Kay Nimitz Smith's Blog, page 2

Granini's Monkey Bread Failure

Granini's Monkey Bread Failure



Soooooooo....

I learned a lot about making Monkey Bread for the first time.

1. Do not use my homemade biscuit dough as a base for the monkey bread. Yes, my biscuits are amazing. But for monkey bread? I think I would prefer my dinner roll recipe as the base. (Here's why: My biscuit dough is flakey and crisp on the outside and soft and delicious on the inside normally, but in the failed monkey dough disaster experiment, they were mushy and mealy. Bleh.)

2. I baked my monkey bread per the directions off of several pinterest 'no fail' recipes, and baked them for 30 minutes. They were SOOOO underbaked. I baked them for another 10 minutes, and thought they looked okay. However, they were so not okay. They truly needed another 10 minutes. The insides were underbaked, but not raw. And the caramel sauce had not had a chance to quite set up like it should have.

And why, you ask, did I veer from the recipe that required biscuits in a can? Perhaps my monkey bread would have turned out had I done so. But I veered from the recipe because I never ever ever eat biscuits from a can. Nor do I eat bisquick biscuits. Which is a bit of an inside joke between my husband and I.

The idea of biscuits from a can seems unappetizing to me. I'm sure that if you're brought up with biscuits in a can they can be quite delicious. I have no problem whatsoever with packaged goods. I'm a glutton. I eat pop tarts and peanut butter captain crunch and a whole long list of other foods that are bad for me and are filled with preservatives and so forth. I am not a food snob. I use Lipton onion soup mix, Lawry's taco seasoning, and cream of mushroom soup on a regular basis. I'm also an enormous fan of Tostito's cheese dip -- a quicker and easier way to eat my childhood favorite Velveeta cheese dip  with Rotel tomatoes and chilis, green onions, and cilantro.

 But not once have I ever found the appeal of biscuits in a can. Probably because making biscuits from scratch is a relatively easy feat. Very difficult (for me) to screw up. Tasty and delicious. Flaky, buttery, soft, and oh so tasty. Sometimes when I eat processed food, all I can taste is the weird processed food bits. I can't taste the actual FOOD part. It's almost like eating something that's been served in a bowl that still has soapy water in it. You can taste the soapy water and can't really taste the actual food. When you're brought up with those tastes, they taste fine to you. You've acquired a taste for those extra flavors. But when you've been brought up on homemade biscuits or homemade pie dough it's a challenge to eat something out of a box. The difference between chocolate pudding out of a box and chocolate pudding from scratch is two completely different experiences. So yes, perhaps I am a selective food snob. Some foods just taste better to me when they're made from scratch. Others, I've grown accustomed to and like just fine. So eat the food that tastes good to you. And I'll do my best to help come up with recipes that are easy to follow, use only a handful of packaged ingredients (if any at all), and taste pretty terrific.

3. In the future, note to self, do NOT bake monkey bread on a top rack with cheesy au gratin potatoes directly below them. 
The monkey bread WILL drip over and down. 
And into your cheesy au gratin potatoes.
And all over the bottom of the oven.

UGH.
I was able to scoop the syrupy caramel sauce from the top of the potatoes and dump it out into the sink. I rearranged the items in the oven and placed them both on the top rack. The potatoes ended up turning out just fine. Whew. And the rest of the Easter brunch turned out just fine. But man, what a disappointment.
I don't often fail miserably when it comes to baking when I follow recipes. My greatest mishaps have always been when I try to create something on my own. But man alive, this was one truly disappointing disaster.
Tune in next week when I try them again. Using my Parker House dinner roll recipe.
If they don't turn out, I'll just go back to making my cinnamon rolls. They're amazing.
* * * * *I not only bake and cook, I write murder mysteries too! Both books are available in paperback and kindle versions

Diamonds for Diamond 
(Book 1 in the Jack Diamond Mystery series)
and
No One Noticed
(Book 2 in the Jack Diamond Mystery Series)
* * * * *

Granini's Chocolate Cake

Granini's Chocolate Cake
with a beautiful mirror glaze


Soooo, this was my very first attempt at a mirror glaze.

Personally, I think it turned out exceptionally well.  With the the teeny tiny itty bitty problem that was.... 

chocolate run-off

The recipe (thanks to Chef Iso) instructed me to pour the glaze on top of the cake when the cake was sitting on top of a rack. Chef Iso said I could then use the leftover run off on a future chocolate project.

So the idea was splendid in theory.

However, how on earth does one transfer the cake from the rack over to the dessert plate?!?

I couldn't figure it out.

So I just let it run off onto the plate.

Because it tasted delicious. And honestly, I wanted to scoop that extra chocolatey goodness onto my spoon and eat it all up. Which I did. Yummm.

Okay, maybe not ALL of the run off.


I mean really. Look how pretty that is!

I didn't freeze my cake, so that's why I ended up with so much run off in the first place, I do believe. And honestly it wasn't all THAT much. 

But in the days of Covid, my freezer is packed to the brim. 
With toilet paper.
And I didn't have any spare room for a cake.

So I did the best I could.

Which, well, I think wasn't half bad.

Ingredients for the mirror glaze:
Thanks to Chef Iso

I cut the recipe down by a LOT because I was only making the one cake. And it still made way too much. Like a gajillion times too much. 
I recommend cutting the recipe down even further.

6 ounces dark chocolate (I used Trader Joe's 70% red chocolate bar)
100 grams water 3.5 ounces water
125 grams sugar
100 grams condensed milk (I actually increased the amount because I liked it sweeter)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
10 grams powdered gelatin (which I didn't have. I had a small sheet worth -- about 8 ½ by 2 inches or so, which I used instead. I'm in the middle of a pandemic and am unable to go the store to get the right kind of gelatin, so I used what I had. It's called making do. And I made did. And it turned out swell, thankyouverymuch.)
AND 25 grams of cocoa powder

Directions:

In a small bowl, bloom your gelatin in cold water. (For me, I just put my sheet of gelatin into a bowl of cold water. If you're using powder, make a thick slurry as you gradually add in the cold water to the powder.)Chop up your chocolate into fine bits. Add in your cocoa powder.In a small saucepan, heat your water, sugar, and condensed milk until it comes to a boil.Stir in the vanilla and the bloomed gelatin until fully combined.Pour the hot mixture over the chocolate. Let it sit for 5 minutes or so.Using an immersion blender, blend the chocolate until it is nice and smooth.Use a sieve to strain out any chunks (I didn't have any chunks, but ok).Wait for the chocolate to cool to 90℉. Then slowly pour the glaçage over the top of a cake that is sitting on a rack. If you want that drip down the side look, feel free to pour your glaçage into a drizzle bottle and drizzle it down the sides, and then cover the top of the cake.Allow the glaçage to cool for about 15 minutes, then transfer your cake in some magical fashion over to a pretty cake plate. Since I'm not Dobby the Elf, and don't have magical powers, I skipped this step, and my pretty cake had a small pool of glaçage at the base of the cake. Alas.The mirror glaze will not harden like a firm, tempered chocolate, but rather in this lovely "ganache-like gel." It's delicious. And looks lovely. And I can't wait to try the white chocolate version that I plan to use on top of a new recipe I'm concocting. Think back to Christmas with my Bali Biscuit cookies. I'm thinking of a coconut crisp cookie, a small strawberry or pineapple gelée, then a passion fruit mousse, covered in this pretty mirror glaze. My kiddos gave me the little molds for Christmas. I've been too chicken to try out a mirror glaze (how silly of me, it was quite simple!). And now I have to find recipes for mousses, because I've never made a mousse before, and frankly, it's about time! To be honest, I've been terrified of the gelatin bit. Don't know why, exactly, but that's what's been holding me back. Now that I've tried it, and it worked so splendidly, I anticipate many future dessert recipes with gelatin.

Now, I know some of you are wondering about the recipe for the chocolate cake and the delicious chocolate fudge frosting.

Well don't judge me too harshly, but I haven't yet found a recipe for either that I've been satisfied with.

So.

Gasp.

I used a box caked mix and tub o'frosting.

Yep. That's what I did.

Didn't even doctor them up by changing out the oil for butter and the water for milk. Which I have done in the past, and it's delicious that way. Nope, I simply followed the recipe on the box. Then I sliced off the tops and ate them with my fingers. And I used a spoon to scoop out tub o'frosting and slapped that sucker right on up onto the tops of the cakes I lobbed off, and I ate that too.

So there.

Horrors.

I know, I know.

I'm such a good baker. Why on Earth would I stoop to such measures??

Well, we're in a pandemic, folks.

And I'm using the ingredients that I have.

And frankly, I don't care.

It was yummy.

Some day I will find a recipe for chocolate cake and chocolate fudge frosting, and it will be amazing.

Maybe I'll get Mary Berry's cake book for my birthday or something.

Maybe my Julia Child cookbook has a chocolate cake recipe in it. I'm too chicken to use her cookbook too.

What is it with me and being a chicken?!?

Alas.

But for now, that's what I had in the cupboard, and that's what I used.

Baking and cooking have kept my mind off the world's problems with the pandemic going on, and my family's tummies are happy. We're all safe here at home and are counting our blessings. It's a tough thing for us having a first responder in the family. The hubster is working his katookus off so that we can be safe, and we're so grateful for his sacrifice! Thanks honey! 

Have another piece of cake.

Here's to more chocolate cake, more loaves of bread, delicious soups, and comfort food all around.

Stay safe out there.



* * * * *I not only bake and cook, I write murder mysteries too! Both books are available in paperback and kindle versions

Diamonds for Diamond 
(Book 1 in the Jack Diamond Mystery series)
and
No One Noticed
(Book 2 in the Jack Diamond Mystery Series)
* * * * *

Granini's Gnocchi and veggies in cream sauce

Granini's Gnocchi in Cream Sauce

Here is part 3 of the trifecta of today's blog entries!

Granini's Gnocchi in Cream Sauce
Once the gnocchi is made, the whole thing just takes a few minutes to throw together. So if you have extra gnocchi in your freezer, you can simply plop them onto the counter, thaw them while you're prepping your veg and making your sauce (or pop them into the microwave for a wee bit), and just make sure you cook them long enough to heat them all the way through! Fast and easy dinner.

(And frankly, the gnocchi isn't complicated, difficult, or terribly time consuming to make from scratch by any means -- it just SEEMS like it is, because its name is all fancy.)

Ingredients

Gnocchi:
Leftover mashed potatoes (about 2 ½ cups)
 2 1/2 cups flour
1 egg

Veggies:
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons (approx) olive oil
olive oil spray
parmesan
9 stalks of roasted asparagus (see below)
1 onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
½ jar (4 ounces or so) sun dried tomatoes (Trader Joe's has a great jar of these), drained and chopped
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
Pretty much anything you can acquire at Trader Joe's is amazing. I know that sun dried tomatoes went out of style back in the 90s. However, I still love and adore them, and every so often, I incorporate them into my meals because I just can't help it. I ♥︎ me some Trader Joe's!!
Cream Sauce:
2 Tablespoons butter (I used salted)
2 Tablespoons flour
2 cups half & half
1 sprinkle (about 1/8 of ¼ a teaspoon) of kashmiri pepper (optional)
salt & pepper to taste


This pepper is my new current and most favorite spice I currently have in my cupboard. It has all the lovely flavor of chili, but very little of the heat. I struggle with spicy foods. I love the flavor, but the heat of the chilis burns my tongue in such a way that I cannot enjoy it.
My friend Hiro who owns a lovely Indian restaurant in Manila introduced Kashmiri pepper to me back in October. My many thanks go to him for introducing me to Kashmiri pepper, as well as to the wonders of butter chicken with roti, and chicken tikka with a cilantro/mint chutney. Oh my! that sweet, sweet goodness is just about the bomb diggity of all deliciousness. Hopefully next week I'll be able to acquire both cilantro and mint so I can try to replicate his unbelievably delicious meal!! Meanwhile, back to gnocchi...

Directions

Heat the oven to 375℉Spray a jelly roll pan (a cookie sheet with sides) with olive oil spray. Wash your asparagus and pat dry. Place the asparagus onto the olive oil covered jelly roll pan. Spray the asparagus lightly with olive oil spray. Sprinkle withe parmesan. Bake for 8 minutes. Cut the asparagus into ½ inch (or so) pieces.Make gnocchi. I have a pretty good step-by-step set of instructions if you're in need. Just click on the link here.In a large saucepan, heat up olive oil and toss in chopped onions and peppers. Once everything is soft, add in your sun dried tomatoes. Then add in the butter and allow to melt.Add in your kashmiri pepper, and a sprinkle of salt & pepper.Sprinkle the flour over the entire mixture and stir to create a paste of sorts. Cook for several minutes on low heat, stirring frequently.If you're feeling the need, you can heat up your half & half by pouring it into a small saucepan, and allowing it to slowly heat up. I am a lazy cook, so I just pour my cream in very slowly into my not-too-hot sauce. If your mixture is too warm or on too high of a heat, you risk curdling the sauce by not heating up the half & half before hand. I find that if I have my mixture on low heat, and if I just slowly add in the cream until it's all incorporated, and then I raise the heat of the pan, I can avoid the curdle without having to heat up my cream ahead of time. But like I said, I'm a lazy cook. So at this point, it's time to add in your half and half, a little tiny bit at a time, until it is all incorporated.Add in your asparagus and the chopped up spinach.Taste your sauce and add a wee bit more salt and pepper if needed.Right before serving, plop in your gnocchi, stir, and serve! I added in 2 cups of gnocchi (about), and the whole mixture served four people very ample servings.For those of you who like pictures, here you go!


 Stirring in the spinach.

Stirring in the gnocchi

 Trust me on this one, it tastes DELISH!! I only wish smell-o-vision was a thing!




* * * * *I not only bake and cook, I write murder mysteries too! Both books are available in paperback and kindle versions

Diamonds for Diamond 
(Book 1 in the Jack Diamond Mystery series)
and
No One Noticed
(Book 2 in the Jack Diamond Mystery Series)
* * * * *

Granini's Gnocchi

Granini's Gnocchi
(It's a terrible picture. Please don't judge. They're DELICIOUS, I swear!)

Hello all!
Today you're getting a three-fer! Whoot whoot!
Three recipes uploaded to my blog on the same day.
Why this super awesome bonus splurge of good fortune?!?
Because first of all, I wanted to send some good cheer during this time of the pandemic. Anything to keep your mind off the horrible things going on in the world is a good thing. 
Secondly, I made my most fav dish of late, gnocchi with veggies and cream sauce a couple nights ago and it was DELISH. And the only way to make gnocchi is to start with a really great batch of mashed potatoes. SO, I thought I'd give you recipes for all three dishes at once: mashed potatoes, gnocchi, and my gnocchi with veggies in cream sauce.
So there you have it, my blessings to you.
May your kitchen emit forth delicious aromas as a lovely distraction.
Please stay safe out there!!
Ingredients
2 ½ cups mashed potatoes2 ½ cups flour1 egg

*Here's the thing: you don't have to use 2 1/2 cups. If you don't have 2 ½ cups, don't use that much. It just needs to be equal parts mashed potatoes and flour. The egg just binds it all together. So if you have about half the amount, simply crack your egg into a bowl, whisk it vigorously, and then only pour about ½ the egg mixture into your gnocchi batter. I promise, it'll work AND be delicious.
DirectionsFill a large pot with hot water. Add a sprinkle of salt and bring to a boil.Sprinkle some of the flour onto a clean surface area. Plop on your pile of mashed potatoes. Pour the flour on the top of the potatoes.Knead the pile a little bit, and then make a crater in the center and crack your egg into there.Knead the whole mess around until it feels roughly like bread dough.Lightly sprinkle with flour on the top.Cut your dough into 5 or 6 chunks. They don't have to be even. Just chunks that will be easy enough to work with.With each chunk, roll out the potato dough into a long tube shape.Now, here's the dealio. My friend Judy, who happens to be Italian, and whose family taught her how to make gnocchi, so I believe she's a pretty darned good resource, taught me this detailed technique on how to roll the balls of gnocchi off your fork to make this pretty pattern. The pattern enables the sauce to stick to the gnocchi and fill all the little crevices. But I forgot. And I was in a hurry. And I was hungry, so I didn't want to try to figure it out. And Judy was in California and couldn't show me again. So when Judy gets back from California, I'll ask her to show me again, and I'll post detailed instructions on how to do that. But until then, I cheated and just used my dough scraper like this one: to cut my dough into small, bite sized pieces. And it worked out pretty darned well, even if I do say so myself. At least, for a quick and easy way to cheat my way through.
Once all your little gnocchi pieces are cut and ready to go, it's time to cook them.Get yourself a drying rack (I use my cookie racks) ready with a drying towel underneath to sop up all the water that will drip off your gnocchi. In your boiling pot of water (with a wee bit of salt added), add about 8 gnocchi at a time to the water. Have a slotted spoon or a scooper ready to go, because they're only going to cook for 2 minutes or so.Once your gnocchi pop up to the surface, scoop them out and plop them down onto your drying rack. If they don't pop up after 3 minutes, feel free to stir your water around a little bit, and they'll float right on up to the top. After several batches, the water will become murkier, and waiting for the gnocchi to surface is a bit like watching a ghost appear out of a horror film. Terrifying, yet satisfying. The gnocchi appearances that is, not the appearances of the ghosts. Ghost appearances are always terrifying. To me. At least.I use a scooper like this one: It's the same scooper I use to get my fried chicken out of my oil when I'm making General Tso's chicken or chicken tenders.Once all your gnocchi are cooked and are sitting on the rack, you're all set to make your veggies and cream sauce. If there are any leftover gnocchi, which for me, there always are, you can pop them into a zip lock bag and freeze them, and they'll be ready to plop into your future soupy goodness later on.Gnocchi can be used as a substitute for any pasta sauces you love and adore. So feel free to make my gnocchi with veggies & cream sauce, or toss some of my spaghetti sauce on them. Or maybe pesto. Or into my tomato and pepper soup. Or add them into your beef stew. Serve them up however you like!
Enjoy!!
For those of you who like pictures, here you go!
Plop your egg right in the middle of the pile o'goo

 Knead the mixture until it looks a bit like bread dough and the flour is all encorporated.

 Sprinkle the top with a little more flour 
  Cut into chunks

DO NOT ADD MORE FLOUR AT THIS POINT... SEE BELOW...

*Do NOT sprinkle with even MORE flour like I did here. I was tempted, thinking it would be easier to roll out. But the extra flour made it SOOOO much harder to roll out the piece.
*Here is my very lopsided, very uneven, very hard to roll piece that I had added more flour to. The rest of my gnocchi rolls were easier to roll out without the extra flour.


Here are the rest of my gnocchi rolls. Much easier to roll out without extra flour. They didn't stick to the counter like I thought they would, and they rolled out more evenly. Next time I would roll them out even thinner.

Once your rolls are all rolled out, it's time to invoke the special 'rolling off the fork technique' that I learned from Judy. But I forgot out how to do that. So I just did it the simpler way and chopped them up with my dough scraper.

This way was simpler, but it won't allow the sauce to stick to the pretty little crevices. Alas.

Just another camera angle so you can see I'm cutting them up at an angle. 
The gnocchi sink when you first plunk them into the water. As soon as they begin to rise (like these four did), you can scoop them out of the water. It only takes a minute or two for them to cook.
My lovely cooked gnocchi, ready to plunk into cream sauce. Or spaghetti sauce. Or pesto. Or whatever your heart's desire!!!
This is my favorite way to serve the gnocchi:
 Granini's Gnocchi with veggies in cream sauce

Enjoy!!





* * * * *I not only bake and cook, I write murder mysteries too! Both books are available in paperback and kindle versions

Diamonds for Diamond 
(Book 1 in the Jack Diamond Mystery series)
and
No One Noticed
(Book 2 in the Jack Diamond Mystery Series)
* * * * *

Granini's Mashed Potatoes

Granini's Mashed Potatoes


Hello all!

Today you're getting a three-fer! Whoot whoot!

Three recipes uploaded to my blog on the same day.

Why this super awesome bonus splurge of good fortune?!?

Because first of all, I wanted to send some good cheer during this time of the pandemic. Anything to keep your mind off the horrible things going on in the world is a good thing. 

Secondly, I made my most fav dish of late, gnocchi with veggies and cream sauce a couple nights ago and it was DELISH. And the only way to make gnocchi is to start with a really great batch of mashed potatoes. SO, I thought I'd give you recipes for all three dishes at once: mashed potatoes, gnocchi, and my gnocchi with veggies in cream sauce.

So there you have it, my blessings to you.

May your kitchen emit forth delicious aromas as a lovely distraction.

Please stay safe out there!!

Ingredients

5 medium to large yellow potatoes
5 cloves of garlic (no need to crush them, just take the skins off)
3 to 4 Tablespoons butter (I used salted)
½ to 1 cup half & half or milk
salt & pepper to taste


Directions

Fill a large pot with hot water. Add a sprinkle of salt and bring to a boil.Peel the potatoes and the cloves of garlic.Dice the potatoes into medium/smallish chunksOnce the water boils, add the potatoes and the garlic to the water.Boil for 18 minutes.Drain.Add the potatoes and garlic back to the pan, and allow all the water to evaporate off from the potatoes.Once the potatoes are really dry (or starting to stick to the bottom of the pan), pour the potatoes and garlic into a large mixing bowl.Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add in the butter. Allow the butter to melt.With a hand mixer or a ricer, mix your potatoes until there are no lumps.Add in the half & half or milk and stir by hand to mix. Try not to use the electric mixer for too long or the potatoes can turn out rather gooey.Serve while hot.If you have any leftovers, set aside in the fridge for up to 4 days and use the remaining leftover mashed potatoes to make gnocchi. And THEN, you can make my super delish gnocchi with veggies in cream sauce. Yummm!
A perfect side dish for roasted chicken, turkey, Thanksgiving dinner, Easter brunch, beef stew... the possibilities are endless!



* * * * *I not only bake and cook, I write murder mysteries too! Both books are available in paperback and kindle versions

Diamonds for Diamond 
(Book 1 in the Jack Diamond Mystery series)
and
No One Noticed
(Book 2 in the Jack Diamond Mystery Series)
* * * * *

Granini's Chicken Enchiladas

We eat "Mexican" food at least once a week. It's such a versatile meal, can be made in a variety of ways, and is always a crowd pleaser. We make everything from enchiladas with corn tortillas, to sour cream chicken enchiladas with flour tortillas, to burritos, fajitas, tacos, taco salad, or just chips, guacamole and salsa.And occasionally cheese crap (also known as queso and chips).
We love Mexican food.
And after reviewing my ancient blog, I have discovered I have yet to post any of my "Mexican" food recipes.

So, for all y'all who are eating your way through the Covid pandemic, here are a few recipes from my standard enchilada meal.
Ingredients:
Chicken Enchilada Ingredients2 chicken breasts, frozen or fresh1 package of Taco seasoning (I use Lawry's)½ cup salsa (I use my canned salsa I have in the pantry)1 can chicken broth1 large can of red enchilada sauce (I use mild because we're wusses)1 package of super soft corn tortillas1 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated1 ½ cups Monterey Jack cheese, grated(Optional: Sliced olives)cooking spray (for the glass pan)
Bean and Cheese Enchilada Ingredients1 can refried beans (I use refried pinto beans, but you can use refried black beans if you prefer. I think this recipe is better with the refried beans than the whole beans, so I save the whole beans for other recipes).½ cup salsa (I use my canned salsa I have in the pantry)1 large can of red enchilada sauce (I use mild because we're wusses)1 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated1 ½ cups Monterey Jack cheese, gratedcooking spray (for the glass pan)
Tasty "Mexican" Rice Ingredients1 cup rice2 cups liquid from the crock pot
Roasted Salsa Ingredients3 tomatoes*, cored, topped, and cut into four chunks1 red pepper1 jalapeño pepper1 onion, peeled and cut into large chunksCilantro (about ¼ to 1/3 cup, depending upon taste)1 lime, squeezedsaltsugar
(*I use regular tomatoes on the vine, although I've been told that roma tomatoes work well too.)
This is for the smallest batch of roasted salsa I make. When I have people over, I double or triple the batch, depending upon how many people are coming over. Doubling should be fine for 6 to 8 people. Unless they love salsa. Then make as much as you can.
Pico de Gallo Ingredients4 tomatoes cored, topped, and diced into small pieces1 bunch of green onions1 jalapeño pepperCilantro (about ¼ to 1/3 cup, depending upon taste)1 lime, squeezedsaltsugar
(*I use regular tomatoes on the vine)Again, this is for the smallest batch of roasted salsa I make. When I have people over, I double or triple the batch, depending upon how many people are coming over. Doubling should be fine for 6 to 8 people. Unless they love salsa. Then make as much as you can.
Guacamole Ingredients(Optional: Sliced olives)
4 lovely avocados**1 lime, squeezedsalt1/4 to 1/2 cup of salsa (either roasted, or pico de gallo)

**My husband is the Avocado Whisperer. He can go to the grocery store a week before we plan to have enchiladas (or burritos, or taco salad), and he'll be able to pick out the most perfect avocados for the date that we're going to eat them. If we're going to eat them the next day, he can do the same thing. Two days ahead? He's your man. He has this magic knack for aptly picking the perfect avocados. I don't know how he does it. I'm super jealous of this talent. I don't have it. I can't do it. Mine are always too hard, or all brown and gross and stringy on the inside. Thank God he passed on his lovely gift to our favorite daughter. (You do know by now we have but the one daughter, right?) So she, too, can pick out perfect avocados. It is now their job, their duty, their responsibility to keep our house in avocados.
Here's a mediocre picture of the fantabulous guac and salsas...

The guacamole is the green stuff in the front, the roasted salsa is in the back on the left (more orangy in color), and the pico is in the back on the right.
  I do apologize for the picture not being more, well, picture friendly. My kiddos dug into them before I could get a better picture. Alas. My daughter says there is no apology coming, because my guac is so good that she couldn't help herself. And you won't be able to help yourself either. So. There is that.

Tell you what. The next time I make salsa (either roasted or pico), I'll take better pictures. I can't promise you anything on the guacamole. It always gets eaten -- almost immediately after completion. Sometimes before completion. I have been known to ask others to taste test it to make sure it has enough lime, and before I realize it, half the bowl is empty and there are green goo smiles all around. No apologies anywhere. Sigh.

So.... for those of you who want to read HOW to make the stuff, please read through the stuff below.


The Blah Blah Blah of my Blog Blog Blog
I am currently eating my way through the mandatory lockdown of the Covid Pandemic, and my brain is having the greatest challenge doing anything other than making jewelry and cooking/baking/eating food.
I have already gained the Covid-15.

So for those of you who want news on Jack Diamond Book #3, it's this: Jack Diamond has no idea how he's going to handle the Covid pandemic, so he went on hiatus, and Granini is taking over the world and baking and cooking each and every day. Mostly bread items. Today it's donut day. I'll share more about that on a later blog entry.
Meanwhile, my favorite daughter has recently returned prematurely from her study abroad, and while we're unbelievably disappointed that her program was cut short, we are quite relieved that she made it home safely. We'll find out in the next day or two if she caught the virus in one of the four airports or three airplanes during the 27 very long hours it took her to get home. 
But for now, we are enjoying having her home.
My doting mother persona (aka Granini) has erupted and I am coping with the stress of the Covid-19 pandemic by making (and eating) her favorite foods while she's home with us.
My favorite daughter happens to be a vegetarian, whilst the rest of us are most definitely carnivores. Whilst she lives with us, I try to adapt my recipes so that we eat about 40% of our meals vegetarian, and 60% of our meals I make in two forms, one with meat, and one without. I try not to go too far out of my way to adapt my meals for either of my kids (my favorite son is the sweetest of peas, but he's a bit persnickety when it comes to things he prefers not to eat). Yes, I adapt my meals for my kids. Yes, they can choose not to eat what I make. And yes, they can choose to eat a salad or some fruit or veggie in lieu of what I serve. However, sometimes it's just a minor detour for me to adapt the meal I want to serve to satisfy their desires. So I go out of my way to make them happy. 
It's just what I do.
So.
I make enchiladas two ways. One with chicken, and one with beans and cheese.
Enchiladas are probably one of the easiest, least time consuming main dishes I make. But I make up for it by making two different kinds of enchiladas, as well as flavored rice, salsa two different ways, and making a vast vat of guacamole to go with them.
So here's how I make this lovely meal:
Recipes:
Chicken Enchiladas (Part 1)1. Spray the inside of a crockpot with cooking spray.2. Throw in the frozen chicken breasts, the salsa, a packet of Lawry's taco seasoning, and a can of chicken broth.3. Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, or on low for 6 to 8 hours.
Roasted SalsaRoasted salsa takes about ½ an hour to bake, and about 10 minutes (or more) to prepare. So I always get it going long before I'm ready to start assembling the enchiladas.
Preheat your oven to 425ºF
1. Spray the inside of a jelly roll pan (a cookie sheet with sides) with olive oil spray.2. Prepare your veggies for the oven. Core and cut your tomatoes. Plop them onto your pan. Cut the ends off your peppers and remove all the seeds. Then cut into large chunks. Pan 'em up. Remove the peel from your onion. Cut in half. Then cut into large chunks. Sprinkle them onto the pan with the rest. Cut the ends off your jalapeño pepper and remove all the seeds then dump those onto the pan. Unless you like super hot and spicy salsa. Keep the seeds. I dare you. Just remember to have lots of heartburn medicine on hand before you go to bed.3. Spread all these veggies onto your jelly roll pan. Lightly spray with olive oil. Pop in the hot oven and bake until all the veggies are soft (about 25 minutes).4. Once the veggies are all soft, transfer them (and the pan's juices) into a bowl. 5. Use an immersion blender (or a Cuisinart or a blender) and blend the veggies into a thick paste like heaven.6. Mince the cilantro. Add to the salsa.7. Add lime, salt, a teeny tiny pinch of sugar. Taste it, multiple times, and add more lime and salt as needed. It will take more lime than you think it needs. It will taste somewhat sweet. That's fine. Just keep adding lime and a little bit of salt until it's just right. Do it little by little, though, so as to not go too far.Try not to eat all of it all by yourself before the rest of the dinner is ready.
Chicken Enchiladas (Part 2)
4. Once the chicken has cooked all the way through, pull the chicken out and place in a bowl. With two forks, shred the chicken. Ladle a small amount of broth over the chicken to coat.
Save the remaining juices for the "Mexican Rice" dish (see below).
5. Set the oven to 375ºF6. Spray a 9 x 13 glass baking dish with cooking spray.7. Pour a small layer of enchilada sauce over the bottom of the glass baking dish. It doesn't have to be a lot. Just enough to coat the bottom of the dish.8. Assemble the chicken enchiladas. Place a corn tortilla on a plate. Put a small amount of shredded chicken along the center line of the tortilla. Sprinkle a small amount of cheese on top of the chicken. Gently roll the corn tortilla and place it into the glass dish.9. Repeat. Until the entire glass dish is lined up with enchiladas.10. Pour enchilada sauce over the middle section of each enchilada, leaving the last ⅓ inch or so on either end without enchilada sauce.11. Smother in cheese.12. Set aside and assemble the bean & cheese enchiladas.
Bean and Cheese Enchiladas1. Set the oven to 375ºF2. Spray a 9 x 13 glass baking dish with cooking spray.3. Scoop out a can of refried beans into a saucepan. Add in a large dollop of salsa. Heat up the beans until they're nice and soft and warm all the way through. You don't *have* to do this step, but I have found they're easier to work with when they're heated up.4. Pour a small layer of enchilada sauce over the bottom of the glass baking dish. It doesn't have to be a lot. Just enough to coat the bottom of the dish.5. Assemble the bean & cheese enchiladas. Place a corn tortilla on a plate. Put a sizable dollop of beans along the center line of the tortilla. Sprinkle a small amount of cheese on top of the beans. Gently roll the corn tortilla and place it into the glass dish.9. Repeat. Until the entire glass dish is lined up with enchiladas.10. Pour enchilada sauce over the middle section of each enchilada, leaving the last ⅓ inch on either end without enchilada sauce.11. Smother in cheese.
12. Put both the bean & cheese enchiladas AND the chicken enchiladas into the oven13. Bake at 375ºF for about 35 minutes or so, or until golden brown.14. As soon as the enchiladas are in the oven, it's time to make the "Mexican Rice."
Mexican Rice1. Boil the liquid that is left over from the crockpot for at *least* three minutes.2. Measure the amount of liquid in the saucepan. It should be about 2 cups. 3. Add rice. You want to have half the amount of rice as you do liquid. So if you have 1 ½ cups liquid, add ¾ cups rice. 2 cups of liquid is 1 cup of rice and so on.4. Turn the heat down to low and cook for 18 minutes.Fluff and serve.
Once the rice is on the stove, it's time to make the salsa and the guacamole
Pico de Gallo SalsaDice the tomatoes and add to a medium to large bowl. Finely dice the green onions, and add. Cut the ends off your jalapeño pepper and remove all the seeds. Add to the bowl. Mince the cilantro. Add to the bowl. Add in a tiny pinch of sugar (about 1/4 to ½ a teaspoon). Add in a little bit of salt. Squeeze a lime. Add a little lime at a time until the salsa tastes pretty darned tasty. Taste it, multiple times, and add more lime and salt as needed.Try not to eat all of it all by yourself before the rest of the dinner is ready.
Guacamole1. Cut the avocados in half. Remove the pits. Scoop the avocado into a bowl. Use a pastry cutter or a fork to smash the avocado.2. Add in about ¼ cup of the warm roasted salsa and about ¼ to ⅓ of a cup of the pico de gallo salsa.3. Add in lime and salt to taste.Taste it, multiple times, and add more lime and salt as needed.Try not to eat all of it all by yourself before the rest of the dinner is ready.
When the timer goes off for the enchiladas, pull them out of the oven. Serve one or two enchiladas per plate. Add a little bit of each of the salsa (and, if you'd like, some sour cream), to each enchilada. Scoop some of the rice (which should be done by now) onto your plate, and DONE!
Enjoy!
The enchiladas are very tasty the next day. Just reheat in the microwave, and then add the salsas and leftover guac (hahahahaha as if there is any) once the meal is heated thoroughly.


* * * * *I not only bake and cook, I write murder mysteries too! Both books are available in paperback and kindle versions

Diamonds for Diamond 
(Book 1 in the Jack Diamond Mystery series)
and
No One Noticed
(Book 2 in the Jack Diamond Mystery Series)
* * * * *

Book 3 and the torus vortex

Book 3 and the Torus Vortex

I was listening to the podcast Harry Potter as a Sacred Text while walking my puppy, Charlie the other day, and Vanessa Zoltan and Casper Ter Kuile made an interesting comment about The Prisoner of Azkaban (HP book number 3) as they delved into the final discussions / wrap up of the the book. 
If you haven't started listening to Harry Potter as a Sacred Text, and you're a fan of the Harry Potter books, please go and start listening to the podcast right now. Don't even bother coming back to read this blog until after you've started listening to the podcast. Don't bother to eat. Don't sleep. Don't stop at Go and collect $200. Go. Right. Now. and Listen.
It's amazing.
Soooo, back to the podcast, and their review of book number 3, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban , both Vanessa and Casper seemed to dislike the book as much as they like the first two books.
Vanessa and Casper discuss the importance of having a focus in a book. They describe book number three in the Harry Potter series as feeling unrooted, with a lack of focus -- because so many different characters have so many different energies focused on so many different things. 
"Hermione with her academic achievement, Lupin trying to look after Harry and reorient himself within the Hogwarts system, Snape trying to get revenge, Dumbledore is, like, MIA and then returns suddenly, Trelawny is having predictions, the Weasleys are basically not in this book. Where is Ginny? We like found her? And then she's like not in this book."*
Vanessa and Casper argued that the book almost felt as if the book seemed to miss something. That the stakes felt too small or too low and that something felt narratively missing when the book's focus wasn't on Voldemort.
By no means would I ever compare my books to the Harry Potter book series, but the structure concerns, to me, are relatable and are something I'd like to address.
In my own Book 3, I have the victims, the killer, and Jack Diamond all having their own perspective to a shooting that occurs on a pedestrian bridge here in Portland. By having so very many different things going on, I could have a very real problem -- lack of focus.
BUT
If I were to make the event -- the shooting on the bridge -- as the focus of the entire story, with each chapter unraveling the events through the lens of: each of the people who were on the bridge, or near the bridge, or a part of the shooting that occurs upon the bridge, or first responders to the events that occur upon the bridge -- that could keep the story focused.

STAY FOCUSED ON THE SHOOTING ON THE BRIDGE
Instead of envisioning the story as a snail shell, perhaps it is more like a yoyo, the events slowly unfolding bit by bit as the yoyo heads toward the depth of its trajectory, and then the shocking shootings create the jerk that is sufficient to lead the story back toward its conclusion.
Or, perhaps the story is more like a torus vortex or a tube torus, with each circular piece representing the different people who are involved in the incident, and the incident (the shooting on the bridge) itself being at the center of the entire book.
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It seems to me that as long as I keep the shooting as the focus of the story -- the people who are on or near the bridge, the shooter, the victims who are shot, and the peace officers and first responders who come to rescue the victims and reduce and remove the threat of the shooter, the story should continue to have the proper focus.
I love this idea.
It is beautiful in its complexity.
Not once, ever, in my entire life, did I ever think that writers put so much thought into how their stories should be plotted out to best serve the readers, and to best make the story an effective, interesting, complicated but lovely book to read. But here I am, before I even truly begin, trying to plot out how this book is going to work before I start writing it, so that it will end up being structured like a torus vortex.
Did I mention how much I love this idea?
* * * * *



Citations:
* Zoltan, V. and Ter Kuile, C. (2017, September 5). Wrap-Up: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Harry Potter and the Sacred Text podcast.

* * * * *I not only bake and cook, I write murder mysteries too! Both books are available in paperback and kindle versions

Diamonds for Diamond 
(Book 1 in the Jack Diamond Mystery series)
and
No One Noticed
(Book 2 in the Jack Diamond Mystery Series)
* * * * *

Plotting out book 3

Plotting out Book 3

So here I am, once again, sitting down at the computer, trying to figure out how to plot out the complexities of Book 3, the book that has not yet been named.

For those of you who want to know where I was, back at the beginning of January, start here: And so it begins. It's my blog entry about some of the complexities that go into my thought processes when I plan out a book.

What it doesn't say, is that -- like most people -- I have to juggle writing with life. And life has been consistently getting in my way of writing. 

I struggle with that.

When I was a college professor, I went to work each and every day. I spent hours on my commute. I spent hours teaching. I spent hours with students during 'office hours.' I spent too many hours grading. And I loved each and every minute of it.

Now that I work from home, it is a much bigger struggle to say no to other people. Someone needs a ride to the airport. Or to the doctor. Someone else wants to have lunch, and maybe go shopping. Someone else needs something from the store. The groceries need to be purchased, the bills need to get paid, the laundry needs to get done, and someone has *got* to clean up the dog poo and the clean out the litter boxes. 

And when the hubster and the kiddos are at work and at school it is infinitely easier to ask the one person who is at home to do those things. So much harder to ask someone to do something if they are in a physically different location.

The invisible woman who juggles work with home life and struggles to find her own identity in the midst of caring for her work needs, her home life needs, her family's needs, her own needs.

And so now it is March and I have not worked on my book. It has festered in my head. It festers still.

I am struggling with the structure of this next book, and think I've decided on a snail shell. 

Yes, you read that right. A snail shell.

I believe I am going to tell the story from several different perspectives, hour by hour, building upon the people's version of the story, wrapping and coiling the story around until the grand event. And then I'll uncoil the story and unwrap it around as it races to the end and finishes in a grand flurry.

To me, that's like a snail shell.

To some of you, you may think, "mmmmkay. She's lost her nutter."

Well, maybe I have.

And maybe that's okay.

Sometimes I think you have to be a bit mad in order to be a murder mystery writer. My sick and twisted mind, all dark and twisty, is exactly the perfect kind of mind that this type of story telling needs.

And it's the kind of mind my hubster loves and adores, 
so that's just an added bonus.

* * * * *


Follow me on Instagram! @kaysmithbooks

* * * * *I not only bake and cook, I write murder mysteries too! Both books are available in paperback and kindle versions

Diamonds for Diamond 
(Book 1 in the Jack Diamond Mystery series)
and
No One Noticed
(Book 2 in the Jack Diamond Mystery Series)
* * * * *

Granini's French Toast

Granini's French Toast
So by some weird miracle, we ended up with bread leftover after I made a couple more loves of that yummo French Bread of mine.

Click here for the recipe: French Bread

So this morning, I made French Toast.

I've always just thrown a bunch of ingredients into a bowl, whipped things up, and made French Toast by 'feel' rather than by a recipe. This time, I did my best to get at least some sort of rough estimates as to how much of each item I put into my French Toast batter. Nothing is really exact with this recipe, so if you are a little over or a little under, don't you worry yourselves. It will turn out okay.

Ingredients:

6 eggs
⅓ cup milk
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
8 or 9 fat slices of French Bread*

and about ¼ cup of powdered sugar to sprinkle on the top (optional)

I think that apple smoked bacon (Trader Joe's is my fav) and freshly cut pineapple are a nice addition to this lovely breakfast, so I recommend getting those too, whilst you're at the store getting the rest of your ingredients.

*If you didn't make French Bread from scratch (bc sometimes you just don't have the time, or the inclination do to so), and you HAPPEN to have Texas toast bread (which is just really thickly sliced white bread), that's a nice substitute. If you haven't got that, feel free to use whatever other sliced bread you have. Honestly. It really doesn't matter.  Some people like bread that has lots of nuts and seeds. Others like white bread. Some people like a nice sour dough. It's all up to you.

Directions.

Set your griddle on or about 325℉. Set a small butter melter on the skillet to start melting your butter. Pop your bacon in the oven. Cut up your fresh pineapple and set aside. I personally prefer half salted, half unsalted butter, but again, melt whatever butter floats your boat. Then heat up some syrup.

In a large bowl, whisk your eggs. Add in the milk and whisk again. Add in the remainder of the wet ingredients and spices until you have a nice frothy mixture.

Once your griddle is heated, quickly dip your bread into the eggy mixture, flip the bread over onto the other side, and then put the damp bread onto the skillet. Don't leave the bread in the mixture for too long or it might get really soggy. The more soggy the bread, the harder it is to cook thoroughly, and it can result in a mushy disaster. Cook until the under side is lightly browned, then flip, and cook the second side.

Once the French Toast is ready to come off the griddle, slather the top side with melted butter and serve.

Some of the folks over here like powdered sugar. Some like heated syrup. Some like a smear of peanut butter and syrup. Some like blueberry gravy (recipe here: blueberry gravy -- which is really just homemade blueberry syrup but it tastes a lot like the inside of a blueberry pie, and if you like that kind of thing, you might just want to make a blueberry pie, and the recipe for my blueberry pie can be found here.)

Eat and enjoy!

If you don't have a griddle, and you want to make perfect pancakes and french toast and grilled cheese sammies, buy a griddle. Seriously. Buy one. They're like $20 at Target, and I'm sure you can find one at Bed Bath & Beyond and use a coupon. They cook your breakfast items evenly, you can regulate the temperature so that your food isn't burnt on the outside and runny in the middle. And you can cook a LOT at once, enabling more of your family and loved ones to eat all at once, and not have to watch them waiting, eagerly, or not so eagerly, with a fork in their hands and a greedy glint in their eyes, with a tense fear that they might just stab you in the back or slip on the pile of drool on the floor whilst they are hangry and anxiously awaiting their breakfast nosh.  Just sayin.

I own two.

For those of you who like pictures, here are a few for you!!

 Crack 6 eggs into a bowl. Don't worry if you crack the yolk. You're gonna whip it all up anyway.

Whisk in the milk and the lemon juice and the vanilla.

Whisk in the nutmeg and cinnamon. It seems like a lot, but I like a lot. And it tastes great. So there.
 Mmmmm French Bread.

Slice the bread up into thickish slices. Not too thick, not too thin. 
The Goldilocks of slices

Quickly dunk the bread into the egg mixture. Don't worry if all the cinnamon floats to the top. That's fine. Just don't keep the bread in the eggs too long, or the bread will get soggy.
Bake on one side until light brown underneath they're ready to flip.
Bake on the other side and then slather in butter. See my cute butter melting thing? I got it at an antique store for like $2. It's amazing. Holds a whole cube of butter. Looks a lot like one I had when I was growing up, but much bigger. Again, highly recommend.

Mmmmm French Toast & bacon.

Here's a link to my French Bread recipe

And, when you're all done with your breakfast, and you've cleaned up the dishes, and you're looking for good book to read, click on the links below! I write murder mysteries!
* * * * *
I not only bake and cook, I write murder mysteries too!
Both books are available in paperback and kindle versions

Diamonds for Diamond 
(Book 1 in the Jack Diamond Mystery series)
and
No One Noticed
(Book 2 in the Jack Diamond Mystery Series)
* * * * *

Where do my writing ideas come from?

So where do my writing ideas come from?
Over the years, so many people have asked me this question.
Where do my writing ideas come from?
Well, like me, the answer is rather complicated.
The first novel I ever wrote was a story that had been rambling about in my head for so long I honestly don't remember where it came from. I will rewrite it some day. It's a lovely love story that took place long before cell phones and texting, when people got mail and love letters were a thing.
It never occurred to me to ask if other people have dreams about book plots. Maybe they do, maybe it's just me. But sometimes, my dreams bring me book ideas.
And when the book ideas come in my dreams, wowie, do they zing me.
Jack Diamond, my main character for Diamonds for Diamond and No One Noticed came from a dream.
I was in the middle of writing my first novel, and I started writing a scene about the main character making cookies in his kitchen. I finished writing the entire scene before I realized that wasn't Scott, the main character of the novel, but rather some other random guy.
Many moons later when I was hashing over murder mystery plot ideas with my husband, I felt mildly frustrated because I couldn't figure out who the main character was. I couldn't envision him. I didn't want to create a guy out of nothing. I wanted him to BE someone.
And then I remembered the scene about the 'fake' Scott baking cookies in the kitchen, and it all came flooding in to me.
I remembered the scene vividly.
I could see what he was wearing. I could picture the entire kitchen. And just like that, I was inside his house. I took a few steps backward, and I saw his dining room, his living room, the front door. I watched as he sat on the couch teaching a little girl, maybe 6? or 7? how to play chess. I watched him get up and go into the back of the house, passing the laundry room and the guest bathroom. I watched him go into his bedroom and off to change his clothes. I saw the french doors leading to his back garden, and realized that his grandmother taught him how to garden. That she, in fact, had raised him. I felt a million of his memories come flashing into my memories, like a USB had been plugged into my circuitry and now I knew who this man had the potential to be.
My husband may have named him (after a real man who worked with him on the real MCSO Dive Rescue and Recovery Team), but Jack Diamond in my books is a completely different person, downloaded from my imagination.
Since then, several other scenes from various bits and pieces of book ideas have periodically popped into my thoughts.
Once, not long after visiting my family and friends in Alaska, I had a very short, very vivid dream for a romance novel -- start to finish -- that took place in Valdez, Alaska. I've never been to Valdez. But evidently I'll need to head over there some day. The dream was unbelievably realistic, with an absurd amount of details considering the whole thing took place in under three minutes of sleep.
Then, last night, I had a doozy. Truly, a gift of a dream.
This time, the dream manifested out of actual events (in actuality I was looking over the doctor's shoulder, watching the fascinating results of a someone else's echocardiogram) -- but in the dream, I was looking over the surgeon's shoulder, looking at someone's cataract on an enormous screen.

The remainder of the dream was completely unrelated. As I watched the dream unfold, I found myself fascinated by the amount of details I had been able to obtain from the characters.

I rolled over in bed, grabbed my phone, and started typing down the details. I think at one point after I had written down as much of the dream as I could remember, I must have fallen back asleep a little bit, because more of the dream kept coming. I typed along as the dream was coming to me, jotting down detailed notes of the whole thing. Like sleep walking, only typing. Sleep typing? I typed down where we were, who his family was, who else was there, conversations. Feelings. Emotions. Scars. Memories.

To me, these dreams are almost like alternate realities. As if in some alternate universe these events actually took place. I remember the dream as if it's a memory of my own experience. The aches, the hurts, the feelings are all mine, but the story is theirs.

I have learned a process of writing that works effectively for me. I plot out the whole book, from start to mostly finish, jotting down itsy bitsy pieces of notes for each chapter. Something like, "Claire meets Jack at the restaurant and gives him the envelope full of photos." Just enough of a note to trigger the idea of what has to happen in that chapter. When you're writing a murder mystery, it's important to plot out what happens when, who dies when, who figures out what at which point, and so on. Lay out the clues. Fill out the timing. Get things right.

And then when I sit down to write, after looking at my note, I simply start typing. And the next thing I know, it's like watching a movie unfold. I watch what happens. Who is there? What does the place smell like? What are they eating? What are they talking about? Is she happy? What did she choose to wear today? What does her perfume smell like? Is she upset? I can scan the whole scene in my mind, taking it all in, trying to get it all down in writing so that the reader can be sitting beside the characters, listening to their conversation, nibbling on their french fries while sipping at an iced tea, a virtual fly on the wall.

Writing just comes to me, pouring out of my fingers. Things happen to my characters that I had no idea was going to happen. People die. Sometimes they buy thoughtful presents that I would never have thought of. It astounds me when people say something like, "But you wrote it.  It came from you. So you thought of this." Yes, I suppose that's true. But to me? It feels like the characters came up with the ideas all on their own. They did what they did. They said what they said. They made their choice, did their deeds, suffer the consequences. I'm just the writer who translates their actions onto paper.

And now, as I'm rambling on forever and a day, I am realizing I have a new struggle. Do I write the story from my dream into a more cohesive story? Do I take time away from Jack Diamond and his adventures to write a romance? Or do I take a few notes, save the paragraphs, and hope that when at some point I'm done writing Jack Diamond books and am ready to switch gears, I can rekindle this memory of this amazing dream, and write this romance that haunts me still, fourteen hours later?

These are good questions.

* * * * *




* * * * *I not only bake and cook, I write murder mysteries too! Both books are available in paperback and kindle versions

Diamonds for Diamond 
(Book 1 in the Jack Diamond Mystery series)
and
No One Noticed
(Book 2 in the Jack Diamond Mystery Series)
* * * * *