Yikes! I’ve been “gone” for the last two weeks “at” conferences. All at home and on Zoom, as one does these days, but that doesn’t mean I had a minute to spare. Because, as every woman juggling home, family and life right now knows, being home just complicates it all. Sigh.
But my conference season is now over and I have nothing
, these days, isn’t always easy to find, so I’ll take every bit I can gather up–and then pass it along to you.
So let’s find something to make you smile:
One
This one is for everyone who loves Halloween and cats. Because this pair of pumpkin hatted competitive kitties cracks me up. Watch this.
Two
Speaking of things that crack me up–have you heard–Lenora Bell has a new book out? She is such a funny writer. And don’t we need laughter and some lighthearted romance? If you haven’t tried her
And if you have read her already, you know exactly what I mean.
Three
Just a quick update for all of you who have been following my pandemic follies (read: sourdough starter, baking to excess, mad hunts for graham crackers) and finally, budding avocado farmer.
My youngest son has autism and he was fascinated by the avocado seed I started to sprout. Before I knew it, we had six of them going. One met with an unfortunate accident, but the others are faring well. Just this week we planted the two with leaves–fingers crossed for their futures.
The others are finally starting to grow. Just really S.L.O.W.L.Y
Don’t worry. I’m not going to abandon my writing for the joys of an avocado orchard. Which
, are you starting to crave those warm homey comfort foods? I know I am. And one that I love to make is Martha Stewart’s Spaghetti and Meatballs. Nothing fancy here, but it easy to put together, and if you double up the meatball portions, then you can bake them off and have them in the freezer for a really quick meal later.
Nothing I like more than a double duty meal plan.
Five
Finally, if you are looking for something a little dark and a little bit scary, might I suggest S.J. Parris’s mystery novel, Heresy? I rather liked it and have the second one on my TBR. For anyone who loves the Elizabethean era.
Did I hear doublets? Check!!
Have a great weekend. And to all my readers in the US–if you haven’t already, make sure to cast your vote. Every voice deserves to be heard. And please, mask up–the rising numbers have me worried for all of you.
I am in a mad dash currently. I am speaking at two writers conferences in the next two weeks, so I am up to my neck in preparing workshops, figuring out how to present them online, and learning all the bells and whistles of Zoom.
As. We. All. Are.
So I shall just get the “things” going.
~ One ~
First, let me apologize for repeating myself last week. I knew it was going to happen eventually. And it finally did.
One of last week’s Things was a repeat from an earlier week.
Now I am not going to point fingers –because I would have to point them at myself–but the Peach and Pepper Jam is just
, well, The Jam. And I had to share it. Apparently twice. So to save you from my over enthusiasm for all things Peach and Pepper, I have come up with, ahem, a hopefully full proof method for avoiding repeats.
I hope.
And if you do decide that I am not insane and that Peach and Pepper Jam might be, your, well, jam, here are my notes on the recipe:
Now you will see that this is not a canning recipe, but I tweak it just a bit to make it canning friendly and so can you–even if you haven’t canned all that much. Just up the cider vinegar to 2/3 cup, and then follow the hot water canning instructions on the sheet that comes with the pectin box for “Peach Jam.” Easy Peasy.
And see, I promised I wouldn’t repeat myself, and here I am, repeating myself.
~ Two ~
As we move indoors, (at least those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, thank you for the wonderful reminder from a reader in the Southern parts) I try to find a challenging craft project.
, one of my favorite knitting designers. And while a project might look really, really hard, remember, if you do it one step at a time, one stitch at a time, you will find your way to the finish and learn some things along the way.
Rather like writing a book, one word at a time.
Like that these very complicated looking cables are actually quite easy. What are you going to learn?
, one of my favorite cozy foods is Popovers. Another thing that looks so tricky and yet is just easy peasy. And so good. I love them–you guessed it–with jam. Here is one of my favorite recipes for Popovers.
Ever wanted to pack it all up and live somewhere else? Somewhere far, far away? Here is the newsletter for you. Cheap Old Houses. For a subscription fee you get four newsletters a month with listings of your choice–Old Houses, Old Farm Houses, and Old Houses in Europe and Canada–or splurge and get all three newsletters.
I assure you all of them are just made for daydreaming. And talk about learning new skills–like lathe and plaster, roman plumbing, ancient electricity …..
However, if free is more your speed, their Instagram feed is a delight.
, note to self: the nearby church bells start at 7:30 AM daily.
~ Five ~
Since I know a number of you also write or aspire to write or dream of writing, I thought this week I would share with you a link to a blog post I wrote some time ago, 21 Essential Books on Writing, which is a great place to find a number of books that I’ve loved through the years and I consider some of the best instruction out there.
See a theme here?
Writing, like life, is a craft. Never stop learning.
Have a great week. Learn something new. Then share it.
Yikes! I usually draft this up Thursday afternoon and have it all ready to go bright and early Friday morning. But yesterday afternoon was so beautiful, I ended up enjoying a sunny afternoon instead. So you are getting the late version. 😉
One
I can’t believe the fifth book in Sherry Thomas’s wonderful Lady Sherlock series
As you might know, I can like a crazy woman all summer. I have all these things I love to make and give as gifts. And every year I find some new recipe that turns into my MUST MAKE FOR EVERYONE.
This year, it turns out to be this Peach and Pepper Jam. Now you will see that this is not a canning recipe
, but I tweak it just a bit to make it canning friendly and so can you–even if you haven’t canned all that much. Just up the cider vinegar to 2/3 cup, and then follow the hot water canning instructions on the sheet that comes with the pectin box for “Peach Jam.” Easy Peasy.
This isn’t toast jam, but crackers and cheese jam. The sort of jam you enjoy with a glass of wine and friends.
However, once family and friends discover this gold, stand back. A stampede is ensuing.
I recommend making extra batches. Because it is hard to give away.
Three
I saw a link on Twitter the other day and I am so glad I clicked on it and discovered the work of Landartist Hannah Bullen-Ryner. All of her art is done with things she finds in nature.
Oh, these creations of hers are so exquisite. I highly recommend spending a few minutes enjoying her beautiful work.
I took a deep breath and felt at peace. So lovely.
Now that it’s October, I’m all about the comfort food!! First up is one of my favorite things to throw together: Chicken a la King. This is my go to starter recipe. I say starter
, because I play around with this recipe all the time. Adding different vegetables, using roasted chicken from the store deli, leftovers from the previous night dinner. It is just one of those great, basic recipes that tailors easily to your tastes.
I’ve been adding friendly reminders to the end of these posts to make sure you are registered and have a plan to vote, but it is getting down to the wire in many places, so please, if you are here in the United States, take a few moments and make sure you are registered to VOTE.
If you don’t want to fill out that form, just scroll down and you can click on a link to go directly to your State Registrar. It took me all of about 30 seconds to check and verify.
So not the best week, right? Loss seems to be the only word to describe it.
My dear friend, Diane, who I had written about before, took a turn for the worse and passed quickly. The words my friends and I keep sharing –“We thought we had more time.” — are all we seem to say.
, but the smoke was too much for her to be outside and socially distanced, so we had to reschedule…because we thought we had more time.
So please, hug those you love. Call, text, email, send a note to a dear friend and make plans. Time with loved ones is something we should never postpone.
One
Call the Midwife has a new season up on Netflix. I only just discovered this show earlier this year, so I feel like I am probably trotting out old fish, because you all are probably way ahead of me on this, but I do enjoy this show. As the only female in a house of men (besides the cat), I have my own shows that I treasure and more to the point don’t have hockey, forensic files
, or some disaster element to them. This is just a delightful, curl up with the knitting and have a lovely cry every so often sort of show.
Two
As a diehard history buff, I adore a good historical mystery (Yes, my Sherlock affections from last week are showing) and the Shardlake series by C.J. Sansom is one that fits the bill when I want to dig into a meaty, well written and thoroughly engrossing story.
Set in the time of Henry the Eighth, Shardlake is an unusual lawyer for his time, a dwarf who hasn’t let society’s scorn stop him from being an astute and crafty adversary. Start with Dissolution–you’ll discover what I mean.
Three
So from smoky skies to pouring rain, Seattle feels like it jumped with both feet into fall this week. So this morning–between downpours–I was out in the garden frantically picking everything that was being beaten down by the rain.
So the crockpot is full of vegetable marinara and I made an extra large batch of this Basil Pesto. I freeze it for something wonderful and bright in the middle of winter, and the extra will make a lovely pasta tonight.
Tip: To keep it from turning brown in the fridge, pour a thin layer of olive oil over the top of it and it will stay lovely and bright.
My husband has been out of town–his mother is downsizing and moving and he went to help. So having this book, The Deadly Hours, has been a tonic for a hard week.
Yet having this lovely anthology in hand, has given me just the book I needed with what little free time that can be had when he’s gone
, and oh, have I been happy to have this. Such lovely writing and great stories. You all know Susanna Kearsley is one of my favorite authors . . . and a dear friend. And I think I have found three more favorite authors. 😉
Five
As the leaves begin to fall, and there’s a chill to the evenings, I wish I was here–Aspen Alley–in the Sierra Madres Mountains on the southern border of Wyoming, between Encampment and Battle. I was doing writing research at the Encampment Museum a few years ago –in early October
It had me at Henry Cavill. Coming next week on Netflix.
Two
I know right now that an outside fire is the furthest thing from most of our minds. But just before the entire west burst into flames, I went with a few friends to a beach and one of them had this Flatpack grill.
, allowing you to have a small, outside fire just about anywhere, plus it works as a nifty grill. We cooked dinner on it and then enjoyed watching the sunset with a beach fire. And then it all folds up flat and cleans up in a flash.
Might make a great gift for someone you know or yourself. For better days ahead.
Three
Speaking of thinking toward the holidays, (I know, I can’t even believe I’m advocating Christmas before Halloween, but there it is) I found the cutest site recently, Redbubble. All kinds of neat and unique pieces done by artists–artwork, prints, phone cases, coffee mugs–that you won’t find elsewhere.
Even better, they sent me a link to give to you all, $10 off on a $30 or more dollar order. You just might find something truly fun for you or that hard to gift loved one.
Four
Just before I ran off with to the beach, I made this Peach and Pepper Jam, which the friends voted the nummiest thing ever.
I love this jam so much, I am in a horrible quandary about giving it away. In the sense that I want to sit with crackers and eat it all.
Fall is my favorite time of year for a variety of reasons but mostly because the Fall Writing Conferences are in full swing. Sadly, they’ve all gone virtual
, so I won’t get to hang out with friends, but happily with them virtual, lots of people can jump into a writing conference without the added expenses of travel.
So if you’ve ever want to write, but the costs or just the idea of walking alone into a huge conference seemed too daunting, here’s a way to try it out without all the added stress.
Added bonus to these two conferences? You’ll know someone who is attending. Me.
This is a smaller conference, but packs a lot of variety into a small footprint. Experienced speakers, a variety of subjects for writers at all the stages of their careers. Take a look at the brochure here. This would be a friendly
This is the BEST writing conference in North America. Bar none. A very well curated list of speakers and topics that reach toward writers of genre fiction, poetry, nonfiction and everything in between. I am always humbled and proud to be a part of this conference. Register and then get ready for a writing experience like no other.
So I hope you found something to smile about. I know five of you who were notified that you’d won last week’s audiobook giveaway. Never fear, I have another audiobook contest in the works. Just keep an eye out.
Hugs and love to all of you. Times are hard, but we are not alone. Not when we have books, friends and Fridays.
As I look out the window at nothing but smoke, my heart goes out to everyone affected by the wildfires on the West Coast. Prayers going out for rain and relief.
That, and four day weeks throw me. What? It’s Friday already? Hence, this is a little late this morning.
So let’s get going with something to lighten our hearts.
One
A few weeks ago, I told you I was diving into A Queen in Hiding by Sarah Kozloff. Since then, I’ve read all four books in the series. I have been binge reading. Leave me alone reading. Staying up too late reading. Such a fun fantasy series. So I am recommending it twice.
, my best friend invited me up to her time-share in Port Townsend, Washington, and we spent the weekend at the beach. Being so like minded, we did all the things we love: we beachcombed, hiked in the woods, read books (see #1) and played way too many games of Splendor. Have you ever played Splendor? It took me a few games to get the hang of it, but I enjoyed the ruthless, cribbage sort of strategy it demands. If you like games, give this one to try.
May you be visited by a noble. LOL
Three
Looking for something super nummy this weekend? This is my new
, I want a special dinner, way too delish recipe to trot out: Grilled Chicken with Red Pepper-Pecan Romesco Sauce from Eating Well. I love their recipes, but this one is super good. Best part–it makes A LOT of sauce, which you can repurpose for pasta later on.
And if you are like me, you might just have the tomatoes in the garden.
Photo credit: Eating Well
Four
Time for another audiobook giveaway!
This time, I have five copies of Stealing the Bride up for grabs. You’ll need an Audiobook.com account to collect your prize, but that is free as well. To enter, just send in an email to contest@elizabethboyle.com. I’ll announce the winners next Thursday.
, I have lots of fruit in the house, so it is inevitable that I end up with those wretched little fruit flies in my kitchen.
But I have a fool-proof way to get rid of them.
Grab a canning jar (LOL) or glass, and put a/3 cup of apple cider vinegar in it, a few drops of dishsoap, swirl it around, then cover the jar with plastic wrap, secure the wrap with either a rubber band or canning ring, and then poke a few small holes in the plastic with a skewer.
There you have it, the perfect DIY Fruit Fly Trap. Set it on the counter, then cackle with joy as those little pesky devils go to their doom.
As always, share something special with a friend–like this newsletter. Send someone a note. Read a great book. Tell the world. My wish for you and yours is that your days and week ahead are filled with joy and kindness.
“It’s never too late change old habits.” Florence Griffith Joyner
And isn’t September about change? I’ve always thought the new year should ring in September 1st. Kids go back to school, seasons change, life shifts. There is a sense of moving forward when September rolls around. So I offer the above quote as my Autumnal prod.
, have you read A Man Called Ove? It is a Swedish book that is ever so delightful–an elderly man who has to learn to live. It is his September of sorts. It was very popular a few years ago, and if you didn’t try it then, give it chance now.
Two
I am so addicted to these minute long videos that show you a dozen life hacks that are jaw dropping smart. I love this one.
Three
I have been canning. A lot. And having picked up 60 pds of peaches . . . Yes
, you read that correctly, 60 pounds. . . I got down to the last few pounds and knew I had to make my Great Aunt Sissy’s Spiced Peach Jam. It is so easy–follow the instructions for regular old peach jam inside the pectin box, but add to the peaches and pectin a 1/2 teaspoon each of the following: cinnamon, allspice, and ground cloves. Then just cook and can as usual.
This small addition turns ordinary peach jam into something so very special. Not that homemade jam isn’t already tops in the special department, but these homey spices turn it into comfort jam. Friends and family will cheer for more.
You’ll thank me one cold January morning as you slather it onto toast and bite into sunshine and spice.
, I try to remember to write at least the year on top of the jar lid, if not the contents. I hate putting labels on jars because they are such a pain to get off the jars, then I remembered that I had bought these Avery Labels #22828 a while back and realized they are the same size as canning lids.
Voila! The perfect labels for canning, because they fit on lids, they are waterproof and it is so easy to print out exactly what you need.
And since you don’t reuse canning lids, you don’t have to worry about scraping them off the jar.
Best of all, when you gift something, you will know that it actually is Raspberry Jelly and not Balsamic Pepper Jelly. Which I might have done once.
Five
New month, new Instagram challenges for all the booklovers out there. Like you!!
I LOVE these challenges because you can do all 30 some days or just hop around to themes and prompts that make you smile. You can just follow the hashtags and see each day’s posts.
National Book Day? I’m in. Pirates? Arrgh! Yes!Cozy Reads? Curl me up!!
Come on in and dip your toes in posting some fun book shots. Never done it before? Try something easy to begin with
, then get adventurous and pull out all the stops for a gorgeous stack.
Like this one:
Here are the September challenges I found with a little bit of searching, along with their hashtags so you can check out some new to you books and book people are sharing. It is so much fun to see the books bloggers and booklovers from all over the world use as inspiration and are thrilled to share.
Hello all my lovely friends! I hope your week has been full of good things and moments of joy. To everyone in the path of fires or hurricanes or storms or just struggles, I send you my best hopes for a brighter week ahead.
Also, huge hugs to all of you who wrote me about The Blue Castle (my favorite book)–those of you who have loved it as I do, and those of you who gave it try and found it delightful. Shared books are the best!!
Maybe one of these Five Things will be something you can share
Refrigerator Pickles are the bomb. I had extra pickling cucumbers left and a few cucumbers from the garden (Okay, I deliberately had extra) and I hated them to go to waste. So I got out two canning jars and made these simple and easy pickles. They will last several months in the fridge, but don’t expect them to last that long if you have a household of pickle lovers.
The recipe says you can use English cucumbers, but try to find fresh pickling cukes–at the farmer’s market or a local fruit stand.
Tyler is my son’s friend. And he said he wanted to be famous like me. After I got done laughing, I offered to put him here in my newsletter and tell you all about him.
Matthew and Tyler met in a special education preschool. Tyler has spent his entire life in a wheelchair, and Matthew is hell on wheels. LOL.
When they were little, Matthew would run circles around Tyler’s chair and Tyler would laugh hysterically. Now, with Covid and both of them at high risk, Tyler Facetimes Matthew every single night to talk about their days. Before Covid, Matthew (who has autism) wouldn’t do anything like this, but now . . . well, necessity (and Tyler) has forced him out of his comfort zone. We are so thankful for Tyler.
He and Matthew miss each other terribly and wish they were back at school or riding the bus together. But until then, Tyler, you are one of a kind and very famous at our house. And now, you are the rock star of my newsletter.
If you would like to meet Tyler:
I promise, Tyler will melt your heart.
Three
I always think that anyone who knits or crochets knows about Ravelry, but then I will meet someone who doesn’t and I am shocked. So I want to make sure everyone knows about this wonderful place–it is Facebook for knitters, the wikipedia of knitting and crochet, and the coolest place on the internet.
IMHO.
You can friend me there and see what I’m knitting–I’m Elizbo.
, and was thrilled when Netflix picked it up and continued it. And now Lucifer is back for its final season, so if you haven’t watched it, it is a great show to binge–especially if you love mysteries, romance, and one wild devil.
Five
Now that my library has reopened for pick ups, all the books I’d been requesting during the lock down are coming in fast and furious. I started one this week that I think has all the hallmarks of being great, and bonus, there are four books in the series. So if you are looking for something new to read, give A Queen in Hiding by Sarah Kozloff a try. At least that is what I’ll be doing this weekend. Stop by my Facebook page and let me know what you are reading!
Have a great week! Drop me a note and let me know if there is something I should be posting here! And as always
This week just flew by. I completely lost track of the days and now, here it is Friday. And since I am neck deep in canning peaches and pickles, (not in the same jar, I promise!) let’s get straight to it:
One
My husband and I finished the Second Season of The Umbrella Academy on Netflix last night. We are huge fans. I loved Season One so much, I think I’ve watched it like three times–there is so many details that are just so subtle, it really does require a second viewing.
At least, that is what I tell myself.
While I will warn you, it does have some serious violence, I watch it because I LOVE the characters. Klaus, Number Five, and Ben, steal my heart.
Two
I picked a ton of blueberries last month and tucked them in the freezer for winter, but my family keeps sneaking a bag out so I will make the Blueberry Muffins from this book
, Muffins, but Elizabeth Alston. My copy of the book is ancient and well thumbed and I don’t think there is a bad recipe in it, but the Blueberry Muffins are to die for. And happily, there are some used copies of the book on Amazon that won’t break the bank. I think I love cookbooks almost as much as fiction.
, I sat down with a group of my son’s friends who all want to be writers and we talked about the process and of course the conversation turned to favorite books. When asked about mine, I never hesitate–I absolutely adore The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery.
I love all her books (Anne of Green Gables, Emily of New Moon, Jane of Lantern Hill (a lovely story if you can find a copy), but The Blue Castle is my touchstone. The book I reach for when I need a friend, a cozy romantic read.
, this has to be my favorite way to make them. I roast them and throw them on pasta with some shrimp for an easy simple dinner. We eat them right off the pan. They go on pizzas. They are just the bomb. A cherry bomb. LOL.
Five
And thank you for the suggestions of using coffee grounds to keep the little devil snails away. It has worked like a charm and saved my zuchinni plants. Now I am overrun in zucchini. And also peppers and beans and . . .
So the other morning I went through and gave the garden a good picking, bagged up all the food and donated it to the food bank. Usually I hand out food from the garden to whatever hapless friend happens to be over and they have no choice but to leave with bags of garden produce. I also usually sneak a zuchinni in the backseat of their car as well.
But this year, with so many people out of work and in need of help, and a general lack of gatherings of friends
, I am committed to taking every bit of extra food to my local food bank. If your garden is overflowing, or you have a fruit tree that produces more than you can use, please consider donating that food to your local food bank. We all need to pull together.
Please stay healthy, safe and socially distanced. And try the Roasted Cherry Tomatoes. Really.
, not up close. It traveled a few hours ahead of us, but we were very sobered by the damage we witnessed in Iowa and Illinois–trees ripped apart, flattened corn fields and semi trucks flipped over.
I then helped him move into an apartment in Chicago which is a third floor walk up in an old apartment building. Walk up as in walking up a very rickety set of old stairs. Ah
, college apartments. But he’s thrilled to be back around his roommates, and we had a really fabulous trip.
Also, a huge thank you to everyone out there who is wearing a mask and doing their best to social distance. This has to be a community effort and we met a lot of people doing their best. To the places we passed through who are doing their part, you are most appreciated.
One
Driving over the Bighorn Mountains in Wyoming and through the Bighorn National Forest. Just amazing vistas and views. Breathtaking at times.
Two
Finally getting to see the Medicine Wheel in the Bighorn Mountains. (Hence the slight deviation from I-90 in Montana and into Wyoming).
The hike up to it was beautiful and then just the reverence of visiting a place native peoples have held sacred and visited for 1000s of years was amazing. We climbed up past meadows and looking out at the mountain tops around us
, just added to the joy. Sadly we missed the bears everyone else saw and told us about, but we were followed by ravens that kepy up a lovely conversation with us.
Three
All the laughter and stupid jokes and lame things we shared as we drove all those hours together. Ask me sometime about our new favorite driving game: Hay Corn. Inspired by the lovely state of Nebraska.
Four
Slow-Cooker Paella. We stayed one night with my sister-in-law and her family and she had this ready when we arrived. It is so easy and so good. I can highly recommend. She also added more vegetables–broccoli and edamame
, which really rounded out the entire meal. Spoon this into a bowl and enjoy!
Five
Audiobook sale–Lorraine Heath’s delightful historical, The Earl Takes a Fancy, is on sale through Chirp for $3.99. I’ve never used Chirp, but I do like the price. And if you prefer just a good read, the Kindle version is currently $1.99. Your weekend reading or listening is all taken care of.
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