Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Aaaaaaaaaand the Winner IS:

Congratulations Penumbra, 

You win the $50.00 Amazon gift card!


A big, big, big thank you to everyone who played along during the holiday season, I couldn't have had nearly as much fun without you! Stay tuned for more fun in the new year! In the mean time, let's party!



Wishing you all the happiest and healthiest of New Years!

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Christmas!!!

I should have scheduled these posts way far ahead! Maybe next year, I'll do just that, so I can enjoy replying to comments instead of trying to add content. Live and learn!

First, I'm thoroughly enjoying my Christmas so far. We did our family tradition of watching The Muppet Christmas Carol last night, (and my son's girlfriend joined us.)

Right Now, my four teens are on the floor of the living room trading the Magic the Gathering cards that Santa left for them. They haven't even started opening their other presents, but that's the way we've always done it. I think we open presents one or two at a time, all day, or sometimes over the course of two or three days because people used to drop by, or we'd get to playing and lose track of time. 

When the kids were little and went to bed early, I made overnight cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning breakfast (the recipe is at the end of this post). Last night I opted out--I was still wrapping gifts, and we got a late start! I'll probably make them for New Year's instead. 



This is DAY TWELVE
of the GREAT HOLIDAY ZAMFEST!
what's in it for you?



Welcome to the twelve days of ZAMfest All you have to do is comment to enter the daily drawing and I'll pull a new name from the hat each night to win an ebook from my backlist. The TWELFTH day will be Christmas, that's when I'll put the name of anyone who leaves me a comment on all twelve blogs, into a drawing and one very lucky person will win the grand prize-- a $50 dollar Amazon Gift Card. If you're new to the ZAMfest, it's not too late to go back and comment on earlier blogs. Good Luck! I'll be picking my winner tomorrow, on the twenty-sixth, and I'll post to let everyone know who it is. If I've failed to get in touch with you and you've won something, never fear, I'll take care of the rest of business tomorrow.

DAY eleven's winner is Judi, arella3173, I'll be contacting you to see which ebook you'd like!

Thanks for playing along! I've been wanting to say, I've missed a couple of days of replying to comments, wow, with christmas this close, I had to finally stop procrastinating and go out shopping. I've dragged home the feasting foods, and caught up with some of my last minute presents, but still, I'm not quite through yet! That doesn't mean I don't love and cherish each and every comment! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Sending you the most heartfelt, warmest wishes for a joyous holiday season,

~ZAM~


Bon Appétit | March 2008
Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Glaze
by Molly Wizenberg
Yield: Makes 18 servings
ingredients
Dough:
1 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 1/2 cups (or more) unbleached all purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 1/4 teaspoons rapid-rise yeast (from 2 envelopes yeast)
1 teaspoon salt
Nonstick vegetable oil spray

Filling:
3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

Glaze:
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
preparation
For dough:
Combine milk and butter in glass measuring cup. Microwave on high until butter melts and mixture is just warmed to 120°F to 130°F, 30 to 45 seconds. Pour into bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add 1 cup flour, sugar, egg, yeast, and salt. Beat on low speed 3 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Add 21/2 cups flour. Beat on low until flour is absorbed and dough is sticky, scraping down sides of bowl. If dough is very sticky, add more flour by tablespoonfuls until dough begins to form ball and pulls away from sides of bowl. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if sticky, about 8 minutes. Form into ball.
Lightly oil large bowl with nonstick spray. Transfer dough to bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

For filling:
Mix brown sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl.
Punch down dough. Transfer to floured work surface. Roll out to 15x11-inch rectangle. Spread butter over dough, leaving 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar evenly over butter. Starting at 1 long side, roll dough into log, pinching gently to keep it rolled up. With seam side down, cut dough crosswise with thin sharp knife into 18 equal slices (each about 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide).
Spray two 9-inch square glass baking dishes with nonstick spray. Divide rolls between baking dishes, arranging cut side up (there will be almost no space between rolls). Cover baking dishes with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, 40 to 45 minutes.
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Bake rolls until tops are golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and invert immediately onto rack. Cool 10 minutes. Turn rolls right side up.

For glaze:
Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until smooth. Spread glaze on rolls. Serve warm or at room temperature.


Monday, December 24, 2012

Twas The Night...

Before Christmas! Today, I'll be playing with family so I'll be brief. I thank each and every one of you who have spent this holiday season with me! Tomorrow will be the final post, and then on the day after Christmas, Boxing Day, I'll be making a list and checking it twice, and I'll choose my final gift certificate winner, so stay tuned for one more day of ZAMfest!



I actually think that's the book I had when I was a child!

(did anyone beside me think it was gross that Dad threw up the sash?)

This is DAY Eleven
of the GREAT HOLIDAY ZAMFEST!
what's in it for you?



Welcome to the twelve days of ZAMfest All you have to do is comment to enter the daily drawing and I'll pull a new name from the hat each night to win an ebook from my backlist. The TWELFTH day will be Christmas, that's when I'll put the name of anyone who leaves me a comment on all twelve blogs, into a drawing and one very lucky person will win the grand prize-- a $50 dollar Amazon Gift Card. If you're new to the ZAMfest, it's not too late to go back and comment on earlier blogs. Good Luck!

DAY ten's winner is Cherrie Blake, I'll be contacting you to see which ebook you'd like!

Thanks for playing along! I've been wanting to say, I've missed a couple of days of replying to comments, wow, with christmas this close, I had to finally stop procrastinating and go out shopping. I've dragged home the feasting foods, and caught up with some of my last minute presents, but still, I'm not quite through yet! That doesn't mean I don't love and cherish each and every comment! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Sending you the most heartfelt, warmest wishes for a joyous holiday season,

~ZAM~

Saturday, December 22, 2012

I Have got...

The nicest FRIENDS! My dear friend Lex Valentine from Winterheart Design surprised me with this, and I'm using it as my blog today, because I wish everyone could feel what I feel when I see this video.



It's the very best kind of surprise, one that just comes out of the blue! I like to use my time and talent to gift people too, I remember making a ton of cookies and pumpkin breads and painted sweatshirts over the years. I know those things we make are humble, but after the year I had, sometimes it's those very things, the hand made things, that matter most.

The fabric restoration company managed to save all my afghans and crocheted blankets. I used to think them very humble indeed, especially when I was young and decorating my house. They seemed unsophisticated to me, back in the day.

Now, as an adult with almost grown children of my own I am so very often filled with the desire for my mother's arms around me. She's gone, but I still have those blankets. I have a woolen one made by my great grandmother, a lovely ivory and rose granny square crochet blanket from my grandmother, and several more still from my own mother, and I wouldn't trade them for cashmere. We have all the baby blankets too, and I feel sure more generations will be wrapped in that maternal love in the future.

I think the needlework skipped my generation, but they'll have my stories, (some of which are clean enough to read), and they'll have other things from me. Bits and bobs, as they say. Perhaps when I finally replace my sewing machine I'll take up quilting, which was the plan all along, but I got sidetracked by writing. (There's so much less measuring with writing.)

I thought I'd share my favorite sappy Christmas song here. It's not just about Christmas the holiday, but the spirit of all holidays, which is family and friends and love--kind of hard to find sometimes beneath all the trappings.

Yet for me, sometimes, all it takes is a terrific surprise gift like my video, made with love, and there it is, right there!



For the record, the Grinch movie totally creeped me out. But I love the Whos and this song. 


This is DAY Ten
of the GREAT HOLIDAY ZAMFEST!
what's in it for you?



Welcome to the twelve days of ZAMfest All you have to do is comment to enter the daily drawing and I'll pull a new name from the hat each night to win an ebook from my backlist. The TWELFTH day will be Christmas, that's when I'll put the name of anyone who leaves me a comment on all twelve blogs, into a drawing and one very lucky person will win the grand prize-- a $50 dollar Amazon Gift Card. If you're new to the ZAMfest, it's not too late to go back and comment on earlier blogs. Good Luck!

DAY nine's winner is Lisa, I'll be contacting you to see which ebook you'd like!

Thanks for playing along! I've been wanting to say, I've missed a couple of days of replying to comments, wow, with christmas this close, I had to finally stop procrastinating and go out shopping. I've dragged home the feasting foods, and caught up with some of my last minute presents, but still, I'm not quite through yet! That doesn't mean I don't love and cherish each and every comment! Thanks so much for stopping by!





Well played, Santa...

Well played.

Since the world didn't end today, how about some contemporary Christmas movie recommends. Of all the Christmas movies I've watched this year, and for some reason I can't seem to stop watching those made-for-television shows lately, I found the following five to be pretty darned enjoyable. These aren't the Christmas classics, except maybe my number one, Noel. It's not the acting or the script or the quality of these films that made me like them--for me it's all about the sigh at the end.

Mostly these films are of the variety one might call schmaltzy. Overly emotional, cheesy, and often maxing out every Christmas music crescendo for impact.

But sometimes, when I'm up late wrapping presents, or back in the day, when I was assembling toys and sticking those foul little stickers on everything--those of you who ever put together a plastic toy in the nineties know what I'm talking about--it was nice to watch those flicks for company.

Don't JUDGE me for my taste in holiday entertainment. O.o

5. Holiday Engagement 

This is your standard, hire a guy to be your fiancé for Thanksgiving so your mom isn't disappointed fare. I enjoyed this because I like the actress. Quirky good girl gets guy. Lots of humor here.

4. Desperately Seeking Santa

Sexy Santa? Seriously, who thought that was a good idea? I'm a free thinker and I still don't think Santa needs to be sexy. At any rate this movie is an enjoyable romp with an evil capitalist overlord type who is gobbling up small businesses and costing local jobs. In one scene there were posters of hot guys on the walls and I swear I've seen half of them on our m/m book covers. Tragically bad dancing. I still liked it. Go figure.

3. Crazy For Christmas

This is your guy gives out money willy-nilly because he's realized family is what's most important for Christmas. I kind of enjoyed this one too. Howard Hessman was really on a roll here. Buon Natale.

2. Dear Santa

I don't know if it's the actress, whom I love, or the kid, who made me want to be her mom, or the male character love interest because I want to drive his snowplow, but honestly, I just loved this movie. Sure it's a guilty pleasure, and it's not going to win any awards, but I came away from this movie ready to deck the halls and break out the eggnog, and I just don't know.

1. Noel

This is a seriously weird film, in that it's like a whole bunch of A-list actors I mean...REALLY A-list: Robin Williams, Susan Sarandon, Penelope Cruz, Paul Walker and Alan Arkin. First rate acting. First rate writing. It's a strange little movie I'd never even heard of before. It had five or so plotlines to follow and It's not like they ever all came together in the end either, but... It left me feeling oddly uplifted and even privileged to have seen it.

These films are all available as instant watch for live streaming from Netflix, and are possibly available to watch on Amazon as well, so mull the wine, pop the popcorn, and dive right in.

Perfect for holiday procrastination!


This is DAY Nine
of the GREAT HOLIDAY ZAMFEST!
what's in it for you?



Welcome to the twelve days of ZAMfest All you have to do is comment to enter the daily drawing and I'll pull a new name from the hat each night to win an ebook from my backlist. The TWELFTH day will be Christmas, that's when I'll put the name of anyone who leaves me a comment on all twelve blogs, into a drawing and one very lucky person will win the grand prize-- a $50 dollar Amazon Gift Card. If you're new to the ZAMfest, it's not too late to go back and comment on earlier blogs. Good Luck!

DAY eight's winner is strive4bst, I'll be contacting you to see which ebook you'd like!

Thanks a bunch! Christmas is right around the corner now!


Friday, December 21, 2012

She's baaaaaack...And all better.

Once upon a time, I had this thing with my dentist. He and I understood one another. He knew I'd rather have a baby without anesthesia of any kind than get my teeth cleaned, and I knew he would have the nitrous ready when I had to get a cavity filled. We were all simpatico like that.

He humored me, and I went every time I was supposed to go and we got along fine.

Sure it cost more but I am worth it.

But...

then he sold his practice and I've been procrastinating (only a little) meeting the new dentist. I knew I'd have to go in there and absolutely convince her that P is for Princess and not Pain and those crowns? Those are there because I'm dental phobia ROYALTY.

And I kept asking myself, what if the new dentist isn't patient. What if she's a no-nonsense type who will try to talk me out of getting my gums numbed before a cleaning because I should be a good girl and just suck it up.

What if she says no pain, no gain, like my personal trainer, and she just tries to power me through something traumatic. That's fine for my physical trainer, my therapist, my doctor, my OBGYN, and anyone waxing hair off any part of my body. Just rip off that BandAid. Go ahead. That's fine.

But TEETH, man. That's Chinatown. That's a special kind of nightmare because they're inside my mouth...

Whoever's working on my teeth is literally all up in my grill. They have their hands and feet and instruments inside my mouth and they're capable of unspeakable torture. They can make it so I can't talk and tell them something hurts. They can make it so I can't breathe.

And lately I've been thinking...what if my new dentist doesn't get why that makes my skin creep with gooseflesh as I break out into a cold sweat. What if she thinks I'm a BABY and should simply get over it.

Not everyone is like me, I know. Plenty of people go to the dentist. They don't like it, but they don't feel nauseated just thinking about it.

Of course there's therapy, but that costs a lot more than Nitrous over the long term and it takes longer and you have to really want to change...

As it turned out, I had to meet my new dentist yesterday, when I had to have a crown replaced in a rather urgent situation. She squeezed me into a busy day and listened to everything I had to say. Not only was she supportive of my many quirks, she let me watch Sherlock Holmes, Game of Shadows while she filled me with Nitrous like a Macy's parade balloon and fixed my problem quickly and efficiently.

Huzzah!

Headphones, Robert Downey, Jr., Jude Law, and enough pain meds that I didn't feel much of anything later, and Bob's your uncle, I'm ready for the holidays.

I guess there are plenty of times when I haven't made my feelings known because it's not that big a deal. I accept that  pain is a necessary part of life.

Still, I'm confident that in this one particular event (if I want to keep my teeth, anyway) I have to ask for what I need instead of avoiding the dentist either because I'm afraid to go, or I'm afraid to ask them to treat me like an unexploded bomb when I'm there.

I wish I'd known that when I was younger, I might be better off, tooth-wise now!

This is DAY Eight
of the GREAT HOLIDAY ZAMFEST!
what's in it for you?



Welcome to the twelve days of ZAMfest All you have to do is comment to enter the daily drawing and I'll pull a new name from the hat each night to win an ebook from my backlist. The TWELFTH day will be Christmas, that's when I'll put the name of anyone who leaves me a comment on all twelve blogs, into a drawing and one very lucky person will win the grand prize-- a $50 dollar Amazon Gift Card. If you're new to the ZAMfest, it's not too late to go back and comment on earlier blogs. Good Luck!

DAY Seven's winner is Suze! I'll be contacting you to see which ebook you'd like!

In the meantime, here's a little dental humor:

You'll have to click the link for this, because I couldn't figure out how to embed this without embedding the whole playlist:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1phr_MLnIM&list=UU6Po3g-RWdzeOXcD2JnaOsQ&index=2

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Cookies...

I love me some cookies.




This is DAY SEVEN
of the GREAT HOLIDAY ZAMFEST!
what's in it for you?



Welcome to the twelve days of ZAMfest All you have to do is comment to enter the daily drawing and I'll pull a new name from the hat each night to win an ebook from my backlist. The TWELFTH day will be Christmas, that's when I'll put the name of anyone who leaves me a comment on all twelve blogs, into a drawing and one very lucky person will win the grand prize-- a $50 dollar Amazon Gift Card. If you're new to the ZAMfest, it's not too late to go back and comment on earlier blogs. Good Luck!

DAY Six's winner is Juliana! I'll be contacting you to see which ebook you'd like!

And in case all that cookie eating seems unhealthy, (butter, eggs, sugar, OH, MY) here's a dance video, so you can eat a cookie, and get your groove on. May you bake and dance and enjoy cookies for years to come!



My Favorite Christmas Cookie Recipe
(Not for the unhealthy of heart)

There is a full recipe HERE, along with instructions to use the dough for other cookies.

I got this recipe from my own copy of the Gourmet Magazine, December 1995 issue. In it, the author explains how she makes the dough detailed below, and then uses that dough to make several other types of cookies Spritz Wreaths, Raspberry Hazelnut Triangles, Orange Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies, Mocha Butter Balls, and Jewel Bowl Cookies. This ingenious cookie recipe has been my not-so-secret weapon for years. I particularly like the Mocha Butter Balls and the Raspberry Hazelnut Triangles which remind me of tiny delicate Linzer torte cookies. 

Basic Butter Cookie DoughGourmet | December 1995
ingredients
4 sticks (1 pound) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cups sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
preparation
In large bowl of a standing electric mixer beat together butter, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in yolks, 1 at a time, and vanilla and beat until smooth. Beat in flour gradually, beating dough until just combined well. 


And in case all that cookie eating seems unhealthy to you, (butter, eggs, sugar, OH, MY) here's a dance video, so you can eat a cookie and then get your groove on to keep your heart healthy.

May you bake and dance and enjoy delicious cookies for years to come!



Wednesday, December 19, 2012

And then they sent me to the yacht club...

...with a bag full of cash.




Nostalgia is a funny thing. A friend of mine is in the area and I drove to Newport Beach to take him to lunch. We tooled around and as sometimes (always) happens, I nervously filled the space between us with a running commentary on how I'd worked in a couple of upscale hair salons in Newport as a stylist's assistant. Roughly speaking, back in the late seventies and early eighties, a stylist's assistant was someone to whom you could say, "Honey, baby, sweetie, darling, go get me..." fill in the blank.

I was the only woman in the salon. The men I worked for were all straight, all womanizers, and all brutally plainspoken about what they wanted in a stylist's assistant. When they said jump, it was my job to ask, "How high?"

Today I realized how much fun I had during that brief period of my life. From the Palm Reader in the storefront next door where no one ever came to work after the first day when an immense, beautifully dressed man with hands the size of hams introduced himself to me and then left mysteriously, never to return, to the clients who thought it was a brilliant idea to get the stylists drunk while they were doing hair, there was never a day when I was bored.

Here's to all the the Jacks*, the Allens*, the Stewarts* and the Umbertos* (Names changed to protect the not so innocent.) Here's to high stakes backgammon and poker--although in retrospect, taking a bag full of cash to hotel room filled with strangers doesn't bear thinking about.

Here's to working for pirates, because that's what it felt like.

Here's to fielding angry girlfriends and angrier wives.

Here's to Candies mules and Qiana, and DuPont, and the brief way they married with disco to become one big happy, synthetic family.

Here's to all the things I didn't caught doing by either my mother or my pastor, thank heavens.

And here's to the very best Christmas party I ever went to and the Newport Beach boat parade, and for oh, so many reasons, here's to youth and stupidity, how can I miss one so much and be so glad I've gotten over the other.


This is DAY SIX
of the GREAT HOLIDAY ZAMFEST!
what's in it for you?



Welcome to the twelve days of ZAMfest All you have to do is comment to enter the daily drawing and I'll pull a new name from the hat each night to win an ebook from my backlist. The TWELFTH day will be Christmas, that's when I'll put the name of anyone who leaves me a comment on all twelve blogs, into a drawing and one very lucky person will win the grand prize-- a $50 dollar Amazon Gift Card. If you're new to the ZAMfest, it's not too late to go back and comment on earlier blogs. Good Luck!

DAY Five's winner is Crissy! I'll be contacting you to see which ebook you'd like!

In the meantime, how about a little nostalgia from a member of generation Jones, (Me)


f






What was popular when you were young and stupid?
(Okay, I admit it, you were never, ever stupid.)

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Soup's on...





This is DAY FIVE
of the GREAT HOLIDAY ZAMFEST!
what's in it for you?



Welcome to the twelve days of ZAMfest All you have to do is comment to enter the daily drawing and I'll pull a new name from the hat each night. The TWELFTH day will be Christmas, that's when I'll put the name of anyone who leaves me a comment on all twelve blogs, into a drawing and one very lucky person will win the grand prize-- a $50 dollar Amazon Gift Card. If you're new to the ZAMfest, it's not too late to go back and comment on earlier blogs. Good Luck!

DAY Four's winner is Tara Wojton! I'll be contacting you to see which ebook you'd like!

So come back EVERY DAY and comment on all twelve blogs to be entered for the GRAND PRIZE! A $50 Amazon gift card. (If you're coming just now, you're not to late to comment on the previous blogs; you will be eligible for the grand prize, but you won't be entered in those daily contests.)



RECIPE for a Rainy Day

I live in Southern California, and it doesn't rain often here. There have been several lovely rainy days lately though, and I took advantage of that to make a vast pot of soup for the kids, because they walk home from school (unless their books will get wet) and I have never been one to bring a healthy kid out of the rain. 

In fact, when my children were young, I used to dress all four of them in mismatched sweats and rubber rain boots so they could go out and get soaked in the backyard until they were covered head to toe with mud and blue with cold. 

Then they'd come in and take turns in the shower. I'd stand there, waiting with towels I'd warmed up in the dryer and we'd make hot cocoa because I'm a firm believer one should run in the rain unless one is likely to be struck by lightning. 

There is nothing quite so wonderful as a warmed towel and a cup of cocoa, even if you're only as cold as a you can get on a rainy SoCal day.

My eleven bean soup recipe is more of a procedure than an actual recipe. It varies from pot to pot. I take four cups of eleven bean soup mix (from the bulk section of Sprouts) and use the quick soak method to prepare them. First, I check through for anything un-beanlike. Stones and withered beans must go. Then I rinse and place the beans in a pot, covered by a couple inches of water. I bring that to a boil for a few minutes, then turn off the fire and cover. I let them sit for an hour, and that's what softens the bean mixture so you can cook with it.  Some people soak overnight but I never think that far ahead.

Once that hour is over, I drain and rinse the beans, and I clean the pot. Then I put the beans back in with a chopped up onion (large), two bay leaves, some dried Italian herbs to taste, and two 32 oz. containers of chicken stock. At this point, you could use any kind of stock, beef, vegetable, low sodium. I just use run of the mill organic chicken stock, again, from Sprouts. I like the kind that comes in the carton because it's flavorful and easy. (But there's no reason you can't use homemade, or even water.) I like the flavor chicken stock brings to the soup. Later I'm going to add other things, and chicken stock doesn't overwhelm. I don't season at this point. There's plenty of sodium in the stock, and in the later ingredients that I don't season with salt until the very end and then, it usually isn't necessary. 

I bring the beans to a boil and simmer them for a couple of hours. Mostly I'm doing this as I'm doing other things, so I just let it go. I have a burner on my stove with a precise simmer setting, but I suppose at this point you could put the whole deal in a crock pot. If you keep the fire too high, the beans will burn and stick to the bottom of the pot. Stirring and keeping a low fire will help you avoid this.

I just simmer it until all the beans are tender, and at that point, I add some other things, depending on what I have around the house. I always add a couple cans of diced tomatoes -- I like the kind that are flavored with basil because I generally use Italian seasoning and add Italian sausage. If I were going to change things up, I could use Mexican spices and a diced tomato product like Ro-Tel that has peppers in it, and go in a whole different direction, maybe add cooked chicken or turkey. Sometimes I use vegetable stock and go vegetarian.

Vegetables are good to add at this point because they won't get mushy, diced carrots or parsnips, mushrooms, spinach, kale, cooked potatoes, squash. What you're adding here has to be cooked already or it has to cook quickly. You're basically finishing the soup and giving it "personality." And no one likes mushy personality. I usually crumble and brown hot Italian sausage (and drain the fat) then I add it in at the last minute. I serve this with fresh baguettes and always have lovely leftovers for lunches, later. 
Tasty and alliterative. 

The only thing better than a nice hot bowl of soup while rain is pouring down outside is a great book to read. I read A Christmas Carol every year, if I can. I love that book. I love reading it aloud. I love to listen to audiotapes of that book and discovered only this year, that Tim Curry made one! 




Win-Win...

What's your favorite rainy day thing (snowy days accepted, for those of you who get them!)






Sunday, December 16, 2012

It's a wonderful... film!





This is DAY FOUR
of the GREAT HOLIDAY ZAMFEST!
what's in it for you?



Welcome to the twelve days of ZAMfest All you have to do is comment to enter the daily drawing and I'll pull a new name from the hat each night. The TWELFTH day will be Christmas, that's when I'll put the name of anyone who leaves me a comment on all twelve blogs, into a drawing and one very lucky person will win the grand prize-- a $50 dollar Amazon Gift Card. If you're new to the ZAMfest, it's not too late to go back and comment on earlier blogs. Good Luck!

DAY THREE's winner is Marge! I'll be contacting you to see which ebook you'd like!

So come back EVERY DAY and comment on all twelve blogs to be entered for the GRAND PRIZE! A $50 Amazon gift card. (If you're coming just now, you're not to late to comment on the previous blogs; you will be eligible for the grand prize, but you won't be entered in those daily contests.)


While we're on the subject of Films I Cannot Do Without At Christmas:





Do you have a movie you can't go without during the holiday season?


Baby, It's cold outside!

A little romance...





This is DAY THREE
of the GREAT HOLIDAY ZAMFEST!
what's in it for you?



Welcome to the twelve days of ZAMfest All you have to do is comment to enter the daily drawing and I'll pull a new name from the hat each night. The TWELFTH day will be Christmas, that's when I'll put the name of anyone who leaves me a comment on all twelve blogs, into a drawing and one very lucky person will win the grand prize-- a $50 dollar Amazon Gift Card. If you're new to the ZAMfest, it's not too late to go back and comment on earlier blogs. Good Luck!

DAY TWO's winner is Erika! I'll be contacting you to see which ebook you'd like!

So come back EVERY DAY and comment on all twelve blogs to be entered for the GRAND PRIZE! A $50 Amazon gift card. (If you're coming just now, you're not to late to comment on the previous blogs; you will be eligible for the grand prize, but you won't be entered in those daily contests.)

There is nothing I like more than holiday music. I like the sacred pieces like Handel's Messiah, and secular music like the one above. Today I thought I'd share three musical experiences my holiday would not be complete without!

A little Muppet love...





And of course for Hanukkah, festival of lights!





And my favorite sacred song:






Music plays a rather lively role in my process, even though I don't necessarily listen to music while I write. I am much more likely to use music to put me into a kind of mood, a frame of mind, depending on the scene I'm going to write, and then I'll turn the music off and get to work.

Lately I've been exploring the possibility of making up certain "rituals" around the act of creating, as if by listening to a piece of music, or lighting a candle, I might more easily get down to work.

Someone suggested ritual would be a good way to clear my mind of the minutiae that seems to intrude. I can just picture myself lighting a candle to banish the non-work related malarky that goes on in my house, (if only because I would tell my kids if they see the candle lit, that means I'm not to be disturbed.) I figure the candle would be my signal to put away anything but the words I need in the moment.

So, two questions for today's blog post, what's your favorite holiday music (doesn't matter which holiday) and how do you carve out time for your acts of creation, whatever they are? Readers and writers both, you know what I mean. Everyone needs generative, or regenerative space. Does anyone else beside me have ritual surrounding and protecting the time they use for creative endeavors?

Share!


Saturday, December 15, 2012

A Single Spark...

Welcome Zammers. Today, I'm thinking about Secret Light!



The victim’s dog was exactly the kind of pet Ben Morgan had wanted as a kid -- smart, funny, eager to please, and equally determined to protect. He’d envisioned a collie like Lassie or a German shepherd like Rin Tin Tin, but Colman’s stout little mutt dog -- some kind of terrier -- guarded his back, barking a warning if anyone got too close. 

Colman had introduced Ben and Mooki, and of course, at first Ben thought it was odd that a dog should “speak” only German. While Colman struggled to get the paint off his door, Ben tried to get the dog to walk with him. Colman -- he told Ben to call him Rafe, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to do it -- did everything he could to get her to go with him. She didn’t necessarily trust him yet, and he didn’t speak German, but he took her leash, and after a few minutes, she marched alongside him, ready to take on all comers, just as she’d done for her master. 

Christ, what a mess. Colman’s tools, a bicycle, sports equipment, and a tiny sailboat. All ashes. The firefighters had the blaze out, but they’d drawn a small crowd of curious neighbors who stood on the curb across the street and watched. They didn’t seem friendly with Rafe, and they didn’t offer him any assistance. They stood silent, watchful, some in hastily donned trousers and work shirts and some still in sleepwear, wrapped in dressing gowns and bathrobes. Some were even barefoot, shuffling for a better angle, a better view of the drama as it unfolded. 

Ben felt bad for Colman. It was obvious his accent, fair hair, and blue eyes had triggered someone’s anti-German sentiment, and they’d taken the opportunity for payback. He seemed like an ordinary guy too: a little pent up, a little too fastidious and polite. 

But maybe he was a little lonely too, and Ben could certainly understand that.

One of the firefighters on scene cracked wise about him living alone, but Ben had known more than one person who didn’t fit in so well, starting with himself. He lived with his mother, for God’s sake. It was hard to believe a guy like Rafe wasn’t batting a thousand with girls. He could have a family if he wanted one. He was probably too busy enjoying the chase to give it up for a wife and kids.

A guy with those looks who loves dogs? 

(Note from ZAM -- You'd better believe Ben wanted in on that...)


This is DAY TWO

of the GREAT HOLIDAY ZAMFEST!


All you have to do is comment to enter the daily drawing and I'll pull a new name from the hat each night. The TWELFTH day will be Christmas, that's when I'll put the name of anyone who leaves me a comment on all twelve blogs, into a drawing and one very lucky person will win the grand prize-- a $50 dollar Amazon Gift Card. If you're new to the ZAMfest, it's not too late to go back and comment on earlier blogs. Good Luck!

Yesterday, DAY ONE's winner is LE Franks! I'll be contacting you to see which ebook you'd like!

So come EVERY DAY and comment on all twelve blogs to be entered for the GRAND PRIZE!

Hanukkah started on the eighth this year, and of course I had to buy gelt for the kids to give their friends at school. We don't actually celebrate Hanukkah, I never did, even though my family has Jewish roots. But in some ways, I think we should all celebrate any holiday that focuses our attention on the miracles that surround us daily: love and kindness, the way ordinary people become heroes in extraordinary circumstances, the passion people have for causes, even those not their own, the way people defend the rights of others, and even the miracle of laughter, which BELIEVE ME, I have come to regard as a miracle in this tough year of my life.

If I can laugh even while my house in burning and feel better for it, laughter can be placed squarely in the miracle category. At the end of this month, this year will be over. For good or ill, what was is past, and we get to look forward to growth, happiness, more trials, and maybe, more chances to find our resiliency. I look forward to it all, and through it all, I look forward to writing new books for you!



Even though Nigel Gasp was in the book Gasp! I think this bit from his song "Light A Candle" is quite fitting here, as a single, tiny spark does banish darkness:


A single spark
banishes darkness
Every breath you take
fans the flames
A single spark
can ignite a conflagration
so we'll never feel the cold again.

Light a candle
help me find a way back home
Light a candle
I'm so tired of being alone
Just a single candle's light
is all I need from you tonight

It's only ever been you
who could see me through.

Light a candle...


( Music and Lyrics by Nigel Gasp.)