Hart's Desire (Pirates & Petticoats Book 1) (33 page)

“Good.” Keelan had a little more confidence now. A shiver of excitement shot through her chest. She pulled up the red ribbon holding the signet ring around her neck. Papa told her that it belonged to her real father.
 

Four lions, a knight’s helm, shafts of wheat. What did it mean?

Who was the man who sired her?
 

What was her real surname, if not Grey?
 

Who
was
she?

Other Books on Amazon by Chloe Flowers:

Author Page on Amazon:
http://
author.to/ChloeFlowers

Pirates & Petticoats Novels:

One: Hart’s Desire
 
http://mybook.to/HartsDesire

Two: Harts Passion
 
http://myBook.to/HartsPassion

Three: Hart’s Reward
 
http://myBook.to/HartsReward

Four:
 
Pirate Heiress (July 2016)

Five:
 
Pirate King (September 2016)

Coming Fall 2016!
   

The Bridal Veil Falls Series
 

A contemporary romance set in a small town in upstate New York that boasts it’s “The Town of Happily Ever Afters.”

Dear Reader,

Thank you for reading my book.
 

I’ve been writing for pleasure for many years and I recently decided to write professionally. This is my first published novel, and I have three which will be published in the next couple of months. I’d love to hear your comments. Your opinion is important and I’d appreciate any feedback you’d like to share. Although this book has been professionally edited and proofread, there are always mistakes and typos. If you find one, please, please let me know!
 

Let me know what you think.
You can also email me personally at
[email protected]
, if you prefer to communicate directly, or via snail mail (and if you’d like a print book signed, send it here):

Flowers & Fullerton Publishing

3593 Medina Road

Suite 165

Medina, Ohio 44256
 

If you enjoy this book, please consider leaving a review and loaning this book to your friends.
 
:0)

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for reading!

Fondly,

Chloe Flowers
 

P.S.
Want to be part of Chloe’s review team?
 

Opt in on the sign up page on Chloe’s website:

http://chloeflowers.com/contact/

The newsletter also contains information on new releases and recipes!

Follow on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/flowers_chloe
 
@flowers_chloe

Follow on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/chloe.flowersauthor

Website:
 
http://chloeflowers.com/about-2/

Google +:
 
https://plus.google.com/u/0/+ChloeFlowersauthor
 

Other Books on Amazon by Chloe Flowers:

Author Page on Amazon:
 
www.author.to/ChloeFlowers

Pirates & Petticoats Novels:

One: Hart’s Desire
 
www.myBook.to/HartsDesire

Two: Harts Passion
 
www.myBook.to/HartsPassion

Three: Hart’s Reward
 
www.myBook.to/HartsPassion

Four:
 
Pirate Heiress (July 2016)

Five:
 
Pirate King (September 2016)

Coming Fall 2016!
   

The Bridal Veil Falls Series
 

A contemporary romance set in a small town in upstate New York that boasts it’s “The Town of Happily Ever Afters.”

BONUS MATERIAL
: Keep reading to enjoy some of Ruth’s recipes.

RUTH’S RECIPES
 

The recipes Ruth used to create her scones, bannocks, brandied fruit and Indian corn mush are inspired by dishes mentioned an
An Antebellum Household Journal Including the South Carolina Receipts and Remedies of Emily Warton Sinkler,
by Anne Sinkler Whaley LeClercq. I purchased it in Charleston when touring a plantation home.

If you’d like to try the recipes, you can find some versions of them here:

www.chloeflowers.com/recipes

Or purchase the book on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1570036349/

They are fun to try, however, I have also included a more modern version. Enjoy!

Here’s a recipe for Ruth’s Corn Mush; it rocks when it’s drizzled with maple syrup! It’s neat to know that it hasn’t changed much over the years. It’s exactly like my grandmother’s recipe.

Corn Mush (gluten free, I might add)

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil.

Mix 1 cup of corn meal, 1 tsp salt and 1 cup of milk together.

(*NOTE: Keep in mind, just like anything, the quality of the corn meal influences the flavor of the dish. I’ve had SUPERBLY flavored mush and stuff I wouldn’t fed a cow.)

Using a whisk to defend against lumps, slowly pour the corn meal mixture into the boiling water.

Stir until it comes to a boil BUT FOR THE LOVE OF PETE, DON’T QUIT COOKING IT! Put it on low and allow the moisture to cook out of it for about 20 minutes, depending on the corn meal and the heat level. CONTINUE to stir it every minute or so while you’re reading the paper or watching the Hallmark Channel.

**Here’s how you know it’s done:
you can part it with a spoon like Moses parted the Red Sea; the spoon you’re using to stir it will stand by itself when stuck into the middle of the mush; if you pull a spoonful out of the pot and turn it upside down, it will defy gravity and stick to the spoon.

Pour into a loaf pan, or casserole dish, whatever. After it cools (easier if you refrigerate it overnight, but if you cook it long enough to where it’s sliceable when it cools, you’re golden) slice it about a fourth of an inch thick, and fry it in a pan filled with a fourth an inch of oil. (Hey-no one said this was low cal, just delicious).

It takes a while to fry mush. You want it golden brown around the edges. The color will change from a pale yellow to a sunflower yellow. Drain it on a thousand paper towels. (Yeah, I squish it to get most of the oil out).

Serve warm. I love it plain or slathered with syrup. Your choice. Enjoy.

Oh…umm… Sorry about the pot. To make it an easier clean up, add a couple of cups of water
 
along with a teaspoon of baking soda and bring to a boil. Plop the lid on it and turn off the heat. Let it sit there until it’s someone else’s turn to do the dishes. In our family, we call those 24 hour soaking pots. Good luck.

Shirred Eggs

12 strips bacon

2 tablespoons diced bell pepper

2 tablespoons diced onion

6 medium-size eggs,

6 teaspoons heavy cream, divided

4 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Garnish: fresh herbs or 2 sprigs fresh chive, or grated Parmesan and a pinch kosher or sea salt

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 400° and set a rack to the middle position. Arrange the bacon strips on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet or a wire rack placed inside a rimmed sheet pan and cook until lightly browned but not crisped, 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 325°.

Lightly grease 6 muffin cups (or 6 7-ounce ramekins), and line the sides and bottom of each with 2 bacon strips. Combine the diced pepper and onion in a small bowl, and spoon 1 heaping teaspoon of the mixture into the bottom of each cup, followed by 1 cracked egg. Add 1 teaspoon of cream, ½ teaspoon of Parmesan, and black pepper to taste.

Bake until the egg whites are opaque, 12 to 15 minutes
 

Serve in their ramekins, or use a spoon to transfer them to a small serving dish. Garnish with herbs or chive, or a bit of grated Parmesan and a pinch of salt, and serve warm.

OPTIONS: use shredded hash browns instead of bacon (brown them first before adding the egg).
 

Use any kind of cheese or vegetables you prefer.
 

Top with salsa, avocado slices or toast points.
 

Bannocks
 

(Originally a Scottish bread) evolved to this recipe in the low country where corn meal was more plentiful than oats:
 

Boil 1 pint of milk and whisk in 1 pint of Indian Corn Meal. (Yep-use the same container to measure)

Beat well the yolks of 4 eggs with 1 pint of cold milk.

Add the 4 egg whites.

Add 1 tsp baking soda.

Add 1/2 tsp salt

Bake.

Yup. That’s the recipe. I did some experimenting, and found that if you make 1/2 inch thick, round, scone-like patties, about the size of a dessert plate, and place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for about 12 minutes they turned out fine. Traditionally, you would grease a cast iron skillet and cook on the stovetop. 15 minutes for the first side, about 10-12 on the other side.

* If you want a more
traditional
Scottish Bannock, then you need a recipe that calls for oat flour or barley flour. I found a terrific one developed by chef Theresa Carle-Sanders. On her blog “Outlander’s Kitchen,” she presents historical and character-inspired recipes from the fictional world created by Diana Gabaldon, author of
The Outlander
series. It’s
brilliant
.
 
I found one similar to it on another recipe site and tweaked it a bit until I came up with the one below. I have made flaky southern biscuits for years, but I have to say, the oat flour keeps the bannock moist without falling apart. I like it better that a regular biscuit, plus they are good even when they’re cold!

TRADITIONAL SCOTTISH BANNOCKS

Yield: 12-18

Preheat oven to 400° F.
 

2 Cups All-Purpose Flour

1 Cup Oat flour (or you can use old-fashioned or quick oats-just pulse them in a food processor or blender until fine)
 

2 Tsp Baking Powder

1 Tsp Baking Soda

1 tablespoon Sugar
 

½ tsp. Salt
 

½ cup of cold Butter, cut into small pieces

¾ Cup Cold Milk
 

½ Cup Greek Yogurt
 

Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Cut cold butter pieces into dry ingredients and mix well. I like to use a pastry cutter.

Stir together milk and yogurt. Add to dry ingredients and stir with wooden spoon to make a sticky dough.

Turn onto a floured counter and sprinkle with more flour. Knead dough lightly 5 or 6 times, working in additional flour, so that dough is no longer sticky

Roll about ½” thick. Use a biscuit or a 2” square cutter. You can also use a floured butcher knife and cut squares with it. Don’t forget to keep dusting it with flour before you cut. Depending on the size of the square, you should get at least 12-18.

I usually use parchment paper instead of greasing a cookie sheet, but either works. Bake until just golden around the corners, about 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before serving.

Serve warm with butter, honey, or
 
jam. For a more savory version, add 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese in with the dry ingredients and serve with meats or soups.

Scones

Combine:

3 cups of Flour

4 T. Sugar

1 T. Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

Cut in 3/4 cup of Butter with 2 knives used scissor-fashion until you have coarse crumbs

Separate 1 large egg, and put the yolk into 1 cup of milk and then stir it into the crumbs until just mixed.

Separate dough in half and put one half on each end of a baking sheet. Using your hands pat each into a circle about 7 inches round.

With a floured knife, cut each circle into 6 wedges, but do not separate them.

Beat the egg white with a fork and brush the tops of the dough rounds.

Options: gently press raisins, dried cranberries, raw pumpkin seeds, or chocolate chunks onto the tops and bake 25 minutes at 400 degrees.