Today I welcome author D.D. Ayres, whose Romantic Suspense novel RIVAL FORCES came out earlier this month (St. Martin’s Press, May 3, 2016). Her novel features a strong female protagonist who works with man’s (or in this case woman’s) best friend! And today we have something a little different here on BOOK BITES…a recipe for dogs!
Who is your main character? What is she like?
This is Yardley Summers’ story, owner of Harmonie Kennels, one of the top law enforcement K-9 team training kennels in the U.S. Yardley is strong, tough, but also all woman.
What would Yardley Summers choose for her last meal?
Yardley works hard all day training Alpha males and dogs, so she get plenty of exercise. I think her last meal would be red meat. Maybe a medium-rare Porterhouse steak, skillet potatoes, and guacamole salad. She also enjoys top-shelf sipping tequila. To top it off, Tres Leches Cake, because a woman has got to have dessert.
How about you? What would you choose for your last meal?
I think it would be a “Scheherazade” type meal where the courses never stop coming, day after day, until Death gets tired of waiting for me to finish the final course and goes away. I’m kind of addicted to life.
Why should someone bite into RIVAL FORCES?
RIVAL FORCES is Yardley Summers’ story. She owns Harmonie Kennels where either the dogs and/or handlers from each of the previous stand-alone novels in the K-9 Rescue Series have trained. Before this, Yardley has been a background character, an expert in K-9 Law enforcement training, but little was known about her. RIVAL FORCES puts her front and center in a love triangle that finds her looking for her current lover, only to encounter danger from which only a man from her past, and a mysterious new canine, can protect her.
Do you have a recipe you’d like to share?
Absolutely! Anyone who’s owns a dog knows that their most favorite thing in the world is food. In a previous book, FORCE OF ATTRACTION, a minor character threw a birthday party for her dog. I love to cook so I came up with, after research, my own recipe.
Hugo and Izzy’s Peanut Butter Pupcakes
(The recipe is easy to adapt if your furry buddy has allergies to any of the ingredients.)
A photo from a fan.
INGREDIENTS
- – 1 large egg
- – 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons peanut butter
- – 1/4 cup vegetable oil or 1/4 cup natural, unsweetened applesauce*
- – 1/3 cup honey or 1 very ripe mashed banana*
- – 1 cup shredded carrots or diced apple*
- – 1 cup whole wheat flour or 1 cup Brown rice flour*
- – 1 teaspoon baking soda
- dash of cinnamon*
- – 1/3 cup quick cooking oats
*Suggested substitution options for taste/allergy issues.
ICING INGREDIENTS
- 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 tablespoon honey/optional
- 1 tablespoon yogurt, preferably plain
OPTIONAL: Use all-natural peanut butter for frosting. Shaped dog biscuits or treats for Pupcake decorations.
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a cupcake tin with 6-8 cupcake liners.
- Combine the egg, peanut butter, oil (or applesauce) , honey (or mashed banana), and shredded carrots in a large bowl. Omit the honey/banana if you prefer.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and oats. Add this to the carrot mixture, and stir until all ingredients are fully combined.
- Divide the mixture evenly among prepared cupcake liners.
- Bake for 15-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean and tops are slightly golden brown.
- Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack.
- Frost with all natural Peanut Butter or Cream Cheese Frosting. Top with dog treat.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- Beat the cream cheese in a small bowl until fluffy. Stir in the honey and yogurt; whisk until smooth and fluffy.
- Frost Pupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting or Creamy Peanut Butter.
- OPTIONAL: Decorate with store-bought Dog Treats of your choice. (Humans can eat them, too. Just ask my hero. BUT, I suggest human consumers skip the doggie treat on top!)
So, you say humans can eat this too…hmmm…because I was thinking it sounded rather tasty! But I will definitely skip the doggie treat for myself!
You can find RIVAL FORCES on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks and Kobo. And you can connect with D.D. Ayres at www.ddayres.com.
