According to TLC Cooking, here are the top ten picnic foods (with links to recipes):
10. Potato Salad
9. Fried Chicken
8. Watermelon
7. Pasta Salad
6. Pinwheel Sandwiches
5. Bread, Cheese, and Cold Cuts
4. Deviled Delights (doesn't limit itself to just eggs)
3. Ready to Grill
2. Lemonade
1. Fruit Salad
So what do you think? Did the people at TLC get it right, or not? I'm pretty much in agreement with them; however, I can't recall a single picnic I've been to where pinwheel sandwiches were served.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Off to Kentucky!
Sorry I offering so little in my post this morning. My girls and I are getting ready to leave for Harlan, Kentucky to celebrate my grandmother's (I call her Mamaw) 87th birthday.
Mamaw has been cooking for most of her 87 years. Next week, I will honor her by posting some of her delicious recipes!
While I am thinking about my Kentucky roots, I will mention that the History Chanel is running a Hatfields & McCoys mini-series beginning Monday, May 28. I cannot wait to watch this account of these Kentucky/West Virginia families who have sparked so many books and legends!
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
CSA - Special Veggie Unit
No, that wasn't a typo. Although, this being a web site about food and mystery, I would be remiss if I didn't point out that the difference between CSI and CSA is a single letter.
A CSA, in case you don't know, stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It's a form of gambling, as are all forms of agriculture.
One locates a CSA member, one pays a lump sum up front (literal seed money), and one receives a share of the harvest. Sort of like sharecropping in reverse. The payoff usually begins in June, but we had a mild winter so ours has already begun.
We had some divine strawberries this month. We're getting kale, chard, broccoli, green onions and butterhead lettuce. All through the summer and into the fall, we'll have a variety of fruits, vegetables, fresh eggs and -- and this is the best part -- we know not what else. And so I bring the subject around to mystery. :)
If you live in the continental United States and you want to locate a CSA in your area (it might be too late to buy a share this year, but it might not be), visit the Community Supported Agriculture site. There's a search area in the right-hand sidebar.
If you live outside the continental United States and you know of a CSA site for your area, please leave the link in the comments for the benefit of future visitors.
Thanks!
Marian Allen
Fantasies, mysteries, comedies, recipes
A CSA, in case you don't know, stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It's a form of gambling, as are all forms of agriculture.
One locates a CSA member, one pays a lump sum up front (literal seed money), and one receives a share of the harvest. Sort of like sharecropping in reverse. The payoff usually begins in June, but we had a mild winter so ours has already begun.
We had some divine strawberries this month. We're getting kale, chard, broccoli, green onions and butterhead lettuce. All through the summer and into the fall, we'll have a variety of fruits, vegetables, fresh eggs and -- and this is the best part -- we know not what else. And so I bring the subject around to mystery. :)
If you live in the continental United States and you want to locate a CSA in your area (it might be too late to buy a share this year, but it might not be), visit the Community Supported Agriculture site. There's a search area in the right-hand sidebar.
If you live outside the continental United States and you know of a CSA site for your area, please leave the link in the comments for the benefit of future visitors.
Thanks!
Marian Allen
Fantasies, mysteries, comedies, recipes
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Food and Mystery
Want to try a little food with your mystery?
By Joyce Lavene
The connection between foods and mysteries seems to be growing stronger every year. There are mystery novels with pizza, coffee, tea, pie, cupcakes and wine. The list is growing. Readers seem to like to read about food with their dead bodies.
Why food?
Maybe it's the comfort idea. We want to read about fun foods while we try to solve who done it. Kind of like eating popcorn at the movies or brownies while we finish that Elizabeth Peters' book. It could be a natural segue for us to like a little food thrown in with our mysteries.
Or maybe it's the whole food industry right now. And by that I mean the myriad of cooking shows from sweet to challenging. Maybe it's the recipes that keep us coming back to mysteries that add food. It could be the sharing of different foods from authors who researched them specifically for each book. Food as a fun and interesting subject is at an all time high.
Not that food hasn't always been important to people. Just think, we're willing to try eating insects and poison things like cashews to put something different in our mouths once in a while. It's what keeps Thanksgiving going (in the US anyway) and keeps holiday magazine covers interesting.
Why not mysteries too?
How many readers are enjoying a food related mystery novel right now?
What food do YOU think makes mysteries finger lickin good?
Joyce Lavene
www.joyceandjimlavene.com
@author54 - Twitter
Look for me at Google+ and on Facebook!
By Joyce Lavene
The connection between foods and mysteries seems to be growing stronger every year. There are mystery novels with pizza, coffee, tea, pie, cupcakes and wine. The list is growing. Readers seem to like to read about food with their dead bodies.
Why food?
Maybe it's the comfort idea. We want to read about fun foods while we try to solve who done it. Kind of like eating popcorn at the movies or brownies while we finish that Elizabeth Peters' book. It could be a natural segue for us to like a little food thrown in with our mysteries.
Or maybe it's the whole food industry right now. And by that I mean the myriad of cooking shows from sweet to challenging. Maybe it's the recipes that keep us coming back to mysteries that add food. It could be the sharing of different foods from authors who researched them specifically for each book. Food as a fun and interesting subject is at an all time high.
Not that food hasn't always been important to people. Just think, we're willing to try eating insects and poison things like cashews to put something different in our mouths once in a while. It's what keeps Thanksgiving going (in the US anyway) and keeps holiday magazine covers interesting.
Why not mysteries too?
How many readers are enjoying a food related mystery novel right now?
What food do YOU think makes mysteries finger lickin good?
Joyce Lavene
www.joyceandjimlavene.com
@author54 - Twitter
Look for me at Google+ and on Facebook!
Friday, May 18, 2012
Summery Drinks
This time of year just begs for lazy afternoons spent on a porch swing, or a rocking chair, or a park bench with a refreshing drink and an engrossing book. On this blog, there is no shortage of books! :) Here are some recipes for summery drinks:
Italian Lemonade
Italian Lemonade
Ingredients
2 cups lemon juice, about 12 to 15 lemons
2 cups Basil Simple Syrup, recipe follows
2 cups cold or sparkling water
Ice
Lemon twists, for garnish
Directions:
Mix lemon juice, Basil Simple Syrup, and water together in a
pitcher. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Pour over ice filled
glasses and garnish with a lemon twist.
Basil Simple Syrup:
1 bunch fresh basil, washed and stemmed
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
In a saucepan combine basil, sugar, and water and simmer
until the sugar is dissolved, 5 minutes. Cool, strain the simple syrup, and
store in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
1 1/2 quarts cold water
6 high quality black tea bags
2 cups mango nectar
Sugar
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
Thinly sliced mango
Directions
Bring water to a boil, turn off heat add tea bags and steep
until tea is dark, about 5 minutes. Remove bags, add mango nectar and add
sugar, to taste. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Place in pitcher and add mint
leaves. Pour over ice and garnish with mango slices.
Ingredients
3 cups ginger ale
4 tablespoons grenadine
4 tablespoons orange juice
3 scoops orange sherbet
Directions
Blend together ginger ale, grenadine, orange juice, and
sherbet. Pour into ice-filled cocktail glasses. (To make a version with
alcohol, add white rum.)
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
The Sagging Middle
This morning I am going to speak to a high school Creative Writing class. One of the things I will cover is the "sagging middle." Not only is the sagging middle something that happens to us as we get older, but it is a often a pitfall to anyone who tries to write a work of any length.
Most writers have a dynamic beginning and ending but have a hard time keeping the middle of their book interesting. How many of us find ourselves reading the beginning and end of a book, and skipping middle chapters?
I first heard the term "sagging middle" in reference to writing at a writing workshop in North Carolina. Some advice I got at this workshop to avoid the "sagging middle" is to:
1) make sure every chapter in the book moves the story towards the end
2) have friends and editors who read the book note where they take a break from reading
Hint #1 cuts out unnecessary scenes and characters that make a book boring or confusing. This has been one of the most helpful pieces of advice I have ever received as a writer.
I compare hint #2 to watching a movie, and having to go to the restroom. When a movie is good and intense, you hate to have to get up and leave to go to the restroom. No matter how much Diet Coke you have drank, you wait till that lull when you feel like you will not be missing anything.
A good story is the same way. Readers do not want to put it down when there is a great deal of excitement, which is how most of the story should be. If someone notes taking a break, it might mean the story needs a little punching up in that part.
These are the hints I will share today. Hope they are helpful!
Most writers have a dynamic beginning and ending but have a hard time keeping the middle of their book interesting. How many of us find ourselves reading the beginning and end of a book, and skipping middle chapters?
I first heard the term "sagging middle" in reference to writing at a writing workshop in North Carolina. Some advice I got at this workshop to avoid the "sagging middle" is to:
1) make sure every chapter in the book moves the story towards the end
2) have friends and editors who read the book note where they take a break from reading
Hint #1 cuts out unnecessary scenes and characters that make a book boring or confusing. This has been one of the most helpful pieces of advice I have ever received as a writer.
I compare hint #2 to watching a movie, and having to go to the restroom. When a movie is good and intense, you hate to have to get up and leave to go to the restroom. No matter how much Diet Coke you have drank, you wait till that lull when you feel like you will not be missing anything.
A good story is the same way. Readers do not want to put it down when there is a great deal of excitement, which is how most of the story should be. If someone notes taking a break, it might mean the story needs a little punching up in that part.
These are the hints I will share today. Hope they are helpful!
Cheerios, My Dearios
Why has it taken me so long to grow up? Well, let's be honest, I'm speaking in a very limited sense, because I hope I never do, entirely.
Here's the thing: When I was young, I had The Cousin From Hell. I still do, as a matter of fact, but he lives in another state, and unclean creatures can't cross running water, so I'm safe.
Oh, I forgot, this is a post about how mature I am.
This cousin of mine is not actually a Spawn of Satan, he was just one of those jolly, hearty, manly boys like Tom Sawyer, always up to some mischief, the kind who are funny in literature but pure torment to a quiet, shy, introverted weakling like Yours Truly.
Yeah, I got over that.
ANYWAY, I used to go to this cousin's house before and after school because my single mother had a job. I dreaded the days we had Cheerios, because Cousin would take a soggy O out of his bowl, put it on top of whatever jar or bottle was on the table, and finger-flick it at me. Nothing in the world was funnier to him than the sight of my face with soggy cereal plastered on it.
I still feel sorry for poor little me because I did NOT enjoy it at the time. On the other hand, if somebody did that to me now, I would fall on the floor, helpless with laughter.
So, have I grown up or down?
Marian Allen
Fantasies, mysteries, comedies, recipes
Here's the thing: When I was young, I had The Cousin From Hell. I still do, as a matter of fact, but he lives in another state, and unclean creatures can't cross running water, so I'm safe.
Oh, I forgot, this is a post about how mature I am.
This cousin of mine is not actually a Spawn of Satan, he was just one of those jolly, hearty, manly boys like Tom Sawyer, always up to some mischief, the kind who are funny in literature but pure torment to a quiet, shy, introverted weakling like Yours Truly.
Yeah, I got over that.
ANYWAY, I used to go to this cousin's house before and after school because my single mother had a job. I dreaded the days we had Cheerios, because Cousin would take a soggy O out of his bowl, put it on top of whatever jar or bottle was on the table, and finger-flick it at me. Nothing in the world was funnier to him than the sight of my face with soggy cereal plastered on it.
I still feel sorry for poor little me because I did NOT enjoy it at the time. On the other hand, if somebody did that to me now, I would fall on the floor, helpless with laughter.
So, have I grown up or down?
Marian Allen
Fantasies, mysteries, comedies, recipes
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