This was a “festive season only” staple in our house when I was growing up. My mum made chocolate fudge (recipe below) and brown sugar candy. Both were mouth-wateringly delicious but I think the best thing of all was getting to eat what remained on the spoon and on the sides of the pot after it was made.
By Simon Cousins (originally posted to Flickr as Quick Fudge) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsCarnation 5 minute Fudge
Ingredients
2/3 cup Carnation Milk
1 2/3 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups marshmallows
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped nuts
Mix milk, sugar and salt in a saucepan over low heat. Heat to boiling then cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the marshmallows, chocolate chips, vanilla extract and chopped nuts. Stir 1-2 minutes or until the marshmallows melt. Pour into a buttered 9-inch square pan.
See page for author [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
For years, we’ve been led to believe in ‘little green men from Mars’ and lifeforms from other planets. But what if there really is something to these claims? The movie industry taken advantage of this and have made films to both entertain and frighten us to death.
E.T. was probably the best known of all the extraterrestrials to hit the big screen. Another loveable alien in the movies is Paul who hit the screen in 2011.
And The War of the Worlds on radio back in 1938, narrated and directed by Orson Welles. It caused quite the stir back then. More recently, Jeff Wayne set the program to music. It was serialized on the radio while my husband and I were on holiday in England in 2005. We were so enthralled by it, that before we flew home we purchased the CDs.
Here’s a portion of Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds.
So is there life out there on other planets? What do you think?
Some of you may know them as “roly poly” but my grandmother always called them dumpsie bite and the name stuck. She made hers out of leftover pie crust because in her time, nothing ever went to waste. My mother followed in her tradition, as did I.
There is always a bit of crust left over after it’s been put in the pie pan and trimmed, so why waste it?
How to make a dumpsie bite…
Combine the leftover bits of pie crust then roll out flat. Depending on how much crust you have, is how big your dumpsie bite will be.
Spread butter evenly over the rolled out crust.
Sprinkle brown sugar over that.
Photo courtesy of everydaysisters.blogspot.com
Roll it up jelly roll fashion.
Photo courtesy of everydaysisters.blogspot.com
Seal the ends and put the dumpsie bite in a pie plate – bending it if necessary to get it to fit.
Bake it in the oven along with your pie and you’ve got a tasty treat to have with a glass of milk.
Special thank you to Madliz Coles whose kind permission made it possible to use her evocative photograph as the cover image for my collection.
Blurb:
The Consequences Collection is an eclectic compilation of twelve stories ranging from non-fiction through creative non-fiction to pure fiction, in prose and poetry.
The story of a Scottish Home Child is based on fact and told from the child’s point of view; The Mystery Woman of Kinettles is a non-fiction article on the appearance and subsequent disappearance of a woman’s body near the Wellington County House of Industry (Poor House) in 1879 Southwestern Ontario.
Some of these stories are lighter than others, and some might even beg you to leave the lights on.
Excerpt from the cover story Consequences: But before I get into that, this was written during the one and only storefront writing contest held in Brockville. We all wrote to the same prompt (I think we were thirteen in number) and it was amazing the different ways our stories went.
Splat! The mail landed on the ceramic tile floor of the foyer. Usually, the noise was followed by the snap of the mail slot door closing. Today it wasn’t.
Something must have stuck in it. Sylvia put her coffee down on the counter and walked to the front door. A large white envelope remained suspended in the door. She pulled it the rest of the way through. The flap snapped shut and even though she was used to hearing the metallic sound, it startled her.
She’d expected a letter from her solicitor regarding her divorce from Bill but it wasn’t there. However, that one in particular had piqued her curiosity. Emblazoned on the top left corner was an official-looking crest. The addressee’s name and address were correct. It was her. Why would this person or agency be sending her a letter? She’d never heard of them before.
Sylvia turned the envelope over and worked her thumb under the flap. Those self-sticking envelopes are a bugger, she thought as she tried to rip it open. Finally, she gave up and tore down the side and yanked the contents out.
She skimmed over the letter but it didn’t make any sense so placed it on the small table by the door. It could be dealt with later. In the meantime, she looked at the rest of her mail. Nothing else untoward – just the electric bill, gas bill, and the usual assortment of junk – mail. She dropped them on top of the letter and returned to the kitchen.
The coffee she’d poured earlier had gone cold. She dumped it down the sink and turned the water on to rinse it away before getting a fresh one.
Drawn by some inexplicable force, Sylvia went back to the foyer and collected the letter and the mangled envelope. She returned to the kitchen, flipped on the radio and sat down at her small table. Why had she opened it in the first place? She should have just binned it. That’s what she usually did with unsolicited mail. But there was something strangely familiar about it. The addressee information was on a computer printed label so there was no clue there. The sororities from University had crests or emblems to differentiate one from another. She wracked her brain trying to remember what they looked like. It had been over thirty years since she’d attended. Sylvia never belonged to a sorority because she thought the girls who did were snooty and stuck-up.
She’d call her friend, Laurie and tell her about the letter. They’d been friends since childhood, attended the same elementary and secondary schools and even the same University. She could tell her anything, couldn’t she?
I’m almost Janet Jackson but not quite… but my ‘almost’ reveal was purely accidental. That’s what happens when you sit on the tail of your corset and try to skooch higher up the rock.
Some people relate the skirl of the pipes to that of a cat (or a roomful) yowling after having its/their tails squashed under the rocker of a rocking chair. Not me. I love the sound. Maybe it’s just my Scottish heritage and its importance to me.
Shhh… don’t tell anyone but I have my own set of bagpipes and took piping lessons. Fortunately, for the neighbours my pipes are languishing in their box in the basement where the conditions keep them from drying out. I have to admit never being able to get the squeeze the bag, blow in the mouthpiece coordination down.
Did you know that the bagpipes have their own holiday? July 27 is Bagpipe Appreciation Day.
Have you heard of the Red Hot Chilli Pipers? I bet most of you haven’t. You can check them out here.
And here they are on YouTube performing their cover of Avicii’s Wake me Up among other tunes. Enjoy.
a debut novel by Melanie Robertson-King – aka moi.
Cover created by Aidana WillowRaven
Blurb:
When a contemporary teen is transported back through time to the Victorian era, she becomes A Shadow in the Past…
Nineteen-year-old Sarah Shand finds herself thrust back into the past. There she struggles to keep her real identity from a society that finds her comments and ideas strange and her speech and actions forward, unlike Victorian women. When Sarah verbally confronts confining social practices, including arranged marriages; powerful enemies commit her to a lunatic asylum. After falling in love with the handsome Laird of Weetshill, Robert Robertson, she must decide whether to find her way back to her own time or to remain in the past with him.
A Shadow in the Pastis available as a paperback from Amazon, Chapters, and local bricks ‘n mortar bookstores.
If you’d prefer to buy it as an ebook, all you have to do is click on the logo of your choice to download it. The link for all the amazon domains is the same, you just have to change the .co.uk to your own.
So what are you waiting for? It’s your opportunity to get a great read in print or ebook format!
Intangible (The Aerling Series, #2) by DelSheree Gladden
Blurb:
Mason is not imaginary.
He’s not a ghost, either.
And he’s most definitely not a hallucination.
Mason is an Aerling, and the Sentinels’ number one target.
Separated to keep each other safe and alive until Mason’s eighteenth birthday when Olivia is expected to guide him back to the world of the Aerlings, neither one was prepared to be stripped of their best friend, of the person they love most. The pain being away from each other causes is the least of their worries, though, as the Sentinels intensify their search for Mason and bring the threat of danger to a whole new level.
Oddities – Guest Post from DelSheree Gladden
I will be the first one to admit that I am weird. We all are, but not everyone is willing to admit it. Just for fun, stop whatever you doing and list five things about yourself that make you a little bit odd. Try to think of things other people might not already know. I’ll do it too. Ready? Go!
I am a big Star Trek fan and I have watched just about every episode of all the different series, and every movie. Yes, there were movies before the ones with Chris Pine and Benedict Cumberbatch.
I like to put my socks on first when I’m getting dressed because I don’t like having to push my pant legs out of the way to get them on.
I like spinach, a lot. I don’t get why other people hate it so much. It’s great in spanakopita.
I kill the majority of plants I try to plant every year. I really do try to keep them alive, but apparently I’m just a terrible gardener.
I can’t stand eating the same food more than once every couple of weeks. Except hamburgers. Those are pretty much always good.
Did you make your list? Feel free to share it in the comments below!
Now, why did I just tell you five strange things about myself? To make a point. Everybody has issues and weird idiosyncrasies. Real people are not perfect. Characters in a book should not be perfect either. If you can’t name five weird things about your character, they need a little more depth. You want the characters you write to remind your readers of someone they know, whether it’s a person they like or don’t like. They need to feel real enough that readers can develop a relationship with your characters.
Once you have five oddities about a character, then go back and figure out where they came from. Why does your female lead hate cereal? Is it because it gets soggy in milk, or did she grow up in a home where she never had the type of parents who took the time to make her breakfast as a child? Why does your main love interest never wear blue? Is it because his mom painted his room Robin’s Egg Blue as an infant and made him keep it that color even through high school? Or is it because that is the eye color of the man who hurt someone he loved?
This is something I try to practice in my writing, not only with my main characters, but with every side character, and especially with the villains. Every character should make readers wonder about their past and how it has shaped them. They’ll keep reading to find out the answers to questions like: Why does Evie insist on skirting the rules so often? Why is Olivia so amazingly bad at sports? Why does Mason not remember more than bits and pieces of his life before Olivia? Where did the Sentinel chasing Mason get his scars? If you want to know the answers, grab a copy of Intangible and find out.
What are the stories behind your list of five weird facts?
About the Author
DelSheree Gladden lives in New Mexico with her husband and two children. The Southwest is a big influence in her writing because of its culture, beauty, and mythology. Local folk lore is strongly rooted in her writing, particularly ideas of prophecy, destiny, and talents born from natural abilities. When she is not writing, DelSheree is usually reading, painting, sewing, or working as a Dental Hygienist. Her works include Escaping Fate, Twin Souls Saga, The Destroyer Trilogy, and Invisible. Look for, Wicked Power, the next book in the Someone Wicked This Way Comes Series, and Soul Stone, book two in the Escaping Fate Series, coming 2014.
Invisible (The Aerling Series, #1) by DelSheree Gladden
Blurb:
Olivia’s best friend is not imaginary. He’s not a ghost, either. And she’s pretty sure he’s not a hallucination. He’s just Mason.
He is, however, invisible.
When Olivia spotted the crying little boy on her front porch at five years old, she had no idea she was the only one who could see him. Twelve years later when new-girl Robin bumps into the both of them and introduces herself to Mason, they are both stunned.
Mason couldn’t be more pleased that someone else can see him. Olivia, on the other hand, isn’t jumping at the chance to welcome Robin into their circle. Jealousy may have something to do with
that, but honest fear that Robin’s presence will put Mason in danger is soon validated when a strange black car shows up outside Olivia’s house.
The race to find out what Robin knows in time to protect Mason from whatever threats are coming becomes Olivia’s only focus.
Ugh! I’ve had it with this winter. It’s lasted waaaay tooooo looooong. Enough already, I say!
Family and friends in the UK are posting pictures of daffodils, crocuses and snowdrops in bloom. Even the magnolia trees are in flower. What do we have here?
Just another blizzard. What else is new this winter? The wind is high enough (and the gusts even worse) that the snow is falling horizontally. Couple that with the blowing snow on the ground and you don’t see very much.
Hubby’s car in front of the house. Mine is tucked up inside the garage.Our street looking north towards the corner.
The drive home from work was far from fun. The snowplows haven’t been out so about all you could do was keep it between the snowbanks (ice banks is more appropriate since we had a thaw before this latest freeze) and hope you were on the pavement.
There are two places along the highway where it’s easy enough to drop your wheels off the asphalt in perfect conditions and lucky me, I found them both. Oh, and I had some yahoo driving a Ford Super Duty 4×4 that rode my ass most of the way. I was so tempted to jam on the brakes a couple of times to shift him, but that would have only succeeded in having him and his truck in the car with me.
SHANNON’S LAW
Another ‘Passion Patrol’ novel by Emma Calin
Today’s the day – the worldwide release of Emma Calin’s steamy action-romance novel SHANNON’S LAW.
Emma’s ‘Passion Patrol’ books are stand-alone stories that feature hot cops, hot crimes and hot romance. SHANNON’S LAW introduces another sassy female cop, Shannon Aguerri, who catches crooks, delivers justice and always gets her man.
In celebration of the launch, Emma is offering SHANNON’S LAW at just $1.50/£0.99 for all digital versions, until the 10th March. There are special offers in place for the paperback version too – it’s at a rock-bottom introductory price of $10.99/£5.99/€6.99 until the 10th March.
You can win free copies of the paperback and digital versions, as well as other cool book-related ‘swag’ in Emma’s launch day giveaway on Rafflecopter which includes a FREE GIFT for every entrant (see below.)
Launch Day Party…
Emma is having an online launch party “Afternoon Tea At Bloxington Manor” on Friday the 28th February and you are invited too:
Come along to share a cuppa and a slice of cake, win prizes and find out about the book and the author.
What the early reviewers of Shannon’s Law say…
5 Stars – Jenny Marston, Essex, UK.
“Move over Mr Grey – there’s a new Earl in town! Shannon’s Law is dramatic, mesmerizing and incredibly sexy. The ultimate fairy-tale.”
5 Stars – Anneli Purchase, Canada.
“Shannon’s Law will draw you in from page one and hold you fast, immersed in the love and suspense until the end.”
5 Stars – Petra Rovere, Slovenia.
“A fast-paced and intense story where two different social worlds collide in a vortex full of love, hatred, intrigues and passion. Emma Calin has done it again. A book hard to put down before its end.”
Wild child inner city cop Shannon Aguerri walks a dangerous line between her methods and justice. When the bosses lose their nerve, after yet another maverick mission, she is transferred to green pastures to play out the role of a routine village cop. When she encounters signs of people and drug trafficking she homes in on serious millionaire criminals. As a loner she has attracted men but nothing has stuck. She meets Spencer, the hunky and widowed Earl of Bloxington and there is an immediate rapport between them. Their social differences mean nothing to their passion and need. Already in the mix however, is an upper class female rival – who has long plotted her way into the Earl’s bed. The jealousy is an evil shade of green and the anger is a violent scarlet. Often inhibited by a sense of duty and honour, Spencer is slow to reveal his feelings. When Shannon confronts him with the need to choose between her word and that of her rival, he does not immediately support her. All the same, when they are forced together to carry out a desperate rescue mission, their love is stronger than everything ranged against them.
Find out more and watch the book promo video here:
Emma has been posting snippets from the story, photos of places and people that inspired the venues and characters on Pinterest during her pre-launch book tour…
You’ve read the story and felt the passion – now taste the love…
There’s a companion cookbook that Emma is also launching today – COP’S KITCHEN. This includes recipes for all the meals from the Shannon’s Law. The good news is that all entries to the Rafflecopter draw below get a free copy of this illustrated e-book.
Prizes include $30/£20/€25 Amazon gift card, paperback and digital copies of Shannon’s Law, various afternoon-tea related swag items AND…. a FREE COPY of Emma’s digital cookery book Cop’s Kitchen for EVERY entrant!
Special offer on the first ‘Passion Patrol’ book KNOCKOUT!
Watch out as well for a special discount on Emma’s first ‘Passion Patrol’ book Knockout! It’s on an Amazon Kindle Countdown Deal for 5 days at 99c/76p from 3rd-7th March. http://www.bookshow.me/Knockout
Thank you so much for letting me showcase my forthcoming steamy action-romance novel SHANNON’S LAW. It’s the second in my PASSION PATROL series – stories where sassy female cops lock up the criminals and always get their man.
February marks the start of my “Pinterest Reveal Virtual Book Tour” in the run-up to the launch on the 28th February 2014.
Every day there are feature posts on topics relating to SHANNON’S LAW on blogs all around the world. They’re all linked together on one big Pinterest Board. Each post replaces a ‘mystery’ silhouette that was posted in January. I saved all my notes and photos as I was writing, on a private Pinterest Board and now I can share them with you.
Today’s subject is: Inspirational Jewellery – A very special ring sold in 2013
Empress Joséphine’s engagement ring… just about 1 carat each stone. Sold in 2013 by Joséphine’s family in Fontainbleau, Paris. THE most romantic ring in history?
There is a fair bit of jewellery in Shannon’s Law. Some of it is new but some of it is pre-owned. Lovers of baubles will probably be aware that the price of new jewellery does not indicate its cost in terms of metal and gems. Anyone who has ever sold an item will know that the secondhand price is often a fraction of the original tag in the jewellers store. There are some fabulous bargains to be had if you are prepared to consider something previously loved.
The above applies to most transactions. If the item was previously loved by someone famous all bets are off. During the writing of the story I was looking for a ring. There was already a Napoléon and Joséphine flavour to the narrative. While looking for a suitable object, the engagement ring given to Joséphine came up for sale at auction. Of course I had to step in and try to buy it. It was a snip at $ one million. Sadly I didn’t have quite enough cash. Despite my personal disappointment, one of the characters in the book did manage to make the winning bid. This is why I find fiction so appealing.
Looking at the ring I can imagine it on Joséphine’s finger. Napoléon was only a soldier in 1796 and it would have melted his credit card in the way that she had melted his heart. Somehow he got the cash. My theory is that it was in order to find the money that he went to war with half the world. The ring itself is beautiful. It is called a “toi et moi” style (“you and me”). The gold has aged to a gorgeous rose patina. It has a tear shaped sapphire alongside an inverted diamond of the same size and shape. It is a true work of beauty. It remained in Joséphine’s family until it was sold in March 2013 – the anniversary of two hundred and fifty years after her birth.
Wild child inner-city cop Shannon Aguerri walks a dangerous line between her methods and justice. When the bosses lose their nerve, after yet another maverick mission, she is transferred to green pastures to play out the role of a routine village cop. When she encounters signs of slave and drug trafficking she homes in on serious millionaire criminals.
As a loner she has attracted men but nothing has stuck. When she meets Spencer, the hunky and widowed Earl of Bloxington, there is an immediate rapport between them. Their social differences mean nothing to their passion and need.
Already in the mix is an upper class female rival – who has long plotted her way into the Earl’s bed. The jealousy is an evil shade of green and the anger is a violent scarlet.
Often inhibited by a sense of duty and honour, Spencer is slow to reveal his feelings. When Shannon confronts him with the need to choose between her word and that of her rival, he does not immediately support her.
All issues are set aside, when they are forced together to carry out a desperate rescue mission. Their love is stronger than everything ranged against them.
SHANNON’S LAW comes out on February 28th 2014 in print and digital formats for all e-readers.
You can pre-order the digital version at a pre-launch special price from Nook, Kobo, and iTunes. It will also be available in all digital formats on Smashwords.
See this post and others from my tour as they go live on Pinterest.
The draw will be made at random, by Rafflecopter on the 7th March 2013.
Companion Cook-Book
In addition to SHANNON’S LAW, I’m launching a companion digital cook-book with illustrated recipes for all the meals from the novel.
It’s called COP’S KITCHEN – Read the love story and taste the romance!
To celebrate the launch of SHANNON’S LAW, there is a special FREE gift for you in my RAFFLECOPTER draw. As well as great, unique prizes to win, EVERY ENTRANT will get their own digital copy of – COP’S KITCHEN. There are many ways to get bonus chances – by commenting on this post, liking Facebook Pages etc.
Emma Calin’s Website