It’s getting to be sweater weather on the Jersey Shore so I decided to do two things. The first was to go through my sweater drawer and get rid of all the XLs that are now swimming on me. The second was to buy some hats and gloves to donate. Okay, there was a third one also: buy a new sweater for a holiday lunch! It was so exciting to be able to buy that sweater in a medium and slip into some size 10 pants. A big change from tight size 16s and the XL sweaters that went into the donation bag along with the hats and gloves. I’ve been stuck at 45 pounds for nearly three months now, but I’m determined to get past that and lose the next thirty pounds! Wish me luck!
Shoutout for this Amazon Reviewer
A very big thanks to this anonymous Amazon reviewer for their 5 star review of Biscayne Bay Breach and the South Beach Security Series!
“This series is a great read. All three books are exciting and intriguing. Keeps you guessing and has a lot of suspense. I recommend this series very highly.”
Thank you so very much, mysterious Amazon Reviewer. Reviews really do help authors! If you want to help your favorite author, take a moment to leave a review.
Beginning to Look Like Christmas
I could not wait for the magic of Christmas because I feel like time is flying by faster than Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve! That’s why I dove headfirst into decking the halls with boughs of holly, nutcrackers, twinkling lights and all the festive trimmings. The tree will have to wait, though – we like to keep it fresh until the Epiphany. Speaking of traditions, what are your favorite yuletide customs? Any quirky decorations you can’t do without? Take a moment and share your holiday cheer!
Magical Houston Botanic Garden Lights
Picture this: Thanksgiving week in Houston, visiting our son-in-law’s family, was non-stop giggles and finger-licking food, plus some exploring around town. A must-see on our list was the Brazos Bend State Park (stay tuned for more tales!), but the real showstopper was the Houston Botanic Garden Light Show. We stepped into a wonderland with gigantic wire sculptures lit up from within, some even moving to the rhythm of the music piped into the gardens. We were lucky to have clear skies and the sculptures were a feast for the eyes. Check out the highlights in this throwback video! If you’re in the area, the light show runs until February 25!
Sunshine After Rain is finally here!
I’m so excited to share Sunshine After Rain with you! The idea for this story came to me several months ago and I had to start writing about three strong women who are at a crossroads in their lives. Here’s a teaser for the story that is now available on Kindle Vella. The first three chapters are up and they are free to read! I’ll be posting two new chapters each week for you! You can read this emotional and uplifting story at https://amzn.to/47txtJS.
Welcome to a quaint Jersey Shore town and the lives of three women, each on a unique journey. Olivia, a young widow, is bravely raising her six-year-old son. Her best friend, Maggie, is a single mom with a bundle of joy. And then there is Olivia’s mother-in-law Maeve, who after losing her husband finds solace in helping Olivia and Maggie – her girls. It’s a tale of hope and heartache, resilience and renewal as the women learn to embrace life and love once more.
Tasty Cuban Black Beans
OMG, Thanksgiving flew by, and now it’s time to deck the halls and jingle all the way! In our Cuban-Italian family, the real party is on Christmas Eve. We all come together, devouring a feast of delicious traditional treats, talking the night away, and then unwrapping presents before getting back to the table for a sweet dessert. Our spread is a heavenly mix of Italian and Cuban flavors, and one of my favorite dishes is the black beans on top of rice. So simple, yet so special. Today, I’m letting you in on our family recipe. It’s the same base recipe for red beans or lentils if you’re feeling adventurous, but just a heads up, I always like to throw in a ham bone or some porky goodness to make it extra hearty when I use those instead of black beans.
Caridad’s Cuban Black Beans!
Ingredients
To start:
1 lb. dried black beans
1 lg. onion, cut into eighths
1 red pepper, cut into eighths
3 to 6 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 tsp cumin powder
1/8 cup olive oil
1 cup red wine (not salty cooking wine — real red wine)
salt and pepper to taste
32 ounces (1 box) of vegetable broth
1-2 cups of water (enough to cover the beans)
To finish the beans:
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 a red pepper, chopped
2 to 3 cloves, minced
1/8 cup olive oil
1/2 cup sherry
Cooking the beans:
There are those who believe in soaking the beans overnight. My family never did this, but it will speed up the cooking time. The one thing to remember is — DO NOT THROW OUT THE SOAKING WATER! It has a lot of the flavor from the beans and you will lose all that flavor if you toss it. Also, don’t soak the beans too long or they will begin to ferment.
If you don’t soak, it will mean simmering the beans for a longer amount of time, but on a cold day, the smell and heat are a welcome thing.
So, before you soak (or not), rinse the beans to get rid of any field dirt and also, pick through them for any bad beans or small stones. Yes, there can be stones. I’ve found one or two in the many years I’ve made the beans.
Once the beans are clean, place them in a stockpot, Dutch oven, or heavy cast iron kettle. Add the broth, water, wine, bay leaves, onion, pepper, and cumin, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Make sure to stir a few times to make sure the beans are not sticking to the bottom.
Once the water is boiling, turn it down so that it is a slow simmer. Simmer with the cover on for at least 3 to 4 hours. Stir occasionally. The water should start to thicken from the beans. You can test to see if the beans are done by tasting one. It should not be hard. If you are running out of water, add some more, little by little.
Once the beans are soft, finish the beans by frying up the onion, red pepper and garlic and add it to the cooked beans along with the sherry. Adjust the taste with salt to your liking.
You can serve the beans over white rice. Cubans call this moros y cristianos. You can also eat this alone as a soup. If you do this, garnish it with raw onions, cheddar cheese, avocados, and/or chopped ham.
Hope you like today’s Cook’s Treat. If you try it out, please let me know how you liked it!
To Beard or Not to Beard
To beard or not to beard? What’s the answer to that age-old question? Personally, I have no preference between a man with a clean-shaven look or a fuzz-filled face. It’s all about how well they rock it, and some guys can really pull off a sharp goatee or a nicely trimmed beard. Although, let’s be real here, those ZZ Top-style beards just scream messy to me. What’s your take on it? Oh, and just between us, my fictional men have stayed pretty clean-shaven in the past, but Carlos from Escape the Everglades is finally sporting some facial hair – a former Marine and an environmentalist, he’s looking rugged as ever!
