Because We Care - Fran Lewis, Author

 

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

(One of Fran's sister Marcia's favorite)

• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle chile sauce
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 9 ounces grape jelly
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 large onion, grated
• salt to taste

Directions

1. Whisk together the chili sauce, lemon juice and grape jelly. Pour into slow cooker and simmer over low heat until warm.
2. Combine ground beef, egg, onion and salt. Mix well and form into 1 inch balls. Add to sauce and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

Because We Care – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds

 

‘As the primary and only caregiver for my mom who has Alzheimer’s I have had to develop different ways to keep myself active and my mind stimulated.  All too often as a caregiver you become so immersed in taking care of the needs of the person who is ill that we forget about our own.  When you make the decision to care for a family member at home you are really taking on a challenge of herculean proportion.  Every day is different and every challenge unique and must be handled differently but with kindness and care.  When a person has Alzheimer’s the hardest thing to deal with is their changing and erratic behaviors.  They can be calm one minute and out of control or violent the next.  These behaviors tend to put a lot of stress and strain on the caregiver.’

 

Through her trial and error learning Author Fran Lewis discovered some of the most basic yet important things that the caregiver will be confronted with when caring, not only for those with Alzheimer’s but other diseases and incapacitating illnesses.  Through her book Because We Care she brings to light the warning signs of Alzheimer’s as well as the importance of discussing your fears with the patient’s doctor.  She explains why it’s so important to follow a routine with the patient to keep some of their confusion down.  This includes things as simple as when to go to the bathroom, when to eat and even bed time.    She stresses the importance of security with Alzheimer’s patients.  They do have a tendency to wander off so items such as ID bracelets or necklaces are exceptionally important as well as keeping a current picture handy in case the police are brought in to help with the find. 

 

Lewis discusses the choices you might face as to keeping the patient at their own home, having round the clock nurses, moving them into your own home or placing them in a facility.  She brings to light the pros and cons, not just for the patient but also for the caregiver.  How to find a suitable facility and even what questions to ask of not only a facility but of nurses for in-home-care. And truly just as important, how to spot patient abuse and what to do if you suspect or know this is happening to your loved one.

 

Lewis also speaks, through first hand knowledge, about Traumatic Brain Injuries, which caused the death of her sister. And I must mention too that the proceeds for this book go to Montefiore Hospital to the fund they set up in memory of Fran Lewis' mom and sister.

 

But one thing Lewis puts heavy stress on is the importance of the caregiver’s own health and well being.  She impresses the fact that the caregiver’s whole normal way of life will change when taking over their patient.  The stress that goes along with being a caregiver is so much more than you can ever imagine.  And to help with this stress, Lewis offers suggestions throughout the book that will help when dealing with this phase of the care. 

 

I’ve only had short bouts with being a caregiver and never for an Alzheimer’s patient.  My Dad and I were both blessed with his being alert until the last couple days of his life.  But I still know the stress that just watching him deteriorate in a short 5 month period put on me.  I can’t imagine watching someone with Alzheimer’s change into a person who I no longer know nor knows me.  For any of you out there that are going through this situation, I suggest you read this book.  I really feel it just might help.  For those of you who aren’t currently acting as a caregiver, this is still a book I recommend you read.  You never know when you too might have to make the choices and deal with the stress that Lewis and people like her have dealt with and are still dealing with.

 

The Knowledge of Good and Evil - Glenn Kleier, Author

 

Vodka Sauce

(A Glenn Kleier specialty)

Ingredients

1 stick butter

1 jumbo yellow onion, quartered

1 lrg clove garlic or 2 small ones

3-28 oz cans Dell’Aple crushed tomatoes

2-29 oz cans Hunts tomato sauce

12-oz prosciutto

½ c vodka

¼ t. crushed red pepper flakes

1—7 oz container heavy cream

4-oz grated Asiago Cheese

Directions

·         Put onion, garlic in Cuisinart and pulse until finely chopped. 

·         Melt butter in lrg heavy pot and add onion/garlic.  Heat stirring occasionally until sweating.

·         Put prosciutto into Cuisinart & pulse until extremely finely chopped.

·         Add red pepper flakes to onions/garlic.  Then add prosciutto over medium heat about 7 minutes stirring occasionally.

·         Add ½ C Vodka, mix and reduce heat slightly and let cook another 7 minutes stirring every minute

·         Simmer for 45 min, then add cream, stir and turn off heat immediately. Add Asiago Cheese

Notes

Serve with penne pasta.  Sauce freezes great.  Helps to open all cans first.

The Knowledge of Good & Evil - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds

‘He stared into his empty glass, unsure where to begin or how much to reveal.  He didn’t want to frighten them into paralysis, but he couldn’t mislead them.  The sad part was, despite his best efforts to
hide and protect them, their odds of survival were next to none… Meeting their anxious eyes, he began, “I don’t know if what you do is sinful or not, these experiments of yours with Death and Hell.  I’m a
soldier, not a theologian, I leave the moral calls to God.  But there are some who see such things as grave violations of God’s Will.  And unfortunately, they take it upon themselves to intervene.”  Ian
nodded.  “The man with the tattoo was a religious extremist.  Do you know who he was?”  “Not who.  What… I must ask your oath not to repeat what I tell you.”  They gave their words.  “This tattoo, it’s the
symbol of a very old sect.  A brotherhood of militants cast off from the Church centuries ago, known as Ordo Arma Christi.”  Ian translated, “The Order of the Weapon of Christ.”  “Yes.  Christ’s Weapon.  Ordo Arma Christi dates to medieval times.  There’s virtually no history of it outside the Bibliotheca Secreta –“ he clarified for Angela, “-the Vatican Secret Archives.  And once you hear its checkered past, you’ll see why the Church keeps silent.”


Dr. Angela Weber and former priest Ian Baringer make up the team for L.A.’s #1 Late-Nite Talk Show Probing the Paranormal.  If there appears a mystery, they investigate and solve it.  Angela and Ian have
been lovers since he left the priesthood, but due to information acquired regarding the death of his parents, Ian has decided he must go back and set his mind and heart straight regarding his beliefs.  He proposes to Angela and promises that when he returns he will be a completely new and level headed man.  Nothing could make Angela happier, but her dreams are put on hold after receiving information as to what Ian is really doing.  It appears that Ian has tracked information regarding Near Death Experiences (NDEs) which will allow him to step into the depths of hell to rescue his parents.  Their sin? Ian can only surmise that when they wrapped themselves around his 9 year old body to prevent him from burning in the wreck that took their lives, God judged it suicide . . .


Following Ian as he proceeds with his self-inflicted NDEs will bring a few questions to your mind, at least it did mine.  Are these events real or is it the mind playing tricks on the mind?  Science will give us one answer, but religion may have another.  Is there one TRUE religion or do all of them hold truth?  The answers to these questions and many more are answered with double answers.  One answer is the way Ian sees it through his NDEs.  The other answer is the way Angela sees it through science.  You be the judge of what is true.

The Fright Factory - William R. Potter, Author

Spooky Witches Fingers

(A Potter favorite!)

Yield 60 cookies

Ingredients

·         1 cup butter, softened

·         1 cup confectioners' sugar

·         1 egg

·         1 teaspoon almond extract

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

·         1 teaspoon baking powder

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         3/4 cup whole almonds

·         1 (.75 ounce) tube red decorating gel

Directions

1.    Combine the butter, sugar, egg, almond extract, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Beat together with an electric mixer; gradually add the flour, baking powder, and salt, continually beating; refrigerate 20 to 30 minutes.

2.    Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease baking sheets.

3.    Remove dough from refrigerator in small amounts. Scoop 1 heaping teaspoon at a time onto a piece of waxed paper. Use the waxed paper to roll the dough into a thin finger-shaped cookie. Press one almond into one end of each cookie to give the appearance of a long fingernail. Squeeze cookie near the tip and again near the center of each to give the impression of knuckles. You can also cut into the dough with a sharp knife at the same points to help give a more finger-like appearance. Arrange the shaped cookies on the baking sheets.

4.    Bake in the preheated oven until the cookies are slightly golden in color, 20 to 25 minutes.

5.    Remove the almond from the end of each cookie; squeeze a small amount of red decorating gel into the cavity; replace the almond to cause the gel to ooze out around the tip of the cookie.

The Fright Factor – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds

‘Wesley saw motion from the corner of his eye.  Jesse wandered into the room.  “Howzit going?”  He had a length of chain and a padlock.  He looped the chair between the two chairs, pulled up the slack, and then clicked in a lock.  With a second length of chain he secured Wesley and Robin to the cast iron fireplace.  Where Robin had been able to slide along the floor earlier, they were now secured in place.  Jesse showed them both a candle with a hole drilled through the middle near the base of the stick.  He set the candle in a brass candle holder on the coffee table.  He walked to the kitchen and returned in a few seconds with a long red stick, obviously dynamite.  He used duct-tape to fasten two more sticks to the first and he set the three next to the candle.  He then took a long string that looked like a fuse and threaded it through the hole in the candle.  Wesley wasn’t sure what Jesse was doing but he knew it wasn’t good. Jesse took the camera off his shoulder strap and began to film Wesley and Robin.  Brandi entered the room with a long butane fireplace lighter.  She wiggled her ass for the camera and licked the end of the starter seductively and then headed for the candle.’

Wesley and Robin Tate are your average run of the mill couple.  They have spent their lives raising two kids and running their own restaurant.  As far as Robin knows, the restaurant has been doing great allowing her to be a stay at home wife and mother who is on the Board of Directors for a non-profit group which raises funds for children’s charities.  They have been able to put both kids into law school and new it was just the two of them.  No problems in their lives.  That is unless you count the credit card bill that Robin has opened and found to be extremely maxed out and in the rears.  Wesley handles the financial portion of the business and Robin knew he never let the balances get out of hand and he has always paid them off each month.  Apparently they aren’t as comfortable as she thought.

Wesley, on the other hand, knows exactly why the balance is so high.  One mistake six years ago and he’s still paying for it.  He has to bring his and Robin’s lives under control.  The first item to repair is their love life and what better way to start the mending than to take Robin to a cabin at the lake for a few days.  This would surely put the romance back into both of them.  And it might have worked if Brandi hadn’t shown up.  Robin met her while getting things from the car in the pouring rain.  She said her car had broken down a few miles back and she needed to use the phone to call a tow.  Being where they were, the phones weren’t receiving signals so Robin decided she could sleep on the sofa for the night and get help the next morning.  That would turn out to be the biggest mistake of her life…as well as the lives of several others.

I read The Fright Factory in two days during spare time.  How…I couldn’t put it down.  If you like shows such as CSI and Criminal Minds, you will want to read this book.  In fact, it could easily be made into a Criminal Minds show.  But I have to warn you.  It’s VERY graphic and also has a few erotic settings so it’s not for the weak nor the youngsters.  I also wouldn’t suggest you read it at night while alone.  Also, I don’t think I will be finding myself staying in a cabin at the lake for quite a while.   Potter, you’ve done it again!

Noble - David K. Hulegaard, Author

A Recipe for my book

Influences:
The TV Show "Lost"
The Video Game "BioShock"
a healthy does of good old-fashioned folklore like
  "The Mothman Prophecies"

Stir all together and you get "Noble."

Noble – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds – Desserts

 

‘Her name was Jane Emmett and she was pretty much just your average seventeen year old girl, or at least that’s what everyone in town thought about her.  She had grown up in Ashley Falls and came from one of the most highly respected families in town.  When I say highly respected, I’m also saying incredibly wealthy.  Her family owned the local newspaper company and their business was booming…Though she lived comfortably, Jane never seemed content with the life that her parent’s money had provided for her.  She  always appeared to be listless and unhappy on any occasion that we crossed paths, quite frankly.  As Jane got older, it became well known around town that she was an emotionally troubled kid, but it wasn’t until she started to put her rebellious nature out on display that it became a concern.  I can recall various occasions where Jane had gotten into hot water with the sheriff.  It was usually just for petty things like trespassing at first.  She’d get into an argument with one of the shop owners and then not leave upon being asked.  The sheriff would catch word of the dispute, come down and threaten Jane with the worst belting of her life, and she’d eventually see the error of her ways and leave quietly without causing harm…As always, Mr. Emmett would come along, apologize for the inconvenience, pay for any damages she had caused and promise that she wouldn’t be any further trouble.’

 

But now – Jane Emmett is missing.  At least that’s what a letter received by Miller Brinkman, P.I. from Jane’s best friend Jessie Fryman states.  According to Jessie, Jane hasn’t been seen in the last six weeks. 

 

Miller has lived all forty plus years of his life in Ashley Falls.  After the death of his parents and the departure of Charissa, the only woman he has ever loved, he found himself with a phobia preventing him from leaving.   But as he begins his investigation into the disappearance of Jane, he finds it impossible to ‘safely’ stay in Ashley Falls.  Not only is the Sheriff framing him for a murder he didn’t commit, he is also visited by a stranger who appears to be trying to help him find Jane. 

 

Miller’s journey takes him to Washington, DC where he will reconnect with Charissa and on to Norway.  With the help of Charissa and his mystery friend, Miller uncovers information that leads him to believe that Jane isn’t the only young person to disappear and it appears that the US government is involved up to their ears in these kidnappings.   What could they possibly want with them?  All seem to be troubled kids that just don’t fit in with their peers.  But why kids?  These are just some of the questions I found myself wondering as I read Noble. 

 

Noble is a book that is completely different from any I’ve ever read.  It starts out as a mystery ‘who-done-it’ but changed genre about midway making it even more enjoyable!  This is a style of writing I’m not accustomed to but really like it.  It’s like reading two books in one.  Very good reading.

 

Nick, of Time - J. A. Carlton, Author

Butternut Squash Soup *Vegetarian friendly*

(A J. A. Carlton Favorite)

1 medium sized butternut squash peeled and cubed

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 good sized yellow or sweet onion finely chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper

Saute chopped onion for approximately 4 minutes in olive oil, until onion is transparent.

Add Chicken or Vegetable broth.

Add butternut squash cubes, salt and pepper

Boil until soft.

Puree butternut squash until smooth, return to broth and stir in until well blended.

If your diet permits serve with a garnish of fresh parsley and Romano or Parmesan cheese. Makes 4-5 servings can be served hot or cold. If diet permits, can be thickened with 1 8 oz tub of whipped cream cheese for those really cold winter nights.

Nick, of Time - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds 


“…please, won’t somebody help me?” his voice barely touched the darkened space while he did his very best to hold back the fear that always came when he was alone. Frank Emerson didn’t want to cry, he didn’t like to cry; and even if Nick said it was okay sometimes, he never cried without good reason – and there was nothing more that Frankie wanted than to be like his big brother. But Nick never got thrown into a smelly, old dumpster either. It wouldn’t have been so
bad if it’d been the one by the main doors of the Robert Townsend Elementary School. That was where they threw out the papers and dittos and stuff, so it wasn’t so bad in there. But for some reason, Tommy Haywood and Bruce Evans always made sure to toss him into the one behind the lunch room, into stinky old piles of half-rotted food and gross stuff from snotty pasta to curdled milk. And sometimes there was stuff he really didn’t want to think about, stuff that was mixed in with the saw dust Harry used to clean up when someone got sick.’


Nick, of Time introduces the reader to two young brothers who, when we first meet them, are deep into the task of navigating life with an absentee parent while surrounded by playground bullies and their mom's creepy boyfriend. There's nothing Nick wouldn't do to care for and protect his little brother, including running interference to keep that creepy boyfriend away from Frank.


As if tending their daily trials and needs weren't enough, one day a friend, in the guise of the school janitor threatens to expose the shame Nick keeps buried from his brother all while revealing a destiny that any adult would find more than a little daunting. Nick and Frank were born from an ancient line of heroes who once saved the world of light and all its inhabitants from the clutches of the malevolent Living Dark and its sinister minions, the Schades. Once again,
the world of light is in danger, and these two young boys must embrace their destinies as one, to save it and all they hold dear.


Throughout the series the recurring theme is family, friendship, and the power of love to heal and overcome any hurt. There are also occasional glimpses into how even a small window of abusive behavior can leave scars and pains that echo forward in unfathomable ways. I also want to make you aware that 30% of all the author'sroyalties from Nick, of Time go to the prevention of child abuse through the “Heroes of the Line” campaign. 

An Uncommon Family - Christa Polkinhorn, Author

Tiramisu à l‘orange

(A Christa favorite)

Ingredients:

1 package of lady fingers

juice of 4 to 5 oranges (4 is usually enough)

a shot of Grand Marnier or Cointreau (optional)

250 grams mascarpone

500 grams sour cream

grated skin of two oranges

120 grams of sugar

1 package of vanilla sugar or a shot of vanilla extract

Cover the bottom of a bowl with a layer of lady fingers.

Pour the orange juice and the Grand Marnier or Cointreau over the lady fingers, so that the lady fingers are just covered.

Mix the mascarpone, sour cream, sugar, vanilla sugar, grated orange skin and pour the mixture over the lady fingers.

Keep in the refrigerator for a few hours, preferably overnight.

Dust with chocolate powder (optional).

 

An Uncommon Family – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds – Desserts

“Mama?” she whispered.  She saw the woman only from behind, but the bounce in her step, the long, reddish-blond hair flowing down her back, swaying left and right, the tall, slender figure – it must be her mother.  She tossed the rest of the ice cream into the trash can, got up, and ran after the woman.  “Mama!” she called as the woman got ready to cross the street.  The light turned from blinking red to solid red, just as the woman reached the other side.  Karla rushed after her, barely aware of the honking around her or of the shrill warning bell of the blue-and-white streetcar.  She heard someone yell at her but by then she had arrived at the other side.  The woman was walking along the river toward the Lake of Zurich.  “Mama, wait!” Karla bumped into someone.  “Watch it, kiddo.” A man stepped aside.  “Mama…”  The woman finally turned around and looked back, scanning the people behind her, then walked on.  Karla stopped dumbfounded.  It as the face of a stranger.

Six year old Karla is devastated when she realizes the woman she followed wasn’t her mother.  The disappointment she felt when finding out she had been mistaken brought her to her tears causing her to fall and skin her knees.  Jonas Bergman was walking by at that time and helped the little girl up and tried to ease her pain until her Aunt Anna made it to her side.  When Karla explained that she thought the lady was her mother, Anna had to explain to not just her but Jonas as well that her mother wouldn’t be coming back.  Karla’s mother and grandmother had both been killed in a car accident.  This was something that Karla knew but wasn’t ready to accept.

After her sister and mother were killed, Anna took custody of Anna.  She was a single woman with memories of a happier, yet devastating time when she was younger.  Twenty years ago she was married to a wonderful man and living in New York.  Live couldn’t be better.  But it could be worse and that’s exactly what it became. 

Jonas was a widower.  The love of his life had died of cancer leaving him with an emptiness that no one would ever fill again.  His life now consisted of his art work and teaching.  And after seeing some of Karla’s work, he knew she would be a master student. 

Now, can you take 3 very lonely people and make them into one happy family?  Can you take the lack of trust from a woman that has been hurt so badly that she swore to never trust another man and turn her into a loving companion?  Can you take a man who spends his free time talking to his deceased wife as if she is there and convenience him to take a step toward healing and happiness?  This is what Karla and her best friend Maja plan to do.

An Uncommon Family was an extremely heart touching book.  When I read a book to review I normally make notes or post stickies on pages marking events I want to remember.  I didn’t do that with this book.  I didn’t have time.  I became so engrossed that I turned page after page and forgot the notes.  This is a truly beautiful story about love and the loss of love.

 

How to Tell a Great Story - Aneeta Sundararaj, Author

Aneeta’s Fried Rice.

Ingredients

2 ½ small bowls of cooked rice

½ chicken breast cubed (chicken meat can substituted with mutton or beef)

2 teaspoons of ginger-garlic-chili paste (this is 1 inch of ginger, 3 pips of garlic and 1 red chili pounded together)

Salt to taste

½ teaspoon of black pepper

2 tablespoons of meat curry powder

1 medium onion, diced.

1 small bowl of mixed vegetables (peas, corn and carrots)

A handful of fried ikan bilis (anchovies)

2 tablespoons of oil

Method

1.      Slice the meat into ½ inch lengths and marinate with 1 teaspoon of meat curry powder, salt and pepper.

2.      Heat up oil in a wok. Add the ginger-garlic-chili paste and onion and stir until brown.

3.      Add the rest of the meat curry powder and stir until fragrant.

4.      Add mix vegetables and cook for about three minutes.

5.      Add the meat and stir until cooked.

6.      Lastly, add the rice and stir until it is properly coated with all the ingredients.

7.      Remove from the wok and garnish with fried ikan bilis.

How to Tell a Great Story – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds – Desserts

‘The art of storytelling is not just about standing before a whole lot of people and saying the first thing that pops into your head.  It is about communicating your thoughts, ideas and vision to people in an effective manner.  It is about sharing your opinion with someone else.  It is about recording your own history for future generations.’

When I first started reading How to Tell A Great Story I thought to myself “I write cookbooks so this book won’t pertain to me.”  Wrong!  This is one of the most informative books I’ve ever read pertaining to writing and that’s all forms of writing as well as speaking.  By including speaking I want to point out that no matter what your topic, when you stand in front of someone you are a “story teller.”  Whenever you start a conversation you perform all of the steps of telling a story.  You have a theme or topic.  There is a purpose in what you are saying and your conversation will have at least one character.    How well your conversation, story or presentation is presented is determined by how strongly you emit your theme, purpose and characters.  And this is what Aneeta Sundararaj will teach you in her book How to Tell a Great Story.  She shows how to effectively make the theme the essence of the story.  How to get the purpose of the story across to your audience.  How to set up your settings using smell, taste, feelings, hearing and sight.  How to build character within your characters.  But most importantly she will help you understand ‘why’ you wrote or want to write your story. 

This author takes it even further with her explanation of when, how and if you should use slang, swearing and clichés.  The use of punctuation – what to use, when and where.  And to wrap it all up she supplies the forms that can be used for your research which is a vital part of your writing.  No one wants to hear someone talk about a subject that they know nothing about.  All-in-all, this is a book that should not only be used by writers of all genres but also as a study book for corporate presentations, teachers of all school ages and maybe a pastor now and then.  I write cookbooks but I will be referring back to this for my own writings.