Survival Food (Nuts, Twigs, Bark, and Chocolate)

Hello, everybody!!

We've been having a wonderful time here as we head on into the middle of summer. We homeschool year round but we do take a bit more time off in the summer, so the kids are making good use of these long days!

This is at our local water park. Yup, that's a slide where you crawl up into the frog's head and slide out his tongue. Isn't childhood wonderful? You grow up and think, "That's weird. Why would I do that?" But kids are thinking, "I've ALWAYS wanted to slide down a frog's tongue!!"

 

 

Edna was telling me that she was yearning for something sweet. Something from long ago. She tried to explain what she meant but it sounded really odd. Chocolate bark? Peppermint bark? I thought maybe Mr. Perky the coffee maker had rattled her beaters with all his camping stories. I didn't think she wanted bark.

 

But then my sister told me that 'bark' was a type of candy. (This is my expression. "Wha-WHA?") Just when I thought I knew everything.

So, this is what we needed to make Edna's bark (which I still think of as survival food, now that I know there is chocolate involved.)

oil
parchment paper
2 cups crushed peppermint in a ziplock bag
peppermint flavoring
one bag of white chocolate chips
2 bags of semisweet chocolate chips

About a 1/4 cup of oil goes into the chocolate chips. Into the microwave, 30 seconds at a time. Keep stirring, adding more time until it's melted.

My sister is pouring the chocolate on the sheet. You can tell this because if I was the one pouring the chocolate, it would be in my mouth.

Spread the chocolate onto the parchment paper. It helps to have someone hold the other side. Someone reliable. Someone who will not 'accidentally' stick their fingers in the chocolate and then need to 'wash them off'. Not saying I did that. Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. *checks mouth for melted chocolate*

 Let the chocolate set for a few hours. It needs to be somewhere cooler. Don't expect it to set in 100F weather. :) Kitchen fails are tasty, but we have a plan here. On to the next step.

 White chocolate chips melted and then add the peppermint pieces. Also, a few drops of peppermint flavoring. You can also use orange flavoring and it's just as delicious. Don't ask me how I know this. But don't all those little brown bottles look the same?

 Spreading on the white chocolate peppermint. MMMMM...

                           Smooth to the sides and put it somewhere cool to set up.

After it's set you can gently break it into bite-size pieces. Oh, who are we kidding??? Make them BIG pieces so we don't have to embarrass ourselves by reaching out for the plate 28 times.

So, Edna and I had a lovely cup of coffee and some peppermint chocolate bark. I think I'll try raspberry white chocolate next time. Which just might be tomorrow. There doesn't seem to be any left!

 

I know. This is what happens when you make candy in a house with six kids. You have to eat it fast! Or make more. I do both.

 Until next time!

Bisquick to the Rescue

Well, it's hot in Texas. No newsflash there. After all, it is August and, as I've already mentioned, this is Texas. That meant Sunday was just a little lazier than usual. So as I struggled to come up with something relatively easy, yet meaty, for dinner, I thought of a recipe I'd seen on the Bisquick box.

Don't know if you've ever tried their Ultimate Chicken Fingers before, but they were pretty doggone tasty. No leftovers, if that tells you anything.

For this you're going to need:

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about a pound)
• 2/3 cup Bisquick
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp. salt or garlic salt (I went with the garlic salt)
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 3 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted

Heat your oven to 450 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.

In a 1-gallon zip-top bag, mix the Bisquick, cheese, salt, and paprika.

Now you're ready to assemble.

(okay, who left the pantry door open?)

 

Dip a portion of the chicken strips into the egg and then place them in the bag. Seal the bag and shake to coat. (I doubled the recipe, however I think I tripled the meat.)

 

Place the chicken on the foil-covered cookie sheet.

Repeat to use up remaining chicken.

Drizzle butter over chicken.

(If I hadn't been so lazy, I would have spread these out onto two pans)

 

Bake 12-14 minutes, turning halfway through bake time, until no longer pink in center.

 

See, easy peasy.

 

Of course, I needed a kickin' sauce to go with these tasty nuggets.

And that was easy too.

Matter of fact, here's all you need.

Ranch dressing and some chipotle peppers. How kickin' you make it, is up to you, though.

I simply added a little bit of adobo sauce (that's what the chipotles are packed in) and minced up one chipotle and stirred it into about a half cup of dressing. Actually I started with a half a pepper and my husband complained it had no kick, so I had to add the other half and it was still mild enough for me.

 

So this has been a week of learning to be disciplined in my writing. Do y'all struggle with your internal editor? If so, how do you handle that bossy so-and-so?

Cheesy Pull-Apart Party Bread

Jan here, not quite able to believe that it's August already!

Around here, that means four things:

1) School starts soon, which means the tourist season is winding down.

2) VBS is over for the year! We had a great week last week, but I'm ready to get back to writing :)

3) This is Rally Week - the 73rd Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

Let's talk about Rally Week for a minute before we go on to #4.

It should really be written RALLY WEEK!!!!!

It's an absolutely CRAZY time of year. I've lived in a lot of different places, but nothing - - nothing - - compares to the Sturgis Rally.

In case you're not familiar with this RALLY I'm talking about, here's a short video that will introduce you: 2012 Sturgis Rally

Last year, the Rally had an estimated attendance of 500,000. All those people lived, ate, slept, partied and biked within 30 miles of my house.

Between 50,000 and 60,000 of them visited Mt. Rushmore each day. There were 43 marriage licenses issued (compared to 197 in 2000 - the 60th Rally), nearly 500 arrests with 451 people jailed, 351 emergency room visits (in Sturgis - many go straight to Rapid City), and 9 Rally related traffic deaths.

And yes, the notorious gangs show up. But so do the police. There hasn't been too much gang related violence in recent years.

Some people complain about the noise, dangerous traffic and (ahem) optional clothing for the female attendees (although that's been restricted to Sturgis in recent years) (and body paint is a big seller, I hear....), but most of us enjoy the craziness for ten days because of all the benefits. Rally Week pays the bills.

And then, next week, they all go home.

And that brings us to #4: FOOTBALL!

I wasn't a football fan until we moved here. Oh, I liked to watch the Super Bowl when I was younger, but football wasn't a big deal. Then this guy came along:

Tim Tebow is so much fun to watch, isn't he? And even though he's wearing a different color jersey these days, I watch him when I can.

But then last year Denver signed on Peyton Manning. I never get tired of watching this guy play.

Last year I realized the reason why I love watching this team play so much - it's leadership. The same reason why I like to watch Gibbs on NCIS. The same reason why I love John Wayne movies. The same reason why I got teary-eyed when my sons earned their Boy Scout Eagle ranks.

We don't see much leadership anymore. People think they don't need leaders, I guess. But we do. And that's why I love a good football game.

But when you watch football, you've got to have snacks, right? And the football pre-season starts THIS WEEK! The Bronco's first pre-season game is against the 49'ers on Thursday, August 8!

I tried this munchie to get ready for the big day:

Cheesy Pull-Apart Party Bread

Ingredients:

1 round loaf unsliced Sourdough Bread

8-12 ounces Monterey Jack cheese 

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 bunch green onions, sliced

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat your oven to 350°.

Cut the bread crosswise into 1-inch slices - but not all the way through. Stop about 1/2 inch from the bottom of the loaf. Repeat the cuts in the opposites direction.

Cut the cheese into 1/4" slices and stick them into the cuts in the bread. You can also use shredded cheese, but make sure the cheese gets all the way down to the bottom.

In a small bowl, mix the melted butter, sliced green onions, and garlic powder. Drizzle this over the bread.

Wrap the loaf in foil - I put two pieces of foil together to make a square large enough to wrap the loaf in. Place it on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

Pull the top of the foil apart and away from the loaf and bake it for an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted.

Remove the loaf from the foil, put it on a plate, and enjoy! I had my share for Sunday night supper, and oh! was it good! All cheesy - oniony - melty!

And, of course, what Monday would be complete without a gratuitous puppy picture or two? Thatcher is 18 weeks old now, and learning tons of stuff at puppy preschool.

Before you go, though, be sure to tell us what your favorite game-day treat is!

Do Not Try This At Home

CAVEAT: Bringing about Armageddon can be dangerous. Do not attempt it in your own home. — Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, Good Omens

You know those ads, the ones of those daredevils racing up a stone pillar in Arizona or athletes climbing down a cliff perched about a river. What does the ad always say? Do not try this at home. 

I do love the Mythbusters. But do I learn from their cautionary tales? No.

Apparently I didn't think this warning applied to me. As the GAL (Gluten-free Allergy Challenged Living) blogger, I make my own versions of comfort foods and basic ingredients. I don't try, I DO. What can I say, I am a big Yoda fan.

"Do. Or do not. There is no try." The gnome has nothing to add.

This week I was bound and determined to make my own version of sweetened condensed milk using coconut sugar and whole grass-fed cow milk.  It involves a very slow process on the stove of cooking the milk and sugar mixture to get the milk condensed, just like making an au jus or other condensed gravy from meat juices. But it wouldn't thicken.  Silly me. I thought I would cook it longer. Silly me. I ended up with a burnt pan. Silly me. I tried it again but it wouldn't thicken.  I decided not to risk another pan or package of sugar or gallon of milk.

Sigh. In a bad way.

Lesson: There is a reason Mr. Borden received kudos for his invention of sweetened condensed milk. Industralized canning has its place. Do not try this at home. 

If you look at Pinterest, there are plenty of recipes that start out looking like one thing and end up looking like another.  DIY blow pops. DIY Poptarts. DIY Thin Mints. Think of the possibilities. Now think of the disasters that could occur from sticking a piece of bubble gum on a stick and placing it in hot sugar water. Or trying to make sure both sides of a fake poptart don't come apart in the toaster. Or the fantasy of a homemade thin mint being thin!  Do you really believe they look like the pictures?

Lesson: There is a reason all those treats are perfectly formed when you take them out of the box or bag. Homemade reality isn't as pretty as fantasy or industrial production. Plus, do you really need more carbs in the house? Do not try this at home.

I think a lot of recipes for "look alike" foods are doomed to failure just like those commercials where someone has said "Get me someone who sounds like Morgan Freeman." People can tell it isn't Morgan Freeman. Saying "I want someone who looks exactly like Liam Neeson in Schindler's List or Love Actually" is just as impossible. Iconic people, just like iconic treats or ingredients or quick foods, can't be replicated.

Have I spoiled your dreams? Or relieved your guilt over that five piece set of pots you ruined trying to  recreate a restaurant's signature dish?  Have you had an epic fail? Or have you developed the perfect substitute for an ingredient or dish because you are way more proficient than I am at such things?  

 

Puttin' on the Ritz

Missy Tippens, here. Puttin' on the ritz...

The Ritz-Carlton Atlanta

On Friday during the Romance Writers of America National Conference, Harlequin threw the annual party for authors. They usually hold it at the Ritz-Carlton in whatever city we're in. It's always a lavish, amazing event. And SO MUCH FUN!

Of course, this year I embarrassed myself taking photos of the flowers and food for all of you. The pastry chefs probably thought I was some sort of bumpkin, snapping shots of the gorgeous desserts! (Goodness, the sacrifices I make for my buds at the Cafe!)

First, the main lobby, and the most unusual flower arrangement I've ever seen. Very regal.

 Next, the table decorations in the Grand Ballroom where our event was held...

Glowing orchids (lit from below)

 And then the desserts...

 The servers were there to help by spreading our choice of icing on the different kinds of cupcakes. Once we had the icing, we could choose toppings...

 And then there were the gorgeous displays...

 Oh, and did I mention chocolate??

Those are fried cheese cake balls on the right!

And above, one of my favorites. A graham type cake with marshmallow cream and chocolate on top. A glamorous s'more!

More beautiful displays of tarts and layered desserts.

And my very favorite...

The best I could tell, it was a meringue type cookie with jam inside. And those little plastic vials? You squeezed them to add more flavoring liquid. Raspberry or lemon. I admit, I had 3 of the raspberry ones!

They were small. :) (That's my story, and sticking to it.)

AMAZING desserts. Amazing night.

Oh, and here I am in a photo with my beautiful senior editor, Melissa Endlich. It's fun to enjoy relaxed time with our editors!

I hope y'all enjoyed some time at the Ritz!

I Got Nothin'....

To cook, that is.

I've been BUSY.

BIG GRIN HERE!!!!

Youse know that I've got the second amazingly sweet and wonderful Kirkwood Lake book releasing in just a few weeks:

How SWEET IS THIS COVER?????

Where's the LOVE button when you need it?

And then there's this:

Try, Try Again is available on Kindle now and I L-O-V-E this story... I love breaking into big city mode every now and again and imagining life with subways, taxis, Starbucks that deliver to the office megaplexes above them and oh, just how different it is to eke an existence out of life in a big city...

As opposed to the sweet rural setting of Piper McKinney's farm in Chautauqua County New York!!!

I love both.

And then there's this:

Fifteen month old Joslyn is helping Dave check the baseball scores... Yep. The Yankees are still losing... sigh....

But how cute is she??????

And there's always this:

 This is my buddy Roman... How stinkin' adorable is he????? And if running around after these two adorable toddlers isn't enough, well, Jeter adds his own fun to the mix:

Notice anything different with this pair of shoes???? The very pair I wore to church on Sunday and set down on the side porch as I was carrying things in????  HMMMMM??????

NAUGHTY PUPPY!!!!!

So there's been NO COOKING.

I had ice cream for supper. Dave took me to Abbott's Frozen Custard in Hilton and I had ice cream...

And it was amazing!!!!

We made quesadillas last night and I forgot to take pictures....

And Monday night?????

I don't remember eating a stinkin' thing because I was working on my independent books!!!!  Unless I was being nice to someone....?????

Naw, most likely working, LOL!

So that's how lame I am right now. But am I happy????

OH MY STARS, YES!!!  I HAVE TWO LOVE INSPIREDS STILL TO BE RELEASED IN 2013... ONE SUMMERSIDE NOVELLA IN 2013.... AND TWO INDEPENDENT NOVELS IN 2013....

Who could ask for more??????

Well, and Abbott's Ice cream on top of it????

I will miss the shoes. They were comfortable and great with sundresses.

But I'm so excited about how my mid-life crisis career is going that I won't miss the shoes all THAT MUCH....

I'd miss Jeter more.

:)