Tour Review - - Murder at the Ponte Vecchio

Murder at the Ponte Vecchio

by T.A. Williams

An Armstrong and Oscar Cozy Mystery - Book 11

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Release Date: May 4, 2025

Reviewed by PJ

An iconic bridge... 🌉

Private investigator, Dan Armstrong, lives and works in Florence and knows the world famous Ponte Vecchio well. Usually a magnet for tourists, on this occasion it is the scene of an unexplained death, and Dan finds himself involved in the intriguing case.

An uncompromising man... 😠

Dan quickly discovers that the victim, an elderly jeweller, was every bit as hard as the diamonds he sold in his shop on the bridge. Few people liked him, not even his adult children, and his business dealings look murkier than the waters of the River Arno. Dan suspects more secrets lie hidden…perhaps inside the massive safe in the old man's luxury villa…

A complex case. 💎🔍

As the evidence begins to mount up, so too do the suspects with their different motives. With a fortune in gold bullion and precious stones involved, Dan thinks the only way to catch the killer is to lay a trap, but might he be caught in the killer’s sights? Fortunately, he has Oscar, his canine wingman at his side, always eager to prove that he's as good as gold. 🐶

Can Dan and Oscar sniff out the killer’s tracks or will this case be a bridge too far?

PJ's Thoughts:

I'm a big fan of British cozy mysteries with protagonists of a certain age, quirky villagers, and a twisty (usually murder) mystery to solve. Midsomer Murders marathons have been known to on occasion occupy my entire weekend. That's the same vibe T.A. Williams brings to Murder at the Ponte Vecchio. However, instead of rural England, Dan Armstrong, his British ex-pat P.I. has landed in the culturally, historically, and atmospherically rich Tuscany region in and around Florence, Italy, a setting so vividly depicted it becomes a character in its own right.

I enjoyed the dry British wit of Dan, the joyous enthusiasm of his best canine buddy, Oscar, Italian police officers who may - or may not - be hiding secrets, and an array of intriguingly colorful supporting characters, some of whom bring out unexpected, entertaining facets of Dan's character. The pace is leisurely while also maintaining the strength of the mystery and offering up several possible villains along the way. It took me a while to figure out just who the bad person was.

This is the eleventh book of the Armstrong and Oscar Cozy Mystery series and while there were a few times where I felt like I was missing pieces of Dan's past, I was able to thoroughly enjoy this book without having read the previous ten books. If cozy mysteries are your jam, and you enjoy traveling to new places through the pages of a book, give this one a try. 

Throwback Thursday - - Cozy Kitchen Memories

And so it begins...

Here in the United States, our thoughts are turning to food as we prepare for our Thanksgiving celebration next week. For me, those thoughts center primarily on side dishes - specifically sweet potatoes and cranberry salad. Mmmmm. My niece, Jenn was a wee sprite when she first started helping me in the kitchen. Over the years, we've made hundreds of dishes together and, somewhere along the way, the student surpassed the teacher, becoming an accomplished - and creative - cook and baker (You should taste her biscuits. Heaven!). Jenn is a wife and mom now, living in Japan with her family, but she's home visiting her parents this Thanksgiving so I thought it would be the perfect time to revisit this post she wrote for the Dish the first year we were open, November 2009. 

My Mom's Sweet Potato Casserole

Halloween has come and gone and if you have managed to shake off the sugar-induced coma long

enough to venture out, you'd be hard pressed to miss the explosion of holiday decorations.  If you live in Florida like I do,  this is the only indication that the holiday season has arrived.  The average temperature here is still in the 80s!

The holidays are my favorite time of year.  Everything seems to slow.  The hustle and bustle of everyday life ebbs (I do my shopping online!), if only briefly, allowing us to focus on the things in life that endure.  For me, this is the love of my family.  There is nothing more important to me, and it's this time of year that really makes me want to not only embrace every second of joy they bring me, but to also show my thanks for their never-ending love and support.  It's my personal belief that there is no better way to do this than through food.

Brings a whole new meaning to love handles!

Jenn and PJ (a/k/a Aunt Patty)

I was lucky enough to be given a wonderful culinary education from a very young age and most of my most cherished memories happened in a kitchen.  The family recipes I've collected are much like a diary of my life; every one of them has a story on which I look back fondly.  When I make chocolate chip cookies, it's as if my Aunt Patty is in the kitchen with me, helping me work that beautiful culinary magic while trying to keep my fingers out of the cookie dough.  Whenever I felt homesick at college, I would try to recreate my dad's amazing pancakes and remember all the weekend mornings he'd wake up early to make breakfast for all of us.  I can't even look at sugar cookies without thinking of every Christmas holiday during which my grandmother and I spent hours decorating Christmas trees, angels and reindeer.

Jenn and her mom (a/k/a best sister-in-law ever!)

With only a few days until Thanksgiving, this post is to honor my mom's sweet potato casserole. After inquiring as to the recipe's origins, she informed me that she really couldn't say, but it was something she adapted from numerous different recipes she came in contact with.  It might not be a recipe that has been in my family for generations, but it has been a feature at every Thanksgiving dinner I can remember, and it always fills me with a sense of warmth and peace.  It is home and family and everything I love.

 And it has streusel.  Who doesn't love streusel?

Mom's Sweet Potato Casserole

4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1 cup white sugar

2 beaten eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

1/2 stick butter*

Topping:

2 cups packed brown sugar

1 cup flour

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 stick melted butter*

1.  Preheat oven to 350°.  Boil sweet potatoes until fork tender.  Drain.
2.  Using electric mixer, mash sweet potatoes.  Gradually add sugar, eggs, vanilla, butter, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Mash until smooth.  Turn mixture into your favorite baking dish.
3.  Combine topping ingredients and mix until crumbly.  Sprinkle evenly over potato mixture and bake for 30 minutes or until topping is crusty and brown.
4.  Throw your scale out the window and have a moment of silence for your waistline.  Elastic waist pants are advised.
5.  Enjoy!
                                     
                                
The best thing about this casserole is that it can be used as a side dish or even a dessert!

* My mom always uses salted butter in cooking.  If you prefer to use unsalted butter, I would suggest adding 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of salt to the potato mixture.

Photographic evidence of my lack of self-control.

Tell me about your favorite family recipes!  Are they generations old or something new you developed?  Do they have interesting family stories to go along with them?  What are your quintessential holiday dishes?

The Tastes of Christmas Return!

Last December we blogged about some of the treats we enjoy making this time of the year and asked you to share your favorites with us.  During our recent anniversary celebration, many of you told us that was one of your favorite blogs of the year so we're back to do it all over again!  This time around, Anna Campbell and Janga are joining in the fun and we hope you all will too.  Here then are this year's Romance Dish tastes of Christmas...

Andrea says... My family is a peanut-butter-loving family. We love anything with peanut butter. So, a favorite holiday treat that I like to make is a peanut butter pie. It encompasses all of my favorite sweet things to eat: peanut butter, chocolate fudge, and Cool Whip. And the best part--it's so easy! If you decide to make it, please let me know how you liked it. *g*



Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients:
1 prepared chocolate cookie pie crust
1 cup creamy peanut butter
8 oz. cream cheese (at room temperature)
½ cup sugar
12 oz. container of non-dairy whipped topping, divided
1 - 11.75 jar of hot fudge ice cream topping, divided
2 Tbs. hot fudge ice cream topping (to drizzle on top)
2 Tbs. creamy peanut butter (to drizzle on top)

Directions: In a medium bowl, beat together the peanut butter, cream cheese, and sugar. Gently fold in 3 cups of whipped topping. Carefully spoon mixture into the pie shell. Using a spatula, smooth mixture to the edges of the pie.

Reserving 2 tablespoons of hot fudge ice cream topping, place remaining hot fudge into a microwave safe bowl or glass measuring cup. Microwave for 1 minute. Stir. Spread hot fudge over pie to cover the peanut butter layer. Refrigerate until serving time.

Just before serving, spread the remaining whipped topping over the hot fudge layer, being careful not to mix the two layers.

Place the 2 tablespoons of hot fudge in a small baggie and knead for a few seconds. Cut a tiny hole in the corner of the bag and drizzle over the pie. Do the same with the 2 tablespoons of peanut butter going in the opposite direction of the hot fudge.

Serve and enjoy!

*********************

Buffie says... Making sweet treats during the holidays is a family affair at my house. Now that the boys are getting older, they want to help make all the sweet treats. Of course, we all love sampling too! This coming weekend is our big baking weekend. The four of us will spend the entire weekend baking cookies and bars and making all kinds of sugary confections. This year I wanted to add a new recipe to our repertoire. We did a test run on the recipe last week and it was a big hit with everyone. And I love the fact that it is a no-bake recipe. I hope you will give it a try.

Cake Batter Truffles

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

½ cup white sugar

1 ½ cups flour

1 cup yellow cake mix

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 to 4 tablespoons milk

2 tablespoons sprinkles (optional)

Coating:

16 oz almond bark (or white candy melts)

4 tablespoons yellow cake mix

sprinkles (optional)

Beat together butter and sugar until combined. Blend in vanilla. Add cake mix, flour and salt. Mix thoroughly. Add 3 tablespoons of milk (or more if needed) to make a dough consistency. Mix in sprinkles by hand. Roll dough into one inch balls and place on a parchment or wax paper lined cookie sheet. Chill balls in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to firm.

While dough balls are chilling, melt almond bark in the microwave in 30 second intervals until melted. Stir between intervals. Once melted, quickly stir in cake mix until incorporated completely. Using a fork, dip truffles into almond bark and shake off excess bark by tapping the bottom of the fork on the side of your bowl. Place truffles back on the cookie sheet and top with sprinkles.

Chill cake batter truffles in the refrigerator until serving. Makes 24 to 30 truffles.

You can change the cake mix flavor to make a wide variety of truffles.

********************

Need something sparkling to wash down all these Christmas goodies?  Anna Campbell has just the ticket!  Anna says...

I love to get together with my friends and I often make this easy cocktail to create a party atmosphere. It’s called kir royale and it’s champagne with a slurp of crème de cassis (a French blackcurrant liqueur) to add that extra zing. Be careful you don’t get too generous with the slurp as the crème de cassis is strong in flavour as well as alcohol content! The deep purple liqueur should just add a blush of color to the champagne. I first came across this cocktail as the cool thing to drink in France when I visited in 1985. So it’s brings back memories of lovely travel for me. There’s a slightly less extravagant version with crème de cassis and white wine called a kir, but, hey, Christmas comes but once a year! By the way, check out the label of the liqueur. It looks like it’s handwritten, doesn’t it? Love that bottle! May you all have a merry Christmas! 

********************

 
Gannon says... These are great anytime, but I've started adding them to our Christmas goodies that we share with friends and family. The recipe came from a friend of mine in Florida.

Easy Peasy Pralines

- 1 box graham crackers
- 1 cup butter
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Break graham crackers into sections and place on jelly roll pan. Melt butter in small sauce pan. Add brown sugar and boil for 2 minutes. 

Add pecans and then spread over graham crackers. 

Bake for 10 minutes. 

Remove and let stand 2 minutes. 

Remove from pan while still warm and place on wax paper to cool. 

Enjoy!

********************

Janga says...  This is a variation of a Betty Crocker Bake Sale winner. I’ve been using it since 1987 when I found it in a local cookbook. I don’t know which came first. We prefer the lighter chocolate of this recipe. The Betty Crocker recipe uses chocolate cake and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Turtle Cake

Ingredients:

One package German chocolate cake mix

One package (14 ounces) caramels

One-half large can of evaporated milk

One-fourth stick of butter

One cup milk chocolate chips

One cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Prepare cake according to package directions. Set aside half of batter; pour remaining batter into a greased and floured 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes.

In a small saucepan, melt the caramels, milk and butter. Remove cake from oven and top with caramel mix.

Add balance of batter and top with chocolate chips and nuts.

Bake 20-25 minutes longer or until cake springs back when touched lightly. Refrigerate overnight. It can be served as is or topped with Cool Whip, whipped cream, or your favorite vanilla ice cream. It serves 12-18, depending on size of slices—and appetites.

********************

 
PJ says...  As children, my brothers and I knew the Christmas season had arrived when we came home from school to find a platter of my mom's no-bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies on the dining room table.  They're still family favorites today, bringing with them sweet memories along with their sweet taste.

CHOCOLATE OATMEAL NO BAKE COOKIES

2 cups sugar

2 sticks margarine

1/2 cup milk

2 to 3 teaspoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 to 2/3 cup smooth peanut butter

2 cups (uncooked) oatmeal

Boil sugar, margarine and milk for 2-1/2 to 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and add cocoa, vanilla, peanut butter and oatmeal.  Beat until glossy and thick.

Using a teaspoon, drop mounds of the mixture onto waxed paper.  Let cool.

Bet you can't eat just one!

That's what we're cooking up in our kitchens this holiday season!  What are you making at your house?

It's Beginning To Taste A Lot Like Christmas

Some people say they know the Christmas season has arrived when they see colored lights, decorated trees and yard decorations. Others mark the arrival by the sounds of their favorite Christmas Carols. While I enjoy both the lights and the carols (a lot), for me, it's the tastes and aromas emanating from my kitchen that signal my favorite time of the year - the trays of warm cookies covering every available surface in the house, the happy laughter of the children who share my cookie baking traditions and the two dogs sitting in front of the oven, swishing the floor with their tails as they excitedly await the trays of their very special treat: homemade dog biscuits!

I kicked off my baking this week with two perennial favorites from my holiday repertoire: M&M Cookies and Dipped Log Cookies. My family's love of my M&M Cookies goes way back to my college days when I would make them as a special treat for my (nine year old) younger brother who then sold them at school for a quarter each. (which I discovered many years later) Apparently, they were quite popular! Back then I made them with butter and regular M&M's but nowadays I use Butter Flavor Crisco, which makes them soft and chewy, and green and red M&M's which give them a festive flair. The Dipped Log Cookies are my all-time favorites and the first to disappear at any gathering. They're similar to Mexican Wedding Cookies but with a touch of brandy in the dough. After baking, the warm cookies are rolled in powdered sugar and dipped in rich, milk chocolate. I've never met anybody who could eat just one. I know I can't!

M&M COOKIES

1 cup (1 stick) Butter Flavor Crisco
3/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
2-1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 bag (12-14 ounces) M&M's

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Cream Crisco, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in flour, salt and baking soda. Stir in M&M's.

Drop by tablespoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 9-10 minutes; until golden brown. Transfer to cooling rack.

CHOCOLATE DIPPED LOG COOKIES

1 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons brandy
2 teaspoons vanilla
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups chopped pecans
Powdered sugar
Melted milk chocolate

Cream butter. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy.

Add brandy, vanilla and salt; mix well.

Add flour, stirring until blended; stir in pecans.

Shape dough into 1 ½ x ½ inch logs. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake at 325°F. for 15 to 20 minutes. Cookies should not brown.

While warm, roll cookies lightly (or dust with) powdered sugar. Place on wire racks to cool. When completely cool, dip one end in melted chocolate. Let stand on wax paper until set.

YIELD: 4 dozen



"GOOD DOG" DOG BISCUITS

2 ¼ cups whole wheat flour
½ cup dry milk
1 egg
½ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon beef bouillon, dissolved in ½ cup hot water
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Preheat oven to 300.

Combine all ingredients and stir well.

Knead dough 2 minutes on a floured surface. Roll dough to a ¼ inch thickness.

Cut into shapes with cookie cutters and place on an ungreased baking sheet. (My baking assistants (a/k/a the kids) love to make these in people shapes. They say, "We eat animal crackers, the dogs should get people biscuits!")

Bake 30 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and cool on a rack.

YIELD: 4 dozen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have favorites, like the cookies mentioned above, that I make every Christmas but I also enjoy adding a few new recipes to the mix each year so I asked my fellow Dishes; Buffie, Andrea and Gannon, to share a few of their favorite holiday treats with us.

Gannon says...

Most people wrinkle their noses when they hear the word fruitcake, and I admit I always felt that way. But these fruitcake cookies are nothing like any fruitcake you’ve ever tasted. My mom baked them every Christmas for many years, and now I (and my eldest niece, too) have continued the tradition. I could eat them for breakfast, they are so good. Enjoy!

FRUITCAKE COOKIES

2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup all purpose flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1 – 4 oz. container candied cherries (I usually do 2 oz. of red and 2 oz. of green for the color)
½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. baking soda
1 lb. pitted whole dates, chopped
½ cup candied pineapple, chopped
½ cup chopped walnuts


In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Add to creamed mixture, beating until combined. Stir in fruit and nuts. Chill batter overnight. Drop by slightly rounded tablespoon onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake @ 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

Another recipe from Gannon is easy to make but oh-so-delicious. Gannon says these cookies can be made all year long, but she enjoys giving them away to friends and co-workers during the holidays. She always make a double batch, because her family is crazy about them!

REESE'S MINI TARTS

1 (20 oz.) roll of Pillsbury chocolate chip cookie dough
1 bag Reese’s mini peanut butter cups


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut dough evenly into 9 slices, then quarter each slice and place 1 in each greased mini muffin tin cup. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes. While dough is baking, unwrap peanut butter cups. Remove cookies from even and immediately press a candy into each cookie. Leave to cool completely in the pan. Makes 3 dozen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffie says...

While I make a variety of cookies during the holiday season, my most requested sugary item is my Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Bonbons. These round little balls of sweet decadence are always the first things to go.

COOKIES AND CREAM CHEESECAKE BONBONS

24 chocolate cream-filled cookies, divided
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup nonfat dry milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 package (1 pound) powdered sugar

Coarsely chop 12 cookies; set aside.

Place remaining 12 cookies in a food processor; process until fine crumbs form. Place crumbs on baking sheet lined with waxed paper; set aside.

Beat cream cheese, dry milk and vanilla in medium bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, at low speed until mixture is smooth. Stir in reserved chopped cookies. Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm.

Shape rounded tablespoonfuls of cream cheese mixture into balls. Roll balls in reserved cookie crumbs. Store in airtight container in the refrigerator.

Makes about 3 dozen bonbons

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Andrea says she "loves Red Velvet anything." After reading her recipe and taking a look at the photo of the cookies she recently made I can hardly wait to make some in my kitchen! Here's the recipe for Andrea's Red Velvet Cookies.

RED VELVET COOKIES WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Cookies:

• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 ¼ cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons red food coloring
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ¾ cup buttermilk
• parchment paper

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup butter, softened
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• salt, a dash
• 1 (1 pound) box powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a mixing bowl.
3. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes, until creamy.
4. Gradually add sugar, beating well.
5. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
6. Beat in food coloring and vanilla extract.
7. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
8. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition, stopping to scrape the bowl as needed.
9. Drop by ¼ cupfuls 3 inched apart onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
10. Spread dough to 3-inch rounds.
11. Bake for 15 minutes, until tops are set; cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes.
12. Remove to wire racks, and cool completely.
13. Crumble 1 cookie into fine crumbs to use as garnish. (optional)
14. Make frosting—beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, and salt at medium speed with an electric mixer 1 minute, until creamy.
15. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed 2 minutes or until smooth.
16. Spread about 2 ½ tablespoons cream cheese frosting onto each cookie; sprinkle with crumbs (optional).
17. Store cookies in refrigerator up to 5 days.

Those are some of the holiday treats we Dishes enjoy making every Christmas. How about you? What homemade treats signal the arrival of holiday festivities in your home? Do you have a favorite recipe to share? We're always looking for new ones to add to our baking fun!

~PJ

It's The Berries!

May is quickly sliding into June and bringing with it one of my favorite food seasons of the year:  Berry Time!  Strawberries (love ‘em!) are at their peak here in South Carolina and many of my favorite berries – blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, to name a few - will soon join them. From now through August, I’ll be picking fresh berries and featuring them prominently in my meal planning. Yes, that’s right. I said “picking.” I’m fortunate to live in an area where we have an abundance of farms and orchards and nothing, but nothing, beats that “fresh from the farm” taste. Some of my earliest memories are of picking berries at my grandparents’ farm. I had a good system back then: one berry for the bucket, two berries for me. I thought it worked quite well! *grin*

There are so many things to love about strawberries. They make a beautiful centerpiece with their vibrant red color and tantalizing aroma. They’re the perfect fruit for dipping into rich, dark chocolate.

They're a great source of Vitamin C and one cup is only about 45 calories! (Minus the chocolate, of course.) They call out to me to pop one in my mouth and enjoy the burst of delicious sweetness on my taste buds and I answer that call...a lot. Right now, there’s a basket of locally grown strawberries in my fridge and I’ve been having a blast eating them six ways from Sunday. They’ve graced my cereal at breakfast, added colorful flavor to my yogurt at lunch, topped a bowl of ice cream for dessert, joined with pineapple and bananas for a satisfying snack, quenched my thirst in a cool smoothie and tumbled joyfully over home-baked shortcake.

I come down firmly in the middle of the shortcake debate between biscuit and sponge cake.  I love them both!  Some berries will be frozen for mid-winter strawberry pleasure but frozen strawberries just aren't the same as eating them fresh from the farm so, for as long as the season lasts, I’ll be on a diet of strawberries, strawberries, strawberries! Then, when the season ends, I’ll bid a fond farewell to plump, juicy, sweet strawberries and say a hearty “Welcome Back!” to another favorite fruit: Blueberries!

I pick my blueberries, blackberries and figs at a local farm called The Happy Berry. Don’t you just love that name? It’s a great place! The people who run it are friendly and helpful, there’s always laughter among both the employees and the pickers, you share the orchard with chickens and the occasional baby pig and you leave with oodles and oodles of yummy berries at a very affordable price. Have you ever picked blueberries? There’s a technique called “tickling” that makes it easy and fun. The berries hang in clusters from the branches. Hold your bucket in one hand and cup your other hand below the cluster of berries. Then, using your fingers, “tickle” the berries off the branch and right into the waiting bucket. Easy peasy! I visit The Happy Berry five or six times over the summer and usually end up with enough berries in my freezer to see me through the winter. Making fresh blueberry muffins, pancakes or cobbler in the summer is a delicious delight but, in the dark days of winter, it’s priceless!

Here are a few of my favorite berry recipes.

SUNSHINE STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIE

2 cups orange juice
2 cups orange sherbet
1/2 cup fresh strawberries
1 banana
2/3 cup fresh pineapple


Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  For a thicker smoothie, add crushed ice before blending. 








BLUEBERRY CREAM CHEESE SQUARES
(from thehappyberry.com)

 3 cups blueberries
 1/4 cup cornstarch
 2-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
 3 tbsp sugar
 1/3 cups melted butter

 2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese
 2 tsp vanilla
 1-1/2 cups sugar
 1 small package of whipped cream

Combine blueberries and cornstarch; cook until thickened. Cool.

Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter and press into a 9 x 13 baking pan. Reserve a little to sprinkle on top.

Soften the cream cheese. Gradually beat in sugar and vanilla, then fold in whipped cream. Spread half of cream cheese mixture over crumb crust. Spread cooled blueberries over this and then the rest of the cream cheese over the blueberries. Sprinkle with reserved crumbs. Chill overnight.

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
(from thehappyberry.com)


1 cup blueberries
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk (room temp.)
2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup melted butter
3 tsp baking powder
2 eggs (room temperature)

Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease muffin pan or pans.

Sprinkle berries with small amount of sugar or flour and toss lightly to cover. (This prevents sinking in batter). Set aside.

Sift and combine all dry ingredients in a medium size bowl.

In a smaller bowl, beat eggs until light then add milk and melted butter.

Using a spoon, make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Quickly add the liquid ingredients, then mix lightly. Gently fold in blueberries.

Fill muffin pans two-thirds full of batter. Bake 20 to 30 minutes.

Makes 12 muffins

Do you like berries?  Which ones are your favorites?  Have you ever hand-picked them?  Have any recipes to share?  I'm always on the lookout for new ways to fix my favorite berries!  Oh, and just for fun, on which side of the great Strawberry Shortcake debate do you stand?  Biscuit or Sponge Cake? 


~PJ

IN GRANDMA'S KITCHEN

Some of my earliest memories are of being perched on a stool at my grandma's kitchen counter, hanging onto her every word as she taught me how to wield a rolling pin, create flaky melt-in-your-mouth biscuits or golden brown, perfectly baked cookies. Much of what I know about baking was learned at my grandma's side but baking wasn't the only thing I learned in her kitchen. Sprinkled so lightly among the various techniques that I was hardly aware of them, were gentle lessons that have guided my life over the past 50+ years. From that wise and kind woman I learned to find joy in creating something with my own hands and mind, to take pride in my accomplishments but not be boastful about them, to share willingly and joyfully with others, to have compassion for those lacking the skills or resources with which I was blessed, to treat others with the same kindness and respect that I wish to receive from them and to honor those who have gone before me by sharing my love, my time, my knowledge and a few gentle life lessons with the young people in my life.

Grandma has been with the angels for many years now but, to this day, I can still feel her gentle hand on my shoulder, guiding me in the right direction. A few years ago I was visiting with some cousins that I hadn't seen in almost 30 years. One of them said to me, "You're so much like Grandma it's almost like having her with us again." I can think of no greater compliment.

MY FAVORITE SUGAR COOKIES

1 cup solid Crisco shortening
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. lemon extract
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
dash of salt
Cream shortening. Add 1-1/2 cups sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs and flavorings; beat well. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Stir into creamed mixture. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls 2-3 inches apart onto greased cookie sheets. Dip a fork into flour then lightly press on each cookie to flatten. Sprinkle cookie with remaining sugar. Bake at 375° F. for 9 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.
YIELD: 9 dozen

** For a festive appearance, sprinkle cookies with colored sugar before baking.

Who taught you how to bake? Share your memories with us and you might win a Baking Cookbook. Share a recipe and you'll have two chances to win. One random commenter (US addresses only) will be chosen from all comments received by Midnight (PST) December 14, 2009.

~ PJ

AN APPLE A DAY...

You know that old saying, "an apple a day keeps the doctor away", the premise being that if you eat an apple every day you won't get sick? Some of my earliest memories are of my mom and grandma saying that to me and while I ate lots of apples because I sure didn't want to get sick, I always felt a little sorry for that doctor. In my young mind, I pictured him having to stay away while the rest of us savored the delicious goodies that you can make with apples, like apple dumplings...

caramel apples... and apple crisp.

While I adore many apple dishes, my childhood favorite was my aunt's apple pie squares. Whenever she brought them to a family gathering my brothers and I would descend on her like a swarm of locusts. Her recipe was lost at some point over the years, or maybe it was in her head, but a couple years ago I set about trying to recreate the dessert at the center of some delicious childhood memories. Here it is:

PJ'S APPLE PIE SQUARES
8 medium apples, cored, peeled and thinly sliced (I use Granny Smith)
3/4 cup sugar
2 TBSP all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
2 TBSP butter
2 pie crusts
1/2 TBSP lemon juice
Powdered sugar
Milk
Pure vanilla extract

Sprinkle sliced apples lightly with lemon juice. Combine sugar, flour, spices and a dash of salt; toss with sliced apples. Roll one pie crust to a 9x11 rectangle and place it in the bottom of a baking dish of the same size. Fill with the apple mixture then dot with slices of butter. Roll the second pie crust to the same dimensions and place over the top of the apple mixture, sealing the edges. Cut slits in the top crust to allow the steam to escape and lightly sprinkle with sugar. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 400° F. for 50 minutes or until done.


Stir together powdered sugar, milk and a squirt of vanilla to make a glaze. Drizzle over slightly cooled pie and cut into squares. This is great hot or cold, either with ice cream or on its own.

What are your favorite apple recipes? Have you ever tried to recreate a childhood favorite?  Did you feel sorry for the doctor like I did?

~ PJ

Guest Blog: The Sweet (Potato) Side of Thanksgiving

One of my greatest pleasures is spending time in the kitchen with good friends.  Today, we're delighted to have Jenn Colman join us in our Cozy Kitchen.  Jenn is my niece and long-time kitchen buddy who also happens to be a fabulous cook and baker.  Please join us in welcoming her to The Romance Dish!  ~PJ

Halloween has come and gone and if you have managed to shake off the sugar-induced coma long enough to venture out, you'd be hard pressed to miss the explosion of holiday decorations.  If you live in Florida like I do,  this is the only indication that the holiday season has arrived.  The average temperature here is still in the 80s!

The holidays are my favorite time of year.  Everything seems to slow.  The hustle and bustle of everyday life ebbs (I do my shopping online!), if only briefly, allowing us to focus on the things in life that endure.  For me, this is the love of my family.  There is nothing more important to me, and it's this time of year that really makes me want to not only embrace every second of joy they bring me, but to also show my thanks for their never-ending love and support.  It's my personal belief that there is no better way to do this than through food.

Brings a whole new meaning to love handles!

I was lucky enough to be given a wonderful culinary education from a very young age and most of my most cherished memories happened in a kitchen.  The family recipes I've collected are much like a diary of my life; every one of them has a story on which I look back fondly.  When I make chocolate chip cookies, it's as if my Aunt Patty is in the kitchen with me, helping me work that beautiful culinary magic while trying to keep my fingers out of the cookie dough.  Whenever I felt homesick at college, I would try to recreate my dad's amazing pancakes and remember all the weekend mornings he'd wake up early to make breakfast for all of us.  I can't even look at sugar cookies without thinking of every Christmas holiday during which my grandmother and I spent hours decorating Christmas trees, angels and reindeer.

With only a few days until Thanksgiving, this post is to honor my mom's sweet potato casserole.  After inquiring as to the recipe's origins, she informed me that she really couldn't say, but it was something she adapted from numerous different recipes she came in contact with.  It might not be a recipe that has been in my family for generations, but it has been a feature at every Thanksgiving dinner I can remember, and it always fills me with a sense of warmth and peace.  It is home and family and everything I love.

 And it has streusel.  Who doesn't love streusel?

Mom's Sweet Potato Casserole

4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1 cup white sugar

2 beaten eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

1/2 stick butter*

Topping:

2 cups packed brown sugar

1 cup flour

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 stick melted butter*

1.  Preheat oven to 350°.  Boil sweet potatoes until fork tender.  Drain.
2.  Using electric mixer, mash sweet potatoes.  Gradually add sugar, eggs, vanilla, butter, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Mash until smooth.  Turn mixture into your favorite baking dish.
3.  Combine topping ingredients and mix until crumbly.  Sprinkle evenly over potato mixture and bake for 30 minutes or until topping is crusty and brown.
4.  Throw your scale out the window and have a moment of silence for your waistline.  Elastic waist pants are advised.
5.  Enjoy!
                                        
                                   
The best thing about this casserole is that it can be used as a side dish or even a dessert!

* My mom always uses salted butter in cooking.  If you prefer to use unsalted butter, I would suggest adding 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of salt to the potato mixture.

Photographic evidence of my lack of self-control.

Tell me about your favorite family recipes!  Are they generations old or something new you developed?  Do they have interesting family stories to go along with them?  What are your quintessential holiday dishes?