Cynthia Hickey's Johnny Marzetti

Multi-published and Amazon Best-Selling author Cynthia Hickey had three cozy mysteries and two novellas published through Barbour Publishing. Her first mystery, Fudge-Laced Felonies, won first place in the inspirational category of the Great Expectations contest in 2007. Her third cozy, Chocolate-Covered Crime, received a four-star review from Romantic Times. All three cozies have been re-released as ebooks through the MacGregor Literary Agency, along with a new cozy series, all of which stay in the top 50 of Amazon’s ebooks for their genre. She has several historical romances releasing in 2013, 2014, 2015 through Harlequin’s Heartsong Presents, and has sold more than 300,000 copies of her works. Cynthia is a board member for CAN (Christian Authors Network). She is active on FB, twitter, and Goodreads, and is a contributor to Cozy Mystery Magazone blog and Suspense Sisters blog. Her and her husband run the small press, Forget Me Not Romances, which includes some of the CBA’s well-known authors. She lives in Arizona with her husband, one of their seven children, two dogs and two cats. She has five grandchildren who keep her busy and tell everyone they know that “Nana is a writer”. Visit her website at www.cynthiahickey.com

Cynthia's Latest Book Release: Poison Bubbles

After the horrific experience of saving the lives of her niece and fiancé, Stormi Nelson takes the family to a retreat high in the Ozark mountains. It doesn't take long before a dead body in a bubble bath turns the vacation into anything but. Forbidden to leave since they are all suspects, Stormi's family spends two weeks in a resort that is not at all relaxing. From horseback riding, bear attacks, and zip-lining, it gets to the point Stormi is afraid to leave her cabin! Join in on another misadventure as the newly credited Private Investigator/Author Stormi Nelson tries to survive vacation without being killed. Buy the book HERE. 

Cynthia's Johnny Marzetti

Here is a recipe we serve when we have large gatherings of people. It's a family favorite.

1 pound macaroni pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
8 ounces mushrooms, chopped
2 pounds ground beef (or swap 1 lb. for Italian sausage)
Salt and pepper
2 (14 oz) cans tomato sauce
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon Italian herbs
Pinch sugar
2 cups cheddar cheese, divided
2 cups Italian blend cheese, divided

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to boil for the macaroni. Cook the macaroni until on the firmer side of al dente, about 7 minutes. I like to under do it because it will continue to soften in the casserole. Drain the pasta, then return it to the pot and set aside.

In the meantime, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, green pepper, and mushrooms to the skillet and saute until softened, about five minutes. Add the ground beef and cook until no pink remains. Drain the fat off the beef mixture, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, garlic, oregano, Italian herbs, and sugar to the beef mixture. Allow it to simmer for five or so minutes, stirring occasionally. Carefully pour the beef mixture into the pot with the noodles and stir to combine. Add 1 cup of cheddar cheese and 1 cup of Italian blend to the mix. Pour the mixture into a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. Top with the remaining 2 cups of cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cheese is golden and melted. Top with parsley for serving.