Guest Kaye George with Clark Bars from Into the Sweet Hereafter + #Giveaway!

Please welcome author Kaye George back to the Kitchen! Kaye is sharing a fun recipe from her Vintage Sweets cozy mystery series. Her third title in the series, Into the Sweet Hereafter, will be published in March, and she's giving away a copy today. Learn more below. Now...

Take it away, Kaye!

🍨 🍉🍭 🍦

Thanks for having me back for a recipe from my third Vintage Sweets cozy mystery. I love being here! 

Tally got most of the recipes that she makes and sells in her sweet shop at Fredericksburg TX from her grandmother in New Jersey, whose hobby was recreating her favorites in her own kitchen. 

This is a simple, easy recipe, with a few pitfalls which I’ll point out. I’ll let you guess how I discovered them.

Clark Bars from

Into the Sweet Hereafter 

by Kaye George

INGREDIENTS

1 c. sugar

1 c. corn syrup

1 c. smooth peanut butter

6 c. Rice Krispies

12 oz. package of semi-sweet chocolate chips (or possibly a few more)



INSTRUCTIONS

One: Heat first two ingredients in large saucepan until just boiling, remove from heat

Two: Add peanut butter to the pan and mix well

Three: Stir in cereal (you can also use corn flakes or Special K)

Four: Spread into 9x13 buttered baking pan

Five: Press into corners

Six: Melt chocolate chips in another pan, spread on top

Seven: Refrigerate, then cut into squares or rectangles

STEP ONE

Heating these two is easy, unless you spill the sugar all over the stove. (This picture is before that happened.)

STEP TWO

Then add peanut butter.

STEP THREE

When you stir in the cereal, if you’ve used the size pan I did, you will realize you need a bigger one. NOTE, USE DUTCH OVEN FROM THE BEGINNING. Honestly, I sometimes think they just have me here for comic relief.

STEP FOUR

Now it’s time to butter a cookie sheet/baking pan/whatever you want to call that 9x13 thing and spread this out. It cools quickly, so work fast.

STEP FIVE

Scrunch it into the corners with your fingers. By this time, it’s not too hot, if you work at the same speed I do, which is less than lightning quick.

STEP SIX

Melting the chocolate is easy. Spreading it out is not. This cools even more quickly than the cereal and peanut butter mixture.

See, this is why I think it would be better to just use more chocolate chips. I couldn’t spread them think enough without tearing up the bottom layer. 

STEP SEVEN

Now you can put them in the fridge and go do something else for a while.

(It’s worth noting that you’ll need a pretty sturdy implement to lick the chocolate. It not only cools quickly, it cools hard.)

THE REST OF STEP SEVEN

I don’t think you should use a Teflon cookie sheet. That make it hard to cut these. They’re very solid. I managed to get one row out, then lifted the whole thing to a cutting sheet to use a sharp knife.

ALL DONE! They taste very good!

You’re allowed to ignore this part for a bit. 

Maybe the maid will show up.

I love to bake and used to like complicated recipes that took all day. Time has passed, however, and I gravitate toward easier recipes. 

Do you like to dirty every pan and spend a lot of time creating marvelous concoctions, or do you like simple, easy things to make?

Answer Kaye's question in the comments

and you will be entered to win an e-copy

of her new release (learn more below).

🔎

About Our Guest

Kaye George is a national-bestselling, multiple-award-winning author of pre-history, traditional, and cozy mysteries (her latest is the Vintage Sweets series from Lyrical Press), as well as over 50 short stories. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Smoking Guns chapter (Knoxville), Guppies chapter, Authors Guild of TN, Knoxville Writers Group, and Austin Mystery Writers. She lives and works in Knoxville, TN.

Keep in touch at:

My web page 

My Facebook page 

My Facebook author page

🍭🍭🍭

COMING MARCH 9TH!

Spring has sprung in the charming tourist town of Fredericksburg, Texas, and one of the tastiest attractions is a trip to Tally’s Old Tyme Sweets—until a bizarre burglary leaves a bitter aftertaste. 

Learn more or pre-order
by clicking here. 

👇

KAYE'S GIVEAWAY (NOW OVER)

Answer Kaye's question in the comments (and include your email address) and you will be entered to win an e-copy of Kaye's new Vintage Sweet cozy mystery, Into the Sweet Hereafter. Kaye's question is...

Do you like to dirty every pan and spend a lot of time creating marvelous concoctions, or do you like simple, easy things to make? 

Congrats to Kaye's winner: 

Pat D.

#Turkey and Andouille Sausage Gumbo by Denise Swanson

 I was looking for a recipe to use up all the leftover turkey that I’d frozen after our last holiday meal and came across this one. After a few tweaks, like substituting cornstarch for the filé powder, which I couldn’t find, we had a healthy and tasty meal.

• 
  5 bacon slices, chopped (I use turkey bacon)
• ¾ cup chopped onion
• ½ cup chopped green bell pepper
• ½ cup chopped celery
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups unsalted chicken stock
• ½ cup chopped yellow bell pepper
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 6 ounces andouille sausage links, thinly sliced (I found pre-sliced chicken andouille sausage)
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can unsalted diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (10-ounce) package sliced frozen okra
• 1 Tablespoon dry parsley
• 1 teaspoon dry thyme
• 12 ounces cooked skinless, boneless turkey, shredded
• 2 teaspoons filé powder (I used cornstarch)
• Cooked brown rice

Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat 4 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon from pan with a slotted spoon.

Add onion, green bell pepper, celery, and garlic to drippings in pan; sauté 5 minutes. 

Add stock, yellow bell pepper, salt, sausage, tomatoes, and okra to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.

 Stir in parsley, thyme, and turkey; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove pan from heat; stir in filé powder.

Put a scoop of rice in 4 bowls .

Top evenly with gumbo. Sprinkle evenly with reserved bacon.

 

A CALL TO CHARMS (FIRST IN THE FOREVER CHARMED PARANORMAL MYSTERY SERIES)

A Call to Charms

 

AMAZON

BN

KOBO

 

Chocolate, men, and magic. Who can turn down that inheritance?

     If life had gone as she planned, Lexie Green would have been teaching English at a prestigious university, not persuading spoiled, rich women to buy overpriced clothes they didn’t need and often looked ridiculous wearing. Can you say electric yellow see-through skirts and Torn jeans with unfinished hems?    

     Still, although this isn’t the life Lexie would have chosen, all is going well. At least until Lexie is fired and her deranged ex-boyfriend tries to kidnap her.

     Deciding that it’s better to accept a mysterious inheritance from a great aunt she’s never heard of rather than end up kept in a cage as her ex’s pet poodle, Lexie packs up and heads to Kansas. So, what if she has to go by a new name and live in a town that she can’t find on a map?

     Unfortunately, once she arrives in her new hometown, everyone there seems just a tad off-kilter and Lexie’s cousin insists that the citizens are magical. At least there are a couple of hot guys hanging around for eye candy.

     Even though Lexie doesn’t believe the nonsense about her being the Ravenscraft Shield, she does believe her father was murdered—a father she never knew existed, and she investigates his death.

     Too bad, whoever killed her father, now wants Lexie dead as well.    

 

***

THE NEWEST IN THE WELCOME BACK TO SCUMBLE RIVER SERIES

 

AMAZON

There's something fishy just below the surface of Scumble River...

 

School psychologist Skye Denison-Boyd is getting ready to return to work from her maternity leave and hoping for a peaceful year in her job as a school psychologist. But when an elderly woman disappears on her first day back and a disgruntled parent threatens to sue the school, Skye realizes that her return will be anything but quiet.

 

When the parent suing Skye's school is found dead and with the missing woman's case is still unsolved, Skye suspects the crimes are somehow linked. With her chief of police husband, Wally, at her side, Skye dives into the investigations. But as tensions rise and Skye and Wally's suspect list lengthens, they start to wonder whether a member of their own tight-knit community could be behind it all...

THE NEWEST IN THE CHEF-TO-GO SERIES

Once again, it looks like Dani Sloan will get a slice of the action...

 

In the small town of Normalton, IL, there aren't a lot of opportunities for small business owner Dani Sloan to cater big-ticket events. But that's about to change—a client named Yvette Joubert is marrying Franklin Whittaker, the richest guy around, and they want Dani to cater their engagement party! The swanky event is the perfect opportunity to put Dani on the map for wealthier clients.

 

But when a storm hits the party after guests arrive, it becomes clear that more than the dinner is ruined: Yvette is found dead beneath the marquee. Is her death a tragic accident, or a perfectly orchestrated murder? Then the case gets even juicier—it turns out that Yvette's ex-husband is Spencer Drake, Dani's almost-boyfriend, and the police start circling. Now Dani must follow an unending list of clues to save her business, her better half, and catch a criminal. Let's just hope they get their just desserts!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0861BHQLX/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0

 

COMING SOON:

 

DEVEREAUX'S DIME STORE #7

 

FLY ME TO THE TOMB

 

 

For more information, please visit www.DeniseSwanson.com
Catch up with me on FACEBOOK! 

 

 

 

Spinach Pepper Egg Bake from @MaddieDayAuthor #giveaway

MADDIE DAY here. It's still winter, and it's still cold out, despite much more light in every day.

An easy breakfast you can bake and serve to those in your bubble will warm your kitchen as well as your tummies.

I included this recipe in Candy Slain Murder, but you can prepare it any time of the year. It's vegetarian and gluten-free, too!

Spinach-Red Pepper Egg Bake

An easy crowd-feeder for breakfast or brunch, Robbie Jordan makes this as a holiday breakfast special in her country store restaurant because the green of the spinach with the red pepper bits looks so festive.

Makes approximately 24 pieces.

Ingredients

Four slices bacon, cooked to crisp and crumbled [omit for vegetarians]

1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese

1 1/2 cups baby spinach, finely chopped or one pound frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and well drained.

Whites of 1 bunch green onions, finely chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

10 large eggs

1/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 9”x13” baking dish.

Mix bacon, cheddar cheese, green onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, garlic, and black pepper in a bowl, then pour into casserole dish.

Whisk eggs with milk and pour over vegetables.

Top with Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until eggs are cooked through. Cut into two-inch squares and serve warm or at room temperature.

Readers: What's your favorite breakfast casserole? I'll send one commenter a copy of Candy Slain Murder!

My most recent book is Candy Slain Murder, the eighth Country Store mystery. As with all my books written as Maddie Day, you'll find easy recipes in the back.

The next book out in late March will be the wide release of Murder at the Taffy Shop, the second Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery - up for preorder now!

After that, my alter-ego has A Changing Light, her seventh Quaker Midwife Mystery releasing on April 13! It is also up for pre-order.

I hope you'll visit Edith Maxwell and me on our web site, sign up for our monthly newsletter, visit us on social media, and check our all our books and short stories.

Maddie Day (aka Edith Maxwell) is a talented amateur chef and holds a PhD in Linguistics from Indiana University. An Agatha Award-winning and bestselling author, she is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America and also writes award-winning short crime fiction. She lives with her beau north of Boston, where she’s currently working on her next mystery when she isn’t cooking up something delectable in the kitchen.

Mocha Magic #Chocolate #Giveaway

From Mary Jane Maffini

On a trip to Italy two years ago we encountered an excellent blend of coffee, chocolate, sugar and cream.  This a simple and yet delicious combination, seemed right for a Mystery Lovers Kitchen post, especially as February is apparently National Chocolate Lovers Month and in MY mind every month is for coffee lovers.  Put 'em together, add cream and mmmm.  After a winter Sunday exploring a country building lot with deep snow and buried logs,  it seemed like the right time to try to duplicate this mocha drink. It wasn’t the same as our Italian find, but boy, was it good. Let’s just say it hit the spot for all of us and someone suggested it was magic.   I have had a lot of fun this week 'testing' this very easy recipe a few more times. 

Easy Mocha Magic

Ingredients:

1/3 cup good quality cocoa (we used Penzey’s)

¼ cup sugar or equivalent granulated sugar substitute

1 ½ cups milk (we used two percent only because that’s what we had)

1 cup strong coffee (it can be Italian style or your regular version)

1/8 cup Brandy or rum (optional)

2/3 cup whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla

Makes 4 small cups or 2 mugs. Easy to double, triple or even ...

Directions:

Make strong coffee. Keep hot.

Whip cream with vanilla. Put aside.

Heat milk until steaming.  

Combine cocoa and sugar in a bowl.

Add cocoa, sugar, coffee and brandy (if using ) to very hot milk frothing with a whisk. 

Warm mugs.  Add mocha mixture to mugs and top with whipped cream.

How easy was that?  It passed the son-in-law and husband test.  Just to be sure I made it again in the middle of the week without the brandy because I have edits.  I think you could have more coffee and less cocoa or more cocoa and less coffee. More sugar, less sugar.  You can’t really go wrong.  How would you change it?  I always love getting feedback from you so please pop in to enjoy the conversation.  

As a fun extra, I am having a giveaway for my most wintery book: The Icing on the Corpse: a Camilla MacPhee mystery.  Just leave a comment below and don't forget to include your email addy.

Mary Jane Maffini is the award-winning author of three and a half mystery series: the Camilla Maffini mysteries, the Fiona Silk capers and the Charlotte Adams mysteries – number six coming soon!  The Charlotte Adams books have recently been optioned for television films. Details to come when they can be made public. With her daughter Victoria Maffini, MJ collaborated on The Book Collector Mysteries as Victoria Abbott. Victoria Abbott spent several happy years on Mystery Lovers Kitchen. MJ  is very glad to be back and Victoria is waving at you all!   Get to know MJ a bit better IN THIS INTERVIEW 

Don't forget to check out MJ's Canadian books:  Camilla MacPhee features a fortyish widowed lawyer who runs an advocacy agency for victims of violent crime, in Ottawa, Canada's capital city. Life would be easier if she didn't have the world's worst office assistant, the world's bossiest sisters and, arguably, the world's greatest stubborn streak. If you like your mysteries a bit edgy with a side order of humor, these could be for you.  

Keep up on the news!  You can sign up for updates about MJ and Victoria plus fun and prizes through our newsletter HERE 

Fettuccine with Hazel Nuts, Broccoli, and Bacon #Recipe by @Leslie Karst

A friend recently gifted me with a bag of raw hazel nuts, but since I’m not a big fan of baking, I wasn’t sure what to do with them. But then I remembered how common they are in Italian cooking, and came up with this recipe, based on items that I had available in my fridge and larder. And it was delicious--a wonderful one-course meal. Definitely going to make it again. (And Sally Solari would absolutely approve!)

Note that the amounts listed below are not set in stone. Feel free to use more or less, depending how cheesy, bacony, or broccoli-y you desire your pasta to be.

Fettuccine with Hazel Nuts, Broccoli, and Bacon

(serves 4)

Ingredients

½ lb. (½ box) fettuccine, or other pasta of your choice

½ lb. bacon, chopped into 1” pieces

2 cups broccoli, cut into bite size pieces

2 T butter

1 cup raw hazelnuts, chopped

½ cup grated Parmesan (or other hard) cheese

Directions

Bring a large pot of heavily salted (1 T) water to a boil and cook the fettuccine as directed on the package.

 

While the pasta is cooking, fry the bacon in a large pan over medium heat till it’s cooked through, then remove the bacon to a bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pan.

 

Sauté the broccoli in the bacon fat till tender, but still crispy, and starting to brown. Remove broccoli to a bowl.

 

Into the same pan, add the nuts and the butter, and sauté over medium heat until the nuts start to brown and become aromatic. 

 

Add the bacon back into the pan with the nuts and stir it in.

 

When the pasta is cooked al dente, drain it into a colander, retaining 1 cup of the pasta water. Dump the pasta into the pan with the nuts and bacon and stir them together. 

 

Add the cooked broccoli to the pasta and stir (this is why you need a large pan to begin with!), heating everything over medium heat until the dish is once again hot. Add ½ cup of the pasta water and stir it in. Add more of the water if desired, until you get a creamy texture for the dish. 

 

Stir in the cheese, the plate it up! You can garnish the pasta with more cheese and/or chopped green onions or parsley. (See photo at top.)

Buon appetito!

 🍝 🌿 🐖

The daughter of a law professor and a potter, Leslie Karst learned early, during family dinner conversations, the value of both careful analysis and the arts—ideal ingredients for a mystery story. Putting this early education to good use, she now writes the Lefty Award-nominated Sally Solari Mysteries, a culinary series set in Santa Cruz, California. 

 

An ex-lawyer like her sleuth, Leslie also has degrees in English literature and the culinary arts. She and her wife and their Jack Russell mix split their time between Santa Cruz and Hilo, Hawai‘i.

Leslie’s website
Leslie also blogs with Chicks on the Case
Leslie on Facebook
Leslie on Twitter
Leslie on Instagram

Praise for Leslie's most recent Sally Solari mystery, the Lefty Award-nominated MURDER FROM SCRATCH:

“Karst seasons her writing with an accurate insider’s view of restaurant operation, as well as a tenderness in the way she treats family, death and Sally’s reactions to Evelyn’s blindness.”

Ellery Queen Magazine (featured pick)

All four Sally Solari Mysteries are available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.

 

And Dying for a Taste, A Measure of Murder, and Murder from Scratch are now available as AUDIOBOOKS from Audible!