Three Woofs for the Dead, White and Blue
Page 23
Lydia pleaded guilty to all five murders and related charges, avoiding the humiliation of a trial that would have not only exposed her, but her husband’s gambling addiction, her brother’s fraud, and her grandfather’s tarnished medical legacy.
When business quieted down enough to allow her to return to the farmer’s market, Claire caught up on Agnes’s exploits from Jean and John. The celebrity senior, who wove an incredible tale for the networks, with certain details edited to protect the innocent, met a charming widower in Beverly Hills. She sent postcards from time to time, including a package for Baron. In it were two bandannas, his Babe Magnet with glittering lips and a new one, designed with gold lamé stars and “Please, No Paparazzi” embroidered in gold thread.
Traci and Ken were also traveling, planning a private wedding and honeymoon in Fiji with Matt and Amanda as best man and maid of honor. The lovebirds planned to see the world for the next several months, allowing town gossip to abate. Ken was so grateful for Claire’s role in proving their innocence, he offered to finance a chain of Posh Pups nationally, or internationally if she wished. Having her hands full with one shop, Claire politely declined the offer. She promised she would turn to him first if ever she needed anything.
Lana returned from Paris and booked a VIP appointment so she could visit without interruptions. She lavished Claire and Baron with French imports in gratitude for her investigation and discretion. The dreaded Bunny returned from Cuba, not at all humbled by the experience. Knowing Lana would never expose the truth and risk damaging the charity’s reputation, the scheming socialite was back to her normal behavior. The battle for the Winter Ball was in full swing, and Claire noticed the slightest twinkle in Lana’s eyes as she strategized against her rival.
Claude gifted Barbara with a bottle of Chanel No. 5 and an Hermes scarf, which he said paled against her exquisite face. He began visiting without Lana, allegedly on orders to shop, but without buying anything.
Nick also became a regular visitor, though Claire insisted they keep things casual. She wasn’t looking for a relationship, especially with the shop being as successful as it was. Nick agreed, but it didn’t stop the pair from seeing each other frequently, until he wasn’t there.
Claire had waited for an hour with Baron at the forest preserve that day. She scanned Twitter for any mention of fires, worried he may have been called in at the last minute to help; hoping it wasn’t worse. Dating a fireman, even casually, was not without worry. That night, Nick called from Houston to say an emergency came up at home. He wasn’t sure when he would return, but promised to keep in touch.
Claire realized she missed him more than she should, and reminded herself that her busiest season was just around the corner. She attended the holiday gift show at the Merchandise Mart and got her holiday orders submitted just in time for pre-December delivery. She met with her rep to select themed ornaments, toys, and accessories. Baron was present for all the showings, trying out samples and guiding her buying decisions.
From her marketing career, Claire knew how stressful retail businesses were in the final months of the year. She would have to hire additional staff, with Emma and Zac returning to school in late August. Fitting the rescue events indoors with the increased crowds would be a challenge. But, if there was one thing she learned from this fatal Fourth, she and Baron could overcome anything. And, the holiday peak wouldn’t be plagued with murders. It was a time of peace and love and silent nights, after all. Yes, everything would be perfect, she thought and started singing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”.
END
Woof-Worthy Recipes
Treat your precious pooch to a special treat with one of these Baron-approved recipes. Although human-quality ingredients are used, these recipes are intended for dogs.
(Ahem, Henry, this means you!)
As always, please consult your veterinarian before introducing anything new into your dog’s diet.
Mini Pie Crusts
1 Cup White Flour
½ Cup Whole Wheat Flour
¼ Cup Vegetable Shortening
3 Tablespoons Beef Broth*, Chilled
1 Tablespoon Honey
In a large bowl, combine flours. Cut in shortening and honey until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Slowly mix in broth, until mixture forms a ball.
Roll out dough to approximately 1/8” thickness, then cut out 12 circles using a 3.5” round cookie cutter. Note: If dough becomes too soft, wrap in plastic and chill in refrigerator until firm.
Press each dough circle down into a greased or nonstick muffin pan. pushing Refrigerate the pan and any leftover dough while preparing the filling.
*Homemade beef broth is best, but organic, low-sodium broth is a good substitute. Water may be used instead of broth.
Apple Pie Filling
2 ½ Cups Cored, Peeled, and Chopped Apples*
2 Tablespoons Flour**
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Tablespoon Honey
Pre-heat oven to 400 F.
In a large bowl, mix apples, honey, flour, cinnamon and honey until well combined. Remove muffin pan and fill the mini crusts evenly, with 2 to 3 Tablespoons of the apple mixture to each.
Bake at 400°F for 25-30 minutes or until the pie crust is lightly golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before transferring pies to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Keep leftover pies in the refrigerator for up to four days.
*Be sure to remove all apple seeds before mixing in apples.
**Flour may be eliminated for a grain-free dessert, but filling will be a thinner consistency.
Peanut Butter Ice Cream
1 32-ounce Container Plain, Non-Fat Yogurt
2 Ripe Bananas, Peeled and Quartered
1/3 Cup Natural Peanut Butter
Pour yogurt into blender, followed by bananas, then peanut butter.
Blend until fully pureed.
Pour into container(s)* and freeze until solid.
*Use a covered bowl if you wish to scoop out the ice cream. For individual portions, use individual containers, ice cube trays or silicone molds.
Peek-a-boo Popsicles
For a reduced-calorie option, try these refreshing frozen pops for your pooch.
Fill ice cube trays with the homemade (or low-sodium) broth of your choice.
Drop small treats into the broth, such as diced carrots or sweet potatoes, small pieces of jerky, or blueberries.
Freeze until firm. If desired, add a thin rawhide or carrot “stick” in the center of each pop before completely frozen.
PB Cookie Ice Cream Bowls
3 ½ Cups Whole Wheat Flour
¼ Cup Oats
¼ Cup Wheat Germ
1 2/3 Cups Water
1 Egg
¼ Cup Natural Peanut Butter
Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
In a large bowl, mix flour, oats and wheat germ.
In a small bowl, whisk together water, egg and peanut butter until blended. Add to dry ingredients and mix.
Lightly flour the counter and roll out dough to approximately 1/8” thickness. Cut into circles with 3.5” round cookie cutter.
Turn a standard-sized muffin tin upside down and spray the bottom. Place each dough circle on top of the inverted pan. Press dough gently against each cup to create a bowl shape.
Bake 40 minutes, or until bowls are hard.
Cool for ten minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.
Fill with ice cream and serve.
Sundae Bar
Make it a paw-ty with an ice cream smorgasbord!
Doggy Ice Cream
Assorted Toppings, such as:
Crumbled Dog Cookies
Bits of Jerky Treats or Bacon
Blueberries
Banana Slices
Diced Apples
Carob Chips
Melted Natural Peanut Butter
Place a scoop of ice cream in each bowl or PB Cookie Ice Cream Bowl and design the sund
ae of your dog’s dreams.
Pawtisserie Mysteries Book 2
We Woof You a Deadly Christmas opens during the Posh Pup Pawtisserie’s busiest season. Claire is working her tail off to keep her store stocked and festive, fill custom orders, and host numerous pet rescue events and poochie parties for the holidays. Baron is charming the customers and hoping that Santa Paws will soon visit him and his feline siblings. What happens when malice nips at their winter wooferland?
Learn more at pawtisseriemysteries.com.
Author Bio
Laura Quinn learned to bake at her grandmother’s side, starting by rolling out pie crusts and graduating to cinnamon rolls. These skills came in handy when she adopted Simon, who coached her to make just the right treats for his paw-ticularly discerning palate. One of his favorite recipes were Cinnayum rolls, a crunchy, dog-friendly version of her grandmother’s recipe. Quinn’s petite Cinnayums were chosen along with a selection of her other gourmet dog treats to be included in the 63rd Annual Golden Globe Awards® Presenter Package. Quinn is well-trained, and often outsmarted, by her beloved dog and cats. Learn more at LauraQuinnBooks.com
Other books by Laura Quinn:
Punk Charming: A Mixtape of Travel, Love & 80s Pop Culture
Click here for the Punk Charming e-book.
Click here for the Punk Charming paperback book.
Learn more at PunkCharming.net.
In Memoriam
Simon, Forever in our Hearts
In loving memory of Simon, the inspiration behind Pawtisserie Mysteries. From the moment we met him at the shelter, he melted our hearts. Like his fictional counterpart, Simon was very particular about his treats. He taste-tested every batch, seeming to know just when the timer would ring. At night, he was my writing muse, watching his favorite television shows beside me as I typed away. I am forever grateful he was part of my life and miss him dearly.