Haunted Hamlet (Zoe Donovan Mystery) (21 page)

“Well
, not
too
short. I mean, I’d like a while to get used to the idea. And there are plans to make,” I pointed out.

“So are we talking months?” Zak fished.

“Perhaps.” I stopped tracing and looked up at him. “Although I suppose there are advantages to taking things slow.”

“How sl
ow?” Zak tucked a lock of my hair, which had been covering my eyes, behind my ear.

“I don’t know.
Slow.” I paused to think about it. Maybe I did need a little more time. “The more I think about it, the more I think a long engagement is the way to go.”

“So glacial?”

“Exactly.” I grinned. “You know me so well.”

“Yes
, I do.” Zak leaned down and kissed me eagerly on the lips.

“And y
ou’re okay with taking things slow?” I asked when we came up for air.

“I
’m okay with whatever you want.”

“Good. Then maybe we should wait to set an actual date. There really isn’t any reason to rush into things.”
I snuggled into Zak’s side.

“
So are we telling people?” Zak asked as he arranged his arms around me.

“Of course
, silly. What’s the point of being engaged if you don’t tell anyone?”

“
Does that mean a formal announcement?” Zak asked hesitantly.

“Well
, I wasn’t thinking we’d put an announcement in the paper or anything.”

“So friends?”
Zak gently stroked my hair.

“Of course. Eventually,” I added as my heart started to pound.
All of a sudden, everything was becoming real, and I was pretty sure I was going to have a panic attack. What in the heck was wrong with me?

“I was thinking,”
Zak lifted himself onto one arm and looked into my eyes, “that maybe we should wait until we get a ring to tell anyone. I mean, why make an announcement it you don’t have a ring to show off?”

I took a deep breath. My heart rate slowed. “A ring? Of course we can’t tell anyone until we get a ring.” I felt myself relax. “And with the holidays
. . .”

“It could be
a while until we have a chance to shop,” Zak added.

“But
we
know. You and I. We know, and when we’re ready, we’ll tell everyone.”

“When
you’re
ready, we’ll tell everyone.” Zak leaned down to kiss me. “Until then, I think we should focus on other things newly engaged couples focus on.”

“I like the way you think.
”

Apple Pie Biscuits

Cheesy White Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken Ruben Casserole

Loaded Mashed Potato French Bread

Cheesy Ham and Potato Soup

Pumpkin Cookies

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
.

Spray a 6 x 9 baking dish on all sides with nonstick spray.

Open 1 can large buttermilk biscuits (I use Pillsbury Grands!)

Melt 1 stick (½ cup) butter (I melt it in a bowl in the microwave)

Combine in a bowl:

½ cup white sugar

½ cup brown sugar

1 tsp. nutmeg

1
tbs. cinnamon

Prepare biscuits:

Dip each biscuit into butter coating on both sides, then dip each biscuit into sugar mixture, coating on both sides. Place into baking dish.

The topping:

Top with one can of apple pie filling.

Combine remaining butter with remaining sugar mixture. Add ½ cup oatmeal and 1 cup chopped pecans. Pour over top of biscuits.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes.

Drizzle over top when baked:

Combine:

1 cup powdered sugar

¼ cup heavy cream

Serve
hot.

Cheesy White Chicken Enchiladas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
.

Spray 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick spray.

Mix in a bowl:

3 large chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

1 cup sour cream

8 oz. diced green chiles (Ortega)

Fill 8 medium flour tortillas with chicken filling.

Sauce:

In a medium saucepan combine:

1 cube butter, melt over medium heat

4 o
z. cream cheese, add to melted butter and stir until smooth

1 cup heavy whipping cream
, stir until blended

1½ cup
s grated parmesan, stir in slowly to avoid lumps

Pour over tortillas and top with 16 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, grated.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20–25 minutes.

Broil for a few minutes to brown.

Chicken Ruben Casserole

Grease 9 x 13 casserole dish. Place in dish 6–8 boneless and skinless chicken breasts (depending on size).

Cover chicken with 16 oz. sauerkraut; squeeze out excess fluid.

Place one slice Swiss cheese over each chicken breast.

Cover with Thousand Island dressing (about 1½ cups).

Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes.

Loaded Mashed Potato French Bread

16 oz. loaf of French bread

1 stick butter, melted

3 lbs. russet potatoes

¼ cup sour cream

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

6 strips cooked bacon, crumbled

1 bunch green onions, chopped

Preheat the oven broiler.

Hollow out the bread loaf to create a canoelike shape. Brush the inside of the bread loaf with butter and brown under the broiler until barely brown.

Boil and mash the potatoes.

Stir in the rest of the melted butter, sour cream, cheese, bacon, and green onions.

Pour the mashed potatoes into the bread loaf.

Turn the oven to 350 degrees and bake until the bread is golden brown and forms a nice crust.

Serve with grilled chicken or steak.

Tips:

The mashed potatoes can be made the day before and heated before pouring into the bread loaf.

You can make individual portions by using hollowed-out Kaiser rolls.

Real packaged bacon bites can be used in place of bacon, or you can use leftover bacon from breakfast.

Cheesy Ham and Potato Soup

Combine in stockpot:

4 large potatoes (8–9 cups), washed, peeled, and cubed

2
–3 large carrots, washed and sliced

1 small onion
, finely chopped

4 cups cooked ham
, cubed

8 cups chicken broth

Bring to boil and cook until potatoes are tender.

In separate pan:

Melt one cube of butter (
½ cup).

Add 3 cups of heavy cream.

Add 3 cups of grated cheddar cheese.

Slowly add 1 cup of Parmesan cheese.

Salt and pepper to taste

When potatoes are cooked through, break them up with a fork or masher. Slowly add cream mixture, stirring constantly.

I use additional Parmesan to thicken or additional milk to thin, if needed.

This soup is really best served the next day, but it’s yummy the day of as well.

Pumpkin Cookies

Cream together:

1 cube margarine, softened

½ cup sugar

Add and mix thoroughly:

½ cup dark corn syrup

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 egg beaten

1 tsp. vanilla

Add to pumpkin mixture and mix thoroughly:

2 cups flour

1 t
sp. baking soda

½ tsp
. salt

1 tsp
. vanilla

Stir in:

I cup chopped walnuts

Drop onto greased cookie sheet. Flatten with fork.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes (or until browned).

Cool and frost.

Frosting:

¾ cup butter, softened

6
oz. cream cheese, softened

1
tbs. vanilla

3 c
ups powdered sugar

Come for the murder, stay for the romance.

Buy them on Amazon today
.

Paradise Lake Series:

Pumpkins in Paradise

Snowmen in Paradise

Bikinis in Paradise

Christmas
in Paradise –
September 2014

Zoe Donovan Mysteries:

Halloween Hijinks

The Trouble With Turkeys

Christmas Crazy

Cupid’s Curse

Big Bunny Bump-off

Beach Blanket Barbie

Maui Madness

Derby Divas

Haunted Hamlet

Turkeys, Tuxes, and Tabbies –
October 2014

Christmas Cozy –
November 2014

Road to Christmas Romance:

Road to Christmas Past

Kathi Daley
lives with her husband, kids, grandkids, and Bernese mountain dogs in beautiful Lake Tahoe. When she isn’t writing, she likes to read (preferably at the beach or by the fire), cook (preferably something with chocolate or cheese), and garden (planting and planning, not weeding). She also enjoys spending time on the water when she’s not hiking, biking, or snowshoeing the miles of desolate trails surrounding her home. 

Kathi uses the mountain setting in which she lives, along with the animals (wild and domestic) that share her home, as inspiration for her cozy mysteries. 

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athi Daley@kathidaley

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