May 11 2014

Writing Exercises and Prompts

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Writing Exercises and Prompts just might become my new favorite app on my smartphone. One of my main problems with writing consistently is coming up with ideas of things to write about. This could solve the problem on the go!
Now I will have no excuse not to write, because it is on my phone, it is always with me,. It generates “random story ideas, plots, subjects, scenarios, characters, first lines for stories and more” so I don’t even have that as an excuse anymore. For those without access to a smartphone, there is a website also: http://writingexercises.co.uk/index.php.
You can just keep having it generate new ideas until one sparks your inner writer to action and the writing flows. So what are you waiting for? Go to the website or download the app and get busy writing already!
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.uk.writingexercises.WritingExercises
(Originally Posted 5/11/2014)
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May 9 2014

Chicken Pot Pie 

Chicken Pot Pie

2 chicken breasts
2 (10 ¾ oz.) cans Cream of Chicken Soup
frozen mixed vegetables to fill the empty soup cans
2 already pie crusts (from the refrigerator section)

Boil chicken in a pot of water for 20-30 minutes. Remove chicken and let it cool. In a microwave-safe bowl, mix together soup and vegetables. Microwave for 5 minutes or so.  While that is in the microwave, take chicken off bones if they weren’t boneless, and tear or cut into bite-sized pieces.  Add chicken to soup mixture and stir together. Unfold one pie crust into a glass or ceramic deep-dish pie plate, and add filling. Put second pie crust on top and pinch the two crusts together at the edges. Cut slits in top pie crust to vent. Bake 1 hour in a 350° F oven. Cut into quarters. Serves 2-4.

This is also a great recipe for using up left over chicken or turkey.
Can also use canned veggies, but drain them first.
(A Karen Beidelman Original Recipe)

(Originally Posted 5/9/2014)
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May 9 2014

Writer Up!

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Thanks to Kristen Lamb, I am writing this blog post today. I recently found her blog and have been reading the entries as time permits or rather as the need to avoid actually writing myself hits. Tonight, I was going through my overly-full email inbox and was caught immeadiately by the subject line, “Writer Victory!—#1 Voluntarily Submit”. Now as a writer, I can certainly use a victory, so of course I had to stop and read it to find out what the victory was all about.
Read the blog here:
http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2014/05/09/writer-victory-1-voluntarily-submit/
She says, ‘Today, we will discuss V, which stands for “Voluntarily submit.”‘. Ok, Kristen, after reading this blog post, I too will “voluntarily submit” to writing because now I am inspired to share this blog post with others so they can gain inspiration too. Click on the picture here to read the entire blog posting. Loved the graphic and wanted to grab your attention. This will inspire me to write when I normally would have talked myself out of it. 
So, those of you reading this, is there anyone reading this? Take a second to comment and tell me what inspires YOU to write, or do whatever it is you do to express your creativity?
(Originally Posted 5/9/2014)
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May 7 2014

Pizza Quiche (Pepperoni Cheese Pie)

Pizza Quiche

Crust:
1/2 pkg. Pillsbury All-Ready Pie Crusts
(Note: If using frozen shell, use Deep Dish size.)
Spread one crust into deep dish pie plate and set aside.

Filling:
¼ cup chopped onion
¼ cup chopped green pepper
1 Tbsp. Butter
1 pkg. (3 ½ oz.) sliced pepperoni
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 Tbsp. flour
1 ½ cup milk (skim works fine)
4 eggs. Beaten
salt & pepper, a dash of each

Cook onion and green pepper in butter until tender.  Cut 2/3 of the pepperoni slices into fourths.  Toss onion, green pepper, pepperoni, and cheese with flour.  Add milk, eggs, and seasonings.  Pour into prepared pastry shell.  Gently place remaining pepperoni slices around edge of pie.  Bake in 350°F oven 40 to 45 minutes or until set.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.  Makes 6 servings.
Source: from the back of a box of Hormel Brand Pepperoni
Nutrition Info: ¼ pie (leave out butter, use 1/3 cup each frozen green pepper and onion, and substitute turkey pepperoni):
512 calories, 29g total fat, 13.6g sat. fat, 0.9g polyunsat. Fat, 4.9g monounsat. Fat, 254.9mg cholesterol, 1115.6mg sodium, 6.6mg potassium, 34.2g total carbs, 0.4g dietary fiber, 5.2g sugars, 24.4g protein, 17.3% vitamin A, 1.5% vitamin C, 35.6% calcium, 8.1% iron.

(Originally Posted 5/7/2014)
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May 6 2014

Top 3 Favorite New Places of Learning…

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Probably my absolute favorite new place to learn is the Indiana Writers Center. I asked for and received a membership for Christmas. I have always wanted to write and publish a book. I decided that this is the year I am going to do something about learning how to write a book. So, far I have taken lots of different kinds of classes there. There is a good discount on all their classes for members and I have met some wonderful writers there. I am still exploring and trying to learn everything I can about writing, structure, etc. Perhaps as my confidence as a writer grows, and I have no doubt that it will with every class I take, I will feel comfortable posting some of my writing here. If you have ever wanted to be a writer, but don’t know how or where to start, this is the place! Check it out and maybe we will see each other in a class one night. (Thanks for the gift of knowledge Austin!) http://www.indianawriters.org/

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I only discovered Trade School Indianapolis this year and have taken 3 classes through them so far. They have some very interesting and unusual classes to offer taught by real people like you and me. If you have yearning for learning and live in or near Indy, you should really take a look at the most recent class offerings. It is always in the back of my mind that maybe someday I could teach a class for them, but I want to get a little more experience taking their classes before actually offering to teach one myself. The best part is that no money changes hands. You sign up for the class and choose one of the instructors barter request items and then bring that to the class as payment. The list of requested items varies greatly. I have taken post-it notes, dark chocolate and AAA batteries in as payments for the classes I have taken. Part of what keeps me from teaching is thinking up things to request as payment. Anyway, have a look and see if anything on the class list sparks you! http://tradeschool.coop/indianapolis/

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The Indianapolis Marion County Public Library is not a new place of learning for me but one of my oldest and most treasured friends from early childhood. When I want to learn something new I always check the library to see if they have a book on the subject. What some of you may not know is that they have a plethora of classes available for FREE all around the city. They even have an extensive selection of computer classes. I have taken classes on all sorts of things through the library over the years. I have learned about Diabetes, how to knit, about genealogy topics of all kinds, about German cooking and foods, about how to archive my photos, research my house, write my life story, download eBooks to my Kindle app on my smartphone and on my Nook Color wirelessly. So do yourself a favor and go to their website and look through the offerings under classes and events. You just never know what you might learn if you do! http://www.imcpl.org/
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