So what are your plans for this fine Irish holiday? Other than the usual, that is… :beerlaugh

Since my upcoming Harlequin Desire (HER LITTLE SECRET, HIS HIDDEN HEIR — June 2011) has a heroine who runs a bakery, my plan is to start posting recipes here in The Dungeon very, very soon.  And then it occurred to me—I could post a really fun, colorful recipe today, in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.  So consider this a sneak peek at the yumminess to come…

Lucky You Mint Pie

Ingredients:

1 cup (6 ounces) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Morsels
1 (12-ounce) can NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
1 tablespoon butter
1 (9-inch) prepared chocolate crumb crust (6 ounces)
1 (3.4-ounce) package vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
3 to 4 drops green food coloring (optional)
1 (8-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed – divided use
Additional NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Morsels (optional)
Fresh mint sprigs (optional)

Preparation:

1. Microwave 1 cup morsels and 1/3 cup evaporated milk in medium, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 45 seconds; stir until smooth. Stir in butter; pour into crust. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until cool to the touch.
2. Meanwhile, beat remaining evaporated milk, pudding mix, water, peppermint extract and 3 drops food coloring in medium bowl until combined. Gently stir in 2 cups whipped topping and additional drop of food coloring, if desired. Spoon over chocolate layer.
3. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set. Sprinkle with additional morsels. Spoon remaining whipped topping in center of pie. Garnish with fresh mint.

(Recipe is the property of Nestlé®)

Good news, everyone!  After waiting for what seemed like forever—yeah, yeah, it was really only about two weeks, which is nothing in the publishing world, but it felt like forever :hothot —I got the thumbs-up from Editor C on the synopsis for my Harlequin Desire “Dynasties:  The Kincaids” continuity story.

Hip-hip-hooray! :dancing

No title yet—not even a working one; I’m simply calling this manuscript “Kincaids, Book 4” *g*—but I know it’s in the works, so that will probably be coming soon.

And despite filling my outline with quite a bit of detail, I have to admit that I’m not 100% sure how to open the book.  I’ve got the characters pretty well sketched out in my head.  I know the book’s setting; the hero’s & heroine’s backgrounds, conflicts, & motivations; & what I need to get across fairly early on in the story, but I don’t yet have a specific opening scene in mind. :blinkie

Which means I have to put on my thinking cap & get those brain cells communicating over something more significant than just which lead actor from Hawaii Five-0 I should spend the most time lusting over.  (Seriously, it’s keeping me up at night…& only occasionally in the good way. :angeldevil Who do you most lust after—Steve, Danny, or Chin?)

I do have a couple of options in mind, though.  And once I figure that out for sure, it will be off to the races!

But say a little prayer for me, anyway—to the Muses of Hot & Steamy Romantic Fiction—that this book goes quickly & smoothly.  Because the sooner I finish it, the sooner y’all can be reading it. :gotcha