Kate Collins's Blog, page 66
April 3, 2018
A trip to Mackinac Island
Tandem DemiseDuffy BrownThird Book in the Cycle Path Mysteries
Bikes, brides and bad guys make for a police chief on the run and murder and mayhem on Mackinac Island.
Nate Sutter is the police chief on Mackinac Island and once-upon-a-time Detroit under cover cop as a wedding planner of all things. He’s hiding out on the island from some badass guys who think he stole money from them in their money laundering wedding business. Now they’re headed to the island to get their loot.
Hi, Nate Sutter here all the way from Mackinac Island located where Lake Michigan meets Lake Huron. It’s the place of no cars with only bikes and horses to get around. Yes, this island really exists just ask the million folks who visit each year. We locals call them fudgies ‘cause of all the Mackinac Island fudge they buy.
Now what’s the day like around here? Usually it’s tourists and dodging horse carriages and bikes but not lately, least not for me.
After solving two murders along with bike shop owner Evie Bloomfield we thought life would settle into boredom. Then I found out that my past was catching up with me. You see, I’m now the local police chief but I used to be an undercover cop back in Detroit. This morning I just happened to stumble across a body at the end of the pier. And how does this body connect to me? Well, it’s clutching a Champagne bottle. My house as been ransacked and the message of you’re nextspray pained on the wall so I know these guys mean business
I’m on the run from some badass guys who think I stole money from them in their money laundering wedding business. Now I think they’re headed to the island to get their loot that they think I have but don’t. Not only that but Evie is determined to help me and I’m hellbent on not letting her. It’s just too dangerous.
My best bet is to hide out till I can figure out what’s going on around here and who these guys are. I’ve got a few options for hiding but an island is an island and eight miles isn’t all that big. I can hide out at the Grand Hotel. It’s huge and I have friends and they can find me someplace to stay.
Or maybe I’ll hide out in the sheriff’s office. I know how to get in and out without being seen. I can’t just leave the island, I need to get the bad guys before they get me.
Wish me luck in figuring out who the badasses are before they get to me. Mackinac is an island and ditching my body would be no problem at all.
Bikes, brides and bad guys make for a police chief on the run and murder and mayhem on Mackinac Island.
Nate Sutter is the police chief on Mackinac Island and once-upon-a-time Detroit under cover cop as a wedding planner of all things. He’s hiding out on the island from some badass guys who think he stole money from them in their money laundering wedding business. Now they’re headed to the island to get their loot.
Hi, Nate Sutter here all the way from Mackinac Island located where Lake Michigan meets Lake Huron. It’s the place of no cars with only bikes and horses to get around. Yes, this island really exists just ask the million folks who visit each year. We locals call them fudgies ‘cause of all the Mackinac Island fudge they buy.
Now what’s the day like around here? Usually it’s tourists and dodging horse carriages and bikes but not lately, least not for me.
After solving two murders along with bike shop owner Evie Bloomfield we thought life would settle into boredom. Then I found out that my past was catching up with me. You see, I’m now the local police chief but I used to be an undercover cop back in Detroit. This morning I just happened to stumble across a body at the end of the pier. And how does this body connect to me? Well, it’s clutching a Champagne bottle. My house as been ransacked and the message of you’re nextspray pained on the wall so I know these guys mean business
I’m on the run from some badass guys who think I stole money from them in their money laundering wedding business. Now I think they’re headed to the island to get their loot that they think I have but don’t. Not only that but Evie is determined to help me and I’m hellbent on not letting her. It’s just too dangerous.
My best bet is to hide out till I can figure out what’s going on around here and who these guys are. I’ve got a few options for hiding but an island is an island and eight miles isn’t all that big. I can hide out at the Grand Hotel. It’s huge and I have friends and they can find me someplace to stay.Or maybe I’ll hide out in the sheriff’s office. I know how to get in and out without being seen. I can’t just leave the island, I need to get the bad guys before they get me.
Wish me luck in figuring out who the badasses are before they get to me. Mackinac is an island and ditching my body would be no problem at all.
April 2, 2018
Didn't Want to Forget This One
by Maggie SeftonHere's one of my earlier amateur sleuth mysteries that some of you may not know about. Check out the back cover blurb below:
Realtor Kate Doyle knew divorce was messy, but she didn't expect it to be bloody. Kate agrees to sell the home of old friends who're locked in bitter wrangling and manages to keep the peace long enough to get signatures on contracts. She congratulates herself on what will be an easy sale in this upscale Colorado college town. However, Kate's celebration turns to horror when she walks into the lawyer-client's study to find him brutally murdered - stabbed in the throat. "A crime of passion," says Kate's police detective brother-in-law. The prime suspect is Kate's close friend, the spurned wife, who begs Kate to help her. Kate's meddling turns up some surprising suspects. The successful lawyer deceived numerous ex-lovers as well as his wife. He’d also played off one land developer against another, dangling a choice tract of land as bait. Businesses were ruined and fortunes lost. Had the loser taken revenge on the wily lawyer? Or had an ex-lover killed in jealous rage? Kate’s real estate license helps her dig into the scheming lawyer’s dealings as she sifts clues from cyberspace to crawl space. Unfortunately, her snooping tempts the killer to to exercise his own license - to kill.
April 1, 2018
PINING FOR A PIECE OF PARADISE
By Mary Kennedy
I've always longed for a beach house so I could have a view like this! This shot is of the Atlantic ocean, taken from my favorite stretch of beach in Ft. Lauderdale. In these dark days (it's supposed to snow here in the northeast tomorrow!) I always think how wonderful it would be to wake up to a view like this. Or this...the picture below was taken from a hotel right where we go for mimosas. There was some storm damage as you can see, and the new fence needs to be painted.
I spotted an ad for a Ft. Lauderdale oceanfront condo for sale for $130,000 a couple of years ago. Yes, oceanfront!! How was that possible, I wondered? It was in Galt Ocean Mile, just a little north of the condo. It was one bedroom and listed as a "fixer-upper." Who cares, I thought! I knew the building well, because it was right near a little deli we used to go to for breakfast.
My husband isn't a fan of "towering infernos" as he calls the high rises that have taken over beachfront property and shade the beach every afternoon around 3:00 pm. But still, I was enthralled by the idea of owning an oceanfront condo. I wasn't daunted by the "fixer-upper" description.
How bad could it be? It was ocean front in Ft. Lauderdale! My favorite place on earth. I envisioned waking up in the morning, taking the elevator down a dozen flights to the lobby and stepping out on the sand. I could live with linoleum floors, outdated tiles in the bathroom, ugly paint colors and shabby carpeting. All that can be fixed, I told myself. Surely it is all cosmetic.
I clearly have been watching too many home renovation shows. On shows like Flip or Flop, everything is fixable. "It's just cosmetic," is one of Tarek El Moussa's favorite sayings. Here is Tarek and his beautiful wife, Christina, in happier times.
Then a few doubts crept in. My husband insisted it was "too good to be true," and I did my best to ignore his warnings. I started chatting with a woman at the beach and the talk turned to oceanfront condos. "Wildly expensive," she said.
"Did you hear about the one up the road a little?" I gestured in the direction of a white high rise with a green stripe. "They offering a one bedroom, oceanfront, for $130 thousand."
"Oh my dear," she said, resting her hand on my arm. "The one at Galt Ocean Mile? You wouldn't be interested in that one. It's in terrible shape. Just awful."
"You've seen it?"
"No, but a neighbor told me they're selling it 'as is'."
"As is?" Well, she didn't burst my bubble entirely because "as is" could mean anything. If it had dark paneling or horrible finishes, I could live with it. The ocean was right outside my window!
You're probably wondering where I'm going with this story. Did reality hit? Yes, sad to say, later that day, I visited a real estate office while I was out shopping.
Then I learned the grim truth. My beloved condo was much worse than a "fixer-upper." It was only $130 thousand but was a complete gut job. The agent was familiar with it. Someone had removed the kitchen and bathroom (how is that even possible?) and the living room didn't even have a floor. The building owner planned to sell it to a developer who would flip it. "I couldn't even show it to you," the agent said with a chuckle. "It's been condemned, it's unsafe to enter."
So my dream of owning a little piece of oceanfront vanished, just like that!
In the meantime, I'll have to be happy with the condo. It's right on the ocean and here's a photo I took from the balcony. It's on a nice, quiet stretch of beach in Ft. Lauderdale.
All's well that ends well, right? Maybe someday my dream of owning an oceanfront place will come true!! How about you, do you dream of owning a particular piece of property somewhere? Your own little piece of paradise?
Mary Kennedy
I've always longed for a beach house so I could have a view like this! This shot is of the Atlantic ocean, taken from my favorite stretch of beach in Ft. Lauderdale. In these dark days (it's supposed to snow here in the northeast tomorrow!) I always think how wonderful it would be to wake up to a view like this. Or this...the picture below was taken from a hotel right where we go for mimosas. There was some storm damage as you can see, and the new fence needs to be painted.
I spotted an ad for a Ft. Lauderdale oceanfront condo for sale for $130,000 a couple of years ago. Yes, oceanfront!! How was that possible, I wondered? It was in Galt Ocean Mile, just a little north of the condo. It was one bedroom and listed as a "fixer-upper." Who cares, I thought! I knew the building well, because it was right near a little deli we used to go to for breakfast.
My husband isn't a fan of "towering infernos" as he calls the high rises that have taken over beachfront property and shade the beach every afternoon around 3:00 pm. But still, I was enthralled by the idea of owning an oceanfront condo. I wasn't daunted by the "fixer-upper" description.
How bad could it be? It was ocean front in Ft. Lauderdale! My favorite place on earth. I envisioned waking up in the morning, taking the elevator down a dozen flights to the lobby and stepping out on the sand. I could live with linoleum floors, outdated tiles in the bathroom, ugly paint colors and shabby carpeting. All that can be fixed, I told myself. Surely it is all cosmetic.
I clearly have been watching too many home renovation shows. On shows like Flip or Flop, everything is fixable. "It's just cosmetic," is one of Tarek El Moussa's favorite sayings. Here is Tarek and his beautiful wife, Christina, in happier times.
Then a few doubts crept in. My husband insisted it was "too good to be true," and I did my best to ignore his warnings. I started chatting with a woman at the beach and the talk turned to oceanfront condos. "Wildly expensive," she said.
"Did you hear about the one up the road a little?" I gestured in the direction of a white high rise with a green stripe. "They offering a one bedroom, oceanfront, for $130 thousand."
"Oh my dear," she said, resting her hand on my arm. "The one at Galt Ocean Mile? You wouldn't be interested in that one. It's in terrible shape. Just awful."
"You've seen it?"
"No, but a neighbor told me they're selling it 'as is'."
"As is?" Well, she didn't burst my bubble entirely because "as is" could mean anything. If it had dark paneling or horrible finishes, I could live with it. The ocean was right outside my window!
You're probably wondering where I'm going with this story. Did reality hit? Yes, sad to say, later that day, I visited a real estate office while I was out shopping.
Then I learned the grim truth. My beloved condo was much worse than a "fixer-upper." It was only $130 thousand but was a complete gut job. The agent was familiar with it. Someone had removed the kitchen and bathroom (how is that even possible?) and the living room didn't even have a floor. The building owner planned to sell it to a developer who would flip it. "I couldn't even show it to you," the agent said with a chuckle. "It's been condemned, it's unsafe to enter."
So my dream of owning a little piece of oceanfront vanished, just like that!
In the meantime, I'll have to be happy with the condo. It's right on the ocean and here's a photo I took from the balcony. It's on a nice, quiet stretch of beach in Ft. Lauderdale.
All's well that ends well, right? Maybe someday my dream of owning an oceanfront place will come true!! How about you, do you dream of owning a particular piece of property somewhere? Your own little piece of paradise?
Mary Kennedy
March 29, 2018
Who knew I've been trendy for years?
by Lorraine Bartlett / Lorna Barrett / L.L. Bartlett
Okay, I lied in the subject line. I've never been trendy ... until now, I guess. Why?
I've been going to yard, garage, estate and rummage sales for years. I always assumed it was because I was cheap. Now it turns out I'm "thrifting."
I admit it. Before I had a booth in an antiques arcade, I rarely went to such sales, but when you need stock and have a weekly rent to pay, you visit these sales and thrift shops. Since then, I begrudge paying retail. And since I'm into recycling, etc., I like the idea that things aren't ending up in landfills when they can be used and/or repurposed.
It was only a week or so ago when I was looking at decluttering videos on YouTube that I learned about thrifting. I've subscribed to a few of those channels. My favorite is Thrift Diving (by Serena Appiah -- she's funny, knowledgeable, and knows how to use power tools!).
Another one I like (because of her Thursay Thrift Store Hauls) is Robin Johnson's Happy At Home channel. She likes white rooms, which aren't my favorite, but she has lots of great tips for repurposing items.
I like shabby chic (but not too chippy when it comes to paint. For one, they might have lead paint, and for another ... some things look like there was a reason they were discarded in the first place.
I'm a sucker for teacups, china (particularly square plates and brown transferware), and doilies, but lots of other things tickle my fancy.
Yard sale season starts in a couple of weeks for now. I've signed up to get a weekly email announcement that tells me where all the sales are within a five mile radius of my house.
Do you go thrifting?
Okay, I lied in the subject line. I've never been trendy ... until now, I guess. Why?
I've been going to yard, garage, estate and rummage sales for years. I always assumed it was because I was cheap. Now it turns out I'm "thrifting."
I admit it. Before I had a booth in an antiques arcade, I rarely went to such sales, but when you need stock and have a weekly rent to pay, you visit these sales and thrift shops. Since then, I begrudge paying retail. And since I'm into recycling, etc., I like the idea that things aren't ending up in landfills when they can be used and/or repurposed.
It was only a week or so ago when I was looking at decluttering videos on YouTube that I learned about thrifting. I've subscribed to a few of those channels. My favorite is Thrift Diving (by Serena Appiah -- she's funny, knowledgeable, and knows how to use power tools!).Another one I like (because of her Thursay Thrift Store Hauls) is Robin Johnson's Happy At Home channel. She likes white rooms, which aren't my favorite, but she has lots of great tips for repurposing items.
I like shabby chic (but not too chippy when it comes to paint. For one, they might have lead paint, and for another ... some things look like there was a reason they were discarded in the first place.
I'm a sucker for teacups, china (particularly square plates and brown transferware), and doilies, but lots of other things tickle my fancy.Yard sale season starts in a couple of weeks for now. I've signed up to get a weekly email announcement that tells me where all the sales are within a five mile radius of my house.
Do you go thrifting?
March 28, 2018
The Kittens Are Growing Up!
by Karen Rose Smith
It’s hard to believe that Zander and Freya were a pound when I brought them home. Both of them fit into one hand! They are nine months old now. Zander is 10 pounds and Freya is 8 pounds.
Zander
I have to say that these two kittens get into more trouble than any kittens we’ve ever brought inside. A few years ago we took in a pregnant mama cat who had three kittens. We kept all of them for 16 weeks and they didn’t find mischief as quickly as these two.
FreyaBut they are both sweet. When I pick up Freya, she purrs and snuggles. However, if I sit down with her, she squiggles away. She will come to me and sit in front of me if she wants to play. If she’s hungry, she’ll keep patting my arm or circle her paws around my ankle to tell me what she wants.
ZanderZander is a sweetie too. My husband and I have always adopted female felines. Zander is our first inside male. Since he was a baby, he would come and put his cheek against mine and lay against my neck. Now he only does that at night. Neither he nor Freya are snugglers but they like to be close by.
We have 5 inside cats now and finally they are all rearranging the times for cuddling and which cat or cats or human they want to associate with. We love them all to bits and can’t imagine life without them.
It’s hard to believe that Zander and Freya were a pound when I brought them home. Both of them fit into one hand! They are nine months old now. Zander is 10 pounds and Freya is 8 pounds.
ZanderI have to say that these two kittens get into more trouble than any kittens we’ve ever brought inside. A few years ago we took in a pregnant mama cat who had three kittens. We kept all of them for 16 weeks and they didn’t find mischief as quickly as these two.
FreyaBut they are both sweet. When I pick up Freya, she purrs and snuggles. However, if I sit down with her, she squiggles away. She will come to me and sit in front of me if she wants to play. If she’s hungry, she’ll keep patting my arm or circle her paws around my ankle to tell me what she wants.
ZanderZander is a sweetie too. My husband and I have always adopted female felines. Zander is our first inside male. Since he was a baby, he would come and put his cheek against mine and lay against my neck. Now he only does that at night. Neither he nor Freya are snugglers but they like to be close by. 
We have 5 inside cats now and finally they are all rearranging the times for cuddling and which cat or cats or human they want to associate with. We love them all to bits and can’t imagine life without them.
Cookbook or Google?
Happy 310 B-day Hannah Glasse who wrote the first cookbook written in English.
The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy was published in 1747. It was written in a plain, direct style in contrast with the
elaborate cookbooks, written mostly in French for professional chefs, found at the time.
Glasse says in the preface, “I dare say, that every servant who can but read will be capable of making a tolerable good cook.”
The book has 972 recipes ranging from cheesecake to roasted hare, as well as recipes for medicines and housekeeping tips. There’s Yorkshire Pudding, an English fave, and one of the first British recipes for curry, newly popularized by Brits returning from India.
I have to confess that these days with the internet I Google what I’m looking for, see how many reviews the recipe got and use that one. I always read the reviews as people add and subtract from the original recipe to make it better.
The best recipes are the ones given me by others. I have a beef tenderloin with cheese sauce that is to die for and given to me by a co-worker. And my grandma Castelluccio’s spaghetti sauce recipe that is the best sauce ever!
I do have a ton of cookbooks and of course I have my favorites. My go-to cookbook is More Best Recipes from the editors of Cook’s Illustrated and Italian Cooking Class Cookbook that is a spiraled bound book and mangled and splattered and has the best recipes ever.
So do you use cookbooks or Google what you’re looking for? Do you read the reviews and follow the hints? Here’s my recipe for the best beef tenderloin ever… The trick is not to over cook.
Put a rub on the tenderloin. Set out to room temp for 5 hours. Set on a rack and roast in 425 oven for 45 minutes. Let stand for 15 min. Slice. Put rare meat on one end of serving dish and more done cuts on the other end to give guests the choice.
Happy Easter!
Hugs, Duffy
The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy was published in 1747. It was written in a plain, direct style in contrast with the elaborate cookbooks, written mostly in French for professional chefs, found at the time.
Glasse says in the preface, “I dare say, that every servant who can but read will be capable of making a tolerable good cook.”
The book has 972 recipes ranging from cheesecake to roasted hare, as well as recipes for medicines and housekeeping tips. There’s Yorkshire Pudding, an English fave, and one of the first British recipes for curry, newly popularized by Brits returning from India.
I have to confess that these days with the internet I Google what I’m looking for, see how many reviews the recipe got and use that one. I always read the reviews as people add and subtract from the original recipe to make it better.
The best recipes are the ones given me by others. I have a beef tenderloin with cheese sauce that is to die for and given to me by a co-worker. And my grandma Castelluccio’s spaghetti sauce recipe that is the best sauce ever!I do have a ton of cookbooks and of course I have my favorites. My go-to cookbook is More Best Recipes from the editors of Cook’s Illustrated and Italian Cooking Class Cookbook that is a spiraled bound book and mangled and splattered and has the best recipes ever.
So do you use cookbooks or Google what you’re looking for? Do you read the reviews and follow the hints? Here’s my recipe for the best beef tenderloin ever… The trick is not to over cook.
Put a rub on the tenderloin. Set out to room temp for 5 hours. Set on a rack and roast in 425 oven for 45 minutes. Let stand for 15 min. Slice. Put rare meat on one end of serving dish and more done cuts on the other end to give guests the choice.
Happy Easter!
Hugs, Duffy
March 26, 2018
A Sneak Peek
by Maggie SeftonToday I thought I'd give our devoted Cozy Chicks Blog readers and fans an early glimpse of the Kelly Flynn Mystery that will be released this upcoming July---DYEING UP LOOSE ENDS. I think it's a great cover, but then I've loved every Kelly Flynn cover. :)
March 25, 2018
APRIL IN PARIS COULD MEAN--SHOPPING!
By Mary Kennedy
When you think of "April in Paris," do you think of love, romance, fabulous restaurants, lunches and café crèmes at trendy cafes like Café Le Bonaparte? (The Bonaparte, by the way, is my go-to café in Paris. It's you're in the St. Germain-des-Pres area, I hope you try it!)
Or do you think of shopping? Of course, there are the high end stores...Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci and more.
And a trip to buy some Chanel perfume is always appealing...
But what if you're looking for that "je ne sais quoi," that certain something to bring home with you. Maybe it's for yourself or for a gift. It could be a beautiful piece of Lalique crystal...
Or an antique compact mirror...
If you want something out of the ordinary and truly unique, hit the Paris flea markets. You never know what you'll find.
Wear comfortable shoes and bring a sandwich and a drink or buy something to eat from a stand. You have a lot of exploring to do!
And bargaining is not only encouraged, it's expected! Don't buy the first thing that catches your eye--you might find something better two stalls down. And don't be afraid to offer 20% less than what they're asking. It may work, it may not, you never know.
I used to always go to the flea market at Place Clignancourt, but I recently heard about one at Saint-Ouen that sounds interesting. As always, do your homework! There are loads of maps and suggestions online, giving the addresses, the hours of operation, etc. Have fun and happy shopping, Paris style! Mary Kennedy
When you think of "April in Paris," do you think of love, romance, fabulous restaurants, lunches and café crèmes at trendy cafes like Café Le Bonaparte? (The Bonaparte, by the way, is my go-to café in Paris. It's you're in the St. Germain-des-Pres area, I hope you try it!)
Or do you think of shopping? Of course, there are the high end stores...Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci and more.
And a trip to buy some Chanel perfume is always appealing...
But what if you're looking for that "je ne sais quoi," that certain something to bring home with you. Maybe it's for yourself or for a gift. It could be a beautiful piece of Lalique crystal...
Or an antique compact mirror...
If you want something out of the ordinary and truly unique, hit the Paris flea markets. You never know what you'll find.
Wear comfortable shoes and bring a sandwich and a drink or buy something to eat from a stand. You have a lot of exploring to do!
And bargaining is not only encouraged, it's expected! Don't buy the first thing that catches your eye--you might find something better two stalls down. And don't be afraid to offer 20% less than what they're asking. It may work, it may not, you never know.
I used to always go to the flea market at Place Clignancourt, but I recently heard about one at Saint-Ouen that sounds interesting. As always, do your homework! There are loads of maps and suggestions online, giving the addresses, the hours of operation, etc. Have fun and happy shopping, Paris style! Mary Kennedy
March 23, 2018
WHEN CHOCOLATE CAKE IS CALLING YOUR NAME
By Mary Kennedy
Doesn't this chocolate cake look yummy? What is it about sugar that attracts us? it's almost an addiction. And chocolate and sugar together adds up to one delicious dessert.
I started thinking about our love for sugar when I went to lunch with a friend. She ordered a "slim" chicken salad, with grilled chicken breast, (not fried), and a selection of spring greens. She turned down the yummy optional items, dried cranberries and almonds. And she nixed the avocado and mandarin orange slices. What was left? Not much.
She asked for the dressing (no fat vinaigrette) to be served on the side. What self control! So what she ordered was basically a bowl of lettuce with chicken strips. She also ordered a diet soft drink and drank two glasses of water. Hmm. The woman is a saint, I thought!
I was munching away happily on a delicious black bean veggie burger stuffed with shredded carrots, grilled eggplant, sweet onions and goat cheese.
And yes, I confess, I had french fries. They were sweet potato fries, but still...my bad. I thought my friend would split them with me, but no, she pushed them away with a "Get thee behind me, Satan," look.
As soon as she finished her "diet lunch," she asked for the dessert menu. Dessert menu? I was shocked. "I didn't think we were having dessert," I said plaintively. I had eaten the Kaiser roll that came with my veggie burger and she'd raised her eyebrows disapprovingly.
"Not have dessert? Are you crazy? We've earned it!" she insisted. She looked at my nearly empty plate of french fries. "Well, I've earned it," she quickly amended.
And that's where the chocolate cake (pictured above) comes in. She asked the waitress for two forks. Which sounds good in theory, but she gobbled down at least 90 percent of it! She was probably starving after eating her 150 calorie lunch.
Was it worth having a "bare naked" salad in order to indulge in a piece of chocolate cake for dessert? I don't know. What do you think? They had healthier choices on the dessert menu, but who wants to order a bowl of strawberries when that chocolate cake is calling your name!
By Mary Kennedy
Doesn't this chocolate cake look yummy? What is it about sugar that attracts us? it's almost an addiction. And chocolate and sugar together adds up to one delicious dessert.
I started thinking about our love for sugar when I went to lunch with a friend. She ordered a "slim" chicken salad, with grilled chicken breast, (not fried), and a selection of spring greens. She turned down the yummy optional items, dried cranberries and almonds. And she nixed the avocado and mandarin orange slices. What was left? Not much.
She asked for the dressing (no fat vinaigrette) to be served on the side. What self control! So what she ordered was basically a bowl of lettuce with chicken strips. She also ordered a diet soft drink and drank two glasses of water. Hmm. The woman is a saint, I thought!
I was munching away happily on a delicious black bean veggie burger stuffed with shredded carrots, grilled eggplant, sweet onions and goat cheese.
And yes, I confess, I had french fries. They were sweet potato fries, but still...my bad. I thought my friend would split them with me, but no, she pushed them away with a "Get thee behind me, Satan," look.
As soon as she finished her "diet lunch," she asked for the dessert menu. Dessert menu? I was shocked. "I didn't think we were having dessert," I said plaintively. I had eaten the Kaiser roll that came with my veggie burger and she'd raised her eyebrows disapprovingly.
"Not have dessert? Are you crazy? We've earned it!" she insisted. She looked at my nearly empty plate of french fries. "Well, I've earned it," she quickly amended.
And that's where the chocolate cake (pictured above) comes in. She asked the waitress for two forks. Which sounds good in theory, but she gobbled down at least 90 percent of it! She was probably starving after eating her 150 calorie lunch.
Was it worth having a "bare naked" salad in order to indulge in a piece of chocolate cake for dessert? I don't know. What do you think? They had healthier choices on the dessert menu, but who wants to order a bowl of strawberries when that chocolate cake is calling your name!
By Mary Kennedy
What's the fascination?
by Lorraine Bartlett / Lorna Barrett / L.L. Bartlett
Lately I've been watching a lot of Youtube videos about living and traveling the country in an RV. Okay, twenty odd years ago, and only for a brief moment or two, Mr. L and I considered renting an RV and traveling down Route 66 with our (then) cat Larry. Just the three of us (and who was going to take care of our other cats?) taking in the scenery visiting cool places, and eating lots of Southwestern (hot) food. And that's as far as it went.
But now I regularly watch a number of vloggers. My favorite is a young couple from Missouri (Duet Justus) who bought a camper and tricked it out, although lately they've been mostly "technical" videos (like how to fix a broken water line ... not quite so interesting). I also follow Carolyn's RV Life, and a few others.
I've watched videos made by people who are living in their vans and cars, doing their business in buckets (yes, really!) and living a "free" life. A lot of them make their living just from making videos for Youtube. (You can do that?)
So, why am I watching all these videos?
I think I want to escape. I want to runaway because things aren't going well in my life. There are big things going on that I have no control over (sound familiar?) and the idea of getting in that RV and driving away just seems like a cool thing to do. (Cozy mystery author Sue Ann Jaffarian picked up her class B RV, Novella, just this week and his chronicling her "RV Journey" on Facebook.)
Do you ever feel like running away?
Lately I've been watching a lot of Youtube videos about living and traveling the country in an RV. Okay, twenty odd years ago, and only for a brief moment or two, Mr. L and I considered renting an RV and traveling down Route 66 with our (then) cat Larry. Just the three of us (and who was going to take care of our other cats?) taking in the scenery visiting cool places, and eating lots of Southwestern (hot) food. And that's as far as it went.
But now I regularly watch a number of vloggers. My favorite is a young couple from Missouri (Duet Justus) who bought a camper and tricked it out, although lately they've been mostly "technical" videos (like how to fix a broken water line ... not quite so interesting). I also follow Carolyn's RV Life, and a few others.I've watched videos made by people who are living in their vans and cars, doing their business in buckets (yes, really!) and living a "free" life. A lot of them make their living just from making videos for Youtube. (You can do that?)
So, why am I watching all these videos?
I think I want to escape. I want to runaway because things aren't going well in my life. There are big things going on that I have no control over (sound familiar?) and the idea of getting in that RV and driving away just seems like a cool thing to do. (Cozy mystery author Sue Ann Jaffarian picked up her class B RV, Novella, just this week and his chronicling her "RV Journey" on Facebook.)Do you ever feel like running away?
