Thursday Recipes – Alien food from the space center

Hi, faithful readers, whoever you are. I’m tired of trying to figure out WordPress all the time so I’m going to be moving all my posts over to the Blogspot site. I’ve been mirroring them here.

So if you want today’s post with working links and everything, check here: http://jaletaclegg.blogspot.com/

Writing a Serial Story

For the last few years I’ve been playing with a serial blog story. It’s just for fun, Star Trek fanfic sort of, based on a character I play at work. Read it here http://adrianstevensquartermaster.blogspot.com/2010/10/adventures-of-adrian-stevens-prologue.html, if you want. It’s a different exercise than writing a short story or novel. Those I plan out. I know what’s going to happen and where the story is going. With a serial story, I make it up as I go along. I have no idea where the story is going to end when I start writing. Each week or so, I sit down and write another episode. I guess it’s like writing a tv show, but I wouldn’t know. I only watch those, I’ve never written one.

For those who like to write by the seat-of-their-pants, this process will sound very familiar. From what I understand, those authors make it up as they go. I respect them for that. It’s a tough process when you give yourself that much freedom. I write from a loose outline, nothing too specific, except for my serial story. That is truly seat-of-my-pants.

It’s a weird feeling and more than a little scary to write an episode at a time and post it before you write the next one. What if the writing isn’t polished? What if I made mistakes? What if I change my mind and want to rewrite to take the story in a new direction? What if it isn’t any good? What if no one reads it? Wait, that last one is a good thing. Sort of.

So why do we write stories if not to share? And what’s more fun than sharing that scary but exciting first exploration draft? Serial stories can be lots of fun to write and read. You have a new chapter every week, if the author sticks to a schedule (sorry, I don’t do that very well with my story. I post as I write which can be very hit and miss but the first two stories are up and story #3 is started). Writing them is usually done just for fun. There is no real plotting or planning, at least the way I’m writing. The story is free to wander wherever it wants. Scary, but exciting. The story and characters can take surprising twists. For those who believe that the author is in charge and decides everything, you’ve never really written stories. The characters come alive and do things different than the author may want. The story may wriggle itself in brand new directions. Ideas rise from your meta-consciousness like the kraken from the deep, mysterious and unexplained.

Do you write a serial blog? Post a link and share! For those of you who’ve never read one, go try one.

Adrian Stevens, Quartermaster
http://adrianstevensquartermaster.blogspot.com/2010/10/adventures-of-adrian-stevens-prologue.html

Thursday Recipe – Seafood Salad

Summer is here and the temperatures are finally feeling like summer. Time for cold salads and picnics and lots of chilling in front of the AC. Most of my favorite summer dishes are simple like this one:

Watermelon

Buy a big watermelon that sounds hollow when you thump it. Chop it up and serve it. Refrigerate it if you like it cold.

Or this one:

Berries

Buy some really nice looking berries. Wash them and serve them nice and cold.

My kids nibble of fresh fruits and veggies all summer. Most need nothing fancier than ranch dressing or maybe some snort (whipped topping in a can). I really don’t cook that much in the summer. This salad was what we served for dinner tonight. Quick and easy and tasty.

Seafood Salad

1 12 oz package of Krab meat, or crab meat if you’re rich or live on the coast

1/4 sweet onion, finely chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped small

1/3 c. red bell pepper, chopped

2/3 c. mayonnaise

2 T. lemon juice

1/2 t. ground black pepper

1 t. paprika

salt to taste

Use a fork to break the krab meat into small pieces. Mix everything together. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. Serve with crackers or rolls.

Author Interview – Marva Dasef

Today I welcome author Marva Dasef to the Far Edge of Normal. Find the full interview at http://jaletaclegg.blogspot.com/2011/06/author-interview-marva-dasef.html

Thursday Recipe – Hogwarts Cherry Tarts

Just in case someone calls about it, I’m not affiliated in any way with JK Rowling or her book series. I just liked the idea of creating a mini-Hogwarts university course for my children. I’ve been posting recipes for the last few weeks from this. These cherry tarts are the last I’ve got for this particular theme. They are luscious and rich and creamy and I really really REALLY want some right now but I don’t want to make them even though they are easy. I’m just that lazy today.

Hogwarts Cherry Tarts

4 c. powdered sugar

2 c. cookie crumbs (vanilla wafers or chocolate sandwich cookies, smashed and smooshed into crumbs)

1/2 c. cocoa

1/4 c. milk
1/3 c. cream cheese

1 t. vanilla

1/4 t. almond extract

1/2 c. candied cherries, cut up

Mix 2 c. powdered sugar, cookie crumbs, and cocoa. Sprinkle milk over and stir just until it holds together. Press crust mixture into paper lined miniature muffin pans, it should make about 24. Beat cream cheese with vanilla and almond extract. Gradually add the other 2 c. of powdered sugar. Beat well. Stir in cherries. Spoon into the shells. Chill until firm.

What Really Matters in a Story

http://jaletaclegg.blogspot.com/2011/06/what-really-matters-in-story.html

Read the post on Blogger and comment for a chance to win a print copy of your choice of one of five different books.

Thursday Recipe – Hagrid’s Thumbprints

Continuing on with Hogwarts, this is a fun cookie. It is rich, decadent, and looks much more difficult than it is. If you like pecan sandies and caramel filling, this is the cookie for you. I named them Hagrid’s Thumbprints because you need a really big thumb to make the hole big enough to hold the filling.

Hagrid’s Thumbprints

1 c. butter

1 c. powdered sugar

2 c. flour

1/2 c. chopped nuts, pecans preferred

1 T. vanilla

Cream butter and sugar. Blend in vanilla. Add flour and nuts. Stir just until mixed. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Press thumb into each cookies to make a hole for the filling. The hole shrinks a bit when cooking so make sure you make it large enough without pushing through the bottom. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes. Cool.

Filling:

1/4 c. butter

1/2 c. brown sugar

dash of salt

1/4 c. evaporated milk, NOT sweetened condensed milk

1 c. powdered sugar

1/2 t. vanilla

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and salt. Bring to a boil. Boil and stir for two minutes. Remove from heat and stir in milk. Bring back to a boil; boil and stir for another two minutes. Remove from heat. Cool for 15 minutes. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

Fill each cookie with about 1 t. of filling. Let cool and set up for at least one hour.

Basket of Book Reviews

I’ve been mirroring my blogs here on WordPress and on Blogger. I’ve found Blogger is easier for me to use, so to find the book reviews, go here: http://jaletaclegg.blogspot.com/2011/06/basket-of-book-reviews.html

Thursday Recipe – Transformation Dough, aka PlayDough

Continuing the Harry Potter theme (and apologies for missing posts the last couple of weeks), this is one of the best recipes I’ve ever discovered. It tastes horrible, but that isn’t the point. If you have small children, they love to play with messy icky stuff like Playdough, the real stuff. With this recipe, you know exactly what’s going into it, so if they do eat it, you know it’s safe. It’s also cheap and easy to make. Colored or not, the dough cleans up better than the commercial stuff.

This recipe came from a cookbook I inherited from my mom. It’s been around since the 1970s and I can’t remember the name or anything else. But I still have this recipe.

Transformation Dough (AKA play dough)

1 c. flour

1/4 c. salt

2 T. cream of tartar

1 c. water

1 t. food coloring, optional

1 T. oil

Measure everything into a 2 quart saucepan. Stir it together. It looks like a mess but trust me, it is supposed to at this point. Cook over medium heat until the mess consolidates into a ball and looks a bit rubbery. Dump it out and let it cool until you can handle it without burning your hands. Knead it until it’s smooth and pliable.

Store in a ziploc baggie or air tight container. It will keep for months. When it gets crusty or grows fuzzy bits, toss it and make another batch or three.

Lessons Learned at ConDuit

ConDuit is an annual science-fiction/fantasy/horror convention in Salt Lake City. It’s not a huge con. But the quality of guests and attendees is incredible. And the friendliness is unbelievable. Maybe it’s because I’m local and I know most of these people. Maybe it’s just Utah grows positive attitudes in its SF/F/Horror community. Either way, I had a fabulous weekend.

We took our horde with us this year. I was a bit nervous. My kids have never been to a con. I wasn’t sure how they’d react. They had a blast. Even the 8yo and 10yo were happy and busy all weekend. The hotel bill was a bit steep, but 8 people in a nice hotel for a weekend eating in the restaurant isn’t cheap no matter how you slice it. Every one of my kids wants to go back. Kudos to the committee and gaming people for keeping ConDuit very family friendly and inclusive. And a huge thank you to my hubby who ran the track for the kids. He had some great panels and demonstrations lined up. The kids at the con loved it.

I loved seeing all my friends from past years and meeting new ones. ConDuit has great regulars who come and hang out. The authors who come are very accessible and willing to share advice and stories with us newbies who haven’t been authors for that long. The artists who come are just as much fun to talk with. I’m not sure about the gaming gurus because I don’t hang out in that end of the con much. Not enough time to do it all or I would. I’d start naming names but I’m afraid if I miss someone they might think I don’t like them anymore. Which isn’t true. I love seeing these people. I miss the ones who didn’t make it this year.

This year, I got to see a Nebula award up close and personal. It’s awesome. I want one for my award shelf. Congratulations to Eric James Stone for winning it. They couldn’t have awarded it to a nicer person. If you haven’t read his stories, you really should. He oozes talent. And most of them are funny.

If you’ve never been to a convention and you like science fiction, fantasy, superheroes, horror, or just like having a good time, check out ConDuit. Come join us next Memorial Day weekend. The costumes are fun, the conversations intriguing, and the people very friendly. It’s a great place to discover new authors and stories to read, new artists to decorate your walls, and make new friends.

Sorry, no pictures. I keep forgetting I own a camera. But if you search for ConDuit Convention, I’m sure lots of other people have posted pics.