Lakeside Cottage (32 page)

“Yes,” she said, “yes, yes, yes.” She pressed forward into his arms and the boat rocked but stayed upright, stirring the moonlight on the water into a pool of brightness.

Courtesy of www.AmericanFireFighter.com.

Serve this with crackers—preferably on a Saturday, since that’s apparatus cleaning day and the cook can help clean.

½
lb Maryland crabmeat, picked clean

1 8-oz package cream cheese

½
cup sour cream

2 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

½
tsp dry mustard

1 tbsp milk

¼
cup grated cheddar cheese

pinch garlic salt

a sprinkle of paprika, for garnish

Mix cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and garlic salt. Add enough milk to make a creamy consistency, then stir in half the grated cheese and all the crabmeat. Pour into greased 1-quart casserole. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes at 325° F until mixture is bubbly and browned on top.

Courtesy of Carole Eppler of Porch Swing Bed & Breakfast, Cheyenne, Wyoming.

This recipe won first place in the State of Wyoming Bed & Breakfast Recipe Contest. The award was presented by Wyoming’s First Lady, Sheri Geringer.

2 tbsp butter

4 eggs

½
cup orange juice

½
cup cream

1 8-oz can crushed pineapple

¼
cup sugar

1 tbsp grated orange zest

½
tsp vanilla

¼
tsp nutmeg

1 loaf French bread, cut into 1-inch slices

½
cup chopped pecans

Topping:

¼
cup butter, softened

½
cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 tbsp light corn syrup

½
cup chopped pecans

The night before, melt butter in a 9 x 13–inch pan and place bread in pan. Combine all ingredients and pour over bread. Combine topping ingredients, except for nuts. Spread topping over bread and sprinkle with nuts. Cover and refrigerate. The next morning, preheat oven to 350° F and bake 40 minutes or until golden. Serves 6.

This seems like a lot of work, especially if you have to catch and clean the fish. Turn it into pure fun by getting a child to help.

small lake or rainbow trout

(larger brookies work, too)

corn on the cob

onion

tomato

lemon

butter

herbs

salt and pepper to taste

Husk corn carefully, keeping the husks intact while removing the silk. Sauté the onion in butter. Add the chopped tomatoes. Toss in herbs and seasonings. Stuff the fish with this mixture and layer slices of lemon on the sides. Wrap individual fish in the corn husks, using twine or kitchen string to fasten the husks around the fish. Lay the bundles on the grill or the coals and cook about 10 minutes per side, until the fish flakes with a fork. Brush the corn with seasoned butter and grill alongside the fish.

Courtesy of C’est Si Bon restaurant, Port Angeles, Washington (
www.cestsibon-frenchcuisine.com
).

2 large artichokes

1/3 lb goat cheese

½
tsp Worcestershire sauce

salt, pepper, green peppercorn to taste

parsley, chives to taste

1 15
½
oz can whole tomatoes

1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 mint leaf

Boil the artichokes and remove and save the leaves. Cut off the fuzzy part of the artichoke heart. Cut the artichoke heart into six wedges. In a food processor, add goat cheese, pinch of cayenne pepper, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and green peppercorn. Grind up mixture, then place it in the middle of a salad plate. Surround the cheese with artichoke pieces, place chopped parsley and chives on top of the cheese. In a blender, mix tomato with mint, pepper, salt, vinegar, then strain, dribble it over the cheese and artichoke bottoms. Use the rest to dip the artichoke leaves.

Designed to keep restless children busy.

1 tbsp sugar or equivalent sugar substitute

½ cup half & half or cream

¼ tsp vanilla

6 tbsp rock salt

1 pint-size Ziploc plastic bag

1 gallon-size Ziploc plastic bag

ice cubes

1. Fill the gallon size plastic bag half-f of ice and add rock salt.
   
2. Put cream, vanilla and sugar into the small bag and seal it completely.
   
3. Place the small bag inside the large one and seal it, too.
   
4. Shake until mixture has turned into ice cream, about 6–8 minutes.
   
5. Rinse off the small bag, then open carefully and enjoy.
   

Optional: Add fresh fruit or nuts.

This is the perfect remedy for burnt marshmallows. Toast a marshmallow, slip off the skin and roll the gooey marshmallow in miniature M&Ms. Sandwich between graham crackers and eat.

Thank you for spending time at the lake with Kate, JD and the kids. Lake Crescent in the Olympic Peninsula is truly one of the most magical places in the world. I hope your own summers are filled with as much love and personal discovery as Kate’s was.

Researching Callie’s story line was an eye-opener for me. According to the Centers for Disease Control, over the past five years there has been a tenfold increase in type-2 diabetes among children. This is due in large part to a sugar-rich diet (think about how many soft drinks some kids consume each day) and a sedentary lifestyle (all those hours online, playing video games or watching TV). Teenagers also tend to disregard the long-range consequences of their behavior, and they’re notorious for putting off lifestyle changes for another day. A life-threatening disease like diabetes directly contradicts a teen’s illusion that she’s invincible. The good news is, diet and exercise will dramatically improve a young person’s prognosis. Simply participating in a sport or even taking a daily walk or bike ride can change a patient’s
life. She can achieve glycemic control through exercise and healthy eating.

For more information, I recommend the website www.diabetes.org and the book
In Control: A Guide for Teens with Diabetes
by Jean Betschart-Roemer and Susan Thom.

Heartfelt thanks to my first readers, the Port Orchard Brain Trust: Rose Marie, Lois, Susan P., Krysteen, P.J., Anjali, Kate and Sheila. I’m grateful to Lori Cross, the best reader and proofreader in the world. I am indebted to paramedic and writer Andy Gienapp, and to the Office of Public Affairs of Walter Reed Army Medical Center—per your request, I’ve fictionalized significant details about the hospital layout and security routine so no one gets in trouble.

I’m grateful to Annelise Robey of the Jane Rotrosen Agency for her input. And to my agent, Meg Ruley—thanks for being a true believer.