Scribbles

Happy Gift Idea!

Give the gift of Bookstores, Coffee and Romance! 

Small town life, a woman with a dream, a drifter with a secret...Happily Ever After, my first book, will always have a special place in my heart...

But it's taking up space in my closet, and I need it for my NEW book - Sons of Thunder (more on that later!)....so...how about a Happy Gift Idea for someone you love this season?  I'm selling Happily Ever After for 25% off the cover price - a slick $10! (plus tax and $2 media mail shipping).  You can get it personalized and sent directly to the person you love in a nifty envelope!

Give the gift of a delicious book this season

Click here to find out more!

Don't miss ...

Christmas Outreach Tea on December 5th!

 

Join me for a little pre-Christmas festivities on Facebook! In the tradition of The Great Christmas Bowl I'm hosting an Outreach Christmas Tea on Facebook December 5th! I'll be sharing some of my favorite holiday recipes, Christmas tunes, and chatting with you about your plans for Christmas.

As always, there will be prizes and a sneak peak at my two new books Sons of Thunder and the latest PJ Sugar novel, Double Trouble. And of course outreach! (check out what one TGCB reader was inspired to do! How cool! You can get involved to.)

If you've been following along at The Great Christmas Bowl website - you know about the contest we've been running for the last few months. People have been sharing their favorite recipes and memories and we'll be turning that into a downloadable cookbook that will be available to purchase during the party for $5! (It's not too late to submit your own favorite memories & recipes, go here to do so!) 100% of the money raised will be going to the Cook County (my community) Food Shelf, and The Grand Marais Salvation Army Service Unit's "Merry Christmas for all" Outreach Program. It's a local program for our community of 1300 that helped 55 families last year "multiply the joy of Christmas" by providing food and gifts to the financially challenged.

The cook book will be available all month long - so tell your friends to swing by and purchase a copy and help spread the joy of the season! Hope to see you at the party! Oh, and help us spread the word by inserting this button on your blog or website!  Just email Amy (amy@susanmaywarren.com) and let her know you posted the button and she'll put your name into the hat to win a $20 gift certificate to Amazon!

(just copy the code & insert into your website/blog sidebar)
<a href="http://thegreatchristmasbowl.blogspot.com/2009/07/latest-news-from-big-lake-gazette.html"><img src="http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd78/rs_designs/christmas-tea-button2.jpg" alt="Christmas Outreach Tea with Susan May Warren on December 5th" title="Christmas Outreach Tea with Susan May Warren on December 5th" width="125" height="240" /></a>

More about the book here!

Listen to an interview here!

See what people are saying here!

A Happy Thanksgiving from My Family to Yours!

Enjoy this yummy recipe!

BAR QUEEN CARAMEL DREAMS
Mix the following:
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup oatmeal
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup melted butter
Mix and press 3/4 of mixture into 9 x 13 pan. Bake this for 12 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven until caramel mixture is ready.

1 bag individually wrapped kraft caramels. (the unwrapping is a pain, but worth it! Good job for the kids!)
3 tablespoons milk or cream
3 tablespoons butter
Microwave 50 seconds at a time until melted and smooth.  (Some people just use a jar of caramel sauce, but I have never done that!)

Pour melted caramel mixture over baked mixture. Sprinkle with 6 oz bag of chocolate chips. Drop balance of crumb mixture evenly over the top.

Bake another 12 - 14 minutes at 350 degrees.

ENJOY!!!

Have a happy Thanksgiving, all! I'm thankful for you!

They have all the fun when I’m gone.

Seriously.  My husband is a fabulous cook, and it’s our habit for him to take over on the weekends to make such things as Tikka Marsala Chicken, or Pad Thai, or Mongolian Hot Pot. 

Only problem….I often travel on the weekends at speaking events.  Which I love. 

But I love his cooking, too. 

Sometimes he makes something that is SUPER NUMMY….and I’m very sad to be gone. 

Like this past weekend – he pulled out his Russian Recipe book and made a Warren Family Favorite -  Pelmeni.  As Russians say, “You can never have too many pelmeni!”

Think – meat-filled dumplings served with mayonnaise and dill.  Yum-o!  We usually make them on New Year’s Eve, a tradition started when we lived in Russia, by our friend Luda Khakhaleva. 

It’s really not hard. 

First, make the dough:
3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
3 whole eggs
¼ c. warm water

Mix the flour and salt, make a little whole in the mix, pour in the scrambled eggs and water. Toss the mixture together then knead it by hand until it holds together.  Form it into a ball and let it stand for an hour. 

Then, take:
1 ½ pounds of ground beef and pork and mix it up.
1 medium onion
1 tsp. salt
Pepper

Grind it all together in a food processor.  It makes what is called…Farsh.  (Roll your R.  See, you’re speaking Russian!)

Now, here comes the fun part:




Roll the dough into a long roll, (think one of those tubes of cookie dough).  Cut about an inch of length, then roll it flat into a circle. 



Put a heaping teaspoon of meat into the center.



Fold it over, forming a half moon.  






Let them sit on a floured board (cover them with a cloth so they don’t dry out) while you boil water (throw in a bay leaf, some salt and a blop of cooking oil).  When the water reaches a full boil, throw in the Pelmeni (don’t crowd them, they don’t like it).  They’ll rise to the surface when they’re finished (about 5 minutes).




Drain and bathe them in butter (real butter, people).  They’re nummy with just salt and pepper….

Or, like this – drowing in Mayonaise, some dill, and hubby’s favorite – red pepper!
(note:  I never use red pepper. They’re just too delicious to drown the taste with that much heat. Bleck).




You can also fry them in butter until they’re golden brown.  Super Num. 

Okay...so while the family was doing this….



I was doing this…


Hmmm….

Aw, Bob and Larry are fun, too. 
Really. 
*sigh* 

I disapprove.

So, we live in the woods.  We have hunters.  I know this from the orange people walking up and down our roads toting rifles.  And the shots cracking the air early in the morning. 

And the deer skins my dog brings home and attempts to gnaw on in the front yard (Ew – thank you so much, hunters, for leaving the remains accessible for the neighborhood pets). 

I am thankful the dog has lived through six seasons. 

Not so thankful for the way she goes berserk when a four-wheeler drives by.

And, I live in fear that someday a random shot is going to fly through my sliding glass door, take out my football player. Or my daughter. 

Or the guy cooking curry chicken at the stove. 

BUT, I like venison, and I’m not Theologically Opposed to hunting. 

Just the remains. In my front yard.

And…well, this. 





Yes, it’s a mailbox. And the mail goes….

Yeah, you get it. 

I’m sorry, but this is simply overkill. I drove by it recently, and now I can’t get it out of my brain. 

And now it’s lodged in yours. 

Sorry.

an Occasional Weekend

So, did I mention I finished a book last week?  And, it was a grueler, let me tell you.  Not a crumb of cereal left in the house, I lived off chocolate chips for the last three days. 

I have no idea how the children survived.  But they’re still here, so they must have eaten something.  (which makes me wonder….just what does a gal have to do to get them out of the house?  No, I’m kidding.  I love my tribe). 

Anyway, so when I finish a grueler, I like to have a little fun on the backside. 

AKA….Shopping. 

And I found compatriots in a Book Club from Buffalo. I met with this group in July…and they mentioned something called an Occasional Sale. Apparently, these stores are ONLY OPEN the first weekend of the month (Th-Sun). And they’re cool stores – like home décor and antique stores, and boutique clothing stores and…..Lillian’s.

The coolest handbag store on the planet. 

Did you say…handbags?  Purses?  Hmm….let me look at my calendar…

These fun gals put together an Occasional Sale fest for me and my traveling pal Mary. We shopped, had a slumber party and basically sorted out life. 

You know, it’s what we women do, the world over. 

But first – Lillian’s! Imagine a store that just sells cool handbags from across the world….at NORMAL PRICES! Knock-offs and original designs. This store is SO cool that not only do these ladies make it work only 4 days a month but….in the last 3 years, they’ve opened..wait for it… 31 STORES around the Midwest!

Here’s me with Lillian’s Founders Sue Olmscheid and Cindy Deuser. 




Okay, so this goes into my “dream job when I clone myself” category.

You just have to check this store out – go to www.lilliansshoppe.com and you’ll be an addict. 

Then we stopped at a French antique store.  Again, only open 4 days a month…with entirely new displays and sale items every month. I need these people to come to my house. Decorate it. Once a month will do. (See, I’m already fitting into the mold!) Thanks, Teresa! (far right) Teresa has a blog at http://theporchatelier.blogspot.com.




Oh, and the fun didn’t end there!We hung out at my new friend Deb’s cabin on the lake…They took VERY good care of me and Mary with some amazing white chili and butternut squash soup. I didn’t know butternut squash could taste that good.

We got started talking about Roller Derby (and how I’d like to write a PJ Sugar book where PJ becomes a roller girl…) and of course everyone landed Roller Names. 



The Occasional Rollers – Me.  (I’m not telling you my name), French Revolution, Needles Norman, The Silencer, The Icer, Sizzler, and Bloody Mary (not pictured, Patty, the ReArranger)

I think everyone should have a Roller Derby name, don’t you?  Just for those moments when we get hip-checked into the boards….

Thanks for a great Occasional Weekend, ladies! 

We Can Eat Next Spring ...

When I became a career novelist, I thought…hey, I’ll run my life as if I had an office to go to everyday – “go to the office” around 8 am, “come home” around 4pm, when the kids got off the bus – perfect!

Except, that schedule sort of only works in my brain. (there’s a lot of other things stuck in there too – like the 5 ft 7, size two woman, the mini-Martha, the wanna be Beth Moore. Yeah, it’s cluttered). 

The truth is, when I’m working on a book – in the discovery phase (where I do a sort of NaNoWriMo, except I do it about 3-4 times a year), or when I’m at the tail end of a book and furiously analyzing every word – I sort of get obsessed. Tunnel vision. My version of “All Work and No Play Makes Jack a Dull Boy.” (only without the axe. Or the voices…okay, maybe there are voices.).

My people come into my office, where I’m nested deep in my big blue writing chair, and say things like.  “Are we ever going to eat?” or “Did you want us to have cereal for supper again?”  or, even “Did you know there is no cereal left?” and my favorite, “Mom, if you don’t answer me I’m going to run away with the troupe of circus performers at the front door.” 

Did you say something honey?  

(Personally, I don’t know why everyone is so obsessed with food).

It occurred to me this weekend, in the home stretch of editing, that maybe I should look up. Just to make sure the house wasn’t on fire. 

Ah, Number 3 son doing a little leisure reading. (feeling some envy right now)

Number 2 son catching up on his NFL channel. Because clearly we don’t have enough football in this house.

Daughter on Facebook (maybe I should get online and chat with her…see how she’s doing…)

Am I ever going to eat again, Mom? 

Whoops.  She has no opposable thumbs. I’ll feed her.  

Wait, What’s this?  Hello – what happened to FALL?  Not fair!  I’m lodging a protest with the Life Moves Too Fast committee.

Sigh.  Okay, back to work.   

We can eat next spring.

Be Part of The Great Christmas Bowl Exchange!

 ***NEW! Enter to win a YUMMY soup and cookie basket from Harry & David AND an advanced copy of my new WWII book, Sons of Thunder by joining the recipe exchange!! Send us your favorite Christmas recipe and a cool story - we'll publish it on The Great Christmas Bowl Website! At the end of the contest we'll be turning entire 'cookbook' into a downloadable pdf!

Go - run, get your recipe, then come back here and click on the link below to share your Christmas memories!

RECIPE EXCHANGE - SUBMIT NOW!

About the Book:
Christmas is a magical season.

Except for this year.

Marianne Wallace loves the holidays. From dressing the tree to her traditional Christmas dinner, it's all about creating memories for her family. But when her children begin to leave home-and their traditions-behind, she has one last chance to create a holiday they'll never forget.

Unfortunately, she's soon in over her head, and one impulsive decision leads to a string of events that will change the way her family-even her small Minnesota town-sees the Christmas season.

Heartwarming and hilarious, The Great Christmas Bowl is a story about family, traditions, and rediscovering the real magic of Christmas. Buy a copy here!

What readers are saying!

Oh, ha, ha. Ha, ha, hee... giggle, giggle, snortle. (In case you can't tell, I'm rolling here.) Rule of thumb, if a book makes me snortle, it's a keeper.
~Tina at O Joy of My Life


This is a short, but powerful book. I was traveling and read the whole book while sitting on an airplane. I have to admit I received some strange looks when I was laughing out loud, but the of the book had this mother of teenagers sitting there with tears staining the books pages. The Great Christmas Bowl touched me on so many levels!
~Lori at Laurel's Reflections

This truly was a joy to read.  I could relate to Marianne so well, and I hope I can eventually manage the transition to an empty nest as well as she does.  I wish I had several copies of this book to give away to friends and family ... and blog readers!  I might loan my copy to my Mom, but I'm not ready to let go of it ... I look forward to reading it again and again.  This is my favorite fiction book for adults that I've read this year!
~April at Busy Hands, Busy Minds, Busy Feet

Do Something Different This Holiday!

If I had my way, I'd just write books for charity. (Seriously, maybe after I get the kids through college!). I feel so blessed to use my love for writing to encourage people to see God's grace in their lives. Like Eric Liddell - I feel the pleasure of God when I write.

But I'd like to give back. So...

Here's my idea.

Let's use the GCB to reach out to our community.

Find out how to host your own Great Christmas bowl tea HERE!!

Follow the link to get a complete kit to host your own tea and get your community involved!

Uni-tasking!

Recently a friend of mine turned in his Blackberry.  Just...went cold turkey - no more checking the email while standing in line for coffee, or updating his Facebook status while ordering lunch.  No more checking the news online to see if the world is still functioning...you know, all those little things that have taken over my life with the advent of my cool new phone. Why, I asked (because, at the time, I thought...hello?  Be OUT OF TOUCH with my Facebook friends?  Never!)

Not long after, I was at my youngest son's football game.  Now, in my defense, they were LOSING about 34 to zip, 3rd quarter.  So....I snuck my phone from my pocket and, yes, checked my email. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" my middle son yelled, as if I'd just stood up and cheered for the opposing team. "You'd better not check your email when I'm playing!" 

Oops. "Never, " I said and dropped the phone back into my pocket. But well the truth is....

I'm a multi-multi-tasker. I admit buying into the idea that I can do four things at once. Talk on the phone, check my email, write a book and possibly clean the bathroom. (or cook dinner). 

It's taken a few years, some burned rice, half-finished (and sent emails) and possibly weird sentences in a novel to realize, that, um....nope. I can't do it. Or at least....well. 

I read an article lately about Uni-tasking (as opposed to multi-tasking) in Real Simple magazine.Great premise. The idea is...cutting out the OTHER things I am doing...and just being focused and present in ONE thing at a time. 

Like, in my phone calls. How about just sitting on the sofa and talking to my friends? 

Like, in my email - how about NOT surfing the internet on my other screen, and just answering my mail...thoughtfully.  In complete sentences. 

Like, when I am at a football game - NOT checking my email (although I'm giving myself permission to Tweet during halftime!)

Present. Focused. Uni-tasking. 

I'm actually finishing conversations. (as opposed to walking abruptly from the room with a thought...and having my family think I've lost my mind). Enjoying my phone calls. 

Watching every single play in the football game. 

We won, by the way, last Friday night. 27-10.  My son made a number of amazing tackles. I didn't tweet about it once. 

And the world kept on turning anyway.

Here's a picture of us - He's the grubby one.  I'm the Michelin tires girl. 

Thanks to everyone who is getting the word out about The Great Christmas Bowl. My oldest son (home from college this weekend!) read it and said it was his favorite of all my books. (He He.)  Don't forget to stop by and SHARE YOUR RECIPE in the Great Christmas Bowl Recipe Exchange!

Thank you for reading (for uni-tasking on this blog!) and for your support!


Happy Football season to you all!