Happy Thanksgiving!!

By Kate

It’s Thanksgiving Day here in the USA and many of us are looking forward to celebrating the day by cooking, watching football, and eating too much.

Oh, and we also give thanks for that which we've been blessed. ;-)


Now, as some of you may know, I am officially known as the worst cook in the world. No, really. I burn things. All the time. Our smoke alarm gets a real workout whenever I step into the kitchen.

And yet, for my family, I took a chance and cooked several side dishes for the holiday. So what do I have to be thankful for this Thanksgiving?

I didn’t burn anything! Hallelujah!!

Yeah, it was a shock for me, too. :-)

Okay, now let’s talk about what I’m really thankful for this time of year. I’m especially thankful for my dear family and for so many wonderful friends here in the Lair and elsewhere. I’m thankful that I’m able to write books for a living and I’m doubly thankful for all the fabulous readers, booksellers and librarians I’ve met all over the country. Thank you!!

So now, just for fun … here's a snack to enjoy at a holiday party or a small gathering with friends. It’s an old family recipe and so simple to make, even I can do it—without burning anything!

Be careful with these – they’re addictive! They only take 5 minutes to mix, then 20 minutes baking time.

Kate's Crazy Mixed-Up Nuts

¼ cup butter
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp each: seasoned salt, celery salt and garlic powder
½ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp. each cayenne pepper and pepper
1 c. shelled walnuts
1 cup pecan halves
1 cup whole almonds, lightly toasted

Preheat oven to 325 F. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add Worcestershire sauce and seasonings. Simmer over low heat for several minutes for flavors to blend. Stir in nuts and transfer to a shallow baking pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Makes 3 cups. (Great with cocktails. And they can also be tossed on salads.)

Wishing everyone in the States a very Happy Thanksgiving! And to our friends in other parts of the world, a very Happy Thursday!!

I’m enjoying a cool, sunny day here in Palm Desert, California. Where are you today? How’s the weather? And what are you thankful for today? For sharing with us on Thanksgiving, I’ve got a signed copy of THE LIES THAT BIND and some fun promo goodies for one random commenter!

The Swedish Chef

by Beth

No, I don't mean the famous Muppets' character with his bushy eyebrows and mustache and bork, bork, bork - although he is one of my favorite characters *g*. The chef I'm referring to is my own mother.

Okay, so maybe my mom was born in America but her grandparents hailed from Sweden, resulting in her not only getting to lead the procession on Saint Lucia's day when she was a young girl (complete with a wreath of lit candles on her head, no less) but her heritage also helped shape the meals and traditions she passed down to her own family. No, we never celebrated St. Lucia's day when I was growing up, but we did have three dishes I consider very much a part of my mom's heritage. I also consider them very...unique...if only because I've never met another person who has ever heard of them, let alone eaten them :-)

Korv. We only had Korv (otherwise known as Swedish Christmas sausage) at the holidays. As a matter of fact, my mom still cooks and serves Korv for Thanksgiving. It's a sausage made of beef, pork, potatoes and spices. My mother boils it then browns it in the oven. We've never eaten it on a bun (although I'm sure you could) but just plain. Actually, though it's a mild sausage, I don't eat it at all *g* But my husband likes it.

Lutefisk. Now this...delicacy...(and believe me, I use that term loosely *g*) is one my husband does not like. To be honest, I can't think of anyone who does like it except my dad. My husband first tried it when we all traveled over to my mom's hometown for lutefisk dinner at my uncle's restaurant. I told him not to eat it but as this was early in our marriage, he wanted to impress his in-laws and ignored my advice.

Let's just say he regretted it *g*

Lutefisk is dried cod prepared with lye. Basically, the fish is soaked in water for a few days then the saturated fish is soaked in a mixture of water and lye which gives it a jelly-like consistency. Then, to make it edible again, it's soaked in water a few more days before it's cooked. My mom always made lutefisk in a white gravy served over mashed potatoes. But believe me, there isn't enough gravy in the world to make it any less nasty. She stopped making it years ago. A fact for which we're all thankful for ;-)

Pepparkakor cookies. Yes! Finally, a recipe I do like *g* These cookies are still a staple at my mom's at Christmas time. My son loves them even more than I do. They're sort of like gingersnaps but my mom's are darker, rolled paper thin then cut into shapes. I don't have the recipe at the moment but I'll see if I can find it to post. They're labor intensive because of how thin you have to roll the dough but if you like a crisp, sweet, ginger/molasses-like cookie, the effort will be worth it!

Have you heard of (or tasted) any of the items I've listed? Cooked them yourself? What are some of the recipes handed down in your family?