Last day to get a FREE book from me!

December 27th is the last day you can download THE GROOM WANTED SECONDS for free from Amazon! Even if you don't have an eReader, you can download the free Kindle app and read it on your computer or your smartphone. It's the prequel to the USA Today bestselling THE BRIDE WORE CHOCOLATE, part of my special Holiday Bundle!

And, I'm guesting on the Heroes and Heartbreakers blog today, so stop on by and chat with me, for a chance to win the Holiday bundle!

Shirley

FREE book, until Dec. 27th!

For two days only (Dec. 26 and 27th), you can download THE GROOM WANTED SECONDS for FREE! If you have an eReader, or just download the free Kindle app to your smartphone or computer, grab this free novella, the prequel to the USA Today bestselling THE BRIDE WORE CHOCOLATE series! This is one of my Sweet and Savory novels, fun, flirty reads with recipes written by the characters!

What'd you serve for Christmas dinner? I made Ina Garten's Prime Rib Roast...and it was OMG to-die-for. It's my second year making it, and I swear it gets better every year! Leftovers today, and it just makes me wish I bought a bigger roast ;-)

Have a wonderful Boxing Day!

Shirley

Merry Christmas! Free Book & Holiday Bundle

First off, I want to wish all my readers a MERRY CHRISTMAS! I'm always like a little kid on the holiday--I absolutely can't wait for the day to arrive! And of course, the meal...this year, it's rib roast. I am literally drooling, anticipating that tomorrow!

For all you who get Kindles or Nooks or iTunes cards for Christmas, I wanted to let you know that THE GROOM WANTED SECONDS will be FREE for two days only, December 26th and 27th! If you download it, you get a taste of the Christmas season, along with some great recipes!

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About the book: Nothing like a little breakup to remind a man why he loves a woman and what an idiot he’s been. After a clunky marriage proposal, Rebecca Wilson breaks up with Jeremy Hamilton, an engineer lacking a romance chromosome. She goes away for the summer and thinks she has found true love. When she returns with a broken heart, Jeremy seizes the opportunity to convince her to give him a second chance.

But it isn’t until he brings out his wild and fun side that Jeremy sees a dim flicker of hope for a future with Rebecca. His determination drives Rebecca to break into her secret cookie stash, hoping Thin Mints can make her forget Mr. Wrong. She’s already been burned twice before—is she ready to take a second chance on love?

The Sweet and Savory Romances will make you laugh, cry, and rev up your appetite with their hunky heroes. As a special addition, satiate your hunger—for food that is— with tried-and-true recipes written by the characters inside.

 

If you want to gift yourself, you can download my all new, limited edition Holiday Bundle of Sweet and Savory Romances, starting with the USA Today bestseller, THE BRIDE WORE CHOCOLATE! Four books in one, plenty of reading for that holiday break!

 

Merry Christmas to you and yours. I'm grateful and blessed to be surrounded by those I love, and I hope you are, too.

 

Shirley

Guest Post: Aurelia B Rowl with a New Book and Mushroom Soup!

Today, I welcome author Aurelia B Rowl, with a quick and easy Mushroom Soup recipe and a new book with an awesome cover (and I love that title, too!).

About CHRISTMAS IS CANCELLED:

 

Matilda 'Tilly' Carter didn't think her day could get any worse, but even Christmas had just been cancelled.

The one girl Dean Watson has sworn never to have—never even expected to see again—just flared back into his life and into his home—his sanctuary—like she belonged there. Christmas would certainly be more bearable with Tilly around though…

As the chinks in Dean's armor appear, Tilly seizes the chance to win her knight once and for all. She's not about to take no for answer—not this time—but Dean must resist, even as his heart rebels and temptation threatens to undermine his resolve.

Win or lose? Love or honor? Which will Dean choose? Assuming he gets a choice…

 

FROM CHRISTMAS IS CANCELLED:

 

Tears welled in her eyes, clouding her vision. She turned and wandered blindly toward the exit as the first tear escaped, forging a track down her cheek for the rest to follow. Tilly took in a lungful of air and then another. Having made a spectacle of herself once already, she really didn't want to be the cause of yet another scene.

The crowds swarmed around her, with students and family members heading home for the holidays only adding to the usual rush-hour melee of commuters. They jostled past, threatening to swallow her whole, as they rushed en mass in the opposite direction, using their briefcases and suitcases as a battering ram.

It was suffocating. She had to get out of there. Breaking into a run, broken heel or not, she raced through the doors and out into the biting December chill. Her waterlogged eyes struggled to adjust to the dark, dreary sky after the bright station lights, but she didn't dare slow down, desperate to escape the throng of festivities and merriment.

Carol singers assembled outside burst into a jovial rendition of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," full of joy and happiness. Didn't they know Christmas had just been cancelled?

"Ooof!" Tilly smacked her shin against the edge of a low bench, too dark to see as she tried to dodge the growing audience. She ended up sprawled across the bench, dropping the handle of her suitcase with a loud clatter.

At least the pain shooting down her leg gave her an excuse to be crying. Unfortunately, it meant she had to stop running too. Not good. Whenever things got too tough, too intimate, or too confrontational, you could rely on her to make a run for it. Running away was what she did best...

A tall figure loomed in the edge of her vision, something vaguely familiar about the man's loping gait. In an effort to see him more clearly, she wiped her eyes with the back of her hands, then cringed inwardly at the black streaks now etched all over them. Great. She could add impersonating a panda to her day from hell as well then.

The mascara stung her eyes, rendering her unable to focus properly. She blinked furiously as the man strode past her, talking into a mobile phone in a deep voice that resonated throughout her body and made the fine hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. A surge of adrenaline rushed to her legs, numbing the pain as her subconscious told her to run. Now! 

The cloaked figure stopped mid-stride as if he'd heard her gasp. "Mike, I've gotta go," he barked into the phone, hanging up instantly. He backtracked until he was standing right in front of her, his tone changing from a growl to one of surprise. "Basmati?"

Great. She hadn't heard the nickname for years—nine years, four months and...sixteen days, to be exact—and even then, only one person had ever actually used it. She screwed her eyes tightly shut, shaking her head from side to side. No. No way. There was absolutely no way this could be happening to her. Not now. Not today of all days... Talk about kicking a girl when she was down. Buy the book here!

 

Aurelia’s Oh-So-Simple Creamy Mushroom Soup

 This soup is so deliciously creamy and tasty, yet ridiculously easy to prepare. It can even be prepared in advance, then reheated immediately prior to serving, so is ideal for dinner parties.

 

Ingredients:

Mushrooms 1lb or more – chopped (I like to include a few field mushrooms for their colour)

Cream ¼ pint

Milk 1 pint

Plain flour 1½oz

Butter 2oz

Vegetable stock ½ pint

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the mushrooms and cook for three minutes.
Sprinkle over the flour, then stir to coat the mushrooms. Stir in the vegetable stock and the milk, then bring slowly to the boil.Simmer for five-to-ten minutes.

Allow to cool, then blend – if you like your soup chunky, only blend half.

(At this point you can store soup in the fridge to reheat later) Return to the pan, then add the cream and reheat.
Serve immediately. (Delicious with fresh, warm crusty bread).

 

Thanks so much for visiting, Aurelia! Love the recipe!

Shirley

All New Holiday Reads!

Just in time for Christmas, I've got two new holiday reads and a cool Holiday bundle of my books! In stores now is MISTLETOE KISSES WITH THE BILLIONAIRE, the final story in the Holiday Miracles trilogy! Take a trip to Beckett's Run for a Christmas to remember!

And in my Sweet and Savory Romances series (romances with delicious recipes written by the characters), I've got THE BEAUTY CHARMED SANTA, an all-new novella featuring a few of your favorites from THE DEVIL SERVED DESIRE.

For readers new to my books or those looking for a great bundle of books to load onto your Kindle or Nook, try my limited-edition Holiday Bundle, FOUR books in one! See why readers are raving about this fun, flirty series!

Merry Christmas to all!

Shirley

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies!

Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars

I love cookies. I mean LOVE cookies (and cupcakes, and brownies and fudge...okay, any dessert, LOL). I try not to make cookies the rest of the year, because then I'll EAT them, but at the holidays, I go on a baking spree :-) This week, I made White Chocolate Raspberry Thumbprints, Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars, and Melted Snowmen cookies.

First up was the Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars, a request from a friend after I saw it on Pinterest. They were delicious, and really easy! I bought the Peanut Butter Pretzels at Meijer--there was a plastic jar of them on the potato chip aisle, by the pretzels. I used Nestle's Chocolate Chip Cookie dough. I ate all the crumbs :-)


Next up is my White Chocolate Raspberry Thumbprints, which is one of my own recipes (and is featured in Sugar and Spice). It's a favorite with my whole family, and an annually requested recipe. The kids have already eaten all the extras :-) They freeze super well, and are quick and easy. See below for the recipe.

Then I made my Melted Snowman cookies. They weren't as pretty as last year's, and that's because I used the canned Betty Crocker frosting instead of buying the pro tips at the candy and cake decorating store. I almost always forget I've got those metal cake decorating tips in the sink and grind one or more up in the garbage disposal, LOL.


Melted Snowman Cookies
 

These ones are pretty easy. I use the recipe from The Somewhat Simple blog. I use Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix (I find that works better than the refrigerated, already made kind), Then I buy the Royal Icing mix, add enough water to make it at "flood" stage, and do the decorating on top of waxed paper.

I bought the Betty Crocker black, green, orange and red icing cans this year, but would definitely recommend pro decorating  tips if you can get them. It takes a little practice, but overall, the decorating is pretty easy, especially for non-crafter like me :-)

I assembled them all on a tray for a party I'm going to tomorrow night. I was going to decorate the tray, then figured the cookies were enough decoration :-)


White Chocolate Raspberry Thumbprints
(from Sugar and Spice)

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (I always use real vanilla)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam
1 cup white chocolate chips
Red sugar sprinkles
 
Trust me, these ones are so good, you won’t have any left for guests (and whoever invented that rule about sharing your cookies, anyhow? It’s Christmas, indulge yourself a little). In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and the shortening with an electric mixer (or use a stand mixer and let the machine do the work), then add the sugar, powdered sugar, baking soda, cream of tarter, and the salt. Beat just until combined.

Add the egg and vanilla, then mix in the flour gradually. Cover the dough and refrigerate for three hours. I know, it’s a long wait, but it’ll be worth it later. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll the dough into 3/4-inch balls and put them on an ungreased cookie sheet. With your thumb or the end of a wooden spoon, press a circular indentation into the center of each cookie. Drop a 1/4 teaspoon of jam into each thumbprint. Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, then cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour yourself a glass of milk and get into serious cookie-eating mode. Skip lunch if you have to-there’s no way a tuna on rye can compete.

Put the white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high in 30-second bursts, stirring each time, until the chips are melted. Pour the white chocolate into a resealable plastic bag and snip off a tiny bit of one corner. Drizzle the white chocolate over the cookies. Sprinkle cookies with red sugar to add that festive flair.

Now you’re ready to indulge-don’t worry about the calories until January 1st. Makes three dozen, just enough for you and a friend!

 

Did you catch my post on the cupcakes and the Salted Caramel Shortbread I made the other week? Tell me, what cookies are you making this year? Which ones are your MUST HAVE cookies for the holidays?

 

Shirley

Terri Rochenski's new book and an Easy Appetizer!

When I first saw Ms. Jump’s blog I was thrilled. She posts about two of my passions – books and cooking. And then she offered to let me guest post … well. Beyond thrilled to say the least!

Rather than blather on about writing or my process I decided to share one thought and a little about my newest release.

As a stay-at-home mom I often get bogged down in the details of life – kids, cleaning, laundry, cooking (even thought I love it!). I’ve found it’s easy for a woman’s identity to fade, oftentimes disappear altogether into the new one of mommy, wife, and housekeeper.

Writing has always been a passion of mine – my hobby – it’s the one thing I cling to that is all mine. M.I.N.E. It’s my escape, and I nab a few minutes wherever and whenever my children allow.

Because let’s face it … they do come first.

And one of the things I enjoy doing for them, the most besides hugs and kisses of course is cooking yummy food. Seeing as how the holiday season is upon us, I decided to share my favorite go-to party recipe.

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Dried Beef Cheese Ball

3  4oz. packages of dried beef, broken up

3  8oz. softened cream cheese

1 small onion, chopped

2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbs. Accent Season Salt

Mix all ingredence in a bowl. Shape into a ball, cover and refrigerate. (I like making it the night before to let all the flavors mingle together.)

Easy peasy! Slap some on a cracker and yums with a capital Y.

#

Now on to my newest release.

My short story, Beginning of Forever, is in Still MomentsPublishing’s Christmas Magic Anthology which released on December 4^th. It’s a collection of my historical romance and three other contemporary stories. For now it is only available as an ebook.

Here's an excerpt from Terri's new book!

Beginning of Forever by Terri Rochenski

When Wayne Edwards moves to town, Lillian Davis experiences stirrings she thought were long dead. Guilt ridden over betraying her deceased husband and the feelings Wayne inspires, Lillian reluctantly lets him in. Secrets of the past – an old promise emerges, but will it threaten their forever?

Excerpt:

I rubbed my fussing son’s back and stumbled down the hall to grab the phone. “Hello?”
“Mrs. Douglas?”
A glance at the clock and my stomach clenched. Ronnie was an hour late for our Christmas Eve dinner. “Y-yes?”
“There’s been an accident.”
Through Steven’s heightened cries and the ringing in my ears I heard my husband’s name and Anna Jacques hospital.
This isn’t real. I need to wake up.
“Mrs. Douglas?”
I swayed and slumped to my knees on the linoleum floor, struggling to keep Steven in my grasp.
The floor is cold. I’m not dreaming.

A big thanks to Shirley for inviting me. I hope you’ll try the drool-inducing cheese ball AND my book!

Terri

Here's her blog and website, for more about Terri!

Thanks for visiting, Terri!

Shirley

Salted Caramel Shortbread

I may never eat another vegetable again. I think I'm going to go the rest of my life, eating these every single meal. They are that good. Just awesomeness, in every bite.

Salted Caramel Shortbread Cookies

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
kosher salt

3 sticks butter (3/4 pound), unsalted, room temperature
1 cup sugar, plus extra
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

First, make the caramel. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Pour the milk into a pie plate, stir in 1/4 teaspooon kosher salt, and cover it tightly with foil. Put the pie plate in a big roasting pan, and fill it halfway up the pie plate with hot water. Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, adding more water if necessary. Let cool, then whisk until smooth.

Meanwhile, make the cookies.Set the oven at 350 degrees. The butter has to be room temp for this to work well, so what I did was set the butter out first thing in the morning, make the caramel, then about 15 minutes before that was done, I made the cookies.

Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer. Add the vanilla. Mix the salt with the flour, then add the dry ingredients a little at a time and mix until the dough comes together. I formed the dough into square logs (though you can make it into a plate shape and roll it out; I just hate doing cut-out cookies). Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Slice or cut the dough into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick cookies (mine were like 1/3 an inch). They don't spread much, so you can get quite a few on an ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with reserved sugar. Bake for 20-24 minutes, switching the cookie sheets halfway through to get even cooking. Keep an eye on them because they go from perfect to burned fast.

Put wax paper under your cooling rack. Remove cookies from the oven, place on the cooling racks. Heat the caramel for 30 seconds in the microwave, then put it in a Ziploc bag and snip one end (to make a homemade pastry bag). Drizzle cookies with caramel, then sprinkle with kosher salt.
Eat. Repeat ;-)

Shirley

Christmas Treats :-)

 

I love baking at Christmas. It's a nice excuse to have a few thousand extra calories, all in the name of a holiday, of course ;-) I know I'll be running off these calories for the rest of winter, but hey, these desserts are worth it.

Peanut Butter Surprise Cupcakes
 

 

I've been spending WAY too much time on Pinterest lately, pinning cupcakes and cookies and all kinds of dessert ideas. I saw these Peanut Butter Surprise Cupcakes and HAD to have them. Reese's are, after all, my favorite candy eva, and these were like big Reese's. They're cupcakes with buckeyes in the center, and Reese's on top.

I mean, really, what more does one need?

Not to mention, they were EASY.

PEANUT BUTTER SURPRISE CUPCAKES

Center: 1 1/2 cups Peanut butter

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

6 cups confectionary sugar

Mix all in a mixer (my trusty Kitchen Aid was busy tonight!) then form into balls a little smaller than 1-inch around.

 

For the cupcakes, I mixed up Devil's Food cake mix. Line your cupcake pans with liners, add a little cake mix on the bottom, put in a peanut butter ball, then top with enough cake mix to cover. Bake as directed on the box.

 

The frosting is a Peanut Butter Buttercream  (I know, the calories in this...I can't even think about them!)

3/4 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup shortening

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 to 1/2 cup heavy cream (I used half-and-half)

4-5 cups confectionary sugar

 

Blend all in the mixer, whipping on high speed until fluffy. Add more or less cream and confectionary sugar to get the consistency you want. Frost, top with a mini Reese's, and eat!

 

 

These are the ones I made for my husband's company (along with some Kiss cookies).

Then I made these fun Santa cupcakes. It's a basic yellow cake cupcake (from my trusty Betty Crocker), topped with white buttercream (what I did was double the above recipe for buttercream, but left out the peanut butter. Frosted the Santa ones first, then mixed in the PB and frosted the Peanut Butter Surprise Cupcakes).

The legs are Twizzlers, cut in thirds. Dip in frosting, then top with black frosting boots. I sprinkled the cupcakes with white sparkles. Easy and cute!!

 

Follow me on Pinterest, or let me know if you're a foodie like me and I'll follow you! Also, look for info soon about a new book!

 

I'm off to have cupcakes and milk! :-)

 

Shirley

Welcome Vicki Bateman and Not Your Grandma's Fruit Cake recipe!

Today, I'm thrilled to have Vicki Bateman on my blog, along with her recipe for Not Your Grandma's Fruit Cake (this one sounds so yummy, I'm going to have to try it for sure! I mean, how can you go wrong dipping ANYTHING in chocolate?) Welcome, Vicki!
She's also got a Christmas release, Twinkle Lights, out now!

Recipe: It Ain't Your Grandma's Fruit Cake
Fruit cake is maligned. And I'm here to make it delectable for everyone (and they won't even know it is fruitcake).

A good fruit cake (I use Collin Street Bakery)
Wilton Dark Cocoa Candy Melts
Wax paper
Drying rack


Cut the cake into bite-sized chunks. (Be sure to occasionally clean your knife).

In a microwavable bowl, pour in candy melts. Prepare according to directions.

Set cooling rack on top of sheet of waxed paper. Take a chunk of cake and dip into melted cocoa. Be sure all sides are coated.
Once cake is covered in cocoa, set on rack for cocoa to solidfy.

When cocoa is hardened, remove from rack and store in airtight container. Set in fridge. Will keep for a while.

Makes a lot of treats. Don't tell your guests what it is. They think they're eating an exotic dessert.

Look for her book at any major etailer, and also find out more about Vicki at:

 

Website: http://vickibatman.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vicki-Batman-sassy-writer-of-sexy-and-funny-fiction/133506590074451?ref=hl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/vickibatman

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/vickibatman

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4814608.Vicki_Batman

Author Central: http://www.amazon.com/Vicki-Batman/e/B005AY5ZN8/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1343929464&sr=1-2-ent

 

Thanks for visiting, Vicki!

Shirley

Alton Brown's Brining Recipe

Brined turkey, literally falling off the bone after roasting :-)
 

If you google Alton Brown and brining, you get a few different results that aren't this one. I don't like the one he has on Good Eats as much as I do this one, from I'm Just Here for the Food. This one has yet to let me down :-) I've added a few adaptations to it, based on other brines I've used:

1 1/2 cups kosher salt
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
10-14 peppercorns (whole)
2-4 whole bay leaves
1 6-ounce container frozen OJ
1 gallon water
1 16-18 pound turkey
1 gallon ice cubes
canola oil

Dissolve the salt, sugar, and juice in 1 quart of hot water. Cool with the remaining 3 quarts of water. Remove the guts and stuff from inside the turkey and put it in the brining bag or container. Cover with the liquid. If it doesn't completely cover the bird, add more liquid (he uses chicken broth). Cover wtih ice and soak for at least 5-6 hours.

Alton dries off the bird, rubs it down with canola oil, then starts cooking the bird on high (500) then after a half hour, turns it down to 350 degrees. I've found that works pretty well. He covers the breast with a tent of foil, removes it at the end to get a little browning.

I highly recommend brining if you've never tried it before. Easy and quick, and the most tender bird ever!

Shirley

The Thanksgiving Plan

This has been my Thanksgiving plan for four years in a row, so I thought I'd rerun the tips. I have changed this slightly--in that I bought the brining bags at the store instead of using a pail (Farberware makes them and they were in the aisle with the roasters and kitchen twine, etc.). I have had success every time I use this recipe. Buying a fresh bird makes life ten times easier, but I have in a pinch defrosted a frozen bird and then brined it.

(and as an aside, for those of you who are friends with me on Facebook, on Monday I posted a link to my blog and a friend who is a professional chef shared his tips for brining, so check that out!)

Thanksgiving was a HUGE success in my house. Brining the bird was DA BOMB and I highly recommend it. I mean, HIGHLY recommend it. I have never had a juicier, more delicious turkey--it was beyond simple to cook, and twelve people devoured nearly an entire 21-pound bird. Lots of going back for seconds and thirds that day!

Take notes if you want for next year, because here's how I did it (and managed to have a LOT of relaxation time on the big day, too):

Wednesday Night: Brine the Bird (in the fridge by 8pm)
Equipment needed: 5-gallon pail from Lowe's or Home Depot
My version of Alton Brown's recipe for Brining from I'm Just Here for the Food
(which involves essentially cooking some water, brown sugar, peppercorns, bay leaves and kosher salt, then cooling and adding to the bucket).
Plus: 3 gallons ice water and 1 1/2 cups kosher salt

Thursday Timeline:
7:00 a.m.: Remove bird from Brining Liquid
Preheat oven
Dry bird, stuff with an onion, celery sticks. Brush whole bird with melted butter, then tent with foil, stick a meat thermometer in it, then put the bird in the oven.

8:00 a.m.: Cook sausage for stuffing, chop vegetables for stuffing (celery, carrots and onions), then cook when sausage is done. Add dried cranberries, leave to cool and set aside

8:15 a.m.: Peel 8 pounds of potatoes and start boiling them for mashed potatoes

8:45 a.m.: Start simple syrup for kids' Floating Island Punch
Put Frozen raspberries, pink lemonade and sugar in bowl to thaw for Poinsettia Punch for grownups :-)

9:30 a.m.: Mash potatoes and put in crock-pot--done till 11:15 a.m. (take a nap, read the ads for Black Friday shopping...I do all my house cleaning on Wednesday, so I'm chilling for these two hours)

11:30 a.m.: remove foil tent from turkey, baste with more butter and turn oven temp up to 425 degrees
Start green beans (I made a healthy version, which I can post later)
Start Citrus-Glazed Carrots

12:15 p.m.: Assemble stuffing

12:30 p.m.: Remove turkey from oven and let set
Put rolls in oven
Put stuffing in oven
Make gravy

1:00 p.m.: Serve and eat ;-)

My MIL made the pies, and I had baked cookies on Wednesday night, so all the rest was done ahead of time. I usually make the pies a day or two ahead of time, but this time someone else did them, so I was saved that chore. This turkey was SO SO good, though. I just can't even tell you ;-)

How was your Thanksgiving? Was it a huge success? I do dishes as I go, and run the dishwasher about halfway through so that everyone can eat on real plates. Clean-up is still a lot of work, but it's not AS bad as it could be.

And if you want to read about my Black Friday adventures, I posted on RTB today about them!

Shirley

FREE! This weekend only!

THE GROOM WANTED SECONDS
a Sweet and Savory Romance Prequel

A limited time offer--you can get THE GROOM WANTED SECONDS for FREE! Pop on over to Amazon and grab this deal before it's gone! And FYI for those in the UK, it's free there too! Here's the UK link!

About the book:

Nothing like a little breakup to remind a man why he loves a woman and what an idiot he’s been. After a clunky marriage proposal, Rebecca Wilson breaks up with Jeremy Hamilton, an engineer lacking a romance chromosome. She goes away for the summer and thinks she has found true love. When she returns with a broken heart, Jeremy seizes the opportunity to convince her to give him a second chance.

But it isn’t until he brings out his wild and fun side that Jeremy sees a dim flicker of hope for a future with Rebecca. His determination drives Rebecca to break into her secret cookie stash, hoping Thin Mints can make her forget Mr. Wrong. She’s already been burned twice before—is she ready to take a second chance on love?

The Sweet and Savory Romances will make you laugh, cry, and rev up your appetite with their hunky heroes. As a special addition, satiate your hunger—for food that is— with tried-and-true recipes written by the characters inside.

 

Look for the other books in the series, too: THE BRIDE WORE CHOCOLATE, THE DEVIL SERVED DESIRE and THE ANGEL TASTED TEMPTATION. Available for your favorite eReader!

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Easiest Crock-Pot Roast Beef Ever

I love an easy recipe. Even better, one that requires almost no effort on my part, yet still gets rave reviews from my family. This roast beef fit the bill on all levels.

Easiest Crock-Pot Roast Beef Ever

1 chuck roast, 3-4 pounds
1 package Italian dressing mix
1 package Brown gravy mix
1 package Ranch dressing mix
1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons corn starch
1/4 cup cold water

Put the roast in the crock-pot (browning beforehand is optional). Mix the three mixes and the 1/2 cup water, then pour over the roast. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours. When done, remove the roast and put on a cutting board, allowing it to rest before slicing. Meanwhile, mix the corn starch and cold water in a bowl, then add to the gravy in the crock-pot. Turn crock-pot to High and stir, until gravy thickens.

This was so tender, you could cut it with a fork. The gravy was AWESOME and definitely made the beef way more flavorful. Easy and quick, my favorite kind of cooking!

Shirley

A Behind the Scenes Peek at a Trilogy

Last year, two of my author friends and I pitched and sold a trilogy to Harlequin. It was so much fun to work with Donna Alward and Fiona Harper, and to create three sisters who had a troubled past. We set the story in a fictional town in Massachusetts, and created three strong heroes for these amazing sisters. Read all about how this worked on this thread on eHarlequin, and pick up the first book, Snowbound in the Earl's Castle, in stores now! Look for Donna Alward's story, Sleigh Ride with the Rancher at the end of the month. My story (the third one) will be out at the end of November--Mistletoe Kisses with the Billionaire.

Read our thread here, and add your comments or questions for any one of us, or the group!

Shirley

Perfect for Fall's Chill: Oven Baked Beef Stew

There's just something about fall that has me in the kitchen, cooking. I love the smells of things in the oven, love hunkering down with my loved ones and enjoying a dish I've made myself. This oven-baked Beef Stew is one of my all-time favorites and one of those things I crave as soon as the temperatures dip. I've made it a couple dozen times (which is a miracle in my house, because I'm always trying something new!).

Oven-Baked Beef Stew

1 pound round steak, cut into 1-inch cubes

2-3 cups red wine (I use a Shiraz, or a Merlot, something we would normally drink; enough to marinate the beef)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 pound carrots, chopped
2 small onions, chopped
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups red wine (same wine; but NOT the wine in the marinade; I basically dump the rest of the bottle in)
3 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup cold water
3 tablespoons corn starch

Marinate the beef in a zip-lock bag for 1 to 3 hours, depending on when you remember to start this ;-). Remove from marinade, then heat olive oil and cook beef until browned. Remove from pan. Cook garlic and vegetables until browned, remove from pan. Melt butter, add flour and make a roux (the base for a sauce, if you don't know what this is, you can go here for the basics). Add the wine gradually, stirring with a whisk. Then the chicken stock and tomato paste. Put the beef, vegetables and liquid into an oven-safe Dutch Oven or other large pot/pan and bake at 375 for two hours (you can also put this in the Crock-pot).

Just before you're ready to serve, you can thicken the stew. I like a really thick stew, so I mix the water and the corn starch, then stir this into the hot stew. It makes it nice and thick, really yummy . I serve it with biscuits and that's enough for a mega meal. Okay, this is totally not Weight Watchers friendly but when it's 25 below outside, I really don't care ;-)

 

Enjoy!

 

Shirley

Book News, Trilogy Behind the Scenes Peek and JSWI news!

It has been a BUSY few weeks here! I've been writing my fingers off, trying to make a lot of deadlines that just sort of ran together. Not much cooking going on in my house--mainly just dump something in the crock-pot or fix something fast ;-) But I'll get back to it soon, these colder temperatures have me craving comfort foods!

Lots of writing news--first, I wanted to announce the release of THE GROOM WANTED SECONDS, the prequel to the Sweet and Savory Romance series (with THE BRIDE WORE CHOCOLATE, THE DEVIL SERVED DESIRE and THE ANGEL TASTED TEMPTATION). This all-new book is a fun, sexy novella that features Rebecca and Jeremy's story--read all about how they almost didn't make it to the altar! And at only .99 cents, it's a bargain!

Second, if you're interested in how a trilogy comes together, stop by the Romantic Times blog and read how Donna Alward, Fiona Harper and myself wrote our Holiday Miracles trilogy together. Three friends, working together to tell the story of three sisters. It was a blast and so is our in-real-time interview!
Third, the JumpStart Writing Institute is offering LOTS of awesomeness for writers! Those who join get access to regular motivational posts, writing information and first dibs as well as lower prices on all my classes. From now until October 12th, midnight, there's a special price for signing up! Stop by the membership page for details!


Oh, and local people who pick up Glo magazine, look for Part One of my six-part novella, "Fools Rush In," a Glo exclusive! You can also read it online (turn to page 30).

Happy reading!

Shirley

White Chicken Chili

This is one of my favorite dinners. I usually poach extra chicken when I'm making stock or a soup or something else that requires cooked chicken, then make this quick dinner on a busy weekday.

 

When I made it this week, I used fresh peppers and jalapenos from the garden, instead of the pickled jalapeno. It made it hotter, for sure, but still delicious! :-)

 

 

White Chicken Chili

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup onions, chopped
1 cup green pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons pickled jalapeno (comes in a jar in the Mexican food aisle), chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt (or regular; I just prefer to cook with kosher)
2 cups chicken broth (I used the broth I made from the chickens I roasted the other day)
2 15-ounce cans Great Northern beans, drained
1 pound cooked chicken, shredded (again, from those chickens I roasted; I just made two instead of one)
1/2 cup whipping cream (I rarely have that on hand so I used half and half)

Heat oil in a large pot (like a Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Add onion, green pepper and jalapeno. Saute about 4 minutes, until soft and onion is translucent. Add garlic and spices. Cook for one minute. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add vegetables, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook until vegetables are tender. Add beans and chicken and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in cream and cook until heated through. Serve.

Shirley

Easy Honey-Beer Bread

I saw this on Pinterest the other day. It looked super easy and delicious...and it was both! Although I LOVE homemade bread, all the time involved...I'm not a fan of that. So quick and easy bread, definitely my kind of homemade bread!
This one turns out really dense. I used Coors Light beer, and don't know if a regular beer would change the density, but it was still good. Next time I think I'll experiment with a different kind of beer, maybe something that has a flavor to it, just to add a twist :-)

It's a five-minute batter, literally. Mine baked for 60 minutes, but your mileage may vary depending on your oven.

Honey-Beer Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder

2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons honey

1 can beer

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and divided

Preheat over to 350F. Grease a 9″x5″x3″ loaf pan (I used Pam and I missed one spot, so definitely get the whole pan well). Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom and press it into the Pam/butter.

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Heat the honey in the microwave for about 10 seconds to make it easier to stir, then add the honey and the beer to the batter. Mix until all ingredients are blended well.

Pour half the melted butter onto the bottom of the loaf pan. into the loaf pan. Spoon in the batter, then drizzle the rest of the butter on top. If needed, spread it with a pastry brush (this gives it a nice golden crust).

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until the top is golden brown and a toothpick/knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. It rises pretty quickly in the oven, so make sure there's enough room between racks for it :-)

Shirley

Low-Fat Cake with Nutella Buttercream

Okay, so this is a cake that kind of cancels itself out, sort of the fries with Diet Coke theory ;-) But in my defense, it's overall pretty healthy and I only made half a buttercream frosting, so it's a thin layer of that. Not so bad, right?

I saw both recipes on Pinterest and thought they'd be more fun together ;-)

The cake recipe is from Dr. Oz and is insanely simple. I found that using a name-brand cake mix (Pillsbury) produced a denser cake than store brand, so next time I use name-brand, I'll add a tiny bit more water. Also, the Dr Oz version called for plain Greek Yogurt, but I thought vanilla would add a tiny bit more flavor (and I was right ;-). I use Yoplait's, but there are a ton out there to choose from.

Low-Fat Devil's Food Cake

1 box Devil's Food Cake Mix
1 container Vanilla Greek Yogurt
1 cup water

Preheat oven according to package directions (I use a 13 by 9 pan and did 350 degrees). Spray pan with cooking spray. Mix all three ingredients, pour into pan. Bake according to package directions. Cool, then frost.

Nutella Buttercream Frosting (half batch)

1 stick butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup Nutella spread
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon heavy cream

Cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer or with an electric mixer until thoroughly mixed and light yellow in color. Add nutella, mix thoroughly. Add vanilla, then cream, and mix until combined. Frost :-)

That's it! It's easy and quick and a HUGE hit with my kids. Also, delicious with coffee for breakfast--something I know from personal experience ;-)

Shirley