Overdue for Murder (Pecan Bayou)

by Trent, Teresa

  I took a sip of my wine. "Oh, and one more. Zach was trying to break a world record with his cousin Danny."

  "And did he succeed?"

  "Only if there's a world record for the number of failed attempts to break a world record."

  Fitzpatrick laughed and stirred the logs on the fire. He turned back to me and took me into his arms and began to kiss away all of the tension, worry and fears of the last month. I felt myself sinking into the moment ... Then my phone jangled in my pocket, making us both jump.

  "Mom? I was wondering, do you have any matches?" Zach was still at it. "Danny and I are going to break the world record for lighted candles. Don't worry, we won't wake up Aunt Maggie. She's been snoring for the last hour ... "

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  How to Plunge a Sink or Tub

  Most minor sink clogs can be cleared with a plunger. Partially fill the sink with water, then start plunging. Vigorously work the plunger up and down several times before quickly pulling it off the drain opening. If it's a double-bowl kitchen sink, stuff a wet rag into one drain opening while you plunge the other one. If it's a bathroom sink, stuff the rag into the overflow hole. This helps to put pressure directly on the clog.

  Recycling Freezer Containers

  When freezing food in gallon-sized bags, trying storing the bags in recycled cake mix and cereal boxes. Make sure you label the front of the box and the bag itself so you don't forget what you put into it. Also, put a "use by" date on your label. Here's a guide for the freezer life of various foods:

  Fruits and vegetables: homegrown, 12 months; store-bought, 8 months

  Muffins, biscuits: 2-3 months

  Loaves, doughnuts, rolls: 1-2 months

  Baked cakes: 4-6 months

  Cupcakes and baked pies: 2-3 months

  Cookies: 8-10 months

  Cookie dough: 6 months

  Roast beef, steaks: 6-9 months

  Ground beef or cubes: 2-3 months

  Beef stew: 6 months

  Pork roast: 3-6 months

  Pork chops/ribs: 2-3 months

  Chicken: 10 months

  Turkey or duck: 6 months

  Lean fish: 6 months

  Fatty fish: 2-3 months

  Shellfish: 6 months

  Cake Baking Tips

  1. To cut an unfrosted cake in half, use a taut string or dental floss to do the job.

  2. When decorating a cake with frosting, clip off the end of a sandwich or storage bag and fill it with icing. If you were using a tubed icing with a decorator tip, try using that tip with the baggie.

  3. If you need to make black frosting, try adding blue food coloring to chocolate icing.

  4.Using a lazy susan or turntable will make the frosting process easier because you can always have the part you are working on in front of you.

  5. Level off any bumps or rises in your cakes with a serrated knife to have a more uniform cake for frosting.

  6. Listen to Pattie and don't overcook the cake. Moist is better.

  Betsy's Tater-Tot Casserole

  2 lbs ground meat (beef or turkey)

  2 cans cream of mushroom soup

  1 cup water

  2 cups grated cheddar cheese

  1 bag frozen tater tots

  Brown ground meat and drain. Place in casserole dish. Combine soup and water; pour over meat. Sprinkle cheese over soup. Top with tater tots. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Serve hot. This recipe can be made lower fat by using fat-free cream of mushroom soup, ground turkey and fat-free cheddar cheese.

  Coffee Creamer Recipes

  Liquid Coffee Creamer

  Basic Recipe:

  1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

  1 1/2 cups milk

  Lowfat Version:

  1 14 oz. can lowfat sweetened condensed milk

  1 1/2 cups skim milk

  Powdered Coffee Creamer

  Unflavored powdered coffee creamer

  A bottle of your favorite coffee syrup

  Boil 2 cups water, remove from burner, add 1 cup powdered creamer, mix, add flavored syrup to taste. Store in covered container in refrigerator.

  The Magic of Dryer Sheets

  Use a dryer sheet to dust your baseboards. Because of the coating on the dryer sheet, your baseboards will repel dust and pet hair better. You can also put your dryer sheet on your Swiffer mop to grab all the pet hair and dust off your floors.

  Get Rid of Moths Without Mothballs

  Make a small drawstring bag out of cotton or cheesecloth. Fill the bag with this mixture:

  1 part dried lavender

  1 part rosemary

  1/2 part dried lemon peel

  1 Tablespoon cloves

  Fill the bag about half full and hang it in your closet. Scrunch the bag from time to time to release its scent. When the bag loses its scent, discard the herbs and refill it with fresh ingredients.