Murder by Arrangement (Edna Davies mysteries Book 5) (20 page)

As the men drew
near, Albert suddenly swung out the arm that had been hidden and, with a slight
bow, presented Edna with a prettily wrapped bouquet. He looked a little
sheepish when he said, “I’m sorry, sweetheart, but the florist was completely
sold out of roses.”

“Thank
goodness.” The words slipped past her lips before she could stop them.

Behind her
father, Starling had a sudden fit of coughing. As Charlie turned to pat her
back, he caught Edna’s eye and winked. She tried to ignore them both as she
beamed up at her husband.

“Mums are
perfect, dear.”

#    #    #

Davies
Family Recipes

With her busy
schedule and four children to raise, Edna preferred quick, simple recipes that
required few pans or dishes to wash. Here are some of her favorites that have
become hits with her grandchildren, as well.

Chicken Pot Pie -
Easy and Quick
(serves 3 - 4)

1 can (10.5 oz.) cream of potato
soup

10 oz. frozen mixed vegetables,
partially thawed

1 can (12.5 oz.) chicken breast,
drained*

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup milk

1 cup baking mix

Preheat oven to
400 degrees.

In a 9 inch pie
pan, combine soup, vegetables and chicken.

Beat egg in a
small bowl. Add milk. Stir in baking mix until moist. Do not over stir. Mix
should be lumpy, not smooth.

Pour baking
mixture over chicken and vegetables.

Bake 25 minutes
or until crust is nicely golden brown.

*Water may be
reserved and given to cat in small doses, since it is too rich to be consumed
at once.

Sweet and Sour Chicken - Slow Cooker
(serves 2)

2 boneless, skinless chicken
breasts (thawed or frozen)

1 small can (8 oz.) pineapple
chunks with juice

1/2 cup Wishbone Russian salad
dressing

1 green sweet bell pepper, seeded
and cut into strips

Combine
ingredients in slow cooker.

Pepper strips may
be added during last hour of cooking, so as not to overcook.

If chicken is
thawed, you may wish to cut breasts into 2 inch pieces.

Cook on low 6 to
8 hours or on high for 4 to 6 hours -- until chicken is thoroughly cooked.
Frozen breasts will require the longer cooking times.

Serve over hot,
cooked rice.

Breakfast Muffins
- Cranberry
(makes 12 standard muffins)

2 cups flour

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg, beaten

1 cup milk

1/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to
375 degrees.

Butter a 12-count
muffin tin or use muffin papers.

In a large bowl,
combine dry ingredients.

Stir in egg, milk
and butter, but do not over stir. Batter should be lumpy, not smooth.

Fill muffin cups
2/3 full.

Bake 20 to 25
minutes or until center of a muffin will spring back to a poke.

Serve warm with
lots more butter.

Popovers -
Blender
(makes 12)

2 large eggs

1 cup sifted flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to
450 degrees.

Place muffin pan
in oven to get very hot.

            (Do
NOT use paper muffin cups for this recipe, as Starling once did.)

Place all
ingredients in blender and whirl until smooth.

Carefully grease
hot muffin cups lightly w/ canola spray.

Fill muffin cups
1/2 full.

Bake for 15 minutes
at 450. Lower heat and bake for another 20 minutes at 375.

Serve hot with
more butter.

Acknowledgements

I wish to thank
Allen B. Gammons, Senior, for his fishing advice and for helping me to get rid
of Albert this time--in the nicest possible way, of course.

To Mell McDonnell
goes the credit for suggesting I add some of Edna’s recipes to the back of this
book. Thanks, Mell. Edna’s pleased to share her family’s favorites.

As always, I am
indebted to Jan Reynolds, Jim Coleman, Gail Lindsey, Olivia Coleman and Lori
Gee for their time, expertise and feedback as first readers.

I especially wish
to acknowledge my critique partner Bonnie McCune (BonnieMcCune.com) who has
stayed with me since 2000, generously sharing her support, guidance and
insights. You’re the best, Bonnie!

Last but
certainly not least, heartfelt appreciation to my family, friends and readers
who have been so supportive and encouraging. You make my efforts fun and
rewarding.

About the Author

Suzanne Young was
born and raised in Rhode Island. She has worked as a photographer, a writer, an
editor, and a computer programmer and business analyst since earning her degree
in English from the University of Rhode Island in Kingston.

A resident of
Colorado for over 40 years, she retired from software development in 2010 to
write fiction full time. 

She is a member
of Denver Woman’s Press Club, Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and Sisters in
Crime as well as a graduate of the Arvada (CO) Citizens Police Academy.

To learn more
about this author, she invites you to visit her website at http://suzanneyoungbooks.com/
where you can also contact her via e-mail.