Judy Teel Guest Post:
FEEDING YOUR
CREATIVITY
One of the problems with writing four to eight hours a day
is your brain runs out of steam. That’s because the food it needs is glucose
and after a while, especially if you forget to stop for lunch, your “little
grey cells” as Agatha Christie’s famous sleuth Hercule Poirot would say, stop
working for you.
A delicious way to
stay powered up—
Have I got the food for you! Never fear, I’m not talking
about frying up some flounder. Fish is great if you like it, but it won’t spark
your creativity the way complex carbs can.
Nope, for super-charged writing, I’m talkin’ cookies, my
friend. Yummy, warm-from-the-oven, cookies. Oatmeal to be specific.
Below is a recipe that not only provides your brain
immediate fuel, but also longer term power, protein, and even that all
important type of fat for your brain: omega-3s.
So, get out your mixing bowls and turn your oven to 350° F,
because here we go!
Ingredients--
·
½ cup shortening
·
½ cup natural sugar (not white, but still in
crystal form)
·
½ cup packed dark brown sugar
·
1 egg
·
½ tsp vanilla extract
·
¾ cup all-purpose flour, or gluten free flour
·
½ tsp baking soda
·
½ tsp salt
·
1 cup rolled oats, or gluten-free oats
·
½ cup chopped raw walnuts
Put it together—
In a large mixing bowl combine the shortening and both types
of sugar and mix into a creamy texture. Mix in the egg and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and
salt. Gradually add to the wet ingredients and blend well. Fold in the oats and
walnuts. If you use an electric mixer for the oats and walnuts, be careful not
to over stir and pulverize them.
For uniform cookies, I prefer to use a melon ball scoop to
drop the dough onto the cookie sheets. I’m obsessive like that. A spoon is
fine. Heck, use your fingers if you want. Whatever you choose, get some blobs
of dough on the cookie sheet and place them about one inch apart.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until slightly brown. Move to a
cooling rack (or not, just have something cold to drink handy!).
Start some tea or coffee while you clean up your mess. When
the cookies are cool, arrange some on a plate, grab your drink and get back to
work.
With yummy brain food like this within reach, the ideas will
flow like a river and you’ll have the stamina to keep up with them!
What’s your favorite way to stay motivated and working when you write?
Links used:
BLURB:
...some
people will do anything for revenge.
A
tough PI struggles to track down a vengeful serial killer only to discover that
the murderer holds the key to her secret magical heritage.
Book
One in the YA13 paranormal/mystery series Dangerous Magic by Judy Teel.
"Expect action, on-the-edge-of-your-seat suspense, and the perfect touch
of romance."
Excerpt:
Resting my right hand on my gun, I poked the yellow button
of my office door’s remote with my left index finger. My muscles tightened for
action as the thick metal barrier swung ponderously open with a long-suffering
hiss of hydraulics.
Cooper’s curious gaze swept over me and around the room.
Wizard’s attention swept over Cooper. When the two of them locked eyes, the
Were tensed and the cat started purring. Wizard rose to her feet and arched her
back in a luxurious stretch, her focused attention never leaving the Were.
He was dressed for work, which in the FBI world meant black
slacks and shoes, crisp white dress shirt, black jacket and a tie. The tie was
bright yellow with a picture of Bugs Bunny on it.
He narrowed his luminous silver-green gaze on my cat, and
then landed it back on me. “You should check your video readout before opening
the door,” he said with that kind of authoritative sternness that inspired
people like me to do the opposite.
I frowned at him. “What do you want?”
“To hire you. But first I need your alibi.”
“It’s too early for alibis,” I said, taking a sip of coffee
to cover my surprise. As far as I knew, I hadn’t done anything obviously
illegal. At least, not lately.
He glided into my office in that graceful, menacing way
Weres had, and I buzzed the door closed. Despite looking barely old enough to
buy a beer, Cooper radiated energy and purpose like the sun did heat. As the
door clicked shut, he filled the space making the bread-box size of my office
feel more like a matchbox.
His expression sobered as he eased himself gingerly onto one
of the spindly folding chairs. “Where were you last night between the hours of
eleven and one?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
I live in
North Carolina with my boisterous family–husband, three kids, a dog and a
geriatric bunny–and yup, I’m Southern so occasionally I let a “y’all” slip
out. Maybe more than occasionally.
I love my job
and dedicate as much of my time to writing as I can. When I’m not doing the
weaving of the adventurous and romantic tales, I’m running errands, driving people
around (or crazy depending on your perspective), and generally pretending I’m a
grownup.
When I was
fifteen, I knew I wanted to be a novelist–wanted to write for Harlequin
actually. But the calling to tell stories came a lot earlier than that, I just
didn’t know what it meant.
I had a lot
of growing up to do before I could manage it, though many would claim the
growing up part didn’t take--you know who you are--but I finally have my dream
job.
Life rocks—so
should the books you read!
Webpage: http://judyteel.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/JudyTeelBooks?ref=hl
Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/judyteelbooks
Amazon Author
Page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B008K8WHHI
Shifty Magic
for Nook:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shifty-magic-judy-teel/1115409891?ean=2940016703961
Shifty Magic
for Kindle: http://amzn.com/B00CXQ7EOE
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The Hungry Fan's Game Day Cookbook: 165 Recipes for Eating, Drinking & Watching Sports by Daina Falk
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