New Years Eve 2015

As 2015 comes to a close I wanted to take the time to thank you all for joining me this past year for tea, mystery reviews, crafts, Etsy recommendations and more. Everyone of you who has taken time to write me, comment or just visit has made me feel incredibly thankful and inspired. I hope that you and your families enjoy a safe and happy New Years Eve and I look forward to spending more time, reading, writing and reviewing in 2016.
Thank you for joining me for A Cup of Tea and A Cozy Mystery! See you in 2016!

Read Along With Me 2016- Here are the cozies I have pre-ordered so far!

Well the mail man came and went yesterday with no books for me and as I am getting impatient for something to read I thought it would be a good time look at my pre orders and get even more excited/impatient. But I am trying to be on the cutting edge of my own happiness so I thought I would share...

I am so looking forward to Off the Books! 33 more days to go and I anxiously await it's delivery! I ordered it and all my pre orders from The Book Depository because I never have to pay shipping, it is free on every order and as a Canadian it is a great deal.

Out in just a few days and on it's way to me is Fran Sterwart's A Wee Dose of Death. I am really looking forward another Scotshop Mystery!

I love the Teapot Collector Mystery series by Amanda Cooper (and I am very excited because something I wrote is included in the back of the book!) The Grim Steeper is out in only 88 more days until it's release! 

Breach of Crust, Ellery Adams Charmed Pie Shoppe Mystery is out in 96 more days! Love the title down you?

I am so looking forward to both  Gone With The Witch, one of my favorite Heather Blake series which is out in 153 more days!  I simply adore this series! As well as...

the highly anticipated The Diva Serves High Tea! I can not wait! I am so excited for this one also out in 153 more days!

with 187 more days to go is Read-To Death the third book in the Read em' and Eat Mystery Series, and I have a recipe in this one too! I am really excited to be a part of this series as well and am so thankful to Terrie for including one of my recipes in this book as well!

Currently my longest wait for a pre order is Murder in the Secret Garden by Ellery Adams, not due out for 215 More days! 
I hope you will join me for these wonderful cozy reads and pre ordering these titles before they are released helps the authors so much! Bonus for us is that we get books in the mail regularly that we are so looking forward to reading and I know they are going to look great on my table!  Thank you for joining me for A cup of tea and a look a head at some wonderful cozy mysteries! I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Sorry I am late with tea, I have been up the mountain....

A cup of tea on top of the mountain this morning kept me from my post earlier today. Our family along with my niece and sister in law went up to Grouse Mountain near our home for the day. It was so much fun to play in the snow and have that White Christmas Feel. It was crisp and clear today.

This is the only way up there, our gondola ride takes about 4 mins to get to the top of the mountain.

With the view from the top of the ride.

We took a sleigh ride up there and the kids skated on the frozen open air rink and then they did sled rides down a hill. We had a great lunch and then headed back home where my slippers are on and the tea is ready time to get back to reading. 

Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery.

As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave us a comment here or email us at karenmowen@gmail.com

The Season Of Eating Must Come To An End And The Return Of The Postman Is Very Important!

This season of eating must come to an end, that and the return of the postman so I can have something tangible and in paper to read. It is not that I do not love baking, cooking and eating but it is 9 am and I have been up for about 20 mins now and I am ready to attack a box of chocolates now that my toast is done. I am terrified of the scale in my room and the pants that have just come out of the dryer...but alas I have made some wonderful things this season. I was reading about Fran Stewart's new Scotshop Mystery A Wee Dose of Death out in January on Lisa K's Book Reviews on the very day I was making these Scotch Eggs! I quickly ordered it from The Book Depository and anxiously now await it's arrival with the post man!

My husband sent me an email from our local meat shop with the recipe and it had been years since I had one so we agreed I would make them for Christmas Eve Appetizers. Here is the recipe:

•  Prep: 10 Mins
•  Cook: 40 Minutes
•  Portions: 6

INGREDIENTS YOU'LL NEED

• 6 Free Range Eggs in their shells
• 1 Free Range Eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 lb. ground pork sausage meat
• 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp. Mustard
• 2 tsp. Cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp. Ground mace
• 2 sage leaves, finely chopped
• 2 thyme sprigs, finely chopped
• Canola oil, for frying
• 1/4 cup Milk
• 1/4 Cup flour
• 2 cups bread crumbs
• Salt and pepper
• 
  

DIRECTIONS

1. Place 6 eggs in a saucepan and cover with 1" of cold water
2. Place over high heat and bring to a boil, boil for 10 minutes; cover, remove from heat, and let sit for 6 minutes
3. Drain eggs from water and transfer to an ice bath, allowing to cool for 5 minutes
4. Drain eggs from ice bath, peel, and discard shells
5. Combine sausage meat, Worcestershire, mustard, cornstarch, mace, sage, and thyme in a bowl
6. Season with salt and pepper and mix until evenly combined
7. Divide mixture into 6 equal portions and form each portion around each cooked egg to cover completely
8. Place on a plate and refrigerate for 30 minutes
9. Pour oil into a dutch over and heat over medium-high heat
10. Heat until a deep fry thermometer reads 350 degrees
11. Combine beaten egg with milk in a bowl
12. Place flour and bread crumbs in a separate bowl
13. Working in batches, coat each meat-covered egg in flour, shaking of excess, and then dip in milk mixture to coat
14. Dredge in bread crumbs, and then fry until golden brown and meat is cooked through, about 7 minutes
15. Transfer to paper towels to drain briefly, and let cool for 10 minutes before serving

I serve mine with HP Sauce (A1 would work for my American Friends) 

Click here for the link to the original recipe I have copied and pasted above from Meridian Meat Shops, The only place we buy our meats!  The photos are mine but the recipe is theirs!
To order your own copy of A Wee Dose of Death please click here
Thank you for joining me for A Cup of tea and A Cozy Recipe today! Let me know if you give these a try!

The Witching Hour By Julie Sarff - A Review

I finished The Witching Hour by Julie Sarff a few days before Christmas and in the hustle and the bustle of the holidays I am only now sitting own to write about it. I picked it up on Amazon.ca for $1.38 but for you wonderful American readers it is  a free cozy and it was pretty darn good!
I enjoyed the idea that a coven of multi aged witches gets transported to modern day France and poses as a group of Nuns, some having everyday jobs while others having more traditional roles. There were two great mysteries in this story, themes I had not seen explored in other series and a paranormal touch of fun. I would say this is worth a read and not sure if there would be more in the series but I would entertain reading them. This story is not your traditional cozy or paranormal cozy but it has elements of a cozy and worth a read. To order your own copy please click here.

Now that Christmas has passed I am off for some self care with my sister and sister in law this morning, I hope you have an enjoyable day and thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Boxing Day 2015

It is Boxing Day here in Canada, a holiday with lots of history and yet I use it to simply box up the holiday decor, though I think the Snowbabies need to stick around a while longer. I love the second set of Snowbabies my husband gave me this year. He could not decide he said between the Faceoff Hockey one he gave me on Christmas Eve or the Tea for Two Me and You one he gave me yesterday so I got both. I simply love these little precious tea companion figures.

Christmas day I was given some lovely things, I love Doctor Who, and the tenth doctor, David Tennant is my favorite Doctor, my son and husband each got me a Pop figure which really makes me smile. These crazy plastic creatures are delightful.

I also got the Tardis mug, I have wanted this one for a while, it matches my Tardis Teapot, cookie jar and...

My new slippers which I don't ever want to take off, they are so very comfortable.  Today's plan is to take down the tree, put the living room mostly back to normal and find shelf space for my new lovelies. I feel very blessed to have such wonderful family and friends and that the Christmas season is coming to a close. It seems to get crazier every year and as the season of eating comes to a close I think I shall go make some simple toast before I attack the left overs. May you enjoy your day! Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Christmas Day 2015

It is Christmas day and my boys are playing a video game while they await the present opening. My husband gave me this Snowbabies figure last night called Faceoff. I love it. For those of you who do not know I became a Hockey Mom a few years ago and it is a job I treasure.

My husband has bought me these little beauties since before we were dating, I have quite a collection now and this one is very special to me.

Above is a video interview I did last year and why this is such an amazing gift, not just the figure but the gift of being a Hockey Mom. I hope you will watch it and enjoy hearing about my journey. Back to cozy mysteries and tea tomorrow. Merry Christmas from my family to yours.
Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery.I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Christmas Eve 2015

Well it is Christmas Eve 2015 and I have opened the last box of my chocolate advent which had two in it this morning so lucky me, I did not this year race a head and finish them before the 24th so that is a good sign. I love the lead up to Christmas best. I do have trouble with the actual day, as I have gotten older and lost my mother and others the day seems far to long and reflective at times.

Here is a Throw Back Thursday Christmas photo of me from my first Christmas

One of me from the first Christmas gifts I actually remember, I think it had a lasting effect don't you?

There have been so many wonderful people in my life who have been supportive of my writing and my reading and my consumption of tea. I want to thank each of you for joining me here and for sharing in my writing journey.

 To those of you who celebrate Christmas may I wish you a very Happy Christmas Eve and a very Merry Christmas Day! Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery today. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com 

24 Authors One Very Cool Idea, Chasing The Codex

I saw a quick video on Facebook about Copy Cat Press' Chasing The Codex and was very intrigued by the idea that 24 Mystery writers each get one chapter to tell their part of one story. This is the 100'th publication from Cozy Cat Press and an idea I think is irresistible.

In the story, Bryndis Palmer, owner of The Neglected Word bookstore, invites her fourteen-year-old niece Frida to visit her so that the precocious, Jane Austen-loving young girl can accompany Bryn to the “Midwest Booklovers’ Convention” being held in nearby Saint Louis. Never mind that Bryn has just broken up with her on-again, off-again boyfriend Holt Furst, or that said boyfriend has suddenly disappeared from his apartment above her shop––possibly in a violent kidnapping. Bryndis dutifully heads to the airport to pick up Frida, only to discover that Frida has also disappeared––reportedly swooped up by a chauffeur and whisked away in a limousine. Who would kidnap her niece? Where could they have taken her? Where could Holt be? Bryn is an amateur sleuth from her childhood days of reading Nancy Drew mysteries, and she barges ahead with her own investigation, certain that the local police and the airport authorities will bungle the job, and fearing the wrath of her sister Lia if anything happens to Frida. Of course, Bryn doesn’t know that the disappearances of Holt and Frida are actually connected, and as she begins her search, a mystifying tale starts to unravel––introducing her to a host of strange characters, all more unusual than those in the murder mysteries she’s accustomed to reading. Along the way, she discovers that she herself is somehow at the center of it all, and swirling around her are other strange curiosities––a missing Bible, a famous frontier hero, and a hidden secret code. Will she find Frida? And Holt? How does it all connect? And how is Bryn involved? Readers will find all the answers in Chasing the Codex.

I am so thrilled to have read that Cozy Cat Press is doing something wonderful with the proceeds from this book."As an extra special offering, Cozy Cat Press will donate half of all pre-Christmas profits from the group-mystery to “Pets For The Elderly,” a national charitable organization which pays for the spaying and neutering of cats and dogs given to elderly citizens as pets. As publisher Rockwell says, “Our mascot is Cozette, a little cat that sits atop a pile of books, and many of our readers are senior citizens, so we believe strongly in the work of ‘Pets For the Elderly’ and are so happy we can contribute to their work in this small way.”

 I love that by me purchasing this book I am helping to spread joy and comfort to others, the love of a pet and companionship is truly important and such a gift! 

 As a pet lover I think this is such a wonderful idea and such a needed service.I am thrilled that Cozy Cat Press would take this opportunity to help such a worthy cause. To order your own copy of Chasing the Codex before Christmas to help bring comfort and joy to others with your purchase please click here. 

Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea, a really great cause and cozy mystery. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Mail Time Musings And A Cycle Path Mystery Series I Am Excited About!

I was so thrilled to get mail yesterday, actually the act of getting mail is truly something I look forward too and in this busy time of year I am amazed at the energy and kindness of so many wonderful friends. Author Duffy Brown put out an offer to join her 2015 Cookie Exchange which I was thrilled to participate in.  So how does a cookie exchange work between friends who live thousands of miles a part ? You may be wondering....we all sent Duffy recipes which she compiled into a very thick Cookie Exchange Book! Then she mailed it to us! Such a treat to get so many wonderful time tested recipes to share with my own family and local friends. I think this is such a great idea.

 Duffy kindly also included the postcard and flyer for her Cycle Path Mystery Series which I had not heard of and am now excited to read! Geared for the Grave is out now

With Braking For Bodies coming out this Spring! (Only 105 more days to go!)
The third book in the series Tandem Demise is scheduled for 2017! Don't you just love the titles?
I am off to have a quick and quiet breakfast before the boys wake and order these two books!
Thank you for joining me for A cup of tea and cozy mystery.
I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Winter Solstice / Yule Blessings From My Table To Yours, Have You Ever Wondered What is Yule ?

The Winter Solstice is upon us. This morning I put my yule log on the table and am welcoming back the light. The Christmas holiday season is filled with so many different traditions and holidays and the Winter Solstice is not only the shortest day of the year but it is also the first day of the 12 days of Christmas.

Pinterest has some really interesting images, poems, photos and quotes to help learn about just about every holiday and I have enjoyed researching Yule for my own story I am writing and thought I would share some of the images with you like the one shown above.

For those of you like me who enjoy a good Witchy Cozy Mystery, the image shown above reminds me of the characters from Heather Blake's Wishcraft Series/Magic Potions Series adopting these traditions. 

This one reminded me of Ellery Adams Charmed Pie Shoppe Mystery series and main character Ella Mae LeFaye. This is another of my favorite series and if you are looking for a great series about a fantastic and magical family I do highly recommend them.

From my table to yours Miss Mia and I wish you a very Blessed Yule, love, light and the magic of the season. Thank you for joining me for A Cup of tea and a cozy mystery.

To learn more about Heather Blake's Series Click here

For Ellery Adam's Series Click here 

I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com 

Last Minute Homemade Tea Lovers Treats!

I recently subscribed to a tea website called Thirsty For Tea.Com and they posted the most adorable holiday tea idea that I have ever seen! I think I may try to do these for next holiday cookie exchange. These little Gingerbread bears hold a tea bag! I had to share this with you today in case some of you may want to give this a go for this year! Click here for Thirsty For Tea's Tutorial
I am now on the look out for a large bear cookie cutter!

Miss Mia our kitten is settling in well and has shed her cone somewhere in the house since having her spay done last Monday, she is very smart this cat!

I have chocolate, tea, a great cozy and the best of intentions to sit and read today hoping that you will find time too! Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery today. I would love to hear from you and if you make those gingerbread tea bears do send me a photo!
Please leave a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

On My Table And In My Cup December 12-19th

What a week! On my table and in my heart at treasured thoughts, foods and special gifts from some truly wonderful people in my life. It has been a crazy week of hospital visits, illness, birthday's/parties, school functions, concerts and a new kitten. All this in one week no wonder I am so tired today.
I am truly lucky to have so many wonderful people in my life who go out of their way to show their friendship and how much they care.

In my quest to find the most perfect holiday card to send people I received one I think is pretty close to the most perfect card anyone could give me. Thank you to Shannon who somehow knew this card needed to be on my table and now I need to frame it. It is perfect in every way. Called the Book Shop and it is part of the Seaside Village Range by Seth Macbeth of www.seathmacbeth.com  

When I found out that there was a set of 5 I ordered a set which I am pretty sure I am going to have framed, when you see them you will know why! Click here to see the set of 6 from this Vancouver based artist and  company...I don't even care if they take until the new year to arrive they are so fantastic!

Also on my table a bit of magic! I ordered Julie Sarff's book for Kindle and I am loving it.

I even managed in a quick trip to the library and brought home a few cozies to try.

I have also had some truly yummy items on my table this week from the savory Indian delights to a brownie that I promise you was to die for! I love this time of year for all the decadence that it brings I may have to have leaves and soup for all of January but wow it is a yummy time of the year.

On the table even my wedding topper made an appearance! My husband saw the movie Friday morning and I hope to see it before the end of the school holidays. I have had Murchies Christmas Morning Tea in my cup this week it is a light and refreshing holiday tea.
 Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery week in review. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com