My Low-Calorie-Now-and-Again Newsletter, April 2007

A NEW RELEASE!

Yes, that's right. At last I've got a new book coming out. It's been a long, dry spell, due partly to my being really, really busy editing and starting a new business, and partly to a stubborn muse that starts stories and doesn't finish them. (Blame the muse. It can't possibly be MY fault, can it?)

A SISTERLY REGARD is a traditional Regency romance, and has been a joy to write and polish. Chloe and Phaedra, the two sisters whose story it is, are such different heroines, and their adventures reflect that. Chloe wants to taste life in big bites. Can't you just guess what kids of trouble that gets her into? Phaedra, on the other hand, is more inclined to intellectual pursuits, so of course she finds herself the object of a quintessential fop's amused scrutiny. And that's not all. In their collection of suitors, you'll find a rake, a mama's boy, and a shy social misfit. Stop by my website (www.judithbglad.com) and read an excerpt.

I'm sure you all know that Uncial Press (www.uncialpress.com) is my newest enterprise, in league with my younger daughter. We're having a wonderful time, reading submissions and choosing the stories we love. It's sort of like having a whole library all of our own. The only real drawback is that there's never time to go back and re-read the stories after they're published, because we've moved on to the next one in our queue of upcoming titles. If you know someone who is looking for a publisher, tell them about us. We're always seeking good stories.

What are your plans for this coming summer? Are you heading for the beach? The mountains? A cruise? Or just staying home and relaxing in the garden with a good book? I'm hoping to head for the beach for a week with friends and family, and am already crossing my fingers for good weather. Of course, from here the beach is only a couple of hours away, so a (very expensive) tank of gas will get me there and back again. Otherwise it would be the garden and the book.

Have you ever piled the kids in the car and just taken off, on the spur of the moment? We used to do that, and saw some marvelous country when we did. There were six of us, and we didn't always fit in the station wagon (this was before the mini-van era), and we didn't have a tent. So we did a lot of sleeping under the stars (and the rain, and the wind, and once even the snow). Looking back, I wish we'd done more of it, because there's still a lot of country I haven't seen. Of course, some of it isn't accessible in the family car-- Australia, for instance, and New Zealand. I've seen the Panama Canal, but not Venice, the National Gallery (in Washington, DC) but not the Louvre, Grand Coulee Dam, but not the Great Pyramid at Gaza. A person would need two or three lifetimes to see everything worth seeing, do everything worth doing, at least one who's an itchy-footed tourist like I am. Perhaps in my next life, I'll be a tour guide (or a migrating bird).

Gosh, where did all this philosophy come from? That's the trouble with having a captive audience. One tends to blather on. So as a reward, let me share with you one of my favorite camping recipes (for when you take off, on the spur of the moment...).

Campfire Applesauce with Ginger Dumplings

1 pkg gingerbread mix
1 jar applesauce (16 oz or larger)
1 tart apple (or two, if you like very chunky applesauce)
sugar to taste (I like brown sugar)
1 tbs ground cinnamon*
1 tsp ground ginger*
1/4 tsp ground cloves*

Peel and core apple and chop into 1/4" chunks. Add to applesauce and spices and heat in Dutch oven or stewpot to simmer. Prepare gingerbread mix with only enough liquid to make a soft dough. Drop gingerbread mix by tablespoons on top of simmering applesauce (use only enough to mostly cover the top of the applesauce) and cover tightly. Cook until gingerbread is done (about the same time as baking it; the dough should be cooked, but will be quite soft and moist). If you're cooking over a campfire, watch carefully, because it needs to stay just below a boil.

We used Jiffy Gingerbread Mix when the kids were young, but I haven't seen it for years, and Google didn't find it. Most modern mixes are fancier, and make a lot more, so you may have to experiment. If you have any left over after topping the applesauce, try cooking blobs on a griddle or in a skillet. Interesting cookies.

*spice to taste. I tend to have a heavy hand with them.

Have a wonderful Spring and Summer (or Fall and Winter, if you're on the other side of the Earth).

Be well,

Jude