Book Birthday Today! It App-ened One Night!

Out into the world, it goes! I hope people like it. I write stories I'd like to read, so hopefully there is a nice bunch of people out there who enjoy reading the same things I do. I also hope that we caught the typos between my editor, my proofreader, and my reviews!

When I was writing this book in October and November, there were days when I didn't think I'd ever finish it! Then I had it finished a week before it was due. 

Sometimes authors talk about their book babies and I didn't understand why until I was revising my first book. Writing a book is like being in labor. Once it's done and the baby has arrived you quickly forget the finer points of how arduous the whole process was to endure! 

So now the drafting process is almost a warm fuzzy memory and the finished version is ready for everyone! 

Here is the link to my website if you'd like to get any of my books or become a subscriber for bonus scenes, ARC opportunities, and other special perks. 

https://victoriahamelauthor.com

 

I Love This Recipe So Much I'm Putting It In My Book

In It App-ened One Night, Susan makes a butternut squash soup for her mom. It's a soup I love to make in the fall and winter because the veggies are in season and usually on sale and it is vegan as made so a good choice for any diet. You can of course add cheese or a protein to the finished soup.

I'm putting the recipe in the back of my book, this isn't traditionally done in romance books. Those of you who read cozy mysteries know many of the books include recipes.

I think I'd like to include a recipe in the back of each of my romances going forward. It adds to my desire to embrace coziness as my author brand. Is there anything better than enjoying a cozy day? 

And now on to the recipe:

Butternut-Leek Soup

Ingredients:

Peel and dice one butternut squash - Or use a package of precut squash

Slice two leeks, just the white and a little of the light green portion.

Peel and dice one potato or sweet potato 

Peel and slice one parsnip. (optional this is my secret ingredient)

4-5 cups of vegetable or chicken (if you don't need it to be vegetarian) broth 

a tbsp of dried poultry seasoning or thyme

or 1-2 tbsps fresh rosemary and thyme

Salt and pepper to taste.

Put it all in a slow cooker on low and cook for 6-8 hours or until the vegetables are soft. Then use an immersion blender to puree the soup. 

Serve with gruyere or Swiss cheese grated on top or add a couple of tbsps of diced ham or crumbled bacon. 

This soup pairs very well with a nice crusty bread. I would pair it with a Reisling if I was having a glass of wine.

The leftovers taste great and this soup freezes well. 

If you try it let me know!