Sounds good, doesn’t it? Strawberries are one of my favorite fruits, and why not, they’re full of goodness. A cup of whole strawberries contains 141% DVA of vitamin C, and 20% DVA of folic acid. They’re good for what ales you—and they’re even better sliced and sprinkled with sugar—or dipped in chocolate, of course—but strawberry pie always makes my mouth water.
I clipped this recipe out of the American Profile magazine several months ago, and I really like it. Of course, I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t change it just a little. Here’s my version:
Fresh Strawberry French Toast
16 slices of French bread—for this I especially like the kind that’s a pre-sliced square loaf (fits in the pan better), but it’s good with the regular slice-it-yourself variety as well.
1 8-oz package low-cal cream cheese, softened
1/3 C. plus ¼ C. sugar, divided
1 C. no-sugar-added strawberry spread, divided
7 eggs
2 C. 2% milk
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ C. coarsely ground pecans
1 quart ripe strawberries, sliced
Frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed (optional)
1. Lightly coat a glass 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Arrange half the bread in a single layer, trimming to fit as needed.
3. Combine cream cheese, 1/3 C sugar, and ¼ C fruit spread; beat until smooth. Spread over bread in pan. Top with remaining bread.
4. Combine eggs and milk; mix well. Pour over bread. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
5. Remove pan from refrigerator 20 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 375.
6. Combine ¼ C sugar, cinnamon and pecans; sprinkle evenly over top. Cover pan with foil and bake 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 15-20 minutes, until puffy and golden brown on the sides. Let stand about 5 minutes before cutting.
7. Heat remaining fruit spread over low heat until melted. Remove from heat and stir in strawberries. Serve berry mixture warm on the side. Garnish with whipped topping if desired. Serves 12. Happy Eating!
NOTE: After the 45 min on 375, mine is always golden and puffy. I remove the cover and cook an extra 5 minutes at most—it wouldn’t be nearly as good burnt.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Seeking Persephone by Sarah M. Eden
Seeking Persephone, by Sarah M. Eden was a 2009 Whitney Award finalist. After reading it, it was easy for me to see why. The author’s engaging writing style and clever story draws the reader in.
In essence, it’s a tale of misunderstanding to the greatest degree along with a storyline that is similar to Beauty and the Beast. However, who knew that Beauty and the Beast was in essence a story from Greek mythology—the love story between Persephone and Hades?
I loved this book and I’ve read it twice.
The Duke of Kielder is a mean, cantankerous cuss, scarred inside and out. Born with only a piece of an ear in the early eighteenth century. Surgeon upon surgeon tried to find the rest of his ear that they were so sure was hidden just underneath to no avail. His mother left after the surgeries were all failures, and although she still played a part in his life, the Duke bitterly resented her for leaving him and his father.
After his father died when Adam Boyce (the Duke) was still young, he grew up knowing to never trust, or to love anyone—it only brings disappointment and misery—thus his angry and demanding personality developed as year after year, he refined his skill at keeping people at a distance.
Until Persephone.
Persephone dreamed, as we all dream, of finding true love—her one and only Prince Charming. Someone who would take care of her, be kind, and love her—someone not at all like her father, an intellectual sort who spent the better part of each day in his own little world oblivious to his family or their needs.
Having never met, Adam and Persephone marry through an arrangement. Adam wants someone to keep his weasely cousin from inheriting his estate. Persephone wants her family to have the money they need to survive.
The Duke expects a homely girl—an old maid, spineless and desperate for money. What he gets is a young woman with a bright intellect (she’s her father’s daughter). Persephone is not spineless, neither is she homely. She lights up each room she enters with her cheery attitude and although her circumstances, and her marriage aren’t ideal, she refuses to give into despair or cynicism.
Persephone treats all the staff with kindness and wins their loyalty. She treats her husband with kindness and respect—believing as she does, that there is good in everyone. Persephone doesn’t bow to her husband or quake in his presence—which takes him off guard. Adam doesn’t know how to act around a pretty girl who treats him well.
Before Adam knows it, he is hopelessly in love—and that’s not what he wanted at all.
Seeking Persephone teaches the life-story of misunderstandings quite well, whether intentionally or unintentionally I’m not sure. Perhaps I picked up on that lesson because I’ve had so much experience with misunderstanding myself. People do things, and sometimes they hurt your feelings. It’s a fact of life. However, we’d all do well to be more like Persephone and less like Adam because—although we think we do—we never know another person’s intent or motivation.
In essence, it’s a tale of misunderstanding to the greatest degree along with a storyline that is similar to Beauty and the Beast. However, who knew that Beauty and the Beast was in essence a story from Greek mythology—the love story between Persephone and Hades?
I loved this book and I’ve read it twice.
The Duke of Kielder is a mean, cantankerous cuss, scarred inside and out. Born with only a piece of an ear in the early eighteenth century. Surgeon upon surgeon tried to find the rest of his ear that they were so sure was hidden just underneath to no avail. His mother left after the surgeries were all failures, and although she still played a part in his life, the Duke bitterly resented her for leaving him and his father.
After his father died when Adam Boyce (the Duke) was still young, he grew up knowing to never trust, or to love anyone—it only brings disappointment and misery—thus his angry and demanding personality developed as year after year, he refined his skill at keeping people at a distance.
Until Persephone.
Persephone dreamed, as we all dream, of finding true love—her one and only Prince Charming. Someone who would take care of her, be kind, and love her—someone not at all like her father, an intellectual sort who spent the better part of each day in his own little world oblivious to his family or their needs.
Having never met, Adam and Persephone marry through an arrangement. Adam wants someone to keep his weasely cousin from inheriting his estate. Persephone wants her family to have the money they need to survive.
The Duke expects a homely girl—an old maid, spineless and desperate for money. What he gets is a young woman with a bright intellect (she’s her father’s daughter). Persephone is not spineless, neither is she homely. She lights up each room she enters with her cheery attitude and although her circumstances, and her marriage aren’t ideal, she refuses to give into despair or cynicism.
Persephone treats all the staff with kindness and wins their loyalty. She treats her husband with kindness and respect—believing as she does, that there is good in everyone. Persephone doesn’t bow to her husband or quake in his presence—which takes him off guard. Adam doesn’t know how to act around a pretty girl who treats him well.
Before Adam knows it, he is hopelessly in love—and that’s not what he wanted at all.
Seeking Persephone teaches the life-story of misunderstandings quite well, whether intentionally or unintentionally I’m not sure. Perhaps I picked up on that lesson because I’ve had so much experience with misunderstanding myself. People do things, and sometimes they hurt your feelings. It’s a fact of life. However, we’d all do well to be more like Persephone and less like Adam because—although we think we do—we never know another person’s intent or motivation.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Treasure Hunt
I've joined with my friend Joyce DiPastena who is sponsoring a summer treasure hunt! The rules are simple--enter and win. I'm offering a signed copy of my children's picture book, Coyote's Grand Adventure to the winner on June 10th.
Best Regards,
Tina Scott
Welcome to Our “Summer Treasure Hunt: Dig for Clues and Win” Contest!-
Some friends and I have put together an exciting contest to kick off your summer! Beginning June 1st, we will be giving away a prize a day. That’s right: 30 days, 30 treasures! There should be something for everyone: romance, mystery, historical, contemporary, and young adult fiction; children’s picture books; a variety of non-fiction; and just to liven things up even more, we’ve included a few exciting non-book prizes: a free 30 page manuscript edit, for you aspiring authors out there; an e-bay gift certificate; and a gift-certificate for a Vinyl Expressions Quote.
How can you win one of these fabulous prizes? Follow the rules below:
SUMMER TREASURE HUNT RULES:
You can send in an entry for each day’s prize, or only for those prizes that strike your fancy. The rules are simple:
(1) Go to the website or blog indicated for each day, find the answer to the question for that day, then email the answer with your name and mailing address to jdipastena@yahoo.com.
(2) Please send a separate entry for each day and type the day you are entering in the subject line. (Such as: June Treasure Hunt, Day 1; June Treasure Hunt, Day 2, etc).
(3) Deadline for each day: Midnight PST
(4) The winner will be contacted and announced on the day following the deadline.
You do not have to wait until the designated day to enter. You can start sending in your entries right now, or begin entering at any point along the way. And check back here each day between June 2nd-July 1st to read the names of the winners.
If you have any questions, feel free to email Joyce DiPastena at jdipastena@yahoo.com.
And now…let the treasure hunt begin!
Best Regards,
Tina Scott
Welcome to Our “Summer Treasure Hunt: Dig for Clues and Win” Contest!-
Some friends and I have put together an exciting contest to kick off your summer! Beginning June 1st, we will be giving away a prize a day. That’s right: 30 days, 30 treasures! There should be something for everyone: romance, mystery, historical, contemporary, and young adult fiction; children’s picture books; a variety of non-fiction; and just to liven things up even more, we’ve included a few exciting non-book prizes: a free 30 page manuscript edit, for you aspiring authors out there; an e-bay gift certificate; and a gift-certificate for a Vinyl Expressions Quote.
How can you win one of these fabulous prizes? Follow the rules below:
SUMMER TREASURE HUNT RULES:
You can send in an entry for each day’s prize, or only for those prizes that strike your fancy. The rules are simple:
(1) Go to the website or blog indicated for each day, find the answer to the question for that day, then email the answer with your name and mailing address to jdipastena@yahoo.com.
(2) Please send a separate entry for each day and type the day you are entering in the subject line. (Such as: June Treasure Hunt, Day 1; June Treasure Hunt, Day 2, etc).
(3) Deadline for each day: Midnight PST
(4) The winner will be contacted and announced on the day following the deadline.
You do not have to wait until the designated day to enter. You can start sending in your entries right now, or begin entering at any point along the way. And check back here each day between June 2nd-July 1st to read the names of the winners.
If you have any questions, feel free to email Joyce DiPastena at jdipastena@yahoo.com.
And now…let the treasure hunt begin!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Cyber Friends, Like Meg
Being cyber friends is something new for me. I feel like Meg Ryan on You’ve Got Mail. Does anyone have a bouquet of sharpened pencils? And, although I already have the love of my life, I find myself occasionally sneaking onto the computer and wondering, “What will my friends have to say today?” If my line is empty, I keep checking back and waiting for my cyber friends to speak to me. Like Meg, sometimes I wonder if so much of my life is like a book or a movie—or, shouldn’t it be the other way around?
When I read good books, I also have the problem of their characters becoming a part of my life. I love it. I know it’s a good book when I wonder what the characters are doing—or how they’re getting along now that the story has ended. It makes me laugh. It’s almost like having a pretend friend like some children do when they’re young. Yet, I only know that some children do this when they’re little because I saw it on a movie—I never had a pretend friend, and neither did any of my kids.
Movies are so visual that it should make it easier to get involved in the characters’ lives. However, I think the movie people take the visual aspects for granted because so rarely do I see a movie that affects me the way a book can. Too often, the movie people get carried away with what they think we want to see or hear in their movie—sex—violence—and a never ending string of profanities, that they forget to add the emotional connection that makes a movie good.
None of the books I read are like that. So I have to say, yea to authors everywhere! Because even if I’ve never lived in England, and I was born way after the 1800’s (thank heaven), and although I don’t live in an alternate universe, I can almost always connect with the main characters in a novel—and my life is usually enriched because of the experience.
When I read good books, I also have the problem of their characters becoming a part of my life. I love it. I know it’s a good book when I wonder what the characters are doing—or how they’re getting along now that the story has ended. It makes me laugh. It’s almost like having a pretend friend like some children do when they’re young. Yet, I only know that some children do this when they’re little because I saw it on a movie—I never had a pretend friend, and neither did any of my kids.
Movies are so visual that it should make it easier to get involved in the characters’ lives. However, I think the movie people take the visual aspects for granted because so rarely do I see a movie that affects me the way a book can. Too often, the movie people get carried away with what they think we want to see or hear in their movie—sex—violence—and a never ending string of profanities, that they forget to add the emotional connection that makes a movie good.
None of the books I read are like that. So I have to say, yea to authors everywhere! Because even if I’ve never lived in England, and I was born way after the 1800’s (thank heaven), and although I don’t live in an alternate universe, I can almost always connect with the main characters in a novel—and my life is usually enriched because of the experience.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)