One Author's Journey #5

All of the books I write reflect things from my life. It was time to write book #5, Timothy’s Home. Someone recommended a wonderful book for writer for me called The Art of War for Fiction Writers. There are a lot of exercises to hone writing skills in this book. One of them went like this (more or less):

Suppose there is a truck driver driving really fast down the highway. (Are you thinking of a hairy guy right now?

Now, the truck driver is a woman. (Tough gal?)

What if she is in a wedding dress or a formal and in full makeup?

 

When I read this, I searched my mind for how to apply this to a book set in the 1800s. What were the ‘trucks’ then? Who would be my victim-woman driving? After a brief period of contemplation, I decided that the biggest of the ‘big rigs’ of that time had to be the Twenty Mule Team. That thought took me down a road I had travelled fifty years before.

 

I was three and my nephew was five. We were inseparable and usually into some kind of trouble. Of course, wasn’t most of it the nephew’s fault? (That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.) Anyway, my fifteen year old brother had a magnificent model of the Twenty Mule Team Borax. Somehow, the reins got all twisted up and it was destroyed. For fifty years my brother was a little bitter about this. Once in a while he mentioned that he saw one at an antique store or on eBay. This niggled at my mind a lot.

 

One summer we were in Denver and visiting our oldest son’s in-laws. The grandfather showed us the house he had built. In the basement there was a twenty Mule Team Borax model. I was so excited and remarked that I needed to find one for my brother. Our son’s father-in-law said he had one he would send to me. The problem was that it needed to be put together. I told him I thought that would be fine.

 

A couple of weeks later I got a really small package in the mail. It was half the size of a shoebox. I couldn’t guess what it was. When I opened it, I almost cried. It was a model ready to be put together. Even the mules came in two pieces. I had never put together a model in my life, so I called my brother and told him I found a model. He said that he would appreciate it if I would put it together for him. (?)

 

I begged Terry to help me put the thing together. He gave me one whole day. He put together all twenty mules. The wagons were detailed and there were even little men that went with it. Terry also routed a pretty board and put the recommended finish nails every so many inches to hold the mules in place. The day was over and I was on my own.

 

There were documents in with the model and when I studied the instructions, I found some interesting facts about the twenty mule teams and how they worked. After reading the short study there, I looked up a lot of things on the internet. It was very interesting. While I painted and distressed the wagons and put everything together for a few weeks, I contemplated the lives of the people who worked on these wagons.

 

Some of the plot of Timothy’s Home unfolded there on my dining room table. When I finished the model, I wrote the book and felt blessed that I could share the wealth of information I had learned and not let it go to waste.  As it happened, we went to New Mexico to see my brother and present him with the finished product. It was fifty years late, but he was touched by my efforts. I love my brother so much. It was worth the time and effort to see the look on his face that day.

 

The next book was a glimpse into my dad’s life. (He was born in 1909)

 

 

 

 

One Author's Journey #4

 

 

 

 

 

Book III was going through the last stages before its release date when I came upon a writing challenge on the internet. It was called the “National Novel Writing Challenge”. I clicked on the link and read about it and was floored when I discovered the challenge was to write a book with 50,000 words or more in one month. The month was November.

NOVEMBER, the words stuck out like a knife. That is the month we have family over for Thanksgiving, there are at least two craft/book shows, and I spend days cooking and preparing the house for a lot of company. How on earth could I commit to doing something like this?

I don’t know why, but I did it. I had never self-published and thought this would be a good exercise in writing discipline. I would learn how to juggle life with my writing. Up to this point, I let my life revolve around marketing and writing. This was a test and only a test…or so I thought.

In Luke’s Legacy, Book III of the Nan’s Heritage Series, there was a “walk on character” who had a lot of personality. Sheriff Roy Miller met her on a train. She was a mail order bride. The man who ordered her sent her away and didn’t marry her. I decided to write her story for the November NaNoWriMo challenge.

The Eyes of a Stranger addressed some of my fears of being rejected. Gertie, the main character had faced rejection all of her life and she didn’t understand why until she left home only to be rejected once more. I contemplated the thought process of a mail order bride. She was the precursor to the email bride of today. One day I was visiting with my sister and we were talking about mail order brides. I told her that I would be in the ‘return’ file on my way back home.

When she was introduced in Book III, we find that the good Sheriff had a friend in Denver. Gertie was to go and find him to secure employment as a nanny or housekeeper. I began the story with her life at home and how she came to be a mail order bride. Then she had conversation with Sheriff Roy and built the story from what was laid out there.

What was Roy’s friend like? Would he help her? Where would she live? Where would she work? Those days were difficult for a woman on her own. There were few women in the workplace. Most were married off very young. Gertie was past her prime marriage years. She feared she would be an old maid. Those were the things that tossed around in my mind in this book.

It was fun to write this on the challenge. NaNoWriMo urges the writer to only write and not correct or edit as they go. That gave freedom to throw caution to the wind. Editing and processing the story came in December, January and on. I was very pleased to meet the challenge that year. My readers were happy to have two new books within one year to read. I learned a lot about moving with the storyline and letting the story run. It was delightful.

It did seem that I was writing all the time, but I still had a great time doing all the scheduled things. I think that book taught me how to live my life as a writer and not let the books boss me around. It would seem to be the opposite, but it wasn’t. I learned that if I write an average of 1670 words a day, I can get the rough draft completed in a month. I also learned that it is not necessary to get a rough draft completed in a month. It is alright if it takes two or three months. I learned that I must not forget to connect with those I love and meet new people. After it was all said and done, I had a new title, The Eyes of a Stranger. This book was not originally in the plan of the series, but after I wrote it, I knew it was an important element of it. The next move was to wrap up the series with one more book.

 

 

 

One Author’s Journey

#3

 

Elk’s Resolve, Book II in the Nan’s Heritage Series, seemed to fly from my mind, through my fingers, and onto the computer screen. I learned the importance of writing every day. Readers of the first book were ready as soon as the book was ready. Now, I just had to get word to them. I had a clip board that readers signed on my book table at the book events. If they were interested in being part of my “book club”, I sent them notice when the next book was ready to be sent to them via a postcard. This idea worked really well.  

It amazed me more than anyone that I began my third book, Luke’s Legacy.  Somehow, I actually became a writer. I wrote the first book because I heard the saying that everyone has a book inside of them. The second one was written because there were loose ends that needed tied up from the first one. Now, the third was a choice.

As a writer of Christian books, I believe it is important for each book to hold a message as well as to entertain the reader. As I write each book, I feel like I am in school and the Lord is teaching me things I need to work on in my own Christian walk. Nan’s Journey dealt with forgiveness while Elk’s Resolve was about overcoming depression and prejudice. God has no grandchildren was something Luke’s Legacy dealt with. As much as I wanted to make the decision for my children, it was clear that each person must choose for himself.

Portions of the book dealt with things children of Christians have expressed. Things like: “Mama is praying, so everything will be all right.” “I’ll get into heaven on Daddy’s coattails.” “I grew up in church. God knows me.” Sometimes I am afraid that those who have grown up so close to making a decision for Jesus, have a more difficult time realizing their need for Him.

While I was writing “Luke’s Legacy”, our brother in law almost died. He was one of the people who always came close to choosing God, but never felt he could. The doctors were working on his failing body and he felt his spirit leave the confines of flesh and bone. He walked through a door and found miles of desolation. He screamed out to God to save him. Immediately, he was back into his fleshly body of pain. He repented and asked the Lord to save his soul.

After he began recovering, he spent a lot of time crying to his sweet wife about how much he didn’t deserve another chance. He was so grateful that God let him live so that he could get saved. John, my brother in law, spoke at churches and men’s groups all over the panhandle as well as every individual who would listen to him, about this experience. He wanted them to be ready to meet God when the time came.

John died about two years after this experience. I asked if I could include a version of his vision/experience in Luke’s Legacy. I think the inclusion of that portion is why some readers have tagged it as “paranormal”. It was not. John was a changed man after that. He was not one who had dreams or experiences like that otherwise. He was very shy and his proclamation of his experience was surprising to everyone who knew him. He was wonderful and we all miss him.

God has no grandchildren. You cannot be let into the kingdom of God by default. It is a personal decision. Period. I think that portion of the book is the whole reason the Lord led me to write it. I thought my writing journey was over with that title. Little did I know, it had just begun.

My Author Journey

 

 

One Author’s Journey

#2

 

While the first title, Nan’s Journey, was going through the publishing hoops, my husband urged me to write the next book in the series. I hadn’t thought much about writing other books. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end every time someone called me ‘author’.  I simply couldn’t believe they were referring to me. I had the feeling that someone would pull back the curtain and find out the ‘author’ was only me.

Book II of the Nan’s Heritage Series seemed to fly off the laptop compared to the seven or so years it took to write Book I. I believe the first book took so long because I never thought it was something that would be published. With Elk’s Resolve, I had a little momentum going. Every day my husband asked me if I had written that day. That was a lot of pressure for me because I hadn’t gotten into the rhythm of being a writer. Being accountable to him was what I needed to get the book done. I also wrote furiously because I was afraid I would lose my nerve.

One lazy afternoon while I was napping, the phone rang. It was the marketing representative from my publisher. He told me Nan’s Journey was ready and asked me how many copies I wanted to order. He asked a lot of questions and my mind was officially blown. I heard terms I had never thought of before: push cards, promotional items, press release…

He could tell I was lost, so he recommended a book for me to read. It was Amen by Leon Mentzer. It was a book about publishing and marketing for the beginning author. I ordered it, some push cards, book marks, posters, and fifty books. He told me not to give any books to friends and relatives. I didn’t listen. I was afraid if I didn’t give the books to them, I would be stuck with them.

The books arrived. I opened the box and cried when I saw them. My heart was within those pages. Would anyone like it? The marketing book was in the box as well. I dove into it and cried when I read it. I realized I really didn’t know what I was doing. I thought I would be at my computer writing and the books would sell themselves. That’s what I had learned from movies I had watched.  I had just watched a movie where a poor boy wrote a book and immediately was rich. In fact, my husband had a list of things we were going to do with ‘all that money’. One funny thing I remember from those first ‘author’ days was my first time I went to the post office to pick up the mail for my paying job. I honestly wondered if people would approach me and think I was famous. Nope, I was still just me. I guess they never did get the memo that I was something special. I just have to laugh about that.

Leon’s book gave me a dose of reality from which I still haven’t recovered. One fact was that most authors never sell more than ninety-nine copies. Thank the Lord; my books have done better than that. There were ideas to get the word out and I marked up that book and attempted to put the suggestions into practice. I contacted him and he became my first book mentor. I will always feel blessed that he gave me good direction in those first months.

Some orders came in from people who had heard about me and I took them to the window of the post office. The clerk was a sweet lady and I had given her a book. She started talking to me about the characters in the book as if they were real people. I remember being shocked that she knew ‘my people’. I felt exposed. This woman knew the thoughts in my heart. I don’t know what I had expected. It did make me realize that I needed to be careful with those words I write because people were reading.

 

March Madness

Nope, this isn't about basketball. March 1st is our wedding anniversary. Terry and I have been married 38 years. I could tell you that they have all be bliss, but you would rightfully be able to call me a liar.

While all days have not been moonlight and roses, there has been a certain underlying joy in the years we have spent together. We struggled through the first few years while we were getting used to thinking of someone other than ourselves. We were 19 & 18 years old and, as you know, teenagers are notorious for being self-centered.

I wish I could say that at our 50+ years, the self-centered stuff had ceased, but that would not be the truth. What I can say is that after all these years together, my sweet husband has taught me to not take everything so seriously.

People who know me now would have a difficult time believing how deadly serious I was when Terry married me. I thought I had to be so that people would think I was a grown up. I didn't give myself or anyone else very much slack. Terry taught me how to laugh at circumstances our of my control. He taught me to see the humor behind almost everything that happens. His  favorite saying is: "We are going to have so much fun growing up together." He still says that to the grands.

Our grandson, Zach, used to call him "Grandhappy" instead of Grandpappy. The happy part is a good fit for him. Of course, we have had some very sad days when some of our loved ones passed away, but the overlying atmosphere of our life together has been a deepening joy.

We still have our conflicts. In fact, we might call this month 'March madness' for a reason. The truth is that I am still madly in love with that man.

December Treats!!! Got lots of free or inexpensive ebooks ($.99) on Amazon.com on December 4-8
Go to http://decembertreats.blogspot.com to look at the titles offered.

Also

The Kindle version of Some Happy Day will be free on Dec 6 & 7, 2012 at
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=some+happy+day

Go to my website to get information on how to win the Christmas Kindle I am giving away. There is a tab at the bottom left that gives instructions. It is like a scavenger hunt. You will have a good chance of winning, so join in. http://elainelittau.com . That is the link. Go and see how your name can be in the drawing.

Chairs

Chairs

There is an ongoing dispute between me and chairs. When I was a little kid of 4 years old Mama, Daddy and I had this old swivel rocker that was a problem. It seemed that every time I sat in the thing, it went backwards with me. It was quite the ordeal to get the thing set back to rights.

I remember that I had a very important job that involved that chair. If a guest came to our house, it was my job to hurriedly be rude and take the chair that looked to be the most comfortable in the house. Most of the time I did pretty well at occupying that chair while guests visited.

One time, when I was around ten years old, about 1966,  our new pastor came to visit us. He was a very proper man. He was a painter when he wasn’t behind the pulpit. He wore a severe black suit with pants about an inch or so too short. He wore shiny black dress shoes, horn-rimmed glasses, a white shirt, and white socks.

His knock sounded on the door and I opened it. He walked though quickly and spied the swivel rocker. He folded his lanky frame into it and sat with his elbows on his knees.

Good. If he stays like that, he won’t fall backwards.

Sure enough, after he made the point in his conversation, (I wasn’t listening. I was worrying.) He stretched back and before Mama and I realized what happened, his legs were pointed to the ceiling. He flipped the chair backwards. His white socks and shins shined as bright as mayonnaise.

Mama looked at me and frowned. I knew I missed my assignment that day. Each of us took one of his hands and pulled him and the chair to an upright position.

I don’t know why, but it was years later before Mama and Daddy replaced that chair with a Lazy Boy Recliner. I can’t tell you how glad I was for that purchase.

That wasn’t the end to my chair problems. In 1975 Terry and I got married and bought a brand new Great Lakes mobile home. It was beautiful! Being built in the Spanish style of the day, it had dark brown paneling on every wall except one wall in the living room. That wall had off-white paneling with two wrought-iron keys that were about two feet high. We had red velvet chairs and matching couch trimmed with black vinyl around the edges and buttons. We had a big red glass based lamp with a big red velvet shade trimmed in black lace.

Our dining room/kitchen was awesome in that it had a rectangle table with wrought-iron swivel based velvet dining room chairs. Those things were heavy duty. To top it off, we had a black metal chandelier. We knew we were rich!

As the years progressed in living in the trailer house, things sort of started to happen to the furniture. If you weren’t careful in sitting on the couch, a spring might grab the calf of you leg and bite you. When this happened to me, I got out the cutting pliers and cut off a length of it and forgot it.

One day a friend of mine came over to visit Terry and me and sat on that couch. The girl sat down carefully and the man plopped down quickly. Before I knew what happened, the spring came out and grabbed his pant leg along with a piece of his calf. We apologized and offered them alternate seating.

After they left, Terry turned the couch over and clipped the spring out. It was three years later that we moved from the trailer and left the furniture behind for the renters to use.

 One year, not long ago, probably about 2010, we purchased a cheap chair and a half recliner. Our kids like to sit side by side or on one another’s lap, so I thought it would be a good thing. The thing wasn’t so good. During a Christmas visit, I walk into the living room to find my son and daughter-in-law in the recliner with their feet reaching toward the ceiling.

The story my son told me was that they lifted the foot rest and when they were ready to get out of the chair, it wouldn’t budge. They thought that if they rocked it a little, the catch would release and they could get out. They rocked it a little and the back went down further and got top heavy. The recliner flipped on its back.

The reason they were stuck in the recliner is that it is nestled in the corner of the room. There was no room to get out the side. With the help of a couple of brothers rescue mission, they were freed.

How lame was that! I thought.  Not but a month later I was sitting in that big old chair and did the exact same thing. My head was wedged in the corner of the room between the bookcase and wall. My feet were sticking straight up. The left arm of the recliner was wedged next to a glass front bookcase. The right arm had a glass topped table next to it. There was no place to go.

I had my zip up robe on because it was nine A.M. and I reached into my pocket. I dialed Terry and asked him how his day was going. I then asked him what time he thought he would make it home. He said it would be around eight P.M. I said okay and hung up. (You wonder why I didn’t tell him, don’t you? Well, I didn’t want him to know about it and laugh at me.)

Since I seldom have drop in visitors, I knew it was up to me to get out of this situation. I threw my legs up over my head, fuzzy slippers and all, and somehow twisted myself into a knot. I was afraid I might break some of the glass, so I was a tight little ball. I ended up sideways in the chair and figured that if I stood on the back of it, I could climb over it. (I tell you it was truly wedged!) I climbed over it and got myself a cup of coffee.

Not long after that, the church women’s group needed donations for their garage sale. You can guess what I put a price of $5 on. I think they sold it for $3. I decided after I got rid of that one, I would get quality all the way.

Marathon Cooking

One of the most important lessons I have learned while living with the limitations of the chronic pain of fibromyalgia is to take advantage of the windows of opportunity that come up during pain free or days of lesser pain. One of these things is preparing and freezing many meals for the days ahead.

I love looking at blogs and getting advise from sites like examiner and pinterest. On one of these sessions I found a blog about preparing food ahead. It was different than most of the advise from blogs like it because the writer also included a shopping list as well as the receipes and order of cooking.
After a two hour trip to the grocery store (Thank God I had the strength that day.) I had a mountain of groceries to do something with! I almost cried. The notebook of instructions for this marathon cooking spree was on the table, so I proceeded to #1.
Get a piece of paper and note the servings you are making. How many twice baked potato servings are you bagging, the number of meat packs you are dividing out. You will use this information to write your menu on your calendar. Yes, you have to write down what you are going to have for dinner on the calendar. If you rely on yourself to do this day by day, you will forget what you have already used and what is available to use. If you write the meals down after they are cooked, you can plan your menus for a month or two and not have to think of "whats for dinner". If something comes up or you go out to eat, just draw a mark through that dinner and put it after the last date that has a menu. WARNING: MARK ALL OF THE FOOD YOU PUT IN THE FREEZER! The food plays trick or treat with you if you don't. I want to know what I am thawing out for dinner.
I put the perishable groceries in the frig and commenced. Filling my large sink with warm water, I poured 18 pounds of fairly large (not the baking size) potatoes in for a quick wash. I set aside 3 lbs for other dishes and put the rest in a 350 degree oven timed at 1 hr 30 min. (I didn't wrap the potatoes because I wanted crispy skin for the twice baked potatoes these would become. (I found it interesting that cooking 1 baked potato takes as long as baking 15 pounds...hmmmm)
After getting the potatoes going, I opened a small bag of pinto beans and poured them in a crock pot with half a piece of salt pork. I filled the slow cooker with water and plugged it in on high. These beans would be done after all the other things were cooked. One of my hispanic friends advised me not to salt the beans until they are almost finished. (I can't remember the reason, but she was very serious about it so I don't salt them until the end.)
I also put some northern white beans (a small bag) in a slow cooker with the other half of salt pork and covered with water and set it on high also. This is for the white chicken chili I will be making later.
Ground beef was next. I purchased 8 pounds. The hubs likes 90% or higher for our health, but I am a penny pincher and bought both 93% and 86% and mixed them together. I told him that it averaged out to 90%. I don't know for sure, but it is close enough.
I put the ground meat aside and chopped 8 onions and 6 bell peppers. 3 onions and 2 bell peppers were set aside for other recipes. I got a big frying pan out and put half the onions and bell peppers in and stir fried them. After that, I added the ground beef, a small can of jalepeno peppers, a tsp of chili powder, salt, pepper, minced garlic, (and other spices you like in Tex/Mex food). I stirred it over medium heat until all the meat was browned. I divided the mixture into quart sized bags that had the amount I need for the hubs and I. If you have a big family, you will need to adjust the amount you put in each bag. Tag them: Use for Tex/Mex dishes. Leave these bags on your counter until they cool off. It is terribly hard on your freezer and frig to put hot stuff in them.
Using the same pan, I put the rest of the onions and bell peppers in the skillet and added the beef, salt, and pepper. This will be a plainer mix that will be used for spaghetti, lasagna, and other dishes that require a meat mix. Divide,bag, and tag for your use. Set aside to cool. After things cool, put them in the freezer.
At this point, I take the remaining ground beef and form into patties, placing them on a cookie sheet. I put the cookie sheet in the freezer for about 20 min. After that time, the patties are semi frozen and can be placed in quart sized bags. The hubs and I use 3 patties at each meal. He has 2 hamburgers and I have 1....Divide according to your family.
If you have set aside any ground beef for a special recipe, put those recipes together at this point. (millionaire spaghetti...so good...look it up on pinterest)
After cleaning up the ground beef mess, I get out the steaks and roast that I purchased after the heart attack I had looking at the high prices. (I kid you not!) I divide the steaks according to what the hubs and I eat. The portions are a little smaller than we want to eat, but I am sort of looking out for our health here. I bag them up, mark them, and put them in the freezer.
Then I grab that lovely roast. If I am not planning for a dinner with friends, I divide it. I swear my hubs loves roast so much, he would eat the whole thing. (He isn't overweight...I wonder why. I am and I am the only one who thinks about these things in our house.) I grab some carrots (washed, peeled, and quartered), onions (chopped), a can of cream of mushroom soup, and an envelope of dried onion soup mix. I put all of it in a big cooking bag, tag, and freeze.
Chicken is next. I usually purchase 3. 2 are whole chickens and one is cut up. (Unless the hubs is home to cut it up for me, I get it already cut into identifiable pieces..I blame it on the fibro, but I am just not good at it.) Anyway, put the cut up chicken into a bowl of milk or buttermilk. While the cut up chicken is soaking in milk, I get out two big pots and put a whole chicken in each, cover with water, use 1tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper (hubs and I like pepper), several carrots, half a stalk of celery in each pot, a chopped onion in each pot. Set them on the stove and get them to boil. Boil for an hour and half. Turn them over half way through. You want them to be done to the bone.
While the whole chickens are boiling get a large skillet and put 1/2 inch vegetable oil in it. Wait to turn on the heat. Grag a gallon size zip lock bag and put a cup of flour, salt, and pepper, and any other spices you like to fry your chicken with. One friend said that if you use self-rising flour to coat the chicken, it makes a lighter, crispy crust. I have done this and she is right. Anyway, put about 3 pieces of chicken in the bag and shake. After the chicken pieces are coated, place them in the skillet. Start the burner to medium. Take another 3 pieces and coat them and place them in the skillet. Do this until the skillet is full. Fry chicken at medium heat for 30 min and then turn each piece over and fry for another 20 min. Do not turn a lot unless you don't like there to be a crust.
Put the fried chicken pieces on a wire rack that has paper towels under it. After the chicken is cooled, place half in a bag tagged 'fried chicken'. Then put them in the freezer. One chicken makes 2 meals for the hubs and I.
After the chicken is done, check on the whole chickens that are boiling. They should be done to the bone. Take a knife and cut into the thigh and look at the bone. There shouldn't be any blood. If it is done, then you need to get some tupperware or glad type containers ready. Lift the chicken out of the pot and place on a platter or dish to cool. Use a sieve and pour the water from the pot, which is now a great chicken broth, into small plastic containers. You can use this anytime a recipe calls for chicken stock or broth. Throw the vegetables that are in the seive with the roast in the package after it cools off.
I usually buy 2 cans of salmon and make salmon cakes as an option for dinner. There are some really fancy recipes for this dish online, but I alway go back to my mama's. This is her recipe, more or less:
1 can salmon with juice, 1 egg, crushed saltines, salt and pepper. Mash together and make patties. I have added some chopped onion to this.Form into patties and place on a cookie sheet to freeze individually and then tag and bag.
The boiled chickens should be cool enough to debone. After I take the meat off the bone, I put the chicken pieces in the bowl of my kitchen aide mixer. I use the paddle attachment and it shreds the meat perfectly. I divide the chicken into dinner size servings. I reserve 2 cups for the white chicken chili. The rest, I tag and bag to be used for chicken enchiladad, chicken and noodles, and bbq chicken.
I get the white beans out and proceed to make the white chicken chili. Great recipes for this are on the internet and pinterest. After assembline all the ingredients, I cook them together for 30 min and then tag and place in dinner size containers.
While the kitchen is a mess, I stir together waffles from a mix. I get out my waffle iron and put the setting on the lightest one. These will be toaster waffles. The hubs says these are sooooo much better than the standard frozen waffles. By this time, I am tired...really tired, so I only make one batch. I set them aside to cool and tag and bag. '
I get out the 2 lb bag of bacon and fry it up. Some of it, I have cut into 1 inch pieces for dishes like spinach salad. I take the full sized bacon out and cool on a rack. I divide them into portions for the two of us and place them in bags. I take the bacon pieces and divide them into those silly tiny containers that come with the handy food storage kits. I pour the grease into these containers with the bits. Dishes like spinach salad , and old fashioned green beans require the grease. I freeze all of these.
After everything is in the freezer, I sit with my calendar and list of meals. Last time I spent $300 for groceries. The hubs almost had a heart attack....I had already stressed out about this. BUT AFTER I wrote down a meal on each day on the calendar, we had two and a half or more meals already taken care of. That is really good for us. I am thinking it is a really big savings because every trip to the grocery store costs more than we ever expect because of the other items we purchase while we are there.

I can't tell you how great it feels to know that I am taking care of my family even while I am sick. Today was one of those days. I couldn't stand and make fried chicken for my husband, but I could reach into the freezer and get the chicken and oven fries that I already prepared when I felt better and put it on the counter for him to heat in the microwave for dinner. That means a lot to me.

The master grocery list, so I am giving it to you here. Remember, your recipes will probably differ from mine, so there may be items on here that you don't need as well as items that I haven't included that you use in your cooking. I try to group things according to the section they can be found it the grocery store. Here goes:

Minced garlic - in jar
8 onions
6 bell peppers
several jaleneno peppers
fresh baby spinach (for the spinach salad)
16 pounds of large (not baking) potatoes (You can use baking potatoes, but I don't)
1 small to medium bag of carrots - (for roast and chicken stock)
1 bunch celery (for roast and chicken stock as well as to munch on raw while I cook)
salsa (We use Pace picante sauce)
BBQ sauce (I use mesquite in the cheapest bottle. Use what you like best.)
2 or 3 envelopes of taco seasoning
1 small bag pinto beans
1 small bag white beans
2 or 3 cream cheese - 8 oz(for the twice baked potatoes & other recipes)
shredded cheddar cheese and mexican mix cheese - lg bag
1/2 - 1 pound salt pork (for beans)
sour cream
milk
eggs
butter - a pound or two
steaks- however many you can afford and the kind you like to cook. You will just be separating these into the amount you will use for one meal. I purchase those that are grouped together and on sale.
roast- 1 or 2
8 pounds hamburger (2 lbs for patties, 2 lbs for meatloaves, 4 lbs for meat mixture for tacos, spaghetti sause, nachos, etc)
1 cut up chicken (or more depending on how much your family uses for a meal. One works for 2 meals for the hubs and I.)
2 whole chickens (to boil for chicken broth, and shredded chicken packets)
2 pounds bacon (to make bacon bits and also to separate out for meals)
2 cornbread mixes (I use Jiffy, but some of you may use cornmeal and assemble it all yourselves. Jiffy is super easy. It is up to you.)
1 box quick oats (for meatloaves)
1 box saltine crackers (for salmon cakes)
brown sugar
pancake/waffle mix
powdered sugar
granulated sugar
all purpose flour
self-rising flour (in case you want to try coating your chicken in it to fry)
2 cake mixes (white or yellow)
1 angel food cake mix (I am going to try that recipe on pinterest where you use an angel food cake mix and dump in a can of crushed pineapples with juice and bake. It sounds good. Look it up to be sure I got it right.)
vinegar (for the fresh spinach salad)
canned goods:
1 crushed pineapple
1 sliced pineapple (for pineapple upside down cake you will make with one of the cake mixes and divide up into meal sized portions)
1 or 2 diced tomatoes 8 oz cans
1 or 2 diced jalepeno peppers 8 oz cans (for tex/mex meat mix)
2 cans salmon (I use the pink because it is cheaper for salmon cakes)
2 large cans of cream of mushroom soup (1 for each roast and 1 for the chicken chili)
white corn (for white chicken chili)
frozen fruit for the fruit dump cake (1 white or yellow cake mix sprinkled over a package of frozen fruit with a can of sprite poured over the top and baked at 350 degrees for 30 min - divide into servings for several meals)
frozen broccoli - for vegetable chowder or vegetable soup (recipe is on pinterest)
1 can sprite
foil
gallon sized zip lock bags
quart sized zip lock bags
cling wrap
freezer containers
The last time I made these purchases, it was over $300. I was able to make meals for 2 for almost 3 months, give or take a day. I didn't include recipes because we all have our favorite ways of making dishes and also, I have to admit, I am a little lazy about doing it.
I have found a lot of freedom in doing cooking this way. Of course, the day I am cooking I am somewhat like Lucy in the chocolate factory, but the payoff is that I know what is for supper for weeks. I don't have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen for weeks...I am able to provide nourishing and tastey meals for us even when I am not feeling well. I am sure that you can adjust the list of food prepared to acomodate your food needs and concerns. This is just a blueprint. I tweaked the list that was on pinterest for the things we like to eat. You can do the same.
Happy eating and have fun on cooking day!

Interview with Barb Malek, author

1. Your name, What is the title(s) of your book(s)? My name is Barb Malek and the title of my book is "Soft Like Steel" (hopefully just the first of many.)

 2. What is your genre and why did you choose to write in this genre? The genre is a mix of narrative non-fiction and biography. I chose this because I wanted to tell my grandmother's story, but in order to bring it more alive I used a mix of narrative and historical fact. This way the reader sees the events through her eyes against a backdrop of the history of the times.

3. Is there a particular message you wish to transfer to your readers? I desire to inspire my readers with the message that there is always hope, even in the midst of the darkest situation. My grandfather came from a long line of families in which the fathers abandoned their children. By choosing to reject anger and bitterness and to cling to her faith, my grandmother broke that pattern with her family. I would love for her example to inspire others.

4. Did you find yourself researching information during the writing process? Yes, I did a lot of research for this book. First, I had to do a lot of digging into my family's history. We knew a lot about my grandmother's side, but not much about my grandfather. Fortunately, his extended family was able and willing to share key information with me. Secondly, I wanted to help my readers to understand the times in which my grandparents were living. I read a lot about the Dust Bowl, particularly in southern Nebraska; the sometimes dark history of my own community, Omaha, NE; and about life in the midwest during World War II.

5. Do you see yourself writing other types of books in the future? I loved the formula of taking one character in history and writing in a blend of narrative about their thoughts and emotions, placed against a background of historical facts. So, yes, I plan to do others. At present, I am researching my Mennonite history in France and Germany.

6. Do you speak to groups? If so, do you enjoy it? I have always loved speaking. I went to college on a speech scholarship, so it is one of my first loves. If I am passionate about the topic, it is a pure joy!

 7. What have you found surprising since becoming a published author? I have been surprised by how much marketing I am expected to do, and how hard it is. I am not a pushy person, and resent others being pushy. So, I am trying to balance a low key approach with being effective.

8.Can you describe the day that you saw the first book you authored in your hands? It was amazing! It was the reality of a dream that I had, frankly, given up on. I will never forget it.

 9. Is there any particular thing that you wish you had known before getting the book in your hands? Hmm... well maybe the difficult marketing road that lay ahead. I would have liked to have gotten more of a headstart than I got. However, maybe it was best I didn't know.

10. What was your favorite childhood toy? It was a box of paper dolls I made myself. I had a whole community, and I made up stories for them to act out. It was like my very own soap opera! What amazing adventures we had.

1. Your name, What is the title(s) of your book(s)? Hi Elaine! Thanks for having me here today! My name is Amanda Stephan, and I have two published books under my belt. The Price of Trust and Lonely Hearts.

2. What is your genre and why did you choose to write in this genre? I write in the Contemporary Christian romantic suspense genre. I chose this genre for several reasons. My main would have to be I wanted to give my children a love letter they would read and keep for the rest of their lives. I want to write books that are clean and spiritually uplifting and bring people closer to God.

3. Is there a particular message you wish to transfer to your readers? In my first book, The Price of Trust, I wanted my readers to understand that they shouldn't settle for abuse. Being in an abusive relationship is never good, and they're worth more than that. In Lonely Hearts, I wanted people to see the beauty in their children and not take them for granted. Only too often in today's world, children are either ignored or passed around because the parents don't want to deal with them. Children truly are a blessing from the Lord and I wanted my readers to be reminded of that.

4. Did you find yourself researching information during the writing process? Yes I did find myself researching a little for The Price of Trust, but not for Lonely Hearts as it takes place in a purely fictitious place.

5. Do you see yourself writing other types of books in the future? *Groan!* I never, ever thought of writing anything except Christian romance, and yet...I feel the dark side pulling me away to the non-fiction side. Mind you, it's not huge yet and so far I've been able to control those silly urges but it's getting more and more difficult. You may need to pray for me...

6. Do you speak to groups? If so, do you enjoy it? Yes and YES! I've been speaking to groups for twelve years and I enjoy every second of it. From the flighty butterflies attacking my stomach at the beginning to the emcee yanking the microphone away from me at the end. Totally fun!

7. What have you found surprising since becoming a published author? I've found quite a few things surprising since being published, but the most gratifying is when a reader will seek me out at a venue and gush over my book. There's really nothing that describes that feeling.

8.Can you describe the day that you saw the first book you authored in your hands? Actually, I guess I'm a little weird in this regard. I knew others expected me to be excited and thrilled (which I was to some extent) but I was really more ho-hum as it seemed surreal. Like at any moment I would wake up.

9. Is there any particular thing that you wish you had known before getting the book in your hands? Oh my goodness, there's a TON of stuff I wish I had known! I wish I had become a member of a group first, I wish I would have started building my platform, I wish I had a major in marketing, you get the idea. :)

10. What was your favorite childhood toy? My favorite childhood toy was a panda bear. I loved that silly bear I literally wore it out. My heart was broken the day I came home from school and it was nowhere to be found. (Even to this day no one has fessed up to murdering my bear...)