One Too Many Times - Diana Rubino, Author

MUSHROOM GRAVY A Diana Rubino Favorite


BOX OF MUSHROOMS
2 GARLIC CLOVES
¼ CUP OLIVE OIL
½ CAN VEG BROTH

MIX CORN STARCH WITH WATER TIL LIKE BATTER (THICK)
KEEP ON SIDE

IN SKILLET, SAUTE MUSHROOMS, THEN ADD SHALLOTS & GARLIC

ADD BROTH – GIVE IT HEAT, BOIL IT

ADD LITTLE CORNSTARCH AT A TIME TO THICKEN

STIR WHEN BOILING

One Too Many Times – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat

‘Annie Spooner locked up her three-hundred-year-old cottage and headed for her annual pilgrimage within the ruins of Middleham Castle. She tried to forget that another year had slipped by and it was now the five-hundred-twenty-fifth anniversary of King Richard III’s death in the Battle of Bosworth…. Every August 22, they held a séance to summon the slain king’s spirit. Lady Dorothy Ludham, a leading psychic, acted as medium. Richard’s spirit appeared every time, splendidly attired in kingly raiment, a glittering crown atop his head. He would visit with them briefly, then return to the great beyond, leaving them speechless with wonder.’ But this year Dorothy couldn’t make it leaving the duty of summoning the spirit of Richard to Annie.

Annie, who has no psychic abilities, goes through the steps she has heard Dorothy do for several years. As the pressure from the other members of the séance builds, she actually forgets the words to the chant and assumes this would be one year without the king’s presence. Annie couldn’t have been more wrong. She didn’t actually summon the spirit but the actual man himself. King Richard, III was transported from 1463 to 2010.

When his brothers Edward and George find him missing they go to the one person they know has to be behind the disappearance – Ulch the Grand Wizbar. After much discussion, Edward, who is actually King at the time, decide they must find a way to help their brother. So, with the help of Ulch, they travel to the year 2010 to be with their brother.

What do you get when you take 3 members of the 1463 Royal family and transport them to 2010? You’re reading one of Diana Rubino’s books, you get laughter. I don’t know that I’ve ever read a book that has made me smile and laugh with the turn of every page. Rubino has taken characters from two worlds, combined their differences and blessed us with a book that I feel would make a very enjoyable, funny movie. This is one that Mel Brooks needs to read.

Moongypsy Press
February, 2010
140 pages
ISBN 1451523777
ENA-13 9781451523775

Love Waits - Donald James Parker, Author

Pumpkin Pancake Recipe 
  A Donald James Parker Recipe


2 c. all-purpose flour
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
1 can evaporated milk
1/2 c. canned pumpkin
2 eggs
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and ginger. In another bowl, combine the eggs, evaporated milk, pumpkin, oil and vanilla extract. Stir combined wet ingredients into dry ingredients until moistened. Scoop batter by 1/4 cups onto a preheated hot griddle sprayed with cooking spray. When bubbles begin to form, flip the pancake over. Cook until golden. So delicious!! You can serve with syrup, but we usually serve with whipped cream that has been seasoned a little with pumpkin pie spice.

Dracula Doesn't Live Here Anymore - Brian L. Porter, Author

Kettle Goulash - A Brian L. Porter Dish

4 tablespoons Bacon Fat
Green Onions sliced thin with tops
1 Green Pepper, cut into strips
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoon Hungarian Paprika
3 pounds Stewing Beef, cut up a rump roast or any boneless roast
Pepper to taste
Salt to taste
6 ounces can Tomato Paste
1 cup Sour Cream

Dead Air - Mary Kennedy, Author

Creamy Chicken Lasagna - a Favorite Recipe from Mary Kennedy

Ingredients
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups milk
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 egg
1 pint part-skim ricotta cheese
12 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
2 cups diced, cooked chicken meat
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Reserve 2/3 cup of the mozzarella cheese for the top layer of the lasagna. In a medium size bowl, combine remaining 1 1/3 cup mozzarella, soup and milk and set aside. In another medium size bowl, combine spinach, egg and ricotta. Mix well, then combine with soup mixture and mix all together. In the bottom of a 13x9 inch baking dish, spread 1/3 of the mixture. Spread 1/3 of the chicken over the mixture and arrange 4 lasagna noodles over mixture and repeat. Top with remaining 1/3 of mixture, chicken, noodles and reserved 2/3 cup mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 40 minutes or until hot and bubbling. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Dead Air - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat

"Bomb, Bomb! Ohmigod. We'd just gotten a bomb threat. My thoughts scurried through my head like a manic squirrel as I tried to deal with the reality of the threat. Was it a joke? Was it serious? And if there was really a bomb, where was it? Would there be time to evacuate the station? Should I dial 911 or alert the switchboard first? Or the station manager? Was there some procedure I was supposed to follow? I looked over at Vera Mae, and now her eyes were ballooning, her mouth open, frozen in horror like the subject of one of those Edvard Munch paintings. I thought about my mother and my friends and the fact that I was way too young to be blasted to kingdom come. And then an explosion rocked WYME and suddenly I didn't have to think anymore.'

Maggie left her Manhattan practice as a psychologist to take a spot as a radio psychologist in Cypress Grove, Florida. Her show consists mainly of call-ins with an ocassional guest speaker. Maggie's upcoming guest, the famous Guru Sanjay Gingii, has become the talk of the town. Guru Sanjay is highly respected by his followers and the anticipation of Cypress Grove being honored with his presence has starting bring the crazies out of the woodworks. And one of these crazies makes a call to station with a bomb threat.

After the air has been cleared and the station employees are allowed back inside the building, Maggie holds her interview with Sanjay. But later when Sanjay turns up dead, the police go straight to Maggie looking for her roommate Lark. It then becomes Maggie along with the help of her mother Lola to clear Lark and find the real killer, of which there are many suspects to choose from.. ex-wife, ex-girlfriends, ex-partners, ex-friends and on and on.

Mary Kennedy has given her readers humor with a touch of murder in her book Dead Air. As I met each character/suspect I assured myself that I had this story "figured out." I knew who murdered Sanjay. Then the next character came into play and proved me wrong making me believe that this character must be the murderer. This went on throughout the book. Dead Air is a book that will truly hold you in suspense until the end.