Pasta Primavera

While at the RWA National conference in Dallas a few shorts weeks ago, I picked up a magnet at the Midnight Madness Bazaar from the girls at RosesColoredGlasses. The magnet says “Hell hath no fury like a writer interrupted” – so true and just one more reason preparing dinner for the family often isn’t on my mind until it’s too late!

So, whether you are in the middle of a scene your muse is insisting you finish or just a frazzled mother/father enjoying the lazy days of summer – he’s a recipe for you.

Please keep in mind this is not an actual recipe, but more of a toss in what works for your family type dish…

Pasta Primavera

* Choose your pasta (we like fetuccini, cause it’s more pasta to hold the cheesy sauce!)

* Vegetables (short on time – a bag of frozen mixed veggies works fine or chop up some fresh veggies and steam them.)

* Boil the pasta (if you are using the frozen veggies – toss them in the pot with the pasta. I usually toss them in about half way through the cooking time for my pasta.)

* Drain the pasta and veggies. In the still hot pasta pot – melt 1/4 butter and saute some chopped up onions. (If you family hates onions – be my guest and leave these out!)

* When the onions are sauteed, I add 3/4 cup of half-n-half or heavy cream. For added taste, I add a tablespoon of “better than bouillon – chicken” to a cup and a half of hot water to which I’ve already added a tablespoon of corn starch (to thicken it all up!) – Stir it all up and then add it to the onions and butter in the pot.

* Be careful not to burn the mixture – keep stirring cause it gets thick and lumpy quick. Add parmesan cheese (how much depends on what your family likes) and you might need to add some milk to create the texture you want that will stick to your pasta of choice.

* Add the hot pasta and veggies and mix together.

* Serve in a bowl with a piece of Italian bread (or not, if you’re like me and forgot to go to the store to buy the bread!)

Enjoy!

And speaking of dinner – don’t forget to hop on over to the OtherWorld Diner for today’s portion of paranormal fun!

Today’s Coffee: Green Moutain - Hazelnut coffee – with an extra shot of hazelnut syrup (decadent!)

Been to the newest blog on the block?

Months in the planning, a truly fantastic group of ladies who write paranormal romance with a hint of humor have gotten together to create a blog where it’s safe for them to play!

What makes this blog different? Besides the pie? Well first, it’s a group effort of sixteen really different personalities, sixteen different opinions on writing the paranormal romance, and ONE common goal – to be part of really fun blog!

Sure we’ll host the usual contests, have fun with photos and fill your mind with timely market info. But, we’ll also introduce you to the spirit world, the psychic rhealm and other worlds you might never have dreamed of, and yes – we have snark, wit and humor!

Okay, you might have figured out by now that I’m member of this group of fantastic women on the mission to spread paranormal joy

Today is our inaurgural launch – our first blog of many. Please take a minute to click over and take a gander at what makes us tick – don’t forget to read the bios – done in true diner fashion, they’re pretty funny! I’ve already posted the link on my sidebar – but to make it easier for you…

Come join us at The Otherworld Diner Blog!

Today’s Coffee: Green Mountain - Colombian Supreme – with a double shot of hazelnut (yummo)

This is me…

At the end of one crazy week!

glitter-graphics.com

Time for the weekend and not a moment too soon!

Enjoy and see you back here Monday

Today’s Coffee: Green Mountain - Columbian Supreme, one shot of hazelnut syrup!

Thirteen things I’m tired of hearing

Thirteen Things I’M TIRED OF HEARING

The following is a list of things – in no order – that make me want to scream (and since my family is tired of my rants – I’ll do it here for your enjoyment! )

1. -I’m bored - The dreaded two words every Mother hates to hear over summer vacation. Let’s just say – as the mother of three – I’ve heard this enough already!

2. – I’m hungry - Right up there with #1. Why does summer bring out the munchies and the sudden lack of ability of the kids to find their own way into the kitchen to see what’s there – suddenly I need to be a neon menu sign…Done with these words too!

3. – I want (insert item of the day!) - Everyday it’s something else…I want to go here, I want this, I have to have that…argh…

4. – I’ll just write a romance - Newsflash! If you don’t read ‘em, don’t waste your time trying to write one. It’s not as easy as you might think.

5. – I’ll just write a quickie harlequin book - Newsflash! It takes quite a bit of talent to write a complete story with punch and plot in such a short space – and the competition is fierce. Please see #4.

6. – Writing’s not a real job - Excuse me? Have you ever sat your ass in front of the computer or with pen and paper and tried to write a 400 page book that has a cohesive plot? Anyone who says this isn’t a job is probably on crack. YES – it’s a great job, but it still required actual effort on your part.

7. – I don’t want to go – Yes, if you have teenagers, you’ve heard this before and it usually comes just before the family event you’ve been dreading as well. So, we all put on the happy faces and make an appearance – as I tell my kids “suck it up.”

8. – I have no clean clothes - Uh oh! Unfortunately for me, I hear this a LOT around my house. Since I can’t teach the 8 year old how to do laundry yet, I actually have to get myself away from the computer and down to the basement every few days to do some wash. Thank goodness, the hubby is great at laundry and pitches in quite often with a smile on his face (just another reason I love that man!)

9. – What’s for dinner? – If they haven’t figured out by now that Mom isn’t the best cook or planner of the meals – I have little hope for their future. See #8 – and add another reason I love my guy – gives new meaning to the phrase “kiss the cook.” – don’t mind if I do…

10. – I don’t have time to read, but I’m writing a book - Um hello? I completely agree with Stephen King on this one – if you don’t read, you have no business writing a book.

11. – Celebrity melt-downs. – Sorry I’ve had my fill for the summer of celebrity crack heads, DWIs, denial of steriod use, dogfights and gambling. What is about money that makes people lose their minds and their morals? Maybe it’s just the money brings out the dormant qualities us poor people keep in check in everyday? Don’t know and don’t care – stop your crying and whining and grow up!

12. – You’re not organized - Duh! I live in a world that I call “organized chaos” – sorry, but it works for me, limited stress and being too organized is probably not good either – right?

13. – Are we there yet? – Doesn’t seem to matter if we’re going around the block, to the next town or the next state – this is the phrase that is embedded in my brain for the entire trip.

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The great coffee debate

If you’ve read my blog over any course of time, you’ve probably noticed that I usually end with what coffee is in my cup that morning. Sometime around November (I think ) hubby bought me one of those newfangled Keurig coffee makers.

If you haven’t seen them – it’s a pretty darn cool machine. In my house we’ve only got two coffee drinkers on a daily basis. The hubster prefers a dark roast – ya know, the bold kind that’ll knock your socks off (and he drinks it black which really makes me sick!)

I, on the otherhand, perfer a flavored brew. Give me something like Southern Pecan or Swiss Chocolate Almond and I’m in heaven. I am the proud owner of a starbucks gift card that is always getting more money loaded onto it – I’m a sucker for the Grande Nonfat White Chocolate Latte with whipped cream!

So, back to my coffee maker – with this coffee maker everyone can get what they want. My guests have their choice of coffee from a basket I keep on my kitchen counter.

Since I’ve been sitting around – yes, writing! – I’ve developed the habit of drinking my coffee all day. I got to wondering the other day if I’m adding a ton of calories to my coffee with the flavor? No? How about with the addition of the flavored creamer and the half-n-half I put in, cause I do prefer to drink my coffee light?

While at conference in Dallas, they were kind enough to pump us full of Starbucks coffee at every turn. All the coffee is regular brew and at the “creamer” station they had the bottles of flavored shots you could add along with your cream. Hmmm…this got me thinking.

After a little investigation online, I discovered that I can buy those flavorings myself and have them on my counter to add at my leisure…(At this point, I’m beginning to think I might have too much spare time on my hands if I’m actually researching coffee flavorings and syrups…it does seem that way, doesn’t it?)

I’m thinking that if I use the flavor shots I don’t have to worry about buying a bunch of different varieties of coffee. I can use just the half-n-half because the flavor shot is stronger than the flavored coffee is – and I’ll get more bang for my buck.

Maybe I’m just addicted to my coffee?

Do you have a coffee preference?

Today’s Coffee: Gloria Jean’s - Hazelnut