Murder at Jade Cove (Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery Book 2) (19 page)
Read Murder at Jade Cove (Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery Book 2) Online
Authors: Dianne Harman
½
stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
Optional:
chopped pecans
Lightly
grease a 10-12 cup Bundt pan.
Arrange individual balls of dough in
the pan, evenly stacking one on top of another. Sprinkle each layer of the
balls of dough first with the dry pudding mix, then the brown sugar.
Pour melted butter over the top and
scatter with chopped pecans, if desired.
Cover with a towel and let rise
overnight, unrefrigerated.
When ready to cook the rolls, preheat
the oven to 325 degrees. Cook for 30 – 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let
stand for five minutes. Place a plate on top of pan and flip over. Slide the
pan up and off the rolls. Cut or pull off individual rolls and serve. Enjoy!
BREAKFAST TART
1
sheet frozen puff pastry dough, thawed
1
egg, lightly beaten combined with 1 teaspoon water (egg wash)
3
ounces crème fraiche (if you can’t find it, substitute 1 cup sour cream or 1
cup plain yogurt
2
ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded (I often substitute Jarlsberg or
Swiss
because it’s cheaper)
Salt
and pepper to taste
8
bacon slices, cooked until crisp
4
eggs
10
fresh chives, cut on the bias into ½” lengths
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly
grease a baking sheet with raised sides.
On a lightly floured surface, roll
out the pasty to approximately a 1/2” thickness and cut into a 10” x 8”
rectangle. Place the pastry on the prepared baking sheet. Using a paring knife,
lightly score the border ½” in from the edge of the pastry. Using a fork, prick
the center of the pastry about 10 times. Brush the border with the egg wash and
refrigerate for 15 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine the crème
fraiche and the cheese. Season with the salt and pepper.
Spread crème fraiche mixture on the
pastry, keeping the border clean. Lay the bacon on top and slightly overlap the
slices. Bake the tart 15 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Using a fork, prick any large air
pockets on the pastry. Crack the eggs onto the tart, spacing them about 2”
apart. Bake until egg whites are set and yolks are still soft, approximately 7
– 10 minutes. Transfer the tart to a platter and garnish with the chives. Serve
and enjoy!
Here's an incredible book
that turned my life upside down, literally.
I wish I'd read it 40 years back. It
would have saved me a lot of heartache and made life so much easier. I've never
come across something this good in recent times, and boy do I read a lot. The
author (
http://www.vivekrajanvivek.com
) has been endorsed by
Brian Tracy and T Harv Eker.
The Best Book on
Money and Success That'll Take You to the Top
A
New Beginning
It was the first week
of March and Spring was just around the corner, eager to burst forth and bless
everyone with life and warmth once more. A beaming sun and blue skies dotted
with white fluffy clouds greeted all those who had assembled. Smiles abounded,
and even those who were grouchy couldn't help flashing their pearly or not so
pearly whites.
The organization
catered to those who needed someone "to listen" to them in their
moment of crises, and in the long run steer them away, tactfully, from
committing suicide. It had been in existence for decades, tucked away in a
quaint house in a leafy neighborhood in the suburbs. What these callers didn't
realize was that
loneliness was killing them, slowly and softly.
Those who called the
helpline came from all walks of life and over the decades the clientele
included shop owners, taxi-drivers, cashiers, celebrities, office clerks, fast
food workers, engineers, nurses, waiters, waitresses, CEO's, customer service
reps, truckers, actors, actresses, loaders, baggage handlers, authors,
directors, producers, janitors, warehouse workers, journalists, secretaries,
bookkeepers, teachers, maids, pilots, maintenance people, lawyers, hoteliers,
government officials, pimps, hookers, bankers, ex-convicts etc.
Twice a year the
organization would hold a get-together where the Chairman would host a feast
for the volunteers who were educated, compassionate, eclectic, enthusiastic and
inspiring. The Chairman was a wise and generous man revered for his wisdom,
both, from a monetary and spiritual angle. He wanted to share his secrets,
"real secrets of life", with them.
There are principles
and then there are tactics or techniques. Principles are few and far in-between
whereas tactics range in the hundreds or thousands. He wanted to share his
life-transforming principles (and a few techniques), the best of the best, with
these good Samaritans; they deserved it. The possibilities were limitless once
the foundation was laid.
The chairman had a
handsome forehead, deep-set eyes, lush eyebrows, an aquiline nose and a head
covered with silvery-white hair. The volunteers could invite their family and
friends, and the event was always a memorable one.
The post lunch session
was the most precious part of the day. By then everyone had melted into each
other and the gathering resembled one big, complete, happy family. The Q&A
session would begin where they could ask the Chairman absolutely anything. No
topic was deemed inappropriate or juvenile, and they were free to go in any
direction. The volunteers came from all walks of life and despite vast
differences, both economic and social, they all shared a common thirst for
love, money and happiness. Yet, at times, the intensity of that thirst seemed
to get in the way of everything they yearned for.
What
do you want?
“So what's the first
question going to be?” asked the chairman, as he smiled magnanimously.
“How do we make money?
Lots of it?” asked one man.
“Yeah, that's a good
one. We’re not happy living like this," said an older man. "A fat
bank balance is always welcome.”
“Anything else other
than money?” asked the chairman, with a twinkle in his eye.
“Ooh, ooh, and
happiness at all times,” said a young woman.
“Yeah, and a stress
free life,” said an elderly lady.
“All three if
possible,” said one girl.
“That would be asking
for too much, I guess,” said a young guy.
“So money, happiness
and a stress free life are your top three wishes for the year. That’s doable,
although there are far more interesting challenges in life,” said the chairman.
“We’ve had enough
challenges. There's so much pain and suffering even amongst the educated. A few
on top shittin' on the rest of us,” said a man, in a slightly frustrated tone.
“That’s understandable,
so let’s start with money,” said the chairman. "Before we start, wouldn't
it be nice to know the personality traits that the rich possess?"
"We already know
that. They're smart and intelligent and come from rich backgrounds…," an
impetuous young man retorted before he was cut off by an older man.
"We're here to
listen and learn from him. I think there's more to it than meets the eye. Yes,
we'd like to know the personality traits the rich possess," said the old
man, sounding a little irritated.
"They're not
smart, not intelligent, not rich, not lucky, not talented, not beautiful, not
privileged, not confident, not achievers, not the most popular, not likely to
succeed, been laughed at the most and have failed more than most," said
the chairman, much to the astonishment of all those gathered.
"That gives us so
much hope," said a young man. "You just described me perfectly."
"That means you'll
be rich, happy and stress free," a middle aged woman chimed in.
All of a sudden the
mood changed. There might be a chance after all, everyone thought. Something
deep within them stirred. Really? Was it really true that most rich people came
from such wretched backgrounds? Wow, who would have thought?
"If that's the
case then what about the things we see on TV and read in the papers?"
asked a young woman, still not convinced.
"The media gives
people what they want. If they portrayed boring people who wore boring clothes
and drove old, ugly cars and lived in modest homes then no one would watch the
TV or read the papers anymore," said the chairman.
"Makes a lot of
sense," a young woman said. The rest nodded in agreement.
"Moving on, does
anyone know the First Law of the Universe?" asked the chairman. He scanned
everyone's faces, waiting for an answer. When none came forth he replied.
"Whatever you want
will be yours!"
"Then how come we
don't get what we want?" a young man shot back.
"Well, when I
asked you what the first law of the universe was, you didn't reply," said
the chairman with a smile. "Then how do you expect to get what you
want?"
"Also, when you
ask for something there's a lack of clarity. Because of this lack of knowledge
and lack of clarity, you ask feebly, and you get a feeble response, which, as
we all know is not what you wanted, but you got what you deserved.
"The first law of
the universe is also the deadliest law of the universe. It's a double edged
sword. Exercise caution - for the cosmos will indulge your every whim and
fancy."
"So let's get
right to it," said the chairman.
Plugging
Massive Energy Leaks
“Before we can even
begin to talk about money or anything that we aspire for in life, it’s best to
understand one simple fact -
your ability to create
is directly
proportional to the energy resources at your disposal,” said the chairman.
"In many cases the
readiness to forge ahead exists, but the chains that bind you are still in
place. So it's best to begin by taking a look at what's holding you back, break
free from them, and then begin marching on the path to prosperity.
“Most (99%) are stuck
in a low energy realm and hence your ability to live the life of your dreams
remains a dream.
“Are you aware of the
fact - that not only are you in a dream state while you sleep, you’re also in a
dream state while you are awake. It’s one big continuous dream,” said the
chairman.
“How come we’re
dreaming/sleeping while we’re awake?” asked one guy, scratching his head as he
shifted around awkwardly.
“How many of you
daydream during the day?” asked the chairman.
“All of us do that,”
said one man.
“And how many of you brood
or get melancholy?” asked the chairman. “When I say brood, I mean to ‘blame,
complain and criticize’, which happens to be the single biggest pastime you
engage in.”
“This tape that whirrs
in your head for ever and ever until you go to sleep, exhausted,” said the
chairman. “You see, more than 80 percent of the waking state is spent either
day dreaming or brooding i.e. thinking about the past or the future.
"Only the remainder
is spent doing something fruitful; this is when you are fully awake and
not
leaking any energy
,” the chairman said and then asked, “How many of you
blame, complain and criticize on an hourly basis?”
Everyone raised their
hands, except for a young man up who had been busy daydreaming.
“Now, how many of you
are infatuated with celebrities? How many of you dream of marrying them or
hanging out with them?” asked the chairman.
The daydreamer suddenly
realized that everyone had raised their hands and raised his hand slowly, so
that no one would notice. Everyone noticed.
“Infatuation sucks you
bone dry on a daily basis, beware,” warned the chairman. “When you daydream you
are projecting the future and when you are blaming and complaining (tape
whirring) you are projecting the past.
"So even when your
eyes are wide open, your awareness 'is zero', since you are busy day
dreaming(future) or brooding(past), hence the dream continues even when you are
awake,” said the chairman.
"Is dreaming at
night a good thing?” a young girl asked innocently.