Zo Barbecue

July 9, 2021 By Captain Maiel

My apologies for not having this ready on the First Friday of July, like I normally do. Life has gotten pretty busy over my way. Sometimes, it’s just too much to keep track of or to keep up with. As you may know, I’ve gotten on TikTok. You can see the time-lapse of this drawing there. Make sure you catch my Bewitched skits, too!

July is the month of cookouts, am I right? When I brainstormed ideas to draw for each month, I started thinking on the lines of what is most iconic about that month, or would make most sense for that time of year. Barbecue. Although Zo only has nubs for wings, she can hold that barbecue fork with the skill of Gordon Ramsay. Not only that, she has a great little chef hat to don while grilling up some burgers.

Don’t miss out: you can get a lot of my drawings as prints. It’s a great way to show support while getting something in return. Hope you love this drawing after having to wait longer for it. Have a happy and safe barbecue season, folks!

Love my duck? Support this blog by buying a book. More Zo Here.

Zo Duck collage with web address and author name, K. Williams, The Blue Honor Blog — Shop Zo Duck on Cafe Press

An Author’s Halloween – Open Book Blog Hop #245

October 26, 2020 By Captain Maiel

♦Welcome to another edition of the Open Book Blog Hop!♦

Topic #245
Halloween/Fall is coming, do you celebrate?
What does that look like? Is it different this year?

Welcome back to another Open Book Blog Hop! The authors included in this ongoing series wish to thank you for your reads. We appreciate, even more so, when you share our writings with your friends. If you’re new to the series, welcome aboard. The authors engage and impress weekly. Prepare to become a regular reader.

If you’re like me, then you probably do wonder what others do during your favorite time of year, especially when they also love the season. An author’s halloween is a great way to delve into at least one group’s practices! My author’s halloween is pretty fun, every single year. I love to talk about this. It is my favorite holiday and my favorite season is obviously autumn.

Did you know that I love the color orange? Of course I do! It’s the premiere tone of Halloween and all things Fall. I love when the trees change colors and there’s a blazing maple in fire orange! I feel so cozy and happy. For someone who struggles with anxiety and depression, the reprieve from negative feelings is a welcome one. Embracing this time of year is healing.

In my home, the celebration begins in September with Apple Picking. We make pies and treats, get cider donuts and cider, and enjoy the harvest. This year, I also made a giant pot of Butternut Squash and Roasted Red Pepper Soup (I swear that recipe really is coming). I’ve been working on my health, though, so only one apple pie this year and one crisp. I got a smaller pack of apples, too. Eating them fresh has been the favored form. I’ve lost almost 30 pounds and I plan on keeping it off. Thus, cakes and pies have are kept at a minimum. After the last check up, I have no choice unless I want to start taking medications for the rest of my life.

Chili is another recipe I like to throw together during this time of chilly weather. I make mine with ground turkey and italian flavor turkey sausage. I haven’t missed using beef, mainly because the food sensitivity I have to beef is so unpleasant. But, the turkey is healthier anyway. I’m someone who struggles to get enough proteins, so this is a great recipe between the beans and turkey to meet the daily nutritional need without bad fats. An author’s Halloween really can go deep!

This year, I’ll also steam a couple of the pumpkins I grew in the backyard to have for baking. I use pumpkin to make pies and dog cookies, mostly, but also I could make a nice pumpkin cake roll for November. I need to think about that, though because of the sugar and fat. Since I have to watch both now, and my daughter is the only one who could eat the majority of it, I cannot justify the whole cake! It’s pretty big. However, if I wrap it well, freeze it in sections, and carefully dole out over the year…but then, there is the storage factor. I own a big freezer, but the chest is already full of stocks and baked goods…

If I were a six foot tall athlete, I wouldn’t have these issues! But, alas. I’m an author.

K. Williams dressed as Daphne Blake from Scooby-Doo

Decorating is the next big matter in my home. An author’s Halloween can’t ignore this important facet of the celebration. I decorate the backyard like a graveyard, putting the mock tombstones among the pumpkin plants that remain. In my flower bed, I post a zombie flamingo and smaller stones, along with a couple ghosts. This year, I purchased a blow up tree. It has a couple ghosts, a couple pumpkins, an owl, and a tombstone. It’s fabulous! The daughter loves it, so I’m extra pleased. (Fionn is freaked out by the fan noise and the size of it, but has gotten used to it.)

My front window is a lovely bay window that allows me to do a holiday display. I’ve set it up this year with my witch in a crystal ball head and witch parts in the window–because we are dressing up as the Scooby gang. Little one is scooby, and I am Daphne. Her auntie will be Velma. Fionn is Shaggy. If I were dating someone, he’d be Fred, but that slot is absent.

I dreamt of constructing the Space Kook out of cardboard, but I there was no time to get it done. It would have taken a huge effort, and spray paint. Toddlers and projects like this aren’t compatible without someone to keep them distracted and happy while you work on the construction. Oh, well. Someday I’ll revisit. In lieu of the kook, I chose a witch, as they were featured in the series and they’re very Halloween. Plus, I had plenty of witchy things to fill it out.

Yes, every year goes down like this. I spend a lot of time considering what the group should do, then consult those involved, and (as the kiddo gets older) I am going to have to convince baby, too! So far, she’s been super cooperative. Last year, we went as the PowerPuff Girls. It was great fun, and it worked out so well.

Maybe next year, we will do DC Super Hero Girls, as I like to call my daughter Kara Danvers anyway. And it works across the group just like the PPGs did. I’m already plotting! But how to decorate the house? This will take some thought…

While I mull that over, hop through the links below to see what the other authors have to say about the season…

A Little Bit Fruity – Open Book Blog Hop #243

October 12, 2020 By Captain Maiel

♦Welcome to another edition of the Open Book Blog Hop!♦

Topic #243
What is your favorite fruit dish? Can you share a recipe for it?
Do you include food in your stories?
While we’re talking about food, pumpkin, yea or nay?

Welcome back to another Open Book Blog Hop! The authors included in this ongoing series wish to thank you for your reads. We appreciate, even more so, when you share our writings with your friends. If you’re new to the series, welcome aboard. The authors engage and impress weekly. Prepare to become a regular reader.

Culinary k header with images of food by K. Williams - cookies, dog treats, pies, walnuts, brownie skillet, yams...fruit recipe

I’m writing my answer to this question just after making my first batch of Butternut Squash & Roasted Red Pepper soup. I make a lot of things without a recipe, but if that sounds good to you, know that I will share a recipe for it at a future date, right here on this blog, under the Culinary K section. It’s a simple but delicious recipe that marries the taste of summer in red peppers with the sweetness of fall squash.

Food is something I absolutely love, probably a bit too much. Since having my daughter, my weight did not decrease. Breastfeeding had required a lot of food to keep producing the milk for the year, and those habits didn’t leave when the milk did. My bloodwork results at my last check up scared me. I knew I had to make some changes, and I’ve been coming to terms with food throughout this quarantine. I’ve lost just over thirty pounds, with just a few more to reach my goal weight.

Writing life is sedentary life. It’s real easy to slip down that slope, especially when you’re a working parent with little time. But, let’s get back to the topic!

Peppers may be a fruit, but this isn’t my favorite fruit dish. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I adore pie, applesauce, fruit salad, fresh fruit, and so on. Fruit is an absolute pleasure. Those typical recipes aside, there is a dish that came to mind right away: my grandmother’s fruit cocktail. The dish was served only on Thanksgiving Day. Thus, it held a special place as one epic treat–especially when I hated most of the dinner as a child. The fruit gave me something to eat and be satisfied. Of course it’s still with the family even though grandma has passed on. Today, my mother makes it to enhance a nice fancy breakfast, but it does make a showing in gran’s honor on the day.

It’s super easy to make. What you’ll need:

Grandma Ada’s Fruit Cocktail

2 cans Fruit Cocktail in light syrup (drained),
1 package Sliced Frozen Strawberries (with sugar in a tub–so you get the juice),
1 (jar or can) drained Grapefruit segments (you may substitute 2 fresh fruits, but have your patience and fruit spoon handy).

Mix together, and that’s it! You can serve it in fluted dishes to dress it up for fancy breakfasts and appetizers. Add a touch of champagne to up the ante. The sugar content is a bit high so keep servings to about 2/3s cup. Your pancreas will appreciate it.

pumpkin photograph by K. Williams, see more at DeviantArt.com/kwilliamsphoto, fruit recipe

While I’m sitting here, I’m growing pumpkins outside. They’re one of my favorite things in the whole world–to eat, carve, decorate with, and now grow. I’m going to steam and store them to use for Fionn’s cookies and other recipes over the coming months. I have a growing girl to feed!

Hop over to the other author blogs to see what recipes they have for you! Click on the links below.

Make a Meal with Culinary K #38

February 23, 2018 By Captain Maiel

If winter has got you down, this meal will bring you right back up. It’s got summer all over it, but is the comfort food you desire in colder temps. You might think that this is just another boring chicken recipe. I assure you that this will up your chicken game. In fact, you can use the mix from the recipe to season the batter for your fried chicken. Yes, it’s that’s good and versatile.

So let’s get started…

K’s Kickin’ Chicken

The experimental chicken…which I will now call K’s Kickin’ Chicken came about in a cold and boring night. Is anyone else bored with the daily fare? I am tired of coming up with dinners, I often say. The reality is, I’m tired of the same thing every week, like I have a one page menu to pick from.

You can’t eat just the chicken though. You’ll need a couple sides. Let’s keep it light. The winter is too often an excuse to eat heavy.

Steamed Green Beans

Wash and cut the stems from fresh green beans. If the green beans are too long to fit in your pot, you can cut them in half. Place a steamer basket (Please use metal. Plastic can melt in the pan. I learned that the hard way.) in an ample size sauce pan with an inch of water. Put the beans in the basket and cover. Heat with steam for about 5-8 minutes depending on the tenderness you prefer for your beans.

If you can’t find fresh green beans, use frozen. You’ll just get to skip the first couple of steps. It may take a little longer to heat the beans through.

Season with salt and pepper to taste, add a little butter to deepen the flavor.

A nice addition to this compact but tasty pairing is biscuits. If you use Bisquick or another baking mix, follow the directions on the packaging. Do you prefer to use a product you put together yourself?

Baking Mix Recipe [Homemade Bisquick]

If you’re building your own mix or using store bought, be sure to brush some melted butter on the top of the biscuits. You can also add crumbles to the batter to improve texture and flavor. These biscuits will be light and airy.

Happy eating!

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Make a Meal with Culinary K #2

December 4, 2017 By Captain Maiel

Happy Holidays to my readers. This year is especially special for me. I’ve had my first child and the events of November through February will take on new meaning for me. Once again, I get to see Christmas through the eyes of a child. I hope to make her first Christmas a beautiful one, even though I know she will likely not remember a thing. Still, technology will provide us with memories in pictures. Then, we can both look back and see how it was in 2017.

This round up of recipes will be less a meal than ideas you can use to fill up your holiday table offerings. It’s no time to worry about every piece being healthy. So set aside the diets and get back to them in between. Enjoy yourself and indulge a little.

First up, that main entree at Christmas is often a nice spiral or bone in ham. There’s not much you can do with the meat itself, as most hams are already cooked and ready to be heated and served. Choose wisely. Sometimes good deals are too good to be true. A higher price also doesn’t indicate a great cut. Do some research and get recommendations. I, for one, like the bone in the meat because it adds great flavor. I also like them hickory smoked.

A roast dying for some Plum Sauce.

The thing you can do to improve your ham is the glaze and topping. Some families like the Hawaiian ham, meaning it has pineapple and candied cherries pinned on. If you’re planning on this, the glazing will go over the fruit. You apply it at the start of the heating process. The glaze will go on about 15-20 minutes before it is finished. You will want to do this twice. so you can divide that time into two increments.

Here is the link to my Best Ever Ham Glaze.

Maybe you’re thinking of having a pork roast instead? Perhaps turkey? Instead of gravy, or in addition to, you could make a lovely plum sauce.

Here is a link to my Easy Plum Sauce.

Grandma Ada’s French Toast and a stack of yummy Pancakes.

Your guests will be looking to pick while they wait for the main meal. A nice cheese platter and crackers always goes down well. Cut up some fresh fruit, and plate some holiday treats. What’s your favorite dip? Don’t serve the same dips at each gathering. Mixing it up will make a better hit (unless they insist). I do a spinach artichoke dip I located online (keeping it warm and heating it in a crock pot), and serve it with the olive oil and salt crackers by Keebler. Deviled eggs are nice filling snack to keep them going, too. They’re not just for summer or Easter. I also hear that buffalo chicken is a very popular dip, but I haven’t tried. You could also make focaccia 0r a flat bread pizza and cut it up into finger food size pieces. How about kielbasa slices with sauerkraut?

Here is a link to my Deviled Eggs recipe.

Sides are probably another concern. Yams come up all through the holidays. But after Thanksgiving, guests might be mighty bored with them. Here’s a way to spice them up, and they’ll be asking for the recipe. Point them here. Trust me on this.

Here is a link to the Berry Mallow Yam Bake.

Pies! Pies! Pies! And, the Leek Tart.

Perhaps you’re having a brunch for the Holidays. I got you covered for a dish that will win you high praise. I first

tasted this tart as made by a caterer in my area. It’s a savory dish that heats up well and freezes well. You can make this for yourself and have pieces ready to pop out of the oven for lunch later. The recipe that I settled on when I did a search online needed a little work. The chevré, or goat cheese, was overpowering the dish, and there wasn’t quite enough cheese to go over the leeks. Still delicious, but not as delicious as it could be. The resulting experiments resulted in a well balanced tart you can be proud to present at a brunch or for the snack table (just cut it into narrow wedges and provide a small fork to pick it up with).

Here is a link to my Chevré Leek Quiche (Tart).

Let’s not stop there though. Here are a couple of my recipes for breakfast items. You can apply them for a brunch or family breakfast. They’re worthy of a celebration.

Butter/Sugar Cookies

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Dog Treats

Grandma Ada’s Best French Toast

The One Pancake Recipe You Will Ever Need

You’re probably waiting for the icing on the cake, or, rather, the dessert list. Let’s just list out a couple of basic options, because there are too many to even consider.

Butter or Sugar Cookies

Ina Garten’s Perfect Pie Crust (for any pie filling)

Let’s not forget the pooch. You more than likely have family and friends with dogs. Bringing the pooches a gift bag will go over huge. This recipe is a favorite of Sadie Sue Shagbottom. Throughout the year, I will make batches for her and use cookie cutters for the month/holiday at that time. She goes nuts for them. In the last couple years, I’ve added chopped peanuts to make them extra special. (Be careful making these for others, as peanut allergies in humans is very serious. They cannot even come into contact with them. Make sure everyone is clear.)