by Lexi Blake
“Hey, don’t eat them all,” Charlie said, her eyes coming open. She’d been napping, but now seemed like the perfect time to invade her space.
“I’ll save some for you, baby.” His back hurt, but it didn’t matter. Seth was fussing and Ian lifted him from his crib, holding him close as he climbed into Charlie’s bed.
Into their bed. It didn’t matter that they were miles from the house they called home. Her body, her soul—they were home to him. He crawled in next to her and they cuddled close, their son in between.
He looked at the woman who meant more than life itself to him. “Hey, babe. How was your day? Mine was a little up and down.”
The smile that crossed her face lit up his world. “I don’t know. I thought it was memorable.” She looked down at their son, wonder in her eyes. “Welcome to the world, Seth Taggart.”
He cuddled his wife close. “Welcome home, Seth.”
Eric
Bruschetta with Beef Filet and Horseradish Drizzle
Spinach and Artichoke Hummus
Fresh Veggie and Bacon Frittata
Potato Salad with Bacon
Lobster Mac and Cheese
Beef Brisket
Mason Jar BBQ
Black and Blue Cobbler
Kahlua Brownies with Coffee Whipped Cream
Bruschetta with Beef Filet and Horseradish Drizzle
1 French baguette
½ cup basil pesto
3 tablespoons butter
1 Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 (8 ounce) filets of beef, 1-inch thick
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons horseradish
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Slice the baguette on the diagonal making half-inch thick slices. Brush each slice with 1 teaspoon of basil pesto and place on a baking sheet or roasting pan. Place in the oven on the top rack and toast for 3-5 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Remove from oven and set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees.
In a medium skillet over medium-low heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter, then add the sliced onions and sauté until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Set onions aside. In the same skillet over high heat, add 2 tablespoons of the butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Allow butter to brown, then add filets and sear on all sides for about 1 minute per side and ends. Place skillet in the oven and cook for 8-10 minutes or until internal temperature of beef is 145 degrees. Remove from oven and rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
While the beef is cooking, in a small bowl, mix together the sour cream, horseradish and lemon juice. When ready to serve, place 1 tablespoon of onions on top of each baguette, then top with 2 thin slices of beef and finish with a drizzle of horseradish sauce.
Spinach and Artichoke Hummus
1 (15.5 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
1 (14 ounce) can baby artichoke hearts, drained
1 cup spinach
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
In a food processor, blend all ingredients until smooth.
Fresh Veggie and Bacon Frittata
5 slices bacon
1 Vidalia onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
1 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced
6-8 stalks asparagus, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
12 large eggs
½ cup milk
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
½ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
Place bacon in a large cast iron skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain bacon slices on paper towels and crumble.
Remove all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease from the skillet and return to low heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, then add 1 tablespoon of butter with the zucchini, mushrooms and asparagus and continue cooking for 3 minutes. Add the spinach and remaining butter, if needed, and continue cooking for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, pepper and cheese. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables in the cast iron skillet and sprinkle with bacon crumbles. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
Potato Salad with Bacon
6 russet potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
¼ cup green onion, chopped
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ cup Durkee Famous Sauce
¼ cup sweet relish
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool, and place in a large mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients, then fold gently into the potatoes. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
Lobster Mac and Cheese
1 pound penne pasta
4 fresh lobster tails
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
1 (8 ounce) block cream cheese
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
Salt to taste
1 sleeve butter crackers, crushed
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring 4 cups of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and continue to boil for 8-10 minutes or until the pasta is cooked through. Drain pasta and set aside.
While the pasta is boiling, bring 2 cups of salted water to a boil and add lobster tails. Cover and boil for 3-5 minutes. Remove the tails from water and shell, then cut into bite-sized pieces.
In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and gradually whisk in the flour until a roux forms. Add the heavy cream and milk, whisking constantly until thickened. Stir in the cheddar cheese, cream cheese, red pepper flakes, garlic and salt to taste. After you have a smooth cheese sauce, stir in the pasta and lobster and mix together gently. Pour into a baking dish and top with cracker crumbs. Bake for 15 minutes and serve.
Alex and Eve “The Call”
Alex McKay could practically hear his stomach rumbling as the server placed the dish in front of him. He breathed it in. Lobster mac and cheese. It smelled decadent and rich and he could practically taste it on his tongue. This was his favorite dish from his favorite restaurant.
Of course, it helped that the executive chef was his brother from another mother. And he loved the company he was keeping.
Eve McKay sat across from him with a salad and bowl of crab bisque in front of her. With her blonde hair around her shoulders and a sparkle in her eyes, she was easily the most beautiful woman in the room, but then he thought she was the most beautiful woman in any room.
“You know there is nothing sexier than the look you get on your face right before you eat an entire plate of carbs,” his wife said with a smile on her face.
He worked damn hard to be able to eat those carbs. “Hey, I go to the gym five times a week and I have to keep up with Ian. You know how competitive he is.”
He definitely had a competitive streak of his own. They might be getting older, but he had zero intentions of letting himself go. After all, he needed to be pretty for his wife. She was a knockout who simply got more stunning every single year.
“I’m well acquainted with Ian’s issues. I could write a whole book on them, but I’ve been sworn to secrecy.” Her hand slid over his. “And you eat away,
babe. I swear, you’re more handsome today than the day we married.”
The day they married for the second and last time. Today. On this day three years before, he’d finally gotten his life back. “Have I mentioned this is the anniversary of one of the two best days of my life?”
“Our two wedding days?”
He shook his head and hoped she understood what he was about to say. “Baby, when people ask I tell them I’ve been married for twenty years. I don’t even think about the years when we were divorced because I never stopped loving you, but I consider our second wedding to be our real wedding day. I was a boy the first time I married you. I don’t know that I even knew what I was really saying. I wanted you. I had to have you. I worry sometimes that I married you for selfish reasons back then.”
“Alex, everyone marries for selfish reasons.” She sounded so reasonable, so very much like the therapist she was.
But he remembered the young man he’d been. So arrogant. So full of himself. He’d stood beside her that day and she’d been a prize he’d won.
She was so much more. It had taken tragedy to learn that they could be so much more.
“But the second time around…” He stopped, emotion choking his voice.
Tears made her eyes shine as she took over for him. “The second time around we knew everything that was at stake. We knew how much we could make each other ache, how much we could hurt. We knew that there are no guarantees in life. We understood what all those vows meant and we still made them because we couldn’t live any other way.”
He should have known she would understand. This time, he and Eve were in perfect synch. This time they were growing together and not apart. “Yes. That’s exactly what I mean.”
“So when you say it’s one of the two best days of your life, I suspect I know the other.” She sat back, looking so beautiful it made his heart clench. “Cooper?”
Oh, how he loved that boy. Their son. When he’d learned Eve might never be able to have children, he’d resigned himself to adoption.
He’d been so stupid about that, too. He’d thought he was going to do it for her, but Cooper had somehow become as necessary to his life as breathing.
“Oh, yes. I know I was worried that you would be unhappy if you could never get pregnant, but, baby, he’s been the light of my life. You and Coop are my life.”
“I don’t regret any of it. Not a second, even the really bad ones because everything we survived led us to him,” Eve said quietly. “I think about it sometimes. If things had gone different, what would his life be like? Who would his parents be? Would they take care of him? Would they know how he likes to be held or that he gives the best kisses? I think about the fact that we could have missed him and I know I would do it all again. He’s ours. I knew it the moment I held him in my arms.”
Maybe that was the difference between the young, arrogant Alex and the man he was now. He would go through it again, too. He would do it because he knew they wouldn’t have been complete without the pain. The pain had led to true joy, to a peace he’d never thought he would find.
All around them, Top was humming with activity, but somehow he couldn’t see the other couples. He knew they were there, enjoying first dates or celebrating milestones. There were businessmen holding court and girlfriends bonding over wine and good food, but the world had narrowed down to her. Eve. His wife. His sub. The center of his universe.
“You know what hasn’t surprised me about the last few years?”
She looked up from her crab bisque. “What’s that?”
“What an amazing mother you turned out to be. I swear I didn’t think I could love you more, but every time I see you with him, I do.” There was only one thing that he worried about now, and it was something they should talk about. “I know this second time has taken a while.”
She reached over and held his hand. “Alex, I’m all right. If they never call, we’re going to be okay.”
They’d almost had a daughter. They’d spent six months prepping for a baby girl and at the last minute the mother had changed her mind. Alex wished the family well, but it had been heartbreaking for Eve and him.
Eve had cried and held on to him. She’d cuddled and played with Cooper, and she’d called the agency and said she was willing to try again.
That was his wife. She didn’t give up. Even when her heart was broken, she was ready to find more light. She was willing to open her soul and take whatever pain came her way so they would have the possibility of another child. She would work and hope and pray.
He would stand beside her because that was his place in the world.
“They’ll call,” he said, because he no longer let pessimism into his life. “We told them we’d take any child who needed love. They’ll call and we’ll have another kiddo.”
Eve had talked about eventually fostering some kids. Someday they would have a big family. An island of misfit toys that they would love. They would take in the lost boys and girls of the world and try to give them a better life.
They would share their love because their love was endless.
He took his first delicious bite of his mac and cheese and they started to talk about Cooper’s playgroup and the office and all the daily things that made their lives worth living. Eve grinned when Sean sent over one of Macon’s chocolate cakes.
Her cell phone trilled and she glanced down.
He knew what she was thinking. Tonight was their night. Cooper was staying with Ian and Charlotte and they were going to head home and have a night of play followed by soaking in their big tub together and sharing a bottle of wine. It was their night, but she would be worried Charlotte was calling about Cooper.
“Answer it, angel. I won’t mind.” They were parents. They had to put their son first.
She smiled and reached down for her phone. When she came back up, she’d flushed and she fumbled with the phone. “Hello? Yes, this is Eve McKay. No, it’s not a problem at all.”
What was going on?
Tears filled her eyes and she covered the phone. “Alex, they have a baby for us. It’s a boy and the mother picked us. He’s two days old and we can pick him up now.”
They had prepped for a girl, but that didn’t matter. Not at all. He reached for her hand. “Then we’re going to need dessert to go.”
After all, they had a family to build.
Beef Brisket
5-6 pound beef brisket
1 cup flour
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup oil
1 Vidalia onion, diced
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
¼ cup soy sauce
1 can beef broth
½ cup white wine
¼ cup honey
1 tablespoon sage
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover brisket in flour and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat and sear all sides of the brisket. Place brisket in a roasting pan without the rack.
In the same skillet, add the onions and garlic and sauté until onions are tender. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, then pour the mixture over the brisket. Cover with tin foil and bake for 3 hours.
Remove brisket from oven and allow to rest for 30 minutes before slicing. Slice thinly on the bias and place on a platter. Pour remaining sauce from the roasting pan into a skillet and cook on medium-high heat until reduced by half. Pour over the brisket and serve.
Mason Jar BBQ
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 bag tri-color slaw
2 (28 ounce) cans baked beans, drained
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup barbecue sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray’s)
2 green onions, chopped
1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained
1 5-6 pound Boston butt
1 cup apple juice or apple cider
8-10 pint sized mason jars
½ cup Butt Rub (recipe below)
Butt Rub:
1 tablespoon seasoned salt
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground sage
Slaw:
In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar until smooth. In a large bowl, stir together the bag of slaw with the mayonnaise dressing. Allow to marinate for at least an hour. Preparing the day before is best.
Baked Beans:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together the baked beans, brown sugar, barbecue sauce, green onions and ground beef. Pour into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and bake for 1 hour.
Pulled Pork:
Coat the pork butt with the butt rub. Place the pork, fat side up, in a preheated 225 to 250 degree smoker for 10½ hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 190 to 200 degrees. During the smoking process, leave the smoker closed for the first 2 hours and then spray the pork with a small amount of apple juice or cider every 2 hours thereafter.
Remove pork butt from the smoker and let rest for at least 15 minutes before pulling apart.
To Build:
In a pint sized mason jar layer the pulled pork then the beans and top with slaw. Simply delicious!
Black and Blue Cobbler
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh blackberries
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 (9-inch) pie crusts (click here)
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons sugar
