First Two Recipes

Our first two recipes were Fudge-Mint brownies and Orange Cream Cookies.

I can't find the brownie recipe online but it came from this Betty Crocker Christmas cookie magazine. I asked the kids to each choose two recipes from this magazine that they'd like to try.

The brownies are a fudge brownie mix marbled with mint-flavored marshmallow creme. Then they are frosted with vanilla frosting mixed with white chocolate and more minty marshmallow, then crumbled mint Oreos on top.

ORANGE CREAM COOKIES
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix (I used my own sugar cookie recipe.)
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoon orange extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
5 drops yellow food color
2 drops red food color
1 bag (12 oz) white vanilla baking chips (2 cups)

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, stir all ingredients except baking chips until soft dough forms. Stir in baking chips.
2. On ungreased cookie sheets, drop dough with 1 1/2 tablespoon-size cookie scoop or by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart.
3. Bake 9 to 10 minutes or just until dough is set (do not overbake). Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely.

Both recipes turned out well. I immediately packed them away for Christmas. Didn't share even a bite! LOL

Simple Woman's Daybook - December 6

For Today... December 6, 2009

Outside my window... Dark. Today was sunny until late afternoon and then rather gray.

I am thinking... about these Spanish homework assignments that need correcting and that I have been procrastinating.

From the learning rooms... Our Christmas Study this year is from Teaching Mom. We are only picking and choosing parts of this. Will post about it this week.

I am thankful for... Geekstogo.com - The forums are great. One of the techs is walking me through the steps to clean a pesky recalcitrant virus off our desktop computer. It's FREE, did I mention?

From the kitchen... Christmas Cookies! I had the kids each pick two recipes they wanted to try this year. So we have a lot to attempt!

I am wearing... PJ's and a robe and I have a cozy blanket on my lap and over my feet.

I am reading... A Midsummer Night's Dream, yes, by the Bard of Avon, and also still plugging away slowly at unChristian (a book best digested in bits). I have a Francine Rivers book to read and am going to jump into a re-read of LOTR soon.

I've been watching... NCIS, Persuasion

I am hoping... I can come to terms with running in the cold. I do NOT like cold weather. Never have. I can remember crying from being SO cold when I was sledding, and everyone else was happily playing.

I am creating... CHRISTMAS COOKIES! I'll try to post the recipes as we go.

I am hearing... the furnace running, the clock ticking, the DVD player spinning since no one actually turned it off

Around the house... Setting up the Christmas tree and decorations.

One of my favorite things... Playing Minorca with my friends (even when I don't WIN!)

A few plans for the rest of the week... The last Spanish class of the year, going to see New Moon, running a 5K (brrr!) and my book club night!

Writers Contest at Bookshelf Muse

The Bookshelf Muse is having an awesome contest for writers!

Check it out HERE!

Here's what you can win:

-- A FULL NOVEL Critique (WC Max 85,000) I will read your complete novel and offer wide-angle feedback that will help you build a stronger product, including a focus on Characters, Description, Character Arc, Plot, Dialogue, Proportion, Style, Stakes, Resolution & Voice. You'll get 100% honesty from me on how to strengthen your book. Please note that this prize is not for first draft novels. Your work must be at the point where Grammar/Spelling/structure issues do not detract from the read. The more polished it is, the more you will benefit from my critique. All genres welcome except for Erotica.

--A Copy of Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins.

-- A Writer's Gift Box Enjoy a fun box of goodies just in time for the holidays, filled with things a writer will enjoy!

-- A First Chapter Inline Critique A line edit of your first chapter, with emphasis on your hook and building a strong compelling start to your book. All genres welcome except for Erotica. (I'll give out 2 of these)

NaNoWriMo is OVER for 2009!

NaNo Day 30
Lisa - 51,433 (Goal 50K - WINNER!)

David - 30,000 (Goal 9K - WINNER!)

Emily - 7001 (Goal 7K - WINNER!)

James - 4075 (Goal 4K - WINNER!)

Suzy - 2129 (Goal 2K - WINNER!)

NaNoWriMo ends tonight and all five of us have met our goals!!

I am so proud of my kids!

We will set the stories aside for now (at least that's my plan) and edit them beginning in January. NaNo has partnered with CreateSpace to provide each NaNo winner a free proof copy. (This benefit was hugely motivating to several of my kids!)

NaNo Day Twenty-nine

NaNo Day 29
Lisa - 51,433 (or 50,069 if you are the NaNo word count validator)
David - 28,000 (or maybe more)
Emily - 6,300 (So she says!)
James - 3689
Suzy - 2129

Simple Woman's Daybook - November 29

For Today... November 29, 2009

Outside my window... Overcast and November-ish. Bleh and Brrrr.

I am thinking... about no-cost or low-cost gifts. Ideas are welcomed!

From the learning rooms... The last day of NaNoWriMo is tomorrow. Then we'll start "Christmas School" although I don't know quite what we'll do yet.

I am thankful for... getting healthy! Losing weight!

From the kitchen... Getting geared up for lots of Christmas cookie baking and candy making! (How that fits with the previous answer, I've not yet figured out.) Love getting the house all warm from the oven and smelling like Christmas baking.

I am wearing... My favorite jeans, a long-sleeved grey tee, and a grey Pistons hoodie. I just did my roots this morning and my hair isn't dry yet. No makeup.

I am reading... ECHO IN THE BONE (finally!!!) by Diana Gabaldon! Also A Midsummer Night's Dream, yes, by the Bard of Avon, and also still plugging away slowly at unChristian (a book best digested in bits).

I've been watching... Next, Matrix:Reloaded, Hancock, Men in Black

I am hoping... that I can remember how I created my writing website. I'd like to edit it but I am at a loss! ARGH!

I am creating... a suspenseful and satisfying ending to my novel. Hopefully.

I am hearing... Christmas music! (I avoid it until Thanksgiving, but begin listening to it that day and keep it up until Epiphany.)

Around the house... Bob is making some kind of an antenna booster for the TV

One of my favorite things... Winning NaNoWriMo!

A few plans for the rest of the week... my younger son turns TEN this week! Also David is going to a Star Wars viewing party and I get to go to a women's Christmas party. And our church is having a Living Nativity that we are helping with in some way. That all in addition to our normal stuff.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you.
David's varsity letter for soccer (Faith Falcons)

NaNo Day Twenty-eight

NaNo Day 28
Lisa - 47,581
David - 27,000
Emily - 4,439
James - 3303
Suzy - 2004

It's almost over! Two more days and the NaNoInsanity will be over for another year. I am re-energized for writing, even though I don't particularly find my story enthralling this year. I hope my kids will like it and have some suggestions for me.

But the good thing? I can't wait to get back to my other projects. FORGET-ME-NOT needs a little tweaking and then more querying. A friend gave me some written suggestions to consider and another friend has read it recently and wants to chat with me about it. So hopefully I can polish that up more. MYSTERY VALLEY RANCH is in the last stages of editing, but I lost my momentum there. So maybe I can get back to that. And GOD-KING'S BRIDE, my Egyptian novella, needs to be expanded into a full-length romance. So, I will get back to those projects and on to my goal of publication.

NaNo Day Twenty-seven

NaNo Day 27
Lisa - 45,015
David - 26,000
Emily - 3624
James - 2809
Suzy - 1994

Hah! I'm back on schedule, thanks to yet ANOTHER 5K day.. At the end of today, Nano says I should have 45,009 words. And I have six more words than that! Woo-hoo! Now I can finish NO PROBLEM. The story probably won't be done at 50K, and I don't even know if I'll bother finishing it. But I'll make it!

I will be reading the story to my kids, so hopefully they'll have some good ideas for me. I did put up an excerpt on my NaNo profile page. Click on over there if you are interested - choose the tab marked Novel Info. The title isn't really what I want, but it's what came to me.

David says his story won't be done at 30K. So, he'll probably keep on writing too. I must say it is very gratifying to see how much he is interested in writing.

Emily will have to write 1100 words for the next 3 days to finish at her goal. She is motivated because of the reward that awaits her, and it IS a do-able goal since we don't have much else to do.

NaNo Day Twenty-six

NaNo Day 26
Lisa - 40,500
David - 23,000 (approx)
Emily - 2,800
James - 2402
Suzy - 1778

Another 5000 word day! I have 9500 to write by Monday night. 2375 per day. I am going to aim for 5000 again tomorrow and then I should be able to finish Saturday or maybe Sunday. Well, 'finish' is a relative term. But in this case, I mean achieve 50K.

James has to write 400 words each day to make his goal. I think he can do it, as long as he's dictating most of it to me.

Emily has been typing away, but she types very slow. I don't know if she'll make her goal, but she is giving it a good try!

NaNo Day Twenty-five

NaNo Day 25
Lisa - 35,482
David - 22,000?
Emily - 2,000?
James - 2002
Suzy - 1778

James is halfway! And excited about finishing!

I'm wondering if I'll make it. 14,518 words to go. 5 days. 2903 per day.

Good thing we're not going anywhere for Thanksgiving, eh?

And I don't 'do' Black Friday, either.