The Title Says It All

Published by the editors of Glamour magazine (complete with a stick-girl drawing that makes Barbie look heavy), it’s easy to dismiss the collection as a guide to living and working in the big city while eating carrots and celery.

Not so.

The signature recipe is one close to my heart–a foolproof guide to making roasted chicken. Any great chef will tell you that if you can’t make an omelet or roast a chicken, you’re not a real cook. This particular version is called “Engagement Chicken,” which comes complete with not only the guide to making the dish, but also stories of people who made this dish and got engaged very soon after. How cool is that?

It’s basically a lemon-herb roasted chicken, but it’s indeed worthy of a serious proposal. Trust me, trust them. Follow this recipe, and your guest of choice will thank you and ask for more.

The signature recipe is not the only reason to seek the book, though. One of my favorites starts out with basic boneless, skinless chicken breasts–lightly dusted in flour–then you add other ingredients based on a particular spice palette. There are Mexican, Italian, bistro-style, Asian and provencal variations of the dish. All of them are quick, easy and taste amazing.

The book includes “Date Night” meals, budget dinners, a dip you can mix in the car on the way to an event (as long as you’re not driving) and great low-cal options that I’ve loved every single time I’ve made them.

Linguine with chorizo and clams is a personal favorite, as well as “Instant Seduction” pork chops (which are broiled with garlic, thyme, oregano and rosemary). Yum!

Romanced chicken and alluring pork?!? What could be more appropriate for this crowd?

So… Come on, we want to know all the juicy details…have you ever seduced anybody with a meal?

Share this:

I love cooking/food shows. I follow quite a few, but especially Chopped (my favorite), Master Chef, Hell’s Kitchen, and occasionally Kitchen Nightmares– the last three of which feature the controversial foul-mouthed Gordon Ramsay.  Kitchen Nightmares is the hardest to watch, because you see things that make you fear eating out, or even grocery shopping for that matter.

So imagine Gordon’s, and my, surprise, when he went to Amy’s Baking Company in Phoenix and found a meticulous kitchen and a thoroughly organized operation. Even when he sampled one of Amy’s baked goods, Gordon was pleased by the taste and texture. Wow, why do they need Gordon’s help? It quickly became clear. 

Apparently, the reason they wanted Gordon’s help was to restore their good name after a series of negative internet reviews, by “haters out to get them.” Amy revealed that she had already gone after the reviewers herself, which only brought more haters out to tarnish their good name. Aha.It’s all their fault, those haters, and now Amy’s Baking Company needs Gordon to say “This restaurant is the best! The food is the most awesome ever! The service made me smile! You haters are all wrong!”

So imagine what happened when Gordon tried several dishes on the menu and… found them lacking. Then, he discovered that the owners take all the tips and only pay servers an hourly wage. And finally, when he tried to tell chef Amy’s husband of the issues, he wouldn’t tell Amy, and she totally freaked out when Gordon tried to set her straight. Uh-oh, someone can’t handle criticism. But it gets worse.

Amy confessed to the camera, “The customer’s not always right, and I have to stand up for myself.”

Oh. Oh, dear. In the end, Gordon Ramsay walked out, unable to help a restaurant for the first time ever because Amy and her husband refused to see that anything was wrong with them. It was the haters! All you haters! People who don’t know food! But the fun had only started, because after the Kitchen Nightmares episode aired, Amy and husband went totally full screech apesh*t on their own Facebook website, ranting at reviewers, at diners, at anyone who dare question that they are the best. Most of the rants have been deleted and the couple claimed their social media sites had been hacked, but… it was something to see.

You can still find some at various websites if you google Amy’s Baking Company, but at least go watch the episode on Fox. Or click here (USAtoday), here (Yelp), here (HuffPo, with Facebook screengrabs), or here (watch the show).

It’s a valuable lesson for authors on why you shouldn’t respond to bad reviews. We’ve seen a few similar author meltdowns happen. It’s fascinating to watch, and hard to look away even when we know we should. In the end, the author’s reputation, like Amy’s, tends to end up in shreds because the more one tries to respond logically somehow, the more likely it is that the arguments go to crazy places and it blows up and gets seen all over the internet. Remember Amy if you ever think you’ve been reviewed unfairly.

 Ever witness a meltdown? Have you seen this episode of Kitchen Nightmares or the corresponding reviews/social media rants? Was it all staged for effect? Do you love cooking/food shows? Has it changed the way you dine out?

Share this:

I have absolutely no idea why I thought blogging three days before a move was a good idea.  Maybe it was that it was long enough ago that I was still in the I’m superwoman phase of things.  I am currently in the I’m-too-freaking-old-to-be-doing-this-crap phase.  Anyway, there’s not much to say except that renovation is not for the weak of heart, despite what you see on TV.  Well, on HGTV they sort of prepare you — but only sort of.  And on This Old House they positively make it look easy and fun.  (it is neither!).

But here we are three days out and the new fireplace is done (and looks old).  The walls are painted.  The A/C is installed.  The floors have been supported and restored to their former (some of them 212 years worth of former) glory.  And the curtains are up (okay not all of them…but damn near all), the countertops are renewed.  The freakin’ shower with a leak that the old owners conveniently forgot to mention has been repaired (actually completely redone).  The stair runner is ordered.  The new cabinet is coming along with some new furniture tomorrow.

The new appliances are in (although so far no water from the water dispenser –what’s up with that?) The new lights look awesome!  The powder room fixtures have been changed (and really do look yummy!)  The new garden chair pillows are a delight (although two are still roaming around the country somewhere avoiding delivery).  My office is ready and waiting for all my junk–I mean, brilliant tomes.  And the garden… well, nature being nature–it has totally ignored all the hubbub and just continued in its own glorious way.  And every time I forget to breathe and feel the blood pressure pounding, I walk outside and remember why we are doing this.  To have a big kitchen, an antique house, a glorious garden–oh, yeah, and a new home for Gus, the puppy who is moving in with us in July!  So for now–I’ll see you on the flip side.  (I hope!)

So, any words of wisdom would me much appreciated!!!!  Oh and feel free to send wine!

Share this:

In honor of my daughter, who is home for two weeks before moving into her summer apartment and beginning an internship with Atria Books, our reading recommendation this week is poetry, from her favorite poet E. E. Cummings.
She’s an English major like her mom. But while I favored 19th and 20th c. British novels, my dear daughter is focused on poetry. She loves poetry. I like it well enough, but my preference is for old romantic types, Byron, Keats, Shelley. I went through a big Shelley phase. Her taste leans a tad more modern. And oddly enough, when I looked this up on Goodreads, the first thing I saw was her five star recommendation, the first of many five star recommendations to come from my Publicity intern daughter, no doubt.

From Goodreads:

E.E. Cummings is without question one of the major poets of this century, and this volume, first published in 1959, is indispensable for every lover of modern lyrical verse. It contains one hundred of Cummings’s wittiest and most profound poems, harvested from thirty-five of the most radically creative years in contemporary American poetry. These poems exhibit all the extraordinary lyricism, playfulness, technical ingenuity, and compassion for which Cummings is famous. They demonstrate beautifully his extrapolations from traditional poetic structures and his departures from them, as well as the unique synthesis of lavish imagery and acute artistic precision that has won him the adulation and respect of critics and poetry lovers everywhere.

Do you love poetry? Are you known to read volumes of it? Are your tastes modern or old-fashioned? Have you ever written a poem? (Limericks and Haikus count). 

Share this:

  I know most writers write to music that inspires them — some like instrumental, some like period music, some like certain groups or types of music. I fall into the latter group — I write almost exclusively to Celtic music. And I tend to like mostly Scottish artist within the Celtic world. I even subscribe to Footstompin.com’s weekly Ayepodcast to keep up with current and classic Scottish music.

And the coolest thing is that I’ve actually met some of the artists I listen to the most while writing!

Back in 2009,  I took my dream trip to Scotland, spending more than three weeks on my own, driving all over the islands, highlands, cities and towns. I’d planned the trip to happen during the annual Gaelic Festival so I could attend a number of ceilidhs and concerts all across Scotland. One was on the isle of Skye at Dunvegan Castle where I met Calum MacCrimmon. He was playing the pipes that night and I overheard a bit of his phone conversation with his dad about the thrill of playing at Dunvegan – the home of the MacLeods. You see, the MacCrimmons were the hereditary pipers to the MacLeods and that was the first time he’d played there.  Now, Calum is part of the band Breabach and this is one of the songs I listen to while writing — Scotland’s Winter

The other artist I met was Dougie Maclean.  You might have heard his music if you saw the movie “Last of the Mohicans”. His song THE GAEL was used for the main theme — especially in the scene where Hawkeye and Cora finally get together. The haunting violin tune being played in the background is Dougie’s music. Many Scotophiles know his song CALEDONIA which was the theme of the Homecoming last year and is used in many tourism campaigns. I have several of his CDs and listen incessantly while writing. I met Dougie in the lobby at the Eden Court theater in Inverness before and after his concert there during my trip. Here’s a video of THE GAEL with Dougie playing the violin/fiddle:

So, this weekend, I’m stopping in Northampton MA on my way home from the MERWA Retreat in Maine for one of Dougie’s five US concerts! I plan on letting the inspiration swirl around me so I can get my head into writing once I get home. Yeppers – I have a book due soon so seeing (and hearing) my muse couldn’t be better timed for me!

How about you? Do you listen to music while writing or reading or doing other tasks or chores? Walking or running music? What’s your favorite?

Share this:

With a new book out (ahem, Claim Me, in case you didn’t know!) and a book deadline that I just scraped by (Complete Me, coming July 30!), I’ve been a little busy.

But now that I have some breathing room, I’m looking forward to catching up on both movies and reading!  

I did manage in the last few weeks to spend some time with the eldest daughter watching the first two Iron Man movies.  I love Robert Downey, Jr., and I love origination stories, so I enjoyed the first one despite what I saw as some serious flaws.  Now, I’m looking forward to seeing the third one in the theater … hopefully this weekend!

As for books, I’ve been filling up my kindle over the last couple of months.  My only problem now is where to start! I think I’m going to dive in with some of the new adult books that are getting so much buzz.

So help me out, folks.  From my cave, I haven’t been able to see much in the way of movie listings.  And I’m not sure which book to pick.  Shoot me recommendations.  Tell me what you’re thinking of reading. Tell me what you recommend.

Enquiring minds want to know!

Share this:

This weekend is Mother’s Day. I was just reading an article by Anne Lamott on her dislike of Mother’s Day (and Valentine’s Day, but that’s another story). She makes some great points. We’re not all mothers. Why not celebrate your mother, your motherhood, or just your fine self any day? We don’t really need a special day for it.

But still, I like to be celebrated, adored, reminded of my fabulousness, and I like to celebrate the women in my life who inspire me. Happy Day to us all!

My kid sister was born on a Monday after Mother’s Day. I was thirteen. I spent that Mother’s Day counting minutes between my mom’s labor pains and holding my mom’s hand. It was the most special Mother’s Day ever because I could not wait to meet our new baby. And when that baby, Kristin, was a small child, Mom and I enjoyed buying books for her. Well, Mom and I have always enjoyed book shopping. Any excuse.

But how well I remember the first time we read Love You Forever by Robert Munsch. How we bawled! I still can’t read the mere book description without tearing up. Yes, it’s a children’s book, technically. But I guarantee this book will get you at any age. 

From the Wikipedia:

It was listed fourth on the 2001 Publishers Weekly All-Time Bestselling Children’s Books list for paperbacks at 6,970,000 copies (not including the 1,049,000 hardcover copies).^[1] In 2001, Maria Shriver wrote in O, The Oprah Magazine: “I have yet to read this book through without crying. It says so much about the circle of life, youth, parenting, and our responsibility for our parents as we grow older. The message is so simple yet so profound. Love You Forever is a great gift for anyone with a child, or even for your own parents.”^[2] Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association named the book one of its “Teachers’ Top 100 Books for Children.”^[3]

What’s your favorite Children’s book? Any special memories of reading with your mother, child, sisters, friends, or on your own?

Also, check out my updated website! And Happy Birthday to my sister, Kristin!

Share this:

Here she is… Isn’t she beautiful? My new baby. Sigh.

THE pot

I’ve wanted a Le Creuset pot for years. So when I got my check this year from a local dance company (I write the script for their recital play), I jumped at the chance to live the dream.

I made a chicken stew kind of thing that’s basically Ina Garten’s osso bucco recipe with chicken in place of veal shanks. It was fabulous! A perfect christening to the perfect pot.

/>

The recipe suggests serving with a vat of mashed potatoes, which, of course, I did. Yum! Which is why I’ll be running my butt off by the time you read this. Still…dinner was worth it.

Anybody else have a kitchen tool you can’t do without?

Share this:

Let it begin…

If I learned anything from attending the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention 2013, it’s that I am a very disorganized author. I’m not a pantser.  I do have a general outline typed out before I start.  But I am not a plotter, either.  I don’t have every single chapter planned out, which can mean absolute panic when you reach the middle of the book and think, “Oh, crap, what was supposed to happen here again?”

I’ve tried the pinboard technique before with the chapter cards and character profiles.  And while I’m good at writing out the character descriptions, I am, let’s say, less committed to storyboarding each chapter.  For example, with my last book, I dutifully outlined the first few chapters, but got so overeager to start the writing process that I abandoned the chapter cards, which resulted in that, “Oh, crap” panic again.

So at RT,  when I listened to other authors discuss their organization techniques, I thought of the incomplete storyboard in my closet and slipped lower and lower in my seat.  So today, long before I have another MS due, I will begin organizing my story, planning it carefully, putting more thought into character arcs and world-building.  I will be using my index cards and my post-its and I will dutifully print out all of the pictures I need for visual cues.

If, within one month, if I don’t have a carefully crafted, organized storyboard to photograph and post here, I give you all permission to email me pictures of scary clowns.  and you know how I feel about clowns.

So, other writers, what do you use to organize your story?  Storyboards?  Timelines on butcher paper? Computer programs like Scrivener?

Share this:

Edith Wharton, one of my favorite authors. If you love Downton Abbey and you don’t know Edith Wharton, you are in for a treat. She’s writing about Americans in the same era.

Plus, she’s important to women and literary tradition: The Age of Innocence (1920) won the 1921 Pulitzer Prize for literature, making Wharton the first woman to win the award. Huzzah! 

But today, I’m reading about Miss Lily Bart in The House of Mirth. Warning, if you love a good romance happy ending, you might not get it here. But it will sweep you away to 1906 New York, and it’s worth the trip. I first read The House of Mirth in college, and it’s every bit as good as I remember.

From Goodreads:

First published in 1905, The House of Mirth shocked the New York society it so deftly chronicles, portraying the moral, social, and economic restraints on a woman who dared to claim the privileges of marriage without assuming the responsibilities. Lily Bart, beautiful, witty, and sophisticated, is accepted by “old money” and courted by the growing tribe of nouveaux riches. But as she nears 30, her foothold becomes precarious; a poor girl with expensive tastes, she needs a husband to preserve her social standing and to maintain her life in the luxury she has come to expect. While many have sought her, something—fastidiousness or integrity—prevents her from making a “suitable” match.

Do you enjoy the occasional foray into literary fiction, or are you strictly a genre reader?  

Share this: