A Leap of Faith

Here is an excerpt from the novel, A Leap of Faith, which can be purchased for your Kindle at Amazon or the Nook and Barnes and Noble


St. Louis

           Laurel laughed as she read Maggie’s email.   “Good morning. What’s going on?” asked Ellie as she walked into the back office of the catering kitchen. She placed her purse on the hook of the sturdy antique oak clothes tree, and put on a clean, long white apron.

            “Hi, yourself,” answered Laurel. “I just finished reading Maggie’s email. She said ‘hi’ to you and will work on the menus and Blog. She wants a sample of the food,” Laurel remarked, as she looked at Ellie with a big smile on her face.

            “Food and Maggie – why am I not surprised?” chuckled Ellie. “Here is the list for the party on Friday. I also worked on a few menus and we can send those to Maggie. See what you think,” Ellie added, as she sat down in the black office chair next to Laurel’s.

            Laurel took the list, pulled down her reading glasses that were perched on her head, and put them on. Fingering a piece of her short frosted hair, and jiggling her foot, Laurel looked over the new menu. “Looks good,” she murmured, complimenting Ellie.

            “Here’s the printed menu for this Friday night’s party,” Ellie said as she handed the menu to Laurel.

1. Appetizers: Coconut Shrimp, Pineapple wrapped Prosciutto skewers, Chicken Sate with Peanut Sauce, skewered Buffalo Mozzarella with Cherry Tomatoes in Balsamic Dressing, Corncakes with Mango Sauce.
2. Ancho Chili Glazed Ribs with Southwest Sauce.
3. Salmon Wellington with Crabmeat, Asparagus and Roasted Red Pepper Cheese Sauce.
4. Roasted Red Skin Potatoes with fresh savory Herbs and Garlic Butter.
5. Rice Pilaf with Pine Nuts and Lemon Dill Sauce.
6. Green Beans Almandine. Glazed Baby Carrots with fresh mint.
7. Chilled Cucumber Salad with Dill and Yogurt Dressing.
8. Vine ripe Tomato and Onion Salad with Balsamic Dressing.
9. Freshly baked herb Focaccia Bread.
10. Decadent Vanilla Bean Cheesecake with Ghirardelli Chocolate Ganache, assorted mini Napoleons, and fresh mini Strawberry Tarts.

            “As Maggie would say, ‘yum.’  Now we just have to check and order what we need and start preparing.”

Ellie took back the list, looked it over, and said, “We have to send this menu to Maggie. I bet she eats the paper. Everything sounds so good.” Both women laughed at the visual picture of Maggie reading the menu, salivating, printing it up and eating it.

            “Let’s get our food list together, and place our order. If we get the order in by 9:00, we can pick it up by 10,” said Laurel.

            “I’m on it. I’ll see what we have here and then call the list in. Did you make any coffee?” asked Ellie.     

“There’s a fresh pot in the kitchen.”

While going into the kitchen to get coffee, Ellie looked to see what they had on their shelves, and in the freezer. She wrote the rest of the items that she needed to order.

Laurel emailed the menu to Maggie as a teaser:

Maggie…

Check out this menu for our Friday

night party that we are catering.

 L