It's beach time. Yeah. And I'm never ready to put on a bathing suit and expose the results of my dietary excess.
But a nice cover-up and a good book make for a delightful day by the ocean.
Some of my recent reads I recommend. None of these are new books but all are worth finding and buying.
LEAH'S CHOICE by Marta Perry. Romance among the Amish. This is the first in a series. Fabulous writing.
CATCH OF THE DAY by Kristin Higgins. Not your normal romance hero and heroine. Funny and sad and sexy.
LAKESIDE COTTAGE by Susan Wiggs. Pretty standard plot but not in the least boring. Very sexy without explicit details.
Not sure what I'll be taking to the beach to read, but I'll look for the latest books from any of these authors. And I may even download one to the Kindle I got as a Christmas present and so far have not used.
Flip flops and sand were made for one another.
Susan
Friday, June 29, 2012
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Reduced Prices on Avalon Books
Currently reading: Sylvester by Georgette Heyer.
For bargin hunters, a real bargin.
Since Amazon Publishing bought out Avalon Books, they have cut the orignal price of the books by half.
These are sweet books, contemporary and historical romances, westerns, and mysteries. They are nice hard cover books with great cover art. Check them out on Amazon.com by searching on Avalon Books under publishers. If you wonder about the quality or style, ask at your local libary if they have copies of the more recent releases. If not, they may be willing to request an inter-library loan.
Good reading from my library to yours,
Susan Ralph
For bargin hunters, a real bargin.
Since Amazon Publishing bought out Avalon Books, they have cut the orignal price of the books by half.
These are sweet books, contemporary and historical romances, westerns, and mysteries. They are nice hard cover books with great cover art. Check them out on Amazon.com by searching on Avalon Books under publishers. If you wonder about the quality or style, ask at your local libary if they have copies of the more recent releases. If not, they may be willing to request an inter-library loan.
Good reading from my library to yours,
Susan Ralph
Monday, June 25, 2012
Spelling Gremlins and Cauliflower Soup
So far the spelling gremlins--who are very sneaky--have been winning the battle. But by bringing the not so secret weapon--the formidable spell checker--up to the front lines, I may beat those pesky gremlins back more often than not. Cross my fingers.
I shan't list my most embarrassing errors. In case no one noticed...LOL.
Now for the Cauliflower Soup:
This is so good even my husband who hates cauliflower liked it It is also easy. I made only half the recipe which made enough for four generous sized servings.
I found the recipe on foodnetwork.com
The full recipe: 1 head cauliflower; 2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil; 1 small onion chopped; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 quart low-sodium chicken stock--I had left-over vegetable stock and substituted it for the chicken stock; 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (I used the kind in the container although I doubt that is what they used). Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Clean up the cauliflower by removing the leaves and the core. Coarsely chop. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the onion and garlic. Cook until softened but not browned--about 5 minutes. Add the cauliflower and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer, cover the pan and cook until the cauliflower is very soft and falling apart--about 15 minutes.
Remove from heat. Puree with a hand held immersion blender or let it cool a bit and puree in small batches in a blender. Return the entire batch to the pot. Stir in the Parmesan and season to taste with salt and black pepper.
They recommend a garnish of Parmesan crisps (which they give the recipe for) and chives.
The soup is silky and lush. I topped it with several pieces of roasted cauliflower with fresh sage and rosemary (another food network recipe).
A good soup and a good book can't be beat.
Susan
I shan't list my most embarrassing errors. In case no one noticed...LOL.
Now for the Cauliflower Soup:
This is so good even my husband who hates cauliflower liked it It is also easy. I made only half the recipe which made enough for four generous sized servings.
I found the recipe on foodnetwork.com
The full recipe: 1 head cauliflower; 2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil; 1 small onion chopped; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 quart low-sodium chicken stock--I had left-over vegetable stock and substituted it for the chicken stock; 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (I used the kind in the container although I doubt that is what they used). Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Clean up the cauliflower by removing the leaves and the core. Coarsely chop. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the onion and garlic. Cook until softened but not browned--about 5 minutes. Add the cauliflower and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer, cover the pan and cook until the cauliflower is very soft and falling apart--about 15 minutes.
Remove from heat. Puree with a hand held immersion blender or let it cool a bit and puree in small batches in a blender. Return the entire batch to the pot. Stir in the Parmesan and season to taste with salt and black pepper.
They recommend a garnish of Parmesan crisps (which they give the recipe for) and chives.
The soup is silky and lush. I topped it with several pieces of roasted cauliflower with fresh sage and rosemary (another food network recipe).
A good soup and a good book can't be beat.
Susan
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Books and Books
I've been doing a lot of reading lately. Just finished THE PROPOSAL by Mary Balogh. In my stack of recent reads, I'd put it near the top even though I thought the plot a bit weak and the outcome too predictable. You knew they were so crazy about each other from the beginning no external conflict would keep them apart. The hero and heroine are both past thirty and the heroine has been a celibate widow for years.
The main problem I had with this book was with the prologue which I question whether Ms. Balogh wrote it was so awful. By the time I finished it, I almost didn't go on. But I did. And by the end of the first page of Chapter one, I found the promise of the story and the characters enticing.
Has anyone ever found a prologue necessary? I usually skip over it and then read it after I finish the book. I cannot think of one time I thought they added anything to the story.
Good reading to you,
Susan
The main problem I had with this book was with the prologue which I question whether Ms. Balogh wrote it was so awful. By the time I finished it, I almost didn't go on. But I did. And by the end of the first page of Chapter one, I found the promise of the story and the characters enticing.
Has anyone ever found a prologue necessary? I usually skip over it and then read it after I finish the book. I cannot think of one time I thought they added anything to the story.
Good reading to you,
Susan
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Spring in June
Spring like weather in June. In North Carolina. What a great surprise.
And another huge surprise. Avalon Books, my publisher, has been sold to Amazon Publishing. A very exciting time for all Avalon authors as our books will soon be available for the Kindle and perhaps for other e-readers.
Who knew our sweet contemporary and historical romances, westerns and mysteries would have a second chance at life?
About other matters: My Basils are doing great. A fantastic use is to tear up a couple of leaves, or however many depending on the size of the salad, and toss them in. The Sage has gone crazy. A little goes a long way. But I found a fantatic recipe on-line that makes a marinade of Sage and lemon and olive oil for Salmon. Best Salmon I've ever tasted-except for the fresh Salmon served on a cruise ship in Alaska
Blessings to all.
From my weedy garden to yours
Susan
And another huge surprise. Avalon Books, my publisher, has been sold to Amazon Publishing. A very exciting time for all Avalon authors as our books will soon be available for the Kindle and perhaps for other e-readers.
Who knew our sweet contemporary and historical romances, westerns and mysteries would have a second chance at life?
About other matters: My Basils are doing great. A fantastic use is to tear up a couple of leaves, or however many depending on the size of the salad, and toss them in. The Sage has gone crazy. A little goes a long way. But I found a fantatic recipe on-line that makes a marinade of Sage and lemon and olive oil for Salmon. Best Salmon I've ever tasted-except for the fresh Salmon served on a cruise ship in Alaska
Blessings to all.
From my weedy garden to yours
Susan
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