I'm not the greatest of cooks, but there are a handful of things I do well and that even my fussiest child will eat. This is one of their favourites - and mine - with a dash of cream for luxury. As a note, I'm also not very accurate with my measurements, so feel free to adjust your version as necessary.

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1 medium onion diced

2 large leeks (or up to 5 small)

3 large potatoes (or 5 small)

2 handfuls of lentils (split red/puy etc)

1 vegetable stock cube (or use 500mls of homemade stock instead of the water)

500mls water

300mls milk

100mls single cream

A large knob of butter

Cooking oil

1. Dice the onion, slice the leeks, and peel and chop the potatoes into approx. 1 inch cubes.

2. Melt the butter in a large soup pan (or similar) on a low heat. Then add all the chopped vegetables and stir until they're all coated in the butter/oil mix.

3. Place a lid on the pan and leave the vegetables to 'sweat' on a low heat for 5 minutes.

4. Add the water, milk, stock cube and lentils, and bring to a boil.

5. Reduce the temperature to leave it simmering gently for approx. 20 minutes, checking that the potato pieces are cooked through.

6. Use a hand blender to reduce the soup to a smooth consistency. Add additional seasoning like salt and pepper as your taste requires. Add the cream stirring steadily to prevent it splitting.

7. Suggestion - serve with cheesy or garlic bread and enjoy. :)

Outcast. Cursed. Dying. Is Keir beyond redemption?

For Keirlan de Corizi--the legendary 'Blue Demon' of Adalucien--death seems the only escape from a world where his discolored skin marks him as an oddity and condemns him to life as a pariah. But salvation comes in an unexpected guise: Tarquin Secker, a young woman who can travel the stars with a wave of her hand.

But Quin has secrets of her own. She's spent eternity searching through space and time with a strange band of companions at her back. Defying her friends' counsel, Quin risks her apparent immortality to save Keir. She offers him sanctuary and a new life on her home world, Lyagnius.

When Keir mistakenly unleashes his dormant alien powers and earns instant exile from Quin's home world, will she risk everything to stand by him again?

~ ~ ~

http://pippajay.blogspot.com/

When I saw this recipe a few years ago, I knew I had to try it out. I made it afterward for a potluck at work and it went over really well. But really, how can you go wrong with s’mores? The Apron Gal has the recipe and some awesome tips to make things easier.

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What you need:

- ½ cup of butter (room temperature)

- ¼ cup of brown sugar

- ½ cup of sugar

- 1 egg

- 1 tsp of vanilla (although if you’re like me, I don’t measure vanilla)

- 1 1/3 cups of flour

- ¼ tsp of salt (I never put this in)

- ¾ cup of graham cracker crumbs

- 1 tsp of baking powder

- 2 or 3 Hershey chocolate bars (you can use chocolate chips but I found they don’t melt as well. Also, caramel chocolate bars are great for this!)

- 1 ½ cups of marshmallow fluff (or mini marshmallows)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350•. Grease the bottom of a pan (I’ve used 13 x 9 but it depends on how thick you want the crust)

2. In a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar (white and brown) together until it’s a light colour. When it’s fluffy, add the vanilla and egg.

3. In a smaller bowl, mix the flour, graham crumbs, baking powder, and salt. Add this to the butter mixture.

4. Divide the dough in half. You’re going to want to press one of the halves along the bottom of the greased pan in an even layer.

5. Place the chocolate bars over the dough. You may need to cut some pieces to make it fit.

6. This is where the sticky mess comes in. Pour the marshmallow fluff over the chocolate layer and spread.

7. Take out the remaining ball of dough and flatten it out. Place it over the marshmallow. I’ve read that if you put it in a Ziploc bag and roll it out with a rolling pin it makes it easier. I haven’t done this. I’d probably roll it out on parchment paper. I think it’d be easier to remove rather than have to peel it from the bag.

8. Bake for 30-35 minutes until it’s lightly browned (or completely melted). If there’s anything left over, when it cools the next day, you’ll have to reheat it again to melt the chocolate. It will re-harden.

Amy has spent her life in isolation. Locked away in the Centre, a secret government facility where children with extraordinary abilities are raised as highly skilled fighters, she longs for a normal life. A life where being around people doesn't overload her sensitive telepathic mind. A life where she can't see through the eyes of a murderer as he hunts down his next victim...

J.C. Nikolaiev was a top researcher, but when his conscience got the better of him, he tried to destroy his work and free his subjects—and was imprisoned as a traitor. To save himself and prevent more people from dying, J.C. must catch the serial killer stalking the halls of the facility. But his only leads come from a woman whose thoughts have invaded his mind...

Finally out of the psych ward, Amy joins forces with J.C. to find the killer before he closes in on them. Can their growing attraction withstand the truths they uncover?

~~~

http://www.alexiareed.com

I'm a naughty girl because sometimes I bake things I really shouldn't. Behold a pumpkin rum cake with nuts that definitely is NOT low fat, low sugar or low calorie. And there's alcohol too if you dare! Heaven and hell that speaks like a pirate.

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Recipe:

2 sticks of butter softened (1 cup)
1 cup of packed brown sugar
1 cup of sugar
15 oz. canned pumpkin
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 T pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 cups flour
3/4 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)

Glaze:
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
1/2 cup sugar
2 T water (I use 2 T of Captain Morgan's rum and 1/2 T water and skip the extract below)
1 tsp rum extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

1. Mix dry ingredients (flour, spice, soda and salt) and set aside.
2. Beat 2 sticks of softened butter with 1 cup sugar and 1 cup packed brown sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add 4 eggs and beat well.
4. Add canned pumpkin and 1 tsp vanilla.
5. Gradually combine flour and pumpkin mixtures; mix well.
6. Place 3/4 cup of chopped nuts on bottom of greased 12-cup bundt pan.
7. Pour batter over nuts.
8. Bake in preheated 325 degree oven for 60-70 minutes or until toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean.
9. Cool 10 minutes then make holes in cake with long pick.
10. Make glaze by melting 1/4 cup of butter in a small saucepan. Stir in 1/2 cup of sugar and 2 T of rum and 1/2 T of water. Bring to a boil then remove from heat. If using rum extract, mix in 2 T water only then add rum extract after removing from heat.
11. Pour 1/2 of glaze over cake while still in pan. Let stand 5 minutes.
12. Invert cake onto plate and repeat with remaining glaze. Allow to cool (but no one in my family can ever wait that long.)

Oo-la-la.

No one ever said Gayle Lindley’s first job would be a killer.

Fresh out of college, Gayle’s career path should follow the yellow brick road straight to the top. Thanks to a menial errand gone wrong, a wayward tongue, and a randy supervisor who won’t take ‘no’ for an answer, Gayle’s stuck in corporate hell.

Discovering a company secret only turns up the heat.

The one part of her life not going down in flames is her friendship with the gorgeous but intensely private, Jon Cripps. Jon would make the perfect consolation prize for Gayle’s pity party if dating a co-worker wasn’t career suicide. Then again, with all Gayle has been through, maybe falling in love is the lucky break she needs.

Hitting the cool sheets with Jon soothes her mind and body, but it also enrages whoever’s behind the smokescreen she’s uncovered at work. Someone is willing to kill to protect their secrets, and Gayle and Jon are the targets.

With both her heart and livelihood at stake, Gayle’s early career-limiting moves could turn into life-terminating ones.

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http://clairegillian.com

Food is such a sensual thing, isn't it? It nourishes the body and mind in so many ways. I hope you try this at least once. I know you'll lick the beaters.

~~~

To Die For Crème de la Crème **

1/2 c. farmer's cheese
1/2 c. creme fraiche or sour cream

1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2/3 c. heavy cream, very cold

Combine farmer's cheese, creme fraiche (or sour cream), sugar and lemon juice until well blended. Whisk in heavy cream and whip until your mixture has the texture of whipped cream. This will happen pretty quick. As soon as it looks like thick whipped cream stop or you'll get lumpy butter chunks in sweet whey. Refrigerate. If you'd like a prettier presentation, this mixture molds really well but be sure to line molds with cheesecloth. If you chill this a little first, you can blop it onto waxed paper and roll it into a log. Then chill and slice when firm. While that's firming up, prepare the topping.

4 pints raspberries, rinsed and drained (I suppose any fruit would be good, berries, peaches etc.)

1 c. sugar
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Mash and mix. Unmold, spoon or slice your crème mixture into serving dishes. Top with raspberries.

** Disclaimer: This is so good you'll have a hard time deciding if you should eat it or rub it all over your body. I take no responsibility for stains the latter incurs.

Imagine if you will a story begun in the halls of Mount Olympus long before this modern tale was conceived. It was a time when the god Hermes flew on his winged sandals and carried messages from the gods to the mortals below. And between that time and this, couriers became postmen and handwritten letters became bytes. It is said the gods still speak to those who listen…

Left bruised and brokenhearted after a cruel breakup, Vivienne Bennet finds herself mired in a world of self-doubt. To her surprise, she receives an email that challenges her to rediscover the sensual woman she once was. Together Vivienne and the enigmatic man known only as S embark upon the world of anonymous Internet communication where suggestive emails lead to erotic chat, where cybersex leads to Skype, and C2C sends both into the arms of a love they’d believed lost forever.

~~~

http://calliopeswritingtablet.com

This is my grandmother's prize-winning recipe that my mom was gracious enough to let me include (and use in devilish ways) in my hockey ménage book, Head Games. I hope it becomes a staple in your recipe file like it has in ours!

~~~

Filling:

2-3 cups assorted apples (using several different types ensures a full flavor, but if you prefer one type that’s fine)

2 tablespoons flour

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup sugar (more if you use tart apples)

1 or 2 eggs (2 eggs make a more custard-y filling)

1 cup sour cream (some or all can be substituted w/milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ to ½ teaspoon nutmeg

Topping:

2 tablespoons flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 to 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

¼ cup butter or margarine, chilled

Make one crust pastry (or buy one) for a 9-inch pie pan. Prepare the topping by mixing with a fork or your fingers until crumbly and then chill. Place the sliced apples in a large bowl and add the rest of the filling ingredients, mixing well. Pour into unbaked pie crust, crumble topping over apples and bake 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Reduce to 350 degrees and cook for another 30 to 45 minutes until the center is puffy. It cooks from the outside in, so the center will be the last to cook and puff up.

Leo Laporte and Scott Schaeffer are teammates on the ice and roommates off it who also share women. They’ve been coming into Kelly Chase’s bistro after games for months, and they know they want her. As the attraction grows, the men realize they want more than a one-night stand - they want forever.

Kelly’s not so sure. Yes, she wants both men. But a permanent ménage relationship? That’s taking giving her heart away to a whole new level, and a chance she’s hesitant to take. Then Leo is injured and Scott’s on the trading block, and she realizes this may be her only shot at true, everlasting love.

There are so many questions swirling around inside Kelly’s head. Can she believe in Leo and Scott’s love? And will her business and her reputation survive once people find out she’s with two men?

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http://www.booksbycassandracarr.com

This is one of my favorite recipes of all time, and the first time I made it, four men proposed to me. I can’t guarantee the same results, of course, but I can definitely promise it will be good.

~~~

Dublin Coddle

1 lb. pork sausages (I prefer links, but you can do plain ground)
½ lb. thick-sliced center-cut bacon
2 cups pork/ham (or beef) stock
2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and sliced into ½ inch rounds
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
Salt & pepper to taste

Simmer sausages and bacon in the stock over low heat for 5-10 minutes. Remove the meat to a bowl, reserving the broth.

Spread a third of the potatoes on the bottom of a stovetop casserole dish or large saucepan. Add a layer of ½ the onions and season a bit. Cut the sausages in 3 or 4 pieces each and spread a layer of ½ the sausages and ½ the bacon over the onions. Follow that with another layer of potatoes, onions, sausages, and bacon, and finally a top layer of potatoes. Season at each layer! When finished, pour over the reserved broth, season the top, and cover.

Simmer for roughly 30 minutes. Some crust will form on the bottom, but that’s the good stuff. When I serve it, I cut into it like a pie and serve with some thick-crusted bread. Enjoy!

Kyle Harris lands a job as the new chef at the Misbegotten Gaines Ranch just in time for the launch of their new Singles' Trail Ride. When his new boss, the alluring Jamie Gaines, mistakenly believes him to be married, he goes along with the ruse to keep his job. But things start to heat up between them and Kyle has to choose between losing his job and letting Jamie get away.

~~~

http://camrynrhys.com/

This recipe is so easy and delish!  Many years ago a friend baked it and my family loved it. I've been cooking it ever since. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

~~~

1 pkg cake mix, golden or princess style
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup oil
2/3 cup water
2 eggs
Topping
1 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup butter or margarine
2/3 cup nuts - optional

 

• Measure out 1 cup dry cake mix and set aside.
• Combine all ingredients except for the topping and pour into a greased and floured 13x9 pan
• For topping combine reserved cake mix and rest of ingredients. Sprinkle on top of batter in pan. Cut through with a knife to create a marble effect.
• Bake at 350 for 30 - 35 minutes.

COMING SOON - May 16

Jenna takes a big risk and decides to live in the moment. After months of communication by social media, she accepts an invitation to Colorado where she finally meets her cowboy. Burned by past romances, Jenna is determined to move on and goes with one goal in mind—a booty call with a tall, dark, sexy cowboy.

Chet is a romantic at heart and when Jenna arrives, he knows there’s more to her than a pretty face and a hot body. A casual fling won’t do. He’s smitten and decides to woo her the old-fashioned way with time and patience. And of course, hot sex.

Their chemistry is elemental and they come together with heat that sears the snowy peaks. When Mother Nature steps in, Jenna is forced to face the feelings she’s tried so hard to keep buried and Chet has to draw on his mountain skills to save the woman he has come to love.

~ ~ ~

You can find me at:
www.cristalryder.com
www.cristalryder.blogspot.com

Food is an important part of my life and it always makes some sort of appearance in all my stories. Great food is a feast for all the senses, and some foods are so sensual they may lead to other things. This Pasta Carbonara recipe feels luscious and extravagant, but it's so easy to make you'll have plenty of time for other pursuits.

~~~

1 lb fettucine or linguini
6 slices bacon, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 - 1/3 cup dry white wine
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup milk (or cream, if you're going for real decadence!)
1 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
Several basil leaves, sliced thin just before serving - optional, for garnish

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook pasta as indicated.

While the water is coming up to boiling, heat a large 12" skillet or wide pan. As the pasta is cooking in its pot, cook the bacon in the other pan until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and let it drain on paper towels. Add garlic to hot bacon grease and cook for 30 sec or so, just until golden. The moment the garlic is done, pour in the white wine, scrape up any brown bits at the bottom of the pan and let reduce briefly. Combine the egg yolks and the milk in a small bowl and set aside.

When the pasta is done, drain it thoroughly, keeping about 1/2 cup of the hot pasta water. Add the drained pasta to the pan with the garlic and wine, remove it from the heat and stir gently but thoroughly, making sure that every strand of pasta glistens with oil. Add a splash of the hot pasta water to the eggs to temper it slightly, then slowly add the egg mixture to the pasta, stirring constantly. You want the pasta to be cool enough that the eggs don't solidify, but hot enough for them to be cooked. Add half of the freshly grated cheese to the pasta and stir until melted.

Serve with a sprinkle of bacon bits, a sprinkle of cheese, and a sprinkle of sliced fresh basil.

All it takes is a spark of Grrrrrl power to set the swamp on fire!

A Tickle My Fantasy story.

Librarian Debra Henry is boring. And she’s okay with that. Really. It’s not as if the teensy amount of witchcraft that flows in her veins is worth getting excited about. Yet someone—or something—thinks it’s worth crawling out of the swamps to attack her. Those “somethings” are werewolves.

When one of them is hurt saving her, the least she can do is take him home and patch him up. Healing him stirs more than her senses. Maddox Moreau awakens the magic that sleeps in her blood. And suddenly, life’s not quite so boring.

A wildlife manager at Congaree National Park by day, Maddox likes being the BWIS—Big Wolf In the Swamp. By night, he lets his wild side out to play lone wolf. At least until he meets the one woman who can share his soul. Perhaps it’s best, though, if he holds off on sharing his preference for raw meat.

Rescuing her seals his fate—but only if he can protect her from a rogue of his kind. A werewolf with a nasty stalker streak…

---

Product Warnings

This story contains hunky werewolves, librarian fetishes, Southern humor, smart-ass women and men who think that’s sexy, magic, medieval legends, disco music and flatulent Boxers. (The dogs, not the underwear.)

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www.selacarsen.com

Growing up in an Italian household, hot sausage and green peppers were a mainstay in our household.  I've taken the recipe I grew up with and tweaked it a bit.  It's certainly a dish that my hero from Graphic Liaisons, Sal Aguero, would appreciate.

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Ingredients:

1 package sweet Italian sausage
1 package hot Italian sausage
Extra virgin olive oil, to light coat bottom of pan
2 cloves garlic (large, crushed or chopped)
1 onion (large, thinly sliced, not chopped)
2 or more green peppers, 1 red bell pepper (seeded and thinly sliced)
2 to 3 hot cherry peppers (finely chopped)
teaspoon or two of hot cherry pepper juice
Shredded Mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese
Italian seasonings

tomato sauce (optional)

Place the sausages in a large nonstick skillet.  Pierce the casings with a fork.  Add water to cover the sausages in the pan.  Bring to a boil.  Cover sausages, reduce heat and simmer.

Heat a second skillet over medium heat.  Add oil to coat bottom.  Add crushed garlic, sauté. Add onion, green and red peppers.  Low heat.

Drain sausages. Slice into 2 inch pieces on an angle, add to pepper and onions in simmering saucepan.  Add hot peppers and hot pepper juice to the pan. Toss and turn the sausages, peppers, and onions. Split and toast the bread under broiler.  Brush rolls with garlic butter and sprinkle with a little dried Italian seasoning blend.  Add hot peppers and hot pepper juice to the skillet.  [Optional: put all ingredients, spoon in tomato sauce, sprinkle with cheeses, put in over for about 10-15 minutes so cheese can melt or simply sprinkle the cheeses over the bread. This can serve as a breadless dish as well. Instead serve with a nice side salad.] Pile the meat and peppers into the sub rolls and serve.

 

Sal Aguero, known as "Hard-Hearted Sal," the Senior Editor of Calisto, a cutting edge, controversial magazine, has fought his attraction to Toni Fallon, a talented, very pretty, graphic artist, who works for him. Toni has secretly lusted after her very attractive boss for months, never expecting that her fantasy could ever materialize into reality.

When Sal unexpectedly runs into Toni outside the office, politically correct doesn't enter the equation, and graphic can't begin to describe the sizzling electricity which sparks between them. Can they manage to keep business sep
separate from their passion for each other, and not become the latest hot topic of office gossip?

Just when it looks like Toni and Sal can make their relationship work, other liaisons come to light that could destroy forever the chance at happiness they've found with each other.

~ ~ ~

http://www.adriannadane.com