Not So Mysterious

 

 

I've written the beginning of my first mystery novel. 

 

Before you get too excited for me though, perhaps I should explain that it's only the first 16 words. And I wrote them years ago.

 

I even made a graphic to go along with the it. Not that, of course, novels have graphics in them {{sigh}}. 

Two things come into play here, both of which I've talked about many times on this blog before. One of them, I greatly enjoy. The other? Not so much.

I love mysteries. I always have. From TV shows to movies to books, mystery is my thing. Suspense, thrillers, intrigue, whodunits, especially those with a twist ending. I love trying to figure it all out, and am equally happy when I do (unless it's too overly obvious), and when they take me totally by surprise.

I've mentioned, many times on here, both my love of mysteries, and my favorite writers. I even wrote a blog post called From A to Y, A Tribute, about how much I'd miss Kinsey Milhone after Sue Grafton died. I wrote a very (very) short mystery, not a whodunit but a who-is-she blog post called Speculation, which became interactive. So much fun to see all the guesses in the comments of that post. 

 

I even, on one rare occasion, wrote a book review, despite the fact that we all knew the whodunit of that story: Book Review, The Mueller Report.

The spoiler that comes into play here, and the reason I may have to abandon my masterpiece permanently (good thing I've only got 16 words . . . well, and a useless graphic . . . invested), is something else I've written about here on the blog, aging. There was a birthday post called Bah Humbug, and a seniors comparison when my son was a senior in high school and I was getting AARP solicitations. And that was years ago. 

 

Maybe you can see some of what I'm talking about in this FB decade challenge I participated in a few years ago.

 

 

 

Or maybe not . . .  

Truth is, aging has added a lot to my life. I now have some new color in my hair (and it's free), music (OK, creaks) coming from my knees, contacts, glasses, AND readers (in multiple rooms . . . and my purse, no less), you know, all that good stuff. 

It's taken a lot too. Not my love of reading, or the joy I get from baking (phew). But it has kinda taken the fun out of the whole who-done-it mystery thing.

 

 

Raspberry Speculoos Cookies

 

The collision of these two formerly unrelated pieces of my life now has me, instead of writing mysteries, living them. Figuring out who done it in my everyday life? Not so much fun.

For instance (and SPOILER ALERT: since they're certainly not going to be the topic of any book I may write, I'm giving away the endings). You've been warned . . .

 

Who kept the envelope and shredded the bill?

     It was me.

 

Who didn't save the post before leaving the site?

     It was me.

 

Who put the pick-up pizza order in the cart but never placed the order?

     It was me.

 

Who's almost sure she put all of the cake ingredients in the mixer?
     It was me.

Who started preparing a family celebration meal and realized she bought everything but the lasagna noodles?

     It was me.

Who put the sponge in the refrigerator?
     It was me.

 

Who charged her laptop when it was her cell phone that was dying?

     It was me.

Who baked the Summer Citrus Cake, then went to the cook out without it?

     It was me.

Who drove to the gynecologist's office for an appointment with the opthamologist?

     You know who.

As I said, I'm still an avid reader, I'll never stop (contacts, glasses and/or readers notwithstanding). But there's a pretty good chance I'm going to need to find a new genre to delve into. 

 

And I'm thinking, just in case what I'm reading continues to spill over in my life, I'd best not go with horror.

Raspberry Speculoos Cookies       

                                                                              ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 stick butter, room temperature

1/2 stick margarine, room temperature

1/3 cup speculoos (cookie butter)

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup raspberries, quartered

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Directions (makes about 32 cookies):
*Preheat oven to 357 degrees. Cover baking sheets with parchment paper.

*Beat the butter, margarine, cookie butter, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg. Slowly and carefully beat in the flour, baking soda, and salt.

*Mix in the raspberries and white chocolate chips.

*Roll the dough into balls, about 3/4 in round. With wet hands, fatten the cookies slightly. Bake for 14 minutes, until they are set and the bottoms are brown.

*Cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before removing to cool completely.

It's a Mystery: Word Counters

 

Counting my words again. 

Today my fellow Word Counters and I are sharing our monthly group post. Each month one group member picks  a number between 12 and 50. All participating bloggers are then challenged to write something (or a few somethings, as the case may be) using that exact number of words. Today we all share what we came up with. 

 This month's number is 24. 
It was chosen by Mimi of Messymimi's Meanderings.

As I've been doing in these Word Counters posts, I've chosen a theme and am using my word count multiple times in keeping with the theme. This month I've chosen the theme It's a Mystery.  

 

~ I often mention what I'm reading and watching, you probably already know that my favorite genre is mystery, fact (mostly television) or fiction (books). 

 

~ Why the long term love of mystery? I think it's engaging because it's more interactive, a challenge to figure it out before the ending.

~ But it's genesis, the very first books I can remember loving, owning, and reading entirely (multiple times) were two series: Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys.

~ And televsion shows? A friend actually called me to express his sympathy when Raymond Burr died. Can you guess what my favorite show was?

~ As I age, though, mystery has morphed from enjoying figuring out "who done it," to more of a lifestyle. One I'm decidedly NOT embracing.

~ Who put the canned mandarin oranges in the silverware drawer? And who preheated the oven on a hot day for a no bake pie?

 

Mandarin Pineapple Refrigerator Pie

 

~ Who forgot to buy the main casserole ingredient? Who preheated the oven, then didn't put dinner in? And why is dinner now sandwiches? Again.

 

~ Who has never used (and has no idea how to) the television recorder, yet recorded the shopping channel in the middle of the night?

 

~ Just wait until I get my hands on whoever left my glasses out on the back deck. Overnight. And in the rain, no less?

 

~ Perhaps the underlying reason why I'm not enjoying this new mystery lifestyle revolves around the ending. Everyone knows "who done it." And it's me.

Here are links to the other Word Counters posts:

On the Border 

Messymimi’s Meanderings 

Mandarin Pineapple Refrigerator Pie        
                                                       ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup orange juice

1 box (3 oz) pineapple jello mix

1 can (11 oz) mandarin oranges

1 can (15 oz) pineapple chunks

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 TBSP brown sugar

4 TBSP milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

3 TBSP powdered sugar

6 oz cream cheese, room temperature

 

OPT: whipped cream for garnish

Directions:

*Heat 1/2 cup orange juice in the microwave for about 1 minute or until hot. Whisk the pineapple jello mix into the orange juice and set aside.

*Drain the mandarin oranges and the pineapple chunks. Set aside about 1/3 cup of each for the garnish, and gently pat the rest dry. Cut the pineapple chunks in half.

*Grease a 9 inch pie plate. Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and milk. Pat into and partially up the sides of the greased pie plate.

*Whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and whip until stiff peaks hold.

*In a separate bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with the jello and orange juice mixture. Once smooth, gently mix in the mandarin oranges and pineapple chunks, then fold in the whipped cream. 

*Pour into the crust and refrigerate for at least an hour. Garnish with the reserved 1/3 cup each of mandarin oranges and pineapple chunks, and whipped cream, if desired. Store, covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator.

From A to Y, a Tribute

This is something new for me. I don't do tributes to people I don't know. Part of it is just simply because I don't know them. Famous people die all the time, many of whom through their words or their art or their politics have touched my life in a personal way. But I acknowledge that I only knew them through their public professional persona. There are those with a personal connection who are much more qualified to do them justice.

This instance is a little different. Author Sue Grafton recently died of cancer. I was saddened to hear it, not only because I have loved her books for 35 years, but because the way her daughter announced the news was so touching. 

    
Sue left her family too soon. And Sue's main character and alter ego Kinsey Millhone left my reading world all too soon. From "A is for Alibi" in 1982 through "Y is for Yesterday" published just a few months ago, I've followed Kinsey's life, both personal and professional. I've waited with anticipation the release of each new book, for the chance to jump back into Kinsey's world and follow her route to solving mystery after mystery.

There are other authors I view the same way as Sue, writers whose latest books I look forward to and enjoy every bit as much. Jonathan Kellerman, Janet Evanovich, Kathy Reichs, Harlan Coben, Sandra Brown . . . and how could I not love those mysteries where the chefs or bakers solve the crime and even share recipes in the book?

There have been losses before too, Philip R. Craig, who died in 2007 wrote mysteries based on Martha's Vineyard. I was invested in those characters as well, felt sad at the loss of that series of books too.

Taco Shrimp

Sue's daughter Jamie states that Sue "was adamant that her books would never be turned into movies or TV shows, and in that same vein, she would never allow a ghost writer to write in her name." Although I will miss these books, this character, and though I feel that this series ends abruptly, in an unsatisfactory, unsettling way, I also see the parallel. I hear that Sue had wanted to get that "Z" book written, had even named it "Z is for Zero." But Sue's life ended suddenly. And with her goes Kinsey. that is as it should be.

In a poignant end to her announcement Jamie says "Because of all of those things, and out of the deep abiding love and respect for our dear sweet Sue, as far as we in the family are concerned, the alphabet now ends at Y." Me too, Jamie, me too.

I didn't know Sue of course, but I feel as though I knew Kinsey. And I will miss her. 

When it comes to authors, I think that's a pretty great tribute.

Taco Shrimp       
                                    ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

3 TBSP taco seasoning
1 1/2 # large raw shrimp
2 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP butter
1 tsp minced garlic
4 - 6 tortillas
3 cups rice
1 lime
1 cup Pico de Gallo, my homemade recipe HERE
1 TBSP chopped cilantro
1 ripe avocado, sliced

Directions:
*Peel and devein shrimp, leaving the tail on. Pat dry, place in a bowl, sprinkle with the taco seasoning and mix well so all the shrimp is coated. Cover and refrigerate for 1 1/2 hours.
*Cook the rice.
*Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and the shrimp. Cook shrimp for about 2 minutes, turn over and cook the other side until the shrimp is fully cooked.
*Place a tortilla on each plate and divide the rice onto the center of each one. Add the shrimp, drizzle with lime juice, top with Pico de Gallo and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with the avocado slices.