Oct 6, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
Y’all may have picked up on this month’s theme: Autumn. Go figure. But, for realz. What, I’m gonna blog about the Easter Bunny? Nah. Not for at least six weeks.
As soon as the calendar turns to October, I turn to Fall. Even in the SoCal desert with it’s almost-80-degree temperatures and you-call-that-a-yard?-dirt, there’s something quite lovely about it all. Scarves come out, Pumpkin Spice Lattes are everywhere. It’s as if the Pumpkin Grinch himself dusted everything with pumpkin seed glitter.
The Pumpkin Grinch
I could go on and on, but since this is just a five item post, let me share my top reasons for loving October:
- It’s at most eleven weeks away from Christmas. For me, the first of October kind of jump starts the holidays. I’ll be lacing the car stereo with my Harry Connick, Jr Christmas CDs this weekend. #truestory. And in a few weeks the family will start to get cryptic texts like “For ransom: Doo Dads. Send money now.” [Note to self: Coupons are awesome. Start clipping.] Pretty soon the decor will come out of storage, the evenings will get longer. It’s one of my favorite times of year.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Holiday Doo Dads
- Baseball. Yup. That’s right. ‘Tis the season for my Yankees to bring it on home. And to watch Field of Dreams. And to eat Cracker Jacks. All these wonderful things are the zenith of my baseball watching experience. And I love it. Every. Single. Year. Does it matter that Jeter’s no longer on the team? Nah. We’re doing okay with Aaron Judge.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : If You Build It, They Will Come
- Pumpkin everything. I know, know. Y’all see it everywhere and are burnt out. This Girl say whaat?! How can you be burnt out of pumpkin? Pumpkin Spice Latte, pumpkin soup, pumpkin flavored Belvita crackers, pumpkin carving, pumpkin seeds. Did I mention Pumpkin Spice Latte?
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Hello, PSL
- Autumn TV/Movies. This time of year is a guarantee you’ll find me watching The West Wing, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, the aforementioned Field of Dreams, Something Wicked This Way Comes, Autumn in New York, The Godfather, and of course, Nightmare Before Christmas. I’m a sucker for all things autumn, New York, crispy leaves, and Disney. But I think all y’all already knew that, yes?
Pumpkin Spice Latte, Pumpkin Bread and the Nightmare Before Christmas
- Cat Cuddles. Like I could leave my furfamily out of this. They’re the best part of this time of year. This year, in Lizzie’s absence, Little has already taken to sleeping on the pillow, and Iris is always by my side. Berry is always with me, and Sparkles has even warmed up to being in my general presence without argument.
Frankly, My Dear . . . Lizzie Cat
There are so many more things I love about October, but these are the best. My bonus reason is it’s my mom’s favorite time of year, too, and when she’s happy, I’m happy. [Hey, Mom. Let’s go Christmas shopping this weekend, okay?]
TWEET THIS: What are your favorite reasons for October? @RealMojo68 #fivethingsfriday
With an orange scarf and pumpkin latte,
Happy Autumn, y’all!
~Molly Jo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Oct 5, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
Last week was our first taste of autumn here in the desert. Once the high temp doesn’t get above 80, it’s time to break out those winter coats. Okay, maybe not for the rest of the country, but here we celebrate the cool breeze and the ability to not sweat off ten pounds just by putting on a jacket.
Of course, something I love all year ’round are soups and slow cookers. And when the two combine, oi vey! Look out tastebuds!
Today’s recipe brings the tangy yet sweet flavors of pumpkin and cream together with spices for an amazing blend that will delight you.
Frankly, My Dear . . . Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup
Recipe: Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
- 28-30 oz canned pumpkin puree
- 32 oz chicken broth
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 TBS pumpkin spices
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 TBS turmeric
- 1/2 TBS ground ginger
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- Parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except whipping cream and parsley into slow cooker.
- Cook on medium for approximately three hours. Stir thoroughly. Cook for another hour.
- Remove bay leaf.
- Add whipping cream.
- Puree soup in blender. It's best to do this two cups at a time.
- Garnish with parsley and serve.
3.1
https://franklymydearmojo.com/2017/10/05/recipe-slow-cooker-pumpkin-soup/ (c) 2012 Frankly, My Dear... New Inklings Press
This autumn delight can be served hot or cold, so enjoy it however you like.
TWEET THIS: It’s never too early for slow cooker pumpkin soup. @RealMojo68 #pumpkinsoup #autumn
With autumn spices and a big spoon,
Happy eating!
~Molly Jo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Oct 4, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
Because I can’t not write. And because NOLA will soon be ready to fly. And, well, because it’s there.
Like the red-hot button that says, “Don’t touch.”
Like my ex-boyfriend’s car window when he told me it doesn’t roll back up and I had to test his statement. [He was right, by the way. And I ended up making dinner that night.]
And because, if you look sideways and squint, the color is almost a Tiffany blue.
So, I had to do it. Don’t you see? I mean, it’s already a CENTRAL part of me anyway. [See what I did there?]
Still not sure what I’m talking about?
Well, let me turn on the light.
I just joined NaNoWriMo.
NaNoWriMo Participant, 2017
What is it? Well for starters, it’s short for National Novel Writing Month. Don’t ask me how it all got started. I don’t know. I mean, I could totally research it for you, but it’s late and I’m not having coffee tonight. So you get what you get.
Which is this:
NaNoWriMo is an online community of writers.
I know, you’re loving it already, am I right?
And in the month of November, these writers do this abso-crazy thing in committing to write a 50,000 word novel in one month. One. ONE. I mean, who even does that?!
Oh. [Checks mirror.] I guess that would be me.
Granted, it’s bound to be the first draft of a novel. Because anyone who can write a fully perfect novel in thirty days or less . . . “Well, then Jed. I don’t want to know you.” [A little West Wing for my peeps.]
And the deal is, you really, really really can’t have started writing the novel before November 1st. Oh, you can do backstory, planning, character notes, all that jazz. But you can’t start writing the novel before November 1st. [I feel like I already said that.]
And since CENTRAL will be Book Two in my City Series, I figure why not give it a go? Now, CENTRAL will be well over 50k words, like NOLA. But NaNoWriMo can definitely help me get the bones placed.
Whoa. Wait. I almost forgot to tell you one of my favorite parts: my awesome friend Tess DeGroot is one of my region’s Municipal Liaisons. Again, don’t ask me what that means. I don’t really know for the rest of the world. For me, it means coffee and dinner and Happy Planning and writing with my friend. Because she knows how to keep me accountable. And NaNoWriMo makes her an official butt-kicker. [Note to self: Maybe rethink joining NaNoWriMo. Or bring Tess some hot tea and cookies.]
And just for signing up I got these cute little graphics like the one in this post and the one on the side of the blog. Nifty, eh?
Oh, and just in case you were wondering what CENTRAL is all about, here’s my first blurb:
Serenity has a thing for cops. And the guys they arrest. And Nick has a thing for Serenity. Working at a cop bar isn’t where he wants to be all his life, but as long as she’s there, he’ll stick around. Until it’s apparent she doesn’t know he exists.
A third-generation New Yorker with plenty of police in the family tree, Nick knows a thing or two about his city. And Serenity knows how to survive.
When her sister goes missing and Serenity turns to old habits (and men), Nick has to decide what he loves more: this waif of a woman, or his life?
So. Will I see you around the NNWM universe?
TWEET THIS: Will I see you around the NNWM universe? @RealMojo68 @NaNoWriMo #nanowrimo
For more information, visit NaNoWriMo.org.
With an insane schedule and accountability writing partner,
Happy NaNo-ing,
~Molly Jo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
