freezer. I was going to make them during the blizzard, but we didn’t need them.”
“Vegetable salad would be good. There’ll be a gravy with the brisket and we can always put that in a gravy boat. I think I’ll try to make Savory Tortilla Cups to fill with the vegetable salad.”
“Savory Tortilla Cups? What are those?”
“I’ve got a package of tortillas that I can dip in Italian dressing, coat with finely grated Parmesan cheese, and press into muffin cups. I’ll bake them, cool them, and then we can fill them with the salad.”
“Sounds great! I don’t remember having Savory Tortilla Cups before.”
“That’s because I’ve never baked them before. The recipe for Tortilla Snickerdoodle Cookies popped into my mind when I was baking them the last time. And I’ll make Sweet Tortilla Cups dipped in cinnamon and sugar, too. There’s ice cream in the freezer and we can have those for dessert.”
Michelle looked slightly concerned. “I’m always a little nervous about trying out new recipes on company,” she confessed.
“Normally, I’d agree with you. It’s always risky without a trial run, but I’ve had more successes than failures. Besides, this time these recipes are foolproof.”
“Foolproof? What do you mean?”
“I mean there’s everything to gain and nothing to lose. If the Savory Tortilla Cups don’t work, we’ll just toss them in the trash, put the vegetable salad in a bowl, and let everyone serve themselves at the table. And if the Sweet Tortilla Cups don’t work, we’ll serve the ice cream in dessert dishes.”
Michelle thought about that for a moment, and then she started to smile. “You’re right. They are foolproof. I just wish . . .”
Michelle’s voice trailed off and Hannah noticed that her sister looked thoughtful. “What do you wish, Michelle?”
“I was just wishing that love could be as foolproof as trying your recipes for Savory Tortilla Cups and Sweet Tortilla Cups. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
Hannah gave a little laugh. “It certainly would! If love were as easy as trying out new recipes, I’d be a lot happier today!”
“Because you never would have married Ross?”
“You got it! If I’d tried out love with Ross back in college, I wouldn’t have even considered marrying him later. Instead, I would have taken him to the airport and let him fly off without getting engaged.”
“Really?” Michelle looked surprised at her sister’s admission.
“It could have happened that way. And right now, I wish it had happened that way. I would have saved myself a lot of grief.”
Michelle nodded. “That’s true. But maybe your heart would have won out and you would have married him anyway.”
“I guess that’s possible. Baking is a lot easier than love, isn’t it!”
It was a statement rather than a question and Michelle laughed. “You said it!” she said, and then she hurried off to the freezer to get the package of mixed vegetables.
BEERY GOOD BEEF BRISKET
You will need a 4 to 5quart slow cooker for this recipe.
8 small red potatoes (not peeled, just wash them)
12 fresh carrot nuggets (found in produce aisle al- ready pared—I used Bunny brand)
4 small onions, quartered
1 small can button mushrooms, drained
4-pound beef brisket, trimmed and cut in half
1 can (14.5 ounces) beef broth (I used Swanson)
½ cup dark molasses (spray inside of measuring cup with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray for easy removal)
1 cup beer (I used Guinness Stout)
1 teaspoon marjoram
1 teaspoon thyme
¼ teaspoon cardamom (if you don’t have it, use cinnamon)
1 Tablespoon minced jarred garlic
½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 packages dry beef gravy mix, the kind that makes 1 cup (I used Schilling)
salt and pepper to taste
Hannah’s 1st Note: If you don’t want to use beer in this recipe, you can substitute a cup of beef broth or a cup of tomato juice.
Spray the inside crock of your slow cooker with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray. (This will make it easier to wash later.)
Place the red potatoes in the bottom of the crock.
Place the carrot nuggets on top of the potatoes.
Place the onion quarters on top of the carrot nuggets.
Place the drained, button mushrooms on top of the onion pieces.
If you haven’t already done so, cut the beef brisket in half and trim off the layer of fat to make it as lean as possible.
Add both pieces of brisket to your crock.
Place the beef broth in a mixing bowl.
Add the dark molasses to the beef broth.
Add the cup of beer to the bowl.
Add the marjoram, thyme, and cardamom (or cinnamon) to your bowl.
Add the jarred garlic to the bowl.
Add the coarsely ground