STIEG LARSSON--MY ADDICTION

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Harriet Vanger, a scion of one of Sweden’s wealthiest families disappeared without a trace more than forty years ago. All these years later, her aged uncle continues to try to discover what happened to her. He hires Mikael Blomkvist, a journalist recently sidelined by a libel conviction, to investigate. Blomkvist is aided by the pierced and tattooed computer prodigy Lisbeth Salander. Together they tap into a vein of unfathomable iniquity and astonishing corruption on their way to discovering the truth of Harriet Vanger’s fate.

The Girl Who Played with Fire

Mikael Blomkvist, now the crusading publisher of the magazine Millennium, has decided to run a story that will expose an extensive sex trafficking operation. On the eve of its publication, the two reporters responsible for the article are murdered, and the fingerprints found on the murder weapon belong to his friend Lisbeth Salander. Blomkvist, convinced of Salander’s innocence, plunges into an investigation of the murders. Meanwhile, Salander herself is drawn into a murderous game of cat and mouse, which forces her to face her dark past.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest

Lisbeth Salander lies in critical condition, a bullet wound to her head, in the intensive care unit of a Swedish city hospital. She’s fighting for her life in more ways than one: if and when she recovers, she’ll be taken back to Stockholm to stand trial for three murders. With the help of Mikael Blomkvist, she will not only have to prove her innocence, but also identify and denounce those in authority who have allowed the vulnerable, like herself, to suffer abuse and violence. On her own, she will plot revenge—against the man who tried to kill her, and against the corrupt government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life.

Karl Stig-Erland Larsson (15 August 1954 – 9 November 2004), who wrote professionally as Stieg Larsson, was a Swedish journalist and writer, born in Skelleftehamn outside Skellefteå. He is best known for writing the "Millennium series " of crime novels, which was published posthumously. Larsson lived and worked much of his life in Stockholm.

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I was with a client picking out books and I picked up The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for myself. I had no idea it was going to become and addiction. As soon as I finished it. went to the book store and bought the remainder of the series. I have now finished The Girl who Played with Fire. I am about to start The Girl who kicked the hornets nest, but I am scared to . Once I am finished with it , then thats the end. It will be like losing and exciting lover.

THE LOST MONTH

I can't believe I have gone the entire month of February without a post

It was a full month that's for certain. We had freezing days, Drama Queen days, Days that just seem to blur into the next.

I have had more work than I can handle, working 7 days a week, most weeks. Both my businesses have been booming. Somehow I have become the Belle of the Ball in New Orleans and have been baking my specialty cakes and shipping them off for Mardi Gras Parties all month. I have had to turn down clients because I just don't have enough hours in a day to meet all the work.

I have been so busy in fact I didn't even have my birthday party , I had planned to every detail.

With the limited time I had I did put in a small vegetable garden. I am excited about it and hope it does well.

I am also planning a romantic vacation for my husband and I once he gets home . He has been working International for the last 5 months.

ROASTED EGGPLANTS IN BALSAMIC VINEGAR RECIPE

Nick Stellino's Roasted Eggplants in Balsamic Vinegar
Ingredients
1 large eggplant, cut in 1/2-inch thick slices
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup + 8 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
8 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Melanzane Arroste Sottoaceto
Serves 4
Preheat the oven to 425 F.
Sprinkle the eggplant slices with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and place them in a colander to drain for 20 minutes. Pat them with a paper towel until thoroughly dry.
Line the bottom of two large baking sheets with parchment paper Brush the eggplant slices lightly on both sides with 1/3 cup of the olive oil and bake in the hot oven for 10 minutes. Turn them over and bake until they start to brown, about 10 minutes more, Remove from the oven and set aside.
In a small glass baking dish, place 1/3 of the eggplant slices, sprinkle with some of the salt, pepper, garlic, basil, mint, olive oil and vinegar, and repeat the process until all the eggplant is used, Cover with plastic wrap and let sit overnight in the refrigerator to ripen.
The next day, enjoy this dish for lunch or dinner, over salad greens, on toasted bread rubbed with garlic or sprinkled with a little goat cheese and bits of sun-dried tomatoes...Mamma Mia!
www.NickStellino.com

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I have been using this recipe for the last 20 years. Its one of my favorites. I have planted my garden and hopefully with have an abundance of eggplants this season.

Texas Monthly Kolache Recipe

Dorothy Bohac’s Kolache Recipe
Recipe featured in the “The Ranch,” November 1998.This recipe comes from Dorothy Bohac, Ph.D., President of the Travis-Williamson Counties Czech Heritage Society. She says that “the quality of a kolache is in the texture of the dough. The texture is controlled by the ingredients, particularly the amount of flour used. A baked kolache should be soft to the touch and the dough should be elastic.”
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Dough
3 pkgs dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water

1 teaspoon sugar

2 sticks butter

3/4 cup sugar

3 egg yolks2

3/4 cups milk (scald and cool to lukewarm)

7 1/4 cups flour (more or less)

3 teaspoons salt
Dissolve yeast in the 1/2 cup warm water in a tall glass, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar and set aside to proof. In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter, add egg yolks and salt and mix well. Add the dissolved yeast, 1 cup of the flour and mix slowly with an electric mixer. Add the milk and continue adding as much of the remaining flour as you can mix in with a wooden spoon. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough. Continue kneading until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl, turn once to grease surface. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Punch dough down and turn out onto lightly floured surface. Pinch off egg size portions and roll into a ball using the palm of your hands in circular motion. Place about 1 inch apart on greased pans. Brush kolaches with melted butter, cover with a cloth and let rise until light, about 1 hour.
Use your fingers to make an indentation in each ball and fill each opening with about 1 tablespoon of filling. Sprinkle with posypka topping (optional) and let rise again for 20 minutes. Bake in a preheated 425-degree oven for about 10-15 minutes. Brush kolaches with melted butter as they come out of the oven.

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Posypka Topping
1 cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons melted butter
Mix together until mixture resembles coarse meal.
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Poppyseed Filling
1 1/2 cup poppyseeds

1 cup sugar

2 cups milk

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon flour
Combine poppyseeds, sugar and milk, and cook over medium heat until mixture begins to thicken. Add butter, then flour which has been dissolved in a little bit of water. Cook, stirring constantly until poppyseed is done, at least 30 minutes. Allow to cool before use. Leftover filling can be frozen.

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Cabbage Filling
3 cups grated cabbage

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 oz butter

1/2 cup or more sugar

1/3 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon flour
Fry the cabbage in the butter until soft. Add the salt, black pepper, sugar and flour, and fry until golden brown, being careful not to burn.

Mysterious Masks of Venice Masquerade

Campbells Tomato Soup Cake Recipe

Campbell's Soup Company published it's

Tomato Spice Cake recipe

over 50 years ago it went like this:
2 1/4 cups cake flour or 2 cups of all purpose flour
1 1/3 cups sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1-10 3/4 ounce can of Campbell's Condensed Tomato Soup
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
1/4 cup of water

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 F. Generously grease and flour two round 8 or 9 inch layer pans, or a 13 x 9 x 2 inch oblong pan. Measure dry ingredients into large bowl, ADD soup and shortening. Beat at low to medium speed for 2 minutes or 300 strokes with a spoon, scraping sides and bottom of bowl constantly. ADD eggs and water. Beat 2 minutes more, scraping bowl frequently. Pour into pans. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes; remove. Cool.

I found this as a post on a forum. Hoping this is the original recipe.

Stormy Sunday-- Italian Style Minestrone, Orzo Salad & Bruschetta

It was a stormy cold day so I stayed home, cleaned house, watched old movies and made comfort food.

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Orzo salad

1 c Orzo(cooked)
1/4 C Onion
1C cherry tomatoes quartered
2 tb basil
2 tb kalamata/ 2tb green olives sliced
2 tb capers
2 TB Dijon
¼ tsp sugar
3 Tb balsamic
3 tb oil
3.5 oz feta
S&P

Lemon juice

**toss & chill

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Mushroom & Feta Bruschetta

2 small cans mushrooms (diced)

4 tomatoes (seeded and diced)

1 bunch of basil (chopped)

1Tb capers

2-3 garlic cloves minced

Vinegar and Oil to taste (I used garlic oil)

S&P

1/4C Feta

Toss all ingredients except feta.

Once everything is mixed gently mix in feta.

Serve on toasted Italian bread

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Minestrone

**When I have a party , there are always leftovers from the veggie tray. I save the veggies and make minestrone***

1/2 c onion (diced)

1 cup celery(diced)

1 cup carrot(diced)

1 cup bell pepper(diced)

1-3 cloves garlic minced

1 -15oz can diced tomatoes

1-15 oz red kidney beans

1 qrt beef broth

1/2 C. Pasta optional

1Tb Italian Seasoning

basically throw it all in the pot, bring to boil reduce to simmer for 45 mins.