Diaries of a Determined Cook!

These diaries are my entries to discover if I really can learn how to cook. Now, I can make a mean coffee cake or chocolate chip cookies, unfortunately my family can't live on these. LOL Even though the kids would love to! 

So, here I am with a new kitchen and the culinary skills of my 8 year old son. My husband has cooked for the last 18 years we've been together--"Out of survive," he likes to say. :)

I'll be putting up recipes that have worked for me and letting you know the ones I've majorly screwed up on. And, believe me... there will be quite a few! LOL

Who doesn't like a healthy dinner? Many years ago I took on the challenge to cook this way. Some might say that isn't a really feat, but to a woman who grew up on fatty French foods with lots of butter and cholesterol, it was! For a few years it was tough, however, the kids and my husband have finally come to 'The Healthy Side'. Don't get me wrong, not all these recipes will be that way, but now that I'm in charge of dinner. Heeheehee. They're eating vegetables!

First on the cooking menu a new favorite in my home:

SPICY BEEF STEW

Makes 6 servings-- Prep is 15 min-- Cook 13 min--Slow Cooker 4 1/2hrs on High or 6 1/2 hrs on Low

1 Tbs olive oil
1 pound chuck steak, trimmed and cut into 3/4 inch pieces I buy the packages that are pre-cut because. Yes, just because. :)
1 large onion, chopped
2 Tbs tomato paste
3 Tbs flour
1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth
2 tsp cumin
2 plum tomaties, chopped
2 cans (15 ounces each) white hominy, drained and rinsed  (You can find this in the Goya section)
1 each green and yellow bell peper, chopped
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (from a 7 ounce can), seeded and chopped, plus 1 Tbs of the adobo sauce (You can find this in the Goya section) I tend to put a little more in because we like spicy stuff!
2 Tbs lime juice
sour cream (optional) But, it's sooo good with it. 
 
1) Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add steak and cook 7 min. Remove to slow cooker bowl.
2) Add onion to skillet. Cook 3 min. Stir in tomato paste; cook 2 min. Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 min.
3) Scrape onion mixture into slow cooker bowl. Stir in broth, oregano and cumin; cook on HIGH for 3 hours or LOW for 5 hours.
4) Stir in tomatoes, hominy, peppers, chipotle and adobo sauce. Cook 1 1/2 hours more. Stir in lime juice. Serve with sour cream, if desired. I actually cut this step out and mix everything together right at the beginning. Nothing has come out mushy and being the beginner that I am, LOL, I'll forget to do all this!

Great meal on a cold day! I'd never had Hominy before and now it's a favorite. :)

Enjoy and Have a Sparkling Day!
Rebecca Rose

Talkin' Tuesday with Candace Gold

It's a cloudy day here in New England. The only sound is my kitties purring next to me on the couch. I often ponder who put 24 hours in a day. With conferences, stories to finish and contracts to sign, how can I find the time to do it all? 

Speaking of people who utilize there time to the fullest, I have contemporary romance author Candace Gold/erotic author Candy Caine.

Welcome Candace! Come in, sit down. Coffee? Tea?  Just push the fat cat over, he'll roll. LOL

So, what's your favorite read and series?
Favorite reads: definitely Sandra Brown and Linda Howard.
Favorite series: Lee Child's Jack Reacher books, Daniel Silva's Gabriel Allon books, Steve Berry's books about Cotton Malone and those wonderful books that Clice Cussler conjures up.

What/who got you reading?
I guess the reading gene came from my mother who was always reading.

You're quite an accomplished writer. Did you ever think your career would take you this far?

Yes and no. Originally, I wrote for children. In a way, I found it more difficult to get published for the children's market. However, I refused to give up and kept at it until I became published.

Too organized Plotter or Maniac Pantser?

Definitely a maniac pantser. When an idea hits me, I'll think about it for a few minutes and try to develop it into a one sentence or two plot outline. Though I try to write from chapter one straight to the end, I sometimes get ideas for the story out of order. Rather than lose the thread, I run with it. Eventually I get back to where I first detoured. Sometimes a title will grab me and I end up writing a story using it.

The Sexy plots in the stories Candy Caine write are very *blushes* erotic and fun. Who/What inspires them?

For the sexy plots, I tap into my own fantasies. Luckily for me, my hubby is a good sport and is always willing to help me work the kinks out of scenes.

Is there any thing we all would be shocked to know about you?

That I secretly envy my characters who seem to live a more exciting life than I do.

FOR FUN
Red & sexy or Black and mysterious?

When I write as Candy Caine, definitely red and sexy. Candace Gold can be more black and mysterious.

Wine with cheese or Beer with TV?

Wine and cheese.


Paperback or ebooks?

I have my stories in both forms, but nothing beats the feel of a book--especially when it's your own.

Independent kitty cat or adoring lovable dog?

I'm a dog person. They love you unconditionally. Yellow Labs are my favorites.

Great cook or master at ordering take out?

My picture hangs on the wall in my kitchen. It has a red diagonal stripe running through it and has a warning written across the bottom that says: Eat at your own risk. My husband is the better cook.

Romance, comedy, or horror movies?

I'm a big baby who likes to sleep at night. Definitely romance or comedy. I still have nightmares from the horror movies I saw as a kid.

What's your biggest pet-peeve, in the world, that makes you want to beat something/someone?

That people can't get along with each other. For all the technological advances man has wrought, he still acts like a big ape clubbing his neighbor because he's a different race or religion.

BACK TO WORK
Are you insanely organized or are there note written on everything?

I'm the clutter queen. I have a zillion pads with half-started stories and notes all over the room I write in.

What's the biggest misconception people have about you and your writing?

That I live what I write.

Does your husband like to brag about your career as a romance writer?

Definitely. Waiting for him outside our dry cleaners in the car while he picked up his shirts, I watched as he handed the Vietnamese clerk, who hardly spoke English, a bookmark for A Heated Romance. It had a half-naked fireman on it. Her eyes opened as wide as silver dollars when she looked at it. I could just imagine what went through her mind.

Do you ever get so overwhelmed you want to quit?

I get overwhelmed sometimes, but writing is in my DNA and definitely not an option.

What's the writing no-no that makes you want to scream?

When an author ends all his chapters with a cliff-hanger. It exhausts me.

When writing, must you hide from the husband? (I know I have to!)

My hubby is a character. When I'm writing an erotic story, he sometimes likes to stand behind me and finish my sentences. He thinks he's being funny. One time, I left his sentence in as a joke and the editor liked it.


You were involved in the making of Chicken Soup for Kid's Soul. How cool! How did it happen and how long did it take to come down from Cloud 9?
As I mentioned, I started writing picture books for children. As my writing progressed, so did the age of the child it was intended for until I was writing young adult stories. When the Chicken Soup editors contacted me and asked if I'd like to contribute to the Chicken Soup for the Kid's Soul, I was already writing for the adult market. I really didn't have any stories that would fit what they wanted, so I sat down and knocked one out in about a half hour. They had a panel of kids choose their favorite entries and mine was picked. For charity, all 101 authors each had two book signings in their hometowns. I had a blast, but at one signing my table had replaced the train which upset one little girl.

Any advice for aspiring writers?
Perservere! Believe in yourself. Learn from the rejections.







Blurb: What would you do for love?


When Abby Minton agrees to host a book signing for Charles Greer in her bookstore, she doesn't expect she'll end up giving the man dating advice…or dating him herself! As she falls in love with Charles, she becomes more and more petrified that their relationship would be history if he ever met her dysfunctional family. Between her brother's failed bank heist interrupting Charles's book signing and roses from a persistent stalker making Charles think she's taken, their relationship is one mishap after another. But when Charles finally proposes, Abby is faced with the most ridiculous prospect of all: introducing him to her crazy family. The only solution is to hire actors to portray her family members. But will that just set them on the road to unending lies?


http://amzn.to/xMbu5k




Candace Gold ~ www.candacegold.com
The softer side of Candy Caine

Thank you Candace Gold for visiting me!
Everyone Have a Sparkling Day!
Rebecca Rose