The Sunday Post Lots of Rain and A Dusting of Snow

  

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. you can write about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.

The year has started off with almost no temperatures below freezing. I'm guessing that means we'll have our traditional very snowy or icy Valentine's Day weekend!

This week, I determined I haven't read Jim Butcher's Battle Ground, so I used an Audible credit to treat myself to it! Harry Dresden is my favorite Chicago Wizard. Is there a long-running series you love to read?

One day this week, I got to sub for a Kindergarten teacher. It was nice because I got to see some of my favorite students (I take a Kindergarten class out for recess every day, and some kids in the class I subbed for are my recess kids. One girl drew this delightful picture of a gingerbread girl. 

During the week, we drove out to see our daughter at college and took her and her boyfriend to a basketball game. It was only $8 per person for the tickets, and since the school was still on winter break, seats were plentiful!

In author news, I finally have a new cover for It App-ened One Night: 

I hope you had a good week and that this one is even better!

On the Brightside, Ten Special Editions of My New Book

Not long after I ordered paperback copies to sell at the Stupid Cupid Art Market, I realized the recipe I had put in the back of my book was missing butternut squash on the list of ingredients. Folks, I put the recipe for butternut squash soup in my book! 

I share this in case it makes anyone feel better about any mistakes they've made. I'm so glad I have an editor and a proof reader. In my next book I'll make sure to add the recipe before the book is proofread. I know both my editor and my proofreader would have caught my error.

Morals of my story:

1. Everyone makes mistakes--thankfully mine was easy to fix! I revised my files and uploaded corrected versions of my ebook and paperback! 

2. It's good to work with others! Teamwork makes my dream work!

This picture of my orchid is ten days old, now the buds are even bigger. Very soon it will bloom in Feburary for the third year. Something to look forward to in these trying times. 

I Love This Recipe So Much I'm Putting It In My Book

In It App-ened One Night, Susan makes a butternut squash soup for her mom. It's a soup I love to make in the fall and winter because the veggies are in season and usually on sale and it is vegan as made so a good choice for any diet. You can of course add cheese or a protein to the finished soup.

I'm putting the recipe in the back of my book, this isn't traditionally done in romance books. Those of you who read cozy mysteries know many of the books include recipes.

I think I'd like to include a recipe in the back of each of my romances going forward. It adds to my desire to embrace coziness as my author brand. Is there anything better than enjoying a cozy day? 

And now on to the recipe:

Butternut-Leek Soup

Ingredients:

Peel and dice one butternut squash - Or use a package of precut squash

Slice two leeks, just the white and a little of the light green portion.

Peel and dice one potato or sweet potato 

Peel and slice one parsnip. (optional this is my secret ingredient)

4-5 cups of vegetable or chicken (if you don't need it to be vegetarian) broth 

a tbsp of dried poultry seasoning or thyme

or 1-2 tbsps fresh rosemary and thyme

Salt and pepper to taste.

Put it all in a slow cooker on low and cook for 6-8 hours or until the vegetables are soft. Then use an immersion blender to puree the soup. 

Serve with gruyere or Swiss cheese grated on top or add a couple of tbsps of diced ham or crumbled bacon. 

This soup pairs very well with a nice crusty bread. I would pair it with a Reisling if I was having a glass of wine.

The leftovers taste great and this soup freezes well. 

If you try it let me know!