Cupcakes for Breakfast!

Mystery Lovers' Kitchen is excited to introduce Wendy Lyn Watson, who will be substituting for Jenn McKinlay while she's off on a month long vacation. Wendy writes the Mysteries A La Mode series about, you guessed it, the proprietor of an ice cream parlor! Her first book, I Scream, You Scream, is available now and the second in the series, Scoop to Kill, will be released in September. Please join us in welcoming Wendy to Mystery Lovers' Kitchen.

Thanks for the warm welcome ... and thanks to Jenn for letting me step into her fabulous shoes for the month of July. This post is for her, as close as I get to pouring one out for my homies.

Lately I've been on a cupcake kick. Not just any cupcakes, mind you, but vegan cupcakes. (Vegan means no animal products: no meat, eggs, or dairy.) They're far from fat-free; they're packed with sugary goodness; and when you eat them by the half-dozen, it doesn't even help that they're small. But somehow I feel like I'm eating healthy because they're vegan.

I mean, really, these cupcakes are almost like vitamins. Ha!

Anyway, healthy or not, I've been making lots of them lately, all courtesy of the super-talented Isa Chandra Moskowitz from the Post Punk Kitchen: coconut, lemon, a chocolate so dark you need a flashlight ...

But my favorite discovery so far has been these little morsels of magic called Jelly Donut Cupcakes. They really and truly do taste like jelly donuts. And while cupcakes, even vegan cupcakes, may not be healthy, I think these gems are better for you than their traditional fried counterparts.


And lest you think filling a cupcake with jelly is going to require some sort of special equipment--or voodoo--rest easy. You just plop the jelly on top before baking, and it finds its own way into the heart of the cupcake.



Magic!

Jelly Donut Cupcakes
from the Veganomicon

The cupcakes need to sit out for about 12 hours before eating, so make the cupcakes in the evening for breakfast the next morning. Also, there's no upside to using good jelly here. The cheaper it is, the more like a donut shop jelly donut the final product will be.

1 c. soy, rice, or almond milk
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
2 tbs. cornstarch
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. canola oil
3/4 c. plus 2 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1/3 c. raspberry jelly (or strawberry, grape, whatever you want!)
2 Tbs. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Mix non-dairy milk, vinegar, and cornstarch in a measuring cup; set aside. Line 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients.

Whisk the cornstarch mixture again to make sure it's dissolved, then pour into the dry ingredients. Add the oil, sugar, and vanilla. Stir until well-combined.

Fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 full with batter (about 1/4 c. per cupcake). Place a heaping teaspoonful of jam on the center of each cupcake. Just plop it on. Bake for 21-23 minutes, until the tops are firm.

Cool cupcakes on wire rack. Leave them uncovered in a cool place overnight (or up to 24 hours). Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar and enjoy!

For information about Wendy's Mysteries a la Mode and more yummy recipes, visit her website. The first in the series, I Scream, You Scream, is available now; the second Mystery a la Mode, Scoop to Kill, will be released in September.

Let's all Veg Out Part 1

Before I go any further... do you all know what today is?

I bet you do!

Today is release day for Avery Aames' debut mystery, THE LONG QUICHE GOODBYE! It's also the day Avery announces the winner of her "You Be the Sleuth" contest. Check out the results on Avery's website here.

Today is also the release day for ...

Riley Adams first Memphis Barbecue mystery DELICIOUS AND SUSPICIOUS!

Please join me in congratulating my blog sisters on this exciting day. I encourage everyone reading this blog to rush out and pick up both these books. Not only are they filled with suspense, fun, and excitement, there's a lot of great foodie information in both as well. Don't miss them!

This week and next week I'll be talking about veggies on the grill. This week is one of my go-to side dishes that's always a hit in my house and can be prepared outside or inside. For next week, I'll try something new (but still very veggie) and report on the family's verdict -- which side dish wins top honors in the Hyzy house!

As I've mentioned before, my youngest daughter is vegetarian. That's been good news for all of us because we've been cutting down on the amount of meat we consume here. Not completely, of course, but a bit. It's been a real challenge for me to come up with new and different items to serve that can be used as main dishes. And although we haven't had 100% success, we're certainly having fun!

Today's super easy dish is a side, for sure. Next week's could stand in as a main dish. But I'm getting ahead of myself...

We use the following as a side when having dinner here. While my husband and other daughters may have a chicken or beef entree, our youngest enjoys a veggie burger or tofu-based dish. But, what we've come to love most of all is that these veggie leftovers make *phenomenal* additions to sandwiches. We all love our panini maker (thanks for the suggestion, Krista) and we use these veggies with provolone cheese (or sometimes pepper jack) on great breads. Who needs meat at that point? These sandwiches are incredible.

So, if you're looking for a side dish that keeps on giving, try...

Grilled vegetables - indirect heat

1 or 2 green bell peppers

1 or 2 red bell peppers

pint (or so) of mushrooms - I used baby bellas

1 purple onion

1 head garlic

I don't know why I prefer the green peppers cut into 1/2 inch chunks, and the red peppers cut into strips, but I do. Cut up the peppers however you like into good-sized pieces. This is not the time to chop. Remove mushroom stems and discard. Depending on the size of the mushroom caps, cut them in half or quarters. Cut the purple onion in half, then half again. Keep at it until the pieces are about 1/2 inch each (give or take). Separate garlic into whole cloves, smash and peel. I sometimes throw the whole cloves in if I'm feeling lazy, but I usually chop them up a bit to share the garlic wealth.

Place all veggies in a grill-safe pan, add a glug or two of olive oil and toss to coat. I don't salt or pepper these until they're finished.

Set your grill to indirect heat and place the pan in the center. These don't cook up super fast -- you'll have to keep checking and re-tossing as they roast. But eventually the peppers soften, the mushrooms lose their liquid and the onions become translucent. That's when they're ready. Bring them in, place in a serving dish... and there they are.

These veggies can also be roasted indoors in a 350 oven. We make these year-round because we enjoy them so much!

Next week - Time to veg out with direct heat!!

Julie

www.juliehyzy.com

The Long Quiche Goodbye Debuts July 6

Hi!

My "You be the sleuth" contest ends tonight at midnight EDT. The winner will be announced tomorrow in my newsletter. You can find the news on my website.

Congratulations to all! I'll be contacting you.

While you're there looking to see if you won, check out the Virtual Tour for my Launch Party. There will be an "Order the book" contest. {If you've already ordered it, don't despair. You can enter, too.} And I'm starting a blog tour as well as a book tour and some radio chats. Those events are all posted on the site as well. It'll be a whirlwind of activity, but I hope you'll each be able to join me for one of the events, whether online, via the radio, or in person.

If you hadn't guessed after all this furor, The Long Quiche Goodbye debuts tomorrow. The reviews have been great so far--lucky me! The book will be available not only online but in bookstores. I'm so excited!!! The others on our blog have all been published, but this is my first!

Can you remember your very first date? The sweaty palms, the double-check in the mirror to make sure you didn't have spinach in your teeth (even if you didn't eat spinach), breathing into your hand to make sure your breath was okay??? Was the outfit right? Too wrinkled? Just wrinkled enough? Well, I'm feeling all of those things and more. Yes, even about a book. I've written for a long time. This was not a lucky first book story. I'm hoping it will be a hit. So buy it and enjoy the read.

By the way, Delicious and Suspicious by Riley Adams also debuts tomorrow. We're a pair, aren't we? With food perfect for the summer!

Speaking of food...

In The Long Quiche Goodbye, as you have probably figured out by now, there is mention of cheese! And there are recipes at the end of the book. Well, one of the recipes I didn't include is the barbecue sauce that Charlotte's adorable grandfather {Pepere} makes. He loves to cook. For a potluck dinner in the book, he makes his special ribs. I'd like to share his seasoning recipe with you now.

Pepere's Barbecue Seasoning

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon parsley

1 teaspoon rosemary

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon orange rind

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons lemonade (do not add until ready to use)

Directions:

Mix all the seasonings until blended. {This may be stored for quite a while.}

**Do NOT add the lemonade until ready to use that day.

For Ribs:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Set your choice of meat (I use 1.5 to 2 pounds of baby back ribs, but chicken or pork chops will do) on large sheet of foil. Set on top of a long flat baking pan.

Mix the dry seasoning with the lemonade. Rub the wet seasoning on the top of the meat and wrap the foil tightly around it.

Set the baking pan in the oven for 2 hours and bake slowly.

Remove from the oven.

Then...the ribs can be grilled on the barbecue to add extra flavor, broiled to crisp up, or served hot from the foil.

The meat will pull apart with your fingers.

Enjoy! And say cheese!

"You Be The Sleuth" Contest!

This is the last day to enter!!! Track down the recipe on my website that includes eggs, Edam, and white pepper. Enter your answer by clicking on this link: CONTEST ENTRY FORM.

One of you will win a $25 gift certificate at your favorite bookstore. Two of you will win signed copies of The Long Quiche Goodbye. Three of you will win a Long Quiche Goodbye magnet. You can ask friends for help. Spread the word and share the fun. And while you're there, consider pre-ordering a book on my booksellers page.

Here is the link to my website to help get you started. Good luck!

Guest Author Mary Jane Maffini

Happy fourth of July!!!!

Please welcome our guest author Mary Jane Maffini who has a new book out: Closet Confidential!!!

Mary Jane Maffini is a lapsed librarian, a former mystery bookstore owner, a previous president of Crime Writers of Canada and a lifelong lover of mysteries.

In addition to the four Charlotte Adams books, she is the author of the Camilla MacPhee series, the Fiona Silk adventures and nearly two dozen short stories. She has won two Arthur Ellis awards for best mystery short story as well as the Crime Writers of Canada Derrick Murdoch award. She is having fun with the fifth Charlotte Adams adventure: The Busy Woman’s Guide to Murder (Berkley Prime Crime 2011) and says she’s grateful for all the tips she gets from Charlotte. Mary Jane lives and plots in Ottawa, Ontario, along with her long-suffering husband and two princessy dachshunds. Visit her at www.maryjanemaffini.com

Take it away, Mary Jane!

A cool and easy way to celebrate!

There’s so much to celebrate today and this week. And I’m not sure how you feel but on these hot humid days, I don’t want to be stuck in front of that oven baking those celebration desserts. But what to do when there’s a need to celebrate? Or it’s your turn to bring dessert to a family gathering? Or friends arrive in town with little notice? Help! It’s too hot to cook and it’s too humid to shop. That’s when you need Ice Cream Torte — my favorite cheater’s summer cake —in your freezer. This dessert started off life being known as Luscious Mocha Ice Cream Torte, but now, it’s always a big surprise. It depends on what ice cream I have in my freezer and what liqueurs are hanging around the house. This cake is always requested at every family birthday party or shower in the summer. For my mother-in-law’s eightieth birthday, four tortes with twenty candles each were paraded out to the outdoor dinner area as night fell. Spectacular, but easy. Of course, you’ll have to have cones or sundaes for the small fry, but that can be delegated.

Keep in mind when you read the lengthy list of instructions, this is very easy to make and the amount of hands-on time is probably about as long it takes to read the recipe.

Components:

Cookie crumb base

Your favorite combo of ice

cream (at least two flavors – preferably with a color contrast)

Whipped cream ‘icing’

Dollop of booze

Crust:

If you don’t mind the oven on for ten minutes:

Mix 1 ½ cups chocolate cookie crumbs

6 tbsp butter, melted in microwave

3 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp liqueur – chocolate, coffee flavor or whatever you love – or have on hand!

Can’t stand the heat? Just make your favorite unbaked cookie crumb crust.

Filling:

1 ½ quarts ( in total) of your two favorite compatible ice cream flavors.

Naturally, you could get away with more or less. For Canada Day, I used Dutch chocolate and French vanilla with chocolate brickles. It’s wonderful with coffee ice cream and cappucino duet too. But you’re the cheater. You choose!

4 tablespoons liqueur – chocolate, coffee-flavored. You can use rum, whiskey or bourbon if you want. It’s best if you use a different flavor from the crust, but again, go with what you have.

Topping:

½ cup chilled whipping cream

1 tsp espresso powder or 2 tsps. Cocoa powder. Or both. Why not? If these don’t go with your ice cream flavors, find something that does.

1 tbsp powdered sugar

Crust: Preheat oven to 350 if you dare. Mix cookie crumbs., sugar, melted butter and liqueur. Press into bottom of spring loaded pan. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes. Chill.

Filling: soften darker of the two ice creams while crust is cooking. Add 2 tablespoons of liqueur. Spread over chilled crust and freeze for at least one hour. Go read a mystery.

Soften second ice cream container and blend in remaining 2 tablespoons of liqueur. Spread over first. Chill one hour. Back to your book.

Whip cream with cocoa or espresso powder (or whatever flavor you’ve chosen) Toss in a bit more liqueur if you’re not driving.

Smooth over top of ice cream like icing. You can omit this step and put whipped cream and fruit on top if you prefer. Sprinkle with chocolate shavings or your favorite cake toppers. I used dark chocolate covered espresso beans in the latest version.

Wrap well and freeze at least two hours or overnight. You can relax now! This cake keeps well in the freezer, but someone will almost certainly hunt it down and eat it before long.

When ready to serve, remove from the springform pan and transfer to a cake plate. It can be tricky to get the crust off the bottom and you may need a sharp knife for that. At night, we often serve this with sparklers, but again there are no rules, except to keep it frozen. The only thing you really need is two kinds of ice cream.

People say to me in amazement: ‘You made this? Wow!’ I look suitably modest. And isn’t that the kind of sweet deception we want when we’ve been working so hard in the kitchen on a hot summer day?

I’m happy to say, I have an Ice Cream Torte ready to mark the arrival of Closet Confidential, the fourth Charlotte Adams mystery, which hits the shelves on July 6^th along with Avery’s Long Quiche Goodbye and Riley’s Delicious and Suspicious. Who wouldn’t celebrate being in such good company?

Enjoy!!!

By the way, Avery's "You be the Sleuth" contest ends in 24 hours, at the end of July 5th. The winner will be announced July 6th, so get hopping. Enter before it's too late.

Avery’s first book in A Cheese Shop Mystery series, The Long Quiche Goodbye, debuts July 6. To celebrate its release, Avery is running a contest from June 9 to July 6! [Not really true since the 6th is the announcement day. It ends July 5. Silly, Avery.] Anyway, you be the sleuth! Track down the recipe on Avery's website that includes eggs, Edam, and white pepper. Enter your answer by clicking on this link: CONTEST ENTRY FORM.

One of you will win a $25 gift certificate at your favorite bookstore. Two of you will win signed copies of The Long Quiche Goodbye. Three of you will win a Long Quiche Goodbye magnet. You can ask friends for help. Spread the word and share the fun. And while you're there, consider pre-ordering a book on Avery's booksellers page.

Here is the link to Avery’s website to help get you started.

***

Thank you, Mary Jane, for being our guest. What a great recipe! Can't wait to try it!

~Avery

(P.S. Yes, I am silly. The dates of the contest have me befuddled. I can't imagine how the rest of the readers feel! Forgive my befuddled-ness.)

No Work Elegant Dessert

Once upon a time, I used to rent a beach house every summer with a big group of friends. What fun! Most of the time we ate out, but our beach of choice was Sandbridge, on the Virginia coast. Sandbridge has no condos, hotels, or high-rises. There's one restaurant/bar and one tiny store for essentials. Virginia Beach is about a twenty minute drive for those craving a boardwalk, bands, pier, restaurants, stores, and nightlife.





Sometimes, though, you just want to kick back and watch the sun set while you sip a frosty drink. July 4th is that kind of day. It's more fun to stay at the rental house and grill, especially if you're located so that you can see the fireworks! So that made me think about vacation house kitchens and the fact that they're often not very well equipped. Of course, it's vacation, so a store bought blueberry pie and ice cream might just do the trick. But when I saw these cute little pre-baked fillo dough cups in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, I thought they'd make a very elegant and almost effortless dessert.



I made a blueberry filling and a lemon filling. Quite honestly, though, you could fill the fillo shells with canned pie filling or your favorite lemon curd, which would really reduce the amount of cooking involved. How easy is that? No baking, oven, or pans required!

There are 15 little fillo cups in a package, so I made very small amounts of filling. There was just enough left over of each to lick the pan. If you only make one flavor, double the recipe.

Blueberry Filling

1 cup fresh blueberries, washed but not dried
1 tablespoon minute tapioca
1/4 cup sugar
splash of lemon juice
dash of cinnamon

Place all the ingredients in a small pot and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. At first it won't look like much is happening, but after a couple of minutes, the blueberries will turn very dark, the sugar will melt and it will all cook together. Stir constantly for about five minutes while it cooks (gentle boil). Set aside and let cool. Spoon into the fillo cups.

Lemon Filling

3 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons water
dash of salt

2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water

1 egg yolk
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

Combine the sugar, water, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil.

Stir the cornstarch into the cold water to dissolve. Add to the sugar mixture and bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly. It should become thick and almost clear. Remove from heat.

Whisk the egg yolk with the lemon juice. Add to the mixture in the pot and bring to a boil again, stirring constantly. Continue stirring and letting it boil gently for one minute. Remove from heat. Spoon into the fillo cups while still warm.

Creme Fraiche Topping

1/4 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
splash of vanilla

1/4 cup creme fraiche

Whip the cream, adding the sugar and vanilla. When it holds a soft peak, mix in the creme fraiche. Add a dollop on top of the filling of each filo cup. If you're at home, you can take the time to pipe it on, but be sure to let a little bit of the bright lemon and blueberry colors show on the sides. In the photo below, I used dollops on two and piped the others.

From everyone at Mystery Lovers' Kitchen --

have a safe and happy 4th of July!

The day are ticking down to enter Avery's
"You Be The Sleuth" Contest!

The first book in Avery Aames's A Cheese Shop Mystery series, The Long Quiche Goodbye, debuts July 6! To celebrate its release, Avery is running a contest from June 9 to July 6: You be the sleuth!

Track down the recipe on Avery's website that includes eggs, Edam, and white pepper. Enter your answer by clicking on this link: CONTEST ENTRY FORM.

One of you will win a $25 gift certificate at your favorite bookstore. Two of you will win signed copies of The Long Quiche Goodbye. Three of you will win a Long Quiche Goodbye magnet. You can ask friends for help. Spread the word and share the fun. And while you're there, consider pre-ordering a book on Avery's booksellers page. Here is the link to Avery’s website to help get you started. Good luck!

102 Grilling Ideas (No Kidding, 102) by Cleo Coyle

Cleo Coyle, author of
The Coffeehouse Mysteries

To download a
free PDF of my
Coffee-Marinated
Steak recipe, click here, and
have a
Happy Fourth!

Summer + Decent Weather = Back Yard Grilling. A recognized theorem for a successful July weekend, don't you think?

I mean, sure, illegal fireworks, beer bottles sloshing around half-melted ice chests, and a few inebriated relatives are part of the equation too. But the grilling thing, that's a pretty universal constant.

Here in New York City, my husband and I have a universal constant, too. We always look forward to Nathan's July Fourth Hot Dog Eating Contest, held at the original Nathan's restaurant on Surf Avenue in Coney Island, Brooklyn.

For six years running, Takeru “Tsunami” Kobayashi of Nagano, Japan, beat the buns off all American comers. Then in 2007, the great red-white-and-blue hope -- Joey "Jaws" Chestnut of Vellejo, California -- prevailed. Joey continued his streak in '08 and '09, setting a new record of 68 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. (Dang!)

Competitive eating is serious stuff. First prize is $20,000 and ESPN acutally televises it. I usually say "Eat with joy." July Fourth I say: "Eat with patriotism..." (Go Joey. :-)

Hey, just to prove that Americans are not alone in our love of gluttony: Below is a fun video (with interviews of both Chestnut and Kobayashi) before their face-off over shrimp wontons in Singapore.

Click the arrow in the window below to view
the Singapore shrimp wonton showdown.

Which brings me to what we will all be eating -- and grilling for the rest of the summer. I boldly promised you 102 Grilling Ideas in my headline today, and I intend to deliver! Okay, so I'm totally cheating: 101 of these ideas are coming from NY Times food writer Mark Bittman.  

Mark Bittman, "The Minimalist"
To visit his web site, click here 

Mr. Bittman is known for his "minimalist" recipes. I just love his mission to get more people cooking (instead of nuking and fast food-ing). I also love his can-do philosophy, which is basically: "If you can drive, you can cook."

To read my post from last fall that features links to Mr. Bittman's 101 Appetizers and 101 Ideas for Your Holiday Table, click here.

Below are some of my favorites of his 101 ideas for grilling...and below that is the 102nd grilling idea, which is mine. Like the recipes on Mr. Bittman's list, mine is a departure from the usual burger and hot dog menu; and, given Nathan's annual chow down, I doubt Mr. Kobayashi or Mr. Chestnut would be keen on seeing hot dogs on any menu for quite some time.

Okay, first The Minimalist...

Idea #5. Grill bread; grind in a food processor to make coarse bread crumbs. (You can add garlic and/or parsley and/or Parmesan, or not.) Grill asparagus until tender. Top with bread crumbs and olive oil.

Idea # 20. Grill pineapple (or anything, really, from pork to tofu to eggplant). Make a sauce of half-cup peanut butter, a tablespoon (or more) soy sauce, a dash (or more) sriracha chili sauce, a handful of basil or mint and enough warm water to thin. (I’m tempted to say, “Throw away the pineapple and eat the sauce,” but the combination is sensational.) Idea #31. Steak au poivre: Sirloin strip is ideal. Press lots of cracked black pepper into both sides, sprinkle with salt and grill over fairly high heat, about three to four minutes on each side. Slice quarter-inch thick before serving.

Idea #57. Grill wild salmon (preferably king or sockeye) until not-well-done. Toss diced cucumbers with fresh dill, olive oil and lemon juice. Serve salmon hot, slaw cold.

Idea #69. Grilled coleslaw: Lightly char wedges of green and red cabbage and carrots. Let cool, then shred and toss with a little mayo, vinegar, salt and sugar.

Idea #92. Grill split kielbasa or chorizo (the Spanish type). Serve in buns, filled with chopped Manchego and mayo spiked with pimentón. Some chopped dried apricots would be good, too.

Idea #100. Cut bananas into thick rounds (like scallops almost), char quickly and serve with caramel sauce, brown sugar, vanilla ice cream, Nutella ... whatever.

To see the rest of Mark Bittman's
101 Grilling Ideas, click here.

And for that 102nd idea,
see below...

Cleo Coyle's
Grilled Pork Chops
with Apple Juice and Sage Marinade

Servings: This marinade is enough for 3-1/2 to 4 pounds of pork chops (about 4 to 6 medium size pork chops)

Ingredients:
2 cups apple juice (I like 100% natural - no sugar or corn syrup added)
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons sea salt (or Kosher salt)
2 scallions, chopped
1 tablespoon ground sage (If it's been in your spice rack forever, please buy a fresh one!)
1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
1-1/2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard

Method: Whisk all ingredients well. Place pork chops in a shallow dish. Cover with marinade and place in refrigerator for about 2 hours. (For best results, don't go much over 2 hours.) Remove chops from marinade, do not rinse. Cook immediately on a hot grill. And eat with joy!

Enjoy your summer!

~Cleo Coyle

author of

The Coffeehouse Mysteries

To get more recipes ideas or to find out about the books in my nationally bestselling Coffeehouse Mystery series, visit me at my official website:
www.CoffeehouseMystery.com

Roast Mortem

A Reviewer's Pick for
"Favorite Book of the Year"
~ Bookreporter.com

Southern Summer in a Glass—Bourbon Slush

It seems like every Thursday, I’m commenting on how hot it is. But the forecasters keep promising us a break…and then, somehow, the front stalls out.

Sometimes you want a cold drink when you’re in the middle of a heat wave. And you’ve had lemonade, and you’ve drunk sweet tea, and you’ve guzzled gallons of water.

What you want is a refreshing spiked drink. :) Just to survive the heat wave, you understand, and keep your spirits up (no pun intended.) If you’re in the South, you might want a bourbon. And a bourbon slush would be the perfect way to go. Fruity, practically frozen, and with just enough oomph to get you through your heat wave fatigue.

Bourbon Slush

2 regular teabags
1 cup hot water
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup bourbon
1-6 oz can frozen orange juice
1-12 oz can frozen lemonade
3 1/2 cups water

After steeping tea bag for 5 minutes in hot water, dissolve sugar into tea while still hot, then add bourbon, and water to the mixture. Freeze. Stir before serving.

Hope it’s nice and cool where you are…and if it’s not, that you’re finding ways to handle the heat! :)

Riley/Elizabeth
Delicious and Suspicious (July 6 2010) Riley Adams
Pretty is as Pretty Dies –Elizabeth Spann Craig
http://mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com/

And now I want to encourage you to enter the June contest here at Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen! My friend, the talented Avery Aames, has an exciting contest for us. We’re celebrating the upcoming release of The Long Quiche Goodbye and here’s how you can enter:

Avery's "You Be The Sleuth" Contest!

Avery’s first book in A Cheese Shop Mystery series, The Long Quiche Goodbye, debuts July 6. To celebrate its release, Avery is running a contest from June 9 to July 6! You be the sleuth! Track down the recipe on Avery's website that includes eggs, Edam, and white pepper. Enter your answer by clicking on this link: CONTEST ENTRY FORM.

One of you will win a $25 gift certificate at your favorite bookstore. Two of you will win signed copies of The Long Quiche Goodbye. Three of you will win a Long Quiche Goodbye magnet. You can ask friends for help. Spread the word and share the fun. And while you're there, consider pre-ordering a book on Avery's booksellers page.

Here is the link to Avery’s website to help get you started.

Good luck!