January’s Choice
From time travel author Sharon Ledwith
This is a fantastic soup to serve to
your crew and freezes well. Salad, hard rolls, and wine (red or white) complete
this meal! You can make it 24 hours ahead of time without the noodles and wait
to add noodles when you reheat the soup to serve.
Savory Sausage Soup
1½ pounds sweet Italian sausage*
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 small onions, chopped
2 (16 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
1¼ cup dry red wine
5 cups beef broth
½ tsp. dried basil
½ tsp. dried oregano
2 zucchinis, sliced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 (16 ounce) package spinach fettuccine pasta (or plain, whatever your heart
desires)
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large pot, cook sausage over
medium heat until brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Drain fat from pan, reserving 3 tablespoons. If desired, instead of ground
sausage, cut sausages in thin slices.
Sauté garlic and onion in reserved fat
for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, wine, broth, basil, and oregano. Transfer
to a slow cooker, and stir in sausage, zucchini, bell pepper, and parsley.
Cover, and cook on low for 4 to 6
hours.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted
water to a boil. Break pasta into smaller pieces and drop into boiling water.
Cook until al dente, about 7 minutes after the water returns to the boil. Drain
water and add pasta to slow cooker. Simmer for a few minutes, and season with
salt and pepper before serving.
Serve topped with grated parmesan.
* Use ground sausage or links you’ve
broken into bits or sliced thin.
This recipe can also be made on your
stovetop. Follow the directions, but instead of the slow cooker, combine all
your ingredients in your original pot. Simmer partially covered for 1 hour.
Give yourself a well-deserved break
while your soup simmers. Sit back, prop up your feet, and open a book you’ve
been meaning to read. Why not pick up one of The Last Timekeepers adventures,
and peruse the latest mission with Treena and her time traveling cohorts?
Only a true hero can shine the light in
humanity’s darkest time.
Fourteen-year-old Jordan Jensen always
considered himself a team player on and off the field, until the second
Timekeeper mission lands him in Amsterdam during World War Two. Pulled into the
world of espionage, torture, and intolerance, Jordan and the rest of the
Timekeepers have no choice but to stay one step ahead of the Nazis in order to
find and protect a mysterious book.
With the help of the Dutch Resistance,
an eccentric baron, Nordic runes, and an ancient volume originating from
Atlantis, Jordan must learn that it takes true teamwork, trust, and sacrifice
to keep time safe from the evils of fascism. Can Jordan find the hero within to
conquer the darkness surrounding the Timekeepers? If he doesn’t, then the
terrible truth of what the Nazis did will never see the light of day.
Excerpt
“I wonder what else is down here.”
Drake beamed his cell phone across the basement, hitting jars of jams, pickles,
and relishes. His stomach growled.
Jordan pulled the cheese from his
pocket and handed it to Drake. “Trade you for your phone.”
“Best. Trade. Ever.” Drake passed his
phone to Jordan.
Jordan walked over and grabbed a jar of
pickles off the dusty shelf. At least they wouldn’t arrive at the baron’s place
hungry. He hoped his uncle had managed to stop Amanda’s bleeding. His hand
tightened over the jar, the ridges of the lid cutting into his palm. A scrape
from behind the shelves made Jordan jump.
“Hello?” he asked, pushing jars aside.
He flashed the cell phone into the small, dark area.
“Who ya talking to, Jordan?” Drake
asked with his mouth full of cheese.
“Shhh, Drake.” Jordan listened. Hearing
nothing, he shrugged and turned back around.
“I thought I heard—” Jordan stopped and
pointed the phone at Ravi. His jaw dropped. “A-Are you serious, Sharma?”
Drake spat out his cheese, snorting
with laughter.
“Is there a problem?” Ravi asked, tying
the bowtie of his tuxedo.
“You look like a penguin with
attitude!” Drake slapped his knee.
“Say what you want, but I’m glad we
didn’t hit the cleaners on the way to school now,” Ravi replied, pulling down
his sleeves, “or else I wouldn’t have these dry clothes.”
Jordan chuckled. Suddenly, he heard a
door creak open, followed by heavy footsteps squeaking down the stairs. Panicking,
Jordan stuffed Drake’s phone in his track suit jacket’s pocket and waved Drake
over by the shelves. Drake slipped behind Jordan just in time, before the small
light bulb above the bottom of the stairs clicked on. Jordan swallowed hard.
There, staring directly at Ravi was a portly man in a blood-stained apron.
Tufts of blond hair sprouted from the sides of his balding head. His brown
trousers were pulled up past his waist, making him resemble an evil garden
gnome. In one of his hands, he held a huge butcher knife, its blade flecked
with blood.
Wielding the knife, the man pointed at
Ravi. “Who are you?”
Ravi licked his thick lips nervously.
“The name’s Bond. James Bond.”
Buy Now
Mirror World Publishing:
Paperback | eBook
Amazon:
Paperback | eBook
Sharon Ledwith is the author of the
middle-grade/YA time travel series, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS, and the teen psychic
mystery series, MYSTERIOUS TALES FROM FAIRY FALLS. When not writing,
researching, or revising, she enjoys reading, exercising, anything arcane, and
an occasional dram of scotch. Sharon lives a serene, yet busy life in a
southern tourist region of Ontario, Canada, with her hubby, one spoiled yellow
Labrador and a moody calico cat.
Learn more about Sharon Ledwith on
her website and blog. Stay connected
on Facebook and Twitter, Goodreads, and Smashwords. Look up her Amazon Author page for a list of
current books. Be sure to check out THE
LAST TIMEKEEPERS TIME TRAVEL SERIES Facebook page.
May you enjoy all the days of your life
filled with laughter and seated around a well laden table!
