Holiday Traditions

Okay, I have to confess, I don't like to cook. Do not enjoy it whatsoever! About eight years ago I join a group of ladies from the church were attending in a club called...The Gourmet Dinner Club. Yep. Go figure. I joined for the fellowship and because I love to eat--just not cook. But as part of the club I had to cook. And I actually enjoyed myself. I really enjoyed planning and shopping and decorating more than the actual cooking but since we were in teams of three, it was fun. And I came away from the club with some awesome recipes. One recipe, in fact has become a tradition at Christmas (sometimes Thanksgiving too!)

I wish I could say I made this recipe up but alas, I didn't. But I can share it with you.

This comes from The Pebble Beach Lodge by Gregg Denter, Sous Chef

Italian Sausage Stuffing

1/2 pound butter

1 pound Italian sausage

1 yellow onion, diced

4 stalks celery, diced

5 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tsp fresh thyme

1 tsp marjoram

1 tsp fresh sage

1/4 cup Sherry wine ( I sometimes use Marsala wine)

2 tsps salt

1 tsp pepper

1 loaf bread cubed (really good with sourdough)

2 cups chicken stock

2 eggs

Heat the butter in a saute pan. Add the sausage and brown. Add vegetables, garlic and spices, saute until tender. Add the wine, salt and pepper. Put into a bowl and add cubed bread, chicken stock, and eggs. Mix thoroughly and stuff into a turkey (or cook seperately--which is what I usually do). Cook in oven at 375 degrees until turkey reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees (or if cooking seperately, for about 30 mins so its nice and hot and the eggs are cooked)

Enjoy!!

My Weekend at the Emerald City Conference

Hi, Terri Reed here.

This past weekend I was at the Emerald City Writers Conference in Bellevue Washington where I attended a variety of workshops, reconnected with old friends, and made new friends. The weekend started off by taking the train to Seattle.
I love riding the train. Stress free, comfortable and I had three and half hours to do as I wanted. I worked on my current project, slept a little and then read for pleasure (such a rare occurrance these days).
I'm reading ICE by Stephanie Rowe

On Saturday morning, I gave a workshop and used examples from my eharlequin online read, Yuletide Peril. Stop on by every Tuesday and Thursday for the month of October. Chapters 1-4 have already posted. Chapter 5 posts on Thursday.

http://www.eharlequin.com/article.html?articleId=1437

I made this pretend cover for Yuletide Peril using an art software program of my daughter's. Cool, huh?

The workshop went okay. I am so not a public speaker. My husband asked why I would do a workshop then. My answer-- I want to stretch myself, move out of my comfort zone and the more experience I have the better I'll get at speaking in public. Right?

Saturday afternoon was a big book signing. I signed copies of my June release, Her Last Chance.


When I arrived home from conference my covers for my upcoming release were in my mail box. What timing. I could have used those at the conference.

Chasing Shadows hits the shelves in November.

NOW YOU SEE THEM, NOW YOU DON’T
When senior citizens start disappearing from a Boston retirement home, heiress Kristina Worthington is suspicious. Especially when she fears her beloved grandmother is next. Without solid evidence, she’s forced to turn to the one police officer who might listen—her former love, Gabe Burke. Now a seasoned cop, Gabe still sees her as the rich girl whose family thought he wasn’t good enough.
And though he takes the case, Gabe seems convinced he’s chasing shadows. Until they start dodging threats, bullets...and their own rekindled feelings.