by Jenny Kales
“It’s just an invitation for a vacation to a warm climate, at some later date,” Callie told her assembled onlookers, waving the piece of paper. “Everybody can relax now!”
“Better if it’s for a honeymoon,” George said under his breath, but he was smiling at Callie and Sands. She saw him squeeze Kathy’s hand.
“I figured Callie needed some sun and hot weather after her time in the freezer,” Sands explained, chuckling.
“So, who need time in freezer to want warm climate?” Sweetie asked, hugging herself. “I like it here, in Crystal Bay, but I miss warm Greek weather.”
“When are you going back to Greece, Sweetie dear?” asked Viv. “We’ll miss you.”
“I miss you too, but time for me to go. I stay until New Year’s and then go back. You visit me, sometime, yes?”
They all rushed to reassure Sweetie that of course, they would visit her and they asked her to come back to Crystal Bay, too. In the chaos that ensued, Callie thought about how she felt when Sands reached into his coat pocket.
It was exciting, but she wasn’t ready, yet. And he probably wasn’t either. But as she looked at him, laughing and joking with her friends and family, she knew that she wanted him to be in her life for a long, long time to come.
The food was nearly reduced to crumbs when Emma, newly returned from Arizona, came over to their table.
“How was everything, today?” she asked, deeply tanned and looking spiffy in a green dress. “We wouldn’t even be here today if not for Callie and of course, Detective Sands.”
“Don’t forget about Kayla,” Callie added. “She’s my hero. Where is she today?”
“Oh, she’s taken over for Melody – in fact, I think she might be planning the Dayton wedding.” Melody had resigned from the inn as soon as she’d recovered, but the discovery that she’d been a centerfold had done nothing but boost interest in her new book. To wit: she was off being interviewed for a national morning show later in the week. Callie was happy for Melody – she had suffered enough, thanks to Jack.
“So the wedding is still on?” Callie said, surprised and pleased for Nick and Lexy. It turned out that Nick hadn’t been trying to run her down, either.
“Seems to be,” shrugged Emma.
Nick had bought a new SUV for Lexy. The sleek new vehicle had lots of bell and whistles and Nick was unused to driving it when he ran Callie off the road. His irrational behavior at the crash scene and his burst of anger at Mrs. Dayton’s house was a combination of embarrassment, guilt that he had endangered Callie and her dog and fear that he’d be charged with reckless driving. Sands had filled her in on most of this the day after Jack’s capture.
“I hope they both go to remedial driving school – maybe there’s a package deal,” had been Callie’s irritated response.
“Well, Nick is in a bit of trouble for leaving a crash scene.” Sands had given Callie a warm gaze. “Chalk it up to wedding jitters. But luckily for him – and me – you were mostly unharmed.”
Even though she didn’t trust them behind the wheel, Callie was happy for the Nick and Lexy. She hoped that they would work out their differences and that Mrs. Dayton would be a support to her daughter and not a source of problems. She also hoped that she would get a chain for her eyeglasses and use it!
“So, listen, you two,” Emma said conspiratorially, leaning close to Callie and Sands. “I figure I owe you one. I’d like to treat you both to a free dinner at the inn tonight. It’s the least I can do.”
Callie thought about the last few days she’d spent dealing with the English Country Inn – Natalie’s death, Melody’s trials and tribulations, the Dayton bridal shower disaster and finally, her near death by refrigerator.
She knew Emma meant to be kind, but Callie wanted to take not only a vacation to a warmer climate – she wanted an extended vacation from the inn.
She glanced at Sands and it was if he could read her mind.
“Sorry, not tonight,” they said in unison.
– THE END –
Recipes from Callie’s Kitchen
Spiced Greek Biscuits (Paxemathia)
(Greek biscotti)
Ingredients:
1-½ sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs, beaten
1 tbsp olive oil (or canola oil)
2 oz. of ouzo (Greek liqueur) or 1 tbsp pure anise extract
3 cups flour (if using 2 oz. of ouzo) and 2-3/4 cup if using anise extract
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix together flour, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside. Cream butter until light and fluffy and gradually beat in sugar. Mix in the beaten eggs, oil and ouzo or anise extract. Add dry ingredients gradually until incorporated. The dough will be sticky, but should not be too loose. You should be able to form loaves with it.
Spray a large baking sheet with Pam spray or use baking parchment paper. You need one of your bigger baking sheets, as the dough spreads out during baking.
Pat dough into two loaves, about 1 inch high and 1-1/2 inches wide. Don’t place loaves too close together, or they will join together while baking. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven and allow the loaves to cool undisturbed for 15 minutes.
Using a sharp knife, slice each loaf diagonally into slices ½ inch to ¾ inch thick. Lower oven temperature to 250 degrees F. Turn biscuits on their sides on their baking sheet and dry slowly in oven for an additional 50 minutes, turning biscuits over once.
Allow cookies to cool completely, then store in airtight container or Ziploc bag for up to 3 weeks.
Greek Snowball Cookies (Kourabiethes)
These are the festive cookies on the cover of SPICED AND ICED. They are a family favorite and a Callie’s Kitchen bestseller.
Ingredients:
1 lb. (4 sticks) unsalted butter, very soft
1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar, plus more for sprinkling on cookies
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
1 oz. ouzo (Greek liqueur) OR 1 tsp anise extract or 1 tsp orange extract
5-6 cups all-purpose flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat softened butter until very light and fluffy. Add confectioner’s sugar, egg yolk, vanilla and ouzo (or extract), beating thoroughly after each addition. Add flour a little at a time until soft dough is formed that can be handled easily.
Taking about a teaspoonful at a time, (or use a small ice-cream scoop) roll into a small ball about the size of a walnut. Place on a non-stick cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes. Cookies should be light golden brown on the bottoms.
Roll in powdered sugar while still hot. When cool, sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar again.
Makes about 5 dozen.
Blueberry Greek Yogurt Scones
Courtesy of Karen Owen, creator of A Cup of Tea and A Cozy Mystery blog
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup of white sugar
Zest of one medium sized orange
Juice of one medium sized orange
1/2 cup of cold butter or margarine
1 egg
1/2 a cup Greek yogurt
3 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries (in Wisconsin, in wintertime, it’s easier to find frozen!)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Zest orange and add it to your dry mixture. Squeeze the juice from your orange and set it aside.
Cut up the butter and add it to the rest of the ingredients. Blend it with a pastry cutter until the consistency of bread crumbs.
In a separate bowl, beat eggs. Add your yogurt to eggs, then add vanilla and orange juice. Fold the wet mixture into the dry mixture and gently combine. Add blueberries,
folding them gently.
Use a spoon to drop the size scones you wish to enjoy (smaller for an afternoon tea or larger for a coffee shop sized scone) on to parchment lined baking sheets. Bake until golden brown edges and tops appear.
Depending on the size, makes a dozen or more scones.
Sweetie’s Spinach Squares aka Lazy Spanakopita
Author’s note: this tasty recipe is a creation of my husband’s “Thea” Beth Partalis, a wonderful cook and beloved aunt. Spinach Squares are a family favorite and they are often served at parties.
Ingredients:
2 packages chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 bags Monterey Jack cheese
4 8 oz. boxes of feta cheese, crumbled (Odyssey is our preferred brand – and it’s made in Wisconsin)
4 eggs, beaten
1 stick of butter, divided in half and melted
1 onion, chopped
2 cups milk
2 cups Bisquick
Salt, pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Sauté onion in a half stick of the butter. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together until thoroughly incorporated and season to taste.
Put in a large glass pan (9 x 13) and drizzle with the rest of the melted butter. Bake for about 40 minutes or until sides begin to brown. Turn down oven temperature to 325 degrees F until the mixture looks set. Put under the broiler to brown the top. Cut into small squares and serve as an appetizer, warm or at room temperature.
Makes about 24 squares.
Wisconsin Supper Club Cheese Spread
A signature cheese spread is frequently served at Wisconsin’s supper clubs, along with a relish tray. Serve this with your favorite crackers, breads or pretzels. Some supper club patrons even use it on their baked potatoes.
Ingredients:
1 container cheddar cheese spread (such as Kraft Old English spread)
4 oz cream cheese
8 oz sour cream
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
In large bowl, blend ingredients using a hand mixer (or use a Kitchen Aid standing mixer). Chill at least one hour and preferably longer, to blend flavors and ensure that the mixture sets and is spreadable. Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator. Great with crudité, crackers, bread or even on baked potatoes.
Spiced and Iced Gingerbread
This is what the customers clamor for in Callie’s Kitchen at Christmastime. The lemon icing provides a nice contrast to the spicy cake (and lemon is a very Greek ingredient). However, if you prefer, see the variation for vanilla icing (below).
Ingredients for the gingerbread:
½ cup unsalted butter or shortening such as Crisco. Callie would most likely choose butter – she does live in the Dairy State, after all.
½ cup sugar
1 egg
½ cup molasses, regular, not robust. Note: For a darker cake with even more molasses flavor, use ¾ cup.
1 cup boiling water
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ginger (you can grate in some fresh or crush in some crystallized ginger for even more ginger flavor)
1 tsp. cinnamon
Have a ready a greased and floured 9-inch by 9-inch pan, available at a reasonable price in kitchen stores and any place that sells bakeware. A smaller pan will create a deflated spot in the middle and the edges will cook too soon.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In standing mixer or a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat shortening, sugar and egg until well blended. Blend in molasses and water. Gradually add the dry ingredients, and mix until well blended.
Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 38-45 minutes; do not overbake! Check the cake before end of baking time. The cake is done when toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, but a few moist crumbs clinging to the toothpick is OK. You don’t want a dry cake.
Let cool on wire rack until completely cool while you prepare the icing.
Lemon Icing Ingredients:
2 cups confectioner’s sugar, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons warm water
Whisk the lemon juice into the confectioner’s sugar and then add water slowly – you want a nice, thick icing, so you may not use all the water. If the icing looks too thin, add a little more confectioner’s sugar.
Vanilla Icing Variation:
Follow lemon icing directions, but omit lemon juice and substitute with 1 tsp pure vanilla extract.
Let the icing set a bit and then spread on the cooled gingerbread.
Makes 12 squares.
Acknowledgements
I’m grateful to so many people. I’d especially like to thank:
Linda Reilly, for your support, encouragement, enthusiasm and friendship. You always give me the boost I need.
Loretta Nyhan for your unfailing support, astute critiques and wonderfully generous heart. I’m lucky to have you as a friend.
Susan Furlong, for your support, encouragement and charming editorial review of my first Callie’s Kitchen Mystery.
Renee Barratt, for delivering an exceptionally beautiful cover under some difficult circumstances.
Julia Lightbody, fellow Midwest Mystery Writers of America member, for answering my Wisconsin pier questions so quickly and generously.
Karen Owen, for allowing me to use her delightful recipe in my book.
The wonderful book bloggers who’ve reached out to me and welcomed me into the world of cozy mysteries with open arms. Thank you for your support!
The readers! I couldn’t do it without you. Thank you for buying my book, writing reviews, spreading the word about my books and most of all, for welcoming Callie Costas and crew to your Kindles!
My family and friends, for their love and support, as well as their efforts in helping me to spread the word about my books.
My two daughters, Alexandra and Zoe, for encouraging me in my writing efforts.
Last but not least, my wonderful husband, Jim, for his tireless tech support, editorial acumen and positive encouragement and love all along the way.
For anyone not mentioned here who helped me in some way with my writing journey – thank you!
And finally, a special note to readers: If you enjoyed this book, will you consider leaving a short review on Amazon? The more reviews that a book has, the more readers will see it. This helps writers keep writing books! Reviews need not be long and complicated – a simple “I liked it” means so much.
To those of you who have already taken the time to write a review, thank you! It is very much appreciated.
About the Author
Award-winning writer and blogger Jenny Kales worked for years as a freelancer, but fiction writing has always been a dream. Kales’ marriage into a Greek-American Midwestern family inspired The Callie's Kitchen mysteries, featuring Calliope Costas, food business owner and amateur sleuth. The setting of the story, "Crystal Bay," is inspired by a favorite family vacation spot - Wisconsin's beautiful Geneva Lakes. Ms. Kales is an avid reader, cook and baker and she's addicted to mystery TV, especially anything on Masterpiece Mystery or BBC America. She lives just outside of Chicago with her husband, two daughters and a cute but demanding Yorkshire terrier, and is hard at work on her next book. Visit the author’s web site at www.jennykales.wordpress.com. To keep up with author news, giveaways, recipes and other fun stuff, sign up for a FREE newsletter here: http://tinyurl.com/huv5pof.
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