September, 2009

Poetry

Most often when I write a poem, I start with the last line. In this poem I sold to Alphabet Soup (a children’s magazine in Australia), I liked the internal rhyme of “squirms of the earthworms” so I placed that last.

I always make a word bank of possible words and never use all of them and I often look to Rhymzone.com for 2,3,4 and 5 syllable words that have the same end rhyme. Anyway, here’s an example. Give it at try. It’s like solving a puzzle. It can be lots of fun!

Worth of Worms

The next time Mom sees on your palm

swirls of worms,

curls of worms,

don’t be put off

though she may scoff.

Stand firm for the worm!

Sometimes grimy; never slimy.

Won’t win a race;

can’t make a face.

Made of wiggles

and lots of squiggles.

Enjoy the squirms of the earthworms.

Picture of My Family

Simple Second Day Soup

Each year on the day after Thanksgiving, our daughter, Sarah, makes this simply scrumptious soup! Thought you might like to try it and so here’s the recipe.

SIMPLE SECOND DAY SOUP

6 cups homemade turkey stock (recipe follows)
1 cup of five of the following vegetables diced:
• celery
• carrots
• onions
• green beans
• cauliflower
• mushrooms
• Brussels sprouts
• corn
• peas
•
(Use canned vegetables to supplement.)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup mashed potatoes
1 can straw mushrooms, drained (available at Asian food markets)
2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup dried orzo
Gravy to taste (get a packet)

In a Dutch oven, heat olive oil and sauté your choice of vegetables for 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook another 3 minutes.

Add the turkey broth, mashed potatoes, straw mushrooms, chili powder, oregano, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Add orzo, cook until tender (about 6-7 minutes) and serve.

Homemade Turkey Stock

8 cups chicken broth
1 turkey carcass, meat on, skin removed
1 onion, sliced (unpeeled)
1 carrot, sliced (unpeeled)
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1-2 tablespoon peppercorns
2 teaspoon salt

Put chicken broth, turkey, onion, carrot, celery, bay leaves, garlic, peppercorns and salt in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil and simmer on medium/high heat about 2 hours. Strain stock into new pot through paper towel-lined colander. Discard solids.

Conversation

Along with the electric bill and several catalogs for merchandise I never intend to buy were two envelopes I hoped held contracts for manuscripts I’d sent to a favorite editor.

As I read the reasons why these were rejected, I noted that she asked me to give her a call. Give HER a call. And so I did.

We’d met before at conferences and I have to say she’s just the kind of person I’d invite to coffee or to dinner. What I want to say is that she’s real, she’s personable and she’s not the least bit intimidating. So…I think I’ll send something to her again soon.

Web Designer

Did I tell you how wonderful my web designer is? I know you’ve been WOW-ed by the style, professional look, accessibility and more, I thought you’d want to know how to link up with her. Tessa Elwood at andanything.com is a design maven. When I ask “Could’ya? Would’ya? Can’ya? Will’ya?” she always responds, “Sheesh! That’s no problem.” Before you blink, issues are resolved. Say, did I tell you she’s a mighty fine author of YA books as well? That’s a whole other WOW!

Sweet Potatoes with Toasted Marshmallows

Here’s a recipe sweet enough to make any musician hit the high notes. This was one of Mary Lou Williams’ favorites. Why not make it for your Mary Lou Williams party?

INGREDIENTS
3 (15-oz.) cans sweet potatoes, drained
1/4 cup margarine or butter, melted
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
15 large marshmallows

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 12×8-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Place sweet potatoes in sprayed baking dish. Pour margarine over potatoes. Sprinkle with brown sugar and salt. Top with marshmallows.
3. Bake at 350°F. for 25 to 30 minutes or until potatoes are thoroughly heated and marshmallows are lightly browned.

Writers as Musicians

Mary Lou Williams liked to say that “Jazz is created in the mind, felt in the heart and heard through the fingertips.” Writers do much the same thing. We play our hearts out on the keyboard.

Off to the ballgame!

Good friends, free tickets and hopefully, a winning hometown team. The weather is fine and my sweetheart will be seated beside me. Does it get better than that?

Hopscotch

Thousands of years ago, Roman soldiers played hopscotch to test their strength and speed, sometimes hopping over 100 feet carrying heavy weights! Today, hopscotch is a backyard game enjoyed by children (and lighthearted grown-ups) all over the world. This was one of Mary Lou Williams’ favorite games. Mine, too. My sisters and I would write the numbers on the walk that lead to our house. It was lots of fun!

HOW TO PLAY HOPSCOTCH

1. Draw a hopscotch design on the ground. The squares should be large enough to fit one foot and to make sure that a stone thrown into the square will not bounce out too easily.
2. Throw a flat stone or similar object (small beanbag, shell, button, plastic toy) to land on square one.It has to land inside the square without touching the border or bouncing out. If you don’t get it right, you lose your turn and pass the stone to the next person. If you do get it, however, go on to the next step.
3. Hop through the squares, skipping the one you have your marker on. Each square gets one foot. Which foot you start with is up to you. You can’t have more than one foot on the ground at a time, unless there are two number squares right next to each other, in which case you can put down both feet simultaneously (one in each square). Always keep your feet inside the appropriate square(s); if you step on a line, hop on the wrong square, or step out of the square, you lose your turn.
4. Pick up the marker on your way back. When you get to the last number, turn around (remaining on one foot) and hop your way back in reverse order. While you’re on the square right before the one with your marker, lean down (on one foot) and pick it up, then skip over that square and finish up.
5. Pass the marker on to the next person. If you completed the course with your marker on square one (and without losing your turn), then throw your marker onto square two on your next turn. Your goal is to complete the course with the marker on each square. The first person to do this wins the game!
6. Make some of the smaller so that people have to step on their tip toes. You can even make some in the shape of a shoe to control the direction in which the person faces.
7. The person has a certain amount of time to complete the course, or else they lose their turn.

Directions for this game were found at wikihow.com/Play-Hopscotch.

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

This is one of my favorite recipes. One time my mom made 13 1/2 dozen of these in one day. When my dad got home from work that day, my seven sisters and brothers and I and our friends had eaten every single one!

1 cup (2 sticks) of butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1-2 teaspoons real vanilla
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt (optional)
3 cups of oatmeal
1 cup of crushed walnuts or pecans (My mother omitted the nuts.)
1 cup of raisins, dried cherries or cranraisins (My mother used raisins.)
 
Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Beat together butter and sugars until creamy.
Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.
Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well.
Stir in oats and raisins; mix well.
Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack.
 
This makes about 4 dozen delicious cookies.
This recipe can also be found at QuakerOats.com