—Natasha
“Sophie! It’s the worst . . . the worst possible nightmare!”
I tightened the sash on my bathrobe and ran outside to see what was upsetting Nina. Wrapped in her silk bathrobe, she stood on Francie’s lawn. Francie, dressed in an enormous down bathrobe that doubled her girth, held the leash of a golden retriever. They faced the end of the block. A large truck bearing the arched logo of Alexandria Fine Antiques blocked the road in front of the Wesleys’ house. The front door stood open and men carried furniture up the stairs. Natasha supervised the process.
“I can’t believe it. With all the houses in this town, she had to move into that one,” said Nina.
“She better not start trying to tell us what to do,” growled Francie. “I’m not putting one of her tacky wreaths on my door. And I’m not planting topiary in urns, either.”
I grinned at Francie. “Is that Duke?”
“Yeah, I adopted him. What with all the Peeping Toms and murders, a single woman needs a dog.”
“Francie,” I teased, “you were the Peeping Tom.”
She looked annoyed. “Not all the time.”
“Sophie!” Mom called to me from the sidewalk. Dad wedged around her and carried suitcases to their car.
I trotted over to her.
“We’re ready to go, sweetie. But I have wonderful news. Hannah and Craig had such fun that they’ve decided to be married here. We’ll check out places for the wedding when we come back for Christmas in a few weeks.”
“I thought we were going to your house for Christmas.”
“That’s all changed now. Oh, and June has promised to stay with us, too. It’ll be a big reunion.”
Oh, swell.
I walked Mom to the car and hugged my parents and Hannah. As much as I loved them, it would be good to get back to normal, even for a few weeks. I skipped the hug for Craig, though, stepped back, and waved to them.
As they drove away, Mom stuck her head and arm out of the window and shouted to me, “And I want to see the invitations and menu this time. Natasha’s serving goose!”
RECIPES & COOKING TIPS
First Murder Bourbon Pecan Pie
3 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon instant coffee (Sophie uses Sanka.)
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons bourbon (Airline-size bottle holds
about 4 tablespoons.)
2 eggs
½ cup dark brown sugar
¾ cup dark corn syrup
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups roughly chopped pecans
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Microwave the butter in a cup for about 30 seconds and set aside to cool. In another cup, stir together the instant coffee, cocoa powder, and bourbon until the coffee crystals and cocoa powder are dissolved.
In a mixer, beat the 2 eggs. Add the brown sugar and the cooled butter and beat. Add the corn syrup, the salt, and the vanilla. Beat to combine all the ingredients. Mix in the pecans. Pour into the pie shell and bake 55 to 60 minutes.
SERVE WITH WHIPPED CREAM:
Pour 1 pint whipping cream into mixer and beat until it begins to take shape. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons powdered sugar and ½ teaspoon vanilla. Beat until soft peaks form. Don’t overbeat!
SOPHIE’S HINT:
If your piecrust doesn’t have a beautiful crust around the edge, pipe part of the whipped cream on the edge to cover it!
Brining Basics
Brine your turkey in a large roasting pot, clean bucket, or food-safe plastic container large enough for the bird to be covered with water.
About 32 hours before cooking the turkey, remove the giblets and place the bird in the container. Cover with salted water made of ¾ cup of kosher salt per gallon. Add ¼ cup sugar to the brine.
Place the container in the refrigerator for 8 hours. (The turkey must be kept refrigerated during the brining process.)
Remove the turkey and discard the water. Rinse the turkey and place on a roasting rack uncovered in your refrigerator for about 24 hours before cooking.
NOTE:
Do not brine a kosher turkey or one that has been injected with any solution or is labeled self-basting.
Crusty Country Bread, Bacon, and Herb Stuffing
1 pound crusty country-style bread
1 pound bacon (Sophie prefers bacon without
added preservatives.)
½ stick of butter (4 tablespoons)
3 chopped onions
3 stalks of celery, chopped
1 apple, peeled and chopped
1½ tablespoons dried sage
1 tablespoon dried thyme
½ tablespoon dried rosemary
2 cups chicken broth
salt
pepper
Slice the bread and toast in the oven at 325 degrees until dry. Chop into 1-inch chunks. Cook the bacon in a large pan until crisp. Remove the bacon and pour out all but a couple of tablespoons of bacon fat. Add the ½ stick of butter to the pan along with the onions, celery, apple, and herbs. Cook until soft. Remove from heat and mix with bread chunks, crumbled bacon, and chicken broth. Salt and pepper to taste.
At this point, the stuffing can be spooned into a baking dish and stored, covered, for up to 24 hours. Be sure you use a refrigerator-to-oven-safe baking dish.
Bake for one hour at 325 degrees and serve.
Chesapeake Cornbread Stuffing