Monday, September 7, 2020

#TastyTuesday - Dessert for Breakfast? Hell Yeah!

Apple a day keeps the doctor away, especially when it's in a dish you can eat any time of the day!

Grandma Williams was the only member of her family to be born in the United States. Her parents and siblings were from Lund, Sweden. As the youngest of her grandchildren, I managed to spend some quality time with her and she shared many of her favorite Swedish dishes with me. 

Gram said apples were good any time of the day. We'd make apple crisp or strudel at night to have with dinner, eat again heated up with ice cream before bed, then again with cream for breakfast.


SWEDISH APPLE CRISP

8 apples
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. water
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. butter

Pare and slice apples. Place apples and brown sugar in 8x12 pan. Add water and sprinkle with cinnamon. For topping, sift flour and white sugar together. Cut in butter with pastry cutter. Mix and sprinkle over top of apples. Bake 40 to 45 minutes at 400 degrees. Serve crisp side up with whipped cream.


Sunday, September 6, 2020

Labor Days of the Past

 Labor Day weekends as a youth were spent in front of the television watching Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon. We were pretty excited when we were old enough to stay up all night. Whoot-whoot! 


Neighborhood kids would group together to host fun carnival games raising funds to donate then our parents would drive us to the Holiday Inn where the telethon was live on air. If we were lucky we met the local celebrities who were hosting. Neighborhood police officers and firefighters helped with friendly competitions between communities.

Other times, I was at our family cottage with my cousins. We watched the telethon until the fish started biting or the sun rose high and the lake called to us. Back in the day, school didn't start until AFTER Labor Day so my cousins and I would often "run away" into the woods with plans of survival. Uncle Charlie always waiting for us as we exited the forest on the edge of the gravel pits to take us home. 

What memories do you have of Labor Days past?







Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday in September to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United States. It is the Monday of the long weekend known as Labor Day Weekend. - Wikipedia

Saturday, September 5, 2020

#SneakPeekSunday - Handcuffs & Silk #Excerpt

It's a little chilly in my neck of the woods. Let's head somewhere a little warmer... such as Vegas. Here's a sneak peek into A 1 Night Stand Story I wrote for Decadent Publishing. I was one of the first authors to write for this 1 Night Stand series. Handcuffs & Silk was my first book with them.


Excerpt~

The blades of the chopper sliced through the heat of the night as it flew over the City of Lights. Casinos glowed in various hues of blue, plum, gold, green, and silver, casting a magical aura. Spotlights danced in the night, graceful fingers tickling the sinister side of Vegas. Unsuspecting people moved about, flitting from place to place, searching for excitement and fulfillment while cars in traffic jams occasionally brought the pulsing arteries in the heart of the city to a temporary halt.

Being a Las Vegas cop, Steph recognized the evil lurking in the shadows of the beautiful city, also known as Sin City. As the chopper made a turn, she viewed the vast landscape as an artist’s canvas. The awesome structures designed and built by nameless men. So many lives below. Where there is sin and sadness, one will also find love and happiness.

With a deep sigh, Steph continued to gaze at the site, wondering where she fit into the street party of existence. Not a single malicious bone in her body, yet a monster lurked inside, crying to be set free. And, despite the desire to have a special someone to share a lifetime of love and happiness, meaningless one-night stands never filled the emptiness inside. Lately, living and breathing her job had become her reason for lack of a social life. That, and always being looked at as one of the guys and a hard ass.

Some of the cops’ wives had made it their mission to fix her up with someone. Despite their efforts to feminize her, she intimidated the men they’d found for her. Not considered butch—she had all the right curves in all the right places and could wear sexy clothing that normally only looked good on a model—but everyone knew how tough she could be.

Controlling the power hidden deep inside her proved to be difficult and had ruined many relationships. Her last boyfriend liked to try kinky things, but had his limits. She’d gone out with a guy who’d insisted she be submissive to him, but that felt completely false and ended shortly after it began.

What’s wrong with me?

Frustrated at her inability to escape her reputation, she’d applied with an online dating service, 1NightStand. Not a regular matchmaking site, but more upscale; the mysterious owner, Madame Evangeline, had an amazing ability to find just the right person to satisfy one’s needs. Or so Steph had been told.

Her cell phone vibrated. Glancing at the screen, she noticed an email from 1NightStand. Instinct told her Eve was probably letting her know the dating service could not match her up. To avoid disappointment until back on the ground, Steph put the phone back in its holster.

The chopper began its descent.

****************************************

BLURB
Stephanie "Stiff" Johnson, is a tough Las Vegas cop who many men find too intimidating to date. Steph begins to wonder if something is wrong with her so she turns to Madame Eve to find a man who could be the yin to her yang, even if it's just for one night.

Hunter Morgan left behind years of living as a sub to a female Domme in New York. Upon return to his hometown, he questions whether he wants to continue with the "lifestyle" or find something different. Turning to 1 Night Stand, he hopes to sample his options.

A simple one-night stand opens a whole new sensuous world to both. 

************************************************************************




Handcuffs & Silk on GOODREADS

Friday, September 4, 2020

Romantic Meal with Aurora Luminous

 Hubby and I enjoyed a quiet evening and an opportunity to prepare a meal together. 

Hubby grilled some Ahi Tuna, a few skewers of shrimp  with a light Cajun seasoning.


I melted some butter at low heat in a cast iron pan, added chopped garlic, fresh parsley and a little salt & pepper. I simmer it, stirring constantly to keep it from burning. Browning is good tho. I added some small scallops and stirred until the scallops were nicely coated and warm. 

I baked some refrigerator biscuits but added my own touch. Sprinkled garlic salt, garlic powder, parsley and Parmesan cheese on top before baking.

In another cast iron pan, I melted butter with some Herbs de Provence. I added some fresh green beans and chopped water chestnuts. After tossing a couple ice cubes into the pan, I covered it and continued cooking on medium for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While we prepared the me, we enjoyed some wine from Aurora Cellers. This small boutique style winery with old fashion charm is located in the Leelanau Peninsula in northern Michigan. The winery exudes romance as it hosts weddings on site. 


The wine I chose to accompany our light fare was a bottle of Luminous, and 2019 Gold Medal winner in a Michigan Wine Competition. Luminous is a crisp refreshing blend of 25% Riesling (my favorite), 35% Seyval, 25% Vignoles, and 15% Pinot Gris. When I drank the wine alone, it seemed to need something. That something was food. The fish and shrimp had a little spice. The wine danced across my tongue with light citrus notes cooling the heat. LOVE IT! A buttery finish was perfect compliment to the skillet dishes. 

I highly recommend Luminous from Aurora Cellers to accentuate a lightly spicy grilled seafood. 

This wine is available in most retail markets.


Thursday, September 3, 2020

Romantic Dinner for Two

 What better way to wind-down from the week than a nice meal on Friday night. Preparing a meal together is good for a couple. It's a chance to talk, tease, laugh and kiss. According to some studies, cooking is one of the top activities couples can do together to strengthen their relationship. Cooking together is a soothing experience. It's great to relieve stress; think chatting and chopping. Using your hands to create the meal, maybe even sipping wine or sharing a beer, can easily turn into a sensual experience. Take a moment to hand feed a sample to your honey and follow it with a kiss.

A man who cooks is hot.

When you set a timer for pasta or veggies, use the opportunity to discuss something important or have a make out session. When the timer dings, the moment is paused.

Preparing a meal at our house is a family affair. We've always included our sons and each one enjoys cooking as much as he enjoys eating. Over the years we've included friends and girlfriends to take part of the fun. 

With eldest son now married, he and his new wife join us once a week for a meal. They often talk about meals they've prepared together.

Son #2 lives 3 hours away. He and his girl will go to market together then prepare the meal.

Son #3 is still underfoot, and tolerates our PDA during meal prep. However, occasionally hubby and I enjoy an evening alone.

The key to enjoy meal prep is keeping it fun, busy and communication is important. If you and your honey don't see eye-to-eye in meal prep you need to  communicate, compromise,or simply take turns in the kitchen.


Check out the article Couples Who Cook Together Stay Together, Says Science.

Check out this article on cooking together by Jillian Kramer 


Wednesday, September 2, 2020

#Thursday13 - Remembering Summer With Friends

 


As the summer comes to a  close, what do you remember? 

Putting aside all the Covid crap, think of things that made you laugh, things that made you feel good.

I think of our Girl's Weekend. We traveled to Amy's cottage on Lake Huron over by Tawas.

Who needs an ocean when we have Great Lakes!

Here are some of my favorite photos from the weekend.

Be sure to check out some more amazing THURSDAY 13  lists HERE


1.

Girls at the beach.


2. 

No salt, no sharks, no problem when it comes to relaxing.


3. 
Nightly sunsets spent with friends is good for the soul.


4. 
Historic Alabaster Bible Church



5. 
Amy's brother enjoyed sampling Tammie's Better Than Sex cake.


6. 
Kendra stole a few beers from a secret outdoor fridge at her her brother-in-law's cottage. 
How many beers so far, Kendra?


7. 
Cooling breeze, therapeutic waves, and good friends = a perfect day
We flipped a middle finger at Covid, menopause and stress.


8. 
I love Deb's smile. It says it all.


9. 
We added to the collection before we left.


10. 
Picking and nibbling on wild berries.


11. 
Sad to see some old trees with years and years of carved names slated to be taken down.
How many kisses were stolen in the shadows of the green canopy?


12. 
An evening stroll with the dogs along the lake's edge.
Erosion was evident along this shoreline.


13. 
Gotta love a Michigan sunset.

A Little Afternoon Delight from Crow Magic

A busy day? Take a few minutes (or hours) grab a cup of tea,  a book and curl up on a cozy seat. Join me on the porch if you wish. I won't interrupt since I'm reading too. 
Here's a little snippet from my book Crow's Magic.

Birds chattering pulled her from sleep. She wiggled under the cozy comforter to steal one more moment of utter bliss before rubbing her face to wake up. Pushing flyaway hair past her ears, Lucy opened her eyes and stretched. Arriving late the night before, she’d unpacked then gone straight to bed. Her best friend had convinced her to try Madame Eve’s 1Night Stand, and now miles from home, she lay in the Rose Cabin on Cherry Lane, a private but exquisite cottage at the Castillo Resort in the Poconos Mountains.

She took a deep breath and rose to the beauty of a new day and the possibilities of the coming evening. Sunlight dappled the floors of her cabin. Finding the long terry robe the resort supplied, she pulled it on then pulled back the cream-colored curtains to allow the morning radiance to enter and spread its cheerfulness. The delicate scent from the white roses in a vase on the nightstand mingled with the pine and cedar cabin. She picked up a card next to the flowers.

Lucy,
May you discover the magical power of the mountains and their crystal clear waters.
May the life force of the woods stir your soul.
May you learn from the spirit of the crow.
Tecumseh will help you fly if you believe in him.
Madame Eve

He had only one name. Not Bob, or Roger, but Tecumseh, and without doubt, Native American. Names held power and his name sounded powerful. What kind of person had the name Tecumseh? Was he a real man, a shaman or a spirit?

“Enough worrying about tonight, time to enjoy the day.” She adjusted the sheets of the Queen Ann bed and smoothed the antique quilt bright with turquoise and shades of fuchsia. An impressive painting of a floral meadow and a large tree near a lake hung on the wall and she made a mental note to explore outside to discover if the meadow was local. She gazed at the bed, wondering what the night would bring and shuddered with anticipation.


Crow Magic Blurb:
Lucy Richards is tired of being timid around men. Hoping to overcome her fears and feel like a real woman, she turns to Madame Eve to find a man who will fulfill that goal. Eve arranges a one-night stand with a handsome Shawnee shaman who will teach Lucy to use her womanly power and take her to unimaginable heights.

Shape shifter Seth Crowe is a Keeper of the Spiritual Law who carries souls from darkness to light, and enjoys using his body to accomplish his magic.


Tucked away in the Castillo Poconos Resort, Seth helps Lucy find spiritual and sexual freedom, never dreaming he might find his own mate in the bargain.



BUY NOW

Tuesday, September 1, 2020

Romance Tip - Enjoy the Hummers... Birds That Is


Living in the woods has provided my family with hours of enjoyment watching wildlife. We have feeding stations (store bought bird feeders as well as simple platforms made from stumps) placed in the yard. We have glass hummingbird feeders hanging on the front porch as well as on our back deck. I can't grow many flowers so I try to select a few hummers and butterflies enjoy.

Hubby and I enjoy quiet moments sipping wine and watching our neighborhood humming birds visit a feeder which is only a few feet from where we sit. Once in a while a couple females get scrappy and poor hubby has to duck out of fear of getting flown into by one of the tiny creatures. (He likes wearing red t-shirts... perhaps it makes them amorous.)


ROMANCE TIP:
Grab your honey and visit your local hardware or home store and pick up a brightly colored humming bird feeder. Together in the kitchen brew up a batch of Hummingbird food. Find a spot in your yard where you can hang the feeder and sit to enjoy some quiet time together. Early morning while enjoying your coffee or in the evening sharing a bottle of wine is the best time for simple romance while bird watching.


Below is some tips on food and care of your feeder. 

Food
    In nature, hummingbirds eat flower nectar for energy and bugs for protein.  Flower nectar is 21% to 23% sucrose - regular table sugar - so it is very easy and inexpensive to make.  Here is the recipe for making hummingbird nectar:

  1. Mix 4 parts water to 1 part table sugar in a pan.  For example, use 1 cup sugar to 4 cups water.  Do not use honey, Jell-O or brown sugar.   Especially do not use artificial sweeteners.  Putting hummingbirds on a diet will kill them.  They burn prodigious amounts of energy for their size and need real sugar.  Do not use red food coloring.  It is unnecessary and can harm the little hummers even in low concentrations because they eat so much nectar.  If your feeder isn't red, tie a red ribbon on it as described in the Feeders section, above.  Do not add anything else that you might think of.  Just sugar and water, that's all.
  2. Bring to a boil then remove from the heat.  Stir it while it is heating until all of the sugar is dissolved.  Don't boil it for long because that will change the ratio as water is boiled off.  The reason for boiling is not to make syrup, but to drive out the chlorine in the water and to kill mold and yeast spores that might be in the sugar.  This will help make the nectar last longer both in the feeder and in your refrigerator. 
  3. Cover and allow to cool before using or pouring into the storage bottle.  We recommend making a large batch of nectar and storing it in the refrigerator in a 2 liter soda bottle (washed thoroughly first.)  This makes refilling the feeder so easy that you won't mind doing it every few days.
Cleanliness
    Sugar water is a very rich growth medium.  Yeasts like to eat it causing fermentation which can harm hummingbirds.  Mold and bacteria grow in it and can also harm the birds.  That is why it is important to keep the feeder clean and the nectar fresh.  You must change the nectar frequently to avoid these contaminants.    In cooler temperatures we recommend changing it every seven days.  If the temperatures are getting above 70 degrees, follow this chart:

High temperaturesChange nectar after
71-756 days
76-805 days
81-844 days
85-883 days
89-922 days
93+change daily

Monday, August 31, 2020

Better Than Sex - What?

 What is better than sex? Why cake of course! 

If you love chocolate and caramel and whipped cream and prefer to forget about calories, you need to try this decadent confectionery.


You just licked your screen, didn't you!

Tammie brought this cake with her to our Girls’ Weekend. 

Oh, Lordy!!! It was soooo goooooddd!!

Even Amy’s brother, Lucius Larry, agreed with us ladies.
 
Tammie said it’s super easy to make.

1. Take one box of chocolate cake mix and make it according to the directions on the box. Allow it to cool.

2. Use a wooden spoon handle to poke holes all over the cake.

3. Grab a 12 oz jar of caramel ice cream topping and 14oz can of sweetened condensed milk. Pour all over the cake. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

4. Top with 8oz of whipped topping. Add mini chocolate chips, or crushed Oreo cookies or heath bars or whatever floats your boat. 

Store in the fridge or it can be frozen.

Give it a try. 
You'll love it! 
It's orgasmic!

Sunday, August 30, 2020

My Morning Has Gone To The Dogs

 Or at least one dog.

Mornings are the same each day... yoga, fill the feeding stations for the wildlife then walk the dog. I started this routine this spring after our chocolate lab passed away. My girl Maggie needed more "Momma Time". The vet says my 13-yr old girl is healthy for her age considering a bit of arthritis in her spine and the beginnings of liver failure. To slow the aging process,  my lab takes meds in the morning with breakfast and two daily walks.


Benefits of walking for both human and dog include improved cardiovascular fitness, lower blood pressure, stronger muscles and bones as well as decreased stress. When hubby is home he often joins us for the strolls. This time is perfect for holding hands and talking.


Maggie often points out wonderful things in nature - animal tracks or scat, turkeys, deer, lovely flowers, babbling streams, making our senses come to life.

Next time you walk your dog or simply taking a stroll, notice what's around you. Look for the little things. Take time to breathe deep. If you're with your honey, use this opportunity to walk in silence and simply BE.


Maggie used to visit nursing homes and rehab centers.


Research has shown that being around a dog can lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and dampen other physiological stress responses. The effect is so strong that service dogs are sometimes used to help war veterans manage PTSD.Apr 17, 2014