Tag Archives: **AUTHOR SPECIAL**

Karen's Killer Fixin's

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s *Author Special* with Terri L. Austin

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Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **AUTHOR SPECIAL** with TERRI L. AUSTIN

Welcome to my Friday bonus feature called Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special**!!  Today, in lieu of one of my own recipes, I’m going to introduce you to a new author who will share one of her favorite recipes. Not only will you and I occasionally learn how to make something new and delicious, but we’ll get a chance to check out some wonderful authors.

Introducing author, TERRI L. AUSTIN, and her favorite recipe for PUMPKIN BREAD!

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BOOK PEEK ~   LAST DINER STANDING by Terri L. Austin

Henery Press
978 1938383083
Released December 3, 2012

Rose Strickland is having a blue Christmas. Her friend is arrested for attempted murder, her sexy bad guy crush is marked by a hit man, and her boss is locked in an epic smackdown with a rival diner. Determined to save those she loves, Rose embarks on an investigation more tangled than a box of last year’s tree lights. With her eclectic gang at the ready, Rose stumbles across dead bodies, ex-cons, jilted lovers, and a gaggle of strippers as she searches for the truth. What she finds will leave her entrenched in a battle for freedom she might not survive.

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  About the author, Terri L. Austin….

Terri L. Austin lives in Missouri with her funny, handsome husband and a high maintenance peekapoo.  She’s the author of Diners, Dives and Dead Ends—a Rose Strickland Mystery.  “Austin’s debut kicks off her planned series by introducing a quirky, feisty heroine and a great supporting cast of characters and putting them through quite a number of interesting twists.” Kirkus Reviews

She loves to hear from readers and you can finder her on Twitter, FB, Goodreads, TerriLAustin.com, and Henery Press. Terri and some of her writer friends have a Wednesday book chat on Little Read Hens. Stop by and join the conversation.

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LAST DINER STANDING by Terri L. Austin

EXCERPT

There are some absolutes in this life that are irrefutable. If you leave the house looking like crap, you’ll see someone you know, usually an ex-boyfriend. If you’re running late for an appointment, you’ll hit every red light on the way. And a three a.m. phone call is never good news. Either someone’s dead, in the hospital, or you’re a drunken booty call. But that Saturday morning, I discovered another reason to avoid the ringing harbinger of bad news.

“’ello,” I answered, my eyes still closed.

“Rose, I’m in jail, girl.”

I sniffed and sat up on my futon. “Janelle?”

“Of course it’s Janelle. They think I tried to kill Asshat.”

Scrubbing a hand over my eyes, I glanced at the clock. “Asshat?”

Janelle lowered her voice. “Rose, wake up and listen. I’m in jail, Asshat’s in a coma, and they’re saying I tried to kill him. I need help.”

Her dilemma finally penetrated my sleep-fogged brain. “Oh my God. Where are the kids?” Janelle had two, Damon, nine, and Sherise, seven. Both so cute you wanted to pinch their little cheeks. But I wouldn’t recommend it—that Sherise was a biter.

“They’re staying with my cousin, Sondra. But I got to get out of here. If they think I’m spending Christmas in jail then I’m Halle Damn Berry.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Call that fancy lawyer you know. He’ll figure it out.”

Dane Harker. “I’ll call him and come see you in the morning. Will they let me bring you anything?”

“Cigarettes and toiletries. These bitches trade everything for cigarettes. And Rose? Thanks.”

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Connect with Terri L. Austin & her books:

 Twitter

FB

Goodreads

TerriLAustin.com

Henery Press

Terri and some of her writer friends have a Wednesday book chat on Little Read Hens

Amazon

B&N

 

I hope you enjoy the recipe Terri is sharing with us today on Karen’s Killer Fixin’s.  Happy eating!

Karen

P.S.  We’re at 66 recipes and counting with this posting.  Hope you find some recipes you like. If this is your first visit, please check out past blogs for more Killer Fixin’s. In the right hand column menu, you can even look up past recipes by type. i.e. Desserts, Breads, Beef, Chicken, Soups, Author Specials, etc.

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A Note from Terri: Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the changing leaves, the hint of wood smoke in the air, and pumpkins. I make this delicious bread whenever my kids are home from college. The spicy pumpkin smell fills the house and makes me happy. I’ve adapted this recipe from Gifts of Good Taste published by Leisure Arts in 1989.

PUMPKIN BREAD
[Makes 2 loaves]

3 ½ cups all-purpose flour (I use whole wheat pastry flour and it works beautifully)
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 ½ cups sugar
1 ½ cups brown sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup sour cream
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups pumpkin
2/3 cup water
1 ½ cups chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, spices, and sugars. Add oil, sour cream, eggs, pumpkin, and water. Combine until well blended. Stir in pecans. Lightly grease two 9x5x3 inch loaf pans. Pour batter into pans and bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool before removing from pans. Enjoy!

 

Karen's Killer Fixin's

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s *Author Special* with Cathy Perkins

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Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **AUTHOR SPECIAL** with CATHY PERKINS

Welcome to my Friday bonus feature called Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special**!!  Today, in lieu of one of my own recipes, I’m going to introduce you to a new author who will share one of her favorite recipes. Not only will you and I occasionally learn how to make something new and delicious, but we’ll get a chance to check out some wonderful authors.

Introducing author, CATHY PERKINS, and her favorite recipe for SMOKEY SPICE WINTER SQUASH SOUP!

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BOOK PEEK ~   HONOR CODE by Cathy Perkins

With HONOR CODE, award-winning author Cathy Perkins delivers a mystery NOVELLA linked to her recent mystery novel, THE PROFESSOR.

In a small southern town where everyone knows each other’s business, veteran detective Larry Robbins must solve the disappearance of eighty-year-old widower George Beason.

When evidence arises that Beason may have left town on his own, it would be easy for Robbins to close the case, but his gut instinct tells him more’s at stake. As he uncovers clues about Beason’s deceased wife and his estranged daughter, Robbins must untangle conflicting motives and hidden agendas to bring Beason home alive.

  About the author, Cathy Perkins….

Cathy Perkins’ suspense writing lurks behind a financial day-job, where she learned firsthand the camouflage, hide in plain sight, skills employed by her villains. Born and raised in South Carolina, the setting for HONOR CODE and THE PROFESSOR, she now lives in the Pacific Northwest with her work-a-holic husband and a 75-pound Lab who thinks she’s still a lap-puppy. You can learn more on her website http://cperkinswrites.com

Connect with Cathy Perkins & her books:

Website http://cperkinswrites.com

Amazon http://amzn.to/QV32k6

I hope you enjoy the recipe Cathy is sharing with us today on Karen’s Killer Fixin’s.  Happy eating!

Karen

P.S.  We’re at 65 recipes and counting with this posting.  Hope you find some recipes you like. If this is your first visit, please check out past blogs for more Killer Fixin’s. In the right hand column menu, you can even look up past recipes by type. i.e. Desserts, Breads, Beef, Chicken, Soups, Author Specials, etc.

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A Note From Cathy: Are you deep into NaNo, looking for a simple meal (time saver with the holidays right around the corner) or a hearty winter soup? Smokey Winter Squash Soup gives you all the above – and flexibility depending on what’s in your cupboard. My kids love this soup (a way to get vegetables into them!) and I love being able to toss everything into the cooker in the morning and know dinner’s taken care of for the day.

SMOKEY SPICE WINTER SQUASH SOUP
[Makes 8 generous servings]

1 medium sized winter squash (~2 – 3 pounds)
4 cups chicken stock
Red pepper – use 3 – 5 if using prepared roasted ones or 1 large fresh one
Garlic – 4 cloves minced or 3 Tbs prepared
1 large onion
¼ tsp ginger, minced (or ½ tsp ground)
½ cup peanut butter
1 can garbanzo beans (or substitute Great Northern or any white bean you prefer)
¼ tsp Chipotle pepper (this is where the ‘smokey’ comes from; substitute red pepper if you prefer)
Pinch cardamom (substitute ¼ tsp cloves or nutmeg)
¼ – ½ tsp mustard (I’ve actually substituted Dijon mustard here)
½ tsp cumin

Chop up the winter squash and either roast for 20 minutes or microwave 5 minutes. Allow to cool, then peel and place in soup pot or slow cooker

Add chicken stock and remaining ingredients. Cook low and slow until everything is tender. I set me slow cooker for 4 hours and check to see if the squash is tender. Add time as needed – don’t worry about overcooking, it just gets better the longer the soup ingredients have to mingle. Taste and add seasonings if desired.

Blend until smooth. (I use an immersion blender but a hand mixer or the old standby blender work as well)

Serve with crusty bread and a green salad.   8 generous servings

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**SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:  Cathy will give away one copy of HONOR CODE to one lucky reader!!  Comment on her Karen’s Killer Fixin’s *Author Special* blog for a chance to win.  Winner will be randomly selected and announced Monday, November 19, 2012.  Thanks, Cathy, for sharing your story with us!

 

Karen's Killer Fixin's

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special** with Deborah Palumbo

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  Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **AUTHOR SPECIAL** with DEBORAH PALUMBO

Welcome to my Friday bonus feature called Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special**!!  Today, in lieu of one of my own recipes, I’m going to introduce you to a new author who will share one of his favorite recipes. Not only will you and I occasionally learn how to make something new and delicious, but we’ll get a chance to check out some wonderful authors.

Introducing author, DEBORAH PALUMBO, and her favorite recipe for PUMPKIN PANCAKES WITH CARAMELIZED BANANAS & CINNAMON WHIPPED CREAM!

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BOOK PEEK ~   THE BANISHED ONE by Deborah Palumbo

The Banished One, a serial killer vampire also named Lucius, is still wreaking havoc on the sleepy town in Tower City, and since he’s supernatural he can’t be captured by normal police procedure . A frustrated Lieutenant Welby, a staunch disbeliever in vampires is finally convinced he’s got a serial killer vampire on the loose and follows the old town rumors about vampires right to Quentin and his gothic castle to enlist Quentin’s supernatural aid in capturing Lucius. The question is, will Quentin make the Lieutenant one of The Undeparted, or will he battle Lucius and send him to hell?

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  About the author, Deborah Palumbo….

I’m a self-pubbed author spinning yarns in two genres available in ebook and paperback on amazon…historical and paranormal laced with mystery and sometime spice…and Mystery/crime; you know, who dunnit with frustrated detectives who are hot on the trail of some killer.

I also co-wrote a screenplay with the acclaimed actor/writer Jordan Rhodes.  www.jordanrhodes.com

I was honored to have caught Jordan’s attention with my mystery crime novel EDGE OF DARKNESS, hence his invitation to co-write with him. He wrote a review of me and my novel I’d love to share with you if you don’t mind a little bragging:

“Edge of darkness is a taut suspenseful Detective thriller laced with humor that reminds one of the wit displayed by the character of Lenny from Law & Order. It’s an interesting read that would easily translate to film as it conveys visuals to the reader. For every Mickey Spillane fan out there – Mickey’s back – only he’s a female and her name is Deborah Palumbo.”   ~ Jordan Rhodes Actor/writer ~

I wish I could say that I write these tales of love and murder and mayhem behind an antique desk, but the fact is I write in my king bed with my pillows scrunched up behind me! I began this whole writing journey when I became bedridden and homebound. Talk about fate. I had always wanted to write novels, since I was a kid, but it took a period of long confinement to bring about that dream.

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THE BANISHED ONE by Deborah Palumbo

EXCERPT

Suddenly a chemical shot through Lucius while he was watching that sexy female, similar to a feeling when he was mortal and checking out a hot babe. But this desire in his vampire state was more intense, almost electrified and mingled with this lustful craving for blood. He had to drink from her neck; taste her life’s essence, and he had to get laid. There was no fighting it, no self-control. He was accustomed to indulging every desire, no matter if they were spontaneous eruptions from some surging chemical, or a well-planned rendezvous.

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Connect with Deborah Palumbo & her books:

WEBSITE: www.deborahpalumbo.com

BLOG: http://deborahpalumbotheundeparted.blogspot.com/

AMAZON BOOK PAGE: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=deborah+palumbo&x=6&y=19

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/deborahpalumbo2

GOODREADS:http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6441876.Deborah_Palumbo

WANTED: 1500 PEOPLE TO BORROW MY BOOKS FREE THIS MONTH BY JOINING AMAZON PRIME MEMBERS 1 MO FREE TRIAL.
Join up and borrow and all of DEBORAH PALUMBO books for FREE! http://amzn.to/SignupPrime via @amazon

I hope you enjoy the recipe Deborah is sharing with us today on Karen’s Killer Fixin’s.  Happy eating!

Karen

P.S.  We’re at 63 recipes and counting with this posting.  Hope you find some recipes you like. If this is your first visit, please check out past blogs for more Killer Fixin’s. In the right hand column menu, you can even look up past recipes by type. i.e. Desserts, Breads, Beef, Chicken, Soups, Author Specials, etc.

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PUMPKIN PANCAKES WITH CARMELIZED BANANAS & CINNAMON WHIPPED CREAM

Here’s a wonderful Autumn recipe for everyone!  How about some pumpkin pancakes with caramelized bananas with cinnamon whipped cream to go with your cup of java? Does that sound scrumptious or what!

Pumpkin Pancakes:

  • 1 cup pastry flour
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/16 teaspoon cloves
  • 1/16 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/16 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 1-ounce melted butter
  • 4 egg whites, whipped to soft peak
  • 2 tablespoon vegetable oil

Caramelized Bananas:

  • 4 bananas, cut in half lengthwise
  • 2 ounces butter
  • 4 tablespoons sugar

Cinnamon Whipped Cream:

  • 4 ounces whipped cream
  • Cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon sugar

To make pancakes, sift together all of the dry ingredients. In a bowl, combine the puree, whole eggs, and the half-and-half. Add the flour mixture and stir, being careful not to over mix the batter. Finish with the melted butter. Gently fold in 1/2 the egg whites to loosen the batter and when the whites are nearly incorporated, fold in the remaining egg whites.

Heat the griddle to medium heat. Drizzle enough vegetable oil to prevent sticking and spoon batter onto griddle, spreading them with the back of the spoon. When pancakes are golden brown, flip to finish cooking.

Cut the bananas in 1/2 lengthwise. Heat a saute pan to medium and melt the butter and sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves and begins to caramelize. Add the bananas and toss to coat.

To prepare the whipped cream, whisk the cream, cinnamon, and sugar in a bowl until it holds a stiff peak.

To serve, stack the pancakes on each plate. Spoon syrup over the pancakes, top with the caramelized bananas and a dollop of cinnamon whipped cream.

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I want to thank you Karen for your gracious hospitality here on your blog! I had a great time and look forward to being friends.

Deborah Palumbo

Karen's Killer Fixin's

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special** with Mark Nesbitt

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  Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **AUTHOR SPECIAL** with MARK NESBITT

Welcome to my Friday bonus feature called Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special**!!  Today, in lieu of one of my own recipes, I’m going to introduce you to a new author who will share one of his favorite recipes. Not only will you and I occasionally learn how to make something new and delicious, but we’ll get a chance to check out some wonderful authors.

Introducing author, MARK NESBITT, and his favorite recipe for PEACH LIGHTNING, shared with him by a ghost!

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BOOK PEEK ~   CIVIL WAR GHOST TRAILS by Mark Nesbitt

  • Riveting ghost stories with history from all the major engagements of the war, including Manassas, Shiloh, antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Vicksburg, Gettysburg, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Petersburg and Appomattox.
  • Chilling accounts from wartime capitals of Richmond and Washington, DC, and haunted Civil War prisons at Johnson’s Island, Point Lookout, and Andersonville.
  • Field investigations with witnesses and EVP recordings.

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 About the author, Mark Nesbitt….

Mark Nesbitt was a National Park Service Ranger/Historian for five years at Gettysburg before starting his own research and writing company. Since then he has published over fifteen books including the popular Ghosts of Gettysburg series and newly released Civil War Ghost Trails. For his most recent ebook, Blood & Ghosts, his co-author was Katherine Ramsland, an expert in the field of forensics and serial killers. Mark’s stories have been seen on The History Channel, A&E, The Discovery Channel, The Travel Channel, Unsolved Mysteries, and numerous regional television shows and heard on Coast to Coast AM, and regional radio. In 1994, he created the commercially successful Ghosts of GettysburgCandlelight Walking Tours® and in 2006, the Ghosts of Fredericksburg Tours.

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CIVIL WAR GHOST TRAILS by Mark Nesbitt

EXCERPT

Why would ghosts be associated with the Civil War? Like most wars, the Civil War began with naïve expectations of a quick victory—on both sides. Men enlisted for ninety days and prayed that the war wouldn’t end before their enlistment. Parties and celebrations sent young men off to glorious war, and girlfriends could not really be serious when they told their beaux to bring home their uniforms without any holes in them.

Tragically, after four years, nearly 850,000 of those young men would never come home. Half of that number would die wasted from disease. Hundreds of thousands more would return missing a limb. These figures, however, are slightly misleading. America in the nineteenth century had less than one-tenth the population it does today. So we need to multiply those figures by ten to get the same impact they would have today. Imagine if, in just four years of war today, America lost more than 8 million young men and millions more came home missing an arm or leg or both. The outcry would be overwhelming.

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Connect with Mark Nesbitt & Civil War Ghost Trails:

I hope you enjoy today’s Killer Fixin’s, as well as the recipe Mark is sharing with us today.  Happy eating!

Karen

P.S.  We’re at 62 recipes and counting with this posting.  Hope you find some recipes you like. If this is your first visit, please check out past blogs for more Killer Fixin’s. In the right hand column menu, you can even look up past recipes by type. i.e. Desserts, Breads, Beef, Chicken, Soups, Author Specials, etc.

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Note from author, Mark Nesbitt: Thanks to Sarge, a resident ghost at the Cashtown Inn, Pennsylvania, for sharing this recipe when told we had a bottle of Virginia White Lightning. For those folks who are wondering, White Lightning is actually legal moonshine that you can buy in the liquor stores. The illegal version would make the recipe much more fun and might be what my ghost Sarge actually used, but we’ll stick with the legal version! 🙂

 

PEACH LIGHTNING

* Muddle 1/2 peach in the bottom of an Old-Fashioned glass
Add crushed ice
Top off with White Lightning

STIR.

[[FOR THOSE OF LEGAL DRINKING AGE ONLY!!]]

* One type of bartender’s tool is a “muddler” which is used like a pestle to mash the fruit in the bottom of the glass.

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**SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:  Mark will give away an ebook copy of BLOOD & GHOSTS, which he co-authored with Katherine Ramsland (this week’s Karen’s Killer Book Bench author, check Monday & Wednesday blogs for more about Katherine)  to one reader who comments on today’s Karen’s Killer Fixin’s blog.  Winner will be randomly selected and announced Monday.  Thanks, Mark, for sharing your story, and favorite recipe, with us!
Karen's Killer Fixin's

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special** with Sharon Clare

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  Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **AUTHOR SPECIAL** with SHARON CLARE

Welcome to my Friday bonus feature called Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special**!!  Today, in lieu of one of my own recipes, I’m going to introduce you to a new author who will share one of his favorite recipes. Not only will you and I occasionally learn how to make something new and delicious, but we’ll get a chance to check out some wonderful authors.

Introducing author, SHARON CLARE, and her favorite recipe for CURRY GLAZED CARROTS!

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BOOK PEEK ~  Love of Her Lives by Sharon Clare

Calum and Beth are soul mates who have lived many lives together until Beth decides to live a life on her own. Left behind in the Upper World, Calum sees a wrongful imprisonment in her future, so he bargains with Finn, an elven trickster to return to Earth, rescue Beth and reclaim her heart. Unfamiliar with the twenty-first century, he must determine who plots against Beth while playing Finn’s passion-provoking game.

Beth has no recollection of their lives together and didn’t ask this sexually-charged stranger to come to her aid. She is horrified to find her house ransacked and her life threatened. With a secret to keep, she takes the greatest risk of all—trusting Calum. Her life soon depends upon re-evaluating everything she thought normal. Their eternal bond will only be saved if Beth can rescue the man who spanned worlds to rescue her.

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 About the author, Sharon Clare….

Sharon Clare lives in Ontario with her husband and three wonderful grown-up kids who come and go from the nest. She fell in love with writing at the University of Toronto where she graduated with a science degree in psychology and professional writing. She writes paranormal romance and has published short stories, art reviews, newsletter and magazine articles. Her favourite place to write is outside under the maple trees beside the trickling pond and blooming lilies.

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LOVE OF HER LIVES

EXCERPT

If the best way to a man’s heart was through his stomach, then tiramisu may just be the best way out of a man’s heart, or so Beth Stewart hoped. She needed all the help she could get. Breaking up with Matthew required tact and diplomacy. Her financial security depended on them remaining friends.

She stood at her kitchen counter, bent over a shopping list, considering the perfect break–up meal. He loved her sweet potato coconut soup, one of the few things about her he’d not tried to improve. Since it was vital they continued to work together amiably until their investment house in Belize sold, she would butter up his palate to ease the breakup.

Matthew, you deserve a woman who is crazy over you … Or one who didn’t see his endless suggestions as a need to control. Was that a good way to start the break–up conversation? Should she wait till dessert?

And what else to serve? Nothing that sparked romance, no chocolate–dipped strawberries tonight. Perhaps tiramisu was too decadent. Perhaps an old–fashioned apple pie to bring thoughts of support, community, the golden rule? Or was she reaching with that?

She should serve something to ensure Matthew left the house after dinner. Baked beans?

She chuckled as she approached her garden shed. A heaping plate of Rocky Mountain oysters would have him running for the curb before dinner. How do you prefer your bull’s testicles, Matthew? Rare? Well done? Roasted in their sac?

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Connect with Sharon Clare & Love of Her Lives

For more Love of Her Lives please visit sharonclare.com

Love of Her Lives is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Google Play (for epub file) and wherever ebooks are sold.

I hope you enjoy today’s Killer Fixin’s, as well as the recipe Sharon is sharing with us today.  Happy eating!

Karen

P.S.  We’re at 58 recipes and counting with this posting.  Hope you find some recipes you like. If this is your first visit, please check out past blogs for more Killer Fixin’s. In the right hand column menu, you can even look up past recipes by type. i.e. Desserts, Breads, Beef, Chicken, Soups, Author Specials, etc.

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Note from author, Sharon Clare:  Recipe comes from one of the best cooks I know, Barbara Urbain.

 

CURRY GLAZED CARROTS

12 carrots
2 tbsp. butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp. chopped or grated ginger root
1-1/2 tsp. curry powder
1-1/2 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp. honey

Peel carrots, cut into 1/4 inch slices. In a deep skillet, heat butter, garlic, and ginger root over medium heat for 1 minute. Add curry powder and cook for 30 seconds, stirring. Add carrots, stock and honey. Cook until liquid evaporates and carrots are tender and glazed. About 20-30 minutes.

Bon appétit!

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**SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:  Sharon will give away an electronic copy of LOVE OF HER LIVES to one reader who comments on today’s Karen’s Killer Fixin’s blog.  Winner will be randomly selected and announced Monday.  Thanks, Sharon, for sharing your story, and favorite recipe, with us!
Karen's Killer Fixin's

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special** with Art Keller

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  Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **AUTHOR SPECIAL**

Welcome to my Friday bonus feature called Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special**!!  Today, in lieu of one of my own recipes, I’m going to introduce you to a new author who will share one of his favorite recipes. Not only will you and I occasionally learn how to make something new and delicious, but we’ll get a chance to check out some wonderful authors.

Introducing author, ART KELLER, and his favorite food and beer pairing recipe for OLD NUMBER 38 STOUT CHOCOLATE MOUSSE which he prepared with the assistance of his brother, DENNIS KELLER! (Read more with the recipe, below.)

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BOOK PEEK ~  Hollow Strength by Art Keller

Jeff Stein, author of “A Murder in Wartime,” and veteran Washington Post journalist an “Spy Talk” blogger: “Art Keller has definitely been there, done that.  As a former CIA operative in the agency division responsible for tracking black market nuclear weapons, he has seen enough to make his hair stand straight permanently, and in ‘Hollow Strength’ he’ll make yours stand up, too.”

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About the author, Art Keller….

Art Keller is a former CIA case officer in the Counter-Proliferation  Division, the part of the CIA charged with spying on and sabotaging  Iran’s nuclear program. He’s done commentary for CNN, CBS, The News Hour on PBS, Newsmax Magazine, and the National Geographic Channel.    He’s  also the author of the just released spy novel (espionage thriller)  about the CIA and Iran, Hollow Strength.

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Hollow Strength
EXCERPT

 Book excerpt, the big bang in chapter two that gets thing rolling:

Vahdat was reaching up to terminate his call when the limpet mines detonated. By a strange trick of the physics of shock waves and flying shrapnel, Vahdat’s cell phone, as well as the hand that had been gripping it, was blown free of the Shaheed and deposited by a blast wave into the blue-green waters of the Gulf. The synchronized crump of multiple mine detonations were clearly transmitted over the airwaves into Ziyaii’s voicemail box before the saltwater of the Persian Gulf shorted out Vahdat’s phone.

* * *

Within five seconds, catastrophic explosive flooding took the Shaheed from floating on the Persian Gulf to being in the Persian Gulf. The pressure and shock waves, the flying molten metal, superheated gases, and scalding flash-steamed water vapor created conditions as hostile to life as the cosmic furnace at the heart of the sun. The explosions left nothing that even the most hardened trauma surgeon, accustomed as they were to gruesome injuries, could have gazed upon without horror or pity. On a sunny June day, at 11:43 a.m. local time, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp Navy Destroyer Shaheed, carrying a load of VIPs and press on its maiden voyage, was lost with all hands.

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Connect with Art Keller & Hollow Strength

I hope you enjoy today’s Killer Fixin’s, as well as the recipe Art and Dennis are sharing with us today.  Happy eating!

Karen

P.S.  We’re at 57 recipes and counting with this posting.  Hope you find some recipes you like. If this is your first visit, please check out past blogs for more Killer Fixin’s. In the right hand column menu, you can even look up past recipes by type. i.e. Desserts, Breads, Beef, Chicken, Soups, Author Specials, etc.

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NOTE: This food and beer pairing is prepared with the assistance of Art’s brother, Dennis Keller, a past-master at food and beer pairings. He used to be a chef and now works for the Northern California North Coast Brewery, a craft brewer that has become so popular that they are literally not able to keep up with demand.

Old Number 38 Stout  CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

16 ounces Old # 38 Stout
8 egg yolks
8 egg whites
10 ladyfinger or macaroon cookies
9 ounces bittersweet baking chocolate
4 tablespoons butter room temperature
9 tablespoons granulated sugar

 

Reduce the stout by half over very low heat in saucepan and allow it to cool.
Melt the butter and chocolate while stirring over a double boiler, gradually add the sugar. Allow mixture to reach room temp, then whisk in the egg yolks and half of the reduced stout. Beat the egg whites until stiff in a separate mixing bowl. Fold the whites into the mouse gently. Crumple the cookies into serving glasses or plates. Drizzle the remaining stout over the cookies and cover with the mousse. Allow to set up in refrigerator over night. You can garnish with whipped cream and milk chocolate shavings.

 

Serve with cold Old # 38 Stout.
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I wish to extend my thanks to Art and Dennis for giving us a truly fun, out-of-the-ordinary, and creative recipe!
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**SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:  Art will give away a digital (mobi/Kindle or epub/Nook/iPad) copy of HOLLOW STRENGTH to up to five (5) lucky readers who comment on today’s Karen’s Killer Book Bench or Monday’s Interview blog.  Winners will be randomly selected and announced Monday.  Thanks, Art, for sharing your story with us!
Karen's Killer Fixin's

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special** with Ashlynne Laynne

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  Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **AUTHOR SPECIAL**

Welcome to my Friday bonus feature called Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special**!!  Today, in lieu of one of my own recipes, I’m going to introduce you to a new author who will share one of her recipes. Not only will you and I occasionally learn how to make something new and delicious, but we’ll get a chance to check out some wonderful authors.

Introducing author, ASHLYNNE LAYNNE, and her favorite recipe for SAUSAGE-CHEESE BALLS!

<<<>>>

ASHLYNNE ~~First off, I’d like to thank Karen for hosting me again. I enjoy cooking and sharing recipes with others. After I tell you a bit about my latest release, Blood Bonds, I’m going to share a recipe from the Bisquick Cookbook for Sausage-Cheese Balls. This appetizer has been a holiday favorite and tradition in my family, and it’s super simple to make.

Blood Bonds Blurb (The Progeny Series #2)

“Forever. For always. For eternity.”

The ties that bind two hearts are powerful. For Ascher Rousseau and Shauna McCutchin, it’s more than just a blood bond. Their union is that of vampire legend. Their love is a predestined prophecy foretold centuries ago.

It’s a week before Ascher and Shauna’s sealing and the couple is making final preparations for their eternity, but Ascher’s ex has other plans. Ursula is hell-bent on revenge—revenge fueled by lover’s scorn and her father’s death—and she begins breeding a fresh army of newborn darklings to do her bidding.

When Ursula finds a new weapon—an ally with the capability to dismantle the Rousseau clan— Ascher and Shauna’s bond is tested and they must stand together against Ursula or lose each other for eternity.

  About the author, Ashlynne Laynne….

Ashlynne Laynne has always had a soft spot in her heart for vampires but grew tired of the garlic fearing, sun-loathing creatures of old. An avid horror movie fan, she tends to enjoy media and music that is of a younger, more eclectic nature. This was the catalyst for her writing The Progeny. The vampire/witch pairing is unique and different when most books pair vampires with werewolves.

Ashlynne loves writing on the edge and teetering between the erotica and romance genres, and thinks of Ascher and Shauna as the wicked, damned version of Romeo and Juliet. She is currently working on books three and four of her Progeny Series, book one of her upcoming Rocker Series, and an untitled novella WIP. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, reading and spending time with her family. She juggles the hats of wife, mother, full time employee and part-time writer, hoping to write full time one day soon.

Ashlynne lives in North Carolina with her husband and teenage son.

Connect with Ashlynne….

Buy the Progeny Series!!

I hope you enjoy today’s Killer Fixin’s.  Happy eating!

Karen

P.S.  We’re at 50 recipes and counting with this posting.  Hope you find some recipes you like. If this is your first visit, please check out past blogs for more Killer Fixin’s. In the right hand column menu, you can even look up past recipes by type. i.e. Desserts, Breads, Beef, Chicken, Soups, Author Specials, etc.

~~~~~

Sausage-Cheese Balls (From the Bisquick Cookbook)
Makes about 8 ½ dozen

3 cups Original Bisquick
1 pound uncooked bulk pork sausage
4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (16 oz)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup milk
½ teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh parsley or ½ teaspoon flakes

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a jellyroll pan. Stir all ingredients until they are mixed well, and you may have to use your hands. Shape mixture into 1 inch balls and place in pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until brown. Immediately remove from pan and serve warm.

 

Karen's Killer Fixin's

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s with Elizabeth Haysmont

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  Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **AUTHOR SPECIAL**

Welcome to my Friday bonus feature called Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special**!!  Today, in lieu of one of my own recipes, I’m going to introduce you to a new author who will share one of her recipes. Not only will you and I occasionally learn how to make something new and delicious, but we’ll get a chance to check out some wonderful authors.

Introducing author, ELIZABETH HAYSMONT, and her favorite recipe for MEXICAN STUFFED SHELLS!

BOOK PEEK ~ The High Bridge by Elizabeth Haysmont

Sandra Yorken made it her life’s work proving that spirit sightings are the result of wishful thinking or willful misconduct. She’ll go to any length to debunk a story that makes a location a ‘tourist attraction’.

When she crashes her bike on a remote mountain road while searching for the legendary Ghost Train of the Rocky Mountains, the last person she wants help from is the mysterious (and breathtakingly handsome) Seth ‘Monty’Montclair. If her altitude sickness and an evil spirit don’t kill her first, falling in love with the wrong man may just break her heart forever.

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THE HIGH BRIDGE by Elizabeth Haysmont

EXCERPT

July, 2004

Seasons Park, Colorado

Sandra Yorken adjusted the elastic band of the headlamp to stop it digging into her forehead. Moving slightly, she cast its bluish beam onto the electromagnetic field detector in her hand. She watched the numbers display as she moved the device along the headboard. It irritated her that she had to do this in the dark.

“This wall is absolutely hot with EMF,” she said.

Wade Conrad, amateur ghost hunter, looked up from the camcorder he was setting in the corner. “Hot? Really?”

“I’m spiking the scale,” she muttered, climbing off the bed. “There must be unshielded wires in the wall behind the bed here. We’d better warn the hotel not to allow any guests with pacemakers to sleep in this room.”

“You sure it’s wires? I mean… there have been so many sightings in this room…”

Sandra sighed. That was the problem with investigating haunt-sites with the Believers. Sometimes the hard evidence upset the Dream. She knew better than to stomp on them. It was a hard lesson learned after the article about thatOhiogroup. Boy, did she take the heat for that one.

“Listen, can we turn a light on for a little bit?” she asked. “I’d like to see what I’m dealing with here.”

“No, ’cause Mark says it messes with the night vision cameras.”

Sandra rolled her eyes. “Okay, okay, can’t go against my host.” She continued to trace the outline of the bed, checked the output of the bedside lamps and swept the television on the credenza. She bit her lower lip and flicked the EMF detector into a different mode and back again. “Everything in this room is hot.”

“Well, what did you expect? It’s a haunted room,” Wade said. After a moment, his white grin gleamed against his dark face. “It’s THE haunted room.”

Sandra shook her head, forgetting that the headlamp betrayed her movements. “There must be another explanation for this. I haven’t seen such high readings since the Boston Museum of Industrial Arts. They had this storage room that was right next to an electrical room. The fear cage it generated would have blown your mind.”

“You investigated a museum?”

The awe in his voice was unmistakable, and Sandra blushed. “Well, the Board wanted to clear up why the maintenance personnel kept quitting because of the headless man in the basement. It was a simple fix; just add lead shielding around the electrical room.”

In the dark, Wade let out a sigh, telling her it wasn’t the answer he wanted.

“Anyway, either my EMF detector was damaged during the flight fromBostontoDenver, or there’s something seriously wrong with this room.”

Sandra stifled a scream as suddenly both their headlights went out. In the dark, she heard Wade move, followed by a crash and clatter.

“Oh crap, I’m dead,” Wade muttered.

“What happened?”

“That was Mark’s camera,” he answered, dread weighting his voice.

Sandra groaned and pulled the lamp off her head, clicking the switch repeatedly. What else could possibly go wrong with this investigation? First the flight delay, then the shuttle van from the airport to the mountain resort broke down, now malfunctioning equipment.

“I swear,” she grumbled under her breath. “This event is jinxed.”

“Do you really think so?” Wade asked seriously.

“No,” she sniped back. “Everyone blames the supernatural when things go wrong. I think it’s more that I’ve come from sea-level to 8,000 feet and I’m just screwing up because I’m oxygen-deprived.” She gave up on the headlamp and felt her way towards the bedside light. “I have to turn this light on, Wade. I can’t see a thing.”

The young man agreed reluctantly, so she turned the switch. Nothing happened. She turned it again and it lit up. Must be a standard bulb in a three way lamp. She looked at Wade who was straightening from a crouch with several pieces of camera in his large hands. A tear gently streaked down his black cheek.

“Mark’s gonna kill me.”

Sandra stepped closer and winced at the broken plastic cradled in his pale palms. “Ouch! Did you step on it?”

“No! I swear that it just fell off the tripod. The attachment went from tight to disconnected in seconds.”

Another tear escaped his eye as Sandra stared at him. She didn’t understand all this emotion. She’d engaged in many conversations with Wade, trying to arrange this investigation with his amateur ghost hunting group. In every conversation, he was happy-go-lucky, friendly and cheerful, even during her butting heads with Mark after her late arrival threw off the group’s schedule.

It must be the elevated EMF she detected. It was known to have that effect.

Reluctantly she glanced around the elegant hotel room. “Okay, you win this round,” she murmured. “We’ll leave you alone now.”

Wade gasped. Both headlamps were on again. Sandra growled and turned hers off.

Coincidence. It had to be.

 

  About the author, Elizabeth Haysmont….

It seems Elizabeth Haysmont’s entire life has been dedicated to research. At least that’s the spin she’s putting on it when she tries to explain why so many of her real life experiences end up in her books. Motorcyclist, photographer, graphic artist, traveler, caver, history buff, rail buff, hiker, off-roader, musician, actor – Life has dragged her (with her husband of twenty-plus years) through 35 states and six foreign countries. She and her husband even chose an adventurous way to wed: in a cave nearSt. Louis, 50 feet underground.

She likes to think that with all this fodder for her imagination, her current friends are safe from being included in one of her novels.

But you never know.

Connect with Elizabeth….

The High Bridge by Elizabeth Haysmont is available!!

Passion In Print Press (ebook only): http://passioninprint.com/BookStore.php?bookid=EH_HIGHBRIDGE

Amazon: http://amzn.com/1608206556

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-high-bridge-elizabeth-haysmont/1111243476

And fine indie books stores across the country

I hope you enjoy today’s Killer Fixin’s.  Happy eating!

Karen

P.S.  We’re at 44 recipes and counting with this posting.  Hope you find some recipes you like. If this is your first visit, please check out past blogs for more Killer Fixin’s. In the right hand column menu, you can even look up past recipes by type. i.e. Desserts, Breads, Beef, Chicken, Soups, Author Specials, etc.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MEXICAN STUFFED SHELLS

1 lb. ground beef
1 package low-sodium taco seasoning
4 oz. cream cheese
14-16 jumbo pasta shells
1.5 cup salsa
1 cup taco sauce (This is a smooth, tomato based sauce found in the Mexican section)
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup monterey jack cheese
3 green onions
Sour cream

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a frying pan cook ground beef; add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions.  Add cream cheese, cover and simmer until cheese is melted. Blend well. Set aside and cool completely.  While ground beef is cooking, cook the pasta shells according to directions; drain. Set shells out individually on cutting board/baking sheet so that they don’t stick together.

Pour salsa on bottom of 9×13 baking dish.  Stuff each shell with the meat mixture. Place shells in 9×13 pan open side up. Cover shells with taco sauce.  Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, add shredded cheese and bake for 10-15 more minutes, with the foil removed.  Top with any condiments you’d like (green onions, black olives, etc.) Serve with sour cream and/or more salsa.

NOTE: The only thing I do differently is using Mexican table cream instead of sour cream  and use a Mexican mix shredded cheese but those are minor differences. Also my husband doesn’t like black olives so I’ll add that to mine after serving

(Found this one on Pinterest – http://thewaytohisheart.wordpress.com/2011/09/30/mexican-stuffed-shells/.)

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**SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:  Elizabeth will give away a $10 Amazon gift card to one lucky reader who comments!  Winner will be randomly selected and announced on July 6th!  Thanks, Elizabeth, for sharing your story and your recipe with us!

Karen's Killer Fixin's

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special** with Larissa Reinhart

9 Comments

 

  Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **AUTHOR SPECIAL**

Welcome to my Friday bonus feature called Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special**!!  Today, in lieu of one of my own recipes, I’m going to introduce you to a new author who will share one of her recipes. Not only will you and I occasionally learn how to make something new and delicious, but we’ll get a chance to check out some wonderful authors.

Introducing author, LARISSA REINHART, and her favorite Japanese recipe for OYAKODON!

BOOK PEEK ~ Portrait of a Dead Guy by Larissa Reinhart

In Halo, Georgia, folks know Cherry Tucker as big in mouth, small in stature, and able to sketch a portrait faster than buckshot rips from a ten gauge — but commissions are scarce. So when the well-heeled Branson family wants to memorialize their murdered son in a coffin portrait, Cherry scrambles to win their patronage from her small town rival.

As the clock ticks toward the deadline, Cherry faces more trouble than just a controversial subject. Between ex-boyfriends, her flaky family, an illegal gambling ring, and outwitting a killer on a spree, Cherry finds herself painted into a corner she’ll be lucky to survive.

~~~~

  About the author, Larissa Reinhart….

Larissa Reinhart began her writing career in second grade when she sold her first publication to her neighbor for a nickel. After moving around the Midwest, South, and Japan, she now lives in Georgia with her husband, young daughters, and Biscuit, a Cairn terrier. Although she speaks without an accent, her writing is known to have a Southern drawl. Her debut novel, PORTRAIT OF A DEAD GUY, is a 2011 Dixie Kane Memorial winner, a 2012 The Emily finalist, and a 2012 Daphne du Maurier Award finalist.

Connect with Larissa….

Twitter: @RisWrites https://twitter.com/#!/RisWrites

Facebook @Larissa Reinhart https://www.facebook.com/RisWrites

Pinterest @Larissa Reinhart http://pinterest.com/LarissaReinhart/

Website: http://larissareinhart.com/

 

Portrait Of A Dead Guy by Larissa Reinhart is available AUGUST 28, 2012!!

Publisher: http://henerypress.com/books.htm

Amazon

Barnes and Noble in trade paperback & e-book

Sony Reader

Apple iPad

I hope you enjoy today’s Killer Fixin’s.  Happy eating!

Karen

P.S.  We’re at 39 recipes and counting with this posting.  Hope you find some recipes you like. If this is your first visit, please check out past blogs for more Killer Fixin’s. In the right hand column menu, you can even look up past recipes by type. i.e. Desserts, Breads, Beef, Chicken, Soups, Author Specials, etc.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ABOUT OYAKODON

I’ve lived in Japan three different times in three different cities over the last fifteen years. We returned from our last stint a year ago where we lived in Nagoya for two years. That trip was especially memorable because it was the first time our children experienced Japan with us. After we returned, my kids and I were homesick for Japan. Not that we don’t like living back in Georgia (which we love), but reverse culture shock can be harder than regular ol’ culture shock.

One way I dealt with our reverse homesickness was to create a blog — The ExPat Returneth ( http://theexpatreturneth.blogspot.com/ )– to share what I missed with other expats. What proved most popular was when I shared the Japanese recipes I cook at home. I’ve been cooking Japanese food regularly for many years. I don’t cook Japanese food because I’m a foodie. I’m a lazy cook and find it easier than meals. It’s fast, the prep is easy, and the ingredients are usually cheap. Plus we miss eating out in Japan, so there’s the nostalgia factor. And we just like it. If you have 5 key ingredients in your cupboard — soy sauce, mirin, cooking sake, vinegar, and sugar — you can make most dishes.

Oyakodon literally translates as parent and child (oyoko) rice bowl (don), but the basic translation is chicken and egg on rice. A very traditional meal that you can find in many restaurants and homes in Japan, this is a simple and delicious Japanese dish that’s easy to make anywhere. This is my go-to meal when I don’t feel like cooking (which is a lot of the time), but have to anyway. (These kids and their constant need to be fed!)

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Photos, LEFT TO RIGHT

1.  Adding beaten egg
2.  Cooking the chicken & onion in the sauce
3.  Letting the egg set
4.  Oyakodon

[[These pictures are from my blog post on oyakodon: http://theexpatreturneth.blogspot.com/search/label/Oyakodon]]

OYAKODON
[Serves 4]

Ratios are easy to double.

*3-4 chicken thighs: deboned, deskinned and cut into bite-size pieces
1 onion, sliced thin
4 T. soy sauce
4 T. mirin (Japanese sweet cooking wine, easy to find now in major supermarkets)
3 tsp. sugar
1 cup water
3 beaten eggs

Hot cooked rice (3-4 cups). Japanese rice is short grain, stickier and less dry than long grain. But use what you’ve got. That’s my motto.

Combine all ingredients in a skillet except the egg and rice. Boil for about 4 minutes (until chicken no longer looks pink).  Add the beaten egg in a thin stream, turning the pan, so that it covers the cooked mixture.  Continue to cook until eggs are almost firm.  Scoop rice into individual bowls and ladle chicken and egg mixture on top of the rice.

You can’t get much easier than that!

*To make it healthier, you could use chicken breast meat. Japanese people generally use thigh meat, but we’ve cooked with breast. Just be sure not to over cook it.

Karen's Killer Fixin's

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special** Alexa Grace

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Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **AUTHOR SPECIAL**

Welcome to my Friday bonus feature called Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special**!!  Today, in lieu of one of my own recipes, I’m going to introduce you to a new author who will share one of her recipes. Not only will you and I occasionally learn how to make something new and delicious, but we’ll get a chance to check out some wonderful authors.

Introducing author, ALEXA GRACE, and her favorite recipe for Alexa’s Pumpkin Bars!

BOOK PEEK ~ Deadly Offerings

Passion with a generous dose of suspense makes DEADLY OFFERINGS a must read at 99¢.

Anne Mason thinks she’ll be safe living in the Midwest building a wind farm. She may be dead wrong. Someone is dumping bodies in her corn field and telling Anne they are gifts—for her!

As the body count rises, Anne realizes a cold-blooded serial killer is patiently waiting and watching her every move. And he won’t stop until he ends her life. It is clear there are no limits to this killer’s thirst for revenge or how far he will go to get it.

Michael Brandt, the ruggedly handsome new County Prosecutor, is the last person Anne can trust, but may offer her only chance at survival from a psychopathic killer. But will she survive the passion that rages between them?

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Deadly Offerings by Alexa Grace

EXCERPT

Anne peered into her refrigerator.  Not a piece of junk food in sight. She opened the freezer.  How could she be out of ice cream at a time like this?

She had to get out of the house.  Tonight bad memories hung over her like a thundercloud.   She relived the humiliating divorce hearing over and over, becoming angrier each time.

She tried to sleep.  No success.  She got out of bed and pulled on a pair of jean shorts, a black glittery Lady Gaga tank top and her Reeboks.  She’d go for a drive to clear her head.  It was close to midnight but with any luck, she’d find someplace open to stock up on junk food.

She backed her SUV out of the garage, shoved the gear to drive and moved down the street, windows down, the breeze whipping her ponytail about her face.  She drove down Route 40 until she reached a section of fast food restaurants, bars and a mini-mart.  The mini-mart didn’t look busy so she parked in front.

She grabbed a shopping basket and strode down an aisle of the store picking up Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Butterfinger candy bars, tortilla chips, a jar of salsa, and a quart of soda as she went.  She moved to the refrigerator case and eyed the selection of ice cream.  She pulled out a couple of cartons of Ben & Jerry’s Red Velvet Cake then headed to the teenaged cashier whose eyes were plastered on her long legs.

She paid for the items, whirled around and slammed into the hard chest of a tall man entering the store.  Her items tumbled from the bag.  The salsa jar rolled across the store as did the bottle of soda.  The man uttered “sorry” as he bent to help her pick up the items.  He picked up the salsa and put it in her bag.  He moved down the aisle to get the soda that had rolled under a freezer then turned toward her. In a black leather jacket and snug faded jeans, he was one of those men that radiated testosterone.  And wasn’t it just her luck, or lack of, that Michael Brandt, her jerk ex-husband’s attorney was heading toward her holding her soda, sending her a dazzling smile that sent her stupid heart racing.  She yanked the soda bottle out of his hand, thanked him and resisted the childish urge to kick him in the shin. Instead, she rushed out of the store.

She opened the back of the car to place the groceries inside.  She pulled a Butterfinger bar out of one of the bags and got into the front seat.  As she opened the candy bar, she glanced at Michael Brandt, still inside the store, who was now staring at her with an odd expression on his face, hands on his hips.

She heard movement in the back seat then felt something hard slam against her face.  The candy bar flew out of her hand and landed on the floorboard.

“Drive.”

She looked in the rearview mirror and gasped; a sliver of panic cut through her.  A man in a black ski mask was slammed against her seat thrusting a gun in her face.

~~~~

About the author, Alexa Grace….

Even as a child, Alexa Grace knew she would write books. After an exciting career in Training & Development, her focus is on writing page-turning romantic suspense novels.

She currently lives in Florida with her daughter and is a member of Romance Writers of America as well as the Florida Chapter. Alexa is an avid reader of romantic suspense novels.  Her writing support team includes five miniature schnauzers, three of which are rescues. She has two degrees from Indiana State University.  As a writer, she is fueled by Starbucks lattes and chocolate.

Her first book Deadly Offerings is the first of her Deadly Trilogy.  Alexa’s next book Deadly Deception will be available in June 2012.

Connect with Alexa….

Deadly Offerings by Alexa Grace available at:

I hope you enjoy today’s Killer Fixin’s.  Happy eating!

Karen

P.S.  We’re at 37 recipes and counting with this posting.  Hope you find some recipes you like. If this is your first visit, please check out past blogs for more Killer Fixin’s. In the right hand column menu, you can even look up past recipes by type. i.e. Desserts, Breads, Beef, Chicken, Soups, Author Specials, etc.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ALEXA’S PUMPKIN BARS

 

  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 eggs beaten
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 cups pumpkin
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup oil
  • 1 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)  (Raisins are also great.)

Mix all ingredients together and bake in 9 x13 pan for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Icing:

  • 1/2 cup margarine
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 (8oz) cream cheese
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Icing:  Beat cream cheese and margarine. Add vanilla. Blend in powdered sugar until smooth.

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**SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:  Alexa will give away one ebook  copy of DEADLY OFFERINGS to the first five lucky visitors who send her a message on the “Contact Alexa” Page.  Include KAREN’S KILLER FIXIN’S in the message!

Thanks, Alexa, for sharing your story and recipe with us!