Stuffed Pork Chops

I misnamed this blog. I should have called it Ingredient Lists and Romance. There's no alliteration, but it's more honest. I've tried to make myself measure ingredients (but not very hard). I mean, why waste all that time if the recipe turns out to be a dud?

This one turned out great, though, so here goes:

Thin-cut, boneless pork chops
Thick slices of bacon -- one per chop
Onion, chopped fine
Celery, chopped fine
Spinach, chopped
Other finely chopped veggies, such as bell peppers (red or yellow add color), cabbage, mushrooms, etc. Whatever you have that needs using up!
Grated sharp cheddar or other sharp cheese
Butter, ghee, or oil (I used ghee)
Salt, pepper, oregano

Saute the onion and celery in the butter. Add the other chopped veggies and saute. The spinach should be added last, as it wilts very quickly. Add the grated cheese and stir until it melts. Season to taste and remove from the heat.

To assemble: Spread the slices of bacon on a baking pan. Put a pork chop on top of each slice, right in the middle. Divide the cooked veggies among the pork chops. Fold the pork chops up and wrap the bacon over them to hold them closed.

Bake at 350 degrees F. until done. I forgot to record how long it took (Can you tell I will never write a cookbook??) but I think it was 25 to 30 minutes. They tasted absolutely fabulous. :~))

Barbara

Visiting Mia Marlowe with a #Giveaway, talking about Roman stuff

Sometimes I put stuff in a story just because I feel like it. Because I find it interesting. That's why I put some Roman ruins and a buried hoard of coins in my new novella, Under a New Year's Enchantment. It turned out that my Regency characters were just as fascinated with the Ancient World as I am--and sometimes, encouraging a mutual interest is a means to get closer in other ways. :~))


Go on over to Mia Marlowe's blog today to read more and comment for a chance to win a download. Mia's giving away free copies of Plaid to the Bone as well, so it's a double giveaway today.

I don't have any pics of ruins or coins, but here I am (in red) at the Doge's Palace in Venice -- about as close as I can come to a Roman pic today. We didn't get to tour the palace during that visit, but I hope to go to Venice again some day.

Barbara

My #Giveaway at Sharon Buchbinder's - and Thanks!

Just a quick note -- Sharon Buchbinder is kindly doing a spotlight today of my new novella, Under a New Year's Enchantment. Hop on over and comment for a chance to win a free download.

http://sharonbuchbinder.com/blog/?p=3326

Hampshire, 1816

Garrick, Lord Westerly, has forbidden the hanging of mistletoe, yet the holiday house party at his country estate sizzles with sensual desire. And though Theodora Southern decided long ago never to marry, she enjoys the erotic fantasies that haunt her each night—fantasies featuring her handsome, brooding host….

Since returning from the war, Garrick has been in no mood to celebrate. But suddenly the nightmares that plague him are making way for much more pleasant dreams—dreams in which his childhood friend Theodora is very much a grown woman. The question is, has he fallen in love—or under a wicked spell?



 Also, thank you very much to everyone who voted for me in the Paranormal Romance Guild Reviewer's Choice Awards! The Magic of His Touch took first place in Romance Novellas, and Under a New Year's Enchantment took third. The Bayou Gavotte series took second place in Romance Series. :~)

Five Nominations! And a #giveaway...

Imagine my astonishment when I learned I had received five nominations for Reviewer's Choice at the Paranormal Romance Guild! I'm in three categories, so in two of them I'm competing with myself.

Paranormal Romantic Suspense -- Heart of Constantine and Tastes of Love & Evil

Romance Novella -- The Magic of His Touch and Under a New Year's Enchantment

Romance Series -- Bayou Gavotte

I would love some votes from anyone who has the time and inclination. Voting ends on Sunday January 12th at 5 pm. EST.

http://www.paranormalromanceguild.com/2013reviewerschoice.htm

Thanks!

Also, today I'm blogging at the Harlequin Paranormal Romance blog about my new novella, Under a New Year's Enchantment. I'm giving away a copy to a lucky commenter. Please stop by!
http://paranormalromanceblog.com/2014/01/10/who-doesnt-like-a-good-sex-dream-by-barbara-monajem-giveaway/(This post is now up!)

Under a New Year's Enchantment - Release Day

Today is release day (in North America and Australia) for my new novella, Under a New Year's Enchantment. (It won't be out in the UK until February 1st, alas.) It's the sequel to Under a Christmas Spell.

Hampshire, 1816

Garrick, Lord Westerly, has forbidden the hanging of mistletoe, yet the holiday house party at his country estate sizzles with sensual desire. And though Theodora Southern decided long ago never to marry, she enjoys the erotic fantasies that haunt her each night—fantasies featuring her handsome, brooding host….

Since returning from the war, Garrick has been in no mood to celebrate. But suddenly the nightmares that plague him are making way for much more pleasant dreams—dreams in which his childhood friend Theodora is very much a grown woman. The question is, has he fallen in love—or under a wicked spell?




The story picks up where Under a Christmas Spell left off. I had a lot of fun writing it -- for one thing, I got to put in bits and pieces about my current fascination with Ancient Rome -- but it was also a hard slog for me. I made several false starts and did a lot more rewriting than usual. It seems ridiculous that after writing a novella -- not a huge job -- I simply had to take some time off.

But now I'm back again, writing another story in the same universe. I'm using the title The Reluctant Succubus. It's only a placeholder title, but it says a lot about the heroine of the story. ;~)

Are you making any New Year's resolutions? Setting any new goals? I'm still not sure yet -- about both the resolutions (which I don't usually make) and the goals (which I'm too superstitious to put into words).

***Happy New Year!***

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

This is really just an ingredient list and a few instructions.

Sweet potatoes
Onions (regular or spring), chopped
Mushrooms, chopped
Spinach, chopped
Sharp cheese, grated
Sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Oil or butter

Cut the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise, wrap in foil, and bake until done.  Scoop the flesh out into a bowl, being careful not to tear the skins, which are quite fragile. Put the skins in a baking pan. I didn't grease the pan, but it wouldn't hurt to do so.

Look at the amount of sweet potato and take a guess at how much onion and mushroom to use. For three medium sweet potatoes, I used maybe half an onion and several mushrooms. Saute the onions and mushrooms in oil or butter.

As for the spinach, it wilts down to almost nothing, so use lots of it. Add to the onions and mushrooms and saute until the spinach is wilted.

Turn off the heat and mix in a dollop or so of sour cream and some grated cheese. I add quite a bit of cheese, but this is a matter of taste (well, so is everything else in this recipe). Sharp cheddar is good, but other sharp cheeses work well, too. Add the mixture to the sweet potato flesh. Season to taste, bearing in mind that the cheese has some salt in it. 

Fill the skins with the mixture and sprinkle some grated cheese on top. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. I usually cover them for the first 15 or 20 minutes...it depends on how moist you want them. I tried this recipe once with regular potatoes. They aren't as moist as sweet potatoes, so I think more fat and sour cream would be needed and maybe even a little milk or water...

Sorry, no picture... Maybe next time. 

My Contest is Today!!

It's Harlequin Historical Giveaway time! Every year, a group of Harlequin Historical authors hold a series of individual contests in the weeks leading to Christmas. Each author offers her own prizes, and there's a Grand Prize at the end. This year, it's a Kindle Fire HDX WiFi tablet!
 
Today, December 5th, is my contest day. I'm giving away a $25 gift certificate to Amazon or Barnes & Noble, a paperback copy of the anthology A Scandalous Regency Christmas, and a pair of Christmas socks (because I love buying socks, and I have too many of my own). To enter my contest, to to my website (http://www.BarbaraMonajem.com). There you will be directed to read an excerpt from my new historical novella, Under a Christmas Spell, and answer a question. You can even make up your own question about the excerpt and answer it, if you prefer.

Hampshire, 1815

Dissolute aristocrat Lord Valiant Oakenhurst hides a sexy, supernatural secret—as a powerful incubus, he is able to influence others through erotic dreams. At an exclusive Christmas house party, his latest mission is compromised by the beautiful but deadly succubus Lucille Beaulieu. Though still drawn to his former lover, Val cannot forget her betrayal….
Hoping to atone for her past, Lucie uses her seductive powers to help couples find happiness. But she is distracted from her task by her own delicious dreams of the dark and dangerous Val.
As the riotous festivities begin, their passion is rekindled, but can a little Christmas magic restore their lost trust?

Here is this year's calendar for the Harlequin Historical Giveaway. For a calendar with clickable links, go to Jeannie Lin's blog. (http://www.jeannielin.com/harlequin-historical-holiday-giveaway-3/) For the rules, go to Michelle Willingham's website. (http://www.michellewillingham.com/official-rules/) Enter every day for more chances to win!