Till Death Do Us Purl (30 page)
Read Till Death Do Us Purl Online
Authors: Anne Canadeo
Maggie took out her knitting.
“She knows that could happen and doesn’t want to see Stewart suffer. She says it won’t bring Jeremy back and she’s convinced Stewart is a sick man. She feels very sorry for him and blames herself in part for what happened. By being so friendly and never realizing he harbored deep feelings for her.”
Dana seemed distressed to hear that. “That’s too bad. She can’t hold herself responsible for Stewart’s actions. Even if he’d been totally honest about his romantic hopes. Which he was not.”
“I told her that,” Maggie said. “She’s been seeing a therapist to help her deal with all this, so I’m sure she’s heard it already. It’s going to take time for her to process things, and move on. She’s decided to stay with Nora for now, until she feels better and knows what she wants to do. Nora has been through a lot, too,” Maggie added, sympathizing with her friend. “But she feels so relieved that Rebecca has been exonerated and is happy to have her home again, at least for a little while.”
Lucy was sure that Nora must be counting her blessings right now. She couldn’t imagine what Nora would have done if the police had brought charges against Rebecca. Thankfully, it had never come to that.
“What about the formula? Did Rebecca mention Lewis Atkins?” Lucy asked.
“Yes, she did. She said they’d agreed that Lewis could bring the glue to the marketplace and they’ll share the proceeds, fifty-fifty. Generous, I thought, considering that Rebecca owns the formula,” Maggie added.
“I bet she’s totally sick of glue by now,” Phoebe piped up. “I bet she can’t even stand hearing
the G-word. No wonder she wants to run off to some distant place, where they probably don’t even have glue.”
“I think you’re right, Phoebe. I’d feel the same by now, too,” Lucy agreed. “What about her in-laws, the Lassiters? I saw on the news that Claudia and her father are out on bail right now, but will have to stand trial in a few months. If her father lives that long.”
“Rebecca didn’t have much to say about them. She still has a good relationship with Patricia, Jeremy’s mother, and his brother, Alec. But she’s had no contact at all with Claudia or Philip Lassiter in weeks, practically since Jeremy’s funeral. His second funeral,” Maggie clarified.
“Now that she’s gone into business with Lewis Atkins, producing the prized miracle glue, I doubt they’ll ever speak to her again,” Lucy predicted.
“Unless it’s through lawyers. I wouldn’t put it past the Lassiters to go after Rebecca and Lewis Atkins, and accuse them of stealing the formula. Even if Claudia and Philip end up behind bars,” Suzanne predicted.
“I hope Rebecca doesn’t have to deal with that, too,” Dana said. “But I guess stranger things have happened.”
“Speaking of strange things, I have another tidbit to share. This one is quite unexpected,” Maggie warned them.
“Wait, let me guess. Lewis Atkins invited you out on a date . . . to the opera in fact,” Suzanne embellished. “And you couldn’t find it in your heart to refuse. Especially since it turns out that he’s not a murderer after all, but in fact, a brilliant scientist and, potentially, a millionaire.”
Everyone turned to look
in Suzanne’s direction. Lucy was the first to speak. “Wow, what a scenario. That was positively . . . inspired.”
Lucy thought Maggie might be annoyed by Suzanne’s teasing, but she looked amused.
“I’m sorry, Suzanne. That is not what I was going to say. But if he did invite me to the opera, I guess I would accept,” Maggie admitted. “As long as it wasn’t Wagner. Meanwhile, I was going to tell you that Erica Ferris sent me an e-mail. It turns out she’s decided to take up knitting after all and wants to sign up for her free classes.”
“Oh, give me a break. I think she’s just too selfish to let go of that big knitting tote she won,” Suzanne said.
“Could be,” Dana agreed. “Or maybe all that gorgeous yarn and the shiny new needles made her curious and she couldn’t resist at least trying it. Another victory for you, Maggie.”
Maggie shrugged, but she did look pleased with herself, Lucy thought.
“You know me, ladies. Just trying to make the world a better place . . . one knitter at a time.”
“And doing a pretty good job,” Lucy said.
“And solving a crime, or two, on the way,” Dana added.
“With a little help from your friends.” Suzanne smiled and looked around at everyone.
“That about covers it,” Phoebe concluded. “So, what’s for dinner?”
To all my dear friends and fellow knitters—
The new Birds of a Feather Knit Together
class had so much interest, we’re full up for this month’s sessions. Sorry if you wanted to try it. I’ll be posting a schedule for more classes soon. Please put your name on the waiting list next to this note.
In the meantime, here’s the link to the pattern for those adorable birds in the shop window. I made the Bluebird (though it doesn’t need to be blue, of course) and the Chubby chirps. You’ll also find instructions for a dog, dinosaur, monkey, frog, and turtle. These small, fun projects—called amigurumi—make a unique little gift. Or a nice way to amuse a child on a rainy day instead of turning on the TV or video games. Babysitters and grandmas, take note :) Here’s the link:
www.allfreeknitting.com
/knitted-amigurumi.
I’m so glad to see the real birds have returned and everything is starting to bloom again. But that’s no reason to put aside your knitting. There are so many spring project ideas and bright new yarns on display at the shop.
Our knitting group had great success with an easy, wraparound shrug. A simple, flattering design, and the long, crisscross belt adds interest. Do you have
a wedding or formal event coming up? This shrug is a great cover-up for an off-the-shoulder gown or dress. Or you can make a whole set for a bridal party, like we did. But that’s another story entirely. . . . Here’s the link:
www.berroco.com/exclusives/embrace/embrace.html
Let me know how it turns out. Happy spring and happy knitting.
Maggie
Hey, Everyone—
Fast, easy, tasty dinners (and healthful wouldn’t hurt, either). That’s what I’m looking for now that I
have to cook a real meal
almost every night
! (No more goofing off with scrambled eggs or cold cereal. Rats!) Matt cooks for us, too, on his assigned nights. And yes, everything is going along amazingly well. Why didn’t we think of this sooner?
The knitting group loved this recipe and everyone wanted a copy, so I decided to post. If you don’t want to use shrimp, you can use chicken or chicken sausage. Or just add some extra beans, which supply good protein all on their own. Some whole-grain pasta will make it a heartier dish, if anyone in your house is extra hungry.
Let me know how you like it.
Lucy
2–3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large or 2 medium-size yellow
onions, enough to make 1½ cups (or use a red onion, if you feel adventurous)
3–4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 pound shelled and deveined shrimp (pat dry with paper towel before cooking)
1–1½ cups grape (or cherry) tomatoes, cut in half
1 large can (14–17 ounces) cannellini beans, drained (don’t rinse)
6–8 cups arugula, washed (about 12–15 ounces, or two bags or boxes)
salt and ground black pepper
½ tablespoon thyme, oregano (to taste)
½–1 cup low-sodium chicken broth (optional)
1–2 wedges fresh lemon
1 cup cooked whole-grain pasta (optional)
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in large flat skillet or wok-style pan. Add onion and sauté a bit, then add garlic. Cook 1–2 more minutes until onion is soft and clear. If
it’s getting brown, turn down heat.
Add shrimp. Brown on both sides and sauté until shrimp is cooked through. Raise heat (add 1 tablespoon of oil, if necessary).
Add tomatoes and beans. Cook until tomato is warm and soft, another 2 minutes or so. Right before serving, add arugula in handfuls. The greens will wilt and cook down. (Beware: If the dish sits, they will virtually disappear.)
Season with salt, ground black pepper, thyme, and oregano. If the mixture seems dry, add a little broth. Squeeze in fresh lemon juice to taste. You can also serve with a cup of cooked whole-grain pasta.
Dear Fellow Chocolate Addicts—
Did you hear the news? Chocolate is now officially a health food. I’m not kidding.
I can’t make this stuff up. I
didn’t need a scientist to tell me it’s good for my mental health, that’s for sure. If I don’t meet my daily requirement . . . well, let’s just say it’s not pretty. But enough of my semisweet, or even dark, confessions.
If you’re like me, and chocolate is one of your three basic food groups, this cake will deliver your daily dose, and then some. And it’s also gluten-free. How healthy can you get?
Lucy is famous for this recipe. But I actually gave it to her a few months ago. Look what happened. She’s practically engaged. Yes, I’m taking credit for the cake and that, too. Just wanted to share the magic . . .
Suzanne
6 tablespoons butter
5 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate
4 eggs, separated
¼ cup granulated white sugar
optional toppings: cocoa powder, confectioners’ sugar, fudge sauce, raspberries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 10-inch springform pan: grease inside surface and cover bottom with circle of parchment paper.
In a double boiler, melt butter and chocolate (see note below). Stir until smooth and blended. Pour into a large mixing bowl and set aside to cool.
Beat egg yolks with a whisk or fork. When chocolate mixture has cooled completely, beat egg yolks into chocolate mixture with a whisk or fork. (If chocolate is not completely cool you’ll get lumps.)
Pour
egg whites into a mixing bowl and add 1 teaspoon of the granulated sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until foamy. Add the remaining sugar slowly and continue to beat until egg whites stiffen and form peaks, about 2 or 3 minutes. Carefully fold egg white
mixture into chocolate–egg yolk mixture. Make sure white and chocolate are mixed but do not overblend, or egg whites will fall and cake will be too dense.
Pour into prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes. Check to see if cake needs more time. Sides should be cooked and pull away from pan, but a toothpick or sharp knife inserted in middle of the cake should be a little damp. Do not overcook.
When cake is done, cool for about 15 minutes on cake rack. Then slip a sharp knife around edge of pan to loosen and remove outer ring of pan. Invert cake on a dish and remove parchment paper. Cake can be dusted with cocoa powder or confectioners’ sugar before serving. Or can be dressed with fudge sauce and a few raspberries tossed on top.
If you are serving this cake for a special occasion, you can decorate by wrapping a wide satin ribbon around the rim of the cake and placing small flowers on top or on the side of the platter.
Note about double boiler: If you don’t have a double boiler, make one with a small pot placed into a larger pot of boiling water. Or use a heatproof glass or metal bowl. Take care that none of
the boiling water splashes into the chocolate mixture or it will seize.