Precious and Free

Just because something is free doesn’t mean it has more value than an item that cost hundreds of dollars (or more).

Is that heavy diamond ring you received from that *#!% ex-husband more precious than the beach glass and copper wire ring your now departed daughter made you for Mothers’ Day, years ago?

Is a mass-signed hardcover copy of the current NY Times best-seller more dear than your great-grandfather’s journal of his trek across the Plains with a handcart in 1863? (I have really have this!)

I believe value is rated by the heart and not the calculator.

One of a person’s greatest blessings is to know this and to realize that the dearest in life isn’t always tangible.

Savor and recall those tender or giddy moments: the view of sunsets and rainbows of grandeur with that special someone, the excitement of helping that little tyke ride her bicycle by herself for the first time, the birth of that puppy that is now gray-nosed but still full of love for you.

These are most precious and dear and can never be purchased, at any price.

And be generous to yourself and others. Keep a journal and record these events that mean so much to you. Plus, you can relive them when you’re feeling blue and give yourself an attitude adjustment!

And who knows? Maybe your great-great-granddaughter will find your journal and enjoy those moments with you, long after you’re gone.

For a wide variety of free e-books, check out Date Promo. One of my books, Aye, I am a Fairy is free until February 14. There are many others listed and lots of giveaways on their site throughout the year. You may want to bookmark them.

He's not what she thinks he is

And if you miss the deadline for a free copy of Aye, I am a Fairy, don't worry. It's free to read with your Kindle Unlimited subscription, at least until April 14, 2017.

And don't worry about the series numbers when reading The Fairies Saga. This one is  2nd in the series, but The Fairies Saga is written so you can read in any order. Just think of it as released in Star Wars order. 😉

Remember to be generous with your smiles. They're free, too!

Baggies and Aluminum Foil: time savers and time travelers

I’m a big fan of saving time in the kitchen, especially the time it takes to clean up the mess from making home cooked goodies. I got real frugal on this project: I re-used the root vegetables 'marinating bag' for the scalloped potato casserole, then used it again to pack away the peelings that I’d pared onto old newspaper (it’s too cold to compost right now). A big meal created and not one dirty bowl or pan. Pretty cool, eh?

Normally, I prefer to use non-stick aluminum. It’s pretty pricey and the sheet is narrower, but it’s perfect for sticky stuff like nachos. For this recipe, the wide, heavy duty (and less expensive per foot) foil is better. It’s easier to make baking packets for the food with it.
How to:
I drizzled about a tablespoon of avocado oil in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag then added a few hearty shakes of Montreal Steak Seasoning (see Cooking with the Authors of Summer Heat for the recipe- the book is free http://bit.ly/CookingSH). You can scrub (or peel) then chop carrots, parsnips, potatoes, whatever you'd like (onions, turnips, potatoes) and toss into the baggie. Shake the works until they’re all coated evenly, then dump onto a large sheet of aluminum foil (shiny side up). Fold the foil into a packet that will fit into half of a large cake pan. I guess a cookie sheet could be used, but I already had a ceramic 13” x 9” pan ready.

The second part of my meal was the main course. I added more avocado oil, garlic salt and black pepper to the bag and swished it around until it was blended. Then I tossed in three medium chopped potatoes and half a sliced onion. I shook them around until they were well-coated. Next, I opened the bag and tossed in two heaping tablespoons of flour (I’m not a fan of exact measurements). I shook this around until all was coated. Finally: the meat. I took the lazy way out. I had a large can of pulled pork. It tastes like ham to me. If I had chopped or sliced ham (or Spam), I could have used any of those.


One more shake to coat, then this mix was tossed onto a second large sheet of aluminum foil. I folded and pinched it into a packet and put it next to the other one.

I put the works into a preheated 375 degree oven for an hour. I let it rest for a few minutes before opening. Watch out for steam!

From foil to plate. The cake pan was still clean and if I’d used paper plates, not a dish would have needed washed.
Oh, and it tasted pretty good, too.


How does this tie in with time travel?
When Evie accidentally fell back in time, a couple of items she had were aluminum foil and Ziploc™ baggies. Did they help her survive the cold of a 1780s North Carolina winter? You bet they did! Read about how in Naked in the Winter Wind, first book in the time travel series The Fairies Saga.
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1j3QtxY
Nook: http://bit.ly/NITWWbn
iTunes: http://apple.co/1RyY7EG
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1nab2C7

                               

Figgy pudding: gluten-free & fruit-sweetened

What in the heck is figgy pudding anyhow? It's mentioned in Little Drummer Boy, my contribution to the boxed set Love, Christmas – Holiday Stories That Will Put a Song in Your Heart, but I never tasted it. Since I needed to write a blog about food, I figured I'd put in a little test time in the kitchen.

If you’ve already read LDB, or any of my books, you know about Evie, a time traveler from the 21st century who has chosen to remain in the 1780s. In Little Drummer Boy, she is trying to learn about 18th century Christmas traditions. One of her challenges is preparing figgy pudding.

“My first attempt at figgy pudding was flat, but sweet. It may not have been pretty, but there weren’t any leftovers, either.”

Figs, grapes (raisins), apples, and cranberries grow in North Carolina, and Evie's father-in-law, Julian, is generous and well-traveled, so she probably had a well-stocked spice cabinet, too. I didn't have cloves, so substituted coriander. Maybe she did the same thing. I forgot to ask.

One thing that bothers me (and many others, I’m sure) is an author’s lack of research about period life. Did you know that in the 1780s there was no such thing as baking powder or baking soda? That's why they ate bannocks instead of nice, fluffy biscuits.

Evie has something others in her era do not, though. When her eldest daughter traveled back to the 18th century to be with her (full story in Aye, I am a Fairy), one of the items she brought back to share with Mom was baking soda. Great for brushing teeth and making cookies. Evie decides to try a bit of it in her second attempt at figgy pudding.
I had to do a little experimenting, too. I gave up wheat (gluten) and refined sugars, so minor adjustments to the online recipes I found and combined had to be made.

Note: You can make this version sweeter by adding some brown sugar  (1/2 - 1 cup) if you’d like. You can also use regular wheat (white or unbleached) flour and bread instead of the gluten-free varieties. I didn't have any rum or brandy to add to it, but will 'splash and flame' it before eating my second serving. I'll top it with whipped cream and make it even more special.

FRUIT
*¼ cup raisins
*¼ cup dried cranberries (Craisins®)
*...Re-hydrate these in a cup of very hot water. Drain and let cool.
¼- ½ cup pared and chopped apples (I used Golden Delicious from my yard)
2 cups fig spread (I made my own from fresh figs. You can reconstitute dried ones by cooking about a cup of figs with a cup of water until pulpy, then mash the heck out of them. Sometimes fig spread is available in specialty stores or make your own from cooking down and mashing fresh figs).

DRY INGREDIENTS
1 ¼ cup flour or gluten-free baking mix
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp coriander (or cloves)
¼ tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda

Mix these dry ingredients in separate bowl.
½ cup melted unsalted butter
3 large eggs, gently beaten
2 cups bread crumbs, any kind of bread, including gluten-free varieties. I use my Magic Bullet® to make mine, but a blender or food processor should work, too.

LAST & DON’T FORGET THIS ITEM:
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Add the dry ingredients and fruit to the bread crumbs, eggs, and melted butter. When all is mixed together, add two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. This is what makes the batter rise! Stir well, then spoon into buttered (or oiled or use that spray stuff) bundt pan, mini muffin tins or glass/ceramic cups.

CONTAINER OPTIONS:
Traditional figgy pudding is steamed. You could put the batter in a bundt pan, cover with foil, and then put that pan in another pan, stick the works in the oven for an hour or so, hopefully remembering to add water to the bigger pan as it gets cooked away... Sorry, folks, I didn’t try that way. Too much chance of getting burned: either the pudding or me or both. The steaming procedures on other recipes looked too complicated, so I didn’t bother. Besides, my batter was made with baking soda and vinegar for leavening, not baking powder. Once again, I'd experiment and find another way.
1) Stove top. This was easy, but I was only able to put a generous one cup of batter in the ‘chili and chowder’ mug that I used for the actual steaming. You could use a bundt pan or metal bowl and put it in a big canning pot OR cook leftover batter in a different way (see next variation). When you steam my way, fill the pan/bowl/cup of batter to a little more than half full. Put this container into a pan on the stove top. I used my 40-year-old two-part aluminum steamer pot. Fill with water to about half way up the side of the pan/bowl/cup. Cover, bring to a boil, and then let it simmer (make steam) for about an hour. When a sharp knife stuck in the pudding comes out clean, it's done.
2) Oven ‘Mookies.’ Both quick and easy. I amply filled a well-greased mini muffin tins with batter and cooked it at 350 degrees for 16 minutes. When they had cooled down but were still warm, I used a table knife to urge them out of the pan. Place on cooling rack.

These were so cute and fast! I started calling anything I baked this way a Mookie: not big enough to be a muffin, but bigger and moister than a cookie. It works great with the baking soda and apple cider vinegar combination.
The picture above is the Mookies surrounding the steamed pudding. Flaming the works and then adding the whipped cream would make a better photo, but I'm the only one around to eat this today, so I'll wait until the crowd is back.

What other foods are mentioned in Little Drummer Boy? Find out more about Scout and 18th century Christmas traditions and trials in Love, Christmas - Holiday Stories That Will Put a Song in Your Heart.

Time travel and magnetic portals examined

It was time for more research on time travel. Back to where it all began for me: a trip to the Oregon Vortex (http://www.oregonvortex.com).

I really do believe there is some sort of magical science to that place and the others like it on earth: The Bermuda Triangle and the Pyramids of Giza. Yup, those are the three places on earth where magnetic vortices are the strongest. And I didn’t even need a passport or airplane to get to the one near Gold Hills in Oregon.

The first time I visited the Oregon Vortex and the House of Mystery was in July 1988. I remember it distinctly because I was six months pregnant with my fourth daughter, Edye (the cover model for Naked in the Winter Wind). I got an upset stomach when I got near the strongest point of that magnetic anomaly. So did my eldest daughter, but no one else in the family was bothered. This time, no queasy tummy (and I was definitely not pregnant), but I couldn’t stand up straight and I kept weaving in circles. The rotation is a common side effect of the magnetic pull, but falling down wasn’t too common. Remember riding the merry-go-round at the park (before they were condemned for being dangerous)? You’d hop off and try to stand up and walk in a straight line, but your feet wouldn’t cooperate. That’s exactly the same feeling.

My husband took a few photos. They may not be professional grade, but they captured what we saw: the actual shrinking of matter. Five of us stood on a powerful area of the vortex and those in the audience could actually see us become smaller or taller. Yes, I could feel it, too. Look at the two ladies in the middle and, although the photos are from difference angles, you can still see the height difference.

Does all of this equate to time travel? Well, since there is still no scientific evidence about what causes the apparent shrinking and returning-to-normal pulsing of matter (weight is affected, too), then I say, anything is possible.

But just to be sure, I didn’t bring my holey Greek drachma and didn’t concentrate on the past. After all, I’m pretty content here and now. 

Besides, I didn’t have a daypack and my smartphone isn’t solar-powered.

Now, looking for a little diversion for free? Check out Book Bites 7. It contains the first chapters of the twenty books in Love, Christmas, a wonderful book set containing never before released novellas by 20 best-selling authors. Get yours for free. Here's a visual sampler: Love, Christmas video

 Book Bites 7 Kindle

Book Bites 7 Kobo 

Book Bites 7 Nook 

And don't forget to attend the big giveaway Facebook launch event October 17th and 18th. Facebook Love, Christmas Launch Party

Order/Pre-order Love, Christmas

Love, Christmas Kindle 

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Love, Christmas Nook 

Love, Christmas Apple 

Thanks everyone!

And don't forget to leave a comment about your own time travel experiences!

Dani Haviland

Little Drummer Boy

Quick! Think of a Christmas song!

Now, not so quick, find your favorite song that is really about Christmas. If you’re like me, the two aren’t the same. It’s also quite possible that the first one you thought of was not even a Christmas song, but rather a seasonal tune about winter.

The first song I thought of was Jingle Bells. Hmm. Not really Christmas-y, is it? Nowadays, travel over white and drifting snow usually means sitting in a four-wheel drive vehicle as it roars down the highway, not snuggled in a blanket as sleigh bells jingle while a horse with an innate sense of direction brings you home in a fancy sled.

My favorite Christmas carol/tune is Little Drummer Boy. I guess it was popular with other folks, too, but Debbie Haston was the first to choose it in the Authors' Billboard contest. Its soothing tune blends well with its simple message. Thanks, Debbie!

In the song, the little drummer boy was poor, but talented. He had no money but could share his gift. He didn’t do it for attention. His parents didn’t force him to do it. He did it out of love for the new-born king.

I identified with the drummer boy in the song. We were poor when I was a kid, but I didn’t know it. I had siblings to play with, food to eat (even though it was often beans), and a dog. What else could anyone want besides the occasional soda or ice cream treat? We got gifts for Christmas, mostly pajamas and underwear, but Mom made sure we got at least one toy. We had special food (turkey and real butter!), decorated a tree, and sang songs.
What I remember most, though, is being together. And healthy. Everything else was just stuff that was soon forgotten, broken, or thrown away.

The card Mom made for her mother when I was three years old is still one of my most prized possessions. Inside was a picture of Mom's three treasures: her first three children. A store bought card would have been lost or tossed long ago.

Find out how a 1780s family celebrate Christmas and why love and giving of one’s self is more important than fancy wrapping paper and high dollar gifts in Little Drummer Boy, part of the Love, Christmas – Holiday Stories That Will Put a Song in Your Heart.

Enjoy the true meaning of Christmas and love,
Dani Haviland
www.danihaviland.com

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