Kate Collins's Blog, page 283
December 16, 2011
Creating Cookies, or Why Did I Ever Think That Sounded Good?
by Guest Blogger Norma HussSince I love to cook, and love to mix up something new and tasty, I create mystery characters who do the same. In my first mystery, my amateur sleuth researches the homeless by acting as a bag lady. She repays any favors or overnight stays by cleaning house or cooking a meal from whatever she finds in the kitchen. In my newest book it isn't the protagonist Cyd, but her sister Kaye who is village-wide famous for her delicious desserts that she freely shares as a way to encourage help with her schemes.
After the books were in print, I decided to showcase these dishes on my website. Problem was, those recipes didn't exist. As I typed merrily away, I threw together something that sounded great. Like, garlic chicken with peanut sauce, noodles and assorted leftover vegetables. When it came to throwing together the actual food I discovered that what sounds good on the page may not taste good in the kitchen, especially not without a great deal of experimentation. (My hubby doesn't usually mind that part at all.) That chicken recipe took several failed tries to perfect. Eventually, it rated the raves I craved. (Or, at least, a nod and a second helping.)
Now I'm trying recipes to go with the second book. I started experimenting the other day.
Coconut blossoms sounded good when I included it in the manuscript. I fancied plump little petals surrounding a raised center. Should I add food color to part of the dough? Recently I saw directions for adding color to coconut. Hmmm. I searched recipes. Lots of coconut cookies. Coconut macaroons? A snicker doodle recipe looks interesting. Hmmm. Add coconut? Why not?
How about something truly experimental? I scanned my spice cupboard. Let's see, turmeric is yellow. Paprika for red. On the other hand, those spices sound too kooky. I really should use food coloring instead. Much better idea, I'm sure.
I mixed up a slightly changed snicker doodle recipe: reduced sugar by 1/4 cup and added a cup of coconut.
What the heck—I tried it both ways. If the spices turned out, I'd have something remarkably creative. Right? I divided a couple of dabs of dough, added turmeric to the smaller and paprika to the larger. One teaspoon redish dough, push thumb into the center, then add a small ball of the yellowish dough. Bake. Came out flat and crispy, but with definite color differences. Definite flavor differences too!Too creative. Why do I remember an experiment of my mother's, chocolate pie crust with orange filling? She never lived that one down.
Okay, I decided to forget using spices to color my cookies. Fortunately I didn't experiment with all the dough. I put some coconut into a plastic bag, added a few drops of red food coloring, then shook and massaged the bag until the coconut was a lovely shade of red. Then I rolled teaspoon-size dough bits in coconut, did the thumb-print thing, then added tiny wads of undyed dough in the center. Baked. Tasted. Presented both to the ultimate taster (Hubby), and accepted the verdict (which I agreed to). Forget the weird spices.
Now I have a new recipe to include on my website (and here). Coconut Blossoms, a crispy confection that keeps well so could be baked ahead for my Christmas treats or enjoyed any time of the year. However, I do wish I'd named them something else in the manuscript. Coconut Crisps maybe. Much easier to just mix, drop teaspoon-sized wads of dough on the cookie sheet, and bake.
Kaye's Coconut Blossoms
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup shortening
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
2 1/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons cream of tarter
1 teaspoon soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Red food coloring
1/4 cup additional sweetened flaked coconut (about)
1. Mix softened butter and shortening together
2. Stir in sugar and eggs.
3. Mix dry ingredients together, then add, alternating with adding the coconut
4. Color additional coconut (place in plastic bag with a few drops of food coloring and shake)
5. Roll teaspoon-sized bits of dough in red coconut, place on ungreased cookie sheet and push thumb into center. Place smaller bits of plain dough into indented center of each cookie
Bake 10 minutes at 400° Cool on sheet for a few minutes, then remove to a paper towel-lined rack. After cool, store in a closed container at room temperature.
The first recipe, from Yesterday's Body, is on my website: www.normahuss.com (Click the recipe title at bottom of recipe page.) The coconut cookies are mentioned in my new mystery, Death of a Hot Chick.
Some cooks are strictly by-the-book. (I actually met one once.) Do you like to experiment or stick to the recipe? If you are an experimenter, like me, do some of your improvements leave much to be desired?
-------------------------------------------
Norma Huss, at 82, is a wife, mother, and grandmother whose first full-length mystery was published a month before her 80th birthday. She likes to call herself, "The Grandma Moses of Mystery." The original Moses was an artist who started late, became famous at 80, and painted until she was 102. Since her mother is now 102, walking for exercise and doing word puzzles, Norma has the genes to do the same. She lives and writes in Pennsylvania. She and her husband are glad their children, although spread from north to south, all live in the same time zone. Visit her website: www.NormaHuss.com Her latest book is Death of a Hot Chick .
Searching High and Low
By Heather Webber / Heather Blake
How many of you have searched high and low for just the right holiday gift? Whether it was a Cabbage Patch kid years and years ago or a Wii more recently, there are just some presents that are impossible to find.
I've had my own searches lately. One, a blue cotton blanket. This is mostly my own fault, if I'd realized how hard it would be to find locally, I would have ordered it online. BUT, I thought a blue cotton blanket could be found just about anywhere. Wrong. Oh, there are plenty of white cotton or beige cotton...but blue? Not so much. And the senior citizen my critique group adopted for Christmas wanted blue, so the hunt was on.
The next search came when my daughter casually mentioned that she'd like the first three Star Wars movies (technically #4, 5, 6) on DVD (we have them on VHS tapes). I didn't think that would be so hard. WRONG. It was nearly impossible. I checked lots of stores before figuring out that these disks are the equivalent of being out of print. Online shops wanted $179 and up for "new" disks of these "collector's items." I want to know what I ever did to George Lucas to deserve this punishment. Well, I HAVE to get these disks for Baby Girl (she doesn't ask for much), so I did what any sensible mom would do. I went to EBay. Where "new" disks were selling for upwards of $200. I want to know what I ever did to EBay to deserve this punishment.
The blue blanket I finally found at Kohl's (thankfully!!!)—and just a mere 24 hours before it was due to be turned in. And the good karma kept coming when I stumbled on an EBay post a half-hour old. Three disks, never opened. And it had a "buy now" button. $89. SOLD. I don't think I ever clicked so fast in my life.
(Really hoping Baby Girl isn't reading this post.)
Have you had an impossible search lately?
How many of you have searched high and low for just the right holiday gift? Whether it was a Cabbage Patch kid years and years ago or a Wii more recently, there are just some presents that are impossible to find.I've had my own searches lately. One, a blue cotton blanket. This is mostly my own fault, if I'd realized how hard it would be to find locally, I would have ordered it online. BUT, I thought a blue cotton blanket could be found just about anywhere. Wrong. Oh, there are plenty of white cotton or beige cotton...but blue? Not so much. And the senior citizen my critique group adopted for Christmas wanted blue, so the hunt was on.
The next search came when my daughter casually mentioned that she'd like the first three Star Wars movies (technically #4, 5, 6) on DVD (we have them on VHS tapes). I didn't think that would be so hard. WRONG. It was nearly impossible. I checked lots of stores before figuring out that these disks are the equivalent of being out of print. Online shops wanted $179 and up for "new" disks of these "collector's items." I want to know what I ever did to George Lucas to deserve this punishment. Well, I HAVE to get these disks for Baby Girl (she doesn't ask for much), so I did what any sensible mom would do. I went to EBay. Where "new" disks were selling for upwards of $200. I want to know what I ever did to EBay to deserve this punishment.
The blue blanket I finally found at Kohl's (thankfully!!!)—and just a mere 24 hours before it was due to be turned in. And the good karma kept coming when I stumbled on an EBay post a half-hour old. Three disks, never opened. And it had a "buy now" button. $89. SOLD. I don't think I ever clicked so fast in my life.
(Really hoping Baby Girl isn't reading this post.)
Have you had an impossible search lately?
December 15, 2011
Dru's Cozy Report: December Reading List
Welcome to Dru's Cozy Report. This month we have one new series and two recurring ones for your reading pleasure.
What a good start! Imagine getting the hottest author to come to your bookstore and an accident causes her demise or did it? That's what faces Darla in this fun-filled and engaging who-dun-it when she uncovers a clue that can change the outcome of the police's investigation. The writing was crisp and the alluring storylines kept me engrossed in this story as I tried to figure out the mysteries contained in this nicely done tale. The characters are likable and the setting made me feel at home. This is a lovely beginning to what I hope are many adventures with Darla and her friends in this charmingly entertaining new series.Double Booked for Death by Ali Brandon is the first book in the new "Black Cat Bookshop" mystery series. Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime, December 2011
As the new owner of Pettistone's Fine Books, Darla Pettistone is determined to prove herself a worthy successor to her late great-aunt Dee...and equally determined to outwit Hamlet, the smarter-than-thou cat she inherited with the shop. Darla's first store event is a real coup—the hottest bestselling author of the moment is holding a signing there, which brings hordes of fans and some protestors. But when the author meets an untimely end during the event, it's hardly good for business, even though it's ruled an accident—until Hamlet digs up a clue that seems to indicate otherwise. Now, Darla fears a killer might be lurking about...Can the interfering Hamlet point the paws at the culprit without losing one of his own nine lives?
Ali Brandon is the pseudonym of Diane A. S. Stuckart and you can visit her at http://alibrandon.com
FTC Full Disclosure – The publisher sent me a copy of this book
All Mel wanted to do was bring an old house back to its glory days, but no, she has to deal with owners who want to live on the premise, ghosts who wants all of them out and a dead body. Mel will have to ghost-bust some clues to find a killer among the living. Oh man, I was so wrapped up in the telling of this story that I could not put this book down. With witty and amusing conversations, a strong, lovable and down to earth protagonist, great supporting cast and a mystery to die for, this well-written tale is an enjoyable read in this delightfully captivating and fantastic series that will leave you with an urge to renovate.Dead Bolt by Juliet Blackwell is the second book in the "Haunted Home Renovation" mystery series. Publisher: Obsidian, December 2011
General Contractor Melanie Turner's latest restoration is a historic Queen Anne Victorian in San Francisco's Cow Hollow neighborhood. Trouble is, she'll have to work around the owners, the Daley family, who refuse to leave during the construction. But when eerie things start happening around the site, the Daleys threaten to call off the renovation for fear the work is disrupting ghosts who live on the property. But the ghosts aren't the only ones getting in the way of the renovation. The Daley's neighbors aren't exactly thrilled by the muss and fuss of the construction project. When Mel's father finds a dead body, Mel must tack on one more task to her growing to-do list. She has to finish the job, bring the house back from the brink, and complete her greatest renovation project yet: restoring her reputation.
Visit Juliet at www.julietblackwell.net
FTC Full Disclosure – The publisher sent me a copy of this book
With her parents in town and the restaurant association looking at her wares Becca is one happy vendor, that is, until her mother is arrested for a crime she didn't commit and Becca will do what needs to be done to dig up the truth to find a killer. This was a good read that I practically devoured from the minute I picked up the book. The mystery was good as it had me quickly turning the pages and I was surprised when the killer was revealed. With a great cast of characters, pleasant conversations and a feel-good atmosphere, this is the best one yet in the pleasing and delectable series that is tantalizing as fresh apple pie.Crops and Robbers by Paige Shelton is the third book in the "Farmers' Market" mystery series. Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime, December 2011
Bailey's Farmer's Market is all abuzz with the impending visit of the Central South Carolina Restaurant Association. Becca is pleased about the visit, but with her jams and preserves already flying off her market table, it's her parents' unexpected visit she is truly excited about. With her family watching from the sidelines, Becca happily hands out samples. But when Joan Ashworth, the president of the association vetoes the strawberry preserves, Becca finds herself reeling from the snub. After pulling herself together, Becca heads home, only to find Joan's body in her kitchen and her mother with blood on her hands. Now, Becca has to figure out what really happened to Joan and get her Mom out of a terrible jam.
Visit Paige at www.paigeshelton.com
FTC Full Disclosure – The publisher sent me a copy of this book
December 13, 2011
O Christmas Tree
by Deb Baker/Hannah Reed
It's that time of year again. Boy, it sure does come around fast these days. The gift buying, cookie making, snow- dusted time of year.
I love seeing what others are doing with their Christmas trees. Here are a few of my favorites so far, both spotted by moi on Facebook, which is my favorite place to hang out.
A rosemary tree by pal and cozy author Wendy Watson. Wish mine was that large. I managed to grow one tall enough and strong enough for a few small ornaments, but after a few seasons, it passed away.
I bet Wendy had fun shaping her tree and cooking with the sheared off boughs.
This one has been circulating around the internet, not sure who created this winner though. (BTW, clicking on the photos should enlarge them for a richer experience.)
An entire tree crafted from books! What style!
Then there is mine. Here's the story:
My family owns a Christmas tree farm in the Michigan Upper Peninsula (just like my protagonist Gertie Johnson). Every year our good friend and tree caregiver cuts a special tree for me. Each year I let him know that we have eight-foot ceilings. Every year he brings me a really full, really tall tree.
My husband and I looked at this year's tree and wondered what to do.
"How are we going to get it through the door?" Mr. Deb asked.
"We could cut it in half," I suggested, actually meaning it.
After serious debate, we took a 'stand', decided a new tradition was in order.
Tada....Falalalala...Hubby got blue & white LED lights, so we need sunglasses to view it at night.
Then he found shatterproof ornaments, which I didn't even know existed and will come in handy when young children are around the tree. Not to mention our cat.
Tada...the really neat thing about our outdoor tree is that we can admire it from the living room, or the entry way, in our bedroom and down the hall. Every window facing the tree is alive with brilliance. And the windows not facing the tree? Still illuminated with reflections.
I plan to add some treats for the birds and leave it up.
Have you spotted a Christmas tree that really stands out? If it's online, share the link with us. Tell us about your tree too.
It's that time of year again. Boy, it sure does come around fast these days. The gift buying, cookie making, snow- dusted time of year. I love seeing what others are doing with their Christmas trees. Here are a few of my favorites so far, both spotted by moi on Facebook, which is my favorite place to hang out.
A rosemary tree by pal and cozy author Wendy Watson. Wish mine was that large. I managed to grow one tall enough and strong enough for a few small ornaments, but after a few seasons, it passed away.
I bet Wendy had fun shaping her tree and cooking with the sheared off boughs.
This one has been circulating around the internet, not sure who created this winner though. (BTW, clicking on the photos should enlarge them for a richer experience.)
An entire tree crafted from books! What style!
Then there is mine. Here's the story:
My family owns a Christmas tree farm in the Michigan Upper Peninsula (just like my protagonist Gertie Johnson). Every year our good friend and tree caregiver cuts a special tree for me. Each year I let him know that we have eight-foot ceilings. Every year he brings me a really full, really tall tree.
My husband and I looked at this year's tree and wondered what to do.
"How are we going to get it through the door?" Mr. Deb asked.
"We could cut it in half," I suggested, actually meaning it.
After serious debate, we took a 'stand', decided a new tradition was in order.
Tada....Falalalala...Hubby got blue & white LED lights, so we need sunglasses to view it at night.
Then he found shatterproof ornaments, which I didn't even know existed and will come in handy when young children are around the tree. Not to mention our cat.
Tada...the really neat thing about our outdoor tree is that we can admire it from the living room, or the entry way, in our bedroom and down the hall. Every window facing the tree is alive with brilliance. And the windows not facing the tree? Still illuminated with reflections.
I plan to add some treats for the birds and leave it up.
Have you spotted a Christmas tree that really stands out? If it's online, share the link with us. Tell us about your tree too.
December 12, 2011
Did You Miss These TV Shows?
by Maggie Sefton
I know I mentioned these new TV shows earlier this Fall after I first discovered them, but I wanted to mention them once more. . .just in case you didn't see them. Hopefully, you had a chance to check them out earlier. They're all excellent programs with good actors and intriguing plotlines. Not often found in most TV series.
"Person of Interest" -- on Thursdays, CBS. The two lead actors are excellent and involved in an intriguing quest of "saving" people that a super computer warns have become targets for murder. It's a Redemption Story at its heart, because the "hero" is a refugee from high level paramilitary/espionage hit squads who's trying to make up for all the deaths he's caused by saving others now.
"Ringer" -- on Tuesdays, CW Network (same network that carries another fave program, NIKITA. Nikita returned for its 2nd season and has found more ways to up the ante for all the players. Excellent). In Ringer, two twin sisters are involved---the heroine is the "screw up" sister, always getting into trouble. She runs from a Very Bad Criminal---who's out to keep her from testifying against him---to her "good rich proper" sister in NYC to hide. Problem is, "good rich proper" sister turns out not to be all that good or proper, but she is rich. And the next day, Good/Proper disappears on a boat trip with "Screwup" Sis. Screwup assumes her sister's ID, and then. . . oh, boy. . .do things start to happen. . .for both of them. Needless to say, Good/Proper is still alive & doesn't know that ScrewupSis has asssumed her ID. Really keeps you guessing + acting is very good with lots of interesting characters.
"Revenge" -- on Wednesdays, ABC: This story takes the classic revenge tale and upends it plus gives it a very modern hi-tech twist. Plus the actors are excellent. Daughter of a betrayed/jailed/executed father returns after she's all grown up and rich on money Daddy left her in Swiss bank acct. Daughter assumes identity and starts taking vengeance on the people responsible for her father's fate. But---other cast characters add their own twist to the action, complicating Daughter's quest for revenge. Plus, falling in love with Nasty Witch Villain's son wasn't part of her plans. Neither was the return of someone from her recent past who could throw a wrench into her well-laid plans.
And, of course, my fave, FRINGE, returned for a 2nd season and has managed to complicate characters' lives and plotlines. Always fascinating with excellent, endearing actors.
If you haven't had a chance, folks, try to catch these programs in re-runs. You will be glad you did. Enjoy!
I know I mentioned these new TV shows earlier this Fall after I first discovered them, but I wanted to mention them once more. . .just in case you didn't see them. Hopefully, you had a chance to check them out earlier. They're all excellent programs with good actors and intriguing plotlines. Not often found in most TV series.
"Person of Interest" -- on Thursdays, CBS. The two lead actors are excellent and involved in an intriguing quest of "saving" people that a super computer warns have become targets for murder. It's a Redemption Story at its heart, because the "hero" is a refugee from high level paramilitary/espionage hit squads who's trying to make up for all the deaths he's caused by saving others now.
"Ringer" -- on Tuesdays, CW Network (same network that carries another fave program, NIKITA. Nikita returned for its 2nd season and has found more ways to up the ante for all the players. Excellent). In Ringer, two twin sisters are involved---the heroine is the "screw up" sister, always getting into trouble. She runs from a Very Bad Criminal---who's out to keep her from testifying against him---to her "good rich proper" sister in NYC to hide. Problem is, "good rich proper" sister turns out not to be all that good or proper, but she is rich. And the next day, Good/Proper disappears on a boat trip with "Screwup" Sis. Screwup assumes her sister's ID, and then. . . oh, boy. . .do things start to happen. . .for both of them. Needless to say, Good/Proper is still alive & doesn't know that ScrewupSis has asssumed her ID. Really keeps you guessing + acting is very good with lots of interesting characters.
"Revenge" -- on Wednesdays, ABC: This story takes the classic revenge tale and upends it plus gives it a very modern hi-tech twist. Plus the actors are excellent. Daughter of a betrayed/jailed/executed father returns after she's all grown up and rich on money Daddy left her in Swiss bank acct. Daughter assumes identity and starts taking vengeance on the people responsible for her father's fate. But---other cast characters add their own twist to the action, complicating Daughter's quest for revenge. Plus, falling in love with Nasty Witch Villain's son wasn't part of her plans. Neither was the return of someone from her recent past who could throw a wrench into her well-laid plans.And, of course, my fave, FRINGE, returned for a 2nd season and has managed to complicate characters' lives and plotlines. Always fascinating with excellent, endearing actors.
If you haven't had a chance, folks, try to catch these programs in re-runs. You will be glad you did. Enjoy!
December 11, 2011
Stamp Out the Blog Blahs
By Kate Collins
So many Blogs. So many bloggers. And way too manyboring blog topics, I'd bet. We Cozy Chicks don't want to be guilty of causingany blog boredom, so help us take action to Stamp Out the Blog Blahs righthere, right now. Are you with me?
What makes you keep coming back to a particularblogsite (hint: Cozy Chicks) to read more?
Does the title attract you? Or conversely, keep youfrom clicking on the link?
Do certain subjects pique your interest, such as:TV/movie discussions
About our (The Cozy Chicks) books/charactersAbout our personal lives/joys/woesMotivational subjectsAbout our backgrounds – what we did before we becamewriters, or our childhoods.Shopping/clothing/make upTech/computer/digital reader discussionsHealth/diet/exercise (which those of us who sit atcomputers all day need desperately)Food/restaurantsTravel tipsAnd with that, I'm officially out of ideas. Pleaseshare your thoughts with me. Mama Kate wants to know.
December 10, 2011
Why Do They Do That?
by Leann
The inside painting is done and after two weeks, the mess of having furniture moved all over the place and having to sleep in three different spots during the last week is making me a little nuts. But since we planned to have carpet installed now that the painting is done, why move furniture until afterward, right?
So after searching online for reviews of those carpet places that tell you "buy it today, we'll install it tomorrow" I read comments from a lot of very dissatisfied customers. In fact, there was hardly any carpet company that really made happy customers. But one home improvement store seemed to have fewer complaints than others. I went to the one nearby, found very nice carpet and they even advertised "special-order carpet in 7-10 days." I had plenty of time to get it installed before Christmas--when my family arrives. Plenty of time. Sure.
But no. After I paid in full, I get a call from a totally separate department at this very famous chain store home improvement center telling me my carpet would arrive AT THE WAREHOUSE on December 21. NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I complained that the sales people assured me this carpet would be installed before Christmas, that I had "plenty of time." I then received a lecture from this person on the phone saying that if I wanted carpet installed before Christmas, I should have ordered it by Thanksgiving. Um, tell that to the painters, lady. After much haggling, my carpet installation is "penciled in" for December 22 and 23. NO GUARANTEES.
Meanwhile, because we believed the sales people at unnamed chain home improvement store (big mistake), we had the painters cut away carpet so they could paint the baseboards. I now have exposed carpet nails all over my house. Two toddlers will be here for Christmas and if that carpet isn't installed, what do I do? Plus, there can be no decorating until the last minute. The good news is, my family is coming no matter what. We will have a wonderful time. But why do they (the salespeople) do that? Lie? I guess I know the answer, but it is disappointing. If anyone has any ideas what to do about these exposed carpet nails if we must take care of them at the last minute, I'd love any and all suggestions. Oh -- and when you have carpet re-installation, do they replace those wood slats that hold the carpet nails? My husband swears they don't. I'd sure like to know for certain, because I might have to take a hammer to them!
The inside painting is done and after two weeks, the mess of having furniture moved all over the place and having to sleep in three different spots during the last week is making me a little nuts. But since we planned to have carpet installed now that the painting is done, why move furniture until afterward, right?
So after searching online for reviews of those carpet places that tell you "buy it today, we'll install it tomorrow" I read comments from a lot of very dissatisfied customers. In fact, there was hardly any carpet company that really made happy customers. But one home improvement store seemed to have fewer complaints than others. I went to the one nearby, found very nice carpet and they even advertised "special-order carpet in 7-10 days." I had plenty of time to get it installed before Christmas--when my family arrives. Plenty of time. Sure.But no. After I paid in full, I get a call from a totally separate department at this very famous chain store home improvement center telling me my carpet would arrive AT THE WAREHOUSE on December 21. NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I complained that the sales people assured me this carpet would be installed before Christmas, that I had "plenty of time." I then received a lecture from this person on the phone saying that if I wanted carpet installed before Christmas, I should have ordered it by Thanksgiving. Um, tell that to the painters, lady. After much haggling, my carpet installation is "penciled in" for December 22 and 23. NO GUARANTEES.
Meanwhile, because we believed the sales people at unnamed chain home improvement store (big mistake), we had the painters cut away carpet so they could paint the baseboards. I now have exposed carpet nails all over my house. Two toddlers will be here for Christmas and if that carpet isn't installed, what do I do? Plus, there can be no decorating until the last minute. The good news is, my family is coming no matter what. We will have a wonderful time. But why do they (the salespeople) do that? Lie? I guess I know the answer, but it is disappointing. If anyone has any ideas what to do about these exposed carpet nails if we must take care of them at the last minute, I'd love any and all suggestions. Oh -- and when you have carpet re-installation, do they replace those wood slats that hold the carpet nails? My husband swears they don't. I'd sure like to know for certain, because I might have to take a hammer to them!
December 9, 2011
Does Santa diet during the holidays?
by Lorna Barrett / Lorraine Bartlett / L.L. Bartlett
Whoever heard of dieting during the holiday season? Well, that's what my new doctor wants me to do. Mind you, I've already lost 20 pounds in 2011, but I hit the wall and plateaued in June. She wants me to lose another 20 pounds.
I lost those 20 pounds eating a LOT of ice burg lettuce lunches. After five months of those monotonous meals, I had to eat something else before I went completely bonkers. So ... I went back to REAL food. I had a wonderful summer of tuna, chicken salad, or ham sandwiches, and while I went up and down three pounds (that olive oil mayo is almost half the calories of regular mayonnaise and it tastes delish), it was never any more than that. Right now I'm actually at T minus 21 pounds ... and why? Because I started eating salads once again. I figure I can probably eat them for another four or five months before I get absolutely sick of them again. (Tossing in a hard boiled egg at least gives me some protein without a lot of extra calories or fat. Yum-yum! I love hard boiled eggs.)
But let's get back to this holiday time. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, this is the time of year when you get food you don't get any other time of year. I have successfully resisted all the stuff in the stores. No candy. No cut-out cookies, no cake. No eggnog. (This must be the first year since I was about four that I haven't had ANY eggnog!)
But I've got a hankering for three things, and two of them have chocolate in/on them. Chocolate covered pretzel rods with jimmies. Homemade toffee with chocolate and chopped walnuts. Homemade pumpkin bread. (Which I thought about making at Thanksgiving, but never got around to doing.)
All week I have been resisting the urge to bake or melt chocolate for something. (It helps if you're missing the vital ingredient for each recipe.) But that urge is growing stronger every day.
I have to go to back to the doctor next week and she's expecting to see a weight loss and I intend to deliver. But then what? How long can you cheat on your diet and how bad will the consequences be? Can you cheat for a few days and then go back to being good? Should I only cheat on Christmas Eve and Christmas day? And what about all the leftovers?
I think the answer might involve the chest freezer out in my garage. Make the stuff, put it in single-serving containers ... and then dole it out slowly (like a once a week treat) over the course of the next 10-11 months. (Will chocolate covered toffee last that long?)
What would you do in my shoes?
Whoever heard of dieting during the holiday season? Well, that's what my new doctor wants me to do. Mind you, I've already lost 20 pounds in 2011, but I hit the wall and plateaued in June. She wants me to lose another 20 pounds.I lost those 20 pounds eating a LOT of ice burg lettuce lunches. After five months of those monotonous meals, I had to eat something else before I went completely bonkers. So ... I went back to REAL food. I had a wonderful summer of tuna, chicken salad, or ham sandwiches, and while I went up and down three pounds (that olive oil mayo is almost half the calories of regular mayonnaise and it tastes delish), it was never any more than that. Right now I'm actually at T minus 21 pounds ... and why? Because I started eating salads once again. I figure I can probably eat them for another four or five months before I get absolutely sick of them again. (Tossing in a hard boiled egg at least gives me some protein without a lot of extra calories or fat. Yum-yum! I love hard boiled eggs.)
But let's get back to this holiday time. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, this is the time of year when you get food you don't get any other time of year. I have successfully resisted all the stuff in the stores. No candy. No cut-out cookies, no cake. No eggnog. (This must be the first year since I was about four that I haven't had ANY eggnog!)But I've got a hankering for three things, and two of them have chocolate in/on them. Chocolate covered pretzel rods with jimmies. Homemade toffee with chocolate and chopped walnuts. Homemade pumpkin bread. (Which I thought about making at Thanksgiving, but never got around to doing.)
All week I have been resisting the urge to bake or melt chocolate for something. (It helps if you're missing the vital ingredient for each recipe.) But that urge is growing stronger every day. I have to go to back to the doctor next week and she's expecting to see a weight loss and I intend to deliver. But then what? How long can you cheat on your diet and how bad will the consequences be? Can you cheat for a few days and then go back to being good? Should I only cheat on Christmas Eve and Christmas day? And what about all the leftovers?
I think the answer might involve the chest freezer out in my garage. Make the stuff, put it in single-serving containers ... and then dole it out slowly (like a once a week treat) over the course of the next 10-11 months. (Will chocolate covered toffee last that long?)
What would you do in my shoes?
Meet My MacGuffin
By J.J. MurphyJ.J. Murphy writes The Algonquin Round Table Mysteries, a humorous historical series that features Dorothy Parker as a witty sleuth in 1920s New York.
Have you ever heard of a MacGuffin? No, it's not a new breakfast sandwich at McDonald's.
If you're a movie buff, you've probably heard this term. It was used by film director Alfred Hitchcock to explain a certain kind of plot device. Specifically, a MacGuffin is a valuable item that both the heroes and the villains are desperately trying to obtain. It's often used in thrillers or mysteries, but it can appear in other types of films or books as well.
One classic example of a MacGuffin is the black bird statuette in The Maltese Falcon. Another is the Ark of Covenant in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Yet another is the sled, Rosebud, in Citizen Kane. A MacGuffin is a kind of holy grail—sometimes literally, as in Monty Python and the Holy Grail or Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The MacGuffin is often an object that has no meaning other than simply being valuable. It's sometimes just a thing that the story revolves around, something that moves the plot forward. For example, we never find out what's actually on the secret microfilm in Hitchcock's North by Northwest.
But this object, because it's pursued by many people, becomes the depository of their hopes and desires. "The stuff that dreams are made of," says Humphrey Bogart (as Sam Spade) in The Maltese Falcon.
Now I'd like to introduce you to my MacGuffin: Ernie MacGuffin, to be exact.
He's not at all the kind of guy that dreams are made of. Almost the opposite. He's a second-rate artist and a first-rate nuisance. And when he jumps to his certain death off the Brooklyn Bridge, he turns New York City upside down. Why? Because his apparent suicide triples the value of his art overnight, and everyone wants to profit from his sad demise.Only wisecracking writer Dorothy Parker has a clue to what drove MacGuffin to his fate—because before he took the big plunge, MacGuffin had slipped her his suicide note. Now, with the help of the other members of the famed Algonquin Round Table—as well as master magician Harry Houdini—the clever Mrs. Parker is on deadline to determine what really happened to MacGuffin. And she must do it before the boom in the value of his artworks goes bust.
Now it's your turn? What's your favorite MacGuffin?
Dorothy Parker (and Ernie MacGuffin) appear in YOU MIGHT AS WELL DIE, the second Algonquin Round Table Mystery, just released on December 6. Please visit www.roundtablemysteries.com and www.facebook.com/RoundTableMysteries.
December 7, 2011
Why A Few Teachers Kept Me From Becoming A Lawyer
That's right. I was meant to be a lawyer.
I went to college thinking that's what I'd do and picked pre-law as my major. Luckily, choosing pre-law meant lots of English classes and a scattering of other Liberal Arts courses — all of which enriched my love of language, art, and history.
I might have loved learning, but that didn't mean I was great at any of it.
That is,
until I entered the 6th grade and was lucky enough to end up in Mr. Bowden's class. One day he said, "You really get a twinkle in your eye when you work on creative writing projects. I think you have a gift for writing. Would you like to do some more for extra credit?"That was it. The invitation to take the road less traveled. I didn't realize it then, but Mr. Bowden gave me the courage to tell my parents many years later I didn't want to go to law school and he, along with several other amazing teachers, gave me the courage to do what I love.
My new book, The Last Word, is dedicated to the teachers who nurtured my spirit, who saw a young girl that
wasn't great at sports, math, foreign language, drama, or singing, but had a certain sparkle when it came to dreaming up stories.Was there a teacher who nurtured your spirit? Name them and thank them here and I will send one lucky guest a signed copy of The Last Word. And if you'd like to send one to that special teacher, I'll send you two copies!
