That I want to write professionally?

I am no longer the editor of a lifestyle magazine in Northwest Georgia. I gave it up because I had too many things pulling me in too many directions. Besides, I really want to be a writer. Not normally one to doubt myself, the decision to get serious about writing is one that still fills me with uncertainty. Am I disciplined enough? Do I have anything to say that others want to hear? How much time will it or should it take? What shall I write--mystery, romance, historical (or possibly hysterical) fiction?

My plan is to begin by getting serious about this blog that I have neglected for a long time. Blogging three times a week for a couple of months may give me a taste of the writer's life. I don't care that some think blogging is dead. For me it serves a purpose--an avenue to share what I write with readers (if there are any out there).

Recently, I was inspired by a friend from Cedartown who wrote a beautiful coming of age novel about growing up in a small town, being reared in a children's home, and the power of relationships. Stan Waits' Another Long, Hot Day made me laugh out loud, then cry, and sometimes both at the same time.Take the time to read it because there are lessons in life to be learned from this debut novel.

As usual, I want to leave you with some Southern comfort. This is a new recipe for me. It has become my go-to quick, comfort food. I hope you enjoy it as much as Jimmy and I do. It smells as good as it tastes. Check back with me later and let me know how you like the recipe. You can contact me at katcarterblog@gmail.com.

Oven-baked Chicken and Dumplings
3-4 chicken breasts, baked or use rotisserie from the grocery
1 stick or butter, melted
1-2 tablespoons rubbed sage ( We like lots but adjust to your taste.)
pepper to taste
2 cups of Bisquik
2 cups milk (I use 2%)
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon thyme
2 tablespoons chicken granules

Preheat oven to 400.
1. Pour melted butter in 8X12 casserole dish.
2. Spread shredded chicken over butter.
3. Sprinkle chicken with sage and pepper.
4. Mix Bisquik and milk together. Pour gently over chicken.
5. Mix soup, broth, rosemary, thyme, and chicken granules. Pour over top. Do not stir.

Bake 30-40 minutes until dumplings are golden. Be careful not to let it burn on the bottom. I serve it with cranberry sauce.

That a total stranger thinks I should be on Prozac?

Over the weekend Jimmy and I went with our friends to see a movie and out to dinner. After the movie I stopped by the ladies' room. Now, this is where the story gets a little strange. After I washed my hands, I grabbed a handful of towels and proceeded to wipe up the mess others had left around the sink. It only took a few seconds, made it more pleasant for the next person, and is something I do in my own home. As I turned around a lady looked at me, shook her head and said, "You need to be on Prozac." I don't know if it was a question or a commentary on her part.

I smiled and said, "I can't help it. It's a habit." In retrospect it sounded apologetic. Now, I am aggravated that I didn't take the opportunity to point out the obvious--if everyone who used a public restroom cleaned up after herself, public restrooms would be so much nicer for all of us. No one needs a mini lecture on bathroom etiquette, but maybe my story will be a gentle reminder to clean up our own messes.

I have to disclose that I am a borderline germaphobe. However, I'm only obsessive in the kitchen. In all other areas I consider myself just very careful about germs. My family teases me unmercifully, but they also appreciate my carefulness when we hear about so many people getting sick from contaminated food items.

So, to the lady who thinks I need Prozac because I cleaned a public sink--the next time you wash your hands in a public restroom, you best hope that someone like me came before you! I promise it will be a nicer experience for you.

Here is a recipe from my germ free kitchen that I hope you will enjoy. This is Jimmy's favorite of all the things I cook. We love them best when I make them with the tomatoes he grows in our garden.

Tomato Pie

1 pie crust

2 cups mozzarella shredded cheese

2-3 large tomatoes

Lots of basil

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

1.      Bake pie crust for about 10 minutes in 400° oven

2.      Add mozzarella cheese.

3.      Slice tomatoes a little thick and place on cheese.

4.      Sprinkle with olive oil and plenty of salt and pepper

5.      Add lots of chopped basil

Bake 400° for 20-30 minutes. Let cool at least 10 min before serving. I like it the next day cold out of the refrig. 

That I totally lost my cool!

This blog may be titled "Loving Rant" but I am sorry to say I ranted not so lovingly yesterday to my precious grandchildren. I really lost it with them over their behavior. However, I think my behavior was worse! After all I am the adult. Maybe it was the rain, or the lasting effects of that beautiful super moon last week, or perhaps the influence of Gru (We had just been to see Despicable Me 2).

Regardless, I have added another rule to my grandmother play book. The rule: Never raise your voice to children. Why? They deserve to be treated with respect so they learn to respect others. We need to model the behaviors that are acceptable, and I don't know about you, but I don't want a 7, 9, or 10 year old raising his or her voice to me. It's important to never loose control when you are responsible for children. And, last but not least, it makes one appear deranged to be screaming at children.

Generally, when the children misbehave badly, it's because they are tired or hungry. Lew, Sophi, and Carter along with my two sweet, beautiful nieces Lauren and Sarah have been with us for the past week. Bedtime and just before are frenetic. It sometimes feels like I am at the zoo trying to corral the animals. However, morning brings about a wonderful transition. Monsters go to bed and wake up as sleepy-eyed, cuddly angels!

Along with this public apology, I want to give my incredibly smart, beautiful grandchildren some things to think about. If I could write the script for your life, I would have you become the kind of person who . . .

• acts with integrity, always in all situations. That means do the right thing and do it right. Always.
• is always kind to others. The golden rule says this one best--treat others the way you want and should be treated.
• always tells the truth. I heard this once and it made so much sense to me. "Always tell the truth, but don't always tell it." In other words, when you speak, always tell the truth, but also know when to keep quiet.
• acts responsibly (which includes carrying out your responsibilities and accepting responsibility for your actions).
• is respectful of others-- that includes but is not limited to adults, people who are different from you, those who are less fortunate than you, those who sacrifice and give so that you are free and protected, those who choose professions that help you grow and develop.
• makes the world a better place. That might mean that you simply brighten someone's day by being kind. Or help save the earth by conserving water or recycling. It may also mean that you impact lives by discovering a cure for cancer or the common cold. Wherever you are and whomever you are near, do whatever you can to make things better.

Lew, Sophi, and Carter, I love you all so much. Please forgive me for yelling (screaming in the car on the side of the road is a more accurate description) at you. That was not an appropriate way to establish my expectations of your behavior. I think we all have room for improvement!

That I am too old to keep working this hard!

At my age one should be on the slower, calmer side of life. I envisioned life at this point to include lots of travel with Jimmy, a book a day, leisure mornings, tending my garden and flowers, and cocktail hour with friends. Instead, I have two jobs. Now, granted, I love both of my jobs. One, editor of NW Georgia Living, feeds my creative side. The other, a performance mentor for candidates working on their education specialist degree in leadership at the University of West Georgia, fills my need to be needed.

So, the essential question here is why am I still working? I think the answer is because it gives my life purpose. Don't get me wrong--I have other purposes in life. Namely, three beautiful grandchildren, Lew, Sophi, and Carter; and my wonderful husband of 41 years. But I do love the work I do on the magazine, and I love helping the bright, dedicated educational leaders fulfill their potential as leaders in our schools. You can check out the magazine at nwgaliving.com . It's a lifestyle magazine that features articles on food, decorating, travel, fashion, advice and more. I think you will like it.

In the mean time, here is a recipe for you to try. This is one of Jimmy's favorites. You can serve it over pasta or mashed potatoes. We like it best over Trader Joe's lemon pepper pasta. Also, you may want to use less lemon juice and cut down on the brine from the capers. We like the tartness of both.

Lemon Caper Chicken
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Flour
Olive oil or butter
Salt  and pepper
Juice of 2 large lemons
2 jars capers
1/2 to 1 cup of white wine (dry)
Pasta cooked or mashed potatoes

1. Salt and pepper the chicken breasts. Dredge in flour.
2. Heat olive oil and brown chicken. Remove chicken from pan.
3. Add lemon juice, jar of capers including brine, and white wine. Scrape pan and stir.
4. Put chicken back in pan. Put more capers (not brine) on chicken.
5. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.
6 . Serve over pasta or mashed potatoes.

That I can't get free medical advice?

Well, I could have titled this loving rant "you can pay me back for all those graduate degrees by answering my dang medical questions;" that is if you would answer your dang phone that is permanently attached to your ear! Yes, my loving daughter, I am talking to you.

My daughter Kelly is a nurse practitioner and a very good one according to other people. I wouldn't know because she never answers my questions or looks at my boo boos. She simply refers me to my family doctor. She is brilliant, highly educated and officially credentialed but doesn't understand that we all need triage at times. By that I mean the unofficial indication as to whether or not this could be serious and needs follow up. She has gotten so good at deferring my inquiries that I can't even read her facial expression or body language to get an answer. I've tried to trick her into answering a couple of times by hinting that "a friend" needs this answer. She says to tell them to make an appointment or see their family doctor.

Now, I know that the medical community considers it unethical to treat a close family member, but there is something twisted about that thinking. I paid for all of that knowledge; I gave birth to her; I took good care of her; I taught her a lot; etc. So, don't I deserve a little free medical advice?

I think I'll make her favorite meal and see if that works. She is a picky eater but loves my recipe for Greek Chicken. Here is the recipe in case you need to bribe someone!

Greek Chicken
4-6 boneless chicken breasts
1/3 c lemon juice
1/2 c white wine
Olive oil and/or butter

Spice Rub
2 T marjoram
2 T oregano
1 T garlic salt
1 T lemon pepper
1 t  parsley

1. Mix spices, rub chicken with olive oil, coat with spice mix.
2. Heat small amount of olive oil in skillet (iron skillet works great). Add chicken and brown on both sides.
3. Add wine and lemon juice to pan. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes til done. If too much liquid, cook uncovered.

• Note: I serve this with roasted butternut squash and asparagus casserole. You can use butter or olive oil. I use olive oil. Also, remember that exact measurements aren't my strength. They are approximations, so if you have a little less or more lemon juice, don't worry.

That life's not fair?

I love food. I mean really, really love food. I love thinking about what to cook when the entire family gets together or my friends come over. I love going to the store to buy the food, seeking the freshest, ripe-to-perfection fruits and veggies and the best cuts of meats. And food prep just turns me on! My fun-loving, crazy sister puts a lot of pressure on me by finishing each meal with, "OMG, that was the best meal I ever ate." Who can top that? Well, I feel that I have to try.

Anyway, back to the fact that life's unfair. I get really excited when it's time for our family vacation each year because it means that I get to think about, purchase, prepare, and serve my family really good food (I don't necessarily mean healthy.) Here is the unfair part--my daughter has taken over the cooking. But the really unfair part is that she is better at it than I am. She is better at planning, purchasing, and preparing the food. And, to top it off she is faster than lightning. My only complaint is that she likes paper products. When she tells me that eating Thanksgiving dinner off paper plates allows more time for togetherness, it sounds reasonable until I look at what could be a beautiful table and see Solo cups and Dixie plates. My friend Glenda would tell me to go for the red solo cup and fill it up!

 If I were thinking rationally, I would be happy about this life-changing transition and enjoy the wonderful food Cristen prepares. I try to help her in the kitchen. After all, I am very experienced. But some how I don't chop the onions the way she likes and she says there is something wrong with my psyche because it is impossible for me to follow her recipe without altering it.

This year we are at the beach again. Here is Cristen's recipe for Shrimp Creole that was given to her by my good friend and Cristen's mother-in-law, Carolyn Story. Now, they both take credit for the recipe but say I have altered it considerably. Oh, well. Regardless of the origin, it's delicious and easy. Enjoy! (This is my first post and I obviously have a lot to learn.)

Shrimp Creole
2 lbs shrimp, peeled
1 lb bacon
1/2 to1cup celery, diced
1/2 to 1 cup green pepper, diced
1/2  cup onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 lrg can diced tomatoes
1 sm can diced tomatoes
4 bay leaves
1/8 t cayenne pepper
1/2 t black pepper
1 t celery salt
1 t oregano

1. Fry bacon til crisp. Reserve 2 T of drippings.
2. Saute veggies in bacon drippings.
3. Add tomatoes and herbs. Sauté 30 minutes.
4. Add peeled shrimp and cook til pink. About 5 minutes. Remove bay leaves.
5. Serve over brown or white rice. Crumble bacon and top.

Note: I don't really measure too carefully but that is what generally gets me in trouble with Cristen!