Double Treats from guest Gabby Allan -- #recipe and #bookgiveaway

LESLIE BUDEWITZ: Who doesn't love a new series? And who doesn't love discovering the new identity of an old friend? Especially when she brings yummy treats AND a book giveaway?

So, welcome to Gabby Allan, aka Misty Simon, author of MUCH ADO ABOUT NAUTICALING, first in the Whit and Whiskers Mysteries, just out from Kensington Books.  

GABBY ALLAN: Hello and thanks so much to Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen for having me on today!

I’m so excited to introduce you to my new pen name, Gabby Allan, and my new series under that name, Whit and Whiskers Mysteries! I also write under the name Misty Simon, so you might see some similarities in the story-telling. The first book in this series is called Much Ado About Nauticaling, and I hope you love my girl Whit, her cat Whiskers, and the fun and shenanigans that ensue when she returns to the island of Catalina where she grew up. She thinks she’s starting over, out of the corporate world and into the slow pace of island-life. Instead she not only gets a murder mystery to solve but has to deal with an ex-boyfriend she thought she’d left behind on the mainland. This is just the beginning of the new series by Gabby Allan, and I hope I deliver on my promise of a little charm, a little mayhem, and a lot of fun! 

One of the things I loved the most about this new series is going back to some of the foods I used to eat when I lived in California. It’s not that you can’t get churros on the east coast, they’re just different so I decided to go back to the basics and give you the Catalina Churro Boat!

Let’s dive right on in how to make these beauties! And they’re delish too!

Leave a comment below for a chance to win a signed copy of MUCH ADO ABOUT NAUTICALING!  

Catalina Churro Boats 

1 cup water

2 ½ tbsp sugar

½ tsp salt

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 quarts oil for frying

½ cup white sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 can whipped cream

Strawberries (as many as you like!)

Now let’s roll up our sleeves and get our hands dirty!

Grab a small saucepan and crank the stove to medium heat. Combine the water, 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar, salt, and two tablespoons of vegetable oil. Bring that baby to a boil and then remove it from the heat. Go ahead and stir in the flour until the mixture forms a ball.

Now we’re going to heat the oil for frying in a deep fryer or deep pot. Get that up to about 375 degrees F (it can be a little less, I’ve also cooked them at 350. I recommend a metal thermometer just to be sure what temp you’re working with!). Now, you could put this yummy goodness into a sturdy pastry bag and drop strips of dough into the hot oil. But since we’re making boats, I actually took the dough in hand, rolled it out into a rope, and then connected the ends to make a kind of donut, so that I could then fill it with the delight of strawberries and whipped cream. Your choice! Don’t overcrowd the oil, though. Fry until golden, then drain on paper towels.

Mix up the 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon. Drop the fried dough in and cover as desired.

Pop these bad boys onto a plate, grab that can of whipped cream and go to town! When you’re done, top with a couple of strawberries and you’re ready to delight your mouth to no end!

And that’s it! Enjoy, and maybe share a few with family or friends as this recipe is supposed to feed four.

Is there any recipe you’ve gotten a little creative with and taken it off the beaten cutting board? I’d love to hear about it! Talk to me in the comments for a chance to win a signed copy of MUCH ADO ABOUT NAUTICALING! (Be sure to leave your email address; US mailing addresses only. Winner to be chosen Tues, Aug 10.)

Oh! And Rom Cozy is a newish genre for me. I hope you enjoy that too!

From the cover: Whitney Dagner is your tour guide to a Pacific paradise that’s to die for—only to find it’s a place people are also willing to kill for—in Gabby Allan’s Much Ado About Nauticaling, first in the Whit and Whiskers Mystery series.

 After far too many years in the Los Angeles corporate world, Whitney Dagner has come home to Santa Catalina Island off the California coast to help her brother Nick run Nautically Yours, the family tourism business. Between gift shop shifts selling all manner of T-shirts and tchotchkes and keeping her feline Whiskers in fine fettle, she pilots the Sea Bounder, a glass bottom boat showing tourists the underwater sights of aquatic plants, marine life—and a murder victim?

 The self-proclaimed “Master of the Island,” Jules Tisdale was a wealthy man with business interests throughout Catalina who was about to be honored as Person of the Year before someone strangled him with his own tie and tossed his body into the water. That someone appears to be Nick, who had a raw deal from Jules and no alibi the night of his murder. To clear her brother’s name, Whit will have to investigate Jules’ shady associates and not exactly grief-stricken family members—with the unwelcome help of Felix Ramirez, police diver and Whit’s ex-boyfriend who’s looking to rekindle their relationship.

After writing plays for her friends to act out as a kid, bad poetry in high school, and her high school Alma Mater song, Gabby Allan finally found her true passion—cozy mysteries. Being able to share her world with readers, one laugh at a time, and touch people’s hearts with her down-to-earth characters makes for the best job ever. This California girl now lives with her husband, daughter, and two insane dogs in Central Pennsylvania where she is hard at work on her next novel.

Connect with Gabby: 

Website: www.gabbyallan.com 

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/GabbyAllanAuthor

Facebook Group: Merry Sleuths https://bit.ly/2UWZida

Instagram @gabbyallanspeaks

Buy link: https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/9781496731067/much-ado-about-nauticaling/

Monkey Bread by Misty Simon +Giveaway

Maya: Please welcome guest Misty Simon who's sharing a recipe for Monkey Bread and celebrating the release of Varnished Without a Trace. Don't miss the book giveaway she is offering to one reader who comments.  Take it away, Misty!

Misty: Hello all you Mystery Lover’s Kitchen readers and shakers! I hope your day is going fabulous and will only get better when you make room in your belly for this little delightfully simple and yet super scrumptious snack. Any time of day, though I do prefer it as a breakfast item, Monkey Bread is just enough sweet with a little soft squish to make your mouth happy. Warm from the oven, or the microwave if you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, a little goes a long way. 

Things you need on hand to make monkey bread that’s going to melt in your mouth:

½ cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cans flaky biscuits from the refrigerator aisle
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
¾ cup butter melted

If you want to make it a bit showier, you can also throw in:
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup raisins

Preheat that oven to 350 degrees. Get a fluted tube pan and grease that baby up so that none of your delicious ingredients stick when you’re ready to eat it ALL! You can use shortening if you’d like, but I prefer the cooking spray.
Grab a gallon-sized plastic food storage bag and pour in the sugar and the cinnamon. Shake it a little to get the two to mix in prep for all that flaky biscuit goodness.

Pop open those cans of flaky biscuits (am I the only one that flinches when they make the popping sound even though I know exactly when it’s going to happen?). 

Cut each biscuit into quarters and then add to the sugar and cinnamon mix. Seal the bag tight and roll it around in your hands or on the counter, making sure that you coat each of the quarters. When they’re all coated, dump them into the waiting, greased pan. 

Mix the melted butter and the brown sugar and then pour it over the biscuit pieces. Stick with me here. I know it sounds like a lot of sweetness but it will all be worth it in the end.

Now this is the spot where you can add those extras up above if you’d like the showier version. Just intersperse them throughout the coated quarters. If you happen to have any leftover mixture in the gallon bag, sprinkle over the top of everything.

Bake 28 to 32 minutes or until golden brown. You can use a metal spatula to loosen the edges of pan. After cooling in the pan for about ten minutes, turn it upside down onto serving plate. 

This part can get a little messy and might require you to lick your fingers when you’re done.

Dive in! This is a pull apart to serve kind of recipe and is best served warm (note the microwave if you’re lucky enough for leftovers). Some people do like to also put warmed maple syrup on these babies. While I’m in favor of that if it fits your fancy, there’s nothing wrong with just plain old monkey bread on a plate, no toppings necessary.

Every holiday, I make this recipe along with a ham and cheese quiche and cheesy hashbrowns for the family. They’re quick, easy, and I’m not still standing at the stove while everyone else digs in because they’re usually all done at the same time.

Misty Simon always wanted to be a storyteller…preferably behind a Muppet. Animal was number one, followed closely by Sherlock Hemlock… Since that dream didn’t come true, she began writing stories to share her world with readers, one laugh at a time. She hopes everyone at least snickers in the right places when reading her books. She lives with her husband, daughter, and two insane dogs in Central Pennsylvania where she is hard at work on her next novel or three. She loves to hear from readers so drop her a line at misty@mistysimon.com.

Connect with her on Facebook and

through her Website: www.mistysimon.com

Buy Varnished Without a Trace 

This Christmas, Tallie Graver would like to take a break from running her cleaning business to be with her boyfriend, Max, and enjoy their first holiday together--alone. Instead, she’s stuck keeping her mother and grandmother from duking it out during the town’s annual Christmas Eve bingo game. As for festive spirit, she’ll have to settle for her mean-spirited Aunt Ronda, whose mouth could use some soap.

The night only gets worse after Tallie discovers Ronda’s body. It seems someone cleaned her clock with a can of varnish. While all the evidence points to Ronda’s husband, Tallie doesn’t believe her beloved Uncle Hoagie could do such a dirty deed. Of course, his sudden disappearance doesn’t help his case. If Tallie hopes to clear his name, she’ll need to dig up some dirt to locate the real killer. Otherwise, someone else could get rubbed out . . .

I’m happy to give away a copy of Varnished Without A Trace to a commenter. US only, please. What kind of easy, throw-it-together and come back later recipes do you like to make?

Welcome Misty Simon!

A warm welcome to Misty Simon, who, can you believe it, was trying to get her daughter to school at a southern coastal town during Hurricane Dorian! She deserves the mom of the year award. Don't miss Misty's book giveaway at the end of this post!

Hello all you lovely blog readers! Thanks so much for stopping in today. I appreciate your time and your interest.

It’s almost Fall and in Pennsylvania, and especially in my family, that means pink applesauce! I look forward to this tradition every year, and then enjoy it for the next few months since this recipe yields a ton of yumminess if you quadruple it (like my mom does) and freeze for future enjoyment.

In my Tallie Graver Mystery series from Kensington, Tallie is usually the first one to reach for a cruller, whoopie pie, or most often a snickerdoodle. But there is always time and room for some good old-fashioned pink applesauce. While she’s cleaning houses, figuring out nefarious deeds done in town, and keeping up with her boyfriend Max, and simultaneously irritating and helping the local police, she’s always on the lookout for the perfectly made snack. She’s one of those women who knows her flaws and owns them, then uses them to her best amateur sleuthing advantage. And if in the process of sorting clues and figuring out who’s lying and who’s just that sinister, she needs to munch her way through the thought process, then she’s ready, willing and hungry. Bring on the snacking and the sleuthing!

Pink Applesauce – Makes about 6 good-sized portions

Ingredients, or ingredient in this case:

10-12 Cortland apples (seriously, that’s it! I promise!)

Preparing this awesomesauce:

1.     Wash and core apples

2.     Cut away any blemishes and remove any stray seeds (leave the skin on, that’s how it gets pink)

3.     Place apples in stock pot and heat on medium, stirring frequently

4.      Cook apples down to a mushy, soft consistency

5.     Pour apples into sieve and grind down to the kind of applesauce that delights you – there’s no wrong way, if you like it chunky go for it, it you like it smooth, that’s possible too.

6.     Enjoy!

As an added dash of sass you can also throw in several Red Hots candies and melt them in with the apples as you’re stirring. They’ll turn your awesomesauce even pinker and give it that kick that will make your mouth go WOW!

Bio: Misty Simon is the author of the Tallie Graver Mystery series. She loves a good story and decided one day that she would try her hand at it. Eventually she got it right. There’s nothing better in the world than making someone laugh, and she hopes everyone at least snickers in the right places when reading her books. She lives in Central Pennsylvania where she is hard at work on her next novel or three. She loves to hear from readers so drop her a line at misty@mistysimon.com.

Blurb:

Live and let dust . . .
 
Now that Tallie Graver’s cleaning business is starting to shine, she’s ready to go squeegee to squeegee against Audra McNeal for a major contract at the Astercromb mansion. Tallie’s not afraid of a little friendly competition from the new cleaner in town. In fact, Tallie likes Audra, though she wonders how her glamorous rival manages to clean house and maintain her fancy manicure. Tallie has her rubber-gloves full staying one step ahead of her nemesis. Until she finds a well-polished hand poking out of a rolled-up carpet, rendering her competition . . . dead.

Though it lands Tallie the big job, there’s nothing tidy about Audra’s death. So
between polishing and scrubbing, Tallie’s determined to find the killer. Hopefully the police chief doesn’t mind her cluttering up his investigation with the filthy dealings she discovers. Turns out Audra was not as squeaky clean as she appeared. And confronting her killer could bring Tallie to a very foul end indeed . . .

I will be giving away a copy of Carpet Diem to a US winner. To enter, please leave a comment with your email address. Good luck!

Welcome Misty Simon!

Please join me in a very warm welcome to Misty Simon! Misty writes the Tallie Graver Mysteries, which feature a house cleaner. What better opportunity to peer into the lives of others? Her upcoming release is DECEASED AND DESIST. She's giving away a copy today! Don't forget to enter by leaving a comment below.

Hi, Misty Simon here! I’m a huge fan of cozy mysteries – who doesn’t love justice in the end and a few laughs along the way as our amateur sleuth finds whodunit with or without the police?

In my Tallie Graver Mystery series, Tallie is usually completely at odds with the police who just want her to mind her own business. But between cleaning for the people she used to air kiss before her swan dive from the town’s elite and trying to not get roped into working full-time at her father’s funeral home, she always seems to be stuck right in the middle of any suspicious activity in her small town. From finding bodies to trying to sneak in some time with her new boyfriend Max, who she affectionately calls the Taxinator, there’s never a dull day for the woman who knows her flaws and flaunts them for all she’s worth.

And now it’s Fall, which calls for sweet treats in Tallie’s kitchen, what little there is of it on the third floor of the funeral home (quiet neighbors but kind of cramped quarters). Usually she indulges in lots of snickerdoodles, but here’s a quick and easy recipe for Tallie’s Pumpkin Patch dessert! Enjoy!

3 ½ c cold milk

2 pkgs (4 serving size) Chocolate instant Jell-O

8 oz cream cheese softened

1 tub Cool Whip thawed

1 pkg Oreos crushed

Make pudding as directed on pkg using 3 ½ c milk. Let stand for five minutes. Stir in 3 c Cool Whip, cream cheese and ½ crushed cookies. Spoon into 13x9 pan. Sprinkles with remaining crushed cookies. Refrigerate one hour then decorate with candy, cool whip ghosts, Milano cookies decorated as tomb stones and whatever else fits your fancy! Tallie is a big fan of pumpkins and candy corn.

Deceased and Desist – out 11/27! Preorder yours now at the retailer of your choice

Window of opportunity . . .
 
Most housecleaners don’t do windows, but Tallie Graver loves leaving a pane of glass streak-free and sparkling. After a dirty divorce from a filthy-rich jerk, she’s started her own cleaning business to make ends meet. On her latest job, prepping a renovated bed and breakfast for a grand re-opening, she’s standing outside on a ladder, wiping off a grimy pane, when she spies a man on a bed through the glass. But the B&B isn’t open for business yet—and the man’s not sleeping. Her family owns the Graver Funeral Home, so Tallie knows a corpse when she sees one.The victim is a shady building inspector with a reputation for handing out passing grades for a greased palm. With the local police resistant, Tallie launches her own investigation, before she gets a rep as a town crank. But it’s going to take more than a squirt bottle and a squeegee to clean up this mess. With the help of her gal pal Gina, Tallie searches for a killer’s motive. But she’d better be careful, or it’ll be curtains for this window cleaner . . .

“An amusing new series with an engaging, spirited sleuth.” —Library Journal

Bio: Misty Simon always wanted to be a storyteller…preferably behind a Muppet. Animal was number one, followed closely by Sherlock Hemlock… Since that dream didn’t come true, she began writing stories to share her world with readers, one laugh at a time. She knows how to hula, was classically trained to sing opera, co-wrote her high school Alma Mater, and can’t touch raw wood. Never hand her a Dixie cup with that wooden spoon/paddle thing. It’s not pretty.

Touching people’s hearts and funny bones are two of her favorite things, and she hopes everyone at least snickers in the right places when reading her books. She lives with her husband, daughter, and two insane dogs in Central Pennsylvania where she is hard at work on her next novel. She loves to hear from readers so drop her a line at misty@mistysimon.com or visit at www.mistysimon.com to connect!

Leave a comment with your email address to enter to win a copy of Deceased and Desist! Look for the word COMMENT below and click on it to leave a comment. Good luck!

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