Category Archives: Every Day Life

Ice Cream, Concert in the Park: Daily Blog Post

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Potato Lake

Hey!

So hubby took a handful of hikers on a non-standard day hike today, meaning, we don’t usually do Saturday hikes. However, a hiking friend of ours from Phoenix heard about our Tuesday hike to Potato Lake and wanted to see it. So, he arranged a hike. I didn’t go. I was just there Tuesday and besides, there were things I wanted to do. This blog included.

Anyway, among talking to one of my brothers back east, going to the Farmer’s Market, and watering the garden, I decided to make a paleo ice cream. The base is sitting in the refrigerator right now. Why isn’t it churned and in the freezer? Because while the base of the ice cream maker is in the freezer, where it belongs, I cannot find the paddle or the motor part. Hubby and I have looked everywhere. Even places it shouldn’t be. No motor. No ice cream. Sigh. I can hold the liquid base and go to the store and buy a new ice cream maker, but I’ll have to let that base freeze for 24 hours. No ice cream for me tonight.

Payson concert in the park

Also today is the last concert in the park. The town’s Park and Rec department puts on this concert series every summer and this is the last one for the season. It’s a good band, too, so I don’t want to miss it.

That’s it for today!

Tested released January 31st and I’m pretty excited about it. You can buy it and my other books at: Apple, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Smashwords, today! You can also see all my books on https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/my-books-and-other-published-work/. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a short, honest, review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads. It’s critical to help me promote the books to other readers. Thanks in advance.

Thank you for reading my blog. Like all of the other work I do as an author, it takes time and money. If you enjoy this Monday blog and the Friday free story and the recipe I put up on the 25th of every month, consider donating to https://www.paypal.me/ConniesRandomThought. I appreciate any donation to help support this blog.

Banana-Loquat Smoothie: Chicklets in the Kitchen Blog Post

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Banana-Loquat Smoothie

So last month I posted a coconut-lemon whip recipe which I made from meyer lemons from my daughter’s back yard tree. She also had, loquats, ripening. A loquat is a cross between a plum and a cumquat. Sweet, yellow, small (1 – 2 inch) oval shaped fruit with anywhere from 1 to 4 fair-sized seeds inside, depending on how big the loquat is.

The loquats are delicious, sweet and succulent. Unfortunately, they don’t travel or keep well so not a commercial fruit as far as I can tell. I was very fortunate, then, to get about a pint of them.

Rather than eat them one by one, I cut them in half, de-seeded them, cut in quarters, and dropped into my blender. This time of year I prefer smoothies for breakfast to juice as with a smoothie you get all of the fiber. Also, I don’t, yet, have a juicer.

Banana-Loquat Smoothie

Hardware

Cutting Board

Knife

Blender

Cup and straw

 

Ingredients

1 pint Loquats, cut in half, seeded, then cut into quarters

1 ripe banana, chunks

1 cup Almond Milk (more or less as desired thickness)

See more at Chicklets in the Kitchen.

 

Thanks for stopping by Chicklets in the Kitchen. Do you have a favorite smoothie to serve family or guests? Please tell us about it in the comments box below if you feel so inclined.

My name is Connie Cockrell and I write SciFi, Fantasy, Mysteries, and a lot of other things and you can find links to all of my books at www.ConniesRandomThoughts.com

Coconut-Lemon Whip: Chicklets in the Kitchen Post

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Finished Lemon Whip

Coconut-Lemon Whip

I apologize for the lack of posts. March and April were extremely crazy for me but I didn’t forget about you. April saw me take an actual vacation, to see my daughter in southern California. We enjoyed the beach (cold!) and Solvang, CA, (hot!), and my daughter’s and her room mate’s new house. It’s small, but the back yard has producing fruit trees. One was a Meyer lemon, the lemons ripe and ready to pick. So of course, I brought home five of them. What else could I do but make a dessert?

I’m still sticking to my Paleo life-style. Whatever your eating style, there’s nothing wrong with whole, fresh food, especially straight from the tree! Fair warning, because of the coconut oil and milk, this isn’t low fat but it is “good” fat. Enjoy in moderation. It makes four 8oz, ramekins of dessert.

Paleo Lemon Curd

Hardware

Sauce Pot

Strainer

Measuring cups and spoons

Knife

Cutting board

Zester or Micro-plane

 

Ingredients

1/2 cup juice: 5 Meyer Lemons (6 or more regular lemons depending on how juicy they are.)

1 T Lemon zest

3 eggs (whole)

1/4 C Honey

6 T Coconut Oil

See the rest at Chicklets in the Kitchen.

 

Thanks for stopping by Chicklets in the Kitchen. Do you have a favorite dessert to serve family or guests? Please tell us about it in the comments box below if you feel so inclined.

My name is Connie Cockrell and I write SciFi, Fantasy, Mysteries, and a lot of other things and you can find links to all of my books at www.ConniesRandomThoughts.com.

Phoenix Comic Fest, Wildlife, Writing: Monday Blog Post

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Lounging

Newest News:

I’m so excited that Phoenix Comic Fest is coming up in 10 days! I spent some time Sunday getting books sorted and boxed up to take with me. Luckily, I don’t have to order anything. I also bought a red cloth wagon to carry everything. Last year I was using a luggage carrier and I had a heck of a time keeping everything on it as I moved my stuff around. The wagon is much better. I got the wagon at Walmart, this one, https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trail-Folding-Wagon-Red/437376731, if you’re looking for something similar. It’s going to be a blast!

 

Just a reminder, Mystery at the Fair is in a book bundle called Cozy Winter Reads and has five other authors in it with me. The Bundle Rabbit link is: https://bundlerabbit.com/b/cozy-winter-reads and you can get the bundle in whatever format you’d like. I can hardly wait to read all of these new to me other authors. Hope you enjoy it. Just $7.99 for six books!

The wildlife in my yard, especially my back yard, has been very active. My hubby got a picture of one of the ground squirrels, lounging on the back fence. Then, a couple of days ago, he spotted a snake, getting a drink from the bird bath.

How, you ask? It had climbed up the rose bushes. He got a quick shot of the snake’s head from the kitchen window, backing up from the water. Then he went out and got some pics of it in the roses. Crazy!

I’m still working on It’s All About the Music. I managed to write a couple of new chapters last week. I like where this story is going. So, for fun, here’s an excerpt that may or may not make it to the final book.

The next day at lunch, Dot showed up at his table. “Mind if I sit?”

Rob didn’t know what the feeling was that shot through him. Relief? Joy? Gratefulness? Whatever it was, he was happy to see she was talking to him. “Sure.”

She sat, putting her tray of bottled water and salad in front of her. “Word is your video is almost done.”

“Yeah. Mister Barry and I saw it yesterday. They have a couple of other things to do with it, then it will be ready. I pick up my still shots today.”

“Good.” Dot opened her water and drank. “Are they making you copies?”

“Yeah.” He put his grilled cheese down on the plate. “A couple of everything. For my records, they said.” Rob picked up his sandwich and took a bite. It was nice sitting with her again. He’d missed her yesterday. “I should have the package for the admissions office out by Friday.”

Dot stirred her salad around in the bowl. “I heard that Ned is bad-mouthing you to anyone who’ll listen.”

The bite of grilled cheese Rob had just taken tasted like ashes all of a sudden. “I heard.”

“What are you going to do about it?”

Rob shook his head. “Nothing. He has a right. I did rat him out.”

Dot sighed heavily and put her fork down. “It’s best for him, you know. You too.”

Rob wiped his hands on his napkin. “I guess.”

She turned to look at him. “It is. You’ll get help. He’ll get help. It will be worth it.”

“Maybe. Maybe not. But he’s my best friend and I,” he shook his head. “I just totally narc’d on him.”

She sighed again. “It feels that way now. But you may have saved his life.”

Rob pushed his tray away to the center of the table and put his elbows on it. “Who knows.” He scrubbed his face with both hands. He’d heard about Ned all morning. It was like everyone in school was enjoying telling him every word. The snide looks, the snickering as he passed in the halls had hurt. Wait until Mr. Barry heard. That wasn’t going to be a good conversation. “What should I do about it?”

“Ask him to stop.”

Rob had to roll his eyes at that suggestion. “You don’t know Ned. He doesn’t like being told what to do. If I ask him to stop, he’ll just shout it out in the middle of the quad.”

Dot pushed her tray away and rested her head on one fist. She studied him. “So you’re just going to let him tell everyone in school about it? What about the teachers. They’re going to hear sooner or later.”

He threw his hands up. “I’ve thought of that. It’s a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Mister Barry wrote me a letter for my admissions packet. What if he asks for it back?”

She folded her hands on the table. “Talk to Mister Barry.”

Eyes wide, Rob turned to Dot. “Are you kidding?” The very thought made his stomach clench.

She put a hand on his arm. “I’m not kidding. Get in front of the rumors. Fess up.”

Rob covered his face with both hands, fingertips pressing into his eyes. This couldn’t be happening. His hands dropped to the table, his head drooping. What a mess. All because he couldn’t keep his word to himself. He wanted a drink. Bad. “What if…” all the things that could go wrong flashed through his mind.

“What if what? That he finds out by over-hearing a bunch of kids talking about you? How’s that going to look—you hiding it? What do you think he’ll think of that?”

She’s probably right. Look at how Mom and Dad reacted to me hiding my drinking. “Fine. I see him after school. I’ll tell him then.”

“Good. You want support? I can come with you.”

He desperately wanted her to come. To know there would be someone in the room on his side. “No. That would look strange. You’ve never come before.”

Dot nodded. “Okay then. I can walk down with you though.”

A small life preserver. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

She stood up and grabbed her tray. “Good. I’ll meet you at your locker.”

“Okay.”

“Good. See you at three.” With that she left. He watched as she took her tray to the window. She gave him a wave as she left the lunch room.

At three, he was pulling his flute out of his locker when she tapped him on the shoulder. “Ready?”

He wasn’t ready. His stomach hurt and he felt like he was walking to his execution. “I guess.” He zipped the flute into his back pack and put it on. “Let’s go.”

She strolled along beside him. He realized the top of her head only came to his shoulder. He sniffed. “Lavender.”

Dot smiled at him. “Yeah. I thought you could use a little calming.”

Rob nodded. He did need some calming. “Nice of you to think of it.”

“I figured you wouldn’t want to walk around smelling like flowers. You’ve got enough issues.”

He chuckled. “Yeah. That would be perfect. Getting beat to snot for smelling like perfume.”

At the music room, Dot stopped. “You can do this.”

Rob wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans, staring at the door. “Yeah. I can do this.”

“Good luck.”

“Thanks.” With that, he opened the door. Best to get it over with fast.

Half an hour later, he left. He was surprised to see Dot at the end of the hall. “Hey.”

“Hey. How’d it go?’

Rob took a deep breath. Held it for a moment and let it go. He’d been so nervous he could feel the sweat trickle down his back. “He was disappointed. But he told me he’d been hearing the rumors and was glad I’d come to him and told him the truth.” He stopped at a water fountain and drank. His mouth felt like old leather. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “He didn’t ask for his letter of recommendation back. I’d been afraid he would.”

Dot walked with him out of the building and to the street. She handed him a piece of paper. “You get home, and you want to talk, call me.”

All Rob could do was stand and blink at her.

She waved it at him. “Take it. You can’t talk to Ned anymore. So call me.”

He reached up, slowly, and took the paper. “Uh. Thanks.” He jammed it in his pocket. I might.”

She smiled. “Good. I go this way. Take care.”

He nodded as she walked away. Rob watched her until she got to the corner and lost sight of her behind a building. He turned and headed home, grinning. She was helping him. He didn’t even have to ask for her number. That was good, right? At home he grabbed a quick sandwich and a glass of milk and headed to his room. He ate quickly and turned on his keyboard. Happy tunes made his fingers dance across the keyboard. Maybe everything didn’t suck after all.

Giveaways:

The 2018 Authors/Bloggers Spring Giveaway at https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/giveaways-and-prizes/ has started. So many free books and prizes, you’ll be amazed. Click the link to get to the Rafflecopter.

Shout Out:

Shout out to my friend C.A. Asbrey. She’s getting ready to release Innocent as Sin, book 2 in her Innocents Mysteries series. Like mysteries? This is a western, historical mystery set in Wyoming. It’s a page turner, I tell you. Want to know more? She can be found at:

Blog – C.A Asbrey – all things obscure and strange in the Victorian period http://caasbrey.com/

The Innocents Mystery Series Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/937572179738970/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/mysteryscrivener/

Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/author/caasbrey

Twitter – https://twitter.com/CAASBREY

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17899618.C_A_Asbrey

Link to https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BMHFXSJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_dp_wTSSAb8J40Q9H

 

Where Will I Be?

Check my website, https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/where-will-i-be/ for my future engagements.

My next event is Phoenix Comic Fest. I have costumes this year! Come on by my tables in Artists Alley, AA928 and AA930 and we can take selfies!

Newsletter Sign Up:

Click here to sign up for my newsletter. I’ve put sign-up gifts on the regular and the SciFi/Fantasy and the Cozy Mystery newsletter sign-ups. That’s right. If you sign up for my newsletter you get a free story from me. Be prepared for fun and contests! Click on the video link for a short video from me. Hear what I’m working on. Join my “A” Team to be the first to read my books and hear what new books are coming.

Don’t forget to follow my blog, too. Different material goes in the blog as in the newsletter. You can share both, so spread the word!

Newest Book Release:

Tested released January 31st and I’m pretty excited about it. You can buy it and my other books at: Apple, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Smashwords, today! You can also see all my books on https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/my-books-and-other-published-work/. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a short, honest, review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads. It’s critical to help me promote the books to other readers. Thanks in advance.

Thank you for reading my blog. Like all of the other work I do as an author, it takes time and money. If you enjoy this Monday blog and the Friday free story and the recipe I put up on the 25th of every month, consider donating to paypal.me/ConniesRandomThought. I appreciate any donation to help support this blog.

Baked Cauliflower: Chicklets in the Kitchen Post

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Serving of Baked Cauliflower

Baked Cauliflower

One thing I do miss while on my new eating plan is pasta. I have always loved pasta and for many years dedicated Saturday night to pasta dinners. But eating paleo has changed all that. I still want that comfort food for dinner though. So what to do? Recreate it, of course. Now no one is ever going to think that cauliflower is pasta but nevertheless, I made this baked cauliflower and it was so good, the hubby went for seconds!

To make this work, since I also am off of dairy, I had to make a cauliflower ricotta. So, this month you get two recipes, three, if you count the sauce, for the price of one! You can find my spaghetti sauce recipe here.

Cauliflower Ricotta, Makes 1 1/2 cups. From FrugalFreebiesandDeals.com

Hardware

Pot

Strainer

Clean Dish Towel

Measuring spoons

Food Processor

 

Ingredients

16 oz frozen cauliflower

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 T nutritional yeast (Optional)

1 egg (optional if you’re not using this in a baked dish)

 

Read the whole recipe here.

 

Thanks for stopping by Chicklets in the Kitchen. Do you have a favorite baked dish to serve family or guests? Please tell us about it in the comments box below if you feel so inclined.

My name is Connie Cockrell and I write SciFi, Fantasy, Mysteries, and a lot of other things and you can find links to all of my books at www.ConniesRandomThoughts.com.

3-Ingredient Coconut Cookies: A Chicklets in the Kitchen Blog Post

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Finished Product

I should be posting a dinner or lunch recipe this month but I’ve been on my paleo diet all month, and some of you on the Whole 30 program. Aren’t you ready for something a little decadent? These cookies are totally paleo but very tasty! A nice treat for an after dinner dessert, as I did the day I made them.

1 cookie per person, Serves 8.

Hardware

Bowl

Knife

Cutting Board

1 cup glass measuring cup

Measuring spoons

1/3 cup measure

Cookie Sheet Lined with Parchment Paper

 

Ingredients

1 large over ripe banana

2/3 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

4 oz dark chocolate (Optional)

1/4 cup rough chopped walnuts (optional)

1/4 tsp vanilla

Directions:

I have to tell you, I doubled this recipe right off the bat before I’d even tried it. I was glad I did!

See the rest of the recipe here.

 

Thanks for stopping by Chicklets in the Kitchen. Do you have a favorite dessert to serve guests? Please tell us about it in the comments box below if you feel so inclined.

My name is Connie Cockrell and I write SciFi, Fantasy, Mysteries, and a lot of other things and you can find links to all of my books at www.ConniesRandomThoughts.com.

Winter Weather, Tested, Giveaways: Monday Blog Post

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Newest News:

While the rest of the U.S. has been struggling through a very cold spell, Central Arizona has remained sunny and warmer than normal. That is, until Saturday. On Saturday, I attended our local Women’s March. I’ve never been to a march or demonstration, so I decided I had to come. Anyway, for the first time in months, it was cold and rainy. Of course! Over 50 people came to stand along the sidewalk on the primary street running through town with signs. We had lots of honks for us and a few who decided the middle finger salute was more appropriate. Oh well. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Anyway, it rained on and off all afternoon and in the evening, when the temperature dropped, it snowed. We woke to about an inch on Sunday morning, covering everything in the area. Very pretty. See the above picture.

My second All About Bob story, It’s All About the Game, is in full swing. I have several chapters written already. My main character Roberta Hixon, or Bobbie to her friends, is in trouble up to her neck. She has just days to figure it out! This is a YA contemporary, novelette series that I think everyone will like. The plan, as I discussed last year, is to write all five and release them one right after the other, probably in 2019.

Had a bit of a slump last week as my mom went into the hospital again. She’s doing better now, and my brain has come out of it’s fog and I can get some things accomplished.

I’m finalizing the formatting of Tested, then I’ll put it up for pre-sale. I’m thinking of putting it into my St. Patrick’s Day giveaway, so stay tuned for that.

I’ve made a calendar for 2018. It’s for sale at http://www.lulu.com/shop/connie-cockrell/my-calendar-2018/calendar/product-23462179.html. The photos were taken by my husband of places around Arizona where we live and hike. If you haven’t gotten your 2018 wall calendar, check it out. I hope you like it.

 

Giveaways:

The Christmas Giveaway is over. My prize winners were Sparrow Chaser, Richard Brandt, and Christina Tatt. They all have their prizes. Now, for the Lovestruck Authors and Bloggers Valentine’s Day giveaway there are 32 authors giving away at least two prizes each and there’s $100 in PayPal cash for the grand prize winner. This is a great way to find new to you authors, but it doesn’t last long. The St. Patrick’s Day giveaway will start after Valentine’s Day. Check out https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/giveaways-and-prizes/ and click on the Rafflecopter link to enter the new contest. Books, ebooks, jewelry and more is being given away. You don’t want to miss out.

My January giveaway, Ring in the New Year with Killer Mysteries, hosted by author Anne R. Tan on BookFunnel.com ran from January 5th to the 21st. Lots of new to you authors were also in the giveaway. For the over 1100 readers who downloaded my book, Mystery at the Fair, thank you. A welcome email will be coming to you shortly.

Shout Out:

I’m reading Connie Willis’s short story collection, The Best of Connie Willis. These are all award-winning science fiction, science fiction/horror stories. I wouldn’t be surprised if one or two of these appear on the hit show, Black Mirror. They are that good. I attended the 2017 Westercon with her and served on a few panels with her. She has an encyclopedic memory of everything science fiction. I was honored to be sitting next to her.

Where Will I Be?

Check my website, https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/where-will-i-be/ for my next engagements.

I’m already scheduled to go to the Phoenix Comicon May24th – 28th. I’m putting together at least 2 costumes. Hope to see you there in your costume. I’ll be in Artist’s Alley!

Newsletter Sign Up:

Click here to sign up for my newsletter. I’ve put sign-up gifts on both the regular and the Brown Rain newsletter sign-ups. That’s right. If you sign up for my newsletter you get a free story from me. Be prepared for fun and contests! Click on the video link for a short video from me. Hear what I’m working on. Join my “A” Team to be the first to read my books and hear what new books are coming.

Don’t forget to follow my blog, too. Different material goes in the blog as in the newsletter. You can share both, so spread the word!

Newest Book Release:

Mystery at the Book Festival released June 1st and I’m pretty excited about it. You can buy it and my other books at: Apple, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Smashwords, today! You can also see all my books on https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/my-books-and-other-published-work/. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a short, honest, review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads. It’s critical to help me promote the books to other readers. Thanks in advance.

Avocado Chocolate Mousse: A Chicklets in the Kitchen Post

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So last month I posted about my new Paleo diet lifestyle and mentioned avocado chocolate mousse. This is a wonderful dessert that you can enjoy yourself or make for a nice dinner with friends and/or family. It’s so delicious I cannot even say. It’s rich, decadent and chocolaty, everything you want in your chocolate dessert. And no, you don’t taste the avocado at all. Even better, it’s no cook!

Serves 4.

Hardware

Blender

Knife

1 cup glass measuring cup

Measuring spoons

Rubber spatula

4 half-cup ramekins

 

Ingredients

2 large or 3 small ripe avocados

3 T cocoa

4 oz dark chocolate

1/4 cup almond milk

1 tsp vanilla (Pictured is a bottle of homemade vanilla my friend Dee gave me for Christmas. It’s almost gone. ☹)

Directions:

Melt the chocolate in the microwave (pictured) or in a hot water bath. If using the microwave, use just short heating times, 15 seconds, until the mixture melts by stirring.

Read the rest here!

 

Thanks for stopping by Chicklets in the Kitchen. Do you have a favorite dessert to serve guests? Please tell us about it in the comments box below if you feel so inclined.

My name is Connie Cockrell and I write SciFi, Fantasy, Mysteries, and a lot of other things and you can find links to all of my books at www.ConniesRandomThoughts.com.

NaNo, New Giveaway: Monday Blog Post

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Newest News:

So today is day 13 of the National Novel Writing Month. Yesterday I reached over 26k words on my fourth book of my Jean Hays series, Mystery at the Reunion. I’ve been pantsing (writing by the seat of my pants, no outline), since day four. I have one more chapter to write to bring the book to a close. The problem is that I’ll only be at about 28k words, nowhere close to winning NaNo. What’s a girl to do? Why, weave in a new plot line, of course. I’m not sure what, yet, but it may be from the bad guy’s point of view. We’ll have to see when I start writing tomorrow.

On my new class on Vision Boards, I completed the first module on Saturday. I’ve compiled a list of places to hold the workshop and decided on a date, with two backup dates. I’ll be making those phone calls starting Monday. I’m excited about this. I’ve even begun drafting a tab on my website to be a Vision Board contact.

Giveaways:

The Spooktacular Authors Halloween Giveaway is over and the winner’s list was compiled. I’ve contacted all of my winners (three of them!). I hope they like the prizes.  The Christmas Giveaway has begun. There are 70 authors giving away at least two prizes each and there’s $160 in PayPal cash for the grand prize winner. Check out https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/giveaways-and-prizes/ and click on the Rafflecopter link to enter the new contest. Books, ebooks, jewelry and more is being given away. You don’t want to miss out.

Shout Out:

Madeline at the Northhampton Diner. Waffles!

A shout out to my mom, Madeline, today. She checked into the hospital yesterday with pneumonia. Nothing to ignore if you’re an 80-year-old woman. Hugs from across the continent, mom. Hope you feel better soon!

 

Where Will I Be?

Check my website, https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/where-will-i-be/ for my next engagements.

On December 9th I’ll be at the Mesa Book Festival. Get full details at https://mesabookfestival.com/. I’ll be in a booth with my author friend, Marsha Ward. www.MarshaWard.com. Between the two of us, we have a large number of genre’s covered. Come get your Christmas presents and stocking stuffers. The festival runs from 2pm – 8pm.

Newsletter Sign Up:

Click here to sign up for my newsletter. I’ve put sign-up gifts on both the regular and the Brown Rain newsletter sign-ups. That’s right. If you sign up for my newsletter you get a free story from me. Be prepared for fun and contests! Click on the video link for a short video from me. Hear what I’m working on. Join my “A” Team to be the first to read my books and hear what new books are coming.

Don’t forget to follow my blog, too. Different material goes in the blog as in the newsletter. You can share both, so spread the word!

Newest Book Release:

Mystery at the Book Festival released June 1st and I’m pretty excited about it. You can buy it and my other books at: Apple, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Smashwords, today! You can also see all my books on https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/my-books-and-other-published-work/. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a short, honest, review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads. It’s critical to help me promote the books to other readers. Thanks in advance.

Poached Pears: A Chicklets in the Kitchen Post

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Poached Pears with Frozen Custard and Orange Slice Garnish Picture by Connie Cockrell

Lots has happened to me since my last post in June. July held the Payson Book Festival for which I am the director, then August is prep for the Northern Gila County Fair which is the weekend after Labor Day. Then, well, I was just tired.

But, news! In August I began eating the Paleo Diet. I love it! I lost 15 pounds in August alone. If you don’t know what the Paleo Diet is, a quick explanation is that you stop eating grains and dairy. You can Google it for a more complete explanation. I have Celiac Disease which is closely related to Hashimoto’s disease. With that, you should also stop eating sugar (well, we all should anyway), caffeine (which I gave up years ago), and raw cruciferous veg (cooked is ok). So that’s what I’ve done.

I don’t feel deprived at all, despite my strong love of anything pasta. But it was making me feel bad so, while I may make the very seldom choice to go gluten-free pasta, it’s gone! Now I eat as clean as possible (meaning organic, grass-fed meat, organic veg, organic fruit. It helps that I have my own pear, apple, and peach trees, and grow a lot of veg in my small garden.

The pears are where this blog comes in. My Bartlett pears became ripe the end of September. They’re not a soft pear. I was having my brother-in-law and his girl for supper and was thinking about dessert. At first, I thought about an avocado-chocolate mousse, (more on that next month), but then I was looking at all of my lovely ripe pears and decided poached pears would be a better choice.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not really missing anything on my new diet, but a girl does like the occasional sweet, am I right?

Serves 4 – 6.

Hardware

Cutting board

Knife

Saucepan

Ingredients

4 pears, peeled, cored, cut into quarters or sixths

3 navel oranges, 2 juiced (1/2 cup or more if extra juicy), 1 sliced into rounds

See the rest at Chicklets in the Kitchen.

 

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My name is Connie Cockrell and I write SciFi, Fantasy, Mysteries, and a lot of other things and you can find links to all of my books at www.ConniesRandomThoughts.com.