Taste of Kiwi: Blog of Author Shelley Munro

This recipe is taken from one of Jo Seagar’s cookbooks called Jo Seagar Cooks and as the title states, the quiche is very easy to make. It’s the perfect thing for a summer picnic, unexpected guests or a quick weekend dinner.

4 eggs
1 1/2 cups grated tasty cheese
1 small onion peeled and chopped
6 rashers of rindless bacon chopped
1/2 cup self-raising flour
1 1/2 cups of milk
1/4 cup of chopped parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups of your choice of vegetables (chopped mushrooms, peppers, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, corn, peas, beans, grated pumpkin etc) – your imagination is the limit when it comes to vegetables.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Spray a medium – to large size lasagne dish with no stick baking spray. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Pour into the prepared dish and bake for 40 – 45 minutes until set and golden brown. If your oven is a fan one reduce the cooking time accordingly. It takes around 30 -35 minutes in a fan oven. Serves 6 people.

Note – if you prefer a vegetarian option just leave out the bacon. That’s what I do.

What is your favorite food to take on a picnic?

I’ve been watching a UK drama called Lost in Austen recently and I’ve really enjoyed it. It’s based on Jane Austen’s Pride And Prejudice. Here’s the blurb from the TV New Zealand site: Bored bank worker Amanda Price (Jemima Rooper – The Black Dahlia; As If; Hex) literally becomes lost in her favourite Austen book, after she finds a strange portal in her bathroom and swaps places with its heroine Elizabeth Bennet. As she gets to know the Bennet family and encounters the famous Mr Darcy (Elliot Cowan – The Golden Compass), how can she keep this celebrated romance on track?

In the last episode, Amanda and Darcy had a moment and Darcy told her he loved her. Of course, Amanda is worried because he’s meant to marry Elizabeth Bennet, but she does get him to go into the pond and get his shirt wet. It was a very special moment for both Amanda and me!

Here’s the trailer to watch if you’re interested:

Purchase link for DVD: Lost in Austen

I’d like to step into Robyn Carr’s Virgin River series or Eloisa James’s Desperate Duchesses series or Scarlet Woman from my Middlemarch Mates world.

If you could choose a book, a movie or a tv program to step into, which one would it be?

During our recent cruise I took the opportunity to get some nice portrait shots to use as author photos. I was really pleased with the final result. To see all four portraits go to my About Shelley page and scroll down. Feel free to let me know what you think and which is your favorite.

Photo credit: Princess Cruises.

Do you like to see an author photo at the back of a book?

I took this photo at the Royal Sydney Easter show. He looked so clean and pink in his pen.

To see more animal photos visit Camera Critters.

The theme for this week is dating or rather is this a date? I’ve picked an excerpt from Playing to Win, a romantic suspense. Kate, the heroine, is going to stay with the hero Lane Gerrard for safety reasons. After their initial misunderstand, she’s come to like him far more than she should….

Playing to Win by Shelley Munro

When Lane arrived to pick her up, three reporters still loitered in front of her house. Kate stepped away from the window with a sigh. At least he’d followed her orders and arrived via the rear entrance.

“We’ll have to sneak out the back way.”

“Yes.” Gleeful devilry laced Lane’s smile. To Kate’s bemusement, he seemed to enjoy the idea of a stealthy retreat. What was it about a hint of danger that turned a normal, sensible man into a swaggering daredevil? Personally, she could do without the excitement. She hadn’t lied to Lane when she said she enjoyed her boring, predictable life.

Lane grabbed her overnight bag, and they left via the back door. Kate locked it and peeked around the corner of a large leafy bush with orange flowers.

“All clear.” She swallowed the lump of unease in her throat. Nerves. That was all. Nothing to do with the fact she’d be alone with Lane.

Kate crept from tree to tree, half expecting a reporter to tap her on the shoulder at any moment. But all went according to plan and five minutes later, she slumped against the car while Lane laughed at her.

With much production, he unlocked the car and opened the door for her. “Here we are, my lady. I expected I’d need to slay reporters for you, but here we are safe and sound, nary a dragon in sight.”

Kate rolled her eyes and slid into the car. Only when she was inside did she realize this wasn’t his usual car. It was a classic E-type Jag, painted a dark forest green with soft buttery-colored upholstery.

“You expect to go unnoticed in this?” she demanded when he climbed in the driver’s seat. “Where’s your Falcon?”

Lane laughed, his profile softened in amusement. “This is my grandfather’s car. He’s not well at the moment, and I promised him I’d take it out for a run. Relax. No one will see us,” he declared, and he accelerated smoothly away from the curb. “The reporters expect to see me in my Falcon.”

Lane lived in an Epsom apartment, only a short drive from Kate’s house in Newmarket. But it might as well have been half a world away. The complex shouted of wealth and Kate was hard-pressed not to stare at the obvious luxury.

Set within seven acres of native trees and landscaped gardens, the buildings blended perfectly with the lush backdrop, looking as though they had always been there. Walking tracks meandered through mature trees, beckoning exploration. After driving through the security gate, they passed a tennis court. An energetic foursome lobbed tennis balls back and forth in a doubles game under lights. Other tenants watched lazily from the spa and heated swimming pool.

“What a lovely setting,” Kate said. A tinge of envy raced through her when she viewed the gardens. They were lush and tropical, judicial use of native plants giving the whole complex a uniquely New Zealand atmosphere. Jamie would love it here.

“Safe as well,” Lane added, almost as if he could read her thoughts. “I was lucky to get this apartment. My agent heard it was for sale when I’d decided to return home from England. She viewed the apartment for me, and I bought it on her recommendation. I’ve never regretted the purchase.”

Lane left the car parked in a visitor’s parking space right near the front door. They climbed two steps, went through double wooden doors decorated with ornate brass handles and panels of glass into a marble foyer. Kate gaped, trying hard to hide her awe and ignore the comparisons between this luxury and her more modest home. The place looked like a hotel. Her shoes clicked on the marble floor as they stepped over to a lift. The silence reminded her of a hotel too. Lane used a swipe card to operate the lift. The doors swished closed and they whisked up to Lane’s apartment before Kate could blink. She patted her middle region and wondered if she had time to retrieve her stomach, but as soon as the doors sprang open directly into Lane’s apartment, she forgot her discomfort. Designer décor snagged her attention before Lane led her down a carpeted passage and stopped at the first door on the right.

“This is your room.” He flicked on the light and stepped aside to allow her to enter.

A teal-and-cream-colored duvet covered the bed. The color combination repeated in the drapes and scatter cushions. Kate slowly released her breath. Lane had promised they’d have separate rooms but the reality was a relief—and a letdown. Go figure. She surreptitiously checked the door and noted the sturdy lock. Her gaze darted back to Lane when she heard his loud, put-upon sigh.

“Kate, Kate.” He shook his head in mock sadness.

“What?” Lane could tease all he wanted, but her bad experience with Steve made her slow to trust. Actions spoke far more loudly than all the words in the dictionary.

“Contrary to your beliefs, I don’t have to force myself on anyone.” Humor lit his gray eyes.

The smirk made her cheeks flame. Kate averted her gaze to stare at a small oil painting of a golden retriever. With his public persona and good looks, women probably threw themselves at him all the time. The heat in her cheeks worked down her neck as ego took a tumble. He’d never look at a single mother like her. Kate wondered about the woman in his life. He’d never mentioned a girlfriend. A soft sound jerked her gaze back to him. His grin spread from one side of his face to the other. “Big head,” she muttered, a snap in her voice.

Still smirking, Lane checked his watch. “I’ll have to go. I have training in half an hour then a meeting with my agent and a prospective sponsor later on. I’m afraid you’re on your own for the evening, but there’s loads of food in the kitchen. Help yourself to whatever you want. I’ll be back late so I won’t see you until the morning. What time is your first appointment tomorrow?”

“Ah, eleven.”

“Okay. Sleep well.” With that, he backed from the bedroom and shut the door with a firm click, leaving her to survey the neutral paintwork. Kate grimaced at the pique she felt. After all her worrying, he’d left her to her own devices. Lane couldn’t wait to leave. That really put her in place.

Purchase Playing to Win from Cerridwen Press or Amazon Kindle.

To read more Snippet Saturday excerpts follow the trail below:

Mari Carr
HelenKay Dimon
Shelley Munro
Vivian Arend
Taige Crenshaw
McKenna Jeffries
Ashley Ladd
Jody Wallace
TJ Michaels
Emma Petersen

Congratulations to Stacey S who wins a $25 Amazon voucher in my quarterly contest. I’ve emailed you privately.

To go into the draw for my next contest to win a $25 Amazon voucher, all you need to do is visit and comment on one or more posts here at Taste of Kiwi.

We’ve had Patch for just over two weeks now. He’s changed a lot in that time, putting on weight and growing in confidence. These days he wags his tail instead of tucking it between his legs. He limped for the first week after overdoing the running, but his rear leg seems to be much stronger now.

Today, I rescued an old golf club, the grate off the bottom of the compost bin, one of the blankets from his kennel, and another part of Mr. Munro’s irrigation system. There’s quite a collection of irrigation equipment on the top of the garden table now. In addition, our lawn looks like a graveyard. Patch has dragged all Scotty’s old bones from under the hedge. He races around the section with a bone in his mouth and loves to chew on them.

At first he didn’t like leaving the section but now he waits at the gate for his morning and evening walk. He sniffs everything and tries to eat just about everything that catches his attention. I have to watch him like a hawk because he eats plastic, cans, and paper. He tends to pull on the lead a bit, but he’s very good at road crossings, sitting as soon as we stop.

Patch is an affectionate dog and very intelligent. He was REALLY naughty today, but he made me laugh because a mischievous puppy is so normal.

Today I was pondering this week’s Thursday Thirteen. The first word that came to my mind was green. A perfect topic, I decided, and I started my list.

Thirteen Things That Are Green

1. Emeralds – much prettier than diamonds in my opinion.

2. Limes – perfect for cooking and adding to drinks.

3. Shrek – the most famous ogre of all.

4. Greenland – green in name but not in nature.

5. Kermit – my favorite muppet (apart from Miss Piggy) from The Muppet Show

6. Jealousy – an emotion that’s often called green.

7. Grass – good for cows.

8. Green Eggs and Ham – of Dr. Seuss fame.

9. Ireland – the Emerald Isle.

10. Guacamole – avocado goodness

11. Green Park – one of London’s many Royal parks

12. Greenwich, London – the home of Greenwich Mean Time or GMT

13. The theme color for my website and blog – explore and wallow in the green.

What are your favorite green things? Do you have anything green to add to my list?