(I should know better than to try and write down a recipe from memory. Sheesh...Sorry, here's the corrected recipe)
These have always been a favorite at our parties and are perfect for a New Year's Eve celebration.
2 Cups Bourbon (1 1/2 cup recommended)
3 Cups Ketchup
1 Cup brown sugar
1 Bottle Heinz Chili Sauce
1 Bottle Kraft Hot BBQ Sauce (If you can't find the "hot," regular will do)
1 Clove garlic minced (I use more than this, but I like garlic. It's up to you how much to use)
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 onion chopped (optional - I don't use the onion)
Ha! Learn something new everyday. The recipe says to put all ingredients into a crockpot and cook on low for 3-4 hours. THEN add the 4 lbs cocktail wienies or hot dogs cut into bite size. Cook an additional 1-2 hours.
I don't think I've ever done that. I always just throw it all in there together and cook for the afternoon while I'm getting other stuff ready. The sauce can also be used for meatballs.
Have a safe and happy New Year's Eve!!!
Peace and love to all!
Alannah
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Hump Day Humor
Yesterday, I talked about laughter helping smooth life's potholes. Well, there is nothing on TV that makes me laugh more than the Geico Pothole commercial. I thought it would be appropriate to post it today and if you've never seen it...I'm so sorry for you and we're going to remedy that right now! LOL
I hope you enjoy it!!
It cracks me up how you can see the definition of her upper lip on that "sooooo...". Oh hell, the whole commercial cracks me up!
Have a fantastic Hump Day!
Peace and Love,
Alannah
I hope you enjoy it!!
It cracks me up how you can see the definition of her upper lip on that "sooooo...". Oh hell, the whole commercial cracks me up!
Have a fantastic Hump Day!
Peace and Love,
Alannah
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Food for thought...
"Laughter is to life what shock absorbers are to automobiles. It won't take the potholes out of the road, but it sure makes the ride smoother."
Barbara Johnson
Writer
This is so true and I hope everyone finds reason to laugh. And often!!
Peace and love,
Alannah
Barbara Johnson
Writer
This is so true and I hope everyone finds reason to laugh. And often!!
Peace and love,
Alannah
Friday, December 11, 2009
Blog pre-empted for special announcement
I'm so excited!!!
Since Reaction Time came out a year ago, I thought it was a waste of time to do a book video at this point. But, after seeing a few others that Marly Mathews had done, I decided to go for it and see what happened.
OMG! I'm so glad I did!! (And a little plug for my son...the music is a percussion track he did over the summer. I really liked it so Marly was able to make it work as the soundtrack)
Hmmm...when I played it through the blog, it was off-centered and a few of the words were chopped off. Not sure why, but here's the link to the actual Youtube page if you want to see it there.
What do you think?
Since Reaction Time came out a year ago, I thought it was a waste of time to do a book video at this point. But, after seeing a few others that Marly Mathews had done, I decided to go for it and see what happened.
OMG! I'm so glad I did!! (And a little plug for my son...the music is a percussion track he did over the summer. I really liked it so Marly was able to make it work as the soundtrack)
Hmmm...when I played it through the blog, it was off-centered and a few of the words were chopped off. Not sure why, but here's the link to the actual Youtube page if you want to see it there.
What do you think?
What I'm Reading...
Jacket Blurb:
Badly shaken after the loss of one of their own, the men and women of Troubleshooters Inc. go up against their most deadly opponents yet —- the clandestine organization called The Agency. Blackmail, extortion, murder: The Agency's black-ops sector will apparently stop at nothing to achieve their objective. But this time they've gone too far and hit too close to home.
Led by former Navy SEAL Lawrence Decker, a team of investigators —- from FBI agent Jules Cassidy and former CIA operative Dave Malkoff, to Troubleshooters Sophia Ghaffari, Tess Bailey, and even receptionist Tracy Shapiro —- band together to uncover the truth, and bring the killers to justice.
But the stakes are raised even higher when Decker barely escapes an attempt on his life. It soon becomes clear that the hunters have become the hunted —- and the Troubleshooters are no longer just solving a crime -— they're fighting for survival.
Only one more left to read and I'll be caught up in the series. She's currently writing Izzy's story (I LOOOOVEEE!! Izzy) and then she's taking a hiatus from the series and working on another series. That's both good news and bad news because maybe I'll finally be able to stop my obsession with these people but....but...no more Troubleshooters???!!!
Check back later today for a special preview of the new book trailer for Reaction Time. Even though it's an old release, I decided to do a video for it and I'm so glad I did. Marly Mathews did it for me (and I was able to use music that was written and performed by Son #1). Marly did an amazing job and I absolutely love it. I can't wait for you guys to see it and to hear what you think.
Have a great weekend!!
Peace and love,
Alannah
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Hump Day Giggle...
One of the things I love about Janet Evanovich's writing is her abilty to come up with phenomenal similes and metaphors. I can only wonder if, when she first started, she was like these high school students. LOL
Every year, English teachers from across the country can submit their collections of actual similes and metaphors found in high school essays. These excerpts are published each year to the amusement of teachers across the country. Here are last year's winners:
1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a thigh Master.
2. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.
3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.
4. She grew on him like she was a colony of E.Coli, and he was room-temperature Canadian beef.
5. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.
6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.
7. He was as tall as a six-foot, three-inch tree.
8. The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had disintegrated because of his wife's infidelity came as a rude shock, like a surcharge at a formerly surcharge-free
ATM machine.
9. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn't.
10. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.
11. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you're on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30.
12. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.
13. The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease.
14. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.
15. They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan's teeth.
16. John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.
17. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant, and she was the East River.
18. Even in his last years, Granddad had a mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long, it had rusted shut.
19. Shots rang out, as shots are known to do.
20. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.
21. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.
22. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.
23. The ballerina rose gracefully en Pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.
24. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools.
25. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.
I liked #19...I don't know why, probably because it's a lazy man's way of going about it!! What about you? Which were your favorites?
Have a happy Hump Day!!
Peace and love,
Alannah
Every year, English teachers from across the country can submit their collections of actual similes and metaphors found in high school essays. These excerpts are published each year to the amusement of teachers across the country. Here are last year's winners:
1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a thigh Master.
2. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.
3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.
4. She grew on him like she was a colony of E.Coli, and he was room-temperature Canadian beef.
5. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.
6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.
7. He was as tall as a six-foot, three-inch tree.
8. The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had disintegrated because of his wife's infidelity came as a rude shock, like a surcharge at a formerly surcharge-free
ATM machine.
9. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn't.
10. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.
11. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you're on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30.
12. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.
13. The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease.
14. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.
15. They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan's teeth.
16. John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.
17. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant, and she was the East River.
18. Even in his last years, Granddad had a mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long, it had rusted shut.
19. Shots rang out, as shots are known to do.
20. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.
21. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.
22. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.
23. The ballerina rose gracefully en Pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.
24. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools.
25. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.
I liked #19...I don't know why, probably because it's a lazy man's way of going about it!! What about you? Which were your favorites?
Have a happy Hump Day!!
Peace and love,
Alannah
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Special Announcement
Woo-hoo!!! I've received the contract in the (e)mail, the virtual ink is dry. Therefore, I can finally let you guys in on the whole story.
Savin' Me - the first story I wrote (and rewrote a total of 3 times!) has sold to The Wild Rose Press (waves at fellow Rose, Silver). I love this story...I love Erik, the hero. He is such a tortured soul and I'm so, so glad to be able to provide him with his happy ending.
I don't have any information as far as release dates go. I don't even have the edits back from my new editor yet - although she has said I should receive them before Christmas and that it wouldn't take much to get them done.
As soon as I do get that information, you'll be among the first to know!! Until then, let's celebrate!!
Have a great rest of the day!!
Peace and love,
Alannah
Friday, December 4, 2009
What I'm Reading...
About the book:
When a popular Troubleshooter gets married, what was supposed to be a low-profile ceremony for family and friends snowballs into a thrill ride featuring a nosy reporter, a dashing personal assistant, and a stalker determined to claim the object of his obsession.
In All Through the Night, Brockmann delivers another passionate and electrifying classic, this time featuring an unforgettable Christmas wedding, and an insatiable, unexpected romance.
Cover Blurb: It’s Christmastime in Boston, and this year the silver bells will be wedding bells as FBI agent Jules Cassidy ties the knot with the man of his dreams, Hollywood heartthrob Robin Chadwick.
The pair plan a quiet, intimate ceremony, to be witnessed by family and close friends from the FBI, SEAL Team Sixteen, and Troubleshooters, Incorporated, including Sam Starrett and Alyssa Locke. But the holiday season brings more to the happy couple than they expect.
A waterfall coming through their kitchen ceiling, a bat colony in the attic, old family tensions…even an international incident can’t dampen their spirits. But add to that a parade of unexpected guests, including a reporter looking for a scoop, an ex-lover hell-bent on causing trouble, and a dangerous stalker, and suddenly the wedding is poised to unravel in chaos.
But nothing will stop Jules and Robin from getting their happy ending, because along with a guest list featuring the most elite counterterrorism force in the world, they have their own secret weapon - true love.
This is the one I skipped and since it's small (it's about category length) it was perfect for reading while I've been sick. I'm finished with it, and I'm also feeling pretty much back to normal, so now I can get back to writing.
I guess I should have read the comments from yesterday before I posted today's blog. Duh! I'm a little slow...sorry, Janet, not from a long night but from the cold medicine. LOL Although we did get to have supper with our oldest son while we were in Raleigh and we did all have a little bit of desert to celebrate.
We appreciate the prayers and congrats more than you guys could ever know. I truly believe that's why everything has gone so well. All the positive support, prayers, vibes and thoughts work!! Y'all rock!!!
I hope it's a fantastic weekend for everyone!!
Peace and love,
Alannah
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Woops!!
Guess what I forgot to do today? hehe
Hubby had an early morning appointment at Duke and I had to be ready to leave my house at 6:30 - that's criminal in my book. At some point during the morning, I realized I hadn't posted my blog for today.
While I'm waiting for the second appointment, I thought I'd post my explanation and the good news from the first appointment. This second appointment is a follow-up with the seizure specialist, just to follow-up on meds, etc. The agonizing, stressful, nail-biting appointment is already over and...The MRI shows everything is still stable and looking good!! Woo-hooo!!!
I'll be back tomorrow with what I'm reading.
Hope it's been a great day for everyone!!
Peace and love,
Alannah
Hubby had an early morning appointment at Duke and I had to be ready to leave my house at 6:30 - that's criminal in my book. At some point during the morning, I realized I hadn't posted my blog for today.
While I'm waiting for the second appointment, I thought I'd post my explanation and the good news from the first appointment. This second appointment is a follow-up with the seizure specialist, just to follow-up on meds, etc. The agonizing, stressful, nail-biting appointment is already over and...The MRI shows everything is still stable and looking good!! Woo-hooo!!!
I'll be back tomorrow with what I'm reading.
Hope it's been a great day for everyone!!
Peace and love,
Alannah
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Random, useless information...
Here's a bunch of random, useless information. The only time I can think of when this might come in handy is if you're playing Trivial Pursuit. And I think Silver already said she was a master at that, so for her, it's absolutely, 100% useless. LOL But fun, anyway.
*****************************************************************************
The liquid inside young coconuts can be used as a substitute for blood plasma.
***************************************************************************
No piece of paper can be folded in half more than seven (7) times. Oh go ahead...I'll wait...
****************************************************************************
Donkeys kill more people annually than plane crashes or shark attacks. (So, watch your Ass )
************************************************************************
You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching television. (I love this because I'd much rather sleep than watch TV any day!!)
**************************************************************************
The first product to have a bar code was Wrigley's gum.
*************************************************************************
The King of Hearts is the only king WITHOUT A MOUSTACHE
***************************************************************************
American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating one (1) olive from each salad served in first-class.
**************************************************************************
Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise. (Since Venus is normally associated with women, what does this tell you ? That women are going the 'right' direction...! ;)
*********************************************************************
Apples, not caffeine, are more efficient at waking you up in the morning ...
************************************ ***********************************
Most dust particles in your house are made from DEAD SKIN ! ICK!!
************************************************************************ ****
The first owner of the Marlboro Company died of lung cancer.
So did the first 'Marlboro Man'.
***************************************************************************
Walt Disney was afraid OF MICE! (But he didn't let it stop him! - good lesson)
**************************************************************************
PEARLS DISSOLVE IN VINEGAR !
*********************************************************************
The three most valuable brand names on earth:
Marlboro, Coca Cola, and Budweiser, in that order.
*********************************************************************
It is possible to lead a cow upstairs...but, not downstairs.
************************************************************************
A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why.
************************************************************************
Dentists have recommended that a toothbrush be kept at least six (6) feet away from a toilet to avoid airborne particles resulting from the flush.
(I keep my toothbrush in the living room now !)
***************************************************
And the best for last....Turtles can breathe through their butts. (I know some people like that, don't YOU ?)
So.....................
Remember, knowledge is everything, so pass it on...And go move your toothbrush!
Have a fantastic day!!
Peace and love,
Alannah
*****************************************************************************
The liquid inside young coconuts can be used as a substitute for blood plasma.
***************************************************************************
No piece of paper can be folded in half more than seven (7) times. Oh go ahead...I'll wait...
****************************************************************************
Donkeys kill more people annually than plane crashes or shark attacks. (So, watch your Ass )
************************************************************************
You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching television. (I love this because I'd much rather sleep than watch TV any day!!)
**************************************************************************
The first product to have a bar code was Wrigley's gum.
*************************************************************************
The King of Hearts is the only king WITHOUT A MOUSTACHE
***************************************************************************
American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating one (1) olive from each salad served in first-class.
**************************************************************************
Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise. (Since Venus is normally associated with women, what does this tell you ? That women are going the 'right' direction...! ;)
*********************************************************************
Apples, not caffeine, are more efficient at waking you up in the morning ...
************************************ ***********************************
Most dust particles in your house are made from DEAD SKIN ! ICK!!
************************************************************************ ****
The first owner of the Marlboro Company died of lung cancer.
So did the first 'Marlboro Man'.
***************************************************************************
Walt Disney was afraid OF MICE! (But he didn't let it stop him! - good lesson)
**************************************************************************
PEARLS DISSOLVE IN VINEGAR !
*********************************************************************
The three most valuable brand names on earth:
Marlboro, Coca Cola, and Budweiser, in that order.
*********************************************************************
It is possible to lead a cow upstairs...but, not downstairs.
************************************************************************
A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why.
************************************************************************
Dentists have recommended that a toothbrush be kept at least six (6) feet away from a toilet to avoid airborne particles resulting from the flush.
(I keep my toothbrush in the living room now !)
***************************************************
And the best for last....Turtles can breathe through their butts. (I know some people like that, don't YOU ?)
So.....................
Remember, knowledge is everything, so pass it on...And go move your toothbrush!
Have a fantastic day!!
Peace and love,
Alannah
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
