Hi there!  Noony here, with another recipe for you.  Today I wanted to share something from my garden, because here in Chicago, Illinois, USA, we've had a weird summer and my Swiss chard is ready to move in the house with me!

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Super Fast Swiss Chard Recipe, for those days when only a Quickie will do:

Ingredients:

1 pound (0.45 kg) Swiss chard, chopped

1 medium clove garlic, chopped or put through a garlic press

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or roasted sesame oil

salt and black pepper to taste

Optional:

6 marinated olives (my favorite are Kalamata or some of the Spanish kinds one can sometimes find in an international market)

1/2 cup (about 250 g) feta cheese

1 teaspoon soy sauce

Directions:

Mince the garlic or put it through a garlic press.

Fill a large (3 quart or 2.8 liter pot about halfway or three-quarters full with water and bring to a rapid boil.

Cut off the tougher bottom part of the chard stems.  Chop the leaves and add them to the boiling water.  Cook for three minutes.

Drain in a colander and press out the excess water with a wooden spoon (don’t use a metal one, as it will conduct heat).

Put in your serving dish and toss with the remaining ingredients.

Vanya is a sorcerer’s apprentice who finally achieves his goal, initiation as a sorcerer – only to find that he, himself, is the intended sacrifice in their ritual. When the ritual goes wrong, his master flees and he is left with the creature that his master summons.

Stranded on this side of the portal, Nash is a powerful being with only one desire – find the sorcerer who stranded him and wreak his revenge. Vanya agrees to help, and in the process, he and Nash find more than they ever bargained for: love, friendship, and belonging.

Can they protect themselves against the sorcerer’s growing power, or will he destroy all that they hold dear?

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http://acatherinenoon.blogspot.com

I love to bake. Writing comes second. And actual cooking comes a distant third. That said, I thought I would include a recipe for my Chocolate Surprise cupcakes, a recipe I created X years ago. (No, you don’t need to know how long ago it was. *grins*)

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Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cream Cheese Mixture

6 oz cream cheese, softened

1 egg

1/3 c sugar

1/8 t salt

6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cocoa Mixture

1 ½ c Flour

1 c sugar

¼ c baking cocoa

1 t baking soda

½ t salt

1 c water

½ c cooking oil

1 T vinegar (Rice vinegar is preferable, it isn’t as intense as white vinegar)

1 t vanilla

Topping

2 T Sugar + ½ c Pecans chopped

Directions:

Cream Cheese Mix: Using a mixer, beat cream cheese until creamy. Add egg, sugar, and salt. Stir in chocolate chips.

Cocoa Mixture: In separate bowl, mix flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, & salt – Set aside. In a small bowl, beat oil, water, vinegar, & vanilla. Add to flour mixture and beat until well blended.

Fill cupcake holders 1/3 full with cocoa mixture. Top with heaping teaspoon of cream cheese mixture.

Combine sugar and pecans. Sprinkle ½ t over each cupcake.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. (Beware if your toothpick goes through a chocolate chip, it won’t be clean. But most of the chips sink to the bottom of the cupcake.)

Christian takes to heart everything he learns from Logan’s father and as he and Logan go forward in their DD relationship, he finds that he is willing to not just take on the mantle of Head of House, but to embrace it. With Logan graduating from college, Christian takes the next logical step and asks his boyfriend to move in.

Even with the stress of student teaching and trying to figure out what to do after graduation, Logan leaps at the chance to live with the man he loves. As the pressure of graduation begins to get to him, the only thing to keep him grounded is the amazing man at his side.

Those closest to them make huge changes in their own lives and when an unexpected job offer lands in Logan’s lap, the two have to make a life altering decision. No matter which way they go, they need to give something up. Play it safe and stay home or accept the job and move away from their families? When it comes to decision time, there is one thing they are not willing to part with. That one thing makes all the difference in the world.

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http://www.thiannad.com/

When I'm busy writing, dinner is the last thing I want to worry about- but when it comes to the crock-pot, I've always been a little picky. This easy comfort food recipe is one of my favorite go- to meals when I have a lot to do. Bonus: Not only is it a crock-pot recipe- it only takes 2 1/2 hours from start to finish!

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Busy Day Mac and Cheese

2 1/2    cups macaroni ( uncooked, elbow )
5    tablespoons butter
3   cups medium cheddar cheese ( grated )
1/2    cup sour cream
10 1/2    ounces (1 can)   cheddar cheese soup ( condensed )
1/2    teaspoon salt
1    cup milk
1/2    teaspoon dry mustard
1/2    teaspoon black pepper
2 Tbps dried onion flakes
1 tsp garlic powder

Boil the macaroni in water for six minutes and drain. In a medium saucepan, mix butter and cheese. Heat over medium high heat and stir until the cheese melts. Spray your slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Combine cheese mixture, sour cream, soup, salt, milk,  and spices in your slow cooker. Add the drained macaroni and stir again. Cook on low for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Sophia Randall had no intention on returning to her home in the polygamist community she grew up when she left Hiram Jefferson just hours before their wedding. Though she cared deeply for Hiram and his family, she was young and impulsive.
Ten years, two children, and one monogamous marriage later, returning to Green Valley after the death of her husband is the only option left.

Hiram was devastated when Sophia left him at the altar. With everything already on his plate-- between his job as the district superintendent, his large family, and one sick wife, the last thing he needs is the headache of Sophia being back in town.

When his wives go behind his back and form an alliance with Sophia, what is left for him to do but show them the error of their ways with a little old fashioned discipline. But what will happen when he finds out the true reason Sophia left him in the first place?

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http://rayannajamison.blogspot.com/

Here in California, we’ve had a scorcher of a summer. I’ve taken my mind off the heat in my two favorite ways—writing about winter and preparing light, refreshing recipes that don’t require me to turn on the oven. This shrimp salad is always a huge hit with my family.

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Spicy Shrimp Salad with Mango and Lime

Ingredients

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic

Kosher salt

Juice of 2 limes

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/4 lbs cooked medium shrimp, peeled

1 ripe mango, peeled/pitted/diced

1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 head romaine lettuce, torn

Large handful cilantro, chopped

1 cup cherry tomatoes

Directions

1. Soak onion in cold water while you prepare the rest of the salad.

2. Smash the garlic. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste. Transfer to a large serving bowl.

3. Add lime juice, 2 teaspoons salt, and the chili powder. Gradually whisk in the olive oil, starting with a few drops and then adding the rest in a steady stream to make a dressing.

4. Toss the shrimp in the dressing.

5. Add mango, beans, lettuce, cilantro, and cherry tomatoes to the bowl. Drain and dry the onion, and scatter over the salad. Gently toss the salad together and serve.

Notes: Serves 4.

Life hasn’t turned out like Connor McClure hoped. His relationship is over, he lost his friends in the break-up, and nothing makes him happy anymore. All he wants is to hide from the world, but the only place available to him is his parents’ home in the rural Michigan community he abandoned thirteen years ago. And since his parents are in Florida for the winter, he’ll have the whole house to himself.

Except he doesn’t. In their absence, the McClures asked a young neighbor to look after the property. Jerry is young, energetic, and—oh yeah—gay. From everything he’s learned about Connor, he might be harboring a little crush, but Connor is in no place for dating. Right now, he needs a friend, someone to help him remember that second chances are always possible...and Jerry is more than willing to step in and help...

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http://viviendean.com

My name is Michelle Roth and I'll be sharing with you what I like to think of as the French culinary world's best kept secret. Nanette Sauce. Its deceptively complex flavors hide the fact that this recipe has a total of six ingredients and takes less than twenty minutes to make.

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What you'll need:

4-6 center cut pork chops, depending on how many you want to feed

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

2 tbsp tomato pasta

1 tbsp dijon mustard

2 tbsp olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

What you'll need to do:

1. Pat pork chops dry, season with salt and pepper

2. Put olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat

3. Once pan is hot, add pork chops. (Don’t overcrowd the pan so everything gets all brown and yummy)

4. Cook about 3 minutes, flip over and brown the other side.

5. Remove pork chops from the pan, place on a platter to the side.

6. Add cream to pan, scrape off delicious bits from the bottom of the pan

7. Add tomato paste, mustard.. stir until combined

8. Add chops back in, cook until they reach desired doneness.

Elle Thomas has had a crush on Jim Conroy for months now. Among their small circle of friends, they're the only two single people left. It makes sense that he might gravitate toward her at social events, and maybe even flirt a little bit, right?  Elle can't help but want more, though.

Jim may be going insane. He's been chasing Elle for months. He's flirted with her, asked her out, and done everything else he could think of to get her attention short of skywriting his feelings. When Elle finally agrees to go out with him, things quickly heat up between them.

What starts out as a single spark of attraction between them quickly burns out of control. As they settle into the beginnings of a relationship, one moment will change their lives forever. Is their relationship strong enough to survive when reality sets in?

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http://www.michelleroth.net

LUCK OF THE DRAW (Betting on Romance, Book #1) is my debut contemporary romance set in rural New Hampshire, and this pie tastes like summertime and love: fresh blueberries, whipped cream, and a hint of sweet happiness. The recipe makes two pies, because (trust me!) one of these is NEVER enough. Makes an excellent breakfast when eaten barefoot on a dock by a lake. Don’t ask me how I know. ;)

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Cheri’s ‘Taste of Summer’ Fresh Blueberry Pie

Crust (makes two pies):

2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 t. salt

6 T. sugar

2/3 c. vegetable oil

3 T. milk

Combine dry ingredients and blend. Add remaining ingredients and stir until blended. Divide in half. Press into two 9” pie plates. Bake at 375 F for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool.

Filling:

3 qts fresh blueberries (wild or cultivated)

Glaze:

2 c. fresh or frozen *wild* blueberries (find frozen wild blueberries at your supermarket)

1/4 t. salt

1/2 c. sugar

1/4 c. water

1 t. potato or corn starch

1/4 t. cinnamon

1 T. butter

1 T. lemon juice (fresh squeezed is best)

In medium saucepan combine glaze ingredients except for butter and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes or until thickened and clear. Add butter and lemon juice. In large bowl, gently toss 3 quarts fresh blueberries with glaze mixture until well coated then divide filling between the 2 pie crusts. Let cool slightly.

Whipped Cream Topping:

1 qt. Heavy cream

1 pkt unflavored gelatin

Sugar and vanilla extract to taste

In glass measuring cup, combine packet of gelatin in 4 T. cold water. Let stand 5 minutes. Place glass measuring cup in small pot of simmering water, heat and stir mixture until dissolved. Set aside. In medium/large bowl, whip cream, sugar and 2-3 tsp. vanilla extract until mixture begins to thicken/soft peaks begin to form. Add melted gelatin all at once and continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Spread half of whipped topping over each pie (there may be a little extra, but the gelatin means it will not need re-whipping later.) Keep pies chilled until ready to serve. Enjoy!

If only life had a refresh button...

Kate Mitchell never planned to be a 31 year-old widowed single mom, but when her soon-to-be-EX husband up and dies, her dreams of finishing college and starting over are thrown in the air like a game of 52 pick-up. When she’s given a leave of absence from work and told to “quit or recommit,” Kate retreats to idyllic Sugar Falls, New Hampshire, to figure out whether she can discover her passion and pay the bills. Cue the fresh air, summer sunshine and one sexy local contractor.

Tall, dark, and handy…

Volunteer fireman and all-around hunky guy in a toolbelt, Jim Pearson has sworn off complicated women with messy baggage. They cling to his nice-guy stability and skills with a power saw just long enough to straighten out their lives and move on… but then he meets the cute single mom staying at Grams’ lake house for the summer.

While a sizzling attraction draws them together, Jim's distrust of complicated women and Kate's incredibly complicated life threaten to pull them apart.  But forces beyond their control¾match-making grandmothers, the lazy backdrop of summer, and their own reckoning with the past¾conspire to make them risk it all... and bet on love.

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Website: www.cheriallan.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cheriallanauthor

I'm a true foodie. I read cookbooks as fast as I read romance novels. But it wasn't until I wrote Cooking Up A Seduction, with caterer heroine Lauren Brody, that I found a way to combine the two.

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Red Potato & Bacon Salad

Slice a pound of red potatoes. Boil ten minutes, then drain. Cook four slices of bacon until crisp. Remove from pan and crumble. In bacon drippings, saute a quarter cup chopped red onion. When soft, add a half cup of red wine vinegar, a tablespoon of sugar, a teaspoon of mustard, salt and pepper. Toss dressing with cooked potatoes, bacon, a quarter cup of crumbled blue cheese and three scallions, chopped. Best at room temperature.

Sexy venture capitalist Cameron Price takes the helm of the Seattle branch of the firm to prove he has what it takes to lead the entire company. Unfortunately, his boss thinks what it takes for a workaholic like Cam is a wife!

To fend off the matrimonally inclined, Cameron has to think fast. Inspired by the dazzling green eyes of the gorgeous caterer, he proposes the kind of innovative arrangement he's known for. If Lauren Brody will spend a few weeks on his arm networking at events, she'll be able to raise the profile of Come For Dinner catering and book more clients than she ever dreamed.

But Lauren has a plan of her own and tempts Cameron to play along. She convinces Mr. Buttoned-Up-Tight they can have some serious fun on his piano, in his kitchen, and behind closed doors. But it's dangerous to keep a lid on something so hot. And a relationship was never on Cameron's agenda...

WARNING :: Indulge at your own risk! Cravings for exotic fruit, decadent delights, erotic fashion & steaming hot nights of pleasure have been reported.

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http://www.jennabayleyburke.com/

In my book EMERALD, Caithren and Jason stop at a tavern for a meal and are served this delicious mushroom pie. It’s one of my family’s favorites—my daughter and I make it every Thanksgiving and often at other times, too. If you need to eat gluten free like I do, simply buy GF pie crust. Everything else in this recipe is naturally gluten free. For more historical recipes from my novels, visit the recipe page on my site at http://www.laurenroyal.com/3.0/bookshelf/recipes/. Enjoy!

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Mushroom Pie

Original Historical Recipe:

Mushrooms of one night be the best and they be little and red within and closed at the top; and they must be peeled and then washed in hot water and parboled and if you wish to put them in a pasty add oil, cheese and spice powder.

—From The Goodman of Paris (Le Ménagier de Paris), written in 1393 and translated by Eileen Power

Modern Version:

1-½ lbs. sliced button mushrooms

2 tablespoons olive oil

1-½ cups grated or shredded cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan, or a combination)

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon chopped or crushed ginger (I use the kind you buy in a jar) or dry ground ginger

¼ teaspoon pepper

9″ ready-to-bake pie crust (top crust optional)

Follow the directions on the pie crust package to pre-bake the bottom crust.

Saute the mushrooms. Drain any liquid, then place in a large bowl and add olive oil, cheese, salt, pepper, and ginger. Mix well.

Place mushroom mixture in the pie shell. Add top crust if desired, and make slits with a sharp knife.

Bake at 350° F (180° C) for 35–40 minutes, or until pastry is a golden brown.

England and Scotland, 1667

Jason Chase, the Marquess of Cainewood, is out to bring a blackguard to justice when he crosses paths with a woeful Scottish lad. When the lad turns out to be a lovely Scottish lass, he realizes she must be the notorious bounty hunter Emerald MacCallum. Convinced they're after the same man and her very life may be in danger, Jason decides he must keep Emerald close…

In Caithren Leslie's view, there couldn't be enough distance between her and the handsome but overbearing Englishman. She's searching for her wayward brother, but Jason won't let a little thing like the truth interfere with his absurd conviction that she's living under an assumed identity. Mindful of the dangerous traveling conditions, Cait grudgingly accepts his protection. Until, that is, she begins to suspect that mistrust isn't the only emotion between them…and their mission for justice just might turn out to be a quest for love...

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http://www.LaurenRoyal.com

There’s nothing like a romantic dinner for two to help keep a romance sizzling, and this super-easy Mediterranean pasta is just the ticket. The recipe is so flexible, you can easily experiment with different ingredients and create your own unique meal. Best of all it’s simple to make, just add ingredients to the pan one at a time and toss together. In no time, you’ll have a meal fit for a goddess.

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Mediterranean Pasta

Bowtie Pasta

½ cup cooked chicken, cut into strips

Fresh garlic, about 1 clove, chopped fine.

1 cup fresh mushrooms

½ cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

4 cups fresh spinach

Feta cheese

Olive oil

Seasonings (I like Cavender’s Greek Seasonings)

In a pot, set the pasta to boil.

In a large heated saute pan, pour about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add garlic, saute until aromatic. Add mushrooms and saute on high heat until cooked through. Add chicken strips and lightly season. Cook mushrooms, stirring frequently, until they are lightly browned. Turn heat to medium. Drain cooked pasta and add it to the pan, mixing thoroughly with the chicken mixture. Add spinach and let it wilt. Mix with the pasta mixture. Add the tomatoes, mix, then remove from the heat. Divide between two plates, crumble some feta over it and add a few Greek olives.

The whole meal takes about twenty minutes to prepare, leaving plenty of time for your special someone.

Hailey hates the museum. It’s creepy as hell and keeps her husband away from her.

James’ job requires him to stay after hours, but he’s happy to put in the extra time.

Home has become a battlefield of ovulation charts and scheduled sex. Every month feels like a failure and love hasn’t been part of the picture for far too long.

But Marguerite might change that. A night with this ancient goddess fires the passions of Hailey and James, reminding them what it feels like to be lovers. Marguerite might bring Hailey the desire she needs, and give James the one thing he wants most—his wife.

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www.voireylinger.com