tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13246796495013774402024-03-19T04:24:55.808-07:00Susan Mallery CooksNew York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery shares a free recipe every week. All recipes can be found as printable PDFs at www.susanmallery.com/recipes.php!Susan Malleryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16098592863282168362noreply@blogger.comBlogger90125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324679649501377440.post-8060966893895378702012-10-08T23:00:00.000-07:002012-10-08T23:00:11.197-07:00Raspberry-Glazed Acorn SquashFind lots of free, easy recipes online at <a href="http://www.susanmallery.com/recipes.php">www.susanmallery.com/recipes.php</a>!<br />
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If you’ve never cooked an acorn squash, you don’t know what you’re missing. They’re super easy to cook! The hardest part of the process is cutting them in half (which I’ll admit isn’t easy). But once that part’s done and you scoop out the weeds, you can stick them in the oven at 375 degrees with a pat of butter and a tablespoon of brown sugar, and forget about it for an hour. I like to wrap mine in foil so that it gets nice and soft.<br />
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Here’s a slightly more involved recipe with a delicious tart twist. The glaze cooks along with the squash, resting in the bowl created after you scoop out the seeds. As you eat the squash, you can dip each forkful into the glaze just before biting into it. Heavenly! One squash is substantial enough to make a healthy main dish meal for two people.<br />
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<h2>
Recipe: Raspberry-Glazed Acorn Squash</h2>
1 acorn squash, cut in half and seeds removed<br />
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2 T olive oil<br />
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¼ c minced onion<br />
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2 cloves garlic, minced<br />
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¼ C raspberry jam<br />
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½ t cinnamon<br />
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½ t cayenne<br />
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2 t red wine vinegar<br />
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On a jelly roll pan, place each half of the squash on a piece of aluminum foil large enough to wrap it completely. You might want to slice off a narrow piece at the bottom so that it will rest without rocking on a jelly roll pan. Mix together the remaining ingredients and pour half into each squash half. With a spoon or basting brush, drizzle some of the glaze over the rest of the exposed flesh of the squash.<br />
Wrap the squash in foil. Bake at 375 degrees for one hour. (You can also place the foil-wrapped squash on the grill over indirect heat for an hour.) Serve in a bowl.<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">More free recipes online at www.SusanMallery.com!</div>Susan Malleryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16098592863282168362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324679649501377440.post-51904051073883009482012-09-23T10:11:00.000-07:002012-09-23T11:00:21.722-07:00Skillet Beef StroganoffAlthough I’m not a fan of the shortening days of Autumn, there is one thing I love about this time of year – the food. With the cooler temperatures, cooking inside no longer makes me feel like I’m fighting the air conditioning, wasting energy.<br />
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I’ve been in the mood for beef stew, but I spent the day writing and didn’t have time to put together a stew. So I decided to come up with something that I could make on the stovetop in half an hour, that would give me the same hearty pleasure. I came up with this easy recipe for Skillet Beef Stroganoff. From start to finish, 30 minutes… and a delicious Autumn treat!<br />
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Recipe: Skillet Beef Stroganoff</h2>
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1 lb beef sirloin, sliced thin and cut into two-inch pieces<br />
3 T flour<br />
½ t black pepper<br />
½ t salt<br />
½ t ground mustard<br />
2 T vegetable oil<br />
8 oz sliced mushrooms<br />
1 small onion, chopped<br />
1 small green pepper, chopped<br />
2 cloves garlic, minced<br />
2 C beef broth<br />
1 t Worcestershire sauce<br />
1 C sour cream<br />
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<iframe align="right" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=wwwsusanmalle-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0373777027&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 280px; width: 180px;"></iframe>Put the flour, pepper, salt, and ground mustard into a large Ziploc bag. Mix well. Add the beef and toss to coat. Set aside. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Sauté the mushrooms, onion, pepper, and garlic for five minutes. Add the floured beef. Stir frequently. Once the beef is brown, add the broth a little bit at a time, stirring well, then add the Worcestershire sauce. Stir frequently, breaking up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Heat to boiling, then simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream. Serve over egg noodles or mashed potatoes.<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">More free recipes online at www.SusanMallery.com!</div>Susan Malleryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16098592863282168362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324679649501377440.post-33257910653028153332012-07-02T04:45:00.000-07:002012-07-02T04:45:14.587-07:00Oven-Baked Onion BlossomGet the printable version of this recipe at <a href="http://www.susanmallery.com/recipes.php">www.susanmallery.com/recipes.php</a>!<br />
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It all started with a tweet. The Food Network tweeted their recipe recreating the <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/almost-famous-bloomin-onion-recipe/index.html" target="_blank">Blooming Onion</a> from Outback Steakhouse. I love the Blooming Onion, so I couldn’t resist taking a peek. Oh, I wish I hadn’t! Because while my mouth watered, my arteries hardened just from reading the ingredients. I don’t want to know! A gallon of oil? Seriously? That’s just depressing. Delicious but depressing.<br />
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I wondered whether I could come up with a lighter version of this recipe. Full disclosure: my version is not as delicious as the real thing nor, presumably, as the Food Network’s. However, it has much less fat and really tasted pretty great. I was proud to serve it to guests, and their compliments seemed sincere. I wouldn’t call this health food, but at least you won’t have to have a defibrillator on standby when you eat it.<br />
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Oven-Baked Onion Blossom</h2>
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1 large sweet onion<br />
2 C flour<br />
1 t garlic salt<br />
1 t cayenne<br />
½ t thyme<br />
½ t ground cumin<br />
½ t pepper<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 C milk<br />
2 T mayo<br />
2 T butter<br />
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the top off the onion. Peel, then turn cut-side down onto a cutting board. Spear the knife into the onion about half an inch from the uncut bottom. Slice down to the cutting board. Using this method, cut the onion into pieces about the width of your pinkie finger. (But don’t slice your pinkie finger!)<br />
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Combine the flour and spices in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag and set aside. Combine the eggs, milk, and mayo in the smallest bowl you have that will fit the onion with the liquid. Mix well. Put the onion cut-side down into the egg mixture, then rotate so the cut side is up. Spoon egg mixture amidst the onion wedges, separating the wedges with your fingers, getting egg everywhere you can. Then hold the onion upside down over the bowl to allow the excess egg mixture to drop off. Put the onion into the Ziploc bag with the flour and shake gently to coat. You may need to open the bag, separate the wedges, and close it to shake again.<br />
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Place the onion cut-side up onto a cookie sheet. Drizzle with 2 T melted butter. Bake until golden brown all over. The tips of the onion wedges may get very dark, but that’s okay. You need to cook the onion long enough to soften the pieces thoroughly so they’re easy to pull from the blossom.<br />
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Serve immediately with your favorite salad dressing for dipping.<br />
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Rafe is up first. Rafe is a high-powered entrepreneur, but he didn’t start life that way. In fact, the Stryker kids were the poorest kids in Fool’s Gold. I adore a self-made millionaire. A man who refused to give in to the odds stacked against him. Rafe is smart, savvy, and sexy, and I want readers to meet him NOW!<br />
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But I’ll have to wait until May 29, when <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=B5Atj6Og7Es&offerid=239662.9780373776832&type=2&subid=0" target="_blank">SUMMER DAYS</a> lands in stores. I decided to distract myself with something sweet. In these situations, I almost always turn to chocolate. But SUMMER DAYS called for a summery dessert. Fresh berries, prepared simply. Ice cream. And just a tiny bit of crunch in the topping. Delicious! I sent the recipe to my assistant for testing, as I often do. She made it on her barbecue grill, which means you won’t have to turn on your oven during the hot summer days. A perfect dessert for a Memorial Day picnic!<br />
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<h2>
Recipe: Summer Days Berry Dessert</h2>
6 C fresh strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries<br />
1 T brown sugar<br />
2 T Cointreau or other orange-flavored liqueur<br />
3 slices of bread or 2 dinner rolls<br />
2 T butter, softened<br />
1 T brown sugar<br />
1/8 t teaspoon cinnamon<br />
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Wash and drain the berries. Cut the strawberries into pieces. Toss the berries in a bowl with 1 T brown sugar and liqueur. Put into a deep pie pan if you plan to bake it in the oven, or into an aluminum pie pan if you plan to cook it on the grill. In that case, build up the sides of the aluminum pan with aluminum foil so the bread layer won’t fall out.<br />
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Tear the bread into pieces. Pulse in a food processor with the remaining ingredients. Sprinkle breading layer over the fruit. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or the same amount of time over indirect heat on a warm but not hot grill.<div class="blogger-post-footer">More free recipes online at www.SusanMallery.com!</div>Susan Malleryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16098592863282168362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324679649501377440.post-15276910793622652432012-05-08T04:30:00.000-07:002012-05-08T04:30:03.404-07:00Donna Alward's Daffodil Cake<a href="http://www.donnaalward.com/">Donna Alward</a> is on the blog today! Donna writes books with fabulous cowboy heroes - and you KNOW how I love cowboys! Donna's men are everything I love about cowboys - strong, protective, rugged. Her latest book is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0373178077/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwsusanmalle-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0373178077">THE LAST REAL COWBOY</a> from Harlequin Romance. Pick it up today!<br />
Donna is going to share her recipe for delicious Daffodil Cake, but first...<br />
<h2>
Three Random Questions for Author Donna Alward</h2>
<b>HER LONE COWBOY, one of your 2010 books, won all sorts of awards, including the Booksellers’ Best (your second, right?) Congratulations! What did readers love about that story?</b><br />
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HER LONE COWBOY was a fairy dust book - it just seemed to write itself at times, probably because I was totally in love with the hero, Noah. I knew I was taking a risk writing an amputee hero, so right off the bat I told myself that he had to still lead and not wallow in his injury and the potential loss of his career. Getting that straight at the beginning helped a lot, and of course I needed a heroine who was no pushover, either. I think readers responded to that combination as well as the realism in the characters (or at least that's what I've heard!). And it didn't hurt that there were a few scenes that felt like magic to write and made me reach for tissues - namely a dance scene and a scene where Noah reveals all his scars to Lily. I was thrilled with the positive response it got - winning the Bookseller's Best (yes, my 2nd!), the Colorado Award of Excellence and finalling in the Golden Quill. :-) <br />
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You can read my first Bookseller's Best winning book HIRED BY THE COWBOY for free right now at <a href="http://www.tryharlequin.com/">www.tryharlequin.com</a>.<br />
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<b>You have lots of recipes on your website. How would you describe your cooking style? Are you a gourmand, or do you stick with the basics? Have you ever had a spectacular failure in the kitchen?</b><br />
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Definitely not a gourmand, and in some ways it's funny that I have a recipe page on my site. Not that I don't cook - I do, and a lot! I'm kind of a "comfort" food kind of person, so you won't find a lot that's frilly and fancy but you will find plentiful and delicious. My "style" is very "measure? Schmeasure!" I'm a dumper. Especially with supper dishes and those sorts of things. Baking is more precise, of course. So to sit down and actually figure out how much of something I put in is actually a big chore! The good part of that is that some of the recipes are ones I've tweaked because I'm willing to experiment.<br />
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I've had lots of spectacular failures! At both Christmastime and Thanksgiving we made cranberry sauce, but I totally forgot it was on the stove and burned it to the bottom of the pan. Bad enough I did it once, but twice? And back when I was pregnant with my first child, my husband had gone duck hunting. I remembered my Grandmother having duck now and then and since money was tight, I figured why waste a good duck? I had a great Italian recipe book that I used for several recipes, so I trusted it and made this duck dish that had bacon and rice and I don't know what else in it. It didn't smell the best as I was cooking it, but I chalked it up to pregnancy and my warped sense of smell. I served it up, took one bite and got a mouthful of shot. And that was the end of that. I haven't eaten duck since.<br />
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Since we're into spring, I'm going to share a recipe that my Mom used to make when we were kids - Daffodil Cake! The white and yellow layers are quite pretty.<br />
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<b>Tell us a bit about your latest release, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.amazon.com/Last-Real-Cowboy-Harlequin-Romance/dp/0373178077/">THE LAST REAL COWBOY</a>. What do you love about your hero and heroine?</b><br />
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Sam and Angela seem like they're on opposite sides at the beginning of <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.amazon.com/Last-Real-Cowboy-Harlequin-Romance/dp/0373178077/">THE LAST REAL COWBOY</a>. He's sexy and arrogant and in control of the money; she's Executive Director of a second-stage housing shelter being opened in Cadence Creek. Both of them have to get over their initial impressions of each other to see the real person inside. Sam's a bit larger than life but he's also gentle, and tries to do the right thing. I had a blast writing this duet - next month The Rebel Rancher is out and has Sam's "brother" Tyson as the hero. Tyson's the family rebel - ex-bull rider and according to some, womanizer. And Clara is very sweet and a nurturer. But she's also got a history that means that Ty has his work cut out for him. :-)<br />
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You can read excerpts on my site at <a href="http://www.donnaalward.com/">www.donnaalward.com</a>.<br />
<h2>
Recipe: Donna Alward's Daffodil Cake</h2>
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<b>Bottom: (Dark Part)</b><br />
6 egg yolks + 2 tsp water<br />
½ cup white sugar<br />
½ cup flour<br />
1 tsp baking powder<br />
¼ tsp salt<br />
½ tsp vanilla<br />
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Beat egg yolks and water until light and fluffy. Fold in sugar, flour and baking powder, salt and vanilla.<br />
Pour in an ungreased pan, and add top layer.<br />
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<b>Top: (White part)</b><br />
6 egg whites<br />
¾ tsp cream of tartar<br />
½ cup sugar<br />
½ cup flour<br />
¼ tsp salt<br />
½ tsp vanilla<br />
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Beat egg whites until light and fluffy. Add cream of tartar and beat until very stiff but not hard. Fold in sugar, flour, salt and vanilla. Pour carefully over dark part.<br />
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Bake at 300 degrees for ¾ hour.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yXgzQw8rNmk/T6fRnMKf1mI/AAAAAAAAAYQ/7L7JM2sOg90/s1600/donna-alward2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yXgzQw8rNmk/T6fRnMKf1mI/AAAAAAAAAYQ/7L7JM2sOg90/s400/donna-alward2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">More free recipes online at www.SusanMallery.com!</div>Susan Malleryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16098592863282168362noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324679649501377440.post-51789330637081632542012-04-23T06:51:00.003-07:002012-04-23T06:51:56.247-07:00Black Bean and Corn SaladI’m in a summer frame of mind, and it’s not hard to figure out why. My next Fool’s Gold romance novella, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007SNE0GC/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwsusanmalle-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=B007SNE0GC" target="_blank">ALMOST SUMMER</a>, will be released on May 1 wherever ebooks are sold. Then on May 29, <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=B5Atj6Og7Es&offerid=239662.9780373776832&type=2&subid=0" target="_blank">SUMMER DAYS</a> will be released in mass market paperback, ebook, and audio, followed by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/037377687X?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwsusanmalle-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=037377687X" target="_blank">SUMMER NIGHTS</a> and <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=B5Atj6Og7Es&offerid=239662.9780373776948&type=2&subid=0" target="_blank">ALL SUMMER LONG</a>.<br />
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To me, summertime equals salad time, especially salads that don’t require turning on the oven. I looked through my pantry. A can of corn was right next to a can of black beans, both staples in California-Mexican cuisine I grew up with. I’ve had some great Black Bean and Corn Salad at restaurants, and I remembered them tasting sweet-tart and fresh.<br />
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I looked up several recipes online. I had thought the tang in the recipe would come from vinegar, but I was surprised to discover that every recipe started with lime juice. I didn’t have any lime juice on hand. However, I did have some frozen limeade concentrate, because I had recently made a batch of Fool’s Gold Frozen Margaritas. (You know, the ones that Jo serves at Jo’s Bar in downtown <a href="http://foolsgoldca.susanmallery.com/" target="_blank" title="Fool's Gold by Susan Mallery">Fool’s Gold</a>… YUM! I’ll share that recipe one of these days) The limeade was sweet enough on its own that I didn’t need to add any sugar to the dressing. My salad turned out to be just as good as any of the restaurant salads I remembered.<br />
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<h2>
Recipe: Black Bean and Corn Salad</h2>
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed<br />
2 cans sweet corn, drained<br />
1 can minced green chilies (desired spiciness)<br />
4 oz Monterrey Jack cheese, cut into ¼-inch chunks<br />
1 small onion, chopped<br />
¼ C fresh cilantro, minced<br />
2 T frozen limeade concentrate, mixed with ¼ C water<br />
1/3 C olive oil<br />
1 T ground cumin<br />
1 clove garlic<br />
1/8 t Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce<br />
¼ t salt<br />
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Place the drained beans and corn in a bowl with the chilies, cheese, onions, and cilantro. Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the vegetable mixture. Stir to coat.<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">More free recipes online at www.SusanMallery.com!</div>Susan Malleryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16098592863282168362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324679649501377440.post-48706563364838628402012-04-09T04:27:00.000-07:002012-04-19T09:29:14.580-07:00Authors in Bloom Blog Hop - Cabbage Salad with Blackberry VinaigretteI'm thrilled to join in the Authors in Bloom Blog Hop, which is being coordinated by Tiffany of <a href="http://www.acozyreaderscorner.com/" target="_blank">A Cozy Reader's Corner Reviews</a>. Tiffany is one of the <a href="http://foolsgoldca.susanmallery.com/" title="Fool's Gold by Susan Mallery">Fool's Gold</a> Varsity Cheerleaders, and I'm so happy that she invited me to participate in this fun blog hop.<br />
<br />
<br />
Here's how it's going to work. The blog hop will run from April 9-April 18. Each participating author will share a recipe or a gardening tip and will <b><i>give away a prize</i></b>. I'm giving away a copy of ALREADY HOME, my 2011 women's fiction book. (My latest women's fiction novel is BAREFOOT SEASON, in stores now!) For a chance to win a signed copy of ALREADY HOME, join the Members Only section at <a href="http://www.susanmallery.com/" title="Bestselling author Susan Mallery">www.susanmallery.com</a>, then leave your email address in a comment here. Don't forget to leave your email address - that's how we'll be able to verify that you're a Member. This contest is open internationally.<br />
<br />
<h2>April 19 update... <br /><br />
And the winner is....</h2>jpart2121@aol.com - check your email for a message from my assistant! Congratulations!<br />
<br />
You can also collect a brief phrase at each blog, the put them together for a chance to win the grand prize, a Kindle Fire or a NOOK - winner's choice! Here's my secret phrase...<br />
<br />
Line 47: Odd to compare girls to flowers.<br />
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<center><a href="http://s1030.photobucket.com/albums/y367/acozyreaderscorner/?action=view&current=AIB-BlogTourButton-001.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1030.photobucket.com/albums/y367/acozyreaderscorner/AIB-BlogTourButton-001.jpg" /></a></center><br />
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<h2>Recipe: Cabbage Salad with Blackberry Vinaigrette</h2><ul><li> ½ head of cabbage, sliced thin or shredded</li>
<li>4 green onions, sliced thin</li>
<li>1 stalk of celery, sliced thin</li>
<li>¼ C walnut pieces</li>
<li>½ C blackberry vinaigrette (Recipe at <b><a href="http://blackberryisland.susanmallery.com/recipes.html" target="_blank" title="Blackberry Recipes">BlackberryIsland.com/recipes.html</a></b>)</li>
<li>Variation: 1 C cooked turkey or chicken, chopped</li>
</ul>Toss all ingredients. Makes 4-6 side salads or 2 main dish salads.<br />
<br />
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</script><div class="blogger-post-footer">More free recipes online at www.SusanMallery.com!</div>Susan Malleryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16098592863282168362noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324679649501377440.post-27192998944386826652012-04-02T05:30:00.000-07:002012-04-02T05:30:03.859-07:00The Best Chicken Noodle Soup Ever from Christine RimmerToday, I'd like to welcome my good friend <a href="http://www.christinerimmer.com/" target="_blank">Christine Rimmer</a>, who is one of my favorite Special Edition authors - and one of my favorite people! Christine's latest book is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0373656629/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwsusanmalle-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0373656629">THE PRINCE'S SECRET BABY</a>. The title makes me all quivery because I adore a royalty story, and I adore a secret baby story. This book has both, told in the heart-tugging, emotional way that only Christine Rimmer can tell it.<br />
<br />
Christine is going to share her recipe for the Best Chicken Noodle Soup Ever, but first...<br />
<h2>
Three Random Questions for Christine Rimmer</h2>
<b>What is one thing you love about yourself?</b><br />
My vivid imagination. Luckily, I became a writer. I could have gotten into all kinds of trouble otherwise.<br />
<br />
<b>Besides the grocery store, where do you shop most often?</b><br />
I love the farmer's markets we have all over my new hometown of Portland, Oregon. You never know what you might find there. The best goat cheese you ever tasted, a terrific homemade hummus. The possibilities are endless. I also like our local natural foods chain, New Seasons Market. New Seasons has a great deli. And they make an effort to provide quality local organic meats and produce. And some really good, reasonably price wines, as well.<br />
<br />
<b></b><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0373656629/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwsusanmalle-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0373656629" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zpC685UCjGQ/T1-OcuvVxII/AAAAAAAAAWk/ug-VbagMwHI/s400/christine-rimmer2.jpg" width="150" /></a><b></b></div>
<b>
In <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0373656629/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwsusanmalle-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0373656629">THE PRINCE'S SECRET BABY</a>, Prince Rule Bravo-Calabretti visits Dallas to meet the mother of his toddler son. How did Sydney become his baby’s mother if she’s never met Rule before?</b><br />
I love this question. But I'm not going to answer it. Because I think it's better for readers to discover the answer in the book. To tell would definitely be spoilerish. But I promise, there is a valid reason that she has his baby without knowing that he is her child's father--and Rule's decision to hide the truth eventually gets him into some seriously hot water with Sydney.<br />
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<h2>
Recipe: Best Chicken Noodle Soup Ever</h2>
I know, I know. We all think of chicken soup as a winter thing. But I like it in April, too. I like it year-round. Especially this recipe. It essentially takes two days—because you have to make the broth first and then cool it to skim off the fat. But it really is a simple process. And it is soooo good. Enjoy!<br />
--Christine Rimmer , <a href="http://www.christinerimmer.com/">www.ChristineRimmer.com</a> <br />
<br />
2 Tbsp olive oil<br />
2 medium onions, chopped <br />
4 medium carrots sliced into quarter-inch rounds<br />
3 celery stalks, CUT into quarter-inch slices<br />
1 (5 ½ to 7-pound) chicken<br />
2 quarts chicken broth<br />
Up to 1 quart cold water<br />
1 bay leaf<br />
4 sprigs fresh thyme or ½ tsp dried thyme<br />
5 sprigs fresh parsley<br />
Salt and pepper to taste<br />
2 cups egg noodles<br />
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish<br />
<br />
Cut the chicken into 8 pieces. (Yes, you can buy an already cut-up chicken. Just be sure it still has bones and skin and don’t cut off any extra fat. The fat adds flavor and then you skim it away later.) And of course, always be careful to wash hands, cutting tools and surfaces thoroughly after handling poultry.<br />
<br />
Heat the oil over medium heat in a stockpot. Add onions, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring often, until soft, approximately 10 minutes.<br />
<br />
Add the chicken pieces to the sautéed veggies and pour in the broth. Add enough cold water to cover veggies and chicken by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat and skim off the foam that rises to the surface. Add the parsley, thyme and bay leaf (You will remove these later, so if you tie them together or bag them in culinary cheesecloth, removal is easier).
Reduce heat to low and simmer until the chicken is very tender, about 2 hours. (I put the lid on for this. My mother always simmered the soup uncovered. Your choice).<br />
<br />
Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove and discard parsley, bay leaf and thyme. Degrease the soup. (If you don’t mind skimming it hot, that’s fine—or if you have one of those fat-separating cups, even better. I like to chill the broth and the chicken overnight and then put the broth in the freezer for a few hours the next morning. The fat is thick and floating by then and easy to spoon off.)<br />
<br />
Discard the chicken skin and bones and cut the meat into bite-sized pieces. Add the noodles and cook according to instructions on the noodle package (3-10 minutes). Stir the chicken back into the soup, add salt and pepper to taste, serve hot.<br />
<br />
The soup will be good refrigerated for four days or so. You can freeze it for up to three months. Makes 12-15 servings<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d_ml3GITpyc/T1-PFSEZHgI/AAAAAAAAAWs/wQ4GzAI-ABY/s1600/christine-rimmer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d_ml3GITpyc/T1-PFSEZHgI/AAAAAAAAAWs/wQ4GzAI-ABY/s400/christine-rimmer.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">More free recipes online at www.SusanMallery.com!</div>Susan Malleryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16098592863282168362noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324679649501377440.post-76889597824692634742012-03-31T04:30:00.000-07:002012-03-31T04:30:00.254-07:00Honey-Wasabi Glazed Salmon or Honey-Mustard Glazed SalmonMy latest book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0778313387?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwsusanmalle-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=0778313387">BAREFOOT SEASON</a>, was released this week. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0778313387?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwsusanmalle-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=0778313387">BAREFOOT SEASON</a> is set on Blackberry Island, Washington. As on all islands I’ve ever visited, seafood is a staple on Blackberry Island. I live in Seattle, so seafood is pretty big in my world, too.<br />
<br />
One of the things I love about seafood is how fast it cooks. This honey-wasabi glazed salmon is a terrific weeknight meal for busy people. If you can’t find prepared wasabi sauce, or it’s too spicy for you, you can substitute your favorite mustard. From start to finish, it takes about half an hour to get dinner on the table. Tastes great with a light, summery white wine.<br />
<br />
Be sure to visit <a href="http://blackberryisland.susanmallery.com/" title="Blackberry Island by Susan Mallery">www.blackberryisland.com</a> to read Chapter 1 of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0778313387?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwsusanmalle-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=0778313387">BAREFOOT SEASON</a> and to get some fabulous blackberry recipes! If you love salmon as much as I do, try the Blackberry Chipotle Sauce as a glaze for salmon. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m thinking it will be incredible. It’s next on my list!<br />
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<h2>
Recipe: Honey-Wasabi Glazed Salmon or Honey-Mustard Glazed Salmon</h2>
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½ C honey<br />
2 T prepared Wasabi sauce or spicy mustard<br />
2T soy sauce<br />
1 clove garlic, minced<br />
½ t fresh ginger, minced<br />
4 salmon fillets, ½ pound each<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 375. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Warm the honey in the microwave for 10 second increments until it’s runny enough to stir in the other ingredients.<br />
<br />
Place the salmon skin-side down on the aluminum foil. Spoon the glaze over the salmon pieces. Bake about 20 minutes, until fish flakes easily with a fork, brushing with glaze every five minutes.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_RbcImB0raM/T3YvQFvTluI/AAAAAAAAAXc/xtFt38YnMZ0/s1600/honey-wasabi-salmon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_RbcImB0raM/T3YvQFvTluI/AAAAAAAAAXc/xtFt38YnMZ0/s400/honey-wasabi-salmon.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">More free recipes online at www.SusanMallery.com!</div>Susan Malleryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16098592863282168362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324679649501377440.post-39736783708318062262012-03-22T05:30:00.000-07:002012-03-22T05:30:03.692-07:00RaeAnne Thayne's Cranberry White Chocolate Chip CookiesWelcome, guest author RaeAnne Thayne! RaeAnne is the USA Today bestselling author of more than 40 romance novels, including her latest, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0373776373/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwsusanmalle-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0373776373">WOODROSE MOUNTAIN</a>, the second book of the Hope's Crossing series. <br />
<br />
<h2>
Three Random Questions for RaeAnne Thayne</h2>
<b>You worked at your local newspaper after getting your journalism degree. What’s the most interesting story you ever covered?</b><br />
<br />
Tough question! I wrote hundreds of stories and can only remember a handful, alas. That part of my life seems like another world, since I’ve been writing fiction full-time for nearly fifteen years! One that has stuck with me was a story I did on how effective music therapy can for people with dementia. I observed a woman who was basically non-responsive most of the time but when her family would hand her a violin, she would play this gorgeous, heartbreaking music. She couldn’t remember her husband of more than forty years but Bach and Mozart somehow seeped out of her subconscious. <br />
<br />
<b>What kinds of activities were you involved in when you were in high school?</b><br />
<br />
I was very involved in drama and debate in high school. We had a great program at my high school and actually had an off-campus repertory-type theater, where we put on a different play every month of the school year and a couple in the summer. It was a great experience and taught me so many skills I find myself using today as a novelist, like dialogue and character blocking. I intended to be a drama teacher until my junior year, when I was ended up on the school newspaper staff and decided this was where I belonged. Little known fact about me, I was also the scorer for our high school baseball team and traveled with the team. My first actual professional newspaper job was as a part-time sports writer while I was still in college.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0373776373/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwsusanmalle-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0373776373" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uXnhuaUrBhI/T1V7wRPM_II/AAAAAAAAAWI/YkkP4B9ZXa4/s1600/raeanne-thayne2.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>In <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0373776373/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwsusanmalle-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0373776373">WOODROSE MOUNTAIN</a>, your heroine Evie Blanchard moves from Los Angeles to Hope’s Crossing in search of a more peaceful life. Is your town more like L.A. or Hope’s Crossing? How so?</b><br />
<br />
My town is very much like Hope’s Crossing, except we’re not really a tourist destination (though we should be!). I live in a gorgeous small town nestled in the mountains of northern Utah. We’ve lived in two different houses in this town and in our first home, we had a pasture next door. More than once, we would wake up to find the cows next door had broken through a fence and were wandering across our lawn. The main similarity between my town and Hope’s Crossing is the quiet pace and the inherent goodness of the people who live here. They might have the same weaknesses as everyone else, but most of my neighbors are genuinely kind people.<br />
<br />
<h2>
Recipe: Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies</h2>
1/2 cup butter, softened<br />
1/2 cup packed brown sugar<br />
1/2 cup white sugar<br />
1 egg<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla<br />
1 teaspoon almond extract (can omit and add one more teaspoon vanilla)<br />
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />
3/4 cup white chocolate chips<br />
1 cup dried cranberries<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or prepare with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown and white sugars until smooth. Beat in the egg, vanilla and almond extract. Combine the flour and baking soda in a separate bowl; stir into the sugar mixture. Mix in the white chocolate chips and cranberries. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Don’t overcook. Allow cookies to cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nQWwWThDOSY/T1V8F-b6S9I/AAAAAAAAAWQ/HuPUgJz8Hac/s1600/raeanne-thayne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nQWwWThDOSY/T1V8F-b6S9I/AAAAAAAAAWQ/HuPUgJz8Hac/s400/raeanne-thayne.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">More free recipes online at www.SusanMallery.com!</div>Susan Malleryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16098592863282168362noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324679649501377440.post-16660535230086917862012-03-17T10:30:00.001-07:002012-03-17T10:30:54.207-07:00Blackberry Chipotle Chicken Tacos and Other Blackberry RecipesOn March 27, my next book – <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0778313387/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwsusanmalle-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0778313387">BAREFOOT SEASON</a> – will be released. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0778313387/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwsusanmalle-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0778313387">BAREFOOT SEASON</a> is the first book of my <a href="http://blackberryisland.susanmallery.com/" title="Blackberry Island by Susan Mallery">Blackberry Island</a> series. Blackberry bushes are a good metaphor for the Blackberry Island stories. The Blackberry Island slogan is “Where Life Is Sweet” – and it is – but before you reach that sweetness, you might have to fight your way past a few thorns. That’s certainly true for my characters.<br />
<br />
Michelle and Carly grew up on Blackberry Island, as close as sisters, but their friendship was destroyed by betrayal. As young adults, just as the women began to reconnect, they both fell deeply, desperately in love with the same man. He proposed to Carly, then seduced Michelle. As <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0778313387/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwsusanmalle-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0778313387">BAREFOOT SEASON</a> <br />
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starts, Michelle returns to Blackberry Island for the first time since she betrayed her former friend. She has spent the past ten years serving in the Army, and she’s been battered physically and emotional by her last tour in Afghanistan. The women will have to fight their way past the thorns in their relationship to find the sweetness of friendship again – with the help of two terrific men and a dog who needs a second chance. (I do love a happy ending!)<br />
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Blackberries abound in the Seattle area. They’re considered a nuisance by some people because it’s hard to figure out what to do with the overabundance of fruit growing in your own back yard.<br />
<br />
So you know I had to come up with some delicious blackberry recipes! You’ll find the actual recipes – including printable versions of them – at <a href="http://blackberryisland.susanmallery.com/" title="Blackberry Island by Susan Mallery">www.blackberryisland.com</a>. While you’re there, read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0778313387/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwsusanmalle-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0778313387">BAREFOOT SEASON</a>, and put a note on your calendar for release day, March 27.<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://blackberryisland.susanmallery.com/recipes.html">blackberry recipes</a> include:<br />
<ul>
<li>Blackberry Chipotle Sauce </li>
<li>Oven-Baked Pork Chops with Blackberry Chipotle Sauce </li>
<li>Blackberry Chipotle Chicken Tacos </li>
<li>Quick & Easy Blackberry Cobbler </li>
<li>Make-Ahead Berry French Toast Casserole </li>
<li>Blackberry Mousse Parfaits </li>
<li>The Bramble Fizz (alcoholic drink) </li>
<li>Blackberry Vinaigrette
Cabbage Salad with Blackberry Vinaigrette </li>
<li>Cinnamon Pita Chips with Walnut-Blackberry Dip </li>
<li>Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Blackberry Relish </li>
</ul>
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<ul>
</ul><div class="blogger-post-footer">More free recipes online at www.SusanMallery.com!</div>Susan Malleryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16098592863282168362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324679649501377440.post-32937996900241389652012-03-15T06:30:00.000-07:002012-03-15T06:30:00.756-07:00Guest Author Christine MerrillI'd like to welcome <a href="http://www.christine-merrill.com/">author Christine Merrill</a> to the blog today! <pauses applause="" for=""> Christine is the author of the fabulous <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.amazon.com/Folbrokes-Delicious-Deception-Harlequin-Historical/dp/0373296819/">LADY FOLBROKE'S DELICIOUS DECEPTION</a>, which is the first book of the Ladies in Disgrace series from Harlequin Historical. Don't you just love that title? And "Ladies in Disgrace" is such a fun, intriguing name for the series.</pauses><br />
<br />
Christine has a recipe to share with us, but first...<br />
<h2>
Three Random Questions for Christine Merrill</h2>
<b>With two teenage sons and a husband at home, is it hard for you to find recipes that everyone will like? Or are the men in your house more of the "eat whatever's in front of them" variety?</b><br />
<br />
The town boys have grown and flown the coop. As of this year, I we are officially empty nesters, which is weird. They are in college forty five minutes away, so we see them often.<br />
<br />
But while they were here, they would eat almost anything put in front of them. The younger son had a difficult childhood, where he would only eat white things. And he still loves potatoes, rice, and cheese. But I taught him to cook as soon as he was old enough to see over the counter, and we watched a lot of Food Network and Cooking Channel. Alton Brown is great for boys, since he gets into the science of cooking.<br />
<br />
And when puberty hit, Giada De Laurentiis and her low cut tops made both sons into foodies.<br />
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Generally, all three men of the family have been taught that the first one to complain is going to get stuck cooking. When I go wrong, like the time I made a Christmas goose that looked (and probably tasted) like a burned pterodactyl, everyone suffers in silence. Because, although they have kitchen skills, they are lazy.<br />
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<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Folbrokes-Delicious-Deception-Harlequin-Historical/dp/0373296819/"><img align="right" border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ifP8GLZfZ5c/TxC-zFm6TtI/AAAAAAAAAUo/ptMpqC9liT8/s320/christine-merrill.jpg" width="201" /></a>
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<b>St. Patrick's Day is coming up. Any Irish in you? Does your family celebrate St. Patrick's Day by doing anything special?</b><br />
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Not a drop. My relatives are a mix of Polish and German and maiden name is long and unpronounceable. But St Patrick’s Day is my mother’s birthday, and we used to spend it listening to her complain that there was nothing in the restaurants to eat but corned beef and cabbage.<br />
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I didn’t discover the corned beef brisket until after I was married. It’s delicious. And since you don’t have to do anything but add vegetables and boil it, it’s my kind of recipe. I make one every year for St Patrick’s Day, while listening to the Drop Kick Murphys.<br />
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<b>Your latest book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Folbrokes-Delicious-Deception-Harlequin-Historical/dp/0373296819/">LADY FOLBROKE'S DELICIOUS DECEPTION</a>, is book 1 of the "Ladies in Disgrace" series of Regency romances. I can't tell you how much I love that series name. Ladies in Disgrace. It makes me feel all quivery with glee. How did you come up with the idea, and in what way is each of your three heroines disgraced?</b><br />
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I have to thank my editor for the trilogy name. She came up with it, and the book titles, since I didn’t realize I was writing a trilogy until after I had finished.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lady-Drusillas-Road-Harlequin-Historical/dp/0373296851/"><img align="left" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iGm1vODKETg/TxC_MTflAdI/AAAAAAAAAUw/fvOckogbJjo/s1600/christine-merrill2.jpg" /></a>I am not much for long term planning. But things seem to work out in the end. I went from story to story, and they all connected.<br />
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In the first book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Folbrokes-Delicious-Deception-Harlequin-Historical/dp/0373296819/">LADY FOLBROKE'S DELICIOUS DECEPTION</a>, Emily’s husband. Adrian, has gone blind and doesn’t want anyone to know. So he’s abandoned her and is drinking himself to death in London. She tracks him down and has a torrid affair with him, even though he doesn’t recognize her.<br />
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The second book is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lady-Drusillas-Road-Harlequin-Historical/dp/0373296851/">LADY DRUSILLA’S ROAD TO RUIN</a>. Dru is taking the mail coach to Scotland to stop her sister’s elopement. She’s traveling without a chaperone, and ends up hiring John, a character from the first book, who is heartbroken that Emily went back to her husband. They spend a lot of time alone, and of course, one thing leads to another...<br />
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The third book is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Priscillas-Shameful-Secret-Harlequin-Historical/dp/0373296894/">LADY PRISCILLA’S SHAMEFUL SECRET</a>, and is about Dru’s sister, who has ruined herself by eloping with a dancing master. Robert falls for Priss and courts her despite her reputation and the fact that she wants nothing to do with men, ever again.<br />
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<h2>
Recipe: Christine Merrill's Posole</h2>
Hi, everybody! And, thanks for having me, Susan.<br />
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My first response, on hearing that I could guest on a food blog was to laugh, since people rarely come to my house for the cooking. I tend to prefer my recipes filling, spicy and with minimal preparation and will double and triple the recipe to avoid cooking again the next day. My crock pot is my best friend. But I will throw her over in a heartbeat if anyone suggests we eat out.<br />
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But for you, I will cook. And it will not be a St Patrick’s Day corned beef. “Throw a brisket in a pot with water and vegetables” is kind of short for a blog entry. <br />
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Instead, let me tell you about Posole. <br />
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I am from Wisconsin, and had lived 50 years in ignorance of this wonderfully easy stew. Probably because there is no cheese in it. My ancestors were German and Polish, and judging by the family recipes, they came from a region that invented cream of mushroom soup. My mother viewed all ethnic food with suspicion. If a food had to be seasoned, she encouraged me to use paprika because it ‘had no flavor’.<br />
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But last year I was looking for some sort of food appropriate to celebrate Halloween that wasn’t chocolate. Google lead me to Day of the Dead which led me to Mexican food, and a delicious stew that seems to have even more versions than its name has variant spellings (pozolé, pozolli, posole). This is my recipe, if you can call a loose collection of inaccurately measured ingredients a recipe. <br />
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All ingredients can be adjusted, for personal taste and availability. But you must have meat, hominy and green chilies.<br />
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Two pounds of meat.<br />
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Chicken or Pork. For the picture, I used pork, since recipes involving chicken all seemed to have the word “shred.” This was an extra step I was unwilling to take, even with a camera present. I got pork stew meat, already cut up.<br />
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One or two onions, chopped. <br />
Garlic: approximately 4 cloves. <br />
Salt, pepper and about 2 tsp of oregano and ½ tsp of cayenne pepper. <br />
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Put a little oil in the bottom of a Dutch oven or large kettle, and throw everything in to sauté. When the meat has browned, add:<br />
Chicken broth<br />
Diced canned green chilies.<br />
One large can of hominy (aka white corn).<br />
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My proportion on this is usually one small can of chilies for every box of chicken broth, but an extra can of chilies wouldn’t hurt.<br />
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Add a bay leaf and ¼ cup of chopped cilantro. <br />
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People who hate cilantro are now complaining that I am trying to poison their food. They can add come coriander instead. Or maybe some cumin. Or all of the above. You can put some tomatoes in there, I suppose, if you like tomatoes (I don’t). Or use canned enchilada sauce to replace the chilies. Unlike my mother, I like spices, and am wide open to experimentation in the kitchen.<br />
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Leave it simmer, until you are tired of simmering it. An hour or so. Or dump it all in a crock pot and leave it all day. Either way will work.<br />
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Serve it in a bowl, garnished with chopped things to throw into it:<br />
Radishes<br />
Lettuce or cabbage<br />
Cilantro<br />
Onion<br />
Lime wedges<br />
Avocado<br />
Jalapeño<br />
<br />
And starchy things to sop up the juice:<br />
Tortillas<br />
Rice<br />
Tostada shells<br />
Fried tortilla strips <br />
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Choose any or all of the above. At the end of the night throw the left over garnishes into the pot and stir it all together. It will taste just as good (or better) tomorrow.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z69aetlszro/T1vI2GW-CdI/AAAAAAAAAWY/gmMZT9i76jU/s1600/christine-merrill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="332" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z69aetlszro/T1vI2GW-CdI/AAAAAAAAAWY/gmMZT9i76jU/s400/christine-merrill.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">More free recipes online at www.SusanMallery.com!</div>Susan Malleryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16098592863282168362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324679649501377440.post-33022388783889615122012-03-02T04:02:00.001-08:002012-03-02T04:02:53.101-08:00Moroccan Eggs ala Sarah MayberryIf you love Harlequin Superromance as much as I do, you're in for a treat! Today's guest is author Sarah Mayberry, who writes passionate, sophisticated love stories that will absolutely carry you away. Sarah's latest book is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0373717652/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwsusanmalle-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0373717652">MORE THAN ONE NIGHT</a>.<br />
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<i><b>From bed to baby to…bliss?</b></i><br />
<i>A chance encounter. A steamy night together. That's all Rhys Walker signs on for when Charlotte "Charlie" Long sashays across his path. Sure, maybe he catches a glimpse of forever in her eyes. But the brush-off note the gorgeous brunette leaves the next morning says it all, doesn't it? Time to move on.</i><br />
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<i>Rhys never expects that moving on actually means reconnecting with Charlie. Or that her big news changes everything. Becoming a father now, under these circumstances, never factored into his plans. Yet he's not as upset as he thought. Because now he has the opportunity to explore that glimpse of forever…and turn it into reality.</i><br />
<h2>
Three Random Questions for Sarah Mayberry</h2>
<b>On your website, <a href="http://www.sarahmayberry.com/">www.sarahmayberry.com</a>, you mention having worked in television for the Australian drama Neighbours. How do you think that job made you a better storyteller? Have you ever used your background knowledge of the television industry in a book?</b><br />
Definitely working in TV has made me a better storyteller. The soap opera I worked on, Neighbours, is on five nights a week. Every week, we were plotting more than 100 scenes of (hopefully) emotional drama. Shaping ideas and seeing them executed taught me an enormous amount about story structure. I have used my "insider knowledge" as the background for my Blaze trilogy, Secret Lives of Daytime Divas (Take On Me, All Over You, Hot For Him). They were set on a soap opera in LA and were enormous fun to write.<br />
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<b>Cooking is one of your passions. Share a cooking-related memory from childhood.</b><br />
This is a negative cooking story. My mother (bless her!) was never fond of cooking so we grew up on meat and three vegetables. Invariably the vegetables were boiled until they were pastel colored and mushy. Horrible stuff. I had a whole coterie of tricks to avoid eating them. I think her indifference to food inspired a love of cooking in me. Whatever the reason, I love to cook for friends and family now. It's one of my favorite things.<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0373717652/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwsusanmalle-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0373717652" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hKIoMjm3bLk/T1C2fVofgDI/AAAAAAAAAWA/rrdpg286vMQ/s1600/sarah-mayberry2.jpg" /></a>
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<b>The heroine of your latest book for Super, MORE THAN ONE NIGHT, is just out of the military, in charge of her own destiny for the first time in her life, when she finds herself pregnant after one romantic night with a take-charge business executive. Sounds like a recipe for some head-on conflict. How does Charlie feel about her unexpected pregnancy, and how does Rhys feel when he first finds out that he’s about to become a father?</b><br />
Charlie is stunned to find out she's pregnant. It's not part of her life plan at all! But after initial shock and some soul searching, she decides she would be a good mother and she decides to keep the baby. Which means she needs to track down the father, a man she spent one wild, passionate night with, then left the following morning (for reasons which are explored in the book!). Rhys is a guy on the move. He's got a burgeoning IT company and he's just landed a huge contract - the sky's the limit. He has all these plans - and they come crashing down when Charlie turns up on his doorstep to tell him he's going to be a father, whether he planned for it or not. His first - very human - reaction, is to be angry. But then he warms to the idea - and, of course, to Charlie, who has haunted him since that one night they had together.<br />
<h2>
Recipe: Moroccan Eggs</h2>
Serves 2 - 3<br />
1 can brown lentils (400g/ 14oz)<br />
1 table spoon butter<br />
1 table spoon olive oil<br />
1 table spoon ground cumin <br />
sprinkle of smoked paprika<br />
6 eggs<br />
1 - 2 tomatoes, chopped<br />
Fresh coriander, chopped<br />
Salt and pepper to taste<br />
Bread of your choice, toasted<br />
<br />
Drain the lentils and rinse them, then spread them on a non-stick tray or baking paper and dry them in the oven for 10 minutes at 200 degrees. They need to be dry enough that they will absorb the spices and oil during the next step of cooking.<br />
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Melt the butter in a medium-sized frypan with the olive oil. Add the dried lentils and cumin. Fry for 1 - 2 minutes. Turn the heat down, then add all six eggs and sprinkle the chopped tomato over the top. Dust with smoked paprika and season with salt and pepper to your taste.<br />
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Place a lid on the frypan and monitor until eggs are cooked to consistency of your choice. Alternatively, place the frypan in the oven and do the same. Once the eggs are cooked, use a spatula to divide into portions and serve on buttered toast or grilled turkish bread. Garnish with a handful of coriander per serve.<br />
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You can vary the recipe by including roast garlic at the tomato stage, or try a squeeze of lemon juice before serving. The oven-dried lentils are deliciously crunchy after being fried. We have this for breakfast, lunch and dinner - basically, whenever the mood strikes.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r4LE66T0KiI/T1C1vO5_idI/AAAAAAAAAV4/KQun2W9r-3g/s1600/sarah-mayberry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r4LE66T0KiI/T1C1vO5_idI/AAAAAAAAAV4/KQun2W9r-3g/s400/sarah-mayberry.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">More free recipes online at www.SusanMallery.com!</div>Susan Malleryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16098592863282168362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324679649501377440.post-10991268217592189622012-02-18T17:30:00.000-08:002012-02-18T17:30:00.105-08:00English Trifle ala Susan MalleryI decided to make an English trifle. I’ve never made one before. I’m not sure I’ve ever eaten one before. But I decided to make one because someone gave me a trifle bowl and, well, it seemed like I should use it for its intended purpose.<br />
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I started looking at trifle recipes online. Seemed pretty simple. Ladyfingers, pudding, some sort of fruit, and sometimes wine, brandy, or rum. I could do that.<br />
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I couldn’t find any ladyfingers at the store. What are they? Cookies? Cake? I looked up a recipe on my phone for ladyfingers, and wow, they’re fussy. You’re supposed to separate the eggs, whip the yolks, whisk the whites until peaks form. Too much work, I decided, so I bought a pound cake and headed home.<br />
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I forgot to get vanilla pudding when I was at the store. Sigh. How much did I want to make this trifle? I really, really didn’t want to go out again. On a whim, I looked up the recipe for homemade vanilla. It looked easy enough. So easy, I was ashamed I’d never made pudding from scratch before. Certainly easier than going back to the store. I’d have to let it chill overnight and make the trifle tomorrow, I thought, but that was okay.<br />
<br />
Except the next day, my homemade vanilla pudding was the consistency of a melted milkshake. Now I can make instant pudding the rest of my life without shame. Back to the store, after all, whisked the instant pudding, and five minutes later, I was ready to put together this beautiful trifle. This recipe really is easy, as long as you get everything on your shopping list on the first trip.<br />
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Visit www.susanmallery.com/recipes.php for a printable PDF of this recipe and many more.<br />
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<h2>
Recipe: English Trifle ala Susan Mallery</h2>
1 pound cake, the size of a small loaf of bread<br />
½ C cherry-flavored brandy (red wine can be substituted)<br />
2 small boxes of vanilla pudding, prepared<br />
4-6 C fresh berries<br />
Whipped cream<br />
Cut the pound cake into 1-inch chunks. Put half in the bottom of a trifle bowl or any large bowl. Sprinkle with half of the brandy. Top with half the pudding, then half the fruit. Repeat the layers. Just before serving, top with whipped cream.<br />
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My next book, <a href="http://http//www.amazon.com/gp/product/0778313387?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwsusanmalle-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=0778313387">BAREFOOT SEASON</a>, will be out on March 27. Barefoot Season is the first book of my <a href="http://www.blackberryisland.com/" target="_blank" title="Blackberry Island by Susan Mallery">Blackberry Island series</a>. On every island, seafood is a staple because it’s so readily available. Even on the mainland, shrimp is a great weeknight dinner. First of all, it’s delicious. And second, it goes from raw to cooked in five minutes. (From raw to over-cooked in six… oops!) This recipe takes about twice that long because of prep time… a little longer than that, when you factor in the time it takes to boil the water for the pasta. From start to finish, less than 20 minutes, and it’s impressive enough for company.<br />
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Next time, I’m going to make the sauce as a marinade for the shrimp, then cook the shrimp on skewers. I’m going to serve it as an appetizer, without all the carbs from the pasta. I bet it would be delicious cold in a salad, too. Maybe spinach with actual chunks of citrus. See, the shrimp was so delicious that I’m already thinking about making it again!<br />
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<h2>
Recipe: Citrus Shrimp with Pasta</h2>
1 lb. shrimp, peeled and de-veined.
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½ C olive oil<br />
¼ C parmesan cheese<br />
¼ C pine nuts + 2 T, divided<br />
½ C fresh parsley, loosely packed<br />
Juice of one orange<br />
Juice of one lemon<br />
Zest of half the orange<br />
Zest of the lemon<br />
1 dried red pepper, or ½ t red pepper flakes<br />
½ t salt<br />
¼ t black pepper<br />
1 lb dried pasta (I used spaghetti)<br />
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Leave the shrimp in the refrigerator until just before you put it in the pan.<br />
<br />
Cook the pasta according to package directions. While it’s cooking, combine the olive oil, cheese, ¼ C of pine nuts, and the parsley through pepper in a food processor. Pulse several times, until combined. Heat a large, deep sauté pan over medium heat. Add the citrus sauce. Once it’s simmering, add the shrimp and simmer until it’s no longer translucent, about five minutes.<br />
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Drain the noodles. Toss with shrimp, sauce, and remaining pine nuts.<br />
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If you’re like me, you have a standard set of vegetables you turn to when it’s dinnertime. Green beans in a steam-fresh bag, a can of corn, a side salad… I’ve been stuck in a vegetable rut! The other day, I was at the grocery store, and my gaze landed on the zucchini and yellow squash. They beckoned to me. They’re just so colorful and pretty.<br />
<br />
Usually when I buy zucchini and squash, I sauté them with onions, tomatoes, and garlic. Delicious but, you know, rut. I wanted to do something different this time, something I hadn’t tried before.<br />
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Here’s what I came up with… probably not the healthiest vegetable option, since I sautéed them in peanut oil, but wow, they were delicious! And what the heck, I’ll go right back to my steam-fresh rut, so this breaded squash sauté can be a rare treat.<br />
<h2>
Recipe: Breaded Squash Sauté</h2>
2 zucchinis, cut into ¼-inch slices<br />
1 yellow squash, cut into ¼-inch slices<br />
½ C bread crumbs<br />
¼ C Parmesan cheese<br />
¼ t salt<br />
1/8 t pepper<br />
1 egg, beaten<br />
Peanut oil (a couple tablespoons at a time)<br />
<br />
Mix together the bread crumbs, cheese, salt and pepper. Heat some peanut oil in a large sauté pan. Dip the squash slices in the egg, then coat with bread crumbs. Sauté in the pan until browned on both sides, adding peanut oil as needed. Set aside and keep warm until all the slices are done.<br />
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Delish!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-10tBVGupGXk/Tx8BeGXLfuI/AAAAAAAAAVI/vNO7MQvjJps/s1600/breaded-squash.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-10tBVGupGXk/Tx8BeGXLfuI/AAAAAAAAAVI/vNO7MQvjJps/s400/breaded-squash.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">More free recipes online at www.SusanMallery.com!</div>Susan Malleryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16098592863282168362noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324679649501377440.post-9954562889410033092011-12-26T09:10:00.000-08:002011-12-28T08:21:09.447-08:00Make-Ahead Berry French Toast Casserole2012 is going to be a big year for me. In addition to putting out four brand new Fool’s Gold books plus one Fool’s Gold novella, I’m launching a new series set on fictional Blackberry Island, Washington. The first Blackberry Island novel will be BAREFOOT SEASON, which will be released on March 27. BAREFOOT SEASON is available for pre-order now. Here are a couple of places where you can pre-order it: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0778313387?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwsusanmalle-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=0778313387" target="_blank">Barefoot Season from Amazon</a> | <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=B5Atj6Og7Es&offerid=239662.9780778313380&type=2&subid=0" target="_blank">Barefoot Season from Barnes & Noble</a>.<br />
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As we speak, my webmaster is hard at work on <a target="_blank" href="http://www.blackberryisland.com" title="Susan Mallery Blackberry Island">www.blackberryisland.com</a>. The website will have a free excerpt of the book, the bookclub discussion guide, a map of the island, pictures, a little history of the island, and lots of delicious, original blackberry recipes. (You don’t want to miss my Blackberry Chipotle Sauce, which is shockingly delicious.)<br />
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I decided to use Christmas as an excuse to come up with one more delicious blackberry recipe, though this time I mixed it up a bit with other berries, as well. I prepared the casserole on Christmas Eve and put it in the fridge. On Christmas morning, I popped it in the oven, and it cooked while we had a relaxing cup of coffee and opened presents. I thought about waiting to share it but then realized that you might like to have the recipe for a late brunch on New Year’s Day.<br />
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<i>You'll find a printable version of this recipe at <a target="_blank" href="http://susanmallery.com/recipes.php" title="Free recipes from Susan Mallery">SusanMallery.com/recipes.php</a>.</i><br />
<br />
<h2>Recipe: Make-Ahead Berry French Toast Casserole</h2>
1 loaf of French bread<br />
8 eggs<br />
1 C buttermilk<br />
½ t cinnamon<br />
1 T sugar<br />
¼ t salt<br />
1 3-oz package of cream cheese<br />
1 16-oz bag of mixed berries, divided<br />
½ C corn syrup<br />
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Cut the French bread into 1-inch chunks and place in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs through salt. Pour over the French bread and toss to coat thoroughly. Spray a 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. Add half of the bread. Dot with half of the cream cheese and a quarter-cup of berries. Add the remaining bread and dot with the remaining cream cheese and a quarter-cup of berries. Refrigerate overnight.<br />
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Put the remaining berries and juices in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan with the corn syrup. Heat to a simmer, stirring constantly. Continue to simmer until the mixture is thickened. I did this the night before as well, so it only had to be warmed up in the morning.<br />
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the casserole for about 30 minutes, until browned on the top and firm in the center. Serve with syrup.<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">More free recipes online at www.SusanMallery.com!</div>Susan Malleryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16098592863282168362noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324679649501377440.post-31305736919969309852011-12-18T05:00:00.000-08:002011-12-18T05:00:06.547-08:00Mushroom Gravy over Slow Cooked Roast Beast... er, BeefDownload a free, printable version of this and many other recipes at <a href="http://www.susanmallery.com/recipes.php" title="Free recipes from Susan Mallery">www.susanmallery.com/recipes.php</a>!<br />
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I’ve made roast beef in the slow cooker before (<a href="http://susanmallery.com/recipes/slow-cooked-beef-garlic-wine.pdf">Slow Cooked Beef with Garlic and Red Wine</a>, <a href="http://susanmallery.com/recipes/slow-cooker-cheesy-beef.pdf">Slow Cooker Cheesy Beef</a>, and <a href="http://susanmallery.com/recipes/slow-cooker-java-roast.pdf">Slow Cooker Java Roast</a>, but this time, I decided to put the focus on the gravy. Could I come up with a delicious, hearty gravy using juices from the slow cooker? The answer is yes! And best of all, there are lots of chopped mushrooms in the gravy, which means you don’t have to worry about lumps. It’s supposed to be lumpy!<br />
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I decided to skip my usual step of searing the beef in a cast iron pan before putting it in the slow cooker. I wanted to see if it really made a difference. Honestly, I couldn’t tell the difference at all. Certainly not enough to warrant the extra dish washing. So there was no fussing at all in the pre-cooking stage, but because of the gravy, there was a slight amount of fussing afterward. I’d say it took 30 minutes from the time I removed the beef from the slow cooker until we were eating it – although that was partly because I needed to take a picture. And what a festive picture it is! You can see my Christmas tree in the background.<br />
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<h2>
Mushroom Gravy over Slow Cooked Roast Beef</h2>
1 4-pound roast beef<br />
1 can cream of mushroom soup<br />
1 envelope onion soup mix<br />
2 t Worcestershire sauce<br />
3 cloves garlic<br />
1 medium onion, sliced thick<br />
8 oz whole mushrooms<br />
Black pepper to taste<br />
2 T vegetable oil<br />
2 T flour<br />
<br />
Place the onion slices on the bottom of the slow cooker, and put the roast on top of them. Mix together the soup, soup mix, and Worcestershire sauce. Spread over the beef. Toss the mushrooms and garlic on top of everything. Sprinkle with fresh ground black pepper. Cover and cook on low heat for about 8 hours.<br />
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Remove the roast from the slow cooker and set aside. Remove the mushrooms to a cutting board and mince. Pour the liquid through a strainer. You’ll need 2 to 2 ½ cups of liquid. If you don’t have enough, supplement with water or beef broth.<br />
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In a small, heavy-bottomed sauce pan, heat the oil. Toss in the flour and stir to coat. In small increments, add 2 cups of beefy liquid, stirring well to break up the flour. Heat to a simmer, stirring frequently. Once the gravy is thickened, add the minced mushrooms. If the gravy is too thick, add more beefy liquid in small increments until the consistency is what you like. Serve with mashed potatoes.<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">More free recipes online at www.SusanMallery.com!</div>Susan Malleryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16098592863282168362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324679649501377440.post-46324996048092443432011-12-13T04:00:00.000-08:002011-12-13T06:29:33.037-08:00Cheaters Chicken Stroganoff from Laura Marie AltomWelcome to <a href="http://lauramariealtom.com/">Laura Marie Altom</a>, whose latest book is A BABY IN HIS STOCKING, a heartwarming Christmas romance. (How cute is that cover and title?!) In a moment, Laura Marie is going to share an incredibly heartwarming Christmas story from her own life. Seriously, it's going to melt your heart. But first, here's a little bit about A BABY IN HIS STOCKING:
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<blockquote>
Wyatt Buckhorn is only a pal. If sharing scorching kisses that leave a woman feeble-brained means they're pals! But that's all the oilman-slash-rancher can be to Natalie Lewis. Five months pregnant and jilted, Natalie refuses to trust any man, least of all a man who is the definition of playboy. Throw in that every run-in turns into a fiery encounter, and "just friends" gets complicated. Which is a shame, because Natalie's life is messy enough.<br />
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Besides, she knows Wyatt's secret--he's sterile, and so enforces a strict kid-free rule. But when circumstances have them caring for a whole clan of Buckhorn youngsters over the holidays, Natalie sees a side of Wyatt that's definitely kid-friendly. Weakening defenses, and even weaker knees, have Natalie determined to destroy Wyatt's anti-family policy . . . before he leaves town for good. </blockquote>
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<h2>
A Chat with Laura Marie Altom</h2>
<b>Share a special holiday memory with us.</b>
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When our boy/girl twins were high school freshmen, our son asked if a friend could stay with us for two weeks. His mother had just been evicted and he had nowhere to go. Of course, we welcomed him into our home. He was skinny and literally had nothing except the clothes on his back and a few extra, threadbare shirts. Two weeks flew by and Russell grew more at ease in our home. When the time came for his mother to get him, he became sullen. Only she didn't come.<br />
<br />
Months passed and she still hadn't picked up her child. By this time, I was mad. How could a mother do this to her kid? My husband and I called a family meeting and had a talk with our twins about how they wanted to proceed. Would they be okay with us claiming Russell as our own? They agreed and we hired a family law attorney. Russell's mother finally made an appearance--in court. With a simple signature, Russell officially became our son.<br />
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We wanted that year's Christmas to be extra special. What could we possibly give Russell to show him how much he'd grown to mean to us, and how permanent his new home was? We decided to give him a kitten, but that was easier said than done! You would think in a town the size of Tulsa, Christmas kittens are easy to find--wrong! LOL!! Hubby and I drove for an entire day to pick just the right kitty.<br />
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For two days, our dogs pitching a fit, we hid the kitten in the master bedroom. Keeping the secret was so much fun, and when it came time for Russell to be given the coveted last gift of Christmas morning, we placed Foxy in his arms. That was such a special year. We take for granted how blessed we are to have the basics, but seeing our lives through Russell's eyes, everything felt new.<br />
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Russell and our twins are now college sophomores. Like any family, we've had our share of emotional ups and downs. With Christmas 2011 fast approaching, I'm excited to put all of the year's worries aside to instead focus on what's truly important--family.<br />
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These are pics of Foxy then and 23lb Foxy now!! She dwarfs our Yorkie, Daisy!!<br />
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<b>If you were to win an all-expenses paid vacation, where would you like to go?</b><br />
Bora Bora!!! I have a serious thing for palm trees, and that crazy aqua-colored water you only see in the tropics. My idea of the perfect day would be exploring some isolated cove, snorkling and lounging and maybe picking up a few shells. If a hunky waiter wanted to bring fancy umbrella drinks, that would be great, too!!<br />
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<b>Your parents sent you to a dude ranch when you were a kid. Did that experience inspire your Buckhorns series?</b><br />
Hmm, wish I had some great romantic tie-in, but nope, the Buckhorn Ranch is WAY ritzier than the place I stayed!! LOL!! I do have magical memories, though. Learning to barrel race, escaping our cabin in the middle of the night to stare up at the stars, jumping into the pool on sweltering Oklahoma summer afternoons. Dude ranch was the best!!
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<h2>
Cheaters Chicken Stroganoff</h2>
Since Hubby's an engineer and works a traditional nine-to-five day, I always feel a little guilty for living the writer's lifestyle of lounging in my PJs all day. Sure, I might be typing away, but still, I know I've got it pretty good!! LOL!! As such, I pretty much always have dinner ready for when Hubby gets home. We've been married 22 years, so I guess he likes my cooking!<br />
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I loathe following recipes--it's way more fun to just play, so this is my much easier take on a traditional beef stroganoff that usually gets me nice, clean plates. To my way of thinking, that's the best compliment my family can give!!<br />
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That said, here are there ingredients. Feel free to add more or less of everything. For me, it's all about personalizing it for your family's tastes.<br />
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• Three or four skinless, boneless chicken breasts split and diced into bite-sized cubes
• One diced medium sweet onion
• 1/3 of a stick of butter.
• Salt to taste<br />
<br />
Melt butter in a generous skillet, then saute chicken and onion until chicken is cooked. Sprinkle salt over all a few times while stirring.<br />
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• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 small can of mushrooms or 1 cup fresh (If using fresh, saute them with the chicken and onions.)<br />
<br />
When chicken is cooked, add remaining ingredients and stir. Now's the time to get out your tasting spoon. You might want to add more wine or salt. <br />
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I usually pair this with a fresh veggie, or as in the picture, a light spinach side salad. A nice glass of wine is always yummy!! Hope you enjoy!!
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<b>Did Laura Marie's adoption story touch your heart? Be sure to post a comment here to let her know. And don't forget to buy A BABY IN HIS STOCKING!</b><div class="blogger-post-footer">More free recipes online at www.SusanMallery.com!</div>Susan Malleryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16098592863282168362noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324679649501377440.post-44501530564068014682011-12-07T05:54:00.000-08:002011-12-07T05:54:09.995-08:00Mac and Cheese ala Marin Thomas Plus Contest!I'm delighted to welcome Harlequin American Romance author <a href="http://www.marinthomas.com/" target="_blank">Marin Thomas</a>. Marin's latest book, A RODEO MAN'S PROMISE, is available now. Marin will choose a random commenter today to win a free copy of A RODEO MAN'S PROMISE (US and Canada only). Be sure to post a comment, and then check back tomorrow morning to see if you've won. She will post the winner's name in a comment, along with her email address so you can claim your prize.<br />
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Buy from Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rodeo-Mans-Promise-Marin-Thomas/dp/0373753861/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1309137547&sr=8-1">A RODEO MAN'S PROMISE</a><br />
<blockquote>
<b>Hot, Young Cowboy...</b><br />
Winning dominated Riley Fitzgerald’s mind...until the day he met Maria Alvarez. Now, all the rodeo champ can think about is winning Maria’s heart--a task that may be tougher than busting broncs. <br />
<b>Beautiful, Older Teacher...</b><br />
As a struggling teacher of at-risk teens in an impoverished, gang-infested neighborhood, Maria doesn’t trust the affections of a rich, hot-shot cowboy, especially one who’s ten years her junior. But she can’t deny the attraction between them--and luckily, Riley’s never been one to back down from a challenge. <br />
<b>Is She Out Of Her Mind?</b><br />
There’s only one thing that’s more important to Riley than earning another world title, and that’s earning Maria’s trust. He’s got one chance to prove to Maria that he’s all the man she’ll ever need, and she’s the only woman he’ll ever want.</blockquote>
<h2>
Three Random Questions for Author Marin Thomas</h2>
<b>Susan: You’ve lived in a lot of different places and recently moved again. What’s the hardest adjustment for you to make when you move to a new state, a new town, a new home?</b><br />
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Marin: New State…Adjusting to a change in political climate…whether it's a red state or blue state every aspect of our lives is affected by the predominant political party of the state we live in….school districts, social programs, taxes, TV news coverage and general laws specific to that state.<br />
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New Town…Finding new doctors and dentists.<br />
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New Home…Starting from scratch creating that "homey" feel. I hate having to prioritize my wish list of home repairs and makeovers…I want everything done now!<br />
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<b>Susan: What’s a non-writing accomplishment that makes you proud?</b><br />
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Marin: My Academic-All American status when I played basketball at the University of Arizona in Tucson.<br />
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<b>Susan: You write wonderful cowboy heroes, including this month’s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rodeo-Mans-Promise-Marin-Thomas/dp/0373753861/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1309137547&sr=8-1">A RODEO MAN'S PROMISE</a>. What’s something interesting that happened to you in real life while learning about cowboys and rodeos?</b><br />
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I attended my first rodeo at age 16 in Colorado. I was wowed by the good looking, larger-than-life cowboys strutting their stuff around the arena. My uncle knew the father of one of the bull riders so he took me down to the cowboy-ready area and introduced me to the bull rider. The cowboy grinned, flashing his missing front teeth then dug around in his gear bag until he found his dental bridge. He stuck it in his mouth and said, "There, now I can talk." That took all the romance out of my cowboy fantasies. When I began writing rodeo stories I decided then and there that my cowboy heroes would not be missing any of their pearly whites!<br />
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<h2>
Marin Thomas's Mac and Cheese</h2>
1 (12 oz) container cottage cheese<br />
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream<br />
4 cups cooked elbow macaroni<br />
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (Sharp or Mild)<br />
½ cup 2% Milk<br />
1 green onion, chopped<br />
½ Teaspoon pepper<br />
½ Teaspoon salt<br />
1 Egg <br />
<i>Topping</i><br />
½ cup Breadcrumbs <br />
¼ teaspoon paprika<br />
<br />
Mix cottage cheese and sour cream in blender until smooth. Combine all ingredients with the noodles and pour into greased baking dish. Mix bread crumbs and paprika, sprinkle on top of casserole then coat top of dish with cooking spray. Cover and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 more minutes. Makes 8 servings.<br />
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<i>Variations:</i> You can use low-fat dairy products in this recipe and it tastes just as good. For a heartier “crunch” use homemade croutons instead of the bread crumbs. Lightly toast croutons in butter and garlic salt spread over casserole and sprinkle with paprika. My husband loves the flavor of crisply browned croutons as you can see in the photo.<br />
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I don’t bake very often. I don’t have the patience for it, or the time, and I’ve come to accept that carbs are evil. A dark, seductive evil. Resisting takes superhuman willpower.
But it’s Christmas season, and my husband loves baked goods. So I decided to indulge his sweet tooth while indulging my love for sentimental holiday TV movies – I baked him these delicious little mini-muffins while Debbie Macomber’s Trading Christmas played on the TV. It was the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit!<br />
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A friend once made us a loaf of Cranberry-Orange Nut Bread. She would have given me the recipe, I’m sure, but making bread from scratch just seems so complicated. The movie was only two hours long – I didn’t have time to make bread from scratch. So I came up with a quick and easy alternative, using boxed cake mix, and I’m happy to say that they are truly delicious!<br />
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These Cranberry-Orange Mini-Muffins would be a great addition to any Christmas potluck, and I think they would look lovely on a plate of Christmas cookies, if you’re the kind of person who brings plates of cookies to the neighbors. (I’m not, so if any of my neighbors are reading this, don’t get your hopes up!)<br />
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<h2>
Recipe: Quick and Easy Cranberry-Orange Mini-Muffins</h2>
1 box Duncan Hines classic white cake mix (18.25 oz)<br />
3 large egg whites
Juice of 2 oranges, plus enough water to equal 1 1/3 cups<br />
2 T vegetable oil<br />
Zest of one orange<br />
1 C fresh cranberries, chopped<br />
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Blend all ingredients except cranberries on low speed until moistened, then beat at medium speed for two minutes. Fold in chopped cranberries. Put into muffin tins lined with paper and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. I made mini-muffins, and they took about 20 minutes, but you should start checking at 15 minutes. If you make regular size or jumbo muffins, they’ll need more time.<br />
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Frost with orange-cream cheese frosting. (I bought a can of cream cheese frosting and added the zest of one orange to it.)<br />
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<h2>
Recipe: Snap Pea Cheese Canoes</h2>
8 oz snap peas<br />
4 oz cream cheese, room temperature<br />
1 green onion with top, cut into one-inch chunks<br />
2 T minced chives<br />
½ t garlic salt<br />
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Heat a quart of water to boiling. Add the snap peas and blanch for one minute. Drain, then put in ice water for one minute, then drain again. Carefully cut a slit into the straight side of each snap pea, then set aside.<br />
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Put the remaining ingredients into a food processor and pulse until smooth.<br />
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Put the cheese mixture into a Ziploc bag and cut a small triangle off the corner of the bag. With one hand, hold a snap pea so that the slit opens, then fill with the cheese mixture.<br />
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Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!<div class="blogger-post-footer">More free recipes online at www.SusanMallery.com!</div>Susan Malleryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16098592863282168362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324679649501377440.post-12939132231479624342011-10-22T10:30:00.000-07:002011-10-26T15:38:37.716-07:00Cheesy Cilantro RiceMy latest book, ONLY HIS, is at #11 on the New York Times bestsellers list for mass market paperbacks and at #34 on the USA Today bestsellers list tracking all books! This is my best third-week showing ever, and came on the heels of my best debut ever (#3) and my best second week ever (#8). And in the same month that Cosmopolitan Magazine published an excerpt of the first book of the trilogy, ONLY MINE. Such a thrill! Thank you to everyone who rushed out to read the romances of the Hendrix triplets of Fool’s Gold! If you haven’t picked up ONLY HIS yet, click here to read an excerpt: <a href="http://susanmallery.com/excerpt_october2011.php" target="_blank" title="Only His by Susan Mallery">ONLY HIS</a>.<br />
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And now… back to the kitchen! I haven’t done many rice recipes on this blog, so I decided now was as good a time as any. I wanted to come up with a different spin on rice. My first thought was cheesy rice. Almost everyone loves cheese! The Cheesy Cilantro Rice is a delicious side dish, especially good when accompanying a Mexican dish.<br />
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<h2>
Recipe: Cheesy Cilantro Rice</h2>
2 C uncooked rice<br />
4 C water<br />
1 C fresh cilantro, minced<br />
1C sour cream<br />
4 oz Monterrey jack cheese, cut into ¼-inch chunks<br />
1 small can diced green chilis<br />
½ t salt<br />
<br />
Put the rice, water, and cilantro in a heavy-bottomed pan and heat to boiling. For sticky rice, stir a couple of times as it’s heating to release the starches. Once the rice boils, cover the pan and lower the heat. Simmer over low heat for 20-25 minutes, until the rice is done. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.<br />
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Mix the cooked rice and remaining ingredients and put in a casserole dish. Cover and bake at 325 for 30 minutes, until heated through.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kPs72F73TpI/TqG77Zfak8I/AAAAAAAAASs/ELFE8NBUbwQ/s1600/cheesy-rice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kPs72F73TpI/TqG77Zfak8I/AAAAAAAAASs/ELFE8NBUbwQ/s320/cheesy-rice.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">More free recipes online at www.SusanMallery.com!</div>Susan Malleryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16098592863282168362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324679649501377440.post-37068450875269553772011-10-17T18:02:00.000-07:002011-10-17T18:02:42.580-07:00Quick & Easy Hummus-Ranch DipRead free excerpts of Susan Mallery’s lively contemporary novels at <a href="http://www.susanmallery.com/" target="_blank" title="Susan Mallery, New York Times bestselling author">www.susanmallery.com</a> – and you’ll find lots of free recipes there, too!<br />
<br />
Three weeks ago, I posted a recipe for <a href="http://susanmallery.blogspot.com/2011/09/slow-cooker-chicken-potato-pie.html">Slow Cooker Chicken Potato Pie</a>. Two weeks ago, we had <a href="http://susanmallery.blogspot.com/2011/10/slow-cooker-java-roast.html">Slow Cooker Java Roast</a>. Then came Linda Goodnight’s delicious <a href="http://susanmallery.blogspot.com/2011/10/linda-goodnights-light-chocolate-peanut.html">Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies</a>. I have been on a comfort food kick. I was nervous about whether readers would rush out to buy my latest book, <a href="http://susanmallery.com/excerpt_october2011.php" title="Only His by Susan Mallery">ONLY HIS</a>. Well, the results are in… and they’re great! ONLY HIS debuted at #3 on the New York Times bestsellers list, and hit #8 during its second week of release.<br />
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So it’s time to get back to being more mindful about what I’m eating. Which means lots and lots of veggies. I came up with this “recipe” for Hummus-Ranch Dip as a way to liven up plain veggies. Although it’s pictured here with grilled asparagus, it’s delicious with any vegetable on the vegetable tray. (I put “recipe” in quotes because this is so ridiculously quick and easy that it almost doesn’t count as a recipe at all.)<br />
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Not only is it delicious, it's perfect for those of us carb loading for our winter hibernation.<br />
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<h2>
Recipe: Quick and Easy Hummus-Ranch Dip</h2>
<br />
½ C Low-fat or fat-free Ranch dressing<br />
½ C prepared hummus<br />
<br />
Mix. Dip<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DXkcdBYd_3o/TpzPQXzrOHI/AAAAAAAAASc/4FgPCnC6eLk/s1600/hummus-ranch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DXkcdBYd_3o/TpzPQXzrOHI/AAAAAAAAASc/4FgPCnC6eLk/s400/hummus-ranch.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">More free recipes online at www.SusanMallery.com!</div>Susan Malleryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16098592863282168362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324679649501377440.post-11380738353761015992011-10-07T08:10:00.000-07:002011-10-07T08:10:30.762-07:00Linda Goodnight's Light Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DsrEZwv9Sp0/Tlvvp4Mps8I/AAAAAAAAARU/zNS03ZudY_4/s1600/linda-goodnight-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DsrEZwv9Sp0/Tlvvp4Mps8I/AAAAAAAAARU/zNS03ZudY_4/s320/linda-goodnight-cover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Linda Goodnight is the author of heartwarming, inspirational romance novels, including her latest, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Child-Love-Inspired/dp/0373876971/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311630136&sr=8-1">THE CHRISTMAS CHILD</a>. Linda has won the RITA Award for excellence in inspirational romance. Visit Linda online at <a href="http://www.lindagoodnight.com/">www.lindagoodnight.com</a>.<br />
<br />
Linda, I love Christmas romances! Reading them is one of my favorite ways of getting into the holiday spirit. Would you please share the back cover blurb of THE CHRISTMAS CHILD?<br />
<br />
<i>Linda: I'd love to!</i><br />
<br />
<blockquote>
<i>Who is little Davey?</i><br />
<br />
A young boy is found huddled in a Dumpster in Redemption, Oklahoma, hungry, dirty and clutching a Christmas book. The scared, mute child captures Kade McKendrick’s guarded heart, and the undercover agent is determined to find answers. All he has is a name-Davey-and the boy’s trust of teacher, Sophie Bartholomew. As Christmas draws near, can sweet Sophie help the battle-scarred cop and the silent boy learn to smile-and maybe even to love-again?<br />
<br />
In Redemption River, where healing flows...</blockquote>
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<h2>
Three Random Questions for Linda Goodnight</h2>
<br />
<b>1. Share a random happy memory from childhood.</b><br />
<br />
Let me tell you a story about a book, a mulberry tree, and a mama hog named Sally Ann. I have always been a bookworm and one of my secret escapes from two brothers was to take a book, hide somewhere on the farm and read all afternoon in peace and solitude. Sometimes I hid in the peach orchard and sometimes in the barn loft behind stacks of peanut hay with the barn cat, Bright Eyes. But this particular day I headed for the mulberry tree to indulge my taste buds in the sweet, ripe berries while I indulged my imagination in a book. <br />
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Everything went well that afternoon until my book ended and I was ready to climb down. You see, I’d forgotten one thing. The mulberry tree was inside a fence—a fence which happened to house a large Poland China sow and her six piglets. (To a nine year old she looked enormous.) Sally Ann was known to have a fierce temper but at the time I’d climbed up the tree she was nowhere around. Now, as I descended she spotted me and came squealing with jaws agape and evil intent. After scrambling back up, I hovered in the branches for a while and then tried again. Sally Ann was not to be challenged. She charged. I retreated. This went on for some time until I gave up the battle and decided if I was destined to die of old age in a mulberry tree at least I wouldn’t die hungry. After what seemed like hours, Sally Ann lost interest and wandered far enough away for me to escape.<br />
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Now, you’re probably wandering why that’s a happy memory. Truthfully, I don’t know why, but it is. I loved those lazy, innocent childhood days on the farm.<br />
<br />
<b>2. What kind of commercials make you cry, if any?</b><br />
<br />
My family claims that I cry at anything-which is pretty much true. I am painfully sentimental which means sweet Christmas commercials from Hallmark and the Budweiser Clydesdales get me every time. I particularly love commercials where someone returns home after a long absence, especially if the returnee is a soldier in uniform. The minute I see him walking up to the door with that duffel bag in tow, music playing in the background, snow on the ground and a wreath on the door, I’m sniffling. I also get teary at commercials where the father of the bride fights emotion as gives his little girl away. Though I never remember what they’re advertising, I love those moments. Don’t you?<br />
<br />
<b>3. In what ways do you relate to the heroine of your latest book, and how are you different?</b><br />
<br />
The heroine of THE CHRISTMAS CHILD, Sophie Bartholomew is a fifth grade teacher who loves Christmas, kids and baking cookies. That description fits me too, though I’m no longer teaching. We’re also both small town girls, but the similarities end there. Sophie is the eternal optimist, a character trait I envy but don’t have. She has a big, sweet smile and is a doer who thinks she can make the world a better place by giving to others. I wish I was more like her!<br />
<br />
<br />
It seemed only fitting that I share a cookie recipe that Sophie and her students would make for their annual cookie sale. These are a light, sweet chocolate just perfect with a glass of cold milk.<br />
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<h2>
Recipe: Light Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies</h2>
1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine <br />
1/2 cup granulated sugar<br />
1/2 cup brown sugar<br />
1 egg<br />
2 squares of unsweetened chocolate melted <br />
1 teaspoon vanilla<br />
1 1/4 cups self-rising flour<br />
1 cup peanut butter chips<br />
½ nuts optional<br />
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Preheat oven to 350°. Cream the butter and sugars. (I use a mixer.) Beat in the egg, chocolate, and vanilla. Mix in flour. Add the peanut butter chips and if desired, the nuts.<br />
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Drop by teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased or sprayed baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">More free recipes online at www.SusanMallery.com!</div>Susan Malleryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16098592863282168362noreply@blogger.com11