Kim McMahill

I hope everyone enjoyed Black Friday and is ready for a more relaxing Cyber Monday. If you’re in the mood for action, adventure, romance, or crime fiction, please check out my Amazon page. There is something for everyone—cowboys, former Army Rangers, FBI agents, CIA, archeologists, and teens on the run in a dystopian world. Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Kim-McMahill/

In keeping with what has become a bit of a blog tradition, I’m sharing my pumpkin cheesecake recipe with readers since I’m not a huge fan of the traditional pumpkin pie. Enjoy the cheesecake, if you choose to give it a try, and I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE Crust : Crush 10 whole graham crackers and mix with 3 tablespoons of sugar and 3 tablespoons of butter. Press into a 10 inch cheesecake spring pan (bottom and 2 inches up the sides). Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. Remove. Filling : Beat together until smooth, 2 (8-oz) packages of cream cheese (works best if softened), 1 cup of light cream, 1 cup of canned pumpkin, ¾ cup of sugar, 4 egg yolks (save whites in a separate bowl), 3 tablespoons of flour, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, ½ teaspoon each of ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Beat egg whites until stiff and gently fold into the pumpkin mixture. Pour over prepared crust and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Baking times vary, so...

I've traveled all over the world, but until last month, I've never visited the West Coast of the United States. We headed southwest until we reached California's redwoods, and then drove Highway 101 north to Astoria, Oregon before heading home. It was an amazing trip filled with amazing scenery, interesting wildlife, fantastic food, and diverse weather (we had sun, rain, and snow at Crater Lake National Park). It was a truly remarkable trip that I hope to repeat soon.  

If it weren’t for the fact that winter is just around the corner, fall might be my favorite season. I love the colors, temperatures, and the lull after a busy tourist season. Everything in the garden has been harvested, frozen, dried, canned or otherwise dealt with. It’s been a lot of work, so I’m kind of glad that’s behind me for now, though by the first of the year, I’ll be itching to start planning next year’s garden. With slower times associated with the season, we’ were able to get out and take a road trip to the west coast while the roads and high-mountain passes were still in good shape. It was my first drive along the Oregon and Washington coasts, and the scenery and wildlife were amazing. We also dipped into Northern California to take a peek at the redwoods-well worth the effort. I hope everyone is having the opportunity to enjoy their fall favorites, and I wish you all a happy Thanksgiving. WRITING NOTES AND NEWS I’ve finished the latest round of edits on, A Refuge from ...