Authors: Jessica Beck
“I thought he
got hit from behind,” I said.
“I asked her
about that, and she said something distracted Gordon for a split second. When
he turned his head to see if anyone was watching them, she hit him to keep him
from killing her.”
“Do you think
that she’s telling the truth?” I asked. I supposed that it
could
have been nothing but the facts, but it was all awfully
convenient for Opal, and there was no one to refute her story, now that the
other party in the conflict was dead.
“I don’t
know, but I do know one thing; I can sell it to a jury.”
“Rebecca,
aren’t you at all concerned that she might just get away with cold-blooded
murder?” I asked. I didn’t know how my best friend could spend her days defending
guilty people, putting them back on the streets, when they needed to be locked
up behind bars.
“Who’s to say
what
really happened? Opal’s entitled
to the best defense she can present, and I aim to do just that. Ultimately, her
fate isn’t in my hands, so I don’t spend too many sleepless nights. Even if she
does get off, I don’t see her killing anyone else, do you?”
“No, if I had
to guess, I’d say this was a one-time crime.”
“There you
go, then. Let’s face it. There aren’t
any
winners in this one, Victoria. Some days are like that, though. The best we can
hope for is that no one innocent goes to jail. Speaking of folks who are
innocent, the sheriff said they caught up with Mitchell Cobb. Turns out he
decided to leave town because he was embarrassed that you saw his little shrine
to Ellen.”
“Why don’t I
feel good about any part of this case?” I asked.
“Do what I
do. Try to find the silver lining,” Rebecca said. “Ellen gets to keep her kids.
That’s a win in my book.”
“No matter
what the reason might be?” I asked.
“If it helps
me get through the day, I’ll take it,” she said.
I caught
everyone up with what happened, and there was a subdued feeling in the room
after I was finished. Moose summed things up as he held us all close in his
embrace. “We all need to take this as a sign that we should celebrate our
family every chance we get. For all its flaws, we love each other, and in the
end, that’s what matters the most.”
As we had a
group hug, I had to wonder if Opal hadn’t felt the same way. In a very real way,
she’d sacrificed her own future for her grandchildren’s, and I had to wonder if
either one of my grandparents would have acted any differently than Opal if the
roles had been reversed.
I quickly
dismissed that thought, though.
I couldn’t
stand thinking about what Ellen and her family were going through, but I was
thankful that it wasn’t our clan experiencing it, whether that was a selfish
way to think about things or not. Most of the people I loved were there in that
room at that moment, and I was glad that each and every one of them were in my
life. I knew that Ellen was going to face a difficult time ahead, but we’d all
stand by her and see her through, no matter what.
After all,
that was what family did, and while Ellen might not have shared any of our
blood, she was just as much a part of The Charming Moose as any of us.
And in the
end, that was what family was truly about, the love in our hearts, and not the
blood that coursed through our veins.
My family
truly enjoys this lasagna recipe. I’d love to be able to tell you that it’s
been handed down from generation to generation, but in fact, I saw this made on
television one day and then started tinkering with the recipe until I was happy
with it myself. I make a separate batch excluding all meat for the vegetarian
in my family, and it’s equally good.
Ingredients
Olive oil,
enough to coat the bottom of the pan
1 medium
onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
Meat Options
Ground
sausage, sweet or spicy
Ground beef
Or both
Or neither
Tomato sauce,
15 oz.
Salt, pepper
to taste
Lasagna
noodles, 8 oz.
Ricotta
cheese, 15 oz.
Parmesan
cheese, 1 cup
Mozzarella
cheese, 16 oz.
1 egg,
lightly beaten
Directions
Cover the
bottom of a medium skillet with olive oil, then heat to medium and add the
chopped onion. After five minutes, add the meat or meats of your choice and
cook thoroughly. After that is cooked, drain the meat/onion mixture, and then
add tomato sauce, salt and pepper. Simmer for twenty minutes.
While this is
simmering, cook the lasagna noodles, drain and cool.
Next, mix the
ricotta and Parmesan cheeses together, along with the beaten egg.
Now it’s time
to combine the ingredients. In a large rectangular pan (9
×
12 or 12
×
12), spoon out one
third of the sauce on the bottom of the pan, then layer half the pasta,
mozzarella, and ricotta mix. Add another third of the sauce, and then add more
pasta, the cheeses, and then the rest of the sauce. Sprinkle the top with
Parmesan cheese.
Bake this at
400° F for thirty to forty minutes.
Feeds 4 to 6.
MOM’S PANCAKES
We’ve been
making this recipe for years, and it’s a longtime family favorite. Weekends and
pancakes seem to go together beautifully when we’ve all got a little more time to
enjoy each other’s company. We always heat our syrup on the stovetop, and we
also add cooked spiced apples to the mix as well. Use real butter on these
pancakes. It’s worth the indulgence.
Ingredients
All-purpose
flour, ¾ cup
Sugar, 1
tablespoon
Baking
powder, 1 teaspoon
Salt, a dash
Whole or 2%
milk, ½ cup
Egg, 1 whole,
lightly beaten
Butter, 2
tablespoons, melted
Directions
Preheat the
griddle or pan, greasing the bottom lightly with butter or cooking spray. In a
medium bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In
another bowl, add the milk, beaten egg, and melted butter and stir well.
Pour the
liquid into the dry ingredients. Caution: stir the mixture only long enough
until the dry ingredients are moist. Overstirring can ruin your pancakes.
Pour the
batter onto the grill or into the frying pan, using about one quarter cup of
batter. Cook until bubbles form on the top surface and the edges firm up, then
turn the pancakes once.
Makes 4 to 5
large pancakes.