Sep 23, 2014 |
Five years ago today I found what would become Bedford Manor. For over a year I’ve been writing NOLA, my murder mystery set in New Orleans.This week an article I wrote for my Writers Club was solicited to be featured in a larger, Southern California-wide publication. This morning, The Unemployment Cookbook was released for Kindle at Amazon. And tonight, one of my favorite shows, NCIS, has a spin-off series debut with NCIS: New Orleans.
Naturally, I have to celebrate.
Mardi Gras at Bedford Manor
With the great food that Zatarain’s sent me a few weeks ago (look for the product review post in a few days), I declared September 23 the official “NOLA Day” at Bedford Manor.
The local Dollar Tree had all I needed for decorations, including the requisite beads and masks. I was delighted to find that although Mardi Gras is half a year away, people choose to celebrate it often enough that supplies are always available.
Mardi Gras Decor
The menu was planned around my Zatarian’s Care Package and Ms. New Orleans 2014 Cookbook:
Mayonnaise Biscuits
Garden Vegetable Brown Rice
Jambalaya Brown Rice with Garlic and Herb Shrimp
Blackened Salmon
Sweet Tea
Hurricane Mocktail
Easy King Cake
After spending a few hours in the kitchen, it was fun to sit and enjoy good food with good company. The lagniappe (“lan-yap”, meaning “that little something extra”) is my Pandora station built around “St. James Infirmary” by Preservation Hall Jazz Band.
Bedford Manor is five years old, and oh! the changes we’ve made! Paint and repaint, repair, clean, and clear. Add, subtract, embellish and all the wonderfulness that goes with being a home owner.
Paint and Repaint – Ceramic Beige
We’ve been through a lot, Bedford Manor and I. At times, I thought of selling. I couldn’t do the maintenance. I couldn’t afford the bills. But I always went to bed with a roof over my head, and when I’m anxious, coming through these doors makes things better. When I’m sick, it’s these walls that comfort me. These appliances that I cook on. This place that I write about. This is where the cats live and love.
Where else in the world could an off-shore hurricane over a hundred miles away bring me a great writing atmosphere?
Under the Influence of Hurricane Norbert
And of course, this is where my office is.
My “new” workspace ~ a real desk!
I realized a few months ago the mantra my now-defunct relationship taught me is applicable to every aspect of my life.
Don’t Leave. Period.
Staying is more than feeling like it. Staying is a commitment to doing the right thing. So no matter what struggles I have, I know I’m blessed with a big house and a small mortgage. When I need help, it’s here. Want to know something funny? It took me almost five years to fully commit to staying. To not find a reason to pack up, leave, walk away. It’s not that I have a propensity for instability. But prior to buying a house, life was full of uncertainties. Since I made the mental commitment to stay, no matter what, I’ve been more comfortable. I’ve met more neighbors. I’ve enjoyed more company.
I like my life.
Now that’s worth celebrating, isn’t it?
Celebrate with King Cake
And Frankly, My Dear . . . that’s all she wrote!
You may also enjoy reading:
My Interview with Ms. New Orleans 2014, Lindsay Reine
It’s Complicated, Part One: My Relationship
How Bedford Manor Got Its Name
Aug 24, 2014 |
The wind has been blowing here at Bedford Manor. At times its brought with it a cleansing rain, at others, it just stirs the dust. There’s been heat, sun, clouds, humidity, wind, and stillness. The weather just can’t make up its mind.
Rain on a Leaf
It’s symbolic of how I’ve been feeling lately ~ uncertain as to my purpose. I hit a rather large wall of writer’s block last month and it’s taken me until two days ago to chisel it down.
I’d previously set a goal to have the first (and hopefully only) draft of NOLA finished by now. I’d wanted to start marketing it for sale in October. Instead, I’m rewriting the beginning and incorporating bits and pieces of what I’ve already done.
Most writers will advocate for writing the first draft in its entirety before starting any edits. I usually agree. Except NOLA needed a change. Without changing the beginning, I couldn’t coherently string those changes through the rest of the text. So I threw my self-imposed deadline out the window and, to the cheers of my writing mentor and critique group, am focusing on quality, not quantity.
I’ve been blessed with a friendship with Ms. New Orleans 2014, Lindsay Reine. Not only is she full of information on New Orleans, she’s become my newest cheerleader.
I still have my #DoingTheWriteThing fundraiser but I’ve amped it up a little. On the advice of several friends, I began a GoFundMe campaign. I like it for a variety of reasons. There’s no deadline, no all-or-nothing criteria. And it’s incredibly easy to navigate, update, and share.
I currently have three sponsors for a total of $110.00. It may not sound like much, but it’s eleven thousand pennies more than I had a month ago!
My Penny Jar
I must be doing something right, or should I say, write. I’m thankful for each of you, all of you, who believe in what I do, and who are helping me to achieve the goals of taking one step at a time. Some steps are bigger than others, and sometimes I have to take a step back. But a trusted person once told me
One Step Forward
Being a Christian and writing a murder mystery can be dichotic but not mutually exclusive. Ted Dekker does a fine job of weaving intrigue and sinister acts into redeeming storylines. I can do the same.
So I will continue to work on NOLA, and trust you’ll understand my delay. I’d much rather present you with a take-your-breath-away piece of writing in a few months or even a year or two, than to sell something now that you wouldn’t take off the bookshelf again, or worse, recommend to a friend.
I’m back in the saddle with blogging too, but I’ve a suspicion you may already know this.
During the holidays, I hope to add a few craft and decorating ideas as well as some recipes and reviews.
In the meantime, I’ll continue to pray, work, take care of Bedford Manor, and of course, I’ll keep #DoingTheWriteThing.
And Frankly, My Dear . . . that’s all she wrote!
You may also enjoy reading:
How Bedford Manor Got Its Name
My Real Italian Kitchen: Polenta and Sauce
FIVE THINGS FRIDAY: Start/Stop
BETTER: Thanksgiving
More or Less: 29 Words
Aug 18, 2014 |
My Real Italian Kitchen: Polenta and Sauce
WinCo is still one of my favorite places ever. My last two grocery shopping trips stocked my pantry so thoroughly, I’ve not been back for well over a month. When you’re on a budget for time as well as money, that’s a big deal.
Last month, I picked up a tube of ready-made polenta, with absolutely no idea what to do with it. It stared at me from the refrigerator drawer every morning. It begged me for attention every evening. I still wasn’t sure how to prepare it. Luckily, WinCo directed me to their polenta recipes on their website, including how to make it from scratch. I also searched the internet for other creative cooking ideas.
Polenta is an Italian cornmeal that can be made into a porridge, or sliced for baking or frying. As a porridge, it’s a delicious breakfast or side dish. You can slice it extra thin to add to your deli sandwich. Fried or baked, it can replace pasta or rice for an easy lunch or dinner. It’s even a great mini breakfast when topped with maple syrup.
The Polenta I picked up was already seasoned with basil and garlic, so that ruled out a breakfast porridge. For my first experience, I opted to slice and fry the polenta on my stove, and top it with a blend of pasta sauce fortified with additional spices and an extra can of sliced mushrooms. I began by slicing the tube of polenta into 1/2-inch round slices.
San Gennaro Polenta
My favorite pasta sauce is Newman’s Own Sockarooni. It has the perfect balance of seasonings and vegetables. I often add browned ground meat to the mix, or serve it over meatballs. For this polenta dinner, mushrooms were the extra touch.
Sauce and Mushrooms
While the sauce simmered, I heated up my large frying pan with about 1/2-inch of olive oil. Of course, Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil is my favorite. It has just the right blend of natural oil and flavor without a heavy, greasy taste or feel.
Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Once the oil was nicely heated, I carefully placed the polenta slices in and covered them to minimize splattering. After five minutes, it was time to fry the other side. This was tricky, because even though I love being in the kitchen I’m not a big fan of cooking with a lot of hot oil. I managed to flip the polenta with very little mess, and after another five minutes of covered frying, I transferred it to a paper towel to absorb the excess oil. In just two more minutes, dinner was ready.
Served with a simple slice of garlic toast and a refreshing Pellegrino water, my Italian dinner was complete.
My Real Italian Kitchen: Polenta with Sauce
The polenta was on sale for less than $4. The sauce was $2.50. Mushrooms $0.69. Garlic toast $6 for 12 slices. The most expensive part was the Pellegrino, at an average of $0.83 per bottle. The polenta dinner, while small in size is big on taste. We were able to get five good meals plus a little extra for a small snack. (Dipping a fried polenta in sauce is heaven, in case you were wondering.)
That’s an approximate $2.75 per plate. Not bad for a delicious Italian meal.
Polenta is so versatile in both flavor and use, no wonder it’s the food of choice for Northern Italy. And, in My Real Italian Kitchen.
San Gennaro Polenta with Basil and Garlic
And Frankly, My Dear . . . that’s all she wrote!
You may also enjoy reading:
Stocking up the Pantry
Stocking up the Cabinet
Too Hot to Cook (June’s Meal Plan)
WinCo Wins: Lunch for a Dollar!
WinCo Wins
