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Honored to Share

Sunday, August 29th, 2010

Corn Recipe Entry

When I entered the Corn Roast Festival Recipe Contest, I did it to share a family recipe.

One of the best flavor mixes I’ve ever tasted is a dish my first mother-in-law Carolyn Davis Morgan taught me ages ago.

When she told me she was making Fried Corn, I was a bit less than enthusiastic. First of all, I could not imagine how anyone could fry corn.  Secondly, why would you add calories to an already starchy food?

Maryjo Costanzo Morgan shares Fried Corn recipe taught to her by Carolyn Davis Morgan

Carolyn Davis Morgan's recipe for Fried Corn garners Mj a trophy

Why?  Because it is absolutely delicious!

Here’s the recipe – if I’d thought ahead, I would have more carefully named it “Nanny’s Fried Corn” to honor Carolyn Morgan … she gave me so much more than this recipe!

“Nanny’s” Fried Corn

4-7 slices thick cut bacon
6-8 ears of ripe corn, shucked (you can use frozen corn, cooked, in a pinch)
sugar
salt, pepper to taste.

Cut raw corn from cob.

Brown bacon. Drain. Dice into ¼” pieces. Set aside.

Carefully pour remaining bacon grease into a suitable glass container and set aside.

Put corn in the same pan the bacon was cooked in. Sprinkle with sugar – about 1 tablespoon per 3 ears of corn, more or less, and cook corn on medium-low heat to carmelize the sugar and corn, about 10 minutes. Stir often so it won’t scorch.

Add bacon pieces. Salt and pepper to taste.

Note: Some corn is naturally sweeter than other corn, so reduce the sugar to ½ T. if you know a batch of corn is especially sweet.
I am deeply grateful to have had a person so generous, kind, and thoughtful as Carolyn Davis Morgan in my life.

The Reporter-Herald posted winners in today’s paper.

Posted in Corn Recipe, Fun, Gratitude, Loveland, Maryjo "Mj" Morgan, Writer | 4 Comments »

The Loveland Corn Roast Parade is coming

Friday, August 27th, 2010

Parades. The first parade I remember well was on the Fourth of July and I was a participant. My older sister helped my little sister and me decorate our tricycles with red, white, and blue crepe paper. We affixed tiny American flags all over our bikes and pedaled the parade route through out tiny downtown to welcome Alaska as a state.

Then we saw Music Man performed live by my older brother’s high school.

I was hooked.

Tomorrow I’ll be in a parade, too. This time the theme is corn … for the Loveland’s annual Corn Roast Festival Parade. I look forward to the smiling faces, the music and camaraderie, and all that goes with a hometown festival.

Watch for Loveland 365 – we will be a sandwich-boarded group marching and singing. It is good to celebrate living in a community and being a part of something whose sum equals more than the individual parts.

For info on Loveland’s Corn Roast Festival, visit the Loveland Chamber of Commerce website.

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Posted in Colorado Corn Roast Festival, Fun, inspiration | 2 Comments »

What Color is Joy?

Monday, August 16th, 2010

Opening a brand new box of crayons ranks right up there on my joy scale. As a kid, I might not have been ready for school to begin in August, but I was always ready for the fresh start and unlimited possibilities contained in the rainbow of perfect points in my new box of crayons each year.

My daughter starts her junior year of high school tomorrow. My son leaves for his sophomore year of college the day after that. Maybe they don’t need Crayolas anymore, but I do.

I have a new box of 24 sitting on my desk right now. More than the basic eight, but not so many as to be overwhelmed with the choices. Blue green, apricot, cerulean, carnation pink, yellow-green, green-yellow. Now all I need is a coloring book.

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Posted in Cindy Strandvold, Writer, Fun, inspiration | 4 Comments »

A Feline Guide to Stress-free Living

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

Flash here. In case you were wondering, Cindy came up with a new book idea since the last time I wrote. Oh, she’s really excited about this one, and has spent many hours at her computer, typing away with a smile on her face.

I’m sorry to report that this story is also missing Flash, Feline Extraordinaire, the best, most amazing, character ever. If she would only stop long enough to think about what she’s doing, maybe she’d realize the error of her ways.

But no.

And it’s not just Cindy. Humans in general have no idea how to live their pitiful little lives. You people continually have to DO, DO, DO. You never take time to BE.

On the other hand, your average feline is born knowing how to BE. And look at us, we don’t suffer from any of the stress related ailments you humans do, now do we? Let me give you a few pointers. Read and learn:

Lie in a sunny place and watch an ant crawl across the ground. Whack it with one paw. Take a quick power nap to get your energy back after so much grueling exertion.

Amble to your food bowl. It’s important to keep up your strength with proper nourishment! Flop down for another nap.

Wake up and yawn widely. Lean back on your haunches and s-t-r-e-t-c-h, this really gets your blood flowing.

Stalk one of those infernal squirrels scampering across the lawn, chittering insults at you. Yowl, “You’re going DOWN, Tail Flicker!” and chase him up a tree. Slide down the tree trunk while your quarry escapes, laughing hysterically. Curse your humans who insist on trimming your claws down to little nubs.

Sorry. Forget that whole squirrel thing. I meant to say, close your eyes and meditate on the grass growing and the sounds of worms working underground.

See how easy it is?

Of course, there are situations where BEING isn’t enough. Situations where you have to make a stand and DO something. Something like creep to the computer and get certain people’s attention by hitting the delete key on any stories without yours truly in them.

Ahh. I feel better already.

Posted in Cindy Strandvold, Writer, Fun, cats | 3 Comments »

Back to the Drawing Board

Monday, June 21st, 2010

Hi, it’s me, Flash. Cindy is catching up today after being away from home for a week. Writing this blog was WAY down on her to-do list, so I thought I’d use this opportunity to get something off my chest.

See, last week after dropping off a group of kids at church camp, she used the time as a writing retreat. Seeing as I’m her favorite main character, I knew I’d be needed. Plus, an exotic vacation away from our little bay window writing nook sounded like just the ticket.

BUT, this retreat was not held in the mountains, near a gurgling brook, like I expected. It wasn’t held at the beach, either. No, Cindy never bothered to mention our plush accommodations were going to be at the Super 8 in York, NE. Don’t worry, though, it was better than it sounds. We scored a nice corner room with a view—of the parking lot.

Now, York itself is a nice little town. American flags line the main street and big old houses overlook the charming brick streets. Cindy was so enchanted by some of these houses, she probably would have spent the week in jail for trying to peek in the windows if it wasn’t for me keeping her in line.

But we weren’t there for houses and brick streets and walks on the trail along the river. No, we were there to write. So when Cindy fired up her laptop, I was surprised to find her starting a new story—minus yours truly. At first I thought maybe I’d appear a little further in, but by Friday and page 72, I was still nowhere to be seen. Needless to say, I was ticked. I’d come all this way and spent a week in a dumpy motel for nothing?

About this time Cindy started to have doubts. The story wasn’t panning out like she’d hoped. She didn’t buy the main character’s motivations, the whole thing seemed like too much of a stretch.

Well, duh. You tell me, if you were eight years old, who would you rather read about? Milly, the perky kitten, or FLASH, Feline Extraordinaire?

Exactly.

Just because I’m a figment of her imagination doesn’t mean I’m stupid. If she had only listened to me to start with she wouldn’t have wasted a whole week of undivided writing time.

Next time I’m insisting on the beach!

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Posted in Book, Cindy Strandvold, Writer, Fun, cats | 3 Comments »

Location, Location, Location

Monday, May 17th, 2010

If realtors are correct saying that location is the most important aspect of where you choose to live, then I’ve got it made. At first glance, you might not think living on the edge of downtown would be ideal.

But I love it.

Within mere blocks of my house I can find restaurants, shops, a museum, the post office and the library. Not to mention some of our city’s world-renowned sculptures. During the summer, I can even hear the Thursday night outdoor concerts from my own backyard.

But my favorite thing about where I live is the proximity to the recreation trail where I take my daily walks. Not far from my house are several county enclaves where I can hear roosters and turkeys greeting the new day. Goats contentedly munch green grass and new calves bask in the sunshine. A little further down, next to the river I’ve seen elk, great blue herons, raccoons, and muskrats. This time of year, I eagerly await the hatching of the season’s first mallard ducklings. Watching them grow entertains me all summer.

What’s the best thing about where you live?

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Posted in Cindy Strandvold, Writer, Fun, Gratitude | 2 Comments »

Jam and Jive

Monday, April 26th, 2010

Prepare lunch you say

Diet you will

First and utmost you must eat and eat you must

Slather your bread, with a rich fattening, vitamin fortified cream cheese layered on, one inch thick

Not just any whole wheat bread, but the healthful kind, full bodied, with extra fiber to keep your body running smooth

After which you apply a rich thick grape jam, followed by a spoon full of pure virgin white sugar, carefully sprinkled on top.

And just to be on the safe side, and to make sure your sandwich slides all the way down your gullet, pour yourself a glass of homogenized whole milk, with a dash of half and half to give it that extra bite

Now put your feast onto a favorite plate, cut it into two equal parts, then place them next to your cool glass of milk and you are ready to Jam and Jive

Posted in Fay Ulanoff, Writer & Puppeteer, Fun | 2 Comments »

It’s My Turn

Monday, April 12th, 2010

Cindy’s been a little busy lately, so I thought I would help out and take her turn on the blog this week. See, she won second place in the big Pikes Peak Writing Contest and all she can think about is what she should wear to the awards ceremony.

Now that I think about it, you should say I won second place in the contest. After all, I’m the main character in “The Secret of the Legacy.” Without me, her little story wouldn’t stand a chance. In case you don’t know, my name is Flash and I’m a cat. Himalayan to be exact. Personally, I wouldn’t have a bit a trouble with what to wear to an awards banquet. My bright blue eyes, chocolate brown fur and seal point markings are elegant enough for any occasion.

I understand Cindy’s dilemma, though. Being a human, she lacks even a marginally adequate fur coat. Have you ever seen a naked human? Exactly. No wonder they wear clothes!

Anyway, she’d better hurry up and get her mind back on writing my adventures. We’re working on the sequel and I’ve still got super-villains to defeat, inventions to protect, and bloodhounds to outsmart. Don’t worry, I can handle it. It’s all in a day’s work for a multi-talented Feline Extraordinaire like myself.

You know, if I put my mind to it, I bet I could write the sequel myself. I mean, how hard could it be? I whipped out this blog easily enough, didn’t I?

Why should Cindy get all the glory anyway? Just because she’s real and I’m a figment of her imagination? How unfair is that? Maybe I’ll crash this whole awards ceremony thing and insist on more recognition for us main characters. Actually that’s not a bad idea, I’ve already got the outfit. There’s only one teensy weensy problem . . . be honest—does this collar make me look fat?

Drat. That’s what I was afraid of.

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Posted in Cindy Strandvold, Writer, Fun, cats | 2 Comments »

Eating Soup with A Fork

Saturday, March 6th, 2010

My son is a tweener; and his favorite after school snack is Ramen noodles. He steeps them carefully in a bowl of boiling water under a saucer, then eats them with a fork, with  much slurping and flipping around of bits of noodles and sauce.

(Yes– I have had to chisel them off the armchair and the floor by the tv.)

Yesterday, I said,  “Logan, please find a soup spoon.” He replied, “Mom, what’s the big deal? People in China eat them with sticks!”

He’s right, of course. In approaching any problem or task, it is really a matter of personal choice which tool or utensil one uses. But as  a mother, I thought I knew best. Being a parent of older kids has taught me that everything  I say is up for question, debate, resistance, even ridicule. It’s their individuation process.

I might not like how he eats his noodles but experience has taught me that he has a reason that makes sense to him. So,  I asked him why he eats them with a fork.

Guess what he said?

“Mom, its because the water is boiling hot and if I wind the noodles around a fork, I can eat them quickly while the juice is cooling down.”

So, there. All I have to do now is consider how  to convince him to slow down when he eats. Til then, I have the consolation of knowing that at least he can cook something that will keep him from starvation.

As a graduate student, I lived on Ramen noodles.  But I ate mine with a spoon, slowly.

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Posted in Cheryl Courtney, Writer, Fun, inspiration | 1 Comment »

The Book Aunt

Monday, February 15th, 2010

When I was a little girl, my Great-aunt Thelma always sent me books as gifts. Now I know to some kids this might rate up there with underwear for Christmas, but to me it was heaven. Aunt Thelma had no children of her own, but she had an uncanny knack of choosing books I loved. To this day I have the well-worn, first-edition copies of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach with her neat cursive inscription and the date of 1973. I was eight.

In my life I have read thousands of books, but Roald Dahl still heads the list as one of my favorite authors ever. As a children’s writer myself, I aspire to his extraordinary ability to invent completely ridiculous situations and characters that are somehow totally believable. What kid could resist this opening scene from James and the Giant Peach?

“Here is James Henry Trotter when he was about four years old. (illustration)

Up until this time, he had had a happy life, living peacefully with his mother and father in a beautiful house beside the sea. There were always plenty of other children for him to play with, and there was the sandy beach for him to run about on, and the ocean to paddle in. It was the perfect life for a small boy.

Then, one day, James’s mother and father went to London to do some shopping, and there a terrible thing happened. Both of them suddenly got eaten up (in full daylight, mind you, and on a crowded street) by an enormous angry rhinoceros which had escaped from the London Zoo.”

See what I mean? So, what books do you remember from your childhood?

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Posted in Book, Cindy Strandvold, Writer, Fun, inspiration | No Comments »

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