One Word After Another . . .

New Music Loves

2012-02-17T07:30:00.000-05:00

I stumbled upon this cover of U2's "With or Without You" and fell in love with We Are The Fallen. One video led to another, and I found this Linkin Park cover of "Rolling In The Deep". Love.

I think I am officially addicted to magical mash-ups.

a perfect english cottage

2012-02-15T07:30:00.000-05:00

I am in love with this English cottage in Oxford. It's not exactly what I'm looking for in a writing cottage, but has lots of details I love. And oh, how I would love to say this was my home.

I love the heart-shaped wreath and piles of lavender growing in the garden.

Pink and baby blue in the kitchen.

I love the pink chic Union Jack pillow.

Check out the whole cottage here:
http://www.homebunch.com/cottage-of-the-week-oxford-uk/

The Food of NIGHTWALKER

2012-02-14T07:30:00.000-05:00

How's a girl to write a books+food post about a book with a centuries-old vampire for a main character, whose only snack is a human with an ample blood supply?

*crickets*

With recipes for beverages, of course!

I think Mira, the centuries-old vampire out to defend her territory in Jocelynn Drake's NIGHTWALKER, would approve.

VODKA & CRANBERRY

8 oz of a great cranberry juice
1 oz of Skyy vodka

Mix in a tall glass and serve with a wedge of lime.

BLOODY MARY

8 oz tomato juice
1 oz Skyy vodka
dash Tobasco sauce
dash Worcestershire sauce
dash celery salt
squeeze of lemon juice

Mix together, pour into a tall glass. Serve with a stick of celery.

Enjoy!

The Food of DRAGONSONG

2012-02-13T06:13:00.000-05:00

You know, it's awfully hard to get a taste for the food in an SF novel. In Anne McCaffrey's DRAGONSONG*, set on the world of Pern, there's plenty of food mentioned alongside Menolly's story of escaping a harsh life by the sea for one filled with songs and dragons, but it's all made up. (By the way, I want my own fire-lizard. Pleeeeze?)

For foodstuffs, there's seabeachplums and marshberries and various sea weeds. There's a tough bird-type creature called a wherry (I have a feeling it tastes like chicken.) There are spidercrabs and all kinds of fish.

There are a few foods that more closely resemble our own: wine and stews and spice cakes -- but no mention of the ingredients or flavours.

As much as I like to imagine the bizarre foods of other worlds, I think I prefer the real foods of this world. Probably this is why I don't write strict SF, or read it very often.

SPICE CAKE

2 eggs
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
5 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup dried pitted dates, chopped (or raisins, if you prefer)
1/2 cup cold water

Mix together eggs, sugar and butter until well blended. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and spices. Add half to egg mixture and mix well. Add remaining flour, dates and water, and mix well. Pour into buttered 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes.

Serve warm with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

* I'm only just discovering Anne McCaffrey's work. Always late to the party, that's me.

Rewriting a character

2012-02-04T09:00:00.000-05:00

I'm rewriting a character in my paranormal YA-- taking out his POV and revamping his storyline.

Here's how I'm doing it:

reading all the updates in my Google Reader
watching all of the Silly Sparrowness's videos
having a Sweet Chili Heat contest with my 7 year old (I caved after 12. He made it to 20 chips before needing a drink.)
Cleaned off the top of my desk
searched my computer for the start of a short story I seem to have lost
written two blog posts
waxed nostalgic over Rock Band (the Wii broke and I haven't played in months.)

*sigh* These are good changes. I just don't want to make them. I want this story to be done.

Okay, okay. I know. I have to get back to it.

On words and up words...

This is me. Every. Day.

2012-02-03T17:06:00.001-05:00

I wish I could show this to you, but for every video I found on YouTube, embedding was disabled.

Go watch it. I'll wait...

There are lot of parallels there between me and Drew:

rolling out of bed at the crack of dawn
fighting through traffic
okay, so there's no car pool unless I'm taking the kids to a sitter
coffee
donuts
stacks of files delivered to me
handing out pay cheques
living for five o'clock

So much more. Too bad there's no singing and dancing at my office. That would be fun, wouldn't it?

What happened to good TV openings like this? Where's the fun and energy?

When I have time to watch TV it's How I Met Your Mother and The Big Bang Theory. I think they're both due for a musical episode. Whadda think? I loved Raj's Bollywood day dream. And Neil Patrick Harris can sing for me anytime. Yes, I need more choreographed lip-synching during Prime Time.

It's five o'clock. That means it's writing time...

The Brilliant Sparrowness

2012-02-01T07:30:00.000-05:00

This is longer than I would normally post, but well worth it. I loved it so much I showed it to my kids (despite the f-bomb). I've loved Dr Who since the episode "Blink" first aired (it was the first episode I watched). And yes, I've entertained owning my own TARDIS.

And if you've ever done some teaching, you've seen these hand raises before (I howled with laughter):

Thanks to A Novel Woman for pointing me to the TARDIS video.

The Inevitable Sh*t Agents and Editors Say

2012-01-31T17:27:00.002-05:00

The Food of SANDMAN SLIM

2012-01-30T07:30:00.000-05:00

Reading Richard Kadrey's SANDMAN SLIM was a total adrenaline rush. I picked this book up for my Kobo in the post-Christmas sale, and got it for $1.99. Now I feel like I should have paid more. Sometimes this girl just needs a book with lots of guns and stolen cars, and this totally fit the bill. And then some.

SANDMAN SLIM is like Harry Dresden's older, black sheep, rebellious brother. With a talking severed head and everything.

There's not a lot of food in this book. To be expected, I guess, when Sandman Slim, aka Stark, has just returned to earth after spending eleven years in Hell, and the only thing on his mind is revenge. However, he does develop a taste for Carlos's beans and rice at The Bamboo House of Dolls.

The first time Stark sets foot in the place he orders "carne asada and Carlos brings me the meat with beans, rice and guacamole. It's like God left his lunch in the microwave and you get to finish it."

In fact, the beans and rice become a fuel for Stark:

I lie down for a while, trying to get the kinks out of my back, but I'm too restless, so I walk over to the Bamboo House of Dolls. Carlos says hi, but I just sort of grunt at him. Being a good bartender, Carlos sees all and knows all. He brings me a double Jack, along with some rice and beans with warm tortillas. Then he leaves me alone.

and later,

Carlos hands me a plate of rice, beans, and enchiladas in a thick mole sauce. I tear right into them. I'm starving after the fight, and Carlos's food is so good I want to marry it.

I guess beans and rice makes for good fuel between fighting the bad guys.

[Note: there is no reference for these quotes because there are no chapters in this book. In this Kobo version, I've got the story split into four parts, but in each part, the numbering of the pages starts over from one. My references won't necessarily match the version you're reading.]

I'm not sure what magic ingredient Carlos uses in his beans and rice, so you'll have to settle for a recipe I like. Fighting bad guys is not included.

BLACK AND WHITE BEANS AND RICE

1 cup white rice
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
3 - 4 cloves garlic, crushed, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
dash cumin
dash Tabasco sauce (Chipotle Tabasco would be great. Or just add chipotle powder.)
2 cans 540 mL black beans, drained & rinsed
salt and pepper to taste

Cook rice according to directions. Meanwhile, start cooking onion in olive oil in medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add garlic. Cook until onions begin to soften. Add peppers. Cook until onions are translucent and peppers begin to soften. Add beans and spices. Season to taste. Stir in cooked rice.

Serve with avocado and lime wedges. Or, in my house, we add President's Choice Smokin' Stampede Barbeque Sauce. Yum.

.

Situation is Critique-al

2012-01-26T17:08:00.001-05:00

So, I kind of have this situation where I need a beta reader. I have the MS out to a few beta readers, but I'd like as many as possible. I've posted a want ad at a few places, included an offer to reciprocate, included an offer to exchange only 5000 words up front, paid my critique dues. But no takers. I don't suppose there are any blog readers who might be interested? Same offers apply.

Please?

The Food of FIRELIGHT

2012-01-23T07:30:00.000-05:00

Coming January 31, 2012

Kristen Callihan's FIRELIGHT is the story of a young woman with the unusual ability to spontaneously produce fire who meets a man who must wear a mask to hide the damage he suffered in an accident, set in Victorian London. A fire-and-ice, beauty-and-the-beast, love-hate relationship ensues.

Surprisingly, there isn't much mention of food in FIRELIGHT. There's this mention in the first chapter spoken to Miranda, the main character, from her father as he discusses her sudden impeding wedding to Lord Benjamin Archer.

"It cannot have escaped your notice that this is the finest meal we've had in months." His weathered hand swept over the meager meal of mutton stew and simple brown bread pudding that Miranda was preparing.
--page 23

As no other meal is mentioned in the entire book, I wonder if this is the only meal she's had in months. I'm sure it's not. However, when Miranda goes from being destitute to living in luxury, you'd think that would include mentioning a luxurious meal or two. I can only assume food isn't as important to Miranda as it is to me. (Which brings up another interesting point-- how does Miranda fuel her fire? Between no food and no explanation for the fire, the world-building in FIRELIGHT is at times rather incomplete.)

There is a lot of bourbon to be had over the course of the story, though, owing to the male protagonist, Lord Benjamin Archer having spent several years in America and acquiring a taste for it. Every time two characters meet, they're having bourbon. Even Miranda develops a taste for it.

The only other mention of food is a running inside joke between Miranda and Benjamin. Their first meeting happens because of this joke. Miranda is under attack by a pair of hooligans, so she warns them:

"Leave now," she demanded, unmoved, "or I'll turn you both to cheese on toast."

Archer could not help it, mirth bubbled up from within, and he found himself laughing.

--page 11

It's Archer's laughter that scares off the hooligans, though Miranda isn't aware of his identity at the time. Later, it's Archer's mention of this delicious phrase that clues Miranda in to the identity of her rescuer that day three years ago. The author, Kristen Callihan, discusses the "cheese on toast" as a deliberate running gag.

Not sure what happened, but at one time April 27th was National Cheese on Toast Day. It seems to have disappeared.

As I don't care for bread pudding, and I won't eat mutton, I give you:

CHEESE ON TOAST

2 slices of bread
2 slices of cheese - most common for this is Cheddar or Swiss, but in this case, try a British cheese

Toast the bread in a toaster. Top with shredded cheese. Place cheese-covered toast in oven. Broil on high until melted (1-2 minutes. Watch carefully.) Remove and enjoy.

The Food of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

2012-01-20T07:45:00.000-05:00

I didn't think I would like THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. It's historical-- set in 1946-- and about the German occupation of the Channel Islands told entirely via letters, and my totally biased self was expecting a depressing story full of boring facts that would be hard to follow. This book was none of that. I don't want to say it was heartwarming, because that's an overused word, but my heart did warm to this group of people forced to form a book club under dire conditions and the writer who discovers their stories.

Food is tied very tightly with this story-- as evident from the book's title. There's mention of food in just about every letter. You're probably thinking this calls for a recipe for Potato Peel Pie.

.. refreshments became part of our program. Since there was scant butter, less flour, and no sugar to spare on Guernsey then, Will concocted a potato peel pie: mashed potatoes for filling, strained beets for sweetness, and potato peelings for crust.

In fact, the Society was founded because of a meal of roast pig. Were it not for the roast pig, nothing else would have followed.

Sometimes food is remembered fondly, and other times, no one wants to remember the taste of food, as one of the Society's members learned when she read aloud from a cookbook:

They was pushed over the edge, hearing of my tasty recipes. Isola Pribby, that never had a manner to call her own, she cried out I was tormenting her and she was going to hex my saucepans.

The next day the cookbook lover is asked to "remember that most of them had come to the meeting directly from a supper of turnip soup (with nary a bone in it to give pith), or parboiled potatoes scorched on a hot iron-- there being no cooking fat to fry them up in". So, you see the love-hate relationship with food, and it continues throughout the book as food lovers are either in feast or famine.

Funnily enough, I don't feel pushed to cook or bake from this book. What I feel is a need to not ever take food for granted. I realize how easy it would be to end up in a war-time famine such as this. I've grown rather fond of food over the years.

If you'd like to have a meal a la Guernsey Literary Society, might I suggest a slice of ham with canned beets and mashed potatoes-- a meal to commemorate their founding? Perhaps a slice of raspberry pie for dessert, in memory of the plentiful berries from the post-war years.

Don't mind me. I'll be off dreaming of a sight-seeing tour of Guernsey and the Channel Islands.

Virginia Woolf's writing cottage

2012-01-19T07:30:00.000-05:00

Virginia Woolf is famous for suggesting "a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction", and you might say this series of blog posts is an extension of that theory. Because I completely agree. It would be nice to have a room where I can get up and walk away from my writing and know that it won't be disturbed in my absence. It would be nice to create on a computer that is not shared with every member of my household. It would be nice to not be working at a desk in the corner of my bedroom.

I've tried writing in a corner of the basement, but I've found I become distracted by the cold, the damp, and the kids playing in the next room. A good pair of noise-cancelling headphones has become my best friend, but still, I dream of not just a room of my own, but of a writing shed of my own.

credit

Virginia was also distracted, so in this I am not alone:

from the guardian

She was always being distracted - by Leonard sorting the apples over her head in the loft, or the church bells at the bottom of the garden, or the noise of the children in the school next door, or the dog sitting next to her and scratching itself and leaving paw marks on her manuscript pages. In winter it was often so bitterly cold and damp that she couldn't hold her pen and had to retreat indoors.

She had an oil stove put in. She also had it relocated to the far end of the garden and a little patio put down.

See, now, putting the shed down at the end of the garden would have been my first move.

credit

Goodreads, Shelfari or LibraryThing?

2012-01-18T07:30:00.000-05:00

Earlier this month, I decided to try out Shelfari and LibraryThing. I've been using Goodreads for a while now, and been perfectly happy with it, but after getting a Kobo Touch for Christmas, I thought maybe I could link it to Goodreads. When I found out that wasn't possible, I thought I'd check out other services.

So far, I haven't found much reason to switch.

LibraryThing looks like it would be good, but it has a limit of 200 books, and even if you pay for lifetime membership, there's still a limit.

I like the graphics on Shelfari, but it won't allow me to connect with authors like Goodreads does.

So I'm sure there must be something I'm missing with these services. Do you use Shelfari or LibraryThing? What do you like about them?

I don't think it will be long before I have an iPad or an iPhone. Goodreads has an app for that. Maybe I just have to be patient.

Behind The Joy of Books

2012-01-17T07:30:00.000-05:00

By now you've probably seen the video The Joy of Books:

Here's an interview with the video's creator at Quill & Quire.

I must confess I have a secret obsession with stop-motion animation, ever since my dad & I created one back when I was about 10 or 12 years old. It took all day and amounted to only 5 minutes of video. I admit I was disappointed with the results. I also wanted more creative control. I wanted the animation to tell a story-- my story. But I also remember the thrill of seeing the movie and feeling pride at knowing I had a hand in making it. A lot more goes into making a stop-motion than anyone could imagine.

Don't miss Ohlenkamp's other stop-motion bookshelf:

Blue Monday

2012-01-16T17:00:00.000-05:00

Today is allegedly the most depressing day of the year-- otherwise known as Blue Monday.

TheStar.ca listed some ways to deal with the winter blues.

Instead of indulging in chocolate, I say get up and dance:

The Food of DIVERGENT

2012-01-16T07:30:00.000-05:00

There isn't a lot of mention about the food in Veronica Roth's DIVERGENT, the dystopian YA that spent 11 weeks on the NYT Bestsellers list and wound up on everyone's Best of 2011 Lists. The lack of mention of food is largely owing to Beatrice's upbringing in Abnegation where discussing food might be considered ungrateful or self-indulgent behavior in her faction.

Fortunately, we're not in Abnegation. We're all about indulging in good food here.

Life in Abnegation is pretty dull and highly structured. The first family meal we see is prepared by Beatrice and her brother. It's a typical meal for Abnegation: frozen chicken and peas. (Hmm. That's a typical meal for my house, too. Maybe I am from Abnegation.)

We always pass food to the right, and no one eats until everyone is served.
-- Chapter 4

Beatrice doesn't stay in Abnegation. At the Choosing Ceremony, she decides to live with the Dauntless, where life is quite different from what she's used to.

In the centre of the table is a platter of food I don't recognize: circular pieces of meat wedged between round bread slices. I pinch one between my fingers, unsure what to make of it.

Four nudges me with his elbow.

"It's beef," he says. "Put this on it." He passes me a small bowl of red sauce.

"You've never had a hamburger before?" asks Christina, her eyes wide.
-- Chapter 7

Someone explains the food in Abnegation was dull. Beatrice must keep her reasons for choosing Dauntless carefully hidden, and when she is asked, she wisely remarks "It was the food." (Chapters 7 & 16) An answer that is easily accepted.

Cake is also mentioned as an indulgent, Dauntless food, but it seems to always come with a serving of regret, sadness or pain.

This, from Beatrice's mother at the end of her one and only visit with Beatrice after the Choosing Ceremony:

At the end of the hallway she turns and says, "Have a piece of cake for me, all right? The chocolate. It's delicious." She smiles a strange, twisted smile, and adds, "I love you, you know."
-- Chapter15

After one of the other Dauntless initiates is brutally attacked, Beatrice and her friend Will question what it means to be Dauntless, having believed it meant being brave, only to find different definitions of bravery exist in their new faction.

Maybe we can become brave and honorable again.

"Let's go to the cafeteria," Will says, "and eat cake."

"Okay." I smile.
--Chapter 16

Later, when scathing articles are written about her father, Beatrice leans on her friends:

When the first one was released, Christina charmed one of the cooks in the Dauntless kitchens, and he let us try some cake batter.
--Chapter 21

After Beatrice is attacked by fellow initiates, she mentions her attackers would throw a party if she stopped breathing. Four, the boy she likes, replies:

"Well," he says, "I would only go if there was cake."

I laugh, and then wince, covering his hand to steady my rib cage.
--Chapter 23

Always when cake is mentioned, there is pain.

So for Beatrice, I think we must eat cake. If you're feeling truly Dauntless, start your meal with a round patty of beef between two slices of bread and a little red sauce on the side.

DAUNTLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

This is a rich chocolate cake, definitely indulgent. Not for the faint of heart. (This will almost certainly blow your New Year's Diet Resolutions.)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup condensed milk (Yes. Really. Oh, all right. If you don't have it, you can substitute with water.)

3 eggs

1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon instant coffee

2 teaspoons vanilla

Combine ingredients in mixing bowl. Beat at low speed until ingredients are combined, scraping down bowl. Beat at high speed for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down bowl often, until batter is smooth. Pour into greased and floured 13x9" baking pan. Bake in preheated oven at 350F for 30 to 40 minutes.

Feeling Dauntless?

Once a toothpick inserted in centre of cake comes out clean, sprinkle cake with 2 cups miniature marshmallows. Continue baking for 2 minutes or until marshmallows are melted.

Still feeling Dauntless?

In a saucepan combine:

1/4 cup butter

3 oz cream cheese

1 oz square of unsweetened dark chocolate

2 tablespoons condensed milk (or regular milk)

Cook over medium heat, stirring until melted (8 to 10 minutes). Remove from heat.

Stir in 3 cups powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth.

Poor over melted marshmallows.

Sprinkle with coarsely chopped salted peanuts (or nuts of your choice. Almonds might be yummy, too. The truly Dauntless would use pralines.)

Enjoy!

Changes to Blogger

2012-01-14T09:09:00.002-05:00

I was responding to a comment on this blog yesterday when I noticed I didn't have to create a whole new comment to do it-- I could "reply" to the comment. That's right. Blogger has finally caught up to the times and allowed threaded commenting! This is a feature I've been wanting to see for years. It was one of the reasons why I used to like LiveJournal.

Blogger has been on quite the upgrading rampage lately and added a quick button to allow me to cross-post to Google+. I'm still not sure what I'm doing with the Google+ thing yet. I mainly thought it was a good idea to have for the day when Blogger and Google+ become the same thing.

One other thing to note, I've updated the colours of this blog. While I've seen some great sites done in black and grey to reflect the dark tones of urban fantasy, it just isn't for me. So I've gone with white. I think white is easier on the eyes, and it can also show the harsh, cold side of urban fantasy. I've added blood red, for obvious reasons, and I think it's great paired with teal. Why teal? Because it makes me happy. So as long as it makes me happy, it stays.

How does it look? Feel free to let me know if something doesn't look right or takes to long to load.

The Food of CHANGES

2012-01-13T17:13:00.000-05:00

[Warning: this post contains spoilers.]

So, I'm reading along in Jim Butcher's CHANGES, the 12th book in the Dresden Files series, and the next thing I know, Jim has blown up Harry's office, made Harry wanted by the FBI, squashed the Blue Beetle, and set fire to Harry's home. (OMG. I hope the Star Wars poster survived.) I won't even mention what Jim did at the end.

What gives, Jim??

Poor Harry! What's a wizard to do? He needs some comfort food, I think. Some real homemade chicken soup. Not that crap in a can.

CHICKEN SOUP FOR HARRY DRESDEN'S SOUL (for the crock pot because we know just how busy Harry can be)

8 pieces of chicken (legs, thighs, whatever as long as it has the bones still in, but maybe not wings)
1 onion, chopped
garlic, finely chopped (or garlic powder, whatever you have. Add as much or as little as you like. Garlic won't help against the vampires Harry fights in CHANGES, but it will help the soup.)
1 large carrot, chopped
1-2 parsnips, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 bay leaves
teaspoon dried thyme
dash of celery seed (or celery salt)
pinch of ground ginger
dash of pepper
6-8 cups chicken stock

Put all ingredients into the crock pot and cook on low for about 10 hours or until chicken falls off the bone. Remove chicken pieces. Separate meat from bones. Return meat to soup. Eat. Enjoy. (Say a prayer for Harry, if you feel so inclined.)

Victims of Skimming and Fraud

2012-01-13T16:27:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I got a call from the bank saying that my bank card was cancelled. Apparently I used it somewhere that got nailed for skimming (swiping and storing bank/credit card info for illegal use). So I had to go in to the bank today and replace my card. An inconvenience, yes, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Coincidentally, today I heard about an author who was skimmed and then had her bank account cleaned out. You may have heard about Diane Duane at Boing-Boing or Scalzi's blog or from Diane Duane herself.

The bank will replace the money once the investigation is complete, but in the meantime, they have bills to pay and they have to eat. If you check out Diane's blog entry, she has a coupon code for 20% off her books right now. Go on. Discover a new author and help feed a family.

Books Read in 2011

2012-01-12T05:00:00.000-05:00

Last year I read 27 books. I'm pretty sure that's the most books I've read in a year, ever. While I'm proud of myself for this, I also realize it makes the rest of my life pretty pathetic considering I'm a book lover and all.

I have a lot of favourites from 2011. I absolutely loved, loved, loved Karen Marie Moning's Fever series. I loved the Hunger Games series, but I still maintain the ending could have been better.

Books that made me cry: MOCKINGJAY. SHADOWFEVER. THE NEON GRAVEYARD.

My favourite cover: DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE.

The book I wish I'd read sooner: EYES LIKE STARS

In 2012 I hope to read at least 36 books. We'll see how it goes. I'm kinda busy. I need to learn to read in my sleep.

Books I'm looking forward to most this year:

-- Jim Butcher's GHOST STORY. I hear there will be 23 or 24 Dresden books in total. With CHANGES, Butcher slammed closed the circle of so many plot arcs started with STORM FRONT, I'm curious to see where he's taking Dresden now.

-- Vicki Pettersson's THE TAKEN. It's funny, I just realized that Vicki slammed closed some plot arcs when she ended the Signs of the Zodiac series. And THE TAKEN also features a ghost. Huh. Interesting. Can't wait to see what Vicki's cooking up next.

I have a few favourite authors I'd like to catch up with in 2012 and several new ones I'd like to get to know. What are you reading?

BOOKS READ IN 2011

1. The Highlander's Touch - Karen Marie Moning
2. The Immortal Highlander - Karen Marie Moning
3. Lament - Maggie Steifvater
4. Darkfever - Karen Marie Moning
5. Bloodfever - Karen Marie Moning
6. Faefever - Karen Marie Moning
7. Dreamfever - Karen Marie Moning
8. Shadowfever - Karen Marie Moning
9. Fragile Eternity - Melissa Marr
10. Ballad - Maggie Stiefvater
11. Shiver - Maggie Stiefvater
12. Living with the Dead - Kelley Armstrong

13. Black Magic Sanction - Kim Harrison

14. Linger - Maggie Stiefvater

15. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

16. Forever - Maggie Stiefvater

17. Something Deadly This Way Comes - Kim Harrison

18. Retribution - Sherrilyn Kenyon

19. Blood Magic - Tessa Gratton

20. The Neon Graveyard - Vicki Pettersson

21. Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins

22. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins

23. Eternal Kiss of Darkness - Jeaniene Frost

24. Daughter of Smoke & Bone - Laini Taylor

25. The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern

26. Forbidden - Ted Dekker & Tosca Lee

27. Eyes Like Stars - Lisa Mantchev

Tiny Victorian Writing Cottage and A Dream Home Burned Down

2012-01-11T05:00:00.000-05:00

Photo: Trevor Tondro

You may have seen this tiny place before. It was featured in The New York Times.

But did you know the owner, Sandy Foster, has a blog about her tiny Victorian studio?

Photo: Trevor Tondro

She's been through a rough patch lately. Posted on her blog, January 8, 2012:

This Christmas:
I’m divorced
my unfinished new house (a real house, not my little shabby streamside studio) burnt to the ground
and the homesteading book about it and my once enviable life obviously is nixed
my Maltese dog Belle is dead
I’ll see my 3 babies - my dogs - for a few hours in December
I paid $600 for dental work my Maltese Zuzu
and $900 in car repairs
I gained 10 pounds

Without my old dreams, I’m disoriented. Without a home, I’m dispossessed. Without my husband, I’m not constantly infuriated but I’m also missing my dearest friend. It was he that accidentally caused the fire with the woodstove. The guilt sears and tortures him. He said he lay on the cold ground and cried the next morning. I lay on the cold ground and cried when I got home from the lawyer’s office filing for divorce the next day.

The Food of DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE

2012-01-10T05:00:00.000-05:00

Since finishing Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone, I can't stop thinking about the cafes in Prague. I know I should be dwelling on the cliffhanger romance between Karou and Akiva, I should be reliving the beauty of the angels and monsters or the old world Eastern Europe. I should be wanting revel the exotic richness of Morocco or the paints and canvases of the art school. (Somewhere in an alternate life, I'm a student in such an art school, I know it.) Probably I should be imagining how the story will look as a movie. (Did you hear? The movie rights have been acquired.) But I'm hung up on the pastries, the tea, and the goulash.

They ordered tea, which came in an antique silver service, the sugar and creamer dishes engraved with the words arsenic and strychnine.
-- page 68

My tea comes as a bag in a plain, old mug. Maybe I should pretty it up. Scour the local antique barns for an exotic tea service set. Probably I could make an expensive hobby out of this.

She texted her friend en route-- Peekaboo! Big day. I'm bringing breakfast-- and bought some croissants at her corner bakery.

A text came back-- if it's not chocolate, it's not breakfast-- and she smiled and doubled back to the bakery for some chocolate kolaches.
--page 172

I wonder if kolaches are like chocolate croissants? Our local bakery makes huge ones. We're talking enormous, delicious, light as air pastry with dark chocolate filling and a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top. Great. Now I want chocolate croissants.

They ordered bowls of goulash, which they ate while discussing Kaz's stunt, their chemistry teacher's nose hair-- which Zuzana asserted was braidable-- and ideas for their semester projects.
-- page 27

Goulash was practically a weekly meal when I was growing up. I think it was just a fancy name applied to a simple stew of meat, vegetables and potatoes. No recipe was used, as the ingredients and seasonings were never the same. I was surprised when I found out it's a Hungarian dish. There didn't seem to be anything particularly Hungarian about tomatoes, potatoes, carrots and stewing beef. (Apparently, it's all about the paprika.)

Goulash is still economical to make, and even easier when the ingredients are tossed into the slow cooker and forgotten all day. Variations are everywhere, so add or subtract from this recipe as you like. Serve with perogies and sour cream. Yum.

GOULASH IN THE SLOW COOKER

1 1/2 pounds stewing beef
2 thinly sliced or chopped onions
4 cups beef stock
4 tablespoons tomato puree (tomato paste)
3-4 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons sugar

Combine ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on low for 10-12 hours.

(If you like your meat browned first, go ahead. I'm lazy. Saute the meat and onions in olive oil over moderate heat until the meat is browned on all sides. Add to slow cooker with other ingredients. Cook on low for 10-12 hours.)

Or you can cook this on the stove-top for a couple hours and toss in frozen perogies at the end. Easy.

Hungry for Hunger Games

2012-01-09T17:25:00.000-05:00

Taylor Swift's song for the movie:

Did you know there's a cookbook? The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook. Recipes include Katniss's favourite Lamb Stew, breads that Peeta might have baked, and specialties from the districts, including the Capitol's chocolate cake.

For my friend Pam, I have to mention there's a recipe called "Wild Squirrel & Sausage Gumbo". (via EW)

You won't see that recipe here. But someday I might try making the lamb stew. Or cinnamon rolls. Or chocolate cake. Or-- Or...

Going to the kitchen now.

A Description Resource for Writers, now with 50% more Vikings!

2012-01-06T17:33:00.000-05:00

The Bookshelf Muse

When I found out about this website this week, I had to share. Ever get into a writing rut? You know, when you've used the same word six times on the same page because you just can't think of another way to describe that thing? Check out The Bookshelf Muse. They've got alternative ways to describe emotions, places, character traits, etc. They even consider all of the senses, mood and symbolism.

Oh, my. This is sounding like a late-night infomercial or celebrity endorsement. I'm not a celebrity, but I endorse it. Just try it. You'll like it.

And now for something totally random to prove this isn't an endorsement. A Viking metal video! (Really. Wait for it. Enter Vikings.)