Welcome to Recipe for Romance!
Let’s get started. I’m sharing a snippet of THE DREADSTONE KING, and fantasy romance. Allira is supposed to be the lucky Thirteenth Warrior, but she refuses to go into the Dreadstone Tombs. So she remains outside, minding the horses. Then she meets another knight, a little older, but no less a fighter.
Available Now: The Dreadstone King
Allira shook her head and rolled her eyes, but as she did, she caught something out of the corner of her eye and whipped her head around. A man stood in the shadows of the gate, observing her. He had dark brown hair that hung around his face in shoulder-length waves and a matching beard. He wore leather armor stained a deep oxblood red over chainmail and a black and gold doublet belted to his waist with a long dagger at his side.
He appeared to be waiting for her to notice him as he leaned back against the gate, his arms in leather bracers crossed over his chest.
Allira scrambled to her feet but kept her hands off her weapons. He hadn’t made any aggressive moves, but she didn’t want to be on her ass when he chose to move.
For a moment, neither of them said anything, and she wondered who he was. He wasn’t one of this year’s crop of knights, but he didn’t look worn and grizzled like anyone from previous years. He looked young, fit, capable, and seasoned without being old.
“Good morning. Can I help you?”
That seemed like as good an opener as any, though she wasn’t sure how she could help someone who looked at home near the Tombs.
He laughed, though it never reached his pale green eyes. “I believe that’s my question.”
She blinked. “Do I look like I need help?”
He shrugged. “Maybe not, but usually all the warriors who come to this place are looking for something.”
“Oh.” She scowled and nodded. “Yeah, that’s not really my thing. I’m just watching the horses.”
He raised his eyebrows in disbelief. “You’re just here to watch the horses?”
She nodded. “Yup.”
“Have you no interest in the treasure of the Tombs?”
She shook her head. “Nope.”
Skull Cheese Ball
Want a fun recipe that’s gluten-free and adorable for your parties and celebrations? This cheese ball is great as an appetizer and fun to look at. We used it for Halloween, but you can make it in any shape (star, bell, crescent moon, heart) for your current celebration.
INGREDIENTS
2 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese
2 cups freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese (we used Dubliner)
2-3 green onions, finely chopped
2 tsp hot sauce or 1 tsp Northwoods Seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
2 garlic stuffed green olives 8
slivered or sliced almonds or 12 pine nuts
1 black olive cut into 2 triangles
DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and cheddar cheese. Make sure to combine them completely so it’s easier to add in the other ingredients.
Add green onions, Northwoods seasoning, and garlic powder. Mix completely, using a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Press mixture into a ball and refrigerate until ready to decorate and serve. We did it for 30 minutes.
Once chilled, shape your ball into your preferred shape (skull, star, bell, crescent moon, heart). Because we made a skull, cut your black olive into two triangular pieces and place where the nose should go. Slice the garlic stuffed green olives in half and trim to show round green eyes.
For the mouth, place four almost slices or six pine nuts for the top row of teeth, and four more almond or six more pine nuts for the bottom row of teeth.
Serve with gluten-free crackers, celery, carrots, sweet bell peppers.
