Eating My Words

On a Personal Note: My Brother

2012-01-13T08:44:00.003-05:00

My younger brother Fred has a life-threatening heart condition and is going to undergo a stem cell treatment to save his life. As I’m sure you know with Heart Health Awareness month coming up in February, someone suffers a heart-related incident every 25 seconds and someone dies from a heart incident every minute. My brother is one of those statistics, suffering a “widowmaker” at the age of 36, receiving a pacemaker, and now, dying of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

At the end of this month my brother will be undergoing a harvesting, then reimplantation of his own stem cells, a treatment that has shown remarkable success in repairing everything from cardiac damage to macular degeneration. My family is having several fundraisers to try to raise the $60,000 needed to pay for the treatment. If you have a moment, could you say a prayer, or, if it's within your budget, consider giving to the fund we have set up for him.

The wonderful ladies at Harlequin Romance have a blog post up about it today. In addition, there is a Facebook page set up for him. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cardiac-Stem-Cell-Treatment/343112075705394?ref=ts

Donations can be given online at: http://www.giveforward.com/fredkawafund

Or mailed to:

Fred Kawa Jr. Heart Fund
c/o Hanscom Federal Credit Union
15 Kansas Street
Natick, MA 01760

Thank you all, and believe me, prayers are just as much appreciated as anything else. Hug a loved one today!

Shirley

Oven Baked Beef Stew

2011-12-23T13:04:00.002-05:00

I absolutely LOVE this stew. I've made it dozens of times. The original recipe ran in Parade or one of those Sunday newspaper insert things. I've tweaked it over the years to suit my family, but it's a sure hit every time!

No pic, since I'm making it tonight, but if I remember, I'll upload a pic later.

Oven-Baked Beef Stew

1 pound round steak, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 cups red wine (I use a Shiraz, or a Merlot, something we would normally drink)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 pound baby carrots
2 small onions, chopped
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups red wine (same wine; the recipe says to use the marinade wine; I think that's gross, so I use the rest in the bottle for the recipe)
3 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup cold water
3 tablespoons corn starch

Marinate the beef for 1 to 3 hours, depending on when you remember to start this ;-). Remove from marinade, then heat olive oil and cook beef until browned. Remove from pan. Cook garlic and vegetables until browned, remove from pan. Melt butter, add flour and make a roux (the base for a sauce, if you don't know what this is, you can go here for the basics). Add the wine gradually, stirring with a whisk. Then the chicken stock and tomato paste. Put the beef, vegetables and liquid into an oven-safe Dutch Oven or other large pot/pan and bake at 375 for two hours (you can also put this in the Crock-pot).

Just before you're ready to serve, you can thicken the stew. I like a really thick stew, so I mix the water and the corn starch, then stir this into the hot stew. It makes it nice and thick, really yummy . I serve it with biscuits and that's enough for a mega meal. Okay, this is totally not Weight Watchers friendly but when it's 25 below outside, I really don't care ;-)

Tonight's Dinner: Chicken and Dumplings

2011-12-08T17:15:00.002-05:00

Tonight, I had an oldie but goodie for dinner. I used a leftover rotisserie chicken, homemade broth (I make my own and freeze it) and homemade dumplings to create Tyler Florence's Ultimate Chicken and Dumplings. When I ran the recipe in the blog before, I used chives in the dumplings, but the recent snowfall killed my chives outside, so I used parsley instead. Delicious dinner and great way to use up the leftover chicken!

Shirley

New Book in Stores and The Reader Posse

2011-11-29T10:47:00.005-05:00

I read an interesting article about reader posses yesterday. It's sort of the modern day equivalent of a fan club. I think it's a cool idea (and not just because I love the idea of having a posse, LOL), but because it makes sense in today's world where word of mouth is often the best advertising. Basically, you have a select group of readers/fans who get copies of your books in advance, on the agreement that they will read it, then blog about it/talk about it/spread the word. I have a few friends who do this just because they like my books, but think having an official "posse" is a cool idea.

What do you think? Would you be interested in something like that?

And on another note, my newest Riverbend book is out in stores today! It's always cool to go to the grocery store and see my book on the shelves! And if you notice, the price at Meijer (which is where I was today) is reduced, just like at Wal-Mart. A bargain! And a great stocking stuffer if I say so myself!

For those of you who have loved the Riverbend books, this is Livia's story (who made a quick appearance in Midnight Kiss, New Year Wish). Edward, the banquet hall owner is also back, but not the man he was months before, after a tragedy that deeply impacted him. And reader favorites Earl and Betsy are back as well, and getting a little spice in their romance ;-)

For an excerpt go here, and here to buy the book (available in stores everywhere and in Nook, Kindle, etc.).

Hope you all are keeping warm wherever you are! We're supposed to get our first snowfall of the year this afternoon, but they swear it's not going to stick. :-)

Shirley

Melted Snowman Cookies

2011-11-23T09:34:00.005-05:00

This year for Thanksgiving we are going to a family member's house for dessert, and I figured everyone will bring pie, so why not make something different? I had seen these cookies on the Crazy Domestic blog and was dying to try them.

I bought Royal Icing mix at the cake decorating store. It was WAY cheaper than buying meringue powder to make my own (Royal Icing mix was $2, the meringue powder was nearly $8) and bought four tubes of frosting to decorate (black, orange, green and red).

I'm not much of a baker, at not at all a decorater, but I did have fun making these. My son did the hair (and then we all had a laugh at how everyone kinda looked like Ron Weasley). :-)

Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving tomorrow! I'll be brining my turkey soon :-)

Shirley

Thanksgiving Success! Rerun

2011-11-21T16:44:00.001-05:00

This has been my Thanksgiving plan for three years in a row, so I thought I'd rerun the tips. I have changed this slightly--in that I bought the brining bags at the store instead of using a pail (Farberware makes them and they were in the aisle with the roasters and kitchen twine, etc.). I have had success every time I use this recipe. Buying a fresh bird makes life ten times easier, but I have in a pinch defrosted a frozen bird and then brined it.

(and as an aside, for those of you who are friends with me on Facebook, on Monday I posted a link to my blog and a friend who is a professional chef shared his tips for brining, so check that out!)

Thanksgiving was a HUGE success in my house. Brining the bird was DA BOMB and I highly recommend it. I mean, HIGHLY recommend it. I have never had a juicier, more delicious turkey--it was beyond simple to cook, and twelve people devoured nearly an entire 21-pound bird. Lots of going back for seconds and thirds that day!

Take notes if you want for next year, because here's how I did it (and managed to have a LOT of relaxation time on the big day, too):

Wednesday Night: Brine the Bird (in the fridge by 8pm)
Equipment needed: 5-gallon pail from Lowe's or Home Depot
Alton Brown's recipe for Brining from I'm Just Here for the Food
(which involves essentially cooking some water, brown sugar, peppercorns, bay leaves and kosher salt, then cooling and adding to the bucket).
Plus: 3 gallons ice water and 1 1/2 cups kosher salt

Thursday Timeline:
7:00 a.m.: Remove bird from Brining Liquid
Preheat oven
Dry bird, stuff with an onion, celery sticks. Brush whole bird with melted butter, then tent with foil, stick a meat thermometer in it, then put the bird in the oven.

8:00 a.m.: Cook sausage for stuffing, chop vegetables for stuffing (celery, carrots and onions), then cook when sausage is done. Add dried cranberries, leave to cool and set aside

8:15 a.m.: Peel 8 pounds of potatoes and start boiling them for mashed potatoes

8:45 a.m.: Start simple syrup for kids' Floating Island Punch
Put Frozen raspberries, pink lemonade and sugar in bowl to thaw for Poinsettia Punch for grownups :-)

9:30 a.m.: Mash potatoes and put in crock-pot--done till 11:15 a.m. (take a nap, read the ads for Black Friday shopping...I do all my house cleaning on Wednesday, so I'm chilling for these two hours)

11:30 a.m.: remove foil tent from turkey, baste with more butter and turn oven temp up to 425 degrees
Start green beans (I made a healthy version, which I can post later)
Start Citrus-Glazed Carrots

12:15 p.m.: Assemble stuffing

12:30 p.m.: Remove turkey from oven and let set
Put rolls in oven
Put stuffing in oven
Make gravy

1:00 p.m.: Serve and eat ;-)

My MIL made the pies, and I had baked cookies on Wednesday night, so all the rest was done ahead of time. I usually make the pies a day or two ahead of time, but this time someone else did them, so I was saved that chore. This turkey was SO SO good, though. I just can't even tell you ;-)

How was your Thanksgiving? Was it a huge success? I do dishes as I go, and run the dishwasher about halfway through so that everyone can eat on real plates. Clean-up is still a lot of work, but it's not AS bad as it could be.

And if you want to read about my Black Friday adventures, I posted on RTB today about them!

Shirley

Plotting a Book? Sign up for my Online Class!

2011-10-31T13:12:00.002-04:00

Plotting a book? Sign up for my November online class and get not just critiques of your work, but also a great tool for plotting!

WritersOnlineClasses.com is proud to present one of its two online November classes. To follow are the details of the Brain Map with New York Times bestselling author Shirley Jump:

CLASS: THE BRAINMAP: A WAY TO CREATE INTRICATE PLOTS AND COMPELLING, UNFORGETTABLE ...CHARACTERSINSTRUCTOR: Shirley Jump4-week class: November 1-30 COST: $30Registration ends October 31, 2011

Class Description -- THE BRAINMAP: AWAY TO CREATE INTRICATE PLOTS AND COMPELLING, UNFORGETTABLE CHARACTERS Editors love books that are character driven and have layered plots. Learn how to create novels with plots created by the characters themselves, using Shirley Jump’s Brainmap Technique, giving a stronger, more powerful--and more emotional story. If you're stuck in your writing, needing inspiration or just want to learn more about developing characters and developing a multi-layered plot, you'll get the boost you need for this class with New York Times bestselling author Shirley Jump!

INSTRUCTOR BIO: New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shirley Jump spends her days writing romantic comedies (Vegas Pregnancy Surprise, July 2010) to feed her shoe addiction and avoid cleaning the toilets. As AJ Whitten (http://www.ajwhitten.com/), she also writes horror young adult novels for Houghton Mifflin’s Graphia imprint with her daughter (The Well, September 2009). She cleverly finds writing time by feeding her kids junk food, allowing them to dress in the clothes they find on the floor and encouraging the dogs to double as vacuum cleaners. Visit her website at http://www.shirleyjump.com/ or read recipes and life adventures at http://www.shirleyjump.blogspot.com/.For more information or to register, go tohttp://www.writersonlineclasses.com/

email info@WritersOnlineClasses.comWritersOnlineClasses.com Refund Policy: Cash Refunds only when requested within 30 days of initial payment. After 30 days, refund will be credit toward a future class. CLASS: THE BRAINMAP: AWAY TO CREATE INTRICATE PLOTS AND COMPELLING, UNFORGETTABLE CHARACTERSINSTRUCTOR: Shirley Jump4-week class: November 1-30 COST: $30Registration ends October 31, 2011Please make checks* payable to: Mary O’Gara -and mail to-Post Office Box 35938Albuquerque, NM 87176*PLEASE NOTE: WritersOnlineClasses.com accepts personal checks or money orders (US FUNDS ONLY!).Electronic Payments accepted via Paypal at http://www.paypal.com/. After logging on to paypal, Email electronic payments to: Paypal@WritersOnlineClasses.comTo subscribe to announcement only list, email: WritersOnlineClassesannounce-subscribe@yahoogroups.comgo to: http://www.writersonlineclasses.com/ FMI

In a Word...YUM

2011-10-03T18:05:00.004-04:00

I've been hooked on this new show, "The Chew," which airs in my region of the world at 1pm EST on ABC. It's got style and fashion god Clinton Kelly, super chef Mario Batali, Iron chef Michael Symon, Dr. Oz's daughter Daphne (who is so sweet, you can just see why Dr. Oz adores his kids) and new kid on the block chef Carla Hall.

Lots of the recipes they've run in the first week have appealed to me (my poor printer is burning through the pages, LOL) but I happened to have the ingredients for Clinton Kelly's Eggplant Parmesan on hand, so I decided to make that for dinner.

All I can say is YUM. It was awesome. Totally awesome. The recipe recommends jarred sauce but Clinton said he always uses homemade (I wish he'd share his recipe...it sounded great), and I did, too. The last layer, I ran out of homemade sauce, so I did add a tiny bit of Ragu ;-) but you couldn't tell the difference. The fresh sauce--made from tomatoes in my garden and frozen a couple weeks ago--really added that extra depth of flavor to the sauce.

Eggplant parm is a lot of work (anything breaded is) but it was worth it. I could have eaten the whole pan myself ;-) The recipe really does use all those cups of bread crumbs and all those eggs, so don't skimp when you're laying it out. Also, I always use a set of pie plates for my breading steps, because they are shallow but edged, and they are easy to clean in the dishwasher. Use one hand to bread and let that be the goopy hand, while keeping the other hand clean to flip the fying eggplant. I did fry the eggplant in two pans, so that moved the process along a lot faster. I pulled it out of the oven after about 32 minutes and let it sit for 10 minutes before serving. DH LOVED it and said this recipe has to be on my must-serve list ;-)

Recipe is here. Check out the site while you're there--there's lots of great, easy, and cheap recipes to choose from!

Shirley

Wonderful review for THE PRINCESS TEST

2011-10-01T08:02:00.005-04:00

What an awesome way to start the weekend! I came across this really fabulous review of THE PRINCESS TEST this morning, and it just made my day!

For those of you who are writers, just a reminder that my October class starts Monday, so sign up today if you've been delaying (and you'll get real, hands-on help making your scenes compelling and strong!). It's all online, so you can read/participate at your own pace and on your own schedule.

Also, for the cooks in the audience, more fabulous recipes are coming next week! I've got a pork roast with a peach mustard sauce, and a gnocchi Alfredo, and whatever else strikes my fancy for cooking :-)

Have a great weekend, all!

Shirley

Interview with a Romance Novel Cover Model

2011-09-29T12:16:00.004-04:00

How cool is this? This interview features a romance cover model--and one of the titles they feature in the interview is mine! She was the model for How to Lasso a Cowboy, which came out in April. Check out the interview for a little behind-the-cover information!

Back to work on the next books this week. I'm writing a series featuring three brothers from Boston. I love connected books, though they can be challenging from the author's POV to keep everything straight. I should be more organized about the whole thing, and that would probably make my life a lot easier, LOL.

Shirley

Hoisin Chicken--and Writing Chat tomorrow!

2011-09-25T19:04:00.004-04:00

Tonight's dinner was a HUGE hit with DH. I love Food Network Magazine and absolutely LOVE their cookbook. It's filled with the past year's recipes from the magazine, and 99% of them are super easy and really good. This one was no exception. I served it with my own fried rice, and also made the cucumber salad in the recipe.

A couple tips: be sure your grill is really well oiled (I found out the hard way :-) and reserve some of the marinade for basting. The cucumber salad is perfect--not too tart, not too sweet--and I highly recommend it.

Here's the recipe. I read in the reviews that some people tried it on pork, something that's on my to do list for sure :-)

I served it with my own tried-and-true fried rice recipe. If you chop all your ingredients beforehand, Chinese food isn't so tough to make :-)

Also, tomorrow, I'm doing a writing chat on Twitter--ask me anything you want to know about writing. My twitter name is @shirleyjump and the chat hash tag is #ARWchat. Chat starts at 11:30 am EST, which I've been told is 4:30 pm UK time. All chatters will be entered to win an Amazon gift card and a copy of one of my books!

Shirley

Sneak Peek at The Princess Test

2011-09-24T22:58:00.002-04:00

Today I'm blogging over at RomCon--stop on by for a little bit of the story behind the story and a sneak peek at the book!

Shirley

Back to Mr. & Mrs. Discussion

2011-09-21T13:56:00.003-04:00

Over on the Aspiring Romance Writers blog, they are talking about one of my older--but personal favorite--releases. BACK TO MR. & MRS. is the only book I've done with a long married couple as my hero and heroine and I really had a lot of fun with it, and exploring the issues that face a marriage.

Click on over to the blog to read some of the 'behind the scenes' story about how this book came to be!

Shirley

Yummy Two-Minute Apple Salad

2011-09-20T18:23:00.004-04:00

I make this salad quite often. It's one of my favorites, not just because it's so easy, but because it's truly delicious. I didn't have any pears today, so I used a variety of apples--Golden Delicious, Gala and Royal Gala.

If you have all the ingredients on hand, this literally takes two minutes. I almost always have fresh lemons in the fridge (they last forever...and I read this great tip in an old issue of the Rachael Ray magazine that said to zest the lemon, let the peels dry, then store that zest in a canning type jar, to keep it on hand for whenever you need lemon zest).

I've run the recipe before on the blog (it's on the left, under favorite recipes on this blog) but it's so stinking easy, I posted it again here:

Two-Minute Apple Salad (aka Apple-Pear Salad)

Dressing:

1 Tablespoon honey

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

dash salt

Salad:

3 apples, cored and sliced

1-2 pears, cored and sliced

1 bag salad mix (or 1 head lettuce)

1/4 cup candied walnuts (or you can use any kind of nuts you want--okay, technically if you have to make the walnuts (recipe below) this takes longer than two minutes, but read the note on storing them in the freezer)

Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the apple and pear slices and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for one hour. Serve over the salad mix and top with candied walnuts.

Candied walnuts are really easy--just roast the walnut pieces in a small nonstick pan for a minute or two. Then toss with butter and sugar and a dash of salt. You can roast them in the oven if you happen to have the oven on, but you have to keep a close eye on them because they burn easily. Most of the time I just let it cook in the pan, then drain them on a paper towel. I store the extras in the freezer, and pull them out to add to baked apples or this salad. If you don't have walnuts on hand, you can make candied pecans or use chopped honey roasted peanuts. Whatever nuts you want :-)

Shirley

A Food Blog I'll be Returning to!

2011-09-12T15:39:00.003-04:00

I got an alert that someone named Delicious Tampa Bay was following me on Twitter (you know, those little alerts that say So and So is now following you). And I thought hmmm...I love, Florida, I love Tampa Bay, I wonder what that's about. So I check it out, go over to the blog and find OMG scrumptious recipes there. Just scroll down to the roast chicken and potatoes. Literally drooling over here and wondering if it's too late in the day to run out and buy a whole chicken :-)

And yes, I have to say, I am a whole lot jealous that the chef lives in a place where he can harvest his own scallops. In my backyard, the only thing I'm harvesting is leaves and weeds, LOL.

Shirley

TWO new posts on writing today!

2011-09-12T10:32:00.000-04:00

Today, I've got TWO writing how-to posts to share with you all! The first is on CONFLICT: What it is and What it Isn't. Pop on over to Seekerville and share your top frustrations and/or questions on Conflict (and enter for a chance to win one of my books!)

And on Aspiring Romance Writers, I've got Ten Tips for Taking Your Book from Good to Sold. Basically, the ten lessons I learned before I sold my first book (and with my 36th on stands right now, I guess the lessons stuck :-). Hope both of them spur you along in your writing journey!

Love this writing cartoon! Saw it on the web, and put the link to it here :-)

Shirley

Making the Writing a Priority

2011-09-08T08:10:00.002-04:00

Today's blog post over at We Write Romance is all about making the writing a priority. Here's a snippet:

I hear it all the time: “I want to be a writer but I don’t have the time to be one.” My response? A quote from British author George E. Allen that a friend sent to me once: “How badly do you want it?"

If you want to be a writer, you make writing a priority. Simple as that. I know--I can hear the “buts” already: But I have children. But I have a job. But I have a dog that requires ten hours a day of one-on-one attention. But I have this and that and those and these...

Visit the blog to read the rest of my advice and get valuable tips for finding time to write! :-)

What's Cooking Tonight: Chicken Canzanese

2011-09-07T14:17:00.000-04:00

Chicken Canzanese

Dinner tonight is a favorite in the Jump household: Chicken Canzanese from America's Test Kitchen. I've blogged about it before and just love this recipe. Easy to make, and something that just cooks away in the oven. I'll probably make carrots and also smashed potatoes to go with it.

I love braising...and this is my favorite dish to do that with. Tell me, do you have a favorite braised beast (lol) recipe?

Shirley

Book Discussion Today :-)

2011-09-05T10:59:00.003-04:00

Today over at the Aspiring Romance Writers blog, they're discussing my newest release (which comes out on Tuesday). Join the discussion or read an excerpt on my website :-)

Also, for those of you in the Fort Wayne area, there's a neat little feature on me in this month's Glo Magazine (complete with a photo by the talented Karinne Williams!)

I made the peanut butter and jelly bars today for a Labor Day cookout. Dying to eat them all :-) Will hopefully remember to post a pic later!

Have a great labor day, everyone!

Shirley

The Quitting Story

2011-09-02T09:48:00.003-04:00

Today, over at Aspiring Romance Writers, you can read my quitting story. (Also, I'll be there all month with handouts on writing, and at the end of the month, a Q&A, so if you have questions, you can ask them there!)

For anyone pursuing a dream--no matter what it might be--I hope that reading this inspires you to persevere! Have a great Friday and a fabulous Labor Day Weekend!

Shirley

Grilling Tonight :-)

2011-08-30T18:39:00.004-04:00

I know, I know, I haven't been here in a while. Sorry! In the summer, I don't cook as much--it's mainly just easy stuff on the grill (we travel a lot in the summer too, so it's simply a matter of not being here either :-) I had a couple favorite recipes that I wanted to share today. Simple, easy, and uses some of the bounty from the garden :-)

I made grilled chicken tonight--did a dry rub on it and let it set for a half hour, then cooked it and basted it at the end with barbecue sauce. Totally delicious. If I get a chance, I'll post that recipe another day (I forgot to take a picture of it). I served it with this cilantro-lime grilled corn and a tomato salad. The corn is really yummy and super easy, and good even off the cob :-)

Cilantro Lime Corn

1 stick butter (or margarine)

1/2 lime, zested and juiced

1 teaspoon salt

dash cayenne pepper

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

8-10 ears of corn, shucked

Tear off enough pieces of foil for all your corn and either preheat the grill or the oven to 400 degrees F. Mix the butter, lime juice and zest, salt, cayenne and cilantro in a bowl. Reserve a couple tablespoons of the butter for after the corn is done. Take the rest and rub it all over the corn, then wrap each ear tightly in foil and either grill or bake for about 25 minutes. Delish!

Tomato Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Dressing:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon oregano

Salad:

1 cup lettuce

3 tomatoes, sliced thin

1/4 cup minced red onion or Vidalia onion

1/4 cup minced fresh basil

1/4 cup feta

Mix all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl with a whisk. Assemble the salad, then drizzle with the dressing. Serve immediately. Easy and delicious...and super healthy!

Enjoy! Tell me, what's your favorite thing to grill?

Shirley

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

2011-05-05T09:58:00.003-04:00

Happy Cinco de Mayo, everyone! I invited friends over tonight to help celebrate...er, drink margaritas ;-) I love any holiday that's an excuse to have a margarita!

I made Tyler Florence's Chicken Enchiladas this morning, ready to bake tonight (and made a vegetarian version for my daughter with black beans). I tasted the mixture and OMG, they are yummy! I can't wait to have them tonight. The recipe makes a TON so I had enough for two pans--froze one pan and put one in the fridge for tonight.

Are you doing anything special tonight? I'll be raising a glass to all my blog readers (and book readers)! Your support and warm words give me a reason to celebrate every day :-)

Shirley

Interview with me :-)

2011-04-30T09:15:00.003-04:00

Join me today on Word Wranglers and get a peek inside my newest release, and a look at my writing process!

Shirley

Cupcake Heaven :-)

2011-04-27T19:59:00.004-04:00

I love cake in all forms, but especially in the form of cupcakes...little bite size pieces of goodness. I mean LOVE cake. Anyone who wants to know the way to my heart and stomach...it's in cake with buttercream frosting. OMG, I'm in heaven.

So when I went to make dessert for Easter dinner, I knew I'd be making cupcakes. I've made Ina Garten's Carrot Cupcakes several times before with fabulous results. DH absolutely LOVES these carrot cupcakes and ate nearly as many as I did, LOL.

A lot of people in the reviews of the recipe on Food Network complain about the oven temp and have problems, but honestly, I have made these many times and followed the recipe to a T and never had a problem. The only things I do differently is skip the raisins, substitute pecans for the walnuts, and add the shaved, candied carrot on top, which she put in the Better Homes and Gardens version of the recipe. I love the little candied carrot bits on top. Just yummy :-)

This year, I also made her Peanut Butter frosted Chocolate Cupcakes, (pictured above) and decorated them with mini Reese's peanut butter cups. These ones weren't my favorites (that's not to say I didn't eat like three of them though, LOL). The chocolate cupcakes have more of a dark chocolate flavor, and I like my chocolate semi-sweet. They were good...just not my favorites. Judging by the family guests, though, the chocolate was a big hit. They were all gone after Easter dinner :-)

After watching Chris Kimball, from America's Test Kitchen, on the Today show, I wanted to try his red velvet cupcakes. I LOVED the cupcakes themselves, but the frosting was too close to the flavor of the one on the carrot cupcakes (almost identical recipes). When I make these again, I'll either do a buttercream frosting or not make the carrot ones at the same time :-)

I definitely need to unearth my pastry bag next time I make some cupcakes so I can make them all fancy like they do on Cupcake Wars. I love that show and the gorgeous work they do in such a short period of time. Wish I was there to eat the leftovers ;-)

What'd you make for Easter dessert? What's your favorite dessert? I don't make dessert very often (because then I EAT it, LOL) but it really is my favorite part of the meal. I have vowed that when I get old and gray, I'm only going to eat dessert. It worked for my grandma, who lived to 97 :-)

Shirley
PS: If you haven't already "liked" my Facebook author page, stop on by! It lets you keep up to date with my books and my blog posts!

Cauliflower and Ham Gratin

2011-04-26T17:32:00.005-04:00

Tonight's dinner was a sort of "what's leftover" creation, with a vegetarian version on the side for my daughter. I had come across a recipe for a cauliflower ham gratin but it had received iffy reviews for the lack of flavor. So I decided to make mine with lots of stuff, which really boosted the flavor.

It was easy, and quick and used up a lot of that ham from Easter :-)

Cauliflower Ham Gratin

2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, diced
2-3 shallots, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 8 ounce package button mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup flour
salt and pepper
1 cup milk
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
dash nutmeg
1 16 ounce bag frozen cauliflower
1/2 cup gruyere or Swiss cheese, shredded, divided
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded (I don't use the can stuff), divided
1-2 cups cooked ham, diced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cook the cauliflower in the microwave, then drain well and chop it into one-inch pieces. In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the onions, garlic, shallots and peppers and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until vegetables are softened. Add mushrooms and cook another 3-5 minutes, until mushrooms are softened. Sprinkle with flour and add about 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Stir until flour coats the vegetables. Add milk and broth a little at a time, stirring well after each addition, until it's all incorporated. Add nutmeg. Bring sauce to a boil and cook 1-2 minutes, until thick. Add 1/4 cup Swiss and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese and cauliflower, and stir.

(at this point, I divided out one-quarter of the mixture and put it in a small baking dish, topped with some of the reserved cheddar cheese and set it aside...that was the vegetarian version for my daughter).

Add the ham, then pour the mixture into a Pam coated baking dish. Top with reserved cheese. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and melted. This one was a big hit with everyone in the family. They even had seconds :-)

Shirley

Easy Crockpot Chicken

2011-04-23T18:58:00.003-04:00

I had a long and busy day today, and wasn't going to be home till after 5:30, so it was definitely a crock-pot dinner night :-) This one was an easy one--I love those dump and walk away type recipes. It's a variation on Chicken and Dumplings (I made a vegetarian one last week and then have this Tyler Florence one that is a stand-by favorite in my house).

I didn't make this quite the way the recipe said, at least the dumpling part. They said to put biscuits or dumplings in the bottom of the bowl and pour the stew over it, which would be okay, but I'm more of a tear-my-bread-and-dip person, so I did it that way instead. And I only had four Grands type biscuits left (hmm...I suspect the family is sneaking them!) so I used these whole grain rolls instead.

Easy Crockpot Chicken Stew

3 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup flour
8 chicken thighs (or breasts cut into small pieces)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
To add at the end:
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup heavy cream

In a 4 or 6-quart crockpot, mix the carrots, celery and onions with the flour. Layer the chicken on top, then sprinkle with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Pour the wine and broth over it all, then cover and cook on low for 5 1/2 to 6 hours (or 3 hours on high). Remove the lid, stir in the frozen peas and cream and cook 5-10 more minutes, or until heated through. Serve with biscuits or rolls.

That's it! My family liked it, so it'll go on my list of dinners-for-a-busy-day. I'd love to do dumplings on it, and I might try that next time.

Shirley

Tilapia Milanese

2011-04-20T17:44:00.003-04:00

My son has turned into a big fan of Tilapia. I had another recipe I made a few weeks ago that was quick and easy, and basically just consisted of a sauce that got drizzled over pan-fried Tilapia. He liked it so much, we had it twice that week and a couple times since. I didn't put that one on the blog, but next time I make it, I will. :-)

So tonight I wanted to have Tilapia, but have a different recipe from the one I'd made before. My son was NOT happy--he wanted the one he already knew he liked. So I enlisted his help in making the Tilapia Milanese because I knew if I did that, he'd be more invested in the meal. So I had him running the food processor while I was peeling potatoes for mashed potatoes.

This one was in a recent issue of Food Network Magazine. I love that magazine--nearly every issue has a dozen or more recipes I can't wait to make.

Tilapia Milanese

4 6-ounce tilapia fillets
1 1/2 cups milk (I used fat-free/lactose-free)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
3 large eggs
6 slices white bread, torn into pieces (I used whole grain white)
1/3 cup fresh parsley leaves
grated zest of 1/2 lemon (reserve the wedgest for serving)
1/2 teaspoon salt
4-6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2-4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Place the fish in a bowl with the milk and 2 cups of ice. Let marinate for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 F.

In a shallow bowl (I always use pie plates for dredging), mix flour with salt and pepper. In pie plate #2, beat the eggs lightly. Reserve a third pie plate for breading.

In a food processor, pulse the bread, parsley, lemon zest and salt, until crumbs form. Pour into pie plate #3. Remove the fillets from the milk, dredge in flour (shaking off excess), then into eggs, then into bread crumbs. Press bread crumbs onto fish to coat it well. Put the fillets on a large plate.

In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter with 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add two fillets, and cook, 3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet. Add another tablespoon or two each of butter and olive oil (I only needed one more of each) and cook remaining two fillets. Transfer to the baking sheet. Bake at 425 for 8 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve with lemon wedges.

My son had seconds--an entire fillet and then half of another. For a pre-teen, that's a whole lot of fish ;-). It was a great dinner, and definitely on the list to make again.

Shirley

Orange Marmalade Experiment

2011-04-17T22:09:00.003-04:00

I haven't canned a whole lot so far (my first big experiment was my mom's zucchini relish) so I'm still a bit nervous when I try it. Not that it's especially hard, but there are a lot of variables to worry about.

The other day, I made the marmalade carrots...and didn't realize until after I started that I didn't have any marmalade. Since the chicken has quite an extended cooking time, I figured I could make some marmalade. Not too hard, right? Well, it wasn't. And IMO, it turned out pretty good. A bit too sweet, but I think that was because I was trying to halve Alton Brown's recipe and I was a little rushed.

Here's what I did:
Orange Marmalade
3 medium oranges
1/2 lemon, zest finely grated and juiced
3 cups water
1.75 pounds sugar

Slice the oranges into 1/8-inch slices. (A mandoline is recommended but I couldn't find mine, so I just took my time with a very sharp knife). Stack the orange slices and cut them into quarters. Put them into an 8-quart stainless steel pot, add lemon zest, juice and water. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes.

Once fruit is soft, return heat to a boil, add the sugar and cook until it reaches the "jelly" stage on a candy thermometer--about 222 degrees F. This will take another 15 to 20 minutes, Then it's ready to use or can :-)

I got two pint jars out of my halving experiment. Enough, because I'm the only one who really eats marmalade around here. I've got those tiny canning jars on my list, so I can start canning more fruits and jams and hopefully a lot of spaghetti sauce when tomatoes are everywhere this summer (I still have high hopes of planting a garden...every year, I say I will and then don't, LOL).

Speaking of Alton, I wanted to mention his "I'm Just Here for the Food" book. I think I've mentioned it before, but it's really one of my go-to books for basics. He explains the science behind WHY brining works well, etc., and I like that aspect. It's kind of like his show, "Good Eats," but on paper ;-) I also picked up the latest Food Network recipe book (the one that's the collection from the magazine) and Ina Garten's "How Easy is That?" I LOVE all of Ina's cookbooks--foolproof, easy recipes that are great for entertaining.

For Easter, I'm planning on making a cherry chipolte barbecue sauce to serve with the ham. If I have time, I'll make extra to can, too. I'm also going to be baking cupcakes this week...and trying to resist the temptation to eat them all before Easter, LOL.

Shirley

Chicken Canzanese and Marmalade Carrots with Candied Pecans

2011-04-15T20:04:00.002-04:00

I'm a huge fan of the show America's Test Kitchen. It's on PBS and is filmed in a kitchen in Vermont. Kind of quirky people, who test everything to death, ensuring you get a pretty darn foolproof recipe in the end.

I've made this Chicken Canzanese twice now and I have to say, it's one of my favorite chicken recipes. My mouth waters just thinking about it, no kidding. It's made with chicken thighs, which makes it economical, too :-)

It uses a technique called braising--which is basically searing, then simmering in the oven in a sauce. The chicken stays tender, the sauce gets thick and everything gets all yummy. The recipe is here (and has a video and everything). One of the things the recipe doesn't tell you is total cooking time. It usually takes me a little over 2 hours (there's an hour and 15 in there of in-oven time). So don't start this one late in the day ;-) It makes a great presentation, so it's on my guest menu, too.

You do need to have a Dutch Oven for this one. I have the Martha Stewart one, which is okay and cheaper than the Le Creuset, which I covet ;-).

Registering for America's Test Kitchen is free, and I definitely recommend that. Also, try to catch the show on your local PBS channel. Mine runs on either Saturday or Sunday mornings (I forget; the DVR just tapes it automatically for me). I have bought a few things they recommended on the show--a chef's knife, a vegetable peeler, a garlic press. Love them all.

When I made this tonight, I used center cut bacon since I was out of prosciutto. I never seem to have whole cloves on hand, so I use ground. I've been growing rosemary in my kitchen (I truly have no green thumb, but have yet to kill the rosemary) so I had that fresh. It does make a difference to use the fresh ingredients, particularly things like garlic--chopping your own is a HUGE difference in taste over using the jarred stuff. I served it with Marmalade Carrots with Candied Pecans, which were delicious. :-)

Marmalade Carrots with Candied Pecans

For the pecans:

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon white sugar

dash salt

For the carrots:

2 pounds baby carrots

4 tablespoons butter, divided

3/4 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons orange marmalade (I made my own today; look for it in a future blog post)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

dash kosher salt

In a small saucepan, prepare the pecans. Melt the butter and add the sugars. When the sugar melts, stir in the pecans and cook until syrupy, stirring often, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool in a dish or on a plate.

In a separate large saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add orange juice, marmalade, brown sugar, salt and carrots. Cook 12-15 minutes or until carrots begin to soften. Remove from heat, toss with pecans and serve.

This one was a huge hit with the whole family (my son calls it his favorite chicken). The vegetarian teen only had the carrots and liked those :-) So it's all on my keeper list! :-)

Shirley

Vegetarian "Chicken" and Dumplings...w/o the Chicken ;-)

2011-04-14T19:39:00.005-04:00

My daughter has become a vegetarian, which has made for alittle bit of a challenge in cooking. For a lot of my recipes for her, I've been using the Cooking Light Vegetarian cookbook. (Except for tonight's recipe, which came from Rachael Ray's magazine...more on that recipe in a minute).

I love the Cooking Light cookbook because it not only has the "what is it" info (like what is tempeh) but also step-by-step directions that go straight back to the basics of cooking. It shows you how to prepare tofu, what to do with lentils, even slicing tomatoes (perfect for my child, who needed help making a three-ingredient panini, LOL). When she goes off to college, I'm packing this for her...and hoping she cooks from this instead opening a can of raviolis ;-)

Anyway, before the vegetarian days, her favorite soup was Chicken and Dumpling. I couldn't do that, so when I saw a vegetarian version in Rachael Ray Magazine, I had to try it.

I followed the recipe to a T...except I mixed in a mixture of parsley and this new freeze-dried dill (have you tried these? They're nearly as good as fresh, better than dried) into the dumplings. I also made double the amount of dumplings because I knew my family would love them.

Verdict--EVERYONE in the family loved it and no one noticed the chicken wasn't there. My daughter had the biggest bowl of soup I've ever seen her eat, LOL.

Shirley

New Book Out this Month! My First Cowboy :-)

2011-04-11T10:26:00.003-04:00

HOW TO LASSO A COWBOY Available April 2011 and also new from AJ Whitten in May...THE CELLAR

Love is in the air in Edgerton Shores—a matchmaking love lottery! But imagine poor Sophie Watson's surprise when her name's pulled out of the hat and she didn't even put it in….

No one likes to see the uptight little beauty in a fix more than straight-talking cowboy Harlan Jones. But his sexy smirk is soon wiped away when his name is matched to sweet Sophie's! A week of dates.

It'll take only one to show them how mismatched they are…so what will they do on the other six…? read an excerpt! Buy the Book!

Online Class Starting Soon! Rule of Six

2011-02-21T18:55:00.002-05:00

Sign up for my online class today and receive hands-on critiques from Yours Truly!

Title: Using the Rule of Six To Strengthen Everything From Plot to Titles
Instructor: Shirley Jump
Date: February 28 - March 25, 2011
Classroom: Foothills
For More Information: Colorado Romance Writers

DESCRIPTION: Capitalize on this technique marketing gurus have used for years to find the "thought not thought of yet" and avoid duplicating a plot line, character quirk or other idea already out there (that you may have seen subconsciously). Then learn how to use this technique to take your writing deeper and draw out more emotion, more conflict...more of everything! It's truly astounding when you see it in action. With this interactive class, New York Times bestselling author Shirley Jump will show you how to use "Shirley's Rule of Six" for everything from plot to word choice. The result? More powerful writing that has that unique touch editors today are looking to buy.

Cool Tidbits about Valentine's Day

2011-02-12T07:39:00.002-05:00

I haven't been cooking as much lately (darn deadlines, LOL) though I do have a fat free Carrot and Sweet Potato soup in the crockpot today. First time making it, so we'll see how it turns out. I also have a FABULOUS chicken recipe to share when I get some time.

In the meantime, in the spirit of Valentine's Day, a friend of mine wrote this great article to share on the history of Valentine's day. Some cool tidbits about the reasons the holiday started, complete with a villain and a good guy and few broken hearts.

February Online Class: Revision Can be Fun!

2011-01-28T11:12:00.002-05:00

Join me for a month of revision that's fun and educational!

******PERMISSION TO FORWARD GRANTED AND ENCOURAGED!!********
WritersOnlineClasses.com is proud to present one of its two online February classes. To follow are the details of the Revision Can Be Fun with New York Times bestselling author Shirley Jump:

CLASS: Revision Can Be Fun
INSTRUCTOR: Shirley Jump
4-week class: February 1-28 COST: $30
Registration ends January 31, 2011

Class Description: REVISION CAN BE FUN
Learn how to analyze your writing with an objective eye and revise it, helping your book, article or short story become stronger and better. New York Times bestselling author Shirley Jump will give you hands-on tools, tips and tricks to revise your work, along with concrete examples to show you how to really take your book from blah to BLOCKBUSTER. This interactive class will have you polishing your novels, and learning how to fix a sagging plot, flat characters and a stalled storyline. Get hands-on with your book with Shirley Jump!

INSTRUCTOR BIO: New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shirley Jump spends her days writing romantic comedies (Vegas Pregnancy Surprise, July 2010) to feed her shoe addiction and avoid cleaning the toilets. As AJ Whitten (www.ajwhitten.com), she also writes horror young adult novels for Houghton Mifflin’s Graphia imprint with her daughter (The Well, September 2009). She cleverly finds writing time by feeding her kids junk food, allowing them to dress in the clothes they find on the floor and encouraging the dogs to double as vacuum cleaners. Visit her website at www.shirleyjump.com or read recipes and life adventures at www.shirleyjump.blogspot.com.

For more information or to register, go to
www.WritersOnlineClasses.com OR email info@WritersOnlineClasses.com

WritersOnlineClasses.com Refund Policy: Cash Refunds only when requested within 30 days of initial payment. After 30 days, refund will be credit toward a future class.

CLASS: Revision can be Fun.
INSTRUCTOR: Shirley Jump
4-week class: February 1-28 COST: $30
Registration ends January 31, 2011

Please make checks* payable to: Mary O’Gara -and mail to-
Post Office Box 35938
Albuquerque, NM 87176
*PLEASE NOTE: WritersOnlineClasses.com accepts personal checks or money orders (US FUNDS ONLY!).

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WritersOnlineClassesannounce-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

New Year's Resolutions and Chance to win a book!

2011-01-20T09:06:00.002-05:00

Stop by the Writerspace blog today, where I chat about New Year's Resolutions, offer up a little inspiration for dreamers, and offer a chance to win one of my books!

Shirley

Online Chat with Book Giveaway tonight

2011-01-09T09:13:00.003-05:00

Join me for the Writerspace online chat tonight at 9pm EST and a chance to win a free book! Ask questions about the writing process, hear all about Midnight Kiss, New Year Wish, or get me talking about recipes ;-)

Shirley

Yum-bo Gumbo and Jan. 15 Speaking Engagement

2011-01-05T18:05:00.008-05:00

Okay, lame name for this dish, LOL. Guess all my creativity got used up on the fiction writing today.

I made gumbo for the first time this week (thanks to Lori Leger for the Cajun spices!). I love Cajun food and had a great bowl of gumbo a couple weeks ago, and was dying to replicate the recipe. I took one of Emeril's (figuring he knows New Orleans cuisine pretty darn well) and added a few tweaks to it, based on the restaurant one.

Here's Emeril's recipe. The one I had at the restaurant had ham hocks in it (which to be honest, the thought of even cooking with them had me totally grossed out, but I was a trooper, and decided to try it). Emeril starts with a roux--I browned the ham hocks in a little oil first, then took them out of the pan and followed Emeril's steps. I re-added the ham hocks with the sausage (I had to use kielbasa because I couldn't find andouille sausage). I also added frozen chopped okra, to beef up the vegetables. When the gumbo was done, I removed the ham hocks but diced up the meat and put that in. I kept the spice level low so the kids could eat it, so it wasn't as spicy as the one in the restaurant, but still smelled AMAZING and tasted FAB. My son loved it (DD wasn't home that night). My husband added some hot sauce to it, to increase the level of heat, but everyone had seconds.

If you want some more Cajun recipes, check out Lori's Blog on Cajun Cooking. I'm looking forward to trying more!

I served it with homemade cornbread that I brushed with honey butter while it was still warm. A hit all around, and definitely has me looking forward to my trip to New Orleans where I'll be speaking to SOLA on "Taking a Book from Good to Sold" on January 15th. If you're in the area, join me!

Shirley

Spicy Tomato Crab Bisque-ish

2011-01-04T20:00:00.004-05:00

I'm calling this soup a "bisque-ish" because I did add some cream to it, but not enough to push it into the bisque category. More to give it a bit of depth, without pushing it into the heavy-on-your-thighs department. I made this for lunch today (as part of my New Year's commitment to eating healthier after a LOT of cookies over the past month, LOL).

Anyway, I LOVED this soup. I had come across another recipe for it, and then read a few reviewer's comments on the soup, and decided on a few changes of my own.

Spicy Tomato Crab Bisque-ish

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 fennel bulb, fronds removed, bulb diced
2 onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 14-ounce cans diced tomatoes
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder

1 6 ounce can crab meat (or fresh if you can get it)

1/4 cup half and half
chili oil, for drizzling

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium. Add onions, fennel (reserve the fronds for later) and garlic. Saute 10-15 minutes, until softened. Add the tomatoes (do not drain them; add the sauce too) and broth. Season with salt and pepper, then add cumin and cayenne. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, then simmer for 15 minutes. Add more broth if the soup is too thick.

I pureed the soup a bit at this point; just to make it smoother but not to totally mush up the vegetables. Then I added the crab meat, cooked it for a couple minutes, then stirred in the half and half (and FWIW, I used reduced fat half and half). Taste and season again wtih salt and pepper, if needed.

Serve with minced fennel fronds and if you like it spicy, a light drizzle of chili oil. (LIGHT, because that chili oil is spicy stuff :-)

Shirley

Soup-A-Palooza Dos

2010-12-23T11:27:00.003-05:00

I promised yesterday to blog about Soup-a-Palooza, so here I am :-) I had held one a month or so ago with my friends--basically, I made a bunch of soups (Oven Baked Beef Stew, Spicy Thai Soup, Mexican Chicken Tortilla and French Onion) and invited over my friends, telling them to bring something to go with soup. The party was a hit--lots of different types of soups to fit each person's tastes (a beef, a chicken, an Asian and a vegetarian style), and it was fun to have something so earthy for a party.

My daughter, whose friends I normally invite to my theme nights (and had forgotten to invite to this one) asked if I'd do the same thing for her friends. Dubbed Soup-a-Palooza Dos, I let my daughter dictate the menu, and let her create the guest list. Lots of teenage girls made for lots of laughter and chatter, so it was a blast. One of them brought rolls, another made this yummy dessert Christmas bread that we baked while we were eating. I made the soups and the Macadamia Nut Yummies.

I served three soups: Chicken and Dumpling, which I've put on the blog before, Tomato Tortellini, also a previous blog appearer, and a new one--Lemon Chicken Rice (a Greek soup, aka Avgolemono). My dear friend Tori Carrington (a husband-wife writing duo) makes this all the time and said that I had to make a long kissing sound while adding the egg mixture to the soup or it would be ruined (I love those kinds of quirky customs). Since the soup was a hit (two of the girls took home leftovers), I think the kissing noise paid off ;-)

Before I made the two chicken based soups, I made a Simple Chicken Stock:

1 whole chicken
1 onion, peeled and halved
1 full head of garlic, halved
4-6 sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4-6 black peppercorns

Put chicken in a stockpot or dutch oven. Add other ingredients. Add enough water to cover the chicken. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and simmer for one hour. Remove the chicken and shred the meat. Strain the stock and use in soups or freeze to use later.

Trust me, it makes a HUGE difference to use homemade stock. And it seasoned the chicken nicely, so it tasted perfect in the chicken and dumpling soup and the Lemon Chicken Rice Soup. It only takes a minute to put a stock together, and just a little over an hour to cook. Do it a couple days before if you want. I've even made it in the Crock-Pot (turning the CP to High).

Easy Avgolemono Soup (Greek Lemon Chicken Rice Soup)

6 cups chicken broth (reserve extra for later; the rice expands and I added a cup of stock at the end)
1 cup long grain rice
2 eggs
Juice of 1/2 of a lemon (reserve other half to add more lemon juice if you need it)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley

Bring stock to a boil, add rice, then reduce to a simmer and cook about 20 minutes, until rice is tender. Add the chicken, then make the egg mixture (it will thicken the soup and give it a nice, creamy texture).

Separate the eggs. Whisk the whites until they're frothy, then add in the yolks and the lemon juice. Add one cup of hot cooking liquid, whisk, then add another cup. Pour egg mixture into the soup (making that kissing sound if you want). Season with salt and pepper, add parsley. Serve.

Shirley

More Christmas Cookies: Macadamia Nut Yummies

2010-12-22T07:34:00.004-05:00

During my baking frenzy a couple weeks ago a friend of mine asked if I was making white chocolate macadamia nut. I've eaten plenty of these in my lifetime, but never made them, so when I got a few free minutes (my Christmas presents are all bought and wrapped--yeah!), I made a couple batches of these.

I had a bunch of my daughter's friends over last night for "Soup-a-Palooza Dos." I'd held one a month or so ago (and just realized I didn't blog about it...sorry! Will remedy that in the next few days). Anyway, I made these cookies as dessert to go with the soups. They were light and sweet, the perfect compliment, IMO.

I know Macadamia Nut cookies generally call for White Chocolate chips, but I had trouble finding those in the store...for some reason there weren't ANY. So I mixed half white chocolate chips that I had left in my cabinet and half Vanilla Chips, which is what the store had. I think it gave the cookies another dimension of flavor, and each chip was a little surprise, with the two working together nicely. Hence the name "Yummies." :-) You can do a little of both, as I have in my recipe below, or do one or the other (total is one cup of chips)

Macadamia Nut Yummies
Makes 2 1/2 dozen

1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour (plus a little extra if the batter is too wet)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 1/2 ounces macadamia nuts, chopped
1/2 cup vanilla chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, Beat in the egg, then the vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking soda, then add to the batter a little at a time. If the batter is too moist, add another 2 or 3 tablespoons of flour. You want it pliable but not sticky. Stir in the nuts and chips.

Cut a sheet of parchment paper for each cookie sheet (trust me, it's worth it. You end up with pretty much zero cleanup). Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto the ungreased sheets, about two inches apart. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on the sheet for one minute before transferring to a wire rack.

I made 2 1/2 dozen with this recipe. You can get more or less, depending on the size of your cookies. Or how much raw batter you eat (not recommended by lawyers, salmonella and all that) while waiting on the first batch to cook ;-)

Shirley

Christmas Chat with Prizes!

2010-12-14T13:36:00.004-05:00

Join me for the Knight Agency's Holiday chat on the 16th and have a chance at winning a Shirley Jump prize package!

HO HO HO! It's the most wonderful time of the year, and that means it's time for The Knight Agency’s annual online holiday party! Join our agents, authors and TKA Santa for an hour of non-stop giveaways. This is our most fun, relaxed chat of the year. No worries about what to ask a guest author or waiting your turn to speak -- it's literally a free for all! This year Gena Showalter, Nalini Singh, Maria Geraci, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Shannon K. Butcher, Linda Gerber, Michelle Celmer, Louisa Edwards, Lydia Dare, Joey W. Hill, Jessica Andersen, Lauren Baratz-Logsted, Chris Marie Green and Shirley Jump are all giving away signed copies of their releases. Plus we're raiding our book closets and giving out titles by Rachel Caine, Marley Gibson and Cecil Murphey, among others. Oh yeah, and there's a Christmas stocking prize stuffed with books and holiday treats.

Don't forget to mark your calendars!

WHAT: Knight Agency Annual Holiday Lunchbox Chat
WHEN: Thursday, December 16th @ 12:30pm ET
WHERE: The Knight Agency Chat Room -- http://client1.sigmachat.com/sc.php?id=115545
HOW TO CHAT: Enter any combination of username and password. Login. Your computer must be Java enabled to chat.

Easy Christmas Treat: Nutty Balls

2010-12-14T07:51:00.004-05:00

Yes, the name of this recipe cracks me up (and my friend Melanie Gold, who was the one to give me the recipe, has many other double entendre names for them ;-) Mel, as a side note, is THE MOST AMAZING pastry chef. It's not her full-time job, but really, it should be. I'm not much of a baker, and if I want an amazing treat (I'm still dreaming about the mini cupcakes she made me this fall), I know I'll find one at her house. Anyway, she made them for my friends get-together this summer and they were amazing. One of those things that are so yummy, it's impossible to eat just one.

The original recipe, Mel told me, comes from GREAT COOKIES by Carole Walter. Doesn't the cover of that book alone make you want some cookies? Alas, ours are gone (I froze some for our holiday party, then donated the rest to the school Cookie Walk...lest I eat them all. Now I DO want to eat them all, LOL).

Anyway, I know several of these amazing nutty balls are waiting in my freezer for the holiday party. And don't tell my Dad, but I'm bringing him some for Christmas this year :-)

Nutty Balls
Recipe from Melanie Gold

2-1/3 cups strained confectioners' sugar, spooned in and leveled
1 cup fine graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temp
3/4 cup peanut butter (creamy or chunky)
10 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (or morsels)
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 cups salted peanuts, finely chopped

In a large bowl, stir together the sugar and crumbs. Add the butter and peanut butter and stir till thoroughly combined. Portion the dough into 1-inch balls and place on parchment-lined jelly roll pans/cookie sheets.

Combine the chocolate and veg. oil in a metal or glass bowl and melt over a pot of boiling water. (This is sometimes called a double boiler.) When chocolate is melted, turn off the heat but don't move the bowl. Place about half the nuts in a wide flat dish such as a pie plate.

Dip one ball at a time in the chocolate (Shirley's note: I used two forks, one to dip, then I transferred back and forth, and tapped the fork lightly on the side of the bowl to remove the excess chocolate), then roll it in the peanuts, coating evenly. Place balls back on the pans/sheets and allow to air dry. (Sometimes I refrigerate them to solidify the chocolate a bit faster.)

Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks. These treats freeze well and have a fairly long shelf life, but they are temperature sensitive.

Thanks, Mel!!

Shirley

Perfect for a Snowy Day...

2010-12-13T19:46:00.006-05:00

We got our first real snowfall of the season this weekend. Not a ton of snow--just enough for DH to break in the new snowblower and to dust everything with a pretty coating of white. And just enough to make my White Chicken Chili the perfect dinner for today :-)

I've run the recipe before on the blog, but thought it was a good time to run it again. I added my notes for what tweaks I made today.

White Chicken Chili

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup onions, chopped
1 cup green pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons pickled jalapeno (comes in a jar in the Mexican food aisle), chopped (NOTE: I didn't have any of that on hand today, so I used a small can of diced green chilies)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt (or regular; I just prefer to cook with kosher)
2 cups chicken broth (I used the homemade broth I make)

2 15-ounce cans Great Northern beans, drained
1 pound cooked chicken, shredded (I didn't have any already cooked, so I poached a couple breasts in some water seasoned with salt and pepper)
1/2 cup whipping cream (I use half and half)

Heat oil in a large pot (like a Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Add onion, green pepper and jalapeno. Saute about 4 minutes, until soft and onion is translucent. Add garlic and spices. Cook for one minute. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add vegetables, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook until vegetables are tender. Add beans and chicken and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in cream and cook until heated through.

Shirley

Christmas Cookies #3: Snow-Capped Macaroons

2010-12-08T14:19:00.000-05:00

For those of you who are on Facebook with me, you know the dog (not my dog, but DH's pointer, who does his best to drive me nuts) ATE MY COOKIES yesterday. He ate the ginger cookies, and the thumbprints. ALL of them.

Darn dog. And yes, he's okay. And I have forgiven him.

Mostly.

So I spent today in my kitchen baking some more. (argh). I made Peanut Butter Cookies, more thumbprints, some of these Snow-Capped Macaroons as well as a cake. Didn't make more Ginger cookies because I didn't have any more candied ginger so those will have to wait until next week.

I also tried another Food Network Mag recipe for Chocolate Malted Sandwiches. They were a disaster. I don't know if my butter was too soft/warm or what, but the dough refused to cooperate, so I scrapped them halfway in. And they sounded so good, too :-(

Instead, I made these Snow-Capped Macaroons. Quite easy, and very tasty. They don't make very many--I got just under two dozen from this recipe--but they're good. I wished I had some cool white sprinkles for on top, because the sprinkles I did use don't really show very well :-(

Snow-Capped Macaroons (recipe from Food Network Magazine)

2 large egg whites
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup sliced almonds, crushed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups sweetened shredded coconut

For the Glaze:
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Coarse sugar crystals, for decorating

Make the cookies: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly beat the egg whites in a medium bowl until frothy, then stir in the granulated sugar, almonds, vanilla and salt. Fold in the coconut.

Drop tablespoonfuls of the batter 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Dampen your hands and form into tall pointed mounds. Bake until the edges are golden brown and the macaroons look dry, 16 to 20 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Make the glaze: Put the chocolate, corn syrup, butter and 3 tablespoons hot water in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave until melted, about 2 minutes. Whisk until smooth.

Dip the tip of each macaroon about halfway into the glaze, then place on a clean parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, then refrigerate until the glaze sets, about 1 hour. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Shirley

Christmas Cookies #2: Ina Garten's Ultimate Ginger Cookies

2010-12-06T21:59:00.001-05:00

I love ginger cookies. They're the perfect treat with a cup of coffee in the morning, or a cup of tea in the afternoon (okay, so are the White Chocolate Raspberry Thumbprints I made yesterday, LOL). The problem with most store bought ones is that they're either too bland in flavor or so hard, you need to sit them in the coffee for a while to soften them ;-)

Ina Garten is my go-to chef for when I want something I know will be awesome. Her Ultimate Ginger Cookies were no exception.

The only thing I changed was making them smaller so I could get more out of the batch (her recipe makes 12-16). They cooked exactly 13 minutes, like her recipe says, and they were, as promised, crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. Just delicious all around :-)

Ina Garten's Ultimate Ginger Cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
1 extra-large egg, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups chopped crystallized ginger (6 ounces)
Granulated sugar, for rolling the cookies

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and salt and then combine the mixture with your hands. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the brown sugar, oil, and molasses on medium speed for 5 minutes. Turn the mixer to low speed, add the egg, and beat for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat for 1 more minute. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the crystallized ginger and mix until combined.

Scoop the dough with 2 spoons or a small ice cream scoop. With your hands, roll each cookie into a 1 3/4-inch ball and then flatten them lightly with your fingers. Press both sides of each cookie in granulated sugar and place them on the sheet pans. Bake for exactly 13 minutes. The cookies will be crackled on the top and soft inside. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Shirley

Christmas Cookies #1: White Chocolate Raspberry Thumbprints

2010-12-05T21:47:00.007-05:00

Today was a day of baking. I made three different kinds of cookies and twelve loaves of chocolate banana bread (Tyler Florence's recipe).

These cookies in the picture are my White Chocolate Raspberry Thumbprints. Readers will remember them as the featured recipe in Twelve Days, my novella in Sugar and Spice. I liked them so much, I've made them every year. :-)

They're delicious...just a light sugar cookie base, with raspberry jam filling and then white chocolate drizzle and red sugar sprinkles. A couple things I sometimes do (that aren't in my recipe)....add a teaspoon of vegetable oil to the white chocolate when it's melting to make it more pliable, and keep it from hardening too fast. I also sometimes roll the sugar cookie dough balls in sugar before flattening them and filling them. What's a little extra sweetness at the holidays? ;-)

Shirley's White Chocolate Raspberry Thumbprints

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (I always use real vanilla)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam
1 cup white chocolate chips

Red sugar sprinkles

Trust me, these ones are so good, you won’t have any left for guests (and whoever invented that rule about sharing your cookies, anyhow? It’s Christmas, indulge yourself a little). In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and the shortening with an electric mixer (or use a stand mixer and let the machine do the work), then add the sugar, powdered sugar, baking soda, cream of tarter, and the salt. Beat just until combined.

Add the egg and vanilla, then mix in the flour gradually. Cover the dough and refrigerate for three hours. I know, it’s a long wait, but it’ll be worth it later. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll the dough into 3/4-inch balls and put them on an ungreased cookie sheet. With your thumb or the end of a wooden spoon, press a circular indentation into the center of each cookie. Drop a 1/4 teaspoon of jam into each thumbprint. Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, then cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, pour yourself a glass of milk and get into serious cookie-eating mode. Skip lunch if you have to-there’s no way a tuna on rye can compete.

Put the white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high in 30-second bursts, stirring each time, until the chips are melted. Pour the white chocolate into a resealable plastic bag and snip off a tiny bit of one corner. Drizzle the white chocolate over the cookies. Sprinkle cookies with red sugar to add that festive flair.

Now you’re ready to indulge-don’t worry about the calories until January 1st. Makes three dozen, just enough for you and a friend!

Shirley

To Brine or Not to Brine

2010-11-22T10:37:00.005-05:00

I posted my Thanksgiving Plan the other day, and since then have had lots of discussions on Facebook and by email about brining (BTW, that's not my turkey in that picture, just one I found on the Internet :-). Friends who haven't brined before wanted to know what the big deal is, and if it's worth the effort. I wholeheartedly say YES. It makes the meat so much moister. Last year, nearly the entire turkey was eaten--leaving me with almost no leftovers, LOL. But it was a huge hit around here, so it's a no-brainer to brine again this year.

I use Alton Brown's brining recipe. He has two of them--one on the Food Network that calls for a few ingredients that are hard to find here (allspice berries? Geesh, I have trouble finding shallots in my grocery store), and then this one, which is in his I'm Just Here for the Food book. That's the one I'm planning on using (though I have to admit to being tempted to try Anne Burrell's when I saw it on Food Network the other day).

I don't stuff my turkey, either. I used to, but have had great success putting aromatics in it--rosemary, garlic, onion, lemon and sage--and then rubbing butter all over it. I always worry about the food poisoning thing with stuffing the bird anyway. And I'm impatient enough not to want to wait for the extra cooking time ;-)

So tell me, do you brine your turkey? Are you going to try it this year? Or are you a deep fryer? Or someone who skips the turkey all together?

Shirley

The Thanksgiving Plan

2010-11-20T09:43:00.003-05:00

Last year, my Thanksgiving dinner was a HUGE success. I'm doing the same thing this year, except making a few swaps. We just had a dinner party and had the carrots I made last year, so I'm doing Ina Garten's AMAZING Roasted Butternut Squash this year instead of carrots. And I'm making pecan bars instead of pecan pie. This year, I have a brining bag, which should take up less room in the fridge (and if it doesn't work, DH will be making a late run to Home Depot for a new bucket, LOL).

Anyway, here's last year's Thanksgiving plan...I HIGHLY recommend brining.

>> Thanksgiving was a HUGE success in my house. Brining the bird was DA BOMB and I highly recommend it. I mean, HIGHLY recommend it. I have never had a juicier, more delicious turkey--it was beyond simple to cook, and twelve people devoured nearly an entire 21-pound bird. Lots of going back for seconds and thirds that day!

Take notes if you want for next year, because here's how I did it (and managed to have a LOT of relaxation time on the big day, too):

Wednesday Night: Brine the Bird (in the fridge by 8pm)
Equipment needed: 5-gallon pail from Lowe's or Home Depot
Alton Brown's recipe for Brining from I'm Just Here for the Food
(which involves essentially cooking some water, brown sugar, peppercorns, bay leaves and kosher salt, then cooling and adding to the bucket).
Plus: 3 gallons ice water and 1 1/2 cups kosher salt

Thursday Timeline:
7:00 a.m.: Remove bird from Brining Liquid
Preheat oven
Dry bird, stuff with an onion, celery sticks. Brush whole bird with melted butter, then tent with foil, stick a meat thermometer in it, then put the bird in the oven.

8:00 a.m.: Cook sausage for stuffing, chop vegetables for stuffing (celery, carrots and onions), then cook when sausage is done. Add dried cranberries, leave to cool and set aside

8:15 a.m.: Peel 8 pounds of potatoes and start boiling them for mashed potatoes

8:45 a.m.: Start simple syrup for kids' Floating Island Punch
Put Frozen raspberries, pink lemonade and sugar in bowl to thaw for Poinsettia Punch for grownups :-)

9:30 a.m.: Mash potatoes and put in crock-pot (NOTE; the link to my recipe is right on the blog under Most Popular Recipes) --done till 11:15 a.m. (take a nap, read the ads for Black Friday shopping...I do all my house cleaning on Wednesday, so I'm chilling for these two hours)

11:30 a.m.: remove foil tent from turkey, baste with more butter and turn oven temp up to 425 degrees
Start green beans (I made a healthy version, which I can post later)
Start Citrus-Glazed Carrots

12:15 p.m.: Assemble stuffing

12:30 p.m.: Remove turkey from oven and let set
Put rolls in oven
Put stuffing in oven
Make gravy

1:00 p.m.: Serve and eat ;-)

My MIL made the pies, and I had baked cookies on Wednesday night, so all the rest was done ahead of time. I usually make the pies a day or two ahead of time, but this time someone else did them, so I was saved that chore. This turkey was SO SO good, though. I just can't even tell you ;-)

How was your Thanksgiving? Was it a huge success? I do dishes as I go, and run the dishwasher about halfway through so that everyone can eat on real plates. Clean-up is still a lot of work, but it's not AS bad as it could be.

Shirley

Part Two: Show Not Tell

2010-10-18T08:26:00.002-04:00

Part Two of my post on Show Not Tell is up today! If you're a writer, check it out, or spread the word to other writers. This is one of those building blocks of fiction that can be difficult to master, but once you do, it brings depth and emotion to everything you create! Read it here!

Shirley

Show Not Tell

2010-10-11T09:01:00.003-04:00

I've got a blog post up today, as a guest author, on Show Not Tell. If you're a writer and struggling with this concept, stop on by the blog!

Also, be sure to stop by the contest on my website and enter for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to that shoe mecca I love...DSW!

Shirley

New Book Out This Week!

2010-10-06T19:37:00.002-04:00

I have a new book out today, a retelling of the classic Cinderella tale, though all focused on shoes (oh, and a romance, too!). Anyone who knows me knows this is the perfect kind of story for me!

So look for If the Red Slipper Fits in a store near you, or buy it online.

And if you're like me, you'll treat yourself to not just a new book, but a new pair of shoes, too! ;-)

Shirley

Tyler's Ultimate Barbecued Ribs

2010-09-05T12:25:00.004-04:00

Tyler Florence is amazing. I have always liked his shows and his recipes, and lately have been on a kick to try his "ultimate" recipes from Tyler's Ultimate.

I have yet to be disappointed. Last night, I made the Ultimate Ribs. They were AMAZING. The sauce alone...OMG. Incredible. Sweet, sticky, a tiny bit of spice...exactly what a good barbecue sauce should be. These take some time (two hours total) and I did them in the oven since we were out of propane and the directions call for oven cooking.

There's a video of him cooking the ribs on the Food Network site. I made these exactly as the recipe said (I know, for once I followed a recipe exactly, LOL). And they were the best ribs I've ever cooked, probably the best ones I've had. I'm not a huge fan of ribs (not a fan of messy meals, really) but I couldn't stop eating these ones. It was only me and DH last night for dinner (he loved them too) so no kid opinions.

Tyler Florence's Ultim ate Ribs

NOTE: For mine, I used red vinegar and had Dijon mustard so I used that, not the dry mustard. It makes more sauce than you need, which is great for another dinner. I'm going to put it on some chicken next week. But truly, I loved the sauce so much I could eat just that, LOL.

2 slabs baby back ribs (about 3 pounds)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 bacon slices
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 onion (NOTE: NOT CHOPPED UP, just leave it whole or cut it in half)
3 smashed garlic cloves
2 cups ketchup
1 cup peach preserves
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard or 1 tablespoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground paprika

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Put the ribs on a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Stick them in the oven, and let the ribs bake, low and slow for 1 1/2 hours.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Wrap the bacon around the middle of the thyme sprigs and tie with kitchen twine so you have a nice bundle. Heat a 2-count of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the thyme bundle and cook slowly for 3 to 4 minutes to render the bacon fat and give the sauce a nice smoky taste. Add the onion and garlic and cook slowly, without coloring (NOTE: I THINK HE MEANT STIRRING), for 5 minutes. Add all of the rest of the sauce ingredients, give the sauce a stir, and turn the heat down to low. Cook slowly for 20 minutes to meld the flavors. Put some sauce in a separate bowl for basting, reserving the remaining sauce for serving.

Baste the ribs with the sauce and let them continue cooking, basting twice more, for 30 more minutes. When the ribs are cooked, take them out of the oven. You can let them hang out like this until you're ready to eat.

When ready to eat, preheat the broiler for 5 minutes and broil the ribs, basting with the sauce. They should become crisp and charred, about 5 minutes on each side. Pick the onion and garlic out of the sauce and serve with ribs. (NOTE: I broiled 5 minutes on one side, 5 on the other, then basted once more on the "pretty" side and broiled another 3 minutes).

I've had great success with the Tyler Florence's recipes. My whole family loved the Ultimate Chicken and Dumplings. I'm dying to make that one again! I saw he has a Fried Chicken recipe, so that one's going on my list to try. FYI, he also has a blog and website. What I like most about his "ultimate" recipes is that they are rarely complicated, and become those kind of stand-by dishes you'll make over and over again.

The Ultima te Chick en Cordon Bleu was also awesome. The only change I made was serving it with a cherry chutney, which was truly the perfect complement to the dish. It's another dish I'm already craving again! I haven't posted his Ultimate Roast Chicken yet but trust me, it was INCREDIBLE. I highly recommend it. I made two at a time, so I had a ton of leftover chicken for other dishes. And then I made stock out of the bones. Yum all around!

Today I'm making a Tyler wings recipe for an appetizer. I'm figuring they'll be just as fabulous as all his other dishes. That man can definitely cook :-)

Shirley

Easy Appetizer: Feta Tomato Crostini

2010-09-03T18:01:00.003-04:00

Tonight, I was invited to something last minute, and had to figure out what I could bring based on the ingredients I had on hand. I nearly always have crescent rolls, because I know that good ol' Pillsbury website will give me something good :-).

Tonight's appetizer was no different--I did make far more topping than the recipe called for (basically doubled it but tasted as I went and ended up not doubling the olives) and I still had to steal some from this one and that one at the end to make enough for all 16. Very easy, very fast and very good:

Feta Tomato Crostini (click on title for original recipe...below is how I made it)

1 package crescent rolls

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

1/4 cup diced Kalamata olives (black olives; you can buy a small can of them already chopped up)

1/2 cup Feta cheese, crumbled

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh Basil leaves or 1 teaspoon dried (I used dried; rarely am I out of basil but I was today)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Open crescent rolls and DON'T unroll (I rolled the roll of them back and forth on a cutting board to tighten the roll before cutting). Cut in half, then cut each half in half, cut those halves in half, and so on, to get 16 slices. Spray two cookie sheets with non-stick spray. Lay out the circles, and press them out into 2-inch diameter circles.

Mix 2 tablespoons olive oil and minced garlic in a small bowl. Brush over crescent circles. Put in oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown.

Meanwhile, in another bowl, mix remaining ingredients. When crescents are cooked, remove from oven, let cool for one minute, then spoon on topping.

Shirley

Yummy Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cookies

2010-08-29T16:58:00.001-04:00

I was in a cooking mood today! I made monkey bars (from a recent issue of Woman's Day), 7 quarts of homemade chicken stock (more on that in another post), my Creamy Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup and White Chicken Chili. I had already made Tyler Florence's Ultimate Roast Chicken (two chickens) so that produced all the stuff for the stock. I'll write about the chicken in another post.

But because I'm the kind of girl who believes in dessert first, LOL, I made these low-fat Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cookies from Cooking Light's Annual Recipes for 2009.

They. Were. Amazing.

I love peanut butter, I love chocolate (I'm a pushover for a Reese's) and this was PERFECT. Just the right amount of everything, and best of all, they're only 96 calories a cookie. Several steps involved, but you can do a lot of the frosting prep while the cookies are baking and cooling.

Cooking Light's Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cookies

Cookies:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon regular salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup low-fat milk

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing:

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, divided

3 1/2 tablespoons low-fat milk, divided

2 tablespoons half and half (I used lowfat), divided

3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

1 ounce chocolate chips

1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Either line two cookies sheets with parchment paper or spray them with non-stick spray.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt, stirring well. In a mixer, combine sugar, peanut butter, butter, eggs and beat at medium speed about 2 minutes. Add 1/4 cup milk, then add eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Add vanilla. Then add flour to sugar mixture and beat on low until well mixed. This is a thin-ish dough, not at all thick like chocolate chip cookie dough. That's okay--it makes light, fluffy cookies.

Put dough mixture into a big zip-type bag. Snip off a 1/2 inch on one corner, then pipe 1 1/2 inch circles onto the cookie sheets (makes about 36, so 18 cookies per sheet). Bake at 375 for 11 minutes (mine took 12 1/2). Cool for 1 minute on the pans, then remove to wire racks and let cool completely.

To prepare icing: in a bowl, stir together 3/4 cup of the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk, 1 tablespoon of cream and peanut butter. It should be thin, but not runny (you can always add a tad more milk or powdered sugar to get the right consistency). Put it into a quart-size zip-type bag. In another bowl, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave at 30-second intervals, until almost melted. Stir until smooth. Add remaining 3/4 cup of confectioners' sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons of milk, 1 tablespoon of cream and cocoa (add extra liquid if necessary). Stir well, then put the chocolate icing into a separate quart-size zip-type bag.

When the cookies are COMPLETELY cool, you can ice them. Snip off a small corner of the peanut butter icing, then drizzle on the cookies. Do the same with the chocolate. Let stand until icing is set (about 10 minutes).

Eat. :-)

Shirley

Beer Battered Fish and Onion Rings with Low-Fat Tartar Sauce

2010-08-27T16:00:00.000-04:00

My son pronounced this my "best dinner ever." I think it's because I put Red Robin seasoning on the fries and onion rings, LOL (I baked up some fries too, but they weren't on my plate, hence, not in the photo). And yes, I made a vegetable, too, but it was just broccoli, so I didn't put it in the picture.

I was going to make baked fish. Then realized I had all the ingredients for beer batter, and a hankering for some fried food. So I made this, and made the low-fat tartar sauce to kinda offset the calories (it's the Big Mac and Diet Coke theory ;-).

Beer Battered Fish

1 pound of cod or other whitefish
1 12-ounce bottle of beer
2 cups of flour, divided

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
more salt and pepper

Canola oil

Heat about an inch of the oil in a thick bottomed pan to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Also preheat the oven to 200 degrees and put a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet.

Cut the cod into two-inch pieces. Mix the beer and 1 1/2 cups of flour in a bowl. Add salt, pepper and garlic powder. In a separate bowl, mix the remaining 1/2 cup flour with some salt and pepper to season it.

Dredge the fish in the beer batter, then shake gently to remove the big bits of batter. Dredge in the flour. Fry, a few pieces at a time, about 4 minutes per side, turning once. Remove and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt while it's still hot. While other pieces are cooking, put the first pieces on the cookie sheet and into the oven, to keep them warm.

When the cod is done, if you happen to have a sweet white onion (like a Vidalia), cut into 1/2 inch rings, dredge in the batter (skip the flour), then fry, about 3 minutes per side. You might need to add more oil and reheat the oil to 375 before cooking the onions. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.

For the low-fat Tartar Sauce, mix 1 small container plain yogurt with 3 tablespoons relish (I used my zucchini relish :-), a dash of hot sauce, a little lemon juice, and a tablespoon or so of lite mayonnaise to thicken it.

Shirley

Baked Coconut Chicken Nuggets

2010-08-26T17:51:00.006-04:00

I've had two dinner winners this week, according to my youngest. This recipe, Baked Coconut Chicken Nuggets served with a cherry chutney (leftover from another dinner) was a huge hit. My oldest was disappointed not to find any leftovers the next day. Everyone had at least two helpings, maybe more. They are sweet, but not too sweet, and let me use up a lot of the buttermilk from the Ultimate Chicken and Dumplings (why doesn't buttermilk come in tiny containers, like heavy cream????).

These ones are quick and easy, and if you don't have cherry chutney, I'd recommend any other kind of sweet topping--cherry preserves, a raspberry chutney, whatever you have on hand. The sweetness really made the dish and made me think of the amazing Monte Christo sandwiches I used to get at Magic Pan a thousand years ago. That restaurant is no longer there, sob sob, but they made a great sandwich and awesome pea soup.

Anyway, I digress ;-)

Baked Coconut Chicken Fingers

(note: the chicken marinates for an hour so leave time for that)

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch strips (a tip: freeze your meat for a half hour before slicing it. You'll get much cleaner cuts and with less effort!)

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup flour

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs

3/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes

1 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon curry powder (which I was out of, so I used this substitute: a dash of cumin, coriander and tumeric)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine chicken and buttermilk in a shallow dish or zip-type bag. Chill ONE HOUR. Then drain chicken.

Preheat oven to 475 degress. Place baking sheet in the oven to get it nice and hot. In three bowls (I prefer pie plates), put flour in first one, beaten eggs in second, and all remaining ingredients in third. Dredge the chicken in flour, then eggs, then coconut mixture.

Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. Lay chicken on hot cookie sheet, in a single layer. Bake at 475 for 6-8 minutes, turning once, until done.

Serve with a cherry chutney :-)

Shirley

Mom's Zucchini Relish

2010-08-24T15:37:00.004-04:00

My mom has been gone for almost 5 years now but I still miss her like crazy. I also miss her cooking. She was a fabulous cook, particularly of those basics that most everyone craves--chili, baked beans, baked ziti, homemade bread. And her famous Zucchini Relish, which I haven't had in years and years.

So when I came across the recipe, and had a huge number of zucchini from the local farmer's market (one of these days, I'll plant my own garden, LOL), I decided to try this. It turned out EXACTLY like I remembered my mom's. It was my first time canning, too, and all the little jars sealed perfectly. I was quite proud of myself, LOL.

Mom's Zucchini Relish (makes 5-6 pints)

6 cups or 4 medium zucchini, chopped (FYI, I used a food processor for all the veggies)

4 cups or 4 big onions, chopped

5 tablespoons table salt or 3 tablespoons kosher salt (I always use kosher salt)

4 green peppers, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped (optional; and I had already used my red pepper so I didn't use one)

2 1/2 cups white vinegar

6 cups sugar (I know, I know, but it's not like you eat the whole jar of relish at once)

1 tablespoon dry mustard (that's the spice, not the stuff you throw on a hot dog ;-)

3/4 teaspoon nutmeg

3/4 teaspoon cornstarch

3/4 teaspoon tumeric

1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed

black pepper to taste

green food coloring (optional) if you want the relish to be really green

In a large bowl, mix the zucchini, onions and salt. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit overnight. The next day, drain the zucchini well (I also squeezed out as much liquid as I could). Add all the remaining ingredients and stir. Adjust seasonings as needed. This makes 5-6 pints (I got 6), depending on the size of your vegetables. For canning tips, here's a website with lots of info. It was way easier to can than I expected, so count on me to do more of that in the future!

Shirley

Lime-Coconut Granita

2010-08-22T11:56:00.002-04:00

This one was SUPER easy, SUPER fast and very low in calories (1/2 cup is only 85 calories). That's my kind of dessert :-)

I've never made granita before but now that I know how easy it is, I'll try other combinations. IMO, this also has a great presentation and is the perfect follow-up to a heavy dinner, so I'm putting it on my party menu list.

Lime-Coconut Granita

2 1/2 cups water

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon grated lime rind (I use a microplane)

1/2 cup fresh lime juice (2-3 large limes or 4 small)

1/2 cup lite coconut milk

Put all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer 3 minutes or until sugar dissolves, stirring often. Remove from heat and cool completely. When cool, pour into a 9 X 13" pan. Cover and freeze for 8-10 hours, or until firm. Remove from freezer, let sit on the counter for 10 minutes, then scrape mixture with a fork until fluffy (it looks like sno-cone filler).

I had this as a snack...perfect light treat for those hot days that are still lingering! :-)

Shirley

Mom's Spaghetti Sauce and Eggplant Parmigiana

2010-08-21T19:03:00.002-04:00

My mom made the best spaghetti sauce ever, at least to me :-). I've made lots of different kinds over the years (Ina Garten's Marinara, Giada's tomato sauce, Mario's quick one) but when I want real, thick, homemade goodness, I turn to Mom's. I do just a couple things different--my own little touches--but more or less, this is Mom's.

Tonight, I served it with Eggplant Parmigiana, which my kids refuse to touch, but I love. So I'll freeze the leftover and have it whenever I'm in the mood for a multi-step dinner :-)

Mom's Spaghetti Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 green pepper, diced

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 pound button mushrooms, sliced

1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes (San Marzanno are the best but tough to find)

2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce

1 6-ounce can tomato paste

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon dried basil (or 1 tablespoon fresh)

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (or about 1 tablespoon fresh)
salt (I use about a teaspoon)

pepper (to taste)

1 tablespoon brown sugar (that's my addition; Mom didn't use the sugar. I think it cuts the acidity of the tomatoes)

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven. Add peppers, onion and garlic and cook until onions are translucent. Add mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are softened. Add whole tomatoes, crushing each one in your hand as you put it in (this yields chunkier tomato bits (and tastier, because they've been processed less) than if you use diced), and all other ingredients except sugar. Simmer for up to an hour, tasting and adjusting seasoning as necessary. Add sugar and simmer another 10 minutes.

Eggplant Parmigiana

olive oil

1 eggplant, peeled and sliced thin

3 eggs

1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

dash ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups bread crumbs (I use seasoned)

6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

2 cups spaghetti sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat about 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet (enough to coat the bottom thickly). Mix the eggs, Parmesan, garlic powder and pepper in a pie plate or bowl. Put bread crumbs in another. Dredge the eggplant first in eggs, then in bread crumbs, then fry in the olive oil until golden brown on each side. Remove eggplant and let drain on paper towels. I refresh the olive oil after each batch, to keep the frying even.

Spread 1/2 cup of sauce in the bottom of a 13 by 9 baking pan. Lay eggplant in pan, in one layer. Top with more sauce, and sprinkle with mozzarella. Layer another layer of eggplant, sauce and cheese (one eggplant made just two layers for me). Bake at 350 until cheese is golden brown and bubbly--about 20 to 25 minutes.

This was so darn good, I had THREE (!!) servings of the eggplant parm. I couldn't keep myself away from it, LOL. DH is on his second helping. I'm thinking he'll end up having three too :-)

Shirley

Thai Mango Chicken, Glazed Carrots and Coconut Rice

2010-08-20T17:04:00.005-04:00

I must be in an Asian mood lately because I've been making all kinds of Thai-inspired meals lately (my oldest, who loves Asian food, is in heaven). I made the Spicy Thai Shrimp and Mango Salad twice this week (sooo good that I want to have that one every day) and tonight I made Thai Mango Chicken, Glazed Carrots and Coconut Rice. A hearty thumbs-up from the the kids and me (DH won't be home till later).

I've made the Thai Mango Chicken before, and my son (who loves the recipe) requested it when he saw I had mangoes in the kitchen. This time, I got to take a picture before everyone ate ;-)

Thai-Mango Chicken Stir-Fry

Chicken:

2-3 chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Mango Sauce:

2 fresh ripe mangos, chopped

3/4 teaspoon chili sauce

1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons fish sauce
juice of 1/2 lime
1-2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 thumb-size piece ginger, minced (use a microplane)

3 cloves garlic, diced
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
zest of 1 lime

Also:

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 to 1 mango, cut into chunks (to finish the dish)
Optional: 3-4 Tbsp. coconut milk OR water

Put the chicken pieces into a zip-type bag. Sprinkle with rice vinegar, then cornstarch. Close bag and shake until chicken is evenly coated. Set aside.

In a food processor or blender, mix all the ingredients for the mango sauce and blend until mango is pureed. Set aside

Heat oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet, over medium-high heat. Add chicken and stir-fry, a few minutes per side, until cooked on all sides. Take chicken out and put it on a plate or paper towel. Clean out wok/skillet, then reheat it and add the mango sauce and red pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and let simmer for about 5 minutes, until red pepper is softened. If it's too thick, add the coconut milk (I did). Put in the chicken and extra mango chunks and cook until heated through. Top with cilantro and serve on top of coconut rice.

Coconut Rice

2 cups Thai jasmine-scented white rice
1 cup good-quality coconut milk
2 cups water
2-3 Tablespoons dry shredded unsweetened coconut (baking type)
1/2 teaspooon salt

Put all ingredients in a rice cooker. Stir to mix. Then cook until done. When the cooker switches from Cook to Warm, let it cook a couple minutes more to thicken and make it stickier. Stir before serving.

Glazed Carrots

3 cups carrots, chopped on the diagonal into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder

Put all ingredients in a pan. Bring to a boil, then simmer about 10-15 minutes, until carrots are cooked and sauce has caramelized. If you're in a hurry, you can microwave the carrots for 3 minutes with a little bit of water, then cook with the sauce...it only takes about 5 minutes then.

None of this was much work--a little prep, but with Chinese food, the key is to chop everything in advance. I did that earlier today, put everything in baggies and then just had to assemble and stir. Not bad at all :-)

Shirley

A few more pics...

2010-08-20T11:01:00.003-04:00

I recently spoke at the Midwest Writers Workshop (which is a fabulous event, if you're ever in the Indiana area in the summer). MWW is a small conference, but that's part of the beauty of it--you get to rub elbows with the speakers and other attendees, it's very low key and filled with fun, and it works hard to meet the needs of a wide variety of writers.

My speech was on "Secrets of Successful Writers," and though I look kinda goofy in one of the pics, LOL, I think the speech went well and everyone took something from it.

In the goofy pic, ignore my half-open mouth, LOL, but check out the shoes--platform peep toes in red. They're Jessica Simpson brand, which is my FAVORITE right now. Comfy and sexy and very high. My favorite combination for shoes ;-)

The last pic is of me and Marcus Sakey (whose books are amazing!). He's a blast in real life--really funny and interesting. I HIGHLY recommend THE BLADE ITSELF. Hands-down, one of the best suspense novels I've ever read. I also got to meet and chat with the also very funny and super nice John Gilstrap, whose book, HOSTAGE ZERO, is next in my TBR pile. I already peeked at the first couple pages and can't wait to read the rest!

Shirley

Ultimate Chicken and Dumplings

2010-08-18T16:29:00.004-04:00

I've been craving this recipe for a while, ever since I saw Tyler Florence make this on "Tyler's Ultimate." I love chicken soup. Love dumplings. Love having all that in one big bowl :-)

The reviews on this recipe are raves, and I have to agree. It was so yummy...such simple comfort food. It was my daughter's first day of school today and I wanted to make something that said "welcome home, honey." This was it. She had two bowls (and so did I).

I already had homemade chicken stock (I use Ina Garten's recipe) but only had four cups in my freezer, so I cut down Tyler's recipe for stock a bit just to poach my chicken (I had some poached from making the Chicken Au Jus the other day (I used bone-in breasts instead of wings) so I only had to poach one more (instead of a whole chicken like the recipe called for).

Tyler Florences's Ultimate Chicken and Dumplings:

Chicken and Stock:
1 (3 to 31/2 pound) whole organic chicken
2 bay leaves
6 sprigs thyme
4 to 5 black peppercorns
1 head garlic, split through the equator
2 tablespoons salt

Buttermilk-Chive Dumplings:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup chopped chives
3/4 to 1 cup buttermilk

Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons oil
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups chicken stock
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen pearl onions
1/4 cup heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper, for garnish
Chopped chives, for garnish

I started this around 3:30, for eating a little after 5. It took a bit longer than I expected, but not much. Just a side note for folks :-)

Place the chicken and all stock ingredients in a large Dutch oven and cover with water. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 1 hour until the chicken is tender. Skim the surface of fat and scum as it cooks.

When done remove the chicken to a cutting board. Strain the stock and shred the meat into big pieces - the stock will be used for the sauce and the chicken will be folded into it.

NOTE: About 15 minutes before it's done, start the other steps. Otherwise, you'll be behind on the estimated time it takes to cook this.

Make dumplings. Sift the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a small bowl, using a whisk, lightly beat the eggs, chives and buttermilk together; pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold. Mix just until the dough comes together; the batter should be thick and cake-like. (NOTE: I ended up using the full cup of buttermilk. This makes about twice as much dumpling batter as you need, but they're so darn good, I'm thinking about cooking all of it)

To prepare sauce: In a Dutch oven, over medium heat, add the butter and oil. Add the carrot, celery, garlic, (NOTE: I didn't have any frozen pearl onions so I chopped one onion and added it here. Also, I only had frozen pea and carrot mix so I skipped carrots here and added the bag of veggies at the end) and bay leaves and saute until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour to make a roux. Continue to stir and cook for 2 minutes to coat the flour and remove the starchy taste. Slowly pour in the chicken stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. (NOTE: This is a critical step--do it one cup at a time so it has time to thicken. In the end, I did add a small amount of cornstarch slurry to thicken even more). Add frozen peas and pearl onions.

Let sauce simmer until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes. Stir in heavy cream. (NOTE: I don't always have heavy cream on hand but had half-and-half and that seemed to work out okay).

Fold the reserved shredded chicken into the sauce and bring up to a simmer. Using 2 spoons (NOTE: you do want to do it this way...scoop with one spoon, scoop off it with the other, scoop with first spoon one more time to drop the dumplings in), carefully drop heaping tablespoonfuls of the dumpling batter into the hot mixture. The dumplings should cover the top of the sauce, but should not be touching or crowded. Let the dumplings poach for 10 to 15 minutes until they are firm and puffy (NOTE: turn the dumplings over halfway through to cook on all sides). Remove and discard the bay leaves. Season with freshly cracked black pepper (NOTE: I also seasoned with a little more salt) and garnish with chopped chives before serving.

This was really good and my daughter said should go in the "keeper" folder. Ina, Giada and Tyler never let me down when I cook their recipes, and this recipe is no exception. I'll be making it often :-)

One tip--you can make homemade chicken stock VERY easily and anytime you need it if you just keep the bones from your chickens in the freezer. Bring home a rotisserie chicken? Save the carcass in a freezer bag until you're ready to make stock. I usually double my stock recipe (using two chicken carcasses) and make enough to freeze the stock in 2-cup containers so I always have fresh stock on hand for cooking.

Shirley

Pork Chops with Bourbon Peach Glaze

2010-08-16T18:22:00.003-04:00

Tonight's dinner was quick, easy and tasty. It wasn't OMG awesome like the Spicy Thai Shrimp Salad I had this afternoon or like yesterday's Chicken Cordon Bleu but it was good. And like I said, quick and easy, which after the long day I had (spent almost TWO hours at the Verizon store...ugh), was what I wanted. I did have a cheap bourbon, and having tasted good bourbon, I think I'll toss the cheap stuff and get some good stuff for future dinners...and sipping ;-)

Pork Chops with Bourbon Peach Glaze

4 pork chops (bone-in or boneless, your choice)

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon minced shallot

1 tablespoon minced garlic (about two cloves)

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons brown sugar

3-4 peaches, sliced (you can use frozen)

2 sprigs thyme

2 tablespoons bourbon

1 tablespoon butter

In a skillet, heat the oil. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper, then pan-fry until browned on each side and nearly cooked through. Remove chops, then add shallot, garlic and cook that for about 30 seconds. Add the broth, and cook another minute. Add brown sugar and peaches and cook until peaches are partly softened. Add thyme. Add bourbon and boil for a minute or two, to help cook off the alcohol. Replace the pork chops in the pan and cook until cooked through (about 5-10 minutes). Remove chops, stir in butter until sauce thickens, then serve over pork chops.

I served this with asparagus that I steamed with a little bit of butter, a 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest, a dash of salt and the juice of a little less than half a lemon (maybe 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice). The asparagus was very yummy :-) and went well with the chops. My son and DH liked it--my daughter who is not a big fan of meat anyway, didn't, LOL.

Shirley

OMG Good Spicy Shrimp Salad

2010-08-16T12:48:00.004-04:00

You know how you make some things and you're actually sad, knowing that you will finish the plate and it'll be all gone? That's how I felt about this salad I made for lunch. OMG, so good, and definitely worth the little bit of prep work.

A tip--don't skimp. Fresh herbs are super cheap at farmer's markets right now (as are shallots and garlic). Once you start cooking from fresh, you'll notice a huge difference. This is one of those dishes that demands fresh because it creats a flavor explosion in your mouth.

This is from an Emeril recipe. The original made 4 servings, but it was just me today, so I edited it to fit one full plate.

Spicy Thai Shrimp Salad

1 cup mixed greens (I hate iceberg lettuce and used mixed greens)

1/4 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 mango, peeled, seeded and sliced (the recipe called for one mango total but I love mangos so I used a whole one for one serving)
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice (about half a lime)
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 teaspoon fish sauce
4 teaspoons Palm sugar, or light brown sugar (and here's where I diverted...I put half in the dressing, half on the shrimp. I also didn't have Palm sugar so I used light brown)
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided
1/2 teaspoon minced Serrano chilies
2-3 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil
1/4 pound medium shrimp, peeled
1/2 teaspoon Emeril's Essence
dash salt
1 tablespoon chiffonade fresh mint, garnish

Lay the lettuce leaves across a large platter. Arrange the cucumber, mango slices and shallots over the lettuce.

In a blender, combine the lime juice, 2 teaspoons of the brown/Palm sugar, shallots, fish sauce, garlic, 1/2 of the minced cilantro, chiles. (Emeril called for adding the oil here; I didn't. I kept the dressing low fat). Blend on high speed until well combined and the sugar is dissolved.

In a bowl, toss the shrimp with the Essence, salt, and remaining sugar to coat. Heat a wok or large, heavy, skillet over high heat. Add the oil and when very hot, add the shrimp and sear until cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from the pan.

Arrange the shrimp decoratively over the greens and mango and drizzle with the dressing. Garnish with the mint and reserved cilantro and serve.

SOOOOOOO good. Very fresh and very yummy. I only used a 1/2 teaspoon of Essence...I don't like it highly spicy.

Shirley

Ultimate Chicken Cordon Bleu

2010-08-15T17:54:00.005-04:00

Tyler Florence is one of my favorite chefs on the Food Network. He's always got something supremely delicious cooking, and he always makes the prep look so easy (even when it's not, LOL). So when he made "Ultimate Chicken Cordon Bleu," which is one of my top dinners, I had to try it.

Except, I had to mess with one part of the recipe ;-) He called for a Cranberry Chutney, and I made one out of Cherries instead that was SUPERB with the Cordon Bleu. Almost like having a Monte Cristo sandwich (you know, with the raspberry jam on the side).

I also made Tyler's Brussel Sprout Hash. His were...okay. I like my other recipe for Brussel Sprouts with Bacon better. I think his were just too complicated and I really wasn't a huge fan of the balsamic vinegar. I think I'll try the Brussel Sprouts with Bacon again...and add a few of the other veggies in Tyler's recipe. I served this dinner, BTW, with buttermilk biscuits I bought. Figured I'd done enough work, LOL.

The Chicken Cordon Bleu was AMAZING. And his tips made it ten times easier. FWIW, when you watch the show, there are other steps included that the recipe person missed on the Food Network site. I swear the people who put up the recipes never watch the shows because they miss a lot of vital stuff. Here's the recipe--with Tyler's hints included. If you want the original recipe, it's here, but in the reviews you'll see that adding Tyler's extra steps makes all the diff.

(oh and I did make the Chicken Jus to go with it....and it was amazingly flavorful but not needed at all. The Cherry Chutney was AMAZING with this).

Ultimate Chicken Cordon Bleu
(from the Show: Tyler's UltimateEpisode: Ultimate Cordon Bleu

4 chicken breasts skinless and boneless
8 thin slices prosciutto di Parma
1/2 pound Gruyere, grated (I used baby Swiss because I couldn't find regular Gruyere)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (I used about a teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper total)
1 cup panko bread crumbs (these are in the bread crumb aisle. They're so much crunchier and better than plain ones)
4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced (HINT: Tyler grated his with a microplane, which makes it itty bitty and then you don't get garlic chunks on the outside of the chicken breasts)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
Extra-virgin olive oil

PREP: START ONE to ONE AND A HALF HOURS BEFORE YOU WANT TO COOK (so serving at 5:30, start this around 3:30). Cook time all totaled is about 35-45 minutes.

On a cutting board, lay the chicken breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, gently pound the chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. Remove the top sheet of plastic and lay 2 slices of prosciutto neatly over the top to cover the breast and sprinkle a quarter of the cheese over the prosciutto. Tuck in the sides of the breast and roll up tight like a jellyroll inside the plastic wrap. Squeeze the log gently to seal and twist both ends tight to form a nice log. Repeat with remaining chicken. (HINT: This was a fabulous way to do it. The chicken gets all tight, like a sausage, and when you are done, REFRIGERATE THE BREASTS FOR 30 MINUTES TO AN HOUR...that helps it all stay together later. No need for toothpicks!!!)

After removing chicken from fridge, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season the flour with salt and pepper. Mix the bread crumbs with thyme, garlic and kosher salt, pepper, and melted butter. The butter will help the crust brown. Beat together the eggs and season so the flour, the eggs and the crumbs are all seasoned. (MY HINT: I USE THREE PIE PLATES...MAKES IT MUCH EASIER TO DREDGE)

Remove the plastic wrap. Lightly dust the chicken with flour, dip in the egg mixture and gently coat in the bread crumbs. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken on all sides, about 3-5 minutes per side, until lightly browned. Then lightly coat a baking pan with olive oil and carefully transfer the roulades onto it. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until browned and cooked through.

(The steps of refrigerating the breasts and also sauteeing them to brown them are omitted from the online recipe. These are vital...the chicken will dry out in the oven before it gets browned if you don't saute it, and it'll fall apart if you don't do the refrigeration).

Remove from oven, let sit five minutes. Serve with Cherry Chutney

Shirley's Cherry Chutney

2 cups fresh cherries, pitted

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup wine (I used white, though I would have preferred red, just didn't have any red opened)

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger (I use a microplane)

1/2 teaspoon chili powder (adds the right amount of spice to the chutney)

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

dash red pepper

Put all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until mixture is thickened and cooked through--about 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how big your cherries are and what you consider simmer ;-)

My tummy is full right now, but I'm already looking forward to leftovers at lunch ;-) My son loved this, DH loved it (DD was out for the night and missed this dinner). A hit all around, even if it's a bit of work.

Shirley

Penne with Zucchini and Marinara Sauce

2010-08-14T17:42:00.005-04:00

The other day, my daughter told me she had a newfound love for zucchini. She's already a huge fan of pasta and marinara sauce, so I thought...hmmm...why not combine the three? The result is a pretty darn good Penne with Zucchini and Marinara Sauce. I served it with fresh-from-the-farmer's market green beans that I put in a foil packet to cook at the same time. It all worked out great :-)

Penne with Zucchini and Marinara Sauce

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 ounce pancetta or bacon, chopped (my store was out of pancetta so I substituted bacon)

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 medium zucchinis, chopped (I cut them in quarters, then made 1/2 inch slices)

16 ounces penne, cooked and drained

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

1/2 cup shredded Swiss (or provolone...whatever you have)

1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray cooking spray on a 9 x 13 pan. In a large saucepan, heat the oil. Cook the bacon until crisp, add the onions and garlic and cook 5-7 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits. Add basil, oregano, red pepper, canned tomatoes and diced zucchini. Cook about 10 minutes, until zucchini is slightly soft (not all the way...it'll cook the rest of the way in the oven).

Mix the penne and tomato mixture, then spread in 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle with mix of mozarella and Swiss. In a small bowl, mix the grated parmesan and Panko bread crumbs, then sprinkle evenly on top of the casserole.

(see below for green bean directions if you want to cook those at the same time).

Bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is browned and crisp. Remove and let stand for five minutes before serving.

Foil Packet Green Beans

Take two pieces of heavy duty aluminum foil and lay them in opposite directions over each other (creating a cross shape). Put green beans in center, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon each of garlic powder and kosher salt. Seal the foil packet, then put in the oven at 450 degrees for 20 minutes.

This meal was a hit with the kids, which made me happy since it's loaded with veggies :-)

Shirley

Photos from RWA

2010-08-01T20:23:00.004-04:00

These are also on my Facebook page, but I thought I'd share here, too, for those not on FB or Twitter (I'm also on there, just FYI :-)

I had a FABULOUS time at the RWA conference and was SO EXCITED to receive my 25-book pin from Harlequin. I look back and can't believe I wrote that many books in just a few years!!!!

Shirley

Chocolate Shoes!

2010-08-01T18:23:00.004-04:00

My friend Molly Swoboda gave me this AMAZING chocolate shoe (well, she gave me two, but I only took a picture of this one so far...so I could EAT it! LOL). Anyway, these come from Peterbrooke Chocolatier, which I think is now my favorite place ;-)

Seriously, what could be yummier than chocolate SHOES? Clearly, Molly knows me (and my obsession with shoes!) WAY too well!

The shoe was delicious, BTW :-)

Shirley

Fantastic Review of Vegas Pregnancy Surprise!

2010-08-01T12:41:00.003-04:00

I came across this fabulous review of Vegas Pregnancy Surprise that truly made my week!!!!

Shirley

Online Class Starting Soon!

2010-07-25T21:01:00.001-04:00

Don't Forget to Sign Up! Class sign-ups are now available at www.coloradoromancewriters.org

TAKE YOUR BOOK FROM GOOD TO SOLD: Ten Lessons Learned: For first-time authors, the biggest hurdle to selling is learning how to craft a book that is better than good. Good wins contests. Good gets requests for partials. Good sometimes gets a revision request. But learning how to take “good” and turn it into “sellable” is the key to success. New writers may not see those small elements that make a big difference in a book’s salability. In this workshop, New York Times bestselling romantic comedy author Shirley Jump will share the ten lessons she learned that helped her take a book that had won the Tampa Area Romance Authors First Impressions contest and make it into one that was bought by Silhouette, plus how she turned formerly rejected books into single title sales. The workshop will include discussion of the revision process and the various elements authors need to look for before considering their book ready for an editor’s eyes. Today’s editors don’t have time to sit down with a fledgling writer and teach her how to take her novel to that next level. This workshop will fill in that final gap for the writer who is just ten lessons away from a sale. "Homework" will be regularly assigned and assignments will be critiqued by Shirley Jump. This is your chance to get a multi-published, award-winning
author's input on your work!

Thai Chicken Stir-Fry

2010-07-15T17:04:00.004-04:00

I was in the mood for Asian food tonight, but not in the mood to pay or wait for take-out. I wanted a healthier option, something quick and easy, and this fit the bill. It's a recipe from Cooking Light that I tweaked, and served as lettuce wraps instead of on rice.

This was a bit spicy, so if I make it again, I'll tone down the spice a bit.

You can look at the original recipe, and then here is my changes:

Thai Chicken Stir-Fry

1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon fish sauce
4 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1 small onion, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 12 or 16-ounce package frozen Asian stir-fry vegetables, defrosted (I used a green bean, broccoli, mushroom mix)
1 large or 2 small cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (use a micrograter; it's way easier)
3/4 cup light coconut milk
1 tablespoons Sriracha (hot chile sauce, such as Huy Fong)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
1 teaspoon Sesame oil

Heat half the oil in wok until it begins to smoke. Add chicken pieces and cook, stirring often, until browned on all sides (about 5 minutes). Remove chicken. Add remaining oil, then add vegetables and cook for 2 minutes. Put chicken back in the wok and cook for another minute or two, until cooked through. Add all remaining ingredients except Sesame oil and season to taste. Just before serving, drizzle on Sesame oil and toss mixture. Serve on rice or in Bibb lettuce wraps.

Spicy, but smelled FANTASTIC and tasted great, too. One of those things I'm sure I'll make again. :-)

Shirley

Meatball Stroganoff

2010-07-08T17:29:00.006-04:00

Since Beef Stroganoff is a big hit in my house, I thought I'd try a variation on the dish with this Meatball Stroganoff recipe. I've been watching Sam the Cooking Guy lately, and he makes dinner look impossibly easy. So I picked up one of his books (Awesome Recipes and Kitchen Shortcuts) and saw this recipe for Meatball Stroganoff. I had nearly all the ingredients on hand, and when I got to the end of the day today and had that panicked "what am I going to make for dinner" moment at 4:00, I turned to this recipe.

It was good. I had good reviews from all family members. The youngest said he likes this better than my Beef Stroganoff (I think it's because my BS has mushrooms in it and he hates those). I personally like BS better, but this is a great in-a-pinch dish, that was quite delicious. Sort of like Swedish Meatballs on noodles.

Here's what I used for this:

Meatball Stroganoff

1 tsp. olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1 pound frozen meatballs (just plain old frozen meatballs, no fancy flavoring), defrosted

1 12-ounce jar beef gravy

1 cup light sour cream

2 tablespoons horseradish sauce (he said to use regular horseradish, and I had forgotten that when I went to the store, so I used that sauce you buy near the mayonnaise)

1 tablespoon dried dill

1/2 package wide egg noodles, cooked (I used the wheat ones)

Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onions and cook until translucent and soft. Add meatballs, gravy, sour cream, horseradish and dill and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked thru. Toss with cooked noodles and serve.

Now, if you want my regular Beef Stroganoff recipe (which is always a huge hit in my house), it's on the blog. I definitely enjoyed Sam the Cooking Guy's take on this recipe, and it'll go in my "what the heck am I going to make for dinner" file. We all have those OMG, it's 4pm and there's nothing to eat moments--use this recipe to get something warm and yummy on the table in like 15 minutes total.

Shirley

Having My Cake

2010-07-07T13:42:00.002-04:00

An excerpt from my blog at Writerspace: Today I’m going to have cake and ice cream, do pretty much nothing (except possibly head to the mall) and indulge in a “me” day—because it’s my birthday! It’s probably a good thing those days only come once a year, because those “me” days are quite unproductive...

Visit the blog and share your favorite birthday memory! Celebrate with me! :-)

Shirley

Ultimate Crab Dip

2010-07-05T07:29:00.004-04:00

This holiday weekend, we had friends over for dinner. It was a great collaboration--my friend made a grilled vegetable salad (very yummy; essentially you grill the veggies you'd put on the salad, layer them on the lettuce and add an easy vinaigrette) and a white chocolate trifle (very yummy too!).

I made Chipolte Cherry Barbecue Sauce to go over some chicken that I had rubbed with a dry rub, put on the grill, and um, forgot about. They were CRISPY chicken breasts, LOL. Still good, but quite charred on the outside. I'm going to try the sauce with something else soon, and if it works out, will post the recipes.

One hit was Tyler Florence's Ultimate Crab Dip. I'd seen him make it on Tyler's Ultimate that morning, but didn't really pay attention to how. Just thought it looked good. But when I went to check the recipe on the Food Network, it had no directions, and according to the comments, the ingredients ratio was a bit off. So I fiddled with it myself, and here's what I did. The roasted tomatoes are a must--they add that last little bit of flavor that really pumps up the appetizer from just another crab dip and into something special. The garlic parsley crackers take an extra step too (and I recommend making double the amount) but people liked those so much, they ate just the crackers, LOL.

Ultimate Crab Dip (Shirley's Version)

For the Dip:

1/2 cup cream cheese (I used light)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

12 ounces lump crab meat (Note: I live in Indiana so I can't buy it fresh...sigh...so I used the Bumblebee Canned Lump Crab Meat and it worked out just as well)

2 tablespoons chopped chives

For the Crackers:

2 sleeves saltines (this is a doubled recipe)
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 stick butter, melted

1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped fine

For the Tomatoes:

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes (I used grape)

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lay the saltines on a cookie sheet, then in a small saucepan, melt the butter, add the garlic and parsley. Brush the butter mixture onto the saltines, then bake for about 6 minutes, until golden and crispy. When done, remove them to a platter. Toss the tomatoes with the vinegar and olive oil, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, then lay them on the baking sheet and bake about 10 minutes, until the tomatoes just begin to burst.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, cream the cream cheese, mayonnaise, mustard and lemon juice. Fold in the crab meat and diced chives. Season with salt and pepper, and refrigerate until ready to use.

To eat, spread crab dip on a cracker, and top with a tomato.

Great recipe on all counts, IMO. I had a few leftover (like enough for five crackers, LOL) and it was just as great the next day for lunch ;-)

Shirley

Nice Reader Review for VEGAS PREGNANCY SURPRISE

2010-07-01T07:21:00.004-04:00

Only a few more days until VEGAS PREGNANCY SURPRISE hits store shelves! I came across this great reader review for the British version. She called it "delightful fun"!

"Another enjoyable installment in what is turning out to be a highly entertaining quartet of books about a girls' weekend outing to Las Vegas....Linc and Molly are two engaging characters who you'll find yourself rooting for in this compelling story written with warmth and humour."

Hosting a Crowd

2010-06-27T19:10:00.007-04:00

This weekend, I had a bunch of friends over, from Thursday till mid-Sunday (with people arriving at varying times), which meant lots of cooking for me (I TRULY enjoyed it). I wanted a menu that would appeal to lots of people, work for large crowds (at the height of everything, we had 20 people here total between adults and kids), and not be too much work. I think it all worked out (even my friend who eats gluten-free was able to enjoy a few things, though I wished I had more on the menu for her).

I planned my menu about a week ahead of time, choosing things I have cooked more than once (several of which are on this blog) and made a pretty extensive grocery list (though I still ended up running out for a few forgotten things). I also tried to create menus that were flexible--meaning if I didn't feel like making one dish one day, I could substitute it with another from the next day.

I also gratefully accepted all offered help. My friends were FABULOUS and cut vegetables, boiled water, shredded cheese...all kinds of helpful jobs (including helping me keep up with the mountain of dishes!!). It became a truly fun event to cook, with everyone standing around in the kitchen enjoying munchies like mango salsa and homemade hummus in between preparing a meal.

Here are some of the recipes I made:

For snacks, we had Hummus (I only used 1/2 cup of the Tahini, more of a to-taste thing) and Samantha Hunter's Mango Salsa. This is SOOO yummy and easy. Use the fresh ingredients for sure.

Samantha Hunter's Mango Salsa

2-3 mangoes, peeled and diced

2-3 cups chopped and seeded tomatoes

2 shallots, minced

1/2 big bunch cilantro, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

1 T. ginger, minced (I use a micrograter to get it tiny)

2-3 T lime juice (about 2 limes)

salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and let sit for a couple hours before serving

Here are some of the other recipes I had:

Giada's Lasagna (pictured here). With this one, I substituted cooked Italian sausage and mushrooms for the ground beef. This was an AMAZING lasagna, if I say so myself. Simply delicious.

Served with: Roasted Pears with Blue Cheese (yummy and pretty easy). For dessert, we had Fruit Pavlova (pictured above).

For breakfast the next day, I did baked apple pancakes (basically, you layer apples on the bottom of a pie plate, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, then top with pancake batter. Bake at 350 until done; about 10-15 minutes).

We went out for lunch, then for dinner, prepared Giada's Baked Fettuccini, Insalata Rustica (read my notes here for the changes I've made to the recipe), Pan Roasted Chicken Breasts with Chausser Sauce, and for dessert, DH's favorite dessert, Ina Garten's Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars.

On the last day, I made an egg bake for breakfast, then had burgers and homemade potato salad. I tried to make the last day's dishes far lighter in prep work because we'd all been staying up WAY too late talking and laughing :-)

All in all, I think everyone had a great time, and I know they left with full bellies! One of my friends brought along these AMAZING peanut butter truffles. Loved them. I think spending time in the kitchen with good friends is one of the best things in life :-)

Shirley

Easy & Healthy Cherry Glazed Peaches

2010-06-08T19:36:00.001-04:00

I bought the yummiest cherries and peaches this week, and when I was looking for a side dish to bring to a family get-together, these came to mind.

I made a super simple, healthy and yummy dish. The original recipe called for tossing with the peaches, but I chose to cook them a bit in the mixture to get them nice and soft and syrupy.

I had this as a side dish, and also want to make it again to serve over chicken. I think it'd be great on top of pancakes, too. It's a dessert in and of itself, so if you're looking for a low-cal option, try this!

Cherry Glazed Peaches

1/2 pound fresh cherries, pitted

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (this will NOT make it vinegary. When you cook it down, it becomes syrupy)

1 pound fresh peaches, sliced (nectarines also work)

In a large saucepan, mix the cherries, sugar and vinegar. Bring to a boil then simmer until syrupy, about five minutes. Add the peaches, and simmer another three to four minutes, just enough to soften the peaches slightly. Pour into a serving dish and sprinkle with additional sugar if needed (all depends on how sweet your peaches are).

That's it! Easy, and yummy!

Shirley

Julie's Lemony Pancakes

2010-06-08T08:58:00.004-04:00

My friend Julie Sellers and I are in a cooking challenge--one new recipe a week between here and Christmas. I was doing really good with the new recipe thing, then DH started traveling a lot and I lost my motivation to try new recipes (the kids are always off doing their own thing, so I'd be cooking for me).

But Julie's been cooking--yummy, has she been cooking! She made these Luscious Lemony Pancakes and as soon as I saw the recipe this morning, I had to have them. They are AMAZING. It's a nice little fresh twist on pancakes, and makes them seem even more decadent than normal. I LOVED them. I literally just finished my plate of them and would go back in the kitchen for more, except then the kids wouldn't have any breakfast.

Well, they ARE still sleeping. They'd never know I made (and ate!) these! ;-)

Shirley

Mediterranean Night: Tandoori Chicken and Cauliflower Tabouli

2010-05-24T07:49:00.005-04:00

With some dinners, you hit a home run on the first bite. That's how this Tandoori Chicken was--simply AMAZING. I can't wait to make it again and am so glad I made twice as much so I have leftovers :-)

The recipe called for cooking this in the oven, but I was still in grilling mode, so I did it on the grill, on medium-low. Worked out just fine and smelled divine while it was cooking. I also didn't use boneless, skinless thighs, which is what the recipe calls for (I'm really not a fan of chicken thighs or my own thighs for that matter, LOL). Instead I used bone-in chicken breasts. I'm sure you could use boneless, and I think I'll try it again with boneless next time. I just like how tender bone-in comes out on the grill.

I made the Tabouli a couple hours before dinner and it definitely tasted better after it had sat in the fridge for a while. The kids weren't so wild about it, but DH and I liked it. I sure wished I had some pita bread to serve with it, but didn't. Probably just as well--it would have ruined the whole "healthy dinner" thing ;-)

A couple tips--you can store ginger in the freezer in a zip-type bag. I buy one big piece and store it in between uses. Takes up very little space, and then you always have it around. I also store tomato paste in the freezer (in a zip bag) because I always seem to need a little bit at the weirdest times.

I served this dinner with Honey-Ginger carrots and some steamed rice.

Tandoori Chicken

6 bone-in chicken breasts (or boneless if you want to do that ;-)
juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt
1 small container plain yogurt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 small red onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped (use fresh ginger, it makes such a difference)
4 teaspoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 3/4 teaspoons hot paprika
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Toss the chicken in a zip bag with the lemon juice and 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt. In a mini or regular food processor, blend 2 tablespoons of the yogurt (reserve the rest), the vegetable oil, onion, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, coriander, cumin, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the paprika and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss the chicken in this mixture and marinade it for 15 minutes.

(Note: the original recipe, from Food Network Magazine's May issue called for cooking this in the broiler. I hate using the broiler pan. The darn thing is impossible to clean. So my directions are for the grill :-). Preheat the grill to medium-low. Put the chicken on the grill, bone side down, and cook 15 minutes. Flip, cook for another 10-15 minutes, just enough to crisp that side, then flip back to bone side and continue cooking until done and internal temperature is 165 degrees. (For me, that was about 40 minutes total, give or take). When done, remove to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining yogurt, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, the cilantro and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Serve with the chicken. (I wished I'd doubled the sauce...I LOVED how it offset all the flavors just right).

Cauliflower Tabouli

When I was in Washington DC last year, I went to a Lebanese restaurant with some fellow author friends. We had the waiter choose a variety of dishes for us, and he did a great job. One of the menu items was Tabouli, and it was fabulous. This one wasn't as good as the restaurant one, but it was pretty darn good :-)

1 head cauliflower
2 plum tomatoes
2 chopped scallions
1 bunch parsley, chopped
3 tablespoons mint, chopped (the original recipe called for 2 tablespoons but to me, adding a bit more made the flavors more even)

1/3 cup lemon juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

salt and pepper

Grate the cauliflower on a box grater (on the biggest holes) and put in a large bowl. Dice the tomatoes, then the scallions, and add to the cauliflower. Stir in the parsley and mint. Mix the lemon juice, oil and soy sauce and toss with the cauliflower mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let sit for 30 minutes in the fridge before serving.

Not sure what else is on my menu this week. I'm thinking of trying a Japanese pork dish. Although I just bookmarked a bunch of recipes for the grill in the latest issues of my food magazines :-)

Shirley

Chili Glazed Ribs and Tangy Coleslaw

2010-05-22T19:21:00.005-04:00

Yesterday, I got the bright idea to grill. I didn't check the weather report first--heck, it's been raining here for days, and it looked like rain, which isn't really a big deal for grilling.

Until the rain turns into torrential downpours and lightning when you're supposed to be basting baby back ribs for the last thirty minutes of cooking time ;-) I was going out there with an umbrella balanced on one shoulder, the basting liquid and brush in my hands, trying to stay dry and still get the ribs done. Then DH saw me and being a smarter person than me, LOL, dragged the grill to sit in front of the patio doors and under the overhang.

Uh, duh. ;-)

The ribs were fabulous. A little crispy but I wasn't as vigilant as I could have been, what with the rain and lightning and all ;-). I served them with a Tangy Mustard Coleslaw and baked potatoes. I'd like to try these ribs again, on a better weather day. :-)

I also didn't read the directions before I got this bright idea, so I did not let the ribs set in the fridge for the hours recommended. Next time, I'll do that. So do these either the night before or the morning before you grill them. They also take a LONG time to cook (they're slow cooked) so start them about 3 hours before you're planning to eat.

Chili Glazed Ribs (from the Food Network Magazine, May 2010 issue)

2 racks pork spareribs (about six pounds)
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
3 tablespoons ancho chili powder (which I didn't have, so I used regular chili powder)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cups apple cider
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Prepare ribs ahead: Make shallow cuts between ribs on bone side with a sharp knife, piercing just the membrane. Mix 1 tablespoon kosher salt, the brown sugar, garlic, thyme, chili powder, black pepper and cayenne pepper in a bowl. Rub the spice mixture over the ribs, then place them on a rack in a roasting pan, loosely covered. Refrigerate four hours or overnight.

Prepare the grill: Set it on low, then set the ribs bone-side down on the grill. Close the lid and cook until tender, about 2 1/2 hours.

Meanwhile, prepare the glaze: mix the cider, ketchup, mustard and Worcestshire in a saucepan. Heat over medium at a simmer until reduced to two cups (I reduced it to about 1 1/2 cups because it seemed too thin at 2 cups. I still had WAY more than I needed).

After ribs have cooked for the 2 1/2 hours, start basting them with the glaze every 10 minutes, for another 40 minutes. Remove from the grill, let sit for a few minutes, then cut into pieces.

Tangy Mustard Coleslaw

I'm not a big fan of regular coleslaw, BTW. And I really despise coleslaw with pineapple in it. But I like this--it's low calorie and has a bit of a bite to it. The one kid who would try it (kids, argh!) liked it.

1 bag shredded coleslaw mix
1 small red onion, minced
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise (as I've said before, DH is a Miracle Whip only guy so I used Miracle Whip)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

Mix the coleslaw mix and onion in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients, then toss with the coleslaw. Let sit in the fridge for 30 minutes, and stir before serving.

Happy grilling! More recipes to come this week, including Tandoori Chicken!

Shirley

Sugar-Free Cherry Berry Jam

2010-05-20T12:03:00.004-04:00

There's nothing like fresh berries in the summer. When my local market put all kinds of berries on sale--cherries, blackberries and raspberries--I knew I had to make something (with the ones I didn't eat first, LOL).

So I decided on jam. All these years I've been cooking, and I've never made jam. I have no real interest in canning (I'm sure it's easy and good, and I probably should be doing it to make my life easier on busy dinner nights...but it's one more thing I don't have time for, LOL).

This recipe doesn't make a ton--just a couple of cups--so that was enough to leave in the fridge for the kids and me and also maybe to dress up a pork recipe. You can substitute real sugar in this recipe for the Splenda--I was just trying to keep the sugar and the calories down:

Sugar-Free Cherry Berry Jam

1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries

1 1/2 cups fresh blackberries

2 cups cherries, pitted

1 1/2 teapoons fresh lemon juice

3/4 cup granulated Splenda (or sugar)

Put all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Heat on medium-high until it comes to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 1 1/2 hours. Chill and serve (or if you're like me, spread a little of the warm jam on some toast before you put it away ;-)

Shirley

Another Pad Thai option

2010-05-13T06:41:00.006-04:00

I make Pad Thai pretty often (and order it all the time when we go out to Thai restaurants). It's the kind of recipe that no one makes the same way, and the kind I vary every time depending on what I have on hand for ingredients.

The recipe I had was yummy, but IMO, a tad dull. I wanted to jazz it up a bit, and while browsing other Thai recipes, I came up with an idea...

Why not flavor the chicken as I'm poaching it, which will add to the overall flavor of the dish? That's exactly what I did, and then I used the poaching liquid to cook the noodles, so I had the same flavor throughout.

BTW, I normally add shredded cabbage to my Pad Thai but it was pouring rain out and I sure as heck wasn't going to the store for cabbage in that. The silly teenager wouldn't go either. Geez, kids. ;-) So this is sans cabbage, but still good.

BTW, this is for my cooking challenge with my good friend and amazing cook Julie Sellers. Check out her blog for lots of great recipes! We're cooking one new recipe a week between here and Christmas. Also, if you like to see how people used to have to cook, read this interesting blog on cooking in the 1800s.

Shirley's Pad Thai

2 boneless chicken breasts
2 slices lime
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and quartered
2 cloves garlic
8 ounces rice vermicelli noodles (they're sometimes labeled Pad Thai noodles. Basically, a flat, slightly wide Asian noodle will work).
2 tablespoons canola or peanut oil
4 ounces carrots, julienned
2 scallions, diced
2 teaspoons lime juice (use fresh; you already have the limes in the poaching liquid)
2 tablespoons soy sauce (I buy mine at the Asian foods store. It's SOOO much cheaper)
1-3 tablespoons Pad Thai sauce (also at the Asian foods store. This is a to-taste kind of thing)
1/4 cup roughly chopped peanuts
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped rough

Heat a pan of water, add the lime slices, ginger and garlic, then add chicken. Boil chicken until just cooked through, then remove chicken and add rice noodles to the boiling water. Cook about 7 minutes, then drain (throw out the lime, ginger and garlic).

In a wok, heat the oil. Add the carrots and saute until slightly limp, about 3 minutes. Add scallions, saute one minute. Add chicken, then add sauce ingredients (lime juice, soy sauce, Pad Thai sauce) and toss until it thickens on the veggies and chicken. Taste to see if you need more Pad Thai sauce. Add noodles, a little at a time, and toss until coated with sauce. Garnish with peanuts and cilantro.

The Pad Thai sauce in the bottle is a bit spicy, so definitely taste as you go. But this was yummy, and way more flavorful than my other recipe. I can't wait to have it for lunch today :-)

A side note: When I had this the next day for lunch, I added a little Sesame Oil on top (one drizzle since it has a lot of flavor). PERFECT. It was the exact right final touch.

Oh, and while I was in the Asian foods store, I picked up Papaya Salad Dressing. OMG, yummy!! I made a salad yesterday with lettuce, tomato, sliced mango and chopped cilantro, then drizzled a bit of that on top. Could have eaten ten servings :-)

Shirley

Panko-Crusted Pork Chops with Herb Dressing

2010-05-12T08:37:00.008-04:00

I'm not a big fan of pork chops. They're not the easiest things in the world to cook, because it doesn't take much to turn them from delicious to dry and tough. I'm too distracted of a cook, and often end up forgetting them a little too long.

This recipe, for Panko-Crusted Pork Chops, is the kind that requires a little paying attention, but it's done really fast, which is great. I had about 40 minutes total from when I walked in the door until I had to walk back out the door, taking both kids to two different places. Could I make a healthy, yummy dinner in that short a period of time, from start to finish?

Turns out I could :-) Though this is one of those breading and dredging kind of recipes (another of the winners from my Cooking Light cookbook), it came together quite fast. I served it with my Ginger-Honey carrots, a couple other leftover side dishes (pasta or potato salad, diner's choice ;-) and some rolls. The original recipe is here--I altered it slightly because I was feeding four, and knew only two of us (DH and me) would eat the dressing. So I doubled the pork chops part, kept the dressing at a serving for two. The dressing really offset the chops nicely. I liked the combination of hot and cold, crusty and smooth.

Panko-Crusted Pork Chops with Herb Dressing

4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 large egg whites
2/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
3-4 teaspoons canola oil (I ended up adding more than the recipe called for. I think I didn't get the pan and oil hot enough first, so the pork chops absorbed it pretty fast, and I needed to add more to get that nice golden crust)

Dressing:
1 tablespoon chopped green onions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons sour cream (the recipe called for FF, which I hate, so I used light)
1 tablespoon milk (recipe called for fat-free; I had 2% on hand)
1 tablespoon mayonnaise (DH is a Miracle Whip guy, so that's what I had on hand)
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Heat a saucepan at medium-high (I used one that could go in the oven; reduced the number of dishes because I didn't have to transfer the pork to a baking pan).

I find pie plates make the best containers for dredging, so I used three: in the first, combine the flour, salt, pepper, onion powder, cumin, and chili powder. In dish #2, combine the soy sauce and the egg whites. In dish #3, put the panko bread crumbs (yes you can use regular bread crumbs but panko is VERY yummy and very cheap. It's in the bread crumb aisle. Worth the extra box in your cabinet!). Add the canola oil to the pan and let it heat while you ready the pork chops. Dredge the pork chops in flour, then egg mixture, then bread crumbs. Shake off excess, then put the chops into the pan and fry them on each side for a couple minutes, enough to get that yummy golden brown color. Put the pork chops into the oven and cook for 6 minutes (or until done), or if you're like me and forget, they end up cooking for 8 minutes, LOL.

Mix all ingredients for the dressing. Serve on top of the pork.

The verdict: all members of the family liked the pork chops. DH was a little skeptical about the sauce at first, but told me later he really liked it and thought it added a nice flavor to the chops. This was nicely flavorful, and pretty quick and easy. It's definitely on my to-cook list for another time.

Shirley

Tuscan Pork Tenderloin & Roasted Potatoes

2010-05-06T17:50:00.010-04:00

While I was doing the Jillian Michaels diet thing, I kind of fell out of the whole cooking mode. Then I tried a few new recipes, and had some friends over for Cinco de Mayo (still paying for all those margaritas, LOL), and when I was talking to my friend Julie Sellers, who loves to cook (and did a great cooking challenge in September), I decided to try a cooking challenge of my own--me and Julie, each trying some new and/or cool dishes in the coming month.

I had a copy of the annual collected recipes of Cooking Light magazine, and had a bunch of cool new ingredients I wanted to try, so I tried two new recipes today.

Yummy. That was pretty much the only word I spoke, LOL. Both were big hits! I improvised on a couple of ingredients, so this is what my version ended up being (rather than their original). I served these with roasted green beans.

Tuscan Pork Tenderloin

4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
2 large shallots, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds pork tenderloin (I divided mine into two one-pound portions)

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Combine 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and shallots. Spread them along the roasting pan. (I drizzled in a little extra oil because it didn't seem to be enough).

Combine remaining oil, salt, rosemary, then add the lemon rind, lemon juice, fennel, pepper and garlic. Rub this mixture over the pork tenderloin, then arrange it in the pan on top of the shallot mixture. Roast at 500 degrees for 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 155 degrees. Let stand 10 minutes, then serve.

Roasted Garlic Mustard Potatoes

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 clove garlic, minced
7 cloves garlic, unpeeled
3 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
3 tablepoons minced scallion (or chives)
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, minced garlic and unpeeled cloves (these will be roasted and later used, so they go in the pan now), and potatoes. Toss well to coat, and put in a roasting pan. Roast for 1 hour, stirring at 30 minutes.

Remove potatoes from oven. Take out whole garlic cloves and press out the garlic pulp (I gripped the teeny end with my fingers and used tongs to squeeze them because they were hot. The pulp just slips out of the skin). Mix with all remaining ingredients, then toss potatoes in the mustard mixture. Serve :-)

I'm dying to see what Julie comes up with this week :-)

Shirley

Featured at BookReporter.com!

2010-04-20T10:50:00.002-04:00

Today, my daughter and I are featured at BookReporter.com for their Mother's Day roundup of mother-daughter writing teams. Stop by and check it out!

Shirley

What Are You Reading?

2010-04-16T08:08:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone,

I'm back from spring break and back at work! I read 6 1/2 books on vacation, along with several magazines. I would have read more if not for that pesky family wanting to DO stuff on vacation, LOL.

Anyway, thought I'd ask "what you're reading" right now.

I just finished Jodi Picoult's "Handle with Care." I love JP's writing but am not always happy with the endings of her books, and this one is in that category. I hate an ending that makes me depressed. But, Picoult is a BRILLIANT writer, with a way of turning language into a song, and there are times when I've reread paragraphs of her work just because I loved the way she worded those sentences.

So, what are you reading right now? A romance? A suspense? Or just the back of the Cocoa Krispies box? LOL.

I've got about twenty-five more books in my To Be Read pile. What I really need is another vacation to get through them all! :-)

Shirley

Still Time to Sign Up for My Online Class!

2010-04-10T18:13:00.000-04:00

******PERMISSION TO FORWARD GRANTED AND ENCOURAGED!!********WritersOnlineClasses.com is proud to present one of its two online April classes. To follow are the details of the April 15 – May 15 class:
CLASS: Take Your Book from Good to SoldINSTRUCTOR: Shirley Jump4-week class: April 15-May 15 COST: $30Registration ends April 14, 2010
CLASS: TAKE YOUR BOOK FROM GOOD TO SOLDTen Lessons Learned: For first-time authors, the biggest hurdle to selling is learning how to craft a book that is better than good. Good wins contests. Good gets requests for partials. Good sometimes gets a revision request. But learning how to take “good” and turn it into “sellable” is the key to success. New writers may not see those small elements that make a big difference in a book’s salability. In this workshop, New York Times bestselling romantic comedy author Shirley Jump will share the ten lessons she learned that helped her take a book that had won the Tampa Area Romance Authors First Impressions contest and make it into one that was bought by Silhouette, plus how she turned formerly rejected books into single title sales. The workshop will include discussion of the revision process and the various elements authors need to look for before considering their book ready for an editor’s eyes. Today’s editors don’t have time to sit down with a fledgling writer and teach her how to take her novel to that next level. This workshop will fill in that final gap for the writer who is just ten lessons away from a sale.
INSTRUCTOR: New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shirley Jump spends her days writing romantic comedies (Vegas Pregnancy Surprise, July 2010) to feed her shoe addiction and avoid cleaning the toilets. As AJ Whitten (www.ajwhitten.com), she also writes horror young adult novels for Houghton Mifflin’s Graphia imprint with her daughter (The Well, September 2009). She cleverly finds writing time by feeding her kids junk food, allowing them to dress in the clothes they find on the floor and encouraging the dogs to double as vacuum cleaners. Visit her website at www.shirleyjump.com or read recipes and life adventures at www.shirleyjump.blogspot.com.
For more information or to register, go to www.WritersOnlineClasses.com OR email info@WritersOnlineClasses.com
WritersOnlineClasses.com Refund Policy: Cash Refunds only when requested within 30 days of initial payment. After 30 days, refund will be credit toward a future class.
CLASS: Take Your Book from Good to SoldINSTRUCTOR: Shirley Jump4-week class: April 15-May 15 COST: $30Registration ends April 14, 2010
Please make checks* payable to: Mary O’Gara -and mail to-Post Office Box 35938Albuquerque, NM 87176*PLEASE NOTE: WritersOnlineClasses.com accepts personal checks or money orders (US FUNDS ONLY!).
Electronic Payments accepted via Paypal at http://www.paypal.com. After logging on to paypal, Email electronic payments to: Paypal@WritersOnlineClasses.com
To subscribe to announcement only list, email: WritersOnlineClassesannounce-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

The Vacation Reading-Palooza

2010-04-05T07:18:00.006-04:00

When I go on vacation, it's not necessarily to soak up the rays or the view. It's to READ. I'm like a starving man who is suddenly dropped into an all-you-can-eat buffet when I get these rare opportunities.

See, when I'm writing a book, I don't read my own genre and barely get time to read other genres. And for someone who LOVES to read, that's almost painful. I do have a book on my elliptical (and if I'm at a really suspenseful part of the book, I usually can't WAIT to get down there to exercise and find out what happens next, LOL), a book on my nightstand, and a book floating around with me from place to place. That all ends up being disjointed reading, with a few pages here and there. Rarely do I get one long uninterrupted stretch of reading time. (I did just buy and read Harlan Coben's CAUGHT in one day, though. LOVED it).

Except on vacation. I've been here three days and am on my fourth book already, LOL. I bring so many, I actually ship them down and back (I know, I know, I hear the Kindle arguments, but I like real books. Love holding them, feeling the binding crack for the first time, love everything there is to love about real books. And, I think a real book gives those authors I love just a little more of a push with other readers--people see that book in my hands and think, hey, maybe that's one I'll try).

Dennis Lehane is one of my all-time, love-everything-he-writes, authors (Harlan Coben is one of the others, if you're a suspense lover). Being from the Boston area myself, I loved that the books are set in areas I know well (and when I went on vacation, I read one he had set partially in Tampa, and ended up driving over the same Skyway Bridge he wrote about. Very neat). I loved Mystic River, loved Gone, Baby Gone, loved Coronnado (his short stories and play collection), his story in Boston Noir (another short story collection; most of those were winners, a few I was like what the heck was that?), loved a Drink Before the War, and loved Darkness Take my Hand. Read Shutter Island twice, and saw the movie.

This week, I had two of his books with me. Sacred and Prayers for Rain. I love the Patrick and Angie stories and am thrilled there will be another one this fall.

I also love Michael Kortya, whose soon-to-be-released book SO COLD THE RIVER, I received at Bouchercon 2009. That one is a bit of a departure for Kortya, with a paranormal element that was pretty cool (reminded me of Joe Hill, who also writes great stuff).

I've just started his Lincoln Perry series, and this week read SORROW'S ANTHEM and started A WELCOME GRAVE. I like Lincoln, and liked the complexities Kortya has in his plot. After I finish Kortya, I've got a couple of PJ Parrish's I haven't read before (yep, it's a suspenseful week, LOL) and then a new Jodi Picoult. Also a Brad Meltzer, and a couple other books that I can't remember. If it wasn't so nice out here on the balcony, overlooking the ocean as the sun comes up, I'd get up and look to see what else is in the box I shipped down here, LOL.

My husband asked me why I read so much when I could write stories I love to read, too. And I told him it was like being a basketball player. If you're always on the court with just yourself, you never improve. If you're on the court with players who are worse than you, you never improve. But if you spend some time on the court with the stars who are the best at their game, you strive to be better yourself every time you get that ball in your hands.

Besides loving the way these authors can transport me to another world, and make me forget everything around me, I love that these authors (and many more) make me want to be a better author. They challenge me to bring out my A-game, to really reach further for that perfect word, or that more complex plot, or wring just a little more emotion out of this scene.

Like that starving man, I'm devouring their words, their fabulous stories and the great lessons both impart to me as an author. And I'm already excited about the next vacation, and making a list of books to bring with me ;-)

Shirley

Online Class coming up!

2010-03-23T07:48:00.001-04:00

I've been sick as a dog for days and days (finally better now) and am SO far behind. I'm getting to the blog, I promise :-) In the meantime, here's some info about my upcoming online class:

******PERMISSION TO FORWARD GRANTED AND ENCOURAGED!!********
WritersOnlineClasses.com is proud to present one of its two online April classes. To follow are the details of the April 15 – May 15 class:

CLASS: Take Your Book from Good to SoldINSTRUCTOR: Shirley Jump4-week class: April 15-May 15 COST: $30Registration ends April 14, 2010

CLASS: TAKE YOUR BOOK FROM GOOD TO SOLD
Ten Lessons Learned: For first-time authors, the biggest hurdle to selling is learning how to craft a book that is better than good. Good wins contests. Good gets requests for partials. Good sometimes gets a revision request. But learning how to take “good” and turn it into “sellable” is the key to success. New writers may not see those small elements that make a big difference in a book’s salability. In this workshop, New York Times bestselling romantic comedy author Shirley Jump will share the ten lessons she learned that helped her take a book that had won the Tampa Area Romance Authors First Impressions contest and make it into one that was bought by Silhouette, plus how she turned formerly rejected books into single title sales. The workshop will include discussion of the revision process and the various elements authors need to look for before considering their book ready for an editor’s eyes. Today’s editors don’t have time to sit down with a fledgling writer and teach her how to take her novel to that next level. This workshop will fill in that final gap for the writer who is just ten lessons away from a sale.

INSTRUCTOR: New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shirley Jump spends her days writing romantic comedies (Vegas Pregnancy Surprise, July 2010) to feed her shoe addiction and avoid cleaning the toilets. As AJ Whitten (www.ajwhitten.com), she also writes horror young adult novels for Houghton Mifflin’s Graphia imprint with her daughter (The Well, September 2009). She cleverly finds writing time by feeding her kids junk food, allowing them to dress in the clothes they find on the floor and encouraging the dogs to double as vacuum cleaners. Visit her website at www.shirleyjump.com or read recipes and life adventures at www.shirleyjump.blogspot.com.

For more information or to register, go to
www.WritersOnlineClasses.com OR email info@WritersOnlineClasses.com

WritersOnlineClasses.com Refund Policy: Cash Refunds only when requested within 30 days of initial payment. After 30 days, refund will be credit toward a future class.

CLASS: Take Your Book from Good to SoldINSTRUCTOR: Shirley Jump4-week class: April 15-May 15 COST: $30Registration ends April 14, 2010

Please make checks* payable to: Mary O’Gara -and mail to-
Post Office Box 35938
Albuquerque, NM 87176
*PLEASE NOTE: WritersOnlineClasses.com accepts personal checks or money orders (US FUNDS ONLY!).

Electronic Payments accepted via Paypal at http://www.paypal.com. After logging on to paypal, Email electronic payments to: Paypal@WritersOnlineClasses.com

To subscribe to announcement only list, email:
WritersOnlineClassesannounce-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Blogging on Writerspace with prizes :-)

2010-03-10T19:05:00.003-05:00

I'm blogging on Writerspace today about the process behind writing my latest release, AROUND THE BEND. Stop on by and drop a comment for a chance to win a prize!

On the recipe front, I've been cooking from the Cook This, Not That cookbook (written by the people who wrote Eat This, Not That). I made a turkey meatloaf with a tomato chutney tonight that was fabulous. Forgot to take a picture (I was ravenous, LOL). I've also made the chicken marsala, which was okay (not as good as the full fat version, LOL).

Shirley

Online Chat this Sunday and AROUND THE BEND news

2010-03-04T11:47:00.001-05:00

Lots of exciting news for this month! First, my second women’s fiction novel, AROUND THE BEND, is in bookstores now. It comes with the bonus re-release of THE OTHER WIFE, my first women’s fiction novel. Two books in one! Find this great new release in the Fiction section of the bookstore or in a store near you.

Here’s a little more about this fun, heartwarming story, from the back of the book:

Thelma and Louise they're not.

First of all, Hilary and Rosemary Delaney are not friends—worse, they're mother and daughter. Hilary's a wayward thirty-something running from a marriage proposal, and Rosemary's her disapproving mother, a retired lawyer who can't drive and won't fly.

So they're driving together across country.

In a cherry-red Mustang.

With a potbellied pig named Reginald, and a life-size cutout of Rosemary's late husband.

Should be a fun trip.

As the miles tick by, Hilary ponders why the word "marriage" has her so terrified and finds she's got a lot to learn—about her mother, love and life in general. Together, Hilary and Rosemary will discover what's around the bend…if they don't drive each other crazy, or drive off a cliff first.

NOTE: Join me for an online chat about AROUND THE BEND, this Sunday night, March 7th, at 8pm EST at www.writerspace.com/chat. There’ll be prizes and fun for all!

Look for AROUND THE BEND in a bookstore near you, or find the Kindle edition on Amazon.com!

Shirley
www.shirleyjump.com

Around the Bend...Around the Table ;-)

2010-02-17T10:56:00.004-05:00

I was at Barnes and Noble last night, teaching my writing workshop, when one of the employees mentioned that my March release was out already and in the store. And even better, on a table for New Releases! I hadn't received my author copies yet, so I was beyond thrilled to see the book--a nice big fat trade paperback, with the bonus re-release of THE OTHER WIFE inside.

So if you're in your local store and see AROUND THE BEND, write to me and let me know. I'll enter everyone who writes to me into a contest to win a Shirley Jump mug and a copy of one of my backlist titles. If you take a pic I can put on the blog--hey, that's three entries for extra effort :-)

BTW, yes, I am still doing Jillian Michaels' Making the Cut. I took a few days off because of a trip to Ohio to speak (it's really hard to stick to a diet on the road) and then Valentine's Day (seriously, was I going to turn down dinner out and chocolate? ;-), then being sick for two days. But I was back on it today, and thrilled that my four days of deviation didn't make me gain any weight back.

I've only got a couple days left on the program, and in that month, I went from a size 8 to almost a size 4 (as you can see in the pic; ignore the big 80s hair...damp air is not my friend, LOL). Depends on the brand, but the pants/jeans I bought this month were 6s and 4s, and so were the skirts. I actually fit into a pair of shorts I wore on my honeymoon, and I was 20 pounds lighter then--but not in shape, LOL.

I haven't decided if I'm going to do another 30 days or not. I think it all depends on my time commitments over the next month. Making the Cut takes about an hour and a half every morning (an hour of circuit training, fifteen minutes of cardio, plus warm-up and cool-down) and there are days when that hour and a half is really hard to find.

Back to work--book due at the end of the month, so I'm basically writing all day! :-)

Shirley

Interview with Me, Appearance on Saturday

2010-02-11T12:56:00.004-05:00

It's a news day! I'm going to be speaking to the Central Ohio Fiction Writers THIS Saturday at 1:45 in Westerville, OH, on using the "Rule of Six" to strengthen everything from plot to titles.

Also, there's an interview with me on Women on Writing today--it's got lots of news about my next release and tips on how I write, etc. Check it out!

Am on Day 23 of Making the Cut and surviving ;-)

Shirley

Making the Cut: Day 17

2010-02-05T11:31:00.004-05:00

Seventeen days into Making the Cut and I'm finally noticing a big difference. Muscles in places I've never had them before (because I am admittedly a wimpy workout person, so I have never worked all that hard, LOL). But after two-plus weeks doing the exercises faithfully, my abs are tighter, my shoulders are rounding nicely, and my calves are getting really defined.

My weight loss stalled for a few days, and all because of a wedding, LOL. We had to drive three hours each way to a family wedding, and I was doing really great on the ride up. Made great choices at the buffet. Then they brought out the cake and OMG, it was CHOCOLATE. Resistance was futile, but I did stop at one huge piece. It was SO yummy, and totally worth it, though.

I figured I could stop with that cheat, then we stopped at Wendy's on the drive home, and though I didn't order anything, the drive-thru people screwed up and threw in an extra kids' meal. Those fries were too tempting to miss, and the chicken nuggets were just begging to be eaten.

Okay, I thought, one day isn't bad. I'll do better tomorrow, right? Well, Sunday was the Mad Ants basketball game, and when my son brought back nachos with cheese sauce...it was all over. I ate more than half of them, then half a pretzel. Then we went to Ruby Tuesday's and I ordered an appetizer I didn't need. All totaled, I had double the calories I needed on both those days. I've stuck to the plan ever since then, but it took about four or five days to get back to losing weight again.

The workouts aren't getting any easier (not that I expected them to, LOL), but I am doing all the circuits twice each time, and the extra 15 minutes of cardio afterwards. I've started cooking a few of my own meals, because there's only so many recipes in that book ;-).

My biggest problem now is jeans. I'm down a full size but CAN NOT find one pair in this city in the size I need. I'm speaking in Columbus, OH, on the 13th (if you're interested, info on my writing presentation on the "Rule of Six" is on their website) and am hoping I can find some in the mall there. If not, I'll have to order them (a huge pain, because jeans are so hard to get right and I end up trying on a dozen pairs at a time). But y'all know me--shopping isn't exactly a hardship, LOL.

The key for me has been total diligence about tracking my calories and exercise. I use Fat Secret, which is a free program for my Blackberry (get it through Blackberry App World, which should be installed on your BB, if you have one. If not, they make an app for other kinds of phones too; check the website). I love that I can look at the past days and see calorie expenditure versus calorie intake. That helps me fine-tune the number of calories I need to keep losing weight (I found I need about 100 calories less than Jillian recommends or my weight just stays the same). It has a great exercise calculator, and the food diary is filled with store, restaurant and brand name products so that most everything I eat is easy enough to find in there.

I do miss my cooking sprees, and I bet readers do, too, LOL. But in doing this, I've found a lot of creative ways to eat healthier and lower calorie, so I'm sure that'll affect future recipes. Unless someone puts a piece of cake in front of me ;-)

Shirley

Making the Cut: Day 8

2010-01-27T11:21:00.005-05:00

Now that we have our plane tickets bought for Spring Break, I am reminded on a daily basis that bathing suit season isn't that far away (my daughter has a countdown going until we are on the beach...gee, think she's looking forward to the vacation?).

Anyway, even though I have lost almost all the weight I wanted to, and gotten almost to the size I wanted to be, I wasn't quite there. And though I didn't gain anything over Christmas, the three weeks off from working out and cookie-based meals (cookies are FAB for breakfast, if you ask me!) weren't exactly a help to my physique.

I had turned on the On Demand Exercise TV the other day and tried out one of Jillian Michaels' workouts. She's the trainer on The Biggest Loser--and when you watch those people drop 15 pounds in one week you wonder what on earth she's doing right. So I tried the workout, which she does with a half dozen or so contestants from The Biggest Loser. These folks are in the middle of their weight loss journey, so they're still battling a bit of a bulge and they were doing all that Jillian asked of them--which take it from, was NOT easy. But it wasn't killer, if that makes sense. It was a tough workout, that made me feel like "wow" afterwards. I thought if she could do that in 20 minutes, what about a longer workout?

So I went to the bookstore and picked up Making the Cut, which is designed for people who have less than 20 pounds to lose and who want to just finish that toning/sculpting process. It's a diet and exercise plan, based on how you metabolize food.

I looked at it, thought it was doable, and set right to work the next day. The diet is definitely livable--most days I have trouble getting in all the calories I'm supposed to have. I think that's because there's lots of fiber in the diet, so that fills me up, and I'm not hungry enough to eat that much. But when I do as she advises and stick to my BMR number of calories every day, I do lose weight. The recipes are actually quite good, especially considering it's "diet" food. There's a salmon with prosciutto that I loved, and a chicken and black bean burrito that my whole family loved. The Apricot Glazed chicken was okay, not great, and the stuffed eggplant was fabulous. And healthy :-)

And I've done the workouts faithfully. She wants you to do the circuits twice, which I try to do, though I'm not successful every time. It's a constant, fast-paced interval training workout, with dumbbells and a little gym equipment, and one-minute bursts of either jump rope, treadmill or running sprints in between each circuit. I'm sweaty, tired and ready to fall down at the end of it, LOL.

Okay, so I'm eight days in (out of 30 total in the book) and what have been the results?

I've lost 6 pounds. I've lost an inch off my waist, an inch off my hips, an inch off my thighs. (My daughter always asks me where all that weight goes...I tell her it goes to her size 0 hips, LOL).

I'm committed to this 30 days, though I do have a wedding to go to this weekend, so that's going to make things hard, and a basketball game, where the siren call of a beer and pretzel are going to be hard to resist. If I just keep trying on that swimsuit, though, I think I can stick to it ;-)

Shirley

The Well is out in Audio!

2010-01-21T18:14:00.003-05:00

THE WELL is available as an Audio book now! It's very cool news, and something my daughter and I have been eagerly awaiting. I know lots of readers ask me about audio books, and being a big fan of them myself, I'm doubly excited!

Shirley

Blog Up--with Prizes!

2010-01-21T07:28:00.002-05:00

I'm blogging at Writerspace and giving away a copy of a book. Stop on by for a chance at winning!

Shirley

An Easy Dinner

2010-01-18T18:04:00.004-05:00

I wasn't feeling well today so I needed an easy, quick dinner. Yesterday we had some phenomenal steaks that we made on the grill, along with baked potatoes and a warm spinach salad with a bacon vinaigrette (which is easy--cook the bacon, reserve three tablespoons of fat, then cook some onions and garlic in it (I did one onion, chopped and one clove of garlic). When that's done, add 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard. Add the spinach and cook until wilted.)

No pics today -- I didn't feel well enough to mess with that--but for dinner tonight, I did a marinade (I was in the mood for one after watching them do marinades on Worst Cooks in America). The marinade was awesome--made the chicken very tender:

1 shallot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tangelo, juiced (you can use an orange, but I had tangelos on hand)
a dash of salt and pepper
4 chicken breasts

I mixed the marinade, then added it and the chicken breasts to a Zip-Loc bag, threw it in the fridge for a few hours. Later, I had DH grill the chicken. Very good stuff!

To go along with that, I made a white sauce, added fresh grated Parmesan cheese and a pinch of nutmeg, then tossed it with spaghetti noodles (was all out of cool, funky noodles like bowties), some blanched asparagus and some peas. Very good stuff there, too!

So an easy, quick dinner, and not much cleanup. My favorite kind ;-)

Shirley

New Book Out and Online Chat this Sunday!

2010-01-07T19:38:00.002-05:00

If you love weddings, and wedding stories, then check out my story, "Best Man Says I Do," in JUST MARRIED, which will be in stores on Tuesday.

http://www.amazon.com/Just-Married-Bridesmaid-Best-Harlequin-Romance/dp/0373176333/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262910606&sr=1-1

Also, it's available in Kindle edition (as are most of my books) so if you want the ebook version, it's here:

http://www.amazon.com/Just-Married-ebook/dp/B002WEPEGM/ref=sr_1_22?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262910569&sr=8-22

In JUST MARRIED, Cara Colter and I wrote two linked books--hers is the story of the bridesmaid, mine is the story of the best man. "Best man Colton St. John has his future all planned out--until blast-from-his-past Vivian Reilly rocks up at the wedding. She's as much trouble as ever, but Colton can't seem to stay away...."

See why Romantic Times Book Reviews gave it 4 1/2 stars!

Also, visit with me on Sunday, January 10th at 9pm EST for an online chat. Find out about my upcoming books, where the idea came from for Best Man Says I Do...and win prizes!

www.writerspace.com/chat

Hope to see you there! And hope you're staying warm wherever you are :-)

Shirley

Watch for Flying Objects

2010-01-04T14:51:00.003-05:00

Last night, my family and I went to the Mad Ants game (they're our local NBA D-League team). It's a pretty cool and fun event. I find, by and large, that the semi-pro teams have more fun at their games. Lots more free stuff, goofy announcers, things like that. I'm not into watching sports, but I really love the Mad Ants. The basketball is good, the games are exciting, and it's always nice to cheer for your hometown team.

We had floor seats, right by the basket. It can be a dangerous place to be. As the Chase Bank sign reminds us all "Watch for Flying Objects". I thought they meant basketballs...not people.

So we're sitting there (watching our team lose, which was a bummer), and a ball comes flying toward us. The player who lost the ball--from the opposing team, the Iowa Energy--goes after the ball--

And he's headed straight for me and my son. This guy, Cartier Martin, is 6'7" tall and weighs 220 pounds. I cover my head and duck, sure I'm going to become a human pancake. My eyes are closed (wimpy person that I am), and I'm waiting for the inevitable collision.

Instead, he LEAPS over my head, so fast and easy he didn't hit so much as a hair on my head, and LANDS on his feet on the walkway behind me. Without missing a step, he circles the floor seats and heads back onto the court.

I think anyone who saw that was stunned that he managed to leap OVER me. I'm not a short woman-- 5'6" tall--and undoubtedly that was a heck of a leap for him to make.

Later, at the post-game party at Applebee's, I went up to one of the players for the Iowa Energy and told him to "thank #34 for not killing me." :-)

I do think, though, that the next time we sit in the floor seats, I'm wearing protective gear, LOL.

Shirley