by Krista Davis
Except for all those nights they spent in the golf cart. But I thought I’d better not mention that.
Parker raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t even think about it.” Clementine quickly reinserted the diamonds and closed the bag. “Could I leave these in the vault at the inn until the feds can pick them up?”
“Absolutely.”
“We’ll talk over ice cream,” said Parker.
“I’m not as easy as my children.”
“Tell me about it, Clemmie.”
Clementine handed me the bag. “Would you mind? I don’t trust anyone who calls me Clemmie.”
I whispered, “You seem awfully chummy with Parker.”
Clementine smiled. “Maybe the curse has been broken. We’ll see how it turns out.” She called the children, and the five of them strolled away.
“How about you, Felix? Any future for you and Zelda?”
Felix blushed. “I don’t know yet. Zelda says there’s a community college over on Snowball Mountain. Maybe I could get a job there. If they’re not all taken by Mark and Eva.”
“At this point,” said Eva, “all I know is that I want a spring wedding at the Sugar Maple Inn.”
“That’s great!” I hugged Eva. “It will be so much fun. And Mrs. Mewer can come back and see Twinkletoes again. I’m sorry, Felix,” I said. “It must be disappointing to learn that the sounds weren’t from ghosts. I guess the old hotel isn’t haunted after all.”
“Are you sure?” whispered Felix. He aimed his phone’s camera at the hotel. “Look. The Ghost and Mrs. Mewer see them.”
Casper, the ghost dog, and Mrs. Mewer were staring up at the second-floor balcony of the hotel, exactly where I had walked in the Becca Wraith costume. Two woman in filmy white gowns looked out at us. One wore a wreath of black roses in her long white hair. I thought I recognized a softer, gentler Mallory next to her.
Eva murmured, “Becca and Mallory!”
Trixie barked at them, and they were gone.
Recipes
One of my dogs suffered from severe food allergies that did not allow him to eat commercial dog food. Consequently, I learned to cook for my dogs and have done so for many years. Consult your veterinarian if you want to switch your dog over to home-cooked food. It’s not as difficult as one might think. Keep in mind that, like children, dogs need a balanced diet, not just a hamburger. Any changes to your dog’s diet should be made gradually so your dog’s stomach can adjust.
Chocolate, alcohol, caffeine, fatty foods, grapes, raisins, macadamia nuts, onions and garlic, salt, xylitol, and unbaked dough can be toxic to dogs. For more information about foods your dog should not eat, consult the Pet Poison Helpline, at petpoisonhelpline.com/pet-owners.
Chunky Cheesy Chicken
For dogs.
1 cup diced cooked chicken breast
1 cup cooked carrot slices
1 cup cooked barley
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup minced raw apples
Combine and warm slightly before serving.
Apple Chunk Muffins
For people.
1/2 cup butter
1 cup walnuts
1 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 peeled apple, chopped
Preheat oven to 350. Melt the butter and set it aside to cool. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners.
In a food processor, mix the walnuts with the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Pulse until fine. Set aside.
Whisk the eggs for one to two minutes, add the applesauce and vanilla and mix in butter. Pour the flour mixture on top and fold with a spatula. Do not overmix! Add the chopped apples and mix gently.
Spoon into the cupcake liners, distributing evenly. Bake 23–25 minutes or until the muffins are a light golden brown on top.
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
For people and dogs (only a tiny portion for dogs, please).
Substitute plain cream cheese for dog filling.
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon cloves
2 eggs
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon molasses
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves together in a bowl and set aside. Beat the eggs, sugar, and molasses. Add the oil, pumpkin, and vanilla and beat until smooth. Slowly beat in the flour mixture. Drop by heaping tablespoon on the parchment paper, trying to make each about the same size. Smooth the tops a bit. Bake 10-13 minutes. Cool on a rack. NOTE: The dough does not spread when baking. If you wish to carve out ghost shapes, make them larger. A 3/4-full 1/4 cup measure works well for the larger size. Use a miniature ghost cookie cutter to cut out the shape and pipe extra filling in the middle.
Marshmallow Crème Filling
1 stick unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 jar marshmallow fluff
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Beat the butter with the marshmallow fluff. Beat in vanilla, and gradually beat in the powdered sugar.
Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
For people and dogs (only a tiny portion for dogs, please).
Pumpkin Cake
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon pink sea salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/8 cups canned pumpkin
3 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch pan. In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside. Beat together the sugars, oil, and pumpkin. Beat in the eggs one at a time and add the vanilla. Add the flour mixture 1/4 cup at a time. Pour into prepared pan and bake 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter (softened)
6 ounces cream cheese (softened)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
Beat the butter with the cream cheese. Add the vanilla and beat. Add the sugar 1/2 cup at a time, beating in between.
Mini Meatloaf Mummies
For people and dogs.
2 eggs
1 cup shredded zucchini
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/3 cup plain bread crumbs
1 pound lean ground beef or turkey
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning mix
3 rounded tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 ounces sliced white cheese (like Monterey Jack or Asiago)
Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients except the sliced cheese in a bowl. Shape into mummies. Bake 45–50 minutes or until done. Drape sliced cheese over the meat as mummy wrap. If necessary, return to oven for a couple of minutes to melt the cheese.
For people and dogs (only a tiny portion for dogs, please).
NOTE: For dogs, OMIT CHOCOLATE.
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk mixed with 1 tablespoon vinegar)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup pumpkin
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup chocolate chips (OMIT FOR DOGS!)
Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Stir in the other ingredients. Grease a griddle or pan. Cook until puffed, then flip and cook the other side. Serve with maple syrup.
Spider Eggs
For people.
1 dozen large eggs
mayonnaise
mustard
salt
small black olives
Place the eggs in a pot. Cover with water and put the lid on. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat off. Leave the lid on and let stand for 20 minutes. Pour out the hot water. Add cold water and ice cubes to shock the eggs.
Peel the hard-boiled eggs and slice in half lengthwise. Scoop out the yolks, mash, and add mayonnaise, mustard, and salt to taste. Spoon into eggs.
Cut the olives in half lengthwise. Place one half on the center of each egg. Cut some of the halves into 1/4 inch thick slices. Place four on each side of the spider’s “body” as legs.
Hair of the Dog’s Zombie Brains
For people.
Use a small glass for this, like a miniature martini or a cordial glass.
1 ounce peach schnapps
1/2 ounce Bailey’s Irish Cream
Rose’s Sweetened Lime Juice
Fill half the glass with peach schnapps. Top with 1/2 ounce Bailey’s Irish Cream. Gently add a couple of drops of Rose’s Sweetened Lime Juice on top to drizzle through.
Voodoo Witch Doctor
For people.
1/2 ounce Bacardi 151
1/2 ounce spiced rum
1/2 ounce Malibu Coconut Rum
1/2 ounce peach schnapps
1/2 ounce banana rum
splash grenadine syrup
cranberry juice
Combine the first six ingredients in a highball glass. Fill glass with cranberry juice.
Turn the page for a sneak peek at Krista Davis’s next Domestic Diva Mystery . . .
The Diva Steals a Chocolate Kiss
Coming June 2015 from Berkley Prime Crime!
Dear Sophie,
My mother-in-law gave me a box of chocolates that she made herself. They’ve turned gray! I think she’s trying to poison me. My husband insists there’re fine but I don’t believe him. What if they’re in cahoots? Is it normal for chocolate to turn gray?
Suspicious in Graysville, Tennessee
Dear Suspicious,
It’s so common that it has a name. The powdery gray on your chocolates is called a bloom. It’s caused by moisture and often happens when chocolates are stored in the refrigerator. Chocolates with a bloom are perfectly fine to eat but not very attractive.
Sophie
The first box of chocolates arrived on a Monday. I assumed they were a gift from Joe Merano, the chairman of Amore Chocolates, because I was working on events for the sixtieth anniversary of his company. But the bold red box wasn’t embossed with the Amore logo of entwined gold hearts. Nor was there a card. It had simply been left at my front door.
A second box arrived on Tuesday and another on Wednesday.
On Thursday morning, Nina Reid Norwood, my across-the-street neighbor and best friend, discovered another box at my front door. She now stared at the four open boxes on my kitchen table. “They’re like perfect little brown gems. Handmade, don’t you think?”
“Definitely.” In each box, six chocolates nestled on crimped white papers. No two chocolates were alike.
Nina’s fingers hovered, rotating in the air above them. “You haven’t eaten any.”
“Get your greedy little hand away. I don’t know who or where they came from.”
“But they’re so beautiful. You have to try one! They’re probably filled with something rich and creamy.”
“You are not eating any until we know who left them at my door.”
Nina signed with exasperation. “I’m sure they’re from Alex.”
I had been dating Alex German for almost a year. When he was in town, anyway. “I phoned Alex to thank him. He didn’t know a thing about them.”
“Mars, then.”
I shook my head. They weren’t from my ex-husband, either.
A grin spread across Nina’s face. “You have an admirer!”
“Don’t be silly.” The notion had crossed my mind, though. Chocolates hinted at romance, didn’t they? But if nothing else, I was a realist. “More likely they’re some kind of promotional effort in connection with the opening of Joie du Chocolat.” Arnaud LaPierre, the famous Belgian chocolatier, had chosen Old Town as the location for his first American shop. Until now, his exquisite chocolates had been available only by special order, flown in fresh from Belgium at considerable cost. I was looking forward to actually trying one of them.
Nina frowned and picked up a lid to examine it. “What kind of promotion doesn’t mention the name of the business?”
The doorknocker sounded. I headed to the foyer and opened the front door.
Coco Ross rushed inside, breathless. “I hope you don’t mind my stopping by.” A well-known socialite and the heiress to Amore Chocolates, Coco had been my contact at the company for the anniversary events. I guessed her to be about fifty but she had the energy of a much younger woman. Coco laughed easily, and her expressive dark brown eyes didn’t hide her emotions. “This is Nonni.”
A tiny woman dressed all in blue followed Coco at a slower pace, aided by a cane. Her white hair was pinned up in a tidy bun. Not a speck of makeup touched her face. She couldn’t have weighed more than ninety pounds.
I shook Nonni’s frail hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Nonni. Won’t you come in and have a seat?”
They followed me into my kitchen, where Coco greeted Nina and introduced Nonni.
“I am going to strangle Natasha,” announced Coco.
Leaning against the center island, Nina said, “Get in line.”
“No, seriously. I’m beginning to worry about myself.” Coco flapped the neckline of her pink and green Lilly Pulitzer dress as though she thought the air would cool her. “Really. I lie in bed at night, thinking of ways to knock her off.”
“Could I offer you iced tea or lemonade?” I asked.
Coco responded. “Iced tea, please. It’s hotter than blazes outside. She lifted the back of her neatly bobbed hair off her neck and fanned herself.
Nonni sat down in an armchair by the fireplace.
“Natasha entered ten recipes in our contest. We rejected them all. Correction. I rejected them all.” Coco pressed the heel of her hand against her forehead briefly. “I didn’t know they were from her. They were atrocious. Who wants to eat a chocolate dill cream roll? Now she’s offended and seeking revenge by bad-mouthing Amore.”
I filled tall glasses with ice cubes and poured the iced tea.
Happily, I spotted a leftover strawberry tart hiding behind the red peppers. Chocolate coated the bottom, and I had drizzled more chocolate on top of the strawberries, as well. The chocolate ought to please Coco and Nonni.
I placed slices on four square white plates and added a generous dollop of whipped cream to each.
Nonni sat, watching me. My Ocicat, Mochie, nestled o
n her lap. I delivered a drink and slice of the tart to the table for her.
Nonni smiled at me. “I like you kitchen.”
She spoke with a thick Italian accent and pronounced kitchen as keetchen.
“Thank you.”
She waggled a gnarled forefinger at me. “I know everything about you when I see you keetchen. Is clean, is warm. You like you keetchen, too.”
I couldn’t help smiling. Judging a person by her kitchen was a new one to me. “Yes, I do like it.”
“Sofia is good Italian name. You are Italian?”
I hedged. We definitely weren’t Italian. “My family came from Europe.”
That seemed to satisfy her. “We have problem in family. You will help us.” With the aid of her walking stick, she rose to her feet and tottered to my kitchen table, where she took a seat.
I brought drinks and slices of the tart for the rest of us and set them on the cool fern-green tablecloth, along with forks and rose-colored napkins.
“All is settled,” said Nonni. “Sofia will help us.”
“At the risk of upsetting everyone, I haven’t agreed to anything.”
“Yes, yes,” insisted Nonni. “You help. Now I eat.”
* * *
I was shaking my head and thinking it might be easier to bring Natasha on board in some way when Coco cried out. “Nonni! I’m so sorry, Sophie, she’s used to tasting chocolates from the store.”
Nonni held one of the mystery chocolates in her hand. Half of it was missing. “Bellissimo!”
I jumped to my feet, “Oh, honey, don’t eat the rest of that. I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude, but I don’t know where they came from.”
Nonni paid no attention whatsoever and ate the other half. “Belgian or Swiss? Is familiar.”
Coco stood up to take them from Nonni. But when she saw them, her eyes widened. She selected one without care, bit in, and savored it. “Oh no,” she moaned. But she consumed the rest of it anyway. And then she keeled over and hit the floor with a thud.