by Laura K. Curtis | Oct 29, 2013 | Stuff! |
November 1 begins my massive month of giveaways. I will be giving something away on the blog every single day. But right now I am asking you to do something…even if it’s just commenting on this post at A Little Bit Tart, A Little Bit Sweet. See, Limecello, who runs that blog, is raising money for Love 146, an organization that focuses on preventing human trafficking and also provides aftercare for rescued victims.
It’s possible you can’t donate. But Lime is donating for every comment up to $600, and I’m tossing in an extra $100 the minute she reaches 100 comments. So you don’t have to spend your own money (though of course it’s even better if you have a couple of dollars to give to the cause). All the information (and it’s truly frightening and depressing) is on her blog, including a link to the donation page should you want to give thanks this year by donating a little something. But if you can’t just comment and say you would if you could. That’s enough. Others are also kicking in money depending on how many comments there are, so pass the word to friends, too.
And don’t forget to come back in November to see what I’ve got for you!
by Laura K. Curtis | Oct 21, 2013 | Recipes |
You can, of course, do the same thing with meat if you like, but there are a thousand recipes for beef stews out there. You can also use seitan as a beef substitute if you don’t have a problem with gluten.
You will need a large slow cooker or a pot you can put on very low simmer and a large saute pan.
INGREDIENTS:
1.5 cups chopped celery
1.5 cups chopped onion
1.5 cups chopped carrots.5 lb French beans (or regular string beans), ends trimmed and beans cut in half horizontally
2 baking potatoes, scrubbed & cut into 1-inch cubes or slightly smaller
2 Tbs oil*
Garlic to taste*
1 12-oz container of Pacific Naturals Organic Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
1.25 cups vegetable broth (I like Better Than Bouillon, but it contains soy sauce so it may not be for you if you’re very gluten-sensitive)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup of red wine (currently, my favorite for this recipe is Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano, which we refer to as “wine on a stick”)
1 dry cup of Beef (Not!) strips (do not reconstitute before cooking)
Salt, pepper, herbs and spices to taste
*I don’t mess around with oil and garlic. I begin virtually every recipe with these two ingredients (unless the first two are butter and sugar), so we keep large containers of Rick Bayless’s garlic mojo in the fridge at all times. So when I saute this particular mirepoix, I use a tablespoon of mojo and a tablespoon of canola oil.
DIRECTIONS:
Saute celery, onion, and carrots until onions clear but have not yet begun to brown. Add beans. Saute until onions brown. Scoop out (leaving as much oil as possible in pan) and put into slow cooker. Saute potatoes in leftover oil (add more if necessary) until brown but not cooked. Put into the slow cooker.
Add cream of mushroom soup, diced tomatoes, and wine to slow cooker.** Pour some vegetable broth into still-hot saute pan and use to deglaze. Then pour all stock into slow cooker. Add salt, pepper, and herbs. (I use grey sea salt because it’s strong so you don’t need much, and blended Italian herbs because they’re easy.)
Cook on high for two hours or until the potatoes are cooked through.
Enjoy! As with most soups and stews, this tastes even better the next day.
**I don’t like a particularly thick base, but if you do, you can start this with a roux using gluten-free flour or you can thicken with cornstarch.
by Laura K. Curtis | Oct 17, 2013 | Books, Romance |
Back during the Brenda Novak auction in support of diabetes research, the awesome Sarah M. Anderson and her equally-awesome eight-year-old Lego set-building son put their trailer-making talents up at auction. I was determined to win, and I did. I now present to you the result:
Don’t forget to check out an excerpt of Twisted on my website!
by Laura K. Curtis | Oct 16, 2013 | Books, Romance, Writing |
Today Twisted went live on NetGalley, so reviewers can now request it if they want it. It seemed an appropriate time to put an excerpt up on my site for anyone who wants to see a bit about the style and story. So if you’re curious, head on over to the Twisted page and read the first chapter!
by Laura K. Curtis | Oct 11, 2013 | Books, Crafts, Freebies & Giveaways, Romance, Stuff!, Writing |
I’ve been thinking about Thanksgiving lately. Not just because I have a lot to be thankful for (which I do) but because my book comes out November 19 (which is one of the things I have to be thankful for). So I’ve decided that this year, I’m going to give something away on the blog every single day for the month of November to celebrate. Books—mine, my friends’, my favorite authors’—in both e and physical copies, handmade jewelry, Donors Choose gift certificates (which I give away almost every year), and who knows what else?
I’ll also be having guests. Normally, I don’t do the guest blogger thing, but I know I won’t be able to blog every day by myself, so expect a few other voices in this space next month. If you have suggestions, or want to volunteer, let me know!
