Payback (Revenge is Fun Book 3) - Morgan St. James, Author

Chocolate Decadence

(Just one of the girl's favorite dishes)

For the raspberry sauce:

2 1/2 cups fresh raspberries or thawed frozen unsweetened raspberries

1/2 cup superfine sugar

1/4 cup framboise or other raspberry-flavored liqueur (optional)

For the cake:

1 lb. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped

10 Tbs. (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 Tbs. sugar

1 Tbs. all-purpose flour

1 cup heavy cream, whipped

To make the raspberry sauce, place the raspberries, sugar and framboise, if using, in a blender or in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Puree until smooth. If you prefer a seedless sauce, pass the puree through a sieve.

To make the cake, position a rack in the middle of an oven and preheat to 425ºF. Butter an 8 or 9-inch springform pan or a layer cake pan. Line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper or waxed paper cut to fit precisely. Butter the paper and dust with flour; tap out any excess.

Place the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl or the top pan of a double boiler. Set over a pan of gently simmering water but not touching the water. Stir occasionally until melted and combined completely. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Place the eggs and sugar in a bowl. Using an electric mixer set on high speed, beat until light, fluffy and tripled in volume, 5 to 10 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour. Using a rubber spatula, fold one-third of the egg mixture into the chocolate to lighten it, then fold in the remaining egg mixture, taking care not to deflate the batter. Pour and scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake for exactly 15 minutes. Let cool completely to room temperature. Do not refrigerate or the cake will stick to the pan. Invert the cake onto a flat serving plate and peel off the paper.

Cut into small wedges and serve each wedge atop some of the raspberry sauce. Top with whipped cream.

Payback (Revenge is Fun Book 3) - Review by Martha A. Cheves

"I was pretty far away, but it looked like she was going toward her car when - and I swear this is what I saw - that idiot just speeded up and smacked right into her.  Saw the body fly up in the air even though I was a ways away.  Whoever it was kept driving like the wind.  Outta sight in a flash."... Kate was standing beside us.  She whispered, "I'm afraid that's the woman I was supposed to meet.  She left before I got there.  She called me.  I'll tell you what happened, but I think we still have to cover ourselves.  Follow my lead in case anyone is watching us."

Meet Cameron Harsen, Kimberly Martin and Kate Steele.  They were all part of a marketing arm of the Federal Association of Corrections Reform (FACR).  All three made a fortune when they uncovered a massive embezzlement ripoff.  Kim stayed with FACR and became the Director of Marketing and married the US Attorney General.  Cameron started her own advertising company.  And Kate formed a website she called FraudBusters, plus she has a movie in the works that will show the world how these three made it to where they are today.

This book is full of mystery, suspense, plus as always with this author, humor.  These three women seem to just fall into trouble, even without looking for it.  But when someone Cameron used to work with is murdered and the US Government has an informant within their wiretapping headquarters, the girls take action and bring the bad guys, and gals, to justice.  I loved the story, as much as the way it's written.  This book is a stand alone but for the fun of it, go back and read the first two books in the series, Getting Even and Ripoff, to bring these characters into their true lights.

Vengeance on Tyneside - Eileen Thornton, Author

Hungarian Goulash
(A special dish from Agnes)

Serves 4

Pre-heat oven to 275F (140C)

1lb braising steak cut into cubes

1 large onion, chopped

Slight dash of garlic granules or 1 garlic clove crushed.

Tablespoon cooking oil

1 tablespoon plain flour

1 tablespoon Paprika - or a little more to taste

14oz tin tomatoes

Salt & Pepper

Heat oil in flameproof casserole then add the cubes of meat, turning frequently to brown on all sides.

Lower the heat and add the chopped onion and cook for about 5 minutes - Stirring occasionally

Add the garlic, the flour and the paprika and stir to soak up the juices.

Then add the tin of tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and bring everything up to simmering point.

Cover with a lid and transfer to the oven (Middle shelf) and cook for about two and a half hours.

Serve with boiled rice.

Vengeance on Tyneside - Review by Martha A. Cheves

Perhaps she was allowing her over-active mind to take control.  She had done that twice before in recent months and both times it had almost taken her to the point of being murdered.  Maybe this time she should walk away.  But when she heard the cry again, she knew she couldn't do that.  Someone needed help.  Looking around, she realized the sound was coming from the row of rubbish bins lined up by a wall, not too far from where she was standing... having reached the rubbish bins, she took a deep breath before peering behind them.  For a moment, despite having prepared herself for the worst, Agnes was stunned at the sight of a young woman lying there.  Her hands were clutched to her chest, desperately trying to stem the flow of blood streaming from her body and pooling on the concrete ground beneath her.

Agnes Lockwood has just returned from a trip to the coast.  Her plans are to meet with DCI Alan Johnson for a nice quiet evening.  Well, she soon finds out that the nice quiet evening won't be so quiet after all.  She ends up finding herself in the middle of not one murder but 3 plus an attempt.  What do these people have in common?  Can she and the DCI find out and stop them before more occur?

This book had me fooled from the beginning.  I had four suspects.  The person I had as my major suspect turned out to be innocent.  That narrowed it down to three.  I was close but still didn't come up with the real killer.  And Author Eileen Thornton didn't disclose the killer until the last few pages.  If you like a good suspense, this is one you don't want to miss. 

This book also left with an opening for the next book, which I hope makes it my way very soon.

Penny The Railway Pup (Family of Rescue Dogs Book 4)

Fish and Chips 

Ingredients

900 g potatoes

sunflower oil , for deep-frying

225 g white fish fillets , skin off, pin-boned, from sustainable sources

225 g plain flour , plus extra for dusting

285 ml cold beer

3 heaped teaspoons baking powder

MUSHY PEAS

a few sprigs of fresh mint

1 knob of unsalted butter

4 handfuls of podded peas

½ a lemonFACEBOOKTWITTEREMAILPINTEREST

TAP FOR INGREDIENTS

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.

Peel and slice the potatoes into chips.

To make the mushy peas, pick and finely chop the mint leaves. Place the butter in a pan over a medium-low heat, add the peas and mint, pop the lid on and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Add a squeeze of lemon juice and season to taste with sea salt and black pepper – you can either mush the peas up in a food processor, or mash them by hand until stodgy, thick and perfect for dipping your fish into. Keep them warm until needed.

Pour the sunflower oil into a deep fat fryer or a large sturdy pan and heat it to 190°C/375°F.

Mix ½ a teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper together, then use it to season the fish fillets on both sides – this will help to remove any excess water, making the fish really meaty.

Whisk the flour, beer and baking powder together until nice and shiny – the texture should be like semi-whipped double cream (i.e. it should stick to whatever you're coating).

Dust each fish fillet in a little of the extra flour, then dip into the batter and allow any excess to drip off. Holding one end, gently lower the fish into the oil one by one, working carefully so you don't get splashed – it will depend on the size of your fryer or pan how many fish you can cook at once.

Cook for 4 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and the batter is golden and crisp, then remove to kitchen paper to drain.

Meanwhile, parboil the chips in boiling salted water for 4 to 5 minutes, or until softened but still retaining their shape, then drain and steam dry.

When the chips are nice and dry, fry in the oil that the fish were cooked in at 180°C/350°F until golden and crisp.

While the chips are frying, transfer the fish from the kitchen paper to a baking tray. Place in the oven for a few minutes to finish cooking – this way they will stay crisp while you finish off the chips.

When the chips are done, drain them on kitchen paper, season with salt, and serve with the fish and mushy peas. Other things to have on the table are some crunchy sweet pickled gherkins, some pickled onions (if your other half isn't around!) – and pickled chillies are good, too. Then you want to douse it all with some cheap malt vinegar and nothing other than Heinz tomato ketchup.

Penny The Railway Pup - Review by Martha A. Cheves

"Until recently there was a gypsy encampment on the waste ground near the railway station.  There was a knock on my door and two little girls were standing there, maybe eight to ten years old, with the older of the two holding a puppy in her arms.  You could tell they were sisters just by looking at them.   They told me they'd been out playing and saw that the gypsies had gone so they went to take a look in the field near the station where they'd camped, in case they'd left anything behind.  From the scruffy state of their clothes, their white socks covered in mud and muck, and their dirty faces, I could tell they'd had a really good time exploring the old gypsy site.  They walked towards the railway station, and on the other side of the fence, they saw something moving a few yards along the tracks.  They soon realized it was a little dog.  They followed the fence and realized that the puppy had a rope round its neck and that the rope was caught up on the track.  They knew that if a train came along the poor little puppy would probably be hit and killed by the engine.  They climbed the fence and ran to the puppy.  It took a few minutes to free it from the track and the elder girl picked her up and reassured her."  This was the rescue of the little puppy that became Penny the Railway Pup.

"The whole meaning of the word 'pet' when applied to a dog, speaks to me of a member of the family, one who shares the home and the life of their owner, not a 'thing' to be kept outdoors in all weathers and left to suffer in a freezing kennel or worse during the rages of winter.  Even working dogs, kept as guard dogs for example, need warmth and comfort in the depths of winter, otherwise how can they be expected to fulfill their role of protecting their owner's property?" - Brian L. Porter

I have read all four of the Rescue Dog books and can't help but admire Author Brian L. Porter and his family.  The love, affection and care that they provide for those that probably wouldn't make it otherwise shows me how much we forget about what we call 'our animals.'  He is totally correct in reminding us that they aren't just pets, they are members of our own family and should be treated as so.  If you're a dog lover, this is a must read book.  If you aren't a dog lover, read it anyway and maybe you'll become one.

Silent Voices - Fran Lewis, Author

Chocolate Mousse Cup Graveyards

Each cup of chocolate mousse is decorated with some chocolate sprinkles, one of the candy zombie hands and a cookies and cream tombstone.

Items you’ll need to make the chocolate mousse graveyards:

1 Best Chocolate Mousse Recipe

dark chocolate

water

sugar

egg yolks

heavy whipping cream

12-20 small plastic dessert cups

I used Mozaik Clear Plastic Cups from this set

chocolate jimmies (sprinkles)

12-20 Wilton Royal Icing Zombie Hands

If you buy the zombie hands they come with the chocolate sprinkles.

If you prefer, you can make white chocolate zombie hands using a candy mold.

12-20 Cookies and Cream Tombstones

OREO Cookie Crumbs

white chocolate or white confectionery coating

tombstone candy mold

Silent Voices - Review by Martha A. Cheves

All my life I had to struggle and work hard for everything that I ever needed. So, why not take advantage of a situation?  My grandmother, Gertie, was frail and much older, needing constant care at home. Her mind was sharp, but her legs were weak. She could no longer shop for herself  and going to the bank to deposit her disability checks had become a real chore. Each one of us had a different father, and not one of us had all of the conveniences that life should have given us. So, we joined forces to get what we deserved from our grandmother. My sisters and I had decided to take on the responsibility of her daily care. Of course, I felt, as they did, that we deserved something for our efforts. Moving into her huge house was not a problem, as she had six bedrooms, three baths, and enough closet space for everyone. The house was amazing, and the kitchen was state of the art. Taking some of what she had was not a problem until she began to realize that something was wrong.

The four granddaughters pool their ideas and resources to take over what their grandmother has worked her whole life to have.  BUT… the situation takes a turn when Gertie turns the tables on them.

Each of the stories within this book are voices beneath the tombstones.  How they got there and why.  These voices make you wonder just how many other voices are out there, never to be heard and never to be avenged for their demise.

The Adventures of Bang-Bang Man - Philip Nork, Author

Bang-Bang Man's Famous Vegetarian Chili

(After Candy realized what Matt could and could not eat,

this became his favorite dinner.)

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeño, finely chopped

1 tbsp. tomato paste

1 (15.5-oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15.5-oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15.5-oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (28-oz.) can fire roasted tomatoes

3 c. vegetable broth

2 tbsp. chili powder

1 tbsp. cumin

2 tsp. oregano

kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Shredded cheddar, for serving

Sour cream, for serving

Cilantro, for serving

1.      In a large pot over medium heat, heat olive oil then add onion, bell pepper, and carrots. Sauté until soft about 5 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeño and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.

2.      Add tomato paste and stir to coat vegetables. Add tomatoes, beans, broth, and seasonings. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3.      Bring to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer, 30 minutes.

4.      Serve with cheese, sour cream, and cilantro.

The Adventures of Bang-Bang Man - Review by Martha A. Cheves

"It was about twenty-five years ago, a month after I sold my business and turned to gambling full-tine.  There were some good times and bad times associated with those animals... who knew that my life would become so controlled by them?"

Dr. Darla started to write things down.  As she did she asked even more questions about my past.  "So, are you saying that you gained all this weight you carry after that statement?"  

She was referring to the size I had become.  I weighed about six hundred pounds and that is why I had this damn heart attack in the first place.  The stress of my life had taken over my better judgement and I had ballooned up to my current weight.  Now the psychologist I am seeing wants me to think more about my past and try to find out why.  I was told that if I didn't lose some weight and get a better frame of mind I could not have the weight loss surgery I so desperately needed.  That was the only reason I began to let on more of my past to her.

Matthew Davis has found himself in a bit of a situation.  He loved to eat and gamble on the horses.  That was about all he loved anymore and it cost him dearly.  He lost his wife as well as his children due to his problem.  Now he is faced with a situation that his doctor feels all stems from his past.

This book reminded me of a woman I knew in the 80's.  She too was overweight.  She didn't weigh 600 lbs. but she was heavy.  When she was with you one on one she was nice and easy to get along with, but let there be someone even in hearing distance and she would crawl your rump for reasons only she seemed to have.  I never understood why she was so mean.  As I thought about other people in my life, then and now, I find myself remembering more and more who were the same as this woman from my past.  Even now there is a man who is very friendly when we speak one on one either on the phone or even through emails but when we are together around others he too is down right mean to me.  Reading The Adventures of Bang-Bang Man brought these people to mind but it also helped me to understand just why they are the way they are.  This book has actually helped me in the way I look at those people and how I handle myself around them.

So, read The Adventures of Bang-Bang Man and I have a feeling you too will have people come to mind.  I just hope you read into it as I did and it will help you cope with them.

A Walk on the Haunted Side - Rose Pressey, Author

Devil’s Moon Pies

Makes approximately 12

COOKIE DOUGH

6 oz. unsalted butter

1/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

1/4 cup Steen's cane syrup

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs, ground fine

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 tbsp. whole milk

MARSHMALLOW

4 tsp. powdered gelatin

1/2 cup water, ice cold, plus 1/4 cup at room temperature

4 tbsp. light corn syrup

3 tbsp. honey (clover or wildflower)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 large grade-A egg whites

CHOCOLATE COATING

1 lb. bittersweet chocolate (61%–70% cacao)

2 tbsp. vegetable oil or canola oil

PREPARATION

For the cookie dough:

Cream butter, brown sugar, syrup, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, for 1 minute.

In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients and mix with a fork. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture and mix on low speed; slowly stream in milk. Continue mixing until the dough comes together. Press dough flat, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Turn out chilled dough onto a flour-dusted surface, then roll it until it is ¼ inch thick. Stamp out cookies using a 3-inch round cookie cutter. Place cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake 10 to 12 minutes. Remove sheet from oven, and while the cookies are cooling, start your marshmallow.

For the marshmallow:

Sprinkle gelatin over ½ cup ice-cold water, and set aside.

Combine ¼ cup room-temperature water, corn syrup, honey, and sugar in a small pot, insert candy thermometer, and simmer until mixture reaches 240 degrees. When the thermometer reaches 200 degrees—but not before—place egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, and whip on high.

Once the sugar mixture hits 240, remove it from heat, and stir in the bloomed gelatin. Then, while egg whites are whipping, slowly drizzle the hot sugar mixture down the inside of the bowl to avoid spattering the hot syrup. Continue whipping for an additional 8 minutes, until the mixture stiffens. The pan will still feel warm to the touch but no longer hot.

Flip over half of the cooled cookies. Lightly coat a spoon with nonstick cooking spray, and spoon approximately a quarter cup of marshmallow onto each flipped cookie. Use the remaining cookies as tops; gently push down until you can see the marshmallow come just to the edge. While making the chocolate coating (see below), allow cookies to chill in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.

For the chocolate coating:

Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a small saucepan of simmering water. Stir until chocolate has melted, then remove bowl from heat and let it cool slightly. Once the chocolate is no longer hot, but warm, slowly whisk in oil in a steady stream. Allow chocolate to cool at room temperature for about 5 minutes before proceeding with assembly.

Assembly:

Submerge chilled cookies in the chocolate, using 2 forks to gently lift the sandwiches out of the bowl. Let stand until shell hardens.

A Walk on the Haunted Side - Review by Martha A. Cheves

The old house stood on a small hill surrounded by oak, pine, and magnolia trees and overgrowth.  The Italianate-style structure had red brick with black shutters.  Of course most of the shutters were falling off or missing.  As far as I knew, no one had lived there since the 1970's.  I'd heard a lot of rumors about the place, but so far I didn't know fact from fiction.  There was something mysterious about the house.  Poking around by myself had seemed like a good idea earlier in the day.  Now that it was closing in or darkness, I was having second thoughts.  Even if there was a ghost, I was used to dealing with them.  I inched up the staircase, reminding myself to breath.  It was as if I was disturbing a presence that was in the house.  Not only that, but it felt like there were eyes on me with every step I took.  I stopped in my tracks.  A female ghost stood in front of me.  She was so close that I could almost tough her.  I'd seen ghosts before, but this one was by far the creepiest that I'd ever seen.  She had blood dripping from her head, claws for hands, and her eyes glowed green as she stared right at me.

Ripley Van Raden has returned to her hometown of Devil's Moon.  By day she works as the town's librarian.  By night she gives ghost tours.  Yes, she can see the ghosts when they want her to, but most of the time she gets an image of a dark figure or feels the 'chill' when a ghost is in her presence.  She even has one that has befriended her.  Her name is Annie and she was one of the original librarians in Devil's Moon.  She has passed on now but has learned to communicate with Ripley using text messages.  Local police officer Brannon Landon also has the ability to see ghosts, when they want him to see them.  This has given Ripley something in common with the officer.  But they soon find out that they have a bit more in common when Ripley finds a body at the cemetery one night while giving one of her ghost tours.

This is the second book in the Ghost Hunter Cozy Mysteries.  I read the 1st book titled These Haunts are Made for Walking and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Author Rose Pressey provides you with mystery, suspense, murder, humor and ghosts all in one book making the stories appealing to all.  And yes, it did have a surprising ending.  I'm now looking forward to reading book #3 Haunt the Haunt, Walk the Walk.

Death on Tyneside ( Agnes Lockwood Mysteries Book 2) - Eileen Thornton, Author

Cottage Pie (4 persons)

1 lb minced beef

1 large onion (finely chopped)

1 tablespoon tomato puree

1 tablespoon plain flour 

Beef stock cube dissolved in half-pint hot water

Frozen mixed vegetables medley (small cut) Enough to suit the cook!

Red wine 

Cooking Oil 

Potatoes boiled and mashed.

Grated cheese

Salt & pepper.

Heat a small amount of cooking oil in a large saucepan.

Add minced beef, making sure it breaks up well.

When mince has browned slightly, add the finely chopped onion and mix thoroughly.

Add the flour and mix to soak up the juices.

Top up the beef stock with enough red wine to make 1 pint and add to pan. Stir well.

Then tip in the frozen vegetables

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Simmer for about an hour stirring occasionally to stop it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

While mince is cooking, boil the potatoes and mash them thoroughly.

When mince is cooked, allow to cool, then tip into ovenproof dish

Cover with mashed potatoes and top with the grated cheese.

Place in the centre of a hot oven and cook until piping hot throughout. (About 30 minutes) Cheese will have melted and turned a golden colour.

This is an age-old recipe, but the wine makes all the difference. 

Adding the frozen veg to the mince, means you don’t have to cook anything extra - it’s all in one dish.

Can made early and frozen if using a freezer-safe dish.

Death on Tyneside - Review by Martha A. Cheves

"You want to be involved in solving this murder case.  Hasn't it sunk in yet how close you came to being murdered yourself, the last time you poked your nose into a murder inquiry?"

"Alan, I know I very nearly got myself killed a few months ago."  Agnes took his arm and they restarted their walk down the corridor.  "But I got through that.  Look at me.  I'm still here - alive and well, and ready to be involved in this case.  If the body had been found by someone else, then I might have stayed out of it.  Might,"  she repeated, wagging her finger at him.  "But it wasn't.  It was found by me.  And now I want to see it through."  She stopped walking and swung around in front of him.  "Alan, please, I need to see this through."

Agnes Lockwood has returned to Tyneside after spending a few weeks visiting her sons in Australia.  This is where she was from and the ties were pulling her back.  Or was it Chief Inspector Alan Johnson who was connected to those ties?  The two had gone to school together and Alan had always had a crush on her.  Now, after marriages and many years, they met again and Alan finds his feelings are still there and stronger than ever.  

In her first visit, she and Alan had eaten dinner and were walking back to her hotel when they found a body laying on the sidewalk.  The investigation into this murder almost got Agnes killed.  Now she's back and finds herself in the middle of yet another murder.

I've read everything Eileen Thornton has written and must say that she grabs me from the beginning and all the way through to the end.  She fills her writings with twists and turns that keep you guessing and flipping the pages to see what happens next.  I love her work and can't wait for Book 3 of the Agnes Lockwood Mysteries.