River Oaks Plantation - B. J. Robinson, Author

Plantation-Style Red Beans and Rice

1 lb. dry red kidney beans
1 Tbsp. oil
1 onion
1 bell pepper
1 clove garlic
1 - 2 stalks of celery
Water to fill near top of pot
Bay leaves
Cayenne pepper
Parsley
Black pepper
1 Tbsp. Creole or Cajun seasoning
Choice of meat for seasoning - Ham, ham bone, salt pork or smoke sausage

Rice:
2 cups rice
1 Tbsp. butter
4 cups water

Wash red beans and soak.  If I don't soak mine, I cook them a few hours.  If soaked, they'll cook quicker.  Wash and cut seasonings.  Brown or saute seasonings to taste, including the ones you enjoy and leaving out the ones you may not like.  If using smoke sausage, you may brown it with the seasonings.

Pour seasonings into pot with beans.  Add meat.  Let come to a boil and then simmer until done.  I recommend cooking at least two hours.  A ham bone provides the best flavoring in my opinion.

You may turn the fire to low and let the beans simmer or just keep warm after two hours.  You can also cook using a crock pot, but you should put them on very early in the morning and let them slow cook all day.  If cooking on the top of a stove, you will need to continually add water to them as it cooks out until they are nearly done.  Then, let them cook down so the gravy is thick and red.

Boil rice about thirty minutes before serving time.  Let two cups of rice, four cups of water and 1 Tbsp. of butter come to a boil, turn to low and let the water cook out of the rice.

River Oaks Plantation - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

River Oaks Plantation 1856 - The minute the horse and buggy drew up in front of it, Margaret Jane Turnrow knew she'd found the home of her dreams.  In a trance, she sat spellbound and stared.  The majestic beauty from the long white-shelled drive, the huge live oak trees dripped with Spanish moss, and the white-columned splendor of the large two-story antebellum home made her heart flutter.  She fell in love at first sight, and that first view of the large white house sitting behind massive oaks took her breath away. 

Margaret and her new husband Danny have just returned from their honeymoon to their new thirty-five hundred acre Louisiana home.  Danny's promise to "Maggie" is to become a wealthy planter and make them rich with the growing of cotton and sugarcane. But then comes the war.  Will they be able to survive the war without losing everything they have worked so hard for?

River Oaks Plantation 2005 - On August 29th, Amaryllis Camilla O'Brien eased her red metallic Chevy Camaro down River Road.  After driving all night in horrible wind and rain, she couldn't wait to reach the plantation.  Her heart thudded  against her chest the closer she got.  The best summers of her life were the ones she'd spent under shady oaks with her grandmother.  And now with the passing of her grandmother the plantation was hers. 

When "Cammie" stepped from her car and made it into her home she found more than she could ever expect.  She found an old friend from the past, but she also found that she had picked the worse time ever to return to the plantation.  Her return came just in time to experience one of the worse hurricanes Louisiana had ever faced - Katrina. 

River Oaks Plantations is made up of two stories that become one.  The struggles to survive and to keep River Oaks alive are more than most could possibly endure.  But with the help of God, both generations stand firm, determined  to keep going no matter what.  This is one of the most beautiful books I've ever read.  I've read all books written by this Author and each time I think I've read the best for her to come through with one that tops the last.  If you're looking for a book that will fill you with love and life, this is the book for you.

This book actually has an extra treat.  At the end you'll find a recipe for Allie's Famous Louisiana Cornbread Dressing to go along with the Red Beans and Rice!   

Food for Thought - Lorilyn Roberts, Author

LASAGNA
(Great Recipe!)  

 1 lb. lean ground beef
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/ 4 cup chopped onion
 ½ bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. can crushed tomatoes
2 6-ounce cans tomato paste
2 cups water
1 tablespoon chopped oregano
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
 4 ounces lasagna noodles (buy the kind that requires no pre-cooking to save time)
1 lb. ricotta cheese
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1cup grated Parmesan cheese  

 In large saucepan, brown beef, onion, and bell pepper in oil. Add tomatoes, paste, water, parsley, salt, sugar, garlic, pepper, and oregano. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.   In 13x9x2-inch baking pan, spread about 1 cup sauce. Then alternate layers of lasagna, sauce, ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes until lightly brown and bubbling. Allow to stand 15 minutes. Cut in squares to serve.  Serves 8

 

Quick & Easy Recipes for Homeschool Families - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

Now and then I have the opportunity to do a review for another cookbook author.  This is especially fun because I get to see what others are cooking and try out some of their recipes.  Author Lorilyn Roberts has written a cookbook that she says is especially for home school moms but I have to disagree.  This book is great for everyone, not just those who home school their children. 

I had the pleasure of trying her Lasagna and couldn't believe how much better it was from a lot of the other Lasagna recipes I've tried over the years.  The blend of herbs and cheeses give it the perfect balance in taste.  Now I'm getting excited to try her Marshmallow and Apple Pie Salad which has Granny Smith apples, grapes, mandarin oranges, marshmallows and yogurt.  Then I want to make her Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup and her Spaghetti Casserole and....  my list goes on through the whole book!

So, if you're a home schooler or just a person who loves good food, this book is one you really need to consider having in your own kitchen! 

 

Ghost Gone Wild - Carolyn Hart, Author

BAILEY RUTH'S OLD-FASHIONED OKLAHOMA CORN BREAD

1 c. yellow corn meal

2 t. baking powder

3/4 t. salt

3/4 c. milk

1 egg
1 Tbsp oil

 Butter round baking pan. Cook at 425 degrees for 30 min.

Ghost Gone Wild - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

Excerpt from GHOST GONE WILD:  I was afraid I was beginning to understand.  The telegram from Wiggins had been counterfeit.  Nick's aunt Dee had nosed about the department and found my name.  Any thriller writer would consider it child's play to purloin information from Wiggins's old-fashioned paper files,  which were kept in accommodatingly unlocked wooden filing cabinets.  It was possible she sometimes served as an emissary.  However, Wiggins was always insistent that emissaries not contact family members who knew them... In any event, if she'd wanted to send help to Nick, obviously she would have hunted about in the files for someone connected to Adelaide, and so she had sent the spurious telegram and waylaid me as I was en route.

Bailey Ruth arrives in Adelaide, OK, to help out Nick, who became the target of a bullet within minutes after her arrival at his house.  Luckily Bailey Ruth was able to push him out of the way before the bullet struck him.  Bailey Ruth tries to convince him to call the police but his cell phone is missing.  And then people started appearing due to a text that was supposedly sent to them by Nick.  Jan, Nick's girl friend, showed up but wasn't thrilled to see that another woman was there.   After some fast thinking, Bailey Ruth was able to calm her down.  That is until Lisa showed up due to her text from Nick which invited her to come over.  And then the third person showed up... Lisa's husband demanding to know where she was.  All arrived 'after' the shot was taken at Nick.  Did the shooter want to implicate these three in the killing of Nick?  Well, thanks to Bailey Ruth saving him, the shooter's idea was spoiled and Bailey Ruth now had some possible suspects.

Author Carolyn Hart has done her usual in writing another fun-filled story of suspense, murder, humor and spirits.  Oh, did I forget to tell you that Bailey Ruth is a ghost?  From time to time she is allowed to descend upon earth to help a person in danger.  This is normally done through Wiggins but in this case the person, or should I say ghost, that  sent Bailey Ruth to earth is Dee, Nick's aunt who decides she has to keep an eye out and make sure Bailey Ruth does everything correctly to save her nephew.  Problem is, with Dee being the one to send Bailey to earth, she has no control over her abilities to appear and disappear, so once Bailey Ruth appeared, she was unable to disappear and with Wiggins not knowing of her descent, she became OF the earth and not ON the earth. 

This series is one that I keep an eye out for the next Bailey Ruth story to hit the shelves.  The characters are always so real, including Bailey Ruth, to the point that you actually feel that you know them as neighbors.  Now I "patiently" wait for the next volume to see what Bailey gets herself into next.

Vanishing Trail - The Taking of Jonathan Bishop - Stephen Kosa, Author

 

Kalamata-Balsamic Chicken with Feta

(A favorite dish of Author Stephen Kosa)

 

·         4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

·         1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

·         Cooking spray

·         1 cup grape tomatoes, halved 

·         16 pitted kalamata olives, halved

·         3 tablespoons light balsamic vinaigrette

·         3 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese

       2 tablespoons small basil leaves 

Sprinkle chicken evenly with pepper.  Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Cook chicken 6 to 7 minutes on each side or until done. Transfer chicken to a serving platter; keep warm.  While chicken cooks, combine tomatoes, olives, and vinaigrette in a medium bowl.  Add tomato mixture to pan; cook 1 to 2 minutes or until tomatoes soften. Spoon over chicken. Top evenly with cheese and basil.

Vanishing Trail - The Taking of Jonathan Bishop - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

His rocking slowed slightly as his mind drifted.  He could still see her, running vigorously along the sandy beach, just paces ahead of her pursuer.  Her feet churned heavily in the thick sand as she struggled to pull ahead.  she gasped for breath while her heart pounded fiercely - her freedom just strides away.  She was young and athletic, but ultimately no match for the swift moves of the former wide receiver from Wisconsin.  with a burst of power he closed the gap between them.  It was inevitable.  He reached for her and with one fluid motion cradled her in his arms as they spilled gently to the ground.  "You run pretty fast for an attorney," she said with a thick Spanish accent, giggling and gasping for breath.  "You're not so bad yourself for a stodgy old museum curator."

A contented silence ensured as they watch the sun slide into the ocean like a giant orange ball melting into a mirror.  He would never forget that day in Peru.  It was a magical day - a day of life, a day of hope, a day of promise.  It was the beginning of their life together, the life they had both dreamed about.  But like so many dreams, reality was certain to trickle in.

He slipped the photograph back into his shirt pocket and headed inside to bed  Tomorrow would bring another long day in court - another act in the seemingly endless theatrical production.

Attorney Jake Bishop's mind seldom strays from his beautiful wife Blanca who had died in a car accident in her home country of Peru while on an archaeological trip.  She left his heart with a void but not before giving him a precious son they named Jonathan after his best friend Professor Jonathan Albright.

Jake's life was drifting along until fate hit again with someone taking his son.  Jake vowed to find him and after months of hopes that didn't pan out he felt that he would never hold his son again.   After the death of Professor Albright and the letter he left, Jake found a new hope that sent him right back where his journey began... Peru.  But not in search for his son but for the possibility that Blanca just might be alive. 

This book is a hard one to put down.  It combines romance, mystery and the black market.  I held my breath in hopes that the woman the Professor wrote about in his letter to Jake would turn out to be his wife.  I crossed my fingers while hoping that he or the FBI would find Jonathan.  And then there was Jake's old girlfriend Maggie from years back who still had strong feelings for him.  That brought questions that I couldn't wait to find answers to.  Will it have a happy ending?  Will the woman be Blanca?  Will they ever find Jonathan?  Will Jake even make it out of Peru alive?   I have to say that the ending of this book took me by surprise, as I think it will you.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end.

The Moon is Broken! - Monique B. Martin, Author

Beef Tamales (6 servings)

(Taylor's Favorite)

 

Ingredients:

4 lbs boneless chuck roast
4 cloves garlic
4 dried ancho chiles
3 8 oz packages dried corn husks
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp whole wheat flour
1 cup beef broth
2 tsp cumin
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp chopped fresh oregano
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp white vinegar
2 tbsp salt
3 cups lard 
(lard is a non-negotiable for Mexican-style tamales, but I've had success with coconut oil as well)
9 cups masa harina

 

1. Place beef and garlic in a large pot. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. As soon as water boils, reduce heat to a simmer and cover pot. Let simmer for 3 1/2 hours, until beef is tender and shreds easily. When beef is done, remove from pot, reserving 5 cups cooking liquid and discarding garlic. Allow meat to cool slightly, and shred finely with forks.
2. Meanwhile, place corn husks in a large container and cover with warm water. Allow to soak for 3 hours, until soft and pliable. May need to weight down with an inverted plate and a heavy can.
3. Toast ancho chiles in a cast iron skillet, making sure not to burn them. Allow to cool and then remove stems and seeds. Crumble and grind in a clean coffee grinder or with a mortar and pestle.
4. Heat oil in a large skillet. Mix in flour and allow to brown slightly. Pour in 1 cup beef broth and stir until smooth. Mix in ground chiles, cumin seeds, ground cumin, minced garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, vinegar and salt. Stir shredded beef into skillet and cover. Let simmer 45 minutes.
5. Place lard and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whip with an electric mixer on high speed until fluffy. Add masa harina and beat at low speed until well mixed. Pour in reserved cooking liquid a little at a time until mixture is the consistency of soft cookie dough.
6. Drain water from corn husks. One at a time, flatten out each husk, with the narrow end facing you, and spread approximately 2 tablespoons masa mixture onto the top 2/3 of the husk. Spread about 1 tablespoon of meat mixture down the middle of the masa. Roll up the corn husk starting at one of the long sides. Fold the narrow end of the husk onto the rolled tamale and tie with a piece of butchers' twine.

 

 

The Moon is Broken! - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

 

Every night at eight o'clock the same thing happens.  "Time for bed,"  Mommy says.  "Time for bed, sleepyhead!"  But, to her surprise and fright, something is wrong this starry night!  Something has happened to the moon and it has to be fixed! 

 

This is such a sweet little book that helps Taylor solve her dilemma.  She's determined to let God know that the moon is broken.  The last time she looked it was a round circle and now part of it's fallen off.  She must find the missing part so it can be fixed.  Perfect for a bedtime story for young children.  Beautiful illustrations.

20 Strawberry Cake Recipes - Sharon Ray, Author

20 Strawberry Cake Recipes - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish
 

Classic Strawberry Cake
(Straight from the Cookbook and so good)

 

2 large eggs
2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup fresh, crushed strawberries, unsweetened
1/2 cup butter
2 1/5 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

 

Strawberry Glaze:

1 cu powdered sugar
12 - 3/4 cup crushed strawberries
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/5 tsp. vanilla

 

Preheat oven to 350F/180C/gas mark 4.  Prepare the cake.  First sift flour, salt and baking powder together.  Using a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients.  This includes the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla.  Beat for about 3 minutes.  Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl.  Add the flour mixture to the cream mixture.  Alternate it with adding the strawberries.  Beat again for about 2 minutes.  Pour the batter into two 8-inch round greased and floured cake pans.  Put pan in pre-heated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until cake tests are done.  Turn out on wire cooking racks to cool.  When cool, top the cake with the strawberry glaze.  To make the strawberry glaze, simply mix all ingredients together.  Just make sure that you use enough strawberries to think the mixture.

 

 

This is just one of the wonderful recipes included in Sharon Ray's Golden Recipe Collection - 20 Strawberry Cake Recipes.  I made this cake and my food testers all raved about it's taste and texture.   When working this recipe up I did notice the batter was a bit thick and that worried me a bit but it proved to be a deliciously moist cake with loads of strawberry flavor.  The glaze did come out thin but as it sat for a few minutes it thickened slightly and just added to the moist consistency of the cake.  This woman has it together when it comes to strawberries.  I can't wait to try some the others in this book, especially since strawberries are in season.

 

Order your copy today 20 Strawberry Cake Recipes

A Cloud of Witnesses - Joan S. Hickey, Author

Apple Pie a la Mode

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

6 to 7 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches)

1 tablespoon butter

1 egg white

Additional sugar

 

Directions

In a small bowl, combine first 6 ingredients and set aside. In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice. Add sugar mixture; toss to coat.

Line a 9-in. pie plate with bottom crust; trim pastry even with edge. Fill with apple mixture; dot with butter. Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie. Place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges. Cut slits in pastry.

Beat egg white until foamy; brush over pastry. Sprinkle with sugar. Cover edges loosely with foil.

Bake at 375° for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake 20-25 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack.

Yield: 8 servings.

Top with ice cream

 

A Cloud of Witnesses – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

 

***I am the seventh of seventeen children, from a working-class, Midwestern Catholic family.  In my teenage years, the tension of alcoholism and depression brought my family to its knees.  My parents fought constantly about money.  Teenage brothers and sisters, one at a time, ran away from home.  My fifteen-year-old younger sister, Lisa, got pregnant.  My eighteen-year-old older brother, Charlie, who was smoking a lot of weed and dropping a lot of LSD, got shot in the back hitchhiking home at 4 a.m. through the ghetto and became crippled.  My father’s depression and drinking led to the loss of his job.  When my family defaulted on the mortgage to our house, we sold our furniture on the front lawn in the middle of January, packed our remaining belongings into a U-Hall truck, and made our way out west for a new start.***

 

***Inside I was dying.  The alcoholic family’s code of silence and denial worked in tandem with teenage male conditioning in a toxic way.  I was deeply depressed by all that was happening at home.  I struggled with a tremendous sense of shame.  I had no way to access my own needs and feelings, much less the ability to articulate them or to ask for the help I desperately needed… This whole time was a death-of-God experience for me.  The God of my childhood, with whom I had bargained to save me and my family, was now officially dead.***

 

This is a story that is lived by many others but seldom told.  How can a person expect to live through circumstances so negative and still come out with a positive attitude?  How can they be expected to go through the heartbreaks and horror and still have Faith?  How can they be expected to even believe that the is a real God?  ‘As a young boy Jesse felt called to be a priest.  Part of this was a real sense of piety.  He truly felt a love for God.  The Holy One was the only one he could count on amidst the emotional and physical violence of his family.  At the same time, religion was a socially sanctioned way to escape from the chaos’…  Even though his faith and beliefs faltered over the years, he experienced his own ‘miracle’ that kept him seeking and eventually becoming what God meant for him to be.  He is a board-certified chaplain who works with pediatric oncology patients and their families.

 

Jesse’s story and many others are shared with us in this wonderfully uplifting book A Cloud of Witnesses.  As I read each story I allowed myself to drift into a state of ‘meditation’ and be there for each Godly experience.  The inter peace and tranquility that I received was through each testimony can only be described as beautiful.  I have several friends who are cancer patients and this is a book that I fully intend to pass along to them with hopes that they too will receive the messages being shared by those within this book who experienced them.  I can only say thank you to the author Joan S. Hickey for bringing these words together.

 

81 BBQ Chicken Recipes - Sharon Ray, Author

Pepsi Chicken Barbecue
(From Sharon Ray’s BBQ Chicken Recipes Cookbook)
 
  Serves: 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Marinating time: 8 hours
Cooking time: 15 minutes  
 
Ingredients  
2 Lbs. chicken – boned and skinless  


Marinade:
3 c. Pepsi 1
1/ 2 tsp. garlic
2 tsp... Rice vinegar
2 tbsp. Smokey paprika
2 tsp. salt
1 1/ 2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. sugar  
 
Dry Rub
1 c. brown sugar
1 1/ 2 tbsp. kosher salt
1 tbsp.   Garlic powder
1 tbsp. Smokey paprika
1 tbsp. cayenne pepper
1 1/ 2 tsp. onion powder  
 
Directions  
1. Prepare the marinade. Simply mix all the spices together.  
2. Put it in a re-sealable plastic bag. Add the chicken and then add in the Pepsi and rice vinegar.   3. Refrigerate and marinate for at least 8 hours, turning the chicken occasionally.  
4. Prepare the dry rub. Simply combine all the dry rub ingredients together.  
5. Take out the chicken and rub the spices on the chicken.  
6. Grill for about 6 to 8 minutes or until the chicken is firm and the juice runs clear.  
7. Serve along with potato salad and marinated cucumber, if preferred.
 
BBQ Chicken Recipes  - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A book and A Dish
 
I seldom eat red meat but live off chicken and fish so this book was right up my alley.  The recipes included in BBQ Chicken Recipes – the Best BBQ and Grilled Chicken Recipes allow it to live up to its name.  The one above has to be my favorite.  The chicken comes out juicy and tender.  It is seasoned just a bit ‘hot’ for me but I can always cut down the cayenne pepper in the marinade and dry rub. 
 
Another favorite is the Oven Steamed BBQ Chicken Quarters with Sweet & Tangy Sauce.  The chicken cooked with onions and lemon made a beautiful blend but it’s the sauce that got me.  A mixture of vinegar and mustard mixed with onions, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and chili powder and topped off with tomato puree and apricot preserves to give it the perfect blend of sweet and tangy.  And those are just two of the delicious recipes that I’ve had a chance to try, so far.  Next I want to try Grilled Chicken Quesadillas and the BBQ Chicken with Easy BBQ sauce.  This one sounds like something that could become a quick go to dish on the grill when needed.
 
So, if you like chicken as much as I do and love yours cooked on the grill or even in the oven, this is a must have book for your own kitchen.  I’m sure enjoying mine.

Essentially Yours - A Tall Pine Mystery - Aaron Paul Lazar, Author

Steak and Tomato Soup
(An Aaron Lazar special)

1 large Vidalia onion
One pound Portabella Mushrooms
Garlic Cloves
Olive Oil
2-3 large Chard leaves or similar greens
Japanese radish (Daikon or mild rutabaga would work)
Handful of fresh sugar snap or snow peas
Beef stock - either use 4 large cans of good stock or enough powder to flavor the broth
1-2 pounds of steak
1/2 cup Barley
1 lb. hard Tofu
1 pkg. fresh bean sprouts
3 Tbsp. fresh chopped Cilantro
3 cups Tomato based product such as frozen tomatoes, pureed, spaghetti sauce, salsa, etc. (A little ketchup adds a zesty flavor!)
Seasonings:  Garlic powder, onion powder, Thai fish sauce, sugar, soy sauce, salt, red hot pepper to taste

Saute one large thinly sliced Vidalia onion, one pound thinly sliced Portabella mushrooms, and a few cloves of garlic, chopped in olive oil.  Add freshly ripped greens from two or three large leaves. (I used chard from the garden).  Chop 1/2 fresh Daikon radish into cubes, add to fry pan (from garden).  Add several handfuls of fresh snow peas, ends cut off but peas left whole.  Start heating stock pot using good quality beef stock.  I used four large boxes of liquid stock to fill the stock pot about 3/4 full.  When onions are translucent, transfer all ingredients to stock broth.  Cut 1-2 pounds sirloin steak into cubes.  Saute in same fry pan, add just a little more olive oil if needed.  Brown steak in batches and add to stock pot.   Add 1/2 cup barley.  Chop one pound hard Tofu into 1/2" - 1" pieces.  Add to pot.  Add one package fresh bean sprouts to stock pot.  Add two - three tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro to stock pot (from garden).  For seasonings I added the following: Garlic powder, onion powder, Thai fish sauce, sugar, soy sauce, salt, red hot pepper to taste.  Add at least three cups tomato base product such as tomato sauce, plum tomatoes, tomato paste, salsa, spaghetti sauce, etc. (even ketchup would work! I also cut up four ripe tomatoes into chunks and added them to the soup).  Adjust ingredients for flavor and cook until barley is soft.  This soup tastes best the next day after flavors have melded.

Essentially Yours - A Tall Pine Mystery - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds, A Book and A Dish

**Hurrying up the cement path, I climbed the stairs to the front door that lead to her kitchen and knocked on the glass, "Callie! Are you in there?"  An answering whine came from Beau, who jumped up and scratched at the glass from the inside.  I knocked again, tried the door and found it locked.  Running around the back side of the house near the road I hammered on the door.  "Callie!"  In the distance, I heard some shouting down the road, but my tunnel vision didn't allow it to penetrate.  Anyway, I figured it was neighbors arguing with each other over something stupid like a property line.  I bent down to get her door key out of the ceramic turtle that lived under her shrubs, and opened the door.**

**I sank onto the bed and sighed.  Callie never went out, so what happened to her?  Had Willow called the copy again when she spied her sister on her way back in the pontoon boat?  Had they come and picked her up and dragged her off to jail?  Shutting Beau securely inside, I stomped toward her house.  A siren screamed in the distance, growing louder with each step.  A cop car screeched to a stop beside the ambulance.  And a coroner's van rolled up behind them both.  Oh my God.  Willow killed Callie.  She finally did it.**

Marcie, Callie and Sky, Callie's brother, have been friends since childhood.  Whee you saw one you saw the other two.  Marcie and Sky actually became more than friends.  They became lovers.  But this all ended when Marcie decided to pursue her singing career and Sky joined the military.  Then Sky came up missing and assumed dead.  Marcie and Callie continued to be best friends even after Marcie married Quinn.  And when Callie received a strange package that was supposed to have come from Sky, even with her agoraphobia, Marcie was the first person she ran to.

Callie's sister Willow had always shown resentment toward Callie so when she saw her leave on the pontoon she knew she was without license so calling the police was the perfect thing for her to do.  And now the police are at Willow's home and Marcie just knows that Willow finally lost it completely and killed Callie.

I really enjoyed traveling with Marcie and Quinn as they searched the Adirondacks trying to find their friends as well as the truth about Sky.  Could he really be alive after all these years?  The package sent to Callie contained bottles of oils.  Some of which, due to his native American heritage, Quinn recognized as being great healers.  But what is the connection?  This book kept me on the edge from page 1.   But why are the drug companies trying to stop the research behind the oils?

Is this a believable story?  Very possibly so.  For years I've believed there are cures for certain ailments but if released it would put a crimp on the drug companies.  This story brings that possibility to life.  And the oils have fascinated me enough to make me want to learn more.

Buy your copy today
Essentially Yours
Other Books By this Aaron Paul Lazar

Shadows of Doubt - Mell Corcoran, Author

Grilled Cheese
(One of Mell's Favorites)

 

Who doesn't love a good grilled cheese sandwich?  Being the food addict that I am, I always love to find a new twist for an old favorite but how can anyone possibly improve on a grilled cheese sandwich?  Granted, mine are more fried than grilled, but still!
 

One day I was surfing channels while trying to work my way through a particularly convoluted scene I was writing and came across a little piece on Harry's Bar in Venice, Italy. I think it was actually one of Giada De Laurentiis' show but  this segment was on the infamous bar where Hemingway was practically a fixture for a time.  He made numerous references to Harry's in his work "Over the River and into the Trees".   Naturally, when the owner began showing Giada how to make Harry's Bar pierini, their pan seared cheese sandwich, I scrambled for pen and paper and headed to the grocery store that afternoon to give it a whirl.  Needless to say this is an ultimate comfort food of mine.  If I may be so bold as to say that it is much like my book, a simple concept that everyone can't help enjoying, but this one is given a surprising and intense complexity that you can't help but fall in love with.
 

The original recipe calls for the addition of 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper as well as a half a pound of smoked, boiled ham but I found I love this sandwich without them.  Try it both ways and you pick your favorite version. 
 

1/2 pound Gruyere or Swiss cheese, coarsely grated, at room temperature.
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard or 1 tablespoon prepared Dijon mustard
salt to taste
Cream if needed to thin the mixture
10 slices good, dense white bread, crusts removed.
Olive oil for frying
 

Combine cheese, egg yolk, Worcestershire sauce and mustard in a food processor until smooth.  If the mixture is too thick to spread smoothly, add a touch of cream to get the right consistency.  Add olive oil to a heavy frying pan until it is very hot.  While the oil is heating up, spread the cheese mixture onto the slices of bread, slap them together and place a few in the hot oil to start the frying!  Don't over crowd the pan, work in batches.  Turn sandwiches once, when they are golden brown and crisp.  Repeat with remaining sandwiches, adding more oil as necessary.  Cut sandwiches in half, serve hot in paper napkins for that Harry's authentic touch.  As they say in Venice, buon appetito!
 

 

Shadows of Doubt – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

 

He circled her slowly, enjoying the cool feel of plastic as it crinkled under his bare feet. The poor girl was exhausted, he could tell by hr soft low whimpers that came fewer and further between now. She had struggled so hard the first several hours after her arrival, it was a wonder she was awake at all. As if by some subconscious need to comfort her, he reached down and twirled one of her long, glossy ginger curls around his finger. She stiffened instantly at his touch and tried to hold her breath, the panic and fear ushering in a second wind. A smile spread wide across his tight, think lips. Who was he kidding, he didn’t have a comforting bone in his body. He existed solely for moments such as these, where the foreplay of pain was danced out like a carefully choreographed tango. Ah, how he loved to tango. He stopped in front of her and closed his eyes, swaying his hips to the music that began to play in his head, lost for a moment. The silk robe danced across his skin like a soft caress as he moved, prompting him to hum his tune aloud. The robe he donned this time was a deep jade color, in honor of his guest’s stage name. He wore it open and loose, unabashedly. Despite a few minor inconveniences, it had all worked out rather delightfully, after all.
 

Tallulah Louella Donovan, known simply as ‘Lou’ is a police homicide detective. She and her partner Vinny took what started out as a normal call where someone had reported finding the body of a young woman. The body was found on the railroad tracks and both legs had been severed. But there also appeared to be a cut on the victim’s leg that didn’t come from a train running over her. Plus, there was no blood in the area nor in the body. This lead them to believe that she had been killed somewhere else and placed on the tracks. And to make it worse, this wasn’t the 1^st body to be found with cuts on the body and no blood found at the scene. But what became the true mystery was that each case was taken away from Lou and Vinny and turned over to the LAPD leaving them to do their own investigation on the side.
 

Maximiliam Augustus Julian, known as Max, left his home and business in Washington, DC and traveled to Los Angeles to straighten out the problems of corruption that apparently were taking over his territory out west. Part of that corruption lead him to discovering that it was one of his own people that was cutting and killing young girls in LA. In fact, it was the same person that he had been tracking for some time for committing the same crime in other locations. One way or the other, he vowed to get him this time. But when he meets Lou, some goes off inside and she becomes more important than anyone else.

 

Shadows of Doubt kept me guessing until about half way through the book as to who Max really was. There were times that I thought I knew but wasn’t 100% sure. The suspense of learning just who he and his team represented, the chase of the killer, the connections between families and the devotion of love made this book a real page turner. I hope that Author Mell Corcoran will award us with a continuation, especially since the ending left plenty of room for just about anything to happen. This was an enjoyable book to read.

Slightly Cracked - Susan Whitfield, Author

 

Mountain Dew Cake

(A Susan Special)

1 box lemon cake mix

1 3.4 oz. box lemon instant pudding mix

1 12 oz. can Mountain Dew (born in North Carolina!)

3/4 cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease and flour a 10-cup bundt pan. Combine all ingredients. Beat with mixture until smooth batter. Pour into pan and bake 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from pan and let cool.

 

 

Slightly Cracked – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

 

After eighteen holes of golf with his pals, Clayton ran into the kitchen from the mud room with a white face, his underwear dropped to his knees. Mackie Sue flung her spoon into the sink.

“Clayton, what on earth are you doing with your underwear down? I’m busy here, and I’m in no mood for sex right now.”

“Tick on my testicle! It’s seizing up. Get it off!” Mackie Sue sprang into action, getting the tweezers and heating the tips to remove the entire tick—head and all—on the first attempt.

“Just where have you been to get ticks, Clayton?”

“I stayed in the woods on every hole. I played like I’d never picked up a club before in my life.”

“Hold still while I finish up here.” She coated the injured gonad with Vaseline, just in case she’d missed something, and to soothe the traumatized area. Then Clayton tottered off to the sofa while she got back to her cooking, soon hearing a snore from an apparently relaxed if injured husband.

 

Ladies, if that isn’t enough to make you laugh and want to read Slightly Cracked I don’t know what will. And yes, I see this as a ladies book even though you guys would probably enjoy it too if you would just allow yourself to read it.

 

Clayton is Mackie Sue’s husband of many years. She is a high school principal and he is an accountant. Daisy is Mackie Sue’s best friend and has been almost since birth. They know each other like the back of their hands and a bonded friendship that nothing nor no one will tear apart. Daisy is married to Stanley who is a mortician with a deep dark secret that even Daisy doesn’t know. Actually he didn’t know himself that he had a secret until recently. And when it does come to light, it will have a tremendous affect on his and Daisy’s marriage.

 

This book is full of humor. We have two overweight friends who give it their all to lose weight, while eating anything that isn’t on the healthy food list. Both are going through menopause and both feel they have husband problems. And then there are the ‘gaggles’ of geese that Daisy has helped create over the years through feeding and protecting. I’ve read every book written by Author Susan Whitfield and there hasn’t been a one that I haven’t enjoyed but Slightly Cracked has brought out a side of this author that I didn’t know existed. I can’t remember reading another book that has made me laugh as much as Slightly Cracked. Yes, as I said before, it’s basically a female book but it’s also an adult book. It does get a little risqué but with so much humor that you can’t help but love it. Got you guys interested now? I think you would enjoy it too.

Bertha and Tillie Sisters Forever - Fran Lewis, Author

Chicken Kabobs with Grilled Onions

(fRAN'S SISTER'S FAVORITE)

3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Pinch pepper
Pinch salt
1 pound chicken tenders, cut in half
1 bunch green onions
10 wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes

 

Spray a grill rack with nonstick, nonflammable cooking spray. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.

In a large re-sealable plastic bag, combine the garlic, soy sauce, lemon juice, teriyaki sauce, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and salt. Add the chicken. Seal the bag and chill for 1 hour.

Drain the chicken, discarding the marinade. Thread the chicken onto the skewers. Arrange the skewers on the grill, and grill until the chicken is done, about 3 minutes on each side. Grill the green onions until browned, about 1 minute on each side. Arrange the green onions on a serving platter. Top with the chicken. Serve immediately.

 

Bertha and Tillie Sisters Forever – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

 

My mean and horrible cousin said, “Bertha is the one that started the spitball fight in the bathroom. She was throwing them at everyone, and even hit the guards in the face when they tried to stop them. She bumped into one of the guards and knocked him out with her wide butt when she tried to run away. The coach was knocked out when she threw the ball and broke the window, causing it to fall on the volleyball coach. She deserves whatever she gets. Bertha thinks she is so smart. All she is and will always be is fat, ugly, and oversized.”

 

Can you imagine being a young person and have someone talk about you in this manner? And with you standing there too? It has to hurt. Bertha is overweight but what she lacks on the outside she more than makes up for on the inside. She isn’t athletic, she can’t even throw a bowling ball without it landing in the wrong lane. But she is still a good person to know, to be around and one of the best friends you’ll ever have, if you just let her.

 

In Bertha and Tillie Sisters Forever, Bertha tries to find herself. She tries to find just where she fits in her world of peers. While doing this, she doesn’t always make the right choices. One of her tries came when she decided to join a gang that harassed little kids on the playground. She tried it but it just wasn’t in her to be mean. Lesson learned and her next step is taken. Instead of joining a ‘gang’ she decided to create her own. But instead of being mean, Bertha’s gang became a team of investigators who are instrumental in catching the guilty people who broke into the music room and destroyed the instruments, gaining her respect from the teachers and police as well as a few of her classmates.

 

With ‘Adolescent Bullying’ being brought to light lately, Sisters Forever is the perfect book for young people to read. It helps them in understanding that just because you’re fat, you don’t wear designer clothes, your house isn’t a castle or your parents don’t drive the best car, you don’t have to accept bullying from anyone. You do need to stand up for yourself and if you can’t talk to an adult you trust and allow them to help you find the solutions to stop the bullying.

 

Ghost Hunting Diary Vol II - T. M. Simmons, Author

Southern Bread Pudding and Jack Daniels Sauce:

(I've revised this recipe so you can make it with a little bit less cholesterol and fat.)

Bread Pudding Ingredients:

1 loaf French bread, a day or two old and in 1-inch squares

1 quart skim or 1% milk
3 Eggbeater eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup Splenda granulated sugar
1 cup regular sugar
2 tbsp. vanilla
2 cup raisins (better if you soak them overnight in ¼ cup bourbon!)
1 cup chopped pecans
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg

 

Cooking spray (I use the type with olive oil)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, soak the French bread cubes in the milk until milk is absorbed. In separate bowl, beat Eggbeaters, Splenda and sugar, vanilla and spices together. Stir egg mixture into the bread mixture. Stir in raisins and pecans. Coat the bottom and sides of a 9X13" baking pan with cooking spray. Pour in bread mixture and bake for 35-45 min. Remove from oven when the edges start getting brown and pull away from pan edges.

Jack Daniels Sauce Ingredients:

½ cup melted butter

½ cup Splenda granulated sugar
½ cup regular sugar
1 Eggbeater egg
1 cup Kentucky bourbon whiskey

In a saucepan, whisk melted butter, sugar and egg well. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until thickens. Don't simmer, or will curdle. Whisk in bourbon and remove from stove. Whisk before serving and pouring over individual servings of warm bread pudding.

Yum, yum!

 

Ghost Hunting Diary Vol II – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

I don’t much care for my days and nights getting mixed up, but since I won’t take sleeping pills unless I’m desperate, I hadn’t taken any this night. Being ghost-sensitive, though, I had realized that the ghosts were fairly active. I’d heard –and felt – someone several times since I’d settled in the room, and been aware of various noises in the rest of the house that couldn’t be explained away as a roaming cat. I’d also encountered the ghost in the bathroom a couple times: that drop in temperature and the skin-crawl sensation of the energy surrounding a paranormal entity. Normally, I don’t bother turning on the light during my nightly bathroom excursions, but due to that fairly strong presence this night, I did. And I’m not too happy with being watched during what should be a private time, but I don’t have much choice around here. I won’t call them pervert ghosts, but the bathroom ones are male.

This is Author T. M. Simmons talking about her own home, which is haunted, especially her spare bedroom which she calls the Molly-Belle Suite and which accommodates her when she can’t sleep and doesn’t want to wake her husband. She normally gets along with her resident ghosts but that’s only due to her ‘laying down the house laws’ to them. But now and then they will ‘test’ her to see what they can get away with.

In Ghost Hunting Diary Vol. II, T. M. Simmons records some of her experiences in both the cemetery as well as a few haunted buildings. Some of these experiences would scare the pants off people like myself yet all are quite interesting and there are even a few that are quite funny. By funny I’m talking about her records of the Naked Ghost which she found in the Baker Hotel. And her description was so that I don’t think I would mind meeting this ‘Adonis’ghost. But the evil ones she encounters within the Goshen Cemetery I think I’ll pass on.

If you enjoy a good ghost story, you’ll enjoy this series of books – Ghost Hunting Diaries. If you’re a believer, you’ll love these stories. If you’re a non-believer, they just might change your opinion regarding ghosts, ghost hunters and the paranormal world. They have made a believer out of me!