I was a walker in the Kids Walk for Kids event this past Saturday. All proceeds for KWFK’s go to Coordinators/2, a non-profit child placement agency. The event was great fun and I’ve already marked my calendar for next year’s event!
I drove to Boonsboro, Maryland to sign my latest releases SENSELESS and MERCILESS at Turn the Page Bookstore. Headlining the signing were Nora Roberts, Jeaniene Frost, Pamela Palmer, Grace Burrowes and Stephanie Dray. The weather was perfect, the authors a delight and the fans great fun!
What great weather!
The Inn at Boonsboro.
Turn the Page Bookstore is located on Main Street.
Fans lined up early for the 12 noon book signing.
Avon Books hosted an online chat from 10:30 to 11:15 with fans who could text in questions for the authors.
We had some great questions from the online fans.
Jeaniene Frost and Pamela Palmer sign online orders before the signing.
Stephanie Dray and Grace Burrowes also signed their books.
Jeaniene Frost, Mary Burton and Pamela Palmer
MB signed SENSELESS and MERCILESS.
Stephanie Dray, Grace Burrowes, Pamela Palmer, Nora Roberts, Jeaniene Frost and Mary Burton
I had great fun at the Barnes & Noble this past Saturday signing SENSELESS and MERCILESS and meeting fans. Big thanks to everyone that came by!
With snow coming down and my refrigerator running on empty, I decided to take what remained in my crisper and turn it into home pizzas. First on tap was the dough, which turned out to be quite easy. After kneading the dough and letting it rest, I turned my attention to toppings. I then put my pizza stone in a cold oven and preheated to three hundred and fifty degrees before caramelizing onions, sautéing artichoke hearts and Canadian bacon and roasting garlic. By the time my toppings were ready, my dough had risen and my pizza stone was hot. . With last night’s leftover marina as base, it became just a matter of taking orders, assembling, baking and eating.
Dough
1 package of active dry yeast
2 cups of warm water
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
4 cups of flour
Dissolve yeast in warm water and toss in sugar. Let rest for five minutes or until the yeast bubbles. Mix in flour. If the dough it too sticky, add additional flour in ¼ cup increments. When you can handle the dough fairly easily turn out onto a work surface and start kneading. It took me ten minutes of working the dough and dusting it with flour to get the right consistency for pizza dough. Let in rest in an oiled and covered bowl for about an hour
Making pizza dough is easy and quick.
Toppings
These topping are what I had on hand but you can use just about anything. Other favorites include mozzarella cheese, pineapple, and mushrooms.
Marinara Sauce
Onions
Artichoke Hearts
Goat Cheese
Parmesan Cheese
Canadian Bacon
Broccoli (blanched)
Sun-dried tomatoes
A note about your pizza stone: put it in a cold oven and then preheat. If you put a cold stone in a hot oven it could crack.
Have toppings ready to go before assembly.
Assembly
I grab a handful of dough and pull it into a circle/oval. Next I dust a wooden peel with flour and lay the dough on it. I assemble toppings on dough. I jostle the peel back and forth to make sure my dough can move and then I open the oven and slide the pizza onto the stone. Cook for 10-12 minutes.
A note about assembly: Don’t assemble a pizza on the peel and then just let it sit while you’re waiting for another pizza to cook. The pizza will really stick to the peel. The trick is to assemble the pizza and put it immediately into the oven.
Pizza stones help your crusts cook evenly.
A pizza peel is inexpensive and handy.
Buddy, Bella and I rang in the New Year at Snowshoe, West Virginia. What a beautiful place!
Buddy, Bella and MB
At the top of the ski slopes.
Buddy loved watching the deer feeding off our deck.
Lots of snow!
Christmas snuck up on me this year but I managed to pack in several weeks worth of work in a couple of days. Lots of fun but I am ready to chill this week.
Buddy, Bella and I head to the woods to cut a tree.
Got the lights up before the snowfall.
Decorated late on December 23.
Put my Santas out for display.
My friend Kelly and her husband Jeff renewed their vows and I tagged along and snapped photos.
Made a trifle for my Mom's Julia Child themed Christmas dinner. It was a lot of work but delicious!
MB at Christmas dinner enjoying the wine and great food.