Tasty Tuesday ~~ World's Best Pork Chops & Gravy

I'll be serving up the book title contest winners tomorrow (some great entries as always!), but first...here's something to whet your appetite, unless you're a vegetarian. If that be the case, please skip today's recipe, and know I love ya anyway. :D

World's Best Pork Chops & Gravy

You'll need a bowl for the egg wash (beaten eggs and a little milk), and a bowl for the coating/seasoning. (I season the chops as well as the flour so they are well flavored.) Plenty of garlic powder, some salt & pepper, and a little Tony Chachere's or cayenne pepper do the trick for my tastebuds.

Heat your canola oil while coating your pork chops. Double coat the chops for an extra delicious crispy result -- dip in egg wash, dredge through seasoned flour, repeat. Now you're ready to fry 'em up!

Brown meat for about five minutes without lid, then cover with lid until golden brown and completely done. (The lid will allow the steam to stay in and help cook chops perfectly without drying them out.)

Mmmmm. Can ya smell 'em?

When chops are done, cover your platter with foil and put them in a very low oven to keep warm. Now it's time to make the gravy. (And, yes, this is southern gravy...therefore it must be brown and thick! LOL) You should have plenty of flour left from coating your pork chops to make your gravy from. If not, you can start with fresh flour you've seasoned. Measure out two cups of milk and add in a few drops of Kitchen Bouquet for coloring.

There should be plenty of oil left in your frying pan from cooking the chops. To it, add flour and stir clumps continuously over medium heat until lightly browned. This is real similar to making a roux.

Add milk mixture and continue stirring until lumps are gone. Adjust heat to a bit lower if needed. Taste for seasoning, and add more if needed.

Lower heat after flour lumps are absorbed and simmer for about five more minutes, stirring frequently. If gravy is just too thick for you to love, you can thin it by adding water. Turn off heat and cover until ready to serve. Fantastic over rice!

Now, slice up the fresh summer tomatoes, toss a salad, and a lip-smacking supper's served!

Friday Foibles ~~ Redneck Engineering

Before we let loose with some TGIF funnies, don't forget to  enter the book title contest by scrolling down to the previous post! I'd love to send you a prize, but you have to tickle my writerly fancy first. :)

Now -- y'all have a wonderful weekend, ya hear? Enjoy these good old fashioned downhome DIY examples...

Writerly Wednesday ~ FABULOUSLY SHORT CONTEST!

In celebration of my new SHORT CROPPED FABULOUS FIFTY haircut, it's time for a writing contest! As usual, the rules are simple and the goal is to have fun. 

And yes -- fabulous prizes await you, but you must enter to win. :) This is what you do:

• Look at the picture below and think up a title that's full of panache, pow, zing, zowie. You know...one that an agent or publisher would just have to have.
• Name the genre of the book.
• In FIFTY words or less, add a synopsis or tagline...whatever you want to call it, as long as it says concisely what your book is about.  
• If your email address isn't connected to your blog I.D., add that to your comment too.
• 1st prize -- $25.00 bookstore gift card. 2nd prize -- Cajun Goodies. 3rd prize -- Writerly gadgets.
• Winners announced next Wednesday, June 9th.
• Easy peasy, hunh? So what ya waitin' for? (Feel free to tweet, link, post, toot, Facebook, or otherwise spread the news!) :D

*photo http://www.flickr.com/photos/emzee/

Tasty Tuesday ~ Southern Goodness in a Skillet

Hey y'all! I'm back from my runaway vacation with Kathryn to Florida's "forgotten coast" at Mexico Beach, and it was some great  escape! (She's got a few photos posted at her blog, so check 'em out if you want to see what we saw.)

It was wonderful to just sit and soak up good conversation, coffee, peace, sunsets, beach views and walks and such without having to worry about a thing. Hope you all get a similar break from life's routines this summer.

Today's recipe comes from a dear family friend who agreed to share an excellent summer veggie dish with us all. (For you hunting enthusiasts, J.P. is the inventor of the PeeWillieWick scent dispenser thing-a-ma-bob.) He's always creating something fascinating and original, whether it's in the kitchen, at his drawing board, or in the shop! 

Here we go..................

Okra and Tomatoes (An Original Recipe by J.P. Averette)

  
          

INGREDIENTS:

Okra, Cut, Frozen ------------------------------- 1 Lb. Package
Tomatoes, Diced -------------------------------- 1 Large Can
Rotel Tomatoes, Original with Peppers ------ 1 Can
Garlic, Fresh ------------------------------------- 3 to 5 Cloves (Chopped)
Onion, Yellow ---------------------------------- 1 Large (Chopped)
Bell Pepper -------------------------------------- 3 TBS (Chopped)
Seasoning --------------------------------------- 1 TBS Tony’s or “Cajun”
Salt ----------------------------------------------- 1TSP (To taste)
Pepper ------------------------------------------- Fresh Ground
Olive Oil --------------------------------------- 5 TBS
Chicken Broth --------------------------------- 1 Can
Ground Meat ---------------------------------- 1 to 1-1/2 lbs (Good Quality Meat)

PROCEDURE:

Place the Olive Oil in a LARGE Deep Black Iron Skillet or Black Iron Pot. If you don’t have a pot like this; stop until you get one! Place the Ground Meat in with the Olive Oil, Chopped Onion, Chopped Garlic, and Chopped Bell Pepper. Stir constantly, adding the Seasoning and Salt, and sauté the meat until it is cooked. This operation will not take long over medium heat.

Add the can of Rotel Tomatoes, can of Diced Tomatoes, can of Chicken Broth, and finally, add only half of the 1 lb. Package of frozen Okra. Yes, add the Okra while it is still frozen! Adjust your heat until the mixture arrives at a very slow boil and cover the pot with a good top. Cook for only 20 to 25 minutes with the top in place until the Okra is done. The Okra will not take long to cook! Stir in the Black Pepper. Add Salt to taste.

Note: Best when served with CornBread!

Note: This recipe freezes well for later use.

Pomp & Circumstance

Baby #3 is graduating tonight. I couldn't be more proud of him! "Court Jester" has been accepted into LSU's Chemical Engineering college, and starts a Trig. course this summer while working at a local electronics store. I'll be smiling big with camera in hand as my last little one marches down the aisle with his high honors stole gleaming. :)

Note to son ~~ Wonderful things and people await you. Choose wisely, embrace as much of the good stuff as you can, and remember how much you are loved! Now clean up your room! :D Love, Mom

*photos by novemberwolf

Writerly Wednesday ~~ Are Ears Smarter Than Fingers?

How y'all doing with your writing projects? I'm reading a friend's manuscript, then getting down to "bidness" on my own after I blow the dust off it! Sound off and let me know of your progress or lack thereof because I've been out of the loop. *grin*

What's today's title mean? It's a subject I've been pondering lately -- the difference between what our ears pick up vs. what we let flow from our brains through our fingertips to the keyboard or paper. Participating in several poetry readings and also listening to other poets read recently, I've tried to be aware of the subtleties and small differences between words/lines/sentences and meanings when I write them myself or listen to them.

     And there are great nuggets the ears pick up that the old fingers sometimes do not. Maybe this has to do with what type of learners we are -- aural, visual, verbal, etc. [More here on learning types, which I find fascinating.] Discovering the way(s) in which we learn can translate into better writing because our brains are being fed by the method(s) most pleasing to them. I'm a more visual/aural person. Manuals, schematics and maps make me crazy, but if someone shows or tells me how to do something, I'm off and running. Sorry...went off on a little tangent there. :)

Below are a few notes from agents and editors that my ears recently picked up at a writers conference. For a great post on the importance of reading our work ALOUD, check out Harvey Stanbrough's newest mini-lesson too. It's well worth the quick read. @@@

*Submissions that get read and noticed are the "high concept" ones in which the author describes clearly in just a few sentences what his/her book is about. Ex. Jane Austen meets James Bond.

*A short one-page synopsis is best.

*Personalize your queries to agents you've researched and targeted. Same applies to work going to journals, poetry zines, magazines, etc.

*Social networking really is important for author platform/branding. Be accessible online.

*Remove snippets of your manuscripts from the Web so you're not stepping on agents/publishers efforts to sell your book, and to keep your work safe.

More "gooder" stuff next week!

** Ear & fingers photos from Flickr

Tasty Tuesday ~~ Italian Cheesy Bread

Talk about comfort food! Friend Roger made this recently to go with his wonderful shrimp etouffee, and it was some good, y'all. (I'm sure I left out a few of his ingredients in my haste to write down the recipe, but whatever spices and garnishes you add to your bread will surely taste good.)

As always, easy, cheap & delicious goes a long way with me. Enjoy...

Italian Cheesy Bread

1 loaf french bread, but lengthwise

1 stick butter (I use Smart Balance) at room temperature

1 cup mayo (Duke's sugar free worked great)

8 oz. grated mozzerella

1/2 cup parmessan

1/4 c. chopped green onions

1 small can chopped black olives

1/2 tsp. pepper (or cayenne)

Preheat oven to 350. Butter the bread, then spread on mayo. Sprinkle on cheeses, green onions and olives. Season according to taste. Bake about 15 minutes. Serve hot. Yum!

Signs of Spring/Summer & Mother's Day Montage

Thank you for your incredible support and words of sympathy and comfort you've shared on the loss of my mom last week. You blogger and real life friends, you...you are the epitome of the best of the Web and life. 'Preciate you!

May all the beauty in nature be yours, the time to enjoy it be plentiful, and the realization be ever yours that loveliness always surrounds us if we choose to see it. [See local visual aids below. Hehe.]

Happy Mother's Day to the moms, stepmoms, nurturers, givers, and take-care-of-ers! :) You are BEAUTIFUL!

Love, Angie ~~ who is rejoining the Blogosphere once again. Yay!

Sad Day

After an heroic 2-1/2 year battle with brain cancer, my beautiful mom passed away yesterday afternoon at home, where we'd cared for her through the long journey. I will miss her...have missed her for a long time already now, but am happy she has gotten her wings and flown far from her earthly cage.

You can remember her by doing this -- complain little [never once in 30 months did Mother complain, although it would only be natural to do so] and laugh long [Mom was still chuckling up until a few days ago].

@@@

Thank you for your kindnesses, your prayers and thoughts. They are much appreciated. And especially to our Kathryn Magendie who's hosted several posts about Mom's health.

May love and passion for the things that fulfill you be ever present in your life! 


*Photo taken yesterday afternoon in front of my mom's house.

Writerly Wednesday ~~ Check out this GREAT conference!

Hello writer friends. I'm a day late posting, so let's just pretend today is Wednesday, k? But the good news about my tardiness is that I've been doing some interview work, and you'll soon see some great posts because of it!

You've "heard" me speak of friend Deborah Leblanc before. She's got some awesome books out if you love the paranormal, suspense, spooky genre. And they're all set in our beloved state of Louisiana. Yay. Anywho, this awesome woman has put together her second Pen to Press writers' conference coming up NEXT MONTH. There are NYT best selling authors, top agents and editors, and teachers extraordinaire on hand to guide aspiring authors. I can't tell you how much I got from attending P-2-P #1. Click on the site and listen to Deb and past attendees tell you what's in store.

You really need to check it out and seriously consider attending. Think about investing in your writing career if your goal is to publish a book. 

Here's the scoopage~~~

Pen to Press Writers' Retreat

Time Is Running Out!
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You still have time to register for the 2010 Pen to Press Writers Retreat,but not for long!

Go to [this link] now to register and reserve your spot at the Pen to Press Writers' Retreat in New Orleans, La.!

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Pen to Press Retreats are five intense, hands-on, inspiring days that teach participants how to shape and present a saleable manuscript. You'll learn in a variety of settings, from workshops to one-on-one mentoring sessions to seminars. To that end, you will write and revise, have your manuscript critiqued, and revise some more. This is a remarkable opportunity to transform your writing!

To top it off, throughout the last two days of each retreat, Pen to Press participants are given exclusive, one-on-one time with agents and editors to whom they can pitch their work!

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Our 2010 Retreat will be held at the historic Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans on May 25th through May 30th. Located in the heart of the French Quarter, the Hotel Monteleone is a hotel that combines a legendary history of hospitality with a vibrant contemporary flair. It is one of only two hotels in the United States that has been designated a literary landmark.

Serious Help for Serious Writers Who Want to Get Published

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REGISTER NOW!!

Time and space are limited! Sign-up now for our spring retreat held in fabulous New Orleans! If you're looking for inspiration, New Orleans and the Pen to Press Writers Retreat are for you!

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Contact Info:

Pen to Press Writers Retreat
PO Box 92180 Lafayette, LA 70509 (866) 719-3835 info@pentopressretreat.com
http://www.pentopressretreat.com/

Friday Foibles ~~ You Might Be a Redneck...

Thanks to good friend Jamie for forwarding me these new examples of Redneckism. May they start your weekend off with a smile!

If you're in need of some good short stories, a bit of flash fiction and/or lovely poetry, check out our spring issue of Rose & Thorn Journal just out yesterday.

Now...go forth and enjoy thyself. And do something nice for somebody else along the way, ya hear? :D

Writerly Wednesday ~~ Back in the Saddle!

Hellllllloooooooo my blogging buddies! I've missed you and am glad to be stepping back into Blogland. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the prayers, good thoughts, notes and well wishes. While I've been away, I hope things have been going smoothly for you. Can't wait to get caught up on all your doings!

Things have settled down into a somewhat reliable routine for me as we head into the graduation stretch for my youngest (AKA "Court Jester" of Ledbetter Lunacy cartoon fame), good caregiving schedules for those near and dear to me, and fires put out from various other stuff that's been keeping me from posting.

This past weekend, I attended the Jambalaya Jubilee Writers Conference nearby and got to visit with our Kat. Her new book SECRET GRACES is just hitting the shelves, and it's every bit as good as the first. She made a great showing at the authors' signing tables. After a few days of writing talk (mostly dealing with our SPRING ISSUE OF ROSE & THORN JOURNAL due out tomorrow) and general best friend hilarity, I feel rejuvinated. *I miss yewww Boop!* It was also great to rub elbows with other writers and poets, agents, editors and literature professors. I'll have lots of good posts culled from notes and planned interviews coming up. Wheeee!

So today's Wednesday nugget is a letter from Cup of Comfort editor Colleen Sell in its entirety below. If you are an anthology writer, go check out her site and submission call information.

Love, huggage and all good things. OH...and don't forget to sign up for our R&T Journal quarterly newsletters so you'll know when each new issue goes live! You will probably recognize a fellow blogger or two in the spring line-up. (Several editors read through the many awesome submissions in a blind process, so there are no "favors" granted to friends. Just wanted y'all to know that.) :)

We'd really love your thoughts on the prose, poetry and art in our newest issue tomorrow, as well as suggestions of what you love to find in literary journals. (Post your .02 in a comment and/or just let me know how you're doing with writing and in general!)


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Hi there,

For several years, you've known me as the editor of the Cup of Comfort book series -- a job I love and will continue doing in the months and perhaps years to come. But, as you may have noticed, we're developing far fewer Cup of Comfort anthologies this year than in years past. Consequently, for the first time in a long time, I suddenly have time to devote to other projects and other clients.

To that end, I've reopened and expanded my writing, editing, and editorial consulting biz. Soon, I'll add writing workshops, too. I also have a new website and a new blog. Please drop by soon for a look around.

On the Up & Coming page of my site you'll find calls for submissions for two anthologies I'm developing--one on the Tao of place, the other on mental illness--which I thought you might find of interest. (These are not Cup of Comfort books.) On that page you'll also find call-outs for people to interview for and feature in three nonfiction books I'm writing.

I hope the writing life is being very good to you.

Warm regards,

Colleen Sell
Writer / Editor
541-942-3405
wordsinger@aol.com

*horse photo from flickr