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Christmas Quiche by Helen C. Johannes

Want to use up some of that leftover holiday ham and make a dish that looks as festive as the season? My family’s spinach quiche is a year-round favorite, but the colors, flavors, and warm-the-tummy satisfaction especially suit the season.

Crust: Buy a plain pastry crust or use this recipe to make one from scratch.

1 cup flour

¼ tsp. salt

4 tablespoons shortening (plain or butter flavored)

¼ cup cold water, plus more by teaspoon as needed

Blend the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in the shortening until mixture is crumbly. Add water and blend until mixture can be formed into a ball. Roll out into a circle and press into a 9-inch pie pan, fluting the rim. Set aside.

Filling:

2-3 cups chopped fresh spinach, microwaved 1 ½ minute with 1//2 cup water and drained and set aside

1 small can of mushrooms, drained and chopped

1/3-1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped

1/3 cup chopped ham (or more if desired)

1 8 oz. (2 cups) shredded cheese (I prefer 6-cheese Italian, but any tasty blend will work)

2 tablespoons flour

½ tsp. salt

Dash pepper

3 eggs

1 cup milk

Combine cheese and flour in a medium bowl. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk. Whisk in milk and seasonings. Stir in tomatoes, mushrooms, ham, and spinach. Using a fork, blend in cheese/flour mixture. Pour everything into pie shell. Bake at 360 degrees F for 1 hour. Let stand a couple of minutes before cutting and serving. Makes 8 generous pieces of green and red and golden deliciousness.

What if looking at the face of the man you loved meant death?

Years ago, warrior Durren Drakkonwehr was cursed by a mage. Now feared and reviled as the Shadow Man, he keeps to himself, only going to town to trade rare bloodstones—petrified dragon’s blood—for supplies. Though he hides his face, he can’t hide his heart from the woman who haunts his dreams…
Needing bloodstones for a jewelry commission, Mirianna and her father journey across the dreaded Wehrland where the beast-men roam. When their party is attacked, only the Shadow Man can save them. Strangely drawn to him, Mirianna offers herself in return for her father’s rescue.
Living in the ruined fortress with the Shadow Man, Mirianna slowly realizes that a flesh-and-blood man—not a fiend—hides there in hoods and darkness. But are love and courage enough to lift the curse and restore the man?

Helen C. Johannes writes award-winning fantasy romance inspired by the fairy tales she grew up reading and the amazing historical places she’s visited in England, Ireland, Scotland and Germany. She writes tales of adventure and romance in fully realized worlds sprung from pure imagination and a lifelong interest in history, culture, and literature. Warriors on horseback, women who refuse to sit idly at home, and passion that cannot be denied or outrun—that’s what readers will find in her books.

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This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win a kindle copy (US Only) of Lord of Druemarwin. 

Pumpkin Pie—Delicious for Christmas and New Year’s, too! by Helen C. Johannes

My family considers pumpkin pie a treat for all cold weather holidays. But our handed-down pie recipe is a custard, fluffy and moist rather than dense and sugared like the ones typically found in stores for the holidays. If you’d like to try something different in the pie department for Christmas, here’s the recipe.

You’ll need three mixing bowls, large, medium, and small, a hand mixer, and a 9-inch pie plate (I use glass), greased.

Prepare the following ingredients:

One unbaked, plain pie shell (I prefer to make mine from scratch, but store-bought is fine)

2 cups mashed pumpkin or one can of plain pumpkin

1 cup milk

3 eggs

½ cup sugar

1 ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon cloves

¼ teaspoon ginger

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

Separate the eggs, putting three yolks in the large mixing bowl, and three whites in the medium bowl. Using the mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside. Beat the yolks, then add milk and pumpkin and stir. In the small bowl, combine sugar, salt, and spices. Combine thoroughly with pumpkin mixture. Carefully fold in the beaten egg whites. (Some lumps of white are okay.) Pour into prepared pie shell. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375° and bake 20-25 minutes longer, or until a dinner knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and store in the refrigerator. Perfect with whipped cream on top or vanilla sauce.

Love, honor, family–which do you choose when lives and a kingdom are at stake?
Lady Raell can fight, ride, and argue politics as well as her brothers. Only being mistress of her father’s household keeps her in skirts. In Naed, the new Lord of Druemarwin, she has found devotion, a kindred spirit, and a marriage promise. But when a forgotten and unwanted betrothal comes to light, she has no choice but to run.

Amidst sweeping revolution, Naed must rally his people, fend off assassination attempts, and fight against claims he’s a traitor. Then he discovers everything about his lineage and family is a lie. And his beloved belongs to another.

With lives and a kingdom at stake, Raell and Naed must find a way to protect the innocent and save their love.

Helen C. Johannes writes award-winning fantasy romance inspired by the fairy tales she grew up reading and the amazing historical places she’s visited in England, Ireland, Scotland and Germany. She writes tales of adventure and romance in fully realized worlds sprung from pure imagination and a lifelong interest in history, culture, and literature. Warriors on horseback, women who refuse to sit idly at home, and passion that cannot be denied or outrun—that’s what readers will find in her books.

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Buy the book at Amazon.