Grab Bag and Gooey Toffee Bars

WRITING TIP

As you know, writing is a three-part process: pre-writing, writing, and re-writing. Here are some items from my blog file to help with the pre-writing stage. Fill your mind with new images and ideas.

Here is something fun to look forward to: Lawrence (Kansas) Art in the Park, Sunday May 2nd from 10 to 5. Look for Nancy Longman's Garden Variety Wisdom art and words.

A quote from Billy Graham: A mystery and wonder of prayer is that God often waits until someone asks. I once heard it said that Heaven's storeroom is full of answers for which no one bothered to ask. -- Billy Graham

From Janet F., a long-ago co-worker (actually my superior) who describes herself as a "proud grandmother," came an article that her 12-year-old granddaughter wrote and that was published in the Kansas City Regional Fox Trotting Horse Association Newsletter, Nov. 2009. In writing about winning a ribbon with her horse, Granddaughter does a great job of using all the senses and describing her emotion as she takes the reader through her day. Well done, and a good review in good writing for established writers.

A while back I promised to share the winter reading list sent by Jane S. Here it is, with Jane's comments.

Dakota: A Spiritual Geography. Non Fiction. Kathleen Norris. Very interesting to anyone who grew up in a small rural town…went to NY, became writer, and after a few years moved back to farm in South Dakota…gives insight into church or other groups in cities that are made up of people who have moved from small towns.

They Were Just People: Stories of Rescue In Poland During The Holocaust Non Fiction by (Kansas Citians) Bill Tammeus and Rabbi Jacques Cukierkorn Very good.

The Slave Next Door: Human Trafficking and Slavery in America Today. Kevin Bales and Ron Soodalter. A "hot" social issue.

Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II by Douglas A. Blackmon (This is a link to the book.)

Methland: The Death and Life of an American Small Town by Nick Reding .

Supreme Conflict: The Inside Story of the Struggle for Control of the United States Supreme Court by Jan Crawford Greenburg.

Outliers by Malcom Gladwell.

Thanks, Jane, for the book suggestions.

Here's a note from Marcia Fleischman: I have my second book out...Wild Woman Theology: In the Arms of Loving Mother God. I have rewritten the stories af many of the women in the Bible with humor and a feminist twist. I did all of the illustrations. Copies are available from me or from Author house bookstore. They are on Amazon but are much more expensive there.I am open to do presentations to women's groups or any group for that matter.

Marcia is an interesting woman in her own right, with an interesting story. Her book should be interesting, too.

CHOCOLATE INKWELL

The recipe today is from Vickie H. It isn't actually chocolate, but Vickie says it is gooey and good so I think it is worth including, don't you? Throw some chocolate chips on top and make it chocolate. (Thanks, Vickie.)

Gooey Toffee Bars

1 box yellow cake mix

1 large egg

1/2 cup butter, melted

Filling:

1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 (16 ounce) box confectioners sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup toffee bits

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix cake mix, egg, butter. Mix well.

Filling:

With mixer, beat cream cheese, eggs, sugar, vanilla.

Fold in toffee bits.

Bake 40 - 50 minutes. Remove from oven, cool, cut in squares. (Maybe this would be a good time to toss on some chocolate chips.)

Vickie says you want the middle to be a little gooey. She also says, this is rich so a little will go a long way.

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Writing Advice from a Dog and Chocolate Cherry Macaroon Torte

WRITING TIP

Would you take writing advice from a dog? I would -- especially the canine narrator of The Art of Racing in the Rain, the novel by Garth Stein that I mentioned in an earlier post.

Enzo, the dog, not only "speaks" of the art of racing, he has opinions about the art of narrative and hero.

Enzo says: I've always found great pleasure in the narrative tease. But then, I'm a dramatist. For me, a good story is all about setting up expectations and delivering on them in an exciting and surprising way. (p.59)

Later, speaking of racecar drivers, his comments also could apply to the characters in our stories: The true hero is flawed. The true test of a champion is not whether he can triumph, but whether he can overcome obstacles -- preferably of his own making -- in order to triumph. A hero without a flaw is of no interest to an audience or to the universe, which, after all, is based on conflict and opposition, the irresistible force meeting the unmovable object. (p.135)

When we talked about this in the Advanced Life Story Writing Group, Louise pointed out that the hero cannot be so flawed as to be unlikeable. She's right. The hero must somehow still be likable.

WRITING PROMPT

Select a favorite book, article or short story. Apply Enzo's "wisdom" (see above) and write a review of your selection. Are expectations set up and met in unexpected ways? Is the hero likable, does he triumph? Is the hero flawed in some way? Do you like the hero more or less for having flaws?

Write for ten minutes. Don't worry about spelling, punctuation, grammar or staying on the subject. Later, revisit and revise.

CHOCOLATE INKWELL

Depending on your tastes, you may find the following recipe flawed -- or not. It contains chocolate (we know we agree on that one). But the recipe also includes coconut and cherries. When I wrote about the coconut M&Ms, I found you have strong opinions about coconut -- for and against. And from My Young Advisor's reaction to anything cherry, there must be strong opinions about that ingredient also. As for me -- I think it all sounds great.

This recipe came from www.hersheys.com/recipes. (Thanks for the link to http://www.craftyjudy.com/.) Substitute your own preferred brands.

"O My Ganache" Cherry Macaroon Torte

1 roll (16.5 oz.) Pillsbury refrigerated sugar cookies
1-1/4 cups whipping cream
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Chocolate Chips
1/3 cup Fisher Chef's Naturals Blanched Slivered Almonds
1 cup flaked coconut
1 jar (12 oz.) Smucker's Cherry Preserves(1 cup)
1 cup sweetened dried cherries
1 tablespoon orange juice (I probably would substitute some other liquid.)

1. Let cookie dough stand at room temperature 10 minutes to soften. Meanwhile, heat oven to 350°F. In 1-quart saucepan, heat 1/2 cup of the whipping cream over low heat just until hot but not boiling; remove from heat. Stir in chocolate chips until smooth. Set aside.

2. In 8-inch skillet, cook almonds over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Remove from heat; cool 5 minutes. Coarsely chop almonds.

3. In medium bowl, break up cookie dough. Mix in coconut with wooden spoon until well blended. Press dough evenly in bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the almonds; lightly press into dough. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

4. Meanwhile, in blender or food processor, place preserves, cherries and orange juice. Cover; process with on-and-off pulses until blended. Set aside.

5. Spread cherry mixture over crust to within 1/2 inch of edge. Stir chocolate mixture with wire whisk; pour over cherry mixture, spreading to cover cherry mixture. Sprinkle with remaining almonds. Freeze 30 minutes until chocolate is firm.

6. Meanwhile, in small bowl, beat remaining 3/4 cup whipping cream with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Run sharp knife around edge of torte to loosen. Remove side of pan. To serve, cut into 12 wedges. Top each serving with dollop of whipped cream. Store covered in refrigerator. 12 servings.

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Embrace the Unusual in Writing and a New Twist with Chocolate

WRITING TIP



Writers, free yourselves from all notions about what can or cannot be done in a book. If you can make it work, then it works. Huh?


I just finished reading The Art of Racing in the Rain, a novel by Garth Stein. The narrator is a dog. Yep, a dog, Enzo. Can the narrator of an adult novel be a dog? May I repeat: If you can make it work, then it works. And I think, Garth Stein makes it work in this, his third novel.


According to the book jacket, "Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs). . ." Enzo's master is a race car driver with a wife and daughter and novel-worthy problems.

I love this book. I love dogs. My Young Advisor loves dogs, too, but she guesses correctly that this book will bring the reader some tears so she is not planning to read it. However, the story is also funny and uplifting so I think it is worth the read. Note to Young Advisor: I plan to continue to "encourage" you to read this book. And, I encourage all writers to read it too. Let it be an inspiration to try something new in your writing.



WRITING PROMPT


Pick an unlikely narrator and write a story. Go crazy! Make your coffee cup the narrator. It's just for fun and to give your brain a jolt. Give it a try. Write for ten minutes. Let it rest a week or so. See if there is anything to develop.

And for a chocolate jolt, here is a recipe from Martha Stewart's magazine, Everyday Food, March 2010 issue. This recipe uses pizza dough. Our theme in writing and chocolate for this post is -- Unusual.



THE CHOCOLATE INKWELL

Sweet Soft Chocolate Pretzels

1-pound store-bought pizza dough, thawed if frozen

all-purpose flour, for work surface

1/2 cup chopped chocolate

olive oil, for bowl and baking sheet

3 tablespoons baking soda

2 tablespoons sugar (It calls for "coarse" sugar. Just go for regular sugar if you want to.)



Place dough on lightly floured work surface, sprinkle with chocolate. Gently knead to incorporate. Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest 1 hour.


Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. On a lightly floured work surface, roll each piece into an 18-inch long rope. Shape dough into pretzels. Transfer pretzels to an oiled baking sheet and let rest 20 minutes.


Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add baking soda. In batches, boil pretzels until puffed and slightly shiny, about 1 minute. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a wire rack to drain. Return pretzels to baking sheet; sprinkle with sugar. Bake until golden brown and cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through.


Serve warm or at room temperature. (To store, keep at room temperature, up to 2 days.)


Note on forming pretzels: Form each dough rope into a U-shape and twist ends twice. Fold twisted end down and pinch to secure.

Find Writing Resources, Life Story Writing How-to, Fun Stuff for Writers, Calendar and other interesting stuff at website Angel In Your Inkwell .


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Back to Basics and Chocolate Changes

Before we get to the Writing Tip today, I would like to invite you to a one-session class I am doing for Lent. It is on writing for spiritual growth and will be held in Kansas City, Kansas at Bristol Hill United Methodist Church. You can find details on my Calendar.

WRITING TIP
This week I have heard from several of you who are returning from winter trips and are ready to get back to writing. (A brief aside: Jane S. just returned from Turkey. She sent along a list of books she has been reading. I’ll include those in the future. Thanks, Jane.) This seemed like a good time to think about the mechanics of writing.

Look to Greenprints Guidelines where the editor of this unique magazine for those who love all things gardening has laid out a five-minute introduction to good writing basics. Whether you are a rank beginner or a writer with a bit of experience, you will find these guidelines to be an excellent refresher. Even if you are not interested in gardening or interested in writing for this magazine, this is good information.

Another quick, easy-to-understand, and comprehensive grammar review can be found at Five Glaring Grammatical Errors . . . and How to Fix Them. These are common mistakes that cause trouble so take a look.

You can find more nut-and-bolt writing information under Writing Basics on the Resource Page of Angel In Your Inkwell.

WRITING PROMPT

In the early years with my gentleman friend, we relocated for his job seven times in thirteen years. Oh yeah, I parroted all the blah-blah about moving being exciting and a new adventure, but what I really thought was I just want to find a rut and stay in it. I grew up in an Army town so I know our little relocations were nothing compared to those of some. And, Renee, in the Advanced Life Story Group may be the winner for most moves and most states and countries of residence.

So how do we feel about all that change? In the broader question, is change always good? Is it always better? Is it sometimes important to go back to basics?

That’s the prompt for this week: back to basics.

Write on the topic for ten minutes. Follow your thoughts wherever they want to go. Keep the pen moving. In a day or so, or month or year or so, look at what you have written. There will be something there you can use. Check your writing against the basics reviewed in the Writing Tip above. Shape, edit, polish. Ta-Da – a nicely finished piece of writing.

THE CHOCOLATE INKWELL

This week I am excited about a couple of basics that have undergone a change. First is a basic with a new twist. Second is an old favorite with a name change.

First – Coconut M&M’s

Have you seen these? Have you tried them? As I am not a huge coconut fan, I couldn’t imagine anything better than my old favorite Peanut M&M’s, but these coconut goodies are just great. In a scientific survey at the checkout lane at Price Chopper, I grabbed the package I had just spotted and ripped it open before the cashier could even ring it up. Samples were distributed to young cashier, young bag boy, gentleman friend, and self. All enthusiastically agreed –Coconut M&M’s® are yummy! Disclaimer: the bag boy liked them a lot, but said he actually prefers tart candies and plans to invent a super tart drink. And yes, the opened bag was scanned and purchased. NOTE: Grab them now. The M&M’s website says the coconut variety is available for a limited time.

Second – Ethel M Chocolates

I like Las Vegas about as much as I like coconut. It’s okay, but since I am not much of a gambler, some of the allure is lost on me – although, I do like bright lights and sparkly costumes.
One year when I was in Las Vegas on a business trip, a local resident took me to Ethel M Chocolate Factory, located in Henderson, Nevada, for a tour, complete with a tasting at tour’s end. Now that was a Las Vegas I could gamble on. In 2007, Ethel M Chocolates became
Ethel's.
I worried that the chocolates would have changed along with the name. No need to worry. They are still just as silky-ly yummy and conveniently available in their own retail store in the Las Vegas airport. I know because a friend returning from Las Vegas last week made a quick purchase in the airport store. (The empty box is now in my recycling bin.)
Now this part was a surprise to me. Ethel M is owned by Mars Incorporated and was named after the mother of Forrest Mars. When I started writing The Chocolate Inkwell today, I had no idea I would be stuck in the major candy manufacturing world of Mars.
Mars Incorporated candies might not be quite the caliber of our own Kansas City local Christopher Elbow Artisanal Chocolates which I am sure I would love, too; but for now, I love Ethel’s chocolate.

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Limitless Imagination and Twist and Shout Chocolate Candies

WRITING TIP

Last week I wrote about my lifelong quest to manage my piles of paper and books. Donna seems to be in the same paper boat because she wrote to me: I read what you wrote about clutter as I sat here in front of piles of notebooks and papers and magazines. But every time I start to tackle the mess, I remember the old clutter-clearing caveat, "Touch each piece of paper only once!" Now I know I'm going to have to touch everything more than once so it makes me not want to touch anything at all!

I remember being stumped by that advice, too. Then one day I decided that was a stupid rule meant for executives and managers who had assistants. Having been one of those assistants in my younger years, I hated that stupid rule doubly. Yeah, shove your paper off on some poor worker bee.
Stupid rule. Can’t be done.

Handle those papers as much as needed. Sift, sort, shuffle, pile, and re-pile. While you are doing that, keep in mind two more rules from the book Clutter Busting: Letting Go of What's Holding You Back by Brooks Palmer. (a)Take the items that you are going to review out of their space and move them to another room, or outside, so you can get a fresh perspective. (b) If you hesitate trying to decide whether something is worthwhile, it’s clutter. (p. 211)

Recently my gentleman friend and I visited a pier near San Diego and as I squinted into the noonday sun on the water, I thought about a writer's potential to let her limitless imagination sparkle. All our creative spirit needs is space to stretch, to roam, to jump around, dance, shout, and maybe even make waves.

I’m “clutter busting” and it feels great. A stack of books went off to the public library donation bin. Clothing and accessories I didn’t like but thought I should keep because they cost money and were still useable went off to the thrift store. Old papers and catalogues went into the recycle tub and out to the curb. I have much more to do, but the ideas in the Brooks Palmer book struck such a chord with me, I wanted you to have the opportunity to see if the methods work for you.

WRITING PROMPT

Write a Dear John letter to an item you have held on to. For example, for a long time after I had a computer, I kept my old electric typewriter. Actually, I also had an old portable typewriter in the basement. Why did I keep them? You never know – computers could just be a fad. If my computer went down and I lost electricity, I would still have my portable typewriter. But more it had to do with my vision of what a writer is, what a writer does, and the tools of being a “real” writer. If I got rid of my typewriter, would I still be a real writer? And what does it mean to be a real writer?

Why have you kept your selected item? What does it represent to you? Is it serving you in any way? Write the letter; dump the item. Dear IBM Selectric, Dear Remington.

After writing your Dear John letter, you’re going to need chocolate. You will find it below in the section we are now calling The Chocolate Inkwell.

THE CHOCOLATE INKWELL

Judy sent this recipe from the Kaw Valley Quilter’s Guild Newsletter (Lawrence, Ks). Who is this Judy of all the fun recipes? She is a longtime friend (long, long time), and you can see her creativity on display at http://www.craftyjudy.com/. The newsletter recipe didn’t exactly have a name so I named it Twist & Shout because it uses pretzel twists and when you taste it, you will shout!

Twist & Shout Chocolate Candy

1 bag of small pretzel twists
1 bag of Rolo caramel chocolate candy, unwrapped
Pecan halves

Arrange pretzel twists on cookie sheet.
Place one Rolo on each pretzel twist.
Bake in 200 degree oven for about 4 minutes.
Remove from oven.
Place one pecan half on each Rolo and press down gently.
Let cool.
Taste and shout.



All Rights Reserved ©2010 There’s An Angel In Your Inkwell®

Find Writing Resources, Life Story Writing How-to, Fun Stuff for Writers, Calendar and other interesting stuff at website Angel In Your Inkwell .