Tuesday, December 29, 2009

New Year's Eve Cocktail-- Caramel Martini

Cooking.com had this recipe, and it looked so good I thought I’d share. I don’t normally drink, but if you want to toast the New Year, this looks good. Besides, 149 calories and 0 carbs? I can get behind this for one little drink.

Caramel Martini

Source: Cooking.com
click herehttp://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/N5368.cooking.com/B3867989.19;sz=1x1;ord=828847916?
Active Time:  5 Minutes
Total Time:  5 Minutes
Makes 1 cocktail
"We have a young, hip crowd and a relaxed, after-dinner loft atmosphere," says John Baydale, who, as vice president of WB Stage 16, which operates the Venetian, helped develop the cocktail. "And I have a sweet tooth. This is a drink that can stand in for dessert."

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup chilled Stolichnaya vanilla vodka
2 tablespoons chilled butterscotch schnapps
Splash of chilled iced tea
6 ice cubes
Fried sliced plantain
DIRECTIONS
Shake all ingredients except plantain in cocktail shaker until shaker is frosted and very cold. Strain into one 8-ounce martini glass. Garnish by laying fried plantain across glass and serve immediately.
Recipe provided for Cooking.com by John Baydale of the Velvet Lounge, Venetian Hotel, Las Vegas.
Recipe reprinted by permission of . All rights reserved.
Nutrition Information
Makes 1 cocktail - Facts Per Serving:

Calories:
149
Fat. Total:
0g
Carbohydrates, Total:
0g
Cholesterol:
0mg
Sodium:
7mg
Protein:
0g
Fiber:
0g
% Cal. from Fat:
0%
Fat, Saturated:
0g
©1998-2008 Cooking.com


Lena Austin
http://www.Lena Austin.com
Corner Office Not Needed

Sunday, December 27, 2009

It's a Wonderful Sangria


It's a Wonderful Sangria

Go to Cocktails for more comforting, cold-weather recipes and videos.
It's a Wonderful Sangria

By Stephen Phillips


Keep your New Year's Eve party guests smiling with a flavor-filled, spiced-pear sangria with a champagne twist. I recommend you prepare this the day before the big event. It's well worth it.


Serves 8-10


Ingredients:

1 bottle chilled dry white wine

1 bottle chilled champagne (modestly good champagne will do)

3 oz. Damiana liqueur (herbal liqueur with citrus and vanilla flavors)

2 freshly sliced pears

2 apples (sliced and cored)

20 whole cloves

1 tsp. ground nutmeg


Preparation:
In a large pitcher, add the pears, apples, cloves and nutmeg.
Add the Damiana liqueur and stir.
Add the wine and stir gently.
Refrigerate overnight.When you're ready to serve, pour in your champagne, stirring it slowly within the mixture. Serve in an ice-filled wineglass.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Recipe for a Holiday Morning

OMG!! Even a “I can barely cook” type could make this delicious treat! It’s easy, inexpensive (monetarily, though carb-wise, you’d better have just one wedge and confess your sins later), and fast. From start to finish, it’s a mere thirty minutes of light work. So beyond decadent, especially with morning coffee. I’m going to serve this on Christmas morning, for sure.

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes.aspx/gingerbread-wedges/bb52b89d-bfb6-416d-a099-d61b3a6604f1

Majesty Mysteries: Silver Spider-- Coming in December

Http://www.changelingpress.com

Monday, December 14, 2009

PROMO: ADULT Excerpt: Majesty Mysteries: Silver Spider by Lena Austin (Paranormal, Magical Creatures, GLBT, Mystery)



Use the Discount Code "SILVER" for 5% off your total purchase when you buy this book.

 

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuJXwZ5vGSQ7RlRfYHjDuXtgoPaXScYXIXA1v0GU_tJirqskgERg-btmJhCLeOalOP3OaoFNUy9CKjmiUrRkZDSjuik5QoGWPX5JRxERVh0MvRLI9_oUKTbDGdCjB5TfR7b0zgyJL6oAhx/s320/Silver+Spider+LARGE+06+Final.jpg

Majesty Mysteries: Silver Spider
by Lena Austin

Cover art by Marteeka Karland

ISBN: 978-1-60521- 368-2
Genre(s):
Series: Majesty Mysteries

 

http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1276

 

Blurb:

Madge Majesty is a harpy mystery writer and amateur sleuth in Edwardian Britain with a nose for murder and her faithful chauffeur Hayden, who is a gay telekinetic ex-thief. This time, the secretive Duke of Aberstwyth invited her for a murder mystery party, but he's the first victim! Now it's up to Madge to solve whodunit from the motley assortment of gays, bisexuals, and very nervous heterosexuals, all of whom have more than just their sexual foibles to hide! Is it the cross-dressing vampire, the packless werewolf, the fag hag doctor, the straight gargoyle major domo, or the promiscuous man who seems bent on getting everyone in his bed, including Hayden?

 

Excerpt:

Madge was wet with desire, but restrained herself until she fairly quivered. It wouldn't do to frighten poor Hayden, even if her wish was to toss him upon the coverlet and have him at long last. Certainly Madge could convince him to forego his manners and behave like pigs in the mud eventually.

Once the door was shut, Madge picked up the box of chocolates from her bedside table and offered him his choice. Wisely, he chose a peppermint confection. Madge would have hated to have to slap his hands. The chocolates were hers. She intended to smear one or two all over his deliciously thick cock and give her tongue a new treat.

Now, how to get him out of that uniform? Hmm. "You might wish to remove your coat before indulging, Hayden. I'd hate to pay for your uniform to be cleaned."

"Yes, Madame." He divested himself of his coat quickly, still clutching his candy in one hand. He looked around for a safe place to hang it and found none.

"Here, give it to me. I know just where to hang it." Once Madge had hold of the heavy thing, she tossed it negligently over the set of mirrors on the vanity. His coat covered all three admirably. "There. Quite decorative, don't you think?"

Hayden popped the ball of peppermint into his mouth, and talked around it. "Yes, Madame. This is quite delicious."

If ever there was an opening, that one was as wide as the Mediterranean Sea. "Really? I shall have to find out." Madge lunged at him, jumping into his embrace.

She'd forgotten how strong Hayden was. His arms felt like tree trunks encircling her waist. However, he did have a small crease in his forehead, no doubt worried about some trivial matter like class or other nonsense. His voice was so low, even her pointed ears strained to hear his words. "Madge? Will I hurt your wings to hold you so?"

Oh, how sweet. He worried about hurting her. She certainly hoped he would! "No, darling Hayden. They are literally gone from this world until I call them forth. You may even put me on my back and not harm me in any way."

"Good." His mouth clamped down on hers, and they shared the bite of peppermint between them.

Well, Madge was much pleased by Hayden's show of dominance. She couldn't say she had a weakness for it, but she did prefer that the male be at least nominally in control of the situation. As with so many things in life, a wise female let the male think he reigned supreme, and most males were quite well aware who truly ruled the roost.

When he broke the kiss, Madge retained the candy. He smiled down at her. "We're breaking all the rules, Madge."

Madge grinned up at him, knowing her fangs didn't intimidate him in the slightest. She'd show him what use they could be put to before the hour was out, if she had her way. Madge drenched her knickers at the visions in her head. She hoped he was up to the challenge. "I fully intend to break as many rules as possible, don't you?"

His lips twitched. "Madame knows how I love tweaking the noses of Authority and their rules." He bit her nose. "Now, do you require assistance to strip out of those confining evening clothes?"

She faced away from him. "Unzip me, would you?" A cool breeze assailed her back while he performed that small service. Then her hair fell from the sensible pile she'd made of it.

Courtesy of Hayden's gift, her hairpins came out of her careful coif and bobbed along midair past her shoulder and danced one by one into a trinket box left open on her vanity next to her hairbrush and comb. She'd forgotten about his abilities, since he didn't use them in her presence much.

His warm peppermint breath teased her right shoulder, and then his lips followed the same path. "I'd always wanted to see your curls down. I've amused myself for hours wondering how long your hair would be if it were wet enough to weigh them to straightness."

She'd not bobbed her hair as many females had done, but Madge kept it at the manageable length of her shoulder blades. "I knew it to be a thick, heavy mass, but feared trying to bob it would only make me look like a black cotton ball."

He rumbled a masculine purr. "Allow me to correct you. You'd look like a safe little black lamb. Can't have a fierce harpy giving the wrong impression." His hands slipped inside her dress, and it dropped to the floor in a shimmering heap of beads and black silk. "That's better."

"Hmph! I shall not knock about the room in my corset and stockings while you remain fully clothed." Madge stepped away from him and rested her buttocks on her vanity top, which she knew allowed him to see her long dark legs encased in black silk stockings to match her black corset with the red bow between her breasts. Madge folded her arms in front of her chest. It wasn't much of a chest, but it was hers.

Now Madge was glad she'd chosen a simple outfit for Hayden's uniform. Her original purpose had been frugal, but she appreciated the simple pale gray cotton shirt, gray woolen pants, and matching gray woolen coat for how they made Hayden's blue eyes darken. His light brown hair was a tiny bit mussed from the wind. Madge couldn't wait to taste what lay beneath the somber wool.

"You look hungry, Madge. I do hope I am not dinner." Hayden was well schooled enough to remember her former life.

Madge blushed red at the truth of the harpy reputation and she didn't know quite how to reassure him. After all, she had done some of the things he'd read about, and more he'd never know.

"Here, now!" He stepped over, wearing only his pants. His shirt now decorated one of the carved posts of her bed. He lifted her chin and brushed her lips with his. "You don't know what I've done in my life, so let's just say we don't have to be proud of the past. I was just teasing you."

Madge sighed and melted into his kiss, shamelessly begging for more. She wanted to forget about her past and simply enjoy simpler things. Like having her breasts lifted from the top of her corset and played with like toys.

There were advantages to making love with one who can move objects with his mind, like knowing both of his hands are on your breasts, while simultaneously the ribbons of your corset are undone. Then he unlatched her stockings and rolled them down. Finally, her sharp pointed ears caught the rasp as he pulled down his own zipper with his mind. All done while his mouth and fingers teased nipples and nipped soft flesh.

Then, the greatest trick of all. His mouth suckled one nipple in, and both his hands worked her corset off her body, but something-made-of-nothing tickled and rubbed her clit. Madge threw back her head and gulped air. "You surprise me. And here I thought I knew you well."

He nipped her right nipple before answering in a low, aroused voice. "Just goes to show you don't know everything, Madge. I have upon occasion enjoyed a woman or two."

"Well then please hurry up and enjoy me before I lose my mind!" Under normal circumstances, such urgency in her voice would have appalled her for the lack of control. At that very moment, she was close to begging.

He picked her up from the vanity top and yanked off her knickers now that her stockings no longer inhibited their removal. Then, he took two steps and lifted her up until Madge sat upon a tall bureau. Mercilessly he pulled her legs apart. He gave her an evil smile and stuck out his peppermint-green tongue at her. "As Madame requires."

Perhaps it was best there were no guests lingering upstairs. Her howl of delight might have frightened someone, even if she did try to smother it with her hand. Not only was she being eaten in the best possible way, but also that invisible force fucked her ass and a hand fucked her pussy.

He teased her clit with his tongue in a long, delightful lap, used one finger to curl up and touch a particularly sensitive spot inside her, while simultaneously her ass hosted an unseen force that wriggled like a kraken's tentacle. The heat of peppermint infused the whole experience with a tingle that Madge would have difficulty describing.

She bit back a screech that would have frightened even those in Hel, and gasped out the very best compliment she could think of at the time. "In Herculaneum, you could have been a rich hetaerae!"

He bit the inside of her thigh most delightfully. "Perhaps later you'll explain that statement and put me to blush, but I understand enough to thank you. Did you know goddesses taste like fruit and honey?"

"Yes!" He noticed! Mt. Vesuvius wasn't going to erupt anytime soon, but Madge was, and probably with more force. She writhed, being so thoroughly fucked she was clay in the sculptor's hands.

"I won't ask how you know, but I could make a feast of you all night."

Her laugh turned into a gasp of pleasure. There was no need for an answer, not now at least. Every nerve ending of her body was alive, especially those between her legs. Madge scooted forward to give him total access to her body, not that he wasn't already taking advantage of all he could reach.

Hayden's finger and talent moved faster within her, each both heightening her impending orgasm and distracting her from reaching that elusive peak. Madge didn't think he could do any more to send her into transports of delight, until he reached up with his other hand, and tweaked the nipple he found.

Madge made Aphrodite proud, with the way she exploded. The Goddess of Love, so famous for her extraordinary lovemaking, might have even envied Madge in her ecstasy. She heard a crash, and barely registered that, in her lapse of concentration, her wings had manifested and unfurled.

Bless him, Hayden didn't stop his beautiful art until Madge was completely sated and gasped out incoherent pleas for mercy. He lifted his face from between her thighs with the satisfied smirk of a man who knows he has won the first round in the battle of love.

Challenged, Madge resolved to wipe that cheeky grin from his face. She launched from the top of the bureau and carried him through the few feet of air to land both of them on the bed, folding her wings at the last moment so they wouldn't catch on the posts or wreak more havoc.

Hayden's eyes were wide with surprise, but quickly they half-shut with lust. He looked admiringly at her wings. His jaw fell slowly open. "Feathers. You have beautiful feathers, in all shades of gray from clouds to the dark of pigeon wings, like a goshawk. Like a dark angel, you are."

Madge sniggered, pleased at the compliment. "Did you think I'd have bat's wings like Jazz? No, darling. We harpies are part bird and part human." A little owl, a little vulture, and who knew what else? But he didn't need to know that part.

http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1276

 

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Frosty the Caramel Apple Pie Cocktail


Frosty the Caramel Apple Pie


Go to Cocktails for more comforting, cold-weather recipes and videos.


Frosty the Caramel Apple Pie

By Stephen Phillips
This festive holiday cocktail draws inspiration from decadent caramel-apple pie.

Single Serve Recipe


Ingredients:
1-1/2 oz. vodka or tequila

1 oz. Hiram Walker Butterscotch Schnapps

1-1/2 oz. apple cider

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Apple slice for garnish

Crushed graham crackers


Preparation:
First, rim the lip of a chilled cocktail glass with your crushed graham crackers.
Pour all the liquid ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
Shake well.
Strain into your chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with an apple slice.
Note: Serve over ice in a large wine goblet.
See More Holiday Cocktails

Monday, December 7, 2009

Lena's Tree is up

Yesterday, we put up the lights on the house and set up the tree. It’s so pretty!! So ignore the mess of the holiday boxes on the left and stuff. I haven’t cleaned house yet. LOL!

 

HPIM1233.JPG

 

The two “lights” you see in the grocery bag are not reflections off the tree, but my cat Prince playing with his favorite grocery bag “toy” we saved for him.

 

So, anyone else decorating?

 

SilverSpiderbannercopy-1.jpg picture by voiceomt2002

 

Majesty Mysteries: Silver Spider-- Coming in December

Http://www.changelingpress.com

 

Friday, December 4, 2009

Surprised kitten video

 

 

AWWWW!! This is so adorable, it should be on Daily Squee.

 

http://video.yahoo.com/watch/6522901?fr=yvmtf

 

Super Cute!!!!!!

 

 

SilverSpiderbannercopy-1.jpg picture by voiceomt2002

 

Majesty Mysteries: Silver Spider-- Coming in December

Http://www.changelingpress.com

30 Minute Mini-Meat Loaves

30-Minute Mini Meat Loaves

Slash the bake time of meat loaf when you make mini-loaves. Meat loaf is now doable for weeknights!

Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 30 min
Makes: 6 servings (2 loaves each)

1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 cup Original Bisquick® mix
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 small onion, finely chopped (1/4 cup)
1 egg

1.
Heat oven to 450°F. In small bowl, stir ketchup and brown sugar until mixed; reserve 1/4 cup for topping. In large bowl, stir remaining ingredients and remaining ketchup mixture until well mixed.
2.
Spray 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. Place meat mixture in pan; pat into 12x4-inch rectangle. Cut lengthwise down center and then crosswise into sixths to form 12 loaves. Separate loaves, using spatula, so no edges are touching. Brush loaves with reserved 1/4 cup ketchup mixture.
3.
Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until loaves are no longer pink in center and meat thermometer inserted in center of loaves reads 160°F.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.

Substitution
While the mixture of ground beef and pork gives these little loaves a unique flavor, you can also use 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef instead of the mixture.

Serve With
Serve these loaves alongside cooked baby-cut carrots and mashed potatoes. Apple or cherry crisp is a sweet way to end the meal.

Nutrition Information:
1 Serving: Calories 300 (Calories from Fat 140); Total Fat 16g (Saturated Fat 6g, Trans Fat 1g); Cholesterol 105mg; Sodium 440mg; Total Carbohydrate 17g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 11g); Protein 22g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 8%; Vitamin C 4%; Calcium 4%; Iron 15% Exchanges: 1 Starch; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 3 Medium-Fat Meat; 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Another Funny Picture



This cat reminds me of my DH. Dante and I act like fools at holiday time, but DH just grumbles. However, don't you even think about someone else stringing the holiday lights on the house or tree! He claims we don't do it correctly. LOL! Dante and I ignore his grumbles and cheerfully celebrate as much as we wish.
Do you have a Grinch at your house? How do you handle them?

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Cherry Splash Cookie Cocktail

Cherry Splash
Recipe courtesy Jill Davie
Cherry Splash
RELATED LINKS12 Days of Cookie Cocktails
Holiday Cocktail Party Guide
Top 10 Holiday Cocktails
Fine Giving Holiday Gift Guides
Food Network’s 12 Days of Cookies

Ingredients:
2 oz. Silver rum
1/2 oz. amaretto, almond-flavored liqueur
1/2 oz. Luxardo maraschino cherry liqueur
Ice
Wedge of lime
Splash of maraschino cherry juice
Maraschino cherry for garnish

Preparation:
Pour rum, amaretto and cherry liqueur in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until ingredients are well combined and chilled. Pour into a highball glass filled with ice. Squeeze a lime wedge over drink and drop into glass. Add a pour of cherry juice and garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Yule Eggnog Truffles from Wilton.com


Eggnog Truffles
Source: 2006 Yearbook
Ingredients:
1 pkg (14 oz.) White Candy Melts® coarsely chopped
Dark Cocoa Candy Melts® melted, or
Light Cocoa Candy Melts® melted, or
White Candy Melts®
1/4 cup prepared eggnog
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg ground
Christmas Sprinkles Assortment
Makes: Each truffle serves 1. Makes about 5 dozen candies.

Instructions
Filling: In microwave safe container or on top of stove, melt Candy Melts with eggnog and cream. Stir in nutmeg. Pour into shallow pan. Refrigerate 1-2 hours or overnight until firm but pliable. Roll into 1-inch balls. Dip into melted candy; roll in sprinkles.
*Brand confectionery coating

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Dante's Ultimate Carrot Cake for his Birthday

Ultimate Carrot Cake

1 box Betty Crocker Super Moist carrot cake mix
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup shredded or flaked coconut
1/2 cup raisins
1 container Betty Crocker Rich and Creamy cream cheese frosting

1. Heat oven to 350F or 325F for dark or non-stick pans. Wait patiently for the light to go off before you begin mixing. You want those oven walls hot and ready. Grease and flour (or spray with baking spray with flour) bottoms only of cake pans. I'm lazy and use a Bundt pan, but you can use what pleases you.
2. Put raisins in water in a microwave safe container and nuke for 1-2 minutes until water is very hot. Set aside to allow raisins to plump, then separate. Save the water and raisins separately. You'll need both.
3. In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add cake mix, raisin water (1/2 cup only), oil, and pineapple. Add in nuts, coconut, and raisins. Stir to combine. Get out the major lumps, but don't over beat. Do not wait! Pop it directly in the hot oven, or the nuts, raisins, and coconut will settle in the bottom and burn. Bake 30-45 minutes. A Bundt takes about 40, cake pans less. Cool at least ten minutes. Remove onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely, at least one hour. (I usually just leave the cake in the Bundt pan and wander off for an hour. Then I can thump it once onto a serving platter and it pops out nicely.)
4. If you like frosting, go for it. I don't like a lot. I take a small amount, nuke it for about 10-15 seconds, then drizzle over the cake for a pretty look. Allow it to cool a bit.

Tip: Use the electric knife to cut the cake, if you have good blades for it. Smile and laugh maniacally. Not only is it fun, it scares people. They leave, and you get the whole thing to yourself.

If you want the original recipe, it's on the box of the carrot cake mix. It may even be on BettyCrocker.com.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Six Pies Later...

Whew!! Six pies later, while the pumpkin pies do their hour in the oven, my daughter Susan and I can finally sit down to a cup of tea and a bit of a rest. We've done our best with two pumpkin pies, one Impossible Hot Toddy Pie, one Mincemeat Pie, one Pumpkin Cheesecake, and one Apple Pie, ready to go after the pumpkins. Then I'll make an Impossible Cheesecake with Sour Cream Sauce to keep masculine fingers out of the pies for tonight. Well, at least until we can safely cool our hard-earned efforts and stow them out of sight! LOL!
 
Susan wisely put the roast in the slow cooker, so dinner's an easy side dish or two away. The cooler for brining the turkey tomorrow has been cleaned and bleached until it's gleaming white. I mixed the brine's dry ingredients last week, and the vegetable broth we made over the weekend now chills in the spare refrigerator right next to the balls of homemade Parker House roll dough.
 
The Rum Bread, Banana Breads, and a few other things now reside safely hidden in the deep freezer, well-wrapped in foil and marked "Liver" and "Chicken Gizzards." That oughta keep the boys out of there. LOL!
 
Tomorrow's a busy day! We have the last day of preparation cleaning and the side dishes to make. Wouldn't you know I found a sale on rutabaga today? I may just make up some, if I can find room in that poor refrigerator.
 
Y'all have a happy holiday if you're American, and if you're not, bear with us. We'll be back in a day or two.
 
Hugs and Much Love! 

Lena Austin

http://www.LenaAustin.com

Writing blog: http://depravedduchess.blogspot.com

Recipe and Pagan blog: http://third-infinity.blogspot.com

Low Carb Diet blog: http://fatfrogdiary.blogspot.com

 

Egg Nog-- The Ultimate (Raw Egg Recipe)

Warning!! This is a raw egg recipe. If you're in the least bit nervous, I suggest you hunt up and buy pateurized eggs or use the pasteurized egg products in cartons such as Egg Beaters and Egg Whites. I personally do not use alcohol in my choice of libations, but others do, so I offer some alternatives.


Monday, November 23, 2009

Squash Soup Two Ways

I chose to include both squash soups, though I personally prefer the one in the inset portion. It's a little creamier. However, both soups are excellent, and I urge you to try them both before making a decision.



Sunday, November 22, 2009

Black and White Snowballs PLUS More Recipes

Here in hot Florida, a cool light dessert is needed even at the holidays. I've made the Ice Cream Sandwich Cake and the Black and White Snowballs. They're delicious!


Saturday, November 21, 2009

E-Piracy Reprise

Today I just learned I have lost close to $1000 in royalties thanks to pirates in the past two weeks. That's my mortgage payment on our house. My husband was out of work for six months, until recently. We swallowed our pride, borrowed, held garage sales, and wept futile tears until a miracle occurred and my aging husband was able to find a job. Now we're struggling to catch up against mounting late fees and penalties. That $1000 would have given us a much-needed break, but thanks to e-pirates who claim to be my fans, I'm worrying and wringing my hands as the end of the month approaches.

Sharon Marie Bidwell wrote this back in July. I can't say it any better. The highlights are my own emphasis.

To the person who left me a comment...
…saying they may look like spam but assuring me their comment wasn’t, your site looks like…well, spam. You say you’re not a publisher and yet you’re making money selling free ebooks? This is an oxymoron. If you are selling books they’re not ‘free’. Secondly, you say you’re not a writer so where are you getting these books from? Are you selling other people’s free ebooks? If you’re doing so without their permission you are in violation of copyright law. If you are buying ebooks and selling them on, you are in violation of copyright law. On both counts, I advise you to read the statement that runs in my side bar. If you are doing something else, which I don’t understand, my apologies, but no, I’m not going to download your report file from a site that says very little. For all I know it could be a virus. I’d advise everyone else not to do so either. This isn’t personal. I’m just being sensibly cautious. Sorry.
Look, copyright law on ebooks is simple. You cannot copy, distribute, resell or loan an ebook. Saying that, most of us wouldn’t object if we heard you’ve made yourself a back-up copy purely for your own personal use. We live in a wonderful age of technology but technology fails us from time to time. We hear you’re selling our work and we’ll come down on you like the proverbial ton of bricks. Writers and publishers are getting better at locating piracy sites and law enforcement is finally taking it seriously.
The most common question we hear is “If I can resell or loan a printed book, why can’t I as a reader resell or loan ebooks?” To be honest, even the reselling or lending of some printed books is a grey area. However, it tends to be overlooked because of several reasons.
Most people hate the idea of printed books being destroyed. If you’re finished with them and cannot pass them on in some way they are only good for recycling.
When a printed book is passed on, someone may find an author they like and start buying new books by that author on a regular basis. It’s sort of free-advertising and yes, one could argue this would apply to ebooks but there’s a major difference and reason why this doesn’t work so read on.
Many second-hand books are sold for charity purposes.
You are giving up your physical edition of the book and will no longer own it.
Point 4 is the major one. When you give, sell, or loan a printed book you give away the item you purchased. Even when loaning it, you risk not getting it back. You are not making a ‘physical copy’ of that book to pass it on.
When you pass an ebook on (and some people do this in innocence not piracy but they are still in the wrong) the reader tends to ‘keep’ their version and simply send the file on, thereby making a ‘copy’. I can assure you that this is just as illegal in printed works.
Imagine you took one of Stephen King’s novels, dissected it, scanned it in, printed it up either by POD (good luck — they would spot what you are doing in a flash), or via the printer at home, and tried to give it away, sell it, or hand to a friend. Should SK find out do you think he wouldn’t sue your arse off? Oh yes, he would!
The point is you are not allowed to make a ‘copy’ of any written work be it printed or electronic. You may (usually) print off an electronic book with the purpose of reading it in that form should you not wish to read on screen, but that printed form is subject to the same laws. You may not sell it, or pass it on. If you wish to pass on an ebook the only viable way to do this is buy an extra copy, and what’s so wrong with that? We all have people to buy presents for.
Oh…and to those who think they can file share their ebook library, has nothing I’ve stated sunk in? Besides, you are NOT a library and did you know that even if you were there is such a thing as the ‘public lending right’? This means that an author can, if they wish, claim a small payment every time a library lends one of their books. So next time you choose to file share, don’t be surprised should you receive a letter from the authors asking for an audit of the number of ‘loans’ and demanding payment from you!
You are not a publisher and the author has not signed a contract with you. You do not have the right to sell.
You are not an official state library. You do not have the right to loan (and let’s be honest — loan in electronic format means copy and give away).
You are not friends with thousands of strangers online that you simply ‘must’ lend your books to (and we’ve already established that you are not lending but copying) and authors and publishers will not turn their back on you ‘giving’ their work away.
I’m not speaking to those who are deliberately committing an act of piracy. They know they are breaking the law, damaging authors and the publishing industry, and they just don’t care. The most we can do is assure them that while there will always be crooks there will always be those willing to fight them. I’m speaking mainly to those that do this in innocence, not understanding that they are doing anything wrong. You claim to love us as writers. You claim to love our work. We do work — hard — at this. Most of us have day jobs, families, lives just like you. We have to find time to write on top of all that. We often forsake sleep. Many don’t make as much money as you think and even if we did, haven’t we ‘earned’ it? You love our characters, our worlds, our stories. You claim to love our work and even to love us. Why do something fundamentally harmful to someone or something you love?
Did you know there are pirate copies of the “I Do” anthology out there? A book I took part in for charity. The thought that people can be so low as to steal from charity has made some of us authors want to puke. If you’re doing this in innocence or not, rest assured, we’re very upset with you.

Lena again__ I personally know three authors who have been forced to stop writing BECAUSE of e-pirates. The authors could not sell enough works legitimately through royalty-paying services to justify remaining writers. One now works as a waitress because it's the only job she could find and she still earns more in one night than she did in any given month as a published author.

I would love to find some super-geek who'd write me a worm that I could upload into Astatalk.com and all the other e-pirate sites. When I see notes in the Comments sections under my books that ask not only for my entire book list but also for information on how not to get busted, I know these folks aren't innocently sharing. They know they're committing a crime and they don't care. They deserve to have a worm destroy their system, steal their identities and all the money in their bank accounts, then pass it on to the poor authors and artists they've ruined.

Merry Friggin' Christmas.

Snowball Cookies

When I was a young nerdy seventeen year old, a family friend tasted my snowball cookies and absconded with an entire tin of them. His wife reported that he sat down in his recliner with a huge glass of milk and proceeded to literally make himself sick eating every last one. I've been making them every year since for the past (mumble-thirty-three--mumble) years.



Friday, November 20, 2009

Humor: Best Positions in Bed


 

BEST  POSITIONS IN BED

 

 

 












 

 


 

Bacon and Sage Butter Turkey

Originally, we lost this recipe in a move. Then along comes Google and we found it again! Saved, thanks to the internet. This has been our favorite for twenty years, and we see no reason to change.


Thursday, November 19, 2009

Turkey Brine from Alton Brown and Good Eats

You can use the whole recipe, but we just just the brining part. Tomorrow, I'll post the Bacon and Sage Butter Turkey recipe we've not changed in almost 20 years.






Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Pan Gravy Plus


Now, notice I suggest a specific flour called Wondra. There's a reason! Wondra is made for gravy! It's worth the time and trouble to hunt for that bright blue can.


Saturday, November 14, 2009

Getting the Thanksgiving Menu Organized

I don't know about my non-US friends, but here in the US Thanksgiving is a huge feast usually spent with friends and family. Today, my daughter Susan and I went to the NAS Jax base commissary and spent $40 more than usual just for this one day's feast. This isn't including other purchases made here and there as I found a good deal, such as the jars of mincemeat found this past summer.

This year, Susan and I wised up and sorted the food reserved for the feast into paper grocery bags and put the traditional recipes with the non-perishable foodstuffs. We also took the time to measure out a few ingredients into zip-topped bags labeled with the recipe they belong to, such as the coconut, brown sugar, etc for the Praline Yams are now all ready in one zip-topped bag awaiting the day I assemble the dish. Same goes for the salt, sugar, and spices for the brine of the turkey. All labeled and ready for the day when all four of us pile into my tiny "two butt" kitchen and try to be helpful. LOL!

Four brown paper bags now sit in a line out in the Florida room-- Entree and stuffing, Sides, Desserts, Bread/Appetizers/Beverages. On the 21st, we'll pull out the ingredients to make the Cranberry Sauce and begin polishing the silver.

Hmm. Maybe I'd better schedule myself a manicure for the 25th. LOL!

Fudge Cake

Pay attention to the subsitution of cocoa and oil for the squares of chocolate, unless you like making work for yourself.


Friday, November 13, 2009

Praline Yams

This recipe has been in my stash for the past twenty-plus years. I got it off a can of yams, and it's been the best recipe I've found to date. If you serve a lot of folks with a sweet tooth, double or triple this. You've been warned.


Thursday, November 12, 2009

Do You See A Motorcycle??

 

Do you see the motorcycle?



Now do you see it?













The Honda crotch rocket
rider was traveling at approximately 85 mph. The VW driver was talking on a cell phone when she pulled out from a side street, apparently not seeing the motorcycle. The riders reaction time was not sufficient enough to avoid this accident. The car had two passengers and the bike rider was found INSIDE the car with them. The Volkswagen actually flipped over from the force of impact and landed 20 feet from where the collision took place.

All three involved (two in the car and the bike rider) were killed instantly. This graphic demonstration was placed at the Motorcycle Fair by the Police and Road Safety Department.

Pass this on to car drivers or soon to be new drivers, or new motorcycle owners

AND ESPECIALLY EVERYONE YOU KNOW WHO HAS A CELL PHONE!!!!!

A picture is worth a thousand words.



Wake up people , Stop talking on Cell phones and

Texting while trying to drive. Put your Cell phone

in the back seat !!!

 

 

 

Old-Fashioned Mashed Potatoes Plus

How many of you really know how to make old fashioned Mashed Potatoes and Gravy without using a box of flakes? Come on, give this a try. Your mouth will thank you.


Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Glazed Nuts

Nothing like these to keep the men's greedy paws out of my kitchen!





Welcome to my Blog!

Thanks for popping by! Don't sit on the whipping horse unless you want to find out how it's used. I speak my mind and annoy many people, but all of it is meant in good spirit. Feel free to argue with me. I like it.

Best way to reach me is by email: voiceomt2002@yahoo.com

Lena