Is there anything better than a dangerous mystery book along with something tasty to eat?

My mom collected the Nancy Drew books when she was a girl. In my childhood home, she lined them all up on two shelves of the floor-to-ceiling oak bookcases. When I passed a milestone- good grades on my report card, did extra chores, was nice to my little brothers- my mom let me read the next mystery.

As I read through the Nancy Drew series, I searched for other mysteries, especially during the triple-digit days of summer in Northern California. The Boxcar Children, the Babysitter’s club, the Mandie mystery series, the Hardy Boys and the Adventures of the Bobbsey Twins filled the hours of summer.

As I got older, I dived into the classics of Agatha Christie, then Mary Higgins Clark and many other intriguing mystery books. I imagined what mysteries might lie right in my own little world. As stories came to me, I began to write them down, bringing the characters in my head into life.

Along with reading mysteries, cooking and baking are near and dear to my heart. Gathering people and feeding them is such fun. Food is a wonderful way to get to know people.

I’ve gotten to know so many wonderful people and had many rich conversations over a good (or not so good!) meal as well as solved a personal mystery or two.

If you’d like to know more about the other books, get the recipes from the books (along with other goodies I come up with throughout the year), go to www.poppymhaas.com

You can also find me on Facebook @poppymhaas

It would be such fun to connect!