Odds and Ends

Last week Hubby had a bad cold that became bronchitis. Being the tightly knit couple that we are, he shared it with me and I have spent the last week bravely fighting the same damn cold and yucky cough. Ugh. So if this post makes no sense whatsoever or there are missing words or really bad grammar, I blame my fuzzy head and achy body.


First, some rather exciting news about my book... I finally have a title!! It is:

Discovering Me

Tired of hearing "you can't", one woman sets out with a pan of brownies 

and a skinny pink pig to prove that she can - and then some. 

I like it, my family likes it, it received the seal of approval from my editor and, most importantly, it's not a favorite of ten other authors who've already published books, so I think it's a done deal. Yippee! I've also completed the re-write of the Epilogue and sent it off to the copy editor. With these critical pieces in place, the end feels like it may actually be in sight. Now it's on to cover design and getting the manuscript formatted. It won't be done by Christmas but hopefully soon thereafter. I'm trying hard to be patient because I want to do this right. Although I'm self-publishing, I want this book to be as polished and professional as if it had come right from Scribner or Little Brown. 

I did promise a family Thanksgiving recipe, but due to flu fuzziness, I totally zipped right past the part that, since I only make this dish once a year, I have no photos to share. I will pass on the recipe anyway, just in case anyone is eager for a great, yet decadent Sweet Potato Pudding (which isn't really a pudding...) to serve at their Thanksgiving feast.

One last thing - I'm tossing in a few random photos that I took a week ago. It had been a gray day and as so often happens, the sky began to clear just as the sun was low in the sky, leaving our lower field in shadow. All the leaves left on the trees were a dull brown, but the reflection of the sunset turned them flame red. Took my breathe away... Recipe follows pictures.  :-)

As promised...

Sweet Potato Pudding

Serves 8 or more depending on how much food you load your table up with!

You can put this dish together a day or two in advance. Cover and refrigerate. Remove from refrigerator early enough for it to come to room temp before baking as directed.

½ cup raisins

3 15-ounce cans yams, drained and mashed

2/3 cup (10 2/3 tablespoons) melted butter

½ cup (3 ½ ounces) white sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ cup evaporated milk

mini marshmallows

1.     Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

2.     If raisins are dry, soak in hot tap water to plump

3.     Mix rest of ingredients, except the marshmallows. Drain the raisins and mix in.

4.     Pour into greased casserole or soufflé dish and bake, uncovered, until hot – about 30 minutes. If you are cooking other things in the same oven, which often happens at the Holidays, feel free to adjust temp and time accordingly.

5.     Remove from oven and cover top with marshmallows. Return to oven until marshmallows are puffed and slightly browned – about 3-5 minutes.

 Happy Thanksgiving!!!