Thursday, April 24, 2025

Sex on the Beach #cocktail #recipe @vmburns #3aster

VMBURNS: I like fruity cocktails and Sex on the Beach is a refreshing, fruity cocktail. My biggest problem when making this at home was figuring out how to get the pretty colors. The ingredients are simple. Instead of the lovely red and yellow cocktail, my drinks were all dingy dishwater brown. They tasted fine, but lacked the appealing color.

SEX ON THE BEACH

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 Ounces Vodka

1/2 Ounce Peach Schnapps

2 Ounces Orange Juice

2 Ounces Cranberry Juice

INSTRUCTIONS

Fill a glass with ice. Add vodka, peach schnapps, and orange juice. Stir to combine.
Slowly pour the cranberry juice.
Garnish and enjoy.

READERS: What's your favorite summer beverage? Leave me a comment below.

THE NEXT DEADLY CHAPTER

All Sam wanted was to make a good impression on her fiancé Frank’s mother, the very proper Dr. Camilia Patterson. But when Nano Jo and the lively ladies of Shady Acres Retirement Village throw a surprise bridal shower for Sam at the Four Feathers Casino—watch out! Things spin out of control faster than a roulette wheel. Fortunately, Sam knows when to fold ’em and slips back to her room to work on her latest historical mystery set between the wars, in which a houseguest meets a grim end at an English country manor.

The morning after brings another rude surprise. Sam gets a frantic call from Camilia, who’s discovered a dead body in her room. Now winning over her soon-to-be mother-in-law means keeping the good doctor out of a potential scandal and attempting to discreetly solve a murder without ruffling any feathers. For that she’ll need the help of Nano Jo—not exactly the soul of discretion—Detective “Stinky” Pitt, and the ladies—because the casino killer keeps upping the ante. . .

BUY LINK

Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Hilo Sunset #cocktail by @LeslieKarst

Today I continue with the celebration of the release of book two in my Orchid Isle mystery series, WATERS OF DESTRUCTION--this time with some "waters" that, if taken judiciously, will be restorative rather than destructive.

This cocktail is my protagonist Valerie’s local riff on the Tequila Sunrise, substituting gin for the tequila, tangerine for the orange juice, and Campari and triple sec for the grenadine syrup. Tangerines are grown in many yards in East Hawai‘i and are thus easy to find there, but feel free to substitute orange juice if you like. (As you can see, I used a regular orange for the cocktail here.)

Hilo Sunset

(makes one cocktail)

Ingredients

6-8 ice cubes

2 oz. gin

½ oz. (1 tablespoon) triple sec

1 oz. (2 tablespoons) tangerine juice

2 teaspoons Campari

1 slice tangerine

1 Maraschino cherry

Directions

Place the ice in a metal cocktail shaker, add the gin, triple sec, and tangerine juice and shake until well-chilled.

Pour everything (including ice) into a highball glass, then top with the Campari (don’t stir; let the Campari float down on its own to create the “sunset” effect).

Garnish with the tangerine slice and cherry. (See photo at top.)

🌿 🍊 🌱

Out now!

Orchid Isle Mystery #2

WATERS OF DESTRUCTION

Buy link here.

"Immerse yourself in Hawaiian lore and savor the portrayal of the stunning landscapes
while enjoying the entertaining mystery."

Kirkus Reviews

And now available

in paperback!

MOLTEN DEATH

Orchid Isle Mystery #1

Buy link here

“Karst’s first Orchid Isle novel is part murder mystery, part vividly evocative, colorful sketch of Hawaii and its history, geography, tradition, culture, food, language, and people. Armchair travelers and mystery aficionados alike will find it entertaining.”

Booklist

This first book in my brand-new Orchid Isle mystery series features retired caterer Valerie Corbin and her wife Kristen who, on a trip to the Big Island of Hawai‘i, swap surfing lessons for sleuthing sessions when a hike to an active lava flow turns deadly.

Praise for MOLTEN DEATH:

“a compelling read that will enlighten, engage, and entertain, leaving readers longing for their next trip to the Orchid Isle.”

--New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay

“a terrific debut to a series that will go on my must read list!”

--USA Today bestselling author Deborah Crombie

A SENSE FOR MURDER

2024 Lefty Award Nominee

for Best Humorous Mystery!

This newest Sally Solari mystery

is available for purchase here !

Praise for A SENSE FOR MURDER:

“[Sally is] sassy, irresistible company... Culinary cozy fans will be in heaven.”

--Publishers Weekly

“An enjoyable read for mystery mavens and foodies alike.”

--Kirkus Reviews

Justice is Served: A Tale of Scallops,

the Law, and Cooking for RBG

is the 2024 Silver Medal Winner for both the

IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award

and the IPPY Award!

Buy link here

Praise for Justice is Served:

"a suspenseful, exhilarating memoir; Karst relays her determination to serve the 'perfect' meal to RBG alongside an uplifting, enlightening portrayal of one of the most admired justices in the history of the Supreme Court."

-Foreword Reviews (starred review)

"[This] book is a romp from cover to cover—and, just like a great meal, left me ready for more."

-Karen Shimizu, executive editor, Food & Wine-

All of the Sally Solari Mysteries (as well as my other books) are available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.

Tuesday, April 22, 2025

Cleo Coyle's FOOLPROOF STUFFED MUSHROOMS with Ricotta & Spinach #LowCarb #LowCal #Keto #Vegetarian

From Cleo Coyle: A few of our readers asked us to share low-carb recipes, and these Foolproof Stuffed Mushrooms fit the bill. Why are they foolproof? Because you won't have to worry about under- or over-cooking them. Ever.

Feel free to switch up the ricotta-spinach filling if you don't like this combo. You can try almost any combination of soft and hard cheeses and even sprinkle on breadcrumbs (or pork rind crumbs if you're following a low-carb program). For a version with meat protein, you can add crumbled (cooked) bacon, or cooked sausage, or chopped pepperoni, or any type of pre-cooked and seasoned ground meat. Whatever you choose as your filling...

Here is my easy, foolproof method

for cooking stuffed mushroom caps:

(1) 🍄 Place empty mushroom caps (open sides down) on a baking sheet or pie plate and cook for 10 minutes in a pre-heated 400 degree F. oven.

(2) 🍄 Using two forks, flip the mushroom caps and fill them.

(3) 🍄 Place the filled caps back in the 400 degree oven for 10 minutes more, and they're done!

Now for an example of said method in action...

ORDER UP!

To download a free PDF of this
recipe that you can print,
save, or share, click here.

Click for a Free Recipe PDF.

Cleo Coyle writes two
bestselling mystery

series with her husband.
To learn more, click here.

🍄 A Recipe Note from Cleo

Mushrooms are a great inspiration for a murder-mystery writer, which is why I eat them often. :) They're also incredibly low in carbs and calories. Five medium mushrooms clock in at about 20 calories with 3 grams of carbs, and they're fat free.

Marc and I enjoy these stuffed mushrooms as snacks in the afternoon or evening. But these elegant little bites also work beautifully served at more formal dinners or on party trays. They go great with cocktails or wine. Best of all they're quick and easy to make; and with this foolproof method, they'll come out perfectly cooked every time.

Even better, the health benefits of the humble 'shroom are many. According to WebMD, "Mushrooms are a rich, low-calorie source of fiber, protein, and antioxidants. They may also help to lessen the risk of developing serious health conditions..." And they're good sources for Selenium, Thiamin, Magnesium, and Phosphorous.

Ricotta and spinach also have health benefits, and they're my favorite combination for this recipe. May you eat with joy and in good health!

~ Cleo

I made this batch of mushrooms on
a simple glass pie plate. Easy! ~ Cleo

🍄 🍄 🍄

🍄 Cleo's Stuffed Mushrooms
with Ricotta and Spinach

Ingredients:

1/4 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained

8 to 10 fresh mushrooms (medium to large)

1/4 cup ricotta cheese (whole or part-skim)

2 tablespoons strong, salty grated cheese (I use Romano)

1/4 teaspoon white (or black) pepper

2 tablespoons (1 ounce) shredded mozzarella cheese (whole or part-skim)

Step 1 - Make the stuffing: Thaw your chopped frozen spinach (but do not cook). Place the spinach in a colander over the sink and gently press out as much liquid as you can. (I do this hours in advance or even an entire day before. Then I place the spinach in a bowl, loosely cover it with foil and keep it in the fridge to dry it out even more.)

After your spinach is well drained, measure out 1/4 cup of it and mix it in a bowl with the ricotta, the grated Romano cheese (or your favorite hard, salty cheese), and the ground pepper. Do not add the mozzarella yet.

Step 2 - Prep the mushroom caps: Clean your mushrooms and remove the stems. Lightly scrape the inside of the caps with the tip of a small teaspoon to hollow them out a bit more. Place the mushrooms, open side down, on a baking sheet or pie plate. Bake for 10 minutes in a well pre-heated 400 degree F. oven.

Step 3 - Fill and bake: Remove the pan from the oven and, using two forks, flip over the caps. Now their open sides should be up. Fill each cap with the spinach-ricotta stuffing, garnish with a bit of shredded mozzarella and return the mushrooms to the oven for another 10 minutes. Remove the pan, plate the caps and enjoy!