My favorite! A great companion while enjoying the sunrise… I know. Many of you like to enjoy it a bit later.
I love Suzy Toronto mugs. Maybe you do, too. Better than that, maybe someone on your shopping list will remember you for the gift you gave to start their day. Click on the image to check them out.
Yikes! December has arrived and shopping days are dwindling! The first things on my list are the fun things… like fun mugs for morning coffee or tea. Okay, I love mugs! So I’m sharing my list. This should get you started on your own list. Click on the image for more information and then browse –
I’d rather write, or read, than cook. Love my computer. My oven, stovetop, mixer, etc., not so much. But computer games and kitchen gadgets rank about the same on my LIKE LIST.
No. 1 INSTANT POT
A kitchen gadget, the INSTANT POT just hit the top spot on my LIKE LIST. I was suspicious at first. Over the years, I’ve heard a lot of scary tales about pressure cookers. But the reviews on the Instant Pot made it sound pretty much like a magic. I ordered one and let it sit on the counter about a week… Remember those scary tales? Then I tried it, and fell in love. It’s wonderful. Put the food in, follow the instructions, press the button, go away. After the allotted time (or more) has passed, open the pot and serve. This puts food preparation on my schedule. I put the food in when I take a break, and then we eat when we’re ready. It’s great! And easy to clean. Don’t take my word for it, go to Amazon and read the reviews. (By the way, the Instant Pot sears, makes yogurt, and does non-pressure slow cooking as well as pressure fast cooking.)
No. 2 CUISINART GRIDDLER ELITE
And there’s another gadget that resides near the top of my list. It’s the Cuisinart Griddler Elite Grill. We aren’t that interested in outdoor grilling now that we live in windy Oklahoma. We like grilled food but waiting for a calm day to grill… well you have to live here to understand. But, with the Griddler, we can have grilled food anytime. And after the griddler is hot, it’s two minutes to sear a couple of steaks on both sides and then cook for two to five minutes more. If you did the math, you see that cooking time is four to seven minutes. This fits my schedule well. More time writing and less time cooking. I think this works best for empty nesters, It works really well for the two of us. And, It’s easier to clean than the outdoor grill, plus I don’t have to spend time getting Dan motivated!
No. 3 CUISINART FOOD PROCESSOR
And, there is one more item near the top of my list, my Cuisinart Food Processor. It’s the workhorse of my kitchen (when we aren’t eating out). Like the barker at the fair shouts, “it slices, it dices, it mixes, it blends… etc.” It does all that, but mostly for us, it makes cookies. Toss the ingredients in the bowl, press the button, and the flour, sugar, and eggs, etc. turn into cookie dough. I store the dough in the fridge, bake six cookies at a time, and we have cookies fresh from the oven every day if we want. We like it!
One more good thing! I don’t have to hunt for room to store these three items. I found space for them when I threw out the appliances they replace. My old slow cooker, outta here. Gave the indoor rotisserie away. The outdoor grill has been retired – could be reinstated for a family meal on a still day. And the big mixer is outta here. Other things could be on their way out. If they aren’t fast and don’t work to my writing schedule, their days are numbered!
Some days writing comes easy. Other days, not so much.
Some of my writing friends wait for the muse to appear. But I need to be in the zone. That’s the place where my creativity dwells and imagination soars. It isn’t a place where I can decide to go, I have to get there. Some days I pull my WIP on the screen, place my hands on the keyboard, scroll to the last sentence, and I’m there. My characters greet me and pick up exactly where they left off. It isn’t magic, but it is something just as amazing.
But, what about those other days? The ones where I place my hands on the keyboard, scroll to the last sentence, and nothing happens. My characters ignore me as though they are hiding in another dimension. I guess they are, and I have to find my way to them.
I have found that artistic creative activity leads me to the zone.
I take my hands off the keyboard, turn around, open a grown-up color book, and choose my colors. Right away, I’m creating and pretty soon my characters are… well, I think they are wondering how I can be in creative mode without them. Next thing I know, they’re leaning over my shoulder vying for my attention. Pretty soon, they’re talking to me, I’m listening, and the story picks where we left off.
Maybe my tactic will work for you. Want to try it? Here’s what you do:
Choose a color book — Amazon has a bunch! These struck my fancy. (A click on the images will zip you to Amazon for more information.)
I like colored pencils because – no smears and no mess! Crayola colored pencils are good to start. But if you don’t want to feel like a kid, go for a more expensive set.
Than add a manual pencil sharpener plus a sack of candy and your good to go!
(I can’t eat chocolate so these caramels are the next best thing)
I’ve been thinking about it for about a year. It’s cute and Dan really likes his. But, ho-hum, I think I’m happy with my old Kindle…
Was…
Until today!
Just found out Amazon is releasing a new Fire and it will start shipping in November. I read about it and it runs circles around the old Fire. It’s this much bigger…. and faster… and a little more expensive. I’ve decided I want one. Sometimes, a girl just has to take control and stop procrastinating.
[amazon_image id=”B008GFRE5A” link=”true” target=”_blank” size=”medium” ]Kindle Fire HD 8.9″, Dolby Audio, Dual-Band Wi-Fi, 16 GB[/amazon_image]
Click on the image and see what I’m getting. You may be impressed.
One of the first things I’m going to do is Skype with my grandkids. Maybe I can figure a way to read Ella, Ashton, and Asher a story. And then, I’ll see what has been keeping Dan so busy so many hours with his. This is one time I’m glad I waited.