Shampoo ala Mode: It's Peachy

In honor of my dear husband's birthday, I'm going to repeat this post. And the dish-- I'll be making it for him tonight. Here we go, friends:

***

I see that confusion on your face.

You're thinking, "What does shampoo have to do with ice cream and peaches?  Yes, I do enjoy teasing you. We'll get to the shampoo and ice cream. But first, let's start with the peaches. A yummy recipe for summer--and my husband's favorite:

Cobbler ala Calvert

4 cups sliced peaches, sprinkle with a Tbl. lemon juice (if using frozen peaches--2 pkg-- omit lemon juice)

Mix in med-lg. saucepan:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 Tb. corn starch

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg

Cook over med heat, stirring, until thickened

Add 1 Tbl. butter, 1 Tbl. Grand Marnier liqueur (optional) and sliced peaches. Cook 5 minutes.

In another bowl mix:

1 cup flour

2 Tbl. sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

Cut in 1/4 cup cold butter until crumbly

then add 1 beaten egg and 1/4 cup buttermilk

Stir with fork til mixed

Pour peach mixture into deep pie pan

Spoon cobbler onto top of peaches in tablespoon size mounds

Bake in pre-heated 400 degree oven for approx. 25 min., or golden brown

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream--enjoy!

I like using sun-warmed summer peaches:

With a few yummy, rich extras:

While the peaches are simmering, mix the cobbler dough:

Spoon it onto the warm peaches and it's ready for the oven: 

Bake until golden--can you smell it yet?

And now for that ice cream . . . or in this case, gelato:

Be still my heart: Peach Cobbler--all you need is a spoon:

There you are.  Oh, what about the shampoo?  And what's that got to do with peaches?
Everything, in this romantic snippet from TRAUMA PLAN. 

Our hero and heroine enjoy a romatic sunset view overlooking a Texas peach orchard:

***

“Well . . .” He slid the blanket from under his arm. “Sun’s sinking fast now. Let’s find a spot without cactus and fire ants and get set for the show.”

Riley helped to spread the blanket and sat, not surprised that Jack settled close beside her. After the plane, the dancing, and sharing so much over the past couple of weeks, it felt natural. Visiting his hometown and this beautiful place made her want to know even more about him. Despite Jack’s reckless reputation—which he managed to bolster at every opportunity—Riley sensed some vulnerability when it came to his family. We have that much in common. 
“
There,” he said, pointing toward the west. “First streaks of pink. The peach blossoms are that same color. In March, sunsets are pink from sky to tree . . . to the shower of petals on the ground below. My aunt called it Ballerina Valley—not the best tactic to recruit a boy for orchard labor.”

“You worked here?” she asked, easily imagining him as a boy, sun-browned, scurrying up a ladder. “Picking peaches?”

“Picked them, ate them, pitched them. And squashed the mushy ones on my sister’s head.” Jack touched a fingertip to Riley’s hair, a smile teasing his lips. “I invented peach shampoo.”

***

Of course, you'll have to read the book to see how it all plays out.

And grab some of those summer's end peaches and surprise someone you love with a great dessert . . . I think you're going to enjoy both.


Happy reading, friends, and . . . Bon appetiti!

Beach Picnics & Brownies To Go ~ Author Lisa Belcastro (giveaway)

**August 25  2:37 PM  CONGRATULATIONS to our giveaway winner, Deanna Stevens! And thank you all for stopping by to make Lisa feel welcome. I encourage you to check out her wonderful Winds of Change books. **

Who better to host in August than an author whose kitchen is in beautiful Martha's Vineyard? Especially when her meals are often beach fare and include tasty offerings from lobster to mac'n cheese and brownies. Trust me, your summer palate is going to be tickled today! When she’s not at her desk, today's guest is "living in paradise, volunteering at her daughter’s school, serving in her church community, planting and weeding her numerous gardens, trying to run a marathon a month, or walking the beach looking for sea glass." She was inspired to write Shenandoah Nights, the first book in her "Winds of Change" trilogy, while chaperoning two Tisbury School summer sails with her daughter, Kayla, aboard the schooner Shenandoah.

 Please wave your wooden spoons in a rousing Authors' Galley welcome for Lisa Belcastro! 

Beach Picnics and Brownies to Go

By Lisa Belcastro

Summer is in full swing on Martha’s Vineyard. President Obama is back for another vacation, and the warm weather entices us to head to the beach for sunset picnics and barbeques. At a park, one might worry about ants. On the beach, it’s a given that grains of sand are going to flavor whatever we’re eating. No one cares. The views are spectacular, and we try to hit our favorite beaches for dinner at least twice a week from June through September.

Some nights I’ll pick every available vegetable in my garden, toss them into a salad, grill a piece of steak or a few chicken breasts, pack the cooler and head off. Those are the easy meals. When I’m feeling more adventurous, I load the portable grill into the back of my Jeep.

I’m on my third grill. The first one was your basic charcoal briquettes variety. Ever try to cook burgers over a nice fire when you’ve forgotten the matches? Less than successful, let me assure you. My family survived on cucumber and tomato salad, potato chips, macaroni salad, and chocolate chip cookies. Not necessarily a bad meal, but not cheeseburgers topped with homegrown beefsteak tomatoes and sliced onions.

In what I thought was an intelligent move on my part, I purchased a propane grill. My new grill had a push-button starter to ignite the flame. No more matches. This blonde was getting smarter by the minute. First picnic of the summer, we decide lobster was a must. We headed to Menemsha, the Island’s premier sunset location. Menemsha is also a fishing village with two fabulous fish markets that will sell you fresh catches as well as cooked meals.

We stopped in to purchase live lobsters for grilling. They sales clerk parboiled our two-pounders, and we walked down to the beach with food, blanket, chairs, grill, and . . . I forgot the propane. Technically, I hadn’t forgotten it. My friend, who’d helped load the car back at my house, had undoubtedly left them on my front porch.  Our sales clerk laughed, assured us it happened many times throughout the season, and threw our lobsters into their pot until they were done. It was a beautiful evening.

I learned my lesson. The latest portable propane grill, replacing the one that wore out, sits on a shelf in my garage next to the propane, next to the cooler, next to the beach bag. Everything for a sunset picnic is now in one place, except the food and drinks. So far, I haven’t forgotten our dinners.

This summer we’ve done more beach picnics than grilling. The garden is overflowing with vegetables that I cook up and bring in the hot-pack cooler. Last Sunday night we had mac ‘n cheese with kale and tomatoes, cucumbers and hummus, hot green bean and bacon salad, and a fresh berry tart for dessert.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it. More friends have arrived for a visit, so maybe I can plan the same menu? As I glance out the window, kale and tomatoes are bountiful, and that mac ‘n’ cheese recipe is my favorite.

In Shenandoah Dreams, the third book in my Winds of Change trilogy, Melissa Smith is a teacher chaperone aboard the fictionalized schooner Shenandoah. Though Melissa would never claim to be a good cook, she, and everyone else onboard the ship, appreciates Nick’s cooking.

In real life, the meals aboard the Shenandoah are so good the students and chaperones rave about the food for weeks after they return home. Hearty breakfasts, lunches served topside, and delicious dinners are the daily fare. The kids probably love the desserts best, but who doesn’t?

Book Excerpt:

The satisfied mumbles of boys and girls, who had gobbled down heaps of vegetable lasagna and now were gabbing amongst themselves with mouths full of Nick’s double-chocolate brownies, filled the saloon. Melissa sat at the starboard table with Captain Roberts. She enjoyed his nightly talks after dessert. Over the years, she’d learned different sailing topics, been enthralled by folklore stories, grinned at the many superstitions, and tried to sort facts from exaggeration in his stories.

The light was fading quickly outside, and darkness crept through the skylights. Tucker turned the wick up higher in the oil lamps. A warm glow filled the room. In a different situation, say, with one man and no children, it might have been romantic.

Melissa reined in her sentimental notions. Too many times in one day she’d thought about dating. Something strange was definitely happening during this cruise. She had no interest in dating and no interest in the Townshend Act either.

Hoping to clear her vision, or at least the ideas running through her mind, Melissa rubbed her eyes. When she opened them, she saw Amber returning from the head. The little minx convinced one of the boys to slide down on the bench, and she managed to claim the seat to Zane’s right. The first mate had definitely made a new friend.

A few arms reached across the table, trying to score what was left of the brownies.

More than two-thirds of the sweets were consumed. Captain Roberts had about half an hour of their attention span before the sugar high wore off and the students began yawning and nodding off. Melissa couldn’t wait to hear what his topic would be. She needed something else to concentrate on, and his forty-plus years on the water gave him more than enough material. None of which had ever included dating or marriage.

***

I enjoyed that teaser, Lisa, and I'm craving a taste of that macaroni and cheese! I'm going to have to pester you for the recipe. Sounds amazing. 

And now, as an extra treat, the wonderful Wynn-Wynn Media is offering a chance at a fabulous giveaway:

All three books in the Winds of Change series, PLUS a kitchen towel set. So fun!

For your chance at the giveway, please leave a comment below that includes your e-mail address. I will draw the winning name (via Random.Org) on Monday, August 25th, and notify the lucky person by e-mail. Entrants with U.S. mailing addresses only, please. 
Meanwhile, happy reading and . . . Bon apetit!

LIFE SUPPORT Release Party & Book Giveaway!

*** 3:29 pm  March 7th (Kazoon toot, please!) Here are our lucky partygoing book winners: KAREN STEVENS, KELLI JO C., CHRIS GRANVILLE, BARB PEACOCK, and "SUNNYMEADOWS"! Congratultions, and thank you ALL for helping to celebrate the release of  LIFE SUPPORT! ***

Though Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Christianbook and several other sites have already "scooped" the date by a week or more, today March 1st marks the official release of my newest medical novel,
  LIFE SUPPORT.

Nurse Lauren Barclay puts life on hold to keep a watchful eye on her troubled sister. It’s why she’s back in Houston. But that means confronting the brooding Physician Assistant who caused painful turmoil in her family--and left Lauren with memories her heart can’t forget.

PA and single parent Elijah Landry is no stranger to stormy relationships, including his father, who is threatening him with a restraining order. It won’t stop Eli from protecting his disabled brother—or making peace with Lauren. He wants that and so much more.

But as Lauren and Eli draw closer, a powerful hurricane roars toward Houston. Survival instincts take priority and everything changes. Can hope weather the storm?

Someone please cue the champagne pop . . .   Thank you!

As you may know, this Houston set story is the final book in my Grace Medical series, and I am already working on the first of my three newly contracted books. But this in no way prohibits me leaving the keyboard long enough to throw a release celebration party. So let's do it!

Since Life Support's story includes a  lively Mardi Gras party, I thought we should serve slices of King Cake:

Mmm, grab a slice--and watch out for the little toy baby prize. Ah, you look great with purple sprinkles on your chin!  

And because I can't write a book without more than one sweet treat, how about we add some chocolate cherry scones from a scene at Houston's exceptional coffee spot, Ben's Beans?

Oh, and we must offer Eli Landry's brother's favorite food in the world: Blueberry Pancakes!

Yes, that works. But maybe we should have some protein, too . . . Louisiana style. Like Gumbo:

And some of those yummy salami-layered Cajun Muffuletta sandwiches:

Here, grab a napkin. And start tapping your toes. The band is starting up: 

Heads up, as soon as you finish your gumbo, it's your turn at the rub board. 

Now let's put some of this together with a brief snippet from LIFE SUPPORT:

***

Lauren opened the door to find festivities in full force . . . 

The air smelled of gumbo—chicken, smoky sausage, shrimp, tomatoes, peppers, garlic—spicy and pungent, but there was a bakery scent too, yeasty and sticky-sweet like frosting.  The Viettes had done an amazing job turning the homey great room into Mimaw’s version of the French Quarter in New Orleans, featuring a huge vinyl mural complete with brick walls and triple-story ironwork balconies, street signs, and even the gaudy likeness of costumed dancers and musicians. Green, purple, and gold streamers hung from the overhead beams. An elegant sequined mask was affixed to Auntie Odette’s smiling portrait. 

To say that there was music was an understatement.

The hardwood floor thrummed from speakers offering blues and jazz—saxophone, trumpet, piano—alternating with an upbeat blend of accordion and washboard: zydeco . . . 

Cyril must have caught Eli at the door, because he wore a trio of bead strings around his neck, a complete style clash with the pale striped shirt, jeans, and running shoes—all of it so different from the white coat and scrubs he wore at Houston Grace. His hair looked damp. Rain maybe, or more likely he’d showered after leaving the hospital. But even beyond the beads and casual clothes, he seemed more than a little out of his element. His dark eyes were serious as he scanned the room, taking in the decorations and the crowd.

Oh, dear . . . Lauren’s stomach did a foolish somersault as their eyes met.

***

Great food, music, romance, medical drama, and hurricane brewing! I hope that's enough to entice you to give this new story a try. In fact, by way of continuing celebration, I'm going to help that along right now.

Let's a have book giveaway!

For your chance at one of FIVE signed copies of LIFE SUPPORT, leave a comment below about our launch party (do you like gumbo, was there a prize in your king cake, have you ever danced the Cajun jig, does a good romance story make your heart flutter?). Be sure to include your e-mail address so I can contact you if your name is chosen. I'll draw the winning names (via Random.Org) on Friday March 7th and contact the lucky winners by e-mail.

Good luck to you all. And have another slice of king cake!  Wheeee (rubbing my knuckles on the washboard and tooting a kazoo): LIFE SUPPORT has released!! 

**For another chance to win a copy of this book, check out fellow author Dr. Richard M. Mabry's blog where I explain how a book release is a bit like giving birth:  RANDOM JOTTINGS, The Expectant Author **