What I’m doing when I’m not writing

85 Days until TASTE TEST meets the world!

This kid loves hiking more than he loves cars. And that’s saying something.

So, this past Friday (the 31st) I did something I’ve been looking forward to for a while. A long while. Like, nine months worth of a while.

I submitted my full draft of JUST LIKE THE MOVIES to my editor. Pfew. I can’t tell you how anticipatory/stressful/devastating/terrifying it is to finish a book and send it to an editor, even when your editor is amazing, like mine. It’s a lot like giving birth to some kind of word baby and then handing it off to word vampires and werewolves to raise. No offense to Bloomsbury/Walker and Mary Kate — they are NOT vampiric or werewolvian. The thing is, when you’re a parent, any person you hand your baby off to is a predator. That’s just the way your brain works.

I was really excited about finishing JLTM but once I had, I felt a little bereft. I remember sitting and staring at my computer screen thinking, “Oh…okay…now what?” And then I immediately pulled up my in-progress romance novel. I literally couldn’t imagine not writing. It just seemed…wrong.

But it is far more important for me to live up to my promises and one of those promises was to my family. I’ve missed out on a lot of things over the course of the last 12-15 weeks — longer, really — because I was drafting full time in the evening and on weekends. So I gave my boys the weekend — and wrote a little on the side.

Getting ready to brave the Green Trail

First, we hiked at Gambrill State Park, one of my favorite hiking locations. There are a wide variety of trails, so you can go as hard or as light as you want.

I know. You really can’t take us anywhere. And Matt isn’t this miserable, I swear!

top, which Max in particular enjoyed.

Super Max!

Then, we headed over to Open Book Farm in Myersville, MD, where we get our meat and eggs and (sometimes) vegetables/fruit. We used to be on their CSA for the summer and winter, but the farmers recently had their first baby and needed bit of a break. A summer garden owns you, especially when you’re growing for other’s consumption.

This is how chickens should be living!

These chicken friends of mine were kind of adorable. And, this may upset you or gross you out, but they are also DELICIOUS.

Butterflied Chicken, Ready to Grill!

What the package looks like for my Open Book Chicken

Open Book’s chickens are about $4.50 a pound, which makes them affordable, particularly when you’re talking about grass fed and finished meat. I decided to try a new recipe that I’ve wanted to give a shot for a while — Chicken under a Brick.

Yeah, I didn’t have a brick. I used my cast iron grill pan.

This recipe involved a marinade — I tried to mimic a rub I’ve had at a restaurant we love — I used whatever I could find, really.

From leftish to rightish: Cayenne, Minced Onions, Smoked Paprika, Lime, Tuscan Seasoning, Crushed Red Pepper, Dried Celery, Dried Parsley

I used the lime peel and juice, then added some canola oil — rubbed it all over the chicken and let it sit for 4-5 hours. Then, on the grill it went (in the rain, no less) with the pan on top. And some leeks (also from Open Book) next to the chicken on the grill.

Once the chicken and leeks came off, I let the chicken rest and chopped the leeks. Then I seasoned them and added them to some Trader Joe’s roasted corn and some jasmine rice.

This probably could have used some of the lime, too, but I didn’t think about it until right now.

The chicken, on the other hand, had to hit the oven for about 20 minutes at 350 to finish up the inside. It’s not the chicken’s fault — my grill has two tempertures: hot and super-freaking hot. Oh, and off. So I pulled it early, knowing I’d need to finish it up in the oven.

Regardless, this was a reminder of what life looks like when I’m not writing. It was lovely and a great time. I think my husband was really glad to have me along for the things he’s only done lately with Max — adventures to Middleburg, VA, going to the farm, hiking, etc.

But, honestly? I still wanted to write. Ugh. I guess I’m just an eternal Type-A person!