Tuesday, June 11, 2013
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.
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Ghostly Justice - Bev Irwin
Golden Peach Pork Chops Recipe
(Bev's favorite Slow Cooker Dish)
Ingredients
1 can (29 ounces) peach halves
5 bone-in pork loin chops (1 inch thick)
1 tablespoon canola oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 can (29 ounces) peach halves
5 bone-in pork loin chops (1 inch thick)
1 tablespoon canola oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/4 cup cider vinegar
Directions
Drain peaches, reserving 1/4 cup juice (discard remaining juice or save for another use); set fruit and juice aside. In a large skillet, brown pork chops on both sides in oil; transfer to a 3-qt. slow cooker. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and
cloves. Add the tomato sauce, vinegar and reserved peach juice. Pour over the
chops. Arrange peach halves over the top. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours
or until the meat is tender.
***I watched until they turned the
corner at Colburn Street. Then the energy vanished and a profound sadness
filled me. Even playing the piano held no joy that day. I have to
talk to her. But how? I gave up trying to contact the living years
ago. It became so tiresome – appearing in front of them, touching them,
talking to them, yet never being noticed. Until now. Every day, I
watch for her. Every day, I try to make contact. Every day I plead
for her to look up at my window again. Two weeks have passed now.
And every day, she hurries past; her gaze focused on the street ahead. I
must talk to her. Daira is the first person I’ve been able to communicate
with since the day I was murdered.***
Daria Brennan is your typical 15
year-old, or at least she thought she was until she discovered that she could
see ghosts. Her first sighting was of a young woman in the upstairs
window of an old house she passed every day going to school. At first she
thought it might be her imagination since the house was empty. The woman
who lived there had fallen and been taken away to recuperate in a rehab
center. Maybe someone had broken into the house. Whatever it was
she knew that every time she walked past the house she felt a chill.. [1] Then came the voices. Someone calling her name when
there was no one there. This became more frequent after she and some friends broke into the house to have a place to be together.
As the visits to the house grew
more frequent, so did the voice in her head begging for her help. The
ghost she was seeing and talking to turned out to be Amanda the daughter of the
old lady who owned the house. She had died 40 years earlier and Amanda
needed Daria’s help t her remember how and why. As Daria researched Amanda’s
death she found that the police had ruled it as a suicide. But as
Amanda’s memory started coming back she knew it wasn’t suicide but murder.
Daria was the only one to help her prove it and to help her put the person
responsible away.
Ghostly Justice was a really
enjoyable mystery. I had no problem coming up with who murdered Amanda
but I had a problem guessing how he would be caught. I also had a problem
guessing why Daria and Amanda looked so much alike. Daria was born 40
years after Amanda’s death but their birthdays were the same month and
day. Had to be a connection but what? I really enjoyed this book
and there are a couple cuss words, not really bad ones, but I can see this
being an enjoyable read for ages teen to 90. I loved it and hope to hear
there will be other chapters in Daria’s life that will be put to words.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Ghost Hunting Diary Volume III - T. M. Simmons, Author
Southern Fried Chicken and Gravy
(One of T. M. Simmons' favorite dishes)
(One of T. M. Simmons' favorite dishes)
1 cut-up chicken
3 cups flour2 tbls. corn starch
1 tbl. baking powder
½ cup canola oil
1 can condensed milk
Salt and pepper
Lay chicken in sink and sprinkle both sides with salt and
pepper to taste. (If you want, you can freeze the back for noodles later rather
than cook it.)
Combine flour, corn starch and baking powder. Shift
together.Heat oil in large iron skillet to high heat.
When oil is ready, dredge chicken pieces in flour mixture and add to oil. (Save flour mixture for gravy.) Cook each side until nicely browned, then lower heat to medium low and finish cooking, turning often so chicken doesn't burn.
When done, remove chicken from skillet and drain on paper towels.
Pour off excess oil until there is only a thin layer in the bottom of the skillet, leaving in any small pieces of chicken or skin that came off during cooking.
Turn heat back up to medium high and sprinkle 3-4 tbls of flour mixture into oil.
Stir until flour begins to brown.
Turn heat down to medium and pour in one can of condensed milk, stirring as you add it. Add water if gravy is too thick.
When gravy is thickened, turn off heat and serve it with your fried chicken and mashed potatoes. Yum!
Ghost Hunting Diary Volume III – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish
***Billy and Lucy York had been to Goshen Cemetery
once previously with two other ghost hunters. From what they told me, I wanted
to visit this historic graveyard myself. I wasn’t deterred by the rumors
and tales abounding about Goshen, nor by the fact invitations to a few other
paranormal investigator friends to join us were turned down flat. Word
about evil entities and how dangerous Goshen could be had spread through the
paranormal community for years. Perhaps I should have been more
forearmed, but hindsight is perfect vision.***
Reading this Author’s diaries has been quite
fascinating to me and as soon as I finish one, I can’t wait to read the
next. Her experience in the Goshen Cemetery would have scared the heck
out of me but what happened as they were leaving would have probably given me a
heart attack.
As her diary went on through other outings, I
was drawn to wishful thinking when she told about her short chat with a Dr.
Griffith who was examining her ‘horseless carriage’ one night while she was
visiting a friend. That’s one event I think I would have enjoyed after my
heart rate slowed down just a bit.
The Ghost Hunting Diaries all take you into what
most of us can call the unknown. For T. M. Simmons, it has become the
purpose of her life to deal with those who haven’t passed over yet and to
encourage them to make the decision to leave their ‘unlife’ for a peaceful one
on the other side. But all isn’t fun and games when it comes to
ghosts. Some are humorous and enjoy playing jokes while others are quite
evil and enjoy wreaking havoc on those around them. And some are simply demonic
and quite dangerous.
This is the third Ghost Hunting Diary that I’ve had
the pleasure of reading and as I said, I can’t wait to dig into Volume
IV. If you like a good ghost/sprit story, you won’t want to miss T. M.
Simmons’ own personal accounts of being a paranormal investigator. They
have sparked my interest.
Monday, May 27, 2013
What Did You Say? - Monique E. Hammond, Author
CHICKEN MANHATTAN (adapted from 365 Ways to Cook Chicken)
(The fun of cooking is to create
one’s own recipes or to use a recipe as a guideline and to improvise. Use more
of what you like and leave out what you do not care for or substitute something
else. If you like spinach, use more. To give more zest to the topping, add a
sip of wine and a few bouillon granules. That’s what I do. - Monique Hammond)
Serves 4
¾ cup breadcrumbs (mixed with 1
tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese) 1 egg slightly beaten (or ¼ cup real egg substitute)
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves pounded to ¼ inch thickness
Olive oil
½ cup chopped onions
1 garlic clove, crushed
½ pound sliced fresh mushrooms
1 package frozen spinach, thawed and drained (almost 2 packages if using fresh)
4 slices of cheese Swiss or Provolone
¼ cup dry white wine
½ teaspoon nutmeg
Salt & pepper to taste
Steps:
1) Dip chicken pieces in egg and
dredge in crumb/cheese mixture to coat2) In large frying pan heat olive oil and brown chicken pieces on both sides
3) While chicken browns, heat olive oil in a separate pan; add onions and cook for about 2 minutes until soft. Add mushrooms and garlic. Cook and stir frequently until mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Add spinach and nutmeg. Mix well. Season with salt (or a few bouillon granules) & pepper, if desired. Cook until heated through and excess liquid has evaporated.
4) Top each chicken piece with a ¼ of the spinach mixture and a slice of cheese. Reduce heat. Add wine to pan. Cover pan and simmer 5 minutes or until cheese is all melted and chicken is tender.
Serve with oven-browned potatoes and, of course, crunchy baguette
What Did You Say – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish
***By profession I am a hospital pharmacist, I also enjoy teaching which is what I was doing when D-Day hit me… By 7:00 p.m., the end of the class period, my ear felt as if it were stuffed with cotton; it was totally deaf Yet I remained amazingly calm… I decided that I would call the doctor’s office in the morning…By the time my Husband picked me up at school, it felt like life was chugging along in slow motion. My reactions had become sluggish, and I was quite tired. As I got into the car, I mentioned sort of casually that I was half-deaf and that I would have to see the physician… Ross wondered if we should go to the hospital, but I declined… We went home and I managed to fix dinner… By 10:00 p.m. I was ready for bed… as soon as my head it the pillow, the room began to whirl around and around and would not stop. I became violently ill… Ross suggested that we go to the emergency room, which is where I ended up and that was also when live changed forever.***
Monique E. Hammond and her husband Ross had been on an Alaskan cruise two weeks before her D-Day (Deaf-Day) started. She had noticed occasional popping noises in her left ear. They would flare up in response to pressure changes inside her head. When the bus they were on climbed uphill or whenever she yawned she would have rounds of dull sounds inside her hear. Muscle spasms? She reacted each time by pressing her thumb against the lower portion of her ear – no pain, just tenderness. While on the ship, just the slight movement made her feel ill. Then came the problems with loud noises which caused her ear to crackle off and on. So what is the problem and is it permanent? She would soon learn the answers to some of her questions but not all as the ear is a quite complicated part of our body.
For a long time now I’ve heard people talk about having Vertigo, an intense spinning sensation accompanied by nausea and vomiting, that put Monique into the hospital for a couple of days.They have complained about it throwing them of balance, making them dizzy and violently sick. As I said, I’ve heard about this but never experienced it… I thought. There had been times that I would walk down a hall and feel like it might be good if I just touched the wall for balance, but this would only last for an hour or so and it wasn’t really bad. I assumed it was maybe a rise in my blood pressure or that I was just tired. Then it hit me. I woke one morning to the whole room spinning as I lay in bed. If I opened my eyes I could actually see the walls going round and round. Then the nausea hit me. Thank God the bathroom was close. All I could do was sit on the floor with my head over the toilet and hold on with both hands to try and stop the spinning. I then knew what Vertigo was really like and have had it several times since but never quite as drastically. In What Did You Say you’ll learn and come to an understanding that the word Vertigo actually stands for the feelings that you experience when having ear and hearing problems. Vertigo is more of a symptom than a true title for what you may be going through. What scared me so bad was the cause of the Vertigo symptom is really wide spread. It can be anything from an ear infection to wax buildup to loss of the cochlear hair cells to even a tumor. And the causes of these problems can be anything from putting a swab in your ear to loud noises to again a possible tumor. The symptoms themselves can be from loss of balance, spinning room, nausea and ringing in the ear.
The cure? Monique Hammond suggests you see your medical doctor first to make sure you don’t have some type of infection. If you’re clear of infections then see a hearing specialist. Only through tests can the cause, treatment and hopefully cure can be determined.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Scare Me - Richard Parker, Author
TEMPURA SCALLOPS WITH LIME WEDGES
(This is my favorite appetizer that's very easy to cook but looks really impressive. The batter is bubbly, light and crispy because of the chilled soda water. If you don't like scallops I'd suggest whole mushrooms, discs of sweet potato or trimmed spring onions/scallions. The great thing about this recipe is that it doesn't need to be too precise. Adjust it for your own taste and add any seasonings or spices you like - turmeric is a favorite if you want a yellow rather than red look to the batter. You can use chilled beer instead of soda water. Richard Parker)
Ingredients
King Scallops - allow at least two per guest.
2 cups of plain flour
1 cup of Corn Flour
Tbsp Smoked paprika
Tbsp Garlic Salt
Tbsp Chilli Flakes
Bottle of Chilled Soda WaterOilLimesSeasoning
Method
Cut limes into wedges.
In a mixing bowl combine both flours, smoked paprika( It's worth tracking down smoked rather than plain paprika because it has an entirely different depth of flavor), chili flakes, garlic salt and seasoning. Gradually add chilled soda water and stir until you have a batter that has the same thickness as paint. Don't worry if it's lumpy. Thick is better than thin.
In a wok or deep pan heat oil until hot enough for deep frying. Test with a drop of batter to make sure it crisps on contact.
Dip scallop in mixture and coat. Drop it in oil for thirty seconds max and then remove with slotted spoon. Place onto kitchen paper to get rid of excess oil and serve in batches. Eat with lime wedges and rock salt. Chili jam is also good. Let your guests have a few mouthfuls each and cook another batch.
Beware - guests will eat this as long as you keep serving it up!
Scare Me - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish
***Poppy wondered if he'd locked himself in his bedroom but she had the key to that as well. It looked like blind panic had won out, howeer. She met Brett when she was a third of the way up the stairs. He was naked from the waist down. She jabbed a taser into the center of his chest and he dropped like he'd been fileted. He juddered down the rest of the staircase on his spine and his tee shirt rode up his back. She followed his body to the bottom. Then she took the same broad-bladed sushi knife she'd used on the rest of the family out of the pocket of her robe. Poppy pushed it into his stomach and his spasms haulted. He turned to face her with incredulity. She gripped the handle firmly and draged it towards her. She felt it hot on the heel of her hand but Poppy didn't see the blood, had prefected the art of creating blind spots where she needed them. Like biting down on her lip and not feeling it... as she slipps out of the white robe and kicked off her flip-flops, she only vaguely registered the footprints of blood she left before diving into the pool. She didn't hae to worry about leaving fingerprints or hair strands because Poppy didn't really exist.***
Will is CEO of Ingram International. He has great plans for his wife Carla and daughter Libby as they celebrate Will and Carla's nineteenth anniversary. He plans to spend a few days with his wife and daughter before she leaves the nest and moves in with her boyfriend and father of her unborn child. But things are about to happen that will change his comfortable world into total hell.
After receiving a light night call asking "When did you last google yourself, Mr. Frost?" Will's gut feeling told him things weren't quite right. After inserting his own name he ended at a site that brought up pictures of his house that had been taken through the windows. Then he found pictures of his daughter Libby and her boyfriend Luke tied together in a livestock shed.
After being shown pictures of 6 houses, Will is instructed to travel to 5 locations around the world on a sort of scvanger hunt to retrieve items belonging to Libby. The 6th house on the list is his own and this is where it will all come together and possibly make sense.
Will's 1st house is in the U.S. in the state of Florida. There he must go and retrieve his first item but before he gets there the house's picture is opened showing inside pictures. Pictures of the family. All are dead leaving Will to enter the house before the police arrive and find the item he needs. Knowing now what to expect from the other 4 houses, Will doesn't know how he will be able to go through this little game of scavanger hunt but knows he must if he wants to save his daughter.
I've made this statement about other books I've read but I have to say Scare Me really does live up to these words... This Was A REAL Page Turner. I don't think I've ever read a book that is so descript in details yet one that I simply couldn't put down. And to make it even better, Author Richard Parker tells me that the Hollywood movie rights have already been acquired by Relativity Media and Wentworth Miller is currently contracted and working on the screen adaptation. This is a movie I don't want to miss, even if I do have to look away when it gets too gory. As for the actors maybe Angelina and Brad?
So if you're looking for a good late night keeper upper, I've just found it for you.
Monday, May 13, 2013
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
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Missing Clayton - Bev Irwin, Author
Lemon Cranberry Tea Cookies
(A Bev favorite)
Glaze
- 2 lemons
- ¼ cup (50 mL) granulated sugar
Cookie Batter
- 1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (50 mL) whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp. (5 mL) ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp. (1 mL) each salt and baking soda
- 5 tbsp. (75 mL) margarine
- ½ cup (125 mL) granulated sugar
- 1 egg white
- 3 tbsp. (45 mL) plain yogurt
- 1 tsp. (5 mL) vanilla
- 3 tbsp. (45 mL) dried cranberries
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 1 or 2 baking sheets
with parchment paper. Finely grate peel from 1 lemon and set aside. Squeeze
juice from 2 lemons. You should have about ½ cup (125 mL) of juice. Place juice
in a small saucepan and boil until reduced by half. Stir in ¼ cup (50 mL) sugar
until dissolved.
In a small bowl, stir flours with nutmeg, salt and baking
soda. In a medium bowl, beat margarine with remaining ½ cup (125 mL) sugar and
lemon peel until combined. Beat in egg white, yogurt and vanilla (it may appear
curdled). Stir in flour mixture just until combined.
Roll dough into 1-inch (2.5 cm) balls and set about 2-inches
(5 cm) apart on a baking sheet. Press gently, flattening slightly to form a
cookie. Press a cranberry in the centre of each.
Bake, one baking sheet at a time, in centre of the preheated
oven until the bottom is golden brown for 7-9 minutes. Place cookies on a rack
set over a baking sheet. When cookies are cool enough to handle, dip tops into
lemon glaze. When glaze looks dry, re-dip.
Missing
Clayton – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With
Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish
Clayton awoke to shivers running up
and down his body. The blanket had slipped while he slept, and now, only
partially covered him. The short-sleeved puppy-dog T-shirt he wore left
his arms exposed and goose bumps covered the bare area. He reached out a
hand and grasped an edge of the blanket. It was threadbare; several small
holes scattered across its length. The blanket gave him little warmth in
the dampness of the dirt hole. He pulled the blanket up to his chin and
curled himself into a tight ball. Shivers traveled along his arms and
legs. His body felt like a block of ice, and his forehead felt hot, so
hot.
He wanted
to go home. He wanted to be in his own soft bed with his mother tucking
the blankets around him, blankets that were thick and warm and had no holes in
them. He wanted his mother hugging him. More shivers.
Grabbing the edge of the blanket, he tucked it around his limbs. He shut
his eyes. He wanted to keep them closed. He tried to go back to
sleep. At least then he didn’t have to think about anything. He
didn’t have to think about why he was here.
What did I
do? Did I do something bad? Why won’t Mommy come and get me?
Why is she leaving me here? Why? Mommy, please come. I want
to go home.
Five-year-old
Clayton Kingsley and his mother Jenny have moved to a new home. Jenny
left her abusive husband and obsessive mother and took Clayton to a serene
bedroom community that she thought would be the perfect place to raise her son. At
least that was until the day Clayton came up missing. She had only left
him for 5 minutes to go inside and make peanut butter sandwiches for
lunch. Jenny searched every place a child could hide and still no
Clayton. He neighbor Steve took up the hunt but still had no luck finding
the child. Who could have taken him that quickly and left no trace, no
clues?
Tyrell was
a loner who lived in what could only be described as a shack in the
woods. After high school he had joined the army and served his time but
before he left he had met Patty. They married and had a child and what
Tyrell thought would be a happy marriage. But when he came home after
being wounded everything had changed. Patty had changed. She was no
longer the quiet, mousey girl he had married. She kept her hair bleached
and when she saw the limp from his war injuries, she called him names.
Eventually she took their son and left. Could he be the one who took
Clayton?
Steve the
next door neighbor had a police record. He had helped his friend kidnap
the friend’s newborn child when the mother planned to give it up for
adoption. The child’s mother went to one of the police deputies to report
the missing child and Steve’s friend ended up being beaten pretty badly and
eventually dying. The deputy who came after the baby later accused Steve
of possibly kidnapping another child that came up missing. And now
Clayton is missing. Coincident? Could Steve be the one who took
Clayton? He lived close enough to snatch him quickly and without being
caught.
Missing
Clayton kept me wanting more. The suspense kept me on the edge in hopes
that Jenny would find her child before it was too late. And when she was
taken to the morgue to identify a child's body, it had me holding my
breath. This is an experience that has
to be one of the hardest things a parent can do and go through.
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