A Childhood Recipe to celebrate An Eclectic Collage

Crispy Rice Cereal Treats Dyed Bright Pink!

Okay, I realize the top photo looks like hamburger...but I promise, it's not. This is a new beloved childhood recipe I'm posting to celebrate the release of An Eclectic Collage  a compendium of the Pixie Chicks Writers. In An Eclectic Collage, you'll find more of my fun recipes that you can add/change and foster your creativity.

Basic Recipe:

4 tablespoons margarine or butter

6 cups crispy rice cereal

1 16 ounce bag of marshmallows (fresh mini marshmallows work best)

In a large saucepan, heat the butter on medium heat until it melts. Add marshmallows and stir constantly until marshmallows all melt. Remove from heat. Add crispy rice cereal and stir well. Using a greased spatula, spread mixture in a buttered 15 X 10 inch pan. Cut into bars when cooled.

Okay, now for the variations:
Add vanilla or rum or orange or lemon extract, a teaspoon or two.
Add a cup of nuts, or raisins or any dried fruit, or a cup of chocolate bits (or a third a cup of each!).

Add any spices you like, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, cardamon.
Add 1/3 cup of cocoa.
Or be daring and trying a bit of pepper and hot sauce to the cocoa! Strange but good if you like it weird and spicy!

Cooking creates!

And just one off topic note--there's an interview about my childhood life and how it comes out in stories at midlist writer. No recipes, just the Navajo!

BSP is hard to do

Above are a couple of examples of BSP. The first is a recipe card that is a teaser or taste (pun intended) for the second, a signing for the upcoming release of the compendium, "An Eclectic Collage." The recipe cards I make by cutting and pasting onto Avery White Quarter Fold Greeting Cards Avery 3266. I copy and paste till each section is filled and then I have 4 cards per sheet.Then the cards promote the book at the signing.

I've had the good fortune to be published several times lately and have an upcoming release, a couple of things in "An Eclectic Collage." So I've been attempting to promote my work. And finding it a bit difficult. Oh, not in opportunities to promote, but rather in the feeling that BSP is somehow a four letter word. Perhaps it's the word, "blatant," does anybody want to be blaring an accomplishment? Doesn't that seem egotistical? Then I remember what my mom always said, "If you don't tell people, they won't know." She repeated this often because my dad was an artist and, a very shy man, he hated gallery openings, media interviews, etc.He just wanted to go do his art. I think that may be true of many creative people.

So when I worry about mentioning something and I'm procrastinating about promoting I tell myself, "Maybe some people might want to know about this."

How about you, dear reader? Do you enjoy promotion? Hate it? Don't care? Care too much?

New Year's Resolution, just one

My one resolution this is year is to relax as much as possible about my creative life. Yes, all creative people are neurotic and driven, I believe, but this year I'm working hard to remember what my friend Kathy of Well Placed Words says, "Writing is my love, my passion. When I remember that, I write more, better." How true for all us creative types!

Anyone else have a "creative" resolution?

And...

HAPPY NEW 2011!