Tuesday, June 28, 2016

It Takes Two to Tango excerpt



Blurb
Can two very different men find the love they need to survive?
Remi Ginn’s an easygoing werecat with a love of snarky T-shirts who would be perfectly happy with a human mate. Is that what the goddess Bast gives him? Of course not. Instead she gifts him with Marshell, a Vetala: a snakelike nonshifter who drinks blood to survive. A man who’s just as toppy as Remi—and even more powerful than the West Falls Clowder’s Alpha and heir apparent.
While Remi decides whether he can handle the fates’ choice, hunters attack Marshell. In an explosion of passion, Remi and Marshell mate and Remi declares Marshell his. Now they have to figure out how to make their relationship work as they dance around each other.
The clowder is in turmoil, and Remi’s acceptance of Marshell rocks the very foundation of the insular group. The consequences will be far-reaching. And if that isn’t problem enough, the situation with the hunters is far from resolved… as the appearance of an Alpha werewolf proves.








Chapter One—Remi
Fuck my life.
I’d have to check, but I was pretty sure I had a shirt that said that somewhere in my closet. If I didn’t, it was next on the list of things to get. Because it fit—my life was fucked.
Sighing, I turned the radio up in an effort to drown out my thoughts. I rattled down the road in my old beat-up work truck—which was another thing I needed to take care of. I’d owned a sweet ’69 Ford Mustang. Had being the key word. It went up in flames not long ago… with the mate of Dolf, our heir apparent and head beta, inside.
Kirk made it out alive. My baby wasn’t so lucky, and I hadn’t replaced her yet. Yes, I was mourning a car. I loved her. Ugh. So much for drowning out my thoughts. I turned on my blinker and made the turn onto Alpha Armonty’s street for an emergency meeting he’d called.
Bad enough this was Monday, but it was what humans called Cyber Monday, goddess help us. I turned the heat up a little more. December had arrived with what the South considered abnormally cold temperatures. Frankly I liked the cold—liked the snow, as long as we weren’t buried under a mountain of the stuff.
As I pulled up in front of his house, I saw Dolf’s truck was already there. Dolf, our head beta, was the Alpha’s son and heir apparent. The other three betas—Heller, Aidric, and Brier—had arrived too. That left me. I was also a beta for the West Falls Clowder.
I parked behind Heller and sat in my truck, staring sightlessly at the house. One of the reasons we were meeting was because I met my mate, Marshell Foles, a few days ago. Good news, right? Cue the canned audience applause.
Now the bad news. My mate was possibly stronger than my Alpha and the heir apparent together. Okay, now cue the canned boos and hisses. Maybe I should’ve said life was fucked with a capital F.
I flashed back to the night I found out he was mine and the heavy petting session we had on his couch. Now my cock was hard. Wonderful. Just what I needed—an erection right before I met with my Alpha.
I pushed at the bulge, frowning. “Down, boy. I’m afraid you’re barking up the wrong tree.”
In order for a shifter to mate, we had to share come and blood during sex—which involved bottoming. For my mate I could bottom. The thing was, I didn’t see myself doing it on a regular basis. I was a top—which was not that big of a deal, except so was Marshell.
Somehow I didn’t see Marshell bottoming any more than I wanted to. The man screamed Alpha male. That was another can of worms, and not the only one by any means. And sitting here analyzing this was useless. I got out and walked toward the front door before one of them noticed me sitting out here in my truck like a dummy.
Just as I got to the door, Dolf opened it, read my shirt, and promptly burst out laughing. “You have got to tell me where you get those.”
Smirking, I shook my head. “It’s a well-guarded secret.”
Today I wore a black shirt with white writing: Be careful when you follow the masses…. Sometimes the M is silent. “Masses” was in light blue, as was the letter M, to draw attention to the play on words. I’d been known to follow an ass or two in my day. Those days were over now.
Dolf nodded at my truck. “I was wondering if I was going to have to come out there.”
“I had a feeling you’d be tapping on the driver’s window if I didn’t get out soon,” I said as Dolf moved out of the way so I could enter the Alpha’s home.
“I was counting down. Dad and the rest are already in his office.”
“That’s where the food is, right? I just got off work, so I haven’t eaten.”
Dolf clapped me on the shoulder as he shut the front door. “Of course. Come on back before they eat it all—damn bunch of vultures.”
I followed Dolf. The smells coming from Alpha Armonty’s office made my mouth water. “Something smells good.”
“Mom got hot wings. There are fries, coleslaw, and potato salad to go with it. And rolls too.”
“Your mom rocks.”
We entered the office. Everyone was still standing around helping themselves. Good. That meant there was still food, and I made a beeline for it.
“Hey! Look what the cat finally dragged in.” Aidric shoulder-bumped me.
“Oh, such sharp wit. It cuts like a dull knife.” I rolled my eyes. “And don’t think I didn’t notice you bumping me away from the table, you hog.”
“Hot wings, man.” Aidric winked at me. “Food of the gods and hungry werecat shifters.”
“You’re always hungry,” I griped, shoving Aidric out of my way. “Stop blocking the table, dude.”
“Hey, Remi,” Brier greeted me.
“Hey, how’s it going?”
“Good, good. Just got through helping my sister, Breanna, move into her new apartment here in town. I swear, how does one person accumulate that much stuff?” Brier complained.
“Oh that’s right. I forgot she was back,” I said. “Where was she living before?”
“Philadelphia. She moved up there for her job, but she couldn’t stand the cold weather and endless snow. All she did was gripe, gripe, gripe. I finally got tired of hearing it and told her if she was that unhappy, then she should move back home. I was kidding, but I don’t think she got that. Next thing I know I’m getting a phone call and a due date for her to move.” Brier scowled at a chip on his plate. “Should’ve kept my mouth shut.”
“What did you tell me she did?” I asked.
“She’s an accountant. Now that she’s settled into her new place, she’s started job hunting. She’s got some savings, but that won’t last forever.”
“Is she still unmated?” I asked.
“Yep. She had a boyfriend, but they weren’t mates. And speaking of mates, I heard you found yours. Man, sorry I couldn’t attend the dinner. Congrats.” Brier sat down at the round table we always used for meetings.
“Yeah, you should’ve seen his face.” Aidric chuckled.
“Thanks,” I said, unsure if I should say more. Did Brier know the situation? Aidric did. He was there that night.
“Welcome, Remi.” Alpha Armonty pointed at the side table where the drinks were set. “There’s several different sodas to pick from, and tea. Get yourself a plate and grab a seat.”
“Yes, Alpha.” I filled a plate and got a drink. After we were settled, Alpha Armonty cleared his throat. All talking ceased.
“We’re meeting for several reasons. First let me congratulate Remi. As I understand it, Remi met his mate during Heller’s Thanksgiving dinner, which I wish now the wife and I had attended.”
“Yeah, you never know what kind of trouble Heller’s going to stir up,” Aidric joked.
“Again, let me remind everyone Lawson’s to blame for the whole Thanksgiving deal. That’s my story, and I’m sticking with it.” Heller nodded as though that was the end of the subject.
“You chickenshit.” Aidric poked Heller in the ribs. “Look at you trying to throw it off on your mate, and the guy isn’t even here to defend himself.”
“I’ll tell him,” I volunteered, flashing Heller an evil grin. “Knowing Lawson, he’ll hide Heller’s hair-styling stuff as revenge. Hmm, I might even have to suggest that. Just in case, you know.”
“He’d need a storage unit for all of it,” Brier added and then took a drink of his soda.
“And a forklift to get it to the storage unit.” Dolf snickered, licking the sauce from the hot wings off his fingers.
“Just a damn minute here.” Heller threw his napkin at me. “How’d this discussion get off onto me anyhow? And Remi? You might want to remember Lawson’s like a brother to your mate. Maybe I’ll tell Lawson to tell Marshell how you picked on me… and I’ll have you in the doghouse, man.”
Doghouse? Really?” Dolf hooted.
“Sounds better than cathouse.” Heller shrugged and then bit into a wing.


Friday, June 24, 2016

Finicky Friday - Cola-Nut Salmon

Hey everyone, I thought it would be cool to post some recipes I had found online. I’m going to *try* to do some of these beforehand, but I’m sure there’ll be times I won't. I'm going to call this Finicky Friday. :)

A friend of ours made this last weekend, and I absolutely loved it.  I will say the sauce isn't that great looking, but in this case looks are deceiving.  We also had grilled shrimp to go with our meal, and I ended up dipping the shrimp in the sauce for the salmon... and that was awesome too LOL. He did a great job on the meal. 




Cola-Nut Salmon


Ingredients

4 salmon fillets, with (preferred) or without skin

1 tbsp vegetable or olive oil

1/2 cup chopped pecans

12 oz. can of cola (not diet)

1 tbsp Tabasco sauce

1 tbsp butter Mesquite chips




Directions

Preheat grill to medium heat, using Mesquite chips if this is an option.


Rinse salmon and pat dry, then brush with the oil.


If using skin-on fillets, cut 1-inch diagonal slits into the skin and set aside.


Toast the pecans in a skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until browned.


Remove the pecans from heat and set aside.


Pour the cola into the same skillet on medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until cola is reduced by half. It will have the consistency of syrup.


Stir in the Tabasco sauce, butter and pecans. Keep warm over low heat.


Grill your salmon fillets, starting on the side without skin for 4 minutes.


Carefully turn salmon over and grill for 3-5 minutes, depending on thickness. Fish will be opaque and firm to the touch.


Remove salmon from the grill and serve with the sauce spooned overtop.

(, Of course, one of the reasons why I probably like this so well is because it's made with Coke lol.)

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Riding the Tide - next merman book had been subbed to ARe



Okay, so yay! I submitted Riding the Tide tonight (6/23/16) to All Romance (ARe). This is the second book in that series. The first book was Beneath the Surface. I don't have a series name yet or release date since I just submitted it tonight. Usually it takes ARe about four months to get a book out, so we'll see.

Not sure if there'll be a third book in the series. I'll just have to see, but I'm pretty sure I won't be able to work on it this year. I've got one more story for the Love Wins anthologies to do, an erotic romance I want to do for an ARe Collection, and of course I'm working on Aidric's book—which is titled At Sixes and Sevens. Aidric's book is the main thing I'm focusing on, though.


While I wait to get word, I'll leave this here for ya:











Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Love Wins Anthologies



On June 12, 2016, a gunman killed 49 people and injured 53 others inside Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, United States. He was killed by Orlando police after a three-hour standoff. It was both the deadliest mass shooting by a single gunman and the deadliest incident of violence against LGBT people in U.S. history. Pulse was hosting a Latin Night and most of the victims were of Hispanic descent. The massacre was widely denounced both as an act of terrorism and a hate crime.

As I'm sure many of you know, the outcry over this horrible event has been far-reaching and loud. Many have stepped up to try and help. Dreamspinner is also aiding that effort.

One Pulse and Love Wins Anthologies are to benefit the victims and families of the Orlando shooting. There will be two volumes: Summer 2016 and Holiday 2016. Authors are donating positive stories that show how love triumphs over any obstacles. All proceeds will be donated to LGBTQ organizations in central Florida.

I wanted to make you guys aware of what's coming and to also mention I plan to donate to both anthologies... and to buy both books when they come out. Every little bit helps, y'all.
#PrayforOrlando


Equality Florida, a nonprofit LGBT civil rights organization, has set up a GoFundMe account 
One Pulse T-shirts: http://traxlertees.com/products/one-pulse-support-t-shirt (which I ordered too)

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Winner for the June swag giveaway!



Morningstar Ashley 

!!!!Congrats!!!!
(email sent)


Okay, the June giveaway is over, but if you didn't win this time don't give up! There's going to be another swag giveaway in July, August, and September. 

Also, I have Behind the Eight Ball coming out in audiobook in August too. I can hardly wait for that!

It Takes Two to Tango should release sometimes in September. 

Then in October I have something coming out that's part of the Alpha Collection from ARe. 

A Country Boy at Heart should be out in November. That's the contemporary story I'm really excited about. 

Then finally in December comes my sci-fi In Enemy Hands book.

~I'm hoping I can also get my next merman book out this year (hoping). Then there's the story I'm doing for the anthology Dreamspinner is releasing for the Orlando shooting victims. If I understand the info correctly, the first volume should be out soon. 

~M

Friday, June 17, 2016

Cover Reveal - Cosmic Inception by Alicia Nordwell and a giveaway!


COVER REVEAL



Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Christine Griffin


Pre-order Release Date: 6/17/2016
Official Release Date: 7/18/2016


Genre: MM Science Fiction
Length: 288 Pages/110k
Rating: Adult/Mature



Buy Links:




Blurb:
Their journey will span the universe and back, but there’s no guarantee they’ll make it together.

Though Nick and Fieo are drawn to each other, their relationship has never been easy. Their differences go beyond their races, but they’ve managed to work together to prevent the spread of corruption, growing closer along the way. Nick still battles the effects of years of loneliness, fear, and pain but surprises everyone when he refuses to stay behind when Fieo is sent on a vital mission to find the Collectors. Fieo objects, but there’s no stopping Nick when he sets his mind to something. Over the course of their mission, it becomes clear Nick is more than anyone ever imagined, but the mystery of his past threatens to derail his future.

The search for the truth will take Fieo and Nick far from Caeorleia, to worlds both familiar and completely alien, and put stress on their already tenuous relationship. It’s a journey that will either tear them apart or finally bring them together.




Excerpt:
Chapter One


“Look at you.” The humid warmth of the garden enveloped and welcomed me. I stroked one finger across the fluffy yellow pod of a waist-high flower. The small strands curled in and then opened back into a wider puff, sending out a glowing powder that drifted high into the night sky. I chuckled. If I didn’t know better, I’d say the small flower was ticklish. I rubbed the pollen off against my shorts, glad I hadn’t tried to smell it. “You haven’t told me about these yet, Jirulm.”

The elderly Caeorleian was mumbling as he plucked clusters of hard orange buds off spindly stalks. I’d picked up the habit of talking to the plants from him, and it wasn’t hard to see why. They were so alive.
I had flowers, and fruit, and vegetables. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d get to live on a planet with wild flora. My schooling and job training had focused on creating new strains of food crops that were grown in chemical vats in the midst of a planet covered in metal and concrete.
Not exactly natural. Or very appetizing, if you knew where they got the basic building blocks for the food. No one had ever questioned it—I hadn’t either, until I’d taken the job with the Federal Food Service Corp after I couldn’t find a job anywhere else. Horrified when I learned the truth, I’d spent a few days unable to choke more than few mouthfuls down at a time, and they rarely stayed down. My mistake had been telling a coworker my plans to reveal everything to the public.
Of course when you’re a prisoner and starving, you tend to ignore the fact your food was grown from cells harvested from composted humans, and you ate it anyway. Beggars couldn’t be choosers.
And I’d begged. A lot. At least five years spent on a spaceship as the experiement of scientists had sucked all hope from me. But then the military scientists’ plans had gone wrong. Ryker and Seral had been sent to the planet in a bid for more information. The doctors assumed the Caeorleians would blame Ryker, one of the hated nelho scum they named the human soldiers waging war on their planet. Instead, something completely unexpected happened. Seral joined in besedad with Ryker, bonding them together.
In a daring attack against the human military, using the nanos they filled Ryker with to spy on the Caeorleians, Seral had brought down the scientists’ enormous ship and spread the reengieeerednanos like a plague to the rest of the fleet. Along they way, they also rescued Dade and me, the only other two survivors of the scientists’ experiments.
And once again, I was wide awake in the middle of the night. The memory of the moments right before rescue came, when I was forced to watch as the human scientists cut the alien woman open, and listen as the sadistic doctors planned to cut my belly open to compare organs, disturbed my sleep almost nightly and left me sweating and shuddering in my bed.
I didn’t mind being awake in the early morning hours all that much. Some of the flowers in my garden only bloomed at night. Besides, I didn’t have much to do, so I could nap during the heat of the day. With a planet this tropical, it made sense for Caeorleians to be seminocturnal. Night was the only time I could count on finding Jirulm, the gardener who taught me about the plants in my garden. Ovrumi suggested I would enjoy gardening when he caught me wandering in the corridors, flinching away from the others passing by.
“It’ll be time to prune those soon, Nicklaus,” Jirulm said. The hum of his voice was low, nearly indistinguishable from the light wind rustling through the plants.
“But they’re just barely blooming.” Sure, flowers indoors brightened up the rather plain walls of the Residence, but all the ones in my suite were potted. I didn’t like to snuff out their already brief lives.
“Good thing, too.” He examined the flowers, pulling at one of the fluffy heads. “When agvarali have absorbed enough energy to glow, the heads detach during the final bloom and migrate along the breeze.”
“Oh, I bet that’s beautiful.” I could just imagine the small glowing fluff balls floating along a soft night wind, though I wasn’t sure if I’d get to see it. Fieo, the stubborn ass, refused to believe I’d be going to find the Collectors with his team, so I had no idea when the departure was planned. I’d assumed sooner rather than later, but maybe I’d still get to see the final bloom—some of the heads were already glowing a faint yellow.
Jirulm snorted. “Beautiful… and dangerous.”
I cocked my head sideways. “What do you mean?” Sometimes getting information out of the old alien was like pulling teeth. But when he did speak, he knew basically everything there was to know about plants on Caeorleia.
“They gather energy, like sampanga trees, but so much in such a small sphere means when they touch something—or something touches them, like a careless finger—they explode.”
I snatched my hand back. “Explode?”
His lips twitched at the corners. It was probably the closest I’d come to seeing a smile on his face. “Oh, not enough to kill you, but you could easily lose a finger in the energy jolt that spreads the seeds. Luckily, these blooms are harmless.”
“That doesn’t sound harmless! Why plant these in a garden if they’re so dangerous?” I couldn’t believe they were actually cultivating the damn things.
“They attract insects to pollinate the other plants.” Jirulm tapped one long stem, and one of the creepy flying bugs crawled out of a waving puffball and flew to another vine a few beds over. “See.”
That was one aspect of gardening I could do without. I did not like bugs. I had nightmares of them crawling inside my ears and laying eggs that would hatch into little buggy babies just dying to burrow into my brain. I backed away from the agvarali. “Well, feel free to prune these while I’m gone.”
Thoughts of going into space again on the mission kept crowding into my mind, disturbing the peace I usually found in my garden. I tried pushing them away and succeeded for a while as Jirulm rambled on. After checking the natural spring fountain in the center of the garden that fed the irrigation lines, he left me alone. There was a small carpet of grass around it, the blades a dull gray in the silver light of the moons. Nighttime lent a certain somber feel to the garden, muting the usually vibrant displays; I sighed as I settled on the grass to stare up at the stars twinkling.
There was a lot of beauty in the darkness.





About the Author
Alicia Nordwell is one of those not so rare creatures, a reader turned writer. Striving to find something interesting to read one day, she decided to write what she wanted instead. Then the voices started ... Yep, not only does she talk about herself in the third person for bios, she has voices in her head constantly clamoring to get out.

Fortunately for readers, with the encouragement of her family and friends, she decided for her own sanity to keep writing. Now you can find her stories both free and e-published!She can be found quite often at her blog, where she has a lot of free fiction for readers to enjoy or working hard, or maybe hardly working, as an admin on GayAuthors.org under her online nickname, Cia.

Oh yeah, she's a wife, mom of two, and lives in the dreary, yet ideal for her redhead complexion, Pacific Northwest. Except for when she disappears into one of the many worlds in her head, of course!    


Find her at: 

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Finicky Friday Healthy Slow Cooker Moroccan Spiced Salmon

The swag giveaway is HERE


Hey everyone, I'm a day early this time since I have something scheduled for tomorrow. :) So, I thought it would be cool to post some recipes I had found online. I’m going to *try* to do some of these beforehand, but I’m sure there’ll be times I won't. I'm going to call this Finicky Friday. :)





MOROCCAN SPICED SALMON
Didn't plan ahead? Fish cooks quickly, so it can be ready for lunch or dinner even when you don't get a head start. Salmon is brimming with omega-3 fats, the kind that tamp down inflammation and play a role in joint and muscle pain. Omega-3s also get kudos for helping reduce the risk of heart disease.


This zesty, no-carb dish gets its zip from cumin, coriander, and turmeric: spices with antioxidant properties that protect your cells from everyday damage. No salmon? Halibut and cod fillets work just fine. Marinate the fish the night before or in the morning.


Ingredients
4 cloves minced garlic
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 12-oz salmon fillets
1/2 cup chopped cilantro


Directions
Put the marinade ingredients in a large ziplock bag, then place the fish in the bag, making sure that the marinade coats both sides of the fish. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours.

Add 2 tbsp water to the slow cooker. Cover and cook 2 hours on low. When done, let the fish sit, uncovered, for 5 minutes before serving.

Use a spatula to remove the fish from the slow cooker and transfer to a plate. Gently remove any bones from the fish.

To serve, divide the fish between plates, serve it on top of couscous or rice, and garnish each portion with cilantro.


Adapted with permission from Everyday Gluten-Free Slow Cooking by Kimberly Mayone and Kitty Broihier, M.S., R.D. (Sterling, 2012)


NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size (Makes 4 Servings)
Amount per serving
Calories 412
Total Fat 28 g
Saturated Fat 5 g
Total Carbs 0 g
Protein 38 g
Fiber 0 g
Cholesterol 107 mg
Sodium 540 mg

Sunday, June 12, 2016

#PrayforOrlando and how to help

The swag giveaway is HERE



(CNN)Hundreds of people have answered the call, waiting in line to give blood to help the victims in the Orlando, Florida, terror attack, the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.

So many that OneBlood, the local blood bank, met its needs for Sunday, according to Pat Michaels, a spokesman who spoke to CNN affiliate WFTV.

But the organization will need blood in the coming days, especially for the rarer types -- O negative, O positive and AB plasma, says Michaels.

You can help the victims with monetary donations, as well. Equality Florida, a nonprofit LGBT civil rights organization, has set up a GoFundMe account for the victims and their families. Equality Florida spokesperson Ida Vishkaee Eskamani says all of the money donated will go the relatives. The initial goal was $500,000 which was met in just hours. Now the goal is $1 million. "We've gotten responses from folks all over the world," says Eskamani.

The global nonprofit organization Planting Peace has set up a site for donations on CrowdRise. The money donated will help cover the funeral and medical costs of the victims. The goal is $100,000.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said that relatives of victims who need information can call a special hotline at (407) 246-4357.

Impact Your World will continue to look for ways you can help.




On this very difficult day, so many of us offer heartfelt condolences to today’s victims and their families. Many are working tirelessly to get as much information out to the families so they can begin the grieving process. Please keep the following individuals in your thoughts and prayers. #PrayforOrlando


Stanley Almodovar III, 23 years old
Amanda Alvear, 25 years old
Oscar A Aracena-Montero, 26 years old
Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala, 33 years old
Antonio Davon Brown, 29 years old
Darryl Roman Burt II, 29 years old
Angel L. Candelario-Padro, 28 years old
Juan Chevez-Martinez, 25 years old
Luis Daniel Conde, 39 years old
Cory James Connell, 21 years old
Tevin Eugene Crosby, 25 years old
Deonka Deidra Drayton, 32 years old
Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez, 31 years old
Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25 years old
Mercedez Marisol Flores, 26 years old
Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz, 22 years old
Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22 years old
Paul Terrell Henry, 41 years old
Frank Hernandez, 27 years old
Miguel Angel Honorato, 30 years old
Javier Jorge-Reyes, 40 years old
Jason Benjamin Josaphat, 19 years old
Eddie Jamoldroy Justice, 30 years old
Anthony Luis Laureanodisla, 25 years old
Christopher Andrew Leinonen, 32 years old
Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21 years old
Brenda Lee Marquez McCool, 49 years old
Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez, 25 years old
Kimberly Morris, 37 years old
Akyra Monet Murray, 18 years old
Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, 20 years old
Geraldo A. Ortiz-Jimenez, 25 years old
Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36 years old
Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32 years old
Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35 years old
Enrique L. Rios, Jr., 25 years old
Jean C. Nives Rodriguez, 27 years old
Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado, 35 years old
Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz, 24 years old
Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan, 24 years old
Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34 years old
Shane Evan Tomlinson, 33 years old
Martin Benitez Torres, 33 years old
Jonathan Antonio Camuy Vega, 24 years old
Juan P. Rivera Velazquez, 37 years old
Luis S. Vielma, 22 years old
Franky Jimmy Dejesus Velazquez, 50 years old
Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37 years old
Jerald Arthur Wright, 31 years old

Friday, June 10, 2016

Finicky Friday - Healthy tuna casserole


Looking for the giveaway: Go HERE



Hey everyone, I thought it would be cool to post some recipes I had found online. I’m going to *try* to do some of these beforehand, but I’m sure there’ll be times I won't. I'm going to call this Finicky Friday. :)



Tuna Casserole



Ingredients
5 slices whole-wheat bread, crusts included
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 large stalk celery, finely diced (about 1/2 cup)
1 (10-ounce) box white mushroom, stemmed and chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups 1 percent milk
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 pound whole-wheat fettuccine noodles, broken into thirds and cooked according to package directions
1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1 (10-ounce) box frozen peas, thawed
4 (6-ounce) cans chunk light tuna in water, drained


Total Time:
1 hr
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 40 min
Yield: 6 servings

Nutritional Analysis:
Per Serving
Calories 476
Total Fat 6.5 g
you and you will you



Directions
This is a surprisingly lowfat version of the classic tuna casserole you grew up with. You make your own creamy mixture, which replaces the high-fat condensed soup in the original version. Fresh bread crumbs toast right on top of the casserole!

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.


Place bread in food processor and pulse for 30 seconds into bread crumbs (makes about 2 1/2 to 3 cups crumbs).

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until onions are soft and translucent, 8 minutes.

Add celery and cook, stirring, until just tender, 6 minutes.

Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until mushrooms release their water, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add flour all at once and stir immediately and vigorously with a wooden spoon until flour is completely incorporated into vegetable mixture until there are no flour lumps.

Add milk and broth, stir to combine and bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to a vigorous simmer and cook, stirring, until liquid has thickened and reduced by about 1/2 cup, 7 to 8 minutes.

Add salt and pepper and stir to combine.

Combine cooked pasta, vegetable-liquid mixture, broccoli, peas, and tuna and toss to incorporate. Pour into a 9 by 13-inch casserole. Top with bread crumbs.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until crumbs are golden brown and toasted.



~I'm not a big fan of tuna, but the hubby like it.