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This year I volunteered to host Christmas dinner at my house for the entire family. This includes cooking the ENTIRE Christmas meal for about 25 people! Something that I have never done before. In years past, our family did the potluck thing, where you are only responsible to bring a dish or two. Not sure how it turned into cooking the entire meal, but here we are, and I am in the thick of it! What have I gotten myself into??!!!! Ugh!!! lol
On both sides of the family, we have some absolutely fabulous cooks! I wouldn't say that I am a bad cook, but I'm definitely not the best either. I come from a long line of great cooks on both my mother's side of the family and my dad's. So in that vein, I definitely feel the pressure to present a great tasting palette of food (and I suppose if I don't, they will never want me to volunteer again -- that might be a good thing! HaHa).
Now that I have volunteered, let's see what kind of assistance I have on the home front:
**My kids are too young to cook anything other than pre-packaged cookies, frozen waffles, and the 3-minute "Ramen" noodle packs.
**My husband thinks he is a fabulous cook! His father and mother certainly are...so what happened to him??? I have in the past been forced to BAN my husband from the kitchen, actually on a couple of occasions (OK, that's an entirely different story that I will have to elaborate on some other time, LOL). So is it safe to allow him in the kitchen to help with the Christmas meal this year? Ummm, the verdict is still not in on that one.
** My precious spoiled-brat dog, Sammy...well at least he'll be good to clean up any droppings made on the floor!
Judging from my pool of assistants, I might be on my own here.
Shall I fear???? NO
Why? Because I have several colleagues willing to help me out by sharing some of their own favorite and beloved recipes! YAY!!!!!!!!!!
So in the coming week, I will be posting some of those recipes I have received by fellow authors, editors, etc., on my blog.
If you would like to contribute to my recipe file, have a favorite holiday recipe (doesn't have to be your own) and you don't mind if I share it on my blog (along with your picture and bio/book bio), please inbox me at my email address tdeniseclarybooks@hotmail.com
God Bless and Happy Holidays!
T Denise Clary
What have you found that works best as you build your platform? What about the worst, or least effective? Personally, I am still trying to figure out what has worked best for me. Both 'word of mouth' and online presence has pretty much been running neck-n-neck for me.
Well I came across another great article, written by Christina Katz for Writer's Digest titled, "50 Simple Ways to Build Your Platform in 5 Minutes a Day."
In the article, Ms. Katz discusses how to launch your platform, 50 quick and simple ways! Check it out at the link http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/50-simple-ways-to-build-your-platform-in-5-minutes-a-day?et_mid=529771&rid=233116149
Blessings to you in all your platform building and writing endeavors!
God Bless!
T Denise Clary
New Bible verse posted as of Sunday, December 11th...Have a great week!
Psalm 18:2 (NIV)
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
God Bless!
T Denise Clary
As we get deeper into the holiday season, around the same time every year I tend to find myself becoming more stressed.
Why?
Because there seems to be an endless amount of things to do and so very little time to get them done, such as: Christmas gift buying; shopping for the perfect outfits for the holiday parties; attend several holiday parties; decorate the house, inside and out; attend festivities such as Christmas concerts and outdoor holiday church functions with the kids; get pictures taken with Santa (although I am envisioning the same screaming fest I witnessed last year when my then one year old was forced to sit on the lap of a white haired old guy in a flashy red suit); more shopping, more decorating, more holiday gatherings; and of course holiday cooking and eating, eating, eating!
This evening, as I was placing decorations around the house with my kids, my mind couldn't stop racing about all the things needing my attention and all the events happening this week (i.e. this weekend alone there are two holiday parties and a Christmas concert my husband and I are suppose to attend. Not to mention my teenage son was invited to attend three parties of his own). One of the last decorating items I pulled from the storage box was my nativity scene I usually place on the center of my coffee table each year. As I arranged the Wise Men figurines, then Mary, Joseph, the Angel, and lastly the figurine of the baby Jesus...I was suddenly reminded of what the holiday season is all about!
Being a Christian, of course I am consciously aware of what Christmas is all about. However, sometimes during the hustle and bustle of things, my mind tends to slip and drift into what Christmas has become (i.e. endless sea of commercialism). And sometimes the Lord will send me a little reminder telling me that, "Jesus is the reason for the season!"
So through a simple nativity figurine set, I was reminded tonight that the season is not about shopping and gifts, attending holiday functions, or decorating. But it is about the Messiah, Christ...God's gift to us! I thank God for His little reminders!
Do you find yourself sometimes having to be reminded of what the season is all about?
Let's celebrate, but not forget why we are celebrating...Jesus Christ was born!
God Bless!
T Denise Clary
