It's

Cozy Food Friday!

Today's recipe comes from

THE COZY CHRISTMAS MOVIE COOKBOOK

by Holly Carpenter

‘Tis the season for cozy comforts, delicious holiday treats, and having a good cry while watching your favorite Christmas movies! The Cozy Christmas Movie Cookbook​: Mouthwatering Food to Enjoy During Your Favorite Holiday Films brings you 100 recipes inspired by America’s most adored Christmas films, from Northpole to The Christmas Train, A Royal Christmas, and many more! Give the gift of seasonal fun to the holiday film-lover in your life, or enjoy the dozens of recipes—from snacks and small bites, to Christmas cookies and cakes, to warming drinks and cocktails, with a recommended film to watch with each—while curled up next to your Christmas tree, in the seasonal glow of your own home.
 
Snack on popcorn treats as you wrap gifts, pipe frosting onto Christmas cookies with your favorite Lacey Chabert or Danica McKellar film on in the background, and bake up a storm for your next party. Have a lovely Christmas with the perfect companion cookbook to the most wonderful time of year. You’ll find yourself cozying up to your most cherished films with delectable recipes from this very special cookbook!

I know it's not Christmas. However, it is cold for most of us. And this sounded way too cold weather cozy to pass it up.

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ZOE'S SNOWED-IN GRILLED CHEESE CASSEROLE

photo property of www.purewow.com

This recipe is from Christmas in Evergreen.

Ingredients

3 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese

1½ teaspoons dried basil, divided

12 slice Italian bread (½-inch thick)

6 slices part-skim mozzarella cheese

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

½ cup tomato paste

1 garlic clove, minced

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1¾ cups 2% milk

2 large eggs

1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend or part-skim mozzarella cheese

photo property of www.delish.com

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a bowl, combine the cream cheese and 1 teaspoon of the basil and spread the mixture onto 6 slices of bread. Divide the mozzarella cheese evenly among the slices and top them each with the remaining bread slices. Butter the outsides of each sandwich before placing them in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.

2. Add tomato paste, garlic, salt, pepper, and remaining basil to a small saucepan and cook, while stirring, over medium heat for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk, bring the mixture to simmer, stirring frequently, until it thickens, about 4-5 minutes. Remove saucepan from the heat.

3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and then slowly add in the sauce mixture. Pour the sauce over the sandwiches in the baking dish. Top everything with an even sprinkling of shredded cheese and bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes or until it's golden brown with melted cheese. Let the casserole stand 10 minutes before serving. 

photo property of www.mr.food.com

What do you think? Sound good?

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To get you ready for Cozy Food Friday tomorrow, let's get your mouths watering with this treat from 2007!

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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

BAKED TO DEATH

Book 2 in the Cookies & Chance Mysteries

by

Catherine Bruns

From #1 bestselling culinary cozy mystery author Catherine Bruns comes the next delightfully delicious Cookies & Chance Mystery... 

Baker turned reluctant amateur sleuth, Sally Muccio’s, finally found the happiness that’s eluded her for years. She’s in love with a great guy, her bakery is thriving, and now she and her best friend Josie Sullivan are gearing up to appear on the popular reality baking show, Cookie Crusades. But a visit from Sal’s greedy ex-husband Colin, who's looking to cash in on the bakery’s dough, changes everything. Within a few hours Sal’s world—like the shop’s original fortune cookies—is broken apart when Colin turns up dead, and her boyfriend’s arrested for the crime. Now Sal’s mixing it up with vengeful ex-inlaws, a suspicious new employee, slippery baking competitors, and a greasy mobster who’ll stop at nothing to collect on Colin’s unpaid debt. Can Sal prove her man is innocent in time? Or is she about to get baked herself? 
**Recipes Included!** 

On to the recipe!

CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI

Ingredients

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter, softened 

2 eggs 

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder 

¼ teaspoon baking soda 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 

¼ cup chopped walnuts, if desired 

½ cup mini chocolate chips 

Directions 

Preheat over to 375° Fahrenheit

Cream sugar, baking powder, and butter in large mixing bowl until light and fluffy.

Add eggs and vanilla, and beat well. 

Beat in cocoa and flour. 

Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. 

Divide and shape dough into (2) 9x2x1-inch loaves. 

Place loaves about 4 inches apart on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. 

Bake for about 25 minutes, remove from oven, and then let cool. 

Cut loaves into slices (diagonal) about ½-inch thick. 

Flip the slices on their sides on the cookie sheet. 

Bake at 325° Fahrenheit until brown. 

Turn slices over, and bake the other side in the same manner. 

Be sure to keep an eye on the chocolate while it's baking. 

Transfer cookies to wire racks, and cool completely. 

Makes between two and three dozen, depending on the thickness. 

Texture should be on the soft side. 

MY REVIEW

BAKED TO DEATH is a sweet way to go…if you’re looking for a great mystery!

In this tasty installment of the Cookies & Chance mysteries, BFFs, business partners, and bakers, Sally Muccio and Josie Sullivan find themselves in the world of reality competition TV on the show, Cookie Crusades. This story also finds Sally involved in a murder that hits too close to home.

Author Catherine Bruns is an exceptional writer who knows how to keep the readers’ attention. BAKED TO DEATH was an enjoyable story from the fun beginning, through the tension packed storyline, all the way to the satisfying end.

I’m very much looking forward to a third book in this fun series!

Check out the amazing cookie recipes at the back of the book! You’ll also find an excerpt of KILLER TRANSACTION, book one in the Cindy York Mysteries, also by Catherine Bruns.

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See you tomorrow for our regularly scheduled 

Cozy Food Friday!

As always, please leave a comment 

and let me know what you think!

Follow my blog by submitting your email in 

the upper right hand corner of this page 

(on the side bar).

Reading from your phone? Scroll to the bottom of

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Happy Wednesday friends!

Time for another 

Who Wrote That?

I'll be posting a short scene from a cozy mystery, and you guess who wrote it! 

Don't worry, it's a multiple choice!

Write the author's name in the comments, your full name (first & last name) and the email address you use for Amazon (I won't post your comment here) because . . . 

The winner will receive a 

$5.00 Amazon Gift Card!

If more than one person guesses correctly, a name will be drawn randomly from those names.

 

Hugging herself against the morning chill, Lara strolled toward the top of the hill and looked out over the landscape. A light wind lifted the ends of her hair. In the meadow below, behind the town park, the field grasses tilted in the breeze. How many winters had she sledded on this hill, gliding down the snowy slope on her aunt’s ancient Flexible Flyer? This was the parcel of land, she realized, that Theo Barnes had been pressuring her aunt to sell.

From where she stood, the block that housed Sherry’s coffee shop was visible. Across the street from that was the town library, a one-story red brick affair that looked as if it hadn’t changed in decades. Another old building squatted next to the library. With its dreary gray shingles and shallow front steps, it had all the trappings of an ugly apartment house.

A sudden flurry of movement in the meadow caught Lara’s attention. It was an animal on the prowl, sleek and stealthy, and— Lara took in a quick breath.

It was Blue, stalking through the field toward the base of the hill, her aquamarine eyes seemingly fixed on Lara’s.

“Blue,” she called softly to the cat. “Come here, sweet kitty.”

The cat continued moving but then shot off through the tall grass, heading in the direction of the brook.

Lara scuttled down the hill as quickly as she could, determined to catch up with the elusive feline. The cat was trotting through the grassy field as if on a mission. Lara was so focused on keeping Blue in her line of vision that she didn’t notice the jutting rock embedded in the ground. It caught the toe of her boot. In the next instant she pitched forward, her arms flailing in a clumsy attempt to break her fall. She tumbled to the ground, skidding on her stomach, almost to the bottom of the hill.

For a moment Lara just lay there, her breath coming in sharp gasps. She rolled over and sat up, groaning as she tested her limbs. Everything worked, although the palm of her right hand was scraped and sore.

After tossing a few colorful curses at the rock that betrayed her, she hauled herself to her feet and began brushing dirt and grass from her hands and sweater. She slapped at her jeans to dislodge the clinging bits of dirt and grass. She hoped Aunt Fran’s washing machine was in good working condition. At the rate she was going, she’d be running a load through very soon.

One last time, Lara glanced around for any sign of Blue, but the cat was MIA. By now Aunt Fran was probably awake and wondering where she’d disappeared to. She felt her stomach rumble. It was time she made breakfast for the two of them.

Lara turned to start back up the hill when something caught her eye—a swatch of red, maybe thirty feet away, that she hadn’t noticed before. Whatever it was, it was slumped behind the granite bench at the rear of the town’s property. Had someone left an old blanket there? Could it be something that belonged to Aunt Fran?

She moved gingerly toward the red lump. A weird chill crept up her spine. Nothing in the meadow had ever frightened her before, but now she felt oddly afraid.

Lara halted abruptly in her tracks.

It wasn’t a blanket, as she’d first thought. It was a jacket—a red-and-black checkered jacket.

A jacket still worn by its very dead owner, Theo Barnes.

Who wrote that?

1. Sheri Randall

2. Larissa Reinhart

3. Sofie Ryan

4. Barbara Ross

5. Linda Reilly  

Remember to leave your guess of author, your full name, email you use for Amazon, and, if different, the email where I can reach you. Most importantly, check in on Sunday morning's blog for the winner's name.

As always, please leave a comment 

and let me know what you think!

Follow my blog by submitting your email in 

the upper right hand corner of this page 

(on the side bar).

Reading from your phone? Scroll to the bottom of

your page and click "View web version". Then follow 

the above directions.

 

Valentine's Day is coming soon. It's not a day of romance for me, but a day to celebrate those in my life such as family members, and friends. It's also a fun time to read cozy mysteries set during this holiday!

Check out these Valentine's themed cozies!

PART ONE

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, Jane Steward is organizing a week of activities for fans of love stories at her book-themed resort. But her Regency readers barely have time to brush up on their Jane Austen before tragedy strikes Storyton Hall. Rosamund York, one of the most celebrated authors in attendance, is killed.

Rosamund had as many enemies as she did admirers, including envious fellow novelists, a jealous former lover, and dozens of angry fans. It’s up to Jane, with the help of her book club, the Cover Girls, to catalogue the list of suspects and find a heartless killer quickly—before the murderer writes someone else off…

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, Jane Steward is organizing a week of activities for fans of love stories at her book-themed resort. But her Regency readers barely have time to brush up on their Jane Austen before tragedy strikes Storyton Hall. Rosamund York, one of the most celebrated authors in attendance, is killed.

Rosamund had as many enemies as she did admirers, including envious fellow novelists, a jealous former lover, and dozens of angry fans. It’s up to Jane, with the help of her book club, the Cover Girls, to catalogue the list of suspects and find a heartless killer quickly—before the murderer writes someone else off…

It's Valentine's Day at TenHuis Chocolade, but Lee is getting no love from detective Derrick Valentine. He's looking for one of their new employees-an abused woman who Lee and her Aunt Nettie have been hiding. But when Valentine meets his own sticky end, it's Aunt Nettie who is suspect. Now, Lee has to free Nettie of guilt without exposing their innocent guest-and find a killer with a heart that's definitely not made of chocolate...

Bernie and Libby, owners of A Taste of Heaven, have plans to partner up with the Just Chocolate store for a taste-tempting Valentine's Day fundraiser featuring pairings of exotic chocolates, food, and wine, as well as a bachelor auction. And though Bernie isn't too happy about her boyfriend volunteering to be auctioned off, she's got too much on her plate to be jealous: one of the coolers is leaking; they need a new butter supplier, and the mother of a very good client has died.

Putting their preparations on hold, Bernie and Libby attend the funeral, only to be recruited to help solve a mystery. In an old cemetery-turned-lover's-lane, the body of Ted Gorman has been found in someone else's grave. The same Ted Gorman who supposedly died in a fiery car crash weeks earlier.

Ted was the owner–with his wife–of Just Chocolate. So now, as Bernie and Libby continue working with the grieving widow, they open up a mixed box of dark financial scandal, sticky family ties, bittersweet passion, and just desserts.

Includes Scrumptious Dessert Recipes for You to Try!

When Cupid comes to town it seems everyone’s relationship is in for a challenge. Not only does Zoe suspect that her dad’s new girlfriend is really a killer, but Zoe is the only one who believes that her soon-to- be evil stepmom is guilty of such a dastardly deed. Add that to the fact that Zak clearly has a secret, Jeremy’s baby mama is making his life as miserable as her pregnancy is making hers, Levi’s girlfriend Barbie is on a rampage, and Ellie is caught in a brotherly love triangle, and you have a Valentine’s Day disaster in the making. When Zoe finds not one but two dead bodies all bets are off as she works with her friends to uncover the truth before someone she loves falls victim to Cupid's Curse.

If you love small towns, endearing relationships, food, animals, and a touch of murder, you will love this new mystery series by Kathi Daley, author of the popular Zoe Donovan Cozy Mystery Series. It is Valentine's Day in White Eagle Montana and Tess and Tilly are busier than ever delivering Valentine Cards along with the daily mail. Of course it wouldn't be Valentine's Day in White Eagle without a mystery to solve or a holiday adoption party to prepare for. When Tess happens upon a vehicle accident where one man dies, she gets pulled into a mystery with roots into the past. With Tony's help she not only tracks down a killer but she looks into the occurrence of a missing person as well. Tony is still looking into the case of Tess's father's disappearance, meanwhile Tess and Tilly team up with Brady to make sure that every animal shelter resident finds their perfect match in time for Valentine's Day.

Mystery bookstore owner Annie Laurance didn't really want to go to her neighbor's Valentine Day masked ball -- particularly not after the voluptuous brunette made a pass at Annie's husband, Max. So when her dizzy mother-in-law, Laurel, made a surprise visit to Broward's Rock Island, Annie thought it would be a perfect excuse to skip the party. She should have known better: True to form, Laurel accepted the invitation for all three of them. But the biggest surprise of all came at the party's end, when Annie found the amorous hostess in the gazebo--murdered.

Food and cocktails columnist Hayley Powell is not looking for love this Valentine's Day. Of course she also isn't planning on looking for a murderer. . .

Fed up with dating after a disastrous setup, the only thing Hayley wants to snuggle up to is a box of made-to-order chocolates from plus-sized, plus-mouthed chocolatier Bessie Winthrop. But when Bessie is found dead in her kitchen, only Hayley suspects that Bessie's "heart attack" might actually be a candy-coated murder.

Turns out Bessie had more enemies than a boxful of chocolates, each one a suspicious flavor. It's sticky business juggling a job, two teenagers and finding a killer, but it's better than letting a killer find Hayley first. . .

Includes seven delectable recipes from Hayley's kitchen!

Love is in the air as freelance writer Jaine Austen begins a new job at the Dates of Joy matchmaking service--but between juggling her boss's demands, deflecting the advances of an eccentric suitor, and tracking down a calculating killer, she hardly has time to think about romance. . .

When Jaine lands a job writing web copy and brochures for matchmaker Joy Amoroso, she's excited for a chance to help the lovelorn just in time for Valentine's Day--until she realizes what "Dates of Joy" is really all about. Joy is a ruthless taskmaster who screams at her employees for the smallest infractions, pads her website with pictures of professional models posing as clients, and offers up convincing but empty promises of love in exchange for inordinate sums of money. And woe betide anyone who lays a finger on her heavily guarded stash of chocolates.

So it's no surprise when the chiseling cupid turns up dead at a Valentine's Day mixer. Aghast to find herself on the cops' suspect list, Jaine sets out to track down the killer. Who could it be? Joy's harried assistants, whose lives she made a living hell? Her younger lover? The handsome hunk of a client with a secret in his past? Or the furious Beverly Hills widow who forked over the last of her savings for a Prince Charming who never materialized?

Joy left behind a slew of enemies struck by her deviant arrows, so finding the culprit may prove harder than spotting that elusive caramel praline in a box of chocolates--and Jaine will have to flirt with danger to get to the truth. . .

Releases February 9, 2023

Juniper Holiday’s annual Valentines Day party is all about love and romance... and this year, it’s also about murder.

When the grand prize winner is found dead in the bathroom, there are very few clues as to who did it. With a house full of guests, there are plenty who had means and opportunity, but who had motive?

Detective Mallard is already in trouble with his boss, so he needs to solve this one fast... even if that means getting some help from the mansion ghosts.

And just when Juniper thinks she has it all figured out, she discovers that making the wrong assumptions can be deadly.

Check back Saturday for Part Two of Valentine's Cozies!

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

Follow my blog by submitting your email in
upper right hand corner of this page (on the side bar).

Reading from your phone? Scroll to the bottom of your page and click" View web version" . Then follow the above directions.