Yes, the summer had been eventful in more ways than one. Although it started out horrific, Melissa didn’t regret a second of it. Because of the ordeal, she felt stronger than she had in years. The last few years alone had taken its toll. Now she enthusiastically embraced life anew. With her business booming, an upcoming guest spot on a nationally televised cooking show – thanks to her easy first place win at the Outer Banks Regional Bake-Off with her famous Rosemary Sea Salt bread – and a new man in her life, Melissa was indeed happier than she had been in years. Watching the young lovebirds splashing in the ocean, she smiled and knew that life had just begun again.
Bonus Chapter
Your Free Gift
I wanted to show my appreciation for supporting my work so I’ve put together a Bonus Chapter for you.
Click here for Your Bonus Chapter!
Thanks!
Phoebe T. Eggli
Sample Chapter from Book 2 of the Outer Banks Baker Mystery Series
Sage Advice to Cover Up a Murder
Chapter 1
Situated just south of Kill Devil Hills, NC, Oregon Inlet served to separate the more bustling northern Outer Banks communities from the small barrier islands. A massive hurricane in 1846 created the inlet - a new body of water between Bodie Island and Pea Island. The “Oregon” a ship trapped in the Pamlico Sound during the storm, witnessed the rift-causing event. Thus, the name. This spot had been well-known for ages as the prime fishing spot for any avid fisherman or woman.
William Hawkins spent what seemed to be his entire life with Johnson Shipping International. Now, at age 62, he finally realized his dream…to fish. Anytime, anywhere. He would no longer be a victim of the white-collar meat-grinder. His wife was none too happy with his abrupt early retirement. Frankly, he no longer cared what she wanted. As far as he was concerned, tonight was the most exciting day of his life. No meetings. No status reports due. No finding new ways to cover up details of dirty deals for Mr. Edward Johnson, Sr. No, today was wide open. Nothing for him to do but breathe in the salt air off the Atlantic Ocean as he repeatedly cast his large surf rod and reel into the waters of Oregon Inlet. William meant to spend as much as his retirement right here with a fishing rod in one hand and a bottle of Coors in the other. Most importantly, he meant to spend as much time away from his nagging wife of 40 years.
As the sun descended over the infamous North Carolina dunes, William unloaded his old light blue ’72 Chevrolet C20 truck. He had everything he needed for an entire night’s worth of fishing:
One rod and reel
Full tackle box with all the essentials for surf fishing
Cooler full of beer and water bottles, with plenty of bait wedged in
Italian sub on wheat bread with chips from the local bait and sandwich shop
Extra jacket if the breeze off the ocean got too chilly
Loaf of lemon sage bread still wrapped in the decorative paper from the Kill Devil Delicacies bakery to snack on
Beach chair with cup holder
Camp lanterns and a large flashlight
Large fish net
Cell phone (turned off)
Yes, William was set for his first perfect night as a retiree.
Hours later, as the sun began to rise again over the Atlantic Ocean, Logan slowed his scooter down as it traversed the pavement onto the sandy beach of Oregon Inlet. The place was mostly deserted, except for an ancient looking truck parked further out, closer to the rocks bordering the bridge. The young teen didn’t see anyone around though. Whoever owned the truck must be nearby as a ragged beach chair was still embedded in the sand, despite the tide threatening to engulf it.
Before unloading his own fishing gear from the small compartment on the back of the scooter, Logan attempted to rescue the chair before it was washed away by the waves. As he moved the chair back to higher ground, he looked around for the truck’s occupant. “It’s probably some dude passed out after a night of fishing and drinking,” he thought as he approached the Chevy. This spot was known for night fishing, but his aunt never allowed him to fish alone at night. Mostly because she knew it was common for night fisherman to bring plenty of alcohol to keep them company throughout the long hours until dawn. With his aunt’s boyfriend working the night shift, Logan had to wait for morning.
As the teenaged boy turned the corner of the truck, he discovered an elderly man lying unconscious in the sand. He ran over to check if the man was okay. Logan noticed the awkward position of the man’s body, as if he had fallen from the tailgate of the truck over the side. He kneeled beside the white-haired man and shook him slightly in an attempt to wake him. Unsuccessful, the boy worried that the man was seriously injured or had a heart attack. Intending to attempt CPR, he checked for a pulse and leaned over to listen to his chest for a heartbeat. No pulse, no heartbeat, no breath. The man was already cold to the touch.
In a panic, Logan grabbed a cell phone that was clutched in the dead man’s hand. He dialed 911. After he relayed all the information to the 911 operator and waited for the paramedics to arrive, the frightened young man thought back to last summer. To say it had been eventful would be an understatement. At the start of his summer vacation, he discovered the dead body of Mrs. Stevenson in his Aunt Mel’s bakery – the Kill Devil Delicacies. It had not taken long to prove his aunt didn’t kill the woman, but the event had cast a damper over the start of his summer. The majority of the season had been salvaged once they discovered the real killer. Although he admitted it had added excitement to his vacation, he had hoped that this summer would be less dramatic. Sadly, Logan’s summer was about to get much worse.
Recipes:
Rosemary Sea Salt Bread
Ingredients:
4 Cups Flour
2 ¼ Cups Water
2 tsp Salt
¼ tsp Dry Active Yeast
2 Tbsp. Fresh Rosemary Chopped Finely or 1 Tbsp. Dry Rosemary Flakes
1 Tbsp. Coarse Sea Salt – Sprinkled on top of bread at time of baking
Cornmeal - Sprinkled in the Dutch oven – not mixed in dry the ingredients
Instructions:
Mix flour, salt and yeast in a large mixing bowl. If using Dry Rosemary Flakes then mix them in the dry ingredients. Or if you’re using Fresh Rosemary then mix it with the water and allow it to soak in the water for at least 5 minutes to allow the flavor to spread through the water. Then pour and mix the wet ingredients into and with the dry ingredients. Stir until ingredients are well mixed. Dough may seem extra moist, which is perfectly normal. Then cover the bowl and allow to sit at room temperature for 12-18 hours.
Preheat the oven to 500ºF with a cast iron Dutch oven or Le Creuset style enameled pot in the oven preheating as well. Once the oven and Dutch oven has been preheated, pull the Dutch oven out of the oven and remove the lid. Then sprinkle some cornmeal in the bottom of the Dutch oven. On a lightly floured surface pour out the dough, form into a ball, and place inside of the Dutch oven. At this point sprinkle the Coarse Sea Salt over the top of the bread. Replace the Dutch oven lid and place the Dutch oven in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and continue to bake for 8-15 minutes, depending on how brown you want the crust to be.
Note: If you don’t have 12-18 hours to allow the dough to rest, you may increase the amount of yeast to 1 tsp and only wait 6 hours before baking the dough. However, the longer you weight, the more sourdough-like the bread will be.
The trick to this bread is allowing it to rest for the 12-18 hours and its high moisture content, which turns to steam while being baked with the lid on the Dutch oven. Once we remove the Dutch oven lid, then we begin to bake the outside for a nice crispy crust!
Cranberry Orange Bread
Ingredients:
4 Cups Flour
2 ¼ Cups Water
2 tsp Salt
¼ tsp Dry Active Yeast
Heaping ½ Cup of Craisins
2 Tbsp. Orange Zest
Cornmeal - Sprinkled in the Dutch oven – not mixed in
dry the ingredients
Instructions:
Mix flour, salt and yeast in a large mixing bowl. In another small bowl mix craisins, orange zest, and water. Allow them to soak in the water for at least 5 minutes to allow the flavors to spread through the water. Then pour and mix the wet ingredients into and with the dry ingredients. Stir until ingredients are well mixed. Dough may seem extra moist, which is perfectly normal. Then cover the bowl and allow to sit at room temperature for 12-18 hours.
Preheat the oven to 500ºF with a cast iron Dutch oven or Le Creuset style enameled pot in the oven preheating as well. Once the oven and Dutch oven has been preheated, pull the Dutch oven out of the oven and remove the lid. Then sprinkle some cornmeal in the bottom of the Dutch oven. On a lightly floured surface pour out the dough, form into a ball, and place inside of the Dutch oven. Replace the Dutch oven lid and place the Dutch oven in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and continue to bake for 8-15 minutes, depending on how brown you want the crust to be.
Note: If you don’t have 12-18 hours to allow the dough to rest, you may increase the amount of yeast to 1 tsp and only wait 6 hours before baking the dough. However, the longer you weight, the more sourdough-like the bread will be.
The trick to this bread is allowing it to rest for the 12-18 hours and its high moisture content, which turns to steam while being baked with the lid on the Dutch oven. Once we remove the Dutch oven lid, then we begin to bake the outside for a nice crispy crust!
Cheryl’s Bacon Potato Cheddar Soup
Ingredients:
6 Potatoes
1 Onion
3 Carrots
3 Celery Stalks
2 Quarts (8 Cups) Chicken or Vegetable Broth
1 Cup Milk
½ Cup Cream
½ tsp Salt (or more to taste)
½ tsp Pepper
½ tsp Cajon Seasoning
3 Tbsp. Flour
1 Cup Sharp Cheddar Grated
6 Bacon slices, sliced into thin strips and cooked, while saving some bacon grease
Minced Parsley – to garnish
Additional Grated cheese – to garnish
Instructions:
Cook and set aside the bacon and bacon grease ahead of time. Place some of the grease in the bottom of the large soup pot you’ll be using for the soap. Finely dice the onion, carrots, and celery and place them in the pot. Over medium heat cook these ingredients for 2-3 minutes. Then add peeled and diced potatoes and continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes. At this point you can add the salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning. Then add the broth and continue cooking for an additional 10 minutes, or until the potatoes start to feel tender. Then in another small bowl, mix milk and flour. Once mixed pour milk and flour mixture into the soup and allow it to cook for an additional 5 minutes. At this point you can choose to remove some of the soup to be blended for a smoother soup. It’s suggested that you remove 2/3 of the soup to be blended. Use caution when blending the soup, and ideally do so once the soup has been allowed to cool. Once the soup is blended add it back to the soup pot and bring back up to heat. Then add the 1 Cup of Cheddar cheese and mix thoroughly. Then add the cream. At this point you can add the bacon pieces or wait and use them to garnish. You can now serve the soup and garnish with parsley, more cheese, and/or bacon pieces.
Now take it to your dearest friend who may be experiencing a difficulty in his/her life.
This soup is particularly useful when a friend has recently been accused of murder!
Copyright © 2015 by Timber Publishing
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, subject line “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at email address [email protected].
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
First Published, 2015
Timber Publishing
Oakley, UT 84055
www.timberpublishing.com
A Pinch of Sea Salt and a Dash of Murder (Outer Banks Baker Mystery Series Book 1) Page 9