Tag Archives: food

Kelly Jensen: Bunkhouse Chili Recipe & Giveaway

Kelly’s back! She’s got an awesome chili recipe you can either eat right away or age for primo flavor the next day. (And y’all, I just love  the kind of dishes that get better overnight.) She’s also got a peek at her new release – a fun paranormal, Best in Show, (on my e-reader, now!) AND she’s giving stuff away (scroll down!).  Now, aren’t you glad you stopped by?


 

Bunkhouse Chili Recipe by Kelli JensenKELLY: Sleep On It!

Sleeping on it is practical advice for big decisions. Sometimes we need a little distance before we commit. This is something Julian Wilkes understands very well—he’s a methodical man. As a mystery writer, he’s used to plotting, cataloguing facts and considering everything before committing. He orders his days by moving from one comfort zone to another. He plans his meals a week in advance and spends a day cooking. Adopting a pet will disrupt his ordered life, but Julian is above all else a people pleaser, so if his sister thinks he needs a pet, then he will get a pet.

Enter Macavity Birch, Julian’s opposite. Mac is impulsive, disorganised and directionless. He never sleeps on it. Why, when opportunity is right there? While his reckless nature often lands him in trouble, Mac has a sweet and generous heart, however. His pranks aren’t ill-intentioned. More, he’s simply looking for his place in the world, for his thing. For something he cares about more than the fun of day to day.

When he is adopted by Julian (who thinks Mac as a cat is just a rather large, but ordinary ginger tabby), Mac feels an instant affinity with the mystery writer. They seem to have nothing in common, but Mac can see that Julian is a Nice Guy, and…that appeals. Really, really appeals. Mac finds he enjoys being cared for, and in return, he enjoys returning that care. He also really enjoys Julian’s cooking, in particular, Julian’s chili.

Here’s Julian’s recipe, which comes from my own personal collection! Like most stews and casseroles, this is one you’ll want to sleep on. It’s delicious the day you make it, especially if you make it in the morning and let it sit on the stove all day. Just heat it through before serving. Or make it the day before so that the flavours have all night to mingle.

 

Bunkhouse Chili

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The Improvisational Cook : Recipe, Giveaway, and a Free Cookbook for the Asking

Yay, fish! I can’t believe this is my first Friday fish dish! Lisabet Sarai is here with a great snapper dish plus a FREE cookbook – all you have to do is comment to get your copy.  In addition, one random commenter will score a copy of The Ingredients of Bliss  – make sure to leave a comment y’all!


 

Grilled Snapper Recipe by Lisabet SaraiLisabet:

I’ve been cooking since I was seven or eight. (I’m in my sixties now.) I still love the sense of creativity I get in the kitchen. However, I’ve never been the sort to follow recipes, at least not verbatim. I’ll browse my cookbooks looking for ideas, but then I generally embellish the recipes I find based on my own instincts. For day-to-day meal preparation, I have a core set of ingredients and seasonings always on hand, but I rarely plan the details ahead of time. Instead, I improvise.

The advantages of this approach? My meals are never boring, because I never make a dish exactly the same twice in a row. The downside? Occasionally my experiments fall flat, and once in a great while, they fail spectacularly. (I will never forget the stuffed peppers that exploded on top of the stove…!)

My indulgent husband accepts the pros and cons of my improvisational approach. Actually, he enjoys cooking as well (though not as a routine activity).  More than half our cookbook collection originally belonged to him.

Anyway, here’s a quick, healthy dinner dish with plenty of flavor, that I more or less invented. DH says it doesn’t really  taste Mexican,  but hey, it’s my recipe, I can call it whatever I want.

Grilled Snapper a la Mexicana

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Lauren Linwood: A Sweet Summer Treat

The Texas weather has been so fickle lately, but summer is finally here! Summer to me means fruit, and Lauren Linwood is here with a terrific blueberry pie to share with family over the long Memorial Day weekend. Don’t forget to check out the giveaway at the bottom of the page!


Lauren Linwood's Blueberry PieLauren:

When warm weather hits in Texas, I simply must have fresh blueberries—in my morning Greek yogurt, topping off homemade vanilla ice cream, and especially in a pie or tart. I love the mix of sweetness with tartness together, especially if the pie crust has a hint of cinnamon in it.

In my medieval historical romance A Bit of Heaven on Earth, King Edward III calls upon widowed Elizabeth of Kentwood. She knows the mercurial king has a fondness for tarts, so she has two of his favorites—pear & plum—prepared for his visit. Edward wouldn’t have had an opportunity to taste a blueberry tart from the Kentwood kitchens. They were only known to the Western Hemisphere at that time. He didn’t know what he was missing!

Here’s a simple recipe for a blueberry pie from my friend Mel. How do I know it’s simple? Because I’ve made it! When my engaged daughter got a pie dish at a bridal shower last month, she wanted to give it a spin. What better recipe than this one? Her first effort was so successful, we begged her to bring it again next time we had a family dinner. Hope you’ll test this easy-peasy dessert recipe—and give A Bit of Heaven on Earth a try! Continue reading

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