Pumpkin Roll (47 page)

For a moment Sadie reviewed the tragic loss of her husband, Neil, more than twenty years ago and the death of Pete’s wife not so long ago. She and Pete certainly wouldn’t be together if not for those devastating turn of events, and yet she couldn’t imagine a life without him anymore. It felt so right. She thought about other trials of her life that had shaped her and wondered how many hard things like Terry Michaels had made Pete into the man he was—the man she loved.

“I think I can live with that explanation,” Sadie said as Heather brought the wheelchair to a stop. “In fact, I kind of like it.”

“What explanation?” Pete asked, coming to her side in order to help her stand.

Heather lifted her eyebrows at Sadie as if wondering how Sadie was going to get out of this one. “Just that maybe faith isn’t any more complicated than simply believing there is a purpose behind hard things and allowing God the latitude to do it His way instead of ours.” Did that mean Sadie’s anxiety would go away? She didn’t think so, at least not immediately. But did it mean that perhaps she could learn something from that too?

“Perhaps,” Pete said as she gained her feet. Sadie took in a sharp breath at the pain that shot up from her ankle. He helped her to the car and had to lean across her in order to put on her seat belt. As he pulled away, Sadie reached out and touched his cheek with her good hand. He stopped, his face a few inches from hers.

“Thank you,” she said softly while Heather got in the backseat and pretended not to notice.

“For what?” Pete asked.

“Everything.”

He smiled and leaned in for a quick kiss. “Right back at ya, Mrs. Hoffmiller. I feel the exact same way.”

Pot Roast and Yorkshire Pudding with Gravy

Pot Roast

2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil

3- to 4-pound pot roast (chuck, top round, rump, bottom round, or brisket)

1 can beef consommé

1 quart of water

2 bay leaves

½ teaspoon pepper

In a 6-quart cooking pan, heat oil on high heat until it just begins to smoke.

Braise meat in oil, cooking each side a few minutes at a time until nearly burnt to seal in juices. The oil might splatter, so cover pan with a paper towel or grease screen, but don’t cover with a lid as that makes it difficult to get the right “crust” on the meat. When braised on all sides, add consommé, water, bay leaves, and pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer roast for at least 6 hours, adding water if it reduces to less than 3 inches.

Yorkshire Pudding

¼ cup drippings from pot roast

2 tablespoons butter

4 eggs

2 cups milk

2 cups all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

After the roast has cooked for six hours, use a large spoon to skim off some of the grease from the top of the liquid in the pan. Put one-fourth cup of the drippings into a 9x13 pan. Add butter to pan, and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put all other ingredients into a blender and blend for 20 seconds. Stop and scrape down the sides of the blender. Blend another 10 seconds. Set aside. Put pan in oven to melt the butter and allow it to blend with the drippings. Cook until it’s bubbling—about 5 minutes. Add batter to pan and return it to fully heated oven. Bake 20 minutes, or until edges are crispy.

Note: For individual puddings, heat drippings and butter and divide evenly between 12 muffin cups. Add equal portions of batter and bake 15 minutes at 450 degrees.

Gravy

3 cups pot roast stock

2 tablespoons cornstarch

⅓ cup water

While Yorkshire pudding is baking, move roast from pan to serving platter and cover with foil to let it rest. Taste stock and adjust the flavor by adding water, Worcestershire sauce, or salt and pepper accordingly. Remove all but 3 cups of stock (adjust thickening if you want more gravy). Increase heat under pan containing the stock to high heat, bringing stock to a boil. Mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl, making a slurry. Stir until smooth. Using a whisk, slowly add slurry to stock, whisking quickly to keep gravy smooth. Cook two minutes. (Add more slurry or more water to reach desired consistency of gravy.)

To serve, use a fork to pull roast apart into portion sizes. Cut Yorkshire pudding into 12 servings. Serve roast and pudding on a plate, covering both with gravy. Green beans or peas make a good vegetable side dish.

Acknowledgments

I wrote this book during a difficult and busy time of my life and through the process have gained insights into the Lord’s hand in my life and the blessing of so many people who have kept me sane and made this book possible.

Thank you, once again, to the fabulous staff at Shadow Mountain who make my story readable: Jana Erickson (product director), Lisa Mangum (editor, and author of
The Hourglass Door
series, Shadow Mountain, 2009–2011), Shauna Gibby (designer), and Rachael Ward (typographer). These women make an amazing pit crew or cheerleading squad, depending on the day—thank you.

I am once again indebted to my writing group: Becki Clayson, Jody Durfee, Ronda Hinrichson (
Trapped,
Walnut Springs, 2010), and Nancy Campbell Allen (
Isabelle Webb
series, Covenant, 2009–2012). These women are such troopers and make the rate at which this series is coming out possible. I also had several beta readers who gave me suggestions on how to get the book to blend just right: my dear friends Melanie Jacobson (
The List,
Covenant, 2011), Julie Wright (
The Hazardous Universe
series, Covenant, 2011 and beyond), my wonderful aunt, Sandy Drury, and my sister-friend-therapist, Crystal White—each of whom made significant contributions to the finished product and saved me much sanity while sacrificing their own since none of them got to read an actual final draft.

As always, this book would not be complete without the crew of Sadie’s Test Kitchen, who hone the recipes into the masterpieces they become: Don Carey (
Bumpy Landings,
Cedar Fort Inc., 2010), Danyelle Ferguson (
(dis)Abilities and the Gospel: How to Bring People with Special Needs Closer to Christ,
Cedar Fort Inc., 2011), Whit Larson (Whitty Baked Beans), Sandra Sorenson, Laree Ipson (Laree’s Ginger Cookies), Annie Funk, Michelle Jefferies, Megan O’Neill, and our newest baker, Lisa Swinton. These people are amazing. Without them, there would be no culinary in this mystery series.

Thank you to my wonderful husband, Lee, for letting me do my marathon write nights and weekends even though he’s been in a busy and difficult part of his life too. He is the keystone to
everything
. Thank you to my kids, who support and put up with me as well as the school lunch program that ensures they have one square meal a day five days a week for two-thirds of the year. Thank you to the fans who encourage, the friends and family who put up with my whining, and the other writers whose books I get to enjoy when I am in desperate need of a break.

How grateful I am for the gifts I have been given, both through struggles and successes. I know my Father in Heaven loves me and is growing me every day to be the person He knows I can be. I am grateful for the part in that process that my writing plays, and to all of those people who make it such a rewarding journey.

About the Author

Josi S. Kilpack grew up hating to read until she was thirteen and her mother handed her a copy of
The Witch of Blackbird Pond.
From that day forward, she read everything she could get her hands on and accredits her writing “education” to the many novels she has “studied” since then. She began her first novel in 1998 and hasn’t stopped since. Her seventh novel,
Sheep’s Clothing,
won the 2007 Whitney Award for Mystery/Suspense, and
Lemon Tart,
her ninth novel, was a 2009 Whitney Award finalist.
Pumpkin Roll
is Josi’s fourteenth novel and the sixth book in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery Series.

Josi currently lives in Willard, Utah, with her wonderful husband, four amazing children, one fat dog, and varying number of very happy chickens.

For more information about Josi, you can visit her website at www.josiskilpack.com, read her blog at www.josikilpack.blogspot.com, or contact her via e-mail at [email protected].

“Berry” Delicious Praise...

Blackberry Crumble

“
Blackberry Crumble
offers up a thrilling murder mystery!
Most people are not who they appear to be. I can’t give away the really shadowy characters or the killer, but there is a killer—and this killer means business!”
—Gabi Kupitz

“
Josi Kilpack is an absolute master
at leading you to believe you have everything figured out, only to have the rug pulled out from under you with the turn of a page.
Blackberry Crumble
is a delightful mystery with wonderful characters and a white-knuckle ending that’ll leave you begging for more.”
—Gregg Luke, author of
Blink of an Eye

Key Lime Pie

“I had a great time following the ever-delightful Sadie as she ate and sleuthed her way through
nerve-wracking twists and turns and nail-biting suspense
.”
—Melanie Jacobsen, author of
The List,
http://www.readandwritestuff.blogspot.com/

“Sadie Hoffmiller is the perfect heroine. She’s funny, sassy, and always my first choice for crime solving. And where better to solve a mystery than the Florida Keys?
Key Lime Pie
satisfied with every bite!
”
—Julie Wright, author of
Cross my Heart,
www.juliewright.com

“The title of
Key Lime Pie
will make you hungry, but the story will keep you too busy to bake. Even when oh-so-busy amateur sleuth Sadie Hoffmiller vows to stay out of police business, life comes up with a different plan.
A missing girl, a very interesting man with bright blue eyes, and plenty of delicious recipes all create a combination even Sadie can’t resist
.”
—H.B. Moore, www.hbmoore.com

Devil’s Food Cake

“There’s no mistaking that Kilpack is one of the best in this field.
Lemon Tart
was good,
English Trifle
was better, but with
Devil’s Food Cake
she delivers
a polished novel that can hold its own anywhere
.”
—Jennie Hansen,
Meridian Magazine

“Josi Kilpack whips up
another tasty mystery where startling twists and delightful humor mix
in a confection as delicious as Sadie Hoffmiller’s devil’s food cake.”
—Stephanie Black, three-time winner of the Whitney Award for Mystery/Suspense

English Trifle

“
English Trifle
is an excellent read
and will be enjoyed by teens and adults of either gender. The characters are interesting, the plot is carefully crafted, and the setting has an authentic feel.”
—Jennie Hansen,
Meridian Magazine

Lemon Tart

“
The novel has a bit of everything. It’s a mystery, a cookbook, a low-key romance and a dead-on depiction of life
.... That may sound like a hodgepodge. It’s not. It works. Kilpack blends it all together and cooks it up until it has the taste of, well... of a tangy lemon tart.”
—Jerry Johnston,
Deseret News

Books in this series

Lemon Tart

English Trifle

Devil’s Food Cake

Key Lime Pie

Blackberry Crumble

Pumpkin Roll

Banana Split
(coming Spring 2012)

Enjoy this sneak peek of Banana Split

Coming Spring 2012

Chapter 1

Have you been snorkeling before?”

Sadie looked up from adjusting her life jacket. Konnie was the last woman, other than herself, still in the small boat that had taken them offshore where the snorkeling was
nani
—Sadie hoped
nani
meant wonderful and not deadly.