Guest Author Elizabeth Craig with Mother's Day Recipe & #Giveaway @elizabethscraig

Click to learn more.

Please join me in giving a warm welcome back to Elizabeth Craig (aka Riley Adams), a talented author of multiple bestselling mystery series, a busy mother of two and a dedicated blogger who has offered online fellowship to the writing community for years.

(Elizabeth's Twitter feed is a marvel, and I encourage you all to follow her!)

Elizabeth is also a beloved alumna of Mystery Lovers' Kitchen, and we're thrilled that she's returned for a visit, especially on this particular Sunday so I can wish her a very...

Happy Mother's Day! xoxo

~ Cleo 

Hi everyone! And a special hi to all the mothers out there on this Mother’s Day installment of Mystery Lovers' Kitchen. Thanks so much to the gang here for hosting me . . . I enjoy coming back for visits!

Hope you’re all enjoying your spring so far. Life has been busy for me recently—my husband and I moved (just in-state, but wow! I’d forgotten how frantic moving makes you) and I’ve had books come out all through the process. Two books came out during my great I-Must-Reduce-the-Number-of-Things-in-This-House phase (Frictional Characters and A Dash of Murder) and one book came out last month in the We’re-Staying-in-an-Airbnb-to-House-Hunt phase (A Notion to Murder). Yes, all three active series are represented in those releases, ha. I must have lost what’s left of my mind.

On the upside, I was most concerned about my elderly cat, Mr. Smoke, and my somewhat neurotic corgi, Finn, making the move.

Mr. Smoke

I fretted over it quite a bit and took myself and my reluctant animals to the veterinarian to buy a concoction that might help them with any anxiety they might experience. 

As you can see, however, there was no need to dose them up. What a relief! They were real troopers. 

Finn

So, as mentioned, it’s been busy. I have the feeling y'all might possibly be, too. The month of May always seems to be that way. I thought I’d revisit an oldie-but-goodie recipe that first "aired" here in 2013. It’s simple and tasty—two important traits of a recipe for a busy mom or a busy person, period. 

If you can’t find specialized chutney in your store and just have the plain variety, you can quickly mix up a small can (8 oz.) of crushed pineapple and a regular jar of chutney (no special type, just run-of-the mill.) You’ll end up with the same, delicious, fruity taste.

EASY CHUTNEY CHICKEN

Ingredients:

1 chicken fryer (or a comparable number of chicken breasts)

1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup regular mustard

2/3 cup apple-cranberry chutney (or peach chutney, or whatever-suits-your-fancy chutney)

½ cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and place in a shallow casserole dish.

Mix all the other ingredients and cover the chicken with them.

Bake at 350 F., uncovered, for an hour and fifteen minutes.

Bestselling cozy mystery author Elizabeth Spann Craig is a library-loving, avid mystery reader. A pet-owning Southerner, her four series are full of cats, corgis, and cheese grits. The mother of two, she lives with her husband, a fun-loving corgi, and a shy fluffball of a cat. Follow Elizabeth and learn more about her books by visiting her website at  ElizabethSpannCraig.com

How are things for all of you? Do you find late-spring a busy time, too? Made or are considering making any moves lately? And are your pets low-key and laid-back or a little edgier?

Giveaway!

Today, Elizabeth is giving away an e-book copy of the first book in her charming Southern Quilting mystery series...

QUILT OR INNOCENCE?

(Click here to learn more.)

To be entered in Elizabeth's drawing,

leave a comment for her on this post

with your email address.

Congrats to the winner:

"jarjm"

Welcome Elizabeth Spann Craig with Guest Post and #Giveaway

(Click to learn more.)

Please join me in giving a warm welcome back to Elizabeth Spann Craig!

Elizabeth is a talented author of multiple bestselling (and absolutely delightful) mystery series, a busy mother of two, and a dedicated blogger who has offered online fellowship to the writing community for years. (Her Twitter feed is a marvel, and I encourage you all to follow her!) 

Elizabeth is also a beloved alumna of Mystery Lovers' Kitchen, and we're thrilled that she's returned for a visit. Take it away, Elizabeth! 

~ Cleo 




Thanks to Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen for hosting me on the blog today! It’s good to be back. 

One fun thing about being on the blog is that I get to fall into a rabbit hole by looking to see all the recent delicious recipes that have been posted lately.  I like to make sure no one posted one just like mine recently...and then, the next thing you know, I’ve spent over an hour on Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen and my Evernote recipe folder is filled to the brim! 

I thought I’d share my grandmother’s recipe for vegetable sandwich spread. If you’re from the South and you’re of a particular age, you’ll remember vegetable sandwiches. They’re crustless on platters at funerals, on trays at weddings and other special occasions, and may even be allowed at home with no event taking place at all (although, in my experience, that was sadly rare).

A food processor makes the chopping for this dish non-existent. Maybe everyone would have enjoyed this spread on a daily and casual basis with a food processor in their kitchen. 

I will admit that some traditional Southern recipes are a little formidable or may not really be suited to today’s more sophisticated palate. I grew up with a lot of tomato aspic. Desserts were frequently a sliced canned pear with a dab of mayonnaise and shredded cheese...and a cherry on top, if it was a fancy occasion. I’m not sharing those recipes with you today (you’re welcome, ha!)  Today’s recipe does have some plain Knox gelatin in it, but I’m sure the other ingredients will seem refreshingly normal. And you won’t taste the gelatin at all. 😊 

Not to start a debate in the comments, but I’m using Miracle Whip in the recipe instead of Hellmann’s or Duke’s. That’s only because that’s the way the recipe had it and I don’t want to be haunted by any of my Southern forebears. 
Also, if you’d prefer, you can use this veggie mixture as a dip.  

So here we are...

Southern Veggie Sandwiches

Ingredients: 

2 tomatoes, cut very fine
1 large bell pepper, seeded, cut very fine
1 large cucumber, cut very fine
1 medium onion, finely cut
2 envelopes of Knox gelatin
1 pt. Miracle Whip
3 T water
½ cup boiling water 

Directions: 

After chopping the vegetables, put them in a colander to drain a bit. Put a few tablespoons of cold water on the gelatin mix to soften it, about a minute. Then add ½ cup boiling water. When gelled, let cool and combine all ingredients. Put in fridge to cool and set. Spread thickly on bread. Sandwiches are better if spread hours before eating and then refrigerated. 

Here’s all you need to get started (minus the boiling water):

Drain your veggies to personal taste (I don’t mind a fairly juicy sandwich, but tastes vary!). If you’re making a dip, you may want it to drain less than if you have it in a sandwich. 

After putting the gelatin together, mix all in a large bowl and put in the fridge for a bit to set. 

You may end up with folks in the kitchen who don’t want to wait for the mixture to set. 

When you’re done, enjoy some yummy sandwiches. A dollop of potato salad goes well on the side.  

Enjoy!  And, I’m curious to know…what are some of your favorite family recipes? 

For more Southern life, cooking (and murder, of course), I hope you’ll take a chance on one of my books. I’m currently writing three series (The Myrtle Clover Mysteries, The Southern Quilting Mysteries, and The Village Library Mysteries) and am also the author (as Riley Adams) of the Memphis Barbeque Series. 

Elizabeth's Giveaway!

Today, I’m giving away a copy of the first book of my newest series, Checked Out. If you like libraries, cats, and murder, you’ve come to the right place. 😊

(Click the cover to learn more.)

Thanks again to Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen!

Elizabeth is the bestselling cozy mystery author of the Southern Quilting mysteries, the Myrtle Clover Cozy Mysteries, the Village Library Mysteries, and Memphis Barbeque mysteries for Penguin Random House, Midnight Ink, and independently.  

Find her at her website: elizabethspanncraig.com.  She lives in Matthews, North Carolina with her husband and is the mother of two. 

Thank you, Elizabeth!


Leave a comment on this post with
your email address and you'll be entered
to win the first book in Elizabeth's charming
Village Library Mysteries: Checked Out. 

This contest is now over.

Congrats to the winning comment,
selected by random number draw...

"CENTRAL EAST 2"



Those who entered answered
Elizabeth's question:

"What are some of your
favorite family recipes?"

Supper in a Flash: Ravioli Lasagna from Elizabeth Craig/Riley Adams + #Bookgiveaway!

I have long admired Elizabeth Craig. She's a talented author of multiple bestselling mystery series, a busy mother of two, and a dedicated blogger who has offered online fellowship to the writing community for years. (Her Twitter feed is a marvel.) 

Elizabeth is also a beloved alumna of Mystery Lovers' Kitchen, and we're delighted that she's here for a visit. Please join me in welcoming Elizabeth back to the Kitchen! 

~ Cleo 

Elizabeth S. Craig
(aka Riley Adams)

Hi everyone and Happy New Year! It’s good to be visiting at Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen today. As I’m visiting, I’m taking the opportunity to get some much-needed new ideas for suppertime in the Craig household.

2018 was a little crazy for me. I have a daughter who will be graduating from high school in a few months and last year was all about college visits and decision-making. There were also a lot of family visits, various events, a new book series for me, and a lot of other stuff going on. I seemed . . . I don’t know . . . distracted sometimes. And I just couldn’t figure out why.  I’ve pledged that 2019 will be less-distracting, but so far, it’s been just as hard to focus, somehow.

When I was selecting a recipe for today, I envisioned myself choosing one that was photogenic and something on the elaborate side. Then, after blinking at my recipe files on Evernote, I slowly realized, "I have been cooking fast and easy stuff.  Wow. I wonder why?"

With my attention completely shot, some of you might be wondering when I find the time to write (especially two books simultaneously, which I’ve been doing for a little while).  Maybe you have important things to do, too, and wonder how you can find the time to squeeze it in. It may not work for everyone, but I’ve found that getting up an hour before anyone else really helps. 

The key is: don’t check your email or social media! The second we do this is the moment our day belongs to someone else. Instead, I’ve tried to follow Mark Twain’s example: eat the frog first. 

Don’t worry—there are no frogs harmed in the Craig house at 5 a.m. (or any other time, yuck)! But I do tackle my most challenging task first thing in the day. Because otherwise, I somehow find myself getting derailed. 

Now for that recipe...

Quick and Easy Ravioli Lasagna 

(Not photogenic. But clean-your-plate tasty!!) 

Ingredients: 

A pound of lean ground beef

Garlic salt to taste

Pepper to taste

24 oz. spaghetti sauce

1.5 pounds of frozen cheese ravioli

6 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

¼ cup shredded Parmesan

(If you’re feeling fancy, garnish with basil or parsley, optional)

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

While oven is warming, cook meat (I’ve also used ground turkey and you could even use sausage) with pepper and garlic salt over medium-high heat. Drain. 

In an 8x8 dish, add a quarter of a cup of the spaghetti sauce to the bottom of the dish. Then add a third of the frozen ravioli, the ground beef, sauce, and mozzarella cheese.  Repeat the layers twice more.

Spray some aluminum foil and cover the dish and bake for an hour. Remove foil, add Parmesan on the top, and put back in the oven without the foil for another 10 minutes. 

Garnish with basil or parsley, if desired.  If garnish not desired, go back to whatever it was you were doing.  If you can remember what that was.

Thanks to Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen for hosting me today!  

Do you have any special challenges that knock you off track sometimes? Do you have easy recipes as fallbacks? What are your resolutions this year? Be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win a print or eBook copy of Elizabeth’s latest release in the Southern Quilting Mysteries!

About Elizabeth

Elizabeth is the author of the Southern Quilting mysteries, the Myrtle Clover Cozy Mysteries, the upcoming Village Library Mysteries, and Memphis Barbeque mysteries for Penguin Random House, Midnight Ink, and independently. She lives in Matthews, North Carolina with her husband and is the mother of two. More about her books here, including her upcoming Village Library series!

On Pins and Needles. 

Some new residents don’t deserve welcome baskets.

Small towns can be notoriously cliquey. Dappled Hills, however, wasn’t usually such a town. The residents ordinarily welcomed newcomers with open arms.  But when Annabelle Tremont moved to town, the usual cheery greetings became angry whispers. Annabelle could be difficult and it wasn’t a big surprise to anyone when she turned up dead.

Beatrice was surprised when Annabelle moved from Atlanta to Dappled Hills … but she wasn’t surprised when she made enemies. That’s because Beatrice knew Annabelle from her days as a museum curator. Now Beatrice must find the killer … and clear her own name.

Be sure to include an email address in your
comment to enter Elizabeth's giveaway.

This giveaway is now over. 

Congrats to the winner:

FAITH CREECH!


👇

Welcome Guest Elizabeth Craig/Riley Adams

Easy Spinach Bake

From Elizabeth S. Craig, aka Riley Adams

Hi everyone!  I’m so glad to be back at Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen.   

This is my favorite blog to visit…especially around the holidays!  I lurked over here on Halloween week and am now excited that Thanksgiving and Christmas treats are on the way.

If you’re like my family, we usually have one person as the hostess for the holiday, and then the rest of us bring sides or desserts or appetizers to complement the meal.

I’ll admit that I’m usually the broccoli, or green bean, or sweet potato casserole volunteer.  In fact, we don’t traditionally eat spinach at our holiday gatherings. 

But this is about to change, because I’ve got a new favorite recipe for spinach.  There are a few things I really like about the recipe, but the biggest is that it’s so incredibly easy.  Y’all know how much I like simple recipes, but this one really takes the cake. 

That’s because it uses frozen spinach.  That’s right—none of that defrosting the spinach and getting your hands all green as you try to squeeze the excess liquid out (that was never a fun task to put me in the holiday spirit!)

Also—I really want to eat more green leafy vegetables and have my kids to eat more of them, too.  This is an easy way to encourage them to eat spinach.  To lighten this up, I’ve used light sour cream and substituted a smooth/buttery olive oil for some/all of the margarine.

I liked this recipe so much that it’s included in my next Southern Quilting mystery!  Quilt Trip (written as Elizabeth Craig) launches December 3rd. 

Easy Spinach Bake

1 6- oz. package corn muffin mix

2 eggs, beaten

8 oz. sour cream

2 10--oz. packages of frozen chopped spinach

½ cup melted margarine

½ cup grated cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover a 9- by-13 casserole dish with cooking spray. Combine all the ingredients and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Now, this isn’t a gorgeous casserole, I’m afraid, but if you put it in a pretty container on your sideboard, I’m sure it’ll be dressed up nicely.

Hope everyone has a very Happy Thanksgiving this year!

Elizabeth

 

Find Elizabeth’s contact information on her website. 

Preorder Quilt Trip here.

 

Summertime = Food! (And Easy Peach Crescent Rolls)

Guest post by Riley Adams/Elizabeth S. Craig

Hi everybody! I’m excited to be back on Mystery Lovers Kitchen today.  I love reading everyone’s posts here because, for some reason, I get especially excited about food and eating in the summertime.  Maybe that’s because of all the cookouts and picnics at the swimming pool.  Maybe it’s just because of all the gorgeous produce that’s fresh and available on weekends at my local farmer’s market.  I just love heading to the farmer’s market and going through the corn, okra, beans…and the tomatoes are starting to look really yummy here, too.

And the peaches!  We love peaches in our house.  They’re sweetly perfect for snacking…we just have to remember our napkins, since they’re always so juicy this time of year!

I’ve got a new Memphis Barbeque mystery, Rubbed Out, that’s releasing on July 2—Lulu is back for some more sleuthing…and cooking. This time she runs into trouble at a Memphis barbeque festival. The book has a little bit of everything—a puzzling death, music, Elvis costumes…and food!

I thought about sharing a barbeque recipe with y’all today, but then thought I might share something a little lighter.  I’d found a great recipe online for apple crescent rolls...and I do really like apples.  But peaches are more in season right now and I’ve been craving them—so I switched it around a little.

It’s so easy to change the recipe and put in your favorite fruit.  Lots of different possibilities…apples, bananas, berries…whatever is in season!

Peach Crescent Rolls

Ingredients:

2 Peaches, peeled and quartered

1 can of crescent rolls, divided into triangles

1 cup sugar

1 cup butter

1 cup water

Cinnamon to taste (I like a tablespoon)

Greased baking dish

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sprinkle cinnamon on the inside of each doughy triangle.

Wrap triangles around each peach quarter and put in prepared dish.

Boil sugar, water, and butter together, stirring occasionally.

Pour mixture over the crescent rolls.  Sprinkle top with more cinnamon and/or sugar, if desired.

Cook in preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Hope you’ll enjoy them! I know we do.  
Enjoy your summer...and Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!  We're going to be having some more peach crescent rolls as a sweet treat for my husband today. :)

Riley’s latest book is Rubbed Out: book four of the Memphis Barbeque mysteries, releasing July 2. Her next book, Quilt Trip (written as Elizabeth Craig) releases December 2013.  Elizabeth writes the Memphis Barbeque series for Penguin/Berkley (as Riley Adams), the Southern Quilting mysteries for Penguin/NAL, and the Myrtle Clover series for Midnight Ink and independently. Find out more about her books on her website: http://elizabethspanncraig.com .

Chutney Chicken-- Guest Post by Riley Adams/Elizabeth Craig

by Riley Adams/Elizabeth Craig

Hi everyone!  It’s great to be back at Mystery Lovers' Kitchen to visit and say hi.  Actually, I’m here pretty frequently, lurking for recipes!  There are always some wonderful recipes here. 

I’ve got something a little different today, but it’s just so easy and so easy to modify, that I wanted to share it with you today. 

I’ve got a character in my Southern Quilting Mysteries who is not really the best of cooks.  Beatrice, my protagonist, is widowed with an adult daughter and lived by herself for years.  She’d decided that cooking for one wasn’t much fun, and fell out of the habit.  Luckily for Beatrice, she moved to Dappled Hills to be near her daughter—and happens to live next door to an amazing cook named Meadow.  Meadow is very fond of sharing goodies from her kitchen—the best kind of neighbor there is!

Today, though, I’ve got a recipe that even Beatrice would find a cinch to make.   The recipe uses chutney—an ingredient I love to use.  And, actually, it’s an ingredient I love to say.  Chutney! It sounds very exotic. :)

First of all, I’ll share the recipe for the one that I did, the one that’s pictured above.  (And y’all know I’ve never been in the running to win any awards for epicurean photography—I promise it tastes better than it looks!)

Chutney Chicken

1 chicken fryer (or a comparable number of chicken breasts)
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup regular mustard
2/3 cup apple-cranberry chutney (or peach chutney, or whatever-suits-your-fancy chutney)
½ cup chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and place in a shallow casserole dish.

Mix all the other ingredients and cover the chicken with them.

Bake at 350, uncovered, for an hour and fifteen minutes.

Ideas for Modifying the recipe:

Sometimes local grocery stores don’t have the best selection, so here’s an easy go-around.  You can use a small can (8 oz.) of crushed pineapple and a regular jar of chutney (no special variety, just run-of-the mill.)  You get the same fruity taste, but without having to get a premium jar of chutney.

Hope you’ll enjoy it! And Happy New Year to everyone (even though we’re getting close to the end of the month! Where does the time fly?) 

Elizabeth’s latest book is Quilt or Innocence and her next book, Knot What it Seams releases February 5. Elizabeth writes the Memphis Barbeque series for Penguin/Berkley (as Riley Adams), the Southern Quilting mysteries for Penguin/NAL, and the Myrtle Clover series for Midnight Ink and independently.  Twitter: @elizabethscraig

Shrimp Francesca

by Riley Adams/Elizabeth Craig

I'm so excited to be back on the Mystery Lovers' Kitchen today! Hope everyone is having a happy June so far.

Here we are, heading into summer, and I thought I'd share one of my favorite things about summer--shrimp. This is the time of year when my family escapes to the beach to find fresh seafood and fun.

One of my new favorite recipes features two of my favorite foods--shrimp and artichoke. And the nicest thing about this recipe is how easy it is and quick to cook. If it's summer, the last thing you want to do is spend a lot of time in the kitchen! I'd rather spend time under the porch fan, reading.

I've got a new series--the Southern Quilting mysteries, written under my name (Elizabeth Craig). The first book, Quilt or Innocence, released on June 5th. But this protagonist, unlike Lulu in the Memphis Barbeque series, isn't much of a cook. Beatrice has lived by herself for a while and has sort of fallen out of the habit of cooking, since cooking isn't as much fun for one person. She's just moved to the same town as her daughter, though, and is trying to get back into the kitchen again. This is a recipe that I think even Beatrice could handle!

This recipe is adapted from contributor milonek's recipe on Allrecipes. You might even want to double it....not that it doesn't make enough, but because you'll want to eat the whole thing, yourself! You can serve it over angel hair pasta or brown rice. The tastes just meld together beautifully.

Shrimp Francesca
1 ½ lbs uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 can artichokes in water
½ cup butter
¼ cup white wine
1 T minced garlic
Half a lemon, juiced
1/2 cup Panko
1 T fresh parsley
¼ cup shredded Parmesan


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish. Arrange shrimp on the bottom of the dish. Squeeze water out of the artichokes and cut artichoke into pieces. Arrange the artichoke between the shrimp.

Sauté the garlic in butter and wine. Mix Panko and parsley together, then sprinkle over the shrimp. Drizzle the lemon juice over all, then drizzle with the butter and wine mixture. Top with the Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees until the shrimp is opaque, about 15 minutes.

Hope you'll enjoy it! Are you a shrimp lover like I am? What's your favorite summer food?

Riley/Elizabeth
Quilt or Innocence, now on the shelves. :)

A Southern Quilting Mystery series is set in the small mountain village of Dappled Hills, North Carolina, where Beatrice Coleman—a retired art museum curator—becomes a gifted amateur sleuth.
 
As the newest member of the Village Quilters Guild, Beatrice has a lot of gossip to catch up on—especially with the Patchwork Cottage quilt shop about to close. It seems that Judith, the landlord everyone loves to hate, wants to raise the rent, despite being a quilter herself...

But when Judith is found dead, the harmless gossip becomes an intricate patchwork of mischievous motives. And it’s up to Beatrice’s expert eye to decipher the pattern and catch the killer, before her life gets sewn up for good.