The Chocolate Thief

Merry Christmas to all! We've been celebrating the holidays the last few days with plenty of food (the diet starts next week!) and just being together. It's been wonderful to have both of my daughters home this year.

Last night we decided to go out to see "Les Miserables" which opened yesterday in movie theatres. Great show! Loved the acting and the singing. I remembered the songs from seeing the theatre production many years ago. "Les Miserables" remains one of my top favorite musicals of all time.

Returning home after three hours (yes, the show is that long), we were greeted by a scene of devastation in our living room. Ripped wrapping paper and torn boxes once containing chocolates were strewn over the floor. The culprit - our dog Lou, a notorious chocoholic. In our rush to get to the movie, we'd neglected to put the opened chocolate up high where she couldn't get at it, and left it instead on the coffee table. She cleaned out two chocolate boxes that were almost empty, one box we'd just opened, and an unopened 'chocolate orange' (a solid ball of orange flavored milk chocolate the size of an orange). All that was left were the empty boxes and a dog with a guilty expression.

We really should have known better. The same thing occurred a few Christmases back when the dog ate an entire box of expensive Belgian chocolates given to us by a friend. Back then I'd phoned our veterinary clinic and was advised that chocolate could be toxic to dogs. I was told to give Lou a teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide to make her throw up.

So guess what I was doing last night? Cleaning up after the dog. Merry Christmas to me.

On the bright side, this morning I found the chocolate orange that we thought she'd eaten yesterday. She'd taken it out of the box and then carried it into my office where she'd hidden it behind a box, presumably to finish later. Aside from a couple of teeth marks on the foil wrapper, it was totally intact.



Lou, the notorious chocolate thief

Note to self: next Christmas hide all the chocolate. Otherwise, make sure to have plenty of hydrogen peroxide on hand.

LASR Stuff Your Stocking with Books Blogfest!

Long and Short Reviews is once again sponsoring the Stuff Your Stocking with Books Blogfest from December 17 to 21, 2012. My post, a Christmas short story called "The Christmas Wish", will go live at 2:00 pm on December 17. Here's the link:

http://lasrguest.blogspot.com/2012/12/stuff-your-stocking-blogfest-jana.html

One random commentor on the post will win a PDF copy of my contemporary romantic comedy "Rescue Me". I'd love to see you there so comment away!

Please remember the post won't go live until 2 in the afternoon. I hope you enjoy my story!

Secret Santa Blog Hop!

My Dog Loves Winter!

My dog is a winter dog. Lou is a Pug/Terrier cross, and like other Pugs (or part Pugs), she tends to overheat. In the summer, we have to make sure to take her out for her walks early in the morning before it gets too hot, or late at night after it cools down. If she gets too hot, she'll pant, stop numerous times in the shade, roll around in the cool grass. Eventually, she'll just stop walking, too hot to move another inch. I've found myself carrying her home before I figured out that she didn't do well in the heat. Trust me, twenty-five pounds of overheated dog is really heavy when you have carry her home several blocks!

So Lou loves cold weather, probably much more than I do. Luckily for her we live in Winnipeg, Canada and have many days of cold weather and plenty of snow. It's funny to watch her jump through the snow with her short little legs. She's so short, and sometimes the snow in our back yard is so deep, that we have to break trail for her so she can do her business, either by walking through the snow ourselves, or by blowing a path with the snowblower.

It's ironic that in summer she meanders along, stopping to sniff everything, and taking her sweet time getting anywhere, while in the winter she pulls me down the icy streets at breakneck speed. I'm barely able to keep upright. But Lou is always up for a walk, so I've learned to put cleats on my winter boots and keep on going.

If it gets too cold, like minus 15 Celius or colder, Lou has trouble walking. Hey, if you had to walk around barefoot in the snow at that temperature you'd have trouble too! So we put on her boots and her coat. She's not crazy about getting dressed up, but once she gets outside, she happily frolics in the snow wearing her ensemble!

This winter promises to be a cold one, but Lou and I will dress up warm and brave the weather together. And together this Christmas we'll greet our guests and enjoy a wonderful Christmas dinner. Lou especially likes the turkey innerds (gizzards, hearts, livers), which I am more than happy to part with!

I haven't decided what to put in Lou's Christmas stocking this year. Maybe it will be a chew toy or maybe she'll get dog treats. She doesn't really care as long as her people are around her giving her lots of love. Which is exactly the way it should be.

All the best this Christmas from Jana and Lou. Stay warm and enjoy the snow!

Here's my question about my post:  What's Lou's favorite Christmas treat?
To be eligible to win my prize, a PDF copy of my latest release, "Home Fires", please comment  on this post. Winner of prize will be chosen at random from all comments received.

And don't forget about at the grand prize being awarded at the Secret Santa Blog Hop - a Kindle Fire HD to be given away December 20! Remember, you've got three ways to get entries to win the Kindle Fire; answer my question, follow my blog, or comment on my post. You don't have to do all of these things, but each one gets you an entry. Make sure you let Carey know what you've done in order to win. Contact Carey at careydoucet@yahoo.com

Here's a blurb from my prize, "Home Fires":

Anne Wakefield travels halfway around the world for love. But when she arrives in Canada from England at the end of World War Two, she discovers the handsome Canadian pilot she’d fallen in love with has married someone else. Heartbroken, she prepares to return to London, though she has nothing left there to return to. Her former fiancé’s mother makes a suggestion: marriage to her other son.

Badly wounded and scarred during the war, Erik Gustafson thinks he’s a poor substitute for his brother. Although he loves Anne almost from the first time he sees her, he cannot believe she would ever be able to love him as he is – especially as he might be after another operation on his bad leg.  Anne sees the beauty of his heart. The cold prairie winter may test her courage, but can she prove to Erik that her love for him is real?

To read an excerpt from "Home Fires", please go to my website. "Home Fires" can be purchased from my publisher, The Wild Rose Press.

So tell Carey whether you've commented, followed my blog or answered my question at careydoucet@yahoo.com To do some more blog hopping, hop on back to Tabby's Nocternal Nights. Happy Hopping!

Hot Autumn Nights Blog Hop!

I live in Canada where autumn nights can be very chilly. But keeping warm on a cold night can be fun, especially if you've got someone to keep warm with! There's nothing I like better than to cuddle with my husband under a blanket while we watch TV and enjoy a hot drink. Here's a couple of my favorite hot drinks for a cold night.

Hot Chocolate & the Adult Hot Chocolate

Who doesn't like hot chocolate? I have to admit that most of my hot chocolate drinks come from a mix. But if you want to upgrade your hot chocolate, add 2 oz. of Peppermint Schnapps. It adds a depth of flavour and a touch of sweetness that will warm you from the inside out. If you like, hang a mini candy cane on the side of your mug for an even mintier taste.

Hot Buttered Rum (my favorite!)

1 small slice butter

1 tsp. brown sugar

Optional spices: ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, allspice
Vanilla extract

2 oz. dark rum

Hot water

Preparation:
1. Place butter, sugar and spices at the bottom of an Irish Coffee glass or mug
2. Mix well.
3. Pour in rum and hot water. Stir and enjoy.
    Yields one drink

Do you have a favorite cold weather drink? I'd love you to share! All comments are eligible for the Grand Prize - a $140 Barnes and Noble Gift Certificate. I'm also offering as a prize a PDF copy of my contemporary romantic comedy "Rescue Me". To be eligible you must comment on this post. Winner will be chosen at random from all comments received. So comment away!

To find other stops on the Blog Hop, go here:

http://www.bellamediamanagement.com/blog-hops/hot-autumn-night-blog-hop/ 

The Romance Reviews Year End Splash Party

Today is my Q & A day at the TRR Year End Splash Party. Answer my question for your chance to win a copy of my contemporary romantic comedy "Rescue Me". There are prizes to be won at every author's blog, plus a chance at the grand prize - a $100 gift card. The party runs from now until December 15, so come to the TRR blog and play the game to win!

Baking for Remembrance Day

For this Remembrance Day, I will pay my respects by baking a treat called Anzac Biscuits. These biscuits (don’t ever call them cookies) trace their origins back to World War One when women from Australia and New Zealand wanted to send a treat to husbands and sons serving on the front lines in Europe. They needed a biscuit that could survive the long trip and these little cookies, I mean biscuits, did the job. Here’s the recipe:

Anzac Biscuits

250 ml (1 cup) all purpose flour
250 ml (1 cup) large flake oats
250 ml (1 cup) desiccated coconut
250 ml (1 cup) brown sugar, packed
125 ml (1/2 cup) butter
45 ml (3 tbsp.) Lyle’s Golden Syrup
30 ml (2 tbsp) water

Preheat oven to 175 C (350 F). Line rimless baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In large bowl, whisk together flour, oats, coconut, and sugar. Set aside. In small saucepan, stir butter, syrup and water over medium-low heat until butter melts. Stir into dry ingredients. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheet, spacing 5 cm (2 inches) apart. Bake in centre of oven until light golden on bottom., about 15 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer biscuits to wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 2 dozen. Can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container between layers of wax paper.

I got this recipe from the Winnipeg Free Press, where it was adapted from Canadian Living. Writer Allison Gillmor says it’s important to use the Golden Syrup (either Lyle’s or Roger’s), also known as light treacle. In a pinch, she says you can use corn syrup, but you won’t get the "subtle, slightly toasty flavor". She also recommends using parchment paper to keep the cookies from sticking.

You’ll notice that these biscuits use no eggs and no leavening. That’s because recipes such as this were developed during wartime when shortages forced home cooks to develop recipes that didn’t use some basic supplies. Their creativity lives on in these biscuits.

I want to remember those who fought on the front lines and those who served by fighting on the home front.

Lest we forget.

Do you believe in ghosts?

My post goes live today at 11 am at the LASR blog! In keeping with the Halloween theme, I'm blogging about the Fort Garry Hotel in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The century old hotel has long been reputed to be haunted - especially room 202 - and has made believers of even the most skeptical.  I will award one random commenter on my post an e-copy of my latest novella, "Home Fires". I'd love to hear if you believe in ghosts, so comment - if you dare!