Friday, January 20, 2023

SAVORY SAUSAGE SOUP AND A GREAT READ FROM AUTHOR SHARON LEDWITH

 

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 TwitterGoodreads, 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!

Tuesday, January 17, 2023

HOME FOR OUR BOOKS

 

If you don’t have the heart to donate books to the local public library like I do, or drop them off at a thrift store, or sell them at a garage sale, author-duo CD Hersh has an idea for you. It’s all spelled out in the directions below: -Linda Lee Greene Author/Artist

 

HOME FOR OUR BOOKS

 

From CD Hersh

It started like this:

                                                                               


and ended like this:

                                                                                    


 

Are you wondering what you’re looking at?

It’s paperback stud cubby bookshelves, made by Donald, the carpenter-handy half of C.D. Hersh, to store Catherine’s romance novels and other paperback book collections, which were layered two deep in her office shelves. They now adorn the ‘library’ section of our basement family room.

Wall studs are the perfect depth for holding 4-inch wide mass market paperbacks. Donald installed an adjustable shelving system on the sides of the studs by dadoing a recess so the metal shelving system was even with the wooden studs. Then he cut the shelves to fit, nailed trim around the openings, painted and stained the surrounding wood and … instant bookshelves! Well, maybe not instant, but certainly a clever storage method.

If you don’t have any bare studs in your house you can still create these fantastic book cubbies by removing a section of drywall and installing the shelving systems between the studs. (Donald note: Use interior wall not extirior or you loose insilation.) The shelving system can also be attached to the stud without recessing it. You’ll lose a couple of inches in storage, but won’t have to mess with power tools. Find your studs with a studfinder tool, make sure the space you’ve chosen is hollow, and be careful when you cut the drywall to insure you don’t hit any hidden wiring or pipes. Adding trim around the opening makes for a neater looking opening.

We’ve had these clever bookshelves in several of the homes we’ve lived in. They’re handy for books and other small items you want to display. Put a door on the surface and you’ve got some covered storage. We happen to like our book cubbies open; it’s easier to read the titles and adds color to the wall. Not only are they handy, but they make a great conversation piece when your guests visit. But watch out … with all your books visible you may become their favorite lending library!

There are quite a few empty stud cubby shelves downstairs since Donald created two whole walls using this creative storage idea. I guess that means a few more trips to the bookstore! Yeah!

What clever ideas do you have to create bookshelves in your home or office?

Now kick back, relax and pick up a good book to read. You might even try one of ours that you can find over on our book page, under the menu at the top of the page or on our Amazon Author Page.

 

C.D. Hersh–Two hearts creating everlasting love stories: 

 


Putting words and stories on paper is second nature to co-authors C.D. Hersh. They’ve written separately since they were teenagers and discovered their unique, collaborative abilities in the mid-90s. As high school sweethearts and husband and wife, Catherine and Donald believe in true love and happily ever after. They have a short Christmas story, Kissing Santa, in a Christmas anthology titled Sizzle in the Snow: Soul Mate Christmas Collection, with seven other authors. Plus their paranormal series titled The Turning Stone Chronicles



 They look forward to many years of co-authoring and book sales, and a lifetime of happily-ever-after endings on the page and in real life. 

 

Social Media Info:

Website

Soul Mate Publishing

Facebook

Amazon Author Page

Twitter

Sunday, January 15, 2023

EVERY DOOR OUT IS A DOOR IN

 

The following is my little make-believe story, which is a metaphor for the virtue of keeping a clean house and mind and heart and soul:

 

EVERY DOOR OUT IS A DOOR IN


 

Greta arrived home one day to the awful discovery that her house had been vandalized. The thieves, in fact, kicked the back door in—clear of its lock and hinges. They stole some of Greta’s favorite things, and while she regretted the loss of her possessions and her sense of personal safety, the most potent result was a feeling of having been violated—an eerie feeling of someone having rifled through her personal life and poked around in her soul without permission.

Friends, relatives, celebrities, you name it, are cut down by the Grim Reaper at an alarming rate, and each of them is nearly always of an age that Greta is tiptoeing around so as not to excite the interest of that courier of death. Greta figures one way to escape the Reaper’s notice, or at least the swing of his lethal scythe, is to shrink down in size as much as possible. Nature is lending a hand. Greta’s last checkup revealed that she is a full 2-1/2 inches shorter in height than before. The culprit is diminishing discs of her spine. And while she’s rapidly qualifying for a cameo on the little people’s show, her house is still way too easy for the Reaper to pull up on his GPS. It’s time to downsize and tidy-up, big time.

While Greta’s vertebral discs are doing their part in her vanishing act, her head is another matter. It craves minimalism as well, and not just to trip-up death or make way for a spiritual life, but as a defense against a different type of doomsday scenario. The thought of people rummaging through the leftovers of her and her life after she’s gone gives Greta the same kind of creeps she felt after her house was burgled. “Who cares? You’ll be dead!” Greta hears voiced from the peanut gallery. Dead or alive, no matter, Greta does care. She has done all her end of life paperwork for the obvious reasons, and she also wants to protect her image. She wants her digs and her record to be clear and clean. She wants to leave nothing incriminating behind. She wants to take her dirt to the grave with her.

            Greta has had her heart broken while undertaking the responsibility of sorting through the “stuff” left behind by departed loved-ones. Among the “stuff” were papers and other articles that should never have seen the light of day. Greta doesn’t want to put her kids through that if she can avoid it. Maya Angelou said that we need much less than we think we need. Holding on to needless “stuff” feels to Greta like she would be leaving grist to grind in any busybody’s mill, and if that were to come about, there would be nobody to blame but herself. Greta is fortunate in that her special people love and support her despite her known mishaps and misdeeds. As for her secret transgressions—well, they are nobody’s business but Greta’s and her forgiving God’s—and Greta’s God needs no documentation of them whatsoever.

Time passed and the new and better back door to the house installed, Greta invited people in to help her celebrate the restoration of her feelings of security. Greta cooked up a big pot of soup for the occasion. As she and her guests ate, Greta thought to herself, “Good soup! Good friends! It’s almost heaven again.” But in the back of her mind is imbedded the neon reality that every door out is a door in.© –Linda Lee Greene

 

 

BEEFY CELERY, CARROT, AND ONION SOUP

 


1 lb lean ground beef browned on stove top. When fully cooked, place in colander over a disposable container and drain meat of the fat/grease

½ bunch celery, washed thoroughly, trimmed of stringy tops with potato peeler, and then cut into bite-size pieces

1-1/2 cups shredded carrots or whole carrots cut into bite-sized pieces or whole baby carrots

1 large onion cut into bite-sized pieces

2 tbsp minced garlic

1 envelope dry onion soup/dip mix

Several generous shakes (to preferred taste) each of dried thyme, dried parsley flakes, dried chopped chives, dried coriander, dried turmeric, or fresh of the recommended herbs if on hand

4 generous shakes Emeril Lagasse’s Original Essence

4 generous shakes Calde de Tomate (tomato bouillon)

Add pink Himalayan salt and black pepper to preferred taste

Place all ingredients in Crock Pot or equivalent slow-cooker, add 32 oz low-sodium vegetable broth or stock. Turn heat setting to high. Cook for at least 4 hours or until vegetables are tender, and then scarf it down…

 

***          

Linda Lee Greene’s award-winning novel

 

CRADLE OF THE SERPENT


 

Cradled in the security of her twenty-year marriage, archaeologist Lily Light bids Jacob, her professional partner and husband, farewell as he quits their work together and embarks on a long-term study of ancient cultures in the Southwest United States. Over time, Lily grows alarmed by changes she sees in Jacob during his weekend returns to their Ohio home. What is he hiding? Is there someone else?

Colossal troubles in this big marriage play out against the vast landscapes of Ohio’s Great Serpent Mound, Arizona’s Navajo Nation, and Arizona’s northern city of Flagstaff…an “enthralling” blend of contemporary romance, suspense, historical fiction, and riveting sequences of time-traveling.

 

“5 Stars…A woman’s search for the truth behind her husband’s infidelity unearths dark secrets and monstrous circumstances, chilling exposures that in the end illuminate her path to a new and better life…told from varying viewpoints in varying states of existence and so becomes quite unique and utterly fascinating."

 

Purchase Link: goo.gl/i3UkAV

 

 

#MayaAngelou, #declutttering, #downsizing, #minimalism #EndOfLife, #QualityOfLife, #legacy, #CradleOfTheSerpent, #AnImperfectLove, #LindaLeeGreene

 

Friday, January 13, 2023

WINTER WARM UP

 

I was born on a steamy and sticky Friday the 13th eons ago. I cannot imagine hot soup perking away on the stove and English Muffins right out of the oven were on the menu that day. But on this cold and damp Friday the 13th, the combo is just right. My author friend, Helen Carpenter has whipped up fabulous recipes for them, which I am happy to feature on my blog today. –Linda Lee Greene Author/Artist

WINTER WARM UP

 

                                                   by Helen Carpenter

Some like it hot, some like it cold, some like it in a pot nine days old. Remember the Mother Goose “pease porridge” rhyme? While today we may think of porridge as cereal, in the sixteenth century, “porridge” was a derivation of “pottage” or “potage” meaning cooking pot. “Chowder” also comes from the word pot, via the French “cauldron.”

However you like your soup—hot, cold, or nine days old—combining savory ingredients in a pot and letting the flavors mingle is a time-tested menu favorite.

But what if you want your soup NOW? Well, you’re our kind of person, and we have just the recipe for you. Using already cooked ingredients makes this soup a quick lunch, ready in twenty minutes or less.




Corny Ham Chowder

 

1 cup milk
1 can cream style sweet corn
1½ cups cooked ham, cut into chunks
1½ cups cooked potatoes, drained and cut into chunks (canned works too)
1 tsp. onion powder
1 cup (4 oz) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Green onion or scallion slivers (optional)
Salt or chicken bouillon to taste

Mix milk, corn, ham, and potatoes in medium pot. Cook, be sure to stir occasionally until heated through.

Add cheese. Cover pot and let cheese melt completely.

Serve with a chunk of hearty bread.


Bonus Goodness:


Crave added richness? Substitute ½ cup of cream for ½ of the milk.

Are you a vegetable fan? Toss in the veggie of your choice, either frozen or fresh. We like frozen carrots for the added color—and the nutrition too of course.

No ham? Smoked sausage is a nice substitute.

Bland potatoes? Mix in sweet pickle juice. A teaspoon gives the soup zing.

Need more soup? Add more stuff. The converse works too.

Fighting off vampires? Switch out the regular salt for a teaspoon of garlic salt. If you have a bad infestation, add ½ teaspoon crushed garlic to the soup and serve with a wood spoon.

 

Helen Carpenter shares six and a half tips in a recipe for making

 

Perfect English Muffins



 You don’t have to be British to enjoy hand-made English muffins. This recipe is an easy menu addition for Sunday morning brunch or a special breakfast. English muffins are a snap to prepare, require only an hour to rise, cook quickly on a griddle or frying pan (no heating the oven!) and taste great, either plain or with butter, jam, or your favorite topping. An added bonus is the delicious, yeasty scent of fresh bread that fills the kitchen.

 

Here are tips to help you make perfect muffins:


1. While the yeast is dissolving, fill a 13” x 9” pan with hot water and place it in your unheated oven. Muffins rise best in a warm, humid environment.

2. If your recipe calls for honey, spritz your measuring spoon with cooking spray. The honey will slide right off the spoon.

3. Instead of using a rolling pin and cookie cutter to form your muffins, divide the dough into even parts. Then press out the dough pieces in your hamburger patty mold. You’ll get just-the-right-size, perfectly round muffins.

4. Once your muffins have risen, hand-transfer them to the heated griddle. They’ll keep their shape better than if you try to slip a spatula beneath them.

(Bonus tip: Prefer using a spatula? Dip the edge in cornmeal so it slides easily under the muffins.)

5. To test for doneness, lightly tap the top of the muffins with your fingertip. A hollow sound means your muffins are cooked.

6. When you’re ready to toast, split the muffins with a fork instead of a knife. Your toppings will fill the resulting nooks and crannies.

And here’s the perfect recipe for Perfect English muffins.

What you’ll need:


2-3 quart bowl
Standard-size cookie sheet
Griddle or frying pan
1 package yeast
1 cup warm water
3 cups flour (all-purpose or whole wheat)
3/4 cup shortening
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
Cornmeal

 

Dissolve yeast in bowl in warm water for five minutes. While yeast is dissolving, sprinkle cookie sheet with a light coating of cornmeal.

Add flour, shortening, honey and salt to yeast-and-water-mixture to form dough.
Coat dough with flour; knead until elastic.

Divide dough into 12 equal balls. Use a hamburger patty mold or the flat end of a glass dipped in flour or sprayed with cooking spray to flatten each ball into a 3-inch circle. Put the muffins on the cookie sheet as you form them.

Cover the cookie sheet and let the muffins rise for an hour.
Heat the griddle or frying pan to 375 degrees (no oil necessary).

Cook the muffins, turning once, until golden brown on both sides.

Split with a fork, toast, and enjoy with your favorite topping.


Once upon a time there was a mother/daughter author duo named Helen and Lorri, who wrote as HL Carpenter. The Carpenters worked from their studios in Carpenter Country, a magical place that, like their stories, was unreal but not untrue. Then one day Lorri left her studio to explore the land of What-if, and like others who have lost a loved one the magical place lost much of its magic. But thanks to family, plus an amazing group of wordsmiths named Authors Moving Forward (AMF), the magic is slowly returning.

 


Helen Carpenter loves liking and sharing blog posts from other authors. She lives in Florida with her husband of many years and appreciates every day, especially those without hurricanes.

Stay connected on her blog and Facebook.

 

Labels: clam chowdercornham, soup, English Muffins, Helen Carpenter, What's Cooking Wednesday

Sunday, January 8, 2023

TWO APPLES A DAY KEEP THE DOCTOR AWAY


 

From Linda Lee Greene Author/Artist

 

Bottom of Form

Raw, stewed or sauced apples are rich in soluble fiber and act as a prebiotic, which feeds and multiplies the beneficial bacteria in the gut, thereby reducing inflammation. Inflammation is the main culprit in gut ailments such as IBS, IBD, bloating, pain and constipation. Apple consumption also increases the absorption of minerals like calcium, increases immune system tolerance, helps control appetite and balances blood sugar and cholesterol.

 

Apples contain polyphenols (micronutrients) found in plants, fruit, vegetables, tea, coffee and wine. It’s a good idea to eat the skins and core (remove seeds and their hard casings) of raw and cooked apples, because the skins and core contain more polyphenols, dietary fiber and minerals than the fleshy part of the fruit. One apple typically has about 100 million bacteria cells, and if you don't eat the core, you only get about 10 million bacteria cells. One study showed that organic apples had better bacteria than conventional apples, and eating two apples a day instead of only one is better at keeping the doctor away.

 

Anyone educated about the harm that man-refined sugar reaps on the human body recognizes the truth behind William Dufty’s assertion that it is a “‘human pesticide,’ ‘white poison,’…and is more lethal than opium and more dangerous than atomic fallout.”[1]  My applesauce recipe contains no sugar or sweetener of any kind, and the finished product is delightfully sweet all on its own.

HOMEMADE SUGAR-FREE APPLESAUCE

APPLES IN CROCK POT


Ingredients

  • 16 unpeeled, whole and baked apples (preferably organic), chilled in fridge or thawed from freezer
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons lemon juice or apple cider vinegar (more or less to taste); and 3 drops of a lemon essential oil
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
  • A few dashes each of ground cinnamon and ginger
  • 3/4 cup water (preferably filtered)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons salted butter (it gives a yummy, creamy consistency to the applesauce)
  • 4 ounces natural cranberry juice

                                                                

HOMEMADE SUGAR-FREE APPLESAUCE

Method

  1. Cut whole unpeeled baked apples with cores intact into quarters. Remove the seeds and seed casings. Place in Crock Pot or equivalent appliance with water, lemon juice or vinegar and lemon essential oil, vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger, butter, cranberry juice and salt. The acid in the lemon juice or vinegar and lemon essential oil brightens the flavor and balances the natural sweetness of the apples.
  2. Cook on high until mixture is mushy (about an hour).
  3. Puree the cooked apples with a potato masher or hand mixer or standing blender. (If using a standing blender, do only half the batch at a time, and do not fill the blender bowl more than halfway).

If the finished applesauce is not sweet enough, add stevia sugar substitute to taste. If too sweet, add more lemon juice or vinegar or lemon essential oil. However, if this recipe is followed faithfully, the level of sweetness should be just right.

  1. This applesauce is delicious either warm or chilled. It pairs well with pork or other savory dishes. It’s wonderful with cottage cheese, vanilla ice cream or yogurt, and scrambled eggs or omelets.

This is a good recipe for canning. It freezes well and will last at least a year in a freezer. If freezing, make sure to allow enough headroom (at least an inch) in the container for expansion. It will keep well in the fridge for one to two weeks.

***

                                                                                         


Multi-award-winning author, Linda Lee Greene’s GARDEN OF THE SPIRITS OF THE POTS: A Spiritual Odyssey is a novella in which a mysterious encounter with an eccentric Aboriginal potter and a kangaroo in Australia’s outback sets the stage for ex-pat American Nicholas Plato’s journey into parts unknown both within himself and his adopted home.  https://www.amazon.com/GARDEN-SPIRITS-POTS-SPIRITUAL-ODYSSEY-ebook/dp/B09JM7YL6F/

 

#apples, #applesauce, #sugar-free, #recipes, #polyphenols, #micronutrients, #CrockPot, #Slow-Cookers, #WilliamDufty, #SugarBlues, GardenOfTheSpiritsOfThePots, #LindaLeeGreene



[1] SUGAR BLUES, William Dufty, 1975, p, 22 & 25