Turn on the Heat by Hannah Rowan #romancegems

 Winter wonderland?  Really, fellow Gems?

I can’t help but think of Green Eggs and Ham. “I do not like it…”

I know there are people who love the cold weather. I don’t understand them one little bit.

Do they not have to go out in the morning and scape a few inches of ice from their windshields, then slide sideways along slippery highways to get to work?

Do they not then come out of work only to find it already dark at 4:30 in the afternoon?

There was a time when I was probably insane. As a child I would bundle up in my hat and gloves and boots and trudge through the snow to ride a sled down a steep hill that ended at a river. My brother and I would make a trail through the woods so we’d have a clear path on the way down, but inevitably my sled would veer off course and I’d crash head-first into a tree. Brain damage would indeed explain why I thought this activity was fun, with snow melting down the back of my coat and my mittens and sleeves all wet and freezing and snow sliding into my boots.

My town would flood a parking lot bordered by railroad ties so kids could ice skate there. I tottered along on my skates—no graceful gliding for me—with visions of hot chocolate dancing through my frozen head.

And I thought I was having fun?  As I look back, I’m horrified.

Later I would take my children skiing. Or more accurately, I would drive them to the slopes and huddle in the ski lodge by the fireplace reading or writing a book until they came to tell me they were done.

In the summer I can toss on a pair of sandals and walk out the door. In the winter I have to don my armor, with hats and gloves scarf and boots, a down coat that almost keeps me warm bolstered by a few layers of sweaters beneath.

At bedtime I snuggle under a blanket, a bedspread, a down quilt, a fluffy Ugg blanket folded in half to provide two layers, and a fleecy robe, and I’m almost warm.

And this year I can’t even break up the cold by spending a week or so in a nice warm place, reminding me that winter can’t last forever.

So I tell myself it builds character, that I’m tough enough to endure it, and that this too shall pass.

But I do not like it, not one little bit!

 

It's National Kitchen Klutzes of America Day! Let's all Celebrate by Connie Vines

Even those who know her/his way around the kitchen, are able to relate to the occasional--or daily kitchen mishaps.  

Writing, Painting/Drawing, Music, and Cooking are classified as the 'Arts".  I find creative people are usually gifted, to some degree, in all of the Arts. (I'm also inclined to include gardening under the Arts umbrella, however, that's another blog post.)

Culinary arts, in which culinary means "related to cooking", are the cuisine arts of food preparation, cooking, and presentation of food, usually in the form of meals.

I must admit most of my 'heroines/heroes" are able to cook.  However, as in real-life, there are Kitchen Klutzes in my novels, too.  I must also confess, I routinely have more than my share of kitchen mishaps.  Especially, since we have all been spending a great deal of time cooking family meals these past couple of months.

June 13th honors those who would like to cook and be in the kitchen, but it just doesn’t seem to work well for them. After all, it is National Kitchen Klutzes of America Day.

Klutz:  most commonly referred to as a clumsy person.




Kitchen Klutzes are the people who set out with the intentions of being like Ree Drummond, Molly Yeh, Gordon Ramsey, or even the great Julia Child as they open up the cookbook.   Mixing bowl or Kitchen Aide mixer and ingredients on the counter, they imagine knife cuts as swift as Wolfgang Puck or Bobby Flay. However, reality quickly dissolves all those dreams as smoke billows from the oven, skillets erupt in flames, and salt is mistaken for sugar. Those knife cuts turn bloody, cookies and fingers are burnt, cakes go flat. The Kitchen Klutz has struck, and visions of spilled milk are pitifully cried over.

It may be necessary to keep a first aid kit and fire extinguisher handy when Kitchen Klutzes are around. Eat a sandwich before going over to dinner. Be ready to call 911 and have your favorite take out restaurant on speed-dial if things don't go well.

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalKitchenKlutzesDay

There several ways to celebrate this humorous holiday.

Laugh at yourself. Share your mortifying stories of kitchen failure over a slice of microwave pizza.

Give your favorite Kitchen Klutz the gift of cooking classes. Or, better yet, offer to cook.

Watch your favorite cooking flops show.

Don’t forget to share your stories and celebrations using #NationalKitchenKlutzesDay on social media.

Or try a few of these never fail meals.

Walking Tacos

Heat a can of chili in the microwave (in anticipation of stove top misadventures).

Take smaller single-serving packs of Fritos and then slice them open on the side, then serve the chili right inside the packets of Fritos. Add in additional toppings of cheese, diced onions and minced jalapeños. You just hand everyone a fork and they each have their own individual servings of Frito Chili. It makes for an easy cleanup too!


Crab Fondue (For that Romantic Evening Meal)

Nobody really needs a reason to eat more cheese, but this crab fondue recipe is a good one. Crab meat (or imitation crab) and packaged cheese, this fridge and pantry meal is easy yet satisfying.

8 ounces cream cheese, cubed and softened
1 pound processed cheese, like Velveeta
1 cup dry white wine
12 ounces canned crab meat
1 dash of Old Bay seasoning, or to taste
In a fondue pot, slowly melt the cheeses in the dry white wine.

Fold in the crab meat.

Heat through.

Serve with crusty French bread, cut into squares.

Please share a recent, or memorable meal, you prepared. You know, it's the story which is forever embedded in the family oral history.

Let me share my first kitchen mishap.  I was a new bride and prepared Gumbo for dinner  (my husband is from Louisiana).

Gumbo requires a thickening agent.  I like okra (my paternal grandmother was from Texas and she prepared fried okra).  I also added ground sassafras powder.  This adds a fruit sweet flavor and also smells like root beer.  It is part of Cajun and Creole cooking--also a thickening agent.



Well, my gumbo had to be pried from the pot because it had the consistency of a paste.  Very thick, very hard paste. The rice, cornbread and pecan pie were delicious.  Not a healthy meal, for certain, but it stuck to our ribs for several days.


HAPPY NATIONAL KITCHEN KLUTZES DAY EVERYONE!

Connie Vines


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Connie Vines Website

The Bloom of Love @LucindaRace #Romancegems

I’ve been mulling over this month’s blog post since the moment our theme was announced. Tree, shrubs and flowers are in bloom around my home and so are my allergies. We have been dealing in our own ways, with the world around us – but the one constant in all our lives is love.

 Starting from when we’re born our lives are filled with love from our family. We continue to discover the wonder of it again and again. With the first blush of romantic love we have a sense that we can conquer the world. The rush of emotion you feel when you meet your partner, the instant bond when you hold your child in your arms and that moment your fur-baby lavishes you with affection. In those first heady moments we know in our hearts there isn’t an obstacle to large we can’t overcome.

 Love gives us strength to face whatever lays ahead of us. We draw strength from it. I am a romantic at heart on all levels. Love gives me strength. I have faith I will never run out of love, it is like the magic well, the more I give the more I have to give. Love is a like my favorite rose, ever blooming in my heart. My hope for you is to take stock and discover that romance and love are in full bloom all around you.

 On May 7,  I released my 11th book, The Matchmaker and The Marine. Here is the opening scene.

Melinda flipped her planner shut after drawing a heart next to the two names on the page on the notepaper. Another success. The strains of the “Wedding March” played by a string quartet filled the small flower-filled chapel. Guests rose from their seats to watch the petite bride glide down the aisle toward her handsome groom. Across the aisle in a pew, a tall, well-built man with blonde hair cropped military style and molten brown eyes locked on hers. He gave Melinda a half nod before his gaze followed the bride.

The pastor’s deep voice filled the room as he asked everyone to take their seats. He then turned to the couple to perform the ceremony.  After the newly married couple kissed, Melinda followed other guests in the receiving line to the bride and groom.

She beamed. “Stacey and Will, it was a beautiful ceremony.” Stacey was radiant. Will’s arm was curled around his new wife, holding her close to his side. “Melinda, this day wouldn’t have been possible without you.” Stacey lovingly gazed at Will. “Thank you for introducing us.”

 Melinda kissed her cheek. “It was my pleasure.” Will lifted Stacey’s hand to his lips, grazing her ring finger. “I will tell all my single friends if they’re looking for love to give you a call.” His eyes twinkled. “You certainly have a knack for matchmaking.”

 “You two made my job easy.” She looked over her shoulder. “You have more guests to greet, but I’ll see you during the reception.”

 She strolled down the brick walkway to her car, content to see the love between Stacey and Will. Just as it was meant to be. After making the short drive to the country club, Melinda parked in the crowded lot.

As she crossed the parking area to the reception hall she daydreamed of how nice it would be to take off her pumps and walk barefoot. She reached for the brass knob on the carved wood door. Before she could turn the knob, it burst open. She took a step back. Her heel caught a crack in the stone step. She began to fall backward when strong hands caught her and held on tight.

 A deep voice next to her ear said, “It’s okay, I’ve got you.” Melinda looked up into warm brown eyes. It was the man from the chapel.

 “Um, thank you.” She smoothed her hand over her simple navy-blue dress and then pushed a curl behind her ear. “I’m not sure what happened.”

 “It looks like your heel got caught.” She gave him a small smile. “It’s a good thing you were there to catch me.”

 With a slight stiff bow, he said, “Adam Bell, at your service, ma’am.”

***  

If you'd like to purchase this or another one of my  books here is a universal linkhttps://books2read.com/ap/xyYO2g/Lucinda-Race .

I hope you enjoyed this excerpt.


 Until next time, I wish you love. Lucinda

Don't forget... Our May giveaway and theme are in full swing. First Prize: $20, Second Prize: $15, and Third Prize $10, all paid in Amazon Gift Cards.

Best of Luck to everyone in the drawing! Click: Rafflecopter giveaway to enter!

Oh, Now Everyone Wants to Know What Introverts Do for Fun by Connie Vines

Amidst the COVID-19 stay at home order, it may be tempting to keep your eyes fixed on the TV or social media news feeds.

Instead, I encourage readers to use this time as a gift.  This is a rare opportunity to turn this isolation to your advantage; because the world is improved when its occupants are inspired and motivated, rather than anxious and overwhelmed.

Tonight, April 12th, at 11:55 pm, I’m motivated to create a few ‘fictional characters’ showing how he/she will answer the ‘Call to Adventure’ (Joseph Campbell’s classic, “Hero with a Thousand Faces” lectures and teaching materials).  Personality Types:  IB Learner Profiles.

My fictional “Call to Adventure” takes place in a house shared by a diverse set of ‘co-habitats’.  Current location: a mid-sized kitchen.   Mood: Frayed.  Day: 21

Cast of characters:

• Risk-taker: a person who is willing to do things that involve danger or risk in order to achieve a goal. (think: Indiana Jones/James Bond).

• Care-giver:  a person who is concerned with others feelings, focusing more on the care and needs of others. (think: Marie Barone, Everyone Loves Raymond).

• Communicator: a person able to understand and express information confidently, works well with others. (think: Radar, M.A.S.H.)

• Inquirer: a person who has a natural curiosity and conduct research. (think: Lucy Pevensie is a fictional character in C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia series).

• Knowledgeable: a person who explores concepts, issues which have local and global significance. (think: Sherlock Holmes, Mr. Spock).

• Reflective: a person who is able to assess and understand strengths and weaknesses. (think: Batman)

Call to Adventure:

“We are entering an era of unprecedented recipe substitutions!” wails the Communicator, peering into the jumbled cupboard, searching for something, anything, to toss into the crock pot for the evening meal.

The Care-giver:  looks up from her organized arrangement of plastic containers.  “Why are you people taking your vitamins? People deficient in Vitamin D (and, most of us are) who start taking the supplement every day (400iu/40mcg), can get a 70% reduced risk of contracting any viral (or bacterial) respiratory disease. This is based on a rigorous scientific double blind, placebo study of 10,000 people. If you don’t get enough sunshine, take Vitamin D pills, or eat foods like tuna and egg yolks. . .Which I watched on this amazing YouTube lecture—”

“Really?” the Communicator interrupts.  “I’m worried about—”

“Here,” says the Risk-taker, plunking a plastic bag of dried red beans from next to the crockpot.  “Cook these!” he says before exiting out the back door yank a couple of leaves off the laurel tree in the backyard.

The Knowledgeable-person, fills a large pot with water and places it on the stovet op before setting the burner to medium.  “I’ll rise the beans and remove any agricultural debris. Afterwards, slow boil the beans for 20 minutes, drain and place in the crock pot.”

The Communicator smiles but still looks concerned.

Looking up from is journal, the Reflective-person, says,” I understand your concern, but you can add the canned tomatoes, onions and bell peppers from the freezer.  I believe there’s also a frozen ham hock you and toss also.  Red beans and rice are filling.

“Cayenne pepper, have many health benefits that are the result of their active component, capsaicin. They may reduce your appetite and help lower blood pressure, among many other benefits.” The Care-giver, added to the conversation.

Setting-up a speaker on the counter, the Inquirer adjusts the volume control on here iPad. “I’ve made a playlist for us to listen today.  Only feel-good songs.  I can make additions, if anyone has a request.”

The Risk-taker returns to the kitchen, holding several lemons.  He walks over to the sink and carefully cleans and quarters the fruit. “We can add this to the iced-tea.”

Music plays in the back ground while everyone enjoys a glass of iced tea.

##

Everyone has his/her own way of coping with the stress of being sheltered inside. 

Cooking, gardening, talking on the phone, meditating, taking an online class; or for the extroverts, a zoom class or live-streaming exercise workout may provide a positive recharge.
 
I like to write, exercise with my poodle (picture yoga with goats) and hunt for the missing-pouncy-ball.  I also keep in touch with family and friends via social media and phone calls. I also, as I'm certain you know from following my blog posts and Facebook page, I like to organize my kitchen.  I also have a obsession with canning jars.

Remember to find a good story to read.  It will brighten your day and give you something to talk about over dinner or in a call to a friend.

Be kind to yourself.  This means taking time for yourself, even if your day is filled with taking care of your loved ones. 

We will get through this—Together.

Remember, to follow the links for our April Raffelcopter prize and give-aways.  You will need to look for my ‘Easter Egg”


.Page link for contest

Happy Reading,

Connie Vines