Happy Holidays

Be safe traveling over the holidays. Enjoy spending time with loved ones.  See everyone next year. Happy New Year!

Oreo Truffles

No smoothie this time but if you need a holiday treat to take to a party, this one is easy peasy and super delicious!

Oreo Truffles

1 pkg. oreo cookies
1 pkg. 8 oz. cream cheese
1 lb. white chocolate candy coating

Put cookies and cream cheese in food processor Blend until a ball forms. roll dough into 50 balls. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. Melt candy coating, dip balls into chocolate and place on wax paper to dry.

Very rich and delicious!

Cranberry relish and a wicked good smoothie

 

Are you ready for the holiday next week? Do you need to bring something and have no idea what to make? Or maybe you’re tired of the same old thing? Have no fear, here’s a cranberry relish recipe that is so tasty you’ll want to dish up a bowl and eat it with a spoon. 

Cranberry Relish

12 oz bag cranberries, rinsed
1 or 2 oranges peeled and cut in segments (if large orange use 1, I use 2 mandarins or tangerines)
2 apples cut to fit in food processor
put all ingredients into food processor and pulse until desired consistency. I like it chunky so I don’t pulse long.
then add: 1 large can crushed pineapple in its own juice, drained
1 cup sugar

Mix and chill. stir every hour for 2-3 hours. best if chilled for several hours. You can make it the day before

P.S. It’s wonderful the next day as a smoothie base. Use 1/2 cup or 1 cup if you like it more fruity, add 1/2 c. yogurt or OJ, a handful of ice, a handful of spinach and blend – yum!

Just in time for Winter

I recently stumbled across a new cookbook that I had to share with you all. No, you don’t have to be a vegan or vegetarian to enjoy these meals but a few meatless meals won’t hurt -grins. Her book is geared towards using a small crockpot/slow cooker to make small meals for two. I’m not a huge fan of leftovers so this greatly appealed to me. I’ve tried out a few of the recipes so far, easy peasy and super-delicous! So if you’re looking for something new or a holiday gift, this one’s for you.

Vegan Slow Cooking for Two or Just for You: More than 100 Delicious One-Pot Meals for Your 1.5-Quart/Litre Slow Cooker by Kathy Hester

If you have a small family or are looking for better-portioned vegan meals (that don’t force you to eat chili for a week straight!), Vegan Slow Cooking for Two or Just for You is the perfect resource for you. Featuring recipes geared specifically for use with a 1.5- to 2-quart slow cooker, you’ll find endless meal ideas that you can make with minimal effort and maximum taste. Just prep a few items the night before or morning of, and come home to a hot meal—or side, or dessert—the moment you walk in the door!

The little slow cooker is so easy to use that it makes cooking everyday a snap, so you can have a healthy variety of foods at a fraction of the cost of eating out. Inside, you’ll find a whole new world of food to fall in love with, from breakfast-y Pumpkin Polentato comforting White Bean Quinoa Gumbo to luscious Blueberry Lemon Cake. You’ll be amazed at what your little slow cooker can do! (description from Amazon).

Just in time for the holidays…an xmas ghost story!

Whoo-hoo! Super happy to announce…

Iced in Shadow, A Shadow Walkers Holiday Novella is live on Amazon amzn.to/1aLmImU. And only $.99! It should be available on the rest of the #ebook retailers in the next few days. #paranormal #christmas #christmasghost

Beware… there’s a nasty spirit threatening to ruin Christmas for everyone. Come spend the holiday at Ravensmore Castle with your favorite Shadow Walkers. You’ll learn more about Hamish and of course, Frederick – the wicked ghost. Iced in Shadow may be read standalone. It takes place after Desired by Shadow.

Give me a P, give me a O, give me a M…

Yep, that’s right it’s pomegranate season. If you haven’t tried this delicious fruit you are missing out on a tasty treat.

There are so many ways to enjoy pomegranates. There’s bottled juice by POM. The plain is excellent and the pomegranate/pineapple tastes like Hawaiian Punch to me. I like to add a splash  of  juice to plain or vanilla greek yogurt. For a refreshing drink, add it to sparkling water with a slice of lime. Delish!

Buying the fruit fresh and squeezing the juice or eating the fruit is…well…like tasting a garden tomato vs a store bought tomato. There’s no comparison. To cut a pomegranate, I cut it into 4 sections and then use my fingers to pop out the seeds over a bowl of water. It’s messy but worth it. Here’s a video to help you.

Let’s not forget fruit itself – the arils or seeds. You can sprinkle them on your cereal, steel cut oats, into your yogurt or my favorite way…eat with a spoon. You can cut and gather the seeds yourself from the pomegranate OR go to the produce section of your store and you’ll see the seeds next to the pomegranate juice. But…they are only available for a short time so get them now!

And let’s not forget our fantastic wicked green smoothie.

Pom-erific Smoothie

1/2 c. frozen blueberries
1/2 c. pomegranate juice or if you’re trying to watch calories use 1/4 c. juice and 1/4 c. water
1/2 c. vanilla or greek yogurt (optional)
handful of kale
couple slices of cucumber or 2 baby carrots (optional) if adding these, leave out the yogurt.
1 tbsp. chia seeds (optional)
Blend well and enjoy!

An old-fashioned breakfast

Have you noticed it’s getting dark earlier and maybe  a bit chilly when you wake up in the morning? I adore this time of year when the leaves start to change and you can break out those yummy, cozy sweaters.

So get ready.

Turn down your thermostat to save some $ on your heating bill. Great reason to break out that warm throw or beautiful quilt and wrap yourself up while relaxing in the evenings.

Have your cat or dog sleep with you at night to help keep you toasty.

And…start your day off right. On Sunday, make a batch of steel cut oats for breakfast for the coming week. It’s easy. Use a slow cooker or rice cooker. My rice cooker has a porridge setting. Put in the water and steel cut oats and let them cook. My favorite is McCann’s Irish Oatmeal.

This is not the instant oatmeal you remember as a kid. Steel cut oats have a great flavor and are very filling. I like to add a bit of cinnamon and a few raisins or dried craisins or dried blueberries. Portion out the steel cut oats into your storage containers so all you have to do is grab a container and ziploc snack bag with your toppings (raisins and cinnamon) and you can heat it up at work. For those of you who like milk or almond/soy milk, you can add it to the oats as well – yum! It will keep you satisfied until lunchtime.

Get outside, take a walk and enjoy the fall day!

Ghosts, the supernatural and…pumpkin seeds?

My new release is out!

As many of you know I have another blog where I talk about writing and occasionally I crosspost. My second novel in the Shadow Walkers series is now available. Start off with a ghostly pirate who can take physical form, throw in supernatural creatures, persnickety gods and of course a deadly curse and you get Desired by Shadow.

Betrayed... A modern-day ghost story with a twist.

Kidnapped on her way home from work, Maggie is thrown into a terrifying world of shadow. Narrowly escaping death, she flees her kidnappers only to come face to face with the enemy.

Coming across a dying stranger, Maggie unleashes a terrible curse when she saves Robert. Now with only a week to break the curse, time is running out as they are locked in a deadly fight with forces that will stop at nothing to destroy them. Intensely romantic and thrilling, Desired by Shadow portrays the struggle between redemption, retribution and the desire to find a love that transcends time.

You can find Desired by Shadow:

Amazon
Apple (should be live in a few days)
Kobo
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords

And don’t think I forgot all you Wicked Green Smoothie folks. When you buy your pumpkin for Halloween don’t throw away the seeds. You can easily make a tasty treat!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Rinse the seeds in cold water, removing the gooky strings and seeds.
Spread the seeds in a single layer on an oiled baking sheet, stirring so they are coated (or use non-stick cooking spray)
Sprinkle with salt or other seasoning (try cinnamon or italian seasoning or garlic), bake at 325F until toasted – approx. 25 min., check them midway through and stir
cool and store in an airtight container – if you don’t eat them all right out of the oven!

Cheers and happy blending!

Hey apple…

The farmer’s market has apples. This morning I picked up Honeycrisp. Yum! Crunchy and mouth-watering with a bit of sweetness. I asked about Gold Rush. They were the variety I discovered last year and my new favorite. The vendor told me it was still a bit early (here in North Carolina) but they’d be ready in a few weeks.

What’s your favorite apple?

Welcome Fall Smoothie
1 apple cored and cut into slices
handful of grapes
1 c. water
inch piece of ginger, peeled (optional)
1/3 cucumber OR small handful of lettuce or spinach
blend well and enjoy!

Happy Labor Day!

 

Wishing everyone a safe holiday!