In The Zone

The baking zone, that is. With the holidays in full swing, I've been cooking and baking for nearly a month. I always start off easy, a cookie or cake recipe that's an old favorite, then I move on to something a bit more challenging.

Much like writing a book -- start with what you know, research if necessary, and expand from there.

No biggie.

So, okay, the old stand-by muffins-out--of-a-box mix and spice cake went well. The new chocolate mint cookie recipe didn't even give me to much trouble. I liked that, and a few of them are still around for the family to savor for breakfast. Today I've pulled another old standard: candied pecans. I haven't made these in a couple of years, an they always turn out great. I have to do my fav maple pecan pie too for T-day. And . . . I'm trying out a new cake recipe from Paula Deen's TV cooking show, Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake. Mmmm!!! So easy and quick.

Not like writing a book, which takes time and an whole heck of a lot more effort to get just right. ;-)

For me, baking and writing are so similar: you start with the basic elements or ingredients, mix them up, see what it needs and add a pinch of this or a smidgon of that or turn it over to a crit partner, adjust and mix a little more then bake it or write "The End." Volia! You have a great final product to read or eat.

Not too difficult to figure out. The process (of writing) can get detoured by life interferences, and right now I've caught up on my obligations, but waaay behind on my own stuff, especially NaNoWriMo. I'm 32,000 in, and I have 18K to go to finish by the end of this month. I can do this, I can do this, I can do this.

Maybe.

No! I WILL FINISH THIS STORY!

And catch up on emails, and report to my BIAW group, and get my butt to the gym at least 2 times today, and clean the kitchen, and-and-and . . .

Good thing is, with the NaNo project completed, in Dec. I only have a couple of things to do. I have my online workshop for FTHRW ("Writing By The Signs: Creating Believable Characters with Astrology" starting Dec. 17, 2006 -- the info is on my website if you're interested in taking the class, www.AnnJR.com). Plus I'm going to write a story just for me and because I want to. Kind of like a present from me to me. So far, my working title is "Down For The Count," and it's about a modern everyday witch who owns a little bakery, her magical mishaps, and what happens when she meets a real European Count with a sweet-tooth. I've plotted out the story outline, and will get to the rest later. Gonna have fun with that one.

Gotta so play catch-up this morning--more later.

Happy T-day!

~A