Interview with the Author Patricia Rockwell, "Sounds Of Murder"

Recently I had the pleasure of interviewing Patricia Rockwell, author of the cozy mystery, "Sounds Of Murder".
1. Patricia, tell me about your cozy mystery "Sounds of Murder".
Hi, Lola. My book is the first in what I hope will become a series of mysteries based on the exploits of my main character. Pamela Barnes is a Psychology professor at a small regional university in the south. Her specialty is the study of sound and she is an expert in the use of acoustic technologies. When one of her colleagues is found murdered in the department’s computer lab, Pamela attempts to find the killer by analyzing a recording of the sounds made during the actual murder.

2. That sounds different from most murder mysteries.

I hope it is. My own background involves acoustic research so I am very familiar with the technology that Pamela uses to solve the crime. Of course, I never solved any murders like Pamela does.

3. Is there anything about your book that might be of particular interest to readers of Lola’s Diner?

Pamela’s husband in the book--Rocky--is a retired Army cook and self-appointed gourmet chef. Much to Pamela’s joy, he spends a great deal of his time trying out new recipes on her. And, of course, she’s too busy solving crimes to do much cooking herself. I’ve even included a number of Rocky’s recipes at the end of the book and several readers have noted that they like this addition. I’m guessing that your “diners” might like Rocky’s recipes too.

4. You say this is a “cozy” mystery. Just what makes this book so “cozy”?

Actually, the term “cozy mystery” refers to the mystery genre of the book. The cozy mystery probably reaches back to some of the works of Agatha Christie, particularly those involving her character Miss Marple. In a cozy, the emphasis is on an amateur sleuth who figures out a crime using intuition, determination, and cleverness. There is very little graphic violence in cozies. Most of the murders, for example, occur “offstage.” Sounds of Murder is much like this. We don’t see the murder take place; Pamela discovers the body after the fact. That’s just one element. Cozies also focus more on the characters and their relationships than in regular adventure/thriller type mysteries. Cozies often have a lot of humor too.

5. It sounds like a fun book to read. How can my followers get a copy?

I think almost anyone would enjoy reading it--but, of course, I’m prejudiced. Print copies are available from Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble.com. Electronic versions are available from Amazon.com’s Kindle store and from Smashwords.com.

Lola's Diner ©2008-2010

Random Tuesday Thoughts

My son started school last week Thursday. I thought my daughter started school tomorrow. That's what she kept telling me since summer school ended. So how did I find out that it started today? I got rudely awoken by the bus horn at 7:45am. Not only was it rude, it was puzzling because I had called the bus company to find out her pick up time yesterday and they said it was 6:40am! So the bus was an hour and 5 minutes late. Needless to say my daughter missed the bus and we were running around like 2 crazies trying to get ready and get out the door. I had to drive her to school and because we thought she didn't start until tomorrow, she has a therapist appointment scheduled for today and she won't make it unless I pick her up. So I texted my fabulous girlfriend and explained the situation and she said I could hang at her house (which is real close to my daughter's school) until school lets out, saving me the time and expense of driving home and then driving back again. My girlfriend rocks!

So the rest of my day today will be spent on the phone trying to get her pick up and drop off times more reasonable. You can't expect a child with my daughter's issues to get up and get ready for school for a 6:40am pick up, and 2 and a half hours on the bus. That's just not reasonable.

So my son started last Thursday, right? And he was home all weekend. Sunday night at 7:30pm he tells me he needs a bunch of school supplies, including a flash drive. He had all weekend to tell me, but waits until 7:30pm when I'm exhausted and really, not much is open. So I decide to wait until Monday for this emergency back to school shopping expedition. So my daughter and I go to the new Meijer in Orland Park, all excited because it's my favorite store to shop at and we usually have to drive at least 45 minutes to get to the closest one. Well this one sux. It's very small, no full clothing departments and the flash drives were ridiculously expensive. Call Ripley's because this is the first time ever that I have left a Mejier without buying anything. I seriously doubt I will be going back to that location. So we headed to Targhay, which is close to our house. The school supply section had practically nothing left. Still managed to get a few things and got a flash drive for a more reasonable price.

I am doing the happy dance that they are both in school today, but I'm a little cranky because the bus horn woke me up. Lol!

Lola's Diner ©2008-2010

Book Review - The Homesteader's Kitchen Recipes From Farm To Table, By Robin Burnside

I recently received a copy of The Homesteader's Kitchen Recipes From Farm To Table, By Robin Burnside.
The Contents are:

Acknowledgments
Introduction
How To Get Started
Basic Kitchen Equipment
Stocking The Larder
Beverages
Morning Meals
Soups, Sauces, and Gravies
Salads and Salad Dressings
Vegetarian Entrees
Fish, Poultry and Meat Entrees
Embellishments
Breads
Desserts

The book is loaded with color photographs, though some of them are not of the finished recipe. Many of the more than 100 recipes are one's from the author's restaurants. The recipes are back to basics, wholesome ingredients, from scratch cooking.

Apple-Raspberry Crisp
Serves 6-8
Topping:
1/2 C Unsalted Butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 C Brown Sugar
1/2 C Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 C Rolled Oats
1 Tbs Cinnamon, optional

8 C Sliced firm Apples (8-10 whole apples or 2-3 pounds)
1 Tbs Fresh Lemon Juice
2 Tbs Whole Wheat Pastry Flour or Tapioca Powder
4 C Fresh Raspberries

Place the Butter, Brown Sugar, and Flour in a food processor and pulse until crumbly. Add the Oats and Cinnamon, if using, and pulse again. Set aside until ready to use. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl, toss the Apples with the Lemon Juice. Sprinkle in the Flour, add the Raspberries, and gently toss. Place the fruit in an 8x12 inch ovenproof glass pan or ceramic baking dish and evenly distribute the crumb topping to cover the top. Put your hand on the side of the dish as you sprinkle and gently press the topping around to the edges to hold in place. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the fruit is tender and the topping is nicely browned.

About the Author:

"Robin Burnside was the co-owner/chef of Carmel Cafe in Carmel, California, and Cafe Amphora at Nepenthe in Big Sur, California. She is also one of the inspiring chefs behind the creative meals offered at Esalen Institute and has been a professional food service consultant, private chef and caterer for many special events throughout her 40-year culinary career. Robin lives on the Big Sur Coast, where she and her family have been homesteading and practicing a sustainable lifestyle for 17 years."

The Homesteader's Kitchen Recipes From Farm To Table is currently available at Amazon.com, Borders.com, Barnes & Noble.com, and your local bookstore.

Lola's Diner Disclaimer: I was given this book to review. This review is 100% my opinion and has not been edited or reviewed by anyone. I was not compensated in any other way for this product review.

Lola's Diner ©2008-2010

Review - CSN Online Stores

CSN Stores approached me to do a review. I selected an item from their over 200 websites. I checked out Accent Furniture and Home Decor, kids beds, bar stools, dining rooms Swingsets And More, and cookware. Since I've been looking for outdoor games to keep us all occupied when we go camping, I thought I'd check out Swingsets And More. I've been wanting a tailgate toss (also known as baggo or cornhole) game set. And I found them there with just about any sports team logo on it! Not only do they have tailgate toss, they've got other outdoor games and lots of other sports logo items.

Can you guess what I picked?

I selected the following item:


Tailgate Toss MLB - Chicago Cubs. I can't tell you how long I've been looking for a cornhole game. The prices at most other sites are significantly higher. I considered having a friend of a friend build me one, but decided I wanted one now, rather than on his schedule. The prices at Swingsets And More are excellent, as are the prices at the other over 200 CSN Stores websites. This particular item was normally $99.95, on sale for $84.99 and FREE SHIPPING!

Ordering online was fast and easy. The product was delivered on time. Unfortunately Fed-Ex left the package outside in a heavy downpour and the box got soaked. I contacted Swingsets And More and they re-ordered the Cubs decals for me and I received them last week. Now I can't wait to go camping to try it out!

I will definitely check them out the next time I'm shopping for just about anything.

For rules for Tailgate toss, see Tailgate Toss Rules - Ehow.com.

Lola's Diner Disclaimer: I was given product to review. This review is 100% my opinion and has not been edited or reviewed by anyone. I was not compensated in any other way for this product review.

Lola's Diner ©2008-2010

Thursday Thunks...

The TT questions are brought to you by Berleen, the color of lightning bolts and the number 1.

A. If you see a tornado out your window, what do you do? Grab my cell phone, weather radio, both cats and my kids and head for the basement. Once in the basement, make sure the extension cord from the sump pump is near it and run it upstairs in case the power goes out and I have to go start up the generator. Yes...this is a fire drill performed regularly because we live in an area considered tornado alley.
B. A celebrity knocks on your door saying that their tour bus/limo/pedal bike broke down (you pick the transportation)… who is it and what do you do to help them? It’s Rod Blagojevich and I point him to the nearest bus stop. Too bad he's not old enough for a free senior ride. No wait...the state canceled that, didn't they?
C. Brett is back on the Vikings – do you really give a crap? I'm a Bears fan. If the Vikings want what really is considered a senior citizen (in football player age) on their football team, then let them have at him. F#%k Farve. And I don't want to hear all the 'will he' or 'won't he' play/retire before the beginning of every frickin' season.
D. What side of the bed do you think Bud sleeps on? Top. I think there are very few people who sleep under the bed.
E. Cookie Monster eats vegetables now. Is this ok with you? He’s a freakin’ polyester puppet! He doesn't really eat anything!
F. All the TT’s get together for coffee… which state do we meet in? Illinois is always good for meet-ups.
G. Is the town you live in famous for anything? Infamous for anything? I don't think so. I live in an unincorporated area and most people have never heard of it.
H. Coffee flavored bubble gum – would you? I'd try it once. Will it have caffeine?
I. So Kimber lost her fight with a granite table…. what did you ever lose a fight with? Last year I lost a fight with the sofa and the Christmas tree. My knee went out and I went crashing down. The tree lost too, but not as badly as me. Lol!
J. Have you ever slept beneath the stars? Technically no, because the camper does not have a sunroof. Wouldn't that be cool if it did?
K. School is starting up soon, or has for some, did you get a new pair of tennis shoes every year while you were in school? No. We didn't have much money. If our sneakers were still serviceable we wore them until we wore them out. My son always manages to wear his out over the summer and thus that necessitates getting a new pair for school. Thank goodness I found a pair of 14 sneakers at Meijer yesterday. I've been searching for weeks and school started for him TODAY.
L. What two flavors do you love that you would never want to taste at the same time? Chocolate and margarita. (Harriet...why didn't you guess that?)
M. If you could shave a quote into a lions fur, what would it say? First off why would you want to do that? And second, who's going to help me hold down the lion?
N. Did you ever accidentally walk in on your parents doing the nasty? Did you ever purposely walk in on them? Nope. They only had sex for procreating...right?

Lola's Diner ©2008-2010

Book Review - The Complete Jerky Book, By Monte Burch

I recently received a copy of The Complete Jerky Book, By Monte Burch.
The contents are:

Introduction
All About Jerky
Tools And Materials
Food Safety
Old-Time Jerky Making
Sliced Muscle-Meat Jerky
Modern Ground Jerky
More Jerky Recipes
Small Game And Wildfowl Jerky
Fish Jerky

I think this book is more for the hunter beef jerky maker, rather than the casual beef jerky maker. The book goes into great detail about butchering your own meat and food safety issues involved with hunting your own game. That said, there are a lot of interesting recipes and if your are someone who makes jerky at home you could find some of them very helpful and quite tasty.

The book does discuss several methods for drying meat for jerky. You can dry it in your oven, or use a food dehydrator or smoker.

About the Author:

"Monte Burch is an award-winning freelance writer, photographer, and author of over seventy-five books and thousands of outdoor and how-to magazine articles. One of the most prolific writers, he still sells to markets such as Field & Stream and American Hunter. His books range from building outdoor gear and hunting lodges to turkey hunting and patterns for walleye. As a photographer, he has had magazine cover shots on Bassmaster, Sports Afield, and many others. He lives in Humansville, Missouri."

The Complete Jerky Book is currently available at Amazon.com, Borders.com, Barnes & Noble.com, and your local bookstore.

Lola's Diner Disclaimer: I was given this book to review. This review is 100% my opinion and has not been edited or reviewed by anyone. I was not compensated in any other way for this product review.

Lola's Diner ©2008-2010

Comfort Food

Everyone that visits my blog knows that I love to cook. Cooking from scratch is my favorite thing to do and since I do it all the time I've got to have the proper cooking equipment.

I cook all types of cuisine and I've got the cookware to prove it. From having a wok to cook stir-fries, fried rice. I've got a pasta pot for cooking spaghetti. I've got a big roasting pan that I cook roasts and lasagna in. And I've got a Le Creuset Dutch Oven that I make stews, chicken and dumplings, chicken, and pork chops.
Here is a great Dutch Oven Recipe from Paula Deen of The Food Network:

Paula Deen's Sauerkraut And Ribs:
Ingredients:
2 Tbs Vegetable Oil or Olive Oil
1 rack Pork Baby Back Ribs, cut into individual ribs
Salt and Pepper
1 medium Onion, chopped
6 medium, White New Potatoes, quartered
1 lb bag Sauerkraut
1/2 C White Wine (optional, may substitute water or stock)
Parsley sprigs, for garnish

Directions:
Set Dutch oven over medium-high and heat the vegetable oil.

You can also cook this dish in the oven at 325 to 350 degrees F for the same time.

Season the ribs with salt and pepper. Lay ribs in the oven, meat side down and sear them in a single layer. Transfer them to a platter. Add the onions and saute until softened, scraping up any browned bits from the ribs. Add potatoes. Add ribs back in and cover with sauerkraut. Poor wine over top. Cover the Dutch oven and lower the heat. Simmer the pot on the stove for 2 to 3 hours until the ribs are very tender.

If the dish gets too dry at any point stir in a little chicken broth or water to keep it moist.

Serve garnished with parsley sprigs.

Lola's Diner ©2008-2010