The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie - Jennifer Ashley

Summary: The year is 1881. Meet the Mackenzie family--rich, powerful, dangerous, eccentric. A lady couldn't be seen with them without ruin. Rumors surround them--of tragic violence, of their mistresses, of their dark appetites, of scandals that set England and Scotland abuzz. The youngest brother, Ian, known as the Mad Mackenzie, spent most of his young life in an asylum, and everyone agrees he is decidedly odd. He's also hard and handsome and has a penchant for Ming pottery and beautiful women.
Beth Ackerley, widow, has recently come into a fortune. She has decided that she wants no more drama in her life. She was raised in drama--an alcoholic father who drove them into the workhouse, a frail mother she had to nurse until her death, a fussy old lady she became
constant companion to. No, she wants to take her money and find peace, to travel, to learn art, to sit back and fondly remember her brief but happy marriage to her late husband.
And then Ian Mackenzie decides he wants her. (Source: Jennifer Ashley website)


Comments: What an interesting story. While this might be considered a spoiler, I don't think it technically is because everyone will figure this out right quick, that the hero has Apsberger's Syndrome. Ian Mackenzie can't look you in the eye or understand when you make a joke and only applauds at the theatre because everyone else is doing it. But he can play any piece of music he hears, can remember entire conversations in tact and is a wizard with numbers. He can't lie nor can he love. He's not capable of it. 
Beth Ackerley has seen many sides of the world. She is raised by her gently-born mother, but has to deal with her alcoholic father who pretends to be French gentry whose dissolute life leads to the family's poverty. Beth has always figured out how to make her way in the world - one way or another and been a good, upright person. She's engaged to another man when she first meets Ian. A man only interested in her after she inherited money from her former employer.
Ian is as engaging as he is frustrating. He's definitely one of the most unique characters I've read recently. Beth is very alive and certainly not some wilting flower. Once again, there is an interesting family dynamic and as you meet Ian's three brothers, his sister-in-law, and nephew, plus the servants that take care of the Mackenzies - oh, and their dogs too. Hart is the eldest and current Duke of Kilmorgan - he's a shrewd politician and business man and does not have a heart. Then there is Cameron who is excellent with horses and Mac who is a painter. Mac's estranged wife Isabella becomes friends with Beth in Paris. Daniel, Ian's nephew, is Cameron's fifteen year-old son by his psycho first wife. The family, while they might fight amongst themselves, become fiercely loyal to each other when attacked from the outside as is the case in this book.
A murder of a game girl brings back memories of another murder that Hart and Ian are linked to and Inspector Fellows is certain they are involved and it's only the Duke's position and money that have kept them free. A bit of a terrier, Fellows isn't going to let go of the Mackenzies this time.
This book is for mature audiences - but I just sort of skipped through a good bit of that. That said, the family is interesting, the servants too, the story is a good solid story and moved with a nice rate of speed. I look forward to reading the other books in this series and seeing what happens to the rest of the brothers.

Quiche

16 oz mozzarella,  shredded
2 pkg frozen chopped spinach, 9 oz each, thawed and squeezed dry
1 can evaporated milk
1 bunch scallions
8 oz mushrooms (probably should be 16 ozs.), sliced
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 piecrusts, blind baked for 8 minutes 




I keep finding pieces of exploded chestnut.... ah Christmas


Heat oven to 450 degrees. 
Saute scallions (or any onion you like) in a little olive oil. Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Saute until the mushrooms release their water and start to dry. Add the spinach and turn off burner. Use burner heat to further dry spinach. Place all in a large bowl to cool for a few minutes.
In a small bowl, slightly beat two eggs. Add the eggs, the evaporated milk and mozzarella to the large bowl.

For the pie crust, blind bake at 450 degrees for 8 minutes and reduce the heat to 425 degrees. Fill pie shells with quiche mixture. Bake for 20 minutes, turn pies and bake 20 to 25 minutes more. Let cool before slicing.

Bench Notes: Any green is a likely substitute. Kale would probably be good and frozen broccoli is good also. I use the frozen spinach because it's easy and available - I almost always have the ingredients or some variation of them on hand. Swiss can substitute for mozzarella or add some cheddar or parmesan to either of the good melters.  


One day, I'm going to be ambitious and make this for the crust...

I saw a crust that Cook's Country used for their Onion and Bacon tart and thought it will work for my quiche too. 

Crust (based on Cook's Country "No Fuss Crust")

makes 1 crust, so make 2 for amount of filling above 

1 c all purpose flour

1/2 c Parmesan cheese, finely grated

1/4 t salt

6 T unsalted butter, softened

2 oz cream cheese, softened

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk flour, Parmesan, and salt in bowl. Beat butter and cream cheese with a mixer until smooth, Set speed to low, add flour mixture to cream cheese mixture, and mix until dough forms large clumps. Flatten dough into 6-inch disk and transfer to center of 9-inch pie pan. Press crust from center out and up the edges of the pie pan and crimp edges. Refrigerate dough for 20 minutes, then freeze until firm, 10 minutes or so.

Awaken the Highland Warrior - Anita Clenney

Summary: Mis-adventurous historian Bree Kirkland discovers a one hundred fifty year-old warrior buried in a crypt behind her house. But Faelan, the warrior, isn't dead. When this chauvinistic Scottish Warrior awakes, he has no choice but accept the help of this modern-day woman who's rescued him, but she's more fearsome than the demon trying to kill him. If he's not careful, she'll uncover every secret his clan has bled and died to protect. (Source: Anita Clenney website)


Comments: Warriors have a secret - they hunt and destroy demons, keeping humans safe. Having been locked away for one hundred and fifty years does not change that, but the world around Faelan has changed quite a bit and he must learn to adjust to a modern world with airplanes, automobiles, and computers, as well as modern women who have a mind of their own.
What do I like about this story? I like the premiss, the idea of time travel, of course making Faelan s hot property is required, just as making Bree beautiful and intelligent - I especially like the fact that she's an historian. I liked quite a few of the minor characters, Ronan and Orla in particular - for very different reasons - Ronan because he was the most three dimensional of the minor characters and Orla because she was prim and prissy and very annoying - and nothing like her daughter.
What didn't I like? I dislike the conventional heroine who is beautiful and intelligent, but a clutz. It's used too often and does not ring true to me. I also have issues with things that didn't seem to be explained in the text in a couple of late scenes things happpened that were odd enough that I took notice, but were never explained in the end. I also got tired of two things Faelan apologizing all the time and the repeated list of everything that Bree did for Faelan that his should be grateful for... she woke him, feed him, helped him find his family ... etc. You do not have to beat your reader over the head. 
I will certainly read Ms. Clenney's future books, but hope she fixes a few things. 

If He's Dangerous - Hannah Howell

Summary: When Lorelei Sundun first finds Sir Argus Wherlocke in her garden, she's never heard of the mysterious Wherlocke clan-or their otherworldly abilities. That changes the moment she watches Argus - the most tantalizing man she's ever seen - disappear before her very eyes. What she's witnessed should be impossible. But so should falling in love with a man she's only just met . . .
Pursued by a madman intent on harnessing the Wherlockes' talents as weapons, Argus meant to seek help from his family, not to involve a duke's lovely daughter in the struggle. But now, the enchanting Lorelei is his only hope for salvation-and the greatest temptation he's ever faced . . . (Source: Hannah Howell website)


Comments: Well, the tables turn. Instead of a Wherlocke/Vaughn heroine, we get a Wherlocke hero in Sir Argus Wherlocke. He's brooding, handsome, and mischievous. Lady Lorelei is the member of a large family 13 brothers and 3 sisters. Several of Argus' family are in the story as well, including, Lady Olympia Werlocke, Baroness of Stryke Hall, Lord Iago Vaughn, Baron of Uppington, Lord Sir Leopold Wherlocke, Baron of Starkly, and Sir Bened Vaughn. Several of the children from Peneople's story and the Werlocke warren also are in this story, including Argus' two sons, Darius and Olwen.
There is on aspect of the story, beyond Argus' ability to make people say things just by looking at them, that goes against the time it's set - Lorelei's father Roland, Duke of Sundunmoor, is very permissive. It's couched in intelligence and good humor, but he allows for things that I think most men of his time would not allow. Although, he is very involved in his own little world, and doesn't realize that he has a guest on his estate for a week. His long time friendship with his butler Max is delightful, as is his relationship to his other children and other friends and family.
Overall, I enjoyed these books because of the large family dynamic. The variety of the Werlocke and Vaughn gifts is interesting. The gifts have limitations, but prove to be more than a curiosity. I don't know if there are more plans for future books, but I'd be interested in one that include Leo or Bened as the hero.

True Meaning to Song Lyrics

One of the funniest posts I've read in a while. You have to be the right age though.

Deciphering the True Meanings of Song Lyrics - Jeffrey Goldberg


Jeffrey Goldberg is a national correspondent for The Atlantic and a recipient of the National Magazine Award for Reporting. Author of the book Prisoners: A Story of Friendship and Terror, Goldberg also writes the magazine's advice column.

I imagine ...

... that Edward Rochester could sound like Tom Waits. Just a thought. 


Listen to "Somewhere" from Blue Valentine by T. Waits and see what you think. 
Sigh.

Christmas Cooking - Chestnuts

We tried something we have never done before. The very last thing we did on Christmas Eve was roast chestnuts in the oven. So I dutifully put x's on about 25 chestnuts that I bought at the grocery store. Probably not the best place to source chestnuts, but I don't know
where else to get them in our neck of the woods.
I carefully laid them all with the x up on the baking sheet and slide them into a 425 degree oven for the estimate time of 25 minutes.

What's left of a chestnut

We are sitting around enjoying snacks and drinks as the chestnuts roast - that is until the first one exploded. It looked like sawdust inside the oven - thank goodness for an self-cleaning oven.

Is this what they are supposed to look like?

So, figuring they were probably done now, I took them out of the oven and left them on the stove top to cool a little before we made an attempt at peeling them. We all gathered around to look at them and test the temperature by trying to pick them up (unwise at this stage of the game), when the next one exploded all across the kitchen. Needless to say, I quickly covered the rest with a dish towel. I thing we give it an A for excitement. I, personally, didn't care for them. That said, I may have had bad ones and not known it,  but I assume that they are an acquired taste, like boiled peanuts - you either like them or you don't there's no in between.

Christmas Cooking - Sausage and Cheese Balls

It isn't Christmas unless we have sausage/cheddar balls. I love the fact that they freeze well and I can have them again in a couple of weeks with no real work involved at all. I like mine the same way I like a sausage biscuit - with grape jelly. So that's what I do. Growing up, my dad liked mustard with his sausage balls - to each, his own. 


Sausage & Cheese Balls

3 cups Bisquick® mix
1 pound hot bulk pork sausage
4 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (16 ounces)
1/2 cup milk
spicy mustard / grape jelly, for dipping

Heat oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease bottom and sides of jelly roll pan. Stir together all ingredients, using hands or spoon. Shape mixture into 1 inch balls. Place on pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until brown.
Immediately remove from pan. Serve warm with sauce for dipping.

Bench Notes: I just line a pan with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray for easier clean up. And use your hand to mix - it's the only way this will work. 

Christmas Cooking - Cheese Straws

This is a new recipe for me this year. That said, I'm usually pretty terrible with puff pastry - I think it's the defrosting. No, really I do. Somehow I can't get that right. Either I take it out and it's still too frozen or I take it out and it sticks together and I have a terrible time with it.


Cheese Straws
Credit: Ina Garten
2 sheets (1 box) frozen puff pastry (such as Pepperidge Farm),
defrosted overnight in the refrigerator
Flour, for dusting
1 extra-large egg
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup finely grated Gruyère cheese
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Roll out each sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured board until it is 10- by 12-inches. Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush the surface of the pastry. Sprinkle each sheet evenly with 1⁄4 cup of the Parmesan, 1⁄2 cup of the Gruyère, 1⁄2 teaspoon of the thyme, 1⁄2 teaspoon of the salt, and some pepper. With the rolling pin, lightly press the flavorings into the puff pastry. Cut each sheet crosswise with a floured knife or pizza wheel into 11 or 12 strips. Twist each
strip and lay on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned and puffed. Turn each straw and bake for another 2 minutes. Don't over bake or the cheese will burn. Cool and serve at room temperature. 

Bench Notes: I used cheddar instead of Gruyere and did not use extra salt. I also used a little cayenne on about half the straws - just to see if we would like it.
Imperative that you flour the knife or pizza wheel. 

If He's Wild - Hannah Howell

Summary: She sees his face everywhere… Lady Alethea Vaughn Channing is haunted by a vision of a man in danger-the same man who she has seen in dreams time and time again. She doesn't even know his name, and yet she feels the connection between them, knows she is the only one standing between him and disaster.
…Yet They Have Never Met
But rakish Lord Hartley Greville is capable of protecting himself, as he has proven more than once in his perilous work as a spy for the crown. If he's to carry out his duty, he'll need to put aside the achingly beautiful woman with the strange gift. And yet, when Alethea's visions reveal a plot that could endanger children, Hartley will not be able to ignore the destiny that binds them together-or resist the passion burning between them… (Source:Hannah Howell website)


Comments: It bares repeating that I still can't stand the titles of these books. I enjoyed this book a good deal, especially the inclusion of more of the Werelocke/Vaughn family members and returns of those who have made appearances in the previous two books in varying degrees. There is a central story of how Alethea needs to warn Hartley about her vision and an additional subplot of finding Hartley's missing niece and nephew that has boats going back and forth to France. We come to realize some in the Werelocke and Vaughn men work secretly for the British government to protect king and country. I keep harping on the family interest in these stories and how I enjoy them because so many times family or friends of the main characters seem to be an afterthought. There is again, in this book, strong, intelligent female characters that are independent, but not hoydenish.
I would certainly recommend reading these books in order. It certainly helped with this book since many characters from the others were spoken of or appeared in this story as well. Again, a for adults only book. Now on to what appears, though I hope not, to be the final Werelocke book.