Go to Bed!

Inevitably, my pre-dawn posts inspire well-meaning friends and family to order me to get some sleep.  I understand, I do.

Sometimes they're right.

I will often stay up late trying to fit in all of the to-dos that I overbooked myself to accomplish in a day.  Sometimes I wander off to read some of my favorite webcomics and lose track of time.

Other days, it's not my fault.

Tonight I'm awake and typing on L'il Rosie while Big Rosie is getting a huge scan to kill some piece of malware that attacked earlier this evening.  Scott stayed up as late as he could, but he has less flexibility than I do in scheduling – especially this month.  So, I'm up, babysitting a malware scan.

My note for tonight actually had written on it (in caps): BED BY 1AM.

Ha!  The Universe continues to focus on me as a bit of late-night entertainment.  Obviously, some celestial being/s appreciate the irony of me being mostly able to complete my to-do list and moreso at the expense of being unable to meet a particular list item.

(Well, two list items.  Broadly Speaking was supposed to go up tonight.  Yeah… let's not post a file that may be infected! The link is for last month.  In the mean time, enjoy this month's Broad Pod.  It's still the PRIDE theme!)

Another loss, all of my short stories and poetry are on Big Rosie.  While I had one WIP that got sent out tonight – so I DID meet my "send subs" list item, I could not send out more.  :( 

As I am doing a bloggy-type-blog and not relying on the Broadly Speaking announcement to be my Manic Monday blog, I may as well tell anyone interested what I've been up to… and why the last two scheduled blogs are mysteriously missing.

I've had a lot of deadlines.  Like, a LOT.  And a lot of out-of-the-house plans.  And meetings.  And computer problems.

Basically, I will be facilitating an online course for the next 8 weeks – the same one I finished all the edits for.  That was a bunch of meetings and projects for this week.  I also had some articles due and follow-ups on my team reviews.

And I had a well-deserved writer-girl day on Wednesday where I went up to Portsmouth, NH with my Broad Universe buds, Jennifer Allis Provost and Justine Graykin.  We went to hear Neil Gaiman speak.  As it was an educational experience, it's totally a work-related business trip and expense.  And Jenn and I did a Mexican food review that I turned in that day.  Dinner at the Coat of Arms, a proper British Pub in Portsmouth, was excellent research for those of us writing about the UK.  Sometimes I really, really love being a writer!

And then, of course, the sleep deprivation sinks in and your hopes of catching up slip from your fingers with the flowing scan bar progress of Malwarebytes.

I still really, really love being a writer.  And I'll go to bed when I damn well feel like it!  (Here, Scan Gods, have some chocolate so this will be over soon so I can go to bed?  Please?)

Foodie Friday: Caesar's Pasta Vegetable Lasagna & Spinach Gnocchi

As I mentioned last Friday, Caesar's Pasta sent me a lovely shipment of free samples.  So far, I'm enjoying them, so I'm happy to share with you what I think.

After my positive experience with the Stuffed Shells and in need of another quick meal on Monday, I heated up the Organic Vegetable Lasagna for a brunch.

Important to note:  The lasagna is organic, but not gluten-free.  The package lists that it does contain wheat.  Also listed as allergens are the milk products and the eggs.

The cooking time, like with the shells, was right on target.  It was hot all the way through without any burnt edges.  A very small portion of the center of the lasagna was a little hard, but I've found that in any frozen lasagna I've had.  (It's not come up on this blog, but I have eaten a fair amount of frozen dinners in my life for various reasons, despite my normal love of cooking.)

Flavorwise, I actually liked this better than the shells.  The extra vegetables lent more flavor to the sauce.  There also seemed to be a fair portion of veggies, too.  Lots of spinach, then some broccoli and mushrooms.  None of the veggies were "mushy," even the spinach.  There was a definite texture to each that I could feel and chew in my mouth.  I would have liked more mushrooms, but that's a minor complaint.  Like the shells, the pasta, itself, was the right al dente texture.

Details: 400 calories, 130 from fat (a pretty good breakdown!) Sodium was at 450, again right around the average for frozen meals.  All the ingredients were labeled as organic, which is an added benefit, and there were no funky preservatives or ingredients that I couldn't pronounce listed, either.  Allergy information was also clearly listed.

For my gluten-free friends, I had the Caesar's gluten & wheat free Spinach Gnocchi tonight.

My first comment is that it cooked faster than any gnocchi that I've ever cooked, but - kudos to packaging again! - I was warned of this in the instructions.  I planned the rest of dinner accordingly so that the pasta was the last thing for me to do.  (Dinner was sherry-mushroom chicken thighs, with the pasta thrown into the sherry-mushroom sauce after the chicken was cooked and plated.)  So, everything was ready when I tossed the package of gnocchi into the boiling water.  Within two minutes the little potato pastas were floating to the top of the pan.  I strained them, mixed them with the sauce, and plated immediately. 

As far as gnocchi go, they were as good as any other high quality gnocchi I've had are.  They maintained their shape and texture cooking and tasted great with the sauce.  (They would also probably taste great in a basic garlic aioli with fresh basil, mozzarella, and tomato mix, too.)  There was that hint of heartiness from the spinach that let it stand up to the earthy mushrooms and would let it work in any stronger-flavored or cream-based sauce. 

Per the package, it serves 4.  If matched with a hearty sauce, plenty of protein, a salad, and appetizers, perhaps.  For Scott & I, we split it between the two of us and still had room for our after-dinner Caesar salad and prosciutto-fig snacks.  Calories are 170 per serving (or 340 if you use it for only two).  Calories from fat: 25/50.  Sodium was a low 50 mg, too, and I didn't add any salt to the dish besides brining the chicken.  Depending on the price (which I still haven't received information on), I'd highly recommend them, especially because they cook so quickly.

As soon as I get information on where to purchase these products and the prices, I'll be happy to share.  If any of y'all see them in your markets, please pass on the info!

In the words of the Immortal Julia Child:  Bon Apetite! 

Foodie Friday: Gluten Free Stuffed Shells by Caesar's

One of the perks of being a food writer is, well, food!

After I did my article on gluten-free dining in the Worcester area, I was contacted by Caesar's Pasta, a company that specializes in gluten free pasta dinners.  Their food sounded interesting, so I was happy to find out more about them.

Yesterday started with a special delivery of dry ice protecting a lovely box of frozen dinners!

As I was on my own for dinner tonight (H-of-A and I had to be in two different locations at much of the same time), I opened the first of the set to try: Stuffed Shells with Cheese in Marinara Sauce.

Now, for disclosure's sake, yep, these were free samples.  There was no agreement that I would review them, just that I'd be interested in finding out more.  That said, I'm a reviewer and I get a lot of stuff free.  I'll tell you whether I like it or not (just ask my editor), and I did like these so far.

As far as frozen dinners go, they are definitely good.  They have a lot of the same drawbacks of any frozen dinner, things which I have yet to see ANY exception from.  The sauce was a bit bland, the cheese slightly grainy, but I'm pretty sure there are basic chemistry reasons for that, which food scientists have yet to crack.  Besides that, though, the texture of the pasta was a perfect al dente, and I couldn't tell it was gluten free from the texture.  Flavorwise, the shells themselves, did not taste like frozen food; they could have been any shells baked.  Also, the flavor of the cheese was good, especially the Romano cheese topping it.

Some other positive points I want to make is that the cooking directions on the box are spot on.  It was seven minutes in the microwave on high, then let sit for two minutes.  Everything was evenly hot, and there were no burnt ends anywhere.  This is important because I've tried too many frozen foods that are out of touch with their cooking times and temperatures.  I also liked how, on the box, it gave what the internal temperature should be before eating. 

I didn’t get a price listing and, sadly, the website is being updated, so I can't talk about the value.  Portionwise, it was just right.  It was 370 calories, 18g fat, and 660 mg sodium.  Calorie-wise, it was lower than a lot of equal sized (and equally filling) portions, and it's about equivalent to the fat and salt content.  If I were grocery shopping and I bound by my diet, I could see paying between $5.99-$7.99 for the meal.  I wouldn't argue with someone who was willing to pay a little more, though.

If you see it in the freezer at a price you find reasonable, definitely give it a try. 

I'll keep you posted on further adventures with my samples!

What's going on THIS Manic Month

I managed to send updates to the Broad Universe web maven.  Just… not my own.

So, hopefully, most of you will catch this. :)

Conventions & Appearances

End of the Month: I'm at Conbust! 

I just got my schedule, and there will be a Writing & Tarot course on Friday, along with a Broad Universe RFR and a faerie panel and a children's fairy tales panel and… more stuff that's in my 169-email inbox.  I'll post the full schedule soon!

In the mean time, save the dates for Conbust:  March 25-27.

Also, because I'm working on it, I'll be running a party, a Rapid Fire Reading, and an info + sorta-kinda book sale table at Wiscon over Memorial Day Weekend.  And, likely, paneling my heart out. :) 

Kelpie Updates

March is also my deadline for having Kelpie done for beta readers.  The next scene is one I am just dying to write, but I've got a few more obligations to do before I can reward myself with speculative fiction noveling. 

I DID finish the scenes for each of my respective writing groups, though.  :)  I have to say, thanks to my fabulous writing groups, MAKING Kelpie beta-reader-ready will be much easier.

I <3 you guys & gals!

Work

I'm starting a new set of mini-reviews for Worcester Magazine.  This time: Pizza joints.

I really need to add the Wii workouts back into my schedule… in addition to making use of the indoor ring where I'm now boarding Calico.  And my asthma inhaler.  [adjusts geek glasses]

Also, I have another trade food article to do.  This one is on merchandising fresh herbs in supermarkets.  :)  It sounds like fun… onto phone calls tomorrow!

And More Work

I'm still working on Big Editing Project with the NDS.  :)

Short Story Calling

I found a potential market for E-Hell.  I just need to add about 1200 more words.  Adding words… last time I did that for a market, I sold my piece.  It was "Mirror of Hearts" to Fantasy Gazetteer. 

Wish me luck!

Because I'm nice, here's that Open Call.

Also, UnCONventional, the anthology I'm editing with Kate Kaynak for Spencer Hill Press is looking for submissions through June 1st.  It's March now… so keep on sending!

Help Appreciated

I still have that other story toying in my mind for another anthology.  Someone get me a TARDIS?  I'd even go for one sans David Tennant, as he'd just be a distraction from everything I gotta do!

That said, if you're a member of Broad Universe and reading this.  I just posted for an assistant Readings & Events Coordinator.  In fact, the few of us who do a whole lot of work for the organization are getting a bit threadbare, so, if you check out our volunteer page, you would be our angels - and help other women get the publication and publicity they deserve!

Horsey News of Awesomeness

In case you missed my announcement (and somewhat snarky opinion of a certain Facebook game), I am Riding for the Ribbon with Calico! 

My goal is to raise $300 for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure ® Foundation by riding my horse for some 9+ miles over Felton Field in Barre, MA.

Want to help?  Here's my donation webpage!

Winning Food!

The Husband-of-Awesome won the local Chili Throwdown at our favorite Deli.  :)  I came in 2nd Place, tying with a Caribbean chili.  Voters were in a somewhat tropical mood, I guess… no surprise with the winter we've had!

Some quick corrections, my Hawaiian chili meat was all pork based, not beef.  Guess what my Foodie Friday post is going to be?  ;)  Hope you like it Hot!

More Webby Stuff

After this week, I'm thinking of leaving LiveJournal for good.  Besides the aggravating ads, I get daily spam in the archive comments.  Oh, and the formatting continues to be a *itch.

If any of you have any objections or reasons for me to stay, speak now… on LJ.  If all I've got is spam this week, I'm done.  I think there's a way to just broadcast and allow no comments… if you have advice on that, too, feel free to tell me.

I also do have a WordPress account.  The more I hear about it, the more I really want to use it.  In my "copious amounts of time," I will try to set that up to match my colors and such once more. 

If you hear screams of frustrated Internet anguish from Central, MA… yeah, that's me.

In the mean time, if you don't hear anything from me, the pile of papers on my desk has collapsed and I may be suffocating.  Send help.