November blue

I always find November to be a difficult time of year. It’s sort of a preparatory month. I’m preparing myself for The Big Meal. (Or, in my case, planning how I’m going to avoid eating too much at the Big Meal). And–for relatives.

I don’t want to say I’m not thankful for my family, you understand. It’s just…well. First of all, there are SO many of them. Three sisters, one brother, spouses, children, and then–the children’s children. And in the midst of ALL these people, I’m viewed as the Unemployed, Lacking Direction, Living in Near Poverty, Clueless, Pathetic and Wasting Her Time and Her Talent (When We All Know She Should Be Writing Children’s Books) Let’s-Tell-Her-How-She-Needs-to-Run-Her-Life one of the family.

Yes. I’m the family loser.

Except, I’m also the only one in the family who’s currently overweight (therefore, I only lose in the wrong parts of my life). Oh. Joy. Those not telling me how to run my life will be watching how I load my plate. That means I won’t be able to eat any of the foods made in the time-honor Thanksgiving tradition of butter, cream, bring on the fat and calories. So I’ll be eating…salad.

Now you’re probably wondering what the heck has this whiney stuff got to do with writing? I don’t know about you, but I always find that mining my personal muck is good for character building. Who doesn’t have angst? Knowing that a character has worries just like you (the reader) makes them more likeable. The trick is–you (the writer) can’t let them whine too much. Let them persevere beyond what they’re whining about. And for a really satisfying ending, let them win out over the angst.

In my case, that would be to make $1,000,000 from one of my romances and invite my family over for a Thanksgiving meal where I only serve salad and tell them what they should do with their lives. Oooooh. Satisfying.

And how does this tie in to the “Thankful Theme”? Easy. And I’m sure anyone reading this will agree. I’m thankful Thanksgiving only happens once a year!

Tags: angst, family, Thanksgiving

What’s Cookin’?

Are you a “foodie”?

I’m still not exactly sure what that term means, but I was told that’s what I am. You see, I like to cook. And EAT. A lot.

Today, I’m in the process of cooking dinner (at 2 in the afternoon) because I’m making something that requires a bit of time, but is oh, so good. What is it? Parsnip Puree.

Hey! Ouch! Who threw the shoe?

I’m serious. Parsnip Puree is delicious. And ten times better for you than mashed potatoes. Okay, actually I’m not too sure of last statement, but it’s definitely less fattening. And tastier, too.

So here’s the recipe (courtesy of chef Sara Moulton–who got it from Julia Child) Use it in place of mashed potatoes.

Parsnip Puree:

2 lbs parsnips -peeled and sliced

salt to taste

2 TBsp butter

fresh ground pepper

Place parsnips in pot with cold water to cover. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to med-high and simmer until tender (25 or 30 min). Drain and reserve cooking liquid.
Set parsnips aside and return liquid to pan and boil over high heat. Boil until liquid is reduced to 3/4 cup.
Return parsnips to pan and add butter.
Working in batches, empty contents into a food processor and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

YUM! And you’re adding an extra vegetable to your diet.