Kate Collins's Blog, page 57
August 5, 2018
MAKE A TIAN FOR DINNER TONIGHT!
By Mary Kennedy
What's a tian, you ask? It's a delicious dish, consisting of roasted veggies with an orzo base, and it's the perfect way to use up these wonderful summer vegetables.
It's super quick to mix together and if you have a zucchini...
a yellow squash...
Some tomatoes...
And orzo, you can make it tonight.
You can also add shallots if you have a couple...but it's not really necessary. A little garlic (4 cloves) would be a nice addition, too.
You also need veggie broth. I like the low sodium kind. You can find it in the soup aisle.
Tians are made with or without cheese. Some people like to grate and add 3 ounces of Parmesan cheese to their tian, but you don't have to. And if you are watching calories, you don't need to, it's fine without the cheese.
Here's what you do.
Ingredients:
3 ounces parmesan cheese (optional)2 shallots 4 garlic cloves1 cup orzo1 teaspoon dried oregano1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakessalt and pepper to taste1 zucchini1 yellow summer squash12 ounces plum tomatoes (I use whatever kind I happen to have)1 3/4 cup vegetable broth
Directions:
Heat oven at 425. Grate about a cup and a half of parmesan, if you using it. Mince shallots and garlic. Combine orzo, oregano, pepper flakes and 1/2 cup of the grated parmesan, shallots and minced garlic in bowl. Spread mixture evenly into 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
Now slice zucchini and summer squash 1/4 inch thick. Core tomatoes. Arrange the veggies on top of the orzo base in the baking dish. Pour broth over top of vegetables. Bake about 20 minutes, until the orzo is tender and most of the broth is gone. Remove dish from oven and heat broiler. Sprinkle the left over one cup of Parmesan (if you decided to use cheese) over the dish and broil until nicely browned, about 5 minutes.
Enjoy! Bon appetit!
What's a tian, you ask? It's a delicious dish, consisting of roasted veggies with an orzo base, and it's the perfect way to use up these wonderful summer vegetables.
It's super quick to mix together and if you have a zucchini...
a yellow squash...
Some tomatoes...
And orzo, you can make it tonight.
You can also add shallots if you have a couple...but it's not really necessary. A little garlic (4 cloves) would be a nice addition, too.
You also need veggie broth. I like the low sodium kind. You can find it in the soup aisle.
Tians are made with or without cheese. Some people like to grate and add 3 ounces of Parmesan cheese to their tian, but you don't have to. And if you are watching calories, you don't need to, it's fine without the cheese.
Here's what you do.
Ingredients:
3 ounces parmesan cheese (optional)2 shallots 4 garlic cloves1 cup orzo1 teaspoon dried oregano1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakessalt and pepper to taste1 zucchini1 yellow summer squash12 ounces plum tomatoes (I use whatever kind I happen to have)1 3/4 cup vegetable broth
Directions:
Heat oven at 425. Grate about a cup and a half of parmesan, if you using it. Mince shallots and garlic. Combine orzo, oregano, pepper flakes and 1/2 cup of the grated parmesan, shallots and minced garlic in bowl. Spread mixture evenly into 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
Now slice zucchini and summer squash 1/4 inch thick. Core tomatoes. Arrange the veggies on top of the orzo base in the baking dish. Pour broth over top of vegetables. Bake about 20 minutes, until the orzo is tender and most of the broth is gone. Remove dish from oven and heat broiler. Sprinkle the left over one cup of Parmesan (if you decided to use cheese) over the dish and broil until nicely browned, about 5 minutes.
Enjoy! Bon appetit!
August 2, 2018
Spider Alert!
by Lorraine Bartlett / Lorna Barrett / L.L. Bartlett
When you live near water, there’s one constant come summertime: BUGS.
I admit it, I LOATHE bugs. Flies, ants, and especially spiders.
There must be millions of different species of spiders. Some I can take, and some I can’t.
Daddy Long Legs don’t bother me so much. They don’t seem to want to be around humans and I cut them a lot of slack—until they get too close. I’ve been known to let them live in the bathroom for days as long as they didn’t come near me. They come and they go. I like it best when they go.
And then there are the black spiders. Despite the fact that this type of spider has very short legs, they RUN VERY FAST (and they have good hearing because they run when they hear me scream). Last week, I was terrorized by (what I think was) the same spider two days in a row. There I was, relaxing on the couch, watching a DVD of Boston Legal, when Mr. Spider ran up the wall. Of course, I leapt off the couch screaming and ran to the kitchen to grab my spray bottle of peppermint oil in water, which my neighbor assured me would “deter all bugs and even mice.” Yes, it has done a great job, but it needs to be reapplied on a regular basis. It’s also poisonous to cats, but since we are currently catless (and I wish it weren’t so), I’ve been using it liberally.
So, squirt, Squirt, SQUIRT. There, Mr. Spider, take that. I thought I got him … but I was wrong.
Not 24 hours later, there I was watching Denny Crane and Alan Shore being buddy-buddy when I looked down and GAK!!!!! Mr. Black Spider was running on the side of the couch WHERE I WAS SITTING—AND WITH SHORTS ON!!!
I whipped off my shoe and starting beating the couch half to death, and then sprayed it thoroughly, but I wasn’t sure I got him. So then I sprayed all around, under and behind the couch. Of course, I nearly choked to death from the pungent odor of peppermint (which isn’t fun and Christmasy in such high concentration) but I hoped I got him (or her).
So it’s been a few days with no sight. But he—or his siblings or children—will be back. Is it any wonder that I search the walls before I go to sleep at night, and I turn on the light when I go to the bathroom during the night because – I don’t want Mr. FAST-RUNNING SPIDER to run across my foot, or god forbid be sitting on the toilet paper roll (and, yes, that has happened).
I like to think of myself as a pretty self-sufficient woman who can handle just about anything. But when it comes to spiders—all bets are off.
Are you unnerverd by arachoids and scream in terror, even if you are a million times bigger than they are?
SPOILER ALERT: I am
-----------------------------------------------
PS - A REEL CATCH is now available in Trade Paperback and ebook.
Trade Paperback: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Kindle US | Kindle Worldwide | Nook | Kobo | iBooks
When you live near water, there’s one constant come summertime: BUGS.
I admit it, I LOATHE bugs. Flies, ants, and especially spiders.There must be millions of different species of spiders. Some I can take, and some I can’t.
Daddy Long Legs don’t bother me so much. They don’t seem to want to be around humans and I cut them a lot of slack—until they get too close. I’ve been known to let them live in the bathroom for days as long as they didn’t come near me. They come and they go. I like it best when they go.
And then there are the black spiders. Despite the fact that this type of spider has very short legs, they RUN VERY FAST (and they have good hearing because they run when they hear me scream). Last week, I was terrorized by (what I think was) the same spider two days in a row. There I was, relaxing on the couch, watching a DVD of Boston Legal, when Mr. Spider ran up the wall. Of course, I leapt off the couch screaming and ran to the kitchen to grab my spray bottle of peppermint oil in water, which my neighbor assured me would “deter all bugs and even mice.” Yes, it has done a great job, but it needs to be reapplied on a regular basis. It’s also poisonous to cats, but since we are currently catless (and I wish it weren’t so), I’ve been using it liberally.So, squirt, Squirt, SQUIRT. There, Mr. Spider, take that. I thought I got him … but I was wrong.
Not 24 hours later, there I was watching Denny Crane and Alan Shore being buddy-buddy when I looked down and GAK!!!!! Mr. Black Spider was running on the side of the couch WHERE I WAS SITTING—AND WITH SHORTS ON!!!
I whipped off my shoe and starting beating the couch half to death, and then sprayed it thoroughly, but I wasn’t sure I got him. So then I sprayed all around, under and behind the couch. Of course, I nearly choked to death from the pungent odor of peppermint (which isn’t fun and Christmasy in such high concentration) but I hoped I got him (or her).
So it’s been a few days with no sight. But he—or his siblings or children—will be back. Is it any wonder that I search the walls before I go to sleep at night, and I turn on the light when I go to the bathroom during the night because – I don’t want Mr. FAST-RUNNING SPIDER to run across my foot, or god forbid be sitting on the toilet paper roll (and, yes, that has happened).
I like to think of myself as a pretty self-sufficient woman who can handle just about anything. But when it comes to spiders—all bets are off.
Are you unnerverd by arachoids and scream in terror, even if you are a million times bigger than they are?
SPOILER ALERT: I am
-----------------------------------------------
PS - A REEL CATCH is now available in Trade Paperback and ebook.
Trade Paperback: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Kindle US | Kindle Worldwide | Nook | Kobo | iBooks
August 1, 2018
Fast Food and Staycations
by Karen Rose Smith
There is much talk about the benefits of staycations instead of vacations. If you are a dog or cat mom, going away is often troublesome if you don’t have a friend or relative to care for your pets. This week my husband and I are enjoying the benefits of a sort of staycation with caring for a kitten at a friend’s house.
I try to cook healthy meals. Especially this time of year it’s easier to cook meals that are lower calorie and carbs with vegetables from the garden used in salads and main dishes. However, a staycation required something we don’t usually do—fast food. Our staycation includes driving to our friends’ house about 45 minutes away. These are trusted friends—my college roommate and her husband. They adopted a six week old kitty and they also have an older cat. The baby, Dottie, has only been a member of the family for two weeks. Their trip was planned but they needed some kitty care. We obliged. Conditions can happen fast for baby felines and even 24 hours of not eating or drinking can be detrimental if not lethal. So while we relax or in my case edit at their house, we are watching, playing with and loving their cats. (Photos next week.)
Where does fast food fit in? Who feels like cooking before and after pet sitting? Keep in mind that we feed our 5 feline babies and get them settled before we leave home. Fast food has provided us with easy meals and more time for whatever we need it for. If we leave early, we stop for breakfast at McDonald’s along the way.
If we leave later, we make a detour to Kentucky Fried Chicken and take along 2 chicken pies in a warming bag for lunch.
Pizza for dinner from Domino’s works too as well as ice cream from our favorite ice cream vendor. Next week we’ll clean up our diets and start summer cooking again.
Another benefit of this staycation is time for me and my husband to shake off work and house burdens and just talk and relate—in the car, playing with the cats, conversing over a meal. Let’s face it, at home, tv news and DVR’d programs sometimes reign.
So there is a place for fast food in our lives...at least a few times a year.
There is much talk about the benefits of staycations instead of vacations. If you are a dog or cat mom, going away is often troublesome if you don’t have a friend or relative to care for your pets. This week my husband and I are enjoying the benefits of a sort of staycation with caring for a kitten at a friend’s house.
I try to cook healthy meals. Especially this time of year it’s easier to cook meals that are lower calorie and carbs with vegetables from the garden used in salads and main dishes. However, a staycation required something we don’t usually do—fast food. Our staycation includes driving to our friends’ house about 45 minutes away. These are trusted friends—my college roommate and her husband. They adopted a six week old kitty and they also have an older cat. The baby, Dottie, has only been a member of the family for two weeks. Their trip was planned but they needed some kitty care. We obliged. Conditions can happen fast for baby felines and even 24 hours of not eating or drinking can be detrimental if not lethal. So while we relax or in my case edit at their house, we are watching, playing with and loving their cats. (Photos next week.)
Where does fast food fit in? Who feels like cooking before and after pet sitting? Keep in mind that we feed our 5 feline babies and get them settled before we leave home. Fast food has provided us with easy meals and more time for whatever we need it for. If we leave early, we stop for breakfast at McDonald’s along the way. 
If we leave later, we make a detour to Kentucky Fried Chicken and take along 2 chicken pies in a warming bag for lunch. 
Pizza for dinner from Domino’s works too as well as ice cream from our favorite ice cream vendor. Next week we’ll clean up our diets and start summer cooking again. Another benefit of this staycation is time for me and my husband to shake off work and house burdens and just talk and relate—in the car, playing with the cats, conversing over a meal. Let’s face it, at home, tv news and DVR’d programs sometimes reign.
So there is a place for fast food in our lives...at least a few times a year.
National Girlfriends Day...
I love that they actually have a day for this ‘cause I truly value my girlfriends. Girlfriends get you through the tough times, are there to celebrate the good times and even if months or years separate you when you meet up again it’s like no time has passed at all.Girlfriends can be life-long or someone you met recently and wish you’d know all your life. I am lucky enough to have both.
One dear friend I’ve known since I was four. My grandmother introduced us. I was so shy...yep, me shy...and my grandmother took me by the hand and said, “There’s a little girl down the street, let’s go meet her.” And we did.Barbie and I went to school together from kindergarten all the way through high school. We walked to school every day...until Barbie got a car. And yes, it was a mile both ways, some of it uphill and in the winter there was a lot of snow.
In college we sort of lost touch and even beyond but when we got married we reconnected and now in retirement we are back in each others lives a lot.And then there’s the new-found girlfriend Paula. I met her through my sister-in-law and wish I’d known Paula all my life. She is a ton of fun and so helpful to everyone she meets. She plays golf and is really active. We share a great love of desserts and puzzles and movies. I feel so lucky to have met her.
One of the most fun things about girlfriends is going away together to really catch up and share new experience. Do you ever get a chance to do a girls’ weekend? Go away with just the girlfriends? Do you do it every year? I think that would be the best.
July 30, 2018
Busy, Busy Summer
by Maggie SeftonBoy oh boy. . .this has certainly been a busy summer. Mega Busy. Starting with NASA Astronaut daughter Serena's launch with two crew mates up to the International Space Station on June 6th, there has been an event or a trip or a conference scheduled ever since. It certainly keeps you busy. I traveled to Johnson Space Center in Houston for a week then. There was the launch then the hatch opening from the Soyuz space capsule where Serena and her crew mates---Kasparov who is a Russian Cosmonaut and Gerst who is a German scientist with the European Space Agency---could transfer to the Space Station.
Last week I posted about the huge RWA readers and writers conference which was actually scheduled in Denver for the first time in 20 years on July 25 through July 29 Even though I didn't have to take an airline flight like I usually do for that conference, those five days in the super large Downtown Denver Sheraton hotel were non-stop activity. Meeting people, going to workshops, signing books at the great Literacy Signing where all the proceeds from book sales go to Adult Literacy programs in the Denver area. Talk about a worthy cause that's often overlooked.
This Monday I'll be flying back to Dulles Airport in Northern Virginia for five weeks. I'll spend the first week up in my old hometown area of Northern Virginia visiting family and my dear childhood friends. Lots of people who are important to me. I'll also visit several bookstores in the Northern VA and Washington, D.C. area and take postcards from DYEING UP LOOSE ENDS. Both bookstores and readers really like to see what new books are coming out, so I've always found the postcards are well-received. After that I'll drive down to the peaceful property an hour and a half away where you are surrounded by deer peeking out at you and bald eagles swooping around their nest in the tall trees.
At the end of August, I'll travel back to Northern VA so my family can gather and celebrate several family birthdays which all occur at the end of August and beginning of September. So that will be a lot of fun especially with a Family potluck. :)
July 29, 2018
FUR-FACE TELLS ALL!
By Mary Kennedy
Okay, here's what happened. Fur-Face (pictured above) high-jacked my blog today. She said she noticed there's been a lot of chatter on social media and her name has appeared in a quite a few posts. She wants to set the record straight, so I'll let her tell it in her own words.
Mom has been talking about me! And she knows darn well I can speak for myself. Here's a little secret, all cats can talk. But why would we tell humans? They'd put us to work, maybe doing data entry...
or working as short order cooks!
Holy mackerel! You can see how that would cut into our leisure time, which is precious to us. This is Maggie, who foolishly admitted she could read and do light housework, and look what happened! She's slaving over the kitchen counter, trying to make banana bread. I rest my case.
And let me add that I wasn't exactly thrilled to see "cute" photos of myself plastered online. Mom never asked me if she could publish them. Who does she think I am--Kim Kardasian, always looking for a photo op? I had no idea she was posting candid shots of me. Here I am with my cat mother, Eliza, taking a rest from our busy day. I admit I got lots of compliments from the photos, but I like to fly under the radar.
I'd like to set the record set on something else. Mom suggests that I spend my time lolling about, sleeping in boxes, or curled up in a patch of sunshine, but the truth is, I do have serious work to do.
For example, mouse patrol. Here I am, staking out the backyard from the safety of the glass sun porch. I'm scanning the yard for rodents. Luckily, I didn't see any, because it wouldn't have been pretty. No mice on my watch!
Mom downplayed the seriousness of my work and said I was "pondering the mysteries of life" in this photo (or maybe lusting after a plump chipmunk.) Not true! I take my job seriously, and she should, too.
I should mention here that one mouse did escape my attention and ended up in the basement, which is off limits to cats. Now any normal human would set a humane trap and set the little critter outside, but what did Mom do? She put out food and water for him! She even named him Timothy. I got so tired of hearing about his cute exploits, and I was so afraid she might capture him and keep him as a pet. (yes, insane as it sounds, that is exactly the kind of thing she might do.)
I was afraid she was going to bring him upstairs and we'd have to welcome the little rodent with open arms (I mean, paws) but luckily Dad wouldn't allow it. Thank god someone has some sense in this household. She also was going to buy Timothy an exercise wheel, but again, Dad discouraged her.
She was making it way too easy for Timothy to stay and enjoy himself. I tried to tell her the whole idea was to get the little guy to go back outside where he belonged! Luckily, he disappeared into the outdoors one day and none of his friends showed up to take his place. That was a close call!
I'll give you the lowdown on the whole household of Kennedy cats next week. There are six of us. And of course, I'd like to hear about your cats! There's great solidarity in the feline community.
Thanks for letting me vent, your feline friend, Fur-Face.
Okay, here's what happened. Fur-Face (pictured above) high-jacked my blog today. She said she noticed there's been a lot of chatter on social media and her name has appeared in a quite a few posts. She wants to set the record straight, so I'll let her tell it in her own words.
Mom has been talking about me! And she knows darn well I can speak for myself. Here's a little secret, all cats can talk. But why would we tell humans? They'd put us to work, maybe doing data entry...
or working as short order cooks!
Holy mackerel! You can see how that would cut into our leisure time, which is precious to us. This is Maggie, who foolishly admitted she could read and do light housework, and look what happened! She's slaving over the kitchen counter, trying to make banana bread. I rest my case.
And let me add that I wasn't exactly thrilled to see "cute" photos of myself plastered online. Mom never asked me if she could publish them. Who does she think I am--Kim Kardasian, always looking for a photo op? I had no idea she was posting candid shots of me. Here I am with my cat mother, Eliza, taking a rest from our busy day. I admit I got lots of compliments from the photos, but I like to fly under the radar.
I'd like to set the record set on something else. Mom suggests that I spend my time lolling about, sleeping in boxes, or curled up in a patch of sunshine, but the truth is, I do have serious work to do.
For example, mouse patrol. Here I am, staking out the backyard from the safety of the glass sun porch. I'm scanning the yard for rodents. Luckily, I didn't see any, because it wouldn't have been pretty. No mice on my watch!
Mom downplayed the seriousness of my work and said I was "pondering the mysteries of life" in this photo (or maybe lusting after a plump chipmunk.) Not true! I take my job seriously, and she should, too.
I should mention here that one mouse did escape my attention and ended up in the basement, which is off limits to cats. Now any normal human would set a humane trap and set the little critter outside, but what did Mom do? She put out food and water for him! She even named him Timothy. I got so tired of hearing about his cute exploits, and I was so afraid she might capture him and keep him as a pet. (yes, insane as it sounds, that is exactly the kind of thing she might do.)
I was afraid she was going to bring him upstairs and we'd have to welcome the little rodent with open arms (I mean, paws) but luckily Dad wouldn't allow it. Thank god someone has some sense in this household. She also was going to buy Timothy an exercise wheel, but again, Dad discouraged her.
She was making it way too easy for Timothy to stay and enjoy himself. I tried to tell her the whole idea was to get the little guy to go back outside where he belonged! Luckily, he disappeared into the outdoors one day and none of his friends showed up to take his place. That was a close call!
I'll give you the lowdown on the whole household of Kennedy cats next week. There are six of us. And of course, I'd like to hear about your cats! There's great solidarity in the feline community.
Thanks for letting me vent, your feline friend, Fur-Face.
July 26, 2018
Just a Week Away!
by Lorraine Bartlett / Lorna Barrett / L.L. Bartlett
The days before a book launches are always filled with excitement, especially when you don't know if the paperback edition will be available in time, and the audio edition is taking longer than I had anticipated to get started. (It should be available in mid-September. Apparently it takes up to four weeks after delivery for it to go live. It didn't used to be that way.)
The proof copy has arrived!But the reviews from advance review copies are starting to come in. I was thrilled with the Fresh Fiction review (you can read the whole thing here). I'm waiting for at least three more reviews from bloggers.
Here's the description:
Swans Nest Inn is about to open, and Kathy Grant solicits her BFF, Tori Cannon, to help spruce up her property at the marshy end of Lotus Bay, only they didn’t count on finding a body. Who was he? What’s his connection to their friend Paul Darcy? Meanwhile, two entrepreneurs with vast business ties are interested in helping Tori reopen the Lotus Lodge, and their real motives are as murky as the bay after a storm. Will Swans Nest open on time? Will the Lotus Lodge reopen at all?
Kindle US | Kindle Worldwide | Nook | Kobo | iBooks
Coming to Trade Paperback and Audio, too!
Have you ordered your copy yet?
The days before a book launches are always filled with excitement, especially when you don't know if the paperback edition will be available in time, and the audio edition is taking longer than I had anticipated to get started. (It should be available in mid-September. Apparently it takes up to four weeks after delivery for it to go live. It didn't used to be that way.)
The proof copy has arrived!But the reviews from advance review copies are starting to come in. I was thrilled with the Fresh Fiction review (you can read the whole thing here). I'm waiting for at least three more reviews from bloggers.Here's the description:
Swans Nest Inn is about to open, and Kathy Grant solicits her BFF, Tori Cannon, to help spruce up her property at the marshy end of Lotus Bay, only they didn’t count on finding a body. Who was he? What’s his connection to their friend Paul Darcy? Meanwhile, two entrepreneurs with vast business ties are interested in helping Tori reopen the Lotus Lodge, and their real motives are as murky as the bay after a storm. Will Swans Nest open on time? Will the Lotus Lodge reopen at all?
Kindle US | Kindle Worldwide | Nook | Kobo | iBooks
Coming to Trade Paperback and Audio, too!
Have you ordered your copy yet?
July 25, 2018
Pineapple Zucchini Bread #Recipe
by Karen Rose Smith
It's that time of year when zucchini reigns in gardens and on produce stands. In my garden, it's the one vegetable that always comes through even if tomatoes or cucumbers have a slow growing season. I'm always looking for recipes to use the zucchini in its many forms--sliced or shredded. Shredded, zucchini adds terrific moisture to a recipe. I developed this recipe for my readers and I give it out at book signings. I hope you enjoy it!
PINEAPPLE ZUCCHINI BREAD
Grease and flour two 5 x 9 1/4" foil bread pans Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
8 oz. crushed pineapple, drained
1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts
3 cups flour
1 cup Rice Krispies
In large bowl beat eggs and oil until eggs are yellow and mixed with oil. Add pineapple, zucchini and vanilla and mix again. Add baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Mix on low until blended. Beat in white and brown sugars and nuts. Add flour 1/2 cup at a time, then Rice Krispies.
Bake 55-60 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Let sit for 10 minutes and then remove from pan. Great warm or cool to room temperature. Refrigerate left overs if there are any!
It's that time of year when zucchini reigns in gardens and on produce stands. In my garden, it's the one vegetable that always comes through even if tomatoes or cucumbers have a slow growing season. I'm always looking for recipes to use the zucchini in its many forms--sliced or shredded. Shredded, zucchini adds terrific moisture to a recipe. I developed this recipe for my readers and I give it out at book signings. I hope you enjoy it! PINEAPPLE ZUCCHINI BREAD
Grease and flour two 5 x 9 1/4" foil bread pans Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
8 oz. crushed pineapple, drained1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts
3 cups flour
1 cup Rice Krispies
In large bowl beat eggs and oil until eggs are yellow and mixed with oil. Add pineapple, zucchini and vanilla and mix again. Add baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Mix on low until blended. Beat in white and brown sugars and nuts. Add flour 1/2 cup at a time, then Rice Krispies.
Bake 55-60 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Let sit for 10 minutes and then remove from pan. Great warm or cool to room temperature. Refrigerate left overs if there are any!
Breakfast...in or out?
It seems the new idea out there is fasting to lose weight and be healthy. I’ve read where it’s really good to do the fasting thing and, you might ask, what the heck is it?
When I think of fasting I think of the Lord doing the forty day thing in the desert but that’s not exactly how this works. The one particular fasting thing I’m talking about is not eating after eight PM till noon the next day.That’s sixteen hour out of twenty-four that you can’t eat so little wonder you lose weight! Now I haven’t looked deep into this so I’m assuming you can have black coffee, water, tea but that’s it. That means all your food intake is in eight hours.
Actually I can see how this would work on the weight loss thing but that automatically kicks out breakfast. And if you believe all the hype that is the most important meal of the day. Personally I’m not a huge breakfast fan till around ten or after.The thought of eating something eggy at eight in the morning really makes me sick at the thought as does oatmeal etc. Maybe some dry toast at this hour but nothing really tastes good to me till after ten or later.
So what about you? Do you do breakfast? Do you think it’s the most important meal of the day? Can you face two eggs starting at you at eight AM? What do you have for breakfast and what do you think about the fasting thing?If I give it a try I’ll keep you posted. Until then...bring on the coffee and maybe a Cinnabon. Yum!
July 23, 2018
Huge RWA Conference in Denver
by Maggie SeftonI spent most of last week in Denver at a large Sheraton hotel attending the yearly RWA Conference with over 3000+ readers and lovers of fiction along with 200+ fiction writers. Since the conference is so large, it moves around the U.S. every year so that more people will have the opportunity to attend. This conference is always one of my favorites because of the wonderful variety of fiction available. I love meeting new people----readers and writers---so I naturally enjoy large gatherings like this one.
Of course, I know several wonderful and talented published authors who choose not to attend precisely because they really do NOT enjoy those large crowds. Fortunately, there are several wonderful smaller conferences that occur around the country every year. Over the past years, I have attended several of these conferences. One of my favorites is a mystery conference called Left Coast Crime which usually is scheduled in the western states. I believe the farthest East where that conference was scheduled was El Paso, Texas. :) I actually attended that one which was years ago. A very enjoyable conference.
Another favorite is one that I attend every year is Malice Domestic, held in Washington, D.C. I always make that one since it's in my old "hometown" area. I've also attended fun conferences in Florida, the Los Angeles area, Seattle, San Francisco, Madison, Wisconsin, New England, Omaha, Nebraska, Ohio, Louisville, Kentucky, Nashville, Tennessee, South Carolina, Atlanta, Georgia, as well as Dallas, Texas, and St. Louis, Missouri.
Goodness. . .that's quite a list, isn't it? But, then, I've been writing fiction for a long time, and conferences are a great way to introduce our books to readers around the country. I usually tried to schedule one new conference in a different part of the country in addition to attending Malice Domestic every year. Looking at the list again, all I can say is it's a good thing I enjoy traveling. :)
