H.A. Larson's Blog, page 56

December's LVJ Subscription

Good morning, and Happy Monday! It's the start to another week, but this time it's in an entirely new year. How about that? Anyway, I hope your week is grand. I figured today would be a good day to show you all my December LVJ subscription, so let's get started.



Here's the card that comes with each month's sub. It's much like the Thanksgiving edition, except this one is (obviously) Christmas-themed. 




LVJ subs come with three bags each month. Here are December's bags.




First up, Perfect Pepperoni! It's a test flavor by the looks of the bag, but I know they make this on occasion as it can be purchased at times in limited quantities. I bet you can figure out what I'm going to make with this! Yep, you guessed it....PIZZA! Is pizza a food group? If not, it should be.




Maple Bacon is one of their standard flavors, and it's always delicious. I mean, how can you go wrong with two flavors such as this? Maple-smokey goodness.




Another test flavor, Cowboy Steak looks yummy! Anything that claims to be steak-like usually gets my attention. Even though I'm vegan, I like the heartiness that vegans inject into items like this. I can't wait to try it. I'm almost thinking of soaking it for awhile, and then trying to make a "steak" sandwich out of it. I'll keep you posted.

Coffee Talk: Vacation, Lovecraft, and the New Year.

It's New Year's Eve! I imagine most of you have plans of some kind or the other. Whether it's a party, a small gathering, or curling up under a blanket, I know you'll have a good night. We're going pretty low-key here, although we might get over to a friend's get-together before 2017 arrives. 
As I've mentioned before, this has been a great week off for me. I've seen friends, spent time with my family, gotten out and about, and eaten great food, all while having a lot of fun. My week was capped off by a relaxing & calm two-day trip to Kansas City with my husband. It was an early anniversary trip, and we had a blast. It was also the reason I didn't get this post out today at my usual time. Some of the things I've done over this week, including the Kansas City trip, will be featured in some upcoming blog posts so stay tuned for those.
I was featured in a digital copy of The Lovecraftian Herald, which you can see here. You can find me three posts down on the left. My blog post about Lovecraft and Poe is the reason I was featured, and that's always fun. Check it out if you'd like! 
I've also gotten some research done for The Box as it's now in it's End Stage. The first third of my books are always the Beginning Stage, the second third is the Mid Stage, and the last third is the End Stage. The research I'm doing now is related to the ah-ha! moment I had earlier in the week, and it's a great development in the story. I will be putting up one last teaser before it's finished, but we have a little while yet before that happens.
As 2017 looms over us, it's that time of year when people start reflecting inwardly about how far they've come (or lack thereof), and where they'd like to go (or see changed in themselves) for the coming year. It's a time when people envision a do-over, a restart, a reboot, or a new beginning if you will. It's the time when people make resolutions and start out with the best of intentions.
As for myself, I've had a great year, personally and professionally, and for that I am grateful. I am like most people though, in that I am reflecting upon my life and, while I'm thrilled with how good life has been this year, I definitely have things I would like to see change and happen. It's time, then, for my own resolutions, and I'm hoping that 2017 will be even bigger and better than this year. I hope your year also proves to be better, or just a great, as 2016 was.
Outwardly, we also reflect on others. We think about our friends, the world, and those who's lives impact ours in some way. To that end, I hope that we all take the time here and there to make other people feel good, to reach out to those who need us, and to consider others when we have opportunities to have more than we need. I don't mean that you should give everything you have, but say a kind word to someone who looks down. Complement a friend on how they look. Give a few bucks or a sandwich to that homeless person. If you have a few extra dollars, donate to a charity you admire. 
There are so many ways to project the inward and outward reflections we make as we contemplate this year and the next. They can either be good or bad, depending on the choices we make. Life is a series of choices, and choosing well makes all the difference in the world. Try, then, to make the best choices you can make.
Wishing you all the best, this year and every year,
H.A. 

Beers of Late

Good morning, and Happy Wednesday! I'm really enjoying my downtime from work. I've gotten to spend quality time with both of my kids (at the same time no less), I've been catching up with friends, and I'm generally feeling much more relaxed than I have in quite some time. I also had an 'ah-ha!' moment yesterday while working on my latest book, and, trust me, that's a very good thing! 
Anyway, as I've mentioned before, I do love to imbibe in some good spirits, and I especially love trying new flavors. With my birthday and the holiday recently I've gotten to enjoy some wonderful drinks, and I'd like to share them with you. 



First up is some Strawberry Mead made by the local Moonstruck Meadery. I've enjoyed their mead on several occasions, courtesy of the Nebraska Renaissance Faire, but had never gotten a chance to visit the meadery itself. With my birthday looming over the horizon earlier this month, I was searching for a good Groupon that my husband and I could use on the special occasion and ran across one for the Moonstruck Meadery. We ate a meal and sampled different meads via a flight, and, of course, brought a bottle home. Delicious!




Good old Leinenkugel's Cranberry Ginger Shandy. Hardly a beer, but tasty and flavorful anyway, it's a good sipping beer for the holiday. 




Typically, my husband and I will each get a "Mix-a-Six" and then a 12-pack sampler to enjoy. In this vein, then, we purchased a 12-pack sampler of Sierra Nevada beers. This brewery has dark, robust, and deep beers. This one is Maple Scotch, and I had never seen it before, but I really fell in love with it. I've had plenty of scotch ales in my day, but never one that tasted this good!




Abita Brewing Company's Turbodog is a Brown Ale. I've enjoyed Samuel Smith's Brown Ale before, and I've enjoyed the fruity, but not sweet, offerings by Abita before, but never an Abita brown ale. It's good, but not great.




Another from the Sierra Nevada pack, Kellerweis is a Bavarian-Style Wheat beer. My favorite beer of all time, Franziskaner Heffeweissbier, is a Bavarain-Style Wheat beer. While this Kellerweis is good, it cannot touch the awesomeness of Franziskaner.  




I've seen Coney Island Brewing's other offerings of Hard Orange Cream Soda and Hard Root Beer, so when I saw their Hard Ginger Ale in the Mix-a-Six section, I thought I'd try it. This is odd, mainly because I'm not a ginger ale fan, but something compelled me to grab it. I'm so glad that I did! If they made just ginger ale, I'd probably drink it because it was that good. It was an extremely rich and tasty ginger ale with alcohol that you couldn't taste. In other words, it's dangerously delicious. 10/10 will buy an entire 6-pack of next time.




Last up is the Coffee Stout by Sierra Nevada. I love me a stout once in awhile, and this one did not disappoint. It's got the heavy body you'd expect in a stout, but with the flavor of cold-brewed coffee. For those of you who might not think they would go together, flavor-wise, you wouldn't be more wrong. The dark and rich body of both drinks completely complement each other, and Sierra Nevada has brewed the perfect blend.


And there you have it: the beers I've been sampling as of late. I would like to point out that I do not binge drink, I enjoy drinking beers as a past time, and not simply a means to get completely drunk and stupid. So, please, drink well--meaning drink good, quality beers on occasion--but drink responsibly. Have a great rest of your week!
-H.A.

Ipsy's December Glam Bag

Good morning. I hope you had a good holiday with friends and family! I know we sure did. It was nice and relaxing, and I get more of the same this week as I don't go back to work until the 3rd. For those of you who are back to work today, have a great day.
 Now, on to the important stuff. *wink wink* It's sub time again with this month's Ipsy! Let's get started. 



Can I just say that this month's bag is so cute! This shaggy, pink bag with a wrist strap is fantastic. I'd have to say it's one of my favorite bags, and it's pictured here with the card.




The contents of the bag. I've actually used all of them already!




First up is Ouai Haircare's Wave Spray. It's got a nice scent, and while it doesn't deliver body, it does deliver some gentle waves. Spray a light mist on damp hair, scrunch, and go.




Cake's Heavy Cream. This is a self-proclaimed "intensive hand repair balm". I have used it a couple of times so I cannot attest to this claim (although it is really rich and a little goes a long ways), but it actually smells like heavy cream with a touch of birthday cake. Heavenly.




Tarte's Maracuja oil. This is a face oil for use at night. You use a few drops right before bed for overnight moisturizing for those with seriously dry skin. Along with the lotion, this is perfect for dry winters. I take showers in the morning, and with my combination skin, I get really dry patches afterwards. I, then, use a few drops of this oil on my cheeks and neck and let it soak in before using primer and it helps a bunch!




Ciate of London's Liquid Velvet gloss in the color "Pin Up". Not my first makeup item by them--but my first lip color by them--this is a rich, creamy, and dreamy color. I adore various shades of pink and purple best, so this goes along well with my makeup in general. It's a deep pop of color, so works best for night looks.




Last, but not least in any way, is an eyeshadow by Nyx in the color "Punk Heart". As I mentioned about the liquid lip color above, pink and purple shades are my absolute favorite. This purple is amazingly fantastic. It looks fabulous and goes on perfectly with no fallout. I used it every day last week!  It's definitely a color I will purchase when this one runs out.

And there you have it, another month of the wonderful world of Ipsy. I really enjoyed this month's sub, moreso than the others I've gotten. As always, if you'd like to get in on it yourself, head over to their website. 

Recipe of the Week: Best Vegan Biscuits and Gravy, Updated!

I've talked about my love of biscuits and gravy before, and while my standard recipe is a great recipe, I recently surpassed it's greatness. I mean, just look at it!



It just looks delicious, doesn't it? So, how is it made? Read on.






The Best Vegan Biscuits and Gravy


Ingredients:
2-3 vegan sausage patties, cut up into small chunks (recipe here)4 c. unsweetened, unflavored almond milk (any vegan version will work, just make sure it's unsweetened and unflavored)3 T. coconut oil1/3 c. unbleached flour2 t. smoked paprika1-2 t. salt2 t. peppervegan biscuits (I use a recipe like this but sub 1/3 c. coconut oil for the shortening and sub vegan milk for regular milk)


Instructions:

1. You can make the biscuits ahead of time, or make them now. When you put them in the oven, prepare your gravy.
2. Warm the coconut oil over nearly-high heat in a large frying pan or a dutch oven. When it's liquefied and rippling, add the flour and whisk until incorporated.
3. Immediately add the milk, a half cup at a time, whisking continuously to prevent lumps. Keep adding the milk until all of it is incorporated.
4. When the gravy has thickened, turn the heat down to medium. Add the seasonings and sausage chunks.
5. Stir well, then turn the heat down to low until biscuits are done. If already done, move to step 6.
6. Ladle this thick, rich gravy over your biscuits, and sprinkle with some extra paprika. 
7. Enjoy!


Notes:
*The sausage patties can be made well ahead of time. If I'm making the sausage to use in recipes like this (or for pizza topping), I press the sausage mixture into a greased pie tin and bake at 350 until cooked through. This is easier than making a bunch of patties when you need sausage for recipes instead.
* The biscuits can also be made ahead of time and stored at room temperature. You can also store them in the fridge, just make sure you warm them up first!
*Salt and pepper your gravy to taste. You can also add other seasonings, but I find simple is best for a recipe like this and stick to these three.

Yuletide Greetings!

Happy Yule! Here in my house, we celebrate Yule. I am a Swede by heritage with both of my paternal grandparents being from Sweden. We always celebrated the holiday on Christmas Eve by having a big meal in the evening followed by opening presents. Then, on Christmas Day, we would open the gifts in our stockings.
After I had my own family, I carried on the tradition. We also have a few of our own traditions. I always serve something different for our Yule meal, tonight will be Chinese food, and, after we eat, we will open gifts. Tomorrow morning, I will set out a big table full of snack foods and goodies for us to munch on all day, thereby ensuring I don't have to cook or clean. Much like the day after Thanksgiving, the day after Yule is an easy day where I will relax and eat at my leisure. The kids will open up their stockings and enjoy the little assortment of gifts in there. It's like bonus Yule! 
I am now on my official Holiday leave from work, like most everyone else at my job. I work at the local University, and we shut down for ten days (this year) over the holidays. I'm looking forward to sleeping in a lot; visiting with friends I don't get time to normally spend time with; getting out and doing things with my kids & husband; getting more time to work on my book; doing things I normally don't get a chance to do; and getting out of town for a few days on an adult trip with my husband. 
I hope, however you celebrate, that your holiday is wondrous and full of food, laughter, and love. I'm reminded, especially during this time of year, how fortunate I am. I never take that fact for granted, no matter how tough things can seem at times. I wish for you the same.
From mine to yours, best wishes for a holiday season,
H.A. 

Coffee Talk: Afternoon Edition

Image courtesy of swingjuice



Good afternoon! Here I am posting coffee talk in the afternoon. I know, unusual for me, but I have a good excuse. Yesterday was my birthday, and I stayed up late watching a movie, eating pizza, and drinking beer with my husband and one of my closet friends. I hate a lot of fun, but I definitely did not rush out of bed this morning. Besides, my kids are out of school now for the Winter break and it's my husband's regular day off, so that meant I didn't have to get anybody up or drive them anywhere. So, I stayed in bed until I had to take a shower.
Anyway, tomorrow morning will see a regular Saturday post with a peek at one of my monthly subs. Hmm, I wonder which one? You'll have to stop by in the morning and check. I'm quite excited for this day to end, and not just because it's Friday. My job closes down over the holidays, so after I get off work today, I don't have to come back to work until Tuesday, January 3rd. Yep, that means ten whole days off! That's ten days of writing, sleeping in, seeing friends, spending time with my kids, and even getting away for a weekend with my husband. I might even get The Box finished....maybe. 
Tonight, my husband and I are going out for my birthday and I'm excited for that as well. We're going to eat dinner at the same Meadery that makes the mead served at my beloved Nebraska Ren Faire. I hope your Friday looks fun, and your weekend even better. I'll see you tomorrow morning!

Portrait of Omaha: Saint Cecilia Cathedral

Good morning! It's time for another installment of Portrait of Omaha. It's a photo series I'm doing that showcases some of the historical, iconic, and unique spots that make up Omaha. Today, I'm going to show you Saint Cecilia's Cathedral.

Saint Cecilia's is a huge Roman Catholic cathedral. Construction on the structure began in 1905 and was completed in 1959. One of the largest cathedrals in the United States, it's built in the Spanish Renaissance Revival style and beautifully looms high above the skies of Omaha. If it sounds impressive, that's because it is. Whether you're religious or not, if you appreciate art and architecture this is a do-not-miss spot in the city.

As it's a Catholic church, it is open to the public every day, and you can always count on seeing at least one other person while there. If you're interested in seeing it for yourself, you can find it on the corner of 40th and Burt Streets, just south of Cuming Street. It's absolutely gorgeous inside, so let's take a look shall we?






The outside of Saint Cecilia's rises high into the sky, seemingly touching the clouds.






A view looking up from just outside the front entrance. The architecture is inspiring, and the Spanish Renaissance Revival style is evident in the details.






As you make your way inside and walk down the Nave (the main aisle of a church), make sure to look up. 






This is one of many doors you will find inside the church. It has a beautifully, hand-crafted metal frame with decadent stained-glass windows.






A close-up of the metal frame and stained-glass from the previous photo.






Along either side of the Nave and rows of pews, lie two aisles. This one, to the right of the Nave, runs directly to the cordoned-off area behind the altar.






A view up above the Narthex, you can see the impressive organ pipes of the church.






One of a couple of short staircases that lead off the aisles, it leads to nowhere in particular. It's function is probably simply to admire the detail in the stained-glass, and contemplate things.






Off to the right of the Narthex, after entering, you will find this statue. I guess it to be a young Jesus and his father, Joseph, but I could be wrong about that.






A small chapel can be found off of the right aisle, and it's exquisite and rich. An ornate ceiling, fantastic painting, red stained-glass, and a large chandelier adorn this small room.






A close-up of the ceiling and one of the stained-glass windows from the aforementioned chapel.





A view from the left aisle of the Apse of Saint Cecilia's Cathedral. Therein lies the main altar of the church with it's large crucifix and domed ceiling.



Walking around Saint Cecilia's is truly a feast for the eyes and mind, and a must see for anyone with a love of history, art, and architecture. It's an iconic piece of Omaha, and I hope you can see if for yourself one day. For more information about Saint Cecilia's, you can visit their website here.

Recipe of the Week: Broccoli Soup with Croutons

Broccoli "Cheese" Soup with Homemade Croutons

Ahh, Winter. The perfect time to stay at home, curled up under some blankets, while reading a book or watching a movie with a steaming hot cup of cocoa, tea, or maybe even a stiff drink. It's time to warm up the house with the scent of baking, and cook some rib-sticking meals. One of my favorite rib-sticking meals for Winter are soups and stews. (I've elaborated more on that, including the pans I use, here.)

I've had a bag of yellow split peas hanging around for a long time, so I soaked them overnight, determined to make a soup out of them. My husband, on hearing that I planned on making soup, asked, "You have those broccoli heads in the refrigerator, why don't you make a cheesy-broccoli-style soup?" That got my brain working double-time, and so I did what I often do, and that's wing it.

We thought croutons would be good on top of the soup, and we were right. You can use already-made croutons, but homemade ones are easy and better tasting if you have some leftover bread. The whole thing turned out yummy, and my husband was even impressed. He admitted that it actually tasted much like cheesy broccoli soup. Here's how it came together:


Broccoli Cheeze Soup with Homemade Croutons


Ingredients:

2 lbs yellow split peas, soaked overnight and rinsed
10 c. vegetable stock (keep more on hand for adding if soup needs more liquid)
2 heads broccoli, cut up into small florets
3/4 c. nutritional yeast
1 t. turmeric
1 T. mild curry powder
2 t. smoked paprika
1 T. parsley flakes
1 - 2 t. cayenne pepper
2 t. garlic powder
2 t. onion powder
2 t. salt
2 t. pepper

3 c. of hearty bread, cut into cubes
2 T. olive oil
pinch of salt


Instructions:

For the soup:

1. Cook split peas, seasonings, and vegetable stock in a dutch oven, over medium high heat, until soft and mushy. This takes a few hours, but stove-time can vary so just check it every so often.

2. When peas are soft and mushy, transfer half of them into a bowl and let cool for about 15 minutes.

3. Turn to stove down to simmer.

4. Add the cooled peas, along with the nutritional yeast, into a high-powered blender.

5. Blend until smooth.

6. Transfer the mixture back into the dutch oven with the other half of the pea soup.

7. Add the broccoli and turn the stove back up to medium-high heat.

8. Add more stock/broth as needed.

9. Cook until broccoli is tender.


For the croutons:


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.. Add the bread cubes, oil, and salt to a bowl and toss until well-coated.

3. Transfer to a baking sheet.

4. Bake until crisp, approximately 10 minutes.





Make the croutons right before serving the soup. Toss some on top of a bowl of the soup, and enjoy!

Lovecraft & Poe

H.P. Lovecraft Edgar Allan Poe



In another post recently, I talked about my love of macabre fiction. This love was fostered when  my dad's best friend gave me his copy of Stephen King's Pet Sematary. My appreciation of the genre was even furthered by my dad when he came across his old horror comic books from the 1960s. After giving them a nostalgic once-over, he gave them to me when I was about 9 or 10, and a fan was born. 
I'm still a die-hard fan of King's, but it was this gesture on my dad's part that really fostered a deep appreciation for Horror Fiction. As the years moved on, I graduated to reading Clive Barker, Thomas Tryon, and Dean Koontz, among many others. I enjoyed them all immensely, and devoured any book I could get my hands on.
It was my dad's old comic books (you can read the post I wrote about them here) and old books that he had kept--like Weird Tales--that piqued my interest in writers of the macabre older than them. I'm talking about H.P Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe. Poe, in particular, was a favored author to use for Creepy and Eerie magazine stories, and I can remember how much those illustrated stories both mesmerized and frightened me. I can remember The Call of Cthulu and how uniquely different it was from the horror fiction I had read before.
As I got older, I began to actively seek out Lovecraft and Poe books to read, deciding that I should go straight to the source. Between Lovecraft's The Picture in the House, to Poe's The Cask of Amantillado, I spent many hours poring over their fiction. To this day, their work still packs a punch, and they still hold a large influence over my likes, my tastes, and my life.
Have you read any Poe and/or Lovecraft? If so, what have you read, and what do you think of these stories? Leave me comments below.