Tag: Writing

In the interest of research

~ Meg ~ 40 Comments

One of the little details I often include in my novels is the kinds of cars my characters drive. In fact with Breaking Bread, I’ve even included a car dealership in the story. So every year, in the spirit of researching so as to be accurate, I visit the Philadelphia Auto Show held at the Convention Center on Market Street. I can take the train from the suburbs to Jefferson Station and never have to even exit to the street to get to the show. This is where I was on Friday…

I’ve yet to give one of my characters anything more exotic than the Porsche (Brad) and the Challenger Hellcat (Jack Staley). Who doesn’t love a handsome hero in a hot car?

I love to drive. I love to shift. I want a car that’s trying to kill me…. (Not really) But inevitably I start to think about tearing down a long stretch of desert highway at top speed, windows down, stereo screaming and … I want to go.

 

 

 

 

 

Le Boulangerie (6) Peach Cobbler

~ Meg ~ 43 Comments

To accompany my novel in progress: Breaking Bread, welcome to Le Boulangerie.

I planned this post to align with this past weekend’s Super Bowl game. It would either be a celebration or a consolation to the parts of the country hoping for an Atlanta Falcons victory. Well, consolation it is… they lost and in a most heartbreaking fashion. Giving up a commanding lead and ultimately losing in the Super Bowl’s first ever overtime. Here’s to you Atlanta, Georgia. Have some cobbler.

For those of you outside the United States, cobbler is essentially a deep dish fruit pie. Instead of a traditional pie crust, fruit is baked with a sweet batter in a baking dish instead of a pie plate. The dessert originated in the American Colonies while still under British rule. The early settlers, with lack of ingredients and improper tools for cooking and baking, had to improvise. Thus the ‘cobbler,’ possibly derived from the old term: cobeler, which means wooden bowl, was created by stewing fruit, topping it with batter and baking in cook pots rather than pans.

Here is a recipe adapted from one of my Nana’s recipes for apple cobbler. I wanted to make peach, for Georgia after all. (Even though fresh peaches aren’t in season and really that would be the ideal time to make this…)

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 2 cups sugar, divided
  • 4 cups peaches, fresh or thawed frozen (I used frozen)
  • 1-2 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup milk
  • ground cinnamon

Method:

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt butter in a 11X13 baking dish in oven. Remove from oven when melted.
  • Mix flour, 1 cup of sugar, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Add milk and mix until just combined. Pour batter into baking dish on top of butter. Do NOT stir.
  • Bring peaches, remaining 1 cup of sugar and lemon juice to a boil in a medium sauce pan. Pour peaches over batter (they’ll sink in). Do NOT stir. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
  • Bake for 40 – 45 minutes until the top of the cobbler is golden brown.
  • Serve with vanilla ice cream.

My condolences, Atlanta. I hope this helps.

 

Sunshine Daydream

~ Meg ~ 109 Comments

As is my custom when someone nominates me for an award, I try to accommodate if I can, but I never play by the rules. Mostly because these things require you to pass on the award to others who may or may not wish to join in. This is supposed to be the Sunshine Blogger award and I was nominated by the lovely Vinnie H. Do go check out his wildly entertaining film and television blog. These are the questions Vinnie asked and my answers to them:

  1. How often would you say you spend on your blog? I blog nearly every day. Even if I don’t post, I try to visit and comment on all the blogs I follow. Depending on the type of post I’m putting together, I could spend anywhere from an hour to several hours writing and compiling information and composing the text.
  2. What has blogging taught you? Blogging has ‘taught’ me that some of the people you meet, can become very dear friends. This was something I never really expected when I started my blog. Actually, I really didn’t know what to expect when I started blogging. I figured I’d maybe connect with some other writers and get some feedback on the pieces I would post. But I’ve met all sorts of wonderful creative people, had the chance to collaborate with some of them, and I’ve been enlightened by the things they are passionate about which only serves to make my life a little better, you know?
  3. Amy Adams or Natalie Portman? Amy Adams, hands down. No offense to Natalie, she’s a wonderful actress, and very beautiful but Amy is something special.
  4. Walks along the beach or romantic meal inside? Both? How about a walk on the beach and then a romantic meal inside?
  5. Have you ever written in the nude? Silly question. I’m nude right now.
  6. What film had the biggest emotional impact on you? This is a tough one, so I’m just going to go with the very first thing that popped into my head: Planet of the Apes, the original with Charlton Heston. When he finally realizes he’s on earth and mankind has basically destroyed themselves…. Wow.
  7. What is your fondest memory from childhood? I spent a lot of time in the company of my grandmother. She was a painter and used to give me a brush and a pail of water to ‘paint’ the sidewalk with. I could spend hours, believe it or not, painting and repainting the sidewalk with pictures that would dry in the sun and need to be redone.
  8. Is there any scene you would love to recreate from a movie? Yes! I want to be the woman King Kong carries to the top of the Empire State Building.
  9. Where do you see yourself in five years time? This is a question I have never, ever been able to answer. Every time I’ve been forced to answer it, like on a job interview, I’ve had to make something up. I have no clear vision of my future. In one respect, it keeps me spontaneous and in another I live in perpetual uncertainty. Not sure that’s a good thing.
  10. What film have you been meaning to watch for a long time, but just haven’t got the chance to? The King’s Speech. Totally missed it when it was in the theaters and then kind of forgot about it. But having just watched The Crown on Netflix, my interest is rekindled.
  11. And in the style of Stuff and That, do you think I have a nice bum? Yes, you have a very nice bum.

PS – I’m not really nude right now…

img_4941