Shelley Shepard Gray's Blog, page 31

A Biscuit Recipe

I bake for just about any reason. For me, there's something about putting a bunch of ingredients in a bowl, turning on my Kitchen Aid mixer, and making something good in about an hour that is theraputic.  Almost any occasion gives me a reason to put on an apron and bake.

 In an especially good mood? Cookies! Stressed about a book?  Bake cookies! A little blue? Cookies, again!

Needless to say, I spent a lot of time in the kitchen this past weekend. Baking for other people makes me feel good.

On Friday morning, I decided to make my ultimate comfort food, sausage and biscuits and gravy. I can't tell you the times I've had this meal~it's a favorite of mine, and a favorite of my kids, too.  Usually I just make drop biscuits using good old Bisquick, but on Friday morning I realized the box was empty.

It was time to make them from scratch.

When I was little, I used to watch my dad make biscuits from scratch all the time. He used self-rising flour and Crisco. He'd pat the dough down with his hands and then use a juice glass to cut out neat circles.  Since we also didn't have any self-rising flour or Crisco on Friday morning, I found a recipe in an old Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.

 Instead of using a  juice glass, I used a heart-shaped cookie cutter.  In no time at all I was on my way!

I'm happy to say the biscuits turned out  fluffy and delicious. They held up well under a helping of gravy, and were the perfect balance to my favorite cherry preserves. Actually, they were such a success that I might not be in a hurry to buy another box of Bisquick!

So, here's a recipe for you for biscuits. Make a batch, get out some tart cherry preserves, and enjoy one (or three!) for me. : )

Classic Biscuits

5 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon + 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 Tablespoon salt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, chilled

2 cups buttermilk (I used skim milk)

To Make:

1) heat oven to 450*. In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

2) Make well in mixture and pour in milk. Mix until just blended.

3) Lightly flour countertop and roll out dough.  Dough should be about 3/4  inch thick. Cut out biscuits.

4) Bake in oven until lightly browned, about 8-12 minutes, depending on size of biscuits and thickness of dough.

Enjoy!

Hope y'all have a great Tuesday!

Blessings,

Shelley

Beginning again…

Every once in a while, when I get frustrated with myself or the book I'm working on, I look at my bookcovers. I get each one framed and I hang it on my office wall, just so I can remind myself that the stuff I write really can turn into a real book on the shelf.

Today's been one of those counting days.

Last week was hard. Really hard. I've been sad about Betsy and just as sad to see my daughter mourn the loss of her godmother. We hosted Tom's family for a few days and that was wonderfully good medicine for me. I got to do laundry and cook and wash dishes and do it all over again. Those are definitely not my usual favorite activities, but I was very grateful for the busy-ness of it all.

Now, though, everyone has gone home and it's time to more forward and do what I do- and what I do is write.

So this morning I began MISSING, Book 1 of my new series for Avon Inspire.  The goal for today was ten pages. I did it-but it took me five hours. Along the way, I ate some yogurt, had innumerable cups of coffee and tea, and did two loads of towels.

And then I got bored and frustrated with myself so I counted books. The bookcovers weren't enough inspiration, so I added all the books that I've finished but are somewhere in the publication process-there are seven of those. Then I counted again.

Grand total?

 MISSING is the 32nd book I'm writing. 32! That's a lot of books, and oh, about 31 more than I ever imagined I'd be able to complete back when I first started eleven years ago.

Now? I feel a little better about things. I'm doing my job. I'm getting things done. And tomorrow, I'll write another ten pages, making little tally marks on a Post-it note as I complete each page.

I'll write more tomorrow here, too. It's hard to move on, but it's the right thing to do. And maybe one day soon, I won't even have to count pages for five hours. And if I do? Well, that's okay. I happen to have lots of time to write. : )

With blessings, and with thanks to all of you for your very kind notes.

Shelley

Plans Change

I think one of the most important things I've ever learned is that plans change. Accidents happen, unexpected problems arise, and sometimes things just aren't meant to be. As someone who loves to plan and count on things, this was a hard concept for me to learn. I know my faith has really helped me understand that everything really is in His hands, not mine.

His plans have never been more evident for me than this week. On Tuesday night, just after I'd packed two suitcases, we learned that my sister-in-law's time was near the end. Within an hour, my husband called his boss, the trip was cancelled, and everything for our vacation was put away.

Tom got some sleep, then left early Wednesday morning to go be with his sister. I'm sorry to share that my sister-in-law Betsy passed away last night. However, she was surrounded by her husband and her family, which we are all thankful for.

Knowing Betsy has been such a blessing for me. She was so very smart-a Harvard grad and a doctor. She was a triathlete and could make the most amazing chocolate. She played the drums, loved to read, had gold eyes and a truly beautiful smile. But most importantly, she had a kind, loving heart and brought much happiness to everyone who knew her.

We selfishly wanted her around for much longer, but of course God had other plans.

with blessings to you all.

Shelley

Thankful

I guess trouble comes in threes.  Shortly after I recovered from my surgery, my mother-in-law went into the hospital. She was there for two weeks but now is doing much better. At the same time, my sister-in-law, who's been fighting cancer, took a turn for the worse. She's in the hospital now.

As you can imagine, this has all been fairly stressful. We've been worried and my husband has been gone a lot, visiting with his family. I've been doing what I can, all while making sure things here at home are as stable as possible.

But just yesterday, as I was walking out of the hospital in Bloomington, I realized we still had a lot to be thankful for. My husband is blessed with a wonderful family that drops everything to be with each other. My very dear sister-in-law has been such a special part of our lives. I'm so thankful that we were transferred from Colorado to Cincinnati twelve years ago. During that time, we've spent many holidays with her and her husband.

Finally, I was so thankful for my children yesterday. My daughter stayed in Indiana with my husband last night so he wouldn't be alone. And as my son and I were walking to the parking garage, he took the keys and said he'd drive me home.  I was so thankful for that!

During our three hour drive, I sat, and he fought traffic. I talked and he listened. After a while, he even started telling me college stories because he knows how much I enjoy them.

Tomorrow, my husband and I are off to Mexico! He's a salesman, and he won his incentive trip, so of course I'm thankful for that. But what I really am looking forward to is a few days of sitting next to him on the beach, reading other peoples' books, and taking a few days off.

I'll look forward to sharing a picture or two on Monday!

With blessings,

shelley

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY

Though it's only Friday, I'm already looking forward to Mother's Day. We don't have anything special planned, but that's the way I like it-I love days with nothing to do but sit and relax. My husband's been out of town so much, he's hoping to spend Sunday at the golf course with my son-followed by grilling hamburgers. While he's doing that, I hope to sit on our back patio, sip iced tea, and read.

 I hope the weather cooperates!

Do you have a favorite Mother's Day story? One of my favorites is when my daughter and gave me a bottle of wine for Mother's Day. There's a story there, of course~my husband took her and my son to the grocery store to buy me some flowers.  While there, Lesley-who was only about five years old-saw a bottle of white wine and promptly took hold of it. All through the store, she carried it carefully in her arms, much to my husband's dismay.

When he finally asked her why she was carrying around a bottle of Chardonnay, he discovered that Lesley had overheard me tell him that the glass of wine I was having with dinner was super.  Next thing my husband knew, Lesley marched up to the check out lady and told her (and everyone nearby) all about her mother, who really loved wine! (I can only imagine the looks my poor husband got!)

Anyway, on Mother's Day, Lesley very proudly brought me breakfast in bed…and handed me a bottle of white wine, too. I can't remember when I've laughed so hard-or been so embarrassed- since.

 I hope all of you moms have a wonderful Sunday. If you have a fun Mother's Day story, I'd love to hear it!

with blessings,

Shelley

Reservations

Though I've been working on two sets of line edits this week, I've also had a bit of free time. That's been so great! I watched The Blind Side with both my kids on Tuesday afternoon, which was such a nice treat. It was raining outside, and somehow all three of us ended up on the couch together. All of us had also seen that movie several times, so it was a nice, comfortable 'movie' time.  We'd talk about scenes we liked, play with the dogs a little bit, go get more Wheat Thins…you know how it goes.  It was the type of afternoon I miss so much. When they were little-I could get them to watch Scooby Doo anytime/anyplace. Now…having them both in the same state is a rarity. Now I never take time with my kids for granted!

This week I've also been making plane and hotel reservations which is very fun! I'll be going to the annual Romance Writers of America conference at the end of June, and this year it's in NYC.  The last time RWA had the conference in NYC, I had only published two novels with a library publisher, and I wanted a contract with a big house so badly I could taste it!  I vividly remember sitting in the lobby of the Marriott Marquis, watching all the authors leave the hotel in fancy dresses, going to publishers' parties. I have to admit it-I was jealous! My agent, who was all dolled up in a black and white gown, very kindly told me that I just needed to be patient. 

It took a couple of more years before I finally did get that contract, but Mary Sue was right- that contract was well worth the wait.

Anyway, it was fun making those plane reservations…and hotel ones, too! I'm going to share a room with two of my critique partners for part of the week, then will switch hotels and spend two evenings in NYC with my husband. So, on Friday night, I'll have a date for those publisher parties, and then on Saturday night, we're going to go see a play. We'll be celebrating our 22nd anniversary, too, so it's sure to be a very special weekend.  I can't wait!

Just yesterday I made a room reservation in Sugarcreek for the end of this month. I got invited to an Amish wedding! It's on a Wednesday morning, so Tom and I will drive up to Sugarcreek on Tuesday. I feel so blessed that my Amish friends invited us to share in their joyous day. Now I just have to figure out what to wear…

Finally, I made a hotel reservation for Vancouver for June. We'll be all sharing a room together before we set sail on a cruise. We're taking our kids on an Alaskan cruise as kind of our last big family adventure. My daughter is graduating high school, and then will be off to school in Kentucky. I know next summer my son will be either working or interning somewhere and my daughter will be busy, too. I can't wait to spend seven nights with my little family-seven dinners together! Seven nights playing hearts!

All these fun trips mean one thing…I better get back to work!

What about y'all? Has anyone planned a summer trip yet? Has anyone been to Alaska in June? I have a feeling it's going to be cold!

Shelley

Another photo

Here I am with Wendy Bartlett of the Cuyahoga County Library. This is right after I finished signing books…and Wendy was kind enough to want a copy of The Caregiver for herself!  Just last week I received two emails from librarians, asking if I really did visit libraries.  Yep, I really do. : )

For me, today is a nice mixture of work and home jobs. My son came home with three bags of laundry. So I'm doing laundry and running errands with him.  I'm also looking over line edits for The Survivor. This is Mattie and Graham's story. It's fun to read the book again…and fun to be back to work on an Amish book. I think that means I'm finally just about ready to start working hard on MISSING.

Happy Tuesday! It's raining here. Again.

Shelley

Tornadoes, Hospitals, and Angels

Last night, my husband and I went to our small group Bible study again. There (while eating pieces of amazingly good chocolate cake) we finished up our study of Angels in the Bible. I was particularly happy to be thinking about angels last night because I've truly felt that quite a few guardian angels have been present in our lives lately.

Two weeks ago, my mother-in-law was exhausted and had a very low heart beat. A doctor's visit turned into surgery for a pacemaker. Unfortunately, there were complications afterwards-and she ended up being in the hospital for two weeks. She got out last Saturday and is doing much better-hooray! But I will admit there were a couple of days that were scary. She definitely had some angels looking after her!

I've been particulary thinking about all the victims in Tuscaloosa this past week, too. I know that many people died or are currently in the hospital. Lots of others have lost their homes. I've been feeling very blessed and thankful that my son is okay. He called me right after the tornado hit and said he was fine. But as the days passed, he's sounded more shaken up as the devastation of the area hit home for him. The tornado hit ground just a half-mile from his apartment-in fact, he saw it! After heading south for a few days (lots of road damage north), he's now driving home. We aren't sure when he'll go back. He needs to take a couple of finals-but with no power, contaminated water, and the National Guard in Tuscaloosa keeping order, things are still pretty tough there. I'm very thankful he is safe! Even though he's way taller than me, I can't wait to give him a hug!

Besides those two events, everything here has just been as busy as ever. My daughter had prom on Saturday night. She looked beautiful and had a great time. I finished A Texan's Honor (a western historical) and completed revisions for A Texan's Promise (first book in the western historical series). I wrote the first chapter of MISSING (first book in 2012 Amish series), then because the pacing wasn't right, I rewrote that chapter another three times.

Today I'm back to my normal routine, and will do a grocery run for what my husband fondly calls 'boy food'. Chips, sandwich ingredients, Coke (not Diet Coke), Oreos, cans of soup. I know my son will come home hungry!

Please let me know what you've been up to this past week!

Shelley

Happy Easter!

We just finished up the dinner dishes and are about to settle in for our regular Sunday night show, Amazing Race.

Coconut Cream Pie!

Today was a very good day. Lesley, Tom, and I went to the 11:00 am service at church this morning and I'm very happy to announce that we got a seat in one of the first rows! I love sitting up front in church. I like being able to see everything and hear everything.  It is definitely not the rest of my family's favorite spot. If they had their way, we'd be sitting in the back row.

After church, I put on jeans and a t-shirt and baked with my daughter. We made a coconut cream pie and Easter cookies. I think both turned out just fine~but what was more important to me was the time I spent with Lesley. We listened to music, sipped Diet Cokes,  laughed a lot, and made a very big mess.

So even though this Easter was far different than how it was when my kids were young, it was still a very fine day.

What did y'all do? Anyone else bake today? Anyone bake a ham? We didn't-we had steak and baked potatoes! And how about those rows at church-did anyone else arrive early in order to get a good seat? With blessings to you all. He is Risen!  Shelley

Easter Cookies!

High Noon

This week, it's all things western for me. I'm finishing up A Texan's Honor (which will be released in the spring of 2012) and working on revisions for A Texan's Promise (Sept. 2011).  It' s a nice change of pace for me…I've begun MISSING which will be the first book of my new Amish series, but I'm not quite ready to dig into it.

I've also finished revisions on Christmas in Sugarcreek, which means I finally get to take a break from snow, holly, and Christmas music on my Ipod!

I happen to love old westerns.  Anytime The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly is on, I'll happily watch it with a big bowl of popcorn.  There's something about those old westerns with the clean line of 'good' and 'evil' that I just love.

My favorite old western is High Noon, with Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly. I first watched it with my dad when I was probably thirteen or fourteen. Though at first I wasn't very impressed with the black and white image on the TV, I quickly became enthralled with Gary Cooper. (Really, who wouldn't be?)

 As then tension grew, I glanced my dad's way. He smiled a little, motioned for me to watch the screen when the gunfire started, then winked as things got exciting.

I've never forgotten that moment. I felt happy and content. And mesmerized, too.

Right then and there I decided I loved westerns. Not just for the stories, but for the memories they remind me of…sitting on the couch with my dad, watching an old movie, and sharing a special moment.

Anyone have a favorite old movie? I'd love to hear what ones you love.

With blessings,

Shelley