Petals in the Gazebo Weblog

Eat– for Good Health

kathleenrowland — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:30:26 +0000

Are you feeling as stressed in January as during the holidays? Too rigid New Years Resolutions do that to us. Sure, we want to drop ten pounds. Take it easy, don’t starve. Yesterday I joined writer friends at Storytellers Soiree and thoroughly enjoyed a Caribbean Chicken Salad with no dressing, no bread and iced tea. Our writers group is a lot of fun. It is so worth attending because we’re close friends and share on many levels including the business side.

Problem was, I didn’t have time to swim. (Did lots of sitting and driving around L.A.) My body is accustomed to it, and I was getting a headache. Swimming laps is something I enjoy doing every day. Today I’m back on my me schedule. Here’s what I’m making for lunch: Mushroom and Bean Barley Soup with salad and pear.

1 cup vegetable broth

1/2 oz. barley

1/4 tsp. dried parsley

1 1/2 cup canned white beans, rinsed and drained

1 chopped scallion

1 tsp. olive oil (for cooking onion/mushrooms until softened)

1/4 cup evaporated nonfat milk

dash of pepper

After cooking onions and mushrooms, add broth, barley, beans, and parsley. Cover and simmer until barley is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in milk and cook until hot. Add pepper if desired.

People craft– getting along with yourself

kathleenrowland — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 23:42:23 +0000

Kiss holiday stress goodbye! With the holiday season in full swing, at least half of us experience a surge in stress levels. That’s when we get headaches and have indigestion. New research shows you how to dial down stress and feel truly calm, cool and collected. Pretend to be relaxed. Focus on taking slow, deep belly breaths, relax your shoulders and speak in a soothing voice, says John Garrison, Ph.D. director of Lahey Clinic’s Stress Management Program.

Eat– for Good Health

kathleenrowland — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:36:18 +0000

Spinach au Gratin is a festive side dish, and I make mine low calorie.

Ingredients

1 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cups chopped yellow onions (2 large)
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 cup 1% milk
2 cups milk
3 pounds frozen chopped spinach, defrosted (5 (10-ounce) packages)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated light Swiss or Gruyere Cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the flour and nutmeg and cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes. Add the cream and milk and cook until thickened. Squeeze as much liquid as possible from the spinach and add the spinach to the sauce. Add 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese and mix well. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Transfer the spinach to a baking dish and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and cheese on top. Bake for 20 minutes until hot and bubbly. Serve hot.

Wordsmith– I also write books

kathleenrowland — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 19:03:22 +0000

Congrats to the winners of my drawing to celebrate DEEDS OF DECEIT. Key finders were mailed yesterday to Sally, Karen, and Brittany. Thank you to everyone who entered. Please enter future contests by checking the contest page of my website, http://www.kathleenrowland.com. I give away fun items every couple of months.

If you are ordering books from Eternal Press, at check out enter the coupon code:

129BHMVNZH 1F for 25% off your order. This code is good until 12/31/2012! Can you believe it? This is Happy New Year (2012) to you from Eternal Press!

Wordsmith– I also write books

kathleenrowland — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:58:31 +0000

This 5-Star review for DEEDS OF DECEIT comes from Brittany Walters-Beardon of Chateau D’If Press.

Deeds of Deceit is Kathleen Rowland’s first romantic suspense book in her Welcome to the Lake series. This page-turning novella takes place in Big Bear, California, offering readers both nail-biting suspense and tender romance that will keep them riveted as the relentless plot unfolds.

Bayliss Jones had been accused of murdering her parents when she was a teenager 15 years earlier. The winters on Jones Mountain take a toll on Bayliss, especially when the ghost of her mother appears to her. At some point, she realizes that her ex-boyfriend is involved; as she starts to put the pieces of the puzzle together, her situation becomes extremely dangerous.

The trustee of her estate, Sheriff Byron McGill never believed the local gossip about Bayliss being involved in the murders. There are many twists and turns as both Bayliss and Byron fight to survive danger lurking around every corner. As the story unfolds, there are intriguing side plots about a baby who was given up at birth, a cult that is possibly kidnapping children, and much more. The quest to find the truth places them both in perilous situations.

Something begins to develop between Byron and Bayliss that neither can deny, with their attraction growing stronger as they work together to solve the mystery surrounding Bayliss and the family murder. They travel to the home of Byron’s parents, Mary Rose and Dunigan McGill where they devise a plan to find out who murdered Suzanne and Woody Jones. The heart-racing plot culminates in a frantic pace, binding the love that Byron and Bayliss have for each other.

Kathleen Rowland skillfully interweaves mystery with a romantic love story in this contemporary gothic novel, creating a multi-faceted story that can be enjoyed by readers of many different genres. Readers are inevitably left anxious for the next release in the gripping Welcome to the Lake series.

Deeds of Deceit– Romantic Suspense from Eternal Press

kathleenrowland — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 18:33:08 +0000

A half tank up the mountains from L.A., Big Bear winters are isolating for heiress Bayliss Jones. Circled by the same cult that murdered her parents fifteen years before, death awaits her around every corner. Her shirttail relative and trustee of her estate, Sheriff Byron McGill, never agreed with local hearsay that made her a suspect. Air crackles between two people who clash, but the spoiled princess needs his help. Besides hers, the life of a young man, her secret baby, hangs in the balance. There’s no time for error.

Eat– for Good Health

kathleenrowland — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 18:26:21 +0000

With three other families on our street, I’m coordinating a holiday progressive dinner block party. Others are hosting appetizers, main dish, and dessert, and we’re doing the salad stop. It’s pot luck– every guest household brings something. Since food in general is ample, I’m making light Cashew Salad Lettuce Wraps. Recipe is below table runner. The block party gets me decorating!

Ingredients serves 4 (I will triple the recipe for our block party)

1 head butter lettuce (green or red leaf lettuce can be substituted)
1 tablespoon light mayonnaise
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon vegetable broth powder (optional)
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/3 cup cashew pieces

Preparation:

Remove some of the more perfect looking leaves from a head of butter lettuce. Rinse them well, dry them well in paper towels. Keep them until needed in a gallon-size plastic bag, stored in the refrigerator.
Combine light mayonnaise, sour cream, curry powder, and chicken broth powder in small bowl with whisk.
In medium bowl, combine remaining chicken salad ingredients, gently tossing with spoons until well blended. Pour dressing over the top and toss to blend everything well. Cover bowl and store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Ten minutes before serving, spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken salad mixture (1/4 cup or less if the leaves are on the small size) in the center of each lettuce leaf. Enjoy!

Yield:
4 servings (2 lettuce wraps each)

Nutritional Information:
Per serving: 215 calories, 25 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate, 9 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 63 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 105 mg sodium (if unsalted cashews used). Calories from fat: 38 percent.

Eat– for Good Health

kathleenrowland — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 18:08:38 +0000

In a few minutes I’ll be hitting the pool for 45 minutes of laps. With effort put forth, I’m not about to eat junk. Tonight I’ll serve delectable salmon. Photo is courtesy of Julie Toy.

For the Glaze:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
1 jalapeno chili, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 large ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into medium chunks
3 tablespoons agave nectar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Salmon:
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 (6-ounce) salmon filets, skin and bones removed
For the Salad:
5 cups baby spinach leaves
1/2 small red onion
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

PREPARE THE GLAZE:
Place a heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add the oil and saute the shallot and garlic for 2 minutes.
Add the jalapeno chili and cumin and stir for 1 minute.
Add the wine and bring to a simmer.
Add the mango and agave nectar and simmer until the liquid is reduced slightly, about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
PUREE MANGO GLAZE:
Transfer the mango mixture to the blender jar.
Puree the mixture until smooth, adding a little water if necessary.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Strain through a fine-mesh strainer and reserve.
PREPARE THE SALMON:
Preheat the broiler. Line a heavy baking sheet with foil.
Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add the oil to the hot pan.
Season the salmon with salt and pepper on both sides and place the salmon filets, meaty side down, in the pan.
Cook for 1 minute on this side or until golden brown and then turn the salmon over. Transfer the salmon fillets to the prepared baking sheet.
GLAZE SALMON:
Spoon a generous amount of the mango glaze over each filet.
Broil the salmon for 4 minutes or until the fish is medium rare and the glaze has caramelized slightly over the fish.
Remove the fish from the oven and let rest for 2 minutes.
PREPARE THE SALAD:
Place the spinach in a large bowl.
Using a mandolin, shave thin slices of onion over the spinach, then add the tomatoes.
In a separate bowl, whisk lemon juice and slowly add the olive oil while whisking.
Season the vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper.
Toss the salad with enough of the vinaigrette to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
TO SERVE:
Place the glazed salmon filet on 4 individual serving plates.
Mound the salad alongside each filet, drizzle a little of the remaining vinaigrette over and around the salmon and serve.

People craft– getting along with yourself

kathleenrowland — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 18:33:05 +0000

These days women try to be less self-depreciating. Accepting compliments is a good thing. If you serve up something, food or a story, never apologize. As a writer I need to promote my books, but I promote others books as well. Yes, our publishers expect us to promote. Even Dean Koontz does it by presenting a class and having signings.

One way I help promote another author’s book I’ve read is to put out a review on Amazon or elsewhere. I also teach writing classes for Romance Writers of America chapters. A good way to draw attention to a new release is placing a book trailer on youtube. Prices for this can be high, but a cover artist I’ve used does them for $60! In case you are interested, her information is at the end of my book trailer for DEEDS OF DECEIT, shown on

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8JsbQUTX9U (Arg, I’m technically challenged– cut and paste into your browser if you want to watch it, ha ha.)

As a writer helping other writers, I physically meet at Storytellers Soiree every two months. In case you are in the Pasadena area, we will meet in late January.

Wordsmith– I also write books

kathleenrowland — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 16:01:11 +0000

Want to get into the holiday spirit? Deeds of Deceit is scheduled for released by Eternal Press on December 7, and the story begins just before Christmas. Bayliss Jones gets through the holiday by making it jolly for foster kids. Sheriff Byron McGill loves everything about it.

The stunning cover was designed by Dawne Dominique.