Songbird and Silence

Two things can be true: Songbird has a Bookbub Featured Deal, which means that the ebook is free on Amazon on Thursday, January 8, and I am currently silent because I have had the world's weirdest cold, with one symptom per day. 

Last Friday, I had a scratchy throat. On Saturday, my ears hurt. By Sunday I was sneezing. Monday I coughed. Tuesday, I woke up with no voice at all. By noon, I could squeak. By dinnertime, I was Kathleen Turner.

I do not naturally sound like Kathleen Turner.

But anyway, I'm improving and by not talking I have a lot more time to spend at my desk and the new book is coming along and also

Songbird is free, if you haven't read it. If you have, recommend it to a friend.

Happy new year, all. May it be better than the last one.

Story, Told

Well, that was a fun little task I set myself.

All 9 episodes of Home for Christmas are not only on Facebook, but on my YouTube channel, as well, should you care to indulge.

I wish I had more to say, but the holidays have sucked the life out of me (in a mostly good way). Back soon.

In the meantime, Happy New Year.

O Christmas Tree

So my office decided on a team-building exercise for the holidays this year. Which was kind of annoying, because we like each other, and people who like each other generally don't need team-building exercises.

But whatever. 

It was Christmas-themed. 

It was a contest.

It was a tree decorating contest. 

And it got serious.

Each department got to decorate a tree with items that "meant" their department. Admin, Codes, Library, Parks, Public Works. 

There was some interesting creativity there.

I'm also sharing the vote link, because hey, if voting for one of our trees makes your holiday brighter, have at it. (I'm admin, but I won't hold it against you if you vote for some other department - though I also helped with the tiny, Charlie Brown tree from Parks. At least it's a live tree; the rest are plastic).

Parks & Recreation

Administration

Codes & Permits

Library

Public Works/Sanitation

Let me tell you a story

You are cordially invited to a reading

of Home for Christmas.

Posted to my author Facebook page, 

every day from December 18

to December 26, at 7:00 p.m.

 

One last order

I was almost done. One final custom order and then I could stop for the season. 

Except I kept putting it off. The customer came to my office to drop off the clothes she wanted me to use for the bears - some shirts and pajama pants that belonged to her father - and it was an entire trash bag full.

I put off looking until Friday and then I realized that there were only a few usable items in the whole lot and whizzed through and picked them out - three shirts and two pair of pajama pants. The man in question was a sizable gentleman (6XL) and the images on all the shirts were scaled up, so the only ones I could actually use on a bear body were the fire department embroideries from two shirts.

Hi-viz yellow and orange wouldn't have been my first choice, but they worked, and they'll certainly be recognizable to the family members. 

Once I decided on the fabrics, I contacted the customer and made arrangements for her to pick up yesterday, which gave me Friday night to cut and Saturday - Monday to assemble, stuff and do the finish work. I actually finished Sunday evening and took them to work on Monday, to get ahead of myself.

NOW I can relax.

Chaos complete

This past week was a doozy. I worked Monday-Wednesday, plus prepping for the weekend craft show, which involved being up every night until at least 1 a.m. Because of course it did.

On Thanksgiving morning, I loaded into the show (a perk of working for local government is being able to get into all the buildings), then came home and made mac and cheese to take to Thanksgiving dinner at a friend's house. 

I always bring the mac and cheese, and I always make it the way my mom made it. Because that was how I learned. 

This year, I did it differently and made a roux and a proper cheese sauce (cheddar only this time, since it was a year drive; next time, I'll add gouda).

It came out of the oven with just enough crispy bits on top, and it smelled divine. It went over well, too. Even the family vegetarian's nose twitched, which I take as a compliment. 

Recipe below, if anyone's interested.

*****

Stovetop-to-Oven Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

For the Pasta

* 1 pound (450g) elbow macaroni or small shell pasta

* 1 tablespoon salt, for the boiling water

For the cheese sauce

* 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, plus extra for the baking dish

* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

* 4 cups (32 fl oz) whole milk (do not use skim!)

* 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder (this won't make it taste like mustard, but it sharpens the cheese flavor)

* 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional, for depth)

* Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

* 1 pound (450g) mixed shredded cheese (see cheese recommendations below)

For the Topping (Optional)

* 2 tablespoons melted butter

* 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

* 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Prep and cook the pasta 

* Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

* Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.

* Add the pasta and cook according to package directions, but stop cooking 1-2 minutes BEFORE it is fully al dente. It will continue to cook in the oven. Drain the pasta and set it aside. Do not rinse.

2. The Creamy Base (Melted Cheese & Milk)

* In a separate, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, pour in the 4 cups of whole milk.

* Over medium-low heat, gently warm the milk until steam just begins to rise. Do not boil.

* Gradually add 3/4 of the shredded cheese (3/4 pound) to the warm milk, stirring constantly with a whisk. This is where you achieve that wonderful, creamy melt.

* Continue stirring until the cheese is completely melted and the milk has transformed into a smooth, slightly thickened, cheesy base.

* Remove the pot from the heat and set aside.

3. Create the Roux and Combine

* In a medium saucepan, melt the 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.

* Once the butter is melted and foaming, whisk in the 1/4 cup of flour. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes until the mixture (the roux) is smooth and smells slightly nutty.

* Slowly pour the warm, cheesy milk mixture from Step 2 into the roux, whisking continuously to prevent lumps.

* Return the pan to medium heat. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, stirring frequently. The sauce should thicken considerably in 5-8 minutes. Once thickened, remove from the heat and stir in the dry mustard and smoked paprika (if using).

* Season generously with salt and pepper. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning as needed—the salt is crucial for bringing out the cheese flavor.

4. Assemble and top

* Add the cooked, drained pasta to the pot with the cheese sauce and stir until everything is evenly coated.

* Lightly butter a 9x13 inch baking dish (or whatever size works for you).

* Pour the mac and cheese mixture into the prepared dish.

* Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 pound of shredded cheese evenly over the top.

* For the Optional Topping: sprinkle panko breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese over the top of the casserole to get crispy bits.

5. Bake

* Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the top is golden brown.

* Let the casserole rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. This helps the sauce set up nicely.

Cheese Recommendations

For the best flavor and melt, use a mix of the following:

Sharp Cheddar - 70%, classic savory flavor

Gouda or Gruyère - 30%, Excellent melting quality and a nutty, complex flavor. 

Cream Cheese - 1-2 oz cubed (added with the shredded cheese) Ensures smooth and creamy final texture,/

Chaos

Scrap pile for the potholder class

November is the time of year when I ask myself, "Why do you do this?"

Every year.

I had a craft show the first weekend of the month. Then we installed our in-town popup the next Friday. I've done drop-offs of merchandise at three stores in the last week, and now, on Black Friday and Saturday, I have my final craft show in town.

And I do not have enough stuff.

Did I mention I also went to work every day for the past weeks (except for the holiday, when I sewed like the wind), wrote a few words, sewed some custom stocking orders from Etsy, and in general tried to maintain my marriage and other relationships?

Yeah. Not entirely successful, but trying.

I also led a sewing workshop at the maker space (where the popup is) last Saturday. Four women, two of whom had never sewn before, showed up to learn how to make potholders out of scraps. It was an hour class that lasted nearly two hours, with a lot of laughter, comparison of menopause symptoms, and a promise of another class.

In January.

Because I'm mad, but not completely.