Eating My Words

I'm Officially a Crackberry

2008-06-23T11:06:00.003-04:00

I bought a Blackberry Curve a few weeks ago, after trading in my Razr, and first buying a Samsung PDA that was SO AWFUL (at least for me; I ran into lots of people who loved it, so maybe it was just me). The Samsung had major issues with my Chrysler Aspen's UConnect system, and refused to work with it, which made the whole hands-free talking thing become hands-on. Basically a PITA.

So, I went back to the cell store, and they had just gotten in the Curve. I had been resistent to the Blackberry, because I really wanted a touch screen. I was all about the cool factor ;-). But I was swayed by the reliability thing, and the fact that ALL Blackberry phones are compatible with my Aspen.

In like one day, I became a Crackberry. Seriously that addictive. As soon as I realized how easy it was to get my e-mail, and get on the Internet, and how I could play the games, and do all kinds of cool things...I have not been without my Blackberry at ALL. I am one of THOSE people. Yes, it goes to bed at night with me, and sits on my nightstand, just waiting. I have to flip it over, because if I see the little red light blinking, saying there is new e-mail, the suspense will kill me and I'll have to check.

And the free games (!) are so cool. Blackberry Owner's Lounge offers a few (Checkers, Disco Bowling, and now Sudoko...I am SO HOOKED ON THAT ONE!). And you can get a few through Crackberry.com, which is HANDS-DOWN THE MOST HELPFUL site for new Blackberry owners. It's worth registering (free; and you get a regular newsletter) because there's a whole Blackberry 101 lecture posted on there that you can read that tells you how to do everything.

I also got Guitar Hero III for the kids, which means whenever I'm not holding the Berry, the kids have it. My son is either trying to best his high score on Brickbreaker, or beat my daughter's score on Guitar Hero III.

Oh, and on Crackberry, you can get the COOLEST ringtones. I have "The Office" themesong as mine, and let my daughter pick her own current hit song as the ringtone for when she calls me (she picked "Nine in the Afternoon" by Panic at the Disco). I've got "Home" by Michael Buble for when someone calls from home, etc.

And no, Blackberry's not paying me a dime to say nice things about them :-). I just really love the phone. It's nearly become my primary computer (if I could write on it, it would be) because I can subscribe to RSS feeds for blogs (like for this one ;-) and get all my e-mail, plus play games...there's pretty much nothing I can't do with it, except, as I said, write. That means I actually WORK on my laptop, and keep the e-mail separate. A better idea, really ;-).

But that little bugger is pretty darn addictive. It's probably a good thing the kids take it away every once in a while. I feel myself getting lightheaded and hyperventilating when the Berry is out of sight, LOL.

Shirley

You Know You're a Reality TV Junkie When...

2008-06-14T13:37:00.001-04:00

You end up watching Farmer Wants a Wife on Wednesday nights (that there is the bachelor farmer, Matt, from the show on the CW network) :-) Read my post on this (and why I'm watching women get eliminated on a reality TV show by sticking their hands in the rear end of a cow) on Love is an Exploding Cigar!

Shirley

The Anatomy of an Idea...and Raspberry Mojito Lemonade

2008-06-13T09:28:00.002-04:00

If you ever wondered exactly HOW the Wedding Planners idea came about and how six authors managed to brainstorm and make a story work, here's the details of our collaboration! It was so much fun and such an energetic experience! I'd do it again in a heartbeat :-)

The other day, I talked about posting my Raspberry Mojito Lemonade recipe. When I was at Red Robin, I had something similar, and it was SO SO SO GOOD, I wanted to make the same thing at home. They offer it in both an alcoholic and non-alcoholic version (and I've made it at home both ways). It's great either way:

Raspberry Mojito Lemonade

3 raspberries
1 sprig mint
1 slice lime
1 jigger Rose's grenadine (at Red Robin they call it Raspberry Syrup...try finding that in a store. I finally figured out what it was. Duh)
8 ounces Minute Maid Lemonade (the low-cal version works well too; you can get this in the soda aisle)
1 jigger Vodka or Rum, whichever you use for your Mojitos (optional)

Put raspberries and mint in 12-ounce glass. Mush raspberries with spoon, with mint (don't break the mint, just press it enough to release the fragrance and flavor). Break up the raspberries all the way so they'll be little enough to drink. Squeeze lime juice into glass, and leave the lime slice in glass. Add all liquid and stir. Done...drink!

Shirley

Cheesy Tomato Pasta Recipe Invention

2008-06-11T08:14:00.003-04:00

The other night, I felt kind of like those three kids in the Lemony Snicket movie -- out of ingredients, but needing to create something good for dinner anyway. I had pasta, a can of diced tomatoes, and an 8-ounce bag of shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese, as well as a bit of leftover Parmesan cheese I could shred, and that was really about it ;-). I was honestly in the mood for takeout, specifically that new Pizza Hut Tuscani pasta, but with those ingredients, I figured I could make a reasonable facsimile.

And it turned out pretty good! Kids loved it (and even ate leftovers...that alone is a mark of a good dinner).

Cheesy Tomato Pasta

1 16-ounce box pasta, cooked and drained (I used penne, but anything will work--ziti, rotini)
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes (I used just plain diced ones, but they make onion garlic and Italian flavored ones. I love having these on hand for flavoring stuff)
scant 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning (skip this or reduce if you are using the flavored tomatoes)
dash ground pepper
8-ounce bag Colby-Jack cheese, divided
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 by 13 casserole dish with Pam. Mix pasta, tomatoes, salt, Italian seasoning, pepper, 6 ounces of Colby-Jack cheese and all of Parmesan cheese, then add to casserole dish (or if you are lazy like me, and don't want to wash an extra dish, mix it in the casserole dish ). Bake for 30 minutes, then sprinkle with remaining Colby-Jack. Bake for five more minutes.

Serve and eat :-).

I served this with Cheddar Brats and homemade garlic bread. We were going to have veggies, too, but in the middle of making those, our house was struck by lightning -- no kidding -- and I just decided any cooking with electricity was just a tad too scary, so we had dinner as is. :-). It's been REALLY STORMY to say the least in the Midwest lately (I have been out of the flood zone, thank God), but the lightning zap scared the jeepers out of us. We lost two TVs, the Playstation, a DVD player, the phone system, and so far, I think that's it. Everything else was on the lightning proof surge protectors. They are worth their weight in gold, that's for sure!

Tomorrow, I'll post my recipe for a raspberry lemonade that I am totally addicted to now. It's become my nightly "dessert." :-)

Have a great one!

Shirley
Read: Duma Key by Stephen King--loved it, though I may never vacation in Florida again, LOL
Reading: Speak no Evil by Allison Brennan
Listening to: Eagles, Greatest Hits and Queen, Greatest Hits (that American Idol cutie, Michael Johns got me hooked!)

Yumm-O Chicken Enchiladas

2008-05-20T08:09:00.002-04:00

I'm subscribing to way too many cooking magazines. Blame it on my son's cute, cherubic face and the school's magazine drive. He wanted to win a certain prize during the school's magazine drive, and he came home with those wide, puppy dog eyes, and I had a weak moment, and before I knew it, I was getting Rachael Ray magazine, Woman's Day, Gourmet, Bon Appetit, Taste of Home, and I think O at Home (that one hasn't arrived yet).

Meanwhile, I'm still getting Kraft Food and Family, which is one of my favorites. It has easy-peasy recipes, and last night's was especially yummy. We're in the process of getting our house ready to put on the market, and I'm looking for things that give me plenty of time to work on the book that's due in July, and find time to go through closets and drawers. Kraft's Fiesta Chicken Enchiladas fit that bill all around. And it was VERY yummy.

I ended up leaving out the cumin, and tripled the recipe (hey, I have two hungry kids, and I like having leftovers). I didn't want it too spicy, because my youngest won't eat it. I figured the others could always add more salsa on the side if they wanted. I also chopped up extra cilantro for a garnish on top after it came out of the oven. That way, the cilantro got a little warm, and filled the house with that yummy scent.

I served it with a salad, and the kids made rice (I skipped the rice). All good, all around. Definitely a keeper!

Shirley

A Doggie Recipe

2008-05-12T09:06:00.003-04:00

My middle dog, Max, either hasn't been feeling well or hasn't been all that interested in his food. I figure it could be the latter. You know, eat the same thing every day for four years and you might get a tad bored.

I just started receiving Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine and love it (I tried some Parmesan Chicken Breasts the other day that were great; more on those later). My favorite part of the magazine is the pet recipes in the back. The April issue had a dog-friendly dish called Peas and Happiness that I changed a bit because I didn't have one of the ingredients, but that my three dogs all LOVED.

Brown Rice Peas and Happiness

2 bags Boil in Bag Brown Rice (Rachael had used orzo; not a staple in my house)

1 cup frozen peas

4 carrots, chopped

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a medium cup of water to a boil. Add the carrots, boil until tender, then puree with a half cup of the cooking water. Add the peas, cook for one minute, remove, then boil the rice. Mix with veggies, add cheese. Serve to pooches :-)

You can add salt and pepper to serve leftovers to humans (dogs shouldn't have the spices). My dogs LOVED it. I mixed in some of Max's dog food with this, which got him to eat his breakfast. He was a very happy, tail-wagging doggie the whole time he was having this.

May's dish is Chicken and Rice Cakes with Bacon. I'll have to try those, too. It looks like my dogs will be eating better than me pretty soon!

As for the Parmesan Chicken -- this was so easy, it was crazy! You dredge chicken breasts in a mixture of crushed cornflakes and grated parmesan (I used half fresh and half Kraft), then in beaten eggs with salt and pepper, then the flakes & parmesan again. Fry them in olive oil until brown on each side, then bake at 350 for about 10 minutes or until cooked through. They were VERY yummy.

How I House Broke My Dog in Two Days...

2008-05-08T13:27:00.009-04:00

So many people have asked me about this that I thought I'd post on the blog about it. You all know my dog Sophie :-) (and noticing I have no new pics on my computer, I realize I need to take some! my goodness!). She's a Havanese, which is a kind of a Bichon, and I've heard that small dogs are notoriously difficult to housebreak.

And she was, at first. Horrible to housebreak. I'm used to big dogs, which are a lot easier. And a lot easier, it seemed, to tell when they had to go. They bark, for one. They make a big production out of going to the door. This little girl would nose around, but because she's so little, she noses around everything all the time, LOL, so it was tough to tell what was a nosing around for needing to go out and what was nosing around for curiosity.

So we had a lot of accidents those first few days. I started researching housebreaking small dogs and came across Tamar Geller's book, THE LOVED DOG and had also started getting addicted to Victoria Stillwell's It's Me or the Dog on Animal Planet.

I trained her to go out by following Tamar's advice in the book. I bought a bell (actually a parrot bell from Wal-Mart) and taught her to ring it in about 15 minutes. I held a treat in front of hte bell and every time she hit the bell, she got a treat (FYI, my vet suggested Cheerio's as a treat because they are fat free, sugar free and won't make her gain weight when she eats a lot). Then I raised the stakes. She rang the bell, I opened the door. She had to go out the door to get the treat. Like I said, all that took about 15 minutes for her to make the connection: ring-the-bell-door-opens, I-get-a-treat.

Final step, to get her to potty outside. Once I had her outside, I used the command I had been using to get her to go out. In my house it's pretty simple: "go out." LOL. And this time, I upped the ante to a "jackpot" treat, as Tamar calls it -- cooked chicken. When she pottied, she got LOTS AND LOTS of praise and some cooked chicken. We did this over and over for the next two days, and by the end of the two days, she was trained.

In the meantime, I got a black light and some Nature's Miracle and made sure I had EVERY SINGLE potty stain saturated with the enzyme stuff. This is ESSENTIAL. If the dog can still smell the urine, they will still mess in the house.

It's been months since then and we've done FABULOUS. We had one day of constant accidents and I realized something was wrong. Turns out she had a urinary tract infection. A few days of meds and she was fine. I repeated the black light and Nature's Miracle (and really, she was only messing in the house for a very short time, and it was clear, something was wrong and she knew it). Other than that, accidents have been minimal, if at all. She's five and a half months old and totally potty trained -- and has been since she was just under four months :-). The bell is THE BEST THING we ever did. Every time I hear it ring, it's like a little melody :-)

And the funny thing, is the big dog rings it sometimes now instead of barking!

Shirley

Saying "I Do" to the Planet

2008-04-22T06:55:00.001-04:00

What a cool idea! My friend Diane posted over on the Harlequin Wedding Planners blog about having a green wedding!! You have to read this -- the ideas are great for any get-together!

Shirley

Lots of News! Shirley a Horror Writer??

2008-04-19T08:20:00.000-04:00

Well, the deal is on Publishers Marketplace now, so it's out there for all the world to see :-) so I thought I'd announce it on the blog. My daughter and I are going to be writing horror young adult novels together for Houghton-Mifflin!!

It's amazing to think that my kid is A.) grown up enough to do this (she's nearly 15) and B.) that from a dream I had as a kid, I'll now be pursuing it with my child. How cool is that?Yes, I'll still be writing romantic comedies and sticking with my Harlequin Romances! I love writing those, too!

These books with my daughter are just one more type of writing, a little something different every year. The first book, tentatively titled THE WELL, will be out in late 2009 (it's about a high school freshman whose mother is trying to kill him. Yes, it's scary :-).

We'll be writing under a pen name, AJ Whitten. Visit our MySpace page, and keep an eye on the updates (DD is in charge of the marketing on this one :-).

And in a little other cool beans news...

Library Journal reviewed...and LOVED the first book in the Wedding Planners series! My editor sent me the link yesterday, and it was such a wonderful way to start my day! Quoting just part of the review:

"...funny, sassy story that launches Harlequin's "Wedding Planner" miniseries in fine style...this tale of rekindled love is right on target; a delightful start to this uplifting, marriage-oriented series. Jump's (Really Something) romances are noted for their humor..."

I think you can read the whole thing at your local library (I'm pretty sure they all carry LJ). Sweetheart Lost and Found is still in stores, so pick it up on your next trip!

Shirley

I Got Tagged...

2008-04-19T08:17:00.003-04:00

My friend Mel tagged me and now I'm it :-).

The idea, I guess (since I've never done this before) is to write six random things about myself and then tag six other people. Since my husband thinks half my conversations are random, LOL, this should be easy. First, the rules:

Tagging Rules:
a. Link to the person who tagged you.
b. Post the rules on your blog.
c. Write six random things about yourself.
d. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
e. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment at their blog.
f. Let your tagger know when your entry is up.

Okay, and here's my six Random Thoughts:

1. My favorite "I've got the flu and just want to watch a movie" movie is "Pretty Woman." 've probably seen it three dozen times. That and "Clueless" and all those other chick flicks that just make me laugh and feel good.

2. I'm a total reality TV junkie. "Intervention," "Jon & Kate Plus 8," "Little People, Big World," "Groomer Has It," "Split Ends," "Scott Baio is...", you name it, I'm probably watching it. I haven't gotten into the "Project Runway" type shows yet, thank goodness, but I've found all the other ones. I've even been reduced to the "My Fair Brady...Maybe Baby" show on VH-1. I know, I know, it's trash TV. But I get sucked into the lives of those people on "Celebrity Rehab" and I just have to know if Brigitte Nielson gets her life back together.

3. I sing along in the car. Loudly. And very badly. I can't sing for beans, but that doesn't stop me when I'm alone.

4. I have no natural rhythm. And when I say no, I mean ABSOLUTELY ZERO. I can't even clap along to a song. I have to follow other people and if I take my eyes off them for even a second, I'm a mess, clap-clapping in some weird other rhythm. I'm a musical mess. You can't take me anywhere ;-)

5. If I had my druthers, I'd buy a new pair of shoes every day of the week. I LOVE shoes. Love them in a way most people love chocolate. Okay, so I love chocolate, too. Hey, I'm a writer. I'm a passionate person.

6. I have become one of those people who takes her little dog everywhere and dresses her up. But Sophie is so darn cute, you can't help but do that. Yesterday at the coffee shop, two big, tough-as-nails Harley guys were cooing over her like she was a new baby. And that was when she had on her pink sailor dress and pink bow ;-).

And my tags are going to:

1. Melissa McClone
2. Linda Goodnight
3. Janet Dean
4. Diane McDilda
5. Trish Wylie
6. Holly Jacobs

I picked a pretty eclectic group of writers, so click on over to all their blogs! You'll find romantic comedy authors, hearth and home authors, a green living author, an inspirational author...something for everyone!

Shirley

Monica and Ben's Story: Read the Rest!

2008-04-14T16:41:00.001-04:00

My Online Read is finished up, so if you are the type of person who likes to wait until the end to read the story, zip on over to eHarlequin and read it from start to finish! Then click on the link to participate in the discussion! And if you're interested, you can also order the Wedding Planners series from eHarlequin at a discounted price!

Shirley

Great Contest for Readers

2008-04-12T10:34:00.002-04:00

You can win a really BIG prize over on our Wedding Planners blog. Zip on over, check it out and see what we're offering (there will be a new big prize every month, BTW).

I just got back from Massachusetts, from seeing Michael Buble in Providence, and hope to get caught up on my life in the next day or two :-)

Shirley

Liz Fielding Book Excerpt and Giveaway!

2008-04-08T11:58:00.001-04:00

On our blog, Liz Fielding made a guest appearance and posted an excerpt from her new book (which launches the new Bride for all Seasons series) and is gracious enough to be giving away a book to a random comment person! So stop on by and visit the Wedding Planners (my book is the first in that series and is also out this month--SWEETHEART LOST AND FOUND).

Shirley

Check out Wedding Planners Blog

2008-04-03T10:46:00.001-04:00

Check out the new Harlequin Wedding Planners blog myself and five other authors are part of! We're posting wedding stories, wedding tips, excerpts....all kinds of really fun stuff!!

Shirley

Chocolate Week Suggestions...

2008-03-10T22:06:00.002-04:00

Apparently, it's American Chocolate Week (how did I miss THAT?) and someone on another blog suggested a bunch of ways to celebrate. Number one on the list?

Read The Bride Wore Chocolate by yours truly ;-)

I say that's a great way to start any week!

Shirley

Easy Stir-Fried Pork and a Question

2008-03-05T07:04:00.003-05:00

I made a SUPER easy stir fried pork recipe last night. It couldn't have been any easier if I had a Chinese restaurant drive up and drop it off ;-) I adapted it from a Kraft Food & Family recipe, and it was a hit with the whole family. I think I might mess with a bit more next time--maybe marinate the pork a bit. [By the way, when you zip over to the Kraft site, if you aren't already signed up for that free Food and Family magazine, I HIGHLY recommend it. The recipes are GREAT and even better, you get coupons with it].

Hoisin Sesame Stir-Fried Pork

2 pounds pork, sliced thin and cut into one inch pieces (like little wafers)
1 tablespoon oil (I used sesame oil; but use what you want. Peanut oil works good; olive oil is okay)
1 16 ounce bag Asian Mix vegetables (my grocery sells these, and they even had noodles already in there, too. It was snow peas, carrots, water chestnuts and noodles. Awesome and easy).
1/2 cup Lite or Regular Asian Sesame Vinaigrette Dressing
2-3 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
2 green onions, sliced thin

Heat oil in a large skillet or wok. Cook pork in stages (because if you dump it all in there at once, the liquid created by the meat won't evaporate and it will poach instead of fry) until browned. Add all pork back in, then add the vegetables, then dressing and sauce and cook until vegetables are cooked, about 4 minutes. Add onions. Cook one more minute. Serve!

I also added another teaspoon of sesame oil right at the end, because I like a bit more sesame flavoring. I might marinate the pork next time in some dressing and hoisin ahead of time, so that it'll have more flavor. It was good, but I like a lot of flavor, LOL.

Today, a BONUS with the recipe. I'm going to pick one lucky reader from all the comments to receive a copy of PRETTY BAD, one of my romances with recipes books (this is the cheese book). Here's my question for comments:

What's your worst cooking moment? Mine was when I had DH help me with Thanksgiving dinner (one of my first) and he forgot to put the sugar into the pumpkin pie (it was hideous!) and I undertimed the turkey, so it wasn't exactly cooked when I pulled it out of the oven to serve. I had no meat experience and I don't know what I was thinking. We ate biscuits and potatoes while we waited for the turkey. Not a way to impress the guests ;-).

Shirley

The Three-Pound Queen

2008-03-05T07:01:00.002-05:00

I'm blogging about Sophie today on Running with Quills, because, well, she's the only thing I'm talking about lately, LOL.

I do have a brag on her today. Yesterday, in the space of 15 minutes, she learned both "Sit" and "Come." She almost learned "Down," too (but then the kids came home and she got distracted from her lessons :-). She is most definitely the smartest dog I have ever had.

We got 5 inches of snow last night. Poor little Sophie isn't even that tall yet! We had to sweep off the patio so she could go out. I doubt it'll take much asking to get the kids to shovel part of the yard so she can have more "outdoor" space today ;-).

Anyway, check out Running with Quills. There are some great authors over there, talking about things other than my dog, too, LOL.

Shirley

Sophie Day 2...and Bread experiment

2008-03-03T08:30:00.003-05:00

I promise this won't be ALL about Sophie all the time. But she is TOO cute for words :-) Here's a way better pic. This one is my FAVORITE. It took about a half an hour to get her to sit still long enough :-).

I did a little Paris Hilton yesterday and bought her a coat. Hey, it's supposed to snow tomorrow. And she had a little sniffle yesterday. :-). It's teal and has a polka dot raincoat lining for when we go walking in the rain (maybe later today once the ice is all melted). She weighs so little, though, that once I put it on in her in Petco, she dropped down, like it was the weight of the world on her little back, LOL.

People have asked me how she's doing. Pretty darn good, considering I've owned her less than 36 hours. She's had 3 accidents in the house, all of them by the door. She's got such a small bladder that when she has to go, you better be ready with that door :-). She has learned to bark already to go out, but doesn't do it every time yet. About half the time, I'd say. She comes to her name, and she has learned one trick -- kisses. You ask her to give kisses and she licks your face.

Other than that, she's been a good sleeper, though she's not so good about eating. She gets SO easily distracted, that I really have to stay there and stay on top of her to eat. I put some warm chicken broth on her food this morning but she still would rather play than eat.

I took her to a birthday party yesterday and she was SO well behaved. Everyone loved her :-).

She has been a bit nippy this morning, but I'll be working on that habit, for sure. I don't want her to grow up into being an ankle biter :-).

Okay, on to my baking experiments. I made Monkey Bread from scratch the other day and it was yummy but WAY too much work. DH's aunt gave me a recipe for one that's made with buttermilk biscuits from a can, and I think I'll do that, but combined with the other stuff this homemade recipe had. I used golden raisins and dried cherries, as well as rolled the dough balls in brown sugar and ground pecans. Yummy.

I also made Rachael Ray's Honey Mustard Chicken Tenders (I didn't make the potatoes) and they were very good. A lot of work but yummy. I didn't need as much honey and mustard as the recipe calls for, and I used chicken breasts that I sliced up instead of the more expensive tenderloins. Still good.

Shirley

Meet Sophie!

2008-03-02T08:55:00.004-05:00

So I went to get a Cavalier...

And they only had a male. Since we already have a male dog, that would only be a recipe for disaster. And I'm there, talking to the people I had gotten my cat Maggie from (a vet) and they showed me this Havanese, which is a type of Bichon. She had my heart before I even held her.

And she had DH's the second she licked his hand. She is the friendliest, sweetest, coolest dog. She weighs three pounds right now, and will get to a total of 7-9 pounds (which is less than my youngest kid weighed when he was born! And less than the cat weighs right now!). I absolutely adore her.

She's already the Queen, too. The big dogs back up when she comes near them. They leave their toys for her to play with. They let her be in charge, LOL. And she weighs so little, she can hang on the Golden's tail and the Golden doesn't even realize it.

The cat is none too happy, but hopefully she'll come around. :-)

Shirley

Puppy Thoughts

2008-02-29T08:03:00.002-05:00

I'm probably crazy.

We already have two dogs and a cat, but I want to add to the zoo. We have a Golden Retriever (who is really old, poor thing, her hips are shot), and a hyper German short-haired pointer mix, who carries around his stuffed animals like a two-year old (he sleeps with this stuffed duck; takes that thing everywhere; it's his security blanket. Two days ago, he buried it in the snow, silly dog, but when he finds it in a day or two, I'll take a picture of him with it). And we have a cat who has a thing for scrunchies. She carries mine around in her mouth like a dog.

I know. Weird animals. They provide hours of amusement, except for the Pointer, who barks just when I'm in the middle of writing and drives me nuts.

Anyway, I want to get a dog for me, a little dog (DH has the big dogs). I researched all the toy breeds and the best, according to the AKC and other websites that do those recommendations, for a family with kids, dogs and a cat, is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (DH is no fan of Taco Bell dogs or poodles, but he loves spaniels). The kids saw the pic of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and LOVED THEM. And I did too :-)

My question to my readers -- do any of you own one? Does he/she get along well with the rest of the family? How about a CKCS mix? I'm hoping to find a rescue dog, so I can adopt a homeless pet (the Pointer is a shelter dog, and we've had two shelter animals before, so I'm a big fan of adopting from shelters when I can), but that means I probably won't find a purebred. No biggie, but just wondering how a mix worked out for you, if you have one.

I'm probably crazy for adding to this insane mix :-). But with a face like that one, how can I resist?

Shirley

PS: If you want more info on these dogs, the image above is from: http://www.i-love-cavaliers.com/ and that dog's name is Bentley :-)

A BONUS story from Shirley!

2008-02-26T15:32:00.001-05:00

No need to wait for the next Shirley Jump book to hit store shelves! Read the weekly installments of my online read at eHarlequin every Monday! This preview of the Wedding Planners series (the first book, Sweetheart Lost and Found, written by yours truly, hits store shelves in April), and this online read gives you a preview of the characters!

So check it out and be sure to stop by often and read the updated chapters every Monday!

Shirley

Nothing Beats Homemade Bread

2008-02-18T11:15:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, I had to make a quick grocery run for the basics we always run out of. I was in the sugar and flour aisle, checking my list, and saw "Bread." I happened to be right beside the flour, and I noticed the price of the flour was darn near close to the price of a loaf of bread. Except, a 5-pound bag of flour will give me a whole lot more loaves of bread from it than the one loaf.

Okay, yes, I have to buy yeast, too, and use a few other ingredients from my cupboards, but chances are, those are the ingredients that aren't always getting a workout. And there's the time factor too. I've shied away from making homemade bread for years because I remember my mom making bread and it always seemed like an all-day affair.

But, oh, the taste. The smell. The warm loaves, fresh from the oven that she'd rub down with a little butter. Yumm-O and a half.

I have a bread machine and I've used it many times, but the results have never been like Mom's. Nevertheless, I bought the wheat flour and the yeast and decided to make homemade bread. When I got home, I couldn't find my bread machine book, so I started looking in my other cookbooks and realized that making bread from scratch wasn't all that complicated. A little time-consuming, but I was making a dinner that required a bit of time anyway, so that was no big deal.

The kneading was therapeutic. And hard work :-). But good for me. Worked out a lot of frustrations, that's for sure. All totaled, I made four loaves of bread. Three wheat and one Cheesy Batter Bread that didn't turn out so good, so I won't make it again (it was doughy in the center even after baking it longer than they recommended; not sure what I did wrong).

But the wheat bread...divine. I'm having it for breakfast as we speak. I used the Taste of Home recipe, and the only change I made was to add two tablespoons of milled flax seed (get your fiber, folks :-). I rubbed butter on the loaves when they came out of the oven, just as Mom did. And the scent of fresh-baked bread lingered in my house long after we went to bed. It was worth the effort...every last knead.

Shirley

Happy Valentines Day!

2008-02-14T12:21:00.002-05:00

Just a quick blog post to say Happy Valentine's Day to all my readers! My kids have been sick for weeks it seems (first my daughter, now my son!) and so I've been busy tending to them and fighting a cold on my end. So this is a quick "hey, hello" and back to life! FYI, I have a blog up at www.writemindedblog.com this week (I was Wednesday's guest). All us ladies at Love is an Exploding Cigar switched with the WM ladies for the week -- it was a blast!

Shirley

Mom's Chili Recipe

2008-02-09T09:08:00.000-05:00

My mom's chili was always the best. Mine's not too shabby, either (I make mine with steak instead of ground beef, and I use more tomatoes than Mom did), but I made Mom's the other night, which is a more traditional, meatier kind.

Mom's Chili

2 pounds ground round
1 green pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
8 ounces water (fill the empty tomato sauce can with water)
1 tablespoon chili powder (I use a little more than that)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 16-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Brown the ground beef with the onion, pepper and garlic. Drain off fat. Add remaining ingredients, except for kidney beans. Simmer slowly for about 45 minutes (or you can put it in a crock-pot for 4-6 hours on low). Add beans and heat through. For hotter chili, increase cayenne pepper and/or chili powder.

Personally, I add about double the chili powder, and a touch more cayenne. To temper the heat, you can add sugar. But really, the best way to do this is to start low on the heat, let it cook a bit, taste it, then add a little more. Don't add a ton and then try to take it back--it's harder to subtract heat than add it ;-). I also like my chili just a bit more tomato-y, so I also add a can of those Petite Diced Hunts tomatoes. You can get them flavored, Mexican, or Onion and Garlic. I just add whatever I have on hand.

Every day, I miss my mom, even though she's been gone more than two years now. I miss talking to her, mostly. She was really good at advice. She used to sing--she took singing lessons for a while--and every time I hear one of the songs she sang (she did mostly 70s hits, the ones made popular by Burt Bacharach, et al.), I get all emotional. Sometimes I can sing along; sometimes I have to change the station. Either way, I can make her chili on a chilly weekend night, and feel, for a little while, like I'm back home at her dinner table.

Shirley

Failure in the Guise of Girl Scouts

2008-02-09T08:40:00.001-05:00

Today on Love is an Exploding Cigar, I'm blogging about weight loss, and one woman's very cool HUGE weight loss journey, plus my avoidance of Girl Scouts who ring my doorbell and offer me door-to-door temptation ;-)

There's a book giveaway in there, too, if you stop on by and post a comment!

Shirley