My Life is In The Weeds.....

Hello Kid Friendly Organic Life readers! Did you think I’d abandoned you? Never! However, I have been more than a bit distracted of late. Here’s why -

My novel was published just this week by The Story Plant. I’m super excited. Between promoting I’m Not Her and writing (and re-writing) my next novel for Story Plant, I’ve had very little time for me (and you). Here’s what my gardens look like –

See if you can find cucumbers, beans, potatoes, tomatoes, one pepper plant, sweet potatoes, and popcorn hidden in this garden.....

And here we have a zucchini not minding the weeds one bit, and behind that are tomatoes completely swallowed by weeds and blight, sunflowers towering above the wreckage with a watermelon somewhere in that mess...

This front tier of this bed is corn and tomatoes, the next is blueberries (who gave a great crop before being socked in by the weeds), the next is fall peas (the only bed I've managed to keep clean which says something about how much I like sugar snap peas), plus tomatoes and a few peppers, and behind that is what's left of the grapes after the Japanese beetles finished. The weeds are so thick up there, Nick has begun mowing them. (That's wonder dog Frank investigating the tomato falling out of the garden.)

This last garden I'm going to show you (I'm sparing you the two others which are equally as unsightly), is two tiers. The bottom is strawberries and the top is the root crops I have - onion, carrots, oyster root, and scallions. I'm afraid to weed this garden at this point because I might pull up everything else in the process. 

Horrors, I know. Never have I been so in the weeds (as they say in the restaurant business)! I keep repeating the mantra, "Next year...next year....next year..." just like my husband the Phillies fan.

I hope to have a new post up soon about a few garden hacks I attempted this summer. Some worked mightily better than others.

Meanwhile, I have a bribe for you. In exchange for the crazy-good recipe below, I’d be extremely grateful if you could check out my new book, and if you think it warrants, tell EVERYONE YOU KNOW about it.

I probably don’t have to tell you how hard it is for new authors to break into the publishing business. Here’s a few things you could do to help me, if you are so inclined….

Request my book at a local bookstore or library. It’s available in paperback and eformat. You can also find purchase links on my website.

Review my book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or goodreads (or any other sites that invite book reviews).

Tell people about it on Facebook, twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, or your social media of choice.

Select I’m Not Her for your book club. There’s lots to talk about and I’m currently developing a discussion guide that will be posted on my website. (I’m available to visit your book group if local or skype in if not.)

So far, the reviews and press have been great. Apple ibooks named I’m Not Her to their Best New Fiction List which has had me swooning all week, and then today Kobo books listed it on their Pageturner List.

All that’s great, but word-of-mouth is the best way to help a book succeed, so I’d be forever indebted to you if you could help me spread the word. 

As promised, here’s the yummiest recipe I’ve tried all year – (warning: it is not light or very healthy, but it is SO worth it!)

Coconut Poke Cake

Cake

8 Tablespoons Butter

2 Tablespoons Coconut oil (you can play with these numbers and divvy up the butter/coconut oil differently as long as it amounts to 10 Tablespoons)

1 ¼ cups sugar (I used part coconut sugar)

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon almond extract

1 cup white flour

1 cup whole wheat flour (I would also try coconut flour to make it crazy-over-the-top coconut cake)

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup milk (or coconut beverage, or be decadent and use cream or half n half!)

1 (14oz) can cream of coconut

1 (14ox) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (16 oz) cool whip (or make your own cream – even better!)

6 oz flaked sweetened coconut

Heat oven to 350

1. Cream together butter and coconut oil until smooth. Gradually add sugar. Beat until fluffy, 3-4 minutes.

2. Beat in eggs one at a time, then vanilla and almond extracts.

3. Combine flours, baking powder, and salt. Add to egg mixture, a little at a time, alternating with milk. Stir just until smooth.

4. Pour batter into 9x13 pan that has been sprayed with oil (coconut spray is best). Bake until toothpick comes out clean. About 30-35 minutes.

5. Mix together cream of coconut and condensed milk. Poke holes in cake using large fork (I used serving fork). Pour milk mixture over hot cake.

6. Cool Cake. Ice with cool whip. Sprinkle with coconut

OMG – enjoy!

#intheweeds  #ImNotHer #writing #womensfiction #busywriter #notenoughtime