Friday, February 5, 2016


It's
Cozy Food Friday 

That means it's time to share a recipe from 
another great cozy mystery!

Today I'm featuring a recipe from
MURDER AT PEACOCK MANSION
Book 3 in the Blue Plate Café Mysteries
by
JUDY ALTER


Arson, a bad beating, and a recluse who claims someone is trying to kill her all collide in this third Blue Plate Café Mystery with Kate Chambers. Torn between trying to save David Clinkscales, her old boss and new lover, and curiosity about Edith Aldridge’s story of an attempt on her life, Kate has to remind herself she has a café to run. She nurses a morose David, whose spirit has been hurt as badly as his body, and tries to placate Mrs. Aldridge, who was once accused of murdering her husband but acquitted. One by one, Mrs. Aldridge’s stepchildren enter the picture. Is it coincidence that David is Edith Aldridge’s lawyer? Or that she seems to rely heavily on the private investigator David hires? First the peacocks die…and then the people. Everyone is in danger, and no one knows who to suspect.

MY REVIEW


A well written mystery that pulled me in.

MURDER AT PEACOCK MANSION is my first book by author Judy Alter, but certainly won’t be my last.

I immediately liked Ms. Alter’s style of writing. As I mentioned above, her story pulled me in and I found myself so focused on the book, day had turned to night before I even looked up from the book.

Author Alter has created wonderfully layered characters, and placed them in a town I could easily envision. From chapter one until the last page, there was mystery and action in abundance in this fantastic story. With my mind racing and my heart pounding, I read the last sentence and wished there was more.

I’ll be going back and reading the first two books in the Blue Plate Café Mysteries, and I urge you to check this series out for yourself.

And, you’ll want to take a look at the back of the book for some yummy recipes.

On to the recipe! 

CHEESEBURGER SOUP
This one is hearty and always popular with the
 café customers during winter months

Ingredients

2 carrots, grated
1 onion, chopped 
2 stalks celery, chopped 
8 cups diced potatoes, partially boiled 
1 box chicken broth, low sodium 
¼ cup flour 
½ - 1 lb. hamburger meat
½ cup milk 
¼ cup sour cream 
½ lb. Velveeta 
Salt and pepper to taste


Directions 

Brown the meat and drain. 
Melt ¼ cup butter in large pot and sauté onion, and celery until clear. 
Add cooked hamburger meat, potatoes, carrots and broth.
Simmer until potatoes are fully tender. 

Separately, melt ¼ cup butter and add flour; stir until thick. 
Add soup to thicken. 
Add cheese, cut in chunks, and milk to the main pot. 
Stir  until cheese melts. 
Simmer as long as you want.



Just before serving, remove from heat and add sour cream.

You can play with the amount of cheese and meat to make a heartier soup if you want.

All photos courtesy of Google Images. 
Your dish may vary in appearance.


Please keep reading and check out my 
installments of 
Book Beginnings on Fridays
and
The Friday 56

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My Book Beginnings and Friday 56
 for this week are also from 
MURDER AT PEACOCK MANSION

Book Beginnings on Fridays is a meme hosted by Rose City Reader
Share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading.

My Book Beginnings...

I was stewing in my own juices that April evening, as I sliced tomatoes and green onions and diced avocado for a salad. David said he was coming in for dinner and I'd fixed a tourtiè, a French-Canadian meat pie I'd been longing to try. It came out of the oven smelling heavenly, and I optimistically poured wine and tossed a salad. Surely David would be along any minute. 

The Friday 56 is a meme hosted by Freda's Voice
Rules: *Grab a book, any book. *Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader (If you have to improvise, that's okay.) *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you. *Post it.

My Friday 56...

"Hospital! That's just it. I have found out, in a roundabout way that my lawyer has been badly beaten. I'm afraid he's dead."

I held the phone away from my ear and stared at it, as though I'd imagined that last statement. Distantly, I could hear her calling, "Miss Chambers? Kate?" 


As always, please leave a comment and 
let me know what you think!

Follow my blog by 
clicking on the link in the 
upper right hand corner of this page.

10 comments:

  1. Thanks, Lisa. The cheeseburger soup sounds delicious. Happy Friday.

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  2. I'm starving and cold so this soup looks absolutely amazing! This is an author I haven't come across before but I'm definitely curious!

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  3. Thanks, Lisa. The cheeseburger soup sounds delicious. Hope you have a good day.

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  4. Thanks for sharing about the book and the recipe. :-)

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  5. Following from Book Beginnings at Rose City Reader.

    That recipe reminds me of a Wisconsin Cheese Soup they served at the first place I worked. :O) I'd be drawn to the book just from the cover, but it does sound like a good read!

    Here's my Book Beginnings et al.

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  6. The book sounds really good. Happy weekend!

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  7. That cover is pretty cool! Sounds like another good one! The recipe looks very tasty also. Thanks!

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  8. Peacocks! This sounds like a good one, plus cheeseburger soup is the best! :)

    Check out my Friday 56 (With Book Beginnings).

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