My family loves green beans so I’m always on the hunt for new ways to cook them. Sautéing them has become my favorite method, as they turn out so tasty.

~ ~ ~

Gourmet Green Beans

1 1/2 - 2 pounds green beans, ends trimmed

2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and fresh black pepper

Option 1 - Herb Butter:

•    1/4 cup fresh herb* leaves, roughly chopped

•    1 large lemon, zested and juiced

•    2 garlic cloves, smashed

•    1 stick unsalted butter, softened

•    Salt and pepper

*Use herb of your choice such as sage, rosemary, basil, chives

In a food processor, pulse together the herbs, lemon zest and juice, and garlic. Once coarsely chopped, add the butter and pulse until combined. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Use 1/3 of the herbed butter for this recipe and freeze the rest for another use.

Option 2- Vegie Dressing:

•    2 ounces salted butter, melted

•    1 tablespoon soy sauce

•    1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Whisk all ingredients together. May double recipe if desired.

Sautéing Green Beans:

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the green beans in an even layer and cook without disturbing for one minute. Add the herbed butter or vegie dressing and sauté for 1-2 more minutes or until beans are crispy and still bright green. Season with salt and fresh black pepper as needed.

Christmas in Sugar Land contains four romantic and heartwarming Christmas themed stories featuring fictional residents of Sugar Land, Texas:

THE CHRISTMAS STAR – Under the glow of a magical Christmas star, two lonely people find each other and learn that the true meaning of the holiday does indeed entail family and love.

A HOLIDAY SURPRISE – After divorcing fifteen years ago, can two mature and successful adults overcome the differences that forced them apart and then succeed together at love a second time?

CHRISTMAS BY CANDLELIGHT – With the company of a clever puppy, a widowed freelance writer falls for a hunky landscaper as feelings of loyalty to her dead husband threaten her chance at happiness.

ROCKIN’ JINGLE BELLS – Can high school sweethearts now in their mid-thirties, a coffee café manager and a famous rock singer, overcome the dissimilarities in their lives and build a relationship based on love and trust?

This collection has additional Enriched Content that includes pictures, recipes, and author notes for each story with access or a notation to it throughout each story.

~ ~ ~

www.karensueburns.com

Many years ago I attended a Christmas Party that had a cranberry dish that I loved. I asked the person for the recipe several times through the years but she would never share! I finally found it!

~ ~ ~

Cranberry Cloud

2 cups fresh cranberries

2 cups miniature marshmallows

¾ cup sugar

2 green apples

1 cup seedless green grapes

½ cup toasted chopped walnuts

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Put cranberries in food process and pulse until they are chopped in slices.

Add cranberries, marshmallows and sugar in large plastic container and shake until mixed.

Set aside for an hour in the fridge. The sugar will turn a delightful pinkish color.

Chop the apples, slice the green grapes and toast the walnuts in oven for ten minutes at 350 degrees.

Whip the heavy whipping cream until peaks form.

Add apples, grapes, walnuts to cranberries along with the whipped cream.

Fold with rubber spatula, then chill the mixture for at least an hour.

About every fifteen minutes, turn the container over and shake a bit to mix the flavors.

That’s it. Delicious, simple to make and men like it. Enjoy!

Adopted!

In the Deep South, one of the first questions asked when meeting someone new in a small town is, “Who’s your daddy?” The answer defines you as a person. Not knowing is disheartening.

Sara McLaughlin never knew she was adopted and is stunned to realize that if she wants to find out the questions burning in her brain as to the ‘why’ she was given up at birth, and who her father might be, she has to live in her birth mother’s apartment for the next six weeks.

Grant St. Romain, attorney, is supposed to be helping, but the hunky dimpled devil is making her mind think of other things.
Can she find the truth? Or will she break her heart trying to find out the answers in Boggy Bayou, where many secrets are hidden?

~ ~ ~

http://pepper.phillips.com

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!

~ ~ ~

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?

~ ~ ~

http://acatherinenoon.blogspot.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!

~ ~ ~

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?

~ ~ ~

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.

~ ~ ~

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...

~ ~ ~

http://viviendean.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.

~ ~ ~

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.

~ ~ ~

www.voireylinger.com

In Problems in Paradise, the third book in my Texas Nights series, the heroine—Eden Durant—owns Paradise Garden Café. People around the small town of Shelbyville are a little suspicious of her healthy fare, but they’re slowly trying her “clean food” menu. But when three men in town get hit with food poisoning after eating at her restaurant, Eden’s future and her lover’s election chances are jeopardized.

~ ~ ~

Serves 8

Eden’s Killer Quiche

(adapted from Rachel Ray’s Basic Quiche Recipe)

Ingredients:

· Store bought or homemade pie crust (I favor the refrigerated ones from Trader Joe’s)

· Chanterelle powder (only if you want to recreate Eden’s quiche. If not, you can omit.)

· 6 eggs

· 1 cup milk

· 2/3 cup cream

· 1/2 cup of chevré (goat cheese)

· 1 cup prosciutto, chopped

· Pinch of nutmeg (optional)

· Pinch of salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 425ºF. If your oven is anything like mine, that’ll take half an hour J.

Whisk the eggs in a decent sized bowl. Then dump in the milk and cream and whisk again. Stir in chevré, prociutto, and spices (except for the chanterelle powder, which really isn’t a spice).

Sprinkle the chanterelle powder over the crust (It’s a mushroom powder. And yeah, I have no idea if you’ll ever be able to find this so don’t get all hyped up about it because it’s the ahem…killer…ingredient in the book – LOL).

Pour your eggish mixture into the piecrust and bake for 30ish minutes. If it’s still jiggly in the middle, pop it back in for another 10 minutes or so. If you don’t like your crust too brown, consider wrapping the edges in aluminum foil after about the first 15 minutes the quiche is in the oven.

Okay, now it’s time for me to admit I’ve yet to cook this exact quiche, but if you try it, let Eden and me know what you think! Happy quiche-ing, y’all!

Eden Durant hasn't always been Eden Durant. She's made a fresh start in Shelbyville, Texas, far from her mother's notoriety. Running the Paradise Garden Café is as much excitement as Eden wants—or it was, until she meets Beck Childress. Although he's the one man who could expose her past, she's willing to open up enough to see if he might be her future.

Chief Deputy Childress is determined to get to know the real Eden, when he isn't busy cleaning up after the sheriff and running in the election to replace him. When several men fall sick after eating in Eden's café, he investigates even as her mysterious past raises both his suspicions and his protective instincts.

As their relationship heats up, so do the pressures of Beck's campaign. When Eden's secrets are revealed, jeopardizing his dream of becoming sheriff, he'll need to choose: serve and protect the town he loves or the woman who makes it home.

~ ~ ~

Email / Website / Newsletter / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Pinterest

Magda and Javi, the main characters of The Rain in Spain, spend a magical evening wandering Sevilla. My own trip to Sevilla left me with a love of Spanish tapas, and tortilla in particular.

~ ~ ~

Spanish Tortilla Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 3/4lb medium potatoes

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

scant 1/2c. extra virgin olive oil

6 eggs

1) Thinly slice the potatoes. Heat 5 TBS of the oil in a frying pan and cook the potatoes, turning frequently, for 10 minutes. Add the onions and seasoning (salt & pepper, I just wing it), and continue to cook gently for a further 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

2) Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a large bowl with a little more salt & pepper. Tip the potatoes and onions into the eggs and mix gently. Leave to stand for 10 minutes.

3) Wipe out the pan and heat the remaining oil in it. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and spread it out in an even layer. Cover and cook over very gentle heat for 20 minutes, until the eggs are just set. Serve cut into wedges.

Tortilla are often made with a bunch of extra ingredients thrown in: chopped bell peppers (red or yellow), peas, corn, grated cheese. The recipe I use (which comes from a cookbook called Cooking With Just Four Ingredients) suggests Cheddar or Gruyère, but I use Manchego because it's my favorite Spanish cheese and tastes delicious. I don't have amounts for extra ingredients, but I think I use about a cup of grated Manchego. If anything, I probably throw in a little extra, because cheese!

You can eat tortilla as soon as it's done cooking, but it's also served cold, straight from the fridge. Serve with a leafy salad and crusty bread for an easy meal.

"The Rain in Spain" is a short story in the SUMMER RAIN charity anthology for RAINN.

Travel write Magda and scientist Javi are cranky with the heat--and each other--on the streets of Sevilla. They've been married for a year, after a whirlwind courtship, and Magda is questioning whether or not she made a mistake. She's not sure if her need to explore the world can ever mesh with Javi's more regimented life.

As they stroll the cobblestone streets of one of Spain's most romantic cities, Magda tries to show her husband just what it is she loves so much about her job that keeps her far from home for son long. By the time the sun rise, they'll know if there is a way forward for them together . . . or not.

All proceeds from the volume will be donated to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (www.rainn.org), the largest anti-sexual violence organization in the United States.

~ ~ ~

http://amyjocousins.com/

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

~ ~ ~

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…

~ ~ ~

www.LisaFoxRomance.com

Now, I have to admit, I'm late to the leafy greens party. I've always enjoyed a salad well enough as a side dish, but cooked kale, spinach, chard? Not so much. However, I recently discovered swiss chard with balsamic vinegar and I have to say I was surprised -- it's yummy!

~ ~ ~

Swiss Chard with Balsamic Vinegar

Ingredients:

    2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

    4 cloves garlic, minced

    1 bunch Swiss chard, stalks discarded, leaves cut into wide ribbons

    1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

    salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

    Heat the olive oil on a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and cook until tender and aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add the Swiss chard and balsamic vinegar; cook and stir until the chard is wilted and tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

In the interest of full disclosure, I first discovered the recipe on allrecipes.com, but it has since become a favorite.

Tiger-shifter Grio has one job, locating dormant tiger-shifters and introducing them to the world of Saffron Tigers. When he finds Professor Phoenix Lamoure, he soon discovers that Headquarters got a couple of key points wrong—Phoenix isn’t actually a professor, but he is Saffron Tiger royalty, a member of the lost royal line.

Phoenix didn’t have things easy growing up. His mother spent most of her life in a mental institution, and he spent his formative years in foster care. When a stranger approaches and tries to unearth his family history, Phoenix becomes wary. And when the stranger actually kidnaps him, all bets are off!

Can Phoenix ever believe what Grio has to tell him? Or will he be forever convinced that he’s as crazy as his mother?

~ ~ ~

www.seanmichaelwrites.com

 

It’s summertime and the living is easy. I grab my aunt’s vintage recipe box and pull out our favorite baked bean recipe for cookouts and picnics. It’s fast and easy and DELICIOUS.

~ ~ ~

Aunt Bick’s Picnic Baked Beans

2 16 oz canned pork ‘n beans

½ cup of ketchup

¼ cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp yellow mustard

1 medium chopped onion or 2 TBS dry minced onion

2 slices bacon

Mix beans, ketchup, brown sugar, yellow mustard, and onion together. Pour into a 9x12 Pyrex casserole dish. Place bacon on top. Bake at 350^o for one hour. 6-8 servings.

For twenty years, Lily Johnson’s life, albeit a life of lies, is good. Then her daughter falls in love and Lily's world goes upside down.

Her daughter’s fiancé turns out to be the godson of her daughter’s biological father, Alex Cabot. The Green Beret Lily thought died in Vietnam. When Alex and Lily meet face-to-face, the years melt away and old passion returns.
Only he believes she betrayed her promise to wait for him. And, Lily’s convinced revealing the truth would mean losing her daughter and the only man she’s ever loved.

Can a love, sidetracked by war, be rekindled when the child born from that love feels betrayed or will Lily’s original, well-intended lie cost her the only man she ever loved and her daughter?

~ ~ ~

http://www.judythemorgan.com/

This corn salad is so easy, even one of my bull riders could make it! And it’s so colorful it’s as beautiful to look at, as it is tasty. I serve it on its own as a side dish with steak or burgers, but I’ve also used the leftovers to dress up plain lettuce to create a quick and impressive tossed salad.

~ ~ ~

Corn Salad

1 can corn (drained)

1 pint grape tomatoes

1 small red onion (chopped)

1 green pepper (diced)

Juice of one fresh lime

2 TB olive oil

Salt/Pepper to taste

Dash of cayenne pepper (optional)

Mix all ingredients and serve room temperature.

This ain’t their first rodeo...but there are a lot of other firsts they can experience together .

Skeeter Anderson was born to ride bulls. He bypassed college to shoot straight to the top of the elite pro tour, but lately all he can seem to do is hit the dirt. Unwilling to admit his career might be over at twenty-one, Skeeter brainstorms a bull-riding boot camp with his buddies, which will put him closer to a girl who’s caught his eye—a stock contractor’s daughter called Riley.

Riley Davis lives and breathes bulls. Since her mother’s death, she’s been her father’s business partner as well as the apple of his eye—until a coronary rips him out of her life. Now, at nineteen, she must find a way to hang onto the family business.

When Skeeter hears about Riley’s dad, he drives straight to Mississippi to lend her a hand, his buddies hot on his heels. Suddenly Riley has more help than she can shake a stick at, and an attraction to Skeeter that’s heating up by the minute...

Warning: Contains cowboy yoga, cowboys in love, and a romance that hits so hard and fast, it makes being thrown from a bull look like a friendly game of hopscotch.

~ ~ ~

www.catjohnson.net

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!

~ ~ ~

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.

~ ~ ~

karenstivali.com

I’m here to spice things up. My Taco Soup is easy and it freezes very well which gets bonus points in my book. I always make it in giant batches and freeze it in single servings and larger ones too. I’m also including my homemade taco seasoning recipe that you can use instead of the store bought seasoning packets.

~ ~ ~

SJ’s Taco Soup:

1 lb. ground beef or turkey

1 yellow onion diced

1 can black beans with the juices from the can

1 can corn

28 oz crushed tomatoes

8 oz plain tomato sauce

1 pkg taco seasoning or homemade taco seasoning to taste (start with 1 T)

Brown the meat, add the remaining ingredients, and simmer. That’s it! Serve with taco chips and a sprinkling of cheese and sour cream too if you’d like.

SJs Taco Seasoning:

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Pinch cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg

Make this seasoning your own. A few ideas include increasing the chili powder if you want it hotter, eliminating the salt or doubling the salt.

Lydia’s father walked away from her when she was eight. She’s struggled to not let him affect her, but fears she wasn’t loveable enough to make him stay. Jake wants to love one woman, but after scaring the last woman he met outside of the club, he doubts he deserves the right. She protects her heart by sticking with her fantasies and he lives by a set of rules that excludes women who choose a vanilla lifestyle.

The two will be kept in a conference room working together until their special project is complete. If Lydia and Jake hold tight to their bland lives, they’ll always yearn for love that is out of reach. Together they find common ground, passion, and a reason to take chances. Once they discover the grand possibilities of the love they desire, they find themselves in the very place they tried never to be again, facing unguaranteed loved.

~ ~ ~

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Like your favorite chips, you won’t be able to eat just one pickle slice. These pickles can be eaten alone, but are great on burgers, sandwiches, chicken, tuna, and pea salads, or any recipe calling for pickles.

~ ~ ~

Sweet & Savory Pickles

Ingredients

· 1 jar of dill pickles

· 2 cups granulated sugar

· 12-15 splashes of hot sauce (Tabasco works great!)

Directions

1. Remove pickles from the jar and drain juice.

2. Blend pickles with sugar in a bowl.

3. Add hot sauce and blend

4. Return pickles to the jar.

5. Every day for a minimum of one week, flip the jar. (You can shake it a little, too, if you want.) This guarantees the flavor infuses every slice

6. Enjoy!

Graciela DuBois is desperate to find the vile pirate who took her sister. What better way to hunt a pirate than with another pirate? When she strikes a reckless bargain with the infamous Captain Banning, she soon realizes a ship full of rogues isn’t as dangerous as her growing desires for the captain.

Captain Cutler Banning is hardly impressed by the lass’s quest—especially when the man she seeks is a member of his pirate brethren. That is, until she offers to pay handsomely with a legendary gold nugget and her body. the curse the gold is said to bring, he agrees to help. Doing so invites trouble both on board his ship and in his wounded heart. And Gracie has a secret that just may destroy the brethren.

~ ~ ~

www.jbrayweber.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.

~ ~ ~

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

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

In food, as in fiction, sometimes you just need something that's quick and comforting.  This Parmesan polenta absolutely fits the bill.  It's a favorite comfort food in our house.

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Parmesan Polenta

Ingredients:

• 1 cup yellow corn meal (I like coarse ground by Bob’s Red Mill--if you use this cook time will be a little bit longer--the coarser the grind, the longer the cook time)
• 4 cups of chicken stock (you can use water, but I prefer the stock for more flavor)
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Bring the salt and stock to a boil.
2. Whisking constantly, add the polenta.
3. Reduce heat to medium and continue to whisk constantly (careful!  It can pop on you!) for about five minutes.
4. Continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes or until it reaches desired thickness.
5. Remove from heat and add the cheese and butter, stirring until well incorporated.
6. Serve.

Isabelle Lawson loves her job.  Driven, dedicated, there’s no room in her high-pressure life to look for love outside the pages of the books she edits.  Can a fun-loving, handsome stranger change her mind?

A novelette of approximately 10k words.

“Meet cute” is a term used to describe a situation in which a future romantic couple meets for the first time.  Meet Cute Romance is a series of romantic shorts celebrating the possibilities of that first meeting.

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http://kaitnolan.com

In my April release, Desiring Lady Caro, my characters travel from Venice to Paris. While making their way through the Austrian mountain, they sampled a local dish. Kasnocken is the Austrian version of macaroni and cheese. To be perfectly authentic, Bergkäse must be used, however if you can’t find it, Emmentaler is a good substitute. You can also buy the spaetzle (noodles) if you like.

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Ingredients (serves 2):
9 oz (250g) flour
5 eggs + 1 egg yolk
a good pinch of salt
2-3 tbsp water (if necessary)
2 tbsp butter
5 - 7 oz (150-200g) Bergkäse cheese, grated

To prepare the onions:
3 oz (75g) butter
2 mid-sized onions cut in rings

Combine the flour, eggs and a good-sized pinch of salt. In another mixing bowl, whisk eggs and milk together. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the egg-milk mixture. Gradually draw in the flour from the sides and combine well; the dough should be smooth and thick. Let the dough rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile heat the butter in a frying pan over low to medium heat, add onions, and let them slowly gain a golden brown color. Don't let them get too dark, as they tend to become bitter. Drain on a paper towel and then set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water briefly to a boil, add a pinch of salt and then reduce heat. The water should simmer throughout the whole process. You can either cut and shape the spaetzle by hand or use a spaetzle maker or a colander which makes things easier. Cook the spaetzle for about 2-3 minutes until they float back to the surface, then remove them. Dump the spaetzle into a colander and give it a quick rinse with cool water.

When done, drain the water, melt 1-2 tbsp of butter and return the spaetzle to the pot. Shake the pot a few times to evenly distribute the butter, then add the grated cheese and mix well.

Now simply add the browned onions and chopped chives on top and serve.

Guten Appetit!

Ella Quinn’s bachelors are clever, charismatic—and determined to remain single. Yet one by one, they find that fate—and certain irresistible women—cast doubt on even the best laid plans…

Haunted by her past, Lady Caroline Martindale fled England for the solace of her godmother’s palazzo in Venice. But if Caro was hoping to escape the charms of marriage-minded men, she’s come to the wrong place. And she’ll resort to extreme measures to spurn the advances of a dangerously determined Venetian marquis…

Though most of his friends have married off, Gervais, Earl of Huntley, remains bent on eluding the parson’s mousetrap. But his convictions begin to falter when he arrives in Venice and meets his match in the alluring Lady Caro. What began as a hastily concocted lie to save her from the marquis may become a chance for them both to relinquish their fear—and embrace what they can no longer deny…

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www.ellaquinnauthor.com