Celebrate August with California Tamale Pie

California Tamale Pie

August is the only month without a holiday or other celebration of sorts.  So if you have a birthday in August (like me), appreciate that your special day isn't overshadowed by something else!

Okay, in August, what can you think of to celebrate with an easy, tasty tamale pie?  How about the Michigan Powerball winner?  I'm sure that person is getting his/her financial ducks in a row before coming forward to claim all $337,000,000!!  Happy winnings to you, Powerball winner, whoever you are!  And with that amount of money, you'll never have to cook for yourself again--please pass this recipe on to your new cook.

Now for a bit of shameless self promotion--I'm celebrating the release of my new novel, Escape, tomorrow!  Read last week's post to find out more. 

And now, on to food! This California Tamale Pie is for the crock pot.   It's simple and delicious, which in itself  is worth celebrating, and it tastes like a million!

This recipe is from Mabel Hoffman's Crockery Cookery. If there are four or more in your home, I strongly recommend doubling the recipe.  The first time I made it, I sampled some before dinner, but ended up eating nearly half--it's that good! Enjoy!

California Tamale Pie

3/4 cup yellow corn meal
1 cup milk
1 egg slightly beaten
1 lb lean ground beef
1 t chili powder
1/2 t ground cumin
1 t seasoned salt
1 (14 oz.) can chunky salsa
1 (16 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (2.25 oz.) can sliced ripe olives, drained
1 cup cheddar cheese

In a large bowl, mix cornmeal, milk and egg.  Stir in meat, chili powder, cumin, salt, salsa, corn and olives.  Pour mixture into slow cooker.  Cover and cook on HIGH 3 to 4 hours.  Sprinkle cheese over top; cover and cook another 5 minutes.  Makes 6-8 servings.

I'd never heard of tamale pie until I found this recipe.  Have you ever had it?  Also, do you celebrate anything in August? Thanks for visiting!

Release Date of Escape, August 21

I finally have a release date for my new novel, Escape: Book One of the Unchained Trilogy!  Look for it next Tuesday, August 21!

The Unchained Trilogy is an explosive three book series of love, deceit, emotional destruction and in the end, forgiveness. 

In Escape (Book One) Daniel and Lori love each other, yet to live as one in 1856, they must escape from the unyielding society that imprisons them.

Lori was born a slave in North Carolina, yet by chance was raised alongside Daniel in a wealthy abolitionist household. The sudden death of Daniel’s mother catapults Lori back into bondage.

Relegated to chattel on a rice plantation, Lori lives in constant fear under the tormenting scrutiny of Daniel’s wretched Aunt Lucinda.

After Daniel fails to convince his relatives to free Lori, he is compelled to devise a daring escape. Although a life threatening endeavor for both of them, Lori’s freedom is priceless to Daniel, and he’s willing to pay such a price for her love.

Escape will be available through Amazon (Kindle version 2.99 and paperback 12.99) and Barnes and Noble (Nook version 2.99).

A brief excerpt follows:

Chapter 1

Wilmington, North Carolina

1856

I can do this...I can do this...Lori repeated the words to herself as if willing them to be true.  Under a brightly shining moon, she stood on the back porch of Rebecca Taylor’s home and slipped the strap of a filled canteen around her neck.  Lori tucked it to one side, then reached for the worn leather satchel at her feet and did the same. The cornbread and salt pork wrapped inside would last for about three days.

      

Miss Rebecca was dead now, leaving Lori with no alternative but to run.

      

You’d be a fool to try!  Don’t even think about setting off on your own, you’ll never make it!  Lori forced Daniel’s protests from her mind, instead hearing the cicadas and crickets chirp around her.  Daniel couldn’t stop her because she refused to be dragged off to Dancing Oaks!

      

This was her one chance at freedom.  Don’t go...you can’t...Again, Daniel’s words played through her head—and this time, also her heart.  For a moment, Lori hesitated.  Her feelings for Daniel were silly.  He was Miss Rebecca’s son, yet why had he been so adamant about her not trying to escape?  He’d tried to convince his uncle to free her—but that hadn’t worked, so now Lori was taking matters into her own hands.

If you like historical fiction, please consider adding Escape to your reading list! By the way, what are you reading now? I just started Nancy Taylor Rosenberg's Buried Evidence and Jane Smiley's Private Life.  Thanks for visiting!