Flavors of Fall

Can you believe it's already November?!  Where has the time gone?

I don't know about you, but fall is my favorite season.  I love the cooler weather, the colors of the leaves, and the crisp scent of smoke from a fireplace.  And not to mention the savory dishes that only come out this time of year.

To celebrate the return of fall, the Crew is sharing some of their favorite fall recipes.  I hope you'll find something that sounds tasty to you, and be sure to stop back by and let us know if you tried one of our recipes!

Ready?  Here we go!

Lara Lacombe

One of my favorite treats during this time of year is holiday spiced tea.  This is something my mom has made for years, and it's so warm and delicious!  I hope you'll enjoy it!

Holiday Tea

1 gallon water
8 family size tea bags
3 cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon cloves in tea strainer
16 oz can frozen orange juice concentrate
16 oz can frozen pink lemonade
1 cup sugar

Boil water and steep the tea, cinnamon sticks, and cloves until you have a strong tea.  Remove from heat and remove the cloves.
Add 1/2 can frozen orange juice concentrate, 1/2 can frozen pink lemonade, and the sugar
Mix well.  Serve warm.
Reheats well in the microwave.

If you're in the mood for a romantic suspense this holiday, I hope you'll try my latest release, KILLER SEASON!  It's out now, in print and digital formats.

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Angi Morgan

~ Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver, British Columbia ~ 2011 ~  Sunburnt Lemon Pie ~

Best, Pie. I’ve. Ever. Eaten.

Most of the time lemons make me think about spring. But when fall suddenly makes the air crisp, I’m transported to Vancouver and memories of some of the best flavors around.

This photo of Seasons in the Park is
courtesy of TripAdvisor

I met some really wonderful women who took me to visit the Queen Elizabeth Gardens and to have lunch at the Seasons Restaurant located there. Granted, the gardens were beautiful and the restaurant has one of the best views overlooking the city, but that wasn’t the reason I took my family back the next weekend. I insisted that we have afternoon deserts and bragged on the pie. No one believed me. They ordered their own and wanted to share a bite off everyone’s plate. When they took my order for two pieces of pie, everyone was startled. My reply: “You guys can share if you want…but I get an entire slice to myself.” As soon as they tasted the surprising orange zest in the crust, the fall berries, and wonderful lemony flavor of the filling … Well, they completely understood why I’d ordered two servings. It’s absolutely one of the best things I’ve ever eaten that I’ve never seen on another menu.

Here I am with the ladies who introduced me to this wonderful dessert. Want to try the recipe?

Angi’s TEXAS RANGERS: ELITE TROOP series hits shelves in January with BULLETPROOF BADGE & SHOTGUN JUSTICE.

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Vicki Batman

Here's the recipe for Vicki's mom's enchiladas with chili--it sounds delicious!

Enchiladas with Chili

One package of medium cheddar cheese

One package of pepper jack cheese

One medium onion

One very large can chili

One medium can chili

One package of 24 corn tortillas

Quick version: buy already shredded cheese

Mom's money saving version: shred cheese yourself

Open cans of chili and set aside. Chop onion and set aside. 

Spray non-stick spray on a 9 X 13 inch pan and set aside. Mix together cheeses in a large bowl. 

Lightly dampen three corn tortillas and place on a plate. Cover with paper towel and microwave on high for about 10 seconds, or until barely soft and can be easily rolled.

Set one softened tortilla on a plate. Sprinkle about 3-4 tablespoons of cheese in the center. Roll the tortilla into a cylinder shape and set seam side down in the pan. Repeat making the enchilada until almost all the cheese is used (or pan is filled). 

Scoop the chili into a bowl and add 1/4 cup of water. Stir thoroughly and pour over all the enchiladas. Sprinkle onion on top (you can leave out onion or do just a few. Up to you!) 

Sprinkle with the leftover cheese. 

Cover the entire pan with a sheet of aluminum foil. Pierce it about four times in different areas. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes, definitely until the chili is very bubbly and thoroughly warmed. Uncover and turn off oven. 

Leave for five minutes, then remove.

Be sure to check out Vicki's latest in the Season of Surprises anthology!

“Holiday Handbag Extravaganza” by Vicki Batman: Christmas Countdown is on! 

Hunk-a-licious customer, Jack Treadaway, pesters boutique owner, Callie Woods, to locate a vintage handbag for his mother. Too bad the wedge between them is his sister, the meanest girl in town.

Jillian Stone

I love pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin cupcakes, but my favorite is this pumpkin bread pudding recipe. I make it all through the holiday season. It’s one of those dishes that everyone keeps asking for, whether it’s a family dinner or a friend’s get together. 

Super easy to make and so yummy. Happy Thanksgiving! 

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Serves 6 | Prep Time: 25 Mins | Cook Time: 40 Mins

Ingredients:

1 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup pure pumpkin puree

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

5 cups cubed (1-inch) French bread

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray; set aside.

In a bowl, whisk together the cream, pumpkin, milk, sugar, eggs, salt, and spices.

Toss the bread cubes with butter in another bowl and pour into the baking pan. Pour the pumpkin mixture evenly over the bread. Press the bread gently into the mixture, and allow it to sit for 15 minutes.

Bake until custard sets, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool before serving. 

Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream. For added crunch, add your favorite chopped nuts. Walnuts work well with pumpkin.

Lizbeth Selvig

 I love all the flavors of fall. My husband and I never buy canned pumpkin we always cook down our own from our garden pumpkins and use actual "real stuff" for pies and bars (and now Jillian's bread pudding above--I'm in heaven just thinking about it!).  But I don't care how light and gorgeous the pumpkin things turn out, I am a chocolate girl at heart, and fall is the start of hot chocolate season. I have a hot chocolate recipe that I love so much I put it in one of my books as a theme. It'll clog your arteries just smelling it, but a taste once or twice a year is such a treat your heart will forgive you. Here's the decadent recipe:
For each cup of hot chocolate melt in double boiler or heavy pan:
2-3 ounces of your favorite chocolate bar (Hershey's Symphony is my fave)
1 t. butter
1/4 t. vanilla
Stir together until smooth and add:
1 c. half-and-half or cream (or milk to cut some fat)
Garnish with marshmallows or whipped cream if you can stand it! You can also add up to one ounce of peppermint schnapps --oh yeah! 
Finally:  invite me over if you make it! Enjoy the season everyone!