Category: Duxbridge mysteries

Holiday Desserts: Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

 

The recipe can be found here. 

I wasn’t in the mood to chop cranberries or drag the food processor out, so I left them whole. I think I prefer it that way.

Also, I bought a bag of White Lily Unbleached Self Rising Flour, 5-lb bag a while ago to use in biscuits (reasons why and recipe here) and decided since this is basically a biscuit cake, I’d try it this time around for this recipe. It was a game changer. Especially at altitude, it’s so difficult not to end up having a heavy (yet yummy) cake like this.

It’s probably not a necessity at sea level, but up here, it was worth the expense (and yes, it is expensive to order a bag of flour, LOL).  The flour makes authentic southern biscuits that I can’t replicate with regular unbleached flours (even King Arthur).  I should probably do a post on how using the White Lily flour came to my attention. That’s for another day when my kitchen doesn’t look like it qualifies for FEMA assistance and the dogs need walks.

This recipe is for sure going to end up in either the Halloween or Christmas Duxbridge Mysteries Novellas.

until then…

It’s Snowing So Time For Soup

This year for my Dad’s Christmas present, I’m including a dozen+ frozen dinners. Chili, beef stew, pot roast, and tonight’s installment:

Pasta e Fagioli Soup

  • 1 lb ground beef*
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp basil
  • ¼ tsp thyme
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 8 oz carrots, sliced
  • 3 stalks celery, chopped
  • 2 tsp crushed garlic
  • 2-14 oz cans diced tomatoes or tomato puree
  • 15 oz can red kidney beans
  • 15 oz can white northern beans
  • 16 oz chicken broth*
  • 1 tbsp white vinegar
  • ¼ to ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 small bay leaf (remove before serving)
  • 8 oz ditali or small shell pasta

large saucepan or dutch oven

In saucepan, brown beef, add spices and mix in well with meat, add onion, carrots, celery and garlic, and sauté 3-5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients (except pasta) and let simmer 30 minutes on a medium, stirring frequently.  Add pasta to soup, simmer on low for additional 10 minutes, until pasta is al dente.

*if you want to keep it vegetarian, substitute a meaty mushroom for the ground beef (saute with broth or butter) and vegetable broth for the chicken broth.

If you think this is similar to one of the Olive Garden’s soups, it is. It’s also fairly easy to put together and hearty on a cold November night.

Updates: Holidays, Duxbridge and Critters, Oh, My!

This post is a little longer than usual, but a lot to catch up on.

It’s been a rough year-ish. And while I’ve been busy with the Duxbridge Mysteries series, that was about all the writing I could manage. Posting new content here was minimal. I’m hoping to make up for that going forward, especially since the upcoming holidays are some of my favorites. Recipes galore.

Just got back from a great relaxing trip to Boston. Friends, family, and fall colors were just what was needed. A week away was a little stressful for both Trixie and Jasper, but they were in good hands, and Scout was super chill, so that helped them. And now that I’m back, they are all relaxing back into their routines.

The first book in the Duxbridge Mystery series is finishing up with the editor. I’m assuming publication date will be in time for the holidays. It’s taken longer than expected, mainly because there were weeks of not feeling up to writing. Daily life and my day job were about all I could tackle. But, as always, the characters won’t shut up, so I always return to it.

Duxbridge is a fictional town created by my writing partner and me. The first book is mine, about a cookbook author who becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a local celebrity chef. Besides showcasing the quirky residents in the sleepy town, it will also feature many recipes. We are now trying to figure out how to best include the recipes in the book.

The paperbacks will have the recipes in the back, the ebooks will have links. Trying to decide if they will link here or if we will add the recipes to the soon-to-be-launched Duxbridge website. No matter how they are presented, I will ensure each recipe is posted here.

My writing partner is working on her book, which will include knitting patterns, as this is her specialty. And her fictitious Duxbridge knitting group will be helping her main character solve the puzzle of who assaulted a local photographer.

There are three more books planned after that, but you’ll just have to wait for those reveals.

And for my TJ Wilde fans, and yes, I know you have been asking, and I’ve been hedging, but I have finally started to write actual chapters! The story has been percolating long enough that it feels ready to put to paper. So stay tuned for that.

Here are a few animal photos because I know I can’t get away with catching you up on them. As you can see, they’ve all recovered from my absence.

I think that catches you up. I’ll keep you updated on everything and start holiday recipes in the next week or so. Until then…

x-posted at What’s 4 Dinner Solutions

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A Little Vacation in the Real Duxbridge

I’m off on a much needed vacation/writing research trip.  Duxbridge Mysteries: Recipe for Murder is at the editor for a second edit, after some major rewrites. Oh, how spoiled am I that this was unusual? But understandable. It’s been a weird year, and I’m surprised anything I wrote was coherent.  It now looks like a solid cozy mystery/romance, and I’m excited to get it to the publisher.

Meanwhile, I’m working on the best way to add all the recipes into the novel. We may be moving those recipes to a dedicated “Dispatches from Duxbridge” website. It’s up to what my writing partner wants to do.

I’m off to the “real” Duxbridge to walk the beach, visit friends and family, and do some research on the next in the series.  There will also be some leaf-peeping.

As soon as my editor gives me the okay, I’ll post the first four chapters to tide you over until publication.

When I get back, I’ll catch you up on everything that’s been going on and why so few entries. I owe this blog a nice, long post. Including updates on the many critters (as you can imagine, they keep me super busy).

Until then…

Duxbridge Update and an Apple Cider Donut Hole Recipe

Duxbridge Mysteries, book 1 is with the editor after the first round of rewrites. I think there will be a little more tweaking and then a final edit and it should be off to the publisher.

Meanwhile, I’m working on another series that takes place in Colorado, the first in the series is in the fall, so this seemed appropriate, although this recipe may also show up in the third of the Duxbridge series (yes, we have planned and outlined THREE so far. The third in the series will be a Holiday Special and since it Duxbridge is in Massachusetts, it seemed appropriate our first holiday edition would be Halloween! Boo!

From the cooking blog:

It’s the time of year when folks go out to orchards; spend the day filling bags with apples, going on hay rides, running through corn and bale mazes, before finishing up with cider and cider donuts. In honor of that, I decided to try and make my own. Baked, not fried.

I haven’t purchased cider in a while and was a little shocked at the cost – but I bought from a local orchard, so it was worth it. Excellent flavor.

These turned out pretty good – unless you’ve got donut tins, these are going to be a little lopsided, not perfectly round as the dough is more like muffin dough. They are much lighter than muffins, more like a good cake donut, and once you coat them in cinnamon and sugar, no one will notice their little flat bottoms.

This recipe made about 3 ½ dozen holes or 2 ½ dozen mini muffins.

Apple Cider Donut Holes

Dry ingredients:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 ½ tsp baking soda
  • 3 tsp baking soda
  • 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed

Wet ingredients:

  • 2 cups of apple cider (reduced to ½ cup)
  • 2 cloves
  • 2 tbsp melted butter
  • ½ cup buttermilk (or 2 tbsp buttermilk powder and ½ cup water)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 small apple, shredded or 2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce

Topping:

  • 3 tbsp melted butter
  • ½ granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon

Saucepan, large mixing bowl, Mini-muffin pan or donut pan (these usually make mini-donuts), two small bowls

Continue reading Duxbridge Update and an Apple Cider Donut Hole Recipe