Murder Most Howl: A Paws & Claws Mystery (36 page)

whipped cream

Mix the chocolate with the water, then stir in the milk. Heat until the milk just starts to simmer. Or microwave until hot. Whisk in the remaining ingredients until smooth. Top with whipped cream.

Gingerbread Cupcakes

For people, though dogs may have a bite of unfrosted cupcake. Makes 12 to 14 regular size cupcakes.

1⅓ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¾ cup packed brown sugar

½ cup butter, softened

2 eggs, room temperature

½ cup warm water

½ cup molasses

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Prepare a cupcake pan with cupcake liners. In a bowl, mix together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, and nutmeg. Set aside. Cream the sugar with the butter about 2 minutes, then beat in the eggs. Mix the water with the molasses and add in thirds, alternating with the flour mixture. Beat well. Fill cupcake liners one-half full. Bake 16 to 20 minutes. Cool on a rack. Dust with powdered sugar or frost with your favorite frosting.

Maple Syrup Bacon Slices

For people, but dogs may have a
small
taste.

bacon

maple syrup

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Drape the bacon slices on a rack set in a pan. Cook 15 to 20 minutes. Brush with maple syrup and cook another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove to a plate covered with a paper towel to catch the drips.

Mac and Tease

For dogs. Makes 2 Gingersnap-size servings or several Trixie-size servings.

2 cups cooked elbow macaroni

1 cup cooked cauliflower (steamed or roasted)

½ pound cooked ground beef

¼ cup shredded white goat gouda cheese

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Chop the cauliflower and mix with the macaroni in an 8-by-8-inch baking pan. Crumble in the beef and mix. Sprinkle the cheese over top. Bake 4 to 5 minutes, until the cheese has melted on top. Let stand for 5 minutes or until cool enough to eat. Spoon into bowls.

Sugar Maple Inn Chicken Stew for Dogs

For dogs, do
not
add onions or garlic! People can eat this dish, too, but will likely find it bland. Please note:
Never
use commercial chicken broth for dog recipes because it contains onions. This recipe makes a large amount. Freeze the remainder without the barley, then thaw and warm to serve.

1 whole chicken

1 large turnip (optional)

6 carrots, peeled

4 stalks celery

1 teaspoon thyme

1 bay leaf

7 cups water

6 potatoes, peeled and quartered

1 8-ounce package frozen yellow corn

1 package frozen baby lima beans

cooked barley or rice

In a large stockpot, combine the chicken, turnip, carrots, celery, thyme, and bay leaf with enough water to cover everything. Put the lid on the pot, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1½ to 2 hours.

Remove the chicken, bay leaf, carrots, turnip, and celery.

Take out the fat using one of these methods.
Do not skip this step
—too much fat can make your dog sick:

• Refrigerate the broth overnight and skim the fat off the top;
  
• Skim off the top with a spoon or fine mesh skimmer;
  
• Pour through a fat-separating pitcher.
  

Add the carrots, turnip, and celery back to the pot. Bring to a simmer again and add the potatoes. When they have cooked, remove 1 cup of the potatoes, mash them with a fork, and put them back in the soup to thicken it.

Meanwhile, take the meat off the chicken and dice.

Add the corn and lima beans. When they are warm, add the meat and serve over cooked barley or rice. (Do not add salt or pepper to the stew for dogs.)

Sugar Maple Inn Rodeo Roundup

For dogs. Makes 2 to 3 Gingersnap-size portions or 5 to 6 Trixie-size portions.

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound very lean ground beef

½ 8-ounce package frozen corn

3 cups cooked brown rice

½ 15-ounce can kidney beans

Heat the olive oil and cook the ground beef as you would hamburgers. Meanwhile, cook the corn according to the package. When slightly pink inside, remove the ground beef from the pan and set aside. Add a splash of water to the pan and deglaze, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom. Add the rice to the pan and stir to coat with the flavor of the beef. Add the beans and corn, and crumble the beef into the pan. (If your dog likes to pick out the meat, crumble very fine.) Mix and serve mildly warm but not hot.

Keep reading for a special preview of Krista Davis’s next Domestic Diva Mystery . . .

The Diva Serves High Tea

Coming June 2016 from Berkley Prime Crime!

Dear Natasha,

My new boyfriend’s mother loves to garden. She keeps offering me cups of home-grown comfrey tea but I’m a little nervous about drinking tea made from some weed. Do you think her herbal teas are safe to drink?

Uneasy in Tea Kettle Junction, Maine

Dear Uneasy,

Many herbal teas, like chamomile, have been safely consumed for centuries. However, comfrey tea is not one of them. It sounds like she wants you to find a new boyfriend.

Natasha

At three in the morning the world is simultaneously peaceful and a little bit spooky. No cars rumbled by on my street. No warm yellow glow shone in the windows of my neighbors’ homes. Of course, it didn’t help that Natasha had woken me from a deep sleep by texting the word
Intruder!

Who sends a message like that? I had phoned her to ask if she had called 911, but she didn’t answer. She didn’t respond to my return text either.

My ex-husband, Mars, who now happened to be Natasha’s significant other, was out of town at a political event. I had known Natasha since we were kids in tiny Berryville, Virginia, and competed at everything except the beauty pageants she loved so much. Familiar with her predilection for drama, I hadn’t hurried. I slid my feet into sandals and threw on a fluffy long white bathrobe, attached a leash to my hound mix, Daisy, and crossed the street at a leisurely pace in the warm full night.

Nevertheless, I shrieked when a cat streaked out of the shadows and across the sidewalk right in front of us. Daisy barked once at the inconsiderate cat.

Natasha’s front door was locked. I rapped on it, and called, “Natasha!” I banged the knocker, which sounded unbelievably loud in the night. No response at all. I was beginning to get worried. Why wasn’t she answering the door? I tried the handle again but the door was definitely locked.