Dancing With the Stars

Need a reason to watch the THREE EPISODE premiere of Dancing With the Stars this week?



Will Albert Reed do?

Drawing Announcement from Liz Flaherty!

I want to thank you all for being so welcoming this week. I did the drawing for the two copies of THE DEBUTANTE’S SECOND CHANCE and the two of ALWAYS ANNIE today, and believe me when I say I didn’t want to--I’d rather have just sent everyone a book. However, I think the object is to SELL books.

The winners are:

LuckyLouPlattsmouthNE
MelJPrincess
Jennifer Y
Mickey (Brenda)

If you’ll email me your addresses (and your real names; I mean, I CAN address it to LuckyLou, but...) to

lflaherty@comteck.com

I’ll get the books sent out right away, and I hope you enjoy them.

Caramel Crunch Bars

4-1/2 graham crackers
1 pkg. (11 oz.) KRAFT Caramel Bits
2 Tbsp. milk
1/2 cup cocktail peanuts
1/2 cup miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup coarsely crushed pretzels
4 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted


LINE 8-inch square pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Spray with cooking spray. Place graham crackers on bottom of pan, cutting to fit if necessary.

MICROWAVE caramel bits and milk in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until caramel bits are completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring every 30 sec. Pour over graham crackers; top with peanuts, marshmallows and pretzels. Drizzle with chocolate.

REFRIGERATE at least 1 hour. Use foil handles to remove dessert from pan before cutting into bars to serve.

PHS Hugh Jackman Tour 2007

This month's highlight at The Pink Heart Society is the annual HUGH JACKMAN TOUR. All the category writers in the blogosphere post their favorite Hugh Jackman photos and then visit each other's sites to see who has the best ones. I personally find him revolting as that wolf character, so any pics with neck hair do not get my vote.


Of course I'm really partial to this one in a cowboy hat since I discovered he's starring in a production with Nicole Kidman called Austrailia. CANNOT WAIT. Yee haw! Set in northern Australia before World War II, an English aristocrat (Kidman) who inherits a sprawling ranch reluctantly pacts with a cattle driver (Jackman) in order to protect her new property from a takeover plot. As the pair drive 2,000 head of cattle over unforgiving landscape, they experience the bombing of Darwin, Australia, by Japanese forces firsthand.

BLOGGING AT P&P TODAY

WHAT'S THIS CLUE MEAN? A RECIPE? FREE LUNCH?
GUESS YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO COME SEE FOR YOURSELF

I'm blogging at Petticoats and Pistols today!
Please mosey on over and jaw with me for a spell.
You will, won't cha? Yeah, you're my pards.

CLICK HERE FOR A FREE RIDE TO MY BLOG AT PETTICOATS AND PISTOLS



If you haven't already entered the drawing for the BIG FALL BONANZA, do it while you're there! Lots of awesome prizes!

Heartland Writers Group

Today was Open House at a local bookstore called The Bookworm. Several of my RWA chapter's published members came to represent HWG by meeting and greeting readers. We were supported by fellow chapter members, Mary, Julie and Sherri as well.

Heartland Writers Group Published Authors left to right
front row: Pam Crooks, Cheryl St. John and Connie Crow;
back row: Julie Carda, Victoria Alexander, and Kim Louise.

Thank you Mary DeSive for the great picture!

CHOCOLATE 101: Where Chocolate Comes From

Imagine a thin belt spanning the globe 20° degrees north and south of the equator: this is where the cacao tree thrives and chocolate starts out.

A product of the cacao tree, chocolate is made from the tree's seeds — called cacao beans or cocoa beans — which means every delicious bite you take starts out deep in the tropical, humid countries that border the equator.

(Just to be clear: the tree is called a cacao tree and the seeds its fruit produces are called cacao beans or cocoa beans. The powder made from these beans is called cocoa powder. You may see cacao mentioned on a lot of products these days because many manufacturers use cocoa and cacao interchangeably when it comes to beans and powder. It also is often used to describe the amount of cocoa solids in a bar - as in % cacao.)

Most of the chocolate we eat has its roots in Africa, which generates more than 70% of the world's cacao. In West Africa, the Côte d'Ivoire alone produces some 1.4 million tons of beans a year. Ghana is second with over 600,000 tons, followed by Nigeria and Cameroon.

So many cacao beans are grown in Africa that they can constitute as much as 40% of the total export income of some African countries. Of the 3.5 million small family cacao farms worldwide, it is estimated that 2.6 million are located in Africa.

Besides Africa, other major cacao-growing countries include Indonesia, Brazil, Ecuador, Togo, Mexico and Papua New Guinea. Cacao beans are grown also in other Latin American countries and the Caribbean, but their share of the market is smaller.

Learn more about the different kinds of beans grown around the world and factors affecting their taste by clicking here.

Info from allchocolate.com

Storms Rolled In From KS and TX

YOU REALLY HAVE TO CLICK TO ENLARGE TO GET THE EFFECT

This is the shot from my front door



and this is from the back door
Cool, huh?

The "toad" is a Copes Gray Tree Frog!

MISTAKEN IDENTITY!

LeighAnn did her research. Gray tree frogs are medium-sized tree frogs native to eastern North America. They are fairly common in much of their range near small bodies of water, and are often encountered by humans during the breeding season in spring. There are two separate species of gray tree frog: Hyla chrysoscelis and Hyla versicolor, both of which look identical and can only easily be told apart by their call. In captivity they both require the same care. Adults reach a size of around 2 inches (5 cm). As their common name suggests, most are predominantly gray, although their ventral side is a light white, and on the inside of their hind legs there are two bright orange or yellow flash marks. Gray tree frogs have the ability to change color depending on temperature, humidity, light intensity, and the color of their surroundings. Most are able to change from bright green, to pale white, to dark brown, although most of the time they remain gray. Juveniles are generally green in color and develop their gray adult coloration as they mature.

Scroll down for her adorable pictures.

Free Online Read by Holly Jacobs

The first two chapters of Holly Jacobs' online read are available at eharlequin.
Holly will be blogging with us in a couple of weeks!

You can also read an excerpt of Holly's new Harlequin Everlasting:
The House on Briar Hill Road
by Holly Jacobs

Home isn't a place—it's a feeling

Brian Conway is Hayden MacNulty's hero from the start. One Halloween, she knocks on his door, and before long, her puppy love turns serious. His mother, Kathleen, welcomes her with open arms. Brian's house, with its neat shutters and window boxes, isn't just a home. It's family. As the years pass and life pulls them in different directions, Brian remains Hayden's touchstone, her best friend. So how is it that they never seem to get it right when they're together? Not even the child they bring into the world can persuade Hayden to accept Brian's proposals.

But a life-altering challenge can change almost anything, and in one special moment Hayden knows it's time to say, 'I do.'

I was fortunate to recieve an advance copy of this book, and I can tell you it's something new for Holly, who's known for her splendid romantic comedy. I sat reading in the drive-up lane at elementary school, wiping tears from my face. It's an emotionally touching story that will stay with you for a long time.

In Remembrance of a Fellow Author and Friend

Author Carol Backus passed away eight years agao this week after a long battle with cancer. Carol founded Lake Country Romance Writers in 1993 and, as Suzanne Barclay, wrote more than a dozen books for Harlequin Historical as well as one for Silhouette Intimate Moments.

Her historicals were set in the medieval period, and she was known for her meticulous research. Hardly a month goes by that she is not on someone's Recommended Reads list. Her fans loved for her stories and then, if they were lucky enough to meet her at one of the numerous conferences she attended, knew her as a friend.

Carol, you are missed.

Guest Blogger: Liz Flaherty

About my friend, Liz
She doesn’t know where the time went, but Liz Flaherty swears it was only last week that she married her boyfriend-just-home-from-Vietnam. Duane wore a blue blazer and gray slacks with bell bottoms and she wore a blue dress, size five, that ended so far above her knees she’s not sure it was legal. He had all his hair and hers was its natural color and they were going to have three children and live happily ever after.

And so they did.

Of course, there’s more to it than that. The three children have all married and presented their parents with six grandchildren. Liz has worked at the post office since Ben Franklin was the postmaster—or at least it seems that way—and she’s always written. She’s one of those who can’t not write. There are stories hidden in her computer keyboards, and she just has the most fun dragging them out word by word.

When the words are being stubborn, Liz enjoys sewing and cooking--as long as someone else cleans up. She loves to walk the country roads where she lives, but if the wind is blowing or the mercury dips much below the 40-degree mark, she finds or invents an urgent reason to stay inside.

She and Duane live in the same farmhouse at the end of lane where they’ve lived for 30 years. They are owned by the aforementioned grandchildren and two longhaired cats named Gabe and Jessy.


And now let's hear from Liz:

I know this isn’t a good thing for a so-called professional to admit, but I get all in a dither when I think about being the guest of someone who’s been a favorite for so long. I just did it a little bit ago over at Shirley Jump’s site (with a “borrowed” cookie recipe), so you’d think I’d be a little less nervous, but it’s not working that way! However, I do have to say I’ve been reading Cheryl’s books ever since the beginning. I remember finishing Rain Shadow and being so sorry it was over that I read it again. On that note, I want to thank her for having me.

How many books have struck you that way? Have you ever sat and felt like weeping--even if the ending was wonderful--because the experience of the book itself was over? I’m reading the Harry Potter series now (I know, a little late, but that tends to be the story of my life.) I’m on the sixth book out of the seven and I’m already dreading reaching the end.

There were stories like that from when I was a kid, too. Janet Lambert wrote books on entire families--when the oldest daughter grew up, she wrote about a younger one--and I felt like they were friends. It broke my heart when they left home without me!

My new book, The Debutante’s Second Chance, isn’t part of a series, but I hope it leaves you wanting more. I have to admit, there were a few of those people I had trouble letting go.

I’m also giving away two autographed copies of the book, plus a couple of really, really old copies of Always Annie, my first book. Annie was published in 1999 (when I was a mere child) by Precious Gems. Cheryl will be drawing the names from her magic bowl and I’ll send the books out right away.

For now, I’m going back to Harry Potter. Oh, and maybe I should write a little, too. It was fun talking to you, and I’m anxious to find out what books you’ve had trouble saying goodbye to.


ABOUT THE DEBUTANTE'S SECOND CHANCE:
Landy Wisdom was a survivor. Her former husband's abuse hadn't broken her spirit—no, she'd picked herself right up and helped run the local Underground Railroad for battered women. But when it came to love, Landy felt that the train had left the station. She'd built a wall around her heart no man could breach…until journalist Micah Walker showed up and bought the hometown newspaper.

For Micah, returning to small-town life was a culture shock. But it was more shocking to see how things had changed for the local debutante. In high school Landy had seemed untouchable. Was she still? Micah would find out, as he patiently, tenderly dismantled her defenses to reveal the warm, compassionate woman underneath.…

TO ORDER A COPY OF THE DEBUTANTE'S SECOND CHANCE FROM AMAZON OR READ AN EXCERPT, CLICK HERE


NOTE FROM CHERYL:
AS ALWAYS EACH COMMENT ON LIZ'S BLOG POST/S IS AN ENTRY IN THE FISHBOWL

ALWAYS A GEM: ALWAYS ANNIE by Liz Flaherty

Wow, I can't begin to imagine how many authors got their start at Precious Gems. Do you remember these hard-to-find books? I have favorite authors that I discovered writing for this line.

Our guest blogger Liz Flaherty is giving away TWO of these collectible gems to a couple of you lucky readers! How cool is that? And what do you have to do to be eligible? POST COMMENTS!!

Josh and Annie find out if love really is better the second time around.

Annie Houston has a lot to celebrate this Christmas. Her bookstore is thriving and she owns the coziest house in town. Still, something is missing from her life--until her single ex-husband comes for the holidays with his stepsons in tow. There's a lodging crisis and Annie invites them all to stay at her place.

Josh thought leaving Annie was the biggest mistake he'd ever made, but this was worse. Living under the same roof with her has stirred cherished memories and delicious feelings. But it's too late for him and Annie. Or is it?

Ask Cheryl A Question

Now's your chance to ask me something you've always wanted to know - or something you just thught of - anything actually. I'll be answering questions with blogs captioned Ask Cheryl A Question, like the previous: Why do you write romance?

So ask away!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Happy anniversary to Connie and her hubby! Enjoy your special day!

Ask Cheryl A Question: Why Do You Write Romance?

This is a question I've been asked many many times. It's the sister question to, "When are you doing to write a real book?" My answer to that one is, "When they stop paying me so well to write these fake ones."

But today's question was WHY DO YOU WRITE ROMANCE?

Quite simply, because I love to read romance.

I write romance for the same reason I’ve read romance for years: I love the genre. I love losing myself in the challenges and trials of two characters who are destined to be together.
I guess I want to believe that there’s somebody for everyone and that under the right circumstances and with a bit of that magic we call romance, happily-ever-afters are within our reach.

Before you scoff and call me a Pollyanna, I assure you I’m enough in tune with reality to lock my doors and warn my children of strangers. I watch the news and I see the state of our world. But what do we have if we don’t have hope?
Romance is all about hope.

Several years ago after the release of SAINT OR SINNER, I received the most memorable letter I’ve ever received from a reader. She told me how much she’d enjoyed my book, how she identified with the characters and how she’d cried for the heroine. Like the character in my story, she’d been stalked and beaten by someone who should have loved her. Unlike my character however, the reader has permanent nerve damage to her arm. Her story touched me so deeply that it made me cry. Her true story forced me to consider what I was doing.

I sat at my desk thinking how shallow my work is. I mean, I make all this stuff up! I order people's lives about and manipulate them to suit my plots -- but it’s all fiction.

While I sit in my comfortable office with every convenience at my fingertips, sipping cup after cup of coffee and tea, and munching M&Ms, out there in the real world people are experiencing devastating hurts and losses and traumas. What I do seemed so inconsequential in that light.

That thinking lasted about -- oh -- ten minutes. And then I realized why this young woman had been touched so profoundly by my story. She said she hoped that some day she would meet a man like Joshua McBride, a man who would love her that same way. She had hope.

Romance is about hope.

We invest our time in the characters in these stories because we know that no matter what dilemmas befall them, no matter what obstacles they face or which conflicts arise, in the end love will conquer all; good will win over evil; and a happily-ever-after will prevail.

Each of us hopes there is a special someone out there, a special man or woman who will love us unconditionally and fill that place created in our heart just for them. Romance brings our hopes to life. Through these stories of love and commitment, we experience the fulfillment of the human dream.

What better reason do we need to love romance? And what better reason do I need to write it?


And by the way, I went to amazon and found the Mills & Boon cover of SAINT OR SINNER to display here and found these two reader comments I thought I'd share:

READER #1 SAID:
At last, a sexy romantic hero with morals! Impossible? No. Refreshing? Yes. Joshua is in love with Addie, and determined to do the right thing. Addie, however, doesn't want anything to do with him. At first. This book is great fun, with bad guys and mystery and of course, romance. (Check out the scene on the front porch.)
I liked this book, because here, the man has already changed his life, for himself, not for a woman. But he finds the right woman, who makes his life complete. Very refreshing. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romance.


READER #2 SAID:
This was the first book of Cherly's that I read.....that was all it took. Now I am hooked. It was a story like no other I had read. It was a story filled with love, danger, and intrigue......it just touches the heart and sets fire to the soul. Cheryl is a talented lady and it was this book, which I read when i was 15 that inspired me to write my own novel, she has a talent that is not always found in most novels..a talent that keeps me hooked from page one. I cannot for anything...even to eat....put down on of her books before I have read it completely. This is her best work. The characters....Joshua and Adelaide are done to perfection, they come to life through her carefully chosen words. The characters and their story remain in your mind...and in your heart long after you have finished the book.

LeighAnn's New Friend

This little tree frog is just the cutest, isn't he?




My daughter has sent me a few pics of her newest friend. This friend really likes her because he's taken up residence on the plants in front of her house. They live in a rural area, in a development around a lake outside a small town.

Ornamental Gourds

CLICK TO ENLARGE


I didn't have floor wax (imagine that) so after washing them in bleach water, I polished the gourds with furniture polish.

Typical editorial advice

Petticoats & Pistols Big Fall Bonanza Contest!

In honor of our first month residing at Wildflower Junction, we’ve roped up our BIG FALL BONANZA CONTEST plumb full of western goodies: DVD’S, jewelry and baubles, a Barnes & Noble gift card and our very own Wildflower Bouquet of Books – autographed by the Founding Fillies!

Click here to enter!


If you haven't entered yet, you still have time.
Contest ends on November 30th!

Have CDs You Want to Trade?

Do you have any used CDs laying around? I did, and I finally found a great way to share them with other people.

SwapaCD allows music lovers to trade CD's. No gimmicks. No spam. No advertising. No kidding. We are not a large corporation trying to sell you something. We're just a group of real folks who wanted a way of trading CDs with each other through the U.S. mail. Please read the testimonials and you will understand that this CD club is for real.

When another member requests one of your CDs, you mail it to them. Yes, you pay for the postage. But then another member returns the favor when you request a CD from them and they mail it to you.

Once you have registered, simply post your CDs that you would like to share with other Club Members. For the first 10 CDs you post we give you 1 credit to get you started trading CDs with other club members. However, the more CDs you post, the more likely you are to receive requests. And that means more CDs for you. So post as many CDs as you can!
Join our club and swap CDs - SwapaCD.com

When it asks who referred you: SaintJohn@aol.com

'American Idol' Finally Clinches an Emmy

LOS ANGELES (Sept. 9) - With a dash of charity and some posthumous help from Elvis Presley, smash hit "American Idol" clinched its first Emmy in six years on Saturday to avoid becoming the biggest loser in the history of U.S. television's highest honors.

The amateur singing contest that ranks as America's most watched TV series won its prize for outstanding technical direction for a $76 million benefit special in which producers created the illusion of Elvis performing a duet with Celine Dion.

The "Idol" win came during the four-hour presentation of the 59th annual Creative Arts Emmy Awards, mostly honoring achievements in categories like makeup, costumes, sound editing and art direction.

The ceremony, which will air next week on cable TV, serves as a prelude to the higher-profile Primetime Emmy Awards on September 16.

Fox, which will broadcast the Primetime Emmys, is the home network of "American Idol." The program had amassed 22 Emmy losses, without a single win, during the course of its hugely popular but award-starved six-season run.

That put "Idol" four losses away from surpassing the sitcom "Newhart" as the show that had collected the most Emmy nominations -- 25 -- without winning. The victory for technical direction, camera work and video on a TV special spared "Idol" the distinction of setting a new Emmy-losing record.

If you missed it, enjoy:

Cheryl On Writing: Creating Writing Energy

Procrastination or Incubation? Creating Writing Energy
Cheryl St.John

Just the term "self-motivation" is almost enough pressure to bring my creativity to a screeching halt. What is enough motivation, anyway? As much as aspiring writers claim they'd be more motivated if they sold, I confess a deadline doesn't even do it for me. Fear is not a good motivator. Ambition helps. Career growth is good. A paycheck is better. But in our line of work, you can't always force production.

I heard someone say once that high-energy people always have a flywheel. I wish I'd heard more of that talk, whatever it was and whoever said it, because I kept coming around to thinking of the principle. I didn’t know anything about it so I had to research the flywheel. A flywheel is in essence a mechanical battery. It's a heavy wheel attached to a rotating shaft to smooth out delivery of power from a motor to a machine. The inertia of the flywheel opposes and moderates fluctuations in the speed of the engine and stores the excess energy for intermittent use.

Stick with me for a minute: Energy is stored by using an electric motor to increase the speed of the spinning flywheel. The system releases its energy by using the momentum of the flywheel to power the motor/generator. Think about storing writing energy as you read this explanation:

In automobile engines, the flywheel smoothes out the pulses of energy provided by the combustion in the cylinders and provides energy for the compression stroke of the pistons. During the longer, non-active period, a comparatively low-powered motor builds up the speed of the flywheel slowly. Flywheels store energy mechanically in the form of kinetic energy. Flywheels are one of the oldest and most common mechanical devises in existence. Flywheels are better than chemical batteries because they are not as limited in the amount of energy they can hold. Generally speaking, the stronger the disc, the faster it may be spun, and the more energy the system can store.

All that information was just to understand the concept and compare it to the concept that we store creative energy. I know it's a fact for me. People--and writers in the extreme--talk about finding a "passion", about writing the books of their heart, but for me something so exalted can often end up being more draining than energizing. Let's face it; some days the book is just a job. There, I said it. The sky didn't fall.

I learned early in my career, thank God, that just because I'm not feeling the passion or my life is in turmoil or I'm facing family challenges, my talent doesn't up and desert me. It's still there. One of my favorite Dwight Swain quotes is:
“Talent is something that you’re born with. It doesn’t evaporate or drain away.
“Skill is an element you build, out of work and study and experience. It can’t vanish in a puff of smoke.”

If I open the file and place my fingers on the keyboard, words come. The work doesn't always feel inspired, but after I've edited and looked back, a good story is still there. Sure, it's better when it feels wonderful and I'm inspired, but I’ve learned something that applies to almost everything: right feelings follow right actions.

I've also learned that when I don't make time to do the things that store energy and excitement for me (call it muse, if you will), I'm less creative and more apt to avoid the work or get stuck.

We all have something, no matter how simple or eccentric, that connects for us, that gets us going, that motivates us and stirs up our energy. Cutting out recipes, cooking, shopping, gardening, painting, decorating, searching for fossils, bike riding. There's that special something that fills you with kinetic energy and keeps the flywheel spinning until you sit down at the keyboard. It took my husband years to understand that whether I'm shopping at a flea market, watching a movie, or making him change the color of the bathroom for the third time, I'm actually doing something writing related, because--in the long run--I'm a better writer for the time spent building momentum.

Like that power press, during the non-active or non-writing periods, the speed of the flywheel--or my writing energy--is built up slowly by those activities that ignite and loose my creativity. Allowing myself to assimilate and not produce, gives me the freedom to burst loose when I'm ready. I'm not procrastinating, I'm incubating. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard a speaker in workshops say, "A writer writes every day." Phooey! When I was inexperienced, I took it to heart and thought I was lazy or not dedicated enough. Every time I tried to apply it and didn’t follow through I thought I’d failed. Change that to “Writers write. Period.” I sometimes go a week or a month without writing. If writing every day works for them or for you, fine and good, but don't put pressure on others. We should never feel pressured to write the way someone else does just because we admire his or her drive or skill.

Ever notice how great ideas come to you in the shower? Or in that twilight sleep just before drifting off or when just waking? There’s no special secret ingredient in your water or the fabric softener in your sheets. The right side of your brain was simply free to create while the left side eased off and wasn’t competing for dominance.

There’s a book that helped me past the hurdle of thinking that I needed to write the same way as everyone else. It’s called Writing on Both Sides of the Brain by Henriette Klauser. It was out of print, so I had to by mine used with pencil notes in the margin, but I’m glad I did. The author tells the story of being a teacher and having a particular boy in her first grade class who never participated or paid attention. For months she allowed him to walk around, play with things, seem absorbed elsewhere, not turn in assignments as long as he didn’t disturb the rest of the class. She was frustrated, feeling she wasn’t getting through to this child. However, when the end of the term came and she asked if he’d like to tell a story and offered to write it down for him (she had begun to doubt he could even print), he grabbed the paper and wrote a story in cursive, using every technique she had taught—similes, metaphors, and alliteration! All that time he’d been processing with the luxury of a silent time and no pressure to write. He even had a story accepted and published in a children’s magazine.

That story set me free. I understand now that my time spent away from the keyboard is not unproductive. Now don’t get me wrong, if you want to finish a book, you need to apply yourself to putting the words on paper. I’m a firm believer that you should finish every book you start. If you don’t finish products, you’ll never learn to push past the middle or how to tie the end to the beginning or prove to yourself that you can follow through and be consistent. We all need to set deadlines and have strategic goals. But I don’t believe everyone works the same way or dances to the same drum. Appreciate your differences. Use them to your advantage.

Anticipating a weekend activity or a midweek break can get you up in the morning every day for a week and get you through the otherwise mundane tasks. Refuse to feel guilty or silly or like you're wasting time when you know that you're getting the flywheel in motion. Make up your mind to generate creativity by getting that fun hair cut or buying an outfit/shoes/purse in a color that makes you happy. These things aren't life changing except in how they motivate you. Charge your own battery and see if you aren't more motivated to write.

Incorporate flywheel energy into your writing routine. What have you got to lose?

"Don't pay any attention to what the critics say. No statue has ever been erected over a critic."
--Jean Sibelius, 1865-1957

Marbled Pound Cake

Marbled Pound Cake
Prepared by Michael Mignano, Executive Pastry Chef at THE HOTEL HERSHEY

Ingredients:

2 pounds butter (soft)
2 pounds sugar
1 pound 4 ounces bread flour
16 eggs

Instructions:

· Cream butter and sugar till very fluffy and smooth.
· Add the eggs slowly.
· Then the flour.
· Take some of the mix out and mix with dark chocolate to marble the center.
· Bake at 325 degrees until center is dry.
· Chill and slice thin.

3:10 to Yuma wins box office showdown

The critically acclaimed Western "3:10 to Yuma" outgunned the fright fest "Halloween" to become the weekend's top box office draw.

The remake from Lionsgate took in $14.5 million from Friday through Sunday according to studio estimates. While the film did not produce huge numbers, it performed well for a genre picture on a historically slow weekend.

A story in pictures: the Heartland Writers Group meeting

In theaters today! 3:10 to Yuma

Do I HAVE to work?? WAAAAH! I wanna go to the movies!

3:10 to Yuma review

By Roger Ebert

James Mangold's "3:10 to Yuma" restores the wounded heart of the Western and rescues it from the morass of pointless violence. The Western in its glory days was often a morality play, a story about humanist values penetrating the lawless anarchy of the frontier. It still follows that tradition in films like Eastwood's "The Unforgiven," but the audience's appetite for morality plays and Westerns seems to be fading. Here the quality of the acting, and the thought behind the film, make it seem like a vanguard of something new, even though it's a remake of a good movie 50 years old.

Mangold's version is better still than the 1957 original, because it has better actors with more thought behind their dialogue. Christian Bale plays not simply a noble hero, but a man who has avoided such risks as he now takes and is almost at a loss to explain why he is bringing a killer to justice, except that having been mistreated and feeling unable to provide for his family, he is fed up and here he takes his stand. Crowe, however, plays not merely a merciless killer, although he is that, too, but a man also capable of surprising himself. He is too intelligent to have only one standard behavior which must fit all situations, and is perhaps bored of having that expected of him.

READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW
Cast & Credits

Ben Wade: Russell Crowe
Dan Evans: Christian Bale
Byron McElroy: Peter Fonda
Alice Evans: Gretchen Mol
Charlie Prince: Ben Foster
Doc Potter: Alan Tudyk

PETTICOATS & PISTOLS

Today I'm blogging at Petticoats and Pistols.

CLICK HERE TO STOP BY

You heard it here: I will draw a name from the comments for a book!

Rhubarb Surprise Crisp

Rhubarb Surprise Crisp

2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 or 3 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups sliced fresh rhubarb
or frozen unsweetened sliced rhubarb, thawed
2 cups coarsely chopped strawberries
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375 degree F. In a medium bowl combine the 2/3 cup granulated sugar, the cornstarch, and cinnamon. (For fresh rhubarb, use 2 teaspoons cornstarch. For frozen, use 3 teaspoons cornstarch.) Stir in rhubarb, strawberries, and basil. Spoon into bottom of a 2-quart square baking dish; set aside.

In another medium bowl combine flour, oats, brown sugar, and salt. Stir in melted margarine or butter. Sprinkle over fruit.


Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until fruit is tender and topping is golden brown.
Serve warm.
Makes 6 servings.

My Blog at Petticoats & Pistols Tomorrow

COSTUME SKETCHES ------------->


PAGE FROM ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY




Tomorrow I'll be blogging about one of the greatest pieces of film ever made. Thenscreenplay was taken from a Puletzer Prize winning book and turned into an Emmy winning mini-series.


The casting was perfection, the acting dynamic. It's images and music weave their way into your soul and stay. I was fortunate to catch the "making of" on HBO years ago, and it's a tape I treasure now. The whole aspect of turning a novel-- especially one of these epic proportions--into a movie, is fascinating to a writer.

I'll be blogging about the cast, the online museum, and sharing trivia you might need one day. Well, maybe. If you're playing Trivial Pursuit, the Western Edition. Hey! I think I need to copyright that idea.

I'll send you a link tomorrow.
Until then, do you know the title of the movie?
How about the author of the book?

Review and Contest

"From the moment I started reading The Preacher's Daughter, I knew I was in the hands of an excellent story teller...." Read the enntire review of The Preacher's Daughter by Carol on Love Western Romances.

And while you're there, they're holding a contest for a Barnes & Noble gift card, and one of the answers is from The Preacher's Daughter!

A Western Winter Wonderland

Here's a link to A Western Winter Wonderland as the featured book on the eharlequin Historical page.

Black Chocolate Cake

Black Chocolate Cake

Prep Time: 40 min
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
2 cups sifted flour
1 cup cocoa
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
2/3 cup olive oil
2 cups boiling water
2 eggs
1 cup fresh raspberries or strawberries, sliced
1 bowl Cool Whip, thawed

Preparation:
Mix dry ingredients. Add vanilla and oil. Slowly pour in boiling water and beat until well mixed.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Pour batter into cupcakes or rectangular glass dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Cool on rack.
Serve with fresh berries and Cool Whip.

On Sunday: Big Fall Bonanza Contest

Be sure to enter the Big Fall Bonanza Contest on the Petticoats and Pistols Primrose News Submittal Page! Books and prizes galore! Check it out.

make-ahead kids' breakfast

LITTLE SIZZLERS Breakfast Bites

1 Tbsp. butter / margarine
6 eggs
1 (12 oz) pkg Little Sizzlers Port Sausage Links, thawed and cut into small pieces
1/2 c. finely chopped onion (optional)
1/2 c. finely chopped green bell pepper (optional)
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 c. dry biscuit baking mix (like Bisquick)
2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
salsa (optional)

Heat oven to 370 degrees. Meanwhile, in large skillet, in butter, cook eggs until lightly scrambled; set aside to cool slightly. In large bowl, combine raw sausage, onion, bell pepper and garlic powder. Add baking mix and shredded cheese. Knead mixture until well blended. Mixture will resemble meat loaf. Stir cooked eggs into sausage mixture and combine until blended. Shape mixture into 1-inch balls. Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes or until sausage is cooked through and bites are lightly browned. If desired, serve with salsa on the side.

Makes 42.

Optional baking method: Place sausage mixture into a lightly greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown.
Cut into squares and serve.

After breakfast bites are cooked, you may freeze in a single layer.
To reheat, place frozen breakfast bites in a single layer and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until heated through.
To microwave, place frozen bites in a single layer on a microwave-safe plate. Heat on HIGH for 30 seconds or until hot.

NOTE:
Kids don't ususally like onions or green bell peppers, so omit those and they still taste great.
May substitute colby jack for sharp cheddar.

Convenience Is Tops Among Consumers

Convenience Is Tops Among Consumers of On-the-Go Foods: Study

Copyright 2007 VNU Business Media, Inc.
August 9, 2007


Busy Americans prioritize for convenience over all other factors -- even healthfulness, price, and taste -- when they buy on-the-go food, according to a new report from Packaged Facts, a division of Market Research here.

The study, "On-The-Go Eating in the U.S.: Consumer, Foodservice, Retailing & Marketing Trends," reports that although 65 percent of consumers say they try to eat healthier, 33 percent admit that they don't have time to prepare or eat healthy meals.

Ever-longer commutes and work days and time demands caused 49 million Americans to choose fast food, and 41 million to pick up store-made, pre-cooked meals last fall, according to the study.

Furthermore, busy lifestyles, media reports about the health and weight-loss benefits of eating frequent small meals, and smaller-portioned convenient meals from the foodservice industry are driving one-third of Americans to regularly skip meals and nibble on snack foods instead.

"Restaurant food already comprises a sizable percentage of Americans' diets, and one out of every 10 people already buys food at a convenience store in a two-week period," said Packaged Facts publisher Tatjana Meerman. "Foodservice sectors are seeking to increase their shares of this growing market by adapting to changing consumer attitudes toward meal times, meal sizes, and health issues, in order to make their products more convenient, healthier, and otherwise appealing."

The report explores the increasing competition between restaurants and food retailers, spotlights and analyzes shifting product trends, and identifies opportunities and strategies that foodservice providers, retailers, and packaged goods marketers can employ to protect and grow their share of this exploding market. The report is available from Packaged Facts by visiting http://www.packagedfacts.com/Go-Eating-1421833