“A couple of hours,” Quill’s voice was muffled by the bathroom door. “Maybe you could give me a hand picking up?”
“Sure thing.” Meg set her glass of eggnog down and began to pick up the scattered toys, stuffed animals, and baby bottles. “That stuff you picked up at the drugstore make your stomach feel any better?”
“Nope.” Quill emerged from the bedroom.
“Oh, that’s a shame. What do you want to do with all this baby stuff? Do you think Melissa and her dad can use it?”
“Nope.”
Meg turned to look at her. She set a box of Pampers down. “My goodness, Quill. You look ecstatic.”
“All this baby stuff?” Quill opened her arms. “I should have known I’m too young to have an ulcer. We can’t give away that baby stuff. We’re going to need it.”
QUILL’S CHRISTMAS PROJECT
Meg and Quill are exceptionally fond of the holidays—but the decorations present a challenge. The smallest tree at the Inn is fifteen feet high, and the ornaments need to be as impressive if they aren’t to be lost in the greenery. This year, Quill purchased foam blocks to create a hanging village. You can do it, too.
At a craft store, purchase foam blocks in graduated sizes: eight inches, six inches, and four inches. Purchase cones in twelve-inch, eight-inch, and six-inch sizes.
Stack the blocks to form two-story houses, with the smaller blocks on top. To create a church, place a six-inch cone on top of a stack of blocks. Use cones with a small glass ornament on top to create the three kings. If you are adept with an X-Acto knife, purchase the heavy green foam that is used by florists and carve angels, animals, and other figures. Let your imagination run free.
Wrap the blocks and cones in luxurious fabric, such as satin, velvet, or taffeta, just as you would wrap a Christmas package. Cut the fabric to size first, do a trial run to see that the blocks are covered, then glue in place with a glue gun. If you are covering animal or angel ornaments, wrap the entire figure in ribbon, and glue in place with a glue gun.
Let the ornaments dry overnight. Then trim the ornaments with fanciful and elegant ribbons, fake jewels, gold lace doilies, fur trim, sequins, and gold wire.
Using short lengths of picture wire, affix hooks to the tops of the ornaments.
MEG’S CHRISTMAS DELIGHTS
JOY ON A CLOUD
MERINGUES
6 egg whites
Pinch cream of tartar
1 tablespoon sugar
Whip the egg whites until they stand up in peaks. Add sugar and cream of tartar as the egg whites begin to stiffen. Drop a large spoonful of egg white onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Shape into flat clouds with a spatula. Put a depression in the middle with the bowl of a large spoon. Bake in a 250-degree oven for about an hour. Meringues should be dry and hollow to the touch.
CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
8 egg whites
1½ pounds semisweet chocolate
4 egg yolks, beaten
cup sugar
1/2 cup very strong coffee
cup Grand Marnier
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Melt chocolate over low heat on stove. Add warmed coffee, stirring carefully until chocolate is glossy. Add beaten egg yolks, stirring carefully until chocolate is glossy. Remove chocolate from heat, and stir in brandy until chocolate is glossy. Let mixture stand until tepid.
Whip egg whites to a glossy peak.
Whip heavy cream to peaks and add sugar.
By this time, the chocolate should be tepid to the touch. Using a very large bowl, fold all three mixtures together. Using a wide rubber spatula, turn the mixtures over and over carefully until blended. Chill for four hours.
Spoon mousse into the centers of the meringues.
THE ANGEL’S KISS COOKIE
1 cup butter at room temperature
1 cup ground almonds
2 cups powdered (confectioner’s) sugar
Blend with hands until very well mixed. Shape into plump pillows and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in a 350-degree oven for ten minutes. While warm, sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar and add a small slice of maraschino cherry to the top. Let cool. Cookies will be crisp and chewy.
MEG’S MINT CHUTNEY
1 cup red wine vinegar
6 firm pears, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup sugar
Handful of green peppercorns
2 tablespoons cardamom
1 handful chopped fresh mint
Boil the vinegar and sugar. Reduce heat to medium. Add the pears. Add the peppercorns, raisins, and cardamom. Cook until thickened, about twenty minutes. Stir in the mint leaves. Let cool. Refrigerate for at least twenty-four hours to let the mint infuse the chutney.
CLAUDIA BISHOP is the author of fourteen previous novels in the Hemlock Falls Mystery series. She is at work on the third mystery novel in her new series, The Casebooks of Dr. McKenzie. She is the senior editor of three well-received mystery anthologies, including the musical mystery collection A Merry Band of Murderers.
As Mary Stanton, she is the author of eleven books for middle-grade readers and two well-regarded fantasy novels for adults. She will debut an exciting new classic fantasy in 2008, currently titled The Beaufort Files.
Claudia divides her time between a small home in West Palm Beach, Florida, and a goat farm in upstate New York. She can be reached through her website, claudiabishop.com.
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