So, oral surgery really kicked my frugal food-lovin’ behind. Big time. I had surgery at the end of August and the height of allergy season. What a combination. I felt awful and didn’t want to eat anything, yet I was starving. I didn’t feel like meal planning. I can’t even remember what I fed my family in September and October. They didn’t starve to death, so I think they’re ok. They’re probably getting tired of pizza, mac ‘n’ cheese, and chicken nuggets though. I know I am!
I’m feeling better and slowly getting back to cooking and doing more. It wasn’t like I was laying around. I work full time and have small kids plus a teenager. So I was still pretty busy. I managed to ease my pain by jumping into an unfinished romantic comedy that had been gathering dust for years. And I finished it! Writing comedy is GREAT therapy, and I plan on doing a lot more of it in the future.
Oh yeah- the characters eat a lot of delicious, home cooked food too. Like Sticky Chicken and Italian Beef (which I’ll post soon). They’re in a small rural Midwestern town, so of course they have plenty of good home cooking!
Here’s an excerpt:
“Here, let me get that for you,” Jack relieved her of the heavy platter and took a whiff. “Is this the Sticky Chicken? My God, that smells incredible!”
The man looked close to passing out in some kind of food-related comatose state.
“It is,” Brett moaned. “Darlene mixes up these spices and marinates the chickens overnight, then stuffs them with onions and slow roasts ’em all day. It’s incredible.”
“You have gone soft!” Jack laughed. “Have you been watchin’ the Food Channel?”
“No, I just enjoy good meals, and there’s a lot of ’em around here.”
And so do we! The dinner scenes were some of my favorite to write, and I just couldn’t resist adding my favorite dishes in there, even when my mouth hurt too much to eat them in real life. I guess absence makes the heart grow fonder. (I’m not sure abscesses do though.) The book is called “Crazy in the Heart and is scheduled for publication in January. It’s the first in a series. I’ll keep you posted.
I also met some other awesome writers who have great cookbooks out! I’ll be getting some reviews of those up soon too and trying out some recipes from their books. And honestly, if I look at another smoothie any time soon, I’m going to scream. Time for something else!
It’s nice to be back in the saddle again, and so glad you’re still here with me!
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