Sunday, May 31, 2020

Diane Kelly Bakes Easy-Peasy Peach Pie







Please help us welcome Diane Kelly to Mystery Lovers' Kitchen. Diane writes the House-Flipper Mysteries and loves desserts! She's giving away TWO books, a pair of fun sunglasses, and an adorable stuffed kitty named Sawdust! Don't miss her fantastic giveaway at the end of this post.










Hello, Readers and Cooks!

Desserts are my favorite thing to prepare in the kitchen, because they often represent a special occasion or celebration and I’m always up for some fun! I took a cake decorating class years ago, and have since made all kinds of cakes and cupcakes, ranging from Scooby Doo to Picachu to Texas bluebonnets. I could never seem to master the art of making roses, though. My hands and the frosting bag refused to cooperate with each other. But if you want a cute clown sitting cross-legged on your cupcake, I’m your gal.With my love of desserts, it’s no wonder my books include such titles as Death, Taxes, and a Chocolate Cannoli and Death, Taxes, and Pecan Pie.

My recent release Dead in the Doorway involves a beloved peach pie recipe that appears to be lost when the only woman who knows its secret ingredients passes away without passing on the recipe. But is this to-die-for pie lost forever, or will her friends on Songbird Circle be able to resurrect the recipe? And just how and why did one of the neighborhood women end up dead in the doorway of the house that carpenter Whitney Whitaker plans to flip?

While performing research for this book, I learned some interesting facts. The first was that nectarines are technically a type of peach. They’re just a balder type with no fuzz. Who knew? I also learned that although Georgia is known for peaches, its northern neighbor South Carolina far surpasses it in peach production. In fact, I had the best peaches I ever ate while visiting a writer friend in Columbia, SC. They are called “Flavor Rich” peaches, and are one of the earliest varieties available each year.

This peach pie recipe is super easy and versatile, vegan, and includes some unusual ingredients that I tossed in for fun when writing the book. I hope that you’ll enjoy it as much as my family did!


Easy-Peasy Peach Pie

Ingredients for crust:
            3 cups all-purpose flour
            2 teaspoons salt
            2 teaspoons sugar
            1/2 cup (4 tablespoons) vegan butter (Earth Balance brand works great!)
1/2 cup (4 tablespoons) vegetable shortening
            8 tablespoons cold water
            1 tablespoon brown sugar (for sprinkling over crust)
1 tablespoon coarse or granulated sugar (for sprinkling over crust)
           
Ingredients for filling:
            5-6 nectarines (fresh, frozen, or canned peaches can be substituted)
            ½ cup granulated sugar
            ½ cup brown sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
            ½ teaspoon cinnamon
            ½ teaspoon ginger
            2 tablespoons maple syrup
           
Chill butter and shortening before starting. Mix flour, sugar, and salt in food processor by pulsing a few times or mix by hand in a large bowl with a spoon. Add the chilled butter and shortening. Pulse several times if using a food processor or, if making by hand, use pastry tool to combine the ingredients. The dough will look coarse at this point. Drizzle in the ice water while the processor is running, or drizzle it in while using pastry tool to mix dough by hand. Once dough begins to clump, transfer it to a lightly floured surface and shape it into two separate balls. Roll each ball with a rolling pin until you have a 12-inch circle. Transfer one of the shells to a pie dish and gently press it into the dish.

To prepare the filling, first wash, peel, and slice the nectarines. Mix the sliced nectarines with the other filling ingredients in a large bowl, then spoon the filling into the shell.

Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut the second pie crust into 3/4-inch strips. Lay five strips vertically across the filling. As you add the horizontal strips, alternate gently pulling back strips 1, 3, and 5 and strips 2 and 4 as you weave in the cross strips. (For a visual primer on how to weave the lattice top, check out this YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKPbLXhAHbc)

Trim off the excess crust and pinch the edges together for a nice look. Lightly sprinkle both brown and granulated (or coarse) sugar over the top of the crust. Bake pie at 425 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the crust is brown and juice bubbles through the lattice.

Enjoy!











About Diane: A former tax advisor and assistant state attorney general, Diane Kelly is no stranger to white-collar crime. When she realized her experiences made great fodder for novels, her fingers hit the keyboard and thus began her award-winning Death and Taxes romantic mystery series. A dog lover and Citizens Police Academy graduate, Diane also writes the hilarious K-9 cop Paw Enforcement series. Her longtime love of vintage homes and renovation shows were a natural segue into her cozy mystery House Flipper books, which feature a fabulous feline. Find Diane online at www.DianeKelly.com, on Twitter and Instagram @DianeKellyBooks, and on her author page on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DianeKellyBooks/.


Giveaway: I’ll be giving away a copy of both books in my House Flipper series, which includes Dead as a Door Knocker and Dead in the Doorway, along with a pair of promotional sunglasses and a plush “Sawdust” (the cat from the series). Limited to US and Canada addresses. Good luck!

Leave a comment with your email address to enter!


97 comments:

  1. I had no idea that nectarines were just bald peaches!
    patdupuy@yahoo.com

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    1. It was news to me, too! Bald or fuzzy, I love peaches.

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  2. Peach pie is my favorite pie. Thanks for an unusual recipe. suefoster109 at gmail dot com

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    1. I hope you like it! I'm a big ginger fan, so if you are, too, you might enjoy the ginger taste of it.

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  3. Thank you for the recipe for Easy-Peasy Peach Pie. It sounds yummy! The addition of the maple syrup sounds intriguing making me add this recipe to my list of recipes to definitely try. The mention of nectarines brought back memories of when my Dad was stationed in California were so many fresh fruits were readily available. Now living in the south where they are hard to come by and when you do find them they aren't really fit to eat, I will be using fresh off the tree peaches.

    "Dead in the Doorway" sounds like a fabulous book. It is most definitely on my TBR list. Since I've not had the opportunity to read "Dead as a Door Knocker" either, you're most generous giveaway will give one very fortunate winners the opportunity to read them both.

    Shared everywhere and hoping to be that very fortunate one selected. Thanks for the chance! <3
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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    1. Thanks for sharing, Kay! We lived in California in the early 90's and the house we were renting had all kinds of fruit trees in the backyard. I loved it! We could just walk out back and pick a plum or apricot or orange. Only got cherries one out of the three years we lived there. Not sure why. They were there and gone in two days. Maybe the birds got them.

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  4. This sounds like a wonderful series. Thanks for the giveaway. Your pie sure looks prettier than the pie I made last week. But I told my hubby that it may not look nice but it sure is tasty. We may have to try peach pie next time. Thanks for the recipe. ckmbeg (at) gmail (dot) com

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    1. While it's wonderful when something both looks good and tastes good, taste is definitely more important than appearance. I bet your not-so-pretty pie was yummy!

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  5. Peach pie is one of my favorites!
    Bkeakney750 at Yahoo dot com

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  6. Thanks for the yummy pie recipe. Looks delicious! And thanks for a chance to win your books. I love a good cozy mystery.
    valleyreader(at)gmail(dot)com

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  7. I love cats and mystery books with cats in them. Thank you for the chance
    jenkat98@gmail.com

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    1. Cats and mysteries are a perfect combination since cats are so curious. They are furry little sleuths!

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  8. My mom just got a bunch of peaches and this will give us a good way to eat them.
    Kitten143 (at) Verizon (dot) net

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  9. This looks delicious and I love the book cover! What a fun and generous giveaway. Thank you so much for the chance!
    tami.norman@gmail.com

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    1. The covers are adorable, aren't they? The artists do such a good job!

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  10. Peaches are my favorite Fruit! Will have to try and make this pie! lol I have not read your series....but would LOVE TO !
    Main3(at)att(dot)net Debbie M.��

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    1. Peaches are my favorite, too! Followed very closely by blueberries. I like blackberries, too. Good luck!

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  11. I love peach pie and using canned peaches means I can make it all year round. Looking forward to reading your series and enjoying the sweet delights!
    sharonquiltsatyahoo.com

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    1. Definitely! Canned peaches are a way to make the pie much faster, too, and it's still very yummy.

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  12. The peach pie looks delectable and perfect for the summer. Love your series. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. It's a nice summer treat. I've been known to eat pie for breakfast, too. Anyone else? ha ha I figure it's very similar to a fruit danish or fruit-topped waffle, right?

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  13. Peach pie is always a treat and wonderful for the family to enjoy. Thanks for your lovely giveaway. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    Replies
    1. Yep, peach pie is something everyone can agree on!

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  14. This series sounds amazing. I love peaches when they are in season, and now I can enjoy them year round in pie! Thanks!
    Lisacobblestone(at)aol(dot)com

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    1. Fresh peaches are heaven! But canned are great substitutes. I always liked to take canned peaches in my lunchbox when I was young. It was such a treat at lunchtime.

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  15. Was this a test to see if we'd actually read what you wrote? Hence the "peach" pie recipe that calls for nectarines, not peaches. But now we know they are, in fact, both peaches.
    libbydodd at comcast dot net

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    1. Haha! No tricks intended. I learned about nectarines being peaches as I researched for the book. I was surprised to learn it, and thought it would make an interesting little factoid to include in the story. I always like it when I learn something new while doing research for my books.

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  16. Thanks for the yummy recipe. I put this book series on my must read list. Who doesn't love a good murder and pie recipe.

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    1. Thanks, Nancy! I agree. A good murder mystery and a nice slice of pie always fit the bill!

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  17. Your books are all so amazing. I just borrowed these and would love to have a copy of my own. I really like how you give the animals point of view, both in this series and the K-9 series. Sawdust sounds so sweet.
    kozo8989(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    1. I love writing the animal chapters. We've had some really sweet male cats over the years, and Sawdust is sort of an amalgamation of them. Our female cats have tended to be feistier.

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    2. I have a female. I believe it. ;)

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  18. The peach pie looks delicious! I love anything with peaches. Thanks for the chance! cking78503(at)aol(dot)com

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  19. I enjoy learning about authors I like. Informative post! Also, love book covers with cats on them! I like when they are a sidekick in cozies! lindaherold999(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. Me, too! Cats make great sidekicks. Their inquisitive natures are perfect in mysteries!

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  20. YUM!! I love peach pie! Hopefully I will get some good peaches from my peach tree this summer!
    njcar22(at)aol(dot)com

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    1. Mine had a bunch of tiny peaches on it . . . and then the deer ate them! Argh! Hope you get a bumper crop.

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  21. I love to bake! Peach Pie sounds yummy!! I didn't know nectarines were bald peaches. You learn something new everyday! I'm still working on the Tara Holloway Series. :) moviehoge@yahoo.com

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    1. Tara was a fun character to write. She was so feisty! Enjoy!

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  22. Taking a cake decorating class sounds like fun (& hard work).
    turtle6422 at gmail dot com

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    1. It was a lot of fun. The Wilton buttercream frosting recipe I used called for vegetable shortening, though, so I had to wash a lot of very greasy bowls and spatulas. Yummy though!

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  23. I love a good Peach Pie!
    The books sound fun, and I think Sawdust is adorbs!
    Kim Krakowski
    poolgoddess@sbcglobal.net

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    1. I think so, too! He's a cutie pie and a sweetie pie, just not a peach pie. Ha ha!

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  24. I love mysteries and pie and cats! Talk about the perfect combo for this give away!
    mgshepherd2003@yahoo.ca

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  25. Great series. Thanks for the giveaway. pewalker_212@hotmail.com

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    1. Thanks, Pat. I'm having a blast writing this series.

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  26. Thanks for the recipe peach and blueberry pies are my favorites! Thanks for the opportunity, count me in. tWarner419@aol.com

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    1. I wonder how blueberry and peach would taste together . . . Hmm. I might have to try that.

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  27. Your peach pie recipe looks delicious! I also took a cake decorating class many years ago. One of the first things I learned was to freeze your cake before you decorated it! Thanks for the wonderful giveaway. I love to read mysteries, so I always love book giveaways!

    Nancy
    allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

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    1. How did I miss that tip? It would've made things a lot easier when applying the base coat of frosting. So glad you mentioned that!

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  28. Love the look of that peach pie, what a great idea to put maple syrup in it. Can't wait for peach season now!!!
    Sandra
    sandrashenton13@gmail.com

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    1. I saw my first peaches of the season a couple weeks ago at a store here in North Caroline, though they came from South Carolina. So good! The first ones of the season always taste extra special.

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  29. Love the peach pie recipe. Thanks for the giveaway. doward1952(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  30. Welcome. I didnt know that about nectarines. What a cool fact. Thank you for this recipe. It looks delicious. Thank you for this generous give a way. I love to read cozies with animals and food never hurts. LOL
    quilting lady 2 at comcast dot net

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  31. Vegan peach pie? Yes, please! This looks so good, and I always have Earth Balance on hand. It's the best! mbradeen [at] yahoo [dot] com

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    1. It's nice to see vegan and vegetarian recipes becoming more mainstream.

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  32. Love peach pie. I am looking forward to trying your recipe. Butlerrich at Comcast dot net

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    1. It's a quick recipe if you use refrigerated pie shells and canned peaches, and is still really good with those shortcuts.

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  33. I would love to read this series! Awesome giveaway! Thanks for the chance! 🙂❤👍📚🤞
    P.S. The peach pie looks amazing!
    jlwinc(dot)org(at)live(dot)ca

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    1. It only lasted 12 hours in our house. We at 2/3 of it after dinner, and then I ate the rest of it for breakfast the next morning. : )

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  34. I am a cat, book, and pie lover. OMG. That Peach pie sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing. I’d really love to win.

    Meljprincess At aol Dot com

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    1. We are a lot alike! Eating pie while reading with a cat on our lap is the perfect evening, huh?

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  35. Peach cobbler is a favorite to make in our family, but none of us have undertaken a peach pie with crust. I have enjoyed some out at restaurants, especially with sugared crust.
    browninggloria(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    1. Cobbler is so good, too! I learned a cheat at a Pampered Chef party years ago, using biscuit dough for the cobbler crust. So easy and delicious!

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  36. I love the simplicity of the peach pie recipe, and also the latticework. Thanks so much for both the recipe and the giveaway! aut1063(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. I love the artistry of the different pie crusts. There are some truly amazing ones online that are almost too gorgeous to eat!

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  37. Wonderful recipe!! It sounds yummy! Thank you for the recipe and the giveaway.
    moondance120(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. It's good warm or cold, too. Especially with a glass of iced tea!

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  38. That pie looks amazing! Books also sound amazing. Love that thhe cat is named "Sawdust".
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. I figured that would be the perfect name for a carpenter's cat. : )

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  39. The pie looks delicious - thanks for the recipe!

    jtcgc at yahoo dot com

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  40. Peach pie.....yummm. I'll have to try it. I love your other two series, I'm looking forward to starting this one.

    kaye.killbore(at)comcast(dot)net

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    1. Thanks, Kaye! I have so much fun writing these books. It's like getting to play all day long. Best job ever!

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  41. Oh that pie looks amazing. Will have to try it once the fresh peaches are in around here. Thanks for the chance to win. kayt18 (at) comcast (dot) net

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    1. Hope your peaches arrive soon! We just got our first fresh ones here a couple of weeks ago and I nearly gorged myself.

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  42. pretty pie- love peach would love to win. lunalola5151@gmail.com

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    1. I love the pies where people use cookie cutters to add accent pieces like leaves or flower, too. They become works of art.

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  43. Hello and welcome Diane. That pie looks luscious. thank you for your giveaway. I am following you on Instagram, Twitter, and FB. catwoman-1(at)comcast(dot)net

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    1. Thanks so much, Sharon! I appreciate readers more than I could ever express! You have allowed me to pursue my dream and given me a "job" I can't wait to go to each day. Thank you!

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  44. Thank you for the peach pie recipe! I'm easy to lead into temptation! And, thank you for this generous giveaway! betsypz(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. Me, too. I even like those artery-clogging fried pies. Sinfully good! ha ha

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  45. very cute. book sounds good. thanks for chance to win. nice prize

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  46. That pie looks yummy! I would love to read your books! Thanks for the chance! almaj80(at)suddenlink(dot)net

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  47. I love peach pie. Thank you for the recipe.
    Jess
    maceoindo (at) yahoo (dot) com

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  48. How fun—love the peach pie recipe! Legallyblonde1961@yahoo.com

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    ReplyDelete
  50. This looks amazing! I love peach pies and cobblers. JL_Minter@hotmail.com

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  51. I haven't read this series yet, but sure will. The pie looks yummy, and I'm all about easy recipes!

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  52. I read the first book and would love to read the second!
    meeshpsych@aol.com

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