Thanksgiving

Top Five Reasons Indie Authors Have to Be Grateful

Thanksgiving, Give ThanksThe Publishing Industry is a harsh place to build your dreams – especially if you’re an Independent Author. Writing the book is a lonely business. Pouring over all those red marks of grammar death from the editor is painful. Marketing the book once published is a nerve-wracking affair. Ask any Indie Author, and they will tell you all the heartaches are worth it. Why? We are creating our art.

In this season of thanksgiving, I wanted to reflect and remind Creatives about the good things.

Top Five Things Indie Authors Are Grateful for This Season

  1. Technology: Thank you, Internet! Technology has revolutionized the way we read with ebook and audio formats
  2. Book Distributors: Amazon, Ingram, Smashwords, and others have made it possible for more authors to publish their own work to a global audience
  3. Independent Bookstores: No offense to big book chains like Barnes and Noble, but I want to give a special shout out to my local indie bookstores. They love supporting local authors. These wonderful folks host book signings and other author events to connect local authors with the community
  4. Goodreads and other book sites: These sites offer opportunities for authors to connect virtually with their readers. And for readers to connect with other readers
  5. READERS: We are grateful to all those readers who support Indie Authors by buying and reading our books, leaving reviews and spreading the word

May your celebrations be full of food, fun, and family. Happy Thanksgiving

 

Being Thankful for the Now

Our lives are busy. We hustle to make a buck. Strive to climb the career ladder faster than our parents once did. And those dreams won’t chase themselves. One misstep and they may escape into the clouds, out of our reach.

This week as we’re hurrying to cook our Turkey with all the trimmings, it may be time to stop for one hot second. Pour a glass of wine and just sit still. Observe your life. What is the one positive constant you can count on to get you through the crazy days? Hold on to whatever it is. Keep it close to your heart. Know all the negative litter filling your life doesn’t matter.

From Me and Mine to You and Yours…Happy Thanksgiving

@Karen Roach – Stock.Adobe.Com

Wishing You a Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving-2014

On this day of abundance, I want to give my surplus of joy to those who are struggling.

On this day of giving, I want to send my wishes of peace and comfort to those who have known terror.

On this day of fellowship, I want to offer my support to those who stand in the storm of uncertainty.

Humanity will endure, because Hope endures.

TheLordsofValdeon_Cover

Don’t forget to enter for a chance to win a free advanced copy

November 11th thru December 4th

The Lords of Valdeon Goodreads Book Giveaway

Wishing You a Wonderful Thanksgiving Week

happy-thanksgiving

 

Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house we go…or to a beach in Mexico. One of my friends is taking his family there this week. I was not invited. That’s cool. We’re good…sniff.  All kidding aside, there is no place I’d rather be than in Colorado during the holidays. Skiing in the mountains. Festivals and performing arts in town. We know how to have fun here.

Whether you’re traveling to visit the special folks in your life OR you’re hanging out at home, have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Be Safe!

Coming in December

Each Fall I put out a newsletter promoting new releases by my talented author friends. I’m running very late this year (hanging head in shame). Join my friends and I next month here on the blog. There will be books from several different genres. Each of them are excellent stocking stuffers for those book lovers in your life.

TTFN

C.R. Richards

Gluten Free Thanksgiving: This Pie Crust Tastes Like Feet

I hate pumpkin pie. Always have. Sure there are GF pie crusts out there, but it’s still pumpkin pie. Why not try something new with pumpkin this year? Here are two recipes I’ve tried and loved.

Pumpkin Mousse (Credit goes to Dave Lieberman and Food Network. Note: I added the GF and Organic bits)

1 (15 ounce) can of organic pumpkin

3 cups organic heavy cream

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (You can get honest to goodness GF/organic spice from Whole Foods or Sprouts)

1 tablespoon Vanilla (Vanilla extract is not gluten free. There is a substitute in the baking supply section of Whole Foods or Sprouts)

Ginger Snaps for garnish – You can get GF Ginger Snaps, but I don’t bother. The Mousse is awesome without them.

Combine pumpkin, 1 cup cream, sugar and spice in a medium saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. Cool Fully.

Whip remaining heavy cream and vanilla to soft peaks and fold into cooled pumpkin mixture. Pour into a serving dish and crumble the cookies over the top before serving.

 

Diabetic Friendly Orange-Pumpkin Custards (Credit goes to Diabetic Living – Thanksgiving Favorites Edition)

2 Tbsp Orange Juice

1 tsp GF vanilla

1/4 cup raisins (I use golden raisins)

1 (15 ounce) can organic pumpkin

2/3 cup evaporated fat-free milk

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup egg beaters

1 tsp organic/GF pumpkin pie spice *see comments above

1/3 cup rolled GF oats *You can find these at the organic foods store

2 tbsp packed brown sugar

2 tsp melted butter

Heat orange juice and vanilla until hot (do not boil). Add raisins. Cool. Preheat oven to 375 and prepare custard dishes (or ramekins) with cooking spray. Place dishes in shallow baking pan. Combine canned pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar and egg beaters in mixing bowl. Stir in raisin mix. Spoon into dishes.

Combine rolled oats and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. Stir in butter. Sprinkle over pumpkin mixture in dishes. Bake 30 minutes or until knife in center comes out clean. Serve warm.

Gluten Free Thanksgiving: What Do You Mean I Can’t Have Stuffing?

Thanksgiving Stuffing is a delicacy absolutely crucial to the meal. How else would you soak up all that Holiday wine? It’s science. Look it up. Thanks to organic grocery stores, Gluten Free bread strips are available in your local freezer isle. These products generally suck. Some GF bakery companies assume the average American loves their sandwiches served on bread sweetened with fruit juice.  Close your eyes for a moment and imagine eating tuna salad on short cake. There’s your average GF Bread. Yuck. And then there’s Udi’s (Choirs singing and jets flying overhead in celebration).  Weird sweet stuff not included in their loaves of bread, hamburger and hot dog buns or bagels.  Of course there’s always the option of making your own bread to include in your favorite holiday stuffing recipe. Always a good choice.

Here’s my favorite GF Stuffing Recipe. Enjoy!

3 Udi’s Plain Bagels – toasted and cut up into 1 inch dices

1 white onion – diced

1 cup diced celery

1 stick of unsalted butter

2 – 3 large GF turkey sausages

1 red delicious apple

salt and pepper to taste

poultry seasoning and a pinch of thyme

1/2 cup of organic chicken stock

Put prepared bagel chunks in baking dish. Melt stick of butter in fry pan. Add onion, celery, apple, salt and pepper, poultry seasoning and thyme. Sauté until veggies are tender. Pour over bread and stir well. Cook sausage (remove casing first) in same frying pan until thoroughly cooked. Add sausage and chicken stock to bread crumb mix. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes until top is golden brown.

Next Thursday – Gluten Free Thanksgiving: This Pie Crust Tastes Like Feet

Gluten Free Thanksgiving: Big Bird Gets it

Turkey. It’s my drug of choice. I love a bit of the bird, especially on Thanksgiving. Several years ago, I discovered I had a severe intolerance to wheat gluten. No more Wheat, Barley, Rye or Oats (contaminated) for me. As I did my research on the Gluten Free (GF) diet, I was shocked to see all the places gluten is added to foods. Places like my darling Thanksgiving Day Turkey! Most of the bird companies inject a solution into the meat and under the skin. It contains wheat and some other weird ingredients they pass off as “Basting” solution. A “no no” for folks on a GF diet. Unfortunately, most of the raw meat and deli meat in the grocery store also comes from animals who have been fed mutant diets and hormones.  Those hormones, etc can put a “Glutard” in the Emergency Room. Been There.

Does that mean if you’ve just been diagnosed or know someone who has been diagnosed with Celiac Disease or Gluten Intolerance there will be no turkey this year?  I’ve got some great news! Organic food stores like Whole Foods and Sprouts (a much cheaper alternative) have organic birds with no added hormones or mutant diets.  King Soopers has a wide variety of GF foods as well. This includes GF turkeys with no basting in them. No matter where you purchase your bird, always ask the butcher to verify that the bird is Gluten Free. They don’t mind. Ten plus years living with this disease and I still ask.

I have to admit the mutant basting solution does make the bird moist. Some birds without the basting solution can get a little dry, but there is a fix for this too. I use an oven bag. It really makes the bird moist and gives you a tidy package of juice to make gravy.  I layer the bottom of the bag with sliced onions, red delicious apples, garlic and rosemary. My bird is stuffed with these and other herbs from my garden. The result is a GF flavorful turkey with no additives. All natural.

Next Thursday’s Blog: What Do You Mean I Can’t Have Stuffing?