Dec 9, 2012 |
Pretty, isn’t it? That’s the cover to The Unemployment Cookbook, First Edition. Only I didn’t know at the time it was First Edition. Now I’m taking pre-orders for the Second Edition, and it’s just as exciting!
I had no idea when I started my Kickstarter campaign to sell pre-orders and raise funds for publication, how entirely nerve-wracking and roller-coastery it would be. (Is roller-coastery a word? It is now!)
It’s so delightful to hear from people who tell me how excited they are for this Project. Easy, inexpensive menus. Full, hearty flavors.
And while I’m trying not to push this in front of people’s faces, the truth is, Word-of-Mouth advertising is what’s getting me funded. And so, if you’ll indulge me for this post, I’d like to market my Cookbook.
From the back cover:
Sometimes it’s hard to make ends meet. Food shouldn’t be a sacrifice. The Unemployment Cookbook is a collection of recipes for eating abundantly on a frugal income. As with any great recipe, it’s my desire that you and those you feed enjoy the flavors and versatility of the recipes in this cookbook. But more importantly, I hope it inspires you in the kitchen, at the table, and with your family. Happy eating!
The Unemployment Cookbook is my first publication. It’s my Project. My baby. And, because times are still tough, it’s my Go-To Guide in the kitchen.
With over 100 pages of family- and wallet-friendly recipes in the first, and even more in the Second Edition, this is a Project I believe in. I realize my promotional video may seem low-key to many. I did that on purpose. Why should a no-frills Cookbook be advertised with glitz and glam?
Not here. This Cookbook was written and designed with frugality in mind. Sure, someday I’d love to have other cookbooks. Full-page color photography. Delectable, hard-to-find ingredients. Exquisite, one-of-a-kind, never-before-tried-in-the-kitchen recipes.
And some day I will.
But right now, people need to feed their families. And they need to do it well and on a budget.
These recipes cost less than a pizza (unless you use the Slow Cooker Ratatouille for your own veggie-pizza topping!), offer fresh, healthy ingredients, and many of them give you the opportunity to change them to suit your family’s tastes.
Hungry for more information? Click on over to my Kickstarter Campaign and pre-order yours now.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Sep 25, 2012 |
What if I’m Not Good Enough? This question haunts me every day. Why haven’t I achieved my dreams, my goals? What if I have the wrong dreams? What if I’m not good enough to accomplish that which I live for?
Everyone says, “All things in good time,” or some sappy rendition of that sentiment. But what if that’s not it? What if the reason is not because it’s not the right time, but rather, because I’m the wrong person?
Why do I run from the Open Door instead of going through it? Why am I hesitant to grab the Golden Ring? No one else can stand up on my Merry-Go-Round and get it for me. It’s my Merry-Go-Round.
I’m well aware that I keep going ‘round in circles; I keep rising and falling. But I keep rising again. And my reach is getting higher. My strength is getting better. I’m learning which beasts bring me down, and which horses hold me high.
So why do I see in me the failures that others notice? Why, instead, do they not notice my successes? And then it dawned on me: My successes are private. My failings are public.
When times are difficult, I vent. I ask for help. I call my VIP and claim a Girl Date at Starbucks. But when I succeed, I don’t like to brag. I don’t toot my own horn. I wait for others to notice. And sometimes they don’t.
Sometimes I celebrate in silence.
Sometimes I get stuck in my ways and consider others’ opinions as just that: opinions. Suggestions that I don’t have to follow. Ideas that I don’t have to pay attention to. I’m stubborn that way. I get it from my father.
I know failure is a part of the process. I have to discover what doesn’t work in order to come up with the Winning Formula. But sometimes I know people don’t see that part. They see the failings. And they keep seeing the failings. And refuse to see me grow.
They see the Baby Steps, not the sprint, not the marathon. They see the Stumbles, not the Standing.
And it hurts. It hurts because I’m so much more than what I used to be. I’m not saying others are keeping me down. But they aren’t helping me up, either. These are not people I can dismiss, either. You know who I’m talking about: sometimes we all have to do a little closet-cleaning and get rid of the things (people) that no longer fit, that are basically useless to us. They may still be in good condition and beneficial to others, or they may just be so worn out they’re no good for anything. These are not those people. These are people I treasure, adore, and still need. Extended family. Church friends. People I admire and want to share my life with.
But some of them have Blinders on. And I’ve done nothing to remove them. I see them only when I’m needy, only when I’m hurting, only when I’m alone and lonely.
No wonder they haven’t seen me succeed. I won’t let them.
It’s time to Change the Game. It’s time to scream it from the rooftops and not be ashamed. It’s no small task to reach a great goal, and I’m choosing not to hide it.
I am Good Enough. And I’m only getting better.
You can call me a narcissist if you want to, but someone has to be my Number One Cheerleader. It may as well be me… right?!
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Aug 25, 2012 |
Two days ago, I posted about my living in fear. Now, while those fears are true, and real, and constant, I don’t want you to get the impression that that’s all there is to me.
I don’t suffer depression. I’m not in need of medication. But I do bounce around from Happy to Sad to Stressed to Carefree. That’s not me. That’s my environment. That’s 14 months of unemployment and car repairs and medical bills and frustrations. And believe me, this week it’s been hitting us in spades.
So I vented.
If I were to post only Happy Thoughts, I wouldn’t be honest with you. I value you. And, it’s apparent you value my honesty. Thursday was my third most popular day at Frankly, My Dear… (My most viewed day was July 25, “Alienation“. The current Chocolate Heaven (and a Giveaway!) is quick on its heels!).
And so I just wanted to say
Thank you.
I really do appreciate each of you, and your wonderfully supportive comments. Writing is my calling, my comfort, and my catharsis.
Even when we don’t agree. Even when I write too much, or too little. You are there. Even when you don’t comment, you read. And Frankly, My Dear… is growing stronger. Because of you. Thank you.
On my Facebook page, almost every evening I post a link from a year ago. It’s fun to look back and read the many ways I’ve grown, changed, and even stayed the same.
I can’t believe it’s an accident that today’s Year-Ago post is Filigree Frosting. You all are the icing on my cake.
If I could bake each of you a cake, I would.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Pretty, isn’t it? That’s the cover to The Unemployment Cookbook, First Edition. Only I didn’t know at the time it was First Edition. Now I’m taking pre-orders for the Second Edition, and it’s just as exciting!
