Thirteen reasons the family hates me to cook

Thirteen Things about DEBORA’S COOKING

1….It’s taken me 20 years to learn the smoke detector is not an indicator my dinner is done.

2….My culinary experiments often go awry.

3….Doesn’t ketchup go with everything?

4….Pork chops don’t really need to be cooked for two hours? Hmmm…interesting.

5….Am I the only one that thinks chocolate is a food group?

6….All the ingredients in a recipe ARE necessary?

7….I love pasta and vegetables – why can’t they share my love three times a week?

8….I don’t need to steam my vegetables for 30 minutes? Hmmm…maybe I learning.

9….I pay no attention to the “cooking time” in my cookbooks.

10…I usually forget to defrost something until it’s too late – cooking a frozen roast takes A LONG TIME!

11…Since I insist on grocery shopping without a list – I never have all the ingredients the recipe calls for – I love to improvise – the family hates it.

12…I love to watch Rachel Ray and Emeril – then recreate the dish by memory…big mistake.

13…I can cover up a dry, burnt dinner with plenty of tasty sauce with the best of ‘em (see #3)

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

1. Gina Ardito
2. Ember Case
3. Elle Fredrix
4. Rhonda Stapleton
5. Jennah Sharpe
6. Crystal Jordan
7. Emma Wayne Porter
8. Diana Castilleja
9. Jennifer McKenzie
10. RG Alexander
11. Emma Sinclair
12. Shonna Brannon
13. Heather
14. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)


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Support your craft

As a whole I’ve found the world of authors to be the most giving and supportive of people! I’m always amazed at how freely industry information and encouragement are offered by those around me. I’m an active member of the two best romance writing forums: Romance Divas and Romance Writers Unlimited along with a fabulous critique group: The Passionate Critters. All three of these groups provide not only a safe haven for anything romance writing related – they are filled to overflowing with terrific people who freely exchange their wealth of knowledge. I am a firm believer that you should always surround yourself with positive energy – and let me tell you, I couldn’t have stumbled across a better bunch if I’d researched for years!

While walking through a local mall this past weekend I happened to spot a lone woman sitting off to the side of the bookstore at a table full of books. A booksigning! After speaking with her a few minutes, sharing our love of writing and the many difficulties of the craft and the field – I promised to blog her book for her – you know, support my craft!

“Look Not Upon Our Sins” by Georgette Symonds is the compelling story of an Irish family. Seen through they eyes of three generations of women showing the complex dynamic relationships between mother and daughter and between sisters. The backdrop of this book covers everything from the Great Famine and the heart wrenching crossing over the Atlantic Ocean on coffin ships as Irish ancestors died trying desperately to reach for a new life in North America, the early days of Brooklyn and the building of the Brooklyn Bridge up to the 1950’s.

I don’t have a review or a recommendation of this book, as I haven’t read it YET. But I can tell you that Georgette was a wonderfully engaging woman and a pleasure to talk to. She was so enthusiastic about her book, it was downright infectous. And when she found I was a romance writer, she couldn’t say enough nice things about the many romance writing loops she’d visited to help with some research questions. Her book can be purchased through Amazon, at your local bookstore or through her website above.

And if you haven’t had enough of me today – hahahaha – you can check out more of my random thoughts on book reviews over at my critique group blog.

Today’s Coffee: Gloria Jean – Irish Cream

Juggling Acts

I think it was Erma Bombeck who once said “the phrase working mother is redundant” and never has one statement held more truth.

Just a quick glance to the right and you’ll note that I’ve got my short, but sweet, bio right out there on top. Wife, Mother and Aspiring Romance Author. Let me tell you, if this is an adventure you intend to embark upon – buckle up and learn how to juggle. Add a special needs child to your stew pot – you better either grow a third arm or learn how to cope with all the curveballs in your future – FAST.

There is never what you’d call a “normal” day in my house. We do our best to maintain some status quo and keep the balance. Somedays are better than others.

So what’s going on in author DDMills household today? Glad you asked. I’ve got one elemetary schooler home so the teachers can grade tests. A middle schooler at school and a high schooler who at the time of this post hasn’t decided yet if school is worth his effort today – you win today’s prize if you guessed he’s my Aspie. I’m struggling between which of the two manuscripts I’ve got floating around my head to work on today and if I don’t get a haircut soon, I’ll resemble “cousin it” within a few days time. Of course, getting a haircut would require me to plan ahead and actually call the salon – if I don’t add it to my “things to do” list in my trusty Palm – that will never get done. (Note to self – add it now!)

Let’s toss in the fact that I’m defrosting chicken that the family is praying I’ll be able to make edible by the time dinner rolls around, both hubby and I are recovering from pneumonia and I’m way behind on critiques for my group…

Are there enough hours in a day? How’s your day shaping up?

Today’s coffee: Green Mountain - Fair Trade Rain Forest Nut (cause nutty is just what I’m in the mood for!)

Bad Vegetables?

Just in case it hasn’t been mentioned here before – I’m not the biggest contributor to meals in my house. I’ve got three kids – two of them teenage boys with bottomless pits for stomachs. I’ve been known to set off the smoke alarms frequently with my cooking and serve some less than stellar new-fangled concoctions that will never be close to winning any awards!

In case you haven’t guessed – that leaves the hubster to do A LOT of the cooking. He does enjoy the stress relief of being in the kitchen chopping and dicing away his work frustrations – good thing! And if truth be told, it makes for a happier house when the occupants are well fed. Bobby Flay look out – cause my hubby has been known to invent some interesting dishes that have been well recieved by three cranky eaters!

That said, we do order take-out once a week. Usually it’s Friday and we flip between the two favorites stand-by’s in my house – Pizza and Chinese. And I have no guilt in admitting, I never looked at either of these as “bad” food choices.

First the pizza – wants not to like about cheese, sauce and dough? Throw on some mushrooms, onions and pepperoni and I’m really not seeing the problem with this.

Now the Chinese. I’m sure you’ve seen all the reports by now that the vegetables in the chinese food are BAD. Now, I’ll admit I always knew all that sodium was there. But since we’re not big salt people – sure I sprinkle it here and there into my cooking, but we don’t even put the salt shaker on the table – I figured once in a while eating a high sodium dish wasn’t so terrible. And the kids love sesame chicken with broccoli. Yes, they eat the broccoli and ask for more. They eat the rice. They love the peppers and onions in whatever dish hubster or I get. And I felt good – they were eating vegetables!

Now imagine this mother’s horror to find out the vegetables are bad. Okay – I get the whole loaded with oil (bad oil) and salt. I don’t have to be hit over the head, after all. I guess I just never rationalized that all those stuff together would be bad. I was too content in not cooking on Friday to think about the down side of those rotten vegetables I’ve been pushing on my unsuspecting kidlets!

What will they find a way to ruin next? Chocolate – if someone tells me chocolate is now a cancer causing food – I’ll faint!

So now that my Friday night take-out plans have been altered – I need a new plan to alternate with my pizza. Thank God tonight is pizza night – I have a week to come up with a new idea!

Today’s Coffee: Green Mountain - Free Trade, Rain Forest Nut.

Spring & a Book Review

Woohoo – I don’t care what the weather outside is doing – it’s officially SPRING! Get out there and soak up the sun, smell the new life as it springs from the ground! Inspiration abounds – take advantage of it.

BOOK REVIEW – Pink Jinx by Sandra Hill

First I have a confession – I’ve never read Sandra Hill before. Okay – that’s not really the confession, this is – I bought this book because on one of the many writing loops I frequent, Sandra posted a video trailer done for this book. It was funny and original and as soon as I spotted this book on the table at Barnes & Noble – I instantly remembered the trailer.

Pink Jinx is a romantic comedy about a couple that have been married and divorced – from each other – FOUR times. You know from the start these two are meant to be together – if only they can work out a few issues – attraction and sexual chemistry not being one of the problems, mind you!

This was fun and entertaining – a great read for my pneumonia muddled brain to wrap itself around – translation - it wasn’t deep thought provoking – it was just plain FUN. The sequel Pearl Jinx will be out in July 2007, just in time to make it a must read for the beach! I can’t wait.

Today’s Coffee: Gloria Jean’s - Irish Cream (yummy)