After reading Diana’s post I realized that it’s been a long time since I wrote a blog aiming to help the unpublished writers out there. I’m sure there are a number of you folks who have begun manuscripts, are getting reading to pitch manuscripts, or have characters roaming around inside your head that you don’t [...]

Like Heather, my brain is a bit tapped this week and I can’t think of any brilliant prose this morning. My kids are watching Veggie Tales and I’m on my third cup of coffee, hoping that the caffeine will kick in sometime. My husband has to work all weekend, my babysitters are all busy with [...]

Two months ago, our mailman, “Mr. John,” suggested that it might be time to buy a new mailbox.
“Why?” I asked him in surprise. Our mailbox is in perfect shape, doesn’t have a clematis blocking the flag or a trumpet vine obscuring the house number, and it is painted a shade of red to match [...]

Last night I held a margarita party to launch the latest supper club mystery: Chili Con Corpses. Because the book centers around a Mexican and Spanish cooking class, I wanted to have a fiesta at my house. I planned this two months ago and thought the party would come off without a hitch. Well….there were [...]

Um, this is going to sound terrible, but have you ever received a gift that you didn’t really like from someone you really loved? Now, I am a full subscriber to the “it’s the thought that counts” mentality but sometimes that shallow self residing within me emerges and decides that the end-result of the “thought” [...]

Well, I did it. I saw The Golden Compass and was waiting to see flames burning through the silver screen, but I couldn’t detect anything anti-religious about the film. Actually, I couldn’t detect much of anything. I was pretty bored throughout the entire second half. I remedied this by eating a large tub of popcorn [...]

 
Oh, I just love dessert! I am so glad I’m at the end of this dinner because this recipe will make you look like a gourmet baker even if you’re not. Make these the day of your dinner or days before and freeze them. Cut them in bars first and then into triangles [...]

Since I wrote about giving cookbooks as gifts last week, I thought I’d mention that one of my other favorite holiday treats to present to friends are spices from Penzeys Spices.
I just ordered a new supply to get me through the plethora of holiday dinners I’ll be cooking over the next four weeks. (Have I [...]

It’s holiday party time again. You’re dressed to the nines, your shoes are shined, hair in place, and have told the kids not to wait up. On your way out the door, you realize that you’ve forgotten to buy a hostess gift! Digging through your pantry, you decide that the $5 bottle of red wine [...]

I love a pumpkin. I love their rotund shape, their vibrant hue, and their smooth skin. I especially love them mixed with some sugar and evaporated milk. For me, the pre-Thanksgiving orgy of baked pumpkin goodies marks the beginning of what I like to refer to as my “Holiday Five.” I regularly pack on [...]