December, 2010 |
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Dear Cowgirls and Friends,
Starting out on December first, in a nasty spate of weather that can't decide what it wants to do, so we keep alternating between snow, sleet, and rain, as the layers of various stages of frozen water pack down underfoot. The wind can't decide which way to blow part of the time, either, and it just spins snow in the driveway, blowing it up the sleeves of my jacket as I dash from house to studio and back. A trip to town right now requires chains on all four tires to get down the hill, then taking them off at the highway only to put them on for the trip back up the hill.
The new snow roof was put to the test in late November and early December.
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It's a month for holidays celebrating light and giving in many cultures. My own family celebrates Hanukkah and Christmas (albeit we have our main Christmas a couple days after the actual holiday, when our granddaughter can come to our side of the family), with at least a good nod to solstice, which is always a good point for a suncook, since it means the sun is on the way back even if the nights will still be long and cold for awhile longer.
Now we're coming up on mid-month, with a spate of holiday-related busy-nesses bearing down on me like a brakeless freight train, including another year of our infamous Cookie Weekend, three days of wildly creative holiday cooking fun for various groups of various-aged kids and adults. I spend most of the extended weekend standing up rolling out Pepperkakor dough and making sure lunches and suppers happen as appropriate, and cranking out various kinds of dough I never manage to get all prepared before it starts (or finding ingredients when I have helpers who can follow a recipe and make dough), and I don't get much sleep, but I get to eat cookies and fudge (see the February, 2010 Express) and Crunchy Crispy Peanut Globs (see below) and I get lots of hugs, so it could be worse!
Many winter holiday traditions include cookies or small cakes as seasonal treats or gifts. These are some of my best Pepperkakor from the 2007 season.
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These are the Perks
The Thanksgiving-through-December holiday time gets pretty crazy for a lot of people, all the more so if you have a multi-cultural family like mine, but there are definitely perks. I get to spend time with loved ones, eat a lot of yummy things, get some nice presents. So this month I am taking perks in the benefit sense for my theme.
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Let's face it; life is a bear for a lot of us, a lot of the time. Some of what keeps us going is our highest ideals, our goals, our guiding lights, but in the day to day, sometimes the perks—those smaller things that help make life seem like something we can face—can mean a lot. For some people, that first cup of coffee or in the morning is one of the perks. I would put pasta on that list. It's not a necessity of life. I'm sure one could live an entire lifetime in good health without eating pasta, but I'm not sure I'd want to. Pasta is not a higher goal for me. I'm not devoting chunks of my life to promoting pasta, but it does makes life more bearable to be able to have some on a regular basis. Chocolate is a perk of life for many people, another one I would definitely miss. Non-food perks might be anything from watching a favorite TV show (alone or with family) to the ability to go hiking in a pleasant outdoor environment or a trip to the zoo or movies or time with a good book or whatever. Perks are the little things that make life worth living for a lot of people.
For some people, a hot cup of coffee or tea or cocoa is an important perk. For others it's a conversation with a friend.
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So what are your perks? What are your family's perks? (Two perks in my family—things we often do together that not every family does—are singing in the car and reading out loud in the car.) Which perks are most important to you? Are they perks that a lot of people share (coffee, chocolate) or ones that set you apart from the crowd (limburger cheese)? You can also think about your characters' perks. While you don't want to bore readers with every detail of a character's life, they need to know some of the small stuff or your characters will lack dimension. What are some of the little things that make your character's lives worth living? Give some thought to perks and go for a write. Here are some words if you need one or more to help you get going.
benefit chocolate art hike(r) coffee bubble-bath entertainment sunset dancer tea flowers fishing shopping movie candy singer stargazing hugs champagne strawberries cuddling cheese pasta fireplace sunshine puppy music garlic friend(s) pets sports cookies dancing fragrance massage outdoors family dessert excursion spa |
Now, because conflicts and complications can add intensity and grab to your writing, think about complications of perks. Have you ever lost perks? I have. There was a local candy store that went out of business that lost me my two favorite-in-the-world bonbons that were Christmas or crunch-time perks for more than a decade. I still mourn Hunter's dark chocolate and white chocolate covered marzipan (no other marzipan I've had since is quite as wonderful) and their chocolate French Creams. And there was this great old guy, Tiny, who used to sell his special homemade BBQ sauce at Farmer's Market…. It is definitely possible to lose perks, and it really hurts sometimes.
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What constitutes a perk is a highly individualized matter. For some people, a daybreak run is a big perk, while for others it is a dread chore or something they wouldn't even consider. What if this woman's partner hates running or thinks it's a waste of energy or resents it because it means they always have to leave parties early? There are lots of opportunities for conflict regarding life's perks. |
Sometimes things we think of as perks become luxuries, too. Back when we had a little more to spare and Moscow had an independent movie house that had second-run and foreign films really cheap, movies were a perk of my life. Now they have become a dim and distant luxury. If you don't count a free showing of the excellent (but depressing) documentary H2Oil, it's been almost three years since I've gone to a movie. Perks can also turn into obsessions. A beer after work might be a perk for some people, but if it turns into spending half the night in a bar every night, that has gone beyond perk. Or how about a couple situation in which one of person number one's perks is something person two hates or vice versa? Consider some ways to complicate and mess with perks and take your ideas out for a write.
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Including treats that incorporate nuts or seeds or peanuts in your holiday treats gives you some protein to back up the sugar. You will have more energy and your kids may be just a little less crazy.
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Annual Indulgence
Food perks definitely help pull me through the holiday season, and I do consume a few things that I don't indulge in very often, like some of the ingredients in what I have come to think of as Crispy Crunchy Peanut Butter Globs. At least the peanut butter and peanuts are good for you, and crispy rice cereal isn't really bad for you. This is a good one for family baking parties. Most kids can get the hang of scooping out a glob with one spoon and pushing it onto the wax paper with the other one, and older ones can help measure and mix. The white candy coating and mini marshmallow's aren't exactly nutritious, but this combination is unbelievably yummy, and we mostly just do them once a year….
| Crispy Crunchy Peanut Butter Globs | |
2 pounds white candy coating 1 cup peanut butter 4 cups crisp rice cereal 3 cups dry roast peanuts 3–4 cups miniature marshmallows Melt candy coating in microwave or double boiler. Shoot for just warm enough to melt and feel a bit warm to the touch, so stir often however you melt it. You don't want it too hot or it will melt the marshmallows (but if it's too cold it will set up before you can scoop out the globs). Mix in the peanut butter. It should still feel a little bit warm. If not, heat just a tiny bit more. Add the rice cereal and peanuts and mix well. Add mini-marshmallows and mix quickly (you don't want them to melt, you want them for fluffy contrast). Drop spoonfuls on waxed paper covered trays or cookie sheets and chill until set. Once they are chilled and set, peel off paper and store in tight containers, preferably at least somewhat cooler than room temperature. Notes: Such a simple ingredient list, but they really are amazingly good, and at least they have some protein to back up the sugar. My family loves these, and so do most of our friends. I like it with more marshmallows. 3 cups is enough so pretty much all the pieces get some, but four cups lightens it up a little more. I use the peanut butter that doesn't separate for this, though we use the old-fashioned kind that you stir and keep in the fridge for most things, but I'm not sure it would blend as well in this candy. You can use crunchy or smooth peanut butter, whichever you like. |
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Easy Fiesta Brunch
If you start your Christmas or other family holiday with a good shot of protein, you (and your loved ones) will get through the sugar that comes later on in better shape. This high-protein entrée for a Christmas or weekend brunch is reasonably painless, especially if you do some of the prep the night before:
| Fiesta Holiday Brunch Casserole |
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13x9-inch baking pan or a 2 1/2–3 quart casserole dish. Mix together: 1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (4 cups) 1-3 cans chopped green chilies, drained a bit if very watery 1 red bell pepper, diced (save out a bit and dice it finer for top garnish, or cut a few shapes with tiny cookie cutters and dice the rest to go in the casserole) 1 pound ham, diced OR 1 can black beans, drained/rinsed OR both 4 green onions, sliced some sliced black olives (optional) Spread in prepared pan. In small bowl, mix together: 1/2 cup flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2–1 teaspoon chili powder or salt-free southwestern/chili seasoning blend, like Mrs. Dash Chili Lime. In medium large mixing bowl, beat or whisk: 12 eggs When they are light-lemon colored, beat or whisk in the flour mixture and: 1 pint small curd cottage cheese 2 tablespoons melted butter 1 tablespoon olive oil Pour over ingredients in casserole and gently poke it here and there with the handle end of a chopstick or a skinny spoon handle to make sure the eggs penetrate. Bake 40–60 minutes, until knife inserted in middle comes out clean. You can put some extra cheese on top near the end of the baking time if you like it gooey. Sprinkle on the reserved red pepper and some chopped parsley for a colorful touch. This feeds somewhere around 8–12 people as a primary brunch entrée, depending on what you're having with it and how hungry they are. It would feed more than that at a potluck with many dishes and people taking smaller portions of each one. Notes: Light cottage cheese will work fine, and you could also use a reduced-fat Jack or Mexican-style blend instead of the regular Jack cheese. If your family likes it hot, use all or part Pepper Jack for the grated cheese. You can make the brunch prep less crazy by doing the chopping/grating the night before, as long as you store things covered and refrigerated. (Put a big X on the cottage cheese container or something, so you don't wake up to find that someone got hungry in the middle of the night and ate your ingredient!) You could even put the chopped stuff in the well-greased pan and refrigerate the whole thing (covered with a lid or foil), but if you do that, take it out of the fridge before you start mixing the eggs, so the casserole will not be stone cold when you put it in the hot oven. If you use the rectangular pan, you can serve it in squares. With the deeper casserole, serve with a spoon. The deeper one will take longer to bake. This dish comes out somewhere between a crust-less quiche, an omelet, and a soufflé. Sour cream and salsa would be good with this. So would maple corn muffins and peeled, sliced oranges marinated in a little lemon juice, brown or demerara sugar, and vanilla. You could add grapefruit slices, too. |
Cookies with a Warming Touch
I just don't feel right doing December without a cookie recipe, even though it is after Christmas, so here is one for biscotti. Biscotti are not that hard to make, and if you really like them, it is WAY cheaper to make your own. These have the warming touch of brown sugar and spice.
| Spicy Nut Biscotti | |
1/2 c. butter or margarine, softened 1/2 c. organic, raw, or white sugar 1/2 c. brown sugar 2 1/2 t. baking powder 1/2 t. cinnamon 1/2 t. nutmeg 3 eggs 2 t. fresh grated gingerroot 3 1/2 c. flour 1 1/2 c. finely chopped nuts 1/2 c. semisweet chocolate morsels 1 t. shortening Beat butter or margarine in large mixing bowl with electric mixer on medium speed for about 30 seconds. Add sugars, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Beat until combined. Beat in eggs and ginger until combined. Beat in as much flour as you can without stressing your mixer and switch to a sturdy spoon for the last bit. Set aside 2 T. nuts and mix in the rest. Divide dough in half. Preheat oven to 375°. Shape each portion into a 12-inch roll, using a little flour if needed to prevent sticking. Place 5 inches apart on slightly greased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly to 2-inch width. Sprinkle reserved nuts on top of loaves and press lightly into dough. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheet 1 hour (I loosen after they've had a few minutes to cool and firm up). If you want to finish them later, wrap tightly once cool. Transfer to a cutting board and use the closest thing to a thin, sharp, serrated knife that you have, and don't press down too hard or they may crumble instead of slicing. Cut each loaf into half-inch slices. Lay cut side down on cookie sheet. Bake at 325° for 10 minutes, turn over, and bake 10–15 minutes more. (They crisp up more as they cool on a rack, but they should feel fairly dry and somewhat hard.) Cool on wire racks. Melt chocolate morsels and shortening in small saucepan or microwave, being careful not to scorch it. Dip bottom edge of each cookie into chocolate and place on wax paper covered cookie sheets until the chocolate sets. Makes about 56. Notes: These are good even without the chocolate, if you want to save time and skip that step. On the other hand, if you want MORE chocolate, you can melt more chocolate and dip half of each cookie, preferably on an elegant slant. I like these with pecans or walnuts, but almonds or hazelnuts or other nuts would be fine, too, if that's what you like or what you have. |
Another great Sheryl Humphrey picture. Who is the girl with the gift? Who is it for? What is it, and what did she have to do to get it? And who loved her enough to do all those gorgeous braids? Come up with a few more questions of your own, then use your imagination to bring her to life.
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Hot Combos Pack a Punch
Another way to stay warm in the dark, cold part of the year is with warm, spiced ciders and punches. Even the simplest cider gets a warming touch from a rolled-up cinnamon bark stick in it, but I like combinations. If there's company coming, I'll fill up a slow cooker with a nice hot cider punch blend. Start with maybe 2/3 apple cider, then splash in some other juices. Cranberry or blueberry/pomegranate or other berry blends or pineapple or apricot… all kinds of things depending on what's around. Throw in a couple of cinnamon sticks and then put some stuff like cloves, allspice berries, a pinch of fennel or anise, nubbins from grating nutmeg, maybe a little whole coriander or a busted up cardamom pod into a large teaball or muslin mulling bag or tie them up in cheesecloth and toss that in, too. If you like it extra-spicy, thrown in a few cinnamon redhots. Turn on the slow cooker, and when it gets hot, taste it and add a little brown or demerara sugar if it needs it.
Writing On
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I hope some of you are joining me in writing my free weekly prompt samples. I really liked the one for the week of 12/12, liked the prompt and liked what I wrote. Freewriting to random prompts is one of the best things you can do to strengthen your voice and confidence and train your fingers to write when you say go, and it really is amazing the difference that even ten minutes a week can make if you keep doing it. We are occasionally a few hours late in getting the write up, but I have not missed a single one since last spring. Consider give it a try if you haven't yet.
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Between other writing and seasonal challenges and commitments nothing has changed much on the Write 'em Cowgirls website except those prompts, though there are a lot of things I'd like to do. Maybe after the holidays. Meanwhile, I am happy to announce that my NaNo novel of last year, Twisted Trail, is now out of revision and looking much better and slicker and more complete than when it went in. I plan to enter it in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Competition, which opens to entries on 1/24/11. Once it's off and away for that, I'll start looking for an agent, too, but I might as well try with Amazon, the timing is so good. Then I can get to work revising this year's NaNo novel, which should go faster than last year, because I learned so much doing Twisted Trail.
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It was an amazing revision experience, all the more so because it had so many major interruptions during the process, but thanks to the structure that was made possible by using tips from Holly Lisle and working in Scrivener, it was always fairly easy to pick up wherever I had left off, without having to do much backtracking. I could just go right to making progress.
I still think Twisted Trail has first-sell potential. Time and effort will tell. Don't know if it has a shot at the Amazon Breakthrough, but it won't hurt to try is my motto, especially since the timing is so fortuitous, with it emerging from revision just about a month before the contest opens to entries. Check it out if you're sitting on a revised novel (or will be by 1/24), but check it out soon so you know the other things you need to write to enter, like your "pitch", which is what gets you (or not) through the first stage judging.
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If you're sitting on a new NaNoWriMo novel or any novel draft needing revision and don't have a method you are happy with, I highly recommend taking a look at some of Holly Lisle's ideas in Create A Plot Clinic and How to Write Page-Turning Scenes. Her colored card idea is great. It was so helpful in keeping track of where I was and how much actual work remained. I also recommend the book Self-Editing for Fiction Writers — How to edit yourself into print, by Renni Browne and Dave King. As far as free resources to help you learn to critique and revise your work, there are a lot of online writers-helping-writers forums, some better than others. My favorite is Forward Motion, but I know there are others. If you want to retain your right of first publication, only post original work for critique on sites that require a password to view those forums (one reason I like Forward Motion).
Holly Lisle has recently begun offering a more intensive course in novel revision, but she still offers two valuable free articles, too, One Pass Manuscript Revision: From First Draft to Last in One Cycle and How to Revise a Novel. I like the ideas she added later on when she was writing the e-books, especially the colored revision plot outline cards, but even those free articles can help make your process more streamlined and organized. I am definitely with Holly on the need for a paper copy for revision, by the way. There is just too much our eyes slide over too quickly on the screen, where many of us are used to doing an awful lot of fast scanning.
Subscriber News
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Whether it's your novel or an essay, letters or a journal or poetry, I hope you are writing, letting your words out into the light. I know some of my subscribers are. I now have A Shaker Full of Margaritas: Hot Flash Mommas, and I loved Sonia Todd's story in it, "Mirror Image". She did so much with it, in so few pages. She's got some funny new holiday blogposts, up, too, so check out her blog if you haven't in awhile. Mingmei Yip has a new blogpost up that gives some of the background story for her upcoming novel, Song of the Silk Road. I'm looking forward to the release on March 29, 2011, and congratulate her on achieving a third novel publication and another gorgeous cover.
Anya Achtenberg, in addition to gearing up for her upcoming writers/artist/filmmakers Cuban tours, is getting ready to start a session of her online courses, Claiming Our Stories: Working with the Power of Autobiography and Autobiographical Fiction, Parts 1 and 2. Erin M. Hartshorn's new story, Heartbeat, is up on Daily Science Fiction, so congrats to Erin for another sale to DSF (from whom I have now collected a very kind and personalized rejection). Jan Phillips, as usual, has so much going on that I can't track it all, so sign up for her Museletter if you are interested in her many workshop and retreat offerings and her upcoming and existing publications. If you are an Express subscriber with publication or other news, please email me and let me know.
All the kids in my solar cooking pilot project in Eldoret, Kenya are now proud owners of solar cookers that they not only made but helped to invent!
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A Sunny New Standard
On the solar side of my life, I am very pleased to announce that I have heard from Camily Wedende recently. It is the good season for solar cooking in Kenya, and all of the students in our unique solar cooking science pilot project have taken their cookers home to the camps where they live and are using them to prepare food and to pasteurize water. I sure hope Camily can find some educational grants that can help fund more of these solar cooking science projects, and I wish I know more about grants or could figure out how to live on even less sleep than I do so I could learn. Still, it's a start, in an area where the need is great, and we have set some new standards for future projects.
The Write Direction
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The New Year will be hard on the heels of this newsletter, despite the fact that I really did start working on it on the first of December. Do you go in for New Year's resolutions? To be honest, I put more of my energy into trying to do my absolute best every single day than to put a lot into a seasonal resolution binge, but people should do what works for them, and we are all different. Resolutions or not, the turning of the year is a good time to take stock of our lives, think about if we're headed in a general direction we like or whether something may have shoved us off track, think about what's worked or what hasn't during the year, if there are aspects of our life we'd like to give more or less focus….
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You might take some of it out for a write, whether you get a resolution out of it or a signpost or rededication or even your next set of questions for your life to answer. And if any of it points to resolving to renew your commitment to writing or spend more time on writing, do consider joining me for those weekly prompts. Really, no matter how experienced or inexperienced you are, freewriting to random prompts can make your writing freer, richer, more true and more sure, and sometimes simpler prompts bring a richer write than more complex ones, because they leave you so much springboard room.
Whatever holidays you celebrated, and whatever foods you enjoyed, I hope you all managed to stay warm in December and had some fun and nice things to eat with people you love. These are difficult times for a lot of people and for the planet we live on, but I wish all of you what happiness, health, and success you can find in the New Year, and I encourage you to write on. Your vision is depending on you.
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Best Regards, Sharon |
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