with permission granted by Maya Corrigan, author of CRYPT SUZETTE.

 

 

Amazon Synopsis

Val Deniston is catering the debut of Bayport’s newest bookstore—but the death of a customer is about to draw her into a real-life murder mystery …

Suzette Cripps has been occupying a spare bedroom at Val’s granddad’s house while she takes classes in this Maryland Eastern Shore town—but she’s always seemed a little secretive and fearful, and any talk about her past is a closed book.

After winning the costume contest at the Halloween-themed bookstore party, Suzette is mowed down by a hit-and-run driver—and Val and her grandfather start to wonder whether it was really an accident or if someone was after Suzette. Granddad is a little distracted by his new enterprise as a ghost-buster, but as Val talks to Suzette’s coworkers and fellow creative writing students, she grows more convinced that the dead woman’s demons weren’t imaginary—and that she needs to rip the mask off a killer …

 

 

 

 

A special thanks to Maya Corrigan for providing one winner with a print copy of CRYPT SUZETTE. Contest ends Sunday, September 1, 2019 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

 

 

 

 

Crêpes Suzette are a few staple ingredients whisked together and paired with a few simple ingredients simmered together, creating a scrumptious treat Recipe shared with permission granted by Maya Corrigan, author of CRYPT SUZETTE.

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Crêpes Suzette

You can't make Crêpes Suzette with just five ingredients, but you can use two recipes with five ingredients each. The first step is to make the crêpes. You can serve them as is with sweet or savory fillings or toppings, or you can proceed to the next recipe to make the orange sauce for Crêpes Suzette.

Ingredients
Crêpes
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1-1/2 cups milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon oil for the pan plus additional oil as needed
Orange Butter Sauce for Crêpes Suzette
  • 10 - 12 Crêpes
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 orange for 1 tablespoon grated orange zest and 1/3 cup orange juice
  • 1/4 cup Grand Marnier, Cointreau, or other orange liqueur (optional)
Instructions
Crêpes

  1. Whisk the eggs, milk, and salt until well mixed.

  2. Slowly whisk in the flour.

  3. Note: You can cook the crêpes immediately, but refrigerating the batter for 20 minutes will smooth out any lumps or bubbles. Letting the batter rest makes it less likely the crêpes will tear in the pan. The batter can keep for a day or two, refrigerated. Whisk before cooking.

  4. Heat a 10-inch skillet or crêpe pan at medium setting. To keep crêpes from sticking, do not put the oil or batter in until a few drops of water sizzle in the pan and disappear in 2 seconds.

  5. Add enough oil to cover the bottom of the heated pan. Pour a scant 1/4 cup of batter into the pan and tilt it so the batter spreads into a thin circle coating the bottom. Cook at medium heat until the edges turn light brown and the center of the crêpe has hardened past a liquid stage. Gently loosen the crêpe with a spatula and flip it. Cook for another minute and transfer it to a large plate or platter, where the crêpe can lie flat.

  6. Repeat the preceding step, stacking the cooked crêpes on the plate, until the batter is gone. Add a small amount of additional oil after every other crêpe to keep the batter from sticking.

Orange Butter Sauce

  1. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat until it foams. Stir in the sugar, orange juice, orange zest, and liqueur. Simmer on low heat until the sauce thickens a little and looks syrupy. Remove the skillet from the heat.

  2. With tongs, add a crêpe to the pan, coat both sides in the syrup, and fold it into quarters or roll it into a flattened cylinder. Put it on a warm plate.

  3. Repeat the previous step for each crêpe.

  4. Serve crêpes as is or with ice cream with dessert.

Notes

Yield: 10 -12 eight-inch crêpes.

Crêpes Suzette are a few staple ingredients whisked together and paired with a few simple ingredients simmered together, creating a scrumptious treat Recipe shared with permission granted by Maya Corrigan, author of CRYPT SUZETTE.

 

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

Pin to Pinterest:

Crêpes Suzette are a few staple ingredients whisked together and paired with a few simple ingredients simmered together, creating a scrumptious treat Recipe shared with permission granted by Maya Corrigan, author of CRYPT SUZETTE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you receive my blog post via email you will need to visit my website to view the video.

 

I was provided an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

 

Crêpes Suzette are a few staple ingredients whisked together and paired with a few simple ingredients simmered together, creating a scrumptious treat Recipe shared with permission granted by Maya Corrigan, author of CRYPT SUZETTE.