Tuesday Treats & Titles: Baked Ravioli with Tomato Sauce

Posted on March 29, 2022 by Silver James

Sometimes, you just want something hearty that’s a little spicy and gooey but very easy to fix and serve because time is short and you’re hungry. This is the perfict dish to whip up.

Total Time: 45 Min.
Prep Time: 15 Min.
Cook Time: 30 Min.

8 servings

Make the most of refrigerated ravioli with our Baked Ravioli with Tomato Sauce. This Baked Ravioli with Tomato Sauce takes 15 minutes to prep for the oven.

What You Need
1 tub (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese Spread
2 Tbsp. milk
1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 can (14 oz.) no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup water
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 pkg. (9 oz.) refrigerated cheese ravioli, uncooked
2 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

Let’s Make It
1 – Heat oven to 400ºF.
2 – Mix cream cheese spread, milk and seasonings in medium bowl until blended. Add next 3 ingredients; mix well. Add ravioli; stir gently to evenly coat.
3 – Spoon into 8-inch square baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; cover.
4 – Bake 30 min., uncovering and sprinkling with Parmesan for the last 5 min.

Kitchen Tips
Tip 1 – For Easy Cleanup: Baking the filled baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet (placed on the oven rack) catches any sauce that might bubble over the sides of dish as the casserole bakes.

Tip 2 – Note: For best results, use medium-size square ravioli.

Tip 3 – Variation: Prepare using your favorite refrigerated ravioli, such as meat or spinach.

Tip 4 – How to Prevent Foil from Sticking to Top of Baked Casserole
Spray the foil with cooking spray to help prevent it from sticking to the cheese on top of the baked casserole.

My Tip: I don’t do tomatoes. Tomato sauce? Yeah, but nothing with seeds or skin. Anyway, I’ll be using a large can of tomato sauce when I make this.

For those of you who grow veggie gardens, I bet you could use some fresh tomatoes, as long as you add some water to them. Just a thought. Anyway, you know the drill. Just CLICK ON OVER to My Food and Family for all the details. This recipe is one that several heroines have swiped but the first was Lainey Walker. Between feeding her little brothers, trying to finish her business degree with hopes of a CPA and dancing at Chasin’ Tail, this was a great solution. The twins ate it up, her mother and older brother–both total jerks–didn’t complain, and once she hooked up with Hollywood Hilton, the Wolf is always happy to indulge. If you’d like to read how they hooked up, grab NIGHT MOVES from the Nightriders MC series. Just click on a pic with the cover, or the title. You can also go to BOOKS2READ to see all the on-line bookstores where it’s available. What about y’all? Is Italian a year-round staple or mainly for the colder months?

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Monday Madness

Posted on March 28, 2022 by Silver James

I’m not a fan of round ball–ie. basketball. I played a little back in the day, under duress. As a result, I don’t pay much attention to brackets when March Madness rolls around. This year? I have to admit to giggling often when I catch a sports report because EVERYONE’S bracket got blown all to hell and back. Go Cinderella! Show ’em how to dance. And yes, I am talking about the men’s side of the bracket because unlike others, I can define both what a man is AND and woman. Anyway…

The weather turned out really nice over the weekend. Made me a happy camper, especially since I have to out into the backyard and stand around with Boone while he does his thing. I’ve been finding a sunbeam and soaking up some Vitamin D.

I am catching back up to my reading/listening goals to meet my 2022 challenge. I’ve read 32 of 150 books and I’m only 3 books behind schedule now. Yesterday, I finished up Shelly Laurenston’s Pride series. She has a way with silliness and shifters. I’ve rolled over into her follow-on series, The Badger Chronicles. I have to admit, I do have a soft spot in my heart for the honey badgers.

There was writing. A bit more than the previous week but still not up to my par. Ah well. All new words are appreciated and I’m still liking the ones Im typing. I get the rights to the rest of the Moonstruck Wolf books set in Susan Stoker’s world on Friday. I REALLY need to get on the ball and get all of them ready for reupload once they disappear from Amazon. Yes, I am taking them wide. I really need to brain this week.

LOTS of softball and baseball this weekend! My OSU Cowgirls rocked their conference series against Texas Tech. The Cowboys also had a good weekend. OU gave all their fans a heart attack yesterday. They were 0-0 against Baylor until the 6th inning when Baylor scored. OU was down to their last out in the bottom of the 7th and they managed to get 2 on base (FINALLY) and then the batter hit a walk-off three-run homer. Whew! And this from a team that’s run-ruled teams 24 times this year. On the pro side, My Cardinals were a mixed bag but it’s spring training and a late start at that. They’ll be ready by opening day in April. I ❤ spring sports!

LG had an early morning trip to the ER Sunday. Boone nailed him in the eye with a paw/claws and he (LG) has two abrasions–on the iris and the white. He has meds and is supposed to take things easy. Poor LG. He gets the brunt of Boone’s activities.

Gotta brag on The Only again. The advertising agnecy she works for has some awesome clients–several tribes, the Murray Bombing Museum and Memorial, and the state’s largest “local” banking group. She’s gone from head archivist to Director of Creative Services and they are also utilizing her amazing photographer skills. She also has good ideas. See, that bank bases it’s commercials on local history and she had a suggestion for when they did a commercial for the city of Muskogee. Well, no commercial yet, but the bank picked her idea for their “Loyal TV” channel. Y’all go check out The Native Modernist. Only’s first degree is an Assciates in Indian Art from Bacone College. Her mentor was Ruthe Blalock Jones, a renowned Native American artist, who was mentored in turn by Dick West. When Only graduated, Ms. Jones presented her with a set of paint brushes orginally owned by West. Anyway, y’all know how proud LG and I are of her.

On that note, it’s Monday and my madness consists of my weekly trek through Wallyworld. Jake is ready to go so time for me to get out there and people. Lord help us all! 😉 Anyboyd do something fun this weekend?

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Friday Sinema: Songs, Storms, Shrouds…

Posted on March 25, 2022 by Silver James

And DRAGONS! Today’s sinema is in celebration of my friend B.E. Sanderson’s new release SONG OF STORM AND SHROUD. This is epic fantasy at its most epic. After reading it, I descripbed it as a sort of medieval Harry Potter. If fantasy is your thing, this one is for you. And did I mention there’s a dragon!?!?! I’m also a big Lindsey Stirling fan and this early piece of hers is the perfect video for this book. Once you read it, you’ll understand why! Anyway, go grab your copy by clicking on the title and enjoy the video. Have a great weekend.

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Reasons

Posted on March 24, 2022 by Silver James

There’s not much I can do to change the world so I’m getting back to what I do–writing. And musing on the art and craft of writing. See, there is two parts to doing this job. First, writers need to know and understand the craft. Story structure, character development, plot…well, plotting. Every story–whether a short story, novella, short novel, novel, or epic tale–must have a beginning, a middle, and an end. And guess what. Each of those parts also has a…yup, you got it–a beginning, a middle, and an end. Only in the writing game, we call those parts “turning points.” Those are the twists and hints that keep a reader turning pages. Craft is the nuts and bolts of writing. The more entertaining part is the art of writing. Art is the creative part of the process. It’s thinking, the plotting, the naming and describing of characters and places. It’s designing the story that allows you to paint it with words. And what does it take to stitch all of this together? In a round-about way, the Universe has the answer.

There’s always a deeper reason, Silver, for the emotions you feel, the doubts you have, the questions you raise, and the fears you entertain.

It’s called “wanting it all.”

What a system, huh?
The Universe
©www.tut.com

And you are sooooo close, Silver!

I’m alway close. But the Big U is correct. There is always a deeper reason, more emotion, more doubts and questions and fears. This is true of both creator and creation. We all have our doubts as we write, and never more so than when we release a book into the wild. But it’s important to take all those feeling and infuse them into the story. It’s that deep dive that takes our work from just a story we tell our friends to a novel that is worthy of publication and being read by strangers. And isn’t that the rush? When a stranger buys your book, reads it, and enjoys it enough to leave a good review… Yeah. That makes the rollercoaster worthwhile.

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Wednesday Words: Spangled

Posted on March 23, 2022 by Silver James

Time ust keeps rolling along and no, I am NOT adjusted to the new time so don’t even ask. It’s Wednesday. That means words. Today, it means new words. This is a rough draft. Like I just wrote it yesterday and it hasn’t truly been edited. It will be. What’s it about? Well, the #1lineWed prompt is **SPANGLED**. I won’t mention that when I first saw it, I though it was “spaniel.” Again, don’t ask. Spangled is not exactly a word that pops up in my writing, hence the need for news words–and any nudge that gets me those is a good thing. Basically, the Hard Target team is somewhere with a large TV screen. I’ll leave it there.
****
Kin watched the news feed. There was no mistaking the missile explostions or the crumbled buildings. Fires flared and an over-matched civilian fire department did what they could to help extract people. He focused on the ticker scrolling across the bottom of the screen. The name of the place was Mariupol. And the bloody Russians were doing they’re feckin’ best to level the city.

The rest of the team had gathered around the the big screen, all eyes as intent on the images as his own.

“Are the assholes just gonna sit back and let this happen?” Dalton’s voice did a good job of mimicking a Wolf in full growl.

“And what can they be doin’?” Loch asked in reply. “It’s not like they can invade Russia. “

“And a no fly zone is unenforceable on NATO’s part,” Duke added. “It sucks donkey balls—” He glanced down at the woman who’d punched him in the biceps. He smiled indulgently at his wife. “Well, it does, Cory.”

Draping an arm around her shoulders he tucked her in next to his side and pretended he didn’t see the tears in her eyes as pregnant women and children were evacuated from a maternity hospital the Russians had just bombed. A pediatrician, Cory had been in Africa doing charity work when she was kidnapped by a warlord. Duke and SEAL Team Atlantis had been sent in to rescue her. Too bad the whole thing had been a double cross. Still, here he was, married to the love of his life. That said, he and Mother would be having a conversation about involving her in this mission.

“And no, darlin’, we can’t go to Mariupol. That’s not our mission.”

“Aye,” Kin muttered. “No matter how much we’d like it to be.”

The picture on the TV changed and now the night sky was lit up like any city in the USA on the 4th of July. While he held no particular allegiance to anyone but his teammates, Kin called to mind the words to the American national anthem. The man who wrote the poem likely watched something similar to the scene on the screen. As the video changed again, Kin noticed something else. A blue and yellow Ukrainian flag rippled in the wind as bombs exploded behind it. Words of the song came to him. There, under the rocket’s red glare with all those bombs bursting in air, was the proof. It might not be the Star-Spangled Banner, but that blue and yellow flag was still there waving over a different land fighting for freedom in the home of the brave.

He glanced around at the Hard Target team and saw resolve and agreement when he said, “Let’s do this.”
****
Since I’m pretty sure **spangled** isn’t a word used in most of the WIPs of the writers who drop by here, I’ll offer the alternative of **shiny**. Or glitter. Sparkly. Take your pick and share some words. Readers, what’s your favorite patriotic song? From whatever country.

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Tuesday Treats & Titles: Grasshopper Bars

Posted on March 22, 2022 by Silver James

Are you a fan of Thin Mint Girl Scout Coolies? Andes Mints? Chocolate chip mint icecream? 🙋🏼‍♀️ This recipe pretty much covers all the bases so refresh an old classic with these easy-to-eat minty, chocolate bars.

YIELDS:
20 servings

TOTAL TIME:
2 hours 25 mins

INGREDIENTS
FILLING
1/2 c. milk
3 c. mini marshmallows
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 tbsp. plus 1 cup heavy cream
2 tsp. pure peppermint extract
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
6 to 8 drops liquid green food coloring (optional)

CRUST
34 chocolate wafer cookies (we used Nabisco Famous Wafers)
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

TOPPING
3/4 c. heavy cream
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
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DIRECTIONS
1 – In a medium saucepan, heat milk on medium until hot. Add marshmallows and butter and stir to melt. Remove from heat; stir in 2 tablespoons heavy cream, extracts, and food coloring (if using); let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.

2 – Meanwhile, line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides. In a food processor, pulse cookies to form fine crumbs. Add butter and pulse to combine. Press evenly into bottom of the prepared pan and refrigerate.

3 – Once marshmallow mixture is cool, using an electric mixer, beat remaining 1 cup cream until stiff peaks form. Fold a spoonful of cream into marshmallow mixture to loosen, then fold in remaining cream and spread on top of chilled crust. Refrigerate until set, at least 30 minutes.

4 – Make topping: In small pot, heat cream on medium until hot but not boiling. Remove from heat and add chocolate; let sit 1 minute, then stir until melted and smooth. Spread evenly over filling and refrigerate until set, at least 30 minutes or up to a day. When ready to serve, use overhangs to transfer to a cutting board and cut into pieces.

Believe it or not, I found this particular recipe someplace new and you’ll never believe who actually pointed it out to me because frankly? The idea of DJ Collier having a subscription to this particular magazine was a surprise. Anyway, check out all the details over at Woman’s Day recipes. DJ says there are some great stories in the magazine, besides the recipes and such. Why is this a surprise? She’s a US Deputy Marshal. Her hero in BLUE MOON is Antoine Fontaine, a cagey Cajun Wolf. Their’s is an exciting…courtship. You can grab a copy from a variety of on-line retailers by clicking on BOOKS2READ, the title or either pic with the cover. Tough food question today…What cookie would you like to see turned into a candy bar?

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Spring Monday

Posted on March 21, 2022 by Silver James

Yesterday was the vernal equimox aka the first day of Spring. On that day, light and dark are perfectly balanced. Too bad the humans who inhabit this planet are so out of whack. Anyway, there was a week past and a weekend and now a new week to look foward to.

There was writing stuff done last week. Some new words on the WIP along with administrative type stuffs like updating the back matter that I cut and paste into the copies of the manuscripts that I upload to the ‘zon and D2D. I also spent almost a day figure out “Reading Lists” on Books2Read. I have a main carousel that is a list of all my books available through D2D. Then I set up lists/carousels for each series. That way, I won’t have to update the D2D back matter on previous books whenever I add a new book. Now if I can figure out a way to do the same with the ‘zon. Anyway, some progress if not as much as I’d like. Life keeps interferring. So, if there’s a slight delay getting the four books back up after the rights are returned, so be it. 

I’ve retreated into a relisten of a paranormal series with serious romcom overtones in and around the suspense. I really enjoy Shelly Laurenston’s Pride and the spin-off Honey Badger series. Not that intrigued by her other series but that happens. Anyway, I’m not exactly speeding through the series so I’m behind on my yearly reading challenge. Again, so be it.

In sports news, my OSU Cowgirls and Cowboys did well on their respective diamonds this weekend. They’re both ranked at #11 currently. OU softball is just…wicked. They are still #1, undefeated and run-ruled by double digits the other teams they played this weekend. Also, I got to watch my STL Cardinals on Friday. Yay for spring training. I’m so ready for sports on TV!

We got some Stormy time. He was on spring break and Baseball Boy had baseball games while Only had in-office work. Sunday, we attended Stormy’s 8th birthday. A high school friend of Only and her husband opened an electronic game arcade in a town just north. His school mates had a ball and the dads paid extra so they could play. LOL 

There’s not much else going on in my world. Writing. Spring training. Softball. Family. Oh, and “reading.” Seems like a full house to me. What’s up in your world? Any big plans for the week?

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Friday Sinema: An Unlikely Hero

Posted on March 18, 2022 by Silver James

I first heard this song earlier in the week, when Vladimir John Ondrasik III (more commonly known as John Ondrasik, frontman for Five for Fighting) released it. Fox News featured it, with a montage of photos behind the music. When I went searching, I discovered a lyrics video released by the singer/songwriter. I looked again yesterday and found this video. I’m not positive, but I believe this to be the same montage I saw on the news. If not, it’s close and still very powerful. Listen to the words. Why? Because this man who was a comedian, who played the president of Ukraine in a sitcom, who was on the Ukrainian version of Dancing With The Stars, found himself the leader of a nation under fire. Ukrainians are a proud people who have no desire to shoulder the yoke of communism or ever being subservient to Russia ever again. So they fight. And their president, the most unlikely of heroes, shows us daily what heroism, courage, and leadership is all about. I write books about fictional heroes. I have–even if I say so myself–quite the imagination. But…there is no way in hell that I could EVER create a more perfect hero. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, you are my hero and I pray for you, your family, and your people. Stay safe, sire. The world needs you!

Disclaimer: I did ressearch the link (Ukraine2Day.org) at the end of the video. It redirects to Catholic Relieve Services which is not only a legitimate charity but they are highly rated by all the watchdog groups and they ARE on the ground IN Ukraine and in surrounding countries helping with humanitarian aid…

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Bits and Pieces

Posted on March 17, 2022 by Silver James

What does it take to write a book? Bits and pieces. Characters. Plot. Backstories. Tension. Goals, Motivation, and Conflict. These are just some of the building blocks, and I do mean BUILDING. As writers, we BUILD worlds–or a universe. We people it. We put in geography. We add economics. Fashion. Laws. Structures of all kinds. We decorate and enhance and describe. We look after all the small stuff to create the whole kit and kaboodle. And then we turn our characters–complete with descriptions, personalities, and histories–to play around and get into all sorts of shenanigans. I do love that word. It just rolls of the tongue and sounds just like what it is. Go ahead. Say it out loud. Bet’cha smiled! Anyway, the Universe has a small lesson about the small stuff…

Don’t you just love all those crazy little quarks, atoms, and molecules, Silver, that unceasingly manifest themselves into whatever you’re thinking, no matter how big and daunting, small and simple, or rich and gorgeous?

Just look at ’em all right now.

Nice quarks and atoms, baby –

The Universe
©www.tut.com

Oh my, did “rich and gorgeous” speak to you, Silver?

As y’all know, I’ve started a new WIP. It’s coming along I’m marshalling my quarks and atoms and sticking them in the centrifuge that is my imagination. So far, so good. It’s St. Patrick’s Day and I’m enough Irish that I’m sitting here in a green shirt with a vest covered in shamrocks. If I decide to leave the house, I will be covered. (I used to hate the pinches we’d get in grade school if we forgot… Hrm…did anyone else grow up with that “superstition?) Who is else is celebrating? Whether you do or don’t, I leave y’all with this small Irish blessing. Cheers!

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Wednesday Words: It’s a Banner Day

Posted on March 16, 2022 by Silver James

New week, new Wednesday, not so new words but that’s okay. At least I have a snippet to share that meets the #1lineWed prompt of **BANNER**. I haven’t had a banner day so far but it’s early so I’m hoping things improve. Multi-tasking is a pain but I’m working on it, balancing revisions with new words and updating back matter, new blurb writing, and getting out new words on the WIP. Anyway, as this is the prologue to CROSSFIRE, I’ll just leave it here to speak for itself. 😉
****
Prologue

Thick mist drifted in off the firth and the mournful blast of the foghorn reminded boats and ships out in the harbor of the rocky shoals reaching like claws to snag unwary sailor. Fraser Kincaid stared at the granite headstone standing like a sentry in a hidden corner of the cemetery. His chest burned with the tears he refused to shed. Dougal didn’t deserve his tears. Anger, yes. Disdain, likely. But not this terrible pain threatening to rip him straight down the middle.

The monument’s epitaph mocked him.

LOST TO THE WAR; LOST TO PEACE

The block letters were chiseled across a bas relief banner stretching across the width of the stone. Not for the first time, he wondered what words would memorialize the banner on his own monument.

“Feckin’ fool,” he muttered under his breath.

“Kin?”

He shook off the warm hand that landed on his shoulder. He didn’t need it to remind him of the men at his back. Brothers-in-arms. The Hard Target team. Duke Reagan and the others had his six. Always. Not like Dougal.

“He took the easy way out.” Kin spat the words, their taste bitter on his tongue.

“Every man has his own demons, yeah?” Lochlan O’Toole stepped up beside him. “’Tis not an easy decision, what he did.”

Every man gathered there had seen action. Had killed to survive. Had killed as ordered. Had demons from walking through the fires of hell to just survive. But was just surviving enough? This was a question too many veterans asked and one that often went unanswered.

The one woman in the group slipped beneath Duke’s arm. Cory’s red hair was as bright as copper despite the fog. Contentment settled around Duke and Kin knew. Surviving wasn’t enough.

There was more. And he would find it. Find her. Or die trying. And maybe, just maybe, his epitaph would read something heroic. He glanced at the men and woman who stood with him on this bit of heathered moor. The wind kicked up, herding the fog into ghostly wisps, and it teased his shaggy hair off his forehead and he closed his eyes, breathing deeply.

A voice carried on that wind, one both familiar and forlorn. “You’re no coward, mate,” the ghostly voice whispered in his ear. “Now get your arse out there and go fight the good fight.”
****
And there you have it, the opening salvo of CROSSFIRE. It’s a short snippet today but due to circumstances and on account of because, not many new words and no real time to make some up. That’s okay. SEAL MOON has been revised. One down, three to go. I ended up adding a bunch of words to the book, really beefing up the end, in addition to adding in the Hard Target team guys. Hey, I still have 15 days to get it all done. And a bit longer to finish CROSSFIRE. Have to admit that I’m liking to words I written so far so…yay! Writers, having any banners you want to share with the readers? And readers, your question for the day: If you were marching in a parade, what would your banner say?

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