A Treasured Memory and a Recipe

 

Though today is December 28^th, I’d like to share one of my favorite Christmas memories. I didn’t get to celebrate with my children or grandchildren this year, and I have been thinking of them a lot. This story always makes me smile. I hope you’ll enjoy it too.

One year, our son Dan brought his girlfriend to dinner. We knew they were serious and likely to become engaged soon, but we hadn’t shared a holiday with her.

Festive meals in our house are extravagant and cooking them takes days. One person likes a certain kind of meat. Another wants a fancy potato dish. Someone else loves fresh bread with Irish butter. Everyone expects a great dessert.

Several family members love my method of cooking eye of the round and request it for every family event. (I’ll include the recipe below.)

That night, the menu included the roast, Lyonnaise potatoes with lots of cheese, spinach salad with hot bacon dressing, crescent rolls, and flambé chocolate steamed pudding with cherry brandy sauce.

When everyone arrived dressed in their ugly sweaters and roomy stretch pants, I welcomed them and served Hors d’oeuvres.

They settled down in the living room with their drinks and snacks while I worked on the rest of the spread.

Amanda, my son’s girlfriend, came from a family where food was cooked extra-well-done, and I worried about serving this entree because we eat it rare. However, I planned to give her an outside slice cooked enough to suit her.

I poured Burgundy wine over the beef, baked it a while, turned it over, doused it with more vino, and cooked it a bit longer.

When removed from the oven, the eye of the round was still as red as a Poinsettia.

After the beef rested for 20 minutes, my husband turned his back to the doorway, placed the slab on a tiny carving board, fired up the electric knife, and started cutting.

The blade whirred and whined as it sawed through the meat. Scarlet juices ran from the thin wood plank to the counter and dripped down the cabinets.

I grabbed paper towels and caught some of the drips, but a pool had already formed on the floor. Bending over, I sopped up as much as the wad would hold.

At that moment, Dan walked into the kitchen and yelled, “Amanda, come look at the blood!”

She peeked through the door, her eyes went wide, and all the color drained from her face. She took a deep breath. “Oh my God.”

 “This isn’t blood. It’s Burgundy wine!” I held up the lump of dripping, crimson paper.

Amanda narrowed her eyes and glared at Dan. “You’re not funny.”

He laughed until tears streamed. “You should see your face.”

My husband shrugged, finished slicing, turned off the serrated cutter, hoisted up the platter, and headed to the dining room. “Let’s eat.”

Though Amanda requested the end part of the roast, which was mostly white, and picked at her food, she returned for the next big family get-together.

Fast forward: Dan and Amanda have been married over a decade. They have two awesome daughters, and Amanda asks for my eye of the round every year for Christmas. She even eats some of the pink parts.

 

                                  Dan, Amanda, Amelia, and Abby Smits

Eye of the Round Roast

 Warning: This recipe is for those who like rare meat!

5-6 lb. Eye of Round Roast

¾ C. Flour

Salt, Pepper, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder to taste

6-8 strips Bacon

1 C. Burgundy Wine

Preheat oven to 450º

Season flour with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder and mix well.

Rinse roast and pat dry with paper towels.

Roll in seasoned flour to coat.

Place roast in baking pan, layer strips of bacon across top.

Pour ½ C. Burgundy wine over roast.

Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes.

Remove from oven, slide bacon to the side, turn roast over, and replace bacon on top.

Pour ½ C. Burgundy wine over roast.

Bake uncovered another 20-25 minutes.

Remove from oven. Meat will be brown outside and red inside.

Cover with aluminum foil and allow to rest 20 minutes.

Meat will continue to cook as it rests, but you may need to adjust cooking time depending on how rare you want it. Eye of the round loses tenderness with increased cooking, however, and is best served rare.

 

 

Season's Greetings from the Pen Dames

 

 

Today is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year. It is also a few days before Christmas and the start of Kwanzaa as well as a few days after the end of Chanukah. However you celebrate, I send everyone wishes for love and light. 

 

Honestly, it’s hard to enjoy the holidays this year. We’ve all faced hardship and/or tragedy. 

Nevertheless, I believe we need to find joy wherever we can, and though the events of this year made me feel befuddled like the poor guy in the picture below, I’m ready for some fun. So, I hope I can bring you a smile with a whimsical little game.

Play along with me. Find your reindeer name from the chart and tell me in a reply to this post.

As a way of saying thank you for participating, I’ll pick one person by random drawing for a $5.00 gift card. Contest closes at midnight on Sunday, December 27.

I’m Kind Caribou. I swear I didn’t set it up that way!

Thank you for joining me here today! We truly appreciate everyone who follows the Pen Dames blog. If you would like more info about me and my books, my website is:  http://katherineeddingersmits.weebly.com/

 

Loretta C. Rogers Author Interview

Good morning! Flossie Benton Rogers here. Allow me to introduce our interviewee, the fabulous Loretta C. Rogers. It is truly my pleasure. Her books and generous spirit continue to provide inspiration to me and countless other readers and writers. Although we have the same last name, Loretta and I are not related. We are, however, spirit sisters of the pen.

Hello everyone. I hope all of you are having a great day. I’m excited to be Flossie’s interviewee this month.

Let's jump right in, Loretta. How many books have you published and in what genres? 

My first book was published in 2007. In all that time, I’ve had twenty-two books published. I write romance novels such as cowboy westerns, historical, contemporary, and paranormal. My tag line is “Romance with a Twist…Expect the Unexpected,” which means in all my romance novels there is a little mystery, a little paranormal, a little psycho-thriller mixed in.

When you first started, which writers inspired you the most? 

I am an eclectic reader and when I would read Judy Bloom, I’d think, oh I want to write like her, but then I’d read Kathleen Woodiwiss, Rosemary Rogers, Virginia Henley, and Mary Higgins Clark, and I’d gush over their styles, then along came James Michner, Clive Cussler and John Grisham, and I’d change course again. I’m also a huge fan of Louie L’Amore, Zane Grey, Luke Short and William Johnston. All these writers took me on thrilling journeys. I wanted to write like all of them. The one thing about these great authors’ writing that influenced me the most was to develop my own style of storytelling.

What influence do your former jobs or avocations have on your writing? 

Most people don’t know that in my very early years of employment and long before I became a teacher, I was a rape crisis suicide prevention counselor and an auxiliary sheriff’s deputy. Although I write fiction, many of the characters and plots in my books are fictionalized versions of events that I’ve experienced firsthand. For example, in Murder in the Mist, the antagonist, Bennie Noone is based on one of my case studies. Birdie Mae Dix, the heroine in Bitter Autumn, a Historical romance, was influenced by my great grandmother’s story when, at the age of thirteen, she was abducted by a band of warriors and held captive for three years before being rescued. My newest novel, Christmas at Hope Ranch, was influenced by students that I taught, many who were considered ‘throw away’ kids because they lived in foster care.

Why do you write? 

First let me say that I don’t write for fame or fortune. If I did, I would have given up years ago. I write because the voices inside my head, the ones that visit me when I’d rather be sleeping, all want their stories to be told. (Oh, wouldn’t a psychiatrist have fun analyzing that statement. LOL!) Also, I’m the world’s biggest coward. Writing allows me to live vicariously through the, often, dangerous situations that I put my characters through.

Who is your favorite of all your characters and why? 

Oh, this is a toughie because I love all my characters—even the villains. If I had to choose a favorite I think it would be Fiona Quinn in Bannon’s Brides. Young and beautiful, Fiona is all alone in the world. She’d rather become a mail-order bride than be forced into prostitution. In a women’s only wagon train, she braved rattlesnakes, Indian attacks, electrical storms, and being kidnapped by two demented brothers, before reaching Oregon where the man who bought her was rotten to the core. I admire Fiona’s tenacity.

What do you think is the hardest part of being a writer? 

For me, the most difficult part of being a writer isn’t crafting the story. It’s eking out quality time to write. You know, all those mundane things that wives must do. And then before a book releases there’s promo materials to create, then posting on all the social media sites to promote the book, and when edits come in, well, edits take precedent over the current work in progress because it’s a huge no-no to miss an editorial deadline. It’s a good thing I have insomnia, otherwise, I’d never find time to write.

What advice would you give a beginning writer? 

My first advice is not to set yourself up for failure. If a beginning writer is expecting fame and fortune they’re setting themselves up for disappointment. Over the years there has been a gigantic shift in what traditional publishers require from writers. With indie writers flooding the market, the competition for getting a book noticed is fierce. My second bit of advice is to join a professional writers group because education is vital to learning the craft of writing and how to navigate the entire book promotion process. Also, read, read, read. Decide on the genre(s) you wish to write, then read novels in those genres by bestselling authors and by little known authors. Compare their writing voices and writing styles. Then sit down and write, but don’t copy any authors’ style and voice—develop your own. In the words of Stephen King, “Don’t be afraid to kill your darlings.” In other words, don’t fall in love with your first draft, or even the second or third draft. Slicing and dicing is the name of the game. You’ll find that editing and rewriting makes for a stronger story.

What is a typical work day like for you? 

I treat writing like a business. I go to work (which is a bedroom converted to an office.) about 11AM. I check emails and social media first to get that out of the way. If I have a new release coming up, I work on developing promo material. Then if I have edits from my editor, those get first priority over working on my WIP. I do take a break because I have meals to prepare. The old adage of ‘write every day’ doesn’t work for me. I belong to an online reader/writers group, and my publisher holds informational chat sessions every Tuesday. I make time for those. If I’m not exhausted when hubby’s TV is off and the lights are out, then I’ll work on my WIP until my eyes get droopy. Although I try not to work seven days a week, I very often do.

What is your process for layering your story?

I’m a panster/lineal writer. When I sit down at the computer and put my hands on the keys, it’s fly by the seat of my imagination. I’m not a writer that hop-scotches around. Before I begin a story, I do a GMC sheet (goal motivation, conflict) this lets me know what the H/H want and helps drive the plot. I also do character profile’s to give me a general idea of eyes, color, body shape, education, etc. Once I’ve done that, then I sit down and write. I layer as I go. When I write “The End,” I sit the story aside for about a week. Then I go back to look at it with fresh eyes to add layers where needed.

What dreams or goals are you still working toward? 

At my age, my goal is to continue waking up and greeting each new day. Seriously, before the pandemic my dream was to spend a month in Ireland and Scotland which are my ancestral countries. That is still a dream and hopefully it’ll happen in the near future. My goal is to continuing writing for as long as the characters inside my head keep demanding I tell their stories, and to tell their stories well so that readers will keep buying my books.

What other activities besides writing do you enjoy? 

Not to repeat myself, but before the pandemic, my husband and I were avid travelers, and we liked to try new restaurants. Perhaps that day will return. In the meantime, I don’t have hobbies like crocheting or scrapbooking. I do, however, enjoy working crossword puzzles, researching my family genealogy, experimenting with new recipes, and reading.

Loretta, I know readers have enjoyed your responses and finding out more about you.

Thanks for all these wonderful questions, Flossie. I’ve enjoyed answering them.

How about it, Dear Readers--do you have a question for Loretta? Now's your chance! Make sure to check out her website and blog as well. Thank you for tuning in. 

Heart, Humor, and Happily Ever After from the Pen Dames!

Will the Coronavirus be the Grinch that Steals Christmas?

 

Dear Readers,

Just like the title states: Will the Coronavirus be the Grinch that steals Christmas?

This is a blog I never wanted to write. COVID-19 cases are skyrocketing across the United States. Over 70,000 new cases have been reported on numerous days in the past weeks and the death toll has eclipsed more than 200,000 souls.

It’s clear that the COVID-19 virus isn’t going away anytime soon. And it’s certainly not going to be conquered before the holiday season. It’s almost painful to write the words “virus” and “holiday” in the same paragraph. The reality is that this is one of the strangest Christmas buying seasons we’ve probably ever encountered.

Did you know that in 1606, London was locked down in quarantine as the bubonic plague swept through the countryside? William Shakespeare used his enforced downtime to write some of his most enduring plays: King Lear, Macbeth, and Antony and Cleopatra.

Sixty years later, the plague returned to England. Classes at Cambridge University were canceled, so young Isaac Newton retreated to his family estate and wrote papers that would become his theory of gravity.

If the plague couldn’t stop the most famous playwright and mathematician from producing history-changing works, then I decided what’s stopping me from sitting in my typing chair and creating ideas for new books?

It’s true that the COVID-19 crisis has dramatically changed the way all of us do business and live our lives. But there is one activity where millions of people are finding solace during this difficult time: reading a book.

As an author, I’m wondering, like so many writers, with people avoiding crowds, shopping from home, and desiring instant gratification, will there be a surge in demand for eBooks? Studies show that book lovers haven’t embraced their digital cousins to the extent that was predicted when the first  Kindle was introduced, and while eBooks never became the “printed book killer” they were touted as, sales have taken off in the last few months.

So here’s the question, dear friends, will the Coronavirus be the Grinch that steals Christmas? Books could be the go-to gift option in what’s predicted to be a social-distancing Christmas, especially when this virus prevents us from celebrating with our friends and family in person. It’s my guess that gift givers will stay home to search for that perfect book title and have it safely delivered to their loved one’s doorstep.

I’m wondering what a post-COVID world will look like. What about you—have you also wondered? I’m looking forward to the day hubby and I can go to our favorite restaurants without thinking about social distancing or go to a concert in person, and hopefully have in-office doctor visits instead of tele-med by phone. I’m confident this day is coming with new vaccines on the horizon, but some things have changed forever, and that includes the world of book marketing.

I know it’s shameless of me to post this article then invite you to peruse our book titles. In fact, we’ll be the opposite of the Grinch. For the first five people to respond positively to this blog article, we’ll gift you with a pdf. copy of our listed novels. You may choose one title of your choice or you may choose to receive all five titles. 

      

                        

 However, there is a catch: we’re limiting this offer to the first five people #1) Who respond with one positive impact that 2020 has had on you, #2) Let us know which pdf. title you wish to receive or if you wish to receive all 5 titles, #3) Check on FB to see if you are a winner. You will then be asked for your email address so the authors can contact you, #4) While it isn’t a requirement, we would greatly appreciate it if you would post a positive review for each book you read on FB, Amazon, or Goodreads. Hurry: This offer expires December 21, 2020.

*Note all books are offered as a pdf. except for “Water Dreams” which is offered as an ebook.*

So, dear readers, keep reading, keep staying positive, and most of all stay safe!

MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!