Book Review Nightflower of Comanche Mound

 Book Review of Nightflower of Comanche Mound. 

Beneath the wide-open skies and the stark, dusty landscape of West Texas, a story unfolds filled with tension, buried grief, and emotional risk. Charlotte, aka Charley, is a girl who finds herself adrift, trying to figure out who she is and where she really belongs. Feeling overlooked in the midst of her parents’ divorce, she recklessly decides to invite herself to her Pap's sheep ranch in Texas for the summer. He is a grandfather she has never met and a man her mother keeps her distance from. Pap is cantankerous and hardened by life, which has dealt him many losses. And he certainly has no time for a young 16-year-old. Just when Charley realizes she has made a mistake coming and should return to the city life of Seattle, a mysterious Appaloosa horse shows up on the ranch. Charley is certain it's fate this horse should be hers, especially after learning the horse is blind and needs special training to survive. She finds an ally in Sabino, a ranch hand who nourishes her spirit and helps her adjust to ranch life.  When a succession of events spirals out of control, Paps vows to shoot the blind, useless horse. Charley's decision to protect the animal pulls her into her family's mysterious past. An impulsive decision puts Charley and her horse, Radar, in real danger, showing Charley's grit and sense of urgency to survive. Indeed, the story becomes a quiet thriller that presses the reader to turn the pages quickly.

There were some things in this YA  novel by Katlyn Bates that stood out to me. One is the descriptive sentences. They weave vivid sensory details, emotions, and context into a tapestry, bringing the Texas landscape to life for the reader, as well as using figurative language to paint evocative images. Another noteworthy point is the emotional depth of characters, which Bates creates, intertwining Comanche heritage, their spiritual practices, and family interactions. The narrative is one filled with compassion and courage. For a debut YA novel, this one will really stick with you long after you close the book.  

ALL ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

https://katlynbates.com/

Katlyn Bates writes contemporary fiction for young adults. Her debut novel, Nightflower of Comanche Mound, was named a 2025 Spur Finalist by Western Writers of America (WWA) in the Juvenile-Young Adult Fiction category. The recognition, along with multiple 5-Star book reviews from Readers’ Favorite, encouraged her to dust off old pieces she had written just for fun and look at them with fresh eyes.

Drawn to action and adventure that is grounded in real life, Katlyn finds inspiration in the wildness of the world around us. “Nature doesn’t care what we think. It’s wild and ferocious and unpredictable—a good reminder not to take ourselves too seriously. The downright ridiculous seems to call for a twist of humor. What I can’t see, I can imagine.”

A native Texan, Katlyn Bates lives near Dallas, TX, outside a small town that—like so many interconnected communities- is quickly becoming absorbed by the sprawl. “As for me, it’s open skies and nature and landscape that frame a plot, and lend power to a story.”

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

 

SHARE A BIT OF KINDNESS WHENEVER AND WHEREVER YOU CAN

White Chocolate Mousse with Italian Wild Rice Soup and Orange Slices

Slow Cooker Italian Wild Rice Soup

Cook's Notes: Recipe adapted from BHG Soups and Stews 2016
Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground pork, chicken, Italian or turkey sausage (casings removed) 
• 4 cups water
• 2- 14.5 oz. can lower-sodium beef broth
• 1- 14.5 oz. can no-salt-added diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, undrained
• 1-6 oz. can tomato paste
• 1 cup sweet onion, diced
• 3/4 cup wild rice, rinsed and drained
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup each carrots, celery, green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces  
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, crushed
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Dash crushed dried red pepper
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 small package fresh spinach, chopped, stems removed
• 1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese (2 ounces)

Directions: 

• In a large skillet, cook meat over medium heat until no longer pink, using a wooden spoon to break up meat as it cooks; drain off fat.
• In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine cooked meat, water, broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, onions, carrots, celery, green beans, uncooked wild rice, garlic, Italian seasoning, paprika, black pepper, salt, sugar, and crushed red pepper.
• Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 5 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 hours until veggies are al dente and rice is cooked. Stir spinach into soup the last 10 minutes of cooking time and serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

White Chocolate Mousse

Cook’s notes: Recipe serves 6-8, depending on the size of the glass. There are several options for serving this dessert: small wine glasses or dark-chocolate edible party cups, available at some stores in the baking aisle. Amaretto is the piece de resistance elevating this dessert to a whole new level.
Ingredients:

• 4 egg yolks 
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 cups whipping (heavy) cream, divided
• 1 cup white baking chips
• 2 tablespoons Amaretto or 1 tsp. almond extract
• Optional garnishes: chocolate curls, toasted coconut and almonds, raspberries, Valentine cupcake sprinkles

Directions:

• Beat egg yolks in a small bowl on high speed about 3 minutes or until thick and lemon colored. Gradually beat in sugar.
• Heat 1 cup whipping cream in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat just until hot. Gradually stir half of the cream into the egg yolk mixture, and then stir all of the mixture back into the hot cream in the saucepan. Whisk together and cook over low heat about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens (do not let boil).
• Stir baking chips into hot cream mixture until melted. Add 2-3 tablespoons of Amaretto or 1 teaspoon almond extract. Mix well and put in a bowl. Cover with wax paper and refrigerate for 1 hour. 
• Beat remaining 1 cup whipping cream in chilled medium bowl on high speed until stiff. Fold white chocolate cream mixture into whipped cream and spoon into parfait/wine glasses or edible chocolate party cups.
• Store dessert in refrigerator lightly covered with a sheet of wax paper.

Love Potion Drink

Cook's Notes: For a non-alcoholic drink, omit the vodka 

Serves 1
Ingredients:

• pink lemonade
• raspberry sherbet
• Sprite
• vodka

Directions:

• Fill a serving glass half full with pink lemonade. Add 1 large scoop of sherbet, 1 oz. vodka, 4 oz. Sprite, Do not stir.
• Pour all of this in blender and mix well,  

BE MY VALENTINE

A Valentine Riddle and a Chocolate Splurge

 

A Valentine Riddle Poem by Edgar Allen Poe

The Raven is one of Edgar Allen Poe's most quoted poems. Due to its length, I am posting a link to the poem. http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/178713
But I did come across this poem by Poe just in time for Valentine's Day. I was intrigued because it is an acrostic poem with a cryptic message at the end.  
 A Valentine
by Edgar Allan Poe
(published 1850)

For her, this rhyme is penned, whose luminous eyes,
Brightly expressive as the twins of Lœda,
Shall find her own sweet name, that, nestling lies
Upon the page, enwrapped from every reader.
Search narrowly the lines! -- they hold a treasure
Divine -- a talisman -- an amulet
That must be worn at heart. Search well the measure --
The words -- the syllables! Do not forget
The trivialest point, or you may lose your labor!
And yet there is in this no Gordian knot
Which one might not undo without a sabre,
If one could merely comprehend the plot.
Enwritten upon the leaf where now are peering
Eyes scintillating soul, there lie perdus
Three eloquent words oft uttered in the hearing
Of poets, by poets -- as the name is a poet’s, too.
Its letters, although naturally lying
Like the knight Pinto -- Mendez Ferdinando --
Still form a synonym for Truth. -- Cease trying!
You will not read the riddle, though you do the best you can do.

Note: Poe wrote this poem for a specific person. The woman's name is hidden within the text. Can you find it? Hint: it's an acrostic

This is a lyrical poem, written in the form of acrostic. Other than a poem, “A Valentine” is actually a riddle that Poe made to reveal his secret lover's name. Edgar Allen Poe composed “A Valentine” to express his affection for a woman, but he’s too afraid to tell her directly because she’s already married. Poe’s challenge to the readers is to solve the riddle within this poem. 

Okay... I was stumped and needed help!!! But I was able to find this answer online.  

The riddle is the dominant feature of this poem, that’s the main factor that makes this poem so ingenious. Not only does it express the romantic words of the writer, but Edgar Allen Poe also composed a hidden riddle within “A Valentine”. If you take the first letter from the first line, the second letter from the second line, the third letter from the third line, and so on until the end, the riddle of this poem will be revealed. The name of the woman who Poe is crazed about exists in every line throughout the whole poem, Frances Sargent Osgood. She was another great poetess who shares her secret affair with Poe through poems.

Now for your reward- a chocolate splurge💖

Cook's Notes: 
This torte, a classic dessert along the Amalfi Coast, can be a simple, elegant showstopper. When done well, it packs all the richness and depth of flourless chocolate cake. It's moist and tender. For best results, use good quality bittersweet chocolate, e.g., Ghirardelli, and Dutch-processed cocoa, e.g., Droste Cocoa or Hershey Special Dark Cocoa and Almond Flour. The torte can stand on its own with a dusting of powdered sugar or with Amaretto Cream and jarred Cherry Fruit Filling.

Make the dessert a day ahead as a timesaver. It keeps well for three days.  
Recipe adapted from Cooks Illustrated November/December 2018

Ingredients:

• 12 tablespoons of butter, cut into 12 pieces
• 4 oz. bar bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon creme of tartar
• 2 cups almond flour
• 2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9-inch springform pan. 
• In a small bowl, mix together almond flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Set aside.  
• Microwave chocolate and butter at 50% power, stirring often until melted. Stir in vanilla and set aside. 
• In a medium bowl, beat egg whites, add in creme of tartar and 1/2 cup sugar. Beat until egg whites are stiff. Set aside. 
• In a large bowl mix egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar. Beat on medium-high until thick and pale yellow. Add in chocolate/butter mixture and mix until incorporated about 15 seconds. 
• Add flour mixture to the chocolate mixture, mix on low just until incorporated. 
• Fold whipped egg whites in thirds to chocolate mixture using a spatula. 
• Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. 
• Place torta on a wire rack to cool. Remove springform sides and wrap torta in plastic wrap until serving.  

Amaretto Cream (mix 1 teaspoon Amaretto with whipped cream) 

Super Bowl Snacks Part 2

 

PART TWO

Hot Rueben Dip 

Cook's Notes: No need to wait for a March date to serve a dip with an Irish twist. 

Hot Reuben Dip is like a deconstructed Reuben sandwich, all magnificently reborn into a baked, ooey-gooey, cheesy dip. You’ll love this hot appetizer and warning-it's addictive! 
Ingredients:

• 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
• 2 cups shredded corned beef
• 1 pkg. 6 oz. lite cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup Thousand Island dressing
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup lite mayonnaise
• Optional 1 small can sauerkraut, drained very well (place in strainer to press out liquid)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400°.
• In a large bowl, beat all the ingredients until smooth. Transfer mixture to a serving dish that can be placed in the oven (a greased glass pie pan works well)
• Bake for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until dip is bubbling and nicely browned.
• Serve with toasted cocktail-size rye bread and/or Triscuit crackers.

Perfect party food for a crowd The Cuban Sandwich. 

Makes 8 mini sandwiches and the recipe comes from the CHOW

Rumored to have originated in Cuba or Key West, the Cuban sandwich migrated to Tampa, Florida, and eventually to Miami, growing in popularity along the way. It’s traditionally made with Cuban bread, but Italian or ciabatta bread is an easy-to-find substitute. Ham, roasted pork loin, Swiss cheese, pickles, and yellow mustard are the most common ingredients in a proper Cuban sandwich, but mayo and salami are also common additions. 

For ease of preparation, the assembled loaf is cut in half here, each half is wrapped in foil, and a heavy pot or pan is placed on top to compress the sandwich while it’s toasting. If you have a panini maker, it would work for this toasting. 
Ingredients:

• 1 (1-pound) loaf Italian or ciabatta bread
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise 
• 1/4 cup mustard
• 8 ounces thinly sliced deli ham
• 8 ounces thinly sliced deli roasted pork loin
• 8 ounces thinly sliced Swiss cheese
• 4 whole dill pickles, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 stick), melted

Directions:

• Heat the oven to 200°degrees and arrange a rack in the middle.
• Cut the loaf of bread in half horizontally and open it up like a book. Spread the mayonnaise/mustard on the bottom piece of bread.
• Evenly place the ham and roasted pork on top of the mayonnaise, then cheese and pickles on the meat.
• Close the sandwich. Press gently on the top to compact the sandwich slightly. Cut it in half crosswise; set both halves aside.
• Lay 2 (20-inch-long) sheets of aluminum foil on a work surface. Brush half of the melted butter on the tops of the sandwiches. Place each sandwich butter-side down on the sheets of foil. Brush the bottoms of the sandwiches with the remaining butter. Fold the foil around the sandwiches to completely encase them.
• Heat a large frying pan on low heat until hot, about 4 minutes. Place 1 wrapped sandwich in the pan. Place a cast-iron skillet, Dutch oven, or heavy pot on the sandwich, push down on the skillet or pot to further compact the cubano, and cook undisturbed for 10 minutes.
• Remove the skillet or pot, flip the sandwich, and place the skillet or pot back on top of it. Cook undisturbed until the cheese has melted and the sandwich is warmed through, about 10 minutes more. 
• Remove to the oven and repeat with the second sandwich. When both are ready, remove the foil, cut into pieces, and serve.

Well, I was saving these cupcakes for Sunday's big game for you. Perhaps someone there may need a day brightener. I believe a cupcake can do just that.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Ganache Icing
Cook's Notes: Imagine making a moist, chocolaty cupcake with a ganache topping and no mixer is needed. It's easy, tasty and your day will rock with just one slice.
Recipe from recipecritic.com and makes 10 cupcakes. The batter also does "double duty" as a cake baked in a 8 x 8 baking pan for about 22 minutes.  
Cupcake Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons dark unsweetened cocoa powder e.g. Hersheys
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup coffee, cooled
• ½ cup buttermilk
• Optional 1 tablespoon Kahlua 
• ¼ cup vegetable or canoa oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Ganache Ingredients:

• 4 oz. heavy whipping cream ½ cup
• 4 oz. dark chocolate melting wafers or your preferred chocolate e.g. 1 bar Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate, broken into small pieces

Cupcake Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place paper cupcake liners in a 12-cup regular sized muffin pan.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together coffee and buttermilk. Whisk in the vegetable oil, then egg and vanilla. Add Kahlua if using. Beat until thoroughly combined.
• Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Then fold into the liquid mixture. Add salt and sugar and whisk until a smooth batter forms.
• Use a 1/3 cup measuring cup and add batter to each of 10 cupcake liners. Fill up batter to the top of the muffin well.  
• Bake 22-24 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan and remove each cupcake. Set on a wire rack to cool completely. Add a sheet of wax paper under the cooling rack. When the cupcakes cooled, spoon the ganache frosting over them. 
• Place cupcakes back into the muffin tin.

Chocolate Ganache Directions:

• Microwave the cream in a heat-proof vessel for 50 - 55 seconds, watching it during the last few seconds to ensure it doesn’t boil over.
• Add the broken pieces of chocolate to a small mixing bowl and pour the hot cream over them. Allow it to stand for a minute or two, then whisk until the chocolate has melted completely and the mixture is smooth. Let the ganache cool completely until it thickens but is still pourable.
• The icing sets up fast, so only do 2 cupcakes at a time. Drizzle the ganache over the top and add sprinkles. Refrigerate the muffin pan with the cupcakes for 30 minutes to set the icing.
  
  ENJOY THE GAME!

Super Bowl Snacks Part One

Today I kicked off my own pre-Super Bowl gathering with Pigs in a Blanket and Chocolate Cherry Cookies.  
 Puff Pastry Pigs in a Blanket 

Cook's Notes: A twist on your classic Pigs in a Blanket. It's a game day snack using Puff Pasty, Roasted Red Pepper Chicken Sausage (a healthy option) sprinkled with Bagel Everything Seasoning.

Note there are other chicken sausage flavors to choose from. The recipe makes about 20 appetizers.

Ingredients:

• 1 box puff pastry sheets, thawed (you will need both sheets)
  
• 1 package Roasted Red Pepper and Garlic Chicken Sausage
  
• 1 large egg, whisked
• Bagel Everything Seasoning
  
  
  
• Honey Mustard Sauce

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone pad or parchment paper. 
• Make sure each sausage is wiped dry and cut into 5ths.
• Roll out puff pastry to a 9- 10 inch square on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 7 equal strips, then cut each strip in half.
• Wrap a strip of puff pastry around each sausage bite and place the seam side down on the baking sheet.
• Brush puff pastry with beaten egg mixed with 1 tablespoon of water, sprinkle with bagel seasoning (found in spices at grocery store). Secure each piggy with a toothpick. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until golden and puffed. 
• Serve with a honey mustard sauce.
  

Honey Mustard Sauce

Cook's Notes:

• Takes 5 minutes to make. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Ingredients and Directions:

• Mix the following in a bowl using a whisk.

• 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip, 1/4 cup Dijon mustard, dash cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar 

• 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup Dijon mustard, dash of cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar 

Chocolate Cherry Crackles

Cook's Notes: Chocolate and cherries are simply a "marriage made in heaven" and are super delicious together. A plate of these cookies that are speckled with cherry bits and chocolate chunks are just YUM!.
Recipes make 18-20 cookies and were adapted from Food Network, December 2017 and December 2020. 

Ingredients:

• 1-3/4 cups flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick of butter, room temperature
• 1 cup of sugar, divided
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup cherry jam or preserves
• 5 drops of food coloring, red
• 1/2 tsp. each vanilla and almond extract
• 1-4 oz. semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate bar, chopped small or 3/4 cup Dark Chocolate Chips 
• 1/2 cup dried cherries
• 1/2 cup confectioners (powdered) sugar

Directions:

• Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• Beat butter, 1/2 cup sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy. Add in egg, jam, food coloring, and extracts. Mix well.
• Reduce the speed to low and mix in the flour mixture.
• Fold in chocolate and cherries.
• Chill dough in freezer about 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone pad. Lay a long sheet of wax paper on the counter. Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into balls and place on wax paper.
• In two different small bowls, add 1/2 cup confectioners sugar in one and 1/2 cup granulated sugar in the other. Roll dough balls in granulated sugar first, then confectioners' sugar. Shake off any excess. Place on a baking sheet two inches apart.
• Bake 9 minutes. Cool on a wire rack, then use a sifter to dust each cookie with confectioners' sugar while still warm.

These cookies go perfectly with a cup of coffee or tea, 

UP NEXT: SUPER BOWL RECIPES PART TWO 

February Book Group The Irish Girl

 FEBRUARY BOOK GROUP READ 

THE IRISH GIRL BY ASHLEY SWEENEY

Our book group here in Green Valley met to discuss Ashley Sweeney's book, which focuses on the Irish immigrant experience of the main protagonist Mary Agnes Coyne. The story is loosely based on the author's great-grandmother's experiences in the late 1800's. 

For our monthly gatherings, we enjoy discussing a variety of genres. This month, Clare hosted, and Marilyn provided snacks with an Irish theme.  Bailey's Irish Cream Brownies were a hit, as well as a Corned Beef Dip served with crackers and Irish Soda bread.

Baileys Brownies

Cook's Notes:
Baileys Irish Cream Brownies are rich fudgy brownies with a fluffy buttery Baileys frosting and topped with a rich Baileys chocolate ganache. These are definitely the best brownies I've ever had! And I knew you would enjoy getting the recipe.

Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes and serves 40 small brownies
Author Holly Nilsson

Ingredients
1 Boxed Fudge Brownie Mix plus box indicated ingredients or make your favorite homemade brownies

Baileys Frosting
¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
⅓ cup Baileys Irish Cream
3 cups powdered sugar

Baileys Ganache
¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
½ cup Baileys Irish Cream

Directions:

• Prepare brownies according to package directions in a 13 x9 pan Cool completely.
• For Baileys Frosting: Beat butter on medium speed until fluffy. Add in Baileys and mix well.
• Add powdered sugar a little at a time until completely incorporated. Beat until soft and fluffy.
• Spread over brownies and refrigerate while making the Baileys ganache.
• Ganache: Combine Baileys and heavy cream in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring just to a boil and immediately pour over the chocolate chips. Let it sit for 5 minutes without stirring.
• Whisk until smooth and spread over frosted brownies. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Refrigerate until set.

The following is a review of the book I had posted in 2024.  

Multi-award-winning historical fiction author Ashley Sweeney's writing shines in her newest novel, "The Irish Girl." It's a family saga, a coming-of-age story, and the Irish immigrant experience. Narrated by the protagonist, 13-year-old Mary Agnes Coyne, the story's time frame is between the 1880s to 1890s. It spans from a rural village in Galway, Ireland, to New York, Chicago, and Colorado. Mary Agnes has been banished from her Irish home by her mother, who fails to believe a family member molested her. She flees to her grandparents' home. They decide to book a passage for Mary Agnes to America, hoping she will find a better life there and become more educated. Despite her young age, Mary Agnes travels by herself from Ireland to New York City. After a month, she moves to Chicago by train to live with her uncle and his family. But Mary Agnes' story doesn't end there; it continues to Colorado Springs and ends up back in Chicago, all before she turns 21!

Sweeney's vivid sentences are descriptive and filled with sensory details that bring out all the senses, from the Irish seaside to the persistent rain that hangs over the country, the smells and confined spaces on the steamer, the sounds and sights of New York and Chicago, and the wide open spaces of a Colorado ranch. Sentences are punctuated with literary gems and lyrical prose. Period dialogue is used effectively.

Mary Agnes endures the stigma of poverty and discrimination for being Irish. She endures harrowing misfortunes, economic struggles, disappointments, rejection, clashes of heritage and religion, and unsettling matters of the heart. She has a tender heart, longing to find true love, a home, and a real place where she belongs. Through Mary Agnes's perseverance, optimism, courage, and resilience, she finds the love of her life only to lose him, unexpected kindness, and acceptance. Supporting characters are well-developed, adding depth, complexity, and conflict to the main storyline. The chronic lack of sufficient food permeates the storyline, impacting the characters' lives as they try to survive.

The story is loosely based on the author's great-grandmother's experience as an Irish immigrant. Sweeney's well-researched novel gives insight into the Irish experiences before entering America and their continued struggles to be accepted once in the country.

The writing is of the highest caliber. I found the story of "The Irish Girl" to be mesmerizing and engrossing, finishing the book in a day. As a bonus, readers gain a deeper understanding and empathy for the immigrant experience. The story's last sentence was indeed a clever way to end.

Wish me luck as the next one Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown is at an impressive 682 pages 😉

Puff Pastry Cherry Turnovers 101

 

PART TWO

In a previous posting, I noted that San Diego has a thriving restaurant scene. But what I overlooked was mentioning the culinary scene at our friend's home was quite noteworthy. Since San Diego has a temperate climate, their yard was like a tropical paradise with colorful flowers and bushes. The Bird of Paradise is a showy plant. But what fascinated me was 

their lemon trees (3 kinds), avocado trees, and grapevines. From a historical perspective, this area was once developed as an orchard with citrus, avocado, and grape vines. Thus, it is common for many homes in the neighborhood to have fruit growing in their yards.  

This is a sample of what they sent home with us. Our hostess, Marcie,  made grape jelly for my husband, as she has done every year.  Since they have so many lemons one year, she even mailed us a huge box for the holidays. The avocados from their trees were much larger than those found in the grocery store. And we weren't too surprised when she made guacamole for us one day, along with these impressive Puff Pastry Cherry Turnovers for breakfast.  

  With a little preplanning, you too can make them.  

1 Thaw the Puff Pastry box in the refrigerator overnight. 

2 Make Cherry sauce the night before and refrigerate. It will thicken over a few hours.

Ingredients:

• 1 can of sour cherries in a can, with liquid, you will use 3/4 cup liquid from the can
• 1 box Puff Pastry-remove one sheet and repackage the other sheet and freeze for another time 
• 3 tablespoons of cornstarch 
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Egg wash ( 1 egg beaten mixed with 1 tablespoon of water) 
• Topping: 1/2 cup granulated sugar mixed with cinnamon 

Directions: 

• Make the sauce: In a saucepan, add liquid from the can, cornstarch, and sugar. Whisk to blend. Bring to a boil and stir frequently until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat, add the almond extract. On a low heat, cook until thickened, about 5-8 minutes. 
• Remove from the stove top, fold in drained cherries, and cool for 20 minutes. Stir again and refrigerate. 
• Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.   

Supplies

• On a floured large working surface, use a rolling pin to adhere the edges together.

   

• Cut the rolled-out pastry into four even squares using a pastry cutter. 

• Place heaping two tablespoons in the center of each square. 

• Brushing the outer edges of each square with egg wash. Fold over into a triangle. 

• Brush triangles with egg wash and sprinkle each one with the cinnamon and sugar mixture. 

• Clean the edges with a pastry cutter

 

• Cut a vent in the center.
• Place turnovers on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for 15 minutes while the oven preheats to 400 degrees.
• Bake for 14-15 minutes. 
  

And VOILA! Just like that, you've created a mouthwatering bakery item.