Kaylin's April 2011 Newsletter

“April prepares her green traffic light and the world thinks go.”
- Christopher Morley, John Mistletoe

Hello Readers and Fellow Authors:

Is it really April? Apparently so! Not entirely sure where February and March went, however, between travel, family obligations, and community functions, I’ve been a bit too busy to notice. And isn’t it amazing how many clocks you find in your home when it’s time to Spring them forward? They seem to be in every room in the household…on every appliance…on every ten foot wall. It usually takes a few days to finally get them in order. But have you ever wondered what actually happens to that precious hour we lost? Could it be floating around in the atmosphere — just waiting for Fall to roll back around? Hovering in another dimension until it’s rediscovered? Now just imagine for a moment if we could accumulate that lost hour on a daily basis and eventually get them all back in one fell swoop. Ah, the extra hours we could sleep in…the blistery Winter days we could forgo…

Quote of the Day:

“Hail in the Spring, a start of new beginnings. Creativity awe-inspiring gives a reason to be living. Plant life showing life anew, a wonder to be found. New born lambs playing in the fields, birds nesting all around. People enjoying the sun and the warmth, feeling good to be alive. Spring gives a purpose to our lives, a touch of Paradise.” - Kay M. Sutton, Bring in the Spring

Congratulations to Chuck E. Otto for winning Kaylin’s “Luck of the Irish” Contest…

…and a free Kindle valued at $189… The perfect wireless reading device to download and enjoy your copy of Flaherty’s Crossing. And here’s his winning entry:

St Peter’s Quiz:

A petty thief, a teacher and a lawyer died in a plane crash and met up at Heaven’s gates. When they got there, they were stopped by St. Peter.

“Sorry, it’s extremely crowded at the moment,” he said. “If you want to get in, you’ll each need to answer one question correctly.”

They all shook their heads in agreement. Then St. Peter looked at the teacher and asked her, “What was the name of the famous ocean-liner that sank after hitting an iceberg?”

“Oh, that’s easy,” the teacher replied. “The Titanic.”

“That’s right! You may enter.” Next he turned to the petty thief and figuring Heaven didn’t REALLY need all the aggravation this guy would bring with him decided to make the question a little harder. “How many people died on the ship?” he asked.

Fortunately for him, the thief had just seen the movie. “One thousand two hundred and twenty-eight,” he answered.

St. Peter stepped aside and allowed him to pass. Then he turned to the lawyer and said, “Name them.”

Kaylin’s Recommended Reads for April:

* Red Azalea by Anchee Min -This powerful memoir, set in China, tells of growing up during the Cultural Revolution, “where the soul was secondary to the state, beauty was mistrusted, and love could be punishable by death.” A New York Times Notable Book.

* When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka – A nameless Japanese-American family is sent to a Utah internment camp during World War II. Their emotional devastation is revealed in spare, haunting prose that draws the reader into the story.

* Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers – Harriet Vane returns to Oxford University just as a rash of unpleasant incidents occur, including poison pen letters, obscene graffiti, and burning effigies. Harriet, along with her paramour and partner Lord Peter Wimsey, try to find the culprit before the odd events turn deadly.

Kaylin’s Recipe of the Month: Caprese-Style Herbed Strata

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Ready in: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 6
Baking Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted plus more for greasing pan
* 6 large slices of sturdy bread (about 1/2-inch thick)
* 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
* 1 cup sun dried tomatoes, finely chopped
* 1/2 cup basil, finely chopped
* 4 large eggs
* 2 cups milk
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish. Line the bottom of the dish with about 3 slices of bread. You will need to cut some slices to make sure the bottom is entirely covered. Spread half of the sun dried tomatoes and all of the basil on top of the bread. Sprinkle half of the cheese. Repeat with the remaining pieces of bread, sun dried tomatoes and cheese.

2. In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, milk, melted butter, salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture over the bread layers. Gently press down bread to insure that bread is fully submerged. Cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 5 hours or even better overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake strata until golden and bubbly, about an hour. Allow dish to sit for 5 minutes before serving. For a Provencal twist, use olive tapenade instead of sun-dried tomatoes. Both are equally good!

So remember … Stay positive. Give happiness away and be sure to recommend Flaherty’s Crossing to everyone you know!

Have a great month!

Kaylin

www.kaylinmcfarren.com