by Larissa Ione
Jillian didn’t know what a bone devil was, but she got the gist. “Well, it worked. Now I can’t wait for dessert.”
He waggled his blond brows. “I can’t either.”
It was no surprise that the individual cherry pies were merely the first dessert course. He served the second course in bed. And as they lay snuggled in the sheets recovering, Reseph served up another surprise: brochures from every city she’d mentioned.
Together they were going to forge a new path and share new dreams.
But they would always have Colorado.
* * * *
Reseph and Jillian’s book, Rogue Rider, was one of my favorite books to write. Reseph had been an evil villain for four books, starting with Sin Undone (book 5 of the Demonica series). He was absolutely unredeemable for the first three books of the Lords of Deliverance series, which meant that I had a challenge on my hands. If you want to see how I handled that challenge, check out the entire Lords of Deliverance series, starting with Eternal Rider!
Comfort Food
Chicken Biscuit Pot Pie
1 rotisserie chicken
4 cups biscuit mix
1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup Sprite
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
1 (8.5 ounce) can diced potatoes
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted
1 (8.5 ounce) can mixed peas and carrots
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Shred chicken and place in a mixing bowl. Add cream of celery soup, chicken broth, diced potatoes, peas and carrots and mix well. Pour into a greased large iron skillet or a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. In a large bowl, mix together biscuit mix, Sprite, and sour cream. Drop biscuit dough by spoonfuls (2-3 tablespoons each) over the top of the chicken pot pie until all dough has been used and the entire pie is covered. Brush the biscuits with melted butter and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes before serving.
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Cherry Hand Pies
3 cups frozen cherries, pitted
2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar
1 lemon, juiced
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a small saucepan over low heat add the cherries and sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Add the cornstarch and lemon juice and continue to stir for about 3-5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Unfold each sheet of puff pastry and cut along the 3 lines, then cut each sheet in half, giving you a total of 12 squares. Place 2-3 tablespoons of cherry filling in the center of each pastry square and fold one corner of dough over the filling to reach the other corner of pastry. Seal the seams with a fork and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Cut a small slit in the center of the pie. Repeat with remaining hand pies. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg with 2 tablespoons of water and brush over each pie. Sprinkle each pie with sugar. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool before serving.
QUICK TIP
For future use, place the pies on the parchment lined baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes. Remove from freezer and individually wrap in plastic wrap. Return to the freezer. When ready to bake, remove from freezer and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.
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Taco Spaghetti
1 (16 ounce) box thin spaghetti
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained
1 (32 ounce) block of Velveeta cheese, cubed
1 packet taco seasoning
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
1 can Ro-Tel
Topping
8 ounces sour cream
Candied Jalapeno Slices (Click here for recipe.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. In a large skillet over low heat, add ground beef, taco seasoning and ¼ cup water. Stir to combine and simmer for 2 minutes. Add in Ro-Tel, cream of mushroom soup, and Velveeta cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted and combined. Stir in spaghetti and place in a greased 9 x 13-inch casserole dish. Top with cheddar cheese and bake for 10 minutes. Top with sour cream and Candied Jalapeno Slices.
Candied Jalapeno Slices
5 cups sugar
1 teaspoon celery seed
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon turmeric
30 jalapenos, sliced
In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring sugar and vinegar to a boil. When the sugar is dissolved, add the turmeric, celery seed and garlic, stirring constantly. Add in the jalapenos and continue to stir for 5 minutes. Remove jalapenos and place in 3 pint-sized mason jars. Continue to boil syrup for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from heat and fill each jar with remaining syrup. The jalapenos need to set for 2 weeks before being ready to serve. They will keep for 2 months refrigerated.
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Fried Mac and Cheese Bites
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup milk
1 (16 ounce) box elbow pasta
2 cups plus 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring 4 cups of salted (½ tablespoon) water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the pasta is cooked through. Drain pasta and set aside. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and gradually whisk in the flour until a roux forms. Add the heavy cream and milk, whisking constantly until thickened. Stir in 2 cups of cheddar cheese, cream cheese, garlic, the remaining ½ tablespoon of salt, and pepper. When the cheese sauce is smooth, stir in the cooked pasta. Pour into a 9 x 13-inch greased baking dish and top with remaining cheddar cheese. Bake for 15 minutes and serve.
To Make the Mac and Cheese Bites
Leftover Mac and Cheese
4 cups panko breadcrumbs
2 cups all-purpose flour
6 cups oil, for frying
4 eggs
Refrigerate leftover Mac and Cheese overnight. Cut into 1-inch squares and coat with flour. Place on a cookie sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Heat oil to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. In a separate medium bowl, add the panko breadcrumbs. Remove the squares from the refrigerator and dredge each one in the egg and then in the panko breadcrumbs. Place 4 squares at a time in the oil and fry 1-2 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
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French Onion Soup
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
6 sweet onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 French baguette
8 cups beef broth
6 thin slices of provolone cheese
In a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil on medium heat. Add the onions and toss to coat with the oil. Cook the onions, stirring often, until softened, about 15 to 20 minutes. Increase the heat to medium high. Add the butter and cook, stirring often, until the onions start to brown, about 15 more minutes. Then sprinkle with sugar (to help with the caramelization) and salt and continue to cook until the onions are well browned, about 10 to 15 more minutes. Add the beef broth, minced garlic, and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for about 30 minutes.
While the soup is simmering, line a baking sheet with parchme
nt paper and preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Cut the baguette in 1-inch slices and brush both sides lightly with olive oil. Place in the oven and toast until lightly browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. To serve, ladle soup into oven safe bowls and place one slice of toasted baguette on top of each bowl of soup, followed by one slice of provolone. Place the bowls of soup under the broiler for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. If you do not have oven safe bowls the steam from the soup will melt the cheese. Serve immediately.
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Soft Shell Crab BLT
1 cup mayonnaise
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups buttermilk
4 soft shell crabs, cleaned and rinsed
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
2 cups oil, for frying
8 slices of bread, toasted
4 butter lettuce leaves
2 tomatoes, sliced
8 thick slices bacon, cooked
In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice and garlic. Set aside until the building of the sandwich. In a large bowl, add the buttermilk and crabs. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. In a separate large bowl add the flour and Cajun seasoning. Dredge each crab in the flour mixture to coat. In a large iron skillet or heavy frying pan, heat oil to 350 degrees. Place 2 crabs at a time in the oil and fry for 3 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels. To build the sandwich, spread the garlic mayonnaise on each slice of toasted bread, add one leaf of lettuce, 2 slices of tomato, 2 slices of bacon and top with soft shell crab. Top with 2nd slice of bread and serve. Repeat with remaining 3 sandwiches.
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Ares and Cara
Ares was in a panic. And as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse with eons of war, death, and insanity under his belt, he wasn’t one to panic.
But he was days, maybe even hours, from becoming a father to a newborn again for the first time in thousands of years. He only wished his adopted Ramreel son, Rath, could be here to meet his new sibling. But Rath’s herd had taken him on a pilgrimage to his ancestral Sheoulic home, and he wouldn’t be back until next month.
His heavily pregnant wife, Cara, looked stunning in an aqua gown that floated around her ankles as she waddled—her word, not his—around the grounds of their mansion, greeting guests as they walked up the path from the Harrowgate. The party, an indoor/outdoor baby shower that Cara insisted wasn’t a baby shower, was, so far, not out of control. But Wraith and Limos had just whipped up a batch of margaritas and tapped the kegs, so it wouldn’t be long before the insanity started.
He wasn’t sure he understood the baby shower not being a baby shower thing, but whatever Cara wanted, she got. And she’d wanted a party with all their friends and family to celebrate the pending arrival of their baby which, if all went according to plan, would be delivered next week by the same demon doctor who had delivered Thanatos’s and Limos’s kids.
I remember when demons were enemies.
It wasn’t that long ago.
Hal, a young adult hellhound the size of a full-grown moose and so black it seemed to absorb the light surrounding it, ran past him to greet Cara, and although Ares was accustomed to his private island being overrun by the demonic canines, he still watched to make sure the thing didn’t knock her over. It didn’t, skidding to a halt in front of her, tail wagging, drool dripping from the corners of its gigantic maw.
She smiled and patted the beast on the muzzle, and it bounded away, happy to be acknowledged by the human his kind revered as a sacred healer.
The thunderous pound of footsteps alerted him to the approach of his two brothers, Thanatos and Reseph.
Thanatos, his sandy hair cut short save for the thin braid at each of his temples, clapped him on the back. Dressed casually in khakis and a black T-shirt that showed off some of the 3-D tattoos that had been layered on his skin by a demon tattoo artist, Than still maintained the deadly aura that surrounded him like a shroud.
“So, brother,” he said. “Now that the day is almost here, have you decided what you’re hoping for? A boy or a girl?”
Reseph snorted. “He’s just hoping it’s his.”
“Funny, asshole.” Ares punched his brother in the shoulder. His relationship with Reseph had been strained following Reseph’s apocalyptic stint as Pestilence, but in the last couple of years things had warmed up enough that they could kid around again.
Laughing, Reseph took a swig of the foamy beer in his hand, and Ares cursed at the sight of the cup. Reseph always brought a bag of the damned things to every party, whether it was a formal ball for underworld royalty, or a casual beach volleyball game. Something about a country music song and the proper way to drink beer at a “shindig.”
Ares wished he could blame Pestilence for Reseph’s penchant for redneck party songs and disposable drinkware, but even Pestilence had better taste than Reseph.
“It was pretty amusing,” Than said, raising his own beer to his lips. Beer in a floofing Red Solo Cup.
Ares ignored that and gestured to his beer. “Was that truly the only vessel you could find to drink from?”
“Sorry, forgot to bring one of the skulls of my enemies with me,” Than said dryly. “So? You gonna answer the question? Boy or girl?”
“You tell me. You have one of each.”
Thanatos’s cruel lips turned up in a contented smile. His wife, Regan, had given their son a baby sister a few months ago, and Ares had never seen his brother happier. Which wouldn’t be hard to do, given that the guy had suffered the most of any of them since the day they’d been cursed as Horsemen.
“You can’t go wrong either way,” Than said.
Probably not. But there were so many memories—good and bad—wrapped up with the memories of his sons that some small part of him hoped for a girl. A clean slate. A fresh start. But he’d love a son just as much, and maybe he could use the knowledge and experience he had now to make sure he didn’t make the same mistakes he’d made with his first two sons.
Anxious to get the subject off of himself, Ares gestured to Reseph. “What about you? Are you and Jillian talking about kids?”
“Oh, floof, no.”
Limos strode up, her bright purple sundress ruffling in the breeze, her flip flops slapping the stone pathway. “Why not? You love kids.”
“I love other people’s kids, and Jillian is right there with me.” He shrugged. “For now, at least. It’s not like we’re not immortal and can’t wait a century or two.”
“True,” Ares said roughly, his head still in the past. “But bad things happen in an instant.”
“Time goes by quickly, brother,” Thanatos said to Reseph. “In the blink of an eye an eon will have passed and Satan will be freed from prison.”
“Whoa.” Limos stepped into the middle of them all, arms outstretched. “This is a party. You know, to celebrate life. Stop with the doom and gloom. Why does this happen every time we’re together?”
“My name is Death,” Than said drolly.
“Mine is War,” Ares reminded her.
Reseph raised his plastic floofing cup. “Pestilence.”
“So, Famine,” Ares said pointedly, “what was your question again?”
“Yeah, yeah.” She looked over at Arik, who was introducing their daughter to Ares’s warhorse, Battle. “At least tell me you picked a decent name for your kid. Something normal.”
Normal was hard to define, especially for them, but he knew what she meant. Limos felt that they were, in most respects, living in a modern human world, so their children would benefit if they could blend in. Thanatos and Regan had agreed, choosing to name their kids Logan and Amber instead of, say, Doom and Gloom. Limos had opted for Keilani, a Hawaiian name associated with Heaven and royalty, and as the daughter of a Horseman and the granddaughter of a Radiant angel, the name fit.
“We can’t narrow it down to less than two name
s for a girl and two names for a boy, and Cara is stubborn. This child may never be named.”
“Cara is stubborn?” Limos looked around. “Where is she, anyway?”
“She said something about taking Lilliana some food.”
Limos scowled. “What’s up with that, anyway? I haven’t seen Lilliana since that day I mentioned she looked like she was gaining weight.”
Thanatos choked on his beer. “You did what?”
“Oh, chill. She didn’t hear me. I just asked Cara if Lil was preggo. Never saw Lilliana again. Figured she was mad that I thought she was fat and started avoiding me.” Her violet eyes shot wide. “That’s why she went into hiding, isn’t it? She is pregnant!”
Yes, that was why, but Ares had promised to keep it to himself, and he would.
“I haven’t seen her either,” Reseph said, and Thanatos concurred.
“That’s because she’s going to have the Grim Reaper’s baby,” Limos said, her violet eyes bright with the excitement of solving a puzzle. A potentially scandalous puzzle. “But wait, why would she be hiding out here instead of with her husband?”
“Let it go, Limos,” Ares said. “No good will come of speculation.”
“Yeah, well, when’s the last time I let anything go?”
“Never,” he muttered. “But listen to me. All of you. None of this “speculation” can leave this island, and it had better not reach Azagoth’s ears, or all of us will regret it.”