Sunday Brunch

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes…This is a favorite Sunday morning treat in my house. Not only is it yummy but it’s easy :D

What you need…

Cinnamon Filling:
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, just melted (not boiling)
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Pancake Mix

2 tablespoons cream cheese soften

What you do….

Make the cinnamon filling (keep warm so the butter doesn’t start hardening). Make the pancakes per the mix directions. Pour onto a hot griddle, once they start bubbling drizzle 2 tablespoons of cinnamon filling and flip.

Once the pancakes are done, spread the soften cream cheese on them and drizzle more of the cinnamon filling.

Enjoy :)

 

Monday Muse

Why reread a book when there are so many out there just wait to be read???  Is a question I get asked from time to time. My husband doesn’t understand rereading a book at all but my daughter frequently revisits books.

I reread two reasons….

(1). For comfort. When I’m stressed or just feeling overwhelmed, I will reread a book I know is guaranteed to ‘whisk me away.’ I make myself a mug of hot cocoa or a tall glass of ice tea and spend some time with old friends that have been waiting for me. They allow me to block away the ugly world for a bit. Cheaper than a therapist :)

The banshee cold and snow of this winter is something I seek to escape :D

(2). For examples. As a writer, there are few other authors that I ‘hero worship.’ They develop characters with such depth that I reread the book as inspiration of what achievable. The same is true with plot twist and foreshadowing. I can read craft books and while they do help nothing brings it home like a well written book.

Books that are category one don’t always fall into category two.  I have several books, I revisit just so I can see how the author developed a character or a plot twist, reading them doesn’t necessarily provide an escape.

Do you reread books? If so why?

 

Sunday Brunch

This recipe is one of my favorite super easy and yummy recipes (super easy & yummy). The draw back??? There are never any left.

Not Plain Cinnamon Rolls

What you need:
cooking spray
2 cans (12.4 oz each) Pillsbury® refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing
4 eggs
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans (you can use more or less according to your liking)
1/4 cup maple syrup

Love gooey Sunday Brunch recipes

What you do:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 13×9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
Separate both cans of dough into 16 rolls; set icing aside. Cut each roll into 8 pieces; place
pieces in dish.
In a medium bowl, beat eggs. Beat in cream, cinnamon and vanilla until well blended;
gently pour over roll pieces. Sprinkle with pecans; drizzle with syrup.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, remove covers from icing; microwave 10 to 15 seconds or until thin enough to
drizzle.
Drizzle icing over top. If desired, spoon syrup over individual servings.

Enjoy :D

Book Accessories

 

 

While I’m a fan of e-books and my Kindle is second only to my laptop in favorite devices, I still LOVE book marks. Since I still read print books, I do need them. But I also use book marks in my calendar (I just CAN’T use an electric one – I have heard the praises of google calendar and all the other wonderful ones but I just can’t give up my paper one), my journal, and my cookbooks.

I may have a ‘slight’ weakness to really cool bookmarks…. I like all kinds. Ones with beads or charms, decorated paperclips, crocheted ones (I’ve done several of these myself), and printed ones.

Here is a sight that has some awesome printed bookmarks for sale.

 

I took a 2014 things in 2014 challenge. Each week I have to get rid of 35 things and repurpose at least one item. I’m going to make these ribbon bookmarks for my repurpose item :). I’ll post pictures of how my turn out.

My repurpose project

But here is a link to a sight that give step by step directions if you want make some.http://www.sew4home.com/projects/fabric-art-accents/scrapbusters-embellished-ribbon-bookmarks

 

What is some of your favorite book accessories???

Monday Mayhem

Reality vs Reality of the mind….

This is what it looks like out…

 

 

 

 

but this is what I’m thinking about…

 

Gardening…. Oh the joys of warm weather. While I do have an indoor winter herb garden, it’s just not the same as sitting the sun and digging in the dirt. Yes, I’m a kid at heart. As the wind howls making the snow dance across my buried gardens, I dream of heirloom tomatoes, mini eggplants, and the creeping cuke vines.

As I go through the gardening catalogs, it’s like a drug of euphoria. The writer part of my mind is snapping with excitement.  As look at the pictures of the exotic veggies that while they will never find a home in my garden flats, they may very well end up on one of my character’s plate.

Or maybe they will be flesh eating plants…

As a writer, I know inspiration can and will come from all sorts of different things. A song, a poem, a phrase and yes even a gardening catalog.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day….

Sunday Brunch…

I’m not sure where I found the recipe for this yummy breakfast delight but for the last five years it has been a hit at every brunch I bring it to.

A great holiday treat

Eggnog Cake

A yummy breakfast delight ….

What you need…

• Cooking Spray
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup full-fat eggnog
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup cake flour
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt

For the Streusel

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• ½ cup all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup pecans
• ¼ cup cold butter, cut into tablespoons
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the Glaze

• 1 ½ Tablespoons eggnog
• ¾ cup powdered sugar
• Pinch of nutmeg

What you do…

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray the Bundt pan with the      cooking spray. (Make sure you get all the nooks and crannies!) Then flour      your pan.
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle      attachment, cream together the butter and sugars for 2-3 minutes.
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides      as you go.
4. Add the eggnog, sour cream, and vanilla, beat until      mixed though.
5. Sift in the all-purpose and cake flour, sprinkle on the      nutmeg, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
6. Mix until just combined. Finish by using a rubber      spatula and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl, and stir      together. Set aside.
7. To make the Streusel; In a food processor, add the      brown sugar, oats, flour, pecans, and cinnamon. Pulse until it’s in a      loose flour-like consistency, about 30-40 seconds.
8. Cut in the cold butter and pulse until butter is mixed      through and the streusel can be pinched together.
9. You’re going to divide the streusel into four different      parts, so don’t’ use it all at once! Start by sprinkling ¼ of the streusel      into the bottom of the greased and floured Bundt pan. Scoop half of your      cake batter onto the streusel, the batter is thick, so you may need to      help it along to fully cover it. Then sprinkle about ½ of what is left of      the streusel onto the batter (This is where you want to use the most      streusel!) Pour in the remaining cake batter, and make sure it’s spread      evenly. Sprinkle half of what’s remaining of the streusel, on the top of      the batter.
10. Pop in the pre-heated oven for 45 minutes. Stick a slim      knife or toothpick in to check it’s doneness, and if it comes out wet,      start the timer for another 5 minutes. Continue this pattern until a knife      comes out clean. (The first time I made this, my cake took a full hour,      the second time, it was 50 minutes. So be sure to check it!)
11. Once it’s done, remove from the oven and allow it to      cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before carefully flipping the cake      onto a cake stand or plate.
12. Allow the cake to cool through completely before adding      the glaze.
13. To make the glaze, mix together the eggnog, powdered      sugar, and nutmeg with a fork until smooth.
14. Pour over the cake, around the entire top. Sprinkle      with the remaining streusel and serve!

 

Developing a Story Timeline

My story timeline is my most important tool and the key to any story I write, be it a romance suspense or a fantasy. Now while I’m not a plotter, I do have a general idea of where I want my story to be at when I hit a certain word count. This is nothing as ridged as the ‘3 act’ or ‘5 act’ plotter’s formula because besides the event I don’t have a clue what else will happen.

For All Things Scary, I’m using the 5 perils Maeko must face as my pivot points. The third one will be the mid-point. The final one will also include her confrontation with the witch, Eduvigos.

As I’ve said while I’m not a plotter, I do take TONS of notes while I write.  My timeline starts off bare but will be packed fill of detail by the time I end the story.

I generally keep two timelines – a general overview and a detailed one. Depending on the genre of my story I use different methods is keeping my timeline. Almost always I use a calendar for my romance suspense. For fantasy, I use the plain timeline method.

Here is an example of the working one for All Things Scary ~

INTRO (5k)

–          Maeko receives the sword of truth – starting her on her quest – this is meant with much opposition especially from Bamely – who sees herself superior to Maeko

–          The witch beheads her 3^rd headless horsewoman – fulfilling that part of the prophesy of when she’ll rain darkness down on all of Crencher. Eduvigos fights with her sister revealing the strain of their relationship

–          De is appointed Maeko’s companion – confirming his purpose – romantic subplot

–          De and Maeko leave the Island of Purpose

1^st Peril (15k)

–          Maeko and De enter the forbidden caves in Brooly seeking the 1^st gem stone

– they encounter trolls – fight

– they hear the furies circling above while camping at night and realize they also seek to stop them.

–          Eduvigos sends her three headless horsewomen out to kidnap the queen of Lukti – another part of the prophesy

2^nd Peril (25k)

3^rd Peril (35k) – mid point

4^th Peril (45k)

5^th Peril (55k)

Conclusion – (65k)

 

This timeline is kept in a separate document that I have open while I write adding details as I discover them.  This isn’t my only source of reference, I also mark on my map where events happen and I have character documents that I update with arc info and GMC info.

 

Do any of you keep timelines for your stories? I’d love to hear about your method.