Please welcome guest Mary Karnes! #Recipes and #giveaways

 

Please welcome today’s guest author, Mary Karnes! She’s a professional wedding planner and writes the Wedding Planner Mysteries, where not only do murder and mayhem occur on the page, but wedding mishaps ensue. Mary is sharing two recipes, the first for preserving the top tier of the wedding cake for the first anniversary. I like that the method can be used for any cake that you want to make ahead of time. And the second recipe is for healthy breakfast muffins, which appeared in her first book, WEDDING BRIDE AND DOOM. Many thanks to Mary for offering both books in the series as a double giveaway today! ~ Kim Davis

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Here’s Mary Karnes to tell us more:

What’s your favorite part of a wedding? Mine is the wedding cake. As a wedding planner, I see a lot of wedding cakes. My two favorites are my own daughters’ cakes.

               

Some couples splurge on flowers or lighting décor to make their venues pop. I’m of the opinion that a wedding cake is the way to make the most of your decorating budget. You have to provide a dessert for your guests, so why not choose something that does double duty as dessert and an iconic symbol of a wedding?

Are you familiar with the old-fashioned custom of freezing the top layer of your wedding cake? I actually froze my own wedding cake forty-one years ago…and it was awful. But when my second of four daughters got married eleven years ago, I decided to give it another try. I did a little research on the best way to freeze pastries long term. Below are the supplies needed and the steps to take.

Materials needed:

Wedding Cake
Flat cardboard larger than the diameter of the cake
Plastic Wrap
Foil
A large plastic container with a lid
Masking or duct tape
Plenty of freezer space for the bowl

 

Instructions:

Place the cake on cardboard and cover it loosely with plastic wrap, then wrap in foil. 

Place the cake in a plastic bowl and secure the lid with tape. Put into the freezer. Wait a year!

When it’s time to defrost, take the bowl out of the freezer, remove the cake from the bowl and take off the foil wrap. Let the cake sit on the countertop defrosting for six to eight hours, wrapped loosely in plastic. Slice and enjoy!

 

 

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After wedding planner Kate Ludlow has several hectic days of work and investigating, her teen daughter, Ellis, treats her to breakfast in bed serving these nutrient-rich muffins alongside honey-laced tea.

Moon Rock Muffins

 These are dense muffins but quite moist. A tasty way to get fiber and fruit into your diet!

Makes 22 to 24 muffins

Ingredients

1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ripe bananas
Fifteen pitted prunes*
1 apple, peeled, cored and roughly chopped (or 1/2-cup applesauce)
1-1/4 (5.5 ounces) cups whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup (2.5 ounces) ground flaxseed
1/2 cup (2.5 ounces) oat bran
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup semi-sweet mini-chocolate chips
1 cup Craisins or raisins (or a combination)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake wrappers and spritz wrappers with cooking spray.

Whisk flour, flaxseed, oat bran, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.

Place oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla, bananas, prunes and apple into a large mixing bowl. Using a hand-held immersion stick blender, puree until the mixture is blended and the apples and prunes are very tiny pieces. (Alternately you can use a food processor to puree the ingredients together.)

Add dry ingredients to the fruit mixture and stir by hand just until moistened.

Add chocolate chips and Craisins/raisins and gently stir until incorporated.

Fill cupcake liners 3/4 of the way full with the batter. I like to use a spring loaded ice cream scoop for this.

Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking period. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack. 

These will keep for five days stored in an airtight container. If you live in a hot and/or humid place, store in the refrigerator. Alternatively, wrap individual muffins in plastic wrap or foil and place in a freezer-safe plastic bag. Freeze for up to four months. Remove muffins from the freezer as needed, leaving the plastic wrap on, and thaw until room temperature. Reheat in the microwave for a few seconds and enjoy!

*If you don’t have an immersion blender or food processor, place prunes in a heatproof dish with 2 tablespoons of water and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 1-1/2 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly, then finely mince before adding to the recipe. Either use applesauce or grate an apple and mash the bananas with a fork before proceeding with mixing the wet ingredients together.

 

                          💕 Click here for a free printable PDF of the muffin recipe!💕

    

 

WEDDING BRIDE AND DOOM

California wedding planner, Kate Ludlow, moves back home to New England after her marriage implodes. In tow is her teen daughter Ellis, unhappy and nervous about the move. Suddenly, Kate’s responsible for turning her part-time wedding planner gig into a full-time business. Kate’s off to a good start, too, when she books the society wedding of the year. The prosperity of her business is dependent on the success of Marcy Simpson’s wedding. The joy of an unlimited wedding business is intoxicating. But when Kate’s best florist is murdered, her focus changes from pulling off the year’s most glamorous wedding to saving her own skin—for Kate’s suspect number one for the murder. Further complicating her life, Kate’s old high school flame, Brian McAllister, is the police detective assigned to the murder case. The spark is definitely not gone from their connection, as they have unfinished feelings. Throw in a scavenger hunt for an antique missing family ring, the job transfer of Kate’s ex to New England, and quirky and endearing townsfolk, Kate has more than she can handle—almost.

SAVE THE FATE

Wedding Planner Kate Ludlow is back with her fun circle of small-town New England friends. Life is clipping along well for Kate. Her wedding season is off to a great start; she has reconnected with her former high school boyfriend, and her teen daughter is happy and looking forward to a fun summer. At the town’s traditional kick-off to summer party, “Strawberry Moon,” Jack Malone, the town’s prodigal son, surprises the population with his appearance. He’s the best baseball player the whole of New England has ever produced, and he now plays professional baseball in Los Angeles. He hasn’t been home in years but has returned home to marry a local girl. He taps Kate to be his wedding planner, and she couldn’t be happier; what a boon this will be for her business!

Jack reconnects with old friends and, apparently, old enemies, too, as his body is found in the Connecticut River on his third day home. Jack’s high school girlfriend and Kate’s best friend, Jen, is the prime suspect. She can’t or won’t give an alibi for the time of Jack’s death. But she’s not the only person who looks guilty. A new business partner has come to Eastbury looking for Jack, claiming Jack cheated him in a business deal gone wrong. Then there’s the high school rival who lost everything in a decade’s old confrontation with Jack. The state police leading the investigation into Jack’s death feel certain Jen is their killer, so Kate has to act. If Jen won’t help herself, Kate will have to step in to save her, but this won’t help her fledgling relationship with her old/new love, Brian, who is Eastbury’s lead detective.

Mary Karnes, a college English major and former teacher, is the mother of four who raised her family through six corporate moves. She always dreamed of being an author and dabbled with writing throughout the years. Once the children were grown and out of the house, she started a wedding planning business while simultaneously chasing her dream of being a traditionally published author. Her ‘Wedding Planner Mystery Series’ was born, with her business providing delicious subject matter for her books.  

The first in the Wedding Planner Mystery Series, WEDDNG BRIDE AND DOOM, debuted August 2023, and the second in the series, SAVE THE FATE, published October 2024. Book Three, UNVEILED SECRETS, will be published in September 2025.  

Mary resides in New England with her husband, Ken, and her mini-dachshund, Lucky. She is hard at work on something a little different, a stand-alone domestic thriller. Her door is a revolving one with her children and grandchildren visiting frequently. 

Connect with Mary:

Website * Facebook * Goodreads * Bookbub * Instagram * Amazon Author Page

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Book Giveaways! 

Two winners will receive either a copy of WEDDING BRIDE AND DOOM or SAVE THE FATE! 

To enter, comment below and tell me if you have any tips on preserving your baked goods for eating later, or if desserts never last long enough for there to be a need. Be sure to include your email address!  

Contest is limited to U.S. residents only and will be open through Wednesday, August 20, 2025. 

Chicken and Green Bean Stir Fry #Recipe Peg Cochran/Margaret Loudon

 

This is a quick and easy weeknight dinner when you have a craving for Asian flavors.  And it's cheaper and healthier than take-out!  I had green beans I wanted to use up and I had chicken thighs and I had a craving for a stir fry.  This recipe fit the bill with a few tweaks.  The recipe called for frozen green beans but mine were fresh.  I microwaved them briefly before adding them to the pan to cut down on cooking time.  I also had a smaller amount of chicken since only two of us were going to be eating this.  I didn't have any green onions and had to do without but it was still delicious.  The recipe called for red pepper flakes but I preferred the taste of sriracha, which I always have on hand.  You can use soy sauce or tamari if you want to make this gluten free.

 

1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into thin strips

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari

3 Tablespoons honey

2 Tablespoons each rice vinegar & hoisin sauce

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1-4 – 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes or sriracha to taste

2 teaspoons cornstarch

3 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1 pound green beans, fresh or frozen

5-6 scallions, whites & greens separated

8 cloves garlic, finely minced

  

If using fresh green beans, microwave for 3 to 4 minutes.  If frozen, allow to thaw.

Toss the chicken thigh strips with 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Set aside.

 

Whisk together the soy sauce or tamari, honey, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, ground ginger, chili flakes or sriracha, and cornstarch. Set aside.

 

Heat about half of the sesame oil over medium-high heat. Working in 2-3 batches if necessary, add the chicken strips. Let the chicken cook undisturbed for a few minutes to allow it to brown. Turn and cook until browned and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes per batch. Remove each batch of chicken and set aside. Add more sesame oil between batches if needed.

Reduce the heat to low. Add remaining sesame oil to the pan. Add the garlic and the whites of the green onions. Sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

Add the green beans and sauté until tender or to taste. 

 

Return the cooked chicken to the pan. Pour the prepared sauce over the chicken and green beans. Stir well to coat everything evenly. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until the sauce has thickened.  Top with optional green onions.

 

COVER REVEAL OF WHERE THE BODIES ARE BERRIED COMING SOON! STAY TUNED! 

 

 

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Slow Cooker Pasta with Lentils From Vicki Delany

 As you know I love my slow cooker and I’m always on the lookout for good recipes to try.  I found a book titled “Slow Victories” by Katrina Meynink on sale at my local bookstore.  This is the first recipe I tried, I adapted it slightly, and it turned out well.  The taste of lentils is strong, so if you don’t care for lentils I’d advice not making this.

I don’t usually go to so much trouble when cooking in the slow cooker, I prefer the throw it all in and let it cook for a long time method.  But it did turn out very well, and the idea of adding the pasta at the end was brilliant as it really absorbs the flavours. 

The original recipe is designed for slow cookers with a sauté function, which mine doesn’t have. I just did the sauté part on the stove and then put it in the cooker.

Slow Cooker Pasta with Lentils

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 cup green lentils, rinsed

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

¼ tsp chilli flakes

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

4 ½ cups vegetable stock

400 g (15 oz) short pasta

1/3 cup whole milk

Directions:

Heat olive oil in frying pan, add onions and garlic and cook on medium low for about 10 minutes, until onions are soft and fragrant. Season with salt and pepper.  

Add lentils, tomato paste, thyme, bay leaves, and chilli flakes. Cook for three minutes, then add the vinegar and stock.

Put everything into the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours.

Set the slow cooker to high, wait ten minutes for it to heat up, and then add pasta and milk

Cook for 20 – 25 minutes. Discard bay leaves before serving.

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

Now available: Tea with Jam and Dread, the 6^th Tea by the Sea mystery from Kensington.  Tea with Jam & Dread by Vicki Delany: 9781496747303 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

 

First Watch Watermelon Wakup #recipe #giveaway

 VMBURNS: It's cooling off in North Georgia and the kids are back in school here. That means summer is pretty much over. Yet, sometimes I'm not ready to let go. So, when I saw a watermelon drink on a menu, it absolutely screamed summer to me. First Watch is a chain restaurant, although I think it's mostly in the South. My sister was visiting, so we went for breakfast. I ordered a spiked Watermelon Wakeup, but they were out of watermelon. Imagine that! Anyway, once my mouth was ready for this delicious sounding beverage, I went on a mission to find out how to make it. I found several variations online. One person called it, SUMMER IN A GLASS! I agree! The basic ingredients were the same in all the recipes. Watermelon juice, pineapple juice, lime juice, and simple syrup. The variations came in the ratios. I'm really found of pineapple, so I increased the pineapple juice a smidege. You do you! :-) I tried it spiked and unspiked. Spiked included Vodka. You can blend everything together, but I blended separately so I could take pictures.

WATERMELON WAKEUP 

• INGREDIENTS

• 
  
• 20 oz Watermelon juice
• 8 oz. Pineapple juice
• 3 oz. Lime juicer
• 1 oz. Simple Syrup
• 1/2 oz. Vodka (optional)

• 
  

• INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cut up your fresh fruit into small pieces.
2. Squeeze the juice from 2 limes.
   
   
3. Juice or puree the fruit.
   

   

   
   
   
   
4. Create the simple syrup by combining 1 cup sugar to 1 cup water. Boil until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear.
   
   
   
5. Mix the simple syrup into the fruit juice and stir.
6. Serve over ice and with a sprig of mint (if you have it).
   
   
   
7. For the spiked version, add a 1/2 oz (or so) of Vodka and mix.
   
   
   

READERS:  What's your favorite summer beverage?  Leave me a comment below for a chance to win a copy of Icing on the Murder, the 4th book in the Baker Street Mystery series. Please include your email address in the comments. 

ICING ON THE MURDER

Influencer-turned-bakery-owner Maddy Montgomery has sold plenty of wedding cakes before, but before she turns one out for her and her fiancé’s wedding, she’ll have to solve a little case of murder . . .

Aunt Octavia would be so proud! Maddy has turned Baby Cakes Bakery—named for her 250-pound English Mastiff, Baby—into a runaway success, and she’s marrying the love of her life, veterinarian Michael Portman. #DreamWedding! Plus the timing couldn’t be better: the country’s biggest bridal expo has come to New Bison, Michigan, and Maddy has secured a spot for Baby Cakes to showcase their cakes. She’s also entered a contest for an all-expenses-paid wedding extravaganza offered by world-renowned wedding planner Serafina.

Unfortunately, supremely nasty Serafina truly takes the cake—she makes the worst bridezilla seem like a shy flower girl. But there’s one thing the wedding planner didn’t plan on—being impaled by one of the skewers Baby Cakes uses on their tiered wedding cakes.

While Maid of Honor Sheriff April Johnson rounds up suspects at the expo, Maddy and her aunt’s friends, the Baker Street Irregulars, and even Baby join forces to unveil a killer hiding in plain sight . . . before wedding bells start to chime.




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Peaches and Cream with a Twist #recipe by @LeslieKarst

 

Here in Northern California, peach season is in full force, so I thought I'd provide a simple yet delicious way to serve these delectable stone fruits. This is a twist on the usual "Peaches and Cream," as it employs rosé wine and mascarpone cheese, for a tart and creamy take on the classic dish.

 

It's the perfect dinner party dessert, as it can be prepared up to the plating stage in advance and is flavorful enough to hold its own against a bold dinner, yet light enough not to elicit groans from your already-full-to-the-brim guests. And as a plus, you can serve the rest of the bottle of rosé along with the dessert! (If you can’t locate mascarpone cheese, simply substitute cream cheese and add an extra teaspoon of sugar.)

Peaches and Cream with a Twist

(serves 4)

Ingredients

3 ripe peaches or nectarines

½ cup dry rosé wine

2 sprigs rosemary (about 2 teaspoons, finely chopped)

8 oz. mascarpone cheese

2 teaspoons white sugar

stroopwafel (butter waffle) or similar cookies (for garnish)

flake or coarse grain salt (for garnish)

fresh-ground black pepper (for garnish)

4 more rosemary sprigs (for garnish)

 

Directions

Pit and slice the peaches and place in a bowl. 

 

Finely chop the rosemary.

Add the rosemary and rosé wine to the peaches, and stir carefully (so as to not break up the slices). Cover and refrigerate until ready to plate up for service. 

 

Place mascarpone cheese in a bowl, add the sugar, and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until service.

Spoon one quarter each of the mascarpone mixture onto the middle of four plates, and mash down slightly with a spoon.

Arrange the peaches in a spiral around the mascarpone, spooning the juice left in the bowl over them. Then sprinkle lightly with flake or coarse-grain salt, fresh-cracked black pepper, and some crushed cookies. Garnish with whole cookies and a sprig of rosemary.

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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.