Banana Cream Pie

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A DISH TO DIE FOR is the twelfth book in the Key West Food Critic Mysteries by Lucy Burdette. Filled with endearing characters, mouthwatering food, a tropical locale, and a doozy of a murder, this book will satisfy both armchair detectives and travelers alike. Protagonist Hayley Snow is settling into married life with her detective husband, Nathan, and making their houseboat in Key West a home. Her close friend, octogenarian Miss Gloria, lives next door, and between them, has a menagerie of adorable pets. The author has created a loveable cast of characters that make each book feel you’re visiting with friends. I love the close relationship Hayley has with her friends and family, and am glad that with each book, a new family member is introduced. In this newest release, Hayley’s father-in-law—a retired detective turned consultant—decides to visit the newlyweds. This gives the characters an opportunity to change and grow while giving the reader a glimpse into the psyche of the characters as each conflict is faced.

Set against the backdrop of the Florida Keys, Ms. Burdette captures the tropical spirit of the islands: gentle lapping waves, sandy beaches, seafood dishes, and fruity libations. It draws the reader in, lulling them into a sense of relaxation… that is until murder strikes. And, of course, Hayley, known as the murder magnet, is there when Nathan’s dog finds the victim. Hayley doesn’t plan on getting involved, but when a second attack occurs, she decides it’s time to ask questions. I appreciate that both her husband and her father-in-law don’t tell her to stay home and stay safe. Instead, they recognize her intelligence and pay attention to the information she uncovers. Entwined with the current day murder is a mysterious diary connected to a vintage cookbook. At first, I didn’t see how it was connected at all, but under the expert plotting of Ms. Burdette, it all came together in a cohesive story. The reveal was quite unique and I appreciated the gentle approach the author took. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series and the opportunity to join Hayley and her friends for another Key West adventure!

Being a food critic, Hayley’s life revolves around food. Not only does she visit restaurants galore, but her mother is a caterer, and Hayley herself enjoys cooking. I loved how the author uses the Key West Women’s Club vintage cookbook along with their updated cookbook, not only for the mystery, but for the food and recipes included at the back of the book as well. It’s well worthwhile to read the afterward in the book, along with perusing the recipes. The recipe for Banana Cream Pie caught my eye for the nostalgic memories of eating this dessert as a kid. The author updated the recipe by using a graham cracker crust, which in my mind is brilliant. The vanilla filling is creamy and the ripe bananas added just the right amount of sweetness. I liked the light and fluffy meringue, which was the perfect accompaniment to the rich filling. Chilled, this pie is a nice dessert option for hot summer evenings.

Amazon Synopsis

Peace and quiet are hard to find in bustling Key West, so Hayley Snow, food critic for Key Zest magazine, is taking the afternoon off for a tranquil lunch with a friend outside of town. As they are enjoying the wild beach and the lunch, she realizes that her husband Nathan’s dog, Ziggy, has disappeared. She follows his barking, to find him furiously digging at a shallow grave with a man’s body in it. Davis Jager, a local birdwatcher, identifies him as GG Garcia, a rabble-rousing Key West local and developer. Garcia was famous for over-development on the fragile Keys, womanizing, and refusing to follow city rules—so it’s no wonder he had a few enemies.

When Davis is attacked in the parking lot of a local restaurant after talking to Hayley and her dear friend, the octogenarian Miss Gloria, Hayley is slowly but surely drawn into the case. Hayley’s mother, Janet, has been hired to cater GG’s memorial service reception at the local Woman’s Club, using recipes from their vintage Key West cookbook—and Hayley and Miss Gloria sign on to work with her, hoping to cook up some clues by observing the mourners.

But the real clues appear when Hayley begins to study the old cookbook, as whispers of old secrets come to life, dragging the past into the present—with murderous results.

A special thanks to Lucy Burdette for providing a print copy of A DISH TO DIE FOR. Contest ends August 28, 2022 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents only. 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!)

Banana Cream Pie

One of the plot strands in A DISH TO DIE FOR has to do with the Woman's Club in Key West, which is a gorgeous old home on Duval Street. I took a tour of the building in the spring of 2021 and was the happy recipient of the 1988 version of their cookbook. I had also found an earlier edition of the book on eBay that had been published in 1949. Oh my, the recipes and stories in those cookbooks had my mind racing with possibilities!

This banana cream pie was served to Hayley and Martha Hubbard while they were probing a suspect. I chose to make a graham cracker crust, but any crust is fine. The recipe is based on the version in the 1988 cookbook.

Ingredients

For the crust:

1 package graham crackers (nine sheets)
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sugar

For the filling:

3 eggs, room temperature, separated
4 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Pinch salt
2 teaspoons water
2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon butter
2 ripe bananas

For the meringue:

3 egg whites (see above)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 teaspoons sugar

Instructions

For the crust:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F).
Smash or whirl the crackers to crumbs.
Melt the butter. Stir the butter and sugar into the crumbs and press this mixture into the bottom and sides of a 10-inch pie pan. Bake for 10 minutes and let that cool.

For the filling:

Separate the eggs and set the whites aside. Beat the yolks with the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cold water until thick and smooth.
Heat the milk until it's about to boil, then cool for a few minutes and stir it very slowly into the egg mixture. Cook this mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, until the pudding thickens (about 5 minutes). Let that cool a bit and then mix in the vanilla and butter.
Slice the bananas into the pie crust. Spread the pudding on top of the bananas.
For the meringue, beat the egg whites in a clean bowl with the cream of tartar until soft peaks appear. Continue beating while slowly adding the sugar until peaks are stiff and glossy (about five minutes).
Mound the meringue onto the pudding, arranging it into peaks.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the meringue begins to brown.
Refrigerate the pie for 3 hours before serving.

Cinnamon & Sugar's Notes:

If you're not serving this pie soon after chilling for 3 hours, you may want to consider tossing the sliced bananas with lemon juice to keep them from turning brown.
The recipe makes a full-sized 10-inch pie. I chose to reduce the recipe and made a 7-inch sized pie to accommodate only having 2 in my household.

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

No Churn Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream

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MINT CHOCOLATE MURDER is the second book in the Ice Cream Shop Mysteries by Meri Allen. I, for one, can’t resist a locked room murder set in an American Scottish castle rumored to have a weeping ghost. Throw in tubfuls of pumpkin spice ice cream amid a Fall arts festival hosted by a reclusive former supermodel turned royal and you’ve got yourself an entertaining and mouthwatering read. The author expertly crafts twists and turns with topsy-turvy secrets thrown into the plot for good measure. It kept me thoroughly mesmerized as I followed the protagonist, Riley Rhodes, in her investigation. An ex-CIA librarian and now manager for her friend’s Udderly Delightful Ice Cream shop, Riley uses her training to get to the bottom of who might have killed the famous photographer, Adam, during his exhibit at the castle. The investigation on how Adam even got into the dungeon (now conference room), much less how he was locked in when security cameras show no signs of entry, is only the tip of the complex puzzle. With plenty of suspects—more people hated him than liked him—I found it difficult to narrow it down to even two or three. As the reveal unfolded, I was even more impressed with the cleverly plotted clues and the intricate way they fit together.

With unique characters such as an ex-CIA librarian (or could Riley more than that?!), a supermodel turned royal, a diva in fluffy cat form, and a bad boy photographer, I couldn’t help but be entertained. Each person (and animal, especially Sprinkles the diva cat), was well-developed with individual characteristics that made them come alive. Ms. Allen has a strong descriptive voice that made me feel like I was right there, experiencing the sights, sounds, smells, and especially the tastes of all Penniman, Connecticut has to offer. It’s always a pleasure reading a book that has equally strong characters and plots to keep me glued to the pages, and Mint Chocolate Murder fits the bill!

Running an ice cream shop, Riley has her hands full mixing up ice cream in between investigating. Pumpkin Spice ice cream is the tourists’ and town’s flavor de jour, and she can barely keep up with the demand. Luckily for us pumpkin spice lovers, the author has included a recipe for No Churn Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream at the back of the book and it’s every bit as easy to make as promised… and every bit as delicious as it sounds! I appreciated the author’s note on turning the ice cream into an ice cream pie. I did so, and the yummy concoction was met with rave praise. As easy as this was to make, I think I might have found my new favorite Thanksgiving dessert!

Amazon Synopsis

When Udderly Delightful Ice Cream shop manager Riley Rhodes is summoned to Penniman’s Moy Mull Castle, it’s the cherry on top of a successful summer season. The gothic pile built by an eccentric New England Gilded Age millionaire has been transformed into a premiere arts colony by Maud Monaco, a reclusive former supermodel. As part of Moy Mull’s Fall Arts Festival, Maud is throwing a fantasy ice cream social and hires Riley to whip up unique treats to celebrate the opening of an exhibit by Adam Blasco, a photographer as obnoxious as he is talented.

As Penniman fills up with Maud’s art-world friends arriving for the festival, gossip swirls around Blasco, who has a dark history of obsession with his models. Riley’s curiosity and instincts for sleuthing – she was a CIA librarian – are piqued, and she wonders at the hold the cold-hearted photographer has over the mistress of Moy Mull.

But when Adam is found dead behind the locked door of Moy Mull’s dungeon, Riley realizes there’s more than one suspect who’d wanted to put the malicious photographer on ice.

A special thanks to Meri Allen for providing a print copy of MINT CHOCOLATE MURDER. Contest ends August 21, 2022 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents only. 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!)

No Churn Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream

No ice cream maker? No problem! Make your own ice cream in a pinch - even without an ice cream chiller. I was a bit skeptical of no-churn recipes, but I experimented and came up with one that worked like a charm. This delicious, fall-inspired ice cream is easy to make and even easier to eat.

This makes a wonderful accompaniment for any spice cake or use it as a delicious filling for ice cream pie. Just fill your favorite pie shell and let it firm up in the freezer for six hours and drizzle with caramel sauce before serving.

Ingredients

1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch of cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons plain yogurt (I like Greek or Icelandic) at room temperature
2 cups heavy cream

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, pumpkin puree, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
In another bowl, whisk the yogurt, then slowly pour in the heavy cream and combine, using a hand mixer on low (or a stand mixer, if you have one). Then whip on high until stiff peaks begin to form.
Add half the shipped cream mixture to the sweetened condensed milk and whisk until completely combined. Using a spatula, gently fold in the remaining whipped cream mixture until no streaks remain.
Pour into a freezer safe container and cover. (At this point you can fill a pie shell if you'd like an ice cream pie.) You can use a loaf pan and cover with a layer of plastic wrap topped with tinfoil. Put in the freezer until firm, at least 6 hours, and then enjoy!

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

Sally’s Decadent Blondies

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THE FRAGRANCE OF DEATH is the long anticipated fifth book in the Sally Solari Mysteries by Leslie Karst. With compelling characters, an alluring setting, drool-worthy dishes, and a thorny murder to solve, the book is a sensory treat for readers! I’ve enjoyed the theme of each sense throughout the series and in this newest release, the sense of smell is effectively used. The protagonist, restaurant owner Sally Solari, has lost her sense of smell, which affects her ability to taste. It’s quite the disaster for a chef! I liked how the author also uses her loss of smell to enhance the dangers she might experience. Set in coastal Santa Cruz, California, Ms. Karst brings the setting alive with vivid descriptions and a reminder that there’s more to California than freeways and concrete jungles. Instead, the reader is shown the farms, particularly the artichoke farms, and the rugged natural beauty that the state offers. A longtime fan of artichokes, I was pleased to see the vegetable spotlighted at the annual Artichoke Cook-Off, which served as the backdrop for the mystery.

When Sally’s acquaintance and fellow competitor is found murdered at the festival, she can’t help but get involved. Especially when her friend—and potentially more—Detective Vargas asks that she keep her ears open for any gossip about the deceased. Sally is a bit pushy with her investigating and finds out more than she bargained for. As she delves deeper into the secrets long hidden, plenty of suspects become apparent. I made several guesses as Sally pieced together the clues, but the author managed to throw in twists and turns to fool me. And, as the story came to a close, all the threads of the main plot and subplots were woven together into a highly entertaining story!

With Sally being a chef, you can practically smell, taste, and see the multitude of dishes served on the pages. There are several recipes included at the back of the book (and, of course, one featuring artichokes) from cocktails, soup, salad, main course, and dessert. Naturally I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to share Sally’s Decadent Blondies, which are melt-in-your mouth deliciousness! A generous portion of macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips are encased in a brown sugar-based cookie. These bar cookies are chewy and rich, and nearly impossible to limit yourself to just one or two. Thankfully, the recipe makes a large pan so you can share these tempting treats with family and friends.

Amazon Synopsis

Restaurateur Sally Solari is a champion, both in the kitchen and on the case, but after getting mixed up in one too many murders, she’s noticed her nonna‘s friends have now taken to crossing themselves when they see her in the street. Adding to her woes, a sinus infection has knocked out her sense of smell, making cooking on the hot line difficult, indeed. Nevertheless, Sally is determined to stay out of trouble and focus on her work.

But then her old acquaintance Neil Lerici is murdered at the annual Santa Cruz Artichoke Cook-Off, and her powers of investigation are called into action once more. Could Neil have been killed by the local restaurant owner who took his winning spot at the competition? Or maybe by one of his siblings, who were desperate to sell the family farm to a real estate developer?

Sally plunges headfirst into the case, risking alienating everyone she knows – including the dapper Detective Vargas, who finds her sleuthing both infuriating and endearing. And soon it’s not only her restaurant and tentative new relationship that are on the line – it’s her life . . .

A special thanks to Leslie Karst for providing a print copy of THE FRAGRANCE OF MURDER. Contest ends August 14, 2022 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents only. 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!)

Sally's Decadent Blondies

(Makes one 9" x 13" pan)

These blondies are extremely rich. So rich that only one 3" x 3" piece is likely all you'll want to eat in one sitting.

Or not. Because the combination of the chew bar, crunchy nuts, sweet chips, and salt is pretty darn addicting. So go ahead; just try to limit yourself to one square.

Ingredients

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, for greasing pan

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 degrees (F).
In a large bowl, use a mixer to combine the melted butter and brown sugar, blending until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth.
Switching to a wooden spoon (because the batter will become too stiff for a mixer), add the salt and flour and stir until no streaks remain.
Stir in the macadamia nuts and chocolate chips.
Grease a 9" x 13" baking pan with vegetable oil. Dump the batter into the pan, smooth flat, and bake until the edges start to brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean (25 - 30 minutes).
Let cool, then cut into squares.

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Gramma’s Easy Oreo Ice Cream

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DEATH OF AN ICE CREAM SCOOPER is the fifteenth book in the Hayley Powell Mysteries by Lee Hollis. With humorous repartee, memorable characters—both human and animal alike, and a fast-moving plot, it’s no wonder this has been an enduring and endearing series. Just when I thought this series couldn’t get any better, the brother-sister author duo strikes again and has hit this newest release out of the ballpark. Protagonist Hayley Powell is juggling her new restaurant while maintaining her food and cocktails column for the local newspaper. When her son, Dustin, arrives in town for vacation, a major bombshell hits the family and leaves Hayley reeling. And her BFFs, Mona and Liddy, have begun feuding…over a man, of all things. Of course, ice cream is a great comfort food, especially during the summer, and Hayley can’t get enough of Bar Harbor Ice Cream’s gourmet frozen concoctions to ease the upheaval in her life. It also helps that the ice cream shop’s owner, Lynette Partridge, has become a good friend and a respite from everything else going on. That is until Lynette and Hayley find the body of a young woman in the ice cream freezer truck.

When the murder occurs, the book’s pace swings into high gear and it was nearly impossible to put it down. Hayley is a seasoned amateur sleuth and knows how to pry information out of people. However, she sometimes steps on toes and goes over the line of common courtesy… but, she solves cases and even her chief of police brother-in-law accepts her meddling. There were plenty of suspects revolving around unrequited love, social media influencers, and college-aged kids determined to party hard over the summer. Besides the main murder mystery plot, there were several subplots taking place throughout. The author does an admirable job of keeping the momentum going and as the story winds down—with a heartwarming event—all questions are answered.

Another thing I enjoy about the Hayley Powell Mystery series is Hayley’s newspaper food and cocktails column. Here she “chats” about fond memories of her family and friends and ties it in with food. It’s such a wonderful way to get some backstory of Hayley’s life. And, of course, Hayley shares loads of recipes for both food and cocktails that tie in with the theme of the book. In Death of an Ice Cream Scooper the theme is, obviously, ice cream and I couldn’t be happier. The author provides so many flavors, some requiring an ice cream maker and others requiring nothing more than an electric mixer and a freezer. The frosty cocktails are sure to be a hit during hot summer months, but it was Gramma’s Easy Oreo Ice Cream that caught my eye and I made it for our 4th of July celebration dessert. Using only four simple ingredients and an electric mixer, this frozen treat surpassed all my expectations! I also tried it using a dairy-free heavy whipping cream (Silk brand) along with non-dairy sweetened condensed milk and gluten-free Oreos to cater to those with dietary restrictions, and it was also quite delicious! Taking a cue from another ice cream recipe I’ve made in the past, I used chocolate cookie crumbs to form a pie base, then spread the Oreo ice cream over the pie crust then sprinkled crumbled Oreos over the top. No matter how I served it, this turned out to be one of our favorite ice cream flavors and the fact that it’s so easy means I’ll be making it again and again.

Amazon Synopsis

Food and cocktails columnist Hayley Powell doesn’t know what to believe when Lynette Partridge, the put-together owner of gourmet Bar Harbor Ice Cream, suddenly reveals fears that her husband may be having an affair. There’s no other way to explain why Jamie, a respected professor, was spotted in a remote part of town with a much younger woman. But instead of learning the truth about the secret meeting, Lynette opens her freezer truck to find another surprise—the dead body of a summer employee . . .

The shock continues as photographic evidence proves Jamie was spending time off campus with the victim, one of his students. Now, Lynette desperately needs Hayley to discover if Jamie really is a cheater—and, worse, a ruthless killer. With her own complicated family issues to address, can Hayley make sense of a popular college girl’s love life and out the true culprit before the case, or another person, goes cold?

A special thanks to Lee Hollis for providing two print copies of DEATH OF AN ICE CREAM SCOOPER to two lucky winners! Contest ends August 10, 2022 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents only. 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!)

Gramma's Easy Oreo Ice Cream

Ingredients

2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 package Oreo cookies

Instructions

Break and crumble your Oreo cookies into smaller pieces and set aside.
In a stand mixer, add your heavy whipping cream and whisk until stiff peaks have formed.
Fold the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, and 3/4 of the crumbled cookies into the whipped cream and mix well.
Pour mixture into a container and add rest of the crumbled cookies over the top. Cover and place into the freezer for at least 8 hours.
When ready, remove, scoop into bowls, and enjoy!

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

Book Giveaway and Buttercream Betrayal Cover Reveal

I’m celebrating the upcoming release of

BUTTERCREAM BETRAYAL

the fifth book in the Cupcake Catering Mystery series with a giveaway!

Click on the Rafflecopter link below to enter for a chance to win your choice of one of the first four books in the series, then scroll down to see the new cover!

Print limited to U.S. residents only. All others will be awarded an ebook copy.
Contest ends 8/09/2022

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And I’m excited to share my new cover!

A huge shoutout to my fabulous cover designer, Karen Phillips!
Didn’t she create an adorable cover?

Buttercream Betrayal

Intent on getting their two mischievous dogs under control, Emory Martinez and her half sister, Vannie, join a group dog training program led by Shawn Parker. With a graduation certificate just within grasp and a party to celebrate their hard-won achievements, what could go wrong? For starters, their two dogs have decided to wreak havoc during the party and tempers flare. It turns out not everyone is pleased with the dog trainer and his mother, the condo association president. Whispers of the mother and son’s misbehavior, or worse, fly amongst the barks, whines, and growls of the canines.

When Emory finds the body of Mrs. Parker amidst an explosive situation, it becomes apparent there might be more truth to the whispers instead of just gossip. Could one of the canine-loving participants be responsible? Or was it an outsider who hated her heavy-handed rule over the condo homeowners? Emory, Vannie, and octogenarian Tillie must sift through the clues to find out who has been betrayed and who has decided to take justice into their own hands.

Recipes included!

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Print and Kindle Unlimited will be available on release day.

Don’t miss out on the special preorder sale price of only $0.99!
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If you’d like more ways to win one of my books, please consider signing up for my author newsletter. I occasionally have newsletter subscriber contests and there’s one coming on 8/4/22!
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Alvin’s Panko Perfection Grilled Cheese

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NO PARM, NO FOUL is the second book in the Grilled Cheese Mysteries by Linda Reilly. With the delectable setting of the Grilled Cheese Eatery during Halloween, the reader’s senses are in for a treat! Scrumptious food—check. Close-knit friends—check. A Scary-Licious food competition—check. A dead competitor that bodes ill for protagonist, Carly, and her friends—check. A missing vampire cape that might be a clue—check. Ms. Reilly weaves together a tale worthy of Halloween with characters and clues alike lending spirit to the holiday.

Despite the murder mystery genre, the author creates kind and caring core characters, particularly Carly. She’s one of those people you’d love to count as a friend with her trusting nature and her loyalty to those she cares about. Despite the short time that she’s been in Balsam Dell, Vermont, following the death of her husband, she’s managed to fit right in and her grilled cheese restaurant has developed quite the following amongst the young and the old alike. And, of course, who can resist her little Morkie, aptly named Havarti? The sweet dog has such a delightful personality that complements Carly’s character.

With clues surrounding the murder pointing to Carly’s love interest, Ari, being the culprit, Carly can’t help but get involved trying to figure out who wanted her restaurant’s competitor dead. I loved how the author uses one of Carly’s elderly regulars as a source for clues via the former teacher’s unique poetry. As someone who loves to learn, I appreciated the inclusion of the poetry and was even more impressed with the author’s skill at writing it to fit the needs of the mystery. As the pressure mounts to clear Ari’s name, there are many suspects who pop up. I was kept guessing as the clues unfolded and at the surprising reveal the pieces fell into place with a highly satisfying conclusion.

With a variety of grilled cheese sandwiches being served throughout the story, I’d suggest having one on hand every time you pick up the book. Ms. Reilly includes a couple of recipes at the back of the book and they sound fantastic. I was particularly drawn to Alvin’s Panko Perfection with its sun-ripened tomatoes, the crunch of the panko, the tang of Parmesan, and oozing, melted cheese. The recipe calls for sharp cheddar, but as Carly always says—use whatever cheese tickles your palate. The sandwich didn’t disappoint, and the panko crumbs kept the tomatoes from causing the bread to become soggy. This is a delicious way to use up the bountiful crop of summer garden tomatoes, and, if you’re not lucky enough to have a garden, the combination of the ingredients will elevate any grocery store tomato to pure deliciousness!

Amazon Synopsis

After a long hot summer in Balsam Dell, Carly Hale is ready for crisp Vermont weather and gourmet grilled cheeses at her Grilled Cheese Eatery. And the upcoming Halloween food competition is the perfect way to impress the locals.

But Ferris Menard, the owner of Sub-a-Dub-Sub, is nursing a serious grudge against Carly. Two days before the competition, one of Carly’s employees quit his part-time gig at Menard’s sub shop, sending Menard into a serious snit. In a confrontation at the Eatery, Menard accused Carly of sabotage and vowed to bring her down.

That’s when Menard’s body is found in his kitchen the morning after the competition, a steak knife sticking out of his heart. But Menard had a slew of enemies, and if Carly doesn’t figure out which one is the culprit, she might find herself—or someone she cares about—serving grilled cheese sandwiches under lock and brie!

A special thanks to Linda Reilly for providing a print copy of NO PARM NO FOUL. Contest ends August 7, 2022 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents only. 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!)

Alvin's Panko Perfection

Carly was surprised and delighted when Alvin Robinson wanted to try his hand at creating his own grilled cheese recipe. Using panko crumbs to coat the tomato slices was creative and fun, and result was a sandwich so delicious that Carly added it to her menu. Alvin used sharp cheddar, but as Carly always says--use whatever cheese tickles your palate! Havarti, Gouda, and Swiss all make fabulous substitutions.

Recipe is for one sandwich, so simply multiply the ingredients by the number of people you're serving.

Ingredients

4 - 6 thickly sliced rounds (about 1/2-inch wide) of a firm, ripe Roma or plum tomato (depending on the size of your bread)
Salt
1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup panko crumbs (approx.) Carly uses plain, but you can also use seasoned panko.
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (approx.)
Vegetable or canola oil for frying
2 large slices of coarse white bread
Salted butter, softened
4 thick slices sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions

Place the tomato slices on a plate, and then lightly salt both sides.
Place the beaten egg/water mixture and the flour in separate bowls.
Mix the panko crumbs with the Parmesan cheese and place in a shallow dish.
Dip each tomato slice into the flour, coating both sides, and shaking off any excess. Dip into the beaten egg mixture. Dredge each slice through the panko/Parmesan mixture until each side is thoroughly coated.
Fry the coated sliced in a skillet with about 1/2 inch of very hot oil for about 2 minutes or until the bottom side forms a golden crust. Flip them carefully and do the other side. When done, they should be golden and crispy. Blot them lightly on a paper towel.
To prepared your sandwich, butter one side of each slice of bread. On the unbuttered side of one slice, stack half the cheddar, then add the coated tomato slices side by side so that they cover the entire sandwich. Add the remaining cheddar and top with the remaining slice of bread, butter side up.
Grill over medium heat for about 3 minutes. As you grill, press lightly with a spatula or grill press, and then flip over and grill the other side for about approximately 3 minutes. Grilling slowly will ensure that the cheese is thoroughly melted and the bread is golden brown.
Slice in half and serve with chips, pickles, tomato soup, or whatever else gladdens your taste buds. For tomato lovers, this is a dream come true!

Carly's tips:

After experimenting, Carly found that a skillet or frying pan works a bit better than grilling for frying the tomato slices.
To avoid accidental burns, always be super careful when frying in hot oil. Kids and pets should be kept a safe distance away from the stove to avoid injury.

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I’m celebrating the upcoming release of

BUTTERCREAM BETRAYAL

the fifth book in the Cupcake Catering Mystery series with a giveaway!

Click on the Rafflecopter link below to enter for a chance to win your choice of one of the first four books in the series, then scroll down to see the new cover!

And I’m excited to share my new cover!

A huge shoutout to my fabulous cover designer, Karen Phillips! Didn’t she create an adorable cover?

Don’t miss out on the special preorder sale price of only $0.99! [WD_Button id=15638]

If you’d like more ways to win one of my books, please consider signing up for my author newsletter. I occasionally have newsletter subscriber contests and there’s one coming on 8/4/22! [WD_Button id=15642]

A huge shoutout to my fabulous cover designer, Karen Phillips!
Didn’t she create an adorable cover?

Don’t miss out on the special preorder sale price of only $0.99!
`[WD_Button id=15638]`

If you’d like more ways to win one of my books, please consider signing up for my author newsletter. I occasionally have newsletter subscriber contests and there’s one coming on 8/4/22!
`[WD_Button id=15642]`