Tranquillity Initiative - Joan Meijer, Author
3:18 PM Posted by MAC
Stewed Chicken
(This was my favorite of my grandmother's
recipes and is well known in my family as "Gonny's Chicken.")
One chicken, whole (remove the skin if you want, it will taste less sinful)
1 can black olives if they're small 2 if they're big
2 jars green olives with pimento (without juice or it will be too salty)
1 large chopped onion
10 cloves of garlic whole but peeled
1 8-oz can stewed tomatoes
25 sliced mushrooms
2 green peppers chopped
1 cup water or chicken broth
2 bay leaf
2 t. dried parsley, oregano, and basil
allow everyone to salt and pepper to taste
Put in large pot. Cover. Cook all ingredients simultaneously over low heat for 2 hours or until chicken is falling off the bone.
My grandmother taught me to cook with a pinch of this and a dash of that. She also taught me lots of whatever's in the icebox cooking. There are never any true amounts in this recipe - It's kind of a refrigerator delight. If you have carrots or other root vegetables throw them in. You can add potatoes or sweet potatoes to the mix. If you don't like peppers don't throw them in. The stewing in the vegetables is what makes this marvelous - and using different vegetables if you have them adds to the flavor. The one I wrote at the top is my personal favorite.
If you want a thicker gravy take the chicken out of the pot. Melt 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch in one tablespoon of cold water, add to broth in the pot and stir over medium low heat until the gravy thickens
Serve with Quinoa or rice and salad. If you eat potatoes it goes really well with mashed potatoes.
Depending on the size of the chicken it serves 4-6 people.
One chicken, whole (remove the skin if you want, it will taste less sinful)
1 can black olives if they're small 2 if they're big
2 jars green olives with pimento (without juice or it will be too salty)
1 large chopped onion
10 cloves of garlic whole but peeled
1 8-oz can stewed tomatoes
25 sliced mushrooms
2 green peppers chopped
1 cup water or chicken broth
2 bay leaf
2 t. dried parsley, oregano, and basil
allow everyone to salt and pepper to taste
Put in large pot. Cover. Cook all ingredients simultaneously over low heat for 2 hours or until chicken is falling off the bone.
My grandmother taught me to cook with a pinch of this and a dash of that. She also taught me lots of whatever's in the icebox cooking. There are never any true amounts in this recipe - It's kind of a refrigerator delight. If you have carrots or other root vegetables throw them in. You can add potatoes or sweet potatoes to the mix. If you don't like peppers don't throw them in. The stewing in the vegetables is what makes this marvelous - and using different vegetables if you have them adds to the flavor. The one I wrote at the top is my personal favorite.
If you want a thicker gravy take the chicken out of the pot. Melt 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch in one tablespoon of cold water, add to broth in the pot and stir over medium low heat until the gravy thickens
Serve with Quinoa or rice and salad. If you eat potatoes it goes really well with mashed potatoes.
Depending on the size of the chicken it serves 4-6 people.
The Tranquillity Initiative – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds
According
to his records in the administration office, the young man, dressed in
the color-coded coveralls of a porter, was a civilian who had been
recruited by an independent contracting company from the Philippines.
In reality, he had been raised in the suburbs of Astrakhan and had
traveled to the Philippines to live with a distant cousin in hops that
he would be recruited to work in the American action. Because he was
wall-eyed, and darker than most of their local recruits, he appeared
unintelligent to the Americans. They never looked at him twice. In the
far corner of the Quonset hut, near the exit reserved for garbage
collection, the young man unobtrusively removed the two red, white and
blue
Tranquillity bombs from a regulation canvas shoulder bag. It was a
familiar bag, one that he – like the other native workers – used for
picking up garbage around the base. Quickly and skillfully, he
transferred the flag-colored bombs to the ragged native carrying case in
which he stored a warm jacket and his lunch. It was a tight fit
getting them in, but he managed. Stealing from the U.S. Air Force was a
well-organized activity at this base. The young man and his friends
had been taking bits and pieces of armament for months. To date, he had
been most proud of the small surface-to-air missile he had managed to
spirit off the base. He had believed that a theft of such gigantic
proportions would probably remain the high water mark of his life. He
had not counted on the portability of Tranquillity.
When it appears that the
war with Astrakham had no
end, a group of men inside the high loops of the US Government took it
upon themselves to re-up the Tranquillity Bomb. They all agreed that
this would be the best way to end the war as well as show others that
the US would prevail no matter what. The group had no doubts as to the
destruction that would be inflicted upon Astrakham if the Tranquillity
Bomb was used. This particular bomb was designed to silently disburse
the deadly disease known as Anthrax. The one thing the group didn’t
count on was theft of two of these deadly bombs.
The bombs looked like
bowling pins and decorated in red, white and blue were easily smuggled
out of the country and into New York City by a group of young people
posing as bowlers that carried their own balls as well as their own
‘lucky’ pins wherever they went to compete. What they didn’t expect was
to find the real threat of
the bombs. This came when one was opened in the attempt of removing
the explosives, which were non-existing. When they realized their
mistake, it was too late. Their fate and deaths were sealed. The only
thing left to do now was to take revenge on the US by dropping the 2nd bomb from one of New York’s highest buildings. This will be payback for the destruction inflicted upon Astrakham.
Senator Richland Powell
and CDC doctor Cassandra Williams find themselves in a race for not just
their own lives but the lives of millions as they attempt to find who
has the second bomb. In a city the size of New York, their chances are
slim. Powell feels there is a connection between the Anthrax in
Astrakham and that in New York but can’t quite prove it. Cassandra
feels the connection too, especially since it was her own grandfather
who invited the
Tranquillity Bomb. His interest in Anthrax flowed down to Cassandra as
well as her own father, making them two of the most renown experts in
the field. With that, Cassandra knew the two cases were connected. She
just had to prove it and find the other bomb before time runs out and
the terrorists have a chance to seek their revenge.
This book will scare the
heck out of you because it’s possible. It will scare the heck out of
you because it’s typical. It will scare the heck out of you because if
it happened the people of the US would most likely receive no warning.
This book has the making of a great movie! It’s simply so real that you
find yourself actually seeing the events as being possible. I really enjoyed this book.
Review Stir, Laugh, Repeat at Amazon.com
Labels: Book Reviews, germ warfare, Joan Meijer, politics, terrorist attack, Tranquillity Initiative
The Master Plan - Carol Costa, Author
3:51 PM Posted by MAC
PINEAPPLE-LIME
JELLO MOLD
(a Carol Costa specialty)
2
small packages or 1 large package of Lime Jello
1
10 ounce can of crushed pineapple
1
pint Sour Cream
Prepare
Jello according to package directions and chill until partially set
Drain
pineapple and stir into jello with the sour cream
Pour
mixture into a 13 x 9 inch pan and chill several hours before serving.
The Master Plan – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh,
Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds – Desserts
Carmen and Cathy both
stared at Casey. Finally Carmen spoke. “What is going on in that
devious mind of yours Casey?” Casey laughed. “Forget it. It probably
won’t work.” “Let us be the judge of that,” Cathy told her. “Okay. We
pool our money and one of us joins the country club. Once she’s a
member she starts socializing with the rich guys and snags herself a
wealthy mate. She can also bring her two friends to the club for some
of the activities and introduce them to her husband’s rich friends.”
“That’s absolutely brilliant” Carmen exclaimed. “Let’s do it.” “Wait a minute,” Cathy said. “Where are we going to
get twenty-five thousand dollars?” “From your bank,” Carmen answered. “We’ll take out a loan and after we marry the rich guys they can pay it off for us. Only I’m not the one who is going to join the club. Casey has to do it.” And that is exactly what the ‘three Cs’ (Carmen, Cathy and Casey) did. They took out a loan to pay the application fee and Casey became the country club’s newest member.
get twenty-five thousand dollars?” “From your bank,” Carmen answered. “We’ll take out a loan and after we marry the rich guys they can pay it off for us. Only I’m not the one who is going to join the club. Casey has to do it.” And that is exactly what the ‘three Cs’ (Carmen, Cathy and Casey) did. They took out a loan to pay the application fee and Casey became the country club’s newest member.
It
didn’t take long for her to hook up with Anthony (Tony) Hunter while
Carmen and Cathy both found catches for themselves. It also wasn’t long
before Tony asked Casey to run off to Vegas with him to be married,
which she did. But all good things must come to an end so after
returning home, Casey decided to tell Tony about ‘The Master Plan,’
which is what the 3 Cs had named their plan. While hoping for his understanding, Casey instead was asked to leave. Casey gave Tony some time to calm
down and then went back to the apartment in hopes of talking to him and
making him understand. What she found when she got to the apartment
soon became her worse nightmare.
Dana Sloan is an investigative
reporter who seems to find herself mixed up in more than the usual
‘who’s ripping off the consumer’ investigations. She seems to somehow
stumble into a murder now and then. In The Master Plan she ends up
being involved in three murders with a friend, Judy, and a co-worker,
Casey, being involved in two of them. Her detective boyfriend Al Bruno
is handling two of the cases and really doesn’t want Dana involved. He
has his own plans for Dana and they don’t include risking your life to
complete an investigation. His ideas for her are more on the line of
her becoming a soccer/PTA mom.
The biggest conflict in their
relationship is when Dana steps into Bruno’s investigations or when
Bruno withholds information Dana needs for her investigation and she is
now involved in two. From what Dana has learned, she has come to the
conclusion that all three murders are related. Bruno can’t see it. He
still feels that the wives of his 2 cases just might be guilty and since
they don’t know each other, the cases have no connections.
So… are
they related? Will Dana be able to solve one, two or all three without
getting herself killed? Will Casey and the 3Cs be able to pull off
their little plan without being discovered? These were questions I
carried all the way to the end. I usually have a list of my own
suspects but with The Master Plan, I had none. I was really surprised
to find out who killed who and why. I think you will too.
Review Stir, Laugh, Repeat at Amazon.com
Labels: Book Reviews, Carol Costa, Martha A Cheves, Murder, Mystery, Stir Laugh Repeat, suspense, The Master Plan, Think With Your Taste Buds
An Opulent Tableau of Essence - Compilation by Sharon Hays
3:05 PM Posted by MAC
Tuna, Noodle, Cheese Casserole
(Compliments of Sharon Hays)
½ box wheat bowtie or other kind pasta
Cook al dente’ since it will be baked later. Rinse, Set aside and prepare other ingredients.
2 cans drained white albacore tuna
1 C frozen peas (You may choose to leave out).
Make
roux of ½ stick butter, 3 tbsp. flour, and mix med low heat until mixed
well and flour is cooked. Add 1.5 C skim milk slowly and let mix into
the roux until it thickens and whisk so it won’t be lumpy. Add 1 ½ C of
mild cheddar, and mix into sauce until cheese melts. Add 2 cans of tuna
and mix into sauce. Add peas, (if you choose) and then add the noodles
and pepper, etc to taste. ( you can add other seasonings to your own
taste) Heat oven to 350 and bake with breadcrumbs on top or crushed
potato chips (Really good) for 35 minutes, or until golden brown and
bubbling.
ZELDA'S CRAZY GOOD BARS
(Also compliments of Sharon Hays)
Mix in bowl, 1 box any type cake mix,
1 stick butter (soft)
1 egg.
Press into bottom of 13x9x2 pan.
Blend together 2 eggs,
1 stick butter (soft)
1 brick cream cheese (8 oz.soft)
1tsp vanilla
Add 1 box of powdered sugar. Pour over crust layer and cook at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes, until top is golden/brown. Remove from oven, sprinkle w/powdered sugar, cool and cut. These are very rich, so cut small.
An Opulent Tableau of Essence - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir,
Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds
Reflections
(Sharon Hays, 2010)
Reflections from an antique mirror
A face I do not know
When I leaned closer in to see
It was not me, oh no
I examined the stranger closely
She stared right back at me
I gazed into the antique mirror
Our eyes locked decidedly
Could this be the face of a long-lost friend
So familiar, the face in the mirror
This cannot be the face of me
A face that I am not aware
I tried to imagine how time could steal
A face that was once my own, oh my
But when I leaned much closer in
I knew the face was I
"I
have to say that I've done this myself more times than I want to
admit. I've looked into the mirror and see not myself as I see myself
in my mind's eye, but instead I see a face looking back at me that has
developed lines and sags that simply can't be. I look at that face and
see so many others. My mother's face is there, my dad's face is there
and even my daughter's face. That just simply can't be me looking back
at me. But of course it is.
Author Sharon Hays is known for her mystery books Mysteerie Manor and Mysteerie Manor II as well as her children books The Tumbleweed Family and Adventures of Sadie Ladybug. Hays has now ventured into the world of art and poetry.
The poem above is one of her own and one of my favorites within her book An Opulent Tableau of Essence. Her poem A Homage to Veterans Lost and Forgotten is simply beautiful as is Time of Change. And the art work that she's paired with her poetry is just as beautiful. A couple of my favorites being Clouded Sunset by Dana Gage and Pale Rider by Kerri Pestana. But in honesty, I love them all and would love to have them hanging in my own home so I could just sit and stare.
And
Hays doesn't stop there. She actually gives a bio of each artists
included within the book. Some local within the US and some as far
away as India, Australia and even Uzbekistan. This is one book that
when placed on the coffee table, will be picked up and not just thumbed
through but read and enjoyed, time and time again.
Review Stir, Laugh, Repeat at Amazon.com
Labels: An Opulent Tableau of Essence, art, cookbooks, Martha A Cheves, poetry, Sharon Hays, Stir Laugh Repeat
A Dangerous Harbor - R. P. Dahlke, Author
9:27 AM Posted by MAC
Chile Relleño
Casserole:
8 slices of white bread
2 small cans chopped Mild chiles
½ Cup Monterrey Jack Cheese
2 Cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese
2 Cups Milk
6 eggs
¼ tsp. Garlic powder
2 tsp salt
2 tsp oregano leaves or ground oregano
½ tsp paprika
Optional: 1 C each frozen corn and/or zucchini sliced thin
Trim crusts off of the 8 slices of firm white bread.
Butter one side and place buttered side down in rectangular
casserole dish
Sprinkle 2 cups shredded cheese evenly over bread.
In blender, add 6
eggs, 2 cups milk, salt, paprika, oregano, garlic powder and whiz. Pour over cheese.
Top with more paprika or chili powder or green scallions for
color.
Cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.
Bake uncovered @ 325 for one hour or until top is brown and
middle is firm.
Can be served warm or cold.
A Dangerous Harbor – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds – Desserts
‘Katy
leaned over and deftly nudged the weedy raft around so that its
reluctant passenger was facing her, and then ever so gently, pushed back
the wet strands of black hair. Dark wings of brow stood out in stark
relief on pale olive skin. It was a girl, maybe all of sixteen, she
guessed. “Where’d you come from?” She wondered to no one in
particular. As if to answer at least part of her question, the ocean
swelled, lifting up the maiden’s bier until Kate was looking into
slightly open eyes. There were o petechiae, the telltale red dots
freckling the cornea and typical of strangulation. “Not strangled, but
still…” A frothy red bubble clinging to the nostril and a
few more at her mouth said drowned, but not in the water very long as
the limbs were still pliant and the skin wasn’t bloated or damaged by
fish or sea birds.’
Detective
Katrina Taylor Hunter, of the San Francisco Police Department, was
forced to take a sabbatical after shooting her sister’s stalker. While
the investigation was going on, she decided to take sail down to
Ensenada, Mexico to clear her head and hopefully return to her position
on the force. After discovering a floater Katy has doubts about the
head clearing part of her trip. Her doubts are confirmed when after
spending hours at the Ensenada Police Station she bumps into Gabriel
Alexander, a former ‘love of her life’ who is being investigated
as a possible connection to the dead girl found by Katy. And to make
matters worse, she meets Chief Inspector Raul Vignaroli. Her reaction
to
him is immediate attraction. One problem…he wears a wedding
ring and Katy has no desire to become involved with a married man. So
will she be able to handle being around him after he cons her into
helping with the investigation? Also, how will she handle her feelings
for Gabe, the man she loved so deeply in her younger days?
Following Katy as she
uncovers what appears to be a sex slave market being run by not only one
of the boat captains but also the drug cartel, will keep you on your
sitting on the edge of your seat, biting your nails and guessing. I had
several ideas for who the killer(s) would turn out to be but found
myself wrong most of the time. I have to say that the real killer, whom
is not exposed until the end, surprised me. A Dangerous Harbor has turned out to be just as good as the Lalla Bains books A Dead Red
Cadillac and A Dead Red Heart, both written by RP Dahlke. All three will keep you on the edge.
Review Stir, Laugh, Repeat at Amazon.com
Labels: A Dangerous Harbor, Book Reviews, Martha A Cheves, Murder, Mystery, R P Dahlke, Stir Laugh Repeat, suspense, Think With Your Taste Buds
The Shape-Shifters - Louis Bertrand Shalako, Author
4:32 PM Posted by MAC
Louis' Apple-Nut Bread
2 1/2 cups quinoa flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/3 cups applesauce
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup natural sugar, packed down
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup chopped cranberries
1 baking apple, grated
3 eggs
1.) Preheat oven to 350 F.
2.) Cream butter and sugar together.
3.) Bat in eggs one at a time. Stir in applesauce, grated apple, cranberries and vanilla.
4.) In separate bowl stir together remaining dry ingredients.
5.) Add dry ingredients to wet mixture, stir by hand until well-mixed.
6.) Turn onto an oiled 5 by 7 inch loaf pan.
7.) Bake at 350 F. for 50-60 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
8.) Cool ten minutes before removing from pan.
For a low cholesterol recipe, substitute 1/3 cup vegetable oil for the eggs. Quinoa flour is very nutitious and gluten-free.
The Shape-Shifters – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir,
Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds – Desserts
He withdrew deep into the recesses of his very being and got in
touch with his actual, living soul, as he had learned, quite by accident, so
many years ago. He withdrew from conscious thought and into the core of
self, where the ego and the subconscious mind peacefully co-exist, at least
when they are not at war. His mind became a warm black pit, swirling with
stars, galaxies, and everything in the cosmos, and he subsided into it,
floating on a blood-red sea, where he contemplated the three most abstract
objects, the red box, the blue sphere and the four-sided yellow-golden
pyramid. His mind focused on the most universal of all abstract forms
until he could pick them up and feel the weight of them, touching the hardness,
the smooth-polished surfaces… His head started to cave into his body.
Proceeding slowly at first, the transformation accelerated. His feet
withdrew and retracted up and out of his boots and into his pant legs.
His hands disappeared up into his sleeves. His grimy clothes were
seemingly half-empty now, writhing and twisting in and on and of themselves as
if taking on a life of their own. A sock fell to the cold, wet floor
beside his boots. A thin wisp of blue vapor rose up in curlicues and
arabesque shapes in the dim light of the single forty-watt bulb. The
clothing squirmed into a new shape on the chair, as the ropes fell limp and
slack all around what remained of Jean Gagnon.
Jean Gagnon is released
from prison after being found guilty of robbery. Throughout his whole
imprisonment Jean declared his innocence, all to no avail. Needless
to say, his feelings for the system and the people that convicted him are filled with anger and resentment. Now he is a free man and can start his life anew. Or can he?
Janet Herbert is a widow
with two children, Jason almost nine and Ashley 3 1/2. Her husband Don was killed in a construction cave-in four
years earlier, before Ashley was even born. The town of Scudmore had lost
the mill and jobs were almost non-existent so her struggle to keep a roof over
kid’s heads and food on the table was becoming almost impossible. Then
she met Jean.
Jeff McCabe, Harry Morden, Slick Wilson and Ted Hiltz are hunting buddies. Their hunting isn’t always legal but it kept them going. Then they met
Jean. After finding out that he had been convicted of stealing half a
million dollars, they had an idea.
They would abduct him and do whatever it took to make him tell them where the
money was hidden. This would be easy to pull off and they would all be rich enough to get out of Scudmore for
good. What they didn’t bargain for is the fact that Jean is a
shape-shifter, and not the only one in town.
‘The Shape-Shifters’ will take you on a hilly ride as Jean tries
to put his life back together. He has inherited an old mansion that will
cost him a fortune in upkeep, which he doesn’t have. It seems his only
way out will be to sell and move on. He just didn’t expect Janet to step
into his life and totally change his life. He also didn’t expect the four
hunting buddies to take him in at the same time a child had been
abducted. With his history of prison and the accusations of mental illness, the whole town turns against him. He
is accused of taking the child and murdering her. Jean’s future looks hopeless.
The Shape-Shifters is a book that I hope readers will enjoy. I
also hope Louis will continue with future stories. I totally enjoyed this
book.
Review Stir, Laugh, Repeat at Amazon.com
Labels: Book Reviews, Louis Bertrand Shalako, magic, Martha A Cheves, Mystery, Stir Laugh Repeat, suspense, The Shape Shifters, Think With Your Taste Buds
Three Trailers Down - Douglas Chandler Graham, Author
4:04 PM Posted by MAC
Broccoli Casserole
(Recipe Compliments of Douglas Graham)
2 pkg. frozen chopped broccoli (cooked) or any other veggie you like
1 can sliced water chestnuts
1 med. onion, chopped
1 can cream of mshroom soup
Mix all and put into casserole dish. Sprinkle with 1 cup crushed Ritz crackers. Sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Melt 1 stick of butter and drizzle over dish. Bake 325 - 350 degrees 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Three Trailers Down – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat & Think With Your Taste Buds – Desserts
‘Sammy
collapsed on the bed. The girl was next, with a shot under her exposed
chin. The young man…the magnum hollow point destroyed his brain stem
and nervous system. All three were dead in less than ten seconds. What
Will had to do now was get away without being recognized. He
unhurriedly walked back out the front door, locking it before pulling it
firmly closed. He was sure it would take a couple of days before
anyone was interested enough to check or notice that no one from this
apartment had been seen for a while. He opened the trunk of the car and
was putting his equipment back in the case, separating the silencer
from the pistol. After putting the case in the canvas
backpack, he took off the gloves and threw them in the trunk. Someone
behind him said, “Hi there.”
If you’ve had the pleasure of reading Smoke and Murders,
you may have been left wondering what happened to some of its
characters. Well, wonder no more. Vinyard’s corrupt police Lieutenant
Bill Kenny is still up to his tricks. When his wife Camilla takes up
with mob connected restaurant owner Louie Russo, Bill decides to add a
bit more corruption to his already full plate and free himself of
anything or anyone that doesn’t fit into his plans. He just didn’t
expect State Police Inspector “Bear” McNutt to take notice of his
activities and everyone knew what a pain Bear could be. Especially
after what he had done to Adam Brackett. Remember him? He was the one
Bear insisted had killed his best friend and family in Smoke and
Murders.
If you
remember, Judge Roy Ragland took in the drifter Harry as a handyman but
the Judge’s wife Lillian has her own agenda for Harry but has a loose
end or two to take care of first. Can she turn this orphan into a silk
purse? She sure hoped to and decided the best place to give it a try
was the exclusive Bondurant Lodge. And that is where we meet a few more
characters as the stories continue.
Amanda Bondurant, 16 and
bored, had just met the man of her life. He was older but that didn’t
matter. He had a car and he would get her out of this hick town where
her life had been so ‘perfectly’ dictated. She would just leave
her family and their money behind and start her new life with Will.
Little did she know, her new love had just completed a paid hit on one
of the mob’s most
feared men…Sammy The Shark.
Newberry
Suggs decided to settle down on the outskirts of Vinyard so he
purchased a trailer park. Other than the traditional fighting between
spouses, the usual drunkenness and the occasional discipline of the
kids, Suggs Trailer Village was fairly quiet. That is until a beautiful
young lady driving a Cadillac convertible moved in. It seemed to
Newberry that she was running from someone or something and when people
came around asking about her, he knew there was a problem. But who is
this beauty that lives Three Trailers Down?
Three Trailers Down can be read as a standalone book but I really recommend you read both books – Smoke and Murders 1st and then Three Trailers Down, to get the full benefit of the story. So
come on Graham and update us on what has happened to our surviving characters since Three Trailers Down.
Review Stir, Laugh, Repeat at Amazon.com
Labels: Book Reviews, Douglas Chandler Graham, Martha A Cheves, mob, Murder, Mystery, Stir Laugh Repeat, Think With Your Taste Buds, Three Trailers Down
Tunnel - The Lost Diary - Steven Nedelton, Author
2:36 PM Posted by MAC
Maple Squash Puree
(A Steven Nedelton Special)
Brilliant orange squash is a vegetable everyone in the family
loves, especially when you sweeten the deal with maple syrup. A dab of butter
works wonders to make it ultra rich and creamy. You can also make this slow-food
style with fresh roasted squash, but frozen works perfectly when time is
tight.
Yield: Makes 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
- 2 12-ounce packages frozen cooked butternut squash or winter squash
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Salt to taste
Directions
Put the frozen squash and water into a large saucepan. Cover and
cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the squash is thawed, about 10
minutes. Whisk in the maple syrup and butter and season with salt.
Notes
Tunnel - Lost Diary Tunnel – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author
of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds – Desserts
“He stopped walking for a moment,
beginning to wonder what the officer had brought in and where he had hidden
it. Whatever it was, it was not so small
that he could have missed it on his way in.
He recalled that the wagon the three men were pushing was on the
incoming rail, on the right hand side of the tunnel. He also figured the wagon could not have been
driven any further than the next stationary wagon he could barely see in the
distance. That meant the officer might
have hidden his treasure somewhere near it, the contents being too heavy to
carry by hand. He began running toward
the next wagon…he was getting close to it when he noticed a grey iron door on
right wall. He stopped running and walked over.
It was fairly rusted, flush with the wall, and shaped like the opening
of a dog house, three to four feet height and equally wide. There was a handle on the door and he tried
to turn it, but it wouldn’t budge, going neither up nor down. He looked around the floor and found a half
of a brick next to the wall…
“What are we doing here, boy? Hunting for State property?” a man’s voice
boomed from behind him.
Ben Kalninsh was just a kid when he watched the Soviet
soldiers hide their stash in the tunnel that had not been used for several
years. He just knew it had to be guns
and he sure wanted one for himself. What
he didn’t expect was to be caught by one of the soldiers who had decided to
steal the stash for himself and go AWOL.
And with the help of Ben’s father, he had a plan that would keep him
safe while getting himself and his stash of gold out of the country and into
America.
Ben had virtually forgotten about his encounter in the
tunnel as well as the man he knew as Andris. Everyone seemed to have forgotten Andris, or
so it appeared. But he was brought to
light when Ben’s father and their friend and neighbor were both brutally
murdered for what seemed like no apparent reason. It seems that there was more than gold hidden
in the tunnel that day and the Soviets wanted that extra little find which
turned out to be a diary. It also
appeared they wouldn’t stop searching and killing until they had their hands on
it. Why was that diary more important than gold?
The Lost Diary Tunnel takes you into the world of espionage,
betrayal, lies and a lot of agents working both sides of the fence. What these people will do just to keep the
Americans from knowing what’s really in the diary will scare the hell out of
you. At least it did me.
Review Stir, Laugh, Repeat at Amazon.com
Labels: Book Reviews, espionage, KGB, Martha A Cheves, spy, Steven Nedelton, Stir Laugh Repeat, Think With Your Taste Buds, Tunnel The Lost Diary
"This book is made up of 3 individual stories. All three are short reads and other than the setting, which is Mexico, all three are completely different."
(Martha A. Cheves)
"You'll follow Logan as she tramples through kudzu, goes to her first Testicle Festival, rents a room from a woman who runs around at night in the nude and connects with a wolf. You will also follow her as she gets her man, or should I say men."
(Martha A. Cheves)
"Will the people of Hollow Gap pull together and defend themselves from the Indian up-rise or will they fall apart. Find the answers to these questions and more when you read this book of taming the West through love."
(Martha A. Cheves)
"I would NEVER have guessed the turn of events that make up the last 20 pages of Fresh Frozen. The hiring of the spy will surprise you and the murder will surprise you even more. So if you love a good mystery, this book is definitely for you."
(Martha A. Cheves)
"As I read I felt as if I was a witness watching this evil man do the things he did to these young women. As I read through the trial I felt like one of those ready to convict him. As I listened to the comments by his wife, I could feel her pain and confusion."
(Martha A. Cheves)
"After reading Breaking My Silence I saw Jane as a strong person who was determined to do whatever was needed to get her children back into her life and to do whatever it took to make her life as complete as possible without the prostitution. This was one of the most informative books I've ever read about a subject that is normally kept behind closed doors."
(Martha A. Cheves)
"
While reading Genesis Beach I found myself not wanting to put it down. Each page had a piece of evidence that would help me solve the mystery before Logan. I really thought I had pin-pointed the murderer. Boy was I in for a shock."
(Martha A. Cheves)
"I've enjoyed reading this book. It's a cross between a "fiction" and a "true crime." So if you enjoy either genre you will enjoy A Study in Red. Do keep in mind that this book is very descriptive."
(Martha A. Cheves)
"The story captured me from the beginning, the evil of Rovella never ceased to amaze me, and the love that was always there but didn't surface due to guilt made me feel the pain that I'm sure she felt. The ending was perfect."
(Martha A. Cheves)
"This has been a really enjoyable book.
I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good mystery. Beth, don't change your way of writing! I've really enjoyed reading Basket Case and will be reading more of Beth's books."
(Martha A. Cheves)
"I feel this is a wonderfully written book that would be helpful not just for young people who are overweight but also for those who look at a person, no matter the age, call them names, shun them and refuse to accept them as they are."
(Martha A. Cheves)
"Bertha Speaks Out is a very enjoyable book to read. Bertha finds herself in positions that will make you laugh and cry. You will feel her pain but also feel her pride when she stands up for what is right. It’s a must read for children as well as adults.
"
(Martha A. Cheves)
"Read Thicker than Water and ask yourself these questions. Did the wife make the right choice? Was her decision worth 15 years of her family’s life? Would you have made the same decision?
I highly recommend Thicker than Water. As I said, it was a joy to read."
(Martha A. Cheves)
"As I read I kept asking myself “Who would put out a hit on David and why?” “Who are The Chosen Few and what do they have to do with David?” “Will Max get to David before it’s too late?” You will have to read The Chosen Few yourself to find the answers to these questions."
(Martha A. Cheves)
"This book has taught me that life is like a chain. Everyone we meet becomes a link in our chain. Some links may be weak, but the strong ones keep the chain from breaking. And as memories and secrets are shared with those strong links, they become even stronger."
(Martha A. Cheves)
I'm from Georgia, moved to North Carolina by way of Florida. I've been in Charlotte for 14 years and love it. The recipes in my book Stir, Laugh, Repeat are all tested by "Food Testers" of which I now have 24. They try a dish and rate it from 1-10 with only those scoring at least an 8 making the book. My website is a holding place for my 2nd book Stir, Laugh, Repeat... Again. Please visit my site to find new recipes and tips. All recipes are easy, using common ingredients and according to my testers, great!