Tasty Tuesdays–Baked Caramel Corn from Chris Pavesic

Tags

Baked Caramel Corn, Chris Pavesic, Fantasy, food, LitRPG books, recipe, snack, Tasty Tuesdays, The Revelation Chronicles

from Chris Pavesic

Is there anything better than homemade sweet and salty caramel corn? Not only does it taste delicious, the aroma that fills the air when you are cooking it is heavenly.

Baked Caramel Corn
Nonstick cooking spray
24 cups air popped popcorn
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup light or dark corn syrup
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 250°F.

Coat bottom and sides of large roasting pan with nonstick spray. Place popped popcorn in roasting pan.

In saucepan, slowly melt butter. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Heat to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil without stirring 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in baking soda and vanilla.

Gradually pour over popped popcorn, mixing well. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Remove from oven, and cool completely. Break apart and store in tightly covered container.

While you enjoy your treat why not read a good book? May I suggest one of the books from my LitRPG series The Revelation Chronicles? ?

 

In Starter Zone Cami kept herself and her younger sister Alby alive in a post-apocalyptic world, facing starvation, violence, and death on a daily basis. Caught by the military and forcefully inscribed, Cami manages to scam the system and they enter the Realms, a Virtual Reality world, as privileged Players rather than slaves. They experience a world of safety, plenty, and magical adventure.

In the Traveler’s Zone magic, combat, gear scores, quests, and dungeons are all puzzles to be solved as Cami continues her epic quest to navigate the Realms and build a better life for her family. But an intrusion from her old life threatens everything she has gained and imperils the entire virtual world.

Time to play the game.

 

AMAZON BUY LINK

SMASHWORDS BUY LINK

 

Want to learn more about The Revelation Chronicles? Click HERE for updates on this and the other series by Chris. Watch the video on YouTube.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chris Pavesic is a fantasy author who lives in the Midwestern United States and loves Kona coffee, steampunk, fairy tales, and all types of speculative fiction. Between writing projects, Chris can most often be found reading, gaming, gardening, working on an endless list of DIY household projects, or hanging out with friends.

Learn more about Chris on her website and blog.

Stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, and her Amazon Author Page.

Tasty Tuesdays—Cinnamon Biscuits from Jo-Ann Roberts

Tags

bread, Cinnamon Biscuits, food, historical romance, Honey Butter, Jo-Ann Roberts, Posey-Brides of New Hope Book Two, Tasty Tuesdays

Since moving to North Carolina, we’ve notice that many restaurants offer biscuits in addition to yeast rolls with their entrees. So when a favorite eatery offered cinnamon biscuits with honey butter, my husband could hardly sit still until a basket of cinnamon-and-sugar dusted rounds accompanied by a ramekin of honey butter.

Consumed with these rounds of manna from heaven, my husband asked me to try baking some. Admittedly, I haven’t had much success with biscuits…I more of a traditional yeast-based breads and rolls baker. However, I willingly took on the challenge.

I dug through my recipes, cross-referenced with those on the Internet, and came up with what I thought was a pretty good imitation.

One of the best things about this recipe is how easy it is to prepare. Mix all the dry ingredients, cut in the butter-flavored Crisco, then add the wet ingredients to form a dough. Pat it into a disc (or square, if you prefer square biscuits). Using a round cookie cutter cut out shapes (or if dough is shaped in a square, use a sharp knife to cut into equal squares). Place into a light greased pan and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar coating.

Once baked what you have are pillows of soft, fresh from the over cinnamon and sugar goodness!

CINNAMON BISCUITS

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• ½ teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon*
• ¼ cup butter-flavored Crisco
• 3/4 cup milk
• ½ tsp. vanilla

 

CINNAMON BISCUIT TOPPING

• 1/8 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon*

*Since my husband loves this spice, I usually double the amount when using cinnamon.

 

HONEY BUTTER

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup honey

 

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 450°F and grease an 8-inch cake pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
3. Cut in the Crisco using a pastry blender until crumbly. Add the milk and vanilla. Stir just until a dough forms.
4. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and using your fingers, pat down into a 7-inch disc. Use a round cutter to cut dough into rounds and transfer to the prepared cake pan. Bring together any leftover dough scraps and repeat.

CINNAMON BISCUIT TOPPING

1. In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the biscuits. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until golden. Let cool slightly in the pan before serving.

HONEY BUTTER

1. While the biscuits are baking, make the honey butter by stirring together the butter and honey. Serve with warm biscuits.

 

While you’re waiting for you biscuits to bake, check out how Jo-Ann cleverly included her cinnamon biscuits in Posey-Brides of New Hope Book Two.

In Posey-Brides of New Hope Book Two, Posey Campbell is known for her Cinnamon Honey Biscuits and is often asked to bring a dozen or three to the weekly Sunday picnic in the small town of New Hope, Kansas. So when she accepts a supper invitation to Eli and Lessie MacKenzie’s home, she’s requested to bring her  biscuits along with the new U.S. marshal, Grayson Barrett.  She’s happy to bring the treat but not so eager to accompany the man who tips her world off-kilter.

 

Posey-Brides of New Hope Book Two

by Jo-Ann Roberts

Posey Campbell couldn’t understand why her love life, or lack thereof, was of such interest to her family and friends. Having endured one ill-fated relationship, she resigned herself to living out her days as New Hope’s spinster schoolteacher…until an unkempt U.S. marshal with inviting grey eyes and a kiss-me-smile came to town turning her well-ordered life off-kilter.

Glad for a temporary assignment keeping him in one place, Grayson Barrett never expected to find love, let alone a wife, a set of orphans, and a life he’d feared had passed him by.

When a secret from Posey’s past comes to light will Gray’s steadfast love be enough to convince her he is the right man? Or will an old nemesis put an end to their love before it begins?

BUY LINK

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born and raised in western Massachusetts, Jo-Ann Roberts was fascinated by America’s Old West  and always felt she was destined to travel on a wagon train following the Oregon Trail. With her love of history and reading, she began reading historical romance during high school and college. Victoria Holt, Jude Deveraux, and Roseanne Bittner were among her favorites. Influenced by her father, she fell in love with John Wayne, James Garner, and her all-time favorite, James Stewart and grew up watching Wagon Train, Bonanza and Rawhide.

A firm believer in HEA with a healthy dose of realism, Jo-Ann strives to give her readers a sweet historical romance while imparting carefully researched historical facts, personalities, and experiences relative to the time period. Her romances take her readers back to a simpler time to escape the stress of modern life by living in a small town where families and friends help one another find love and happiness.

When she isn’t creating believable plots and relatable heroes and heroines, Jo-Ann enjoys spending time with her husband, children and grandson. She also enjoys baking, quilting and eating way too much chocolate.

After 38 years in public education in Connecticut and Maryland, she’s now calls North Carolina home. She is a member of  Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina RWA, and the 2018 Winner (Historical Category) of NEORWA’s Cleveland Rocks Romance Contest. Her debut romance, Lessie-Brides of New Hope Book One, is a 2020 RONE Award Nominee.

SOCIAL MEDIA SITES

Website: Facebook Group: BookBub

 

 

 

 

Tasty Tuesdays–Succulent Sour Cream Pork Chops from Sharon Ledwith

Tags

Blackflies and Blueberries, Fairy Falls, food, recipe. pork chop, Sharon Ledwith, Tasty Tuesdays

from Sharon Ledwith

The perfect comfort food to serve your family or friends in late fall or the dead of winter, these melt-in-your-mouth chops are the most tender—dare I say succulent pork chops—you’ve ever tasted. Food seems to be the source of comfort in all family matters, and I’ve found that meals bring us together to celebrate, cry or support each other in so many ways. Call me sentimental, but there’s something about those family chats at the dinner table after a long day or weekly family get-togethers on Sunday that you’ll hold in your heart for years to come.

Succulent Sour Cream Pork Chops
6 pork chops
Salt and pepper to taste
Garlic powder to taste
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. (15ml) olive oil
1 large onion, sliced ¼ inch thick
2 cubes chicken bouillon
2 cups boiling water
2 tbsp. (30ml) flour
1 8 oz. (250 g) container sour cream

Season pork with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Dredge in flour.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add oil. When the oil shimmers lightly brown chops.

Place chops in slow cooker, and top with onion slices. Dissolve bouillon in boiling water and pour over chops. Cover, and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours.

Preheat oven to 200° F (95° C).

After the chops have cooked, transfer them to the oven to keep war. Be careful, the chops are so tender they will fall apart.

In a small bowl, blend flour with sour cream. Stir into meat juices in slow cooker. Turn cooker to HIGH for 15 to 30 minutes, or until sauce is slightly thickened.

Spoon sauce on pork chops, and serve over rice or noodles.

With a prep time of 15 minutes and cook time of 8 ½ hours, there’s plenty of time to get some weekend reading done while you wait for your guests to arrive. May I suggest a visit to Fairy Falls, or if you’re feeling really adventurous, a trip back in time with The Last Timekeepers? Whichever you choose, I guarantee either series will take you on a journey far away from dirty dishes and messy pots.

Here’s a glimpse into one of the books from Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls, my teen psychic mystery series.

The only witness left to testify against an unsolved crime in Fairy Falls isn’t a person…

City born and bred, Hart Stewart possesses the gift of psychometry—the psychic ability to discover facts about an event or person by touching inanimate objects associated with them. Since his mother’s death, seventeen-year-old Hart has endured homelessness, and has learned ways to keep his illiteracy under wraps. He eventually learns of a great-aunt living in Fairy Falls, and decides to leave the only life he’s ever known for an uncertain future.

Diana MacGregor lives in Fairy Falls. Her mother was a victim of a senseless murder. Only Diana’s unanswered questions and her grief keeps her going, until Hart finds her mother’s lost ring and becomes a witness to her murder.

Through Hart’s psychic power, Diana gains hope for justice. Their investigation leads them into the corrupt world threatening Fairy Falls. To secure the town’s future, Hart and Diana must join forces to uncover the shocking truth, or they risk losing the true essence of Fairy Falls forever.

AMAZON BUY LINK

 

Sharon Ledwith is the author of the middle-grade/YA time travel series, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS, and the teen psychic mystery series, MYSTERIOUS TALES FROM FAIRY FALLS. When not writing, researching, or revising, she enjoys reading, exercising, anything arcane, and an occasional dram of scotch. Sharon lives a serene, yet busy life in a southern tourist region of Ontario, Canada, with her hubby, one spoiled yellow Labrador and a moody calico cat.

Learn more about Sharon Ledwith on her website and blog. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter, Goodreads, and Smashwords. Look up her Amazon Author page for a list of current books. Be sure to check out THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS TIME TRAVEL SERIES Facebook page.

Tasty Tuesdays– A Roast Lamb Loin Dinner from Eris Field

Tags

dinner recipes, entree, Eris Field, food, Lamb, romance, Tasty Tuesdays, Wife for Five Months

from Eris Field

My husband was Turkish and enjoyed it when I made meals from his mother’s recipes. This was one of his favorites, and mine too because it was easy and delicious. It’s also similar to one described in my latest book The Marital Bargain: Wife for Five Months.

ROAST LAMB LOIN

Photo courtesy of Akemy Mory Unsplash

Use your favorite recipe to roast lamb until done but still pink on the inside.

RAS el HANUT YOGURT

1 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp. Ras El Hanout*

Combine ingredients in a small bowl. Stir well. Keep refrigerated until you’re ready to serve.

Drizzle a small amount on the lamb at serving time.

*Ras el Hanout is a seasoning found in stores that sell Turkish or Arabic food. To make your own combine a small amount of coriander, allspice, fennel, black pepper, cumin, cinnamon, anise seed, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, and turmeric in a bowl.

PILAF – TURKISH RICE

3 tbsp. butter
1 small onion, chopped fine
3 cups water
1 tsp. salt
1½ cups long grain rice (Riceland rice is a good choice)
2 tbsp. butter, melted

Melt butter in a shallow pot that has a cover.

Add onion and sauté until translucent over low heat. Stir to prevent browning.

Stir in water and salt. Bring to boil.

Stir in rice. Cover pan and reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook 20 to 25 minutes (Do not remove cover. Do not stir). When done, use a clean dish towel or a paper towel to replace the lid. Let stand 10 minutes.

Pour melted butter over rice. Let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve in a heated dish.

TURKISH GREEN BEAN SALAD

1 lb. fresh green beans, cut into one-inch lengths
3 Roma tomatoes, quartered
1 medium onion, chopped
3 tbsp. olive oil
½ tsp. salt
½ a lemon, juiced
1 tbsp. dry mint leaves

Layer green beans first, onions second, and arrange tomatoes on top in a saucepan that has a tight-fitting lid. Add salt, lemon juice, and olive oil. Sprinkle with dried mint. Cover with lid and cook over low heat without stirring for 25 minutes. Let cool. The olive oil and lemon juice make a dressing for the salad. Garnish with a light dusting of grated lemon peel and serve at room temperature.

DESSERT

Grapes, pistachios in the shell (the best pistachios are from Antep or Siirt), pomegranate arils (seeds).

Here is a brief intro to my latest contemporary romance novel. I hope you enjoy it.

For Laury, growing up on American Naval Bases in the Middle East resulted in a fluency in languages and a wariness of men. Now, after completing a psychiatric nurse practitioner program, she faces a mountain of student loans. While waiting to learn if she’s been accepted for her dream job, she works as a private duty nurse caring for Roberta, an elderly matriarch living alone in a 30-room mansion on Billionaires’ Row. Roberta’s granddaughter had agreed to stay with her while she recovered from eye surgery, but she has disappeared along with Roberta’s money and credit cards.

Damon, Roberta’s grandson who is volunteering with Doctors Without Borders, requests emergency leave to fly home from Iraq. After his wife divorced him, Damon had vowed never to marry again, but with only days to find a way to safeguard his grandmother, he offers Laury a bargain—a five-month marriage. She will protect Roberta while he returns to perform reconstructive surgery for child refugees and he will pay off her student loans. What could go wrong?

Readers who like novels with characters who must find strengths within themselves to overcome their difficulties will enjoy this story. They’ll learn different cultures’ approaches to families, marriages, and finances, about the Kurds who fought beside Americans in Iraq, about refugees, and about abuse. They will also learn about the power of love.

Note to readers of sweet romance, this book has an open door love scene between a married couple. 

AMAZON BUY LINK

 

Eris Field was born in the Green Mountains of Vermont—Jericho, Vermont to be precise—close by the home of Wilson Bentley (aka Snowflake Bentley), the first person in the world to photograph snowflakes. She learned from her Vermont neighbors that pursuit of one’s dream is a worthwhile life goal.

As a seventeen year old student nurse at Albany Hospital, Eris met a Turkish surgical intern who told her fascinating stories about the history of Turkey, the loss of the Ottoman Empire, and forced population exchanges. After they married and moved to Buffalo, Eris worked as a nurse at Children’s Hospital and at Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

After taking time off to raise five children and amassing rejection letters for her short stories, Eris earned her master’s degree in Psychiatric Nursing at the University at Buffalo. Later, she taught psychiatric nursing at the University and wrote a textbook for psychiatric nurse practitioners—a wonderful rewarding but never to be repeated experience.

Eris now writes novels, usually international, contemporary romances. Her interest in history and her experience in psychiatry often play a part in her stories. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America and the Western New York Romance Writers. In addition to writing, Eris’s interests include: Prevention of Psychiatric Disorders; Eradicating Honor Killings, supporting the Crossroads Springs Orphanage in Kenya for children orphaned by AIDS, and learning more about Turkey, Cyprus, and Kurdistan.

Learn more about Eris Field on her website. Stay connected on Facebook.

Tasty Tuesdays–Sweet and Sassy California Chicken Salad from Jennifer Slattery

Tags

Building a Family, Chicken salad, Christian romance, food, Jennifer Slattery, recipe, Sweet romance, Tasty Tuesdays

I love experimenting with different flavors and tweaking old recipes to make them new. I also love inspecting whatever my husband orders at a restaurant, if he enjoys it, and trying to make that menu item at home. The results can be awesome or incredibly frustrating.

This salad, which I’ll call the Sweet and Sassy California Chicken Salad, turned out to be awesome. It arose, initially, from a Chinese salad my husband had when we were in California but soon morphed into the Sweet and Sassy version when I learned our daughter, who’s not a fan of soy sauce but loves anything citrusy, was coming home from college for the weekend.

Ingredients:

For the chicken marinade:

¼ C orange juice concentrate (do not dilute)

¼ C olive oil

¼ C lemon juice

2 large cloves minced garlic

¼ C balsamic vinegar (or white rice vinegar)

5 basil leaves, chopped

½ teaspoon sage

½ teaspoon salt

 

Directions:

Mix the above ingredients together and marinade chicken in it for at least three hours. I used four chicken breasts, though there’s enough marinade for six, maybe more.

 

For salad:

¼ head of green cabbage

½ head of red cabbage

1 beet, peeled and grated

2 oranges, peeled and sliced (or substitute with mandarin orange slices)

1 red pepper, julienned

¼ to ½ C slivered almonds

 

For dressing:

¼ C orange juice from concentrate

¼ C olive oil

¼ lemon juice

¼ C vinegar of choice (I like balsamic)

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp sage

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Grill the chicken. We prefer a charcoal grill, and really enjoyed the smoky flavor. While chicken is grilling, mix the salad ingredients together, and then serve onto individual plates. Mix the dressing ingredients together and set aside. When the chicken is done, slice each breast into bite sized pieces and place it one breast worth on top of each salad. Drizzle with the dressing. And dig in!

 

Can you think of any other ingredients I could’ve added? Share your ideas with me in the comments below!

 

While you’re waiting for the chicken to marinade, check out Jennifer’s book

Building a Family

 

Can love for two little matchmakers unite their reluctant hearts?

Worried that Noah Williams is still the reckless bull rider she remembers, Kayla Fisher is convinced he isn’t the right person to care for their orphaned niece and nephew. Now she’s back home, determined to fight for custody. But Noah is a changed man, and he intends to prove it. When Noah and Kayla start falling for each other, could raising the children together be the perfect solution?

Buy it HERE

 

 

About the Author:

Jennifer Slattery is a writer and national speaker who has addressed women’s groups, church groups, Bible studies, and other writers across the nation. She hosts Life Audio’s Faith Over Fear Podcast and maintains devotional blogs found at Jennifer Slattery Lives Out Loud and on Crosswalk. As the founder of Wholly Love Ministries, she and her team partner with churches to facilitate events designed to help women rest in their true worth and live with maximum impact. Connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. When not writing, reading, or editing, Jennifer loves going on mall dates with her adult daughter and coffee dates with her hilariously fun husband. Contact her HERE to book her for your next women’s event.

 

 

 

 

 

Tasty Tuesdays–Tantalizing Cod from Sloane Taylor

Tags

cookbooks, fish, food, Recipes, Sloane Taylor, Tasty Tuesdays

from Sloane Taylor

You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the enticing aroma from this easy recipe and the taste is superb. Studs and I have served this menu to skeptical guests and they fell in love with it.

Cook pasta prior to starting fish. Re-warm by running hot water over the just noodles before serving.

Serve with Whole Grain Spaghetti, Tossed Salad, Italian Bread,

and White Wine – Pinot Grigio

TANTALIZING COD
1 tbsp. olive oil
½ med. onion, sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, chopped fine
½ cup dry white wine
5 lg. Roma tomatoes, chopped
½ cup black olives, sliced
2 tbsp. parsley, chopped or 1 tbsp. dried
1 tbsp. capers, drained and chopped
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper
4 cod fillets, about 6 oz. each
½ tbsp. fresh basil, chopped or 1 tsp. dried

Heat a large skillet on medium-high. Add oil. Heat until it shimmers. Add onion, stir until translucent and lightly browned. Stir in garlic, cook 30 seconds. Add wine, cook 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes with the juice, olives, parsley, capers and red pepper. Heat to boiling.

Lay cod fillets over tomato mixture. Lower heat to medium. Cover skillet and cook until cod turns opaque throughout and flakes, about 9 minutes.

Sprinkle basil across the top.

Serve over whole grain spaghetti.

Don’t prepare extra. Leftovers have a stale taste and tend to be tough.

May you enjoy all the days of your life filled with good friends, laughter, and seated around a well-laden table!

Sloane

About the Author:

Sloane Taylor is an Award-Winning author with a second passion in her life. She is an avid cook and posts new recipes on her blog every Wednesday. The recipes are user friendly, meaning easy.

Learn more about Taylor’s cookbooks, Date Night Dinners, Romantic Meals to Dine al Fresco, and Recipes to Create Holidays Extraordinaire on Amazon.

Excerpts from her romance books and free reads can be found on her website, blog, and her Amazon Author Page. Connect with Taylor on Facebook and Twitter.

Warning to readers of sweet romance, Sloane’s romances may contain open door love scenes.

Tasty Tuesdays–Heavenly Honey Bun Cake from Sharon Ledwith

Tags

Blackflies and Blueberries, Dessert, food, Honey Bun Cake, Recipes, Sharon Ledwith, Tasty Tuesdays, YA fiction

from Sharon Ledwith

Some recipes take me back to a time when life was simpler—a.k.a. living with my parents, eating their food, and not having to any pay bills or a mortgage. As the name suggests, this cake tastes exactly like the honey bun I used to buy during my high school days. Trust me, just one mouthful of this sugary bliss propels you back to those days where all your happy memories and good times of the past, still exist.

A warning to the wise: it’s quite a sweet cake and not for those who are watching their waistlines, so wait until after you’ve blown your New Year’s Resolutions to try this delish dish. I’ve found this is the perfect cake to serve during holidays, celebrations, or perhaps as an indulgent dessert at your monthly book club.

Heavenly Honey Bun Cake
1 package of yellow cake mix (432 g or 18.25 ounce)
¾ cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 (250 g or 8 ounce) container of sour cream
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325° F (165° C).

In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, oil, eggs, and sour cream. Stir by hand approximately 50 strokes, or until most large lumps are gone. Pour half of the batter into an ungreased 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon, sprinkle over the batter.

Spoon the remaining batter into the cake pan. Be sure to cover the brown sugar and cinnamon well. Twirl the cake with a butter knife or icing knife until it looks like a honey bun or whatever design you want to make.

Bake 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Frosting
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
4 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Spread across the cake while fairly hot. Serve warm.

Tastes wonderful if served with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream.

While you’re waiting for the cake to bake, take a seat in your favorite comfy chair and crack open one of my books. May I suggest a visit to Fairy Falls, or if you’re feeling really adventurous, a trip back in time with The Last Timekeepers? Whichever you choose, I guarantee either series will take you on a journey far away from thoughts of paying bills or putting in a load of laundry.

Here’s a glimpse into one of the books from Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls, my teen psychic mystery series.

The only witness left to testify against an unsolved crime in Fairy Falls isn’t a person…

City born and bred, Hart Stewart possesses the gift of psychometry—the psychic ability to discover facts about an event or person by touching inanimate objects associated with them. Since his mother’s death, seventeen-year-old Hart has endured homelessness, and has learned ways to keep his illiteracy under wraps. He eventually learns of a great-aunt living in Fairy Falls, and decides to leave the only life he’s ever known for an uncertain future.

Diana MacGregor lives in Fairy Falls. Her mother was a victim of a senseless murder. Only Diana’s unanswered questions and her grief keeps her going, until Hart finds her mother’s lost ring and becomes a witness to her murder.

Through Hart’s psychic power, Diana gains hope for justice. Their investigation leads them into the corrupt world threatening Fairy Falls. To secure the town’s future, Hart and Diana must join forces to uncover the shocking truth, or they risk losing the true essence of Fairy Falls forever.

AMAZON BUY LINK

 

Sharon Ledwith is the author of the middle-grade/YA time travel series, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS, and the teen psychic mystery series, MYSTERIOUS TALES FROM FAIRY FALLS. When not writing, researching, or revising, she enjoys reading, exercising, anything arcane, and an occasional dram of scotch. Sharon lives a serene, yet busy life in a southern tourist region of Ontario, Canada, with her hubby, one spoiled yellow Labrador and a moody calico cat.

Learn more about Sharon Ledwith on her website and blog. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter,  Goodreads, and Smashwords. Look up her Amazon Author page for a list of current books. Be sure to check out THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS TIME TRAVEL SERIES Facebook page.

Tasty Tuesdays–Blissful Burgers from Becky Van Vleet

Tags

Becky Van Vleet, Blissful Burgers, entree, food, Recipes, Talitha the Traveling Skirt, Tasty Tuesdays

Today’s Tasty Tuesday recipe is from author Becky Van Vleet, who’s sharing a family favorite—Burgers with a twist!

 

Blissful Burgers

Ingredients:

1 ½ pounds ground beef

4 slices dry bread soaked in water, then squeezed out

1 beaten egg

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

½ tsp garlic powder

2 T milk

Directions

Add all ingredients to ground beef and stir until completely mixed. Shape into patties. Grilling is preferred, but pan frying works as well. Add your favorite condiments with a healthy bread and you will want to cook these frequently. Delicious!

This recipe originates from my Polish paternal grandmother, Elizabeth Holeva Troyan. When she would visit our home when I was a young girl, I always thought her hamburgers were “spiced” up a bit more than other hamburgers I ate. It wasn’t until I became an adult that I found out that she had her own recipe, and that, yes, indeed, they really were spiced up in her own special way. I chose a family recipe because I am all about creating and preserving family memories, the theme of my website. In fact, my first children’s picture book, Talitha, the Traveling Skirt, was inspired by a true family story. We have had a little red plaid skirt that has been traveling in our family for more than 70 years, spanning three generations. And this family recipe has been “traveling” around as well!

While the burgers grill check out Becky’s delightful picture book.

 

Talitha, the Traveling Skirt

By Becky Van Vleet

Meet Talitha, a little plaid skirt that likes to travel. Through the years, she visits many two-year-old girls in a special family who wear her to get their pictures taken. But Talitha encounters problems when she least expects them. And Tippy the dog certainly participates. Filled with colorful and detailed illustrations, young children, ages 3-8, will delight in this heartwarming story about a little skirt’s adventures, inspired by a true family story.

Buy Links     Amazon  Barnes & Noble:

 

About the author:

Becky Van Vleet is a retired teacher and principal. She and her husband make their home in Colorado Springs, where Becky enjoys oil painting, gardening, and hiking and biking in the great outdoors. Becky is all about creating and preserving family memories as you will see on her website. She relishes spending time with her family and especially reading books to her grandchildren.

 

Social Media

https://www.beckyvanvleet.com/

https://www.facebook.com/memoriesandtraditions/?modal=admin_todo_tour

https://www.instagram.com/becky_van_vleet/

 

 

 

 

Tasty Tuesdays–Medieval Cheesy Meat Pie from Olivia Rae

Tags

entree, food, Medieval Cheesy Meat Pie, Olivia Rae, recipe, Tasty Tuesdays

My novel, A Life Renewed takes place in Tudor England and 16^th Century Germany. A very popular dish at the time was the meat pie. Back then making such a dish took a lot of time. My German Grandmother made a similar dish with modern day ingredients that you can whip together in no time. Cheesy meat pie is a real family pleaser and a delicious bit of history.

Medieval Cheesy Meat Pie

 

1 pound ground beef

½ cup chopped onion

1 – 8 oz. can of tomato sauce

¼ cup parsley

1 – 3oz. can chopped mushrooms (drained)

1/8 teaspoon pepper

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

2 packages (8 rolls) crescent rolls

3 eggs

Shredded cheese (mixed cheddar and mozzarella)

 

In skillet, brown beef, onion (drain). Stir in tomato sauce, parsley, mushrooms, pepper and oregano, then set aside. Unroll one package of crescent rolls, forming 12×6 inch rectangle. Seal edges and perforations together. Roll to fit in 9-inch pie plate, trim. Separate one egg and set aside the yoke. Beat egg white with remaining two eggs. Spread over half the dough. Spoon meat into shell, arranging cheese on top. Pour remaining egg mixture over cheese. Roll out second package of crescent rolls, sealing on top of pie. Beat remaining egg yoke and a tablespoon of water, brush on top of dough. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. If pastry gets too brown, cover with foil. Let stand for 10 minutes.

 

A Life Renewed

by Olivia Rae

In 1554, Lady Jane Grey, “The Nine Days’ Queen” was executed for high treason.

But what if, instead of feeling the blade on her neck she secretly survived?

 Escaping execution, Lady Jane hides as a peasant girl in a principality in Germany. She loves the simple life and never wants to return to England. But her benefactor, a power-hungry German prince, wants to march on London and place her on the English throne again, thereby increasing his dominance in Europe. If she doesn’t agree to his plan, her beloved childhood nurse will be put to death. Desperate for help, Jane must put her trust in the mysterious spy Asher Hayes.

Asher Hayes is done rounding up Protestants for “Bloody Mary” and wants nothing more than to live a quiet life as a farmer and expunge the blood of many from his hands. Except Queen Mary isn’t done with him yet. She throws his father, mother, and sister into prison on false charges in order to force him to accept one last mission – find and kill Lady Jane Grey. But when Asher discovers Lady Jane isn’t a threat to the throne as he believed her to be, he faces a devastating decision – does he sacrifice his family for the woman who reigns in his heart?

 

Buy Link:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/39TNo6m

About the Author:

Olivia Rae is an award-winning author of historical and contemporary inspirational romance. She spent her school days dreaming of knights, princesses and far away kingdoms; it made those long, boring days in the classroom go by much faster. Nobody was more shocked than her when she decided to become a teacher. Besides getting her Master’s degree, marrying her own prince, and raising a couple of kids, Olivia decided to breathe a little more life into her childhood stories by adding in what she’s learned as an adult living in a small town on the edge of a big city. When not writing, she loves to travel, dragging her family to old castles and forts all across the world.

Olivia is the winner of the Golden Quill Award, New England Readers’ Choice Award, Southern Magic Contest, and the American Fiction Award. She is an Illumination Award Gold and Bronze medalist. She has also been a finalist in many other contests such as the National Readers’ Choice Awards, and the National Romance Fiction Awards. She is currently hard at work on her next novel.

Social Media Links:

Website:  http://www.oliviaraebooks.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/oliviaraebooks

Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/oliviaraeauthor/

 

 

 

Tasty Tuesdays–Meat Salad from Tina Griffith

Tags

food, Meat Salad, recipe, sandwiches, Tasty Tuesdays, Tina Griffith, Tina Ruiz

from Tina Griffith

Meat Salad is a European dish that I have grew up with and still enjoy to this very day. Throughout the years, I’ve learned to make it even more special. Now it’s my own recipe and I take it to almost every event my family has. Of course, there are no left-overs, and people have always asked me for the recipe and today I give it to you.

It’s not difficult to make and is a delicious bouquet of flavors in your mouth. It can be made in any quantity you wish. Simply scale the ingredients up or down to fit your need. Shall we begin?

MEAT SALAD
5 packages of your favorite lunch meat such as: black forest ham, Lyoner sausage, beer sausage, roast beef, mortadella
1 jar garlic pickles, cut off both tips
3 dashes paprika
Miracle Whip (it’s mayo on steroids) to taste
Rye bread

Dice lunch meat and pickles into same-size pieces. Place into a glass bowl, because steel or aluminum seem to alter the taste.

Add paprika and 3 to 4 large tablespoons of Miracle Whip to the mixture.

Do not add salt and/or pepper, because the meat has enough salt already.

Mix together so every piece of meat is covered. Chill 1 hour. Serve on a slice of soft, rye bread.

 

About the Author:

Tina Griffith, who also wrote twenty-seven children’s books as Tina Ruiz, was born in Germany, but her family moved to Canada when she was in grammar school.

After her husband of 25 years passed away, she wrote romance novels to keep the love inside her heart. Tina now has eleven romance novels on Amazon, and while all of them have undertones of a love story, they are different genres; murder, mystery, whimsical, witches, ghosts, suspense, adventure, and her sister’s scary biography.

Tina has worked in television and radio as well as being a professional clown at the Children’s Hospital. She lives in Calgary with her second husband who encourages her to write her passion be it high-quality children’s books or intriguing romance.

You can find Tina’s Book on her Amazon Author Page

Stay connected with Tina (Griffith) Ruiz on her Facebook group Tina Speaks Out.