Friday Features - S'More Brownies, a pot luck hit

I'm going off my usual path of healthy recipes for this pot luck favorite. I found this recipe last year and I've made it three times for work pot luck lunches. It's always a favorite. When a pot luck is scheduled, someone always asks me if I'm going to bring S'More Brownies. I like to make them for pot lucks because that way I save out one or two and don't have the whole plateful tempting me.

The first time I made this the mini marshmallows burned on top. Luckily I had plenty of marshmallows and graham crackers left. I peeled off the charred marshmallows and tried again. **Be sure to watch those marshmallows carefully when you put them under the broiler to brown.** As soon as they begin to turn golden brown, take the pan out, or they'll quickly flash and burn.

S’mores Brownies

Prep time: 25 minutes

Total time: 1 hour, 35 minutes

Serves: 16

1 box (1 lb. 2.4 oz.) Betty Crocker® Original Supreme Premium brownie mix

Water, vegetable oil and egg called for on brownie mix box

2 cups miniature marshmallows

4 graham crackers, broken into small pieces

2 milk chocolate candy bars,broken into 1-inch squares

Preheat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Make brownies as directed. After removing pan from oven, set oven to broil. Immediately sprinkle marshmallows and graham crackers over warm brownies. Broil about 4 to 5 inches from heat 30 to 60 seconds or until marshmallows are golden brown. (Watch carefully, marshmallows and graham crackers will brown quickly.) Sprinkle with chocolate candy. To serve warm, cool about 30 minutes. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows.

Wednesday Writers Tips: Men and Women speak a different language

Do you want to write stronger heroes? More dynamic dialogue? 

Disclaimer: Of course, not all men and not all women fit into one slot. There is overlap on both sides. 

Today, instead of pulling a writing how-to book off my shelf, I pulled off a psychology/self-help book. Exploring human nature is part of writing about human relationships. You Just Don't Understand - Women and Men in Conversation by Deborah Tannen brings light to why men and women often misunderstand each other. Starting with observing how children interact, Tannen demonstrates that the sexes come from two different worlds with two different objectives. Women are looking for connection, men are looking for independence. Women want support, men want to be the top dog.

From Chapter One - Different Words, Different Worlds:

In discussing her novel The Temple of My Familiar, Alice Walker explained that a woman in the novel falls in love with a man because she sees in him "a giant ear." Walker went on to remark that although people may think they are falling in love because of sexual attraction or some other force, "really what we're looking for is someone to be able to hear us."

When we talk to someone of the opposite gender, they "hear" something completely different than what we mean. A woman complaining about something is looking for support and sympathy. A man hears that complaint as something that needs fixing and his solution is "heard" as not caring.

This explains why men are frustrated when their sincere attempts to help a woman solve her problems are met not with gratitude but with disapproval. ~Chapter Two - Asymmetries: Women and Men Talking at Cross-pirposes.

The men's approach seeks to assuage feelings indirectly by attacking their cause. Since women expect to have their feeling supported, the men's approach makes them feel that they themselves are being attacked ~ Ditto.

I haven't read the entire book, by far (it's 300 pages), but I see it's potential in helping writers understand the dynamics of dialog between the genders and the possibilities for misunderstanding.

This book comes in several
editions and covers.

I came away from from Chapter Two with the idea that men are more likely to make statements than to ask questions. Asking questions is admitting being inferior and men are about status and hierarchy. I went back to my WIP and changed some of my hero's questions to statements. It definitely made him seem stronger and more self assured. All just by swapping a ? with a little dot.

There're are a lot of books out there besides writing how-to book that can help us make our characters stronger. And maybe they can help us in our own lives, too.

Have you found some insight you used in your writing from a source not intended to help you learn the craft of writing?

Roasted Cauliflower with Creamy Ranch Sauce recipe review

Recipe Review - Roasted Cauliflower with Creamy Ranch Sauce

I meant to post this earlier today but I got caught up in spring cleaning the covered patio at the back of the house. It gets so much dirt and old leaves blown by the wind and we get a lot of wind. Also, some free range peacocks in the area like the shade and shelter of the patio and although they are remarkable birds, they do leave a lot of poop on the cement. I took the winter covers off the patio furniture and fire pit and moved them all out, then hosed everything down: ceiling, walls, windows, doors, chairs, rugs, tables and especially the cement floor. Now the patio is ready for summer, but I'm sure I'll be sweeping it a few more times before my DB and SIL come to visit in August.

Back to the recipe. I give it 4 stars. It was very good and savory, which I am craving now a days. I had to make some changes to the ingredients. I thought I had some chicken stock in the fridge but I didn't so I replaced it with water. When I looked closer at the Hidden Valley light ranch dressing I saw that it was way past the use-by date. I've been using Hidden Valley Spicy Ranch for a while now. So I substituted the Hidden Valley with Kraft light ranch. I don't think the Kraft tastes as good as the HV, but it still made a good dish. I served it over instant brown rice because I forgot to cook up some rice in the rice cooker. I'm not the most organized cook. I also served a green salad. I also used about 3/4 of a large head of cauliflower, which came to 5 cups.

The original recipe makes 4 servings, but since I used less cauliflower mine made 3 servings, or maybe that's because I went back for seconds! It was tasty.

Here are the counts.
1 serv (out of 3)

Cal 213
Fat 15.2
     Sat fat 1.5
Sodium 531.6
Carbs 18.3
     Fib 3.6
     Sugars 5.2
Protein 3.6

Low calorie but high fat even though it uses light dressing. I would make this again. I think I would use less veg oil and maybe try seasoning it with the powdered ranch seasoning mix to cut down on the fat.

I have another recipe for 'fried rice' made from cauliflower. It's a family favorite. I think I posted that recipe last year. I may post it again. I've also had mashed 'potatoes' made from cauliflower that were very good.

What's your favorite way to use cauliflower?

Friday Features - Roasted Cauliflower recipe

I've got a cauliflower in the fridge, onions in the pantry and ranch dressing. Now I've got a recipe. I'll be making this for dinner tonight and I'll review it tomorrow. I love roasted veg and this recipe looks good. ~Christy

Roasted Cauliflower with Creamy Ranch Sauce

Prep:   10 minutes

Cook:  30 minutes
Serves: 4

1          head cauliflower, cut into small florets

2          tablespoons canola oil

1/2       teaspoon salt

1          Vidalia onion, finely chopped

2          garlic cloves, minced

1/2       cup Hidden Valley^® Original Ranch^® Light dressing

2          tablespoons chicken broth
1          tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Spray a small rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

Combine the cauliflower, 1 tablespoon of oil, and salt in a large bowl; toss to coat well. Spread the cauliflower in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast, stirring once or twice, until the cauliflower is just tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the Ranch dressing and broth; bring to a simmer. Add the cauliflower, tossing gently to coat well. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with parsley.

Nutritious Meals in Minutes

Food Network Star Jamie Deen Shares Simple Tips and Tricks for Family Meal Time Success

(Family Features) After a chaotic day of shuttling kids around from school to appointments to sports practices, finding time to prepare a delicious meal that the whole family will enjoy can be challenging. Getting everyone around the dinner table for a meal provides the perfect opportunity to encourage children to explore new foods and build healthy eating habits for life, but with busy schedules it’s often easier said than done. 

Food Network star and father of two, Jamie Deen, has partnered with the makers of Hidden Valley^® products  to offer some tips that help his family cut through the kitchen chaos and join together to enjoy nutritious and hearty family meals.

·      Don’t give up: This is important to remember as your children grow. Don’t think that you’ve hit a wall when they say they don’t like something and that your recipe catalog is now reduced to only things they like. Give the “rejected” ingredients another try later on. Both you and your kids may be surprised at the results! For a new take on a veggie side that the whole family will love, try this recipe for Roasted Cauliflower with Creamy Ranch Sauce.

·      Peruse the prepared: Most grocery stores offer prepared veggies. Chopping, slicing and julienning can be very time consuming. If you don’t have the luxury of time, veggies in bags are just as nutritious and can be huge time savers.

·      Celebrate seasonings: Cooking with spices makes all the difference, but finding that perfect combination takes additional time. Don’t be afraid to explore ready-made seasonings and rubs, they’ll save you time and create flavors your family will love.

·      Plan ahead: Menu-planning can also be a huge time saver. It requires more thinking at the start of the week, but will help you see what dishes can be remixed for later on in the week. Turkey and baked potatoes on Monday can be turned into turkey sliders and ranch mashed potatoes on Thursday!

For more recipes and cooking tips, visit HiddenValley.com.

Wednesday Writers' Tips - Online Promotion for Authors review

Here's a little gem and it's FREE. Online Promotion For Authors - a How-to book by Susanna Carr has great ideas that authors can implement in their promotional efforts. I found the first section about online press kits really interesting. This is something I hadn't thought of, but something I will do.

This excerpt is from the conclusion of that section:

If you want your press kit to cater to all of these audiences [sales managers, agents, editors, conference coordinators and publicists], consider which group is the most important to you and add the relevant facts at the top. Most authors don't have all of these features because their professional goals don't include working with the media or public speaking. Think about what you want to achieve with the press kit and keep it ruthlessly edited and updated. 

The booklet goes on to discuss social media and ways to use it for promotion, or just interacting with future readers and fans. There are more free down loads at the bottom of the book's page.

Free online read or down load PDF.

Tofu Tikka Masala recipe review

Tofu Tikka Masala - 4.5 stars. (recipe posted Friday, May 3.13)

This low calorie Masala recipe is the first East Indian food I've made. It has good flavor and just enough spice for me. I'm low on the spice tolerance scale, but I'm trying new spicy foods. I used to be zero tolerance so I've come a ways, which has opened up new flavors to me. The recipe calls for 1 gram of chopped jalapeño but my food scale didn't even register the tablespoon or so that used. If you like it spicy, you can increase the jalapeño chilies or add a bit of cayenne. 

I served the Masala on a brown rice/wild rice mixture with a side salad of mixed greens and avocado. Avocados are at a low price right now.

I will make this recipe again, but I'll use less tofu. The tofu to sauce ratio seemed heavy on the tofu side.

Standard Masala is chicken in any type of Indian sauce. I'll try it with chicken, but a standard sauce has full fat yogurt and sour cream. I prepared this recipe with non fat yogurt and soy milk. It made 3 servings each 199 calories + 3/4 c rice at 164.

Friday Features - Trying Indian Recipes

As I write this on Thursday at 11pm—after a 12-hour shift at the day job—and looking for an interesting and healthful recipe to post, I found this tofu East Indian recipe. I've been trying Indian dishes lately. There are no East Indian restaurants in my area so I resort to packaged meals. Amy's frozen dinners are good as are some imported packaged shelf meals I found at Cost Plus World Market.  Now I'm ready to start trying some recipes on my own. This recipe is a good beginner dish to try. ~ Christy

Tofu Tikka Masala

5          teaspoons lemon juice

1          teaspoon ginger, grated

2          garlic cloves, crushed

1          gram jalapeno chile, chopped

3          tablespoon cilantro, chopped

1          teaspoon chili powder

            Salt to taste

1/2       pound Wildwood Vacuum Pack Tofu

2          tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2       medium onion, chopped in 1-inch long thin slices

1/4       teaspoon turmeric powder

3-4       tablespoons plain or unsweetened yogurt

1          cup Wildwood Plain Soymilk

            Chopped cilantro (for garnish)

In bowl, mix lemon juice, ginger, garlic, green chili, half of cilantro, chili powder, salt and tofu together; mix well and cover. Let marinate for an hour.

In pan, heat oil and slowly add onions. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes on medium heat until translucent.

Slowly add turmeric powder, yogurt, soy milk and remaining cilantro to the pain. Mix well for a few minutes until sauce thickens.

Add tofu mixture into sauce and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve immediately with Indian Naan bread or heated rice.

A Simple Swap for Healthier Meals

(Family Features) Today’s interest in world cuisine has broadened our use of different herbs and spices, as well as globally popular proteins such as soy. Yet many people are unsure how to seamlessly integrate soy foods into their lifestyle, taste preferences and eating habits.

To ensure you’re receiving the maximum health benefits from your soy foods, they should be consumed a few times each week and eaten primarily as whole soy foods like tofu, tempeh and edamame. Soyfoods are low in saturated fat, cholesterol-free, contain high-quality protein, dietary fiber and numerous other ingredients.

“As a qualitarian, I’m always seeking and advising my clients to choose the better quality foods of what’s available, but sometimes that can feel like a challenge,” says registered dietitian Ashley Koff. “Start simple by choosing foods as close to the form they are in nature. Second, focus on nutrients in food, not just its calories. Consider incorporating organic whole food soy as it delivers all the nutrients the body needs for better energy – carbohydrates, fiber, protein and healthy fats.”

For easy ways to incorporate soy foods into everyday meals, try incorporating these simple tips from Koff:

·      Skip the store bought pudding and make it at home with organic tofu instead.

·      Swap out regular hummus for edamame (soybean) hummus to snack on with water-based vegetables.

·      Not all soy products are created equal. To get the optimal health benefits from soy foods, look for organic, whole food products like those from Wildwood.

For families trying to find the best soy food offerings that everyone will enjoy, Wildwood offers natural and organic food products including tofu and soymilk made with the highest quality ingredients. For more recipes and information, visit www.wildwoodfoods.com.