Tasty Tuesday Trifecta

Since I've been so lax and have skipped a few Tuesdays of posting yummylicious recipes, I've got a three-fer for y'all today. Enjoy! AND COME BY TOMORROW FOR A VERY COOL WRITERLY WEDNESDAY CONTEST!!!

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BEEF STROGANOFF

Saute 1 lb. lean ground beef or turkey with 1/2 yellow onion, diced in a large pan. Drain off grease. Add 2 cans cream of mushroom soup, 1 soup can of milk, 2 cups of sour cream, salt, pepper and garlic to taste. Stir well and simmer on low.

Cook 1 lb. box of small pasta shells according to package directions. Drain water and add shells to pan. Continue simmering with lid on, stirring every now and then, until ready to serve. [If stroganoff becomes too thick, thin it out with milk.] 

Now, wasn't that easy? And it makes for great leftovers to reheat! 

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 Coffee Cake Bread Pudding Muffins

Another quick and easy recipe you won't believe how good it is! (Thanks to Jessica for the addition to our Thanksgiving food stock.) :)

1/2 can (7 oz) can condensed milk

4 eggs, beaten

3/4 c. golden raisins

1 prepared bakery cinnamon coffee cake with pecans

pinch of salt

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350. Whisk in large bowl all ingredients except coffee cake. Tear coffee cake into bite-sized chunks, and add to bowl. Toss until cake has absorbed as much of the liquid as possible. Spray muffin tins with non-stick spray. Pour in mixture. Bake for one hour, or until golden brown. (If you like your bread pudding more spongy, decrease cooking time.)

Glaze muffins with canned icing, or confectioners' sugar + water you've made yourself. Mmmm mm good!

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Green Bean and Fingerling Potato Salad with Shrimp 

1 lb fingerling potatoes (small Yukon Gold work well, too), halved lengthwise
1/2 lb fresh thin green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
2 1/2 Tbsp cider vinegar (apple cider vinegar works as well)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill, divided (I only used 2 Tbsp total…depend on how "dilly" you want it to taste)
3/4 lb medium shrimp, cooked, peeled, and deveined. (I get the Target "Market Pantry" frozen shrimp in a bag…thaw, season with Paul Prudhomme's Seafood Magic and then cook up on the Foreman Grill)
3 Tbsp pecan halves, toasted


1. Place potatoes in saucepan; cover with water to 3 inches above potatoes. Bring to a boil; simmer potatoes just until tender (about 8 minutes). Add string beans; simmer until beans are crisp and tender (about 3 minutes). Drain.
 2. While potatoes cook, combine Dijon, vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, and 1 Tbsp dill; stir with a whisk. Set dressing aside.

3. Place shrimp and potatoes-and-bean mixture on platter; drizzle with dressing (mix if desired) and top with roasted pecans.

***Thanks to Cynthia for lending me her recipe. This is a delicious full-meal-in-a-casserole!

Y'ALL LEMME KNOW IF YOU WANT A RECIPE FOR A CERTAIN THING, AND I'LL DO MY BEST!



What's Up?

Hello! I've missed y'all and my time at the computer lately. Things have been so crazy here, I've not had time to play in Blogaritaville much! Here's a taste of what's been up with me...and I hope you'll leave a note telling me what you've been doing. And after all your Turkey Day doings are over and you've digested your food, come back by this weekend for a great contest with wonderful prizes. If you're a reader or a writer, you'll wanna enter! [No more hints for now. Aren't I mean? Mmwahahahaha!]

To say it was fun being an extra in the HBO series TREME would be an understatement. That's what I did at the beginning of the week. Got to be in on the filming for an episode at Commander's Palace in New Orleans for a Thanksgiving 2006 scene. If you're not familiar with this fabulous post-Katrina saga, you need to be. Cool cast, director, plot line! I think they said the second season will begin airing in April, so I'll let ya know if I "make the cut."

Now, how are your Thanksgiving preps coming along? Mine are just flying into place...because we're eating at Cracker Barrel this year! LOL. Family and friends are all spread out, plus it's *insert dark piano chords here* [bom, bom, bom...] hunting season, which means all the hunter men and women want to scoot out for the woods as soon as the last fork full of food is consumed. Yep, eating out is a great alternative to the "full bird spread" and all that cooking/cleaning involved in loading down the banquet table, y'all!

Besides, who can cook/clean/prepare with a whole like this in their kitchen ceiling? Yep, this is what happens in Gumbo Writer's world when we decided to have the attic insulated to save on utility costs for the Ledbetter clan. After a whole day of blowing insulation into the attic, a workman went to inspect the job and...well, you get the picture. So now, as we "speak," another workman is on his way back for the fifth time to work on patching/painting the large area that had to be re-sheet rocked. Soooo, no, Nana is not cooking this year in all that mess. But she is excited that her stepdaughter family will be arriving shortly. Hope they don't mind a few construction obstacles! Jessica and kidlets' visit reminds me to mention we'd all appreciate your prayers for her hubby who's serving a year in Afghanistan. The holidays are hard for them all. GOD BLESS OUR MILITARY AND THEIR FAMILIES!!!

Now, just to keep things really interesting, I've got an ethnography job (where you collect data for a research company) on Black Friday shopping and crowds. UG! But the money is good. LOL. Sooooo....I'll be out from 2:00 am til 7:00 am observing the insanity that is post-Turkey Day shopping. Oh boy.

So, no, I haven't gotten a lick of anything writing related done! How 'bout you?

Now...what've YOU been up to lately????

HAPPY AND BLESSED THANKSGIVING TO ALL YOU WHO CELEBRATE IT, AND A WONDERFUL WEEKEND AS WELL! XXO

Writerly Wednesday ~~ Mega Mongo Giveaway!

Hey writerly folks, there's a big big big contest going on at the blog home of writer & sweetheart Jenni James today through November 30.

Here's what Jenni says:

How would you like to get all of your Christmas shopping done at once? In honour of my great friend and amazing writer: MM Bennetts, and her new book-- Of Honest Fame
I'm hosting  A Ginormous Christmas Gift Giveaway!


A group of authors from all over the world, have come to celebrate the release of MM's book with her. And they have each contributed a book or gift of some kind to be included in the giveaway. One LUCKY READER will have the chance at winning all 20 books listed--including Of Honest Fame posters signed--a Portrait Painting (by me), a pencil drawing (Elizabeth Mueller), Christmas booklets, and many more fun prizes!


An estimated $500 Value!

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Get on over to Jenni's and enter to win. And good luck! When you get through at Jenni's, drop by Kat's and check out the neat linkage she's got up today. Great reading. Yay/!

Friday Funnies ~~ Boudreaux, the Romantic

As we say here, "Y'all pass a good weekend, ya hear?!" A little bit 'a Boo & Thib to get ya started~~~~~

Thibodaux is passing by Boudreaux's hay barn one day when, through a gap in the door, he sees Boo doing a slow and sensual striptease in front of his old green John Deere.

Hiney clenched, Boudreaux performs a slow pirouette and gently slides off first the right strap of his overalls, followed by the left. He then hunches his shoulders forward and in a classic striptease move, lets his overalls fall down to his hips revealing a torn and frayed plaid shirt.

Grabbing both sides of his shirt, he rips it apart to reveal his stained tee shirt underneath. With a final flourish, Boo tears the tee shirt from his body and hurls his baseball cap onto a pile of hay.

Having seen enough, Thib rushes in and says, "Mais, what da heck you doin', Boo?!"

"Jeez, Thibodaux, you done scart (scared) da snot outta me!" exclaims Boo. Then, obviously embarrassed, he says, "Me and mah old lady, we been havin' da troubles lately in da bedroom department, so da terapist (therapist), he done tole (told) me I should do someting sexy to a tractor."

Tasty Tuesday + Writerly Wednesday Game

 










Hey, y'all! I've been AWOL for a while from the computer, getting caught up on family stuff and chores that have been dragging. Hope you've been well, and that life's treating you right. There's a recipe and a short little writing game below. Enjoy!

Sidebar: Kudos to all you who got out to VOTE yesterday, remembering the supreme privilege it is to exercise the freedom others have died to protect. I'm proud to say our local citizens battled rain and long lines to make their choices count, and also slogged through 10 amendments' legalese as well. 

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SOUR CREAM CHEESY CORNBREAD

1 C. self-rising corn meal 
1/2 C. self-rising flour
1/2 C. butter (I use Smart Balance)
2 large eggs
1 can cream corn

1 carton sour cream (8 oz.)

1 C. cheddar cheese (garlic cheese & sliced bacon cheddar are great)
1/2 C. milk
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl with the corn. Beat eggs and add to mixture. Next, add melted butter, then garlic and pepper.

Pour into greased cast iron skillet. Bake at 425 for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Wonderful with chili, gumbo, soup, or as a meal. Serves 8-10.

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Now, let's have some writerly fun! Leave comments that represent a "best of" or "worst of" aspect of your writing routine. The first person starts with the letter A, and we'll follow alphabetically. [Ex -- ALWAYS planning a scene; BARELY enough sleep; CAN'T stop thinking about my WiP plot, etc.] Go!

Tasty Tuesday ~~ Superrific Soup and Salad Duo

I'm real thankful for my friends who share their "goodest" recipes with me. 'Preciate the good eats, Cynthia!

Here's a new favorite soup & salad combo I think you'll really like. It's great all year round, and you can substitue asparagus or broccoli for the zucchini. Experiment!

Enjoy...

Zucchini Soup
(aka ToupsSoup by way of Southern Living) 

1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 lb. zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 5 cups)
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (16oz.) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Garnish: Heaping amount of crumbled feta cheese (a must)

Sauté chopped celery and onion in hot olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat for eight minutes or until tender.

Add zucchini and next four ingredients. Bring to boil over medium heat; reduce heat to low. Simmer 10 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Remove from heat. Let stand 20 mins.

Process soup, in batches, in a blender or food processor 30 seconds or until smooth. Return soup to Dutch oven, and cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Garnish.

Strawberry & Arugula Salad with Prosciutto
(a regular Spring Mix works just as well)

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered
1/2 cup sliced red onion
Olive oil cooking spray
4 thin slices prosciutto (about 2 oz)
6 cups baby arugula (about 5 oz)
2 oz goat cheese or feta, crumbled


Whisk together first 5 ingredients (through black pepper) in a large serving bowl. Add berries and red onion; let stand 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, lightly coat a seasoned cast-iron skillet or nonstick pan with cooking spray, and heat over moderately high heat. Add prosciutto in one layer, and cook, turning, about 5 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a plate to cool; crumble and reserve.

Place the baby arugula in a large serving bowl with cheese; add the strawberries, red onions, and balsamic dressing, and toss gently until just coated. Divide the salad among 4 serving plates, and top evenly with cooked prosciutto.

Friday Funday ~~ Bad Bad BAD Boo & Thib

 

Thanks to Daddy for forwarding another Boudreaux & Thibodaux joke for us all to enjoy. And thank Y'ALL for all the well wishes and prayers concerning "Big Hairy" (18-y.o. "Court Jester" of my old Ledbetter Lunacy cartoons) and his getting well. His mono symptoms and fever are much better and we got home from the hospital to sleep in our own beds last night. That's all the TGIF I need to have a great weekend!

Hoping same for each and every one of y'all! Now, here's a new chapter in the life of those bad bad Cajun boys, right after a reminder that our fall issue of Rose and Thorn Journal went live today! Go take a browse, add us to Twitter/Facebook, and sign up for the newsletter!!!!! And we lurve feedback. :D

Now, dem boys...

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One day, Boudreaux's walking down Main Street when he sees his buddy Thibodaux driving a brand new pickup.

Boudreaux pulls up to him with a wide grin.


"Hey, Thib, where you got dat truck?"

"Mais, Tammy Lou gave dat to me. Ain't it sumpin (something)?" Thib beams with pride.
 Boo replies, "Hooo-boyyy, she juss gave it to ya? Mais, I know'd she was kinda sweet on ya, but a new truck?''

"Well, Boudreaux, me too, I was kinda shock, but lemme tole you what happen when she give it to me. We just drivin' out on County Road 6, in da middle of nowhare. All of a sudden, Tammy, she pull off da road, put da truck in 4-wheel drive, and head into da woods. She park dis (this) truck, gets down (term used for "out"), trew (threw) off all her clothes and say, 'Thibodaux, take whatever you want.'"

"So, me, I took da truck!"

"Mais, Boudreaux, you a smart man, yeah! Dem clothes woulda never fit you nohow!"

At the Hospital

Sorry no recipe or writerly stuff this week. My "baby" (18, almost 6-ft. tall, and real hairy) has been trying to shake off a case of mono for over a month. Long story short, he had a relapse with a vengence. High fever, aches, an almost-closed throat from swollen glands, and feeling just horrible all over, and like his head was on fire. He needed more help than a fever reducer and a steroid were giving him.

Being at the hospital in the pediatric ward has been nice. The IV of fluids and meds has brought his burning fever down, so he's finally feeling human again. As a bonus (and so no one will steal him or give him to the wrong mom...LOL), we have matching paper ID bracelets! 

So, I'll see y'all next week. Until then, have a great weekend. Do something nice for someone in need...and also for yourself. :D  *hugs*

Friday Funnies ~~ Boo & Thib Go Hunting

 

Happy Friday, y'all! Here's another episode from the endless book of jokes about our two favorite Cajuns, sent to me by my Daddy...

Boudreaux and Thibodaux are some excited that hunting season is here once again. The two hire a pilot to fly them from Grande Mamou, Louisiana to Canada for some moose hunting.

The bon amies have had a good trip and manage to bag four. As they started loading the plane for the return trip home, the pilot tells them the plane can take only two moose.

They objected strongly in their Franglish dialect, and start waving their arms around wildly. Boudreaux says, "Mais, lass year we shot four a' dem moose, and da pilot let us put all dem big beasts on board, and he had da same kinda plane as yours!"
 Reluctantly, the pilot gives in and all four are loaded. Unfortunately, even at full power, the little plane just can't handle the load and crashes a few minutes after takeoff.

Climbing out of the wreck, Boo asks Thib, "Any idea where we at?"

Thibodeaux replies, "I tink we pretty close to da same spot where we crashed lass year!" 

Writerly Wednesday ~~ Literary Mystery and an Interview!

Good morning, writerly friends! Before we get started with our author interview with Michelle Davidson Argyle, please take a second to check out an unfolding literary mystery. I'm copying the email exactly as I received it yesterday, and you can decide whether to participate or not. If you're the inquisitive type like me, you just can't stand not to be in on the ground floor of such an interesting endeavor...  

From: Enna Scott

To: ennascottblog@gmail.com
Sent: Tue, Oct 5, 2010 10:06 am
Subject: I'm a writer friend, this is my pen name

You know me. I'm part of a circle you run.

I sent this e-mail to lots of people, but I hid the addresses because you are all smart. I don't want you to know who I am yet.

Check out my new blog. See what you think... http://ennascott.blogspot.com/ ...I need your help spreading the word where/when/how you see fit. Maybe you could even follow me. (hint)

If you figure out who I really am, don't make it known...

XOXO,

"Enna Scott"
 
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Interview with Michelle Davidson Argyle

**Read Michelle's story, This, at Rose and Thorn.

1.) In your experience, how important is social networking to the writer? To the author?


I think social networking is important for a writer who wishes to immerse themselves in the world of marketing their work. Some authors are more shy than others, and I wouldn't blame them in the slightest if they didn't feel comfortable networking themselves all over the place. I know I'm more likely to attach myself to an author's work if they feel more accessible to me, but it's certainly not a requirement. It is the writing that matters, and no amount of social networking is going to make a book inherently better or worse at the end of the day.


2.) Which is essential -- writer's blog or personal website?


I honestly don't think it matters as long as the writer has a place where fans can go to get information. A blog is certainly more interactive, but I don't think it's essential or necessary.
**Michele's The Innocent Flower blog.
**Author site.


3.) What has your journey from start to publication been like so far?


Interesting! It has been a lot of fun, mostly, and since deciding to self-publish my novella I've learned more about publishing and writing than I ever would have otherwise. I'm not an advocate for just self-publishing or just traditional publishing. I think both avenues are excellent options for different people, and my journey so far has taught me the valuable lesson of seeing the politics and emotions of publishing from different angles.

4.) If you could've known one thing before now about the world of writing, what would it have been?

To not write what others want me to write.

5.) Give us a peek at your typical day.
 This is frightening.


Feed my daughter breakfast, network online, get my daughter to preschool, write or read, pick up my daughter from preschool, feed my daughter lunch, do more networking online, play with my daughter here and there, clean here and there, more networking/reading/writing, feed my daughter dinner...consequently wish my husband was home more often...clean some more, put my daughter to bed, do more networking/reading/writing, and go to bed.


That is so not exciting.

6.) Any/everything about Cinders we need to know?

Hmm, I could talk a long time about my book, but here are some things that have come up a few times that I'll clear up.

Basic things you should know:


Cinders is NOT a fairy tale nor a continuation of the Disney version of the tale.

Cinders is not a happily-ever-after story. I intended to end Cinders on a positive note although many readers don't seem to see it that way (it has been a lot of fun and very interesting to see what readers think about the end!).
 I wrote Cinders to specifically self-publish the story - it has never been queried.

Cinders is the story of Cinderella after she gets married, not a retelling of the Cinderella tale, and although it takes place in a fantastical setting, I see it more as literary fiction that just happens to take place in that setting rather than pure fantasy.


7.) What are you working on now?

I am currently working on another fairy tale themed novella titled Thirds. It's based on the Grimm's fairy tale One-Eye, Two-Eyes, Three-Eyes and is not a continuation like Cinders, but an actual retelling. Thirds also includes a character from Cinders, which may be very exciting for some readers!

8.) Your best advice to fellow writers concerning publication.


Don't be in a hurry. Don't be in a hurry. Don't. Be. In. A. Hurry. And I mean that with every ounce of seriousness I can possibly put forth.

9.) What is the Literary Lab?

The Literary Lab is a blog co-authored by myself, Scott G.F. Bailey, and Davin Malasarn. We're an interesting bunch that adores literary fiction - writing and reading and talking about it. We blog every weekday about writing and publishing and I think any writer of any genre might find something of value in what we talk about if they stop by regularly. We celebrate all types of writing!

10.) Tell us a secret or something funny/embarrassing about yourself.


I love Metallica. I even play it enough that my four year old daughter headbangs in the backseat of the car when it comes on. I even think she knows the words.... :)


**Check out the Literary Lab.

Okay, you writers, you! What'cha workin' on?!



Tasty Tuesday ~~ Cheaters' Delight!

Before we get down to cookin' "bidness," I wanna give a shout out to our beloved Louisiana potato chip maker -- Zapp's! You haven't eaten a real chip until you've tried one of these. There's tons of flavor choices for the Cajun in you.

Spicy Cajun Crawtator
Lighted Salted Sweet Potato
and Voodoo Gumbo

Ca c'est bon!!

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Sometimes we all need a shortcut or two, right? Right. Today I'm sharing one of my favorites with you. You know how much I love simple, easy and good. This "recipe" fits the bill AND is made all in one pan, making clean-up a breeze. It also gives you a few dishwasher safe containers to reuse later.

Cheaters' Delight is way better than a "time saver" too; it's a "time giver." It actually adds a couple hours to your day. :)

Not possible, you say? Well, check this out...

Cheaters' Delight

1. Go to your nearest favorite Chinese restaurant. (I guess it's politically incorrect to say Takee Outee, any longer?) *grin*
2. Order a large lo mein noodle with veggies, plus an order of mushrooms and beef.
3. Once home, combine both items in a large pan. If you have leftover baked or broiled chicken, beef or pork in your 'fridge, cube it and add to the pan.
4. Simmer covered on low until warm through and through.
5. Serve, eat, enjoy.

Serves 6-8 [Easy to convert to vegetarian dish by adding more veggies and taking out the meat! I used leftover pork chops in tonight's version.]

TGIF ~~ Hellloooooo, October!

We've had about five days in a row of gorgeous fall weather here in Louisiana, and if you've ever been in a sauna, you can imagine our relief and giddiness.

It almost makes you wanna do this...