Day: August 3, 2016

National Grab Some Nuts Day

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Yes, that really is one of today’s observances, and the latent Gutter Girl in me snickers and thinks: “SPLASH!”

But this is a PG-13 blog, so I’ll haul myself out of the gutter, dry myself off and be a responsible adult.

Nuts.

I am not a huge nut fan. Especially walnuts. Don’t know why people have to ruin perfectly good brownies or chocolate chip cookies with walnuts. All of my life I thought I didn’t like banana bread. A friend made some with almonds instead of walnuts, and I loved it!

Another friend substitutes pecans for walnuts when she knows I’m on the agenda. It’s an acceptable substitute, but the foods would still be better without them.

Nuts I do like:

Cashews don’t offend me—especially in Chinese food. And what about that divine mixture of hazelnut chocolate, Nutella? Addicting! Macadamia nuts with white chocolate in a chocolate cookie? I’m dying here!

I’ll eat peanuts (not technically a nut, but rather a legume), but almonds are my favorite. Too bad growing almonds requires so much water.  Something so healthy shouldn’t be an ecological disaster.

Because almonds are a healthy food choice.

Most nuts (in their pure state) are a good food choice. Unfortunately, chocolate (even though it’s made from cocoa beans, which are a fruit) is considered an adulteration. Nuts are a great at-the-desk snack—high-protein with omega-3 fatty acids, easy to eat, and very filling.

So go grab some nuts!

It’s Not a Picnic without Them

Every city has it’s local delicacy. My hometown has salt potatoes. No summer picnic, barbecue, or event is complete without them.

And what, you may ask, are salt potatoes?

They a small, new potatoes boiled in highly salted water and served drenched in melted butter.

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And how did this divine creation come to be?

In the late 1800’s Syracuse was the American capitol of salt mining. (Which is why I often wonder if the term “back to the salt mines” is universal or something local.) Syracuse is still called “The Salt City.” Salt was “mined” by boiling off the water from the salt-water marshes around Onondaga Lake. The Irish workers would bring their substandard, undersized potatoes and boil them in salted water for their lunches.

This is why I named my fictional baseball team, the Syracuse Saltboilers.

There you have it.

P.S. The next Syracuse Saltboilers romance comes out on July 26.

 

 

Nat’l Snack Food Day with Erin Bevan

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Today is National Snack Food Day, so I asked author Erin Bevan about her favorite snack food.

ERIN: Holy Moly! You would ask me this when I am on the biggest diet EVAH! I think my favorite snack food is COOKIES! Oh, how I miss them.

MJ: What’s your favorite kind of cookie?

ERIN: OMG, must I chose? Chocolate chip, shortbread with royal icing- yum, yum yum! White chocolate macadamia, and the list goes on and on and on.

MJ: If you could be any snack food, which one would you choose?

ERIN: I think I’d pick a candy cane because they are my daughters’ favorite sugar sweet, and they smell so good. So different form my normal gym funk sweat smell!

MJ: You have a new book out, based on the things written on Valentine candy hearts. What a great premise. Tell us about Text Me.

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ERIN:  When Erika’s ex becomes her boss less than a year after dumping her by text, she gets desperate to find a date to the corporate Valentine’s dance so he doesn’t suspect she still has feelings for him. Though not a fan of texting for the obvious reason, she doesn’t have much choice but to tap the keypad in order to gain the attention of the only viable candidate from the classified ads.

Grayson made the mistake of listening to his brother a year ago and has regretted what he did to Erika ever since. But his brother’s next suggestion just might be his salvation when he takes out an ad for a Valentine’s date…and Erika answers.

Using a pseudo name and keeping contact to text messages only, Grayson’s plans to make Erika fall back in love with him appears to be working…until the date of the dance draws near, and she pushes a meeting—face to face.

MJ: This sounds like a really fun read. Where can people buy it?

Erin: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, All Romance Ebooks, Book Strand, and the Wild Rose Press website.

MJ: And how about your social media presence?

Erin:  I have a website and a Facebook page. I’m also on Twitter–@erinbevan.

MJ: Thanks for joining me today, and good luck with your book!