Would you wear one of these?

I polled reader on my Facebook Group about author swag a while back. Now I need to know what series they (and you) might be interested for T-shirts, totes, and mugs.

Below are my logos (and I have others, like Sweet Sue's from Victoria Square, etc.)

What would you like to see on a shirt, tote, or mug?

Got a boring task? Audiobooks are the cure!

Are you an #audiobook fan? Check out the Lorna Barrett audio page on the website! And lookout for the audio edition of the upcoming A Killer Edition on June 13th.

http://lornabarrett.com/the-booktown-mysteries-on-audio/

Are you into relish trays?

Years ago, Mr. L took me to a wonderful restaurant that has now been abandoned for decades. Before your dinner was served, they set out a relish tray. The highlight for us was the corn relish that came with other relishes, pickles, and veggies. Over the years, we've lamented the fact that the restaurant is history ... but what about making a relish tray?

Here's the definition of a relish tray according to the Stack Exchange website:

"A relish tray is an assortment of pickles, olives and small sticks of celery and or carrots. You might also have chow chow or chutney. Any type of relish like fancy cranberry relish or a little savory you might add to your dinner plate might be on a relish tray."

We've tried corn relish in jars, but they just don't have the taste we remembered for that restaurant, so I guess it's time to try and find a recipe and make it for myself.

I'm not a stranger to such things. Last weekend I made rhubarb chutney, which is relish-like. (And boy is it good.)

I started collecting relish dishes a couple of years ago. I had only been using them as places to dump my cheaters so I could find them when I want to read something. I have relish trays in my kitchen, dining room, and living room. It really does help me find my glasses.  But now I want relish dishes for ... well, relish!

Lately, we've been making small relish trays. The only real relish we include is a hot sweet pepper relish. Other items on our small tray are bread-and-butter pickles, banana peppers, and dill slices. I'm more than willing to add more things to our relish tray. Do you have any suggestions?

Tis the season to garden!

Back in April, when the forsythias bloomed, it was time to cut back my roses. The first time I did this (and I mean REALLY cut them back), I was sure I would kill them. But not only are roses beautiful, they're TOUGH. Sure enough, they not only bounced back, they bloomed even better.

I should have planted my snap peas at the same time. It was such a wet spring, I didn't want to to go out because it was COLD and I was afraid the seeds would just rot.

But nature is not to be denied. The perennials came up despite the cold and rain. They're doing remarkably well ... for some reason, the critters have left them away (so far). The daffodils, tulips, and rhododendrons are already done, but the iris, red-hot pokers. I've been trying to get rid of the lily of the valley (which is determined to take over the entire garden), so I ripped a bunch of them up. But then I think I might have pulled up some of my sun-drops, too. (Oops. They'll come back.)

I've got a bumper crop of rhubarb. I asked my Facebook friends what they used rhubarb for and I have a bunch of ideas. But this weekend I'm going to be making rhubarb chutney (the recipe is included in Recipes To Die For: A Victoria Square Cookbook).

Additionally, I'm planning on making some rhubarb muffins.  I've got a couple of really good recipes (included in The Best From Swans Nest, a Lotus Bay Cookbook).

I noticed that I had some self-sown lettuce growing, so obviously Mother Nature thinks it's safe to grow it and I planted seeds. I should have enough for a (full) salad in about a month.

Sadly, I've decided to give up my veggie garden. It's not that I don't want to grow veggies, but it's too heartbreaking when critters eat the stuff before it's ripe enough to harvest, and I've had a terrible problem with tomato blight. I'll still be growing herbs and maybe some beans in container pots, but I'm going to turn the veggie garden into another perennial plot. I want to get some different varieties of roses (I already have about seven knock-out roses) and I'm not fond of tea roses (not enough blooms), but I think I will wait until I go to the nursery to make a final decision. Right now, it's a clean slate.

What do you think I should put in my new garden?

Trying to go greener

When Earth Day rolled around last month, I started thinking about how much waste goes into my garbage tote.  Mind you, I've been trying to adopt more green ways.

Earlier this year, I decided I needed to cut down on my use of paper towel.  It so happens, my mother bought a lot of washcloths at yard sales for our family's cottage. I decided there were way too many stuffed into a drawer and I took them home and washed them to use in my kitchen. (I wrote about it on this post back in January.)

Since then, I figure we're using half the paper towel we used to. (Have not yet trained Mr. L to reach for these washcloths.) We used to go through at least a roll a week...now it's take two weeks and a few days. There are still a few things I use paper towel for, but not just to dry my hands, etc. (That's what the tea towels are for, and boy have I got a lot of them, too.)

But last month I had leftovers to put away and reached for the cling wrap. Then I stopped. Plastic is forever. I need to stop using so much plastic. So instead, I opened my cupboard and looked for a plastic container to put the leftovers in. Yes, it means washing another item, but water can be filtered and used again. Plastic stays in the landfill for hundred (if not thousands) of years.

Of course, there were a LOT of containers without lids. So a few days later, I hauled everything out of the cupboards and matched them up. Wow--I have a lot of them. But it's been two weeks and I haven't used any cling wrap.

And one of the reasons for that is ... wax paper. Okay, it's a lot more fragile, but it will degrade in a landfill. In addition to the wax paper wrapped around tomatoes and other items (with a rubber band around it to keep the air out), I also bought waxed paper bags. I bought a big box and they are smaller than I would like, but they are still very useful.

It's been more than two weeks and I haven't touched the cling wrap. Luckily, I was running low on it and probably won't buy any more.

Next up: going through my linen napkins, washing them, and using them instead of paper napkins.  I will look for colored ones at yard sales, because ... you know, spaghetti and curry stains.

What are you doing to go just a little bit greener?

Happy Book Day To Me ... The Best of Swans Nest

Woo-hoo! Two years in the making, but at last THE BEST FROM SWANS NEST is now available. It's a companion cookbook for the Lotus Bay Mystery series.

What's been fun for me is giving background information for Kathy Grant and what her inn and food mean to her. If you're a fan of the Lotus Bay Mysteries, and you like to eat, you'll want to add this companion to the series to your ereader. (And yes, it will also be available in print -- hopefully on the same day as the ebook. I'll keep you posted.)

Here's a brief description:

Kathy Grant, owner of the Swans Nest Inn on beautiful Lotus Bay, has collected more than a hundred mouth-watering recipes that she not only offers her B&B guests, but the brides who book their engagement and wedding parties at the inn.

Now you can enjoy the same treats like sweet sausage coffee ring, lots of marvelous muffins, quiche, stuffed mushrooms and many, many more!

Kindle US | Kindle UK | Kindle Worldwide | Nook | Kobo | Apple Books

Save Me From Windows 10

My computer had been ailing for almost a year. It was coughing up blood and I held my hands over my eyes so I didn't have to witness it's slow-and-steady decline. I would turn it on and the monitor would be black. I would pull the plug, wait a few hours, plug it back in, and it would regain conscientiousness--sometimes for a few months, but two weeks ago, it finally expired.

Luckily, I have a laptop. (In fact, the one I typed this on.) It, too, has had problems.  Every time Microsoft does a major update, it would lose conscientiousness. I would have to take the battery out and restart (once as many as 11 times over the course of two hours) to try to bring it back to life. It updated a little over a week ago and suddenly everything about it was different. All new sounds--it even took my wallpaper with it.  And I got an email from Microsoft saying as of January 2020--they wouldn't be updating it. I should have celebrated. Instead, I pulled out my "new" laptop. And did I mention the tiny screen?

Three (or was it four) years ago, I asked my friend Steven to suggest a new laptop. He's an IT guy and he suggested I get an ASUS laptop. Unbeknownst to me, it came loaded with Windows 8. OMG -- it didn't even have a Start Menu and I had no idea how to do ANYTHING on it. I put it back in the box and it sat under my easy chair gathering dust ... until Monday. Caveat: At some point during those years, I had our computer guy upgrade it to Windows 10 because Microsoft was only going to make that upgrade Free until a certain date. And there it sat, quietly gathering dust.

Last Monday, I took it out and decided I needed to learn Windows 10.  This ASUS fooled me. The Start Menu looked very much like Windows 7. YAY. I successfully loaded some software, but didn't really test it. But on this sort of triumph, I went out and bought a desktop computer.

With help from one of my readers (waving to John P), I bought a computer that had lots of speed and loads of gigabytes of storage, . Welcome back big monitor!!!  Only I didn't realize that Dropbox would suddenly dump over 40,000 files onto my (supposedly big) hard drive. Oy -- that took over FOUR HOURS to straighten out (and two online chats with Dropbox).

While that was happening, I tried loading my camera's software, took a few pictures of my cats, and tried to upload them--with NO results. I was online for another two hours trying to figure out how to solve that problem. Apparently some people have had some success, but 90% of Canon owners weren't able to upload their pictures, either. Finally, in  desperation, I called the local camera shop where I got my camera. (Yes, I bought it in a bricks-and-mortar store.) The helpful "Canon Lady" told me, "just take out the photo card, plug it into your computer, and copy/paste those pictures." It's a workaround, but I loved my Canon software that took the pictures, loaded them directly to Dropbox, and labeled the folders by date. That isn't going to happen anymore. (And P.S. the laptop doesn't have a card reader--so I'll have to buy one with a USB.)

Next up, trying to load my label maker software. The computer opened it with open arms. It's even Windows 10 compatible -- EXCEPT IT NO LONGER WORKS. (Another two-hour time sink looking for options. Still haven't figured that out.)

And that's why I'm typing this blog post on my Windows 7 laptop. I KNOW it works. In fact, I've decided to take a few days off from Windows 10 ... unless, of course, this computer starts coughing up blood, too.

Did I mention how much I LOATHE Windows 10?

What was your experience (supposedly) upgrading to Windows 10?

Happy Mother's Day

I guess it's an acquired taste

I'm currently researching craft breweries for a book I'm working on. It's fascinating. Not just the production of the beer, which is a lot more complicated than I thought, but all the things that go with it. The tasting room and/or restaurant--and even what's stocked in the (usually small) gift shop. (Seems like T-shirts are a big seller!)

It all sounds great. There's just one thing. I don't like beer. My father never drank it, so it was never in our house. Of course, my brothers (who were much more sociable than me and went out with friends at night ... while I was reading) acquired a taste for beer ... but not me.

There are other things I never acquired a taste for. Wine is one of them. (Tastes like shoe polish remover to me.) There's such a mystique about wine. Think about it:  wine,women, and song. The whole bacchanalia in the Disney film Fantasia. People are always drinking wine and have been doing it for thousands of years. (The go-to drink in ancient Rome. Heck, even Jesus turned water to wine.) I found red wine gives me a headache, and if I'm drinking white wine, I like sweeter varieties. But I'll take whiskey or gin over grape-based wine any day.

I never acquired a taste for coffee, either, although I did try. When I was in college, I figured when I got out of school and went to work in an office, I'd have to drink the stuff. I mean, who had a tea kettle handy? (As someone who worked in offices for more than 25 years, I can tell you: NOBODY.)

So, for three weeks, I drank nothing but coffee. Of course, the swill the school served was dreadful. To this day, I still can't stand the taste of coffee (although I do like the smell of it brewing, especially of freshly ground coffee). I make a pot of coffee for Mr. L every morning. I make myself a pot of tea.

Of course, there are some things I have acquired a taste for:  Olives.  (Kalamata are my favorite.) Asparagus. Lima beans. Then again, I'm really not into fruit. They pick it too early (so it's usually not ripe) and by the time it ripens, it's ready on the outside and rotten on the inside.

So, what's your acquired taste?

Happy Book Day, Ellery Adams

Happy Book Day to my friend Ellery Adams, with her 5th entry of her Book Retreat Mystery series.

Storyton Hall, Virginia, is a paradise for book lovers who come from all over for literary getaways. But manager Jane Steward is temporarily leaving for another renowned resort—in hopes of solving a twist-filled mystery . . .

Jane’s boyfriend is missing, and she thinks she may find him at North Carolina’s historic Biltmore Estate. Officially, she’s there to learn about luxury hotel management, but she’s also prowling around the breathtaking buildings and grounds looking for secret passageways and clues. One of the staff gardeners promises to be helpful . . . that is, until his body turns up in the reading room of his cottage, a book on his lap.

When she finally locates the kidnapped Edwin, his captor insists that she lead him back to Storyton Hall, convinced that it houses Ernest Hemingway’s lost suitcase, stolen from a Paris train station in 1922. But before they can turn up the treasure, the bell may toll for another victim...

Get  your copy now!

 PAPERBACK

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books A Million | Chapters/Indigo | Book Depository

E-BOOK 

Kindle US | Kindle Worldwide | Nook | Kobo | Apple Books 

Happy Reading!

My Easter Dessert

The best part of holidays for me is ... the food. It's so enjoyable to share a wonderful meal with friends and/or family, and this year for Easter we're going traditional with a spiral ham, deviled eggs, honeyed carrots, rolls, and at least one more fresh veggie. We'll see what's at the store tomorrow.

But my favorite part of the meal is the dessert.  Okay, I've got a sweet tooth. This year, I'm leaning toward cake. My upcoming book, The Best From Swans Nest, a Lotus Bay Cookbook, has ten cake recipes and five frosting recipes. YUM! I'm leaning toward making spice cake with maple frosting. (That maple frosting also takes great with carrot cake or hummingbird cake. Yum-yum!)

Spice Cake
Ingredients
¼ cup butter or ½ cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup dark-brown sugar, packed
4 eggs
½ cup milk
½ cup molasses
2¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC, Gas Mark 4). Butter and lightly flour two 8-inch round cake pans. Cream the butter or shortening and slowly add the two sugars, beating until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, then add the milk and molasses, beating thoroughly. In another bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients and add to the wet mixture, beating until well blended. Pour the batter into the pans and bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack.

Frost with your favorite cream cheese or buttercream frosting. Also tastes great with maple or caramel frosting, or sift confectioners’ sugar over the top.

Yield:  6 to 8 servings

Maple Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2¾ cups confectioner’s sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
¼ cup chopped walnuts

Place the softened butter in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer for 30 to 40 seconds until whipped. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Sift the confectioner’s sugar into the bowl. Beat with an electric mixer for 30 to 40 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the brown sugar and maple syrup. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes or until the mixture is fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Stir in the walnuts until just until mixed and spread on the cooled cake.

Yield: 3 cups

THE BEST FROM SWANS NEST arrives on May 14th. Pre-order your copy now!

Kindle US | Kindle Worldwide | Nook | Kobo | Apple Books 

Poppy and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Our kittens are growing like weeds, but they are still kittens. They get into EVERYTHING.

Yesterday, I pulled out my computer tower because I needed to unplug it to try to coax it back to life. (It has issues.)  I try to start it up (cue the Stones) every few hours. Because I was going to do that, I left it pulled out from under my desk.

For some reason, the kittens decided that playing behind the tower was a fun thing to do. They got yelled at several times, but--they're reckless teens. (That's why we have no guns and motorcycles around here.) Poppy got back there and, usually when I holler, she listens to me and stops her bad behavior, but this time she didn't come out. I hauled the tower out even farther and found she was totally entangled in cords for the computer, the label printer, the Internet, the router--you name it. One of the cords was wrapped around her neck. Needless to say, I panicked but quickly managed to extricate her. Holy crap! My kitten nearly strangled herself!!!

Half an hour later, they had their (second) breakfast. (They get kitty kibble as a snack, then an hour or so later, the REAL breakfast of Friskees.) Soon after Poppy ate her food, she started pawing at her mouth and sounding like she was choking. YIKES! She did this for about ten minutes. She let me look in her mouth, but I couldn't see anything stuck on her teeth.

I called the vet, but got put on hold. While waiting, she stopped the pawing. I got cut off, but decided I was overreaching.  Until ... two hours later, she started doing it again. Now I was getting panicky. What if near strangulation had hurt her throat? She seemed to be breathing a lot faster than her sister when snoozing.

The vet was able to squeeze us in and so off we went. They had a lull and we were sent right in and were relieved that it was our favorite vet who saw Poppy. As soon as I told her about the noise Poppy had made, she went, "Aha." And then she showed us that Poppy already had a couple of her adult teeth, and that her gums were a little red and she had a wiggly tooth, but not wiggly enough to come out. (She tried.) Boy, was I relieved.

I'M A NEW MOM. I PANIC, OKAY?

And just as good, the vet didn't charge us for our little emergency.  (The woman is a saint and a brilliant kitty surgeon.) She said all Poppy needed was a visit from the tooth fairy.

Okay, I've lived around cats all my life, but we weren't around the babies all that much because we worked 8-5. Now, more than 20 years later, we're around them 24/7 and ... honestly, I never saw a kitten teething before.

So, first Poppy nearly got strangled, then her teeth hurt, then she was stuck in a carrier and driven to the (horrors!) vet. Yes, it really was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day for Poppy.  But we gave her extra cookies for Happy Hour and she seems to have overcome her ordeal.

Have you had a panicky moment with your pet?

Happy Book Day To Me!

It's always a fun day when you have a new book drop. Today, Foul Weather Friends, my 5th Tale From Blythe Cove Manor, is available. Check it out!

Alone and suddenly single, Teagan Tate's visit to Martha’s Vineyard for a previously planned 
couples weekend leaves her feeling more of a third wheel.  And when the last ferry off the island 
is cancelled, she finds herself stranded in the middle of a nor’easter. Will the magic of Blythe 
Cove Manor and the kindness of two strangers help her find a new and happier life path?

Kindle US | Kindle Worldwide | Nook | Kobo | Apple Books | Smashwords

A DELICATE SUBJECT ...

 They say that a major contributor to global warming is (ahem) cattle farts. Well, in this house there are no cows/steers.

There are kittens. Kittens who fart. Kittens who take great DELIGHT in farting while they are on my lap. Oh, yeah -- they save it up for me. Mr. L laughs because they never fart on him.

Of course, we could change their diet. I know people who have fed their cats the same kibble every day, every meal of their lives. Uh-uh. I'd kill myself if I could only eat one thing for every meal.

Maybe I'm anthropomorphizing the girls, but our boys had definite ideas about what they'd eat. Fred was a tuna boy. Chester preferred shrimp (which Fred wouldn't touch). They preferred fishy food over the other canned foods. The girls gobble everything, which is why Emma has lost her kitten look--she's growing like a weed. (Poppy ... not so much, probably because her sister tries to steal her food. Emma is part piglet.) They do get kibble with their meals for their teeth and urinary tract health.

So ... do your pets pass gas?

(Look at that innocent face. "I didn't fart. I promise, Mum." Yeah, right.)

Smile for the camera?

After a lonely eleven months without cats, five weeks ago we got our new furbabies Emma and Poppy. They're adorable and they are a pain in the butt. We haven't given them the freedom of the whole house yet. During the day, they are with us in our offices, climbing up on our desks and walking over our keyboards. We're getting lots of work done. NOT.

They have beds they can sleep on or a cushion next to the heater in my office, but they prefer to sleep on our office chairs. (We both have two desks with chairs.) They are also what I call wiggle-worms.  They roll around a lot. They roll off the chairs sometimes.  Yesterday, Emma rolled off while sleeping.

Emma ... just after she rolled off the chair.

Emma (the silver tabby) will "sit pretty" for just about anything. When she's curious, when she's looking out the window, at dinnertime. But can I catch her doing it when I've got my camera or phone in my hands? Nope.  They are incredibly cute until I pull out the camera--either that, or they'll be doing something cute and before I can snap a picture or hit the video button, they stop and/or leave the area. They are definitely camera shy. From these pictures, you'd think they live very quiet lives.  Nope. They sound like a herd of thundering elephants.

They have toys everywhere and two are favorites.  First, their tunnel. Cozy Chick emeritus, Ellery Adams, sent the girls a bag of toys and the tunnel. They play in it every day, They race through it, have life-and-death wrestling matches in it. Good clean fun for a couple of hours a day.

Their other favorite toys are crinkle balls.  (That's what it said when I Googled it.) The bag Ellery sent had a few of them in it, and then (current Cozy Chick) Mary Kennedy sent them an entire bag of crinkle balls. Holy cow! When we need to work, another on gets tossed on the floor and we're guaranteed at least 20 minutes to sneak in some work.

Emma has been sneezing, so we're going to the vet this afternoon. She did not like the carrier when we took her for her shots, so this should be an adventure. Poppy hasn't been left alone. She'll either be freaked out, or yawn and take a nap.

Either way, my camera won't be far away. But I think I might need to buy another photo card. With these girls, I think I'm going to need it.

What are you pet's favorite toys?

Get your copy!

Out this week, the first Ghostly Fashionista Mystery, DESIGNS ON MURDER, by my Victoria Square co-author Gayle Leeson. I had the pleasure of reading the book to write the back cover blurb for this charming book. Here's a brief description...

Amanda Tucker is excited about opening her fashion design studio in Shops On Main, a charming old building in historic Abingdon, Virginia. She didn't realize a ghost came with the property! But soon Maxine "Max" Englebright, a young woman who died in 1930, isn't the only dead person at the retail complex. Mark Tinsley, a web designer with a know-it-all attitude who also rented space at Shops On Main, is shot in his office. Amanda is afraid that one of her new "friends" and fellow small business owners is his killer, and Max is encouraging her to solve Mark's murder a la Nancy Drew. Easy for Max to want to investigate--the ghostly fashionista can't end up the killer's next victim!

Order from:

Paperback:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Kindle US | Kindle Worldwide | Nook | Kobo | Apple Books

Coming April 12th

Alone and suddenly single, Teagan Tate's visit to Martha’s Vineyard for a previously planned couples weekend leaves her feeling more of a third wheel.  And when the last ferry off the island is cancelled, she finds herself stranded in the middle of a nor’easter. Will the magic of Blythe Cove Manor and the kindness of two strangers help her find a new and happier life path?

Kindle US | Kindle Worldwide | Nook | Kobo

Apple Books | Smashwords

Teacup Tuesday once again

There are lots of great places in Stoneham, NH to take tea. Of course, the nicest is The Brookview Inn, but you can grab a cuppa at Booked for Lunch, the Bookshelf Diner, and even at the local pub, The Dog-Eared Page.

What's in your cup today?

Not just to wash my hands

I like soap. When I was a little girl, my next-door neighbor used to bring back all the little cakes of soap from her business trips and vacations. I was fascinated by all the different wrappings.  I had an extra Barbie doll case where I stored all these wonderful little soaps. I also remember swiping a British Rail soap for my collection when I was ... cough cough ... we won't go into how long ago that was.

Anyway, I'm still fascinated by soap. I've even considered making it ... but I have so many other things on my plate, I'm leaving that to the experts.

I often buy sample sizes because I like the wrapping or the scent. I currently have enough soup to bathe most of Western NY. Part of that is because I have a big glass jar that sits on my bathroom vanity and is filled with Yardley Oatmeal and Almond soaps.  (The jar will hold at least ten bars.)  My mother told me that the old soap lasts longer than new soap.  Is that true? I don't know, but I rotate the soap when the jar is half empty and I stock up.

Right now I'm using a sample soap that's got olive oil in it.  Stacked up in waiting are soaps that smell like lilac, lemon, and goodness knows what. I stayed in a hotel in Ottawa once that had apricot-scented glycerine soap. Wow -- I liked that a lot. So for a year or two, I bought a bunch of glycerine soaps because they give you nice, soft skin. I bought this little square of black current & olive butter soap last summer and have hesitated to use it. It smells wonderful, but I just love the packaging and don't want to lose it.

I had a very nice soap I opened in January that had a nice scent, but I noticed that the more I used it, the less it lathered. So I googled "my soap doesn't lather" and found out that ... for a soap to work, it really doesn't need to lather all that much. Something about dirt and the surface tension ratio of soap to water. It sounded reasonable, but I chucked it because I like more lather than it was giving me.

And then there are those foaming soaps. My hairdresser gave me one for Christmas and I like the foam, but the Cherry Chill scent was overpowering for me.  I think it will live in my powder room. I like "bar" soaps best.

So, what's your favorite soap?

Teacup Tuesday At The Brookview Inn

What would you order for afternoon tea at Stoneham's historic Brookview Inn?

Adding a little spice to my life

Some of you might remember that I love Indian food. I like spicy food (either Indian or Mexican), too.  But ... I'm not fond of Indian or Mexican restaurants.  A) Most Indian restaurants have a buffet. They food is good but ... not spicy (because many Americans seem pretty timid about spices) and B) Most buffets aren't hot.  Not talking spicy here, talking temperature.  It seems like there must be a shortage of sterno under the "warming" trays. And C) They don't have good bars. I don't want to pay $7 for a lousy martini.  (There, I said it.)

So ... the answer?

Make the food myself.  I've got a few Indian recipes that I make over and over again, but I've decided I want to do more. I'd like to make at least one new recipe a week. My only real problem is that I usually don't have the ingredients on hand, so this is going to take some planning. It's not so much the spices--I've got them and use them a lot, mostly for breakfasts and lunches (yup, I put curry powder in my omelets--garlic and cumin, too).  It's things like plain yogurt and coconut milk.

So, in my quest for new-to-me food (and I'm not adverse to eating more vegetarian, either), here's the first recipe I made. And since there are only two of us, it made a HUGE amount of leftovers.

Easy One-Pot Cauliflower Curry Recipe
Ingredients
1 medium cauliflower head cut into florets
1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
2 cups white onions,  chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
4 teaspoons curry powder
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 cups diced tomato with the juice from the can
2 cups green peas — frozen or fresh (optional)
 ¾ cups coconut milk from the can — not carton coconut milk
cooked rise

In a large pot, add 2 cups of water and place a steamer in the bottom.
Bring the water to a boil. Add the cauliflower florets in the steamer basket, cover the pot, and steam for about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the steamer basket (with the cauliflower) from the pot and let the cauliflower cool down for 5 minutes. Set aside. (Discard water.)

Return the pot  to the stove and add oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onions are tender (3 to 5 minutes) Add the cumin, coriander, curry powder, salt, and pepper. Stir well to combine everything. Add the tomatoes, green peas (if using) and stir in the coconut milk. Bring to a simmer and add the cauliflower back to the pot. Cook everything together for 3 to 5 minutes before serving. Serve over cooked rice.

Yield:  6 to 8 servings

Truthfully, I upped the curry and garlic, and next time I make it, I'll put in some cayenne in for heat. I also opted not to add the peas, but I think I will next time (only I might only put in 1 cup).

And how was it?

Terrific.  And it made a LOT. (Guess what I'll be having for lunch for the next few days.)

What new recipe have you made for yourself and/or your family?

Wanna win a tote bag?

Would you like to win one of my tote bags and a goody bag filled with bookmarks, postcards, and stickers, too? Well, this is your opportunity!

I’m looking to add 200 readers to my newsletter mailing list before April 1st (no fooling)! But please, don’t enter if you plan to unsubscribe the first time I send out a newsletter. I’m looking to add those who actually read my books and/or want to find out what I’m doing in addition to my social media posts.

All you have to do is sign up for my newsletter. But wait—there’s a catch. You HAVE to double-opt in. (That means you either get a pop-up to confirm your entry or an email you must click on.) Without that double opt in, your entry won’t count.

There will be TEN prizes, so you’ve got a good chance of winning.

Here’s the link: http://oi.vresp.com?fid=aee11a8d64

This contest is for new sign-ups only.

Thanks for joining!

Our neighbors have DOGS!

About 14 months ago, new neighbors moved in.

They had dogs. Rather big dogs.

Ruh-roh!

When I was five, I got bitten by a wire fox terrier who was just as big as me when he charged and knocked me down. Since then, I've been wary about "big" dogs.

I love dogs. Little dogs. My parents had scotches and Westies and they were pretty much sweet little dogs. Mac (the Scottie and their first) was our favorite, but their last dog, Jessie, was also a sweetheart, and in between was Buddy, who was a joy to walk. I would love to have a dog--preferably a small poodle mix. Supposedly, poodles don't smell when they get wet. But -- Mr. L isn't a dog person. He once was, but I converted him to being a cat person, and now he doesn't want to look back. *Sigh*

And so our neighbors have these largish dogs. We thought that might be a problem, but it turns out it hasn't. Their yard wasn't fenced when we moved in, and the chain-link fence we had wasn't up to code. Mind you, it was grandfathered in, but since the new neighbors also had children--one of whom was only three, we decided to upgrade our fence. Oooba-dooba -- that was a headache, and incredibly expensive. Even worse, they said they could do the fence in one day. They didn't. So there was our in-ground pool EXPOSED for more than 24 hours and there was a small child next door. (The dogs had been going out on leashes for their outdoor visits.) Finally the fence was in, but the gate was not. I'm a born worrier, so that was another headache. Finally, the gate and fence were finished. And a few weeks later, the neighbors finished off fencing their yard on both sides of the house.  Looks very nice.

That's when they started letting their dogs loose in the yard, and since then we have had hours of entertainment.

These are very quiet dogs. So when we hear them bark, we know they mean business.  Usually there's a squirrel (or some other animal) on the other side of the big fence at the back of their yard, which the previous owner put in as a wind break. When we hear them bark, we usually look out the window. Yup--one of them has barked to say, "We're cold! Let us in." Sure enough, a few seconds later, the back door opens and dogs go inside with their tales wagging incredibly fast.  Sometimes we see them wrestling in the snow. The other day, I was clearing the driveway and one of them (Lucy) came bounding up to the fence to warn me not to intrude on her territory. I told her, "Good dog!" She kind of blinked and said, "Oh, okay" and then ran back to play with her pack-mate.

Next time I get a chance to talk to the neighbors, I'm going to ask if it would be okay for me to give them dog biscuits. I'd like to make friends with them.

Meanwhile, here's a picture of one of our new kittens, Poppy. Isn't she adorable? (Um, for some reason she thinks she can help me write. She also likes to sit on my mouse which is uncomfortable for both of us.) It's okay if Mr. L has become a cat person. It really is.

Are you a dog or cat (or other animal) person?

It's National Oreo Day!

You can bet that there are Oreos in the cupboard in Tori's kitchen. Kathy, of course, will grudgingly eat one, but she's a cookie baker. There are 41 cookie recipes in The Best From Swans Nest. 

What's your favorite commercially made cookie and your favorite homemade cookie?

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Kathy's cookbook THE BEST OF SWANS NEST will be available on May 14th. Pre-order now!

Kindle US
Kindle UK
Kindle Worldwide

Nook
Kobo
Apple Books

Our New Kittens: The Whole Story

It's been almost a year since Mr. L and I had cats.  We lost our boys last March, 12 days apart, and were devastated. We weren't ready for kitties for a long time. In fact, although we had looked at a number of cats and kitten (21 in one day) we didn't find our forever furbabies, and truthfully we really weren't ready. Unfortunately, our boys had developed a bad habit of marking their territory. It was only the last year of their lives that this happened, but the damage was done.  We pulled the carpet and had to repair the floor. The carpet to the back door was also marked. (We've yet to address that situation.)

Last weekend, we were determined to find kitties. The local Humane Society had been sending me 4 or 5 emails a day saying they were overwhelmed with cats and kittens.  So, we kitten-proofed portions of the house and on Saturday went to find some. Only ... when we got to Lollipop Farm, not only was there only one cat available, but there was a mob of people looking to adopt cats. They had a "Valentine's Day Special" and had slashed the price of cat adoption and had already "moved" 25 cats during the three hours they had been open. We were crushed. (I cried.)

So I posted my frustration on Facebook and one of my readers, who happens to be a kitty foster Mom, send me a message. We went back and forth and arranged to meet Mooch-Mooch and Sepi. (*Shudder* Who came up with those names? Foster Mom strongly encouraged me to change them -- which was a no brainer.)

It was kind of funny. The pet store has no dedicated "meeting room" to get to know cats, so we had to gather in the store's (very clean) bathroom. Kind of like a clandestine drug deal. Of course, they captured our hearts in just about an instant. They were a little younger than we had planned on (but not by much, they're 13 weeks old), and they came home with us.  We named them Pippa and Poppy.

They were TERRIFIED. Why not? We were two GIANT strangers. The first night, they ran around for about an hour, and we put them in the laundry room (out came the baby gates once again) and decided to let them get acclimated to that room first. They'll be staying there at night for a few weeks until we introduce them to the whole house.

Yesterday, they spent the day with us in our connecting offices and it sounded like a herd of elephants were racing around. They have a LOT of energy. And like all teenagers, they are HUNGRY all the time! They didn't get tuckered out until last afternoon. We have a rambling ranch house and we  thought we'd let them run around last night, but they were terrified by all that open space. (They really are very little girls.) So back into the laundry room they went, and they were pretty fine about that. Tonight we're going to introduce them to another "confined environment" to see how they do.

Foster Mom warned me I might not get much word done with kittens in our offices.

She was right.

But there have been more smiles in this house in the past few days hours than there have been for eleven months. I'd say that was a pretty good outcome.