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Wednesday, October 12, 2022

AUTHOR DONNELL ANN BELL ON SUSPENSE, SMOOTHIES, CAULIFLOWER AND THE D-WORD

Award-winning and Amazon multi-bestselling author Donnell Ann Bell gave up her nonfiction career in newspapers and magazines when she became obsessed with writing a mystery or thriller. Her obsession paid off. She’s now the author of four romantic suspense/thrillers and two suspense novels. Her current book, Until Dead: a Cold Case Suspense, is the second book in her Cold Case Suspense series, following Black Pearl. Learn more about Donnell and her books and find links to her other social media at her website. 

Is Sixty the New Forty?

All right. I’m almost sixty-five (and recently signed up for Medicare) but who wants that in a headline? This blog all started when our esteemed host texted me with a reminder that I had an article due for October 12 to coincide with a recipe I’d provided Lois months ago. I’ve been up to my eyelashes in personal business, so her reminder was greatly appreciated. 

 

As it turns out, Lois and my texts often result in a phone call. We simply have too much to say in our texts, our hands start cramping, and cellular data adds up!

 

Our conversations never stay on topic, and this morning was no different. We talked about the Florida hurricane, Lois’s recent trip, and it never fails, we always, always lament about diet.

 

My brother once said to me, “It takes very little to keep us alive.” I assume he was talking about food. Oxygen and H2O are givens.  Lois and I often compare notes because we’ve discovered my brother was SO right! 

 

We can be quite disciplined (at times). We’ve tried two nutritional shakes and one meal and have had some success with that. Lois was having trouble finding one of her favorite shakes, so I sent her a picture of my latest attempt—turns out it was given to me by the same woman who provided the spicy cauliflower recipe (and she’s lost 40 pounds at this writing.)  So, not only are you getting a side dish I find quite tasty, but you’re getting a smoothie recipe, I think is delicious (and filling) as well.

 

Back to the headline, I may be approaching sixty-five. But thanks to the diets and exercise regimens we’ve enacted over the years, I told Lois I don’t feel sixty-five. She was quick to quip back, “Well, sixty-five is the new forty-five.” 

 

Works for me, and I like her attitude, don’t you?

 

As one of Lois’s least crafty friends, please forgive my lack of a craft project here. I’m always astounded at the creativity of others, however, so keep up the good work!  Without further ado, here are two recipes that might help the waistline and curb some cravings.

 

Smoothie

Ingredients:

1/4 cup strawberries (or your favorite fruit) 

1/2 container of Oikos yogurt (look for the 0 0 0 and black wrapping, which means no sugar, no artificial sweeteners, and no fat)

1/2 the bottle of Fairlife Nutrition Plan.  I purchased the chocolate. At 150 calories and 30 grams of protein, this is good all by itself.)

 

Throw in crushed ice, blend the above ingredients, and you have a tasty treat that doesn’t taste like it belongs near the word DIET.

 

Now we all know that people can’t live on smoothies alone, so here is a side dish recipe I absolutely love. Yes, I know there are carbohydrates in corn, but the cauliflower and picante sauce have limited calories, and it’s so easy to prepare!

 

Cauliflower, Corn, & Picante Medley

Ingredients:

1 bag Frozen cauliflower rice 

1 small can or frozen corn (use as much or as little as you like – I’m all about the crunch)

1/4 cup picante sauce

 

Cook veggie rice on stove top, combine corn and picante sauce and you’re done. I think it takes less than ten minutes or so. Serve as a side dish, or I make a batch to munch on when writing. 

 

I hope if you try these, you’ll let me know how you like them. As I close, I have to ask: Do you feel your age, and are you doing your best to thwart Father Time?

 

Until Dead

A Cold Case Suspense, Book 2

 

This killer won’t stop …until she’s dead

 

When Lt. Everett T. Pope is notified of an explosion in downtown Denver close to the judicial buildings, his first instinct is gas leak. No such luck. As Incident Command and Pope’s own Major Crimes unit move in, he discovers he knows the intended victims—an Assistant U. S. Attorney—and Pope’s former partner, now a private investigator, has died shielding the injured AUSA with his body.

 

As ATF and the FBI take over investigating the bombing and unraveling motives behind the murder attempt, Pope is relegated to a peripheral role. But the injured AUSA’s aunt is a United States senator used to getting results. She turns to the team that solved the Black Pearl Killer murders with a very big ask—find her answers and locate the bomber.

 

FBI Special Agent Brian DiPietro must recall his entire cold case team from their far-flung assignments knowing he’s being asked to do the impossible. The senator, however, doesn’t know the meaning of the word. All too soon, DiPietro finds his team working alongside ATF on a red-hot mission. One that uncovers a decades’ old cold case.

 

Buy Links

paperback 

ebook 

4 comments:

Donnell Ann Bell said...

Lois, thanks for asking me to be on your blog today. Are you going to try my recipes?

Lois Winston said...

Always a pleasure having you join us, Donnell. As for the recipes, they’re on my cooking to-do list.

Maggie Toussaint said...

I am planning to try the recipes. I used to drink green smoothies for breakfast, but that involved always having ripe avocadoes around, which can get expensive especially if you get lazy and fall back into your old ways. Corn isn't on my diet, but like you, Donnell, I like the crunch of corn. Next time I have a to-do, I'll give this a try. Otherwise I'm likely to eat this for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Best wishes for your latest book!

Donnell Ann Bell said...

Thanks, Maggie! Corn isn't on my diet either and normally I wouldn't eat it either. For this recipe, I make an exception.