Blogs ‘N Websites

Writing blogs can be a little tricky because sometimes the wrong people will read them and get the wrong idea. You’ve got to be a little careful. It’s so easy for someone to pick up one of your feet and shove it in your mouth even when you know there’s absolutely no reason for it to be there.

Here’s an example of what I mean. I was once asked to write a guest blog about my memories of Christmas and because it’s my nature I gave it a slightly different spin. I claimed that my family celebrated the holiday in a very dysfunctional manner and then went on to describe a very traditional and conventional Christmas experience. It’s just that I gave it a sinister air and made everything seem dark and disturbing. For example, I likened my dad and me hunting for a Christmas tree to the actions of a father and son serial killer team. I also described how we would later prop up our Christmas tree (the trophy of our hunt) in the corner of the room and then sit around and watch it die a slow death.

As far as I can tell 99.9% of the people who read that blog realized right away that it was a joke and that its underlining theme was that my memories of Christmas were actually fond ones and the same as the vast majority of others that celebrate the holiday. But of course there was that 0.1% that read it and found it outrageously offensive. I think the email exchange went something like this:

Gregory, What do you mean our family was dysfunctional! I’m VERY offended and deeply hurt!

Mom, Please reread that blog! It was a joke! Really! I didn’t intend to offend or hurt you! I love my memories of Christmas!

So here’s a little free advice. If you write a blog, beware of family and friends. What they see might not be what you intend.

Since the topic this week is Blogs AND Websites, I’d like to comment on a type of website that I predict will only grow in popularity. It’s the web-based comedy show. They’re normally about three to five minutes long and some of them are really very entertaining. They’re perfect for quick little diversions during your workdays. I also like that they can be done on a small budget which means a couple people with a good idea can compete with the big guys. So for all you creative types out there, here’s another opportunity knocking.

This is one of my present favorites. It’s a show called Decision/Decision.

What do you think? Fun, huh? Why not make one? I bet you could come up with a two-minute show using only a deck of cards and a couple voiceovers. There’s a big world out there…catch it by the tail and take it for a ride.

Also let me know if you’ve ever had something you wrote in a blog taken the wrong way? I’d love to hear about it.

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Blogs

Sorry that I'm a day late to post. It's been a bit of a crazy week - not only is my mother over for a holiday but my daughter has gone away to camp for the first time and let me tell you that trying to pack for a nine and a half year old girl isn't a barrel of laughs!!!!!

Anyway, this week it's all about blogs and websites so I thought I would give a shout out to the Crossroads Halloween tour, which has been organized by the fabulous Judith Graves. It's a scavenger hunt that involves 16 authors over 16 days and there are lots of prizes and fun interviews to be had!!!!!

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jeggings: yay? or naaay. please discuss.

I've been racking my brain this week to come up with a post for fashion & style week, when the muse poked me in the ribs and said, "You are wearing incredibly warm, soft, and comfortable stretchy pants that look like cords. What more do you need for a topic?" Yes, after repeated, skeptical viewings at the store, I finally said what the hell, and came home a few weeks ago with a pair of Hue corduroy-esque legging/pants. They are sort of a bastard sibling of jeggings, which, if you don't know, are leggings that look like jeans.

Now, leggings have always had passionate defenders and detractors, so I probably don't have to tell you that jeggings inspire even greater heights/depths of appreciation and disdain. Personally, though I shunned leggings for a good long time, shaving over 60 pounds off the old bod has brought them back into my life, for better or for worse. Because, damn, they are comfortable, and a writer needs to be comfortable. And though I'm sure you can guess they don't exactly look like the picture on the left on my body, the cord leggings look a lot better than I thought they would. With a long-ish T and boots, I can do my work and my errands in total comfort aaand then pretty much transition straight into bed. Without the boots. Usually.

What about you? Have you already taken the jeggings plunge? If not, will you? Or did you swear to yourself upon first seeing them in the store: "As God is my witness: never"?

I'm taking off for a long weekend getaway, but I will eagerly check back on Monday to see if there's consensus. Now I have to go pack my jeggings.

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Style Secret: Etsy

It's not much of a secret since the site is at rockstar status, but Etsy is my style guru these days. I get daily emails in which fashionable types curate items that relate to a theme (today's theme was "Opalescence" and it featured this two-tiered necklace that was sold out when I clicked!):

You can find all manner of adorable items on the site--from fancy vintage kitchenware like this spoon and container set (below top) to slingback 80s pumps (below bottom, sadly not my size).

Sure you have to dig through some odd items (see Regretsy for a hilarious run-down of those), but isn't that the fun of getting a bargain or a lovely vintage piece to add to your stylish collection?

Happy Etsy-ing! Now, tell me where you secretly shop!

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Plotting Vs. Pantsing in... food?

Plotting versus Pantsing is discussed quite a bit when it comes to writing. Do you plot out your books or do you write by the seat of your pants? Until recently I've always been more of a pantser who plots only when she needs to (hmmm, maybe all the plotting in my current WIP is what led to this dang writer's block...). It is possible that I do this because the rest of my life is so incredibly plotted out and scheduled that I need one place to cut loose (and again, hmmm, maybe this is why I'm not enjoying writing lately).

When it comes to food, I'm a major plotter. I go on a big grocery shopping trip every other week where I get everything except for the produce I need to be super fresh. This means that right before I go grocery shopping, I plan out a dinner menu for two weeks. I'll usually eat the same meal two nights in a row, my husband and I go out once a week and every other week I am cooking for my writer's group. It's all meticulously planned mainly because my life is so busy that if I don't plan out my meals, I'll rely too much on frozen prepared foods and even the vegan versions of these aren't that good for you. Basically I'm a health nut with an overly crammed schedule, so I do what I have to in order to fit cooking in. I also love to cook!

However something is about to change my meal planning ways this fall. I've joined my very first CSA! What is a CSA? It stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It means a local farm (and since I'm in Chicago, "local" means southern Wisconsin) will deliver a big box of produce that is organically grown on their farm straight to my door every Monday night. And I pay them directly, meaning no middleman, my money goes directly to the farmer. I love this concept politically on so many levels. For one, I am supporting a small, local business--and believe me small and family-owned farms were hurting *long* before the current recession. Two, it is good for the environment. Two years ago, I decided to eat only organic food whenever possible because I just don't like consuming chemicals. But a lot of the time, I would notice that my organic apples were coming from as far away as Chile!!! What a huge carbon footprint to bring me my food all that way when there are perfectly good organic apples fifty or sixty miles from me. In the summer, I solved this problem by going to farmer's markets to buy my produce. One of the farmers at my local market, Tomato Mountain Farm, had a CSA sign up for fall. I convinced my mom to try it with me. It means for 10 bucks a week, I get to split 5/9 of a bushel of produce with her.

It starts in two weeks and I am so excited! Except that I realized I go shopping on Fridays and I will be getting my food on Mondays, so how am I to plan a menu? I can't rearrange my schedule to go grocery shopping on Tuesdays and I won't know in advance exactly what vegetables I'll be getting (though from their website, I know there will be a lot of winter squash, kale, potatoes and leeks which I've never tried so I'm excited about that). I have a ton of cookbooks and plenty of spices on hand, so my plan is just to keep my pantry and fridge stocked with the vegan staples such as tofu, lentils, chick peas, beans, canned tomatoes, veggie stock, and rice. Then hopefully when I get my box, I can look up the vegetables in my cookbooks, find a recipe, hit the pantry and fly by the seat of my pants. It's somewhat nerve-wracking to this queen of organization, but I'm too excited about fresh local vegetables--some that I have never tried before--to let it get me down.

What about you? Do you plot out meals in advance or can you just whip something together--and if so do you have any advice? And know any good leek recipes?

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A Philosophical Inquiry Into Aesthetics and Ethics, or A Post About Cheesteaks

Like many residents of Allentown PA, I often tell people I'm from "outside Philadelphia." I do this because (1) it's annoying to hear people sing the Billy Joel song, (2) a lot of time people don't know where Allentown is and (3) it's embarrassing to be from Allentown, a city mainly known for being a crap-hole and the national epicenter of the stinkbug infestation. So anyway, even though I'm not actually from Philadelphia, I feel as though when it's my turn to talk about food, I must broach the subject of cheesesteaks.

Specifically, the question of which is better: Pat's or Geno's? (I blogged about this briefly before in a longer post about Pennsylvania, which is filled with off-color jokes, so, um you've been warned?) Pat's and Geno's are two cheesteak places located on the same corner (9th & Passyunk) in South Philly. Some people swear by Pat's and some people swear by Geno's. It's not debated politely. It's ended marriages.

You might be wondering why there is so much debate about cheesteak, and it's a fair question. Basically there aren't a lot of ingredients. Basically both ingredients are mentioned right there in the name of the food. But how can they vary so wildly in quality? I honestly don't know, but they sure can. Some of it has to do with the bread, some of it has to do with the type of cheese and steak I guess, and maybe there are some spices in there. The point is, they really do taste different. So which is better?

A little while ago, my father, brother-in-law, and I decided to do a test. We drove down to South Philly for a double-blind taste-test challenge. I don't really know what "double-blind" means and I also don't know how to divide 4 steaks by 3 people, but for some reason we ordered 4 and it resulted in complicated math. The verdict? Geno's is better. We all agreed! 3 out of 3. Hands down. Now, this is where things get interesting. Depending on your politics, the guy who owns Geno's, Joey Vento, is either a hero or a pariah. It all started with a controversy about a sign at Geno's that said "This Is AMERICA: WHEN ORDERING Please 'SPEAK ENGLISH." And then during the coverage of the controversy, Vento offered a bunch of political opinions I strongly disagree with. And then, to my mind anyway, he pretty much just acted like a jerk all the time. And if I really think about it, I should probably boycott the place. But the steaks! I'm a weak man.

But this brings up a serious(ish) question. Can you enjoy a meal if you find the chef despicable? And does this apply to other arts, say, literature? Ever learn horrible things about an author whose work you have loved? Does this change the love? (I'm not asking you to name names!) Conversely, maybe an author is such a wonderful person that you love their work more than you otherwise might? Or does the work just have to stand on its own? Is aesthetics free of ethics? Please discuss. Or just share thoughts on cheesteaks. I'd be happy with that too.

p.s. Go Phillies!

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Delicious Fall Dinners

One of my favorite things about the weather growing colder is making and eating soup. I love how you can make it in a jiffy and serve it with bread and salad for dinner or lunch, and it's usually even tastier leftover. Here is one of my favorite soup recipes, thanks to chef Stuart Jacobsen (his recipe is in the Utah Museum of Fine Arts' The Fine Art of Soup, which has, sadly, gone out of print). He actually soaks the beans for 36 hours, but because I never have the foresight to start cooking that early, I just use canned and drained black beans.

Black Bean Soup

3 cans black beans, drained

2 onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 t. coriander

3 T olive oil

1 t. oregano

4 cups yogurt

1 t. salt

4 cups water or chicken broth

4 tomatoes, chopped

1 t. ground cumin

3 T. vinegar

several hot peppers, crushed, or 1/2 t. ground black pepper (optional)

chopped Bermuda onions and/or chopped green peppers for garnish (optional)

Saute garlic and onions in oil until wilted. Add spices and tomatoes, water or broth and bring to a boil. Add beans. Simmer for 1 hour. Add more water if necessary. Add salt and pepper. Let cool a bit and puree in blender or food processor. May be stored in refrigerator or freezer. For each serving, place 1/3 cup yogurt in sauce pan. Add 2/3 cup of bean puree. Heat gently. When the mixture comes to a boil, turn off heat and serve with garnishes. Serves 12.

My boys' favorite autumn meal is Dinner in a Pumpkin, which has become a tradition. You can find this recipe in the Junior League of Ogden's cookbook, The Art of Cooking. It sounds kind of weird, but I promise it's delicious.

Dinner in a Pumpkin

1 small or medium pumpkin

1 onion, chopped

2 T vegetable oil

1 1/2- 2 pounds ground beef

2 T soy sauce

2 T brown sugar

1 4-ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained

1 10-ounce can cream of chicken soup

1 1/2 cups rice, cooked

1 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained

Cut off the top of the pumpkin and thoroughly clean out the seeds and pulp. Paint a face on the front with a permanent marker. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, saute onions in oil until tender. Add mean and brown. Drain drippings, add soy sauce, brown sugar, mushrooms, and soup. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cooked rice and water chestnuts. Spoon mixture into the pumpkin shell. Replace top of pumpkin and place entire pumpkin with filling on a baking sheet. Bake 1 hour or until the inside of the pumpkin is tender. Cooking time might vary up to 2 hours, depending on size of pumpkin. Place entire pumpkin on serving platter, remove lid, and serve mixture plus meat of the pumpkin.

So, now that I've shared 2 of my favorite fall-weather meals, what are yours?

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Food in Fiction

You're probably wondering what the image of that book cover is doing here. We'll get around to that in a minute, or two, or three.

I'm currently reading Elin Hilderbrand's latest adult novel, The Island. It's good, as are all of her books, and like all her books it takes place on Nantucket. Here's another feature of her books: they all make you want to go out and eat or drink whatever her characters are currently consuming. The descriptions of restaurant meals or meals prepared at home - I want to eat it all. And then there's the matter of what her characters drink. They drink a lot of wine. I once went hunting for a particular wine, Viognier, just because the characters in one of her books made such a big deal about it.

So what does any of this have to do with The Sisters 8 Book 6 Petal's Problems? The Sisters 8 series for young readers aged 6-10 is about octuplets whose parents go missing, leaving the Huit sisters to run the household while trying to solve the mystery of their parents' disappearance. Durinda, the second sister, becomes the family cook and occasionally comes up with some unique recipes, like her meatballs, which never come out round, but rather, as every geometric shape but round. I'd love to one day do a cookbook of Sisters 8 recipes although someone else would have to taste-test the geometric meatballs since I don't eat meat.

So why am I even talking about this today? Because: 1) it's Food Week here at TFC; and 2) The Sisters 8 Book 6 Petal's Problems goes on sale today. Yippee! So if you've ever loved me, liked me, or hated me and just wish you could find something to make me shut up, then go out today and buy a copy of Petal's Problems.

And now for our...

QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY:

HAVE YOU EVER READ A DESCRIPTION OF FOOD OR DRINK IN A NOVEL THAT HAS MADE YOU WANT TO GO OUT AND EAT THAT VERY THING?

HAVE YOU EVER WRITTEN A DESCRIPTION OF FOOD OR DRINK IN A NOVEL THAT YOU THINK IS MEMORABLE?

Be well. Don't forget to write.

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Vacation mania (aka Kay does Atlanta)

I saw Elizabeth's post this week about not having been on vacation in a really long time and thought, "Yes! That was so me up until June." I hadn't been anywhere on vacation (except to visit family) in years. So this summer, in the midst of traveling an insane amount after the book came out, we also squeezed in a visit back to our former stomping grounds in Georgia.

I had a book signing in Atlanta back in June and, since we lived in Georgia for several years when we first got married, we decided to stay a few days after and check out the things we'd missed. Like our favorite pizza place with its drool-worthy Hawaiian pizza and our favorite dinner restaurant. (Wait, why do all my best memories involve food?)

It's amazing how taking even just a short vacation with the people you love--especially a vacation where you don't have every moment scheduled to within an inch of its life--can rejuvenate you. We need to do it more frequently, to get out of the ruts of our lives. Not that my life is a rut, no sirree. My life is incredibly exciting and glamorous and TV movie worthy.

(Pause for Kay to clean the dryer lint trap and clean up doggie vomit)

What was I saying? Oh yes, glamour and glitz and excitement. It's quite exhausting. So having time to rest and relax is a definite plus.

What about you? Where did you go on your last trip to get some R&R?

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vacation????

It's funny that this week's topic is vacations and travel because--well, because I haven't been anywhere (other than for work) in ages. I'm in the middle of writing one book, rewriting another, and page proofs for a third.

Granted, I'm the one that agreed to do all this work, and I hope that it will pay off but in the meantime a vacation? I think the hour a day I try to squeeze in for reading is as close as I'm coming.

SO! Let me live vicariously through you--tell me all about your latest vacation, please!

(Seriously, please do--especially if it involved a lot of sitting or reading or basically, doing nothing :-)

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Travel

This week we're talking about travel, and it couldn't come at a more opportune moment, because today my son takes off to travel around the world.... well, he's flying from NZ to San Fran with a friend then travelling around for a while before heading for UK and Europe. Luckily for him he has a UK passport which means he can work anywhere in Europe. I'm very envious and would love to tag along for the ride, but for some strange reason he'd rather I stayed here!!!

He's excited that we're moving to Australia next year, too, so he has a base there after his travels - he has an NZ passport too so can work in Australia. My daughter is also planning to travel once she finishes university, so it looks like I'll have two roaming children!!!

I've travelled fairly extensively, but not as much as I'd like. I have plenty of must see places on my list - NY, Vietnam, Austria, Egypt..... I could go on and on. What about you, where would you love to visit?

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SCHOOLS

Okay, I'll admit it. I didn't do all that well in school. But it wasn't that I didn't try. I really wanted to succeed, every summer I even had grand illusions of being the best student in my class, and the thing is, in my heart I knew I was capable of achieving that goal. But then the year would start and the teacher would spread his or her wings and initiate that daily drone of words that would buzz around endlessly in my head and it wouldn't be long before I was...gone, baby, gone. It wasn't that I didn't understand the words or that I couldn't follow them to their rational conclusion, it's just that there were other forces at work.

I would sit quietly at my desk with a serious expression so stiff it might as well have been molded onto my face by a taxidermist. I'd try my best to project a facade of rapt attention and interest while underneath this ridgid surface unseen forces battled and wrestled for my consideration. I would gallantly try to fight these invaders with the aid of the teacher's magic words, focusing on the knowledge that they provided, knowing that each one was a special talisman that held the secrets to my success. But in the end they always proved to be too weak and ineffectual, a cross of words that didn't hold enough power to ward off the all-powerful, all-encompassing vampire of my active imagination.

I would follow the advice of others and diligently try to take notes, but over time they would eventually morph into something entirely different. Some distant power would slowly drift into my notebook like a fog, possessing my pencil, overwelming its graphite soul, finally pushing it to take flight, to drift and dream, to go in its own and separate direction. Stories would emerge from history notes. Intricate drawings would overwhelm scientific formulas and math worksheets. Riddles, jokes and observations would slip seamlessly into my biology notes turning the result into something very entertaining to read but not very useful when it came time to study for a fianal exam.

It's my belief that if I were growing up today things would be different. Maybe I'd be given a daily dose of Ritalin with my breakfast before leaving for school. Maybe I would have been sent to a specialist. But I grew up in a different time, a time when a hyper, unfocused kid was just that: a hyper, unfocused kid. You'd label him a troublemaker and make him sit in the corner or out in the hall. I spent a lot of time in the hall; it was much more interesting and I wasn't required to pay attention to anyone or anything. If you closed your eyes you could hear the heartbeat of the school. I invented games of miniature shuffleboard and hockey using pennies and pencils. I counted lights and tiles.

Even now I still have trouble focusing on the task at hand, my mind will wander through the waiter's reading of the specials, a google search will take me places I never intended to go, I'll drive past highway exists, I'll nod my head absently during conversations even though I haven't a clue what the other person was just talking about. I'll even lose interest in a program I was enjoying if the commercials run too long.

So yeah, school was tough for me. I'm not sure it had to be but that's the way it was. How about you? Does your mind ever walk out of a room before your body? Do your feet have a mind of their own?


Here's a little something from the kid in the back row with his head in the clouds:

Here.

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