My grandmother Nieves was an amazing woman. Strong. Independent. Loving. When my parents had to leave my sister and me behind in Cuba, it was my grandparents who stayed with us and then traveled with us across various countries before we could legally enter the U.S. She was also an outstanding cook. She could take anything from the fridge and make an amazing meal. I am named after her since my first real name is Caridad de las Nieves. I had to change it when I was naturalized. This is a picture of my sister and me with her, I believe on the day I graduated law school.
The Voice of the Sea #Wednesdaywords
Through my family’s sacrifices and the blessings of the USA, I have been able to achieve my American Dream and have a small house on the Jersey Shore. Being near the ocean fills my soul with peace and energy. I guess because I’m a Pisces. I love seeing the ocean. The changes that happen on a daily basis. I love hearing it, whether it’s just the barely-there susurrus of the wash against the shore or the shout of the waves during a storm. I’m not the only one who feels that way and I think this quote sums it up quite nicely! Thank you, Kate Chopin.
Original Image courtesy Pexels from Pixabay
Chile con carne #TuesdayTip
When I think about my Cold Case Reopened book which is set in Colorado, I think about eating a steaming bowl of chile con carne by a campfire. It’s the perfect kind of meal for a cold winter day and I always make a big pot of it to have leftovers! Hope you enjoy it!
Chile con Carne
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef chunks (chuck or bottom round)
1/2 stalk celery finely chopped
1 carrot finely chopped
1 small onion finely chopped
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp olive oil
1 pound small red chili beans (dried beans; rinsed)
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp Gochujang (Korean chili paste – can be omitted)
32 ounces Chicken or Vegetable Stock
For later addition to the chili:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
1/2 red pepper chopped
Salt & pepper to taste
For toppings:
- Chopped Onions/Scallions
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Sour Cream
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a big stockpot or Dutch oven. Add the beef cubes and brown. Do not overcrowd them because you don’t want them to steam instead of brown. You can also substitute pork or chicken, but if you use chicken, you may need to adjust the cooking time as it may break up faster than either beef or pork. Remove beef from the pot and place in another dish for now.
Add the celery, onions, and carrot and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute. Then add the tomato paste and cook for another couple of minutes.
Add the meat back to this pan. Add the beans (make sure you rinsed and picked them through for stones). Add the stock. It should cover all the meat and beans. Add the chili powder, paprika, cumin, and Gochujang and stir.
Cook at a low boil on the stove for 2 to 3 hours. If you are cooking in a Dutch oven or ovenproof pot, you can cook the chile in the oven at 325 degrees for a few hours.
The beans and meat should be tender within two to three hours. Since the original carrots, celery, and onions will have dissolved by now, it’s time to add the other onion and red pepper. Fry them up with the olive oil and then add to the chili.
Once the meat and beans are tender, lower the heat to keep the chili warm. If it has too much liquid, let it simmer without the top to reduce the liquid.
Serve the chile with the toppings! You can also break up some tortilla chips and dice some avocados to also use as toppings.
As I mentioned before, you can change this up by using pork or chicken. You can also substitute ground beef or turkey. As for the heat level, if you love heat, add more of the Gochujang. If you can’t find this red pepper paste, use cayenne, hot sauce, or chiles in adobe. You should be able to find those in the Spanish section of your grocery store.
#ManCandyMonday – Chef Tony from South Beach Love
South Beach, two chefs falling in love, and an unexpected competition to be THE CHEF featured in a local magazine! What could go wrong? Did I mention two teen nieces who each want to have the best Sweet 15 party ever? If you love sweet romances filled with flavorful food, humor, emotion, and romance, you’ll love SOUTH BEACH LOVE, coming from Hallmark in May 2021. And I think you’ll love Chef Tony, the hero in the book, whose trying to balance loyalty to his niece and his growing love for Chef Sara, his unlikely adversary. This is how I pictured Tony when he popped into my head! You can find out more about South Beach Love at http://bit.ly/SouthBeachLove.
#FridayFun – Cold Case Reopened Giveaway
I’m having a giveaway to celebrate the release of Cold Case Reopened! Please visit the Facebook post below to enter!
Blinging my laptop #ThrowbackThursday
As a lawyer, you have to present a certain image to your clients, especially corporate clients. The right dress or suit. Appropriate hair and make-up. I have to confess that on the latter, I was an epic fail as I never really wore make-up. My laptop also had to look professional which meant nothing personal on it even though it was my personal laptop I was using at the time. Now that I’m retired, I realized that there was nothing wrong with personalizing it to reflect who I am now! Thanks to my daughter for the inspiration also! Here it is:
#TeaserTuesday – Feeling the Fire in Cold Case Reopened
Cold Case Reopened, my March release from Harlequin Intrigue, is very much a mystery as Rhea and Jackson try to find out what happened to Rhea’s twin sister, but it’s also a romance since working on the case draws Rhea and Jackson together. As you can imagine, that attraction couldn’t happen at a worse time. Today’s teaser is from a later chapter in the book when that attraction is starting to flare into something more. In this scene, Rhea and Jackson are trying to recreate a bonfire to test out one of their theories on the case and they are also just finishing up dinner.
Excerpt
He paused with a forkful of apple pie halfway to his mouth and glanced at her. His steely gray gaze glittered with a heat she hadn’t thought possible. “Not always.”
The warmth that had kindled in her core earlier grew ever higher, like the flames in the fire a few feet away. It was so intense, she had to cool off with a few sips of icy lemonade.
“What about you, Rhea? I know you’re talented. Determined,” he said, the latter word followed by a playful chuckle.
She considered him over the lip of the glass, thinking about how to answer. After a pause, she said, “I know some people think artists can be temperamental and flighty. You probably did.”
He smiled as he scraped the last of his pie from the plate and then licked the fork clean. “I plead the fifth,” he joked, but then quickly added, “But you probably thought I was uptight and by-the-book.”
She felt the urge to shake him up a little. “I still do, but I look forward to you proving me wrong.”
His glass rattled against the tray as he set it down and, when he fixed his gaze on her, it seared her with its fire. “I look forward to that also.”
She gulped down the rest of her lemonade to cool the blaze he’d ignited and turned her attention to her pie.
Another collapse of the logs in the bonfire had them both bolting from their chairs to the wood pile. They almost collided there, forcing Jackson to reach for her to keep her from falling over.
Electricity sparked between them, and Rhea rushed back to her seat.
Jackson took his time feeding the fire, needing to control what he was feeling for Rhea. Banking the flames burning inside because he worried that if he released them, it might consume him. He was unused to such feelings, being, as Rhea had said, normally uptight and by-the-book.
But Rhea had loosed those bounds he’d lived with all his life, first as an athlete, then as a Marine and finally as a cop.
It couldn’t have happened at a worse time, he thought. Rhea’s emotions were too fragile, and he had to stay focused because so much was at stake, including his career. But more importantly, he had to keep Rhea safe.
Order
You can order Cold Case Reopened at the following retailers:
Amazon Kindle: https://amzn.to/3iGCbKr
Paperback: https://amzn.to/3kAloKb
Amazon Kindle Box Set: https://amzn.to/2PSVRyn
Apple Books: https://bit.ly/coldcasereopened
Apple Box Set: https://bit.ly/applecoldcaseboxset
B&N: https://bit.ly/BNColdCase
B&N Box Set: https://bit.ly/BNColdCaseBoxset
Harlequin: https://bit.ly/HarlequinColdCase
Harlequin Box Set: https://bit.ly/HarlequinColdCaseBoxset
Kobo: https://bit.ly/KoboColdCase
Kobo Box Set: https://bit.ly/KoboColdCaseBoxSet
