Homemade Hamburger Helper #Recipe Peg Cochran/Margaret Loudon

 

Full disclosure:  I have never had store bought hamburger helper.  I've never had any kind of hamburger helper.  I decided to try this recipe for homemade hamburger helper thinking (hoping) my granddaughter might like it.  (She did.)  I made a few tweaks.  She doesn't like finding bits of chopped onion in her food so I subbed onion powder.  It worked just as well.  I also used gluten free pasta since my daughter is gluten intolerant.  I don't know how it would have turned out had I used regular pasta but this was a bit soupier than I expected.  Actually, I didn't know what to expect.  It was more of a soup/stew but we all loved it.  And it was so easy to make! Recipe from Salt & Lavender.  

1 pound lean ground beef

1/2 medium onion chopped, or ½ tsp. onion powder

2 heaping tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

3 cups beef broth

1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni, regular or gluten free

2 cups freshly grated cheddar cheese

Salt & pepper to taste

 

Add the beef and chopped onion (if using) to a large pot.  Brown over medium heat.  Drain any excess fat.

 

Stir in the tomato paste, garlic powder, chili powder and onion powder (if using).  Salt and pepper to taste.

 

Add the beef broth and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, add the macaroni and reduce heat slightly.

 

Cook until the pasta is tender and the liquid has been absorbed.

Remove pot from heat and add in the grated cheese.  Stir until cheese is melted.  

 

 

  

 

When a wealthy local benefactor is slain on the farm, Monica has to figure out who wanted to cash in on the killing . . .

As Sassamanash Farms hunkers down for the long winter, Monica agrees to let the local animal shelter host their Christmas-themed fundraiser there. The draw of the event—a chance to have your pet’s picture taken with Santa—brings in animal lovers from far and wide. But when the crackling fire dies down and the festive holiday props are all carted away, Monica discovers a very un-jolly sight next to the barn—the dead body of one of the shelter’s biggest donors. With the farm’s good name in jeopardy, Monica goes to work to root out the killer.

By all accounts the victim was a charming and generous supporter of the shelter, but Monica discovers that he was loathed by those who knew him for being tight-fisted and unscrupulous. Suspecting money might be the motive, she turns her sights on his stylish wife and her lavish lifestyle, along with the manager of the struggling shelter, who stood to collect a hefty bequest from his will. But as Monica closes in on one final clue, the culprit closes in on her. Caught unawares, she’ll have to survive the brutal winter weather, as well as a cold-blooded killer . . . 

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Black Rice and Edamame Salad from Vicki Delany

The perfect side dish for a barbeque or to bring to a pot luck. This salad is not only delicious, but eye catching and unusual.

Black Rice and Edamame Salad

Ingredients:

½ cup shelled edamame, thawed

8 medium shiitake or cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced

1/8 tsp salt

1 cup black rice, well rinsed

6 tbsp soy sauce

3 tbsp rice vinegar

4 tsp honey

1 tbsp sesame oil

¼ cup thinly sliced green onions

¼ cup coarsely chopped cilantro

Instructions:

Boil 3 ½ cups water in a large pot. Add edamame and mushrooms and cook for 1 minute. Remove from pot using a sieve or strainer.  Rinse edamame and mushrooms under cold running water, drain well

Add salt and rice to same pot. Return water to boil and then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered, until rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Rinse rice under cold running water, drain well

Whisk soy sauce with vinegar, honey, sesame oil in large bowl. Add edamame, mushrooms, rice, green onions and cilantro. Stir well.

Follow Vicki at www.vickidelany.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/evagatesauthor. You can sign up to receive Vicki’s quarterly newsletter at Vicki Delany – Canadian Author of Mystery Novels and Suspense Novels » Contact. She’s on Bluesky at @vickidelany.bsky.social

Coming September 8:  ‘Tis the Season to be Scary, a Year Round Christmas Mystery from Crooked Lane Books.

 

 

 

 

 

Blueberry Muffins and the Water Displacement Method by Lucy Burdette

LUCY BURDETTE: Seeing a bowl of blueberries in the fridge that were just about to get soft, I had a powerful urge to make blueberry muffins. As far as I’ve experienced, there are none better than the recipe in Once Upon a Chef. As I was gathering the ingredients together, I remembered taking home economics in junior high school. We learned some sewing skills (made an apron!) and also did some cooking. That teacher was strict! We were afraid of her, and afraid to make mistakes. I remembered making muffins—she cut into them at the end and if they had air tunnels inside, our grade was lowered.

For one class, she had us all take part in a baking process exhibition. My assignment was to research and present the water displacement method which I was to explain to the class the next day. I had no idea what this was and there was no Google to look it up. I asked my mother, who was not a big baker except for Christmas cookies and birthday cakes, she didn’t know either. She showed me the way she measured shortening (usually Crisco), and that was to measure a half cup of water and drop Crisco in to bring the liquid up to a one cup line. (That is if you wanted a half cup of shortening.) So I brought that to the class next day. 

“I don’t know what water displacement method is, but this is how my mother measures shortening,” I said.

“That is the water displacement method,” the stern teacher said.

Anyway, that’s neither here nor there, but it got me thinking about home economics and how it’s too bad today’s kids don’t have that class. A little instruction in cooking and sewing could only be a good thing!

And here are Once Upon a Chef's blueberry muffins. 

Ingredients

One stick (8 ounces) butter, softened

One cup sugar

Two large eggs at room temp

One and a half teaspoons vanilla

3/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup of milk

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 cups fresh blueberries

Beat the butter with the sugar until light and pale yellow. Beat the eggs in one at a time, spending a couple minutes on each one.

Mix the dry ingredients in a small bowl. Alternate mixing some of the dry ingredients with milk into the rest of the batter. Until everything is gone. Don’t overbeat!

Stir in the blueberries.

Grease a muffin tin, and add paper muffin cups. Distribute the batter between the 12 of them. Bake at 375 for half an hour-ish. Mine were browning at 28 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing them from the pan. Here’s one broken open. No air tunnels there!

Did you take home economics as a young person? Do your kids or grandkids study the art of home making? Is this a lost art or are we just as glad to see it gone out of the schools? And what should I do with all those amazing peaches?

A DELICIOUS DECEPTION can be found at a bookstore near you!

A Delicious Deception has a slightly different tone than some of the earlier books, with more emphasis on family, but I loved it just as much as the rest of the series. Ms. Burdette has created characters who have grown in such natural, believable ways. She delivers an excellent mystery while also weaving in a major, emotional turning point in their lives. There is drama, murder, secrets, late-pregnancy feelings and hormones, a sick father-in-law, home renovations, a fun baby shower, and friends and family ready to tackle whatever comes their way. And in the end, a beautiful baby! Escape with Dollycas

This cozy mystery expertly balances personal stakes with a fast-paced plot in a consistent Burdette fashion. It’s a suspenseful, heart-filled addition to the series that proves Hayley is just as effective at solving crimes as she is at critiquing menus. Netgalley reviewer

Book 15 in the Key West series, paperback edition of THE MANGO MURDERS, is in bookstores now!

USA Today bestselling author Lucy Burdette writes the Key West food critic mystery series including A POISONOUS PALATE and A CLUE IN THE CRUMBS. Join her mailing list right here.

@AUTHOR DARCI HANNAH, NO BAKE SPECIAL K BARS, RECIPE

DARCI HANNAH: In honor of the upcoming Labor Day holiday, and my summer release, MURDER AT THE CAMPFIRE COOKOUT, I want to talk a little bit about my all-time favorite cookie bar recipe, the delicious, no-bake, Special K Bar. I make this recipe a lot and have brought them to more back yard barbecues and kids’ play dates and sports events than I can count, and they are always a bit hit. Then one day someone ate one and said, “You made Scotcheroos. I love Scotcheroos!” I had no idea what they were talking about. I’ve never had a Scotcheroo and didn’t know what they were. However, once it was explained to me that I had made Scotcheroos only I had used the wrong cereal, I had to consider that there was another similar recipe floating around out there in other recipe boxes with a very different name.

This is where the great Scotcheroo vs the Special K bar debate begins. 

According to my quick internet research and a deep dive into Kellogg’s cereals, the recipe for Scotcheroos appears to have come out in the mid 1960s and was printed on the back of the Rice Krispies cereal box. Nobody quite knows who invented this genius rice-cereal based addictive recipe, but one thing was clear. This person really knew what American tastebuds were clamoring for—that magical combination of peanut butter coated rice cereal topped with a layer of chocolaty butterscotch. Crazy as it sounds, this recipe swept across the American Midwest, becoming a staple of backyard picnics and summer holiday treats. 

My mom, whom I suspect was late to the Scotcheroos party, somehow got her hands on another Kellogg’s cereal box that had a suspiciously similar recipe printed on it, only the name had changed to reflect the cereal. It was the Special K box, making me think that someone in the marketing department over at Kellogg’s had gotten lazy… or maybe they were just an evil genius. Because on the back of that box was printed the exact same recipe, only the cereal had changed along with the name. The result was the same delicious treat with a slightly chewier peanut butter base due to the flatter, denser structure of the cereal flake. Ironically, Special K had been marketed as a diet cereal—a healthier choice to reduce the waistline. Maybe that’s why my mom had been attracted to this version of the recipe? Special K bars have a healthier ring to them, making them an acceptable breakfast option as well, after all, they’re fortified with 11 vitamins and minerals. Honestly, if they were called Scotcheroos I’d still eat them for breakfast. Whatever name these diabolically tasty treats go by, all I know is that if you bring them to your next picnic or outing, everyone will thank you. 

Happy Labor Day!

Delicious No Bake Special K Bars

Prep time: 15 minutes. Makes one 9 x 13 pan. Serves 24

Ingedients:

1 cup sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup creamy peanut butter 

6 cups Kellog’s Special K cereal

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup butterscotch chips

Butter for greasing the pan

Directions: 

Using butter, grease the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 pan. 

Place the Special K in a large mixing bowl. Set aside. Combine sugar and corn syrup in a 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture boils, stirring occasionally. Once the mixture boils remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter until well blended. Pour the mixture over the Special K and stir until all the cereal is coated. Pour the warm Special K mixture into the pan. Gently press into the pan. To prevent the mixture from sticking on your hands you can coat your hands with butter. Set aside.

In a microwave safe dish, melt the butterscotch chips, heating it for 30 seconds at a time and stirring well after each time. Once the butterscotch is melted, stir in the chocolate chips until melted and well blended. You may need to heat the mixture another 30 seconds to melt the chocolate. Once the mixture is smooth, spread evenly over the cereal mixture. Cool until chocolate is set, then cut into bars. Enjoy!

You can print a copy of the recipe HERE!

Let’s continue the debate! Scotcheroos or Special K Bars, which do you prefer? 

If you’ve never had one of these, let me know what your favorite cereal bar is.

 

Darci Hannah is the bestselling author of the Beacon Bakeshop Mystery Series, the Food & Spirits Mystery Series, the Very Cherry Mystery Series, and two works of historical fiction, The Exile of Sara Stevenson, and The Angel of Blythe Hall. Darci grew up in the Midwest and currently lives in a small town in Michigan with her husband and two dogs. Darci is a lifelong lover of the Great Lakes, a natural wonder that inspires many of her stories. Passionate about family, dogs, food, baking, history, books, lighthouses, laughter, good conversations, coffee, and the paranormal, Darci feels especially blessed to have found a way to combine her interests in the stories she writes. It brings her great joy to be able to share them with you. 

Connect with Darci at www.darcihannah.com

Instagram: @authordarcihannah

Facebook: @Author Darci Hannah

Murder at the Campfire Cookout

By Darci Hannah

Book #7 in the Beacon Bakeshop Mystery Series

 

ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!

When Lindsey Bakewell leaves behind her lighthouse bakeshop, her boyfriend, Rory, and her Newfoundland dog, Wellington, for a glamping trip with her mother in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the bears leave them alone—but a killer doesn’t. . .

Converting the old Beacon Point lighthouse into a bakery is as adventurous as Lindsey cares to get. Her mother, Ellie, a former 80s fashion model, likes her creature comforts even more—until she sees a business opportunity for her Beacon Harbor fashion boutique when she’s invited by the Mitten Kittens Glamping Club on a woodsy getaway.

Far from roughing it, the ladies will be warm and cozy in chic vintage campers. Ellie insists Lindsey come along to win the campfire cookout contest. Campfire cooking has come a long way from bacon and beans. Soon Lindsey is making pizza, berry cobbler, and gooey Carmelita camping bars.

But the festive spirit is soon dampened when a body is found in Ellie’s camper. It seems like an accidental death until everyone’s tires are slashed and it’s clear the glampsite has become a crime scene. With no cell service to call for help, it’s up to Lindsey to smoke out the killer around the campfire . . .

Because no one is out of the woods yet.

A Spirited Supper at Dundoon Castle

By Darci Hannah

Book #2 in the Food & Spirits Mystery Series 

ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!

When chef Bridget “Bunny” MacBride got a role on the reality show Food & Spirits, she thought “spirits” meant cocktails. Instead, she’s cooking up dinners meant to tempt the departed to appear. And to her surprise, she’s discovered abilities to connect with the beyond—and crack murder cases . . .

Now that Bunny’s entrées come with a side of the Other Side, it comes in handy to have a grandma who’s friendly with the elderly owners of a haunted Scottish castle. During Bunny’s childhood she heard all about Dundoon’s bloody history and the “ghostly piper” who roamed the grounds—and soon she’ll be visiting the ancient place with her ghost hunter and psychic co-stars. The annual bagpipe competition in the late piper’s honor will make for some good footage as well. 

After Bunny serves a feast fit for a 17th century king, including lamb chops with plenty of fresh herbs, she heads outdoors for the ghost hunt. But in the dark, dense fog, someone fatally plunges from the clifftop over the loch. The sound that follows is a mournful, otherworldly bagpipe . . . and once the body of another perished piper is retrieved, Bunny is determined to solve this Highlands homicide—and prevent a killer from getting off scot-free . . .

COMING FEBRUARY 23, 2027

A TOAST TO AGATHA CHRISTIE’S GHOST

By Darci Hannah

Book #3 in the Food & Spirits Mystery Series

ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!

https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/shop/a-toast-to-agatha-christies-ghost

Chef Bunny MacBride has gotten roped into a ghost-hunting reality show called Food & Spirits, creating dishes to whet the appetites of apparitions. Along the way, she’s discovered she has some supernatural gifts of her own—and an eerie knack for solving murders…

The cast and crew are on Burgh Island, at a restored Art Deco hotel that boasts Agatha Christie as its most famous guest—and now its most famous ghost. They’re filming at a murder-mystery weekend, and Bunny expects it to be more kooky than spooky. But she’s excited to meet the renowned resident chef and delighted to run into her Granny Mac playing the role of Miss Marple. As a bonus, her romance with costar Brett continues to simmer.

The downside is dealing with arrogant guests like Buckley Thorne, who sends back her beetroot salad and demands whipped cream for her peach Melba. Then the show’s phony psychic, Giff, insists on playing Poirot, complete with an absurdly bad accent. When it turns out the victim role is assigned to Buckley Thorne, she feels a touch of satisfaction—until she realizes he’s doing too good a job of playing dead . . .

Shocked to learn Buckley’s true identity, Bunny has to change course once again from cook to crime-solver. She’d sensed an undercurrent of drama at the dead man’s table—and with help from the spirit of the world’s greatest mystery writer, she’s looking closely at the victim’s handsome son, much-younger wife, and elegant circle of friends to conjure up a solution . . .

Watermelon, Blueberry, and Feta Salad from Leslie Budewitz

LESLIE BUDEWITZ:  Three of Mr. Right’s favorite ingredients in one bowl – what could be better? 

Like many gardeners, I learned the hard way that mint does not play well with other herbs in the garden – it’s very bossy. If you grow it, keep it in a pot you can put outside in summer and bring in for the winter. In the garden, cut the bottom out of a large plastic pot, plant the pot, and plant the mint inside. I did that, and still had spill over, so watch those young mint sprouts like a hawk.

Better yet, dig them up and use the leaves in tea, julips, or salads, like this one! It’s a great way to say “thank you” and “see you next year” to summer. Take a bowl or your Labor Day picnic. Or serve it alongside meat, chicken, or fish, and add a hunk of crusty bread and a glass of a crisp white wine or rose and enjoy! 

PS: I finally figured out how to embed a PDF of the recipe for easy printing. 

Scroll down to the 💕 for the link. 

Watermelon, Blueberry, and Feta Salad

3 cups (about a pound) watermelon, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 teaspoons lemon juice, or more to taste

1 cup (about 5 ounces) feta, diced or crumbled

2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped or julienned 

In a large serving bowl, gently stir together the melon, berries, oil, zest, and juice. 

Add the feta and stir until combined. 

Just before serving, top with fresh mint.

Serves 8. 

As summer wanes, what seasonal fruit or vegetables will you most miss? 

💕 Click here for a free printable PDF! 

At Seattle Spice Shop, owner Pepper Reece has whipped up the perfect blend of food, friends, and flavor. But the sweet smell of success can be hazardous . . .  

Spring is in full bloom in Pike Place Market, where Pepper is celebrating lavender’s culinary uses and planning a festival she hopes will become an annual event. When her friend Lavender Liz offers to share tips for promoting the much-loved—and occasionally maligned—herb, Pepper makes a trek to the charming town of Salmon Falls. But someone has badly damaged Liz’s greenhouse, throwing a wrench in the feisty grower’s plans for expansion. Suspicions quickly focus on an employee who’s taken to the hills. 

Then Liz is found dead among her precious plants, stabbed by a pruning knife. In Salmon Falls, there’s one in every pocket. 

Pepper digs in, untangling the tensions between Liz and a local restaurateur with eyes on a picturesque but neglected farm, a jealous ex-boyfriend determined to profit from Liz’s success, and a local growers’ cooperative. She’s also hot on the scent of a trail of her own, sniffing out the history of her sweet dog, Arf. 

As Pepper’s questions threaten to unearth secrets others desperately want to keep buried, danger creeps closer to her and those she loves. Can Pepper root out the killer, before someone nips her in the bud?

Available at Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Books-A-Million * Bookshop.org * and your local booksellers!

ALL GOD'S SPARROWS AND OTHER STORIES: A STAGECOACH MARY FIELDS COLLECTION, now available in in paperback and ebook 

Take a step back in time with All God's Sparrows and Other Stories: A Stagecoach Mary Fields Collection of historical short mysteries, featuring the Agatha-Award winning "All God's Sparrows" and other stories imagining the life of real-life historical figure Mary Fields, born into slavery in 1832, during the last thirty years of her life, in Montana. Out September 17, 2024 from Beyond the Page Publishing.  

“Finely researched and richly detailed, All God’s Sparrows and Other Stories is a wonderful collection. I loved learning about this fascinating woman . . . and what a character she is! Kudos to Leslie Budewitz for bringing her to life so vividly.” —Kathleen Grissom, New York Times bestselling author of Crow Mary

Available at Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Books-A-Million * Bookshop.org * and your local booksellers!

Leslie Budewitz is the author of the Spice Shop Mysteries set in Seattle's Pike Place Market, and the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries, set in NW Montana. As Alicia Beckman, she writes moody, standalone suspense, most recently Blind Faith. She is the winner of Agatha Awards in three categories: Best Nonfiction (2011), Best First Novel (2013), and Best Short Story (2018). Her latest books are To Err is Cumin, the 8th Spice Shop Mystery and All God's Sparrows and Other Stories: A Stagecoach Mary Fields Collection, in September 2024. Watch for Lavender Lies Bleeding, the 9th Spice Shop Mystery, on July 15, 2025.

A past president of Sisters in Crime and former national board member of Mystery Writers of America, Leslie lives in northwest Montana with her husband, a musician and doctor of natural medicine. 

Swing by Leslie's website and join the mailing list for her seasonal newsletter. And join her on Facebook where she shares book news and giveaways from her writer friends, and talks about food, mysteries, and the things that inspire her.