#COOKING WITH CLORIS--IRISH SODA BREAD

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, here’s a recipe for Irish Soda Bread. And here’s a fun fact: Do you know why traditionally a cross is scored on the top of the bread before baking? It’s to ward off evil spirits.

Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients:

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon caraway seeds

3 tablespoons softened butter

1/2 cup raisins

3/4-1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.

Soak raisins in warm water.

Mix together all dry ingredients. Cut butter into dry ingredients until mixture forms fine crumbs. Drain raisins and add.

Slowly add buttermilk, stirring until dough leaves sides of bowl.

Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Shape into round loaf, approximately 6-7” in diameter. Place on cookie sheet. Using floured knife, cut an X 1/2” deep into loaf.

Allow loaf to sit for about 20 minutes, then bake 35-45 minutes or until crust turns golden brown. 

#CRAFTING WITH ANASTASIA--NATIONAL #CRAFT MONTH

Did you know that crafting can reduce stress, build self-esteem and increase physical dexterity? In fact, recent studies from NYU and Harvard have shown that activities ranging from scrapbooking to knitting can actually improve concentration, while enhancing health and mental wellness.

There is nothing more satisfying than creating something on your own. The activity is not only engaging, it’s fulfilling on so many different levels. Plus, there are so many ways to approach crafting. There is literally something for everyone.

Crafting can:

Bring Families Together – Spend quality family time on a vast number of enjoyable activities that can save money, while producing handmade gifts, jewelry and home decorative items.

Relax and De-Stress – Crafting sharpens your senses and focuses your attention.

Create Lasting Memories – Create a special moment for a loved one, while highlighting achievements or performances in a scrapbook or display.

Make Family Connections – Frame-it-yourself photo montages can proudly display family trees and accomplishments for everyone to see. 

Salvage and Reuse Old Items – Recycle and add beauty to any room by crafting discarded mirrors, windows or other household items into works of art.

Revive Clothing and Jewelry– Create beaded fashion necklaces and bracelets that match favorite clothing or school colors.

Entertain Kids and Pets – Develop matching outfits and accessories for kids and favorite pets. 

BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--GUEST AUTHOR SHANNON BAKER

Shannon Baker, author of the Nora Abbott Mystery series involving murder, environment and Hopi Indians, can often be found backpacking, skiing, kayaking, cycling, or just playing lizard in the desert. Learn more about Shannon and her books at her website. 

Since I was about six years old, sitting in the backseat of our Chevy Impala on long nighttime drives, listening to my parents talk about Edgar Cayce and his mystic predictions and revelations, I’ve had a fascination with weird stuff. You know, stuff that tingles your skin, like ghosts and reincarnation, aliens, telepathy. I read all those accounts of near-death experiences, books about talking to God, dipped my toe into studying various religions. I can’t say as I believe everything I’ve heard or read, and can’t say I don’t believe it. Frankly, I don’t feel the need to decide.

What interests me is what people believe and how it makes them act.

Sometimes there’s a bizarre collision in my brain. Things that seeped in years earlier start to grow, sort of like the Blob in the early black and white horror flick. Then something new gets misfiled up there and Blam! a book idea slides out.

In the case of Tattered Legacy the messy explosion mixed all these interesting bits I’d read about the Mormon religion with the amazing information I’ve learned about Hopi.

Like most religions, there are often different versions of the main church, so I don’t pretend to be an expert on Mormons, Church of Latter-Day Saints or any of the off-shoot sects and cults. But there is a little tidbit about Mormons believing if they live a righteous life, they (the men, that is) will get their own planets when they die.

When I first moved to Flagstaff, I happened on a website of Hopi news. An article talked about the recent UFO-siting in the desert, and I read the dozen or so comments. From these postings, I learned that visits from space are not seen as particularly unusual on the reservation.

The Hopi have a long-standing relationship with the Sky People. Old Oraibi, the first Hopi village on the mesas north of Winslow, was established in 1050. That’s a long time ago. According to the petroglyphs, especially Prophecy Rock, it’s said that the faithful Hopi will be lifted to other planets when they die.

There are plenty of websites saying with certainty that UFO’s hang out in lenticular clouds that hover over mountains, specifically, over the San Francisco Peaks. It’s no coincidence that this is where the Hopi kachinas live.

Mormons. Hopi. Aliens. How could I not see the connection? You see it, plain as day, right? What I needed was a character to go head to head with Nora.

Remember a few years ago when Mitt Romney was all the rage? Rich, well-connected, Presidential nominee…Mormon. Oh yeah. I assume Mr. Romney is a nice guy with a perfectly normal family. And being on the national political horizon creates some issues I didn’t want to deal with. So, my guy, Warren Evans, is nothing like our man Mitt. Except he’s rich and Mormon.

Toss in some very telling petroglyphs and Nora’s Hopi connection and there you have it.

Do I believe in aliens?

Does it really matter?  

Want a chance to win a copy of Tattered Legacy (US only)? Leave a comment. Tell me if you believe in aliens, or just say hi. I’ll be randomly picking a winner from all who comment and will contact you directly.

Tattered Legacy

The third in the Nora Abbott series, Tattered Legacy is set in the iconic red rocks of Moab, UT. Working to solve the murder of her best friend, Nora uncovers an unlikely intersection of ancient Hopi legends, a secret polygamist sect and one of the world’s richest men. Will Nora put all the pieces together in time to prevent disaster?

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#FASHION WITH TESSA--THE MALL AT SHORT HILLS WITH AUTHOR LOIS WINSTON

The Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries are set in Westfield, a real town in New Jersey, and various other locations within the state as well as New York City. I prefer using actual places in my books rather than making up towns, especially when writing a series. I find it easier to keep track of where I’ve set scenes and what the area looks like if I’m describing places I know. I also discovered early on that, like me, many readers enjoy reading about locations they know because the setting comes alive more when they’ve actually been to it.

A few miles and a couple of towns from Westfield is the Mall at Short Hills, known to locals as simply the Short Hills Mall. This is one of the most upscale malls in the country. Anchor department stores include Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, and Saks Fifth Ave., although there’s also Macy’s for those of us on budgets. In addition, just about every name designer has a boutique shop at the mall—Chanel, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, Hermès, and Jimmy Choo, to name just a few.

Several of the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries have scenes set in the mall. In AssaultWith a Deadly Glue Gun Anastasia, who doesn’t have a spare nickel to her name, is forced into purchasing a four hundred dollar tote at the Burberry store. 

In Death by Killer Mop Doll she drives her mother to the mall to have her engagement ring appraised at Tiffany & Co. While Mama is in the store, Anastasia treats herself to a latte at the Nordstrom Café across from the jewelry store.

As a reader, do you prefer to read about real or imaginary settings? Do you like to form images in your mind or read about places you know and may have visited at one time?

Assault With a Deadly Glue Gun

When Anastasia Pollack's husband permanently cashes in his chips at a roulette table in Vegas, her comfortable middle-class life craps out. She's left with two teenage sons, a mountain of debt, and her hateful, cane-wielding Communist mother-in-law. Not to mention stunned disbelief over her late husband's secret gambling addiction, and the loan shark who's demanding fifty thousand dollars.

Anastasia's job as crafts editor for a magazine proves no respite when she discovers a dead body glued to her office chair. The victim, fashion editor Marlys Vandenburg, collected enemies and ex-lovers like Jimmy Choos on her ruthless climb to editor-in-chief. But when evidence surfaces of an illicit affair between Marlys and Anastasia's husband, Anastasia becomes the number one suspect.

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Death by Killer Mop Doll

Overdue bills and constant mother vs. mother-in-law battles at home are bad enough. But crafts editor Anastasia Pollack's stress level is maxed out when she and her fellow American Woman editors get roped into unpaid gigs for a revamped morning TV show. Before the glue is dry on Anastasia's mop dolls, morning TV turns crime drama when the studio is trashed and the producer is murdered. Former co-hosts Vince and Monica—sleazy D-list celebrities—stand out among a lengthy lineup of suspects, all furious over the show's new format. And Anastasia has no clue her snooping has landed her directly in the killer's unforgiving spotlight.

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Or buy both books together in the new boxed set.

#DECORATING WITH JEANIE--BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATIONS

One of the most inexpensive ways to add framed art to your home is to use botanical illustrations. This is artwork, often done in watercolor, that depicts plant species in vivid detail.

The first record of botanical illustrations dates back to 512 AD, but it was the eighteenth century that saw the birth of the botanical illustrator, thanks to printing advances and the emergence of amateur botanists, gardeners and natural historians.

Today it’s easy to find reproductions of these illustrations, both already framed and unframed. Consider buying a series of four or more floral botanicals and framing them in individual inexpensive wooden frames to group on a bedroom or foyer wall.

Vegetable and fruit botanicals work well in kitchens and dining rooms. You can find botanicals that feature multiple images on one print or individual images. 

Ferns and other leaves are also popular botanical motifs. The botanical illustration is also versatile due to the variety of sizes in which the prints are available. Simply choose the size or sizes that work best for your wall space.

#COOKING WITH CLORIS--CORN CHOWDER WITH GUEST AUTHOR BEVERLEY BATEMAN

Beverley Bateman is a Canadian author who writes romantic suspense while sipping a local wine overlooking the lake in beautiful British Columbia, where she lives with her husband and two Shiba Inu dogs. Learn more about her and her books at her website and blog.

In my series, the Hawkins’ family, Annie Hawkins, the mother, has an herb garden. She’s always grown her own herbs and uses them in her cooking. Her kitchen is usually filled with the wonderful scents of rosemary, thyme, lemongrass and basil, to name a few. References to the herb garden are in every book, including Missing, and bring back nostalgic memories of hanging out in Annie’s kitchen. And she’s always cooking up something for her family members and friends. Here’s a recipe for one of her wonderful soups.

Annie’s Corn Chowder

(serves 8 – 12)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon butter

1/2 pound bacon, diced

1-1/2 cups chopped onion

Kosher salt and black pepper

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme

1-1/2 tablespoons minced garlic

3 tablespoons flour

6 cups chicken broth or stock

5 cups peeled, finely diced all-purpose potato

3 cups fresh (or frozen) corn kernels

1-1/2 cups half-and-half

Add the butter into a soup kettle and melt over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook till crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Pour off all but 1/4 cup of fat from the pot. Add the onions and season them with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook till soft, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add flour and mix into the veggies.

Add broth and potatoes. Cover the pot and bring to a boil; then lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Add corn. Cover and simmer everything 5 to 6 minutes.

Stir in the half-and-half. Season with the basil and thyme and 

add freshly ground black pepper to taste. Sprinkle with a basil garnish and serve.

Missing

Running from a disastrous engagement, and an over-powering father, Dr. Allie Parsons agrees to help out an old friend and travels to Duster, Montana. She’s agreed to help the local doctor until he can find a permanent new doctor.  A city girl, Allie is greeted with culture shock in small town Duster, but she also finds a warm, friendly community. And the doctor turns out to be young, tall, dark and handsome. He sends her emotions shooting sky high. She’s welcomed into the Hawkins family and develops a relationship with the doctor’s daughter. A mysterious stranger leaves notes at the clinic and Allie fears they are a warning he’s going to kidnap the doctor’s daughter.

Luke Hawkins, one of the Hawkins’ brothers, is looking for a doctor to take over half the practice from the retiring doctor. He’s not expecting his temporary replacement to be a young, sexy, single woman from New York. He knows she’s the woman he’s been searching for all his life, but he also knows she won’t stay in Duster. Now he has to convince the woman he loves that she really is a small town doctor at heart.

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#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--CROSS STITCHED CLADDAGH

photo courtesy of Royalcladdagh

I have a Pinterest page on which I post all the crafts and recipes that appear on Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers. Two years ago I posted a cross stitch design for a Celtic knot on the blog. That design has been repinned on Pinterest more than anything else on any of my Pinterest boards. So in honor of St. Patrick’s Day coming up in a little over a week, I’ve decided to post another Irish cross stitch design. This one is for a Claddagh.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Claddagh, it’s the design used in a traditional Irish ring. The hands represent friendship, the heart represents love, and the crown represents loyalty. Claddagh rings are sometimes used as friendship rings but more often as engagement or wedding rings. In many Irish families the rings are passed down from mothers to daughters.

The Claddagh ring had its origins in Roman times, but the ring as we know it today comes from the small fishing village of Claddagh, located outside of Galway and was first made in the seventeenth century.

The cross stitch design below is 37 stitches wide x 29 stitches high. When stitched on 14-ct. fabric it will be approximately 2-2/3" x 2".