The Crafty Kitchen: From the SEED to the Table

TO SEE A FEW PAGES FROM MY NOVEL OF SUSPENSE + RECIPES, READ ON! BUT, FIRST . . .

It’s a blustery day here in Vermont. A cardinal, as red as a fire truck, is sampling the sunflower seeds in our feeder even as I write this message. And me? I’m thinking about the cozy fire that’s blazing in the living room and the meaty, mouthwatering aroma that has drifted all the way from my Crafty Kitchen to this boxy little office. My husband is cuddled up next to blue-eyed Ginger, our Samarian Husky––did you know they were partly bred to keep people warm?––and, I’ve got my eye on Gabriel, our Siberian husky, who also loves to cozy up . . . especially when I’m reading. Yes, tantalizing food, cuddly pets, a fire, and a good read or a nap: they’re all part of the good life in this Crafty Kitchen! Speaking of good reads . . . I hope you sample these pages from my novel, The SEED, (ISBN 0-7414-3072-X, Infinity Publishing) available at several of the major dot coms, or at my website: AnnRichDuncan.com. It’s a timely tale of intrigue, where my treasure-hunting hero, John Victor, stumbles on a plot to control our food supply. Because of the plethora of scientific breakthroughs with genetically modified foods, I’m saddened to say that God’s nourishing creations have become money-making inventions. And poor John Victor: all he wants to do is find the trunk filled with gold from the Civil War. Instead, he must track down the formula called the Terminator, before Alexander Graham Rossweild’s people devastate America’s farmlands with it. Yikes!
So enjoy . . . then take a peek at the recipes and seed tips that follow. And PLEASE! Send me your comments! I’ll be back in a few days with more pages of The SEED!

THE SEED
by Ann Rich Duncan
PROLOGUE: “Wisely and slow, they stumble that run fast.” William Shakespeare.
The memory of Colonel Mitchem’s eager eyes clung to Julia Mahoney’s brain with the intensity of a raw, red canker sore. She realized he’d kill her if Alexander ordered him to do it. He’d probably take pleasure in it. She sat at the edge of her bed in the West Wing of Alexander Graham Rossweild’s Tennessee mansion in a mindless, autistic-like state until a noise from the hallway snapped her out of it.
Somebody’s coming! She leaned forward and strained to listen, her eyes darting from the ornate glass doorknob to the sliver of light below. Shadows flickered under the door and then they were gone. ““Good,”” she crooned. ““They’’re not coming for me––at least not yet.”” She believed that Alexander wanted her dead. Why else would Mitchem lock me in? she reasoned.
A door slammed from somewhere above and more footsteps came her way. It seemed to go on forever––this endless marathon of muffled voices and shuffling footsteps. She returned to her mindless rocking and moaned as she snugged the thick coverlet tightly around her. She was exhausted. Eventually, the convulsive shivers ended and Julia was lulled into the blissful oblivion of a deep sleep. She began to dream then, and found herself cradled within the protective embrace of a benevolent giant who was saving her from her enemy’’s clutches. Unfortunately, Julia Mahoney, the scientist, could never completely surrender to a dream. And the only giant she knew was Alexander’s pride and joy, SanFidel, Incorporated, and he definitely was not kindly toward anyone even remotely perceived as a threat to it.
JULIA WOKE UP SOBBING. She wondered if she would be killed and dumped on some remote hillside in Tennessee like useless residue from one of SanFidel’s failed experiments; but luckily, that thought provoked a burst of anger. Useless residue? I’m not useless . . . my formula worked! It’s going to make them millions!
Julia crawled out of her warm cocoon. She would escape but her only chance would be tonight. She thought, They’ll settle down sooner or later. She looked around, thinking, I need a tool or a weapon or something––but what? She peeked under the bed. Nothing, darn it. Well, maybe there’s something in the closet. She stopped to listen for activity in the hall, then eased the closet door open. A quick glance revealed a tidy space––almost empty, but not quite. At her feet was a neatly stacked pile of metal. A fire ladder? Perfect! She picked it up, momentarily surprised by the weight of it, and tiptoed toward the window. She felt almost giddy as her slender fingers tore at the plastic ties that bound the rungs together. Thank God for Alexander’s morbid fear of fire! I bet all of the rooms have one of these tucked away somewhere!
Julia’’s excitement almost dissolved when she peered out of the window. Oh, God. It’s so far down––I can’t do this! A tear trickled down her cheek and she turned away, ready to slink back to the bed, but the sudden unbidden memory of Mitchem’s cold eyes quickly renewed her determination. She just couldn’t let him win.

–– - –– - –– - –– see if Julia escapes in my next post! In the meantime, check out the following:
When I was a child, meatloaf was kind of yucky. That’s because it usually had chunks of onion and other disgusting ““grownup food things”” in it. (That’s what I told my parents when they said eat it or stay at the table until bedtime.) But now? Sorry, Mom, but I LOVE my meatloaf, and so do all the people I serve it to. Here’s my no-more-yucky-adult-stuff recipe:

Ann’s Crafty Meatloaf
(NOTE: I don’’t measure . . . I eyeball amounts)
INGREDIENTS: about a pound of ground beef; four-to-six slices of bread, white or wheat or a combo; about a heaping tablespoon of VERY FINELY grated onion; about a quarter cup of ketchup; one large egg; about three tablespoons of grated carrot; one boullion cube dissolved in a couple spoons of water (I usually use vegetable boullion but you could use beef).

TIP
line your baking pan with tinfoil & cleanup is a breeze.
STEPS: (1) Tear the bread into very small pieces into a large bowl (I usually time it so I can watch my favorite TV show when I’m doing this because it takes longer than you might think . . . after all, tearing bread is boring). (2) Grate the carrot and the onion and mix them both into the bread with your hands. After all, you want to get that yucky––but essential––onion mixed in really well. (3) Microwave the boullion in a tiny bit of water until it dissolves, then mix the egg and the ketchup into it. (4) With your hands, blend the wet stuff with the bread and then add the ground beef. (This is when you can work out your frustrations, like pretending it’’s a former boss, or X-hubby or something). (5) Form your meaty concoction into a nicely shaped loaf in the foil-lined pan. Bake for 45 minutes. (My oven is wacked out, so I have to set it at 400 degrees. You may be okay at 350 degrees), then check every few minutes until it’’s nicely browned and thoroughly done. I usually serve it with mashed potatoes and a vegetable. It’s great for sandwiches the next day, or you can add the leftovers to a bottled spaghetti sauce.

Oven Baked Carrots
INGREDIENTS: 4 cups of carrots, sliced; 1 apple, chopped; 1/2 cup water; 6 TBS butter; 1/4 cup maple syrup; 1 TSP salt; Dash pepper.
STEPS: (1) Boil carrots until crisp-tender. (2) Mix syrup, water, salt, pepper in casserole dish. (3) Toss carrots in the syrup mix to coat thoroughly, then dot with butter. (4) Bake, uncovered, at 350-degrees for about 15 minutes, stirring after the first five minutes. Serve hot. VARIATION: Replace maple syrup with 1/3-cup of brown sugar. Omit apple. Add 1/2-tsp orange peel or a splash of orange juice.

Heirloom Seed Tip below . . .
Nothing’s better than using vegetables you’ve grown yourself. How about ordering a packet or two of Danvers Half Long Carrots from your seed catalog? Heirloom growers say the Danvers produces early and can grow in shallow soil or in a pot. And, they date back to the 1800 's. I think I’’ll hunker down with my seed catalog right now! See you next week. I welcome your comments.

Unexpected Connections

Hot dog! Although I've come to know the internet with heels dragging, I must admit, it's a great way to connect with awesome people. For instance, just this morning, I received confirmation from one of my favorite authors, Earlene Fowler, that she's sending me a special pen in recognition of my proof-reading efforts. And in her note, she said she'd talk up the Johnny Vic series to her fans and friends. And there's an awesome young man that I'll introduce you to some time soon. Hailing from Virginia, he's been chosen as a youth advocate for a national educational board. He wants to promote Johnny Vic, too! Double Hot Dog. How'd I "meet" these neat people? By jumping on the internet. No more dragging heels.

Speaking Engagement

When you've written the first three in a series of books about your country's history, it's a feather in your cap to be invited to speak about . . . history! So, yep, I've got a new feather in my cap: I received a phone call today with a request to consider being a guest speaker. And, so, when I got the info about the event, I gave a resounding yes, I'd be honored to talk about the American Revolution and my books at the Grand Opening of the Catamount Room, the Manchester Vermont Tea Party's new information site. The event will be held on Saturday, January 29th, from 1 PM to 5 PM. My talk will be at 3 PM. It's an honor to be asked to speak about the values held by our founding fathers . . . values that have been instilled by my family and the many, many individuals in this country who understand that we became great because of our Constitution and our Judeo/Christian foundation. Honor. Morality. Faith. Giving. Charity. Love. Commitment. Responsibility. Opportunity. Prosperity. You get all that when you have a SMALL, SMALL, SMALL government--all that, and more. If you are reading this message, I hope you add this event to your calendar! Hmmmm. Revolution, it means "complete change," "big shift," "uprising," or, "movement in an orbit." Hmmmmm. The antonym is "retrogression," or "regression." I guess I'm definately in the midst of my own revolution!

January snow

It's the 8th of January. Snow is trickling down from the sky. There's a cozy fire going in our living room and I wonder what it must have been like for our founding fathers. I mean, when the fire dies in the night, our furnace kicks on. Not so for John Jay or George Washington. Did they huddle close to the fire? And I've got a canister full of cocoa mix. How often were they--or their children--able to sip a creamy HC in front of that cozy fire. Not to mention to poorer folk. But, of our founding fathers? I can picture any one of them in front of their fire with the Good Book . . . perhaps reading Philippians 4:8, which reads: "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things." Oh well. Back to my John Jay research.

Something New Every Day

Whew. It isn't easy, studying John Jay. But one thing that's great, I learn something new every time I look him up, or turn a page in one of these fat, informative books. Now, it's common knowledge (at least amongst those people who have admired John Jay for a lengthy time) that he was against slavery. Very much so. And, the first time I interviewed one of his descendants, I learned he was a founder of the New York Manumission Society. Say what? Manumission. This group, founded in 1785, promoted the abolition of slavery. But what I learned today? It was that John Jay actually promoted legislation to free the slaves. It failed in 1777 and in 1785, but it was SUCCESSFUL in 1795. Yes, here's a founding father who helped to emancipate all NY slaves in 1795. This nation has made a few mistakes along the way; but, for the most part we should be proud of our legacy . . . and our kids should be made aware of it. So, that's why I'm having a blast creating these Johnny Vic adventures.

New Beginnings

Wow. We're already into January. Where did the time go? My resolution is to use this new year, 2011, as wisely as possible. I'm learning what I can about founding father John Jay. After all, Johnny Vic will soon meet him! It's an amazing time to be writing this story, because we're in sort of a Revolution of sorts right now . . . what with the election results. Let's hope our newly elected officials have the Constitution in their hearts the way our founding fathers did. I just watched a faily new version of A Christmas Carol. Of course, there's a mean-spirited person who has no concept of Christmas and so, the spirits of Christmas past, Christmas present and Christmas future each pop in for a brief visit. I wish the spirit of America's past, present and future would pop into D.C. and remind our elected officials of the real spirit of America. Or, better yet, perhaps some of them will read my hero's next adventure! John Jay, the Constitution, Ben Franklin, spies, intrigue, adventure . . . they'll all be there. Hey, that might be the perfect title: Johnny Vic and the Spirit of America!

Busy Summer

When he was asked about the victory at Saratoga, George Washington said that it was a single stroke of Providence. Do you know what Providence means? It's all about our Creator, the Divine Being, (God), who watches over and guides his creations (us). In other words, the people who tell you kids that George Washington was a Deist (one who thinks God washed His hands of us after He created us) are ill-informed. They don't know what they're saying!!! There are a lot more Washington quotes to back up what I am saying now. I mention this because I was invited to sell my Johnny Vic books in Washington, DC on August 28, at the "Evening With Michelle Malkin" event sponsored by MOMforAmerica.com, that followed Glenn Beck's RETURN TO HONOR event. Wow. Glenn Beck loves George Washington, Martin Luther King, Abe Lincoln . . . anyone from our past--and present--who is honorable. And that's what Johnny Vic is all about! Please, please, please . . . if you are a youngster or if you're a teacher, or if you're a parent or grandparent reading this: Please check it out. Don't believe the reports. I was there. Over 400-thousand people attended the RETURN TO HONOR Rally on August 28, 2010. It was not political. It was a message to each of us to be honorable ourselves and to celebrate what IS honorable about America. You can be proud of your heritage! By the way, "Johnny Vic's Plymouth Adventures" is now available!