Wordless Wednesday: Optical Illusion
Tips on Virtual Speaking
Whew! I just finished my first virtual reading last Thursday. It was a fun time with other great authors (see flyer below). Plus, it even raised much-needed money for a Minneapolis nonprofit & an amazing bookstore. After this speaking experience, I tweaked some advice for typical real-time readings and learned to: 1) Look at audienceWhen speaking to a live audience, it’s definitely good to break contact from the page and visually connect with listeners. A few of the other authors … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Muddy Water Iced Tea
Muddy water: Sweet tea and lemonade If you don’t already know, I’m a tea aficionado. However, I haven’t had a chance to try out a muddy water drink until now. After locating a Black-owned restaurant from the L.A. Times list and ordering some food, I also added on a beverage.I really enjoyed this muddy water, which was described as a mix of sweet tea and lemonade. It wasn’t too sugary, which I appreciated, and just had a nice refreshing feel to it. Perfect for summertime. Any refreshing … [Read more...]
Making Do Around the Kitchen
I've been trying to space out my trips to the grocery store. Instead of running to buy something if I can't find it in my pantry, I'm opting for substitutions. Here are a few examples from around the kitchen: 1. Swapping ingredients Instead of using eggs, I added applesauce to a baking recipe. Yes, you got me! It was banana bread, which is apparently the essential COVID comfort food: https://www.delish.com/food-news/a31931597/coronavirus-banana-bread-baking/ Also, since I ran out … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Stuffed Tomatoes
Stuffed tomatoes: tomato cups filled with savory bread mixture I love oven-roasted tomatoes—or fresh ones in my salad. To make a prettier version of baked tomatoes, though, I decided to stuff them. I think they look like cute edible tomato presents. Ingredients: ¼ cup bread crumbs ¼ cup Parmesan cheese 1 clove garlic, minced Olive oil Ground black pepper Salt Directions: Scoop out insides of tomatoes (I used Campari tomatoes, to make them more bite-sized).Heat … [Read more...]
Mother’s Day
"You are kind-hearted, hospitable, cheerful and well-liked." I’ve never celebrated Mother’s Day while staying in place before. It’s definitely different. What should I expect--backyard flowers? (Not to knock those. In my childhood, I used to cut our backyard roses and place them in a vase for my mom.) As it turned out, no backyard blooms for me. (This, though, may have more to do with the fact that I have a black thumb when it comes to gardening.)My family did an amazing job of gifting me … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Easy Spinach & Bacon Quiche
Easy spinach and bacon quiche: pie-like egg dish I really enjoy those mini appetizer quiches, but it’s been a while since I made my own egg dish (especially since eggs were scarce in the grocery stores earlier on). Anyway, I figured this would be an easy put-in-the-oven meal to make. Plus, I already had frozen spinach and bacon bits lying around. Usually quiche is made with cream, but I didn’t have any in stock. My pantry, though, did have some coconut milk (yay for pre-stocking … [Read more...]
