Book Review: Baronne Street by Kent Westmoreland

Friday 31 December, 2010 By 4 Comments

Title: Baronne Street
Author: Kent Westmoreland
Publisher: CreateSpace
Publication Date: September 19, 2010
Paperback: 258 pages
ISBN: 978-1453702710
Genre: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery

About the Book:

Love means sometimes having to solve your ex‐girlfriend’s murder.

Burleigh Drummond, a fixer , ignores a voice‐mail plea for help from his ex‐girlfriend Coco Robicheaux. She broke his heart when she dumped him, so why should he care? He goes about his job of manipulating the imbroglios of New Orleans bluebloods and politicos. Still, Drummond misses Coco and regrets not answering her call.

The next morning he is rousted from bed by two extremely unpleasant homicide detectives with the news that Coco has been raped and bludgeoned to death. The detectives also share they have been instructed to do nothing about the case, but should he provide them with evidence…

My Review:

Baronne Street by Kent Westmoreland is a fast-past, action packed thriller that takes the reader deep into New Orleans. Not only does Westmoreland give the reader and intimate feel for life in New Orleans he also creates extraordinary characters, vivid and eclectic enough to entertain any reader. Private Investigator Burleigh Drummond is an extremely well crafted and enjoyable character drawn unexpectedly into investigating the brutal rape and murder of his ex-lover. Working through the shady and corrupt side of New Orleans proves to be no small job for Drummond as he seeks answers in the murder. I am looking forward to reading more novels with him as the central character. Westmoreland has a gift for writing what I refer to as “old style” PI novels, which is a compliment. I was reminded often of Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer, a series I enjoyed. Kent Westmoreland is an author to keep an eye on in the coming year. I would recommend Baronne Street to anyone who enjoys private investigator mysteries.

For more information about the author or his works, please visit his website.

I received a complimentary copy of Baronne Street by Kent Westmoreland from the author to review. Receiving a copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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Happy New Year’s Eve

Friday 31 December, 2010 By 8 Comments

“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language And next year’s words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning.”
– T.S. Eliot

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Reflecting on Reading in 2010 and My Search For Literature

Friday 31 December, 2010 By 8 Comments

Let me begin by saying I am not making a list of my favourite books in 2010.   The reasons for this are numerous as would be the list.   Rather let me reflect on what I learned, will continue to do, discontinue, and/or alter (in no particular order).

As 2010 nears an end I realised I read 500 books  and reviewed approximately 484 of those books and spotlighted numerous others.  That is a lot of reading in one year, approximately 1.5 books a day and sadly I still have shelves of books I truly had hoped to get to this year and will not be able to until 2011.   I felt under pressure a lot of time (this was my fault) and considering  this is a hobby, and last time I checked,  hobbies are supposed to be enjoyed not stressful, I shall be making this far less stressful by reading books I want to read.  I have thought long and hard and have come up with some solutions that I have started to implement and will continue to into 2011.

The upside of reading 500 books in a year is that I am fairly certain which genres work for me and which do not.  I still have a few books I agreed to review near the end of 2010 that fall under the heading “genres I would prefer not to read”, so occasionally a review will pop up in 2011 that is not a typical genre for me.   Fortunately I only made a few commitments to such books before my epiphany.

The other upside of reading 500 books is that I have learned which publishers I mesh best with.  Granted, this is not an absolute by any means.  However there are certain publishers whose works I have never been disappointed by and others I enjoy working with but the books offered are just not genres I enjoy. 2010 was an extremely enlightening year for me and I am grateful for all I learned.

My hunt for true Literature continues.  Yes, I could re-read all the classics, which I have done, but I know there are beautiful works out there and have read/reviewed many titles, often from the same publisher, for which I eternally grateful.   I am hoping the trend toward these books picks up, or at least these books receive more publicity, I know I will do my best to see that these books get exposure.

I have become increasingly picky in what I will and will not read in 2011.  There are too many books I truly want to read to take on a book I may like, but the odds are I will not.  This will be reflected in my review policy (which I am uncertain if it is ever read).   An example may be necessary here.  I do not care to read paranormal books, so when a book is pitched to me as a mystery/thriller and words such as “zombies” or “vampires” are conveniently left out of the pitch and I receive the book, I guarantee I will not even open the book.  In the past I would try to get through the books, in 2011 I will not, my time is too valuable to me and I have books I truly want to read.

Challenges have been a challenge for me.  I start out with the best of intentions and then I lose track, I mean to keep better details and it somehow falls by the wayside.  I know I will continue on with three challenges and I am adding a new one (which I am rather excited about), I will possibly add more as I learn of them.  The four I have joined are:

The Reagan Arthur Book Challenge

Amy Einhorn Books Perpetual Book Challenge

The Mystery & Suspense Challenge

The 2011 Eastern European Reading Challenge

Last, but certainly not least I had a brilliant year due to excellent books, first time and faithful readers of my blog, other reviewers, authors, publishers, publicists, tour guides, and numerous others who have come in and out of my life during 2010.  I appreciate each and every one of you and have learned so very much and look forward to what 2011 brings.

I wish everyone a wonderful 2011 filled with peace, joy, and numerous good books to read.  For you writers out there, I wish for each of you a successful year of writing.

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Book Review: The Final Reckoning by Sam Bourne

Friday 31 December, 2010 By 1 Comment


Title: The Final Reckoning
Author: Sam Bourne
Publisher: Harper
Publication Date: December 7, 2010
Hardcover: 432 pages
ISBN: 978-0061875748
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Thriller, Mystery

From the Publisher:

From the number one international bestselling author of The Righteous Men and The Last Testament comes a chilling thriller about a clandestine brotherhood and a sixty-year-old secret—the last great mystery of World War II.

Tom Byrne has come a long way since his days as an idealistic young lawyer. Now he’ll work for anyone—as long as the money’s right. So when a UN official asks him to take on a dubious job, he accepts. A suspected suicide bomber shot by UN security staff has turned out to be a harmless old man, and Tom must placate the family. But it soon emerges that the victim was not quite the innocent man he seemed to be.

Alongside the dead man’s daughter, Rebecca, Tom discovers a hidden brotherhood united in a worldwide mission that has caused hundreds of unexplained deaths. Pursued by those ready to kill to stop him, Tom must unlock a secret buried for more than sixty years—the last great secret of the Second World War.

Based on the true story of a group of Holocaust survivors who sought revenge for Nazi crimes, The Final Reckoning is an atmospheric, emotionally engaging, and twisting thriller that moves at light speed from the first page to the last.

My Review:

The Final Reckoning by Sam Bourne is an intriguing mixture of historical fact turned into fiction, a mystery within a mystery, riveting, thrilling, and suspenseful. A suspected terrorist is murdered on UN territory and Tom Byrne is called in to follow the NYPD investigation and more importantly to placate the murdered man’s family. The case appears straightforward, misinformation led to the murder of an innocent 77-year-old, but not everything is as it first appears. To further complicate the situation for the UN, the murdered man is not only a holocaust surviour, but also a true hero for the résistance. Again, not all is as it appears as Byrne learns more about the victim, Gerald Merton, born Gershon Matzkin. Bourne creates an intense setting, fast-moving plot, and a cast of truly brilliant characters along with the words left behind of the deceased, his testament to what happened to himself, his family and the Jews in the 1940s and the group Matzkin joined after the war. The Final Reckoning is a political thriller intermixed with historical fact, fictionalised enough to create a brilliantly intense page-turner, which I for one was unable to set down. Bourne will take the reader on an intense political thrill ride from the first page until the very end. After the book is concluded, Bourne points out which parts are fact and which were fictionalised and why. I enjoyed this book immensely and not only found an author worth following but also learned a bit more about the resistance movement that I was not aware of before reading this book. I would not hesitate to recommend The Final Reckoning to any and all readers.

About the Author:

Sam Bourne is the literary pseudonym of Jonathan Freedland, an award-winning British journalist and broadcaster. He is a weekly columnist for the Guardian (UK), having served as that paper’s Washington correspondent. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the New York Review of Books, the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, Newsweek, and the New Republic. He is a regular contributor to the Jewish Chronicle (UK) and presents BBC Radio 4′s contemporary history series The Long View.

Bourne is the author of the New York Times and number one UK bestseller The Righteous Men, which has been translated into twenty-eight languages, and The Last Testament. He has also written two nonfiction works, Jacob’s Gift and Bring Home the Revolution. He lives in London with his wife and two children.

For more information about the author or his works, please visit his website.

I received a complimentary copy ofThe Final Reckoning by Sam Bourne from Harper Collins to review. Receiving a copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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Unbridled Books Holiday Cheer: Day 4

Thursday 30 December, 2010 By 1 Comment

Unbridled Books asked authors to share who they would like to have dinner with or to share favourite recipes and over the next few days I will be sharing four of these with my readers. Two authors I have read, reviewed and highly recommend and the other author I anxiously looking forward to reading.

Today’s submission is from Pamela Thompson, author of Every Past Thing which I have yet to read.

Moorish Orange Cake
In theory, this dessert recipe may horrify some people: How good can a cake be if it’s made without flour or butter? And for the holidays? Though it’s true I would never have found this recipe if my son were not a celiac, that’s not the reason it’s become our celebratory staple. It’s easy to make (if you have a food processor) and its use of the entire orange—rind and pulp—is just so cool. This is my simplified version of Ariana Bundy’s, from the book Sweet Alternative. The only hard thing about it is remembering that it takes an hour to cook the orange first—but you could do that the day before you make it, too.
1 orange
1½ cups ground almonds (we grind ours in a coffee grinder but you can buy prepared)
½ tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
3 eggs
1 cup sugar (I used unrefined)
1 tsp vanilla (or almond) extract

Put the orange in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for one hour. Let it cool. Cut the orange in half and remove any enormous seeds. (Or, you can forget to do this, which I’ve gotten away with.) Put in a food processor and whiz until you have beautiful pale orange paste.
Preheat oven to 350. Butter an 8-inch springform tin, line the bottom with baking parchment, butter and flour and set aside. (If you are trying to keep this gluten-free, as I am, dust instead with rice or potato starch or tapioca starch or corn starch: anything else!)
Sift together ground almonds, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, and extract until pale and yellow: “ribbon stage.” Fold in the orange puree and then the almond mixture. Pour into prepared tin and bake for 40-50 minutes. Let it cool in the tin. It’s a very, very moist cake (depending, I suppose, on the size of your orange), so be gentle with it. Yummy with whipped cream.

Pamela Thompson is the award-winning author Every Past Thing published by Unbridled Books.


Title: Every Past Thing
Author: Pamela Thompson
Publisher: Unbridled Books
Publication Date: September 29, 2007
Hardcover: 336 pages
ISBN: 978-1932961393
Genre: Fiction

My sincere gratitude to Unbridled Books as well as author Pamela Thompson for allowing me to share this Holiday Cheer with my readers.

Filed Under: Guest Author, Holiday Tagged With:

Book Review: A Lonely Death by Charles Todd

Thursday 30 December, 2010 By 4 Comments


Title: A Lonely Death: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery
Author: Charles Todd
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: January 4, 2011
Hardcover: 352 pages
ISBN: 978-0061726194
Genre: Fiction, Mystery

From the Publisher:

Scotland Yard detective Ian Rutledge returns to solve his most exciting and shocking case yet in this latest entry in the bestselling series hailed as “outstanding” by the New York Times Book Review

A breathtaking blend of psychological complexity, haunting atmosphere, compelling twists, and impressive detail, the novels in the Ian Rutledge mystery series have garnered their author widespread acclaim and numerous honors and awards. At the heart of the series is the compelling Scotland Yard detective inspector Ian Rutledge, a veteran of the Great War who understands all too well the darkness that lies within men’s souls.

Now three men have been murdered in a Sussex village, and Scotland Yard has been called in. It’s a baffling case. The victims are soldiers who survived the horrors of World War I only to meet a ghastly end in the quiet English countryside two years later. Each had been garroted, with small ID discs left in their mouths.

But even Scotland Yard’s presence doesn’t deter this vicious and clever killer. Shortly after Inspector Ian Rutledge arrives, a fourth soldier is found dead. With few clues to go on and the pressure building, Rutledge must gamble everything—his job, his reputation, and even his life—to find answers.

My Review:

Every now and again a series comes my way that I am so drawn into that I cannot wait to read all the previous books and Charles Todd is one of those rare authors whose talents at writing make me thrilled to have discovered the series late, so I can read them in rapid succession. A Lonely Death by Charles Todd is the thirteenth book in the Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery Series and my first, but definitely not my last. While reading A Lonely Death, I kept thinking how fortunate I was to be able to go back and read the other twelve in the series while waiting for the fourteenth book, I found the mysteries to be that intriguing, beguiling, and suspenseful. I was worried I would feel utterly lost coming into a series so very late in the game, yet my concerns were unfounded, rather I so enjoyed A Lonely Death I did not want the book to end; my solace is that there are twelve previous mysteries to be read. Todd has brilliantly created a rather delightful main character in Inspector Ian Rutledge, a man who is wounded from the war, flawed in many regards, yet absolutely charming. Hamish is an interesting twist and one I enjoyed, for those who are familiar with the series no explanation is necessary, for those new to the series as I was, it is best left to be discovered by the reader. Todd’s choice of setting, Scotland Yard circa 1920s, is fantastically brilliant and I was completely swept up in the two main plots along with the subplots along the way. A Lonely Death contains several character both major and minor, who are well described, detailed, and realistic. A Lonely Death contains enough clues to keep the readers attention without giving away the ending and just the right amount of twists and turns to keep the reader mesmerized. Since I cannot possibly compare A Lonely Death to the others in the series, but rather merely judge it on its own merits, I give A Lonely Death high marks. I enthusiastically recommend A Lonely Death to any reader who enjoys a well-crafted suspenseful mystery with a well thought out cast of characters. I will even go so far as to recommend the entire Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery series; truly I found the book to be that well done.

To learn more about author Charles Todd and his books please visit his website.

I received a complimentary copy of A Lonely Death by Charles Todd from Harper Collins to review. Receiving a copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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Book Review: Rebel Buddha by Dzogchen Ponlop

Thursday 30 December, 2010 By Leave a Comment


Title: Rebel Buddha: On the Road to Freedom
Author: Dzogchen Ponlop
Publisher: Shambhala
Publication Date: November 9, 2010
Hardcover: 224 pages
ISBN: 78-1590308745
Genre: Philosophy, Non-Fiction

About the Book:

There’s a rebel within you.

It’s the part of you that already knows how to break free of fear and unhappiness. This rebel is the voice of your own awakened mind. It’s your rebel buddha — the sharp, clear intelligence that resists the status quo. It wakes you up from the sleepy acceptance of your day-to-day reality and shows you the power of your enlightened nature. It’s the vibrant, insightful energy that compels you to seek the truth.

Dzogchen Ponlop guides you through the inner revolution that comes from unleashing your rebel buddha. He explains how, by training your mind and understanding your true nature, you can free yourself from needless suffering. He presents a thorough introduction to the essence of the Buddha’s teachings and argues that, if we are to bring these teachings fully into our personal experience, we must go beyond the cultural trappings of traditional Asian Buddhism. “We all want to find some meaningful truth about who we are,” he says, “but we can only find it guided by our own wisdom — by our own rebel buddha within.”

My Review:

Rebel Buddha: On the Road to Freedom by Dzogchen Ponlop is a fresh and intriguing look at Buddhism. From a non-Buddhist who knew little about Buddhism prior to reading this book, except for a college course I took decades ago, I worried I might be intimidated by the wording and was pleasantly surprised at the laid back, easy to comprehend approach used to teach the reader about Buddhism. Dzogchen Ponlop discusses how we should look at drama in our lives and know the difference between drama and dharma. He also emphasizes the important aspects of mind, self, and heart in this brief, yet refreshingly straightforward approach to Buddhism. Complete with appendices and an index, as well as a modern approach to teaching the practice of Buddhism, Rebel Buddha not only serves as an educational source for those simply interested in learning about Buddhism, but also offers up new ways of thinking about Buddhism for the well versed. I would recommend Rebel Buddha to any reader looking for a modern view of Buddhism.

About the Author:

Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche is a widely celebrated teacher known for his skill in making the full richness of Buddhist wisdom accessible to modern minds. A lover of urban culture, Rinpoche enjoys writing poetry and creating art of various kinds in his leisure time. Based in the United States for the past 20 years, he devotes much of his energy to his vision of a genuine American, and Western, Buddhism, free from the cultural trappings that sometimes distort the Buddha’s essential message of wakefulness. Born in 1965 in northeast India, Rinpoche received comprehensive training in the meditative and intellectual disciplines of Indian and Tibetan Buddhism under the guidance of many of the greatest masters from Tibet’s final pre-exile generation. Among the many organizational roles he juggles, he is the founder and principal teacher of Nalandabodhi, an international network of Buddhist practice centers. His latest book is Rebel Buddha (Shambhala Publications) forthcoming in November 2010.

For more information, view Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche’s Website.

I received a complimentary copy of Rebel Buddha by Dzogchen Ponlop from FSB Associates. Receiving a review copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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Unbridled Books Holiday Cheer: Day 3

Wednesday 29 December, 2010 By 1 Comment

Unbridled Books asked authors to share who they would like to have dinner with or to share favourite recipes and over the next few days I will be sharing four of these with my readers. Two authors I have read, reviewed and highly recommend and the other author I anxiously looking forward to reading.

Today’s submission is from Greg Michalson Co-Publisher of Unbridled Books as well as a respected and talented writer.

Single-serving Nonfat Chocolate Bundt Cakes

Vegetable oil spray
1 c. nonfat plain yogurt
1/4 c. egg whites or liquid egg substitute
1 c. purified water
1 T. apple cider vinegar
1 T. pure vanilla extract
2 c. cake flour
1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa
2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. sugar or Splenda for baking

Serves 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Generously coat mini-Bundt pans with Pam.
In a large bowl, combine yogurt, egg whites, water, vinegar and vanilla.
Add flour, cocoa, baking soda and sugar,
Beat with an electric mixer for approximately 3 minutes, until thoroughly combined.
Pour mixture into pan and bake 35-45 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool 10 minutes, then remove from pan.

Serve with toppings as for banana split: Chocolate /caramel syrup, mandarin oranges, red and green maraschino cherries, pineapple, nuts Cool Whip – Let guests build their own desert on the cake.

Greg Michalson is, with Fred Ramey, Co-Publisher of Unbridled Books. He is the author of numerous prize-winning short stories and articles, his work has been mentioned in Best American Short Stories and the Pushcart Prizes.

My sincere gratitude to Unbridled Books as well as Greg Michalson for allowing me to share this Holiday Cheer with my readers.

Filed Under: Guest Author, Holiday Tagged With:

Book Review: American Rose by Karen Abbott

Wednesday 29 December, 2010 By 6 Comments


Title: American Rose: A Nation Laid Bare: The Life and Times of Gypsy Rose Lee
Author: Karen Abbott
Publisher: Random House
Publication Date: December 28, 2010
Hardcover: 448 pages
ISBN: 978-1400066919
Genre: Biography & Autobiography – Historical

From the Publisher:

With the critically acclaimed Sin in the Second City, bestselling author Karen Abbott “pioneered sizzle history” (USA Today). Now she returns with the gripping and expansive story of America’s coming-of-age—told through the extraordinary life of Gypsy Rose Lee and the world she survived and conquered.

America in the Roaring Twenties. Vaudeville was king. Talking pictures were only a distant flicker. Speakeasies beckoned beyond dimly lit doorways; money flowed fast and free. But then, almost overnight, the Great Depression leveled everything. When the dust settled, Americans were primed for a star who could distract them from grim reality and excite them in new, unexpected ways. Enter Gypsy Rose Lee, a strutting, bawdy, erudite stripper who possessed a preternatural gift for delivering exactly what America needed.

With her superb narrative skills and eye for compelling detail, Karen Abbott brings to vivid life an era of ambition, glamour, struggle, and survival. Using exclusive interviews and never-before-published material, she vividly delves into Gypsy’s world, including her intensely dramatic triangle relationship with her sister, actress June Havoc, and their formidable mother, Rose, a petite but ferocious woman who seduced men and women alike and literally killed to get her daughters on the stage.

American Rose chronicles their story, as well as the story of the four scrappy and savvy showbiz brothers from New York City who would pave the way for Gypsy Rose Lee’s brand of burlesque. Modeling their shows after the glitzy, daring reviews staged in the theaters of Paris, the Minsky brothers relied on grit, determination, and a few tricks that fell just outside the law—and they would shape, and ultimately transform, the landscape of American entertainment.

With a supporting cast of such Jazz- and Depression-era heavyweights as Lucky Luciano, Harry Houdini, FDR, and Fanny Brice, Karen Abbott weaves a rich narrative of a woman who defied all odds to become a legend—and whose sensational tale of tragedy and triumph embodies the American Dream.

My Review:

An intriguing historical look at life in the roaring 20s from Vaudeville and speakeasies to the Great Depression and a society in desperate need of cheer, American Rose by Karen Abbott is not only a historical look at the early twentieth century but also a deeply moving story of the life of Rose Louise who became Gypsy Rose Lee, and her sister June Havoc. Abbott tells the story in a rather unique and non-linear manner beginning and ending at the 1940s world fair and in between the reader is transported from 1912-1970. While this may sound fragmented and chaotic, Abbott makes the timeline flow with a fluidity that will captivate the readers and not let go. Effortlessly the reader will feel as though they have been transported back in time going through the different eras with the main characters, seeing, hearing, smelling, and living right along with Gypsy and June. American Rose is nothing short of brilliant and would make for an excellent discussion group choice with the childhoods of June and Gypsy offering enough information for quite a lengthy discussion about their mother and their life on the road. For anyone intrigued by the early twentieth century, what life was like and how the famous came to be, American Rose has a little of everything to offer. Rich in historical detail, character, and prose, Abbott has thoroughly done her research. Every now and again a book comes along, shakes up my beliefs and makes me want to share it with those around me and this time, American Rose is such a book. American Rose is more than about the life of one woman, it is about the growth of a country and readers will learn the good, the bad, and the unseemly in this astonishingly wonderful book. I highly recommend American Rose to all adult readers, anyone who enjoys history, and especially to book discussion groups as Abbott offers the reader so many topics to discuss.

About the Author:

Karen Abbott worked as a journalist on the staffs of Philadelphia magazine and Philadelphia Weekly, and has written for Salon.com and other publications. She is the author of Sin in the Second City. A native of Philadelphia, she now lives with her husband in Atlanta, where she’s at work on her next book. Visit her online at www.sininthesecondcity.com.

I received a complimentary copy of American Rose by Karen Abbott from Random House to review. Receiving a copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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Unbridled Books Holiday Cheer: Day 2

Tuesday 28 December, 2010 By 3 Comments

Unbridled Books asked authors to share who they would like to have dinner with or to share favourite recipes and over the next few days I will be sharing four of these with my readers.  Two authors I have read, reviewed and highly recommend and the other author I anxiously looking forward to reading.

Today’s submission is from Joyce Hinnefeld, author of In Hovering Flight and Stranger Here Below.

This pumpkin pie recipe was my mom’s; I copied it years ago, from a tattered index card in one of her overstuffed recipe boxes. It’s a little different from other pumpkin pies I’ve tasted–has a more custard-like consistency, less heavy on the pumpkin pulp–and it’s been a hit with friends and family at Thanksgiving and other dinners for a long time.

Of course, to make it as good as possible, you need a nice homemade crust like the one my mom always made. I’ve discovered that it’s very similar to the King Arthur Flour traditional pie crust recipe http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/pie-crust-recipe

In her earliest pie-baking days, I believe my mom used lard (the real thing; she grew up on a farm), but I remember her using Crisco shortening, exclusively. Now, when I make the crust, I use half shortening and half butter.

I also cook fresh pumpkin for the filling instead of using the canned stuff. It’s really time consuming, yes, but it’s become a nice tradition in our household; we use as much as possible of the pumpkins we buy for Halloween this way (and one year we even used one that appeared in our little garden, apparently growing from some seeds that were in the compost we’d spread in the spring). I steam chunks of the pumpkin flesh and then puree them; if you do this, though, you also have to remember to boil the pureed pulp for quite a while, to cook out as much of the liquid as possible (if you skip this step, you’ll have the runny pies I had one year). Be sure to extract the seeds and then mix them with a bit of vegetable oil and salt and roast them in a warm oven for an hour and half or so. Remember, too, that you can do this part ahead of time and freeze the pureed pumpkin until you’re ready to make pies.

Or, you can buy canned pumpkin! That really works fine too.

Here are the recipes:

Joyce’s Mom’s Pie Crust

1 c. flour
1/2 c. shortening
3/4 t. salt
1/4 c. ice cold water

Sift flour and salt into a bowl. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut half the shortening into the flour, until it resembles coarse meal. Add rest of shortening and again using pastry blender or two knives, cut into the mixture until it resembles peas. Add water a little at a time, carefully mixing it into the flour-shortening mixture with a fork, lifting and lightly stirring, until it can be formed into a ball. Don’t handle it any more than absolutely necessary, or it may become tough. With floured rolling pin, roll out on a floured surface.

This makes one nine-inch shell, for a single pumpkin pie.

Joyce’s Mom’s Pumpkin Pie

2 eggs
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 1/4-1 1/2 c. pureed pumpkin or canned pumpkin
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. allspice
1/8 t. ginger
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. vanilla
1 1/2 c. milk (Use one 13-oz. can evaporated milk and finish measure with regular milk.)

Beat eggs. Continue beating while adding sugar. Mix in pumpkin, spices, and salt. Last, add the milk and vanilla. Pour into a 9-inch unbaked pie shell; sprinkle top with additional cinnamon. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake until firm (about 30 minutes or a little longer).

Joyce Hinnefeld is an award-winning writer and author of In Hovering Flight and Stranger Here Below published by Unbridled Books.


Title: In Hovering Flight
Author: Joyce Hinnefeld
Publisher: Unbridled Books
Publication Date: August 25, 2009
Paperpack: 288 pages
ISBN: 978-1932961898
Genre: Fiction

My review maybe read here.


Title: Stranger Here Below
Author: Joyce Hinnefeld
Publisher: Unbridled Books
Publication Date: September 28, 2010
Hardcover: 288 pages
ISBN: 978-1609530044
Genre: Fiction

My review may be read here.

My sincere gratitude to Unbridled Books as well as author Joyce Hinnefeld for allowing me to share this Holiday Cheer with my readers.

Filed Under: Guest Author, Holiday Tagged With:
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