We are featuring a paranormal teen fantasy this week, so we’ll keep our treats fun and light.
Time of the Silver Dragon: Tales of the Zodiac Shifter Book 1 currently available on Amazon
Storyline: After years of hard work, practice, and sacrifice, Silver has earned the honor of entering the coveted underground martial arts tournament in Chinatown. Her excitement is only matched by her fear of failure. Little does she knows that the tournament is not the end, but the beginning of trouble, trouble times twelve. After the tournament is over she must face the wrath of the grandmaster, her illusions about herself, and find out who her real friends are. She finds out that the myth of the twelve zodiac animals great race, the Jade Emperor, and even demons are real. In this frightening new reality, will she have the strength to save humanity?
We are featuring a paranormal teen fantasy this week, so we’ll keep our treats fun and light.
Time of the Silver Dragon: Tales of the Zodiac Shifter Book 1 currently available on Amazon
Storyline: After years of hard work, practice, and sacrifice, Silver has earned the honor of entering the coveted underground martial arts tournament in Chinatown. Her excitement is only matched by her fear of failure. Little does she knows that the tournament is not the end, but the beginning of trouble, trouble times twelve. After the tournament is over she must face the wrath of the grandmaster, her illusions about herself, and find out who her real friends are. She finds out that the myth of the twelve zodiac animals great race, the Jade Emperor, and even demons are real. In this frightening new reality, will she have the strength to save humanity?
Our recipe: Silky Onion Dip with veggies and crisps
Ingredients
1 container silky tofu
1-2 packages vegan onion dip mix
Fresh Veggies (carrot sticks, celery sticks, snow peas, sugar snap peas, cucumber slices, green and red pepper slices, blanched asparagus spears)
Crisps (your favorite chips, pretzels, or fried wonton wrappers)
Cut silky tofu into small squares and pulse in food processor with package of onion soup mix until blended. Add more soup mix to taste and put in a bowl surrounded by your favorite munchies- it’s that simple.
Serve your Silky Onion Dip and munchies to friends or just have a snack anytime. We absolutely love this with gingerale mixers (1 ounce pomegranate juice, matcha tea, grape juice, or orange juice to 4 parts gingerale).
It’s Mardi Gras and we couldn’t be happier! We’re making enough sweets and treats to keep us busy until Fat Tuesday(shrove Tuesday), but rather than give you a recipe, we’ve got a FREE ebook short story for you today on Amazon.
Just click the link below to download your copy (this weekend only) and get you in the Mardi Gras mood. Relax with a nice chicory coffee and some warm beignets or a slice of King’s Cake. Pick your favorite jazz artist from Louisiana and enjoy our short story.
If you enjoyed King of the Mardi Gras, leave us a review and check out our other books. Our All Tied Up In Knots series has 2 full books and 6 short reads- perfect to keep you busy between Mardi Gras parties.
Laissez les bons temps rouler. 🎺 (Let the good times roll.)
It’s officially February, and with 18 days left to go before Fat Tuesday and a freezing cold front moving into NJ, you know I had to give you a fantastic cocktail from New Orleans. It’s the perfect little something to make you feel warm and toasty inside and end Dry January ( For ages 21 and over. Don’t drink and drive)
There is something special about the history and charm of New Orleans and I hope you make that trip in time to see the gayety of Mardi Gras Parade floats going by. For now, let’s warm up with a nice cocktail.
Sazerac-
Ingredients-
Absinthe rinsed glass
2 parts(1.5 oz.) rye whisky
3 dashes Peychaud
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Splash of sugar, simple syrup, or Sugar cube(my favorite)
Lemon twist
How to:
Start by chilling a glass with ice cubes(or sticking in the freezer for a few minutes). The end product won’t be diluted with ice.
Once your glass is chilled rinse it with the absinthe of your choice and discard excess(or use it to rinse a few more glasses for company). This will leave a delicious flavor on the rim of the glass as well as a hint of the taste in the beverage.
Add 1.5 ounces rye whisky to your chilled and rinsed glass and in a second glass muddle a sugar cube with 2 dashes angostura bitters and 3 dashes Peychaud.
Add the sugar solution to your glass of rye whiskey and serve with a lemon twist. It’s the perfect cocktail and if you haven’t tried one yet, you’re missing out.
Enjoy! Let the good times roll.
Visit our other recipes for your cocktail parties and read some of our visiting authors.
While I have a nice pot of albondigas(meatball soup) simmering on the stove for dinner, its the perfect time to get you my recipe for virgin mojitos. These are so versatile, you’ll love tweaking them with fresh or frozen fruit for company or a great pick me up anytime.
We are also only a couple weekends from Valentine’s Day., so if you’re looking for a quick and easy gift, grab a Kindle and download some books for your sweetheart. We have the entire All Tied Up In Knots series currently available on Amazon and coming soon to Nook & Kobo.
Book 1 of 8
Mojito Mocktail recipe-
Ice
10-12 Mint Leaves
2 Tbsp. lime juice-the fresher the better
sliced lime for serving
2 Tbsp. Simple Syrup
Unflavored Seltzer (for a basic mojito)
How to:
Fill half of the glass with ice
Muddle mint leaves with lime juice until the aroma hits you, add to glass
add simple syrup and stir well
add unflavored seltzer
garnish with lime slice or wedge and serve
Mix it up add 2oz of your favorite fruit juice, fresh or frozen fruit (try a strawberry mojito for Valentine’s Day)
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We’re past the middle of Dry January 2023 and two weeks into Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans. What better time to mix up a batch of Virgin Hurricanes and check out the parade?
To see this year’s parade route, click on the link below. Recipe to follow.
Cranberry Pomegranate Mocktail on Ice-recipe below.
Since many of my friends are starting their New Year off by keeping to their fitness and health goals, I’ve decided to post a waistline friendly non-alcoholic mocktail packed with Vitamin C and antioxidants.
I began and ended 2022 with some medical hiccups, including covid-19 despite 3 (now 4) full vaccinations. It’s not easy living life with an autoimmune disease and I try my best to keep myself chasing the Perpetual Puppy and my imps that are forever growing taller and smarter.
The autoimmune disease itself affects my joints, skin, and the medications that let me move around affects my eye pressures and comes with the possibility of irreversible blindness from plaques than can build up on the retina, as if glaucoma wasn’t bad enough on its own. With a busy family having any issues is frustrating and challenging to get people and puppies where they need to go on time.
It’s not all bad, though, and I guess dealing with a progressive disease with no cure after 14 years without a diagnosis has made me focus on what matter most: love of family, puppy snuggles, making sure my children have their life skills down, and doing the impossible like writing books, shooting the spider(middle of target) on the archery range, and getting as much geek cred possible while I can. It’s also taught me not to waste time worrying or being negative and I support several different organizations that help people with illnesses (Diabetes, Lupus, Autism, Cardiovascular, Blindness, Mental Illness…). Doom and gloom are great in horror stories but not in real life, we can encourage and help instead. For now, let’s celebrate today!
Since we’re partying and getting ready for book releases in 2023 (fingers crossed), lets get to the mocktail.
Cran-Pomegranate Mocktail
Fill a tall highball glass with ice and add:
2 ounces cranberry juice (cranberry juice cocktail is okay, too),
2 ounces pomegranate juice (Pom is my favorite),
Fill glass to just below the rim with plain seltzer and garnish with cranberries and lime wedge. Serve.
Hope you have fun with the mocktail and challenge yourself in 2023. Have a great New Year!
I’m of the mind that safe holiday fun should be enjoyed by any and all that want to participate. Whether your Halloween is spent pursuing haunts or going door to door to the neighbors for guilty pleasures (those Butterfinger bars and dark chocolates are too tempting), have safe fun.
This is where I get a little preachy, and with good reason. We get a lot of teens and even adults that come by for treats. That’s just fine by me. Unless it’s raining, I’ll put out my table, dress up myself and put the Perpetual Puppy in a fun costume, and have enough treats (candy and toys) to satisfy all ages. Not all children-adults can have sweets, nuts… so I try and put some other fun things out in keeping with the holiday until the curfew sends me back inside for a nightcap.
If you choose not to participate, a little sign in the window or on the door helps the eager children, teens, and adults know to keep going to the next house. It’s a small world and though I celebrate as many holidays as I can, I get that Halloween is not everyone’s idea of fun.
Be safe either way, and watch for children crossing against lights and in between cars on the roads. If you are trick or treating stay where it is light and with a group. Don’t enter houses, no matter how tempting, and be careful of capes, long robes, and face masks when walking. Have a grown up check your candy, especially important if you have allergies.
I can’t wait to see everyone in costume. Have fun!
Dubonnet and Gin, one a little stronger than the other
As a young girl my thoughts were on knights, princesses, castles, and unicorns. With news of the Royal wedding, it seemed everyone was buzzing about Prince Charles III and Lady Diane. There have been more weddings since then and one can’t help but admire how her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II managed to handle all the excitement.
As a mother myself, I strive to be part of all my children’s celebrations but I have to admit they can be exhausting. I don’t ever recall seeing the late queen waiver. Though her duties were always many, she seldom was seen without a welcoming smile.
When I sit this evening I’ll have one her of her favorite aperitifs(a cocktail meant to stimulate the appetite), a Dubonnet and Gin, and think fond thoughts.
For ages 21 and over- Dubonnet and Gin recipe:
1 part gin
2 parts Dubonnet
Mix well and we’ve in a wine glass. Drink safely and responsibly.
After a too brief beach visit to the Jersey shore on Wednesday(long story), this Jersey girl is missing ocean breezes and the feeling of sand under her toes. Knowing the beach season is coming to an end has me feeling blue and maybe I’ll just have a fun blue cocktail with Blue Curacao to perk me up.
Butler, the perpetual puppy, sits guard over a pair of my beach flip flops expectantly because he knows when I leave him with a sitter there will be many treats. Let’s face it, anytime is a good time for treats when you’re an impish Chinese Crested dog that’s too busy learning circus style tricks to figure out how to chase his own tail. There will be treats, that much we can be sure of.
As for the cocktail while I find a good book to sink my bookworm teeth into, lets make a Blue Lagoon.
Blue Lagoon Recipe:
1 fl. oz. Vodka- Belvedere if you got it
1 fl. oz. Blue Curacao
1/3 fl. oz. lemon juice
1/3 fl. oz. lime juice
Add 7-Up or other lemon lime soda to fill glass and garnish with starfruit slice and a green cherry. Have it with your favorite beach snacks and great book.
Here’s the reminder- Please use caution when drinking any alcohol beverage. We want to keep you partying and living life, so don’t drink and drive and don’t engage in any risky behavior. Save the SSC or RISK for a sober moment 😉
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