Dead Man Hand - T. M. Simmons, Author

Granny's Gumbo

A lot of Cajun dishes start with a good roux. True Southern women make their own roux, from cooking equal parts shortening and flour in a large, deep cast-iron skillet for half-an-hour, stirring constantly, until it's a nice dark brown. Men do this, also, since my husband always makes his own roux. However, there is roux mix for sale in lots of stores; some powdered, some in pint jars already cooked (which I like the best). So take your pick, but you'll need about a pint of roux.

Ingredients:

Roux:
½ cup shortening
½ cup water
Stir together and cook in large cast-iron skillet for half-an-hour, stirring constantly

Other Ingredients: 

1 whole chicken
1 lb. smoked sausage
1 lb. crawfish tails (found in the frozen seafood section, if you don't have your own leftovers from a crawfish boil, as we do)
1 lb. medium shrimp (if desired; if no crawfish available, use at least 2 lbs. of shrimp)
1 stick butter or margarine
2 bunches green onions (chopped)
2 large green bell peppers (seeds removed; chopped)
Salt and pepper to taste
Zatarain's Creole Seasoning (to taste, but taste often, can be salty if overused)
Louisiana Hot Sauce (to taste)
Gumbo filè
White rice

Cover the chicken with water and boil, adding more water as needed. Cool. Skin and de-bone, keeping the broth for the gumbo. Tear the chicken into bite-sized pieces.

Melt the butter/margarine in a large skillet. Sauté the onions and bell peppers for about five minutes.
Cut the smoked sausage links on an angle into 1/8 inch thick slices.
Bring the chicken water back to a boil.
Add onions, bell peppers (along with the butter/margarine from the skillet).
Add the de-boned chicken, smoked sausage, crawfish tails, and/or shrimp.
Add the roux mix according to directions. If you use the powdered mix, mix it with the chicken broth, not water. Add more water if necessary. The mixture should be medium thick and a nice, dark brown.
Add salt, pepper, spices, hot sauce (to taste and taste after each add).
Simmer low for at least an hour.
Cook enough rice for six people.
Serve gumbo over rice, along with filè for more seasoning

This makes a scrumptious meal with cornbread

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

“I left it open,” he said in a frantic voice. “Who shut it? We have to get back in there!” I glanced overhead. The transom was closed. The thud of Danny’s shoulder drew my attention, and the door shattered off its hinges. He dragged me after him – straight over under the poor woman’s hanging body – and ordered, “Wrap your arms around her and try to hold her up some.” Stifling my distaste, I did as Danny said. He climbed onto a chair he’d already pulled over beside the woman. Thank the Universe I still had on my coat, so it absorbed any still wet blood… except where my hands touched her bare legs. I also tried to ignore something else I’d only read about in research, never experienced. The poor woman’s bowels had evacuated. Somehow Danny managed to get the rope loose from her neck. Her weight staggered me, but Danny quickly took the burden off me when he climbed off the chair. For an instant, he stared down at the body lolling in his arms, then appeared to control himself and carried her over to the bed, where he laid her down.

Alice is a writer. She is also the proud owner of a home full of paranormal residents. She and her Aunt Twila and friend ‘Granny’ have become quite well known for their ability to talk to ghosts and make them understand that if they won’t go through the light then they will behave or be banned to places where they can’t bother humans. For her own residents she has come up with what she calls ‘The Howard and Alice Ghost Agreement.’ Howard, being her Head Ghost has been put in charge of the other paranormal cohorts within her domain.

Alice received a call from Twila telling her they were to travel to Red Dollar, New Mexico, stay at the Red Dollar Hotel and bring the ghosts there under control so the hotel could sell. It appears the ghostly residents have been causing trouble whenever the real estate agent brings potential buyers by. Furniture has been thrown around, doors slammed, the signs destroyed, all scaring anyone off from wanting to buy. Their job is to create an agreement for the hotel ghosts. So off take Alice, her dog Trucker, her cat Miss Molly and Granny to spend a few days in the beautiful Red Dollar Hotel.

For the travelers, trouble starts in the beginning. There is a storm that has set in delaying Twila’s flight. They get to the hotel only to find a woman hanging in one of the rooms leading Alice to the conclusion she had been murdered since her hands had been removed. A ghost that had appealed to Alice before leaving home suddenly appears again at the hotel. She encounters a ghost that is not only smelly and dirty but also has a mean streak, especially when it comes to cats. Alice’s police ex-husband shows up for what she feels is no reason. And then there is True who was shot in the back of the head after winning the hotel in a poker game over 100 years before. True refuses to pass over and ends up reliving his shooting every night. All of this plus the discovery of a possible black conven working the area have the little group a real fix.

Dead Man Hand is a book I couldn’t put down. The more I read and the closer I got to the end, the more I wanted it to just keep going. I didn’t want it to end. I’ve enjoyed it so much that I must go back and read Dead Man Talking and Dead Man Haunt, the first and second books within this set. Author T. M. Simmons keeps you going with her style of writing.

A Torn Page - The 2012 Spring Short Fiction Anthology

 

Lactose-Free Pumpkin Pie

(Shared with us by Dan O'Brien)

Using fresh instead of canned pumpkin is a bit labor intensive, but it’s worth it. Plus, the color of a fresh pumpkin pie is bright orange.

Ingredients: 2 cups fresh pumpkin puree

1/3 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon

prebaked pie shell (if you’re lactose intolerant, check for milk ingredients)

 

Directions: Wash, deseed, and steam a small pumpkin in a large stockpot. Cook until the flesh scoops away from the skin with a spoon. If you have trouble cutting it when it is fresh, steam it first in a large stock pot. Wait until it cools and the puree in food processor or blender.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and beat on medium speed for a minute or two. Pour into pieshell and bake 45 minutes or until firm.

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

One of the best parts of reading short stories is that it’s like reading ‘a whole bunch’ of books in one.  I’ve always loved the fact that I can involve myself in so many stories in such a short period of time and A Torn Page is no exception.  The Authors, of which there are too many to list, put the reader into many situations… some make sense, some don’t, some are realistic, some aren’t.  Some are happy, some are sad.  But one thing they all have in common is that they are enjoyable to read.

Silky is the story of a young lady who returns home to her mother after not speaking to her in several years.  Will her mother welcome her with open arms or turn her away.  And what will she do when she is introduced to the baby?

In There Was a Naked Man on the Terrace you find yourself thinking ‘what would I do?’  Call the police?  Ask him to come in?  Or maybe join him?  This one was really quite interesting. 

Remnants is about the town that was.  You ask ‘was what?’  The answer is simply the ‘town that was.’

In Therapy you just might find out that you must be insane to be a therapist.  After reading Therapy I must say it makes sense to me.

And one of my favorites was The Day I Met Jesus Christ.  Possible?  I think so.

Those are just a few of the stories you’ll find in A Torn Page.  This is one of those books that you can pick up, read a story at random and come back a week later and read another.  A Torn Page will have you thinking and even analyzing what you’ve just read and you just might find yourself reading the same story more than once and coming up with a different conclusion each time.

Until Today: Stories and Poems on Life as I Know It - Jerry M. White, Author

Corn Bread Pie
(One of Jerry's Favorite Dishes)

1 lb. ground beef
1 can condensed tomato soup
1 t salt
1 T chili powder
1/2 chopped green pepper
1 lg. onion, chopped
11/2 c water
3/4 t black pepper
1 can whole kernel corn (12 oz.), drained

Brown beef & onion well. Combine ingredients in skillet. Mix well and let simmer 15 minutes. Turn into greased sasserole. Top with corn bread. Bake in moderate oven 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Corn Bread Topping

3/4 c cornmeal
1 T flour
1 egg
1 T bacon
1 T sugar
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 c milk

Mix all well and pour onto top of beef mixture. It will sink into mixture but will rise as it bakes and cook crispy.

This is a treat to try.

Until Today: Stories and Poems on Life as I Know It – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

My Honor to be His

The more I see in this life of mine
The more I see that nothing is mine
The more I see in this life I live
The more I see how much I can give

My life is honored by who owns the glory
My life is owned by who writes the story
I go where I’m sent; I go where I’m led
I want only to say what He wants said

I really try to do everything I should
It hurts me inside to not even do the things I could
My life feels, and is, sometimes out of control
It is so very hard to always be so very bold

What honor I give Him through my life every day
It is an honor to give it every way
He honors me with love and His forgiveness is mine
But the honor and the privilege to serve Him is all mine

It is through this service that my life has meaning
It is on this honor my salvation is leaning
My price has been paid by His life laid down
I will do the things I should without a single frown

Jerry M. White wrote this poem in 2004 and it has to be one of my favorites.  In so few words he really says it all. 

Until Today isn’t your typical book of poems.  Jerry White starts each poem(s) off with a little story explaining not only what they are about but what prompted him to write them.  He takes us through his spiritual world with poems like the one above.  We go through his family world with poems such as Audacity.  This is the story of his grandmother being rescued from a mental hospital.  His poem What Have We Done (another one of my favorites) brings to light what has been lost with the changes of time.  He walks us through the loss of his grandchildren to cancer and the true meaning of family through Grandma’s Apron.  He takes us on through life in the world of work with poems such as Light the Fuse and then through memories with The Last Day of School.  And to tie it all up he gives us the world of the Living and the Dead as he points out the problems in Nameless Numbers and concludes with Pillaged which leaves no doubt that our government is breaking.

I’ve read and written reviews for Author Jerry M. White before and have to say that with each he gets better and better. Seldom do I read one that doesn’t hit a cord from my own life and own feelings.  I thoroughly enjoy his works of art.

Misguided Sensitivity - Philip Nork, Author

"Nana's Caramel Cookies"
(A Phil Favorite)

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter (1/2 pound)
1 egg
1/2 tsp.vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cream of tarter
1/2 to 1 cup of broken pecans

Mix all ingredients and form into several long rolls. Put in refrigerator until cold.

Slice and bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees.

Phil Nork
author of Misguided Sensitivity, Legends of the Lake, and You're Never Alone
And coming soon Life Is a Balance ... It's Not Only About You.
Real life fiction for real life people
(Some readers love stories about werewolves, shape-shifters or science fiction ... things that may never happen to them. I write about situations that CAN happen to you and maybe already have...or at least they're ones you can relate to.)

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

In the 1960’s the typical family consisted of a stay-at-home mother, a working father, and some kids.  As you grew up you were exposed to an equal amount of boy things and girl things.  In my world that never happened.  We three kids were raised by a divorced mother and her side of the family.  For reasons I did not know, my father deserted the family when I turned eight.  He was also on his own journey of self-discovery; it just took him longer than the average man to realize it.  He left us kids with a mother who had no skills and no money.  Mom could have just given up and slipped into a world of denial.  Instead, she decided to learn a trade, get a job, and she tried to give the three of us a decent childhood.  In my eight-year-old eyes, she was a hero.  Especially between the ages of eight and fifteen my mom was my voice of reason.  I idolized her, I respected her, and I hoped to one day marry someone just like her.  Between her and her side of the family we were taken care of, loved, and given the nurturing we needed to hopefully become normal, productive adults.  And yet my life took a bad turn after my dad left us.

After his father left, Phil stepped into a state of depression spending most his time alone and in his room.  The only person he allowed to bring him out of his shell was his great grandmother whom he called Nana.  When she died, Phil stepped even deeper into himself.  He became angry with God but also thought that perhaps God was punishing him for some unknown reason.  His Nana had taught him many lessons during their time together but the one that started his journey into life was when she told him ‘you will meet many people throughout your life and if you want them to remember you, you must always be a little different, you must be sincere, and you must make them feel special, especially the girls.’  This lesson became the beginning of many more that Phil would start adding to his list. 

Through these lessons and the people who taught him, Phil took on three distinct lives.  He became Disco Phil who gave the girls whatever they wanted.  At the Burger Shack he became a leader who listened to and offered advice to the girls who needed it.  And at school he was just another face in the crowd.  But what will happen if either of these lives come together?  Phil is not only a good listener that makes the girls feel special but he is also a good learner with some of the girls being the teachers. 

Back in the 1960/70s one in every ten teenagers were affected by divorce.  Most keep their feelings and pain to themselves and release it through drugs, alcohol and sometimes even sex.  As I read Misguided Sensitivity I was able to see how many of the girls took the route of sex as their way of forgetting and feeling as if someone did care and love them.  I believe most boys turned more to alcohol and drugs.  Phil was one of the sensitive kids who released his anger through compassion, attention and understanding for others.  It takes him from the back rows of the drive-ins to the motel rooms of older women.   Is he really hurting anyone?  Is he really helping them?  Is he being used by those he tries to help?  Or is he just hurting himself?  These are the questions that jump around in your mind as you read Misguided Sensitivity. 

In my opinion, Misguided Sensitivity is a book that should be read by all young men and even a few women. 

The Mafia Funeral and Other Short Stories - Morgan St. James, Author

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Fancy without the fuss. Chicken roll-ups with a golden coating and ham and Swiss filling

8 boneless chicken breasts

8 slices of thin deli ham
8 slices of Swiss cheese
2 eggs
1 cup 2% milk
2 cups of crushed cornflakes
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon sale
1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. Flatten the chicken breasts by placing each one between two pieces of waxed paper or a plastic baggie. Start from the center to the outer edges and pound with the flat side of a meat mallet to an even thickness. Top each breast with a slice of ham and a slice of Swiss cheese. Roll them up, tuck in the ends and secure with a toothpick.

2. Whisk the eggs and milk in a shallow bowl. Combine the cornflakes and seasonings in another shallow bowl. Dip each rolled chicken breast in the egg, then roll in the cornflake mixture.

3. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until juices run clear. Discard the toothpicks before serving.

I’m a big fan of things that are easy to make and look like they took lots of effort. Here is an easy recipe for Chicken Cordon Bleu. For those cooks who are adventurous, different fillings can be substituted. I’ve used spinach and gorgonzola cheese or sautéed mushrooms and onions to name a few. If you use more than one filling and are serving this to a large crowd, it’s fun to put a toothpick with a little sign saying what the filling is in one of the pieces in each group.

The Mafia Funeral and Other Short Stories – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

The procession of forty black limos and one flashy yellow convertible made its way along the thirty-five mile route from downtown Los Angeles to the cemetery in Tustin, flanked by at least fifteen officers on motorcycles.  The heads of drivers in nearby cars whirled to take in the sight, probably wondering which dignitary had died.

In The Mafia Funeral the dignitary that died turned out to be a family member of the mafia.  Eliot’s wife is mistaken for the daughter of a Mafia Don and has a time convincing the ‘Uncle Johnnie’ that she isn’t.  This story has a sadness, a touch of humor and a bit of oh my.

Rip Off takes Stephen Rollins from a bad life to a good life and back to the ultimate of bad. 

Saying Goodbye to Miss Molly is a story that brought tears to my eyes.

Morgan St. James has written a garden of stories with some of them being as beautiful as the daisy, some with the beauty of the rose but will stick you with their thorns and some that are as threatening as a weed.  The Mafia Funeral is a collection of short stories, some true, some fiction but all well worth reading.

Now I’m impatiently waiting on her next book Confessions of a Cougar that is due out in late 2012. 

Lost In The Shadows - Carol Costa, Author

Candied Sweet Potatoes
(A Carol Specialty)

4 or 5 raw sweet potatoes
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. salt
1 cup orange juivce
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a sauce pan mix sugar, cornstarch, salt, juice and butter/margarine.  Cook on med. heat until it makes a thick syrup.  Place potatoes in a baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray.  Pour sugar mix over potatoes.  Bake 1 hr.

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

“Laura.  Laura, I need you.”  It was Jimmy’s voice, deep and full of mischief.  He stood in the midst of the little vegetable garden in the back of the yard beyond the flowers and expanse of green lawn.  The plants in the garden were enclosed by a short white picket fence and Jimmy’s stocky frame loomed above it.  He was dressed in the coveralls he always wore when he tended his beloved garden.  Even from this distance, Laura could see the handsome face that blended the best features of Jimmy’s golden haired Anglo mother and dark-skinned Hispanic father.  Jimmy waved and beckoned to Laura to join him in the garden.  Her heart pounded in her chest as the old longing took hold of her.  She remembered his touch, his strength and ached to be in his arms once more.  Laura grabbed hold of the latch that held the door and struggled to release it, but it remained stubbornly set.  She banged her fist against the glass and called out to Jimmy.  “The door won’t open.  Help me, Jimmy.”  She watched as Jimmy effortlessly stepped over the short fence and walked across the lawn towards the house.  Laura cried now with joy and anticipation.  Then, as Jimmy continued to move towards her, she saw his hand reach up to tug at the metal fastener of his overalls.  The snap yielded to his touch and triggered an explosion.  The coveralls burst into flames.

Laura Martinez is the widow.  Her husband Jimmy was killed when his car went off the road and burst into flames killing and burning him beyond recognition.  After spending a few weeks morning his death, it’s now time for Laura to pull herself back together.  She would start by putting their home in an exclusive neighborhood on the market and while she made her move to return to work.  Work for her was Myers Aircraft Company where she worked in bookkeeping.  Jimmy had worked there too which made it even harder for her to face the surroundings which had been a big part of her memories of him. 

First day back and Laura is summoned to the head of security’s office.  There she meets FBI Agent Keith Spencer.  Some of the 1st words out of Keith’s mouth are to ask her where she has hidden the plans to the new Air Force HT-14.  Laura is dumbfounded.  She is one of the most honest, trusting people you would find and she is being accused of not only theft but also of deceiving her own country.  Then Keith hits her with another bombshell.  Jimmy’s death wasn’t an accident, he was murdered.

Following Laura as she tries to prove her innocence, as she too is targeted and almost killed and as she does her best to convince Keith that she had nothing to do with the theft, takes you on a ride from Arizona to Mexico and then into the courtroom.  But if Laura had nothing to do with the theft, how were the plans removed from the premises?  Who is trying to kill her and why?  And who is really behind the attempts on not only her life but Keith’s as well? 

I’ve yet to read a Carol Costa that didn’t keep me on the edge of my seat and this one is no exception.  Well written and exciting!

Magic In The Storm - Meredith Bond, Author

Beef Kababs
(A Merry Special)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup minced onion
2 Tbs minced ginger
2 tsp minced garlic
2 Tbs finely chopped fresh cilantro (can also used the chopped frozen cilantro)
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
a dash black pepper
dash ground red chili powder or chili flakes (to taste)
1 lb extra lean ground beef (can substitute lamb)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine everything into a bowl and mix well.
3. Form mixture into 1" balls
4. Place balls (either flattened or not, as you wish) onto a foil lined baking pan and bake for about 10-15 minutes. Turn them and then bake for another 5-7 minutes or so until cooked through.
Serve with raita (plain yogurt mixed with shredded & drained cucumber and about one tsp ground cumin -- to taste) or ketchup. 

Magic in the Storm – Review by Martha A. Cheves – Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

Jack took a few steps back while he was thinking and leaned himself against the wall.  “Hmmm.  That’s a tricky one, ain’t it?  Never heard o’anythin’ like that happenin’, not that I know a lot of Vallen, mind ye.”  He thought for a moment, then said, “I’ve always thought the power came from within.  There must be somethin’ changin’ within ye.  What is it, inside of ye, that’s changin’?”  Morgan shook his head, thinking hard.  “I don’t know.”  “Well, when ye figure that one out, then you’ll know where the power’s comin’ from.”  What was changing within him?  Morgan stood back and began to think about this.  So many things had changed within him recently.  It could be his self-confidence, it could be Adriana, it could be his determination not to wait for his destiny to come to him, but to go and seek it out on his own, it could be so many different things.

Morgan Vallentyn is a Vallen.  Most people compare them to and even mistaken them for witches but their powers are real and true with each having a different specialty.  Morgan was born the 7th child of the 7th generation Vallen.  His mother Lady Vallentyne should have been happy but when she discovered that Morgan was a male child what would have been a strong mother’s love turned to hate.  No Vallen leader had ever been a male and had it not been for her husband, Morgan’s father, she would have killed the child just after birth.  Instead, Morgan was banished to the forest where his mother cast a spell that would imprison him for life. 

Adriana Hayden was an orphan who had been entrusted into the care of a distant relative, Lord Devaux.  Devaux had one desire in life and that was to climb the ladder of Parliament.  To do this he needed influential people and money.  He found both in Lady Vallentyne.  Her oldest child and son, Jonathan, the sixth Viscount Vallentyne would be the perfect husband for Adriana.  Jonathan wanted nothing more than to run the Estate but his mother had higher expectations for her son.  He was to enter politics and with he and Devaux combining their minds and skills, Jonathan would be quite successful.  She would see to this marriage even if it meant using her powers and with her being the highest priestess within the clan, no one could refuse her.  So she thought.

The last thing Adriana wanted was to marry, especially without love.  Her heart’s desire was to paint.  Nothing mattered more to her than her paintings.  Unfortunately, Devaux knew of this love and used it to blackmail her into agreeing to marry Jonathan.  While visiting the Vallentyne Estate, Adriana had ventured into the woods that acted as Morgan’s prison.  Not knowing the history of his being an outcast, she made the mistake of mentioning him to Lady Vallentyne.  This brought more injustice to be inflicted on Morgan by his mother.

Morgan is nearing his 21st birthday and knows that he must reach his full capacity of powers before that day or lose all powers.  Through his experimenting he finds his powers have increased but has no idea why.  All Vallen are born with their powers which are revealed at an early age.  His powers growing as he nears his birthday is unheard of.  Something is different and something is causing this to happen.  But he’s running out of time and has no idea as to how he will find his full potential, especially while being encased within the forest.  He must find a way to break his mother’s spell and escape.

Magic In The Storm was an edge of the seat read.  I kept hoping that Morgan’s mother would change and give in to him allowing him to find his own strength and powers.  When he finally made it out of the forest I knew she would see that he was truly the 7th of the 7th generation and accept him even though he was a male, not a female.  Did she?  I’ll never tell.  I will say that a lot happens as his powers increase but does he ever become more powerful than his mother?  If so, does she help him in his endeavor?  I’ll only tell you that Magic In The Storm was a very enjoyable book.

Whispering Cypress, B. J. Robinson, Author

Southern Fried Catfish B. J. Robinson Style
(Hackett and Spring enjoy catfish caught from Whispering Cypress River)

Crisco Oil, a pan full, usually one bottle
5 lbs. Catfish filet for two-three people
Yellow cornmeal or Zatarain's Fish Fry
One egg
One cup of milk

Coat catfish with a mixture of egg and milk. Roll in cornmeal or fish fry. Pan fry once grease is hot until crispy golden brown. You may wish to add lemon, Tony Chachere's or other seasonings to taste. You may also cook catfish nuggets in the same manner. Drain on paper towels.

If you're like Hackett and Spring, you might have catfish for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. You will need to increase ingredients for more people if they enjoy eating fish like these characters. Depending upon your taste, golden brown homemade french fries and a garden salad can complete the meal.

Homemade French Fries Spring Style

Five pounds of red potatoes peeled and sliced and a separate pan of Crisco, so you will need another bottle of Crisco. You don't want to cook the potatoes in the same grease. You can choose to leave the red skin on and slice or peel. Wash potatoes before and after slicing. Drain on paper towels.

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

“Breaking news, just in.  A young woman was found beaten near Whispering Cypress Campground early this morning.  She’s listed in critical condition in Pines Lake Hospital.  Details are pending notification of the family, but we’ll have more at noon.”  Hackett’s mouth fell wide open, and he dropped the spatula he used to flip the pancakes.  “I think I just lost my appetite.”  Spring gasped.  “Oh no, you don’t think it was Logan, do you?  She wouldn’t have committed suicide would she?”  Before he could answer, she rasped, “Near Whispering Cypress Campground.  That’s all we need for new business.”  “That’s all I need is for it to be her.”  His eyes met hers and his face was chalk white.  “I don’t think she would’ve killed herself, though she was afraid to tell her daddy and the father of the baby.”  She ran her palm over her heart.  “This can’t be happening.  Of all things.  Not now.  Not this.”  Her mind spun and froze on a point.  “What about the baby?  Do you think it’s dead?” 

After ten years away from the place and the person she loves most in the world, Spring Showers has returned to Whispering Cypress Campground as its new owner.  A decade earlier she had left the love of her life Hackett Woods without even saying goodbye.  She had left the campgrounds the two had spent many days loving each other and enjoying the beauty created by God.  But he had left her first while trying to fit in with his friends.  After a night of drinking and a morning hangover, Hackett discovered his friends weren’t what he really wanted.  It was Spring, not them.

Now she’s back, just as God had planned it.  They would be given a second chance to make up for their lost years and to unite in their love for each other.  Or would they?  Someone is trying to, if not run her off, at least persuade Spring to stay away from Hackett.  Could it be Logan who claims to be pregnant with Hackett’s baby?  Or is it Barrett,  a friend of Springs who has come down for a visit and hopes to talk her into returning to the city with him?  When she refuses to leave he does become an enemy out for revenge.  Or could it be someone that wants the camp for themself? 

I will give a hint and say that things always work out the way God has planned them, even if it takes a few years to happen.  He always has a reason for events and happenings, even though we may not understand or even know his reasons.  What we may see as a tragedy happens for a reason known only to Him.  But in the end, it always comes together and we find understanding and comfort in His superior ways.  This all made sense to me as I read Whispering Cypress.  As I followed each event/tragedy as it unfolded, at first I didn’t understand why God would allow some of them to happen, then the reason came and it all made sense.  Good people have bad times but instead of making them weaker, if they believe in God, it will make them stronger in their beliefs and bring them more joy than they could ever imagine money or good times bringing.  Whispering Cypress is a very warming story of true faith.  I love it.

Coma Sins - Steven Nedelton & Joseph Parente, Authors

Gluten-Free Yellow Cake
(One of Steve's Favorite)
"Basic and easy, and very versatile. Layer with white or chocolate frosting, strawberries and whipped cream, etc. Make sure your baking powder is gluten-free."

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups white rice   flour
3/4 cup tapioca   flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons baking   powder
1 teaspoon xanthan   gum
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups white   sugar
2/3 cup   mayonnaise
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons gluten-free   vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175   degrees C). Grease and rice flour two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans. Mix the white rice flour, tapioca   flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and xanthan gum together and set   aside.  Mix the eggs, sugar, and mayonnaise   until fluffy. Add the flour mixture, milk and vanilla and mix well. Spread   batter into the prepared pans.  Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees   C) for 25 minutes. Cakes are done when they spring back when lightly touched   or when a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Let cool   completely then frost, if desired.

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

From next door a woman shrieked.  Anger, white, blazing fury came over him.  Was that damn Mary screaming again?  “Kill her.  Kill Mary.  Kill Janklaw.  Kill Sims,” the voices urged him.  The nearest lamp’s light was so harsh it was blinding him.  He grabbed it by the stem and smashed it into Mary’s door.  The noises stopped.  The room was in pleasant darkness now but the dim lights from the street made strange, infuriating shadows across the window panes.  And then the telephone rang and it continued ringing deafening him.  He grabbed the apparatus and threw it on the floor.  The ringing topped.  “Use the lighter on the drapes.  Start a fire.  Let everything and the hotel go up in blazing hell,”  the voices suggested.  That seemed reasonable.  He heard a knocking at the door.  A strange baritone voice was asking some nonsense.  “Is everything okay, Sir?”  “Damn you!” he shouted in response.  “Jump from that window!  Go, open it and jump!”  the voices encouraged.  “End the misery on the pavement”  Then, a dead quiet… Oblivion.

If a person is mentally ill and commits a crime, even a deadly one, is he responsible for his actions?  Apparently the law says no.  They are sentenced if found guilty but to an institution or hospital, not prison.  And if they are ‘cured’ they can be released to start it all over again. 

Ben Bluman may not have been sentenced for his crimes but he did have himself hospitalized to prevent himself from committing more.  He even agreed to experimental treatments provided by the government but did they help or make him worse?  His only choice was to escape their hold on him, change his name and continue his life.  Did this work?  Apparently not since people continued to die.  But is Ben really committing them?  As he sleeps he ‘dreams’ of events leading up to their deaths so did he actually commit them or are they simply dreams? 

Coma Sins is a deep story of a man who did and didn’t commit the crimes that he will eventually be blamed for.  How do you commit yet not commit a crime?  You can be insane or you can dream them.  Question is, which did Ben do or did he do both?

Amongst My Enemies - William F. Brown, Author

Cranberry Fluff -
(it's an easy and quick holiday thing that
goes great with turkey or about anything:)

    2 cups of frozen cranberries, ground (Cuisinart)
    3 cups of miniature marshmallows
    3/4 cup of sugar
    1/2 cup of chopped nuts (if desired)
    1/4 tsp of salt
    2 cups Cool Whip
    1 small can of crushed pineapple, drained

Combine cranberries, marshmallows and sugar in a 2 1/2 qt bowl or larger.  Cover and chill overnight.  Next morning, add drained pineapple, nuts, and salt.  Mix.  Fold in Cool Whip, and chill.  Serves 10 or more (if you keep the kids out of the bowl until then.)

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

Four months ago, their B-17 took off into a clear, Italian sky for the long leg north to Berlin.  They hit their marks and dropped their bombs, but before they could make the big turn west, the German flank guns found them.  A B-17 is a tough bird and Lieutenant Jensen, their pilot, fought hard to keep it in the air as they lumbered north and east, out of control.  The smoke and flames got worse and worse inside, until the plan went into a steep dive.  Mike and Eddie clawed their way to a side door and bailed out, but they were the only ones who made it.  They came down in a muddy wheat field somewhere in East Prussia.  Long columns of refugees choked the roads heading west, desperate to stay ahead of the Russians.  Discarded furniture, mattresses, pianos, steamer trunks, and suitcases lay strewn along the roadside.  He and Eddie found some civilian clothes and it was easy for them to blend in – not that it mattered.  Two days later, they were stopped by a German Military Police roadblock, and the joke was on them.  The Germans weren’t looking for American airmen.  They were looking for strong backs to dig tank traps and clear rubble.  Instead of a POW camp or being thrown against the closest wall and shot as spies, they were dragooned into a forced labor battalion headed north to Konigsberg.

It’s 1945 and the world is at war.  Michael Randall and Eddie Hodge were Americans who found themselves in a world of trouble as they and their fellow prisoners were huddled together in an old truck bed trying to keep from freezing.  Michael knew it was just a matter of time before their German watchdog Stolz would demand they leave the truck to start the day’s work.  As Michael looked at Eddie he knew it would just be a matter of time before his life would be ended one way or another.  He would either die due to the gangrene that had started eating away at his feet and legs or be shot by Stolz for not carrying his load of the work.  Eddie’s solution was for Michael to find a way to put him out of his misery, which with a heavy heart, he did.  Now he had to live with his guilt and his promise to not let those responsible get away with what they had done.  This promise became the heart of Michael’s existence.  He would make them pay and pay dearly.

Amongst My Enemies takes you on a tour of the world as Michael is put into a position that provides for his rescue from his capturers just before their vessel is attacked in Swedish waters.  Before dying Eddie had also made Michael promise to visit his father and sister in South Carolina to explain to them what really happened and why.  But his real promise came into place when a Charleston newspaper stated that Admiral Eric Bruckner was coming to New York.  That simply wasn’t possible.  Admiral Bruckner was the one who put Michael in a life boat before taking his U-boat back out into deep waters.  He was also on board the U-boat when it was attacked and sunk.  Proving this became Michael’s beginning of self-recovery and keeping his promise to Eddie.  He just didn’t know what trouble he was about to step into. 

Michael’s travels take him back to the coast of Sweden as he and a small group search for the sunken U-boat expose the imposter.  This will bring the Russians in as they try to destroy the find preventing the world from knowing about their infiltration into other countries defense systems.  It will bring in the Germans who had stripped the U-boat and loaded it with gold, jewels and art work that had been collected throughout the war.  Will Michael be strong and smart enough to succeed?  Will the Germans recover the loot inside the boat?  Or will the Russians blow it all to keep their ruse running?

I’m not a fan of war stories and seriously thought about having my friend who sometimes helps me read this book and do the review.  Glad I didn’t.  The more I read, the more I wanted to read.  It held my attention to the very end.  Great book!

The Stovepipe - Bonnie E. Virag, Author

FishTacos with Mango Salsa and Cilantro Lime Sauce
(A Bonnie Favorite)

Ingredients
1 lb. flaky white fish, such as halibut, tilapia, sole, or snapper (we used Amberjack)
4 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
10 to 12 corn tortillas
3 cups shredded cabbage

For Lime Sauce:
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 cup low-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped or pressed
Salt

For Mango Salsa:
1 bell pepper (red, yellow, and/or orange), deseeded and chopped into 1/4-inchsquares
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, deseeded and diced
2 just-ripe mangoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch square chunks
1 handful cilantro, washed, dried, destemmed, and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lime
Salt to taste

Directions
Prepare the fish marinade by combining the fresh lime juice with the vegetableoil and soy sauce in a rectangular glass or ceramic dish. Add the fish, turn tocoat, and leave to marinate while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Prepare the chipotle-lime sauce bycombining the mayonnaise, yogurt, lime juice, chipotle chile, and chopped garlic in a bowl. Season to taste with salt.
Prepare mango salsa by mixing all ingredients together in a medium-large bowl and season to taste with salt.
Remove fish from the marinade and grill or saute until cooked through. Warm the tortillas, either in the oven, microwave, or saute in oil. Set out individual bowls of the sauce, salsa, and shredded cabbage.
For each individual taco, place someof the fish (breaking off chunks of the cooked fillets) on a tortilla, drizzle with the chipotle-lime sauce, and top with cabbage and mango salsa.

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

…we saw a large, black automobile drive into our lane.  It pulled slowly into the backyard and stopped beside the house where we were playing.  We all stood frozen.  In a poor rural area, it was rare to see an automobile on the road, let alone have one pull into our own yard.  Muggs must have know it meant trouble, for she quickly opened the cellar door and herded us all inside.  But it was too late, for she had been spotted.  No sooner had the door been slammed shut than it was flung open, exposing my sisters and me as we huddled fearfully inside.  “Come out,” a man said as he tugged on our arms, pulling us out one by one.  As we hurried to Muggs’ side, the man said, “We’d like to speak with your mother.”  Muggs shook her head.  “I’m sorry, but she ain’t home right now.”   At that, without saying another word, he and a woman who had come with him grabbed my sisters and me and pushed us, kicking and screaming, into the backseat of the car.  They then rounded up Bobby and shoved him in beside us.

Bonnie Virag was one of 2 sets of twins birthed by her mother Flossie Bell Mudford.  Flossie Bell had a total of 18 children of which Bonnie can remembered 14 counting herself.  By the time Bonnie and her twin sister Betty, her twin sisters Jean and Joan and her brother Bobby were taken from the home 6 of the older children had already left.  Most of the girls’ care was provided by one of her older sisters, Margaret which they fondly called Muggs.  But due to Muggs being a child herself, Children’s Service felt they had no choice but to take the younger ones from the home, leaving them all feeling lost and alone.

When I started reading The Stovepipe, I had just finished another autobiography by a lady who, along with her siblings, had been placed in an orphanage.  The trials and mistreatment they went through was heartbreaking.  I truly thought that children placed in foster homes had to be better.  That isn’t necessarily true.  Bonnie and her siblings ended up on a Tobacco farm and put to work as if they were mere slaves.  They were housed in the attic and not allowed to come into the house except to go to their rooms.  Meals were served after the family had finished eating and heating in their attic rooms consisted of The Stovepipe that ran up through the ceiling.  Their living conditions, mistreatment by the family members, their lack of love and even their simplest needs were non-existing.  It really took some strong willed individuals to survive what these children were forced to suffer through.

As I read The Stovepipe, I grew to admire Bonnie and her siblings.  She is a woman I would love to sit down with and simply listen to as she tells stories of her childhood.  Some of the stories within her autobiography would have been funny had the consequences for their actions not been so severe.  I couldn’t help but laugh when I read about the yard being covered with paper the girls had hidden within the rafters and uncovered when the roofers started work.  But I wanted to cry when the foster family punished them for their innocent deed. 

I can only hope and pray that things have changed since Bonnie and her siblings were brought up in the system of foster care.  No child should ever be inflicted with excessive pain and sorrow, especially after the a child has already been hurt by the loss of their own family or the lack of ever knowing one.  These children should be treated as the special people they really are. 

The Stovepipe is a book that EVERY parent should read and hopefully stress to their own children, the heartbreak of being in the system.  Bonnie and her sisters should be very proud of themselves for being survivors and not allowing their experiences to weaken them but to make them stronger and better people.

Royal Pane Down Under - David and Linda Broughton, Authors

Dave's Good Old BBQ Sauce

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups quality tomato sauce, or ketchup
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar (more or less, suityourself)
3 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1-teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder (or more,  depending on strength)
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 cup Coke
Optional ingredients
2 oz local honey
More diced onions,  Vidalia or Texas Sweets

1 cup (or more) finely diced Jalapeno peppers (orwhatever kind you like)
Half cup finely shredded cheddar or provolone cheese
Salt to taste
A few dashes of Frank's Louisiana Hot Sauce, orsimilar not to hot variety like Green Tobasco

Sprinkle of Oregano flakes,
Dash of dried Basil,
Smidgen of Thyme,
Cayenne pepper to your desired heat level.

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan overmedium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring until ingredients are completelyincorporated. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer until flavors have meldedand sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 30 to 40minutes.
Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Ifnot using right away, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Letting it standat least overnight in the fridge helps the flavors meld into one harmoniousflavor, rather than many individual flavors put together


The first part makes a basic barbecue sauce, theoptional ingredients will make it your own. Don't be afraid to experiment.  A tablespoon of Hershey's cocoa powderdoes interesting things, so does a tablespoon of creamy peanut butter. You canadd ingredients as spices you might not consider. Want a little more zip butnot heat? Add a smidgen of Dijon mustard, or a touch of horseradish sauce. Iknow, you were always told not to play with your food, but why not? If you'repaying for it, and the one that's gonna eat it, it's all up to you. Only youknow what tastes suit you.


Royal Pain Down Under – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; A Book and A Dish; Think With Your Taste Buds


(This book has an added bonus.  The Author is giving you a 1/2 off code for your copy of Royal Pane Down Under through Smashwords.   Here is your code  HM48Z)


When the cheeseburgers arrive Ash about falls out of her chair.  The things are huge, probably bigger than those of the Red Top back home.  They’re certainly thicker.  No wonder they’re that price.. Ravenous Ash manages to eat only one of them.  They taste fantastic.  She has the other put in a to-go container.  On a whim, Ash has the waitress get the owner to her table, acting as if she has a complaint.  When the owner comes to the table, she tells him she won’t pay that for those burgers.  Before he can say a word, she hands him the check with a ten thousand dollar pack of bills, “That’s what I’ll pay for these burgers.”  The man if flabbergasted, totally speechless.  Exactly the effect she wanted to have on him.  She and Rodger get up to leave.  She tips the waitress a thousand dollars because she can.  Outside, Rodger quips, “What do you fancy yourself?  Some kind of Robin Hood or something?”  Ash smiles, “Something like that, when I get unexpected funds like those t the mill, I like to spread it around to those that deserve it, some of it, anyway.  Some folds give to charities, I do a bit of that myself.  I also like to help out hard working people that are doing things right.”

Ashling Pane is a woman of many faces and she doesn’t mind exposing them all when the need arises.  One of her best friends just happens to be the President of the United States. After she saved his life twice, his career once, and rescuing his daughter from kidnappers, he has declared that she has free run of whatever she might need or think she might need. Nobody dares say different.  This friendship has helped her accomplish her tasks in more ways than one.  Ash normally works recovering high dollar items for major insurance companies.  Her fees are high but her success rate is even higher, since she never gives up.  On a case where she recovered a famous violin ‘Lady Blunt’ she also recovered a young Russian immigrant, Roz, that was being and used against her will.  After taking her in, Ash discovers the girl’s musical talent affording her any instrument her heart desires to help make up for what she has been through.  Money for that job was good but when Ash is asked to go to Australia to free those being enslaved by a man named Aldridge Ainsworth, the offer becomes more than she can afford to turn down.  The Queen herself is making the request and offering her over $188,000,000 and that doesn’t count whatever she and her team might find along the way. 

As it turns out, Ainsworth has the natives working the mines producing uranium as well as gold and silver.  As the mines and compounds are attacked and the slaves freed, Ash and team find themselves collecting what ends up being several billion dollars in gold, gems, art and money hidden within the compounds.  Even after making the team members rich beyond their belief, Ash still has more than she can ever begin to spend.  Therefore she becomes ‘Robin Hood’ of sorts, taking from the criminals and giving a hand up to the working class. 


Royal Pane Down Under wasn’t a disappointment.  Ash Pane is still the person that you would love to be friends with while hoping that you never get on her bad side.  If she likes you, you will always be in good hands. If she doesn’t like you, don’t step into her path.  She is one macho woman who even the most macho men fear.  This would make a good character for Angelina.

Captured Moments - Ellenelizabeth Cernek, Author

Hungarian Goulash
from the kitchen of Ellenelizabeth Cernek

3 lbs of beef cubes bite size (cooks quicker)
32 oz chicken broth
3 cubes beef bouillon cubes
4 large onions diced
1 head of garlic diced
1 can of tomato sauce (If you like chunky sauces use a can of diced tomatoes, slice onion and garlic on the larger size.)
2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika
2 tablespoons red pepper
3 tablespoons basil
2 tablespoons thyme
3 12oz sour cream

Coat bottom of a large soup pot with oil. When oil is heated add onions, and garlic browning them remove from pot into a separate bowel (you will return them into pot). Brown beef cubes, do it in batches, so you fry the outside of the cubes. Place finished cubes in the bowel with onion and garlic. Continue to brown all beef cubes and remove them all. Pour in chicken broth and clean up bottom of pot to get all the goodness from the fried meat. Return meat, on-ions, and garlic into chicken broth. Make sure all of the meat is covered by the chicken broth, if not add water to cover all of the meat. Add in beef bouillon cubes, bring all to a boil, then lower to a high simmer for about 1 hour. Add tomato sauce, red pepper, basil, and thyme and cook for another hour. When meat is tender, add sour cream and Hungarian paprika cook for another 1/2 hour until sauce thickens).
Best served over egg noodles or a hearty pasta.

My family loves this after it is over night in the frig something magical hap-pens to thicken the sauce even more! Great comfort food in front of roaring fire.

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

Crossroads

Life again and again
Finds only crossroads
Where now and before
Shall turn into a tomorrow.

Worry not in this
Crossroad’s time
For this will always
Pass into a yesterday.

Life again and again
Finds only crossroads,
Where life will again
Be always new.

This has to be one of my favorite.  Each time I read these few words, the more I agree what that they say and mean to me.  We do have a lifetime of crossroads and now does always become tomorrow. 

I’m not big on reviewing poetry due to the fact that what I like you might not like, but Ellenelizabeth Cernek has written ‘songs’ that tug at my heart as well as my spirit.  "Her Beach Reverie" will make you wonder about ‘Neptune’s fury’.  "Empty Space" will have you remembering illusions you believed in at one time.  And then there is "To Remember."  It will bring back the Could-bes, Should-bes and Would-bes.  Captured Moments will keep you stepping in and out of time, life and space.  This is a beautiful book!

The Recipe - Joe Parente, Author

The picture is a 2.5 lb trout I caught At
Sunset lake. I live on the lake and caught
 it off my dock. With a long flexible filet knife,
                     I can get two slabs of fish.  Here is how.

You start behind the gill flap and then run the knife to the tail. I repeat this on the other side. What is left are the main bones and the innards of the trout in which the local seagulls love. I then, place the fillets skin down and with the knife, I lay the knife flat and then cut out the belly bones. It's best done by slightly lifting the knife with the sharp side up and slice against the underside of the belly bones. I have never had a 'pin' bone left to worry about. Do not wash the fish. You will eliminate the essential oils and flavor. You can wipe then with the back edge of the knife.

My next step is to put the fillets in a paper bag with three tablespoons of flour or other type of  breading along with a few generous quarter size amounts of garlic powder. Shake the bag so all of the fish is coated. The paper bag helps dry the fish to eliminate any splattering when you fry them in a large pan.

Place the trout skin side down in a hot skillet of olive oil and fry for one minute or when the skin turns golden brown. Gently flip the fish over and cover with foil for about 20 seconds. The foil will steam the rest of the fish and make it oh! so! good!

You can either eat the skin or remove it. I eat the skin with a light touch of salt.  There, you have a boneless delight that is out of this world.

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

“I said I’ll get it for you tomorrow,” Sal said shakily.  “I promise, I will.”  Sweat was pouring down his face.  “I promise you, please,” he pleaded, with both palms facing the men in a useless defense.  “Not good enough, Sal, you had your last chance.  We gotta’ have it tonight.  There is no more time.  Where is the money?  Get up and get it.”  He didn’t move.  “You don’t have it, do you?  You are a liar.  Nobody’s gonna’ lie to me.  You have made the worse mistake of your life, Sal.”  “No, but” – There was a noise coming from the closet and the other man heard it.  Anna must have tripped on some clothing and the sound telegraphed through the closed door…… “Please, you guys, I’ll get the money.  I’ll bring it to you tomorrow.  I’ll bring all of it to the bar plus extra.”  The other man jerked the door open and Sal’s wife fell out……. “Please guys don’t do this.  I’ll do anything you want,” Sal pleaded.  “I told you, it’s too late for your excuses,” threatened Mo, spittle hanging off his lip.  “We have to go for a ride; the boss wants to see you,”  Mo pulled Sal brutally out of bed and shoved him into the hallway….. A few months later, Sal and his wife Anna were found under the railroad trestle, both dead.

Sal and Anna Santorini had a son named Joey.  Thanks to the kind heart of Leonardo Bonino, Joey was taken into his home and treated like a member of the family.  Leo’s own son Frankie and Joey became inseparable ‘brothers’ with both watching the other’s back.  When Leo, who was a widower, decided to remarry Frankie and Joey gained another brother Mario and a sister Christina.  The closeness of the three boys, their desire to protect their sister and the love of Leo and his new wife Colina completed the circle that shaped the Santorini family. 

Trouble started when a man who called himself Whitey came around to collect protection money from the shoe shop that Leo and the boys ran.  Leo knew the larger, more profitable business were being required to pay for what was being called ‘insurance’ against accidents but until Whitey, the smaller business had been left alone.  Determined not to pay, Leo came up with The Recipe.  Anything worth doing right required a recipe in Leo’s books and this one would require the perfect ingredients to make the plan work and his recipe required the help of his three sons. 

I don’t normally read gangster/mob books and seldom read anything written within the time period of the 1930s through the late 1940s.  When I started reading The Recipe I had myself convinced that it was a book that I just might pass on to a friend to read and review for me.  I simply wasn’t interested in reading about the mob taking over the neighborhood and fighting within the mob families.  I have to admit, I was hooked after the first few pages.  Actually reading about the many scams that were pulled surprised me.  Not only were there the protection scams but also the real insurance scams where policies were sold to the soldiers and money collected but no real coverage.  There was the ‘buy your coal in the summer at a discount’ but no coal delivered in the winter.  And one of the worse were those that targeted the widows stating that the deceased owed money on anything from repairs to the house to the purchase of a Bible.  This book really kept my interest.  But the best part was when the boys finally found a way to strike revenge for the death of Joey’s parents.  I must say that they gave out what was deserved. 

What did I not like about The Recipe?  The ending.  It came too quickly.  I wanted to keep reading to see what happened next.  Will they now become mob leaders or will they try to find a way to live their lives like normal families?  I guess Author Joseph Parente will just have to write a sequel so we can all find the answers to my questions.

Dark Moon - Maggie Tideswell, Author

Flop-proof Apple Pie
(Maggie Tideswell's special)

1x can pie apples
1x cup flour
1x baking powder
1x egg
1x cup milk + half a cup for caramel sauce
1x cup sugar + half a cup for caramel sauce
1x tablespoon butter + half a table spoon for the caramel sauce
1x pinch salt

Pre-heat over to 180 farenheit. Greaze a pie tin and layer the apples in the bottom. Cream butter and sugar very well together, add the egg and mix well. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together and add alternatively with the milk to the egg mixture. Pour over the apples and bake immediately in the middle of the oven for 30 mins until golden.
While baking the pie, mix together half a cup of milk, half a cup of sugar and half a tablespoon of butter together, bring to the boil and simmer over very low heat, stirring frequently, until the pie is done. Pour the caramel sauce over the pie immediately after removing it from the oven. Serve hot with cream, ice cream or custard.

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

“Well, my girl, I hope that boyfriend of yours is ready to make an honest woman of you.  Congratulations. Everything looks fine so far.”  Though he smiled, there was hesitation in his voice.  Biting her lip to save her cheek, Storm lost the battle with the tears that had been threatening all day and doubly so after Trevor’s rebuff.  Andrew pulled her head down to his shoulder, rocking her from side to side, as he had done many times before.  He let her cry, and then, after what seemed like forever, he said, “There, there, it’s not the end of the world.  You’re going to make yourself ill.  Come on, chin up.  Trevor seems a good sort.  You’ve been dating him for long enough.  Why aren’t you on the pill?”  “It makes me ill, and as there was no reason to suffer, I didn’t bother.”  Calm washed over Storm.  “Uncle Andrew, it isn’t Trevor’s,” she mumbled hoarsely.

Storm Fenton has just had confirmed what she and her best friend Donna had suspected – she’s pregnant.  Problem is, she has been dating Trevor for almost a year and he isn’t the father.  Actually she didn’t even know the name of the baby’s father.  Her pregnancy is the results of a ‘rape’ that wasn’t exactly a ‘rape.’  Maybe it’s best called ‘consented rape.’  But to Storm’s surprise, she will soon meet her mystery man and when he discovers her situation, she can’t seem to shake him.  When she finally tells Trevor that she’s pregnant with another man’s child his attitude splits.  He assures her that she will never have the baby while assuring her that she belongs to him and he will have her through marriage.  His motive as well as his actions come from deep within and he seems sincere when it comes to wanting Storm for himself and does all in his power to keep her away from Jarred, the baby’s father?

Storm is a psychologist who tries to help Elle, an attorney, find a murdering/rapist who has killed 7 women already in a ritual fashion.  Elle also turns out to be his 8th victim and the only one that was spared her life.  But Elle’s life is not only disrupted by the rape but by the appearance of her birth mother who inform her not only that she is a witch but that the murder is her own son, making him Elle’s brother.  The two must band together to destroy him before he kills again and before he performs his final ritual that will give him the powers he desires.

So, who is the killer - is it Trevor or is it Jarred?  Or is it someone else entirely?  Who is really looking out for Storm’s best – Trevor or Jarred?  And which will end up with her in the end – Trevor or Jarred?  Dark Moon is one of the most unusual books I’ve read.  It has everything – murder, rape, witchcraft, fear and even love.  And it left me with a feeling that there just might be a book 2, I hope.

Winter Prey - T. M. Simmons, Author

Deviled Eggs
(One of T. M. Simmons'
Favorite Side Dishes to Accompany
A Yummy Texas Summer BBQ)

Preparation time: approximately 30 minutes

12 eggs
1 tsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. mustard
3 tbls. sweet relish
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tbls. of Miracle Whip Light salad dressing
Dried parsley to garnish

Bring water and twelve eggs to hard boil. Turn down to medium heat and boil for ten minutes. Cool eggs. If I'm in a hurry, which I usually am, I'll drain the water and stick the eggs in the freezer.

Peel eggs and put whites on deviled egg tray, yolks in bowl.

It's best to add each ingredient separately and mash it into the yolks with a fork.

Mash in 1 tsp. cider vinegar
Mash in 1 tsp. mustard
Mash in 3 tbls. sweet relish
Mash in salt and pepper
Mash in 3 tbls. Miracle Whip Light salad dressing

Spoon the mixture back into the egg whites. Garnish with some dried parsley. Best if chilled in the refrigerator for a half-hour or so before serving.

You can adjust the ingredients to your individual taste. If you like it a bit tarter, add a little more vinegar and mustard. Sweeter, a bit more sweet relish. Enjoy with a yummy meal of Texas BBQ, which for us includes: ribs, brisket, sausage, beer-butt chicken, T. M.'s special potato salad, T. M.'s Yankee beans, ears of corn from the grill, French bread, and if room, any desserts guests bring along.

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

“Let’s get all of our cards on the table, Sheriff. You’ve got a monster due to start prowling the Northwood again in a few weeks. One that’s been around for three centuries and the same species of evil entity that I suspect killed my wife and son. But yours is – ”

“It isn’t mine,” Hjak interrupted in a level voice, but Caleb continued over the attempted disruption.
“—on a different timetable than that Colorado bastard,. Maybe you aren’t even sure the rumors of this thing are true, since you were probably a kid the last time it appeared. On top of that, from what I could find out, not many whites know about this one. So far, it’s always focused its kills among the Native American population.”

Caleb McCoy is a paranormal investigator that is accustomed to talking to both believers and non-believers of the supernatural entities so his conversation with Sheriff Hjak can go either way. After the death of his wife and son Caleb is positive that the same type creature that took their lives will soon be waking from its forty year sleep in its lair hidden deep within the mountains.

Lieutenant Colonel Kymbria James, R.N. has resigned from her military career to do something she never thought possible. She will now devote her life to raising her daughter Risa, but first she has problems of her own that must be resolved if she has any hope of doing this successfully. Her time spent in Afghanistan trying to help the soldiers cope with their injuries both physical and mental, her own husband dying in her arms as he called the name of another woman and her own battle with PTSD must be sedated before she can become the mother Risa needs and deserves. The best way to accomplish this is to leave the white-world medicine and give the Old Ways a chance. And to do that she must go back to her origin and her own people – the Ojibway Tribe of Native American Indians.

As Kymbria will soon find out, the healing will be disrupted by Caleb and the beast he seeks to kill. The creature the tribe calls a Windigo.  Its existence has been known for over 300 years but no one has been successful in destroying a Windigo.  Its pattern consists of waking up every 40 years to feed, keeping the number of humans it feeds upon to 16, always Native Americans. With Kymbria being an Ojibwa, she just may be his next meal but if that’s true, why is it trying to communicate with her? What makes her different? The answer was a surprise to me as I believe it will be to you too.

When I first saw the word Windigo it sounded familiar so I googled it. Sure enough, it’s a Native American entity that is believed to be a cross between Big Foot and a Werewolf. This knowledge gave Winter Prey and an even more interesting appeal to me. The author has combined history with folklore to give a mystery that is believable. All through the book I found events taking place that were a total surprise to me as a reader. Winter Prey is a very enjoyable read that might just have you looking out the window at night to see if you might see a Windigo.

An Extra Topping of Horror - Darrell B. Nelson, Author

Easy Pizza Recipe
(A Darrell B. Nelson Favorite)

Forget Frozen Pizza, here's a quick and easy way to make your own.

Ingredients:

Prepared Pizza dough
Prepared Pizza sauce
One package of Pepperoni
One package of Mozzarella

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Place the Pizza dough on a pizza screen.

Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the Pizza dough. Thick or light
depending on taste.

Secret hint: If you like your pepperoni slightly done, place them on the
pizza before putting on the cheese. The cheese will keep them from
getting crisp. If you like crispy pepperoni place them on top.

Spread Mozzarella evenly over the crust, use slightly less than you
think you want as it will melt and spread out. (If you have large clumps
of Mozzarella in spots and spots lacking in cheese, pick up the screen
and pizza an inch off the counter and spin it so it make one turn while
falling to the counter. This will even out the cheese.)

Put in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until the cheese is melted and
slightly brown.
Cut in slices and serve.
The choice of guests is up to you.
Enjoy.

An Extra Topping of Horror – Guest Review by Matthew Morrison

This one has it all:  ALIENS! PIZZA! TIME TRAVEL! A 50 FOOT CAT!

In An Extra Topping of Horror, Darrell B. Nelson takes over a sleepy little town and makes it the nexus of a rambling series of loosely connected (by time) vignettes.  It’s almost as if Stephen King’s character, Roland, in The Drawing of the Three sat down to a palaver with a John “Johnny Wad” Homes about the merits and detriments of applied String Theory, and somehow Mr. Nelson (no doubt, disguised as a lobster monstrosity) managed to record their conversation.  If one looks beyond the plethora of interplanetary inter play, in the end, this is a love story in reverse at least for one of the pair of lovers. 

I will place An Extra Topping of Horror on the shelf between the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams and the Talisman by Peter Straub, just beneath my massive collection of Rodox!