I love this recipe because it’s fast and easy to make, especially when I’m on deadline. If you double the recipe, you have dinner for two nights. It’s also a fun recipe to make with kids.

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Homemade Ham, Pineapple and Artichoke Pizza

Ingredients

1 Trader Joe’s or Fresh and Easy premade pizza dough. I prefer the garlic and herb or rosemary and garlic flavors.

1 jar or can of your favorite spaghetti or pizza sauce.

1 package shredded mozzarella cheese

1 jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed

1 can pineapple chunks, drained

Ham

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. This will make the pizza crispy. For a more doughy pizza, reduce heat to 400 and don’t cook as long.

Let the dough warm for about twenty minutes according to package directions, then spread dough out on a round pizza pan. Make the dough as thick or thin as you like. I prefer a thinner crust so I spread the dough to the edges.

Spread sauce on the dough using a large spook. Sprinkle on cheese, add pineapple chunks, ham and artichoke hearts as desired.

Bake for fifteen to twenty minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is crisp.

What the ton doesn't know...

During the years since Randall Cheltenham, Marquess of Falconbridge, last saw Cecelia Thompson, he has turned into a dissolute rake. Catching sight of her now, bittersweet memories threaten to shatter his carefully constructed façade.

Although in the eyes of the ton Cecelia is a wealthy widow, in reality she has barely a penny to her name. Randall seems to offer a safe haven, but how can she trust a man who has hurt her before and who seems to have only become darker with the passing of time?

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www.georgie-lee.com

When we have winters like the one we just had, I turn to comfort food, and one of my favorite comfort foods is the simple but delicious macaroni and cheese. I have a recipe handed down by my granny. She had a trick: she used some of the water used to boil the macaroni mixed in with the milk. That kept the cheese from separating.

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2 cups half and half

1 cup water from boiled macaroni

(bring water and half and half to a boil)

3 Tablespoons flour added to boiled milk mixture with a wire whisk to thicken.

Once milk mixture is thickened, add 1 pound of cubed extra sharp cheddar cheese.

Stir until melted. Pour over cooked macaroni noodles. Bake 1/2 hour @ 350°F.

Granny never specified an amount for the macaroni. You’ll have to judge for yourself what balance of cheese sauce vs. pasta you prefer. I like to experiment with the type of pasta I use, and I also like to play with different kinds of cheese. Be creative. Mix cheeses. Add crumbled cooked bacon, or bread crumbs mixed with a little melted butter sprinkled on top. It’s delicious, easy and it’s been passed down through my family for three generations. Make some. Curl up with a good book, and enjoy!

A life hangs in the balance . . .

A king held for ransom, a country under thumb, clans at one another’s throats. Malcolm of clan MacKintosh has enough to worry about without finding a mysterious lass sleeping on the side of his road. He tries to help her—in his overbearing, arrogant way—and winds up flat on his back. God’s blood, who is this woman . . . and why does she captivate him so?

And only she can tip the scales.

The fortune-teller said something about saving a life, then zapped Alethia Goodsky back to fifteenth-century Scotland—a land bristling with broadswords and intrigue. Alethia is no damsel in distress, though, even if brawny, blue-eyed Malcolm has sworn to protect her. With her wits and special abilities, she races to solve the gypsy’s mystery and protect those she’s come to love. The stakes climb higher and enemies close in, forcing Alethia to choose between finding her way home... and staying true to her Highlander.

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www.barbaralongley.com

Tina, the heroine in SECRETS OF A BOLLYWOOD MARRIAGE, loves food. She enjoys cooking and she can't pass up the sweets and snacks from the street vendors. In one scene she makes kitchri (also known as khichadi). This is a simple and comforting dish of rice and legumes. If you want something soft to eat that is nourishing and gentle on the stomach, this traditional Indian dish is for you.

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Kitchri

3 cups of water

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup of short-grain rice

1/2 cup of small split peas or lentils

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)

1/4 teaspoon turmeric (optional)

1 Tablespoon butter (optional)

1. Bring the water to a boil and add the salt

2. Add the rice, peas and spices, if using.

3. Cover the pot, turn the heat down to very low, and cook until the rice and peas have a mushy consistency. It can take between 30 to 45 minutes.

3. Stir in the butter, if using, and serve

After the glitter settles…

Tina Sharma and Dev Arjun's whirlwind romance made them Bollywood royalty, but beneath the glitz and glamour there's trouble--Tina is about to demand a divorce!

But Dev won't give in without a fight, so he proposes a deal: play the dutiful wife for two months, then he'll let her go. Tina is furious! He clearly regrets their shotgun wedding, so why stay together a day longer? But it isn't the days she should be worried about….

As Dev turns up the heat, Tina may just find herself wishing for a lifetime of pleasure with her devilishly delicious husband!

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www.susannacarr.com

These scones are just the thing to have with a cup of tea while enjoying one of my sexy Regency romances.

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Scones

3 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

5 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 c. butter

1 egg, beaten

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Lightly grease a baking sheet.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

Cut in butter. Mix egg and milk together separately then add to the dry ingredients and butter.

Knead on a floured surface and then roll out 1/2" thick. Cut into triangles or circles and bake about 15 mins.

She's back and she's in trouble.

After a summer in the country Lady Katherine and her husband, Thomas, return to London to participate in all the festivities available to a Lord and his Lady. The scandal that forced them to marry is long forgotten and they are at the top of the social ladder.

In addition to the pleasures of an active social life, Lady Katherine is thrilled to learn that the friend who abandoned her in her time of need, Lady Lorena Arnold, is now the subject of a salacious scandal. Katherine can hardly believe her good fortune when she observes Lady Arnold en route to a tryst. But, before she can share the juicy tidbit with the other ladies of the ton, her husband lays down the law: No Gossip.

Will Katherine be able to keep her tale to herself? And if not, will her tail be at risk of a brisk spanking from the stern but loving Lord Winchester?

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www.writercelestejones.blogspot.com

What do you give to a pregnant shifter whose only thought at the moment is how she will decide which possessive alpha male she is going to take down first? One of these amazing almost guilt-free blueberry muffins of course. She may be pregnant and cranky, but she’s also very very hungry.

I discovered this recipe on Pinterest last year and after tweaking it a tiny bit, I instantly fell in love with a healthier version of my 2nd favorite breakfast muffin. (Sorry blueberries, nothing will ever beat pumpkin)

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HEALTHY-ISH BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

Ingredients

● 2 cups all purpose flour

● 1/2 tsp baking soda

● 1 tsp baking powder

● 1/2 tsp table salt

● 1 tsp cinnamon

● 1 large egg

● 3/4 cup sugar, divided

● 3/4 cup Greek blueberry yogurt (I’m an Oikos girl)

● 1 tsp vanilla extract

● 1/4 cup fat free skim milk, divided

● 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, washed

● For the crumb topping:

● 1/4 cup flour

● 1/4 cup sugar

● 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

● 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425ºF. Grab some muffin liners and your 12 serving muffin pan.

2. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; set aside.

3. In another bowl, beat egg with 3/4 cup of sugar until light and fluffy. Add yogurt and beat until thoroughly combined; blend in vanilla extract.

4. Add half of flour mixture and half of milk to sugar mixture; beat until just combined. Add remaining flour mixture and milk; beat until smooth.

5. Fold in blueberries (I’m pretty generous with the blueberries) and fill each muffin liner about 3/4 full.

6. To make crumb topping:

7. Combine remaining 1/4 cup each of sugar and flour in a small bowl. Pour in melted butter and combine with fingers. Divide crumb mixture over muffins; gently press into top of muffin batter with fingertips.

8. Bake for 5 minutes at 425, then reduce your oven temperature to 325. Bake for an additional 12 to 15 minutes, or until slightly golden and a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool in pans for about 10 to 15 minutes and then transfer muffins onto racks to cool completely.

Get bitten by the SOUTHERN SHIFTERS in New York Times Bestselling Author Eliza Gayle's steamy paranormal romance series! Full of feisty women and the alpha men who fall in love with them!

Dean had a family once. Until tragedy and betrayal consumed them. Now he lives on his own terms keeping life simple and carefree. Then one night leads to one bite and he's forced back into a dangerous world that reminds him he's still as angry as ever and this time he's not leaving until he gets what he wants. Niki.

Niki Harris has lived a life of secrets and solitude with no interest in making a change. But an easy one night stand turns complicated and she finds herself marked. Now she has to decide, tell the sexy shifter with a possessive streak a mile wide she's pregnant and in danger or do what she's always done--run.

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http://elizagayle.net

This is a nice alternative to apple pie. It’s more about the buttery apples than the crust. The recipe is very forgiving so exact quantities are not important. My children loved it.

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FRENCH APPLE TART

For the shortcrust pastry:

1¼ cups flour

½ tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

½ cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

3-6 tbsp iced water

In a food processor, sift together flour, salt and sugar. Add butter and pulse. Add water and mix until crumbly dough begins to form. Flatten dough into a round, wrap in plastic, and chill for 2 hours.

For the Tart:

5 large apples, peeled, quartered, and cored

1 tbsp lemon juice

¼ cup sugar

3 tbsp butter

shortcrust pastry

crème fraîche or lightly whipped cream to serve

1. Cut each apple quarter lengthwise into 2 or 3 slices. Sprinkle with lemon juice and sugar and toss to combine.

2. Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat and add apples. Cook until golden brown (about 12 minutes). Preheat oven to 375 F.

3. Roll out dough to a 12-inch round pastry and transfer to a baking sheet.

4. Heap apple slices onto the pastry round. Leave a 2-inch border around the edge of the pastry. Turn up border and gather it around the apples.

5. Bake tart for 35-40 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden brown.

6. Serve warm with crème fraîche or cream.

When her social conscience and avant-garde art trigger rumors of mental instability, New York heiress Jeanne Delancy flees to Paris to begin her life anew as an independent painter. But the political turmoil of 1871 leaves her with an abandoned child to protect and a tragic mystery to solve. Struggling and desperate, Jeanne is stunned to receive an absurdly lucrative commission from a handsome, aristocratic cavalry officer. The former wallflower has every reason to mistrust the arrogant, yet charming comte de Chaumenay, but she finds the offer difficult to refuse and her new patron even harder to resist.

Consumed with remorse over his past, war hero Olivier Valencourt is certain the beguiling American beauty he discovers in a Montmartre hovel holds the key to his redemption. To convince her to reveal a truth only she can tell, he plots to win her confidence through patronage, patience, and his never-before-tested powers of persuasion. But it doesn't take long for the bohemian's unconventional wisdom and innocent sensuality to obliterate his self-control and divert his agenda entirely. While the strong-willed opposites struggle to reconcile their deepest longings, dangerous alliances and scandalous secrets threaten a tragic repetition of history.

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http://www.bessgreenfield.com

This is one of my favorite dishes for a cold evening. It's fairly easy and it heats up for great leftovers.

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Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

• 1 package ground beef
• 1 cup rice
• 1 large jar spaghetti sauce
• 4 green bell peppers
• cheddar cheese

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Slice off tops of peppers, clean and then boil until soft
• Meanwhile, brown ground beef
• Cook rice according to package directions
• Mix meat, rice and sauce
• Place peppers in baking dish and fill with meat mixture, any remaining mixture goes in the dish between peppers
• Cover peppers with thick slices of cheddar cheese
• Cook for 20 minutes

Alexandra Turner will do anything to save her twin sister. Even when she’s transported back in time to Regency England. Rescuing her sister and finding her way back to her own time will take all her concentration. Falling in love is not an option.

With the death of his brother, Nicholas Somerville became the ninth Marquess of Oakleigh and must return to England to take his place in society. Part of his responsibility will be to find a wife. It never occurs to him he might actually discover a woman he could love—until he meets Alex on his voyage home.

Can Alex and Nicholas find a way to bridge the gap of time and circumstance? Can they overcome their fears to realize that true love transcends time? Or will a dark secret from Alex’s past rear up to separate them forever?

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http://emma-kaye.com

I do love porridge, but due to dietary restrictions, the only grain I am permitted to eat is millet. Millet is a smart carb with lots of fiber and low simple sugars. Because of this it has a relatively low glycemic index and has been shown to produce lower blood sugar levels than wheat or rice. 

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Breakfast Millet

1 cup millet

3 3/4 cups coconut milk

1/3 cup almonds

1/3 cup coconut

1 tsp cinnamon

1/3 cup raisins or dried cranberries

 

Simmer ingredients together for approximately 45 minutes.  Top with toasted pecans.

When Sir Gorran’s people disappear after a raid on a Saxon settlement, he kidnaps Princess Ariana, a priestess of Avalon, and demands their return. Though he knew he risked Ariana’s curse as well as a lifetime hiding from the king’s sword, he does not realize his greatest risk in holding the lovely princess for ransom is to his heart.

The intimacy shared with her kidnapper leaves Ariana wounded by the experience and his reappearance at the annual tournament only deepens her pain. When her brother foists him on her as a guardian and slave she must come to terms with her feelings for the dominant warrior. Will she send him away to his death, or will she realize her pain is only caused by living without him?

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http://www.reneeroseromance.com