Saturday Blues

Most people love Saturdays. For some reason I find them a pain in the butt. The roads are too packed. The grocery is the same. Going out for lunch is like trying to find space in a sardine can. So today I let the hubby go off by himself. He had to go qualify for his gun permit, and I figure that would be a bore, sitting around waiting for him to shoot up a box of ammo at paper targets.

So what do I do with a Saturday to myself? Well, besides sitting here talking to a computer screen, I mean. I could use the time to do some straightening I've been putting off. I need to straighten the guest bedroom. I'm not sure why but that room seems to be a dumping point. There are stacks of magazines I just couldn't bring myself to toss out, but now I'm going to. I mean, why do I need copies of year-old Romantic Times? For seven year-old copies of Writer's Digest? I guess I thought I'd forget what I learned from them one day. But I've readied myself for putting them out with the trash a little at a time. If I put them all out at once the poor trash man would have a stroke.

Next? Old paperbacks. Okay, some of them I will keep until the day I die and then Hubby can get rid of them. But some I'll never read again. Some I have no idea why I hung onto them for so long. Some are marked up beyond reading. Why? I was trying to learn from others. How they handled emotions, conflict, perfect endings, perfect beginnings. And besides, if I get rid of the paperbacks, I'll have room for more!! OMG! I have this rack of old 8-track tapes. I so wish I knew how I could copy them to CDs. But it's time to get rid of them too, though I still have a 8-track player. Would you believe some of them are still wrapped? Not opened, never played.

Okay, the mess isn't going to straighten itself, so I'll go now. Pray for me.

Kid Friendly Recipe

I missed the Wednesday Recipe update because I was right on top of a deadline. Someone e-mailed me and asked for the kid friendly recipe, so here it is.

Crispy Chocolate Mounds

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 cup crisp rice cereal
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup salted peanuts

In a microwave melt chocolate and peanut butter chips; stir until smooth. Stir in the cereal, raisins and peanuts. Drop by tablespoons onto waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate for 15 minutes or until set. Yield: About 2 dozen

If I Were Filthy Rich

I'd have a face lift.
I'd have a full body lift.
I'd have a boob reduction.
I'd have Lasik Surgery.

But, alas, I'm not rich. So I guess I'll just sag and feel my way around.

Recipe Wednesday Again

Recipe Wednesday again. This one is a bit time consuming but so much worth the effort. They make a great Christmas gift.
Homemade Snickers

1 cup milk chocolate chips
¼ cup butterscotch chips
¼ cup creamy peanut butter

Filling
¼ cut butter
1 cup sugar
¼ cup evaporated milk
1-1/2 cups marshmallow crème
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups chopped salted peanuts

Caramel layer
1 package (14 0z) caramels
¼ cup heavy whipping cream

Icing:
1 cup milk chocolate chips
¼ cup butterscotch chips
¼ cup creamy peanut butter

Line a 13 in. x 9 in. pan with foil; butter the foil and set aside. Combine the first three ingredients in a small saucepan; stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Spread into prepared pan. Chill until set.
For filling: Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar and milk; bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, boil and stir for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in marshmallow crème, peanut butter and vanilla. Add peanuts. Spread over first layer. Chill until set. Combine caramels and cream in a saucepan; stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Cook and stir 4 minutes longer. Spread over filling. Chill until set.

In a saucepan, combine icing ingredients; stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Pour over the caramel layer. Chill for at least 4 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 20 minutes before cutting. Using the foil, lift candy out of pan; cut into 1-in. squares. Yield: about 8 dozen.

Next week a recipe you can make with the kids.

Saturdays

Life slows down on Saturday. It's not a scheduled writing day. Hubby and I usually go out to lunch at some local can't-live-without seafood restaurant. New Orleans has more than it's share of them. This time we went to Bozo's. Yup, that really is the name of it. They are known all over for their gumbo. Even had a big write up in Bon Appite Magazine. They are also known for their method of frying their seafood. Unlike most places the owner fries all orders in a skillet Each order gets fresh oil, no old oil that's been sitting in the fryer for God only knows how long. Anyway, the lunch was great, as it always is.

We drove all over the city looking for a certain sporting goods store so my hubby could pick up something he needed to renew his gun permit. That took us about an hour. Then we went to Borders. I had a list of six to be read books, figuring I'd be able to find at least one. Nope. Not a single one. So I went in search of Heather Graham's latest. Nope. I went in search of Holly Jacob's new book. Again, no luck. They complain of book sales being down, well, it would help a hell of a lot if you had the books people are searching for. Don't you think?

I came home with a new book light and no book to read. So here I sit blogging. Poor you.

Goals for 2009

Let's say your books are normally around 92,000 words. Do you realize if you write 1,096 words a day, 5 days a week, you could write 3 books a year. That comes out to a little over 4 pages a day.

739 words a day, 3 pages, 5 days a week, would give you 2 books a year.

369 words a day, about 1 1/2 pages, 5 days a week would result in one book a year.

Okay. Granted, some of us don't write every single day. Sometimes the words just won't come. And we have to have some days for edits. Or vacation time. But if as little as 5 pages a day will give you three books, can't you write often enough to put out one book a year?

My goals for 2009 are to write two books. Edit both. Have time for a couple of vacations. Still having time to spend with my hubby.

We'll see how well I do.

Recipe Wednesday

Recipe Wednesday

Every Wednesday (when I'm not snowed under or forget) I'm going to post a recipe. For those of you who don't know me all that well, I'm one hell of a good cook. I'm pretty well known around my circles as the candy lady, so I'll start there and with an easy one.

Creole Pralines

2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup dark (or light) brown sugar
1 stick butter (1/4 pound) do not use margarine
1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons corn syrup
4 cups pecan halves
Put all ingredients, except pecans, into a 3 quart saucepan, and cook for about 20 minutes, after boiling starts. Stir occasionally. Add the pecans and cook the mixture until the liquid forms a soft ball when a little is dropped into cold water. Stir well then drop by spoonful on waxed paper. Place a few sheets of newspaper beneath the waxed paper. Allow to harden then wrap in foil or paper.

Next Wednesday: Homemade Snicker Bars

Why?

Why is it that before you get published you write every chance you get. After, you stare at the blank page in total fear that every word you write will suck.