normally that would be even weirder, but . . .”
“Oh honey, I know what you’re gonna say, with me, it’s like sleeping with a girlfriend.” He laughed. “Ooh, even that came out so wrong. Any way you look at it, it almost feels incestuous. Whatever.” He tossed his hand in the air. “Slumber party it is, and I really am sorry about this. Tomorrow I will definitely find a new place to stay. Promise.” He crossed his heart, then paused a moment, his lips turning downward. “No word from Marco?”
“Hang on. It’s possible. I couldn’t have heard my phone go off at the party. Let me check. I have international coverage, so if he called I would get it.” She listened to her cell voicemail, but to no avail. The other boy of summer was off sulking somewhere. “No.”
“Oh. Well, I guess I should expect that. I thought maybe he’d rethunk it all by now. Okay, um . . .” He clapped his hands together. “I have to brush my teeth and get my jammies on.” Simon headed off to the bathroom.
Derek took her hand. “We may not get to be together tonight, but soon we will. I promise.”
Nikki went to bed wondering when that might ever happen.
Aussie Prawn and Scallop Skewers with Rosemount Diamond Chardonnay
What is a woman to do when she comes face-to-face with trouble and a little pent-up frustration? First Simon, then snakes. Throw Lucy Swanson and her Victoria’s Secret body into the mix, and there is only one answer—smile and grab a bite to eat. Don’t get mad or even, just let it go and grab yourself a prawn and shrimp skewer with a bottle of Rosemount Chardonnay and all those issues and frustrations will float away.
No roo meat for Nikki, but the shrimp and scallops were something she couldn’t get enough of. The Rosemount Chardonnay is a blend of tropical fruits and soft vanilla notes. It does not contain the buttery oak flavor many California Chardonnays do, and priced under ten dollars, it is an excellent value.
½ cup mango chutney
½ cup orange juice
¼ cup sweet and tangy barbecue sauce
8 pineapple chunks, each about 1” square
12 large prawns, peeled and deveined
12 large sea scallops
8 cherry tomatoes
8 pearl onions blanched, peeled
In a food processor or blender purée chutney, orange juice, and barbecue sauce until smooth.
Thread four 12-inch skewers in the following order: pineapple, prawn, scallop, tomato, onion, prawn, scallop, tomato, onion, prawn, scallop, pineapple.
Brush skewers liberally with sauce and place in center of cooking grate. Grill 6 to 8 minutes or until prawns are pink and scallops are opaque, turning and brushing liberally with sauce again halfway through grilling time. Serve with remaining sauce for dipping.
The tangy mango sauce makes an irresistible addition to this Australian seafood celebration. You can find mango chutney in gourmet markets and specialty stores.
Serves 4.
Chapter 5
“Do you come from a land down under? Where women glow and men plunder? Can’t you hear, can’t you hear the thunder? You better run, you better take cover.” Simon belted the famous Men at Work song and tore back the curtains, letting in the hazy sunlight.
Nikki buried her head under her pillow and muttered, “What time is it?”
“Ten thirty, darling girl.”
“What?” She lifted her head and peeled back the covers. “As in ten thirty in the morning?”
“Yup. God, wipe that look of horror off your sweet face, it doesn’t suit you. I know I’m not exactly a rock star, well . . . but anyhow, I mean, what better place in the world to wake up than in a land where women glow and men plunder? Ah, plundering men . . .”
“Oh my God, and I’m still sleeping. Where’s Derek?”
“At the Hahndorfs’. We both got up a few hours ago, cleaned up, had coffee, and you, my love, were still snoring.”
Her jaw dropped and she shook her head. “I don’t snore.”
He smiled. “Yes, you do.”
“No, I do not.”
“Oh, but you were adorable and neither Derek nor I
“Oh honey, I know what you’re gonna say, with me, it’s like sleeping with a girlfriend.” He laughed. “Ooh, even that came out so wrong. Any way you look at it, it almost feels incestuous. Whatever.” He tossed his hand in the air. “Slumber party it is, and I really am sorry about this. Tomorrow I will definitely find a new place to stay. Promise.” He crossed his heart, then paused a moment, his lips turning downward. “No word from Marco?”
“Hang on. It’s possible. I couldn’t have heard my phone go off at the party. Let me check. I have international coverage, so if he called I would get it.” She listened to her cell voicemail, but to no avail. The other boy of summer was off sulking somewhere. “No.”
“Oh. Well, I guess I should expect that. I thought maybe he’d rethunk it all by now. Okay, um . . .” He clapped his hands together. “I have to brush my teeth and get my jammies on.” Simon headed off to the bathroom.
Derek took her hand. “We may not get to be together tonight, but soon we will. I promise.”
Nikki went to bed wondering when that might ever happen.
Aussie Prawn and Scallop Skewers with Rosemount Diamond Chardonnay
What is a woman to do when she comes face-to-face with trouble and a little pent-up frustration? First Simon, then snakes. Throw Lucy Swanson and her Victoria’s Secret body into the mix, and there is only one answer—smile and grab a bite to eat. Don’t get mad or even, just let it go and grab yourself a prawn and shrimp skewer with a bottle of Rosemount Chardonnay and all those issues and frustrations will float away.
No roo meat for Nikki, but the shrimp and scallops were something she couldn’t get enough of. The Rosemount Chardonnay is a blend of tropical fruits and soft vanilla notes. It does not contain the buttery oak flavor many California Chardonnays do, and priced under ten dollars, it is an excellent value.
½ cup mango chutney
½ cup orange juice
¼ cup sweet and tangy barbecue sauce
8 pineapple chunks, each about 1” square
12 large prawns, peeled and deveined
12 large sea scallops
8 cherry tomatoes
8 pearl onions blanched, peeled
In a food processor or blender purée chutney, orange juice, and barbecue sauce until smooth.
Thread four 12-inch skewers in the following order: pineapple, prawn, scallop, tomato, onion, prawn, scallop, tomato, onion, prawn, scallop, pineapple.
Brush skewers liberally with sauce and place in center of cooking grate. Grill 6 to 8 minutes or until prawns are pink and scallops are opaque, turning and brushing liberally with sauce again halfway through grilling time. Serve with remaining sauce for dipping.
The tangy mango sauce makes an irresistible addition to this Australian seafood celebration. You can find mango chutney in gourmet markets and specialty stores.
Serves 4.
Chapter 5
“Do you come from a land down under? Where women glow and men plunder? Can’t you hear, can’t you hear the thunder? You better run, you better take cover.” Simon belted the famous Men at Work song and tore back the curtains, letting in the hazy sunlight.
Nikki buried her head under her pillow and muttered, “What time is it?”
“Ten thirty, darling girl.”
“What?” She lifted her head and peeled back the covers. “As in ten thirty in the morning?”
“Yup. God, wipe that look of horror off your sweet face, it doesn’t suit you. I know I’m not exactly a rock star, well . . . but anyhow, I mean, what better place in the world to wake up than in a land where women glow and men plunder? Ah, plundering men . . .”
“Oh my God, and I’m still sleeping. Where’s Derek?”
“At the Hahndorfs’. We both got up a few hours ago, cleaned up, had coffee, and you, my love, were still snoring.”
Her jaw dropped and she shook her head. “I don’t snore.”
He smiled. “Yes, you do.”
“No, I do not.”
“Oh, but you were adorable and neither Derek nor I
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