Brain Food for Writers by Connie Vines

It wasn't until I completed this blog post that I realized that my title, well. . .carried an unintended double meaning.

My featured novella this month -- Here Today, Zombie Tomorrow-- is a Zombie story. And today's topic is brain food.  Well, brain food for writers, anyway.

On deadline? Obsessed with your current storyline?  Forfeiting sleep, exercise, and nutrition to reach the moment you can type the words The End on the final page of your novel?

Here are a list of grazing foods that you can keep on hand.  High in protein, easy prep, and tasty.

Single serve, or 5 ounces of nonfat cottage cheese.  3 grams more protein than a typical serving of Greek yogurt.

Hard boiled Egg.  No longer shunned due to claims of too high cholesterol, we can enjoy in moderation. You can boil yourself or purchased peeled and packaged at the market.

Peanut butter.  Scoop your own or purchase in single packets, smear on a banana or apple slices.

Roasted chickpeas ( I love hummus and falafel).  120 cals per serving, 5 gram of protein and fiber.

To prep yourself rinse and drained chickpeas in a bowl with olive oil.  Add chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.  Oven bake at 425 degrees for 45 mins.

Greek yogurt

Turkey roll ups. Nitrate free deli turkey breast with a squirt os mustard, a slice of tomato, and some lettuce.  Add red pepper slices and baby carrots. Roll and store in a plastic container or foil.

Hummus.  Made from chickpeas, tahini, and olive oil, hummus is a healthy mix of protein and fiber. Use it as a dip for carrots, tomatoes, red pepper, and cucumber slices,

100-calorie almond packets.

String cheese.

Happy Writing & Reading.

Connie

It's National Puppy Day! by Connie Vines #National Puppy Day

Prepare yourselves for an overdose of cuteness, because March 23 is National Puppy Day! Established in 2006, National Puppy Day is a paw-some day for all dog enthusiasts to celebrate unconditional love and fawn over the undeniably cute fur-balls that bring so much happiness into this world. While we’re all softies when it comes to our four-legged friends, today is also designed to raise awareness about puppy mills and help prospective pet owners consider adoption.

Their cuddles and wiggles make us smile and without a doubt, there are squeals of delight when there are puppies around!

We must remember: Puppies are a big responsibility. Be sure to consider everything involved and adopt from a shelter. The puppies there need love and a home just as much as any other and they grow into loyal pets, too!

According to the ASPCA, approximately 3.3 million dogs enter shelters every year. Some of these dogs come with litters of puppies. If you’re seeking a puppy to start your furry family, check the shelters first. When these abandoned and abused animals find their way to a shelter, each one needs a forever home and their potential is limitless.

Personal note: 

I have always welcomed my pups into my life.  My first, very own puppy, was a pedigreed miniature poodle I name Jacques. My father was on on shore-duty during my 12th birthday. I recall the drive to Fallbrook, CA to an AKC approved breeder. It didn't take long until  I fell in love with the black curly-haired-bundles of wiggles.  With in moments, we were 'best-friends'. 

Since Jacques passing, I have adopted (and adored) an abandoned greyhound who lived until she was 14; chiweenie (a little fire-ball) who lived until he was 12.; followed by my current pups:  A rehomed KC Spaniel/Poodle toy-mix (always by my side) and a shelter pup. I adopted the 1 year-old Westie Highland Terrier on my birthday last year. He's  vocal and spunky but allows my 7 lb. KC Spaniel/Poodle tattle on his mischievous behaviors (pen-stealing, for one). 

It goes without saying that when you adopt a rescue pet, you’re saving a life—but you’re actually saving more than one. By adopting, you’re helping make space for another animal in need and helping to give them the opportunity to become beloved pets. 

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalPuppyDay

Use #NationalPuppyDay and post photos of your puppy on social media.

Go to the dog park and let your puppy play.

Pick up a special treat for your puppy.

Go for a walk with your young friend.

Wishing you a day filled with paw-prints, cold-noses, and puppy-kisses!

Connie

Travel the World without Leaving Your Kitchen--Czech Potato Dumplings by Connie Vines

 Since we are all home-bound during the Pandemic, we are all seems going back to basics.

Served with sauerkraut or gravy

Yes,  we are all trying to save money and beef-up nutrition, while spending quality kitchen time with the children and family members

We all have family recipes passed down from generation-to-generation. Each week I've tried prepare one recipe from my childhood. I also send my grands family photos from 'the old country' and a bit of family-lore to share when they are adults and families of their own.

This week it was Czech Potato Dumplings.  
My maternal grandmother's family emigrated from Czechoslovakia in the late-1890s.  My great-grandmother was from Bohemia (the westernmost and largest historical region of the modern-day Czech Republic).  Bohemians, like all Czech are Slavic. Bohemia was recognized as the Dutch of Bohemia around 870 AD.  She, her husband and children boarded a ship to cross the Atlantic to Ellis Island, settling in the Czech area of Chicago, IL.

Potato Dumplings, peach dumplings, Koláče, and yeast breads, were the foods when my grandmother and aunt came for an extended visit.

Ingredients

The dumplings are potato based and boiled on the stove top.  I'd suggest making 1/2 the amount unless you are cooking for a crowd because these dumplings are 'heavy and filling',  Not the southern chicken-and-dumpling fare.

I will post the ingredients and a link to a YouTube link for a detailed demo by a Czech home-cook. Spoken in English.

Her recipe differs from mine a little (I don't use Wonder flour) but there is no difference in taste.

YouTube Potato Dumplings Cooking Demo

She has 5 or 6 potatoes for her dumplings.  ( I would 1/2 the recipe if you are cooking for 3 or 4 people)

3 T., unsalted butter

2 eggs

3 cups of Wonder flour

Salt

1/4 cup of milk

The potatoes are boiled in a pot of salted water, drained (unpeeled, uncut) and after cooling, kept covered in the refrigerator over night (or until cooled).

The video is 1:33 minutes in length.

after refrigeration over night ingredients are lightly kneed l

Then formed in to 2 large dumplings

Sliced and served on a large platter

Click here to listen to Anton Lada (my relative) and the "Louisiana 5"--the first band ever to go on tour. 

https://secondhandsongs.com/artist/78812/works



Click here to listen and watch traditional Czech music and dance

I hope you enjoyed today's mini-vaca from the warmth of your own kitchen.

As the Czechs say: Rodina je jedním z mistrovských děl přírody. - 


"The family is one of nature's masterpieces."

How to Develop Tension in Your Writing by Connie Vines #RR #RR82 #WritingTips

How do you develop tension in your writing?

RR#82

Thank you Robin for this month's topic :)

I believe creating tension in a novel (or short-story) is a skill which is always been honed and re-invented by an author.

The genre of fiction or even non-fiction often denotes the type of tension you develop when you are writing.  However, these are the go-to questions I ask myself when I am writing and revising my stories: 

First and foremost, your characters must be people your readers will like and relate to.

Have I created  a conflict crucial to your characters. ...

Are my characters engaging characters with opposing goals. ...

Remember to keep raising the stakes. ...

Allow tension to ebb and flow. ...

Keep making the reader ask questions. ...

Create internal and external conflict. ...

Create secondary sources of tension. ...

Make the story unfold in a shorter space of time.

Also:

Master the art of pacing. ...

Time your tension effectively. ...

Introduce exponential tension. ...

Consider using cliffhangers: at the end of a scene or at the end of a chapter.

Throw out those extra words (adverbs). Verbs = Action.

Examples in my writing:

Excerpt from "Brede" Rodeo Romance, Book 2

With and unexpected flash of recall cam a feeling of success. Only the joy was gone al too quickly, blotted out by something else that hovered at the edge of her consciousness. Dark and menacing, it pressed down on her like a thunderhead in the moments before a cloudburst.

She remembered the darkness...

Excerpt from "Lynx" Rodeo Romance, Book 1

Coming out of chute number 5 is Lynx Maddox, the "Wild Cat"...atop Widow-Maker. This cowboy hails from Amarillo, Texas. Let's give him a big Montana welcome."

Everything seemed to move in slow motion. The heavy thud of hooves to the ground. The animal's labored breathing and the clang of the cowbell filled Lynx's head as his butt was pounded against the bull's back. His spine compressed with every jolt.

Helluva way to make a living, he thought, fighting to remain upright. Infuriated, the bull jerked its head from side to side, rolled his eyes, and suddenly aimed a horn at Lynx's leg.

The Brahman had changed his tactics, Lynx realized, his arm pulling hard at the socket as he fought against gravity. Exhaling a heavy snort, the animal dropped its head forward and blasted toward the center of the arena, Lynx knew he was in trouble, big time. . .

Excerpt from "Tanayia--Whisper upon the Water" Native American/First Peoples Series, Book 1

1868

The Governor of New Mexico decreed that all Indian children over the age of six be educated in the ways of the white man.

Indian Commissioner, Thomas Morgan, said: It was cheaper to educate the Indians than to kill them.

1880, Apacheria, Season of Ripened Berries

Isolated bands of colored clay on white lime-stone remained where the sagebrush was stripped from Mother Earth by sudden storms and surface waters. Desolate. Bleak. A land of barren rocks and twisted paths that reached out into the silence.

A world of hunger and hardship. This is my world. I am Tanayia. I was born thirteen winters ago. My people and I call ourselves "Nde" this means "The People". The white man calls us Apache....

I hope you enjoyed this month's topic.

Remember to complete the blog hop and see what my cohorts have divulged (we all love  secrets) about developing tension in their writing.

Happy Reading and Writing,

Connie

Marci Baun http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/

Dr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-2fU

Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea

Victoria Chatham http://www.victoriachatham.com

Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/ (You are here now)

Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/

Rhobin L Courtright http://www.rhobincourtright.com

Happy (almost) St. Patrick's Day! By Connie Vines

"The first recorded St. Patrick's Day parade was held not in Ireland but in New York City in 1762, and with the dramatic increase of Irish immigrants to the United States in the mid-19th century, the March 17th celebration became widespread."

Since everyone visiting ' Dishin' it Out' today, has general knowledge of the celebration, I thought I'd share my often baked soda bread recipe.  I serve the bread warm and search slice is smeared with Irish butter and a dollop of orange marmalade.

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 Tablespoons caraway seeds

1teaspoon baking soda

1teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit

2. Mix flour, caraway seeds, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

3. Mix buttermilk and stir until large minister clumps form.

4. Gather dough into a large ball and lightly flour outside.  Place dough into a ball and kneed until dough becomes smooth and hold a together.

5. Roll into a large ball and lightly flour the outside.  

6.Place the dough ball in a non-stick baking sheet and shape into a 6-inch diameter ny 2-inch tall mound.

7.Cut a 1-inch deep X across the top, extending the edges.

8. Bake approximately 35 minutes, until bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

9.Remove from the baking sheet and allow to cool completely.

10.Cut into 8 wedges.

This is sooo easy and sooo delish!

Breakfast on the Go! by Connie Vines

Today I thought I 'dish out' a favorite breakfast recipe of mine.
Why it this a favorite of mine?

1. It's transportable
2. It's make-a-head and freezable.
3. It is loaded with protein and yummy.

Breakfast Egg Cups Recipe

 Serves: 8

 Prep Time: 10 m
 Cook Time: 20 m
 Print this Recipe  Save to Prepear What is Prepear?
Ingredients
1 – cooking spray
6 large – egg
1/4 cup – milk
1/8 teaspoon – salt
1/8 teaspoon – black pepper, ground
1 medium – bell pepper, red
3/4 cup – spinach
1/4 cup – cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions

Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray and  set aside. Preheat oven to 375°F.
Whisk the eggs and milk together in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Dice the bell pepper into small pieces. Stack the spinach leaves, roll them up, and slice them thin. (This method is called chiffonade.)

Add the peppers, spinach, and shredded cheddar to the egg mixture.
Fill muffin cups 3/4 full and bake for 20-25 minutes until centers are set and no longer runny.
Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Extras may be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to a month. Microwave thawed egg cups on high for 45-60 seconds or until hot.

Nutrition Facts

NUTRITION PER SERVING% DAILY VALUE
Calories: 78 4%
Fat: 5 g 8%
Carb: 1 g 0%
Fiber: 0 g 0%
Protein: 6 g 12%
Sugar: 1 g

You may add different veggies, meats, cheeses, to your personal preference.  You may also use a cupcake liner instead of oil or non-stick cooking spray..

Enjoy!

Connie