Summer Living

Also known as barbecue season at my house. Here in the Pacific Northwest we tend to barbecue year round, but during the summer it's virtually every day. I love it because cooking outdoors means less mess in the kitchen and the food, while delicious, tends to be fresher and simpler.

Summer is also salad season, so I thought I would share this delicious potato salad recipe with you.

Lee’s Favourite Potato Salad

1-1/2 pounds red-skinned baby potatoes
1 sweet yellow pepper
2 or 3 green onions, sliced
1/4 pound sugar snap peas
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried dill (or 3 tablespoons fresh, chopped)
salt & pepper to taste

Cut the potatoes in half, cook till tender, drain and set aside to cool. Cook the peas in boiling water for 1 minute till they turn bright green, chill under cold running water and drain. Core and chop the yellow pepper into bite-sized pieces. Put the chilled potatoes, peas, pepper and onion in a serving bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard and salt & pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss and enjoy. Serves four.

I love this salad because it's colorful, quick to make, and stores better than a salad with a mayonnaise dressing.

For those who enjoy collecting recipes, feel free to drop by my website and request a set of Ready Set Sold recipes cards. They're not just free, but I pay the postage! The newest recipe is for Lee's Luscious Lemonade, which just happens to be the same lemonade Maggie makes in Maggie's Way, my latest Harlequin Heartwarming.

While you're at my website, feel free to sign up for my newsletter, Life in the Slow Lane. One of the perks of being a subscriber is being eligible to enter my monthly contests.

Happy reading! Happy summer!

Until next time,
Lee
Daddy, Unexpectedly (Harlequin American Romance, May 2013)
Maggie's Way (Harlequin Heartwarming, May 2013)
www.LeeMcKenzie.com/

Picnic Time!

My best friend is flying into town this weekend for a “girls weekend”. I haven’t seen Kelli in a few years and I’m looking forward to cutting loose and taking some road trips.

Our friendship began twelve years ago, when I was the new girl at the company we both worked for.  Kelli’s department was down the hall from mine and one day she sent me an email with a list of “getting to know you questions”, ranging from do you have tattoos?  to what kind of music do you like? It was the beginning of a lifelong friendship and I often refer to Kelli as my unbiological sister.

Harlequin® American Romance® is about family, friends and community and in my debut release, BETTING ON TEXAS, there is a 4th of July picnic scene where the entire town gathers to meet Double Trouble’s new owner, Miranda Archer.  She’s the new kid on the block, completely out of her element, not unlike I was during my first year as a newbie author. The annual picnic is a place where people can relax and spend time with their friends and neighbors.

My readers are part of my extended family and I love learning about the people reading what I poured my heart and soul into.  To me, the reader/author relationship is very similar to a community picnic…we’re all gathered together and I’m sitting in the middle telling the stories.

Spring's here and it's pretty warm down here in the south. Join me for a month long, community picnic so we can get to know each other better.   Who’s up for the Question Game?

Choose one…choose them all…ask anything back!

• What’s something most people don’t know about you?
• What is the scariest movie you ever saw?
• If you were marooned on an island with a single person, who would you want it to be?
• Do you have any hidden talents?
• What’s the #1 most played song on your iPod?
• What is your favorite body part?
• What sound do you love the most?
• If you could throw any kind of party, what would it be like and what would it be for?
• If you could choose to stay a certain age forever, what age would it be?
• If you could witness any event past, present or future, what would it be?
• If you could be any fictional character, who would you choose?
• When you have 30 minutes of free-time, how do you pass the time?
• What was the last movie, TV show or book that made you cry or get weepy?
• What was one of the best parties you’ve ever been to?
• What do you miss most about being a kid?

Don’t forget to pick up a copy of BETTING ON TEXAS so you can see how Miranda made out at her first community picnic.

Amanda Renee
Betting on Texas (March 2013)
Home to the Cowboy (August 2013)
Legacy of a Lone Star (Early 2014)


www.amandarenee.com
www.twitter.com/TheAmandaRenee
www.facebook.com/AmandaReneeFanPage

A Summer Picnic Recipe

Summer's here, and with Canada Day (July 1)...

...and Fourth of July celebrations...

...just around the corner, I thought I'd share one of my favorite picnic recipes for a fresh new twist on a timeless classic ~ potato salad.

Lee's Favorite Potato Salad

1-1/2 pounds red-skinned new potatoes

1 sweet yellow pepper
2 or 3 green onions, sliced
1/4 pound sugar snap peas
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried dill (or 3 tablespoons fresh, chopped)
salt & pepper to taste

Cut the potatoes in half, cook till tender, drain and set aside to cool. Cook the peas in boiling water for 1 minute till they turn bright green, chill under cold running water and drain. Core and chop the yellow pepper into bite-sized pieces. Put the vegetables into a serving bowl and sprinkle with dill. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard and salt & pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss and enjoy!

Until next time,
Lee
www.LeeMcKenzie.com
The Daddy Project (Dec. 2012)