Kathleen Rowland's Blog, page 30
July 10, 2014
Make handicrafts– for fun
Homemade lavender soap has a fresh fragrance that eases stress. I am giving soap away to friends but also saving some to give away at a book signing. I will wrap them in lavender netting, tie with a ribbon, and add sprigs of lavender and rosemary. In A BRAND NEW ADDRESS, Marchand’s mother brings homemade soap to Yardley at her greenhouse. The fragrance reminds her of when his mother’s hair was black instead of gray and her mother was still alive.
Rosemary Lavender Soap Recipe
3 cups glycerin soap base (at your local pharmacy)
1/4 cup infusion of lavender flowers and rosemary leaves (crush them)
1 1/2 teaspoon, lavender oil
1/2 teaspoon rosemary oil
1 teaspoon pulverized dried rosemary
When you make your infusion with the dried lavender flowers and rosemary leaves, your kitchen will smell wonderful. Use a double boiler or low heat to melt the soap base into liquid. Add the infusion, oils, and some pulverized rosemary leaves. Stir for even distribution. I used muffin tins as molds. After the soap hardens, it comes out easily.
July 9, 2014
Wordsmith– I also write books
A SciFi writer creates an alternative world, and in my futuristic book, A BRAND NEW ADDRESS, the first locale is 22nd Century Earth’s Ice Age. Robin-hooder Marchand LaFond sails an ice-boat to deliver fuel and food to the needy. The powerful company BotGen (Botany General Inc.) watch-lists him as a thief. His ice boat consists of a hull attached to a perpendicular cross piece called a runner plank. Under the hull three “skates” or runners act as a keel. Ice-boats (a popular winter sport in the northern Midwest and Europe) are wind powered and need smooth ice for fast sailing. Marchand’s ice boat and heroine Yardley’s ice age greenhouse deepen the locale. Reviewer Robin wrote: A BRAND NEW ADDRESS is a good choice for teens suffering from Divergent or Hunger Games withdrawal. Ms. Rowland creates a detailed futuristic world where the Earth is in the throes of a second Ice Age. Reviewer Dusty Wright wrote: Scenes spring to life, and when the ice boat glides over the ice– “Yardley caught sight of his white triangular sail zip across their frozen yard. In its wake frosty flints whirled like diamonds.”
July 8, 2014
People craft– taking care of ourselves
Create a signature look for times you’re on public display, whether in restaurants, at board meetings, or meet-ups with friends. Author Tina Gayle wears hats, and I can spot her in any fishbowl. Legs model Reba Studebaker wears short skirts. Some authors might dress in a way that accentuates the mood of their latest release. When I contracted talented jewelery craftsman Bruce Mayfield, I wanted an iconic other-worldly necklace. His stunning creation, which I’ve named Venus, is below, and I plan to wear it to book signings and readings of A BRAND NEW ADDRESS from my Intervenus Series.
July 7, 2014
Eat– for Good Health
Want a mood boost? Lose a pound, and you’ll get an instant boost of happiness and optimism. Being trim looks good on us. Is the weather warm where you live? Try my Steak, Chicory, and Orange Salad at 179 calories per serving.
Ingredients: 6 tsp olive oil, 1 sirloin steak, salt/pepper, 2 oranges- one segmented and the other juiced, 1 tsp sherry vinegar, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 red onion sliced, 2 heads white chicory sliced into 4 sections, 1 head red chicory, shredded, a large handful of field greens.
Method: Heat a frying pan, rub steak with oil, season with salt and pepper. Fry on both sides to desired doneness, wrap in foil and set aside. Put OJ in a small pan, bubble until syrupy and reduced by half. Whisk in the vinegar and mustard. Toss onion and chicory in the remaining oil and grill for a few minutes. Slice steak thinly. Mix warm ingredients together with orange segments and red chicory and field greens. Serve with a cold glass of iced tea and bread sticks.
July 5, 2014
Eat– for Good Health
Curb hunger and melt fat with thicker foods! When the weather is cold, make soups creamier by adding pureed vegetables. In summer thicken smoothies by adding fat free yogurt or crushed ice, and you’ll consume fewer calories effortlessly. The thicker the food, the more filling it is, and feeling full prompts a steep drop in the appetite-reviving hormone ghrelin, reports the journal HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY. Bonus– when ghrelin is lower, your metabolism is higher.
Ingredients for my peach-blackberry smoothie:
3/4 cup(s) ice cube(s)
2 medium peaches, peeled, pitted and quartered
1/4 cup(s) fresh blackberries
1/2 cup(s) fat free yogurt
Instructions
Place ice in a blender container; add peaches, blackberries and yogurt.
Blend on high until smooth and ice is completely crushed, about 3 to 4 minutes. Yields 1 serving.
GOLD STANDARD OF THIN is a guide to steady weight loss and rich health.Eat– for Good Health, Kathleen Rowland’s peach-blackberry smoothie
July 2, 2014
Eat– for Good Health
Here is a recipe made by Yardley, a subsistence gardener during 22nd Century Earth’s Ice Age. In the hodge-podge greenhouse left to her by her late mother in A BRAND NEW ADDRESS, she makes this white bean and root vegetable casserole for hero Marchand’s family, the neighbors next door, and her own family. In the book she promised her dying mother she’d care for the family by growing food, but her dad’s fiancé contracts to sell it in order to move into the swanky Biosphere.
White Bean and Root Vegetable Casserole– in this recipe Yardley stuffs sweet potatoes with white beans and kale.
Serves 4
4 sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (4-inch) sprig fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups (or 1 can) cooked and drained white beans
6 cups kale, trimmed and sliced into ribbons
Juice of 1/4 lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Scrub the sweet potatoes and prick them in a few places with a fork. Place them on a baking sheet and bake until soft all the way through, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Start the beans and greens about 15 to 20 minutes before the sweet potatoes are done.
In a wide, deep saucepan with a cover, heat the olive oil over low-moderate heat. Add the shallots and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary sprig, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for about a minute. Add the beans and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the kale, cover the pan, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until the kale is soft. Remove the rosemary sprig, stir in the lemon juice, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
To serve, slice each sweet potato lengthwise and push on the ends to open up the middle. Spoon the beans and greens into the center.
Is
June 29, 2014
Eat– for Good Health
Think high-fat fast-food favorites are out of reach when you’re watching calories? Let me, Kathleen Rowland, come to the rescue with my yummy south-of the border twist on loaded cheese pizza. Try my Thin-crust Enchilada Pizza! The last three ingredients are optional– cilantro, fresh minced scallion, and fat-free sour cream for serving.
1 large high-fiber flour tortilla with 110 calories or less
2 Tbsp enchilada sauce
Dash of cayenne pepper and ground cumin
1/2 cup cooked ground beef or shredded cooked chicken breast
2 Tbsp rinsed and drained black beans
1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican blend cheese
1 Tbsp chopped scallions (for serving)
1 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro (for serving)
fat-free sour cream (for serving)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Lay tortilla on sheet and bake for five minutes. It will be crispy. Remove from oven and flit on baking sheet. Spread sauce, add seasonings, and ingredients. Bake for five minutes or until toppings are hot. Pull out of oven, sprinkle with scallions and cilantro. Serve with sour cream. This entire pizza is 296 calories.
June 27, 2014
Wordsmith– I also write books
Young hero Marchand LaFond is a robin-hooder on a watch-list. Here’s an excerpt from A BRAND NEW ADDRESS:
It came as a violent surprise. Fingernails dug into his throat. A blow landed on his temple. With the painful explosion, Marchand slumped back. As he fought for a breath, he grabbed the rod that hit him. His movement became fluid, and he swirled the rod against the chest of the masked figure.
His assailant choked, and it turned into a cough. His back bowed, and he coughed heavily into his hands before streaming mucus through the air.
Was it intentional? Marchand couldn’t decide. “You’re sick.” He grabbed the guy’s mask, tugged it off, and saw remoteness in his eyes, almost an emptiness.
The man moaned. “I was sent to kill you.”
“I gathered that.” Marchand, ready to dodge another blow, angled his elbow toward the center of the guy’s nose. He waited. It’d do worse than splatter blood. “What’s your reward?”
“What do you think? Food.” He closed his eyes as if a wave of nausea swept through him.
“Who sent you?” Marchand asked, mildly amused at the guy’s teardrop tattoo.
“BioMinds gives the orders.” With a less murderous expression, the guy stepped back but held a defensive stance. Dark brown hair fell over his forehead.
Marchand took hold of his thick arm and pulled him to the table containing the baskets of apples. “Take a bushel. I have a package of freeze-dried cod in my boat.” He motioned him to tag after him. A line of moonlight marked his boat’s location. “Ever heard of Cream of Wheat?” He bent to grab a box.
“No,” he said as he took it. “What is it?”
“Never tried it. I stole it from the BotGen warehouse. Follow directions on the box.”
June 25, 2014
Places– of charm
When I talk to friends about my vegetable garden, they have stories to share. Reba says it’s a waste of time since wild bunnies make it their salad bar. Mary Alice tells of squash plants twining around everywhere and choking out competition. Dash finds bore holes in his green beans. No one likes to eat vegetables and fruit with teeth marks! Janessa’s shaded yard has poor soil.
In spite of the above struggles, I enjoy my tomatoes, asparagus, lettuce, herbs, zucchini, and pick berries from finicky raspberry bushes. My garden is testament of perseverance, and for me it goes beyond that. Pulling weeds keeps me in the moment. It gives me pause to think about others. Yesterday I spent my day (well, six hours) bedside in the hospital to someone who desperately needed a steady calm companion. Gardening keeps me in the here and now, but it does something special to my mind.
June 21, 2014
People Craft– taking care of ourselves
My favorite place to picnic is a shoreline– beside an ocean, a lake, or bubbling stream. It’s a quiet shady spot on sand or grass with a full view of water. Since I’ve been packing picnics for years, I have prep down to a science. I prefer a nylon-backed blanket which keeps out wetness. A shower curtain under a washable blanket works fine too. I enjoy having a vintage style basket.
Since I can’t stand sticky fingers, I bring baby wipes and paper towels in addition to pretty cloth napkins. Reusable plastic dups top my list because they’re better for the environment. For the meal itself, planning goes a long way. Purchased food is fine. You don’t need a knife if you eat Chinese food. Try fingerling potatoes roasted with olive oil instead of potato salad– use toothpicks as spears. More than anything, I love oven-fried chicken, cubed melon with mint and lime, grilled corn, and tiny cupcakes. I bring beverages. After we leave, there is no trace.
