This week the Wet Noodle Posse continues to inspire and to be inspired. Here’s what you can look forward to:
Monday—Maureen Hardegree talks about using “Funnybones Moments as Inspiration.” We all have plenty of those, right?
Tuesday—You won’t want to miss Diane Gaston’s insights on "Inspiration—Grab It When You Can."
Wednesday—Delle Jacobs reflects on using "People As Inspiration.”
Thursday—Contemplate "Music As Inspiration" with Priscilla Kissinger.
Friday—Q&A Day
Where do you find inspiration? Do you have to seek it out, or does it find you? Drop by the Wet Noodle Posse’s blog and share your experience.
And the really good news is that every time you post a comment, you’re eligible to win a $20 Barnes & Noble gift certificate. How great is that?
Until next time,
Lee
Monday, August 11, 2008
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Seattle to San Francisco by Rail
This year’s annual Romance Writers of America’s conference was held in San Francisco--one of my favorite cities. My daughter decided to go with me, and now it’s one of her favorite cities, too.
I’m not crazy about flying so we decided to travel by train. We boarded Amtrak’s Coast Starlight at 9:30 a.m. and it pulled out of the Seattle station at 9:45. We had a small roomette, which has two comfortable seats and a small pull-out table during the daytime. All the comforts of home in less than twenty-five square feet! The sleeping cars are equipped with restrooms and showers, and complimentary tea, coffee, a variety of fruit juices, and bottled water are available all day. Taking a shower in a small stall on a moving has its challenges, but it's definitely better than having no shower at all!
We had barely settled into our compartment when Jose, our car attendant, arrived at our door with two small bottles of California "champagne." He also took that opportunity to tell us where we could find the dining car and the parlor car—meals for passengers with sleeping accommodation are included in the price of the ticket—and told us there would be a wine tasting event that afternoon. Tickets for the wine tasting were $5 and could be purchased from the attendant in the parlor car. And so we purchased two!
At this point we’d been on the train for less than an hour and were thinking we’d joined a non-stop party on wheels. And in case you’re wondering, we weren’t drinking champagne at that time of the morning. Not that we weren’t tempted. We actually brought the little bottles home with us. Here’s mine.
Later that morning, someone from the dining car stopped by our room to take our reservations for lunch. There are several seatings for lunch and dinner to accommodate all the passengers, and reservations are required.
The dining car has tables for four, so my daughter and I always sat with other people for our meals. At lunchtime we met a young couple from the UK. At dinner we sat with people from Portland, OR, and we had breakfast with a couple from Switzerland.
There’s no Internet service on the train but we could usually pick up a signal when the train stopped at a station. Here’s me in Portland, OR, getting a badly needed email fix.
The wine tasting was fun. We sampled four west coast wines—two reds and whites—Hogue Cellars Chardonnay (2006), Snoqualmie Whistle Stop Red (2006), Columbia Crest Shiraz Grand Estates (2006), and Columbia Winery Reisling (2006). They were paired with a variety of cheeses, also produced on the west coast, and crackers. I’ve never been a fan of white wines—to my palate they’re often a bit sharp and vinegary tasting—but the Columbia Winery Reisling turned out to be my favorite. At $25 a bottle, it was also the most expensive. During the tasting we sat with a nice young couple from Tacoma who were celebrating their ninth anniversary by taking a train trip to San Francisco.
At bedtime, Jose came to our room and turned our small space into bunk beds. My daughter graciously agreed to take the top bunk. She didn’t sleep very well but I sure did. After I’ve popped in the earplugs and slid the sleep mask into place, I can pretty much sleep anywhere.
Trains don’t always run on time, but the next morning ours pulled into Emeryville, CA, only about a half hour behind schedule. After a fond goodbye to Jose, we boarded an Amtrak bus that took us into San Francisco. The bus has several regular stops around the city—the Ferry Building, Fisherman’s Wharf, and the Westfield Shopping Center. Since the bus was going right past our hotel, the driver agreed to drop us off there. Talk about service!
We had arrived for our five-day sojourn in San Francisco, feeling like seasoned travelers. Instead of staying at the conference hotel, we were booked into an historic boutique hotel on Powell Street. On Thursday I’ll tell you all about it.
Until next time,
Lee
I’m not crazy about flying so we decided to travel by train. We boarded Amtrak’s Coast Starlight at 9:30 a.m. and it pulled out of the Seattle station at 9:45. We had a small roomette, which has two comfortable seats and a small pull-out table during the daytime. All the comforts of home in less than twenty-five square feet! The sleeping cars are equipped with restrooms and showers, and complimentary tea, coffee, a variety of fruit juices, and bottled water are available all day. Taking a shower in a small stall on a moving has its challenges, but it's definitely better than having no shower at all!We had barely settled into our compartment when Jose, our car attendant, arrived at our door with two small bottles of California "champagne." He also took that opportunity to tell us where we could find the dining car and the parlor car—meals for passengers with sleeping accommodation are included in the price of the ticket—and told us there would be a wine tasting event that afternoon. Tickets for the wine tasting were $5 and could be purchased from the attendant in the parlor car. And so we purchased two!
At this point we’d been on the train for less than an hour and were thinking we’d joined a non-stop party on wheels. And in case you’re wondering, we weren’t drinking champagne at that time of the morning. Not that we weren’t tempted. We actually brought the little bottles home with us. Here’s mine.Later that morning, someone from the dining car stopped by our room to take our reservations for lunch. There are several seatings for lunch and dinner to accommodate all the passengers, and reservations are required.
The dining car has tables for four, so my daughter and I always sat with other people for our meals. At lunchtime we met a young couple from the UK. At dinner we sat with people from Portland, OR, and we had breakfast with a couple from Switzerland.
There’s no Internet service on the train but we could usually pick up a signal when the train stopped at a station. Here’s me in Portland, OR, getting a badly needed email fix.The wine tasting was fun. We sampled four west coast wines—two reds and whites—Hogue Cellars Chardonnay (2006), Snoqualmie Whistle Stop Red (2006), Columbia Crest Shiraz Grand Estates (2006), and Columbia Winery Reisling (2006). They were paired with a variety of cheeses, also produced on the west coast, and crackers. I’ve never been a fan of white wines—to my palate they’re often a bit sharp and vinegary tasting—but the Columbia Winery Reisling turned out to be my favorite. At $25 a bottle, it was also the most expensive. During the tasting we sat with a nice young couple from Tacoma who were celebrating their ninth anniversary by taking a train trip to San Francisco.
At bedtime, Jose came to our room and turned our small space into bunk beds. My daughter graciously agreed to take the top bunk. She didn’t sleep very well but I sure did. After I’ve popped in the earplugs and slid the sleep mask into place, I can pretty much sleep anywhere.
Trains don’t always run on time, but the next morning ours pulled into Emeryville, CA, only about a half hour behind schedule. After a fond goodbye to Jose, we boarded an Amtrak bus that took us into San Francisco. The bus has several regular stops around the city—the Ferry Building, Fisherman’s Wharf, and the Westfield Shopping Center. Since the bus was going right past our hotel, the driver agreed to drop us off there. Talk about service!
We had arrived for our five-day sojourn in San Francisco, feeling like seasoned travelers. Instead of staying at the conference hotel, we were booked into an historic boutique hotel on Powell Street. On Thursday I’ll tell you all about it.
Until next time,
Lee
Friday, August 8, 2008
Friday Food For Thought—Grilled Veggie & Pasta Salad
You're probably thinking, barbecued salad? Is she serious? I sure am. If you try it, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
Salad Ingredients
To grill the vegetables, we use a barbecue wok, similar to this one sold at Target. Use a slotted spoon to scoop the marinated vegetables into the heated wok. Grill the veggies for 10 to 15 minutes, until tender crisp. Reserve the dressing in the bowl while grilling the vegetables.
Meanwhile, cook 3 cups rotini or penne pasta according the directions on the package.
When the veggies and the pasta are cooked, put them back in the serving bowl and toss everything so it gets coated with the remaining dressing. We sometimes have the grilled vegetables without the pasta—very tasty!
Until next time,
Lee
Salad Ingredients
3 cups penne or rotini pastaDressing
eggplant
yellow and green
zucchini
carrots
red pepper
yellow pepper
sweet red
onion
asparagus
sugar snap peas (leave them whole)
1/2 cup white wine vinegarWhisk the dressing ingredients together. Cut all the vegetables into bite-sized pieces. In a large sesrving bowl, toss the vegetables with the dressing.
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
To grill the vegetables, we use a barbecue wok, similar to this one sold at Target. Use a slotted spoon to scoop the marinated vegetables into the heated wok. Grill the veggies for 10 to 15 minutes, until tender crisp. Reserve the dressing in the bowl while grilling the vegetables.
Meanwhile, cook 3 cups rotini or penne pasta according the directions on the package.
When the veggies and the pasta are cooked, put them back in the serving bowl and toss everything so it gets coated with the remaining dressing. We sometimes have the grilled vegetables without the pasta—very tasty!
Until next time,
Lee
Thursday, August 7, 2008
The San Francisco Blogs
Yes, I do plan to post some of the highlights of my trip to San Francisco, but it’ll take me a few days to organize my notes and photos. So here’s the plan:
Lee
Sunday, August 10—Traveling by AmtrakUntil next time,
Wednesday, August 13—Conference Highlights
Thursday, August 14—Where to Stay in San Francisco
Saturday, August 16—San Francisco Neighborhoods
Sunday, August 17—Alcatraz
Lee
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Tuesday News—Catching Up
Earlier this afternoon I arrived home from San Francisco, which explains (I hope) why Tuesday News is late. It is still Tuesday, though. At least it is in my time zone.
The conference was everything I’d hoped it would be, and much more. There were so many highlights, I’ve decided to blog about them throughout the month of August. Once I have myself and my thoughts organized, I’ll let you know when to look for those posts.
I know you won’t want to miss this month’s author interviews on the Harlequin American Romance Authors blog. Here’s who you can look forward to meeting:
Until next time,
Lee
The conference was everything I’d hoped it would be, and much more. There were so many highlights, I’ve decided to blog about them throughout the month of August. Once I have myself and my thoughts organized, I’ll let you know when to look for those posts.
I know you won’t want to miss this month’s author interviews on the Harlequin American Romance Authors blog. Here’s who you can look forward to meeting:
Lisa Childs—August 6 (tomorrow!)And last but not least, I have updated yesterday’s post (scroll down) about this week’s line-up at the Wet Noodle Posse. Check it out. Be inspired.
Ann Roth—August 19
Until next time,
Lee
Monday, August 4, 2008
This Week with the Wet Noodle Posse
Looking for inspiration? This month the Wet Noodle Posse is all about what inspires us, how get inspired, and how to stay inspired. Come join us. You'll be inspired!
Edited Tuesday, August 5
Lee
Edited Tuesday, August 5
Until next time,Monday: Tori Scott kicks off the month by sharing lots of great tips for finding stories in the news.
Tuesday: Read for inspiration with Terry McLaughlin.
Wednesday: MJ Fredrick talks about using our dreams as inspiration.
Thursday: The Noodlers share quotes that inspire them.
Friday: August Noodler releases.
Lee
Friday, August 1, 2008
Friday Food for Thought—Spinach & Strawberry Salad
I’m doing salads this month because, well, I like salads and it seems like a perfect way to round out the summer.
I've never been a fan of cooked spinach, but I love it fresh. When my kids were little they decided they didn’t like spinach, period, so devious Mom that I am, I invented Christmas Salad. And really, nothing could be simpler. Colorful fresh spinach and tomato wedges give the salad it’s name, and it was topped with a simple vinaigrette. Once my kids acquired a taste for spinach, we expanded their repertoire.
This spinach and strawberry salad is now an old standby—great for family dinners but also perfect for larger potlucks and buffet dinners.
1 pound fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and thinly sliced
1 8-ounce bag fresh spinach, washed and stems removed
Dressing
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 to 2 tablespoons grated or finely chopped onion
1 to 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Put the sliced strawberries and spinach in a salad bowl. Combine the dressing ingredients and mix well. Just before serving, pour the dressing over the salad, toss and serve. Delish!
Until next time,
Lee
I've never been a fan of cooked spinach, but I love it fresh. When my kids were little they decided they didn’t like spinach, period, so devious Mom that I am, I invented Christmas Salad. And really, nothing could be simpler. Colorful fresh spinach and tomato wedges give the salad it’s name, and it was topped with a simple vinaigrette. Once my kids acquired a taste for spinach, we expanded their repertoire.
This spinach and strawberry salad is now an old standby—great for family dinners but also perfect for larger potlucks and buffet dinners.
1 pound fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and thinly sliced
1 8-ounce bag fresh spinach, washed and stems removed
Dressing
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 to 2 tablespoons grated or finely chopped onion
1 to 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Put the sliced strawberries and spinach in a salad bowl. Combine the dressing ingredients and mix well. Just before serving, pour the dressing over the salad, toss and serve. Delish!
Until next time,
Lee
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