Starke Deadly Delicious FREE March 17th in honor of St. Paddy's Day

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

In honor of this oh-so-Irish holiday, Starke Deadly Delicious Recipes is FREE, Monday March 17th! One reason? It contains a recipe for slumgullion, that oh-so-Irish dish. And here's a variation on slumgullion, a slumgullion salad recipe, great for lunch if you overindulge celebrating the holiday! ENJOY!

SLUMGULLION SALAD

A twist on an old traditional salad

The inspiration for this "leftovers" salad came from the simple Greek salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and feta cheese, with vinegar and oil dressing. But never stop there—slumgullion salad can be any mixture of vegetables that you like. You can even mix cooked and raw veggies.

Some combos that work well are:

Either raw or cooked broccoli and cauliflower (or one can be cooked and one raw, trust me, it works) with raw or cooked carrots.

Cold cooked brussel sprouts with garbanzo beans and raw carrots

Add fresh tomatoes to any slumgullion salad (not cooked or canned, because it is too reminiscent of spaghetti sauce and the tomatoes are too liquid)

Add garbanzo, lima beans or white beans to the Greek salad

Add olives to the salad, or capers 

Add nuts and/or dried cranberries or raisinsAdd chopped apple or pineapple, or even mangos, if you like sweetness with your salad

Some combos to avoid:

Tomatoes are a strong flavor, so be careful what you mix them with, apples and tomatoes don't mix well, for example.

Avoid adding too many ingredients together, this will create a murky, muddy taste, with no one taste standing out.

Avoid too much of the strong tasting topping, for example too many nuts or olives or capers will overwhelm the salad, and in the case of pickled olives and capers, will make the salad too salty. 

No bake healty gluten free chocolate balls for Valentine's Day!

SWEETS FOR YOUR SWEETIE FOR A

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

If you have an avocado, and some cocoa you can make these fast and so healthy and yummy (especially if you use the stevia.)

Ingredients:

1 large avocado
2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 teaspoon stevia (to taste) (or 1 tsp additional sugar, again to taste)
2 tsp. powdered sugar (optional)
1 cup old fashioned oats, processed with a food processor into flour ( make sure to use Gluten-Free)

Instructions

Add parchment paper to a plate or half size baking sheet or if you have a nonstick cookie sheet that will also work.
In a bowl mash the avocado, until smooth. Mix in cocoa powder, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix until well incorporated. Taste test it, to see how much stevia/sugar you want to use adding slowly. Add oat flour and mix well.
Take about a tablespoon size of batter in your hands and roll into a ball and place on prepared baking. The batter will be soft. If you want a more firm batter, add a pinch more rolled oats, but be careful not to get too dry.
Optional: roll the balls in the powdered sugar before placing on the plate. Pretty!
Place the baking sheet in the freezer or refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Once frozen or hardened place your balls in a ziplock freezer bag and store in the freezer or refrigerator and let warm for a few minutes before indulging.

ENJOY!

And through today, Valentines Day, my dessert cookbook The Mall Fairies Sweet Tooth Cookbook is FREE. More sweets for your sweetie!

Easy Gluten Free Flour Recipe for baking Valentine sweets!

A Valentine's Day Valentine with a few of my covers, created by the incomparable Kim Scott!

This is the best and easiest gluten free flour I've found. But make sure you see the baking tips at the end of the recipe for close-to-regular-flour baking. I have yet to find an exact substitute for wheat flour--any of my readers have recipes? This comes close, but will have a slightly different texture.

4 cups brown or white rice flour
1 1/3 cups potato starch (not potato flour)
2/3 cup tapioca flour (also called tapioca starch) 

When measuring scoop the amounts lightly and don't pack into the cup. I double the amounts and put in a large plastic bin container and then shake the container over and around and up and down and side to side until well mixed. Great exercise! If you use the flour as a one to one substitute then baked goods will be a little dry, but here's a couple of tips:

For desserts: halve the liquid and/or oil amount and use non-sweetened applesauce instead. There is something about the fiber in the applesauce that retains the moisture. 

For all baked goods:

Xanthum gum: I often add a scant teaspoon to a recipe, again this retains the moisture while baking. Be careful with Xanthum gum, too much and it will cause an odd, bitter taste.

Often I also add a teaspoon or two of egg replacer as again this helps the texture. (Note: if you can use real eggs, they are best to use.)

You can find lots of recipes to use this flour with in my dessert cookbook The Mall Fairies Sweet Tooth Cookbook! 

Enjoy! And any tips/recipes happily accepted!

An Egg Free, Dairy Free, Delicious Chocolate Cupcake Recipe for Valentine's Day, Fast and Easy to Make!

Wacky Cake Cupcakes, Yum!

No time to make a spectacular sweet for your sweetie for that special day? No worries, here's a quick, easy and delicious recipe!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour
3 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (may be omitted)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon white or apple or coconut vinegar

 6 tablespoons vegetable oil (canola oil works well or coconut oil warm to liquid, but not hot!)
1 cup cold water

Directions:

Preheat 350 degrees F.

Mix the dry ingredients well in a bowl. Make 3 small holes in the mixture. Pour the vanilla in one hole, the vinegar in another and vegetable oil in another. Pour water over the top and mix. Pour into cupcake papers in a muffin tin and bake for around 15 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Makes about 8-10 cupcakes, depending on size.

Plenty good plain or you can frost using one of the frosting recipes in The Mall Fairies Sweet Tooth Cookbook.

ENJOY!

Promo, Passion and New Year's Resolutions for Writers

My first audio book, published December 26th and it's a Christmas Story!

It's that time of year when people with product to sell go insane with promo, promo, promo. I'm one of the worst. I grew up in the ski resort of Sun Valley, Idaho. There, the two weeks before Christmas are make or break for many businesses. Having grown up with this as a business model, it's difficult for me to remember what my good friend Kathy McIntosh, award winning author of Mustard's Last Stand said: "Readers will read the day after Christmas." Yet, it's true. Readers read. And no one knows what promotion works and how or even why.

It's that time of year when people look back and then forward, twisting their necks trying to do both. I'm one of the worst. Wry neck anyone? However, this year, instead of second-guessing and predicting and following old patterns, my resolutions are all about trying something new.

My resolutions (feel free to steal):

1. What, me worry? Since no one knows what works in this new publishing world and since it changes moment to moment, one of my resolutions is to not worry about it! Do what I can and let it go. Focus on the writing.

2. See above, especially focus on the writing. The one thing everyone seems to agree on is that the one major thing that leads to success for a writer: write better and write more.

3. See above, especially focus on the writing. Because it is also following my bliss and living in my passion.

SO my New Year's Resolution is: Relax, follow my bliss and enjoy the journey.

What's yours?

Christmas Wishes with FREE Cookbook for Christmas Day and a Recipe too!

The Mall Fairies Sweet Tooth Cookbook is FREE through Christmas Day! Enjoy!

Merry Christmas all! And what better way to celebrate than with some sweet desserts? Here's a  favorite Christmas cookie recipe from The Mall Fairies Sweet Tooth Cookbook:

GINGERBREAD SPICED COOKIES

2 cups white flour
2 generous teaspoon baking soda
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp ginger
1/2 Tbsp cloves
1 Tbsp vanilla
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg or egg substitute
1/4 cup molasses
Sugar in a bowl to roll cookies

Sift together dry ingredients. Beat butter and sugar until combined and add egg and molasses and beat until mixed well. Beat in dry ingredients. Roll dough into 1" balls and roll in sugar. Place on cookie sheets and press slightly. Bake at 350 degrees 10-12 minutes or until lightly brown around edges.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

The Glory of Christmas Stories! With a link to a free Christmas Story!

The cover for one of my romance Christmas short stories, A RICE CRISPY CHRISTMAS as I always love reading and writing Christmas stories during the Christmas season, in any genre, ghost stories, mysteries and romance.

My addiction with Christmas stories began when I read A CHRISTMAS CAROL for the first time when I was ten. Now I re-read it and still always cry whenever I read "God bless us everyone." So in honor of A CHRISTMAS CAROL turning 170 published years old yesterday, here are quick reviews of three delightful Christmas short stories, plus here's my own free read CHRISTMAS KISSES.

THE UNWANTED CHRISTMAS GUEST by Penny Estelle

This charming romance story about a tough attorney with a true love for her Downs Syndrome daughter  is one of the best I've read for this season. In some ways it's the traditional Christmas romance story, but it differs in fantastic ways that add more levels to an already good short story. The author isn't afraid to take chances, both with her characters and her plot. I wanted this story to continue on past the end, what better recommendation?

THE CHRISTMAS GIFT by John McDonnell

A delightful offering about a homeless girl during the Depression for a traditional Christmas short story. What I loved was how well the author created his world and characters, with a deft touch, not too little, not too much. Added to my list of favorite Christmas stories.

CHRISTMAS AT THE NORTH POLE COMPOUND by Christine Verstraete This is an adorable read for a December night. I love that this story is a mystery and takes us deep into the modern world with the elves at the North Pole, where they even have security! This would be a great tale to read to youngsters, or read as an adult, as the adults will "get" the fun "elf" jokes spread liberally throughout.  Now dear readers, please share your favorite Christmas read!