How Doth The Busy Little Bee

Yup, that's me. Busy as a bee.

Crimebake over, on to the food class at Brown. We're doing a little book of our writings. Should be very cool. Something I noticed last night during the read-alouds: these writings, although non-fiction, all deal with some kind of conflict, whether familial, inner, or even societal. I would call the works narrative non-fiction, and it's just so interesting when one thinks that in fiction conflict moves the plot, it also moves the narrative for our non-fiction. Who would have thunk?

Last night I got to a recipe that's been on the "can't wait to cook" list for a while. Cashew Chicken Stir Fry. Quite tasty--we finished up the leftovers at noon. The flavors were good and the red from the pepper and the green from the scallions plus the white rice looked very appetizing and it smelled divine. Man, if I could only bottle that smell.

Here is the link to the recipe, with 45 comments, some of them suggesting the addition of pea pods or mushrooms, always good.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chicken-and-Cashew-Stir-Fry-238402

Red peppers were on sale and I bought two, using one for the quiche which was also very tasty and is now gone.

We're invited out Thanksgiving, and I'm taking a cauliflower/broccoli casserole with plenty of cream and cheese such that everyone will be sure to get all the vitamin A from the dish, and also a pumpkin cheesecake with a kind of cool topping of melted marshmellows and sour cream. This is the week to diet so that one may taste everything on Turkey Day without reams of guilt. Just remember: small portions of everything. The food can be stretched out over the weekend, and we wouldn't want to run on before Sunday night, would we?

I have some dynamite turkey croquettes that almost rival the T-Day dinner.

I keep trying to revise my latest scene. It's getting there, but does it ever take a long time. There's a lot of information the reader needs, but it doesn't require a huge amount of words--and so my character is thinking about it while she's heading for the Florida Keys. It would be so helpful if I could pop down to Key West and scope out a few details. When I was there, I didn't plan to write about it.

Ah, yes. Another end of the road place. This novel will have two of them: Key West and Northern Nevada. If I could stick the tip of the Baja in, I'd have three. Fortunately, my ending will happen in Nevada and so I don't have to trek to the Grand Caymans, although one of the characters will. Bloody but upbeat ending.

La Di Dah.

Grapeshot