Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Wordsmith Wednesday: September Special

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Hey, all! I wanted to make sure that all of you knew about my September special! September happens to be my birthday month and and I'd like to give back to all of you. For the month of September only, all editing services will be 10% off. Message me today to reserve your spot because I expect my calendar to fill up quickly.





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Monday, August 26, 2019

Crockpot Monday: Mashed Potatoes

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Time for one of my all time favorite foods! Mashed potatoes!

Mashed Potatoes w/ Cream Cheese & Sour Cream:

Ingredients:
5 pounds of red potatoes
1 block of cream cheese, room temperature (8 oz.)
1 cup sour cream
1 chicken bouillon cube
1/2 cup of water, reserved from boiling the potatoes
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon dried parsley

Directions: 

Wash and peel the potatoes, leaving the skin on some if desired. Cut in quarters to quicken boiling time. Put the pieces into a large pot and cover completely with water. Bring the potatoes to a boil on the stove top. Boil rapidly for 10-20 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender.

Scoop out 1/2 cup of the water from the pot. Add the bouillon cube to the water. Drain the potatoes, and return to pot.

Open the cream cheese and put into the pot with the hot potatoes. Add sour cream. Pour in the water with the bouillon cube, also. Add the parsley and garlic powder. Mash with a potato masher. After smashing well, scoop the potatoes out of the pot and place into a 4 to 6 quart crockpot.

Cook on high for 2 hours, or on low for 4.






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Monday, August 19, 2019

Crockpot Monday: Ziti

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This week's recipe is a bit of a "garbage plate" pasta. Why? Read on and find out!

Ziti:

Ingredients:
1 pound of your favorite pasta
1 jar of marinara sauce
Any vegetables you have on hand.
Cheese odds and ends – This is a great time to use up all those half handfuls left in bags!

Directions:

Rinse pasta in a colander (this adds a bit of moisture to your pasta). Add a handful of pasta and a bit of sauce to your crockpot. Toss on a bit of cheese. Keep layering ingredients until you run out.

Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours.






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Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Wordsmith Wednesday : Announcement

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I've been sitting on this for a little while now because I really wanted to share it with someone in person. Now that I've done that and have his blessing and encouragement, I'm super excited to be able to share the news with you!

Some of you may have heard rumors that I'll be splitting away from Alt World Studios. This is true, but I want to assure you it's not for any bad reason. It's because Nick is kicking me out of the nest for my own good. He's been my number one supporter for years and a lot of the steps that I've made are because he's challenged me to do them. This one included.

So, once The Tether: Nevermore is completed and out into the world (soon, I swear!), I will be publishing under Kat Scratch Press, my very own brand! I'm crazy excited and crazy nervous, but I think I'm ready. For my editing clients, if I can ever figure out how to change the company name on my PayPal account, you'll start seeing Kat Scratch Press right away instead of Geek-o-Rama.

What is Kat Scratch Press? Well, I guess I've already covered it. Outside of The Tether Saga and some possible side projects, it is the name that I will be publishing all of my future books under and it is also the name that I will be doing all editing under from now on.

I know that I already said it, but I am super excited about this. This is the next step in the evolution of me and it feels like a really big one. For what feels like forever, I didn't feel as if I could ever accomplish anything and here I am, ready to start this journey as a self-publisher. I want to thank all of you for sticking with me! I'd also like to thank Russell Nohelty for helping me come up with a name, Eric Cockrell for designing my logos, and Nick Davis for knowing what it is that I need usually far earlier than I know, but never pushing me faster than I can handle. It's really good to have someone in my world who cares enough to challenge me. He told me that I could write before anyone else and he continues to tell me whenever I need to hear it.

Before I sign off, I do have to show you one more thing....the logo that you'll be seeing on my books! Squeal!




Isn't that great? I am so in love with both of these logos. Eric took what was in my head, somehow knew what it was and created two wonderful designs. For those that don't know, I lost my cat of 10 years this past fall and I really wanted to represent him in my future because he was probably my number one supporter in his own way. So...a bit of secret info...that kitty in my logo is named Byron after my boy.

Now, I'm off to work on a client's book and I hope you're all off to have an amazing day!



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Monday, August 12, 2019

Crockpot Monday: Sundried Tomato Risotto

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We're back to side dishes, but the reality is that a lot of these can be a meal unto themselves, including this one!

Sundried Tomato Risotto:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes in oil
1.5 cups Arborio rice
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese (to add later)

Directions: 

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Put the sundried tomatoes into the bottom of your slow cooker.

Add the rice and swirl it around in the oil, until the rice is well-coated. Add the chicken broth.

Cover and cook on high for 2 to 4 hours, or until the rice is tender. Remove the lid of your crockpot and stir in the Swiss cheese. Turn off the crockpot and let the risotto sit for 10 minutes with the lid off before serving.








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Monday, August 5, 2019

Crockpot Monday: Autumn Sausage Casserole

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Okay, I know that it's not Autumn yet, but a girl can dream, right?  Besides, this just looks yummy!

Autumn Sausage Casserole:

Ingredients:
1 pound sausage
1 large, or 2 small apples, chopped (no need to peel)
1 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped carrots
3 cups already cooked long-grain rice
1/2 cup raisins
1 Tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup chicken broth

Directions: 

If you are using uncooked pork sausage, brown it on the stove top and drain it before adding it and the rest of your ingredients to your crockpot. Otherwise, dump all the ingredients into the crock, and stir well.

Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours, or on high for 3-4.

Easy peasy! Enjoy!






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