Before she passed away, my husband's grandma gave each of the "kids" a notebook of family recipes. Her sister-in-law Hazel made these apple squares, and they're a great fall recipe, with apples being in season.

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Hazel’s Apple Squares

2-1/2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 cup + 1 Tbsp butter

1 egg yolk + enough milk added to = 2/3 cup together

1 cup crushed corn flakes

8 cups apples

2-1/2 cups sugar (more if the apples are a "sour" variety)

1 tsp cinnamon

powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 400.

Combine flour, salt, butter, egg and milk. Divide into 2 equal parts. Roll one part to fit a jellyroll pan. Slice apples and toss w/cinnamon & sugar. Place corn flakes on the rolled crust. Add apple mixture. Roll out second half of dough and place over apples. Do NOT make slits in crust. Bake for 40-50 minutes. Cool. Top with sprinkling of powdered sugar. Cut into squares.

When park ranger Cheyenne Rafferty’s truck is destroyed by an earthquake, she doesn't think her day can get any worse. Until she runs afoul of a demon from the ancient past - and the compelling warrior who followed it forward in time.

Hero Marek awakens 2000 years in the future, to a world all but incomprehensible. Sent to teach modern warriors to combat the Reynak, he now finds the demon the only thing familiar. His people and their epic struggle have been lost to the passage of time. The only one willing to help him is a daughter of the earth, a beautiful shifter woman with the heart of a wolf.

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http://reneewildes.net

When it comes to quick and popular desserts, nothing's sweeter than a chocolate pie. Here's an updated version of my mother's old-fashioned chocolate custard. Just pour into a pre-baked pie shell for a quick and delicious "homemade" chocolate pie. Enjoy!

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2 cups milk

3/4 cup sugar

3 tbsp. cocoa

2 tbsp. flour

1 egg

2 tbsp. butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine milk, sugar, cocoa, flour and egg in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for four to seven minutes, stirring every minute until mixture is thick.

Add butter and vanilla. Stir and pour into prepared pie shell. Refrigerate at least two hours before serving.

Welcome to Union

Population: 994

Town motto: Where no secret goes untold

His father’s death forces Dr. Ryan Williams to return to the home—and the woman—he’d left behind ten years earlier. Ryan knows it’s best to avoid Union sweetheart and police officer Emily Winters during his visit. But how? Stuck in this small town, fighting an attraction that hasn’t diminished over time, the sparks are unavoidable—and so are the rumors. The same rumors that made him leave Union in the first place…

Experience taught Emily to keep her guard—and her panties—up. Until Ryan returns as suddenly as he left, tempting her with promises she already knows he can’t keep. Or so she thinks. This new adult Ryan is one capable of forever and, God-willing, forgiveness. Because even as they learn to trust and love each other again, Emily knows once she reveals her secret, heartbreak is inevitable.

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www.tinaevaughn.com

Sweet and sinful, these Blondies are sure to please! Enjoy them at the holidays, or any time you need an indulgent pick-me-up.

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Pete Mancuso’s Blondies

1 cup pecans, roughly chopped

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted

2 cups light brown sugar (packed)

2 eggs, slightly beaten

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 ½ cups (okay to eyeball this) store bought caramel topping

1 ½ cups thin twisty pretzels, broken into pieces

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a 9x13 inch baking pan by lining it with parchment paper and spraying with cooking spray, leaving some overhang on either side. Set pan aside. Spread pecans in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake until just fragrant, about 4-5 minutes (this releases lots of flavor—don’t be tempted to skip this step!) Remove and cool. Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Sift flour, baking powder and salt together into a small bowl and set aside. Using a mixer, combine melted butter and brown sugar until it resembles wet sand (I promise it will taste better than that). Making sure the mixture has cooled from melting the butter, slowly incorporate eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Add flour mixture in small increments, scraping down sides as needed. This mixture will be thick. Your mixer may protest a little. That’s okay!

Stir in pecans by hand and spread mixture in prepared pan with an offset spatula (or you can put a little cooking spray on your hands and press it into place) Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until the top is golden brown. A cake tester should come up essentially clean, with maybe a crumb or two. These are meant to be slightly gooey in the middle. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for ten minutes. Lift out of pan to cool completely. Remove and discard parchment.

Once cool, carefully slide the blondie sheet back into the 9x13 pan. Top with caramel topping and refrigerate 30 minutes, until set. Just before serving, top with pretzel bits. Slice into bars and serve to the one you love! Yield depends on how big you like your blondies. Approximately 3 dozen bars.

When caterer Lily Callahan goes up against hotshot pastry chef Pete Mancuso in the bake-off of the season, the stakes are high--and scandalously passionate. Will the gorgeous gourmand steal Lily's heart--and the top prize in the Christmas cookie competition?

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www.kimberlykincaid.com

It’s October. A great month, filled with apples and pumpkins and things a little eerie, a little smoldering. (Not unlike my books!) Celebrate the spooky season with this yummy, decadent dessert.

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Bread Pudding:

1 loaf eggy, challah-type bread or brioche, cubed

1 15-oz can pure pumpkin puree

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 cups milk

1/2 cup candied ginger, chopped

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground ginger

2 tbsp rum

Pinch of salt

1. Whisk together all ingredients except bread and candied ginger.

2. Mix in bread cubes

3. Fold in candied ginger

4. Pour into baking dish

5. Let sit 10 minutes to soak bread.

6. Place baking dish on cookie sheet.

7. Bake in 350° oven for 50 minutes, until inserted knife comes out clean.

8. Cut bread onto dessert plates and drizzle with Hot Buttered Rum Sauce

Hot Buttered Rum Sauce

1 stick unsalted butter

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup brown sugar

3 tbsp dark rum

1. Melt butter in medium sauce pan.

2. Whisk in brown sugar and heavy cream.

3. Bring to boil and immediately remove from heat.

4. Cool 1 minute.

5. Add rum.

6. Reheat until warm.

7. Drizzle over bread pudding.

8. Whipped cream optional

(Also try this with extra candied ginger folded into softened vanilla or rum raisin ice cream! Yum!)

Welcome to steamy Sleepy Hollow, where lightning strikes, the temperatures are HOT, and the erotic sparks fly!

You wouldn't think three sultry succubi sisters, two sexy fire-demons, a reluctant witch and a couple of mega hunky mortals would need hook-ups courtesy of Madame Eve's ultra-exclusive 1Night Stand agency…but hey, the dating scene can be rough, even if you've got extraordinary paranormal powers and live in a mystical village populated by supernaturals… where things tend to go bump in the night.

Taryn Kincaid's erotic 1Night Stand stories, LIGHTNING,THUNDER, FROST and HEAT WAVE are a little snarky, a lot smokin' and will melt your heart! And then BLIZZARD will set you aflame!

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http://tarynkincaid.com

There is nothing more comforting on a chilly fall night in Kentucky then a delicious Kentucky Hot Brown.

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Kentucky Hot Brown

Ingredients
For the turkey:
4 to 5 pounds turkey breast slices from deli
For the sauce:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 cups grated sharp white Cheddar
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Pinch freshly ground nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the egg bread:
4 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
Salt
8 (1/2-inch) thick slices good day old white bread (recommended: Pullman or Pain de mie)
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons vegetable oil

For assembly:
Egg battered bread
Roasted turkey breast, sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices
3 ripe beefsteak tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices and griddled until slightly charred and just cooked through
1 1/2 cups grated sharp white Cheddar
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
16 thick slices slab bacon, cooked until crisp
Finely chopped fresh chives
Finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions
For the sauce:
Melt butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk, bring to a boil and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and the flour has cooked out, about 4 to 5 minutes. Whisk in cheese and cook until the cheese has melted. Season with nutmeg and salt and pepper, to taste.

For the egg bread:
Whisk together the eggs, milk and salt in a medium bowl. Dip each slice of bread in the mixture and let sit about 30 seconds, or until completely soaked through.
Heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook 4 slices of the bread at a time until golden brown on both sides. Remove and place on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining bread.

For assembly:
Preheat broiler. Place the egg bread on a baking sheet, place under the broiler and heat on both sides for 20 seconds just to warm through.

Top each slice of bread with 2 to 3 slices of turkey and 2 slices of tomato, ladle sauce over the top and divide the cheddar cheese and Parmesan over the top of each slice. Place under the broiler and cook until bubbly and the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven, top each slice with 2 slices of bacon and sprinkle each slice with chives and parsley.

Fired, broke, and nowhere to go, Luvie Beiderman moves back to her hometown and opens up Primp My Pet Mobile Pet Spa.

Jase Nelson is hot, smart, and has a big heart. Especially when it comes to his Irish Setter Duke. After Primp My Pet pulls into the dog park and Luvie gets out, Jase knows there is definitely enough space in his big heart for another redhead.

Jase isn't as perfect as everyone thinks. Can Luvie groom him to be Mr. Right?

 

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonyakappes11

Website: tonyakappes.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/208579765929709/

This is definitely comfort food, and I serve it over thick egg noodles

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Crockpot Dijon Chicken with Artichoke Sauce

1/3 cup Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

1/2 – 1 teaspoon dried tarragon, depending on your tastes

8 to 10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 – 14 oz. can of artichoke hearts, quartered

1/2 cup Margaritaville Lemon Herb vinaigrette of something similar, your choice

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional) I don’t add it, because I tend to use the full tsp. of tarragon.

Combine mustard, vinaigrette, garlic and tarragon in a large bowl. Add chicken thighs and toss to coat. Transfer to Crock-Pot slow cooker. Drain the artichokes, add them, the onion and mushrooms. Cover, cook on low for 4 – 6 hours. Stir in parsley just before serving if you opt to include it. Serve over thick (frozen section) egg noodle or rice. Enjoy!

Release date November 26th, 2013/Montlake Romance

Cory Marcel worked tirelessly over eight grueling years to develop a successful military career. After her commanding officer violently assaulted her, she lost everything—especially her trust in people. Despite the emotional damage threatening to sink her, Cory agrees to accept a new job at a furniture store in Perfect—a job that could offer the fragile brunette the chance to start over.

Ted Lovejoy cofounded Langford & Lovejoy Heritage Furniture, but lately he feels like an outsider in his own business. When he meets Cory, Ted realizes his company can do more than just build furniture—it can also help rebuild lives. He longs to help Cory recover from her pain, yet every time he gets too close to her heart, she pushes him away.

While Cory can’t resist her attraction to Ted, she fears the demons haunting her will drag down both of them. Could this kind, soft-spoken man help her finally bury the past…and unlock a future full of hope and happiness?

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http://www.barbaralongley.com

I wanted to offer something a little on the extravagant side of things, yet simple to make for my dessert. Today, I'm borrowing my husband’s recipe for poached pears. Did I mention he's a chef-in-training? A serving of this sensuous dessert, paired with some Reisling, makes life all the more enjoyable.

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Poached Pear

Ingredients:

1                      Pear must use a Ripe Bosc.

1 L                   Water

½ cup              Sugar

1                      Slice of lemon

20 g                 Philadelphia cream cheese

5 g                   Crushed and roasted walnuts

Preparation:

1)      Remove the core from the pear ¾ from the top.  Peal skin off pear but keep the stem intact.

2)      Cut a slice from the bottom to make a flat base.

3)      Add water, sugar and lemon to pot, bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer.

4)      Poach the pear, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes or until they turn tender, but not mushy.

5)      Use a large slotted spoon to transfer the pear onto a serving plate.

6)      Lay out the roasted walnuts, and roll with your hands the cream cheese over the walnuts.  Make a cylinder smaller than the pears core diameter.  Once done refrigerate for later use.

7)      Carefully place the cylinder of cheese and nuts in the core of the pear.

8)      Arrange the pear on individual serving plate and drizzle with the simple syrup over the pear.

After colliding with a stunning vision in white, retired Staff Sergeant Brent Daniels offers to drive the beautiful stranger to a hotel for the night, but instead discovers he’s with one very lost creature. He’s bewitched by her sinful curves, her dark and mesmerizing eyes, and the pull at his soul with each minute passing. Nevertheless, he can’t shake the feeling she’s hiding something.

Melpomene, daughter of Zeus, finds her handsome rescuer resembles the man who has continuously haunted her dreams. Before long, she’s in his arms, wanting more. Knowing their days are numbered, desperation leads her to reach out for help by an unlikely ally.

Just how far will these two lovers go, and what will they sacrifice to be together?

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Blog: laynap.wordpress.com & hawtreads.wordpress.com

Website: www.laynapimentel.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/LaynaPimentel

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorLaynaPimentel

In DANCE WITH A MILLIONAIRE, Campbell and Rod are foodies. They wine and dine at Jean Georges in New York City and two other fabulous places in Italy. After that, Campbell cooks Rod a down home meal complete with collards, cornbread, mashed potatoes, fried chicken, and apple pie. She throws in grits, too.

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Jalapeno Cheese Grits

2 cups quick-cooking grits

2 1/2 cups grated extra-sharp Cheddar

1 stick unsalted butter

1 tablespoon hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)

3 large eggs, well beaten

2 jalapenos, finely diced

1/4 cup canned chopped green chiles

Garlic salt

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook the grits according to the directions on the back of the package. Remove from the heat and add next 6 ingredients (Cheddar through chilies). Stir well and season with garlic salt, to taste. Pour into a buttered 9-inch baking dish and bake for 1 hour. Let cool slightly before slicing and serving.

Southern belle Campbell Layne is the rising star of the Manhattan Ballet Theatre, providing she lands the upcoming principal role. The stage heats up, however, when Rod Carrington steps in and teaches her more than she ever expected.

Campbell is determined to stay focused on the audition that will push her into stardom, but the dazzling attorney she meets at a gala proves to be a major distraction especially when he ends up being her professor in a college class she’s taking in her spare time. Campbell humiliates herself on their first date, but that doesn’t stop Rod from whisking her off to Italy and turning her into quite the vixen. Too bad he also had to use his powerful influence to secure the lead for her. Now she’ll never know if her talent was real or “bought” by the man she thought was the love of her life.

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http://www.caseycrow.com

With autumn here, it’s time to cuddle up with a hot drink and an even hotter romance!

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Decadent Salted Irish Hot Chocolate

1 cup whole milk

A pinch of salt

2 oz of milk chocolate, finely chopped.

2 tbs Irish cream liqueur

Whipped cream

¼ tsp cocoa powder

If you are making the whipped cream, be sure to add a splash of the liqueur to the cream so you can infuse it with a little more of that boozy goodness.

Heat milk in a 1-qt. saucepan over medium heat until just beginning to bubble at edges. (this should take about 3 min or so)

Remove from heat, stir in salt, chocolate, and liqueur and then let it rest for a minute. Once everything is melted, whisk until smooth.

Pour into glasses and finish with whipped cream dusted with the cocoa powder

Enjoy!

[Ménage Amour: Erotic Paranormal Ménage a Trois Romance, M/F/M, vampires, sex toys, HEA]

Duncan Masterson lives apart from his vampire brethren and has vowed to never bring another mortal into his dark world. Only his fiercely loyal human guardian, Jared Evans, knows the truth about who and what he is.

For nearly a century Duncan has held fast to his vow, until the day he finds the beautiful Tabitha Blacke lying dazed and bleeding after a rogue vampire attack. Duncan realizes he must break his vows in order to protect her from the evil that is prowling his territory.

When both Duncan and Jared find themselves falling for their lovely houseguest, they decide to claim her together, forging bonds that will change all of their lives forever.

As trouble draws near, their bond will be tested and sacrifices will be demanded of them all. The two men know they'll do whatever it takes to keep their beloved Tabi safe, but will their love be enough to see them through

~ ~ ~

You can find Susan around the web:

website/blog: http://www.susanhayes.ca

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Susan-Hayes/551945384831723

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6444700.Susan_Hayes

Amazon: http://amzn.com/e/B008KWT574

Twitter: https://twitter.com/capricia13

Bokstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/susan-hayes