I have decided to put this little blog of mine on a nap for a while. I need to take some time for myself. I hope you, gentle reader, also find self-care in your life and take some time for yourself, if not this summer, then soon.
I had never tried it, but Ajvar was a sauce that was highly recommended. When I looked at the ingredient list and saw how small it was, I was intrigued. How could you make something so good with so few ingredients? Then, I went on line and saw how easy the recipe was and I thought, ‘I have to try it’. So I did.
I have to warn you, gentle reader, that I am, at best, an okay cook. I can follow a recipe but that’s about it. I had no idea how this was going to turn out.
After this, the instructions say you have to put the roasted veggies into a bowl and cover them with a plastic. The idea is that the steam will make them easier to peel. Like I said, that’s the idea. The reality was a little different.
I had a heck of a time trying to part those peppers from their skins. I used nails, curses and a knife and it was a still a long and arduous process. Maybe this is a sauce better enjoyed bought than home-made.
Then, it’s the easy part. Add vinegar, salt, olive oil, pepper and blend.
And then put in a container.
So, how was it? I have never tasted the real thing so I can’t tell you if mine was awesome or not. I can say that the resulting sauce was mild and certainly appealing but it didn’t blow my mind. I wonder if it’s because I was expecting too much or because we had just finished eating sushi and the mixture didn’t work.
I don’t know if I put too much eggplant and that made the taste too bland and the colour too orange. I suspect that might be the case. If I had to do it again, I would recommend less eggplant (some say you can skip it altogether but I was following that recipe as if my life depended on it). Still, it’s a vegan dish and super famous, so there must be a reason.
If you have tried ajvar before or have experimented in the kitchen, give me a shout. I’d love to hear what you think of this famous sauce.
It’s amazing to me how much we can learn from those who are innocently honest and good.
Malala Yousafzai just became an honorary Canadian. She’s also a Nobel Prize Winner and a United Nations messenger of peace.
I think she’s one of the most inspirational people in the world today.
Every quote I find of hers just moves me.
What an incredible, inspirational person…and she’s only 19.
So, this is me doodling again. I’m really trying to excuse the money I’ve spent on the art supplies and, hopefully, learn a thing or two…or, if that fails, have fun. Oh and this is a copy. I tried to imitate one of the greats, hoping that doing that, I’d learn something.
(my attempt)
This one is the original that so inspired me.
(credit: aliexpress.com)
Yeap. It’s for sale…to the highest bidder.
Check it out. Jeff Longo who found a dying baby squirrel and instead of ignoring her, he rescued her and made a friend for life. Love the picture-by-picture story!
It’s been a while and I’m still thinking about changing things here in this humble blog. And still not sure. Hm…
No one can ever accuse me of rushing into change.
(credit: flicker.com)
I like predictability and patterns. And I had those in my little blog. I actually had a schedule of posts. Each day of the week got a different post and I knew what to write depending on what day it was.
Now, I’m considering throwing my schedule to the wind and going off into the future schedule-less…
Who knows what’s going to happen next?
This week the posts are filled with helpful tips and how-to’s. An absolute feast for the reader, this selection made me grin through a very cold, February week. A huge thanks to everyone for these amazing posts!
Looking to do a little blog promo? Suzi81 Speaks has an opportunity for you. Check it out here.
If your manuscript is finally done, check this list on how to self-publish with 12 handy steps. Don’t do what I did which was to do it wrong over and over until I stumbled on the correct way by sheer luck! A big thanks to The Sprint Shack for that very helpful post!
What would a Saturday be without me getting my WeekendCoffeeShare fix? I love these posts and this one in particular had everything from a good update to Mardi Grass, to Compassion. A big thanks to Part Time Monster for that gem!
Filled with his great sense of humour, Bill Ferris has this great post on how to Nurture Your Fan Base and it’s filled with great ideas. A huge thank you to Writer Unboxed for that wonderful post!
Another hilarious version of the Weekend Coffee Share, this one is by Write On Sisters and I laughed out loud because I’m from Canada too and I get those comments on the weather!
If you have a couple of minutes and are into this, check out this survey on reading and methods of reading. When you vote it’ll show you the results but here they are all tallied up. Pretty interesting stuff! A big thanks to Chris McMullen for setting that up.
Not only does April mean the start of Spring, it’s also the A to Z Challenge. This blog challenge comes with a Theme this year and it’s growing into an epic movement. Check out the sign up site and you can add your blog or find an awesome site to follow! Where did I hear about this? From the one and only Just Gene’O. Check out this post with all kinds of awesome announcements.
If you’re into Twitter, here’s a great post with links and tips just for you from Writer Christoph Fischer. If you’re into Facebook, here’s a great post with tips for for you from Ellen Meister at Writers in the Storm.
Thinking about joining WordPress.org and hosting your own domain and website? Check out this post from Jemima Pett, someone who did. They cover all the do’s and don’ts. A huge thanks to Chris The Story Reading Ape for finding this awesome post!
On that topic, if you’re not ready for your own domain and website, check out this step-by-step post on how to set up a blog of your own from On Blast Blog. It’s simple, easy and has not only links but buttons. What an awesome post from a fantastic blog filled with resources! And if you do set up your own blog, let me know so I can snoop around and give you a shout out! 🙂
Help me congratulate Winter Bayne on her debut release! Secret Identities is out and looks absolutely amazing! Typical of Winter, she humbly posts about her success while sharing the secrets that got her a publishing contract. A huge congrats to her on this great accomplishment!
The Annual Reader Poll for 2014 releases is in at All About Romance. Find out what book made it to the top of the Best Romance according to readers just like you, or the best Historical or Paranormal. It’s a great chance to find a new book!
Tiny Buddha had this great post, 10 Choices that Lead to a Happy, Fulfilling Life and I loved it. Maybe it was the coffee but I’d bet it was the wisdom in those 10 suggestions. If you’re looking for something to make you feel better, I couldn’t recommend a better post.
Jen Owenby has this great post with Stephen King’s Top 20 Rules for Writers. They both surprised me and made me laugh. A big thank you to her for this great post!
Finally, a little something to make you smile.
(credit: genius.com)
An incredible week on posts, I was actually tempted to break this post into two parts because there were so many amazing posts out there. A huge thank you to everyone who’s written this inspirational, moving posts. They got me through a very snowy and tough week!
Suzie81 Speaks has a beautiful idea. She promotes a new blog on Mondays under the post Blog of the Day. Check out this wonderful idea here and meet a new blogger!
Hilarious and yet insightful, this post by The Story Reading Ape made me laugh. I absolutely loved it!
With her usual hilarious humour, Winter Bayne wrote this fantastic post on the Fifty Shades books. I loved it because it was not only insightful and incredibly honest but also so well written. Winter is an amazing, very talented author (check out the book covers she creates) don’t miss this awesome post!
A fantastic post on how to overcome the 7 worst writing barriers. Both true and insightful, those barriers are there in my head every day. A great post to get writing from Write To Done.
If you’re starting out your blog and wonder just how to get traffic, check out this post on how to create a loyal audience from Quick Sprout.
For those who love links and referrals, Nathan Bransford has his own post with them here.
The Top Ten Tuesday is quickly becoming a favourite feature of mine. Check out this week’s version on Part Time Monster and see why. Cute, adorable and funny, I just love that post!
A Writer’s Life For Me had a wonderful, insightful look at heroines and our attitude towards violence. I loved each and every word.
Molly Greene had a great post on blogging. She explains what authors should blog about with 6 things readers are looking for and things to avoid. As always, she’s a pro and the post is outstanding.
On the idea of the dangerous internet, check out this insightful post by Nathan Bransford on what happened to an author who reacted badly to an unkind review. Titled ‘Virtual Witch Hunts’, it scared me silly.
Just Gene’O, an amazing blog, had this fantastic series of posts on Internet Trolls. It started with Trollery, defining what it is and why it’s so hard to deal with it, moved on to Indicators, eight sure signs you’re dealing with a troll, How he handles it, with explanations as to why these ideas work, and finishes with a great series of questions to see How Vulnerable you are. We all hope to never meet at troll, but this is a great way to be prepared. A huge thanks to Gene’O for that incredible series!
Friday was a very special day online. Bloggers everywhere wrote about compassion. Instead of highlighting the ones I adored (and there were many) I thought I’d link you to one of the hosts and let you find the posts that move you. They’re all different but all on compassion, something we can all use more of.
The Cricket Pages
50,000 Monkeys at 50,000 Typewriters Can't Be Wrong
For Dog Lovers Only
Dog Ownership Tales & Tails
A science based exploration of (mostly) dogs ... and the occasional rant.
Healthy Stay At Home Mom
Life is beautiful. Its about giving. Its about family. Walt Disney
life's wHeirdness and wonder
I eat books for breakfast.
Things you should know before writing your first Novel.
Romance Novel Reviews
Random Ramblings and Reviews from Trent P. McDonald
WordPress & Blogging tips, flash fiction, photography and lots more!
Romance Author
Author, Poet, Blogger, Father, Reader And More
Taylor Grace 