Kristin Harmel's Blog, page 2

Foodie Fridays: New Year’s Resolution Mashed Potatoes

One of my New Year’s resolutions is, as usual, to eat better this year. However, it’s hard to get around the fact that I have an unwavering devotion to unhealthy foods. One of my vices? Mashed potatoes, which — when made correctly — are full of butter. Sure, there are low-fat versions, such as these, made with chicken broth, but they just don’t taste the same. They’re fine — but they’re missing that creaminess.

So I challenged myself to come up with something that was low-fat but still very creamy. Here’s the result. Now I’m challenging myself to come up with a healthy (but still delicious) version of low-fat macaroni and cheese. Stand by for that. For now, here are my New Year’s Resolution Mashed Potatoes:

New Year’s Resolution Mashed Potatoes



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Recipe type: Side dish
Author: Kristin Harmel
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 30 mins
Total time: 45 mins
Serves: 6
A creamy, low-fat version of the beloved side dish

Ingredients

2 lbs small red potatoes, scrubbed and halved
Water for boiling
1/2 cup fat-free half and half
8 ounces fat-free sour cream
Plenty of salt and pepper, to taste



Instructions


Boil potatoes in water for 30 minutes, until they’re very soft and can be mashed easily with a fork.
Drain potatoes and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Using an electric mixer, beat the potatoes until they’re smooth. They’ll still be somewhat chunky, especially if you’ve left the skins on (as I do). This is perfect and gives the dish a rustic edge.
Slowly beat in the half and half, followed by the sour cream.
Stir several times with wooden spoon, just to ensure ingredients are incorporated evenly.
Season liberally with salt and pepper.
(If potatoes are too dry, add more fat-free half and half, one Tablespoon at a time, until they reach the desired consistency.)





Notes

To make roasted garlic mashed potatoes, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Before you begin boiling the water for the potatoes, peel 20 garlic cloves (or use pre-peeled cloves, which can be found in the produce section of the supermarket), toss with 1 tsp. of olive oil and a bit of salt and pepper, and wrap tightly in foil. Place foil packet on a baking sheet in oven, and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cut open foil packet with a knife, being careful to avoid escaping steam. Garlic cloves should smash easily (if not, bake for 10 additional minutes until they soften). Add roasted garlic cloves director to potatoes in step 2 above.

2.2.6

 

Style Thursdays: Work to Date Night

For Christmas, my boyfriend’s wonderful parents got me this lovely dress from Alfani Petites. It’s sleek, black and knee-length and is completely work-appropriate, but paired with some black pumps and a statement necklace (such as this one, from Anne Klein, which, incidentally, I also got for Christmas!), it’s also perfect for a night out. So here’s what I’ll be wearing this month for a perfect meeting-to-cocktails look. Now if only I could get my legs to look like this model’s…. Back on the elliptical!

 

What I Want Wednesdays: The iPad Mini

I currently have an iPad, but I admit, I’m lusting after the iPad mini. Not only would it fit much more easily into a shoulder bag, but it would be more convenient to read novels on — and I use my iPad for its Kindle app more than anything else. So why not just buy a Kindle or Nook? I love the fact that the iPad gives me the world at my fingertips — and for me, being able to write on the device (using a Bluetooth keyboard) is just as important as being able to read.

Oh yes, and catching up on my favorite TV shows? Priceless.

 

Travel Tuesdays: Ten Places for 2013

Happy New Year! To celebrate the dawn of 2013, let’s talk today about 10 places to travel to in the new year. Here’s what I discussed this week on Life Love Shopping (Oxygen network):

The new year is here, and with it, we have a whole calendar of open dates and things to dream of. So for those of you who count “traveling more” among your New Year’s resolutions, here are 10 great picks for 2013:

London : It gave us the Olympics and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012. Why not head over and catch the residual rush – and maybe even the birth of a royal baby – in 2013? London’s a great city year-round, but why not make it a spring trip so that you can also pop into:
Paris : It’s my favorite city in the world, and the best time to visit is spring, when the flowers are in bloom, the markets are overflowing with fresh fruits and vegetables, and the city begins to come out from its winter hibernation? While you’re in Europe, head over to:
Marseille (France) and Košice (Slovakia): Both have been named European Capitals of Culture for 2013. That means the European Union has designated them spots to go for a full year-long slate of exhibits, shows and other cultural exhibitions. Both cities will be putting their best foot forward. Another 2013 hot spot in Europe will be:
Amsterdam : This year will see ten amazing milestones in Amsterdam history, including the 400th anniversary of Amsterdam’s canal ring, the 125th anniversary of the famed Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and the 40th anniversary of the Van Gogh Museum. It’ll be a year full of celebrations in this beautiful city. Closer to home, try:
The Dominican Republic : It’s still inexpensive, but tourism is on the uptick, so 2013 will be a great year for value in this island nation, before things start getting pricey. But if you’re seeking a less tropical trip try:
Alaska : This is a great year to visit our northernmost state in the winter. Why the coldest time of year? Because that’s when the northern lights – aurora borealis – show themselves – from now until March. And according to NASA, 2013 is supposed to be one of the best years for the northern lights in the last half-century. If you’re ever dreams of seeing this beautiful phenomenon, now’s the time to go. If braving the cold isn’t your idea of a holiday, try:
Orlando : One of the country’s tourism capitals, it will also be a great place to visit in 2013. Walt Disney World has constructed a whole new Fantasyland, which is huge news for Disneyphiles. The first phase opened in late 2012, and there will be more attractions opening through 2014. Be one of the first to see it! Further afield, try:
China: 2013 is undoubtedly the time to go if you’ve ever considered a trip. Our dollar is still strong there, and Beijing is very English-friendly thanks to the 2008 Olympics. Finally, 2013 is a great year to visit:
New Zealand : It’s a great place to travel if you can handle the long flights to get there. It’s where the Hobbit was filmed, and as Lord of the Rings fervor once again ramps up to fever pitch, why not check out the beautiful, stunning expanses where it was made?

Happy New Year, and may all your travel be merry and bright!

Writing Mondays: Writing a One-Page Synopsis

This is part of an ongoing series about how to write a novel.

Step 2: Turning your idea into a synopsis

Last time on my blog’s Writing Mondays thread, we talked about formulating an idea for a novel. Today, we’ll focus on how to begin to turn that idea into a real concept for a book.

Once I have a general idea of where I’d like to go with a story, my next step is always to jot it down in short format. In other words, I’ll write out the concept of the story in one or two paragraphs – always less than a page – just to see if I can succinctly summarize it and whether it sounds intriguing on the page. Remember that a reader will decide whether to pick up your novel based on an even shorter book jacket description, so you have to be able to sell the story, so to speak, in very little space. As a writer, wrapping your head around what will make the story tantalizing will help you to begin to shape it.

In order to turn a basic concept into a one-page (or less) synopsis, here’s what you’ll need:

A basic main character (We’ll explore characters more next time), with a name, general age, and job (plus other identifying characteristics).
A beginning. (Where is your main character as your story opens?)
A twist that kicks off the action. (What happens to set your character’s life spinning in a different direction?)
An idea of what your character will learn. (In women’s fiction and young adult fiction, particularly, your main character should grow throughout the course of the novel. Considering this now helps you to shape the plot around lessons learned and personal growth.)
Complicating factors. (What are some of the obstacles that stand in your main character’s way?)
A general idea of the resolution. (This doesn’t mean you need to know exactly how it ends yet. You’ll figure that out later, in the outlining stage. But you need to know the basic trajectory of your story at this point.)

So, using the numbered points above to show you exactly how each piece comes into play, a short synopsis for a book idea might look something like this (and please excuse the lack of perfection here: I’m doing this off the cuff, with an idea I’m just thinking up now, so that it mirrors the kind of rough work you’d be doing on your own first draft):

(1) Alison Walker, 35, is an oncologist at a Boston-area hospital. (2) Her life seems perfectly scripted and well-thought out. She has the perfect job, the perfect townhouse, the perfect professional life. Her personal life might be a little lacking, but she figures she has time for that later. Now, she has proverbial mountains to climb and boxes to check off. (3) Then the headaches begin. Actually, they’ve been happening for a while, but Alison has attributed them to being overtired, overworked, overstressed. When she finally sees a colleague for an examination (at the colleague’s insistence, after he sees her nearly collapse from what she writes off as a migraine), she finds out that she has a rare form of brain cancer, one that is widely considered inoperable. (4) Now, Alison, who has always assumed that she could live her real life after she got her professional goals out of the way, realizes that she may be running out of time. She must learn to let go of the markers of success that she always held so dear and instead, focus on the things she’s always put on the back burner: family, friends and even love. But once those doors are opened, Alison begins to realize how little she’s been living up to this point – and how dearly she wishes to have more time in this newfound life. (5) Her colleagues tell her there’s no cure, but she meets a Hawaiian oncologist at a medical conference who tells her that he’s pioneering an experimental surgery that might just save her. Now she must choose between quietly slipping away in Boston, where she’s begun to build a real life, or taking the risk of a lifetime and relocating to Hawaii, where a one-in-a-million chance for a cure awaits, but where she could also die alone on the operating table. (6) Alison chooses to go ahead with the surgery, but not before making some major life changes. The only thing that’s missing is love: she’s never fallen in love, never been loved in the romantic sense. But when she lands in Hawaii and meets a charming pediatric surgeon at the hospital where she’ll have her surgery, is what she’s feeling simple desperation and hope? Or is it possible that the love of her life has been right here all along? And if that’s the case, will she live long enough to see it through?

This is how books are born. If you’re interested in a more intensive education, I’m currently teaching eight-week online “How To Write A Women’s Fiction Novel” classes through Mediabistro, so feel free to sign up for my next session, beginning Feb. 19. (I also have another class beginning April 29.)

In the next “Writing Mondays” segment, we’ll talk about how to  create characters. Happy writing!

Foodie Fridays: Raclette

Raclette is both a type of cheese and a Swiss meal based around the melted cheese; I’ve had it in both France and Switzerland, and now, thanks to a sweet Christmas gift from my mom, I’m planning to make it this weekend. You can too!

Raclette, according to Wikipedia, is a semi-firm cow’s milk cheese, typically aged 3-6 months. It’s often made in Switzerland or France, but I’ve also seen American Raclette. It’s found at some supermarkets in the specialty cheese case, but I’ve had the most luck finding it consistently at Whole Foods.

In the traditional Raclette dish, the cheese is heated, either in front of the fire or in a special Raclette grill or machine, and then it’s scraped onto your plate. In fact, the name Raclette comes from the French word racler, which means “to scrape.” The cheese is then cut into bite-sized pieces and eaten with small boiled potatoes (I typically use fingerling potatoes, or sliced small red potatoes), cornichons (French pickles: You can also use gherkins), and pickled onions. I’ve read that some people also serve dried meat with the cheese, but I’ve never had it that way.

For Christmas this year, my lovely mom got me a Boska Holland Mini Raclette Set (available on Amazon.com for $44.99 or in Kohl’s stores on sale for $41.99). I plan to use it this weekend with my boyfriend, Jason; we’ll sit in front of the fire (Can you believe we have a fireplace in Central Florida?) and sip white wine with it, just like they do in Switzerland.

With one of these grills, making Raclette couldn’t be easier, and you can rest assured that you’ll be eating a very, very traditional winter meal with a beautiful tradition behind it. So if you can’t make it to the Alps this year, this might just be the next best thing.

Click over to the fabulous David Lebovitz’s blog to read his wonderful guide to Raclette.

Style Thursdays: Team Spirit

With my alma mater (The University of Florida) currently ranked in top 10 in NCAA basketball and in the top 3 in the BCS poll (college football), I’m feeling a surge of Gator pride. I love to wear my team colors proudly, but the further I get from my college years, the more I realize that orange and blue sweatpants and hoodies are no longer the way. Here’s how I’d style a grown-up rooting-for-my-team look, centered around a Victoria’s Secret PINK slouchy tee. Feel free to substitute your own team…. although, just so you know, my Gators are the best.

 

Victoria’s Secret oversized t shirt / Mango one button blazer, $89 / Armani Jeans black jeans, $240 / LE PEPE knee high leather boots / Tory Burch leather handbag, $620 / Stainless steel jewelry / Bracelets jewelry / Andrew Hamilton Crawford crystal jewelry

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

Welcome to the Next Big Thing Blog Hop.

What is a blog hop? Basically, it’s a way that readers can discover new authors, through referrals through other authors! Each week’s authors answer the same ten questions about their most recent novels or their novels-in-progress, and we go from there!

I’ve been tagged by Sharon Y. Cobb, author of False Confessions of a True Hollywood Screenwriter, an action comedy about Liz Bradbury, a screenwriter who aspires to be on the A-List. But when she gets chronic insomnia, which she blames on her agents’ chronic lies, she decides to take them hostage. Liz learns: In Hollywood, there are no rules and they’re strictly enforced. Screenwriter Terry Rossio (Pirates of the Caribbean, Shrek, Aladdin) says about False Confessions: “Started reading and read it cover to cover. Delightful, insightful, inspiring, terrifying, hilarious, informative, and touching. I have myself imagined many a time arriving at a meeting with loaded weaponry.” You can learn more about Sharon Y. Cobb on her website, www.SharonYCobb.com.

Sharon asked me to “tag” five other authors, but with the holidays in full swing, I admit I dropped the ball. I’ll ask some writer friends in the next few days, but I’m posting links below to some of my favorite writers anyhow, in hopes that they’ll decide to participate.

1: What is the working title of your book?

My most recent novel is THE SWEETNESS OF FORGETTING.

2: Where did the idea come from for the book?

THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK was my favorite book when I was a young teenager, and since then, I’ve always been fascinated in Holocaust history. My first novel came out in 2006, and I’ve been wanting to write a novel that centers around the Holocaust since then. This is that book.

3: What genre does your book come under?

Women’s fiction or general fiction.

4: Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie adaptation?

I always have so much trouble with this question! I adore both Jennifer Garner and Reese Witherspoon, and I could see either of them in the lead role of “Hope,” but I didn’t picture either of them (or anyone in particular) while writing!

5: What is the one-sentence logline/description of your book?

THE SWEETNESS OF FORGETTING is a novel about a recently divorced Cape Cod bakery owner who discovers that her grandmother, who now has Alzheimer’s, actually has a secret past buried in Holocaust-era Paris – a revelation that changes everything she thought she knew.

6: Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?

Published by Simon & Schuster, repped by Waxman.

7: How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Maybe 4-6 months. Hard to remember.

8: What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

SARAH’S KEY and HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET.

9: Who or what inspired you to write this book?

See response #2, above. Also, the element of Alzheimer’s comes into play largely because my own beloved grandmother has Alzheimer’s.

10: What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

It is an international bestseller, which I’m thrilled about.

Below you will find five author friends of mine whom I know and love. Be sure to bookmark and add them to your calendars for updates on works in progress and new releases! Happy writing and reading!

Wendy Toliver
Jane Porter
Megan Crane
Liza Palmer
Josie Brown

What I Want Wednesdays: Mama’s Got a Brand New Bag

I hope your Christmas was merry and bright! Today, I’m building four outfits around the bag I’m trying to justify buying for myself.

Justification #1: It’s on sale at ToryBurch.com. Like way on sale.
Justification #2: I just sold a new young adult series, which will be out in 2014. I deserve to splurge once, just once, to celebrate, no?
Justification #3: It’s so versatile! Right? Okay, I’m trying to prove this to myself, so here goes: I figure I can wear it with everything.

Here’s how I’d style it in four different ways, to make sure I’m getting the most bang for my buck.

THE BAG: Tory Burch Ella canvas tote bag
1.T By Alexander Wang / Fur vest / Black jeggings /A.P.C. booties a p c, $575
2. J Brand skinny fit jeans /J. Crew Heart sweater / Michael Kors flat moccasin
3. Dorothy Perkins black sleeveless dress /Chan Luu cashmere and silk scarf / Giuseppe Zanotti platform pumps
4. Dorothy Perkins tie neck blouse, $24 / Mango leather skirt /  BCBG Max Azria platform pumps /

Okay, decision justified. Off I go to the mall, AmEx in hand….

Travel Tuesdays: Dreaming of Paris

Merry Christmas, folks, and don’t forget to download my free Christmas gift to you: THE SNOW GLOBE, the short story prelude to THE SWEETNESS OF FORGETTING (my most recent novel — an international bestseller), here! And since most of the story (and half of the book) takes place in Paris, let’s chat today about the City of Light:

Paris is, hands-down, my favorite place in the world. There’s something inherently magical about the City of Light, which is perhaps why it has featured heavily in two of my novels: The Sweetness of Forgetting and The Art of French Kissing.

At Christmastime, I always find myself dreaming of the travel plans I might make in the upcoming year. I’m hoping to make it to Europe this spring to help promote the launches of the international editions of The Sweetness of Forgetting in the UK, Germany and Spain. I generally find it impossible to be in Europe without hopping over to Paris (a cheap and easy Eurostar ride from London). Here are just a few things I’m looking forward to doing:

Visit my friend Lauren Elkin, the author of the fabulous novel Une Année à Venise.
Shop!! (This guide is a great primer.)
Follow in the footsteps of The Sweetness of Forgetting’s Rose, by using this map.
Picnic underneath the Eiffel Tower, after shopping for wine, cheese and fruit along Rue Cler.
Indulge in fondue (and wine in baby bottles!) at Le Refuge des Fondues.
Have a drink at my friend Jean Michel’s bar, Le Valois, near Moulin Rouge.

In the meantime, I’ll be bringing Paris home by using these tips: