You know that cooking and cozy mysteries go together like … like kitchens and warmth. Or something.

ANYWAY, I like cooking and eating and reading and writing, so it’s hardly surprising that I’ve dipped my ladle into the cozy mystery stew. Or, you know, something.

Yesterday, I got a copy of a cookbook in which two of my recipes appear: COZY FOOD: 128 COZY MYSTERY WRITERS SHARE THEIR FAVORITE RECIPES, edited by Nancy Lynn Jarvis. The items I contributed are “Chicapoo’s Peanut Butter Treats” and “Buckskin Bread.” Buckskin Bread is my go-to recipe, with two ingredients and two steps (mix and bake).

Chickapoo and LeJune are characters and friends who live on Spadena Street in a series I’m constructing. So far, the only bit published is “The Spirit of Spadena Street,” one of the stories in Wolfmont Press’ THE GIFT OF MURDER, published to benefit Toys for Tots in 2009.

Here’s a snippet from “The Spirit of Spadena Street” for you.

Cozy People Who Like Food

Spadena Street is just two blocks long, so having a party for the whole street isn’t a major project, even inviting everybody from Spadena Villa, the retirement village a block over. Joe was letting us have the party in the Villa’s Commons building, and that’s where we had the committee meetings, the committee being me, Mama, Buck Leatherbury, Paul Mayhew and two of the retirees.

While we waited for Buck to get there, we warmed up with hot tea or coffee and ate store-bought cookies and argued. Not mad, just more or less to pass the time.

“This isn’t state property,” Mama said. “It wouldn’t be a Christmas party without a sweet little Baby Jesus in it, and we’re going to have a sweet little Baby Jesus.”

“I’m not Christian, so I don’t particularly want a Christmas party,” Laurence Feldencamp, one of the retirees, said.

“What are you, if you don’t mind my asking?”

Alexandria Candless, the other retiree, said, “He’s a Colts fan.”

~ * ~

A WRITING PROMPT FOR YOU: What’s the fastest, easiest recipe your main character knows that involves actual preparation?

MA