Heavenly Honeymoon (Zoe Donovan Mysteries Book 15) (16 page)
Read Heavenly Honeymoon (Zoe Donovan Mysteries Book 15) Online
Authors: Kathi Daley
Charlotte tilted her head as she watched me.
“I know what you’re thinking, but it’s not true. I don’t have a crush on Mr. Danner. Yes, he’s very good-looking, and we seem to share a lot of interests in common, but he’s five years younger than I am. Besides, his wife hasn’t been gone all that long. I’m sure the last thing he’s interested in doing is dating a sixty-two-year-old virgin.”
Charlotte rolled over onto her back. I sat down on the side of the bed and gave her stomach a scratch as I pictured the new math teacher. He did have a nice smile, and the creases in the corners of his eyes turned upward, indicating that he smiled a lot. And really, if you think about it, a five-year age difference wasn’t all that insurmountable once you passed the half-century mark.
“I’m just being a silly old woman.” I stood up. “A man with Mr. Danner’s looks and experience would never be interested in a dried-up old prune like me.”
I set my ridiculous fantasies aside and continued with my nightly rituals. After stacking the extra pillows on my white tufted chaise, I poured myself a cup of tea from the warming pot I’d already brought up, and added a splash of brandy. I then slid between my 1500-thread count sheets and settled in.
“Are you ready?”
Charlotte indicated that she was.
After placing my reading glasses on the tip of my nose, I adjusted the light and opened the hardcover book I’d chosen from the bookcase. Charlotte crawled into my lap and began to purr as I began to read aloud. Reading aloud to Charlotte was an activity we both enjoyed immensely, and it was a rare occasion when we missed this ritual at the end of the day. Tonight I’d chosen to once again begin the story of
Emma
by Jane Austin. Emma had spunk. I liked that.
Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her.
I paused and contemplated the sentence. Could a life with little to vex or distress truly be a life worth living? I smiled as I continued with the story. I had a feeling that my controlled and efficient life was about to get a whole lot more complicated, and for the first time I realized that I couldn’t wait to see how it all turned out.
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Recipes by Kathi Daley:
Easy Ice Cream Pie
Easy Lemon Pie
Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
Apricot Oatmeal Cookies
Blueberry Catch the Boy Dessert submitted by Joanne Kocourek
Chocolate Cherry Bars submitted by Joyce Aiken
Cooky Candy submitted by Pamela Curran
Rocky Road Pie contributed by Nancy Farris
Poppy Seed Cake submitted by Vivian Shane
Sad Cake submitted by Janel Flynn
Ingredients:
1 premade graham cracker crust
1 pint any flavor ice cream, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 carton (8 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 can pie filling, any flavor
Chocolate or caramel syrup
Layer ice cream into pie crust.
Mix together cream cheese, sugar, and whipped topping.
Layer cream cheese mixture over ice cream.
Add pie filling to top.
Cover and freeze for 3–4 hours.
Drizzle with chocolate or caramel just before serving.
There are a lot of yummy combinations to try. I like chocolate ice cream with cherry or boysenberry topping drizzled with chocolate syrup, or vanilla ice cream with apple filling drizzled with caramel. It’s fun to try a variety of combinations.
Ingredients:
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 can (6 oz.) frozen lemonade concentrate
1 carton (8 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 graham cracker crust
Combine milk and lemonade. Fold in whipped topping. Spoon into crust. Chill until ready to serve.
Ingredients:
1 box graham cracker crust (follow directions on box to make in 9 x 13 pan)
½ cup peanut butter
½ cup chocolate sauce
½ cup corn syrup
3 cups cold milk
1 pkg. instant chocolate pudding
1 carton (12 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 cup peanuts, chopped
Mix together peanut butter, chocolate sauce, and corn syrup.
Pour into pie crust.
Whisk milk and pudding for 2 minutes. Let stand 2 minutes.
Spoon into pie crust.
Spread with whipped topping.
Sprinkle with peanuts.
Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours or until set.
Ingredients:
2 sticks margarine, softened
1½ cups packed brown sugar
⅓ cup molasses
3 eggs
3 cups quick cooking oats
1 tbs. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 pkg. (6 oz.) dried apricots, chopped
Cream together shortening and brown sugar. Beat in molasses. Add eggs. Mix well. Add dry ingredients. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours.
Shape into 1 inch balls. Place 1 inch apart and bake on greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees until browned.
Contributed by Joanne Kocourek
My grandma or mom called the cake by the title above. They said it was because the men and boyfriends or brothers would beg for it. It is similar to a blueberry buckle but unique. I added several ingredients that make the cake more to my family members’ liking. The original recipe was in one of Grandma’s cookbooks from the late 1920s (with Grandma’s notations on quantities).
Ingredients:
Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour, lightly spooned into measuring cup and leveled with a knife
1 tbs. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup whole buttermilk
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (if using frozen berries, thaw, drain well, dry before using)
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. almond or vanilla extract
¾ tsp. lemon zest
Topping:
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Adjust the rack to the best position for baking in your oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 baking pan and set aside.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium high speed for about 3 minutes or until light and fluffy (scrape the bowl as necessary).
Add eggs one at a time, beating until just combined after each addition. Reduce speed to medium and add ⅓ of the flour mixture, mixing until incorporated. Mix in ½ cup buttermilk. Repeat with another addition of flour, the rest of the buttermilk, and ending with the final addition of flour. Add the extract and lemon zest. Mix. Gently fold in the blueberries and spread the batter into the prepared pan.
Scatter the additional topping blueberries over the batter. Combine the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the blueberries. Bake for 45–55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 20 minutes (or completely) before cutting into squares and serving. Serve warm or at room temperature, plain, topped with sweetened whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or a simple white icing.
Submitted by Joyce Aiken
This recipe has been in my recipe box for at least forty years, but we still love it.
Base:
1 pkg. devil’s food cake mix
21 oz. can cherry pie filling
1 tsp. almond extract
2 eggs, beaten
Topping:
1 cup sugar
5 tbs. butter or margarine
⅓ cup milk
6 oz. pkg. chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan. In large bowl, combine the base ingredients and stir by hand until well mixed. Pour into pan and bake 25–30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, and milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and stir for one minute after the mixture begins to boil. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chocolate chips until chips are smooth. Pour over warm bars. Makes about 3 dozen.
Submitted by Pamela Curran
I got this recipe from my mother-in-law, Rose Curran. I make it when I get a chocolate craving. She has passed away, so she would be thrilled for me to share it.
Ingredients:
1 stick margarine
2 cups sugar
⅓ cup cocoa
½ cup milk
Bring to a rolling boil for 1 minute or so. Remove from heat and add:
3 cups quick cooking oats
½ cup of nuts (pecans are preferable)
½ cup coconut
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix together and drop by teaspoon on wax paper. Let cool until firm.
These also freeze well. The serving amount depends on how big you make the cookies.
Contributed by Nancy Farris
One of our favorite desserts for hot summer days! Did I mention how easy it is?
1 graham cracker crust
1 qt. chocolate ice cream, softened
½ cup peanuts, coarsely chopped
¼ cup chocolate chips
½ cup marshmallow cream
¼ cup chocolate syrup, split
Combine ice cream, peanuts and chocolate chips until well mixed. Put in crust. Swirl in the marshmallow cream and 2 tbs. of the chocolate syrup for a marbled effect. Top with the remaining chocolate syrup and top with additional chopped peanuts. Freeze for at least 2 hours until firm. Cut into slices, top with whipped cream if desired, and enjoy!
Submitted by Vivian Shane
This simple cake is one of my favorites because it doesn’t need frosting!
1 box yellow cake mix (without pudding)
3 tbs. poppy seeds
1 small pkg. vanilla instant pudding
½ tsp. baking powder
¾ cup Wesson oil, butter flavor (add ½ tsp. butter flavor if not buttery oil)
4 eggs
1 cup hot water
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Mix all ingredients together.
Pour batter into greased and floured Bundt pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Cool and remove from pan.
Optional: sprinkle with powdered sugar.