Kate Collins's Blog, page 306

Mother's Day is Not Just For Mothers

by Leann

Today is when we take time to honor one of the most important people in our lives--our mom. We all have or had one, after all. But for some of us, mom wasn't exactly of the storybook variety--all warm and loving and wonderful. I used to read about moms like that as a child and wish. Oh how I wished. But that's history. Over. My mother has been gone for 33 years.

Yet, there was a woman who made all the difference for me as I grew up--my mother's half sister. My beloved Aunt Ruth. She loved me with all her heart and I knew this for as long as I could remember. White haired early in life, pointy chin and always dressed like she was going to church. Not a hair out of place, not a ragged fingernail, not an unkind word for anyone.

My Aunt Ruth hand-painted flowers on a dresser for me, she made me a ballerina costume for Christmas that sent me over the moon with happiness. And cook? That woman could cook. She was the one who gave me a bridal shower with beautiful flowers, chocolate-dipped cookies, finger sandwiches and lots of hugs. She also was my "mother of the bride" and her husband, Uncle Bob, walked me down the aisle. My parents just couldn't make the trip from their home at the time in Brazil. Aunt Ruth and Uncle Bob carefully transported a spectacular wedding cake in their car from Niagara Falls where they lived to Syracuse where I was married. And who was my very first babysitter after my son was born? You guessed it. Aunt Ruth. She was the one who I sent flowers and cards to on Mother's Day. I miss her to this day.

I was lucky to have my aunt-mother. So very lucky. It's not always the title, but the person who made the difference that counts.

What about you? Your mom may have be the special one she should be, but for those of us not so lucky, who was your mom-not-really-your-mom?

Happy Mother's Day ... and swag!

By Lorna Barrett / Lorraine Bartlett / LL Bartlett

Tomorrow is Mother's Day.  Teleflora thinks you should honor your mother with a big bouquet of flowers -- or maybe a dish garden.  (I'm partial to them myself, because cut flowers last a few days and a dish garden can last for years, reminding the recipient of the thoughtfulness of the gift-giver.)

Russell Stover, Godiva, Lindt, and every other candy maker thinks you should remember Mom with a nice box of chocolates.  Aside from the gazillion calories, what's not to like?  It's delicious.

Of course, here on the Cozy Chicks, we're authors -- we want you to treat your Mom to the gift of reading.  And here are a few suggestions:










They're all available in paperback or as e reads on all your favorite chain and indepent bookstore web sites.

And now for a little swag.  

The winners of our Malice Domestic Author Swag Contest will be announced this afternoon.  Come on back and see if you were among the lucky five! 

Tucked In

By Heather Webber/ Heather Blake

It seems like over the past week (at the Malice Domestic conference and the Festival of Mystery) that I had a lot of conversations about sleep. Not how much we all were missing (and we were), but about how we sleep.

Some sleep with feet stuck out from under the blankets; some with blankets over their heads; some with a pillow wedged against their side.

Me? I do something I call "cocooning." I basically have blankets pulled up to my nose and a pillow over my head. Usually looks like I'm in a cocoon. If I get really hot, the feet usually pop out. It's quite the picture, I'm sure.

I also have to have a blanket—always. Even in the summer. If it's really hot, hot, hot just a sheet, but there has to be some sort of covering. Not sure why, but if I don't do it (even in hotels—I usually travel with my own blanket so I'm not skeeved out!), I'm just not going to get a good night's sleep.

Is there a particular way you sleep?

Cats in the Garden

Welcome to my garden! It's early days yet, but the blooms are beginning to show.
I love to walk around my garden each evening and plan which empty space I'll fill next. I don't think I'd realized just how many cats I have in my garden until the other night. Aroundevery corner, a cat seems to be waiting and I have the photo evidence to prove it.
I have this little cat about to launch on innocent bird tableau just as you enter throughthe archway (which will soon be covered with Clematis).
Then, another cat guards the lavender.
My real cats, Pippin and Finnegan are pictured here attacking the catnip plants, love taking this evening stroll with me.






Beneath this gorgeous Knock-Out rosebush is a memorial cat, bought in memory of our sweet kitty Leo.









By the steps leading to the deck is a rather haughty Art Deco kitty and in the front is a cat I toted all the way back from Egypt.
That's the end of my tour! But I have a feeling I might get another statue for Mother's Day and that means I need to buy new plants. I'd love to put something in at your request and think of one of you every time I take my evening walk.
What's your favorite annual or perennial that requires full sun?

Where the Wild Things Grow

by Deb/Hannah

Mind Your Own Beeswax hit the shelves yesterday. Book 2 in the Queen Bee series. I should have been out promoting - driving to bookstores, signing stock, setting up events. All that will happen, but it didn't get done yesterday. You'll never guess what I did instead.


Long ago, I learned how important the natural world is to my psychic balance. Give me some quiet time in the woods and I'm rejuvenated. Especially if I'm on a quest. Growing up in the Michigan Upper Peninsula where living off the land was part of the experience, my family hunted the forests, pastures, and streams. We weren't hunting live game (okay, maybe some of us were). Depending on the time of year, we were out to find strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries. Berry picking was big. Grandma would give me a coffee can & send me out to fill it. While the bees buzzed, I filled my can (and my mouth).

There's something truly magical about being in the woods alone.

So yesterday I catered to the inner me by wandering through the woods behind my house. It's too early for berries. Too early for just about everything. This year I'm on a mission to find ramps (wild leeks). I've heard they grow in my area. And that they are a cross between a very pungent garlic clove & an onion. You know you've found one after you taste the leaf part. If you taste garlic, that's it. Then you dig up the bulb part, trot home with your treasure, and never tell anybody where they grow.

Yesterday, I tasted a few leaves. Not them. One was really nasty. I wonder what it was.

Those are ramps in the picture above. Not my picture. Not my ramps. But I didn't get published by 'bee'ing a quitter.

BTW, today I'm visiting bookstores. What a life!

Mysterious Friends and. . .Recipes

Malice Domestic. What a perfect name for a mystery conference. . .and a perfect place to reunite with old friends and make new ones. All seven Cozy Chicks gathered in a Hyatt Regency hotel in Washington, DC (actually, just across the line into Bethesda, MD) at the yearly spring gathering of mystery writers and readers from all over the country and abroad. We have loads of wonderful Canadian mystery writers who join with us every year.

The Cozy Chicks gathered for an early Sunday morning breakfast before many of us went to our respective panels. As always whenever the Chicks gather, we talked about all sorts of ideas and projects we're each involved in right now. Sharing our writing experiences with each other is the Chicks strong suit. We learn from each other and help each other. The Writing Profession is challenging, to say the least. . .and it is changing in many ways. It takes all of us to keep track of everything. Believe me, I'm really grateful to my fellow Cozy Chicks. Go, Cozy Chicks!

And, now---the last installment of the Appetizers Hot and Cold. You'll find some trickier ones here and some that are super easy. Enjoy!

Carol Norris -- She calls it "Candied Sausage." Her husband calls it "Heart Attack on a Stick:
1 package Hillshire Farms beef sausage (the long sausage, not ground); ½ package bacon;
1 box brown sugar. Cut the sausage into ½ to ¾ inch pieces. Cut the bacon slices in half. Wrap the half bacon slice around the sausage and secure with a toothpick. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Put the bacon wrapped sausage into a 9 by 13 casserole dish and crumble the brown sugar on top (use the entire box). Cook for 2 ½ - 3 hours, stirring every hour to make sure the sausage gets coated. When the brown sugar has melted and caramelized on the sausages, it is done. Remove to a serving platter (there is a lot of grease produced that is not very appetizing) and serve warm.

Jan Frick -- Hot Appetizer Polish Surprises: 1 pound ground beef; 1 pound hot sausage;
1 pound Velveeta cheese, cubed; 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce; 1 tsp oregano; 1.5 pkgs party rye bread. Brown meats and drain. Mix in pan with cheese to melt. Add seasonings. Spread about 1 tablespoon of mixture per slice of bread. (Can be frozen at this time.) Lay slices on cookie sheet, and bake at 375º for 5 minutes. (If frozen, bake 10 minutes.)

Tammy Hull -- Artichoke Dip: 2 cans of artichokes - drained; 1 cup of mayonnaise;
1 cup of grated parmesan - fresh is best,...Kraft cheese works great too.
2 small cans of green chiles - chopped - fresh roasted hatch chiles add a smokey flavor.

Kathy Kaminski -- Hot Cheesy Garlic Biscuits: 1 tube refrigerated biscuits (the plain type-no flaky layers-10 biscuits to a tube); 1 8 oz. package of your favorite type of brick cheese, such as Cheddar, Colby/Jack, etc. You'll only use about ¾ of the brick, but it's always good to have extra to munch on! 2 cloves garlic (or more to taste). Preheat the oven to the temperature specified on the tube of biscuits. Mince the garlic. Slice the cheese into small, bite sized pieces.
Open the tube of biscuits. Take 1 biscuit and roll it out with a rolling pin. (If you're lazy, flatten it and just spread it out a bit with your fingers.) Place 2 or 3 pieces of the cheese in the center of the flattened biscuit along with a little of the minced garlic. Close the biscuit around the garlic, cheese filling creating a little packet. Don't use too much cheese, you want to be able to fully close the biscuit. Take a thin slice of cheese (a shaving, really) and place it on top of the seam of the biscuit packet. Do the same thing with each of the remaining biscuits. Place the completed cheesy garlic biscuits on a baking sheet and bake according to the directions on the biscuit tube.
Serve warm.

Nora-Adrienne Deret -- Crunchy Spring Rolls -- The next best thing to fried egg rolls -- without the deep frying.These veggie packed treats will satisfy your cravings. 1-1/2 cups sliced mushrooms 1 cup sliced celery 1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth 1/2 cup red bell pepper, cut into thin strips 1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced 2 oz. firm tofu, cut into small pieces 4 egg roll wrappers 1/2 cup bean sprouts 4 romaine lettuce leaves ~~~Sauce~~~ 1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce 2 TB green onions, thinly sliced 1. In a medium skillet, combine mushrooms, celery, broth, pepper, and green onions. Sauté over medium heat, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in tofu. Cook, stirring, until liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool completely. 2. To prepare sauce, combine soy sauce and green onion. Mix well. Set aside. 3. Spoon mushroom mixture evenly into center of each wrapper. Place bean sprouts over filling. Brush edges of wrappers with water. Tightly roll up wrappers; press ends together to seal. 4. Spray a wok or large nonstick skillet with vegetable cooking spray. Heat wok over medium heat.Place rolls in wok; cook, turning, until golden and heated through, about 10 minutes. Divide lettuce leaves among plates. Place spring rolls on top. Serve with sauce on the side. Serves 4.

The Pefect Suitcase?

by Kate Collins

Having just taken two trips – one a ten day tour of Cuba, the other a long weekend for the Malice Domestic Mystery Writers' Convention in Bethesda, Maryland – I've come to the conclusion that one of the most important ingredients of a successful trip is having the perfect suitcase. Sound silly? Let me make my case.

On my trip to Cuba, my baggage was limited to forty pounds, so I took a small carry-on and a small Hartman suitcase. I underpacked and suffered for it, allowing myself only four tops, three pairs of capris, and a dress for our two formal nights. Boy, did I get sick of wearing the same things over and over. That, combined with having only one sweater, and that one not nearly warm enough, and a single pair of dress shoes (that I'd forgotten gave me blisters) was actually stressful.

My friend and Cuba roommate, Marilou, took a larger case, a Samsonite, and had an enviable amount of room. I liked it so much that for my trip to Maryland, I bought the same Samsonite. What a difference! Not that I want to be an advertisement for Samsonite, because I did see other brands of the same size, but with that bag, I had space for dressy outfits for the entire four day trip, including formal night, plus shoes for all occasions, plus my book promotion materials, plus cosmetics, pjs, undergarments, and still had room to spare. Honestly, it made my stay more enjoyable.

Okay, be frank. Do you think that's silly? Have you found the perfect suitcase?

April's Barnes and Noble Gift Card Winner

Congratulations to Laura K Curtis , this month's B&N gift card winner!

Please send an email to debbkr1@gmail.com with your email address to claim your electronic gift card from B&N.com.

Thanks so much for your comments and for supporting all of us here at the Cozy Chicks blog!

The Raw Deal

by Lucy Arlington

When I was a child, vegetables were always cooked. Perhaps I'm revealing something about how old I am, but raw just wasn't done back then. When I became a mother, I grew to appreciate serving raw vegetables as an enticement for my children to eat them. Who could resist a crunchy, bright orange carrot? Or a celery stick spread with peanut butter?

Now I eat raw everything. Raw beets. Raw broccoli stems. Raw cabbage. Raw green beans. I could go on an on. And I don't stop at vegetables either. I just love a good Carpaccio, whether it's beef or fish.

But I digress. The warm weather is upon us and I'm in salad mode. The recipe I want to share with you today includes raw parsnips, not something the average person eats uncooked. Nonetheless, I hope you try this recipe because it's delicious. And healthy to boot.

Enjoy!

PARSNIP CARROT SLAW

1 large or 2 medium carrots, peeled

1 large or 2 medium parsnips, peeled

1 yellow pepper (or red, if you prefer the taste)

1 small sweet onion (I use Vidalia)

1 jalapeno, cored and seeded

2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

DRESSING:

½ cup non-fat, plain yogurt

½ cup rice vinegar

½ tsp vanilla extract

sea salt and pepper to taste

1. In a food processor with the grating blade attachment, julienne the carrot, parsnip, and onion. Julienne the pepper by hand (the food processor just mushes it) and chop the jalapeno. Mix and set the vegetables aside.

2. Combine dressing ingredients in a bowl. Add vegetables and cilantro. Mix gently. Let rest for 30 minutes before serving. Tastes even better the next day.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Yet more Author Swag!

The Cozy Chicks are hootin' and hollering in Bethesda, MD this weekend at the annual Malice Domestic conference.  This year we gave out very cute little totes filled with Cozy Chicks author swag.

Oh, you didn't get to go to the conference?  Well, fear not, we're giving away the same Author Swag to five of our faithful readers here on the blog.

Sadly, the last time we gave away swag, two of our five winners never claimed their prizes.  That's why this time we're asking that winners send us an email with their complete snail mail address.  This way we won't have to go looking for you.

All you have to do is write and tell us why you think the Cozy Chicks should give away next, and why you'd like it.  We'll announce the winners next Saturday.

Here's our email address (don't forget to close up the spaces):  cozychicks @ gmail.com