Tag Archives: Vegetables

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s: Savory Chicken Pot Pie

  It’s time for Karen’s Killer Fixin’s!

Over the years, I’ve filled two 4-inch, 3-ring binders with my own creations as well as recipes my family and friends were willing to share with me.  I simply love to cook and want to share that love with my readers.

So every Friday, I share one recipe I think you and your family might enjoy. It might be a main course recipe. A cookie or baked item. Candy. Salads. Whatever strikes my eye and fancy…which today is SAVORY CHICKEN POT PIE!!

Who doesn’t like pot pie? I know I’ve never known anyone who didn’t keep a secret stash of pot pie  boxes in their freezer at one time or another.  You know, for that occasional craving or that night when there’s absolutely nothing in the packed fridge you want to eat.  Yeah, depending on which brand you buy, they sometimes don’t seem to have enough “stuff” inside to really fill the little tin bowl.  But it’s the combination of flavors that appeal so you look for the best brand and hope for the best.  You can stop looking now. You can make your own fairly easily and fill that pie crust to the brim with flavor. I have several variations for homemade pot pie but this is one of my favorite chicken recipes. 

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

Karen

P.S.  We’re at 69 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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SAVORY CHICKEN POT PIE
[Serves 6]

 

3 T. butter, divided
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, trimmed & chopped
1 lb. cooked chicken, chopped
1 lb. frozen mixed vegetables
½ cup chicken broth
1 can (10-1/2 oz.) cream of chicken soup
½ pkg. (15 oz.) refrigerated piecrust

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion, red pepper and celery.  Saute vegetables, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add chicken, mixed vegetables, broth and soup to pot. Bring mixture to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Transfer mixture to a deep-dish pie plate.  Lay piecrust over pie plate and trim using a sharp knife.  Seal edge using back of a fork.  Cut slits in crust using a sharp knife.  Melt remaining butter; brush over top of piecrust.  Bake until crust is golden brown, 10-12 minutes.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

* A great way to use up leftover chicken…or turkey!

** To change the flavors up once in a while, use cream of asparagus soup and a Chinese veggie mix.  Or you can use cream of mushroom soup and a winter veggie mix.

*** You can make your own crust but using refrigerated makes this a quick option to get it into the oven fast when you don’t have much time.

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

       

  Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **AUTHOR SPECIAL TRIPLE** 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 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, DEBORAH PALUMBO, and her favorite recipe for SWEET POTATO & CARAMELIZED APPLES CASSEROLE!

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  About the author, Deborah Palumbo….

First let me say this is really exciting, being here again on your wonderful blog, sharing my books with you and a favorite recipe!!

I’m a self-pubbed fiction author now but I began as a young gal who from age 7 through 18 wrote poems for God, but I always wanted to write novels; it was something innate. That dream however, didn’t happen until I was unfortunately stricken with a debilitating illness; as a result, I have 9 novels published on Amazon and many more are sitting in my file waiting to be dusted off!

I spin yarns in several genres, available as ebooks and paperback: Paranormal…laced with mystery and romance, historical, and mystery/crime…you know who dunnit with frustrated detectives who are hot on the trail of some killer. The one element they all have in common is they are all mystery based.

I also co-wrote a screenplay with actor/writer Jordan Rhodes. I loved the experience immensely, but writing novels is still much preferred.

Okay so now that we’ve gotten my humble bio out of the way, we’re ready for the meat and potatoes.

You know, this was a difficult decision for me deciding which of my mystery/crime novels to spotlight, ( last time I discussed my vampire series The Undeparted) so I decided to do a little blurb about all three, but mainly focus on my crime noir with a vintage detective, When the Temperature Rises. I realize crime noir requires certain taste buds, but I just happen to love the Detective McAllister series… Book 2 is a WIP by the way….and hope you guys feel the same way!

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BOOK PEEK  1 ~  WHEN THE TEMPERATURE RISES by Deborah Palumbo

Before I take you for a spin in Detective Humphrey McAllister’s 1941 black Ford Sedan right up to the crime scene of Sam Santino’s murder, I want to explain some things to you about Humphrey.

Humphrey was constantly skirt chasing; blonde dames were like magnets and he had absolutely no self control. His other device was consuming too much of the funny water. Yeah, yeah he shook those nasty habits like dance hall girls doing the hoochie coochie, but it’s hard to prove you’ve got your act together. Pot bellied Captain Milroy has lost all faith in his Detective and reluctantly turns over the Santino case to Humph. Humph has 48 hours to solve it or he’s gonna be demoted from homicide to following bed jumpers at sleazy motels.

Let’s fast forward just a bit shall we. Santino got himself whacked pretty good. He’s shot up full of bullet holes so that he looks like a damn piece of swiss cheese. He’s alive when Humphrey arrives, barely alive; Humphrey dials the emergency wagon for poor Sam, but Sam expires before the wagon arrives. Before his unfortunate demise though he tries to convey some kind of message to Humphrey, but he has too much lead in him to complete a sentence. There might be a clue though but Humphrey can’t decipher it.

So, Humphrey sweeps the apartment for tangible clues and one clue leads to another and takes Humphrey on a journey to some pretty interesting people on his list; some are voluptuous blonde dames that attract the Detective like magnets, others are boxers who could lay Humphrey out with one right hook. But the most interesting suspect comes right out of left field like some fly ball: Roberta, Humphrey’s ex wife.

Now what you have to understand about Humphrey is he’s still carrying a torch for Roberta, so hauling her in is the last thing he wants to do. In fact, Humphrey’s thinking he’ll see ice skating in hell before he slaps handcuffs on her.

So anyway, he pulls up to Roberta’s quaint rancher with the green shutters and wants to see if he can shake that feeling about her guilt, but when Ro’s cat Tuna gets out of the house and dashes into the bushes, Humphrey does the gentlemanly thing and scoots down through the bushes to save Tuna. That’s when Humphrey gets the shock of his life!

Now I can’t tell you bupkis about what happened for obvious reasons. Whether or not he slaps a steel bracelet on his ex and hauls her off or not or let’s her walk into the sunset….well, you’ll have to read the novel WHEN THE TEMPERATURE RISES to find out!

If you do I sure hope you enjoy it!

Here is one of my favorite quotes from the book: “So you wanna make the bedsprings bounce?”

WHEN THE TEMPERATURE RISES by Deborah Palumbo

EXCERPT

June eleventh 1948

All right, so he wasn’t the brightest bulb down at headquarters, and so what if his specialty was peeking between the sheets and not those fancy crimes of murder and mayhem. A crime was a crime and sheet hopping was illegal, well, when money was exchanged that is. And another thing, a man should have a second chance; he has the right to redeem himself, especially when he hasn’t had a drop of the fancy water in two years and wasn’t doll dizzy anymore. That irrepressible soft spot for the dames, well, it was repressible after all. Too bad his wife wasn’t around to congratulate him. Besides, Humphrey McAllister had his good points. He was an eager beaver, had a lot to prove, could be a class A detective only if; only if he stays sober and keeps his pants zipped up that is; so the Captain really should stop busting his chops and cut old Humphrey a break. Humph was working hard on his deficiencies. He was determined to prove he had what it takes to make it in homicide.

BUY LINK: http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/B0096CGW3W/ref=sib_dp_kd#reader-link

BOOK PEEK 2 ~  THE DOCTORS by Deborah Palumbo

The FBI agent, Donald P. Cobbs who wears big Stetsons and lizard boots in god awful colors can’t believe his ears. It’s the third informant from his case that died in some kind of freak accident. Now he’s gotta wait for another green horn fresh out of residency to be hired by Lanny Loch and Richard Pathroff and hope the new guy on the block will be his newest informer. Or victim? Hence Adam J. Frye.

Adam and his wife Maggie think the hard days of med school and residency are behind them; the money will start rolling in, life will be smooth working for Doctors Loch and Pathroff, but their dreams are shattered when some cowboy FBI agent pays them a visit informing Adam that his life is in grave danger. He’s the fourth associate of Loch and Pathroff. The other three are dead. As doornails.

It isn’t long after Cobbs’ visit that Adam gets suspicious over the sudden deaths of some of his healthy patients. The straw that breaks the camel’s back is a young woman who comes to Frye with suspicions of her father’s untimely death and asks him to “check things out.” That’s when Adam decides to help the FBI. He and Maggie uncover a diabolical scheme that involves the mob.

Adam having aroused suspicion unknowingly by one of the mob’s key players, is on their watch list. Suddenly the tables turn on Adam when he’s set up on his own wire. He’s guilty in everybody’s eyes. He’s got to prove his innocence to the FBI, and he’s got to do this before he’s either thrown in jail or killed by the mob; made fish bait like the last unsuspecting associate. He can’t make an error, it’s life or death.

THE DOCTORS by Deborah Palumbo

EXCERPT

His brain was numb. Who could be ringing his doorbell at 3:30 in the morning? He decided to ignore it and stay in bed, but the bell was persistent. It could be a neighbor in distress. Should he get involved? It could be some juvenile delinquent playing a prank. Come to think of it, neighbors had been complaining about the element in the neighborhood lately, delinquent kids playing jokes that weren’t so funny, like spray painting cars and breaking windows. People didn’t have enough money to buy themselves groceries let alone get a new paint job for their cars or repair broken windows. Things were tough on some of those Philadelphia streets.

The doorbell buzzed over and over again. It got on Jim’s nerves and his sleepy disposition succumbed to anger. Those nasty brats needed a good lesson and he was just the guy to give it to them too. A reformed delinquent himself, he knew how to handle punks, the kind he once was. He flung the blue swirled cover off of himself, the warmth of it gone; he was in black boxers and was bare chested with a myriad of ugly blue tattoos from those days in the gang. He stepped out of bed, grabbed the trousers he had worn only hours before, they were flung over a flea market chair next to an old bureau loaded with dust, and pulled them up around his thirty two inch waist. His wallet fell out of the pocket; he picked it up and stuffed it back in. He pulled the hoodie over his dark hair, stepped right into his carefully placed slippers by the side of his bed and shuffled to the door. He hit the intercom like a fool, knowing darn well nobody would answer him, which they didn’t. He looked out of the peephole into the hallway; the light was out so he couldn’t see anyone or anything in the inky dark. If he didn’t put an end to it then and there, scare the shit out of those numbskulls, they’d be back again, waking him up out of a sound sleep the next night. He knew they were getting off waking people up in the middle of the night. It had to end before it became habitual. But he’d have to go chase them down the flight of stairs; no doubt they ran faster than he did. Still, he had a few good sprints left in him. Besides, he was already awake, so the decision was made.

BUY LINK: http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/B007WL4CRM/ref=sib_dp_kd#reader-link

BOOK PEEK 3 ~  EDGE OF DARKNESS by Deborah Palumbo

“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

BLURB:  I’m not sure who I feel more sorry for: Alicia or Lieutenant Navarro. Alicia just lost her fiance to the hands of a vicious killer and is now being stalked by the same maniac who killed her boyfriend. She’s petrified because she knows he’s coming close and is determined to get her. Problem is, Lieutenant Navarro who is earnestly trying to protect her and solve the case is being accused by Alicia of being the killer. Everything sort of snowballs out of control for Navarro and suddenly he finds himself engulfed in circumstantial evidence that sure makes it seem that he is the cold blooded murderer.

He’s got to catch the killer now not only to keep Alicia and others safe but to prove his innocence.

But all he’s got is gut instinct. He’s got absolutely no proof, no evidence, no clues; not even the circumstantial garbage the DA loves to throw away in the trash.

One thing, a little hint: People aren’t what they seem.

BUY LINK: http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/B007D3SM48/ref=sib_dp_kd#reader-link

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CONNECT WITH DEBORAH AT THE FOLLOWING HAUNTS:

WEBSITE: www.deborahpalumbo.com

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

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/deborahpalumbo2

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

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 68 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 DEBBIE: YUMMY RECIPE, my very own concoction!

SWEET POTATO & CARAMELIZED APPLES CASSEROLE

Two large sweet potatoes
Two red delicious apples
Couple of tablespoons of butter, or as needed
1/3 to 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

Peel potatoes and slice in rounds. Place a single layer in buttered baking dish (8×8) and top with a layer of peeled, cored and sliced apple. Drop a dollop of butter over top and sprinkle sugar/cinnamon/salt mixture. Repeat the steps until all gone. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes to 1 hour.

For variety you may add raisins and caramelized onion to layers….it’s all scrumptious!

Serve this as a side dish with ham or beef, or with lunch. I suggest a provolone grilled cheese on seven grain bread with hot and sweet mustard. The sweet potato and caramelized apple casserole is a delicious side with a grilled provolone sandwich.

 

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

 

  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: Steak Kabobs

  It’s time for Karen’s Killer Fixin’s!

Over the years, I’ve filled two 4-inch, 3-ring binders with my own creations as well as recipes my family and friends were willing to share with me.  I simply love to cook and want to share that love with my readers.

So every Friday, I share one recipe I think you and your family might enjoy.  It might be a main course recipe.  A cookie or baked item.  Candy.  Salads.  Whatever strikes my eye and fancy…which today is STEAK KABOBS.

Today I’m sharing a recipe that is versatile, indoors and out.  It calls for oven broiling, and it’s great this way.  But, given a choice, I love my barbecue!  I also love that this meal can be prepared the night before and just tossed on the fire when you get home. Add some brown rice or a salad and you’ve got a great, filling meal that tastes of summer.

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

Karen

P.S.  We’re at 56 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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STEAK KEBOBS
[Serves 4]

2 T. reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 T. honey
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
¼ tsp. crushed hot red pepper flakes
12 oz. boneless sirloin steak, trimmed & cut into 1-inch cubes
8 cherry tomatoes
4 lg. Mushrooms, cut in half
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, cut into 8 squares

In shallow glass dish, combine soy sauce, honey, ginger, garlic, lemon peel, and red pepper flakes.  Mix well.  Add beef; stir to coat.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally.  Preheat broiler.  Remove beef from the marinade.  Using four 10” metal skewers, alternately thread beef, tomatoes, mushrooms, and bell pepper.  Place on broiler pan.  Broil 2” from heat, turning 2-3 times, until meat is medium-rare and vegetables are lightly browned, about 10 minutes.  Serve immediately.

NOTE:  Marinate beef and assemble skewers up to 1 day in advance.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to cook.

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s: Quick & Easy Oven Fries

  It’s time for Karen’s Killer Fixin’s!

Over the years, I’ve filled two 4-inch, 3-ring binders with my own creations as well as recipes my family and friends were willing to share with me.  I simply love to cook and want to share that love with my readers.

So every Friday, I share one recipe I think you and your family might enjoy.  It might be a main course recipe.  A cookie or baked item.  Candy.  Salads.  Whatever strikes my eye and fancy…which today is QUICK & EASY OVEN FRIES.

There are a number of good recipes for oven fries but this is one that made it to my personal cookbook. I’m sharing the original, basic recipe with you. However, I’ve made some adjustments for my own personal tastes which I’ll share in parentheses. I’m a garlic girl! I prefer a stronger garlic flavor to all of my dishes. I also have moved away from the typical, plain Parmesan most of us sprinkled over our spaghetti in our childhood.  I know…spoiled! 🙂

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

Karen

P.S.  We’re at 47 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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QUICK & EASY OVEN FRIES
[Serves 4]

2 lb. baking potatoes (I prefer red potatoes for their flavor and tender skins)
¼ cup plus 1 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed (I keep a huge jar of chopped fresh garlic in my fridge and heap my spoonfuls)
1 T. Italian seasoning (Be sure to shake the package up a bit before spooning out)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
2 T. finely grated Parmesan Cheese (I use a 4-cheese blend with parmesan, asiago, Romano & provolone and sprinkle a LOT more than 2 T. so it’s ultra cheesy – yummmm!)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Scrub potatoes, then cut into even-size wedges to ensure uniform cooking.  In large bowl, mix olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.  Add potato wedges to bowl and mix well to coat.  Spread potato wedges in single layer on large baking sheet. Bake 20-25 minutes, depending on thickness of wedges, turning wedges halfway through cooking time.  Sprinkle Parmesan over potatoes.  Return to oven and bake until crisp and golden, about 10 minutes longer.  Serve hot.

NOTE: If you’re like me and love to cook with a lot of garlic, I highly recommend buying a jar of freshly chopped garlic. It keeps forever in the fridge (in my experience) and it’s only a spoonful away. There’s nothing more frustrating than reaching for garlic cloves and discovering they’ve all dried up or you’re out! I’m all for no muss, no fuss.

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special** Marilyn Levinson

 

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, MARILYN LEVINSON, and her favorite recipe for Honeyed Carrots!

BOOK PEEK ~ Giving Up The Ghost

Gabbie Meyerson moves to the sleepy town of Chrissom Harbor, Long Island, to teach English at the local high school. She settles into her rental cottage above the Long Island Sound and discovers she has a housemate–the ghost of Cameron Leeds, who used to live in the cottage. Cam insists his death was no accident, and implores Gabbie to find out who murdered him eight months ago. After she recovers from her initial shock, Gabbie agrees to investigate. She soon discovers many people had reason to want Cam dead.

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Giving Up The Ghost by Marilyn Levinson

My new mystery, GIVING UP THE GHOST, is out in e-book format. Gabbie Meyerson moves to Chrissom Harbor, a village on Long Island, to teach English at the local high school. She discovers she’s sharing her cottage with the ghost of Cameron Leeds, the previous owner. Cam, the town’s former bad-boy, romeo, and wheeler-dealer, wants Gabbie to prove his death was no accident. Trouble is, Cam has no idea who killed him. Gabbie sets out to find his murderer. She talks to his former friends and lover and learns, to her dismay, that any one of several people might have done him in.

Aside from being a whodunit, several themes course through the novel. Gabbie is embarking on a new life. She’s recently been divorced, after having helped put her ex-husband in prison for criminal misdeeds. She’s now too poor to own a cell phone, and is nervous about teaching teenagers again for the first time in years. Her students are reading THE GREAT GATSBY. Through class discussions and assignments, Gabbie encourages them to understand the novel’s universal themes and their relevancy to their own lives. She also has to deal with two bullies who torment one of her students.

Busy as she is, Gabbie finds herself drawn to the local lawman, who was Cam’s best friend. Her first hurdle is to get Darren to reopen the case. A child disappears, someone else is murdered, and Gabbie’s life in put in danger.

 

  About the author, Marilyn Levinson….

Marilyn Levinson is a former Spanish teacher who writes mysteries and novels for kids. Her debut mystery novel, A MURDERER AMONG US, was awarded a Best Indie of 2011 by Suspense Magazine. She lives on Long Island with her husband, Bernie, and their cat, Sammy.

Connect with Marilyn….

Mysteries and children’s books by Marilyn Levinson available at:

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

Karen

P.S.  We’re at 36 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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HONEYED CARROTS

This is a recipe I made up.  It’s easy and there are no measurements. The carrots are yummy, and I’ve never had any leftovers.

Wash, peel and cut up carrots. Or use baby carrots. Heat in microwave until they’re cooked but still firm. In a frying pan, melt a few tablespoons of butter. Dry carrot pieces and saute in butter over low to medium heat. Add honey (I’d say a few Ts), a pinch of salt, onion powder, dried parsley, and continue stirring. If adding fresh parsley, do this a minute before removing from heat. You can add pistachios or sauteed mushrooms if you like.

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**SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:  Marilyn will give away one eBook or PDF copy of GIVING UP THE GHOST to one lucky reader who comments before Sunday, May 13th, at 6 PM!  Winner will be randomly selected and announced on Monday, May 14th!  Thanks, Marilyn, for sharing your story and recipe with us!