Sunday, February 21, 2016

Welcome our guest Sofie Ryan!!

Sofie Ryan is an author and mixed-media/fiber artist who lives on the east coast. She writes the New York Times bestselling Second Chance Cat Mystery series, featuring re-purpose store owner Sarah Grayson, a trio of senior sleuths, the world’s oldest computer hacker, and Elvis, a black cat with an uncanny ability to sniff out a lie.  As Sofie Kelly, she’s the author of the New York Times bestselling Magical Cats mysteries (Faux Paw, Curiosity Thrilled the Cat).

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Take it away, Sofie!  PS Readers, there's a giveaway below, so remember to leave a comment with your email to enter!!


One of our family’s favorite meals once apple season begins in late September is Pork with Onions and Apples. Where I live the cool nights give us gorgeous red Honey Crisp apples that have become my go-to apple for this recipe. Thanks to good winter storage facilities we can enjoy Pork with Onions and Apples all fall and winter.



Pork with Onions and Apples

6 thin cut, trimmed, boneless pork chops
1 ½ cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 onion thinly sliced or 1 leek thinly sliced
1 Honey Crisp or Granny Smith apple peeled and thinly sliced
cup apple juice
2 teaspoons mustard
¼ teaspoon dried thyme

Mix three tablespoons of the chicken stock with the cornstarch and set aside

Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a large frying pan. Brown the pork chops on medium-high heat 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove to a plate. Add the remaining teaspoon of oil to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the onions 2 to 3 minutes until soft. Add the sliced apple and cook until soft, about another 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the chicken broth, apple juice, mustard, thyme and pork chops. Cook for 2 to 3 more minutes. Add the cornstarch mixture and mix well. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.


Makes 6 servings.

We like this with potatoes or rice and I think leftovers would make a delicious lunch the next day but we’ve never had any leftovers!

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A Whisker of Trouble is the third book in the Second Chance Cat mysteries featuring re-purpose shop owner Sarah Grayson, and Elvis the rescue cat.

Spring has come to charming North Harbor, Maine, and with the new season comes a new haul for Second Chance, the shop where Sarah Grayson sells lovingly refurbished and repurposed items. Sarah is turning her keen eye to the estate of collector Edison Hall, hoping for fabulous finds for Second Chance—but when Elvis discovers a body in the kitchen, everything goes paws up.

The body belongs to an appraiser who had been hired to check out Edison’s wine collection. When Edison’s sister shows up at Second Chance, she hires Sarah’s friends—the kooky and charismatic trio of ladies and their hacker sidekick, Mr. P., who call themselves Charlotte’s Angels and work out of the shop—to solve the murder, Sarah knows she and Elvis are only going to get deeper into the case. But as it becomes a cat and mouse game of lies, cons, cheats, and family squabbles, can Elvis and Sarah claw their way to the truth before the killer slinks away forever?

Giveaway!

Two (2) lucky Mystery Lover’s Kitchen readers will win a copy of A Whisker of Trouble. To enter, share your favorite cooking apple in comments—I’m always looking for suggestions—or just say hello.  Winners will be picked Tuesday.





Check out Sofie's website HERE
Sign up for Sofie's newsletter HERE






64 comments:

  1. Welcome, Sofie! Thank you for sharing the recipe and about your fabulous book. My favorite cooking apple is Golden Delicious. Liz EMS591@aol.com

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  2. What a great book! I love apples as a snack dessert, or a compliment for various recipes. My favorite is the Rome Apple, although Pink Ladies are great, too.
    kat8762@aol.com

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  3. Hello! I don't really cook with apples. As a matter of fact, I only eat one type of apple and that is Macintosh. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity.

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  4. I love honey crisp in salads. I mix apples when I make a pie. Thanks for the chance to win. suefoster109@netzero.net.

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    Replies
    1. My late mother-in-law made a wonderful apple pie and she always mixed different types of apples. Sadly, I'm not very good at making pastry--it's closer to asphalt.

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  5. I love to use Granny Smith apples for cooking. The stand up to cooking nicely.

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  6. My boyfriend makes a vegan apple cake that's really good. He always used 3 Granny Smith apples. Then one time he was short one apple so I gave him a Cortland I'd bought to eat raw. We found that using 2 Granny Smiths and one red apple made the cake much moister.

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  7. I don't cook much with apples any more but your recipe sounds so good! Love both of your cat series.

    kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com

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  8. I use gala's in most of recipes. Also really enjoy granny smith apples. Thanks for the giveaway. poohwine1217@gmail.com

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  9. Honey Crisp sell for almost $4 a pound here! They're very good, though! I love cooked apples with pork but I've never made them exactly this way. Will be trying it out!

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    1. I'm in apple and potato country. I bought Honey Crisp last week for 1.99 a kg which is 2.2 pounds. We eat a lot of apples and potatoes this time of year.

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  10. I don't cook apple, but I love your stories.

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  11. That recipe sounds delicious. Thank you for the giveaway. marlene.ezell@gmail.com

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  12. Thanks for the chance! Zeta@iwon.com

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  13. I think the Rome apple holds up well in cooking---and makes a really good baked apple.
    suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com

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  14. I cook with apples regularly and use wither Macintosh or Spy's. These are the best cooking apples for applesauce and apple cake. We lived near orchards which had an abundance of a wonderful variety and we would pick apples every fall. Love the post and giveaway. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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    Replies
    1. Northern Spy makes great applesauce. I finished the last bottle from the freezer just a couple of days ago.

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    2. TRAVELER! You won one of the copies. Sofie will be in touch! Congrats. ~ Daryl / Avery

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  15. Welcome to Mystery Lovers Kitchen, Sophie! Your recipe looks yummy - it would be a hit here too.

    Hugs.

    MJ aka Victoria Abbott

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  16. Hello!! I don't do much cooking anymore, but love to read recipes. Your book sounds like a must read!
    jawdance@yahoo.com

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  17. I don't cook with apples very often, but I do enjoy a snack of Granny Smith apples with peanut butter. Yummy.
    frybbe@gmail.com

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    Replies
    1. My daughter does that but she puts the peanut butter in the microwave for a few seconds first and then dips the apples slices.

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  18. I don't cook with apples usually. My favorite apple for eating is a Gala. Your book sounds terrific! lkish77123 at gmail dot com

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  19. Awesome! You are a new author for me. Can't wait to read! :-)

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  20. Granny Smith is my favorite in a recipe because the tartness balances out the sugar or sweeteners. The books sounds great. Funny that I am not a cat person (the Pug would not like it!) but I love to read stories with cats in them. Thanks for the giveaway.
    sallycootie@gmail.com

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    1. Are you sure you don't secretly have a teeny bit of cat person in you? I promise not to tell the Pug.

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  21. Whenever I cook and bake with apples I enjoy using Rome, but the very best for taste and flavor are Macs. Apples are my staple and I love making delectable goodies for the family. I grew up near apple farms and each year bought bushels of freshly picked apples. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  22. This looks yummy! I don't do the cooking in the family so I cannot answer the question, lol.
    This book is on my wish list, thanks for the chance!
    karen(dot)kenyon(at)rogers(dot)com

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  23. I don't cook with apples. I would love to read this! It sounds really good! Thank you!
    mittens0831 at aol dot com

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  24. Welcome back to the Kitchen, Sofie! The new book sounds Delicious. :)

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  25. The recipe looks yummy and so does the book! Thanks for the chance to win!
    awilcox1182@gmail.com

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  26. Hi Sofie! We love apples around our house! My favorite for cooking applesauce is MacIntosh; my favorite for pies, crisps and other apple desserts is the lovely tart Granny Smith; my new favorite for snacking is Pink lady, followed closely by Gala. Happy Sunday, and thanks for the recipe - I love the combination of pork and apples! Nicole :-)
    nicolev.girldetective@gmail.com

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  27. I love a mystery with a cat, especially a black cat! Lilflynracer at msn.com

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  28. I like cooking with any apple I have on hand. I prefer the firmer sweet apples and usually buy Fuji, Kiku or Ambrosia. Love this book series and thanks for the recipe!!

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  29. Welcome! Your book sounds great and I love the book cover. I don't really cook with Apple's, but I like to eat them raw. I mostly eat red delicious. Thanks for the giveaway! Crossxjo@hotmail.com

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  30. Hello Everyone. Thank you for the warm welcome and good luck in the giveaway.

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  31. I like cooking with any apple I have on hand. I prefer the firmer sweet apples and usually buy Fuji, Kiku or Ambrosia. Love this book series and thanks for the recipe!!

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  32. Wow your recipe sounds so good and I have never had apples with pork although I always eat applesauce with my pork. Being in eastern Iowa we eat alot of pork so I jumped on this recipe and wrote it down when I saw. I think I will use what you have recommended for the recipe but I prefer a firmer sweet apple like Fuji. Thank you so much for the giveaway also! ptclayton2@aol.com

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  33. I don't cook with apples. On rare occasion I will buy an apple pie for my family. We tend to eat who apples. My boys love cinnamon applesauce. The favorite apple here is the honey crisp.
    Looks like an excellent book. Would so love to win it to read.

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  34. Sofie, I love apples and pork. So delicious. And I adore the cover of your book PLUS what's inside. ;) ~ Congrats on another great release.

    Daryl / Avery

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  35. My hubby dies all the cooking so I can't answer the question. I do enjoy eating apple pie though. Thanks for the chance to read another exciting book.
    Jhdwayne(at)peoplepc(dot)com

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    1. Deana, you won a copy of Sofie's book. She will be in touch! Congrats! ~ Daryl / Avery

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  36. This sounds like the perfect, tasty meal for a chilly day.
    Apples are great for so many things, both sweet and savory. I wish I could get good ones, but south Florida doesn't have them. They are all stored and travel from afar--pleasant, but a shadow of their fresh selves.
    libbydodd at comcast dot net

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  37. I sometimes make applesauce in my crockpot. I would love to win your book. Thank you for the chance to win.
    angelbear19662000@yahoo.com

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  38. I adore Elvis, Owen and Hercules and always look forward to new adventures with them and their humans.

    I am partial to Granny Smith and Golden Delicious apples for baking. We used to go pick them when I was kid, then make apple pie. zukeeper.geo(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  39. Pat (patdupuy@yahoo.com)February 21, 2016 at 2:47 PM

    I'm afraid I don't do too much baking. If a recipe calls for apples I use whatever is on hand. That is usually fuji, Granny Smith, or Honey Crisp. I discovered Honey Crisp years ago when we lived in Minnesota. There was an apple orchard on the edge of town. Starting in August I'd head over there once a week to sample and buy apples. Yum. Unfortunately that spoiled me. I don't live up north anymore but I always buy honey crisps when they start showing up. Your mystery series sounds like fun Sofie! I will have to look for it.

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  40. Granny Smith elainehroberson@gmail.com

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  41. Thank you for sharing your recipe; sounds yummy. No leftovers is always a good sign.
    We use Rome or Granny Smith most often. Your book sounds fun; thank you for the opportunity to win. My preferred email is: maforbes231@yahoo.com.

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  42. I grew up in apple country in Michigan, I prefer Spies for baking apple pie and also Macintosh for cooking. Honeycrisp are good for eating. Recipe looks delicious, really enjoy pork and apples together. Can't wait to read the new book.
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

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  43. Thank you for the recipe. I do love apples in many things. Here in NY we have a great variety. I enjoy both your series. I am looking forward to the third installment of the Second Chance Cat Mysteries. Suzieqsb(at)aol(dot)com.

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  44. I tend to cook with macintosh. Honeycrisps are the favored snacking apple here. I have started adding homemade applesauce to my pork and saurkraut. My writing sounds very disjointed here..I apologize.

    I love your writing!!! Do you do repurposing?
    ejbs3s@yahoo.com

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  45. that recipe sounds delicious! For eating, Honeycrisp apples, for baking golden delicious and/or Macintosh. servedogmom@yahoo.com

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  46. Great recipe. I love this series and thank you for the chance to win. doward1952@yahoo.com

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  47. I usually use galas or Fujis, for baking at any rate :) kathambre@yahoo.com

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  48. Your pork and apple recipe sounds and looks delicious. I love macintosh apples for snacking, but granny smith would be good for baking pies and crisps.

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  49. I love to use honeycrisp for cooking though the only thing I ever make is applesauce. utaker555@gmail.com

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  50. Hello! I like to eat apples raw, especially the Honeycrisps. If I would bake with apples I would probably use Gala or Fuji, sometimes Granny Smith.

    ElaineE246 at msn dot com

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  51. Granny Smith apples are my favorite to cook with. I use them to bake and their tart flavor is a perfect balance to use when making desserts.

    lenikaye [at] yahoo.com

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  52. I'm a big fan of Fuji apples for eating right out of the fridge. When I make applesauce I use gala and Fuji apples. Looking forward to reading your book!

    dblaser@windstream.net

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  53. The recipe sounds great and the cover of this book is so cute. Thank you for the chance!
    moonbay7399@gmail.com

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  54. I like either Golden Delicious or McIntosh. Thank you for the recipe. :)
    myrifraf(at)gmail(dot)com

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  55. The winners have been notified! Thanks to all for chiming in today~

    ~Daryl / Avery for Sofie! :)

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  56. I thought you were picking on Tuesday? Oh well. Congrats to the winners!

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