NaNoWriMo bites the dust (and a recipe!)

Well, I tried. I tried to squeeze in 1,667 words each day last month. I tried and failed. Apparently, 24 hours is just not enough time to be a full-time wife, mom and Administrative Secretary, and a part-time taxi driver, doctor, dish washer, laundry attendant, cook & bottle washer, and novelist...get the idea? I am not giving up, no, I am just going to postpone this adventure for now. The thoughts are still swirling in my head and they'll eventually make it down on paper. Just not right now, maybe not in 6 months, but maybe next November when NaNoWriMo starts up again. We'll see...

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Thanks to Pinterest I have hundreds of new recipes to try (as if my dozens and dozens of cookbooks didn't already have enough!). This one was a big hit at my Dad's 70th birthday party back in September, and I made it again today for our Christmas lunch at work.

 

Pepperoni Pizza Rolls

 

 

Thanks to Dori at Riches to Rags by Dori and Tonia at The Gunny Sack for this great recipe. They both have step-by-step pictures, by the way. I wasn't thinking "blog it" when I made them this morning or I would have taken some myself.

 

I did change the original recipe a touch this time and only used mozzarella cheese...ok, string cheese cut in pieces. You can get 7 perfect-sized pieces out of one piece of string cheese :) I also forgot the Parmesan - gasp! I know, I know...what is a pizza bite without Parmesan. Or Parmeesheean, as my Dad says. I didn't have any Italian seasoning either, so I just used oregano. Ack, I also brushed with butter after baking instead of egg before baking (oregano and garlic after baking as well) and baked at 400° for a tad longer than 20 minutes. Guess I changed it a bit more than a touch. Hope they taste ok! I'll let you know. They do look good though, don't they?

 

Ingredients:

3 cans buttermilk biscuits, not the flaky kind (10 biscuits per can)

60 pepperoni slices

Block of cheese

1 beaten egg

Parmesan cheese

Italian seasoning

Garlic powder

1 jar pizza sauce

 

Directions:

1. Cut the block of cheese into 30 squares (1/2" - 3/4").

2. Flatten one biscuit and layer pepperoni, cheese, pepperoni.

3. Gather the edges of the biscuit around the filling, and squish gently to seal. Repeat with remaining biscuits, pepperoni and cheese.

4. Place pepperoni rolls in 9x13" baking dish. Brush with egg and sprinkle with Parmesan, Italian seasoning and garlic powder (or whatever you want really...see my note above).

5. Bake at 425° F for 18-20 minutes.

 

Serve with warm pizza sauce for dipping.

Better late than never!

Wow! It's been quite a while since I posted anything.  My laptop still isn't working, and it isn't nearly as convenient using the desktop computer downstairs.  I've taken over the hubby's MacBook (which I'm not nearly as fond of as my Sony!), and hope to start posting more frequently.

I've never thought of myself as much of a writer, so signing up for NaNoWriMo was not something I had planned by any stretch of the imagination! 30 days...50,000 words...1 novel. Piece of cake, right? HA! Here it is day 5, and I'm already 5,225 words behind.  Who knew writing 1,667 words a day would be so difficult? I'm sure I speak at least that many words during the day, but actually writing that many words is proving to be a challenge.  Time, that's my excuse. Not enough time to write. Working 8-5 sure cuts into my writing time, then the family needs my attention in the evening, which also creates a free time issue. Plus, I'm not sure where my story is going so I'm winging it. Having never written a novel, or anything other than school papers for that matter, I don't have a clue what I'm doing. Character development, plot-thickening events, and the moral of my story will have to come later. For now, the goal is just getting the words onto paper. The details will come later.

My friend, Sheri (http://www.sherisalatin.com), and my brother-in-law, Kevin (http://kwsleadership.wordpress.com), are also participating in NaNoWriMo.  Wish us all luck!!

Blogger troubles

I'm having a lot of trouble logging in to Blogger in order to post. I keep getting some type of security error when I go to their page. So, until I get this problem figured out you may not see much of me as posting from my phone is a hassle.

Books, Books, Books!

I love books! Cookbooks, craft books, fiction, non-fiction…it doesn’t matter.  While there is something fundamental (and rather appealing) about touching, and holding, and the smell of an actual book, I have grown to really adore the Kindle app on my iPhone.  Since I usually have my phone with me wherever I go, it’s so convenient! Plus, Amazon.com always has free books to download! Both Pixel of Ink and Inspired Reads are great resources for finding those freebies.  Right now, I have 531 books (should I be concerned about this???) that I have gotten for FREE!  I didn’t pay a penny for either the app or the books.  How cool is that?  Here are some books that are currently free on Amazon.com:

How to De-Clutter and Make Money Now
Heart of Gold
The Vengeance Squad
Saving Hope: Men of the Texas Rangers, Book 1

Another site I love is Goodreads. I can keep track of the books I’m reading and my progress; I can add books to my to-be-read list; and, I can follow my friends to see what they’ve been reading (and they can follow me). 

OverDrive is also awesome!  You can only access it if you have an active library card for your local library, though. With OverDrive, you are able to check-out eBooks, audio books, music and videos and download them to your favorite electronic device.  What I love best about this service is that there are NO late fees!  Once your loan time is up, the book (or whatever you’ve checked out) just disappears from your device.  I listened to two audiobooks on our trip to Ohio over Christmas, which was great because I get terribly carsick if I try to read in the car.  Check with your local library to see if they participate.

With all of this digital greatness we are surrounded by, don’t forget to visit your local library and check-out some good, ol’ hardcopy books regularly.  Our local libraries will continue to lose funding, and employees, if we don’t show our support!

P.S. I didn't finish my book last night, but I did whittle it down to only 42 pages remaining.  Hopefully this weekend!

Edit: One thing I should note about the free books on Amazon, some don't stay free for long! Sometimes, you just have to be quick.

Ahhh, Thursday

Oh, Thursday, how I love thee! Why? I don’t know exactly, but it’s always been my favorite day of the week. Maybe because the busyness of the week has worn down; maybe because it’s one step closer to Friday; maybe because I usually don’t have anyplace to be after work and I can just be home with my family. Thursday brings me to that “ahhh” moment of unhurried peace. Maybe I can even get the last few chapters of "The Search", by Suzanne Woods Fisher, read tonight.

I'm a WINNER!

Wow! I am thrilled to have won a $10 coupon from Designs by Megan Turnidge! I can't wait to use it and make something really pretty.  You know I'll let you know what I get :)

Just testing the waters...

Some people say I talk too much.  That I tend to ramble.  Maybe I do.  So here it is...my place to ramble.  I'm not sure what will show up here, but I'm guessing it'll be a hodge-podge of different things...a little of this and a little of that.  Hang on, because it could be a bumpy ride!