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Dealing with a child with Behavioral Issues. Update. One Year Later

Parenting is an ongoing struggle, isn’t it? I have to say though, that things are much better than they used to be. I think the issues that we deal with now are “normal”.

But something happened over the weekend that I just have to share.

Easter eggs

Easter eggs (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Yesterday there was an Easter egg hunt at our church. Littlest Dude was in the oldest age bracket, and this is probably the first, and last year he would be able to participate. His gaze traveled across the gardens, and a smile touched his lips, seeing the multitude of eggs scattered in the grass (4,000 eggs, I was later informed)

They made an announcement for the older kids not to get the eggs in the middle of the field (Since participants ranged from 2 years to 8 years.) I reiterated the request to Littlest Dude. And then they were off!

There is nothing cuter than several hundred kids running through a field trying to find eggs.

I lost sight of Littlest Dude for a few minutes until his red shirt gave him away back in the trees.

Whew!

At least it seemed that he’s left the easy ones for the other kids. The eggs disappeared quickly, and late-comers ran toward the field, hoping to get there share.

Littlest Dude ran by a few times, bag overflowing but determined to find all the well-hidden eggs. Yep. He’s tenacious. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree on that one.

I grimaced as first-time parents strolled lazily toward the event area, obviously clueless that there may not be anything left for their children. Boy, were they about to be in for a bad morning!

People started to leave, and Littlest Dude is still out there running around, having a grand old time.

Then it happened.

He comes strolling back to us, a huge smile coating his adorable little face, WITH ONLY A FEW EGGS IN THE BOTTOM OF HIS BAG.

“Littlest Dude,” I say. “What happened to all your eggs?”

He shrugs. “A lot of kids didn’t find any, and they were sad, so I gave them my eggs.”

Need a tissue? I did.

I hope this warmed you heart as much as it warmed mine.

JenniFer_Eaton__F

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The Little Blue Lady Makes Chocolate Mousse

Ding Dong

Alien Huh OpenHello?

Who Are you?

Hi!

I’m Darlene Fredette.

I’m here to cook.

.

Alien Huh OpenCook? I don’t cook.

I’m an alien. Oh, and I interview people.

Yeah, but interviews are so Fourth of July.  Christmas is coming.

Nobody wants to read an interview while you’re rushing about with Christmas shopping, wrapping gifts, and baking those delicious treats.

Instead of boring people with all that, I’m here to share a recipe that my heroine, Candy Cane, makes in my book “One Sweet Christmas”.

.

Alien EweI’m not sure if I can do that.

I might get in trouble.

You see Jennifer…

Awe, don’t be such a blue Scrooge.

Let’s get cooking.

We’re going to make

Chocolate Mousse

Alien nervousOh, that sounds yummy.

But last time I cooked I made a bit of a mess.

.

No worries!

It’s easy.

Here’s what we will need:

Ingredients:

4 ounces (120 grams) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, cut into small pieces

2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter, cut in small pieces

2 tablespoons strong coffee or espresso (optional)

2 large eggs, separated

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

4 tablespoons (60 grams) granulated white sugar, divided

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy whipping cream (35-40% butterfat content)

.

Got all that?

.

.

Alien nervous.

Umm, I think so.

.

Great!  This is all we have to do…

Directions:

In a medium-sized stainless steel bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate, butter, and coffee. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for a few minutes. Then whisk in the two egg yolks. Cover and refrigerate while you whip the egg whites and whipping cream.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), whip the two egg whites with the cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually add two tablespoons of sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form, yet the whites are still glossy and not dry. Set aside.

In another bowl, whip the heavy cream, remaining two tablespoons sugar and vanilla extract until soft peaks form.

Alien SmileI love this part. It reminds me of the fluffy mountains on Mars. 

Hey, do you want to talk about your book while you are here? 

What’s is about?

It’s going to take more than a few pieces of chocolate to fill this
Scrooge’s heart with Christmas cheer. Luckily Candice Cane has a whole shop full…

Candice Cane is not proud of the way she acted
after her last encounter with Jackson Frost. Sure revenge was fun, but it’s
left Jackson standing, angry and looking for answers, on the welcome mat in her
chocolate shop. Now he’s after some revenge of his own.

Jackson returned to his small hometown for one
reason and one reason only…so he’s not sure how he’s ended up in a Santa suit in the middle of a chocolate shop, at the behest of its beautiful owner,
instead of high-tailing it back to the city as fast as he can.

Alien SmileSounds like fun.

So, she’s made this recipe?

She sure has.  Hey, can you get that chocolate mixture out of the refrigerator for me?  Thanks.  Now gently stir a couple of spoonfuls of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, and then fold the remaining whites into the chocolate mixture, gently but thoroughly. Fold in the whipped cream.

Spoon the chocolate mousse into six individual serving dishes or glasses. Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours. Serve with additional whipped cream, fresh raspberries and/or shaved chocolate. Makes 6 servings.

Alien SmileOh!

This is delicious!

.

.

See, I told you.

And very little mess.

Alien nervousIt was pretty easy.

But do you think we should be worried about the chocolate that sprayed on the ceiling?

Nah.

She’ll never notice.

Have a blue Christmas!

.

Alien PKO_0003410

You too!

About Darlene Fredette : An avid reader since childhood, Darlene loved to put a pencil to paper and plot out stories of her own. Her writing is a combination of contemporary romance with chick lit flare, and a main focus as a plot-driven page-turner. When Darlene isn’t writing, editing, or reading she enjoys spending time with her husband, daughter, and Yellow Lab.

Where to buy One Sweet Christmas: http://www.escapepublishing.com.au/product/9780857991058#

Stalk Darlene here:

Web Blog: http://findingthewritewords.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DarleneLF

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DarleneLF

Author Katie Salidas teaches the Little Blue Lady from Mars to Cook, and #free ebooks for everybody!

Free_Fridays!

Yay!  It’s Freebee Fridays time!

First of all, Congrats to last week’s winner: Mary Preston

You’ve received a free copy of “Crisis of Identity” by Denise Moncrief.

If you’d like to find out more about Denise Moncrief and her books, click on over to  http://www.denisemoncrief.blogspot.com/

.

Alien Zig Zag

PKO_Alien 3 0003387Jennifer’s not here this week, so I don’t have to worry about her being all squishy with these authors.  Finally I get to do an interview without her complaining!  Let’s see who’s here [opens the door]

Hi!

I’m Katie Salidas.

I’m here for the cooking show.

PKO_Alien 3 0003387Cooking show?

.

Yep.

Where’s your kitchen?

PKO_Alien 3 0003387Umm, It’s Jennifer Eaton’s kitchen actually,

and it’s over there.

Okay.

I’ll just make myself at home.

PKO_Alien 3 0003387What’s with the bowls and pans?

Why’d you just turn on the oven?

Well, we’re going to cook,

aren’t we?

PKO_Alien 3 0003387Cook? What’s going on? 

Who are you anyway?

Who am I? Oh no one really, just a small wallflower of a writer who pens the most realistic and gritty urban fantasy vampires. I don’t do sparkles, and I don’t do vegetarian vampires. What I do “do” is emotion, struggle, pain, and ultimately overcoming the obstacles. I also do cookies.

Alien Huh CloseCookies?

Wait a minute.

Actually, we need to wait about five more minutes for the oven to preheat, but there’s lots to do while we’re waiting.  But you know that, right? You’re a cooking show host.

PKO_Alien 3 0003387The last thing I actually cooked was a novel that I didn’t like. 

I blew it up.

Oh!  I love symbolic imagery.

I blew up an idea yesterday.  Storyboarded it and everything.

Alien Huh CloseUmm

What?

Okay, First we have to combine the sugar, flour, baking soda and salt into a bowl.  Can you start whisking that for me?

PKO_Alien 3 0003387Ahhh, I guess.

This thing looks just like a miniature ray gun.

Be careful there.  You don’t want to spill it.

Funny, you act like you’ve never whisked baking ingredients before.

PKO_Alien 3 0003387Call it my tragic flaw

.

That’s okay.  In my book Immortalis Carpe Noctem, my My Main character is flawed, that’s for sure, but who among us isn’t? She’s real, she young, and has a lot to learn. And as the series progresses you’ll learn right along with her.

PKO_Alien 3 0003387Can she show me how to bake?

.

No silly. That’s what I’m here for.

Now let’s get those sugars mixed up.

PKO_Alien 3 0003387With the whisky thingy?

.

Nope.  Use your hands.

Get out all the lumps.

PKO_Alien 3 0003387Wait!

What’s that?

Err, a hand mixer.

We need to start beating the ingredients.

Alien Huh CloseWhat did the ingredients do?

What would you beat them?

I like you you’re funny.

Let’s get the rest of these ingredients in here

Alien Huh CloseAre you sure you know what you’re doing?

This looks like a lump of Martian calowog dung.

I sure do know what I’m doing!  I also know how to write books.  Immortalis Carpe Noctem has sold over 10,000 copies.

It’s almost as good as making cookies!

PKO_Alien 3 0003387I’m not so sure you are good at making cookies. 

How can I be sure your book is any good?

I’ve got positive reviews on every site from Goodreads to Nook! I know this book is good and I want more readers to find it as well!

Alien Huh CloseReally?  But isn’t this book about vampires?

It’s so overdone.  It seems like everyone is becoming a vampire these days.

Becoming a vampire is easy. Living with the condition…that’s the hard part.

Now we need to form this into a roll.  Can you do that?

Alien SmileLike this?

.

Perfect!

Now we need to refrigerate it for forty-five minutes.

Alien SmileWhile we wait,

tell me more about your book.

Newbie vampire Alyssa never asked for this life, but now it’s all she has. Rescued from death by Lysander, the aloof and sexy leader of the Peregrinus vampire clan, she’s barely cut her teeth before she becomes a target.

Kallisto, an ancient and vindictive vampire queen – and Lysander’s old mate – wants nothing less than final death for her former lover and his new toy. She’s not above letting the Acta Sanctorum, and its greatest vampire hunter, Santino, know exactly where the clan can be found.

With no time to mourn her old life, Alyssa’s survival depends on her new family. She will have to stand alongside Lysander and fight against two enemies who will stop at nothing to destroy them.

Alien SmileWow! 

That actually sounds pretty cool!

It is very cool.  And so is our dough.

Now we need to cut this into cookies four inches thick

Alien SmileLike this?

And spread them on the pan, right?

Yes. Hey, you don’t run a cooking show for nothing, you are a natural at this.

Now we bake 12 to 14 minutes.

Alien SmileSo tell me. 

When you’re not baking, do you ever explode things?

In real life, sadly, no. But I have a friend who does that kind of thing for a living. He is an inspiration behind one of the characters in my Immortalis series and he’s also my weapons consultant (so my writing is always accurate where that is concerned.)

Alien SmileOh! 

Has he ever taken over the world?

You know, taking over the world sounds all well and good, but then there is the responsibility of actually “ruling” the world. That sounds too much like work to me. LoL.

Alien SmileNo.  No work. 

I’d just let Jennifer M. Eaton take care of all the hard stuff.

Speaking of hard stuff, we’ve made quite a mess.

Do you have a clean-up crew?

Alien SmileYep. The annoying whiney chick with the curly hair who owns this place. 

She’ll clean it up.

Great!

Let’s get these off the pan and onto a cooling rack.

Alien SmileOops.  I squished one.

Sorry

That’s okay.  There’s plenty more.

Now what we’re going to do is goob a little frosting between these cookies.

Alien SmileOh!

They look like spaceships!

They do, don’t they?

You can even put a little blue food coloring in the frosting so it will match your hair.

Alien SmileMmmmmm!

These are delicious!

If you like these, you should try my book.

It’s even better!

Alien SmileYes!  We must all read Katie Salidas’s book!

Free Books for everybody!

Click here to pick up your copy for free!

Yay!

I hope everyone enjoys Immortalis Carpe Noctem… and here’s a link to the recipe for the best chocolate sandwich cookies ever. Lemme tell ya… Amazing!  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/cinnamon-spiced-hot-chocolate-cookies-recipe/index.html

If you want to find out more about Katie and her books, click on over to her site. http://www.katiesalidas.com/

Alien Zig Zag

Ummmm…

What the heck happened to my kitchen?

JenniFer_EatonF

The Little Blue Lady From Mars © Jennifer M. Eaton.

The Devastation of Hurricane Sandy – The cleanup is not over.

As many of you know, the lagoon in the backyard of the home that I grew up in rose about twenty feet during Hurricane Sandy.  Our house (where my sister currently lives) was spared  with about $30,000 worth of damage.  Her neighbors where not so lucky.  It’s unbelievable what a few inches of height in a foundation can do.

But we haven’t heard much about it lately, have we?  Yesterdays news, right?  Here are pictures that were taken just a few days ago, after the National Guard started letting people back in.

For many, the memory of Sandy is far from gone.

What’s Your Favorite Christmas Tradition?

Ahhhhhh… Christmas Memories.  Aren’t they the best?  Do you remember the smell of cookies baking in the oven when you came home from school? MMMMMM.

I loved the smell of my grandmother’s home-made apple strudel.  She was a pastry chef before she retired, and My Goodness could she throw together a strudel.  Unfortunately, she literally threw them together.  She tried to write down the recipe… but it read “A handful of flour and enough butter until it looks just right.  Throw in a little cinnamon…”  Sigh.  I miss you, Grandma.  I wish my kids got to meet you, and taste your amazing baking.

Awe darn!  Now I’m all teary-eyed.  What the heck are you guys doing to me?

Ugh!  Anyway… today I am hanging out with Gloria Richards to talk about more of my favorite memories… and I have a slew of fun ones to tell over the next month.  And since I’m feeling Christmassy, I might just be in the giving spirit today [Wink] So hop on over and give me a shout-out at Gloria Richard’s blog.

It will be a hoot!

ChristmasFiligree

Make BelieveFor The Love Of Christmas CoverWhy all the hullabaloo?  Well, it’s to promote my two new releases “Make Believe” and “For the Love of Christmas”

That’s why!

And don’t forget to click on “Enter to Win” for a chance to win your choice of the two titles!  Yay!

Oh, I almost forgot… A few random commentors along the tour path will win their choice of anthologies, too.  So be sure to hop on over and say “Hi”

ChristmasFiligree

Hop on over and send me some love!

Gloria Richard’s blog – Writing a novel is like training your dog.

Still Moments Publishing – Christmas Blog Hop

Kaiden’s Seduction Review of Make Believe! (Is it good?)

JenniFer_EatonF

Do you know the difference between fresh cream and ice cream?

Fresh cream or ice cream?  Seriously?

One thing I am learning on this blog tour is that I can never be sure what someone might want to know.  Seriously … I have been asked some very interesting and confusing questions.

Hop on over to Julie Belfield’s blog to see what Jolly old England has in store for me today.

See Ya there!

http://jabelfield.wordpress.com/

ChristmasFiligree

Make BelieveFor The Love Of Christmas CoverWhy all the hullabaloo? Well, it’s to promote my two new releases “Make Believe” and “For the Love of Christmas”

That’s why!

And don’t forget to click on “Enter to Win” for a chance to win your choice of the two titles! Yay!

Oh, I almost forgot… A few random commentors along the tour path will win their choice of anthologies, too. So be sure to hop on over and say “Hi”

ChristmasFiligree

Hop on over and send me some love!

ChristmasFiligree

Visit my Anthology buddies!  They are celebrating too!

Jenny Keller Ford

J.A. Belfield

Kelly Said

Lynda R. Young

Terri Rochenski

I Am Thankful – We don’t always realize that the bad things are worth praising.

I cannot take credit for this.

This was emailed to me, and the person who sent it was not the original author.

To whoever you are, Unknown Author… these are beautiful words of thanks we should all live by….

I AM THANKFUL …

For the wife who says it’s hot dogs tonight, because she is home with me, not with someone else.
For the husband who is on the sofa being a couch potato, because he is home with me, and not out at the bars.
For the teenager who is complaining about doing dishes, because that means she is at home, not on the streets.

For the taxes that I pay, because it means that I am employed.

For the mess to clean after a party, because it means that I have been surrounded by friends.

For the clothes that fit a little too snug, because it means I have enough to eat.

For my shadow that watches me work, because it means I am out in the sunshine.

For a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need fixing, because it means I have a home.

For all the complaining I hear about the government, because it means that we have freedom of speech.

For the parking spot I find at the far end of the parking lot, because it means I am capable of walking and that I have been blessed with transportation.

For my huge heating bill, because it means I am warm.

For the lady behind me in church that sings off key, because it means that I can hear.

For the pile of laundry and ironing, because it means I have clothes to wear.

For weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day, because it means I have been capable of working hard.

For the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours, because it means that I am alive.

There is a bright side to everything.  It’s all good.

Let’s take a few moments to talk about Fluff

As most of you know, I am going through the beta-read process right now with my WIP Fire in the Woods. Odd things pop up when you read people’s comments. If I see one, and it doesn’t make sense to me, I make a mental note, and move on. If a second person says the same thing, then I take notice. This is what brings me to Fluff.

Fluff. Am I the only person in the world who knows what Fluff is?

Out of curiosity, I did a Google search. Yes. Fluff as I know it is the number one thing to pop up.

So, next I went to Wikipedia. Here is the definition of Fluff:

Fluff : From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fluff is a noun for anything light, soft, or fuzzy and may also be Belly button fluff, also known as navel lint

A brand or product

  • The name of a lifestyle brand created by artist Claudette Barjoud
  • Marshmallow creme, a food product

So yes, Fluff was on Wikipedia too, but oddly listed below belly button lint… which is a bit weird.

Picture property of Wikipedia commons. Thanks!

Okay… so there is a point to this post. Fluff is a food… Well, I guess it’s debatable that it’s a food. I don’t actually think it has any nutritional value. But what it is – is delicious!I grew up with fluff. There is nothing better to take away the dreariness of a bad day than a big dollop of fluff on top of extra crunchy peanut butter hugged between two slices of bread. MMMMMmmmmm. Just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy thinking about it.

But the odd thing to me, is that my main character, Jess, rifles through a cabinet, finds the peanut butter, and is upset that she can’t find the Fluff.

I was shocked that several beta readers had no idea what Fluff was.

What is this world coming to?!

So, like a good little girl, I removed the reference to Fluff, because I do not want to confuse or offend today’s health-conscious society.

But I give everyone homework today. If you have never experienced the joy of Fluff, you can find it in the same aisle as the peanut butter. A Fluffernutter sandwich is bread, a small amount of peanut butter, and as much Fluff as the bread can handle.

Everyone should experience the joy of a Fluffernutter sandwich at least once in your life.

Go ahead. Take a bite. I dare you.

Then come back and share the sugar-shocked joy your body experiences.

Mmmmmm. I think I’ll run to my cupboard now and grab a jar to join you.

What’s your favorite food from when you were a kid that makes you smile every time you think about it?

Six Sentence Sunday – Something by me! – Six from Fire in the Woods

For the while now I’ve been too lazy to put out my own stuff featuring other authors for Six Sentence Sunday.

Today, I thought I’d take a random Six from my current baby, “Fire in the Woods”.

I basically opened up the file, dragged the little doo-hicky down about a quarter into the document, and counted down ten lines. So, Bam, this is the six you get.

In this six, my main character, Jess, is describing her father. (Fire in the Woods is told in first person “I” from Jess’s perspective.)

“Well, he doesn’t really laugh much anymore. We used to play a lot together, and now he’s like, all business.” I closed my eyes, taking in the clear forest air. My mind wandered back to my mother’s funeral—Dad sitting on the bench, staring at Mom’s open coffin. “He never cried. He just sat there.”

Book Review of “Monkey Island”

The Monomaniacal Middle Grade Reviewer Discusses Monkey Island

Teachers, listen to this, and explain to him why the education system puts kids through stuff like this.

I know when I was young, I didn’t like to read because everything handed to me in school was uninteresting to me. I’m SO GLAD my dad purchased a Fantasy novel for me on a whim one day!

Okay, any teachers out there?

Care to chime in on what he says?

Anyone else have an opinion?