Since we’re talking food on Facebook and I’m watching Food Network. I thought I’d share my veggies and orzo recipe. You can also make this with rice. It’s delicious and we make it like once a week. We vary the veggies depending on what’s in season and what we like!

Garden Veggies with Orzo

2 cups orzo

4 cups water

1 tsp salt

½ onion chopped and diced

1 orange pepper, chopped and diced

1 lb asparagus, diced into 1” pieces

1 tomato cleaned and diced into bite size pieces

Olive oil

Pepper, salt, garlic powder

Directions:

Make orzo according to directions on package. Mine normally as you cook 2 cups of orzo to 4 cups of water, with some salt to season the orzo. Drain. While the orzo is cooking, chop the veggies and put them in a skillet with about 3 tbsp of olive oil. Cook until all the veggies except the asparagus are soft. The asparagus will be bright green in color. Add to the orzo. Salt, pepper and about ½ tsp of garlic powder to taste. Serves 8.

Note: You can substitute rice for this dish instead of orzo if you’d like. Just follow the directions on making the rice. I will use chicken stock instead of water though to add extra flavour.

Recovering from this surgery is like being a pro athlete. You seem to heal fast, but what you don’t understand until you start back on the normal daily activities is that you have no stamina. None. Zilch.

Why? I think it has something to do with healing and that your body is trying its best to get you through the workday. Every night for the past three weeks, I’ve been ready for bed at 8pm. That’s not me normally. I’m usually the 11pm bedtime baby. However, with trying to get back to walking 2-3 miles a day during regular activities and walking my husky, I’m discovering that my remarkably fast recovery hid a darker side– that of exhaustion.

I spend every day tired. I’ve been writing in long hand because I can’t get the energy up to sit more than 20 minutes before I’m ready to fall asleep. I’ve been struggling to even keep up at my games– if that tells you anything! *gasp*

But I am making progress. I’m closing in on the last 10k of Pirate Queen’s Conquest and honestly, it looks better than it did when I started the story. I’m reworking Beg into World Series of Love: Beg– and I’m really proud of it! Plus, I’m finding a story for Changeling I had hiding in my long lost stories and I’m wondering with a bit of twisting and changing, if possible I can get it done sooner than later. I’m just saying.

So what are you doing that’s pushing the envelope this summer? Me? I’m trying to get walking one mile without stopping and without my feet trying to kill me in the process. I’m also trying to get writing 4 days a week at least 3 pages each day. It’s something with my ADD I need to strive for and I’ve decided that today was day one of buckling down on it. I worked on my nonfiction book today because I needed it– and I hand wrote 5 pages. Go me!

I have self confidence issues. I know, it’s hard to believe but reality is– I do. Especially when it comes to my overly rounded body. Yes, I’ve been losing weight going to Weight Watchers, exercising and in therapy to resolve some serious issues. Though I’m learning to love me in all my craziness, the physical aspect is dicey. But then I discovered the show, “How to Look Good Naked” with Gok Wan. Recently, I bought his book, “How to Dress” on my Nook Color.  It really hit home for me on a lot of things I knew, things I hadn’t knew. But more importantly, he did something for me I hadn’t realized I desperately needed– he made me feel beautiful. He told me I was gorgeous, beautiful, curvalicious, and more.

Normally, I have a hard time believing when people compliment me. I’ve been working on it, and I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear these things from the people I love. Growing up, I didn’t get a lot of positive feedback on my looks, my smarts (yes, I am smart–scarily so at times LOL), or on how good a person I am. Over the years, I didn’t think compliments meant much– but now, now I’m seeing how much I need to be told that I look good, make others feel good and more. Perhaps the deprivation is now resounding loudly in my soul– but when Gok talks about a woman having luscious bangers and fantastic curves, it resonates. Now, I know he is gay, but the thing is– he truly believes in the beauty of women.

The show I watched was one where Gok went to see Lucy, a woman he worked with the year before. He wanted to see what had changed in her life. I really truly fell into this story and cried. In many ways, I could feel Lucy’s story. Though I’m bigger than Lucy, I’m built like a linebacker in the shoulders and my curves do not always go in the ways they should– yet Gok managed to find the feminine mystique in Lucy. Even within myself, I thought, “I could be prettier. I could believe that I’m good enough.”

I’d love to have a fairy Gok-mother to come and remake my wardrobe and help boost my self esteem more. In fact, it’d be nice to have a stylist to go through my clothes and help me see what works best for me, what doesn’t but why I picked those clothes and find clothes with those elements that DO work for me. Gok– if you read this– we need you in the US. Seriously. Please.

Yes! *grins* I’ve got edits about done. It’s going to proofers and one or two more read-throughs for Dragon Chef. So, I go to the website– and voila! It’s there… my lovely Coming Soon for my book. *does happy dance* Party time!

http://changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1627

I’m doing edits for my upcoming Changeling release– Dragon Chef: Pixified.  Do you see the happiness? But to celebrate– they’ve given me a coupon code! That’s right– go to Changeling Press and use the coupon code CTMAY for 5% off your order until the end of May. *grins* Go… shop….enjoy. *grins* I dare you.

That’s right– today, I received word that my submission to Changeling was accepted! I was a runner up in the Shamrock Challenge with my Savvy Author’s pitch. What this means to me is something unique and more importantly– something I’ve desired for a long time. I’m thrilled with this new development and more importantly, I can’t wait to work with Changeling. Thanks to M and everyone. *sniffles*

I finished writing Se’s story– Dragon Chef: Pixified! I’m thrilled with it as it pushed my boundaries and it allowed me to get back in the swing of things. Funny thing though- I discovered that though I like writing hot sex- I’m also wanting to try some mainstream story writing too. So I think I might have to start working on Noije’s story again. But on the plus side– editing is almost done so I can submit it to Changeling– who wants to see the book! *grins* Everyone say “YIPPEE!!!” Let’s hope they like it!

Today is beautiful outside where I live. It’s not too warm, not too chilly, but a perfect day for me and Shango, my Siberian husky to go walking. We walked around the 6th hole of the golf course we live on twice today, which is good exercise for us both. While doing so, I reflected on what it really means to celebrate this holiday for me. Being a pagan, it’s not always easy to reconcile Christian holidays with pagan holidays, though I try to respect them all. Last night, my male and I had our Valentine’s Day meal- marinated steak, mashed potatoes, peas, green beans, homemade bread, and some Keel and Curley wine- Strawberry Riesling. *grins* We exchanged gifts- we normally keep it simple by getting each other chocolate. (It’s the best way to keep us both happy!)

For me, Valentine’s Day has been a day to celebrate love for love’s sake. It means telling my family I love them with all I have. It means spending time with my male showing him how much I adore him. But it also means not forgetting the other 364 days a year that love needs to be shown often. I laugh when people talk about not liking Valentine’s Day because of the gimmick, and yes, in fact, the original ideas that we do today stem from Victorian times when postal rates were cheap and sending love notes was simple and easy! But more than that, this is one day you can reiterate whole souled about your love for someone and no one will accuse you of blathering or trying to get into his pants or what-not. Today is a day where love comes first– something we as individuals, as groups, as nations, as a world– sometimes forget to do. It’s a day not about hatred, but about loving ourselves and each other– regardless of beliefs or where we stand on the political fence.

So Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you! May Cupid hit you right on the butt cheeks with the love of your life!

Michelle Pillow and Mandy Roth are both terrific authors and terrific people period. When they brought the Raven Happy Hour to life, it was something to behold. From there, it grew and grew into something more. Now they’ve expanded into books and even more fun things. To help out with this recession we’ve been in, they’re having a special giveaway for the next couple of months. You want to learn more? Click the link below!

Raven’s Recession Gift Card Giveaway!

For me, Imbolc is a huge holiday coming up– in fact, it’s celebrated on February 2nd. On the 3rd of February, Chinese New Year begins. For me, it’s an auspicious time because I love Imbolc. It’s one of the first pagan holidays I ever celebrated as a pagan and it holds a special place in my heart because of the meaning. It’s time to clean out the things that don’t help me and to prune down the excess in my life. What does that mean for me personally? It’s declutter time! So, starting February 1st- I’m decluttering the entire house. I’m paring down my print books (the goal is to get rid of 30%), to go through my clothes of what fits, what doesn’t and what just needs to be tossed, and to pare down to essentials in the kitchen and living room as well. For me, it’s a great time to reflect on personal issues as well while I’m doing the physical.

Chinese New Year is always fun for me because I love celebrating new beginnings. Plus, the Chinese have created some beautiful practical artwork and items over the centuries. Plus, I love the story of how Chinese New Year began. Don’t know it? Check out The Holiday Spot for their tale on Chinese New Year.