Winter Soup: Swiss Chard and Sorrel Soup

Coleen Thornton was speaking really fast and wearing a blue tooth headset. She clearly wasn't from around here. Truth be told, I hadn't lived in our small town long, either.  We both plunged feet-first into our new world about the same time. Together, we've shared the big changes along with the reason we chose to live here: Our little community is awesome.

Coleen traded her corporate job, convertible BMW, and "big city" Texas life for her passion--a sustainable farm, soap, and yarn business. This woman knows how to get her hands dirty to pursue her dreams. Watch this news video to learn more about her and the farm. 

My family and I are huge fans of Heaven Sent Food and Fiber . We signed up for their CSA last year. The food is amazing. It's local. It's fresh.  It's better. No lie, y'all. Then, there's her fibers that look and feel so luxurious I've even been tempted to learn to knit or crochet. But I haven't. And the soap? It's the only kind Garrett will use. Plus, Coleen and Paul know how to bribe kids. For example, for Max's Sesame Street birthday party, she donated a bunch of beautiful fiber to make monsters.  Then, when  Coleen heard the kids were having a cowboy/barndance birthday party this year,  she and Paul brought sheep and goats in the middle of triple digit weather!

I'm thrilled you dropped by my virtual potluck today so I can introduce you to Coleen and her farm. I can't wait to try her soup.

Coleen in the "little garden" in Texas that inspired her current life

Swiss Chard and Sorrel Soup

The Ultimate Spring Farmers' Market Soup

1 T butter

1 onion, chopped

3 small new potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2c water

1 bunch Swiss Chard, stems removed, about 10 cups leaves

1-1/2t salt

6-1/2c water

2 cups sorrel leaves (you can sub the juice from 2 lemons if you can't find sorrel)

 salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 -1 c heavy cream (based on your preference for consistency) I will substitute whole raw goats' milk here on the farm.

Just look at these fresh ingredients!

 Directions

1. Saute onions and potatoes with butter until just starting to brown.
2. Add 1/2c water to onions and potatoes, then Swiss Chard and salt. When wilted add the additional water. Simmer 12 minutes. Add cream once you take it off the stove.
3. Puree with an immersion blender (or carefully in a regular blender since its hot). Add additional seasoning to taste.

Complete Magical Meal Suggestion

This soup is also great as a green smoothy, cold or hot for breakfast or lunch the next day. In fact, I like it better the second day, as the flavors have more time to meld. It pairs well with artisan bread or a pilaf salad for a nutrient dense meal, filling meal.

The recipe is modified from http://www.marcussamuelsson.com/recipe/swiss-chard-potato-and-sorrel-soup-with-creme-fraiche-recipe because I couldn't find my book Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison (Nov 6, 2007) which has the version I like better. I highly recommend this book.

If you live near Tahlequah, OK, Heaven Sent Food and Fiber produces the soup ingredients above on their "Full-Diet" 60-acre farm and customers get their vegetables through the weekly CSA or at the Farmers' Market. Find out more at HeavenSentFoodandFiber.com.  

Check back on Friday. I feel a giveaway coming on!

Friday Favorite: Slow Cooker Liners

I love my crockpot(s).

Yes, I have two. No, wait. I own three. The last one has three compartments.

Crockpots are hard to clean, though, so I won't use one without this kitchen helper:  

Slow Cooker Liners are magical!

Santa considered putting these "crockpot condoms" in stockings this year.  They're that awesome.

What is a must-have helper in your kitchen?

For the love of...food

I joined Oklahoma Women Bloggers this week in their blogging challenge, but yesterday's challenge was delayed because I'd been tagged in the Next Big Thing blog hop.  Check out what my next book is about here.

Friday's challenge was the love of food, so here's a little crockpot round up. 

If I make it, it's easy. 

Except for the time I tried Paula Deen's Lemon Blossoms aka lemon bombs, and that's not mentioned in our household, but you can read about it here. If you're brave, go ahead and try it as a dessert for any of the meals listed below.

I double-dog dare you.

Crockpot with Rich Gravy  Folks, there is no going wrong with this one. Four ingredients--one of them is water. 

Crockpot Potato Soup  Perfect to have in your cauldron as St. Patrick's Day approaches!

Crockpot Dressing  Try the original recipe and you can't go wrong. It frees up your oven so the people who can cook can use it.

Crockpot Southwest Chicken Chili  Everything is in your pantry or freezer for this one.  It's the perfect thing to prepare for easy entertaining or to take to a friend.

To make life even more pleasurable, don't forget those crockpot liners. 

Enjoy!

Decked the Halls and Done with December

I am tuckered out.

I am thrilled the holiday season is over.  Sure, the tree is still lit, but 2012 is OVER. The advent calendar is boxed up and my insane collection of popsicle sticks listing "fun" family activities is tucked away until next December.

If every member of the family hadn't raced through Kleenex boxes and hacking coughs, the season might have been a little merrier.  Sleep does that, I hear. By holly or by jolly, we managed to make some memories, though.

We watched Christmas movies and read special books.  We piled into the car in our pajamas and looked at lights.  We decorated our own house.  On a personal note, I enjoyed my annual Inklings Christmas tea with my writing buddies and ran/walked a 5k with my hubby and friends.

Here are some highlights:

Christmas Parade
My parents parked their truck at a prime location about two hours before the parade began. How awesome are they?! We showed up with McDonald's (don't judge me) and had a picnic right in the bed of their truck as we waited. The kids were joy incarnate.

School Christmas Program
The program is a testimony to the teachers' amazing creativity and patience.  Look at his cute Christmas tree shirt! Each child in that school wore a hand made shirt and sang carols.  Just thinking about the process gives me the urge to wash the inevitable paint out of my hair. Aside from the fact they're wonderful teachers who love our kids, I obviously love those ladies because they create Pinterest crafts with my boy...so I don't have to.

Gingerbread House
The grands all visited and--partially against their will--helped Max decorate his first gingerbread house.  My mom (we are so similar) came up with the idea of putting pins in the cookies to make the house stay together. Yeah, um, who needs icing? Let's place an emergency room visit in a baked good. Garrett's mom stuck with Max until the powdered sugar snow fell...everywhere. Grandma Celeste had the good sense to stay out of the mess and just laugh.

The Grands and Max with the gingerbread house

Visit Santa
I'd heard the North Pole can be a nightmare.

But I tried to prepare.

In the past, we visited Santa during the week. This year, the weekend was our only option. I called and asked when Santa arrived. She told me noon. Guess what? We drove the 45 minutes and showed up at 11:30 to wait in line.  Then we were assigned a ticket to return at 1 to wait in line again. We found out the jolly old elf had been accepting visiors since 9 AM.

I almost made the naughty list.

We gave the kids a lunch of cookies. We waited patiently to play with remote control cars.

We camped out at the North Pole until our appointment.  Alexandra even kept a bow in her hair just for the big guy. She was extremely excited to see him....until she wasn't.

In all the chaos of the season,  I managed to get out a few Christmas cards. They looked something like this:

The Barnetts--Keeping the happy in the holidays!

 I'm not sure who I sent the cards, though. I had a list, but then I found another list after they were mailed.  I had some cards left over and can't figure out who I missed. And I may have sent some twice. So, friends, Merry Christmas. You may remember the Christmas Card Picture Debacle of 2011.  I vow to be more organized in 2013.

Oh, who am I kidding?

Cookies for Santa
Max has never seen the movie that made this pose famous. He was simply excited.

 He couldn't wait for the guy to come down the chimney.


Alexandra, on the other hand, was asleep before we set out the fudge and strawberry cookies.

Christmas Day
We hosted 34 family members on Christmas day.  Yes. You read that correctly.  It was a wonderful combination of family from all sides.

 

I made the dressing I mentioned here. The next day,  I found missing ingredients in the fridge *head thunk*... so I made another tastier batch.   Volunteers contributed to the meal. Because I crave organization and To make the drop-off easier, I even made name tags for everyone to place their food.  This was Garrett's idea of joke:

Throw a Snowball
The next day it snowed enough to delight a preschooler.

 
Happy New Year!
The four of us rang in 2013 with champagne and sparkling apple juice, silly hats and noisemakers...at 7:30 PM. 

I mean, really, it's lucky we lasted that long.

Tasty Tuesday: Crockpot Dressing

Holiday feasts are just regular ol' meals to me without cornbread dressing.

The females in my family have a sick sense of humor. Once, when I was young enough to not be expected to help in the kitchen, I ran in and asked if the dressing was ready yet.  They exchanged glances and my mother looked me square in the eye. "Nope. We decided not to make any this year."

I tried to be tough, but I couldn't stop the tears.  They were laughing so hard it took them a moment to recognize my heartbreak. Then,  because they're not entirely evil, someone opened the oven to let me peek and smell one of the several dressings they'd prepared.  It wasn't uncommon to have three or four. Some family members liked oysters, some didn't, some liked onions, some didn't.

I liked them all.

Now that I help with the cooking I've realized the tremendous effort required to juggle all of the holiday dishes with one oven.  So, when my mother's friend gave her a crock pot recipe for dressing, I've cherished it ever since.

This recipe has more steps than the others I've posted, but it's dressing... in a crockpot.

We've made several adjustments over the years. Feel free to do the same.

DELICIOUS CROCK POT DRESSING

8 inch pan cornbread, crumbled
Pepperidge Farm cornbread stuffing  
1/2 Cup celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon salt
2 Tablespoons sage (Note: I prefer a big handful. The original recipe called for 1 T.)
1/2 Tablespoon black pepper
4 eggs, beaten
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans chicken broth  (or home made)

• Saute celery and onion. 
• Pour all ingredients into crock pot. 
• Dot top with butter. 
• Cook on low for 4 hours. If it doesn't seem brown enough at the end of time, lift lid and continue to cook. It will brown.I usually leave the lid off for a good half hour or so.

Adjustment 1: We like to mix the dry ingredients the day before so the flavors have time to combine, but it is still delicious if you don't plan ahead.

Adjustment 2: Make your own chicken broth and add chicken to the dressing. Here's how we do it:

• In a pot, place cut up onions, celery and 4-5 chicken thighs. 
• Put just enough water to cover it. 
• Once it boils, turn it to simmer until tender. 
• Use fork to see if meat pulls off easily.
• Cool broth and chicken at room temperature.  
• Pull meat off bone. Chop or pull into edible pieces. 
• Mix meat in with other ingredients.(Dry chicken before adding, or it will make the dressing too moist.)
• Measure your homemade broth to substitute for the two cans of chicken broth. 

Adjustment 3: If you'd prefer to avoid the crock pot--hey, who am I to judge?--simply place in a 375 degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until brown.

Let me know how you like it!

Tasty Tuesday: Crockpot Potato Soup Magic

The weather is crisp. Bring on the comfort foods!

We need 'em. When the front porch light turned off after the last trick-or-treater, the official holiday mania began.  Plus, you know, there's that little election tonight. So, over the next few weeks, I will share some of my easiest and most favorite crockpot meals.

It's my little gift to you.

See those sparkles on the rim of the bowl? That's not light. That's magic.

I adjusted the recipe found here and added some ingredients to create this comforting potato soup. It is yummy magical goodness in a crockpot.

Crockpot Potato Soup Magic
1 30 oz bag of hashbrowns
1 32 oz box of chicken broth (or three 14 oz.cans)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 of an onion, chopped
chop up some cooked ham
chop up some carrots
1/3 tsp. pepper ( I added way more than it called for because I had so much fun with my pepper grinder. I just did it until it looked kind of polka-dotted cool which made it pretty spicy.)

Cover and cook on low for 5 hours. or 8 hours. Whenever you get home is fine.

*****An hour before you serve, stir in 8 oz. of cream cheese.

Garnish with whatever tasty delights you prefer.

Complete Magical Meal Suggestion
Even though the carrots and ham add a little something to chew on, crackers add a nice crunch. You can always throw in a salad or a grilled cheese sandwich. Fresh fruit on the side adds sweetness and color.

Enjoy!


If you missed the first Tasty Tuesday, check out the recipe for Pinterest Chicken.
Click here for Tiffany's Chicken.

Confession of an Earth Mother Wannabe

Image from blog at mozardien.com

Everything that has gone into my kitchen trash this morning could have been recycled. Everything. But the recycling bin is full. Which means I'd have to empty it first.

And it's heavy.

And my back hurts.

And...I don't want to.

When I was in high school, the upperclassmen voted me Most Likely to Save the Planet. Pretty fancy title just because I wasn't a litterbug.What a hefty responsibility to lay on a teenager!  I was bound to fail.

Am I the only one who feels guilty when I don't recycle? 

We're usually pretty good around here. I mean, my son had a trash/recycling birthday party for Pete's sake.

I'm not feelin' it today.

C'mon! Let's be practical. Surely we have enough places on this big ol' planet to store trash until the end of time. The Mayans say it's December 21, right?

 If we're still around for Christmas, I'll definitely recycle all of the wrapping paper. Definitely.

Maxisms

Our week was full of Maxisms. Here are a few:

Monday:
The boy child had been ornery all day. Frustrated, I asked, "Who are you?"
He said, "Maximus the Magnificent."
Hmmm. I'm sure this all might be connected.

Tuesday:
Max: Did you see Miss Bri's dress? It was pretty, pretty, pretty.
Me: Did you tell her?
Max: NO! (grinning and nodding knowingly) I want it to be a surprise.

Saturday: 
Max: EW! What's that smell?
Me: Steamed broccoli.
Max: It smells like Elmo poop.

Sunday:
Max: Mom, you're a princess. I'm going to buy you a crown.  A crown you put on your head, not the kind you draw with.
Me: (privately to confused hubby) Crayon. He's speaking with an accent.

Mommy Monday: Teaching empathy

Max: There's a bad cat at the door...will you cook it for me?
Me: No.
Max: Why?
Max's dad: We don't do that in our country.
Max: Why?
Me: Same reason we don't eat horses. We don't eat our pets.
Max: (pauses) It's somebody else's pet.

Friday Favorite: Get in the kitchen and bake me a pie!

It's here and I'm so excited!

Love at first sight: Breville pie maker from Williams-Sonoma

I suspected my lust for the Breville pie maker from Williams-Sonoma was a passing fancy. After all, I am no kitchen goddess. What do I need with an expensive cooking toy? 

But each time I saw it in the catalog, my heart flipped in excitement. Oh, the things I could do!

The seasons passed and it went on sale. I considered it.   My subconscious whispered to me in the middle of the night. Brandi...Brandi.... you have a killer crust recipe...when you measure the ingredients correctly...and bake it long enough.

By the time I mustered the courage to purchase it, the sale was off and I was not going to pay $150 for something I may or may not use. When it went on sale again--with free shipping!--I was sold. 

And it's here!

What shall I do first?

Since the 4th of July is right around the corner, maybe I should break out the Americana like the rustic patriotic party featured on Celebrations at Home...

...or throw a vintage pie party as shown over at Moore Minutes.

March 14 is over for this year, so International Pi Day is out, but I totally love this cute idea from EventTagious.

Maybe the pies would make a great snack if we had a playgroup inspired by this pie fight party over at Craftzine.

Before I get too carried away with the possibilities, I should probably buy flour. 

Tasty Tuesday: Tiffany's Chicken

Families who have healthy, home-cooked meals are marvels. Perhaps they possess some gene I lack. More likely...they know magic.

So, today's entry is my second attempt at helping other mere humans prepare a super easy entree. Don't forget to read my Magical Meal Suggestion for rounding out the meal. If you're like me, you don't have time to let something like cooking sap your creative juices.

My friend's recipe is known as "Tiffany's Chicken" at our house. As a mom of four and first lady of People's Church in OKC, Tiffany Cooper knows about feeding a family on the run.



Tiffany's Chicken
chicken breasts
can (or 2) of black beans
jar of salsa

Dump can of black beans over chicken breasts. Pour jar of salsa on top.

Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour.

I used two cans of beans in this picture because we like the extra.

Complete Magical Meal Suggestion
Serve with twist of lime, brown rice, and avocado slices. Good with mixed berries on the side. Add tortilla chips or cornbread if you feel like it.

If you don't think it looks good, don't worry! My husband claims that some of my ugliest entrees taste the best.  That's a compliment, right?

This meal is so easy, I always think I forgot something.

Maybe it's the margarita?

Enjoy!


If you missed the first Tasty Tuesday, check out the recipe for Pinterest Chicken.

Tasty Tuesday: Pinterest Chicken

Making meals saps my creative juices.

I know. It's probably one of those weird traits no one else possesses.

Still, we need to eat well. So, hubby and I started a meal menu that we can recycle every six weeks or so. In case you also find meal planning stressful, I'll share recipes AND suggestions for the entire meal on my Tasty Tuesday entries. I don't cook anything that's difficult, so these recipes are perfect for kids at home, graduates, and any other non-cookers.

So...here goes. 

On Pinterest this recipe was called "Man-Pleasing Chicken" on wittyinthecity.com's blog. I refuse to call it that for many reasons, but the simplest is because it pleases me, too. 

Around here, we call it Pinterest Chicken. It's so delicious that when I made it--again--the other night I forgot to take a picture. Frankly, mine is not much to look at, but once that beautiful taste sensation hits your taste buds, you won't care that it was bland in appearance. If you garnish it with rosemary, which I usually forget, it's rather attractive.

Pinterest Chicken

Chicken (the recipe calls for thighs, but I prefer about four skinless, boneless breasts)
1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
1/2 Cup Dijon Mustard
1 T. Rice Wine Vinegar

Place chicken in baking dish. Mix other ingredients and pour over chicken.

Bake at 450 degrees for 40 minutes.

If you aren't starving and would like to impress someone, garnish with rosemary. (Garnish always impresses me.)

Complete Meal Suggestion

You know those bags of snow peas you can buy at the grocery store and steam in the bag? Get those. Drizzle the sauce from the baked chicken over steamed brown rice.  We usually nosh on baby carrots before the meal because my preschooler likes them and I feel that it rounds out the color palette.

I know. Rounding out the color palette is probably another weird trait no one else possesses.

Serve this meal with pride. Few will guess its ease.

Num num num.

Friday Favorite: Eggciting news!

Remember how my parents decided to get chickens and see what happened?

Well...

Project Egg Gatherer is a success!

Eggcellent!

A Sure Thing? Strawberry Cookies

Nothing is a sure thing.

If I carefully schedule everything at home and the office--we're talking 10 schedules--so that I can have one measly hour to write or go to yoga, fate (that brat) will intervene to remind me who is boss.

If I stay up late on Pinterest to find activities to dazzle my three-year-old son, he will be unimpressed. He will stare at me in disappointment when I present the color/number wheel game I made with matching clothespins. Pipe cleaners and finger paint will fail miserably, too.  His thrill of the day will be when we pour baking soda and vinegar down a drain to unclog it.

The only sure thing...is that nothing is a sure thing

So, imagine my surprise when I discovered something that made everyone in my house smile. Strawberry cookies! My son loves how pretty and pink they are.  I love how easy and tasty they are.  Even my health nut husband ventured a nibble and said, "Those are some good cookies."

The best surprise of all was when I felt little arms surround me and heard, "Mommy, I love you."

Magic cookies. Thank you, Taste and Tell blog.

Are you ready for the recipe?  

Mix 1/2 cup vegetable oil with 2 eggs.

Add strawberry cake mix and 1/2 cup coconut.  

Drop onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes.

A strawberry cookie may not be a sure thing, but it sure is a sweet one.

Friday Favorite: Christmas Activities

Our big family holiday is always special to me. Now that I have children, though, I wanted to pack even more into December. So, I made a list of memories and called them "Christmas surprises." Some nights it was even a surprise to me when we ended up doing one.  We had a blast! Here are a few from our list.


Get cute photos of the kids.  The Christmas card episode almost ruined this for me, but we had so many cute clothes for Alexandra that the opportunities were easy. Below is the onesie Aunt Lisa bought her that says, "My Auntie Knows Santa." I stuck her in the tutu and in a leopard chair so that years from now she can say, "Ma--aaawm! I can't believe you put me in that skirt. And your chair was ugly." But for now, she's happy.

Make fudge.  Few turn down this holiday treat. Since I don't cook a lot, I usually mess up the first batch.  Not this year! Another first? I made several batches without uttering a single profanity. My sous-chef made all the difference.

Advent Calendar. My mother made this calendar when my brother and I were small.  Hopefully, the kids will enjoy it as much as we did.  Max seemed to...when I remembered.

Festival of Lights Parade.

Decorate cookies with the grands. After looking at the ingredients of pre-made icing, I decided to make my own for the first time and was pleasantly surprised with the sheer ease and yumminess of it. 

Tour local holiday lights while wearing pajamas.  Max disappointed me by refusing to wear his adorable Santa pajamas.  In return, I disappointed him when I announced his surprise was to look at lights.  After we were on our way and he realized the activity wasn't a trip to Lowe's to shop for 60 watt bulbs, his trust in me was restored.

Watch Frosty the Snowman and make our own snowflakes. After making a mess of the floor and creating some crazy looking snowflakes, I finally Googled a how-to.  The results? Beautiful!

Ice skate.

Visit Santa. Max broke line, rushed to the bearded man in the red suit--and simply stared.  After playing with a train and getting the stink-eye from an elf when another little boy knocked the train off its track, Max summoned his courage to sit in Santa's lap and mumble his request.  Two face-down-and-belly-on-the-floor tantrums later, he wanted to see Santa again for another piece of candy.  Glad that experience only comes once a year!

Write letter to Santa.  I kept the letter for a scrapbook...that I'll make...someday. G scanned the letter and emailed to Santa.  Those elves are high-tech now.

Make cupcakes. This one wasn't my idea, but I'm glad he momentarily centered on the giving nature of the holiday. His heart was set on it, so I took out my Sprinkles cupcake mix from William Sonoma and got to work.  They were delicious.

Tour Garden of Lights.

Set out cookies for Santa.  The first Christmas he fell asleep. The second year, he was sick. Last year, he wasn't too interested. But I had high hopes. This year, he thoughtfully chose the cookie his dad had decorated and placed it on a stand.  Then he considered milk, but Grandmary convinced him that Santa would go to the fridge if he needed some.  In the morning, Max noticed a bite out of the cookie and an empty milk glass.  He figured Santa ate a lot of cookies throughout the night and was pleased he tried ours.

As I reflect on the fun times we had and look at the pictures, I notice two things: 1) I really need to do something about my hair. 2) We should paint the walls as soon as the kids are old enough to stop writing on them. 

Hmmm. Guess I have a start to those New Year's Resolutions.

Friday Favorite: Crock Pot Girls

Culinary facts about me:

• I'm not a chef.  Yes, I like to entertain and I love food. I'd just prefer to decorate than cook.
• I loathe cook books. I'm completely incapable of imagining what a recipe will taste like by reading it. Cook books clutter my life. I much prefer to enjoy something, ask for the recipe and place it in my three-ring binder of faves.
• I love my crock pot. It's easy. It makes delicious food.  'Nough said.

The Crock Pot Girls: Allyson, Jenna, and Nicole

On August 11, 2011, a trio of friends started a Facebook page where people post their favorite crock pot recipes. In those few weeks, over 330, 000 people have "liked" it.

Can you say phenomenon?

The creators have now started a website called Crock Pot Girls.

I am downright giddy with excitement.  Thank you, ladies, for providing a community of recipe swappers after my own heart!

Anyone else see a book deal in their future?

Writer's Wednesday: Sarah Addison Allen's The Sugar Queen is sweet

A sweet read!

When I describe this book as delicious, I'm not being cliche.  The sensory details in The Sugar Queen are phenomenal. Each chapter is the name of a different candy.  Food is up front and center--practically a character itself. Most similes and metaphors are connected to food.

I had no suspicion it was written in the style of magical realism until it finally hit me like a bag of lemon drops. 

Sure, it's odd for an acquaintance to suddenly take up residence in your closet--that's stocked with your secret stash of sweets and travel magazines.

Yes, it's unusual to have characters so accepting of superstition.  The protagonist Josey smells like Christmas because her mother insists all entrances to the house be scented with peppermint to keep away unwanted visitors. 

However,  the aspect that made me realize the novel embraced magical realism as much as Josey embraces GooGoo Clusters is a character named Chloe who lives her life encountering books that find her. They show up on couches, bars, floors, car seats, etc. (But never a bathroom because they might get wet. That makes sense, right?)  Books hound her because they need to be read. Who needs a therapist when you have books seeking you to help you with life?  I love the idea. All Chloe has to do to find answers is pick up a book and read it.

Author Sarah Addison Allen may have a similar relationship with books because she wrote this essay entitled Just So You Know with which any book lover can identify.

I literally squealed when I read this book.  It was delightful.

Lisa of the Office (we have so many Lisa ladies in our life that they have special monikers) loaned this book to me, and I'm so grateful.

Books are a favorite gift of mine, and this one is begging to be gifted in a basket with lots of candy.  Allen's website has a book club link with a page link called The Candy.  Go here and see all of the sugary foods that are in the book. 

So, if anyone gets it from me for Christmas, know it's because I think you, like the book, are sweet.

Writer's Wednesday: Forming a Critique Group

Some people think they can write something, never revise it, and others should still want to read it.


That's about the same thing as pooping on a platter and calling it art.


A critique group is extremely valuable to writers who want to improve their skills. However, a bad critique group can be devastating. If you're not a part of one that meets your needs, create your own.
  
Consider your ideal group.  In your utopia, how does it flow? Go ahead. Close your eyes and allow yourself to look around in your imagination. Experience the perfection.


Consider how you learn best.

• Do you prefer anonymity or one-on-one?
• Are you someone who needs to peel the layers of a critique to fully understand it? If so, then you probably need to be able to chat with your group.  On the other hand, if you can take written critiques and they make perfect sense to you, then an email arrangement might be more to your liking.  I've heard of critique buddies who've never met in person.  

• Do you want to know your writing companions well? 
• Membership will determine where you meet. If members are strangers, meet in a public place for safety's sake.  My favorite way to compile a group is to carefully select the members from among my friends and acquaintances--people I've carefully identified as having similar goals and energy of the group.  In that case, I prefer meeting in homes on a rotating basis.  It's cozier. Chairs are comfier. There's no time restraints. There's no eavesdroppers. Food and beverages flow.

Consider time.

• How much time can you dedicate to writing and critiquing?
  
• I believe that the most productive critique groups are those in which every member contributes each time.  I've participated in both kinds, and the feedback is different if someone isn't actively a part of the creating process of writing. It's a different zone.  If one isn't in that zone, then the criticism can be a bit detached.  However, since you're creating the group, make up your own rules. Maybe all the time you have to dedicate is once every three months.  That's still something.

• How often would you like to meet? 
• Once a month? Once a week?  Quarterly?   My favorite time is once a month.  If you and your potential critique buddies have loads of time and a deadline, then once a week can be exciting and productive, but most people exert a lot of energy just to meet once a month.

• How long would the meetings last? 
• Have an outline in mind.  If food is included, allow time for eating and socializing. Will you have guest speakers? Assign speaking/critique time. Will you have an information sharing time where members share contest information, agent updates, writing articles, etc.? Post the times so that everyone knows the agenda. Also, consider limiting the number of pages members can bring to be critiqued so that everyone gets equal time.  Sometimes, storytellers get easily off task and have the entire group laughing about situations that have nothing to do with the submissions.  In that case, set a timer for each entry. Bad blood can occur if someone gets the short end of the time stick because someone talked too much or brought an inordinate number of pages.

• How are the pieces submitted? 
• Should they be emailed ahead of time to allow readers to thoughtfully peruse the material at leisure?  Should copies be brought to the meeting and the piece read cold? Should the author read it aloud, should another member read it, or should everyone read it silently? All of these methods have been used successfully. Think about what works for you with time constraints and membership goals.

Consider feelings.

• What are the rules? 
• Even creative people need structure to thrive. At your first meeting or in the preliminary discussions, present some ground rules.  Criticism is not meant to rip apart a piece. It is meant to improve.  Knowing what one does right is as important as knowing what one does wrong. Try to first say what you like about the piece, what works, etc.  Follow up with the comments on what needs to be tweaked. Consider the different aspects of writing: plot, character, point of view, theme, setting, conflict, figurative language, pacing, etc. Allow the author to ask for specific feedback.  Sometimes that helps the critics gauge what the writer is striving for and whether or not it's attained.

• What will make people feel comfortable?  
• "Breaking bread" is a traditional way for people to connect. I've met in public places like Panera, Books A Million, Barnes and Noble, and Oklahoma City's Full Circle Bookstore. I've participated in potluck dinners and lunches at homes. I also meet with a group that has morning coffee/tea and sweets. The dessert is provided on a rotating basis. By no means am I a cook, but I enjoy food. And, for me, there's something about sharing my writing with people who are also willing to share sustenance. It's like an extra bond of trust is formed. Nourishing the body as well as the writing spirit works for me.

Congratulations on embarking on this endeavor. Ten years into the group I helped start, I realize that the benefits have been more than just writing. My critique partners have not only improved my work, but they've also improved my life--one meeting, one email, one phone call at a time. 
Good luck! 

What are your thoughts on critique groups? Do you have other suggestions?

Friday Favorite: A Novel Idea for Sonia Gensler's The Revenant

Last Friday, The Inklings celebrated our dear friend Sonia Gensler's soon-to-be-released novel The Revenant.

The Revenant is a gothic ghost story that takes place in Indian Territory in 1896 at the Cherokee Seminary, a boarding school for young, mostly privileged, Cherokee women.

Table setting

The girls of the seminary called themselves "rosebuds," so the table was set with red roses, sparkly silver, an Inklings tiara, and the invitation (which showed the castle-like structure of the seminary under construction).

 Lisa made an amazing meal using a family recipe. My mouth waters just thinking about it. 

Cookies!

party favors!

The students in the novel expressed excitement about going into town (now Tahlequah, OK) because of the various items that could be purchased.  Party attendees took home delicacies of a bygone era with stick candy and salted peanuts. The fans and stick candy were purchased at the Murrell Home , another location that served as inspiration for the author.

A photo album to keep pictures from her book tour and visits.

more party favors!

 Shel and her hubby made Christmas tree ornaments with the title of Sonia's book. The best part? She made one for all of us. With the hopes that one day we'll have trees dedicated solely to our critique group's published novels, she also distributed Glamour ornaments. So sweet!

We're so proud for Sonia. Congratulations!

FR: Shel, Sonia, Lisa. BR: Kelly, Karen, Dee Dee, Brandi, Martha

Who will be the next guest of honor at A Novel Idea party?