I learned almost all of my cooking skills as an adult. Growing up, I just wasn’t that interested. The sole exception was at Christmastime, when I hovered over my mother’s shoulder as she made such delectable treats as divinity, pecan pralines, and Martha Washington candy. Once I hit middle school, she started putting my annual burst of interest to good use. I didn’t have the skills for divinity or pralines—in fact, I’m not sure I could make them now—but I could dip pretzels in chocolate, simmer mulled cider…and make these simple but addictive savory treats:

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Sausage and Cheese Balls

Makes 3 dozen

Ingredients

1 pound bulk breakfast sausage, crumbled

3 cups Bisquick

1 pound sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine uncooked sausage, Bisquick, and cheese in bowl; mix well.

Shape into small balls; place on baking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes or until brown; drain on paper towels.

Gabriel Shepherd has never forgotten his humble origins. So when he discovers a war orphan at Christmastime, he resolves to find a home for her—even if that means asking help from the very family who found and raised him, only to cast him out for daring to love the wrong woman.

Lady Catherine Trevilian has spent five years poring over the British Army’s casualty lists, dreading the day she sees Gabe’s name. She’s never forgotten him, and she’s never forgiven herself for not running away with him when she had the chance, though she’s agreed to a marriage of convenience with a more suitable man.

When Gabe returns home on Christmas leave just days before Cat’s wedding, a forbidden kiss confirms their feelings haven’t been dimmed by distance or time. But Cat is honor-bound to another, and Gabe believes she deserves better than a penniless soldier with an orphan in tow. How can Cat reconcile love and duty? She must convince Gabe she’d rather have him than the richest lord in all of England…

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http://www.susannafraser.com/

I admit it. I found this recipe when I had a pound of ground beef and was too lazy to go to the market for hamburger buns. When it turned out to be delicious, I was doubly happy, because Becca Chen, the heroine of my book, Across the Line, has a café that specializes in soups and a daily offering of lettuce cups. I hope you like this one as much as I do.

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Asian Beef Lettuce Cups

16ish Boston Bibb, butter, or iceberg lettuce leaves

1 pound ground beef

1 tablespoon oil

1 large onion, chopped

¼ cup hoisin sauce (found in Asian section of the market)

4 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

¼ teaspoon ground ginger (or you can use a teaspoon of fresh grated ginger)

a couple dashes of Sriracha or other hot sauce

1 (8 oz) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped

2 teaspoons sesame oil

Rinse and pat dry the lettuce leaves.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir beef and cooking oil in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and discard grease; transfer beef to a bowl. Cook and stir onion in the same skillet used for beef until slightly tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir hoisin sauce, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, and hot sauce into onions. Add water chestnuts, green onions, sesame oil, and cooked beef; cook and stir until the onions just begin to wilt, about 2 minutes.

Spoon some of the filling into the lettuce cups and enjoy! This would probably make a wonderful salad, too. I found myself wanting a higher lettuce to meat ratio. This would also be yummy with white rice and some steamed veggies.

Calder Griffin needs to get back in shape. Sidelined last season by a knee injury, he's determined to return to the San Diego Barracudas and play the best hockey of his career. This might even be the year he gets out of his talented older brother's shadow.

For months, Becca Chen has poured her energy into Cups, the restaurant she owns, desperate to prove to her parents that she can succeed in the career of her choice, not theirs. But after she spends a five-hour plane ride flirting with charming, magic-on-the-ice Calder, she tells herself she needs a fling.

Becca and Calder can't keep their hands off each other, but they know the relationship can't last. They live on opposite coasts, and they're both too devoted to their careers. All they have to do is prevent their feelings from crossing the line from lust to love...

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I could live on cold soup and champagne all summer long!

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Gazpacho

· 6 tomatoes, diced

· 2 cups tomato juice

· 1 cucumber, diced

· 1 ripe avocado, chopped

· 1 clove of garlic, minced

· 1 small red onion, diced

· ¼ cup red wine vinegar

· 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

· 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

· 6 or more drops of hot sauce to taste

· Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Puree mixture for about 15 seconds. Place in a non-metal storage container, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to blend.

Serve chilled with a dab of sour cream.

Makes about 8 cups

Sometimes one kiss can change everything.

New Year's Eve is supposed to be a night for celebration and new beginnings. For best friends Kat and Dean, it is a nightmare filled with disastrous dates and enraged ex-girlfriends!

Lucky for them, they've got each other to help laugh off the embarrassing, and downright inappropriate, moments. But then midnight rolls around and neither of them have anyone to kiss…

There's no doubt this is a night they will always remember.

The real question is whether it will be a night they want to forget…

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www.LisaFoxRomance.com

What could be better for outdoor dining than some nice easy Bruschetta? And if you don’t have fresh garden tomatoes, store bought plum ones work really well for this recipe.

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Bruschetta

1 thin baguette or loaf of Italian bread cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices

To make bruschetta: brush tops of bread with olive oil, place on either an outdoor grill, stove top grill pan turning once when golden or bake in your oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Marinated tomato topping

½ pound tomatoes (about 2 medium) seeded and chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1-2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons shredded fresh basil

Salt and pepper to taste

Shredded or grated parmesan cheese

In bowl, stir together all the ingredients except the cheese, adding salt and pepper to taste. Mound a heaping teaspoon of marinated tomatoes on top of each bruschetta. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. You can also heat these in the oven until the cheese is melted or serve at room temperature.

The summertime in Northern California is known for its hot dry weather, Beth Chadwick should know since she’s been going through a bit of a dry spell herself. Her marriage is falling apart. She has her friends to keep her together. These women really get Beth’s need for a new life. But, how is she going to get past her, stand by your man, mother and her, I’ll do anything if you’ll just take me back, soon to be ex-husband?  Can their problems be solved over a few glasses of wine?  And then there’s the matter of the hot photographer camping out in her backyard.

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www.TraceySorel.com

www.traceylyons.com

www.facebook.com/traceysorelauthor

When I tried this recipe for a party, it was the first platter to be emptied. It combines some of my favorite things (maple syrup, bacon, cinnamon, sweet potatoes) and it's naturally gluten free, dairy free, egg free, nut free and grain free so it's suitable for people with a wide range of food allergies. Also---YUM. Enjoy!

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Bacon Wrapped Sweet Potato Bites with maple drizzle

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size cubes (3/4"-1")

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cayenne (more or less, to taste)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 lb bacon strips, halved

maple syrup, for drizzling or dipping

wooden toothpicks

 

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Melt butter and mix in cinnamon and cayenne.

Toss sweet potatoes in butter mixture.

Dip into brown sugar to give a light coating (press on gently with fingers).

Wrap each cube in bacon and secure with toothpick.

Place on cookie sheet (with rim) or in 9x13 pan. (Or use disposable aluminum pans for quicker clean up.)

Bake until sweet  potato is cooked through and bacon is desired crispness (40-60 minutes depending on size of cubes).

Drizzle with maple syrup and serve warm (with extra maple syrup for dipping, if desired).

Makes roughly 30 bites (you can tweak the amount depending on how many bacon slices you have, etc).

When love throws you a curve, swing for the fences.

Parker Wood’s dreams of becoming a professional baseball player are shattered when he’s injured in a devastating car crash. After two years in hospitals and physical rehab facilities, he’s ready to move back to his childhood home and take over the family landscaping company. The house and business are his, now that his father has passed.

Sophie Vaughn has suffered through a hellishly public divorce from a husband who couldn’t manage to stay faithful for two months of marriage. Determined not to let her personal drama impact her successful wedding and party planning business, she buys her parents’ old house, hoping the comfort of familiar surroundings will help her heal.

When Parker and Sophie discover they’re neighbors once again, it’s as if time has stood still. Their friendship is quickly rekindled, along with the decade-long crush neither of them ever admitted having. Then the heat between them exposes a long-held secret that threatens to tear them apart…unless they can detach from their painful pasts and move forward—together.

Warning: Contains sultry summer nights, steamy pool-side encounters, and you’ll never look at a jar of peanut butter the same way again.

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karenstivali.com

The Dom in my latest release, The Stylist, His Dom, and Their Dancer, is a gourmet chef at an upscale restaurant. And I’d probably get spanked for submitting this recipe but it’s one my whole family enjoys, picky kids included. There’s lots of room for variation so it’s easy to tailor it to your own family.

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2 cans refrigerated crescent roll dough
1 lb. Ground beef
half a small onion, finely chopped (the finer the better if your picky kid doesn’t like onions)
1 tsp Garlic Salt
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 tbsp prepared mustard (Dijon is nice, but again it depends on your family’s tastes)
½ cup grated cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly grease a muffin tin.
2. Separate the dough for the rolls. Form them into a rough bowl shape and press one into each muffin cup. You’ll likely have four rolls leftover because the muffin tin has 12 spaces and each can has 8 rolls. I bake them on the side.
3. In a frying pan, brown the ground beef and drain (unless you’re lazy like me in which case use extra lean ground beef and you don’t have to).
4. Sprinkle garlic salt over beef and add onions to pan. Continue frying until onions are tender.
5. Reduce heat to low. Add the mushroom soup and stir it into the beef. Heat through.
6. Add mustard and mix well.
7. Spoon a bit of the beef into each muffin cup (I find an ice cream scoop is the perfect size).
8. Sprinkle cheddar cheese over top of each “cupcake.”
9. Bake for 15 minutes, until cheese is nice and melty and the crescent rolls are golden brown (what you can see of them anyway).
Makes 12 cupcakes.
Stylist and salon owner Remy Alexander got a second chance at love when he found Seamus O’Connell, but the more time he spends with his daughter’s dance teacher, the more he wonders if there is room for another in his marriage.

As a result of a troubled past, Shay needs order and control in everything, from his work as a chef, to the bedroom he shares with his submissive husband. Remy’s idea to have a ménage relationship upsets the delicate balance Shay has created for himself, but he can’t deny his desire for the sexy dance instructor.

Nicole Collins is a good Catholic girl who pours all her energy into her work as a dance teacher. When she falls for Remy and Shay, they teach her about passion, submission, and love, but incur the wrath of her own father. Can Nicole find a way to hang on to everyone she loves, or will one relationship cost her the other?

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Author Website

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This variation of a traditional English rarebit toast is an easy to make appetizer or snack. Kids especially love the cheesy gooeyness of it, and it will keep them busy for a bit while you sneak off to read a few more pages of your book.

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Irish Cheddar Rarebit Toast

Ingredients

1 cup shredded Dubliner or other Irish cheddar cheese – I like Dubliner because it has a little tang like American sharp cheddar but with a richer flavor. I buy it at Trader Joe’s but I’ve also seen it at Costco and Fresh & Easy.

½ cup finely chopped chives or scallions, depending on your onion preference.

8 slices of English toast bread or thick white bread. I’ve found toast bread at Fresh & Easy.

1 tsp. mustard, yellow or Dijon. I prefer yellow, but some people like the Dijon kick.

1 egg, beaten.

Instructions

Preheat broiler to 325 degrees or you can use a toaster oven. Place the bread slices on a non-stick or foil lined cookie sheet and toast one side while preparing the rest of the ingredients.

In a wide, shallow bowl, mix the beaten egg, chives, mustard and Irish cheddar cheese.

Remove the toasted bread from the broiler and pour equal measures of the cheese mixture on the untoasted sides and return them to the tray. Toast bread, mixture side up until the cheese is melted. Pour yourself a thick Irish beer like Harp or Guinness and enjoy!

London, 1817

Devon, the Earl of Malton, is a hero for his deeds at the Battle of Waterloo. But he suffers terrible nightmares, and drinks himself to sleep most nights. A habit he vows to break when he awakes one morning to find a woman sharing his bed, no memory of how she got there, and her angry brother at his door.

Cathleen is mortified when her wastrel brother and his greedy wife propose a blackmail scheme involving the earl, but as a penniless war widow she's at their mercy. She goes along with the plan and sneaks into Devon's bed one night, and ends up comforting him through a night terror.

Charmed by her beauty and kindness, Devon determines that rather than pay the blackmail, he will offer his hand in marriage to Cathleen. Although she is deeply attracted to the stoic earl, Cathleen cannot understand why Devon would want to marry her. What she doesn't know is that Devon owes her a debt that can never fully be repaid…

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Website: www.georgie-lee.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Georgie-Lee/259729314054846?ref=hl

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2985551.Georgie_Lee

Blog: http://georgielee.blogspot.com

This is a great appetizer or something quick to whip together yet looks difficult. Maybe to impress that special someone. *wink wink* My kids love this, especially after a day spent skiing.

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Ingredients:

1 tube of crescent roll dough

1 round of brie cheese (do not remove rind) (For those who never tried brie, it’s very mild)

Raspberry jam or other sweet jam

Brown sugar

 

Instructions:

· Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

· With a paring knife, cut a thin layer of the rind off the top of the brie. This will make the pastry dough stick to the cheese when eating it.

· On a non-stick cookie pan flatten crescent roll dough and set cheese in the center.

· Place jam on top of cheese. The amount is to your liking. Fold the dough corners over the cheese and pinch together.

· Place a handful of brown sugar on top.

· Bake for 30 mins then let cool for 10 mins before serving.

 

Options:

Instead of brown sugar you can use maple syrup.

You can eat it with crackers.

You can add apples slices.

Love blooms across species, culture, and time.

Chronicles of Eorthe, Book 1

Stranded in another dimension, on a primitive version of Earth, Dr. Susan Barlow needs to find a way to survive. There’s no electricity, no cities, and to her shock, no humans. Instead, she faces a population of werewolves, vampires and incubi. The people are vicious but she must find her place among them. And live.

An illness is killing Sorin’s pack. As alpha it’s his responsibility to save them, but it’s a battle this warrior doesn’t know how to fight. Then a blue light in the sky brings a creature he’s never seen. She calls herself human, but to him she smells like hope.

Sorin offers Susan a safe haven in return for a cure, but she’s not that kind of a doctor. She’s a doctor of physics, not a physician. Yet as they search for a cure to save a dying people, they find something special—each other.

But even with Sorin’s protection, Susan can’t help but wonder how long she can survive in a world without humans…

Warning: Feral shifters, power-hungry vampires, and a sole human female suffering culture shock.

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http://www.annienicholas.com/

You won’t find any vegetables at a dragon gathering! Here’s a recipe—adapted from dragon-fire temperatures to oven settings—sure to be a hit for any carnivorous species, be they human or reptile!

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Candied Meat Treats (Recipe is adjusted for 8 human stomachs and makes about 60 treats)

Ingredients

1 dash ground black pepper	1 (16oz) package bacon
2 cups brown sugar (more or less if desired)	Toothpicks
2 (14oz) packages Lit’l Smokies™

Directions

Heat oven to 400°F – Line a baking or casserole dish with aluminum foil

Mix black pepper and brown sugar.

Cut strips of bacon into thirds and wrap each lit’l smokie, securing the bacon with a toothpick. Place into backing dish.

Pack the brown sugar and pepper mix around the smokies and cover the dish with aluminum foil.

Bake in oven for 18-25 minutes at 400°F. Remove aluminum foil cover.

Increase the temperature to 450°F and bake for another 30-40 minutes, or until brown sugar has melted and thickened.

Serve.

Consoling a sobbing dragon and serving pig buffets are just part of the job for Myrna Banks. Working for a mediation firm, it's her job to get humans compensated for damages caused by the dragons who now rule. But her "typical" day is interrupted by Trian Chobardan, an old flame who sneaked out of her bed two years ago, taking her heart and a handful of classified documents with him.

Myrna would love to show Trian the door, but he's been sent by North America's reigning dragon lord for help negotiating a truce with a powerful rival to avert war. Myrna agrees to help, even though she'll be stuck with Trian as a partner.

As the two work together, Myrna finds Trian to be surprisingly supportive—and still irresistibly attractive. Though her brain tells her not to forget his betrayal, her body feels differently. When they learn the enemy dragon lord is planning something no one could have imagined, Myrna has to learn who she can trust before she loses not only her heart, but her life.

84,000 words

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http://lorendac.com

Cutest Couple, one of three novellas in my Girls Most Likely To trilogy, is set at a high school reunion. Busy weekend, right? And during the summer, when the last thing you feel like doing is cooking. So here's a perfect quick and easy recipe for a hot summer night. Proportions? Doesn't really matter. If you make too much, you've got leftovers!

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Bruschetta

Loaf of crusty bread (pugliese is a personal favorite)
tomatoes
fresh basil leaves
fresh mozzarella
sliced ham

1. Chop tomatoes and basil leaves and combine. Chill.
2. Slice fresh mozzarella, set aside.
3. Slice bread and brush with olive oil. Broil in the oven until toasty.
4. Remove bread from oven. Top each slice with tomato mixture, slice of ham, and slice of mozzarella cheese. Enjoy!

Book two of the Girls Most Likely To…

Ten years ago, Marc and Bree were voted Cutest Couple—until a graduation-night argument destroyed their relationship. Unable to contact him, Bree had no choice but to forget Marc—and raise the son she never got to tell him about.

Marc got Bree's message loud and clear when he never heard from her again. Now stationed near his hometown, he sees their high school reunion as a chance to make peace with the past. But after one glimpse of Bree, he knows he never really got over her. And after one glimpse of her son, Marc knows he's the boy's father…

Despite the secrets and lies that kept them apart, Marc and Bree can't resist picking up where they left off. But when the weekend is over, it may be too late to build the future they once dreamed of.

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www.kate-davies.com

Deputy chief of police Mark DeLuca, a macho man who spanks, is smitten by Stephanie Gordon, the heroine of Body Politics. So when Stephanie mentions that she likes crab cakes, he whips up a batch in his kitchen. Although that’s not all he whips up in his kitchen! This recipe can serve as a main dish or an appetizer.

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Body Politics Crab Cakes

2 c. fresh crab meat (drained & squeezed)

¼ c. diced red bell pepper

1/8 c. of chopped parsley

½ c. diced yellow onion

1/3 c. light mayonnaise

1 T. lime juice

1/3 c. Panko

2 T olive oil

Combine first six ingredients (crab through lime juice) in a bowl and mix. Using your hands, form mixture into 3-inch patties. Dredge patties in Panko bread crumbs. Fry until golden in 2 T. olive oil, turning once. Serve with a remoulade or cocktail sauce.

Feminist Stephanie Gordon knows the instant she meets blind date Mark DeLuca it’s going to be a wasted evening. Sure the deputy chief of police is criminally sexy, but he's arrogant, domineering and sexist. Thank goodness after the date ends, she'll never have to see him again. A member of the Rod and Cane Society, an organization of men who discipline their women by spanking, Mark DeLuca is attracted to Stephanie like a paddle to a well-rounded ass. He sees beneath the shield of feminist militancy to the soft, sensitive woman she tries to hide. When she storms away in a snit, the chase is on. Can a man who spanks convince a diehard feminist her true strength lies in submission?

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http://www.carabristol.com

In Return to Sender, my heroine is a busy single-mother. One of her daughter’s favorite things is DIY gourmet pizza. Once you think outside the pepperoni-and-cheese box, pizza is an amazingly flexible base. This is one of my favorites because it’s great for cooking with kids.

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Faster-Than-Delivery Cowboy Pizza

1 pre-made pizza crust, store-bought dough, or your favorite crust recipe*

2 T. cornmeal (optional)

1 can baked beans ( Eden Organic is our favorite, but use whatever you have on hand)

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 T. olive oil

1-2 cups shredded sharp cheddar or Mexican cheese blend

2 pre-cooked apple & chicken sausages thinly sliced * (1 cup of any cooked meat works!)

2 T. chopped cilantro

Additional veggies of choice: thinly sliced green peppers, mushrooms, black olives, tomatoes (canned or fresh or salsa), red onion, zucchini rounds, spinach (optional—whatever you have in the fridge).

*see allergy friendly variations at end

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Prepare the crust according to package directions. Then put parchment paper on the pizza pan or large cookie sheet (less clean up!) and dust w/ cornmeal. Next, roll or pat the dough out and set aside.

3. In a large skillet, cook the onion in olive oil over medium high heat until lightly browned. Add the sliced chicken sausages and cook until lightly browned on both sides. Then add beans & cook just long enough to evaporate some of the liquid and take the “canned” taste out—5 minutes or so. Stir in the cilantro. (I’ve skipped cooking entirely and just layered directly on the crust w/ fine results too.)

4. Spread the mixture evenly on the dough. Top with any additional veggies you want, then cover with the cheese.

5. Bake 20 minutes or until crust is puffy and brown and cheese is melted and bubbly. Cool slightly, slice and serve! Spinach salad with avocado slices is a great accompaniment.

Variations:

Gluten-free: This is how I make it. Any GF pizza crust mix or recipe works. I prefer the Gluten Free Pantry Pizza & French bread crust and I use 1/3 cup of olive oil rather than butter in the recipe, mix in my food processor, dump on parchment paper on the pan, and dust my pan and hands well w/ brown rice flour or cornmeal before patting it out. Pamela’s bread mix also makes a fine crust. You can also use Udi’s or a commercial GF crust, but reduce the baking temp to 375 and time to 15 minutes.

Dairy Free: Use rice or almond cheese. Or omit the cheese entirely and sprinkle w/ crushed barbeque flavored nuts, nutritional yeast, or extra veggies.

Soy free: Make sure the beans are soy-free or use plain beans seasoned w/ salt, chili powder, cumin, and garlic. You can also increase the onions & simply use a base of caramelized onions & no beans. Make sure the sausages are soy-free or use chicken or ground beef.

Nut free: The recipe is nut free, but check your package ingredients to be safe.

 

Jack Donovan and Bree Hendricks have been in hot competition since their school days, whether it’s tussling over the best apartment or bickering over local leash laws. Bree has never turned down a challenge, so when her new toy in its brown paper packaging is delivered to Jack’s doorstep by mistake, it’s the perfect opportunity for a game of truth or dare.

Bree is determined to set a good example for her teenage daughter, and that means no flirting, no flings and definitely no one night stands. But a bout of saucy cybersex demonstrating her new dildo…there’s no danger in that. Unless Bree allows her heart to become involved.

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http://www.annabethalbert.com

Wontons are a traditional New Year's Eve dinner in my family. This is not a Kids In The Kitchen recipe or for anyone who sets the house on fire when they boil water, but it's an easy recipe that's all about technique.

~~~

1 package of wonton wrappers (they're in the produce section of most grocery stores)
1 medium zucchini
1 leek or medium sized sweet onion
1 head of broccoli
1 package of baby bella mushrooms
2 carrots
snow peas
1 egg
1 tbsp water
cooking oil (I use vegetable oil but you can use whatever you prefer to deep fry with)
soy sauce, hoison sauce, and plum sauce for dipping

1. Dice all the vegetables into small pieces, the smaller the better (not something you usually hear on a romance site, but there ya are).
2. Toss the diced vegetables together to mix and salt lightly.
3. Whisk egg white with water.
4. Set up your work station. You'll want one plate for folding the wontons on, one baking sheet or other tray lined with foil or parchment paper, and either some willing victims to help you fold or a movie to watch.
5. To fold the wontons place the wrapper in front of you, wet the edges of the wrapper with the egg white mixture, and put a scant teaspoonful of veggie mix in the center of the wonton wrapper. Fold the wrapper point to point to make a triangle being sure to leave a small edge. Fold the back edge of the wonton wrapper over the front and press firmly to seal. This is important, you don't want your wonton exploding as you cook.
6. Once all the wontons are folded you can either flash freeze to cook later (they'll keep at least a month in the freezer) or deep fry them in oil.

To Cook:
- Fill a medium sized pot 1/3 full of oil and turn the stove to Medium heat.
- When the oil is hot (a drop of water will bubble and spit when dropped in), place a test wonton in the oil. It should start bubbling and cooking right away. If it sinks to the bottom of the pot, the oil isn't hot enough. Is the wonton cooks too quickly, the oil is too hot.
- Cook the wontons in batches of 3-4, being sure not to crowd the pot. Use tongs to turn the cooking wontons in the oil, letting them brown on both sides.
- Place cooked wontons on a tray lined with paper towels to let the oil drain before serving.
Serve with dipping sauces.
* For a complete meal you can round out the menu with coconut rice and a tropical fruit platter.
** Once you've mastered the art of wonton folding you can play with the stuffing. Try cream cheese and pickled pepper to make easy jalapeno poppers, or chocolate ganache wontons dusted with powdered sugar. Diced apples and caramel sprinkled with cinnamon make a delicious dessert.

If you believe the rumors you know that Doctor Charm, the wickedly sexy super villain, retired in shame seven years ago after his last fight with the super hero Zephyr Girl. The fact that the charming Evan Smith—father of four and husband of the too-beautiful-to-be-real Tabitha—bears a resemblance to the defeated Doctor is pure coincidence. And, please, ignore the minions.

Everything is perfect in the Smith household, until Tabitha announces her return to work as a super hero. Evan was hoping to keep her distracted until after he rigged the presidential election, but—genius that he is—Evan has a backup plan. In his basement lab, Evan has a machine whose sole purpose is keeping Tabitha hungry for him.

But children and labs don’t mix. The machine is broken, and Tabitha storms out, claiming she no longer knows him. World domination takes a back seat to meeting his daughters’ demands to get Mommy back right now. This time his genius isn’t going to be enough—he’s going to need both his evil alter-ego, and the blooming super abilities of his children to save his wife. But even his most charming self might not be enough to save their marriage.

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www.lianabrooks.com

I like to think I’m good at different things, but alas, cooking is not one of them. The following recipe is one I got from a former coworker and it’s perfect for me because it’s easy and perfect for an appetizer or snack. And with the veggies, you can even pretend it’s good for you—score!

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VEGGIE BITES

2 (8 oz.) containers cream cheese

2 lg. cans crescent rolls

Broccoli flowerettes, diced finely

Any other veggies to taste: red or green peppers, olives, carrots, whatever you’d like!

1 cup. shredded cheese (optional – I usually make them without cheese)

Chop broccoli and other veggies, mix and place in refrigerator. Take out cream cheese to let soften. Cut each crescent triangle into 3 small pieces. Bake 7 or 8 minutes or until lightly browned (follow package directions.) Let cool. Peel off top layer if too flaky to ease in spreading cream cheese. Spread cream cheese over each piece, then sprinkle veggie mixture over top of cream cheese. Add cheese on top if wanted. Serve immediately or cover with saran wrap or refrigerate.

Flower shop owner Alexa Conroy had it all before the recession hit and her customers fled to cheaper shopping grounds. Desperate to make ends meet, she sells her dream home and moves into the rundown apartments above her shop. When she spots six feet of sexy distraction—complete with muscles, piercings, and tattoos—ripping up flooring, Alexa knows the karmic windfall she’s due just landed on her doorstep.

And the attraction’s definitely not one-sided.

Dillon James, reluctant heir to the corporation about to foreclose on Alexa’s shop, is not about to jeopardize their scorching chemistry by admitting he’s not the building’s handyman. But with only weeks until her business goes under and his identity is revealed, Dillon must find a way to convince Alexa cooperation isn’t a dirty word, help her save the shop from his brother’s greed, and persuade her that he’s not the enemy…or risk losing the only woman who’s seen the real him.

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www.cariquinn.com

I tend to want to snack as I write, and when I face down a deadline I usually buy a box of Pizza Rolls and tear through them. This is bad - a box of 15 can total about 12-14 points on the new Weight Watchers plan. This recipe I modified yielded 10 rolls at 7 points!

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Ingredient List

Phyllo sheets, thawed

Pizza sauce

Low-fat mozzarella cheese sticks

No-fat cooking spray

If you've never worked with phyllo before, be warned it is very delicate and you don't want it to dry out. If your pack is frozen, make sure you set it out to thaw completely before unrolling, otherwise it will crack.

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Spray a muffin tin with the cooking spray. I have a mini-muffin tin - you can use a cookie sheet, but I find this is better in case the dough cracks while baking and the filling leaks.

3) Grate the mozzarella and set aside. You can use any type of cheese for this - I use the prepackage sticks to keep track of points.

4) Carefully lay one sheet of phyllo on a cutting board and spray. Set another sheet on top. (keep the rest of the dough wrapped so it doesn't dry out.)

5) Cut the dough into quarters. In the middle of each rectangle, spoon some pizza sauce and add some of the grated cheese. You may want to experiment with other "toppings" like chopped up pepperoni or bacon.

6) Fold the long ends of each rectangle over the sauce mixture, then fold back the ends over the bottom of the pouch so the wrap resembles a pizza roll. Set gently in a sprayed muffin cup.

7) Repeat until you have made as many as you plan to eat/share. I used five sheets, one cheese stick, and about 1/2 cup of sauce to make ten rolls.

8) Bake about 8-10 minutes. Enjoy!

Award-winning author Leigh Ellwood offers four delightfully sinful tales of passionate paranormal activity. From amorous fairies to sleek and sensual were-creatures, these stories have bite.

The following titles have been made available individually in digital format. First time in print!

Leading Lady – a cult TV star hooks up with two out of this world fans at a convention, and ends up auditioning for a role that will change her life.

Excitable – A werewolf, cursed and cast from his pack, must find true love in order to reverse the spell. Can he find the right girl before the full moon?

Sweet Surprise – A delivery driver making a stop in an eerie town becomes hostage to an irate, amorous fae seeking vengeance on her employer. Both end up taking the standoff lying down, literally!

Sugar on Top – Spooky Sierra Glade’s top gossip columnist has her cake and eats it, too, when she attempts to crash a secret bachelor party inside the cake.

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http://www.leighellwood.com

In the opening of Desert Blade, the hero, Derek eats hushpuppies made by his foster mother. I don’t tend to fry up hushpuppies at home, but I do make a similar southern treat, fried okra.

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• Bag of frozen cut okra (or definitely go for fresh if it’s available to you)
• Two eggs, beaten
• Cup of cornmeal
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Optional: cayenne pepper or other favorite seasoning
• Oil to cover the bottom of pan

 

1. Defrost the okra

2. Mix the spices in the cornmeal

3. Dip the okra in the egg mixture until coated.

4. Roll the okra in the cornmeal until coated. (refresh egg and cornmeal mixtures when needed).

5. Fry in the oil until golden

6. Drain okra on paper bag or paper towels.

7. Serve! Some people like lemon or salsa with theirs, I just eat as is!

Near-Future, Science Fiction Romance, Post-Apocalyptic — Novella

In the post-apocalyptic Midwest, now a ravaged dust bowl, former guardsman Derek Covington must find help for a sick boy. With nothing but memories of all he lost, Derek crosses the desert alone in search of the doctor who saved his own life ten years ago. Drifter gangs who loot and pillage don’t dare come near, for Derek has a formidable weapon: a prosthetic arm with a deadly blade.

For a decade, Dr. Lidia Sullivan has fantasized about the handsome guardsman who’d been in her care. And now she can’t deny his dangerous request. But as they make the treacherous journey back to Old St. Louis, they must contend with much more than fierce desert winds and their unthinkable attraction. A fearless gang has spotted Lidia—a rare woman—and will fight Derek to the death to get her. And though he risks his life to save her for the sake of the child who needs her, she fears there’s one thing Derek will never risk: his heart.

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http://www.elladrake.com

I’m so pleased to be launching this site with a recipe I found on Cooking Light that I’d morphed into something very un-light. It goes great with wheat crackers or tortilla chips.

Ingredients:

2 tbls olive oil for sautéing	2 large onions, chopped or thinly sliced
1/2 tsp dried thyme	1/2 cup sour cream
2/3 cup grated Italian cheese blend	1/3 cup cream cheese at room temperature
1/3 cup mayonnaise	1/2 tsp hot sauce of your preference
1/4 tsp salt

 

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, swirling to coat pan. Add onion and salt to pan; caramelize on a very, very low heat setting for approx 45 min – 1 hour, or until the color is a rich brown (not burned), stirring occasionally.

2. Add thyme and cook another 5 min. Remove onion mixture from heat. Add sour cream and the remaining ingredients, stirring until blended and cheese melts.

3. Pour into oven proof dish and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Serve warm.

 

 

Keeping Pace by Dee Carney

One spark could burn her world down.

Six years after her husband’s death, Regina Pace is still just going through the motions, her only pleasure a nightly glass (or three) of wine to dull the ache. Tonight is no exception—until a sensual outdoor encounter with her neighbor’s son, freshly home from college. He’s older, wiser, more devastatingly handsome than she remembered. He’s also fifteen years her junior.

Despite her misgivings, it isn’t long before her nightly ritual includes a long, deep drink of Josh Smith. Ogling leads to touching, then the sparks flare into an erotic encounter that feels wickedly right—and deliciously forbidden.

Yet the intense heat can’t burn away the doubt pestering the back of her mind. That the gap between their ages is too large, even for the most determined leap of faith…

Warning: Features a boy-next-door who won’t take no for an answer, more than one sexual fantasy (including some outdoor self-loving!), and a burning romance that proves age is just a number.

www.deecarney.com