Trouble at the Animal Shelter: A Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery Read online

  “Kelly, Jenna Lee is here. She says she can’t stay for lunch, but she wants to talk to you for a minute.”

  “Thanks, Molly.” Kelly walked over to the coffee shop entrance where Jenna was standing with a big mile-wide grin on her face.

  “Kelly, I can never thank you enough.”

  “For what?” Kelly asked.

  “Because of the television coverage and the article in the newspaper this morning, we’ve placed eighteen of the Maggie Ryan dogs. With the other dogs that were already placed, that leaves only five that haven’t found homes yet, and I’d bet they’ll be taken before the end of the day. Everyone wants to have a dog that was around Sanyu. The press was at the animal shelter just after you left last night and again when I got there early this morning. They took all kinds of photos of him and the shelter. I imagine he’ll be on the news again tonight.”

  “Was Sanyu one of the dogs who was adopted?” Kelly asked thinking of the big Akita who had fearlessly rushed to protect her and no doubt saved her life.

  “Kelly, it was unbelievable. In addition to the press, there was a line of people waiting to adopt him this morning. I had to do a first come, first serve type of thing.”

  “So who is the lucky new owner of Sanyu?” Kelly asked.

  “It was a woman by the name of Shannon Lewis. She said she’d met you and him yesterday when you were on a walk. I figured I was better off not knowing any more than that, but she and her husband, Ralph, were thrilled to have him. He’s home with them now.”

  “You’re kidding. I’m absolutely blown away. She lives across the street and down from Maggie Ryan’s home and said she hated the barking that came from there. She gave me the impression that a dog would be the last thing in the world she’d ever want.”

  “Nope, and they were very happy to get him. They said they’d never had a dog before, which is surprising given their ages. It’s pretty rare for people to get their first dog when they’re older. Anyway, I just want you to know how much good you’ve done for the shelter.”

  “My pleasure. Glad I could help. You and the shelter provide a needed service. Excuse me, but I better get back to work. Roxie’s waving at me.”

  She walked over to where Roxie was standing and saw Mary Price sitting at a small table. “Mary, I didn’t see you come in. How are you?”

  “You were so busy I didn’t want to interrupt, but if you have a minute, I’d like to talk to you.”

  “Of course,” she said sitting down across from Mary. “What did you want to tell me?”

  “Well, I’ll make a long story short and simply tell you that Reverend Barnes and I are getting married, and he’s going to start attending Gambler’s Anonymous meetings. He worked out an arrangement with the online gambling sites to pay them back in installments over an extended period of time. I told him I wanted to make sure he was sincere about quitting gambling, so we won’t be getting married for six months. This coming Sunday during his sermon he’s going to tell his congregation addiction. He intends to tell them that he’s as human as they are, and no one is absolutely pure.”

  “Mary, I’m so happy for you. That’s wonderful news.”

  “What I haven’t told him, Kelly, is that I inherited quite a bit of money from my parents when they died as well as when my husband died. My parents were the type of people who never spent an unnecessary penny for anything. As a matter of fact, I can remember how we always used paper napkins until they were shredded, and only then could we get another one.

  “Sorry, I’m digressing. Anyway, I’ve been very lucky with my investments, and if he keeps his word, I’ll pay off his debts when we get married. He has no idea that I have any money, so I know he’s not marrying me for it. I decided that would be my wedding present to him. The money needed to pay off his gambling debts is just a little bit of what I have.”

  “Mary, I wish you both the best. Everybody has something they have to deal with, and both of you are going to be well aware of what you’ll be dealing with when you get married. That’s a good way to start out a marriage. Please give Reverend Barnes my best wishes. I’d love to talk to you, but since it’s standing room only in here, I think I’ll lose my help if I stay and talk to you any longer.”

  Kelly walked away from the table with a big smile on her face, feeling that for the moment, everything was good in the little town of Cedar Bay.

  Recipes!

  PECAN MONKEY BREAD

  Ingredients:

  1 package of frozen bread dough (I use the dough that is used to make rolls.)

  1 cup brown sugar, packed

  6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed, plus additional for greasing pan

  ½ cup unsalted butter, melted

  6 tbsp. heavy whipping cream

  6 tbsp. chopped pecans, divided

  1 cup sugar

  1 tsp. ground cinnamon

  Directions:

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a bundt pan with butter. (I’ve also used a springform pan with a small ovenproof bowl in the center, but the bundt pan works much better.)

  Put the brown sugar, cream, and cubed butter in a pan and bring to a boil. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring often. Pour ½ of the mixture into the bundt pan and sprinkle with ½ of the pecans.

  Mix the sugar and cinnamon together.

  Divide the dough into 40 pieces and form into balls. Roll the balls in the melted butter and then in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place 20 balls in the bundt pan and pour half the brown sugar mixture over them. Sprinkle with half of the pecans. Place the final 20 balls in the bundt pan, pour the remaining brown sugar mixture and pecans over them. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minute at room temperature. Bake for 40 – 45 minutes or until the top is a golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes. Invert onto a serving plate and serve warm. Enjoy!

  NOTE: This recipe was sent to me be one of my readers, Thomas Palmer. I used frozen dough in place of making the dough from scratch which his recipe called for.

  SAVORY MONKEY BREAD

  Ingredients:

  1 package frozen bread dough (I use the dough that is used to make rolls.)

  8 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

  8 oz. grated parmesan cheese (I usually buy it already grated, but if you’re a purist, you can certainly grate it yourself.)

  2 tbsp. dry Italian spice (You can be creative with this and use any combination of spices you like.)

  1 tbsp. garlic salt

  Directions:

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the butter in a small dish with sides. Stir together the cheese, spices, and garlic salt and place on a plate or in a dish. (I’ve been known to put it all in a big plastic bag and coat the balls that way.) Divide the dough into 40 pieces and roll into balls. Roll the balls in the melted butter and then coat them with the cheese mixture. As each one is coated put it in a bundt pan or springform pan with a small ovenproof bowl in the center. (The bundt pan works much better.)

  When all the rolls are in the baking pan, put plastic wrap over the top and let it rise for 30 minutes. Bake 30 – 40 minutes. (Ovens vary and the kind of pan you use can affect the cooking time, so keep an eye on it. Cool for 10 minutes. Invert onto a serving dish and serve.) Enjoy!

  PESTO STUFFED PORK CHOPS

  Ingredients:

  2 bone-in 1 ¼ inch thick pork chops

  1 tsp. black pepper

  1 tsp. dried oregano

  1 tsp. minced garlic

  ¾ tsp. salt

  ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

  1 tsp. ground thyme

  2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

  1 cup pesto sauce (I buy a jar at the store – if you have a Costco in your area, I think theirs is the best.)

  1 cup bread crumbs (You can use packaged, but I like to make mine by brushing olive oil on small shredded pieces of bread and sprinkling them with garlic salt. I toast them in the oven at 375 degrees for 10 – 12 minutes.)

  Directions:

  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. With a thin sharp knif
e, cut a deep slit in the side of each chop to make a pocket that extends to within ½ inch of the bone. Combine pepper, oregano, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes, and thyme and rub both sides of each chop with the mixture.

  In a small bowl combine the pesto sauce and the bread crumbs. Stuff the pesto mixture into the pork chops and secure with tooth picks. (I use a lot of tooth picks!) Place the chops in a shallow ovenproof dish and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, brush the chops with balsamic vinegar, and bake for 5 more minutes. Plate and serve. Enjoy!

  EMBARASSINGLY SIMPLE SIDE OR TOPPING

  Ingredients:

  1 pint coleslaw (I get mine from the deli section at the supermarket.)

  ½ mango, peeled, and cut in small ½ inch cubes

  Directions:

  Combine the coleslaw and mango in a bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. If serving as a side dish, put in small individual ramekins or on a plate. If serving as a topping, put the mixture in a bowl and let your guests serve themselves. Enjoy!

  NOTE: This is soooo simple, it’s hard to believe it’s as good as it is. It’s wonderful on pulled pork sandwiches, tuna steak sandwiches, chicken sandwiches, or hamburgers. Trust me, the possibilities are endless, and once you start serving it, you’ll find there’s very little that doesn’t go well with it!

  APPLE CLOUFITIS

  Ingredients:

  ½ cup all-purpose flour

  1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar

  ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

  Pinch salt

  3 eggs, plus 1 egg yolk

  1 cup whole milk

  ½ tsp. vanilla extract (Use real extract. It makes a difference.)

  2 tbsp. unsalted butter

  1 ½ cups peeled, cored, and diced apples

  2 tbsp. sugar

  1 tsp. of a fruit liqueur such as apple brandy (Optional)

  Powdered sugar for dusting

  1/3 cup whipped cream

  Directions:

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  Batter: Sift flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt into a bowl. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs, egg yolk, and milk until well blended. Add about 1/3 of the egg mixture to the flour mixture and whisk until smooth. Gradually incorporate the remaining egg mixture into the flour mixture until well blended. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while preparing the apples.

  Apples: Place butter in an ovenproof 10-inch cast iron or stainless steel skillet and cook over moderate heat until butter turns brown. Add a pinch of salt and the apples. Cook, stirring often, until the apples are slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle sugar over the apples. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the apples are almost cooked through, and the sugar has melted, coating the apples in a light syrup.

  Take the pan off the heat and add the liqueur. Place back on heat and swirl the pan slightly. Spread the fruit evenly in the pan. Pour the batter over the fruit and bake in the oven about 15 minutes or until the edges of the clafoutis are browned and the center is set. Ovens vary so you may have to adjust the amount of cooking time.

  Remove from the oven and put some powdered sugar in a sieve and dust the surface of the clafoutis with it. Serve warm directly from the skillet with a dollop of whipped cream.

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  ABOUT DIANNE

  I live in Huntington Beach, California, with my husband, Tom, a former California State Senator, and my boxer dog, Kelly. My passions are cooking, reading, and dogs, so whenever I have a little free time, I am either in the kitchen, playing with Kelly in the back yard, or curled up with the latest book I'm reading.

  Her other books are available below:

  Amazon: Blue Coyote Motel

  Amazon: Coyote in Provence

  Amazon: Cornered Coyote

  Amazon: Coyote Series

  Amazon: Kelly’s Koffee Shop

  Amazon: Murder at Jade Cove

  Amazon: White Cloud Retreat

  Amazon: Marriage and Murder

  Amazon: Murder in Cottage #6

  Amazon: Murder in the Pearl District

  Amazon: Murder and Brandy Boy

  Amazon: Murder in Calico Gold

  Amazon: The Death Card

  Amazon: Murder at The Cooking School

  Amazon: Murder & The Monkey Band

  Amazon: Murder at The Bed & Breakfast

  Amazon: Murder at The Secret Cave

  Amazon: Murder in Cuba

  Amazon: The Blue Butterfly

  Amazon: Trouble at the Kennel

  Amazon: Murdered by Words

  Amazon: Murdered by Country Music

  Amazon: Murder at the Big T Lodge

  Amazon: Murdered in Argentina

  Amazon: Murder on the East Coast

  Amazon: Murder at the Clinic

  Amazon: Murder at the Polo Club

  Amazon: Alexis

  Amazon: Trouble at the Animal Shelter

  Please feel free to follow me on these social media sites:

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  Blue Coyote Motel, an Amazon Kindle Best Seller, was a quarterfinalist in Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award Contest and was also a Goodreads Psychological Thriller of the Month Book.