BBQ Chicken and Baked Beans

First, before we talk food, many of you have been asking about my book. The Twelve Tales of Christmas is a collection of 12 whimsical stories, including Rosalita (part two and three) and Priscilla Piper. The tales range from romance to whimsical children's stories to suspense (Noelle is haunted by her grandmother's fruitcake, literally.) To order, go here or click on the blue button in the side column of my blog. You can also go to lulu.com and type in my name and 12 Tales of Christmas.


And now, for barbecue!



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It is a truth universally acknowledged that barbecue, no matter how delicious, never photographs well.

That's right. I just used a Pride and Prejudice reference on barbecue.



I mean, that's the fabulous thing about barbecue, in my opinion. Whether it's ribs (beef, not pork), chicken, brisket, sausage or turkey legs, it all looks about the same. In a professional smoker, it'll be blackened on the outside with pink tender meat on the inside and slathered with sauce. In an oven, it'll be crisp on the outside, tender on the inside and slathered in sauce. On a grill, it'll be slightly charred on the outside, tender on the inside and slathered with sauce.

So no matter which way you cut it, it'll be slathered with sauce.




And I love food slathered with sauce, dripping with dressings and drowned in gravy.



I suppose you could say I'm a girl after my father's heart.


And when you've got good barbecue, you need good barbecue beans.


Like these.


Now, beans have a misfortune in the food world. They're not pretty, they're not particularly colorful and they often look like a simpleton food.



But these beans are my grandma June's beans. And while they're simple to make, they're anything but simple tasting. Bush's Beans and his talking golden retriever don't have anything on my grandma's beans.






The barbecue chicken is part of our New Recipe Series from the Serving Louisiana cookbook my dear mother-in-law gave me for Christmas. I've marked up the majority of this book, so you can be expecting a lot to come from it in the next few weeks. Delicious treats like chicken dressing, chicken and gravy, south of the border pie, chicken spaghetti, chicken and dumplings, brisket, lasagna, creole meatballs, po' boys and baked fish....

Poor Ben. He'll never stick on his diet with me around.



Especially with these in the freezer.

The FDA considers me a hazard to people's health.

But at least we can get some good barbecue in before the dietitians and nutritionists haul me away.




Barbecue Chicken from Serving Louisiana

1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper (Mine was rotten so I used a can of green chilies.)
1 1/2 tblspn Worcestershire sauce
1 tblspn mustard
1 tblspn brown sugar
4 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless or one small chicken cut up
1 tblspn garlic salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Combine ketchup, water, wine vinegar, onion, bell pepper, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and brown sugar in sauce pan. Mix well. Bring to boil then reduce heat.

Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt and pepper. Arrange in baking dish, single layer, and pour sauce over chicken. Bake, covered at 325 degrees for 1 hour or until cooked through.

Serves 4.

And the book says it's only 238 delicious calories. Hooray!




Grandma June's Baked Beans

2 lbs. of pork and beans, canned
4 strips of bacon
1/2 cup chopped onions (or onion powder equivalent)
2 tblspn. brown sugar
1 tblspn. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp yellow mustard.

1) Cook bacon until crisp. Drain and keep 2 tblspn. bacon fat.
2) Cook onions in drippings until tender, not brown.
3) Mix beans with other ingredients in casserole dish. Chop bacon into small pieces and add to remaining ingredients.
4) Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes or 325 degrees for 1 hour 45 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before eating.


Stay tuned, Invisible Friends! Tomorrow we have an interview with the Cookie-Stealing Bunny! Then this weekend, we have a edition of Candy Animals and a special edition of the Gift, where we learn what happened to the flower! Monday will kick off another chapter of the Gift with a week of whimsical fun (and the answer to what is in the letter!)

A dance from long ago

A few days ago I realized that new Twirl enthusiasts (the three that are out there) had no idea how to catch up and read old twirls. I have two solutions for you:

1) Check out the Dancing and Dance categories and read all the old entries. This weekend I'm going to figure out how to get this on the sidebar, I swear. I'm in the middle of a vast redesign/organization project. It'll be awesome. Eventually.

I don't like organizing.

2) I can e-mail you the text so far. Just drop me a line!

And for the previous Twirl, go here. For the one before that, go here.

Shall we find out what's in the mysterious envelope that was hidden in the dance hall wall?

Yes, lets.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leaping onto the horse, Vivi and Wade discussed what was in the envelope the entire way back to the car.

"Money!" Vivi shouted over the horses' hooves.

Wade tapped the envelope and shook his head. "Too light!" he said. "Maybe it's a will."

"No, it's definitely too light for that," Viv protested. "Plus, it'd be sealed."

Wade nodded, his back flexing as he turned the horse away from a cactus. "Maybe it's movie tickets." Vivi could feel his grin and shook her head.

"A recipe," she added, giggling. "For fried squirrel."

"Directions," Wade added. "To the nearest pharmacy."

"And a magic tonic to make one fall in love with you over stewed toad," Vivi chortled, leaning against his back as she laughed. The horse hurried over the dry brush as her laugh filled the quiet Texas night.

"A map," Wade mused, running his fingers over the envelope. "It's thin enough. And there were plenty of outlaws back in the day. They could have hidden it in the wall so others couldn't find their secret stashes."

Vivi poked his shoulder blades. "You've been watching way too many pirate movies. Why don't you just open it?"

"Because," Wade drawled, slowing down the horse. "That'd be too easy. Besides, we should wait for the sheriff."

"Why?" Vivi asked, waiting for him to lift her off. He set her in the dirt. In the fading sunlight, it looked like crinkles of joy had been etched around his eyes. With a grin, he leaned down and pressed her lips to hers. When he raised his head, he said simply, "It's the right thing to do."

Vivi wondered if arguing with him would win her another kiss. Before she had time to decide, Wade was boarding up the horse and wiping him down. After a quick dinner at a nearby diner, Wade dropped her off by her car. She drove home humming to herself, her thoughts focused on the envelope. Someone went to a lot of trouble to hide a thin envelope in the wall of a old dance hall. It could have been there for more than 100 years.

She wasn't sure if she could wait for tomorrow to find out.

Sliding into the back door, she placed her foot gently on the first stair. She hadn't been home since nine this morning. If she hurried, she could get upstairs before her parents realized she was back and deal with the lecture tomorrow. She stepped up and the stair squeaked in betrayal.

"Vivi!" her father bellowed. "Come into the living room."

Cursing, Vivi placed her dance bag at the foot of the stairs. Smoothing back her frazzled curls, she hoped she looked pleasant. She stepped into the living room and stared at her father. His sallow face was twisted into a scowl, his inky hair plastered to his forehead. The purple circles under his eyes had grown saggy over the past few years, and the dark goatee on his chin was peppered with grey. Vivi's eyes slid to the wall, where her father was immortalized at the height of his youth. His black eyes bore into the camera, his arrogant smile etched into the photo for all of time.

Until that moment, she had never realized it was a shot of the Lover's Dance. The dance Mrs. Angelson wanted her to do with Damien. It was like she had stepped from a dream. All the worry of Mrs. Angelson's favor, Damien, her father, her school--even how she saw herself came flooding back. The comfort and calm she had felt with Wade was gone. She felt drained, her eyes sinking to her cheeks.

"Vivienne!" She snapped back to attention. "Are you listening to me?"

"Yes," she lied. Her father's eyes narrowed and he stood, stepping towards her in one graceful movement. Once a dancer, always a dancer, she thought bitterly.

"Then you agree?"

Vivi said nothing. She held his gaze, her jaw tight. He snickered. "Just as I thought. You were not listening at all."

Vivi stayed quiet as he circled around her, hurling his words in short jabs.

"Vivienne, Mrs. Angelson called this afternoon. She is concerned about your performance. And your dance teacher at school e-mailed me the other day and said you had been off in practice." Vivi opened her mouth. Her father shot her a look and she closed it. "I don't care about your excuses. I don't care if it's drinking or drugs or even a boy. As long as you don't get pregnant or too deep into anything, I'm not concerned." Vivi's eyes widened as he continued.

"What I am concerned about is your dancing. When you were little, you had a place etched for you in the dance world. But when I"-- His face tightened and he shook his head. "However, things have changed. You will have to fight harder than I ever did." Her father's jaw tightened. "And you are better than I ever was. Mrs. Angelson can take you far. But you must work harder. From now on, you are to focus on your dance only. I will e-mail your teachers and hire a tutor for the house. You can return to school for finals only. Right now, dancing is all that matters. We must prepare you to audition for New York, Europe."

Vivi felt like her throat had been scraped dry. "What about college?"

"College?" her father roared. His pale skin flared into purple and red splotches. "For what? You have a talent, Vivi. A gift. Why would you throw that away? You can attend college after your knees are shot and your feet twisted. You know a dancer has a small amount of time. You're already much later than I wanted."

"But what if I'm good at something other than dancing?" Vivi argued, clenching her fist. Whether it was the fatigue or a fluke, she felt strength she had never known while facing her father. For once she wasn't afraid or worried. In fact, the only thing she really cared about at this moment was what was in the envelope.

"You're a dancer," her father hissed, poking a long bony finger in his chest. "You will always be a dancer. I don't want to hear anything else about it." Grabbing her chin in his hands, he glared at her. "We have a meeting tomorrow morning at 10 with Mrs. Angelson. Then you will practice the rest of the day in my studio. There is much to do."

"I have plans tomorrow," Vivi protested. There was no way she would miss dinner at Wade's grandfather's house and visiting the sheriff. She had to know what was in that envelope. It was driving her crazy.

"Cancel them," her father commanded. "There's a lot you must learn." Taking Vivi's silence for acceptance, he whirled around and disappeared into the back of the house.

Vivi stared after him, her eyes burning a hole in his back. Gritting her teeth, she grabbed her dance bag and barreled up the stairs.

She wasn't too concerned about meeting Mrs. Angelson or what she had been telling her father. Because she wouldn't be at that meeting.

In fact, she wouldn't be here tonight.

To be continued.....

Stay tuned, Invisible Friends! Tomorrow we have a second edition of the New cookbook Series, BBQ Chicken and Baked Beans. Friday we have an interview with the Cookie Stealing Bunny and a Candy Animals on Saturday. And of course, we find out what's in the flower that Samantha received!

The Search for a Moose in the Pond

Bear was depressed.


You see, all he had wanted for Christmas was a moose. Just a moose to ride on through the backyard, past all the tall grass and over the cold sidewalks.



But Santa hadn't brought him a moose. He had brought him plenty of toys and treats, new Chihuahua Christmas friends, and even some new clothes. But there wasn't a moose in sight.

Wuffle.

It was enough to make a puppy wuffle with all his might.

Finally, one day, Bitty had enough.

"Stop wuffling!" she bellowed. "We're going to go find a moose!"


Then the Babies realized they had no idea where a moose lived. In fact, they didn't know what a moose looked like.




They looked in the dishwasher.





They checked the pantry.




They checked the loveseat cushions. Bear was thrilled to find a chew stick.




They checked under the entertainment center and found another chew stick. Bitty claimed it. After all, she is the Queen.





There were no mooses in the hallway.




Nor in the bathroom.




There wasn't anything in Ben's office either. Not even a dead spider.

Finally, the Babies gave up the search. They trotted into the Blond Duck and Ben's room for snuggle time.



And ran smack into a moose.

"A moose!" Bear cried. "A moose! A real moose! Sent to me by Santa!"




"Pardon me," the moose said, looking perturbed. "I'm not anyone's present from Santa. I simply live in the Land of the Flowered Bed."



Bear felt his hopes fade away. "So I can't ride on your back in the tall grass out back? I can't run to the mailbox with you and scare the mean dogs? We can't go ice skating on the kitchen floor?"

"Of course!" the Moose cried. "That's what friends do!"






And just like that, Bear had a new friend in the Moose. Even if the Moose had to stay in the Blond Duck's bedroom due to the fact Bitty had the overwhelming urge to shred it like her other toys.




He had never been happier. In fact, he wuffled with joy.


Stay tuned, Invisible Friends! Tomorrow we have a new Twirl! Thursday we have the new cookbook series of bbq chicken and baked beans, and a interview with the cookie-stealing bunny Friday. Stay tuned!

The Gift 3

Hello, dear Invisible Friends! Hold on!

Did you read about my tasty light lunch?

What about Twirl?

What about the special edition of Twirl?

You did? Fantastic. Now, who is up for a light lunch? I'm buying...

Although I never promote movies or books, I must say I saw for the preview for this on TV today and screamed so loud Ben thought zombies had burst through the patio. I haven't been this excited since Stranger than Fiction.

And now for what you've all been waiting for....what's in the BOX!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Oh my God," Samantha repeated, staring inside the small silver box.

"What is it?" her friend Ashley asked, her voice laced with curiosity.

"Yes, come on!" Cleo nearly shouted, teetering perilously on the armchair. "What is it? I can't see that far without my contacts?"

Even Jeremy seemed curious. He stood up and wondered over, peering over her shoulder. Samantha glared at him and he blushed, taking a step back.

"It's a flower," Samantha informed them, lifting the tiny bloom out of the box. A deep blush colored lily-like flower with burgundy tips rested in the palm of her hand, no bigger than a quarter. Silver specks glimmered in the bright blue center and the petals sparkled in the dim light. "And look, there's another note!" She plucked a yellowed small scroll out of the box.

"Oh," Cleo cooed. "How cute. A scroll. So old fashioned." She glared up at Jeremy. "Much more appropriate than work out DVDs."

"I'll take it back and get a necklace!" Jeremy sputtered.

"Oh, it's way too late for that," Ashley informed him. "You might as well just roll over and die." She turned to Samantha as she carefully unrolled the tiny scroll. "What's it say?"

Samantha peered down at the thick black ink. "Dear Samantha," she read. "Even this rare bloom cannot compare to your beauty. Until sunset. Love, Me."

"Who is me?" Jeremy demanded, his cheeks turning red. "And what is going on at sunset?"

"Breathe," Ashley snapped. "It's almost ten at night. It's probably from a poem or something."

"Is this flower real?" Cleo wondered aloud, poking at the elegant blooms. "It looks real, but it's so soft. Wouldn't a real flower be rotting right now?"

"I've never seen a flower like that," Ashley pointed out. "I mean, it looks perfect. Like it was carved out of glass or something."

"It's a stupid silk flower," Jeremy sneered, his voice a little too loud. "It's probably just a joke. It's not like you have a secret admirer or anything. I bet Ashley or Cleo did this."

"We did not!" Ashley snapped.

"You're simply the worst boyfriend ever!" Cleo growled.

"Whatever," Jeremy snorted. He plucked the scroll out of Samantha's hand. "It's just some stupid prank."

"And what if it's not?" Samantha's voice was quiet, but hard.

"What?" Jeremy blinked. Samantha swiveled her dark head around, her light green eyes piercing his.

"What if it's not a stupid prank?" Samantha repeated. "What if it is a secret admirer?"

Jeremy snorted. Samantha's eyes flashed, but her voice remained calm. "Just because you don't recognize my value doesn't mean others do not." Jeremy squawked and Samantha shook her head. "I think you should leave. I'm tired and we're going to bed."

"What do you me we?" Jeremy glared at her. "All my stuff is in your room."

"That's easy to fix," Samantha replied, her voice icy. "And I prefer you do it soon. I'm not sharing my room with someone who doesn't appreciate me after three years."

Jeremy's face tightened and he stormed off, slamming the cabin door. Amy and Cleo immediately rushed to their friend.

"I'm ok, I'm ok," Samantha reassured them before they could speak. "I know I sounded harsh, but I'm just frustrated. I really thought"-- Tears sprang to her eyes.

"Oh, honey." Ashley smoothed her hair. "Why don't you go lay down in my room? I'll get your stuff for you later. I'm so wired right now I'll probably watch a movie." Cleo nodded, patting her shoulder. Samantha forced a smile on her face.

"Thanks," she said. Plucking her flower from Cleo, she picked up the tiny scroll Jeremy had dropped on the floor and toddled off to Ashley's room with both pressed to her palm firmly. In Ashley's room, she dropped the tiny flower into a glass of water and slid the scroll under her pillow.

"Love, me," she repeated, shaking her head as she slid under the covers. "Who is me?"

She was asleep immediately. The next morning, she stretched in the early sunlight, careful not to disturb the snoring form of Ashley's next to her. Sliding out of bed, she stood up and stumbled to the dresser. Smiling, she leaned over the glass to finger her floating flower.

Her eyes widened. "Ashley," she whispered. "Look at this!"

To be continued...

Stay tuned, Invisible Friends! Tomorrow Bear and Bitty go on a search for a moose. We also have a new BBQ chicken recipe, another Twirl and a interview with the cookie stealing bunny! Stay tuned!

Twirl: Special Edition

You asked, I delivered. To read what scandalous events inspired this special edition of "Twirl", go here.


Wade stared at his bleeding fist, then at the hole in the wall. His mouth opened. Before he could speak, a burly red-faced man shoved through the crowd that had gathered around them. The musicians peered down from the stage and people stood on top of the bar to see better over the crowd.

"WADE!" the burly man bellowed. "What the hell did you do to my wall?"

"I didn't do anything," Wade replied, giving his hand a bewildered stare. "I was just talking to Vivi and I leaned against it. Next thing I know, my fist is through the wall with about a billion splinters in it."

"That's a lie!" the burly man snarled. "This building is solid. It's been here since the 1800s." He narrowed his eyes and looked at Vivi. "Was he trying to pull something on you, darlin'?"

Vivi's eyes flashed and her cheeks bloomed red. "No! Wade would never do that!"

"You been drinking, Wade?" the burly man pressed on, ignoring Vivi's indignant gasp. "You know, your grandpa used to"--

"Leave him out of this!" Wade snarled, his blue eyes flashing. Vivi's throat went dry as she watched his normally serene face crease into hard lines. She had never seen him mad.

As the two men snarled and cursed at each other, a pot-bellied sheriff shoved through the crowd. "All right, all right," he yelled over the noise. "What's going on here?"

"Sheriff, I leaned against the wall and my fist went through it," Wade informed him, cutting off the burly man's attempts to speak. "I think the wood is rotten. But now Burt thinks I was intentionally trying to damage the wall. I just pulled Vivi back here to tell her something real quick, leaned against the wall and boom!"

"Why were you pulling her back here?" Burt bellowed. "This isn't a football field. Go to the front of the dancehall if you want to talk, not behind the bleachers. You were distracting the band! You're cutting into my profits!"

"You would have charged me re-admission!" Wade argued.

"That's true," the sheriff commented. "He's done it to me before.

"I've got a dancehall to run, not a charity!" Burt bellowed.

"We didn't even know they were back there," the lead guitarist interjected. "Until he went through the wall."

"It was really cool though," the drummer said with a big grin. "It happened in sync with the music." Vivi stared at him. She felt like she was in a bad Western movie. All she needed was a satin dress and some jewels--never mind, that's what saloon girls wore.

As Vivi pondered the proper dress for a proper lady in a B-movie Western, the sheriff shifted and pulled his slipping pants over his enormous stomach.

"Oh Burt, hush up," he growled as Burt continued to squawk about the wall. "You'd fuss if someone gave you a million dollars. I've known Wade since he in diapers and he's been here a million times. You know as well as I do he's the only cool headed one in his family. I think you're just trying to rope him into paying for the wall. If you would keep this place up, people wouldn't be falling through walls."

Burt's face turned purple as he huffed away, his feet slamming so hard into the wooden boards with every step that Vivi could see them bend over the pressure. Some of the crowd drifted back to the bar, and the band started to play again. Wade grabbed the sheriff's arm and pointed to the hole.

"Look, sheriff," he murmured, glancing around at the few stragglers hoping for a fight. "There's something in the wall." Vivi stepped on her tiptoes, trying to peer over the men's shoulders. All she saw was a dark hole in the wood.

The sheriff pulled a flashlight off his belt and clicked it on. Shining it over the broken wood, he peered into the dark space behind the wall.

"I'll be damned," he muttered, reaching his hand in. He pulled out a yellowed envelope. Peeking inside, he sucked in his breath. The sheriff glanced back and forth. He shoved the envelope at Wade and grabbed his shoulder.

"Do me a favor," he muttered. "Meet me at my office tomorrow around two and we'll talk about this. Right now, you got to get this out of the dance hall. See you then."

Whirling around, the sheriff plastered a smile on his face and lumbered onto the dance floor. He scooped up one the ancient town librarian and twirled her around the floor. Over her shoulder he motioned for Wade to leave. Wade nodded and grabbed Vivi's hand, clutching the envelope in his bloodied hand that had gone through the wall.

"I don't get it," she murmured in his ear as they ran out of the dance hall. "What's the big deal about an envelope? Why do we have to meet the sheriff tomorrow?"

"Dunno," Wade muttered. His grin was white and bright in the early dusk. "But we're about to find out."

To be continued....


Stay tuned, Invisible Friends! We have a busy week coming up at the Pond. We've got another Twirl, the search for Bear's moose and a brand new BBQ chicken recipe! Also, tomorrow we learn what was in the box!

A Light Lunch

Yesterday afternoon, I drove up to Austin to have a light lunch with my Dad at Ironworks, a legendary Austin barbecue joint.






It's the perfect barbecue spot--old, simple and really really good.







There's even a cute little wood stove. But that's not where they cook the barbecue.






You're all familiar with Dad. He's the man who hates Christmas and loves gravy.


Now we get to the real meat of the issue (get it?) A lovely light barbecue lunch.



Yes, you heard that correctly. A light lunch. A girl's got to watch her figure.






Have I mentioned how much I love barbecue? Particularly ribs? I love ribs.






I really love ribs.








It seriously excites me.




I just can't help myself.





The worst part is you think I would be embarrassed about being seen like this in public, but I'm not. At the moment, I'm simply in a coma of pure barbecue bliss.



Obviously.




I'm embarrassed to even show you this. As my mother in law would say, the Queen won't be inviting me over any time soon. As my Dad would say, I'm not acting like I've been to town before. There's still meat in my teeth. It's terrible really. (That's why he's not in any of these pictures. Would you want to be seen with this face?)






But as bad as I look, it's oh so delicious.





After wiping all the sauce off my face and hands, I did what any sophisticated eater of true Texas barbecue. I cleansed my palate with crackers. My Dad informed me that any true, good Texas barbecue joint will offer you crackers and white bread, never wheat.






And I'm the sophisticated type.






Did I mention the pecan pie is really good? Well, it is. Or it was.


I had so much fun at my barbecue lunch with Dad, that I think I'll meet him again for lunch at Ironworks soon.



After all, a girl can always use a light lunch to kick off her weekend.


You've begged, you've pleaded---and I've given in. Tomorrow, stay tuned Invisible Friends for a Special Edition of TWIRL! That's right, find out whether Wade punched the wall or fell through...and learn exactly what everyone is staring at. Is it Vivi's Dad? A dead body? A chest of money? Or is it something mysterious?

And on Monday, we find out FINALLY what's in the box! Stay tuned!

Two steps in the past

To read the previous Twirl, go here.


***Special Saturday Announcement! OK, I know you're dying to know what happens after this. All questions will be answered Sunday! Stay tuned!

For the next few hours, Vivi was swept away in the muggy dance hall. Her frizzled curls were plastered to her forehead, her leotard slicked with sweat where Wade's hand pressed against her lower back. Her feet ached and her legs burned.

But all she wanted to do was dance.

Wade's bright blue eyes crinkled at the edges as she twirled across the floor. In his gaze, she felt like the prettiest girl in the world pirouetting in a lovely dress that swirled around her in smooth waves, instead of her ancient jeans and scuffed tennis shoes. Old couples smiled fondly at them and young children gazed up at them. Her fingers were locked against his, their feet sliding in a steady rhythm. She didn't even notice when the bands changed out and the sun slid behind the trees.

All she could do was dance.

The beat slowed, and Wade pulled her into his arms. Leaning her cheek his shoulder, she breathed in his scent.

"I have to tell you something," she blurted out.

"What's that?" His voice was amused.

Pulling away from him, Vivi looked up into his eyes. "I've never been happier than I am with you, dancing."

Wade nodded, his face breaking into a shy smile. "That makes two of us."

"I mean, I know that this is really forward," Vivi babbled. "And I know things are moving fast. I mean, after all, we've just known each other a few weeks. You've already met my friends, you know about my weird family and my crazy teacher...but still, I just feel like I'm skating across the sky when I'm with you. And when we're dancing, it just feels like...I know you probably think I'm coming on too strong and overthinking things and I want to assure you that I'm an independent, well-adjusted individual who is not expecting any sort of--"

Without warning, Wade's lips pressed to hers. At first, it was a soft brush. His blue eyes locked onto hers. Grabbing the sides of his stubbly cheeks, she leaned up. With the same rhythm as their feet, their lips moved together slowly, tenderly. But the burn in Vivi's chest wasn't tender at all. When Wade raised his head, she gasped. He had quite literally taken her breath away.

And she thought that was only something that happened in movies and trashy romance novels.

Taking her hand, Wade pulled her off the dance floor. Her lips tingled as they ducked behind the wall of the stage, huddling under the rig that held flashing red and yellow lights. Wade's lips brushed her ear.

"You know what I saw when I looked at you at that old dance hall the night we met?" he half-shouted.

"What?" Vivi murmured.

"Joy," he replied. "I saw pure joy. And I thought, I want to feel just like how that girl is feeling. I want to be as lit up inside, as excited by an old pile of boards as she is."

Vivi couldn't move or speak as he took her hand and rested his chin on it. He leaned his other arm against the wall.

"And tonight, I'm full of joy," he told her. "Thanks to you."

His eyes met Vivi's. Her lips parted.

And then Wade's fist went through the wall with a loud crack. He cursed, pulling his hand out of the wall and brushing splinters of wood off it. The music stopped and people rushed toward him. Vivi peered at his hand, terrified at what she would see. She glanced at Wade and opened her mouth to comfort him. But Wade wasn't looking at his hand. He didn't even look like he was in pain. He was staring at the wall, his jaw hanging low. Vivi peeked closer at the wall and blinked.

"What is it?"

To be continued....

Stay tuned, Invisible Friends! We have a fun whimsical post tomorrow and find out what's in the box on Monday! Next week we have all sorts of fabulous things, including barbecued chicken from the new recipe series and Bear and Bitty's search for a moose. Stay tuned!

The First of the New Recipe Series: Chicken Enchiladas

What happens when you give the Blond Duck a whole bunch of tasty cookbooks for Christmas?

You get the new recipe series!

That's right. Every week, I'll be posting a new recipe from my new cookbooks. And the new Light Taste of Home magazines. And the Southern Livings I stole from my mother-in-law. And the recipes I stole from my sister.



The cookie stealing bunny ain't got nothing on me when it comes to recipes.

For our first tasty offering of the New Recipe Series, I bring you Chicken Enchiladas from the Any Bitch Can Cook Cookbook.





Hold on! Before you freak out on me, bitch is defined as "Babe In Total Control of Herself."


Now that we've got that settled and the language police have turned off their sirens, let's have some enchiladas.


The book states that this recipe comes from Emery's Restaurant in San Angelo. So Invisible Friends in San Angelo, you can tell me if I'm right.


There are several ways to eat enchiladas and several types of sauces. My favorite is the cheesy, slightly spicy type.


And that's just what we got here. You stuff corn tortillas (mine are red) with sour cream, chopped chicken, green chilies, celery soup and smother it with cheese sauce.



Lots of cheese sauce.

And yes, I know my tortillas aren't properly rolled and are just flopped over. That's just how I like them.

Start your New Year off right. Have an enchilada, some refried beans and some pie.

It's the Texan way to celebrate New Year's Eve.

Chicken Enchiladas from Any Bitch Can Cook (with several Blond Duck alterations)

3 to 4 cooked chopped chicken breasts
1/2 to 2/3 cup sour cream
1 small can of green chilies
1 can cream of celery soup
12 corn tortillas

Mix together and fill corn tortillas. Roll up and put on greased pan.

Cheese sauce:
1 can evaporated milk
8 -12 oz. Velveeta cheese
1/2 cup green onion dip if cream, 1 package of green onion dip if in envelope

Pour on top of enchiladas and bake at 350 for thirty minutes. Sprinkle grated cheese on top 10 minutes before enchiladas are done to melt it.




Just in case you were curious what we're having for supper tonight...



We live up to our New Year Resolutions here at the Pond.


Stay tuned, Invisible Friends! Tomorrow we have a new Twirl and this weekend a fun whimsical post. Then Monday, we find out what's in the box!

New Year's Resolutions at the Pond

Here at the Pond, we've got critters big and small; real and imaginary (in a sense) and stories in dance halls (Twirl), enchanted kitchens (Kitchen Magic) and the world's most boring school (Miss Pickles). For my new Invisible Friends who may not know all the stories here at the Pond, I've included links to the beginning of the tales so you could check them out.

For your amusement, I present the 2009 New Year Resolutions of the Pond.



The Blond Duck: To publish as many whimsical tales in book form and blog form as my Invisible Friends can stand! And to take over the world with Blond Duck press!



Ben: More cinnamon rolls and cinnamon toast, please.






Bitty: To take over the world.





Bear: Since Santa didn't bring me a moose, I'd like a Wuffle-Mobile please: a small Chihuahua-sized go-kart that operates on battery power. And leave a seat for my friend the dolphin and plenty of tasty treats, please.




Ace the Dog: To quit letting the Babies terrorize me.

The Flying Pigs from the Land of the Flowered Bed: To munch on as much tasty grass as possible.

The GLUG (Ginourmous Lime-Green Unusual Gnat): To make people like me. Last time I got a chilly reception (sob!)



The Fuzzy Duck: To go on more dates with the Rubber Chicken!




The Cookie-stealing Bunny: (He was unable to reply due to an incident with his head stuck in the cookie jar.)


The butterflies: To offer a bit of magic.


Miss Pickles: Let's go on an adventure!

Sprinkles the Kitchen Fairy: To teach Bizzy how to cook!
Vivi and Wade: To Twirl!

The Candy Animals: Do you have any tea and cookies you'd mind sharing?



The Land of the Flowered Bed:

Pumble: To eat more cookies with honey!
Cookies: To try to educate the rest of these morons!
Pumble: I take that back. I'm going to spend the entire year refusing to make mouse muffins.

Cookies: I love mouse muffins! You fat insect traitor!

The Seals: (Look longingly at the mouse muffins.)
Miss Moose McKinley: Can you really make a muffin out of a mouse?

The Ducks in the Spa: "Who wants a mouse muffin?" the first duck bellowed. "Those are disgusting!" the second duck bellowed. "It's simply not in our taste," the third duck said.
Hairy: To create peace in the Land of the Flowered Bed.

Princess, you will be missed.





2009 is looking to be an exciting year for the Pond!


Stay tuned, Invisible Friends! Tomorrow we have the kick-off of the New Recipe Series, which features the tastiest chicken enchiladas you've ever slurped down. Then we've got a new Twirl and more whimsical fun! We even find out what's in the box!