ACFW 2015 Recap - Food, Glorious Food!

Mindy here, still trying to get my bearings after an amazing ACFW Conference. 

This was a different kind of conference for me. I didn't attend many workshops, however, for the first time, I taught one. Thank goodness it was a tag-team effort with the lovely and talented Lisa Jordan.

Conference is like a big family reunion. Hugging one neck after the other, meeting new family members and savoring every moment, praying it will carry you through to next year.

This year I got to meet my potential twin. Mindy Peltier and I not only share the same nickname and given name, but also the same middle name. And we're both blondes. How cool is that?

Another great thing about conference, is spending time with your editor.

Or editors. 

Our LI editors, looking as cute as ever at the LI Author/Editor dinner, said they heard some great pitches this year.

Look at this lovely ad I came across in the conference booklet.

Way to go, Jan.

And then there was the conference food.

No one will ever leave an ACFW conference hungry.

Thursday's dinner

That pecan tart was TO DIE FOR!

They fed us breakfast, too, but I didn't bother with those pix. I mean eggs are eggs, right.

Friday's lunch.

Okay, Kav, I'm sure you're not impressed with that steak, but that peanut butter mousse tart was definitely a winner.

Saturday's lunch is always our lightest meal. If you want to call it that.

There was also a yummy corn chowder that started this meal, however I forgot to take a picture because I too busy devouring it.

Then it was on to the grandest meal of all.

You know, for a bunch of writers, our group cleans up pretty well.

Any time I get to hang with Becky Yauger is a special event for me.

This delicious spinach ravioli was our appetizer.

Followed by a wedge salad that I almost forgot to take a pic of.

Just look at this entree. Steak and salmon. (Cue the angels singing)

But the most decadent thing of all was the dessert.

Creme Brulee. (insert satisfied sigh)

You will be pleased to know that I refrained from licking the bowl. Though, I really wanted to.

All in all, it was another great conference. I heard lots of chatter about some really good workshops and continuing education classes. 

Today, though, it's back to reality. Time to start working on a new proposal and planning for the next conference, which, by the way, will be a month earlier than usual. August 25th, I believe.

And next year, we're going to Nashville. 

Will you be there?

Gone With The Wind

I’m in Atlanta this weekend for the Romance Writers of America (RWA) National Conference. Now, I know what you are thinking: Gone with the Wind.

But I write WWII medical romance aimed at the inspirational market.  So I envisioned my time here as a bunch of women in 1940s suits and bottles of coke.

It's been lovely to see some of the contributors to Yankee-Belle and other writers I know.  I am taking some great classes and meeting with friends who live in the area.  It’s a good time to be in Hotlanta.  The weather has finally turned back to good old Southern heat and humidity.  But the hotel is really cold.

Yep, this is what it feels like in my hotel. I am glad I painted my toenails. Otherwise, they would look blue.

Trying to figure out what I can eat with my allergies is always difficult at conference events.  I pack emergency supplies of almonds, eat a lot of salads, and drink plenty of water.  You can only live on so much plain chicken, the main conference food group.  Gluten free was not a choice. Sigh. I'll need to talk to someone about that.

But the major issue for a lot of conference attendees isn’t what they eat but what their families will eat while they are gone.  You can't enjoy yourself in a workshop entitled "Making a Lasting Impression Writing A First Kiss" if your spouse is texting, "We're starving. Middle child is about to eat the baby." Telling him to get a bag of Hershey's Kisses, enthralled as you are in the workshop topic, is not an acceptable answer.



Now some spouses, like Man O, are thrilled to be on their own with no nutrition police around.  He heads off to the ballpark for hotdogs, ice cream and a Triple A baseball game.  I try not to think about Man O's cholesterol levels in my absence.

But those with tiny tots and growing teens often are not so fortunate. Panic ensues if Mom/Dad isn't around to cook. So instead of packing suitcases, days before conferences are spent making meals to stock in the freezer.  Pantries are filled to overflowing. Extra treats are bought due to mommy guilt. I remember those days. I feared the house catching on fire and burning like the torching of Atlanta if the family cooked something complicated.

Here was my go to list of "Mom's away" items:

• Stouffer's Lasagna
• Kraft Macaroni and Cheese (yes, in the blue box. Don't judge me because my kids ate the neon orange stuff.) 
• Baby carrots, grapes and bananas
• Sandwich fixings including peanut butter to go with the bananas
• Spaghetti fixings with the ground beef pre-cooked and put in the freezer
• Coupons for pizza delivery (I was trying to be realistic) 

The list actually kind of makes me shudder now. But the kids and Man O survived and greeted my return with loud trumpets, applause...and requests for real food.  After making me think they barely survived on the land, had to make their clothing out of curtains and...oh, that's Gone With The Wind. 


So, what do you fix in advance for family if you are "gone with the wind" and away from home for work or other reasons? Or do you leave them to their own devices? And if you are like me, how do you make do at work functions where the food isn't quite in line with your diet?