Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Entry # 7
From Terri Reid (Mom):
"March is said to be in like a Lion and out like a Lamb - meaning if the first couple of days of March are the pits - the end of March should be AMAZING! Well, I'm voting for the Lion this weekend - and to keep you company - Loose Ends will be FREE from Friday through Sunday. Please SHARE and let's get all of your friends and family addicted to Mary and friends."
If you haven't tried the Mary O'Reilly Mysteries yet, now is the time!
Here's a link to the book:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003Y5H8IK
Friday, February 21, 2014
Entry #6
Grandma's Visit:
"We were watching TV," the person related. "Suddenly, the dog started barking at the back door. As the door started to open, the dog retreated. When the door closed with no one there, whoever it was had all of our attention."
After a few experiences like this, she realized who their ghostly visitor was.
"My mom used to tuck me in when I was little, I really didn't like it, so I never tucked in my own children," the women explained. "One night, after my mother had passed away, I went in to check on my daughters. I noticed that their covers where securely tucked in between the mattress and the box spring. When I questioned them, they explained that their grandma had sat on their bed for a few minutes and then got up and tucked them in. They also explained that this was a regular occurrence."
Her mother was also seen walking through the house by a visitor that was spending the night.
"My step-son, who never met my mother, was spending the night," the women said. I was in my bedroom and heard him call me and ask me why I was in the hallway. I left my room and walked in the living room, where he was laying.
He was looking across the room in the other direction, calling for me," she continued. "I turned on the light and he was shocked to see me standing on that side of the room. Whatever he saw was gone, but when he described the person - it was my mother to the tee, even down to the white nightie that she used to wear."
-- So the moral of this story is to do things your mother wants you to do or she'll come back and haunt you.
"We were watching TV," the person related. "Suddenly, the dog started barking at the back door. As the door started to open, the dog retreated. When the door closed with no one there, whoever it was had all of our attention."
After a few experiences like this, she realized who their ghostly visitor was.
"My mom used to tuck me in when I was little, I really didn't like it, so I never tucked in my own children," the women explained. "One night, after my mother had passed away, I went in to check on my daughters. I noticed that their covers where securely tucked in between the mattress and the box spring. When I questioned them, they explained that their grandma had sat on their bed for a few minutes and then got up and tucked them in. They also explained that this was a regular occurrence."
Her mother was also seen walking through the house by a visitor that was spending the night.
"My step-son, who never met my mother, was spending the night," the women said. I was in my bedroom and heard him call me and ask me why I was in the hallway. I left my room and walked in the living room, where he was laying.
He was looking across the room in the other direction, calling for me," she continued. "I turned on the light and he was shocked to see me standing on that side of the room. Whatever he saw was gone, but when he described the person - it was my mother to the tee, even down to the white nightie that she used to wear."
-- So the moral of this story is to do things your mother wants you to do or she'll come back and haunt you.
Monday, February 17, 2014
Rosie's Chicken Soup
On a cold, snowy day all you can really think about is FOOD and not just any food; warm, comforting food. So today I decided give you one of Rosie's recipe for Chicken Soup , it's a crowd pleaser.
Ingredient List:
Butternut Squash
Sweet Potatoes
Carrots
Celery
Onion
Minced Garlic
Chicken
Olive Oil
Butter
Flour
Whipping Cream
Chicken Broth
You'll need to chop into bite size pieces:
2 Cups Butternut Squash (pealed)
2 Cups Sweet Potatoes (pealed)
3 Carrots
2 Stalks Celery
1 medium Onion
2 Cloves of Minced Garlic
Saute the vegetables in 3 tablespoons of olive oil until tender ( Rosie starts with the squash and sweet potatoes because they take longer- then she adds the other veggies.)
Place the vegetables in a large stock pot.
Add 2 cups of chopped cooked chicken (Rosie either cooks a couple of chicken breasts in alum foil in the oven and then cuts them up, or cuts up a rotisserie chicken.)
Add enough chicken broth (about 6 cups) to cover the chicken, veggies and have enough over the top for a nice broth.
Simmer
When you are just about ready to serve, add about 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream - stir it in.
Then take a small pan (Rosie uses a cast iron frying pan) melt about 1/4 cup butter, add about 1/4 cup of flour and mix with a whisk. Once the flour is dissolved, quickly add more whipping cream and mix until you create a thick roux. Add it to the soup and mix thoroughly.
Simmer until ready to serve.
Rosie serves this with warm rolls fresh out of the oven.
Ingredient List:
Butternut Squash
Sweet Potatoes
Carrots
Celery
Onion
Minced Garlic
Chicken
Olive Oil
Butter
Flour
Whipping Cream
Chicken Broth
You'll need to chop into bite size pieces:
2 Cups Butternut Squash (pealed)
2 Cups Sweet Potatoes (pealed)
3 Carrots
2 Stalks Celery
1 medium Onion
2 Cloves of Minced Garlic
Saute the vegetables in 3 tablespoons of olive oil until tender ( Rosie starts with the squash and sweet potatoes because they take longer- then she adds the other veggies.)
Place the vegetables in a large stock pot.
Add 2 cups of chopped cooked chicken (Rosie either cooks a couple of chicken breasts in alum foil in the oven and then cuts them up, or cuts up a rotisserie chicken.)
Add enough chicken broth (about 6 cups) to cover the chicken, veggies and have enough over the top for a nice broth.
Simmer
When you are just about ready to serve, add about 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream - stir it in.
Then take a small pan (Rosie uses a cast iron frying pan) melt about 1/4 cup butter, add about 1/4 cup of flour and mix with a whisk. Once the flour is dissolved, quickly add more whipping cream and mix until you create a thick roux. Add it to the soup and mix thoroughly.
Simmer until ready to serve.
Rosie serves this with warm rolls fresh out of the oven.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Entry # 5
Although, Mom is working on Sean's book, The Order of Brigid's Cross, we can't stop talking about Mary O'Reilly book 13. Since it's Book 13, we are talking about putting some superstitions in it. So while doing some research these are some of the weirdest superstitions that i've found....
1. Bird Poop equals Riches: In Russia, there is a belief that if a bird defecates you, your car or your property it's a sign of good luck and may bring you riches. (Personally I consider that crappy luck)
2. Counting Crows: It's believed that the amount of crows in a murder (flock) has the ability to predict your fortune. There's even a phrase to go along with the Superstition (Although their rhyming ability is really bad): "One's bad / Two's luck / Three's health / Five's sickness / Six is death."
3. Soul Capturing Mirror: Looking into a mirror steals your soul. ( So pretty much we are all soulless.)
I would love to hear some more crazy superstitions... if you have one or more please leave it in a comment. You never know, we might just use it in the Mary O'Reilly Book 13.
1. Bird Poop equals Riches: In Russia, there is a belief that if a bird defecates you, your car or your property it's a sign of good luck and may bring you riches. (Personally I consider that crappy luck)
2. Counting Crows: It's believed that the amount of crows in a murder (flock) has the ability to predict your fortune. There's even a phrase to go along with the Superstition (Although their rhyming ability is really bad): "One's bad / Two's luck / Three's health / Five's sickness / Six is death."
3. Soul Capturing Mirror: Looking into a mirror steals your soul. ( So pretty much we are all soulless.)
I would love to hear some more crazy superstitions... if you have one or more please leave it in a comment. You never know, we might just use it in the Mary O'Reilly Book 13.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Entry #4
Today's blog is going to be a little different, more personal. My mom just received a phone call, the kind you never want to get, she has a dear friend who has just been diagnosed with Stage 4 Cancer. Mom chatted with her for a while, told her that she would be there for her, hung up the phone and cried. Through her tears my mom told me that her friend is the best example of how to be a friend she has ever known and that she has always admired her for that ability. Even after her friend shared her news, she took the time to ask mom about the success of her last book, that's just the kind of unselfish person she is. Mom said that she is the kind of person who really cares- about her friends, their families, their lives, without judgement, and offers laughter and sympathy in great quantities and advice sparingly. Really, she is the person we all want as our friend.
This amazing woman has made me wonder about the art of friendship. I just think that we don't take the time to be real friends anymore. We read each other's statuses on Facebook, we sometimes message each other, we might call or text once a week or once a month. If we have time, we go to lunch or dinner, when we can fit it into our busy schedules. When did friendship stop being important? When did to-do lists become more important than people? When did a keyboard replace a hug?
Think about this- what would you do if your dear friend called to tell you she has Stage 4 Cancer? What would have been more important than having lunch with them now? What would have been more urgent than laughing together? What moments would you trade- doing things you thought were so vitally important at the time- for precious moments to chat and laugh and share? Will your life reflect what you valued most or will it reflect what you allowed yourself to be distracted by?
Call your friends, hug your family members, stop and sell the roses. And, if you will, offer up a prayer for my mom's friend.
This amazing woman has made me wonder about the art of friendship. I just think that we don't take the time to be real friends anymore. We read each other's statuses on Facebook, we sometimes message each other, we might call or text once a week or once a month. If we have time, we go to lunch or dinner, when we can fit it into our busy schedules. When did friendship stop being important? When did to-do lists become more important than people? When did a keyboard replace a hug?
Think about this- what would you do if your dear friend called to tell you she has Stage 4 Cancer? What would have been more important than having lunch with them now? What would have been more urgent than laughing together? What moments would you trade- doing things you thought were so vitally important at the time- for precious moments to chat and laugh and share? Will your life reflect what you valued most or will it reflect what you allowed yourself to be distracted by?
Call your friends, hug your family members, stop and sell the roses. And, if you will, offer up a prayer for my mom's friend.
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