It’s an Orange…

Happy May Day!!!

It’s cold…it’s rainy…it’s just GROSS! So I’m stuck inside this May Day. And I have a bag of yucky oranges, so like the saying goes for lemons  – when you have a bag of lemons make lemonade…here’s my twist –

When you have a bag of yucky oragnes make peach orange marmalade and orange spice potpourri. 🙂

Peach Orange Marmalade

What you need:

5 small oranges (I have a couple of extra so I threw them in)

2 cups of peach bellini mix (I used booze free this time but I’ve used peach vodka here and it was good if you use vodka you will need 3 cups sugar the bellini mix is sweet so I didn’t use sugar)

1 lemon

1 package powdered fruit pectin

(Prepare your jars for canning – I’m not going to cover that)

What you need to do:

Cut the oranges and lemon into quarters add to bellini mix. Simmer for 40 minutes, until the oranges are soft.

Stir in the pecctin and bring to full rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat, skim off foat.

Pour into hot jars and seal.

Process in a boiling water bath canner for 5 minutes.

 

 

 

 

I know Orange potpourri isn’t the first thing that pops into your mind on May Day…but hey like I said it’s cold…it’s GROSS

Orange Spice Potpourri

What you need:

Oranges

Pinecones

Spices of choice – cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, star anise, etc

Let’s Make it!

Slice oranges about 1/4 inch. Bake at 250 for about 3 hours or until dried out.

Mix what you decided to use and store in an air tight container until you want to use it. It keeps up to 3 months.

 

What is your favorite potpourri recipe?

 

 

Boiled egg recipes for breakfast/brunch

Have leftover Easter eggs? Even if you don’t this recipe is amazing! I always make it Easter morning using the colored eggs. It can be made ahead – even over night. So it makes a wonderful brunch/breakfast dish for any time of the year.

The recipe is for 8 Scottish eggs but can be easily doubled or reduced.

What you need…

2 lb bulk sage pork sausage

2 teaspoon dried minced onion

2 teaspoon salt

8 hard-cooked eggs, peeled

all-purpose flour for rolling the balls in

3/4 cup bread crumbs

1 egg, beaten

What you do…

• Heat oven to 400°F. In large bowl, mix pork sausage, onion and salt. Shape mixture into 8 equal patties.
• Roll each hard-cooked egg in flour to coat; place on sausage patty and shape sausage around egg. Dip each into beaten egg; coat with bread crumbs to cover completely. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

  You can cover and put in the refrigerator until ready to cook.
• Bake 35 minutes or until sausage is thoroughly cooked and no longer pink near egg.

What are some of your favorite leftover egg recipes?

Journal Making Ideas

Journaling –

As I’ve said before there is no one kind of journal fits all.  What we keep in our journal varies as much as each person writing it – or it should.

This week’s DYI journal making is inspired by the Wizard of Oz. One of my favorite movies. As I’m moving through this season of my life, I’m finding that I relate with the characters. Each search for something – only to learn they already have it. Isn’t that often the case?

I need courage to raise a seven-year-old at this age that has serve trauma.

I need a heart to forgive his father (my son) who is responsible for the trauma.

I need a brain to tell me that I can do this.

And most of all I need acceptance of this is my “Kanas”.

To make this journal I took a sketch book (dollar store variety so the paper isn’t super heavy).  And here is the results…

I included Over The Rainbow also 🙂

I have several pages of prompts with images from the movie – including ruby shoes – If I could click my shoes and disappear where would I go?

 

I coffee stained several pages

The cover

How it all began…

Do you have a favorite movie or book that inspires you? Make it into a journal!

How to make an inspired journal…

1. Decide what movie/book you want to use for this project. (My second choice would have been Moana – (belief in yourself, coming to terms with your ‘lot’ in life, and never under estimate someone (hei hei), and never give up on someone (again hei hei).
2. Now is the time for brainstorming. What journey do you want to take on this journal? One of self reflection? Or maybe have it be a vacation one using one the vacation movies? Or a mother/daughter retreat? Once you have decided that then do the format.
   1. If you are going to do a lot of actual writing, then do you want line paper? I went with blank because I intent to write and also print off inspiration quotes.
   2.  Are you going to paint/stain the pages? If so then you need heavier weight paper.
3. Once you have decided on the purpose and media, then it’s all YOU!!! I made a list of the parts I wanted, the prompts, the free writing, the pages for quotes, and the music (for self care).
4. Most important part – HAVE FUN!!!

I’d love to see pictures! If you have any questions, please leave me comment.

Easter Egg Hunt

Hi! Thanks for stopping by…

 

 

 

 

 

What’s your favorite Easter thing?

Me – it’s brunch. I make Scottish Eggs every year. We love them. And since I’m boiling eggs anyway, I just under cook some and half the prep is done 😉

 

Make sure you hop on over to – https://www.facebook.com/groups/142059833103253/ and be sure to enter the Rafflecopter for the Grand Prize!!!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/6c88f59326/?

Thanks for stopping by!

#EnterToWin #EasterEggPageHunt #PageHop #GothicMoms

#GoodLuck

 

Weekend Self-care

The weekend is approaching…Spring is in the air – hopefully. As the seasons change people often like to do a little personal self reflecting. This week’s self-care sheet is filled with pictures and prompts to aide you in your self-reflecting.

To down load the sheet – Self-Reflection

This is my favorite ‘quick’ face mask recipe:

Combine 1/2 cup hot—not boiling—water and 1/3 cup oatmeal.

After the water and oatmeal have settled for two or three minutes, mix in 2 tablespoons plain yogurt, 2 tablespoons honey, and one small egg white.

Apply a thin layer of the mask to your face, and let it sit for ten to 15 minutes. Then rinse with warm water. (Be sure to place a metal or plastic strainer in your sink to avoid clogging the drain with the granules.)

If this one isn’t appealing to you… this is a great website with lots of other options – https://www.rd.com/health/beauty/homemade-facial-masks-recipes/

See you next week for another self-care sheet and recipe. If you have a favorite self-care recipe or request please drop me a comment

And the card says…

The Emperor

I love this card! So much symbolism. The basic message of this card is practical help and organization. Both of which hit home. I need some ‘practical’ help in setting my revised goals for 2019. When I made my goals for this year back in November, I didn’t know that I was going to have a shoulder injury that would impact my writing.

I don’t want to cut back but I need to. I need realistic input on my writing/editing schedule. Thankfully I have a great writer friend that is helping me set my new goals. I tend to have a ‘if I can’t do it all, I’ll do nothing’ attitude. Yup super negative but I know it so I seek solid people to balance it.

And organization – I always need organization.

This card also represents logic, action, and strategy. All of which I need right now. I need the logic in setting my goals, my new life limitation, and seeking solid guidance. I also need to take action, not just spin around seeking advice. Go to a solid source, listen, make a strategy, and then move on it!

The heraldic eagle on the shield and London’s Crystal Palace, both give me comfort that good things are coming my way. They are symbols of high status and innovation.

If anyone is interested in a three card reading, leave me a comment.

Have a great week!

 

Writer’s Wednesday

Should your characters rest?

A picnic beside a brook?

A relaxing walk

What happens when your characters just want to hang out and watch Chopped?

Regardless of the genre you write or read, unless something is happening during the watching of Chopped you don’t want to write it or read it.

So how do you get excitement when everyone is in chill mode? Here are three things I do. Give them a page of chill. Especially if you are writing a suspense (which I do as Lyncee Shillard) the reader needs a break from the roller coaster. They are cuddled on the couch watching Chopped. Drinking a glass of wine. Life is ‘normal’. Brain storm somethings that can happen during the show.

1. They decide to try a recipe they see so they go into the kitchen to find someone looking through the door – a head in the sink – or – someone shoots through the window.
2. Write the chill scene for your purpose only and decide what happens next. For example, your character watches Chopped. Becomes bored and decides to go for a jog. She get’s dresses and heads out for a little jog. She rounds the corner to find herself in a different dimension being hunted by demons.  You would start with her jogging out the door because Chopped has nothing to do the story.
3. Neither of these work for you. Your character is full from eating pizza rolls while watching Chopped and she hates jogging (my type of girl). If this is the case, ask yourself what do I want my character to do? Maybe she’s chilling because she’s waiting for you decide what you want her to do or you wrote yourself in a corner. She’s on the couch watching Chopped by you really need her at the elementary because someone is going to try to kidnap all the blond boys that are five. How do you get her there? She can’t just get up and say hey I’m going to the school, I think some stuff is going down at the school let me go there. You need a transition (and that’s a future post) but now you know to back up before she gets into the house.

Remember a short ‘chill’ scene is sometimes very important. It can actually build suspense. The reader is wondering why are they watching Chopped. The key is that it is short and is used as a transition scene.

While I  used watching Chopped because it’s a form of one of my favorite ‘chill’ scenes to write in my romance suspense. My character(s) cooking.  In my fantasy, the ‘chill’ scenes are usually my characters traveling.

What are your favorite ‘chill’ scene to write or read?

 

 

Weekly draw

My card this week – 10 of beetles – shows the wealth of generations and a happy marriage.

Not a lot of direction in this card. Sometimes that happens. I’ve had five weeks of very warning cards, that proved to be true, so I’m ready for a week of calm. Of the last 12 school days my 7 year-old has gone 2! That’s a lot of togetherness. I love the kid to the end of the world but I can’t work, he’s bored (too cold to go – polar vortex).

To enjoy a week of peace, I have learned I need to be as intentional with my peace weeks as I am with stormy weeks. Maybe even more so. The storms will demand to be dealt with, but peace can slip by unnoticed. In the pass I’ve booked myself solid because it was going to be smooth sailing. What I end up causing is a storm. I stir up the waters by trying to do too much.

A card of peace – I should say that just because it’s peace for me doesn’t mean that it will be for someone else, we are all in different places on our journey – is just that peace. Accept it. Don’t go out of your way to ruin it.

So, what does a week of peace look for me? I focus on self-care. Be it read a book that I have wanted to but haven’t had the time to. Or maybe it’s body pampering. Hair mask. Face mask. Mani and pedi. I spend some time in meditating – listening to my body. Determining what it needs. Then I schedule – yes, I actually write it in my planner – my peace times.  I have to or else like I said they don’t happen. I know how hard it is to keep these commitments. I have a 7 year-old. A full time job. A side hustle. But if I don’t make myself then I end up drained and unhealthy.

Again, it’s easy to fill this peace time with cleaning that overflowing closet.  Painting the family room. And there are times I do use the peace time to do these things. BUT I need to remember – we all do – that ((I)) am important to.

This week is mainly going to be devoted to reading. I have a book on journaling that has been on my TBR pile for almost a year. It’s time. And I’m also blocking an hour everyday for journaling. T

Do you schedule your peace time? If so what do it look like? How do you keep yourself accountable for your peace time?

If you are interested in a free weekly card drawing, leave me a comment of what pile you would like.

Have a great week!

A week of…

First week of February and I pull and romantic dreamer card. This sort of made me giggle 🙂

The knight is a hopeless romantic. While I’m not looking for a personal romantic relationship (happily married for many many years), I am excited about this card. I believe this card does have meaning for me, as with all cards. The secret to reading is looking past the ‘script’ meaning and reflecting how this card impacts YOU.

I have many romantic ideas, dreams that I refuse to let go. This is a positive sign that some of those dreams may come a step closer to reality.

It’s also a card of warning. The knight as a shining amour, comes to your rescue, and is willing to slay your dragons.

BUT

Be warned: what you see may not be what you get.  Once the amour is removed things get real. For example, so many people view writing through romantic glasses. It’s just putting words on paper and then wait for the money to roll in…. ohhhh it’s so much more. Marketing. Edits (never ending edits). To name just a few.

So while I’m exciting about the promise of positive situations, I need to heed the caution of view everything with caution.

What does the cards have for you this week? Pick on from the pile that pulls you and I’ll read it Monday night.

Saturday Brunch

We have had a polar vortex all week… which has led to 8 snow days and my beach looking like this….

We are all grumpy – like very grumpy – so we needed some comfort food. What better than chicken waffles with maple bacon????

 

For the overall all recipe you need:

waffles (frozen work but I’ve included my recipe for maple waffles)

breaded chicken tenders (I do use frozen just to save time)

Bacon

Maple syrup

 

First I start my  chicken tenders going in the oven. Then I make the bacon. While the chicken and bacon are hanging out in the oven, I make the waffles.

 

Maple waffles

What you need:

• Eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 3/4 cups milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 teaspoons maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

What you do:

1. Preheat waffle iron. Beat eggs in large bowl with hand beater until fluffy. Beat in flour, milk, vegetable oil, maple syrup, baking powder, salt and vanilla, just until smooth.
2. Spray preheated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour mix onto hot waffle iron. Cook until golden brown. Serve hot.

 

Maple Bacon

What you need:

Thick sliced bacon (enough for 2 per waffle)

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon brown sugar

 

What you do:

1. Line cookie sheet with foil and place bakers rack on top.
2. Place bacon on the rack.
3. Combine syrup and brown sugar until sugar is dissolved. Brush syrup/sugar on bacon.
4. Cook in oven for 5 minutes flip and brush other side. Cook until desired crispness.

Once chicken and bacon are down… stack them on the warm waffles…